bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of extended lactation on parameters of Wood’s model of lactation curve in dairy Simmental cows
Authors: Kopec Tomáš , Chládek Gustav , Falta Daniel , Kučera Josef , Večeřa Milan , Hanuš Oto
Published: October 2020

Objective: This study was focused on the estimation of parameters of Wood’s model and description of the lactation curve using the cows which were lactated over 24 months on the first lactation.Methods: The database included 1,333 pure-bred dairy Simmental primiparous cows which lactated for 24 months (732 days). The initial dataset entering the procedure of assessment of parameters of Wood’s function included 35,826 milk yield records. Milk yield was recorded throughout lactation, with the earliest record taken on day 6 and the latest on day 1,348 of lactation. This dataset was used for the assessment of parameters a, b, c of Wood’s model using the non-linear statistical procedure. These parameters were estimated for different length of lactation. The assessed parameters were used for calculation of some characteristics of lactation curves.Results: The lowest value of a parameter (15.2317) of Wood’s model of lactation curve was found out in lactations up to 305 days long, contrary to b and c parameters which were highest in those lactations (0.1029 and 0.0015, respectively). The maximum value of a parameter (17.4329) was found out in lactations up to 640 days long, unlike b and c parameters which were minimal in those lactations (0.0603 and 0.0010, respectively).Conclusion: It can be concluded that the parameters of Wood’s model and the shape of lactation curve are changing with the growing number of milk yield records. Also, the assessed parameters revealed a significant milk production potential after 305 days of lactation.
Effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and phytase co-fermentation of wheat bran on growth, antioxidation, immunity and intestinal morphology in broilers
Authors: Chuang Wen-Yang , Lin Li-Jen , Hsieh Yun-Chen , Chang Shen-Chang , Lee Tzu-Tai
Published: October 2020

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different amounts of wheat bran (WB) inclusion and postbiotics form by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and phytase cofermented wheat bran (FWB) on the growth performance and health status of broilers. Methods: Study randomly allocated a total of 300 male broilers to a control and 4 treatment groups (5% WB, 5% FWB, 10% WB, and 10% FWB inclusion, respectively) with each pen having 20 broilers and 3 pens per treatment. Results: The WB does not contain enzymes, but there are 152.8, 549.2, 289.5, and 147.1 U/g dry matter xylanase, protease, cellulase and β-glucanase in FWB, respectively. Furthermore, FWB can decrease nitric oxide release of lipopolysaccharide stimulated chicken peripheral blood mononuclear cells by about two times. Results show that 10% FWB inclusion had significantly the highest weight gain (WG) at 1 to 21 d; 5% FWB had the lowest feed conversion rate at 22 to 35 d; 10% WB and 10% FWB inclusion have the highest villus height and Lactobacillus spp. number in caecum; and both 5% and 10% FWB can increase ash content in femurs. Compared to control group, all treatments increase mucin 2, and tight junction (TJ), such as occludin, claudin-1, zonula occludens-1, and mRNA expression in ileum by at least 5 folds. In chicken peripheral blood mononuclear cells, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-oxidase-1 mRNA expression decreases from 2 to 5 times, and glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit mRNA expression also increases in all treatment groups compared to control group. The mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), nuclear factor-κB, and IL-1β, decreases in 5% and 10% FWB groups compared to control group. Conclusion: To summarize, both WB and FWB inclusion in broilers diets increase TJ mRNA expression and anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation, but up to 10% FWB groups have better WG in different stages of broiler development.
Integrated transcriptomic analysis on small yellow follicles reveals that sosondowah ankyrin repeat domain family member A inhibits chicken follicle selection
Authors: Zhong Conghao , Liu Zemin , Qiao Xibo , Kang Li , Sun Yi , Jiang Yunliang
Published: October 2020

Objective: Follicle selection is an important process in chicken egg laying. Among several small yellow (SY) follicles, the one exhibiting the highest expression of follicle stimulation hormone receptor (FSHR) will be selected to become a hierarchal follicle. The role of lncRNA, miRNA and other non-coding RNA in chicken follicle selection is unclear. Methods: In this study, the whole transcriptome sequencing of SY follicles with different expression levels of FSHR in Jining Bairi hens was performed, and the expression of 30 randomly selected mRNAs, lncRNAs and miRNAs was validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Preliminary studies and bioinformatics analysis were performed on the selected mRNA, lncRNA, miRNA and their target genes. The effect of identified gene was examined in the granulosa cells of chicken follicles. Results: Integrated transcriptomic analysis on chicken SY follicles differing in FSHR expression revealed 467 differentially expressed mRNA genes, 134 differentially expressed lncRNA genes and 34 differentially expressed miRNA genes, and sosondowah ankyrin repeat domain family member A (SOWAHA) was the common target gene of three miRNAs and one lncRNA. SOWAHA was mainly expressed in small white (SW) and SY follicles and was affected by follicle stimulation hormone (FSH) treatment in the granulosa cells. Knockdown of SOWAHA inhibited the expression of Wnt family member 4 (Wnt4) and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) in the granulosa cells of prehierarchal follicles, while stimulated Wnt4 in hierarchal follicles. Overexpression of SOWAHA increased the expression of Wnt4 in the granulosa cells of prehierarchal follicles, decreased that of StAR and cytochrome P450 family 11 subfamily A member 1 in the granulosa cells of hierarchal follicles and inhibited the proliferation of granulosa cells. Conclusion: Integrated analysis of chicken SY follicle transcriptomes identified SOWAHA as a network gene that is affected by FSH in granulosa cells of ovarian follicles. SOWAHA affected the expression of genes involved in chicken follicle selection and inhibited the proliferation of granulosa cells, suggesting an inhibitory role in chicken follicle selection.
Profiling of skeletal muscle tissue for long non-coding RNAs related to muscle metabolism in the QingYu pig at the growth inflection point
Authors: Luo Jia , Shen Linyuan , Gan Mailin , Jiang Anan , Chen Lei , Ma Jideng , Jin Long , Liu Yihui , Tang Guoqing , Jiang Yanzhi , Li Mingzhou , Li Xuewei , Zhang Shunhua , Zhu Li
Published: October 2020

Objective: Investigation of muscle growth at different developmental stages is an appropriate strategy for studying the mechanisms underlying muscle development and differences in phenotypes. In particular, the muscle development mechanisms and the difference between the fastest and slowest growth rates. Methods: In this study, we used a growth curve model to fit the growth inflection point (IP) of QingYu pigs and compared differences in the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) transcriptome of muscle both at the growth IP and plateau phase (PP). Results: The growth curve of the QingYu pig had a good fit (R2 = 0.974) relative to a typical S-curve and reached the IP at day 177.96. At the PP, marbling, intramuscular fat, and monounsaturated fatty acids had increased significantly and the percentage of lean muscle and polyunsaturated fatty acids had decreased. A total of 1,199 mRNAs and 62 lncRNAs were differentially expressed at the IP compared with the PP. Additional to gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analyses, these differentially expressed protein coding genes were principally related to muscle growth and lipid metabolism. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the identified differentially expressed lncRNAs, could play roles in muscle growth, fat deposition and regulation of fatty acid composition at the IP and PP.
Isolation and identification of goose skeletal muscle satellite cells and preliminary study on the function of C1q and tumor necrosis factor-related protein 3 gene
Authors: Wang Han , He Ke , Zeng Xuehua , Zhou Xiaolong , Yan Feifei , Yang Songbai , Zhao Ayong
Published: October 2020

Objective: Skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs) are significant for the growth, regeneration, and maintenance of skeletal muscle after birth. However, currently, few studies have been performed on the isolation, culture and inducing differentiation of goose muscle satellite cells. Previous studies have shown that C1q and tumor necrosis factor-related protein 3 (CTRP3) participated in the process of muscle growth and development, but its role in the goose skeletal muscle development is not yet clear. This study aimed to isolate, culture, and identify the goose SMSCs in vitro. Additionally, to explore the function of CTRP3 in goose SMSCs.Methods: Goose SMSCs were isolated using 0.25% trypsin from leg muscle (LM) of 15 to 20 day fertilized goose eggs. Cell differentiation was induced by transferring the cells to differentiation medium with 2% horse serum and 1% penicillin streptomycin. Immunofluorescence staining of Desmin and Pax7 was used to identify goose SMSCs. Quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction and western blot were applied to explore developmental expression profile of CTRP3 in LM and the regulation of CTRP3 on myosin heavy chains (MyHC), myogenin (MyoG) expression and Notch signaling pathway related genes expression.Results: The goose SMSCs were successfully isolated and cultured. The expression of Pax7 and Desmin were observed in the isolated cells. The expression of CTRP3 decreased significantly during leg muscle development. Overexpression of CTRP3 could enhance the expression of two myogenic differentiation marker genes, MyHC and MyoG. But knockdown of CTRP3 suppressed their expression. Furthermore, CTRP3 could repress the mRNA level of Notch signaling pathway-related genes, notch receptor 1, notch receptor 2 and hairy/enhancer-of-split related with YRPW motif 1, which previously showed a negative regulation in myoblast differentiation.Conclusion: These findings provide a useful cell model for the future research on goose muscle development and suggest that CTRP3 may play an essential role in skeletal muscle growth of goose.
Infiltração de água e resistência do solo à penetração em sistemas de cultivos integrados e em área de pastagem degradada
Authors: Furquim Leonnardo  Cruvinel , Souza Epitácio  José  de , Silva Nelmício  Furtado  da , Nuñez Daniel  Noe  Coaguila , Cabral Juliana  Silva  Rodrigues , Santini José  Mateus  Kondo , Leão Beatriz  Caetano  da  Silva , Stone Luís Fernando
Published: October 2020

The objective of this study was to quantify water infiltration and resistance to penetration in a Latossolo Vermelho Distrófico (Typic Haplustox) cultivated with different land use systems and in a degraded pasture area. The studied areas are located in Rio Verde, state of Goiás (Brazil), where seven treatments were evaluated: T1 -Degraded; T2 -Fertilized pasture; T3 -Conventional; T4 -Crop-forest integrationsystem(CFI); T5 -Livestock-forest integrationsystem(LFI); T6 -crop-livestock-forest integration system (CLFI -hay); and T7 -crop-livestock-forest integration system (CLFI-silage). The water infiltration speed curves and the respective basic infiltration rate (BIR) values for the areas under study were determined. The infiltration of water into the soil was determined “in situ” by the double ring infiltrometer method and empirically through models proposed by Kostiakov and Kostiakov-Lewis. The soil resistance to penetration, up to a depth of 0.3 m, was performed using an impact penetrometer. The greatest infiltration in relation to time occurred in treatment T7. The highest values of BIR occurred in treatment T5. The model proposed by Kostiakov showed greater adjustment to the infiltration speed data obtained in the field. The lower resistance of the soil to penetration is provided by the diversity of species in the T4 treatment. The different management systems for recovering degraded pastures influenced the soil quality indicators studied, but there is a need for further studies to adjust the stocking rates in integrated systems in order not to return to the degradation scenario.
Desempenho produtivo de maracujazeiro amarelo em área com Fusarium solani
Authors: Cavichioli José  Carlos , Mata Fernando  Dantas  da , Ronda Jeancesar  de  Souza , Hernandes Ana  Favarini , Leite Thiago Emílio , Vitorino Rodrigo Aparecido , Contiero Leandro Fogagnoli
Published: October 2020

The use of tolerant rootstocks has shown good results in the control of Fusarium wilt in yellow passion fruit, which is considered one of the main problems in the crop as it affects the plant’s root system and has no chemical control. The present study aimed to evaluate the survival rates, the agronomic performance of the plants and the physical characteristics of the yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) grafted on different rootstocks in area with Fusarium wilt. The experiment was carried in Pracinha, in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, from August 2014 to May 2015, and a randomized block design was adopted, with five treatments, five replications and four plants per plot. The treatments were constituted by the following rootstocks: Passiflora alata Dryand, Passiflora gibertii N.E. Brown, Passiflora caerulea Linnaeus, double grafting P. gibertii x P. edulis and plants without grafting. The stem diameter of rootstock and the graft, the lenght of secondary branches, the number of tertiary branches, the number of surviving plants, the longitudinal and transversal diameters of the fruits, the number and mass of fruits and the productivity were evaluated. The largest diameter of the rootstock was observed in Passiflora alata while in the graft it was in plants of Passiflora edulis. The length of the secondarty branches and the number of tertiary branches were affected by the type of grafting and the rootstock used. The highest survival rates were observed in Passiflora alata (90%) and Passiflora gibertii (100%). The highest number of fruits per plant and productivity occurred in plants grafted on Passiflora gibertii. The adoption of double grafting using Passiflora gibertii x Passiflora edulis and simple grafting with Passiflora caerulea were not effective in the control of this disease. The species Passiflora gibertii and Passiflora alata showed the potential to be used as a rootstock for yellow passion fruit.
Growth Kinetics of Thin Film Epitaxy
Authors: Liu Hong
Published: October 2020

This chapter mainly introduces five basic stages of the film deposition process (vapor adsorption, surface diffusion, reaction between adsorbed species, reaction of film materials to form bonding surface, and nucleation and microstructure formation), analyzes the influence of deposition process parameters on the three basic growth modes of the film, focuses on the relationship between the control parameters of homoepitaxy and heteroepitaxy and the film structure, gives the dynamic characteristics of each growth stage, and examines the factors determining epitaxy film structure, topography, interfacial properties, and stress. It is shown that two-dimensional nucleation is a key to obtain high-quality epitaxial films.
Enhancement and Identification of Microbial Secondary Metabolites
Authors: M. Shuikan Ahmed , N. Hozzein Wael , M. Alzharani Mohammed , N. Sandouka Maram , A. Al Yousef Sulaiman , A. Alharbi Sulaiman , Damra Eman
Published: October 2020

Screening for microbial secondary metabolites (SMs) has attracted the attention of the scientific community since 1940s. In fact, since the discovery of penicillin, intensive researches have been conducted worldwide in order to detect and identify novel microbial secondary metabolites. As a result, the discovery of novel SMs has been decreased significantly by using traditional experiments. Therefore, searching for new techniques to discover novel SMs was one of the most priority objectives. However, the development and advances of omics-based techniques such as metabolomics and genomics have revealed the potential of discovering novel SMs which were coded in the microorganisms’ DNA but not expressed in the lab media or might be produced in undetectable amount by detecting the biosynthesis gene clusters (BGCs) that are associated with the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Nowadays, the development and integration of gene editing tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 in metabolomics provide a successful platform for the identification and detection of known and novel SMs and also to increase the production of SMs.
Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Crop Plants: Role of Phytohormones
Authors: Abdulaziz S. Alhaithloul Haifa , M. Abu-Elsaoud Abdelghafar , H. Soliman Mona
Published: October 2020

Crop plants are encountered by various abiotic pressures which limit their growth and development. Stresses such as drought, heat, pathogen attack, heavy metal, salinity, and radiations impose negative effect on crop plants. The reduction in crop productivity in the current era of climate change is compromising the efforts/strategies used for sustainable agricultural practices. Therefore, plant stress physiologists are engineering plants with suitable exogenous signaling elicitors to engineer tolerance to various stresses. In the present chapter, an appraisal has been made in the “Introduction” section to first assess the damages caused by various abiotic stresses in crop plants. In the second section, we attempt to summarize the role of various plant hormones, namely, salicylic acid (SA), brassinosteroids (BRs), ethylene (ET), and methyl jasmonate (MJ) in enhancing abiotic stress tolerance. The current concept may lead to the development of strategies for unraveling the underlying mechanisms of plant hormone-mediated abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants.
Developing a Rural Tourism Destination Brand Framework from the Perspective of a Relationship-Based Approach
Authors: Adeyinka-Ojo Samuel
Published: October 2020

The aim of this paper is to develop a destination brand framework for rural tourism destination. Bario a rural community in Sarawak (Borneo) in Malaysia was chosen as a study context. The choice of Bario over other pre-selected rural destinations is because of its unique remote destination. The primary data collection method for this paper was the in-depth interview with 48 participants; this was supplemented by participant observation and documentary evidence. From the perspective of relationship-based approach adopted in this paper, the findings outline three components for a theoretical construction of rural tourism destination brand framework that comprise tourism destination appeals, branding strategies, and stakeholders’ roles. Findings also indicate that the development of rural tourism destination brand should be from the bottom-up, where community-driven strategies can be most effectively delegated to the local leadership system and community’s association. Implications for practice and host community well-being are discussed in detail.
Fluid Structure Interaction Study of Stenosed Carotid Artery Considering the Effects of Blood Pressure and Altered Gravity
Authors: Abdul Khader S.M. , Kumar Nitesh , Pai Raghuvir
Published: October 2020

Atherosclerosis is a very common cardiovascular disease (CVD) causing increased morbidity. Atherosclerosis is a disease that involves several factors and usually affects the wall of the arterial bifurcations. Advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques has the potential to shed more light in understanding of the causes of atherosclerosis and perhaps in its early diagnosis. Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) study was carried out on two different three dimensional patient specific cases (a) Normal carotid bifurcation and (b) Stenosed carotid bifurcation. Physiological conditions were considered to evaluate hemodynamic parameters and understand the origin and progression of atherosclerosis in the carotid artery bifurcation, first for the normal and then with hypertension disease. Commercial software ANSYS and ANSYS CFX (version 19.0) was used to perform a two-way FSI using a fully implicit second-order backward Euler differencing scheme. Arterial response was calculated by employing an Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) formulation and using the temporal blood response. The carotid artery bifurcation caused a velocity reduction and backflow was observed causing a reduction in the shear stress. A low shear stress resulted due to an oscillatory behavior at the start point of the internal carotid artery near the carotid sinus. Shear stresses are obtained by using anatomically realistic 3D geometry and representative physiological conditions. Results of this study agree with those in the literature showing that the regions with low wall shear stress. Geometry and flow conditions greatly affected the hemodynamics of the carotid artery. Furthermore, regions of relatively low wall shear stress were observed post stenosis, which is a known cause of plaque development and progression. Under altered gravity conditions the same artery was studied to determine the flow conditions and predict the progression of plague.
Ultrasonographic Assessment of Metoclopramide Administration Effectiveness in Accelerating Gastric Emptying Before Urgent Surgery in Patients with Insufficient NPO Time
Authors: Sayyadi Shahram , Raoufi Masoomeh , Arhami Dolatabadi Ali , Rostami Marzieh , Memary Elham
Published: October 2020

Background: Aspiration is one of the important complications of general anesthesia, although infrequent as well as accompanying high morbidity and mortality. The volume of gastric content is considered as a risk factor in this regard. Therefore, it is normally mostly recommend to consider proper fasting time before induction of general anesthesia. Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the effect of metoclopramide on reducing gastric contents in patients with incomplete fasting before induction of general anesthesia. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on patients with urgent surgical indications with incomplete NPO time. Every other patient received metoclopramide or placebo. Patients in the intervention group received 10 mg (2 ml) of intravenous metoclopramide, and patients in the control group received 2 ml of distilled water as a placebo. Patients in both groups underwent ultrasonography before starting surgery by an expert radiologist to calculate gastric antral grade (GAG) and cross-sectional antral area (CSA). These measurements were then taken for the second time 30 minutes after intervention, before starting the surgery. The values were compared statistically. Results: The data of 60 patients were analyzed, of which 30 were in each group. The mean age, body mass index, type of the last consumed food (solid or fluid), NPO time in the two groups were not significantly different (P value > 0.05). The number of patients in the metoclopramide group with higher GAG (P value = 0.001) and the mean CSA (P value = 0.004) before the intervention was more than the control group. The GAG and mean CSA after intervention were not significantly different between the two groups; but the mean difference of decrease in CSA in the metoclopramide group was more than the control group (4.3 vs. 0.99; P value = 0.001), and changes of GAG after intervention to lower levels in the metoclopramide group was more than the control group (P value < 0.05). Conclusions: In the current study in which ultrasonographic indexes, including GAG and CSA, were assessed as a suboptimal gastric emptying test method, it was found that metoclopramide could accelerate gastric emptying compared to placebo in patients with incomplete fasting before induction of general anesthesia.
Evaluation of Oxidative Stress in Patients with Fracture Admitted to Khatam Al-Anbia Hospital in Zahedan
Authors: Karajibani Mansour , Montazerifar Farzaneh , Kazemi Faezeh , Dashipour Ali Reza
Published: October 2020

Background: Caused by an imbalance in the body’s oxidant and antioxidant status, oxidative stress can give rise to tissue damage and exacerbation of many diseases. Objectives: This study investigated the oxidative stress markers in patients with fractures and healthy subjects. Methods: In a cross-sectional case-control study, 40 patients with fractures admitted to an orthopedic ward and 40 healthy, non-fractured patients were selected using convenience sampling. Serum was analyzed for oxidant and antioxidant activities based on standard methods. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There was a significant difference in mean TAC between the case (748.2 ± 302.83 μmol/L) and control (984.90 ± 207.02 μmol/L) groups (P = 0.003). The mean MDA was 16.61 ± 4.16 µmol/L in the case group and 18.45 ± 5.43 µmol/L in the control group (P = 0.09). The mean SOD was 63.41 ± 16.67 U/g Hb in the case group and 58.54 ± 21.83 U/g Hb in the control group (P = 0.2). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of BMI and other variables. Conclusions: A significant difference existed in TAC between the two groups, which indicated increased oxidative stress in patients. However, oxidative stress could occur before and after undergoing fractures. The results suggested a slight, but not significant, difference between the two groups in the SOD and MDA scores. More conclusive results are required to determine the enzymatic and non-enzymatic markers of oxidative stress in larger sample sizes and during different stages of treatment.
Fatal Case of Cerebral Aspergillum in an Immunocompetent Patient
Authors: Sharifi Guive , Hajiesmaeili Mohammadreza , Alavi Darazam Ilad , Haghighimorad Maryam , Kazempour Muhanna , Shafigh Navid
Published: October 2020

Introduction: Cerebral aspergillum is rare and usually misdiagnosed because its presentation mimics tuberculous meningitis, brain abscess, or tumor. The diagnosis and treatment of central nervous system (CNS) infections due to Aspergillus are very difficult because accurate diagnosis is often made intra-operatively. Case Presentation: Here, we report a case of cerebral aspergilloma in an immunocompetent host. A 35-year-old man admitted with progressive left hemifacial paresthesia followed by severe pain in trigeminal nerve territory. On physical examination, except for fifth nerve palsy and difficult mastication, there was not any sensory and motor deficit. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed T1 iso and T2 low signal lesion in the left parasellar region with enhancement. The lesion is extended to the left side of the prepontine cistern in the course of trigeminal nerve, craniotomy, and total surgical resection of the mass was performed. Isolated brain lesion and the pathology from stereotactic biopsy confirmed cerebral aspergillosis. The result of testing for human immunodeﬁciency virus (HIV) was negative. Although the patient had two subsequent recurrences, at first, good outcome was achieved by treatment with a combination of surgical intervention, and antifungal amphotericin B deoxycholate was administered, then changed to voriconazole. Unfortunately, after two years, he experienced new progressive symptoms, and the patient died despite several reoperations due to malfunctioning of external ventricle devices as well as the treatment of recurrent post-operation meningitis and voriconazole therapy. Conclusions: Most cases of intracranial aspergillosis show that this infection is pathogenic in immunocompromised hosts; however, in some cases, invasive Aspergillus was reported as an opportunistic infection in immunocompetent patients. In these patients, though primary cranial aspergillosis is very rare, it is possible that isolated brain involvement in a previously healthy case may be explained by unknown defects in immune pathways or massive exposure to spores.
Breast and Axillary Metastasis with Colon Cancer Primary Origin
Authors: Samsami Majid , Zamani Hamidreza , Zandpazandi Sara , Tajik Majid
Published: October 2020

Introduction: Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies. Colorectal cancer most commonly metastasizes to the liver and lung. Metastasis to the breast from extramammary tumors are uncommon and metastatic colon carcinoma (MCC) to the breast is extremely rare. Case Presentation: We reported a 43-year-old woman with breast metastasis with colon origin. The patient presented with breast mass with mucinous adenocarcinoma. Conclusions: Metastasis to the breast from the colonic origin is possible. However, its occurrence is rare when mucinous adenocarcinoma of the breast mass is reported, and GI origin must be considered.
Expression, Purification, and Verification of Recombinant Botulinum Neurotoxin Type A Binding Domain: A Comparison Between X33 and PichiaPink Strains of Pichia pastoris
Authors: Ebrahimi Firouz , Abedi Mohamad Reza
Published: October 2020

Background: An effective method to develop a safe vaccine against botulism is to utilize molecular biology techniques to produce recombinant antigens, which provoke the immune response in the recipient organism. A suggested antigen is a specific recombinant fragment of the botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), which elicits the predictable immune response and does not have any toxic effects. In this study, the binding domain of the heavy chain of BoNT serotype A, which is the responsible subunit for binding to the receptor(s) of presynaptic membranes in neuromuscular junctions, is the selected fragment of this toxin to be recombinantly produced. Objectives: In order to prevent a severe syndrome such as Botulism, developing efficient vaccines against it is a necessity. Efforts have been made to accomplish this throughout time; however, some have discontinued due to the risks and unreliability of their production and usage. Methods: The encoding gene of BoNT/A-Hc was cloned into two different strains of Pichia pastoris, which were compared to each other based on the yield of the recombinant product. Results: The results demonstrated that the expression of recombinant BoNT/A-Hc by PichiaPink strain was successful, and the achieved recombinant BoNT/A-Hc was subsequently purified and then verified by using the specific antibody and analytical methods. Conclusions: In contrast, the expression results from the X-33 strain were not significant.
The Effect of an Empowerment Training Program on the Difficulty of the Transition to Parenthood and Parenting Stress: A Quasi-Experimental Study among Iranian Primiparous Women
Authors: Zivdar Chegini Leila , Akbari Kamrani Mahnaz , Shiri Maryam , Farid Malihe , Homami Setareh
Published: October 2020

Background: The process of becoming a mother is one of the most satisfying and fulfilling events in women's lives. Maternity for the first time can be stressful and also can increase anxiety in women. Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the effect of an empowerment training program on the difficulty of transitioning to parenting as well as parenting stress of primiparous mothers. Methods: The sample of this quasi-experimental study consisted of 78 primiparous women who were selected due to convenient sampling. Participants completed the demographic, difficulty in transition to parenting, and parenting stress questionnaires before and after the study. The participants received four training sessions (the first session was face to face at 3-5 days after childbirth and subsequent training sessions were conducted by telephone at 2, 4, and 6 weeks postpartum) based on the self-efficacy model. Results: The mean age of the participants in the study was 27.012 ± 4.99 years. The results of the Wilcoxon test showed that training significantly reduced parenting difficulty (P value = 0.0001, z = -7.626) and parental stress (P value = 0.0001, z = -7.50). The mean score of parenting difficulty decreased from 97.02 ± 17.34 to 81.65 ± 15.45, and the mean parental stress score decreased from 80.08 ± 22.53 to 61.13 ± 12.20. The results also indicated that education in all four domains (responsibility and commitment, satisfaction, self-esteem, and personal commitment) significantly reduced the difficulty of the transition to parenting (P value = 0.0001). According to the results, training has also been effective in reducing the difficulty of transitioning to parenting in terms of maternal concerns, enjoyment, change in life, new challenges of mother’s postpartum feeling. Conclusions: The outcomes of the present study highlight the effectiveness of empowerment training on the difficulty of the transition to parenting as well as parenting stress in primiparous mothers.
Correlation Between Assisted Reproductive Outcomes and Paternal Age in Couples with Different Male Infertility Factors
Authors: Akhavan Morvarid , Iranidoost-Haghighi Rahman , Asgharnia Maryam , Ghasemian Fatemeh
Published: October 2020

Background: Although the detrimental effects of advancing maternal age on fertility and reproduction have been recognized, there is a controversy regarding the impact of paternal age on male fertility. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of paternal age on assisted reproductive outcomes in infertile couples with different male infertility factors. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study on 285 couples at Alzahra Hospital from 2017 to 2019. The exclusion criteria were couples with female factor infertility. Patients were divided into four groups of normozoospermia, oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia based on the World Health Organization criteria. To evaluate the effect of age, another grouping was done according to the paternal age (< 25, 25 - 35, 35 - 45, and > 45 y). Results: Our study showed that the negative effect of advancing age on male fertility can be seen in infertility factors of oligozoospermia and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. A declined fertilization rate associated with aging was seen in all four groups, but the low embryo development rate was significant only in the oligozoospermia group (P = 0.01). The poor embryo quality related to advancing paternal age was observed in oligozoospermia (grade C; P = 0.001 and grade D; P = 0.005) and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (grade D; P = 0.01) groups. Additionally, the success rate of biochemical and clinical pregnancy decreased in the oligozoospermia (P = 0.01) and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (P = 0.02) groups with advancing male age. Conclusions: Our findings showed a declining likelihood of fertility in men with advancing age. Specifically, we observed the detrimental effect of age on fertilization, embryo quality, and biochemical and clinical pregnancy rate in oligozoospermia and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia groups during intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles.
The Dialectics of Vulnerability
Authors: Huth Martin ,   DePaul University
Published: October 2020

Vulnerability is often conceived of as a valuable category countering the ratiocentric and ableist bias in traditional ethical and political theories. Frequently, social formations are ascribed primary responsibility to respond to vulnerability since relevant theories go against normative individualism. However, generalizing norms and hegemonic structures tend to determine the notion, and thus the administration, of vulnerability. The paper argues that the tacit hypostatization and conceptual fixation of vulnerability can generate dialectical shifts that increase vulnerability precisely by emphasizing it. This is illustrated with examples such as exclusive recognition, stereotyping, social control, a disempowering ethics, and the problematic opposition of vulnerability and resilience. While an awareness for the inherent vulnerability of embodied beings is a crucial prerequisite for preventing us from establishing discriminating (though well-intentioned) notions of “special“ vulnerability, the inner dialectic of the concept cannot be remedied by a simple recipe such as the assertion that we are all vulnerable.
A Educação Matemática pelas práticas e pesquisas tecidas na produção acadêmica: uma apresentação de potenciais tendências
Authors: Mulazani dos Santos Luciane
Published: October 2020

Este artigo comenta os textos do Boletim online de Educação Matemática – BOEM que foram publicados em outubro de 2020, no número oito do volume quinze. Oito artigos, um ensaio, um relato de experiência e uma revisão são apresentados em seus contextos metodológicos, empíricos e teóricos que foram compartilhados por autores e autoras oriundos e oriundas de oito Estados brasileiros: Ceará, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina e São Paulo. Essas apresentações, além de evidenciar as produções e sua regionalidade, levam a uma caracterização de uma panorama das Tendências em Educação Matemática que, de diferentes maneiras, teceram as práticas e as discussões apresentadas pelos pesquisadores, professores e grupos de pesquisa envolvidos. Como resultado, convidam-se os leitores e leitoras a mergulharem nos textos, bem como a refletirem sobre do uso de tecnologias no âmbito da Educação Matemática como fios que tecem diferentes potencialidades de práticas, de pesquisas, de ensino e de aprendizagem.
Contribuições da Modelagem Matemática para o desenvolvimento de ações de motivação e engajamento no Ensino Médio
Authors: Ferreira Neuber Silva , Araujo Junior Carlos Fernando
Published: October 2020

Neste artigo apresentamos parte uma pesquisa de doutorado que teve como objetivo desenvolver, aplicar e investigar uma proposta de ensino de Matemática para alunos do primeiro ano do Ensino Médio, que utilizou Modelagem Matemática e Tecnologias Digitais Móveis como estratégia para o ensino de Matemática no Ensino Médio. Neste texto o foco foi analisar as contribuições do desenvolvimento de atividades de Modelagem Matemática na perspectiva as Educação Matemática para o desenvolvimento e promoção de ações de motivação e engajamentos dos alunos na disciplina. A estratégia pedagógica utilizada baseou-se na utilização de atividades de Modelagem Matemática e de dispositivos móveis. Trata-se de uma pesquisa com características qualitativas que utilizou a metodologia de pesquisa Design Based Research, e teve como público alvo os alunos de duas turmas do primeiro ano de um Instituto Federal em Minas Gerais. A análise dos dados e a discursão dos resultados aconteceram tendo como referência as contribuições da Modelagem Matemática para a promoção e desenvolvimento de ações de motivação e engajamento.  Os resultados mostraram que a utilização das atividades investigativas de Modelagem Matemática contribuiu para desenvolver e promover ações de motivação e engajamento o que possibilitou desenvolver nos alunos habilidades para lidar com as informações, detectar variações, realizar previsões, documentar, argumentar e perceber que os modelos são gerados à luz da incerteza.
Lousa digital e aula de matemática: movimentos de aprendizagem em uma turma de primeiro ano do ensino médio
Authors: Carvalho Sérgio , Scherer Suely
Published: October 2020

Neste artigo tem-se como objetivo apresentar e discutir alguns movimentos de aprendizagem com o uso de Lousa Digital que ocorreram durante um estudo sobre área de retângulos, em uma aula de matemática de uma turma de Ensino Médio. Os dados apresentados neste texto foram produzidos em uma pesquisa de doutorado, em que se analisou como ocorrem movimentos de aprendizagem com Lousa Digital em aulas de matemática, em uma turma de oitavo ano e em uma turma de primeiro ano do Ensino Médio, ambas em escolas públicas de Campo Grande – MS. A análise dos dados foi orientada por uma proposta de articulação teórica construída na pesquisa, denominada Ciclo de Ações Coletivo, baseada em estudos de José Armando Valente, Jaan Valsiner e na obra Parangolé, do artista plástico Hélio Oiticica. Observamos, a partir da discussão realizada, que o uso da Lousa Digital, ao favorecer o compartilhamento de ideias, oportunizou movimentos individuais e coletivos de aprendizagem no grupo de alunos. Movimentos que representam Parangolés de Ações, que se constituem a partir interações entre indivíduos e destes com a Lousa Digital, e que vão constituindo Ciclos de Ações Coletivos.
Uma exploração do Hexágono de Dürer com professores de Matemática da Educação Básica
Authors: Moran Mariana , Rezende Veridiana
Published: October 2020

Neste trabalho apresentamos uma análise de tarefas matemáticas elaboradas por professores de Matemática da Educação Básica, baseadas no Hexágono de Dürer. Com esta pesquisa tivemos a intenção de responder as seguintes questões: os professores, colaboradores desta pesquisa, exploram diferentes Registros de Representação Semiótica ao elaborarem atividades relacionadas à Geometria Fractal? Se sim, o processo de conversão entre estas representações ocorre? De que maneira? Durante a análise da pesquisa nos baseamos, principalmente, na teoria dos Registros de Representação Semiótica de Raymond Duval, com o olhar para a Geometria Fractal. Os sujeitos da pesquisa foram 14 professores de Matemática da Educação Básica, participantes do Programa de Desenvolvimento Educacional (PDE) do Estado do Paraná. Para o desenvolvimento da pesquisa, primeiramente realizamos com estes sujeitos a construção do Hexágono de Dürer com o auxílio do software GeoGebra, e propomos um questionário que foi respondido pelos professores. Tivemos como principal resultado que a representação simbólica numérica foi a mais indicada pelos professores, e, deste modo, a conversão do registro figural para o simbólico numérico teve destaque, e a representação simbólico algébrica foi a menos sugerida pelos professores.
Função exponencial: uma estratégia didática aplicada no Ensino Médio
Authors: Feltes Sivert Cristiana Monique , Corrêa Pereira Elaine , Scott Puhl Cassiano
Published: October 2020

Este artigo apresenta o relato de experiência de uma estratégia didática aplicada em uma turma de primeiro ano de uma escola pública do interior do Rio Grande do Sul. A estratégia didática foi planejada considerando os pressupostos teóricos da Teoria de Aprendizagem Significativa de David Ausubel, cujo objetivo é tornar o aluno protagonista no processo de aprendizagem de conceitos e propriedades das funções exponenciais. Em busca desse objetivo, a estratégia didática foi organizada em seis etapas: questionário prévio para verificar subsunçores; atividade de dobradura de papel para introduzir o conceito de função exponencial; jogo da memória das propriedades de potência para ativar subsunçores; oficina de jogos para abordar conceitos mais específicos; situações-problema sobre Matemática Financeira para contextualizar o ensino; e questionário avaliativo da estratégia didática. A partir do planejamento dessas etapas, se rompe com o ensino descontextualizado e meramente expositivo para promover a interação, a cooperação e compartilhamento de conhecimentos entre os alunos e/ou com o professor. Por fim, constatou-se que 80% dos alunos se envolveram ativamente nas atividades propostas, apresentando indícios de compreensão dos conceitos e propriedade da função exponencial, bem como a aplicabilidade no mundo real. Este artigo apresenta o relato de experiência de uma estratégia didática aplicada em uma turma de primeiro ano de uma escola pública do interior do Rio Grande do Sul. A estratégia didática foi planejada considerando os pressupostos teóricos da Teoria de Aprendizagem Significativa de David Ausubel, cujo objetivo é tornar o aluno protagonista no processo de aprendizagem de conceitos e propriedades das funções exponenciais. Em busca desse objetivo, a estratégia didática foi organizada em seis etapas: questionário prévio para verificar subsunçores; atividade de dobradura de papel para introduzir o conceito de função exponencial; jogo da memória das propriedades de potência para ativar subsunçores; oficina de jogos para abordar conceitos mais específicos; situações-problema sobre Matemática Financeira para contextualizar o ensino; e questionário avaliativo da estratégia didática. A partir do planejamento dessas etapas, se rompe com o ensino descontextualizado e meramente expositivo para promover a interação, a cooperação e compartilhamento de conhecimentos entre os alunos e/ou com o professor. Por fim, constatou-se que 80% dos alunos se envolveram ativamente nas atividades propostas, apresentando indícios de compreensão dos conceitos e propriedade da função exponencial, bem como a aplicabilidade no mundo real.
La evolución de los insights desde la escucha social a la lectura por imagen: El caso L’Oreal
Authors: Yagüez Lorenzo Estefanía , Rodríguez Romo Alberto
Published: October 2020

Purpose: Show how L’Oréal Spain evolved from a classic social listening practice, to image driven insights by the usage of AI tools; the first step to correctly understand the vast amount of personal information, interests and desires that millions of consumers share every day in social networks.

Design / Methodology / Approach: Hybrid approach, combining AI to quickly categorize, filter and run a preliminary analysis on images, with a manual coding of specific elements about the beauty industry. This procedure achieved two significant goals:

First-hand learnings that could be directly used by marketing teams,
A deep coded beauty image database that could be used to train AI algorithms in the future for a more powerful, automatized tool.

Results: There are seven main tribes within the makeup universe in Spain, based on their techniques and products used. Furthermore, its evolution was also traced, and measured within customers, influencers and brands, to detect where a ‘sweet spot’ was taking place: a rising trend that was growing fast among consumers and influencers, but where brands were not yet present.

Limitations / Implications: The main limitations of the study are two. On the one hand, the representativeness of Instagram for the Spanish beauty consumer. It was necessary to weight the different segments of the sample to reach the right, balanced conclusions. And on the other, AI algorithms capacity to code and filter images. At a certain stage, it was necessary to introduce human help to validate and perform a deeper coding.

Contribution: Setting the first milestone on social image insights for the beauty industry, advancing from a purely text-based insight practice to a much richer information based on the looks that consumers share every day.
PRDM9 activity depends on HELLS and promotes local 5-hydroxymethylcytosine enrichment
Authors: Imai Yukiko , Biot Mathilde , Clément Julie AJ , Teragaki Mariko , Urbach Serge , Robert Thomas , Baudat Frédéric , Grey Corinne , de Massy Bernard
Published: October 2020

Meiotic recombination starts with the formation of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) at specific genomic locations that correspond to PRDM9-binding sites. The molecular steps occurring from PRDM9 binding to DSB formation are unknown. Using proteomic approaches to find PRDM9 partners, we identified HELLS, a member of the SNF2-like family of chromatin remodelers. Upon functional analyses during mouse male meiosis, we demonstrated that HELLS is required for PRDM9 binding and DSB activity at PRDM9 sites. However, HELLS is not required for DSB activity at PRDM9-independent sites. HELLS is also essential for 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) enrichment at PRDM9 sites. Analyses of 5hmC in mice deficient for SPO11, which catalyzes DSB formation, and in PRDM9 methyltransferase deficient mice reveal that 5hmC is triggered at DSB-prone sites upon PRDM9 binding and histone modification, but independent of DSB activity. These findings highlight the complex regulation of the chromatin and epigenetic environments at PRDM9-specified hotspots.