bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
STRATEGI KOMUNIKASI HIJABERS SEMARANG DALAM MENSYIARKAN HIJAB PADA MUSLIMAH MUDA DI SEMARANG
Authors: Baroroh Ummul , Hendro W Nur Cahyo , Ghoida Nur Afifah
Published: February 2019

Communication  strategy Hijabers  Semarang  not  yet  fully  use  communication strategy, because it does not have a foundation that is structured in terms of media and audience selection and in the evaluation process. However, the process has changed the interest of young Muslim women to use hijab. In formulating a communication strategy, In the preparation of the message, Hijabers Semarang raised the theme that is currently actual among young muslimah, so this makes additional value for Hijabers Semarang among young women themselves. The method used by Hijabers Semarang in delivering hijab syiar to young Muslim women is by Redundancy method, by spreading the broadcast  repeatedly to be easily  remembered by  young  muslimah. Canalizing, by plunging directly into the field involving Semarang Hijabers members and committees, to be able to determine and identify similarities and differences so that Hijabers Semarang is easier to make adjustments with audiences. Used strategy persuasive, educative and informative. Hijabers Semarang take advantage of various social media such as facebook, twitter, instagram, and web blog.

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Strategi komunikasi Hijabers Semarang belum seutuhnya menggunakan strategi komunikasi, karena tidak mempunyai landasan yang terstruktur dalam hal pemilihan media dan khalayak serta dalam proses evaluasi. Akan tetapi, proses yang terjadi telah berhasil mengubah minat muslimah muda untuk menggunakan hijab. Dalam menyusun strategi komunikasi, Hijabers Semarang mengenal khalayak dengan cara survei atau mendatangi langsung sasaran dan mengomunikasikan dengan pihak sasaran. Pada penyusunan pesan, Metode yang digunakan Hijabers Semarang dalam menyampaikan syiar hijab  pada  muslimah  muda  adalah  dengan  metode  Redundancy, dengan  menyebarkan broadcast  berulang-ulang  kali  agar  mudah  diingat  oleh  muslimah  muda.  Canalizing, dengan terjun langsung ke lapangan yang melibatkan anggota dan komite Hijabers Semarang, untuk dapat menentukan dan mengidentifikasi persamaan dan perbedaan sehingga Hijabers Semarang lebih mudah melakukan penyesuaian dengan khalayak. Persuasif, pada kegiatan hijab and beauty class dan Gerakan Seribu Kerudung, khalayak dipengaruhi dengan jalan membujuk dan digugah baik pikiran maupun perasaan. Strategi yang  digunakan   bersifat   persuasive,   edukatif   dan   informative.  Hijabers Semarang

memanfaatkan berbagai media sosial seperti facebook, twitter, instagram, dan web blog.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DENGAN BERMEDIA SECARA SANTUN
Authors: Rahmi Amelia
Published: February 2019

The existence of mass media has been attached to the life of modern society. The majority of mass media managed to gain material advantage and non-material at once. However, most media managers prefer material gains rather than materials,such as building youth morale, instilling simplicity, maintaining culture and upholding beliefs responsibly.There are not many media In Indonesia that are cmmitted in community development. Republika is one of them. who seek to build society by combining modernmanagement with Islamic values. Referring to the Vision, and the ethical code of Republika's journalistic profession encourages the formation of a balanced community, both physically and spiritually, educating and enlightening, criticizing without hurting.Implementation of the Code of Ethics Journalism is concerned Republika, seen from his caution in diction for news headlines and description of the news. Nevertheless still found some violations of the KEJ, namely on the principle of balance and respect the principle of presumption of innocence.

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Keberadaan media massa telah melekat pada kehidupan masyarakat modern. Mayoritas media massa dikelola untuk mendapatkan keuntungan material dan non material   sekaligus. Namun demikian kebanyakan pengelola media lebih mengutamakan keuntungan material dari pada non material, seperti membangun moral para pemuda, menanamkan kesederhanaan, menjaga budaya dan menegakkan keyakinan secara bertanggung jawab. Di Indonesia tidak banyak media yang berkomitmen pada pengembangan masyarakat. Republika merupakan salah satu surat kabara yang menggabungkan manajemen modern dengan nilai Islami untuk membangun komunitas. Surat kabar tersebut tetap aksis ditengah kompetisi yang ketat saat ini.Mengacu pada visi, dan kode etik profesi jurnalistik, Republika  mendorong terbentuknya komunitas yang terbangun secara seimbang, baik fisik maupun spiritualnya, mendidik dan mencerahkan, mengkritisi tanpa menyakiti. Implementasi Kode Etik Jurnalistik sangat diperhatikan Republika, terlihat dari kehati-katiannya dalam diksi untuk judul berita maupun deskripsi beritanya. Namun demikian masih ditemukan beberapa pelanggaran KEJ, terletak pada prinsip keseimbangan dan menghormati asas praduga tak bersalah.
SHOWCASING SOCIAL PIETY: BETWEEN CHARITY OF THE HAVES AND RIGHTS OF THE HAVE-NOTS
Authors: Ridho Miftahur
Published: February 2019

Religion based charity organizations, including those inspired by the Islamic teachings regarding caring for others, are prevalent around the world. They play significant role both in supporting the state to deliver social welfare services to the poor and the less fortunate and sidestepping or competing with the state in such provision. This paper, thus, aims at exploring the dynamic interplay between Islamic teachings regarding charitable practices and social welfare services provided by the state. Discussion on this paper suggests that Islamic charitable practices such as Zakat, shadakah, and others, can be observed through different lenses; as a charity of the rich and as rights of the poor. In Indonesia and other Muslim countries, such giving practices are widely accepted as charity of the rich partly because the idea of providing social welfare to the poor is perceived as the duty of the state. Hence, the rights of the poor lies on the obligation of the state, not the rich.

 
CENÁRIO DA PRODUÇÃO CIENTÍFICA NA ENFERMAGEM EM FOCO
Authors: Mancia Joel Rolim
Published: February 2019

A cada final de ano costumamos fazer um balanço/relato atualizado sobre a revista Enfermagem em Foco. Sempre com o pensamento em entregar boas notícias. No ano de 2018, tivemos um número significativo de novas submissões à avaliação da revista, foram avaliados 494 manuscritos, dos quais 160 foram aceitos, 60 já publicados e permanecem 100 no processo de avaliação. Destacando-se o não cumprimento das normas como o motivo mais frequente de devolução. Assim, temos um índice de rejeição em torno de 70% ainda na primeira avaliação. Está abaixo dos índices internacionais que se aproximam dos 90%.
ESTRATÉGIAS DE PRECIFICAÇÃO EM MEIOS DE HOSPEDAGEM: UMA REVISAO HISTÓRICO-CONCEITUAL.
Authors: Leite Andressa Ferreira Ramalho
Published: February 2019

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo central da pesquisa, analisar as estratégias de precificação adotadas cronologicamente pelos meios de hospedagem, buscando com isso, a compreensão do futuro da precificação a partir da análise do modelo desenvolvido pelo autor Stowe Shoemaker. O objetivo geral dessa pesquisa está norteado pelos seguintes objetivos específicos: a) Identificar quais são as principais estratégias de precificação relatadas nas  pesquisas científicas sobre a temática no período proposto para esse estudo; b) Descrever e analisar as estratégias de precificação propostas, segundo o modelo de Stowe Shoemaker. O referencial teórico desse trabalho baseia-se no estudo das principais publicações nacionais e internacionais sobre o setor hoteleiro, marketing turístico, estratégias de precificação, valor agregado e percebido pelo o cliente. A metodologia aplicada apresenta caráter descritivo e exploratório com abordagem qualitativa de dados, almejando obter resultados através da pesquisa bibliográfica e documental. O recorte temporal dessa pesquisa compreende-se entre 1970 á 2018, por se tratar do período de maior realização de pesquisas sobre o tema central desse estudo. Sobre as considerações finais dessa pesquisa exploratória, observou-se um número significativo de estudos e estratégias diversas de precificação, em maior parte, internacionais. Contudo, é notável a necessidade de maiores pesquisas que desenvolvam a temática no Brasil, visto a escassez de trabalhos nacionais.  PALAVRAS- CHAVE: Hotelaria; Marketing; Valor; Precificação.
CONSUMO CONSPÍCUO: PERSPECTIVA DE FIDELIZAÇÃO DO CONSUMIDOR LGBT NO SETOR DE TURISMO BRASILEIRO
Authors: Costa Laura Maria Aguiar , Vasconcelos Ernanda Gabrielly da Silva , Maia Mayara Raquel de Assis , Palmeira Pollyana Soares Alves , Leite José Carlos de Lacerda
Published: February 2019

Em um mercado cada vez mais competitivo, além de valorizar a satisfação do cliente, deve-se investir em sua fidelização. Os profissionais de mercado precisam posicionar seus objetivos e estratégias empresariais visando encantar o consumidor, sobretudo o LGBT, em suas necessidades e desejos próprios. Baseando-se nisso, o presente estudo tem como objetivo avaliar a fidelização dos consumidores LGBT face à Teoria do Consumo Conspícuo, destacando o setor de turismo brasileiro, respaldando-se no modelo de Hyun e Han (2015). Para tanto, aplicou-se uma pesquisa do tipo survey, utilizando questionário direcionado ao público LGBT em todo o Brasil, obtendo-se a amostra de 101 respondentes, dentre 21 estados brasileiros. Pôde-se observar que a fidelização do consumidor LGBT em determinada marca de turismo e, por consequência, sua propensão a pagar um preço maior está relacionado, principalmente, a fatores conspícuos como o status que as viagens proporcionarão à percepção de outros consumidores, uma vez que traz visibilidade ao viajante, e ao sentimento de bem-estar e realização por estar usufruindo desses serviços.
Comensalidade.com – uma reflexão introdutória sobre as novas tecnologias e as práticas do comer junto
Authors: Gimenes-Minasse Maria Henriqueta , Drudi Pedro Henrique , Faltin Andrea Ortolani , Lopes Mariana da Silva
Published: February 2019

Este artigo trata das práticas comensalidade contemporâneas e tem como objetivo realizar uma reflexão introdutória sobre o uso de tecnologias associado às práticas do comer junto. Do ponto de visto metodológico esta discussão é realizada a partir de uma revisão bibliográfica e análise de exemplos contemporâneos. Foram identificadas várias iniciativas nas modalidades de blogs, websites e aplicativos que não apenas facilitam a aquisição de refeições e o acesso a restaurantes e similares, criando novos empreendimentos associados à área de alimentos e bebidas, mas também prometem aproximar profissionais e interessados em comida, bem como promover encontros entre desconhecidos ao redor da mesa. Constata-se que, seja para encontrar desconhecidos para dividir uma mesa, seja para compartilhar experiências de comensalidade ou ainda amenizar a solidão por meio da interação remota com outras pessoas, o uso de smartphones e similares durante as refeições já é uma constante na vida de milhares de pessoas e tem alterado as práticas de comer junto.
A DÁDIVA COMO ELEMENTO DA HOSPITALIDADE
Authors: Podselver Laurence
Published: February 2019

Esta reflexão propõe mostrar como o dispositivo estabelecido pelo sistema levítico torna a dádiva não apenas uma obrigação moral mas também um elemento fundamental na representação da sociedade, como o mostra o caso estudado da comunidade judia de Sarcelles A dádiva em dinheiro paga o trabalho do culto e instaura uma relação vertical, elevando o homem a Deus, e também uma relação horizontal, permitindo o funcionamento comunitário e afirmando a hospitalidade como acolhimento do outro. A dádiva exorbitante cria uma atmosfera de exaltação típica da experiência mística, que leva às vezes certas pessoas a ir além das suas possibilidades. Dessa forma, eles conservam sua honra diante dos outros e esperam que em breve os benefícios de sua devoção recaiam sobre eles e seus próximos. O que eles gastam a fundo perdido ganham em dignidade e em sentimento de sacralidade.
A PERCEPÇÃO DA QUALIDADE DA EXPERIÊNCIA NA CONSTRUÇÃO DA ATRATIVIDADE TURÍSTICA DO DESTINO CURITIBA-PARANÁ
Authors: Neves Alves Luiz Fernando , Gonçalves Gândara José Manoel , Savi Mondo Tiago
Published: February 2019

Este trabalho demonstra as relações entre a qualidade na experiência turística e a atratividade dos destinos turísticos. Teve o objetivo de avaliar quais são os aspectos mais relevantes para a construção da atratividade turística do destino Curitiba. Para investigar a percepção da qualidade, foram utilizados indicadores propostos por Mondo (2014) no modelo TOURQUAL de análise de qualidade em atrativos turísticos. Após a introdução do tema, são apresentadas as etapas de metodologia que levou a construção deste trabalho. Na sequência apresentam-se os conceitos de atratividade turística e breve caracterização da localidade estudada. Por último, se retratam os resultados obtidos. Através da técnica de netnografia, foram coletados comentários de turistas nos atrativos de Curitiba, na rede social TripAdvisor; Para processar as informações, fez-se o uso de software denominado T-LAB para auxiliar na análise do conteúdo, produzindo arquivos que mostram cada palavra e a quantidade de vezes que é citada nos comentários. Para ilustrar os resultados, foi elaborado gráfico. Os resultados sugerem que aspectos de Variedade de Atividade, Estética e Acessibilidade/Localização são mais relevantes para a construção da atratividade do destino Curitiba.
Role of Seminal Plasma Proteins in Effective Zygote Formation- A Success Road to Pregnancy
Authors: Kumar Archana , Sridharn T.B. , Rao Kamini A.
Published: February 2019

Seminal plasma proteins contributed by secretions of accessory glands plays a copious role in fertilization. Their role is overlooked for decades and even now, as Artificial Reproduction Techniques (ART) excludes the plasma components in the procedures. Recent evidences suggest the importance of these proteins starting from imparting fertility status to men, fertilization and till successful implantation of the conceptus in the female uterus. Seminal plasma is rich in diverse proteins, but a major part of the seminal plasma is constituted by very lesser number of proteins. This makes isolation and further research on non abundant protein a tough task. With the advent of much advanced proteomic techniques and bio informatics tools, studying the protein component of seminal plasma has become easy and promising. This review is focused on the role of seminal plasma proteins on various walks of fertilization process and thus, the possible exploitation of seminal plasma proteins for understanding the etiology of male related infertility issues. In addition, a compilation of seminal plasma proteins and their functions has been done.
Sensor-free and Sensor-based Heart-on-a-chip Platform: A Review of Design and Applications
Authors: Wan Hao , Gu Chenlei , Gan Ying , Wei Xinwei , Zhu Kai , Hu Ning , Wang Ping
Published: February 2019

Drug efficacy and toxicity are key factors of drug development. Conventional 2D cell models or animal models have their limitations for the efficacy or toxicity assessment in preclinical assays, which induce the failure of candidate drugs or withdrawal of approved drugs. Human organs-on-chips (OOCs) emerged to present human-specific properties based on their 3D bioinspired structures and functions in the recent decade. In this review, the basic definition and superiority of OOCs will be introduced. Moreover, a specific OOC, heart-on-achip (HOC) will be focused. We introduce HOC modeling in the sensor-free and sensor-based way and illustrate the advantages of sensor-based HOC in detail by taking examples of recent studies. We provide a new perspective on the integration of HOC technology and biosensing to develop a new sensor-based HOC platform.
Withdrawal Notice: The Prognostic Value of Prognostic Biomarkers in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Iranian Population
Authors: Mirinezhad Mohammadreza , Khalilipour Narjes , Raoofian Reza , Abbaszadegan Mohammad Reza
Published: February 2019

The article has been withdrawn at the request of the editor of the journal Current Cancer Therapy Reviews
(CCTR).

Bentham Science apologizes to the readers of the journal for any inconvenience this may have caused.

BENTHAM SCIENCE DISCLAIMER:

It is a condition of publication that manuscripts submitted to this journal have not been published and will not be
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when the article is accepted for publication.
Quality of Life and Social Support in Women with Urinary Incontinence
Authors: Makara-Studzińska Marta , Madej Agata , Trypka Elżbieta , Leszek Jerzy , Tarasov Vadim V. , Ashraf Ghulam M. , Yarla Nagendra Sastry , Samsonova Anna N. , Aliev Gjumrakch
Published: February 2019

Background:

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a serious medical and social problem for about one-third of women in the world population. It is one of the most common chronic diseases of women. Despite significant improvement in the diagnosis and treatment of this illness, women continue to struggle with the stigma associated with incontinence. Research conducted in the last few years shows the importance of social support in respect of the illness.

Aim:

The purpose of this study was to determine how people perceive the disease and the influence of social support to deal with UI.

Materials and Methods:

The study involved 200 women in the age range of 34-78 with a diagnosis of incontinence. All women agreed to fill out an anonymous questionnaire, Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) and Disease-Related Social Support Scale (DSRSS). The obtained results were subject to statistical analysis.

Results:

The greater the social support, the lesser the tendencies to judge the condition in terms of harm. Material support among respondents makes it easier for them to distance themselves from UI. Women having a sense of spiritual, emotional, and global support information found it easier to come in terms with UI.

Conclusion:

There is a relationship between the perception of disease for women, and social support received by women. Awareness of the availability support in disease allows peaceful thinking about a situation as difficult as UI.
Evaluation of the Reliability of Interim PET/CT in the Hodgkin Lymphoma
Authors: Eren Rafet , Gündoğan Cihan , Aslan Ceyda , Koç Alper , Doğu Mehmet Hilmi , Altındal Şermin , Yokuş Osman , Suyanı Elif , Çermik Tevfik Fikret
Published: February 2019

Introduction:

Positron-emission tomography (PET)/computerized tomography (CT)
with 18F-fludeoxyglucose (FDG) has been come into use for risk assessment of Hodgkin lymphoma
(HL) patients in recent years. The aim of our study is to evaluate the reliability of interim PET results
according to Deauville score (DS), and also to compared PET findings with tumor reduction
on CT.

Methods:

Forty-two HL patients (median 39, range 19-75 y, 27 M, 15 F) were retrospectively
evaluated with pre, interim and post-treatment PET/CT imaging. PET/CT imaging was obtained 60
min after the intravenous administration of 3.7-5.2 MBq/kg 18F-FDG.

Results:

The negative predictive value of the interim PET was 89%. Four (10.5%) of the 38 interim
PET-negative patients became post-treatment PET-positive. According to CT, 15 patients were in
complete remission (CR), 27 (64.6%) patients were in partial remission (PR) or stable disease
(SD).

Conclusion:

The negative predictive value of interim PET was not satisfactory considering the
treatment rate of over 80% of HL. Additionally, high rate of interim PET-negative patients’ conversion
to PET-positive post-treatment state was considered as unexpected.
Development and Validation of an LC-MS/MS Method for Quantitative Determination of EAI045, A Novel EGFR Inhibitor, in Rat Plasma
Authors: Chu Zixuan , Xue Mingxing , Xiong Shan
Published: February 2019

Background:

EAI045 is the fourth-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine
kinase inhibitor (EGFR TKI), which can overcome acquired resistance to the third-generation EGFR
TKIs and is the first allosteric inhibitor that targets T790M and C797S EGFR mutants.

Methods:

A rapid and sensitive LC-MS/MS method was established and validated for the quantification
of EAI045 in rat plasma. Chromatographic separation was carried out at 25°C on a Hypersil GOLD C18
column (50 mm × 2.1 mm, 3 μm) and eluted on a gradient mobile phase of water (containing 0.1% formic
acid) and acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The mass spectrometer was operated in the positive
ESI mode and selected reaction monitoring mode.

Results:

The assay was validated over a concentration range of 1.0 - 1000 ng/mL for EAI045 with a
lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 1.0 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-batch accuracy for the EAI045
ranged from 92.25% to 97.18% and 95.94% to 102.69%, and the intra- and inter-batch precision for the
EAI045 ranged from 1.41% to 4.57% and 5.18% to 6.37%, respectively. The extraction recovery, matrix
effect and stability met all requirements of the guidelines for bioanalytical method validation.

Conclusion:

The rapid and sensitive LC-MS/MS method was successfully applied in a pharmacokinetic
study of EAI045 following oral administration (5 mg/kg) to rats.
A Short Analysis on the Morphological Characterization of Colloidal Quantum Dots for Photovoltaic Applications
Authors: Najeeb Mansoor Ani , Ahmad Zubair , Balamurugan Sarkarainadar , Sulaiman Khaulah , Shakoor R.A.
Published: February 2019

Due to its various advantages, colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) carry a prodigious deal of interest in low-cost photovoltaics. The possibility of tailored band gaps via quantum confinement effect facilitates photovoltaic devices to be tuned to allow their optical absorption bandwidths to match with the solar spectrum. Size, shape, and material composition are some of the significant factors which affect the optical and electronic properties of QDs. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) are some of the most resourceful methods available for the microstructural characteristics of solid materials. These techniques can provide useful information about the structural, morphological and compositional properties of the specimen. In this focused review, we analyze the several types of QDs, their synthesis and characterization, exclusively morphological studies carried out on quantum dots for solar cell applications. Despite various advantages and techniques used for morphological characterization of QDs, very few reviews are reported in the past years. In this review, we have compiled the important and latest findings published on morphological analysis of QDs for photovoltaic applications which can provide the guideline for the research for the future work in the field.
Biological and Toxicological Evaluation of N-(4methyl-phenyl)-4-methylphthalimide on Bone Cancer in Mice
Authors: Santin José R. , da Silva Gislaine F. , Pastor Maria V.D. , Broering Milena F. , Nunes Roberta , Braga Rodolpho C. , de Sousa Iury T.S. , Stiz Dorimar S. , da Silva Kathryn A.B.S. , Stoeberl Luis C. , Corrêa Rogério , Filho Valdir C. , dos Santos Carlos E.M. , Quintão Nara L.M.
Published: February 2019

Background:

It was recently demonstrated that the phthalimide N-(4-methyl-phenyl)-4-
methylphthalimide (MPMPH-1) has important effects against acute and chronic pain in mice, with a mechanism
of action correlated to adenylyl cyclase inhibition. Furthermore, it was also demonstrated that phthalimide derivatives
presented antiproliferative and anti-tumor effects. Considering the literature data, the present study
evaluated the effects of MPMPH-1 on breast cancer bone metastasis and correlated painful symptom, and provided
additional toxicological information about the compound and its possible metabolites.

Methods:

In silico toxicological analysis was supported by in vitro and in vivo experiments to demonstrate the
anti-tumor and anti-hypersensitivity effects of the compound.

Results:

The data obtained with the in silico toxicological analysis demonstrated that MPMPH-1 has mutagenic
potential, with a low to moderate level of confidence. The mutagenicity potential was in vivo confirmed by
micronucleus assay. MPMPH-1 treatments in the breast cancer bone metastasis model were able to prevent the
osteoclastic resorption of bone matrix. Regarding cartilage, degradation was considerably reduced within the
zoledronic acid group, while in MPMPH-1, chondrocyte multiplication was observed in random areas, suggesting
bone regeneration. Additionally, the repeated treatment of mice with MPMPH-1 (10 mg/kg, i.p.), once a day
for up to 36 days, significantly reduces the hypersensitivity in animals with breast cancer bone metastasis.

Conclusion:

Together, the data herein obtained show that MPMPH-1 is relatively safe, and significantly control
the cancer growth, allied to the reduction in bone reabsorption and stimulation of bone and cartilage regeneration.
MPMPH-1 effects may be linked, at least in part, to the ability of the compound to interfere with adenylylcyclase
pathway activation.
Overexpression of Hepassocin in Diabetic Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease May Facilitate Increased Hepatic Lipid Accumulation
Authors: Abdelmoemen Ghada , Khodeir Samy Abdelkader , Zaki Ahmed Nabil , Kassab Maha , Abou-Saif Sabry , Abd-Elsalam Sherief
Published: February 2019

Background & Aims: Insulin resistance is the real determinant of both Nonalcoholic fatty
liver disease (NAFLD) and diabetes, and can facilitate the accumulation of triglycerides in the liver.
Overexpression of hepassocin (HPS) increased the accumulation of hepatic fat and NAFLD activity
scores (NAS) in mice. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between hepassocin and
steatosis of the liver in diabetic patients with or without NAFLD in humans.

Methods:

The study enrolled 60 patients plus 20 healthy controls that were divided into 4 groups: Group
I: included 20 patients who were diagnosed as diabetes mellitus type 2, Group II: included 20 patients
who were diagnosed as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), Group III: included 20 patients who
were diagnosed as diabetes type 2 and NAFLD, and Group IV (control group): included 20 healthy
person or controls who were matched in age and sex with patients group. All patients and controls were
subjected to full history taking, thorough clinical examination, laboratory investigations including measurement
of serum hepassocin in peripheral blood by ELISA technique.

Results:

There was a significant overexpression of serum hepassocin in patients with type 2 diabetes
and NAFLD patients (Group 3) more than diabetic patients (Group 1) and even more than non-alcoholic
fatty liver disease (Group 2).

Conclusion:

This study provides evidence that increased HPS may facilitate increased hepatic lipid
accumulation with NAFLD and type 2 diabetes.
Silibinin Ameliorates Fructose-induced Lipid Accumulation and Activates Autophagy in HepG2 Cells
Authors: Li Yang , Ren Luping , Song Guangyao , Zhang Pu , Yang Liying , Chen Xinwei , Yu Xiaolei , Chen Shuchun
Published: February 2019

Background:

Autophagy was recently regarded as a potential mechanism in nonalcoholic
fatty liver disease. Silibinin (SIL), a natural flavonoid, has been used to prevent nonalcoholic fatty liver
disease, however, the underlying mechanism is unclear. The aim of the present study was to explore
the effect of SIL on hepatic steatosis and the possible link with autophagy.

Methods:

The degree of hepatic steatosis in HepG2 cells was observed by oil-red O staining and
triglyceride content. The effect of SIL on autophagy was tested by the Autophagy Detection Kit, and
the expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (srebp-1), Fatty Acid Synthase (Fas), light
chain 3, beclin-1, p62, AMP-activated Kinase (AMPK), and mammalian Target Of Rapamycin
(mTOR) was examined by western blots.

Results:

The lipid accumulation of HepG2 cells increased significantly in the high-fructose group
compared to the control group. After SIL intervention, lipid accumulation was decreased. Using a fluorescence
microscope, SIL was found to induce autophagy. Compared to control, the expressions of
srebp-1, Fas, and phosphorylated-mTOR were increased by high-fructose, while the expressions of
light chain 3 and beclin-1 decreased and srebp-1, Fas, and p62 were increased by autophagy inhibition.
In contrast, opposite results were found in the SIL intervention group. The protein content of phosphorylated-
mTOR was decreased, while phosphorylated-AMPK was increased in the SIL group compared
to the high-fructose group.

Conclusion:

SIL can reduce lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells exposed to high-fructose by inducing
autophagy. The AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway could be one of the underlying molecular mechanisms.
Shape Adaptable Medical Multimedia Processing
Authors: Abboud Ali J.
Published: February 2019

Introduction:

Electronic medical healthcare systems are becoming the backbone of health organizations over the world. The huge amounts of medical multimedia produced by these systems especially images and videos are transmitted by the computer networks that connect these systems. The variability in the shape and texture of transferred medical multimedia data needs adaptable procedures to process these data efficiently. In other words, these procedures must adjust automatically based on the shape of region of interests in the medical multimedia images to cope with fast changes in the healthcare environments. In this paper, we have proposed shape adaptable watermarking approaches for medical multimedia processing systems. The medical images generated by X-rays, MRI and CT modalities are used in our experiments to test proposed approaches. In addition, these approaches were tested under different kinds of signal processing and geometric attacks. The comparative comparison of our proposed approaches with state-of-art approaches proved the superiority and capability of our approaches to adjust the number of selected subands of medical cover image to embed and extract the hospital watermark logos.

Background and Objective:

The development of an adjustable approach to process medical multimedia signals for healthcare system. The aim of this research is to select adaptably the number of subands of cover image to hide the information of hospital logo watermark inside them such that embedded watermarks can resist different kinds of attacks.

Method:

The proposed adjustable approach consists of suband selection method, criterion, embedding and extraction procedures, DWT transform, attacks, evaluation metrics,etc.

Results & Conclusion:

It provides robust and adjustable method to embed and extract watermark logo at different resolution levels of cover medical image and uses with images of different sizes and modalities.
Clinical Evaluation of Dry Eye Syndrome in Patients with Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy and Laser Therapy Indication
Authors: Dutra Barbara de Araujo Lima , Carneiro Carolina Lyra Barreira , Gomes Mariana Studart Mendonça , Nagashima Rodrigo Dantas , Machado Andre Juca , Crispim Joao
Published: February 2019

Background:

Studies have shown a higher incidence of dry eye among patients with diabetes compared to patients without diabetes. However, information regarding dry eye in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and laser therapy indication is not sufficient.

Objective:

To estimate the clinical manifestation of dry eye syndrome in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and laser therapy indication.

Method:

A cross-sectional study was performed during a local evaluation campaign of diabetic patients with vision disabilities at the Instituto Cearense de Oftalmologia in Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. Patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and laser therapy indication were included in the study. An anamnesis directly to dry eye complaints was performed, and eligible participants completed the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire. The slit lamp examination was performed with fluorescein staining; the tear break-up time (TBUT) was measured, and conjunctiva and corneal was evaluated using Rose Bengal (RB) staining. Finally, the Schirmer I test was performed.

Results:

Twenty-five patients were included in the study with a diagnostic time of Diabetes Mellitus ranged from 1 to 35 years, with an average of 17.2 ± 8.7 years. In our sample, 14 patients (56%) reported glycemic control with insulin, while 11 patients (44%) had oral hypoglycemic agents. The most prevalent complaint was blurred vision (96% of patients) followed by low visual acuity (92%). A less prevalent complaint was pain (44%). The mean OSDI score was 49.4 ± 24.2. TBUT was less than 10 seconds in 21 patients (84%), and RB staining grade was more than 3 in 13 patients (52%). The results of the Schirmer I test ranged from 2 to 35 mm, with a mean of 13.57 ± 9.78 mm. It was smaller than 10 mm in 15 patients (60%).

Conclusion:

The frequency of manifestation of dry eye syndrome was very common in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and laser therapy indication. Ocular surface care should be provided for those patients with significant ocular morbidity.
m-Health in the Surgical Context: Prospecting, Review and Analysis of Mobile Applications
Authors: de Sousa Alvaro F. L. , Bim Lucas L. , Schneider Guilherme , Hermann Paula R. de Souza , de Andrade Denise , Fronteira Inês
Published: February 2019

Background

m-Health initiatives can show an opportunity to improve the identification, prevention and management of certain diseases. Most health-care applications aims at chronic noncommunicable diseases care, and it is necessary to seek evidence from applications intended for surgical patient care, either before, during or after hospitalization.

Objective:

The Study Aims to identify and analyze, from the literature review and prospecting, applications for smartphones developed to assist the surgical patient.

Methods:

A descriptive-exploratory study developed in two sequential phases. The first one corresponded to an integrative review of the literature in the databases PubMed, Web of Knowledge, Europe PMC database and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature database. The second phase corresponded to an exploration of applications in the European Patent Office, United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Free Patents Online, Canadian Intellectual Property Office and World Intellectual Property Organization. In both phases, we do not restrict the results by year of publication/registration or language. At each stage, the selected studies/patents were analyzed and pre-selected, according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, by reading their titles and abstracts. Subsequently, we analyzed those with the potential of participation in the study, evaluating the answer to the research question, as well as the type of research, objectives, sample, method, outcomes, results and conclusion. Finally, the articles/patents record found were read in full.

Results

In the databases, 14 studies that presented some application for smartphone aimed at the surgical patient were selected. Most of them were in PubMed (64.3%), published in English (100%). Regarding origin, 28.6% of the texts are from the United States of America, 14.3 from Sweden and 14.3 from Canada. On the other hand, in patent databases, 10 registries were selected, 60% in the USPTO patent base, hosted in hybrid systems (iPhone and Android) and developed in the last 5 years (2014-1018) (80%). In general, there is a series of applications aimed at surgical patients, such as targets and/or users, mainly focused on the exchange of text and image messages but concentrated on assisting the physician/health team in the preparation of the patient during the procedure or post discharge. It is necessary to invest in the creation of technologies that aim to monitor these patients, especially in post discharge.

Conclusion

The characteristics of applications indicate a strong hospital centered tendency in relation to its purpose, having the surgeon as the main user and the surgical patient as the main target. The applications are still focused on optimizing diagnostics or functions, and no initiatives are identified to monitor the patient in a non-hospital environment.
Identification and “in silico” Structural Analysis of the Glutamine-rich Protein Qrp (YheA) in Staphylococcus Aureus
Authors: Escobar-Perez Javier , Ospina-Garcia Katterine , Rozo Zayda Lorena Corredor , Marquez-Ortiz Ricaurte Alejandro , Castellanos Jaime E , Gomez Natasha Vanegas
Published: February 2019

Background:

YlbF and YmcA are two essential proteins for the formation of biofilm, sporulation, and competence in Bacillus subtilis. In these two proteins, a new protein domain called com_ylbF was recently discovered, but its role and protein function has not yet been established.

Objective:

In this study, we identified and performed an “in silico” structural analysis of the YheA protein, another com_ylbF-containing protein, in the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus.

Methods:

The search of the yheA gene was performed using BLAST-P and tBLASn algorithms. The three-dimensional (3D) models of YheA, as well as YlbF and YmcA proteins, were built using the I-TASSER and Quark programs. The identification of the native YheA in Staphylococcus aureus was carried out through chromatography using the FPLC system.

Results:

We found that YheA protein is more widely distributed in Gram-positive bacteria than YlbF and YmcA. Two new and important characteristics for YheA and other com_ylbF-containing proteins were found: a highly conserved 3D structure and the presence of a putative conserved motif located in the central region of the domain, which could be involved in its function. Additionally, we established that Staphylococcus aureus expresses YheA protein in both planktonic growth and biofilm. Finally, we suggest renaming YheA as glutamine-rich protein (Qrp) in S. aureus.

Conclusion:

The Grp (YheA), YlbF, and YmcA proteins adopt a highly conserved three-dimensional structure, harboring a protein-specific putative motif within the com_ylbF domain, which possibly favors the interaction with their substrates. Finally, Staphylococcus aureus expresses the Grp (YheA) protein in both planktonic and biofilm growth.
Pollution Biomarkers in Environmental and Human Biomonitoring
Authors: Lionetto Maria G. , Caricato Roberto , Giordano Maria E.
Published: February 2019

Environmental pollutants generate harmful conditions for living organisms, including humans. This accounts for the growing interest to early warning tools for detection of adverse biological responses to pollutants in both humans and wildlife. Molecular and cellular biomarkers of pollution meet this requirement. A pollution biomarker is defined as an alteration in a biological response occurring at molecular, cellular or physiological levels which can be related to exposure to or toxic effects of environmental chemicals.

Pollution biomarkers have known a growing development in human and environmental biomonitoring representing a valuable tool for early pollutant exposure detection or early effect assessment (exposure/effect biomarkers).

The review discusses the recent developments in the use of pollution biomarker in human and environmental biomonitoring and analyzes future perspectives in the application of this tool such as their potentiality for bridging human and environmental issued studies.
Physical Impairment Aware Virtual Optical Network Construction Algorithm with Service Differentiation in Elastic Optical Networks
Authors: Nassar Badr Oulad , Tachibana Takuji
Published: February 2019

Background:

Elastic optical networks can support high data bit rates efficiently with its
flexible wavelength grid, and with virtual optical networks, network resources can be managed simply.
However, the signal may be deteriorated by the physical impairments. Therefore, service differentiation
techniques have to consider the physical impairments.

Objective:

We propose a novel virtual optical network construction algorithm that provides service
differentiation. Moreover, the effect of physical impairments is considered before constructing a virtual
optical network. The goal of the proposed algorithm is to provide service differentiation in
terms of the rejection rate of virtual optical network requests. Here, we consider the on-line scenario
where the traffic is not known in advance.

Methods:

In the proposed method, each virtual optical network comprises two nodes and a lightpath
between the two nodes. In our proposed method, service differentiation is provided by giving a higher
(lower) acceptance rate for high (low) priority users. This method consists of four mechanisms;
signaling mechanism, physical impairment estimation mechanism, resource check mechanism, and
retransmission mechanism.

Numerical Results:

We evaluate by simulation the performance of the proposed method in NSFNET
and European topologies. Analysis of the rejection rate as function of network load, impact of the
network load on the number of retransmissions, and impact of network topology were discussed.
Numerical results show that our method not only provides service differentiation but also reduces the
overall rejection rate.

Conclusion:

We can conclude that our method is efficient compared to the conventional methods
considering the scenario and topologies analyzed.
A Split Network based Routing Approach in Wireless Sensor Network to Enhance Network Stability
Authors: Saini Hardeep S. , Arora Dinesh
Published: February 2019

Background & Objective:

The operating efficiency of a sensor network totally relies upon
the energy that is consumed by the nodes to perform various tasks like data transmission etc. Thus, it
becomes mandatory to consume the energy in an intelligent way so that the network can run for a
long period. This paper proposed an energy efficient Cluster Head (CH) selection mechanism by
considering the distance to Base Station (BS), distance to node and energy as major factors. The concept
of volunteer node is also introduced with an objective to reduce the energy consumption of the
CH to transmit data from source to BS. The role of the volunteer node is to transmit the data successfully
from source to destination or BS.

Conclusion:

The results are observed with respect to the Alive nodes, dead nodes and energy consumption
of the network. The outcome of the proposed work proves that it outperforms the traditional
mechanisms.
Ad Honorem, Miguel Ángel Morón Ríos (1952 – 2017)
Authors: Morón-Ríos Alejandro , Rojas-Gómez César Vicente
Published: February 2019

Como homenaje Ad Honorem se presentan las múltiples y diversas actividades académicas que Miguel Ángel Morón realizó a lo largo de su productiva vida académica, haciendo un breve repaso de sus aportes científicos siguiendo un orden cronológico y temático.
Designing a Distributed Ledger Technology System for Interoperable and General Data Protection Regulation–Compliant Health Data Exchange: A Use Case in Blood Glucose Data (Preprint)
Authors: Hawig David , Zhou Chao , Fuhrhop Sebastian , Fialho Andre S , Ramachandran Navin
Published: February 2019

BACKGROUND

Distributed ledger technology (DLT) holds great potential to improve health information exchange. However, the immutable and transparent character of this technology may conflict with data privacy regulations and data processing best practices.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this paper is to develop a proof-of-concept system for immutable, interoperable, and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)–compliant exchange of blood glucose data.

METHODS

Given that there is no ideal design for a DLT-based patient-provider data exchange solution, we proposed two different variations for our proof-of-concept system. One design was based purely on the public IOTA distributed ledger (a directed acyclic graph-based DLT) and the second used the same public IOTA ledger in combination with a private InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) cluster. Both designs were assessed according to (1) data reversal risk, (2) data linkability risks, (3) processing time, (4) file size compatibility, and (5) overall system complexity.

RESULTS

The public IOTA design slightly increased the risk of personal data linkability, had an overall low processing time (requiring mean 6.1, SD 1.9 seconds to upload one blood glucose data sample into the DLT), and was relatively simple to implement. The combination of the public IOTA with a private IPFS cluster minimized both reversal and linkability risks, allowed for the exchange of large files (3 months of blood glucose data were uploaded into the DLT in mean 38.1, SD 13.4 seconds), but involved a relatively higher setup complexity.

CONCLUSIONS

For the specific use case of blood glucose explored in this study, both designs presented a suitable performance in enabling the interoperable exchange of data between patients and providers. Additionally, both systems were designed considering the latest guidelines on personal data processing, thereby maximizing the alignment with recent GDPR requirements. For future works, these results suggest that the conflict between DLT and data privacy regulations can be addressed if careful considerations are made regarding the use case and the design of the data exchange system.