bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
English language in the classroom: A text dramatization experience in Galicia
Authors: Casanova Fuentes Andrea , Couto Cantero María Pilar
Published: June 2019

Learning English as a Foreign Language has become a key objective to be achieved over the last years. In Primary Education schools in Spain, they are many the teachers who direct their efforts to this issue. From Galicia, a dynamic, entertaining and inclusive educative response in the English classroom has been proposed. The experience has been based on a text dramatization.
Reseña del libro: Territorio y poder. Riaño de Langreo (siglos XVI-XX)
Authors: García Morís Roberto
Published: June 2019

Reseña del libro: Territorio y poder. Riaño de Langreo (siglos XVI-XX)
Influencia de la temperatura en la estructura y propiedades magnéticas de las películas delgadas de ferrita de cobalto
Authors: Rojas Segundo , De la Cruz Magaly , Rodríguez Yupanqui Magda , Ugaz Fernando , Mendoza Villanueva Karol
Published: June 2019

Los problemas ambientales que estamos sumergidos las personas en la actualidad no lleva a la búsqueda de nuevas formas de obtención de métodos o materiales que nos solucione este problema, los materiales con propiedades magnéticos dan una nueva solución a este problema. Uno de los materiales con excelentes propiedades magnéticas es la ferrita de cobalto (CoFe2O4), por este motivo este trabajo da una forma de obtención fácil y novedosa para obtención de este material en forma de películas delgadas. Las películas delgadas de CoFe2O4 fueron depositadas por spin coating sobre sustratos de Pt (Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si) a diferentes temperaturas (700, 725 y 750 °C). Para la solución precursora se usó nitrato de hierro [Fe (NO3)3∙9H2O] y nitrato de cobalto [Co (NO3)2∙6H2O], las cuales fueron disueltas en 2-methoxyethanol, con agitación magnética por dos 2 h a 60 ᵒC. En la caracterización de las películas delgadas se estudió la estructura y las propiedades magnéticas mediante difracción de rayos X y magnetómetro de muestra vibrante. El patrón de difracción de rayos x confirman la formación de la estructura cúbica espinela perteneciente al CoFe2O4 con el pico preferencial (311) sin rastro de impurezas en las temperaturas estudiadas. Los cristalitos calculados están en el rango de 10 a 24.34 nm para todas las muestras. La histéresis magnética muestra que al aumento de la temperatura las propiedades magnéticas también aumentan.

Palabras Claves: Películas delgadas, Curva de histéresis, Estructura espinela.
Sistema web basado en redes neuronales para mejorar la recaudación tributaria de la Municipalidad Distrital de la Esperanza en el año 2017
Authors: Bernal Aguilar Felix Giancarlos , Cieza Mostacero Segundo Edwin , Pacheco Torres Juan Francisco
Published: June 2019

En la presente investigación se desarrolló un Sistema WEB basado en redes neuronales, el cual tuvo como objetivo mejorar la recaudación tributaria en la Municipalidad Distrital de La Esperanza, con la finalidad de incrementar el número promedio de monitoreo de contribuyentes que más pagan tributos por sector, incrementar el tiempo promedio en el seguimiento de cada predio registrado, incrementar el tiempo promedio en el seguimiento de las notificaciones y, finalmente, aumentar el nivel de precisión del pronóstico de recaudación utilizando redes neuronales. La población fue de 33,000 contribuyentes. Se optó por PHP como lenguaje de programación para el desarrollo del Sistema WEB utilizando MySQL como gestor de base de datos, y se utilizó la metodología ICONIX. Mediante el diseño experimental de pre test y post test, los resultados obtenidos fueron positivos ya que el número promedio de monitoreo de los contribuyentes con el sistema actual fue de 1.414 veces mientras que con el sistema implementado fue de 3.370 veces incrementando en 1.956 el número de veces. En el seguimiento de predios con el sistema actual fue de 3.818 veces mientras que con el sistema propuesto fue de 9.655 incrementando en 5.837 el promedio de predios registrados.  En el seguimiento de las notificaciones con el sistema actual fue de 0.950 mientras que con el sistema propuesto fue de 3.992 incrementando en 3.042 el promedio en las notificaciones efectivas. El nivel de precisión en el pronóstico de recaudación con el sistema actual fue de 0.506 veces, mientras que con el sistema propuesto fue de 1.518 aumentando en 1.012 el número promedio. Se concluyó que con la implementación del sistema se mejoró significativamente la recaudación tributaria en la Municipalidad Distrital de La Esperanza.

Palabras Clave: Recaudación, contribuyentes, predios, notificaciones, pronóstico.
Propiedades ópticas, estructurales, y eléctricas de películas delgadas de ZnO - Mg preparadas por el método sol - gel
Authors: Díaz Alex
Published: June 2019

En la presente investigación se evaluaron películas delgadas de ZnO dopadas con Mg a una concentración de 0.65 M, sintetizadas por el método sol-gel, y depositadas en sustratos de cuarzo por el método de spin-coating. Se determinó el efecto de la temperatura de recocido (400, 500 y 600°C) y del porcentaje molar del dopante       (2, 4, 6 y 8%), sobre las propiedades eléctricas y morfológicas. Se encontró que las películas delgadas de ZnO muestran la mayor conductividad eléctrica y mayor tamaño de grano al dopaje de 2% de Mg con una temperatura de recocido de 600°C, siendo de 8.55x10-7Ω-1cm-1 y de 38.56 nm respectivamente. Así también, la menor conductividad eléctrica y el menor tamaño de grano, se da a un dopaje del 8% de Mg con una temperatura de recocido de 400°C, siendo los valores de 1.48x10-7 Ω-1cm-1 y 14.13 nm; de modo que, el tamaño de grano crece con el incremento de la temperatura; pero disminuye a medida que aumenta la concentración molar de Mg. El tamaño de grano se determinó mediante la ecuación de Scherrer sobre los picos de difracción de rayos X (DRX). Los resultados mostraron que las películas delgadas de ZnO dopadas con Mg poseen una estructura hexagonal tipo wurtzita con una orientación preferencial al plano (002).

Palabras clave: Método sol-gel, Portadores de carga, Movilidad, Nanoestructuras.
Recording the History of Recording: A Retrospective of the Field
Authors: Gronow Pekka
Published: June 2019

The recording industry is now over 120 years old. During the first half of its existence, however, few archives documented or collected its products. Many early recordings have been lost, and discography, the documentation of historical recordings, has mainly been in the hands of private collectors. An emphasis on genre-based discographies such as jazz or opera has often left other areas of record production in the shade. Recent years have seen a growth of national sound collections with online catalogues and at least partial online access to content. While academic historians have been slow to approach the field, there has been outstanding new research on the history of the recording industry, particularly in the USA and UK. This has encouraged the development of new academic research on musical performance, based on historical sound recordings. The article discusses some recent works in this field.
Evaluation of Glutamate Dehydrogenase Activity and Insulin Secretion in Mice Exposed to Dexamethasone
Authors: Jamshidi Hamid Reza , Ebrahimi Elham
Published: June 2019

Background and Aims: Diabetes is one of the most important endocrine disrupters and is associated with various hormones, including those that can lead to diabetes. Glucocorticoid use may lead to insulin resistance. Dexamethasone is one of these glucocorticoid compounds. Glutamate dehydrogenase plays a key role in the production of glutamate in the secretion of insulin. Based on these hormonal interactions, the aim of this study was to determine the activity of glutamate dehydrogenase and insulin secretion in dexamethasone-exposed mice.
Materials and Methods: Twenty eight mice were divided into 4 experimental groups. Group 1 received standard normal saline as a control. Group 2 received standard food and received 1 mg / kg dexamethasone per day. Group 3 received standard diet and dexamethasone 3 mg / kg / day and group 4 with standard diet 5 mg / kg dexamethasone per day. After 21 days, the animals were killed, the pancreas and glutamate dehydrogenase, insulin, and serum glucose levels were determined.
Results: Dexamethasone increased serum glucose levels significantly (P <0.05). Dexamethasone increased the glutamate dehydrogenase activity and insulin levels in dexamethasone treated mice (p<0.05)
Conclusions: These results suggestd that dexamethasone increases glucose which leads to elevating glutamate dehydrogenase activity, and then increasing insulin. However, insulin was not enough to normalize glucose levels and led to hyperglycemia. Therefore, it is suggested to reduce dexamethasone administration.
Association of adiponectin gene rs2241766 polymorphism with serum adiponectin level, Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus in an Iranian population
Authors: Hajilo Nasrin , Nezhadali Masoumeh , Ghanei Laleh
Published: June 2019

Introdution: Adiponectin is a peptide secreted from fat cells that plays an important role in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. A number of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the adiponectin gene are associated with lower adiponectin expression and T2DM. The aim of this study was to determination the frequency of rs 2241766 polymorphism in adiponectin gene and its relation with adiponectin level, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and in pre diabetes/diabetes and healthy individuals.
Methods: This study was performed in a case -control method. 73 prediabetic/diabetic patients with fasting blood sugar >100 mg/dl was selected as the case group without drug history, and 76 individuals with FBS 70-100 mg/dl as the control group. Biochemical and anthropometric variables were measured by standard methods and the levels of adiponectin and insulin hormone were measured using commercially available human ELISA kit. The determination of genotyping was done using PCR-RFLP method. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 19.
Results: Regression analysis showed that polymorphism rs2241766 in the adiponectin gene has no significant relation with diabetes and insulin resistance. No significant difference was found between TT and TG carriers for any of the variables in the two groups (pre diabetes/diabetes and Non-diabetic). A negative correlation was seen between adiponectin and insulin resistance ( r=-0.225, p< 0/01).
Conclusion: According to this study, adiponectin gene polymorphism rs2241766 is not associated with adiponectin levels, insulin resistance and type 2diabetes, but there was a correlation between adiponectin and insulin resistance.
Study of counseling activities of pharmacists in southern Khorasan province to patients in 2017
Authors: Ghavami Mohammad Ali , Khalesi Nader , Mohammadzadeh Khalil Ali , Abedini Mohammad Reza
Published: June 2019

Introduction: The role and place of pharmacists 'services as one of the main pillars of the patients' treatment chain is definitely unhelpful. Research in this area suggests that pharmacist counseling leads to positive therapeutic outcomes and improves the quality of life, awareness of drug use, and patient satisfaction. This study was conducted to investigate the activities of pharmacists counseling in southern Khorasan province in 2017.
Materials: and Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive-analytic study. The statistical population of the present study was two groups of pharmacies and patients. All 84 pharmacies operating in Southern Khorasan Province were included in this study. In this research, two main types of tools for recording counseling behaviors, views, and opinions were used. The first evaluation tool was taken by the patients at the pharmacy at each visit. The second tool was a questionnaire, which was adapted from a questionnaire made by Allajil and Al-Banemi in Saudi Arabia. In order to close the content of the questionnaire and obtain more accurate information, This questionnaire was first reviewed by the professors and consultants, and then it was adjusted and localized by two experienced pharmacists of South Khorasan,  Spearman, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Kruskal-Wallis and Manviteni tests.
Results: The results showed that there was a significant relationship between drug counseling and satisfaction rate of the patients in the 3rd and 4th scenario at level of .05. All the relationships between the amount of drug counseling and the patient's satisfaction with counseling were significant at each level of 0.05. There was an indirect relationshiop between scenarios one and two and direct linear relationship between scenarios three and four.
Conclusion: Regarding the fact that the overall satisfaction of the patients from all scenarios is above 50%, it can be claimed that patients received a fairly good counseling.
Effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on psychological well-being, quality of life and depression in patients with epilepsy
Authors: Ebrahimpour Ghodsieh , Mirzaeian Bahram , Hasanzade Ramazan
Published: June 2019

Introdution: Epilepsy is known as a cerebrovascular disorder with a continuing readiness for epileptic seizures and psychological neuropsychological outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on psychological well-being, quality of life and depression in patients with epilepsy.
Methods: The study was a quasi- experimental with a pre-test, post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of 76 patients, of whom 20 were selected by available sampling method and they were randomly divided into two experimental and control groups. The experimental group received the acceptance and commitment group therapy in eight sessions each of which in two hours. Before and after the intervention, the Multidimensional Reef psychological well-being questionnaire, Quality of life questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory was administrated in both groups.  Data were analyzed using covariance test and SPSS20 software.
Results: The findings of this study showed that acceptance and commitment based treatment had a significant effect on psychological well-being, quality of life and depression in the level of error less than p <0.0001. And the result of P-value was reported as 42.602, 17. 927, 53.528, respectively.
Conclusion: The results of this study show that acceptance and commitment therapy is significantly effective in the patients with epilepsy using techniques such as attention to the present time, acceptance and cognitive impairment in increasing psychological well-being and quality of life and reducing depression. Considering the effect of admission therapy and commitment in using this method at all levels of prevention and treatment of the patients with physical and mental illness seems necessary.
Effect of supplementing Moringa oleifera essential oils on milk quality and fatty acid profile in dairy sheep
Authors: Hemamalini N. , Ezhilmathi S. , Angela Mercy A.
Published: June 2019

Escherichia coli is the most extensively used organism in recombinant protein production. It has several advantages including a very short life cycle, ease of genetic manipulation and the well-known cell biology etc. which makes E. coli as the perfect host for recombinant protein expression. Despite many advantages, E. coli also have few disadvantages such as coupled transcription and translation and lack of eukaryotic post-translational modifications. These challenges can be overcome by adopting several strategies such as, using different E. coli expression vectors, changing the gene sequence without altering the functional domain, modified E. coli strain usage, changing the culture parameters and co-expression with a molecular chaperone. In this review, we present the level of strategies used to enhance the recombinant protein expression and its stability in E. coli.
Comparative biological sensitivity and mutability of chemo-mutagens in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik)
Authors: Wani Mohammad   Rafiq
Published: June 2019

Present investigation was carried out using three different categories of chemical mutagens viz., ethylmethane sulphonate (EMS)–an alkylating agent, hydrazine hydrate (HZ)–a base analogue and sodium azide (SA) – a respiratory inhibitor on two varieties viz., Pant L-406 and Type-8 of lentil to study the immediate biological damage induced by the mutagens and to determine the sensitivity of biological material in question. Biological damage induced in M1 generation was estimated in terms of seed germination, seedling height and pollen fertility. A dose dependent reduction with increasing concentrations of the mutagens for all these parameters was observed in both the varieties. The inhibition was more severe at the highest concentration of all the three mutagens under study. Variety Type-8 was found to be more sensitive than the var. Pant L-406 with respect to the mutagens utilized. Reduction in seed germination, seedling growth and pollen fertility in M2 generation was reasonably less as compared to M1 generation.
PESQUISA LINGUÍSTICA NA AMAZÔNIA BRASILEIRA:
Authors: Santos Leandra Ines Seganfredo , Oliveira Marilucia Barros de , Philippsen Neusa Inês , Barbosa Selma Maria Abdalla Dias
Published: June 2019

O recém-criado Grupo de Trabalho intitulado “Estudos Linguísticos na Amazônia Brasileira” (GT ELIAB) foi apresentado à Associação Nacional de Programas de Pós-graduação e Pesquisa em Letras e Linguística – ANPOLL e obteve aprovação do Conselho de Estudos Linguísticos em maio de 2018 durante o XXXIII ENANPOLL (Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brasil). O objetivo deste GT é envolver os Programas da área de Linguística localizados na Amazônia brasileira para mostrar que neste espaço amazônico já há uma significativa produção científica que aspira ser implementada com novos resultados e produções. Dentre os resultados que o GT pretende alcançar, destacam-se compartilhar e divulgar a produção científica desenvolvida aqui, com o propósito de cooperar com a pesquisa nacional na área ao mesmo tempo em que disponibiliza resultados de investigações aos interessados nos estudos linguísticos realizados no cenário amazônico.
Evaluation of the Energy Efficiency of the Stage Compression Heat Pump Cycle
Authors: Abildinova S. K. , Musabekov R. A. , Rasmukhametova A. S. , Chicherin S. V.
Published: June 2019

The increase in production and modernization of existing heat pumps are global trends in the development and implementation of heat pump technology. Application of refrigerant with zero potential ozone depletion relative to fluorinetrichloromethane and minimum values of global warming potentials relative to carbon dioxide is environmentally justified in pumps. Prospective are stage compression heat pump units and, also, consecutive and cascade schemes of inclusion which provide higher temperature of the heat carrier in the system of heat supply. Improving the efficiency of the heat pump depends on the perfection of the thermodynamic cycle, on the choice of the working agent and on the quality of the operation of the unit in off-design conditions of a temperature mode. The article presents the results of a study of the performance of stage compression heat pump. The concepts of application of the heat pump of two-stage compression of the working agent are formulated. Experimental researches has been fulfilled with the use of Altal GWHP26Н heat pump of 24.2 kW capacity operating on an eco-friendly refrigerants of R134a and R600а. The results of comparative calculation of performance indicators of one- and two-stage heat pumps are presented. Various schemes of realization of a thermodynamic cycle for one- and two-stage heat pumps are considered. The efficiency of two-stage heat pumps that implement thermodynamic cycle with supercooling of condensate and regeneration of steam heat of the working agent has been proved. The two-stage thermodynamic cycle of the heat pump is accompanied by minimal losses during the throttling of the liquid refrigerant, and it solves the problem of useful heat use to increase the temperature of the heated coolant for heating and hot water supply systems. Steam regeneration of the working agent at the outlet from the evaporator through the use of regenerative heat exchanger also provides the additional effect of minimization of thermodynamic losses and improving efficiency of cycles with vapor compression heat pumps in the conditions of large temperature differences in the evaporator and the condenser.
Management of Severe Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease in Xiangyang, China during 2008-2013
Authors: Liu Jian , Qi Jing , Zhan Fei , Jiao Rong
Published: June 2019

Background

Therapeutic strategies of severe hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) are inconsequent or deficient in evidence by now.

Methods

We have retrospectively analyzed HFMD outbreaks in Xiangyang from June 2008 to December 2013. All severe cases were enrolled to analyze the risk factors causing mortality and to compare the efficiency and outcome of some therapies by binary logistic regression.

Results

The HFMD involved 637 (1.26%) severe cases and 38 were fatal (0.75‰). Analysis indicate that age (<3y), EV71 (+), autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation, pulmonary edema/haemorrhage, CRP (>40mg/L) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) (>0.04ng/mL) are significant predictors of outcome for severe HFMD (all P < 0.05). IVIG and mechanic ventilation can significantly improve outcome of HFMD at early stage III (both P < 0.05) with odds ratios of 0.24 (95% CI: 0.10-0.57) and 0.01 (95% CI: 0.00-0.10) respectively. Methylprednisolone and milrinone administered at any stage did not make any significant differences on mortality (all P > 0.05). All therapies had no statistical significance on outcome at stage I and II (all P > 0.05).

Conclusions

Exactly recognition of the sever HFMD cases in early stage III and timely IVIG and mechanic ventilation application can significantly decrease mortality. Mechanic ventilation training program, and dispatching experts to county-level or district hospital when there are severe HFMD cases who lost transfer opportunity are two key successful administrative experience.
Morphological and molecular characterization of Labronema montanum sp. n. (Dorylaimida, Dorylaimidae) from Spain
Authors: Peña-Santiago R. , Abolafia J.
Published: June 2019

A new species of the genus Labronema, collected in a natural mountain habitat of the southern Iberian Peninsula, in Spain, is studied, including its morphological and morphometric characterization, SEM observations, and D2-D3 28S-rRNA sequences. Labronema montanum sp. n. is distinguishable by its 1.56 to 2.08 mm long body, with lip region being offset by constriction and 19 to 24 µm broad, odontostyle 21 to 29 µm long, neck 417 to 551 µm long, pharyngeal expansion 205 to 272 µm long, the presence of three cardiac lobes at the pharyngo-intestinal junction, a long and tripartite uterus, longitudinal vulva (V = 57-60), a short and rounded caudal region (19–35 µm, c = 56-86, c = 0.5-0.8), spicules 65 to 76 µm long, and 20 to 25 nearly contiguous ventromedian supplements with hiatus.
A hybrid regionalization method based on canonical correlation analysis and cluster analysis: a case study in northern Iran
Authors: Ahani Ali , Mousavi Nadoushani S. Saeid , Moridi Ali
Published: June 2019

The performance of regionalization methods used for regional flood frequency analysis is affected considerably by the features used to identify the homogeneous regions (e.g., climatological, meteorological, geomorphological, and physiographic characteristics of the watersheds). In this study, a regionalization method is proposed that takes advantage of the two widely used techniques in regionalization of watersheds: canonical correlation analysis and cluster analysis. In the proposed method, the canonical correlation analysis is utilized to select or weight features that then will be used by a hybrid clustering algorithm for regionalization of watersheds. The proposed method is applied to Sefidrud basin, located in the north of Iran, to implement regionalization with two, three, four, and five regions. Performance assessment of the proposed method shows that all the options of the proposed method can be effective alternatives to some common regionalization methods to improve the homogeneity of the regions. The results indicate that the method can satisfy the homogeneity conditions approximately for all the regions which were identified in the study area.
Estimation of chlorophyll-a concentration using Landsat 8 in the Cassaffousth reservoir
Authors: Ledesma María Micaela , Bonansea Matías , Ledesma Claudia Rosa , Rodríguez Claudia , Carreño Joel , Pinotti Lucio
Published: June 2019

The physico-chemical and biological composition of a reservoir's effluents directly influences water quality. The values of variables such as high values of concentrations of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) are indicators of pollution. The objective of this work was to monitor the trophic status and water quality of the Cassaffousth reservoir (Córdoba, Argentina) through the development of statistical models based on field data and satellite information. During 2016 and 2017, samples were taken bimonthly. Seven sampling sites were selected and physico-chemical and biological parameters were assessed. By using regression techniques, Landsat 8 information was related with field data to construct and validate a statistical model to determine the distribution of Chl-a in the reservoir (R2 = 0.87). The generated algorithm was used to generate maps which contained information about the dynamics of Chl-a in the entire reservoir. Remote sensing techniques can be used to expand the knowledge of the dynamics of the Cassaffousth reservoir. Moreover, these techniques can be used as baselines for the development of an early warning system for this and other reservoirs in the region.
Study on the price of water rights trading between agriculture and industry based on emergy theory
Authors: Zhang Wenge , Tan Li , Yin Huijuan , Guo Xinwei
Published: June 2019

A water rights trading scheme in China is currently in its initial stage of development, but is without a complete pricing mechanism. This paper proposes a pricing model for transfers of water rights from agriculture to industry in water-deficient areas of China. Both the cost price and the earnings price are considered and incorporated into the model. The cost price includes construction costs, operation and maintenance costs, renewal and reconstruction costs, and economic compensation for ecological damage. The earnings price is calculated according to a reasonable return coefficient and the difference in economic value of the water resources to the buyer and seller. The value of water resources was estimated based on emergy theory in accordance with the principle of mutual benefits equilibrium. This pricing model is then applied to the transfer of surplus water rights arising from agricultural water conservation schemes to industrial uses in the Southbank Ordos Irrigation Zone of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The results indicate that this pricing model could provide technical support to the scientific and reasonable pricing of water rights transactions in water-deficient areas and that it could play an active role in promoting the healthy development of future water markets.
Toll-like Receptors as Potential Therapeutic Targets in Kidney Diseases
Authors: Ren Qian , Cheng Lu , Yi Jing , Ma Liang , Pan Jing , Gou Shen-Ju , Fu Ping
Published: June 2019

Toll-like Receptors (TLRs) are members of pattern recognition receptors and serve a
pivotal role in host immunity. TLRs response to pathogen-associated molecular patterns encoded by
pathogens or damage-associated molecular patterns released by dying cells, initiating an inflammatory
cascade, where both beneficial and detrimental effects can be exerted. Accumulated evidence
has revealed that TLRs are closely associated with various kidney diseases but their roles are still
not well understood. This review updated evidence on the roles of TLRs in the pathogenesis of kidney
diseases including urinary tract infection, glomerulonephritis, acute kidney injury, transplant
allograft dysfunction and chronic kidney diseases.
Periphery Decorated and Core Initiated Neutral and Polyanionic Borane Large Molecules: Forthcoming and Promising Properties for Medicinal Applications
Authors: Viñas Clara , Núñez Rosario , Bennour Ines , Teixidor Francesc
Published: June 2019

A mini-review based on radial growing macromolecules and core initiated Borane
periphery decorated with o-carboranes and metallacarboranes that has been developed in the
authors laboratories is reported. The review is divided into four sections; three of them are
related to the design and synthesis of these large boron-containing molecules and the fourth
deals with the unique properties of anionic metallacarborane molecules that provide a glimpse
of their potential for their promising use in medicinal applications. Their unique stability
along with their geometrical and electronic properties, as well as the precise steric structure of
1,2-closo-C2B10H12 (o-carborane) that has the potential for the incorporation of many substituents:
at the carbon (Cc), at the boron and at both carbon and boron vertices, suggests this
cluster as an innovative building block or platform for novel applications that cannot be
achieved with organic hydrocarbon compounds. Poly(aryl-ether) dendrimers grown from
fluorescent cores, such as 1,3,5-triarylbenzene or meso-porphyrins, have been decorated with
boron clusters to attain rich boron containing dendrimers. Octasilsesquioxane cubes have been
used as a core for its radial growth to get boron-rich large molecules. The unique properties of
cobaltabisdicarbollide cluster, which include: i) self-assembly in water to produce monolayer
nano-vesicles, ii) crossing lipid bilayer membranes, iii) interacting with membrane cells, iv)
facilitating its visualization within cells by Raman and fluorescence techniques and v) their
use as molecular platform for “in vivo” imaging are discussed in detail.
Recent Study of Dual HDAC/PARP Inhibitor for the Treatment of Tumor
Authors: Lu Haiying , Bai Lan , Zhou Yanping , Lu Yongping , Jiang Zhongliang , Shi Jianyou
Published: June 2019

The occurrence and development of tumors are closely related to epigenetic instability which modulates gene expression through DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, and RNA-related silencing. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) are targets of epigenetic regulation. Over the years, a large number of studies have shown that HDAC inhibitors and PARP inhibitors have synergistic effects in the treatment of tumors, and there are reports of related dual HDAC/PARP inhibitors. This review will give a brief summary of the synergistic mechanisms of HDAC inhibitors and PARP inhibitors and introduce the design of the first dual HDAC/PARP inhibitor, which may guide the design of more dual HDAC/PARP inhibitors for the treatment of tumors.
New Promises to Cure Cancer and Other Genetic Diseases/Disorders: Epi-drugs Through Epigenetics
Authors: Duan Yong-Tao , Sangani Chetan B. , Liu Wei , Soni Kunjal V. , Yao Yongfang
Published: June 2019

All the heritable alterations in gene expression and chromatin structure due to chemical modifications that do not involve changes in the primary gene nucleotide sequence are referred to as epigenetics. DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs are distinct types of epigenetic inheritance. Epigenetic patterns have been linked to the developmental stages, environmental exposure, and diet. Therapeutic strategies are now being developed to target human diseases such as cancer with mutations in epigenetic regulatory genes using specific inhibitors. Within the past two decades, seven epigenetic drugs have received regulatory approval and many others show their candidature in clinical trials. The current article represents a review of epigenetic heritance, diseases connected with epigenetic alterations and regulatory approved epigenetic drugs as future medicines.
Cannabidiol Adverse Effects and Toxicity
Authors: Huestis Marilyn A. , Solimini Renata , Pichini Simona , Pacifici Roberta , Carlier Jeremy , Busardò Francesco Paolo
Published: June 2019

Background:

Currently, there is a great interest in the potential medical use of cannabidiol
(CBD), a non-intoxicating cannabinoid. Productive pharmacological research on CBD
occurred in the 1970s and intensified recently with many discoveries about the endocannabinoid
system. Multiple preclinical and clinical studies led to FDA-approval of Epidiolex®, a purified CBD
medicine formulated for oral administration for the treatment of infantile refractory epileptic
syndromes, by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2018. The World Health Organization
considers rescheduling cannabis and cannabinoids. CBD use around the world is expanding for
diseases that lack scientific evidence of the drug’s efficacy. Preclinical and clinical studies also
report adverse effects (AEs) and toxicity following CBD intake.

Methods:

Relevant studies reporting CBD’s AEs or toxicity were identified from PubMed, Cochrane
Central, and EMBASE through January 2019. Studies defining CBD’s beneficial effects were
included to provide balance in estimating risk/benefit.

Results:

CBD is not risk-free. In animals, CBD AEs included developmental toxicity, embryo-fetal
mortality, central nervous system inhibition and neurotoxicity, hepatocellular injuries, spermatogenesis
reduction, organ weight alterations, male reproductive system alterations, and hypotension,
although at doses higher than recommended for human pharmacotherapies. Human CBD studies for
epilepsy and psychiatric disorders reported CBD-induced drug-drug interactions, hepatic abnormalities,
diarrhea, fatigue, vomiting, and somnolence.

Conclusion:

CBD has proven therapeutic efficacy for serious conditions such as Dravet and
Lennox-Gastaut syndromes and is likely to be recommended off label by physicians for other conditions.
However, AEs and potential drug-drug interactions must be taken into consideration by
clinicians prior to recommending off-label CBD.
Styrylquinoline – A Versatile Scaffold in Medicinal Chemistry
Authors: Musiol Robert
Published: June 2019

Background: :

Styrylquinolines are characteristic fully aromatic compounds with flat,
rather lipophilic structures. The first reports on their synthesis and biological activity were published
roughly a century ago. However, their low selectivity, unfavorable toxicity and problems
with their mechanism of action significantly hampered their development. As a result, they have
been abandoned for most of the time since they were discovered.

Objective: :

Their renaissance was observed by the antiretroviral activity of several styrylquinoline
derivatives that have been reported to be HIV integrase inhibitors. Subsequently, other activities
such as their antifungal and anticancer abilities have also been revisited.

Methods:

In the present review, the spectrum of the activity of styrylquinolines and their use in
drug design is presented and analyzed.

Results:

New properties and applications that were reported recently have re-established
styrylquinolines within medicinal and material chemistry. The considerable increase in the number
of published papers regarding their activity spectrum will ensure further discoveries in the field.

Conclusions:

Styrylquinolines have earned a much stronger position in medicinal chemistry due to
the discovery of their new activities, profound mechanisms of action and as drug candidates in
clinical trials.
The Vest™ High-Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation System Compared with Manual Chest Wall Physiotherapy for Managing Airway Clearance in Patients with Complex Neurological Disorders: A UK-based Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Authors: Javanbakht Mehdi , Mashayekhi Atefeh , Montazeri Mohammad , Rezai Hemami Mohsen , Branagan-Harris Michael
Published: June 2019

Background:

Weakness in the muscles used to breathe and swallow can lead to difficulties with airway clearance for people with neurological disorders including neuromuscular disease and cerebral palsy. This can lead to aspiration and other respiratory problems which are the leading causes of death in patients with complex neurological disorders. The Vest™ system supports airway clearance through the use of High-Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (HFCWO) to loosen secretions in the chest by reducing their viscosity.

Objective:

To assess the cost-effectiveness of the Vest™ system versus Manual Chest Wall Physiotherapy (MCWP) for airway clearance in patients with neurological disorders including neuromuscular disease and cerebral palsy.

Methods:

A decision-analytic Markov model was developed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of HFCWO and MCWP over 5- and 10-year time horizons. Costs were estimated from the perspective of the UK National Health Service and personal social services. The main input parameters in the model were: rates of respiratory infection, respiratory-related hospitalisation, antibiotic use for respiratory infection and cost of the Vest™ system. The input parameters were informed by existing clinical guidelines and literature. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to explore uncertainties around the input parameters.

Results:

Over 5- and 10-year time horizons, the Vest™ system results in more quality-adjusted life-years and lower costs per patient. The Vest™ system has a high probability of being cost-effective (>98%) at willingness-to-pay thresholds of £20,000 and £30,000. The estimated average cost saving per patient over a 5-year time horizon is £5,660 (SD = £2362). Our results show that the Vest™ system may result in approximately £6 million cost savings per 1,000 patients with complex neurological disorders in 5 years. Per 1,000 patients, 2,442 hospital admissions and 49,868 bed days could be averted with the use of the Vest™ system. Our results were generally robust to the sensitivity analyses performed.

Conclusion:

The Vest™ system results in fewer respiratory infection episodes and hospitalisations, and thus less National Health Service (NHS) resource use, than current practice. Therefore, it is highly likely to be a cost-saving strategy.
An Overview of Neuromuscular Junction Aging Findings in Human and Animal Studies
Authors: Khosa Shaweta , Trikamji Bhavesh , Khosa Gurveer S. , Khanli Hadi M. , Mishra Shri K.
Published: June 2019

Background:

Aging is a complex irreversible process that is not only related to an individual’s genetic make-up but also to lifestyle choices and environmental exposures. Like every other structure in human body, the Neuromuscular Junction (NMJ) is not averse to aging.

Objectives:

The prime objective is to analyse the microscopic and macroscopic changes at the NMJs with aging.

Methods:

For the purpose of review we evaluated data from resources like Pubmed, Ovid, UCLA libraries and USC libraries.

Results:

We review various morphological, physiological, immunological, and biochemical changes in NMJs with aging and their management.

Conclusion:

The alterations in NMJs secondary to aging are inevitable. It is vital that neurologists clearly understand the pathophysiology of NMJ aging and differentiate between physiological and pathological effects of aging. With the current knowledge of science, the changes in NMJ aging can be better prevented rather than cured.
Effect of budget participation towards regional government managerial performance
Authors: Romario Fransiscus De , Putri I Gusti Ayu Made Asri Dwija , Badera I Dewa Nyoman , Putra I Nyoman Wijana Asmara
Published: June 2019

This research was intended at examining the effect of budget participation towards managerial performance with organizational commitment, job-relevant information, organizational culture, and leadership style as moderating variables on local government in Sikka Regency, NTT. The questionnaire survey method was distributed to local government structural officials. The sampling technique was purposive sampling method. The data analysis technique used moderated regression analysis method. The results of the study showed: 1) budget participation has a positive effect on managerial performance, 2) organizational commitment was not able to moderate the effect of budget participation on managerial performance, 3) job-relevant information was able to act as a moderator that strengthens the effect of budget participation on managerial performance, 4) organizational culture was not able to moderate the effect of budget participation on managerial performance, 5) the leadership style was not able to moderate the effect of budget participation on managerial performance.
Imaginative Agency: New Possibilities
Authors: Brant Clare
Published: June 2019

This article presents imaginative agency as a new theoretical concept with great potential for life writing studies, especially digital life writing. It draws on a wide range of concepts and contexts to discuss selective histories and workings, proposing ways in which imaginative agency can fit into philosophical and aesthetic debates about capability, performativity, ethics and artificial intelligence. I argue for making a distinction between imaginative agency and creativity, owing to the monetizing of much creative activity. I explore agency in relation to aesthetic human capability, through comparison to the non-human, particularly whether bots can demonstrate imaginative agency in art and literature, and through questions of ethical agency in online practices like trolling and malware. Contexts relevant to imaginative agency in digital and social media practices, such as algorithms, crowdsourcing and augmented reality, are explored in terms of political considerations which tie cultural creation to wealth creation— a shackling from which imaginative agency can provide some liberation.
“Real Men Mark their Territory!” Spatial Constructions of Masculinity in Joe Pieri’s Autobiographical Narratives
Authors: Zekri Souhir
Published: June 2019

The history of Scots-Italian “male” encounters has an air of violence and brutality, one epitomized from ancient times by relentless “Picts” defending their lands from Roman invasions and by fearless mercenaries of the middle Ages protecting Italian cities. Such a peculiar waltz of animosity and loyalty created a deeply ingrained bond between the two cultures, until the first waves of rather “harmless” Italians started coming to Scotland, particularly to Glasgow, since the nineteenth century. These immigrants have irreversibly influenced the spatial and social infrastructure of the city, mainly through their connection with the catering business and the consequent establishment of ice-cream cafés and fish and chip shops. Now, they have to defend and “mark” their territory again. This essay is concerned with the autobiographical stories and memoirs of Joe Pieri, a Glasgow Italian fish and chip café owner, whose main events take place in the 1920s and 1930s. The main argument of this essay is that spatial narration in Pieri’s accounts influences the construction of his and other masculinities. By examining four of his autobiographical works, I consider how these narratives spatially construct a wide variety of masculinities through their various defence and adaptation strategies in the poverty- and delinquency-stricken Glasgow of the period.
Technology-Enabled Self-Monitoring of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease With or Without Asynchronous Remote Monitoring: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Stamenova Vess , Yang Rebecca , Engel Katrina , Liang Kyle , van Lieshout Florence , Lalingo Elizabeth , Cheung Angelica , Erwood Adam , Radina Maria , Greenwald Allen , Agarwal Payal , Sidhu Aman , Bhatia R Sacha , Shaw James , Shafai Roshan , Bhattacharyya Onil
Published: June 2019

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of mortality worldwide. Reducing the number of COPD exacerbations is an important patient outcome and a major cost-saving approach. Both technology-enabled self-monitoring (SM) and remote monitoring (RM) programs have the potential to reduce exacerbations, but they have not been directly compared with each other. As RM is a more resource-intensive strategy, it is important to understand whether it is more effective than SM.

Objective

The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of SM and RM on self-management behaviors, COPD disease knowledge, and respiratory status relative to standard care (SC).

Methods

This was a 3-arm open-label randomized controlled trial comparing SM, RM, and SC completed in an outpatient COPD clinic in a community hospital. Patients in the SM and RM groups recorded their vital signs (oxygen, blood pressure, temperature, and weight) and symptoms with the Cloud DX platform every day and were provided with a COPD action plan. Patients in the RM group also received access to a respiratory therapist (RT). The RT monitored their vital signs intermittently and contacted them when their vitals varied outside of predetermined thresholds. The RT also contacted patients once a week irrespective of their vital signs or symptoms. All patients were randomized to 1 of the 3 groups and assessed at baseline and 3 and 6 months after program initiation. The primary outcome was the Partners in Health scale, which measures self-management skills. Secondary outcomes included the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire, Bristol COPD Knowledge Questionnaire, COPD Assessment Test, and modified-Medical Research Council Breathlessness Scale. Patients were also asked to self-report on health system usage.

Results

A total of 122 patients participated in the study, 40 in the SC, 41 in the SM, and 41 in the RM groups. Out of those patients, 7 in the SC, 5 in the SM, and 6 in the RM groups did not complete the study. There were no significant differences in the rates of study completion among the groups (P=.80).

Conclusions

Both SM and RM have shown promise in reducing acute care utilization and exacerbation frequencies. As far as we are aware, no studies to date have directly compared technology-enabled self-management with RM programs in COPD patients. We believe that this study will be an important contribution to the literature.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03741855; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03741855

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/13920
Emergence of Network Bifurcation Triggered by Entanglement
Authors: Yong Xi , Yung Man-Hong , Song Xue-Ke , Gao Xun , Li Angsheng
Published: June 2019

In many non-linear systems, such as plasma oscillation, boson condensation, chemical reaction, and even predatory-prey oscillation, the coarse-grained dynamics are governed by an equation containing anti-symmetric transitions, known as the anti-symmetric Lotka-Volterra (ALV) equations. In this work, we prove the existence of a novel bifurcation mechanism for the ALV equations, where the equilibrium state can be drastically changed by flipping the stability of a pair of fixed points. As an application, we focus on the implications of the bifurcation mechanism for evolutionary networks; we found that the bifurcation point can be determined quantitatively by the microscopic quantum entanglement. The equilibrium state can be critically changed from one type of global demographic condensation to another state that supports global cooperation for homogeneous networks. In other words, our results indicate that there exist a class of many-body systems where the macroscopic properties are invariant with a certain amount of microscopic entanglement, but they can be changed abruptly once the entanglement exceeds a critical value. Furthermore, we provide numerical evidence showing that the emergence of bifurcation is robust against the change of the network topologies, and the critical values are in good agreement with our theoretical prediction. These results show that the bifurcation mechanism could be ubiquitous in many physical systems, in addition to evolutionary networks.