bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Women Empowerment in Lesotho: Reality And/or Myth?
Authors: Kali Moeketsi
Published: March 2018

This paper seeks to challenge the women empowerment policies in Lesotho. It posits that without the transformation of the socio-economic and political sphere, the mechanisms in place cannot lead to real women’s empowerment. It is on this premise that the author suggests that the government of Lesotho needs to resolve the loopholes in the legal system and reconsider its approach and place resources at the disposal of women, in particular, to achieve equality & equity. Unless the laws are amended, until a decisive initiative is taken to reconcile the dilemma and contradiction between the constitution and customary laws and unless the government reinvigorate its commitment, women empowerment, though a reality, will not transcend mediocrity.
The Effectiveness of pen‒culture construction for cultivation of sea cucumber
Authors: Tomatala Pitjont , Letsoin Petrus Paulus , Kadmaer Evangelin Martha Yulia
Published: March 2018

AbstractSea cucumber Holothuria sp. is a marine biota that has economic value. The rearing activity of sea cucumbers is still limited to the have bay or strait areas with relatively calm coastal. This research aimed to determine the effectiveness of two types of pen‒culture system for sea cucumber rearing to the influence of ocean waves and currents. This research was done from February to July 2017 in the coastal of Rat village, Southeast Maluku Regency. The two of cultivated containers tested were a conventional pen‒culture (treatment A) and engineered pen‒culture (treatment B). A total of 30 individuals sea cucumber seeds sized 4‒6 cm were released at each pen‒culture. Survival rate and water quality were also calculated as supporting data. Observation of endurance and clearance of pen‒culture was done every two weeks. The result of visual observation showed that conventional pen‒culture treatment A was more quickly damaged and it was more damaged compared to engineered pen-culture treatment B.Through t‒test we got T count (1.065) < Ttable (6.313) for survival and T count (0.084) < Ttable (1.782) for growth. The result means that treatment A and treatment B have the same effect onsurvival rate and growth of sea cucumber. The results showed that treatment B was better applied to more open waters than treatment A. Keyword: endurance, pen‒culture, sea cucumber, survival, growth  AbstrakTeripang Holothuria sp. merupakan biota laut yang memiliki nilai ekonomis. Kegiatan budidaya teripang masih terbatas pada daerah‒daerah yang berteluk atau berselat dengan perairan yang relatif tenang. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membandingkan efektivitas dua sistem budidaya teripang dalam kurungan tancap terhadap pengaruh gelombang laut dan arus. Penelitian ini berlangsung dari bulan Februari hingga Juni 2017 di perairan Desa Rat, Kabupaten Maluku Tenggara. Dua tipe wadah budidaya yang diujicobakan adalah kurungan tancap konvensional (perlakuan A) dan kurungan tancap yang direkayasa (perlakuan B). Pada setiap kurungan tancap, dimasukkan teripang pasir berukuran 4‒6 cm sebanyak 30 ekor. Sebagai data pendukung, dihitung persentase kelangsungan hidup dan pengukuran kualitas air. Pengamatan ketahanan dan kebersihan kurungan tancap dilakukan setiap dua minggu sekali. Hasil pengamatan visual diketahui bahwa kurungan tancap perlakuan A lebih cepat rusak dan mengalami kerusakan yang lebih besar dibandingkan perlakuan B. Melalui uji-tdiperoleh hasil Thitung (1,065) < Ttabel (6,313) untuk kelangsungan hidup, dan Thitung (0,084) < T tabel (1,782) untuk pertumbuhan.  Hasil uji‒t bermakna bahwa perlakuan A dan perlakuan B memiliki pengaruh yang sama terhadap kelangsungan hidup dan pertumbuhan teripang. Hasil pengamatan menunjukkan bahwa perlakuan B lebih baik diaplikasikan pada perairan yang lebih terbuka dibandingkan perlakuan A. Kata kunci: ketahanan, kurungan tancap, teripang, kelangsungan hidup, pertumbuhan
Avances en el tratamiento del juego patológico
Authors: Echeburúa Enrique , Fernández-Montalvo Javier , Báez Concepción
Published: March 2018

En este artículo se lleva a cabo una revisión bibliográfica sobre los avances en el tratamiento de la ludopatía. Los estudios referidos a la terapia del juego patológico prueban que este cuadro clínico responde bien a los tratamientos ofertados. No obstante, la terapia de elección parece ser el control de estímulos y la exposición en vivo con prevención de respuesta, seguida por una intervención cognitivo-conductual en prevención de recaídas. Se comentan las implicaciones de esta revisión para la práctica clínica y para las investigaciones futuras en este campo.
MS/MS-Guided Isolation of Clarinoside, a New Anti-Inﬂammatory Pentalogin Derivative
Authors: Audoin Coralie , Zampalégré Adam , Blanchet Natacha , Giuliani Alexandre , Roulland Emmanuel , Laprévote Olivier , Genta-Jouve Grégory
Published: March 2018

Re-investigation of the chemical composition of the annual plant Mitracarpus scaber Zucc. led to the identiﬁcation of a new pentalogin derivative containing a rare quinovose moiety. While the planar structure has been fully determined using tandem MS and quantum mechanics calculations (QM), the tridimensional structure was unraveled after isolation and NMR analysis. The absolute conﬁguration was assigned by comparison of experimental and theoretical SRCD spectra. Both compounds were tested for anti-inﬂammatory activity and compound 1 showed the ability to inhibit the production of interleukin-8 (Il-8) with an IC50 of 9.17 µM.
The Influence of Knowledge and Education in Public Risk Perception. A Case Study in Calabria (Southern Italy)
Authors: Coscarelli Roberto , Antronico Loredana , De Pascale Francesco , Condino Francesca
Published: March 2018

Climate change is increasing the occurrence of disastrous events in the world, but several disparities in population vulnerability are being registered. One of the causes of these variances is different public risk perception also due to the degree of education and knowledge of the population. In this study, some of the results obtained in a risk perception survey are presented. The survey was carried out in an area of Calabria (Southern Italy) hit by geo-hydrological events that have occurred in recent years with damage to roads, tourism facilities and private houses. A statistical interpretation of the results highlights the importance of education and knowledge to risk perception on the part of the population investigated.
AÇÃO HUMANA, ATIVIDADE DOCENTE E FORMAÇÃO CONTINUADA DE PROFESSORES: PERSPECTIVAS A PARTIR DO PENSAMENTO DE HANNAH ARENDT
Authors: Grosch Maria Selma
Published: March 2018

Este texto apresenta uma reflexão sobre a formação continuada de professores como uma ação que não pode ser desencadeada por sujeitos solitários. A reflexão está embasada no pensamento de Hannah Arendt que defende a ação e o discurso como um ato político comunicado entre os pares. A escola pode ser um lugar de desenvolvimento das singularidades ao mesmo tempo que se constitui um ambiente coletivo propício ao desenvolvimento da profissionalidade no exercício do magistério público. Aspectos condicionantes da atividade docente tem mais possibilidades de ser compreendidos e superados, se necessário, quando o grupo de professores toma para si a responsabilidade pelas consequências das suas ações cotidianas.
A CONTRIBUIÇÃO DAS NARRATIVAS AUTOBIOGRÁFICAS PARA AS DISCUSSÕES SOBRE FORMAÇÃO DOCENTE
Authors: Sampaio Andrecksa Viana Oliveira , De Benedictis Nereida Maria Santos Mafra , Oliveira Luciana Amorim de , Sampaio Vilomar Sandes
Published: March 2018

Este trabalho tem como finalidade apresentar as análises e perspectivas nas discussões sobre a formação docente por meio das narrativas autobiográficas, partindo do pressuposto de que a memória possibilita a construção e reconstrução, nos professores, dos significados de suas experiências, provocando mudanças em suas práticas docentes, levando-os a compreender mais a si próprios e aos outros sujeitos envolvidos no processo de ensino. A abordagem sobre narrativas autobiográficas abrange uma orientação teórico-metodológica bastante fértil no campo das ciências sociais e humanas. Nesse contexto, as memórias individuais e coletivas podem ser utilizadas na pesquisa em educação como parte do processo de produção de conhecimento relativo à formação docente.
Influence of Poultry Litter on Crop Productivity under Different Field Conditions: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Lin Yaru , Watts Dexter B. , van Santen Edzard , Cao Guanqun
Published: March 2018

Core Ideas

Meta‐analysis showed that poultry litter’s influence on crop productivity is comparable to that of inorganic fertilizer.

Poultry litter’s effectiveness on crop yield is influenced by soil properties, tillage, application practice, and crop species.

More positive effects were found in acidic soil compared with neutral or alkaline, in loam soil compared with sand or clay, under conservation tillage compared with conventional, by subsurface banded poultry litter compared with broadcast or incorporation through tillage.

The full benefits of using poultry litter was achieved from long‐term studies, with litter improving crop yield compared with inorganic fertilizer.

Research has shown that poultry litter (PL) can be used as a nutrient source for crop production. However, yield responses often varied when compared with inorganic fertilizer (IF) depending on soil type, management conditions, and PL application practices. Therefore, we reviewed the literature and conducted a meta‐analytic assessment to summarize the effects of PL vs. IF on yield response under different agricultural practices. A total of 866 observations from 90 studies were evaluated to determine how soil properties, tillage, application practices, crop species, and repeated applications influenced yield. Poultry litter significantly increased yield in loam, sandy loam, and silty‐clay loam soils, whereas yields were significantly greater with IF in sand and silty‐clay soils; no differences were observed between PL and IF with clay loams or silt loams. Under conventional tillage, IF’s effect on yield was positive, albeit not significant, whereas PL had a significant positive effect under strip‐till or no‐till. Poultry litter produced slightly lower yield when surface incorporated, but higher yield with subsurface band application when compared with IF. Poultry litter had significantly higher yield with cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), corn (Zea mays L.), soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), significantly lower with bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers] than IF, and no effects on tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), corn silage, rice (Oryza sativa L.), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Overall, PL was comparable to IF. However, the greatest benefits of PL on yield when compared to IF tended to occur following repeated (three or more) annual applications.
Optimum Leaf Area Index to Reach Soybean Yield Potential in Subtropical Environment
Authors: Tagliapietra Eduardo Lago , Streck Nereu Augusto , da Rocha Thiago Schmitz Marques , Richter Gean Leonardo , da Silva Michel Rocha , Cera Jossana Ceolin , Guedes Jerson Vanderlei Carús , Zanon Alencar Junior
Published: March 2018

Core Ideas

The optimum leaf area index (LAI) at beginning bloom to reach the yield potential is between 3.6 (indeterminate stem termination) and 4.5 (determinate stem termination).

The optimum LAI maximum to reach the yield potential is between 6.0 and 6.5 for indeterminate and determined cultivars.

The optimum LAI for high yield potential should be adjusted according to the maturity group, stem termination and sowing date.

The increase in yield was observed with the increase of LAI for experiments and farms with a high technological level (soybean yield more than 4.5 Mg ha−1).

The interactive influence of climate and management factors on leaf area index (LAI) of soybean yield potential has not been investigated in subtropical environments. Such information can help in optimizing current soybean management practices to increase seed yield and efficiency of resource use. The objective of this study was to identify the optimum leaf area index for attaining yield potential in modern soybean cultivars grown in a subtropical environment. A large soybean yield, LAI, and phenology database collected from a combination of on‐farm and research‐station experiments conducted during four soybean growing seasons (2011–2015) in southern Brazil was used. The database represented a wide range of weather conditions, soil types, sowing dates, and cultivar maturity groups (MGs). A boundary function was derived for the relationship between soybean yield and LAI at R1 and R5 developmental stages for cultivars of determinate and indeterminate growth habit, and for both types combined. An increase in yield was in line with the increase of LAI for experiments with a small yield gap (soybean yield more than 4.5 Mg ha−1). In this case, optimum LAI at R1 growth stage (LAIR1, opt) to reach the soybean yield potential was between 3.4 (indeterminate) and 4.5 (determinate) whereas the optimal maximum LAI (LAImax,opt) is between 6.0 and 6.5 for indeterminate and determinate cultivars, respectively. These results suggested that management practices for soybean crops that involve the LAI and high yield potential must be adjusted according to the maturity group, growth habit and sowing date in a subtropical environment.
Evaluating Changes in Soil Organic Matter with Climate Using CENTURY in England and Wales
Authors: Sakrabani Ruben , Hollis John
Published: March 2018

Soil organic C (SOC) dynamics are complex, and models have been developed for predicting future changes, validated using only individual site data. In this study, we used the CENTURY model to predict changes in SOC between 1978 and 2000 using input weather data for 1978 to 2000 from the UK Meteorological Office and soil property input data derived from the National Soil Inventory (NSI). The predicted changes in SOC from the model simulation were validated using the resampled NSI data for the period 1994 to 2000. The modeling results indicate that CENTURY gave unacceptable predictions of change for three specific soil types. When these were omitted from the accuracy assessment, model predictions were statistically acceptable for all ecosystem types with model efficiency (ME) decreasing in the order: seminatural grassland (ME = 0.63) > woodland (ME = 0.27) > arable (ME = 0.08) > managed grassland (ME = 0.02). When comparing the overall measured rates of change, CENTURY correctly predicted the direction but underpredicted the magnitude of change. Once this utility was established, CENTURY was used to predict nation‐level climate change‐induced changes in SOC with the UKCIP02 (UK Climate Impacts Program of 2002) scenarios for the 2020s, 2050s, and 2080s, each of which comprise four emissions scenarios. The modeling predictions suggest that the predicted changes between scenarios were small. However, within that, the greatest decrease (of 1.54% SOC) will be in seminatural grassland under the high emissions scenario. The future predicted pattern of change in SOC is greater in managed grassland (reduction of 0.27–0.39% SOC) than arable land (reduction of 0.03–0.05% SOC).

Core Ideas

CENTURY SOC predictions are most acceptable for seminatural grassland (SNG).

High emissions scenario predictions show a decline of 1.54% SOC in SNG.

Model prediction of SOC for C‐rich soil and water logged is poor.

The greater the initial mean ecosystem SOC, greater the reduction in topsoil.
TopCap: A Tool to Quantify Soil Surface Topology and Subsurface Structure
Authors: Garbout Amin , Sturrock Craig J. , Armenise Elena , Ahn Sujung , Simmons Robert W. , Doerr Stefan , Ritz Karl , Mooney Sacha J.
Published: March 2018

Core Ideas

A new ImageJ plugin, TopCap, automatically captures soil surface complexity from CT images.

TopCap can quantify the immediate subsurface structure, highlighting soil crusting and sealing.

Crust thickness varies under different soil textures following similar rainfall.

The surface of a material such as soil, as characterized by its topology and roughness, typically has a profound effect on its functional behavior. While nondestructive imaging techniques such as X‐ray computed tomography (CT) have been used extensively in recent years to characterize the internal architecture of soil, less attention has been paid to the morphology of the soil surface, possibly because other techniques such as scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy are viewed as more appropriate. However, X‐ray CT exploration of the surface of a soil also permits analyses immediately below its surface and beyond into the sample, contingent on its thickness. This provides important information such as how a connected structure might permit solute infiltration or gaseous diffusion through the surface and beyond into the subsurface matrix. A previous limitation to this approach had been the inability to segment and quantify the actual three‐dimensional structural complexity at the surface, rather than a predefined geometrically simplistic volume immediately below it. To overcome this, we formulated TopCap, a novel algorithm that operates with ImageJ as a plugin and automatically captures the actual three‐dimensional surface morphology, segments the pore structure within the acquired volume, and provides a series of incisive morphological measurements of the associated porous architecture. TopCap provides rapid, automated analysis of the immediate surface of materials and beyond, and while developed in the context of soil, is applicable to any three‐dimensional image volume.
Characterizing Redox Potential Effects on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Induced by Water‐Level Changes
Authors: Wang Jihuan , Bogena Heye R. , Vereecken Harry , Brüggemann Nicolas
Published: March 2018

Core Ideas

Dynamics of redox potential were induced by water‐table changes in a lysimeter.

The redox potential measurements well reflected the different GHG emission sources.

Redox potential monitoring is a viable tool for better understanding of GHG emissions.

Soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions contribute to global warming. To support mitigation measures against global warming, it is important to understand the controlling processes of GHG emissions. Previous studies focusing mainly on paddy rice fields or wetlands showed a strong relationship between soil redox potential and GHG emission (e.g., N2O). However, the interpretation of redox potentials for the understanding of the controlling factors of GHG emission is limited due to the low number of continuous redox measurements in most ecosystems. Recent sensor developments open the possibility for the long‐term monitoring of field‐scale soil redox potential changes. We performed laboratory lysimeter experiments to investigate how changes in the redox potential, induced by changes in the water level, affect GHG emissions from agricultural soil. Under our experimental conditions, we found that N2O emissions followed closely the changes in redox potential. The dynamics of redox potential were induced by changing the water‐table depth in a laboratory lysimeter. Before fertilization during saturated conditions, we found a clear negative correlation between redox potentials and N2O emission rates. After switching from saturated to unsaturated conditions, N2O emission quickly decreased, indicating denitrification as the main source of N2O. In contrast, the emissions of CO2 increased with increasing soil redox potentials. After fertilization, N2O emission peaked at high redox potential, suggesting nitrification as the main production pathway, which was confirmed by isotope analysis of N2O. We propose that redox potential measurements are a viable method for better understanding of the controlling factors of GHG emissions, for the differentiation between different source processes, and for the improvement of process‐based GHG models.
Decomposing diversification effect: evidence from the U.S. property-liability insurance industry
Authors: Che Xin , P. Liebenberg Andre , A. Liebenberg Ivonne , S. Powell Lawrence
Published: March 2018

Prior literature suggests that diversified property-liability (P/L) insurers underperform their focused counterparts. While most studies focus on insurers’ overall performance, there is an absence of evidence regarding whether the underperformance is driven by underwriting or investment profitability. The authors develop and test hypotheses of diversification’s separate effect on underwriting and investing in the U.S. property-liability (P/L) insurance industry. It is found that diversified insurers outperform their focused counterparts in terms of investment return, but that they underperform in terms of underwriting profitability. The results are robust to corrections for endogeneity bias and a matched sample analysis.
Application of dielectric constant measurement in microwave sludge disintegration and wastewater purification processes
Authors: Kovács Petra Veszelovszki , Lemmer Balázs , Keszthelyi-Szabó Gábor , Hodúr Cecilia , Beszédes Sándor
Published: March 2018

It has been numerously verified that microwave radiation could be advantageous as a pre-treatment for enhanced disintegration of sludge. Very few data related to the dielectric parameters of wastewater of different origins are available; therefore, the objective of our work was to measure the dielectric constant of municipal and meat industrial wastewater during a continuous flow operating microwave process. Determination of the dielectric constant and its change during wastewater and sludge processing make it possible to decide on the applicability of dielectric measurements for detecting the organic matter removal efficiency of wastewater purification process or disintegration degree of sludge. With the measurement of dielectric constant as a function of temperature, total solids (TS) content and microwave specific process parameters regression models were developed. Our results verified that in the case of municipal wastewater sludge, the TS content has a significant effect on the dielectric constant and disintegration degree (DD), as does the temperature. The dielectric constant has a decreasing tendency with increasing temperature for wastewater sludge of low TS content, but an adverse effect was found for samples with high TS and organic matter contents. DD of meat processing wastewater sludge was influenced significantly by the volumetric flow rate and power level, as process parameters of continuously flow microwave pre-treatments. It can be concluded that the disintegration process of food industry sludge can be detected by dielectric constant measurements. From technical purposes the applicability of dielectric measurements was tested in the purification process of municipal wastewater, as well. Determination of dielectric behaviour was a sensitive method to detect the purification degree of municipal wastewater.
Orthopedic Aspects of the Diabetic Foot
Authors: Tijdens-Creusen Elvira J.A. , Jutte Paul C. , Schoumakers Wim M.H.H. , Van der Klauw Melanie M. , Wouthuyzen-Bakker Marjan
Published: March 2018

Background:

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a common medical condition affecting more than 6% of the
world population. Besides well-known pathology like diabetic retinopathy and renal insufficiency, it carries important
orthopedic implications, especially around the foot and ankle (diabetic foot).

Focus:

This article focusses on the three major areas confronting the orthopedist: 1) changes in foot statics and
biology leading to ulceration with or without osteomyelitis, 2) ankle fractures, particularly complications after a
fracture and 3) Charcot foot.

Their pathophysiology, clinical features, classification, diagnostic dilemmas and treatment options are discussed.

Conclusion:

DM is very common and is often associated with foot problems. Diabetic foot is a special condition
that needs special attention. This article aims to provide the necessary knowledge to a better understanding and
treatment of the diabetic foot.
Coumarin Compounds in Medicinal Chemistry: Some Important Examples from the Last Years
Authors: Pereira Thiago Moreira , Franco Daiana Portella , Vitorio Felipe , Kummerle Arthur Eugen
Published: March 2018

Coumarins are natural products characterized as 1,2 benzopyrones widely distributed in
plants, as well as, in many species of fungi and bacteria. Nowadays, many synthetic procedures allow
the discovery of coumarins with expanded chemical space. The ability to exert noncovalent interactions
with many enzymes and receptors in live organisms lead the coumarins to exhibit a wide range of biological
activities and applications. Then, this manuscript provides an overview of the use of coumarins
compounds in medicinal chemistry in treating many diseases. Important examples of the last years have
been selected concerning the activities of coumarins as anticoagulant, anticancer, antioxidant, antiviral,
anti-diabetics, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-neurodegerative agents. Additionally,
it also includes applications of coumarins as fluorescent sensors for biological systems. Thus, this work
aims to contribute to the development of new rational research projects for the treatment and diagnosis
of pathologies using coumarin derivatives.
Effectiveness of Surface Cleaning and Disinfection in a Brazilian Healthcare Facility
Authors: Santos-Junior Aires G. , Ferreira Adriano M. , Frota Oleci P. , Rigotti Marcelo A. , Barcelos Larissa da S. , Lopes de Sousa Alvaro Francisco , de Andrade Denise , Guerra Odanir G. , R. Furlan Mara C.
Published: March 2018

Background:

Failures in the processes of cleaning and disinfecting health service surfaces may result in the spread and transfer of pathogens that are often associated with healthcare-related infections and outbreaks.

Aims:

To assess the effectiveness of environmental surface cleaning and disinfection in a hospital clinic.

Method:

The study was conducted in a nursing ward with 45 beds. A total of 80 samples from five high-touch surfaces were evaluated before and after cleaning and disinfection, using the following methods: visual inspection, adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence assay, aerobic colony count, Staphylococcus aureus colony count, and evaluation of resistance to methicillin. The data analysis used nonparametric comparative and correlative tests to observe any differences in the pre- and post- cleaning and disinfection results for the surfaces assessed.

Results:

Effective cleaning and disinfection had a significant effect on only two surfaces when measured for the presence of adenosine triphosphate, the inner bathroom door handle (p=0.007) and the toilet bowl (p=0.01). When evaluated for Staphylococcus aureus colony count, the toilet flush handle also demonstrated a significant effect (p=0.04).

Conclusion:

The effectiveness of cleaning and disinfection of the surfaces tested was not satisfactory. An educational intervention is recommended for the cleaning and disinfection staff and the nursing team at the healthcare facility.

Relevance to Clinical Practice:

The data in the study revealed that daily hospital cleaning and disinfection in the sampled sites are not sufficient in medical and surgical wards. Hospital cleanliness must be reevaluated from the point of view of materials, such as an adequate supply of clean cloths, in addition to establishing more precise cleanliness protocols and accurate monitoring systems.
Nano-formulations for Diagnostics and Therapeutics of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Animals
Authors: Sironmani T. Anitha
Published: March 2018

Background:

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is caused by a virus of the genus Aphthovirus, family Picornaviridae which includes several members of medical importance, Multiple subtypes or antigenic variants within each serotype, which make the vaccine from one serotype does not confer protection against the other serotype.

Methods:

Green synthesized silver nanoparticles were functionalized with FMDV antigen /antibody. The functionalized silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV -Visible spectrophotometer, Fluorescence Spectrophotometer etc. Immunomodulation study, efficacy and toxicity tests on the final product were carried out.

Results:

The protein profile after immunoprecipitation with AntiFMD antibody analysed on a 12.5% SDS-PAGE which corresponded to the viral proteins. The western blot analysis confirmed the same pattern. When the infected mice were treated with functionalised silver nanoparticles, all mice were recovered from the disease within 12 hrs. The field trial of these nanoformulations showed 100% recovery of the animals with minimum neutralizing antibody without any other physiological problems.

Conclusion:

Surface modification of silver nanoparticles can create multifunctional materials with potential applications. Nanoformulations developed by functionalizing whole FMD viral protein /antibody with that of silver nanoparticles, elicite an optimal immuno-protective response and as diagnostic agent against foot and mouth disease causing virus The easy method of preparation of nanoparticle, the flexibility of functionalization techniques, long shelf life without cold chain protection and minimum single low dosage reveals the feasibility of this nanoformulation applications ranging from prophylactic vaccines, diagnostics, therapy for all infections leading to autoimmune diseases.
Open Notes in Swedish Psychiatric Care (Part 2): Survey Among Psychiatric Care Professionals (Preprint)
Authors: Petersson Lena , Erlingsdóttir Gudbjörg
Published: March 2018

BACKGROUND

This is the second of two papers presenting the results from a study of the implementation of patient online access to their electronic health records (here referred to as Open Notes) in adult psychiatric care in Sweden. The study contributes an important understanding of both the expectations and concerns that existed among health care professionals before the introduction of the Open Notes Service in psychiatry and the perceived impact of the technology on their own work and patient behavior after the implementation. The results from the previously published baseline survey showed that psychiatric health care professionals generally thought that Open Notes would influence both the patients and their own practice negatively.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to describe and discuss how health care professionals in adult psychiatric care in Region Skåne in southern Sweden experienced the influence of Open Notes on their patients and their own practice, and to compare the results with those of the baseline study.

METHODS

We distributed a full population Web-based questionnaire to psychiatric care professionals in Region Skåne in the spring of 2017, which was one and a half years after the implementation of the service. The response rate was 27.73% (699/2521). Analyses showed that the respondents were representative of the staff as a whole. A statistical analysis examined the relationships between health professional groups and attitudes to the Open Notes Service.

RESULTS

A total of 41.5% (285/687) of the health care professionals reported that none of their patients stated that they had read their Open Notes. Few health care professionals agreed with the statements about the potential benefits for patients from Open Notes. Slightly more of the health care professionals agreed with the statements about the potential risks. In addition, the results indicate that there was little impact on practice in terms of longer appointments or health care professionals having to address patients’ questions outside of appointments. However, the results also indicate that changes had taken place in clinical documentation. Psychologists (39/63, 62%) and doctors (36/94, 38%) in particular stated that they were less candid in their documentation after the implementation of Open Notes. Nearly 40% of the health care professionals (239/650, 36.8%) reported that the Open Notes Service in psychiatry was a good idea.

CONCLUSIONS

Most health care professionals who responded to the postimplementation survey did not experience that patients in adult psychiatric care had become more involved in their care after the implementation of Open Notes. The results also indicate that the clinical documentation had changed after the implementation of Open Notes. Finally, the results indicate that it is important to prepare health care professionals before an implementation of Open Notes, especially in medical areas where the service is considered sensitive.
Does Eating Chicken Feet With Pickled Peppers Cause Avian Influenza? Observational Case Study on Chinese Social Media During the Avian Influenza A (H7N9) Outbreak (Preprint)
Authors: Chen Bin , Shao Jian , Liu Kui , Cai Gaofeng , Jiang Zhenggang , Huang Yuru , Gu Hua , Jiang Jianmin
Published: March 2018

BACKGROUND

A hot topic on the relationship between a popular avian-origin food and avian influenza occurred on social media during the outbreak of the emerging avian influenza A (H7N9). The misinformation generated from this topic had caused great confusion and public concern.

OBJECTIVE

Our goals were to analyze the trend and contents of the relevant posts during the outbreak. We also aimed to understand the characteristics of the misinformation and to provide suggestions to reduce public misconception on social media during the emerging disease outbreak.

METHODS

The original microblog posts were collected from China’s Sina Weibo and Tencent Weibo using a combination of keywords between April 1, 2013 and June 2, 2013. We analyzed the weekly and daily trend of the relevant posts. Content analyses were applied to categorize the posts into 4 types with unified sorting criteria. The posts’ characteristics and geographic locations were also analyzed in each category. We conducted further analysis on the top 5 most popular misleading posts.

RESULTS

A total of 1680 original microblog posts on the topic were retrieved and 341 (20.30%) of these posts were categorized as misleading messages. The number of relevant posts had not increased much during the first 2 weeks but rose to a high level in the next 2 weeks after the sudden increase in number of reported cases at the beginning of week 3. The posts under “misleading messages” occurred and increased from the beginning of week 3, but their daily posting number decreased when the daily number of posts under “refuting messages” outnumbered them. The microbloggers of the misleading posts had the lowest mean rank of followers and previous posts, but their posts had a highest mean rank of posts. The proportion of “misleading messages” in places with no reported cases was significantly higher than that in the epidemic areas (23.6% vs 13.8%). The popular misleading posts appeared to be short and consisted of personal narratives, which were easily disseminated on social media.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggested the importance of responding to common questions and misconceptions on social media platforms from the beginning of disease outbreaks. Authorities need to release clear and reliable information related to the popular topics early on. The microbloggers posting correct information should be empowered and their posts could be promoted to clarify false information. Equal importance should be attached to clarify misinformation in both the outbreak and nonoutbreak areas.
Identification of Patients Expected to Benefit from Electronic Alerts for Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Biswas Aditya , Parikh Chirag R. , Feldman Harold I. , Garg Amit X. , Latham Stephen , Lin Haiqun , Palevsky Paul M. , Ugwuowo Ugochukwu , Wilson F. Perry
Published: March 2018

Background and objectives

Electronic alerts for heterogenous conditions such as AKI may not provide benefit for all eligible patients and can lead to alert fatigue, suggesting that personalized alert targeting may be useful. Uplift-based alert targeting may be superior to purely prognostic-targeting of interventions because uplift models assess marginal treatment effect rather than likelihood of outcome.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements

This is a secondary analysis of a clinical trial of 2278 adult patients with AKI randomized to an automated, electronic alert system versus usual care. We used three uplift algorithms and one purely prognostic algorithm, trained in 70% of the data, and evaluated the effect of targeting alerts to patients with higher scores in the held-out 30% of the data. The performance of the targeting strategy was assessed as the interaction between the model prediction of likelihood to benefit from alerts and randomization status. The outcome of interest was maximum relative change in creatinine from the time of randomization to 3 days after randomization.

Results

The three uplift score algorithms all gave rise to a significant interaction term, suggesting that a strategy of targeting individuals with higher uplift scores would lead to a beneficial effect of AKI alerting, in contrast to the null effect seen in the overall study. The prognostic model did not successfully stratify patients with regards to benefit of the intervention. Among individuals in the high uplift group, alerting was associated with a median reduction in change in creatinine of −5.3% (P=0.03). In the low uplift group, alerting was associated with a median increase in change in creatinine of +5.3% (P=0.005). Older individuals, women, and those with a lower randomization creatinine were more likely to receive high uplift scores, suggesting that alerts may benefit those with more slowly developing AKI.

Conclusions

Uplift modeling, which accounts for treatment effect, can successfully target electronic alerts for AKI to those most likely to benefit, whereas purely prognostic targeting cannot.
Budgetary discipline & factors that influence it: Study case in Ministries of Indonesia
Authors: Ramdany Ramdany , Yadiati Winwin
Published: March 2018

The government has three legal instruments to improve the budgetary discipline. There are internal control, good governance and accounting information. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the three instruments on the budget discipline contained on research questions. First, how much impact internal control on budgetary discipline. Second, how much impact the good governance on budgetary discipline. Third, how much impact the quality of accounting information on budgetary discipline. This study was conducted at the State Ministry with a population of 34 units of analysis in 2015. The ministry was taken as a study unit because it is related to some phenomenon of violations on budgetary discipline that has occurred. Study approach using quantitative method and data analysis with partial least square. Primary data is taken with media questionnaires and secondary data taken from the respective publications of the Ministries. The results show that the impact of internal control and good governance on budget discipline is positive but weak. Then the impact of the quality of accounting information on budget discipline is negative but weak. This study was conducted when the state budget was deficit. Probable different results when study is undertaken at a time when the state budget is surplus. It is expected that the further study with the state budget on surplus and time series data to compare the results of study for making decision.
Alpha lipoic acid treatment induces the antioxidant system and ameliorates lipid peroxidation in maize seedlings under osmotic stress
Authors: Terzi Rabiye , Saruhan Güler , Güven Funda , Kadioglu Asim
Published: March 2018

Plants are markedly affected by drought stress caused by fluctuations in global climate, reduction in rainfall and a decrease in soil fertility. Therefore, some mechanistic strategies to cope with adverse effects of drought stress are needed. Alpha lipoic acid (ALA), a potent antioxidant molecule, is known to function in abiotic stress tolerance. In the current study, we investigated the ALA-stimulated physiological role in tolerance to osmotic stress induced by polyethylene glycol in two maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars (cv. Helen and cv. Akpinar). Application of ALA increased the leaf water potential of maize cultivars under stressful and stress-free conditions but decreased lipid peroxidation and the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content. Additionally, enhanced activity of the antioxidant defense system was observed following ALA application. Exogenous ALA elevated the activities of enzymatic antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GR) and monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) under osmotic stress as compared to seedlings not exposed to ALA. Conversely, ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity was decreased by ALA application in both cultivars. Higher GR and MDHAR activities of both cultivars were simultaneously observed in ALA treatments under osmotic stress. Taken together, the data indicated that exogenous ALA may function in arranging resilience against osmotic stress by reducing oxidative damage through induction of the antioxidant machinery in maize cultivars.
Depersonalisation of killing: Towards a 21st century use of force “Beyond Good and Evil?”
Authors: Korac Srdjan
Published: March 2018

The article analyses how robotisation as the latest advance in military
technology can depersonalise the methods of killing in the 21st century by
turning enemy soldiers and civilians into mere objects devoid of moral
value. The departing assumption is that robotisation of warfare transforms
military operations into automated industrial processes with the aim of
removing empathy as a redundant ?cost?. The development of autonomous
weapons systems raises a number of sharp ethical controversies related to
the projected moral insensitivity of robots regarding the treatment of
enemies and civilian population. The futurist vision of war as a foreign
policy instrument entirely ?purified? of the risk of morally wrong actions
is in opposition with the negative effects of the use of drones. The author
concludes that the use of lethal robots in combat would eventually remove
enemy soldiers and civilians from the realm of ethical reasoning and deprive
them of human dignity. Decision to kill in military operations ought to be
based on human conscience as the only proper framework of making decisions
by reasoning whether an action is right or wrong.
Disease extinction and persistence in a discrete-time sis epidemic model with vaccination and varying population size
Authors: Farnoosh Rahman , Parsamanesh Mahmood
Published: March 2018

A discrete-time SIS epidemic model with vaccination is introduced and
formulated by a system of difference equations. Some necessary and sufficient
conditions for asymptotic stability of the equilibria are obtained.
Furthermore, a sufficient condition is also presented. Next, bifurcations of
the model including transcritical bifurcation, period-doubling bifurcation,
and the Neimark-Sacker bifurcation are considered. In addition, these issues
will be studied for the corresponding model with constant population size.
Dynamics of the model are also studied and compared in detail with those
found theoretically by using bifurcation diagrams, analysis of eigenvalues
of the Jacobian matrix, Lyapunov exponents and solutions of the models in
some examples.
On the number of perfect matchings for some certain types of bipartite graphs
Authors: Öteleş Ahmet
Published: March 2018

In this paper, we consider the relationships between the number of perfect
matchings (1-factors) for some certain types of bipartite graphs and
Fibonacci and Lucas numbers.
Semi-invariant submanifolds of a normal almost paracontact manifold
Authors: Atçeken Mehmet , Uddin Siraj
Published: March 2018

In this paper, we introduce the notion of semi-invariant submanifolds of a
normal almost paracontact manifold. We study their fundamental properties and
the particular cases. The necessary and sufficient conditions are given for a
submanifold to be invariant or anti-invariant. Also, we give some results for
semi-invariant submanifolds of a normal almost paracontact manifold with
constant c and we construct an example.
Shadowing, ergodic shadowing and uniform spaces
Authors: Ahmadi Seyyed
Published: March 2018

We introduce and study the topological concepts of ergodic shadowing, chain
transitivity and topological ergodicity for dynamical systems on non-compact
non-metrizable spaces. These notions generalize the relevant concepts for
metric spaces. We prove that a dynamical system with topological ergodic
shadowing property is topologically chain transitive, and that topological
chain transitivity together with topological shadowing property implies
topological ergodicity.
Orthogonal Gabor systems on local fields
Authors: Shah Firdous , Ahmad Owais , Sheikh Neyaz
Published: March 2018

The objective of this paper is to provide complete characterizations of
orthogonal families, tight frames and orthonormal bases of Gabor systems on
local fields of positive characteristic by means of some basic equations in
the Fourier domain.
Rough statistical cluster points
Authors: Aytar Salih
Published: March 2018

In this paper, we define the concepts of rough statistical cluster point and
rough statistical limit point of a sequence in a finite dimensional normed
space. Then we obtain an ordinary statistical convergence criteria
associated with rough statistical cluster point of a sequence. Applying
these definitions to the sequences of functions, we come across a new
concept called statistical condensation point. Finally, we observe the
relations between the sets of statistical condensation points, rough
statistical cluster points and rough statistical limit points of a sequence
of functions.
On I-lacunary statistical convergence of weight g of sequences of sets
Authors: Savaş Ekrem
Published: March 2018

In this paper, following a very recent and new approach of [1], we further
generalize recently introduced summability methods in [13] and introduce new
notions, namely, I-statistical convergence of weight 1 and I-lacunary
statistical convergence of weight g, where g : N ? [0,?) is a function
satisfying lim n?? g(n) = ? and n/g(n) ?? 0 as n ? ?, for sequences of sets.
We mainly investigate their relationship and also make some observations
about these classes. The study leaves a lot of interesting open problems.
The topology of θω-open sets
Authors: Al Ghour , Irshedat Bayan
Published: March 2018

We define the ??-closure operator as a new topological operator. We show that
??-closure of a subset of a topological space is strictly between its usual
closure and its ?-closure. Moreover, we give several sufficient conditions for
the equivalence between ??-closure and usual closure operators, and between
??-closure and ?-closure operators. Also, we use the ??-closure operator to
introduce ??-open sets as a new class of sets and we prove that this class
of sets lies strictly between the class of open sets and the class of ?-open
sets. We investigate ??-open sets, in particular, we obtain a product
theorem and several mapping theorems. Moreover, we introduce ?-T2 as a new
separation axiom by utilizing ?-open sets, we prove that the class of !-T2
is strictly between the class of T2 topological spaces and the class of T1
topological spaces. We study relationship between ?-T2 and ?-regularity. As
main results of this paper, we give a characterization of ?-T2 via
??-closure and we give characterizations of ?-regularity via ??-closure and
via ??-open sets.
Discontinuity of control function in the (F,φ,θ)-contraction in metric spaces
Authors: Asadi Mehdi
Published: March 2018

In this paper, we improve very recent results of Kumrod et al. [2] with
discontinuity of control function in the (F,?,?)-contraction in metric
spaces. Illustrative examples and an application in nonlinear integral
equation are presented.