bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Binding synergy as an essential step for tRNA editing and modification enzyme codependence in Trypanosoma brucei
Authors: McKenney Katherine M. , Rubio Mary Anne T. , Alfonzo Juan D.
Published: October 2017

Transfer RNAs acquire a variety of naturally occurring chemical modifications during their maturation; these fine-tune their structure and decoding properties in a manner critical for protein synthesis. We recently reported that in the eukaryotic parasite, Trypanosoma brucei, a methylation and deamination event are unexpectedly interconnected, whereby the tRNA adenosine deaminase (TbADAT2/3) and the 3-methylcytosine methyltransferase (TbTrm140) strictly rely on each other for activity, leading to formation of m3C and m3U at position 32 in several tRNAs. Still however, it is not clear why these two enzymes, which work independently in other systems, are strictly codependent in T. brucei. Here, we show that these enzymes exhibit binding synergism, or a mutual increase in binding affinity, that is more than the sum of the parts, when added together in a reaction. Although these enzymes interact directly with each other, tRNA binding assays using enzyme variants mutated in critical binding and catalytic sites indicate that the observed binding synergy stems from contributions from tRNA-binding domains distal to their active sites. These results provide a rationale for the known interactions of these proteins, while also speaking to the modulation of substrate specificity between seemingly unrelated enzymes. This information should be of value in furthering our understanding of how tRNA modification enzymes act together to regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and provide a basis for the interdependence of such activities.
Maize phyllosphere microbial community niche development across stages of host leaf growth
Authors: Manching Heather C. , Carlson Kara , Kosowsky Sean , Smitherman C. Tyler , Stapleton Ann E.
Published: October 2017

Background: The phyllosphere hosts a variety of microorganisms, including bacteria, which can play a positive role in the success of the host plant. Bacterial communities in the phylloplane are influenced by both biotic and abiotic factors, including host plant surface topography and chemistry, which change in concert with microbial communities as the plant leaves develop and age.

Methods: We examined how theZea maysL. leaf microbial community structure changed with plant age. Ribosomal spacer length and scanning electron microscopic imaging strategies were used to assess microbial community composition across maize plant ages, using a novel staggered experimental design.

Results: Significant changes in community composition were observed for both molecular and imaging analyses, and the two analysis methods provided complementary information about bacterial community structure within each leaf developmental stage.

Conclusions: Both taxonomic and cell-size trait patterns provided evidence for niche-based contributions to microbial community development on leaves.
Acquiring Through the Prism of Economic Growth
Authors: Мартынов В. , Martynov V.
Published: October 2017

This paper examines the impact of acquiring on the growth of the economy and its place in a new technological way. The article illustrates the correlation of GDP from acquiring. The economic effects of acquiring and their influence on the development of open innovation in the modern world are presented. Key indicators and acquiring of payment cards of different types in the dynamics of recent years are analyzed. The author considers sub-optimal balance between the cash and non-cash means of payment and three dimensions to exit this equilibrium.
Management Tools Used When Planning Work at an Engineering Company and Design Bureau
Authors: Гаврилова И. , Gavrilova I.
Published: October 2017

Updating the project management method for building the technical capacity of the country is implemented by various systems of quality management. The management process is impossible without a team. Well-formed team will allow you to effectively perform the tasks of the project. The article presents the analytical evaluation of the formation of the project team according to GOST R 54869-2011 and Scrum methodology. The second important aspect is planning. In world practice there are international standards and national requirements for the issuance of planning documents. One of the most famous is the PMBOK, at the national level, GOST RV 15.208-2005. The main planning tool is the schedule. Thanks to properly planned work the state customers on the innovative output meet the requirements.
Relação Molar, Atividade e Força Muscular em Crianças entre 7 e 12 Anos com Deglutição Atípica
Authors: López Soto, Od. Olga Patricia , López Soto Fga. Lina María , Osorio Forero Ing. Biomed. Alejandro , Restrepo PhD. Francia
Published: October 2017

Objetivo: relacionar a atividade e a força muscular com a relação molar, o gênero e o rango de idade em crianças entre 7 e 12 anos com deglutição atípica. Materiais e Método: estudo analítico de casos e controles utilizou a amostragem probabilística. Examinaram-se 88 crianças em cada grupo. Realizou-se uma eletromiogra a de superfície (SEMG) dos músculos orbicular, mental e masseteres; se determinaram as forças compreensiva do orbicular dos lábios (FCO), contráctil do masseter direito (FCMD) e esquerdo (FCMI), extensora do músculo lingual (FEL) por mioescanogra a e a força de resistência do orbicular dos lábios (FRO) por balancear subcrítica. As comparações estatísticas se realizaram com a prova não paramétrica U de Mann-Withney (p< 0,05). Resultados: as amplitudes do registro SEMG dos músculos mental e masseteres foram significativamente maiores no grupo de deglutição atípica (da) com respeito aos controles. Ambos os gêneros apresentaram menor força contráctil dos masseteres e extensora do músculo lingual que os controles. No grupo de 7-9 anos, as crianças com da só diferem dos controles na força compressiva do orbicular e no grupo de 10-12 anos as crianças com da apresentam uma diminuição significativa de todas as forças musculares. Conclusão: os pacientes com da têm maior frequência na relação molar Classe II e Classe III em ambos os lados. Existem diferenças na atividade muscular e na força dos masseteres entre os sexos com e sem da, esta diferença acentuase ao aumentar a idade.
Concepção da Participação social em saúde: Proposta de ressigni cação
Authors: Carmona-Moreno MSc, PhD Luz Dary
Published: October 2017

Introdução: o artigo apresenta a re exão sobre a concepção de participação social em saúde, que propõe a autora a partir das suas práticas, para ampliar a compreensão de dito conceito e desde ali, realizar a análise da Política Distrital de Participação Social em Saúde. Desenvolvimento: a temática de participação abordou-se através da análise do contexto da participação social na Colômbia, o lugar de enunciação da participação social e a sua ressigni cação para a ação coletiva em saúde, a partir dos quais se propõe avançar no conteúdo da participação como direito e prática social. Conclusões: a Política Distrital vincula o conceito de participação com as noções de poder e os direitos humanos. Inclui o conceito de cidadania social em saúde, que instala um sujeito de poder e de direitos que vai mais para além de ser receptor de informação ou usuário dos serviços de saúde. Parte-se da concepção de participação que subjaze à Lei 100, na qual se evidencia uma postura de participação decisória, no entanto, o peso de todos os mecanismos, enquadra-se na representação e não na decisão. No conceitual apresenta-se o logro do bem-estar humano e o desenvolvimento social, é dizer uma visão de saúde ampla mais para além da doença, mas todos os mecanismos se centram nos serviços de atenção que potencializam a ideia de que a saúde é doença, um serviço e não um direito. Em tal sentido propõe-se uma re exão para ressigni car a participação social em saúde desde três conceitos: habitar, falar e integrar na perspectiva de desmarcar a participação da lógica instrumental do sistema de Saúde.
A school nurse led health promotion programme in a secondary school setting
Authors: Dawe Natasha Jane
Published: October 2017

The school setting can be a very effective arena for health promotion and school nurses can play an important role in its delivery. Natasha Dawe shares her experience of delivering health promotion sessions as part of and alternative provision programme in a secondary school.
Journal Scan
Authors: Welyczko Nikki
Published: October 2017

Nikki Welyczko, Teacher Fellow and Principal Lecturer for Adult Nursing at the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, provides a brief overview of recently published nursing and health articles
Participant satisfaction with NHS bowel scope screening: a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Hambleton Scott , Jones Colin
Published: October 2017

Introduction:

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the UK. The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme commenced one-off flexible sigmoidoscopy screening in 2014. The aim of this study was to investigate patient satisfaction with the programme in a district general hospital and whether adenoma detection affected satisfaction levels.

Method:

The study used a cross-sectional survey design. Participants completed a Likert-type questionnaire after undergoing the procedure.

Results:

A total of 110 questionnaires were completed. Overall satisfaction was high (99.1%). Polypectomy was performed on 22.7% of participants, and this had little effect on their satisfaction with the procedure (98.2%). Reasons for participation ranged from family history to taking responsibility for their own health.

Conclusion:

The programme received positive feedback from participants and was viewed as a vital service. The emphasis on participants' experience and comfort led to an overall positive outcome.
Automatic Identification of Asian Rice Plant-Hopper Based on Image Processing
Authors: Wang Jialiang , Kang Rui , Chen Kunjie , Liu Deying , Yu Haiming
Published: October 2017

Abstract.

To realize the automatic forecasting of rice plant-hoppers, a rice plant-hopper species recognition method is proposed using the windowed data of two-dimensional (2-D) Fourier spectrum of back images of insects and support vector machine. A self-made insect image acquisition device was used in field to collect the back images of rice plant-hoppers in natural environment. According to the statistical analysis of image pixels, we chose the blue component, B=140, as the color threshold to binary the original images. The segmented and morphologically filtered insect images were first obtained, and then logical AND operation was applied to them, generating the images of back regions of rice plant-hoppers. Then 2-D Fourier transform was used to obtain the 2-D Fourier spectrum of rice plant-hoppers’ back images. We extracted the data from an l*l (l = 1, 2, …, 9) windowed data of 2-D logarithmic spectrum to describe the features of a rice plant-hopper’s back by analysis. Then we developed a classification model for rice plant-hoppers based on support vector machines. Experimental results showed that a discrimination model using the data from a 3×3 windowed data of 2-D Fourier spectrum can achieve a recognition rate up to over 90%for rice plant-hoppers. Keywords: Image acquisition, Images, Recognition, Rice plant-hopper.
Reducing the Integrated Harrington Seed Destructor Power Requirements through Chaff Fraction Optimization
Authors: Guzzomi Andrew Louis , Ryan Matthew , Saunders Chris , Walsh Michael Joseph
Published: October 2017

Abstract.

Mechanical weed seed destruction during harvest is an effective method of reducing viable weed seed inputs to the seedbank. The commercialized Integrated Harrington Seed Destructor (iHSD) was developed for destroying weed seeds contained in the chaff residue exiting the harvester. Considered state-of-the-art in harvest weed seed control (HWSC), weed seed destruction is achieved without crop residue loss (burning or removal) and therefore, the iHSD is well suited to use in conservation cropping systems. However, as the iHSD is powered directly by the harvester its power draw impacts harvester performance. The objectives of this study were to determine the iHSD mill power requirements for effective weed seed destruction and to identify opportunities for decreasing these requirements. Using a torque-arm arrangement, the power requirements of an iHSD mill test rig powered by a PTO drive were measured. Wheat chaff containing a known amount of annual ryegrass () seed was passed through decreasing aperture sized sieves to obtain chaff size and seed distributions. The standard power demand to process chaff was ~54 kW, restricting the use of this system to large capacity harvesters. It was found that annual ryegrass seeds were concentrated in the chaff fraction passing through a 3 mm sieve. The power demand for processing this refined fraction was reduced by approximately a third to ~36kW. Efficient mechanical means to refine the chaff fraction to focus on the weed seed portion should be investigated. Keywords: Agricultural engineering, Conservation cropping, Efficiency, Harvest weed seed control, Herbicide resistance, Mechanical weed seed destruction,
Adipose Tissue LPL Methylation is Associated with Triglyceride Concentrations in the Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Castellano-Castillo Daniel , Moreno-Indias Isabel , Fernández-García José Carlos , Alcaide-Torres Juan , Moreno-Santos Inmaculada , Ocaña Luis , Gluckman Enrique , Tinahones Francisco , Queipo-Ortuño María Isabel , Cardona Fernando
Published: October 2017

BACKGROUND

DNA methylation is one of the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate gene expression. DNA methylation may be modified by environmental and nutritional factors. Thus, epigenetics could potentially provide a mechanism to explain the etiology of metabolic disorders, such as metabolic syndrome (MetS). The aim of this study was to analyze the level of DNA methylation of several lipoprotein lipase (LPL)-promoter-CpG dinucleotides in a CpG island region and relate this to the gene and protein expression levels in human visceral adipose tissue (VAT) from individuals with and without MetS.

METHODS

VAT samples were collected from laparoscopic surgical patients without and with MetS, and levels of LPL mRNA, LPL protein, and LPL DNA methylation were measured by qPCR, western blot, and pyrosequencing. Biochemical and anthropometric variables were analyzed. Individuals included in a subset underwent a dietary fat challenge test, and levels of postprandial triglycerides were determined.

RESULTS

We found higher levels of DNA methylation in MetS patients but lower gene expression and protein levels. There was a negative association between LPL methylation and LPL gene expression. We found a positive association between LPL methylation status and abnormalities of the metabolic profile and basal and postprandial triglycerides, whereas LPL gene expression was negatively associated with these abnormalities.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrate that LPL methylation may be influenced by the degree of metabolic disturbances and could be involved in triglyceride metabolism, promoting hypertriglyceridemia and subsequent associated disorders, such as MetS.
Peleando a la contra: Charles Bukowski y la posición del realismo sucio en la contracultura del siglo XX
Authors: Mata Piñeiro Manuel
Published: October 2017

El artículo gira en torno a la figura de Charles Bukowski como uno de los máximos exponentes del movimiento literario denominado “realismo sucio”, y de cómo dicho movimiento constituyó su posición, mediante una serie de fundamentos que necesariamente han ejercido una fuerte influencia en numerosos ámbitos, en la contracultura del siglo XX, conformando una opción marginal, periférica y alternativa a las ramas de pensamiento más populares asociadas a la misma.
La cuarta voz: La idea de colectivo como interlocutor
Authors: Soria Martínez Verónica , Lozano Sanfèlix Neus
Published: October 2017

La construcción de la identidad del artista viene íntimamente ligada a la idea de práctica artística. En el estudio que presentamos a continuación, pretendemos identificar, dar visibilidad y cuestionar los discursos patriarcales (y neoliberales) que hoy en día siguen vigentes en las prácticas artísticas contemporáneas y que de manera indisociable repercuten en la construcción de nuestra subjetividad. Como agentes y participantes de esta investigación, se han analizado como caso de estudio las dinámicas organizativas y los obstáculos encontrados en el funcionamiento del colectivo Cràter, al que pertenecemos las autoras del texto y que fue fundado con la idea de construir un espacio protegido de reflexión y acción totalmente independiente de las dinámicas institucionales de la academia y las exigencias del tardocapitalismo. Cràter no solo es, sino que también se define, como un colectivo de mujeres, feministas, con vocación y formación artística, que busca nuevos modos de entender y hacer en arte, su investigación y su enseñanza.
Elikagaien paketatze aktiborako polimeroen gainazalaren aldaketa
Authors: Andrade del Olmo Jon , Pérez Álvarez Leyre
Published: October 2017

Paketatze-industrian jatorri petrokimikoa duten polimeroak ordezkatzeko, biopolimeroak gero eta gehiago erabiltzen dira. Poliazido laktikoaren L-isomeroak (PLLA) zink oxido (ZnO) nanopartikulekin nahastean, elikagai-industrian paketatzeko material moduan erabiltzeko ezaugarri onak aurkezten ditu. ZnO nanopartikulek bakterioen aurkako portaera erakusten dutela aipatzekoa da. Aktibitate antibakterianoa erakusten duten biopolimero asko daude, baina bakterioen aurkako aktibitaterik onena erakusten duena kitosanoa da. Lan honetan, beraz, PLLA-ZnO filmetan gainazalaren aldaketa gauzatuko da bakterioen aurkako ezaugarriak hobetzeko asmotan kitosanoa gainazalean txertatuz. Horretarako, lotura kobalente eta elkarrekintza elektrostatiko moduko zenbait metodo erabili dira, eta aldaketen lorpena eta garatutako filmen propietateak aztertu dira.
Un acercamiento a la vida cotidiana en los primeros años del Islam en el norte de la Península Ibérica: Una cocina del siglo viii d.C. en El Pueyo (Los Bañales, Uncastillo, Za)
Authors: Jordán Ángel A. , Vega Almazán Diana , Muruzábal Cal Javier , Orozco Legaza Vega
Published: October 2017

El objetivo del presente trabajo es dar a conocer los resultados de la excavación de una cocina datada en la segunda mitad del siglo viii d.C. en El Pueyo (Los Bañales, Uncastillo). La calidad y cantidad del material recuperado permiten realizar un acercamiento de primera mano a la vida cotidiana de la sociedad en un momento muy poco conocido, centrándonos en este artículo en la descripción morfológica del espacio y el análisis de los restos de fauna y metálicos.
Inscripciones romanas de Segovia, IV: addenda et corrigenda a epigrafía romana de Segovia y su provincia
Authors: Santos Yanguas Juan , Hoces de la Guardia Bermejo Ángel Luis
Published: October 2017

En este artículo presentamos nuestra cuarta aportación de novedades de la epigrafía de época romana en la provincia de Segovia, con cinco piezas añadidas (nuevas o ya publicadas) y cuatro como corrigenda.
The Affect of Images: Signorelli, Morto da Feltro, and Moving Creativity in the Art of Grotesques c. 1500
Authors: Hansen Maria Fabricius
Published: October 2017

This paper discusses the affect of images, focusing on the notion in the art and theory of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries that movement in painting corresponds with (emotional) movement in the spectator and with the imagination or creativity of the artist. It addresses the work of Signorelli, Morto da Feltro, Pinturicchio, and Sodoma (c. 1500) and, in particular, their grotesques. This art form, which became remarkably prolific in fresco decorations of the villas and palaces of the sixteenth century, was appreciated as a figuration of movement, understood both literally in terms of the grotesque’s composition as a figura serpentinata and metaphorically as generated by the turbulent imagination of the artist. It is argued that grotesques constituted a field within the visual culture of the time that, due to its marginality and its investigation of metamorphosis and monstrosity, challenged the boundaries between image and spectator and explored the creative power of the artist.
The exterior splash in PG(6, q): carrier conics
Authors: Barwick Susan G. , Jackson Wen-Ai
Published: October 2017

Let π be a subplane of PG(2,q
3) of order q that is exterior to ℓ
∞. The exterior splash of π is the set of q
2+q+1 points on ℓ
∞ that lie on the extended lines of π. Exterior splashes are projectively equivalent to scattered linear sets of rank 3, covers of the circle geometry CG(3,q), and hyper-reguli of PG(5,q). In this article we use the Bruck–Bose representation in PG(6,q) to give a geometric characterisation of carrier conics of π in terms of the covers of the exterior splash of π. We also investigate properties of subplanes of order q with a common exterior splash, and study the intersection of two exterior splashes.
A maximum problem of S.-T. Yau for variational p-capacity
Authors: Xiao Jie
Published: October 2017

Using the semidiameter (in connection to the mean radius and surface radius) of a convex closed hypersurface in ℝ
n
, n ≥ 2, as a sharp upper bound of the variational p-capacity radius where p ∈ (1,n), this paper settles a restriction or variant of S.-T. Yau’s Problem 59 in [66] from the surface area to the variational p-capacity whose limit as p → 1 actually induces the surface area.
Ein neues Konzept zur kooperativen Regelung von Fahrzeugkolonnen
Authors: Lunze Jan
Published: October 2017

Dieser Beitrag betrachtet Fahrzeuge, die mit einem
Geschwindigkeitsregler ausgestattet sind, der seinen Sollwert als
Linearkombination von Geschwindigkeiten voraus fahrender Fahrzeuge
bildet. Es werden Bedingungen abgeleitet, die die geregelten Fahrzeuge
erfüllen müssen, damit sie asymptotisch bzw. dauerhaft zeitliche
Sollabstände einhalten. Wenn die geregelten Fahrzeuge dafür zu langsam
sind, kann ihre Reaktion auf das Verhalten voraus fahrender Fahrzeuge
durch eine entsprechende Wahl der Koeffizienten der Sollwertbildung
verbessert werden, wobei auf systematischem Wege eine geeignete
Kommunikationsstruktur der kooperativen Regelung entsteht.
Effects of Intervention on Self-Regulated Learning for Second Language Learners
Authors: Lu Yu , Lo Wen-Juo , Lincoln Felicia
Published: October 2017

The study investigated the effects of an intervention program on self-regulated learning designed for second language learners. One hundred and twenty participants who were sophomore English majors at a university in China were randomly assigned to either the treatment or the control group. The intervention was composed of six weekly two-hour training sessions that focus on five main variables of self-regulatory processes: goal setting, self-efficacy, time and study environment management, language learning strategies, and attribution. The evaluation of the effectiveness of the intervention included multiple outcome variables, which were grouped into three categories: students’ motivational beliefs, students’ strategy use, and students’ academic performance. The results of the immediate training effects on goal setting, self-efficacy, attribution, time and study environment management, memory strategy, compensation strategy, metacognitive strategy and second language proficiency confirmed that academic self-regulation is a trainable student characteristic and self-regulation training can be used effectively in a second language classroom setting. The feature of the current study design allows for systematically examining and evaluating both motivational variables and learning strategies in the context of second language learning.
Controlled drug delivery of ciprofloxacin from ultrasonic hydrogel
Authors: Ebrahimi Rajabali , Salavaty Molod
Published: October 2017

Ciprofloxacin is an antibacterial fluoroquinolone that stops the DNA synthesis, after penetration into the bacterial cells. This drug is applied in the curing of bacterial infections, as well as in antibiotics to treat urinary infections in women, infectious diarrhea and typhoid fever. The objective of the present work is to study controlled release of ciprofloxacin by hydrogel prepared by ultrasound. For this, first the swelling properties of hydrogel and then the absorption of drug were evaluated. The swollen hydrogel was dried in oven (50°C) and was ready for release experiments. During release, the loaded powder of the hydrogel was added to a buffer solution of pH 7.4, similar to human body condition. Then drug concentration was measured using a UV-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer and a calibration curve. The results showed that the hydrogel is sensitive to pH, which makes it a good candidate for ciprofloxacin delivery in intestine. In addition, it was shown that the drug absorption is proportional with the swelling content of the hydrogel and the drug concentration in the loading process. The chemical structure and morphology of the hydrogels and loaded drug were characterized using Fourier transform infrared, UV-Vis, scanning electronic microscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis spectroscopy. According to the results presented here, acrylic-based hydrogels can be used in biomedical fields, especially for controlled drug release.
Skill-related performance in soccer: a systematic review
Authors: Aquino Rodrigo , Puggina Enrico F. , Alves Isabella S. , Garganta Júlio
Published: October 2017

The aim of the study was to evaluate and organize systematically the available literature on skill-related performance in young and adult male soccer players in an attempt to identify the most common topics, ascertain the weaknesses, and elucidate the main contributions of the scientific papers on this issue. A systematic review of the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Knowledge database was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The keywords ‘football’ and ‘soccer’ were used, each associated with the following terms: ‘technical analysis,’ ‘technical performance,’ ‘technical activity,’ ‘technical skill,’ ‘technical demands,’ ‘technical profiles,’ ‘technical characteristics,’ ‘technical actions,’ ‘technical scores,’ ‘technical ability,’ ‘motor skills,’ and ‘skill acquisition’. From the 2830 papers, only 60 were reviewed, of which 75% had been published in years 2011-2015 and 53.3% concerned professional or seniors players (above the U-20 category). Out of the 41 papers that analysed the skill-related performance in the match, 48.8% evaluated the performance in small-sided and conditioned games. Among the 27 papers that used validated instruments, 88.9% assessed technical actions outside the match context (e.g. dribbling, shooting tests). Future research should pay attention to the definition and classification of the skill-related variables under investigation in match context and propose tests for measured skill-related performance in soccer, considering that the representativeness task design allies the players’ possibilities of action to the situation of the match.
The aqueous tuber extract of Pueraria tuberosa (Willd.) D.C. caused cytotoxic effect on HT 29 cell lines with down regulation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)
Authors: Adedapo Adeolu Alex , Fagbohun Olusegun A , Dawurung Christianah , Oyagbemi Ademola Adetokunbo , Omobowale Temidayo Olutayo , Yakubu Momoh Audu
Published: October 2017

Background

Pueraria tuberosa (Willd) D.C. (Fabaceae) tubers are already used in traditional medicine by Ayurvedic physicians for the management of fertility disorders, general weakness, and also as anti-ageing therapies. Other known pharmacological properties include: anti-hyperglycemics, hepatoprotective, anti-hyperlipidemic, diuretic, nutritive, and anti-fertility agents in male rats.

Methods

The anti-proliferative effect of the aqueous tuberous root extract of Pueraria tuberosa on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and Human Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Cell lines (HT-29) was investigated using the Cell Titer 96 MTT Proliferation Assay where the viable cells were seeded at a density of 5 × 104 (100 µL/well). For VSMC, log concentrations of the extract at 200 and 800 µg/mL were added and incubated for 24 and 48 h time points. Incubation of the extract in the presence of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and ET-1 was also conducted at different times. Concentrations of the extract (200, 400 and 700 µg/mL) were also added and incubated with the HT 29 cell lines for 24, 48 and 72 h time points. The effect of the tuber aqueous extract of the plant on nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) expression after 2 h was also carried out using immunoblotting technique.

Results

The result showed that after 24 h, the effect of the extract in the presence of the mitogens and on the VSMC was more of proliferation. However, at 48 h, the 200 µg/mL dose, both alone and in the presence of VEGF caused 11.1% and 25.9% decreases respectively, in cell proliferation. In the HT 29 cytotoxic study the 200 µg/mL concentration caused the greatest cytotoxic effect at 77.1% cell inhibition followed by 400 µg/mL concentration at 71.4% after 72 h. The immunoblotting assay showed a down regulation of NF-κB expressions with 0.7 µg/mL concentration showing the greatest effect. NF-κB, a pro-inflammatory agent is increasingly recognized as a crucial player in many steps of cancer initiation and progression.

Conclusions

It could therefore be concluded that the aqueous root extract of Pueraria tuberosa possesses cytotoxic effect and could serve as a lead compound for anticancer and anti-inflammatory agents.
Inference with Difference-in-Differences Revisited
Authors: Brewer Mike , Crossley Thomas F. , Joyce Robert
Published: October 2017

A growing literature on inference in difference-in-differences (DiD) designs has been pessimistic about obtaining hypothesis tests of the correct size, particularly with few groups. We provide Monte Carlo evidence for four points: (i) it is possible to obtain tests of the correct size even with few groups, and in many settings very straightforward methods will achieve this; (ii) the main problem in DiD designs with grouped errors is instead low power to detect real effects; (iii) feasible GLS estimation combined with robust inference can increase power considerably whilst maintaining correct test size – again, even with few groups, and (iv) using OLS with robust inference can lead to a perverse relationship between power and panel length.
Almost congruence extension property for subgroups of free groups
Authors: Glebsky Lev , Saul Nevarez Nieto
Published: October 2017

Let H be a subgroup of F and

〈

〈
H
〉

〉

F

{\langle\kern-1.422638pt\langle H\rangle\kern-1.422638pt\rangle_{F}}

the normal closure of H in F. We say that H has the Almost Congruence Extension Property (ACEP) in F if
there is a finite set of nontrivial elements

ϝ
⊂
H

{\digamma\subset H}

such that for any normal subgroup N of H
one has

H
∩

〈

〈
N
〉

〉

F

=
N

{H\cap\langle\kern-1.422638pt\langle N\rangle\kern-1.422638pt\rangle_{F}=N}

whenever

N
∩
ϝ

=
∅

{N\cap\digamma=\emptyset}

.
In this paper, we provide a sufficient condition for a subgroup of a free
group to not possess ACEP. It also shows
that any finitely generated subgroup of a free group satisfies some
generalization of ACEP.
Normal subgroups in limit groups of prime index
Authors: Weigel Thomas S. , Gutierrez Jhoel S.
Published: October 2017

Motivated by their study of pro-p limit groups,
D. H. Kochloukova and P. A. Zalesskii formulated in [15, Remark after Theorem 3.3]
a question concerning the minimum number of generators

d
⁢

(
N
)

{d(N)}

of a normal subgroup N
of prime index p in a non-abelian limit group G (see Question*). It is shown that
the analogous question for the rational rank has an affirmative answer (see Theorem A).
From this result one may conclude that the original question of
Kochloukova and Zalesskii
has an affirmative answer
if the abelianization

G
ab

{G^{\mathrm{ab}}}

of G is torsion free and

d
⁢

(
G
)

=

d
⁢

(

G
ab

)

{d(G)=d(G^{\mathrm{ab}})}

(see Corollary B),
or if G is a special kind of one-relator group (see Theorem D).
Uncountable locally free groups and their group rings
Authors: Nishinaka Tsunekazu
Published: October 2017

In this note, we show that an uncountable locally free group G,
and therefore every locally free group, has a free subgroup
whose cardinality is the same as that of G.
This result directly improves the main result in [4]
and establishes the primitivity of group rings
of locally free groups.
RSA: A number of formulas to improve the search for p + q p+q
Authors: Mohammed Ahmed , Alkhelaifi Abdulrahman
Published: October 2017

Breaking RSA is one of the fundamental problems in cryptography. Due to its reliance on the difficulty of the integer factorization problem, no efficient solution has been found despite decades of extensive research. One of the possible ways to break RSA is by finding the value
Translation and Big Data Technology: Challenges and Implications
Authors: Cheng Wei
Published: October 2017

In China, a growing market for language service along and rapidly-developing technology have ushered in a new wave of T&I software development. Despite translation tools’ wide range of applications and the current explosion of AI, translation memory and translation tools’ machine learning algorithms are far from satisfactory in providing language solutions. Unfortunately, an overreliance on technology has reduced some translators to machine operators or post-editors, as their traditional skills of critical thinking, analysis, and aesthetic pursuit have declined. By analyzing cases where machine translation gave incorrect suggestions, this article aims to explore the relationship between emerging technology and traditional professionalism in T&I. The author believes that technology and professionalism are not in a zero-sum game; technology does not deprive translators of job opportunities, but rather their analytical skills, critical thinking and aesthetic pursuits. While technology is going to streamline the more basic and repetitive aspects of translation work, in-depth cultural exchanges and communication will only be achievable by professional translators.
Euler-Lagrange equation for a delay variational problem
Authors: Blot Joël , Koné Mamadou I.
Published: October 2017

We establish Euler-Lagrange equations for a problem of Calculus of Variations where the unknown variable contains a term of delay on a segment
A low-cost approach for measuring electrical load currents in triboelectric nanogenerators
Authors: Mallineni Sai Sunil Kumar , Behlow Herbert , Podila Ramakrishna , Rao Apparao M.
Published: October 2017

Research into the development of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) has exponentially expanded over the last 5 years with TENGs expected to be a prominent alternative energy-harvesting source in the near future. Notwithstanding the rapid progress in TENG development and their applications, the start-up cost of required research equipment and components remains high for new entrants into the field. A substantial portion of that cost is for the preamplifier, which is needed for measuring the output current of a TENG. Here, an ultra-low-cost device is presented that can measure the TENG output current, which is a crucial parameter in the characterization of TENG electrical performance. This alternative approach is expected to enable research groups in the future to partially offset the initial expense of instrumentation necessary for TENG research, and accelerate the development and applications of TENGs.
Metaphorical Association Between Physical and Moral Purity in the Context of One’s Own Transgressions and Immoral Behavior of Others
Authors: Sekulak Martyna , Maciuszek Józef
Published: October 2017

The Macbeth effect is a metaphorical association between physical and moral cleanliness - transgression of one’s morality leads to increased desire to clean oneself (Zhong & Liljenquist, 2006). Earlier studies examined psychological associations between bodily and moral purity according to controlled processes, such as rating product desirability. The influence of the Macbeth effect on more automatic processes (stimuli processing speed) was explored in three studies. We examined whether thinking about one’s moral transgression (Studies 1 and 3) or others’ immoral behavior (Study 2) contributed to slower reaction times (RTs) to stimuli related to physical purification. It seems that automatic processes may also be affected by the metaphor “morality is purity”: It is manifested in slower RTs to stimuli associated with bodily cleansing when recalling one’s own past transgressions (Study 3) and in slower responses to words connected with purification of the external world while recalling immoral behaviors of others (Study 2).
Congressional Monitor
Authors: Karolyi Paul
Published: October 2017

Published annually, the Congressional Monitor summarizes the bills and resolutions pertinent to Palestine, Israel, or the broader Arab-Israeli conflict that were introduced during the previous session of Congress. The Monitor identifies major legislative themes related to the Palestine issue as well as initiators of specific legislation, their priorities, the range of their concerns, and their attitudes toward regional actors. It is part of a wider project of the Institute for Palestine Studies that includes the Congressional Monitor Database at congressionalmonitor.org. The database contains all relevant legislation from 2001 to the present (the 107th through the 114th Congresses) and is updated on an ongoing basis. Material in this compilation is drawn from congress.gov, the official legislative site of the Library of Congress, which includes a detailed primer on the U.S. legislative process titled “How Our Laws Are Made.”
Olive Cultivation in the Galilee, 1948–1955: Hegemony and Resistance
Authors: Reger Jeffrey D.
Published: October 2017

Drawing on Arabic, English, and Hebrew language sources from the British and Israeli archives, this article seeks to bridge the catastrophic rupture of 1948 to the early 1950s and to trace the changing relationship between ordinary Palestinian olive cultivators in the Galilee and the newly established Israeli state. In contrast with studies that center on the continued expulsion of Palestinians and extension of control over land by the state and state-supported actors in the aftermath of the Nakba, this study examines those Palestinians who stayed on their land and how they responded to Israeli agricultural and food control policies that they saw as discriminatory to the point of being existential threats. Beyond analysis of Israeli state policy toward olive growers and olive oil producers, this article brings in rare Palestinian voices from the time, highlighting examples of Palestinian resistance to the Israeli state's practices of confiscation and discrimination.
Gendered Violence in Israeli Detention
Authors: Francis Sahar
Published: October 2017

Women have been instrumental to the Palestinian liberation struggle from its inception, and the role they have played in political, civil, and armed resistance has been as critical, if not as visible, as that of their male counterparts. In addition to experiencing the same forms of repression as men, be it arrest, indefinite detention, or incarceration, Palestinian women have also been subjected to sexual violence and other gendered forms of coercion at the hands of the Israeli occupation regime. Drawing on testimonies from former and current female prisoners, this paper details Israel's incarceration policies and examines their consequences for Palestinian women and their families. It argues that Israel uses the incarceration of women as a weapon to undermine Palestinian resistance and to fracture traditionally cohesive social relations; and more specifically, that the prison authorities subject female prisoners to sexual and gender-based violence as a psychological weapon to break them and, by extension, their children.
El activismo judicial en el proceso disciplinario
Authors: Bahamón Pedroza Ximena , Zoraida Gómez Yazmin
Published: October 2017

El presente artículo de investigación expone un análisis crítico fundamentado en
lo expuesto por la jurisprudencia constitucional en consonancia con la descripción
de la naturaleza jurídica del derecho disciplinario como rama independiente del
derecho, generándose la pregunta problema así planteada: ¿Cómo opera el activismo
judicial en el procedimiento disciplinario? En tal sentido, la investigación plantea
3 objetivos, a saber: 1) establecer la naturaleza del activismo judicial en el proceso
disciplinario; 2) descubrir cuáles son las causales del activismo judicial en el proceso
disciplinario determinado en la Ley 734 de 2002; 3) determinar la forma de
consolidar el derecho al debido proceso dentro del derecho disciplinario garante. Y
así, luego de la valoración mencionada, se determinó lo que día tras día sucede en la
esfera del derecho disciplinario en los procesos seguidos en contra de funcionarios
públicos o de particulares que ejercen funciones públicas con el fin de establecer
la forma en que opera el activismo judicial, en lo que respecta a la calificación de
las faltas y a la imposición de sanciones. Así, en la actualidad nacional se evidencia
la necesidad de elaborar e implementar una nueva normativa disciplinaria que contenga en todo el articulado el principio de legalidad que prevalece en todo el
ordenamiento jurídico interno, en especial en la aplicación del ius punendi estatal.
Eficacia y realidad del observatorio de familia en Colombia
Authors: Morales Clavijo Sonia
Published: October 2017

Este documento proyecta demostrar por qué los observatorios de familia en Colombia
no se desempeñan dentro de la idea original que los cobijó en su creación.
Se realiza una revisión desde el ámbito de la definición de familia para pasar al
tratamiento que el Derecho Internacional ha fijado a la par de lo que es propio en
Colombia, y se reflexiona sobre cómo suelen haber grandes contrastes dentro del
mismo derecho para solventar y salvaguardar a la familia. Por una parte, se subraya
el funcionamiento de los observatorios a nivel mundial, con especial énfasis en
América, para poder sentar bases concretas hacia la comprensión de la realidad de
los observatorios en Colombia. Por otra parte, se demostrará cómo el uso que hasta
ahora se le viene dando a estos entes no es el que necesita la sociedad y, posteriormente,
se propondrán pautas para un nuevo direccionamiento de los observatorios
de familia en Colombia, con lo que se expondrá cuál ha de ser el proceso que los
actores privados y públicos deben seguir sin dejar de lado los derechos humanos y
nuestra constitución.
Propuesta metodológica para la evaluación de la madurez del sistema de gestión de continuidad del negocio en el sector financiero bancario colombiano bajo el enfoque de la norma ISO 22301:2012
Authors: Olarte Rojas Andrés Darío
Published: October 2017

El presente artículo busca comprender la necesidad de las entidades financieras bancarias de Colombia por tener una metodología integral que mida y evalúe
la madurez del sistema de gestión de continuidad del negocio en cada una de ellas y del sector en particular. Se plantea una propuesta concreta de herramienta metodológica para ser aplicada en las diferentes entidades
del sector, que se inicia con la definición del problema, encontrando que las entidades bancarias en alguna medida carecen de la herramienta y se identifica
la ausencia y poca aplicación de un diagnóstico o evaluación gremial en general, con enfoque en las diferentes normas y metodologías aplicadas a la continuidad
de los negocios. Por lo tanto, se analizan los antecedentes en contextos evaluados, destacando las organizaciones que han tenido impactos considerables
por no tener definido un plan de continuidad del negocio y las repercusiones que ello ha generado, para justificar la necesidad del estudio. Se establecen unos
objetivos enfocados a la construcción y entrega de la propuesta metodológica, para lo cual se elabora una encuesta que se aplica a las entidades con el fin de
construir un diagnóstico estructurado de las mismas; junto con las metodologías de evaluación de madurez y la norma técnica ISO 22301:2012, se construye una
herramienta metodológica práctica, de evaluación de la madurez del plan de continuidad de negocio de las entidades del sector bancario. Como resultado se obtiene la herramienta metodológica la cual describe los criterios y aspectos para evaluar mediante unos niveles definidos. Se concluye que las entidades tienen aspectos que deben fortalecer en la estructura y componentes de su plan de continuidad de negocio, para contar con la capacidad, respuesta, reacción y recursos necesarios para atender eventos de continuidad del negocio que se puedan presentar, ya que actualmente solo algunas entidades evalúan la madurez como factor crítico de evolución de su plan de continuidad del negocio. Esta herramienta aporta direccionamiento y bases estructurales en el tema a las entidades, frente al cumplimiento de las mejores prácticas y a la evolución del plan de continuidad del negocio.
Metodología para fortalecer la participación del personal en el Sistema de Gestión de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo en una empresa del sector aeronáutico
Authors: González Bucurú John Alexander
Published: October 2017

Este artículo presenta los resultados de un proyecto de investigación cuyo propósito fue definir una metodología para el fortalecimiento de la participación del personal
en el Sistema de Gestión de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo - SG-SST en una empresa del sector aeronáutico. Se diseñaron encuestas y entrevistas para
evaluar el nivel de participación del personal en el SGSST y los mecanismos que los trabajadores utilizaban para involucrarse en el mismo. Se evidenció que el nivel de participación del personal de los niveles táctico y operativo fue significativo, es decir un nivel intermedio; el nivel de participación del personal directivo fue variable, entre bajo, significativo y elevado.

Posteriormente, se definió una metodología que describe las acciones para fortalecer la participación del personal de los niveles estratégico, táctico y operativo de la empresa en el Sistema de Gestión de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo, siguiendo el ciclo de mejoramiento continuo PHVA (planear, hacer, verificar, actuar) y los mecanismos de participación información, consulta
y codecisión. Expertos en seguridad y salud en el trabajo validaron la metodología propuesta, indicando que cumplió los criterios de validación definidos.
MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY OF THE COMMUNITY-ASSOCIATED METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS CLONES: A SYNTHETIC REVIEW
Authors: Junie Lia Monica , Jeican Ionuț Isaia , Matroș Luminița , Pandrea Stanca Lucia
Published: October 2017

The article presents a synthetic molecular characterization of the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and describes the most important community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) clones that  circulate nowadays in the world: the main molecular and epidemiological characteristics, as well as notions related to the clinic of infections produced by these clones and their antibiotic resistance spectrum.The predominant clone of CA-MRSA in North America is USA300 – ST8-IV in North America, in Australia – Queensland (Qld) MRSA (ST93-IV), in Europe – ST80-IV, in Asia there is a high heterogeneity of clones population, in Africa the distribution of CA-MRSA clones is unclear, and in South America – USA 1100 and USA300-Latin American variant are predominant .The molecular diagnosis is performed by highly specialized institutions. The knowledge of clones allows the study of antibiotic resistance spectrum for each one, a fact of great importance for medical practice. Molecular epidemiology of the CA-MRSA shows that lowly restricted sales of antibiotics in shops and pharmacies, as well as medical prescribing practices without a laboratory investigation, especially in Eastern Europe and Asia, contribute to the development of new MRSA clones with increased resistance to antibiotics.