bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
O ensino e a transmissão da psicanálise
Authors: Fernandes Andréa Hortélio
Published: June 2018

O artigo examina o ensino e a transmissão da psicanálise partindo da visita de Freud a Clark University e as impressões dele do interesse americano pela psicanálise. Discute o ensino da psicanálise na universidade a partir do texto de Freud sobre o ensino da psicanálise na universidade de 1918 e atualiza o debate com Lacan, tomando o texto Alocução sobre o ensino como chave de leitura. A especificidade da psicanálise é ressaltada pelo lugar que o saber ocupa nos quatro discursos tendo por perspectiva defender que a transmissão da psicanálise tem por suporte o real próprio à experiência da psicanálise tal qual a posição do objeto a no discurso da histérica.
Sexo, gênero. Sintoma e sinthoma
Authors: Abramovitch Sheila
Published: June 2018

Atualmente, ciência e tecnologia unidas podem mudar o corpo do ser falante – gênero –, produzindo criaturas capazes de realizar escolhas objetais com Freud, ou modalidades de gozo em Lacan, antes impedidas por sua biologia. A pulsão ao tentar contornar o objeto a vai enredando a trama do sujeito, transformandoo mal-estar do sintoma em um sinthoma particular. A autora apresenta o caso de uma adolescente de doze anos, que diz “não se sentir uma menina e quer ser um menino”. Apresenta, também, em contraponto, o caso do primeiro homem trans brasileiro, que com uma laçada reinventa um lugar para si no mundo, com a expressão de seu sinthoma.
Resenha do livro Desarrazoadas: devastação e êxtase
Authors: Szajdenfisz Bela Malvina
Published: June 2018

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Sou linda, sou Shirley, me inventei
Authors: Miranda Elisabeth da Rocha
Published: June 2018

O artigo discute que não há identidade sexual dada de saída para o sujeito, pois nos constituímos sempre por um parecer ter ou parecer ser o falo. Pertencer a um sexo depende do preço que terá adquirido no desenrolar da vida a pequena diferença, logo depende da maneira como cada um se situa diante do significante falo. Não existe o significante que represente a mulher, nem o homem, há um só operador que permite no inconsciente dar conta da diferença sexual, e esse operador é o falo.
O real infantil e a atualidade dos "Três ensaios"
Authors: De Melo Rosane Braga
Published: June 2018

Este texto aborda a atualidade das teses enumeradas nos Três ensaios sobre a teoria da sexualidade, no qual Freud retoma os significantes usados por autores de sua época para se contrapor e indicar o quanto as chamadas psicopatias ou aberrações são ingredientes da vida sexual de pessoas consideradas sãs. Ao afirmar a existência da sexualidade infantil, ele problematiza o discurso que trata a criança como ser assexuado e mostra o quanto a educação concorre para as tentativas civilizatórias de sufocar a vida sexual de um povo e limitar o autoerotismo para fazer valer como única e legítima meta sexual a reprodução. Todavia, são as crianças as primeiras a rasgar os semblantes, a demonstrar a precariedade imaginária e a fluidez dos dois lados que lhes são apresentados como princípio do funcionamento do gênero, macho ou fêmea. E, nos casos das crianças trans, perguntamo-nos como o discurso do analista e a ética da psicanálise podem contribuir para uma discussão que não foraclua o modo como a criança pode se orientar a partir do gozo de sua própria condição de sujeito do desejo.
Entrelaçamento entre nominação e lei jurídica
Authors: Brandão Eduardo
Published: June 2018

A demanda de pessoas transgêneras por alteração judicial do nome civil tem sido cada vez mais frequente, sendo os casos comumente encaminhados pelos juízes à avaliação psicológica antes de as decisões serem tomadas. Uma vez orientado por uma escuta analítica, o dispositivo da avaliação lança alguma luz sobre a articulação da nominação com o campo jurídico. A partir de um fragmento de caso, defendo a hipótese de que a mudança de nome civil é a resposta que o sujeito busca para se situar em dada posição sexuada. A mudança do prenome lhe proporciona o suporte simbólico que o singulariza e ao mesmo tempo representa o para o Outro. Para tanto, não se pode perder de vista a diferença entre sujeito do enunciado e sujeito da enunciação, assim como entre lei jurídica e lei simbólica.
Kufor-Rakeb Syndrome/PARK9: One Novel and One Possible Recurring Ashkenazi ATP13A2 Mutation
Authors: Inzelberg Rivka , Estrada-Cuzcano Alejandro , Laitman Yael , De Vriendt Els , Friedman Eitan , Jordanova Albena
Published: June 2018

Kufor-Rakeb syndrome (KRS)/PARK9 presents with autosomal recessive young onset Parkinson’s disease (YOPD), spastic paraparesis, abnormal eye movements and facial myokymia. KRS is caused by homozygous/compound heterozygous inactivating mutations in ATP13A2. Two affected siblings (born to non-consanguineous Jewish parents) presenting a similar KRS phenotype (onset age 27, 23), carried compound heterozygous pathogenic variants in ATP13A2: c.217_218insG and c.3057delC. Allele frequency of the c.3057delC mutation was about 100 times higher in Ashkenazi controls in our study (1/190 = 0.00526) and in the Genome Aggregation Database, (GnomAD, 27/10132 = 0.002665) versus non-Ashkenazi controls worldwide in GnomAD (9/264566 = 0.000034018, p < 0.0001). The c.217_218insG mutation is novel and not found in controls or GnomAD. The c.3057delC mutation should be included in the genetic workup of Ashkenazi YOPD patients.
Sherlock Holmes and the Nazis: Fifth Columnists and the People's War in Anglo-American Cinema, 1942–3
Authors: Smith Christopher
Published: June 2018

During the Second World War Universal Pictures produced three key Sherlock Holmes films. In each of these pictures, released in 1942 and 1943, Holmes was appropriated for the war effort. The Great Detective was transposed into wartime London where, in effect, he became the ultimate counter-intelligence agent who foiled the plots of Nazi infiltrators and sympathisers. The films retooled Holmes from his detective origins and place him into the spy genre, as was required for maximum propaganda value. Three key propaganda themes emerged from the films: first, that Britain was engaged in a ‘People's War’ in which Holmes was able to emerge victorious thanks to the contributions and assistance of ordinary members of the British public; second, that the public needed to be vigilant against the threat posed by Nazi agents and fifth columnists; third, that the USA and Britain were bound together by mutual respect and cultural ties and that collaboration between the two powers would achieve victory. Each of these themes was key to the British propaganda effort and emerged as a staple trope in British media. The Holmes films had, however, been produced by an American studio in Hollywood. Nevertheless, the American film-makers were typically able to produce successful ‘British’ propaganda pieces, drawing upon British propaganda tropes, which succeeded on both sides of the Atlantic. That success did not necessarily lie in the films' artistic merits – in fact, they were regularly savaged by critics in that respect – but because their propaganda messages were sufficiently subtle that they were rarely noted upon at all.
An Absence of Modesty: The Male/Female Dichotomy in Modesty Blaise
Authors: Crossley Laura
Published: June 2018

This article examines the figure of Modesty Blaise as an action heroine in the canon of British espionage texts. It argues that the character and her stories offer multiple, liminal spaces for investigating and challenging ideas about gender, nation and class. It also addresses the current landscape of action-adventure films at a time when there are increased calls for more female-centric vehicles and gender-blind casting. While the gender politics of the Modesty Blaise franchise make for fascinating analysis, they are also played out against a backdrop of global politics. This can be seen in the first of the novels – simply entitled Modesty Blaise (1965) – and to some extent in Joseph Losey's loose adaptation of the book in 1966. Modesty's employment by the British secret service coincides with the dismantling of the British Empire, and the negotiation of gender identity that is a recurring theme in the stories intersects with the post-imperial, post-colonial concerns that dominated geopolitics at the time the original texts were released.
Cold War Nostalgia in The Game
Authors: Barnett Nick
Published: June 2018

This article explores how nostalgia for both the Cold War and the 1970s in general became a key feature of the BBC drama The Game (2014). It argues that the serial situated the Cold War as a more stable era in international relations in which the enemy played by a specific set of rules, thus leading to a danger that was manageable and more predictable than the terror threat of the twenty-first century. Furthermore, the article argues that the serial presents the 1970s as a golden age which was defined by the continuity of consensus politics and communities of class and family. Finally, the article examines how this nostalgia is reinforced by narrative devices which engage with generic features such as the storyline playing out like a game. However, in the re-imagined Cold War of the twenty-first century, the traditional chess trope has been replaced by the more complex game of Alice Chess.
Compared to Australian Cultivars, European Summer Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Overreacts When Moderate Heat Stress Is Applied at the Pollen Development Stage
Authors: Begcy Kevin , Weigert Anna , Egesa Andrew , Dresselhaus Thomas
Published: June 2018

Heat stress frequently imposes a strong negative impact on vegetative and reproductive development of plants leading to severe yield losses. Wheat, a major temperate crop, is more prone to suffer from increased temperatures than most other major crops. With heat waves becoming more intense and frequent, as a consequence of global warming, a decrease in wheat yield is highly expected. Here, we examined the impact of a short-term (48 h) heat stress on wheat imposed during reproduction at the pollen mitosis stage both, at the physiological and molecular level. We analyzed two sets of summer wheat germplasms from Australia (Kukri, Drysdale, Gladius, and RAC875) and Europe (Epos, Cornetto, Granny, and Chamsin). Heat stress strongly affected gas exchange parameters leading to reduced photosynthetic and transpiration rates in the European cultivars. These effects were less pronounced in Australian cultivars. Pollen viability was also reduced in all European cultivars. At the transcriptional level, the largest group of heat shock factor genes (type A HSFs), which trigger molecular responses as a result of environmental stimuli, showed small variations in gene expression levels in Australian wheat cultivars. In contrast, HSFs in European cultivars, including Epos and Granny, were strongly downregulated and partly even silenced, while the high-yielding variety Chamsin displayed a strong upregulation of type A HSFs. In conclusion, Australian cultivars are well adapted to moderate heat stress compared to European summer wheat. The latter strongly react after heat stress application by downregulating photosynthesis and transpiration rates as well as differentially regulating HSFs gene expression pattern.
HM3alD: Polymorphic Malware Detection Using Program Behavior-Aware Hidden Markov Model
Authors: Tajoddin Asghar , Jalili Saeed
Published: June 2018

Malware have been tremendously growing in recent years. Most malware use obfuscation techniques for evasion and hiding purposes, but they preserve the functionality and malicious behavior of original code. Although most research work has been mainly focused on program static analysis, some recent contributions have used program behavior analysis to detect malware at run-time. Extracting the behavior of polymorphic malware is one of the major issues that affects the detection result. In this paper, we propose HM3alD, a novel program behavior-aware hidden Markov model for polymorphic malware detection. The main idea is to use an effective clustering scheme to partition the program behavior of malware instances and then apply a novel hidden Markov model (called program behavior-aware HMM) on each cluster to train the corresponding behavior. Low-level program behavior, OS-level system call sequence, is mapped to high-level action sequence and used as transition triggers across states in program behavior-aware HMM topology. Experimental results show that HM3alD outperforms all current dynamic and static malware detection methods, especially in term of FAR, while using a large dataset of 6349 malware.
Smart Wound Dressings for Diabetic Chronic Wounds
Authors: Gianino Elizabeth , Miller Craig , Gilmore Jordon
Published: June 2018

Given their severity and non-healing nature, diabetic chronic wounds are a significant concern to the 30.3 million Americans diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (2015). Peripheral arterial diseases, neuropathy, and infection contribute to the development of these wounds, which lead to an increased incidence of lower extremity amputations. Early recognition, debridement, offloading, and controlling infection are imperative for timely treatment. However, wound characterization and treatment are highly subjective and based largely on the experience of the treating clinician. Many wound dressings have been designed to address particular clinical presentations, but a prescriptive method is lacking for identifying the particular state of chronic, non-healing wounds. The authors suggest that recent developments in wound dressings and biosensing may allow for the quantitative, real-time representation of the wound environment, including exudate levels, pathogen concentrations, and tissue regeneration. Development of such sensing capability could enable more strategic, personalized care at the onset of ulceration and limit the infection leading to amputation. This review presents an overview of the pathophysiology of diabetic chronic wounds, a brief summary of biomaterial wound dressing treatment options, and biosensor development for biomarker sensing in the wound environment.
Effect of Preparation Conditions on Structure and Activity of Sodium-Impregnated Oyster Shell Catalysts for Transesterification
Authors: Jin Han , Kolar Praveen , Peretti Steven W. , Osborne Jason A. , Cheng Jay J.
Published: June 2018

The catalyst preparation technique plays a significant role in its activity and durability. The present research investigated sodium hydroxide and sodium chloride as the precursor chemicals for impregnation on waste oyster shells that were tested as heterogeneous base catalysts for transesterification of soybean oil. Effects of precursor concentration and calcination temperature on the surface structure and the activity of the catalysts were studied via the one-factor-at-a-time method. The optimal impregnation concentrations of sodium hydroxide and sodium chloride were determined to be 6 mol/L and 2.43 mol/L, respectively. The optimal calcination temperature was determined to be 800 °C for both sodium hydroxide and sodium chloride-impregnated catalysts. Analyses of the catalysts via X-ray Diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that different active species were formed on the surface depending on the calcination temperature. Results obtained from this study could be used to fine-tune the procedure for the synthesis of transesterification catalysts from aquatic animal shells.
The Application of Heterogeneous Information Fusion in Misalignment Fault Diagnosis of Wind Turbines
Authors: Xiao Yancai , Wang Yujia , Ding Zhengtao
Published: June 2018

The misalignment of the drive system is one of the important factors causing damage to gears and bearings on the high-speed output end of the gearbox in doubly-fed wind turbines. How to use the obtained information to determine the types of the faults accurately has always been a challenging problem for researchers. Under the restriction that only one kind of signal is used in the current wind turbine fault diagnosis, a new method based on heterogeneous information fusion is presented in this paper. The collected vibration signal, temperature signal, and stator current signal are used as original sources. Their time domain, frequency domain and time-frequency domain information are extracted as fault features. Taking into account the correlation between the features, t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE) is used to reduce the dimensionality of the original combinations. Then, the fusion features are put into the Least Square Support Vector Machine (LSSVM), which is optimized by artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm. The simulation tests show that this method has higher diagnostic accuracy than other methods.
A New Method for Determining the Connection Resistance of the Compression Connector in Cable Joint
Authors: Yang Fan , Zhu Ningxi , Liu Gang , Ma Hui , Wei Xiaoyu , Hu Chuanliang , Wang Zhenhua , Huang Jiasheng
Published: June 2018

The compression connector of a cable joint is one of the major components causing joint overheating. This paper proposed a new model to determine the connection resistance of the compression connector. It innovatively integrated electrical contacts model analysis (ECMA) with finite element analysis (FEA) in the modeling. The compacted stranded structure of the cable conductor was taken into account in the proposed model. The streamline distortion effect on the connection resistance was also established. To verify the applicability of the proposed model, the connection resistances of five compression connectors with different cross sections were measured. The modeling results and measurement results were in close agreement with each other.
Group 4 Metallocene Polymers—Selected Properties and Applications
Authors: Carraher Charles E. , Roner Michael R. , Slawek Paul , Mosca Francesca
Published: June 2018

Group 4 metallocene polymers offer a wide variety of unique properties. Some of these are reviewed in this paper, including the ability to form fibers and to absorb laser radiation, thereby protecting materials containing them in small amounts; the possibility of becoming conductive materials through simple doping; increasing the productivity of damaged, old and mold-infested seeds through incorporation of plant growth hormones; and acting as anticancer drugs that inhibit a variety of human cancers including breast and pancreatic cancers.
The Uneven Influence of Climate Trends and Agricultural Policies on Maize Production in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Authors: Mardero Sofia , Schmook Birgit , López-Martínez Jorge Omar , Cicero Lizette , Radel Claudia , Christman Zachary
Published: June 2018

Maize is an important staple crop in Mexico, and the recent intensification of climate variability, in combination with non-climatic forces, has hindered increases in production, especially for smallholder farmers. This article demonstrates the influence of these drivers on maize production trends in the three states of the Yucatan Peninsula using a mixed methods approach of climatic analysis and semi-structured interviews. Climate trend analysis and generalized additive models (GAMs) demonstrate relationships between production and climatic variability, using 1980-2010 precipitation and temperature data. Data from forty interviews with government officials and representatives of farmers' associations (gathered in 2015 and 2016) highlight the influence of agricultural policy on maize production in the region. The climate trend analysis yielded mixed results, with a statistically significant negative rainfall trend for Quintana Roo and variability in maximum temperature changes across the region, with an increase in Yucatan State and Quintana Roo and a decrease in Campeche. Climate and production GAMs indicate a strong significant relationship between production and climate fluctuations for Campeche (79%) and Quintana Roo (72%) and a weaker significant relationship for the Yucatan State (31%). Informants identified precipitation variability and ineffective public policies for smallholder agricultural development as primary obstacles for maize production, including inadequate design of agricultural programs, inconsistent agricultural support, and ineffective farmers' organizations. Quantifying the influence of climate change on maize production, and the amplifying influence of national and regional agricultural policy for smallholder farmers, will inform more appropriate policy design and implementation.
Blue-Light-Excited Eu3+/Sm3+ Co-Doped NaLa(MoO4)2 Phosphors: Synthesis, Characterizations and Red Emission Enhancement for WLEDs
Authors: Yan Man , Liu Guanghui , Wen Jiahao , Wang Yinlong
Published: June 2018

The system NaLa(MoO4)2:Eu3+/Sm3+ phosphors were prepared by solid-state reaction followed by heat treatment at 450–600 °C. As shown by X-ray powder diffraction, the phosphors had a body-centered tetragonal structure, high phase purity and high crystallinity. The photoluminescence measurements carried out under excitation at 464 nm indicated the main emission at about 615 nm corresponding to the electric dipole transition 5D0→7F2 of Eu3+, which agreed well with the emission wavelengths of the GaN-based blue LED chips. In NaLa(MoO4)2:Eu3+/Sm3+ phosphors, Sm3+ can efficiently transfer excitation energy to Eu3+, which resulted in a significant improvement of the fluorescence intensity, and the fluorescence intensity of the phosphors calcined at 550 °C maximized at the doping concentrations of Eu3+ and Sm3+ of 15.0 and 2.0 mol %, respectively. The decay curves and CIE (Commission Internationale de L’ Eclairage) coordinates of Sm3+ or/and Eu3+ doped phosphors were analyzed for the investigation of the energy transfer mechanism and color variation trend. Thus, NaLa(MoO4)2:Eu3+,Sm3+ can be classified as a potential red-emitting phosphor for white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs).
Environmental risk factors in prediction of childhood prediabetes
Authors: Skrodenienė Erika , Marčiulionytė Dalia , Padaiga Žilvinas , Jašinskienė Edita , Sadauskaitė-Kuehne Vaiva , Ludvigsson Johnny
Published: June 2018

Objective. The damage of beta cells occurs during the asymptomatic prodromal period called prediabetes before onset of diabetes mellitus. It is characterized by the presence of islet cell autoantibodies (ICAs). The aim of this study was to find out what environmental factors predict ICA seroconversion in healthy schoolchildren in Lithuania. Material and methods. Sera from 3053 nondiabetic schoolchildren living in Lithuania were investigated for ICAs. ICAs were measured in undiluted sera by indirect immunofluorescence method. All ICA-positive and randomly selected ICA-negative children were invited to participate in the study. Response rate in the families of ICA-positive children was 100% and in ICA-negative – 76.5%. Data from 13 ICA-positive and 199 ICA-negative schoolchildren were included in the analysis. Information on the environmental factors was collected via questionnaires. Results. Proportions of breastfed children were similar in ICA-positive and ICA-negative schoolchildren. Full cow’s milk was introduced at one month of age or earlier more often in ICApositive than ICA-negative schoolchildren (8.3% and 1.1%, respectively; P=0.05). Cereal before 3 months of age was introduced more often in ICA-positive than ICA-negative schoolchildren (7.7% and 0.5%, respectively; P=0.01). The mothers of cases took medicine during pregnancy more often than mothers of controls did (61.5% and 14.1%, respectively; P<0.001). More than half (53.8%) of ICA-positive children lived in homes where family members were smoking indoors, while this was recorded only for 26.6% of controls (P=0.04). Conclusions. Early introduction of cow’s milk and cereal, the intake of medicine during pregnancy, and indoor smoking of family members are risk factors that predict the development of prediabetes among Lithuanian children.
The evaluation of physicians’ and patients’ opinion on confidence and confidentiality
Authors: Giedrikaitė Rytė , Misevičienė Irena , Jakušovaitė Irayda
Published: June 2018

The aim of the study was to compare the opinions of physicians and patients about confidence and confidentiality in inpatient personal healthcare institutions. Material and methods. From November 2006 to February 2007, a survey was performed in seven randomly selected hospitals of two counties of Lithuania. The study included all patients who on the day of the inquiry were undergoing treatment in the departments of internal diseases and surgery, as well as all physicians who were working in these departments on that day. The exclusion criteria were severe health condition and recent admission to the department. In total, 494 questionnaires were distributed; 366 of them were distributed among patients (response rate was 71.3%) and 128 among physicians (response rate was 70.3%). Results. Nearly all inquired patients (94.2%) stated that they trusted their physician. There were no differences between the physicians’ and the patients’ opinions in this respect. Respectful communication is one of the preconditions for confidence between a physician and a patient. According to the findings of our study, 94.2% of patients thought that physicians communicated with them in a respectful manner, whereas according to 62.8% of physicians, patients communicated with them respectfully, and according to 36% of physicians – partially respectfully. Confidentiality was evidently associated with confidence. According to the findings of our study, 38.3% of patients thought that information about their disease and the results of their medical examinations were classified, but as much as 39.5% of patients did not have any clear opinion on this issue. The majority of the physicians thought that they ensured confidentiality of information about their patients’ health status (97.7%), diagnosis (100%), the findings of medical examinations (100%), applied treatment methods (97.7%), and prognosis of treatment (94.2%). Conclusions. Patients evaluated their confidence in physicians very highly. Both physicians and patients provided positive evaluations of mutual communication. The situation with information provided to the patients and the confidentiality of the results of medical examinations in inpatient personal healthcare units remains indeterminate. More than one-third (38.3%) of patients thought that information about their disease and the results of medical examinations were classified, whereas 39.5% of patients did not have any clear opinion on this issue. Nearly all of the physicians thought that they ensured the confidentiality of information about their patients, but they also stated that the assurance of the confidentiality of information is the responsibility of all parties involved, including patients themselves, rather than only the medical personnel.
Adjuvant therapy after curative resection with D2 lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer: Results of a prospective clinical trial
Authors: Markelis Rytis , Endzinas Žilvinas , Kiudelis Mindaugas , Grižas Saulius , Pundzius Juozas , Saladžinskas Žilvinas , Juozaitytė Elona , Inčiūra Arturas , Pranys Darius , Maleckas Almantas
Published: June 2018

Objective. Adjuvant chemoradiation for gastric cancer is used more frequently, but there is no general opinion about the effect of this treatment. The aim of this study was to compare adjuvant chemoradiation with adjuvant chemotherapy after radical operation for stomach cancer. Material and methods. A total of 133 patients were included in this prospective study. Sixty-three patients after curative gastrectomy and D2 lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer were assigned to the chemoradiotherapy group and 70 to the chemotherapy group. The groups were identical by age, sex, and cancer stages. Toxicity was evaluated by the WHO scale, and survival was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results. Grade III and IV toxicity was found more frequently in the chemoradiation group than in the chemotherapy group (44.4% and 7.1%, respectively; P<0.0001). Treatment was not finished in 27% of patients in the chemoradiation group and 11.4% in the chemotherapy group (P=0.03). Overall survival was better in the chemotherapy group as compared with the chemoradiation group (P=0.039). Median survival for patients with stage III and IV cancer was 41 months in the chemotherapy group and 18 months in the chemoradiation group (P=0.085). Survival of patients with stage IIIA cancer in the chemotherapy group was significantly better (P=0.005). Conclusions. Median survival is shorter in the adjuvant chemoradiation group after curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer as compared with the adjuvant chemotherapy group. Adjuvant chemoradiation is more toxic and should be recommended only for patients with advanced-stage cancer.
Effect of anoxia and Polyscias filicifolia Bailey biomass tincture on the activity of tRNA and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in isolated pig heart
Authors: Kašauskas Artūras , Rodovičius Hiliaras , Vieželienė Dalė , Lažauskas Robertas
Published: June 2018

Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate effect of anoxia and Polyscias filicifolia Bailey biomass tincture on the activities of different tRNA and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in isolated pig heart. Material and methods. The isolated pig heart was perfused according to the modified method of Langendorf, using an artificial blood circulation apparatus. Anoxia 20 min in duration was performed by perfusion of isolated heart with Krebs-Henseleit bicarbonate buffer saturated with gas mixture (95% N2 and 5% CO2). Control heart was perfused with the same buffer saturated with gas mixture (95% O2 and 5% CO2). Effect of Polyscias filicifolia Bailey biomass tincture was evaluated by perfusion of isolated heart with a buffer containing tincture. Total tRNA and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases were isolated from pig heart. Activities of tRNA and aminoacyltRNA synthetases were measured by the aminoacylation reaction using C14-amino acids. Results. Anoxia 20 min in duration has caused a decrease in the acceptor activity of tRNA and increase in the activities of aminacyl-tRNA synthetases. Polyscias filicifolia Bailey tincture did not affect the acceptor activity of tRNA and activities aminacyl-tRNA synthetases. After 20-min anoxic perfusion with the buffer containing Polyscias filicifolia Bailey biomass tincture, the acceptor activities of tRNA increased to the control value and activities of aminacyl-tRNA synthetases reached the control value. Conclusions. The acceptor activity of tRNA from isolated pig heart decreased and activities of aminacyl-tRNA synthetases increased under anoxia. Perfusion with buffer containing tincture of Polyscias filicifolia Bailey biomass restored acceptor activities of tRNA and activities of aminacyl-tRNA synthetases.
Analysis of content of phenolic acids in Lithuanian propolis using high-performance liquid chromatography technique
Authors: Ramanauskienė Kristina , Savickas Arūnas , Inkėnienė Asta , Vitkevičius Konradas , Kasparavičienė Giedrė , Briedis Vitalis , Amšiejus Algirdas
Published: June 2018

The aim of the study was to analyze phenolic acids in Lithuanian propolis and to compare it with the composition of propolis in neighboring countries (Latvia and Poland) according to the predominant flora in the collecting places. The study was also aimed at the evaluation of the effect of the layer thickness (mm) of the harvested propolis on the quality of the raw material in determining the amount of phenolic acids. Materials and methods. The object of the study was propolis collected in Lithuania, Poland, and Latvia in late July of 2006 and 2007. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenolic acids was performed using the high-performance liquid chromatography technique (HPLC). Results. The results of the study showed that the quantitative and qualitative composition of phenolic acids in propolis depended on the plants from which the bees in the area collected substances for the raw material of propolis. The predominant phenolic acids were determined to be ferulic and coumaric acids, and they may be among the main indicators of quality in the standardization of the raw material and preparations of propolis. Conclusion. We created an HPLC-based analysis method for the identification and quantification of phenolic acids in propolis. The variety of phenolic acids in propolis depends on the vegetation predominating in the harvesting area. Studies have shown that the highest amount of phenolic acids is observed in propolis harvested in areas characterized by the predominance of deciduous trees and meadows. Results have also shown that ferulic and coumaric acids are the predominant phenolic acids in propolis. The thickness of the layer of the collected propolis in the hive also influences its chemical composition.
Associations between parental skills and their attitudes toward importance to develop good oral hygiene skills in their children
Authors: Vanagas Giedrius , Milašauskienė Žemyna , Grabauskas Vilius , Mickevičienė Aušra
Published: June 2018

Background. For many years, poor oral hygiene and frequent consumption of sugars is known as key behavioral risk factors for oral diseases, such as dental caries and periodontal disease. Parental attitudes toward children’s oral health could be associated with their own oral health skills. We aimed to analyze associations between parental skills and attitudes toward caries development and possibilities to control positive oral health behavior in their children. Material and methods. A cross-sectional study involved 550 parents of 3- to 4-year-old children. A 40-item questionnaire was developed from the Theory of Planned Behavior, Health Belief Model and the Health Locus of Control model, and parental attitudes toward dental caries in their children were analyzed. Results. A total of 397 filled-in questionnaires were collected; the response rate was 72%. Parents with good own oral hygiene skills significantly more often understood the importance of brushing their children’s teeth (χ2=29.8; df=1; P<0.001). Study results highlighted also significant differences in importance to prevent tooth decay (χ2=3.1; df=1; P=0.051), importance to control sugar snacking (χ2=10.6; df=1; P=0.001), and parental perceived seriousness of tooth decay in children (χ2=9.2; df=1; P=0.002) comparing parents with poor and good oral hygiene skills. Differences in parental efficacy to control proper toothbrushing and parental efficacy to control sugar snacking in children were not significant comparing both groups. Conclusions. More than half (61%) of the parents have reported appropriate own oral hygiene skills. Parental attitudes toward children’s oral health were significantly associated with their own oral health behavior and understanding the importance of development of oral hygiene skills in their children.
Cholinesterase Inhibition Activity, Alkaloid Profiling and Molecular Docking of Chilean Rhodophiala (Amaryllidaceae)
Authors: Tallini Luciana R. , Bastida Jaume , Cortes Natalie , Osorio Edison H. , Theoduloz Cristina , Schmeda-Hirschmann Guillermo
Published: June 2018

Amaryllidaceae plants are the commercial source of galanthamine, an alkaloid approved for the clinical treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The chemistry and bioactivity of Chilean representatives of Rhodophiala genus from the family of Amaryllidaceae have not been widely studied so far. Ten collections of five different Chilean Rhodophiala were analyzed in vitro for activity against enzymes such as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) as well as for their alkaloid composition by GC-MS. To obtain an insight into the potential AChE and BuChE inhibitory activity of the alkaloids identified in the most active samples, docking experiments were carried out. Although galanthamine was found neither in aerial parts nor in bulbs of R. splendens, these plant materials were the most active inhibitors of AChE (IC50: 5.78 and 3.62 μg/mL, respectively) and BuChE (IC50: 16.26 and 14.37 μg/mL, respectively). Some 37 known alkaloids and 40 still unidentified compounds were detected in the samples, suggesting high potential in the Chilean Amaryllidaceae plants as sources of both novel bioactive agents and new alkaloids.
Somatostatin Receptors as Molecular Targets in Human Uveal Melanoma
Authors: Harda Kristof , Szabo Zsuzsanna , Szabo Erzsebet , Olah Gabor , Fodor Klara , Szasz Csaba , Mehes Gabor , Schally Andrew V. , Halmos Gabor
Published: June 2018

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults, with an incidence of 4–5 cases per million. The prognosis of UM is very poor. In the present study, our aim was to investigate the expression of mRNA and protein for somatostatin receptor types-1, -2, -3, -4, -5 (SSTR-1–5) in human UM tissue samples and in OCM-1 and OCM-3 human UM cell lines by qRT-PCR, western blot and ligand competition assay. The mRNA for SSTR-2 showed markedly higher expression in UM tissues than SSTR-5. The presence of SSTRs was demonstrated in 70% of UM specimens using ligand competition assay and both human UM models displayed specific high affinity SSTRs. Among the five SSTRs, the mRNA investigated for SSTR-2 and SSTR-5 receptors was strongly expressed in both human UM cell lines, SSTR-5 showing the highest expression. The presence of the SSTR-2 and SSTR-5 receptor proteins was confirmed in both cell lines by western blot. In summary, the expression of somatostatin receptors in human UM specimens and in OCM-1 and OCM-3 human UM cell lines suggests that they could serve as a potential molecular target for therapy of UM using modern powerful cytotoxic SST analogs targeting SSTR-2 and SSTR-5 receptors.
Synthesis and Comparative Evaluation of Novel Cationic Amphiphile C12-Man-Q as an Efficient DNA Delivery Agent In Vitro
Authors: Apsite Gunita , Timofejeva Irena , Vezane Aleksandra , Vigante Brigita , Rucins Martins , Sobolev Arkadij , Plotniece Mara , Pajuste Karlis , Kozlovska Tatjana , Plotniece Aiva
Published: June 2018

New amphiphilic 1,4-DHP derivative C12-Man-Q with remoted cationic moieties at positions 2 and 6 was synthesised to study DNA delivery activity. The results were compared with data obtained for cationic 1,4-DHP derivative D19, which is known to be the most efficient one among the previously tested 1,4-DHP amphiphiles. We analysed the effects of C12-Man-Q concentration, complexation media, and complex/cell contact time on the gene delivery effectiveness and cell viability. Transmission electron microscopy data confirms that lipoplexes formed by the compound C12-Man-Q were quite uniform, vesicular-like structures with sizes of about 50 nm, and lipoplexes produced by compound D19 were of irregular shapes, varied in size in the range of 25–80 nm. Additionally, confocal microscopy results revealed that both amphiphiles effectively delivered green fluorescent protein expression plasmid into BHK-21 cells and produced a fluorescent signal with satisfactory efficiency, although compound C12-Man-Q was more cytotoxic to the BHK-21 cells with an increase of concentration. It can be concluded that optimal conditions for C12-Man-Q lipoplexes delivery in BHK-21 cells were the serum free media without 0.15 M NaCl, at an N/P ratio of 0.9. Compound D19 showed higher transfection efficiency to transfect BHK-21 and Cos-7 cell lines, when transfecting active proliferating cells. Although D19 was not able to transfect all studied cell lines we propose that it could be cell type specific. The compound C12-Man-Q showed modest delivery activity in all used cell lines, and higher activity was obtained in the case of H2-35 and B16 cells. The transfection efficiency in cell lines MCF-7, HeLa, and Huh-7 appears to be comparable to the reference compound D19 and minimal in the HepG2 cell line.
Hepatic Metabolism of Sakuranetin and Its Modulating Effects on Cytochrome P450s and UDP-Glucuronosyltransferases
Authors: Jeong Hyesoo , Lee Jimin , Kim Soolin , Yeo Yoo Yeon , So Hyunyoung , Wu Honghua , Song Yun Seon , Jang Chang-Young , Kim Hee-Doo , Kim Min Jung , Chang Minsun
Published: June 2018

Sakuranetin (SKN), found in cherry trees and rice, is a flavanone with various pharmacological activities. It is biosynthesized from naringenin in rice or cherry trees, and the metabolism of SKN has been studied in non-human species. The present study aimed to investigate the metabolic pathways of SKN in human liver microsomes and identify the phase I and phase II metabolites, as well as evaluate the potential for drug–herb interactions through the modulation of drug metabolizing enzymes (DMEs). HPLC-DAD and HPLC-electrospray mass spectrometry were used to study the metabolic stability and identify the metabolites from human liver microsomes incubated with SKN. The potential of SKN to inhibit the DMEs was evaluated by monitoring the formation of a DME-specific product. The cytochrome P450 2B6 and 3A4-inductive effects were studied using promoter reporter assays in human hepatocarcinoma cells. The major pathways for SKN metabolism include B-ring hydroxylation, 5-O-demethylation, and conjugation with glutathione or glucuronic acid. The phase I metabolites were identified as naringenin and eriodictyol. SKN was found to be a UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGT) 1A9 inhibitor, whereas it induced transactivation of the human pregnane X receptor-mediated cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 gene.
On the Determination of Uncertainty and Limit of Detection in Label-Free Biosensors
Authors: Lavín Álvaro , Vicente Jesús de , Holgado Miguel , Laguna María F. , Casquel Rafael , Santamaría Beatriz , Maigler María Victoria , Hernández Ana L. , Ramírez Yolanda
Published: June 2018

A significant amount of noteworthy articles reviewing different label-free biosensors are being published in the last years. Most of the times, the comparison among the different biosensors is limited by the procedure used of calculating the limit of detection and the measurement uncertainty. This article clarifies and establishes a simple procedure to determine the calibration function and the uncertainty of the concentration measured at any point of the measuring interval of a generic label-free biosensor. The value of the limit of detection arises naturally from this model as the limit at which uncertainty tends when the concentration tends to zero. The need to provide additional information, such as the measurement interval and its linearity, among others, on the analytical systems and biosensor in addition to the detection limit is pointed out. Finally, the model is applied to curves that are typically obtained in immunoassays and a discussion is made on the application validity of the model and its limitations.
A Strap-Down Inertial Navigation/Spectrum Red-Shift/Star Sensor (SINS/SRS/SS) Autonomous Integrated System for Spacecraft Navigation
Authors: Gao Zhaohui , Mu Dejun , Zhong Yongmin , Gu Chengfan
Published: June 2018

This paper presents a new Strap-down Inertial Navigation System/Spectrum Red-Shift/Star Sensor (SINS/SRS/SS) system integration methodology to improve the autonomy and reliability of spacecraft navigation using the spectrum red-shift information from natural celestial bodies such as the Sun, Jupiter and the Earth. The system models for SINS/SRS/SS integration are established. The information fusion of SINS/SRS/SS integration is designed as the structure of the federated Kalman filter to fuse the local estimations of SINS/SRS and SINS/SS integrated subsystems to generate the global state estimation for spacecraft navigation. A new robust adaptive unscented particle filter is also developed to obtain the local state estimations of SINS/SRS and SINS/SS integrated subsystems in a parallel manner. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed methodology for SINS/SRS/SS integration can effectively calculate navigation solutions, leading to strong autonomy and high reliability for spacecraft navigation.
Multiple Access Control for Cognitive Radio-Based IEEE 802.11ah Networks
Authors: Shafiq Muhammad , Ahmad Maqbool , Irshad Azeem , Gohar Moneeb , Usman Muhammad , Khalil Afzal Muhammad , Choi Jin-Ghoo , Yu Heejung
Published: June 2018

The proliferation of Internet-of-Things (IoT) technology and its reliance on the license-free Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) bands have rendered radio spectrum scarce. The IoT can nevertheless obtain great advantage from Cognitive Radio (CR) technology for efficient use of a spectrum, to be implemented in IEEE 802.11af-based primary networks. However, such networks require a geolocation database and a centralized architecture to communicate white space information on channels. On the other hand, in spectrum sensing, CR presents various challenges such as the Hidden Primary Terminal (HPT) problem. To this end, we focus on the most recently released standard, i.e., IEEE 802.11ah, in which IoT stations can first be classified into multiple groups to reduce collisions and then they can periodically access the channel. Therein, both services are similarly supported by a centralized server that requires signaling overhead to control the groups of stations. In addition, more regroupings are required over time due to the frequent variations in the number of participating stations, which leads to more overhead. In this paper, we propose a new Multiple Access Control (MAC) protocol for CR-based IEEE 802.11ah systems, called Restricted Access with Collision and Interference Resolution (RACIR). We introduce a decentralized group split algorithm that distributes the participating stations into multiple groups based on a probabilistic estimation in order to resolve collisions. Furthermore, we propose a decentralized channel access procedure that avoids the HPT problem and resolves interference with the incumbent receiver. We analyze the performance of our proposed MAC protocol in terms of normalized throughput, packet delay and energy consumption with the Markov model and analytic expressions. The results are quite promising, which makes the RACIR protocol a strong candidate for the CR-based IoT environment.
PATCHWORK: A Multipatch Infrastructure for Multiphysics/Multiscale/Multiframe Fluid Simulations
Authors: Shiokawa Hotaka , Cheng Roseanne M. , Noble Scott C. , Krolik Julian H.
Published: June 2018

We present a “multipatch” infrastructure for the numerical simulation of fluid problems in which subregions require different grid scales, different grid geometries, different physical equations, or different reference frames. Its key element is a sophisticated client–router–server framework for efficiently linking processors supporting different regions (“patches”) that must exchange boundary data. This infrastructure may be used with a wide variety of fluid dynamics codes; the only requirement is that their primary dependent variables be the same in all patches, e.g., fluid mass density, internal energy density, and velocity. Its structure can accommodate either Newtonian or relativistic dynamics. The overhead imposed by this system is both problem and computer cluster architecture dependent. Compared to a conventional simulation using the same number of cells and processors employed on a problem not requiring multipatch methods, the cell update per processor rate decreases by an amount that can range from negligible to a factor of a few; however, even in these problems, the infrastructure can permit substantial decreases in the total number of cell updates required.