bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Auricularia polytricha restores altered reproductive parameters in streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rat
Authors: Agbor Cyril Abang , Anyanwu Godson Emeka , Audu Sule John
Published: May 2020

Background

Local Nigerian men use Auricularia polytricha (wood ear mushroom) growing in farm lands and dead woods to manage sexual dysfunction and this practice has been going on for ages without supporting evidence from scientific experiments. This study was to investigate the ameliorative effect of ethanolic extract of Auricularia polytricha on male sex hormones (FSH, LH, and testosterone), sperm parameters (sperm count, sperm motility, and morphology), and histopathological examination of testis using Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats as a model.

Methods

The experiment included five groups of adult male Wistar rat, group A (normal control, treated with normal saline), group B (diabetic control treated with 65 mg/kg.bw of STZ), groups C, D, and E (treated with 250 mg/kg.bw, 500 mg/kg.bw, 1000 mg/kg.bw A. polytricha after inducing diabetics). At termination, homogenate was prepared for semen analysis using improved Neubauer’s hemocytometer, serum samples were used for hormonal assay with ELISA (enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay) kit and light microscope was used for histopathological examination.

Results

Results revealed significant (p < 0.05) reduction in sperm count and motility in group B when compared to normal control, values in group C were not statistically significant (p > 0.05) when compared to diabetic control. However, groups D and E recorded sperm count and sperm motility that were significantly (p < 0.05) increased when compared to the diabetic control (group B). Morphological defects in diabetic control rats were significantly (p < 0.05) higher when compared to normal control but there was no statistical significance in group C when compared to the diabetic control, meanwhile values of sperm morphological defects in groups D and E were significantly (p < 0.05) lower when compared to the diabetic control group. All gonadotropic hormones considered in this research were remarkably lower at p < 0.05 when compared to normal control. However, these values were significantly higher in groups D and E when compared to diabetic control. Structural alterations in cytoarchitecture of testes as a result of sustained hyperglycemia were reversed in a dose dependent manner following A. polytricha administration.

Conclusion

Alterations in sperm parameters, gonadotropic hormones, and histology of testes caused by diabetes were regulated and reversed following administration of graded doses of A. polytricha. This reversal may be attributed to essential phytochemical and therapeutic constituents in A. polytricha which can be found useful in prevention and treatment of diabetes induced testicular dysfunction.
Cannabinoids for fibromyalgia pain: a critical review of recent studies (2015–2019)
Authors: Cameron Erinn C. , Hemingway Samantha L.
Published: May 2020

Introduction

Fibromyalgia is a chronic health condition characterized by widespread, severe musculoskeletal pain that affects an estimated 5–7% of the global population. Due to the highly comorbid nature of fibromyalgia, patients with the disorder often respond poorly to traditional pain treatments. Recent studies suggest that patient response may be more favorable to alternative analgesics, such as cannabis. However, the therapeutic potential of cannabis-based pain treatment for fibromyalgia remains unclear. The present study examined the most recent cannabis literature (2015–2019) and provides a critical review of current research on the safety and efficacy of medical cannabis treatments for fibromyalgia.

Methods

We followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines in searching the PubMed and Medline databases using the search terms “cannabis + fibromyalgia” and then “cannabinoids + fibromyalgia.” Inclusion criteria were a) English language, b) published in peer review journals, c) published from 2015 to 2019, d) all study designs except for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and e) all cannabis preparations.

Results

The search identified five applicable studies involving 827 participants that used six different treatments. Review suggested several methodological problems pertaining to generalizability and validity.

Conclusion

Although the critically reviewed studies superficially suggest that medical cannabis is a safe and effective treatment for fibromyalgia pain, serious methodological limitations prevent a definitive conclusion regarding the use of cannabinoids for pain management in fibromyalgia patients at this time.
Years of life lost due to the psychosocial consequences of COVID-19 mitigation strategies based on Swiss data
Authors: Moser Dominik A. , Glaus Jennifer , Frangou Sophia , Schechter Daniel S.
Published: May 2020

Background.

The pandemic caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has forced governments to implement strict social mitigation strategies to reduce the morbidity and mortality from acute infections. These strategies, however, carry a significant risk for mental health, which can lead to increased short-term and long-term mortality and is currently not included in modeling the impact of the pandemic.

Methods.

We used years of life lost (YLL) as the main outcome measure, applied to Switzerland as an example. We focused on suicide, depression, alcohol use disorder, childhood trauma due to domestic violence, changes in marital status, and social isolation, as these are known to increase YLL in the context of imposed restriction in social contact and freedom of movement. We stipulated a minimum duration of mitigation of 3 months based on current public health plans.

Results.

The study projects that the average person would suffer 0.205 YLL due to psychosocial consequence of COVID-19 mitigation measures. However, this loss would be entirely borne by 2.1% of the population, who will suffer an average of 9.79 YLL.

Conclusions.

The results presented here are likely to underestimate the true impact of the mitigation strategies on YLL. However, they highlight the need for public health models to expand their scope in order to provide better estimates of the risks and benefits of mitigation.
Silencing of CCR4-NOT complex subunits affects heart structure and function
Authors: Elmén Lisa , Volpato Claudia B. , Kervadec Anaïs , Pineda Santiago , Kalvakuri Sreehari , Alayari Nakissa N. , Foco Luisa , Pramstaller Peter P. , Ocorr Karen , Rossini Alessandra , Cammarato Anthony , Colas Alexandre R. , Hicks Andrew A. , Bodmer Rolf
Published: May 2020

The identification of genetic variants that predispose individuals to cardiovascular disease and a better understanding of their targets would be highly advantageous. Genome-wide association studies have identified variants that associate with QT-interval length (a measure of myocardial repolarization). Three of the strongest associating variants (single-nucleotide polymorphisms) are located in the putative promotor region of CNOT1, a gene encoding the central CNOT1 subunit of CCR4-NOT: a multifunctional, conserved complex regulating gene expression and mRNA stability and turnover. We isolated the minimum fragment of the CNOT1 promoter containing all three variants from individuals homozygous for the QT risk alleles and demonstrated that the haplotype associating with longer QT interval caused reduced reporter expression in a cardiac cell line, suggesting that reduced CNOT1 expression might contribute to abnormal QT intervals. Systematic siRNA-mediated knockdown of CCR4-NOT components in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) revealed that silencing CNOT1 and other CCR4-NOT genes reduced their proliferative capacity. Silencing CNOT7 also shortened action potential duration. Furthermore, the cardiac-specific knockdown of Drosophila orthologs of CCR4-NOT genes in vivo (CNOT1/Not1 and CNOT7/8/Pop2) was either lethal or resulted in dilated cardiomyopathy, reduced contractility or a propensity for arrhythmia. Silencing CNOT2/Not2, CNOT4/Not4 and CNOT6/6L/twin also affected cardiac chamber size and contractility. Developmental studies suggested that CNOT1/Not1 and CNOT7/8/Pop2 are required during cardiac remodeling from larval to adult stages. To summarize, we have demonstrated how disease-associated genes identified by GWAS can be investigated by combining human cardiomyocyte cell-based and whole-organism in vivo heart models. Our results also suggest a potential link of CNOT1 and CNOT7/8 to QT alterations and further establish a crucial role of the CCR4-NOT complex in heart development and function.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Ambiguity, Nominal Bond Yields, and Real Bond Yields
Authors: Zhao Guihai
Published: May 2020

This paper presents an equilibrium bond-pricing model that jointly explains the upward-sloping nominal and real yield curves and the violation of the expectations hypothesis. Instead of relying on the inflation risk premium, the ambiguity-averse agent faces different amounts of Knightian uncertainty in the long run versus the short run; hence, the model-implied nominal and real short rate expectations are upward sloping under the agent’s worst-case equilibrium beliefs. The expectations hypothesis roughly holds under investors’ worst-case beliefs. The difference between the worst-case scenario and the true distribution makes realized excess returns on long-term bonds predictable. (JEL D81, D84, E23, E31, E43, E44, G12)
Statistical Nonsignificance in Empirical Economics
Authors: Abadie Alberto
Published: May 2020

Statistical significance is often interpreted as providing greater information than nonsignificance. In this article we show, however, that rejection of a point null often carries very little information, while failure to reject may be highly informative. This is particularly true in empirical contexts that are common in economics, where data-sets are large and there are rarely reasons to put substantial prior probability on a point null. Our results challenge the usual practice of conferring point null rejections a higher level of scientific significance than non-rejections. Therefore, we advocate visible reporting and discussion of nonsignificant results. (JEL C12, C90)
Fertility transition in selected sub-Saharan African countries: the role of family planning programs
Authors: Otieno Vincent , Agwanda Alfred , Khasakhala Anne
Published: May 2020

Background: Change in fertility rate across societies is a complex process that involves changes in the demand for children, the diffusion of new attitudes about family planning and greater accessibility to contraception. Scholars have concentrated on a range of factors associated with fertility majorly at the national scale. However, considerably less attention has been paid to fertility preference - a pathway through which various variables act on fertility. It is understood that women have inherent fertility preferences which each they seek to achieve over her reproductive cycle. However, the service delivery enhancement levels and capacity across countries as integral pathways to this goal accomplishment stand on their way towards eventual outcomes. Precisely, the Sub-Saharan African countries’ disparities amid similarities in their population policies is a cause of concern.

Methods: Using Bongaarts reformulation of Easterlin conceptual scheme of 1985 on DHS data, the understanding of the current fertility transition in general would provide explanations to the observed fertility dynamics. This study therefore is an attempt to explain the current fertility transition through women’s fertility preference.

Results: Results reveal that fertility transition is diverse across sub-Saharan Africa; generally, on a decline course in most of the countries. The huge disparities in fertility preferences among women of reproductive age and its non-significant change in the implementation indices points at the service delivery performance underneath regarding the proportion of demand to family planning commodities satisfied. Service delivery indicators are integral to fertility preference achievement within households as well as a country’s overall positioning regarding fertility transition at the macroscale.

Conclusions: It is therefore plausible to conclude that the improvement of service delivery in general; precisely touching on the availability and the uptake of quality birth control technologies is one of the most feasible means through which countries can fast track their fertility transitions.
The benefit of cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmannii) in lowering total cholesterol levels after consumption of high-fat containing foods in white mice (Mus musculus) models
Authors: Pulungan Annisa , Pane Yunita Sari
Published: May 2020

Background: Hypercholesterolemia is a condition where cholesterol levels in the body exceed the normal range. If the condition is longer, it can cause metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. The therapy of synthetic drugs has side effects that can be fatal (rhabdomyolysis). Needed to find natural remedies with minimal side effects. There are many nutritional components contained in cinnamon, such as cinnamaldehyde. The cinnamaldehyde, a substance that is thought to affect cholesterol levels. The study aims to determine the efficacy of Cinnamomum burmannii in lowering total cholesterol levels of mice (Mus musculus) given high-fat feed.

Methods: This is an experimental study with a pre-post control study design. The groupings were performed by a simple random sampling method. The male mice were divided into five groups (n=6/group): 1) negative control (aquadest); 2) positive control of high-fat containing food (HFC; quail yolk); 3) HFC + cinnamon extract (CE; dose 2mg/20g body weight (BW); 4) HFC + CE (dose 4mg/20gBW); 5) HFC + CE (dose 8mg/20gBW). The study was conducted for 28 days. Consumption of quail yolk as HFC to increasing cholesterol in mice. The intervention of CE started on day 15 and ended on day 28. Measurement of total cholesterol and BW of mice was performed on days 0, 14 and 28.

Results: The comparison of total cholesterol levels in the K1 group (120.3 ± 5.53 mg/dl) to K2 (107.3 ± 3.61 mg/dl), K3 (106.8 ± 4.57 mg/dl) and K4

(106.7 ± 0.51 mg/dl) showed decreased significantly different (p = 0.001) in groups consuming CE. However, there was not a significant change between groups in mice BW (p = 0.419).

Conclusions: The cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmannii) proved can be lowering of total cholesterol levels for 14 days in mice compared without given cinnamon after consumption of high-fat containing foods.
Case Report: An occurrence of steinstrasse in retrograde intra renal surgery (RIRS) for large staghorn kidney stone: a difficult experience in managing surgical outcomes
Authors: Birowo Ponco , Rasyid Nur , Atmoko Widi , Sutojo Bobby
Published: May 2020

Immediate removal of staghorn kidney stones is important to prevent life-threatening complications. With the advancement of endoscopic technology, retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) is now an alternate treatment to the standard percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) for stones removal. However, when used to treat large stones (>3cm), RIRS can cause the formation steinstrasse (SS). Here, we present the case of a 68-year-old man with multiple stones in the collecting system of the right kidney after initial treatment with RIRS. After two years of multiple interventions, the SS was completely removed. To prevent this complication in patients, a detailed assessment of the stone (size, location) and renal anatomy should be completed before RIRS is performed.
Protocol: Leveraging a demographic and health surveillance system for Covid-19 Surveillance in rural KwaZulu-Natal
Authors: Siedner Mark J. , Harling Guy , Derache Anne , Smit Theresa , Khoza Thandeka , Gunda Resign , Mngomezulu Thobeka , Gareta Dickman , Majozi Nomathamsanqa , Ehlers Eugene , Dreyer Jaco , Nxumalo Siyabonga , Dayi Njabulo , Ording-Jesperson Gregory , Ngwenya Nothando , Wong Emily , Iwuji Collins , Shahmanesh Maryam , Seeley Janet , De Oliveira Tulio , Ndung'u Thumbi , Hanekom Willem , Herbst Kobus
Published: May 2020

A coordinated system of disease surveillance will be critical to effectively control the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Such systems enable rapid detection and mapping of epidemics and inform allocation of scarce prevention and intervention resources. Although many lower- and middle-income settings lack infrastructure for optimal disease surveillance, health and demographic surveillance systems (HDSS) provide a unique opportunity for epidemic monitoring. This protocol describes a surveillance program at the Africa Health Research Institute’s Population Intervention Platform site in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The program leverages a longstanding HDSS in a rural, resource-limited setting with very high prevalence of HIV and tuberculosis to perform Covid-19 surveillance. Our primary aims include: describing the epidemiology of the Covid-19 epidemic in rural KwaZulu-Natal; determining the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak and non-pharmaceutical control interventions (NPI) on behaviour and wellbeing; determining the impact of HIV and tuberculosis on Covid-19 susceptibility; and using collected data to support the local public-sector health response.

The program involves telephone-based interviews with over 20,000 households every four months, plus a sub-study calling 750 households every two weeks. Each call asks a household representative how the epidemic and NPI are affecting the household and conducts a Covid-19 risk screen for all resident members. Any individuals screening positive are invited to a clinical screen, potential test and referral to necessary care – conducted in-person near their home following careful risk minimization procedures. In this protocol we report the details of our cohort design, questionnaires, data and reporting structures, and standard operating procedures in hopes that our project can inform similar efforts elsewhere.
Diverging Mysterious in Green Supply Chain Management
Authors: Ashraf Shahzad , Ahmed Tauqeer , Saleem Sehrish , Aslam Zeeshan
Published: May 2020

The sustainability and environmental considerations have slowly become divergences, but having greatest influence in the supply chain management that must be contemplates to examine the environmental and organizational factors. The research considers environmental and sustainable strategies within companies, the efficient supply chain management strategies for manufacturers and consumers, and to the environment friendly product design and services, taking a case-by-case perspective and concentrating on enterprise businesses scale. Our finding reveals that green supply chain management firms are delivering exuberant environmental efficiency at an added cost. Among the identified obstacles we identified different obstacles and conceptual relations and barriers are graded based on dependency and driving sand. In future, green policies have greater customer services avenues thereby, appeal for suppliers, manufacturers and officials.
Does the size of the femoral head correlate with the incidence of avascular necrosis of the proximal femoral epiphysis in children with developmental dysplasia of the hip treated by closed reduction?
Authors: Wu JianPing , Yuan Zhe , Li JingChun , Zhu MingWei , Canavese Federico , Xun FuXing , Li YiQiang , Xu HongWen
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify if any correlation between size of the proximal femoral epiphysis and avascular necrosis (AVN) exists.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 111 patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip treated by closed reduction (124 hips). The diameter and height of both femoral head and ossific nucleus were assessed on preoperative MRI.

Results

The diameter and the height of the femoral head as well as of the ossific nucleus of the contralateral side were significantly greater than the dislocated side. AVN occurred in 21 (16.9%) out of 124 hips. The rate of AVN gradually decreased with age: 30.0% at six to 12 months, 18.2% at 12 to 18 months and 3.7% at 18 to 24 months. Spearman correlation analysis showed that age is negatively correlated with the incidence of AVN (r = -0.274; p = 0.002) and the diameter of the femoral head has a significantly negative association with the incidence of AVN (r = -0.287; p = 0.001). No significant association was observed between the incidence of AVN and height of the femoral head or size of the ossific nucleus. Hips with AVN were significantly smaller than hips without AVN.

Conclusions

The size of both the femoral head and the ossific nucleus increase with age although the dislocated femoral head is smaller compared with the contralateral side. The diameter of the femoral head and not the size of the ossific nucleus negatively correlate with the risk of AVN, with a bigger femoral head showing lower risk of AVN.

Level of evidence

III
Dual-view integral imaging display using a polarizer
Authors: Wu Fei , Zhao Bai-Chuan , Liu Ze-Sheng , Lv Guo-Jiao
Published: May 2020

We propose a dual-view integral imaging display using a polarizer. It consists of a display panel, a polarizer, a microlens array, and two pairs of polarizer glasses. The polarizer comprises the left and right subpolarizers whose polarization directions are orthogonal. Two kinds of elemental images are captured from different three-dimensional scenes and located on the left and right half of the display panel. The lights emitting from two kinds of elemental images are polarized by the left and right subpolarizers. The polarization directions of the two pairs of polarizer glasses used in the left and right viewing zones are the same as those of the right and left subpolarizers, respectively. Two different three-dimensional images are simultaneously viewed in the left and right viewing directions by wearing two pairs of polarizer glasses. A prototype of the proposed dual-view integral imaging display is developed, and the experimental results verify the hypothesis.
Arts and social sustainability: Promoting intergenerational relations through community theatre
Authors: Killick Anthony
Published: May 2020

It is now widely argued that arts and cultural activities play a significant role in maintaining health and well-being, particularly in later life. At the same time, there are mutual benefits gained by older and younger people who participate in what scholars and cultural practitioners are beginning to call ‘intergenerational shared space’. Drawing on semi-structured interviews carried out with members and organizers of the Ages and Stages theatre group in Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom, this article examines the role of community theatre as an arts practice that facilitates intergenerational relationships. The findings point to a need for a deeper integration of arts and cultural practice, intergenerational practice and urban regeneration schemes.
El pragmatismo judicial de Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. y la teoría predictiva del Derecho
Authors: Piombo Horacio J. J.
Published: May 2020

«Yo entiendo por “Derecho” las profecías acerca de lo que los tribunales harán en concreto; nada más ni nada menos». Con estas pocas palabras, Holmes, Jr. resumía su antiformalista Teoría predictiva del Derecho. Este artículo sostiene que dicha construcción fue pensada para el abogado practicante y que responde a la corriente filosófica pragmática, habiendo Holmes también recurrido ocasionalmente al pragmatismo para resolver casos difíciles en su rol de juez. Pero como el pragmatismo judicial ha sido tachado de antijurídico y amorfo –y, por ende, impredecible–, intentaré determinar hasta qué extremo este último es compatible con la idea de que la conducta de los jueces puede ser anticipada para así descubrir el contenido del Derecho.
¿Incentivos económicos a la cesión de órganos entre vivos?
Authors: Maniaci Giorgio
Published: May 2020

En 2012, casi 4500 personas murieron en Estados Unidos mientras esperaban trasplantes de riñón. En el transcurso de 2013, 4100 pacientes murieron en la Unión Europea mientras se encontraban oficialmente en listas de espera. Para solucionar este problema, esencialmente hay dos soluciones éticamente aceptables; pero ambas tienen, en su estado actual, desventajas. La primera solución es la de los incentivos económicos a la cesión de órganos entre vivos. La segunda solución es adoptar un modelo que denominaré «altruista impuro», como el croata o el español.
Estándares de suficiencia probatoria, moralidad política y costos de error: el núcleo inconsistente de la epistemología jurídica de Larry Laudan
Authors: Dei Vecchi Diego
Published: May 2020

Este trabajo pone de manifiesto un bucle de inconsistencias entre tres aristas argumentales que Larry Laudan defiende a lo largo de sus reflexiones sobre la prueba en el contexto del proceso judicial. Por una parte, se reconstruyen los argumentos que Laudan aduce para mostrar que la fórmula más allá de toda duda razonable no constituye siquiera mínimamente un estándar genuino de prueba. Por la otra parte, se reconstruyen algunos de sus argumentos dirigidos a mostrar que esa fórmula produce una excesiva cantidad de falsos negativos. En tercer lugar, se pone de manifiesto su propuesta a efectos de sortear estos problemas. Se explicitará una inconsistencia entre las primeras dos aristas argumentales que Laudan desarrolla y se mostrará, además, que su propuesta se torna ilusoria, en gran medida, en virtud de sus propios argumentos en contra del más allá de toda duda razonable. Se sugerirá que la solución de estos problemas debe buscarse por otro camino.
Entrevista a Juan José Gil Cremades
Authors: Atienza Rodríguez Manuel
Published: May 2020

Manuel Atienza entrevista a Juan José Gil Cremades.
Utilização de métodos de campo e laboratoriais para estimação de propriedades hidrodinâmicas do solo
Authors: Macêdo Gercica , Soares Willames
Published: May 2020

O solo é de suma importância na drenagem urbana, pois auxilia na retenção da água proveniente das chuvas, através da infiltração, e reduz o escoamento superficial que tem como consequência as inundações urbanas. Determinar as propriedades hidrodinâmicas do solo é essencial para compreender esses processos. As propriedades hidrodinâmicas do solo são determinadas pela curva de retenção da água no solo e a curva de condutividade hidráulica. A determinação das propriedades hidrodinâmicas do solo requer ensaios de campo e de laboratório bastante dispendiosos, oneram e demandam um longo tempo de execução. Desse modo, o objetivo desse trabalho é determinar as propriedades hidrodinâmicas do solo pelos métodos Beerkan e Função de Pedotransferência. O estudo foi realizado no Instituto Federal de Pernambuco, Campus Recife, constituindo-se das etapas de coleta de amostras, ensaios de campo e ensaios de laboratório. O perfil do solo dos pontos amostrais do local de estudo foi classificado como franco arenoso. As propriedades hidrodinâmicas do solo obtidos pelo método da Função de Pedotransferência estão coerentes com os observados na literatura e as curvas de retenção do solo e de condutividade hidráulica, apresentaram comportamento semelhante em todos os pontos analisados. Para o método Beerkan, foram determinados os parâmetros de forma e de normalização, apresentando valores aceitáveis comparados aos da literatura e além disso, as curvas de infiltração ajustadas, as curvas de retenção e condutividade hidráulica nos pontos analisados tiveram comportamentos semelhantes entre elas.
Modeling phreatic levels in a rural watershed in Lontras, High Itajaí Valley, SC-Brazil
Authors: Vieira de Melo Mateus Nascimento , Manzione Rodrigo Lilla , Pinheiro Adilson , Piazza Gustavo Antonio , Torres Edson , Kaufmann Vander
Published: May 2020

This study analyzed the behavior of phreatic levels in a rural watershed located the municipality of Lontras, High Itajaí Valley, Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil. Phreatic levels are monitored by 3 wells (PZMC located in riparian forests and PZ2127 and PZ3 in pasture areas). Rainfall and fluviometric level are also monitored. Fluviometric station is located near PZ2127. Daily evapotranspiration was calculated using the Samani method. Monitoring was performed from January 1, 2012 to July 15, 2019, combining 7.5 years of data. An exploratory data analysis and a trend analysis of groundwater levels was performed. Simulation was performed with the PIRFICT model (from December 31, 2014 to January 19, 2016). Trend analysis identified significant decay trends for PZMC and PZ3, and elevation trends for PZ2127. The PIRFICT model presented acceptable adjustments. The errors were low and it was possible to characterize the dynamic impulse response relationship between the explanatory variables and the observed levels. The information obtained from the phreatic levels monitoring and modeling proved to be necessary for the local groundwater resources management, providing support for planning and decision making.
Escribir e investigar en la universidad: saldos de una alianza olvidada
Authors: Valenzuela Echeverri Carlos Eduardo
Published: May 2020

El artículo expone los resultados de un proyecto de investigación llevado a cabo en la Universidad Pedagógica Nacional (UPN), en Bogotá, Colombia. Dicho estudio se hizo con el objetivo de analizar la relación escritura - formación investigativa de los estudiantes de algunas de las licenciaturas de la Facultad de Educación de la UPN. La investigación fue de corte hermenéutico y se sirvió de una metodología etnográfica para recabar información general entre estudiantes y profesores. Esta información luego fue sometida a un proceso de análisis de contenido del que derivaron reflexiones asociadas a la incidencia de los idearios de investigación entre los estudiantes de licenciatura en sus procesos de escritura. Los resultados obtenidos reflejan dos tendencias que se describen a través de dos gruesas categorías: escritura taquígrafa y escritura sofista. La primera habla de un efecto de escritura vinculado a un ideario realista de investigación, cuyo saldo en el papel es la reproducción, mientras que la segunda materializa un tipo de escritura asociado a una perspectiva relativista de investigación, cuyo saldo en el papel es la ausencia de referente.
Literatura, violencia política y educación
Authors: López López Angela María
Published: May 2020

Este artículo se propone presentar las investigaciones que han contemplado la relación entre literatura y violencia política, y entre literatura, violencia política y educación. Metodológicamente, parte de la búsqueda de trabajos en bibliotecas, bases de datos y repositorios universitarios, continúa con su lectura y fichaje y finaliza con su categorización. Como resultado del proceso, en la primera parte se presentan los rasgos generales de los trabajos que abordan la relación entre literatura y violencia política a través de una serie de agrupamientos según atiendan a la construcción de corpus, la participación de la literatura en la configuración de la memoria, la representación literaria de la violencia o los recursos estéticos y narrativos a mediante los cuales se logra tal representación. En la segunda parte se muestra cómo se relacionan con la educación o se trabajan en el aula las obras literarias que dialogan con fenómenos concernientes a la violencia política. El artículo ofrece una perspectiva principalmente latinoamericana, derivada de una revisión en lenguas inglesa, francesa, portuguesa y española.
Pedagogía de la lectura en educación popular: el caso de los preicfes populares en Bogotá
Authors: Márquez Ortiz Jazmín Amparo
Published: May 2020

Este artículo se deriva de una investigación desarrollada en el marco de la Maestría en Pedagogía de la Lengua Materna de la Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas. En él se analizan las prácticas lectoras adelantadas por dos pre Icfes de educación popular, cuyo trabajo se orienta a la democratización del acceso a la educación superior en Bogotá. El marco de estudio se ubica en el enfoque sociocultural y crítico de la lectura. Por medio del diseño de estudio de caso colectivo y empleando estrategias como el análisis de documentos, la entrevista a profundidad, y la observación narrativa, se interpretan las prácticas lectoras en los dos casos dando cuanta de: a) fundamentos teóricos y pedagógicos de la lectura en la Educación Popular; b) la perspectiva didáctica de la lectura en las prácticas; y c) las relaciones existentes entre las prácticas lectoras y las necesidades de las comunidades. De esta manera, los resultados de la investigación evidenciaron que las prácticas lectoras inciden significativamente en la trayectoria pedagógica y social de los pre Icfes de educación popular. Asimismo, se determinó que dicha incidencia se instala en dos planos -instrumental y esencial-, los cuales expresan la tensión entre lo institucional/hegemónico y lo popular/ contrahegemónico.
Effect of Esterification on Cassava Starch: Physicochemical Properties and Expansion Ability
Authors: Sumardiono Siswo , Riska Listiyana , Jos Bakti , Pudjiastuti Isti
Published: May 2020

In this study, the characteristic of cassava starch have been developed through esterification reaction using ethyl lactate. Commercial cassava starch was modified by using (0.5; 0.75; 1.00; 1.25; 1.50 % v/v) ethyl lactate solution with pH 6, 7, 8, 9 for 15, 25, 35, 45, 55 minutes and the drained starch was dried with sun drying. The cassava starch which has been esterified with 1.5% ethyl lactate for 15 minutes pH 6 gave highest volume expansion of 2,438.9 %. For swelling power, the highest value was 19.32 swelling power at variable concentrations of 1.5% ester, esterification period of 15 minutes, and pH 6. The lowest amylose content was 15.68 % in ester concentration of 1.5 %. From the scanning electron micrograph, shows that the cassava starch after and before modification has not changed since the modifications performed under the gelatinization temperature. FTIR spectra of native cassava starch and ester cassava starch shown shift of the carboxyl group of starch from 1072.37 to 1087.80 cm-1 and a decrease in the OH group is from 3452.53 to 3417.81 cm-1. Bond formed indicates that the esterification reaction occurs between cassava starch with ethyl lactate esters. Keywords: volume expansion, cassava starch, ester starch, ethyle lactate, modified starch
Nutritional Characteristics and Potential Applications of Flour Prepared from Indonesian Wild White Yam (Dioscorea esculenta L.)
Authors: Retnowati Diah Susetyo , Ratnawati Ratnawati , Kumoro Andri Cahyo
Published: May 2020

Gembili or wild white yam (Dioscorea esculenta L.) is one of underutilized tubers that can be found during dry season in Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries. Although it has been consumed as staple food by people for centuries during famine, no further studies have been conducted to explore its potentials in food applications. This work aims to study the preparation, characterization and potential analysis of Gembili flour for use as raw material in novel foods development. Creamy white flour was obtained from white yam tuber from milling and sieving of dried tuber chips. The flour has water content about 12.08%, which is acceptable for storage. No lipid was detected. In addition, the protein, ash, and fiber content of the flour were respectively 3.00%, 1.27%, and 9.04%. The carbohydrate and amylose contents of the flour were 86.69% and 29.92% indicating its suitability for energy source. As expected, the cyanide content is very low of about 1.688 ppm suggesting that it is safe for consumption. Refer to those properties, Gembili flour can be a promising raw material for the preparation of bakery, cookies, noodle and confectioneries.Keywords: proximate composition, flour, white yam, food, preparation
Filter Cake Utilization as Filler of 15-15-15+5S Compound Fertilizer: Particle Size Distribution and Granule Crushing Strength Properties
Authors: Kasmadi Kasmadi , Nugroho Budi , Sutandi Atang , Anwar Syaiful
Published: May 2020

Compound fertilizer which combining organic-inorganic materials need to be developed to improve the effectivness of fertilizers in the soil. Filter cake as a material has highly potential to be used as a filler in physical process granulation of compound fertilizer. In this study, the particle size distribution and granule crushing strength properties were tested using 15-15-15 + 5S fertilizer compound formula, which are varied in the filler composition and K sources. Potassium sources consisted of 2 (two) types of fertilizers i.e KCl and K2SO4. Filler composition as a binder in fertilizer granulation consists of 5 combination filter cake and clay ratios (60:40, 70:30, 80:20, 90:10 and 100:0). Granulation carried out by the granulation method using pan granulator of 2 kg/batch capacity, 23 rpm rotation speed and 50o pan slope. The results of the research showed that statistically the combination of filter cake and clay 70:30 had a size distribution and hardness of granules not significantly different from standard fertilizer (100% clay). Keywords: crushing strength; filler; filter cake; granulation; size distribution
Removal of Methylene Blue of Textile Industry Waste with Activated Carbon using Adsorption Method
Authors: Maryudi Maryudi , Amelia Shinta , Salamah Siti
Published: May 2020

The colorant that is often used in the textile industry is methylene blue which is a cationic heterocyclic aromatic compound. This compound is very stable and is difficult to decompose naturally leading to environment in large concentrations. Therefore, a waste treatment technology to reduce the concentration of dye waste in water becomes importannt. So far, adsorption method with activated carbon remains the most efficient and effective technique in removing dyes from liquid waste due to its relatively large adsorption capacity. Activated carbon is one of the non-metallic mineral commodities or multipurpose industrial minerals, one of which is as an adsorbent or adsorbent media. This study aims to determine the potential of activated carbon in adsorbing methylene blue with variations in the concentration of methylene blue and particle size of activated carbon. The procedures in this experiment include, the preparation of activated carbon with size variations (20-60, 60-100 and> 100 mesh) and variations in the concentration of methylene blue (15 ppm, 30 ppm and 45 ppm) with contact time (0 to 180 minutes). From the results of the study, it was found that the smaller the size of activated carbon used, the greater the adsorption capacity, ie at mesh size> 100 mesh, the adsorption capacity was 9.8%. Whereas, the smaller the concentration of methylene blue, the activated carbon could work optimally at a concentration of 15 ppm at 30 minutes with adsorption capacity as high as 100%.Keywords: adsorption; Methylene Blue; activated carbon; concentration; time; particle size
When political institutions use sociolinguistic concepts
Authors: Karlander David
Published: May 2020

In this essay, David Karlander examines what happens when concepts developed by scholars of language circulate and become embedded in policies and law. In exploring how the distinction between a “language” and a “dialect” became encoded in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML), Karlander examines the consequences when applied to the status and state support of minority languages in Sweden. What counts as a language, he demonstrates, is not simply an “academic” matter. When sociolinguistics enters the public arena, it has the potential to affect the political and social standing of real communities.
Sociolinguistic evaluations of inequality
Authors: Baugh John
Published: May 2020

In this new contribution, John Baugh provides an analytical overview of how the field has addressed issues of power and inequality. Baugh addresses how both social hierarchies and the legal system affect the standing of different languages and their users. He then especially focuses on language use in relation to racial and gender dynamics, highlighting influential work that revealed and analyzed how language is used to make and deepen inequality. He concludes with a call for the promotion of “linguistic human rights” that would protect minority language speakers.
Language as Obstacle and as Data in Sociological Research
Authors: Grimshaw Allen
Published: May 2020

The SSRC’s Committee on Sociolinguistics was committed to furthering attention to language, and linguistic difference, as an “unexploited kind of sociological data” in ethnographic and survey research. The committee convened a conference in 1968 to better understand the intersection of social and linguistic factors, summarized here by Allen D. Grimshaw. The group focused on four topics: the ethnography of asking questions; the meaning of words; the ways in which interviews themselves are “a part of the data” and “don’t know” responses are revealing answers to questions; and improving scholars’ training in framing questions and eliciting answers related to language and communication.
Sociolinguistic frontiers: Emancipation and equality
Authors: Heller Monica
Published: May 2020

In her conclusion to this issue, Monica Heller reflects on the ways in which the field has both advanced and obscured understandings of how linguistic inequality is related to broader hierarchies of power. The great accomplishment of sociolinguistics – its liberal and scientific claims that all languages are equal in value – did little to engage how inequalities between different groups of speakers were reproduced. Heller argues that the scholarly techniques for measurement and commensuration that allowed the formal comparison of language has neglected to ask how language “continues to serve as a terrain for the making of social difference and social inequality.” She concludes with thoughts for how future sociolinguistics agendas might address this gap.
Co-creating real-world research skills
Authors: Prescott Julie , Cross Duncan , Iliff Pippa
Published: May 2020

This case study considers a students-as-partners’ research project that aimed to develop technologically-driven tools to enhance teaching and learning in higher education. It focuses on how the project enabled student participants to gain real world research skills and experience. We present reflections from both a student and a staff perspective and propose START (Support, Time, Adapt, Risks, Trust) as an approach to engage students to gain real-world research skills. Support refers to providing support for skills gaps and learning in an applied setting. Time refers to providing time to settle into the project and develop confidence, including realistic timeframes and deadlines. Adapt refers to giving students the space to develop not only the required skills but also the tools to develop their own abilities and confidence through a supportive, flexible and open environment. Risks refers to taking risks for example in terms of roles, responsibilities and leadership. Trust refers to providing guidance and encouragement that will allow students to achieve on their own and take shared ownership.
Departmental action teams: Empowering students as change agents in academic departments
Authors: Reinholz Daniel Lee , Pawlak Alanna , Ngai Courtney , Pilgrim Mary
Published: May 2020

Supporting and sustaining positive educational change is an area of increasing focus in higher education and remains a persistent challenge. Using student partnerships is one promising way to help promote these much-needed changes. This case study focuses on Departmental Action Teams (DATs), which are groups of faculty, students, and staff working together in the same department to make sustainable improvements to undergraduate education. Here we focus on DATs from four different departments, across two research-intensive universities in the USA, to draw attention to the important roles that students play as change agents in these groups. We also reflect upon the inherent challenges in building partnerships that incorporate meaningful power sharing to effect educational change
A collective education mentorship model (CEMM): Responding to the TRC calls to action in undergraduate Indigenous health teaching
Authors: Yeung Sharon , Ge Yipeng , Shanbhag Deepti , Liu Alex , Downey Bernice , Hill Karen , Martin-Hill Dawn , Amster Ellen , McKnight Constance , Wahi Gita
Published: May 2020

In this paper, a Collective Education Mentorship Model (CEMM) is described by four non-Indigenous students who co-created and undertook a program with this model for an undergraduate-level university experiential learning experience centred around Indigenous health. This model is framed around shared teaching of students by various collaborators/mentors and built upon the values of collaboration, mentorship, reciprocity, and capacity building. Based on feedback from the students and collaborators involved in this experience, this model appears to be a promising means of better situating students as partners in experiential learning through the redefinition of student-supervisor roles, responsibilities, and the sharing of power. Furthermore, this model appeared to create more diverse experiences for students and minimized supervisor burden. Although this model was created specifically for the education of trainees in Indigenous health, it can be further adapted for other student placements and programs where these assets would be beneficial.
Functional Connectome Analyses Reveal the Human Olfactory Network Organization
Authors: Arnold T. Campbell , You Yuqi , Ding Mingzhou , Zuo Xi-Nian , de Araujo Ivan , Li Wen
Published: May 2020

The olfactory system is uniquely heterogeneous, performing multifaceted functions (beyond basic sensory processing) across diverse, widely distributed neural substrates. While knowledge of human olfaction continues to grow, it remains unclear how the olfactory network is organized to serve this unique set of functions. Leveraging a large and high-quality resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) dataset of nearly 900 participants from the Human Connectome Project (HCP), we identified a human olfactory network encompassing cortical and subcortical regions across the temporal and frontal lobes. Highlighting its reliability and generalizability, the connectivity matrix of this olfactory network mapped closely onto that extracted from an independent rs-fMRI dataset. Graph theoretical analysis further explicated the organizational principles of the network. The olfactory network exhibits a modular composition of three (i.e., the sensory, limbic, and frontal) subnetworks and demonstrates strong small-world properties, high in both global integration and local segregation (i.e., circuit specialization). This network organization thus ensures the segregation of local circuits, which are nonetheless integrated via connecting hubs [i.e., amygdala (AMY) and anterior insula (INSa)], thereby enabling the specialized, yet integrative, functions of olfaction. In particular, the degree of local segregation positively predicted olfactory discrimination performance in the independent sample, which we infer as a functional advantage of the network organization. In sum, an olfactory functional network has been identified through the large HCP dataset, affording a representative template of the human olfactory functional neuroanatomy. Importantly, the topological analysis of the olfactory network provides network-level insights into the remarkable functional specialization and spatial segregation of the olfactory system.
How Criminals Govern in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Arias Enrique Desmond
Published: May 2020

Across the region, criminal organizations collude with the state, maintain local political order, and help nominate and elect politicians.
Unprotected: Why Argentina's Poor Turn to Peronism
Authors: Auyero Javier
Published: May 2020

[I]n a context of few job opportunities and skyrocketing prices, the poor believed that dwindling state support indicated that the government had ceased to protect them.
The Challenging Path to Caribbean Integration
Authors: Lewis Patsy
Published: May 2020

[M]ember states have not always been enthusiastic about implementing their obligations to further economic integration.