bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Osiński poznański
Authors: Ratajczakowa Dobrochna , Kalemba-Kasprzak Elżbieta , Ewa Guderian-Czaplińska Ewa Guderian-Czaplińska , Przybylski Ryszard K.
Published: January 2020

The article is a record of a seminar meeting devoted to the memory of professor Zbigniew Osiński, an outstanding theatrologist, first director of the Grotowski Institute in Wrocław, a scholar interested in the works of Juliusz Osterwa, Jerzy Grotowski, Gardzienice Theater and Tadeusz and Irena Byrski’s theatre; researcher of the Oriental theatre reception in Poland. The seminar was organized to commemorate the first death anniversary of the Professor whose scientific path began to take shape in Poznań where he worked until 1970. The record of the meeting reflects its course: in the first part, three short speeches were given: – Professor Dobrochna Ratajczakowa talks about the beginnings of Zbigniew Osiński’s career as a researcher, Professor Elżbieta Kalemba-Kasprzak – about the ‘practice of humanities’ in a specific Poznań way, and professor Ryszard K. Przybylski – about the famous article that used information theory tools written by Balcerzan and Osiński. The second part is devoted to the memories of and reflections on the artistic and scientific activity of Professor Osiński in Poznań. Among the guests of the seminar were Professor Edward Balcerzan, Lech Raczak, Piotr Frydryszek, Janina Karasińska – friends and co-workers of Professor Osiński.
Decydujący moment. Wokół biografii Andrzeja Bobkowskiego
Authors: Nowak Maciej
Published: January 2020

The article consists of two short parts. The first part explores rather theoretical problems chosen by the author during his current work. Among them is the titular problem – the crucial moment in somebody’s life, with all its consequences. The second part contains the opening excerpt from Bobkowski’s biography recently written by the author. According to the researcher, it sets up the biographer’s tone and the whole approach to the subject. This initial part of the upcoming book entitled The Escape is an example of the implementation of the ‘decisive moment’ concept in practice.
Album biograficzne zasłużonych Polaków i Polek wieku XIX. Warsztatowe studia przypadków
Authors: Kowalczuk Urszula
Published: January 2020

The article proposes a new reading of Album biograficzne zasłużonych Polaków i Polek wieku XIX (1901–1903) [Biographic album of distinguished nineteenth-century Polish men and women (1901–1903)]. It is proven that this collection of characteristically designed biographies and an unusual collective biography is an important work of Polish humanities of the turn of the twentieth century that can be placed in relation to both Thomas Carlyle’s hero concept and Jacob Burckhardt’s postulates of the ‘anthropologisation of history’. The three selected biograms (Klaudyna Potocka’s by Aleksander Kraushar, August Hiacynt Dziarkowski’s by Józef Peszke and Adolf Pawiński’s by Jan Karol Kochanowski) are case studies allowing for the reconstruction of the dilemmas and text strategies each time specifying the biographer’s unique workshop and the techniques of uncovering it.
Modelling broad emission lines in active galactic nuclei
Authors: Czerny Bozena
Published: January 2020

Broad Emission Lines are the most characteristic features of Active Galaxies, but the mechanism of creating a medium able to emit these intense lines is not quite clear. Observations clearly indicate that the motion of the material is predominantly Keplerian, with traces of inflow and clear signatures of outflow, but this still does not point out whether the lines partially come from the disk surface, or exclusively from the circumnuclear material, and whether this material originates from the disk as a wind, or comes, at least partially, from outside. I review the basic scenarios for the formation of the Broad Line Region (BLR), and the recent progress in modelling the physical conditions in he emitting medium. The current state is the outer radius of the BLR is fixed by the dust sublimation temperature in the medium exposed to the irradiation from the central source, the inner radius is likely fixed by the dust sublimation temperature in the atmosphere of the non-illuminated accretion disk, and the local cloud density is a universal number fixed by the radiation pressure confinement. The time-dependent aspects of the BLR formation, however, still wait for serious modelling effort matching the quality of the observational data.
Keeping Safe Distance: Chapters from Randomised (Non)Application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights before Polish Constitutional Tribunal
Authors: Kustra-Rogatka Aleksandra , Hamuľák Ondrej
Published: January 2020

The question of the application and impact of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU (‘Charter’) in quotidian practice of human rights protection and review is a strategic one. Given the predominantly decentralised effects of EU law and with the due account to the wide interpretation of the scope of the Charter’s application (Art. 51(1)) presented by the CJEU (C-617/10 Fransson), the national dimension of the application of the Charter forms the crucial issue for the functioning of the EU system of fundamental rights protection. The Charter itself has a big potential to influence the content, nature and mechanisms of the fundamental rights protection at the national level. The present paper focuses on this phenomena in connection to the case-law, opinions and workload of the Polish Constitutional Tribunal (‘TK’). It analyses the approach of TK towards the Charter in abstract manner as well as the (non)appearance of the Charter in the reasoning of the court in concrete cases. The article reports on the main cases and analyses the reasons of the aloof approach of the TK towards the EU human rights catalogue.
Democracy and Economic Development: Disentangling the Effect of Elections and Rule of Law
Authors: Bakkar Yassine , Ögcem Ali Recayi
Published: January 2020

The article provides evidence on how the political settlements—rule of law and elections—would affect the economic development and enhances the economic growth. It empirically investigates whether democracy affects the economic convergence of countries through the quality of institutions: (i) electoral component of democracy, and (ii) rule of law parameters. Investigations differentiate between Islamic and non-Islamic countries. We find that the elections parameter has a first-order effect on economic development; such a relationship is not confirmed for Islamic countries. Rule of law also influences this relationship, but brings less efficient impact to the economic development. Our results are obtained using a sample of 167 countries over the 2010–2012 period.
Intercultural communicative competence: Are Greek EFL teachers ready?
Authors: Petosi Evangelia , Karras Ioannis
Published: January 2020

Over the years and because of globalization, English has undoubtedly become an international language, a lingua franca. In this interconnected context, a new reality for the EFL educators has arisen: the need to prepare learners for intercultural encounters, that is being able to learn and use English, for effective and appropriate interaction with other native or non-native speakers of English worldwide. It is, thus, imperative that teachers become aware of the importance of this competence so they can adapt their teaching approaches and incorporate them in the EFL classroom.

This exploratory study investigated the beliefs and attitudes of EFL teachers, with regards to incorporating intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in their classroom. The aim of this study was to gain more understanding of the current status of teaching English for Intercultural Communication in the Greek EFL state classroom in terms of teachers’ understandings and attitudes towards cultural teaching and ICC. To this end, an online questionnaire with closed questions was employed to collect data from sixty-two EFL teachers teaching at Greek state schools. Statistical analyses showed that EFL teachers have high appreciation of integrating ICC in English teaching. Moreover, they seem highly value the affective and behavioural components of this competence. These findings are hoped to contribute to a better understanding of intercultural teaching in ELT so that implications should be made to enhance the quality of ELT in Greece.
Hygrothermal recovery of compression wood in relation to DMSO swelling and drying shrinkage
Authors: Chen Shuoye , Matsuo-Ueda Miyuki , Yoshida Masato , Yamamoto Hiroyuki
Published: January 2020

To understand the irreversible dimensional changes caused by hygrothermal treatment of green wood, i.e. hygrothermal recovery (HTR), green hinoki compression wood (CW) and normal wood (NW) were hygrothermally (HT) treated in water at 100°C for 120 min and their HTR strains were determined. The specimens were then swollen using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and then completely dried after solvent exchange with water at room temperature. Their HTR strains were then compared with their DMSO swelling and drying shrinkage strains. The volumetric HTR strains in the CW were about twice as large as those in the NW. Moreover, the microfibril angle (MFA) was found to be an important factor for controlling the HTR intensity. A clear commonality between the HTR behavior and both DMSO swelling and drying shrinkage behavior was identified, which indicates that HTR is caused by volumetric changes in the matrix substances. HTR has been defined as a phenomenon due to the release of locked-in growth stress when a wood specimen is HT treated. To determine whether DMSO treatment has a similar effect as hygrothermal treatment, both HT-untreated and HT-treated specimens were swollen using DMSO, and their dimensional changes during and after DMSO treatment were compared. The results showed that DMSO treatment is a possible alternative for releasing the locked-in growth stress.
Correlation between biofilm formation and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern toward extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)- and non-ESBL-producing uropathogenic bacteria
Authors: Hasan Md. Emam , Shahriar Asif , Shams Fariza , Nath Aninda Kumar , Emran Talha Bin
Published: January 2020

Background

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common bacterial infection encountered worldwide and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality.

Methods

The present study was undertaken to investigate the biofilm-forming ability, antibiotic susceptibility patterns and extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production of seven uropathogenic isolates comprising both Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The morphological, cultural and biochemical tests for the identification of the isolates, antibiotic susceptibility test, detection of ESBL production, biofilm formation on 96-well microtiter plate and Congo red agar (CRA) media are performed.

Results

The antimicrobial susceptibility profiles obtained in this study showed that the most active drugs gentamicin, amikacin and imipenem (100% sensitivity) were followed by amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (85% sensitivity), co-trimoxazole, ciprofloxacin (57% sensitivity) ceftazidime and kanamycin (50% sensitivity). All the isolates showed resistance to amoxicillin followed by ceftriaxone and cefotaxime (71% resistance), and the scenario gets more complicated because of the production of ESBL by five isolates (three E. coli isolates and two K. pneumoniae). The strains were also able to form biofilm as tested on CRA medium and by microtiter plate assay. The correlation between ESBL, non-ESBL and biofilm-producing E. coli and K. pneumonia was determined along with the multiple drug resistance patterns of E. coli and K. pneumonia.

Conclusions

The findings of the study indicate that the emergence and rapid spread of such multidrug-resistant pathogens are of great concern. Early detection of ESBL-producing pathogen is of paramount clinical importance; therefore, strict infection control practices as well as therapeutic guidance for confirmed infection can be rapidly initiated.
Gender-based differences in the clustering of metabolic syndrome factors in children and adolescents
Authors: Calcaterra Valeria , Larizza Daniela , De Silvestri Annalisa , Albertini Riccardo , Vinci Federica , Regalbuto Corrado , Dobbiani Giulia , Montalbano Chiara , Pelizzo Gloria , Cena Hellas
Published: January 2020

Background

We depicted gender-differences in metabolic syndrome (MS) clustering before and after puberty in pediatrics, in order to develop gender specific preventive strategies for childhood obesity.

Methods

We considered 1079 children and adolescents (529 females and 550 males; mean age 11.5 ± 2.8 year). According to body mass index (BMI) percentiles the subjects were classified as normal weight BMI <75th, overweight BMI 75–95th and with obesity BMI >95th. MS was diagnosed when three of the following criteria for age and sex percentiles were met: BMI >95th, triglycerides (TGs) level >95th, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) level <5th, blood pressure (blood pressure) >95th percentile, fasting blood glucose (FBG) >100 mg/dL and/or homeostatic model assessment- insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) >97.5th percentile.

Results

The prevalence of dismetabolic factors was similar in both genders, except for pathological BP, which was higher in males (p = 0.02). MS was detected only in patients with obesity, with a higher prevalence in pubertal than late/post-pubertal subjects (p < 0.001), without any significant difference between gender. In pre-puberty, the most common MS combination was obesity (HBMI) + hypertension (HBP) + hyperglycemia/insulin resistance (HGLY/IR) followed by HBMI + low HDL-levels (LHDL) + HGLY/IR versus HBMI + HBP + HGLY/IR followed by HBMI + HBP + LHDL, respectively, in females and males. In the early and late/post-pubertal periods, the most prevalent combination remained similar to pre-puberty, additionally in both sexes other combinations, such as HBMI + HTG + HBP + HGLY/IR, HBMI +  HBP + LHDL + HGLY/IR, HBMI + HTG + LHDL + HGLY/IR and HBMI + HTG + LHDL + HBP + HGLY/IR were also detected, differently distributed in males and females.

Conclusions

We confirm that MS is an important consequence related to obesity, particularly in the post-puberty stage. Some gender-based differences should be considered early in order to identify specific preventive and treatment strategies.
Relative leptin deficiency in children with severe early-onset obesity (SEOO) – results of the Early-onset Obesity and Leptin – German-Polish Study (EOL-GPS)
Authors: Zachurzok Agnieszka , Ranke Michael B. , Flehmig Bertram , Jakubek-Kipa Katarzyna , Marcinkiewicz Katarzyna , Mazur Artur , Petriczko Elzbieta , Pridzun Lutz , von Schnurbein Julia , Walczak Mieczyslaw , Malecka-Tendera Ewa , Wabitsch Martin , Brandt Stephanie
Published: January 2020

Background

Severe early-onset obesity (SEOO) in children is a common feature of monogenic obesity. Gene defects of the leptin-melanocortin pathway can be analysed biochemically and genetically. The aim of this study was to search for children with leptin deficiency or biologically inactive leptin in a cohort of children with SEOO and to study associations between leptin parameters and anthropometric data.

Methods

The cohort included n = 50 children with SEOO (22 boys) who were recruited at one of four study centres (Germany: Ulm; Poland: Katowice, Szczecin, Rzeszow) between October 2015 and October 2017. Weight (kg) and height (m) were measured, Tanner stage was obtained and a fasting serum blood sample was taken. Serum levels of total leptin (LEP, ng/mL), biologically active leptin (bioLEP, ng/mL) and soluble leptin receptor (sLEPR, ng/mL) were measured. The body mass index (BMI [kg/m2]), BMI z-score (World Health Organization [WHO]), quotient of bioLEP/LEP and leptin-standard deviation score (LEP-SDS) (Tanner stage, BMI and sex-adjusted) were calculated.

Results

We did not find any child with leptin deficiency or biologically inactive leptin in our cohort. The serum LEP and bioLEP levels were strongly correlated with age (r = 0.50, p < 0.05) and BMI (r = 0.70; p < 0.0001). Girls had higher LEP and bioLEP levels (49.7 ± 35.9 vs. 37.1 ± 25.5 ng/mL, p > 0.05) as well as lower LEP-SDS than boys (−1.77 ± 2.61 vs. −1.40 ± 2.60, p > 0.05). sLEPR levels were negatively correlated with BMI values (r = −0.44; p < 0.05), LEP (r = −0.39; p < 0.05) and bioLEP levels (r = −0.37; p < 0.05). Interestingly, there was a strong inverse relationship between LEP-SDS and BMI (r = −0.72, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

In this cohort with SEOO, we identified no new cases of children with leptin deficiency or bioinactive leptin. A strong negative correlation between the LEP-SDS and BMI values could be interpreted as relative leptin deficiency in children with SEOO. In case this hypothesis can be confirmed, these children would benefit from a substitution therapy with methionyl human leptin (metreleptin™).
Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy: an old-but-new technique for the investigation of electrolyte solutions
Authors: Hefter Glenn , Buchner Richard
Published: January 2020

The use of dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) for studying electrolyte solutions is reviewed, focussing on the authors’ investigations over the last three decades. It is shown that this often-overlooked technique provides powerful insights into the nature of ion-ion and ion-solvent interactions. DRS is revealed to be particularly useful for detection of weak ion association and, due to its unique ability to detect solvent-separated species, the quantitation of ion pairing. It is demonstrated that DRS correctly determines chemical speciation for ion-paired systems where major spectroscopic techniques (NMR, Raman, UV-vis) fail. DRS also provides important insights into ion solvation. In aqueous solutions, it has been used to build up a coherent set of ‘effective’ hydration numbers for ions based on the dynamics of proximate water molecules, and has a unique ability to detect ‘slow’ water resulting from hydrophilic and hydrophobic hydration of solutes. DRS has been especially useful for characterising the behaviour of ionic liquids (ILs), e.g. showing they possess rather low dielectric constants and, surprisingly, contain no significant concentrations of ion pairs. Neat ILs and their mixtures with molecular solvents are shown by ultra-broadband DRS to exhibit extremely complicated behaviour especially at frequencies in the THz region.
A review of recent progress on electrocatalysts toward efficient glycerol electrooxidation
Authors: Alaba Peter Adeniyi , Lee Ching Shya , Abnisa Faisal , Aroua Mohamed Kheireddine , Cognet Patrick , Pérès Yolande , Wan Daud Wan Mohd Ashri
Published: January 2020

Glycerol electrooxidation has attracted immense attention due to the economic advantage it could add to biodiesel production. One of the significant challenges for the industrial development of glycerol electrooxidation process is the search for a suitable electrocatalyst that is sustainable, cost effective, and tolerant to carbonaceous species, results in high performance, and is capable of replacing the conventional Pt/C catalyst. We review suitable, sustainable, and inexpensive alternative electrocatalysts with enhanced activity, selectivity, and durability, ensuring the economic viability of the glycerol electrooxidation process. The alternatives discussed here include Pd-based, Au-based, Ni-based, and Ag-based catalysts, as well as the combination of two or three of these metals. Also discussed here are the prospective materials that are yet to be explored for glycerol oxidation but are reported to be bifunctional (being capable of both anodic and cathodic reaction). These include heteroatom-doped metal-free electrocatalysts, which are carbon materials doped with one or two heteroatoms (N, B, S, P, F, I, Br, Cl), and heteroatom-doped nonprecious transition metals. Rational design of these materials can produce electrocatalysts with activity comparable to that of Pt/C catalysts. The takeaway from this review is that it provides an insight into further study and engineering applications on the efficient and cost-effective conversion of glycerol to value-added chemicals.
Is rotator cuff related shoulder pain a multidimensional disorder? An exploratory study
Authors: Maestroni Luca , Marelli Michele , Gritti Massimiliano , Civera Fabio , Rabey Martin
Published: January 2020

Background and aims

Rotator cuff related shoulder pain has been associated with factors from multiple dimensions such as strength changes, psychosocial measures, comorbidities and level of education. However, to date little research has been undertaken to evaluate which factors explain the greatest variance in pain and disability levels in people with rotator cuff related shoulder pain. The objective of this study was therefore to evaluate which multidimensional examination findings were associated with higher pain and disability in a primary care cohort with rotator cuff related shoulder pain.

Methods

This was an exploratory cross-sectional cohort study. Sixty-seven participants with rotator cuff related shoulder pain were assessed for: pain intensity, disability; demographic, psychological, social and lifestyle characteristics, and isometric strength of shoulder internal and external rotator muscles. Univariable associations between pain intensity/disability and each variable were assessed using linear regression. Variables with univariable associations (p < 0.1) were entered into backwards stepwise multivariable regression models.

Results

The multivariable model for pain intensity included sleep and perceived persistence and explained 46.5% of the variance (37.6% uniquely by sleep, 5.4% uniquely by perceived persistence). The multivariable model for disability included sleep and sex and explained 26.8% of the variance (4.5% shared by predictors, 16.4% uniquely by sleep, 5.9% uniquely by sex).

Conclusions

Rotator cuff-related shoulder pain and disability are associated with sleep disturbance, perceived symptom persistence and sex. Rotator cuff related shoulder pain may be considered a multidimensional disorder.

Implications

Clinicians need to evaluate sleep and perceived symptom persistence in people with rotator cuff related shoulder pain. Future research may examine whether management strategies for RCRSP directed towards these factors afford improved treatment outcomes.
Stimuli-Responsive Polymeric Nanosystem for Colon Specific Drug Delivery
Authors: Joseph Sharon Kunnath , Sabitha Mangalath , Nair Sreeja Chandrasekharan
Published: January 2020

An ideal colon specific drug delivery system needs to perform multiple functions like greater bio availability, less toxicity and higher therapeutic efficacy, all of which require high degree of smartness. This article focuses on the overview of the stimuli-responsive polymers and various nanodrug delivery systems which have found applications in colon specific delivery of drugs as this system provide a link between therapeutic need and drug delivery. These polymers exhibit a non-linear response to a small stimulus leading to a macroscopic alteration in their structure/properties. Stimuli responsive polymers display a significant physio chemical change in response to small changes in their environment (temperature, pH, light etc.). Colonic drug delivery has gained increased importance in treating diseases like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, colon cancer etc. The expansion in the development of polymers based system with greater flexibility, versatility and unexplored potential enables new opportunities for them in uplifting bio medicine. Applying the concepts of smartness in the context of clinically relevant therapeutic and diagnostic systems, it can prelude in a new era of ‘smart’ therapeutics that can improve the health care fields. In particular, due to its high sensitivity to the stimuli, this system has been identified as a sensible platform for releasing drug at suitable site and at appropriate time.
Evaluating Inhibitory Effects of Paclitaxel and Vitamin D3 Loaded Poly Lactic Glycolic Acid Co-Delivery Nanoparticles on the Breast Cancer Cell Line
Authors: Khodaverdi Sepideh , Jafari Alireza , Movahedzadeh Farahnaz , Madani Fateme , Yousefi Avarvand Arshid , Falahatkar Siavash
Published: January 2020

Purpose: Paclitaxel (PTX) has transpired as a significant agent in the treatment of breast cancer. Meanwhile, polylactic glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) are able to increase the anticancer effect of the PTX in the blood. Methods: Nano-precipitation was used to prepare the PLGA-PTX-VitD3 co-delivery NPs. Drug loading, encapsulation efficiency, in vitro release profile, cell viability, migration, apoptosis, and bcl2 expression of NPs were evaluated. Results: The average size of co-delivery NPs was 231 ± 46 nm. Observed was a controlled release of the PTX and vitamin D3 from co-delivery NPs between 0.5 and 240 hours. MTT showed the ability of 8 μg.mL-1 of co-delivery NPs to kill 50 % of the MCF-7; likewise, the co-delivery NPs prevented MCF-7 migration. The co-delivery NPs led 46.35 % MCF-7 to enter primary apoptosis. 60.8% of MCF-7 in the control group were able to enter the G (1) phase of the cell cycle. The co-delivery NPs increased expression of bax. In addition to its higher toxicity against MCF-7 than that of PTX, co-delivery NPs were able to release drugs continuously for a long period, which indeed increased the efficiency of the drugs. Conclusion: The effect of co-delivery NPs on MCF-7 cell viability was different from that in other drugs. In fact, the co-deliver NPs were able to release drugs continuously for a long time, this could induce primary apoptosis in the MCF-7 and decrease the metastasis and toxicity of drugs.
Efficient Electrochemical Sensor Based on Gold Nanoclusters/Carbon Ionic Liquid Crystal for Sensitive Determination of Neurotransmitters and Anti-Parkinson Drugs
Authors: Atta Nada Farouk , Galal Ahmed , El-Ads Ekram Hamdy , Galal Aya Essam
Published: January 2020

Purpose: Herein we introduce a simple and sensitive sensor for the electrochemical determination of neurotransmitters compounds and anti-Parkinson drugs. Methods: The electrochemical sensor (Au/CILCE) based on gold nanoclusters modified carbon ionic liquid crystal (ILC) electrode was characterized using scanning electron microscopy and voltammetry measurements. Results: The effect of ionic liquid type in the carbon paste composite for the electro-catalytic oxidation of L-dopa was evaluated. Highest current response was obtained in case of ILC compared to other studied kinds of ionic liquids. The effective combination of gold nanoclusters and ILC resulted in extra advantages including large surface area and high ionic conductivity of the nanocomposite. L-dopa is considered one of the most important prescribed medicines for treating Parkinson’s disease. Moreover, a binary therapy using L-dopa and carbidopa proved effective and promising as it avoids the short comings of L-dopa mono-therapy for Parkinson’s patients. The Au/CILCE can detect L-dopa in human serum in the linear concentration range of 0.1 μM to 90 μM with detection and quantification limits of 4.5 nM and 15.0 nM, respectively. Also, the Au/CILCE sensor can simultaneously and sensitively detect L-dopa in the presence of carbidopa with low detection limits. Conclusion: The sensor is advantageous to be applicable for electrochemical sensing of other biologically electroactive species.
Hydrogen Peroxide Preconditioning Promotes Protective Effects of Umbilical Cord Vein Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Experimental Pulmonary Fibrosis
Authors: Mahmoudi Tayebeh , Abdolmohammadi Kamal , Bashiri Hamed , Mohammadi Mehdi , Rezaie Mohammad Jafar , Fathi Fardin , Fakhari Shohreh , Rezaee Mohammad Ali , Jalili Ali , Rahmani Mohammad Reza , Tayebi Lobat
Published: January 2020

Purpose: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive lung disorder with few available treatments. Mesenchymal stem cell therapy (MSCT), an innovative approach, has high therapeutic potential when used to treat IPF. According to recent data, preconditioning of MSCs can improve their therapeutic effects. Our research focuses on investigating the anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects of H2 O2 -preconditioned MSCs (p-MSCs) on mice with bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Methods: Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were induced with PF by intratracheal (IT) instillation of bleomycin (4 U/kg). Human umbilical cord vein-derived MSCs (hUCV-MSCs) were isolated and exposed to a sub-lethal concentration (15 μM for 24 h) of H2 O2 in vitro. One week following the injection of bleomycin, 2×105 MSCs or p-MSCs were injected (IT) into the experimental PF. The survival rate and weight of mice were recorded, and 14 days after MSCs injection, all mice were sacrificed. Lung tissue was removed from these mice to examine the myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, histopathological changes (hematoxylin-eosin and Masson’s trichrome) and expression of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) through immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. Results: Compared to the PF+MSC group, p-MSCs transplantation results in significantly decreased connective tissue (P<0.05) and collagen deposition. Additionally, it is determined that lung tissue in the PF+pMSC group has increased alveolar space (P<0.05) and diminished expression of TGF-β1 and α-SMA. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that MSCT using p-MSCs decreases inflammatory and fibrotic factors in bleomycin-induced PF, while also able to increase the therapeutic potency of MSCT in IPF
Association of Omentin-1 with Oxidative Stress and Clinical Significances in Patients with Breast Cancer
Authors: Tahmasebpour Nahideh , Hosseinpour Feizi Mohammad Ali , Ziamajidi Nasrin , Pouladi Naser , Montazeri Vahid , Farhadian Maryam , Abbasalipourkabir Roghayeh
Published: January 2020

Purpose: Breast cancer (BC) is globally the main reason of cancer-related deaths in women. Omentin-1, an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant adipokine, plays different roles in tumorigenesis and anti-oncogenic pathways. In present study, we investigated the association of omentin-1 with oxidative stress and clinical significances in healthy controls and BC patients to assess the prognostic and diagnostic value of omentin-1 in this cancer. Methods: This case-control study included 88 BC patients and 86 healthy controls. The serum levels of omentin-1 were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays methods. Also, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) serum levels were measured by spectrophotometer. quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was applied to the measurement of gene expression of omentin-1. Results: the serum levels of omentin-1 were significantly lower in the BC patients compared to the healthy controls (P<0.001). Moreover, gene expression of omentin-1was significantly downregulated in the BC tissues compared to the adjacent normal tissues (P<0.001). Gene expression of omentin-1and its serum levels were significantly higher in grade I compared with grade II and III (P=0.001, P<0.001, respectively). Additionally, the serum levels of omentin-1 in the p53-positive BC patients were significantly higher than the p53-negative BC patients (P=0.001). There was an inverse correlation between the serum levels of MDA and TOS with the serum levels of omentin-1 (r=-0.436, r=-461, respectively). Conclusion: We conclude that omentin-1 may have a good prognostic and diagnostic roles in the BC patients and decreases oxidative stress in these patients.
Lactobacillus casei UT1 Isolated from Northwest of Iran Traditional Curd Exerts Anti-proliferative and Apoptosis Inducing Effects in Human Colorectal Tumor HCT 116 Cells
Authors: Rabiei Mitra , Zarrini Gholamreza , Mahdavi Majid
Published: January 2020

Purpose: The present study was mainly designed to assess anti-cancer effects of lactobacilli isolated from traditional dairy products, on HCT116 colorectal cancer cell lines. Methods: Traditional dairy products samples were collected from the region of Azarbayjan and the suspensions were cultured in MRS agar medium. The isolates were identified by biochemical and molecular methods. Isolated bacteria were cultured in MRS broth. Supernatants of the isolates cultures were collected and their cytotoxicity was evaluated on HCT116 cancer cells. Morphological changes of the treated cells by supernatant were observed using an inverted microscope. Cell metabolic activity was assessed by MTT assay. The morphology of apoptotic cells was examined using a fluorescent microscope. In cell cycle analysis, content measurement of DNA was performed by flow cytometry. Results: Out of 30 lactobacilli were isolated from dairy products samples, six isolates belong to curd samples. Cell-based assays showed that culture supernatant of one isolate (UT1) had a significant anticancer effect on colorectal HCT116 cell lines (P<0.05). The 16S rRNA sequence analysis revealed that the isolate UT1 was 99% compatible with Lactobacillus casei. Conclusion: It is noteworthy that the supernatant of L. casei UT1 can be candidate for studies on compounds having anti-cancer effect.
Hollow Alginate-Poly-L-Lysine-Alginate Microspheres Promoted an Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Human Colon Adenocarcinoma Cells
Authors: Saberianpour Shirin , Rezaie Nezhad Zamani Arezoo , Karimi Abbas , Ahmadi Mahdi , Khatami Neda , Pouyafar Ayda , Rahbarghazi Reza , Nouri Mohammad
Published: January 2020

Purpose: Today, there is an urgent need to develop a three-dimentional culture systems mimicking native in vivo condition in order to screen potency of drugs and possibly any genetic alterations in tumor cells. Due to the existence of limitations in animal models, the development of three dimensional systems is highly recommended. To this end, we encapsulated human colon adenocarcinoma cell line HT29 with alginate-poly-L-lysine (Alg-PLL) microspheres and the rate of epithelial-mesenchymal transition was monitored. Methods: Cells were randomly divided into three groups; control, alginate and Alg-PLL. To encapsulate cells, we mixed HT-29 cells (1 × 106 ) with 1 mL of 0.05% PLL and 1% Alg mixture and electrosprayed into CaCl2 solution by using a high-voltage power. Cells from all groups were maintained at 37˚C in a humidified atmosphere containing 5% CO2 for 7 days. Cell viability was assessed by MTT assay. To monitor the stemness feature, we measured the transcription of genes such as Snail, Zeb, and Vimentin by using real-time PCR analysis. Results: Addition of PLL to Alg in a hallowed state increased the cell survival rate compared to the control and Alg groups (P<0.05). Cells inside Alg-PLL tended to form microcellular aggregates while in Alg microspheres an even distribution of HT-29 cells was found. Real-time PCR analysis showed the up-regulation of Snail, Zeb, and Vimentin in Alg-PLL microspheres compared to the other groups, showing the acquisition of stemness feature (P<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that hallow Alg-PLL microspheres increased the epithelialmesenchymal transition rate after 7 days in in vitro condition. Such approaches could be touted as appropriate in vitro models for drug screening.
What Can Policy-Makers Get Out of Systems Thinking? Policy Partners’ Experiences of a Systems-Focused Research Collaboration in Preventive Health
Authors: Haynes Abby , Garvey Kate , Davidson Seanna , Milat Andrew
Published: January 2020

Background:There is increasing interest in using systems thinking to tackle ‘wicked’ policy problems in preventive health, but this can be challenging for policy-makers because the literature is amorphous and often highly theoretical. Little is known about how best to support health policy-makers to gain skills in understanding and applying systems thinking for policy action.Methods:In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 policy-makers who are participating in an Australian research collaboration that uses a systems approach. Our aim was to explore factors that support policy-makers to use systems approaches, and to identify any impacts of systems thinking on policy thinking or action, including the pathways through which these impacts occurred.Results:All 18 policy-makers agreed that systems thinking has merit but some questioned its practical policy utility. A small minority were confused about what systems thinking is or which approaches were being used in the collaboration. The majority were engaged with systems thinking and this group identified concrete impacts on their work. They reported using systems-focused research, ideas, tools and resources in policy work that were contributing to the development of practical methodologies for policy design, scaling up, implementation and evaluation; and to new prevention narratives. Importantly, systems thinking was helping some policy-makers to reconceptualise health problems and contexts, goals, potential policy solutions and methods. In short, they were changing how they think about preventive health.Conclusion:These results show that researchers and policy-makers can put systems thinking into action as part of a research collaboration, and that this can result in discernible impacts on policy processes. In this case, action-oriented collaboration and capacity development over a 5-year period facilitated mutual learning and practical application. This indicates that policy-makers can get substantial applied value from systems thinking when they are involved in extended co-production processes that target policy impact and are supported by responsive capacity strategies.
Notes About Comparing Long-term Care Expenditures Across Countries Comment on "Financing Long-term Care: Lessons From Japan"
Authors: Geyer Johannes
Published: January 2020

The comparison of long-term care (LTC) expenditures is a difficult task. National LTC systems differ widely in terms of eligibility criteria, level of benefits, institutional variety and regional heterogeneity. In this commentary I will first give some general remarks on cross country comparisons. Then I discuss the role of the informal sector which is the most important pillar of all LTC systems. I conclude with some background on current developments in Germany. Different from Japan Germany is extending its LTC insurance instead of containing costs.
Bridging the ‘Two Cultures’ of Research and Service: Can Complexity Theory Help? Comment on "Experience of Health Leadership in Partnering With University-Based Researchers in Canada – A Call to ‘Re-imagine’ Research"
Authors: Greenhalgh Trisha
Published: January 2020

This commentary addresses Bowen et al’s empirical study of perspectives of Canadian healthcare staff towards research and their call for multi-faceted action to improve misalignments in the system. This commentary argues that tensions and misalignments between research and service are inherent and can never be eradicated. Building on previous work by Lanham et al, I propose seven principles of complexity which may help to develop system capacities that will help bridge the research-service gap: acknowledge unpredictability, recognise selforganisation, facilitate interdependencies, encourage sensemaking, attend to human relationships, develop adaptive capabilities in staff, and harness conflict productively.
Flavonoids from the Aerial Parts of Artemisia biennis Willd
Authors: Rostami Dehmoradkhani Kazhal , Jafari Azizollah , Shokoohinia Yalda , Emami Seyed Ahmad , Mojarrab Mahdi
Published: January 2020

Background: The current phytochemical study was carried out on a fraction of dried polar extract of aerial parts of Artemisia biennis Willd. which was previously reported to decrease the viability of the rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12 in cell-based antioxidant assays. Methods: A combination of solid phase extraction (SPE) and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) of the hydroethanolic extract was used to purify the compounds. Structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic means, including 1H-NMR and MS analyses. Results: Three isolated and identified flavonoids in this study were luteolin, kaempferol and apigenin. Conclusion: The cytotoxic potential of flavone aglycones, as the major components of selected fraction in the hydroethanolic extract of A. biennis might partly be related to the high death rate of PC12 cells.
Evaluating the Effects of Chronic Administration of Natural Honey on the Development of Dependence on Morphine in the Male Rats
Authors: Fazli shojai Elham , Najafi Moslem , Charkhpour Mohammad
Published: January 2020

Background: According to the previous studies, the exact mechanism of dependence on opioids and withdrawal syndrome has not been fully understood but one of the most important mechanisms is the increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines in CNS. On the other way, previous studies showed that natural honey (NHO) has anti-inflammatory properties. This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of chronic administration of natural honey on the development of morphine dependence in male rats. Methods: Honey was prepared from Tarom Oliya region in Zanjan province. Experiments were performed on male Wistar rats weighing 225-275 g, randomly divided into 6 groups (n=8). The study groups included morphine group, the three doses of morphine plus honey group (at doses of 200,400 and 800 mg/kg, i.p.), the morphine plus vehicle group, and the saline group. The subcutaneous injections of additive doses of morphine were used for 9 days to create morphine dependency. On the 9th day, one hour after the morning dose of morphine, naloxone (4 mg/kg, i.p.) was injected, and symptoms of withdrawal syndrome were assessed for 60 minutes. Then, blood samples were taken to measure TNF-α. One-way ANOVA and Tukey tests were used to compare the results. P- Value of <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The results of this study showed that intraperitoneal injection of honey at 3 doses (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg with p <0.001) could significantly decrease the total score of the symptoms compared to the morphine-vehicle control group. Natural honey (NHO) could significantly decrease TNF-α at dose of 400 mg/kg. Conclusion: The results indicated that chronic administration of NHO had beneficial effects in reducing symptoms of morphine withdrawal syndrome, and this effect is probably due to the anti-inflammatory effect caused by the polyphenolic compounds in honey.
Combined Use of Polymers and Porous Materials to Enhance Cinnarizine Dissolution
Authors: Maghsoodi Maryam , Shahi Fatemeh
Published: January 2020

Background: Loading of poorly water-soluble drugs on the porous materials has attracted great interest as an effective approach for enhancement of dissolution rate of drugs. The Aerosil (Ae) with porous structure is expected to facilitate the dissolution of drugs which is generally associated with precipitation. Thus, the purpose of this investigation was thus to develop a formulation which combines a precipitation inhibitor and a poorly soluble drug loaded Ae. Methods: A poorly water-soluble drug, Cinnarizine (CNZ) was used as a model, and Eudragit L100 (Eu) was used as a precipitation inhibitor. Formulations were produced by solvent evaporation and characterized by FT-IR and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Dissolution experiments were carried out in phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) under non-sink conditions. Results: DSC thermograms revealed that no crystalline structure of CNZ was present in CNZ-loaded Ae formulations and no long-range order was arranged upon loading of CNZ into Ae. In dissolution test, the CNZ-loaded Ae physically blended with Eu achieved a remarkedly higher CNZ concentration over the plain CNZ and over the CNZ-Eu co-loaded Ae. The dissolution rate of CNZ from the CNZ-loaded Ae was enhanced with increasing Ae amount and the dissolution was maximum when the ratio of CNZ: Ae was 1:10 CNZ: Ae. In addition, the precipitation inhibition was increased when the amount of Eu was high. Conclusion: The results of this work revealed that the dissolution behaviour of CNZ-loaded Ae is enhanced by physically blending of Eu as a suitable precipitation inhibitor.
Quantification of Ioversol in Injection Dosage form Using HPLC: Stability Indicting Method Development and Validation
Authors: Babu Najana Sanni , Khandapu Bala Murali Krishna , Subrahmanya Srinivas Kona , Bollikolla Hari Babu
Published: January 2020

Background: Ioversol (IVL) is a radiographic contrast agent employed in the diagnostic radiography. In this investigation, our aim was to develop and validate a simple and rapid HPLC-DAD method for determination of IVL in bulk and injection dosage form. Methods: IVL separation and analysis was performed on Zodiac phenyl C18 column (250 mm × 4.5 mm; 5 µ particle size) using water-methanol (90:10 by volume) as mobile phase system and with detection at 254 nm. Results: The retention value of IVL was 4.11 min. The method linearity range was found 254.5-763.5 µg/ml with LOQ and LOD values of 2.376 µg/ml and 0.729 µg/ml, respectively. The accuracy (̴ 100%) and precision (< 2.0%) were within the acceptance criteria. Stability indicating ability of the method was proved by stress degradation studies. Adoptability of this method was assessed with application to marketed injection dosage form with good accuracy (recovery 100.49%) and precision (RSD 0.715%). Conclusion: By adopting this method one can analyze IVL in injection dosage form in less than 10 min and hence this method is time saving and enables the estimation of large number of samples.
La construcción de la iglesia del Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso. Las capillas y las yeserías
Authors: González Ramos Roberto
Published: January 2020

La construcción de la iglesia del Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso concluyó en su estructura básica en 1510. Pero las capillas laterales y las yeserías que decoran el templo empezaron a realizarse desde entonces. Las yeserías, especialmente, han sido estudiadas en varias ocasiones, pero hasta ahora ningún estudio había profundizado en las fuentes documentales de su realización. El presente artículo ofrece una novedosa perspectiva de dichos trabajos atendiendo a lo ya conocido y a la recogida, análisis e interpretación de los datos procedentes de esas fuentes.
La mezquita de Córdoba y el movimiento arquitectónico neoárabe: de norte y centroamérica a Chile
Authors: Moráis Morán José Alberto , Urbina Carrasco María Ximena
Published: January 2020

Se estudia la fortuna de la mezquita de Córdoba entre los arquitectos neoárabes de finales del siglo XIX y principios del XX, proponiendo un periplo de formas que, partiendo de la Exposición Colombina de Chicago del año 1893, germinaron con cierto éxito en La Habana, Lima y, finalmente, en Chile. Se remarca la importancia de este fenómeno de reinterpretación historicista, menos investigado, frente a la omnipresencia del alhambrismo. Finalmente, se publican datos inéditos y material gráfico sobre estructuras neoárabes chilenas, hasta ahora nunca o escasamente analizados.
Buried but not forgotten: Juan Guas’ funerary chapel in San Justo y Pastor, Toledo
Authors: Beltrami Costanza
Published: January 2020

The late-gothic master mason Juan Guas (active 1453–1496) is renowned for his design of San Juan de los Reyes, the celebrated Toledan monastery initially conceived as a pantheon for the Catholic Monarchs. Guas was also one of very few medieval craftsmen able to commission his own funerary chapel. The chapel is a memorial to himself, and its inscription points to a canon of works for posterity, while the style formally evokes decorative elements typical of far more ostentatious commissions. Yet it was also a site of oblivion, for unlike the royal pantheon he designed, it is a modest, shared space. Indeed, the chapel has been little studied, in striking contrast to Guas’ fame as the Catholic Monarchs’ “starchitect.” This article places Guas’ funerary chapel within the context of his oeuvre and myth. By evaluating Guas’ role in this project, the article explores the self-promotion of a “humble craftsman” through the study of a unique funerary memorial.