bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Human adipose-derived stem cells pre-treated with platelet-rich plasma and hepatocyte growth factor alleviate liver fibrosis in mice
Authors: Nguyen Nam H. , Le Trinh V. , Do Huy Q. , Dang Thanh M. , Nguyen Yen K. T. , Vo Ngoc H. , Truong Nhung H. 
Published: May 2018

Background: Transplantation of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) is a potential therapy for a variety of liver diseases. Previous studies have shown that ADSC-based therapy is promising for liver fibrosis treatment. Recently, many publications have suggested that pretreating ADSCs with growth factors before transplantation can elevate the effectiveness of the therapy. Therefore, we hypothesize that human ADSCs (hADSCs) pretreated with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), compared to ADSCs alone, would accelerate the treatment effects on liver fibrosis in mice.
Methods: The hADSCs were cultured solely with conventional media, or with HGF (human recombinant; 20 ng/ml), or with HGF and PRP (from healthy human blood, 10%), concomitantly added to the medium for 7 days before transplantation. Eight-week-old male mice were treated with CCl4 (1 ml/kg) for 11 weeks to induce liver fibrosis. The mice were then subsequently divided into: 1) Placebo group (PBS injection); 2) ADSCs/HGF+PRP (5x105HGF and PRP pre-treated cells/mice); 3) ADSCs/HGF (5x105HGF pre-treated cells/mice) and 4) ADSCs (5x105non-pretreated cells/mice).
Results: Seven days post-transplantation, the alanine transaminase (ALT) level in the placebo was notably elevated (143.10±14.96 IU/L), compared to ALT levels of ADSCs-, ADSCs/HGF+PR-, and ADSCs/HGF-transplanted mice, which showed an improvement (67.94±18.57 IU/L, 49.44±7.56 IU/L, and 57.93±5.75 IU/L, respectively). The procollagen-α1 and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) mRNA levels were significantly down-regulated in the ADSCs-transplanted group compared to those of the placebo. Importantly, these levels were lower in ADSCs/HGF+PR (procollagen-α1: 75.64±45.89; α-SMA: 36.17±36.09) than those of ADSCs/HGF (procollagen-α1: 212.8±84.35; α-SMA: 52.41±7.93) and ADSCs only (procollagen-α1: 310.50 ± 55.36; α-SMA: 184.70±14.06). Stem cell transplantation also improved histological index, reducing inflammation and collagen/necrotic structure accumulation. However, there were no statistical differences between three ADSCs treatment groups after 14 days after transplantation.
Conclusion: Pre-treatment with PRP and HGF for 7 days enhanced the efficacy of ADSCs in alleviating liver fibrosis in vivo.
Misje miasta jako narzędzie ewangelizacji na peryferiach
Authors: Makowski Andrzej 
Published: May 2018

Cała działalność Kościoła powinna być podporządkowana ewangelizacji (EN 14). Współczesny kontekst społeczny i kulturowy przynagla wspólnotę Kościoła do ciągłego poszukiwania nowych sposobów dotarcia z Ewangelią do współczesnego człowieka. Papież Franciszek podkreśla ukierunkowanie misyjne Kościoła wraz ze wszystkimi jego strukturami (EG 27). W misyjną opcję papieską wpisują się misje miasta jako jedna z najnowszych form misji ludowych. Stosują one rozmaitość metod głoszenia Ewangelii w celu dotarcia do jak najszerszego grona. W sposób szczególny chcą objąć swoim zasięgiem ludzi zamieszkałych na peryferiach wielkich aglomeracji miejskich. Stąd też w programie misyjnym możemy odnaleźć wielość propozycji wydarzeń kulturalno-religijnych.
Sytuacje komunikacyjne publicznych wystąpień Jana Pawła II podczas I pielgrzymki do Polski
Authors: Jankosz Magdalena 
Published: May 2018

Celem artykułu jest pokazanie, w jakich sytuacjach komunikacyjnych znajdował się Jan Paweł II podczas I pielgrzymki do ojczyzny i czym się one charakteryzowały. Problem badawczy zawiera się w pytaniu, czy i jak sytuacja komunikacyjna wpływa na zachowania werbalne i niewerbalne mówcy. Materiałem źródłowym są nagrania wideo z I pielgrzymki do Polski oraz zapisy homilii, rozważań i przemówień. W pierwszym punkcie omówione zostało pojęcie sytuacji komunikacyjnej z uwzględnieniem jej niejednoznaczności, w drugim – czynniki ją kształtujące, a w trzecim jej typy.
La langue de la théologie pratique ou celle de la théologie en pratique? Autour de la notion de l’artéfact théologique, introduite par Marcel Viau
Authors: Draguła Andrzej 
Published: May 2018

The issue of the language of theology in the practical actions of the Church is first a question of how are these actions understood and of the form the theoretical thinking about it takes. Nowadays, alongside the notion of “pastoral theology,” the notion of “practical theology” is gaining place. This choice of wording emphasizes the whole of the Church’s action and not only the ones of the pastors. However, there is another meaning of practical theology that can be discussed, i.e. “theology in practice.” Marcel Viau, a Canadian protestant theologian, suggests calling practical theology with an Anselmian-like term: “fides quaerens verbum” (faith seeking the word). The notion of “word” should be understood broadly as any act by which the Church communicates faith or the discourse of the Church. Viau introduces the notion of “theological artifact,” which stands for every work of culture that can be seen as an element of discourse of the Church. In this way, Viau broadens the understanding of the Church’s action not only for its specific pastoral action, but also for the widely understood channel of cultural transfer of faith. Consequently, the language of practical theology transforms into the language of theology in practice.
Naming God: Christian Philosophy of Language, Wierzbicka’s Natural Semantic Metalanguage and Intercultural Dialogue
Authors: Popiołek Piotr 
Published: May 2018

Who is He, to Whom we address words God, Theos, Deus, etc.? How far goes possibility for adaptation of religious and philosophical language from other (non-Western) cultures? Do people, by using certain words and terms, denote being of God, or are they just conventional names? Those questions were raised quite early in theological debates in early stages of Christianity, and answers were given by such prominent Church Fathers as Gregory of Nyssa and Basil the Great. The problem resurfaced millennium later, when Western missionaries encountered nations and people whose religious and philosophical concepts were far different from their own. Should they accommodate local terms to fit the Christian concept of God, or should they introduce Western terminology? This translational and linguistic problem leads to the question: are there universal concepts which (despite of cultural affiliation, based on the common human experience) could communicate the Christian idea of God? Findings of Wierzbicka, and her own claim is: yes – there are semantic primes, through which we can translate our ideas (with minor imperfections). But this last question goes beyond the reach of mere secular linguistics, and enters the domain of theology. For it is theological claim that in our human nature we are capable of addressing Triune God.
Thermodynamic database for multicomponent oxide systems
Authors: Decterov S. A. 
Published: May 2018

A state-of-the-art thermodynamic database has been developed for multicomponent oxide systems. It can be used in combination with FactSage software to calculate the properties of metallurgical slags, glasses, ceramics, refractories, minerals, cements, etc. The database has been developed by collecting all available structural, thermodynamic, and phase equilibria data for a particular chemical system, critical evaluation of this information, developing a thermodynamic model for each solution phase and optimization of model parameters to reproduce the experimental data. Then the models are used to estimate the thermodynamic properties of multicomponent solutions from the properties of lower-order subsystems. Oxide phases often exhibit complex structures and strong interactions between components, which require more sophisticated models than are normally used, for example, for metal alloys. Short-range ordering is rather common and random mixing is often not a good approximation. The models for multicomponent liquid and solid solutions have been developed within the Modified Quasichemical Formalism and Compound Energy Formalism. Optimized model equations are consistent with thermodynamic principles and fully characterize a chemical system, requiring much less experimental work to achieve this goal since only a few measurements are needed in higher-order systems to validate the model estimates. The database can be readily used in conjunction with the FactSage Gibbs energy minimization software to calculate any stable or metastable phase equilibria and phase diagrams. The present article outlines the major components and phases that are currently available in the oxide database, as well as the most important features of the models that have been developed. The model and database have also been developed for the viscosity of oxide melts and glasses. The model links the viscosity to the structure of the liquid phase, which is estimated using the thermodynamic database.
Low-temperature synthesis under low oxygen pressure and thermodynamic properties of YbFe2O4-δ
Authors: Vedmid' L. B. , Dimitrov V. M. , Fedorova O. M. 
Published: May 2018

The mixed-valence compound YbFe2O4-d was synthesized using a modified method that allows employing gaseous atmosphere with a controlled ratio of inert gas and oxygen. The stability range for YbFe2O4-d was determined at 1090 °C under reducing conditions. Thermodynamic characteristics for the formation of YbFe2O4-d from the simple oxides and from elements in the temperature range 700-910 °C have been calculated. The obtained results allow specifying the low-temperature part of Р-Т-Х diagram for the Yb-Fe-O system.
Farmer groups and inorganic fertiliser use among smallholders in rural South Africa
Authors: Sinyolo Sikhulumile , Mudhara Maxwell 
Published: May 2018

Smallholder farmers in developing countries are characterised by low uptake of improved farm inputs and weak links to markets. Among other reasons, the high transaction costs that these smallholder farmers incur, as a result of their location in remote areas, inadequate information and missing credit markets, inhibit them from participating in both input and output markets. Organising farmers into groups has been suggested as a potential mechanism for reducing transaction costs. Accordingly, farmer groups have been preferred channels for smallholder farmer support in South Africa, both by the government and donors. However, the impact of these groups on smallholder outcomes such as technology adoption is largely unknown. We investigated the extent to which membership in farmer groups influences the use of improved farm inputs such as inorganic fertiliser among smallholder farmers in South Africa. A sample of 984 households was analysed using the propensity score matching method. Group membership was found to play a positive role in inorganic fertiliser use with a 14% higher chance of inorganic fertiliser use among group members. Among fertiliser users, group members used 170 kg more inorganic fertiliser than did non-members. Further analysis indicated that the effect of group membership on inorganic fertiliser use was heterogeneous among group members. The results suggest that farmer groups play a positive role in the use of improved farm inputs in South Africa. For greater effectiveness of group membership, policymakers should target the less educated, increase the assets of the poor and improve access to extension and information.
Significance:

The impact of farmer groups on smallholder outcomes such as technology adoption is largely unknown.
Farmer groups were found to play a positive role in the adoption of agricultural technologies such as inorganic fertilisers.
Effect of group membership on inorganic fertiliser adoption was heterogeneous among group members.
Variables that should be targeted for greater effectiveness of collective action were identified.
The Grootfontein aquifer: Governance of a hydro-social system at Nash equilibrium
Authors: Cobbing Jude E. , De Wit Maarten 
Published: May 2018

The Grootfontein groundwater aquifer is important to the water supply of the town Mahikeng in the North West Province of South Africa and to commercial agriculture in the Province, but the water table has fallen by up to 28 m as a consequence of over-abstraction since the 1980s. Institutional and hydrogeological issues impact the aquifer in complex ways, described here as a hydro-social system. Whilst the hydrogeology is well understood and South African laws provide for sustainable groundwater governance, poor stakeholder collaboration and other institutional problems mean that the overabstraction is likely to persist – an example of an undesirable Nash equilibrium. The Grootfontein aquifer case shows that groundwater underpins wider social-ecological-economic systems, and that more holistic management – taking the institutional context into account – is needed to underpin economic growth, employment and other public outcomes.
Significance:

The cost of better natural resource stewardship, including groundwater, is likely to be considerably less than the losses that occur when it is absent.
If local groundwater was better managed, it could make water supplies in Mahikeng cheaper and more reliable, which would in turn support local economic growth and employment.
Arable agriculture changes soil microbial communities in the South African Grassland Biome
Authors: Kamgan Nkuekam Gilbert , Cowan Don A. , Valverde Angel 
Published: May 2018

Many studies, mostly in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, have demonstrated that agricultural practices affect the composition and diversity of soil microbial communities. However, very little is known about the impact of agriculture on the microbial communities in other regions of the world, most particularly on the African continent. In this study, we used MiSeq amplicon sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes and fungal ITS regions to characterise microbial communities in agricultural and natural grassland soils located in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. Nine soil chemical parameters were also measured to evaluate the effects of edaphic factors on microbial community diversity. Bacterial and fungal communities were significantly richer and more diverse in natural grassland than in agricultural soils. Microbial taxonomic composition was also significantly different between the two habitat types. The phylum Acidobacteria was significantly more abundant in natural grassland than in agricultural soils, while Actinobacteria and the family Nectriaceae showed the opposite pattern. Soil pH and phosphorus significantly influenced bacterial communities, whereas phosphorus and calcium influenced fungal communities. These findings may be interpreted as a negative impact of land-use change on soil microbial diversity and composition.
Significance:

This report is the first of the effect of land-use changes on the diversity of the soil microbial communities in African grassland soils.
Land-use changes influence the diversity and structure of soil microbial communities in the Grassland Biome of South Africa.
This study serves as a baseline for future studies on South African soil microbial diversity
Logística verde e Inversa, Responsabilidad Universitaria Socioambiental Corporativa y Productividad - And Green Reverse Logistics, Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility University and Productivity
Authors: Maquera Gladys 
Published: May 2018

El ser humano es la razón principal de la existencia de residuos en el mundo. Los residuos sólidos peligrosos son aquellos que por sus características o manejo al que son o van a ser sometidos representan un riesgo significativo para la salud o el ambiente. El incentivo a la colecta selectiva y reciclaje de los residuos utilizados, trae beneficios a la sociedad en la economía de la energía, de los recursos naturales, generación de empleo entre otros. En el sentido de mejorar el aprovechamiento de los recursos naturales, la Logística Inversa proporciona el conocimiento de las formas de reintegración al mercado de los bienes beneficiados por los procesos de producción. Esta trabajo tiene como objetivo principal el de presentar a la Logística Inversa como una alternativa para identificar los principales puntos que caracterizan el impacto ambiental en la cadena productiva de algún producto; además que presentamos un estudio en la cadena productiva de petróleo y subsecuentemente considerar los ciclos productivos posibles de ser implementado por técnicas de Logística Inversa en la industria petrolera, en el producto de aceite lubricante. El estudio de caso se realizó en cuatro ciudades: Lima, Juliaca, Puno y Arequipa, donde se visitó distintas organizaciones, empresas, instituciones, municipalidades, gobierno regional y ministerios que están directamente relacionados con los derivados de petróleo. Se observó que las empresas generadoras de residuos no se responsabilizan por el destino final de los mismos, asimismo el marco legal existente no es conocido e incipiente. El ser humano, debe de entender el propósito de Dios en la creación hasta la actualidad, y mirando el futuro, sin olvidar que es parte de la creación de Dios y que tiene como deber reconciliar al resto de la creación con ÉL.
Nivel de madurez de los procesos de la gestión de servicios en base a BPM - Maturity level in Management Services Processes’ based on BPM
Authors: Cruz Joseph , Lévano Daniel 
Published: May 2018

Las empresas, a nivel global, tienden a una mayor dependencia de las Tecnologías de la Información (TI), no solo para el mantenimiento operativo de las instancias de la organización, sino también para el aumento de valor a la empresa por medio de la explotación de datos y sobre todo bajo el análisis y optimización de sus procesos. La metodología Business Process Management (BPM), al combinarlas con las buenas prácticas propuestas por Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), permite la posibilidad de aumentar el valor de la entidad por medio de la mejora y adaptación de los procesos desde una perspectiva más ágil, automatizada y robusta con la capacidad de adaptación al cambio, permitiendo a las organizaciones orientar sus procesos al cliente.
La familia, factor inductor del uso indebido de drogas en la adolescencia - The family, inducing factor in the abuse of drugs in adolescence
Authors: Gutiérrez Daniel , Hernández Meléndrez Digna Edelsys 
Published: May 2018

Los problemas del uso indebido de drogas y de la conducta adictiva han adquirido un creciente predominio en todo el mundo desde mediados de la década de 1960. En Argentina las estadísticas muestran un incremento del 30% en el uso de sustancias adictivas, y un 50% en el uso de alcohol en jóvenes entre 16 y 25 años. El objetivo de esta investigación es identificar la relación del consumo de tabaco y alcohol en la familia como factor inductor del uso indebido de drogas en los adolescentes. Esta investigación descriptiva realizó una encuesta a 469 adolescentes en la provincia de Entre Ríos, Argentina. Entre los resultados se encontró que en los adolescentes existe un consumo significativo de tabaco y alcohol, con una frecuencia diaria y semanal importante. Se concluye que la conducta de consumo de la familia facilita la iniciación de los adolescentes por imitación.
Recensión - Book Reviews
Authors: Barojas Sánchez Josefia 
Published: May 2018

¿Qué deja este libro al lector? Un caleidoscopio de imágenes que revelan la complejidad del mundo contemporáneo. La vida, dice Augé, está llena de miedos; miedos que la atraviesan y revisten, al timpo que se encuentra regida por dos grandes producciones: la económica y la tecnológica. Como consecuencia se instalan prácticas laborales y estilos de vida. Deviene la violencia en diferentesmanifestaciones: la económica y social, la que tine forma de racismo oterrorismo, la tecnológica, y la natural, constiuida de los fenómenos naturales.Esta últia deriva de las primeras.Esta obra es una adaptación —aunque con el mismo tíulo— de la tesis doctoral de González defendida el 2008 en el Adventit Internatinal Instiute of Advanced Studies, Filipinas. Como este “estudio busca determinar cronológicamente el papel de Elena de White en el desarrollo de la organización adventita del séptio día” (16), su aproximación, en efecto, es históricodescriptio (18). Consta de seis capítulos —además su excelente bibliografía
Estudio de los vínculos entre cultura organizacional y calidad de los servicios educativos en la imagen institucional de una universidad privada confesional
Authors: Turpo Chaparro Josué , Jaimes Donald 
Published: May 2018

La calidad de los servicios académicos, junto con la imagen institucional y la cultura organizacional son factores clave en el proceso de licenciamiento universitario. El objetivo de este artículo es determinar la relación que tiene la calidad de los servicios académicos y la cultura organizacional en la imagen institucional de una institución privada confesional. La metodología utilizada es correlacional bajo el enfoque cuantitativo. Se trata de una correlación múltiple con propósito de causalidad que pretende explicar las relaciones existentes, a través del análisis de regresión lineal múltiple ANOVA. Se aplicaron tres instrumentos, el Organizational Culture Survey (DOCS) de Denison de 60 ítems; el Instrumento de evaluación escala de Satisfacción Estudiantil en cuanto a la Calidad Educativa (SEICE) 93 ítems y el cuestionario de Imagen Institucional para públicos selectos de Escobar de 31 ítems. Los instrumentos de cultura y calidad utilizaron como evaluación la escala tipo Likert de cinco puntos, en el caso del instrumento de imagen se calificó a través signos positivos y negativos. Los instrumentos fueron aplicados a una población de 221 personas del público alumnos de una universidad privada confesional. Entre los resultados se obtuvieron relaciones significativas entre las variables estudiadas y sus dimensiones. Se concluye que la valoración positiva de la imagen institucional se ve afectada por la cultura organizacional y la calidad de los servicios educativos.
La Educación inclusiva en la realidad educativa chilena
Authors: Vásquez Burgos Karina , Mancilla Guzmán Carlos Ángel , Muñoz Cárdenas Victor Daniel , Obreque Jara Jesse Andrés 
Published: May 2018

La presente revisión teórica pretende dar a conocer la realidad chilena actual sobre el cambio curricular, que apunta a una visión inclusiva de la educación. Este estudio se realizó por medio de una revisión bibliográfica del contexto en la cual se encuentra la educación chilena y su relación con las Necesidades Educativas Especiales, a través de un análisis educativo de la legislación y el curriculum educativo, destacando aspectos fundamentales sobre una estructura metodológica diversificada. Se concluye con una visualización sobre el cambio en la legislación y los factores que son relevantes para una educación diversificada, inclusiva y para todos los estudiantes.
Pengenalan Karakter Plat Nomor Kendaraan Bermotor Menggunakan Zoning dan Fitur Freeman Chain Code
Authors: Abidin Taufik Fuadi , AzZuhri Abbas Adam , Arnia Fitri 
Published: May 2018

A license plate is one of the vehicle identities. It consists of alphabetic characters and numbers and represents provincial and area code where the vehicle is registered. This article discusses the character recognition of plate number using zoning and Freeman Chain Code (FCC). Zoning divides character image into several zones i.e. 4, 6, and 8, and then, the pattern of each character in the zone is extracted using FCC as the numerical features. The character is then classified using Support Vector Machines (SVM). It is a multi-class classification problem with 36 categories. The results show that FCC features with 8 zones give the best accuracy (87%) when compared to the other two zones.