From the web of bibliographic data to the web of bibliographic meaning: structuring, interlinking and validating ontologies on the semantic web

Bibliographic data sets have revealed good levels of technical interoperability observing the principles and good practices of linked data. However, they have a low level of quality from the semantic point of view, due to many factors: lack of a common conceptual framework for a diversity of standards often used together, reduced number of links between the ontologies underlying data sets, proliferation of heterogeneous vocabularies, underuse of semantic mechanisms in data structures, "ontology hijacking" (Feeney et al., 2018), point-to-point mappings, as well as limitations of semantic web languages for the requirements of bibliographic data interoperability. After reviewing such issues, a research direction is proposed to overcome the misalignments found by means of a reference model and a superontology, using Shapes Constraint Language (SHACL) to solve current limitations of RDF languages.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Control of Ralstonia solanacearum in tomato potting medium by the use of a solar collector.

A solar collector was used to disinfest potting medium inoculated with Ralstonia solanacearum. Tomato plantlets grown in the potting medium treated in the solar collector for one full day had no symptoms of bacterial wilt

Thromboembolic Complications During Endovascular Treatment of Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms - Prevention and Therapy

As complicações tromboembólicas são as mais frequentemente reportadas durante a terapêutica endovascular de aneurismas intracranianos com espiras metálicas. A frequência deste tipo de complicação varia na literatura, contudo autores referem uma incidência entre 2,5 e 28%. Diversos mecanismos poderão estar envolvidos na formação e migração do trombo: pode ser já preexistente no interior do aneurisma a tratar e deslocar-se para o vaso portador; pode formar-se de novo na superfície das espiras ou dos cateteres utilizados; ou ainda no eventual colo residual se o grau de oclusão não for completo. Estudos demonstraram maior incidência de complicações tromboembólicas em aneurismas de colo largo. Neste trabalho discutimos a importância e justificação de medidas utilizadas na prevenção de complicações tromboembólicas durante e após a terapêutica endovascular de aneurismas rotos intra-cranianos. Referem-se ainda as opções e estratégias a adoptar na eventualidade de uma oclusão vascular ser detectada durante o procedimento, como a administração de inibidores da glicoproteina IIb/IIIa ou mesmo a libertação de stents intra-cranianos. Diversos casos exemplificativos são exibidos. A prevenção de complicações tromboembólicas e a rápida actuação perante a oclusão vascular são essenciais para a melhoria do prognóstico dos doentes submetidos a terapêutica endovascular de aneurismas rotos. O conhecimento profundo das opções disponíveis é essencial para a persecução desse objectivo

Channel Habits and the Development of Successful Customer-Firm Relationships in Services

Technology advances have profoundly changed the way customers and service organizations interact, leading to a multitude of service channels. This study investigates consumer habits toward service channels in order to understand the influence of these channel habits on perceptions and intentions (perceived switching costs and attitudinal loyalty) and on consumer behavior (service usage and cross-buy). We empirically test the framework in the financial services industry, and the results reveal that physical store habit increases perceived switching costs and that acquired habits toward the physical store and self-service kiosks have a positive influence on attitudinal loyalty. Perceived switching costs positively affect service usage, and attitudinal loyalty positively influences cross-buy. In addition, habits in each channel lead to an increase in the number of services acquired (cross-buy), but online and self-service kiosks channel habits negatively impact service usage, as the lack of physical presence may increase customer uncertainty. Because habits are built on the frequency and stability of channel usage, firms can manage habits by encouraging frequent interactions under stable contexts. In addition, firms should stimulate customer habits toward the physical store as it is central to the promotion of loyalty and for increasing service usage

Do personality differences between students from different schools generalize across countries?

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bibliographic ontologies and the semantic web: limitations and research proposals

A literatura sobre dados e ontologias bibliográficos na Web Semântica identifica problemas, não ao nível das instâncias de dados ou da sua publicação em conjuntos isolados, mas sim relativamente às ontologias que descrevem os conceitos que lhe estão subjacentes, com reflexo na qualidade da interoperabilidade semântica e na partilha de ontologias entre sistemas. Aborda-se a adequação à Web Semântica dos modelos conceptuais e limitações de FRBR - Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (IFLA 1998, 2018) ; a ausência de enquadramento conceptual comum; a insuficiência de mecanismos semânticos; a baixa e deficiente reutilização de vocabulários externos; e a inadequação das metodologias de mapeamento aplicadas. Apresenta-se um projeto de investigação que propõe uma solução para os problemas semânticos de partilha de ontologias, através da criação de um modelo de referência conceptualmente enquadrador e de uma ontologia de referência que funcione como instrumento de relacionamento semântico de alto nível e de validação de dados, recorrendo à linguagem SHACL - Shapes Constraint Language (KNUBLAUCH e KONTOKOSTAS, 2017).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects of eslicarbazepine acetate on acute and chronic latrunculin A-induced seizures and extracellular amino acid levels in the mouse hippocampus

Background: Latrunculin A microperfusion of the hippocampus induces acute epileptic seizures and long-term biochemical changes leading to spontaneous seizures. This study tested the effect of eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL), a novel antiepileptic drug, on latrunculin A-induced acute and chronic seizures, and changes in brain amino acid extracellular levels. Hippocampi of Swiss mice were continuously perfused with a latrunculin A solution (4 μM, 1 μl/min, 7 h/day) with continuous EEG and videotape recording for 3 consecutive days. Microdialysate samples were analyzed by HPLC and fluorescence detection of taurine, glycine, aspartate, glutamate and GABA. Thereafter, mice were continuously video monitored for two months to identify chronic spontaneous seizures or behavioral changes. Control EEG recordings (8 h) were performed in all animals at least once a week for a minimum of one month. Results: Oral administration of ESL (100 mg/kg), previous to latrunculin A microperfusion, completely prevented acute latrunculin A-induced seizures as well as chronic seizures and all EEG chronic signs of paroxysmal activity. Hippocampal extracellular levels of taurine, glycine and aspartate were significantly increased during latrunculin A microperfusion, while GABA and glutamate levels remained unchanged. ESL reversed the increases in extracellular taurine, glycine and aspartate concentrations to basal levels and significantly reduced glutamate levels. Plasma and brain bioanalysis showed that ESL was completely metabolized within 1 h after administration to mainly eslicarbazepine, its major active metabolite. Conclusion: ESL treatment prevented acute latrunculin A-induced seizures as well as chronic seizures and all EEG chronic signs of paroxysmal activity, supporting a possible anti-epileptogenic effect of ESL in mice.This study was sponsored by BIAL – Portela & Cª, S.A.S

Association between Adipokines and Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Adipose tissue dysfunction has been implicated in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease. However, the involvement of adipokines, particularly adiponectin, remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To compare serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of adiponectin, leptin and leptin-to-adiponectin ratio in patients within the spectrum of Alzheimer's disease and evaluate their relationship with classical biomarkers and their value as markers of progression. METHODS: Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 71) and Alzheimer's dementia (AD, n = 53) subjects were consecutively recruited for serum and CSF adiponectin and leptin determination using an analytically validated commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Correlations were explored using adjusted Spearman's correlation coefficients. A logistic regression model and ROC analysis were performed to evaluate the staging predictive value of adipokines. RESULTS: Serum adiponectin was 33% higher in AD when compared to MCI patients. Adiponectin CSF levels, similar in both groups, were positively correlated with Aβ42 and cognitive function, though only in women. The area under the ROC curve was 0.673 (95% CI:0.57-0.78) for serum adiponectin as predictor of dementia stage and the cut-off 10.85μg/ml maximized the sum of specificity (87%) and sensitivity (44%). CONCLUSION: Although longitudinal studies are required, we hypothesize that higher serum adiponectin in AD patients constitutes a strategy to compensate possible central signaling defects. In addition, adiponectin might be specifically assigned to neuroprotective functions in women and eventually involved in the female-biased incidence of Alzheimer's disease.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Glucose uptake and lipid metabolism are impaired in epicardial adipose tissue from heart failure patients with or without diabetes

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a complex metabolic disease, and cardiovascular disease is a leading complication of diabetes. Epicardial adipose tissue surrounding the heart displays biochemical, thermogenic, and cardioprotective properties. However, the metabolic cross-talk between epicardial fat and the myocardium is largely unknown. This study sought to understand epicardial adipose tissue metabolism from heart failure patients with or without diabetes. We aimed to unravel possible differences in glucose and lipid metabolism between human epicardial and subcutaneous adipocytes and elucidate the potential underlying mechanisms involved in heart failure. Insulin-stimulated [(14)C]glucose uptake and isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis were measured in isolated epicardial and subcutaneous adipocytes. The expression of genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism was analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in adipocytes. In addition, epicardial and subcutaneous fatty acid composition was analyzed by high-resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The difference between basal and insulin conditions in glucose uptake was significantly decreased (P= 0.006) in epicardial compared with subcutaneous adipocytes. Moreover, a significant (P< 0.001) decrease in the isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis was also observed when the two fat depots were compared, and it was strongly correlated with lipolysis, lipid storage, and inflammation-related gene expression. Moreover, the fatty acid composition of these tissues was significantly altered by diabetes. These results emphasize potential metabolic differences between both fat depots in the presence of heart failure and highlight epicardial fat as a possible therapeutic target in situ in the cardiac microenvironment.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio