bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sharing knowledge and power in adult amateur choral communities: The impact of communal learning on the experience of musical participation
Authors: Bonshor Michael
Published: December 2016

This article is based on the findings of a qualitative investigation of factors influencing confidence levels amongst adult amateur choral singers. The research aims were: to explore the lived experience of choral singers; to examine the main influences on their perceptions of their voices and performance ability; to identify factors affecting their confidence as singers; to extrapolate strategies designed to manage confidence issues amongst amateur choral singers. Three focus groups, involving eighteen singers in total, and sixteen individual interviews were carried out, providing over 40 hours of recorded verbal data. Peer interactions were widely reported as having a positive effect upon perceived performance quality, the enjoyment of the choral experience and confidence levels amongst participants. Trust and rapport, musical and moral support, encouragement and validation, peer modelling and informal mentoring all emerged as important aspects of singer to singer interaction in choral rehearsal and performance.
Journeys in jazz education: Learning, collaboration and dialogue in communities of musical practice
Authors: De Bruin Leon R.
Published: December 2016

Australian jazz has evolved from a wholly imported form of music making to a vibrant and diverse range of styles, dialects and concepts that emanate from within its music communities. Emerging from Anglo-Celtic and African American traditions, Australian improvising musicians have developed their own expressive capabilities and personal voices. Distance from American jazz culture contributed to early Australian jazz musicians experiencing an imitative, assimilative and intuitive process of appropriation and interpretation of styles, conventions and performance within an emerging Australian culture. Current jazz and improvisation students participate in formal and informal learning amidst an array of cultures with innovative local improvisers and an education system influenced by dominant canon and hegemony. This article investigates the lifespan learning practices and enculturation of five professional Australian improvisers, investigating how as developing musicians they negotiate learning within a continuum from conformity and innovation and evolve perspectives to improvised musicking, and the role communities of musical practice play in these emergent understandings. Implications are drawn from the diverse ways of learning and collaborating, used by Australian improvisers who employ innovative vocabularies within vibrant and receptive communities. I argue for a more personally situated and reflexive learning of improvisatory skills and knowledge, urging engagement of students in frameworks of learning that provide more holistically fulfilling and creatively based improvised music making activities.
Reviews
Authors: Frank Aparna , Sen Priyanjali , Pal Soumik , Magazine Aakshi , Goel Surbhi , Ghosh Abhija , Tiwary Ishita
Published: December 2016

REEL WORLD: AN ANTHROPOLOGY OF CREATION, ANAND PANDIAN (2015) Durham and London: Duke University Press, 339 pp., ISBN: 9780822360001, p/bk, $35.99

OUTSIDE THE LETTERED CITY: CINEMA, MODERNITY, & THE PUBLIC SPHERE IN LATE COLONIAL INDIA, MANISHITA DASS (2016) New York: Oxford University Press, 248 pp., ISBN: 9780199394395, p/bk, $29.95

BOLLYWOOD’S INDIA: A PUBLIC FANTASY, PRIYA JOSHI (2015) New York and Chichester, West Sussex: Columbia University Press, 191 pp., ISBN: 9780231169615, p/bk, $27.75

CHANNELING CULTURES: TELEVISION STUDIES FROM INDIA, BISWARUP SEN AND ABHIJIT ROY (EDS) (2014) Delhi: Oxford University Press, 319 pp., ISBN: 9780198092056, h/bk, 895.00 INR

A FLY IN THE CURRY, K. P. JAYASANKAR AND ANJALI MONTEIRO (2016) New Delhi: Sage Publications, 256 pp., ISBN: 9789351505693, p/bk, $20

ADVERTISING DIVERSITY: AD AGENCIES AND THE CREATION OF ASIAN AMERICAN CONSUMERS, SHALINI SHANKAR (2015) Durham and London: Duke University Press, 328 pp., ISBN: 9780822358770, p/bk, $26.95

TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY BOLLYWOOD, AJAY GEHLAWAT (2015) New York: Routledge, 156 pp., ISBN: 9781138793606, h/bk, $125.80
The performance of employee buy-out: The case of Algeria
Authors: Boutifour Zohra , Miraoui Abdelkrim
Published: December 2016

The aim of this article is to show how, in a developing country, employees can improve the performance of their companies. Its objective is to verify the extent to which employee buyers of privatized companies can take up the challenge to succeed in their enterprise. This change takes place both during the crucial start-up business phase and the change from the public to the private sector in a constraining environment (no fiscal or entrepreneurial accompaniment, difficulty of access to bank credits, disloyal market, buyers untrained in shareholding, etc.). In contrast, in developed countries, the financial and fiscal environment plays an important role in the success of this type of operation. Out of 73 employee buy-outs (EBOs), we targeted 59 EBOs implanted in Algeria. The study found that the first third of these EBOs were closed and/or sold to third parties, the second third were in difficulty and the last third had achieved a remarkable growth in their economic and financial performance during the first five years. The results of this research indicate that, in a binding and complex system, entrepreneurial management can guarantee improvement in economic and financial performance on the one side and job satisfaction of employees on the other.
Cracking the complexity code of charities
Authors: Lacasse Richard-Marc , Lambert Berthe
Published: December 2016

North American charity ventures collect donations for the needy or suffering. Few studies have analysed philanthropic ventures and altruistic promoters. In the charity industry, donors mandate intermediaries (agents) to transfer donations to beneficiairies. One of the underlying assumptions of agency theory is that agents attempt to maximize their personal welfare and compensation; this behaviour may not always be in the best interests of beneficiairies. What is the typical business model of a charitable organization? Is there a monitoring process? What is the social return on investment? The complex patterns of inter-stakeholder relationships, both good and bad, are scrutinized. The research threads it way into the ‘complexity code’ of charities via archival data and forensic science data. This article also deciphers the altruism of agents via a new behavioural matrix. To conclude, a complexity-aware monitoring process is submitted. Thus, the article sheds new light on the complexity of charities and proposes directions for future research.
Polimero akrilikoak oftalmologian. Degradazio-prozesuaren analisia
Authors: De Miguel Aitor , Azkune Mikel , Ruiz-Rubio Leire
Published: December 2016

Ukipen-leiar polimerikoen erabilpena zabaltzen ari da munduko gizarte orotan. Gaur egungo lenteetara iristeko eman diren aurrerapauso guztiek oinarri akrilikodun materialen erabilpena izan dute amankomunean, ezaugarri optiko paregabeak dituztelako. Hori dela eta, lan honetan material horien historia, ukipen-leiarren bilakaera eta polimerozko material optikoek bete beharreko baldintzak azaltzen dira. Horrez gain, industria honetan erabiliak izan diren poli(metilmetakrilato)aren, poli(bentzilakrilato)aren eta poli(tert-butilakrilato)aren degradazio termikoak eta beren zinetika aztertu dira.
Ebaketa-erramintaren tenperaturak neurtzeko tornuko ebaketa eten bidezko fresaketaren simulazioa
Authors: Pereira Octavio , Martínez Alvaro , Ansoategui Igor , Ganzarain Iker , Calleja Amaia
Published: December 2016

Lan honetan zehar fresaketa bidezko simulazioa lantzen da tornuko ebaketa etenaren bitartez. Finkatutako helburu nagusia erremintaren jaulkitze-aurpegian lortuko diren tenperaturak ezagutzea izango da ebaketa prozesuan. Helburu hori lortzeko, torneaketa prozesutik fresaketa prozesura estrapolazio bat egingo da, luzeran artekatutako pieza torneatzen bada posible izango dena, torneaketa fresaketa izango balitz bezala simulatuz, fresaketa ebaketa etena denez. Proba-baldintzetan tenperatura-neurketa horiek gauzatzeko K motako termoparea erabiliko da, zein jaulkitze aurpegiarekiko 0,5 mm-ko distantziara kokaturik egongo den. Bero-transmisiozko modelo teoriko batean oinarrituz kalkulatuko dugu kontaktuko batez besteko tenperatura. Ebaketa-baldintza ezberdinetarako proba ezberdinak garatu dira eta sakontasunez deskriba- tuko ditugu. Horretaz gain, ebaketa jarraituan eta etenean lortuko diren tenperatura-diferentziak aztertuko dira, alde batetik, ebaketa-denbora berbera erabiliz eta, bestetik, ebaketa eraginkorraren luzera berbera erabiliz.
Litio-ioizko baterien funtzionamendua eta «pouch cell» motako prototipoen fabrikazioa
Authors: Otaegui Laida , Iturrondobeitia Amaia , Villaverde Aitor
Published: December 2016

Litio-ioizko baterien hedapena etengabea izan da azken urteetan gizartearen energia beharrizanak asetzeko. Modu orokor batean litio-ioizko deitzen zaien baterien artean hainbat sistema ezberdindu daitezke, osatzen duten material aktiboen eta ondorioz, gertatzen diren erreakzio elektrokimikoen arabera. Konposizio kimikoa ez da ordea baterien funtzionamendua definitzen duen aldagai bakarra. Bateriaren fabrikazio prozesuan finkatzen diren beste hainbat parametrok ere, hala nola, elektrodoen porositateak, anodo eta katodoaren arteko masa erlazioak, elektrolito bolumenak..., eragin zuzena dute baterien propietateetan. Artikulu honetan «pouch cell» motako baterien fabrikazio prozesua deskribatuko da, parametro hauen garrantzia azalduz.
Rating of authors
Authors: Stehlíková Veronika , Urban Martin , Netvich Ondřej
Published: December 2016

Editorial
Object Based and Pixel Based Classification Using Rapideye Satellite Imager of ETI-OSA, Lagos, Nigeria
Authors: Makinde Esther Oluwafunmilayo , Salami Ayobami Taofeek , Olaleye James Bolarinwa , Okewusi Oluwapelumi Comfort
Published: December 2016

Several studies have been carried out to find an appropriate method to classify the remote sensing data. Traditional classification approaches are all pixel-based, and do not utilize the spatial information within an object which is an important source of information to image classification. Thus, this study compared the pixel based and object based classification algorithms using RapidEye satellite image of Eti-Osa LGA, Lagos. In the object-oriented approach, the image was segmented to homogenous area by suitable parameters such as scale parameter, compactness, shape etc. Classification based on segments was done by a nearest neighbour classifier. In the pixel-based classification, the spectral angle mapper was used to classify the images. The user accuracy for each class using object based classification were 98.31% for waterbody, 92.31% for vegetation, 86.67% for bare soil and 90.57% for Built up while the user accuracy for the pixel based classification were 98.28% for waterbody, 84.06% for Vegetation 86.36% and 79.41% for Built up. These classification techniques were subjected to accuracy assessment and the overall accuracy of the Object based classification was 94.47%, while that of Pixel based classification yielded 86.64%. The result of classification and accuracy assessment show that the object-based approach gave more accurate and satisfying results
Morfodinámica costera en la playa Bailén, costa sur del occidente de Cuba, entre los años 2003-2013
Authors: Ordaz Hernández Alexis , Hernández Santana José Ramón , Estévez Cruz Elmidio , Méndez Linares Ana Patricia
Published: December 2016

En la actualidad, el análisis de los cambios morfodinámicos de las costas constituye una de las direcciones ambientales e ingenieriles de mayor significado para su planeación y su desarrollo sostenible, así como para la preservación y la protección de sus recursos naturales. Se presentan las tendencias morfodinámicas de la playa Bailén, localizada en la costa suroccidental de Cuba, entre los años 2003 y 2013. Se aplicaron mediciones topográficas del perfil transversal de playa y de la posición de la línea de costa en 15 estaciones de observación, a lo largo de 2 140 m de playa, en los años 2007, 2010 y 2013, comparadas con la posición del año 2003. Los volúmenes de arena acrecionada o erosionada en el período 2003-2007 fueron estimados después de los impactos del huracán Iván del año 2004. Finalmente, se realizaron ensayos granulométricos para establecer las tendencias espacio-temporales en el comportamiento del diámetro promedio de los granos de arena. Para el sector norte de la playa, la tasa máxima de retroceso fue de -2.0 m/año y los análisis granulométricos de las arenas demostraron enriquecimiento en su fracción gruesa. Ambos procesos reflejan la influencia directa de la inadecuada ubicación de las construcciones civiles en la porción frontal de las dunas y en la berma. Por otra parte, en el sector sur el valor máximo de acreción fue de +8.0 m/año y el promedio alcanzó +2.3 m/año. Durante los diez años analizados se observa un bajo nivel de resiliencia en la recuperación de la playa.
Suárez Lastra, M. C. Galindo Pérez y M. Murata (2016), Bicicletas para la ciudad: Una propuesta metodológica para el diagnóstico y la planeación de infraestructura ciclista, Instituto de Geografía, UNAM, (Colección: Geografía para el siglo XXI, ...
Authors: Trejo Albuerne Adriana Lucía
Published: December 2016

Suárez Lastra, M. C. Galindo Pérez y M. Murata (2016), Bicicletas para la ciudad: Una propuesta metodológica para  el diagnóstico y la planeación de infraestructura ciclista, Instituto de Geografía, UNAM, (Colección: Geografía para el siglo XXI, Serie: Libros de Investigación, núm. 17) México, 159 p., ISBN 978-607-02-7602-6
Hacia un sistema de monitoreo forestal en tiempo casi real
Authors: Mas Jean-François , Lemoine-Rodríguez Richard , Taud Hind
Published: December 2016

En las últimas décadas, México ha experimentado acelerados procesos de pérdida y degradación forestal tanto de bosques templados como tropicales (Mas et al., 2004; Velázquez et al., 2010). De acuerdo a la FAO (2010), las tasas de deforestación en el país fueron de 0.5% (354,000 ha/año) en el periodo 1990-2000 y de 0.2% (155,000 ha/año) en el periodo 2005-2010. La urbanización, la tala inmoderada, la extensión de las áreas agropecuarias y los incendios son las principales causas de dicho fenómeno. Entre las consecuencias más importantes de la pérdida de cubierta forestal destacan la disminución del potencial de bienes y servicios ambientales que proporcionan los ecosistemas, el calentamiento global, la alteración de ciclos hidrológicos y biogeoquímicos, la degradación de los suelos y la pérdida de hábitat (Velázquez et al., 2010).
Religion and mysticism in poems of Şeref Hanım
Şeref Hanım’ın şiirlerinde din ve tasavvuf
Authors: Ertek Morkoç Yasemin
Published: December 2016

Şeref Hanım (Lady Seref) (1809-1861) lived at the first half of the 19th century during when Tanzimat Literature had started to outmaneuver Divan Literature and had made its weight felt. She is an exceptional female divan poet who managed to make a distinguished name for her within the tradition of Classical Turkish Literature. She has a large-scale divan in which she added up all her poems written in almost all styles and types of verse.  Religious – mystical components at the major parts of her poems attract the attention. Divan of the poetess, who was a maulawi in essence and had sympathy in the effective sects of that period, such as Qadiriyya and Rifai, presents an extensive material on this subject.  Sincere, truthful, courageous, and loud-voiced explanandum that was used by Şeref Hanım while stating aforementioned content is also remarkable. In this study, we aimed to examine the religious – mystical components, motifs, personalities and the manner of handling them that we determined within the poems of Şeref Hanım. Herewith, we aimed to enlighten projection of religion and mysticism phenomena which are the leading fundamental supplying sources of Classical Turkish Literature within work of a female divan poet.  ÖzetŞeref Hanım (1809-1861), Tanzimat edebiyatının divan edebiyatına üstünlük sağlamaya başladığı, ağırlığını hissettirdiği 19.yüzyılın ilk yarısında yaşamıştır.  Klasik Türk edebiyatı geleneği içinde adından söz ettirmeyi başarmış, nadir kadın divan şairlerinden biridir. Hemen her nazım biçimi ve türünde yazdığı şiirlerini bir arada topladığı hacimli bir divanı vardır.Şiirlerinin büyük bir kısmında dinî-tasavvufî unsurlar göze çarpmaktadır. Esas itibarıyla Mevlevi olan ve döneminde etkili Kadirilik, Rıfailik gibi tarikatlara da sempati duyduğu bilinen şairenin divanı, bu konuda elimize geniş bir malzeme sunmaktadır.  Şeref Hanım’ın söz konusu içeriği şiirlerinde dile getirirken kullandığı içten, samimi, yürekli ve gür sesli ifade biçimi ayrıca dikkat çekicidir. Çalışmamızda Şeref Hanım’ın şiirlerinde tespit ettiğimiz dinî-tasavvufî unsurları, motifleri, şahsiyetleri ve bunların ele alınış biçimlerini incelemeyi amaçladık. Bu vesileyle Klasik Türk edebiyatının beslendiği temel kaynakların başında gelen din ve tasavvuf olgusunun bir kadın divan şairinin eserindeki izdüşümünü açıklığa kavuşturmayı hedefledik.
Efekt przetrwania i premia za przetrwanie na przykładzie stóp zwrotu polskich funduszy inwestycyjnych otwartych
Authors: Trzebiński Artur A.
Published: December 2016

Istotą efektu przetrwania jest różnica między stopami zwrotu portfela złożonego z funduszy aktywnych i portfela obejmującego wszystkie fundusze z danego okresu. W literaturze efekt przetrwania wskazywany jest jako jeden z błędów metodologicznych, który może wpływać na wyniki i wnioski z badań nad dochodowością i efektywnością funduszy inwestycyjnych. W artykule przeprowadzono badanie, którego celem było określenie wysokości efektu przetrwania dla polskich funduszy inwestycyjnych otwartych w latach 2005-2015. Analizę przeprowadzono w okresach rocznych, przyjmując dwa różne podejścia do funduszy aktywnych (działające przez całe podokresy badadawcze i na ich koniec) oraz zwrócono uwagę na czynniki, które mogą wpływać na wysokość efektu przetrwania. Na podstawie uzyskanych wyników można stwierdzić, że efekt przetrwania powinien być uwzględniany głównie w badaniach obejmujących fundusze akcyjne. Natomiast kluczowym czynnikiem wpływającym na wysokość efektu przetrwania nie okazało się likwidowanie funduszy, ale zmienianie przez zarządzających strategii inwestycyjnych i łączenie z innymi funduszami.
Mary Douglas "Jak myślą instytucje" – między racjonalnością ekonomiczną i socjologicznym determinizmem
Authors: Ząbkowicz Anna
Published: December 2016

Recenzowana książka to kwintesencja dorobku znanej uczonej, który obejmuje zagadnienia ekonomii, socjologii, antropologii i filozofii. Artykuł recenzyjny zwraca uwagę szczególnie na te teoretyczne zagadnienia, które interesują socjologów, ekonomistów i prawników. To zagadnienia przyczyn zbiorowego działania, trwałości instytucjonalnych ram wyboru oraz względności pojęcia sprawiedliwości.
Oszustwo podatkowe a przestępstwo oszustwa w prawie polskim i niemieckim
Authors: Sepioło-Jankowska Iwona
Published: December 2016

Artykuł dotyczy przestępstwa oszustwa podatkowego w niemieckim oraz w polskim prawie karnym. Przestępstwa te należą do nielicznej grupy czynów stanowiących delikty podatkowe, które zagrożone są karą kryminalną w ustawodawstwie niemieckim. W niemieckim porządku prawnym bowiem ustawodawca zdecydował się na kryminalizację tego obszaru patologii jedynie w wąskim zakresie, w przeciwieństwie do naszego rozwiązania, w którym funkcjonuje odrębna ustawa karna penalizująca kilkadziesiąt naruszeń dotyczących finansów publicznych. Przedmiotem rozważań jest ustalenie, w jakim zakresie znamiona przestępstwa oszustwa podatkowego z Kodeksu karnego skarbowego oraz niemieckiej Ordynacji podatkowej pokrywają się ze znamionami klasycznego przestępstwa oszustwa, określonego w polskim oraz niemieckim Kodeksie karnym, a także jakie wynikają z tego konsekwencje.
Umowa o udostępnienie skrytki bankowej w prawie niemieckim
Authors: Budzinowska Marta
Published: December 2016

Rozważania zawierają analizę najważniejszych elementów umowy sejfowej w prawie niemieckim, że szczególnym uwzględnieniem jej charakteru prawnego. Do podstawowych obowiązków banku należy umożliwienie klientowi dostępu do skrytki w godzinach pracy banku oraz zapewnienie ochrony samej skrytce. Natomiast do podstawowych obowiązków klienta należy uiszczanie czynszu. Z kolei do najważniejszych uprawnień banku zalicza się możliwość rozwiązania umowy bez zachowania terminów wypowiedzenia, klient zaś ma prawo używać skrytki w godzinach pracy banku. W literaturze z największą aprobatą spotkała się koncepcja, według której umowa o udostępnienie skrytki sejfowej ma charakter umowy najmu. W podsumowaniu autorka stwierdza m.in., że określenie charakteru prawnego umowy sejfowej ściśle związane jest z funkcją, jaką przypisuje się tej umowie. Jeśli przyjmuje się, że podstawowe znaczenie w umowie sejfowej ma obowiązek banku polegający na udostępnieniu klientowi skrytki, to wówczas umowa ta bliska jest umowie najmu i tak może zostać zakwalifikowana. Gdyby natomiast stwierdzić, że podstawową funkcją, a co za tym idzie ‒ także najważniejszym obowiązkiem banku jest zapewnienie pieczy nad skrytką, to wówczas ciężar omawianej kwalifikacji przesuwa się w kierunku umowy przechowania.
Analysis and Design of a Linear Digital Programmable Gain Amplifier in a 0.13 µm SiGe BiCMOS technology
Authors: Du Xuan-Quang , Knobloch Anselm , Grözing Markus , Buck Matthias , Berroth Manfred
Published: December 2016

This paper presents the analysis and the design of a fully-differential digital programmable gain amplifier (PGA) in a 0.13 µm BiCMOS technology. The PGA has a gain control range of 31 dB with 1 dB gain step size and consumes 284 mW from a 3.6 V power supply. At a maximum gain of 25 dB, the PGA exhibits a 3-dB bandwidth of 10.1 GHz. The measured gain error for all 32 possible gain settings is between –0.19/+0.46 dB at 1 GHz. Up to 13 GHz the third harmonic distortion
Stability and aggregation propensity do not fully account for the association of various germline variable domain gene segments with light chain amyloidosis
Authors: Garay Sánchez Sergio A. , Rodríguez Álvarez Francisco Javier , Zavala-Padilla Guadalupe , Mejia-Cristobal Luz María , Cruz-Rangel Armando , Costas Miguel , Fernández Velasco D. Alejandro , Melendez-Zajgla Jorge , del Pozo-Yauner Luis
Published: December 2016

Variable domain (VL) gene segments exhibit variable tendencies to be associated with light chain amyloidosis (AL). While few of them are very frequent in AL and give rise to most of the amyloidogenic light chains compiled at the sequence databases, other are rarely found among the AL cases. To analyze to which extent these tendencies depend on folding stability and aggregation propensity of the germline VL protein, we characterized VL proteins encoded by four AL-associated germline gene segments and one not associated to AL. We found that the AL-associated germline rVL proteins differ widely in conformational stability and propensity to in vitro amyloid aggregation. While in vitro the amyloid formation kinetics of these proteins correlate well with their folding stabilities, the folding stability does not clearly correlate with their germline’s frequencies in AL. We conclude that the association of the VL genes segments to amyloidosis is not determined solely by the folding stability and aggregation propensity of the germline VL protein. Other factors, such as the frequencies of destabilizing mutations and susceptibility to proteolysis, must play a role in determining the light chain amyloidogenicity.
Plasmin(ogen) serves as a favorable biomarker for prediction of survival in advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer
Authors: Zhao Shuo , Dorn Julia , Napieralski Rudolf , Walch Axel , Diersch Sandra , Kotzsch Matthias , Ahmed Nancy , Hooper John D. , Kiechle Marion , Schmitt Manfred , Magdolen Viktor
Published: December 2016

In serous ovarian cancer, the clinical relevance of tumor cell-expressed plasmin(ogen) (PLG) has not yet been evaluated. Due to its proteolytic activity, plasmin supports tumorigenesis, however, angiostatin(-like) fragments, derived from PLG, can also function as potent anti-tumorigenic factors. In the present study, we assessed PLG protein expression in 103 cases of advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer (FIGO III/IV) by immunohistochemistry (IHC). In 70/103 cases, positive staining of tumor cells was observed. In univariate Cox regression analysis, PLG staining was positively associated with prolonged overall survival (OS) [hazard ratio (HR)=0.59, p=0.026] of the patients. In multivariable analysis, PLG, together with residual tumor mass, remained a statistically significant independent prognostic marker (HR=0.49, p=0.009). In another small patient cohort (n=29), we assessed mRNA expression levels of PLG by quantitative PCR. Here, elevated PLG mRNA levels were also significantly associated with prolonged OS of patients (Kaplan-Meier analysis; p=0.001). This finding was validated by in silico analysis of a microarray data set (n=398) from The Cancer Genome Atlas (Kaplan-Meier analysis; p=0.031). In summary, these data indicate that elevated PLG expression represents a favorable prognostic biomarker in advanced (FIGO III/IV) high-grade serous ovarian cancer.
Robot-assisted post-stroke motion rehabilitation in upper extremities: a survey
Authors: Huang Xianwei , Naghdy Fazel , Naghdy Golshah , Du Haiping , Todd Catherine
Published: December 2016

Recent neurological research indicates that the impaired motor skills of post-stroke patients can be enhanced and possibly restored through task-oriented repetitive training. This is due to neuroplasticity – the ability of the brain to change through adulthood. Various rehabilitation processes have been developed to take advantage of neuroplasticity to retrain neural pathways and restore or improve motor skills lost as a result of stroke or spinal cord injuries (SCI). Research in this area over the last few decades has resulted in a better understanding of the dynamics of rehabilitation in post-stroke patients and development of auxiliary devices and tools to induce repeated targeted body movements. With the growing number of stroke rehabilitation therapies, the application of robotics within the rehabilitation process has received much attention. As such, numerous mechanical and robot-assisted upper limb and hand function training devices have been proposed. A systematic review of robotic-assisted upper extremity (UE) motion rehabilitation therapies was carried out in this study. The strengths and limitations of each method and its effectiveness in arm and hand function recovery were evaluated. The study provides a comparative analysis of the latest developments and trends in this field, and assists in identifying research gaps and potential future work.
The learning curve of laparoscopic holecystectomy in general surgery resident training: old age of the patient may be a risk factor?
Authors: Ferrarese Alessia , Gentile Valentina , Bindi Marco , Rivelli Matteo , Cumbo Jacopo , Solej Mario , Enrico Stefano , Martino Valter
Published: December 2016

A well-designed learning curve is essential for the acquisition of laparoscopic skills: but, are there risk factors that can derail the surgical method? From a review of the current literature on the learning curve in laparoscopic surgery, we identified learning curve components in video laparoscopic cholecystectomy; we suggest a learning curve model that can be applied to assess the progress of general surgical residents as they learn and master the stages of video laparoscopic cholecystectomy regardless of type of patient.

Electronic databases were interrogated to better define the terms “surgeon”, “specialized surgeon”, and “specialist surgeon”; we surveyed the literature on surgical residency programs outside Italy to identify learning curve components, influential factors, the importance of tutoring, and the role of reference centers in residency education in surgery. From the definition of acceptable error, self-efficacy, and error classification, we devised a learning curve model that may be applied to training surgical residents in video laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Based on the criteria culled from the literature, the three surgeon categories (general, specialized, and specialist) are distinguished by years of experience, case volume, and error rate; the patients were distinguished for years and characteristics. The training model was constructed as a series of key learning steps in video laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Potential errors were identified and the difficulty of each step was graded using operation-specific characteristics. On completion of each procedure, error checklist scores on procedure-specific performance are tallied to track the learning curve and obtain performance indices of measurement that chart the trainee’s progress.

Conclusions. The concept of the learning curve in general surgery is disputed. The use of learning steps may enable the resident surgical trainee to acquire video laparoscopic cholecystectomy skills proportional to the instructor’s ability, the trainee’s own skills, and the safety of the surgical environment. There were no patient characteristics that can derail the methods. With this training scheme, resident trainees may be provided the opportunity to develop their intrinsic capabilities without the loss of basic technical skills.
Anomalous forward scattering of gain-assisted dielectric shell-coated metallic core spherical particles
Authors: Shen Fei , An Ning , Tao Yifei , Zhou Hongping , Jiang Zhaoneng , Guo Zhongyi
Published: December 2016

We have investigated the scattering properties of an individual core-shell nanoparticle using the Mie theory, which can be tuned to support both electric and magnetic modes simultaneously. In general, the suppression of forward scattering can be realized by the second Kerker condition. Here, a novel mechanism has to be adopted to explain zero-forward scattering, which originates from the complex interactions between dipolar and quadrupolar modes. However, for lossy and lossless core-shell spherical nanoparticles, zero-forward scattering can never be achieved because the real parts of Mie expansion coefficients are always positive. By adding proper gain in dielectric shell, zero-forward scattering can be found at certain incident wavelengths, which means that all electric and magnetic responses in Mie scattering can be counteracted totally in the forward direction. In addition, if the absolute values of dipolar and quadrupolar terms are in the same order of magnitude, the local scattering minimum and maximum can be produced away from the forward and backward directions due to the interacting effect between the dipolar and quadrupolar terms. Furthermore, by adding suitable gain in shell, super-forward scattering can also be realized at certain incident wavelengths. We also demonstrated that anomalously weak scattering or superscattering could be obtained for the core-shell nanoparticles with suitable gain in shell. In particular, for such a choice of suitable gain in shell, we can obtain zero-forward scattering and anomalously weak scattering at the same wavelength as well as super-forward scattering at another wavelength. These features may provide new opportunities for cloaking, plasmonic lasers, optical antennas, and so on.
Synthesis of Group B Streptococcus type III polysaccharide fragments for evaluation of their interactions with monoclonal antibodies
Authors: Cattaneo Vittorio , Carboni Filippo , Oldrini Davide , Ricco Riccardo De , Donadio Nunzio , Ros Immaculada Margarit Y , Berti Francesco , Adamo Roberto
Published: December 2016

Group B Streptococcus type III (GBSIII) is the most relevant serotype among GBS strains causing infections and the potential of its capsular polysaccharide conjugated to a protein carrier as vaccine is well documented. Polysaccharide from GBSIII (PSIII) can form helical structures in solution where negatively charged sialic acid residues would be disposed externally providing stabilization to the helix. A peculiar high affinity to specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has been reported for PSIII, and fragments of diverse size bind to mAbs in a length dependent manner. These data have been rationalized in terms of conformational epitopes that would be formed by fragments with >4 saccharidic repeating units. Saturation Transfer Difference NMR experiments have demonstrated that the sialic acid residue is not involved in antibody recognition. However the molecular basis of the interaction between PSIII and mAbs has not been fully elucidated. An important prerequisite to achieve this would be the availability of the three possible sugar sequences representing the pentasaccharide PSIII repeating unit. Herein we established a [2+3] convergent approach leading to these three pentasaccharides (1–3) with the end terminal sugar bearing a linker for possible conjugation. The PSIII fragments were coupled to the genetically detoxified diphtheria toxin CRM197 to prove by ELISA that the three pentasaccharides are recognized by polyclonal anti-PSIII serum. The presence of the branching formed by a Glc residue β-(1→6) linked to GlcNAc was proven an important motif for antibody recognition.
Stem cell culture on polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels having different elasticity and immobilized with ECM-derived oligopeptides
Authors: Muduli Saradaprasan , Chen Li-Hua , Li Meng-Pei , Heish Zhao-wen , Liu Cheng-Hui , Kumar Suresh , Alarfaj Abdullah A. , Munusamy Murugan A. , Benelli Giovanni , Murugan Kadarkarai , Wang Han-Chow , Chen Da-Chung , Hsu Shih-Tien , Chang Shih-Chang , Higuchi Akon
Published: December 2016

The physical characteristics of cell culture materials, such as their elasticity, affect stem cell fate with respect to cell proliferation and differentiation. We systematically investigated the morphologies and characteristics of several stem cell types, including human amniotic-derived stem cells, human hematopoietic stem cells, human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, and embryonic stem (ES) cells on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels immobilized with and without extracellular matrix-derived oligopeptide. Human ES cells did not adhere well to soft PVA hydrogels immobilized with oligovitronectin, whereas they did adhere well to PVA hydrogel dishes with elasticities greater than 15 kPa. These results indicate that biomaterials such as PVA hydrogels should be designed to possess minimum elasticity to facilitate human ES cell attachment. PVA hydrogels immobilized with and without extracellular matrix-derived oligopeptides are excellent candidates of cell culture biomaterials for investigations into how cell culture biomaterial elasticity affects stem cell culture and differentiation.
A medium-centered model of communication
Authors: Elleström Lars
Published: December 2016

The aim of this article is to form a new communication model, which is centered on the intermediate stage of communication, here called medium. The model is intended to be irreducible, to highlight the essential communication entities and their interrelations, and potentially to cover all conceivable kinds of communication of meaning. It is designed to clearly account for both verbal and nonverbal meaning, the different roles played by minds and bodies in communication, and the relation between presemiotic and semiotic media features. As a result, the model also pinpoints fundamental obstacles for communication located in media products themselves, and demonstrates how Shannon’s model of transmission of computable data can be incorporated in a model of human communication of meaning.
Kultursensibler Umgang mit religiösen Klienten in der Psychotherapie
Authors: Freund Henning
Published: December 2016

Nach Clifford Geertz (1987) können Religionen auch als kulturelle Systeme betrachtet werden. So können Modelle und Interventionen aus der transkulturellen Psychologie für einen kultursensiblen Umgang mit religiösen Klienten in der Psychotherapie hilfreich sein. Eine Würdigung von deren unterschiedlichen kulturellen Selbstkonfigurationen (Kirmeyer 2007) und Akkulturationsstrategien (Berry 1997) erleichtert therapeutische Prozesse. Als wichtige kultursensible Kompetenz wird der selbstreflektierte und unsicherheitstolerierende Umgang des Therapeuten mit unvertrauten religiösen Welten diskutiert und anhand von drei Behandlungsbeispielen im Rahmen (sub-)kultureller Religionsgemeinschaften illustriert.
First Principle DFT Study of Electric Field Effects on the Characteristics of Bilayer Graphene
Authors: Sabzyan Hassan , Sadeghpour Narges
Published: December 2016

First principle density functional theory methods, local density and Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof generalized gradient approximations with Goedecker pseudopotential (LDA-G & PBE-G), are used to study the electric field effects on the binding energy and atomic charges of bilayer graphene (BLG) at the Γ point of the Brillouin zone based on two types of unit cells (α and β) containing n
C=8–32 carbon atoms. Results show that application of electric fields of 4–24 V/nm strengths reduces the binding energies and induces charge transfer between the two layers. The transferred charge increases almost linearly with the strength of the electric field for all sizes of the two types of unit cells. Furthermore, the charge transfer calculated with the α-type unit cells is more sensitive to the electric field strength. The calculated field-dependent contour plots of the differential charge densities of the two layers show details of charge density redistribution under the influence of the electric field.
Multimedia as a Tool of Patriotic Education of Students
Authors: Vasianovych Hryhoriy
Published: December 2016

The article analyzes the problem of patriotic education of students by means ofmultimedia in a class-room environment. The author pays the main attention to both the creationof didactic materials for social and human sciences and the use of the interactive whiteboard in theeducational process. Using these means, it is important for teachers to define the theme and thepurposes of a lesson, to carry out structural and block distribution of the material and to outlinethe dynamics of its presentations as well as to prepare recommendations for self-study, questionsfor control and self-control etc. It is stressed that the principle of training interactivity is animportant means of patriotic education of students
A Healthy Lifestyle in the Opinion of Junior High School Students From Myślenice District (Poland)
Authors: Mazur Piotr , Łętocha Monika
Published: December 2016

Diseases of the twenty-first century contribute significantly to the deterioration of thequality of human life and shorten its length. A healthy lifestyle is to ensure optimal health andminimise the risk of contemporary diseases of civilization. The aim of the article is to present theopinions on healthy lifestyle of the junior high school students from Myślenice district in Poland
Educational Model of a Modern Student: European Scope
Authors: Budnyk Olena
Published: December 2016

The paper presents the results of the research of educational ideals in a philosophicalcontext. The essence of the educational ideal is shown in interrelations of the categories“opportunity” and “reality”, “concrete” and “abstract”, “content” and “form”, “cause” and“effect”, “freedom” and “necessity”. The author emphasizes the need to reorient moderneducational process on universal values for successful integration. Much attention is paid tonational educational ideal of a personality. The necessity of taking into account the pedagogicalwork of the teacher ideological, political, ethnic, religious, racial differences among students, atolerant attitude to their philosophical ideas and beliefs. The research deals with the need to focuson joint counteraction to extremism and terrorism
Improving the Identification of Phenotypic Abnormalities and Sexual Dimorphism in Mice When Studying Rare Event Categorical Characteristics
Authors: Karp Natasha A , Heller Ruth , Yaacoby Shay , White Jacqueline K , Benjamini Yoav
Published: December 2016

Biological research frequently involves the study of phenotyping data. Many of these studies focus on rare event categorical data, and functional genomics studies typically study the presence or absence of an abnormal phenotype. With the growing interest in the role of sex, there is a need to assess the phenotype for sexual dimorphism. The identification of abnormal phenotypes for downstream research is challenged by the small sample size, the rare event nature, and the multiple testing problem, as many variables are monitored simultaneously. Here, we develop a statistical pipeline to assess statistical and biological significance while managing the multiple testing problem. We propose a two-step pipeline to initially assess for a treatment effect, in our case example genotype, and then test for an interaction with sex. We compare multiple statistical methods and use simulations to investigate the control of the type-one error rate and power. To maximize the power while addressing the multiple testing issue, we implement filters to remove data sets where the hypotheses to be tested cannot achieve significance. A motivating case study utilizing a large scale high-throughput mouse phenotyping data set from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute Mouse Genetics Project, where the treatment is a gene ablation, demonstrates the benefits of the new pipeline on the downstream biological calls.
Saussure: leitor de Platão
Authors: Rocha Thomas
Published: December 2016

Neste trabalho, propomo-nos a fazer um estudo que coloca em relação a teoria da alteridade, elaborada por Platão no diálogo Sofista, e a teoria do valor linguístico apresentada no Curso de linguística geral (CLG) de Ferdinand de Saussure. Partimos da hipótese levantada por Oswald Ducrot de que, ao desenvolver a noção de valor linguístico, Saussure aplica ao estudo da linguagem o que Platão disse sobre as Ideias. Profundo conhecedor da filosofia clássica, Ducrot encontrou, na teoria do valor linguístico, a fundamentação que o lançou na pesquisa linguística e que hoje conhecemos pelo nome de Semântica Argumentativa. Segundo Ducrot, na teoria da alteridade concebida por Platão encontramos a origem filosófica da teoria saussuriana do valor. Nossa intenção é, partindo de um estudo minucioso do diálogo Sofista e do CLG, circunscrever a concepção de diferentes conceitos que, por sua vez, pertencem a diferentes campos do conhecimento: a filosofia e a linguística. Dessa forma, é de uma perspectiva epistemológica que nos colocamos. Foi através desses textos que Ducrot pode relacionar a ideia de alteridade com a noção de valor, ao encontrar, em ambas, a ideia de “oposição” como constitutiva das entidades a serem analisadas. De modo que, ao investigar e aprofundar a noção de valor, tentamos explicitar as influências filosóficas que fundamentaram o conceito desenvolvido pelo linguista genebrino.
A dialética nos escritos do círculo de Bakhtin
Authors: Cardoso Daniela
Published: December 2016

Este estudo realiza um cotejamento dos escritos do Círculo de Bakhtin acerca da linguagem com os pressupostos do materialismo dialético apresentados por Marx e Engels, especificamente, nas obras Ideologia alemã e nos Manuscritos econômico-filosóficos. Com isso, reconhece-se o caráter dialético-materialista das propostas conceituais do Círculo de Bakhtin para definir a linguagem. Entende-se que, na linguagem, há uma relação de influência recíproca entre a alteridade, a dialogicidade e a ideologia, conformadas no enunciado concreto e, em última instância, no gênero discursivo. Assim, o texto evidencia que as elaborações do Círculo acerca do fenômeno linguístico são manifestações de uma concepção dialético-materialista da realidade/objeto investigado.
Diálogos em multilinguismo: uma discussão sobre as pesquisas realizadas no labico/ufrgs
Authors: Finger Ingrid , Alves Ubiratã Kickhöfel , Fontes Ana Beatriz Arêas da Luz , Preuss Elena Ortiz
Published: December 2016

A partir de uma visão de multilinguismo como um dilema intercultural, cujas características podem ser mais bem elucidadas a partir da condução de estudos interdisciplinares, este artigo tem como objetivo exemplificar de que forma o diálogo entre as várias áreas da Linguística e os diferentes campos do conhecimento enriquecem os estudos desenvolvidos no âmbito do LABICO/UFRGS. São apresentadas pesquisas sobre acesso lexical bilíngue, produção de fala bilíngue e percepção e produção de sons em língua estrangeira, com vistas a demonstrar de que forma uma atitude interdisciplinar contribui para ampliar o entendimento da natureza do processo de aquisição e uso da linguagem por indivíduos multilíngues, fomentando o debate sobre definições, teorias e metodologias que possam elucidar esse fenômeno tão complexo que é o multilinguismo.
Discurso-cognição-sociedade: estado atual e perspectivas da abordagem sociocognitiva do discurso
Authors: Van Dijk Teun A.
Published: December 2016

Este artigo apresenta o estado da arte da abordagem sociocognitiva nos Estudos do Discurso. A teoria relaciona estruturas do discurso com interação social e estrutura social por meio de uma interface sociocognitiva, baseada no argumento de que estruturas discursivas e estruturas sociais diferem quanto à natureza e não podem ser diretamente relacionadas. A teoria cognitiva consiste, por um lado, de uma dimensão pessoal de modelos mentais pessoais (i) dos eventos sobre os quais se fala ou se escreve, e (ii) da própria situação comunicativa (modelos contextuais), e por outro de uma dimensão social que consiste de crenças, conhecimento, atitudes e ideologias socialmente compartilhadas – que controlam os modelos mentais pessoais, e indiretamente todo discurso. Dessa forma, somos capazes de descrever explicitamente como os discursos estão envolvidos na reprodução de problemas sociais como o racismo e o sexismo. Além disso, a análise cognitiva também descreve e explica vários aspectos do próprio discurso, tais como todas as estruturas discursivas baseadas no conhecimento (coerência semântica local e global, evidências etc.) e na ideologia (a polarização de diferentes estruturas discursivas relacionadas a Nós [endogrupo] e Eles [exogrupo]).
Cognitive-behavioral and attachment interventions in the transdiagnostic treatment of bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder
Authors: Szalai Tamás Dömötör
Published: December 2016

Background

The transdiagnostic model of eating disorders provides an evidence-based cognitive-behavioral treatment approach, emphasizing the maintaining factors of low selfesteem, perfectionism, mood intolerance and interpersonal difficulties. Although attachment quality is associated with these factors, there is no treatment model focusing on both attachment-related and cognitive-behavioral maintaining factors of the symptoms.

Aims

The aim was to construct and test a multilevel treatment model, which integrates attachment interventions into the transdiagnostic treatment of eating disorders.

Methods

Relevant aspects of attachment functioning were joined together with the four cognitive-behavioral maintaining factors of the symptoms, and attachment interventions were incorporated into an extended transdiagnostic treatment of a bulimia nervosa and a binge eating disorder patient.

Results

Attachment domains could be integrated into the transdiagnostic model of eating disorders at both the case conceptualization and treatment level. The improvement of attachment functioning was related to treatment outcomes at a one month follow-up.

Conclusions

When attachment dysfunctions contribute to precipitating or maintaining mechanisms of eating disorder symptoms a multilevel treatment targeting both the relevant aspects of attachment and cognitive-behavioral functioning can be suggested. Randomized controlled studies with different intervention groups are required to confirm the result of these case studies.