bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE FLUCTUATIONS ON BALI TOURISM SECTOR
Authors: Nugroho Ignatius Adhi , Gunawan Stephanie , Awirya Agni Alam , Nurman Putriana
Published: October 2017

Trade, hotel, and restaurant sector which represents tourism sector is the biggest contributor for Bali economy sector. It accounts for more than 30% of Bali income. Most of the income comes from foreign tourists’ expenditure which accounts for more than half of the local tourists’ with the foreign tourists’ arrival of 36% more of the locals’. The fact therefore underlines the importance of foreign tourist growth observation due to its significance for Bali economy. This research aims at estimating the change of tourists’ arrival because of the fluctuation of rupiah (depreciation and appreciation) which allegedly thought as one of the underlying factors affecting the number of tourists’ arrival. This research also aims at analyzing the sensitivity of foreign tourists’ to the change of traveling cost and at analyzing the tourists’ destination shift should there be any change of traveling cost and also at analyzing the characteristics of the foreign tourists affected by the exchange rate fluctuations. Event studies shows that exchange rate fluctuation does not affect foreign tourists’ decision on coming to Bali. This is due to the fact that foreign tourists’ arrival escalates regardless the exchange rate fluctuation (depreciation and appreciation). Meanwhile, descriptive analysis shows that only minority of foreign tourists are affected by exchange rate fluctuations with underlying characteristic of the country of origin. Moreover, despite the rise of traveling cost to Bali, more than 50% respondents choose to travel to Bali and although there is a change of destination, more than 30% respondents choose other Asian countries as a replacement. It is also revealed that the older the tourists, the less the effect of exchange rate fluctuation on their decision to visit Bali.
HOW FOOD CONSUMPTION PATTERN AND DIETARY DIVERSITY INFLUENCE FOOD SECURITY: EVIDENCE FROM DI YOGYAKARTA AND EAST NUSA TENGGARA
Authors: Firdaus Nur , Cahyono Bintang Dwitya
Published: October 2017

Food is an essential need and its role is prominent to human life. In addition, food may have a positive contribution to develop human resources. According to Food Security Agency (Badan Ketahanan Pangan/ BKP), food consumption pattern should meet nutrition standards and follow desirable dietary pattern (Pola Pangan Harapan/ PPH). PPH indicates an overview of food that is consumed by people whether its contains good nutrient or not. This study aims to analyze food consumption pattern and dietary diversity in DI Yogyakarta and East  Nusa Tenggara; and how they influence food security. The household data survey (Susenas) 2014 showed that PPH scores for DI Yogyakarta is higher than East Nusa Tenggara. From these scores, DI Yogyakarta has better food consumption pattern and leads to diverse food; in contrast, food consumption in East Nusa Tenggara has not lead to a healthy pattern. In DI Yogyakarta, people have been diversifying their consumption in accordance with the concept of PPH. This means that people have realized to meet their nutrition by consuming nutritious foods and help them not only to achieve food security but also nutrition security. Moreover, people have used local-based food to be consumed so that they do not depend on their current food. Whilst, in East Nusa Tenggara, people tend to meet their needs regardless their food has good nutrition or not. In addition, dietary diversity or PPH is influenced by some factors, such as education, family size, age of the household head, and expenditure. These results confirm that diverse consumption pattern showed high food security and those factors should be concerned to improve the quality of food consumption. 
Síndrome de abstinencia neonatal
Authors: Zapata Diaz Juan Pablo , Rendón Fonnegra Julián , Berrouet Marie Claire
Published: October 2017

Introducción El uso de sustancias de abuso es una problemática creciente en la población mundial, siendo el principal factor de riesgo para que se presente el síndrome de abstinencia neonatal (SAN), una enfermedad que genera grandes retos en la práctica clínica.

Objetivo Identificar en la literatura existente aspectos clave sobre el síndrome de abstinencia neonatal, que permitan afianzar el conocimiento sobre el tema y así poder generar bases sólidas para la práctica clínica de neonatólogos, pediatras y personal de la salud en general.

Materiales y métodos Para esta revisión, se realizó una búsqueda sistemática de la literatura publicada entre 1975 y 2016 que tratara sobre el síndrome de abstinencia neonatal, su epidemiología, manifestaciones clínicas, diagnóstico y tratamiento; así como de información complementaria extraída de textos publicados por la Oficina de las Naciones Unidas Contra la Droga y el Delito (UNODC), la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (PAHO), los ministerios de Salud y Justicia de Colombia y el Observatorio de Drogas de Colombia (ODC). Para la búsqueda de estudios clínicos, reportes de caso, artículos de revisión y artículos de opinión tanto en inglés como en español, las bases de datos utilizadas fueron: Librería Nacional de Medicina de Estados Unidos (Pubmed/Medline), SciELO, Lilacs, ClinicalKey y UpToDate.

Conclusiones El síndrome de abstinencia neonatal es una complicación frecuente en hijos de madres consumidoras de sustancias de abuso, por lo que debe ser sospechar en hijos de madres consumidoras o con síntomas,  manejado con medidas no  farmacológicas  con los medicamentos adecuados  y buscando intervenir a la  madre
Genetic Factors Associated with Risk and Disability Progression of Multiple Sclerosis in Slovak Population
Authors: Hanysova Sandra , Cierny D. , Kurca E. , Lehotsky J.
Published: October 2017

Objective: The aim of our study was to determine the relation of particular genetic variants in selected genes (GSTM1, GSTT1 null genotypes; rs1695 GSTP1; rs10735781 EVI5) to the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) development and find out the possible association with disease disability progression rate. Material and methods: Our study included 202 MS patients and 174 healthy control volunteers. MS patients were divided according to disability progression rate to three groups - slowly progressing, mid-rate progressing and rapidly progressing. All DNA samples were isolated from venous blood. Genotyping was performed by PCR-RFLP and multiplex PCR. Results: Our analysis showed that GSTT1 null genotype (OR 0.56; 95%CI 0.33 -0.95; p=0.04) and GSTM1, GSTT1 double null genotype (OR 0.32; 95%CI 0.14 - 0.74; p=0.006) are potentially protective in relation to MS. We observed similar result in GSTT1 null genotype in association with mid-rate progression (OR 0.48; 95%CI 0.24 - 0.97; p=0.05). Frequency of GSTM1 and GSTT1 double null genotype is significantly lower in subgroup of MS patients with progression rate defined as slow (OR 0.22; 95%CI 0.05 - 0.98; p=0.05) and middle (OR 0.33; 95%CI 0.11 - 0.99; p=0.045). We did not show any significant association of genetic changes rs1695 in GSTP1 and rs10735781 in EVI5 with MS or rate of disease progression. Conclusions: Genetic basis of multiple sclerosis is still not fully elucidated. Further research may clarify our results and confirm the value of studied factors for clinical practice.
Ureteral Stenosis of Transplanted Kidney
Authors: Miklusica J. , Dedinska I. , Palkoci B. , Fialova J. , Osinova D. , Vojtko M. , Laca L.
Published: October 2017

Introduction: Ureteral stenosis is one of the most commonly reported urological complications after kidney transplantation. Material and methods: This is a retrospective analysis of the risk factors for ureteral stenosis (type of donor, age of donor, presence of interior polar arteria, unilateral dual transplantation, diabetes mellitus of the recipient and the donor, BK positivity, child recipient, cold ischaemia time, and delayed graft function), as well as the causes and types of treating ureteral stenoses. Results: In the group of 278 patients, the occurrence was 7.2 %. The medial of occurrence of ureteral stenoses was 24.6 months. The independent risk factor for ureteral stenosis in our group was the age of the donor ≥ 70 years [HR 6.5833; 95 % CI 2.2448-19,3070 (P = 0.0006)], BK positivity [HR 13.6667; 95 % CI 6.9127-27.0196 (P<0.0001)], cold ischaemia time > 1080 min [HR 4.0368; 95 % CI 1.7250-9,4465 (P = 0.0013)], and diabetes mellitus in the donor’s history [HR 16.2667; 95 % CI 7.8629-33.6525 (P <0.0001)]. The most frequent type of treating the ureteral stenosis in our group was retroureteroneocystostomy. After surgical treatment, we recorded no recurrence of stenosis. Conclusion: In our analysis, the confirmed independent risk factor was diabetes mellitus of the donor. However, further monitoring and analyses of large groups of patients are necessary. Surgical treatment of ureteral stenosis is safe. However, the most important momentum in surgical treatment of ureteral stenosis still remains the surgeon´s experience in the given type of treatment.
Stabilization of a certain class of fuzzy control systems with uncertainties
Authors: Taieb Nizar Hadj , Hammami Mohamed Ali , Delmotte François
Published: October 2017

In this paper, we investigate the global uniform practical exponential stability for a class of uncertain Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy systems. The uncertainties are supposed uniformly to be bounded by some known integrable functions to obtain an exponential convergence toward a neighborhood of the origin. Therefore, we use common quadratic Lyapunov function (CQLF) and parallel distributed compensation (PDC) controller techniques to show the global uniform practical exponential stability of the closed-loop system. Numeric simulations are given to validate the proposed approach.
The stratigraphy of the Upper Greensand Formation (Albian, Cretaceous) of the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, UK
Authors: Gallois Ramues , Owen Hugh
Published: October 2017

At its maximum development in the type area on the Devon coast, the Upper Greensand Formation comprises up to 55 m of sandstones and calcarenites with laterally and stratigraphically variable amounts of carbonate cement, glauconite and chert that were deposited in fully marine, shallow-water environments. The formation is divided into three members, in ascending order the Foxmould, Whitecliff Chert and Bindon Sandstone, each of which is bounded by a prominent erosion surface that can be recognised throughout the western part of the Wessex Basin. The full thickness of the formation, up to 60 m, was formerly well exposed in cliffs in the Isle of Purbeck in the steeply dipping limb of the Purbeck Monocline. The upper part of the succession is highly condensed in comparison with the Devon succession and exhibits lateral variations over distances of hundreds of metres that are probably related to penecontemporaneous fault movements. Much of the fauna is not age-diagnostic with the result that the ages of parts of the succession are still poorly known. However, the Isle of Purbeck sections contain diverse ammonite faunas at a few stratigraphically well-defined levels that enable the succession to be correlated with that of east Devon and west Dorset.
A classic Late Frasnian chondrichthyan assemblage from southern Belgium
Authors: Ginter Michał , Gouwy Sofie , Goolaerts Stijn
Published: October 2017

Samples from the Upper Frasnian (Devonian) of Lompret Quarry and Nismes railway section in Dinant Synclinorium, southern Belgium, yielded several chondrichthyan teeth and scales. The teeth belong to three genera: Phoebodus, Cladodoides and Protacrodus. The comparison with selected Late Frasnian chondrichthyan assemblages from the seas between Laurussia and Gondwana revealed substantial local differences of taxonomic composition due to palaeoenvironmental conditions, such as depth, distance to submarine platforms, oxygenation of water, and possibly also temperature. The assemblage from Belgium, with its high frequency of phoebodonts, is the most similar to that from the Ryauzyak section, South Urals, Russia, and the Horse Spring section, Canning Basin, Australia.
The first record record of the comatulid crinoid Sievertsella Radwańska, 2003 and its implications for the Miocene of the Bragança-Viseu Basin, Brazil
Authors: De Castro Manso Cynthia Lara , Souza-Lima Wagner
Published: October 2017

The first record of a comatulid crinoid Sievertsella cf. polonica (Radwańska, 1987), from the Pirabas Formation (Miocene of NE Brazil) is documented. The record points out to a shallow coastal tropical or subtropical paleoecosystem with rocks or reefs in the Miocene from Bragança-Viseu Basin on Brazilian equatorial margin.
Modifications of expression of genes and proteins involved in DNA repair and nitric oxide metabolism by carbatonides [disodium-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydropyridine- 3,5-bis(carbonyloxyacetate) derivatives] in intact and diabetic rats
Authors: Ošiņa Kristīne , Leonova Elina , Isajevs Sergejs , Baumane Larisa , Rostoka Evita , Sjakste Tatjana , Bisenieks Egils , Duburs Gunars , Vīgante Brigita , Sjakste Nikolajs
Published: October 2017

Studies on the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus complications indicate that the compounds reducing free radicals and enhancing DNA repair could be prospective as possible remedies. Carbatonides, the disodium-2,6-dimethyl-1,4- dihydropyridine-3,5-bis(carbonyloxyacetate) derivatives, were tested for these properties. EPR spectroscopy showed that metcarbatone was an effective scavenger of hydroxyl radicals produced in the Fenton reaction, etcarbatone, and propcarbatone were less effective, styrylcarbatone was ineffective. UV/VIS spectroscopy revealed that styrylcarbatone manifested a hyperchromic effect when interacting with DNA, while all other carbatonides showeda hypochromic effect. Rats with streptozotocin induced type 1 DM were treated with metcarbatone, etcarbatone or styrylcarbatone (all compounds at doses 0.05 mg kg-1 or 0.5 mg kg-1) nine days after the DM approval. Gene expression levels in kidneys and blood were evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR; protein expression - immunohistochemically in kidneys, heart, sciatic nerve, and eyes; DNA breakage - by comet assay in nucleated blood cells. Induction of DM induced DNA breaks; metcarbatone and styrylcarbatone (low dose) alleviated this effect. Metcarbatone and etcarbatone up-regulated mRNA and protein of eNOS in kidneys of diabetic animals; etcarbatone also in myocardium. Etcarbatone reduced the expression of increased iNOS protein in myocardium, nerve, and kidneys. iNos gene expression was up-regulated in kidneys by etcarbatone and metcarbatone in diabetic animals. In blood, development of DM increased iNos gene expression; etcarbatone and metcarbatone normalised it. Etcarbatone up-regulated the expression of H2AX in kidneys of diabetic animals but decreased the production of c-PARP1. Taken together, our data indicate that carbatonides might have a potential as drugs intended to treat DM complications.
Toxicity mechanisms of ionic liquids
Authors: Bubalo Marina Cvjetko , Radošević Kristina , Redovniković Ivana Radojčić , Slivac Igor , Srček Višnja Gaurina
Published: October 2017

Over the past three decades a growing awareness of environmental protection prompted the development of so-called green and sustainable technologies. Therefore, academic and wider community intensively explores new chemicals and safer, more energy efficient processes based on a rational compromise between economic, social, and environmental requirements. Due to low volatility and stability, ionic liquids emerged as a potential replacement for traditional volatile and harmful organic solvents. Various studies have been carried out to validate the green character of ionic liquids, whereby data published suggest that these compounds, due to their relatively high toxicity and poor biodegradability, could have an extremely negative impact on the environment. This paper presents the current knowledge on the toxicity of ionic liquids, with a special emphasis on the mechanisms by which this group of compounds causes changes in the morphology and physiology of organisms at different organisational levels of the ecosystem.
Current radiological situation in Slavonski Brod, Croatia: is there a reason for concern?
Authors: Petrinec Branko , Tišma Isabela , Šoštarić Marko , Sovilj Marina Poje , Babić Dinko , Radolić Vanja , Miklavčić Igor , Vuković Branko
Published: October 2017

For years, the town of Slavonski Brod in Croatia has been facing serious problems with air pollution, which is usually attributed to an oil refinery across the Sava River in Bosnia and Herzegovina. While the air quality is being monitored rigorously with regard to nonradioactive matter, no attention has been paid to the possibility of a coincidental radioactive pollution. This study is the first to have addressed this issue. We measured ambient dose rate equivalents at 150 sites and found that none exceeded 120 nSv h-1, while the average was 80 nSv h-1. Gamma-ray spectrometry of the collected river water and soil samples did not reveal any unusual radioactivity either. In other words, we have found no evidence of radioactive pollution that would endanger the health of the residents of Slavonski Brod.
The Czech Painter Božena Jelínková-Jirásková. On the Life and Work on the Periphery of the Male World
Authors: Půtová Barbora
Published: October 2017

The article focuses on the life and work of Božena Jelínková-Jirásková (1880–1951), which are described and interpreted by means of a content analysis of her correspondence and artistic production. It presents the basic phases in the artist’s life and work in terms of the influence of her father, the writer Alois Jirásek, and subsequently her husband, the diplomat and writer Hanuš Jelínek. The study provides a chronological overview of the course of her education, life in Paris, exhibition activities, social contacts and artistic movements that affected her paintings. In this respect, a source of inspiration for the work of Jelínková-Jirásková can mainly be seen in the work of Paul Cézanne and Otakar Kubín, with the latter of whom she maintained long-term contacts. The central motif of their work was a landscape, comprising not only a major theme of her artistic production, but also a form of search for personal identity, internal security and a familiar home. A partial objective of the article is to cover the artistic development of Jelínková-Jirásková from Impressionism to realistic and figural work, her subsequent inclination to Neoclassical landscape painting and eventually a return to Realist painting, the Czech landscape and still lifes. The article presents Jelínková-Jirásková as one of the first Czech professional painters to have achieved recognition in both Czechoslovakia and France.
French Provenance in the Personal Library of the Art Critic and Theorist Karel Teige in the National Museum Library
Authors: Kašparová Jaroslava , Konečná Jana
Published: October 2017

The National Museum Library contains the personal library of an outstanding Czech critic and modern art theorist, Karel Teige. From the 1920s, he was in touch with the founders and important representatives of modern art movements, mostly from France, whose relations and cooperation are i.a. demonstrated by the books donated to him. The article presents several dedications by André Breton, Tristan Tzara, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Le Corbusier and Salvador Dalí.
A Personal Library Screened by the State Security
Authors: Petruželková Alena
Published: October 2017

In November 1951, books, manuscripts and other archivalia were confiscated during house searches in the flats of Karel Teige and Eva Ebertová. The confiscated set of books was considered to be lost until 1994, when it was handed over from the State Archives to the Library of the Museum of Czech Literature. The article presents a fragment of Teige’s library in terms of thematic areas and identified provenances (dedications, glosses and additions, stamps, signatures). Another part of the article analyses Teige’s paper ‘Ten Years of Surrealism’, which was presented at a discussion evening of the Left Front and published in the collection Surrealismus v diskusi [Surrealism in Discussion] (1934), and Teige’s corrections and additions found in a copy from the confiscated collection. In the text, Teige systematically removed morphological and syntactic archaisms as well as filler words. In addition, Teige made numerous formulation changes and additions in many places of the text, especially those dealing with the relation of psychoanalysis and surrealism. In these passages and also in a part of his article on the Kharkiv Resolution, Teige refers to A. Breton, he quotes from the First and Second Manifestos of Surrealism, and he maps the Breton / Aragon conflict within the French group. Because of the frequency of the changes in the text, the article covers only selected changes always representing a certain type. Therefore, it is not a textological article, but it turns the attention of Teigean researchers to a previously unknown version of one of Karel Teige’s key texts of from the 1930s.
Head-Related Transfer Function Selection Using Neural Networks
Authors: Yao Shu-Nung , Collins Tim , Liang Chaoyun
Published: October 2017

In binaural audio systems, for an optimal virtual acoustic space a set of head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) should be used that closely matches the listener’s ones. This study aims to select the most appropriate HRTF dataset from a large database for users without the need for extensive listening tests. Currently, there is no way to reliably reduce the number of datasets to a smaller, more manageable number without risking discarding potentially good matches. A neural network that estimates the appropriateness of HRTF datasets based on input vectors of anthropometric measurements is proposed. The shapes and sizes of listeners’ heads and pinnas were measured using digital photography; the measured anthropometric parameters form the feature vectors used by the neural network. A graphical user interface (GUI) was developed for participants to listen to music transformed using different HRTFs and to evaluate the fitness of each HRTF dataset. The listening scores recorded were the target outputs used to train the neural networks. The aim was to learn a mapping between anthropometric parameters and listener’s perception scores. Experimental validations were performed on 30 subjects. It is demonstrated that the proposed system produces a much more reliable HRTF selection than previously used methods.
Voiceless Stop Consonant Modelling and Synthesis Framework Based on MISO Dynamic System
Authors: Korvel Gražina , Kostek Bożena
Published: October 2017

A voiceless stop consonant phoneme modelling and synthesis framework based on a phoneme modelling in low-frequency range and high-frequency range separately is proposed. The phoneme signal is decomposed into the sums of simpler basic components and described as the output of a linear multiple-input and single-output (MISO) system. The impulse response of each channel is a third order quasi-polynomial. Using this framework, the limit between the frequency ranges is determined. A new limit point searching three-step algorithm is given in this paper. Within this framework, the input of the low-frequency component is equal to one, and the impulse response generates the whole component. The high-frequency component appears when the system is excited by semi-periodic impulses. The filter impulse response of this component model is single period and decays after three periods. Application of the proposed modelling framework for the voiceless stop consonant phoneme has shown that the quality of the model is sufficiently good.
Acoustic Simulation’s Verification of WFI ATHENA Filterwheel Assembly
Authors: Pilch Adam , Kamisinski Tadeusz , Rataj Mirosław , Polak Szymon
Published: October 2017

Ariane 5 rocket produces very high sound pressure levels during launch, what can influence structures located in the fairing. To reduce risk of damage, launch in vacuum conditions is preferred for noise sensitive instruments. In Wide Filed Imager (WFI) project, the main part of the filterwheel assembly is an extremely thin (~240 nm) filter of large area (170×170 mm), very sensitive to noise and vibrations. The aim of this study was to verify numerical calculations results in anechoic measurements. The authors also checked the influence of WFI geometry and sound absorbing material position on sound pressure level (SPL) affecting the filter mounted inside the assembly. Finite element method (FEM) simulations were conducted in order to obtain noise levels in filter position during Ariane 5 rocket launch. The results will be used in designing of WFI filterwheel assembly and endurance of the filter during launch verification.
Prenatal Diagnosis of Clubfoot: A Review of Current Available Methodology
Authors: Faldini Cesare , Fenga Domenico , Sanzarello Ilaria , Nanni Matteo , Traina Francesco , Rosa Michele Attilio A.
Published: October 2017

Background:Clubfoot is one of the most common congenital limb deformities. Prenatal diagnosis of the condition is essential as it can help treat the malformation as early as possible. We reviewed the recent available literature concerning the current methods for prenatal diagnosis of clubfoot.

Methods:The following databases were searched from 1966 to 2015: PubMed, OVID, Cochrane, CINAHL, Google scholar and Embase.

Results:Out of a total number of 197 retrieved articles, after abstract or title page evaluation, 158 articles not matching the inclusion criteria were excluded. The full text versions of the remaining 39 articles were obtained, and their reference lists screened, with the addition of another 5 full-text articles.

Conclusions:Currently, ultrasonography is considered the most reliable method of prenatal diagnosis of clubfoot. Ultrasonographic diagnosis of clubfoot appears more likely between the 18th and the 24th week of pregnancy. Alternative imaging is not indicated. There is no agreement whether to propose foetal karyotyping when isolated clubfoot is diagnosed by prenatal ultrasonography. Early detection of clubfoot should prompt a careful surveillance during pregnancy in order to detect any possible additional abnormalities and, if any of these are detected, invasive testing should be offered.
Optimization of Chitosan Microspheres Spray Drying via 32 Full Factorial Design
Authors: Katsarov Plamen D. , Pilicheva Bissera A. , Manev Hristo M. , Lukova Paolina K. , Kassarova Margarita I.
Published: October 2017

Background:Generally, the preparation of spray-dried microspheres is strongly affected by the process parameters. Particle size and production yield are mainly influenced by the spraying solution concentration and the pump rate of the spray dryer.

Aim:The aim of this study was to assess optimum spray drying parameters - polymer concentration and pump rate required for the production of chitosan microspheres with high production yield and targeted for nasal administration particle size.

Materials and methods:Full 32factorial design was used to study the investigated parameters. Three different concentrations of the chitosan solution were selected: a low concentration of 1%, average concentration of 1.5% and high concentration of 2%. The rate of the peristaltic pump was also varied at three levels: low rate of 10%, medium rate of 14% and high rate of 18%.

Results:Nine models of chitosan microspheres were formulated and characterized in terms of shape, surface morphology, size, particle size distribution and production yield. The particles obtained from 2% chitosan solutions, sprayed at 10% pump rate were of the highest yield (64.33%) and appropriate for nasal administration median diameter (3,434 μm).

Conclusion:The two investigated spray-drying parameters interact with each other and their influence on the production yield and the size of the chitosan microspheres should be evaluated together, instead of one at a time. The assessed process parameters allow the production of chitosan microparticles with high yield and desirable characteristics (size, size distribution and shape) for intranasal delivery.
Discontinuation of Oral Antiplatelet Agents before Dental Extraction - Necessity or Myth?
Authors: Dinkova Atanaska S. , Atanasov Dimitar T. , Vladimirova-Kitova Ludmila G.
Published: October 2017

Background:The risk of excessive bleeding often prompts physicians to interrupt the antiplatelet agents as acetylsalicilyc acid and clopidogrel before dental extractions which puts patients at risk of adverse thrombotic events.

Aim:To assess the bleeding risk during dental extractions in patients with continued antiplatelet therapy.

Materials and methods:The study included 130 patients (64 men and 66 women) aged between 18 and 99 years old. Sixty-eight of the patients received 100 mg acetilsalicilic acid (ASA); these were divided into two groups: 34 patients continued taking ASA and 34 patients stopped it 72 hours before extraction. Sixty-two of the patients were treated with 75 mg clopidogrel; these were also divided into two groups: 31 continued taking clopidogrel and 31 patients stopped it 72 hours before extractions. Extraction was performed under local anaesthesia as no more than 3 teeth per visit were extracted. Local haemostasis with gelatine sponge and/or suturing was used to control bleeding.

Results:Mild bleeding was observed most frequently in the first 30 minutes, successfully managed by local haemostasis. Only 1 patient in the control and 1 in the experimental group receiving ASA reported mild bleeding in the first 24 hours, controlled by compression with gauze. No major haemorrhage requiring emergency or more than local haemostasis occurred. No statistically significant difference in bleeding between two groups was found.

Conclusion:Single and multiple dental extractions in patients receiving acetylsalicylic acid or clopidogrel can be safely performed without discontinuation of the therapy with provided appropriate local haemostasis.
Clinical Laboratory Tests in Some Acute Exogenous Poisonings
Authors: Tufkova Stoilka G. , Yankov Ivan V. , Paskaleva Diana A.
Published: October 2017

Background:There is no specific toxicological screening of clinical laboratory parameters in clinical toxicology when it comes to acute exogenous poisoning.

Aim:To determine routine clinical laboratory parameters and indicators for assessment of vital functions in patients with acute intoxications.

Materials and methods:One hundred and fifty-three patients were included in the present study. They were hospitalized in the Department of Clinical Toxicology at St. George University Hospital, Plovdiv for cerebral toxicity inducing medication (n = 45), alcohol (n = 40), heroin abuse (n = 33). The controls were 35. The laboratory tests were conducted in compliance with the standards of the clinical laboratory. We used the following statistical analyses: analysis of variance (the ucriterion of normal distribution, the Student’s t-test, dispersion analysis based on ANOVA) and non-parametric analysis.

Results and discussion:Based on the routine hematological parameters with statistically significant changes in three groups of poisoning are: red blood cells, hematocrit, hemoglobin (except alcohol intoxication) and leukocytes. We found statistically significant changes in serum total protein, sodium and bilirubin. The highest statistical significance is the increased activity of AST and ALT.

Conclusion:We present a model for selection of clinical laboratory tests for severe acute poisoning with modern equipment under standardized conditions. The results of the study suggest that the clinical laboratory constellation we used can be used as a mandatory element in the diagnosis of moderate and severe intoxication with the mentioned toxic substances.
The dinoponeratoxin peptides from the giant ant Dinoponera quadriceps display in vitro antitrypanosomal activity
Authors: Lima Dânya Bandeira , Mello Clarissa Perdigão , Bandeira Izabel Cristina Justino , Pessoa Bezerra de Menezes Ramon Róseo Paula , Sampaio Tiago Lima , Falcão Cláudio Borges , Morlighem Jean-Étienne R.L. , Rádis-Baptista Gandhi , Martins Alice Maria Costa
Published: October 2017

The crude venom of the giant ant Dinoponera quadriceps is a cocktail of polypeptides and organic compounds that shows antiparasitic effects against Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. In order to investigate the venom-derived components responsible for such antitrypanosomal activity, four dinoponeratoxins (DnTxs) were identified, namely M-PONTX-Dq3a, -Dq3b, -Dq3c and -Dq4e, that are diverse in size, net charge, hydrophobicity and propensity to interact with eukaryote cell membranes. These peptides were tested against epimastigote, trypomastigote and amastigote forms of benznidazole (Bz)-resistant Y strain of T. cruzi and in mammalian host cells. The M-PONTX-Dq3a and -Dq4e inhibited all developmental forms of T. cruzi, including amastigotes, the responsible form for the maintenance of infection on chronic phase of the disease. The M-PONTX-Dq3a showed the highest selectivity index (SI) (80) and caused morphological alterations in T. cruzi, as observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and induced cell death through necrosis, as seen by multiparametric flow cytometry analysis with specific biochemical markers. Altogether, the D. quadriceps venom appears as a source for the prospection of trypanocidal peptides and the M-PONTX-Dq3a arises as a candidate among the dinoponeratoxin-related peptides in the development of compounds against Chagas disease.
Mechanisms, pathophysiological roles and methods for analyzing mitophagy – recent insights
Authors: Williams Jessica A. , Ding Wen-Xing
Published: October 2017

In 2012, we briefly summarized the mechanisms, pathophysiological roles and methods for analyzing mitophagy. As then, the mitophagy field has continued to grow rapidly, and many new molecular mechanisms regulating mitophagy and molecular tools for monitoring mitophagy have been discovered and developed. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to update information regarding these advances in mitophagy while focusing on basic molecular mechanisms of mitophagy in different organisms and its pathophysiological roles. We also discuss the advantage and limitations of current methods to monitor and quantify mitophagy in cultured cells andin vivomouse tissues.
Integrating Evidence-Based Practice into a Lebanese Nursing Baccalaureate Program: Challenges and Successes
Authors: Sukkarieh-Haraty Ola , Hoffart Nancy
Published: October 2017

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is defined as “the conscientious use of current best evidence in making clinical decisions about patient care.” This paper describes how we have developed the evidence-based practice concept and integrated it into two courses at two different levels of the BSN curriculum. Students apply EBP knowledge and process by using the PICO clinical question (Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcome), whereby they observe a selected clinical skill, and then compare their observations to hospital protocol and against the latest evidence-based practice guidelines. The assignment for the second course requires students to pick a more complex clinical skill and to support proposed changes in practice with scholarly literature. Assessment of student learning and course evaluation has shown that the overall experience of integrating EBP projects into the curriculum is fruitful for students, clinical agencies, and faculty.
Traditional sectorsbased on natural resources – a blessing or a curse for less developed regions? A case study of Podlaskie Voivodeship
Authors: Dąbrowska Anna
Published: October 2017

The natural environment, as a source of natural resources, has long been perceived as being a factor in determining the development of many states and regions, especially less developed areas. The main research question in this article is what role is played by natural resources and traditional industry sectors based on natural resources (milk production and tourism), in the process of establishing a competitive advantage for Podlaskie Voivodeship, which is one of the less developed regions in Poland. The results of the research reveal weaknesses that are inherent in earlier ways of thinking about these industries and, at the same time, emphasise the importance of making use of natural resources in an integrated way and combining them with new technologies.
Tolstoyism in the Late-Socialist Cultural Underground: Soviet Youth in Search of Religion, Individual Autonomy and Nonviolence in the 1970s – 1980s
Authors: Gordeeva Irina
Published: October 2017

The 1970s in the Soviet Russia were characterized by religious revival among the members of the Soviet counterculture milieu. The young generation often opted for religious ideas and Tolstoyism served as one such option. The article explores individual cases of coming to Tolstoyism, reading and perception of his ideas, as well as a general historical background of spiritual search of Soviet youth (hippies and others) of the period. The article demonstrates that all countercultural Tolstoyans shared two basic values - personal autonomy and nonviolence. They asserted the ideals of the free and individual search for the truth, of nonviolence, of anti-authoritarian humanism, a quest for a new, spiritual form of community, having nothing to do with obligatory Soviet-type communist, atheist, and materialistic collectivism. The spiritual alternative of the Tolstoyans was directed it not only at the individual, but at society as a whole fully anticipating that society would be improved. The research is based on the wide range of unexplored primary sources (rare samizdat texts and personal archives).
The natural environment as an area of Corporate Social Responsibility
Authors: Wolak-Tuzimek Anna , Tarnawska Joanna , Chmiel Marek
Published: October 2017

Areas of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) have been defined in ISO 26000. Guidelines of the International Standardisation Organisation distinguish seven areas: corporate governance, human rights, labour practices, natural environment, fair operating practices, consumer issues, social commitment and development of local communities. This article presents good practices implemented by enterprises in the individual areas, in particular, actions in the area of the natural environment. Two research hypotheses are posited concerning the rate of implementing good CSR practices and the number of actions in the natural environment area. National Responsible Business Forum research and a survey of a group of enterprises in the Mazovian region, conducted by the authors in 2014–2016, served to verify the hypotheses. The results imply that the number of good practices realised in CSR areas tends to grow. In addition, actions in the area of the natural environment rank third with regard to good practices implemented.
Regulatory function of stress in the process of leukemia patients’ recovery after bone marrow transplantation
Authors: Wrona-Polańska Helena
Published: October 2017

The theoretical rationale was the author’s Functional Model of Health (FMH), where health is construed as a function of creative coping with stress. Participants in the study were 141 patients with blood cancer (80 men and 61 women) treated with bone marrow transplantation at the Hematology Clinic, Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum. Besides a standardized interview the following instruments were used: STAI by Spielberger, CISS and CHIP by Endler and Parker, and SOC-29 by Antonovsky. Health status was operationalized using 10-point self-rating scales to assess the patients’ perceived health and sense of calmness, while their objective health was rated by a medical expert - hematologist. In the statistical analyses significant correlations were found between stress level and the patients’ subjective health (-0.34, p<0.001). The following variables predicted stress intensity: anxious personality (.585), distraction coping strategy (-.202), female sex (.201), and sense of meaningfulness (-.190). Subjective health predictors of leukemia patients are: objective health (β = .413), level of stress (β = -.285), by the patient’s sense of meaningfulness (β = .244) and focusing on negative emotions (β = -.193). To promote patients’ health moreover, their sense of meaningfulness in life and in being active should be supported and enhanced.
Attitudes to professional boundaries among therapists with and without substance abuse history
Authors: Pietkiewicz Igor , Skowrońska-Włoch Karolina
Published: October 2017

There is no empirical research exploring how substance abuse therapists perceive and manage their professional role or privacy boundaries. This study explores their attitudes associated with self-disclosure and dual relationships. Ten therapists, five who had recovered (neophytes) and five who had never been substance dependent, shared their work experiences during semi-structured, in-depth interviews, which have been subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis. While nonneophytes were generally reluctant to share personal information or establish alternative forms of relationship with current or former clients, neophytes were more open to using self-disclosure and admitted changing professional relationships into friendships. These findings are discussed in relation to ethical codes, training and supervision in substance abuse treatment.
An Application of a Stochastic Semi-Continuous Simulation Method for Flood Frequency Analysis: A Case Study in Slovakia
Authors: Valent Peter , Paquet Emmanuel
Published: October 2017

A reliable estimate of extreme flood characteristics has always been an active topic in hydrological research. Over the decades a large number of approaches and their modifications have been proposed and used, with various methods utilizing continuous simulation of catchment runoff, being the subject of the most intensive research in the last decade. In this paper a new and promising stochastic semi-continuous method is used to estimate extreme discharges in two mountainous Slovak catchments of the rivers Váh and Hron, in which snow-melt processes need to be taken into account. The SCHADEX method used, couples a precipitation probabilistic model with a rainfall-runoff model used to both continuously simulate catchment hydrological conditions and to transform generated synthetic rainfall events into corresponding discharges. The stochastic nature of the method means that a wide range of synthetic rainfall events were simulated on various historical catchment conditions, taking into account not only the saturation of soil, but also the amount of snow accumulated in the catchment. The results showed that the SCHADEX extreme discharge estimates with return periods of up to 100 years were comparable to those estimated by statistical approaches. In addition, two reconstructed historical floods with corresponding return periods of 100 and 1000 years were compared to the SCHADEX estimates. The results confirmed the usability of the method for estimating design discharges with a recurrence interval of more than 100 years and its applicability in Slovak conditions.
Reference Across Pathologies: A New Linguistic Lens on Disorders of Thought
Authors: Hinzen Wolfram
Published: October 2017

According to a linguistic tradition here termed ‘Cartesian’, language is relegated to an expressive system considered to provide the means to encode or communicate an independently constituted thought process. An alternative vision here termed ‘un-Cartesian’ regards language as an organizational principle of human-specific thought, with the implication that thought of the same type would not become available to a cognitive system without language and that clinical thought disturbances implicate language dysfunction. I here explore the latter view in the context of intra-species variation of the human cognitive type: cognitive disorders that, as in the case of autism and schizophrenia, come with language-related clinical symptoms. If language is the configurator of human-specific thought, cognitive and linguistic phenotypes should illuminate one another. I specifically review evidence for impairment in one universal linguistic function, namely reference. Linguistic meaning is referential meaning: we cannot utter sentences without referring to persons, objects, and events, based on lexicalized concepts that provide descriptions of these referents. Reference in this sense takes a number of human-specific forms, from generic to specific, deictic and personal ones, which empirically co-vary with forms of grammatical organization. As reference in some of these forms proves to be highly vulnerable across major mental disorders, grammar is thereby linked to forms of thought and selfhood critical to normal cognitive functioning. In this way clinical linguistic and cognitive diversity provides an important new window into the foundational question of the thought-language relationship and the cognitive significance of grammar.
Assessment of Radioactivity in Concrete Made with e-Waste Plastic
Authors: Senthil Kumar K. , Premalatha P. V. , Baskar K. , Sankaran Pillai G. , Shahul Hameed P.
Published: October 2017

The paper reports the impact of e-waste plastic [high-impact polystyrene (HIPS)] mixing in concrete on its radioactivity profile. The concrete was prepared with HIPS as a partial replacement for coarse aggregate in varying percentages by volume and radioactivity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, and 40K were measured using gamma-ray spectrometer and radon activity by solid state nuclear track detector (SSNTD) technique. Both gamma radiation and radon activity in standard concrete and concrete with HIPS were well within the permissible limit. However, the gamma-radiation level and radon activity decreased with an increase in HIPS content of the concrete. The study concludes that the concrete with HIPS does not pose any radiation hazard and, hence, is suitable as a construction material.
Compressive Behavior of Cement Asphalt Mortar Under Low Confinement
Authors: Wu X. , Wang J.-F.
Published: October 2017

The compressive behavior of cement asphalt mortar (CA mortar) with high elastic modulus subjected to the low confinement is studied in this paper. The failure mode, mechanical properties and deviatoric stress-strain response of CA mortar under the confinement from 0 to 0.6 MPa were investigated by a triaxial test. It was found that the specimens of CA mortar failed mainly by shearing under the low confinement. The peak deviatoric stress has a negligible improvement by the low confinement, whereas the peak strain and the residual stress exhibit an appreciable linear increase with the confinement. Moreover, the shape of the deviatoric stress-strain curve was significantly affected even by the low confinement. Based on the experimental observations, a stress-strain model of CA mortar under low confinement was established. The model was verified by a reasonable agreement of the experimental and predicted deviatoric stress-strain curves.