bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Helical CT in the Examination of Bile Duct Obstruction
Authors: Lähde S.
Published: June 2015

Purpose:

To assess the role of helical CT in the examination of cholestasis.

Material and Methods:

The US and CT reports of 36 consecutive patients with confirmed bile duct obstruction were evaluated in retrospect, the given diagnoses were compared with each other, and the final diagnoses confirmed by ERCP, surgery, fine needle or endoscopic biopsy, or autopsy. The bile duct was evaluated from helical 3-mm or 5-mm images reconstructed with 1-mm or 2-mm spacings, respectively, obtained after a bolus injection of 140 ml contrast medium containing 300 mg I/ml. Cross-section images and 2-D reformats displaying the extrahepatic bile duct in its full length were recorded for the interpretation.

Results:

An obstruction secondary to a choledochal gall stone was present in 14 patients, a tumoral obstruction in 18, a post-inflammatory stricture in 2, and chronic pancreatitis in one patient. In one patient the obstruction present at US was over at CT. A choledochal stone was correctly diagnosed at US in 14% and at CT in 71 % of the cases. A correct tumor diagnosis was achieved in 28% and 44% of the cases, respectively. Benign and malignant bile duct wall involvement could not be reliably discriminated. The 2-D display was of significant value in assessing the nature and extent of the obstructive agent.

Conclusion:

Helical CT supplemented with 2-D reformats was a useful method in the cases of cholestasis where US failed to demonstrate the cause of obstruction. An impacted stone can be visualized with high confidence while a tumoral obstruction is to be suspected when the cause of blockage is not directly visible.
Osteopathology in the Equine Distal Phalanx Associated With the Development and Progression of Laminitis
Authors: Engiles J. B. , Galantino-Homer H. L. , Boston R. , McDonald D. , Dishowitz M. , Hankenson K. D.
Published: June 2015

Although the equine distal phalanx and hoof lamellae are biomechanically and physiologically integrated, bony changes in the distal phalanx are poorly described in laminitis. The aims of this study were (1) to establish a laminitis grading scheme that can be applied to the wide spectrum of lesions seen in naturally occurring cases and (2) to measure and describe changes in the distal phalanx associated with laminitis using micro–computed tomography (micro-CT) and histology. Thirty-six laminitic and normal feet from 15 performance and nonperformance horses were evaluated. A laminitis grading scheme based on radiographic, gross, histopathologic, and temporal parameters was developed. Laminitis severity grades generated by this scheme correlated well with clinical severity and coincided with decreased distal phalanx bone volume and density as measured by micro-CT. Laminitic hoof wall changes included progressive ventral rotation and distal displacement of the distal phalanx with increased thickness of the stratum internum–corium tissues with lamellar wedge formation. Histologically, there was epidermal lamellar necrosis with basement membrane separation and dysplastic regeneration, including acanthosis and hyperkeratosis, corresponding to the lamellar wedge. The changes detected by micro-CT corresponded to microscopic findings in the bone, including osteoclastic osteolysis of trabecular and osteonal bone with medullary inflammation and fibrosis. Bone changes were identified in horses with mild/early stages of laminitis as well as severe/chronic stages. The authors conclude that distal phalangeal pathology is a quantifiable and significant component of laminitis pathology and may have important implications for early detection or therapeutic intervention of equine laminitis.
Indicators of Postsecondary Employment and Education for Youth With Disabilities in Relation to GPA and General Education
Authors: McConnell Amber E. , Martin James E. , Hennessey Maeghan N.
Published: June 2015

This study examined the relations among research-identified non-academic indicators of post-school education and employment measured by the Transition Assessment and Goal Generator (TAGG), student grade point average (GPA), and percentage of time students with disabilities received instruction in the general education classroom. Participants included 1,219 individuals from 49 school districts, across nine states. Analysis of Pearson product–moment correlation coefficients indicated weak to no relations among variables with the exception of persistence and core GPA. Neither student GPA nor time in the general education setting accounted for meaningful variance in TAGG scores, suggesting the TAGG measures behaviors different from GPA and educational placement. Only scores provided by educators yielded a moderate correlation between core GPA and the construct of persistence. Implications for practice and future research needed are discussed.
An inertial delay observer-based sliding mode control for active suspension systems
Authors: Gupta Sunny , Ginoya Divyesh , Shendge P D , Phadke Shrivijay B
Published: June 2015

In this paper, an active suspension system based on an inertial delay observer combined with sliding mode control is proposed for a quarter-car model. The inertial delay observer estimates the states and the uncertainties and disturbances of a system simultaneously. It is an extension of the inertial delay control which estimates the uncertainties of a system but needs the measurement of all states. The proposed scheme needs only the sprung mass position sensor for its implementation. The overall stability of the system is proved. The scheme is validated by simulation and by experimentation on a laboratory set-up. The results obtained with the proposed scheme are compared with those obtained with a passive suspension scheme, an linear quadratic Gaussian observer-based scheme and an inertial delay control-based scheme.
Cost-benefit analysis: Newborn screening for inborn errors of metabolism in Lebanon
Authors: Khneisser I , Adib S , Assaad S , Megarbane A , Karam P
Published: June 2015

Objectives

Few countries in the Middle East-North Africa region have adopted national newborn screening for inborn errors of metabolism by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). We aimed to evaluate the cost-benefit of newborn screening for such disorders in Lebanon, as a model for other developing countries in the region.

Methods

Average costs of expected care for inborn errors of metabolism cases as a group, between ages 0 and 18, early and late diagnosed, were calculated from 2007 to 2013. The monetary value of early detection using MS/MS was compared with that of clinical “late detection”, including cost of diagnosis and hospitalizations.

Results

During this period, 126000 newborns were screened. Incidence of detected cases was 1/1482, which can be explained by high consanguinity rates in Lebanon. A reduction by half of direct cost of care, reaching on average 31,631 USD per detected case was shown. This difference more than covers the expense of starting a newborn screening programme.

Conclusion

Although this model does not take into consideration the indirect benefits of the better quality of life of those screened early, it can be argued that direct and indirect costs saved through early detection of these disorders are important enough to justify universal publicly-funded screening, especially in developing countries with high consanguinity rates, as shown through this data from Lebanon.
Dividend Policy, Ownership Structure and Corporate Governance: An Empirical Analysis of Indian Firms
Authors: Roy Amitava
Published: June 2015

In this article, we investigate the possible association between the firm's ownership structure and dividend policy and whether the corporate governance (CG) practices adopted by the firm have any impact on dividend policy. In India the presence of family-run firms, with concentrated ownership, is a reality and we try to understand whether such firms have any significantly different approach to dividend policy compared to non-family-run companies.The use of debt by firms in their capital structure acts as an additional monitoring mechanism and we propose to analyse whether this has any impact on dividend policy.We explore the determinants of dividend policy of Indian firms. Thus, firm characteristics which seem to have an impact on dividend policy, like profitability, liquidity, growth, income volatility, size and age are investigated. We use a panel of 51 top Indian listed firms, in terms of market capitalisation (BSE 100 and NIFTY 100), over the 5-year period from 2007–2008 to 2011–2012 for our analysis.We conclude that the CG variables, namely, board size, independent directors and the proportion of non-executive directors on the board have significant impact on the dividend policy of the firm.The proportion of cash and cash equivalent to total asset, used as a measure of firm liquidity, also has an influence on the dividend policy. Growth opportunities have a positive influence on the dividend policy of firms.
Music Activities for Little Wolf’s Song
Authors: Cardany Audrey Berger
Published: June 2015

Drawn from Britta Techentrup’s children’s book Little Wolf’s Song, the author shares music activities appropriate for preschool and children in primary grades. Children will enjoy Technentrup’s tender family story, while exploring vocal and instrumental timbres, as well as reading, writing, and creating with melodic contour.
Restorative Proctocolectomy for Ulcerative Colitis in 1985–2009
Authors: Helavirta I. , Huhtala H. , Hyöty M. , Collin P. , Aitola P.
Published: June 2015

Background and Aims:

Restorative proctocolectomy is the most common operation in patients with ulcerative colitis. The aim was to evaluate long-term changes in our operative treatment and early and late complications related to restorative proctocolectomy.

Material and Methods:

The study comprised 352 (149 females) patients over 18 years of age with ulcerative colitis who underwent restorative proctocolectomy in 1985–2009 median follow-up time of 5 years.

Results:

The indication for surgery was active chronic colitis in 168 (47.7%), acute colitis in 159 (45.2%), and cancer or dysplasia in 25 (7.1%) patients. Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis was performed using hand-sewn anastomosis with mucosectomy in 283 patients and stapled anastomosis in 69. A shift from hand-sewn to stapler ileal pouch-anal anastomosis took place in 2005. Covering ileostomy was carried out in 133 (37.8%) patients. There were 82 (23.3%) J-pouch-related complications. The operative mortality was 0.3%. There were significantly fewer leakages and early re-operations when covering ileostomy was used than when it was omitted: 6.0% versus 16.4% (p = 0.004), 4.5% versus 11.9% (p = 0.02), respectively. There were more strictures in hand-sewn than in stapled ileal pouch-anal anastomoses (17.6% vs. 0%, p = 0.001). Pouchitis occurred at least once in 134 (38.1%) patients.

Conclusion:

The ileal pouch-anal anastomosis technique used in restorative proctocolectomy had changed over the past years from hand-sewn to stapled anastomosis. Covering ileostomy seemed to protect against major complications. Pouchitis was the most common late complication.
Dependence of Guaiacol Peroxidase Activity and Lipid Peroxidation Rate in Drooping Birch (Betula pendula Roth) and Tillet (Tilia cordata Mill) Leaf on Motor Traffic Pollution Intensity
Authors: Erofeeva Elena A.
Published: June 2015

Hormesis and paradoxical effects are frequently found for different plant parameters. These phenomena were also observed for lipid peroxidation (LP) rate at environmental pollution. However, the role of antioxidant enzymes, particularly guaiacol peroxidases (GPX), in a nonmonotonic variation in the LP rate remains insufficiently explored. Therefore, dependence of GPX activity and LP rate in Betula pendula and Tilia cordata leaf on motor traffic pollution intensity was studied. Regression analysis revealed dependences of LP rate and GPX activity on traffic intensity. In B pendula, GPX activity enhanced significantly (up to 2.8 times relatively control) under increased traffic that induced biphasic paradoxical effect for LP rate. In the first phase, LP level increased in comparison with the control, and in the second phase, it was normalized by enhanced GPX activity. In T cordata, dependences of GPX activity and LP rate on traffic pollution were paradoxical effects. However, there was no connection between change of GPX activity and LP rate under middle- and high-level pollution: LP level reduced relatively the control or normalized even if GPX activity was lower than the control. This indicates that in T cordata, other regulatory mechanisms instead of GPX were activated which could control LP rate under middle- and high-level pollution.
Risks and benefits of trial participation: A qualitative study of participants’ perspectives in Russia
Authors: Zvonareva Olga , Kutishenko Natalia , Kulikov Evgeny , Martsevich Sergey
Published: June 2015

Background:

The Russian Federation is one of the emerging clinical trial regions where the numbers of international clinical trials have been significantly rising over the course of recent years.

Purpose:

Our aims were to describe and explain risk–benefit calculus by clinical trial participants in Russia and to analyse the significance of the results for the ethical regulation of globalizing clinical trials.

Methods:

In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 individuals participating in trials for cardiovascular disease. Analysis was based on the inductive constant comparative method.

Results:

Interviewed participants perceived multiple benefits in trial enrolment including regular check-ups, provision and explanation of individual test results, the opportunity to ask investigators for advice and the provision of treatment recommendations for those with limited access to a physician outside of the trial. Participants tried to manage risks of trial enrolment by paying attention to how they felt and reporting changes to investigators. Regular monitoring, the opportunity to drop out of the trial and health insurance provision in case of adverse events were viewed as further minimizing individual risks. Importantly, interviewed trial participants did not assess the risks and benefits of a single trial independently of wider social situation or particularities of their own health condition. Value of trial enrolment benefits for participants was enhanced by the healthcare system that was viewed as being unresponsive to the needs of people with cardiovascular disease. Therefore, in their risk–benefit assessment, participants weighed enrolment risks against the risks of dealing with their fragile health without continuous contact with a medical professional.

Limitations:

A relatively small number of interviews was conducted, only participants of cardiovascular disease trials were interviewed and the extent to which the described perspectives are generalizable is not established.

Conclusion:

The risk–benefit assessment as performed by most interviewed trial participants involved multiple components, including the ones unrelated to the trial itself, and was largely context-dependent. Perspectives of research participants can enrich frameworks for the evaluation of trial risks and benefits.
De-Islamizing Sikhaphobia: Deconstructing structural racism in Wisconsin gurdwara shooting 10/12
Authors: Birk Manjeet , Gill Hartej , Heer Kal
Published: June 2015

On Sunday, 5 August 2012, at approximately 10:00 a.m., an armed Wade Michael Page walked into the Oak Creek, Wisconsin Sikh gurdwara, a place of worship. Page killed six worshippers and injured four others. Although the murderer had links to several white supremacist organizations, authorities would not speculate on the motive of this incident. In fact, the word race was rarely mentioned in relation to this case. The lack of a sustained examination of racism as a motivating factor in this crime was very troubling within the media’s portrayal of this incident. Through a critical analysis of structural racism, this article highlights how the silences of racism, racialized identities, and the connections of racist acts such as the Wisconsin gurdwara murders to hate crimes perpetuates racialized and colonized violence on brown bodies. This structural racism absolves many Americans (and we would add many Canadians) of their deeply rooted racist beliefs and ideologies. By providing a counter-hegemonic narrative, this article discusses how the homogenization of brown bodies, such as Sikhs and Muslims, has very real material consequences in a North American context. Finally, this article discusses the problematic framing of this incident as ‘Domestic Terrorism’ and the importance of de-Islamizing Sikhaphobia in the post-9-11-2001 context.
Experience with erlotinib in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Landi Lorenza , Cappuzzo Federico
Published: June 2015

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. In the last decade, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signalling pathway has emerged as one of the most important molecular aberrations, representing an attractive therapeutic target in NSCLC. Drugs interfering with the tyrosine kinase domain of the EGFR (EGFR TKIs), such as erlotinib and gefitinib, have demonstrated efficacy in patients with advanced NSCLC irrespective of therapy line and particularly in patients harbouring activating mutations in the EGFR gene ( EGFR mut+). Results of large phase III randomized trials clearly established that EGFR TKIs are superior to chemotherapy as frontline treatment in patients with EGFR mut+, whereas in the EGFR wild-type ( EGFR WT) or EGFR unknown population, platinum-based chemotherapy remains the standard of care, with no consistent benefit produced by the addition of EGFR TKI. In pretreated NSCLC, EGFR TKIs are considered more effective than standard monotherapy with cytotoxics in the presence of classical EGFR mutations, whereas in the EGFR WT population, a similar efficacy to docetaxel or pemetrexed in terms of survival has been demonstrated. Unfortunately, patients who initially responded to EGFR TKIs invariably develop acquired resistance. For such patients there is an urgent need for more effective strategies able to delay or possibly overcome resistance. In the present review we analysed the available data on erlotinib in the treatment of advanced NSCLC.
Truck Drivers’ Experiences and Perspectives Regarding Factors Influencing Traffic Accidents
Authors: Karimi Moonaghi Hossein , Ranjbar Hossein , Heydari Abbas , Scurlock-Evans Laura
Published: June 2015

Traffic accidents are a major public health problem, leading to death and disability. Although pertinent studies have been conducted, little data are available in Iran. This study explored the experiences of truck drivers and their perspectives regarding factors contributing to traffic accidents. Eighteen truck drivers, purposively sampled, participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. A main theme, lack of ability to control stress, emerged as a factor influencing the incidence of traffic accidents. This main theme was found to have three subthemes: poor organization of the job, lack of workplace facilities and proper equipment, and unsupportive environment. Although several factors were found to contribute to traffic accidents, their effects were not independent, and all were considered significant. Identifying factors that contribute to traffic accidents requires a systematic and holistic approach. Findings could be used by the transportation industry and community health centers to prevent traffic accidents.
Targeted therapies in CLL: mechanisms of resistance and strategies for management
Authors: Woyach Jennifer A. , Johnson Amy J.
Published: June 2015

The therapy of relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has changed dramatically in the past year with the regulatory approval of idelalisib and ibrutinib, with other therapeutic small molecules likely to become widely available in the next few years. Although durable remissions are being seen in many patients with these agents, it is becoming apparent that some patients with high genomic risk disease will relapse. Next-generation sequencing in patients as well as in vitro models is affording us the opportunity to understand the biology behind these relapses, which is the first step to designing rational therapies to prevent and treat targeted therapy-resistant CLL. These strategies are critical, as these relapses can be very difficult to manage, and a coordinated effort to put these patients on clinical trials will be required to efficiently determine the optimal therapies for these patients. In this review, we will describe mechanisms of resistance, both proven and hypothesized, for idelalisib, ibrutinib, and venetoclax, describe patterns of resistance that have been described with ibrutinib, and discuss potential strategies for management of disease resistant to these drugs as well as potential strategies to prevent resistance.
Some fixed point theorems in Menger PbM-spaces with an application
Authors: Hasanvand Firoozeh , Khanehgir Mahnaz
Published: June 2015

In this paper, we establish the structure of Menger PbM-spaces as a generalization of Menger PM-spaces. We present some fixed point theorems for a new class of contractive mappings in the framework of Menger PbM-spaces. We also provide examples to illustrate the results presented herein. Then we utilize our main result to obtain the existence and uniqueness of a solution for a Volterra type integral equation.
A comparison of competing amplitude variation with offset techniques applied to tight gas sand exploration in the Cooper Basin of Australia
Authors: Tyiasning Stephanie , Cooke Dennis
Published: June 2015

We have developed a tight gas amplitude variation with offset (AVO) case history from the Cooper Basin of Australia that addressed the exploration problem of mapping thin fluvial tight gas sand bodies. In the Cooper Basin, Permian Toolachee and Patchawarra sands are difficult to interpret on seismic data due to strong reflections from adjacent Permian coals. This is not the common AVO problem of distinguishing between coal and gas sand, but a more difficult class-I AVO problem of mapping fluvial sands beneath a sheet coal that varies in thickness. We have reviewed local rock properties and concluded that Poisson’s ratio is probably the most appropriate rock property to solve the above exploration problem. We have compared various seismic attributes made using the extended elastic impedance (EEI) technique and a rotation of near and far partial stacks. In a synthetic modeling study that included random noise and tuning, we compared the noise-discrimination abilities of three competing AVO crossplot techniques and “rotated” the attributes made from them. These three crossplots were as follows: intercept versus gradient (I-G), full-stack versus far-minus-near (Full-FmN), and near-stack versus far-stack (N-F). Previous papers on this subject have found that (I-G) crossplots had a spurious correlation in the presence of noise that did not occur with the (Full-FmN) and (N-F) crossplots. We found that for our class-I AVO case, (1) the advantage of the (Full-FmN) and (N-F) crossplots disappeared in the presence of tuning, (2) if tuning was present, the optimal rotation angle was determined by the “tuning angle,” not by the noise angle or some desired EEI angle, and (3) if the three different crossplots were rotated by their respective “tuning” angles, the results were identical.
Musculoskeletal integration at the wrist underlies modular development of limb tendons
Authors: Huang Alice H. , Riordan Timothy J. , Pryce Brian , Weibel Jennifer L. , Watson Spencer S. , Long Fanxin , Lefebvre Veronique , Harfe Brian D. , Stadler H. Scott , Akiyama Haruhiko , Tufa Sara F. , Keene Douglas R. , Schweitzer Ronen
Published: June 2015

The long tendons of the limb extend from muscles that reside in the zeugopod (arm/leg) to their skeletal insertions in the autopod (paw). How these connections are established along the length of the limb remains unknown. In this study, we show that limb tendons are formed in modular units that combine to form a functional contiguous structure; in muscle-less limbs, tendons develop in the autopod but do not extend into the zeugopod, and in the absence of limb cartilage, the zeugopod segments of tendons develop despite the absence of tendons in the autopod. Analyses of cell lineage and proliferation further indicate that distinct mechanisms govern growth of autopod and zeugopod tendon segments. To elucidate the integration of these autopod and zeugopod developmental programs, we reexamined early tendon development. At E12.5, muscles extend across the full length of a very short zeugopod and connect through short anlagen of tendon progenitors at the presumptive wrist to their respective autopod tendon segment, thereby initiating musculoskeletal integration. Zeugopod tendon segments are subsequently generated by proximal elongation of the wrist tendon anlagen, in parallel with skeletal growth, underscoring the dependence of zeugopod tendon development on muscles for tendon anchoring. Moreover, a subset of extensor tendons initially form as fused structures, due to initial attachment of their respective wrist tendon anlage to multiple muscles. Subsequent individuation of these tendons depends on muscle activity. Collectively, these results establish an integrated model for limb tendon development that we propose as a framework for future analyses of tendon and musculoskeletal phenotypes.
The Problem of Assessing the Effectiveness of Treatment Based on the Kinematic Characteristics of the State Vector of the Body
Authors: Хадарцев  , Khadartsev A. , Еськов  , Eskov V. , Филатова  , Filatova O. , Хадарцева  , Khadartseva K. , Литовченко  , Litovchenko O.
Published: June 2015

Accoding to new third paradigm (which is based on the calculations on calculation of quasiattractor parameters of human body state vector) we are presented formal models and methods of calculation of quasiattractor moving in the phase spaces of state. It is shown that a single therapeutic procedure may not demonstrate significant changes of the parameters of the state vector x(t) in phase m-dimensional space with the positions of the stochastic approach. However, new methods of chaos theory-self-organization (TCS) will always show such changes, if to count or change the volume VX of quasiattractor, or the coordinates of its center HS and speed υ movement of this center. Examples of this approach in medicine and human ecology, when stochastic is not able to detect differences between samples, and new methods are demonstrated. In this case, it is advisable to use the computer in the mode of multiple iterations or calculate parameters of quasiattractors and values approach their centers in the phase spaces of States. It is essential that such methods should be used in the evaluation
Efectos de la política de colonización en el regadío de Extremadura: balance y perspectiva
Authors: Juárez Sánchez-Rubio Cipriano , Rodríguez Cancho Manuel
Published: June 2015

La puesta en funcionamiento de las directrices emanadas de la política de colonización de 1939–1977 tiene en Extremadura a una de las regiones más favorecidas por la cantidad de superficie transformada y su paralela organización del espacio agrario, la cuantía de familias instaladas, la creación de nuevos poblados y por el número de viviendas construidas, agrupadas y diseminadas. Una gran obra, que pretendía la creación de auténticas empresas agrarias, de orientación marcadamente agrícola, capaces de conseguir un nivel de productividad que posibilitara la retención de la mano de obra familiar y obreros agrícolas en el campo, pero que no lo ha conseguido, aunque el impacto producido tiene aspectos positivos. La nueva morfología agraria no ha creado una industria agroalimentaria potente ni desarrollado los servicios, los sectores productivos más generadores de empleo y disponibilidad de renta. Las inversiones realizadas para mejorar el aprovechamiento de los recursos naturales y provocar el despegue socioeconómico de la región no han tenido la eficacia consiguiente. Por ello, la situación heredada obliga a la Administración Autonómica a intervenir para que el potencial existente en Extremadura, vinculado al proceso de transformación y colonización, pueda ser ampliado selectivamente en superficie de regadío, más integrado con el territorio y respetuoso y racional con el medio ambiente. Una forma más práctica y conveniente para impulsar el definitivo y deseado desarrollo socioeconómico de la región.
Modelos paisajísticos del rebollar en Extremadura
Authors: Leco Berrocal Felipe
Published: June 2015

La degradación actual de los bosques de quercíneas en Extremadura es signo inequívoco de un abandono e inadecuada gestión sobre los mismos. Incendios, talas, repoblación con especies alóctonas,..., son algunas formas que han llevado a la degradación de la vegetación climácica del rebollar. La situación actual de fosilización de estos bosques hace aún más frágil su conservación y desarrollo.
Editorial Comment
Authors: Karetnyk Bryan
Published: June 2015

Slovo is a peer-reviewed interdisciplinary academic journal run by postgraduate students at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London. Spanning across humanities and social sciences, the journal covers all issues concerning Russia, Eurasia, Central and Eastern Europe. While seeking to provide a publishing opportunity both to outstanding young researchers and established academics, Slovo is a unique voice for the regions covered. In our third year as a digital publication, we hope to reach out to a wider audience and to continue sharing our academic discoveries internationally.
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Regional Enlightenment in Transylvania: The educational reforms of Bishop Petru Pavel Aron, their influences and effects on the Uniate society in Transylvania in the Age of Enlightenment
Authors: Florutau Maria
Published: June 2015

The Transylvanian Enlightenment is a very contained phenomenon, yet fully fledged, attributed to a group of intellectuals in the last two decades of the eighteenth century known as the Transylvanian School. However, efforts towards Enlightenment appear much sooner, made possible by Uniate Bishop Inochentie Micu Klein’s ideas and especially through the actions of his successor, Petru Pavel Aron. With the financial help of the Habsburg Empire, particularly that of Empress Maria Theresa, Bishop Aron created schools, a typography and an intellectual circle that established the foundation for the Transylvanian School. Largely under-researched, the Bishop’s educational efforts will be examined in this study to argue that Enlightenment among the ethnic Romanian population appeared in Transylvania in a peripheral form forty years earlier than the Transylvanian School.
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Kaip mes žaidėme revoliuciją / ‘How We Played the Revolution’ (2012)
Authors: Lesieur Elena
Published: June 2015

Click here to read the review.
Validation of InnoSPICE for Technology Transfer
Authors: Mitasiunas Antanas , Besson Jeremy , Boronowsky Michael , Woronowicz Tanja
Published: June 2015

Innovation and technology transfer consist mainly of process-oriented activities and can be described in process-oriented terms by an innovation and technology transfer process capability model such as InnoSPICE. To verify such a thesis, an extended validation of the InnoSPICE adequacy for different factual innovation and technology transfer activities is needed. The purpose of this paper is to validate the InnoSPICE model for technology transfer led by a technology developer based on capability assessment of technology transfer process for several various research results.
Models and Methods of Software Configuration Management
Authors: Bartusevics Arturs , Novickis Leonids , Leye Stefan
Published: June 2015

The paper provides collection of experience of developing models and methods for implementation of software configuration management process. Nowadays, during the age of agility, startup of new software development projects is like an explosion. Sometimes, in a few days a customer is willing to get the first release, but formalized and reusable process for its creating is not ready yet. Software configuration management controls the evolution of software items and supports building and deployment process for product releases. Models and methods for implementation of software configuration management are presented in the paper. Unlike other approaches, the provided models and methods are related to decrease software configuration management implementation time in new projects. The paper provides a simplified use case to illustrate practical application of the mentioned methods and models.
Kollektive Erinnerung
Authors: Stolz Michael
Published: June 2015

The French sociologist Maurice Halbwachs (1877–1945) conceived remembrance as a product of ›collective memory‹ and explained this idea in his book on ›La Topographie légendaire des Évangiles en Terre sainte‹ (1941) showing that the topography of the Holy Land was predominantly an imaginary landscape construed by Christian communities. Following this concept, this article studies the ›Palästinalied‹, a text describing the arrival of a pilgrim in the Holy Land in the time of the crusades, abundantly transmitted under the name of Walther von der Vogelweide. The high degree of textual variance in the diverse manuscripts testifies the acting of ›collective memory‹ in the medieval poetic tradition. Of special interest in this context are the strophic arrangements, the variation of deictic markers, the reworking of melodic models documented in the manuscript transmission and the diatopic opposition existing between the emphasis of ›distant love‹ expressed in Jaufré Rudel’s Occitan song ›Lanqand li jorn son lonc en mai‹ (one of the named models) and the attitude of proximity prevailing in the ›Palästinalied‹.
Limit theorem for multitype critical branching process evolving in random environment
Authors: Dyakonova Elena E.
Published: June 2015

We investigate a multitype critical branching process in an i.i.d. random environment. A functional limit theorem is proved for the logarithm of the number of particles in the process at moments nt, 0 ≤ t ≤ 1, conditioned on its survival up to moment n → ∞.
Membrane attack complex formation on a supported lipid bilayer: initial steps towards a CARPA predictor nanodevice
Authors: Yorulmaz Saziye , Tabaei Seyed R. , Kim Myunghee , Seo Jeongeun , Hunziker Walter , Szebeni János , Cho Nam-Joon
Published: June 2015

The rapid advance of nanomedicines and biologicals in pharmacotherapy gives increasing importance to a common adverse effect of these modern therapeutics: complement (C) activation-related pseudoallergy (CARPA). CARPA is a relatively frequent and potentially lethal acute immune toxicity of many intravenous drugs that contain nanoparticles or proteins, whose prediction by laboratory or in vivo testing has not yet been solved. Preliminary studies suggest that proneness of the drug to cause C activation in the blood of patients may predict the individual risk of CARPA, thus, a sensitive and rapid bedside assay for individualized assessment of a drug’s C activating potential could alleviate the CARPA problem. The goal of the present study was to lay down the foundations of a novel approach for real-time sensing of C activation on a supported lipid bilayer platform. We utilized the quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) monitoring technique to measure the self-assembly of C terminal complex (or membrane attack complex [MAC]) on supported lipid bilayers rapidly assembled by the solvent-assisted lipid bilayer (SALB) formation method, as an immediate measure of C activation. By measuring the changes in frequency and energy dissipation of deposited protein, the technique allows extremely sensitive real-time quantification of the sequential assembly of MAC from its molecular components (C5b-6, C7, C8 and C9) and hence, measure C activation in the ambient medium. The present paper delineates the technique and our initial evidence with purified C proteins that the approach enables sensitive and rapid (real-time) quantification of MAC formation on a silicon-supported planar (phospho) lipid bilayer, which can be used as an endpoint in a clinically useful bedside C activation assay.
Family And Economic Growth In Poland
Authors: Sztaudynger Jan Jacek
Published: June 2015

In the article we test the hypothesis that the weakening of family ties, as measured by the reduction in the number of marriages, a cascade of divorces and the decrease in the fertility rate, has brought about an economic slowdown in Poland. We also suppose that the economic growth and increased standard of living influence the increasing number of marriages, the fertility rate, and results in a decreasing number of divorces.

We verify these hypotheses using an econometric model of economic growth with the family social capital. The model consists of seven stochastic equations and exhibits the feedback between GDP, labour productivity and some variables representing social capital, in particular the marriage disintegration ratio.

We try to verify the hypothesis of the existence of an optimal divorce rate for economic growth.
Prolegomena to the epistemology of languages for non-specialists: the example of CLIL
Authors: Chaplier Claire , O'Connell Anne-Marie
Published: June 2015

CLIL has attracted the attention of LSP teachers worldwide and generated much literature. As a teaching and learning tool, it is frequently referred to in pedagogy, but a lot less in the epistemology of didactics. The present contribution aims to show how CLIL is an interface between conceptual research and practical implementation but that it cannot serve as a conceptual tool in the shaping of didactics as a field of research. Instead, concepts should be understood as context-dependent; they also vary with the subject matter to which language is connected (English for law differs from English for science) and therefore need the contribution of human sciences to emerge in their own rights.
Enhancing student schematic knowledge of culture through literature circles in a foreign language classroom
Authors: Graham-Marr Alastair
Published: June 2015

Improving student understanding of a foreign language culture is anything but a peripheral issue in the teaching of a foreign language. This pilot study reports on a second year required English course in a university in Japan that took a Literature Circles approach, where students were asked to read short stories out of class and then discuss these stories in class. Although students reported that they did not gain any special insights into the target language culture presented, they did report that reading fiction as source material for classroom activity helps with the acquisition of a vocabulary set that is more closely associated with lifestyle and culture. The results suggest that further study is warranted. Procedures of this pilot study are described and interpreted in the context of the English education system in Japan.
Historical Responsibility, Harm Prohibition, and Preservation Requirement: Core Practical Convergence on Climate Change
Authors: Shue Henry
Published: June 2015

The purpose of this article is to map the relationships of various moral arguments for action on climate change to each other in a particular case rather than to explore any single argument in depth or to make any abstract claims about the priorities among the arguments themselves. Specifically, it tries to show that “historical responsibility”, that is, responsibility (moral or legal) for past emissions, is very important, although not quite in the way usually argued, but that it is not by itself determinative. Other, independent considerations also greatly matter, although it happens that as a matter of fact all considerations strongly tend to converge towards the same conclusions about which states are responsible to act in order to slow climate change. “Historical responsibility” is shown to involve both contribution to, or causation of, climate change and benefit from climate change. Other factors that play roles in this case are ability to pay, the no-harm principle, and the duty to preserve the physical pre-conditions of human life.
Discrimination: Classification and Moral Assessment
Authors: Malnes Raino
Published: June 2015

Assigning something to the category “discrimination” is not tantamount to saying that it is wrong, but the assignment is disquieting. Conversely, when conduct is classified as non-discriminatory, one weighty ground to be on the guard is set aside. So we should not talk flippantly about discrimination, but do our best to place moral assessment on the proper pitch. There are two ways of drawing a line between discriminatory and non-discriminatory conduct because there are two competing ways of spelling out a crucial characteristic of discrimination. Whichever way we do it, “discrimination” is a category that cannot be defined with precision. In view of this, discrimination is best conceived as a graded property of action – one which is always, to some extent, part of the picture when someone is treated worse than others.
Approaches to Political Commentary in Scandinavia
Authors: Bengtsson Mette
Published: June 2015

Political commentary is a contested genre that has attracted a great deal of attention in the Scandinavian public debate, whereas the scholarly literature on it is still in an initial phase. In order to strengthen future research, the present paper suggests a two-dimensional matrix indexing the research on Scandinavian political commentary along the dimensions text/context and descriptive/evaluative. The matrix enables us to see more clearly what we already know and where we lack knowledge. It enables us to see how each category can be developed, the interplay among them, and the obvious lack of textual, evaluative approaches. The author argues that a joint, cross-disciplinary engagement is necessary if we are to adequately understand the potentials and problems of political commentary.
Literary Movements and Catholic Reform: The Contributions of Abbé Félix Klein
Authors: Talar C. J. T.
Published: June 2015

Connections between Roman Catholic Modernism and the artistic culture of the fin de siècle have received little attention from scholars, as compared to the prominence accorded intellectual, social, and political issues. Felix Klein is one of a handful of those who worked for intellectual renewal who closely followed developments in literature and music, interpreting those developments in a way that favored an agenda of reconciling Catholicism with modernity. In two collections of essays, Nouvelles tendances en religion et en literature (1892) and Autour du dilettantisme (1895) Klein expressed hopes for a return to Catholicism among a cultural elite which I turn would have a larger impact upon a broad public.
Chemical Effects of Neutron-Induced Nuclear Reactions in Halates and Related Compounds
Authors: Ambe Fumitoshi , Sano Hirotoshi , Saito Nobufusa
Published: June 2015

The recoil effects of the (n, 2n) reaction were studied in bromates. In sodium bromate the distribution of radioactive bromine atoms in various chemical forms was almost the same for the 79Br(n, 2n) 78Br and 79Br (n, γ)80Br reactions. A similar relationship between the retention and the nature of cations was found for the (n, 2n) and (n, γ) reactions in several bromates.
De fábulas y bestiarios: la estética de los animales en la Edad Media
Authors: Piñero Moral Ricardo Isidro
Published: June 2015

De fábulas y bestiarios: la estética de los animales en la Edad Media
Jaime Siles, Horas extra, Carlos Aganzo, Las flautas de los bárbaros, Ricardo Bellveser, Jardines
Authors: Balcells Doménech José María
Published: June 2015

Reseña escrita por José María Balcells Doménech de Jaime Siles, Horas extra, Carlos Aganzo Las flautas de los bárbaros, Ricardo Bellveser Jardines, Clara Janés Épsilon, o el jardín de las maravillas
Obesogenic Dietary Practices of Latino and Asian Subgroups of Children in California: An Analysis of the California Health Interview Survey, 2007–2012
Authors: Guerrero Alma D. , Ponce Ninez A. , Chung Paul J.
Published: June 2015

Objectives. We examined obesogenic dietary practices among Latino and Asian subgroups of children living in California.

Methods. We analyzed 2007, 2009, and 2011–2012 California Health Interview Survey data to examine the differences in dietary practices among Mexican and non-Mexican Latino children and 7 ethnic subgroups of Asian children. We used multivariable regression to examine the sociodemographic factors associated with specific dietary practices.

Results. Latino subgroups of children had few differences in obesogenic dietary practices, whereas Asian subgroups of children exhibited significant differences in several obesogenic dietary practices. Korean and Filipino children were more likely than Chinese children to consume fast food and have low vegetable intake. Filipino children, followed by Japanese children, had the most obesogenic dietary practices compared with Chinese children, who along with South Asian children appeared to have the least obesogenic dietary practices. In general, income, education, and acculturation did not explain the dietary differences among Asian groups.

Conclusions. Our findings suggest the need to disaggregate dietary profiles of Asian and Latino children and to consider nontraditional sociodemographic factors for messaging and counseling on healthy dietary practices among Asian populations.
The Influence of Fracture Toughness on the Geometry of Hydraulic Fractures
Authors: Thiercelin M. , Jeffrey R. G. , Naceur K. Ben
Published: June 2015

This paper contains an assessment of the importance of fracture toughness in hydraulic fracturing. The results given in this paper show that fracture toughness can significantly affect both the height growth and the propagation of hydraulic fractures. Most researchers have considered the effect of fracture toughness on the geometry of the fracture to be negligible except in the cases of small fractures, during injection of very low viscosity fluids, or during fracture closure1. In addition, energy considerations for twodimensional fractures indicated that the energy losses associated with fluid flow were one to two orders of magnitude higher than the energy used in creating new fracture surfaces,γF.2,3 Because γF is directly related to fracture toughness, the conclusion that fracture toughness has a negligible effect on fracture propagation was reaffirmed. However, neglecting the effects of fracture toughness in hydraulic fracturing needs to be reconsidered, because the magnitudes used in earlier calculations may not be representative of in-situ values, and because the development of fully threedimensional models makes possible a more complete study of the problem.

The definition of fracture toughness is obtained from the concept of the stress intensity factor, developed in linear elastic fracture mechanics. Preexisting defect are assumed to exist and to induce high stress concentrations in their vicinity, becoming sites for crack initiation and propagation. A single such defect may be represented by a sharp line crack (known as a Griffith crack) in a linear elastic medium.

Irwin4 demonstrated that, for a linear elastic homogeneous material, the stresses in the vicinity of a Griffith crack tip vary as 1/r, where r is measured from the crack tip. For a fracture in opening mode (or mode I, see Figure 1), the stresses are given by:
Scott T. Cummings and Erica Stevens Abbitt, eds. The Theatre of Naomi Wallace: Embodied Dialogues
Authors: Barnett Claudia
Published: June 2015

ABSTRACT:

Drawing together contributions by scholars and practitioners as well as Wallace herself, The Theatre of Naomi Wallace analyses and celebrates the playwright’s many achievements.