bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pathogenic analysis of Borrelia garinii strain SZ isolated from northeastern China
Authors: Wu Qiong , Liu Zhijie , Wang Jidong , Li Youquan , Guan Guiquan , Yang Jifei , Chen Ze , Luo Jianxun , Yin Hong
Published: June 2013

Background

Various genospecies of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) have been identified from patients and animals worldwide. Genospecies-related dissemination of disease has been reported. The present study aimed to elucidate the pathogenicity of infections caused by B. garinii SZ isolated in China. B. burgdorferi B31 and B. afzelii BO23 were used for comparison.

Methods

Spirochete load in blood and tissue samples of infected mice were measured by minor groove binder-based real-time polymerase chain reaction. The kinetics of spirochete dissemination and disease severity were assessed in BALB/c mice.

Results

The pattern of bacterial load differed between the three genospecies. The B. garinii SZ strain is highly pathogenic and can trigger multi-system pathological damage in mice.

Conclusions

Spirochete dissemination, persistence, tissue tropism and disease severity varied significantly, suggesting that different genospecies may play an important role in the pathogenicity and development of clinical diseases.
Prevalence of antibodies to Leishmania infantum and Toxoplasma gondii in horses from the north of Portugal
Authors: Lopes Ana Patrícia , Sousa Susana , Dubey JP , Ribeiro Ana J , Silvestre Ricardo , Cotovio Mário , Schallig Henk DFH , Cardoso Luís , Cordeiro-da-Silva Anabela
Published: June 2013

Background

Leishmania infantum and Toxoplasma gondii are protozoa with zoonotic and economic importance. Prevalences of antibodies to these agents were assessed in 173 horses from the north of Portugal.

Findings

Antibodies to L. infantum were detected by the direct agglutination test (DAT); seven (4.0%) horses were seropositive with DAT titres of 200 (n = 5), 800 (n = 1) and ≥ 1600 (n = 1). Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test (MAT); 23 (13.3%) horses were seropositive with MAT titres of 20 (n = 13), 40 (n = 5), 80 (n = 3) and ≥ 160 (n = 2). No statistical differences were found among equine categories of gender (female, male and gelding), age (1.5–6, 7–12 and 13–30 years), type of housing (indoors and mixed/outdoors), ability (recreation, farming and sports) and clinical status (apparently healthy and sick) for both agents.

Conclusions

Horses are exposed to and may be infected with L. infantum and T. gondii in the north of Portugal.
Serum levels of soluble platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 are decreased in subjects with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Kameno Yosuke , Iwata Keiko , Matsuzaki Hideo , Miyachi Taishi , Tsuchiya Kenji J , Matsumoto Kaori , Iwata Yasuhide , Suzuki Katsuaki , Nakamura Kazuhiko , Maekawa Masato , Tsujii Masatsugu , Sugiyama Toshirou , Mori Norio
Published: June 2013

Background

Adhesion molecules, such as platelet-endothelial adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1), platelet selectin (P-selectin), endothelial selectin (E-selectin), intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), are localized on the membranes of activated platelets and leukocytes and on the vascular endothelium. Recently, we measured serum levels of soluble (s) forms of adhesion molecules in adults,18 to 26 years old, with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and observed low levels of sPECAM-1 and sP-selectin. A subsequent study showed a similar result in children two to four years old with ASD. However, information about school age (five to seventeen years old) ASD subjects is required to determine whether adhesion molecules are also reduced in individuals with ASD in this age range.

Findings

Twenty-two subjects with high-functioning ASD and 29 healthy age-matched controls were recruited. ELISA was used for sPECAM-1, and a suspension array system was used for sP-selectin, sE-selectin, sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 measurements. We found that serum levels of sPECAM-1 (U= 91.0,P<0.0001 by Mann–WhitneyUtest) and sVCAM-1 (U= 168.0,P= 0.0042) were significantly lower in ASD subjects than in controls. Subsequently, we examined the correlations between serum levels of either sPECAM-1 or sVCAM-1 and clinical variables including Autism Diagnostic Interview - Revised subscores and our previous cytokine profile data from the same ASD subjects. However, we did not find any significant correlations between them.

Conclusions

The present results, taken together with previous results, suggest that sPECAM-1 may play a role in the generation and development of ASD, beginning in childhood and lasting until adulthood.
“It’s Good to Be Shifty”: The Local Democracies of Old Southwestern Humor
Authors: Emerson D. Berton
Published: June 2013

Emerson’s essay reassesses representative texts of the popular antebellum tradition known as Old Southwestern Humor—among them Augustus Baldwin Longstreet’s Georgia Scenes (1835), Johnson Jones Hooper’s Adventures of Captain Simon Suggs (1845), and George Washington Harris’s Sut Lovingood: Yarns Spun by a Durn’d Fool (1867)— arguing for a new point of departure from the level of locality and with special attention to democratic decision making. Most nation-oriented readings portray the humor of the Old Southwest either as a regional subset supplementing nationalization via print culture or as reactionary polemics rejecting the impingements of nation, market capitalism, urbanization, or modernity. This essay, instead, reads these fictions in terms of locality and for their articulations of alternative democratic socialities. These socialities, Emerson argues, evidence local decision making existing alongside or outside the abstracting, normalizing tendencies of elitist republican ideology; they are unreceptive to traditional social hierarchies and civic institutions that supplement the Constitutionally managed nation-state; and they often engage in a more radical version of democracy characterized by dialogical negotiations in immediate spaces and temporalities. Unyoked from the nation and its norms, these local episodes yield an unexpected trove of alternative democratic positions in the mid-nineteenth century. In addition to new readings of the primary texts, Emerson concludes with some consideration of their circulation in print culture across the country and their subsequent impact on democracy in the national imaginary.
Requiem’s Ruins: Unmaking and Making in Cold War Faulkner
Authors: Morrison Spencer
Published: June 2013

Morrison’s essay calls for closer scholarly attention to Faulknerian geography in its historical specificity by demonstrating the effects of post-WWII urban crisis on Faulkner’s Cold War writing. To this end, the article reads Faulkner’s Requiem for a Nun (1951) as not only a response to industrialization and militarization in the South, but as a sustained novelistic reflection on modes of urban renewal in both the United States and a Europe under reconstruction through the Marshall Plan. By unearthing the bivalent history of US urbanism’s sounds and spaces, Requiem for a Nun interrogates US mass culture at a crucial moment in its foreign expansion, during a period when many Europeans feared an Americanization of their cities and cultures concomitant with US-funded postwar rebuilding. The text’s fictive geographies represent a Faulknerian spatial imagination unthinkable in isolation from the urban panics—both domestic and international—of the early Cold War, allowing us to rethink Faulkner’s strategies for imagining political community in this time. Through images of ruined and renewed urban forms, as well as the sounds that accompany material urban change, Requiem registers the tolls of both a mass-market consumerism that the United States sought to promote abroad and a schema of spatial and social reconstruction rooted in conditionality rather than forgiveness. In this way, the article calls attention to the geographical complexity of Faulkner’s engagement with a post-WWII US market empire.
Marianne Moore’s Depression Collectives
Authors: Harter Odile
Published: June 2013

The Great Depression engendered a special kind of first-person plural, which drove fundamental changes in Marianne Moore’s quoting practice during the period. She moved toward a quotation practice that was less dense, drawn increasingly from mottoes and collective speech, and couched as words “we” said rather than words put in the mouths of others. Subtle changes in Moore’s well-known poem “Silence” show her questioning the kind of artistic superiority displayed in the act of quotation, while her letters to various correspondents allow us to connect her changing notion of quotation with her attempt to steer between the alternate dangers of artistic solipsism and artistic toadyism. Finally, in “The Frigate Pelican,” mottoes, quotation, and the first-person plural all participate in a nuanced description of the limitations of artistic expertise, in which Moore maintains her admiration for aesthetic excellence but opts to place the poem’s lyric speaker not aloft with the solitary and expert artist but below with a set of well-meaning but inept creatures. This shift in Moore’s artistic priorities provides a lens for understanding the topicality and fond humor of her later poetry as a principled commitment to a wider, less perspicacious public.
Practice Summaries: Distribution Companies Use the Analytical Hierarchy Process for Environmental Assessment of Transportation Routes Crossing the Pyrenees in Navarre, Spain
Authors: Faulin Javier , de Paz Esteban , Lera-López Fernando , Juan Ángel A. , Gil-Ramírez Israel
Published: June 2013

In this paper we discuss our use of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to perform an environmental assessment analysis of the main transportation roads that cross the Pyrenees between Spain and France. We use AHP to select the most sustainable distribution routes to mitigate the pollution impact of transportation activities. Two companies in Navarre, Hydro Inasa and GamesaEólica, have implemented our recommendations into their distribution activities. Openbravo has also incorporated them into its software development to select the most environmentally suitable routes in the delivery processes for its customers.
Mathematical Programming Guides Air-Ambulance Routing at Ornge
Authors: Carnes Timothy A. , Henderson Shane G. , Shmoys David B. , Ahghari Mahvareh , MacDonald Russell D.
Published: June 2013

Ornge provides air-ambulance services to the province of Ontario. A major part of its services involves prescheduled transports between medical facilities. These transports almost exclusively require fixed-wing aircraft because of the distances involved and cost considerations. The requests are received in advance, scheduled overnight, and typically executed the following day. We describe our work in developing a planning tool that determines an assignment of requests to aircraft to minimize cost, subject to a range of complicating constraints. Ornge flight planners use the tool daily, resulting in substantial savings over the manual approach they used previously to develop schedules. We describe the problem, our formulation, its implementation, and the impact on operations at Ornge.
Superior vena cava syndrome causing chylothoraces in a preterm neonate: a case report and literature review
Authors: Puvabanditsin Surasak , Memon Naureen , Do Minh-Tu , Malik Imran , Lambert George , Balbin Jerome
Published: June 2013

A preterm neonate developed catheter-related central venous and dural sinus thrombosis. Superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction caused significant bilateral chylothoraces and SVC thrombotic obstruction led to generalized anasarca and multiple organ failure. Six weeks after the diagnosis of SVC and sagittal sinus occlusion and chylothoraces, the infant expired. We report a rare case of a chylothoraces secondary to SVC obstruction, and superior sagittal sinus thrombosis in a preterm neonate, and review the literature.
Gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to interaction of Artemisia absinthium with warfarin
Authors: Açıkgöz Sadık Kadri , Açıkgöz Eser
Published: June 2013

Artemisia absinthium, also known as wormwood, is used widely as an herbal medicine. In this report, we introduce an 82-year-old Turkish woman who was treated with warfarin for atrial fibrillation and was hospitalized for gastrointestinal bleeding as a result of extremely elevated international normalized ratio (INR) after consumption of A. absinthium. Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale score was 6, which indicated a probable relationship between the patient’s elevated INR and her concomitant use of wormwood and warfarin. Clinicians should be vigilant about potential dangers of herbal medicines taken with conventional drugs, and patients taking drugs with a narrow therapeutic index, such as warfarin, should be educated about avoiding consumption of herbal medicines.
Dysthyronemia in normal concentrations of thyrotropin – analytical and clinical consequences
Authors: Bílek Radovan , Stárka Luboslav , Zamrazil Václav
Published: June 2013

This article discusses the conditions that may lead to a phenomenon called dysthyronemia. Here, the thyroid gland has concentration of thyrotropin in circulation within the reference range, but the concentrations of free or total fractions of thyroid hormones are outside the reference range. Normal values of thyrotropin (TSH) and increased values of THs are referred to as hyperthyroxinemia, while normal values of thyrotropin and decreased values of thyroid hormone are hypothyroxinemia. As shown by our observations, it is a relatively frequent situation in the parallel determinations of TSH and free thyroxine, when results verging on hyperthyroxinemia were found in 7% of cases (6.74%, n=259,590), and also in the parallel sets of TSH and total triiodothyronine when hypotriiodothyroninemia reached 8.5% (8.48%, n=73,143). We are assuming that the main cause of hyperthyroxinemia in the free thyroxine and TSH system is the presence of autoantibodies against thyroxine in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease. The reason of hypotriiodothyroninemia in the system of triiodothyronine and TSH is a decreased concentration of thyroid binding globulin in postmenopausal women. Manufacturers of immunoanalytical kits should take into account the potential adverse effects of autoantibodies against thyroid hormones when measuring the results of immunoassay determination of the free fraction of these hormones.
Assisting Preservice Teachers Toward Becoming Culturally Responsive
Authors: Starker Tehia V. , Fitchett Paul G.
Published: June 2013

In this qualitative study, researchers inquired about preservice teachers’ (PST) experience in becoming culturally responsive in a graduate teacher-licensure social studies methods class (N = 20). Researchers examined PST lesson plans and reflections, and rated them based on Geneva Gay’s (2002) framework for preparing culturally responsive teachers. Once rated, researchers used thematic analysis to investigate lesson plan themes that manifested between two groups (high culturally responsive teaching, versus low culturally responsive teaching). Themes indicated that participants who demonstrated culturally responsive teaching (CRT) potential: modified lessons, utilized dynamic pedagogy, and incorporated historical perspective taking. Conversely, PST with low potential for CRT: lacked content knowledge, were pedagogically inflexible, and showed a resistant disposition. The researchers concluded that systemic changes within teacher education courses and programs are necessary to develop CRT preservice teachers.
Perceived Cultural Responsiveness and Effectiveness of a Speech and Language Program for Indigenous Preschool Students
Authors: McIntosh Kent , Craft Calli B. , MacKay Leslie D.
Published: June 2013

Despite an increasing need for culturally relevant curricula, what is considered culturally responsive and how it is assessed is under-researched. The present study examined the perceived cultural responsiveness and effectiveness of an early intervention program designed to teach early language skills and expose students to Indigenous culture, the Moe the Mouse® Speech, and Language Development Program. Educator’s perceptions of the program were assessed through a Likert-type survey provided to implementers across British Columbia. The survey was completed by 58 respondents using the program. Results indicated that the respondents perceived the program to be culturally responsive, and their perceptions of cultural responsiveness were significantly related to ratings of effectiveness, use, and social validity. Responsiveness was not rated as highly by respondents in a different geographic region than where the program was developed. Finally, effectiveness in improving speech and language skills was rated higher when educators integrated the program into the regular curriculum or incorporated Native language instruction. Implications for research and practice are reviewed.
Las Siete Historias: Perceptions of Parent Involvement Among Mexican Immigrant Women
Authors: Thomas-Duckwitz Claire M. , Hess Robyn S. , Atcherly Elsa
Published: June 2013

This multiple case study examined parent involvement perspectives among seven immigrant mothers from Mexico. All the participants came from limited educational and socioeconomic backgrounds, and reported that they immigrated to the United States for greater opportunity. These background experiences seemed to shape their current role conceptualizations with respect to parent involvement. Parents viewed their roles as providing a better life for their children and facilitating their school success through actions taken at home. Invitations by school staff were important to help these mothers more effectively fulfill their roles through two-way communication. The findings of this study suggest the importance of helping school staff to better understand the ways that immigrant families view parent involvement and to facilitate partnerships in order to enhance student outcomes.
Cultural Signification through Reader’s Theatre: An Analysis of African American Girls and Their Hair
Authors: Jeffries Rhonda , Jeffries Devair
Published: June 2013

This article explored the role of hair in Sylviane Diouf’s Bintou’s Braids and focused on the impact of hair as a cultural signifier on girls and the curriculum. The article examined the ability of this children’s text to address female beauty standards and suggests the use of literary techniques, such as reader’s theatre, to recognize and critically explore diverse issues among children. The work specifically: (1) deconstructs messages about hair norms, with particular emphasis on black female hair in one children’s text, and (2) transforms the selected text into a reader’s theatre script for use in elementary classrooms, suggesting an array of literary construction and usage types in children’s classroom communities to support increased literacy engagement. This article expands the body of inquiry on hair and its impact on the curriculum by examining the relationships between the cultural power of hair, literacy, performance and African American girls. The literature has established the unique responses of diverse girls to literary constructions, and several studies provide alternatives for deciphering the meaning of texts and utilizing the empowering aspect of girls through literacy. Likewise, this article qualitatively examined Diouf’s Bintou’s Braids for its use of various aspects of identity development such as affirmation, ritual and social responsibility. The reader’s theatre adaptation, Little Bintou Loves Her Braids, begins to address the current inadequacy of literary offerings in the genre.
The CSE Software Challenge — Covering the Complete Stack
Authors: Köstler Harald , Rüde Ulrich
Published: June 2013

Typical applications in Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) try to extract information based on a model out of given data, for example to understand physical effects based on numerical simulations. The involved numerical algorithms tend to be complex and their understanding and design require deep mathematical knowledge. Moreover, for physically meaningful results, high accuracy and large-scale problems have to be solved. Writing software for such applications in CSE is a difficult task, since the complex models have to be implemented efficiently on large High Performance Computing (HPC) systems. Therefore, parallel algorithms have to be developed that fit to the underlying parallel hardware, and tools are necessary to analyze and tune the code. In this article we first summarize the demands on CSE software design in general and then present the multi-physics software framework waLBerla as an example for efficient, portable, and productive CSE software.
Hardware and Systems
Authors: Reinders James
Published: June 2013

The future of HPC is simple to predict: we will have faster and more capable systems in the future. That is because the need for more is so strong that such systems will be created. A key development in HPC has been this great growth in demand from many sectors. That development, it turns out, supplies the demand but also asks for more accessible and efficient solutions. The exact hardware and software that will win is more difficult to predict, but trends are examined that reveal a lot about the future.
The Miracle, Mandate and Mirage of High Performance Computing
Authors: Keyes David
Published: June 2013

High performance computing boasts a steadily increasing number of adherents, for excellent reasons, traditional and innovative. However, the promises for which scientists and engineers have been drawn to the extreme of the spectrum are more elusive than the simple extrapolation of decades of exponential improvement suggests. Programming today´s systems for high performance is already problematic for many scientists and the learning curve will inexorably steepen. Expectations should be brought in line with the increasing difficulty of pushing the high performance frontier, and, for once, the modeling, algorithms, and software advances required to use the emerging hardware effectively should not be left until the hardware begins to arrive.
HPC in the Automotive Industry — Trends and Prospects
Authors: Gümbel Chrstoph
Published: June 2013

The beginnings of high-performance applications in motor vehicle development date back some 25 years. Today, virtual development has become a permanent feature of the vehicle development process. Applications with high computation time requirements, such as aerodynamics, crash safety or the combustion process require the use of high performance computers. Increasing requirements placed on motor vehicles, especially with regard to safety, lightweight construction and emissions, taking into account economic, market and competitive factors, have resulted in the increasing use of HPC applications. Currently, it can be observed that HPC requirements are doubling every 14 to 16 months. In addition to conventional structural mechanics, growth drivers here include new material and joining technologies, fluid dynamics applications, as well as robustness evaluations, optimisation processes and multi-disciplinary simulations.
The synthesis, radiolabeling and first biological evaluation of a new 166Ho-complex for radiotherapy of bone metastases
Authors: Zolghadri Samaneh , Jalilian Amir Reza , Yousefnia Hassan , Bahrami-Samani Ali , Fazaeli Y. , Pouladi Mehraban , Ghannadi-Maragheh Mohammad , Afarideh Hossein
Published: June 2013

In this study, the 166Ho-triethylene tetramine hexa (methylene phosphonic acid) (166Ho-TTHMP) complex was prepared as a bone palliation agent. The complex was successfully prepared using an in-house synthesized TTHMP ligand and [166Ho]HoCl3. Ho-166 chloride was obtained by thermal neutron irradiation (1×1013 n cm−2 s−1) of natural Ho(NO3)3 samples, followed by radiolabeling and stability studies. Biodistribution studies were also performed in wild type rats. The complex was prepared with the specific activity of 3–5 GBq/mg and a high radiochemical purity > 99%, (checked by ITLC). The 166Ho-TTHMP complex was stable in the final preparation and in the presence of human serum (> 90%) up to 72 h. The biodistribution of 166Ho-TTHMP in wild-type rats demonstrated significant bone uptake compared to 166HoCl3 up to 48 h. SPECT imaging of the radiolabeled compound was demonstrated to be in complete accordance with the biodistribution data. The major uptake was observed for long bones including thigh bones as well as skull and also knee and vertebrae. Primary properties of 166Ho-TTHMP demonstrate that this new therapeutic agent can be a good choice for metastatic bone pains.
241Pu concentrations in water, plankton and fish from the southern Baltic Sea
Authors: Strumińska-Parulska D. I. , Skwarzec Bogdan
Published: June 2013

The aim of the work was to determine 241Pu activities in different components (water, plankton and fish) of the southern Baltic Sea ecosystem. Measurement of 241Pu in the samples was done indirectly by determining the increment in 241Am from the decay of the β-emitting 241Pu in samples collected 10–15 years after the Chernobyl accident.

Enhanced levels of 241Pu were observed in all analyzed Baltic samples. The highest 241Pu concentrations in fish were found in Perciformes: benthic round goby (0.863 ± 0.066 mBq/g ww) and pelagic perch (0.666 ± 0.001 mBq/g ww). Plutonium is also non-uniformly distributed in the organs and tissues of the analyzed fish; especially pelagic herring and cod as well as benthic flounder. Most of 241Pu in flounder, herring and cod is located in soft tissues, especially digestive organs (stomach, intestine, liver). The annual individual effective doses calculated on the basis of 241Pu concentrations in fish indicated that the impact of the consumption of 241Pu containing Baltic fish on the annual effective dose for a statistical inhabitant of Poland was very small.
Nutritional and physical activity behaviours and habits in adolescent population of Belgrade
Authors: Djordjevic-Nikic Marina , Dopsaj Milivoj , Veskovic Ana
Published: June 2013

Background/Aim. Proper nutrition and regular physical activity are essential
parts of a adolescent's overall health. The aim of this research was to
evaluated eating and physical activity behaviours and habits, nutritional and
food knowledge, beliefs and self-efficacy related to diet and health of the
adolescents of the city of Belgrade, Serbia. Methods. A dietary questionnaire
previously constructed and tested in adolescent population from Italy was
self-administrated. We evaluated eating habits, physical activity, meaning of
healthy and unhealthy dietary habits and food, self-efficacy, barriers
affecting food choices, nutritional and food safety, and body mass index
(BMI) of the adolescents. The sample included 707 adolescents, the mean age
of 15,8 ? 2 years enrolled in the first grade at several high schools in
Belgrade. Results. Only 27% of the adolescents had satisfactory eating
habits; 31% have a very active lifestyle; 7% good nutritional knowledge and
6- 12% satisfactory food safety knowledge and hygiene practices. Conclusion.
Significant deviations from recommendations for healthy lifestyle was noted
in adolescents? habits, knowledge and practice. It is therefore necessary to
develop and organize programs for promotion of healthy behaviours adapted to
the adolescents? needs.
Work stress related lipid disorders and arterial hypertension in professional drivers: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Djindjic Natasa , Jovanovic Jovica , Djindjic Boris , Jovanovic Milan , Pesic Milica , Jovanovic Jovana
Published: June 2013

Background/Aim. Occupational stress is a term used to define ongoing stress
that is related to the workplace. The study was conducted to determine
association of occupational stress index (OSI) and its aspects with arterial
hypertension and lipid disorders using data from a cross-sectional survey of
male professional drivers. Methods. The cross-sectional study was performed
in 439 professional drivers divided into groups (city- and intercity bus
drivers, truck and taxi drivers). The OSI and OSI aspects (high demands,
strictness, underload, extrinsic time pressure, noxious exposure, avoidance
and conflict) were calculated using the standardized questionnaire.
Determination of serum lipids, blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular risk
factors were done. Results. A significant difference in prevalence of
diagnosed hypertension and dyslipidemia was found along with a difference in
total OSI and OSI aspects among examined subgroups of drivers. A total OSI
was highest in city, high in intercity bus drivers, and the lowest one in
truck and taxi drivers (82.79 ? 3.5, 81.28 ? 3.7, 73.75 ? 3.5, 71.61 ? 4.4,
respectively; p < 0.01). Similar pattern showed triglycerides (TG), total
cholesterol (TC) and LDL cholesterol and BP, while HDL-cholesterol showed
reverse order (p < 0.01). Logistic regression analyses with multiple OSI
aspects adjusted for age and years of exposure showed associations of total
OSI with arterial hypertension [OR 5.5; 95% CI (2.24-7.95)] and dyslipidemia
[OR 1.43 95% CI (1.09-2.80)]. Underload was the most important OSI aspect
associated with the arterial hypertension [OR 1.18; 95% CI (1.04-2.58)] and
elevated LDL cholesterol [1.26; 95 CI (1.19-2.1)]. A total OSI had a
significant association with elevated LDL cholesterol [2.64; 95% CI (1.19-
7.7)], triglycerides [OR 3.27; 95% CI (1.20-5.1)] and low HDL cholesterol [OR
3.29; 95% CI (1.8-5.8)] (p < 0.01). Conclusion. The study provides the
evidence for the significant association of total OSI and underload with
lipid disorders and elevated blood pressure in professional drivers, which
could be a possible link between job stress and coronary heart disease.
Regular periodical examinations and workplace interventions aimed to decrease
total OSI and underload are important aspects in primary prevention and
additional reduction of cardiovascular risk.
Evaluation of telemedicine in the management of dentogenous infections
Authors: Miladinovic Milan , Mladenovic Dragan , Mihailovic Branko , Tosic Goran , Djindjic Boris , Mladenovic Sanja , Hadzibeti Mervan , Vujicic Biljana
Published: June 2013

Introduction/Aim. The first written evidence of telemedicine dates back to
the times of Sava Nemanjic (the end of 12th and the beginning of 13th
century). Nowadays, the use of telemedicine in Serbia gains momentum, and the
cause of this lies in the creation of a central telemedicine system XPA3
Online and the establishment of the Center for Telemedicine at the Faculty of
Medicine, University of Pristina/Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovska Mitrovica,
Serbia. Dentogenous infections are among the most urgent conditions in
dentistry, which may have even a fatal outcome. The aim of this study was to
assess the possibility of using telemedicine methods in the pathology of
dentogenous infections. Methods. This experimental randomized study incl uded
414 patients with suspected dentogenous infection. The patients were enrolled
at 7 sites, with systematic photograph-taking, collection, and digitalization
of the available anamnestic and laboratory data, tests, and x-rays. Together
with clinical findings, the data were uploaded on the XPA3 Online central
telemedicine system; after that, 10 teleconsultants reviewed the material,
set the diagnosis, and gave their opinion about the treatment. The agreement
was determined using the Cohen?s kappa (k) coefficient, as well as diagnostic
sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), and efficacy (EFF). Statistical
significance and comparisons were done using the z-test, and testing
nonparametric properties using the McNemar?s ?2-test for the significance
threshold of p = 0.05. Results. The results describing agreement of
telemedicine diagnosis of the areas primarily involved with infection
compared to clinical inspection, indicate an almost complete diagnostic
agreement (k = 0.971). Diagnostic agreement as to the type of infection was
also almost complete (k = 0.951), and a similar value was obtained also for
the treatment agreement (k > =0.892). Conclusion. The method of telemedicine
provides us with a tool to make a correct clinical diagnosis of dentogenous
infections equally well as in real time, as well as to get a deeper and wider
insight into their nature and to suggest adequate treatments.
Effects of calcitonin and calcium medication in treatment of edentulous osteoporotic mandible
Authors: Postic Srdjan
Published: June 2013

Background/Aim. In addition to damage of the bones that support the remaining
teeth, degradation of osteoporotic oral bones also lead to a consequent
reduction of supporting tissues and the loss of dentures retention. The aim
of this study was to assess the clinical and radiographic outcomes following
injection of a calcitonin and calcium solution into the buccal aspects of
edentulous mandibles. Methods. The experimental group of 67 edentulous
patients diagnosed with osteoporosis, and the control group of 19
nonosteoporotic edentulous patients were treated with the calcitonin and
calcium once solution per month. Mandibular bone density was measured from
panoramic radiographs, supplemented by T scores of skeletal density in the
experimental group. Results. After the therapy, measurements showed moderate
increases in bone density, compensating for up to 4% of the total loss of
minerals and solidity of denture-bearing areas of osteoporotic mandibles.
Osteoporosis affected women earlier than men in this study. Conclusion.
Application of a calcitonin and calcium solution is a suitable method of
preprosthetic therapy for edentulous osteoporotic patients.
Stent graft infixation after venous dislodgement in a patient with femoral posttraumatic arteriovenous fistula
Authors: Till Viktor , Avramov Predrag , Vucaj-Cirilovic Viktorija , Popovic Vladan , Lucic Milos
Published: June 2013

Introduction. An arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is an abnormal connection
between an artery and a vein which may result from traumatic injury or may
occur as congenital abnormality. Stent graft repair through arteriovenous
fistula could lead to complications. Case report. Endovascular stent graft
repair in a 23-year-old patient with posttraumatic superficial femoral
arteriovenous fistula was performed to cover a fistula. During the procedure
the device migrated through the fistula into the femoral vein. Due to
eventual risk of migration to the heart, a prompt decision was made to fix
the stent graft with three puncture needles in the common femoral vein region
under fluoroscopy guidance. The vascular surgeon was called to perform open
surgery. Conclusions. The presented way of treating this rare complication in
an extreme and uncommon situation is very efficient, safe and inexpensive.
Pancreas divisum: Analysis and therapeutic alternatives with a case report
Authors: Jokic Radoica , Milosevic Pavle , Konstantinidis Georgios , Vlaski Jovan , Beserminji Miroslav
Published: June 2013

Introduction. Pancreas divisum is a relatively common pancreatic duct
anatomic variant, firstly described in the 17th century. Case report. We
reported a 2-year-old child admitted to the Pediatric Clinic with breathing
difficulties and abdominal pains. Examination and X-ray image, showed a vast
right hydrothorax containing rusty coloured solution with a high degree of
amylase. Ultrasound and computed tomography examination revealed pancreatic
polycyclic pseudocysts; following magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography
(MRCP), the diagnosis of pancreas divisum was confirmed. The general
condition of the patient worsened, requiring an urgent operation. External
drainage of the perforated pancreatic pseudocyst was performed. Following
external fistula maturation, a change from external to internal drainage was
performed using Roux-en-Y fistulojejunostomy. A 3-year postoperative period
was uneventful. Conclusion. Pancreas divisum cases are unique requiring
clinical experience, rational approach, and complex multimodal management.
MRCP is a valuable diagnostic method. Amongst therapeutic options, outer and
internal drainage can be seen as reliable methods. Further investigations are
absolutely required to determine practical and appropriate conclusions.
Treatment effects of the Forsus Fatigue Resistant Device used with miniscrew anchorage
Authors: Aslan Belma I. , Kucukkaraca Ebru , Turkoz Cagri , Dincer Mufide
Published: June 2013

Objective:

To evaluate the dentofacial effects of the Forsus Fatigue Resistant Device (FRD) used with miniscrew anchorage (FRDMS) and compare them with those of conventional FRD and an untreated Class II control group.

Materials and Methods:

The sample consisted of 48 Class II subjects. Sixteen patients (13.68 ± 1.09 years of age) were treated with FRDMS, whereas 17 subjects (14.64 ± 1.56 years of age) were treated with only FRD. Also, a control sample of 15 untreated Class II subjects (14.13 ± 1.50 years of age) was constructed. Angular and linear measurements were made on 96 lateral cephalograms. Paired t, one-way analysis of variance, and Tukey tests were used for statistical analysis.

Results:

Class I molar relationship and overjet correction were achieved in an average period of 6.5 ± 1.97 and 5.5 ± 1.80 months in the FRDMS and FRD groups, respectively. No skeletal effect was determined in both treatment groups. Greater overbite correction was found in the FRD group. Retrusion and extrusion of maxillary incisors, distalization of maxillary molars, and extrusion of mandibular molars were significant in both treatment groups. Labial tipping of mandibular incisors was significantly greater in the FRD group than in the FRDMS group.

Conclusion:

Overjet and molar correction was totally dentoalveolar. Unfavorable labial tipping of mandibular incisors was effectively minimized with the usage of miniscrews.
Preventing circulating fluidised bed agglomeration and deposition during biomass combustion
Authors: Dunajski Łukasz , Kruk Wojciech , Nowak Wojciech
Published: June 2013

According to a fuel flexibility, fluidized bed boilers are considered as appropriate for biomass combustion as cofiring. But the burning of fuels such as forest and agricultural biomass raises a number of operational problems. Most important of these problems are bed agglomeration and deposition. Deposition appears when biomass contains significant amounts of alkali elements, such as sodium and potassium. The purpose of the work is to select a fuel additive to overcome these operational problems. Investigations were conducted in two stages at a pilot scale 0.1 MWth laboratory circulating fluidized bed reactor. As the fuel, the mixture of biomass contained forest residues, sunflower husks, straw and wood pellets from mixed woods was selected. In the first stage biomass was burnt without any additives, while in the second one the fuel was enriched with some additive. The additive (liquid mixture of chemicals) was added to the fuel in amounts of 1 dm3 per 5-10 Mg of fuel. The following operational parameters were examined: temperature profiles along the height of the circulating fluidised bed column, pressure profiles, emissions. After the tests, the laboratory reactor was inspected inside. Its results enables expression of the following conclusions: there was no agglomeration during fuel additive testing, and the deposition was reduced as well. Moreover, the parts (heating surfaces, separator) of the laboratory reactor were coated with a protective layer. The layer covered microcracks and protected the parts from deposition for a long period after the operation.
The concept of energy production on the basis of modern alternative fuels
Authors: Orszulik Eugeniusz , Jachyra Jan , Wasylewicz Andrzej
Published: June 2013

The paper presents a concept of producing energy on the basis of modern alternative fuels to be burnt in low- and medium-power stokerfired boilers. The thermal energy contained in water vapour and hot water will be utilized in producing, in combination, of electrical energy, and for heating of cubature objects. Modern alternative fuels in the form of briquettes and pellets will be produced from hard coals and municipal waste other than hazardous. There have been presented the properties of alternative fuels obtained, and the concept of their utilization in the process of energy production in cogeneration.
Analysis of the occurrence of natural convection in a bed of bars in vertical temperature gradient conditions
Authors: Wyczółkowski Rafał , Musiał Dorota
Published: June 2013

The reason for undertaking this study was to determine the possible involvement of natural convection in the global heat transfer, that occurs in the heated steel rods bed. This problem is related to the setting of the effective thermal conductivity of the bars bed. This value is one of the boundary conditions for heating modeling of steel rods bundles during heat treatment. The aim of this study was to determine for which geometry of the bed bars, there will be no free convection. To analyze the problem the Rayleigh criterion was used. It was assumed that for the value of the number Ra < 1700 convection in the bed bars does not occur. For analysis, the results of measurements of the temperature distribution in the unidirectionally heated beds of bars were used. It has been shown, that for obtained, during the test, differences of temperature between the surfaces of adjacent rods, convection can occur only when the diameter of the rod exceeds 18 mm.
Educational and Psychological Aspects of Environmental Awareness and a Sense of Belonging
Authors: Rode Ojārs
Published: June 2013

The research problem concerns the sphere of relationships with the environment and an individual's awareness in the aspect of satisfying the need for belonging. This research aims to determine the conditions of relationships with the environment and an individual's awareness in the process of personality formation. The research is constituted by an analysis of literary sources in education, psychology, philosophy and folklore studies as well as by a study of the formation process of a sense of belonging in Latvian folk songs or dainas. This research shows that a sense of belonging is associated with harmony between an individual and the surrounding environment. It is developed in the space of conditions for an individual's self-realisation that balances individual and social interests. For the development of inborn gifts, a natural environment of upbringing is needed. For the development of a sustainable education model in Latvia, the ideas found in Latvian dainas that have ascertained their sustainability may be of importance.
Participatory Action Research for Development of Prospective Teachers' Professionality during Their Pedagogical Practice
Authors: Strode Aina
Published: June 2013

Implementation of participatory action research during pedagogical practice facilitates sustainable education because its objective is to understand professional practice, enrich the capacity of involved participants and an opportunity to make inquiries for the improvement of quality. In the research of professional practice, subjects explore themselves; research is critically informative, active and action-oriented. Basing on the analysis of the prospective teachers' professional independence formation during pedagogical practice, the conditions for the individual's sustainable professional development are updated, the principles of organising pedagogical practice are determined. The experts' opinion method was applied in the evaluation of the developed practice model. Four experts from four Latvian universities were involved in the questionnaire; the content analysis of expert opinions was performed. As a result, the opportunities of the developed model to ensure sustainable education as well as its strengths and weaknesses were determined. Activation of the holistic and action approaches to develop students' independent professional activity and ensure sustainable education, cooperation context, targeted planning of the student-centred process, orientation to students' self-experience, respect of research aspects were completely appreciated.
Sustainable Development and ICT in Slovenian Primary and Secondary Schools: Media-Ecological Perspective
Authors: Zakrajšek Srečko , Purg Peter
Published: June 2013

The goal of the research was to get an overview on the possibilities of sustainable development in relation to information and communication technologies in primary and secondary schools in Slovenia from the perspective of media ecology. The study analyses the reasons for a reorientation of the educational system and new programmes towards sustainability and relates these developments to the activities of Eco-schools in Slovenia. The findings show that the guidelines of sustainable development are included in the programmes, yet they do not encompass the possibilities opening up by new technologies. Contemporary teaching methods are not widespread due to the inadequate education and training of teachers. At the same time, numerous problems arising from the introduction of new technologies and equipment into schools are neither anticipated nor tackled in the renewed curricula, thus failing to integrate a contemporary media-ecological perspective. Judging from the roadmap documents, even after the renewal process will have been finished, the situation will hardly change unless major changes are introduced into the planned concept of renovation and additional investments of funds for equipment, the preparation of materials and, above all, teacher education are secured.
Reading Acquisition Among 5- to 6-Year-Old Children in the Programme of Compulsory Preparation for School
Authors: Zariņa Sandra
Published: June 2013

Abstract In the context of compulsory education for 5-6 year-old children, the question about reading acquisition is one of fundamental concerns for both pre-school teachers and parents. This article examines the methods of reading acquisition frequently applied in preschool, discusses the situation and teachers’ view of reading acquisition in pre-school in Latvia and provides suggestions for reading literacy development of 5-6 years old children based on the keystones of sustainable development. The article is a contribution in the construction of a theoretically grounded and sustainable model of reading acquisition for 5-6 year-old children meeting global educational challenges and Latvian local needs.
Perceptions of Research in Education for Sustainable Development: An International Perspective
Authors: Pipere Anita , Reunamo Jyrki , Jones Marion
Published: June 2013

This paper reports on a study undertaken to investigate international perspectives of what constitutes research in education for sustainable development (ESD). By employing inductive thematic content analysis, the authors sought to examine the perceptions of 66 ESD researchers from 19 countries. The findings reveal a concern with the methodological aspects of research and an emergent need for synergy between the methodology of educational research and specific themes relevant to ESD research. The significant overlap of themes and aspects of ESD research apparent across the different contexts within which the researchers were embedded indicates a unified core of ESD research, although there is also evidence of contextual factors influencing the research agenda. Based on the findings of this study, the paper concludes that there is an overlap between educational research and ESD research, but that the latter has its own specific aims, themes and political supporters. In an endeavour to develop a shared understanding about ESD research across disciplines and research context, a common language has to be developed to facilitate a constructive dialogue and research capacity building in this novel field.