bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The association between bronchial anthracofibrosis and pneumoconiosis: A retrospective cross‐sectional study
Authors: Cho Younmo , Choi Min , Myong Jun‐Pyo , Kim Hyoung‐Ryoul , Lee HyeEun , Jang Tae‐Won , Koo Jung‐Wan
Published: December 2014

The association between bronchial anthracofibrosis and pneumoconiosis: A retrospective cross‐sectional study: Younmo CHO, et al. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Republic of Korea

Objective

Bronchial anthracofibrosis (BAF) is associated with occupational hazardous dust exposure. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of BAF and BAC without fibrosis in patients with pneumoconiosis, and to evaluate the associations between BAC/BAF and occupational dust exposure and clinical manifestations among patients with pneumoconiosis.

Methods

A retrospective cross‐sectional study (n=170) among individuals who were diagnosed with pneumoconiosis or suspicious pneumoconiosis and underwent bronchoscopy between January 2000 and February 2013 was performed. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate associations.

Results

In total, 153 eligible subjects were included in the study because their records contained all the required information. Of these, 81 (53%) and 63 (41%) had BAC and BAF, respectively. Occupational coal dust exposure increased the risk of BAF and BAC (odds ratio [OR]=2.980, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.184−8.128; OR=2.840, 95% CI=1.092−7.926, respectively). Profusion category 3 pneumoconiosis also increased the risk of BAC (OR=33.887, 95% CI=5.317−394.729).

Conclusions

BAF and BAC are associated with occupational exposure to coal dust. Therefore, clinicians should consider occupational history when they investigate the association between BAC/BAF and risk factors such as tuberculosis, lung cancer, and biomass fuel exposure.
Presepsin for the Detection of Late-Onset Sepsis in Preterm Newborns
Authors: Poggi Chiara , Bianconi Tommaso , Gozzini Elena , Generoso Marta , Dani Carlo
Published: December 2014

BACKGROUND:

Late-onset sepsis (LOS) is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in preterm newborns, and currently available diagnostic tools are inadequate. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of presepsin (P-SEP) as novel biomarker of bacterial infection for the diagnosis of LOS in preterm newborns.

METHODS:

We prospectively studied newborns ≤32 weeks’ gestational age with LOS (n = 19) and noninfected controls (n = 21) at 4 to 60 days’ postnatal age. At enrollment, and 1, 3, and 5 days later, we ascertained the C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and P-SEP in the LOS group, whereas P-SEP alone was ascertained in the control group.

RESULTS:

P-SEP at enrollment was higher in the LOS than the control group (median 1295 vs 562 ng/L, P = .00001) and remained higher throughout the study period. In the LOS group, P-SEP had a borderline reduction at day 1 versus values at enrollment (median 1011 vs 1295 ng/L, P = .05), whereas C-reactive protein and procalcitonin at day 1 did not differ from baseline values. The receiver operating characteristic curve of P-SEP at enrollment shows an area under the curve of 0.972. The best calculated cutoff value was 885 ng/L, with 94% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Negative likelihood ratio was 0.05, and positive likelihood ratio was infinity.

CONCLUSIONS:

We demonstrated for the first time in a cohort of preterm newborns that P-SEP is an accurate biomarker for the diagnosis of possible LOS and may also provide useful information for monitoring the response to therapeutic interventions.
National Secular Society Challenge is Missing the Mark but is Welcomed by Modern Chaplains
Authors: Fraser Derek
Published: December 2014

The contention of this article is that the campaign and challenge of the National Secular Society (NSS) campaign against chaplaincy is an excellent opportunity for modern chaplaincy within the health care setting to articulate its worth and ongoing validity. It allows for a critical reflection on the service so that its fundamental significance and value within the NHS can be affirmed. The article will first consider the key issues within the challenge of the NSS before going on to consider the purpose and core values of the NHS. The experience of hospitalisation will be discussed and the nature of modern chaplaincy described. In conclusion, the strands of the debate will be gathered together to sharpen attention and argue for the need for a clear understanding and articulation of modern day chaplaincy within the challenging environment of the NHS.
Accounting for the Unaccountable
Authors: Swift Chris , Sayers Stephen
Published: December 2014

Chaplains are familiar with patient narratives which recount “extra-ordinary” experiences. These may include a vision or awareness of a deceased person. It may take other forms of description which do not fit into day-to-day discourse. There is also a significant multi-faith and multi-cultural diversity to the nature and expression of such events. This paper outlines a narrative structure which could be used authentically by health care staff to enable and value the patient’s experience of extra-ordinary episodes. This is seen as a significant way to support a patient’s dignity and enable them to integrate experiences in an effective way.
RECIDYVAI PO POODŽIO VENŲ VARIKOZĖS GYDYMO ENDOVASKULINIU LAZERIU
Authors: Markevičius Narimantas , Sudikas Saulius , Gutauskas Jonas , Gečas Gediminas
Published: December 2014

Reikšminiai žodžiai: endovaskulinė, recidyvas, chirurgija, venos, varikozė. Tikslas. Nustatyti poodžio venų varikozės recidyvų dažnį, atsirandantį po endoveninės lazerinės chirurgijos operacijų. Tyrimo medžiaga ir metodai. Tyrimas retrospektyvinis, atliktas Vilniaus miesto klinikinėje ligoninėje. Buvo ištirti 2011–2013 m. lazeriu operuoti 555 pacientai (598 apatinės galūnės) C3-C4 pagal CEAP stadijos. Operacijos metu panaudotos lazerio energijos kiekis svyravo nuo 7 iki 9J vienam mm venos spindžio. Pacientai vertinti kliniškai ir dvigubu ultragarso skenavimu prieš operaciją ir 1–3 metai po jos. Vertinta veninė kraujotaka tik operuotoje galūnėje. Gydytos galūnės vertintos kaip atskiri atvejai. Rezultatai. Pacientai pasiskirstė: 102 vyrai (18 proc.) ir 453 moterys (82 proc.). Vidutinis pacientų amžius – 49,7 m. (SD ± 12,8 m.) – nuo 18 m. iki 87 m. Refliuksas prieš operaciją nustatytas vena saphena magna 96 proc.; vena saphena parva 3 proc.; abiejose – 1 proc. Atokiuoju laikotarpiu diagnozuoti 3 didžiosios poodžio venos recidyvai (0,5 proc.). Visi trys recidyvai pastebėti moterims (p > 0,05). Išvados. Didžiųjų komplikacijų po operacijos nepastebėta. Recidyvų dažnis sudarė 0,5 proc. Visais atvejais rekanalizavosi vena saphena magna ir visi recidyvai išsivystė moterims.
KARŠTIS IR ŠIRDIES–KRAUJAGYSLIŲ SISTEMA. PERKAITIMO PREVENCIJA
Authors: Biliukas Mykolas , Karpavičienė Vaiva
Published: December 2014

Reikšminiai žodžiai: karštis, temperatūra, šilumos smūgis, prevencija. Šylant klimatui, galima numatyti stipresnį didėjančios oro temperatūros poveikį sveikatai. Neigiamos pasekmės gali būti sušvelnintos, jeigu individų ir visuomenės pastangos būtų nukreiptos stiprinti adaptacijos fenomeną. Remiantis konkre- čiu klinikiniu pavyzdžiu, išnagrinėti karščio poveikio rezultatai, predisponuojančios sąlygos, padarytos klaidos, duomenys įvertinti šiuolaikinio mokslo šviesoje. Supratimas, kaip karštis įtakoja sveikatą, yra pagrindinis būdas ruošiant visuomenę artėjančioms karščio bangoms. Atkreiptas dėmesys, kad, artėjant ekstremaliems karščiams, būtina pasirūpinti sveikata, o ligoniams – koreguoti gydymą. Akcentuojama buvusios epizodinės arterinės hipertenzijos tinkamos priežiūros svarba, medicininės kontrolės masinių startų metu būtinumas. Nesant bendrų nuorodų aptariamu klausimu, tikslingas reguliarus turimos medžiagos peržiūrėjimas ir papildymas naujais, aktualiais faktais. Nepaisant sisteminio ir gana gilaus pažeidimų pobūdžio per karštį, klinikiniai, laboratoriniai ir instrumentiniai pakitimai buvo laikini ir gydant ženkliai regresavo per 5 dienas. Kasdieniam naudojimui rekomenduojamas karščio indeksas, įvertinantis ir oro temperatūrą, ir santykinį drėgnumą, o tai leidžia tiksliau numatyti individualų diskomforto slenkstį kiekvieną dieną. Atkreiptas dėmesys į fizikų ir medikų bendradarbiavimo būtinumą tiriant gamtinės aplinkos ir žmogaus sveikatos sąsajas. Daug dėmesio skirta apibendrinant gausias, paprastas, bet aktualias perkaitimo prevencijos rekomendacijas.
KLINIKINĖ PERINATALINIO PERIODO ŠIRDIES RABDOMIOMŲ PATIRTIS VILNIAUS PERINATOLOGIJOS CENTRE
Authors: Vankevičienė Ramunė , Kinčinienė Odeta , Drejerienė Violeta , Drazdienė Nijolė
Published: December 2014

Reikšminiai žodžiai: vaikų širdies tumorai, širdies rabdomioma, tuberozinės sklerozės kompleksas. Darbo tikslas. Išanalizuoti, įvertinti klinikinę patirtį diagnozuojant ir gydant vaisiaus ir naujagimio širdies rabdomiomas. Tyrimo medžiaga ir metodai. Išanalizuoti vaisių ir naujagimių, kuriems 1996–2013 m. laikotarpiu diagnozuotos širdies rabdomiomos, atvejai. Įvertinta antenatalinė ir postnatalinė rabdomiomų eiga, stebėjimo ir gydymo galimybės, rabdomiomų ryšys su tuberozine skleroze. Rezultatai. Širdies rabdomiomos – ypač reta patologija. Per 23 metus perinataliniame periode diagnozuoti tik 7 širdies rabdomiomų atvejai. Tik vienam vaisiui buvo prenatalinės hemodinamikos sutrikimai ir išsivystė vaisiaus vandenė, po gimimo penkiems naujagimiams pastebėti klinikiniai simptomai (aritmijos – prieširdinės ir skilvelinės ekstrasistolės, kliūtis kraujui nutekėti iš dešiniojo ir kairiojo skilvelių). Stebint vaikus vėliau, tuberozinės sklerozės kompleksas patvirtintas trims pacientams. Vienas naujagimis sėkmingai po gimimo operuotas. Išvados. Širdies rabdomiomos vaisiui ir naujagimiui dažniausiai yra gerybinės ir nesukelia širdies-kraujagyslių sistemos pokyčių. Tuberozinė sklerozė diagnozuojama dauguma širdies rabdomiomų atvejų.
Development of Mev-Eds Methodology for Forensic Analysis on Automotive Headlights
Authors: Marco Antônio Balbino  , Glauco Fiaschi  , José Fernando de Andrade  , Adelir Aparecida Saczk  , Leonardo Luiz Okumura  , Marcelo Firmino de Oliveira
Published: December 2014

A comparative study between three automotive headlights (conventional, halogen, and HID lamp) using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) is described. Results show the possibility of conducting topographic and qualitative analysis of automotive light bulbs from vehicles involved in traffic accidents on the basis of similarities between the waste glass material left on the filaments. This should provide evidence as to whether the bulbs were energized at the time of the accident.
Crime Organizado ou Organização Criminosa: a Experiência Comparativa e a Evolução no Brasil
Authors: Sônia Regina de Grande Petrillo Obregon
Published: December 2014

Este artigo constitui um estudo sobre a história da Organização Criminosa ou Crime Organizado (termos usados num mesmo sentido) e sua base/semelhança com a Máfia.
Identificação e Vinculação Geográfica da Cannabis sativa: Ferramentas para Inteligência Policial
Authors: Rodrigo Grazinoli Garrido  , Alessandra Stefania Dias Ribeiro  , Rodrigo Soares de Moura Neto
Published: December 2014

Cannabis sativa é uma das espécies mais antigas de plantas domesticadas e permanece como uma das culturas mais difundidas. É também a droga ilícita mais consumida no mundo. Buscou-se apresentar os métodos químicos e botânicos atualmente utilizados para identificação inter e intraespecífica no gênero Cannabis, mas que têm pouca ou nenhuma capacidade de individualizar ou correlacionar amostras. Por outro lado, foram caracterizadas as atuais ferramentas moleculares, as quais mostram resultados bastante úteis na individualização de amostras vegetais e, assim, podem contribuir com a inteligência policial na determinação geográfica de plantios e rotas de tráfico.
Internação e Direito à Saúde Mental no Brasil
Authors: Gustavo D´Andrea  , Carla Aparecida Arena Ventura
Published: December 2014

O presente artigo tem como objetivo descrever os aspectos gerais sobre a normativa brasileira envolvendo internações psiquiátricas, destacando, adicionalmente, alguns pontos teóricos que podem ajudar a entender melhor as razões dos entendimentos atuais sobre internação de pessoas acometidas de transtornos mentais. Será dada ênfase na Lei 10.216 de 2001 (Lei de Reforma Psiquiátrica) por ser a principal norma brasileira em vigor a respeito do assunto. Procura-se frisar a importância das iniciativas científicas, políticas e normativas para o caminho em que se busca vencer a estigmatização e a segregação, na luta pela realização plena do ser humano que carece de atenção em saúde mental.
Estudo de Metodologia para Quantificação do Polímero SBS no Asfalto Utilizando a Espectrometria de Infravermelho por Transformada de Fourier
Authors: Maria da Conceição Cavalcante Lucena  , Sandra de Aguiar Soares  , Jorge Barbosa Soares
Published: December 2014

A quantificação do teor de polímero no cimento asfáltico de petróleo (CAP) modificado é de fundamental importância em obras de pavimentação, sendo um item questionado em auditorias de obras rodoviárias. Um dos polímeros mais utilizados na pavimentação é o copolímero de estireno e butadieno (SBS). A quantificação de polímeros por espectrometria de Infravermelho por Transformada de Fourier (FTIR) é um procedimento rápido comparado a técnicas de Ressonância Magnética Nuclear (RMN) e a Cromatografia de Permeação em Gel (GPC), utilizadas também com esse objetivo. Este trabalho objetiva estabelecer uma metodologia para quantificação do teor de SBS no CAP utilizando-se FTIR. Curvas de calibração foram construídas a partir de misturas padrões preparadas nas concentrações de 1, 3, 4, 5, 8 e 15% (m/m) de SBS na forma sólida e CAP50/70. Os resultados dessa investigação indicaram uma relação linear entre o teor de SBS em amostras de asfaltos modificados por polímeros e absorções em 966 e 698 cm-1. Verificou-se, também, pelo estudo da concentração, a partir de aquisição de espectros FTIR e usando as ferramentas da quimiometria, que a concentração do SBS no CAP cresce à medida que aumenta a intensidade das bandas em 966 e 698 cm-1. Essas bandas são atribuídas a absorções do polibutadieno e poliestireno, respectivamente. O método foi testado com as amostras de misturas de CAP-SBS, produzidas em laboratório e se mostrou confiável, porém não apresentou bons resultados para amostras extraídas de pavimentos.
Ecological and Forensic Implications of Social Wasps on Pig Carcass Degradation in Brazilian Savannah
Authors: Matheus H. Simões  , Anderson O. Guedes  , Patrícia J. Thyssen  , Marconi Souza-Silva
Published: December 2014

Herein are recorded the composition and richness of 188 specimens of social wasps collected processing pig carcasses (Sus scrofa L.) in a Brazilian Savannah. Among the species collected Polybia (Myrapetra) fastidiosuscula de Saussure, 1854 (n = 178), Polybia (Trichotorax) ignobilis (Haliday, 1836) (n = 6), Apoica (Apoica) gelida Van der Vecth, 1972 (n = 3) and Polybia (Trichotorax) sericea (Olivier, 1791) (n = 1) were founded using fresh, bloated, decayed and skeletonized pig caracass. P. fastidiosuscula showed significant differences among decomposition stages, with preference for the bloated stage. The high abundance of social wasps in animal carcasses under decomposition, mainly those considered necrophagous, reveals the ecological importance of these wasps in carcass fragmentation by directly influencing the duration of the decomposition process. Moreover, the preference of P. fastidiosuscula for the bloated stage may be used as subsidy for forensic implications.
Forensic Facial Reconstruction: Review and Analysis of Scientific Research in Brazil
Authors: Lara Maria Herrera  , Sílvia Virgiínia Tedeschi-Oliveira  , Rodolfo Francisco Haltenhoff Melani
Published: December 2014

Forensic Facial Reconstruction (FFR) refers to any process that aims to recover the morphology of a face at the moment before death, from the observation of a skull. It’s a recognition method that allows direct investigations for primary methods of human identification. The literature on this topic is very extensive, however, there are only few national studies, even in Forensic Dentistry. The present study aimed to review and to analyze the Brazilian research publications about FFR. On April 13, a search for references was carried on Bibliografia Brasileira de Odontologia (BBO) and Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS) electronic full-text databases with the terms “forensic facial reconstruction”, “forensic facial reconstitution” and “forensic facial approximation”. A total of 10 national references was found, between 2000 and 2012: 2 articles, 3 dissertations and 5 theses. Most of the references belong to the field of dentistry and the topic that was most studied is facial soft tissue thickness of Brazilian subjects, totaling 30% of the publications. About 50% of the studies have been made since 2010, which shows that the national studies are recent. We conclude that the Brazilian literature on FFR has been growing, but there is still a lack of research. The preparation of theses and dissertations is valuable for the development of Forensic Sciences and Forensic Dentistry.
A médiapedagógia segédtudománya: a kognitív pszichológia
Authors: Dóra László
Published: December 2014

A médiával foglalkozó szakirodalom ma már nagyon széles körű, és a felhasználása leginkább a tömegkommunikáció-kutatáson belül, valamint az oktatásban a legelterjedtebb. Az iskolai tanításhoz elengedhetetlen a média témaköre, azonban az oktatásbeli alkalmazáshoz és az ismeretszerzés megértéséhez nem elég a két terület. A pedagógiának és a médiaelméletnek van egy közös segédtudománya, a kognitív pszichológia, amely a tömegtájékoztató eszközök több látens hatását is feltárta. Az általános lélektani megközelítéstől eltérően a kognitív pszichológia a tömegkommunikáció tekintetében a televíziós híreket, valamint azok megértését vizsgálja elsősorban. Más tantárgyak didaktikai megközelítéseit figyelembe véve a médiaesemények feldolgozása könnyen átültethető a gyakorlatba.
Die deutsche reformpädagogische Bewegung: eine kurze Vorstellung
Authors: Jobbágy Zoltán
Published: December 2014

Die reformpädagogische Bewegung war eine Reflexion auf jene Einzelerscheinungen, die etwa vier Jahrzehnte lang als gesellschaftspolitische und kulturphilosophische Erneuerungsversuche pädagogische Forderungen stellten. Sie umfaßte Reformerscheinungen, die direkt die Erziehung in den verschiedensten Räumen des gesellschaftlichen und kulturellen Lebens verändern wollten. Sie war eine Phase der verschiedenen kulturkritischen Gegenwirkungen, die sich gegen die großen Tendenzen und Spannungen der damaligen Epoche richtete. Trotz vielversprechender Versuche brach die Bewegung ohne innere Notwendigkeit ab. Ihre Sprache und Theorie verblaßten, ihre Probleme sind aber auch im 21. Jahrhundert bestehen geblieben.
Lükurgosz kutyái, avagy a 17. századi holland életképfestészet példázatai a nevelésről
Authors: Szabó Zsófia
Published: December 2014

E tanulmány a 17. századi holland zsánerfestészetben megjelenő nevelő és erkölcsi célzatú üzenetek feltárásával foglalkozik. Az elemzés célja, hogy egy régi holland közmondást („Ahogy az öregek énekelnek, úgy fütyülnek a fiatalok”) és Lükurgosz egyik példázatát követve az írásos és emblematikus hagyomány festői használatát mutassa be Jan Steen művészetén keresztül.
Montane meadow hydropedology, plant community, and herbivore dynamics
Authors: Roche Leslie M. , O'Geen Anthony T. , Latimer Andrew M. , Eastburn Danny J.
Published: December 2014

Montane meadows provide multiple ecological and economic benefits, and are widely considered areas of high conservation value. There is growing interest in balancing multiple land‐uses on these and other focal working landscapes to provide for economic, social, and conservation goals. Globally, livestock grazing has been used as a management and conservation tool in many ecosystems; however, there is substantial concern—particularly for montane meadows—that grazing negatively impacts ecosystem functions and services. The mechanisms by which excessive livestock grazing can degrade meadow function have been well documented; yet, for hydrologically functional meadow systems, we know little about meadow‐scale linkages in the hydrologic‐soil‐plant‐grazing animal continuum, which limits our ability to develop riparian grazing conservation strategies. We conducted a cross‐sectional, observational survey of hydrology, soils, plant communities, and cattle forage resource use across 24 functional montane meadows of the central Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in California, USA. By linking principles of plant community ecology and foraging theory, we were able to unravel relationships and drivers between hydropedologic conditions, plant community characteristics, and cattle grazing patterns. Our work demonstrates that hydrology is a critical driving factor of cattle foraging response, plant community attributes, and soil properties across these wetland ecosystems. Results indicate that these systems are resilient to the observed gradient of grazing disturbances. This information advances our understanding of how meadow‐scale heterogeneity can be utilized in managing for multiple, and potentially conflicting, ecosystem services across working landscapes—particularly in the face of projected future climate changes and continually limited resources to support conservation and restoration projects.
Observed Relationships between Maize Yield and Climate in Sri Lanka
Authors: Karunaratne A. S. , Wheeler T.
Published: December 2014

The present study evaluated the effects of climate variability on maize (Zea mays L.) yield in Sri Lanka at different spatial scales. Biophysical data from the Department of Agriculture (DOA) in Sri Lanka for six major maize‐growing districts (Ampara, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Hambantota, Moneragala, and Kurunegala) from 1990 to 2010 were analyzed. Simple linear regression models were fitted to observed climate data and detrended maize yield to identify significant correlations. The correlation between first differences of maize yield and climate (r) was further investigated at 0.50° grid scale using interpolated climate data. After 2003, significantly positive (p < 0.01) yield trends varied from 154 kg ha−1 yr−1 to 360 kg ha−1 yr−1. The correlations between maize yield and climate reported that five out of six districts were significant at 10% level. Rainfall had a consistent significant (p < 0.10) positive impact on maize yield in Anuradhapura, Hambantota, and Moneragala, where seasonal total rainfall together with high temperature (“hot‐dry”) are the key limitations. Further, the seasonal mean temperature had a negative impact on maize yield in Moneragala (“hot‐dry”), the only district that showed high temperatures. Badulla district (“cold‐dry”) reported a significant (r = 0.38) positive correlation with mean seasonal temperature, indicating higher potential toward increasing temperatures. Each 1°C rise in seasonal mean temperature reduced maize yield by about 5% from 1990 to 2010. Overall, there was a reasonable correlation between district maize yield and seasonal climate in most of the districts within the maize belt of Sri Lanka.
Pod Set in Soybean: Investigations with SOYPODP, a Whole Plant Model
Authors: Egli D. B.
Published: December 2014

The ability of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] to adjust its pod load to environmental conditions is an important, but not well understood, part of the yield production process. To better understand this process at the whole plant level, a single‐node model (SOYPOD) was extended to predict pod set of whole plants. Pod survival in SOYPODP was determined by comparing assimilate from photosynthesis (calculated from solar radiation) to pod requirements during initial pod growth. Measured profiles of flowers per node and pod and seed growth rates were used as input. Pods that do not receive adequate assimilate for a specified number of consecutive days do not survive. When inter‐nodal movement of assimilate was prohibited and the nodal assimilate production profile matched the input flower profile, pod set on the stem matched measured profiles of two field‐grown cultivars. In this form, SOYPODP accurately mimicked known responses of pod number to variation in assimilate supply, nodes per plant and individual seed growth rate. Competition for assimilate at a node‐controlled pod set, so increasing uniformity of pod development (more flowers or a shorter flowering period) increased pod set. Increasing nodal variation in the beginning of pod development reduced the sensitivity of the plant to short‐term fluctuations in assimilate supply. Variation in uniformity of pod development at a node was responsible for increases in pod set with no change in assimilate availability. The value of these increases is not clear, but it seems unlikely that they would affect yield.
Biological assets and the agricultural products in the context of the implementation of the IAS 41: A case study of the Romanian agro-food system
Authors: Mates Dorel , Grosu Veronica , Hlaciuc Elena , Bostan Ionel , Bunget Ovidiu , Domil Aura , Moraru Maria , Artene Alin
Published: December 2014

Nowadays, when the contribution of agriculture and agro-food industry to the
GDP is a significant, in Romania?s case we appreciate that the economic
aspects of this area also deserve a specific approach. The aim of this paper
was to identify the incompatibility of the recognition and assessment
criteria of agriculture production, biological assets and agriculture
products imposed by the application of these standards in agro-food
companies, and to analyze its effects concerning the financial position and
performance of these entities. The paper takes into consideration the
economic-financial harmonization process, which is now in full progress, both
in the EU and other states, by applying the specific standards (IAS/IFRS) in
the preparation of annual/interim financial reports. Finally, referring
strictly to the case of Romania, after thorough research into the field in
question, we suggest a presentation of the controversial assessment criteria
provided by the IAS 41 standard, and also refer to the difficulties related
to the implementation of this standard in the agro-food industry.
Chemistry curricular knowledge of secondary school teachers
Authors: Tomasevic Biljana , Trivic Dragica
Published: December 2014

the course of this research, we explored the extent of chemistry teachers?
professional knowledge related to the structure, contents and application of
chemistry curricula and their components. The research comprised 119 teachers
from 69 secondary schools (25 grammar schools and 44 vocational secondary
schools). The questions in the questionnaire referred to general curriculum
knowledge, knowledge of chemistry curriculum and the views/assessments of
teachers concerning the necessary changes in the curricula currently in
effect. The teachers? answers show that the most important components of the
curriculum for their work are the goals and operative tasks/outcomes. The
results indicate that there exists information in the curriculum components
that remains unused although it is relevant for a certain level of planning.
Among the teachers in the sample, higher percentages of those with
appropriate teachers training programme were applying information from the
curriculum within teaching process through demonstration method and problem
solving. The research that was conducted provides a basis for defining the
indicators for monitoring the level of teachers? capability to apply
curricular knowledge in their practice. Such indicators are important for
creating teaching situations and teachers? activities within the framework of
initial teacher education and continuing professional development.
Doing Sexuality Research with Children: Ethics, Theory, Methods and Practice
Authors: Robinson Kerry H. , Davies Cristyn
Published: December 2014

This article is a critical reflection on undertaking qualitative research with children and young people about sexuality issues. Framed within a feminist post-structuralist and queer theoretical perspective, the authors understand sexuality as a historically and culturally contingent category of subjectivity, and a complex signifying system founded on individual and institutional relations of power. Based on Australian research that has spanned the past decade, the authors reflect on their experiences of research with children and young people around sexuality, and the issues encountered in gaining approval to undertake this research from institutional human ethics committees. The authors also discuss the use of images from popular culture and media representations as a methodology to engage children, young people and adults in discussions on relationships and sexuality issues within the context of interviews and focus groups. In conclusion, the authors reflect on what it means to be a researcher in this field and offer some thoughts on how best to support researchers to continue engaging in this research.
Doing No Harm? Rethinking Vulnerability in Sexuality Research with Young People in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Authors: Deacon Rachel
Published: December 2014

Addressing the vulnerability of participants is a key concern for those undertaking sexuality research with young people and, whilst university ethics committees provide guidelines, their practical implementation is often problematic as what it means to ‘do no harm’ is not always clear. This article explores some of these issues, drawing on the author's own research conducted in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, and reflecting on the author's own experience of navigating what it means to conduct ‘ethical’ research. In doing so, it explores a number of issues which arose: how one ‘hears voices’ and categorises those which are ‘vulnerable’; how one constructs spaces for particular narratives and, in doing so, silences others; and how one's approaches are embedded with ideas of vulnerability which may not always resonate with those which the participants locate for themselves. The article calls for a more nuanced approach which recognises the ways in which vulnerability is constructed and located, including within research practice, and how in their usage the creation of new sites of vulnerability can actually be facilitated.
Exceptionalism and Sexularism in Finnish Sex Education
Authors: Honkasalo Veronika
Published: December 2014

The multiculturalism of Finnish society is under intensive discussion. Part of this debate deals with girls from migrant backgrounds and their position within and outside the family. At the same time, international research on girlhood and migration shows that public discussion about girls from migrant backgrounds is often linked to sexual rights, sex education and gender equality. In this article, the author asks how complex generational and gendered relations are understood and taken into account in sex education, and how questions of morality are linked to the neutrality of sex education. This is done by using the concepts of exceptionalism and sexularism. Exceptionalism, in the context of sex education, refers to the tendencies that support the Nordic education system as universal, equal and exceptional, and sexularism refers to debates that connect ‘Western’ ideas and practices of sexuality with progress, emancipation, reason, pleasure and freedom. The article is based on the author's ongoing research, which combines debates from post-colonial and youth research. The analysis piggybacks interviews conducted with young people aged 13 to 18 ( n = 33) and professionals ( n = 21), as well as material consisting of 18 health education textbooks used in Finnish upper secondary schools.
Population Densities of Birds Breeding in Urbanized Habitats in the Grabiszyn District in the City of Wrocław
Authors: Kopij Grzegorz
Published: December 2014

Studies were carried out in 2010 by mean of simplified version of the mapping method. The study area (395 ha) was located close to the city centre. It comprised a mosaic of urbanized habitats, with a clear dominance of green areas, such as parks (41.1 ha), gardens, cemeteries and tree clumps. A total of 48 breeding bird species were recorded in the whole study area. The most common (<25 pairs/100 ha) were Passer domesticus, Passer montanus, Sturnus vulgaris, Parus caeruleus, Parus major, Apus apus and Columba livia. Numerous (7-15 pairs/100 ha) were also the following species: Columba palumbus, Turdus pilaris, Sylvia atricapilla, Serinus serinus, Turdus merula and Pica pica. Insectivorous birds were the most common birds constituting 63.3%, and granivorous -32.6% of all pairs recorded. Most birds nested in tree holes (39.3%), in/on buildings (30.2%) and in trees/shrubs (25.6%). Distribution of breeding pairs of 23 bird species was presented on maps. Population trends for 17 species were documented. Rapid increase in numbers of Turdus pilaris, Corvus cornix and Phoenicurus phoenicurus and decrease of Pica pica were recorded.
New Records of Lilypad Whiteface Leucorrhinia Caudalis (Odonata: Libellulidae) in the Czech Republic
Authors: Dolný Aleš , Waldhauser Martin , Kvita Lubomír , Kocourková Lydie
Published: December 2014

Leucorrhinia caudalis is listed on the European Red List as near threatened. The species had been thought to be extinct in the Czech Republic for the last fifty years, until an accidental discovery of adult males in 2012. In 2014, larvae of Leucorrhinia caudalis were recorded from water reservoirs in the Česká Lípa region, northern Bohemia, for the first time. Thus, it is the first breeding site of L. caudalis in the Czech Republic. A male Leucorrhinia caudalis was also repeatedly recorded in Havířov-Dolní Suchá in the north-eastern Czech Republic.
Classification and Assessment of Aridity Over Pakistan Provinces (1960-2009)
Authors: Haider Sajjad , Adnan Shahzada
Published: December 2014

Due to rapid growth of population, massive deforestation and anthropogenic activities, noticeable change in climate conditions is being observed in Pakistan. Increased aridity due to climate change is a growing environmental problem of the agricultural country like Pakistan. It is essential to assess and monitor aridity to combat the probable land degradation and drought desertification. Identification of arid and semi arid regions on climatic basis is the first essential step in any project of land reclamation for agricultural and other purposes. A geographic information system is used in this paper for the assessment of aridity in Pakistan from long term climatic data of fifty years (1960-2009) collected from fifty four stations situated in the country. In the delineation of climatic zones and delimitation of their boundaries, five well known aridity models viz. De Martonne Aridity index, Erinc Aridity index, Thornthwaite Precipitation Effectiveness index, UNESCO Aridity index and Thornthwaite Moisture index are utilized for this purpose. The study shows that southern parts of the country are dry and more vulnerable to drought while the northern parts have variable types of climate. Almost 75 to 85% of the total area of the country is arid in which most part lies in the south while less than 10% area is humid lies in the north of the country. This study will be a good predicator for agricultural scientist, agronomist and hydrologist to plan according the climate of the region.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v3i4.11728International Journal of EnvironmentVolume-3, Issue-4, Sep-Nov 2014Page : 24-35
Alteration in Vital State Parameters of Scots Pine Tree-Stands under Technogenic Pollution
Authors: Mikhailova Tatiana A. , Kalugina Olga V. , Shergina Olga V. , Taranenko Ekaterina N.
Published: December 2014

The study was focused on the relation between deterioration of vital state parameters of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) tree-stands polluted by various technogenic sources, and the level of polluting agents accumulation in the needles. Changes in the balance of the most important biogenic elements and their proportion in the needles of polluted trees have been shown. The results confirm systemic character of polluting agents impact on tree-stands vital state. It may be presumed to show in the following order: polluting agents accumulation in assimilating organs → disbalance of elements composition of plant organism → disturbance of plant organism nutritious conditions → disturbance of tree growth characteristics → reduction of tree-stands productivity.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v3i4.11729International Journal of EnvironmentVolume-3, Issue-4, Sep-Nov 2014Page: 36-43
Urban Expansion and Its Impact on Green Spaces of Dehradun City, Uttarakhand, India
Authors: Gupta Peeyush , Goyal Swati
Published: December 2014

Urbanization is on increase because of heavy population pressure, industrialization, and better job opportunities in plane areas compared to Himalayan terrain. The urbanization has also added hypertension because of very fast life and lack of recreational opportunities within easily accessible distances. Deforestation is the permanent destruction of indigenous forests and woodlands. The term does not include the removal of industrial forests such as plantations of gums or pines. Deforestation is clearing of forests on a massive scale, often resulting in damage to the quality of the land. Urbanization is one of the major causes of the deforestation. Urban green space planning is an important component of urban ecosystems; provide many environmental and social services that contribute quality of life in the cities.The green spaces are said to be the lungs of the urban ecosystem. The process of urbanization led to natural landscape change. In the process tree cover, green spaces and wetlands were recklessly converted into built-up areas in the past and the process is still going on. Due to availability of required infrastructure, Dehradun was named interim capital of the nascent Himalayan state of Uttarakhand in 2000. Other regions of Uttarakhand is also experiencing rapid urbanization. The hill districts adjoining Dehradun district have witnessed a four-fold increase in the number of towns between 1901 and 2001. The population of Dehradun registered increase of 41.08 % between1961-1971, 32.84 % between 1971-81, 25.39 % between 1981-91 and during 1991-2001 it increased by 52.45 %. The temporal imaging of remote sensing data and socio-economic data of 1982 will be used for overall spatial monitoring.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v3i4.11731     International Journal of EnvironmentVolume-3, Issue-4, Sep-Nov 2014Page: 57-73
Adoption of Root and Tuber Technologies among Farmers (Agricultural Development Programme -Adp)
Authors: Ekwere G. E , Edem I. D. , Agbasi O. E.
Published: December 2014

This paper analyzed the adoption rate of root and tuber technologies in Anambra state Agricultural Development Programme. Specific objectives were to ascertain the root and tuber expansion programme (RTEP) technologies, find out the extension methods and level of access to extension services among members of farmers based groups and to assess the farmers’ awareness on various varieties of root and tuber technologies. Three hypotheses were formulated to test the effect of variables on the adoption rate. Stratified random sampling techniques were used to determine the sample size of 112 including the farmers and RTEP staff. Findings showed that various varieties and technologies promoted in the area by RTEP were ABANA 85, ADAKA 96 and EKPE 88 for Yam, while TMS 305SS, TMS 30 and TMS 30572 for Cassava and White P. 179 and RED P. 162 for Potatoes. Comparatively the income levels of the farmers remained unchanged but they expressed satisfaction with the use of RTEP technologies.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v3i4.11741    International Journal of EnvironmentVolume-3, Issue-4, Sep-Nov 2014Page: 117-132
Staging Sociability in The Excursion: Frances Brooke, David Garrick, and the King’s Theatre Coterie
Authors: Charles Katherine G.
Published: December 2014

While previous critics have classified Frances Brooke’s novel The Excursion (1777) as a moral tale aligned with either the sentimental or pastoral tradition, this article makes the case for interpreting The Excursion as a political satire directed against corrupt theatre politics. Reading the plot in the context of contemporary letters, periodicals, and theatrical miscellanies reveals a thick weave of topical allusions to the 1770s London stage and uncovers a buried homage to celebrity actress Mary Ann Yates, Brooke’s friend and business partner. Brooke leverages her novel to promote the interests of her theatrical circle and her own claim to be recognized as one of the great theatre managers of the day—specifically, as the equal to David Garrick. As a satire of theatre politics, The Excursion allows Brooke to map out a specific vision for what constitutes good acting, how the government should reform its theatre policy, and why accessible theatre is especially crucial for women, creative professionals, and audience members alike.
Libertine Fiction, Forensic Fashion, and the Dandy’s Development in Edward Bulwer’s Pelham
Authors: Mackie Erin
Published: December 2014

Edward Bulwer’s Pelham (1828) is best known as a “silver fork” or “fashionable novel” and as the source of the Dandy’s Maxims, which Thomas Carlyle addresses in Sartor Resartus (1833–34; 1836). As such, Bulwer’s novel is understood as a specimen of elitist, formula fiction centred on a vapid, if amusing, dandy hero. Opening with an epigraph from George Etherege’s The Man of Mode (1676), Pelham orients itself through allusion and intertextuality to the satiric libertine past of the Restoration and eighteenth century even as it develops, through the established Regency form of silver fork fiction, the emerging forms of the Bildungsroman and the detective story. Approaching Pelham as a “libertine fiction,” we acknowledge its relation to the eighteenth century and develop a fuller appreciation of its generic identity. Pelham’s licentiousness, its freedom from rules, defines what is most novelistic in this truly experimental fiction.
Sea-ice conditions in the Adélie Depression, Antarctica, during besetment of the icebreaker RV Xuelong
Authors: Zhai Mengxi , Li Xinqing , Hui Fengming , Cheng Xiao , Heil Petra , Zhao Tiancheng , Jiang Tianyu , Cheng Cheng , Ci Tianyu , Yan Liu  , Chi Zhaohui , Liu Jian
Published: December 2014

During the 30th Chinese Antarctic Expedition in 2013/14, the Chinese icebreaker RV Xuelong answered a rescue call from the Russian RV Akademik Shokalskiy. While assisting the repatriation of personnel from the Russian vessel to the Australian RV Aurora Australis, RV Xuelong itself became entrapped within the compacted ice in the Adélie Depression region. Analysis of MODIS and SAR imagery provides a detailed description of the regional sea-ice conditions which led to the 6 day long besetment of RV Xuelong. The remotely sensed imagery revealed four stages of sea-ice characteristics during the entrapment: the gathering, compaction, dispersion and calving stages. Four factors characterizing the local sea-ice conditions during late December 2013 and early January 2014 were identified: surface component of the coastal current; near-surface wind; ocean tides; and surface air temperature. This study demonstrates that shipping activity in ice-invested waters should be underpinned by general knowledge of the ice situation. In addition, during such activity high spatiotemporal resolution remotely sensed data should be acquired regularly to monitor local and regional sea-ice changes with a view to avoiding the besetment of vessels.
Surge motion of an ice floe in waves: comparison of a theoretical and an experimental model
Authors: Meylan Michael H. , Yiew Lucas J. , Bennetts Luke G. , French Benjamin J. , Thomas Giles A.
Published: December 2014

A theoretical model and an experimental model of surge motions of an ice floe due to regular waves are presented. The theoretical model is a modified version of Morrison’s equation, valid for small floating bodies. The experimental model is implemented in a wave basin at a scale 1:100, using a thin plastic disc to model the floe. The processed experimental data display a regime change in surge amplitude when the incident wavelength is approximately twice the floe diameter. It is shown that the theoretical model is accurate in the high-wavelength regime, but highly inaccurate in the low-wavelength regime.
Experimental determination of a double-valued drag relationship for glacier sliding
Authors: Zoet Lucas K. , Iverson Neal R.
Published: December 2014

The contribution of glaciers to sea-level rise and their effects on landscape evolution depend on the poorly known relationship between sliding speed and drag at the ice/bed interface. Results from experiments with a new rotary laboratory device demonstrate empirically for the first time a double-valued drag relationship like that suggested by some sliding theories: steady drag on a rigid, sinusoidal bed increases, peaks and declines at progressively higher sliding speeds due to growth of cavities in the lee sides of bed undulations. Drag decreases with increased sliding speed if cavities extend beyond the inflection points of up-glacier facing surfaces, so that adverse bed slopes in contact with ice diminish with further cavity growth. These results indicate that shear tractions on glacier beds can potentially decrease due to increases in sliding speed driven by weather or climate variability, promoting even more rapid glacier motion by requiring greater strain rates to produce resistive stresses. Although a double-valued drag relationship has not yet been demonstrated for the complicated geometries of real glacier beds, both its potential major implications and the characteristically convex stoss surfaces of bumps on real glacier beds provide stimulus for exploring the effects of this relationship in ice-sheet models.
Contingencies of Value: Devices and Conventions at a Design School Admission Test
Authors: Strandvad Sara Malou
Published: December 2014

Based on a study of the admission test at a design school, this paper investigates the contingencies of aesthetic values as these become visible in assessment practices. Theoretically, the paper takes its starting point in Herrnstein Smith’s notion of ‘contingencies of values’ and outlines a pragmatist ground where cultural sociology and economic sociology meet. Informed by the literature on cultural intermediaries, the paper discusses the role of evaluators and the devices which accompany them. Whereas studies of cultural intermediaries traditionally apply a Bourdieusian perspective, recent developments within this field of literature draws inspiration from the so-called ‘new new economic sociology,’ which this paper adds to. While the admission test is easily described as a matter of overcoming “subjective” aesthetic evaluations by means of “objective” and standardized assessment criteria, the paper does not accept this storyline. As an alternative, the paper outlines the contingencies of values which are at play at the admission test, composed of official assessment criteria and scoring devices together with conventions within the world of design, and set in motion by interactions with the objects that applicants submit.