bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Practical urinalysis in the cat
Authors: Reppas George , Foster Susan F
Published: March 2016

Series outline:

This is the first article in a two-part series on urinalysis in the cat. The focus of Part 1 is urine macroscopic examination. Part 2, to appear in the May 2016 issue, discusses urine microscopic examination.

Practical relevance:

Urinalysis is an essential procedure in feline medicine but often little attention is paid to optimising the data yielded or minimising factors that can affect the results.

Clinical challenges:

For the best results, appropriately collected urine should be prepared promptly by specialist laboratory personnel for the relevant tests and assessed by a clinical pathologist. This is invariably impractical in clinical settings but careful attention can minimise artefacts and allow maximum useful information to be obtained from this seemingly simple process.

Audience:

Clinical pathologists would be familiar with the information provided in this article, but it is rarely available to general or specialist practitioners, and both can potentially benefit.

Equipment:

Most of the required equipment is routinely available to veterinarians. However, instructions have been provided to give practical alternatives for specialist procedures in some instances.

Evidence base:

Evidence for much of the data on urinalysis in cats is lacking. Validation of the human equipment used routinely, such as dipsticks, is also lacking. As such, the evidence base for feline urinalysis is quite poor and information has largely been extrapolated from the human literature. Information from feline studies has been included where available. In addition, practical clinicopathological and clinical observations are provided.
Sexual violence in Iraq: Challenges for transnational feminist politics
Authors: Al-Ali Nadje
Published: March 2016

The article discusses sexual violence by ISIS against women in Iraq, particularly Yezidi women, against the historical background of broader sexual and gender-based violence. It intervenes in feminist debates about how to approach and analyse sexual and wider gender-based violence in Iraq specifically and the Middle East more generally. Recognizing the significance of positionality, the article argues against dichotomous positions and for the need to look at both macrostructural configurations of power pertaining to imperialism, neoliberalism and globalization on the one hand, and localized expressions of patriarchy, religious interpretations and practices and cultural norms on the other hand. Finally, the article reflects on the question of what a transnational feminist solidarity might look like in relation to sexual violence by ISIS.
Simplified numerical method for latticed shells that considers member geometric imperfection and semi-rigid joints
Authors: Zhao Zhongwei , Chen Zhihua , Yan Xiangyu , Xu Hao , Zhao Bingzhen
Published: March 2016

Most finite element models of actual projects established in general finite element software are rigidly connected or connected by hinge joints. Member imperfection cannot be considered in such models, which is inconsistent with the actual situation in most projects. To estimate the influences of joint stiffness and member imperfection on the mechanical behavior of latticed shell structures, double elements and imperfect members were combined in this study. First, the accuracies of double elements and imperfect members were validated. Then, they were combined to establish imperfect elements with semi-rigid joints. The accuracy of imperfect elements with semi-rigid joints was also validated, and the relationship between joint stiffness and that of double elements was deduced. The findings validated that imperfect elements with semi-rigid joints could consider semi-rigid joints and imperfect members simultaneously and with high accuracy. In addition, imperfect elements with semi-rigid joints could be constructed conveniently in general finite element software.
On the relevance of nonlinear static procedures for buildings with vertically asymmetric setbacks
Authors: Manjula NK , Nagarajan Praveen , Pillai TMM , Karthiga S
Published: March 2016

Basic pushover methods, which are in practice today, are considered not to be reliable for structures having significant higher mode participation. Efforts are being continued worldwide for modifying conventional nonlinear static procedures (pushover methods), to make them applicable for the seismic assessment of irregular building structures. This study aims at developing a load pattern to be used with the basic nonlinear static procedures for the analysis of two-dimensional reinforced concrete frames with vertically asymmetric setbacks. The accuracy of the basic nonlinear static procedures when applied to such buildings is also verified against the results of nonlinear dynamic analyses. The results are not conclusive in identifying any single pushover method absolutely suitable for such buildings. However, the load pattern proposed in this article can be used with all the basic nonlinear static procedures considered in this study, to obtain the displacement demands of bare frames with vertically asymmetric setbacks. Another load pattern is identified to predict their base shear demands. It is also understood that masonry in-filled frames cannot be analysed with a single load pattern throughout the analysis. A suitable method for analysing reinforced concrete frames with asymmetric setbacks using the basic nonlinear static procedures is evolved at the end.
From perspectives to policy contingencies: Conditional cash transfers as social investments
Authors: Nelson Moira , Sandberg Johan
Published: March 2016

Despite the popularity of social investment, there remain ambiguities regarding how to design an effective social investment approach. We review evaluations of conditional cash transfers (CCTs) in Latin America in order to draw out lessons of how to improve the effectiveness of social investment. CCTs share many of the objectives of the social investment approach and are targeted at poorer groups. Since research shows that such groups are often not adequately supported through social investment policies, analyzing CCTs holds particular promise. Our analysis finds that architects of social investment policies should consider three questions when designing a social investment approach: how much investment is necessary to fulfill social investment functions, what is the causal mechanism through which the goals of social investment are to be achieved, and what array of policies are necessary for such mechanisms to be effective?
Justice-based social assistance
Authors: Barrientos Armando
Published: March 2016

What are the main objectives of social protection institutions in developing countries? What should be their scope and reach? What is the source of their legitimacy? Finding appropriate answers to these questions is essential to understanding, and shaping, the emergence of welfare institutions in low- and middle-income countries. Most available answers rely on instrumental arguments. Few make reference to normative principles. This article draws on three concepts from Rawls – social justice as regulating cooperation, the social minimum, and the need for a freestanding political notion of social justice – to develop a coherent argument for grounding social assistance on social justice. In line with this argument, it identifies some parameters for a justice-based social assistance. This article then discusses, with examples, the tensions existing between a social justice-based social minimum and ‘real’ social assistance institutions emerging in developing countries.
A reflective journal as learning process and contribution to quality and validity in interpretative phenomenological analysis
Authors: Vicary Sarah , Young Alys , Hicks Stephen
Published: March 2016

Using selected, contemporaneous illustrations from the reflective journal of a doctoral student undertaking data analysis for the first time, this article examines the relationship between journaling as a learning process when undertaking computer-assisted qualitative data analysis and establishing quality and validity in interpretative phenomenological analysis. The writing of the journal is shown both to enact some potential validity criteria (e.g. in producing an audit trail) whilst also recording and reflectively prompting the process of learning, interpretation and bracketing, thus evidencing transparency. By using a journal inside the software package and alongside the stages of the interpretative phenomenological analysis, analysis within the software package, it is argued that quality and validity become dynamic, not static constructs. These constructs are intimately linked to the researcher-learning-process and permit a critical stance to be taken.
Using the Cognitive Pretesting Method to Gain Insight Into Participants’ Experiences
Authors: Koskey Kristin L. K.
Published: March 2016

Quantitative researchers traditionally use cognitive pretesting methods such as think-alouds to determine whether participants are interpreting close-ended survey items as intended. I applied this method to evaluate the score validity of quantitative survey instruments with a middle school and high school sample of students. Through these applications, the cognitive pretesting method also revealed to be a useful tool for cueing participants’ reflection on their experiences related to the phenomenon of interest. Qualitative researchers traditionally use more open-ended interviews guided by general “how” and “why” questions, which might not serve as sufficient prompts to elicit participants’ reflection on their experiences, especially younger participants. To date, there are no illustrative examples focused on how having participants think-aloud as they complete a quantitative survey can inform qualitative-focused or mixed research questions. Therefore, the purpose of this article was to illustrate how the cognitive pretesting method, where participants think-aloud as they complete a survey, can be used as an additional technique to gain insight into their experiences of a phenomenon. The phenomenon in this illustration was defined as the participants’ experiences with the science content that they were learning in school. Limitations and methodological challenges and recommendations for overcoming these barriers are also discussed.
A Mixed Methods Research Approach to Exploring Teacher Participation in an Online Social Networking Website
Authors: Judy Kamalodeen Vimala , Jameson-Charles Madgerie
Published: March 2016

Social networks are becoming very prominent in educational discourse. The discourse centers on the role of social media and its utility in the teaching and learning environment. Several arguments have been made to support its use because they are highly collaborative, easily accessible, and provide opportunities to embed a variety of Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis, and online chats. However, there is a dearth in research on teacher use of educational social networking sites (SNS) in Trinidad and Tobago. The purpose of this study was to explore how 35 secondary school teachers in Trinidad and Tobago participated in an educational online social networking site. This study utilized a mixed methods exploratory approach and allowed for the use of online data capture together with questionnaires and interviews. Combined data analysis revealed five different levels of site participation, with most teachers adopting the role of content consumer rather than of content producer. Barriers to participation were time, motivation, technology, and usability. The designed social networking site allowed teachers to make public their discourse on their practice while connecting with colleagues from other schools. The study was qualitative dominant, with the mixed methods research approach allowing for deeper exploration of teachers’ participation on this social networking website, and was justified by the newness and transient nature of data from social networking websites.
Differences in electrophysiological properties of functionally identified nociceptive sensory neurons in an animal model of cancer-induced bone pain
Authors: Zhu Yong Fang , Ungard Robert , Seidlitz Eric , Zacal Natalie , Huizinga Jan , Henry James L , Singh Gurmit
Published: March 2016

Background

Bone cancer pain is often severe, yet little is known about mechanisms generating this type of chronic pain. While previous studies have identified functional alterations in peripheral sensory neurons that correlate with bone tumours, none has provided direct evidence correlating behavioural nociceptive responses with properties of sensory neurons in an intact bone cancer model.

Results

In a rat model of prostate cancer-induced bone pain, we confirmed tactile hypersensitivity using the von Frey test. Subsequently, we recorded intracellularly from dorsal root ganglion neurons in vivo in anesthetized animals. Neurons remained connected to their peripheral receptive terminals and were classified on the basis of action potential properties, responses to dorsal root stimulation, and to mechanical stimulation of the respective peripheral receptive fields. Neurons included C-, Aδ-, and Aβ-fibre nociceptors, identified by their expression of substance P. We suggest that bone tumour may induce phenotypic changes in peripheral nociceptors and that these could contribute to bone cancer pain.

Conclusions

This work represents a significant technical and conceptual advance in the study of peripheral nociceptor functions in the development of cancer-induced bone pain. This is the first study to report that changes in sensitivity and excitability of dorsal root ganglion primary afferents directly correspond to mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia behaviours following prostate cancer cell injection into the femur of rats. Furthermore, our unique combination of techniques has allowed us to follow, in a single neuron, mechanical pain-related behaviours, electrophysiological changes in action potential properties, and dorsal root substance P expression. These data provide a more complete understanding of this unique pain state at the cellular level that may allow for future development of mechanism-based treatments for cancer-induced bone pain.
Primary Pulmonary Synovial Sarcoma
Authors: Podbielski Francis J. , Sambo Tracy E. , Salamat Arsalan , Blecha Matthew J. , Connolly Mark M.
Published: March 2016

Primary sarcoma of the lung and/or pleural cavity is a rare finding accounting for <0.5% of all thoracic malignancies. Histologically, mesothelioma predominates in this subcategory of neoplasms; its relationship to asbestos exposure and cigarette smoking is well documented. Other tumor types include fibrosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, angiosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, and Ewing sarcoma. Standard evaluation with bronchoscopy and radiographically guided biopsy are frequently nondiagnostic and require open biopsy to provide an adequate tissue sample.
Help-Seeking Experiences of Youth with Suicidal Ideations
Authors: Neilson Erika K. , Mar Marissa Y. , Torchalla Iris , Werker Gregory R. , Laing Allison , Krausz Michael
Published: March 2016

Approximately 28 percent of Canadians begin to experience a mental health issue during their youth. In this article, we explore patients' perceptions of their mental healthcare experiences within a sample of youth who reported anxiety or depressive symptoms and past suicidal ideations. The study data is taken from in-depth interviews with 23 youth in British Columbia. Interview topics included support systems, help-seeking behavior and healthcare experiences. Our findings indicate that participant experiences were most positive when experiences were neither dismissive nor stigmatizing. Important factors for participants were respect, acknowledgement, information and choice. Our results generated the concept that treatment perceptions for youth with suicidal behaviours can be placed on a theoretical spectrum, which may be a useful tool for self reflection for those who support individuals with mental health conditions professionally or personally.
Ferrule Effect
Authors: Skupien J.A. , Luz M.S. , Pereira-Cenci T.
Published: March 2016

The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature for laboratory and clinical studies to evaluate the effect of ferrule in restored endodontically treated teeth. The search was conducted in 2 databases (PubMed, Scopus) with no publication year/language limits. From 1,872 potentially eligible studies, 124 studies were selected for full-text analysis, and 37 were included for review, with 32 of those considered in the meta-analysis and 5 considered in the survival analysis. Two reviewers independently selected the studies, extracted the data, and assessed the risk of bias. For laboratory studies, a meta-analysis was performed for the comparison of the fracture resistance of teeth with and without ferrule, and 3 subgroup analyses were conducted for ferrule height, post type, and type of tooth. For clinical studies, the Kaplan-Meier method was used to determine the survival of restorations, with log-rank test used to identify differences between groups ( α = 5%). Teeth without ferrule had a lower fracture resistance ( P < 0.00001), and the higher the height of ferrule, the greater the fracture resistance was, irrespective of the type of post ( P < .000001). Teeth with ferrule had higher clinical longevity ( P = 0.002); however, the presence of a ferrule was related to higher survival only for premolars ( P = 0.05). In conclusion, the presence of a ferrule is responsible for an improvement in the fracture resistance of the restoration in laboratory studies. Yet, other clinical factors besides the ferrule may be associated with survival in molars and anterior teeth and need to be further investigated.

Knowledge Transfer Statement: The results of this study can be used by clinicians when deciding which approach to use when planning the restoration of endodontically treated teeth with and without ferrule. Ferrule may lead to higher tooth/restoration survival, while tooth location may influence therapeutic decisions.
MetICA: independent component analysis for high-resolution mass-spectrometry based non-targeted metabolomics
Authors: Liu Youzhong , Smirnov Kirill , Lucio Marianna , Gougeon Régis D. , Alexandre Hervé , Schmitt-Kopplin Philippe
Published: March 2016

Background

Interpreting non-targeted metabolomics data remains a challenging task. Signals from non-targeted metabolomics studies stem from a combination of biological causes, complex interactions between them and experimental bias/noise. The resulting data matrix usually contain huge number of variables and only few samples, and classical techniques using nonlinear mapping could result in computational complexity and overfitting. Independent Component Analysis (ICA) as a linear method could potentially bring more meaningful results than Principal Component Analysis (PCA). However, a major problem with most ICA algorithms is the output variations between different runs and the result of a single ICA run should be interpreted with reserve.

Results

ICA was applied to simulated and experimental mass spectrometry (MS)-based non-targeted metabolomics data, under the hypothesis that underlying sources are mutually independent. Inspired from theIcassoalgorithm, a new ICA method,MetICAwas developed to handle the instability of ICA on complex datasets. Like the originalIcassoalgorithm, MetICAevaluated the algorithmic and statistical reliability of ICA runs. In addition,MetICAsuggests two ways to select the optimal number of model components and gives an order of interpretation for the components obtained.

Conclusions

Correlating the components obtained with prior biological knowledge allows understanding how non-targeted metabolomics data reflect biological nature and technical phenomena. We could also extract mass signals related to this information. This novel approach provides meaningful components due to their independent nature. Furthermore, it provides an innovative concept on which to base model selection: that of optimizing the number of reliable components instead of trying to fit the data. The current version ofMetICAis available athttps://github.com/daniellyz/MetICA.
Features of Knowledge Building in Biology: Understanding Undergraduate Students’ Ideas about Molecular Mechanisms
Authors: Southard Katelyn , Wince Tyler , Meddleton Shanice , Bolger Molly S.
Published: March 2016

Research has suggested that teaching and learning in molecular and cellular biology (MCB) is difficult. We used a new lens to understand undergraduate reasoning about molecular mechanisms: the knowledge-integration approach to conceptual change. Knowledge integration is the dynamic process by which learners acquire new ideas, develop connections between ideas, and reorganize and restructure prior knowledge. Semistructured, clinical think-aloud interviews were conducted with introductory and upper-division MCB students. Interviews included a written conceptual assessment, a concept-mapping activity, and an opportunity to explain the biomechanisms of DNA replication, transcription, and translation. Student reasoning patterns were explored through mixed-method analyses. Results suggested that students must sort mechanistic entities into appropriate mental categories that reflect the nature of MCB mechanisms and that conflation between these categories is common. We also showed how connections between molecular mechanisms and their biological roles are part of building an integrated knowledge network as students develop expertise. We observed differences in the nature of connections between ideas related to different forms of reasoning. Finally, we provide a tentative model for MCB knowledge integration and suggest its implications for undergraduate learning.
President's Page
Authors: Carstens Gustavo
Published: March 2016

This issue of The Leading Edge is dedicated to subsalt imaging. I'm not planning to write a specific editorial on the subject, as the special-section editors will do it in a very professional way, but I do want to point out a few factors.
Revealing subsalt structure using RTM 3D dip gathers
Authors: Huang Yi , Li Yang , Lee Chang-Chun , Mothi Sabaresan , Huang Yan
Published: March 2016

Gulf of Mexico (GoM) subsalt imaging often suffers from poor illumination due to salt-related wavefield distortion, even with full-azimuth (FAZ) acquisition. In order to image the weakly illuminated subsalt plays, isolating the signal from the noise is a crucial component of many depth-imaging practices. Reverse time migration (RTM) subsurface 3D dip-azimuth gathers, which separate seismic data into different dip/azimuth components, are utilized to address illumination problems in structure-oriented imaging. A weighting scheme using RTM 3D dip gathers for image enhancement is proposed; it is based on a priori structure information and targets noise that has conflicting dips with the structure. The sensitivity of the method to the uncertainty of the initial dipping information of the structure is further discussed and evaluated. The method is applied on subsalt structures on both a synthetic data set and a real data set with staggered-acquisition FAZ data. The tests demonstrate the necessity of signal-to-noise ratio enhancement in the imaging of FAZ, long-offset data, and the effectiveness of RTM 3D dip gathers in unmasking poorly illuminated zones.
Improving the greater K2 area subsalt imaging with advanced seismic acquisition, model building, and imaging technologies — A Gulf of Mexico case study
Authors: Aibaidula Abay , Walraven David , Rodriguez Arnold
Published: March 2016

Subsalt imaging has proven challenging in part because of the complex geometries of the salt canopies, which can yield highly variable illumination on subsalt reflectors. The resulting complexity of the seismic wavefields has also challenged traditional velocity-model-building tools and migration algorithms. A case study for the K2 field illustrates how improved seismic data in the form of long-offset, full-azimuth acquisition and more advanced model building and imaging tools have substantially enhanced the imaging quality of this major subsalt field. The higher fold and more complete azimuthal coverage afforded by the full-azimuth coil data improved the effectiveness of the combined tomographic and full-waveform inversion approach for velocity-model building. Utilization of TTI RTM migration algorithms provided further benefits not only for better delineation of the salt geometry during model building but also in delivering superior final image volumes relative to that which could be provided by less robust algorithms, such as Kirchhoff, beam, and one-way wave equation.
Experimental aeromagnetic survey using an unmanned air system
Authors: Wood Alan , Cook Ian , Doyle Buddy , Cunningham Michael , Samson Claire
Published: March 2016

Currently, Stratus Aeronautics is developing an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), called the Venturer, for aeromagnetic surveying. On 2 October 2013, in southern Alberta, Canada, an experimental survey of the UAS was conducted. Approximately 13 km of preprogrammed survey lines, along with calibration maneuvers, were flown, providing 45 minutes worth of data collection. The UAS was stable in flight and only required operator intervention for takeoff and landing. There was a + 2 m offset from the nominal altitude of 150 m, with variations of approximately ± 1.4 m. Deviations from a straight flight path were approximately ± 0.9 m along traverse lines and ± 25 m along tie-lines, the latter being affected mainly by crosswind. The noise envelope for the magnetic data acquired during the survey was approximately ± 0.05 nT, allowing a high-quality total-magnetic-intensity map to be created.
A 2D automatic converted-wave static-correction algorithm
Authors: Sun Yimin , Tonellot Thierry , Kamel Bahaaeldin , Bakulin Andrey
Published: March 2016

Although multicomponent data acquisition opens the door for sharper seismic images and more accurate subsurface characterization, it also brings many challenges into multicomponent data processing. Among these challenges, converted-wave (S-wave) static correction is significant. Due to the fact that the earth may have dramatically different velocity responses to P- and S-waves, P-wave statics and S-wave statics should be treated as two independent problems; as a result, approximating S-wave statics by a simple scaling of the P-wave statics is not a satisfying solution. A new automatic S-wave static-correction algorithm is proposed and has been successfully applied on a full-fold Arabian Gulf ocean-bottom-cable (OBC) data set with promising results.
Land Seismic Challenges wraps up with Foothills model
Authors: Oristaglio Michael
Published: March 2016

In January, synthetic seismic data acquisition began on the Foothills model — the largest, and last, digital earth model built by the SEAM Phase II consortium on Land Seismic Challenges. The seismic simulations should finish near the end of March and, along with a collection of synthetic gravity and electromagnetic data on all three Phase II models, will complete the project work in Phase II. This SEAM update describes the final version of the Foothills model being used for the production runs and shows examples of synthetic shot profiles illustrating the effects of sharp topography on 3D seismic data.
Using the Conditional Spectrum Method for Improved Fragility Assessment of Concrete Gravity Dams in Eastern Canada
Authors: Bernier Carl , Monteiro Ricardo , Paultre Patrick
Published: March 2016

The accurate estimation of fragility functions requires the proper selection of ground motion records at different intensity levels. However, most of the available fragility assessments of concrete dams use the same records at all intensity levels and often selects them with an inadequate target spectrum. In order to improve the fragility assessment of such structures, this paper proposes the use of records selected with the Conditional Spectrum (CS) method within a multiple stripes analysis. The approach is applied to a dam in Eastern Canada, and a comparison with the methodology used by other studies is done. It is shown that the approach proposed herein allows for the reduction of the seismic response and fragility of the dam. Moreover, the uncertainty related to material properties becomes less significant when using the CS method, and the fragility curves could be reasonably estimated by considering the ground motions as the only source of uncertainty.
BPA Directly Decreases GnRH Neuronal Activity via Noncanonical Pathway
Authors: Klenke Ulrike , Constantin Stephanie , Wray Susan
Published: March 2016

Peripheral feedback of gonadal estrogen to the hypothalamus is critical for reproduction. Bisphenol A (BPA), an environmental pollutant with estrogenic actions, can disrupt this feedback and lead to infertility in both humans and animals. GnRH neurons are essential for reproduction, serving as an important link between brain, pituitary, and gonads. Because GnRH neurons express several receptors that bind estrogen, they are potential targets for endocrine disruptors. However, to date, direct effects of BPA on GnRH neurons have not been shown. This study investigated the effects of BPA on GnRH neuronal activity using an explant model in which large numbers of primary GnRH neurons are maintained and express many of the receptors found in vivo. Because oscillations in intracellular calcium have been shown to correlate with electrical activity in GnRH neurons, calcium imaging was used to assay the effects of BPA. Exposure to 50μM BPA significantly decreased GnRH calcium activity. Blockage of γ-aminobutyric acid ergic and glutamatergic input did not abrogate the inhibitory BPA effect, suggesting direct regulation of GnRH neurons by BPA. In addition to estrogen receptor-β, single-cell RT-PCR analysis confirmed that GnRH neurons express G protein-coupled receptor 30 (G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1) and estrogen-related receptor-γ, all potential targets for BPA. Perturbation studies of the signaling pathway revealed that the BPA-mediated inhibition of GnRH neuronal activity occurred independent of estrogen receptors, GPER, or estrogen-related receptor-γ, via a noncanonical pathway. These results provide the first evidence of a direct effect of BPA on GnRH neurons.
The Intimate Blanchot
Authors: Kuzma Joseph D.
Published: March 2016

In this article I explore the status of intimate relationality in Maurice Blanchot's fictional writings and critical essays of the 1940s and 1950s. Focusing primarily on his 1951 text When the Time Comes, I show that intimacy in Blanchot's writings is an impersonal covenant established at the extreme limit of separation. Rather than thinking of intimacy and distance in a traditional manner, as fundamentally at odds with one another, Blanchot insists that the most profound intimacy occurs only when separation has been experienced, and affirmed, in its most radical form.
“A World of Something”: Jamaica Kincaid and the New Global Epic
Authors: Hansen Morten
Published: March 2016

This essay argues that we should read Jamaica Kincaid's A Small Place as part of a larger recurrence and metamorphosis of the epic on a global scale, a new genre that grapples with the economic and spatial conditions of our contemporary age by combining formal innovations with classical tropes in its attempt to circumscribe a world of ever-increasing complexity. Only in recognizing A Small Place as a text that aspires to envision a culture in its totality—that is, as an epic—can we make sense of its pioneering strategies of representation. By showing the many hidden relations between the centers and the peripheral small places of our time, Kincaid maps a new globalized world that we are only beginning to come to terms with.
The Janus and the Janissary: Reading into Camus'sLa Chuteand Hamid'sThe Reluctant Fundamentalist
Authors: Hutton Margaret-Anne
Published: March 2016

Mohsin Hamid has acknowledged the influence of Camus's The Fall (1956) in his use of implied dialogue in The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007). Although the works have other elements in common, I focus primarily on this and other formal features, including degrees of self-reflexivity and metanarrative, the representation of the past, and the use of pronouns. This leads to an analysis of the reception of The Fall and the manner in which critics have turned to paratextual material in their historico-political interpretations, a form of “reading into” which I suggest is prompted by the monologic, “terroristic” nature of the narrative. Hamid's Reluctant Fundamentalist, by contrast, has been interpreted predominantly in terms of post-9/11 geopolitical issues articulated within the diegesis: a “reading in” rather than “into.” To redress the critical balance, the article closes with a reading of Hamid's text that decenters such interpretations, focusing instead on the representation of books, global markets, and diegetic novelists, a “return of the author” in another guise.
Cardiomyocyte-specific conditional knockout of the histone chaperone HIRA in mice results in hypertrophy, sarcolemmal damage and focal replacement fibrosis
Authors: Valenzuela Nicolas , Fan Qiying , Fa'ak Faisal , Soibam Benjamin , Nagandla Harika , Liu Yu , Schwartz Robert J. , McConnell Bradley K. , Stewart M. David
Published: March 2016

HIRA is the histone chaperone responsible for replication-independent incorporation of histone variant H3.3 within gene bodies and regulatory regions of actively transcribed genes, and within the bivalent promoter regions of developmentally regulated genes. The HIRA gene lies within the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome critical region; individuals with this syndrome have multiple congenital heart defects. Because terminally differentiated cardiomyocytes have exited the cell cycle, histone variants should be utilized for the bulk of chromatin remodeling. Thus, HIRA is likely to play an important role in epigenetically defining the cardiac gene expression program. In this study, we determined the consequence of HIRA deficiency in cardiomyocytes in vivo by studying the phenotype of cardiomyocyte-specific Hira conditional-knockout mice. Loss of HIRA did not perturb heart development, but instead resulted in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and susceptibility to sarcolemmal damage. Cardiomyocyte degeneration gave way to focal replacement fibrosis and impaired cardiac function. Gene expression was widely altered in Hira conditional-knockout hearts. Significantly affected pathways included responses to cellular stress, DNA repair and transcription. Consistent with heart failure, fetal cardiac genes were re-expressed in the Hira conditional knockout. Our results suggest that transcriptional regulation by HIRA is crucial for cardiomyocyte homeostasis.
FlyBase portals to human disease research using Drosophila models
Authors: Millburn Gillian H. , Crosby Madeline A. , Gramates L. Sian , Tweedie Susan ,   the FlyBase Consortium
Published: March 2016

The use of Drosophila melanogaster as a model for studying human disease is well established, reflected by the steady increase in both the number and proportion of fly papers describing human disease models in recent years. In this article, we highlight recent efforts to improve the availability and accessibility of the disease model information in FlyBase (http://flybase.org), the model organism database for Drosophila. FlyBase has recently introduced Human Disease Model Reports, each of which presents background information on a specific disease, a tabulation of related disease subtypes, and summaries of experimental data and results using fruit flies. Integrated presentations of relevant data and reagents described in other sections of FlyBase are incorporated into these reports, which are specifically designed to be accessible to non-fly researchers in order to promote collaboration across model organism communities working in translational science. Another key component of disease model information in FlyBase is that data are collected in a consistent format ­­– using the evolving Disease Ontology (an open-source standardized ontology for human-disease-associated biomedical data) – to allow robust and intuitive searches. To facilitate this, FlyBase has developed a dedicated tool for querying and navigating relevant data, which include mutations that model a disease and any associated interacting modifiers. In this article, we describe how data related to fly models of human disease are presented in individual Gene Reports and in the Human Disease Model Reports. Finally, we discuss search strategies and new query tools that are available to access the disease model data in FlyBase.
Evidence for a plasma-accessible carbonic anhydrase in the lumen of salmon heart that may enhance oxygen delivery to the myocardium
Authors: Alderman Sarah L. , Harter Till S. , Wilson Jonathan M. , Supuran Claudiu T. , Farrell Anthony P. , Brauner Colin J.
Published: March 2016

Oxygen supply to the heart of most teleosts, including salmonids, relies in part or in whole on oxygen-depleted venous blood. Given that plasma-accessible carbonic anhydrase (CA) in red muscle of rainbow trout has recently been shown to facilitate oxygen unloading from arterial blood under certain physiological conditions, we tested the hypothesis that plasma-accessible CA is present in the lumen of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) hearts, and may therefore assist in the luminal oxygen supply to the spongy myocardium, which has no coronary circulation. We demonstrate a widespread distribution of CA throughout the heart chambers, including lumen-facing cells in the atrium, and confirm that the membrane-bound isoform ca4 is expressed in the atrium and ventricle of the heart. Further, we confirm that CA catalytic activity is available to blood in the atrial lumen using a modified electrometric ΔpH assay in intact atria in combination with either a membrane-impermeable CA inhibitor or specific cleavage of the Ca4 membrane anchor. Combined, these results support our hypothesis of the presence of an enhanced oxygen delivery system in the lumen of a salmonid heart, which could help support oxygen delivery when the oxygen content of venous blood becomes greatly reduced, such as after burst exercise and during environmental hypoxia.
Communication Technology as a Means of Changing Social Reality
Authors: Татищева  , Tatishcheva Yu.
Published: March 2016

In recent decades, the cultural sphere in Russia has made a significant breakthrough in the use of modern communication technologies and Internet opportunities. Communication technology is strategically planned, developed on a scientific basis, purposeful process of impact on the audience. Communication technology consists of a sequence of actions and allow you to manage organizations and social processes taking place in society, to maximize the effectiveness of communication. In the era of the information society, where the information content and information support processes in all spheres of modern civilized countries over the past decade has increased many times, communication is now the important part of any sphere of activity. Communication technology can generate communicative space so that events occurring allegedly by accident, are in fact a wellplanned strategy with predictable results. Improving communication technologies creates new opportunities for the cultural development of society.
Some Features of Filling Pauses in Lecturer’s Speech
Authors: Веселкова  , Veselkova T.
Published: March 2016

The article focuses on the influence degree in speech situations, professional

activities, and personal qualities of the speaker frequently filling pauses

use. It is set how acceptable the filling pauses use in public speeches.

Revealed that the profession, the habit to speak, and the speech situation

affect the appearance of the aggregates breaks, but are not the deciding

factor. In the course of the analysis it is proved that, in quantitative and

qualitative use of filler pauses decisive factor is the personal qualities of

the speaker, therefore, it is necessary to take into account the upbringing,

education, psychological, cultural type, activity, age, and more.
Expressiveness of Media Texts as Communicative Hedonistic Strategy in Mass Media
Authors: Хорольский  , Khorolskiy V.
Published: March 2016

The article deals with language and style peculiarities of mass media language

viewed from hedonistiс standpoint. It is one of the most important

communicative strategies influencing media texts style. The article also

deals with expressiveness and standard in mass media, media text being

the main object of analysis. The problem of expressive media texts is correlated

with expressiveness of pun, neologism, metaphoric narration and

terminology. The conclusions are drawn about ambivalent role of language

experiments in journalism.
Modern tendencies of formation of the basic educational programs of bachelor’s and master’s degrees in «Hospitality»
Authors: Скабеева Лариса , Skabeeva Larisa , Лагусев Юрий , Lagusev Yuriy
Published: March 2016

In modern conditions of development of tourism and hospitality industry and trends of import-substitution there

is a need of training of heads of hotel complexes. Set conditions must be taken into account in the preparation of

bachelors and masters on the course “Hospitality”. In this regard, the authors study and develop model of the

process of preparation of competitive graduates, which identify the main directions of optimization of this process:

the necessity of interaction with government agencies and the business community, the need to include in a

comprehensive curriculum of preparation of bachelors and masters for the hospitality industry the requirements of

employers, industry and corporate standards. In the article there is the analysis of new occupational standards and

job functions managers of hotels and heads of departments and divisions of hotels, which show that the main common cultural and professional competences must be formed in the main areas of activities: resource management

departments (departments) of the hotel complex; interaction with consumers and stakeholders; monitoring and

evaluation of performance of departments (departments) of the hotel complex. Important role in the preparation

of bachelors is given to the formation of competences in interpersonal and business communication, willingness to

comply with standards of appearance, standards of hospitality and friendliness; ability to customer centricity. In

the result of analysis there is proposed modular structure of the comprehensive program of bachelor “Hospitality”,

a list of additional common cultural and professional competences, which are necessary to form a competitive

graduate who is in demand on the market. The authors determine the main directions of preparation of masters,

taking into account the necessity of formation of professional competence of top-managers that cannot only manage

the hotel, but also the hotel chain.
Modern practice-oriented approaches for the development of educational programs of masters in «Hospitality»
Authors: Бушуева Ирина , Bushueva Irina , Скабеева Лариса , Skabeeva Larisa
Published: March 2016

In modern conditions of development of the tourism and hospitality industry and trends of import substitution

there is a need for training of top managers, able to lead the charge in creating new tourist-recreational territories,

tourist and resort hotel complexes, their strategic management, the construction or reconstruction.

The most important task of this stage is the improvement of higher education and adapting modern trends

to the development of educational programs of magistracy. The research allows to identify not only the main

functions of managers of hotels and hotel operators network, which are not only in the management of personnel

and technological processes, financial operations, development strategies, but also long-term investment

activities associated with the design of both the hotel complex and all the business processes for its launch and

subsequent operation. The authors propose to introduce a new discipline – “Hotel development”, which should

form competences, based on legislative, engineering and economic knowledge. This will help future masters to

interact with the participants of the investment project, hotel and tourist and recreational complexes (design

organizations, government agencies, etc.), to evaluate investment projects and the concept of the hotel/ tourist

and recreational complexes. The article is based on the analysis of new professional standards, the main result

of which was the development of recommendations to the educational program of graduate training in the direction

of “Hospitality”, taking into account the required knowledge, skills and abilities of future managers of the

hospitality enterprises. Recommendations for educational program take into account also the requirements to

the common cultural and professional competences of the Federal state educational standard of higher education

(FSES3+), approved on July 3, 2015.
Regulatory problems of training, retraining and advanced training of personnel for the sphere of recreation and sport tourism
Authors: Павлов Евгений , Pavlov Evgeniy
Published: March 2016

The article is devoted to the peculiarities of legal regulation of training for the sphere of recreation and sports tourism

and evaluation of the quality and knowledge level. The author presents the scheme of functioning of system of

training, retraining and advanced training of personnel for the sphere of recreation and sports tourism. He shows

the mechanisms of interaction between the system of training, retraining and skills development with community

employers through professional accreditation and professional standards in the training system. Such mechanisms

could include joint community participation of employers and developers of basic and additional professional

educational programs in the preparation and implementation of professional standards, community participation

of employers in the formation of the main and additional professional educational programs with the requirements

of professional standards, independent assessment of quality of graduates in terms of carrying out the state final

certification public accreditation of associations of employers. The author describes the features of state and public

accreditation. There is also the urgency of the implementation of public accreditation system of training, retraining

and advanced training of personnel for the sphere of recreation and sports tourism. There is presented the analysis

of normative legal acts determining the categories of personnel for the sphere of recreation and sport tourism, and

the contradictions in the regulatory legal acts indicating a lack of common understanding of the professions of

recreation and sport tourism. The author proposes priority measures of improving the system of training, retraining

and advanced training of personnel for the sphere of recreation and sport tourism from the viewpoint of improvement

of normative-legal acts.