bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and factors associated with metabolic syndrome among Tamils aged over 18 years in Jaffna district, Sri Lanka
Authors: Amarasinghe Sivarathy , Balakumar Sandrasegarampillai , Arasaratnam Vasanthy
Published: July 2015

Background

The aim was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with Metabolic Syndrome (MS) among adults aged over 18 years in Jaffna district, Sri Lanka.

Methods

This study was carried out as a community based cross sectional descriptive study in Jaffna district, Sri Lanka. Multistage stratified cluster sampling technique was employed. Total sample size was 544. An interviewer administrated questionnaire was used to gather data. Waist circumference (WC) and blood pressure (BP) measurements were recorded in standard method. Overnight fasting blood samples were obtained from all subjects. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), high density lipoprotein (HDL), and triacylglycerols were analyzed by the enzymatic colorimetric assay (Semi Automated analyser Teco Diagnostics TC 3300). Modified National Cholesterol Education Program’s Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) criterion was used to define the MS.

Results

Sample response rate was 95.3 %. Of them, 43.8 % (n = 224) was male. Prevalence of central obesity (WC for male ≥102 cm, female ≥88 cm) was 16.2 %. Prevalence of raised FPG (≥100 mg/dL), hypertriacylglycerolaemia (≥150 mg/dl), low level of HDL cholesterol (<40 mg/dL in males, <50 mg/dL in females) and raised BP (systolic BP ≥130 or diastolic BP ≥85 mmHg) were 23.9, 25, 79.3 and 36.6 % respectively. Prevalence of MS was 24.1 % (n = 123, 95 % CI: 20.4-28) and it was 26.8 and 21.9 % among males and females respectively. Participants living in urban area had higher prevalence of MS when compared with participants living in rural area (P = 0.015). Older age (P < 0.001) and smoking (P = 0.005) were risk factor for development of MS. Prevalence of MS among the participants with sedentary and active lifestyle was 29.9 and 23.7 % respectively.

Conclusion

One out of four had MS. Old age, urban living and smoking carried higher risk for developing MS in Jaffna community.
Phase II Investigator-Initiated Study of Brentuximab Vedotin in Mycosis Fungoides and Sézary Syndrome With Variable CD30 Expression Level: A Multi-Institution Collaborative Project
Authors: Kim Youn H. , Tavallaee Mahkam , Sundram Uma , Salva Katrin A. , Wood Gary S. , Li Shufeng , Rozati Sima , Nagpal Seema , Krathen Michael , Reddy Sunil , Hoppe Richard T. , Nguyen-Lin Annie , Weng Wen-Kai , Armstrong Randall , Pulitzer Melissa , Advani Ranjana H. , Horwitz Steven M.
Published: July 2015

Purpose

In contrast to Hodgkin lymphoma and systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma, CD30 expression of malignant lymphocytes in mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS) is quite variable. Clinical activity and safety of brentuximab vedotin, a CD30 targeting antibody-drug conjugate, was evaluated in MF and SS. Tissue and blood biomarkers of clinical response were explored.

Patients and Methods

In this phase II study, patients with MF or SS with negligible to 100% CD30 expression levels were treated with brentuximab vedotin (1.8 mg/kg) every 3 weeks for a maximum of sixteen doses. The primary end point was overall global response rate. Secondary end points included correlation of tissue CD30 expression level with clinical response, time to response, duration of response, progression-free and event-free survivals, and safety.

Results

Of the 32 patients enrolled and treated, 30 patients had available efficacy evaluations. Objective global response was observed in 21 (70%) of 30 patients (90% CI, 53% to 83%). CD30 expression assessed by immunohistochemistry was highly variable, with a median CD30max of 13% (range, 0% to 100%). Those with <5% CD30 expression had a lower likelihood of global response than did those with 5% or greater CD30 expression (P < .005). CD163 positive tumor-associated macrophages, many of which coexpress CD30, were abundant in tissue. Peripheral neuropathy was the most common adverse event.

Conclusion

Brentuximab vedotin demonstrated significant clinical activity in treatment-refractory or advanced MF or SS with a wide range of CD30 expression levels. Additional biomarker studies may help optimize rational design of combination therapies with brentuximab vedotin.
Modernizing Eligibility Criteria for Molecularly Driven Trials
Authors: Kim Edward S. , Bernstein David , Hilsenbeck Susan G. , Chung Christine H. , Dicker Adam P. , Ersek Jennifer L. , Stein Steven , Khuri Fadlo R. , Burgess Earle , Hunt Kelly , Ivy Percy , Bruinooge Suanna S. , Meropol Neal , Schilsky Richard L.
Published: July 2015

As more clinical trials of molecularly targeted agents evolve, the number of eligibility criteria seems to be increasing. The importance and utility of eligibility criteria must be considered in the context of the fundamental goal of a clinical trial: to understand the risks and benefits of a treatment in the intended-use patient population. Although eligibility criteria are necessary to define the population under study and conduct trials safely, excessive requirements may severely restrict the population available for study, and often, this population is not reflective of the general population for which the drug would be prescribed. The American Society of Clinical Oncology Cancer Research Committee, which comprises academic faculty, industry representatives, and patient advocates, evaluated this issue. Evaluation results were mixed. Most physicians agreed that excessive eligibility criterias slow study enrollment rates and prolong the duration of enrollment; however, this hypothesis was difficult to validate with the data examined. We propose the organization of a public workshop, with input from regulatory bodies and key stakeholders, with the goal of developing an algorithmic approach to determining eligibility criteria for individual study protocols, which may help guide future investigators and companies in streamlining eligibility criteria in the era of molecularly driven therapy.
Activation of the GLP-1 Receptor by Liraglutide Increases ACE2 Expression, Reversing Right Ventricle Hypertrophy, and Improving the Production of SP-A and SP-B in the Lungs of Type 1 Diabetes Rats
Authors: Romaní-Pérez Marina , Outeiriño-Iglesias Verónica , Moya Christian M. , Santisteban Pilar , González-Matías Lucas C. , Vigo Eva , Mallo Federico
Published: July 2015

Diabetes alters microvascular function in the vascular beds of organs, including the lungs. Cardiovascular complications of pulmonary vascular affectation may be a consequence of the overactivation of the vasoconstrictive and proliferative components of the renin-angiotensin system. We previously reported that pulmonary physiology and surfactant production is improved by the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist liraglutide (LIR) in a rat model of lung hypoplasia. Because we hypothesized that streptozotocin-induced diabetes rats would show deficiencies in lung function, including surfactant proteins, and develop an imbalance of the renin-angiotensin system in the lungs. This effect would in turn be prevented by long-acting agonists of the GLP-1R, such as LIR. The induction of diabetes reduced the surfactant protein A and B in the lungs and caused the vasoconstrictor component of the renin-angiotensin system to predominate, which in turn increased angiotensin II levels, and ultimately being associated with right ventricle hypertrophy. LIR restored surfactant protein levels and reversed the imbalance in the renin-angiotensin system in this type 1 diabetes mellitus rat model. Moreover, LIR provoked a strong increase in angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 expression in the lungs of both diabetic and control rats, and in the circulating angiotensin(1–7) in diabetic animals. These effects prompted complete reversion of right ventricle hypertrophy. The consequences of LIR administration were independent of glycemic control and of glucocorticoids, and they involved NK2 homeobox 1 signaling. This study demonstrates by first time that GLP-1R agonists, such as LIR, might improve the cardiopulmonary complications associated with diabetes.
Impact of Reduced ATGL-Mediated Adipocyte Lipolysis on Obesity-Associated Insulin Resistance and Inflammation in Male Mice
Authors: Schoiswohl Gabriele , Stefanovic-Racic Maja , Menke Marie N. , Wills Rachel C. , Surlow Beth A. , Basantani Mahesh K. , Sitnick Mitch T. , Cai Lingzhi , Yazbeck Cynthia F. , Stolz Donna B. , Pulinilkunnil Thomas , O'Doherty Robert M. , Kershaw Erin E.
Published: July 2015

Emerging evidence suggests that impaired regulation of adipocyte lipolysis contributes to the proinflammatory immune cell infiltration of metabolic tissues in obesity, a process that is proposed to contribute to the development and exacerbation of insulin resistance. To test this hypothesis in vivo, we generated mice with adipocyte-specific deletion of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), the rate-limiting enzyme catalyzing triacylglycerol hydrolysis. In contrast to previous models, adiponectin-driven Cre expression was used for targeted ATGL deletion. The resulting adipocyte-specific ATGL knockout (AAKO) mice were then characterized for metabolic and immune phenotypes. Lean and diet-induced obese AAKO mice had reduced adipocyte lipolysis, serum lipids, systemic lipid oxidation, and expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha target genes in adipose tissue (AT) and liver. These changes did not increase overall body weight or fat mass in AAKO mice by 24 weeks of age, in part due to reduced expression of genes involved in lipid uptake, synthesis, and adipogenesis. Systemic glucose and insulin tolerance were improved in AAKO mice, primarily due to enhanced hepatic insulin signaling, which was accompanied by marked reduction in diet-induced hepatic steatosis as well as hepatic immune cell infiltration and activation. In contrast, although adipocyte ATGL deletion reduced AT immune cell infiltration in response to an acute lipolytic stimulus, it was not sufficient to ameliorate, and may even exacerbate, chronic inflammatory changes that occur in AT in response to diet-induced obesity.
Ein Weites Feldas Post–Cold War Novel
Authors: McCracken Scott
Published: July 2015

Günter Grass's novel Ein weites Feld caused a storm of controversy when it was published in Germany in 1995. There was an expectation that his first novel after the fall of the Berlin Wall would answer the question of what should now constitute a national literature. Instead, he delivered a complex narrative that, far from legitimating a united Germany, demanded a long historical perspective on the end of the Cold War. Ein weites Feld represents a conscious attempt to use novelistic form as a kind of cultural politics, deployed against both a resurgent German nationalism and those invested in an ideological interpretation of the end of the Cold War as a victory for the West. The complex narrative demands that the reader embrace history's lost causes and not just the victor's truth. However, the text's complexity involves risks. There is a danger that the novel's expansive and digressive form and its dense, intertextual web of allusion might defeat the reader. This article argues that, despite its difficulty, the novel deserves a wider readership than it has received so far outside Germany. For those who see the fall of the Berlin Wall as the epoch-making event of the last quarter of the twentieth century, Ein weites Feld should be promoted as a key text for our understanding of the twenty-first and as an example of how the novel as a form still has a role in public political debates.
The Aesthetics of Hunger: Knut Hamsun, Modernism, and Starvation's Global Frame
Authors: Wientzen Timothy
Published: July 2015

Exhibiting formal characteristics of works published decades later, Knut Hamsun's Hunger (1890) has long occupied a central position in genealogies of modernism. Its status in the modernist canon, however, has often come at the cost of disregarding the cultural and economic conditions of Hamsun's Norway, which was one of Europe's least developed nations in the nineteenth century. Where critics have tended to treat the hunger that drives Hamsun's novel in terms of the desires and affects of metropolitan modernity, this article instead reads starvation as a transnational historical phenomenon, one that informed wide swaths of the global periphery in the late nineteenth century. In Hunger, Hamsun invoked a history of economic development that endowed the starving body with transnational political significance. Restaging the naturalist novel's own approach to hunger, Hunger reflects the transnational reconfiguration of economic forms, which depended centrally on the leveraging of bodily needs of entire populations for productive ends. In Hamsun's novel, the body stands as a primary site upon which the transformation of macroeconomic structures are made legible as well as an object of political struggle. In making this argument, this article restores the historically specific quality of starvation to readings of modernism and places Hamsun within a history of hunger that informed the formal projects of successive generations of novelists.
Proust and Language-in-Use
Authors: Lucey Michael
Published: July 2015

This article is in part an attempt to demonstrate Proust's interest in the sociological functioning of talk, where talk is viewed not solely as a medium for communication but also as one in which social work of various kinds is accomplished via nonsemantic features of language. The article also poses the question of what it would mean to approach literary artifacts as forms of language-in-use similar to talk, finding inspiration in Proust's Recherche for elaborating an answer to that question. Attention to nonsemantic, pragmatic, indexical features of talk (habits of pronunciation, rhythms of speech, accent and intonation, word choice, etc.) reveals the occurrence through the use of those features of key forms of sociocultural activity (the production and maintenance of social identities, the reproduction of aspects of a social order, attempts to modify some part of that order). Proust's Recherche demonstrates a keen interest in this kind of language use. Thinking of literary artifacts themselves as examples of language-in-use involves a shift of attention from “the work itself” to the web of social-indexical relations in which any given literary artifact comes to participate throughout its existence (and to the signs, the indexes, within the work and outside it, that signal those relations). Proust's novel, along with the work of M. M. Bakhtin, Pierre Bourdieu, Michael Silverstein, and others, suggests ways of thinking about how meaning unfolds, develops, happens in time around literary artifacts—how different kinds of value accrue to them—thanks to the social-indexical relations established through their use.
Explaining Large-Scale Policy Change in the Turkish Health Care System: Ideas, Institutions, and Political Actors
Authors: Agartan Tuba I.
Published: July 2015

Explaining policy change has been one of the major concerns of the health care politics and policy development literature. This article aims to explain the specific dynamics of large-scale reforms introduced within the framework of the Health Transformation Program in Turkey. It argues that confluence of the three streams — problem, policy, and politics — with the exceptional political will of the Justice and Development Party's (JDP) leaders opened up a window of opportunity for a large-scale policy change. The article also underscores the contribution of recent ideational perspectives that help explain “why” political actors in Turkey would focus on health care reform, given that there are a number of issues waiting to be addressed in the policy agenda. Examining how political actors framed problems and policies deepens our understanding of the content of the reform initiatives as well as the construction of the need to reform. The article builds on the insights of both the ideational and institutionalist perspectives when it argues that the interests, aspirations, and fears of the JDP, alongside the peculiar characteristics of the institutional context, have shaped its priorities and determination to carry out this reform initiative.
The Impact of the ACA on Premiums: Evidence from the Self-Employed
Authors: Heim Bradley T. , Hunter Gillian , Lurie Ithai Z. , Ramnath Shanthi P.
Published: July 2015

This article examines the impact of the Affordable Care Act on premiums by studying a segment of the nongroup market, the self-employed. Because self-employed health insurance premiums are deductible, tax data contain comprehensive individual-level information on the premiums paid by this group prior to the establishment of health insurance exchanges. We compare these prior premiums to reference silver premiums available on the exchanges and find that exchange premiums are 4.2 percent higher on average among the entire sample but 42.3 percent lower on average after taxes and subsidies. We also examine which type of exchange coverage would cost less than the individual's prior health insurance premiums and find that almost 60 percent of families could purchase bronze plans for less than their prior premiums, though only about a quarter could purchase platinum plans. After taxes and subsidies, the fractions increase to over 85 percent for bronze plans and over half for platinum plans.
Alkynoxy-Directed C–H Functionalizations: Palladium(0)-Catalyzed Annulations of Alkynyl Aryl Ethers with Alkynes
Authors: Minami Yasunori , Shiraishi Yuki , Kodama Tatsuro , Kanda Mayuko , Yamada Kotomi , Anami Tomohiro , Hiyama Tamejiro
Published: July 2015

Palladium(0)-catalyzed insertion/annulation sequence between aryl silylethynyl ethers and internal alkynes was found to proceed through activation of ortho-C–H bonds assisted by alkynoxy groups and gave stereoselectively (Z)-2-silylmethylenechromenes. These products could be easily converted into 2,2-alkylated 2H-chromene derivatives, an important structural motif in medicinal chemistry and materials science. Various aryl silylethynyl ethers and alkynes can be transformed under the reaction conditions, and a wide range of chromenes is thus accessible. When unsymmetric alkynes are employed, a regioselective annulation takes place, especially those containing aryl and/or bulky substituents. Catalytic systems based on palladium(0), such as Pd(OAc)2/PCy3/Zn, [Pd(dba)2]/PCy3, or Pd(PCy3)2 exhibit excellent catalytic activity, and the best performance is observed for Pd(PCy3)2 in combination with Zn(OAc)2 as an additive. Substituents on the aryl group in the alkynyl aryl ethers rarely affect the reaction rate. Deuterium-labeling experiments suggest that the ortho-hydrogen atom migrates to the 2-methylene position in the chromene products. The cleavage of the C–H bond is considered to be the rate-determining step in these reactions.
Editorial—Marketing Science in Emerging Markets
Authors: Narasimhan Laxman , Srinivasan Kannan , Sudhir K.
Published: July 2015

In this editorial accompanying the Special Section on Marketing Science in Emerging Markets (MSEM), we describe how research on emerging markets can contribute to richer theoretical and substantive understanding of markets and marketing. Such research can also aid in providing managerial guidance on how to operate in emerging markets. We conclude with a description of the selection and review process for the special section and an overview of the four papers being published.
Do CIO IT Budgets Explain Bigger or Smaller Governments? Theory and Evidence from U.S. State Governments
Authors: Pang Min-Seok , Tafti Ali , Krishnan M. S.
Published: July 2015

Given the recent concern on “big governments” and rising budget deficits in the United States and European nations, there has been a fundamental economic debate on the proper boundary and role of governments in a society. Inspired by this debate, we study the relationship between information technology (IT) and government size. Drawing on a broad range of the literature from multiple disciplines such as information systems, industrial organization, and political sciences, we present several theoretical mechanisms that explain the impact of IT on government expenditures. Using a variety of data on IT spending and state government expenditures, we find that greater IT investments made by a state chief information officer (CIO) are associated with lower state government spending. It is estimated that on average, a $1 increase in state CIO budgets is associated with a reduction of as much as $3.49 in state overall expenditures. This study contributes to the literature by identifying a key technological factor that affects government spending and showing that IT investments can be a means to restrain government growth.

This paper was accepted by Anandhi Bharadwaj, information systems.
Diversification and Performance: Linking Relatedness, Market Structure, and the Decision to Diversify
Authors: Adner Ron , Zemsky Peter
Published: July 2015

An extensive empirical literature in strategy and finance studies the performance implications of corporate diversification. Two core debates in the literature concern the existence of a diversification discount and the relative importance of industry relatedness and market structure for the performance of diversifiers. We address these debates by building a formal model in which the extent of diversification is endogenous and depends on the degree of industry relatedness. Firms’ diversification choices affect both their own competitiveness and market structure. We find a nonmonotonic effect of relatedness on performance: whereas greater relatedness increases the competitiveness of diversified firms, it can also spur additional diversification, thereby eroding market structure and performance. In this way, our theory also elucidates how heterogeneity in firm scope strategies can emerge even when firms are initially identical. We use the model to generate data and show how the negative effect of relatedness on market structure can give rise to spurious inference of a diversification discount in cross-sectional regressions. We extend our model to show how increases in relatedness can lead to both entry and exit dynamics. A second extension investigates the conditions under which resource endowments make firms more or less likely to diversify.
Los efectos de la crisis económica en la molduración y evolución de la opinión pública española ante la inmigración
Authors: Cea D’Ancona Mª Ángeles
Published: July 2015

Mediante el seguimiento longitudinal de datos demoscópicos,este artículo analiza los efectos de la crisis económica en elcambio de las actitudes hacia la inmigración. El análisis de dimensionese indicadores de xenofobia corrobora el efecto negativo de lainestabilidad y la amenaza económica-laboral en el aumento de laxenofobia, en consonancia con la Teoría del conflicto intergrupal.Si bien, en 2012 el rechazo a la inmigración retrocede, mientras quela ambivalencia se amplía y configura como tenue tolerancia. En suexplicación destaca el descenso de la presencia real y percibida de lapoblación inmigrante, confirmando el efecto atribuido al tamaño delexogrupo. A él se suman otros protagonistas de la molduración delas actitudes: la imagen de la inmigración que trasmiten los mediosde comunicación y los discursos políticos, además del conocimientomutuo (de acuerdo con la Teoría del contacto intergrupal).
Actitudes hacia la inmigración y los inmigrantes: ¿en qué es España excepcional?
Authors: Rinken Sebastian
Published: July 2015

Cuando una sociedad inmigratoria experimenta graves problemas económicos, actitudes hostiles hacia la poblacióninmigrada suelen incrementarse: en este sentido apuntan teorías ampliamente reconocidas, así como una nutrida evidencia empírica.No obstante, pese a reunir las aludidas condiciones, el caso español desmiente estas previsiones: durante los primeros seis años de la crisis económica iniciada en 2008, la preocupación por el tema inmigratorio y la animosidad hacia las personas inmigradas han disminuido. ¿En qué radica esta excepcionalidad española? Este artículo retrata la situación de partida y la evolución de las actitudes desde 2008, identifica varias hipótesis explicativas, y señala sus implicaciones para las políticas públicas.
A contracorriente. Trabajadores y empresarios chinos en España ante la crisis económica (2007-2013)
Authors: Beltrán Antolín Joaquín , Sáiz López Amelia
Published: July 2015

A partir de una comparación de los efectos de la crisis económica (2007-2013) en España sobre la población y trabajadores nacionales y extranjeros con los de origen chino, se pone de manifiesto la conducta diferencial de estos últimos, a contracorriente de la tendencia de pérdida de empleo. Las y los trabajadores y empresarios chinos aumentan de forma constante consolidando y profundizandoestrategias previas de su inserción en el mercado laboral español mediante el desarrollo de nichos económicos étnicos donde la propiedad de empresas de carácter familiar es el modelo dominante. La coincidencia del comienzo de la crisis económica (2007) con la apertura de un nuevo nicho étnico a la espera de su expansión, con una reducción de los costes iniciales de sus negocios, ha permitido una aceleración en el acceso a la propiedad de empresas familiares.
Lithospheric structure of the Arabian Shield from joint inversion of P- and S-wave receiver functions and dispersion velocities
Authors: Al-Amri Abdullah M.
Published: July 2015

New velocity models of lithospheric thickness and velocity structure have been developed for the Arabian Shield by three tasks: 1) Computing P-Wave Receiver Functions (PRFs) and S-Wave Receiver Functions (SRFs) for all the broadband stations within the Saudi seismic networks. The number of receiver function waveforms depends on the recording time window and quality of the broadband station. 2) Computing ambient noise correlation Green’s functions for all available station pairs within the Saudi seismic networks to image the shear velocity in the crust and uppermost mantle beneath the Arabian Peninsula. Together they provided hundreds of additional, unique paths exclusively sampling the region of interest. Both phase and group velocities for all the resulting empirical Green’s functions have been measured and to be used in the joint inversion. 3) Jointly inverted the PRFs and SRFs obtained in task 1 with dispersion velocities measured on the Green’s functions obtained in task 2 and with fundamental-mode, Rayleigh-wave, group and phase velocities borrowed from the tomographic studies to precisely determine 1D crustal velocity structure and upper mantle. The analysis of the PRFs revealed values of 25-45 km for crustal thickness, with the thin crust next to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba and the thicker crust under the platform, and Vp/Vs ratios in the 1.70-1.80 range, suggesting a range of compositions (felsic to mafic) for the shield’s crust. The migrated SRFs suggest lithospheric thicknesses in the 80-100 km range for portions of the shield close to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba and near the Arabian Gulf. Generally, the novelty of the velocity models developed under this paper has consisted in the addition of SRF data to extend the velocity models down to lithospheric and sub-lithospheric depths.
The application of malacological analysis in the study of slope deposits: late Pleistocene and Holocene of the Podhale Basin (Carpathians, Poland)
Authors: Alexandrowicz Witold Paweł
Published: July 2015

Slope deposits developed on calcareous sandstone and limestone formations in the eastern part of the Podhale Basin (Carpathians) were studied. In total, the analysis included fifteen profiles of such sediments, which revealed the presence of abundant malacofaunas comprising 39 mollusc species. Five faunistic assemblages differing in species composition and structure were defined in the material studied. Individual assemblages correspond to different climatic and environmental conditions, thereby making it possible to interpret the features of the sedimentary environments and specify the age of the deposits. Faunas with Pupilla loessica and Pupilla sterri containing species typical of loess formations are characteristic of deposits from the coldest phase of the last Glacial period (MIS 2). A fauna with Vertigo genesii, with a large proportion of cold-loving and moisture-loving taxa, is typical of the Younger Dryas. Associations that are dominated by shade-loving species, with Discus ruderatus and Discus perspectivus, correspond to the early and middle Holocene respectively. The investigations show that malacological analysis can be successfully applied to the research into slope deposits, enabling both the depositional conditions and the age of the sediments to be determined.
The extraterrestrial matter falls in west-central Poland (Great Poland Lowland); historical and geological data
Authors: Stankowski Wojciech T.J.
Published: July 2015

Direct and indirect evidence of falls of extraterrestrial matter in west-central Poland (Great Poland Lowland) is proved historically and environmentally. The chronological list of such events has historical (documents, medieval paintings, newspaper reports), geological and morphological documentation. The most important are the environmental sites of Morasko/Oborniki, Przełazy and Jankowo Dolne, where metallic meteorites were recognized. These meteorite falls represent a series of cosmic events: the Morasko fall was c. 5000 years BP, the Przełazy fall was c. 10000 years BP, and the age of the Jankowo Dolne fall is not fully documented.
The Safety and Hygiene at Work in a School Curriculum
Authors: Ižová Katarína
Published: July 2015

The article discusses the implementation of safety, hygiene and health measures at work into the education at all levels - from preschools to university education. It is focused on the purposeful and systematic shaping and developing the knowledge and expertise in OSH (Occupational safety and health) from an early age, because this issue is under current legislation concerning teaching.
Some Sociological, Legislative and Pedagogical Aspects of the Prevalence of Mobbing among Teachers in Primary School (Case Study)
Authors: Goriup Jana , Šoba Vilma Alina , Purgaj Tjaša
Published: July 2015

The paper sets forth the discussion of the occurrence of mobbing in Slovene elementary school. The study is based on empirical facts collected at three different schools. There are some differences between organizations in occurrence, victims’ characteristics, the reasons and consequences of mobbing. The results of the empirical research of the psychosocial conditions in the analysed working places show that more and more teachers as employees are becoming mobbing victims. Mobbing is defined as a very strong social stress factor. Each individual or social group experiences mobbing at work as a conflict situation and communication. An attacked individual as a victim of the conflict is exposed to permanent and long-term attacks by one or more people at work. The intention of these attacks is to oust the individual from the organization or to harm him/her in other ways. A lot of pressure is being imposed on the person and also intimidation, humiliation, molestation or other negative influences appear. Because of the psychic burden the victim usually becomes ill and often leaves the working position. Mobbing can affect the individual in a way that s/he is no longer capable of fitting into any new working environment. The most frequent consequences named by the victims are: stress, insomnia, concentration problems and family problems.
Enhancing Learners’ Interest by Implementing Multiple Intelligence Theory
Authors: Wójcik Katarzyna
Published: July 2015

Learners’ interest is agreed by most of the educators to be significant for effectiveness of teaching and learning process. However postmodern society becomes more and more tranquilized or overactive (depending on the person) because of hundreds of information, pictures and others attacking people’s minds. Therefore gaining students’ attention and then attaching it to the subject becomes more and more difficult. The article makes an attempt to answer the question What is the role of Multiple Intelligence in enhancing learners’ interest level?
Hydrophobic core structure of macromomycin – the apoprotein of the antitumor antibiotic auromomycin – fuzzy oil drop model applied
Authors: Roterman-Konieczna Irena , Banach Mateusz , Konieczny Leszek
Published: July 2015

The fuzzy oil drop model was applied to analyze the structure of macromomycin, the apoprotein of the antitumor antibiotic auromomycin, revealing the differentiation of β-structural fragments present in β-sandwich. The seven-stranded antiparallel β-barrel and two antiparallel β-sheet ribbons represent the highly ordered geometry of the structure. However, participation in hydrophobic core formation appears different. The structure of the complete domain represents the status of the irregular hydrophobic core; however, some β-structural fragments appear to represent the hydrophobicity density distribution accordant with the idealized distribution of hydrophobicity as expected using the fuzzy oil drop model. Four β-structural fragments generating one common layer appear to be unstable in respect to the general structure of the hydrophobic core. This area is expected to be more flexible than other parts of the molecule. The protein binds the ligand – chromophore, two 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol – in a well-defined cleft. The presence of this cleft makes the general structure of the hydrophobic core irregular (as it may be interpreted using the fuzzy oil drop model). Two short loops generated by two SS bonds fit very well to the general distribution of hydrophobicity density as expected for the model. No information about the potential amyloidogenic character of this protein is given in the literature; however, the specificity of the hydrophobicity distribution profile is found to be highly similar to the one observed in transthyretin (Banach M, Konieczny L, Roterman I. The fuzzy oil drop model, based on hydrophobicity density distribution, generalizes the influence of water environment on protein structure and function. J Theor Biol 2014;359:6–17), suggesting a possible tendency to turn to the amyloid form. A detailed analysis of macromomycin will be given, and a comparable analysis with other proteins of β-sandwich or β-barrel will be presented.
Assortative Outsourcing with Exit
Authors: Bakhtiari Sasan
Published: July 2015

A general framework is presented that incorporates dynamics and heterogeneity among both upstream suppliers and downstream producers to mimic the exit strategy of Hirschman (1970) in building vertical relations. An assortative matching develops between producers and suppliers based on their level of efficiency, which leads to an increase in the aggregate industrial productivity but also makes the distribution of firms more dispersed. Further experiments suggest that the nature of outsourcing relations is impacted in certain ways by business cycles and technological advancements.
Living on the edge: studies on ecology of plant species and populations at the limits of their geographic range. Tribute to Professor Janusz B. Faliński (1934-2004)
Authors: Czarnecka Bożenna
Published: July 2015

Abies alba and Senecio rivularis - two of 44 mountain species reported from the Roztocze Highlands, SE Poland were objects of the study. Both species reach the north-eastern limits of their occurrence in this region. In case of Abies alba, the extent of its habitat niche and possibility of adaptation to alternative niches at the range limits were investigated in two areas of the Roztocze Highlands - the Roztocze National Park (RNP) and gorge sections of four river valleys (RV) of a mountainous character. In both landscapes, fir prefers mineral soils that are too leachy for deciduous species and even for spruce. In the RV sites, fir seems to have a much broader ecological scale and often colonizes organic soils with wet mixed coniferous forests with spruce, ash-alder, and bog alder forests.

The studies on Senecio rivularis are an example of long-term ecological studies at the population level, conducted in the RNP since 1987, e.g., in terms of changes in the size structure of individuals compared to the changes in the surface area covered by this population. A nearly 3-fold increase in the area inhabited by the population was accompanied by changes in the spatial organisation of the population and individual size structure dynamics, which reflects the intensification of intra- and interspecific competition, and indicates condition changes in the population area.
The effect of habitat conditions on the abundance of populations and selected individual and floral traits of Impatiens glandulifera Royle
Authors: Kostrakiewicz-Gierałt Kinga
Published: July 2015

The effect of site conditions on the abundance of populations of I. glandulifera, selected individual features (height and width of stems, number of whorls and side branches, flower production), and floral traits (total length of flowers, length and width of lower sepal, spur length) were investigated in years 2013-14. Observations were conducted on fallow land, at roadsides, along riverbanks and edges of a riparian forest as well as in a willow thicket and a riparian forest inside located in the Vistula River valley in southern Poland. In these stands, taken successively, light availability gradually diminished, while plant canopy height and soil moisture increased. The low abundance of the population on the fallow land may have been caused by low soil humidity triggering seedling mortality, whereas the low abundance in the interior of the riparian forest may have been due to seasonal water stagnation hampering the development of offspring. The increasing values of individual traits from the fallow land to riparian forest edge might be linked to growing lateral shade, whereas the much lower values in the willow thicket and forest interior might be caused by full shade. Individuals growing on the fallow land, at roadsides, and along riverbanksproduced flowers with small total lengths and large lower sepals and spurs, whereas individuals occurring in willow thickets and riparian forests showed opposite tendency. The considerable stem dimensions and substantial production of large flowers may augment chances for successful resource capture and pollinator visits in open sites, while the reduced size of individuals and moderate production of small flowers may be sufficient for the maintenance of populations in closed habitats
Characterization of morphological traits and RAPD polymorphism in selected forms of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.)
Authors: Szenejko Magdalena , Rogalski Maciej
Published: July 2015

Measurements were taken of seven morphological characteristics of various forms of Poa pratensis, including ecotypes (12), cultivars (4), and breeding lines (2). Statistically significant differences relating to the average number and length of vegetative shoots and the leaf width of the forms studied were determined using Tukey’s HSD test. Evaluation of genetic polymorphism was carried out using the RAPD-PCR method. 18 primers were used for molecular analysis and 473 amplification products were obtained, in which high levels of polymorphism (84.2%) and specificity (63) were discovered. The mean value of Dice’s coefficient, the genetic similarity indicator, was about 0.7. These results indicate a significant genetic similarity between most of the forms of Poa pratensis studied. A correlation was also observed between genetic variation and phenotypic diversity of the studied forms of Poa pratensis. Convergence was found to occur between phenotype and genetic similarity among the forms. Only the dos01 468 ecotype showed discrepancies in the assessment of phenotypic and genomic variability.
Content of fluorine in drinking water in FYR Macedonia
Authors: Carcev M. , Gjorgev D. , Tozija F. , Petanovski H.
Published: July 2015

From all the methods applied in preventing dental caries, the most significant is the use of fluorides. Nowadays, 6 decades after its massive use, it can certainly be argued that it is the most efficient, cheapest and safest way of preventing dental caries, confirmed by more than 150 longitudinal studies. In order to determine the presence of fluorides in drinking water, in coordination with the Institute for Public Health of the FYR Macedonia in 2009, we conducted a research for determining the presence of fluorides in drinking water from the public water supply in the country. The results from the research showed that concentration of fluorine in drinking water in our country is under 0.3ppm (0.3 mg per litre of water), which indicates a really low amount in accordance to the WHO standards. Optimal concentration was registered in only few water supply facilities in less settled areas, while hyper-fluorinated water was registered in few village wells, which were put out of use after they were located.
Effects of biobanking conditions on six antibiotic substances in human serum assessed by a novel evaluation protocol
Authors: Zander Johannes , Maier Barbara , Zoller Michael , Döbbeler Gundula , Frey Lorenz , Teupser Daniel , Vogeser Michael
Published: July 2015

Although therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for antibiotics in critically ill patients is recommended by expert panels, no commercial tests are available for most antibiotics. Therefore, we previously developed a multi-analyte method for the quantification of piperacillin, tazobactam, cefepime, meropenem, ciprofloxacin and linezolid in serum. However, limited stability data were available, and the relevant studies did not address the coefficients of variation of the methods applied, which may be important for verifying the storage dependency of the observed effects. Here we aimed to evaluate the storage effects of antibiotics by applying a novel evaluation protocol.

Serum-based test samples were aliquoted and stored at room temperature, 4 °C, −20 °C or −80 °C for up to 180 days. Using an innovative evaluation protocol (considering the coefficient of variation, p-value, and criterion of monotony of observed changes), we assessed whether relevant changes (defined as ≥15% in comparison with baseline) were storage dependent (defined as substantial changes).

Storage at −80 °C for up to 180 days did not lead to substantial changes for any analyte. In contrast, storage at −20 °C induced substantial decreases after ≥7 days for piperacillin, tazobactam, cefepime and meropenem; after 90 days at −20 °C, only ≤23% of the initial concentrations were found for these parameters. No substantial changes were observed for linezolid and ciprofloxacin at any storage condition. All of the observed substantial changes were monotonic decreases.

We recommend a storage temperature of −80 °C for β-lactam antibiotics. The applied evaluation protocol yielded conclusive results and may be generally useful for stability studies.
RAFT polymerization of linear ABC triblock copolymer PtBA-b-PS-b-P2VP and regulation of its hierarchical self-assembly structure in solution
Authors: Muslim Arzugul , Malik Dilnur , Hojiahmat Mehriban
Published: July 2015

Linear ABC triblock copolymer PtBA
Driving force and activation energy in air-gap membrane distillation process
Authors: Kujawa Joanna , Kujawski Wojciech
Published: July 2015

The present study investigated the impact of the driving force (Δp) on the transport properties. All the experiments and calculations were performed for air-gap membrane distillation (AGMD). In the course of the experiments, it was found that an identical value of Δp could be attained by applying different values of feed and permeate temperatures. It was highlighted that constant values of water fluxes could be achieved using the constant driving force created by different temperatures. Moreover, the relation between ln(J
Test Reactions to Study Efficiency of
Authors: Jasińska Magdalena
Published: July 2015

Effects of mixing on the course of fast chemical reactions are relatively well understood, especially in homogeneous systems. This enables to design and operate chemical reactors with the goal to achieve a high yield of a desired product and use systems of complex reactions as a chemical probe (chemical test reactions) to identify progress of mixing and quality of mixture. Recently, a number of studies have focused on the application of chemical test reactions to identify energy efficiency of mixing, being a convenient way of comparing mixers and reactors in terms of their mixing efficiency. This review offers a presentation of chemical test reactions available in the literature and methods of applications of test reactions to identify the energy efficiency of mixing. Also methods to assess the extent of micromixing by measuring product distribution or segregation index, and to determine the time constant for mixing are presented for single phase homogeneous systems and two-phase liquid-liquid systems.
Comparison of Large Eddy Simulations and κ-ε Modelling of Fluid Velocity and Tracer Concentration in Impinging Jet Mixers
Authors: Wojtas Krzysztof , Orciuch Wojciech , Makowski Łukasz
Published: July 2015

Simulations of turbulent mixing in two types of jet mixers were carried out using two CFD models, large eddy simulation and κ-ε model. Modelling approaches were compared with experimental data obtained by the application of particle image velocimetry and planar laser-induced fluorescence methods. Measured local microstructures of fluid velocity and inert tracer concentration can be used for direct validation of numerical simulations. Presented results show that for higher tested values of jet Reynolds number both models are in good agreement with the experiments. Differences between models were observed for lower Reynolds numbers when the effects of large scale inhomogeneity are important.
Hurry or Wait – The Pros and Cons of Going Fast or Slow on Climate Change
Authors: Denny Eleanor , Weiss Jurgen
Published: July 2015

Climate change risk will likely force the de-carbonization of our electricity sector and thus involve massive investments in long-lived assets using many new and emerging technologies. Since technological progress (independent or dependent on deployment) will likely lower the future cost of those technologies, investing early and rapidly forecloses saving money by installing those technologies at a lower cost later. There are thus benefits to waiting until the costs of renewables fall further. However, there are also costs to waiting. First, given the longevity of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, cumulative emissions matter and lowering greenhouse gas emissions earlier is beneficial. Second, there is significant uncertainty not only over the rate of change of the cost of low carbon technologies, but also over the cost of greenhouse gas emissions. The costs of waiting are complex in that the distributions themselves are unknown (and quite possibly have “fat” tails). There may also be complex timing issues such as points of no return in terms of global greenhouse gas concentrations, beyond which the costs of adapting to climate change effects become essentially infinite. Hurrying can therefore be considered an insurance policy against the unknown but perhaps increasing risk of catastrophic damage.
Formation of 1-methyl[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a] quinazolin-5(4H)-ones by reaction of 2-hydrazinoquinazolin-4(3H)-ones with acetylacetone
Authors: Danylchenko Svitlana Yuriyivna , Drushlyak Oleksandr Grygorovych , Kovalenko Svitlana Sergiyivna , Kovalenko Sergiy Mykolayovych
Published: July 2015

Reaction of 2-hydrazinoquinazolin-4(3H)-ones with acetylacetone results in the formation of 1-methyl[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]quinazolin-5(4H)-ones instead of 2-(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)quinazolin-4(3H)-ones. Under similar conditions, the 7-hydrazinocarbonyl group in quinazolin-4(3H)-one moiety is transformed into a pyrazole derivative, which can be replaced by amine with the amide formation.