bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Study of Ranitidine Interference With Morphine Detection Test by Thin-Layer Chromatography
Authors: Miri Amir , Karami Amir , Nadi Fourogh , Zeraati Fatemeh
Published: June 2019

Background: Drug abuse is a global and critical problem. One of the most frequent practices done in order to detect the drugs of abuse is Urine Drug Screen. However, for changing the drug test results, adulterants and urine substitutes are being designed. As the referring people’s background has shown, ranitidine is one of the interfering drugs in morphine detection test. Therefore, in the present study, the interference of ranitidine in morphine detection test will be studied. Methods: Ten healthy volunteers who had not used any kind of drug for 72 hours before the test were recruited into the study. First, 2 doses of ranitidine (150 and 300 mg) were administered to the subjects orally and 100-mL urine samples were collected from them before and after taking ranitidine. The second urine sample was collected at 6-8 am. Ten micrograms morphine was added to both urine samples of each individual. The urine samples were tested using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) technique. The experiment was repeated after 1 week using ranitidine 300 mg. Results: The TLC test was carried out on 40 urine samples. Twenty samples were tested before and, the rest, after ranitidine consumption. The TLC test results were positive before ranitidine consumption but negative for 18 samples and positive for two samples after taking ranitidine. Conclusion: Ranitidine may change the urine morphine screening test results via TLC method and induce a false negative result.
SPR signals enhancement by gold nanorods for cell surface marker detection
Authors: Fathi Farzaneh , Jalili Roghayeh , Amjadi Mohammad , Rashidi Mohammad-Reza
Published: June 2019

Introduction: The detection of micrometer-sized particles like cells is limited by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors because of having a depth of evanescent wave <500 nm. In this study, for the first time, we exhibited the use of streptavidin-functionalized gold nanorods (GNRs) as intensification labels for detection of cell surface markers in SPR-based biosensors. Methods: The GNRs (ʎ max: 735 nm) were modified with streptavidin using EDC/NHS coupling method and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were selected as the cell model for detecting VE-cadherin on cell surface using real-time SPR device in the 785 nm wavelength of the laser source. Results: The investigations revealed that the plasmonic field extension produced from the gold layer and GNRs resulted in multiple enhancement of SPR signals when the wavelength of laser source in SPR instrument was matched with the wavelength of maximum absorbance in GNRs. Moreover, the results showed that the growth of ∆RU value in specific and non-specific bindings for various cell number injections were produced with increasing the cell number. Conclusion: The results displayed that cell detection can be performed in real- time form without any need to a time-consuming process used in conventional methods like immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, and western blotting.
Chondroitin sulfate degradation and eicosanoid metabolism pathways are impaired in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis: Experimental confirmation of an in silico prediction
Authors: Kalantari Shiva , Naji Mohammad , Nafar Mohsen , Yazdani-Kachooei Hootan , Borumandnia Nasrin , Parvin Mahmoud
Published: June 2019

Introduction: Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), the most common primary glomerular disease, is a diverse clinical entity that occurs after podocyte injury. Although numerous studies have suggested molecular pathways responsible for the development of FSGS, many still remain unknown about its pathogenic mechanisms. Two important pathways were predicted as candidates for the pathogenesis of FSGS in our previous in silico analysis, whom we aim to confirm experimentally in the present study. Methods: The expression levels of 4 enzyme genes that are representative of "chondroitin sulfate degradation" and "eicosanoid metabolism" pathways were investigated in the urinary sediments of biopsy-proven FSGS patients and healthy subjects using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). These target genes were arylsulfatase, hexosaminidase, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and prostaglandin I2 synthase. The patients were sub-divided into 2 groups based on the range of proteinuria and glomerular filtration rate and were compared for variation in the expression of target genes. Correlation of target genes with clinical and pathological characteristics of the disease was calculated and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed. Results: A combined panel of arylsulfatase, hexosaminidase, and COX-2 improved the diagnosis of FSGS by 76%. Hexosaminidase was correlated with the level of proteinuria, while COX-2 was correlated with interstitial inflammation and serum creatinine level in the disease group. Conclusion: Our data supported the implication of these target genes and pathways in the pathogenesis of FSGS. In addition, these genes can be considered as non-invasive biomarkers for FSGS.
The effects of acute exercise on episodic memory function among young university students: moderation considerations by biological sex
Authors: Johnson Lauren , Loprinzi Paul D.
Published: June 2019

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate potential sex-specific differences on episodic memory function and determine whether sex moderates the effects of acute exercise on episodic memory.Methods: A randomized controlled intervention was employed. This experiment was conducted among young University students (mean age = 21 years). Both males (n=20) and females (n=20)completed two counterbalanced laboratory visits, with one visit involving a 15-minute bout of moderate-intensity exercise prior to the memory task. The control visit engaged in a time matched seated task. Memory function (including short-term memory, learning, and long-term memory) was assessed from the RAVLT (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test).Results: We observed a significant main effect for time (P<0.001, ƞ2p= 0.77) and a marginally significant main effect for sex (P=0.06, ƞ2p= 0.09), but no time by sex by condition interaction(P=0.91, ƞ2p= 0.01). We also observed some suggestive evidence of a more beneficial effect of acute exercise on memory for females. Conclusion: In conclusion, females outperformed males in verbal memory function. Additional research is needed to further evaluate whether sex moderates the effects of acute exercise on memory function.
The effects of acute exercise intensity on episodic and false memory among young adult college students
Authors: Dilley Emma K. , Zou Liye , Loprinzi Paul D.
Published: June 2019

Background: Previous experimental work demonstrates that acute exercise may enhance episodic memory performance. However, limited research has examined the extent to which acute exercise influences false episodic memory production, and no studies, to date, have examined whether there is an intensity-specific effect of acute exercise on both true episodic and false episodic memories. Thus, the present experiment evaluated the effects of intensity-specific acute exercise on episodic memory and false episodic memory. Methods: A three-arm, parallel, between-group randomized controlled trial was employed in the University setting, with participants (N=60; Mage= 20.8 years) randomized into a moderate intensity exercise group (15-minute bout of treadmill exercise at 50% heart rate reserve), a high intensity exercise group (15-minute bout of treadmill exercise at 80% heart rate reserve), or a control group (time-matched period of sitting). True episodic and false episodic memory were both assessed using 6 word-lists from the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm, including both a short-term recall and a delayed memory recognition assessment. Results: For the number of words recalled across each of the 6 lists, there was a significant main effect for list (P<0.001, η2p=0.15), marginally significant main effect for group (P=0.07, η2p=0.09), but no list by group interaction effect (P=0.44, η2p=0.03). Those in the high-intensity exercise group recalled significantly (P<0.05) more words than the control group. For the false episodic word recall, across various lists, high-intensity acute exercise was associated with a greater rate of false episodic memories. For the memory recognition task, there was no main effect for word type (P=0.46, η2p=0.01), group (P=0.4443, η2p=.03), word type by group interaction (P=0.44,η2p=0.03), recall by group interaction (P=0.4441, η2p=0.04), or word type by recall by group interaction (P=0.32, η2p=0.04). However, there was a main effect for recall (P<0.001, η2p=.54)and a word type by recall interaction (P<0.001, η2p=0.77).Conclusion: These findings suggest that acute high-intensity exercise may enhance true episodic memories, and, possibly, also increase the rate of false episodic memories. We discuss these findings in the context of how different acute exercise intensities may have unique and differential effects on underlying mechanistic processes related to true and false episodic memory.
Prediction of suicidal ideations based on socioeconomic status and mental health among University of Tabriz students
Authors: Shafiee-Kandjani Ali Reza , Alizadeh Mahasti , Karimpour-Vazifehkhorani Alireza , Pahnaei Zahra
Published: June 2019

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of socioeconomic status and dimensions of mental health with suicidal tendency among students of the University of Tabriz, Iran. Methods: The present descriptive and correlational study was conducted on 900 students of the University of Tabriz in the academic year of 2016-2017. The study tools included the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSSI), Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), and Socio-Economic Status Questionnaire (SESQ) of Ghodratnama et al. Results: Correlation results showed that depression (r = 0.514, P < 0.01), psychoticism (r = 0.478, P < 0.01), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (r = 0.463, P < 0.01), respectively, had the highest correlation with suicidal ideations. Somatization was also correlated with suicidal ideations (r = 0.231, P < 0.05). Of the components of socioeconomic status, income (r = -0.401, P < 0.01), and the economic class component (r = -0.321, P < 0.05) had the highest correlation coefficients, respectively. Results of regression analysis indicated that the mental health variable predicted suicide in merely 58.6% of people. Moreover, with the addition of the socioeconomic status variable to the equation, both variables predicted an average of 71.6% of the overall suicidal ideations among individuals. Conclusion: Results indicated that mental health difficulties and socioeconomic problems might have a negative impact on the development of suicidal thoughts. Therefore, it is highly recommended that students’ mental health and social/financial problems be taken into consideration by educational managers responsible in universities, a mission that would be included in curriculum plans.
Frequency of renal artery stenosis and associated factors in patients undergoing coronary angiography
Authors: Mirbolouk Fardin , Salari Arsalan , Ashouri Asieh , Mahdavi-Roshan Marjan , Gholipour Mahboobe
Published: June 2019

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the first cause of mortality in developed and developing countries, including Iran. Identifying high-risk patients can save many from morbidity and mortality. Renal artery stenosis (RAS) seems to be equivalent to CAD in patients with cardiovascular risk. Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the prevalence, severity, and extent of RAS and its predictors in patients with confirmed CAD on coronary angiography. Patients and Methods: All patients suspected of ischemic heart disease (IHD), who underwent diagnostic coronary angiography at Heshmat heart hospital, Iran were recruited (May 2015 to June 2016). Patients with confirmed CAD underwent non-selective renal angiography, which was categorized as mild, moderate or severe based on luminal diameter narrowing more than normal >0% to 50%, between 50%-70% and more than 70%, respectively. Results: Of 233 patients, RAS was observed in 123 (53%). Around 20% were mild, 10% were moderate and 23% were severe. Additionally, RAS in 37% was unilateral and in 16% were bilateral. Besides,19%, 25% and 56% of patients had atherosclerosis in one, two and three vessels, respectively. There was no correlation between the CAD severity and severity of RAS (P=0.807). Conclusions: Higher prevalence of RAS in patients with hyperlipidemia (60% vs. 40%) was detected. Its association with variables affecting CAD indicates that RAS can be a predictor of CAD. Therefore, simultaneous assessment of RAS in coronary angiography can be a good screening method for CAD beside earlier diagnosis of kidney disease.
Losartan and magnesium sulfate administration reduce gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rat model
Authors: Kourkinejad Gharaei Fatemeh , Safari Tahereh , Niazi Abbass Ali , Zeynali Bujani Meysam
Published: June 2019

Background: Nephrotoxicity is the most known side effect of gentamicin. In addition, renin angiotensin system (RAS) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of renal injury and nephrotoxicity. Hypomagnesaemia is other complication of gentamicin. Previous studies reported that magnesium plays an important role in cell enzymatic functions, reducing lipid peroxidation. Objectives: We investigated the role of losartan and magnesium sulfate (MgSO4 ) on gentamicin nephrotoxicity. Materials and Methods: In this study, rats randomly assigned to five groups. The first group, received saline, the second group received gentamicin 80 mg/kg/d, intraperitoneally (ip), and the third group, received a regular dose of losartan, 10 mg/kg/d + gentamicin 80 mg/kg/d. The fourth group received MgSO4 , 80 mg/kg/d + gentamicin 80 mg/kg/d. The fifth group obtained a continuous dose of gentamicin 80 mg/kg/d + losartan 10 mg/kg/d + MgSO4 80 mg/kg/d simultaneously. Nine days after administration of drugs, blood samples were collected from the heart. The level of urea, creatinine (Cr), malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrite were measured in the animal serum and homogenized kidney tissue. Results: Gentamicin increased serum urea and Cr levels. The administration of losartan and MgSO4 lonely and combination of them, significantly reduced the levels of serum urea and Cr. Losartan alone and combination of losartan and MgSO4 compared with gentamicin, significantly decreased kidney MDA level too. Decrease of kidney nitrite level by gentamicin was compensated by the administration of losartan, MgSO4 alone or their combination. Additionally, losartan and MgSO4 alone and their combination together significantly reduced renal damage. Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that administration of losartan and MgSO4 individually and their combination decreased kidney nephrotoxicity and improved renal function. This effect is probably related to the improvement of antioxidant status and renal blood flow.
Color agreement between try-in paste and resin cement: Effect of thickness and regions of ultra-translucent multilayered zirconia veneers
Authors: Daneshpooy Mehdi , Pournaghi Azar Fatemeh , Alizade Oskoee Parnian , Bahari Mahmoud , Asdagh Saeede , Khosravani Seyed Reza
Published: June 2019

Background. The current study aimed at identifying the color agreement between try-in pastes and the respective resin cements and investigated the effect of thickness and regions of Ultra-Translucent Multilayered Zirconia Veneers. Methods. A total of 90 cubic zirconia discs were prepared at two different thicknesses (0.5 mm and 0.7 mm) (n=45) in five groups in terms of the shade of the try-in paste and resin cement as follows: Universal, Clear, Brown, White and Opaque. Try-in paste and the respective resin cement were applied between the specimens and composite substrate, respectively, and colorimetric evaluation was carried out using CIE-Lab system. For each specimen, ΔE between the try-in paste and cement was calculated. Data were analyzed with SPSS 17 using Multifactor ANOVA (P<0.05). Results. Multifactor ANOVA results showed that ΔE values were significantly affected by the resin cement shade and the thickness of ceramic veneer (P<0.05). The results showed better shade agreement between the try-in paste and the respective resin cement with thicker ceramic veneers. The results of Tukey HSD revealed that ΔE values for the Clear, Universal and Brown shades were less than those of the White and Opaque shades. Lighter shades exhibited better agreement between the try-in paste and the respective resin cement. Conclusion. Perceptible color difference was found between the try-in pastes and the respective resin cement in most colors investigated. Although, the agreement of the try-in pastes and the respective resin cement was affected by the thickness of zirconia veneers, the different regions of multilayered ultra-translucent zirconia ceramic showed no significant effect.
Comparison of icodextrin and glucose solutions for long-dwell exchange in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients; a preliminary study
Authors: Yaghoubi Fatemeh , Alatab Sudabeh , Najafi Iraj
Published: June 2019

Introduction: Icodextrin is widely used in peritoneal dialysis (PD) and several clinical observations suggest the superiority of icodextrin compared with 4.25% dextrose in optimizing peritoneal ultrafiltration (UF). However this solution has been introduced to our PD centers over the last two years. Objectives: In this study we aimed to evaluate the effects of employment of this solution in our PD patients. Patients and Methods: The study was carried out in two Iranian PD centers (Shafa and Shariati centers). We included 29 established patients (12 male and 17 female, mean age 58.9 ±11.1 years) who used icodextrin for the long-dwell exchange for last 6 months. Clinical data were collected at baseline and 6 months after icodextrin administration. Results: When the data between baseline and after 6 months of icodextrin administration was evaluated, we found no significant change in evaluated parameters including 24 hours UF, 24 hours urine volume, membrane transport type, Kt/V and creatinine clearance was observed. Conclusion: Icodextrin for the long-dwell exchange did not improve the creatinine clearance despite producing, a non-significant increase in 24-hour UF, after 6 months. Due to low proportion of patients and high inter-patients variability we cannot reach a robust conclusion. Studies with bigger sample size involving several PD centers are necessary to further address this subject.
The effects of vibration and massage on severity of symptoms of restless leg syndrome and sleep quality in hemodialysis patients; a randomized cross-over clinical trial
Authors: Azimpour Somayeh , Hosseini Habibollah S , Eftekhari Adel , Kazemi Majid
Published: June 2019

Introduction: Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a common sensory disturbance in hemodialysis patients causing mental disorders, sleep disturbances, and other problems. Objectives: This study compared the effects of massage and vibration on sleep quality and severity of symptoms of RLS in hemodialysis patients. Patients and Methods: This cross-over clinical trial was conducted on 80 hemodialysis patients with RLS who were assigned into two groups randomly. The first group received massage and the second group received vibration. Each group received the related intervention for one month three times per week each session lasting 10 minutes. One month after the first intervention, the interventions were changed in a cross-over design between the two groups. The severity of symptoms of RLS and sleep quality were assessed before and after interventions using the related questionnaire. Results: The means of severity of symptoms of RLS and sleep quality showed a significant improvement after both interventions of vibration and massage (P<0.001). Additionally, a significant difference was observed in the means of severity of RLS and sleep quality after interventions between two groups hence vibration exerted a greater effect on improving the symptoms of RLS and sleep quality in patients compared to massage (P=0.001). Conclusion: Our findings suggested that both vibration and massage reduce the mean of severity of RLS and improve sleep quality in hemodialysis patients, with vibration exerting a greater effect compared to massage.
The importance of serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin level in patients with lupus nephritis
Authors: Jafari Nakhjavani Mohammad Reza , Abediazar Sima , Ghorbanihaghjo Amir , Hanafizadeh Behnaz , Zununi Vahed Sepideh , Pourlak Tala
Published: June 2019

Introduction: The neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has emerged as a biomarker of renal damage. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the serum levels of NGAL (sNGAL) as a marker of disease activity in individuals with lupus nephritis (LN). Patients and Methods: This study contained 50 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) individuals with (n = 25) and without (n = 25) nephritis, and 39 healthy controls. The sNGAL levels were measured by ELISA. Renal function test, urinary parameters, lupus serology activity, and also calculated SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) were analyzed to determine their associations with sNGAL. Results: The results revealed that the SLE individuals with or without nephritis had a raised serum NGAL levels as compared to control subjects (P<0.001). Additionally, sNGAL levels in LN individuals were meaningfully higher compared to those in non-LN patients (P<0.001). Serum NGAL showed a significant correlation with the SLEDAI, serum creatinine, and 24-h urinary protein (P<0.05). More importantly, sNGAL had a significant positive correlation with the activity index of LN (r = 0.616, P=0.001). In the ROC curve analysis, the measurement of sNGAL level showed a good diagnostic performance for distinguishing individuals with LN from SLE patients without renal involvement with AUC=0.902 (P<0.001), 72% sensitivity, and 99% specificity. Moreover, sNGAL could identify all of SLE patients from controls with high accuracy, AUC= 0.99, P<0.001, with 99% sensitivity, and 97% specificity. Conclusion: Serum NGAL had an association with clinical parameters and could discriminate LN from SLE patients without renal involvement. Our result suggests that serum NGAL can be used for early diagnosis of LN and identifying active LN.
Globale Städte und nachhaltige Entwicklungsziele: Wie werden aus Orten der Entkoppelung und der Ausbeutung Orte der sozialen Inklusion?
Authors: Denk Albert
Published: June 2019

Das Konzept der globalen Stadt beschreibt den Entkoppelungsprozess zwischen Städten und ihren Territorialstaaten. Globale Städte agieren in einer Art Städtenetzwerk, das durch seine ökonomischen Tätigkeiten nahezu losgelöst von staatlichen Eingriffen operiert. Zudem vollziehen sich Prozesse der Ausbeutung natürlicher Ressourcen und transnationaler Arbeitskräfte, die eine Entkoppelung zusätzlich stärken. Mit den nachhaltigen Entwicklungszielen (SDGs) der Vereinten Nationen wurde eine Agenda geschaffen, die eine Entwicklung von nachhaltigen Städten unter dem Gesichtspunkt der sozialen Inklusion anstrebt. Dieser Beitrag zeigt am Beispiel globaler Städte auf, an welche Grenzen die territorial-staatlich ausgerichteten SDGs gelangen, mit besonderem Blick auf transnationale Prozesse, global operierende Arbeit und globale Migrationsbewegungen. Dabei wird das Entwicklungsziel #11 genauer untersucht und folgenden Fragen nachgegangen: Wie können Prozesse der sozialen Inklusion in globalen Städten gestärkt werden? Und welches Potenzial liegt dabei in den nachhaltigen Entwicklungszielen der Vereinten Nationen?
„Gleichbehandeln ist nicht immer gerecht behandeln“: Migrantische Studierende an Schweizer Fachhochschulen im Spannungsfeld von Differenzerfahrungen und Handlungsstrategien
Authors: Le Breton Maritza , Böhnel Martin
Published: June 2019

Im Fokus dieses Beitrags stehen Ergebnisse aus einem laufenden Forschungsprojekt zur „Internationalisierung an Fachhochschulen der Deutsch- und Westschweiz“. Im ersten Fachhochschulgesetz 1995 wurde die internationale Ausrichtung als Verpflichtung für den neuen praxisorientierten und berufsqualifizierenden Hochschultypus der Fachhochschulen festgehalten. Während die mit der Internationalisierung einhergehenden institutionellen Veränderungen auch an den universitären Hochschulen in der Schweiz noch wenig erforscht sind, fehlen Untersuchungen für die Fachhochschulen bisher noch weitgehend. Mit dieser Forschungslücke beschäftigt sich das Forschungsprojekt. Die Studie befasst sich aus ungleichheitstheoretischer Perspektive mit Rahmenbedingungen und Konsequenzen hochschulischer Internationalisierung unter besonderer Berücksichtigung von Migration und Geschlecht, wobei der Fokus auf den Bereich der Hochschullehre resp. die Studienbedingungen gerichtet wird.
Mehr Staat, mehr Markt, mehr Sicherheit. Warum die Flüchtlingskrise einen Pfadwechsel in der deutschen Politik der Inneren Sicherheit eingeleitet haben könnte
Authors: Staff Helge , Wenzelburger Georg
Published: June 2019

Die Ankunft hunderttausender Flüchtlinge im Herbst 2015 stellte ungeahnte Herausforderungen an die Akteure im Politikfeld der Inneren Sicherheit in vielen europäischen Staaten. Dieser Artikel fragt daher – bezogen auf den Fall Deutschland – welche sicherheitspolitischen Reaktionen die Flüchtlingskrise hervorgerufen hat und inwieweit diese einen Pfadbruch darstellen. Um die Frage zu beantworten, prüfen wir entlang des Konzepts der „critical juncture" zunächst die Entwicklung verschiedener Indikatoren für Policy-Wandel in der Inneren Sicherheit. In einem zweiten Schritt und auf der Grundlage einer Befragung der deutschen Aufsichtsbehörden zuständig für die Erstaufnahme von Flüchtlingen identifizieren wir dann Mechanismen der Bildung eines neuen Pfades: Ein personell robuster und marktorientierter Policy-Pfad, der ein Zurück in die sicherheitspolitische Zeit vor der Flüchtlingskrise als unwahrscheinlich erscheinen lässt.
Attachment Orientations Moderate the Self-Amplifying Cycle of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Negative Cognitions—A Seven-Year Longitudinal Study
Authors: Levin Yafit , Mikulincer Mario , Solomon Zahava
Published: June 2019

Introduction: We examined whether attachment orientations moderated the self-amplifying cycle of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and negative cognitions, decades after the trauma ended.

Method: We sampled Israeli veterans from the 1973 Yom Kippur War and assessed PTSD severity and cognitions about the self and the world, twice—35 (T1) and 42 (T2) years after the war. At T1, we assessed participants’ attachment orientations (anxiety, avoidance).

Results: Findings provided support for a self-amplifying cycle of PTSD severity and negative cognitions about others’ benevolence during the seven-year study period. Findings also indicated that this self-amplifying cycle was significant only among veterans who scored relatively high on attachment anxiety but not among those who had less anxious attachment. Attachment avoidance also moderated the prospective contribution of negative cognitions about the self and others to PTSD severity seven years later.

Discussion: The psychological mechanisms underlying the observed effects of attachment orientations were discussed.
Some Implications for Ērika: Implicatives in Danish, Finnish and Lithuanian
Authors: Holvoet Axel , Spraunienė Birutė , Laugalienė Asta
Published: June 2019

The article deals with implicative verbs, i.e., verbs that, both in their affirmative and negative forms, carry implications as to the factual status of their propositional complements, e.g. manage, forget, bother etc. Karttunen (1971), who introduced the notion, already pointed out that a verb that is implicative in one language need not necessarily have implicative counterparts in other languages. It is conceivable that some languages have semantic groups of implicatives not represented, or less well represented, in other languages, and this deserves to be investigated. In this article the authors offer just a very preliminary exploration based on three languages, one North Germanic, one Fennic, and one Baltic. They show that even such a small sample may reveal interesting differences. The authors also pause over certain general tendencies in the semantic development of implicatives. While most of the work on implicatives has been done in the tradition of formal semantics, the authors show that a more cognitively oriented approach (invoking mechanisms of subjectification) can yield valuable insights into the polysemy of implicatives.
The Hero and his Values
Authors: Mikučionis Ugnius
Published: June 2019

In this article, I argue that the portrayals of Sigurðr Fáfnisbani as a hero that emerge from the narratives about the slaying of the dragon in the Prose Edda and in the Saga of the Volsungs are rather different. A hero’s essence is not only about what actions the hero performs or what physical qualities the hero possesses, but also about what choices he makes and what values he adheres to. Therefore, one has to investigate why Sigurðr chose to agree to slay Fáfnir in order to be able to judge how heroic this deed was – or was not. A comparative analysis of the two source texts shows that while the main motivating factor for Sigurðr in the Prose Edda version of the narrative is the prospect of gaining Fáfnir’s treasure, the version contained in the Saga of the Volsungs gives a completely different picture. Here, the main motivation arises from Sigurðr’s own desire to avenge those who had killed his father, Sigmundr. In order to be able to wreak his vengeance, Sigurðr needs a suitable weapon, a sword without equal. Since Reginn is extraordinarily zealous in inciting Sigurðr to slay Fáfnir, Sigurðr promises to do so in exchange for a sword that Reginn – who is a smith with supernatural, dwarf-like competences – has to fashion using all his skill and effort. Additionally, avenging the injustice suffered by Reginn seems morally right, and is compatible with Sigurðr’s plans. The prospect of acquiring a hoard of gold may have contributed to his resolution, but in the Saga of the Volsungs it is not the main motivating factor for Sigurðr.
Peaceableness as a Weapon in Wars of Swedology
Authors: Östlund David
Published: June 2019

This article brings forward a set of examples from the “Swedological” literature that had its golden era circa 1930–1980 – i.e. non-Swedish interpretations of Swedish society (or features of it), done in order to fight ideological wars on non-Swedish soil, using Sweden as a case in point. The theme of Sweden as a peaceful nation, both in its internal developments and in its role in the world, was a crucial feature of the genre from the outset. It has been possible to interpret Sweden’s neutrality policies (including heavy production and exports of arms) in different ways. This has also been the case with Swedish attempts to take responsibility in the world, showing global conscience (e.g. through criticism against international bullies or through foreign aid). The theme of peaceableness has, over the decades, been a tool in fights between “Swedophiles” and “Swedoclasts”, both sides applying a certain “logic of debunkery” in their mutual attempts to disclose the opposite camp’s depictions as myths.
Fornisländsk litteratur, genetik och historisk demografi om samisk-nordiska tidiga kontakter
Authors: Kusmenko Jurij
Published: June 2019

Old Icelandic literature, genetics and historical demography regarding Sámi-Scandinavian early contactsThe spreading of Sámi interference features to the North Germanic languages is confirmed not only by the Old Icelandic sagas, which show us an absolute acceptance of the Sámi in the North Germanic society and marriages between the two nations, but also by the populational genetics that show that the percentage of the “Sámish” haplogroups (Y-DNA N1c, mtDNA U5 and V) among the North Germanic people exceeds considerably the percentage of the modern Sámi population, which indicates a language shift and assimilation of a part of the Sámi (especially of the Southern Sámi). Changes in the population structure caused by two pest pandemics (in the seventh to ninth and in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries) that affected Northern and Central Scandinavia to a much lesser degree could also contribute both to the spreading of the Sámi genes in Northern and Central Scandinavia and of the Sámi interference features in the North Germanic languages.
La masonería en el Campo de Gibraltar (1902-1942). Un espacio de libertad con una nueva sociabilidad democrática de Antonio Morales Benítez
Authors: Morales Ruiz Juan José
Published: June 2019

Reseña del libro La masonería en el Campo de Gibraltar (1902-1942) Un espacio de libertad con una nueva sociabilidad democrática de Antonio Morales Benítez, Cádiz: Editorial UCA, 2018. 518 páginas. ISBN: 978-84-9828-5.
Conception of Geomagnetic Data Integrated Space
Authors: Vorobev Andrei , Vorobeva Gulnara , Yusupova Nafisa
Published: June 2019

. As is known, today the problem of geomagnetic field and its variations parameters monitoring is solved mainly by a network of magnetic observatories and variational stations, but a significant obstacle in the processing and analysis of the data thus obtained, along with their spatial anisotropy, are omissions or reliable inconsistency with the established format. Heterogeneity and anomalousness of the data excludes (significantly complicates) the possibility of their automatic integration and the application of frequency analysis tools to them. Known solutions for the integration of heterogeneous geomagnetic data are mainly based on the consolidation model and only partially solve the problem. The resulting data sets, as a rule, do not meet the requirements for real-time information systems, may include outliers, and omissions in the time series of geomagnetic data are eliminated by excluding missing or anomalous values from the final sample, which can obviously lead to both to the loss of relevant information, violation of the discretization step, and to heterogeneity of the time series. The paper proposes an approach to creating an integrated space of geomagnetic data based on a combination of consolidation and federalization models, including preliminary processing of the original time series with an optionally available procedure for their recovery and verification, focused on the use of cloud computing technologies and hierarchical format and processing speed of large amounts of data and, as a result, providing users with better and more homogeneous data.
Methods for Processing Information of Radar Topographic Survey for Solving the Tasks for Determining Heights and Wood Stocks For Forest Stands
Authors: Chernikhovsky Dmitry , Alekseev Alexander
Published: June 2019

The paper studies the possibilities of using global elevation models SRTM (Shuttle radar topographic mission) to assess the  characteristics of forest stands – average heights and wood stocks. It is known that in process of radar shooting  vegetation is considered as a barrier to correctly determining the height of the earth’s surface. The surface, fixed by the sensors above the forest covered territory (scattering phase center height), is located in the upper part of the forest canopy. The review of publications confirms the relevance of this area of investigation in the world.  , A brief theoretical basis of the SRTM survey, factors determining the values of the heights and the errors associated with them are presented based on literature reviews. The possibility of determining the height of forest canopy based on evaluation models is shown.

The part of Uchebno-Opytnoe Forest District of the Leningrad region was chosen as the model territory. The geographic information databases, data of radar survey SRTM and topographic maps were the origin data for the study. The model territory is divided by a regular network into cells with  1 km step. Most of the territory is covered with forest vegetation. Relief modeling was performed on the basis of digitized topographic maps of 1:25000 scale by interpolation using  TIN method. A visual and statistical comparison of both evaluation models – a surface model (based on SRTM radar survey data) and a relief model (based on topographic maps) was done. With help of the profiles construction an assessment of the nature of  changes in the heights of the relief and surface models was performed. It is noted that for most of the model territory, the differences in height between the surface and relief models are 15-20 m. The convergence of graphs for heights is observed in areas, which are not covered with forest vegetation.

The set of linear regression dependencies between the scattering phase center heights (independent variable) and average heights or wood stocks (dependent variable) within the borders of forest compartments, grouped by the predominated tree species, was obtained. The influence on the closeness of the relationship and the value of the regression coefficient of such factors as the value of basal area and the share of predominant tree species in composition was found.

The established regularities can be used to improve the theory and practice of forest inventory, as well as to solve other problems related to the assessment of natural resources at the regional and global level (national forest inventory, carbon stock determination, assessment of biomass).
About Similarity Measures of Components Arrangement of Naturally Ordered Data Arrays
Authors: Gumenyuk Alexander , Skiba Artemiy , Pozdnichenko Nikolay , Shpynov Stanislav
Published: June 2019

At present, adequate mathematical tools are not used to analyze the arrangement of components in arrays of naturally ordered data of a different nature, including words or letters in texts, notes in musical compositions, symbols in sign sequences, monitoring data, numbers representing ordered measurement results, components in genetic texts. Therefore, it is difficult or impossible to measure and compare the order of messages allocated in long information chains. The main approaches for comparing symbol sequences are using probabilistic models and statistical tools, pairwise and multiple alignment, which makes it possible to determine the degree of similarity of sequences using edit distance measures. The application of pseudospectral and fractal representation of symbolic sequences is somewhat exotic. "The curse of a priori unconscious knowledge" of the obvious orderliness of the sequence should be especially noticed, as it is widespread in mathematical linguistics, bioinformatics (mathematical biology), and other similar fields of science. The noted approaches almost do not pay attention to the study and detection of the patterns of the specific arrangement of all symbols, words, and components of data sets that constitute a separate sequence. The object of study in our works is a specifically organized numerical tuple – the arrangement of components (order) in symbolic or numerical sequence. The intervals between the closest identical components of the order are used as the basis for the quantitative representation of the chain arrangement. Multiplying all the intervals or summing their logarithms allows one to get numbers that uniquely reflect the arrangement of components in a particular sequence. These numbers, allow us to obtain a whole set of normalized characteristics of the order, among which the geometric mean interval and its logarithm. Such characteristics surprisingly accurately reflect the arrangement of the components in the symbolic sequences. In this paper, we present an approach for quantitative comparing the arrangement of arrays of naturally ordered data (information chains) of an arbitrary nature. The measures of similarity/distinction and procedure of comparison of the chain order, based on the selection of a list of equal and similar by the order characteristics of the subsequences (components), are proposed. Rank distributions are used for faster selection of a list of matching components. The paper presents a toolkit for comparing the order of information chains and demonstrates some of its applications for studying the structure of nucleotide sequences.
Problems of Choosing Optimization Method for Next-Generation Aviation Radio Control Systems
Authors: Verba Vladimir , Merkulov Vladimir
Published: June 2019

Analysis of the trends of military-technical confrontation in the aerospace sector allows us to identify a number of areas that directly affect the information and control side of the operation of aviation radio control systems, including: group use of means of attack and defence; the qualitative complexity of the laws of the mutual spatial placement of the aircraft; high dynamics, nonstationarity of environment; use of control modes and information support on the verge of buckling, which is characteristic of super-maneuverable aircraft and intensively maneuvering targets tracking systems; the discrepancy of the dynamic properties of airborne targets and interceptors; growing complexity of information support algorithms.

Mathematical apparatus used for synthesis of aircraft control systems must provide: effective guidance on targets maneuvering under complex laws, including the change of signs of derivatives; guaranteed withdrawal from the boundaries of stable (dangerous) work, including collision prevention in groups; accounting for the discrepancy between the dynamic properties; redistribution of control priorities in the guidance process; universality of the formation of guidance methods and feasibility of information support algorithms.

Analysis of the possibilities of classical optimization methods based on minimization of quadratic quality functionals showed that they are not able to meet the totality of these requirements and thus new approaches are required.

As such, it is proposed to use the synthesis of control signals that are optimal for a minimum of quadratic-biquadrate quality functional.

The application of this approach in the framework of computationally efficient local optimization is considered.

An example of the synthesis of a method of guidance, illustrating the possibility of the formation of control signals, providing guidance of inertial aircraft to intensively maneuvering targets accounting for both linear and nonlinear dependences on the operation errors and the mismatch of the dynamic characteristics of the target and interceptor.
Method for Reliable Shortest Path Determination in Stochastic Networks using Parametrically Defined Stable Probability Distributions
Authors: Agafonov Anton , Myasnikov Vladislav
Published: June 2019

An increase in the number of vehicles, especially in large cities, and inability of the existing road infrastructure to distribute transport flows, leads to a higher congestion level in transport networks. This problem makes the solution to navigational problems more and more important. Despite the popularity of these tasks, many existing commercial systems find a route in deterministic networks, not taking into account the time-dependent and stochastic properties of traffic flows, i.e. travel time of road links is considered as constant. This paper addresses the reliable routing problem in stochastic networks using actual information of the traffic flow parameters. We consider the following optimality criterion: maximization of the probability of arriving on time at a destination given a departure time and a time budget. The reliable shortest path takes into account the variance of the travel time of the road network segments, which makes it more applicable for solving routing problems in transport networks compared to standard shortest path search algorithms that take into account only the average travel time of network segments. To describe the travel time of the road network segments, it is proposed to use parametrically defined stable Levy probability distributions. The use of stable distributions allows replacing the operation of calculating convolution to determine the reliability of the path to recalculating the parameters of the distributions density, which significantly reduces the computational time of the algorithm. The proposed method gives a solution in the form of a decision, i.e. the route proposed in the solution is not fixed in advance, but adaptively changes depending on changes in the real state of the network. An experimental analysis of the algorithm carried out on a large-scale transport network of Samara, Russia, showed that the presented algorithm can significantly reduce the computational time of the reliable shortest path algorithm with a slight increase in travel time.
Predictors of hypertension in women with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Osipova I. V. , Starodubova Yu. N. , Antropova O. N. , Polyakova I. G. , Borisova L. V.
Published: June 2019

Aim. To determine the set of significant risk factors for arterial hypertension (AH) in women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Material and methods. The study included two groups of patients with RA: group 1 — women with AH (n=162), group 2 women without AH (n=61). Clinical, laboratory, instrumental examination of patients and determination of risk factors (RF) for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in RA were provided according to Association of Rheumatologists of Russia (ARR 2017) and the Russian Society of Cardiology (RSC, 2017) guidelines. Salt taste sensitivity threshold (STST) was studied with R. J. Henkin’s modified method. The analysis of the internal body fluids was made with bioimpedance analysis. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated with MDRD equation (K/DOQI, 2002). Statistical data were obtained with “Statistica 10” software. Logit regression analysis was used to identify the correlation between RF and AH.

Results. The predictors of AH in RA were: age over 55 years (p=0,001), early menopause (p=0,001), increased total blood cholesterol (р=0,001), prednisolone intake more than 10 mg/day (p=0,001), early family history of CVD (p=0,01), decreased GFR less than 60 ml/min/1,73 m. (p=0,01), high STST (p=0,01), unbalanced nutrition (p=0,01), pregnancy pathology (p=0,01), high activity of the inflammatory process (p=0,01), psychosocial factors (stress, anxiety, depression) (p=0,01), obesity (p=0,01), duration of RA more than 10 years (p=0,01). There were 2 times more salt-sensitive patients among women with RA and AH than those with RA and without AH (87 and 48%, respectively). Increased fluid in the body was observed with decreased natriuresis; it implied the presence of volume-dependent hypertension (VDH).

Conclusion. The study demonstrated the significance of determining the set of predictors such as cardiometabolic, gender, psychosocial, disease-mediated, renal ones. The importance of STST in RA is evident. The information about AH predictors allows to create individual recommendations to correct modifiable RF and prescribe therapy for women with RA. The conducted research will enable to optimize the follow-up process of the patients and reduce the mortality from cardiovascular complications.