bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gender Voices in Electronic Discourse: A Forum in Ukrainian
Authors: Nedashkivska Alla
Published: January 2010

The present study analyzes electronic discussion forums in Ukrainian from a gender linguistic perspective. First, it tests hypotheses about the egalitarian vs. hierarchical nature of electronic communication. Second, it delineates a set of genderlect features found in electronic communication in Ukrainian. Finally, based on the discourse-oriented Speech Act Empathy Hierarchy (Kuno and Kaburaki 1975/1977, Kuno 1987), the analysis demonstrates that linguistic choices signal distinct discourse orientations of females and males in electronic communication space. Namely, in mixed-gender settings, on the continuum Speaker >< Addressee >< Others, females operate more locally: Speaker >< Addressee >(< Others). Males operate with the two opposite ends of the continuum: Speaker >(< Addressee >)< Others. The analysis emphasises that both genders have a range of speech strategies that are situational; however, in some settings, males and females negotiate meaning and perceive their relationship with the addressee/others differently.
Language Conflict in Post-Soviet Linguistic Landscapes
Authors: Pavlenko Aneta
Published: January 2010

In this article it is argued that the study of linguistic landscapes (public uses of written language) can benefit from viewing them as dynamic phenomena and examining them in a diachronic context. Based on the changes in the post-Soviet space since 1991, five processes are identified and examined with regard to language change and language conflict. It is further argued that the study of linguistic landscape offers a useful tool for post-Soviet sociolinguistics and for Slavic sociolinguistics at large, and examples are provided of the insights afforded by such inquiry.
Slavic Sociolinguistics in North America: Lineage and Leading Edge
Authors: Lauersdorf Mark Richard
Published: January 2010

This article provides a general overview of North American research in Slavic sociolinguistics from the beginnings of the field at the start of the 1960s up to the present day. The work of North American scholars published in a selection of journals, series, and special collections, as well as in monographs and dissertations, is reviewed to illustrate the research trends and the overall coverage of languages and sociolinguistic subfields as Slavic sociolinguistics developed and matured in a North American context. This study is intended to serve as a historical backdrop for the new research presented in this volume, and it closes with a brief overview of the studies in this collection and their contribution to the further development of the field.
The Contribution of Language Use, Language Attitudes, and Language Competence to Minority Language Maintenance: A Report from Austrian Carinthia
Authors: Priestly Tom , McKinnie Meghan , Hunter Kate
Published: January 2010

During fieldwork in the Slovene-minority area of Austrian Carinthia in 1998–2000, over two hundred informants were interviewed in six localities. The interviews were designed to elicit three types of data: (i) language use in social networks, (ii) subjective perceptions of “ethnolinguistic vitality”, and (iii) linguistic competence in Standard Slovene and Standard Austrian German. The three parameters were expected to correlate with each other. This article describes the questionnaire, scoring and analysis, and demonstrates that the three parameters of attitudes, social networks, and linguistic competence are indeed correlated with each other. Several specific conclusions are reported with regard to the factors which are involved in Slovene language-maintenance in Austria.
Malagasy backward object control
Authors: Potsdam Eric
Published: January 2010

Abstract:
Backward control is an obligatory interpretational dependency between an overt controller and a nonovert controllee in which the controllee is structurally superior to the controller: Meg persuaded Δ i [ Ron i to give up ]. It contrasts with ordinary forward control, in which the controller is structurally higher: Meg persuaded Ron i [Δ i to give up ]. Although backward control has been previously documented (Polinsky & Potsdam 2002a), clear cases are rare. This article presents an alternation between forward and backward object control in the Austronesian language Malagasy and argues for the backward-control structure. Backward control is thus a reality and needs to be incorporated into any comprehensive theory of control. The article argues against an analysis of backward control that identifies the controllee as the null pronominal pro .
A Coarticulatory Path to Sound Change
Authors: Beddor Patrice Speeter
Published: January 2010

Although coarticulatory variation is largely systematic, and serves as useful information for listeners, such variation is nonetheless linked to sound change. This article explores the articulatory and perceptual interactions between a coarticulatory source and its effects, and how these interactions likely contribute to change. The focus is on the historical change VN (phonetically, ṼN) > Ṽ, but with more general attention to how a gesture associated with a source segment comes to be reinterpreted as distinctively, rather than coarticulatorily, associated with a nearby vowel or consonant. Two synchronic factors are hypothesized to contribute to reinterpretation: (i) articulatory covariation between the duration of the coarticulatory source (here, N) and the temporal extent of its effects (Ṽ), and (ii) perceived equivalence between source and effect. Experimental support for both hypotheses is provided. Additionally, the experimental data are linked to the historical situation by showing that the contextual conditions that trigger (i) and (ii) parallel the conditions that historically influence phonologization of vowel nasalization.
Natural and Unnatural Constraints in Hungarian Vowel Harmony
Authors: Hayes Bruce , Zuraw Kie , Siptár Péter , Londe Zsuzsa
Published: January 2010

Abstract:
Phonological constraints can, in principle, be classified according to whether they are natural (founded in principles of universal grammar (UG)) or unnatural (arbitrary, learned inductively from the language data). Recent work has used this distinction as the basis for arguments about the role of UG in learning. Some languages have phonological patterns that arguably reflect unnatural constraints. With experimental testing, one can assess whether such patterns are actually learned by native speakers. Becker, Ketrez, and Nevins (2007), testing speakers of Turkish, suggest that they do indeed go unlearned. They interpret this result with a strong UG position: humans are unable to learn data patterns not backed by UG principles.

This article pursues the same research line, locating similarly unnatural data patterns in the vowel harmony system of Hungarian, such as the tendency (among certain stem types) for a final bilabial stop to favor front harmony. Our own test leads to the opposite conclusion of Becker and colleagues’: Hungarians evidently do learn the unnatural patterns.

To conclude we consider a bias account—that speakers are able to learn unnatural environments, but devalue them relative to natural ones. We outline a method for testing the strength of constraints as learned by speakers against the strength of the corresponding patterns in the lexicon, and show that it offers tentative support for the hypothesis that unnatural constraints are disfavored by language learners.
Learning How to License Null Noun-Class Prefixes in Sesotho
Authors: Demuth Katherine , Machobane 'Malillo , Moloi Francina
Published: January 2010

Noun-class prefixes are obligatory in most Bantu languages. However, the Sotho languages (Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi) permit a subset of prefixes to be realized as null at the intersection of ‘unmarked’ phonological, syntactic, and discourse conditions. This raises the question of how and when the licensing of null prefixes is learned. Using longitudinal data from three Sesotho-speaking children, this article shows that the conditions needed to license null prefixes have been learned before the age of three, suggesting early abilities for grammatical generalization even at the intersection of different levels of linguistic structure. The implications for learnability theory and Bantu linguistic structure more generally are discussed.
Color naming and the shape of color space
Authors: Regier Terry , Kay Paul , Khetarpal Naveen
Published: January 2010

Color naming in the world’s languages has traditionally been viewed as reflecting either a universal set of focal colors, or linguistic relativity. Recently, a different view has gained support: color naming may be accounted for in terms of the overall shape of perceptual color space. Here, we show that the new shape-based perspective can clarify which languages have color-naming systems that deviate from what universal forces would predict. Specifically, we find that the color-naming systems of two languages that have been held to counterexemplify universals of color naming—Pirahã and Warlpiri—are in fact consistent with the structure of color space. In contrast, two other languages that have not yet been the focus of much attention—Karajá and Waorani—are apparently inconsistent with that structure in a substantial way. We propose that the notion of ‘fit to the shape of color space’ provides a useful and objective means of determining which languages have genuinely unusual color-naming systems.
Religion in the Greek Public Sphere: Nuancing the Account
Authors: Fokas Effie
Published: January 2010

The place of religion in Europe is currently in a state of flux. This has much to do with the presence of Islam, but not only; rather, Islam has acted as a catalyst for the asking of deeper questions regarding religion's proper place in European societies. In the aftermath of a change in church leadership, Greece finds itself at a potential crossroads; a reassessment of religion's "proper" place in the Greek public sphere is needed at this juncture. This exercise must move beyond notions of Greek exceptionalism vis-à-vis European norms, given that these norms are themselves being questioned, and produce a nuanced approach that will allow for the critical similarities with Europe in general to emerge. The result is a sounder basis upon which ideal scenarios and expectations can be formulated.
The Aesthetic Imperative: The Musician's Voice in Modern Greek Culture
Authors: Michael Despina
Published: January 2010

One of the most essential human activities is the creation and performance of music. Popular music in Greece has often been lauded for its diversity and abundance and its performers are often portrayed as cultural icons or even national heroes. But beyond the hype the Greek popular musician is rarely asked very important questions about the role of music and his/her own role in Greek culture. The thoughts and opinions of a number of Greek popular musicians on these matters provides other perspectives on and insight into one of the world's most familiar and loved professions.
New Policies, Old Politics: American Concepts of Reform in Marshall Plan Greece
Authors: Botsiou Konstantina E.
Published: January 2010

Commencing postwar reconstruction and achieving military victory over the communist Democratic Army of Greece (Δημοκρατικός Στρατός Ελλάδας—DSE), while, at the same time, maintaining democracy were the two key goals of the Marshall Plan in Greece until 1949. The schedule of political and economic reform became extremely tight in 1950-1951 when the Korean War transformed the nature of the Plan. American aid precipitated the decline of traditional Greek political parties in favor of new center-right and center-left forces that espoused the emerging Western European consensus model of the welfare state, one that opposed both communism and authoritarianism. American intervention was instrumental in curbing authoritarian tendencies, depoliticizing the Greek monarchy, and immunizing the army against political interference. The Marshall Planners also showed Greeks how to alter the environment in which economic policy was made: to restore financial stability, dismantle inefficient bureaucracies, open up to foreign trade, mobilize labor movements to boost productivity, support supranational processes, and, most importantly, prepare to live with less and less American assistance.
Deus ex machina ?: Truman/Marshall Aid, Engineers, and Greece's Post-war Development Discourse
Authors: Kakridis Andreas
Published: January 2010

Whereas much has been written about the economic vicissitudes of post-war Greece, the same cannot be said about the concomitant intellectual developments. What accounts for the evolution of Greece's development discourse, particularly the shift in attitudes toward industrialization in the 1940s? Existing interpretations are found wanting, primarily for downplaying the independent role of economic ideas in accounting for the rise in industrial optimism. In this context, the role of the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan in influencing, not the economy per se , but the discourse about the economy is important. The international transmission of ideas, however, also depends heavily on the "milieu of potential receivers" (Spengler 1970). Mounting antagonism between Left and Right inevitably politicized industrialization debates and conditioned visions for Greece's post-war development. The role of engineers-a professional community whose interests transcended the conventional Left-Right divide, and whose conception of development was steeped in the very same notions of modernization and technocratic efficiency that underscored much of the European Recovery Program-was critical. By placing engineers at the forefront of reconstruction, early Marshall Plan administrators in Greece not only helped the rapid dissemination of industrialism, but also imbued the vision of development with an allegedly apolitical and technocratic aura-one which persisted long after engineers were replaced by economists in the charting of development policy.
Efforts for the Development and Stabilization of the Economy during the Period of the Marshall Plan
Authors: Vetsopoulos Apostolos
Published: January 2010

After the destruction of World War II, Marshall Plan aid contributed to the reconstruction and development of the Greek economy. Greece was a special case in the implementation of the Marshall Plan in Europe because of the shortcomings of its backward economy. The problems of corruption and inefficiency in the state administration and coalition governments influenced political and social issues, while the Marshall Planners tried to create institutions to facilitate reconstruction. The Greek economy was too weak to absorb fully the enormous amount of aid granted because private and state investments were too negligible to support economic development. Moreover, a number of Greek politicians and members of the bourgeoisie opposed the economic programs that they felt would threaten their privileges. The Marshall Planners froze a great part of the aid to cover the budget deficit and hold down inflation. Ultimately, the Marshall Plan increased agricultural and industrial production in Greece which laid the foundations for the country's post-war economic development. Later, integration into the European Economic Community helped Greece achieve permanent economic stability.
Implementing the Marshall Plan in Greece: Balancing Reconstruction and Geopolitical Security
Authors: Zachariou Stelios
Published: January 2010

Implementation of the Marshall Plan in Greece involved a multitude of variables, unlike those associated with its implementation in any other European Recovery Program (ERP) recipient state, making Greece unique among the 16 member states of the ERP. A preeminent factor, but not one exclusively responsible for this, was the Greek Civil War which polarized political factions, hindered the development of major long term projects, and subjected the state to the maintenance of a disproportionate military budget which acted as a deterrent to development. It was under these circumstances that Marshall Planners were called to act, attempting to stabilize socioeconomic factors in Greece on the hardening geopolitical battleground of the Cold War, while at the same time setting the necessary foundations of a formidable ally with a competitive market economy.
Regime Change in the Aegean after the Second World War: Reconsidering Foreign Influence
Authors: Gürsoy Yaprak
Published: January 2010

In the extant literatures in Greece and Turkey, scholars argue that the Colonels' junta of 1967 and the 1950 Turkish transition to democracy were brought about by foreign influence. This is, however, a paradox since the same Cold War international context is seen as the cause of contrary regimes in two neighboring countries that belonged to the same alliance. A comparative study of Greece and Turkey shows that external factors played a more indirect role than what many scholars maintain and altered the cost-benefit analyses of the political leaders. In Greece, American aid to the military decreased the costs of intervention. The Cold War context intensified fears that there was a leftist threat in Greece and augmented the perceived benefits and legitimacy of authoritarianism. Conversely, in Turkey, the difficulties encountered during the Second World War increased the costs of sustaining authoritarianism. The Turkish desire to be included in the Western camp during the Cold War legitimized domestic demands for democracy and increased the benefits associated with regime change.
Preservation Needs of Children's Literature in Academic Libraries
Authors: Morris Patricia A.
Published: January 2010

A preservation needs survey of children's literature collections at the University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries is analyzed. The genre, the subject of a growing body of scholarship, has enduring value and is collected in universities to support programs in literature, education, art, cultural history, and more. Even well known children's literature titles prior to the twentieth century are now scarce; preservation of modern titles is not an unreasonable precaution. In this survey, older titles housed in special collections had many problems as a result of their provenance. Too brittle to be rebound and too rare to be replaced, yet too expensive to conserve, these volumes were boxed and placed in the palliative environment of an off-site storage facility. Cataloged online for the first time in preparation for their transfer, they are being used more heavily; their condition is monitored each time they are recalled. Out of copyright and usually short texts, the brittle titles are good candidates for in-house digitization. The survey found that the new titles in circulation cannot be subjected to simple re-binding. Processed and handled with consideration for their structure, the modern children's titles in the academic library setting will survive so long that replacements, when they are eventually needed, are not likely to be available.
A Process Approach to Defining Services for Undergraduates
Authors: Prescott Melissa Kalpin , Veldof Jerilyn R.
Published: January 2010

Today's undergraduates approach research with needs and expectations that challenge traditional library services. The foundation for leading an effective response is the ability to assess undergraduate needs and translate these needs into tangible strategic initiatives that contribute to student academic success. This paper describes the systematic process used at the University of Minnesota Libraries that resulted in large-scale undergraduate initiatives. The multiple step process included assessing, analyzing, scoping themes and problems, brainstorming, establishing evaluation criteria, gathering feedback, ranking and prioritizing key initiatives, and obtaining funding. Issues that arose during this process are also discussed.
Designing for Users: Online Information Literacy in the Middle East
Authors: Martin Janet , Birks Jane , Hunt Fiona
Published: January 2010

Librarians from Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) report on an empirical evaluation of the relevance and value of Infoasis ( http://www.zu.ac.ae/infoasis ), a Web-based information literacy tutorial developed and tailored to the Arab student population of the Emirates. After the successful implementation of this project, questions arose about the value of maintaining Infoasis, given the time intensive nature of this activity. Was the tutorial relevant and useful to students? Was it being used by students, and what factors contributed to the engagement (or not) of students with the tutorial? Survey results concluded that students found the tutorial both relevant and useful to their studies and that the design features tailored to the needs of the undergraduate Arab population were effective in ensuring usability. Reasons for poor usage of Infoasis outside the classroom are discussed.
Music to our Eyes: Google Books, Google Scholar, and the Open Content Alliance
Authors: Dougan Kirstin
Published: January 2010

The Internet has changed how scholars perform their research. With more and more content available online that is fully searchable (often even for free), it is not surprising that students and others may turn there first before coming to the library. This study aims to identify the utility of three of the largest free access points to print materials online—Google Book Search, the Internet Archive, and Google Scholar—for use in conducting music research. This study discovers that there are print music materials represented in all three of these tools and that they should not be eschewed by music librarians and others researching music topics.
Copyright Renewal for Libraries: Seven Steps Toward a User-Friendly Law
Authors: Smith Kevin L.
Published: January 2010

Copyright law is a source of a great deal of bewilderment and frustration to academic librarians. Beyond the basics of copyright protection and fair use, most librarians struggle to grasp the complexity of the law and the roadblocks it presents to access and use. This article attempts to elucidate some of those complexities by suggesting seven steps toward copyright reform that would make the law more useful for libraries. These suggestions address such issues as the predictability of the application of copyright law, specific exceptions for libraries, and ways to ensure that more copyrights remain in the hands of authors.
Kings and Queens at Home: A Short History of the Chess Column in Nineteenth-Century English Periodicals
Authors: Harding Timothy David
Published: January 2010

Columns catering to chess in English periodicals grew from a feature seen in a few titles at mid-century into one that was almost required reading in a weekly paper by the 1880s. Widely read papers such as the Illustrated London News fuelled an appetite for the game that was growing with the "rational recreation" movement. Other columns appeared in periodicals targeting young people, women, or local readerships. The columns themselves were an important driver of growth for chess, showing examples of good play, offering advice of various kinds, and running competitions, as well as providing puzzles for readers to solve.
A Journal of Her Own: The Rise and Fall of Annie Besant's Our Corner
Authors: McKay Carol Hanbery
Published: January 2010

Following the notoriety of the Knowlton pamphlet trial and her own trial for custody of her daughter, atheist and Freethinker Annie Besant (1847-1933) founded and edited the monthly journal Our Corner from 1883 through 1888. This essay provides an overview of that six-year run, characterizing the typical format of an individual issue and describing its recurring signature features, or "corners," on politics, science, literature, and the arts, as well as highlighting the work of specific contributors. Although Our Corner increasingly brought to the fore Besant's Socialist convictions, her hopes for social reform began to diminish and, combined with lack of financial support from her lecture circuit for the National Secular Society, led her to terminate publication of the journal--leaving her poised for her next adventure on the worldwide stage of Theosophy.
RSVP 2009 Robert L. Colby Scholarly Book Prize Lecture "Much of Sala, and but Little of Russia": "A Journey Due North," Household Words , and the Birth of a Special Correspondent
Authors: Waters Catherine
Published: January 2010

When Dickens sent George Augustus Sala as a special correspondent to Russia just after the end of the Crimean War, he launched him in what was to become his best-known role as a journalist. Comprising twenty-two articles which appeared in weekly instalments from 4 October 1856 to 14 March 1857, Sala's essays are of interest not only for their representation of one of the significant geographical and cultural "others" of the mid-Victorian imagination, but for their distinctive style, which is vibrant and polyglot, eschewing political analysis and statistical information in favour of the flâneur's "gastronomy of the eye" – the vivid metropolitan travel writing so popular with mid-nineteenth-century readers.
"A Certain Shadow": Personified Abstractions and the Form of Household Words
Authors: Farina Jonathan V.
Published: January 2010

This article describes certain generic features of Household Words as evidence of an emergent epistemology of character, a way of knowing everything as divided and irreducible to systematic or numerical description. Dickens tentatively named this form of knowledge "a certain Shadow," but it should be called "character" because it is ascribed to the same generic tropes and associations that writers used to articulate psychologically complex fictional characters and the to describe the effects that such characters ought to have on readers. I analyze how Household Words personifies otherwise inanimate institutions and objects to fit this paradigm of character.
LOX Index, a Novel Predictive Biochemical Marker for Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke
Authors: Inoue Nobutaka , Okamura Tomonori , Kokubo Yoshihiro , Fujita Yoshiko , Sato Yuko , Nakanishi Mamoru , Yanagida Kazuki , Kakino Akemi , Iwamoto Shin , Watanabe Makoto , Ogura Sayoko , Otsui Kazunori , Matsuda Haruo , Uchida Kagehiro , Yoshimoto Ryo , Sawamura Tatsuya
Published: January 2010

Background: Lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor 1 (LOX-1) is implicated in atherothrombotic diseases. Activation of LOX-1 in humans can be evaluated by use of the LOX index, obtained by multiplying the circulating concentration of LOX-1 ligands containing apolipoprotein B (LAB) times that of the soluble form of LOX-1 (sLOX-1) [LOX index = LAB × sLOX-1]. This study aimed to establish the prognostic value of the LOX index for coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke in a community-based cohort.

Methods: An 11-year cohort study of 2437 residents age 30–79 years was performed in an urban area located in Japan. Of these, we included in the analysis 1094 men and 1201 women without history of stroke and CHD. We measured LAB and sLOX-1 using ELISAs with recombinant LOX-1 and monoclonal anti–apolipoprotein B antibody and with 2 monoclonal antibodies against LOX-1, respectively.

Results: During the follow-up period, there were 68 incident cases of CHD and 91 cases of stroke (with 60 ischemic strokes). Compared with the bottom quartile, the hazard ratio (HR) of the top quartile of LOX index was 1.74 (95% CI 0.92–3.30) for stroke and 2.09 (1.00–4.35) for CHD after adjusting for sex, age, body mass index, drinking, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, non-HDL cholesterol, and use of lipid-lowering agents. Compared with the bottom quartile of LOX index, the fully adjusted HRs for ischemic stroke were consistently high from the second to the top quartile: 3.39 (95% CI 1.34–8.53), 3.15 (1.22–8.13) and 3.23 (1.24–8.37), respectively.

Conclusions: Higher LOX index values were associated with an increased risk of CHD. Low LOX index values may be protective against ischemic stroke.
Book Reviews
Authors: Abou-bakr Randa , El Naga Shereen Abou , Harlow Barbara , El-Tamami Wiam
Published: January 2010

Min tilka al-'ard al-na'iya (From that Distant Land), May Muzaffar, (2007) Beirut: Al-Mu'assasa al-Arabiyya lil-Tawzi wal-Nashr, 103 pp., Paperback, ISBN: 978-9953-36-178-9, US$4.00

Al Tashahi, Alia Mamdouh, (2007) Beirut: Dar al Adab. 270 pp.,
Paperback, US$7.00

Women on a Journey: Between Baghdad and London, Haifa Zangana (trans. Judy Cumberbatch) (2007) Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, xvi + 235 pp., ISBN: 029271484X, Paperback, US$16

The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq,
Jeanette Winter, (2005) Orlando: Harcourt, Inc. 32 pp., Hardback, ISBN: 0152054456, US$16.00

Alia's Mission: Saving the Books of Iraq (Inspired by a True Story), Mark Alan Stamaty, (2004) New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 32 pp., Hardback, ISBN: 0375832173, US$12.95
An unprecedented triorganotin carboxylate structure – an isolated aggregate containing neutral and deprotonated forms of a carboxylic acid
Authors: Basu Baul Tushar S. , Paul Anup , Tiekink Edward R. T.
Published: January 2010

Crystallography reveals that the title compound, nBu3SnL(LH) features a neutral nBu3SnL species complexed to the neutral form of the carboxylic acid, where LH is 2-[(E)-2-(4-hydroxy-3-methylphenyl)diazen-1-yl]benzoic acid. The resulting trigonal bipyramidal coordination geometry is based on a trans-C3O2 donor set; O–Sn–O = 167.59(13)°. As such, a new structural motif is found for triorganotin carboxylates. In the crystal structure, two nBu3SnL(LH) molecules self assemble via O–HO hydrogen bonding leading to the formation of 48-membered macrocyclic rings. Crystal data for C40H50N4O6Sn: triclinic, P-1, a = 11.792(7), b = 12.887(7), c = 13.708(7) Å, α = 71.61(3), β = 78.39(3), γ = 82.80(4)°, V = 1932.0(18) Å3, Z = 2, R = 0.066.
Clinical features of GH deficiency and effects of 3 years of GH replacement in adults with controlled Cushing's disease
Authors: Höybye Charlotte , Ragnarsson Oskar , Jönsson Peter J , Koltowska-Häggström Maria , Trainer Peter , Feldt-Rasmussen Ulla , Biller Beverly M K
Published: January 2010

Objective

Patients in remission from Cushing's disease (CD) have many clinical features that are difficult to distinguish from those of concomitant GH deficiency (GHD). In this study, we evaluated the features of GHD in a large cohort of controlled CD patients, and assessed the effect of GH treatment.

Design and methods

Data were obtained from KIMS, the Pfizer International Metabolic Database. A retrospective cross-sectional comparison of background characteristics in unmatched cohorts of patients with CD (n=684, 74% women) and nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA;n=2990, 39% women) was conducted. In addition, a longitudinal evaluation of 3 years of GH replacement in a subset of patients with controlled CD (n=322) and NFPA (n=748) matched for age and gender was performed.

Results

The cross-sectional study showed a significant delay in GHD diagnosis in the CD group, who had a higher prevalence of hypertension, fractures, and diabetes mellitus. In the longitudinal, matched study, the CD group had a better metabolic profile but a poorer quality of life (QoL) at baseline, which was assessed with the disease-specific questionnaire QoL-assessment of GHD in adults. After 3 years of GH treatment (mean dose at 3 years 0.39 mg/day in CD and 0.37 mg/day in NFPA), total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased, while glucose and HbAlc increased. Improvement in QoL was observed, which was greater in the CD group (−6 CD group versus −5 NFPA group,P<0.01).

Conclusion

In untreated GHD, co-morbidities, including impairment of QoL, were more prevalent in controlled CD. Overall, both the groups responded similarly to GH replacement, suggesting that patients with GHD due to CD benefit from GH to the same extent as those with GHD due to NFPA.
The pivotal role of glucose metabolism in determining oocyte developmental competence
Authors: Sutton-McDowall Melanie L , Gilchrist Robert B , Thompson Jeremy G
Published: January 2010

The environment that the cumulus oocyte complex (COC) is exposed to during eitherin vivoorin vitromaturation (IVM) can have profound effects on the success of fertilisation and subsequent embryo development. Glucose is a pivotal metabolite for the COC and is metabolised by glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP) and the polyol pathway. Over the course of oocyte maturation, a large proportion of total glucose is metabolised via the glycolytic pathway to provide substrates such as pyruvate for energy production. Glucose is also the substrate for many cellular functions during oocyte maturation, including regulation of nuclear maturation and redox state via the PPP and for the synthesis of substrates of extracellular matrices (cumulus expansion) andO-linked glycosylation (cell signalling) via the HBP. However, the oocyte is susceptible to glucose concentration-dependent perturbations in nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation, leading to poor embryonic development post-fertilisation. For example, glucose concentrations either too high or too low result in precocious resumption of nuclear maturation. This review will discuss the relevant pathways of glucose metabolism by COCs duringin vivomaturation and IVM, including the relative contribution of the somatic and gamete compartments of the COC to glucose metabolism. The consequences of exposing COCs to abnormal glucose concentrations will also be examined, either during IVM or by altered maternal environments, such as during hyperglycaemia induced by diabetes and obesity.
Establishment of long-term monolayer cultures of somatic cells from human fetal testes and expansion of peritubular myoid cells in the presence of androgen
Authors: Cowan Gillian , Childs Andrew J , Anderson Richard A , Saunders Philippa T K
Published: January 2010

The somatic (Sertoli cell (SC), Leydig cell (LC), and peritubular myoid (PTM) cell) cells play key roles in development of the fetal testis. We established monolayer cultures from second trimester human testes and investigated the pattern of expression of cell-lineage characteristic mRNAs. Expression of some SC-associated genes (SRY,SOX9,WT1,GATA4, andSF1) was detectable up to and including passage 3 (P3), while others (anti-Müllerian hormone; desert hedgehog) present prior to dissociation were not expressed in the cultured cells. Transcripts encoding the androgen receptor were expressed but addition of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) had no impact on expression of mRNAs expressed in SC or LC. Total concentrations of mRNAs encoding smooth muscle actin (ACTA2) and desmin increased from P1 to P3; an increasing proportion of the cells in the cultures were immunopositive for ACTA2 consistent with proliferation/differentiation of PTM cells. In conclusion, somatic cell monolayer cultures were established from human fetal testes; these cultures could form the basis for future studies based on isolation of purified populations of somatic cells and manipulation of gene expression that is difficult to achieve with organ culture systems. Our results suggest that fetal SC do not maintain a fully differentiated phenotypein vitro, yet PTM (ACTA2 positive) cells readily adapt to monolayer culture conditions in the presence of DHT. This culture system provides an opportunity to study the impact of regulatory factors on gene expression in PTM cells, a population thought to play a key role in mediating androgen action within the developing testis.
Sentimentos dos familiares em relação ao paciente internado na unidade de terapia intensiva
Authors: Almeida Andreza Santos , Aragão Neylor Rodrigo Oliveira , Moura Elaine , Lima Gabriela de Carvalho , Hora Edilene Curvelo , Silva Lausimary Araújo São Mateus
Published: January 2010

Trata-se de um estudo de abordagem qualitativa sobre os sentimentos dos familiares em relação ao paciente internado na unidade de terapia intensiva. Foram entrevistados 24 familiares de um hospital público da cidade de Aracaju nos meses de julho e agosto de 2007. Os dados foram coletados por meio de uma entrevista, sendo analisados por meio da análise de conteúdo. Os resultados evidenciaram os seguintes sentimentos: ansiedade; preocupação; angústia e tristeza; impotência; dor e mágoa; perda; medo e pânico; confiança e segurança; insegurança; fé e esperança; e inexplicável. A ansiedade foi o mais freqüente que decorreu entre outros fatores, do ambiente estranho, procedimentos diversificados, incerteza do amanhã ou expectativa da melhora do familiar.
Avaliação da função respiratória do recém-nascido no período neonatal imediato
Authors: Kimura Amélia Fumiko , Yoshitake Ana Paula Moracci , Bueno Mariana , Belli Maria Aparecida de Jesus
Published: January 2010

O objetivo do estudo foi Identificar os fatores preditivos e os sinais de taquipnéia transitória neonatal valorizados por enfermeiras de unidade neonatal e alojamento conjunto ao avaliar a função respiratória do recém-nascido no período neonatal imediato. Estudo transversal realizado em duas instituições hospitalares públicas da cidade de São Paulo. Participaram do estudo 28 enfermeiras que responderam um questionário estruturado relacionado às práticas de avaliar a função respiratória do neonato. As enfermeiras consideram relevantes conhecer a evolução do trabalho de parto, parto e o Apgar ao avaliar a função respiratória do neonato. Com relação aos sinais clínicos valorizam o monitoramento da freqüência respiratória, ausculta pulmonar, avaliação do nível de desconforto respiratório utilizando o Índice de Silverman-Andersen, além desses, as enfermeiras de unidade neonatal valorizaram o monitoramento da saturação de oxigênio.
Relações de trabalho em equipes interdisciplinares: contribuições para a constituição de novas formas de organização do trabalho em saúde
Authors: Matos Eliane , Pires Denise Elvira Pires de , Campos Gastão Wagner de Sousa
Published: January 2010

Estudo de natureza qualitativa realizado com equipes interdisciplinares de saúde em dois hospitais públicos da Região Sul do Brasil. Uma equipe presta cuidados paliativos a doentes com câncer e outra cuidados a idosos. O estudo contribui para pensar as relações de trabalho ao analisar a contribuição destas experiências para a constituição de novas formas de organização do trabalho em saúde. Os resultados revelam que a perspectiva interdisciplinar possibilita melhores relações de trabalho entre profissionais e entre eles e doentes/família, aproxima os profissionais das necessidades do doente e contribui para uma assistência de melhor qualidade. Conclui que a prática interdisciplinar aproxima-se de novas formas de organização do trabalho, favorecendo o vínculo, o acolhimento o acesso e contribuindo para a efetivação do Sistema Único de Saúde.
Fatores relacionados ao risco de doença arterial coronariana entre estudantes de enfermagem
Authors: Alves Alessa , Marques Isaac Rosa
Published: January 2010

Um estudo correlacional foi realizado com 303 alunos de curso de graduação em enfermagem de uma universidade privada da cidade de São Paulo. O estudo objetivou estabelecer associações/correlações entre fatores de risco para Doença Arterial Coronariana. O fator de risco isolado de maior relevância foi o sedentarismo (80,2%). Os fatores de risco associados de maior significância foram IMC > 25, correlacionado com a faixa etária dos 21 a 25 e o gênero masculino (p=0,043). Concluiu-se que entre os estudantes de enfermagem os hábitos alimentares e a falta de atividade física são determinantes para o sobrepeso e que estes fatores podem estar associados à ocorrência futura de Doença Arterial Coronariana.
Competências do enfermeiro na gestão do conhecimento e capital intelectual
Authors: Ruthes Rosa Maria , Cunha Isabel Cristina Kowal Olm
Published: January 2010

Trata-se da revisão sobre prática da gestão do conhecimento e capital intelectual à aplicabilidade das competências para enfermagem. Globalização e competitividade levam as organizações de saúde a buscarem formas de adaptação às transformações da gestão. Cabe ao gestor enfermeiro propor soluções à equipe de enfermagem quanto aos problemas das organizações de saúde. A gestão do capital intelectual deve cuidar que o pessoal esteja aplicando o saber em benefício da organização e do crescimento profissional. Se não houver competências necessárias para aplicação generalizada de conhecimentos, de nada vale o saber. Os enfermeiros deverão estar preparados para avaliar recursos tecnológicos, organizacionais e humanos e desenvolver competências, conhecimentos, habilidades, atitudes e valores para planejar, organizar, dirigir, controlar o conhecimento nas organizações.
O enfermeiro não faz marketing pessoal: a história explica por quê?
Authors: Gentil Rosana Chami
Published: January 2010

Reflexão sobre o marketing pessoal do enfermeiro embasado nas crenças e valores que a história dos protagonistas do cuidado ao enfermo explica. Traz à tona reflexões sobre a ambigüidade entre a imagem social da enfermagem e os conhecimentos científicos, tecnológicos e humanísticos que desenvolveu ao longo do tempo. Reconhece que ainda há fixação nos atributos relativos à postura e moral dos profissionais, em detrimento da valorização do conhecimento técnico-científico. Constata que o estudo da História da Enfermagem leva a compreender que as lutas travadas contra os preconceitos presentes no imaginário coletivo têm importância na aceitação e reconhecimento social dessa profissão e que o caminho para isso está na divulgação da Ciência da Enfermagem e demonstração de sua aplicação na prática profissional.
Inoculação das sementes e adubações nitrogenada e molíbdica do feijoeiro-comum, em Rolim de Moura, RO
Authors: Valadão Franciele Caroline de Assis , Jakelaitis Adriano , Conus Lenita Aparecida , Borchartt Lucas , Oliveira Abdias Alves de , Valadão Junior Daniel Dias
Published: January 2010

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o desempenho do feijoeiro-comum (Phaseolus vulgaris L) em função da inoculação de sementes com Rhizobium tropici e das adubações nitrogenada e molibdica. Utilizou-se o delineamento em blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições, em arranjo fatorial 2x2x2, constituindo-se das combinações de ausência e presença de inoculação de sementes, da adubação molíbdica e da adubação nitrogenada. A inoculação das sementes foi imediatamente antes da semeadura com inoculante turfoso composto da estirpe CIAT 899 (SEMIA 4077); a adubação nitrogenada foi na semeadura (10 kg.ha-1) e em cobertura (50 kg.ha-1), quando as plantas apresentaram a terceira folha trifoliolada expandida e o molibdênio (Mo) foi aplicado em pulverização foliar na dose de 60 g.ha-1. Não foram observados efeitos dos tratamentos para a massa seca de raízes e o número de vagens por planta. A adubação nitrogenada reduziu a nodulação nos feijoeiros. Todavia, com a adubação nitrogenada foi verificado incremento na altura e na massa seca da parte aérea dos feijoeiros. Grãos de feijão mais pesados foram observados em feijoeiros adubados com N na ausência de Mo. As interações entre adubação nitrogenada e molibdica com inoculação de sementes afetaram, também, o teor de N foliar e o número de grãos por vagem A inoculação de sementes proporcionou nos feijoeiros rendimentos de grãos semelhantes aos fertilizados com N.
Padronização do teste de tetrazólio em sementes de Parkia velutina Benoist (Leguminosae - Mimosoideae)
Authors: Mendes Angela Maria da Silva , Bastos Adriana de Araújo , Melo Maria da Glória Gonçalves de
Published: January 2010

O trabalho teve por objetivo determinar métodos de pré-condicionamento e concentrações da solução de tetrazólio na avaliação da qualidade de sementes de Parkia velutina Benoist. Os tratamentos pré-condicionantes das sementes foram avaliados com três métodos de escarificação: desponte na região oposta ao hilo, punção na região mediana e lixa nos dois lados da semente com posterior embebição em 200 ml de água para cada 25 sementes e permanência em câmara a 30 ºC por 16 horas. As concentrações da solução de tetrazólio testadas foram: 1,0%, 0,5% e 0,1% por duas horas na temperatura de 40 ºC. O tratamento de pré-condicionamento mais eficiente foi a combinação do desponte e lixamento nos dois lados da semente. A concentração de tetrazólio a 0,5% pode ser utilizada para avaliar a viabilidade das sementes de P. velutina como complemento ao teste de germinação. O teste de tetrazólio se mostrou eficiente na caracterização de lesões ocasionadas por insetos e danos mecânicos em sementes de P. velutina.
Comportamento da castanha-do-brasil (Bertholletia excelsa) e da cupiúba (Goupia glabra) em sistema agrosilvicultural na região da Confiança, Cantá - Roraima
Authors: Ferreira Liane Marise Moreira , Tonini Helio
Published: January 2010

O presente trabalho objetivou estudar o desempenho das espécies castanha-do-brasil (Bertholetia excelsa) e cupiúba (Goupia glabra) e o ajuste de uma função de crescimento e uma equação para estimar o diâmetro de copa em um modelo de sistema agroflorestal - SAF implantado em 1995 no Campo Experimental Confiança, Cantá, Estado de Roraima. Foram medidas 71 árvores de castanheira e 50 de cupiúbas totalizando 121 árvores, sendo tomados o CAP (circunferência a 1,30 m do solo), altura total, altura de inserção da copa, diâmetro da copa e dados qualitativos como sobrevivência, qualidade do fuste, bifurcações e aspectos fitossanitários como doenças ou pragas. Das 71 árvores de castanheira avaliadas 20 (27,8%) produziram frutos. A cupiúba apresentou alta porcentagem de indivíduos com bifurcação (cerca de 87,5%). A análise estatística indicou a função de Backman como a de melhor ajuste para as espécies observadas e com base nas equações construídas para estimar o diâmetro da copa em função do DAP pode-se fazer inferências sobre o espaço vital necessário para atingir uma determinada dimensão. Ambas as espécies apresentaram potencial silvicultural para recuperação de áreas alteradas em sistemas agroflorestais ou plantios homogêneos.
Bayle et la controverse sur l'éternité du monde
Authors: Ryan Todd
Published: January 2010

Dans la remarque H de « Zabarella (Jaques) », Bayle aborde la question traditionnelle de la possibilité de l'éternité du monde. Après avoir proposé une reformulation de cette question, Bayle soulève deux objections à la position orthodoxe de la création du monde dans le temps. Puis il offre sa propre théorie du rapport de Dieu avec le temps. En analysant ses arguments, je soutiens, contre Jean Delvolvé, que Bayle considère son hypothèse comme susceptible d'écarter toutes les objections qu'il avait soulevées contre le système orthodoxe de la création ex nihilo.
La philosophie comme méthodologie: la conception sceptico-rationaliste de la raison Chez Bayle
Authors: Irwin Kristen
Published: January 2010

Bayle est souvent considéré comme sceptique, mais sa conception de la raison n'est pas toujours claire ; ce qui en revanche est clair, c'est qu'il manifeste une profonde méfiance à l'égard des capacités de la raison de livrer une connaissance certaine. Cependant, une nouvelle interprétation de Bayle comme rationaliste «stratonicien » a été développée par Gianluca Mori, qui donne une description détaillée de Bayle comme philosophe critique désireux de rendre compte de toutes positions possibles dans leur complexité et de tirer toutes les conséquences des arguments invoqués au service des principes dits « stratoniciens ». Cette conception de Bayle comme rationaliste critique stratonicien rend possible une interprétation de Bayle moins comme un « supersceptique » à la Richard Popkin, que celui qui permet à la raison d'opérer avec une portée et une autorité plus grandes que ne le permettrait le scepticisme. Mori affirme que la conception de la raison chez Bayle est assez forte ; selon lui, la raison peut aller jusqu'au bout, avec une autorité absolue, et tirer des conclusions. Je soutiens que la conception de la nature et de la fonction de la raison chez Bayle se situe en fait entre le rationalisme stratonicien de Mori et l'interprétation « supersceptique » de Popkin. Comme Mori, je pense qu'il s'agit d'un rationalisme « critique » ; mais contre lui, je pense que la raison elle-même définit et recommande ses propres limites. J'appelle cette conception de la raison « sceptico-rationaliste » et, en suivant Bayle, je suggère comment le « bon sens » (qui fait partie de la raison) aide à définir ces limites.