bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Dementia Progression on Food-Related Processes
Authors: Papachristou Ilia , Giatras Nikolette , Ussher Michael
Published: July 2013

As dementia progresses, one area that can help maintain connection and memories with others is within the food domain. There is little research in this area particularly from the informal caregivers’ perspectives. Therefore, a qualitative study was conducted to explore the impact of dementia progression on food-related processes from the perspectives of informal caregivers. The aim of the study was to document the methodology used and to disseminate the findings to researchers, care providers, and policy makers. A total of 10 men and 10 women caregivers of those with dementia underwent a semistructured interview. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. The caregivers’ narratives indicated a set pattern of decline, with food shopping being the first ability to decline, followed by food preparation and the ability to eat. Caregivers adapted to their food roles, for example, by becoming responsible for financial issues. These adaptations were described as stressful yet satisfying as food care was seen as an important social time. Educating caregivers’ about the likely adaptations to food processes may increase food satisfaction in both the parties.
When we look at pictures: Travel television and the intimacy of companion memory
Authors: Healy Chris
Published: June 2013

Remembering in ‘modern’ Australia arises first and foremost through the transcultural processes of settler colonialism. This article explores some questions of memory’s cultures through a discussion of ‘travel television’. It argues that this kind of television is an example of a hybrid or non-human form of remembering that I call companion memory. I consider two examples: the 1950s television series, Australian Walkabout, and a recent television series on Australian indigenous art, Art + Soul. I conclude by considering how memory and travel might help us think about the kinds of intimacy and proximity implied by the notion of ‘memory up close’.
‘Why should we care?’: Some thoughts on cosmopolitan hauntings
Authors: Lo Jacqueline
Published: June 2013

This essay deploys the concept of cosmopolitan haunting to explore entangled relationships with the past, the role of minoritarian and ethnicized subjects of history and the emergence of horizontal post-national solidarities. I focus on two commemorative sites or practices that challenge the limits of transnational memory and its relationship with citizenship. The first is the story of William Cooper, an Aboriginal activist whose critique of the Nazi pogrom has been recognized by a number of commemorative events in Israel, and the second is a performative ritual enacted by migrant artists to honour Australia’s early Japanese history. The case studies demonstrate the affective contaminations that provoke not just feeling but also actions that both surpass but then get caught up again within the pressures of the nation state.
Alcohol drinking among college students: college responsibility for personal troubles
Authors: Lorant Vincent , Nicaise Pablo , Soto Victoria Eugenia , d’Hoore William
Published: June 2013

Background

One young adult in two has entered university education in Western countries. Many of these young students will be exposed, during this transitional period, to substantial changes in living arrangements, socialisation groups, and social activities. This kind of transition is often associated with risky behaviour such as excessive alcohol consumption. So far, however, there is little evidence about the social determinants of alcohol consumption among college students. We set out to explore how college environmental factors shape college students' drinking behaviour.

Methods

In May 2010 a web questionnaire was sent to all bachelor and master students registered with an important Belgian university; 7,015 students participated (participation = 39%). The survey looked at drinking behaviour, social involvement, college environmental factors, drinking norms, and positive drinking consequences.

Results

On average each student had 1.7 drinks a day and 2.8 episodes of abusive drinking a month. We found that the more a student was exposed to college environmental factors, the greater the risk of heavy, frequent, and abusive drinking. Alcohol consumption increased for students living on campus, living in a dormitory with a higher number of room-mates, and having been in the University for a long spell. Most such environmental factors were explained by social involvement, such as participation to the student folklore, pre-partying, and normative expectations.

Conclusions

Educational and college authorities need to acknowledge universities’ responsibility in relation to their students’ drinking behaviour and to commit themselves to support an environment of responsible drinking.
Elastomeric microparticles for acoustic mediated bioseparations
Authors: Johnson Leah M , Gao Lu , Shields IV C Wyatt , Smith Margret , Efimenko Kirill , Cushing Kevin , Genzer Jan , López Gabriel P
Published: June 2013

Background

Acoustophoresis has been utilized successfully in applications including cell trapping, focusing, and purification. One current limitation of acoustophoresis for cell sorting is the reliance on the inherent physical properties of cells (e.g., compressibility, density) instead of selecting cells based upon biologically relevant surface-presenting antigens. Introducing an acoustophoretic cell sorting approach that allows biochemical specificity may overcome this limitation, thus advancing the value of acoustophoresis approaches for both the basic research and clinical fields.

Results

The results presented herein demonstrate the ability for negative acoustic contrast particles (NACPs) to specifically capture and transport positive acoustic contrast particles (PACPs) to the antinode of an ultrasound standing wave. Emulsification and post curing of pre-polymers, either polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or polyvinylmethylsiloxane (PVMS), within aqueous surfactant solution results in the formation of stable NACPs that focus onto pressure antinodes. We used either photochemical reactions with biotin-tetrafluorophenyl azide (biotin-TFPA) or end-functionalization of Pluronic F108 surfactant to biofunctionalize NACPs. These biotinylated NACPs bind specifically to streptavidin polystyrene microparticles (as cell surrogates) and transport them to the pressure antinode within an acoustofluidic chip.

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of using NACPs as carriers for transport of PACPs in an ultrasound standing wave. By using different silicones (i.e., PDMS, PVMS) and curing chemistries, we demonstrate versatility of silicone materials for NACPs and advance the understanding of useful approaches for preparing NACPs. This bioseparation scheme holds potential for applications requiring rapid, continuous separations such as sorting and analysis of cells and biomolecules.
Some results about functions that share functions with their derivative of higher order
Authors: Qi Jianming , Lü Feng , Yuan Wenjun
Published: July 2013

In this paper, we investigate the growth of some functions that share functions with their derivative of higher order. The first main theorem is an improvement of the result obtained by Lü (Bull. Korean Math. Soc. 48: 951-957, 2011), two examples are given to show that the conclusion is sharp. The second main theorem is of estimating, more exactly, the order of an entire function sharing polynomial, which extends the related result of Lü, Xu and Chen (Arch. Math. 92: 593-601, 2009).

MSC:30D35, 30D45.
Integrating multi-platform genomic data using hierarchical Bayesian relevance vector machines
Authors: Srivastava Sanvesh , Wang Wenyi , Manyam Ganiraju , Ordonez Carlos , Baladandayuthapani Veerabhadran
Published: June 2013

Background

Recent advances in genome technologies and the subsequent collection of genomic information at various molecular resolutions hold promise to accelerate the discovery of new therapeutic targets. A critical step in achieving these goals is to develop efficient clinical prediction models that integrate these diverse sources of high-throughput data. This step is challenging due to the presence of high-dimensionality and complex interactions in the data. For predicting relevant clinical outcomes, we propose a flexible statistical machine learning approach that acknowledges and models the interaction between platform-specific measurements through nonlinear kernel machines and borrows information within and between platforms through a hierarchical Bayesian framework. Our model has parameters with direct interpretations in terms of the effects of platforms and data interactions within and across platforms. The parameter estimation algorithm in our model uses a computationally efficient variational Bayes approach that scales well to large high-throughput datasets.

Results

We apply our methods of integrating gene/mRNA expression and microRNA profiles for predicting patient survival times to The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) based glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) dataset. In terms of prediction accuracy, we show that our non-linear and interaction-based integrative methods perform better than linear alternatives and non-integrative methods that do not account for interactions between the platforms. We also find several prognostic mRNAs and microRNAs that are related to tumor invasion and are known to drive tumor metastasis and severe inflammatory response in GBM. In addition, our analysis reveals several interesting mRNA and microRNA interactions that have known implications in the etiology of GBM.

Conclusions

Our approach gains its flexibility and power by modeling the non-linear interaction structures between and within the platforms. Our framework is a useful tool for biomedical researchers, since clinical prediction using multi-platform genomic information is an important step towards personalized treatment of many cancers. We have a freely available software at:http://odin.mdacc.tmc.edu/~vbaladan.
Inhibition of hepatitis B virus (HBV) gene expression and replication by HBx gene silencing in a hydrodynamic injection mouse model with a new clone of HBV genotype B
Authors: Li Lei , Shen Hong , Li Anyi , Zhang Zhenhua , Wang Baoju , Wang Junzhong , Zheng Xin , Wu Jun , Yang Dongliang , Lu Mengji , Song Jingjiao
Published: June 2013

Background

It has been suggested that different hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes may have distinct virological characteristics that correlate with clinical outcomes during antiviral therapy and the natural course of infection. Hydrodynamic injection (HI) of HBV in the mouse model is a useful tool for study of HBV replicationin vivo. However, only HBV genotype A has been used for studies with HI.

Methods

We constructed 3 replication-competent clones containing 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 fold overlength of a HBV genotype B genome and tested them bothin vitroandin vivo. Moreover, A HBV genotype B clone based on the pAAV-MCS vector was constructed with the 1.3 fold HBV genome, resulting in the plasmid pAAV-HBV1.3Band tested by HI in C57BL/6 mice. Application of siRNA againstHBxgene was tested in HBV genotype B HI mouse model.

Results

The 1.3 fold HBV clone showed higher replication and gene expression than the 1.1 and 1.2 fold HBV clones. Compared with pAAV-HBV1.2 (genotype A), the mice HI with pAAV-HBV1.3Bshowed higher HBsAg and HBeAg expression as well as HBV DNA replication level but a higher clearance rate. Application of two plasmids pSB-HBxi285 and pSR-HBxi285 expressing a small/short interfering RNA (siRNA) to theHBxgene in HBV genotype B HI mouse model, leading to an inhibition of HBV gene expression and replication. However, HBV gene expression may resume in some mice despite an initial delay, suggesting that transient suppression of HBV replication by siRNA may be insufficient to prevent viral spread, particularly if the gene silencing is not highly effective.

Conclusions

Taken together, the HI mouse model with a HBV genotype B genome was successfully established and showed different characteristicsin vivocompared with the genotype A genome. The effectiveness of gene silencing againstHBxgene determines whether HBV replication may be sustainably inhibited by siRNAin vivo.
Characterization of Farmington virus, a novel virus from birds that is distantly related to members of the family Rhabdoviridae
Authors: Palacios Gustavo , Forrester Naomi L , Savji Nazir , Travassos da Rosa Amelia P A , Guzman Hilda , DeToy Kelly , Popov Vsevolod L , Walker Peter J , Lipkin W Ian , Vasilakis Nikos , Tesh Robert B
Published: July 2013

Background

Farmington virus (FARV) is a rhabdovirus that was isolated from a wild bird during an outbreak of epizootic eastern equine encephalitis on a pheasant farm in Connecticut, USA.

Findings

Analysis of the nearly complete genome sequence of the prototype CT AN 114 strain indicates that it encodes the five canonical rhabdovirus structural proteins (N, P, M, G and L) with alternative ORFs (> 180 nt) in the N and G genes. Phenotypic and genetic characterization of FARV has confirmed that it is a novel rhabdovirus and probably represents a new species within the family Rhabdoviridae.

Conclusions

In sum, our analysis indicates that FARV represents a new species within the family Rhabdoviridae.
Zedoary oil (Ezhu You) inhibits proliferation of AGS cells
Authors: Shi Hailian , Tan Bao , Ji Guang , Lu Lan , Cao Aili , Shi Songshan , Xie Jianqun
Published: June 2013

Background

Zedoary (Curcumae Rhizoma, Ezhu), a Chinese medicinal herb, has been reported to show anticancer activity. This study aims to investigate the effect of zedoary oil (Ezhu You) on the proliferation of AGS cells which is one gastric cancer cell line.

Methods

The main ingredients of the herb were detected by GC-MS for herbal quality control. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay and cell proliferation was investigated by immunocytochemical staining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) protein. In addition, the cell cycle distributions were detected by flow cytometry with propidium iodine (PI) staining and the apoptosis rates were evaluated by flow cytometry with annexin V/PI double-staining. The morphological changes associated with apoptosis were observed by Hoechst 33342/PI double-staining. Protein expression was determined by western blot analysis.

Results

The main ingredients of the herb, including curzerene (26.45%), eucalyptol (12.04%), curcumol (9.04%), pyridine (7.97%), germacrone (7.89%), β-elemene (7.36%), τ-elemene (4.11%) and 28 other ingredients, including curdione, were consistent with the chemical profiles of zedoary. Zedoary oil significantly decreased the cell viability of AGS cells (P < 0.01) and MGC 803 cells (P < 0.01), and the inhibitory effects were attenuated by elevated concentrations of FBS. At high concentrations (≥90 μg/mL), zedoary oil killed GES-1 cells. At low concentrations (≤60 μg/mL), zedoary oil was less inhibitory toward normal gastric epithelial cells than gastric cancer cell lines. In AGS cells, zedoary oil inhibited cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner, with decreased PCNA protein expression in the zedoary oil-treated cells, and arrested the cell cycle at S, G2/M and G0/G1 stages after treatment for 6–48 h. At concentrations of 30, 60 and 90 μg/mL, which resulted in significant inhibition of proliferation and cell cycle arrest, zedoary oil induced cell apoptosis. In addition, Hoechst 33342/PI double-staining confirmed the morphological characteristics of cell apoptosis at 24 h. Zedoary oil upregulated the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 protein expression (P < 0.01).

Conclusions

Zedoary oil inhibited AGS cell proliferation through cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis promotion, which were related to Bax/Bcl-2 protein expression.
The current practice trends in pediatric bone-anchored hearing aids in Canada: A national clinical and surgical practice survey
Authors: Liu C Carrie , Chadha Neil K , Bance Manohar , Hong Paul
Published: July 2013

Background

Since the introduction of bone-anchored hearing aids (BAHAs) in the 1980s, the practices of surgeons who implant these hearing aids have become varied; different indications and surgical techniques are utilized depending on the surgeon and institution. The objective of the current study is to describe the clinical and surgical practices of otolaryngologists in Canada who perform pediatric BAHA operations.

Methods

A detailed practice questionnaire was devised and sent to all members of the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Those who performed pediatric BAHA surgeries were asked to participate.

Results

Twelve responses were received (response rate of 80%). All of the respondents identified congenital aural atresia to be an indication for pediatric BAHAs. Other indications were chronic otitis externa or media with hearing loss (92%), allergic reactions to conventional hearing aids (75%), congenital fixation or anomaly of ossicular chain (67%), and unilateral deafness (25%). Minor complications, such as skin reactions, were reported in 25% of cases, while major complications were very rare. There was great variability with regards to surgical techinque and post-operative management. The extent of financial support for the BAHA hardware and device also varied between provinces, and even within the same province.

Conclusion

There is a lack of general consensus regarding pediatric BAHA surgeries in Canada. With such a small community of otolaryngologists performing this procedure, we are hopeful that this survey can serve as an impetus for a national collaboration to establish a set of general management principles and inspire multi-site research ventures.
Interventions to decrease the risk of adverse cardiac events for post-surgery or chemotherapy patients taking serotonin (5-HT3) receptor antagonists: protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Tricco Andrea C , Soobiah Charlene , Antony Jesmin , Hemmelgarn Brenda , Moher David , Hutton Brian , Straus Sharon E
Published: June 2013

Background

Patients undergoing surgery or chemotherapy often experience nausea and vomiting. To increase their quality of life and treatment satisfaction, antiemetic medication, such as serotonin receptor antagonists, is often prescribed for patients experiencing these symptoms. However, early warning signs suggest that serotonin receptor antagonists can cause harm, including arrhythmia. Our objective is to identify the most effective interventions that mitigate the risk of adverse cardiac events associated with serotonin receptor antagonists in patients undergoing surgery and chemotherapy through a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Methods/design

We will search electronic databases (for example, MEDLINE, Embase) from inception onwards, as well as dissertations and governmental reports, to identify interventions (for example, telemetry, electrocardiography, electrolyte monitoring) that decrease the cardiac risk associated with serotonin receptor antagonists among surgery and chemotherapy patients. Eligible comparators include placebo or supportive care; eligible study designs are experimental studies (randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs, non-RCTs), non-experimental studies (interrupted time series, controlled before-and-after studies), and cohort studies. Outcomes of interest include arrhythmia, sudden cardiac death, QT prolongation, PR prolongation, and all-cause mortality. We will include unpublished studies and studies published in languages other than English.

Draft inclusion and exclusion criteria will be established and pilot tested amongst the team. Subsequently, two team members will screen the results in duplicate and resolve conflicts through discussion. The same process will be followed to screen full-text articles, data abstraction, and appraise quality or risk of bias. To determine validity of results, experimental and quasi-experimental studies will be assessed using the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) Risk of Bias tool, while cohort studies will be appraised using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We anticipate sufficient data and homogeneity to conduct random effects meta-analysis and network or mixed treatment comparisons meta-analysis, if appropriate.

Discussion

Our results will provide information regarding the utility of different strategies that can be used to mitigate cardiac risk amongst patients taking serotonin antagonist receptors. Such results are likely to be of use to clinicians prescribing these agents, as well as policy makers responsible for making decisions about antiemetic medications.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO registry number:CRD42013003565
Health impact assessment of air pollution in Shiraz, Iran: a two-part study
Authors: Gharehchahi Ehsan , Mahvi Amir Hossein , Amini Hassan , Nabizadeh Ramin , Akhlaghi Ali Asghar , Shamsipour Mansour , Yunesian Masud
Published: June 2013

We aimed to assess health-impacts of short-term exposure to the air pollutants including PM10, SO2, and NO2 in Shiraz, Iran in a two-part study from 2008 to 2010. In part I, local relative risks (RRs) and baseline incidences (BIs) were calculate using generalized additive models. In part II, we estimated the number of excess hospitalizations (NEHs) due to cardiovascular diseases (CDs), respiratory diseases (RDs), respiratory diseases in elderly group (RDsE—people older than 65 years old), and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPDs) as a result of exposure to air pollutants using AirQ model, which is proposed approach for air pollution health impact assessment by World Health Organization. In part I, exposure to increase in daily mean concentration of PM10 was associated with hospitalizations due to RDs with a RR of 1.0049 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0004 to 1.0110]. In addition, exposure to increase in daily mean concentration of SO2 and NO2 were associated with hospitalizations due to RDsE and COPDs with RRs of 1.0540 [95% CI, 1.0050 to 1.1200], 1.0950 [95% CI, 1.0700 to 1.1100], 1.0280 [95% CI, 1.0110 to 1.0450] and 1.0360 [95% CI, 1.0210 to 1.0510] per 10 μg/m3 rise of these pollutants, respectively. In part II, the maximum NEHs due to CDs because of exposure to PM10 were in 2009—1489 excess cases (ECs). The maximum NEHs due to RDs because of exposure to PM10 were in 2009—1163 ECs. Meanwhile, the maximum NEHs due to RDsE and COPDs because of exposure to SO2 were in 2008, which are 520 and 900 ECs, respectively. In conclusion, elevated morbidity risks were found from acute exposure to air pollutants.
Liver × receptor ligands disrupt breast cancer cell proliferation through an E2F-mediated mechanism
Authors: Nguyen-Vu Trang , Vedin Lise-Lotte , Liu Ka , Jonsson Philip , Lin Jean Z , Candelaria Nicholes R , Candelaria Lindsay P , Addanki Sridevi , Williams Cecilia , Gustafsson Jan-Åke , Steffensen Knut R , Lin Chin-Yo
Published: June 2013

Introduction

Liver × receptors (LXRs) are members of the nuclear receptor family of ligand-dependent transcription factors and have established functions as regulators of cholesterol, glucose, and fatty acid metabolism and inflammatory responses. Published reports of anti-proliferative effects of synthetic LXR ligands on breast, prostate, ovarian, lung, skin, and colorectal cancer cells suggest that LXRs are potential targets in cancer prevention and treatment.

Methods

To further determine the effects of LXR ligands and identify their potential mechanisms of action in breast cancer cells, we carried out microarray analysis of gene expression in four breast cancer cell lines following treatments with the synthetic LXR ligand GW3965. Differentially expressed genes were further subjected to gene ontology and pathway analyses, and their expression profiles and associations with disease parameters and outcomes were examined in clinical samples. Response of E2F target genes were validated by real-time PCR, and the posited role of E2F2 in breast cancer cell proliferation was tested by RNA interference experiments.

Results

We observed cell line-specific transcriptional responses as well as a set of common responsive genes. In the common responsive gene set, upregulated genes tend to function in the known metabolic effects of LXR ligands and LXRs whereas the downregulated genes mostly include those which function in cell cycle regulation, DNA replication, and other cell proliferation-related processes. Transcription factor binding site analysis of the downregulated genes revealed an enrichment of E2F binding site sequence motifs. Correspondingly, E2F2 transcript levels are downregulated following LXR ligand treatment. Knockdown of E2F2 expression, similar to LXR ligand treatment, resulted in a significant disruption of estrogen receptor positive breast cancer cell proliferation. Ligand treatment also decreased E2F2 binding to cis-regulatory regions of target genes. Hierarchical clustering of breast cancer patients based on the expression profiles of the commonly downregulated LXR ligand-responsive genes showed a strong association of these genes with patient survival.

Conclusions

Taken together, these results indicate that LXR ligands target gene networks, including those regulated by E2F family members, are critical for tumor biology and disease progression and merit further consideration as potential agents in the prevention and treatment of breast cancers.
Regional hydrostratigraphy and insights into fluid flow through a clay aquitard from shallow seismic reflection data
Authors: Pugin André J.-M. , Pullan Susan E. , Duchesne Mathieu J.
Published: June 2013

In the Montérégie region, east of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, high-resolution compressional (P-) and shear (S-) wave reflection sections were obtained using a vibratory source and three-component (3C) landstreamer data acquisition system during field programs carried out in 2009 and 2010. The work was part of a strategy to improve the knowledge and understanding of groundwater resources within the glacial and postglacial sediments in the region. The >100 line-km of seismic profiling is an excellent example of hydrogeophysics, providing detailed information on the depth to bedrock, the architecture and stratigraphy, and physical properties of the overlying sediments on both the regional and local scales (hydrostratigraphic mapping), as well as insights into fluid (water and/or gas) transport through the surface aquitard. Correlations of porosity and shear-wave velocity in the region also allow some estimation of the variation in subsurface porosities for hydrogeological modeling.
Efficient electrical hydrogeophysical monitoring through cloud-based processing, analysis, and result access
Authors: Versteeg Roelof , Johnson Doug
Published: June 2013

An increasing part of the value and appeal of geophysics comes from its ability to provide information on a range of subsurface processes. This information results from the collection, processing, and analysis of time-lapse geophysical data sets. Time-lapse studies are enabled by novel geophysical hardware specifically developed for monitoring and by processing workflows and inversion codes developed to deal with the substantial data volumes produced by semi-continuous data collection.
Airborne lidar on the Alaskan North Slope: Wetlands mapping, lake volumes, and permafrost features
Authors: Paine Jeffrey G. , Andrews John R. , Saylam Kutalmis , Tremblay Thomas A. , Averett Aaron R. , Caudle Tiffany L. , Meyer Thoralf , Young Michael H.
Published: June 2013

Wetlands and shallow, freshwater lakes are common on the Alaskan North Slope, a permafrost-dominated coastal plain above the Arctic Circle. New approaches are needed to augment traditional remote sensing and ground-based field activities that would enable rapid and accurate discrimination of wetlands from uplands and estimation of lake depths and volumes over areas being considered for exploration and production activities. Using a new airborne lidar instrument that combines laser ranging at near-infrared wavelengths for topography and green wavelengths for bathymetry, we flew a pilot study over a 490-km2 area south of Prudhoe Bay to measure surface topography at a density of about 20 points/m2 and water-body depths at a density of about 2 points/m2. High-resolution digital elevation models, having vertical accuracies of a few centimeters, have been generated from the topographic laser data.
Organisational processes around the investigation of serious events
Authors: Cohen Mark
Published: July 2013

This editorial focuses on a psychosocial application of psychoanalytic thinking to the processes which are in place to investigate serious events in psychiatric healthcare. It argues that the structures and processes in place can be understood with reference to organisational defences and to the ‘actor–network theory’. A common reason for such an investigation is a completed suicide. It is suggested that defensive processes may occur in response to the anxieties associated with serious events such as suicide and are of concern in terms of psychiatric care retaining a capacity for emotionally involved practice.
Solid-state 93Nb NMR Study of Nitrogen-doped Lamellar Niobic Acid
Authors: Yamada Kazuhiko , Shimizu Tadashi , Nakai Toshihito , Deguchi Kenzo , Yue Bing , Ye Jinhua
Published: June 2013

We present the structural investigation of a visible-light nitrogen-doped photocatalyst, nitrogen-doped HNb3O8, which was performed by the solid-state 93Nb nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methodology.
Dydaktyka przekładu audiowizualnego na filologii romańskiej od podstaw: metody, treści, propozycje rozwiązań
Authors: Kaczmarek Anna
Published: July 2013

Teaching audio‑visual translation at the “French Philology level 0” course: methods, contents, clues

In the face of a sensible diminution of the number of high‑school graduates able to communicate in French well enough to follow the “classical” French Philology course, many Polish universities offer their students the possibility of studying “French Philology level 0”. One of the key skills developed by this course is translation, including basic audio‑visual translation competences. The paper shows some examples of translator training clues that have been worked out at the Opole University.
Two different markers of oxidative protein damage in plasma of alloxan-induced hyperglycemic rabbits: effects of pioglitazone and repaglinide. Oxidative protein damage and two antidiabetics
Authors: Gumieniczuk Anna , Owczarek Beata , Pawlikowska Bernadeta
Published: June 2013

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are known to contribute to different pathological alterations in hyperglycemic state. Especially proteins are major targets resulting from their rapid reactions with many oxidants. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to examine some common markers of oxidative/nitrosative stress in plasma of alloxan-induced hyperglycemic rabbits with special regard to protein oxidation. The second goal was to investigate which of two antidiabetics, pioglitazone from peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonists, and repaglinide from non-sulfonylurea KATP channel blockers, could be more effective in ameliorating these oxidative/nitrosative changes. In our hyperglycemic animals glutathione decreased by 41% as compared to control group. Simultaneously, lipid peroxidation products increased by 62%, nitrites by 59%, protein carbonyl groups by 71% and advanced oxidized protein products by 53%. In hyperglycemic-treated animals pioglitazone increased glutathione above control values. In turn, lipid peroxidation was reduced by 29%, nitrites by 22%, advanced oxidized protein products by 37% and protein carbonyl groups by 42% in relation to hyperglycemic-non treated rabbits. After repaglinide treatment, lipid peroxidation decreased by 17% but the levels of glutathione, nitrites and both markers of oxidized proteins, were not affected. Our results confirmed that the action of pioglitazone is more comprehensive than that of repaglinide, independently of their action on hyperglycemia.
Plasma magnesium and calcium concentrations and selected biochemical parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Luchowska Kocot Dorota , Sztanke Małgorzata , Naja Wiśniewska Magdalena , Dąbrowski Andrzej , Andrzejewski Andrzej , Wallner Grzegorz , Pasternak Kazimierz , Sztanke Krzysztof
Published: June 2013

Magnesium and calcium are known to play an important role in carbohydrate metabolism. These elements are also involved in secretion, binding, and activity of insulin. It is well-established that plasma magnesium and calcium levels in patients with diabetes mellitus are somewhat decreased. Additionally, chronic magnesium and calcium deficiency have been associated with the development of insulin resistance. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by increasing concentrations of triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and lowering of the HDL-cholesterol. Hypertriglyceridemia is often the first metabolic manifestation of insulin resistance. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between plasma magnesium and calcium concentrations and plasma lipids, blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin in type 2 diabetic patients. Magnesium and calcium concentration was determined with the colorimetric method. Lipid profile (total, HDL, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides), glycosylated hemoglobin A (HbA1c) and glucose were measured using standard methods. The plasma concentrations of glucose, HbA1c, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides in diabetic patients were found to be significantly higher than those in the control group. The concentrations of calcium, magnesium and HDL-cholesterol were statistically lower in diabetic people in comparison to healthy individuals. In diabetic patients, a weak negative correlation was found between plasma magnesium and total cholesterol as well as between plasma magnesium and triglycerides. Positive correlations were demonstrated between plasma calcium and glycosylated hemoglobin.
The patients’ subjective assessment of health status after myocardial infarction
Authors: Pietryka-Michałowska Elżbieta , Szymańska Jolanta , Walewska Anna
Published: June 2013

Chronic disease process, regardless of the phase or intensity affects the quality of life of the patient. The purpose of the study was to analyze the quality of life of patients after myocardial infarct based on self-evaluation and identification of variables affecting the subjective assessment of patients. The study included 268 patients after myocardial infarct. The research tool was a questionnaire survey developed by the authors. The subjective assessment of the health status of patients was analyzed as well as the influence of gender, age, education, place of residence, time elapsed between the occurrence of disease, material conditions, and knowledge about the infarction. It was found that patients after the incident of myocardial infarct, when assessing health, usually rate it as good and satisfactory, avoiding the extreme assessments. Subjective evaluation was associated with the selected variables. The health condition was better assessed by the youngest patients, the persons to 30 years of age and the oldest-above 70 years as well as better educated people, having a good material situation, living in the city, ant those patients whose disease occurred over a year before and having knowledge of the disease. Medical personnel were often the source of information on heart failure, and to a lesser extent the Internet and mass media. Family members of the patient should have the knowledge of myocardial infarction and its consequences to give him support in further treatment and rehabilitation, as well as prevent against disease incidents in the future.
Pregnancy tumor - characteristics. Case study
Authors: Rahnama Mansur , Hamwi Rozan , Czupkałło Łukasz , Krochmalska Ewa
Published: June 2013

In the period of pregnancy in females, a sequence of physiological changes takes place that result above all from the appreciable increase of the concentration of the steroidal sex hormone in the blood serum and to a lesser degree, in saliva.
In this study, a case of rare pregnancy granuloma is presented. A course of disease and procedures are described.
Influence of astemizole, an H1 receptor antagonist, on the locomotors activity of carbamazepine and valproate in mice
Authors: Świąder Mariusz J. , Świąder Katarzyna
Published: June 2013

In the present study, we examined the influence of the second generation H1 receptor antagonist, astemizole, co-administered with carbamazepine and valproate on the exploratory and spontaneous activities in mice. Locomotor activity was monitored electronically using a Digiscan system with relation to the ambulatory and rearing activities, as well as, total distance traveled by animals within two 15-min periods. Results indicated that astemizole given alone did not affect on the three variable of motor activity, i.e. horizontal activity, total distance or vertical activity in mice. However, this H1 receptor antagonist significantly worsened horizontal and vertical activity of mice when was co-administered with valproate or carbamazepine in exploratory time. Moreover, it decreased total distance in combination with carbamazepine evaluated in spontaneous time. Our data clearly indicated that even newer generation of histamine receptor antagonists should be used with caution in patients suffering on epilepsy. It should be stressed that combined treatment of astemizole with carbamazepine or valproate may be clinically hazardous.
The risk assessment of mercury poisoning after consuming teas and cereal products
Authors: Kowalski Radosław , Kowalska Grażyna , Baj Tomasz
Published: June 2013

The objective of the study was the determination of the level of concentration of total mercury in various cereal products and teas commonly available to the consumer. In the course of the research, 161 samples of products were analysed, among which only one sample – a single-component fruit tea - contained mercury at the concentration of 0.03100 mg/kg. All other samples of food products were characterised by mercury levels that, according to the current state of knowledge, do not pose a threat to human health.
Greener routes to organics and nanomaterials: Sustainable
applications of nanocatalysts
Authors: Varma Rajender S.
Published: June 2013

Sustainable synthetic activity involving alternate energy input and greener
reaction medium under aqueous or solvent-free conditions is summarized. This
includes the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds, coupling reactions, and a
variety of reactions catalyzed by basic water or recyclable and reusable
magnetic nanocatalysts in aqueous media using microwave (MW) irradiation.
Micropine-structured catalysts and magnetic nanoferrites and their
post-synthetic modification with ligands and other nanometals serve as
sustainable nanocatalysts in benign media. The strategic approach attempts to
fulfill most of the green chemistry principles in a comprehensive manner and
aims to create sustainable functional chemicals that may find large-scale use
with significant waste minimization.
[Ru(bpy)3]2+* and other remarkable metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited states
Authors: Thompson David W. , Ito Akitaka , Meyer Thomas J.
Published: June 2013

In 1974, the metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited state, [Ru(bpy)3]2+*, was shown to undergo electron transfer quenching by methylviologen dication (MV2+), inspiring a new approach to artificial photosynthesis based on molecules, molecular-level phenomena, and a “modular approach”. In the intervening years, application of synthesis, excited-state measurements, and theory to [Ru(bpy)3]2+* and its relatives has had an outsized impact on photochemistry and photophysics. They have provided a basis for exploring the energy gap law for nonradiative decay and the role of molecular vibrations and solvent and medium effects on excited-state properties. Much has been learned about light absorption, excited-state electronic and molecular structure, and excited-state dynamics on timescales from femtoseconds to milliseconds. Excited-state properties and reactivity have been exploited in the investigation of electron and energy transfer in solution, in molecular assemblies, and in derivatized polymers and oligoprolines. An integrated, hybrid approach to solar fuels, based on dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cells (DSPECs), has emerged and is being actively investigated.
Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Detection of Ionic Solutes by Surfactant-Mediated Adsorption to a Hydrophobic Surface
Authors: Ma Chaoxiong , Harris Joel M.
Published: June 2013

Chemical modification of the surfaces of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-active metals with thin molecular layers expands the variety of molecular species that can be attracted to the SERS surface from solution. This approach can provide selective detection of new classes of molecules that would not otherwise be detectable through direct interaction with a SERS-active metal. For example, polycyclic aromatic compounds can be attracted from aqueous solution to gold or silver SERS substrates that are modified with alkylsilanes or alkanethiols. While n-alkane monolayers attract hydrophobic solutes to a SERS-active surface, they are not well suited to adsorbing more water-soluble, ionized species from solution. In this work, we address SERS detection of ionic solutes by applying the principles of ion-interaction chromatography, where a charged surfactant is added to solution and adsorbs to an n-alkane-modified, SERS-active surface. The adsorbed charged surfactant serves to attract an ionic solute of opposite charge to the surface, where it can be detected. This concept was tested with a model anionic solute, 3-nitrobenzenesulfonate (NBS−), with a cationic surfactant, cetylpyridinium (CP+), that adsorbs to a 1-dodecanethiol (C12)-modified silver surface. The interfacial populations of both the surfactant and anionic solute can be determined simultaneously from SERS spectra. The adsorption equilibrium of CP+ to the C12 surface was fit to a Langmuir model, and the effect of supporting electrolyte on its adsorption equilibria was also investigated by SERS. The retention of NBS− at the C12 surface depends on the concentration of CP+. The binding of NBS− to adsorbed CP+ is described by an ion-interaction model that includes competition for the NBS− population due to association with surfactant ions in solution. While the strength of this binding interaction is not as great as the hydrophobic interactions that drive aromatic hydrocarbons to hydrophobic SERS surfaces, SERS detection of analyte ions by this approach could be accomplished at concentrations two orders of magnitude lower compared with Raman detection in free solution.
Thinking like a wetland
Authors: Dillon Patrick , Gross Philip , Irvine Richard , Price Valerie Coffin , Staddon Chad
Published: June 2013

This article is an invitation to therapeutic deconstruction: a call to reconsider our assumptions about land, water and the relationship between the wet and the dry. It takes the form of a dialogue in which poetry (Gross) and visual art (Price) prompts, probes and challenges reflections offered by a natural resource economist (Staddon), a cultural ecologist (Dillon) and an anthropologist (Irvine). From our multiple perspectives, we explore the wetland as a site of common interest, and through different approaches to the thought experiment of what it might mean to ‘think like a wetland’ we seek to engage with the materiality of these places. We ask what it means to be a part of a wetland, not simply treating these habitats as resources to be managed, but as sites of dwelling that have agency in their own right.
Flood memories – media, narratives and remembrance of wet landscapes in England
Authors: Krause Franz , Garde-Hansen Joanne , Whyte Nicola
Published: June 2013

Floods are a threat to livelihoods and landscapes in many places around the world and at many points in history. Yet, they also seem to be an intrinsic component of many landscapes and livelihoods. This article explores the interconnection of multi-directional narratives of flooding through the representation of the memories of inhabitants of wet landscapes in past and present England. The article will illustrate three aspects of the relationship between floods and memory: first, the contextual mediation of flood memories in the contemporary moment. Here audio-visual and textual media (photographs, newspapers articles, television news broadcasts) of present and past flooding compete for our attention; second, the documentation of the early modern English treatment of a changing ‘wateryscape’ and whether we can discern dis/continua with and in contemporary media; and third, the dis/connecting narratives of living with floods in the present day. We emphasize that remembering and forgetting floods is an active and creative process for both flooding communities and those who research them. Stories and experiences of past floods are strategically used within, between and across communities to construct a particular sense of self and a statement on vulnerability and resilience to floods. Thereby the article contributes to developing a creative engagement between past and present, which goes beyond encompassing hegemonic narratives of historical and environmental change by reinforcing the potential of researching everyday, experiential landscapes beyond arbitrary periodization.
Archiving memories of changing flood risk: Interdisciplinary explorations around knowledge for resilience
Authors: McEwen Lindsey , Reeves Dave , Brice Jethro , Meadley Fiona Kam , Lewis Karen , Macdonald Neil
Published: June 2013

This article explores the changing nature of the flood archive, drawing on different disciplinary perspectives, approaches and attitudes. It uses a braiding metaphor to map a journey around shifting islands that contain different primary research on flood archives – in expert hydrology, in lay flood knowledges, in capturing flood narratives and memories, in drawing on folk song as an informal archive and in charting archives for a fluid landscape. The narrative and critical commentary ‘in the flow’ draws out interlinking themes, exploring what forms of archive can capture, and share reflections on, a landscape that is increasingly or episodically wet – a fluid landscape? It explores different facets of the flood archive: in terms of fact versus fiction, the changing nature of material archived, who archives, changing archival practice, changing use of archives and future archives. It concludes that informal archives have the potential to form a key resource in communities learning to live with changing flood risk and uncertainty.
Halphen's transform and middle convolution
Authors: Reiter Stefan
Published: June 2013

We show that the Halphen transform of a Lamé equation can be written as the symmetric square of the Lamé equation followed by an Euler transform.
We use this to compute a list of Lamé equations with arithmetic Fuchsian monodromy group. It contains all those Lamé equations
where the quaternion algebra A associated
to the arithmetic Fuchsian group is defined over ℚ.
Multilingual Speaker Identification by Combining Evidence from LPR and Multitaper MFCC
Authors: Nagaraja B.G. , Jayanna H.S.
Published: June 2013

In this work, the significance of combining the evidence from multitaper mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC), linear prediction residual (LPR), and linear prediction residual phase (LPRP) features for multilingual speaker identification with the constraint of limited data condition is demonstrated. The LPR is derived from linear prediction analysis, and LPRP is obtained by dividing the LPR using its Hilbert envelope. The sine-weighted cepstrum estimators (SWCE) with six tapers are considered for multitaper MFCC feature extraction. The Gaussian mixture model–universal background model is used for modeling each speaker for different evidence. The evidence is then combined at scoring level to improve the performance. The monolingual, crosslingual, and multilingual speaker identification studies were conducted using 30 randomly selected speakers from the IITG multivariability speaker recognition database. The experimental results show that the combined evidence improves the performance by nearly 8–10% compared with individual evidence.