bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disproportionate growth between the spine and pelvis in patients with thoracic adolescent scoliosis
Authors: Bao H. , Liu Z. , Yan P. , Qiu Y. , Zhu F.
Published: December 2015

A self-control ratio, the spine-pelvis index (SPI), was proposed for the assessment of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) in this study. The aim was to evaluate the disproportionate growth between the spine and pelvis in these patients using SPI. A total of 64 female patients with thoracic AIS were randomly enrolled between December 2010 and October 2012 (mean age 13 years, standard deviation (sd) 2.17; 9 to 18) and a further 73 healthy female patients with a mean age of 12.4 years (mean age 12.4 years, sd 2.24; 9 to 18), were randomly selected from a normal control database at our centre. The radiographic parameters measured included length of spine (LOS), height of spine (HOS), length of thoracic vertebrae (LOT), height of thoracic vertebrae (HOT), width of pelvis (WOP), height of pelvis (HOP) and width of thorax (WOT). SPI was defined as the ratio LOS/HOP. The SPI and LOT/HOP in patients with AIS showed a significant increase when compared with normal girls (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001 respectively), implying an abnormal pattern of growth of the spine relative to the pelvis in patients with AIS.

No significant difference in SPI was found in different age groups in the control group, making the SPI an age-independent parameter with a mean value of 2.219 (2.164 to 2.239). We also found that the SPI was not related to maturity in the control group.

This study, for the first time, used a self-control ratio to confirm the disproportionate patterns of growth of the spine and pelvis in patients with thoracic AIS, highlighting that the SPI is not affected by age or maturity.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1668–74.
Culture, arts and health: A multi-disciplinary Swedish perspective
Authors: Sigurdson Ola
Published: December 2015

The primary aim of this article is to introduce how culture and health, as a field of enquiry as well as practice, is organized conceptually in Sweden. A secondary and minor aim is to launch a more general discussion of the relationship between ‘culture’, ‘arts’ and ‘health’ and their implication for multi-disciplinary research. After introducing how ‘Culture and Health’ as an academic as well as applied field of enquiry has been introduced in Sweden and giving some examples of current research, I relate this project to a more general discussion of definitions of health and culture in a Swedish and an English-speaking setting. In particular, I show that ‘Culture and Health’ in a Swedish setting encompasses both ‘Arts and Health’ and ‘Medical Humanities’. Finally, I offer some pragmatic considerations on why a multi-disciplinary perspective is vital for ‘Culture and Health’, ending up in a concluding presentation of the implications of this multi-disciplinarity for the organization of the field of ‘Culture and Health’ in Sweden.
‘Better than Medicine’: Theatre and health in the contemporary Norwegian context
Authors: Torrissen Wenche
Published: December 2015

This article documents the practice of act2 and Teater Vildenvei, two collaborative theatres in health companies in Norway. Based on an analysis of the companies’ aims and objectives, their ethos, their particular working methods and the plays they have produced, I will examine the values that underpin the work of the two companies. The aim here is to assess what strategies the companies use in their work to promote health and well-being for marginalized and socially excluded groups in society. Working with people affected by addiction and mental health service users, respectively, act2 and Teater Vildenvei are using the medium of theatre to facilitate change processes that help the participants gain access, networks and a voice to enable empowerment. If health is the manifestation of empowerment, what might the empowerment of these voices mean for both individuals and for the groups at large? This article will not address the health effects of theatre in terms of medical effects, but it will assess why some participants of act2 and Teater Vildenvei describe the interventions as ‘better than medicine’ and ‘good medicine’. A tentative explanation is that both act2 and Teater Vildenvei provide radically different solutions to people’s problems than those offered by the biomedical model of health. Instead of treatment and diagnosis, act2 and Teater Vildenvei focus on resources, personhood, enablement, social support and empowerment in their attempt to promote health and well-being.
Can an art museum help in combating loneliness?
Authors: Overgaard Iben , Sørensen Nelli Øvre
Published: December 2015

This article discusses two research projects, which took place during the period 2012–2015 at the Storm P. Museum. The projects were headed by Iben Overgaard and Nelli Sørensen. The intention was to study how the museum space can contribute towards an inclusive environment that stimulates the creation of communities between socially lonely people. The first project was an art workshop for mentally vulnerable adults who were often stigmatized and therefore felt socially excluded. The second project was a reminiscence workshop for lonely elderly people in which the participants talked about their own life-experience and discussed the influence Storm P’s art had had on their family and on social culture in Copenhagen, while the museum contributed with narratives about Storm P’s art and life. Both projects emerged from a wish to study how workshops in a museum context could enable participation in activities that both stimulate relational processes and contribute to the participants’ experience of greater meaning in their lives. The projects were funded by The Danish Agency for Culture and Frederiksberg Municipality. The projects provided a space for collaboration between the museum and the target groups. The participants found the art and reminiscence projects at the museum meaningful, both socially and culturally. We found that the Storm P. Museum has potential as an agent of social inclusion via co-creation, and that museums may address community building and recovery. The projects proved to be mutually beneficial, as participants had life-enriching experiences and felt less lonely, while the museum and the researchers gained valuable sociocultural knowledge.
Annotated bibliography of Arts in Health in Scandinavia
Authors: Burt Lucy
Published: December 2015

The role that the arts can play in the promotion of health has been a point of increasing focus over the last two decades, particularly in Scandinavia. This bibliography provides an overview of some of the research that has been conducted in Scandinavia, including articles on public health, cultural activities, music and drama-based interventions, clown doctors and museums. Some of the articles describe successful, innovative projects that have already been conducted, while some provide arguments for future movements and some present evidence from formal research studies.
‘Sharing Air’ with ‘Gandhi Toxin’ during ‘Exile’ in ‘2099’ AD: Manjula Padmanabhan’s short stories
Authors: Khan Sami Ahmad
Published: December 2015

This article studies four (science fiction [SF]) short stories written by Manjula Padmanabhan in order to draw linkages between the texts and their contemporary material realities. Using the theoretical framework of Darko Suvin’s novum, it focuses on the extent to which contemporary discourses contour the narrative framework and thematic concerns of an SF text. Each story studied here represents at least one specific malady that afflicts contemporary India. This article seeks to locate and determine how Padmanabhan engages in social criticism, and how the self-aware delivery mechanism of SF is deployed for this sociopolitical indictment.
Innovating for public health: Towards harmonized medicines regulatory systems in Africa
Authors: Mugwagwa Julius
Published: December 2015

Harmonization of activities in various facets of health systems is an area of considerable historical and current policy and practice interest in Africa. This article emanates from a two-year analysis of processes towards harmonization of medicines regulatory systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Indeed due to low levels of regulatory expertise, high regulatory costs and increasing prevalence of unregistered and counterfeit medicines, African countries are pursuing the feasibility of harmonization of their medicines regulatory systems as a policy option. Some of the challenges for attainment of harmonized cross-national regulatory systems include perennial weaknesses in national medicines regulatory systems and continuous changes in stakeholders, champions, motivations and models for the processes and outputs of harmonization. Confirming the presence of an active agenda towards harmonization of medicines regulatory systems in Africa, this article cautions though that harmonization should not be an isolated activity, but should leverage existing regional integration agendas and political legitimacy, while balancing between commercial and health care interests.
Selection of a sustainability awareness project in an academic institution using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP )
Authors: Yadav Shiv Shankar Kumar , Gupta Hima , Bandyopadhayay Asit
Published: December 2015

The past decade (2005–2014) was the decade for the Education for Sustainability (EfS) declared by the United Nations, in view of the spread of sustainability awareness. The literature argued that one of the rapid ways of achieving spread of sustainability awareness is to educate students who are more adaptive and eager to learn and who could be turned into more aggressive and revolutionary spreading agents of the ‘sustainability awareness’ practices. In that too, lead might be taken by management and social sciences students because their working field is society itself, and thus they could be more confronted and inclined towards decision-making and social interactions role, as compared to other disciplines. This article demonstrates one of such efforts where selection decision about the sustainability awareness projects lies in root in an academic institution to make students learn about sustainable development concepts and practices. The finding of the study suggests that out of three significantly relevant projects the ‘Reuseactivity Project’ was found to be the best alternative when evaluated on multiple criterion like cost, faculty involvement, time and impact. The analysis used was the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), being one of the highly used multi-criteria decision analyses. The findings were further cross-checked under what-if (sensitivity) scenarios for its robustness amidst different criteria variations.
Interacciones entre cultura(s) y religión en minorías socio-religiosas. El caso de los musulmanes y evangélicos-pentecostales en España
Authors: Montañés Antonio
Published: December 2015

En el presente artículo, homenaje a la obra del profesor Pérez-Agote, abordo dos de las temáticas que han atraído la atención del sociólogo en la última década: la secularización y el pluralismo religioso. Se intenta contribuir particularmente al estudio del segundo fenómeno, pluralismo religioso, en relación a las dos religiones no católicas más importantes en España en la actualidad, Islam y Evangelismo-Pentecostal, mediante el análisis de cómo, bajo qué circunstancias y en qué medida la interacción (diferenciación/des-diferenciación) cultura-religión es relevante para la supervivencia de la religión en situación de minoría social.
Los conflictos culturales y la marca de la des-diferenciación social
Authors: Gómez Seguel Andrés
Published: December 2015

En términos generales el conocimiento sociológico indica que la modernidad va acompañada de procesos de diferenciación funcional. No obstante, estos procesos son altamente improbables y, como consecuencia, están siempre propensos a una des-diferenciación. El artículo tiene por objetivo relacionar el proceso de des-diferenciación con el ámbito de la cultura. Esta propuesta se realiza a través del concepto de conflictos culturales y señala algunos casos latinoamericanos que contribuyen a la controvertida hipótesis de la des-diferenciación.
Notes on a Sociology of Bullying: Young Men's Homophobia as Gender Socialization
Authors: Pascoe C. J.
Published: December 2015

Popular and academic discourses frame bullying as something that one, often high-status, homophobic kid directs at another, often lower status, GLB young person, frequently with devastating results. This article unpacks current popular and academic discourses of bullying. In doing so it highlights the important role these aggressive interactions play in boys' gender socialization. Using a case study of homophobic bullying among teenage boys in adolescence this article suggests that studying homophobic bullying is less important as an individual pathology and more salient as a form of gender socialization and a mechanism by which gender inequality is reproduced. An inequality focused frame for bullying would privilege examining interactions, rather than individual qualities of bullies and victims; would investigate the various relationships in which these aggressive interactions take place, such as friendships rather than presuming a peer power imbalance; and flesh out a new vocabulary of bullying such that it is understood as a social problem that is not unique to young people, but reflects larger structural inequalities.
Entelechy and Irony in Political Time: The Preemptive Rhetoric of Nixon and Obama
Authors: Steudeman Michael J.
Published: December 2015

This essay makes two key arguments. The first is that preemptive politics often rely on strategies of rhetorical irony to cultivate perceptions of reasonableness, humility, and dialectical transcendence. As such, I expand the rhetorical conception of Stephen Skowronek's “political time” thesis to reveal its dimensions as a Burkean “ironic development.” The second argument is that Barack Obama's rhetorical strategy more directly fits the typology of preemptive presidents than that of reconstructive presidents, making him far more comparable in “political time” with Richard Nixon than with Ronald Reagan. I proceed to analyze the two presidential candidates' rhetoric in their first winning campaigns for the presidency to discern the extent of these parallels and reveal the applicability of an ironist political style in preemptive electoral situations. The essay concludes by examining the trajectory of liberalism in political time and the implications of this analysis for preemptive “wild cards” in presidential rhetoric.
Selling Democracy and the Rhetorical Habits of Synthetic Conflict: John Dewey as Pragmatic Rhetor in China
Authors: Stroud Scott R.
Published: December 2015

This study examines the case of the American philosopher John Dewey as rhetor and public intellectual in China in 1919–1921 to elucidate the lived rhetoric of pragmatism. In China, Dewey gave more than 200 lectures to large academic and general audiences on topics such as education, philosophy, and science. This lecturing activity represents a remarkable and complex rhetorical situation as it involves Dewey addressing an audience not familiar with his ideas and potentially open to persuasion. Using recently discovered lecture notes written by Dewey and translations from the Chinese interpretations of his lectures, I argue that his lectures evinced a pragmatist rhetorical style that attempted to reconstruct dominant habits of thought and communication among his Chinese audiences. In so doing, this study advances our understanding of Dewey as rhetor and the theoretical grounds of the pragmatist rhetoric of experience and synthetic conflict.
Black America’s Double War: Ralph Ellison and “Critical Participation” during World War II
Authors: Werner Jansen B.
Published: December 2015

This essay analyzes Ralph Ellison’s 1943 “Editorial Comment” from the Negro Quarterly. In the editorial, Ellison highlighted the shortcomings of black America’s attitudinal responses to World War II; as a corrective, he offered “critical participation,” which entailed supporting U.S. and Allied principles while remaining vigilant against white supremacy. I argue that Ellison’s editorial signified more than just a meditation on wartime political strategies; it also marked the articulation of black community. Through a close reading of Ellison’s editorial, I contend that the text grounded black community in the enactment of self-conscious doubleness. Ellison’s appeal to self-conscious doubleness contributed to African American intellectual culture in that it outlined an innovative way for navigating the constraints of “double consciousness.” Rather than regarding doubleness as indicative of a static identity, Ellison engaged it as a source of dynamic rhetorical possibility.
Imagining Moral Presidential Speech: Barack Obama’s Niebuhrian Nobel
Authors: Rhodes Joseph , Hlavacik Mark
Published: December 2015

This essay continues the ongoing discussion Robert Terrill began and Joshua Reeves and Matthew May joined regarding the moral, philosophical, and rhetorical choices made in Barack Obama’s 2009 Nobel lecture. We argue that Obama’s address is best understood as an articulation of Reinhold Niebuhr’s rhetoric of Christian Realism—Obama wrote the lecture himself and prepared for it by studying the influential theologian’s works. Importantly, Obama is not the first rhetor to use the moral and political thought of Niebuhr to situate his or her public address; the list includes Martin Luther King Jr., Saul Alinsky, Jimmy Carter, John McCain, and Hillary Clinton. Yet Niebuhr’s vocabulary remains largely unstudied by public address scholars and rhetorical theorists. We argue that criticizing the moral and political judgments made in Obama’s address by the Niebuhrian standards the president sets for it provides an alternative method by which to evaluate the speech’s successes and failures. In so doing, we also provide the field of public address with its first account of the rhetorical possibilities and limitations of Reinhold Niebuhr’s work, specifically his vision of a “spiritualized-technician”—a rhetor who speaks the language of realism, idealism, and irony, to expand an audience’s moral imagination.
Escala de perceção dos alunos sobre a sua identificação escolar: Construção e validação
Authors: Conboy Joseph , Carvalho Carolina , Santos João , Gama Ana Paula , Tavares David , Fonseca Jesuína , Martins Dulce , Salema Maria Helena , Fiúza Edite
Published: December 2015

O presente estudo descreve o processo de construção e validação de uma escala que avalia a perceção dos alunos sobre a sua identificação escolar. Os questionários foram aplicados a uma amostra de 1089 alunos do 6 º, 7 º, 9 º e 10º anos de escolaridade (mediana da idade =13 anos) em Portugal continental, a partir da qual foram extraídas duas sub-amostras aleatórias, sem valores missing. Uma sub-amostra foi submetida a análise fatorial exploratória, sendo a segunda sub-amostra sujeita a uma análise fatorial confirmatória. Embora a literatura aponte para duas dimensões, estes procedimentos conduziram a uma estrutura tridimensional: (a) Valorização pessoal/intrínseca, α = .74; (b) Valorização no sentido prático/utilitarista, α = .74; e (c) Sentimentos de pertença e bem-estar, α = .78. As escalas revelam-se úteis e adequadas para avaliar as perceções dos alunos sobre a sua identificação escolar.
Teoria da mente e pensamento contrafactual em crianças de baixo nível socioeconómico
Authors: Rasga Célia , Quelhas Ana Cristina , Couto Marta , Marques João
Published: December 2015

O nosso trabalho propõe explorar a compreensão das crianças de baixo nível socioeconómico acerca das razões que os outros têm para as acções, ou seja, pretendemos explorar o efeito do conhecimento sobre as razões para as acções, aquando de raciocínios contrafactuais e de falsas crenças, ampliando-o ao desenvolvimento das crianças. Trabalhos anteriores mostraram que as pessoas tendem a pensar sobre as acções de forma diferente quando têm conhecimentos sobre as razões para uma acção. Um passo importante para a compreensão das acções de outras pessoas é o raciocínio sobre as suas intenções (Juhos, Quelhas, & Byrne, 2015; Walsh & Byrne, 2007).Crianças de 6 e 8 anos foram testadas com uma nova tarefa: a tarefa de mudanças de intenções, a qual analisou cenários onde um actor tem uma razão inicial (desejo ou obrigação) para uma acção, que é posteriormente alterada. Os resultados mostraram que as crianças de 6 anos cometem mais erros nas inferências de falsas crenças do que nas inferências contrafactuais, uma vez que estas crianças tendem a centrar-se mais nos desejos aquando de inferências de falsas crenças. Estes resultados contribuem para a discussão aberta sobre a relação entre o pensamento contrafactual e a teoria da mente, como também traz alguma luz sobre como as crianças pensam as diferentes razões para as acções.
Down the Rabbit Hole with David Greetham
Authors: Lauer Emily
Published: December 2015

Based on a talk given at the Symposium in honor of Dr. Greetham’s retirement, this essay addresses the influence Greetham has had on the author’s scholarship and pedagogy. Lauer describes a project she completed as Greetham’s student in which she analyzed the illustration history of the book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. She argues that the history of a text’s illustration can be read as a history of publishing intent: just as different annotations suit a text for a particular implied readership, so too do different illustrations. The illustrators of Alice come after each other, not to re-envision the words of Lewis Carroll, but to re-envision the scenes as already represented pictorially. Furthermore, Lauer posits that the creation of different illustrated editions is part of the historical trajectory of versioning. As Greetham says of annotation, illustration, too, is “always contingent and local, for the relationship between text and audience is always changing” (1994, 369).
“By her unveil’d each horrid crime appears”: Authorship, Text, and Subtext in Phillis Wheatley’s Variants Poems
Authors: Bly Antonio T.
Published: December 2015

In 1773, Phillis Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral appeared print. Ever since the publication of her book of neoclassic verse, the African-born poet has been a controversial figure in American History. At the center of the controversy is the question of whether or not the mother of the African American literary tradition criticized slavery. While some scholars have denounced Wheatley for not addressing the institution; others argue that her work represented a subtle critique. Ironically, missing in this discourse are the poet’s diacritical marks that underscores not only the power of words to mean, but also subversive readings—both of which are the focus of this essay.
“On the Early Letters of Ernest Hemingway: Teasing, Typing, Editing”
Authors: Allen Edward
Published: December 2015

Ernest Hemingway has rarely seemed a reliable pen pal, not through any fault of his own, but because the evidence for determining any such identity has been hard to assemble. In 2011, Sandra Spanier and Robert W. Trogdon published the first volume of Hemingway’s collected letters, and in doing so, prompted a reevaluation of his epistolary habit; one that requires careful editing and close textual scrutiny. Taking the first volume of the new Letters as a case study, this essay offers an interpretative approach to matters of textuality, typographic expression, and mechanical accident that lie at the heart of Hemingway’s early life-writing.
O władzy ludzi nad zwierzętami w kulturze zachodniej – perspektywa posthumanistyczna
Authors: Gajewska Grażyna
Published: December 2015

In this paper, I discuss the problem of human ascendance over animals. The issue is particularly important and often addressed in contemporary intellectual current referred to as posthumanism. In this framework, the interest in humanity is not abandoned, but one departs from the anthropocentric approach. The prefix “post” denotes a shift of focus, from problems and intellectual positions which underline the privileged status of the human to non-anthropocentric attitudes. These are non-anthropocentric humanities, although the designation itself is paradoxical, and  undermines the legitimacy of the humanities in general, since anthropos is the principal subject of research of the discipline and the humanistic approach. For those reasons, “non-anthropocentric humanities” and other ones as well, such as “non-humanist anthropology”, “anthropology of objects”, “anthropology of cyborgs” or finally “posthumanities” provoke reservations. Still, this is a problem which always appears when appropriate words are lacking to describe a set of new tendencies, directions of research or intellectual approaches which have not yet developed a suitable terminology. The prefix “post” suggests that new phenomena cannot be rendered by means of the former notions and categories; new methods which make it possible have to be sought. In the case of notions such as “non-anthropocentric humanities” and “posthumanities”, the important thing is that they forecast as change of the dominant in the tendencies, directions and methods of (post)humanistic studies. They do not draw upon humanism as a specific approach to the world in whose centre one finds the human being, but to the non-essentialist and non-hierarchically oriented posthumanism.
Prasa i film II Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej wobec handlu białymi niewolnicami
Authors: Suchenek Renata
Published: December 2015

This article presents, from a historical perspective, the role that the press and film played in the fight against slave trade in 2nd Republic of Poland, in the years 1918-1939. Source material for the paper had been obtained from state archives (the Archive of New Acts in Warsaw, the State Archive in Poznań) and the Archdiocesan Archive in Poznań, as well as excerpted from magazines and films from the period. Articles and press statements which provided information on human trafficking, human traffickers, socio-political countermeasures employed in Europe and in Poland conveyed the image of Polish involvement in the fight against human trafficking, the victims of which were Polish women. Films (scientific, feature films) were the means of propaganda in the fight against human trafficking, the main goal of which was mostly raising public awarenesssłowa klucze
The Tendency Towards Secondarity in Managing Global Imbalances
Authors: Croitoru Lucian
Published: December 2015

In this study, we analyse the factors that have led to the fall of real interest rates on the long term. We show that this tendency, i.e. the fall in real interest rates, which began three decades ago in developed countries is well explained by the emergence and growth of the global saving glut. We formulate the hypothesis according to which the increase in the global excess saving is mostly the result of a process whereby countries place themselves on a secondary position vis-à-vis the US (i.e. secondarity) with regard to taking and managing risks which occur after a crisis. The ensuing peculiarity of global excess saving is that it is generated in an increasing number of countries or economic areas, with the overwhelming part located in a few of them, while the overwhelming part of the global deficit of savings is located in the US.

Secondarity is caused both by governments, which have sought to move to excess saving, as was the case of Asian countries (Bernanke, 2005), or to capping budget deficits, as it happened in the Eurozone and in the EU, and by the free choice of every economic agent in the private sector. Secondarity represents a major cause for a vicious circle in which the decline in interest rates to ever lower levels has led to the emergence of financial bubbles, whose bursting requires the further reduction of interest rates, thus generating new bubbles and so on and so forth. Misinterpreted in real time as the “Great Moderation”, this vicious circle went unobserved.
Physiological Threshold of Somatic Cell Count in Milk of Polish Heath Sheep and Polish Lowland Sheep
Authors: Świderek Wiesław Piotr , Charon Krystyna Małgorzata , Winnicka Anna , Gruszczyńska Joanna , Pierzchała Mariusz
Published: December 2015

The study was conducted on 320 sheep of two breeds: Polish Heath Sheep (PHS) and Polish Lowland Sheep (PLS). Udder health status was assessed based on somatic cell count (SCC) and bacteriological examination of milk. Cells of the immune system (leukocyte populations and lymphocyte subpopulations) were identified in the blood and milk of sheep by flow cytometry, using a panel of specific monoclonal antibodies and fluorescent dyes. The study showed that the highest proportion of neutrophils and a lower percentage of lymphocytes (CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, WC1-N2+) in milk and blood occurred in sheep of both breeds in which milk SCC ranged between 201 and 300×103 cells/ml. In light of existing research, these results suggest that fluctuations in somatic cell count of ewe milk are physiologically determined up to 200×103cells/ml and result from udder health disturbances above this level.
7. Associations between Polymorphisms in the DIO3 Gene and Reproductive Traits and Carcass Performance in Pigs
Authors: Oczkowicz Maria , Dunkowska Anna , Piórkowska Katarzyna , Mucha Aurelia , Tyra Mirosław , Ropka-Molik Katarzyna
Published: December 2015

Recently, DIO3 gene has been proposed as a candidate gene for litter size in pigs. Moreover, it was shown that polymorphism in this gene is associated with carcass traits. In this study we identified several SNPs within coding sequence of DIO3 by HRM method and performed association study between two polymorphisms and reproductive and carcass traits in pigs bred in Poland. Analysis of 350 pigs of Landrace and Large White breed revealed several significant associations for rs80999359, like period between the second and third parities (2IP)(P<0.0008) in the whole population, period between the third and fourth parities (3IP) (P<0.022), number of piglets born alive (L3NBA) (P<0.0084) and number of piglets at 21 days (L3NB21d) (P<0.0176) at the third parity in Large White as well as period between the second and third parities (2IP) (P<0.0012) in Landrace breed. The second polymorphism (rs80983654) was associated with 1IP (P<0.0218), number of piglets born alive at the fourth parity (L4NBA, P<0.027), number of piglets at 21 day at the fourth litter (L4NB21d, P<0.01), in the whole population, average number of piglets born alive (ANBA, P<0.01250), average number of piglets at 21 day (ANB21d, P<0.009), average interparity period (AIP, P<0.016), age at the first parity (1AP, P<0.003), (1IP, P<0.001, L4NBA, P<0.017, L4NB21d, P<0.005) in Large White breed. In contrast, we have found only few associations between DIO3 polymorphisms and carcass traits. rs80999359 was associated with backfat thickness (p<0.01) while rs80983654 with the weight of ham. Our results suggest that polymorphisms within DIO3 gene may be associated with reproductive traits.
Pedigree Analysis of Mangalica Pig Breeds
Authors: Posta János , Szabó Péter , Komlósi István
Published: December 2015

An effective gene conservation programme requires the knowledge of genetic variability of the population. The genetic structure of Mangalica pig breeds (Blonde, Red and Swallow-bellied) was studied from pedigree records. Herdbook data available up to 2011 of registered Mangalica pig breeds (Blonde, Red and Swallow-bellied) were analysed. The number of complete generations was 6 for Blonde and 5 for Red and Swallow-bellied Mangalica whereas the average complete generation equivalent was between 3.51 and 6.01. The average level of inbreeding of the reference population was low (4.07–5.87%). The investigated breeds could be considered as small populations based on the probability of gene origin. The most important ancestor contributed between 9 and 16% of the gene pool of the reference populations. The longest generation interval was found for the sire-to-son pathways whereas the shortest for dam-to-daughter pathways for each breed.
Numerical analysis of evaporation in microchannel under capillary pumping
Authors: Karwacki Jarosław , Nowakowska Helena , Lackowski Marcin , Butrymowicz Dariusz
Published: December 2015

The paper presents numerical simulation of two-phase flow in a heated capillary with evaporation on the meniscus. To solve the problem, a model of evaporation from meniscus was developed in which the dynamics of liquid-vapour interface is described by the Cahn-Hilliard equation. The numerical simulations were performed using commercial software for 2D axially symmetric case. The flow evolution was analysed for different values of heat transfer coefficient at the capillary wall and inlet liquid mass flow rate.
Entropy generation in a condenser and related correlations
Authors: Askowski Rafał , Jaworski Maciej , Smyk Adam
Published: December 2015

The paper presents an analysis of relations describing entropy generation in a condenser of a steam unit. Connections between entropy generation, condenser ratio, and heat exchanger effectiveness, as well as relations implied by them are shown. Theoretical considerations allowed to determine limits of individual parameters which describe the condenser operation. Various relations for average temperature of the cold fluid were compared. All the proposed relations were verified against data obtained using a simulator and actual measurement data from a 200 MW unit condenser. Based on data from a simulator it was examined how the sum of entropy rates, steam condenser effectiveness, terminal temperature difference and condenser ratio vary with the change in the inlet cooling water temperature, mass flow rate of steam and the cooling water mass flow rate.
Selected aspects of operation of supercritical (transcritical) organic Rankine cycle
Authors: Mocarsk Szymon , Borsukiewicz-Gozdur Aleksandra
Published: December 2015

The paper presents a literature review on the topic of vapour power plants working according to the two-phase thermodynamic cycle with supercritical parameters. The main attention was focused on a review of articles and papers on the vapour power plants working using organic circulation fluids powered with low- and medium-temperature heat sources. Power plants with water-steam cycle supplied with a high-temperature sources have also been shown, however, it has been done mainly to show fundamental differences in the efficiency of the power plant and applications of organic and water-steam cycles. Based on a review of available literature references a comparative analysis of the parameters generated by power plants was conducted, depending on the working fluid used, the type and parameters of the heat source, with particular attention to the needs of power plant internal load.
Fighting in the Fightschools late XVth, early XVIth century
Authors: Jaquet Daniel
Published: December 2015

This article discusses the role played by Fightmaster (master-at-arms, Schirm- or Fechtmeister ) in the Fightschools (Fechtschulen ) taking place in the swiss cities at the end of the middle ages. The strong link between these lessstudied events and the practice of martial arts according to the technical literature (Fechtbücher) will be examined, as well as the figure of the Fightmaster.

By collecting references out of normative documents regarding those events, it is possible to sketch both the fighting praxis inside the fightschools and the expertise of the Fightmaster in relation with the town’s authorities. Doing so, the questions of the professional performances, the reputation and the representation of the Fightmaster will be addressed. This approach will be illustrated by the case study of a master at arms, Peter Switzer
Nutzungsgesteuerte Erwerbung an der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz (SBB-PK): Vom Experiment in die Routine
Authors: Präßler Janin
Published: December 2015

Die Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz (SBB-PK) hat seit September 2013 drei unterschiedliche Modelle der nutzer- bzw. nutzungsgesteuerten Erwerbung erprobt: ein aggregatorenbasiertes PDA-Modell, ein verlagsbasiertes EBS-Modell und ein PDA-Print-Modell. In dem folgenden Beitrag geht es um die zentralen Ergebnisse und Erfahrungswerte mit diesen Erwerbungsmodellen. Am Ende steht die Entscheidung, ob dieses Erwerbungsinstrument vom Status „Pilotprojekt“ in die Routine überführt wird und nach welchem Modell. Dabei gehören die Qualität der Metadaten und die aktuelle Entwicklung des Marktes zu den großen Herausforderungen.
Synthesis and properties of novel reusable nano-ordered KIT-5-N-sulfamic acid as a heterogeneous catalyst for solvent-free synthesis of 2,4,5-triaryl-1 H-imidazoles
Authors: Mirsafaei Razieh , Heravi Majid M. , Ahmadi Shervin , Hosseinnejad Tayebeh
Published: December 2015

A novel silica-bonded propyl-
Ramipril inhibits high glucose-stimulated up-regulation of adhesion molecules via the ERK1/2 MAPK signaling pathway in human umbilical vein endothelial cells
Authors: Kim Moo Hyun , Kang Hae Min , Kim Chae-Eun , Han Seongho , Kim Sung-Whan
Published: December 2015

Ramipril has recently been shown to have anti-atherogenic properties. However, the specific mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of ramipril on induction of adhesion molecules in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) using high-glucose (HG) conditions and to investigate possible underlying molecular mechanisms. The effects of ramipril on expression of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 production, and ERK phosphorylation were examined in HG-induced HUVECs with inhibitors targeting the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. HG induced the expression of the adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. Pretreatment with ramipril drastically inhibited ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 production in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Moreover, upon investigating the effects of ramipril on the MAPK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway, we found that ramipril completely inhibited HG-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2. ERK inhibitors completely prevented the inhibitory effect of HG. This study demonstrated that ramipril reduces HG-stimulated induction of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression via MAPK signaling, which may be useful for inhibition of atherosclerosis.
Relatively Orthocomplemented Skew Nearlattices in Rickart Rings
Authors: Cīırulis Jānis
Published: December 2015

A class of (right) Rickart rings, called strong, is isolated. In particular, every Rickart *-ring is strong. It is shown in the paper that every strong Rickart ring R admits a binary operation which turns R into a right normal band having an upper bound property with respect to its natural order ≤; such bands are known as right normal skew nearlattices. The poset (R, ≤) is relatively orthocomplemented; in particular, every initial segment in it is orthomodular.

The order ≤ is actually a version of the so called right-star order. The one-sided star orders are well-investigated for matrices and recently have been generalized to bounded linear Hilbert space operators and to abstract Rickart *-rings. The paper demonstrates that they can successfully be treated also in Rickart rings without involution.
Multi-Sorted Logic and Logical Geometry: Some Problems
Authors: Plotkin B. , Plotkin E.
Published: December 2015

The paper has a form of a survey on basics of logical geometry and consists of three parts. It is focused on the relationship between many-sorted theory, which leads to logical geometry and one-sorted theory, which is based on important model-theoretic concepts. Our aim is to show that both approaches go in parallel and there are bridges which allow to transfer results, notions and problems back and forth. Thus, an additional freedom in choosing an approach appears. A list of problems which naturally arise in this field is another objective of the paper.
A radiocarbon-dated cave sequence and thePleistocene/Holocene transition in Hungary
Authors: Sümegi Pál , Náfrádi Katalin
Published: December 2015

The Petény Cave located on the Hungarian Highlandsyielded one of the most well-documented vertebratefauna of the Late Pleistocene and Holocene in Hungary. Inaddition to the vertebrate remains, considerable numbersof mollusc shells and charcoals were retrieved from theprofile of the rock shelter. Furthermore, a pollen sequenceclose to the cavewas also evaluated in order to reconstructthe flora of the region. A new radiocarbon analysis of samplesfrom the Petény Cave was used to correlate data ofdifferent methods and to correct the earlier outcomes. Thecave sequence exposes layers from 15.180 cal BP to 483 calBP. Nevertheless, based on our new radiocarbon data, thesequence is incomplete and layers corresponding to thePleistocene/Holocene boundary are missing from the profile.The results of our radiocarbon analysis clearly supportconsiderable amounts of thermo-mesophylous gastropodspecies appearing as early as 15.180 cal BP. The appearanceof deciduous woodlands in the Carpathian Basin alongwith the concomitant mollusc elements is much earlierthan previously assumed, supporting the presence of temperatewoodland refugia in the study area.
Effects of Land Use and Management on SoilHydraulic Properties
Authors: Horel Ágota , Tóth Eszter , Gelybó Györgyi , Kása Ilona , Bakacsi Zsófia , Farkas Csilla
Published: December 2015

Soil hydraulic properties are among the most importantparameters that determine soil quality and its capabilityto serve the ecosystem. Land use can significantlyinfluence soil properties, including its hydraulic conditions;however, additional factors, such as changes in climate(temperature and precipitation), can further influencethe land use effects on soil hydraulic properties. Inorder to develop possible adaptation measures and mitigateany negative effects of land use and climatic changes,it is important to study the impact of land use and changesin land use on soil hydraulic properties. In this paper,we summarize recent studies examining the effect of landuse/land cover and the associated changes in soil hydraulicproperties, mainly focusing on agricultural scenariosof cultivated croplands and different tillage systems.
Kohonen Artificial Neural Networks and the IndVal Index as Supplementary Tools for the Quantitative Analysis of Palaeoecological Data
Authors: Płóciennik Mateusz , Kruk Andrzej , Michczyńska Danuta J. , Birks John B.
Published: December 2015

We applied two widely-used methods for data partitioning - constrained incremental sum-of-squares (CONISS) and Optimal Partitioning (OP) along with two supplementary methods, a Kohonen artificial neural network (self-organising map, SOM) and the indicator value (IndVal) index, for the quantitative analysis of subfossil chironomid assemblages from a palaeolake in Central Poland. The samples, taken from 79 core depths, were divided into 5-11 groups (five by SOM, seven by CONISS, 11 by OP), for which different numbers of indicator taxa were determined with the use of the IndVal index (18 for CONISS, 15 for SOM, 11 for OP). Only six indicator taxa were common to all three methods. The number of highly specific (p < 0.001) taxa was highest for SOM. Only the SOM analysis clearly reflected the rate of the changes in chironomid assemblages, which occurred rapidly in the Late Glacial (as a result of greater climate variability) and slowly in the Holocene (as a reflection of slow long-term changes in the local habitat, such as paludification). In summary, we recommend using SOM and the IndVal index in combination with CONISS and/or OP in order to detect different aspects of temporal variability in complex multivariate palaeoecological data.
Model of Pressure Distribution in Vortex Flow Controls
Authors: Mielczarek Szymon , Sawicki Jerzy M.
Published: December 2015

Vortex valves belong to the category of hydrodynamic flow controls. They are important and theoretically interesting devices, so complex from hydraulic point of view, that probably for this reason none rational concept of their operation has been proposed so far. In consequence, functioning of vortex valves is described by CFD-methods (computer-aided simulation of technical objects) or by means of simple empirical relations (using discharge coefficient or hydraulic loss coefficient). Such rational model of the considered device is proposed in the paper. It has a simple algebraic form, but is well grounded physically. The basic quantitative relationship, which describes the valve operation, i.e. dependence between the flow discharge and the circumferential pressure head, caused by the rotation, has been verified empirically. Conformity between calculated and measured parameters of the device allows for acceptation of the proposed concept.
Development of an industrial applicable dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment for improving bondability of poplar veneer
Authors: Chen Minzhi , Zhang Rong , Tang Lijuan , Zhou Xiaoyan , Li Yang , Yang Xuehui
Published: December 2015

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment in a larger scale, which has the potential for industrial application, was studied for modification of poplar veneer surface for enhancing its interface adhesion. Chemical property, morphology, surface wetting, adhesion property and the stability of the activation after plasma treatment were investigated. ESR, XPS, AFM, contact angle (CA), and shear strength test were carried out to evaluate the effect of plasma treatment. The following properties increased after treatment: the surface free radical concentration, O/C ratio, surface roughness of wood fiber, veneer surface wetting, and surface free energy. Consequently, the plywood composite prepared after plasma treatment showed higher adhesion strength than that prepared from untreated veneer. The best plywoods were obtained from veneers treated at processing power of 4.5 kW of DBD. The time-dependent analysis by surface wetting indicated a modified stability in the first two days after plasma treatment, after which the polar component of the surface decreased and its dispersive component kept the level observed after plasma treatment. In summary, veneer surface modification by DBD plasma is promising for industrial application.
Sexuality of Disabled Athletes Depending on the Form of Locomotion
Authors: Plinta Ryszard , Sobiecka Joanna , Drosdzol-Cop Agnieszka , Nowak-Brzezińska Agnieszka , Skrzypulec-Plinta Violetta
Published: December 2015

The main purpose of this study was to determine sexuality of disabled athletes depending on the form of locomotion. The study included 170 disabled athletes, aged between 18 and 45. The entire population was divided into 3 research groups depending on the form of locomotion: moving on wheelchairs (n=52), on crutches (n=29) and unaided (n=89). The research tool was a questionnaire voluntarily and anonymously completed by the respondents of the research groups. The questionnaire was composed of a general part concerning the socio-demographic conditions, medical history, health problems, a part dedicated to physical disability as well as the Polish version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) evaluating sexual life. STATISTICA 10.0 for Windows was used in the statistical analysis. Subjects moving on crutches were significantly older than ones moving on wheelchairs and unaided (34.41 ±11.00 vs. 30.49 ±10.44 and 27.99 ±10.51 years, respectively) (p=0.018). Clinically significant erectile dysfunctions were most often diagnosed in athletes moving on wheelchairs (70.27%), followed by athletes moving on crutches and moving unaided (60% and 35.42%, respectively; p=0.048). Clinical sexual dysfunctions were diagnosed on a similar level among all female athletes. It was concluded that the form of locomotion may determine sexuality of disabled men. Males on wheelchair revealed the worst sexual functioning. Female athletes moving on wheelchairs, on crutches and moving unaided were comparable in the aspect of their sexual life.