bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Asymmetry in the song of crickets: Preferences of females and proximate mechanism of discrimination
Authors: Hirtenlehner Stefan , Küng Saskia , Kainz Franz , Römer Heiner
Published: March 2013

Subtle random deviations from perfect symmetry in bilateral traits are suggested to signal reduced phenotypic and genetic quality of a sender, but only little is known about the related receiver mechanisms for discriminating symmetrical from asymmetrical traits. Here we investigate these mechanisms in behavioural and neurophysiological experiments in the Mediterranean field cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus. A downward frequency modulation at the end of each syllable in the calling song has been suggested to indicate morphological asymmetry in sound radiating structures between left and right forewings. Even under ideal laboratory conditions on a trackball system female crickets only discriminated between songs of symmetrical and asymmetrical males in two-choice experiments at carrier frequencies of 4.4 kHz and large modulation depth of 600 and 800 Hz. Under these conditions they preferred the pure tone calling songs over the modulated (asymmetrical) alternative, whereas no preference was observed at carrier frequencies of 4.9 and 5.2 kHz. These preferences correlate well with responses of a pair of identified auditory interneuron (AN1), known for its importance in female phonotaxis. The interneuron is tuned to an average frequency of 4.9 kHz, and the roll-off towards lower and higher frequencies determines the magnitude of responses to pure tone and frequency modulated calling songs. The difference in response magnitude between the two neurons appears to drive the decision of females towards the song alternatives. We discuss the relevance of song differences based on asymmetry in the morphology of song producing structures under natural conditions.
Reduction and Oxidation of Transition-Metal Oxide Thin Films: Solid-State Chemistry with Epitaxially Grown Thin Films
Authors: Shimakawa Yuichi
Published: March 2013

Reduction and oxidation of perovskite-structure transition-metal oxide thin films are highlighted. Oxygen ions are released from and incorporated into the perovskite-structure framework during the reduction and oxidation. Low-temperature topochemical reduction reaction with CaH2 enables us to prepare infinite-layer structure oxide thin films containing Fe and Ni. With the epitaxially grown thin film samples, anisotropic rearrangement and transfer of oxygen ions in the structures have been revealed. Selective reduction of layers in artificial superlattices was also found, and the observed behavior suggests that the oxygen-ion mobility in the artificial superlattices was confined within the two-dimensional brownmillerite layer. Specific structural features play important roles in the oxygen-ion transfer in solids at low temperatures. The obtained results would be a key to develop technologies related to energy and the environment.
Assets of the non-pathogenic microorganism Dictyostelium discoideum as a model for the study of eukaryotic extracellular vesicles
Authors: Tatischeff Irène
Published: March 2013

Dictyostelium discoideummicrovesicles have recently been presented as a valuable model for eukaryotic extracellular vesicles. Here, the advantages ofD. discoideumfor unraveling important biological functions of extracellular vesicles in general are detailed.D. discoideum,anon-pathogenic eukaryotic microorganism, belongs to a billion-year-oldAmoebozalineage, which diverged from the animal-fungal lineage after the plant animal-split. During growth and early starvation-induced development, it presents analogies with lymphocytes and macrophages with regard to motility and phagocytosis capability, respectively. Its 6-chromosome genome codes for about 12,500 genes, some showing analogies with human genes. The presence of extracellular vesicles during cell growth has been evidenced as a detoxification mechanism of various structurally unrelated drugs. Controls led to the discovery of constitutive extracellular vesicle secretion in this microorganism, which was an important point.It means that the secretion of extracellular vesicles occurs, in the absence of any drug, during both cell growth and early development. This constitutive secretion ofD. discoideumcells is very likely to play a role in intercellular communication. The detoxifying secreted vesicles, which can transport drugs outside the cells, can also act as "Trojan horses", capable of transferring these drugs not only into naïveD. discoideumcells, but intohuman cells as well. Therefore, these extracellular vesicles were proposed as a new biological drug delivery tool.Moreover,Dictyostelium, chosen by the NIH (USA) as a new model organism for biomedical research, has already been used for studying some human diseases. These cells, which are much easier to manipulate than human cells, can be easily designed in simple conditioned medium experiments. Owing to the increasing consensus that extracellular vesicles are probably important mediators of intercellular communication,D. discoideumis here suggested to constitute a convenient model for tracking as yet unknown biological functions of eukaryotic extracellular vesicles.
Preventing Mix-Ups between various Formulations of Amphotericin B; Arixtra is Not a Hemostat; Measurement Mix-Up; Drug Names Too Close for Comfort; New Vaccine Errors Reporting Program
Authors: Cohen Michael R. , Smetzer Judy L.
Published: March 2013

These medication errors have occurred in health care facilities at least once. They will happen again—perhaps where you work. Through education and alertness of personnel and procedural safeguards, they can be avoided. You should consider publishing accounts of errors in your newsletters and/or presenting them at your inservice training programs.

Your assistance is required to continue this feature. The reports described here were received through the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) Medication Errors Reporting Program. Any reports published by ISMP will be anonymous. Comments are also invited; the writers’ names will be published if desired. ISMP may be contacted at the address shown below.

Errors, close calls, or hazardous conditions may be reported directly to ISMP through the ISMP Web site ( www.ismp.org ), by calling 800-FAIL-SAFE, or via e-mail at ismpinfo@ismp.org . ISMP guarantees the confidentiality and security of the information received and respects reporters’ wishes as to the level of detail included in publications.
The kernel of the reciprocity map of varieties over local fields
Authors: Forré Patrick
Published: March 2013

For a smooth and proper variety X over a local field K with residue characteristic p the reciprocity map
ρ
X
: SK1(X) → π1
ab(X) is a well-defined map from its class group to the corresponding abelianized étale fundamental group of X. In this paper we show that its kernel is the direct sum of a finite group and a group which is ℓ-divisible for all primes ℓ ≠ p. This result generalizes the work of Shuji Saito and Uwe Jannsen for curves and surfaces to arbitrary dimensions.
Arbitrary p-gradient values
Authors: Pappas Nathaniel
Published: March 2013

For any prime number
Genetic Gain × Management Interactions in Soybean: I. Planting Date
Authors: Rowntree Scott C. , Suhre Justin J. , Weidenbenner Nicholas H. , Wilson Eric W. , Davis Vince M. , Naeve Seth L. , Casteel Shaun N. , Diers Brian W. , Esker Paul D. , Specht James E. , Conley Shawn P.
Published: March 2013

Planting date is a commonly manipulated management practice in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production; however, the impacts of past and ongoing agronomic improvements, such as earlier planting, on genetic yield improvement and associated changes in seed protein and oil have not been evaluated. The objectives of this study were to determine if a 30‐d difference in planting date affected measured rates of genetic improvement in (i) yield, (ii) seed mass, and (iii) seed protein and oil in the midwestern United States. Research was conducted at Arlington, WI, Urbana, IL, and Lafayette, IN, during 2010 and 2011, using 59 Maturity Group (MG) II cultivars (released 1928–2008) at Wisconsin, and 57 MG III cultivars (released 1923–2007) at Illinois and Indiana, with targeted planting dates of 1 May and 1 June. Earlier planting provided higher yields (+3.1 kg ha−1 yr−1) than late planting in MG III soybean. Seed protein concentration decreased linearly over cultivar year of release at a rate of 0.191 (± 0.069) g kg−1 yr−1 for MG II, and 0.242 (± 0.063) g kg−1 yr−1 for MG III. Seed oil concentration increased over year of release at a rate of 0.142 (± 0.037) g kg−1 yr−1 for MG II, and 0.127 (± 0.039) g kg−1 yr−1 for MG III. The interaction between planting date and cultivar year of release for MG III yield suggested that the trend toward earlier planting is one agronomic improvement that, when coupled with genetic improvement, has provided a synergistic increase in on‐farm soybean yields in the midwestern United States.
Validation of Molecular Markers for New Stem Rust Resistance Genes in U.S. Hard Winter Wheat
Authors: Bernardo Amy N. , Bowden Robert L. , Rouse Matthew N. , Newcomb Maria S. , Marshall David S. , Bai Guihua
Published: March 2013

Stem rust, caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt), is one of the most serious diseases of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) worldwide. The discovery of new Pgt races in Africa, Ug99 and its variants, brings a new threat to global wheat production. Pyramiding several stem rust resistance genes into adapted varieties as opposed to breeding varieties with a single resistance gene is considered a more effective method to combat new races, but the success of gene pyramiding depends on the availability of molecular markers tightly linked to resistance genes. Markers for Ug99‐effective genes, Sr2, Sr22, Sr26, Sr32, Sr35, Sr39, and Sr40, were evaluated for usefulness in marker‐assisted selection (MAS) of hard winter wheat (HWW) using 10 resistance gene donor lines, 17 recently released U.S. HWW varieties or breeding lines, and 20 advanced introgression lines. Markers XcsIH81‐BM and XcsIH81‐AG for Sr22, Xsr26#43 and XBE51879 for Sr26, Xbarc55 for Sr32, Xbarc51 for Sr35, Xrwg27 for Sr39, Xsr39#22r for Sr40, and csSr2‐derived single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker for Sr2 are diagnostic for the set of HWW accessions evaluated in this study. These markers should be useful in marker‐assisted pyramiding of stem rust resistance genes to develop HWW cultivars with multiple gene resistance against Ug99 races.
Multidecadal Trend of Basin‐Scale Evapotranspiration Estimated Using AVHRR Data in the Krishna River Basin, India
Authors: Teluguntla Pardhasaradhi , Ryu Dongryeol , George Biju , Walker Jeffrey P.
Published: March 2013

Evapotranspiration (ET) is one of the most critical components of terrestrial water balance. Estimating reliable ET across a large region is, however, difficult due to the limited number of ground monitoring stations and the heterogeneous land surface conditions. In this work, spatially distributed monthly ET estimates in the Krishna River Basin, India, were derived using Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data and the ground monitoring data sets from local meteorological stations for the 1983 to 2001 time period. A modified Penman–Monteith model with biome‐specific canopy conductance was used to estimate the 8‐km AVHRR ET. Ground validation was conducted using the lysimeter measurements and Landsat‐ and MODIS‐based ET estimates from the same model aggregated to the AVHRR scale. The difference between the lysimeter measurements and 30‐m Landsat estimates was only 5.3%, and the mean difference between the aggregated Landsat ET and the AVHRR ET estimates was <14%. The AVHRR ET estimates of this study showed that the basin‐average ET increased continuously at the mean rate of 4.97 mm yr−1 yr−1 in the Krishna River Basin during 1983 to 2001. The subbasin‐scale ET analyses showed an increasing trend of ET in the upstream subbasins, where irrigation development was active in the 1980s, compared with the other subbasins. Further sensitivity analyses based on land‐use information showed that the increased ET in the basin is mainly due to the development of irrigation that occurred during the study period.
Clinical Utility of Biomarkers of AKI in Cardiac Surgery and Critical Illness
Authors: Koyner Jay L. , Parikh Chirag R.
Published: March 2013

AKI is a common and serious complication that is associated with several adverse outcomes in hospitalized patients. The past several years have seen a large number of multicenter investigations of biomarkers of AKI in the setting of cardiac surgery and critical illness. This review summarizes these biomarker results to identify applications for clinical use. The Translational Research Investigating Biomarker Endpoints in AKI (TRIBE-AKI) study showed that blood and urine biomarkers measured preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and at the time of the clinical increase in serum creatinine in the setting of cardiac surgery all had the ability to improve patient risk stratification for a variety of important clinical end points. Analyses of biomarkers concentrations from the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network, EARLY ARF, and other studies of critically ill subjects have similarly shown that biomarkers measured early in the clinical course can forecast the development of AKI and need for renal replacement therapy as well as inpatient mortality. Although biomarkers have informed the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of AKI and are inching closer to clinical application, large multicenter interventional clinical trials to prevent AKI using biomarkers should continue to be an active area of clinical investigation.
Correlation between occlusal abnormalities and parameters investigated by three-dimensional facial photography
Authors: Godt Arnim , Bechtold Till Edward , Schaupp Edgar , Zeyher Claudia , Koos Bernd , Baas Eva , Berneburg Mirjam
Published: March 2013

Objective:

To clarify, by three-dimensional (3D) facial scans, if 4- to 6-year-old children with intraoral sagittal discrepancies and open-bite occlusion show differences in facial morphology when compared to children without anomalies.

Materials and Methods:

Scans of 290 children presenting with occlusal abnormalities were compared to 1772 face scans of age-matched individuals photographed with a faceSCAN II® 3D data acquisition system. From these, three study groups were formed comprising 188 children with distal occlusion/increased overjet (Class II), 37 with mesial occlusion/inverse overjet (Class III), and 65 with open-bite occlusion. These groups were evaluated by age and gender for each group compared to the control individuals.

Results:

The Class II group showed statistically significant reduced dimensions of head width, upper face width, and midface length. In addition, the mean values for mouth width and lip thickness were higher, and their upper lips were located more anteriorly than in the control group. The Class III group exhibited more markedly retruded upper lips. The facial profile of female 5-year-old Class III patients was significantly more concave. Patients in the open-bite group showed reduced upper lip length, with differences only being statistically significant in male 4-year-olds.

Conclusion:

Dental Class II with increased overjet and dental Class III with decreased overjet influence soft tissue morphology and are represented on 3D facial scans.
The Determinants of Total Factor Productivity in Polish Subregions. Panel Data Analysis
Authors: Dańska-Borsiak Barbara , Laskowska Iwona
Published: March 2013

The significant role of TFP in stimulating the long-run economic development induces researchers to seek for the sources of the TFP growth. The mail goals of the paper are: to estimate the level of TFP in the years 2003-2009 at the level of subregions, and to define the factors which determine this estimated TFP level. The first hypothesis being verified is, that the role of the quality of human capital in stimulating long-run economic growthis crucial and can be measured by the model. The second hypothesis is, that there are some factors affecting the TFP level which are common in all subregions.
Skilled Personnel Supply and the Prospects for Regional Innovative Development in Poland
Authors: Gajdos Artur , Żmurkow Edyta
Published: March 2013

The aim of this paper is to analyze the supply of highly qualified personnel in the context of prospects for the future innovative development of voivodships in Poland. Analysis of these problems and the relationship between them will be based on the studies on the educational profile of regions and on the analysis of potential trends and possibilities of creating a highly skilled labor force coming from higher education system, as well as on the research on the innovation level and profile of particular voivodships. Furthermore, analysis of possibilities and the level of knowledge diffusion will be conducted.
Exploring Social Exclusion in The European Union, a Quantitative Approach
Authors: Gavuliak Roman
Published: March 2013

Social exclusion is a widely debated issue. Its definitions and perceptions vary. Within the paper we identify the underlying factors of social exclusion within the EUfor years 2005-2009 through the use of factor analysis. These factors are as such immeasurable by common indicators. Through factor scores we compare the severity of these factors in each EU 27 and suggest five categories of types of social exclusion.
Determinants for Spatial Location of Pharmacies
Authors: Jewczak Maciej
Published: March 2013

The topic of drug reimbursement is an important subject when one makes a decision on the construction of the reform of the health sector. Any change in the reimbursement list ends with a hot debate in the media and in everyday life. Incomprehensible pricing strategies used by pharmacies, force patients to seek those places that offer the necessary medication at the lowest possible price. Recognizing the economic opportunities for a profitable business, in recent years, a significant increase in the number of pharmacies is observed, and therefore, the number of these entities makes the process of selling drugs, especially those from the reimbursement list, almost impossible to control. The article aims to reveal the spatial dependence for the pharmaceutical market on the example of pharmacies in poviat districts of Poland. An attempt is made to assess the prevalence of spatial dependence between the number of pharmacies and other determinants indicating health care resources, ageing process and the state of health of Poles. The summary of the study is to build a spatial model with its diagnosis for the number of pharmacies according to various socio-economic factors.
Transport Availability vs. Development of Poland’s Regions
Authors: Kusideł Ewa , Górniak Joanna
Published: March 2013

The article discusses the issue of transport availability, taking into account road and rail infrastructure, as compared with socio-economic development in specific regions of Poland. The issue is studied from the theoretical and empirical point of view. The nature of the of the research is to use of existing methods for new dataset, namely the transport development level is estimated based on a composite indicator of development and degree of convergence among regions is estimated using classical regional convergence tests. The main goal of the study is to assess the degree of transport availability diversification among regions (voivodships) of Poland in comparison with their socio-economic development. The hypothesis assumes that there is strong correlation between transport availability and development of the regions and therefore similarity in the convergence inference.
The Analysis of the Life Expectancy and the Selected Causes of Deaths in Poland with the Use of Spatial Statistics Methods
Authors: Mielecka-Kubień Zofia
Published: March 2013

The goal of the presented research was to test the spatial autocorrelation of the life expectancy and the age-standardized mortality rates for selected causes of death in Poland according to gender in 2010. It was assumed that in the above mentioned cases the positive spatial autocorrelation in populations of men and women appears, and the spatial diversity of mortality depends on the standard of living of the population in question and on the level of industrialization of the region and its consequences. It has been stated that most of the considered coefficients show positive spatial autocorrelation, but differences between populations of men and women were observed. Agricultural capacity of the voivodeship shows positive effect on life expectancy and the level of some of the mortality rates of both genders.
European Regional Space Classification Regarding Smart Growth Level
Authors: Markowska Małgorzata , Strahl Danuta
Published: March 2013

Europe 2020 strategy, as the successor of Lisbon strategy, represents the vision of social market economy for Europe of the 21st century covering three related priorities: 1/ smart growth: knowledge based economy and innovation growth; 2/ sustainable growth: support for effective and taking advantage of resources economy which is more environmentally friendly and more competitive; 3/ inclusive growth: support for high employment level economy providing social and territorial cohesion. The paper presented classification results including European regional space positional statistics regarding advancement and smart growth level in NUTS 2 regions. Regional smart growth covers three pillars: innovation, creativity (Knowledge Based Economy) and smart specialization illustrated by characteristics available in Eurostat data resources. These qualities constituted the basis for constructing aggregate measures for specific pillars and also for the purposes of regional classification. The results of obtained classes were assessed in an overall European space, in groups of regions distinguished in line with integration processes chronology and also in capital regions and these including the country capital, as well as in the system of Polish regions.
Spatial Quantile Regression
Authors: Trzpiot Grażyna
Published: March 2013

In a number of applications, a crucial problem consists in describing and analyzing the influence of a vector Xi of covariates on some real-valued response variable Yi. In the present context, where the observations are made over a collection of sites, this study is more difficult, due to the complexity of the possible spatial dependence among the various sites. In this paper, instead of spatial mean regression, we thus consider the spatial quantile regression functions. Quantile regression has been considered in a spatial context. The main aim of this paper is to incorporate quantile regression and spatial econometric modeling. Substantial variation exists across quantiles, suggesting that ordinary regression is insufficient on its own. Quantile estimates of a spatial-lag model show considerable spatial dependence in the different parts of the distribution.
Land Management of the Areas of High Landscape Values: An Economic Model
Authors: Wańkowicz Wiesław
Published: March 2013

This paper presents selected results of the research entitled Planning the Space of High Landscape Values, Using Digital Land Analysis, with Economic Appraisal, supervised by Dr. Paweł Ozimek, Cracow Technical University, conducted since 2009. Usually, we do not pay attention to surrounding landscapes in our everyday life. However, for the persons who deal with spatial planning, geography, natural environment, or cultural heritage, the validity and value of landscape are the terms which do not have to be defined. The first part of the paper is dedicated to the landscape features that decide about its value. The author discusses whether those features are the same as those we want to protect and how we can appraise landscape values. The next part contains an analysis of the economic bases of development. In reference to space, the analysis and opinion on land use in the context of the development of usable functions are essential. Consequently, the identification of the limitations connected with the protection of landscape and delimitation of the areas on which such limitations exist are required. Another component consists in the determination of the land requirements associated with existential and economic needs of the local population. Such a general balance of needs and requirements is the starting point of the adoption of development policies and action programmes. The programmes should include the location of individual projects and capital investments on land, as well as their proper timing co-ordination. Owing to the complexity of the tasks, the option analysis is the preferred method of search for the best possible solution. The reconciliation of individual land use (title to land), public and business land uses, with the protection of environmental and cultural values, can be difficult or next to impossible to attain. Therefore, we need some mechanisms to compensate the losses occurring in individual interests and in local, regional, or national development. The choice of options for local or regional development is based on balancing the costs and benefits that depend on the sizes of both protected and non-protected areas. In conclusion, the author attempts at answering the questions whether the landscape and landscape values can be saved owing to their economic assets, and what instruments should be implemented to utilize economic mechanisms of protection.
Detection of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae by ELISA and nested PCR from blood samples and nasal swabs from pigs in Slovakia
Authors: Prokeš Marián , Zendulková Dagmar , Rosenbergová Kateřina , Treml František , Ondrejková Anna , Beníšek Zdenek , Ondrejka Róbert , Korytár Ľuboš , Slepecká Eva , Süli Judit , Haladová Eva , Maženský Dávid
Published: March 2013

The aim of our study was to map the situation of swine mycoplasmoses on four farms in the region of Eastern Slovakia. The primary agent of Enzootic pneumonia of swine isMycoplasma hyopneumoniae. After reviewing the health status of conventional herds and evaluation of clinical symptoms, paired samples of nasal swabs and venous blood samples were collected from 38 pigs with clinical signs of respiratory disease. Nasal swab samples were tested by nested PCR, while blood samples were used to detect antibodies againstM. hyopneumoniaeby blockingELISA. The presence ofM. hyopneumoniaewas confirmed by nested PCR in four pigs (10.5%) and by blocking ELISA in 16 pigs (42.1%) of all four farms. This work presents for the first time comparison of different methods to diagnoseM. hyopneumoniaeinfection on pig farms in Eastern Slovakia.
The association of leptin gene polymorphism with reproductive usefulness and selected blood biochemical indicators of hybrid sows (Polish Large White × Polish Landrace)
Authors: Wierzchowska Agata , Kołodziej-Skalska Anita , Napierała Dorota , Kawęcka Maria , Jacyno Eugenia
Published: March 2013

Rapid developments in the field of molecular genetics have led to new possibilities to identify polymorphic genes and to detect quantitative trait loci with major effects on economically important reproduction traits. Our study has defined the influence of polymorphism at position 3469 of the leptin gene on reproductive performance in sows as well as on selected blood biochemical indices in pregnant sows The research involved 173 multiparous sows after the second and third farrowing, crossbreds of Polish Large White and Polish Landrace breeds. The collected data on reproductive performance of sows concerned the number of live births, the number of weaned piglets and the length of weaning-to-estrus interval in the sows. Parities from the first to the fourth were analysed. A sample of blood was collected from each sow in the third month of pregnancy in order to isolate and then analyse DNA with the use of the PCR-RFLP methods. Blood biochemical analyses were performed as well. Two alleles of the leptin-coding gene (T and C) were found in examined herd. In the second parity, where the live birth number was concerned, the difference between the CC (10.4) and TT (9.0) leptin genotypes proved to be significant (P ≤ 0.05). Analyses of blood biochemical indices revealed virtually no significant differences between the genotypes compared. However, it was noted that the glucose concentration was the highest in the sows with TT genotype and the lowest in the sows with CC genotype.
The effect of iodine from iodine-enriched alga Chlorella spp. on the pork iodine content and meat quality in finisher pigs
Authors: Baňoch Tomáš , Svoboda Martin , Kuta Jan , Saláková Alena , Fajt Zdeněk
Published: March 2013

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of iodine from iodine-enriched alga Chlorella spp. on the iodine content in pork and on meat quality traits in finisher pigs. Experimental feed mixtures were fed for a period of 3 months before slaughter. In group A (n = 12), the experimental feed mixture was supplemented with 2 mg I/kg in the form of iodine from iodine-enriched freshwater alga Chlorella spp. The experimental feed mixture for pigs in group B (n = 12) was supplemented with 2 mg I/kg in the form of KI. Group C (n = 12) was the control group without supplementation. Compared to KI, the use of the algal iodine resulted in significantly higher (P < 0.05) iodine concentrations in the thyroid, serum and muscle tissue. No differences between the two groups were found in the meat quality traits. It is concluded that iodine from iodine-enriched Chlorella spp. is retained in muscle tissue in a higher extent than inorganic KI. Nevertheless, iodine concentrations in the meat are still low to be considered as a relevant iodine source for human nutrition.
Changes in the blood indicators and body condition of high yielding Holstein cows with retained placenta and ketosis
Authors: Nogalski Zenon , Wroński Marek , Lewandowska Beata , Pogorzelska Paulina
Published: March 2013

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of changes in body condition in the dry period and the early lactation period on the incidence of retained placenta and ketosis in 94 high-yielding Holstein-Friesian cows. Body condition scoring was performed every two weeks from the beginning of the dry period until week 18 of lactation. Blood for the measuring of indicators of metabolism was sampled in weeks 1 and 2 ante partum and in weeks 1, 2, 3, 7 and 15 post partum. Retained placenta was reported in 11 cows, and ketosis was diagnosed in 18 animals. One week ante partum, the serum profile of cows diagnosed with ketosis during lactation revealed 0.52 mmol/l β-hydroxybutyric acid and 0.29 mmol/l non-esterified fatty acids on average. One week post partum, the serum profile of cows with ketosis revealed 1.59 mmol/l β-hydroxybutyric acid and 1.09 mmol/l non-esterified fatty acids and cows with retained placenta 1.65 and 1.41, respectively. From the week 5 ante partum to the point of lowest body condition the average body condition loss reached 1.4 points in cows with retained placenta, 1.1 points in cows with ketosis, and 0.8 points in healthy cows. Retained placenta and ketosis increased significantly conception rates by 0.47 and 0.50, respectively. Our results show that monitoring changes in the body condition and non-esterified fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyric acid blood levels in high-yielding cows in the transition period, followed by taking relevant disease-control measures, may be effective in reducing the incidence of retained placenta and ketosis in dairy cattle herds.
Selected haematological and biochemical indicators in different breeds of rabbits
Authors: Martinec Miloslav , Härtlová Helena , Chodová Darina , Tůmová Eva , Fučíková Alena
Published: March 2013

The aim of the study was to evaluate differences in haematological and biochemical indicators in young rabbits of breeds embedded in the Czech genetic resources. Seven breeds (Moravian Blue, Czech Spotted, Czech Solver, Czech White, Czech Red, Moravian White of Brown Eyes and Czech Black Guard Hairs) represented by six males of each breed were used. Weaned rabbits were fattened under identical conditions till the age of 91 days. Haematological values were measured by using automatic analyzer; biochemical indicators were determined photometrically. From the haematological indicators, mean cell volume was significantly (P≤ 0.05) higher in Czech Black Guard Hairs (83.00 fl) and the lowest (73.75 fl) in Czech Red. Significantly higher (P ≤0.05) concentration of haemoglobin (143.3 g·l-1) was recorded in Czech Spotted; values of 125.6 and 123.4 g·l-1were found in Czech White and Czech Black Guard Hairs, respectively. From the biochemical indicators, cholesterol and triacylglycerols significantly differed in rabbit breeds. Significantly (P≤ 0.05)higher level of cholesterol (3.16 mmol·l-1) was determined in Moravian Blue, decreasing with body size in other breeds. Significant correlations of 0.390 were determined between live weight and serum cholesterol content. Significantly different (P≤ 0.05) content of triacylglycerols was found in Czech White and Moravian White of Brown Eyes (1.30 vs. 0.75 mmol·l-1). Our results showed for the first time haematological and biochemical indicators in rabbits from Czech genetic resources and the results revealed that some of these variables could be affected by the rabbit genotype.
The effect of glaze and storage temperature on the quality of frozen mackerel fillets
Authors: Popelka Peter , Luptáková Oľga , Marcinčák Slavomír , Nagy Jozef , Mesarčová Lýdia , Nagyová Alena
Published: March 2013

The effect of glazing and storage temperature on lipid oxidation and sensory properties of mackerel fillets was evaluated. A total of 288 fillets were stored for 6 months under stable temperature of –18 °C and unstable temperature, which involved six temperature fluctuation cycles from –18 to –5 °C each month. Glaze determination, chemical composition, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances examination and sensory evaluation of fillets were performed. Glazing and stable temperature conditions slowed down lipid oxidation in fillets compared to unglazed samples and samples stored under unstable freezing conditions. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances increased slowly in glazed samples and a positive effect of stable conditions was found after two months and became obvious from the fifth month of storage. Sensory scores included evaluation of taste, aroma, texture, juiciness, and appearance corresponded to chemical results. Glazed fillets had the best scores in sensory evaluation and can be recommended for consumption; on the other hand, unglazed fillets stored under unstable temperature could not be consumed because of rancidity. This is the first similar study in mackerel when unstable temperature conditions are considered as a factor increasing lipid oxidation. Prevention of temperature fluctuation during storage is important to keep the quality of the frozen fillets.
Effects of parenteral administration of enrofloxacin on electrocardiographic parameters in hospitalized dogs
Authors: Agudelo Ramírez Carlos Fernando , Scheer Peter , Tomenendálová Jaroslava
Published: March 2013

The effect of enrofloxacin on the QT interval of the electrocardiogram was studied in 30 hospitalized dogs. The experimental group (n = 15) received enrofloxacin parenterally (subcutaneously) at a dose of 5 mg/kg twice daily and amoxicillin-clavulanate intravenously at a dose of 22 mg/kg three times daily. The control group (n = 15) received only amoxicillin-clavulanate. Electrocardiography was carried out for 5 min once daily for 6 days. The QT interval was corrected by four different formulae. No differences were found between the two groups or within each group for the duration of the study. On the last day of the study the average QT interval for the control and experimental groups was 213.2 ms and 202.9 ms, respectively. Enrofloxacin did not cause prolongation of the QT or corrected QT intervals. We can conclude that the parenteral administration of enrofloxacin in non-cardiac dogs does not adversely affect the electrocardiographic indicators (no prolongation of the QT or corrected QT interval) and does not induce ventricular arrhythmias. Parenteral use of enrofloxacin is thus safe and effective in non-cardiac dogs.
Factors associated with clinical remission in cats with diabetes mellitus
Authors: Lien Yu-Hsin , Huang Hui-Pi
Published: March 2013

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a common endocrine disease in cats. The aim of this study was to investigate factors that are associated with clinical remission in diabetic cats, and those that might influence survival time. Medical records of 29 cats with diabetes mellitus were evaluated retrospectively. Data collected from each record included breed, age, and sex, types of diet before and after admission, degree of weight loss, duration of clinical signs before admission, elevation of alanine aminotransferase activity and ketonuria at the time of admission, concurrent pancreatitis or renal failure, glipizide administration, insulin supplement, and survival time. The diet after establishing diagnosis (restriction to non-carbohydrate canned food) was the only factor that was significantly associated with achieving clinical remission (P< 0.001). Survival time of cats was positively associated (P= 0.004) with clinical remission status and the type of diet after admission (P= 0.04) and negatively associated with the presence of chronic renal failure (P= 0.04). This was the first report of feline diabetes mellitus from Taiwan.
Socialism for a New Generation: ccf Youth in the Popular Front Era
Authors: Naylor James
Published: March 2013

Abstract:

In the 1930s, the Co-operative Commonwealth Youth Movement attempted to rally young people to the cause of socialism and the ccf. In doing so, they revealed much about the emerging political and social culture of youth coming of age during the Great Depression and their relationship to “adult” socialists whose ideas had been formulated before and during the labour revolt of 1919. Perhaps most importantly, they wrestled with the challenges of political action and the new perceptions of class reflected in New Deal liberalism and particularly the Popular Front of the latter half of the decade. While diverse in their social backgrounds and in their attitude toward the ccf leadership and the lure of the Communist-identified mass movements like the Canadian Youth Congress, they reflected a youth-oriented desire for a more active, extra-parliamentary strategy but were also drawn toward statist social reform that would be a hallmark of the ccf they would inherit after the Second World War.
Adolescent Multilingual Writer’s Negotiation of Multiple Identities and Access to Academic Writing: A Case Study of aJogi YuhakStudent in a US High School
Authors: Yi Youngjoo
Published: March 2013

Abstract:

This article describes a longitudinal case study of Hoon (a pseudonym), an adolescent multilingual writer, with respect to his negotiation of multiple identities and access to academic writing practices. Through an inductive analysis of multiple data sources (interviews, observations, literacy artifacts, and field notes), the researcher observed that while negotiating a stigmatized ESL-student identity and an academic achiever identity, Hoon developed some survival strategies through school. Notably, those strategies acted as a double-edged sword in that they helped Hoon earn high grades but prevented him from engaging in extensive academic literacy activities. Findings from this study provide a more in-depth understanding of the nuanced experiences, challenges, and characteristics of adolescent multilingual writers and suggest a need for further examination of social contexts in which students construct positive identities, access various writing practices, and grasp the value of writing (whether in their first or second language) for academic and other purposes.
The Course of Canadian Democracy
Authors: Creighton
Published: March 2013

It is difficult, if not impossible, to begin a discussion of Canadian democracy with a really appropriate quotation from the works of a Canadian democratic philosopher. This odd fact itself is not without a good deal of significance. In the United States such an opening would not merely be advisable, it would practically be required. The United States has the great good fourtne to possess, in the person of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, two philosphers who set forth the fundamental bases of American democracy in extremely cogent and attractive form. The Americans have gone on paying suitable homage to these two great men ever since. They have erected monuments to the memory of Thomas Jefferson and they have followed the practical advice of Alexander Hamilton; and they are likely to continue this fine, impartial veneration for the mighty dead into an indefinite future. But in Canada we have no philosophers whose words can be honoured either by quotation or by observance. When we desire an epigram or a fine inspirational passage, we are forced to go to English or American sources.
Comus Once More
Authors: Woodhouse
Published: March 2013

Since my "Argument of Milton's Comus" appeared in these pages almost a decade ago, critics have been busy with the poem; and it seems not inappropriate to indicate for the reader where the principal contributions are to be found, and then to go on to add a brief appendix to my former article.
The Man and His Interests
Authors: Wallace Malcolm
Published: March 2013

Sir Robert Falconer, during the whole of his life from boyhood onward, lived within the walls of colleges and universities. It is difficult indeed to imagine what kind of life he might have lived had fortune denied him the boon of an academic training. Whatever his calling, it is safe to assume that he would have managed to interpret its duties in terms closely related to those of the college professor. He had a passion to know and to be—to understand more clearly the enigma of life, and to make his own life conform more closely to the ideals dictated by his conscience and an instructed reason. Any other kind of human interest seemed to him subordinate and incidental.
2Henry IV and the Theme of Time
Authors: Spencer Benjamin
Published: March 2013

One of the oldest of Shakespearean cruxes is Hal's renunciation of Falstaff, as Professor Shaaber's edition of the New Variorum of 2Henry IV reminds us, with the reprinting of the numerous commentaries devoted to it during the past two centuries. With Rowe's testimony at the beginning of the eighteenth century that he was sorry to see Hal use Falstaff "so scurvily" and wih Doctor Johnson's rebuttal to the effect that if properly viewed the reaction will cause "no great pain," the two poles of the controversy were fixed. In such apologists for Falstaff as Hazlitt, Bradley, Bridges, and Bradby, Shakespeare is censured for “the sudden dismissal” there is implied, and sometimes expressed, the view that "the dramatist has missed what he aimed at, “that on this occasion ... he had nodded.” Other critics have reverted to extra-dramatic speculation and have sought to exculpate Shakespeare through historical and literary sources.
Epicureanism and Christianity
Authors: DeWitt Norman
Published: March 2013

It has long been a fixed belief in the cultural tradition of western Europe that of the ancient moralities it is Stoicism that exhibits the closest affinity with Christianity. This belief was not in the beginning the result of positive teaching. Its origin is rather to be sought in a sympathetic reaction or association reflex. The original reaction was the heartening experience of Christianity in discovering an extensive harmony and coincidence between its own ethics and the teachings of the philosopher Seneca, especially in his Moral Epistles. The sympathetic reaction was a feeling of admiration for Stoicism, because the wisdom of Seneca bore a Stoic label. Subsequently this feeling was reinforced by the study of Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, whose Stoic labels were printed in even larger letters. Only in later phases of this accumulating admiration for Stoicism was its affinity with Christianity subjected to analysis and rationalization.
The English Press in the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Innis H. A.
Published: March 2013

The rationalism of the eighteenth century shed its light on the literature of the early part of the nineteenth century. In the second half of the century with the work of Darwin and Spencer that light began to grow dim. In the twentieth century we have seen the growth of irrationalism reflected in the interest in psychology, advertising, mass propaganda, totalitarian states and war. Mass propaganda of the Anglo-Saxon world directed by such individuals as Hearst and Northcliffe, played an important role in the defeat of Germany in the last war. Its effectiveness was appreciated by totalitarian states who reinforced their instruction with the assistance of such new methods of communication as the radio and the cinema. The results were evident not only in the totalitarian states. Such phrases as "total war," "full employment," "anti-semitism," and the like bandied about in the democratic states are a tribute to the influence of totalitarian propaganda, as are the innumerable measures which have been required to offset its effects and to bolster our morale. We have passed from the security and optimism which characterized the belief in progress in the nineteenth century to fear and pessimism and demands for security.
Reviews
Authors: Underhill Frank , Woodhouse A. S. P. , Brezik V. B. , C. W. H.
Published: March 2013

David J. Dallin, Russia and Postwar Europe, reviewed by Frank H. Underhill

David J. Dallin, The Real Sovie Russia, reviewed by Frank H. Underhill

Edgar Snow, The Pattern of Soviet Power, reviewed by Frank H. Underhill

William Haller and Godfrey Davies, eds., The Leveller Tracts 1647–1653, reviewed by A. S. P. Woodhouse

Don M. Wolfe, ed., Leveller Manifestoes of the Puritan Revolution, reviewed by A. S. P. Woodhouse

Zera S. Fink, The Classical Republicans: An Essay in the Recovery of a Pattern of Thought in Seventeenth Century England, reviewed by A. S. P. Woodhouse

Anton C. Pegis, ed., Basic Writings of Saint Thomas Aquinas, reviewed by V. B. Brezik

Charles W. Kennedy, The Earliest English Poetry. A Critical Survey of the Poetry Written before the Norman Conquest with Illustrative Translations, reviewed by W. H. C.
On the Morality of Letters
Authors: Carter A. E.
Published: March 2013

No modern poet would dare to write with such assurance. Yet if any conscientious Roman had questioned Horace, it would only have been to ask whether his talent were of the immortal kind. For to the critics of antiquity, the immortality of great poetry, of any great literary form, was axiomatic. They lived in an aesthetically stable world. There had been only one literature (only one aesthetic theory of any kind, indeed) before Latin; and it was more universally admired and imitated in that first century of the Empire than it had been under Pericles. Provided Horace possessed a spark of that fire which distinguished Homer and Pindar, Sappho and Aeschylus, there seemed no reason why his work should not fulfil his boast and outlive the pyramids.
Fascism and Romanticism
Authors: Dessauer F. E.
Published: March 2013

Since the second half of the nineteenth century the German professor, as a type, has changed his character and social function. The division of labour has forced him to become a specialist. Increased consciousness of scientific methods has tended to make him cautious in his conclusions and has removed him from the political stage to the narrow walls of the lecture room. But there have been exceptions, and the unusual scope of their activities has given them a strong influence.