bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Voluntarist theology and early-modern science: The matter of the divine power, absolute and ordained
Authors: Oakley Francis
Published: August 2017

This paper is an intervention in the debate inaugurated by Peter Harrison in 2002 when he called into question the validity of what has come to be called ‘the voluntarism and early-modern science thesis’. Though it subsequently drew support from such historians of science as J. E. McGuire, Margaret Osler, and Betty-Joe Teeter Dobbs, the origins of the thesis are usually traced back to articles published in 1934 and 1961 respectively by the philosopher Michael Foster and the historian of ideas Francis Oakley. Central to Harrison’s critique of the thesis are claims he made about the meaning of the scholastic distinction between the potentia dei absoluta et ordinata and the role it played in the thinking of early-modern theologians and natural philosophers. This paper calls directly into question the accuracy of Harrison’s claims on that very matter.
The relationship between coping, emotion regulation, and quality of life of patients on dialysis
Authors: Barberis Nadia , Cernaro Valeria , Costa Sebastiano , Montalto Gaetano , Lucisano Silvia , Larcan Rosalba , Buemi Michele
Published: August 2017

Previous studies have investigated constructs that facilitate adaptation to chronic disease and improve quality of life and constructs that lead to psychopathological complications. The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of coping and emotional regulation on the quality of life of patients on dialysis. Three questionnaires were administered to 78 patients on dialysis: Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced, Short Form (36), and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Regressions analyses indicated that age, Rumination, Positive Refocusing, Avoidance Strategies, Approach to the Problem, and Transcendent Orientation predicted Physical Health. With regard to Mental Health, the predictors were gender, Self-Blame, Acceptance, Rumination, Positive Reappraisal, Catastrophizing, Avoidance Strategies, and Transcendent Orientation. This study confirms the relationship between emotional regulation, coping, and quality of life. The results highlight the need for total care of the patients, including an assessment of both physical state and psychological functioning in order to promote total well-being.
Age Differences in Stress and Coping: Problem-Focused Strategies Mediate the Relationship Between Age and Positive Affect
Authors: Chen Yiwei , Peng Yisheng , Xu Huanzhen , O’Brien William H.
Published: August 2017

The present study examined the different types of stressors experienced by adults of different ages, their coping strategies, and positive/negative affect. A mediation hypothesis of coping strategies was tested on the relationships between age and positive/negative affect. One-hundred and ninety-six community-dwelling adults (age range 18–89 years) reported the most stressful situation they experienced in the past month and coping strategies. Levels of positive and negative affect in the past month were also measured. Content analysis revealed age differences in different types of stressors adults reported. Three types of coping strategies were found: problem-focused, positive emotion-focused, and negative emotion-focused coping. Older adults were less likely than younger adults to use problem-focused coping and reported lower levels of positive affect. Path analysis supported the mediation hypothesis, showing that problem-focused coping mediated the relationship between age and positive affect. Implications are discussed on the importance of promoting problem-focused coping among older adults.
Defining Social Class Across Time and Between Groups
Authors: Cohen Dov , Shin Faith , Liu Xi , Ondish Peter , Kraus Michael W.
Published: August 2017

We examined changes over four decades and between ethnic groups in how people define their social class. Changes included the increasing importance of income, decreasing importance of occupational prestige, and the demise of the “Victorian bargain,” in which poor people who subscribed to conservative sexual and religious norms could think of themselves as middle class. The period also saw changes (among Whites) and continuity (among Black Americans) in subjective status perceptions. For Whites (and particularly poor Whites), their perceptions of enhanced social class were greatly reduced. Poor Whites now view their social class as slightly but significantly lower than their poor Black and Latino counterparts. For Black respondents, a caste-like understanding of social class persisted, as they continued to view their class standing as relatively independent of their achieved education, income, and occupation. Such achievement indicators, however, predicted Black respondents’ self-esteem more than they predicted self-esteem for any other group.
Impact of Obesity on Outcomes in Critically Ill Children
Authors: Davis Esther T. , Xie Li , Levenbrown Yosef
Published: August 2017

Purpose: To examine whether obesity confers a protective effect on critically ill pediatric patients, similar to what has been reported in critically ill adults. Methods: A retrospective cohort study including patients aged 2–18 years admitted to a 24‐bed pediatric intensive care unit from 2009 to 2014. Patients were divided into 1 of 3 weight categories: normal weight (body mass index [BMI], 5%–84.9%), overweight (BMI, 85%–94.9%), and obese (BMI ≥95%). Outcomes investigated included mortality, need for intubation, need for inotropic support, and duration of mechanical ventilation. Results: A total of 1817 patient encounters met inclusion criteria. There was no difference in Pediatric Index of Mortality 2 scores between groups. There was a significantly smaller percentage of overweight and obese patients requiring intubation (P = .003) and inotropic support (P = .031) compared with normal‐weight patients. Being overweight or obese was neither protective nor a risk factor for mortality with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.83 (confidence interval [CI], 0.82–3.85; P = .12) and 1.51 (CI, 0.70–3.12; P = .27) comparing the overweight and obese groups with the normal‐weight group, respectively. There was no difference in duration of mechanical ventilation between the normal‐weight and overweight and obese groups (P = .893 and 0.484, respectively). Conclusions: In critically ill pediatric patients, being overweight or obese was associated with decreased need for intubation and inotropic support compared with normal‐weight patients. However, being overweight or obese is neither protective nor a risk factor for mortality or duration of mechanical ventilation.
Trigeminovascular calcitonin gene-related peptide function in Cacna1a R192Q-mutated knock-in mice
Authors: Chan Kayi Y , Labastida-Ramírez Alejandro , Ramírez-Rosas Martha B , Labruijere Sieneke , Garrelds Ingrid M , Danser Alexander HJ , van den Maagdenberg Arn MJM , MaassenVanDenBrink Antoinette
Published: August 2017

Familial hemiplegic migraine type 1 (FHM1) is a rare migraine subtype. Whereas transgenic knock-in mice with the human pathogenic FHM1 R192Q missense mutation in the Cacna1a gene reveal overall neuronal hyperexcitability, the effects on the trigeminovascular system and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor are largely unknown. This gains relevance as blockade of CGRP and its receptor are therapeutic targets under development. Hence, we set out to test these effects in FHM1 mice. We characterized the trigeminovascular system of wild-type and FHM1 mice through: (i) in vivo capsaicin- and CGRP-induced dural vasodilation in a closed-cranial window; (ii) ex vivo KCl-induced CGRP release from isolated dura mater, trigeminal ganglion and trigeminal nucleus caudalis; and (iii) peripheral vascular function in vitro . In mutant mice, dural vasodilatory responses were significantly decreased compared to controls. The ex vivo release of CGRP was not different in the components of the trigeminovascular system between genotypes; however, sumatriptan diminished the release in the trigeminal ganglion, trigeminal nucleus caudalis and dura mater but only in wild-type mice. Peripheral vascular function was similar between genotypes. These data suggest that the R192Q mutation might be associated with trigeminovascular CGRP receptor desensitization. Novel antimigraine drugs should be able to revert this complex phenomenon.
Shunt-preserving disconnection of the portal to systemic circulation in patients with hepatic encephalopathy
Authors: Ikeda Osamu , Inoue Seijiro , Tamura Yoshitaka , Yamashita Yo-ichi , Baba Hideo , Inomata Yukihiro , Yamashita Yasuyuki
Published: August 2017

Background

Portosystemic shunt obliteration by surgical or interventional radiological techniques can be effective for patients with hepatic encephalopathy (HE) although this approach is often associated with accumulation of ascites and/or formation of esophageal varices.

Purpose

To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of shunt-preserving disconnection of the portosystemic circulation (SPDPS) in patients with HE.

Material and Methods

Nine patients with HE and a splenorenal shunt were treated by SPDPS: eight underwent selective coil embolization of the splenic vein and one underwent stent-graft closure of the shunt. The primary endpoint was change in HE severity based on the West-Haven criteria. The secondary endpoints were changes in serum ammonia levels, hepatic function, HE recurrence during the follow-up period, and post-treatment HE recurrence based on the West–Haven diagnostic criteria.

Results

The technical success rate was 100% with no severe complications. After the procedure, the mean portal blood pressure increased from 18 mmHg to 22 mmHg ( P = 0.02), the mean HE grades fell from 2.1 to 1.1 ( P < 0.01), and one month after the procedure, the mean serum ammonia level decreased from 177 µg/dL to 87 µg/dL ( P = 0.03) and the mean total Child-Pugh score from 8 to 7 ( P = 0.07).

Conclusion

SPDPS using selective coil embolization and stent-graft closure of the shunt can be an effective and safe treatment for patients with HE.
Seeking Negative Alphas Through Shorting
Authors: Mohamad Azhar
Published: August 2017

Shorting involves selling stocks that one does not own. Advocates of shorting argue that it is needed to make the financial market a two-way (complete) market in which investors with bearish opinions can participate. To gain from shorting, short sellers hope to buy back the shorted stocks at a lower price. Obtaining ‘negative’ alphas or abnormal returns is thus desirable for short sellers as they imply the underperformance of the stocks and that a profit has been realized. Abnormal returns, according to Fama (1998), are anomalies that tend to disappear when reasonable changes are made to the methodology used to measure them. Diamond and Verrecchia (1987), however, theorize and argue a priori that an unusually large increase in short interest will be followed by a period of negative abnormal returns. Short interest is equal to the number of shorted shares divided by the number of shares available to be shorted. Using daily short interest data for stocks traded on the London Stock Exchange for the period of September 2003 to April 2010, we employ an event study to investigate the effects that follow shorting. Alphas and abnormal returns are measured according to the Market Model (MM), the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and the Fama–French Three-factor Model (FF3F), and are estimated using different estimation windows of 60 and 120 days. In all the methodologies under study, we find significant negative alphas following shorting.
Sectarianism and Social Conformity: Evidence from Egypt
Authors: Brooke Steven
Published: August 2017

Why might citizens adopt exaggerated public antagonism toward outgroups? When this is so, how much do public and private attitudes diverge? I argue that expanding exclusionary rhetoric against outgroups can create social pressures that incentivize ordinary citizens to adopt bigoted attitudes to avoid ostracism from their own majority community. Based on an investigation of Egypt during the Arab Spring, I identify the emergence and diffusion of a norm of discrimination against the country’s tiny Shi’a population. Under these conditions, a substantial portion of Sunni citizens adopted and countenanced anti-Shi’a bigotry not because they truly believed it, but rather because they feared the consequences of expressing public support for coexistence. A variety of qualitative evidence traces the growth of anti-Shi’a sentiment during this period, while original survey data show that over 80 percent of Sunni respondents openly expressed anti-Shi’a attitudes. Yet when asked about their attitudes via an item count technique, a method that grants a reprieve from social pressures, the percentage of respondents expressing discriminatory views toward the Shi’a dropped to just over 40 percent. One implication is that sectarian attitudes in the region are as much the product of malleable social and political pressures as deeply rooted preferences.
The challenges of ideal theory and appeal of secular apocalyptic thought
Authors: Jones Ben
Published: August 2017

Why do thinkers hostile or agnostic toward Christianity find in its apocalyptic doctrines—often seen as bizarre—appealing tools for interpreting politics? This article tackles that puzzle. First, it clarifies the concept of secular apocalyptic thought and its relation to Christianity. I propose that, to avoid imprecision, the study of secular apocalyptic thought should focus on cases where religious apocalyptic thought's influence on secular thinkers is clear because they explicitly reference such thought and its appeal (e.g. Engels's fascination with Christian apocalyptic thought). Second, it argues that the political appeal of apocalyptic thought—and, specifically, what I term cataclysmic apocalyptic thought (CAT)—partly lies in offering resources to navigate persistent challenges in ideal theory. The ideal theorist faces competing goals: formulating an ideal that is utopian and feasible. One potential approach to this challenge is CAT, which embraces a utopian ideal and declares it feasible through identifying crisis as the vehicle to realize it.
From body to flesh: Lefort, Merleau-Ponty, and democratic indeterminacy
Authors: Gerçek Salih Emre
Published: August 2017

Claude Lefort’s theory of democratic indeterminacy has been an influential source among democratic theorists to demonstrate that democratic times lack absolute and determinate grounds on which to base and justify collectivities in the name of society or the people. However, few readers have paid sustained attention to Lefort’s advice that we should read Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenological move from the idea of “body” to “flesh” to grasp the experience of indeterminacy. This article attends to this advice, and excavates how Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenological discussion of indeterminacy guides Lefort’s idea of democratic indeterminacy. More importantly, however, the article reveals that Lefort’s appropriation of Merleau-Ponty’s concept of flesh signals an ambiguity in Lefort’s democratic theory—an ambiguity that presents democratic indeterminacy either as the radical possibility of creating democratic collectivities, or as the impossibility of decisively achieving democratic collectivities. Challenging Lefort’s subject-centered interpretation of flesh, the article contends that Merleau-Ponty’s move from body to flesh is to emphasize indeterminacy as an intersubjective, worldly experience. This world-centered reading of flesh suggests that the promise of democratic indeterminacy lies not only in questioning the closure of collectivities but also in proliferating collective experiences in many areas of common life.
SMART tips for setting teaching objectives
Authors: Hughes Yasmin
Published: August 2017

‘Doctor’, derived from Latin, means ‘teacher’. As doctors, we teach our patients, students and colleagues. The General Medical Council makes reference to this in ‘Good Medical Practice’, stating that as a doctor ‘you should be prepared to contribute to teaching and training doctors and students’. The importance of teaching is echoed in the RCGP curriculum. Despite its importance, not every doctor has the opportunity of formal training on how to become an effective teacher. This article presents a simple guide that doctors can use to plan teaching sessions.
Risk-Based Triage for Nephrology Referrals Using the Kidney Failure Risk Equation
Authors: Hingwala Jay , Wojciechowski Peter , Hiebert Brett , Bueti Joe , Rigatto Claudio , Komenda Paul , Tangri Navdeep
Published: August 2017

Background:

In some jurisdictions, routine reporting of the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) has led to an increase in nephrology referrals and wait times.

Objective:

We describe the use of the Kidney Failure Risk Equation (KFRE) as part of a triage process for new nephrology referrals for patients with chronic kidney disease stages 3 to 5 in a Canadian province.

Design:

A quasi-experimental study design was used.

Setting:

This study took place in Manitoba, Canada.

Measurements:

Demographics, laboratory values, referral numbers, and wait times were compared between periods.

Methods:

In 2012, we adopted a risk-based cutoff of 3% over 5 years using the KFRE as a threshold for triage of new referrals. Referrals who did not meet other prespecified criteria (such as pregnancy, suspected glomerulonephritis, etc) and had a kidney failure risk of <3% over 5 years were returned to primary care with recommendations based on diabetes and hypertension guidelines. The average wait time and number of consults seen between the pretriage (January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2011) and posttriage period (January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2013) were compared using a general linear model.

Results:

In the pretriage period, the median number of referrals was 68/month (range: 44-76); this increased to 94/month (range: 61-147) in the posttriage period. In the posttriage period, 35% of referrals were booked as urgent, 31% as nonurgent, and 34% of referrals were not booked. The median wait times improved from 230 days (range: 126-355) in the pretriage period to 58 days (range: 48-69) in the posttriage period.

Limitations:

We do not have long-term follow-up on patients triaged as low risk. Our study may not be applicable to nephrology teams operating under capacity without wait lists. We did not collect detailed information on all referrals in the pretriage period, so any differences in our pretriage and posttriage patient groups may be unaccounted for.

Conclusions:

Our risk-based triage scheme is an effective health policy tool that led to improved wait times and access to care for patients at highest risk of progression to kidney failure.
Prevalence and Impact of Glenoid Augmentation in American Football Athletes Participating in the National Football League Scouting Combine
Authors: Knapik Derrick M. , Gillespie Robert J. , Salata Michael J. , Voos James E.
Published: August 2017

Background:

Bony augmentation of the anterior glenoid is used in athletes with recurrent shoulder instability and bone loss; however, the prevalence and impact of repair in elite American football athletes are unknown.

Purpose:

To evaluate the prevalence and impact of glenoid augmentation in athletes invited to the National Football League (NFL) Scouting Combine from 2012 to 2015.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A total of 1311 athletes invited to the NFL Combine from 2012 to 2015 were evaluated for history of either Bristow or Latarjet surgery for recurrent anterior shoulder instability. Athlete demographics, surgical history, imaging, and physical examination results were recorded using the NFL Combine database. Prospective participation data with regard to draft status, games played, games started, and status after the athletes’ first season in the NFL were gathered using publicly available databases.

Results:

Surgical repair was performed on 10 shoulders in 10 athletes (0.76%), with the highest prevalence in defensive backs (30%; n = 3). Deficits in shoulder motion were exhibited in 70% (n = 7) of athletes, while 40% (n = 4) had evidence of mild glenohumeral arthritis and 80% demonstrated imaging findings consistent with a prior instability episode (8 labral tears, 2 Hill-Sachs lesions). Prospectively, 40% (n = 4) of athletes were drafted into the NFL. In the first season after the combine, athletes with a history of glenoid augmentation were not found to be at significant risk for diminished participation with regard to games played or started when compared with athletes with no history of glenoid augmentation or athletes undergoing isolated shoulder soft tissue repair. After the conclusion of the first NFL season, 60% (n = 6 athletes) were on an active NFL roster.

Conclusion:

Despite being drafted at a lower rate than their peers, there were no significant limitations in NFL participation for athletes with a history of glenoid augmentation when compared with athletes without a history of shoulder surgery or those with isolated soft tissue shoulder repair. Glenohumeral arthritis and advanced imaging findings of labral tearing and Hill-Sachs lesions in elite American football players with a history of glenoid augmentation did not significantly affect NFL participation 1 year after the combine.
Contemporary applications of carbon black-filled polymer composites: An overview of essential aspects
Authors: Kausar Ayesha
Published: August 2017

This article appraises the contemporary reinforcement of carbon black in different polymer matrices. Essential features of polymer/carbon black composites are influenced by particle size, surface area, and surface chemistry of filler. Special emphasis is placed on recent research trends attained using polymer/carbon black composites. These materials have potential in fuel cells, sensors, detectors, supercapacitors, electromagnetic interference shielding, shape memory, dye-sensitized solar cells, and coatings. Various aspects, such as interfacial interaction, processing conditions, particle dispersion, and other physical properties, are highlighted for further exploration to discover hidden possibilities for these indispensable polymer composites.
Source deghosting by depth apparition
Authors: Robertsson Johan O. A. , van Manen Dirk-Jan , Andersson Fredrik , Amundsen Lasse , Eggenberger Kurt
Published: August 2017

Marine seismic data are distorted by ghosts as waves propagating upward reflect downward from the sea surface. Ghosts appear on the source side and the receiver side. However, whereas the receiver-side ghost problem has been studied in detail, and many different solutions have been proposed and implemented commercially, the source-side ghost problem has remained largely unsolved with few satisfactory solutions available. We have developed a new and simple method to remove sea-surface ghosts that is related to the recently introduced concept of signal apparition. As opposed to the temporal/spatial source signature modulation functions used in the original signal apparition theory, our source deghosting method relies on using sources at different depths but not at the same lateral positions. The new method promises to be particularly suitable for 3D applications on sparse or incomplete acquisition geometries.
Short Communication: Traditional medicinal formulation: Obat pahit from Lingga Malay Ethnic in Riau Archipelago, Indonesia
Authors: FITMAWATI FITMAWATI , SOFIYANTI NERY , ROZA RODESIA MUSTIKA , ISNAINI ISNAINI , HAZIMI HIDAYATUL , IRAWAN YULISA RESTI , WINATA DHANIEL RIDHO , KUSUMO DEWI AWAL PRICHATIN
Published: August 2017

Fitmawati, Sofiyanti N, Roza RM, Isnaini, Hazimi H, Irawan YS, Winata DR, Dewi APK. 2017. Traditional medicinal formulation: Obat pahit from Lingga Malay Ethnic in Riau Archipelago, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 18: 1196-1200. Lingga Malay Ethnic is the native ethnicity in the Lingga District, Riau Archipelago, Indonesia. This ethnic still holds strong beliefs of their ancestors, such as the use of medicinal plants. One ingredient that is still used today is obat pahit as a body fitness keeper. The aim of this research was to inventory the kinds of medicinal plants used by Lingga Malay ethnicity in obat pahit potions. This research was conducted using survey and observation methods on the packaging of obat pahit. Interviews were held on Traditional Medicine Practitioners (TMP) of 5 (five) people TMPs using a questionnaire form. The research results during the interview and observation of TMPs in the packaging of obat pahit showed the differences in number and kinds of plants of each TMP. The interview results which were obtained 2 plant species were listed from Kalan TMP; SP4 TMP is about 12 species of plants; Linau TMP is 14 species of plants; Resun TMP is 7 species of plants; and Musai TMP is 14 species of plants. The dominant medicinal plants that are used on this study were Bauhinia semibifida, Cnestis sp. and Cnestis palala.
Decision Support System for Football Players Lineup Selection using Fuzzy Multiple Attribute Decision Making and K-Means Clustering Methods
Authors: Nurzahputra Aldi , Pranata Afrizal Rizqi , Puwinarko Aji
Published: August 2017

In football, the selection of players line-up is based on their statistical performance. In this research, the line-up selection can implement the decision support system (DSS) with FMADM SAW method. The criteria were used are goal, assists, saves, clean sheets, yellow cards, red cards, games, and an own goal. Then, the assessment players performance is using K-Means Clustering. There are two clusters: cluster_cukup and cluster_baik. The system used Manchester City player data in Forward, Midfielder, Defender and Goal Keeper position. The purpose of this research is applying the FMADM and K-Means Clustering method to the system. Based on the results, the line-up selection can be processed by FMADM method and the performance assessed by K-Means Clustering method. By using the system, the selection and the assessment can be conducted and give the best decision for football coach objectively.
Investigation on Full Duplex WDM Hybrid Sensor to Measure the Strain
Authors: Kaur Gurpreet , Kaler Rajinder Singh , Kumar Ankit
Published: August 2017

The effect of nano-hybrid sensor based on a wavelength division multiplexed technique (WDM) is studied using photonics crystal fiber and fiber Bragg grating (FBG). The full duplex scheme is used in the proposed system to receive and transmit the data at the same time for fast processing. The finite difference time domain photonics simulation software (FDTD) is used to observed variation in reflection and the transmission power spectra of the photonic gratings. Using line defects we created two linear waveguides, further, it is used as an optical sensor. From this work, we recommend that the proposed system can be used as in communication field for data transmission and also used in sensing application to sense the property and deformation of the object.
Improvement of Management of Rhagoletis Cerasi in Bosnia and Herzegovina Based on a Phenological Model
Authors: Nježić Branimir , Pećanin Dušan , Ðurić Gordana
Published: August 2017

European cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis cerasi) is the key pest of sweet and sour cherry throughout Europe. Pest management is usually based on pesticide application. The key of successful management is knowing the proper time of pesticide application, based on the phenological model. To develop a phenological model, a local population of the pest from the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina was studied. First adult appearance and population densities were monitored by yellow sticky traps. Soil and air temperatures were compared at two thermal thresholds, 5 °C and 7 °C. Air temperature was applied in the model since it is more suitable for farmers and is related to soil temperature. Both thermal thresholds can be used. The first adult flies were captured after 435 degree-days (dd) and the first cumulative 5% of the catch after 605 dd. These two times should be considered for time of application of pesticides. Regarding time for first egg hatch, the first larva burrowed into fruits at 730 dd. Cultivars that can be harvested beginning on the 730 dd calculate from 1 March are considered to have low risk of cherry fruit fly damage.
Introduction and Breeding of Rhododendrons in Latvia
Authors: Kondratovičs Rihards , Kondratovičs Uldis
Published: August 2017

Rhododendrons are relatively new beautiful ornamental plants in Latvia forming an essential part of public and private gardens, although they were introduced in Latvian territory already during the first half of 19th century. Rhododendrons deserve their immense popularity due to the diversity of their habitat, size and type of blossoms and leaves and their flowering season. There are about 1000 rhododendron species in the wild up to now whereas breeders in various countries have created more than 30 000 cultivars. Intensive rhododendrons introduction and acclimatization in Latvia started in 1957 when Rihards Kondratovičs, at the time director of the Botanical Garden, University of Latvia, started his research on the introduction and acclimatization of rhododendrons. Winterhardiness of about 400 wild species in Latvia was tested and 76 species were found to be suitable. Following the development of an extensive collection of wild rhododendron species and cultivars, the Rhododendron Breeding and Experimental Nursery “Babīte”, University of Latvia, was established at 1980 and the active breeding of new winterhardy cultivars was started. In 2017, the collection of outdoor rhododendrons of the University of Latvia consists of 76 species and 265 cultivars, including 109 cultivars bred in Latvia by Professor Rihards Kondratovičs.
The Old Axolot by Jacek Dukaj: Between Multimodality and Transmediality
Authors: Maj Krzysztof M.
Published: August 2017

This article attempts to revise the categories of hypertexuality, multimodality and transmediality in the context of the idea of multi-layered narration in Jacek Dukaj’s essay Bibliomachia and his novel The Old Axolot: Hardware Dreams (e-book, 2015). The principal aim of this analysis is to map the broad spectrum of narrative techniques and experiments that augment and upgrade the traditional concept of the represented world to that of the cognitive narrative world. The latter term holds out a promise of getting a better grip on certain innovative narrative projects whose harbinger is The Old Axolot. The world-building strategy of this novel is twofold: it shapes its narrative world and the marketing campaign of its bilingual e-book edition. At the same time, the introduction of the Fictionary word game and an evolving concept of worldness makes The Old Axolot both an epitome of worldcentred narration, characteristic of both the culture of media convergence and the poetics of fantasy fiction, and a teaser, inviting us to re-examine our understanding of literature at the time of the World-building Turn.
Sensationalism and Mystery in the Plot Constructions of Seweryn Goszczyński’s the Castle of Kaniów
Authors: Zając Grzegorz
Published: August 2017

Seweryn Goszczyński’s The Castle of Kaniów (1828) has remained undeservedly in the shadow of a few other romantic verse-tales of the 1820s and 1830s, the heyday of that genre in Polish literary history. This type of epic poetry has a distinct preference for a non-linear, fragmented plot and a multi-level structure of presented world. However, the key note in the design of Goszczyński’s historical tales sensationalism, which determines the book’s artistic worth and its lasting attractiveness. Goszczyński knows how to employ a whole range of Gothic tricks and is also remarkably adept at using mystery to keep up dramatic tension in his tale of the Cossack uprising of 1768.
Bruno Schulz, E.M. Lilien and the Archaeology of Polish Jewish Modernism
Authors: Underhill Karen
Published: August 2017

This paper discusses Bruno Schulz’s recently discovered 1937 essay on the Drohobycz-born graphic artist Ephraim Moses Lilien, best known for his iconic Zionist-themed black-and-white graphics in the Secessionist style. Schulz describes in his essay the seminal influence that the encounter with Lilien’s art had on him at the age of thirteen: “There took place in me at that time a kind of internal shift. Lilien effected a powerful fertilization of my internal world, that revealed itself in an early, youthful and clumsy creativity.” As the first known document in which Bruno Schulz openly presents his views on the contemporary political, cultural and spiritual concerns of his Jewish generation in Poland and Eastern Europe, the Lilien article enables a more direct reading of Schulz’s own aesthetic project as an inheritor of the ethos of the fin-de-siècle Jewish Renaissance Movement, and as a contribution to the development of Jewish literary modernisms in Central Europe. The disappearance of the Lilien article from readers′ consciousness for over three quarters of a century - since World War II - and its reemergence today not only represents an exciting next episode in the quest, initially undertaken by Jerzy Ficowski, to recover Schulz’s existing oeuvre. It also offers a fitting metaphor for a larger phenomenon taking place today within the fields of both Polish and Jewish studies, that I have called here the archaeology of Polish Jewish modernism. The discussion proposes an additional paradigm of “national indifference”, adapted from the work of historian Tara Zahra, as a tool for thinking Schulz’s texts as a simultaneously Jewish and Universal writing that resists attachment to political nationalisms, and to the project of nation-state building. More directly than he had done in the Sanatorium stories, Schulz reveals in the Lilien essay a strong commitment to the Jewish/Universal project of Cultural Zionism, inspired by Ahad Ha’am and promoted by prominent Jewish thinkers and spokespeople of the Lemberg/Lwów region, and a deep reticence about and finally rejection of political Zionism. Thus Schulz’s Lilien essay points to, and becomes an apologia for, his own decision to seek a continuation of the religious, mythic and messianic Jewish tradition not in the promise of return to Palestine, but through the medium of the living book, which he calls here “that creation born of the longing of golus”.
Polish Tartar Travel Writing in the Interwar Period: Themes, Motifs, Narrative Strategies
Authors: Czerwiński Grzegorz
Published: August 2017

The article analyzes Polish Tartar travel writing in the interwar period, i.e. Mustafa Aleksandrowicz’s, Leon Kryczyński’s, Edige Szynkiewicz’s and Ali Ismail Woronowicz’s (all of them Polish Muslims) accounts of their journeys to North Africa (Morocco, Egypt) and the Middle East (Persia). The analysis shows that the themes and narrative strategies of their work differ in many ways from those of mainstream contemporary Polish literature and journalism. Most importantly, the Tartar authors saw the Islamic countries through Muslim eyes. This perspective also determined their interests (the themes) and their point of view (they combined the roles of the observer and the participant).
Stem breakage and forking in low and high elevationPinus tecunumanii
Authors: Nyoka B. I. , Tongoona P. , Gumbie C. M.
Published: August 2017

The incidences of stem breakage and forking at ages five and eight years in low and high elevationPinus tecunumaniiwere assessed in multilocation provenance-progeny tests comprising 16 provenances of both low and high elevationP. tecunumanii. Stem breakage and forking were found to be more severe at the highest test site (1760m a.s.l.), and progressively declined with decreasing altitude. The mean stem breakage at individual sites for the two ages ranged from 0.7% to 19.5% in the low elevationP. tecunumanii, while that of the high elevationP. tecunumaniiwas between 0% and 12.9%. The mean percent of forked trees ranged between 3.9% and 46.8% in the low elevationP. tecunumaniiand from 5.3% to 27.5% in the high elevationP. tecunumanii. The wide provenance variation in stem breakage and forking suggests that genetic factors related to seed source influence these traits. The low elevationP. tecunumaniihad significantly higher incidences of stem breakage and forked trees compared to the high elevationP. tecunumanii. Overall, provenances with very low levels of stem breakage and forking included San Jerónimo, Montana Sumpul, Las Piedrecitas and Jocón. Although tested on a limited number of sites, the genotype* environment interaction at both provenance and family level appeared to be inconsequential. The mean percent of trees with stem breakage and forks increased between the two assessment ages, with changes ranging from small to more than double, implying that decision on selection against stem breakage and forking should be avoided at five years or earlier. The results of this study showed that the challenges of stem breakage and forking in plantations can be managed by one or a combination of site and seed source selection, while intensive breeding and selection could also be used as a long term strategy.
Primer Note: Development of Highly Polymorphic Nuclear Microsatellite Markers for Hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa)
Authors: Iwaizumi M. G. , Watanabe A. , Isoda K.
Published: August 2017

We developed 32 microsatellite markers from an enriched genomic DNA library of hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa), one of the most important Japanese forestry conifer species. From a total of 1,056 cloned plasmids, 96 sequence-specific primer pairs were designed from 110 candidate clones. We selected 32 primers that showed successful amplification and marked polymorphism and evaluated their characteristics using DNA from 38 C. obtusa elite trees planted in the Forest Tree Breeding Center. The markers were highly polymorphic, with the number of alleles ranging from 8 to 32 (mean: 20.09), and expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.811 to 0.958 (mean: 0.901). Progress in breeding projects and studies of the ecological genetics of this species can be expected through the use of this enlarged marker pool.
Short Note: Seven Genomic SSRs Revealed in Eucalyptus by Re-sequencing of DNA Sequences from GenBank
Authors: He X. , Li F. , Shi J. , Gan S.
Published: August 2017

Seven genomic SSR markers of Eucalyptus were developed from DNA sequences of E. grandis deposited in GenBank. Their repeat motifs were revealed by resequencing with an individual tree of E. urophylla or E. tereticornis, and five out of the seven markers turned out to be heterozygous within the specific tree sequenced. The sequence identity ranged from 75.06% to 96.66%, with an average of 87.31%. These markers could be valuable in genetics studies in Eucalyptus. This report demonstrates the advantages of re-sequencing in developing SSR markers from publicly accessible databases.
Heritability of Yield and Secondary Traits in two populations of Para Rubber Tree (Hevea brasiliensis)
Authors: Narayanan C. , Mydin Kavitha K.
Published: August 2017

Heritability and interactions of yield and growth traits were assessed in Hevea brasiliensis using full-sib progenies and clonal populations. Using parent-offspring regression, annual mean rubber yield (ARY) and summer yield (SY) showed moderate to high heritability (ARY, h
2 =34–56%; SY, h
2 =36–52%). Among the yield components, girth exhibited low to moderate heritability (h
2 =17–36%) while branching height showed low heritability (h
2 =18%). Using forty clonal genotypes, annual mean rubber yield (H
2=48%), rubber yield during peak period (H
2=47%) and rubber yield during stress (or summer yield) (H
2=44%) showed high estimates of heritability. Among the other yield components, except volume of latex during stress period (H
2=40%), remaining yield components showed moderate estimates for heritability (H
2=29–37%). Dry rubber content (DRC) based on annual mean showed very high heritability (H
2=68%), followed by DRC during stress (H
2=51%) and peak (H
2=50%) periods. Latex flow rate based on annual mean and peak period data showed high heritability (H
2=51%) followed by latex flow rate during stress period (H
2=42%). Plugging indices of annual and stress period showed high heritability (H
2=43%) than that of peak period (H
2=25%). Regarding growth traits, girth showed high heritability (H
2=50%) than girth increment (H
2=32%). While bark thickness showed high heritability (H
2=40%) length of tapping panel showed moderate heritability (H
2=27%). Total chlorophyll content exhibited moderate heritability (H
2=22%); chlorophyll pigment ratio showed low heritability (H
2=5%). Based on parent-offspring analysis, annual mean rubber yield exhibited high genetic correlation with summer yield and girth. Annual mean rubber yield and summer yield were negatively correlated with branching height. Regarding phenotypic correlations among the forty clonal genotypes, annual mean rubber yield exhibited high correlation with latex volume, latex flow rate, DRC, girth and bark thickness. However, annual mean rubber yield was negatively correlated with yield depression under stress and plugging index. Rubber yield, volume and rate of flow of latex over the three periods, yield depression under stress, girth increment, annual mean plugging index and plugging index under stress showed high estimates of genetic advance. The high estimates of heritability for yield and its components coupled with their high genetic gain indicated that considerable improvement can be achieved for these traits through selection. Estimates for indirect selection efficiency were not optimal for indirect selection for yield using girth and summer yield.
A combination of fruit and leaf morphology enables taxonomic classification of the complex Q. robur L. – Q. x rosacea Bechst. – Q. petraea (Matt.) Liebl. in autochthonous stands in Flanders
Authors: Mijnsbrugge Kristine Vander , De Cleene Luc , Beeckman Hans
Published: August 2017

Hybrids between Quercus robur and Q. petraea have been a sought topic of many studies in Europe during the last decades. Here, leaf and fruit morphology were studied in five oak stands where both species occur naturally intermixed. The stands are relicts of old, possibly medieval coppice wood. Twenty two leaf characters and nine fruit characters were assessed on three leaves and three fruits per tree and for thirty trees per stand. A principal component analysis (PCA) resulted in a bimodal distribution with restricted overlap along the first component when both leaf and fruit data were processed together. For leaf and fruit data separately, the analysis produced only continuous clusters of trees. Two types of putative hybrids can be defined that either show a petiole length of the leaf (PL) according to Q. robur and a petiole length of the fruit (FP1) according to Q. petraea, or vice versa. These hybrids cluster within both groups of the PCA analysis, but not all are situated close to or in the intermediate area between the groups. A lowered mean relative number of developed acorns in the hybrid groups in comparison to their putative maternal parent, based on the assumption of matroclinal inheritance of PL, is observed. This might indicate a reduced ability for successful fertilisation in the hybrids. These results suggest the presence of putative hybrids and introgressed forms within the morphological distinct Q. robur and Q. petraea groups and argument for a taxonomically defined Q. x rosacea based on PL and FP1 limits.
Genetic consequences of subtropical rainforest fragmentation onMacadamia tetraphylla(Proteaceae)
Authors: Spain C. S. , Lowe A. J.
Published: August 2017

Habitat fragmentation can bring about a variety of gene-flow alterations in plant populations, potentially threatening adaptive potential and local persistence. It is expected that following habitat fragmentation an increased level of inbreeding will be evident. In addition, a reduction in genetic diversity and increased genetic differentiation is expected following severe or long term population bottlenecks. We examined population genetic parameters for the subtropical rainforest treeMacadamia tetraphylla(Proteaceae) at six field sites throughout its recently fragmented range, using four microsatellite loci. Genetic diversity (HE) of the juvenile cohort was significantly correlated with estimated population size. No significant difference was observed for genetic diversity between adult and juvenile cohorts, but juveniles, and not adults, exhibited significant population differentiation (θ =0.061;P<0.0001 and θ =0.016;P=0.23, respectively). A second, standardised measure of differentiation, ×′, yielded similarly large differences between the two cohorts, though higher estimates of differentiation overall (adults – θ′=0.034, juveniles – θ′=0.116). The coefficient of population inbreeding (f) was significant and positive in all juvenile, and four out of six adult, populations, and was significantly positively correlated with adult tree density, but not adult population size. Since fragmentation is relatively recent for this species, the population bottleneck must have been quite severe to have produced the observed patterns of population differentiation and genetic diversity. Fragmentation of forest across the study area over the last 100+ years has led to the genetic isolation ofM. tetraphyllapopulations resulting in increased population divergence and likely eventual loss of genetic variation in future generations.
Neurophysiological Assessment of Cognitive Dysfunction in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Drakulic Svetlana Miletic
Published: August 2017

Cognitive impairment occurs in a high percentage in all forms of multiple sclerosis, regardless of physical disability. Slowing the speed of information processing is one of the most difficult and the most frequently mentioned, but impairment of memory, attention, executive functions are included also. Long latency event related potentials (ERP) are much more objective means of cognitive functioning evaluation. Different types of immunomodulatory therapies which are used for relapsing- remitting forms of multiple sclerosis may affect the results of ERP. ERP can evaluate subclinical changes and provide important information on the evolution of cognitive changes in patients with MS.
X -Ray Microanalysis of Barium and Calcium in Plant Material: Significance for the Analysis of Statoliths
Authors: Steudle E. , Läuchli A . , Sievers A .
Published: August 2017

The identification of Ca2+ by X-ray microanalysis in statoliths could be masked by Ba2+. Using Ba2+ and Ca2+ containing standards prepared from algal cell walls and cellulose acetate films it is shown that there is no inter­ference of Ba2+ with Ca2+. Hence Ba2+ is the main cationic constituent in the statoliths of Chara rhizoids.