bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
3234 Unique Case of Gastroenteritis Presenting as Pneumatosis Intestinalis With Emphysematous Gastritis and Portal Vein Gas: Do Not Take Gastroenteritis Lightly
Authors: Mehmood Asif , Ullah Waqas , Rashid Mamoon Ur , Essrani Rajesh
Published: October 2019

INTRODUCTION:

Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) refers to presence of multiple thin gas filled cysts in the wall of gastrointestinal tract. It is a uncommon entity and can involve any site from stomach to the rectum. Isolated stomach involvement is very rare. PI can represent a wide spectrum of diseases with variable prognosis.

CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS:

An 87-year-old male presented with multiple episodes of non-bloody watery diarrhea associated with nausea and epigastric pain for 2 days. He has past medical history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia and coronary artery disease with bypass surgery. Denied any fever, vomiting, sick contact, recent travel or chest pain. On physical exam, blood pressure was 146/90 mmgh, pulse rate 90/min, respiratory rate 20/min with temperature of 100.5 F. The abdomen was diffusely tender with hypoactive bowel sounds without rebound tenderness or guarding. The laboratory findings showed normal blood counts except leukocytosis of 14000/ml, elevated urea levels of 30 mmol/L, creatinine levels of 1.4 mg/dl and potassium of 3.5. A CT abdomen/pelvis with contrast showed air in gastric wall and air in portal vein which was concerning for emphysematous gastroenteritis. Further work up came back negative including blood cultures, stool studies, clostridium difficile and lactic acid levels. He was admitted to ICU and evaluated by surgeon, Gastroenterology and Infectious disease specialist. Patient was made nothing per oral, received intravenous fluids and IV antibiotics including Ciprofloxacin and Metronidazole. With no other exact cause of PI, the patient's presentation was ultimately thought to represent a mild bacterial infection yielding minimal clues to the definitive diagnosis aside from radiographic data. The patient actually did very well with conservative management and was discharged on antibiotics after a few days with plan to follow up with an outpatient CT scan.

DISCUSSION:

Emphysematous gastritis with air in portal vein is very rare with underlying gastroenteritis, a worldwide very common disease. It can be easy to miss especially if presentation is benign. This is extremely rare and can easily mimic viral gastroenteritis. High index of suspicion with low threshold of scan can be lifesaving.
3237 CMV Gastric Ulcer in a Patient With Pauci Immune Cresenteric Glomerulonephritis on Rituximab: A Rare Combination
Authors: Ishtiaq Rizwan , Wilhelm Darlene M. , Ahmad Sumair
Published: October 2019

INTRODUCTION:

CMV infections are asymptomatic in immunocompetent patients but in immunocompromised patients, CMV have varying manifestations depending on their location. Patient who are organ transplant recipients, taking immunosuppressive therapy for a long time are at increased risk of CMV infections. CMV induced gastric ulcer is very rare but many cases have been reported in the literature. No case describing association between CMV related gastric ulcer and glomerulonephritis has not been reported in the literature so far.

CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS:

In this manuscript, we describe a case of pauci immune cresenteric glomerulonephritis in a patient who was on rituximab and long-term steroid therapy and found to have CMV related gastric ulcer. The association of small vessel vasculitis and CMV related gastrointestinal infection has not been studied in the literature.

DISCUSSION:

Pauci immune cresenteric glomerulonephritis is a subtype of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis manifested by continuous loss of renal functions with features of dysmorphic red blood cells and glomerular proteinuria. Treatment of such condition is a genetically engineered chimeric murine/human monoclonal IgG1 kappa antibody directed against the CD20 antigen known as Rituximab. We also discussed the pathogenesis of CMV induced gastric ulcer after rituximab therapy. This case emphasizes the importance of opportunistic infections in glomerulonephritis patients and raises the awareness that glomerunephritis patients are at increased risk of opportunistic infections as well. Rituximab was considered to be a safer drug but over the years, the incidence if opportunistic infections in patients on rituximab has been increasing.
3245 A Pressing Matter: A Case of Polycystic Liver Disease Resulting in Gastric Outlet Obstruction
Authors: Bergagnini Isabella , Nocerino Angelica , Ivanina Elena
Published: October 2019

INTRODUCTION:

Polycystic liver disease (PLD), a rare autosomal dominant genetic disorder, is characterized by the progressive development of multiple hepatic cysts. Largely, patients remain asymptomatic however <5% develop complications related to cyst formation, including perforation, hemorrhage, infection, and obstruction. Here we depict a case of PLD presenting as gastric outlet obstruction (GOO).

CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS:

A 62-year-old man with a history of alcohol abuse, alcoholic pancreatitis presented with intractable diffuse abdominal pain seven days prior to admission. CT abdomen demonstrated large ascites and innumerable hepatic cysts with findings concerning for GOO. The patient underwent a diagnostic paracentesis, with ascitic studies consistent with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) which was treated with a course of antibiotics. He then underwent an EGD which revealed severe esophagitis and fluid and food particles in the esophagus and stomach. Prior to repeat EGD, his stomach was decompressed with a nasogastric tube and he was intubated for airway protection given concern for aspiration. The second EGD revealed a previously noted pyloric stricture which was stented, providing symptomatic relief. The patient's hospital course was also notable for septic shock secondary to ESBL Klebisella pneumoniae and hemorrhagic gastritis resulting in acute blood loss anemia requiring multiple RBC transfusions. Ultimately, he was made DNR/DNI and expired 30 days after admission.

DISCUSSION:

PLD is characterized by the development of multiple hepatic cysts. It presents as part of one of two genetically distinct disease entities, isolated polycystic liver disease and as an extrarenal manifestation in polycystic kidney disease. Diagnosis is made via imaging studies, including ultrasound, CT, or MRI with the latter two being the most sensitive modalities. The majority of patients (>80%) remain asymptomatic, only requiring clinical, laboratory, and radiographic surveillance. However, when symptoms arise, they typically are secondary to compression of adjacent structures often resulting in abdominal pain, early satiety, and even jaundice. Treatment remains dependent on underlying etiology with a focus on palliation. As only a minority exhibit symptoms, GOO secondary to PLD is rarely reported in the literature. We present this case to raise awareness of this rare disease and this uncommon complication to help aid prompt diagnosis and management of GOO.
Prevention and treatment of late complications of diabetes in children and adolescents
Authors: Kasatkina E. P. , Odud E. A. , Sichinava I. G. , Sivous G. I. , Doll S. E.
Published: October 2019

The most important problem of modern clinical diabetology is the prevention and treatment of late complications of diabetes.

Until recently, it was believed that the prevention and treatment of diabetic microvascular lesions was mainly a problem for endocrinologists. However, to date it has been reliably established that diabetic complications not only develop more often in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in childhood, but are also widespread among children and especially adolescents [1, 2].
Early and long-term neuroendocrine effects of prenatal stress in male and female rats
Authors: Reznikov A. G. , Nosenko N. D. , Tarasenko L. V. , Sinitsyn P. V. , Polyakova L. I.
Published: October 2019

The effect of maternal stress or so-called prenatal stress (PS) on the neuroendocrine regulation of reproduction and stress reactivity of the progeny was studied. Prenatal stress prevented the formation of sex dimorphism of catecholamine content and aromatase and androgen 5a-reductase activities in the preoptic region of the brain and mediobasal hypothalamus of 10-day-old rats. Leveling of sex-specific differences in the size of the neurocyte nuclei in the suprachiasmatic nucleus was the morphological equivalent of functional disorders induced by PS. Stress and adrenergic reactivity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal system was changed in prenatally stressed males and females. Remote effects of PS are regarded as a manifestation of disorders in the hormone neurotransmitter imprinting of the neuroendocrine system.
New approaches to quantifying the metabolism of triiodothyronine in the body
Authors: Shakhtarin V. V. , Petrova G. A. , Chekin S. Yu. , Simakova G. M.
Published: October 2019

The quantitative parameters of triiodothyronine (Ту) metabolism at a tissue level have been determined in animal experiments. The method for evaluating Ту metabolism is based on a mathematical model reflecting the current notions on the biological cycle of this hormone.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment with thyroxine and iodotyrox drugs in patients with diffuse non-toxic goiter in Moscow
Authors: Tomashevsky I. O. , Gerasimov G. A. , Artemova A. M. , Tomashevsky D. I. , Gerasimov V. G. , Benker G.
Published: October 2019

The efficiency of therapy with a combined thyroxin-iodine drug and monotherapy with thyroxin was compared in patients with diffuse nontoxic goiter (DNG), and the effect of iodine intake was evaluated. The study was carried out in an outpatient setting by the double blind method in 46 women aged 18-50 years with DNG: 22 were treated by the combined drug (TI) containing 100 pg L-thyroxin and 100 pg potassium iodide per tablet (lodthyrox, Merck KGaA) and 24 were treated by thyroxin (T) in a dose of 100 pg (Euthyrox, Merck KGaA). The treatment was administeredfor 1 year. A year after this treatment, 15 women were treated with iodinated oil (IO) (lipidol capsules, Guerbet) containing 380 mg iodine. Thyroid volume, concentrations of intrathyroid stable iodine (ISI), pituitary thyrotropic hormone, free triiodothyronin and thyroxin, and antibodies to thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase in the blood were evaluated in all women before and during treatment.

Therapy with T and TI equally decreased the size of the thyroid in DNG. ISI concentration decreased during TI treatment less than during monotherapy. Thyroid volume increased to the pre-treatment size 12 months after therapy with T or TI was discontinued, while ISI concentration remained lowered. Administration of IO led to a decrease in the thyroid size, less pronounced than during T or TI treatment, and to an increase in ISI concentration.
Determination of thyroxine concentration in rat blood using radio immunological kits designed to determine the level of hormone in human blood
Authors: Pryadko K. A. , Shkumatov L. M. , Gorokh G. A. , Bagel I. M.
Published: October 2019

The relationship between the matrix effect and radioimmunoassayed concentrations of total T4 in the blood of rats was studied. T4 was measured 4 times in 59 rats: by the initial and modified RIO-T4-PG and RIA-T4-STkits (Minsk). The modification consisted in the following: standard solutions were prepared on rat serum free from T4. The levels of T4 measured by the original and modified kits correlated. For RIO-T4-PG the correlation coefficient p = 0.9809 and regression equation is у = 0.64x+5.087, and for RIA-T4-ST p = 0.9802 and у = 0.875x-l. 712. Hence, for real concentrations, measurements of T4 by both original kits give underrated values, but the fluctuations of T4 in the control rats appreciably surpassed this underrating. We conclude that the above mentioned commercial kits for measuring T4 can be usedfor measuring the hormone concentration in the rat blood, provided the appropriate reference groups are available.
The effect of vitamin E on the development of nephropathy in rabbits with dithizone diabetes
Authors: Poltorak V. V. , Gorbenko N. I. , Gladkikh A. I. , Ivanova O. V.
Published: October 2019

The effects of vitamin E (VE) on early-stage diabetic nephropathy were studied in experimental insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Absolute insulin deficiency was modelled with an intravenous injection of ditisone to male rabbits (35 mg/kg). Vitamin E (tocoferoli acetatas) was given orally as gelatin capsules, 100 mg per animal daily for 2 months. VE-fed rabbits exhibited a significant lowering of basal hyperglycemia, rise of basal insulinemia, and better glucose tolerance than diabetic control. VE also normalized ditisone-increased level of cholesterol, beta-lipoproteins and reduced concentrations of dienic conjugates in blood serum of the diabetic animals. Angioprotective effect of VE manifesting in lowering of microalbuminuria, mass of the kidney and thickness of basal glomerular membrane validates the efficiency of VE in prevention or attenuation of clinical nephropathy in patients with diabetes mellitus.
processo de textualização em textos multissemióticos
Authors: Ferreira Helena Maria , Almeida Patricia Vasconcelos , Dias Jaciluz
Published: October 2019

O presente artigo busca analisar o processo de textualização em textos multissemióticos. Para tal, adota-se a perspectiva da arquitetura textual como dispositivo analítico, proposta por Bronckart, desenvolvida no âmbito do Interacionismo Sociodiscursivo (ISD). Assim, busca-se analisar como o processo de composicionalidade se efetiva em textos que articulam linguagem verbal e não verbal (imagética e em movimento). Com base no trabalho empreendido, constata-se que a perspectiva da arquitetura textual viabiliza uma análise global das várias dimensões constitutivas dos textos multimodais/ multissemió-ticos, permitindo um estudo dos diferentes recursos que indiciam sentidos e orientam interpretações.
entrevista sociolinguística como lócus de significados socioestilísticos
Authors: Valle Carla Regina Martins , Görski Edair Maria
Published: October 2019

O presente trabalho busca: i) propor, à luz das três ondas dos estudos variacionistas (ECKERT, 2012), redimensionamentos metodológicos para lidar analiticamente com informações de caráter social, identitário e estilístico que emergem de entrevistas sociolinguísticas; e ii) aplicar a proposta no tratamento do uso variável de marcadores discursivos (MDs), discutindo a relação desses itens com categorias macrossociológicas, socioculturais locais e individuais. Com base em uma reanálise de dados de fala de Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brasil (VALLE, 2001, 2014), foi possível: i) dar visibilidade a informações contidas nas entrevistas que permitiram a construção de variáveis extralinguísticas conectadas com demandas específicas (da comuni-dade e/ou do fenômeno analisado); e ii) mostrar, por meio da análise do uso variável de MDs, como o significado social se desloca das categorias macrossociológicas para categorias demográficas e socioculturais locais, passando a ser associado fortemente a aspectos identitários e estilísticos.
Sintagmas preposicionados nucleados por com como predicados de sentenças nominais na história do Português Brasileiro de Pernambuco
Authors: Albertin Maria Eduarda Genuíno de , Sibaldo Marcelo Amorim
Published: October 2019

As sentenças nominais (ou copulares) ocorrem com os dois verbos cópulas do Português Brasileiro, ser e estar. Em relação à predicação nessas sentenças, o predicado seleciona seu sujeito. Assim, os sintagmas preposi-cionais predicados selecionam seu sujeito e, a depender da preposição núcleo, alteram o sentido do sintagma que os segue. Neste trabalho, procurou-se des-crever os contextos sintáticos, pouco estudados em termos descritivos e teóricos, em que os predicados nucleados pela preposição com aparecem combina-dos a ser e estar. Neste estudo, lançando mão de corpora, verificamos uma maior ocorrência desse sintagma preposicional com o verbo estar. Assim, foram analisa-dos, quantitativamente, através do mé-todo indutivo, documentos – manuscritos e impressos – correspondentes ao período do século XVIII ao XX, do estado de Pernambuco.
Cláusulas relativas na fala espontânea
Authors: Bomjardim da Silva Carmo Crysna
Published: October 2019

Este artigo discute a relação entre estrutura informacional e processos de subordinação das cláusulas relativas da fala espontânea do português brasi-leiro (PB). A base teórica vem da Language into Act Theory (CRESTI, 2000) e da linguística funcionalista (HOPPER; TRAUGOTT, 1993; CRISTOFARO, 2003; RODRIGUES, 2015, 2014). Nesse comtex-to, foi utilizada uma amostra balanceada do C-ORAL BRASIL (RASO; MELLO, 2012), etiquetada informacionalmente. Os resultados demonstram que a forma sintática [...N [QUE + verbo finito...]SAdj]SN, que corresponde às cláusulas relativas, ocorrem em dois contextos informa-cionais distintos: o linearizado e o pa-dronizado. Contudo, no primeiro, a cláusula ocorre subordinada e insubor-dinada dentro da unidade informacional; no último, justaposta sintaticamente em mais de uma unidade informacional.
Interatividade e Adaptabilidade
Authors: Dos Santos do Canto Camila Gonçalves , Bohlmann Duarte Gabriela
Published: October 2019

O presente artigo apresenta o sistema interativo de autoria – Ensino de Línguas Online (ELO Cloud) – fundamentado em pesquisas desenvol-vidas pelas autoras com o uso dessa ferramenta. A ELO Cloud é um sistema em que são disponibilizadas ao professor possibilidades de elaboração de mate-riais voltados ao ensino de línguas de maneira interativa, dinâmica e aberta. Neste artigo, buscamos apresentar ao leitor o ELO Cloud de modo a refletir sobre a sua potencialidade no que tange à elaboração de atividades interativas e adaptáveis voltadas para o ensino e aprendizado de línguas. Nesse sentido, discorreremos sobre a importância dos módulos Memória, Cloze e Composer com base nas pesquisas desenvolvidas pelas autoras.
Análise da dinâmica da paisagem no município de Rio Verde, Goiás, Brasil: uma ferramenta para a escolha de áreas prioritárias para a conservação
Authors: Siqueira Mariana Nascimento , Faria Karla Maria Silva
Published: October 2019

Em uma paisagem, é importante considerar a sua dinâmica para entender as causas da perda de habitat e a relação dessa paisagem com outros elementos para propor áreas prioritárias para a conservação da biodiversidade. No presente estudo, consideramos o município de Rio Verde (GO) e analisamos sua paisagem nos anos de 1987 e 2016. Este município tem uma economia essencialmente agrícola e, portanto, seus habitats naturais foram convertidos em paisagem antrópica. Realizamos a análise inicial interpretando as imagens do satélite Landsat para os anos de 1987 e 2016, onde caracterizamos: 1) aumento nas áreas agrícolas; 2) redução nas áreas de pastagem; 3) redução nas áreas de formação de savanas; 4) aumento nas áreas de formação florestal; e 5) aumento nas áreas de formação campestre. Observamos que as áreas de pastagens abandonadas ou áreas de formação de savanas que foram alteradas ao longo dos anos foram ocupadas por áreas de formação campestre. Com base em métricas de paisagem obtidas do software Fragstats, observamos que o isolamento não foi alterado entre a classe analisada, com exceção das áreas urbanas e da água. Em 2016, o município de Rio Verde possuía 198 fragmentos de vegetação nativa maiores do que 100 hectares, portanto, tais fragmentos são os mais prioritários para conservar a biodiversidade local.
PRECISE MEASUREMENTS – THE BASIS OF QUALITY AND SAFETY 2019
Authors: Matveev V. I.
Published: October 2019

This is description of the events and equipment presented at the 15-th Moscow international innovation forum “PRECISE MEASUREMENTS – the BASIS of QUALITY and SAFETY”, held may 15 – 17 at VDNH in Moscow. Within the framework of the forum, specialized exhibitions of measuring instruments, testing equipment and metrological support, non-destructive testing and diagnostics, energy resources and laboratory equipment were held. Regional Centers of Standardization and Metrology of the country participated in the forum. More than 200 companies from 12 countries of the world presented their stands at the exhibition. The main purpose of the forum is to discuss ways of solving the main tasks of ensuring accuracy, quality and safety through the use of modern devices, technologies and standards with the participation of state regulatory bodies and state-owned companies by manufacturers and consumers of measuring instruments.
Biochar application in alkaline soil and its effect on soil and plant
Authors: SALEM Tamer Mohamed , REFAIE Khaled Mohamed , SHERIF Abd El-Hamid El-Ghadban Abd El-Lateif , EID Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed
Published: October 2019

Scientists reported that biochar can improve soil properties in acidic soils, while in alkaline soils were shown negative results. A field study was done to evaluate the effect of biochar application solely in alkaline soil compared with biochar composts with farm yard manure (BC-FYM) and sulfur (BC-S). The results revealed that using solely biochar decreased yield of potatoes tubers to more than 6 % and 10 % using mineral and organic fertilization, respectively. This was attributed to the alkalinity effect of biochar and raises the soil pH, which might precipitate macro and micro elements in soil and become unavailable for plant absorption. While using mixtures of BC-FYM and BC-S were shown to enhance yield productivity of potatoes tubers 11.7 % and equal to control under mineral fertilization; and 25.13 % and 10.53 % using organic fertilization, respectively. Mixture of BC-FYM and BC-S proved to have the ability for recovering the alkalinity effect of biochar, improve nutrients availability in soil and increase crop yield of potatoes. In general, mixing biochar with FYM was efficient, economical and environmentally sound solution in alkaline soils.
Performance of popcorn introductions for agronomic characters, grain yield and popping qualities in the forest and derived savannah agro-ecologies of Nigeria
Authors: OLAKOJO Oloruntoba Olatayo , OLAOYE Gbadebo , AKINTUNDE Adewole
Published: October 2019

The study focus on the evaluation of popcorn lines for their yield and agronomic potentials. Genetic materials were evaluated under irrigation in a three-replicate in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with a commercial variety as check. Two seeds were planted per hole using two- row plots of 5 m long with inter and intra-row spacing of 0.75 m x 0.5 m, respectively in two locations viz: Ibadan and Ikenne representing the forest and savannah agro-ecologies of Nigeria respectively. Genotypes (G) differed significantly (ρ ≤ 0.01) for almost all the characters measured except for ear aspect. Location (L) as well as G x L interaction effects were also well pronounced on all agronomic characters measured except for days to silking and ears per plant. Popcorn 33-1-Y, large pearl shaped, Popcorn 40-Y and Popcorn 34-Y were high yielding with a potential of above 2.0 t ha−1. These materials were found to be fairly resistant to major foliar diseases of the tropical humid ecologies. They are recommended for further evaluation across different agro-environments for possible propagation by popcorn farmers in Nigeria to boost production.
Conserving the Past for Today: Politics of Georgian Government towards Cultural Heritage Protection in the context of Political Uncertainty
Authors: Kavelashvili Nikoloz , Wiktorska-Święcka Aldona
Published: October 2019

Ochrona dziedzictwa kulturowego ma nie tylko konsekwencje społeczne, ale także polityczne i gospodarcze. Podczas gdy treść tożsamości narodowej i osobistej jest ściśle związana z odziedziczonym dziedzictwem kulturowym, dziedzictwo to, jeśli chodzi o kulturę materialną, wymaga wsparcia politycznego często poza środkami zainteresowanych krajów. Międzynarodowe wsparcie udzielane jest przez organizacje takie jak UNESCO z listą światowego dziedzictwa, która obejmuje światowe skarby kultury oraz pomniki przyrody. Politycznie dziedzictwo kulturowe może być zarówno spójne, jak i dzielące, gdy wykorzystywane jest do celów politycznych ukierunkowanych na polityczną hegemonię. Z ekonomicznego punktu widzenia koszt zachowania dziedzictwa kulturowego może być intratnym źródłem dochodów w wyniku globalnej promocji turystyki kulturalnej. Dzięki tym badaniom możemy dojść do wniosku, że państwo powinno ułatwić wzmocnienie pozycji społeczności poprzez zachowanie i rozwój dziedzictwa kulturowego – jego środowiska organicznego, ponieważ bez ochrony środowiska kulturowego i niewłaściwego wykorzystania oferowanych przez niego możliwości nie możemy osiągnąć tego prawa, tzn. możliwy, trwały rozwój społeczny i gospodarczy kraju.
Water use Efficient Sunflower Hybrids having Diverse Cytoplasmic Background
Authors: Tyagi Vikrant , Dhillon S. K.
Published: October 2019

A set of fifty two hybrids developed through line×tester breeding design were sown in randomized block design with three replications to evaluate their performance for seed yield under two environments (normal irrigation and water stress). Drought resistant indices and multivariate statistical analysis from the pooled data obtained from water stress and normal irrigated environments over the two years. Hybrid PRUN-29A × RCR-8297 (1.55) and 40A × P100R (1.55) had the largest stress tolerance index (STI) rate and hybrid ARG-2A × P69R the smallest rate (a high STI rate for the genotype represents its high drought resistance and its high yielding potential). Hybrid ARG-6A × P69R (2.41) had the largest extent (susceptible) of Stress susceptibility index (SSI), while hybrid E002-91 × RCR-8297 (0.13) had the least (resistant) extent a large extent of this index indicates the genotype susceptibility to drought. In terms of yield stability index (YSI), hybrid 40A × RCR-8297 (0.51) and ARG-6A × P69R (0.51) and hybrid ARG-2A × P69R (1.18) had the smallest and the largest rate respectively (genotypes with high YSI are expected to yield highly in stress conditions. Hybrid 40A × RCR-8297 (30.36) and PRUN-29A × P69R (−10.07) displayed the least and the most amount of tolerance index (TOL) index, a high amount of TOL is a sign of genotype susceptibility to stress. Hybrid PRUN-29A × P69R (1.53) displayed the least extent of yield index (YI), while hybrid ARG-6A × P69R (0.51) and 40A × RCR-8297 (0.51) displayed the highest extent.
Viktor Frankl on all people’s freedom to find their lives meaningful
Authors: Landau Iddo
Published: October 2019

According to Viktor Frankl, although people are not always free to choose the conditions in which they find themselves, they are always free to choose their attitude towards these conditions and, thus, are always free to find their lives meaningful. This basic tenet of Frankl’s theory is also often repeated approvingly in the secondary literature. I argue that the claim is wrong; not all people are free to find their lives meaningful. Counterexamples include people who suffer from severe depression or people who, due to lack of sufficient intelligence, ability to focus, or determination cannot profit from psychological counseling (including logotherapeutic counseling). I also criticize Frankl’s oft-repeated argument that some people’s success in finding their lives meaningful in the concentration camps shows that all people are free to find their lives meaningful. Frankl’s discussion of the noetic dimension and its relation to other dimensions of the human personality is also insufficient for defending his claim about all people’s freedom to find their lives meaningful. Frankl’s theory of the noos suggests that all people’s lives are meaningful. But since not all people’s lives are meaningful, Frankl’s claims about the noos seem incorrect: either some people do not have (or are not also) a noetic dimension or the noetic dimension does not always endow life with meaning. Further, the claim that, thanks to all people’s noetic dimension, all people’s lives are already meaningful is in tension with the claim that all people can wrest meaning from life. I suggest that understanding Frankl as only claiming that all people have a potential for meaningful lives is also unhelpful. Finally, I discuss the implications of my criticism for Frankl’s theory at large. I argue that much in this very helpful theory can be retained, but identify those aspects of the theory that need to be modified.
Absurd relations
Authors: Fox Jacob
Published: October 2019

Absurdist accounts of life’s meaning posit that life is absurd because our pretensions regarding its meaning conflict with the actual or perceived reality of the situation. Relationary accounts posit that contingent things gain their meaning only from their relationship to other meaningful things. I take a detailed look at the two types of account, and, proceeding under the assumption that they are correct, combine them to see what the implications of such a combination might be. I conclude that another way of looking at the absurdity of life is to see it as a conflict between our dual beliefs that there exist intrinsically meaningful contingent things, and that contingent things may only gain their meaning extrinsically through their relationships to other meaningful things. In this way, I provide another lens through which feelings of life’s absurdity may be interpreted and analysed: as the conflict between the simultaneous beliefs in both intrinsically and relationally meaningful contingent things. Looking through this lens gives us an entirely different framework for analysing life’s absurdity than that which Nagel described in 1971, providing opportunity for more potential avenues of analysis and discussion.
Intelligibility without meaning: Nagel, and the cosmos
Authors: Malachowski Alan
Published: October 2019

Cosmic questions concern the relationship between the meaning we attribute to our lives and the cosmos within which such lives are situated. After explaining why such questions are liable to seem problematic, this article considers two responses to the envisaged difficulties. The first, a dismissive philosophical response, is itself dismissed. And, the second, which takes into account the socio-historical context of these difficulties, points towards Richard Rorty’s idea of radical self-reliance as a solution. Thomas Nagel’s exceptionalism, his reluctance to accept either of these responses is then criticized on the grounds that it resurrects a conception of the religious temperament that is no longer tenable.
Beauvoir’s ethics, meaning, and competition
Authors: Popa Elena
Published: October 2019

This paper discusses Simone de Beauvoir’s views on the meaning of life as presented in The Ethics of Ambiguity. I argue that Beauvoir’s view matches contemporary hybrid views on the meaning of life, incorporating both subjective and objective elements, while connecting them in a distinct way—through the tension between self and other. I then analyze the meaning of excessively competitive projects through Beauvoir’s ethics and conclude that success that amounts to denying other people’s access to the things one values is absurd. I use the case of contemporary academia as an illustration of extreme competition, then employ Beauvoir’s views to suggest a shift towards more meaningful practices.
A Meaningful life
Authors: Shand John
Published: October 2019

There can be no such thing as the meaningful life, but only a meaningful life for a particular life as it is lived. Thus, there are meaningful lives, which are lives that make sense and are sufficiently aligned, these two characteristics being honed successively by the limits of a particular contingent form of life, a particular individual of that form of life, and a particular time in the life of that individual. Only the form of a meaningful life may be given, which is sense and alignment, whereas its content may only be determined by the individual whose life it is.
Is the desire for a meaningful life a selfless desire?
Authors: Thomas Joshua Lewis
Published: October 2019

Susan Wolf defines a meaningful life as one that is somewhat successfully engaged in promoting positive value. I grant this claim; however, I disagree with Wolf’s theory about why we desire meaningfulness, so understood. She suggests that the human desire for meaningfulness is derived from an awareness of ourselves as equally insignificant in the universe and a resulting anti-solipsistic concern for promoting goodness outside the boundaries of our own lives. I accept that this may succeed in explaining why people want to engage in projects that happen to be meaningful. Nevertheless, I argue that Wolf fails to explain why people have a desire for meaningfulness itself. In other words, she has told us one reason we may be motivated to promote positive value, but not why we personally want to be the people who promote it—why we think it is a good thing that meaningful acts be done, but not why we want them to be our meaningful acts. In detailing my response, I follow Wolf in relating our desire for meaningfulness to a kind of love-based motivation. However, I argue that it has more in common with a selfish form of love than the altruistic kind of love proposed by Wolf. Finally, I suggest an alternative explanation which I believe can more fully account for our desire for meaningfulness: the prospect of disappearing from the universe without a trace makes us anxious, so we pursue meaningful achievements in an attempt to make our own physical deaths less final.
“Would my life still be meaningful?”: Intersubjectivism and changing meaning in life
Authors: Politi Vincenzo
Published: October 2019

Susan Wolf maintains that the meaningfulness of a life arises when someone acts upon the subjective desire of doing something objectively valuable. This amounts to a hybrid view, which contains both subjectivist and objectivist elements. Wolf’s tentative definition of what is objectively valuable amounts to what, in this article, we define as ‘intersubjectivism’. As it will be argued, however, intersubjectivism poses a number of problems, which are exacerbated in contemporary society and which shed a new light on the problem of meaning in life.
Money and the meaning of life: The fantasy of instant wealth
Authors: Wendling Amy E.
Published: October 2019

Is the meaning of life to get rich quick? That would certainly explain the way many people have lived under the spell of a constitutive fantasy: the fantasy of instant wealth. Drawing on Lacan’s Discourse of the Capitalist, the article explores the fantasy of instant wealth and its relationship to addiction, especially addiction to shopping. The article concludes with a meditation on how the fantasy of instant wealth supplants and in some ways contradicts another fantasy: the fantasy of labour.
Mechanics that triumph over mechanism: Bergson on the meaning of life
Authors: Meechan John
Published: October 2019

In this paper I explore Henri Bergson’s notion of the meaning of life by focusing on two places where he discusses it in his work. The first is Creative Evolution (1907, CE), where a bio-ontological meaning of life is proposed in terms of the ongoing ‘advance’ of the élan vital. Bergson conceives of this vital tendency towards freer activity in terms of nature’s pursuit of a mechanics that would triumph over mechanism. The second is a lesser-known paper called ‘Psycho-physical Parallelism and Positive Metaphysics’ (1901, ‘PPPM’), where Bergson articulates the same themes concerning the evolutionary relationship between life and matter, only this time gives an ethical rendition of the meaning of life. Discerning the true sense of the distinction between mind and body, he claims, will allow us to understand the reason they ‘unite and collaborate’, and thereby to speculate on thought’s apparent trajectory towards an independence from matter. While the latter position appears to be inscribed within the former, this continuity nonetheless resists reducing the ethical to a biological essentialism. This is ensured by the ‘virtual’ nature he ascribes to life’s movement, which shows that the ethical meaning of life is ultimately grounded in an ontology premised upon the irreducibly open and inventive rather than on the reductively closed and repetitive. In turn, this conception of life’s virtuality further illuminates what Bergson might mean, from an ethical perspective, as regards a progressive independence from matter, which I propose in terms of a withdrawal from the body and the present, with a view to a superior moral activity.
Schelling, esotericism and the meaning of life
Authors: Pitkänen Olli Petteri
Published: October 2019

F.W.J. Schelling argues in his middle period work Philosophical Inquiries into the Nature of Human Freedom that will should be understood as the most fundamental constitutive element of reality. Though it is often downplayed in recent scholarship, Schelling derived his most central ideas for this work more or less directly from the theosophy of Jacob Boehme. I will argue that far from peripheral and antiquated curiosity, Schelling´s esoteric influences constitute the very foundation of his middle period thought. Schelling´s affinity to esotericism enabled him to develop a form of pantheism, which is not tied to the familiar problematic aspects of traditional Christian and post-Christian narratives. In mainstream Christianity, the meaning of life is dependent on the almighty God´s will, for which nature is inherently meaningless material. For Schelling, by contrast, nature itself is constitutively willing and meaningful. Consequently, owing to his esoteric influences, Schelling provides an account of the meaning of life which diverges from the dominant idea of Western philosophical and theological tradition that the meaning of life consists in a ”true world” or ”destination” beyond immanent reality.
Variability of Multiangle Isometric Force-Time Characteristics in Trained Men
Authors: Oranchuk Dustin J. , Storey Adam G. , Nelson André R. , Neville Jonathon G. , Cronin John B.
Published: October 2019

Oranchuk, DJ, Storey, AG, Nelson, AR, Neville, JG, and Cronin, JB. Variability of multiangle isometric force-time characteristics in trained men. J Strength Cond Res 36(1): 284–288, 2022—Measurements of isometric force, rate of force development (RFD), and impulse are widely reported. However, little is known about the variability and reliability of these measurements at multiple angles, over repeated testing occasions in a homogenous, resistance-trained population. Thus, understanding the intersession variability of multiangle isometric force-time characteristics provides the purpose of this article. Three sessions of isometric knee extensions at 40°, 70°, and 100° of flexion were performed by 26 subjects across 51 limbs. All assessments were repeated on 3 occasions separated by 5–8 days. Variability was qualified by doubling the typical error of measurement (TEM), with thresholds of 0.2–0.6 (small), 0.6–1.2 (moderate), 1.2–2.0 (large), 2.0–4.0 (very large), and >4.0 (extremely large). In addition, variability was deemed large when the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was <0.67 and coefficient of variation (CV) >10%; moderate when ICC >0.67 or CV <10% (but not both); and small when both ICC >0.67 and CV <10%. Small to moderate between-session variability (ICC = 0.68–0.95, CV = 5.2–18.7%, TEM = 0.24–0.49) was associated with isometric peak force, regardless of angle. Moderate to large variability was seen in early-stage (0–50 ms) RFD and impulse (ICC = 0.60–0.80, CV = 22.4–63.1%, TEM = 0.62–0.74). Impulse and RFD at 0–100 ms, 0–200 ms, and 100–200 ms were moderately variable (ICC = 0.71–0.89, CV = 11.8–42.1%, TEM = 0.38–0.60) at all joint angles. Isometric peak force and late-stage isometric RFD and impulse measurements were found to have low intersession variability regardless of joint angle. However, practitioners need to exercise caution when making inferences about early-stage RFD and impulse measures due to moderate-large variability.
Sisters in the Life
Authors: Welbon Yvonne , Gumbs Alexis Pauline
Published: October 2019

Yvonne Welbon, an award-winning filmmaker and founder of the Chicago-based nonprofit Sisters in Cinema, interviews Alexis Pauline Gumbs, cofounder of the Black Feminist Film School, as part of a larger trans-media project on the history of queer Black lesbian media makers, SistersintheLife.com. Gumbs speaks about Black feminist practices of education and filmmaking, delving into the founding and inspiration of the Black Feminist Film School and its mission to “create the world anew.” She explains her “community accountable practice” that is connected to traditions of Black intellectualism, her position as provost of a “tiny Black feminist university” that she calls Eternal Summer of the Black Feminist Mind, as well as how she and her collaborators have been inspired by QWOCMAP (Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project).
A Child With Pancytopenia and Optic Disc Swelling
Authors: Berk Justin , Hall Deborah , Stroh Inna , Armstrong Caren , Mishra Kapil , Pecker Lydia H. , Lau Bonnie W.
Published: October 2019

A previously healthy 16-year-old adolescent boy presented with pallor, blurry vision, fatigue, and dyspnea on exertion. Physical examination demonstrated hypertension and bilateral optic nerve swelling. Laboratory testing revealed pancytopenia. Pediatric hematology, ophthalmology and neurology were consulted and a life-threatening diagnosis was made.
Espacialidad volumétrica de madera en plantaciones forestales usando redes neurales artificiales con imágenes de satélite
Authors: Moreno Arteaga Argemiro José , Bento Moreira Thiersch Monica Fabiana , Oliveira Averna Valente Roberta , Kröhling Bernardi Lucas , Lourenço Vasconcelos Sophia , Thiersch Cláudio Roberto
Published: October 2019

La agricultura sustentable de plantaciones forestales exige la estimación permanente de la cantidad o volumen de madera que se está produciendo en un momento dado, lo que es difícil en extensas áreas de bosque, si solo se utilizan procedimientos manuales en campo.  En la presente investigación se modelaron redes neuronales artificiales (ANNs, su sigla en inglés) de perceptrón multicapa para la estimación espacial de volúmenes de madera en una plantación de Eucalyptus sp. localizada en el estado de Mato Grosso del Sur, región Centro-oeste de Brasil.  Para el efecto se emplearon como variables de predicción bandas espectrales, texturas de las bandas obtenidos con matriz de coocurrencia de niveles de grises e índice de vegetación, que fueron derivados de imagen digital de satélite Spot 6.  La ANN resultante con mejor desempeño presentó una precisión de 93.32% y un coeficiente de determinación de 0.9761, con respecto a valores obtenidos con medidas de campo; no obstante, presentó un error cuadrático medio relativo de 16.32% (RMSE de 7.85 m3/ha), pero la distribución de los residuos no fue tendenciosa, por tanto, el modelo fue promisorio para mapear los volúmenes de madera en extensas áreas sin sobreestimar o subestimar la predicción. La red construida mostró mayor precisión y exactitud cuándo se comparó con otros métodos que usaron variables similares de estimación, inclusive en comparación con modelos neuronales que utilizaron solo bandas espectrales e índices de vegetación.
Application of microencapsulated anthocyanin extracted from purple cabbage in fermented milk drinks
Authors: Espinosa Alvarez Carolina Sandra , López Contreras Javiera , Escobar Rodríguez Darling , Jiménez Rondón Diana , Bugueño Muñoz Waldo , Cerezal Mezquita Pedro
Published: October 2019

Microencapsulation protects different bioactive compounds (anthocyanins) from environmental factors, increasing their half-life.  In this study, the extraction and microencapsulation conditions for purple cabbage anthocyanins were determined, in addition to stability of the natural pigment obtained in a fermented milk beverage.  Scalded was used for enzymatic inactivation in purple cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. ssp. Capitata f. Rubra) leaves, the extraction of bioactive compounds was carried out using green technologies (microwaves), concentrating the anthocyanin solution and mixing with wall materials such as maltodextrin, inulin and gum arabic for microencapsulation and addition to fermented milk beverage.  The color stability was determined for 8 days; the ΔE of the beverage was slightly perceptible by the human eye.  The concentration of anthocyanins was 199 mg/L with a solution of water and 2% acidified ethyl alcohol at 880 W of power for 90 s; the best drying performance was 58.9%.
A Capitania dos Guayazes em festa: as comemorações pela convalescência do Rei D. José I em 1760
Authors: Moraes Cristina De Cássia Pereira
Published: October 2019

As inúmeras festividades do período colonial na Capitania de Goiás constituíram momentos importantes de sociabilidade entre os grupos sociais existentes. Na comemoração de uma data sagrada ou profana, misturavam-se diversos aspectos do cotidiano, da cultura, da mentalidade, da dominação do Estado português sobre a Igreja e a colônia.
De Roncesvales ao Contestado: resignificações da memória carolíngia na Península Ibérica e no Brasil
Authors: Macedo José Rivair , Espig Márcia Janete
Published: October 2019

O presente artigo sintetiza o longo processo do desenvolvimento e da difusão da tradição carolíngia, desde seu início, na Idade Média, até os dias atuais, na cultura popular brasileira. Analisa também a relação entre o episódio mítico da batalha de Roncesvales, verificando a importância que assume sobre o movimento do Contestado (1912-1916).
A cor da festa — cooptação e resistência: espaços de construção da cidadania negra no carnaval baiano
Authors: Miguez Paulo
Published: October 2019

Ancorado num repertório cultural de matriz africana, o carnaval baiano sempre se mostrou segmentado do ponto de vista socioétnico-cultural, refletindo a sistemática intolerância racial e cultural das elites locais. Oscilando entre a cooptação e a exclusão, a participação negra na festa sempre recusou, entretanto, a idéia de uma inversão ou anulação das desigualdades cotidianas, dramatizando, ao contrário, o desejo desta igualdade e o reconhecimento de que ela não existe.
1972: "Sete bandeiras do setecentenário por mil cruzeiros velhos"...
Authors: Cerri Luis Fernando
Published: October 2019

Este texto resgata e comenta as comemorações do sesquicentenário da independência do Brasil, em 1972, evidenciando as imagens mobilizadas para agir sobre o imaginário político nacional e estabelecendo relações com a história ensinada de maneira extra-escolar.
EI Congreso por Ia Libertad de Ia Cultura y Ia América Latina
Authors: Berghe Kristine Vanden
Published: October 2019

Uma análise discursiva da revista Cadernos Brasileiros mostra que o discurso anticomunista do Congresso pela Liberdade da Cultura varia de maneira significativa entre distintos países. A comparação entre os artigos "importados" e aqueles escritos pelos colaboradores brasileiros sobre os temas da Guerra Fria e do fim das ideologias ilustra essas variedades geopolíticas.
Produtor e produção histórica: a inevitável cumplicidade
Authors: Mendes José Amado
Published: October 2019

O texto procura mostrar que nas tendências mais recentes da historiografia a pessoa do historiador, com suas vivências pessoais, com sua biografia, toma-se importante elemento para a compreensão da História que escreve.