bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A case of testicular tuberculosis mimicking malignancy in a healthy young man
Authors: Abraham Sherly , Izaguirre Anariba Dora Ernestina , Dua Kirandeep , Mir Mohammad , Ankireddypalli Arvind
Published: July 2016

Genitourinary tuberculosis represents a form of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis that occurs in the kidneys, ureters, seminal vesicles, prostate, testis, vas deferens, and epididymis. Isolated testicular involvement is unusual, and differential diagnosis includes testicular tumor, acute infection, infarction, and granulomatous infection. We report a case of a 36-year-old Ecuadorian man residing in New York, New York, who presented with a painful scrotal mass, weight loss, and purulent discharge from ulcerated lesion in scrotal area 10 years following his immigration to the United States. No other systemic symptoms were noted. Positive QuantiFERON-TB Gold and radio imaging results led to the diagnosis. After extensive workup, acid fast bacilli positive cultures obtained by computed tomography guided fine needle aspiration grew Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy was initiated after sensitivity tests were confirmed. Significant recovery after 3 months of directly observed therapy was accomplished.
Heart disease and breast cancer perceptions: Ethnic differences and relationship to attentional bias
Authors: Berry Tanya R , Curtin Kimberley D , Courneya Kerry S , McGannon Kerry R , Norris Colleen M , Rodgers Wendy M , Spence John C
Published: July 2016

Differences in perceptions of susceptibility, seriousness, and fear of heart disease and breast cancer were examined and related to attentional bias for disease-related words among Canadian women of various ethnic ancestry. Women ( n = 831) completed an online survey, and 503, among them, also completed an attentional bias task. Perceived seriousness of breast cancer predicted attentional bias for breast cancer in women of South Asian ancestry. Lifestyle behaviors were related to breast cancer attentional bias in women with British ancestry. Understanding relationships between modifiable risk factors, disease risk perceptions, and attentional biases among different ethnic groups can help create targeted promotional campaigns.
Holocaust Education and Displaced Persons (DP) Camps
Authors: Eber Irene
Published: July 2016

A bulk of focus regarding Holocaust education is laid on concentration camps while information about displaced persons (DP) camps is scarce. For reasons that are not clear, Holocaust education generally neglects the crucial question of how the surviving remnants managed in the first year or two after 1945 and materials about how people coped with surviving survival are not plentiful. It is important because in the initial years after liberation, the DPs needed help in returning to life, in relearning to make choices, in confronting the empty reality of their new existence, in trusting other human beings, and in becoming trustworthy themselves. Holocaust education must address the loss of human values by the perpetrators and the incongruous position of the victims who were then forced to live among them. The incongruity was compounded by the fact that victor, victim, and perpetrator did not have a common language.
A HARD LOOK AT OUR PROFESSION: OIL FINDING
Authors: Clifford O. C.
Published: July 2016

The economic record of petroleum geologists and geophysicists over the past thirteen years has shown no technical improvement and has been dismal-even catastrophic-in its economic results.
A SCRUTINY OF THE ABSTRACT
Authors: LANDES KENNETH K.
Published: July 2016

The behavior of editors is discussed. What should be covered by an abstract is considered. The importance of the abstract is described. Dictionary definitions of “abstract” are quoted. At the conclusion a revised abstract is presented.
GEOPHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN 1957
Authors: Patrick Homer G.
Published: July 2016

World-wide activity in geophysics exploration by the petroleum industry was slightly decreased in the year 1957 as compared to 1956, which was a record year. Significant gains reported in the Eastern Hemisphere were not sufficient to off-set fully the decline in activity in the Western Hemisphere. As in past years, the Committee did not receive statistical information from all countries of the world. It is known that some geophysics exploration work was done in countries from which no activity information is available. For example, according to unconfirmed reports, 320 seismic crews were in operation in Russia during 1957. Since this information could not be verified, it is not included in this report. According to reliable data received, an average of 1,122 geophysical crews of all types were employed in the search for petroleum during the year. An average of 1,136 crews were engaged in geophysics exploration in 1956, and in 1955 the average was 1,119 crews.
Investigating the KNDy Hypothesis in Humans by Coadministration of Kisspeptin, Neurokinin B, and Naltrexone in Men
Authors: Narayanaswamy Shakunthala , Prague Julia K. , Jayasena Channa N. , Papadopoulou Deborah A. , Mizamtsidi Maria , Shah Amar J. , Bassett Paul , Comninos Alexander N. , Abbara Ali , Bloom Stephen R. , Veldhuis Johannes D. , Dhillo Waljit S.
Published: July 2016

Context:

A subpopulation of hypothalamic neurons colocalize three neuropeptides, namely kisspeptin, neurokinin B (NKB), and dynorphin, collectively termed KNDy neurons. Animal studies suggest they interact to affect pulsatile GnRH release (KNDy hypothesis); kisspeptin stimulates, NKB modulates, and dynorphin (an opioid) inhibits.

Objective:

To investigate the KNDy hypothesis in humans, we assessed for the first time the effects of the coadministration of kisspeptin-54, NKB, and an opioid receptor antagonist, naltrexone, on LH pulsatility (surrogate marker for GnRH pulsatility) and gonadotropin release.

Design, Setting, and Participants:

This was an ethically approved prospective, single-blinded, placebo-controlled study. Healthy male volunteers (n = 5/group) attended our research facility for eight study visits.

Intervention and Main Outcome Measure:

After 1 hour of baseline blood sampling, participants received a different intervention at each visit: oral 50 mg naltrexone, 8-hour iv infusions of vehicle, 2.56 nmol/kg · h NKB, 0.1 nmol/kg · h kissspeptin-54 (KP) alone and in combination. Frequent blood sampling to measure plasma gonadotropins and sex steroids was conducted and LH pulsatility was determined using blinded deconvolution analysis.

Results:

All kisspeptin and naltrexone containing groups potently increased LH and LH pulsatility (P < .001 vs vehicle). NKB alone did not affect gonadotropins. NKB+KP had significantly lower increases in gonadotropins compared with kisspeptin alone (P < .01). Naltrexone+KP was the only group to significantly increase LH pulse amplitude (P < .001 vs vehicle).

Conclusions:

Our results suggest significant interactions between the KNDy neuropeptides on LH pulsatility and gonadotropin release in humans. This has important implications for improving our understanding of GnRH pulse generation in humans.
PFA fixation enables artifact-free super-resolution imaging of the actin cytoskeleton and associated proteins
Authors: Leyton-Puig Daniela , Kedziora Katarzyna M. , Isogai Tadamoto , van den Broek Bram , Jalink Kees , Innocenti Metello
Published: July 2016

Super-resolution microscopy (SRM) allows precise localization of proteins in cellular organelles and structures, including the actin cytoskeleton. Yet sample preparation protocols for SRM are rather anecdotal and still being optimized. Thus, SRM-based imaging of the actin cytoskeleton and associated proteins often remains challenging and poorly reproducible. Here, we show that proper paraformaldehyde (PFA)-based sample preparation preserves the architecture of the actin cytoskeleton almost as faithfully as gold-standard glutaraldehyde fixation. We show that this fixation is essential for proper immuno-based localization of actin-binding and actin-regulatory proteins involved in the formation of lamellipodia and ruffles, such as mDia1, WAVE2 and clathrin heavy chain, and provide detailed guidelines for the execution of our method. In summary, proper PFA-based sample preparation increases the multi-color possibilities and the reproducibility of SRM of the actin cytoskeleton and its associated proteins.
YAP stabilizes SMAD1 and promotes BMP2-induced neocortical astrocytic differentiation
Authors: Huang Zhihui , Hu Jinxia , Pan Jinxiu , Wang Ying , Hu Guoqing , Zhou Jiliang , Mei Lin , Xiong Wen-Cheng
Published: July 2016

‪YAP (yes-associated protein), a key transcriptional co-factor that is negatively regulated by the Hippo pathway, is crucial for the development and size control of multiple organs, including the liver. However, its role in the brain remains unclear. Here, we provide evidence for YAP regulation of mouse neocortical astrocytic differentiation and proliferation. YAP was undetectable in neurons, but selectively expressed in neural stem cells (NSCs) and astrocytes. YAP in NSCs was required for neocortical astrocytic differentiation, with no apparent role in self-renewal or neural differentiation. However, YAP in astrocytes was necessary for astrocytic proliferation. Yap (Yap1) knockout, Yapnestin conditional knockout and YapGFAP conditional knockout mice displayed fewer neocortical astrocytes and impaired astrocytic proliferation and, consequently, death of neocortical neurons. Mechanistically, YAP was activated by BMP2, and the active/nuclear YAP was crucial for BMP2 induction and stabilization of SMAD1 and astrocytic differentiation. Expression of SMAD1 in YAP-deficient NSCs partially rescued the astrocytic differentiation deficit in response to BMP2. Taken together, these results identify a novel function of YAP in neocortical astrocytic differentiation and proliferation, and reveal a BMP2-YAP-SMAD1 pathway underlying astrocytic differentiation in the developing mouse neocortex.
Fat4-Dchs1 signalling controls cell proliferation in developing vertebrae
Authors: Kuta Anna , Mao Yaopan , Martin Tina , Ferreira de Sousa Catia , Whiting Danielle , Zakaria Sana , Crespo-Enriquez Ivan , Evans Philippa , Balczerski Bartosz , Mankoo Baljinder , Irvine Kenneth D. , Francis-West Philippa H.
Published: July 2016

The protocadherins Fat4 and Dchs1 act as a receptor-ligand pair to regulate many developmental processes in mice and humans, including development of the vertebrae. Based on conservation of function between Drosophila and mammals, Fat4-Dchs1 signalling has been proposed to regulate planar cell polarity (PCP) and activity of the Hippo effectors Yap and Taz, which regulate cell proliferation, survival and differentiation. There is strong evidence for Fat regulation of PCP in mammals but the link with the Hippo pathway is unclear. In Fat4−/− and Dchs1−/− mice, many vertebrae are split along the midline and fused across the anterior-posterior axis, suggesting that these defects might arise due to altered cell polarity and/or changes in cell proliferation/differentiation. We show that the somite and sclerotome are specified appropriately, the transcriptional network that drives early chondrogenesis is intact, and that cell polarity within the sclerotome is unperturbed. We find that the key defect in Fat4 and Dchs1 mutant mice is decreased proliferation in the early sclerotome. This results in fewer chondrogenic cells within the developing vertebral body, which fail to condense appropriately along the midline. Analysis of Fat4;Yap and Fat4;Taz double mutants, and expression of their transcriptional target Ctgf, indicates that Fat4-Dchs1 regulates vertebral development independently of Yap and Taz. Thus, we have identified a new pathway crucial for the development of the vertebrae and our data indicate that novel mechanisms of Fat4-Dchs1 signalling have evolved to control cell proliferation within the developing vertebrae.
Cell behaviors and dynamics during angiogenesis
Authors: Betz Charles , Lenard Anna , Belting Heinz-Georg , Affolter Markus
Published: July 2016

Vascular networks are formed and maintained through a multitude of angiogenic processes, such as sprouting, anastomosis and pruning. Only recently has it become possible to study the behavior of the endothelial cells that contribute to these networks at a single-cell level in vivo. This Review summarizes what is known about endothelial cell behavior during developmental angiogenesis, focusing on the morphogenetic changes that these cells undergo.
Bird sounds in nature writing: Human perspective on animal communication
Authors: Tüür Kadri
Published: July 2016

The object of study in the present article is birds, more precisely the sounds of birds as they are represented in Estonian nature writing. The evolutionary and structural parallels of bird song with human language are reviewed. Human interpretation of bird sounds raises the question, whether it is possible to transmit or “translate” signals between the Umwelts of different species. The intentions of the sender of the signal may remain unknown, but the signification process within human Umwelt can still be traced and analysed. By approaching the excerpts of nature writing using semiotic methodology, I attempt to demonstrate how bird sounds can function as different types of signs, as outlined by Thomas A. Sebeok. It is argued that the zoosemiotic treatment of nature writing opens up a number of interesting perspectives that would otherwise remain beyond the scope of traditional literary analysis.
From mimicry to mime by way of mimesis: Reflections on a general theory of iconicity
Authors: Sonesson Göran
Published: July 2016

Practically all theories of iconicity are denunciations of its subject matter (for example, those of Goodman, Bierman and the early Eco). My own theory of iconicity was developed in order to save a particular kind of iconicity, pictoriality, from such criticism. In this interest, I distinguished pure iconicity, iconic ground, and iconic sign, on one hand, and primary and secondary iconic signs, on the other hand. Since then, however, several things have happened. The conceptual tools that I created to explain pictoriality have been shown by others to be relevant to linguistic iconicity. On the other hand, semioticians with points of departure different from mine have identified mimicry as it is commonly found in the animal world as a species of iconicity. In the evolutionary semiotics of Deacon, iconicity is referred to in such a general way that it seems to be emptied of all content, while in the variety invented by Donald the term mimesis is used for a particular phase in the evolution of iconic meaning. The aim of this article is to consider to what extent the extension of iconicity theory to new domains will necessitate the development of new models.
Dynamic instances of interaction: The performative function of iconicity in literary texts
Authors: Ljungberg Christina
Published: July 2016

According to C. S. Peirce, resemblance or similarity is the basis for the relationship of iconic signs to their dynamical objects. But what is the basis of resemblance or similarity itself and how is the phenomenon of iconicity generated? How does it function in cultural practices and processes by which various forms of signs are generated (say, for example, the cartographical procedures by which maps are drawn, more generally, the diagrammatic ones by which networks of relationships are iconically represented)? To what extent are they themselves performances (maps are always both the result of mappings and the impetus for re-mappings)? With examples from texts by Virginia Woolf, W. G. Sebald and Reif Larsen, I will argue that literary texts provide us with unique resources for exploring, among other matters, the performative dimension of iconicity in the complex interaction among icon, index and metaphor as a prerequisite for semiosis, the generation of signs.
Editors' comment
Authors: Kull Kalevi , Lindström Kati , Lotman Mihhail , Maran Timo , Salupere Silvi , Torop Peeter
Published: July 2016

N/A
Understanding the city through its semiotic spatialities
Authors: Remm Tiit
Published: July 2016

The city is a complex sociocultural phenomenon where space and timeare simultaneously parts of itself and parts of its conceptualisation. In the paper I draw out three general perspectives where the city is characterised by different spatialities and temporalities. The urban space can thus be a space of rhythms and practices, an objectified dimension of the settlement, and a symbolic form in interpretations and creations of cities. The city can be understood as a semiotic whole by considering varying semiotic natures of the urban space.
Mapping the child’s world: The cognitive and cultural function of proper names in the book series Paula’s Life
Authors: Niitra Mari
Published: July 2016

The article regards children’s literature as a certain cultural tool. This approach enables to reveal various characteristic aspects of the poetics of children’s literature, while relating them to children’s cognitive and cultural development. Focusing on a book series Paula’s Life by Estonian author Aino Pervik, it can be seen how two different ways of understanding — the initial, so-called mythological type of thinking of preschoolers and the emerging conceptual thinking — are combined. The article draws mostly on the concepts of cultural psychology and the authors of Tartu–Moscow school of semiotics, who have elaborated the idea that proper names form one of the central components of mythological consciousness, the latter being comparable to “the language of proper names”. The main attention is drawn on the functioning of names and the topic of naming and categorizing in these texts.
Interview with Vyacheslav V. Ivanov about semiotics, the languages of the brain and history of ideas
Authors: Velmezova Ekaterina , Kull Kalevi
Published: July 2016

The interview with one of the founders of the Tartu–Moscow school, semiotician Vyacheslav Vsevolodovich Ivanov (b. 1929) from August 2010, describes V. V. Ivanov’s opinions of several scholars and their work (including Evgenij Polivanov, Mikhail Bakhtin, Andrej Kolmogorov, Nikolaj Marr etc.), his relationships with his father Vsevolod Ivanov, as well as V. V. Ivanov’s views on the past and future of semiotics, with some emphasis on neurosemiotics, zoosemiotics, semiotics of culture, cybernetics, history of linguistics, study and protection of small languages. The interview also deals with V. V. Ivanov’s book Even and Odd.
The institution of semiotics in Estonia
Authors: Kull Kalevi , Salupere Silvi , Torop Peeter , Lotman Mihhail
Published: July 2016

The article gives a historical overview of the institutional development of semiotics in Estonia during two centuries, and describes briefly its current status. The key characteristics of semiotics in Estonia include: (1) seminal role of two world-level classics of semiotics from the University of Tartu, Juri Lotman and Jakob von Uexküll; (2) the impact of Tartu–Moscow school of semiotics, with a series of summer schools in Kääriku in 1960s and the establishment of semiotic study of culture; (3) the publication of the international journal Sign Systems Studies, since 1964; (4) the development of biosemiotics, notably together with colleagues from Copenhagen; (5) teaching semiotics as a major in bachelor, master, and doctoral programs in the University of Tartu, since 1994; (6) a plurality of institutions — in addition to the Department of Semiotics in the University of Tartu, several supporting semiotic institutions have been established since 1990s; and (7) a wide scope of research in various branches of semiotics, including theoretical studies, empirical studies, and applied semiotics projects on governmental and other request.
Juri Lotman in English: Bibliography
Authors: Kull Kalevi
Published: July 2016

The bibliography provides a list of all known English-language publications by Juri M. Lotman (including in co-authorship and reprints), in chronological order, described de visu. The first English translation of J. Lotman’s work appeared in 1973, altogether there is 109 entries in the list. The bibliography demonstrates that in the 1970s and 1980s, most of the translations were published in the context of slavistics, whereas after 2000 Lotman’s work starts to appear in the anthologies of general semiotics.
The circle and the maze: Two images of ecosemiotics
Authors: Clements Matthew
Published: July 2016

This article compares the work of Jakob von Uexküll and Charles S. Peirce to elucidate two contrasting yet connected images of ecosemiotics. The intent is not simply to oppose their work, but to explore a tension which has implications for the ethical dimension of this emerging discipline. Uexküll’s functional cycle is associated with the image of a circle, which, while emphasizing the integration of organism and environment, is shown to invoke solipsism, and an overly deterministic depiction of ecological relations. Peirce’s drawing of a labyrinth is taken to represent a maze, which, while exemplifying the evolutionary play of ecosystems, may entail a level of unpredictability that is catastrophically chaotic. The root of these diverging depictions is identified with the role of subjectivity in engendering semiotic relations in the work of both Uexküll and Peirce. Where the more regressive aspects of Uexküll’s theoretical biology are mitigated by a teleological interpretation of life’s underlying causality, orientating agency within Peirce’s work depends upon attention to the idea of the self in his philosophy of signs. In conclusion, Eduardo Kohn’s conception of an ‘ecology of selves’ is cited, and the status of the organism as a living symbol of its environment is reaffirmed.
Literature as a defining trait of the human umwelt: From and beyond Heidegger
Authors: Patoine Pierre-Louis , Hope Jonathan
Published: July 2016

Writers and readers of literature are, among other things, biological en tities that evolve under particular political (geographical/historical) conditions. A comparative study of certain texts by Martin Heidegger (1889–1976) can help us establish a fruitful interpretation of this threefold link between literary art, biology and politics. However, careful analysis reveals that Heidegger remains too rooted in an old-world, nationalistic and anthropocentric paradigm. We will attempt to rethink Heidegger’s assumptions on the grounds that literature, a cultural practice, enables us to delineate our natural environment. By reformulating Heidegger’s line of thought, we can more precisely address the plural structure of our biotic and political-literary experiences.
Documentary and ecosemiotics: Frames and faces in the work of Johan van der Keuken
Authors: Tsang Hing
Published: July 2016

This article argues that the work of the late Johan van der Keuken offers a contribution to ecological semiotics, and that it also defines the relationship between the semiotic animal and nature in ways that avoid glottocentricism. Taking from the recent work of Kalevi Kull, Jesper Hoffmeyer, and John Deely amongst others, I will argue that van der Keuken’s documentaries offer a view of ecology that is broader than a study of bio-physical processes that might reduce ecology to a narrow political issue.In order to support this argument, I will be looking at two contrasting films from van der Keuken – Flat Jungle (1978) and Face Value (1991). The first film examines natural habitats within a confined coastal area in Western Europe, while the second film looks at human beings in the different urban environments of late-20th-century Europe. I will then argue that van der Keuken does not collapse the vital distinctions between umwelt and Lebenswelt, yet his films also succeed at reminding us of their constant interdependence.
On semiotic (un)predictability: Tartu Summer School of Semiotics 2015
Authors: Velmezova Ekaterina
Published: July 2016

On semiotic (un)predictability: Tartu Summer School of Semiotics 2015.
Otimização da colônia de formigas aplicada ao problema da programação e roteirização de veículos para o transporte de pessoas portadoras de deficiência
Authors: Baba Cristina Mayumi , Corrêa Fernanda Henriques Martins , Souza Sabrina Alessandra Cordeiro de , Wahba Thais Mandel , Medina Afonso Celso
Published: July 2016

Este trabalho propõe uma heurística de solução para o problema da programação e roteirização de veículos para o transporte de pessoas portadoras de deficiência. Neste tipo de problema, conhecido na literatura como “problema do dial-a-ride”, os usuários fazemsolicitações de transporte de um ponto específico de embarque para um ponto específico de desembarque. O objetivo do problema é determinar uma programação de rotas que atenda às solicitações de transportes sujeita às restrições de número de veículos disponíveis, janelas detempo nos pontos de coleta e entrega, capacidade do veículo, precedência da coleta sobre a entrega e tempo máximo de tolerância do passageiro dentro do veículo. O problema estudado neste artigo aplica-se ao caso em que a frota de veículos é finita, heterogênea e os veículos partem de diferentes garagens dispostas geograficamente na região de onde surgem as solicitações. A heurística proposta é baseada na meta-heurística da colônia de formigas e procura maximizar o número de solicitações atendidas ao menor custo possível. Osresultados computacionais, obtidos a partir da aplicação da heurística em dados reais de um operador da cidade de Sorocaba-SP, sugerem um desempenho promissor para a utilização da otimização da colônia de formigas no problema do dial-a-ride.
Processo de desenvolvimento para projetos tecnológicos: Uma abordagem baseada em survey
Authors: Durscki Roberto Cesar , Soeke Marcelo Eduardo , Bunet Robert Carlisle , Reinehr Sheila Dos Santos
Published: July 2016

Este trabalho apresenta um processo de desenvolvimento de projetos computacionais acadêmicos desenvolvido com base em um survey feito com alunos da PUC-PR. Apresentarse-á a motivação para o desenvolvimento do processo, as dificuldades e carências dosalunos reveladas pelo survey, a influencia dos resultados da pesquisa no processo desenvolvido e, finalmente, o processo em si. As considerações finais do artigo discutem a relevância deste trabalho na formação dos novos profissionais da área tecnológica, reforçando as principais características do processo proposto.
Economic Justice for All: Some Jersey Roots
Authors: Cobble Dorothy Sue
Published: July 2016

New Jersey has often stood at the forefront of movements for social and economic justice. This talk analyzes twentieth-century legislative campaigns for wage and hour fairness and foregrounds the leadership of social justice feminists, including New Jersey Congresswoman Mary T. Norton. The laws secured by reformers fell short of their lofty aims of economic justice for all. Nevertheless, the reforms they enacted --fair labor standards and mothers' pension laws in the majority of states before World War I and the federal Social Security Act and first nationwide Fair Labor Standards Act in the 1930s -- offered considerable benefits to millions of low-income breadwinners and caregivers. The talk concludes by bringing the story into the present and highlighting three vibrant New Jersey campaigns for just wages and fair time policies. In 2008, New Jersey became the third state in the nation to pass paid family leave legislation; in 2013, New Jersey voters overwhelmingly approved a higher state minimum wage; and as of 2016 New Jersey leads the nation in the number of cities and municipalities signing paid sick leave ordinances.
In the Wake of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter: The Plight of John Artis
Authors: Spaulding Rebekah
Published: July 2016

In the summer of 1966 in Paterson, New Jersey, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter and John Artis were arrested on suspicion of triple homicide. Tried and convicted the following year, Carter and Artis would spend almost twenty years in jail, despite evidence of witness tampering and police malfeasance. During and after their incarceration, Carter received an abundance of public support due to his famous boxing career, while Artis often went unnoticed as a secondary character by the media. By examining the details surrounding Carter and Artis's wrongful imprisonment, it is clear to see the institutional racism and systematic criminalization of African Americans, as well as the impact of notoriety in criminal justice. While this case is undoubtedly a gross miscarriage of justice, it is the forgotten story of John Artis that shows the flaws of the criminal justice system and how society is told to remember its history.
Superstorm Sandy: The Inevitable Destruction and Reconstruction of the Jersey Shore
Authors: Perkiss Abigail
Published: July 2016

Perkiss's review of Superstorm Sandy: The Inevitable Destruction and Reconstruction of the Jersey Shore by Diane C. Bates.
Rutgers Since 1945: A History of the State University of New Jersey
Authors: Quinn Dermot
Published: July 2016

Quinn's review of Rutgers since 1945: A History of the State University of New Jersey, by Paul G.E. Clemens with an essay by Carla Yanni.
The Printed Assembly Minutes & Laws of New Jersey 1703-1732: A Bibliographical Study
Authors: Lurie Maxine N.
Published: July 2016

Lurie's review of The Printed Assembly Minutes & Laws of New Jersey 1703-1732: A Bibliographical Study, by Joseph J. Felcone.
Review of Beliefs, agency and identity in language learning and teaching; Authors: Paula Kalaja, Ana Maria F. Barcelos, Mari Aro, Maria Ruohotie-Lyhty; Publisher: New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016; ISBN: 9781137425942; Pages: 237
Authors: Werbińska Dorota
Published: July 2016

Book Review
The use of articles in L2 English: A phraseological perspective
Authors: Leśniewska Justyna
Published: July 2016

While it is a well-known fact that speakers of article-less mother tongues, such as Polish, experience problems with articles in English, this study seeks to investigate the problem from a different perspective. Namely, it poses the question of whether the correct use of the article system of the L2 is indeed a purely grammatical task (as it is universally perceived), or whether the correct use of articles is to some extent aided by the mechanisms that underlie the formulaic character of language. The study was conducted with 90 Polish upper-intermediate and advanced users of L2 English, who completed a test on article use, which made it possible to compare patterns of article use between contexts of different collocational strength (defined in terms of the frequency of occurrence in a corpus). The statistically higher success rates for article use in high-frequency collocations (with the grammatical “rule” being the same) indicate that phraseological aspects of language use may indeed play a role in what is usually perceived as the correct application of grammatical rules.
The effects of CLIL on mathematical content learning: A longitudinal study
Authors: Surmont Jill , Struys Esli , Van Den Noort Maurits , Van De Craen Piet
Published: July 2016

Previous research has shown that content and language integrated learning (CLIL), an educational approach that offers content courses through more than one educational language, increases metalinguistic awareness. This improved insight into language structures is supposed to extend beyond the linguistic domain. In the present study, the question whether pupils who learn in a CLIL environment outperform their traditionally schooled peers in mathematics is investigated. In total, 107 pupils entered the study. All participants were in the first year of secondary education at a school in Ostend, in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. Thirty-five pupils followed CLIL education in a foreign language (French) and 72 followed traditional education that was given in the native language (Dutch). All participants were tested using a mathematical test at the beginning of the year, after three months, and after ten months. The first measurement of the mathematical scores showed that the two groups did not differ. In accordance with our hypothesis, the CLIL group scored higher than the non-CLIL group after ten months. Surprisingly, an effect was also found after three months. To conclude, CLIL appears to have a positive impact on the mathematical performance of pupils even after a short period of time.
Review of Early learning and teaching of English: New dynamics of primary English; Editors: Jelena Mihaljević Djigunović, Marta Medved Krajnović; Publisher: Multilingual Matters, 2015; ISBN: 9781783093380; Pages: 240
Authors: Parr-Modrzejewska Anna
Published: July 2016

Book Review
Partial Hölder continuity for nonlinear sub-elliptic systems with VMO-coefficients in the Heisenberg group
Authors: Wang Jialin , Manfredi Juan J.
Published: July 2016

We consider nonlinear sub-elliptic systems with VMO-coefficients in the Heisenberg group and prove partial Hölder continuity results for weak solutions using a generalization of the technique of

𝒜

{\mathcal{A}}

-harmonic approximation.
The model case is the following non-degenerate p-sub-Laplace system with super-quadratic natural growth with respect to the horizontal gradients Xu:

-

∑

i
=
1

2
⁢
n

X
i

⁢

(

a
⁢

(
ξ
)

⁢

(

1
+

|

X
⁢
u

|

2

)

(

p
-
2

)

/
2

⁢

X
i

⁢

u
α

)

=

f
α

,

α
=

1
,
2
,
…
,
N

,

-\sum_{i=1}^{2n}X_{i}\bigl{(}a(\xi\/)(1+|Xu|^{2})^{{(p-2)/2}}X_{i}u^{\alpha}%
\bigr{)}=f^{\alpha},\quad\alpha=1,2,\ldots,N,

where

a
⁢

(
ξ
)

∈
VMO

{a(\xi\/)\in\mathrm{VMO}}

and

2
<
p
<
∞

{2<p<\infty}

.
‘The world ain’t all sunshine’: Investigating the relationship between mean world beliefs, conservatism and crime TV exposure
Authors: Jöckel Sven , Früh Hannah
Published: July 2016

Cultivation research argues that mean world beliefs are cultivated through media consumption. Our study expands this notion of cultivation research by integrating approaches from political psychology on conservatism and moral foundation theory, providing complementary explanations for mean world beliefs. Focusing on crime TV exposure and mean world beliefs, we expect both to be rooted in a conservative world view accentuated by the valuing of certain moral foundations. Participants (
Product placement and the credibility of television journalism. An RTR-supported experiment on the relationship between product placement, expert statements, and viewer perceptions in consumer-advice programs
Authors: Roessing Thomas , Jackob Nikolaus , Renner Karl N.
Published: July 2016

Embedding a product or a brand into journalistic content may have a negative impact on how the content’s credibility is perceived by recipients. However, research has not been able to convincingly prove that product placement has an effect on how recipients perceive and evaluate media content. This particularly applies to context effects, such as the effect that the number of visible products or brands has on the perceived credibility of the journalistic content the placement is embedded in. This study addresses two questions: whether the use of visible products or brands embedded in journalistic content influences the credibility that recipients attribute to such content, and how the tenor of the content, positive or negative, interacts with the placed products. Based on experimental findings and real-time response measurements, we conclude that the number of visible products does not significantly affect the credibility attributed to journalistic content and that judgments about credibility are influenced by the interaction between the number of products placed and the tenor of the content.
The effectiveness of narrative communication in road safety education: A moderated mediation model
Authors: Oschatz Corinna , Klimmt Christoph
Published: July 2016

This study investigated the effectiveness of narrative communication in the applied field of road safety education. A narrative message about the risks of road accidents was compared to a message without elements of storytelling but with a focus on road safety statistics. Novice drivers’ evaluation of risk connected to speeding was assessed as the target attitude. Transportation, facilitation of comprehension, and para-social interaction with protagonists were proposed as mediators of the persuasive message impact. Gender was examined as a moderator of the narrativity–attitude relationship. Results of a field experiment (
Evaluating injury risk in first and second league professional Portuguese soccer: muscular strength and asymmetry
Authors: Carvalho Alberto , Brown Scott , Abade Eduardo
Published: July 2016

Strength imbalances between the hamstrings and quadriceps are an essential predictor for hamstring strain in soccer. The study aimed to investigate and compare the muscle strength imbalances of professional soccer players of different performance levels. One hundred and fifty nine senior male professional soccer players from first (n = 75) and second league (n = 84) Portuguese clubs participated in this study. Muscle strength was evaluated with a REV9000 isokinetic dynamometer. Maximal peak torque data were used to calculate quadriceps and hamstrings strength during concentric and eccentric actions, bilateral asymmetry, conventional strength ratios and dynamic control ratios. Second league athletes produced slightly lower conventional strength ratios in the right and left legs (ES = 0.22, p = 0.17 and ES = 0.36, p = 0.023, respectively) compared to the first league athletes. No significant differences were found in dynamic control ratios or in bilateral asymmetry among first and second league athletes. These findings do not show a clear link between the competitive level and injury risk in soccer players. However, some of the differences found, particularly in conventional strength ratios, highlight the importance of performing off-season and pre-season strength assessments to prescribe and adjust individual strength training programs among professional soccer players.
Relationships between movements of the lower limb joints and the pelvis in open and closed kinematic chains during a gait cycle
Authors: Svoboda Zdenek , Janura Miroslav , Kutilek Patrik , Janurova Eva
Published: July 2016

Lots of athletic skills performed during practice or competition are initiated by the legs, where athletes either walk or run prior to executing specific skills. Kinematic chains are used to describe the relationships between body segments and joints during movement. The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between movements of lower limb segments and the pelvis in open and closed kinematic chains while walking. The experimental group consisted of 32 males (age 23.3 ± 2.5 years, body mass 78.1 ± 8.7 kg, body height 182 ± 6 cm). For 3D analysis, an optoelectronic system Vicon MX (7 cameras, frequency 200 Hz) was used. Positioning of the segments was determined by the PlugInGait Model. Each participant executed five trials at speeds ranging from 1.38 to 1.52 m·s-1. The relationships between angle variables of the lower limbs and the pelvis in selected gait cycle phases were evaluated using STATISTICA software (version 10.0) and the Spearman correlation. The highest numbers of moderate and large correlations were found at opposite toe off, heel rise and initial contact for the sagittal and transversal planes in comparison to the frontal plane. The closed kinematic chain had a stronger impact on determining the movement pattern. The instructions or interventions focusing on closed kinematic chain alternation are more effective for changes in a movement pattern. The preferred limb initiates kinematics in the direction of propulsion, while the non-preferred limb in internal and external rotation.
Intramuscular fiber conduction velocity, isometric force and explosive performance
Authors: Methenitis Spyridon , Terzis Gerasimos , Zaras Nikolaos , Stasinaki Angeliki-Nikoletta , Karandreas Nikolaos
Published: July 2016

Conduction of electrical signals along the surface of muscle fibers is acknowledged as an essential neuromuscular component which is linked with muscle force production. However, it remains unclear whether muscle fiber conduction velocity (MFCV) is also linked with explosive performance. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between vastus lateralis MFCV and countermovement jumping performance, the rate of force development and maximum isometric force. Fifteen moderately-trained young females performed countermovement jumps as well as an isometric leg press test in order to determine the rate of force development and maximum isometric force. Vastus lateralis MFCV was measured with intramuscular microelectrodes at rest on a different occasion. Maximum MFCV was significantly correlated with maximum isometric force (r = 0.66, p < 0.01), nevertheless even closer with the leg press rate of force development at 100 ms, 150 ms, 200 ms, and 250 ms (r = 0.85, r = 0.89, r = 0.91, r = 0.92, respectively, p < 0.01). Similarly, mean MFCV and type II MFCV were better correlated with the rate of force development than with maximum isometric leg press force. Lower, but significant correlations were found between mean MFCV and countermovement jump power (r = 0.65, p < 0.01). These data suggest that muscle fiber conduction velocity is better linked with the rate of force development than with isometric force, perhaps because conduction velocity is higher in the larger and fastest muscle fibers which are recognized to contribute to explosive actions.
Sex differences and the effects of modified combat regulations on endurance capacity in judo athletes: A meta-analytic approach
Authors: Sterkowicz-Przybycień Katarzyna , Fukuda David H.
Published: July 2016

Judo requires endurance capacity to recover from its high-intensity intermittent actions. This systematic review aimed to evaluate VO2max and the anaerobic threshold in competitive male and female judo athletes. Twelve eligible studies were chosen for quantitative meta-analysis, including results for 188 male and 159 female athletes. Combined values were calculated and compared by gender prior to and following altered combat regulations in 2003. No significant differences in VO2max were noted following the rule changes, but female athletes’ values increased to a level comparable to those reported in male athletes prior to the alterations. VO2max in male judo athletes was higher (54.8±1.9 ml·kg-1·min-1) than in female athletes (48.7±2.2 ml·kg-1·min-1). The effect size of gender was large (d = 1.30) for VO2max and negligible for the anaerobic threshold. Sexual dimorphism exists in VO2max of judo athletes and changes in combat duration did not affect these differences.
A new physical performance classification system for elite handball players: cluster analysis
Authors: Bautista Iker J. , Chirosa Ignacio J. , Robinson Joseph E. , van der Tillaar Roland , Chirosa Luis J. , Martín Isidoro Martínez
Published: July 2016

The aim of the present study was to identify different cluster groups of handball players according to their physical performance level assessed in a series of physical assessments, which could then be used to design a training program based on individual strengths and weaknesses, and to determine which of these variables best identified elite performance in a group of under-19 [U19] national level handball players. Players of the U19 National Handball team (n=16) performed a set of tests to determine: 10 m (ST10) and 20 m (ST20) sprint time, ball release velocity (BRv), countermovement jump (CMJ) height and squat jump (SJ) height. All players also performed an incremental-load bench press test to determine the 1 repetition maximum (1RMest), the load corresponding to maximum mean power (LoadMP), the mean propulsive phase power at LoadMP (PMPPMP) and the peak power at LoadMP (PPEAKMP). Cluster analyses of the test results generated four groupings of players. The variables best able to discriminate physical performance were BRv, ST20, 1RMest, PPEAKMP and PMPPMP. These variables could help coaches identify talent or monitor the physical performance of athletes in their team. Each cluster of players has a particular weakness related to physical performance and therefore, the cluster results can be applied to a specific training programmed based on individual needs.
The relative contribution of physical fitness to the technical execution score in youth rhythmic gymnastics
Authors: Donti Olyvia , Bogdanis Gregory C. , Kritikou Maria , Donti Anastasia , Theodorakou Kalliopi
Published: July 2016

This study examined the association between physical fitness and a technical execution score in rhythmic gymnasts varying in the performance level. Forty-six young rhythmic gymnasts (age: 9.9 ±1.3 years) were divided into two groups (qualifiers, n=24 and non-qualifiers, n=22) based on the results of the National Championships. Gymnasts underwent a series of physical fitness tests and technical execution was evaluated in a routine without apparatus. There were significant differences between qualifiers and non-qualifiers in the technical execution score (p=0.01, d=1.0), shoulder flexion (p=0.01, d=0.8), straight leg raise (p=0.004, d=0.9), sideways leg extension (p=0.002, d=0.9) and body fat (p=.021, d=0.7), but no differences were found in muscular endurance and jumping performance. The technical execution score for the non-qualifiers was significantly correlated with shoulder extension (r=0.423, p<0.05), sideways leg extension (r=0.687, p<0.01), push ups (r=0.437, p<0.05) and body fat (r=0.642, p<0.01), while there was only one significant correlation with sideways leg extension (r=0.467, p<0.05) for the qualifiers. Multiple regression analysis revealed that sideways leg extension, body fat, and push ups accounted for a large part (62.9%) of the variance in the technical execution score for the non-qualifiers, while for the qualifiers, only 37.3% of the variance in the technical execution score was accounted for by sideways leg extension and spine flexibility. In conclusion, flexibility and body composition can effectively discriminate between qualifiers and non-qualifiers in youth rhythmic gymnastics. At the lower level of performance (non-qualifiers), physical fitness seems to have a greater effect on the technical execution score.
Effects of ethnicity on the relationship between vertical jump and maximal power on a cycle ergometer
Authors: Rouis Majdi , Coudrat Laure , Jaafar Hamdi , Attiogbé Elvis , Vandewalle Henry , Driss Tarak
Published: July 2016

The aim of this study was to verify the impact of ethnicity on the maximal power-vertical jump relationship. Thirty-one healthy males, sixteen Caucasian (age: 26.3 ± 3.5 years; body height: 179.1 ± 5.5 cm; body mass: 78.1 ± 9.8 kg) and fifteen Afro-Caribbean (age: 24.4 ±2.6 years; body height: 178.9 ± 5.5 cm; body mass: 77.1 ± 10.3 kg) completed three sessions during which vertical jump height and maximal power of lower limbs were measured. The results showed that the values of vertical jump height and maximal power were higher for Afro-Caribbean participants (62.92 ± 6.7 cm and 14.70 ± 1.75 W∙kg-1) than for Caucasian ones (52.92 ± 4.4 cm and 12.75 ± 1.36 W∙kg-1). Moreover, very high reliability indices were obtained on vertical jump (e.g. 0.95 < ICC < 0.98) and maximal power performance (e.g. 0.75 < ICC < 0.97). However, multiple linear regression analysis showed that, for a given value of maximal power, the Afro-Caribbean participants jumped 8 cm higher than the Caucasians. Together, these results confirmed that ethnicity impacted the maximal power-vertical jump relationship over three sessions. In the current context of cultural diversity, the use of vertical jump performance as a predictor of muscular power should be considered with caution when dealing with populations of different ethnic origins.