bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Converting a paper proforma template to a user friendly electronic database to collect traumatic brain injury data
Authors: Prasad M. Veera , Agrawal Amit , Kumar S. Satish , Subrahmanyan B.V.
Published: January 2015

A structured reporting system which is based on a uniform template will permit uniform data collection and future statistics and will facilitate and validate independent or comparative audit of performance and quality of care. The successful establishment of a multi-center registry depends on the development of a concise data entry form, data entry system and data analysis to continuously maintain the registry. In the first phase we introduced the paper data collection form, in second phase this data form was converted to an electronic interface. In this second phase of the study the paper proforma which was developed in the first phase was converted into an electronic database by using the FileMaker Pro 13 Advanced®. The FileMaker Pro 13 Advanced® is capable to store the data, provides user friendly interface to enter data and can be converted the standalone runtime program to install in any other computer system. The next step is to explore the possibility whether it would be feasible to use this as a multicenter traumatic brain injury registry.
Severe TBI with complex craniofacial fractures followed by cranioorbitar reconstruction
Authors: Brehar F. , Giovani A. , Munteanu L. , Gorgan R.M.
Published: January 2015

Young age is associated with better outcome in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Still the reported mortality rate in patients that present in profound coma Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) -3 pts is very high, even approaching 100% in the presence of fixed and dilated pupils in some series. We report a case of a 25 years old patient with a severe TBI in a car crush and presented in severe coma with a bilateral frontal and right temporal brain laceration with extended posttraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage and a complex cominutive right frontal, maxillary and zygomatic fracture corresponding to Le Fort III fracture. After a difficult postoperative course with complications of tracheostomy like candidosis and bronchopneumony, then after a slowly progressive recovery, the patient was hemiparetic and with a persistent right 3rd nerve paresis at 6 weeks after the traumatic event, but was able to speak and to ambulate with assistance. Given the large bony defect that remained, a frontal and facial bony reconstruction was made by an interdisciplinary team using titanium plates and screws. Considering the excellent results in this case we advocate that young patients who suffered severe TBI even if they present in a very bad neurological shape should be given access to the best treatment.
Bilateral post traumatic thalamic infarct: rare case report
Authors: Singh Sumeet , Mittal R.S. , Sharma Achal
Published: January 2015

Bilateral thalamic infarction is rarely seen in cases with artery of Percheron embolization. Artery of Percheron is a rare variant of arterial supply to both thalamus and midbrain. Occlusion of this artery following trauma and causing bilateral thalamic infarction is rare and very few cases are reported in world literature.
A rare case of post traumatic isolated bilateral abducens nerve palsy
Authors: Jaiswal Manish , Jain Saurabh , Gandhi Ashok , Sharma Achal , Mittal R.S.
Published: January 2015

Although unilateral abducens nerve palsy has been reported to be as high as 1% to 2.7% of traumatic brain injury, bilateral abducens nerve palsy following injury is extremely rare. In this report, we present the case of a patient who developed isolated bilateral abducens nerve palsy following minor head injury. He had a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) of 15 points. Computed tomography (CT) images & Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain demonstrated no intracranial lesion. Herein, we discuss the possible mechanisms of bilateral abducens nerve palsy and its management.
The Material Situation of Polish Workers Between 1945 and 1956
Authors: Chumiński Jędrzej
Published: January 2015

The article deals with the problem of the material situation of workers between 1945 and 1956. It was particularly difficult in the first months after the end of the war, when “cheap labour’ was the immanent feature of so-called “real socialism”. The problem became even more severe due to the policy of “underconsumption” proclaimed in 1946 by one of the directors of the Central Planning Office and introduced as the basis of financing the investment plan. Keeping a disproportionately high level of accumulation at the expense of consumption was a prominent feature of the system.
Old Age and Poverty in Poland, 1945-1989: The Status Regarding Knowledge And Research Problems
Authors: Jarosz Dariusz
Published: January 2015

The history of old age has only relatively recently become explored as a research topic in Poland. This sketch focuses on the relationship between old age and poverty in People’s Republic of Poland. Old age, however, was a significant object of interest of the PRL authorities in at least two aspects. The first was the social security system, particularly in relation to old age and disability pensions, and the second, social care for the aged.
Poverty and Wealth in the Polish Cinematography 1945-1989
Authors: Skotarczak Dorota
Published: January 2015

This article is devoted to poverty and wealth presented in fiction films - both cinema and television - directed in the times of the Polish People’s Republic. Poverty and wealth shown intentionally and unintentionally in these films manifest themselves in many ways. If we want to learn anything about wealth of the society shown in a given movie, a critical approach must be applied
Unemployment and Homelessness in the City of Poznań in 1929-1939
Authors: Graban Marcin
Published: January 2015

The Polish National General Exhibition (PWK, also known as “Pewuka”) was held in Poznań in 1929. It was meant to be and it did become a showcase of the economic, industrial, social and cultural achievements of the Polish State, newly reborn in 1918, in the aftermath of the Great War. Staging of the Exhibition coincided with the advent of the economic crisis. Preparations for the Exhibition required an enormous amount of work, and considerable investments were needed to build a suitable infrastructure. Poznań became a huge building site, with many labourers coming to the city in search of employment. After 1929 those labourers added to the large group of the unemployed in the aftermath of the great economic crisis. During the 1930s the unemployment and the related problems aggravated the housing crisis in Poznań. The city authorities attempted to resolve this problem by putting the homeless up in the former exhibition grounds recently vacated following the closure of the Polish National General Exhibition. It was only an interim measure. In search of a more permanent solution, the city started to redevelop allotments or community gardens by building purpose-built residential garden huts or sheds.
The Fourth Crusade and the Problem of Food Provision in The Accounts of Robert De Clari and Geoffroy De Villehardouin
Authors: Pentek Zdzisław
Published: January 2015

This text provides the analysis of two texts, written by Robert de Clari and Geoffroy de Villehardouin, two chroniclers at the times of the Fourth Crusade. The analysis discusses their account of food provision and how Crusaders managed to provide for themselves during their journey from Venice to Constantinople in the period between June 1202 and May 1204.
The Use of Principal Component Analysis and Logistic Regression in Prediction of Infertility Treatment Outcome
Authors: Milewska Anna Justyna , Jankowska Dorota , Citko Dorota , Więsak Teresa , Acacio Brian , Milewski Robert
Published: January 2015

Principal Component Analysis is one of the data mining methods that can be used to analyze multidimensional datasets. The main objective of this method is a reduction of the number of studied variables with the mainte- nance of as much information as possible, uncovering the structure of the data, its visualization as well as classification of the objects within the space defined by the newly created components. PCA is very often used as a preliminary step in data preparation through the creation of independent components for further analysis. We used the PCA method as a first step in analyzing data from IVF (in vitro fertilization). The next step and main purpose of the analysis was to create models that predict pregnancy. Therefore, 805 different types of IVF cy- cles were analyzed and pregnancy was correctly classified in 61-80% of cases for different analyzed groups in obtained models.
Application of Cluster Analysis in Assessment of Dietary Habits of Secondary School Students
Authors: Zalewska Magdalena , Jamiołkowski Jacek , Genowska Agnieszka , Rodakowska Ewa , Szpak Andrzej , Maciorkowska Elżbieta
Published: January 2015

Maintenance of proper health and prevention of diseases of civilization are now significant public health problems. Nutrition is an important factor in the development of youth, as well as the current and future state of health. The aim of the study was to show the benefits of the application of cluster analysis to assess the dietary habits of high school students. The survey was carried out on 1,631 eighteen-year-old students in seven randomly selected secondary schools in Bialystok using a self-prepared anonymous questionnaire. An evaluation of the time of day meals were eaten and the number of meals consumed was made for the surveyed students. The cluster analysis allowed distinguishing characteristic structures of dietary habits in the observed population. Four clusters were identified, which were characterized by relative internal homogeneity and substantial variation in terms of the number of meals during the day and the time of their consumption. The most important characteristics of cluster 1 were cumulated food ration in 2 or 3 meals and long intervals between meals. Cluster 2 was characterized by eating the recommended number of 4 or 5 meals a day. In the 3rd cluster, students ate 3 meals a day with large intervals between them, and in the 4th they had four meals a day while maintaining proper intervals between them. In all clusters dietary mistakes occurred, but most of them were related to clusters 1 and 3. Cluster analysis allowed for the identification of major flaws in nutrition, which may include irregular eating and skipping meals, and indicated possible connections between eating patterns and disturbances of body weight in the examined population.
Managing the Risk of Adverse Events Using the Example of a Hospital in Wroclaw
Authors: Kaleta Agata Lisiewicz , Sierocka Aleksandra , Iltchev Petre , Marczak Michał
Published: January 2015

Health Care Centres are institutions which, because of their specificity and character, are particularly exposed to various kinds of risk. One of the most important and most frequently used methods of risk management is the black spots method. The research material collected for the study comes from one of the hospitals in Wrocław. All hospital stays of the C22 (Face and Jaw Surgery Ward) and H05 (Injury and Orthopaedics Surgery Ward) settlement groups (DRG) were analysed - a total of 178 hospitalisations. The black spots method was used in the study, which consisted of risk identification, the ordering of threats and proposals for remedial actions. Using the black spots method, it was possible to identify adverse events that occurred during the hospitalisation of patients with H05 and C22 DRGs in the Injury and Orthopaedics Surgery Ward and Facial and Jaw Surgery Ward. In both cases, the treatment costs for patients with complications were higher than for the stays without complications.
Conservation of European ground squirrel (Mammalia: Rodentia) in Slovakia: Results of current reintroduction programme
Authors: Löbbová Denisa , Hapl Ervín
Published: January 2015

Conservation of European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus) has been supported by the LIFE - Nature project “Conservation of Falco cherrug in NE Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia” during the period 201 0-201 4. The project activities were usually focused on EGS reintroduction programmmes with the aim of ensuring the food base for selected species of birds in areas where EGS were the primary historical prey and have become extinct. Reintroduction programmes were carried out at two sites in Slovakia: Piesocná (Moravský Svätý Ján) and Pod Okrúhlou skalou (Tisovec). Together 1 74 individuals were released at Pod Okrúhlou skalou and 284 individuals at the Piesocná target site. Monitoring of both repatriated colonies focused on the natality and distribution area. At both target sites successful hibernation and reproduction have been confirmed. The repatriation date was strongly influenced by weather conditions, especially during the rainy season. It was necessary to cut the grass several times per season, in order to ensure appropriate conditions for individuals’ survival. It was also necessary to protect the individuals against predators. House cats tend to hunt squirrels, which can be considered as the most serious threat at the Piesocná site. Squirrels at the Pod Okrúhlou skalou site were overly attacked by foxes. Intensive care (especially appropriate management of sites and additional feeding) ensured good stability of colonies, their survival and increase
Anxiety in Spanish EFL University Lessons: Causes, Responsibility Attribution and Coping
Authors: Arnaiz Patricia , Pérez-Luzardo Jessica
Published: January 2015

Few studies have focused on the anxiety experienced by learners of English as a foreign language in the context of Spanish universities. This study reports on the findings of an investigation into the sources of 216 Spanish university students’ anxiety and incorporates two underexplored aspects in this area, namely, the responsibility students attribute to different agents and the perception students have of their own ability to cope during an anxiety episode. A qualitative/quantitative design was used. Results indicated that the primary source of anxiety related to the speaking skill. Quantitative analyses revealed that learners place the main responsibility for their anxiety on themselves and that women hold themselves responsible for their anxiety to a greater degree than men. The perceived coping ability of men and women was ranked below ‘fair’. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Wealhtheow’s Peace-Weaving: Diegesis and Genealogy of Gender in Beowulf
Authors: Olesiejko Jacek
Published: January 2015

This article uses Charles S. Peirce’s concept of icon and Judith Butler’s idea of genealogy of gender to study levels of fictionality in the Old English poem Beowulf. It shows that Wealhtheow, the principal female character in the epic, operates as a diegetic reader in the poem. Her speeches, in which she addresses her husband King Hrothgar and Beowulf contain implicit references to the Lay of Finn, which has been sung by Hrothgar’s minstrel at the feast celebrating Beowulf’s victory. It is argued here that Wealhtheow represents herself as an icon of peace-weaving, as she casts herself as a figuration of Hildeburh, the female protagonist of the Lay of Finn. Hildeburh is the sister of Hnæf, the leader of the Danes, and is given by her brother to Finn the Frisian in a marriage alliance. In her role as a peace-weaver, the queen is to weave peace between tribes by giving birth to heirs of the crown. After the courtly minster’s performance of the Lay, Wealhtheow warns her husband against establishing political alliances with the foreigner Beowulf at the expense of his intratribal obligation to his cousin Hrothulf, who is to become king after Hrothgar’s death.
The ‘indisciplinarity’ of stylistics
Authors: Sorlin Sandrine
Published: January 2015

This paper aims at showing why the stylistician can be construed as a prolific “impostor” in a most positive sense: pledged to no specific linguistic prophet, she can opt for different theoretical linguistic tools (in the sphere of pragmatics, critical discourse analysis, cognitive grammar, etc.) depending on her object of study and what her research question is. The liberty claimed by the stylistician explains why stylistics is the “undisciplined” child of linguistics, shirking any clear definition of its boundaries. It will be argued that stylistics can only exist as a cross-disciplinary field given its conception of language as fundamentally contextualized. If it was a discipline determined by clear-cut pre-established boundaries, stylistics would be far more “disciplined” but would run the risk of serving only itself. The broad goal of this paper is thus to evince that the “indisciplinarity” of stylistics constitutes its very defining essence. With this aim in mind, it will demonstrate what stylistics owes to other disciplines, what it shares with similar language-based disciplines and what it can offer to other fields or practices of knowledge.
An experimental approach to ambisyllabicity in English
Authors: Elzinga Dirk , Eddington David
Published: January 2015

The factors that influence English speakers to classify a consonant as ambisyllabic are explored in 581 bisyllabic words. The /b/ in habit, for example, was considered ambisyllabic when a participant chose hab as the first part of the word and bit as the second. Geminate spelling was found to interact with social variables; older participants and more educated speakers provided more ambisyllabic responses. The influence of word-level phonotactics on syllabification was also evident. A consonant such as the medial /d/ in standard is attested as the second consonant in the coda of many English words (e.g. lard), as well as in the single-consonant onset of many others; for this reason such consonants were often made ambisyllabic. This contrasts with the /n/ in standard, which is never the first consonant in a word-initial cluster (e.g. *ndorf) and, therefore, rarely made ambisyllabic in the experiment. Ambisyllabicity was also found more often when the vowel preceding the single medialconsonant was lax, or stressed, or when the medial-consonant was a sonorant rather than an obstruent. The idea that a stressed lax vowel in the first syllable conditions both the ambisyllabicity of the consonant and its geminate spelling is not supported.
The phonological basis of Latin case patterns
Authors: Emonds Joseph Embley
Published: January 2015

This study focuses on accounting for allomorphy in Latin case/number inflection. It attributes essentially all of it to the influence of adjacent features of standard segmental phonology on morphemes expressing case assignment. Indeed, other languages lead linguists to expect that allomorphy at a stem-suffix border can depend on any feature of a final vowel: ±Low, ±High, ±Round, ±Back, ±Consonantal or ±Syllabic. Empirically, it turns out that no two Latin stem-final vowels induce identical allomorphy in case/number suffixes, nor the same allomorphy as final consonants. Moreover, some (not much) phonologically conditioned allomorphy is phonetically opaque.

These two factors have led traditional scholarship to conclude that each stem-final segment should define a separate classification of noun suffixation or “declension”. As there are basically six types of final segment (a, o, u, i, e and consonants), each then gives rise to a different declension (stems with final i are often put in some other group or considered irregular), thus creating five (or six) declensions. Tradition then goes on to analyse stem-final vowels not as part of stems but as some kind of separate morphemes called “thematic vowels” (with no role in either syntax or phonology).

This essay argues rather that an unflinching modern and formal approach to inflectional allomorphy, exactly analogous to using phonology to reduce regular English plurals to a single lexical form, succeeds in sweeping away the sandcastle of Latin declensions and better captures the actual descriptive generalizations that account for Latin case inflection.
Some Geomorphologic Aspects Along the Timiş River in the Romanian Sector
Authors: Costea Marioara
Published: January 2015

This paper presents a geomorphologic analysis of the Timiş riverbed in Romania. The analysis was based on data from own observations in the field, within the project called “Protection measurements of Timiş River - Step II” Contract 411/90964/30.12.2010/07 by the University “Lucian Blaga” of Sibiu, Faculty of Sciences - Research Center of Applied Ecology, from June to December 2011.

Minor riverbed configuration and morphometry, the size of the material from the riverbed, and the forms of erosion and accumulation have been considered. This paper highlights the riverbed morphology in the different sectors (mountain, depression and plain), identifies the dominant fluvial processes and key features in the evolution of the Timiş riverbed, and also establishes links between morphology, size of fluvial deposits and natural and anthropogenic control factors.
Monitoring and Evaluation of Timiş River (Banat, Romania) Water Quality Based on Physicochemical and Microbiological Analysis
Authors: Oprean Letiţia , Lengyel Ecaterina , Iancu Ramona
Published: January 2015

Flowing water, like rivers, represent an important drinking water source for Romania, their quality being influenced by the quantity of materials in suspension and in colloidal form, and their physicochemical and microbiological characteristics. The Timiş River is generally characterized by the presence of some impurities in natural state, their specific composition being dependant on the nature of the surrounding soils, the soils in the reception basin, waste water spills from different users, and the dissolving capacities of the gases in the atmosphere.

The Timiş River has in general a lower level of mineralization, the sum of mineral salts dissolved being below 280 mg/l and formed of bicarbonate, chloride, nitrate, phosphates, sodium sulphate, potassium, calcium and magnesium coming from the erosion of rocks, soils and precipitations. The concentration of hydrogen ions (pH) is situated around neutral, ranging from 7.3 to 8.8; among the dissolved gases is oxygen, with values ranging between 4.52 and 7.46 mg/l. The main characteristic of the water flow is represented by the variable charge (sometimes appreciable) of materials in suspension and colloidal materials (clay, sand, silica) but also by organic substances, the charge being directly proportional to the meteorological and climate conditions. This charge grows during rainfalls, reaching the maximum during large floods and the minimum during freezing periods (CCOMn max. 30.2 mg O2). Heavy metals like mercury and arsenic are found in the Timiş waters, but in quantities that do not conclusively affect the water quality, their values being below the maximum allowable amounts.

Bacteriological contamination is also observed. Microorganisms, viruses and protozoa are derived from wastewater spills with human or animal waste, and microorganisms specific to the ecosystem. The total coliforms reach 5x103/100 ml water, the fecal coliforms 2.2x102/100 ml water, which results in several sectors of the river being classed as lower quality.
New Data Concerning the Freshwater Molluscs from the Romanian Sector of Timiş River (Banat, Romania)
Authors: Sîrbu Ioan , Sîrbu Monica
Published: January 2015

In the Romanian sector of the Timiş River, 31 species of freshwater molluscs have been found up to the present. Among them are 17 gastropod and 14 bivalve species (including all seven species of Unionidae that live in Romania, these found in the lower sector of the river - something that is extremely rare in our waters). The present synthesis used the results of a screening type field investigation carried out in 2011, as well as all the available data from the literature and our previous studies. All these data prove the ongoing degradation of the river’s ecological state and its sheltered communities. This paper presents the annotated systematic and chorological checklist of the mollusc species from this area, some of its ecological characteristics and the main environmental issues related to human impact. Changes in species distribution and the structure of communities as an answer to increased human pressure during the last decades are also thus demonstrated. New data about some alien invasive species are given, including the first encounter with Corbicula fluminea, a species formerly known only in Romanian inland waters from the Danube, in the Timiş River lower sector.
Flood Effects on the Phytoplankton Diversity of Bega River (Banat, Romania)
Authors: Muntean Hanelore , Alexoaie Laura
Published: January 2015

Situated on the Western Plains of Romania, the Banat region has an adverse natural condition that makes it a frequently-flooded area. A lack of natural drainage due to a low slope, shallow gound water, slow-moving water course densities, and precipitation in this close, mountainous area all contribute to periodic flood events. Water courses in the region have snake-like river beds and swamps present in the area before the XVIIIth century (Griselini, 1979) also create a tendency toward flood activity. The Bega is a river in the Timiș- Bega water system, originating from Poiana Rusca Mountains and the lower basin becomes channeled before entering Timișoara City.

Seasonal floods and overall water quality influence the quantity and quality of phytoplankton and macrozoobenthos in the Bega River. Phytoplankton obtains energy through the process of photosynthesis and must therefore live in the well-lit surface layer of a water body. Crucially dependent on minerals, phytoplankton primarily subsist on macronutrients such as nitrate, phosphate or silicic acid, which are governed by the balance between the socalled biological pump and the upwelling of deep, nutrient-rich waters. After floods the balance of nutrients in a river is changed and the effects can be observed by discerning differences in phytoplankton biomass and families living in the water body before and after the flood event (Muzaffar, 2007).

In this study, based on the information from local water administration, we provide data about the flood in 2005 and its effects on the biodiversity in the river. The measurements were made at 2 sites, one before the Bega River enters Timișoara and the other at Otelec station, 45.5 km downstream from Timișoara.

The runoff in 2005, caused by high precipitation in the upper basin, disturbed the nutrient balance in the river by transporting debris and sediment discharge from upstream, and carrying the local macrozoobenthos out of their normal habitat. Upstream from Timișoara, phytoplankton is dominated by species of diatomes like Diatoma sp., Synedra sp., Navicula sp., Fragilaria sp., Rhoicospahenia sp., Gyrosigma sp., Cymatopleura sp. and Amphora sp.

During floods the flow and speed of the water increases, which dilutes the water and modifies the concentration of nutrients and pollutants in the affected area, therefore changing the processes at a biological level. This specific process is important for the possibility of selfpurification in water bodies.
Euroregion as a Tool for Sustainable Development of Border Areas: The European Experience and Ukrainian Features
Authors: Tkachenko Yuliia
Published: January 2015

The purpose of the research is to study the role of Euroregions in the provision of sustainable development of border regions of Ukraine on the basis of the analysis of European experience and the research of Ukrainian practice. The paper describes the development of transboundary cooperation in Europe, the peculiarities of the integration processes in the Euroregions, shows the development of Euroregions in Ukraine: „Carpatskyj“, „Bug“, „Nyzhnij Dunaj“, „Dniester“, „Verhnij Prut“, „Dnieper“, „Slobozhanshchyna“, „Yaroslavna“, defines their composition and structure, describes the basic functioning problems, such as low level of social and economic development in comparison with other (central) regions, the peripheral nature of economics, the presence of “a zone of potential political exertion“; the distance from the inner sources of regional security forms their focus on foreign economic cooperation, which makes them fragile to the dynamics of trade and economic relations of Ukraine with the neighbouring countries. The map of attraction of the regions of Ukraine into the European regions is made, in particular the regions that are proposed to be included in the composition of European regions for activation of transboundary cooperation are selected, and the proposed scenarios for the development of relations of Ukraine with the neighbouring countries are created.
Producers’ Reaction to Climate Change in the Fruit Production Sector from the Point of View of Growers
Authors: Demeter Dóra
Published: January 2015

Within the sector of fruit growing, climate change related tasks cover a rather wide range of activities. According to what is claimed by the literature, all decisions impacting the sector should be made conformably with climate change in order to advance an increase in yield security. This, regardless of the impacts of climate change, is also one of the key questions in fruit growing. Regarding protection against extreme weather events, in addition to technological and technical elements, the level of importance assumed by farmers for the above-mentioned protection techniques as well as the type and extent they intend to use in practice are also worth of studying. This ongoing research began in 2009 and focuses mainly on studying the opinions of fruit farmers making up the target group for this analysis. The questionnaire survey primarily intends to study their knowledge on the definition of climate change as reactivity to unfavourable weather events occurring in the growing. Additionally, we tried to get answers to the following questions: Do the studied human factors (age, educational level, sex etc.) of growers determine the extension of innovation of fruit production?
Absorbing Hybridization of Cobitis Taenia and Sabanejewia Aurata (Cypriniformes, Cobitidae) in Water Reservoirs of Northern Ukraine Connected with Diploid-Polyploid Complex Formation
Authors: Mezhzherin S. V , Pukhtayevych P. P , Tsyba А. А
Published: January 2015

In the rivers of the Northern Ukraine by meams of karyological and allozyme analysys obtained extensive natural hybridization between Cobitis taenia and Sabanejewia aurata, initially leading to the formation of diploid hybrids. Besides that certain water bodies are predominantly populated by triploids of the C. taenia - C. tanaitica - S. aurata biotypes. Since the share of this kind of hybrid biotypes significantly exceeds the number of individuals of S. aurata, it is concluded that the hybridization of a common and eurybiontic C. taenia with rarer stenobiontic S. aurata, is of absorbing character.
Five New Records of Raphignathoid Mites (Acari: Raphignathoidea) from Poland/ Pięć Nowych Gatunków Roztoczy Z Nadrodziny Raphignathoidea (Acari) Stwierdzonych W Faunie Polski
Authors: Doðan Salih , Sevsay Sevgi , Mąkol Joanna , Zeytun Erhan , Buğa Evren
Published: January 2015

Five raphignathoid (Acari: Raphignathoidea) mite species, including three of family Stigmaeidae, Eustigmaeus rhodomela (KOCH), Mediolata obtecta DÖNEL and DOĞAN, Stigmaeus glabrisetus SUMMERS, one of Cryptognathidae, Favognathus cucurbita (BERLESE), and one of Barbutiidae, Barbutia anguineus (BERLESE), are recorded as new for the Polish fauna. This is the first report of the family Barbutiidae from Poland.
Can the Spatial Point Patterns of Animal Distributions Be Detected Using Sparse Samples? A Case Study of Four Soricomorpha (Mammalia) Species in Poland / Czy Przestrzenny Wzorzec Rozkładu Punktów W Dystrybucji Zwierząt Może Zostać Określony Na Podstawie Rzadkiego Próbkowania? Studium Przypadku Na Czterech Gatunkach Soricomorpha (Mammalia) Występujących W Polsce.
Authors: Chen Youhua
Published: January 2015

In the present study, Riley's K function and alternative spatial point process models are calculated and compared for the hybrid distributional records of four Soricomorpha species (Talpa europaea, Sorex araneus, Sorex minutus, and Neomys fodiens) in Poland over different sampling sizes. The following spatial point process models are fitted and compared: homogeneous Poisson process (HPP) and inhomogeneous Poisson process (IPP) models. For IPP models, the covariates explaining the trend are latitude and longitude. Spatial process models and true distributional aggregation status (using K function) of the four species are also calculated based on the full observed data set for the purpose to check how many grids are required to sample so as to reflect the true spatial distributional point patterns. When performind tha sampling, the sanpling size 5, 10, 30, 60 and 100 are considered. For each sampling size, 500 replicates are performed to keep consistence and reduce uncertainty. The results showed that, for the full observed data set over the whole territory of Poland, IPP models were much better than the null HPP model for explaining the distribution of Soricomorpha species. For every sample size, the true aggregation status and the associated spatial point process models of each species over the studied area can be perfectly identified when using the information derived from limiting samples only. Based on the results, it is found that around 20% of grid cells should be used as the minimum threshold for accurately detecting the true spatial point patterns
Aquaculture and Fish Welfare: Are the Rights of Fish Compromised?/ Akwakultura I Dobrostan Ryb: Czy Prawa Ryb Są Szanowane?
Authors: Mustapha Moshood K.
Published: January 2015

Fish need adequate welfare in culture even more than when they are in the wild. This is because they are held in captivity against their ‘will’. The welfare of farmed fish should start from production to consumption. Several factors have been identified as compromising the rights and welfare of fish in aquaculture. These include the aquacultural holding devices, stocking density, water quality, food and feeding regimes, diseases and parasite infestation, treatment of the diseases and parasites, handling, netting and removal before and during slaughter, methods of slaughter, fasting/ food withdrawal, unnatural dark/light photoperiods, selection for fast growth, selective and induced breeding, genetic manipulations, exposure to predators, polyculture, tagging, crowding, grading, transport and harvesting, fish attractors and accidental or deliberate introduction of genetically modified farmed fish. The best way to achieve good welfare and health of fish in aquaculture is to respect, maintain and improve the rights of fish, otherwise known as the “five freedoms.” Lack, deficiency or difficulty in having or providing any one of the five freedoms in aquaculture is an indicator of poor welfare for the fish which could be observed through physical, physiological, morphological, behavioural or environmental indicators in the fish. The best strategy for a reliable assessment of fish welfare/suffering and their impact on product quality is a multidisciplinary approach using several assessment parameters and comparing the deviations from the normal biological state with those from the wild which live in their natural, unperturbed environment. Some of the ways to achieve good welfare and safeguard the rights of the farmed fish in reducing the welfare problems were highlighted. Welfare of farmed fish should be considered in terms of ethics, productivity, economic viability and consumer’s acceptability of the final product. Consumers are becoming aware of the quality of farmed fish arising from poor welfare of the fish during culture. Improvement in fish welfare will increase profits, productivity and acceptability of the farmed fish because fish that are less stressedand humanely slaugh tered are healthier, grow better and have better meat quality. There is the need to develop common standard welfare indices for fish in culture in order to detect, correct and improve any deviation from the normal state of the fish in their aquacultural holding devices (AHD). It should be known that whatever is good in terms of welfare to humans should also be good to the fish in captivity.
Experience-Sampling Research Methods and Their Potential for Education Research
Authors: Zirkel Sabrina , Garcia Julie A. , Murphy Mary C.
Published: January 2015

Experience-sampling methods (ESM) enable us to learn about individuals’ lives in context by measuring participants’ feelings, thoughts, actions, context, and/or activities as they go about their daily lives. By capturing experience, affect, and action in the moment and with repeated measures, ESM approaches allow researchers access to expand the areas and aspects of participants’ experiences they can investigate and describe and to better understand how people and contexts shape these experiences. We argue ESM approaches can be particularly enriching for education research by enabling us to ask new and interesting questions about how students, teachers, and school leaders engage with education as they are living their lives and thus help us to better understand how education contexts shape learning and other outcomes. In this article, we highlight the value of these approaches for addressing new and exciting questions they may help education researchers to answer as they allow us to uncover experience in new ways.
Improving the accuracy of Chlamydia trachomatis incidence rate estimates among adolescents in Canada
Authors: Mitchell Katherine , Roberts Ashley , Gilbert Mark , Homma Yuko , Warf Curren , Daly L. Kim , Saewyc Elizabeth M.
Published: January 2015

Recent research has demonstrated the importance of considering sexual activity when calculating Chlamydia trachomatis incidence and screening rates, particularly for adolescents. In this study, we assessed the impact of adjusting for sexual activity on population-based chlamydia incidence and screening rates among adolescents in the province of British Columbia (BC), Canada. We estimated the proportion of adolescent males (15–18 years) and females (14–18 years) who had ever had sexual intercourse using data from a survey of public school students (Grades 7–12) completed by ~30,000 BC students in 2003 and 2008. Using provincial chlamydia surveillance and testing data we compared adolescent chlamydia screening and incidence rates by age and gender, using total and sexually active populations as denominators. During these time periods, an estimated 32% and 33% of males 15–18 years and 28% and 31% of females 14–18 years were sexually active in 2003 and 2008 respectively. Sexually active incidence and screening rates were consistently higher with a more pronounced impact at younger ages. For example, in 2008 screening rates among 14-year-old females were 26.2% vs. 2.5% in sexually active and total populations respectively, while the corresponding rates among 18-year-old females were 60.2% vs. 28.9%. Using data representing the entire population of BC adolescents we demonstrated that without adjustment for sexual behaviour, adolescent chlamydia incidence and screening rates are substantially under-estimated, particularly at younger ages. Adjusting for sexual behaviour using population survey data is essential for accurately monitoring the population impact of prevention and screening programs among adolescents.
Proposed therapeutic strategy for adult low-grade glioma based on aggressive tumor resection
Authors: Nitta Masayuki , Muragaki Yoshihiro , Maruyama Takashi , Ikuta Soko , Komori Takashi , Maebayashi Katsuya , Iseki Hiroshi , Tamura Manabu , Saito Taiichi , Okamoto Saori , Chernov Mikhail , Hayashi Motohiro , Okada Yoshikazu
Published: January 2015

OBJECT

There is no standard therapeutic strategy for low-grade glioma (LGG). The authors hypothesized that adjuvant therapy might not be necessary for LGG cases in which total radiological resection was achieved. Accordingly, they established a treatment strategy based on the extent of resection (EOR) and the MIB-1 index: patients with a high EOR and low MIB-1 index were observed without postoperative treatment, whereas those with a low EOR and/or high MIB-1 index received radiotherapy (RT) and/or chemotherapy. In the present retrospective study, the authors reviewed clinical data on patients with primarily diagnosed LGGs who had been treated according to the above-mentioned strategy, and they validated the treatment policy. Given their results, they will establish a new treatment strategy for LGGs stratified by EOR, histological subtype, and molecular status.

METHODS

One hundred fifty-three patients with diagnosed LGG who had undergone resection or biopsy at Tokyo Women's Medical University between January 2000 and August 2010 were analyzed. The patients consisted of 84 men and 69 women, all with ages ≥ 15 years. A total of 146 patients underwent surgical removal of the tumor, and 7 patients underwent biopsy.

RESULTS

Postoperative RT and nitrosourea-based chemotherapy were administered in 48 and 35 patients, respectively. Extent of resection was significantly associated with both overall survival (OS; p = 0.0096) and progression-free survival (PFS; p = 0.0007) in patients with diffuse astrocytoma but not in those with oligodendroglial subtypes. Chemotherapy significantly prolonged PFS, especially in patients with oligodendroglial subtypes (p = 0.0009). Patients with a mutant IDH1 gene had significantly longer OS (p = 0.034). Multivariate analysis did not identify MIB-1 index or RT as prognostic factors, but it did identify chemotherapy as a prognostic factor for PFS and EOR as a prognostic factor for OS and PFS.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings demonstrated that EOR was significantly correlated with patient survival; thus, one should aim for maximum tumor resection. In addition, patients with a higher EOR can be safely observed without adjuvant therapy. For patients with partial resection, postoperative chemotherapy should be administered for those with oligodendroglial subtypes, and repeat resection should be considered for those with astrocytic tumors. More aggressive treatment with RT and chemotherapy may be required for patients with a poor prognosis, such as those with diffuse astrocytoma, 1p/19q nondeleted tumors, or IDH1 wild-type oligodendroglial tumors with partial resection.
Multisession stereotactic radiosurgery for large vestibular schwannomas
Authors: Casentini Leopoldo , Fornezza Umberto , Perini Zeno , Perissinotto Egle , Colombo Federico
Published: January 2015

OBJECT

Microsurgery is not the only option for larger vestibular schwannomas (VSs); recent reviews have confirmed the feasibility and efficacy of radiosurgery for larger VSs. This study illustrates the outcomes of a series of large VSs after multisession stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS).

METHODS

A series of 33 VSs larger than 8 cm3 (range 8–24 cm3, mean 11 cm3, median 9.4 cm3) were treated using the CyberKnife from 2003 to 2011 with the multisession SRS technique in 2–5 fractions (14–19.5 Gy). Five patients had undergone surgical removal and 5 had ventriculoperitoneal shunts. Nine patients were eligible for but refused surgery. Twelve patients were older than 70 years and 5 were younger than 40 years. Two female patients had neurofibromatosis.

RESULTS

The follow-up period ranged from 12 to 111 months (median 48 months); radiological growth control was achieved in 94% of cases: 19 tumors (58%) displayed no size variation or reduction in tumor diameter; 12 (36%), after a transient enlargement, presented with arrested growth or shrinkage. Seven patients had a volume reduction of more than 50%. Two patients (6%) needed debulking and 2 were treated with ventriculoperitoneal shunts. Actuarial progressionfree survival rates at 1 year and 5 years were 97% and 83%, respectively. Hearing was retained in 7 of the 8 patients with serviceable baseline hearing. Adverse events were limited to 1 case each of vertigo, tongue paresthesia, and trigeminal neuralgia.

CONCLUSIONS

The good control rate obtained with multisession SRS deepens the controversy of the radiobiology of VSs and may extend the indication of radiation therapy (fractionated or SRS) for large VSs to include patients without symptoms of mass effect. The limited number of cases and short follow-up period do not provide sufficient support for widespread application of multisession SRS in young patients. Further studies with multisession SRS are warranted.
Effect of exosomes derived from multipluripotent mesenchymal stromal cells on functional recovery and neurovascular plasticity in rats after traumatic brain injury
Authors: Zhang Yanlu , Chopp Michael , Meng Yuling , Katakowski Mark , Xin Hongqi , Mahmood Asim , Xiong Ye
Published: January 2015

OBJECT

Transplanted multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) improve functional recovery in rats after traumatic brain injury (TBI). In this study the authors tested a novel hypothesis that systemic administration of cell-free exosomes generated from MSCs promotes functional recovery and neurovascular remodeling in rats after TBI.

METHODS

Two groups of 8 Wistar rats were subjected to TBI, followed 24 hours later by tail vein injection of 100 μg protein of exosomes derived from MSCs or an equal volume of vehicle (phosphate-buffered saline). A third group of 8 rats was used as sham-injured, sham-treated controls. To evaluate cognitive and sensorimotor functional recovery, the modified Morris water maze, modified Neurological Severity Score, and foot-fault tests were performed. Animals were killed at 35 days after TBI. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed for measurements of lesion volume, neurovascular remodeling (angiogenesis and neurogenesis), and neuroinflammation.

RESULTS

Compared with the saline-treated group, exosome-treated rats with TBI showed significant improvement in spatial learning at 34–35 days as measured by the modified Morris water maze test (p < 0.05), and sensorimotor functional recovery (i.e., reduced neurological deficits and foot-fault frequency) was observed at 14–35 days postinjury (p < 0.05). Exosome treatment significantly increased the number of newly generated endothelial cells in the lesion boundary zone and dentate gyrus and significantly increased the number of newly formed immature and mature neurons in the dentate gyrus as well as reducing neuroinflammation.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors demonstrate for the first time that MSC-generated exosomes effectively improve functional recovery, at least in part, by promoting endogenous angiogenesis and neurogenesis and by reducing inflammation in rats after TBI. Thus, MSC-generated exosomes may provide a novel cell-free therapy for TBI and possibly for other neurological diseases.
A new leak-tight borehole casing at Dome Concordia station, Antarctica, for the SUBGLACIOR project
Authors: Duphil Romain , Possenti Philippe , Piard Luc
Published: January 2015

In the frame of the SUBGLACIOR project, a new type of casing has been installed for testing during the 2013/14 austral summer season at Dome Concordia station, Antarctica. The SUBGLACIOR probe requires a full fluid column up to the surface, in order to circulate fluid for ice-chips recovery. This makes it essential that the casing is leak-tight through the porous firn column. We have evaluated existing solutions before opting to test a new method. This new system is made of polyethylene pipes which are welded together at the surface while the casing pipes are lowered into the reamed borehole. It is simple and lightweight and allows the casing to be installed quickly with optimum chance of being leak-tight. The installed casing has been tested both with compressed air and drilling fluids and has proven to work.