bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A modified clinicopathological tumor staging system for survival prediction of patients with penile cancer
Authors: Li Zai‐Shang , Ornellas Antonio Augusto , Schwentner Christian , Li Xiang , Chaux Alcides , Netto Georges , Burnett Arthur L. , Tang Yong , Geng JiunHung , Yao Kai , Chen Xiao‐Feng , Wang Bin , Liao Hong , Liu Nan , Chen Peng , Lei Yong‐Hong , Mi Qi‐Wu , Rao Hui‐Lan , Xiao Ying‐Ming , Wang Qi‐Lin , Qin Zi‐Ke , Liu Zhuo‐Wei , Li Yong‐Hong , Zou Zi‐Jun , Luo Jun‐Hang , Li Hui , Han Hui , Zhou Fang‐Jian
Published: November 2018

Background

The 8th American Joint Committee on Cancer tumor–node–metastasis (AJCC‐TNM) staging system is based on a few retrospective single‐center studies. We aimed to test the prognostic validity of the staging system and to determine whether a modified clinicopathological tumor staging system that includes lymphovascular embolization could increase the accuracy of prognostic prediction for patients with stage T2–3 penile cancer.

Methods

A training cohort of 411 patients who were treated at 2 centers in China and Brazil between 2000 and 2015 were staged according to the 8th AJCC‐TNM staging system. The internal validation was analyzed by bootstrap‐corrected C‐indexes (resampled 1000 times). Data from 436 patients who were treated at 15 centers over four continents were used for external validation.

Results

A survivorship overlap was observed between T2 and T3 patients (P = 0.587) classified according to the 8th AJCC‐TNM staging system. Lymphovascular embolization was a significant prognostic factor for metastasis and survival (all P < 0.001). Based on the multivariate analysis, only lymphovascular embolization showed a significant influence on cancer‐specific survival (CSS) (hazard ratio = 1.587, 95% confidence interval = 1.253–2.011; P = 0.001). T2 and T3 patients with lymphovascular embolization showed significantly shorter CSS than did those without lymphovascular embolization (P < 0.001). Therefore, a modified clinicopathological staging system was proposed, with the T2 and T3 categories of the 8th AJCC‐TNM staging system being subdivided into two new categories as follows: t2 tumors invade the corpus spongiosum and/or corpora cavernosa and/or urethra without lymphovascular invasion, and t3 tumors invade the corpus spongiosum and/or corpora cavernosa and/or urethra with lymphovascular invasion. The modified staging system involving lymphovascular embolization showed improved prognostic stratification with significant differences in CSS among all categories (all P < 0.005) and exhibited higher accuracy in predicting patient prognoses than did the 8th AJCC‐TNM staging system (C‐index, 0.739 vs. 0.696). These results were confirmed in the external validation cohort.

Conclusions

T2–3 penile cancers are heterogeneous, and a modified clinicopathological staging system that incorporates lymphovascular embolization may better predict the prognosis of patients with penile cancer than does the 8th AJCC‐TNM staging system.

Trial registration This study was retrospectively registered on Chinese Clinical Trail Registry: ChiCTR16008041 (2016‐03‐02). http://www.chictr.org.cn
Optical tomography based on shortest-path model for diffuse surface object
Authors: Iwaguchi Takafumi , Funatomi Takuya , Aoto Takahito , Kubo Hiroyuki , Mukaigawa Yasuhiro
Published: November 2018

We tackle an optical measurement of the internal structure of a diffuse surface object—we define as an object that has a diffuse surface and its interior is transparent, like grapes or hollow plastic bottles. Our approach is based on optical tomography that reconstructs the interior from observations of absorption of light rays from various views, under the projection of the light. The difficulty lies in the fact that a light ray that enters changes its direction at the interaction of the surface, unlike X-ray that travels straight through the object. We introduce a model of light path in the object called shortest-path model. We acquire the absorption of light rays through the object by the measurement upon the assumption of the model. Since this measurement acquires insufficient observation to reconstruct the interior by conventional reconstruction algorithms, we also introduce a reconstruction method based on a numerical optimization that a physical requirement of the absorption is taken into account. Our method is confirmed successful to measure the interior in a real-world experiment.
NG-Tax, a highly accurate and validated pipeline for analysis of 16S rRNA amplicons from complex biomes
Authors: Ramiro-Garcia Javier , Hermes Gerben D. A. , Giatsis Christos , Sipkema Detmer , Zoetendal Erwin G. , Schaap Peter J. , Smidt Hauke
Published: November 2018

Background: Massive high-throughput sequencing of short, hypervariable segments of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene has transformed the methodological landscape describing microbial diversity within and across complex biomes. However, several studies have shown that the methodology rather than the biological variation is responsible for the observed sample composition and distribution. This compromises meta-analyses, although this fact is often disregarded.

Results: To facilitate true meta-analysis of microbiome studies, we developed NG-Tax, a pipeline for 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence analysis that was validated with different mock communities and benchmarked against QIIME as a frequently used pipeline. The microbial composition of 49 independently amplified mock samples was characterized by sequencing two variable 16S rRNA gene regions, V4 and V5-V6, in three separate sequencing runs on Illumina’s HiSeq2000 platform. This allowed for the evaluation of important causes of technical bias in taxonomic classification: 1) run-to-run sequencing variation, 2) PCR–error, and 3) region/primer specific amplification bias. Despite the short read length (~140 nt) and all technical biases, the average specificity of the taxonomic assignment for the phylotypes included in the mock communities was 97.78%. On average 99.95% and 88.43% of the reads could be assigned to at least family or genus level, respectively, while assignment to ‘spurious genera’ represented on average only 0.21% of the reads per sample. Analysis of α- and β-diversity confirmed conclusions guided by biology rather than the aforementioned methodological aspects, which was not achieved with QIIME.

Conclusions: Different biological outcomes are commonly observed due to 16S rRNA region-specific performance. NG-Tax demonstrated high robustness against choice of region and other technical biases associated with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing studies, diminishing their impact and providing accurate qualitative and quantitative representation of the true sample composition. This will improve comparability between studies and facilitate efforts towards standardization.
Polish version of the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS)
Authors: Wójciak Paweł , Górna Krystyna , Domowicz Klaudia , Jaracz Krystyna , Gołębiewska Katarzyna , Michalak Michał , Rybakowski Janusz
Published: November 2018

Cel pracy

Utworzenie polskiej adaptacji Krótkiej Skali Objawów Negatywnych (Brief Negative Symptom Scale – BNSS), ocena zgodności wewnętrznej polskiej wersji skali BNSS oraz przeprowadzenie korelacji między oceną w skali BNSS, a oceną w Skali Zespołów Pozytywnego i Negatywnego schizofrenii (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale – PANSS) w grupie chorych na schizofrenię.

Metoda

Przeprowadzono procedurę polskiej adaptacji formularza oceny (Scoresheet), obejmującego 13 punktów zorganizowanych w 6 podskal (anhedonia, brak prawidłowego dystresu, asocjalność, awolicja, blady afekt i alogia), podręcznika (Manual) oraz zeszytu szkoleniowego (Workbook) skali BNSS. Badania psychometryczne wykonano u 40 chorych na schizofrenię paranoidalną (20 mężczyzn i 20 kobiet), w wieku 44+13 lat, o długości choroby 17+10 lat i nasileniu objawów w skali PANSS 56+16 punktów, otrzymujących niezmienione leczenie farmakologiczne w okresie ostatnich 3 miesięcy.

Wyniki

Polska wersja została zaakceptowana przez twórców skali. Analiza rzetelności wykazała wysokie wyniki wskaźnika alfa-Cronbacha zarówno dla całej skali (0,97), jak i dla poszczególnych podskal (0,74-0,93). Skala BNSS i jej podskale wykazywały wysoką istotną korelację z całkowitym wynikiem PANSS oraz z podskalą objawów negatywnych PANSS zarówno oryginalną, jak i zmodyfikowaną.

Wnioski

Uzyskane wyniki wskazują na dobre własności psychometryczne polskiej wersji skali BNSS i na jej możliwą przydatność w badaniach objawów negatywnych schizofrenii prowadzonych w naszym kraju.
La relación maternofilial en la filmografía de Xavier Dolan (2009-2016)
Authors: Ruiz-del-Olmo Francisco-Javier , Hernández-Carrillo Cristina
Published: November 2018

El presente trabajo se enmarca en un contexto de auge, popularidad e influencia en públicos jóvenes del cine independiente norteamericano. Específicamente se focaliza en uno de los directores que de forma singular conecta con los nuevos relatos de la contemporaneidad, el canadiense Xavier Dolan. A través del análisis de los personajes principales de las seis películas que hasta ahora ha realizado –Yo maté a mi madre (2009), Los amores imaginarios (2010), Laurence Anyways (2012), Tom en la granja (2013), Mommy (2014) y Solo el fin del mundo (2016)– se determina el comportamiento de éstos en torno a una temática siempre presente en su filmografía: la relación maternofilial. Entre sus principales conclusiones destaca cómo en sus películas están muy marcadas y constantes cuatro variables narrativas: la mala relación madre e hijo, la ausencia de la figura paterna, el ocultamiento de la identidad u orientación sexual y la no aceptación de la familia junto con las conductas antisociales por parte del hijo. Además, todas ellas se encuentran de forma recurrente, en mayor o menor medida, en todos sus filmes, no observándose una tendencia clara o evolución; todos son temas que obsesionan al director, caracterizan a sus personajes, y construyen un universo ficcional homogéneo.
Estimation of psychological features, body composition and status of actual nutrition of women with eating behavior disorders
Authors: Filatova Olga V. , Polovinkin Sergei S. , Chervova Irina V. , Baklanova Evgenia I. , Plyasova Irina O.
Published: November 2018

Background: the violations of eating behavior began to be actively studied since the mid-20th century. In recent years, researchers from different countries have found new evidence of the role of eating behavior, the patient's eating habits in the development of obesity. Since the scope of the study of eating behavior and its disorders began to develop actively relatively recently, many aspects of this problem have not yet been studied.
Aim: was to study the psychological features, body composition and parameters of actual nutrition of women with eating behavior disorders.
Methods. We used the Dutch questionnaire DEBQ to analyze the types of eating behavior. To assess the severity of eating disorders inherent in eating disorders, the technique "Scale of Eating Behavior Assessment" was used. The actual mental state of the subjects was studied using a clinical and psychological test a questionnaire of the severity of psychopathological symptoms (SCL-90-R). The component composition of the body was assessed using the apparatus for bioimpedanceometry ABC-01 "Medass". The evaluation of the actual nutrition by the method of frequency analysis was carried out with the help of the computer program "Analysis of the state of human nutrition".
Results. In all groups of women with eating disorders, higher values on the scales of desire for thinness, bulimia and dissatisfaction with the body, somatization, obsessional-compulsiveness, interpersonal sensitivity, depressiveness, anxiety were found. As the eating disorders worsened, the consumption of mono-and disaccharides and added sugar increased, which was accompanied by an increase of the body fat, both in absolute and relative units.
Conclusions. In women with eating disorders violations of personal and psychological characteristics, nutrition patterns were detected, which were accompanied by an increase in body fat.
Syndrome of ectopic ACTH secretion in a patient without a verified tumor
Authors: Ershova Ekaterina V. , Senyushkina Evgeniya S. , Troshina Ekaterina A.
Published: November 2018

Рrevalence of endogenous hypercortisilism is about 56 cases per 1 million people. ACTH-dependent hypercortico- sis in the general structure is about 80%. Among this cohort of patients in 7075% the cause of hypersecretion of ACTH is corticotrophinoma, about 10% are diagnosed with hyperplasia of corticotrophs, in the remaining 1520% neuroendocrine tumors of different locations, producing ACTH and / or corticoliberin. With ectopic ACTH syndrome the development of clinical manifestations is faster than with corticotropinoma, which determines the nature of the clinical picture. Difficulties in identifying the primary focus hypersecretion of ACTH may be due to its small size, absence or nonspecificity of the clinical picture from the primary focus, early metastasis in the case of malignant tumors. Besides, clinical manifestations of hyper- cortisolism can be considered and as independent nosological units, which creates certain difficulties at the stages of early diagnosis and timely treatment of ectopic ACTH syndrome.
Adipokines: mechanisms of metabolic and behavioral disorders
Authors: Chahirou Yassine , Mesfioui Abdelhalim , Ouichou Ali , Hessni Aboubaker
Published: November 2018

Current studies show that metabolic and behavioral disorders represent severe health problems. Several questions arise about the molecular relationship of metabolic and behavioral disorders. This review will discuss the relationship of lipid metabolism and fructose consumption accompanied by an increase in weight as well as associated disorders: hypertension, insulin-resistance, oxidative stress and depression. Adipose tissue is considered as an endocrine tissue with intense secretory activities (metabolic and inflammatory). These adipokines are responsible for an alteration of several physiological functions. In this review we will try to understand how lipogenesis that causes dyslipidemia can influence insulin resistance, hypertension, oxidative stress, depression and the relationship between these various disorders.
New biomarkers of bone remodelling regulation in patients with acromegaly and endogenous hypercortisolism
Authors: Tsoriev Timur T. , Belaya Zhanna E. , Rozhinskaya Lyudmila Y. , Mel’nichenko Galina A. , Ilyin Aleksandr V. , Nikankina Larisa V. , Dedov Ivan I.
Published: November 2018

Background: Bone tissue is a non-classical endocrine organ, which produces at least two hormones: fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) and decarboxylated osteocalcin (OC). In addition to this, recent studies demonstrate that specific proteins involved in the paracrine regulation of bone remodelling can be measured in peripheral serum samples and may serve as additional biomarkers of bone metabolism.
Aims: to evaluate the serum levels of biomarkers related to endocrine and paracrine function of bone tissue in patients with Cushings disease (CD) and acromegaly.
Materials and methods: The study was conducted according to the cross-sectional case-control type. Fasting serum samples were taken between 810 a.m. from patients with CD, acromegaly and age-, sex- and BMI-matched healthy volunteers and stored at -40 C. Commercially available kits for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to determine the serum levels of FGF-23, co-factor (co-receptor) Klotho, cathepsin K, sclerostin, P1NP. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) was measured by the immunochemiluminescence assay, late-night (11 p.m.) salivary cortisol (LNSC) was evaluated using the electrochemiluminescence method. Non-parametric tests (the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Mann-Whitney test) were used to assess the differences between the groups of patients.
Results: The study includes 78 patients, (37.6 years old, 95% CI 34.7540.46): 29 patients with CD (group 1), 22 with acromegaly (group 2), and 27 healthy individuals (group 3), matched by sex, age and BMI (p = 0.432, 0.373 and 0.725 between groups, respectively). LNSC in patients with CD and IGF-1 in patients with acromegaly were significantly higher compared to the control group (p = 0.004 and p 0.001, respectively). In patients with acromegaly, a statistically significant increase in FGF-23 (1.13 (0.78;1.49) vs 0.78 (0.54;1.09)) and phosphorus (1.38 (1.24;1.52) vs 1.16 (1.12;1.29)) (p = 0.01 and p 0.001, respectively) was observed along with increased levels of bone remodelling markers. In patients with CD, bone formation markers were suppressed, but differences in the levels of other biomarkers could not be identified.
Conclusions: Acromegaly leads to hyperphosphatemia and increase in FGF-23, which is most likely due to the development of resistance to FGF-23, and the intensification of bone remodelling. With CD, another bone hormone, osteocalcin, is suppressed along with the suppression of P1NP.
Obesity and associated risk factors in adolescents in rural areas of Buryatia, Russia
Authors: Rychkova Lyubov V. , Ajurova Zhanna G. , Pogodina Anna V.
Published: November 2018

Background: According to WHO forecasts, childhood obesity can soon become equally dangerous to public health as malnutrition and infectious diseases. Elimination of modifiable risk factors is important for the disease and disease-associated complications prevention. At the same time it is shown that the risk factors can vary widely not only from country to country but also from area to area within one country.
Aim: To establish risk factors associated with obesity in adolescents in rural areas of Buryatia, Russia.
Materials and methods: The cross-sectional study included 1117 year old adolescents with normal weight (BMI 2575 percentile) and obesity (BMI 95 percentile). We assessed anthropometric measures of adolescents and their parents, sociodemographic characteristics, early-life exposures, eating and lifestyle patterns.
Results: The study included 128 adolescents with normal weight and 72 adolescents with obesity. Both groups were comparable by sex, age and ethnicity. Factors, associated with obesity in rural adolescents, were: parents obesity (odds ratio (OR) 3.63 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.926.87); the mothers body mass index (OR 1.17 (95% CI 1.11.25)); duration of breast-feeding less than 4 months (OR 2.42 (95% CI 1.145.13)); disturbed dietary pattern (OR 2.54 (95% CI 1.15.88)). Factors showing protective effect were total breast-feeding duration (OR 0.94 (95% CI 0.890.99)) and mothers employment as a skilled worker (OR 0.51 (95% CI 0.270.96)).
Conclusions: Characteristics of family (obesity in parents, mothers BMI), breast-feeding less than 4 months and the disturbed dietary pattern are the risk factors associated with obesity in adolescents living in rural areas of Buryatia which are worth considering when local obesity prevention programs are being developed.
Skype sessions as a way to provide additional oral practice of English university students
Authors: García Trejos Sergio Ramiro , Diaz Pascuas Rolney Leonardo , Artunduaga Cuellar Marco Tulio
Published: November 2018

english teachers frequently find students with a low level of oral proficiency but who want to put the language they are learning into practice. The lack of opportunities to use the language inside the classroom added to the lack of time and spaces to interact with others outside the classroom make the situation even more complex.  This article contains the results of an Action Research study which aimed at exploring the impact of using Skype as a complementary tool to foster oral production in a group of students in a private university in Neiva, Colombia. Four students from the first level of English with a basic command of the language took part in this study. Theoretical constructs such the use of Skype in EFL, Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC), social networking, cooperative learning and oral production in CMC were taken into account. The pedagogical interventions in the study consisted of six Skype video- conferences between a teacher-researcher and the four participants. To collect data, video-conference transcripts, field notes and students’ journals were used. The data were analyzed using qualitative methods. Findings evidence that Skype impacts  the EFL context in areas like language learning, social interaction and emotional influences.key words: Skype, CMC, oral production, social networking, cooperative learning.
La Fiesta en Colombia. Albores del siglo XXI
Authors: González Pérez Marcos
Published: November 2018

De igual manera, progresivamente y de acuerdo con las particularidades de la celebración los grupos sociales han reinventado o posicionado algunas músicas o cantos, como referentes de sus celebraciones. El vals Tristezas del alma (cuyo autor es el bolivarense, Luis Alberto Rodríguez Moreno) es interpretado, principalmente por bandas de viento, en los actos de memoria de las víctimas del conflicto armado; Rosa, que linda eres (del compositor colombiano, Luis Majin Díaz) es cantada en homenaje a Rosa Elvira Cely, víctima de la violencia sexual y por tanto, un canto de
Osmoregulation Pattern of Fingerling Vanname Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) Rearing in Three Molt Stage Iso-Osmotic Media
Authors: Anggoro Sutrisno , Suprapto Djoko , Purwanti Frida
Published: November 2018

Vanname shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) is one of euryhaline Crustacean that able to adapt to a wider range of salinities. The need of suitable media for a given size and molting stage of shrimp is a key factor of the success of shrimp culture. In order to ensure the success of fingerling Vanname shrimp (FVS) rearing, it is indispensable to provide suitable osmotic media for the molting process. This research was aimed to examine and determine isoosmotic media that complies with physiological process of FVS. The research was done in laboratory scale with Completely Randomized Design. FVS was acclimated to three salinities level i.e. 15-16 ‰ as the postmolt isosmotic media, 25-26 ‰ as the intermolt isosmotic media, and 29-30 ‰ as the premolt and molt isosmotic media with three replications. The result showed that in the media of 25-26 ‰, the osmotic work revealed the minimal level and it enhanced the growth rate without changing the amino acids composition in the shrimp body tissue.
Sistem Pemantau Kelembapan Tanah Akurat dengan Protokol Zigbee IEEE 802.15.4 pada Platform M2M OpenMTC
Authors: Fredy Putu Agus , Abdurohman Maman
Published: November 2018

This paper presents a study on an accurate soil moisture monitoring system based on its humidity from 9 sensor nodes using wireless sensor network (WSN) and M2M platform. The system used IEEE 802.15.4 (Zigbee) protocol. The system was connected to the application via the OpenMTC M2M platform. This monitoring system can measure soil moisture accurately and provide soil water content status on the application. The system was effective in measuring soil moisture at a distance of 0-25 meters where there was a barrier between gateway and sensor, and at a distance of 0-50 meter in line of sight. The position of the sensors that are within 3 meters of each other and the depth of each sensor 3 cm can measure soil moisture properly.
Narrative representation and fictionality in performative media
Authors: Horstmann Jan
Published: November 2018

The transmedial discussion in this article shows that the terms narrative mediation and representation should be carefully distinguished from fiction or fictionality. The constitutive use of ‘real’ (or factual) artifacts in performative media (i. e. media which present embodied events, such as theater or film) provides a good example for the necessity of this distinction. Frequently these artifacts serve the purpose of a fictional discourse and certain definitions of fictionality (cf. Walton 1990) can be said to be fulfilled. However, a real-world artifact can by no means become itself fictive, but is rather used to represent a fictive entity. By focusing on representation and mediation instead, it becomes possible to compare theater with other performative media in terms of narrative representation: even though it is sense-physiologically unmediated, the functions of narrative mediation (i. e. selecting, ordering, presenting, commenting; cf. e. g. Chatman 1990) apply. The article establishes a dynamic system of representation that can be used for the analysis of all kinds of multichannel narrative media and thus rests the ongoing scholarly discussions of transmedial narrative representation on a much sounder theoretical basis. It distinguishes representation clearly from fictionality, and highlights the significance of theater in this discussion.
Language choice and code-switching among Hong Kong’s Hakka speakers
Authors: Lee Sherman
Published: November 2018

This paper examines the language practices among speakers of Hakka in Hong Kong, a minority Chinese variety still found in the territory. These speakers were largely monolingual a few decades ago but are now primarily bilingual in Hakka and Cantonese as the community shifts towards the latter, the dominant societal language. To explore the process and dynamics of this language shift, the present study adopted an ethnographic approach for observing the actual bilingual behaviours of individuals and families in the community. The informant sample comprised 32 speakers aged between 9 and 82 from nine separate families across Hong Kong. Data was collected through a combination of participant observation, informal interviews and conversational exchanges in the informants’ homes. Examination of their patterns of language choice and language use shows that most of the speakers use Cantonese-dominant patterns, and are ‘shifters’ rather than ‘maintainers’ of the Hakka language; the shift is clearly generation and age-related. The paper also illustrates how bilingual speakers make use of code-switching between Hakka and Cantonese to achieve various discourse purposes in their everyday conversations, suggesting that even among the ‘language shifters’, Hakka remains an important linguistic resource.
‘Chinese English or English Chinese?’
Authors: Kirkpatrick Andy
Published: November 2018

A question which is frequently asked in discussions about the future roles of English and Chinese (Modern Standard Chinese or Putonghua and often also referred to as Mandarin) in the Asia-Pacific region is whether Chinese will replace English as the primary regional language or lingua franca. In this article, I shall first consider the roles that each language is playing in China itself and within the Asia-Pacific region. I shall argue that it is important to take these languages together, as the combination of Modern Standard Chinese and English is threatening regional languages, including other major Chinese languages such as Cantonese. In dealing with these two major languages in combination, I shall also consider how each language has influenced and continues to influence the other linguistically, illustrating this with examples at the levels of lexis, syntax, rhetoric and pragmatic norms. I shall conclude by tentatively suggesting how the roles of these two languages may develop in future, and the potential sociolinguistic consequences of this.
The Rise of Chinese Internet Language: Product and Agent of Globalization from Below
Authors: Xiao Yun
Published: November 2018

As globalization presses on in China a market economy and democracy have been developed, and ordinary people obtained opportunities at many levels. One of them is their tangible access to media networks, computer facilities, online technologies, and global information exchange, which leads to the rise and expansion of Chinese Internet Language (CIL). Drawing on theoretical perspectives from globalization research, such as globalization and transformation (Steger 2009), as well as globalization and language (Fairclough 2006, 2009), this study intends to examine the emerging CIL and its role in social change. Taking a globalization and language approach, this study seeks to answer questions such as: What characterizes the CIL? How does the CIL reflect the changing social conditions in contemporary China? And how does the cyber community generate new public discourse that drives the changing China?

Data used for this study are from three major sources: (1) The corpus-based annual national reports entitled The Language Situation in China《中国语言生活状况报告》Zhongguo Yuyan Shenghuo Zhuangkuang Baogao from 2005 to 2013 (English version in Volumes 1 and 2 of Language Policies and Practices in China, Yuming Li and Wei Li, 2013, 2014), (2) the Semi-Annual Report on International Development in China by CNNIC (China Internet Network Information Center), and (3) recent Chinese publications, online or printed. Collectively, the data indicate that, with globalization rapidly changing and seriously challenging China, its social conditions and people’s life chances are radically changing, which are measured, evaluated, and reflected on by the language use of grassroots people that is marked with innovations, catch words, and novel forms. Officially branded as low standard and crude, CIL binds together a Chinese-speaking cyber community that generates new public discourse as the pushing hand and uncompromising challenger of the social change “from below.”
Activity in Czech and Russian Nineteenth-century Sonnets: A Contrastive Study
Authors: Andreev Sergey , Místecký Michal
Published: November 2018

The article focuses on analysing activity in the selected sonnets of the Czech and Russian nineteenth-century literatures (100 poems per each). Busemann Coefficient (Q) is counted for the samples, and the individual authors are tested on statistical significance by means of the nonparametric Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon test. Another product of the research is a scatter plot, where the counts of the significant MWW test values for the poets and their average Q’s are compared; these figures are clustered according to the k-means method, and interpretations are formulated on the basis of the groupings. Both microanalyses penetrating into an author’s production, and literary-movement investigations are provided, so as to make the research of use for literary criticism, too. Finally, two ways of comparing the Czech and Russian data are sketched, with the outcomes being commented upon.
Are Languages like Atoms? On Modelling Language Spread as a Physicist
Authors: Prochazka Katharina , Vogl Gero
Published: November 2018

In physics, the spread of particles such as atoms is called diffusion. The same term is employed in linguistics to describe the spread of language features or languages as a whole. In this paper, we investigate how models for physical diffusion can be transferred to linguistics to study language spread. We review the different ways of describing physical diffusion and then look at two types of models to study language spread. By examining the differences and similarities between speakers, languages and atoms, we show that it is important to be clear about what is being modelled: languages or speakers, as these are quite different but cannot be completely separated—languages cannot exist without speakers and vice versa.
Multimode silicon photonics
Authors: Li Chenlei , Liu Dajian , Dai Daoxin
Published: November 2018

Multimode silicon photonics is attracting more and more attention because the introduction of higher-order modes makes it possible to increase the channel number for data transmission in mode-division-multiplexed (MDM) systems as well as improve the flexibility of device designs. On the other hand, the design of multimode silicon photonic devices becomes very different compared with the traditional case with the fundamental mode only. Since not only the fundamental mode but also the higher-order modes are involved, one of the most important things for multimode silicon photonics is the realization of effective mode manipulation, which is not difficult, fortunately because the mode dispersion in multimode silicon optical waveguide is very strong. Great progresses have been achieved on multimode silicon photonics in the past years. In this paper, a review of the recent progresses of the representative multimode silicon photonic devices and circuits is given. The first part reviews multimode silicon photonics for MDM systems, including on-chip multichannel mode (de)multiplexers, multimode waveguide bends, multimode waveguide crossings, reconfigurable multimode silicon photonic integrated circuits, multimode chip-fiber couplers, etc. In the second part, we give a discussion about the higher-order mode-assisted silicon photonic devices, including on-chip polarization-handling devices with higher-order modes, add-drop optical filters based on multimode Bragg gratings, and some emerging applications.
Wall paintings – diagnostic and archaeometric studies
Authors: Bracci Susanna , Bartolozzi Giovanni
Published: November 2018

The paper deals with the techniques and protocols used for studying wall paintings. A brief introduction about the more recent literature dealing with archaeometric and diagnostic analyses of wall paintings is reported. After that, the illustration of three case studies, spanning from Roman to contemporary wall painting are described.
Highly efficient carbonaceous nanofiber/layered double hydroxide nanocomposites for removal of U(VI) from aqueous solutions
Authors: Yu Shuqi , Wang Xiangxue , Ning Shunyan , Chen Zhongshan , Wang Xiangke
Published: November 2018

The three-dimensional (3D) carbonaceous nanofiber and Ni-Al layered double hydroxide (CNF/LDH) nanocomposite was successfully prepared by a facile one-step hydrothermal methodology. Characterization of scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), XRD, and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) provided a demonstration that the modified CNF/LDH nanocomposite possessed abundant functional groups, for instance, metal-oxygen surface bonding sites (Ni–O as well as Al–O) and free-metal surface bonding sites (C–O, C–O–C, as well as O–C=O). The elimination of representative radionuclide (i.e. U(VI)) on the CNF/LDH nanocomposite from aqueous solutions was explored as a key function of pH, ionic strength, contact time, reaction temperature as well as radionuclide preliminary concentrations with the use of the batch methodology. As revealed by the findings, the sorption of radionuclides on CNF/LDH nanocomposite adhered to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model as well as Langmuir model. The maximum elimination capacity of U(VI) amounted to be 0.7 mmol/g. The independent of ionic strength shed light on the fact that inner-sphere surface complexation mainly overpowered radionuclide uptake by the CNF/LDH nanocomposite, which was further verified through the combination of FTIR and XPS spectral analyses. The abovementioned analyses shed light on the fact that the CNF/LDH nanocomposite can be regarded as a latent material to preconcentration radionuclides for environmental remediation.
HS2 railway, UK – route development to hybrid bill: consultation
Authors: Miller Peter
Published: November 2018

Since 2009 the promoter of the UK's High Speed Two (HS2) railway has listened to others’ views on development of the first London-to-West Midlands phase. Initial scheme development required time to think and determine the best response to the remit, working in confidence with key stakeholders. Through the early part of 2011 a major national consultation was undertaken on the strategy for HS2, the approach to developing the scheme and the route itself. Analysis of all responses informed the route for phase one as the first stage of a new national railway network. Public participation continued through bill development with consultations on the environmental statement scope and methodology, a draft statement and route refinements consultation, alongside an intensive programme of more local community and stakeholder engagement. Through consultation and engagement, HS2 determined the ‘blueprint’ for high-speed rail in the UK, ensuring that mitigation is inherent in the scheme that will guide the construction and ongoing operation of HS2. This gave the government and parliament the confidence to approve HS2.
Research Notes. Learning from Shabolovka
Authors: Новиков Алексей Викторович , Сапунова Марина , Дойтингер Тео , Викс Эрик , Салимгареева Марина , Зарудная Екатерина , Швейсбергс Эрнестс , Бурвалл Аксел , Роч Дэниэл , Королева Лариса , Волянский Иннокентий , Панов Дмитрий , Симанн Оскар , Радосавлевич Эмили , Юрасов Евгений
Published: November 2018

Urbanism is about research, experimentation, and dialogue. It is the art of posing the right questions about the urban environment, and the science of making the tools to discover relevant answers. The mindset underpinning practical urbanism is no longer dominated by intentions, professional intuition, and visionary concepts alone: Prior to the actual design and planning work, urban designers must now conduct thorough contextual research and intensive quests for analytical insights. These developments in the field of urbanism provide a fundamental basis for the two-year Advanced Urban Design Master’s program, developed by the Higher School of Economics Graduate School of Urbanism and the Strelka Institute. For this reason, Anastasia Smirnova, the academic supervisor of our program, and Theo Doitinger, founder of TD Architects, created the “Learning from Shabolovka” workshop. It focused on contextual analyses of Shabolovka Street in central Moscow, the hub of one of HSE’s busiest campuses.The structure of this four-week workshop had several focuses: conceptualizing and posing inquiry questions, field research, data creation/collection, and finally, the presentation of its findings. Intensive field research of Shabolovka Street was essential for the workshop, as it was the main source of overall research data. Surveys and analyses of doors facing the street, the density of outdoor and indoor lighting, and the ways that coffee-to-go is purchased on the street represent new types of urban data and “urban devices” of a high explanatory power. The collection of this data alone, even without the subsequent research, represents the extraordinary value added by this group of workshop participants. The abstracts below summarize the workshop’s main findings by six groups of bright and talented students, each with its own research story and amazing results. Read and enjoy.
Nonobstrüktif Azospermi Olgularında Yeni Yaklaşımlar
Authors: ÜNAL Murat Serkant , ÖZER Mehmet Caner
Published: November 2018

Azospermi semende hiç sperm bulunamaması durumudur. Obstrüktif ve nonobstrüktif olmak üzere iki kategoriye ayrılır. Azospermi tanısı alan hastalardan elde edilen spermatozoayla, ilk gebelik ICSI işlemiyle 1993 yılında oluşmuştur. Obstrüktif azospermi olgularında sperm bulma şansı daha yüksek olmasına karşın, erkek infertilitesinin en şiddetli formu olan nonobstrüktif azospermide ise bu oran yaklaşık olarak %40-50 aralığındadır. Yapılan mikro TESE işlemiyle testiste immatür germ hücreleri bulunursa ROSI işlemi yapılır ya da in vitro kültürlerle bu hücreler farklılaştırılmaya çalışılır. Matür germ hücresi bulunamayan bir mikroTESE sonrasında, hormon replasmanı veya ilaç tedavileriyle spermatozoaların elde edilmesi hedeflenir. Son yıllara kadar testislerde varlıkları bilinen spermatogoniumlara (sperm kök hücresi) ek olarak,  yeni keşfedilen VSEL (very small embriyonic-like stem cell) kök hücrelerinin gösterilmesi tedavi yönündeki umutları daha da artırmıştır. Bunlardan başka deneysel olarak, hücre kültürleri, seminifer tübül kültürleri, organ kültürleri, testiküler organoidler, gen tedavileri ve kök hücre bazlı tedavilerin etkinliği gösterilmiştir. İnsan üzerinde başlayan gen terapilerinde ve mezenkimal kök hücre çalışmalarında, önemli ilerlemeler olması nedeniyle yakın bir zamanda azospermi tedavisinde de önemli gelişmeler olacağı düşünülmektedir. Anahtar kelimeler:  immatür germ hücreleri, maturasyon arresti, ROSI, fertilizasyon, in vitro kültür.                    New Approaches in Nonobstructive Azoopermia CasesAbstractAzoospermia is the complete absence of any sperm in semen. Azoospermia is classified as obstructive azoospermia or non-obstructive azoospermia. The first pregnancy occured in 1993 with ICSI operation with spermatozoa obtained from azoospermic patients. While the chance of successful retrieval of sperm in men with obstructive azoospermia is high, the sperm retrieval rate in men with non-obstructive azoospermia is approximately 40-50%. If immature germ cells are found in testis with microTESE, ROSI treatment is performed or these cells are differentiated by in vitro cultures. Mature germ cells can not be found after microTESE, obtaining spermatozoa by hormone replacement or drug therapy is targeted.In addition to spermatogoniums, a population of very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs) was identified in testes recently. The demonstration of VSELs  has further increased treatment prospects. Other than these experientially, cell cultures, seminiferous tubule cultures, organ cultures, testicular organoids, gene treatments and stem cell-based treatments have been shown to be efficacious. In humans, gene therapy and mesenchymal stem cell studies have made significant progress therefore it is thought that there will be significant developments in the treatment of azoospermia in the near future. Keywords: immature germ cells, maturation arrest, ROSI, fertilization, in vitro culture
ADBS Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis pipeline for Genomic-QC Report v1
Authors: Dr More Ravi
Published: November 2018

Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis pipeline devloped for generating Genomic-QC Report in Accelerator Program for Discovery in Brain Disorders Using Stem Cells (ADBS) program.
Estimation of the Directions of Alpha Rhythm Elementary Sources Using the Method of Human Brain Functional Tomography Based On the Magnetic Encephalography Data
Authors: Ustinin M.N. , Rykunov S.D. , Boyko A.I. , Maslova O.A. , Walton K.D. , Llinás R.R.
Published: November 2018

New method for the magnetic encephalography data analysis was proposed. The method transforms multichannel time series into the spatial structure of the human brain activity.
In this paper we further develop this method to determine the dominant direction of the electrical sources of brain activity at each node of the calculation grid. We have considered
the experimental data, obtained with three 275-channel magnetic encephalographs in New York University, McGill University and Montreal University. The human alpha rhythm phenomenon
was selected as a model object. Magnetic encephalograms of the brain spontaneous activity were registered for 5-7 minutes in magnetically shielded room. Detailed multichannel
spectra were obtained by the Fourier transform of the whole time series. For all spectral components, the inverse problem was solved in elementary current dipole model and the
functional structure of the brain activity was calculated in the frequency band 8-12 Hz. In order to estimate the local activity direction, at the each node of calculation grid
the vector of the inverse problem solution was selected, having the maximal spectral power. So, the 3D-map of the brain activity vector field was produced – the directional functional
tomogram. Such maps were generated for 15 subjects and some common patterns were revealed in the directions of the alpha rhythm elementary sources. The proposed method can be used
to study the local properties of the brain activity in any spectral band and in any brain compartment.
Spirometric evaluation in patients with allergic rhinitis- emphasising need of early diagnosis: a tertiary care experience from Central India
Authors: Sonawane Nilesh S. , Gour Sanjay M. , Munje Radha P. , B. Vandana P.
Published: November 2018

Background: Allergic rhinitis is predecessor of Bronchial asthma in most of the cases. Present study was aimed to understand the prevalence of the impaired spirometric changes in patients with allergic rhinitis and to find association with various demographic factors, sputum eosinophilia and eosinophil count in the blood with the impaired Spirometry of these patients.Methods: Authors conducted a cross sectional study among the patients of allergic rhinitis presented to us in our outpatient department from January 2016 to July 2017. The patient’s with allergic rhinitis either newly diagnosed or already on treatment were included in the study. Standard guidelines as given by ARIA were followed in defining a case of allergic rhinitis. The detailed clinical history was taken, and examination was performed of all the patients and documented. Spirometric evaluation was done using the standard guidelines by a desktop based Spirometry.Results: The mean age of the study subjects was 30.22±13.13 years with male: female ratio of 0.96. The mean duration of the allergic rhinitis in our study was 3.86±3.34years. The most common complaint was itching sensation of nose followed by paroxysmal sneezing and watering of eyes. About 22.15% of the study subjects have impaired Spirometry. Upon bronchodilator therapy 30% of the study subjects had significant reversibility in FEV1.Conclusions: About ¼ of present study subjects had impaired Spirometry and about 30% of them had reversibility after bronchodilator therapy. Authors also found that the higher age study subjects had significantly higher impaired Spirometry; persistent allergic rhinitis patients had higher impairment of Spirometry and the patients with higher the sputum eosinophilia had higher impairment in Spirometry.
The prevalence of syndrome Z (the interaction of obstructive sleep apnoea with the metabolic syndrome) in a tertiary care center, Gujarat, India
Authors: Sureja Bhavesh R. , Bhambhani Gaurav D.
Published: November 2018

Background: The interaction of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) with vascular risk factors is known as syndrome Z which is also known as the metabolic syndrome or the insulin resistance syndrome and these include the hypertension, central obesity, insulin resistance and hyperlipidaemia. The objective of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and severity of syndrome Z at tertiary care center.Methods: This prospective study was conducted among 40 eligible patients between May and July 2018 at the tertiary care center included adult patients >18years of age. Overnight fasting glucose and lipid levels were measured, and baseline anthropometric data recorded. All sleep studies were scored and reported by a sleep physician. OSA was deemed to be present if the respiratory disturbance index (RDI) was >5, with mild, moderate and severe categories classified according to the Chicago criteria.Results: Mean age of participants was 52.7years, 77.5% were male, Mean BMI and waist circumference were 29.2kg/m2 and 113.8cm respectively. Almost 92.5% participants were known case of HTN, 85.0% were DM and 67.5% Dyslipidemia. Around 60.0% participants were belonged to severe grade of OSAS and 7 (17.5%) patients who fulfilled all five criteria for the diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome had severe OSAS. The prevalence of OSA in the entire group was 95.0%.Conclusions: The prevalence of syndrome Z in present study participants was very high. With the help of history and polysomnogram, metabolic syndrome should be screened for OSA. Early diagnosis and treatment of OSA is the essential part in the treatment of metabolic syndrome and hence CAD.