bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Paradigm changes for diagnosis: using big data for prediction
Authors: Roca Josep , Tenyi Akos , Cano Isaac
Published: December 2018

Due to profound changes occurring in biomedical knowledge and in health systems worldwide, an entirely new health and social care scenario is emerging. Moreover, the enormous technological potential developed over the last years is increasingly influencing life sciences and driving changes toward personalized medicine and value-based healthcare. However, the current slow progression of adoption, limiting the generation of healthcare efficiencies through technological innovation, can be realistically overcome by fostering convergence between a systems medicine approach and the principles governing Integrated Care. Implicit with this strategy is the multidisciplinary active collaboration of all stakeholders involved in the change, namely: citizens, professionals with different profiles, academia, policy makers, industry and payers. The article describes the key building blocks of an open and collaborative hub currently being developed in Catalonia (Spain) aiming at generation, deployment and evaluation of a personalized medicine program addressing highly prevalent chronic conditions that often show co-occurrence, namely: cardiovascular disorders, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus; metabolic syndrome and associated mental disturbances (anxiety-depression and altered behavioral patterns leading to unhealthy life styles).
On fault detection tests of contact break for contact circuits
Authors: Popkov Kirill A.
Published: December 2018

We consider the synthesis problem of two-pole contact circuits implementing given Boolean functions and admitting short fault detection test with respect to contact breaks. For eachn-place Boolean function, we found the smallest possible lengths of the single and complete fault detection tests. In particular, it is shown that such length are not greater thann.
Local limit theorems for one class of distributions in probabilistic combinatorics
Authors: Timashev Aleksandr N.
Published: December 2018

Let a functionf(z) be decomposed into a power series with nonnegative coefficients which converges in a circle of positive radiusR. Let the distribution of the random variableξn,n∈ {1, 2, …}, be defined by the formula

$$\begin{array}{} \displaystyle P\{\xi_n=N\}=\frac{\mathrm{coeff}_{z^n}\left(\frac{\left(f(z)\right)^N}{N!}\right)}{\mathrm{coeff}_{z^n}\left(\exp(f(z))\right)},\,N=0,1,\ldots \end{array} $$

for some ∣z∣ <R(if the denominator is positive). Examples of appearance of such distributions in probabilistic combinatorics are given. Local theorems on asymptotical normality for distributions ofξnare proved in two cases: a) iff(z) = (1 −z)−λ,λ= const ∈ (0, 1] for ∣z∣ < 1, and b) if all positive coefficients of expansion f (z) in a power series are equal to 1 and the setAof their numbers has the form

$$\begin{array}{} \displaystyle A = \{m^r \, | \, m \in \mathbb{N} \}, \, \, r = \mathrm {const},\; r \in \{2,3,\ldots\}. \end{array} $$

A hypothetical general local limit normal theorem for random variablesξnis stated. Some examples of validity of the statement of this theorem are given.
Aromatase excess syndrome in a Chinese boy due to a novel duplication at 15q21.2
Authors: Tan Xinrui , Wu Xiaochuan , Chen Jie , Wu Yan , Li Shijun , Chen Xianmei , Zhang Xingxing
Published: December 2018

Background

Aromatase excess syndrome (AEXS) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by CYP19A1 overexpression. Clinical manifestations of AEXS include pre- or peri-pubertal gynecomastia, advanced bone age and compromised adult height.

Case presentation

Here we report an 8-year-old boy diagnosed with AEXS by chromosomal array that revealed a 1.1 Mb novel de novo duplication at 15q21.2, with a predicted final height of 157.4 cm. We prescribed letrozole and growth hormone (GH) to maximize his linear growth. Without further bone age advancement, his height increased from 137.7 cm to 144 cm after an 8-month treatment period.

Conclusions

We identified a novel duplication at 15q21.2 in AEXS, and found that aromatase inhibitor (AI) plus GH might provide a better growth-promoting approach for AEXS patients.
Calcination-carbonization two-step process to improve the brightness of fly ash and its application in paper filling
Authors: Fan Hui-ming , Zhu Gao-peng , Qi Ya-nan , Liu Jian-an
Published: December 2018

Chromogenic sources such as carbon particles and magnetic particles are the key factors restricting the brightness of fly ash. This study explored the feasibility of calcination-carbonation two-step method to improve the brightness of fly ash and apply it to paper filling. The results show that Under the condition of high temperature, the unburned carbon particles in fly ash are removed, and the brightness of fly ash is increased from 30 %ISO to 49 %ISO with the increase of burning loss. The dense calcium carbonate coating can be formed on the surface of fly ash particles modified by the carbonation reaction process after high temperature calcination, and the brightness of fly ash can be further raised to about 66 %ISO. The composite filler prepared by two-step method can be used to paper filling, the brightness of the paper can reach 76 % ISO, and it has good opacity at 20 % filling. Therefore, it is feasible to prepare fly ash-based composite filler by calcining-carbonization method.
Sorption capacities of chitosan/polyethylene oxide (PEO) electrospun nanofibers used to remove ibuprofen in water
Authors: Paradis-Tanguay Laurence , Camiré Alexandre , Renaud Mathilde , Chabot Bruno , Lajeunesse André
Published: December 2018

Pharmaceutical residues coming from urban wastewater were recognized as a major source of pollution for the aquatic environment. Their occurrence in most municipal effluent seems to indicate that conventional wastewater treatments have only a limited ability to remove such substances from sewage. Therefore, the undesired effects caused by these emergent contaminants on the environment force the authorities to consider new measures to treat and recycle contaminated water. In this study, electrospun nanofibers made of chitosan and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) were used to remove the anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen in solution. The electrospinning parameters such as the mixture solution concentration, applied voltage, distance needle-collector, and flow rate were optimized to get the best nanofiber morphology characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). With the use of a high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet diode array detection (HPLC-UV DAD) system, sorption tests were performed by modifying experimental conditions, e.g. pH, concentration of ibuprofen, and temperature of the tested solutions. Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin-Radushkevich (DR) adsorption models were compared for the mathematical description of adsorption equilibria. Kinetic assays showed that the adsorption of chitosan nanofiber followed a pseudo-second-order model. After 20 min of exposure, 25 mg of nanofiber had removed 70% of the initial ibuprofen concentration.
A review on nanocomposite hydrogels and their biomedical applications
Authors: Rafieian Shirin , Mirzadeh Hamid , Mahdavi Hamid , Masoumi Mir Esmaeil
Published: December 2018

In order to improve the drawbacks related to hydrogels, nanocomposite hydrogels were developed by incorporating different types of nanoparticles or nanostructures in the hydrogel network. This review categorizes nanocomposite hydrogels based on the type of their nanoparticle into four groups of carbon-, polymeric-, inorganic- and metallic-based nanocomposite hydrogels. Each type has specific properties that make them appropriate for a special purpose. This is mainly attributed to the improvement of interactions between nanoparticles and polymeric chains and to the enhancement of desirable properties for target applications. The focus of this paper is on biomedical applications of nanocomposite hydrogels and the most recent approaches made to fulfill their current limitations.
CFD Analysis and Experimental Validation of the Flow Field in a Rib Roughed Turbine Internal Cooling Channel
Authors: Sohret Yasin , Karakoc T. Hikmet
Published: December 2018

Advances in thermal science force us to develop more efficient systems. The efficiency of widely-used gas turbine engines, is highly dependent on turbine inlet temperature. However, a high turbine inlet temperature yields material deterioration and long term degradation of turbines. To prevent material deterioration, cooling the hot zones of gas turbine engines, particularly turbine components and blades, is a priority. In this way, long term degradation of the turbine is prevented, while the thermal efficiency of the gas turbine engine is boosted. In the current paper, a flow field within a rib roughed blade internal cooling channel is discussed. Within this scope, a computational fluid dynamics analysis is conducted using a Standard k-ω turbulence model. After this, the same case is experimentally investigated. Experimental results obtained from particle image velocimetry measurements are used to validate the results of the computational fluid dynamics analysis. At the end of the study, the flow field is fully mapped with the recirculation and separation zones being clearly pinpointed.
A new structural motif for cadmium dithiocarbamates: crystal structures and Hirshfeld surface analyses of homoleptic zinc and cadmium morpholine dithiocarbamates
Authors: Ahmad Jimmy , How Fiona N.-F. , Halim Siti Nadiah Abdul , Jotani Mukesh M. , Lee See Mun , Tiekink Edward R.T.
Published: December 2018

The crystal and molecular structures of two homoleptic morpholine-derived dithiocarbamates of zinc, binuclear {Zn[S2CN(CH2CH2)2O)2]2}2 (1), and cadmium, one-dimensional coordination polymer {Cd[S2CN(CH2CH2)2O)2]2}2 (2), are described. In 1, a centrosymmetric binuclear molecule is found as there are equal numbers of chelating and bidentate bridging dithiocarbamate ligands; weak transannular Zn···S interactions are found within the resultant eight-membered {···SCSZn}2 ring which has the form of a chair. The resultant 4+1 S5 donor set is highly distorted with the geometry tending towards a square-pyramid. By contrast, a square-planar geometry is found in centrosymmetric 2 defined by symmetrically chelating dithiocarbamate ligands. The presence of Cd···S secondary bonding in the crystal of 2 leads to a distorted 4+2 S6 octahedron and a linear coordination polymer, which is unprecedented in the structural chemistry of cadmium dithiocarbamates. The analyses of the Hirshfeld surfaces for 1 and 2 show the dominance of H···H, S···H/H···S and O···H/H···O contacts to the surface, i.e. contributing around 90 and 80%, respectively.
A chemo-enzymatic approach for the synthesis of human milk oligosaccharide backbone structures
Authors: Muschiol Jan , Meyer Anne S.
Published: December 2018

The ability of an engineered β-N-acetylhexosaminidase to utilize a reactive oxazoline as donor molecule for transglycosylation reaction to synthesize human milk oligosaccharide backbone structures was studied. The human milk oligosaccharide precursor lacto-N-triose II and three regioisomers could be synthesized using the oxazoline, which was either in situ-generated resulting in a chemo-enzymatic sequential cascade or was used as a purified compound. The highest observed concentration of overall transglycosylation products in a cascade reaction was 13.7 mM after 18.5 h, whereas the use of purified oxazoline resulted in 25.0 mM of transglycosylation products after 6.5 h. Remarkably, the in situ-generated oxazoline could be used without any further purification and it was shown that the used enzyme tolerated significant amounts of reagents such as triethylamine, which is reported for the first time for an enzyme from the glycoside hydrolase family 20.
A Brainstem Neural Substrate for Stopping Locomotion
Authors: Grätsch Swantje , Auclair François , Demers Olivier , Auguste Emmanuella , Hanna Amer , Büschges Ansgar , Dubuc Réjean
Published: December 2018

Locomotion occurs sporadically and needs to be started, maintained, and stopped. The neural substrate underlying the activation of locomotion is partly known, but little is known about mechanisms involved in termination of locomotion. Recently, reticulospinal neurons (stop cells) were found to play a crucial role in stopping locomotion in the lamprey: their activation halts ongoing locomotion and their inactivation slows down the termination process. Intracellular recordings of these cells revealed a distinct activity pattern, with a burst of action potentials at the beginning of a locomotor bout and one at the end (termination burst). The termination burst was shown to be time linked to the end of locomotion, but the mechanisms by which it is triggered have remained unknown. We studied this in larval sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus; the sex of the animals was not taken into account). We found that the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR), which is known to initiate and control locomotion, stops ongoing locomotion by providing synaptic inputs that trigger the termination burst in stop cells. When locomotion is elicited by MLR stimulation, a second MLR stimulation stops the locomotor bout if it is of lower intensity than the initial stimulation. This occurs for MLR-induced, sensory-evoked, and spontaneous locomotion. Furthermore, we show that glutamatergic and, most likely, monosynaptic projections from the MLR activate stop cells during locomotion. Therefore, activation of the MLR not only initiates locomotion, but can also control the end of a locomotor bout. These results provide new insights onto the neural mechanisms responsible for stopping locomotion.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThe mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) is a brainstem region well known to initiate and control locomotion. Since its discovery in cats in the 1960s, the MLR has been identified in all vertebrate species tested from lampreys to humans. We now demonstrate that stimulation of the MLR not only activates locomotion, but can also stop it. This is achieved through a descending glutamatergic signal, most likely monosynaptic, from the MLR to the reticular formation that activates reticulospinal stop cells. Together, our findings have uncovered a neural mechanism for stopping locomotion and bring new insights into the function of the MLR.
Marketinške aktivnosti neprofitnih organizacija u funkciji motivacije mladih na volontiranje
Authors: Glavinić Jerko , Najev Čačija Ljiljana
Published: December 2018

Neprofitni sektor posljednjih desetljeća budi interes istraživača i javnosti zbog svojeg rasta, ali i koristi koje donosi društvu u cjelini. Neprofitne organizacije su pokretači razvoja sektora, pri čemu su im za ostvarenje ciljeva usmjerenih različitim ciljnim skupinama potrebni i ljudski resursi. Kako bi se neprofitne organizacije uspješno orijentirale ciljnim skupinama prijeko je potrebno provoditi marketinške aktivnosti. Ključni segmenti, to jest ciljne skupine su korisnici, donatori, volonteri, zaposlenici i šira javnost. U kontekstu ljudskih resursa velika uloga pripada volonterima. Stoga je jedna od zadaća marketinških aktivnosti i motivacija volontera radi njihova angažmana. Cilj ovoga rada je ispitati utjecaj marketinških aktivnosti neprofitnih organizacija na šest motivacijskih funkcija za volontiranje među mladima. Te funkcije su: zaštita, vrijednosti, karijera, društvo, razumijevanje i poštovanje. Rezultati istraživanja upućuju na to kako marketinške aktivnosti pozitivno utječu na motivacijske funkcije zaštite i karijere, dok kod funkcija razumijevanja i vrijednosti taj utjecaj nije potvrđen. Kod funkcija društva i poštovanja utjecaj je djelomično potvrđen. Rezultati istraživanja pridonose boljem razumijevanju motivacije volontera te aktivne uloge organizacija u njezinu razvoju primjenom optimalne kombinacije marketinških aktivnosti.
Apolitiška karta: kodėl jauniems Lietuvos žmonėms neįdomi politika
Authors: Diržinskaitė Aušrinė
Published: December 2018

[full article and abstract in Lithuanian; abstract in English]

In the recent years, consolidated democracies have faced a great decline in citizens’ participation and interest in political life. The latest researches show that young people are especially disengaged and alien to political life. Moreover, Lithuania seems to have the greatest number of young people who are not interested in politics in the “so-called” developed world (OECD countries and candidates) and has the highest gap between the general and the youth interest in politics. Therefore, this article analyzes what are the reasons for the disinterest in politics of the youth in Lithuania.

Contemporary theories and empirical researches suggest rather different answers to the question. In particular, it is said that youths’ interest in politics can be determined by three categories of factors: socioeconomic/sociodemographic (income, wellbeing, education, race and gender), psychological (political efficacy: self-confidence as internal political efficacy and trust in political system as external political efficacy) as well as socializing factors (discussions with family and friends, media, volunteering).

In order to find why Lithuania has such a high level of youth disinterest in politics, the analysis is performed on an individual level. Logistic regression analysis shows that the most relevant determinants for the youth interest in politics in Lithuania are a greater usage of media, accompanied with more frequent discussions with family and friends, a higher trust in the parliament as well as a higher level of education. Yet, the greatest determinant of whether a young person will be interested in politics are the elections; i.e., data from the year 2016 signalizes a much greater youth interest in politics compared to the 2012, thus inviting to analyze more deeply the existing differences between the two elections.

To check if the variables had proved significant on the individual level, bore any semblance on the country level and explained the exception of Lithuania, an aggregate analysis was conducted. Correlations were found between the level of youth disinterest in politics and income per capita, trust in the national government, discussions with friends and the usage of media. Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia appear to be in one group based on most of the analyzed criteria. Though altogether these factors seem to be pretty good determinants, the Lithuanian case is, however, not fully explained by them – a regression model is unable to predict almost one fifth of the young people that are disinterested in politics in Lithuania. Thus, the usual suspects do not explain this phenomenon fully, and particular countries should be explored more deeply.
Mistiniai politikos elementai. Simone ʼos Weil požiūris
Authors: Tamošaitytė Rūta
Published: December 2018

[full article and abstract in Lithuanian; abstract in English]

The word “mysticism” is known to be a term that is now being used and associated with something which is negative – a mockery. It can be said that this perception of the term is based on certain historical events, when, in the central philosophies of particular religions (in this work, focus will be drawn only on Christian mysticism), a unique shift took place – during the early modernity in most of the Christian Churches, there occurred a split between theology and spirituality. Therefore, everything that had even a slight implication of mysticism was seen as irrelevant and unimportant. In addition to this, it is possible to say that our contemporary era has lost all belief in any reality that surpasses peoples daily tasks. Because of this, the vast majority of postmodernists tend to argue that mysticism can not be part of any philosophy, including a political one.

This article concentrates on the thought of Simone Weil, a unique French philosopher and mystic, in order to prove through her work that mysticism can potentially enrich political philosophy. This is being done by analyzing her work and attempting to underline the supernatural element between the human and society. This supernatural element will yield a further investigation of how Simone Weil’s mysticism can affect political philosophy. In order to find this element, the concepts of the human and the society that occur in Simone Weil’s philosophy will be analyzed separately.

In the first part, it is analyzed how Simone Weil perceived humans. She drastically separates the human, who, in her thought, possesses a transcendent core that can be violated, from the person, who is illusionary. Meanwhile, the second part concentrates on Weil’s perception of the relation between society and the human. Society is seen by Weil as the Platonic Great Beast, but it may also be a source of pure fulfillment – roots – for the human being. In this part of the study, the roots of a human being in society and the tragedy of uprootedness are discussed further.

The third part develops an idea of why mysticism can be seen as an important part of political philosophy and why it should not be neglected: it provides a different angle – a divine one – for viewing people’s daily lives and their culture. Mysticism always comes from a certain culture, and it is important, since a mystic communicates their thought through that culture; however, a mystic also is able to critically address the surrounding culture because of the divine point of view. That is why mysticism is essential for political philosophy.

The analization of Weil’s views on obligations, the human transcendental core and roots leads to a conclusion which suggests that the supernatural element between the human and society is an obligation for oneself and for others. This supernatural element allows us to confirm the idea that political philosophy should not neglect the mystical approach.
Pamokos Europai – hibridinė Rusijos agresija
Authors: Revaitis Algirdas
Published: December 2018

[text in Lithuanian]
Relationship among employee’s personality traits and work motivation
Authors: Genevičiūtė-Janonienė Giedrė , Endriulaitienė Auksė
Published: December 2018

In recent years, researchers have acknowledged that personality explains behaviour at work and predicts job performance across a wide variety of outcomes that organizations value (Barrick & Mount, 2005). Work motivation is a potential predictor of employee turnover, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, job performance and psychological well-being. Motivated employees are more likely to be creative, persistent, and productive, so managers are willing to have a highly motivated workforce. Especially work motivation is a challenge for supervisors trying to integrate into the international market using staff effectively. Knowing of personality traits and work values that help to predict work motivation allows supervisors to achieve objectives. That is why any efforts to predict individual differences of employee’s work motivation are an important research topic having both practical and theoretical implications. The objective of this study was to elucidate the personality traits that might be related to work motivation. 300 respondents (79 men and 221 women) participated in the investigation (mean age 33.70, SD = 13.09). The employees consisted of non-management personnel of various Lithuanian organizations. The subjects completed a questionnaire that included self-report measure of personality traits (Big Five Inventory; John et al., 1991), two self-repot measures of work motivation; a two-item scale was devised for assessing perceived work effectiveness. We constructed one questionnaire according to the instructions of V. Vroom’s Expectancy Theory of work motivation; another questionnaire was constructed (according to Marcinkevičiūtė, 2003; Wilson, 2005; Furnham et al., 2005) for assessing what kind of rewards employees value at their job. It was also predicted that perceived job effectiveness might contribute significantly to the model of work motivation. Contrary to the expectations and previous results, no significant relations were found among neuroticism,  agreeableness, consciousness, extraversion and work motivation. Only openness to experience was positively related (p ≤ 0.034) to women’s work motivation. Path analysis showed different models of work motivation for female and male employees. Perceived job effectiveness was an important contributor to work motivation. Also, the results have shown that employees with a higher extraversion (p ≤ 0.001), higher openness to experience (p ≤ 0.000), higher conscientiousness (p ≤ 0.024) and agreeableness (p ≤ 0.021) are more motivated with internal rewards at their job. Employees with higher neuroticism are equally motivated by both external and internal rewards.
El distrito federal y la disputa por Bogotá: controversia política entre actores locales y federación, 1858-1864
Authors: Ruíz Paola
Published: December 2018

El presente artículo aborda la creación del distrito federal en la Nueva Granada, el contexto en el que se decretó y los debates que suscitó entre autoridades federales, estatales y municipales entre 1858 y 1864. A partir de la controversia jurídica y política que originó, se aproxima a la manera como se concibieron el federalismo, la jurisdicción federal y el balance de poder entre los diferentes niveles de gobierno a mediados del siglo xix. La corta vida del distrito y la negativa a restablecerlo durante el periodo de vigencia de la Constitución de Rionegro evidenciarán el triunfo de las tendencias más radicales que proclamaron la preeminencia de los estados sobre la federación y dificultaron la construcción de una autoridad nacional.
Az acut mesenterialis ischaemia műtéti kezelése
Authors: Hevér Tímea , Fórizs Zoltán , Lóderer Zoltán
Published: December 2018

Absztrakt:

Bevezetés: Az akut mesenterialis ischaemia előfordulása a
populáció öregedésével és a társbetegségek növekvő előfordulásával együtt
emelkedik. A diagnosztika széles körű elérhetősége ellenére az időben történő
felismerés és a megfelelő kezelés nem biztosított. Ennek okai a nem azonnal
végzett obligát CT-angiographia és a belek rövid ischaemiás toleranciája miatt
4–6 órás időablakon belül elvégezhető érsebészeti beavatkozás elmaradása.
Célkitűzés: Beteganyagunk retrospektív áttekintése során a
műtétre kerülés idejét, az elzáródások típusait, a végezhető műtéti megoldásokat
és a kórlefolyást elemeztük négy, általunk reprezentatívnak és említésre
méltónak tartott eseten keresztül. Eredmények: 1. eset: Arteria
mesenterica superior embólia bélelhalás nélkül, embolectomiát végeztünk.
2. eset: Arteria mesenterica superior thrombosis okozta
főtörzsi elzáródásnál elkésett arteriás rekonstrukció után sem állt helyre a bél
keringése. 3. eset: Szignifikáns főtörzsi szűkület esetében a
néhány naposan felállított diagnosis és akut has esetében nem alakult ki
kiterjedt bélelhalás. Thrombendarterectomiát végeztünk. 4.
eset: Akut elzáródás krónikus mesenterialis ischaemia talaján
korábbi AMS stentimplatáció után. Műtétnél talált életképes belek, bypass
műtétet végeztünk. Következtetések: Az akut mesenterialis
ischaemia ritka betegség, sokszor későn kerül felismerésre és ellátásra. A
betegek egy része megmenthető, ha az érrekonstrukció és bélresectio egy ülésben
az első ellátási helyen rövid időn belül megtörténik.
Comparison of PapilloCheck and linear array to detect and differentiate human papillomaviruses in cervical and tonsillar smears from females with cervical intraepithelial lesions
Authors: Grimm Donata , Woelber Linn , Prieske Katharina , Schmalfeldt Barbara , Kürti Sascha , Busch Chia-Jung , Teudt Ingo , Brummer Oliver , Mueller Volkmar , Meyer Thomas
Published: December 2018

A subgroup of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) are causally linked to infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs). To evaluate the prevalence of simultaneous oral HPV infection in females with cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), tonsillar- and cervical smears were collected simultaneously from 73 patients and analyzed for HPV using two commercial assays, PapilloCheck (Greiner-Bio-One) and Linear Array (Roche). Only 3/73 (4.1%) tonsillar smears were HPV positive (HPV+), with HPV types 16, 35, and 45, respectively, detected by both assays (100% agreement). Concordant results were also found in 60/66 (91%) evaluable cervical smears. Of specimens, positive by both assays, typing results completely coincide in 71% (all types are identical) and partially coincide in 27% (at least one type is identical). Taken together, results of HPV detection and typing by PapilloCheck and Linear Array are highly congruent and confirm the low prevalence of HR-HPV in tonsillar smears of patients with HSIL of the uterine cervix. Our data indicate low prevalence of oropharyngeal HPV infection in patients with high-grade cervical dysplasia. The low detection rate was confirmed by using two different commercial assays with largely consistent results of HPV detection and typing, but with some variation for particular HPV types. Comparative testing of larger numbers is required to identify the HPV types prone to escape detection with particular assays.
Evaluation of FISH for blood cultures under diagnostic real-life conditions
Authors: Reitz Annalena , Poppert Sven , Rieker Melanie , Frickmann Hagen
Published: December 2018

Background: The study assessed a spectrum of previously published in-house fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) probes in a combined approach regarding their diagnostic performance with incubated blood culture materials.

Methods: Within a two-year interval, positive blood culture materials were assessed with Gram and FISH staining. Previously described and new FISH probes were combined to panels for Gram-positive cocci in grape-like clusters and in chains, as well as for Gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria. Covered pathogens comprised Staphylococcus spp., such as S. aureus, Micrococcus spp., Enterococcus spp., including E. faecium, E. faecalis, and E. gallinarum, Streptococcus spp., like S. pyogenes, S. agalactiae, and S. pneumoniae, Enterobacteriaceae, such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Bacteroides spp.

Results: A total of 955 blood culture materials were assessed with FISH. In 21 (2.2%) instances, FISH reaction led to non-interpretable results. With few exemptions, the tested FISH probes showed acceptable test characteristics even in the routine setting, with a sensitivity ranging from 28.6% (Bacteroides spp.) to 100% (6 probes) and a specificity of >95% in all instances.

Conclusion: If sophisticated rapid diagnostic methods like mass spectrometry from blood culture materials are not available, FISH provides an option for rapid differentiation for laboratories in resource-limited settings.
Diagnostische Aussagekraft der BRAF-Mutation V595E in Urinproben, Ausstrichen und Bioptaten beim kaninen Übergangszellkarzinom
Authors: Grassinger Julia , Hohloch Corinna , Kehl Alexandra , Pantke Peter , Aupperle-Lellbach Heike
Published: December 2018

Gegenstand und Ziel: Übergangszellkarzinome (ÜZCa) sind die häufigsten malignen Tumoren der harnableitenden Wege beim Hund. In früheren Studien wurde mittels DNA-Sequenzierung in Urinproben, Gefrier- und Paraffinmaterial von Harnblasenbioptaten die Mutation im BRAF-Gen V595E bei bis zu 85 % der kaninen ÜZCa in den Tumorzellen identifiziert. Ziel der eigenen Arbeit war, diese Methode für zytologische Ausstriche zu etablieren und die Prävalenz dieser Mutation im eigenen Kollektiv zu untersuchen. Material und Methoden: Es wurden 43 formalinfixierte Bioptate, 48 Urinproben und/oder 31 zytologische Ausstriche von 66 Hunden mit ÜZCa (n = 33), Harnblasenpolypen (n = 7), Zystitis (n = 23) oder ohne Harnblasenerkrankung (n = 3) analysiert. Die DNA-Isolierung erfolgte mit kommerziell erhältlichen Testkits. Das Exon 15 wurde mittels Sanger-Sequenzierung auf das Vorliegen der BRAF-Mutation c.1784T>A untersucht. Ergebnisse: Aus 39/43 Paraffinproben, 38/48 Urinproben und 16/18 zellreichen Ausstrichen ließ sich eine ausreichende Menge auswertbarer DNA isolieren. Bei 10/13 zellarmen Ausstrichen reichte die DNA für eine aussagefähige PCR nicht aus. In allen Fällen, in denen verschiedene Materialien vorlagen, stimmten die Ergebnisse der BRAF-Genanalyse in den Paraffin-, Urin- und/oder Zytologieproben des jeweiligen Hundes überein, sofern sich DNA isolieren ließ. Bei 22/31 Hunden (70,9 %) mit einem ÜZCa wurde die Mutation festgestellt, während sie bei keinem Hund mit Zystitis, Polypen oder ohne Harnblasenveränderung gefunden wurde. Schlussfolgerung und klinische Relevanz: Die Untersuchung auf Vorliegen einer BRAF-Variante stellt ein gutes neues Verfahren dar, mit dem sich in Zweifelsfällen die Verdachtsdiagnose eines ÜZCa häufig absichern lässt. Für die Methode eignen sich alle nichtinvasiv gewonnenen, zellreichen Materialien wie Ausstriche von Urinsediment oder Ansaugbioptate sowie formalinfixierte Bioptate. Aber nur der positive Befund ist beweisend. Hinsichtlich der prognostischen und therapeutischen Relevanz sowie der Möglichkeiten einer Frühdiagnostik von ÜZCa mittels der BRAF-Mutationsanalyse bedarf es weiterer Untersuchungen.
State-Space Abstractions for Probabilistic Inference: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lüdtke Stefan , Schröder Max , Krüger Frank , Bader Sebastian , Kirste Thomas
Published: December 2018

Tasks such as social network analysis, human behavior recognition, or modeling biochemical reactions, can be solved elegantly by using the probabilistic inference framework. However, standard probabilistic inference algorithms work at a propositional level, and thus cannot capture the symmetries and redundancies that are present in these tasks.

Algorithms that exploit those symmetries have been devised in different research fields, for example by the lifted inference-, multiple object tracking-, and modeling and simulation-communities. The common idea, that we call state space abstraction, is to perform inference over compact representations of sets of symmetric states. Although they are concerned with a similar topic, the relationship between these approaches has not been investigated systematically.

This survey provides the following contributions. We perform a systematic literature review to outline the state of the art in probabilistic inference methods exploiting symmetries. From an initial set of more than 4,000 papers, we identify 116 relevant papers. Furthermore, we provide new high-level categories that classify the approaches, based on common properties of the approaches. The research areas underlying each of the categories are introduced concisely. Researchers from different fields that are confronted with a state space explosion problem in a probabilistic system can use this classification to identify possible solutions. Finally, based on this conceptualization, we identify potentials for future research, as some relevant application domains are not addressed by current approaches.
Low Prevalence of the Four Common Colombian Founder Mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 in Early-Onset and Familial Afro-Colombian Patients with Breast Cancer
Authors: Vargas Elizabeth , Torres Lopez Diana Maria , Deugd Robert , Gil Fabian , Nova Alejandra , Mora Lina , Viaña Luis Fernando , Hernandez José David , Bruges Ricardo , Hamann Ute
Published: December 2018

Background

Inherited mutations in the breast cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) confer high risks of breast and ovarian cancer. In Colombian Hispanic families, four common BRCA1/2 founder mutations have previously been identified. Because nothing is known about the contribution of BRCA1/2 germline mutations to early-onset and hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer in Afro-Colombians, we conducted the first study on 60 patients with early-onset and familial breast cancer in this population.

Materials and Methods

Screening for the four Colombian founder mutations BRCA1/c.3331_3334delCAAG, BRCA1/c.5123C>A, BRCA2/c.2806_2809delAAAC, and BRCA2/c.1763_1766delATAA was performed using mismatch polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, and qualitative real-time PCR. Mutations were confirmed by direct DNA sequencing.

Results

The BRCA1 founder mutation c.5123C>A was identified in one family with breast and ovarian cancer (1/60, 1.7%). Three women were diagnosed with breast cancer, including one with bilateral disease, at the ages of 30, 30/33, and 52 years, and one woman was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 60 years.

Conclusion

Our data showed a low prevalence of the BRCA1/2 founder mutations in Colombians of African descent, implying that these mutations should not be recommended for genetic screening programs in the Afro-Colombian population.
Tuzluluk ve su noksanlığı stresi altında yetiştirilen farklı patlıcan anaç/kalem kombinasyonlarında bazı meyve kalite özelliklerine ait değişimler
Authors: KIRAN Sevinç , KUŞVURAN Şebnem , ATEŞ Çağla , ELLİALTIOĞLU Ş.şebnem
Published: December 2018

Bu çalışma; tuza
toleransı yüksek ticari patlıcan anaçları (Köksal ve Vista) üzerine kurağa ve
tuza tolerant Mardin Kızıltepe (MK) ve Burdur Merkez (BM) ve hassas Kemer (K)
ve Artvin Hopa (AH) kalemler aşılanarak ve aşılanmadan oluşan patlıcan
bitkileri, kuraklık ve tuz stresi altında meyve kalite özellikleri bakımından
incelenmiştir. Araştırma sıcaklık ve nem kontrolünün sağlandığı cam serada
yürütülmüştür. Kuraklık stresi, saksılarda yarayışlı su
seviyesinin %50 düzeyinde tutulması ile sağlanmıştır. Tuz stresi ise
elektriksel iletkenlik (EC) 6 dS m-1 olan ve NaCl ile
hazırlanmış su kullanılarak oluşturulmuştur. Kuraklık ve tuz stresi ortamında
yetiştirilen bitkilerden elde edilen meyveler bazı meyve kalite özellikleri
bakımından değerlendirilmiştir. Buna göre meyve kuru ağırlığı (MKA), meyve suyu
EC düzeyi, titre edilebilir asitlik miktarı (TA), suda çözünebilir madde
miktarı (SÇKM), C vitamini (Vit C) miktarı kuraklık ve tuz etkisi ile artmış ve
pH düzeyi azalmıştır. Kuraklık ve tuz stresi altında aşısız bitkilerde kuru
ağırlık düzeyinde artış meydana gelirken; anaç kullanımı meyve suyu EC düzeyi,
SÇKM ve Vit C içerikleri kuraklık stresi koşullarında kontrol bitkilerine
oranla artış göstermiştir. Çalışma sonucunda, kuraklık stresi altında
patlıcanda tolerant anaç üzerine aşılamanın meyve kalitesini iyileştirme
üzerinde önemli bir etkiye sahip olduğu tespit edilmiştir.
Lakatos Endre – egykori tanítványa szemével
Authors: Farkas József
Published: December 2018

Ezt a visszaemlékezést egykori legkedvesebb tanáromról és atyai jóbarátomról nagyrészt az emlékeim összegyűjtéséből írom. Lakatos Endrét (1928–1995) 15 éves koromban, 1966-ban láttam először, amikor a szikszói gimnáziumban megkezdtem a tanulmányaimat. Első éves koromban lett az osztályom biológia tanára. Diákjainak többsége némi félelemmel teli tisztelettel emlegette az átlagos tanároktól szinte mindenben különböző Endre bácsit...
Adatok az Arabis nemorensis (Cruciferae) hazai elterjedéséhez
Authors: Somlyay Lajos
Published: December 2018

Az A. nemorensis a magyar flóra hiányosan ismert tagja, szórványos és zömmel bizony­talan adatokkal az ország területéről. Hazai lelőhelyeinek legteljesebb listája Soó szinopszisában jelent meg 1968-ban. Azóta csak néhány adatát publikálták. Jelen dolgozat a magyar herbáriumokban lévő anyagok revíziójának tükrében értékeli a faj hazai irodalmi adatait. Néhány irodalmi adat (Baja, Ercsi, Lesenceistvánd, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa, Szigetújfalu) bizonyító példánya előkerült. Egyes esetekben a föltételezhető bizonyító példány A. hirsuta-nak vagy A. sagittata-nak bizonyult, így a vonatkozó irodal­mi adatok tévesnek tekinthetők (Balatonmáriafürdő-alsó, Gyenesdiás, Kőszeg, Vasboldogasszony, Zala­újlak). Ugyanakkor az A. nemorensis-nek publikálatlan vagy tévesen határozott példányait is azonosí­tottam, így a fajnak új előfordulásaira derült fény a Bükk hegységből (Eger, Kács), a Bakonyból (Márkó), a Balaton nyugati térségéből (Hahót, Hévíz, Keszthely-Fenékpuszta, Nyirád, Tapolca) és az Alföldről (Csákvár, Debrecen, Egeralja, Fertőd-Eszterháza, Kiskőrös, Lébény, Ócsa, Sárszentmihály, Szigetszent­miklós). Ezek alapján a faj újnak bizonyult a Dunántúli-középhegységre (Bakonyicum) és a Tiszántúlra, utóbbin belül a Nyírségense flórajárásra. A Növénytár herbáriumában néhány, a történelmi Magyaror­szág területéről származó A. nemorensis példányt is revideáltam. A faj egykori előfordulása Torja mel­lett (ma: Turia község Romániában) két példánnyal is bizonyított (Schur, 1853, A. gerardi néven; Jávor­ka & Keller, 1943, A. hirsuta néven). Egy másik példány, amelyet Kovács Ferenc gyűjtött 1879-ben Óbecse (ma: Bečej Szerbiában) mellett, és A. glastifolia-ként cédulázott, szintén A. nemorensis-nek bizo­nyult. Miután Schneller Futak mellől származó irodalmi adatának (1858) azonossága bizonytalan, je­lenleg Kovács példánya a faj egyetlen ismert, bár történeti értékű adata a Vajdaság területéről. A ma Ausztriához tartozó Őrvidéken, Pomogy (Pamhagen, Burgenland) közelében Lengyel Géza gyűjtötte a növényt 1910-ben (a másik példányán szereplő 1919-es dátum kérdéses), amelyet A. sagittata néven cédulázott. Történetileg valószínűleg ez az A. nemorensis első adata az Őrvidék területéről.
Pótlások Magyarország edényes növényfajainak elterjedési atlaszához VIII.
Authors: Csiky János , Baráth Kornél , Csikyné Radnai Éva , Deme Judit , Wirth Tamás , Zurdo J. Alberto , Kovács Dániel
Published: December 2018

Jelen közleményünk annak a sorozatnak a nyolcadik része, melynek célja a Magyaror­szág edényes növényfajainak elterjedési atlasza térképeinek kiegészítése, főként aktuális előfordulási adatokkal. A dolgozat 157 kvadrátban 539 edényes taxon elterjedési adatait pontosítja. Az érintett kvadrátok többsége a Dunántúlon található. Egy kvadrát a szisztematikus felméréseknek köszönhetően 190-nél is több fajjal egészült ki. Néhány aszfaltút célirányos átvizsgálásának köszönhetően a Puccinellia distans 68 kvadrátból került elő új fajként. Mindkét adat arra utal, hogy a hiányok miatt az adatpótló közleményekre továbbra is nagy szükség van. A felsorolt taxonok döntő része gyakori, sok­szor gyom jellegű elem, néhányuk azonban hazánkban szórványos vagy ritka (pl. Nigella arvensis, Vaccaria hispanica, Rumex pulcher, Urtica urens), olykor védett növény (pl. Asplenium adiantum-nigrum, Dryopteris affinis, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Huperzia selago). Néhány, olyan alkalmi kivaduló és meg­honosodóban lévő növényt is megemlítünk, amelyek nem szerepelnek a legutóbbi magyarországi új­jövevény növények listájában (pl. Acer cissifolium, Cyperus alternifolius, Gaillardia aristata, Galanthus elwesii). A kitekintésben felhívjuk a figyelmet néhány olyan magyarországi szinantróp élőhely flórafel­tártságának hiányára (pl. útszegélyek, kertek, virágágyások), melyek igen komoly szerepet játszhatnak a meghonosodó, majd özönfajjá váló gyomok terjedésében.
SACRAL LANDSCAPE: CONTENTS AND FUNCTIONS
Authors: Mischenko O.
Published: December 2018

The relevance of the research of scientific approaches to the content of the notion of sacred landscape, its structure and functions are substantiated. The article considers the sacral landscape as a holistic, stable system characterized by spatial and temporal organization, which ensures the process of uniting the nation, preserves authentic culture, opposes the destruction of spiritual foundations, has a great social, economic and political significance. We established the interdisciplinary nature of the investigation, which covers a wide range of issues related to various scientific disciplines: geography, social theory, culture, philosophical anthropology. The analysis of scientific publications concerning the interpretation of the concept of sacred and its etymology has been studied. The difference between the concepts of sacred and religious is substantiated. The content of the concept of sacredness, which gives people, actions, territory and other objects of such quality that separates them from the ordinary things and places them in the position of exceptional value and significance and on this basis requires an exceptional attitude, is determined. The modern approaches to the interpretation of the notion of the sacral landscape are investigated. It has been established that a large proportion of the sacred space belongs to religious objects. The main instruments of the “sacralization” of the landscape are identified – symbolization, myth and event that gives it an extremely valuable (holy) meaning. The experience of using the integrated approach in the interpretation of the notion of sacral landscape is substantiated. The definition of where the sacred landscape is considered as a natural, natural-anthropogenic, anthropogenic system, which is associated with certain life symbols, myths, significant events, religious feelings, is extremely valuable for a person or group of people and needs a special respect and protection. The results of the investigation indicate that the sacred landscape can be considered as a system that has a spatial-hierarchical structure, where we can distinguish individual, local, regional, national and global levels. The examples of sacred landscapes of different levels are given. The analysis of scientific publications about the functions of sacred geographical objects is carried out. It was established that such researches were based on the influence of sacred geographical objects on visitors, which testifies the integrity of interconnections in the complex system “man-landscape”. The leading approaches to classification of landscape functions are investigated. The classification of functions of the sacred landscape is developed, classes and subclasses of such functions are singled out. The political, social, economic and ecological functions of the sacred landscape, that have an environment formative role are characterized. The functions presented in the article have a theoretical value, since in practice there are close interrelationships between them, that is, they integrate and complement each other.
New opportunities to correct equvinus foot deformity in orthopedic-traumatological practice
Authors: Schekolova N. B. , Zinovyev A. M. , Kozyukov V. G. , Tokarev A. E. , Nenakhova Ya. V.
Published: December 2018

Aim. To prove the efficiency of using a new variant of leg tutor for correction of locomotor system pathology in treatment of equvinus foot deformity.

Materials and methods. A mean age of 23 patients with hemiparesis and equvinus foot deformity was 42.5 years. Tonus and strength of legs was assessed. Angulometric and stabilometric studies were realized.

Results. The developed model of leg tutor was used. To eliminate equvinus foot deformity, hyperextension of the knee joint was gradually eliminated using individual choice of the heel form and height, thus strengthening a quadriceps muscle of the thigh. The knee joint stability increased, the intensity of pain syndrome reduced. Arthropathies and deformities of the knee joint were prevented. Innovation of the developed model is the following: a soft glue-based responsive side of textile band “Contact” “Velcro” was stably fixed to the outside surface of posterior third of the plantar part of tutor sleeve. To the responsive side of a textile band, there were fixed removable heel pads (heels from microporous rubber of different height (from 5 to 25 mm) with a responsive hard (with hooks) part of textile band “Contact” “Velcro”). Tutor provided the ability to move and guaranteed stable holding of the extremity segments in the posterior position. There was observed a positive dynamics of changes in the muscular tonus of paralyzed leg.

Conclusions. The developed tutor model can be used in orthopedic-traumatological practice to correct equvinus foot deformity; the model efficiency is confirmed by clinical and stabilometric parameters.