bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On Uncertainties in Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis
Authors: Ordaz Mario , Arroyo Danny
Published: January 2016

Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) is, in essence, a method to deal with uncertainty, the importance of which justifies the use of a formal and rigorous background for its study. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to contribute to the reflections on how to correctly handle uncertainty in PSHA. We start by studying the simplest case, a Poisson process in which only “aleatory” uncertainty exists; then, we remove the Poisson hypothesis and find expressions for the occurrence probabilities of earthquakes in given time frames for general non-Poisson processes. Later, we include a simple variety of epistemic uncertainty and show that the resulting process is not Poissonian anymore, so computation of probabilities has to be made taking into account this fact. Next, we give a rigorous rule to combine uncertainties of aleatory and epistemic origin, which gives reasonable criteria to decide whether the epistemic uncertainty is large or not. Also, we propose unambiguous guidelines to decide whether a particular class of uncertainty has to be included in the hazard calculations as epistemic or as aleatory. Finally, we discuss the problem of how our estimates could differ if we wrongly considered that our epistemic uncertainty is of aleatory nature, or vice versa.
The Public's Role in Seismic Design Provisions
Authors: Davis Michael , Porter Keith
Published: January 2016

Seismic design provisions in the United States reflect structural engineers’ experience, technical capabilities, and judgment of what is in the public's interest. Yet the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Code of Ethics implicitly requires civil engineers to make a reasonable effort to elicit and reflect the preferences of the public, whose lives and livelihoods are at stake, when setting performance objectives. The public seems capable of expressing its preferences clearly, as suggested by the San Francisco Community Action Plan for Seismic Safety and the residential code enhancement adopted by Moore, Oklahoma. And at least one public opinion survey suggests that people in earthquake country prefer better performance than the code intends for new buildings, namely, that buildings should largely remain functional or habitable after a large earthquake. The public also seems willing to pay more for new buildings that meet its expectations.
Indigenous Catholicism and St. Joseph Potawatomi Resistance in “Pontiac's War,” 1763–1766
Authors: Dowd Gregory Evans
Published: January 2016

This article evaluates the role of indigenous Catholicism in the so-called Pontiac's War (1763–66), revealing that Catholic Indian communities at points recently occupied by the British refrained from hostilities. The argument supplements, but does not supplant, evaluations of indigenous Catholicism and Catholic kinship networks that bound eighteenth-century trading communities across the Great Lakes region. Those networks—strong, widespread, and highly important—were also thin: their spiritual practices and faith commitments did not in the 1760s deeply penetrate most Great Lakes Indian communities. The St. Joseph Potawatomis, who would form communities in the nineteenth century that would accurately be known as the “Catholic Potawatomis,” raise an interesting case, for at the outbreak of Pontiac's War they quickly attacked the local British garrison, and they periodically raided British Detroit even after the war had ended elsewhere. This article evaluates their legendary eighteenth-century Catholicism, finding little evidence for the existence of a Catholic Potawatomi community in the St. Joseph River Valley in the 1760s. Far from an exception to the rule of indigenous Catholic opposition to attacks on local British garrisons, they validate it.
Occult Anxieties and the Recessionary Imaginary in the Paranormal Activity Franchise
Authors: Liu Linda
Published: January 2016

Many US horror films made within the last thirty years feature haunted real estate narratives involving histories of land usurpation, territorial displacement, and other violence inflicted on socially marginalized groups. Insofar as the aftereffects of these histories recurrently manifest themselves in the form of spatial hauntings in such narratives, they can be said to resemble the workings of trauma whereby deeply disturbing past experiences continually disrupt the present. This essay argues that the Paranormal Activity film franchise (US, 2007–12) is animated less by the hermeneutics of social trauma structuring most haunted real estate films than by the free-floating anxieties attendant upon the financialization of postindustrial economies and exacerbated by the Great Recession. It theorizes that the franchise is symptomatic of a broader cultural exploration of an emergent recessionary imaginary and constitutes a contemporary horror subcycle wherein the well-worn idiom of trauma is replaced by more abstract and disembodied threats. In dialogue with Jean Comaroff and John L. Comaroff's concept of “occult economies,” this article explores the ways in which the franchise's found-footage aesthetic works together with the spatial dimensions of McMansions (single-family houses characterized by massive square footage totals) to generate a sense of fear with particular resonance for a contemporary culture characterized by financial speculation, increased privatization, and retrenchment of heteronormative ideals.
Stardom Ke Peeche Kya Hai?/What Is behind the Stardom? Madhuri Dixit, the Production Number, and the Construction of the Female Star Text in 1990s Hindi Cinema
Authors: Iyer Usha
Published: January 2016

Though popular Hindi cinema is frequently identified by its song-and-dance sequences, little has been written specifically about film dance. This article analyzes film dance and female stardom in Hindi films of the late 1980s and 1990s through an examination of the star text of Madhuri Dixit, the leading dancer-actress of the time. It tracks the kinesthetic history of the Dixit star text from Tezaab (Acid, dir. N. Chandra, India, 1988) to her most recent films and television shows and examines how her brazenly sensuous dance numbers have transformed the construction of the female body on-screen and indeed the very conditions of female stardom in Hindi cinema. This article analyzes the dance numbers from three films featuring Dixit and demonstrates the tensions and alterations provoked in the popular Hindi film narrative by the dissolving divide between the coy heroine and the raunchily dancing vamp. It suggests that these refigurations often revolve around dance, which operated as a critical site for the negotiation of cultural anxieties around female sexuality during the period. This article employs a body-space-movement framework to consider the strategies that nineties Hindi cinema deployed in its attempt to manage a new and potentially dangerous circulation of the heroine's body. By highlighting these strategies' frequent failure to contain Dixit's flamboyantly dancing body, this article posits that the dancer-actress engenders a distinctive mode of performance that suggests a different model for understanding female agency and the authorship of film narratives and star texts.
INTRODUCTION: INDIGENOUS INSIGHTS
Authors: Fry Douglas P. , Souillac Geneviève
Published: January 2016

This essay, which introduces the fifth installment of the Common Knowledge symposium “Peace by Other Means,” explores four ethnographically observed areas in which indigenous knowledge and practice hold insights for the prevention and reduction of enmity in the modern world. The four, very broadly, are values and norms (such as recoil from competition) that nurture peace, exceptional capacity for and recognition of the necessity of cooperation, exceptionally flexible and multilayered definitions of identity, and rituals that effect and strengthen peace. Neither this essay nor the symposium in which it appears advocates a simple application of conflict-prevention or -resolution mechanisms from particular cultures to other emic contexts. The point, rather, is to seek more general theoretical principles wherever they are to be found, given repeated failures of the modern peacemaking apparatus.
HORROR SANGUINIS
Authors: Smith David Livingstone , Panaitiu Ioana
Published: January 2016

We are a supremely social species whose ecological success rests largely on our capacity for large-scale cooperation. This high degree of sociality is only possible against a background of immensely powerful inhibitions against performing acts of lethal violence against conspecifics. There are circumstances, however, in which acts of lethal violence are individually or collectively advantageous and attractive. To perform such acts, we must override our inhibitions. This essay argues that this tension causes us to be ambivalent about killing other human beings and that our being so is manifested in the widespread belief, found across cultures and historical epochs, that taking human life contaminates the killer and may pose a threat to the entire community, unless rituals of purification are performed to counteract it. Examples from the Hebrew Bible, the Greco-Roman world, medieval Europe, Africa, and Native America are examined to substantiate this claim. Premodern beliefs, moreover, about the consequences of killing are echoed in the symptoms of “moral injury” described by contemporary psychiatrists treating combat veterans, which suggests that, in defying or disabling our inhibitions against performing acts of lethal violence, we ultimately do violence to ourselves.
DISCOURSES OF CONFLICT
Authors: Hazlehurst Leighton
Published: January 2016

This essay explores ways in which cultures at different levels and in different historical circumstances employ different modes of discourse to deal with conflict and with ways to resolve it. The study is based on ethnographic observations of the Tsimshian myth of Asdiwal, collected by Boas and made famous by Lévi-Strauss; the story of Sakuntala, from a Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata; and Remarque's war novel of 1929, All Quiet on the Western Front. In the first case, no resolution of the conflicts comprising the narrative is required, because in mythical thinking adversaries are united in the strife that divides them. In the second example, the conflict is between the contested realities, colliding ideologies, and divergent social practices of the priestly and warrior castes; the discourse of the epic illuminates the differences in explicit detail in order to permit negotiation. The final instance is of a modern European narrative in which the specific causes and consequences of the Great War are obscure to the soldiers fighting in it. It is random chance, rather than the negotiation or transcendence of difference, that is thought, in this mode, to determine who lives and dies. The essay concludes with speculation about why this third and present mode has been less successful than the other two in dealing with conflict and its resolution.
THE ALGORITHMIC BASIS OF MODELLING OF FAILURES FROM EXPOSURE TO HEAVY CHARGED PARTICLES IN VLSI, MADE BY DEEP-SUBMICRON TECHNOLOGIES
Authors: Ачкасов  , Achkasov A. , Яньков  , Yankov A. , Зольников  , Zolnikov Konstantin , Чубур  , Chubur K.
Published: January 2016

In the article the questions of modeling of failures of all types from exposure to heavy charged particles in semiconductor structures for integrated circuits, made by deep-submicron technologies. Based on the simulation estimates of the dependence of failure section from the amount of energy of the particles.
ABOUT TECHNICAL SYSTEMS CAPACITY FOR WORK REPRESENTED WITH REAL FINITE-DIMENSIONAL EQUATIONS IN A NORMAL FORM WITH THE LINEAR DIFFERENTIAL OPERATOR
Authors: Котов  , Kotov P.
Published: January 2016

Solid aspects of determined systems stability and the results of dynamic models modeling described by the non-resonance real equations with the linear summary differential operator, constant elements of coefficient system, experimental initial conditions are offered.
METHOD OF SYNTHESES TO VIRTUAL REALITY FOR SHAPING 3D MODELS MOS-TRANSISTOR
Authors: Жвад  , Zhvad Akhmed , Лавлинский  , Lavlinskiy V. , Савченко  , Savchenko Andrey
Published: January 2016

In article is valued method of the shaping 3D models a MOS-transistor with element of the syntheses to virtual reality for making component of the electronic base in CAD Cadence.
THE CALCULATION OF THE LOADED TRANSMISSION CAPACITY OF THE DESIGNED HYDRAULIC SYSTEM
Authors: Мезенцев  , Mezentsev A. , Сазонова  , Sazonova Svetlana
Published: January 2016

Used approximation conversion method of the system of equations that defines the conditions of extremum for the analytical calculation of the loaded transmission capacity of the designed hydraulic system. Control action in the iterative algorithm is set in the key settings that you previously found limited consumption and hydraulic ha-the characteristics connected subscriber subsystems. Their tuning is performed according to the analysis of the flow distribution in the nominal mode of operation of systems according to the principles of functional reduction.
THE CALCULATION OF THE UNLOADED TRANSMISSION CAPACITY OF THE DESIGNED HYDRAULIC SYSTEM
Authors: Сазонова  , Sazonova Svetlana , Мезенцев  , Mezentsev A.
Published: January 2016

For the formation of the unloaded reserve functioning of hydraulic systems can be applied approximation algorithm. Thus it is necessary to ensure the consistency of the system of equations consists in the fact that the number of manageable nodes in the parameters of limited consumption must match the number of bypass lines, the diameters of which are to be determined. Once movement of these lines is not involved in the formalization of ass-Chi, so their rational configuration can be obtained on the basis of the study of a priori given set of options.
WOOD POLYMER COMPOSITE - MODELING ITS PROPERTIES
Authors: Стородубцева  , Storodubtseva Tamara
Published: January 2016

This article describes a technique for modeling of wood-polymer composite sand. Presented interface input form input data for modeling, differential equations underlying the mathematical model.
Integrated Airline Scheduling: Considering Competition Effects and the Entry of the High Speed Rail
Authors: Cadarso Luis , Vaze Vikrant , Barnhart Cynthia , Marín Ángel
Published: January 2016

Airlines and high speed rail are increasingly competing for passengers, especially in Europe and Asia. Competition between them affects the number of captured passengers and, therefore, revenues. We consider competition between airlines (legacy and low-cost) and high speed rail. We develop a new approach that generates airline schedules using an integrated mixed integer, nonlinear optimization model that captures the impacts of airlines’ decisions on passenger demand. We estimate the demand associated with a given schedule using a nested logit model. We report our computational results on realistic problem instances of the Spanish airline IBERIA and show that the actual airline schedules are found to be reasonably close to the schedules generated by our approach. Next, we use this optimization modeling approach under multimodal competition to evaluate multiple scenarios involving entry of high speed rail into new markets. We account for the possibility of demand stimulation as a result of the new services. We validate our approach using data from markets that had an entry by high speed rail in the past. The out-of-sample validation results show a close match between the predicted and observed solutions. Finally, we use our validated model to predict the impacts of future entry by high speed rail in new markets. Our results provide several interesting and useful insights into the schedule changes, fleet composition changes, and fare changes that will help the airline cope effectively with the entry of high speed rail.
The investigation of feline alopecia
Authors: Paterson Sue
Published: January 2016

Feline alopecia is one of the most common reasons why cats are presented to their primary care clinician. Hair loss can be self-inflicted or spontaneous. Self-inflicted hair loss is usually caused by a pruritic skin condition such as allergy or ectoparasite infestation. Spontaneous hair loss may be caused by damage to the hair by factors such as infection, ectoparasites, immune-mediated disease or neoplasia. It may also be caused by hair cycle arrest due to endocrine disease or metabolic stress, which can lead to either anagen or telogen defluxion. Investigation should start by identifying the cause of hair loss through trichography plus specific tests for the type of hair loss. Investigation of pruritus should include elimination of ectoparasites, food trial and possible allergy testing. Specific tests for spontaneous hair loss include routine haematology and biochemistry as well as endocrine function tests, thoracic radiography, abdominal ultrasound and skin biopsy.
Pug appeal: brachycephalic ocular health
Authors: Appelboam Helen
Published: January 2016

Ophthalmic disease is common in brachycephalic breeds as a consequence of selective breeding for the more extreme conformation. As a result of shallow orbits and prominent globes with poor corneal sensation, ulcerative keratitis is common in these breeds. Prompt diagnosis of a corneal ulcer and aggressive management is often required in order to preserve vision and prevent loss of an eye. Appropriate treatments are detailed including medical and surgical options. Surgery is commonly indicated to repair a cornea or preserve a globe, and eyelid conformation modifying surgery is frequently recommended to improve ocular health.
Plan for quality improvement: the ‘Legal High’ Guide
Authors: Johnston Steve
Published: January 2016

‘Legal highs’ are responsible for increasing public mortality and A&E admissions. Research into these products are limited and prolonged processes. New legislations being enforced are potentially leading to new chemicals being manufactured and released for sale with no approved research of known effects. Front-line clinicians are untrained and unfamiliar with the effects of these new drugs and are limited in their practice to symptomatic treatment. This study intends to introduce the idea of a researched and referenced ‘Legal high’ guide through the medium of an ‘app’ or pocket guide for clinician education, safety netting and improved patient care.

This article is an amended version of the winning poster entry of the UK Student Paramedic Conference 2015.
Managing venous leg ulcers
Authors: Todd Marie
Published: January 2016

Venous leg ulceration (VLU) is a preventable condition that affects a large proportion of the population; however, less than 20% of people with the condition receive appropriate treatment. Mismanagement is costly and time consuming, and VLUs have a negative impact on patients, who may suffer physical symptoms, psychological distress and social difficulties. Evidence-based treatment strategies are effective in healing within 12–18 weeks for simple VLUs. Health professionals should implement preventative strategies to avoid the progression of chronic venous disease (CVD), therefore reducing the incidence of ulceration and the associated impact and costs.
Prostate cancer: Can I have a PSA test please nurse?
Authors: Johnson Helen
Published: January 2016

Prostate cancer incidence is increasing. There were more than 41 000 cases in 2011. Is this because prostate cancer is becoming endemic or because prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing is becoming endemic? More men are now requesting the test as media coverage gathers pace and practice nurses on the front-line of primary care are getting more requests from asymptomatic men who believe that their lives will be saved if they get checked out. This article aims to discuss some of the signs, symptoms and risk factors of prostate cancer and the evidence for and against PSA testing, as well as discussing some of the consequences of biopsy and treatment, and guidelines to help practice nurses counsel men to make an informed choice.
Effect of metformin in a maternal mouse model in prenatal period
Authors: Borodich Tatyana Sergeevna
Published: January 2016

Effect of metformin in a maternal mouse model in prenatal period
Impact of body mass decrease of patients with metabolic syndrome on cardiovascular risk factors and reproductive function
Authors: Kalinkina Ol'ga Borisovna
Published: January 2016

The obesity pandemia linked metabolic syndrome (MS) connected with it acquires not only medical, but also increasing social importance. This state has unfavorable action on human organism and is the serious diseases risk factor. Special importance MS available in the women of childbearing age. There are described some literature data about the special features of MS pathogenesis in women and the possibilities of its correction with sibutramine and by the combined medication Reduxin® (sibutramine + cellulose microcrystalline). Our own data of the experience of treatment by the Reduxin® 53 women in reproductive age with MS are cited, opsomenorrhea and with a formation of polycystic ovarian syndrome. Patients took the medication during 12 weeks. Mean body weight loss was 13% and 27 patients had weight loss more than 5% at the end the period of observation. Circle of waist was also the decreased on the average on 6±2 cm. 43 women had a normalization of rhythm, duration and intensity of menstrual hemorrhages. Remaining patients it was required the designation of gestagen in the cyclic regime. An improvement of the blood lipid profile was detect: the average value of atherogenic index triglycerides/ high density lipoproteins cholesterol was improved to 35,8%. The maximum decrease of the cardiovascular disease risk factors was marked in the patients, who had weight loss more than 10%.
The changes of gut microbiota associated with age and lifestyle
Authors: Egshatyan Lilit Vanikovna , Tkacheva Olga Nikolaevna , Kafarskaya Lyudmila Ivanovna , Shkoporov Andrey Nikolaevich , Tyakht Aleksandr Viktorovich
Published: January 2016

In this review are discussed experimental and clinical data about the role of gut microbiota and its changes associated with age and lifestyle. The large intestinal microbiota plays an important role in normal bowel function and the maintenance of host health through the formation of short chain fatty acids, modulation of immune system reactivity, and development of colonization resistance. The intestinal microflora is a peculiar indicator of the condition of a microorganism reacting to age, physiological, dietary, and geographical factors from change of qualitative and quantitative structure. Studies have demonstrated that obesity and metabolic syndrome may be associated with profound microbiotal changes. Changes in gut microbiota control metabolic endotoxemia - induced chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic disorder which are connected with the increased risk of development of cardiovascular diseases and pathology associated with age, which leads to accelerated aging. It is obvious that maintenance of a homeostasis and a normal metabolism is impossible without restoration of a variety of normal associations of intestinal microorganisms.
Spend time now, save time later: IPM lessons learned from the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Authors: Lawrence Amanda N. , Strotman Jennifer
Published: January 2016

A case study involving a comprehensive inspection to discriminate between old and active pest infestations is described. Integrated pest management (IPM) processes within the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), Smithsonian Institution, Division of Mammals (DOM) are challenging because of the size and composition of the collection, the age of storage equipment, and a low staffing to specimen ratio. Each specimen cabinet was inspected by IPM technicians during a 6-week period in late 2012. Following that inspection, two members of the NMNH collections program technician team began a 9-week project to clean 5,925 incidents in the affected cabinets in DOM storage areas in the Natural History Building downtown. The results of this project show that cleaning up a pest infestation in any natural history collection can be done in a reasonable amount of time and will help ensure the preservation of collections in the future. Knowing that the collections have been fully inspected and cleaned will allow staff in the DOM to easily and rapidly address future IPM issues in a structured way. Such efforts facilitate future IPM inspections because evidence of any new pest activity is no longer at risk of being overlooked due to debris from past infestations.
A need analysis study regarding to develop a school-based curriculum for teaching principles and methods course
Authors: Yeşilpınar Uyar Melis
Published: January 2016

In this study, conducting the needs analysis which is the first phase of a school-based curriculum for teaching principles and methods course was aimed. The research was designed as a case study and the participants, 15 pre-service teachers, eight instructors, five class teachers and five education inspectors were chosen by sampling criteria. The interviews and document analysis data collection methods were used to collect the data.  In conclusion, in this study it has been found that there should be given place for objectives regarding cognitive skills, cognitive and affective comprehension dimensions in teaching principles and methods  course; the subjects which are functional in practice and have common usage area should be included within content dimension. Besides, it has been identified that during the learning-teaching process the knowledge should be presented and explained, the quality of teaching service should be increased, pre-service teachers should be provided with authentic learning experiences, student centered approach should be used as a base; and it has been asserted that this process should be rearranged aiming at enhancing the practice dimension of it. Moreover, it has been seen that a measurement -evaluation process is needed which includes use of process-based alternative assessment tools and gives feedback to all assessment results.
Relational variables predicting life satisfaction in pregnant women
Gebelerde yaşam doyumunu yordayan ilişkisel değişkenler
Authors: Kumcağız Hatice
Published: January 2016

The study aims at examining whether life satisfaction of pregnant women is predicted by their stress coping styles, being understood/not understood by their husbands, and intentional/unintentional conception. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 260 pregnant women living in two districts of Province Samsun who had self-reportedly no psychiatric problems. Data collection tools used in the study include a personal information form to determine sociodemographic characteristics of pregnant women, the Ways of Coping Questionnaire to determine stress coping styles, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale to determine level of life satisfaction. As the assumption of normality was not met (p<0.05), the use of non-parametric tests was considered necessary; and thus the study used Spearman's rank correlation coefficient to find the relationship between two variables, and the Mann–Whitney U test to test whether there is a significant difference between two variables. A significant negative correlation was found between life satisfaction and submissive and helpless coping styles which are the subscales of the Satisfaction with Life Scale. The study found that life satisfaction of pregnant women was predicted by their stress coping styles, being understood/not understood by their husbands, and intentional/unintentional conception.

 

Özet

Bu araştırmanın amacı gebelerin stresle baş etme tarzlarının, eşleri tarafından anlaşılma /anlaşılmama ve isteyerek gebe kalma/kalmama gibi durumların yaşam doyumlarını ne ölçüde yordadığını belirlemektir. Araştırma kesitsel tipte tarama modelinde desenlenmiştir. Araştırmanın verileri Samsun ilinin iki ilçesinde yaşayan, kendi ifadesine göre herhangi bir psikiyatrik sorunu olmayan 260 gebeden toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizinde tanımlayıcı istatistiksel yöntemler kullanılmıştır. Verilerin değerlendirilmesinde (p<0.05) normallik şartı sağlanmadığı için parametrik olmayan testlerden; iki değişken arasındaki ilişkiyi bulabilmek için Spearman Brown Sıra Farkları korelasyon testi ve iki durum arasında anlamlı fark olup olmadığını test etmek için de Mann-Whitney U testi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmadan elde edilen bulgulara göre, stresle başa çıkma tarzları ölçeğinin alt boyutlarından çaresiz yaklaşım ve boyun eğici yaklaşım ile yaşam doyumu arasında negatif yönde anlamlı düzeyde yordamaktadır. Araştırma bulguları ilgili literatür eşliğinde tartışılmış ve daha sonra gerçekleştirilecek araştırmalara yönelik öneriler geliştirilmiştir.
ROZWIĄZANIA KONSTRUKCJI MECHANICZNEJ ZASTOSOWANEJ W RODZINIE GŁOWIC OPTOELEKTRONICZNYCH WH
Authors: Konopacki Tomasz , Błaszczyk Janusz
Published: January 2016

Artykuł przedstawia budowę, opracowanej w ITWL, mechanicznej głowicy optoelektronicznej typu WH, przeznaczonej do bezzałogowych systemów powietrznych. Na tle rozwoju głowicy przedstawiono jej podstawowe wyposażenie, zasadnicze elementy, możliwy sposób montażu i rozwiązanie przeniesienia napędów.
Analiza Metody Sterowania Predykcyjnego Dla Aktywnego Zawieszenia Magnetycznego
Authors: Kurnyta-Mazurek Paulina , Henzel Maciej , Kurnyta Artur
Published: January 2016

Syntezę regulatorów klasycznych przeprowadza się na podstawie znajomości parametrów modelu obiektu regulacji. Jednak wyznaczenie tych parametrów nie zawsze jest możliwe lub jest niezwykle trudne, zwłaszcza gdy zmieniają się one w trakcie okresu eksploatacji. W takim przypadku wykorzystuje się bardziej złożone metody sterowania, np. metodę sterowania predykcyjnego. W artykule przedstawiona została metoda sterowania predykcyjnego w układzie regulacji aktywnego zawieszenia magnetycznego, model matematyczny i symulacyjny takiego układu sterowania oraz wyniki wstępnych badań symulacyjnych analizowanego układu sterowania.
Acute Effects of Smoking on Heart Rate and Peripheral Resistance in Young Smokers
Authors: Mrkaić Ana , Branković Suzana , Randjelović Pavle , Veljković Milica , Pavlović Ivan , Radenković Mirjana
Published: January 2016

Smoking has many harmful effects on human body. It is well known that smoking is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Though the ingredients from cigarette smoke stimulate the release of vasoconstrictor and reduce the release of vasodilator substances, the goal of this study was to investigate the acute effects of smoking on arterial blood pressure, heart rate and blood vessel flow.

The investigation was conducted on forty healthy volunteers divided into two groups of twenty non-smokers (control group), and twenty smokers (experimental group). The group of smokers was examined before and after smoking four cigarettes during one hour. Blood pressure and electrocardiograph (ECG) were measured by common methods. Brecht’s and Boucke’s methods of plethysmography were used to evaluate the peripheral circulation.

There were no differences in measured systolic and diastolic blood pressure and recorded ECG between non-smokers and smokers, neither between smokers before and after smoking. However, heart rate was increased by 29.57% after smoking in comparison to the value before smoking.

Evaluation of plethysmographic parameters showed that amplitude was significantly decreased. Parameters of peripheral resistance were very increased: ductility was decreased by over 20%.

It can be concluded that acute smoking does not significantly affect the level of blood pressure, although it increases heart rate. The shape of plethysmograms showed decreased systolic filling and decreased diameters of blood vessels.
Sjögren’s syndrome
Authors: Mlynáriková V. , Mičeková D. , Rovenský J. , Šteňová E.
Published: January 2016

Sjögren’s syndrome is a slowly progressive, inflammatory autoimmune disease primarily affecting exocrine glands. Lymphocytic infiltrates replace functional epithelium and lead to decreased exocrine secretion of salivary and lacrimal glands - xerocrinopathy. Glands of intestinal system and pulmonary tract, skin and vaginal mucosa may also be affected. The most common extraglandular manifestations of primary Sjögren’s syndrome include skin vasculitis, Raynaud’s phenomenon, functional renal abnormalities, neuropathy and arthritis symptoms. This disorder may appear separately as a primary Sjögren’s syndrome or in connection with other inflammatory rheumatic diseases as secondary Sjögren’s syndrome. Treatment of the disease is based on topical ocular and oral therapy, extraglandular manifestations need to be treated with hydroxychloroquine and severe cases even with corticosteroid or immunosuppressive drugs.
Composition, labelling, and safety of food supplements based on bee products in the legislative framework of the European Union – Croatian experiences / Sastav, označavanje i zdravstvena ispravnost dodataka prehrani koji se temelje na pčelinjim proizvodima u pravnom okviru Europske unije – hrvatska iskustva
Authors: Vujić Mario , Pollak Lea
Published: January 2016

The European Union market is overflown by food supplements and an increasing number of consumers prefer those where bee products play an important part in their composition. This paper deals with complex European Union legislation concerning food supplements based on bee products, placing a special emphasis on their composition, labelling, and safety. Correct labelling of food supplements also represents a great challenge since, in spite of legal regulations in force, there are still open issues regarding the statements on the amount of propolis, which is not clearly defined by the legal framework. One of the key issues are the labels containing health claims from the EU positive list approved by the European Food Safety Authority. Emphasis will also be placed on informing consumers about food, as statements which imply the healing properties of food supplements and their capacity to cure diseases are forbidden. One of the key elements of product safety is HACCP based on the EU Regulations EC 178/02 and 852/2004. Health safety analyses of food supplements with bee products used as raw materials, which are standardised by legal regulations will also be discussed. In the future, attention should also be paid to establishing the European Union “nutrivigilance” system. Croatian experiences in addressing challenges faced by producers, supervisory entities, and regulatory and inspection bodies may serve as an example to countries aspiring to become part of the large European family.
Chlorinated compounds in the muscle tissue of fish from the Croatian Adriatic: preliminary data on contamination and the associated health risks / Klorirani spojevi u mišićnom tkivu riba iz istočnog Jadranskog mora: preliminarni podaci o zagađenosti i zdravstvenim rizicima
Authors: Kljaković-Gašpić Zorana , Herceg Romanić Snježana , Klinčić Darija , Tičina Vjekoslav
Published: January 2016

Levels of 17 polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCBs) and seven organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were measured in the muscle tissue of 18 commercially important fish species from the eastern Adriatic Sea. PCBs [<LOD-8,866 ng g-1 lipid weight (lw)] accounted for over 66 % of all analysed compounds. Their pattern was dominated by PCB-138 and PCB-153. DDE (14.2-649 ng g-1 lw) was the prevalent DDT isomer in all samples, suggesting no recent DDT input. β-, γ- and α-HCH and HCB were found in less than 50 % of samples. The analysed organic contaminants did not seem to bioaccumulate up the food web (trophic levels 3.0 to 4.5). Our findings show no risk of chronic (non-cancerous) effects on human health
Molecular basis of ALS and FTD: implications for translational studies / Molekularna osnova ALS-a i FTD-a: implikacije za translacijska istraživanja
Authors: Liščić Rajka M.
Published: January 2016

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are neurodegenerative disorders, related by signs of deteriorating motor and cognitive functions, and short survival. The cause is unknown and no effective treatment currently exists. For ALS, there is only a drug Riluzole and a promising substance arimoclomol. The overlap between ALS and FTD occurs at clinical, genetic, and pathological levels. The majority of ALS cases are sporadic (SALS) and a subset of patients has an inherited form of the disease, familial ALS (FALS), with a common SOD1 mutation, also present in SALS. A few of the mutant genes identified in FALS have also been found in SALS. Recently, hexanucleotide repeat expansions in C9ORF72 gene were found to comprise the largest fraction of ALS- and FTD-causing mutations known to date. TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), encoded by the TARDBP gene, has been identified as the pathological protein of FALS, SALS and, less frequently, FTD. The less frequent TDP-43 pathology in other forms of familial FTD has been linked to a range of mutations in GRN, FUS/TLS, rarely VCP, and other genes. TDP-43 and FUS/TLS have striking structural and functional similarities, most likely implicating altered RNA processing as a major event in ALS pathogenesis. The clinical overlap of the symptoms of FTD and ALS is complemented by overlapping neuropathology, with intracellular inclusions composed of microtubule-associated protein tau, TDP-43 and less frequently FUS, or unknown ubiquitinated proteins. Furthermore, new therapeutic approaches continue to emerge, by targeting SOD1, TDP-43 or GRN proteins. This review addresses new advances that are being made in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of both diseases, which may eventually translate into new treatment options.
New species and records of mites of the superfamily Sarcoptoidea (Acariformes: Psoroptidia) from mammals in Brazil
Authors: Bochkov Andre V. , Valim Michel P.
Published: January 2016

Sixteen species of the superfamily Sarcoptoidea (Acariformes: Psoroptidia) belonging to 10 genera of the families Atopomelidae, Listrophoridae, Chirodiscidae, and Listropsoralgidae are recorded in Brazil. Among them, three species, Prolistrophorus hylaeamys sp. nov. from Hylaeamys laticeps (Lund, 1840) (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) from Minas Gerais, Lynxacarus serrafreirei sp. nov. from Galictis cuja (Molina, 1782) (Carnivora: Mustelidae) from Rio de Janeiro (Listrophoridae), and Didelphoecius micoureus sp. nov. (Atopomelidae) from Micoureus paraguayanus (Tate, 1931) (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae) from Minas Gerais are described as new for science. Three species of the family Listrophoridae, Prolistrophorus bidentatus Fain et Lukoschus, 1984 from Akodon cursor (Winge, 1887) (Rodentia: Cricetidae) (new host), Prolistrophorus ctenomys Fain, 1970 from Ctenomys torquatus Lichtenstein, 1830 (Rodentia: Ctenomyidae) (new host), and Leporacarus sylvilagi Fain, Whitaker et Lukoschus, 1981 from Sylvilagus brasiliensis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lagomorpha: Leporidae) (new host) -from Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul, and one species of the family Chirodiscidae, Parakosa tadarida McDaniel and Lawrence, 1962 from Molossus molossus (Pallas, 1766) (Chiroptera: Molossidae) are recorded for the first time in Brazil. The previously unknown female of Didelphoecius validus Fain, Zanatta-Coutinho et Fonseca, 1996 (Atopomelidae) from Metachirus nudicaudatus (Geoffroy, 1803) (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae) from Minas Gerais is described. All data on host-parasite associations of sarcoptoids in Brazil are summarized. Totally, 61 sarcoptoid species of 8 families are recorded in Brazil.
The morphology of free-living stages and immature parasites of Rhabdias paraensis (Nematoda: Rhabdiasidae), a parasite of Rhinella marina (Anura: Bufonidae) in Brazil
Authors: Melo Francisco Tiago de Vasconcelos , Nascimento Luciana de Cássia Silva do , Macedo Lilian Cristina , Santos Jeannie Nascimento dos , Kuzmin Yuriy
Published: January 2016

Rhabdias paraensis Santos, Melo, Nascimento, Nascimento, Giese et Furtado, 2011 was described based on fully gravid worms. Further investigations on the free-living stages, immature worms and young individuals were facilitated by cultivation in the laboratory, which allowed us to add new information about the morphology and development of the species. Observations on the free-living development of R. paraensis showed that the life cycle is typical of Rhabdias, with alternation of gonochoristic and hermaphroditic generations and without homogony. Males of the free-living generation were different from those in several species of the genus studied previously. In the original description, the excretory glands and duct were absent in gravid specimens of R. paraensis, while in this study, distinct excretory glands and a duct were observed in immature and young individuals. Additionally, we recognised the separation of the buccal capsule walls into anterior and posterior portions and described the specific shapes of these portions in lateral and apical view. Studies on the morphology and development of free-living stages of Rhabdias spp. from Neotropical regions may provide additional information for species determination.
Ultrastructure of Ascaridia galli (Schrank, 1788) (Nematoda: Ascaridida) from the endangered green peafowl Pavo muticus Linnaeus (Galliformes: Phasianidae)
Authors: Zhao Ting , Guo Yan-Ning , Zhang Lu-Ping , Li Liang
Published: January 2016

Ascaridia galli (Schrank, 1788) is a common parasite of various galliform birds worldwide. Although A. galli has been extensively studied by many author, knowledge of the morphology of this species in detail is still insufficient. In the present paper, the detailed morphology of A. galli was further studied using light and scanning electron microscopy, based on specimens collected from the endangered green peafowl Pavo muticus Linnaeus (Galliformes: Phasianidae) in China. The results revealed some erroneous and previously unreported morphological features, including the lips lacking real denticles, the lateral alae beginning at some distance posterior to the base of the ventrolateral lips and the caudal papillae with 4 different morphotypes. The present morphological and morphometric data complement previous descriptions and enable us to recognize this species more precisely.
Prevalence and risk factors associated to Eimeria spp. infection in unweaned alpacas (Vicugna pacos) from Southern Peru
Authors: Díaz Pablo , Panadero Rosario , López Rosalía , Cordero Aida , Pérez-Creo Ana , López Ceferino M. , Fernández Gonzalo , Díez-Baños Pablo , Morrondo Patrocinio
Published: January 2016

A total of 350 faecal samples from unweaned alpacas over 3 months of age were collected from 23 herds in order to determine the prevalence of Eimeria spp. in Southern Peru and to identify the risk factors associated to Eimeria infection in young alpacas. Samples were examined by a flotation technique and the identification of risk factors was assessed by a logistic regression analysis. Sixty four percent of the examined animals shed Eimeria oocysts; herd prevalence was 96%, with an intra-herd prevalence of 60% (range 5.9-100%). Five different Eimeria species were identified, being E. lamae (91%), E. alpacae (87%) and E. punoensis (78%) the most prevalent; E. macusaniensis (35%) and E. ivitaensis (13%) were less common. Mixed-species infections were more frequent (78%) than single infections (22%). E. lamae was the most common monospecific infection and E. lamae/E. alpacae the most frequent association. The geographical area has a significant effect on Eimeria infection rates (74.9% wet Puna vs 37.4% dry Puna) as well as the breeding system (65.1% traditional vs 63.8% modern). In contrast, the sex of the animals (64.6% males vs 64.0% females) showed no influence on the prevalence of infection by Eimeria. The high prevalence found at both individual and herd level and the common presence of highly pathogenic Eimeria species may lead to important economic losses for alpaca breeders and could require the implementation of suitable control measures.
Toxocara canis glycans influence antigen recognition by mouse IgG1 and IgM antibodies
Authors: Długosz Ewa , Wiśniewski Marcin
Published: January 2016

The impact of sugar moieties of Toxocara canis glycoprotein antigens on their recognition by infected mouse antibodies was investigated in this study. Native TES and recombinant Toxocara mucins generated in Pichia pastoris yeast as well as their deglycosylated forms were used in ELISA. TES and recombinant mucins were equally recognized by T. canis infected mouse IgG1 antibodies. IgM immunoglobulins predominantly recognized TES antigens. Among mucins recognition of Tc-MUC-4 was the most significant. Deglycosylation of antigens resulted in significant loss of IgM and IgG1 reactivity to TES, mucins, Tc-MUC-3 and Tc-MUC-4. The presence of sugar moieties had no influence on IgE binding to native or recombinant T. canis antigens. Our results suggest that glycans are involved in epitope formation what should be taken into consideration in production of recombinant helminth antigens for diagnostic purposes.
Parasitoid complex of leaf miner Pyllonorycter comparella (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) in Hungary
Authors: Szőcs Levente , Melika George , Thuróczy Csaba , Csóka György
Published: January 2016

Between 2011 and 2014, 1,154 mines of Phyllonorycter comparella (Duponchel) were collected at 12 locations in Hungary and were put into single-mine rearing containers. A total of 574 parasitoid specimens belonging to 29 parasitoid species (26 Chalcididae, 2 Encyrtidae and 1 Braconidae) emerged. Of these species, 13 have not yet been mentioned in either international or in Hungarian literature as a parasitoid of the P. comparella. The species assemblages of the parasitoid complexes varied greatly among the sample sites. The primary dominant species of the total samples was found to be Sympiesis sericeicornis (Nees), an abundant idiobiont solitary ectoparasitoid. Among the species reared, we have found specialist parasitoids such as Achrysocharoides scaposa (Erdős) and even species never recorded from Populus (Zagrammosoma variegatum (Masi)) according to the Universal Chalcidoidea Database.
Macrofungi in the Botanical Garden of the University of West Hungary, Sopron
Authors: Folcz Ádám , Börcsök Zoltán
Published: January 2016

Botanical gardens have diverse habitats and floristic conditions. The aim of this study was to examine whether these specific environmental conditions have a positive impact on the appearance of mushrooms. Between 2011 and 2013, mycological observations were performed in the Botanical Garden of the University of West Hungary, Sopron. A total of 171 mushrooms species were identified. Several rare species and two protected species were found. The identification and classification of the species reveal how botanical gardens provide a special habitat for mushrooms. These features of botanical gardens are beneficial for fungal dissemination and preservation.
A Numerical Approach for the Solution of Schrödinger Equation With Pseudo-Gaussian Potentials
Authors: Iacob Theodor-Felix , Lute Marina , Iacob Felix
Published: January 2016

The Schrödinger equation with pseudo-Gaussian potential is investigated. The pseudo-Gaussian potential can be written as an infinite power series. Technically, by an ansatz to the wave-functions, exact solutions can be found by analytic approach [12]. However, to calculate the solutions for each state, a condition that will stop the series has to be introduced. In this way the calculated energy values may suffer modifications by imposing the convergence of series. Our presentation, based on numerical methods, is to compare the results with those obtained in the analytic case and to determine if the results are stable under different stopping conditions.