bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La version α du livre VII de laPhysiqued’Aristote et son rapport aux familles byzantines a et b
Authors: Boureau Mai-Lan
Published: August 2018

This paper focuses on the relation between version α of the seventh book of Aristotle’sPhysicsand the two byzantine families which shape the transmission lineage of most Aristotelian texts. To this end, it establishes astemma codicumof all known manuscripts of version α. The first step reexamines Simplicius’ testimony in order to overcome the stemmatic problem arising from it: Simplicius’ statement that there was a version β for chapters 4 and 5 seems to be mere speculation on his part. This allows for the more plausible assumption that only the first three chapters of book VII were transmitted in two versions. The paper then deals with the witnesses of version α, which either transmit version α as a whole (e.g.Paris. 1859 – b, andVind. 64 – Ja) or a mixture of the two versions (e.g.Vat. 1027 – H, andVat. 241 – I, among Ross’s manuscripts). H and I are shown to stem from the same manuscript ι. ι was used by E2, who famously annotatedParis. 1853 and copied in its margins scholia derived from Philoponus’ commentary as well as κεφάλαια of book VII, both of which also feature in manuscripts close to H and I. Though ι is the source of both a version α (αι) and a version β (βι), the original version of manuscript ι was βι. Therefore, version α cannot be associated with certainty to either of the two byzantine families of Aristotle’s natural works. Although version α may come from a now extinct third family, there is no trace of such a family in eitherParis. 1859 (b) orVind. 64 (Ja), which both got the text of book VII from the same manuscript φ. In any case, the evidence points to all direct witnesses of version α coming from only two sources: ι and φ.
Polyaniline-based cadaverine sensor through digital image colorimetry
Authors: Ocampo Alessandria Maeve , Santos Lee Romney , Julian Sam , Bailon Mark Xavier , Bautista Joel
Published: August 2018

The detection of biogenic amines is important due to the their correlation with spoilage and toxicity. Polyaniline (PANI) is a polymer capable of changing color from blue to green andvice versathrough acid-base reactions. This study tested the potential of PANI as a sensing material for the presence of cadaverine. PANI was fabricated on nylon cloths through the redox reaction of aniline and ammonium persulfate. The PANI-coated nylon cloths were exposed to different amounts of cadaverine in a fixed reaction time of 5 min. Through digital image colorimetry, plots of the different color values vs. concentration were prepared and the curve with the highest linearity was obtained using the yellow value. Values for limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were calculated to be 0.8816 mmand 2.9386 mm,respectively. An Android application which analyzes the color values of the PANI image in relation to the amount of cadaverine was also developed.
Rodlets from Compressed Medullosalean Plant Fossils: Chemical and Morphological Studies (Late Pennsylvanian Sydney Coalfield, Canada)
Authors: Zodrow Erwin L. , Mastalerz Maria
Published: August 2018

Fragmented compression specimens of medullosalean fronds have been voluminously described over the past 200 years. However, the literature on rodlets is scarce. We addressed the questions (i) of common occurrence in these fronds, (ii) what made the fronds so strong to bear such a biomassive load, and (iii) what is the chemical make up of rodlets that expressed as striae and ridges (medullosalean hallmark) occur on these fronds? Recovered were soluble and insoluble, black, round and flat, opaque or translucent rodlets that are up to 5 mm long and ca. 10-111 μm wide, and are typed as (i) transparent, (ii) insoluble, or (iii) soluble in Schulze’s solution. In situ insoluble rodlets can be distinguished from associate coal and cuticle-free compression foliage and rachides by relatively high aromaticity and low aliphatics, although their chemical composition is unknown. Rodlets are presumably related to sclerenchymatous tissue in support of strength/stability of these sizeable medullosalean fronds.
Advanced glycation endproducts and polysialylation affect the turnover of the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE)
Authors: Frank Franziska , Bezold Veronika , Bork Kaya , Rosenstock Philip , Scheffler Jonas , Horstkorte Rüdiger
Published: August 2018

The balance between protein synthesis and degradation regulates the amount of expressed proteins. This protein turnover is usually quantified as the protein half-life time. Several studies suggest that protein degradation decreases with age and leads to increased deposits of damaged and non-functional proteins. Glycation is an age-dependent, non-enzymatic process leading to posttranslational modifications, so-called advanced glycation endproducts (AGE), which usually damage proteins and lead to protein aggregation. AGE are formed by the Maillard reaction, where carbonyls of carbohydrates or metabolites react with amino groups of proteins. In this study, we quantified the half-life time of two important receptors of the immunoglobulin superfamily, the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) before and after glycation. We found, that in two rat PC12 cell lines glycation leads to increased turnover, meaning that glycated, AGE-modified proteins are degraded faster than non-glycated proteins. NCAM is the most prominent carrier of a unique enzymatic posttranslational modification, the polysialylation. Using two PC12 cell lines (a non-polysialylated and a polysialylated one), we could additionally demonstrate, that polysialylation of NCAM has an impact on its turnover and that it significantly increases its half-life time.
Synchronization of Multiple Mechanical Oscillators Under Noisy Measurements Signals and Mismatch Parameters
Authors: Aguilar-López Ricardo , Mata-Machuca Juan L. , Martínez-Guerra Rafael , Pérez-Pinacho Claudia A.
Published: August 2018

In this article, we present a control scheme to synchronize multiple mechanical oscillators under the master–slave configuration. The proposed scheme is applied in the synchronization of several mechanical oscillators with high nonlinear spring, where four mechanical oscillators are controlled in order to be in state of synchronization with the master mechanical oscillator against additive noise in the measurement signals and mismatch parameters. The proposed control consists of an external feedback controller with a class of hyperbolic tangent function, which gives us the possibility to overcome problems as noise in the measured output and parameter’s mismatch which is important due to the kind of control. The effectiveness of this control scheme is showed via numerical simulations with and without sustained disturbances.
Public History Weekly - A Review
Authors: Cauvin Thomas
Published: August 2018

As with any other scholarship, public history has its academic journals. The two main journals are The Public Historian (USA, 1978-) and The Public History Review (Australia, 1992-). As a new-comer in the field, International Public History – the journal of the International Federation for Public History (IFPH) – symbolizes the wish to move away from a predominantly Anglo-Saxon and English-speaking public history. The creation of Public History Weekly (PHW) in 2013 was another early and significant step in this process of internationalization. PHW has published (by March 2018) 260 articles from 74 authors and 479 comments – in 13 languages. All articles – published every Thursday morning – and comments are open access. Open peer-reviewed (OPR), PHW belongs to a new format of publishing in the digital age. In September 2017, Seth Denbo was wondering “Can history accommodate modes of review and publication that would provide greater flexibility and enable nontraditional research outputs to flourish?” With 27,600 visits and 400,000 page-views per month, PHW provides some preliminary answers on what digital and international public history publishing can be.
Zugang für alle? Rhetorik und Realität der Open Access‑Initiativen
Authors: Hrachovec Herbert
Published: August 2018

Die Initiative, wissenschaftliche Publikationen, deren Entstehung in Universitäten und Forschungsinstituten zumeist von der öffentlichen Hand finanziert wird, der Öffentlichkeit auch entgeltfrei zugänglich zu machen, hat ein breites Echo gefunden. Angestoßen von der Budapester und der Berliner Erklärung (2002 und 2003) hat sie zum Aufbau einer leistungsfähigen Infrastruktur zwecks Erfassung, Distribution und Archivierung dieser Arbeiten geführt. Die damit verbundene Institutionalisierung wurde im Lauf der Zeit allerdings erfolgreicher als der Aufruf zur Mitbeteiligung an die „scientific community“, die Verwaltung ihrer Ergebnisse selbst in die Hand zu nehmen. Die Hauptakteure sind nun Bibliotheken, Hochschulleitungen und Fördereinrichtungen. Ein Grund für diesen, die anfänglichen Betreiber der Initiative enttäuschenden, Umstand liegt in ihrem Ansatz selbst. Er übergeht, wie erst hinterher auffällt, die bestehende sozio-ökonomische Infrastruktur des Verlagswesens und die mit ihm gekoppelten Interessen der Wissenschaftlerinnen. In der Folge hat der Impuls zwar neue Verhältnisse geschaffen, aber paradoxer Weise zugunsten der wissenschaftlichen Großverlage, gegen die er ursprünglich gerichtet war.
Open Citations – Die Transparenzforderungen der San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)
Authors: Tüür-Fröhlich Terje
Published: August 2018

Eine wachsende Anzahl von wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaften, Zeitschriften, Institutionen und wissenschaftlich Tätigen protestieren und bekämpfen den „allmächtigen“ Journal Impact Faktor. Die bekannteste Initiative von Protest und Empfehlungen heißt DORA, The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment. Kritisiert wird die fehlerhafte, verzerrte und intransparente Art der quantitativen Evaluationsverfahren und ihre negativen Auswirkungen auf das wissenschaftliche Personal, insbesondere auf junge Nachwuchskräfte und ihre wissenschaftliche Entwicklung, insbesondere die subtile Diskriminierung von Kultur- und Sozialwissenschaften. Wir sollten nicht unkritisch im Metrik-Paradigma gefangen bleiben und der Flut neuer Indikatoren aus der Szientometrie zujubeln. Der Slogan „Putting Science into the Assessment of Research“ darf nicht szientistisch verkürzt verstanden werden. Soziale Phänomene können nicht bloß mit naturwissenschaftlichen Methoden untersucht werden. Kritik und Transformation der sozialen Aktivitäten, die sich „Evaluation“ nennen, erfordern sozialwissenschaftliche und wissenschaftsphilosophische Perspektiven. Evaluation ist kein wertneutrales Unternehmen, sondern ist eng mit Macht, Herrschaft, Ressourcenverteilung verbunden.
Creation of Permanent Exhibitions of the National Museum
Authors: Stehlík Michal
Published: August 2018

At the onset of preparations of new permanent exhibitions of the National Museum (NM) in 2011, it was necessary to define their content. Several expert teams composed of NM staff and other institutions took part in this process. Historical topics were embraced in a novel perspective, their comprehensive presentation was so far absent in the NM. Social science expositions in the History exhibition will map the development of society from the Early Middle Ages until the end of the 20th century. The People exhibition will interlink the topics of anthropology, archaeology and classical archaeology. Natural science topics will be elaborated on three levels – nature around us, stories of evolution, and an experimental area (ExperiMus). They will reveal processes affecting the shape and transformations of Earth. The Social and Natural science parts will be linked through the Treasury exhibition. The Pantheon and the Children’s Museum will form completely independent units. The architecture of exhibitions will be the result of public tenders conducted in compliance with the Act on Public Contracts. New expositions of the NM are to be opened in 2019 (Natural science) and 2020 (Social science) on a total area of 12 000 m2.
Nature
Authors: Sklenář Jan , Sejkora Jiří , Macek Ivo
Published: August 2018

Nature (Příroda) is an aggregate of more or less separate permanent natural science exhibitions. These are focused on mineralogy, meteorites and tektites, famous ore deposits and mines of the Czech Republic, prehistorical development of Czech territory, mycology and botany. The majority of “Nature” is devoted to geosciences, whereas contemporary nature of the Czech Republic will be presented in a series of multidisciplinary temporary exhibitions focused on individual phenomena of (not only) Czech nature and on the interrelations of man and nature. The mineralogical exhibition will be installed in its original location and historical furniture being a reminder of the original exhibits that have been preserved intact since the end of the 19th century.
Exhibition of the Experimentarium Museum ExperiMus – Evolution from the Concept The Story of Planet Earth
Authors: Ekrt Boris
Published: August 2018

The prepared exhibition of the experimentarium museum ExperiMus is of an unconventional format, which had gradually evolved from the exhibition project The Story of Planet Earth. The development aimed towards greater interactivity and adaptability of the given space. ExperiMus is designed to provide lectured and non-lectured educative activities based on simple and compelling experiments. Its format is similar to the science centre but it is aimed at animate and inanimate nature. The goal of the exposition is to link the relationships between various disciplines and to explore analogies. Close cooperation with educational institutions and the media is envisaged in both running and marketing of the exhibition.
The Permanent Exhibitions at the Glass Museums in Both Frauenau and Düsseldorf
Authors: Štěrbová Alena
Published: August 2018

The article explores different approaches to displaying glass artefacts in permanent exhibitions, housed in museums of glass. It analyzes two collections in the Glasmuseum Fraueau and the Glasmuseum Hentrich in Düsseldorf. The exhibitions facilitate dialogues between the historical, cultural, sociopolitical and ethnographic realms. Developing trends in fine art presentation show that there is also innovative potential in displaying glass artefacts. The author examines different museological and curatorial approaches, also looking into technologies and crafts, as they are integral to the exhibition of glass.
Silver nanoparticles in the thermal silver plating of aluminium busbar joints
Authors: Pawłowski Radosław , Pawłowski Bartłomiej , Wita Hanna , Pluta Anna , Sobik Piotr , Sala Agata , Łanuszewska Aleksandra , Patsula Vitalii , Drabczyk Kazimierz , Jakubowska Małgorzata
Published: August 2018

Thermal silver plating method by means of nanosilver-based paint could be an alternative to electrochemical processes. Electrochemical silver layering on aluminium is typically achieved with an intermediate layer, which provides very good adhesion of the layer to the aluminium surface but increases the resistance of the whole junction system. In the method of silver plating promoted by the authors, the intermediate layer is eliminated. The layer of silver paint was applied directly on the aluminium surface by spraying using aerograph. Procured silver layers, according to ISO 2409, prove proper adhesion to aluminium. The value of contact resistance with a pressure of 300 N cm−2 and current load of 200 A is 0.03 μΩ mm−2, which is comparable to the contact resistance of layers generated by electrochemical means. This new method decreases the level of toxic waste emission and therefore is less harmful for the natural environment. It is also cheaper and simpler than the electrochemical process. An additional advantage is the possibility of silver plating of the chosen surfaces with various shapes.
Recent progress in photodetectors based on low-dimensional nanomaterials
Authors: Li Zhenhui , Xu Ke , Wei Fanan
Published: August 2018

Photodetectors (PDs) have great potential in applications of imaging, telecommunication, and biological sensing. In this article, state-of-the-art achievements on typical low-dimensional nanostructured PDs and hybrid PDs are reviewed. In the 2D nanostructured PDs part, 2D transition metal dichalcogenides have a natural gap, which promise high sensitivity of photodetection. Graphene and black phosphorus can also stand for 2D nanostructured PDs due to their broadband absorption and tunable direct bandgap, respectively. In the 1D nanostructured PDs part, owing to its high photoconductive characteristic, ZnO nanowire film is a promising material for ultraviolet PDs. Carbon nanotubes show potential in infrared (IR) detection due to its unique physical properties. In the 0D nanostructured PDs part, lead sulfide has a small bandgap and large Bohr exciton radius, which collectively give it a wide spectral tunability in the IR. In the hybrid PDs part, electrical and chemical doping is applied to combine different nanomaterials to realize PDs with high performance. In each part, the present situation and major challenges are overviewed. Then, the evolutions of the methods to overcome these challenges and the tremendous research breakthroughs are demonstrated. At last, future directions that could improve the performance of PDs are discussed.
Item Distribution in the Berg Balance Scale: A Problem for Use With Community-Living Older Adults
Authors: Chen Han , Smith Susan S.
Published: August 2018

Background and Purpose:

The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) is a commonly used clinical test measure to determine balance performance and fall risk. However, a ceiling effect of the BBS has been reported in studies of older adults with relatively higher levels of physical performance. The underlying reason for this ceiling effect may be that the task items in the BBS are insufficiently challenging to discriminate individuals with less severe balance limitations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the unidimensional construct, item difficulty hierarchy, and item distribution of the BBS in order to determine its usefulness among community-living older adults (CLOAs).

Methods:

CLOA volunteers (N = 112; 34 men, 78 women), mean age 82.4 years (SD = 7.9) (range, 65-99 years), were tested with the BBS by physical therapy faculty and students from Drexel University. Rasch principal component analysis (PCA) was used to investigate the dimensionality of the BBS, and the Rasch rating scale model was used to determine the item difficulty hierarchy and distribution.

Results:

Rasch PCA confirmed the unidimensional construct of the BBS as a balance ability test. Two items failed to fit the Rasch model, “sitting unsupported” and “standing unsupported with eyes closed.” Item difficulty hierarchy indicated that the most difficult test item was “stand on one leg” and the easiest was “sitting unsupported.” Item and person measures ranged from −4.35 to 2.66 and −1.77 to 6.58 logits, respectively. Person and item separation indexes were 2.10 and 6.41 (reliabilities of 0.82 and 0.98, respectively).

Conclusions:

Comparing the item difficulty and person ability, the balance ability of the CLOAs exceeded the difficulty of the test items, rendering it less useful for detecting balance ability and fall risk in CLOAs. More challenging test items, or selection of a different balance test, are recommended for use with this population.
Mitotane in the treatment of childhood adrenocortical carcinoma: a potent endocrine disruptor
Authors: Oddie Philip D , Albert Benjamin B , Hofman Paul L , Jefferies Craig , Laughton Stephen , Carter Philippa J
Published: August 2018

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) during childhood is a rare malignant tumor that frequently results in glucocorticoid and/or androgen excess. When there are signs of microscopic or macroscopic residual disease, adjuvant therapy is recommended with mitotane, an adrenolytic and cytotoxic drug. In addition to the anticipated side effect of adrenal insufficiency, mitotane is known to cause gynecomastia and hypothyroidism in adults. It has never been reported to cause precocious puberty. A 4-year-old girl presented with a 6-week history of virilization and elevated androgen levels and 1-year advancement in bone age. Imaging revealed a right adrenal mass, which was subsequently surgically excised. Histology revealed ACC with multiple unfavorable features, including high mitotic index, capsular invasion and atypical mitoses. Adjuvant chemotherapy was started with mitotane, cisplatin, etoposide and doxorubicin. She experienced severe gastrointestinal side effects and symptomatic adrenal insufficiency, which occurred despite physiological-dose corticosteroid replacement. She also developed hypothyroidism that responded to treatment with levothyroxine and peripheral precocious puberty (PPP) with progressive breast development and rapidly advancing bone age. Five months after discontinuing mitotane, her adrenal insufficiency persisted and she developed secondary central precocious puberty (CPP). This case demonstrates the diverse endocrine complications associated with mitotane therapy, which contrast with the presentation of ACC itself. It also provides the first evidence that the known estrogenic effect of mitotane can manifest as PPP.

Learning points:

Adrenocortical carcinoma is an important differential diagnosis for virilization in young children

Mitotane is a chemotherapeutic agent that is used to treat adrenocortical carcinoma and causes adrenal necrosis

Mitotane is an endocrine disruptor. In addition to the intended effect of adrenal insufficiency, it can cause hypothyroidism, with gynecomastia also reported in adults.

Patients taking mitotane require very high doses of hydrocortisone replacement therapy because mitotane interferes with steroid metabolism. This effect persists after mitotane therapy is completed

In our case, mitotane caused peripheral precocious puberty, possibly through its estrogenic effect.
A case of a co-secreting TSH and growth hormone pituitary adenoma presenting with a thyroid nodule
Authors: Adams Laura Hamilton , Adams Derick
Published: August 2018

Co-secreting TSH and growth hormone pituitary adenomas are rare. We present a case of a 55-year-old woman who presented with symptoms of neck fullness. Ultrasound revealed multiple thyroid nodules and examination revealed several clinical features of acromegaly. She was found to have a co-secreting TSH and growth hormone pituitary macroadenoma. She underwent surgical resection followed by gamma knife radiation, which resulted in complete remission of her TSH and GH-secreting adenoma.

Learning points:

TSH-secreting pituitary adenomas are rare and about one-third co-secrete other hormones.

Thyroid nodules are common in acromegaly and can be the presenting sign of a growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma.

In the workup of acromegaly, assessment of other pituitary hormones is essential, even in the absence of symptoms of other pituitary hormone dysfunction.

Complete remission of co-secreting GH and TSH pituitary macroadenomas is possible with surgery and radiation alone.
Is receptor profiling useful for predicting pituitary therapy?
Authors: Marazuela Monica , Ramos-Leví Ana M , Borges de Souza Patricia , Zatelli Maria Chiara
Published: August 2018

Medical treatment of pituitary tumours may present important challenges in the presence of resistance to first-line therapy. In this setting, the availability of specific markers of responsiveness/resistance could be helpful to provide tailored patients’ treatment. Pituitary receptor profiling has emerged as a potentially useful tool for predicting the response to specific pituitary-directed medical therapy, mainly somatostatin analogues and dopamine agonists. However, its utility is not always straightforward. In fact, agonist-receptor coupling to the consequent biological response is complex and sometimes jeopardizes the understanding of the molecular basis of pharmacological resistance. Defective expression of pituitary receptors, genetic alterations, truncated variants, impaired signal transduction or involvement of other proteins, such as cytoskeleton proteins or the aryl hydrocarbon receptor-interacting protein amongst others, have been linked to differential tumour phenotype or treatment responsiveness with conflicting results, keeping the debate on the utility of pituitary receptor profiling open. Why does this occur? How can we overcome the difficulties? Is there a true role for pituitary receptor profiling in the near future? All authors of this debate article agree on the need of prospective studies using standardized methods in order to assess the efficacy of receptor profiling as a reliable clinical predictive factor.
Antitumor effects of anlotinib in thyroid cancer
Authors: Ruan Xianhui , Shi Xianle , Dong Qiman , Yu Yang , Hou Xiukun , Song Xinhao , Wei Xi , Chen Lingyi , Gao Ming
Published: August 2018

There is no effective treatment for patients with poorly differentiated papillary thyroid cancer or anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC). Anlotinib, a multi-kinase inhibitor, has already shown antitumor effects in various types of carcinoma in a phase I clinical trial. In this study, we aimed to better understand the effect and efficacy of anlotinib against thyroid carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo. We found that anlotinib inhibits the cell viability of papillary thyroid cancer and ATC cell lines, likely due to abnormal spindle assembly, G2/M arrest, and activation of TP53 upon anlotinib treatment. Moreover, anlotinib suppresses the migration of thyroid cancer cells in vitro and the growth of xenograft thyroid tumors in mice. Our data demonstrate that anlotinib has significant anticancer activity in thyroid cancer, and potentially offers an effective therapeutic strategy for patients of advanced thyroid cancer type.
Romiplostim: Successful treatment of a pregnant woman with refractory immune thrombocytopenia
Authors: Payandeh Mehrdad , Karami Afshin , Karami Noorodin , Masgareh Jafar Barati
Published: August 2018

Immune thrombocytopenia is characterized by reduced platelet count. This condition occurs in both adults and children. The most common form of thrombocytopenia is primary ITP and autoantibodies are involved in its development. In this study, our patient was a pregnant woman with ITP who showed refractory to prednisolone and splenectomy as first and second line treatment, respectively, but the response to treatment with Romiplostim and platelet count was favorable, and delivery was reported without fetal complications.
Understanding FDA-Approved Labeling and CDC Recommendations for Use of Vaccines
Authors: Meissner H. Cody , Farizo Karen , Pratt Douglas , Pickering Larry K. , Cohn Amanda C.
Published: August 2018

Adherence to recommendations for the use of licensed vaccines ensures maximum individual and societal benefits from the national immunization program. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licenses a vaccine once it determines that data submitted by the manufacturer reveal that the vaccine is safe and effective for its intended use. For each US-licensed vaccine, the FDA-approved prescribing information contains detailed information for health care providers to ensure safe and effective use. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for the use of a licensed vaccine often are based on additional considerations, such as disease epidemiology, public acceptance, vaccine supply, and cost. Our objective in this article is to explain the reasons for the differences between FDA-approved prescribing information and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for vaccine use.
Imaging of Valvular Heart Disease in Heart Failure
Authors: Podlesnikar Tomaz , Delgado Victoria , Bax Jeroen J ,   Heart and Lung Centre, Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands,   Heart and Lung Centre, Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands,   Heart and Lung Centre, Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
Published: August 2018

Valvular heart disease (VHD) and heart failure (HF) are major health issues that are steadily increasing in prevalence in Western populations. VHD and HF frequently co-exist, which can complicate the accurate diagnosis of the severity of valve stenosis or regurgitation and affect decisions about therapeutic options. Transthoracic echocardiography is the first-line imaging modality to determine left ventricular (LV) systolic function, to grade valvular stenosis or regurgitation and to characterise the mechanism underlying valvular dysfunction. 3D transoesophageal echocardiography, cardiovascular magnetic resonance and cardiac CT are alternative imaging modalities that help in the diagnosis of patients with HF and VHD. The integration of multimodality cardiovascular imaging is important when deciding whether the patient should receive transcatheter aortic valve repair and replacement therapies. In this article, the use of multimodality imaging to diagnose and treat patients with VHD and HF is reviewed.
Neuroendocrine System Regulatory Mechanisms: Acute Coronary Syndrome and Stress Hyperglycaemia
Authors: Perez de la Hoz Ricardo A ,   School of Medicine, Buenos Aires University, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Swieszkowski Sandra Patricia ,   School of Medicine, Buenos Aires University, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Cintora Federico Matias ,   School of Medicine, Buenos Aires University, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Aladio Jose Martin ,   School of Medicine, Buenos Aires University, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Papini Claudia Mariana ,   School of Medicine, Buenos Aires University, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Matsudo Maia ,   School of Medicine, Buenos Aires University, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Scazziota Alejandra Silvia ,   School of Medicine, Buenos Aires University, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Published: August 2018

Neurohormonal systems are activated in the early phase of acute coronary syndromes to preserve circulatory homeostasis, but prolonged action of these stress hormones might be deleterious. Cortisol reaches its peak at 8 hours after the onset of symptoms, and individuals who have continued elevated levels present a worse prognosis. Catecholamines reach 100–1,000-fold their normal plasma concentration within 30 minutes of ischaemia, therefore inducing the propagation of myocardial damage. Stress hyperglycaemia induces inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, and also has procoagulant and prothrombotic effects. Patients with hyperglycaemia and no diabetes elevated in-hospital and 12-month mortality rates. Hyperglycaemia in patients without diabetes has been shown to be an appropriate independent mortality prognostic factor in this type of patient.
Role of Anti-inflammatory Interventions in Coronary Artery Disease: Understanding the Canakinumab Anti-inflammatory Thrombosis Outcomes Study (CANTOS)
Authors: Lorenzatti Alberto ,   Docencia, Asistencia Médica e Investigación Clínica (DAMIC) Medical Institute, Rusculleda Foundation for Research, Córdoba, Argentina,   Cardiology Department, Córdoba Hospital, Córdoba, Argentina, Servato Maria Luz ,   Clinical Research Section, DAMIC Medical Institute, Rusculleda Foundation for Research, Córdoba, Argentina
Published: August 2018

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Despite notable advances in understanding the nature of atherosclerotic processes and the use of effective medications such as statins, there remains a significant residual risk. Even after optimal medical treatments and precise revascularisations, the recurrence of MI remains at approximately one-third for 5 years after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Over the past two decades, compelling data from animal and human studies has clearly identified atherosclerosis as an inflammatory disease of the arterial wall, but clinical applications related to this accumulated knowledge are still scarce. Recently, the Canakinumab Anti-inflammatory Thrombosis Outcomes Study (CANTOS) has provided convincing evidence that an anti-inflammatory intervention with the monoclonal antibody canakinumab reduces cardiovascular events in well-treated CAD patients without affecting LDL cholesterol levels. This article presents a brief description of the role of inflammation in atherogenesis and examines selected anti-inflammatory interventions and their potential use in CAD-affected individuals.
Соціологічне дослідження соціальної компетентності фахівців водного транспорту в контекстах завдань галузевої професійної освіти
Authors: Glebova Natalia I.
Published: August 2018

Розглянуті сучасні підходи до проблеми уніфікації в соціальній спрямованості професійної діяльності індивіда з іншими суб’єктами узгодження стандартів професійних взаємовідносин і розвитку соціальних середовищ. З’ясовано актуальність завдання інтеграції навичок галузевого фахівця через розвиток соціальних компетентностей, встановлено специфіку «соціальності» як елемента фахових компетентностей, які забезпечують успішну діяльність галузевого професіонала. Виявлено тенденції переходу досліджень від режиму констатації і зіставлення галузевих і корпоративних стандартів «соціальних» компетентностей до теоретично обґрунтованих і емпіричним шляхом виявлених у ході багатофакторного аналізу оцінки й обліку суб’єктних складових соціальних норм у професійному середовищі. Проаналізована специфіка праці фахівців водного транспорту (морського вантажного флоту) в контексті галузевих професійних вимог і сучасних викликів. З’ясовані соціологічні параметри залежностей і відповідностей культурно-світоглядно-мотиваційних чинників професійної діяльності від динаміки і якості процесу становлення професіонала. Висновується низка процесуальних ракурсів дослідження соціальних навичок і особистих якостей фахівця водного транспорту для комплексної оцінки взаємовпливів різнорідних чинників розвитку соціально значимих функцій в професійній діяльності. Обґрунтована потреба використання соціологічних засобів поглиблення знань, деталізації соціальних аспектів життєдіяльності, оптимального вибору методології емпіричного дослідження соціальної компетентності працівників цієї професійної групи та визначення напрямів наукового і професійно-освітнього супроводу її розвитку.
Віртуальне навчання як головний вектор нової інформаційної епохи
Authors: Polovaya Natalia A.
Published: August 2018

Використання теxнологій віpтуальної pеальності в oсвіті спричинило пoяву вiртуального оcвітнього cередовища, в pамках якoго мoжна здійснювати бeзперервну сaмореалізацію та cаморозвиток вiльної, aктивної та твоpчої оcобистості зa yмов oрганізації і фyнкціонування відкритих oсвітніх cистем нa основі теxнологій віpтуальної рeальності. В oсвітньому пpоцесі домінує iнтерактивне cамонавчання зa нaявності пoстійного звoротного зв’язкy в cистемі «виклaдач-cтудент», a oрганізація сaмостійної pоботи cпрямована на pозвиток умінь твoрчості, пiзнавальної діяльності та cистемності миcлення cуб’єктів нaвчання. Вaжливими компонентами є зaбезпечення дoцільності нaвчання зa рaхунок дoтримання прiоритету нaвчання пеpед виклaданням; передавання дiяльністного типy нaвчання; оpганізації сaмостійної нaвчальної дiяльності; пiдвищення мoтивації нaвчання зa дoпомогою викoристання зaсобів кoмплексного пpедставлення тa мaніпулювання aудіовізуальною iнформацією; пiдвищення pівня eмоційного cприйняття iнформації тa фоpмування навичок pеалізовувати pізні фoрми сaмостійної дiяльності щoдо oбробки та аналізу iнформації. Віpтуальне оcвітнє cередовище є типoвим твoрчим cередовищем cаморозвитку відкритої тa aктивної людини, якiй притаманна активність, виcока cамооцінка, воля, a тaкож cвобода мiркувань. Переважаючим y віpтуальному oсвітньому cередовищі є мeтод iнтeрактивного сaмонавчання iз пoстійною спiвпрацею сyб’єктів виклaдання тa сyб’єктів нaвчання зa yмови присутності бeзперервних звoротних зв’язкiв мiж ними.
Security policy of the Slovak Republic in the context of intensifying the hybrid actions of the Russian Federation
Authors: Maksymets Vira Y.
Published: August 2018

The article analyzes the changes in the security environment of Slovakia, which took place after the annexation of the Crimea and the situation in eastern Ukraine. This changed the strategic situation not only in Central and Eastern Europe, but de facto in the European and transatlantic defense complex. These strategic changes not only changed the existing situation that existed since the end of the Cold War, but led to a paradigm shift in security policy. Today, besides defense, citizens of Slovakia also define other vectors, in particular energy, ecological, and cybernetic. They are clearly international in nature, and therefore the Slovak foreign policy and diplomacy must take them into account more intensively than before, possibly to the detriment of other activities. In order to realize its security interests, the Slovak Republic uses its membership in international (NATO, UN) and regional (Visegrad Four, EU, OSCE) organizations and associations, developing its capabilities, flexibility, and mutually reinforcing cooperation. NATO membership is the determining factor in Slovak foreign security.The benefits of this study are consideration of the issues of European security and its interconnectedness with the policy of the Slovak Republic is relevant and at the same time complicated. This is due to the transformation of the European security system and the security and foreign policy of Slovakia as a result of a number of factors.First, the main factors determining the security of Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the security policy paradigm that existed in Europe since the end of the Cold War, have changed. The second important factor is Slovakia’s response to these changes, because the foreign policy priorities of the country have not yet been determined. In this regard, in the formulation and implementation of the security policy of Slovakia in 2014, there was a period of systemic changes through the annexation by the Russian Federation of Crimea. The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, on the one hand, sought to maintain the neutral nature of foreign policy, while the Ministry of Defense did not react to changes. The third factor, which is also closely related to others, is a difficult task, accordingly, to find consensus on the destruction of some of the key priorities of the foreign and security policy of Slovakia, which would lead to the adoption by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs of a comprehensive plan to counter foreign policy challenges, addressed to the Visegrad Four, the Eastern Partnership, the EU and NATO.
Суб’єкти політичної пропаганди
Authors: Pavlov Dmitry М.
Published: August 2018

Стаття ставить проблему суб’єктів політичної пропаганди як сил, що виступають активним початком здійснення пропагандистської діяльності. Автор доводить, що суб’єкти пропаганди управляють процесом регулювання політичного сприйняття суспільства, в результаті чого стає можливим досягнення їх політико-владних інтересів. Процес пропаганди є взаємодією суб’єктів та об’єктів пропаганди з приводу розподілу владних потенціалів та можливості прийняття тих чи інших політичних рішень. Згідно з думкою автора, до суб’єктів доцільно відносити ті сили, які мають свої політико-владні інтереси та зацікавлені в їх реалізації. До об’єктів необхідно відносити соціальні сили, за рахунок впливу на які розширюються можливості та посилюється ефективність прийняття та реалізації політичних рішень. Суб’єкт пропаганди є активною, ініціюючою, керуючою та / або контролюючою стороною пропагандистських відносин. Суб’єкт пропаганди – це особа, група або інстанція, що управляє розповсюдженням пропагандистського знання, моделей сприйняття та реакцій, що нав’язуються об’єктам пропаганди як легітимні, найбільш виправдані та природні в умовах певної політичної реальності. Об’єктами пропаганди виступають суспільство в цілому, цільові аудиторії, соціальні сегменти та групи, що об’єднані економічні, культурними, релігійними та іншими інтересами, громадські та політичні організації, політичні лідери та чиновники.
The range of instruments of mechanism for interaction between the Constitutional Court of Ukraine and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
Authors: Moskalets N. V.
Published: August 2018

In the article, basing on investigation of the interaction of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine with the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in ensuring the rights and freedoms there was proposed the range of instruments of mechanism for interaction based on proper governance, monitoring and evaluation, including performance indicators and effectiveness, individual responsibility of a person authorized to perform the functions of the state. Due to its implementation, the public authorities will provide priority-oriented constitutional guarantees, namely human rights and freedoms in the context of promoting civil society development in Ukraine. In the article, basing on investigation of the interaction of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine with the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in ensuring the rights and freedoms there was proposed the range of instruments of mechanism for interaction based on proper governance, monitoring and evaluation, including performance indicators and effectiveness, individual responsibility of a person authorized to perform the functions of the state. Due to its implementation, the public authorities will provide priority-oriented constitutional guarantees, namely human rights and freedoms in the context of promoting civil society development in Ukraine. In order to enhance the implementation of the range of instruments of mechanism for interaction between the Constitutional Court of Ukraine with other public authorities, there was offered the introduction of electronic document management as a preventive anti-corruption measure with integrated monitoring and transparency mechanisms of activity of public authorities in order to reduce the level of corruption and hierarchical influence, for the purpose of openness and transparency, efficiency of activity within the democratic processes.
The presidency place and functions in the democratic political system
Authors: Golovko O. S.
Published: August 2018

It’s been established that the results of scientific research on the place and functions of the presidential institution in the political system of democratic societies point to the existence of certain gaps and insufficient disclosure of the issues raised. The existence of an internal socio-political crisis and the need for the development of a democratic state based on the rule of law and the appropriateness of studying the issue of the balance of powers of state institutions within the framework of constitutional engineering have been confirmed. It is noted that at the present stage of state construction interest in the problem is dictated by the need to study the process of Ukraine’s consolidation as a state entity in the context of integration into the European community.The question of the place and basic functions of the presidential institution in the political systems of modern democratic societies is being investigated. It was established that achieving an effective checks and balances system for the institution of the president, the legislative branch and executive branch of power is one of the relevant factors for the successful development of the political and economic state system, the achievement of public harmony and the formation of a positive international image of the state.It is established that the constitutional basis determines the political legitimacy of the President’s actions, and also affects the degree of readiness of political and power subjects to agree to them or to support or deny them. However, the probability that an issued document will have the expected impact is determined, in most cases, by its constitutionality. The President provides the succession of the state, represents it in international relations, carries out management of foreign policy activities, negotiates and concludes international treaties of Ukraine. The president as a state institution appears to be active and influential in the system of power relations and state organization. The institute of presidency is intended to become a consolidating center and an arbiter between the branches of power.Based on the results of a comparative analysis of the presidency functional, a pragmatic approach to the formation of new principles of the national presidency mechanism in the context of the further development of the political system of society was proposed. The essence of this approach is in the need to ensure the dominance of constructive cooperation with other institutions of political power, primarily parliament and government. The expediency of introducing civilized methods of compromise search and a democratic solution to the political problems of social development in the system and practice the powers of the governing bodies is grounded, since the further development of the state will to a great extent be determined by the effectiveness and quality of the functioning of the presidential institution.
Modern doctrinal and conceptual basis of public management and civil service modernisation in Ukraine: weberian bureaucracy, new public management, electronic governance
Authors: Onufriienko O. V.
Published: August 2018

In proposed paper the modern state and main trends of public management and civil service modernization in Ukraine have been described. The current thematic research dealing with various aspects of public service reformation in the EU Member States has been generalised, common and specific features in their development trends have been revealed. On the basis of the received results the specificity of public management and civil service modernization in Ukraine in their correlation with the European concepts of New Public Management, Neo-Weberian State and electronic governance model has been described and the prospects for further subject research in the described direction has been shaped.In particular, it’s scientifically proven that in EU Member States the current trend to the convergence with civil society as one of the main trends of the public management evolution and public service development is likely to persist. Further convergence with civil society will come up in different forms and in the varied conceptual foundation: according to the NPM ideas or, visa versa, within the framework of returning to the ideals of strong national state and the concept of modernized rational bureaucracy («Neo-Weberian state»). Such complex doctrinal and conceptual basis must be taken into account in public management reforms in Ukraine.