bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transactional Leader–Member Exchange Relationships and Followers’ Work Performance
Authors: Buch Robert , Thompson Geir , Kuvaas Bård
Published: February 2016

In this study, we test whether leader political skill moderates the relationship between more transactional leader–member exchange (LMX) relationships and follower work performance. A field study was conducted among 753 followers and 153 leaders from several Norwegian business organizations. The results showed that the negative relationship between more transactional LMX relationships and follower work performance was weaker for employees with a highly politically skilled leader. Thus, leader political skill seemed in part to mitigate the negative effects of transactional LMX. This is an important observation, since finding alternative routes to enhanced work performance of followers in less favorable transactional LMX relationships is essential. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Image background reconstruction by Gaussian mixture based model reinforced with temporal-spatial confidence
Authors: Chen Peng
Published: February 2016

Background reconstruction from an image sequence is an important topic in image processing. However, most existing background reconstruction algorithms do not produce results as good as expected when applied to complex images. The Gaussian mixture model is frequently utilized to represent image features and used to reconstruct background for complex image. A Gaussian mixture-based model for background restoration algorithm is proposed, which evaluates the temporal confidence as well as spatial confidence value to get multiple most reliable models to assess whether a pixel of the image of a background one or a foreground one. During the process, a Sarsa(λ) is utilized to achieve automatic adaption by interaction with the image during the processing to get maximal-reinforced temporal–spatial confidence. To obtain better reconstruction results, a series of pre-processing methods, such as shadow detection and removing, sunshine change relieving and sudden noise detection and removing, are also used before background reconstructing to wipe off negative interface suffered by noises, e.g. shadow, daylight change, and sudden noise. The testing results show that our proposed algorithms work well in background reconstruction.
The Sociology of Fancy-Schmancy: The Notion of ‘Farterism’ and Cultural Evaluation Under the Regime of Radical Suspicion
Authors: Schwarz Ori
Published: February 2016

Critical sociology suggests that taste judgments are not independent of the social, as actors use them to claim social value. This article demonstrates that this critical perspective has gained currency among laypersons, transforming everyday struggles over cultural evaluation. I discuss the new discursive category ‘farterism’, which emerged in Israel in the 1990s to denounce vain pretence and became ubiquitous in everyday evaluation. I analyse online user-generated reviews on films and restaurants alongside broadsheet newspaper articles to explore how this category is used in different contexts by different actors, which aesthetic surface characteristics are most associated with it and why, and how farterism critique reshapes the relationship between lay judgments and established market (prices) and field/art-world (status) hierarchies. Farterism critique is often used to fend off symbolic violence, but cultural elites use it too, despite their interest. I discuss the implicit ethic behind farterism critique, and its connections with recent transformations of capitalism.
The concomitant use of fesoterodine and topical vaginal estrogen in the management of overactive bladder and sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women
Authors: Chughtai Bilal , Forde James C , Buck Jessica , Asfaw Tirsit , Lee Richard , Te Alexis E , Kaplan Steven A
Published: February 2016

Objective

The objective of this study is to investigate the combination effect of anti-muscarinic medication and topical vaginal estrogen in the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB) and female sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women.

Study design

After IRB approval, 23 female subjects who met the entry criteria were randomized into two groups: (1) fesoterodine (Toviaz®, Pfizer, NY) with topical vaginal estrogen (Premarin®, Pfizer, NY) once daily or (2) fesoterodine once daily alone. If 4 mg fesoterodine was tolerated at 1-week, the dose was increased to 8 mg.

Main outcome measures

Primary endpoints were improvement in OAB symptom severity (Overactive Bladder Questionnaire, OAB-Q SF), improvement in OAB health-related quality of life (HRQL) (OAB-Q SF), and sexual function (Sexual Quality of Life–Female, SQOL-F) after 12 weeks. Secondary endpoint was change in total number of micturitions.

Results

After 12-weeks, the combination group had a significant improvement in OAB symptom severity ( p = 0.006), HRQL ( p = 0.029), and SQOL-F (0.0003). The fesoterodine alone group also had significant improvement in OAB symptom severity ( p < 0.0001), HRQL ( p = 0.0002), and SQOL-F ( p = 0.02). When compared directly to the fesoterodine alone group, the combination group after 12-weeks had a reduced OAB symptom severity (10 versus 23.3; p = 0.35), higher HRQL (96.9 versus 84.6; p = 0.75), and higher SQOL-F (99 versus 81; p = 0.098). The total number of micturitions over 3 d was significantly reduced in the combination group (45–26, p = 0.03) between baseline and 12-weeks.

Conclusions

The combined effect of fesoterodine and topical vaginal estrogen improved OAB symptoms and sexual function in postmenopausal women.
Conversations and Campaign Dynamics in a Hybrid Media Environment: Use of Twitter by Members of the German Bundestag
Authors: Nuernbergk Christian , Conrad Julia
Published: February 2016

This article examines how Members of the German Bundestag (MdBs) used Twitter in the context of the country’s 2013 federal elections. In particular, we explore the dynamics in the MdBs’ use of Twitter during different periods of the electoral term: How do the tweeting habits of MdBs differ by party before and during the election campaign in (a) public versus personal communication and (b) campaign versus policy messages? How are the selection of interaction partners, centralization on leading actors, and reciprocity of the MdBs’ Twitter networks affected by election campaigning? We address these questions by conducting a content analysis combined with a network analysis of interaction patterns. The comparative application of both methods explains the differences of MdBs’ networks. The comparison clearly exhibits election campaign-driven changes related to the amount of activity and the character of tweeted messages. During the campaign period, MdBs’ tweets clearly discussed specific policies less than before. Tweeting about one’s personal life occurred also less frequently in the final campaign stage. Instead, the MdBs mainly complement other forms of election campaigning through a vivid metacommunication on campaign developments. Network relations reflect these variations and were less often reciprocated in proximity to the election and showed a higher degree of group homophily. We also found a substantial representation of print and broadcast media actors in the examined @reply networks. It is likely that these interactions and conversations with journalists are part of an MdB’s individual performance of “news management.”
Precarious Popularity: Facebook Drinking Photos, the Attention Economy, and the Regime of the Branded Self
Authors: Goodwin Ian , Griffin Christine , Lyons Antonia , McCreanor Timothy , Moewaka Barnes Helen
Published: February 2016

Young people are often accused of being foolhardy for posting photos on Facebook that depict drinking and intoxication. However, in this article, we argue young people’s predilection for posting Facebook drinking photos must be understood in relation to Facebook’s specific architecture and affordances, and is symptomatic of new forms of online sociality and “required” aspects of identity work which are tied to imperatives for self-promotion in the current conjuncture. Focusing on young people’s own accounts of Facebook drinking displays derived from 24 focus groups in Aotearoa New Zealand, we develop an interpretative thematic analysis which suggests drinking photos facilitate valued forms of “amplified,” “authentic” sociality, visibility, and popularity. Our analysis highlights young people as negotiating forms of social connection and precarious popularity online in an active effort to navigate the risks and opportunities associated with drinking as a site of pleasure, leisure, and self-display. However, their experiences remain differentiated and entail the uneven distribution of risks and opportunities due to elided structural power relations. Moreover, while individuating imperatives for self-promotion are in one sense unavoidable, they are also contested through forms of evasion, resistance, and broader struggles for value linked to articulations of alternate senses of selfhood.
Clinician-Reported Barriers to Group Visit Implementation
Authors: Careyva Beth A. , Johnson Melanie B. , Goodrich Samantha A. , Shaak Kyle , Stello Brian
Published: February 2016

Background: Group visits have been shown to improve disease-oriented outcomes and satisfaction, yet many clinicians have not incorporated them into practice. We aimed to identify clinician-reported barriers that preclude clinicians from implementing group visits. Methods: Primary care physicians from one practice-based research network were surveyed regarding their experience with and barriers to group visits. The survey, developed for this study, was mailed to 246 clinicians. Results: Of 107 respondents (44% response rate), those in practice <10 years were significantly more likely to have had group visit experience than those with >10 years of experience. For those without prior group visit experience, training was named as the top barrier to incorporating group visits. Those with group visit experience named staffing concerns and recruitment as the top barriers to group visit implementation. Conclusions: Primary care clinicians without prior group visit experience were less likely to endorse group visits. Addressing the modifiable barriers may enhance the incorporation of group visits into practice.
Area-Level Socioeconomic Factors Are Associated With Noncompletion of Pediatric Preventive Services
Authors: Jones Margaret N. , Brown Courtney M. , Widener Michael J. , Sucharew Heidi J. , Beck Andrew F.
Published: February 2016

We examined 4872 infants born consecutively, 2011-2012, and seen at 3 primary care centers to determine whether area-based socioeconomic measures were associated with noncompletion of common preventive services within the first 15 months. Addresses were geocoded and linked to census tract poverty, adult educational attainment, and household vehicle ownership rates. The quartile of patients in the highest poverty (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.54) and lowest vehicle ownership tracts (aOR 1.32; 95% CI 1.07-1.63) had significantly increased odds of service noncompletion. There were significant spatial clusters of low completion in Cincinnati’s urban core. These findings have implications for preventive service delivery.
Left Isomerism of the Atrial Appendages With Sinus Venosus Defect and Anomalous Systemic Venous Drainage
Authors: Talwar Sachin , Ramakrishnan Pradeep , Anderson Robert H. , Choudhary Shiv Kumary , Makhija Neeti , Kumar Sanjiv , Airan Balram
Published: February 2016

We present a case with left isomerism, interruption of the inferior caval vein, anomalous systemic venous drainage with partially anomalous pulmonary venous drainage, and a sinus venosus type of atrial septal defect in the absence of a right superior caval vein. This report is of interest because of a rare combination of these anomalies, which was accurately diagnosed and successfully repaired.
Early cytomegalovirus reactivation remains associated with increased transplant-related mortality in the current era: a CIBMTR analysis
Authors: Teira Pierre , Battiwalla Minoo , Ramanathan Muthalagu , Barrett A. John , Ahn Kwang Woo , Chen Min , Green Jaime S. , Saad Ayman , Antin Joseph H. , Savani Bipin N. , Lazarus Hillard M. , Seftel Matthew , Saber Wael , Marks David , Aljurf Mahmoud , Norkin Maxim , Wingard John R. , Lindemans Caroline A. , Boeckh Michael , Riches Marcie L. , Auletta Jeffery J.
Published: February 2016

Key Points

Cytomegalovirus after bone marrow transplantation remains associated with lower survival but not prevention of leukemia relapse.
Reprogramming of blood cells into induced pluripotent stem cells as a new cell source for cartilage repair
Authors: Li Yueying , Liu Tie , Van Halm-Lutterodt Nicholas , Chen JiaYu , Su Qingjun , Hai Yong
Published: February 2016

Background

An attempt was made to reprogram peripheral blood cells into human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSCs) as a new cell source for cartilage repair.

Methods

We generated chondrogenic lineage from human peripheral blood via hiPSCs using an integration-free method. Peripheral blood cells were either obtained from a human blood bank or freshly collected from volunteers. After transforming peripheral blood cells into iPSCs, the newly derived iPSCs were further characterized through karyotype analysis, pluripotency gene expression and cell differentiation ability. iPSCs were differentiated through multiple steps, including embryoid body formation, hiPSC-mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-like cell expansion, and chondrogenic induction for 21 days. Chondrocyte phenotype was then assessed by morphological, histological and biochemical analysis, as well as the chondrogenic expression.

Results

hiPSCs derived from peripheral blood cells were successfully generated, and were characterized by fluorescent immunostaining of pluripotent markers and teratoma formation in vivo. Flow cytometric analysis showed that MSC markers CD73 and CD105 were present in monolayer cultured hiPSC–MSC-like cells. Both alcian blue and toluidine blue staining of hiPSC–MSC-chondrogenic pellets showed as positive. Immunohistochemistry of collagen II and X staining of the pellets were also positive. The sulfated glycosaminoglycan content was significantly increased, and the expression levels of the chondrogenic markers COL2, COL10, COL9 and AGGRECAN were significantly higher in chondrogenic pellets than in undifferentiated cells. These results indicated that peripheral blood cells could be a potential source for differentiation into chondrogenic lineage in vitro via generation of mesenchymal progenitor cells.

Conclusions

This study supports the potential applications of utilizing peripheral blood cells in generating seed cells for cartilage regenerative medicine in a patient-specific and cost-effective approach.
CCR2 signaling contributes to the differentiation of protective inflammatory dendritic cells in Leishmania braziliensis infection
Authors: Costa Diego L , Lima-Júnior Djalma S , Nascimento Manuela S , Sacramento Laís A , Almeida Roque P , Carregaro Vanessa , Silva João S
Published: February 2016

In vertebrate hosts, Leishmania braziliensis parasites infect mainly mononuclear phagocytic system cells, which when activated by T helper cell type 1 cytokines produce nitric oxide and kill the pathogens. Chemokine (C–C motif) receptor 2 is a chemokine receptor that binds primarily chemokine (C–C motif) ligand 2 and has an important role in the recruitment of monocytic phagocytes. Although it has been reported that Leishmania braziliensis infection induces CCR2 expression in the lesions, the role of CCR2 during Leishmania braziliensis infection remains unknown. Here, we showed that CCR2 has a role in mediating protection against Leishmania braziliensis infection in mice. The absence of CCR2 resulted in increased susceptibility to infection and was associated with low amounts of Ly6C+ inflammatory dendritic cells in the lesions, which we found to be the major sources of tumor necrosis factor production and induced nitric oxide synthase expression in C57BL/6 mice lesions. Consequently, CCR2−/− mice showed decreased tumor necrosis factor production and induced nitric oxide synthase expression, resulting in impaired parasite elimination. We also demonstrated that CCR2 has a role in directly mediating the differentiation of monocytes into inflammatory dendritic cells at the infection sites, contributing to the accumulation of inflammatory dendritic cells in Leishmania braziliensis lesions and subsequent control of parasite replication. Therefore, these data provide new information on the role of chemokines during the immune response to infections and identify a potential target for therapeutic interventions in cutaneous leishmaniasis.
DICER, DROSHA and DNA damage response RNAs are necessary for the secondary recruitment of DNA damage response factors
Authors: Francia Sofia , Cabrini Matteo , Matti Valentina , Oldani Amanda , d'Adda di Fagagna Fabrizio
Published: February 2016

The DNA damage response (DDR) plays a central role in preserving genome integrity. Recently, we reported that the endoribonucleases DICER and DROSHA contribute to DDR activation by generating small non-coding RNAs, termed DNA damage response RNA (DDRNA), carrying the sequence of the damaged locus. It is presently unclear whether DDRNAs act by promoting the primary recognition of DNA lesions or the secondary recruitment of DDR factors into cytologically detectable foci and consequent signal amplification. Here, we demonstrate that DICER and DROSHA are dispensable for primary recruitment of the DDR sensor NBS1 to DNA damage sites. Instead, the accumulation of the DDR mediators MDC1 and 53BP1 (also known as TP53BP1), markers of secondary recruitment, is reduced in DICER- or DROSHA-inactivated cells. In addition, NBS1 (also known as NBN) primary recruitment is resistant to RNA degradation, consistent with the notion that RNA is dispensable for primary recognition of DNA lesions. We propose that DICER, DROSHA and DDRNAs act in the response to DNA damage after primary recognition of DNA lesions and, together with γH2AX, are essential for enabling the secondary recruitment of DDR factors and fuel the amplification of DDR signaling.
Trimerization of Acetylene Catalyzed by Ir(PH2CH2CH2PH2)Cl(cod): A Computational Study
Authors: Dahy AbdelRahman A , Koga Nobuaki
Published: February 2016

The mechanisms for the trimerization of acetylene in the presence of (PH2CH2CH2PH2)IrCl as an active catalyst were investigated by density functional (B3LYP and M06) theory calculations. The reactant bis(acetylene)–Ir complex has a distorted trigonal bipyramid structure, and thus, there are three types of equilibrium structures connected by pseudorotation. The first oxidative coupling takes place between the acetylene molecule coordinating at the axial position and that in the equatorial plane in these reactant complexes to afford square pyramidal iridacyclopentadiene complexes through one of the two favorable transition states. Then, the third acetylene molecule attacks the iridacyclopentadiene intermediate, accompanied by Cl migration, to afford the iridacyclopentadiene–acetylene complex. The formation of a benzene complex from this acetylene complex involves reaction pathways based on intramolecular [4+2] cycloaddition and the Schore mechanism through iridacycloheptatriene, as well as the bicycle mechanism. The most favorable pathway for the formation of the benzene complex is through intramolecular [4+2] cycloaddition to form the η4-benzene–Ir complex, and finally, to the η2-benzene–Ir complex. This reaction mechanism is compared with that for reactions catalyzed by TpIr and CpIr systems.
Lifting the ban on Dutch brothels: do local social needs and local political demands matter for municipal prostitution policies?
Authors: Jans Wouter , Denters Bas , Need Ariana , van Gerven Minna
Published: February 2016

This article examines to what extent Dutch municipalities have adapted new local prostitution regulations to local needs and demands following decentralisation in 2000. We examined the extent to which a national template is locally adapted, and which factors inspired such adaptations. We found that many municipalities extensively copied the regulatory template developed by the Dutch Association of Municipalities. Our analyses show that – unexpectedly and contrary to popular arguments on the merits of decentralisation – local needs and demands played no major role in explaining local policy-adaptations. Political fragmentation and size-related municipal resources however do explain differences in local adaptations.
Memorialization and representation of immigrants in contemporary Italy: The case of Mimmo Paladino’s monument ‘Gateway to Lampedusa/Gateway to Europe’
Authors: Muneroni Stefano
Published: February 2016

This article is a critical reading of Mimmo Paladino’s ‘Gateway to Lampedusa/Gateway to Europe’, a memorial built in Lampedusa to honour the lives of thousands of immigrants who died trying to reach Italian shores. It considers how the monument’s ambiguous representation of migrants reveals the deeply contradictory position of Italy towards the mass immigration it has experienced in recent years, and it contextualizes the creation of the memorial in 2008, the year Berlusconi’s third government began. The close analysis of Paladino’s bas-reliefs illustrates the iconographic reification of old colonial stereotypes that essentialize and dehumanize the immigrants in order to separate them from the supposedly superior Italians. Ultimately, the article argues that the Gateway to Lampedusa reflects an ideal vision of Italy that is rhetorically crafted to support a culturally and racially pure image of the country. Thus the representation of immigrants is intrinsically tied to Italy’s process of self-definition that both accepts and rejects aspects of the historical past in order to maintain a self-image grounded in cultural and social heterogeneity.
The use of PCR and Real-Time PCR for Qualitative and Quantitative Determination of Poultry and Chicken Meals
Authors: Natonek-Wiśniewska Małgorzata , Krzyścin Piotr
Published: February 2016

European Union regulations (e.g. Commission Regulation (EU) No 56/2013) set restrictions on the use of poultry meals in animal nutrition, which requires the species composition of manufactured feeds to be constantly monitored. The aim of this study is to develop a method for qualitative analysis of poultry meals, enabling the four main poultry species (chicken, turkey, duck, goose) to be detected using one pair of primers, and a method for quantitative determination of chicken meals in poultry meals. The qualitative identification method was developed using PCR technology, whereas qPCR and TaqMan probes were used for quantitative identification. The study was performed with samples of feed mixture containing poultry and chicken meal. The limit of determination was 0.08% and 0.02% for qualitative and quantitative identification, respectively. The results of quantitative determinations obtained for independent DNA isolations from the same samples are repeatable (RSDcT ≤0.46%). The determined concentrations are accurate (Dc ≤11.23% for c ≥0.06). The identification of target sequences in both tests is good enough for commercial applications.
Adaptive optical beam shaping for compensating projection-induced focus deformation
Authors: Pütsch Oliver , Stollenwerk Jochen , Loosen Peter
Published: February 2016

Scanner-based applications are already widely used for the processing of surfaces, as they allow for highly dynamic deflection of the laser beam. Particularly, the processing of three-dimensional surfaces with laser radiation initiates the development of highly innovative manufacturing techniques. Unfortunately, the focused laser beam suffers from deformation caused by the involved projection mechanisms. The degree of deformation is field variant and depends on both the surface geometry and the working position of the laser beam. Depending on the process sensitivity, the deformation affects the process quality, which motivates a method of compensation. Current approaches are based on a local adaption of the laser power to maintain constant intensity within the interaction zone. For advanced manufacturing, this approach is insufficient, as the residual deformation of the initial circular laser spot is not taken into account. In this paper, an alternative approach is discussed. Additional beam-shaping devices are integrated between the laser source and the scanner, and allow for an in situ compensation to ensure a field-invariant circular focus spot within the interaction zone. Beyond the optical design, the approach is challenging with respect to the control theory’s point of view, as both the beam deflection and the compensation have to be synchronized.
A Shift in U.S. Foreign Policy under the Nixon Administration and European Political Cooperation: A Historical Analysis
Authors: Nguyen Thi Thuy Hang
Published: February 2016

With a historical approach, this paper examines the Nixon administration’s policy and stance towards the European Political Cooperation (the EPC). In December 1969, at The Hague Summit the leaders of the European Community expressed their determination for deepening European integration. The final communiqué of The Hague Summit stressed the European Community’s desire to achieve the EPC and to parallel the European Community’s increasing economic strength with a role to play in the world affairs. With this in mind, the paper will examine the impacts that Nixon administration’s attempts to rebalance U.S. foreign relations reflected in the opening to China and the détente with the Soviet Union had on the European political integration. Then, it will be argued that the Nixon administration’s shifting of foreign policy priorities can be seen as one of the driving forces of the EPC. The paper puts forth that a European Community, whose weight was increased first by its economic integration and then by its political cooperation, was seen by the Nixon administration as a challenge to the United States. It is concluded that after a long time of consistently supporting European integration as a means to secure peace and prosperity in Europe, the United States under the Nixon administration had to reconsider its foreign relations and rebalance its focus on the global chessboard. This rebalancing certainly impacted the EPC in particular and the European integration process in general.
A policy fiasco: The institutional (non-)reform of Czech public employment services in 2011
Authors: Kotrusová Miriam , Výborná Klára
Published: February 2016

The article deals with an institutional reform of public employment services implemented in the Czech Republic in 2011. By merging social benefits administration with employment services into the newly established Labour Office of the Czech Republic, the right-wing government attempted to reduce the staffing and administrative costs of these services and to improve the governance of local labour offices. Using the theoretical concept of “policy fiasco” and taking an interpretive perspective thereon, we analyse these organisational changes in the functioning of public employment services in the Czech Republic. Our data consist of interviews with experts on labour market policy in the Czech Republic and two focus groups with employees of labour offices who had participated in the reform process. We conclude that the institutional reform of public employment services in the Czech Republic in 2011 can be referred to as a policy fiasco in the sense of the theoretical concept used in the work of Bovens and t’Hart (1998).
Institutionalization of Foreign Policy Think Tanks in Italy and in the UK: An Explanatory Framework
Authors: Longhini Anna
Published: February 2016

This article explores the phenomenon of foreign policy think tanks in Europe in a comparative perspective and offers a framework of analysis for this topic. Assuming that think tanks were largely imported from the US after World Wars I and II, the article argues that European think tanks have been influenced by the different national political contexts in which they have undergone a process of institutionalization. First, the article hypothesizes that such contexts have contributed to determining different incentives for cooperation between think tanks and national policymakers. Such cooperation is based on the willingness of policymakers to turn to think tanks for expertise, advice or validation of policy decisions. Secondly, different political contexts are expected to influence the strategies of action that think tanks have developed towards policymakers and their audience. In this respect, the article identifies three strategies: the generalist, the advocate and the lobbyist. Empirically, the article is based on a survey of eleven organizations conducted in two countries, Italy and the United Kingdom, in 2013-14. Given that very few data are available on this type of organization, their activities, funding, policy audience and goals are investigated. These indicators are used to investigate the main commonalities and differences between the two cases and to compare them with the hypotheses. The results first show that there is comparatively more funding available for think tanks in the UK system than in the Italian one. Secondly, there is apparently more willingness from policymakers to turn to think tanks for expertise in the former case, considering that the UK think tanks hold a higher number of closed-door events and parliamentary hearings. On the contrary, where policymakers tend, instead, to more scarcely rely on external expertise - as it seems more evident in the Italian case - the core audience of think tanks tends to shift to other, more accessible targets (the public opinion, the academia or even businesses). The case study makes it more evident how advocacy becomes a far less important activity for an Italian think tank than a UK one.
Response of Central European Civil Security Systems to the Economic Crisis
Authors: Brázová Věra - Karin
Published: February 2016

The public sector across Europe and elsewhere was affected by the economic crisis which fully unfolded in 2008. Considerable attention has been paid in the literature to the impacts of related budgetary cuts on social welfare, while some other areas remain largely under-researched. One of such areas is the so-called civil security, where no such endeavour has been attempted so far. In order to fill this gap, the paper examines the civil security systems of Central European countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary), employing a qualitative comparative analysis. Taking on the systems perspective, the article inquires how the stress posed by the economic crisis affected the civil security systems - their structure and financing. The paper builds on the findings from a 7th FP project, “ANVIL”, within which data on civil protection and disaster management systems were collected.
Tilting theory via stable homotopy theory
Authors: Groth Moritz , Šťovíček Jan
Published: February 2016

We show that certain tilting results for quivers are formal consequences of stability, and as such are part of a formal calculus available in any abstract stable homotopy theory. Thus these results are for example valid over arbitrary ground rings, for quasi-coherent modules on schemes, in the differential-graded context, in stable homotopy theory and also in the equivariant, motivic or parametrized variant thereof. In further work, we will continue developing this calculus and obtain additional abstract tilting results. Here, we also deduce an additional characterization of stability, based on Goodwillie’s strongly (co)cartesian n-cubes. As applications we construct abstract Auslander–Reiten translations and abstract Serre functors for the trivalent source and verify the relative fractionally Calabi–Yau property. This is used to offer a new perspective on May’s axioms for monoidal, triangulated categories.
Premixed Methanol–Air Combustion Characteristics in a Mini-scale Catalytic Combustor
Authors: Chein Reiyu , Chen Yen-Cho , Chen Jui-Yu , Chung J. N.
Published: February 2016

Methanol catalytic combustion in a mini-scale tubular quartz-made combustor is investigated in this study. An alumina sphere was employed as the support for the platinum catalyst. The experimental results showed that the combustion can be self-ignited at room temperature. Using the combustor wall temperature to characterize the combustor performance, it was found that the combustion temperature can reach a high value within a short time. The experimental results indicated that the combustor performance depends greatly on the fuel/air supply. A higher temperature can be obtained with a higher fuel/air flow rate. The insulated and non-insulated combustor experimental results indicated that heat loss to the environment is an important factor in governing the combustion characteristics due to the large surface/volume ratio. A higher temperature can also be obtained when the combustor is insulated. Because most of the combustion took place at the combustor entrance region, the experimental result suggested that the combustor length can be shortened, leading to a more compact design allowing the combustor integration with various applications. A simple numerical model was built to provide a greater understanding of the combustion characteristics and examine the heat loss effect on combustor performance.
Steady-State Modeling of Pt-Catalyzed H2 Combustion in a Monolithic Reactor: From Micro- to Macro-kinetics
Authors: Su Qi , Zha Xiao-Ling , Xu Jin , Yu Wei-Fang
Published: February 2016

Micro-kinetic modeling of Pt-catalyzed hydrogen oxidation in a monolithic reactor was carried out for various feed temperatures. The monolith behavior was described by a simplified steady-state model that avoids surface species enthalpy evaluation and does not have temperatures as unknowns. A simplified pseudoarch length method was used to obtain the multiple solution branches for this typical exothermic reaction system. Based on parametric sensitivity and surface species distribution analyses of the micro-kinetic modeling results, macro-kinetic models that involve only gas concentrations were derived and were used to explain the composition effects on ignition temperature.
Dynamic Modeling of CATOFIN® Fixed-Bed Iso-Butane Dehydrogenation Reactor for Operational Optimization
Authors: Nawaz Zeeshan
Published: February 2016

The catalytic dehydrogenation of iso-butane to iso-butylene is an equilibrium limited endothermic reaction and requires high temperature. The catalyst deactivates quickly, due to deposition of carbonaceous species and countered by periodic regeneration. The reaction-engineering constraints are tied up with operation and/or technology design features. CATOFIN® is a sophisticated commercialized technology for propane/iso-butane dehydrogenation using multiple adiabatic fixed-bed reactors having Cr2O3/Al2O3 as catalyst, that undergo cyclic operations (~18–30m); dehydrogenation, regeneration, evacuation, purging and reduction. It is always a concern, how to maintain CATOFIN® reactor at an optimum production, while overcoming gradual decrease of heat in catalyst bed and deactivation. A homogeneous one-dimensional dynamic reactor model for a commercial CATOFIN® fixed-bed iso-butane dehydrogenation reactor is developed in an equation oriented (EO) platform Aspen Custom Modeler (ACM), for operational optimization and process intensification. Both reaction and regeneration steps were modeled and results were validated. The model predicts the dynamic behavior and demonstrates the extent of catalyst utilization with operating conditions and time, coke formation and removal, etc. The model computes optimum catalyst bed temperature profiles, feed rate, pre-heating, rates for reaction and regeneration, fuel gas requirement, optimum catalyst amount, overall cycle time optimization, and suggest best operational philosophy.
Efficacy and safety of triptorelin 6-month formulation in patients with central precocious puberty
Authors: Klein Karen , Yang Joshua , Aisenberg Javier , Wright Nancy , Kaplowitz Paul , Lahlou Najiba , Linares Jeannete , Lundström Eija , Purcea Daniela , Cassorla Fernando
Published: February 2016

Triptorelin is an established treatment for central precocious puberty (CPP) as 1- and 3-month formulations. The current triptorelin 22.5 mg 6-month formulation is approved for prostate cancer therapy. This is the first study in patients with CPP.

The efficacy and safety of the triptorelin 6-month formulation in CPP were investigated. The primary objective was to evaluate the efficacy in achieving luteinizing hormone (LH) suppression to pre-pubertal levels at month 6. This was an international, non-comparative phase III study over 48 weeks. Eighteen medical centers in the US, Chile and Mexico participated. Forty-four treatment naïve patients (39 girls and five boys) aged at treatment start 2–8 years for girls and 2–9 years for boys with an advancement of bone age over chronological age ≥1 year were to be included. Triptorelin was administered im twice at an interval of 24 weeks. LH, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) (basal and stimulated), estradiol (girls), testosterone (boys), auxological parameters, clinical signs of puberty and safety were assessed.

Forty-one patients (93.2%) showed pre-pubertal LH levels (stimulated LH ≤5 IU/L) at month 6 and maintained LH suppression through month 12. The percentage of patients with LH suppression exceeded 93% at each time point and reached 97.7% at month 12. No unexpected drug-related adverse events were reported.

The triptorelin 6-month formulation was safe and effective in suppressing the pituitary-gonadal axis in children with CPP. The extended injection interval may improve compliance and increase comfort in the management of CPP.
Glossary of terms used in computational drug design, part II (IUPAC Recommendations 2015)
Authors: Martin Yvonne C. , Abagyan Ruben , Ferenczy György G. , Gillet Val J. , Oprea Tudor I. , Ulander Johan , Winkler David , Zefirov Nicolai S.
Published: February 2016

Computational drug design is a rapidly changing field that plays an increasingly important role in medicinal chemistry. Since the publication of the first glossary in 1997, substantial changes have occurred in both medicinal chemistry and computational drug design. This has resulted in the use of many new terms and the consequent necessity to update the previous glossary. For this purpose a Working Party of eight experts was assembled. They produced explanatory definitions of more than 150 new and revised terms.
Soviet Manipulation of the Memory of the Lithuanian Guerrilla War
Authors: Jurkutė Mingailė
Published: February 2016

The paper analyses the transformation of the collective memory of the Lithuanian guerrilla war (1944–1953) during the Soviet occupation. The problem that arises on observation of the collective memory of Guerrilla war period is the disparity between the sense and meaning of the guerilla war as it was happening and the shapes of its memory that emerged at the beginning of the perestrojka and the reestablishment of the independence. The shift from the high support for the resistance and it’s goals in the 50’s to the ignorance of it can be observed, as well as the changing of the perception of it as the fight between two sovereign countries (Lithuania and the SSRS) towards the internal conflict in Lithuanian society. The paper raises the question about the reasons for this transformation and the impact of Soviet propaganda (expanding it to the scope of “historical culture” in Jorn Rüsen terms). The research of one peculiar sphere of soviet historical culture, that is, the building of monuments and carrying out of the related memorial practices, proved, that the forms and the intensity of the development of the soviet narrative of the Lithuanian Guerrilla war were poor and inconsequential. Such a results support the hypothesis that the soviet historical culture was not decisive in transformation of a collective memory, and that suggests to pay more attention not to the actions of the regime, but to sociological, sociohistorical and anthropological research of Lithuanian soviet society.
On the Onset of Thermal Convection in a Layer of Oldroydian Visco-Elastic Fluid Saturated by Brinkman–Darcy Porous Medium
Authors: Chand Ramesh
Published: February 2016

Thermal instability in a horizontal layer of Oldroydian visco-elastic fluid in a porous medium is investigated. For porous medium the Brinkman–Darcy model is considered. A linear stability analysis based upon perturbation method and normal mode technique is used to find solution of the fluid layer confined between two free-free boundaries. The onset criterion for stationary and oscillatory convection is derived analytically. The influence of the Brinkman–Darcy, Prandtl–Darcy number, stress relaxation parameter on the stationary and oscillatory convection is studied both analytically and graphically. The sufficient condition for the validity of PES has also been derived.
Stiffness of Railway Soil-Steel Structures
Authors: Machelski Czesław
Published: February 2016

The considerable influence of the soil backfill properties and that of the method of compacting it on the stiffness of soil-steel structures is characteristic of the latter. The above factors (exhibiting randomness) become apparent in shell deformation measurements conducted during construction and proof test loading. A definition of soil-shell structure stiffness, calculated on the basis of shell deflection under the service load, is proposed in the paper. It is demonstrated that the stiffness is the inverse of the deflection influence function used in structural mechanics. The moving load methodology is shown to be useful for testing, since it makes it possible to map the shell deflection influence line also in the case of group loads (concentrated forces), as in bridges. The analyzed cases show that the shell’s span, geometry (static scheme) and the height of earth fill influence the stiffness of the structure. The soil-steel structure’s characteristic parameter in the form of stiffness k is more suitable for assessing the quality of construction works than the proposed in code geometric index ω applied to beam structures. As shown in the given examples, parameter k is more effective than stiffness parameter λ used to estimate the deformation of soil-steel structures under construction. Although the examples concern railway structures, the methodology proposed in the paper is suitable also for road bridges.
Pile Load Capacity – Calculation Methods
Authors: Wrana Bogumił
Published: February 2016

The article is a review of the current problems of the foundation pile capacity calculations. The article considers the main principles of pile capacity calculations presented in Eurocode 7 and other methods with adequate explanations. Two main methods are presented: α – method used to calculate the short-term load capacity of piles in cohesive soils and β – method used to calculate the long-term load capacity of piles in both cohesive and cohesionless soils. Moreover, methods based on cone CPTu result are presented as well as the pile capacity problem based on static tests.
Soil fauna research in Poland: earthworms (Lumbricidae)
Authors: Pączka Grzegorz , Mazur-Pączka Anna , Kostecka Joanna
Published: February 2016

Living organisms are the foundation of ecosystem services. Of particular notice is zooedaphone, often underestimated and basically unknown to the general public. The present review summarizes the current state of knowledge related to earthworms occurring in natural and anthropogenically altered habitats in Poland, in the context of the requirement for protection of soil biodiversity.
Mechanical and Electronic Properties of P42/mnm Silicon Carbides
Authors: Zhang Quan , Wei Qun , Yan Haiyan , Fan Qingyang , Zhu Xuanmin , Zhang Junqin , Zhang Dongyun
Published: February 2016

Two new phases of Si8C4 and Si4C8 with the P42/mnm symmetry are proposed. Using first principles calculations based on density functional theory, the structural, elastic, and electronic properties of Si8C4 and Si4C8 are studied systematically. Both Si8C4 and Si4C8 are proved to be mechanically and dynamically stable. The elastic anisotropies of Si8C4 and Si4C8 are studied in detail. Electronic structure calculations show that Si8C4 and Si4C8 are indirect semiconductors with the band gap of 0.74 and 0.15 eV, respectively.
Guidance of Axons by Local Coupling of Retrograde Flow to Point Contact Adhesions
Authors: Nichol Robert H. , Hagen Kate M. , Lumbard Derek C. , Dent Erik W. , Gómez Timothy M.
Published: February 2016

Growth cones interact with the extracellular matrix (ECM) through integrin receptors at adhesion sites termed point contacts. Point contact adhesions link ECM proteins to the actin cytoskeleton through numerous adaptor and signaling proteins. One presumed function of growth cone point contacts is to restrain or “clutch” myosin-II-based filamentous actin (F-actin) retrograde flow (RF) to promote leading edge membrane protrusion. In motile non-neuronal cells, myosin-II binds and exerts force upon actin filaments at the leading edge, where clutching forces occur. However, in growth cones, it is unclear whether similar F-actin-clutching forces affect axon outgrowth and guidance. Here, we show inXenopusspinal neurons that RF is reduced in rapidly migrating growth cones on laminin (LN) compared with non-integrin-binding poly-d-lysine (PDL). Moreover, acute stimulation with LN accelerates axon outgrowth over a time course that correlates with point contact formation and reduced RF. These results suggest that RF is restricted by the assembly of point contacts, which we show occurs locally by two-channel imaging of RF and paxillin. Further, using micropatterns of PDL and LN, we demonstrate that individual growth cones have differential RF rates while interacting with two distinct substrata. Opposing effects on RF rates were also observed in growth cones treated with chemoattractive and chemorepulsive axon guidance cues that influence point contact adhesions. Finally, we show that RF is significantly attenuatedin vivo, suggesting that it is restrained by molecular clutching forces within the spinal cord. Together, our results suggest that local clutching of RF can control axon guidance on ECM proteins downstream of axon guidance cues.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTHere, we correlate point contact adhesions directly with clutching of filamentous actin retrograde flow (RF), which our findings strongly suggest guides developing axons. Acute assembly of new point contact adhesions is temporally and spatially linked to attenuation of RF at sites of forward membrane protrusion. Importantly, clutching of RF is modulated by extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and soluble axon guidance cues, suggesting that it may regulate axon guidancein vivo. Consistent with this notion, we found that RF rates of spinal neuron growth cones were slowerin vivothan what was observedin vitro. Together, our study provides the best evidence that growth cone–ECM adhesions clutch RF locally to guide axonsin vivo.