bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography to evaluate changes in renal cortical microcirculation induced by noradrenaline: a pilot study
Authors: Schneider Antoine G , Goodwin Mark D , Schelleman Anthony , Bailey Michael , Johnson Lynne , Bellomo Rinaldo
Published: November 2014

Introduction

We used contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to estimate the effect of an increase in mean arterial pressure (MAP) induced by noradrenaline infusion on renal microvascular cortical perfusion in critically ill patients.

Methods

Twelve patients requiring a noradrenaline infusion to maintain a MAP more than 60 mmHg within 48 hours of intensive care unit admission were included in the study. Renal CEUS scans with destruction-replenishment sequences and Sonovue® (Bracco, Milano Italy) as a contrast agent, were performed at baseline (MAP 60 to 65 mmHg) and after a noradrenaline-induced increase in MAP to 80 to 85 mmHg.

Results

There was no adverse effect associated with ultrasound contrast agent administration or increase in noradrenaline infusion rate. Adequate images were obtained in all patients at all study times. To reach the higher MAP target, median noradrenaline infusion rate was increased from 10 to 14 μg/min.

Noradrenaline-induced increases in MAP were not associated with a significant change in overall CEUS derived mean perfusion indices (median perfusion index 3056 (interquartile range: 2438 to 6771) arbitrary units (a.u.) at baseline versus 4101 (3067 to 5981) a.u. after MAP increase, P = 0.38). At individual level, however, we observed important heterogeneity in responses (range -51% to +97% changes from baseline).

Conclusions

A noradrenaline-induced increase in MAP was not associated with an overall increase in renal cortical perfusion as estimated by CEUS. However, at individual level, such response was heterogeneous and unpredictable suggesting great variability in pressure responsiveness within a cohort with a similar clinical phenotype.
Genome Informatics 2014
Authors: Simpson Jared T
Published: November 2014

A report on Genome Informatics 2014, held in Cambridge, UK, 21-24 September, 2014.
Clinical initiatives linking Japanese and Swedish healthcare resources on cancer studies utilizing Biobank Repositories
Authors: Nishimura Toshihide , Kawamura Takeshi , Sugihara Yutaka , Bando Yasuhiko , Sakamoto Shigeru , Nomura Masaharu , Ikeda Norihiko , Ohira Tatsuo , Fujimoto Junichiro , Tojo Hiromasa , Hamakubo Takao , Kodama Tatsuhiko , Andersson Roland , Fehniger Thomas E , Kato Harubumi , Marko‐Varga György
Published: November 2014

The Tokyo Medical University Hospital in Japan and the Lund University hospital in Sweden have recently initiated a research program with the objective to impact on patient treatment by clinical disease stage characterization (phenotyping), utilizing proteomics sequencing platforms. By sharing clinical experiences, patient treatment principles, and biobank strategies, our respective clinical teams in Japan and Sweden will aid in the development of predictive and drug related protein biomarkers.

Data from joint lung cancer studies are presented where protein expression from Neuro‐ Endocrine lung cancer (LCNEC) phenotype patients can be separated from Small cell‐ (SCLC) and Large Cell lung cancer (LCC) patients by deep sequencing and spectral counting analysis. LCNEC, a subtype of large cell carcinoma (LCC), is characterized by neuroendocrine differentiation that small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) shares. Pre‐therapeutic histological distinction between LCNEC and SCLC has so far been problematic, leading to adverse clinical outcome. An establishment of protein targets characteristic of LCNEC is quite helpful for decision of optimal therapeutic strategy by diagnosing individual patients. Proteoform annotation and clinical biobanking is part of the HUPO initiative (http://www.hupo.org) within chromosome 10 and chromosome 19 consortia.
Direct Regulation of Gonadotropin Release by Neurokinin B in Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
Authors: Biran Jakob , Golan Matan , Mizrahi Naama , Ogawa Satoshi , Parhar Ishwar S. , Levavi-Sivan Berta
Published: November 2014

Neurokinin B (NKB) was recently identified as a key regulator of reproduction in mammals and fish. Fish were found to possess a specific novel neurokinin termed NKF. To study the role of NKB/NKF in the regulation of fish reproduction and to investigate the role of NKB/NKF and their receptors in the piscine pituitary, we have identified the NKB/tachikinin 3 receptor (tac3r) system in tilapia. Bioinformatics and phylogenetic analyses have demonstrated that the tilapia holds 1 putative tac3 gene and 2 NKB receptor genes (tac3ra and tac3rb) that clustered with other piscine Tac3 and NKB receptor lineages. Furthermore, we found that in African cichlids, NKB peptides differ from other vertebrate NKBs in their C-terminal sequence, possessing isoleucine instead of valine as the X in the NKB FXGLM-NH2-terminal consensus sequence. Signal transduction analysis demonstrated that tilapia NKB (tiNKB), tiNKF, and human NKB activated both CRE-luc and SRE-luc transcriptional activity of both tilapia and human NKB receptors. Two hours after ip injection of tiNKB, the plasma levels of both FSH and LH were increased, whereas tiNKF was more effective in increasing LH levels. However, tiNKB was more effective than tiNKF in increasing both FSH and LH from tilapia pituitary dispersed cells. Using in situ hybridization and fluorescent immunohistochemistry, we have shown that LH cells possess tac3, tac3ra, and tac3rb mRNAs, whereas FSH cells possess mainly tac3rb and tac3ra and tac3 to a much lesser extent. These results suggest that the members of the NKB/tac3r system may serve as paracrine/autocrine regulators of gonadotropin release in fish pituitary.
Diabetes Insipidus: Celebrating a Century of Vasopressin Therapy
Authors: Qureshi Sana , Galiveeti Sneha , Bichet Daniel G. , Roth Jesse
Published: November 2014

Diabetes mellitus, widely known to the ancients for polyuria and glycosuria, budded off diabetes insipidus (DI) about 200 years ago, based on the glucose-free polyuria that characterized a subset of patients. In the late 19th century, clinicians identified the posterior pituitary as the site of pathology, and pharmacologists found multiple bioactivities there. Early in the 20th century, the amelioration of the polyuria with extracts of the posterior pituitary inaugurated a new era in therapy and advanced the hypothesis that DI was due to a hormone deficiency. Decades later, a subset of patients with polyuria unresponsive to therapy were recognized, leading to the distinction between central DI and nephrogenic DI, an early example of a hormone-resistant condition. Recognition that the posterior pituitary had 2 hormones was followed by du Vigneaud’s Nobel Prize winning isolation, sequencing, and chemical synthesis of oxytocin and vasopressin. The pure hormones accelerated the development of bioassays and immunoassays that confirmed the hormone deficiency in vasopressin-sensitive DI and abundant levels of hormone in patients with the nephrogenic disorder. With both forms of the disease, acquired and inborn defects were recognized. Emerging concepts of receptors and of genetic analysis led to the recognition of patients with mutations in the genes for 1) arginine vasopressin (AVP), 2) the AVP receptor 2 (AVPR2), and 3) the aquaporin 2 water channel (AQP2). We recount here the multiple skeins of clinical and laboratory research that intersected frequently over the centuries since the first recognition of DI.
Length-dependent Conductance in Conjugated Molecules in Parallel
Authors: Li Xiaolong , Liu Hongmei , Zhao Jianwei
Published: November 2014

We theoretically studied the length dependence of electron transport through a series of conjugated molecules, including molecular wires composed of benzene rings in parallel and oligophenylene with a single backbone. We found that the conductance of the parallel system is more than twice that of the single system, providing clear evidence for constructive quantum interference. Furthermore, the results show an exponential decay of conductance with increasing molecular length for both systems. The decay factor of the parallel system is much smaller than that of the single system. These properties can be understood from the interwire orbital overlap and the splitting of molecular orbitals in the parallel system, which significantly enhances the transmission probability of electron transport through the parallel system.
SR proteins control a complex network of RNA-processing events
Authors: Bradley Todd , Cook Malcolm E. , Blanchette Marco
Published: November 2014

SR proteins are a well-conserved class of RNA-binding proteins that are essential for regulation of splice-site selection, and have also been implicated as key regulators during other stages of RNA metabolism. For many SR proteins, the complexity of the RNA targets and specificity of RNA-binding location are poorly understood. It is also unclear if general rules governing SR protein alternative pre-mRNA splicing (AS) regulation uncovered for individual SR proteins on few model genes, apply to the activity of all SR proteins on endogenous targets. Using RNA-seq, we characterize the global AS regulation of the eight Drosophila SR protein family members. We find that a majority of AS events are regulated by multiple SR proteins, and that all SR proteins can promote exon inclusion, but also exon skipping. Most coregulated targets exhibit cooperative regulation, but some AS events are antagonistically regulated. Additionally, we found that SR protein levels can affect alternative promoter choices and polyadenylation site selection, as well as overall transcript levels. Cross-linking and immunoprecipitation coupled with high-throughput sequencing (iCLIP-seq), reveals that SR proteins bind a distinct and functionally diverse class of RNAs, which includes several classes of noncoding RNAs, uncovering possible novel functions of the SR protein family. Finally, we find that SR proteins exhibit positional RNA binding around regulated AS events. Therefore, regulation of AS by the SR proteins is the result of combinatorial regulation by multiple SR protein family members on most endogenous targets, and SR proteins have a broader role in integrating multiple layers of gene expression regulation.
(Ad)dressing the female body
Authors: Trigg Madaleine
Published: November 2014

This visual essay presents a body of work that uses a ‘language of flesh’ and fabric to make explicit the relationship between the body, image and our increasingly material world. Recognizing that our skin is a site of inscription for social and cultural ideals, it considers how these images have been internalized and appropriated onto the body. As the temptation to sculpt our body through clothing and cosmetic surgery becomes increasingly pressing, it is important to pose questions as to how and why we are fashioned. Weaving together feminist concerns, and touching upon (syn)aesthetic discourses to frame and embellish these samples of practice, it is hoped that certain assumptions about the female body are ruptured. Using the site/sight of the body to try and expose these fabrications, I have created these ‘articulate’ costumes to unpick them.

These costumes are critical as they deny their conventional function, instead opening up and celebrating the visceral, living body. These subversions, in undermining typical narratives of fashion and flesh, create a space to (re)present this body; allowing it to speak for itself. (Ad)dressing the female body here refers to material and physical strategies to un/dress; in order to readdress our corporeal and conceptual understanding of the body.
Map 01 (Vale Tudo): Notes on the creative process and performance documentation
Authors: Schwarz Erika
Published: November 2014

Map 01 (Vale Tudo) integrates Erika Schwarz’s currently research about costume as performance and appropriation of objects, in relation to the main supplier of scenographic materials from Rio de Janeiro: the S.A.A.R.A. – Society of Friends Adjacent to Alfandega Street commercial shopping district. Articulating personal experiences, cultural traditions and questions about Brazilian artistic productions in contemporaneity, this four hours performance uses the performativity and the theatricality of the real to problematize not only the relationship between production and creation within a project of costume or scenery, but its own use of materials, ready-made pieces and everyday objects as a metalinguistic issue. The performatic action begins with the performer/designer arriving at S.A.A.R.A. equipped with a large map of the region. In this map, a route has been traced out, the fruit of prior research, which it is permeated by, leading the performer to find different shapes and colours. Along this path, multiple purchases are made, initiating the accumulation process of materials and the composition of costumes in situ. It culminates in the creation of a theatrical figure/body and also in the radical (and surrealistic) transformation of objects – at first banal – in the eyes of another (attentive observer or mere passer-by).
Eliminating Persistent Statistical Discrimination: An Analysis of Several Policy Options
Authors: Glawtschew Rebecca M.
Published: November 2014

I consider a model of endogenous human capital formation with competitively determined wages in a dynamic setting. In the presence of two distinguishable, but ex ante identical groups of workers, discrimination will be persistent in equilibrium. Using this framework, I then consider the effectiveness of three government policies designed to eliminate this discrimination. I determine the paths that workers will take after a policy is instated as well as how long a policy needs to be in place to guarantee the successful elimination of discrimination. The policies I consider are (1) a hiring subsidy that promotes the hiring of disadvantaged workers to the better job, (2) an investment voucher that defrays the monetary cost of human capital investment, and (3) an equal treatment policy under which firms are required to treat workers equally across groups. I find that all three policies have the potential to eliminate persistent discrimination if certain conditions are met. In a general equilibrium setting, I also address the welfare effects of the three policies for a parametric example.
Iconic semiosis and representational efficiency in the London Underground Diagram
Authors: Atã Pedro , Bitarello Breno , Queiroz João
Published: November 2014

The icon is the type of sign connected to efficient representational features, and its manipulation reveals more information about its object. The London Underground Diagram (LUD) is an iconic artifact and a well-known example of representational efficiency, having been copied by urban transportation systems worldwide. This paper investigates the efficiency of the LUD in the light of different conceptions of iconicity. We stress that a specialized representation is an icon of the formal structure of the problem for which it has been specialized. By embedding such rules of action and behavior, the icon acts as a semiotic artifact distributing cognitive effort and participating in niche construction.
From compounding to derivation The emergence of derivational affixes through “constructionalization”
Authors: Hüning Matthias , Booij Geert
Published: November 2014

The rise of new derivational affixes can be analyzed adequately as a case of “constructionalization” within the framework of Construction Morphology as developed by Booij (2010). We review some aspects and problems of previous accounts that view the emergence of derivational affixes as a case of grammaticalization or as a case of lexicalization, respectively. In line with recent developments in grammaticalization research, not the isolated element (word or affix) is viewed as the locus of change, but the complex word as a whole - seen as a “construction” in the sense of Construction Grammar - and its relation with other constructions. Morphological change can be conceived as constructional change at the word level.
Prolonged rooming-in in infancy is associated with generalized anxiety disorder in the adolescent period
Authors: Kaymaz Nazan , Gökten Emel Sarı , Uzun Mehmet Erdem , Yıldırım Şule , Tekin Mustafa , Topaloğlu Naci , Binnetoğlu Fatih Köksal
Published: November 2014

Objective:This study aims to investigate whether anxiety disorders in adolescents have a link with the separation time of bed/bedroom sharing with parents. It also aims to raise awareness in society about the issue of minimizing anxiety disorders in childhood.

Methods:A case-control study was conducted in Şevket Yılmaz Training and Research Hospital between June 2013 and May 2014. The participants included 51 adolescents who were diagnosed as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) with no-comorbidity and 71 healthy adolescents as the control group, who were chosen randomly. Diagnosis of GAD was based on the criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed) by child and adolescent psychiatry doctors. The Turkish version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used for the control group. A special survey about demographics and bed-sharing statements was constructed for the purpose of the study. The groups were analyzed in terms of duration of co-sleeping (bed-sharing) and rooming-in (keeping the mother and the baby in same room) with parents during infancy and the development of anxiety disorders in later period.

Results:Mean duration of rooming-in was significantly longer in the case group than in the control group (p=0.009). Similarly, mean duration of co-sleeping in the case group was longer than that of the control group. However, this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.529).

Conclusion:Sleeping in the same room with children for a long time may result in anxiety disorders in later period due to possible difficulties in bonding and/or less self-confidence.
The relationship between physical fitness and obesity among a sample of adolescents in Cyprus
Authors: Aphamis George , Giannaki Christoforos D. , Tsouloupas Costas N. , Ioannou Yiannakis , Hadjicharalambous Marios
Published: November 2014

Recent data revealed that adolescent obesity appeared to be a rising problem in Cyprus. However, there is a scarcity of published data regarding fitness-related parameters, which could contribute for the presence of obesity in Cyprus’ adolescence population. The aim of the current study was to investigate the association between adolescent obesity, body composition, and fitness levels. A total of 270 high school students volunteered to participate in this cross-sectional study. Body mass and height were assessed in order to calculate body mass index, while body fat percentage was calculated by using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Physical fitness parameters were assessed through a battery of field tests. Body fat was inversely associated with cardiorespiratory fitness levels, sprint and jumping performance, as well as with the frequency of physical education class sessions per week (p<0.05). The adolescents with high body fat were found to exhibit significant reductions in all the fitness related parameters (p<0.05), except with the arm strength (p>0.05). This study is the first to uncover an inverse association between high body fat and fitness-related parameters among a sample of adolescents in Cyprus. These data can be used in order to develop effective interventions aiming to counterbalance obesity and improve the overall health and the quality of life of adolescents.
Swiss Trade with the Allies and the Axis Powers during the Second World War
Authors: Golson Eric
Published: November 2014

This paper shows that in order to maintain its position the Swiss government offered Germany concessions on merchandise trade when necessary, but Switzerland was far from being under German control during the Second World War. Germany provided Switzerland with excess imports to exports while paying higher prices for Swiss goods. Although the levels of trade were considerably smaller due to geographic restrictions, Switzerland gave the Allies favourable terms of merchandise trade, in particular after 1943, in exchange for the continued recognition of Swiss independence. This is consistent with, but not necessarily explicit in the current literature. As a result of these findings, this paper concludes, from a merchandise trade perspective, Swiss neutrality was a policy of pragmatic self-preservation.
Synthesis and characterization of N2S2-tin macrocyclic complexes of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II)
Authors: Ghani Syed Sauban , Deo Aman
Published: November 2014

Complexes of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) containing N
Two in one: the bismuth bromido clusters in [Bi6Cp*6Br9][Bi7Br24]
Authors: Wójcik Katarzyna , Preda Ana Maria , Rüffer Tobias , Lang Heinrich , Mehring Michael
Published: November 2014

The reaction of [FeCp*(CO)
Segmentierung unterschiedlich stark ausgeprägter Welligkeiten auf lackierten Oberflächen
Authors: Vogelbacher Markus , Ziebarth Mathias , Olawsky Sabine , Beyerer Jürgen
Published: November 2014

Die Wahrnehmung lackierter Oberflächen wird sehr stark durch deren
Oberflächenrauheiten und -welligkeiten beeinflusst. Betrachtet man
die Welligkeiten, dann ist für den visuellen Eindruck nicht nur deren
Ausprägung, sondern auch der Verlauf entscheidend. Lokale Änderungen
im Verlauf können dazu führen, dass solche Oberflächen als
„unschön“ wahrgenommen werden. Die Einschätzung der Welligkeit
wird heute in der Industrie mit Hilfe verschiedener Messinstrumente
durchgeführt. Diese ignorieren dabei meist den zweidimensionalen
Charakter dieses Oberflächeneffektes und nehmen das optische Profil
der Oberfläche nur linienhaft auf. Änderungen in der Ausprägung werden
nicht berücksichtigt, da sie entweder herausgemittelt werden oder zu
einer Fehlmessung führen. In diesem Beitrag werden Methoden
vorgestellt, die zum einen die zweidimensionale Aufnahme und
Auswertung von Oberflächenwelligkeiten ermöglichen und zum anderen
Änderungen im Verlauf detektieren. Dazu wird ein deflektometrisches
Messsystem verwendet, um das Gradientenfeld der Oberfläche zu
erhalten. Durch Auswertung in bestimmten Wellenlängenbereichen wird
eine Vergleichbarkeit zu Standardkenngrößen aus der Industrie
gewährleistet.
Messunsicherheiten in der Durchflussmessung: Der Weg zum
Messunsicherheitsmodell und zur Unsicherheitsanalyse – Teil 2
Authors: Engel Rainer
Published: November 2014

Durchflusskalibriereinrichtungen lassen sich generell in drei am Messprozess
beteiligte Funktionselemente strukturieren, unabhängig von der Art des
Fluids und des verwendeten Referenznormals: das Referenznormal (Volumen oder
Masse), das zu kalibrierende Durchflussmessgerät sowie das
Verbindungselement dazwischen, das Zwischenrohr-Volumen [1]. Mittels
modellbasierter Analyse können diese Elemente separat einer
Unsicherheitsanalyse unterzogen werden, deren Einzelergebnisse in einem
Gesamtmodell zusammengeführt werden. Eine „exakte“ Analyse der
Messunsicherheit im Rahmen von Messungen in Durchflusskalibriereinrichtungen
erfordert die Berücksichtigung von Unsicherheitsbeiträgen, die aus
den dynamischen Effekten des Messprozesses und der daran beteiligten
Funktionskomponenten resultieren. Deren Ursachen wiederum sind im
Wesentlichen in mehr oder weniger zufälligen Schwankungen der
Messgröße Volumen- bzw. Massedurchfluss in der Messanlage
begründet. Eine Komponente, die wesentlich zur Gesamtmessunsicherheit
bei Durchflussmessungen und -kalibrierungen beiträgt, ist der
Prüfling selbst, d. h. der zu kalibrierende Durchflusssensor. Dieser
Unsicherheitsbeitrag resultiert sowohl aus dem Messprozess als auch aus
inhärenten Eigenschaften dieses Messgerätes. In dieser Fortsetzung
des in [47] erschienen Artikels werden die im Rahmen der Rückführungskette einer Durchflussnormalmesseinrichtung (Kalibriereinrichtung)
wirksamen Elemente bezüglich ihrer Unsicherheitsbeiträge, mit der
sie jeweils zur Gesamtmessunsicherheit einer derartigen Messeinrichtung
beitragen, quantitativ beschrieben, analysiert und bewertet.
Infrared Emitting HgTe Quantum Dots and Their Waveguide and Optoelectronic Devices
Authors: Kershaw Stephen V. , Rogach Andrey L.
Published: November 2014

The development of the research into the synthesis and optoelectronic
applications of HgTe and related quantum dots (QDs) is reviewed, from
the early days when it was felt that it might be a useful replacement
for rare earths in telecom optical amplifiers, through to its more
recent and broader appeal as an IR photodetector
technology. Appropriately the early investigation of the material
sprang from a contact with Prof. Horst Weller and his group at Hamburg
University. Though the problem of Auger recombination meant that it
was not so easy to make telecom amplifiers and lasers as many had
hoped, it has proved to have an extraordinarily broad bandgap tuning
range and just recently this has resulted in the demonstration of
photodetectors in the mid- to long-IR region operating at up to 12 μm wavelength. This impressive flexibility has led to interest in
HgTe QDs and optoelectronic devices based on them to be as strong as
ever and growing as the prospects for commercialization improve with
every narrowing in the gap between the performance of present day
epitaxial devices and QD-based technology. In a further satisfying and
well timed twist, Prof. Weller's 60th year has seen
preliminary reports of extended gain lifetime in `doped' HgTe QDs
which may yet lead to a completing of the circle with the distinct
possibility of electrically driven telecom wavelength lasers and
amplifiers in the coming years. This review follows the development of
the several synthetic methods to grow colloidal HgTe QDs, and their
deployment in optoelectronic devices to the present.
Kinetics of the Reactions of Hydroxyl Radicals with Diacetylene and
Vinylacetylene
Authors: Sommerer Jörg , Olzmann Matthias
Published: November 2014

Highly unsaturated hydrocarbons like diacetylene (C4H2)
or vinylacetylene (C4H4) are important intermediates in
combustion that can have impact on soot formation. One of their major
loss channels is reaction with hydroxyl radicals (OH). We studied the
reactions C4H2 + OH → products (1) and
C4H4 + OH → products (2) in a quasi-static
reactor with helium as bath gas. The hydroxyl radicals were produced
by laser flash-photolysis of nitric acid at a wavelength of
248 nm and detected by laser-induced fluorescence with
excitation at 282 nm. The rate coefficients were obtained
from the intensity-time profiles under pseudo-first order conditions
with respect to OH. We found a virtually temperature-independent rate
coefficient for reaction (1):
k
1 = (1.0 ± 0.3) × 10−11 cm3 s
–1
(T = 290–670 K,
P = 2.7–30.5 bar) and a weakly negative
temperature-dependent rate coefficient for reaction (2):
k
2(T) = (6.4 ± 1.9) × 10−12 exp (486 K/T) cm3 s
–1
(T = 295–740 K,
P = 1.7–19.2 bar). For neither of the two
reactions pressure dependence was observed. From comparisons with
analogous reaction systems, we conclude that the dominating reaction
pathway is OH addition, where in the case of C4H4 the double
bond is preferred over the triple bond.
Seeing Yourself in History
Authors: Caswell Michelle
Published: November 2014

Building on the author’s experiences as the co-founder and a board member of the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA), this article posits that independent, community-based archives are crucial tools for fighting the symbolic annihilation of historically marginalized groups.
Narrative inspiration in Liszt’s symphonic poems: The cases of Hunnenschlacht and Tasso, Lamento e Trionfo
Authors: Fallon-Ludwig Sandra
Published: November 2014

Although Franz Liszt’s symphonic poems were inspired by works of literature, poetry, and painting, the resulting works are not mere replicas of the inspirational source. Rather, Liszt concentrates on themes of importance gleaned from the sources and uses these ideas to create a musical narrative. In this paper, I explore two distinct musical narratives in Liszt’s symphonic poems: the “conflict and resolution” narrative evident in Hunnenschlacht and the “suffering and redemption” narrative of Tasso, Lamento e Trionfo. Through these examples, I demonstrate that musical narrative is an organizing force in and of itself within Liszt’s symphonic poems; a narrative progression towards apotheosis propels the music forward and suggests Liszt’s programmatic inspiration in each work. Although some seek to fit the musical structure of Liszt’s symphonic poems into a preexisting model, this paper proposes that the program is their integral part, and that only through a combination of programmatic and formal analyses can one gain a deeper understanding of these works as a whole.
Tolerably mobile subsea foundations – observations of performance
Authors: COCJIN M.L. , GOURVENEC S.M. , WHITE D.J. , RANDOLPH M.F.
Published: November 2014

Increasing demands for oil and gas exploration in deep water with soft seabed conditions are resulting in the size and weight of subsea shallow foundations stretching the capabilities of installation technologies. One innovation to reduce foundation footprints involves designing foundations to move in a tolerable manner to absorb applied loads rather than being engineered to resist these loads and remain stationary. Critical design considerations are the evolution of foundation capacity and the mode of foundation displacement. The foundation should be designed to slide with acceptable settlement and rotation to prevent overstressing the joints with connected pipelines. This paper presents observations from centrifuge model tests of a mat foundation designed to slide under applied loading. The foundation is subjected to a simulated lifetime of operation, with many cycles of sliding and intervening periods of consolidation. The results provide insights to assist design, including a remarkable rise in the lateral foundation resistance over the sliding events, through repeated episodes of shearing and reconsolidation, and quantification of the accumulated settlements and rotations. The foundation is shown to translate with minimal rotation. The settlement between sliding events is more significant. This is due to the tendency for soft clay to contract on shearing, as excess pore pressures generated during sliding subsequently dissipate. The sliding-induced consolidation settlements control the tolerability of the performance of the mobile foundation.
A informação contábil proporcionada pela curva de aprendizagem aplicada a custos - estudo de caso em cirurgias de varizes
Authors: Serra Negra Carlos Alberto , Serra Negra Elizabete Marinho , Lage Walmir Moreira
Published: November 2014

O trabalho é uma pesquisa realizada em hospital geral com aplicação dos conceitos da curva de aprendizagem em cirurgias de varizes. O uso da curva de aprendizagem em âmbito das organizações hospitalares traz reflexos diretos na formação dos custos dos procedimentos médico-hospitalares, haja vista que abre perspectivas de utilização de mutirões de cirurgias, com redução de custos, maximização de recursos, redução de ociosidade e atendimento à demanda e à necessidade da população por realização destes procedimentos. Os métodos quantitativos aplicados a custos têm demonstrado uma nova vertente do conhecimento na área estratégica de apuração de custos nas organizações, com elevado grau de informações contábeis para apuração de resultados. Os resultados com a aplicação da curva de aprendizagem evidenciam a força do processo repetitivo e seus reflexos na redução do tempo de realização dos procedimentos, tendo em vista que a mão-de-obra direta dos médicos, corpo de enfermagem, pessoal de serviços gerais, reduzem gradativamente após a seqüência dos mesmos procedimentos. Os estudos precisam ser estendidos a outros procedimentos médicos, para que se aprimore o emprego da tecnologia da informação contábil não apenas com o uso de softwares, mas principalmente, pelo uso de recursos estatísticos.
Qual a melhor opção do ponto de vista gerencial-tributário para empresas tributadas com base no lucro real: destinação de lucros, pagamento de juros sobre o capital próprio ou pró-labore
Authors: Ferreira Luiz Felipe , Onzi Sidineia Maria Delai
Published: November 2014

Objetiva este artigo apresentar, dentre as formas de retorno de capital investido, aquela que se faz mais oportuna, ou a menos onerosa, do ponto de vista tributário, apresentando a limitação para a distribuição do lucro, sem prejudicar o fluxo de caixa, e vislumbrando a continuidade da entidade. Demonstra-se a forma de cálculo e a tributação incidente sobre a remuneração do capital, na forma de juros sobre o capital próprio, dividendos e pró-labore. O pró-labore é a remuneração que o sócio recebe em contrapartida do trabalho na empresa, é tributado pelo imposto de renda e pela previdência social. Como, é despesa administrativa reduz o lucro. Os juros sobre o capital próprio são calculados aplicando-se a taxa de juros de longo prazo (TJLP) anual sobre o valor do patrimônio líquido, com tributação pelo imposto de renda e configura despesa financeira. O dividendo trata-se da distribuição dos lucros obtidos pela empresa, não sendo tributado. Para tanto apresenta-se uma simulação em uma empresa hipotética, demonstrando dentre as diversas formas a que acarreta uma menor carga tributária para a empresa e para o sócio ou investidor, tratando-se portanto de planejamento empresarial.
Modificação no ensino contábil
Authors: Dagostim Salézio
Published: November 2014

A contabilidade, pelas suas normas e procedimentos de registro e armazenagem de dados, é fonte geradora de informações patrimoniais, econômicas e financeiras. Através do estudo apropriado dessas informações, o contador detecta os problemas das pessoas jurídicas, averiguando suas causas, suas conseqüências, seus sintomas, sua natureza, para oferecer e recomendar procedimentos aos gestores dessas pessoas, visando a solução dos problemas surgidos. O Autor da proposta contida neste trabalho, depois de examinar como o ensino contábil é desenvolvido no Brasil (nível médio e superior), conclui pela necessidade de propor mudanças. Devido à responsabilidade que o técnico contábil assume, ao elaborar as demonstrações contábeis, pela complexa legislação que observa na geração dessas informações, e considerando que as escolas técnicas de nível médio não estão suprindo as necessidades do mercado, o ensino profissionalizante passariaa formar auxiliares de escritório. Os técnicos em contabilidade passariam a ser formados em cursos superiores de graduação tecnológica. Os cursos de Ciências Contábeis continuariam a graduar bacharéis. Contudo, segundo a proposta, haveria uma identidade de conteúdos entre o curso superior de tecnologia e os primeiros semestres do curso de bacharelado, o que faria de todo contador também um técnico. A proposta tem por objetivo enquadrar a estrutura do ensino da contabilidade nos objetivos propostos pelas Diretrizes Curriculares para o curso de Graduação em Ciências Contábeis, assegurando, ao mesmo tempo, ao portador do diploma de técnico contábil, possibilidade de ingresso em curso diretamente relacionado com o curso concluído.
Evidenciação da Contabilidade Ambiental: uma análise da transparência das demonstrações contábeis de empresas nacionais do setor siderúrgico
Authors: Ferreira Luiz Felipe , Silva Mariela Wagner da
Published: November 2014

Com a necessidade de apresentar maior transparência na evidenciação dos problemas relacionados ao meio ambiente, surgiu o conceito de Contabilidade Ambiental, que se apresenta como elo entre as empresas, a sociedade e o meio ambiente. Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo identificar o uso da Contabilidade como forma de transparência, na divulgação de elementos ambientais, das maiores empresas nacionais do setor siderúrgico, quanto a critérios vinculados à gestão ambiental. Foram pesquisadas cinco empresas do setor (Gerdau, CSN, CST, Usiminas e Cosipa). A pesquisa caracteriza-se como exploratória, com abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa. A amostra foi coletada através de análise das demonstrações contábeis, do balanço social, do sistema de gestão ambiental e de informações divulgadas pela CVM e Bovespa. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que existe nas siderurgias uma preocupação com o meio ambiente, através de suas ações, implementações e da evidenciação desses aspectos nas demonstrações financeiras. Os elementos analisados foram classificados como informações deficitárias, informaç:ões transparentes e informações indisponíveis. Foi constatado que a divulgação das informações ambientais das empresas pesquisadas, é feita através do relatório da administração, dos sites próprios, e de relatório ambiental específico, com ênfase principalmente para aspectos qualitativos. A pesquisa demonstrou que das cinco companhias analisadas apenas duas (CSN e CST) incorporaram às suas demonstrações financeiras o uso do relatório como meio de divulgação das informações ambientais.
Uma análise crítica sobre a utilização do princípio da competência no setor público
Authors: Silva Maurício Corrêa da
Published: November 2014

O objetivo do artigo foi analisar a utilização do princípio da competência para contabilizar as receitas no setor público brasileiro. Foram utilizados o método dedutivo, a pesquisa bibliográfica-documental e o estudo de caso. Conclui-se que é impraticável a adoção do regime de competência para contabilizar as receitas públicas no Brasil, visto que o Gestor Público somente pode realizar as despesas com os recursos em caixa, ou seja, com o numerário disponível na conta bancária. A utilização do regime de competência não traz benefício para as entidades. O confronto de receitas e despesas no setor público não atende à teoria contábil. O demonstrativo contábil da contabilidade governamental denominado de Balanço Patrimonial já evidencia os valores não arrecadados de receitas previstas (dívida ativa).
Um estudo comparativo entre o valor contábil da empresa e o valor na ótica dos gestores
Authors: Müller Neri , Schultz Charles Albino , Borgert Altair
Published: November 2014

Esta pesquisa apresenta uma análise comparativa entre o valor da empresa evidenciado pela Contabilidade e o valor percebido pelos gestores, após estudo em empresas do ramo supermercadista. Por meio de uma pesquisa de campo, apresenta-se a análise dos dados coletados de forma detalhada, com vistas a responder a questão proposta. São relatadas as informações obtidas junto aos gestores, por intermédio da realização de entrevistas, no intento de obter inferências acerca do valor dessas empresas. Também são apresentados e discutidos alguns fatores, que os gestores levam em consideração, para definir ou atribuir valor para as empresas, identificados ao longo das entrevistas. Como resultado principal, obteve-se que os gestores pesquisados declararam valores de mercado superiores ao valor contábil para as suas empresas.
Utilização da Contabilidade no planejamento e controle das finanças pessoais
Authors: Nunes Patrícia
Published: November 2014

Segundo os historiadores, a Contabilidade, nos seus primórdios, apoiou-se fortemente no controle das finanças pessoais. Porém, um fato que trouxe nova perspectiva a este tema é a insaciável vontade dos poderes públicos em arrecadar impostos. Em decorrência disto, acredita-se que, possivelmente, no futuro venha a existir a obrigatoriedade de elaborar as demonstrações contábeis da pessoa física para entregá-Ias ao governo, a exemplo do que já ocorre nas empresas. No entanto, as técnicas fornecidas estão voltadas exclusivamente para as entidades, deixando de ser explorado o gerenciamento do patrimônio individual. A literatura contábil não possui livros que contenham demonstrações específicas para pessoa física e, talvez por isso, as pessoas estejam com dificuldades em administrar seus recursos. As inovações do mercado, bem como as facilidades de crédito e a mais importante das razões, a vida agitada, não permitem o devido controle das finanças individuais. Logo, em decorrência da visão limitada sobre o potencial contributivo da Contabilidade, este se constitui em um campo ainda pouco explorado. Identificar as razões que levam a esta situação bem como a existência ou não de interesse constitui-se no desafio maior deste artigo.
Differential Benefits of Amoxicillin–Metronidazole in Different Phases of Periodontal Therapy in a Randomized Controlled Crossover Clinical Trial
Authors: Mombelli Andrea , Almaghlouth Adnan , Cionca Norbert , Courvoisier Delphine S. , Giannopoulou Catherine
Published: November 2014

Background: The specific advantage of administering systemic antibiotics during initial, non‐surgical therapy or in the context of periodontal surgery is unclear. This study assesses the differential outcomes of periodontal therapy supplemented with amoxicillin–metronidazole during either the non‐surgical or the surgical treatment phase.

Methods: This is a single‐center, randomized placebo‐controlled crossover clinical trial with a 1‐year follow‐up. Eighty participants with Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans–associated moderate to advanced periodontitis were randomized into two treatment groups: group A, antibiotics (500 mg metronidazole plus 375 mg amoxicillin three times per day for 7 days) during the first, non‐surgical phase of periodontal therapy (T1) and placebo during the second, surgical phase (T2); and group B, placebo during T1 and antibiotics during T2. The number of sites with probing depth (PD) >4 mm and bleeding on probing (BOP) per patient was the primary outcome.

Results: A total of 11,212 sites were clinically monitored on 1,870 teeth. T1 with antibiotics decreased the number of sites with PD >4 mm and BOP per patient significantly more than without (group A: from 34.5 to 5.7, 84%; group B: from 28.7 to 8.7, 70%; P <0.01). Twenty patients treated with antibiotics, but only eight treated with placebo, achieved a 10‐fold reduction of diseased sites (P = 0.007). Consequently, fewer patients of group A needed additional therapy, the mean number of surgical interventions was lower, and treatment time in T2 was shorter. Six months after T2, the mean number of residual pockets (group A: 2.8 ± 5.2; group B: 2.2 ± 5.0) was not significantly different and was sustained over 12 months in both groups.

Conclusion: Giving the antibiotics during T1 or T2 yielded similar long‐term outcomes, but antibiotics in T1 resolved the disease quicker and thus reduced the need for additional surgical intervention.
Irrigation Regime and Organic Fertilizers Influence on Oil Content and Fatty Acid Composition of Milk Thistle Seeds
Authors: Keshavarz Afshar R. , Chaichi M. R. , Rezaei K. , Asareh M. H. , Karimi M. , Hashemi M.
Published: November 2014

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum L. Gaertn.) seeds contain relatively high amounts of edible oil. Influences of irrigation regime (full irrigation, moderate deficit, and severe deficit irrigation) and organic fertilizers (vermicompost [VM] and poultry manure [PM]) on the oil content and fatty acid (FA) composition of milk thistle seed were evaluated in a field trial. Averaged across treatments, seed oil content was 27% whereas unsaturated FAs constituted 78% of the oil composition. Linoleic acid (41.4%) and oleic acid (35.1%) were the most abundant unsaturated FAs whereas palmitic, stearic, arachidic, and behinic acids were major saturated FAs. Oil content was significantly influenced by irrigation regimes, but not by organic fertilizers. Severe deficit irrigation reduced oil content by 7.4% compared with full irrigation. Deficit irrigation had a minor effect on the FA composition of milk thistle oil where total unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) was lower in stressed plants. The application of soil organic amendments did not induce significant changes in unsaturated fatty acids but reduced the content of saturated ones which totally imposed positive effects on oil quality of milk thistle. According to the results, it seems that milk thistle has potential to be considered as an oil seed crop in low‐input agricultural systems in arid and semiarid areas and moderate deficit irrigation can be implemented without deleterious effects on its oil content and quality.
Timothy Response to Increasing Rates of Selenium Fertilizer in Eastern Canada
Authors: Tremblay Gaëtan F. , Bélanger Gilles , Lajeunesse Julie , Chouinard P. Yvan , Charbonneau Édith
Published: November 2014

Selenium is an essential micronutrient given to ruminants by injection or orally or applied as an additive to fertilizers to raise crop Se concentrations in areas with low‐Se soils. We determined the response of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) Se concentration to increasing rates (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 g Se ha−1) of a slow‐release Se fertilizer (Selcote Ultra) applied in spring of 2010 at three sites in Québec, Canada, and investigated the possibility of predicting forage Se concentration by near‐infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS). The response of timothy Se concentration (y, mg kg−1 dry matter, DM) to increasing Se rates (x) was similar at the three sites; averaged across sites, it increased linearly with increasing Se rates at the first (y = 0.012 + 0.0292x; R2 = 0.98) and second harvests (y = 0.052 + 0.0091x; R2 = 0.96) in the year of spring Se application and in the first harvest of the subsequent year (y = 0.012 + 0.0117x; R2 = 0.97). Selenium fertilization did not affect timothy DM yield, fiber concentration, or digestibility. Timothy Se concentration could not be successfully predicted by NIRS. A spring application of 10 g Se ha−1 as a slow‐release fertilizer and its residual effect are sufficient to produce timothy with an adequate Se concentration (>0.1 mg kg−1 DM) to prevent deficiency diseases in livestock and allow diet formulation to meet optimal Se levels.
Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding
Authors: Jocic Tatiana , Latinovic-Bosnjak Olgica , Hadnadjev Ljiljana , Damjanov Dragomir , Savic Zeljka , Orlic Tihomir
Published: November 2014

Introduction. Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding accounts for
approximately 20% of all acute gastrointestinal hemorrhages, and they are the
most common urgent cases in gastroenterology. The aim of this study was to
determine the most common etiology, efficacy in diagnostics and therapy, and
the outcome in patients with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Material
and Methods. Data were collected from the medical records of 86 patients who
had been hospitalized for acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding in 2009 at
the Ward of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Clinical Centre of Vojvodina.
Results. The average age of the patients was 70.4 years (ranging from 37 to
88), and the largest number of patients 41/86 (47.7%) were between the ages
71 and 80. Colon diverticulosis was the most common cause of bleeding, and it
occurred in 21 patients from the study sample (24.4%), and the other causes
were malignant tumors (12/86, i.e. 13.9%), polyps (10/86, i.e. 11.6%),
anorectal diseases (7/86, i.e. 8.3%) and colitis (8/86, i.e. 9.3%). No
diagnostic procedures were performed in 15 patients (17.4%) due to their poor
medical condition and comorbidities. The total mortality rate was 6/86
(6.9%), and the largest number of deaths occurred (5/86 i.e. 5.8%) due to a
multisystem organ failure and underlying diseases which were not associated
with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Uncontrolled bleeding was the
cause of death in only 1 patient (1.2%). Conclusions. Acute lower
gastrointestinal bleeding is most commonly found in the older population,
whose age, comorbidities, and ongoing therapy have impact on bleeding
lesions, diagnostic and therapeutic modalities and the outcomes of bleeding.
Endoscopic procedures are still the gold standard in diagnostics.