bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Remittances and financial institutions: is there a causal linkage?
Authors: Posso Alberto
Published: February 2015

The extant literature indicates that remittance inflows from developed to developing countries provide liquidity for domestic financial institutions, which aids in the development process. However, the reverse effect has been neglected. This paper tests whether more financial services and opportunities in the home country attract remittances to developing countries. It addresses this hypothesis using a dataset of 72 developing countries over the period 1997–2011. The paper finds evidence that remittance inflows are driven by increased availability of domestic financial services. In particular, the presence of microfinance institutions is found to be a key driver in stimulating migrant remittances. These findings, perhaps, suggest that remittance-sending migrants may not be altruistic and send remittances to maximize their own future income. Alternatively, the results suggest that microfinance organizations have been successful in attracting remittances by lowering transaction costs and proving linked services.
Constitutional Authority in Crisis: Examining a State Governor’s Emergency Powers
Authors: McCreight Robert
Published: February 2015

The powers of our nation’s 50 state governors are enshrined in our Constitution in Article X, wherein those governors may exercise broad authority for their populations, especially in conditions of extreme emergency. However, the full extent of a governor’s emergency powers are not well understood, nor have they been explored in depth to assess the governor’s discretionary authority in a national emergency. Despite the catastrophic events of 9/11 and subsequent 21st century threats, the scope of augmented emergency powers granted to governors remains ambiguous. Specifically, governors lack the robust authority to offer sustained emergency response and recovery operations beyond the normal 72 hours most cities and communities routinely prepare for and expect. However, if Washington, DC, is preoccupied, disabled, or distracted by its own post-attack strategic vulnerability and beset by continuity of operations planning requirements and national security imperatives, the federal government may not be able to set in to provide help after those first 72 hours. Therefore, our governors must plan for sustained operations for an additional 2 weeks after a national catastrophe and equip themselves for that scenario, which puts an enormous strategic burden on them.
Diagnostic applications of next generation sequencing: working towards quality standards/Diagnostische Anwendung von Next Generation Sequencing: Auf dem Weg zu Qualitätsstandards
Authors: Vogl Ina , Eck Sebastian H. , Benet-Pagès Anna , Greif Philipp A. , Hirv Kaimo , Kotschote Stefan , Kuhn Marius , Gehring Andrea , Bergmann Carsten , Bolz Hanno Jörn , Stuhrmann Manfred , Biskup Saskia , Metzeler Klaus H. , Klein Hanns-Georg
Published: February 2015

Over the past 6 years, next generation sequencing (NGS) has been established as a valuable high-throughput method for research in molecular genetics and has successfully been employed in the identification of rare and common genetic variations. All major NGS technology companies providing commercially available instruments (Roche 454, Illumina, Life Technologies) have recently marketed bench top sequencing instruments with lower throughput and shorter run times, thereby broadening the applications of NGS and opening the technology to the potential use for clinical diagnostics. Although the high expectations regarding the discovery of new diagnostic targets and an overall reduction of cost have been achieved, technological challenges in instrument handling, robustness of the chemistry and data analysis need to be overcome. To facilitate the implementation of NGS as a routine method in molecular diagnostics, consistent quality standards need to be developed. Here the authors give an overview of the current standards in protocols and workflows and discuss possible approaches to define quality criteria for NGS in molecular genetic diagnostics.
Non-invasive prenatal testing for whole chromosome abnormalities/Nicht invasives pränatales Testen auf Chromosomenstörungen
Authors: Demko Zachary , Zimmermann Bernhard , Rabinowitz Matthew
Published: February 2015

After decades of anticipation, non-invasive prenatal testing for aneuploidy is now a reality. Three published methods, described herein, are able to test for certain whole-chromosome abnormalities in the fetus by sequencing and analyzing cell-free DNA in maternal plasma, a fraction of which is fetal.
Pappenheim-Färbung: Beschreibung einer hämatologischen Standardfärbung – Geschichte, Chemie, Durchführung, Artefakte und Problemlösungen/Pappenheim Stain: Description of a hematological standard stain – history, chemistry, procedure, artifacts and problem solutions
Authors: Binder Thomas , Diem Heinz , Fuchs Roland , Gutensohn Kai , Nebe Thomas
Published: February 2015

Vor genau 100 Jahren hat Artur Pappenheim die endgültige Fassung seiner „panoptischen Universalfärbung für Bluttrockenpräparate“ veröffentlicht, in der die Jenner-Färbung bzw. May-Grünwald-Färbung mit der Giemsa-Färbung kombiniert wird. Seine seither als Pappenheim-Färbung bzw. May-Grünwald-Giemsa-Färbung bekannte Vorschrift bewirkt eine kräftige und zuverlässige Anfärbung der Details von Kern und Zytoplasma mit besonders guter Darstellung der Granula. Die Pappenheim-Färbung wird weltweit in diversen Modifikationen mit entsprechend schwankender Färbequalität verwendet, die mit aktuellem Qualitätsmanagement nicht kompatibel ist. Artikel über die Qualitätskontrolle hämatologischer Standardfärbungen wurden bisher nicht veröffentlicht. Der Arbeitskreis Laboratorium der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Hämatologie und Onkologie veröffentlicht deshalb die-sen erprobten „Standard für die Pappenheim-Färbung“. Mit dieser Standard-Prozedur gelingt eine Färbung, die in allen Laboratorien zytologische Präparate von Körperflüssigkeiten und Gewebepräparaten identisch und mit hoher Präzision anfärbt. Das Ergebnis entspricht der von Pappenheim verbal und in Bildern beschriebenen Anfärbung. Das Protokoll beschreibt die Präanalytik, den Prozess der Färbung in Küvetten und die Qualitätskontrolle. Dieses Standard-Protokoll ist auch für die Anfertigung von Präparaten für das Qualitätsmanagement (z.B. Ringversuche) anwendbar, wenn das Färbeergebnis visuell und kolorimetrisch überprüft wird. Mit Ausstrich- und Färbe-Vollautomaten wird mit einem ähnlichen Färbeprotokoll ein übereinstimmendes Färbeergebnis erreicht; die Färbung auf der Färbebank wurde nicht untersucht. Wir berichten über erste kolorimetrische Untersuchungen an korrekt und inkorrekt ausgeführten Pappenheim-Färbungen und beschreiben die korrekte Färbung nicht nur visuell, sondern auch anhand kolorimetrischer Daten.
Non-invasive prenatal testing for fetal aneuploidy by massively parallel DNA sequencing of maternal plasma: the future has arrived today/Nicht-invasiver Pränatal-Test auf fetale Aneuploidie mittels massiv-paralleler DNA-Sequenzanalyse im mütterlichen Plasma: in der Zukunft angekommen
Authors: Swanson Amy , Coffeen Christin , Sehnert Amy J.
Published: February 2015

After decades of research, non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) using maternal blood to determine fetal chromosome status has found its way from the research laboratory into clinical practice, triggering a long-awaited paradigm shift in prenatal care. A variety of methods using sequencing of maternal cell-free DNA (cfDNA) have now been studied, primarily demonstrating their ability to detect the most common fetal aneuploidy, trisomy 21 (T21). The focus of this article is on massively parallel sequencing (MPS) with optimized sequence tag mapping and chromosome quantification, which accurately detects T21 as well as multiple other aneuploidies across the genome. The power of this technique resides in its high precision and reduction of variation within and between sequencing runs. Using MPS, classification of aneuploidy status for a given sample can be reliably assigned from the genetic information alone without the need to factor in other maternal pre-test risk or other clinical variables. Performance of this method has been prospectively demonstrated in a rigorous, blinded, multi-center study in the United States. The findings suggest that MPS can be incorporated into existing prenatal screening algorithms to reduce unnecessary invasive procedures. This technology and key considerations for clinical implementation are discussed.
Stand der Implementierung der OECD-Leitlinien für Qualitätssicherung im molekulargenetischen Labor im deutschsprachigen Raum/The status of implementation of the OECD guidelines for quality assurance in molecular genetic testing in the German speaking area
Authors: Lechner Silvia , Hagleitner Magdalena , Staudinger Bettina
Published: February 2015

Hintergrund: Die Frage nach der in der Literatur geforderten Qualitätsarbeit in molekulargenetischen Laboratorien ist Gegenstand dieser Arbeit. Untersucht werden Art und Umfang des praktischen Qualitätsmanagements.

Methode: Auf Basis der OECD-Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Molecular Genetic Testing 2007 wurde ein Fragebogen mit 40 Fragen entwickelt. Daten von 144 molekulargenetischen Labors (MGTL) wurden durch eine postalische Fragebogenerhebung im September 2009 gesammelt und mit SPSS 15.0 und EXCEL ausgewertet.

Ergebnisse: Die 144 möglichen, kontaktierten MGTL im deutschsprachigen Raum setzten sich zusammen aus 122 MGTL in Deutschland, 13 MGTL in Österreich und 9 MGTL in der Schweiz. Es nahmen 48 an der Fragebogenerhebung teil (Rücklaufquote von 33,3%), wovon 9 MGTL aufgrund von Umstrukturierungen im Labor den Fragebogen nicht ausfüllten. Alle gehören dem Berufsverband Deutscher Humangenetiker (BVDH) an (n=144, insgesamt Rücklaufquote 33,3%). Die 39 Studienteilnehmer erklärten, dass sie Tests für 4–400 verschiedene Krankheiten anbieten. 64,1% der Befragten gaben an, dass sie bereits über ein Qualitätsmanagementsystem verfügen und 35,9% der Teilnehmer waren in der Planungsphase eines Qualitätsmanagementsystems. 82,21% gaben an, dass sie in „The European Molecular Genetics Quality Network“ (EMQN) teilnehmen.

Schlussfolgerung: Die Studie hat gezeigt, dass vielfältige Ansätze der Qualitätsarbeit existieren. Es herrscht eine Konzentration auf die Ergebnisqualität vor, die Integration der OECD-Guidelines kann weitgehend nachgewiesen werden. Die rasche Entwicklung von Untersuchungsmethoden stellt für die praktische Qualitätsarbeit eine gegenwärtige und zukünftige Herausforderung dar.
Cystatin C – an endogenous GFR marker and prognosis factor1)
Authors: Woitas Rainer
Published: February 2015

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the most sensitive parameter of excretory kidney function. GFR reduction is usually detectable prior to the onset of clinical symptoms. Exact knowledge of GFR is helpful for pharmacotherapy and the use of contrast media. Everyday routine usually applies creatinine and creatinine-based equations to estimate GFR. However, because these equations were derived from patient cohorts with advanced renal insufficiency, they underestimate true GFR, if GFR is higher than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Moreover, serum creatinine concentrations are influenced by muscle mass, dietary protein intake, sex, age, and drugs thus limiting the precision of creatinine-based methods. An alternative endogenous parameter of GFR is cystatin C, which is a 13.3 kDa large cysteine proteinase inhibitor produced at a constant rate in virtually all nucleated cells. It is freely filtered by the glomerular membrane, reabsorbed in the proximal tubule, and catabolized to more than 99%. Its serum concentrations are virtually independent of body composition, sex, and age or inflammation. In routine diagnostics one single reference interval serves for males and females irrespective of ethnicity. Furthermore, serum concentrations of cystatin C are stable from the second year of life until the end of the fifth decade. Even subtle reductions of renal function in the creatinine-blind range can be diagnosed safely and are reproducible. In comparison to creatinine, cystatin C-based clearance formula allow for an easy estimation of GFR which is robust against diverse sources of error. Cystatin C also enables prognostic statements. This applies for acute renal failure due to shock, sepsis or surgical interventions, as well as for contrast media. Additionally, chronic renal failure and cardiovascular events may be predicted. In summary cystatin C is a reliable marker for GFR estimation and its diagnostic accuracy is less influenced than creatinine. Furthermore, it provides prognostic information on patients regarding all-cause mortality and cardiovascular risk, suggesting cystatin C as a potential screening parameter.
Hospital care in transition – Opportunities and risks in laboratory medicine1)
Authors: Neubauer Günter
Published: February 2015

Owing to the huge demographic challenge in terms of a considerable restructuring of the employed workforce, hospital care has changed and thus laboratory medicine underlies increased rationalization pressure. Management solutions include internal process optimization, procurement management, service outsourcing and development of regional networks. The laboratory medicine must face these challenges in order to remain competitive.
Carbon dioxide uptake in nitrite-sodalite: reaction kinetics and template ordering of the carbonate-nosean formation
Authors: Šehović Malik , Robben Lars , Gesing Thorsten M.
Published: February 2015

We report on the phase transformation and the reaction kinetics of aluminosilicate nitrite-sodalite |Na8(NO2)2|[AlSiO4]6 crystallizing in space group

P

4
¯

3
n

$P\bar 43n$

into carbonate-nosean |Na8(CO3)□|[AlSiO4]6 described in space group P23. Investigations were carried out in carbon dioxide atmosphere by in situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction measurements. The collected diffraction patterns were examined using the autocorrelation method and Rietveld and structure independent refinements. For this reaction an activation energy of E

A

=7.788(6) kJ/mol was observed. Whereas the framework remains almost unchanged during the phase transformation first a high number of newly formed template-domains are observed indicating only a short range order of CO3
2– occupied and empty cages. This can be deduced from the obtained average crystallite size ratios taken from structure independent Pawley fits of the reflections allowed in

P

4
¯

3
n

$P\bar 43n$

and constrained single-peak refinements of the remaining ones additionally allowed in P23. This initially high number of template domains is reduced with increasing reaction time developing faster at higher temperatures. An average formation of 2.2(1) ordered domains within one crystallite could be evaluated for the longest reaction time.
Study of Preferred Profile of Accelerated Stability Test Method for Quartz Flexible Accelerometer
Authors: Xu Dan , Chen Yunxia , Kang Rui
Published: February 2015

Manufactured quartz flexible accelerometers have problems of poor long-term stability, which can be attributed to drifting of key parameters (e.g., zero bias, scale factor) that is influenced by a combination of time and external environmental stress inducing factors that include temperature fluctuation, thermal cycling, and dynamic mechanical loading. This paper focused on the experimental design for such a device. Accelerated stability experiments are performed and are divided into three kinds: thermal cycling test, test of concurrent application of thermal cycling and vibrational loading, and test of thermal cycling with subsequent vibrational loading. Experimental data are analyzed using the mobile linear regression coefficient test and the mobile standard deviation, after which the steady-state cycle number is determined. Based on the above analysis, the rapid effectiveness of the profiles is evaluated. Finally, the preferred profile is determined by thoroughly considering the equipment capacity and engineering operational convenience. It is illustrated that the vibrational loading has a significant effect on accelerated stability for various parameters. Overall, the research on the accelerated stability test enables an accelerometer to quickly attain a steady-state and also provides initial technical support to improve the robustness of the accelerometer's long-term stability.
Port of Call
Authors: Gottlieb Robert
Published: February 2015

The relationship between China and Los Angeles has been transformed over the past thirty years through the enormous expansion of global trade and imported products made in China. Products arrive in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and are then transported by truck and rail to huge warehouses to the east of Los Angeles, where they are reloaded for their final destinations across the country. But along every stop of that journey, there are communities and environments dealing with the consequences of trans-Pacific trade. This has resulted in new community-based movements, which have helped bring about major policy changes to address the impacts on environmental, health, labor, and community. Los Angeles, itself a city of immigrants, including from China, has been at the center of these changes, which are beginning to reach back to China too.
Proto-Queer Media Criticism
Authors: Moore Candace
Published: February 2015

Lisa Ben's “Cinema Ramblings” in the 1940s underground publication Vice Versa mark some of the first media reviews to focus on homosexual themes, representations, and subtexts from a self-proclaimed lesbian perspective. While still largely unknown, the critical lenses and stylistic methods she employed set a precedent for the kind of radical queer media criticism that reviewers engage in today. Her writings deconstruct heteronormative frameworks by redefining the borders of the “normal” and the “natural”; look to the margins of media texts, often placing more focus on secondary figures than on main characters; rely on intertextual understandings that read films against their adaptation sources; and actively participate in a form of “subtexting,” or, as she puts it, “playing up” suggestive representations. Ben's film reviews present an important and relevant counterframe to cinematic deliberations on the instability of sexual and social relations. This counterframe existed among other counterpublic discourses available at the time and enables a queer reading of 1930s and ’40s film representations such as Children of Loneliness (1934), Club des femmes (1936), and Turnabout (1940). Drawing from reviews and essays published in Vice Versa, I propose a way of reading media representations of transgressive sexuality and gender—an analytic and a vocabulary—that predates queer theory as an institutionalized concern.
Nonfiction Form and the “Truth” about Muslim Women in Iranian Documentary
Authors: Akhavan Niki
Published: February 2015

More than three decades of hostile relations between Iran and the West have meant that images about Iran and Iranian women circulate in a charged political environment. In this geopolitical context, Iranian women filmmakers have often found receptive audiences abroad who turn to documentaries as sites to reveal the truths of contemporary Iran. The enthusiasm for these works, however, also exerts pressures on filmmakers to adhere to familiar narratives about Iran and Iranian women or risk losing their audiences. Focusing on Nahid Sarvestani's Prostitution behind the Veil (2004) and Mahvash Sheikholeslami's Where Do I Belong? (2007), this article examines two tendencies in recent Iranian documentary. The former film exemplifies the prevalent trend of repeating troubling but familiar tropes about Islam and Muslim women, while the latter is an example of attempts to provide a more nuanced picture of Iran's social and political problems. Placing these films in the broader context of the history of nonfiction films in Iran, the article also draws from both feminist scholarship on representations of the Muslim world and longstanding debates within documentary studies to show the high stakes of producing films about Iran and to suggest that documentary works by and about Iranian women should be more rigorously interrogated for their ethical and political implications.
The Physicochemical Characteristics of Residual Oil and Fibers from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches
Authors: Md Yunos Noor Seribainun Hidayah , Samsu Baharuddin Azhari , Md Yunos Khairul Faezah , Hafid Halimatun Saadiah , Busu Zainuri , Mokhtar Mohd Noriznan , Sulaiman Alawi , Md. Som Ayub
Published: February 2015

Abundant oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) generated from the palm oil mill industry create huge problems for the environment and the palm oil mill itself. Despite the importance of determining the amount of oil left in the OPEFB, little research of that nature has been reported. This study describes the oil content and physicochemical characteristics of OPEFB fibers, detection of oil attachment on the fiber’s surface using sudan red dye, contact angle values, and also the quality of the residual oil. The OPEFB fibers, which are normally used as mulch for the palm oil mill, have been found to be a rich source of lignocellulosic materials, especially cellulose, which constitutes 33.70 to 35.10% for a press-shredded fiber. Residual oil (3 to 7% on dry basis) extracted from the OPEFB exhibits good quality parameters such as deterioration of bleachability index (DOBI), free fatty acid (FFA), and peroxide value (PV). The DOBI values were still in the acceptable range, which is from 1.94 to 2.43, while the PV results are within the range of about 1.84 to 2.80 meq/kg. The major fatty acids of the residual fiber oil were palmitic and oleic acids, at 39.77% to 39.89% and 39.55% to 42.60%, respectively. There were no significant changes in the macronutrients and quality of the OPEFB residual oil. Therefore, the residual oil from the OPEFB should be recovered and reused as a raw material for industrial applications, boosting the oil extraction rate (OER) in the palm oil industry.
Xylo-oligosaccharides and Ethanol Production from Liquid Hot Water Hydrolysate of Sugarcane Bagasse
Authors: Yu Qiang , Xu Chunxun , Zhuang Xinshu , Yuan Zhenhong , He Minchao , Zhou Guixiong
Published: February 2015

With the objective of maximizing the use of liquid hot water hydrolysate of sugarcane bagasse, xylo-oligosaccharides and ethanol were respectively produced by the methods of purification and microbial fermentation. The processes of purification with activated charcoal, overliming, solvent extraction, vacuum evaporation, and use of an ion exchange resin were evaluated, and the results indicated that anion exchange chromatography performed well in terms of by-product removal. The recovery and purity of xylo-oligosaccharides reached 92.0% and 90.4%, respectively, using column chromatography with the resin LS30 at a flow rate of 2 mL/min at 25 °C. The hydrolysate was used in ethanol fermentation with Pichia stipitis CBS6054 followed by the production of fermentable saccharides and detoxification. The highest ethanol concentration was 4.12 g/L with a theoretical yield of 47.9% for the hydrolysate after xylanase digestion and resin detoxification, similar to the data of the control experiment, which had an ethanol concentration of 4.64 g/L and a yield of 49.6%. However, the former had a higher ethanol productivity of 0.0860 g/(L∙h), and the highest ethanol concentration appeared 12 to 24 h earlier compared to the control. This study suggests that combined generation of xylo-oligosaccharides and cellulosic ethanol could help maximize profits for a cane sugar factory.
Effects of Steaming, Drying Temperature, and Adhesive Type on Static Bending Properties of LVL made of Picea orientalis and Abies nordmanniana veneers
Authors: Peker Huseyin , Tan Hüseyin , Ersen Nadir
Published: February 2015

The modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR) were evaluated for laminated veneer lumber (LVL) in static bending. The studied species were spruce (Picea orientalis) and fir (Abies nordmanniana) originated from the Eastern Black sea region and prepared with phenol-formaldehyde and melamine-urea-formaldehyde. The effect of wood species, steaming, drying temperature, and type of adhesive on static bending MOE and MOR were determined. According to the experimental results, the bending strength of spruce wood (Maçka) treated with phenol formadehyde adhesives is the highest for the specimens steamed for 6 h at a drying temperature of 110 ºC. Furthermore, the modulus of elasticity for spruce wood (Maçka) treated with phenol formadehyde adhesive is the highest for the specimens steamed for 12 h and subjected to a drying temperature of 150 ºC.
Pneumococcal vaccination in general practice
Authors: Vajer Péter , Tamás Ferenc , Urbán Róbert , Torzsa Péter , Kalabay László
Published: January 2015

Introduction: The prevalence of invasive pneumococcal disease, which is depending on risk factors and comorbidities, is increasing over the age of 50 years. Most developed countries have recommendations but vaccination rates remain low. Aim: To assess the general practitioners’ daily practice in relation to pneumococcal vaccination and analyse the effect of informing the subjects about the importance of pneumococcal vaccination on vaccination routine. Method: Subjects over 50 years of age vaccinated against influenza during the 2012/2013 campaign were informed about the importance of pneumococcal vaccination and asked to fill in a questionnaire. Results: Of the 4000 subjects, 576 asked for a prescription of pneumococcal vaccine (16.5% of females and 11.6% of males, OR 1.67 CI 95% 1.37–2.04, p<0.001) and 310 were vaccinated. The mean age of females and males was 70.95 and 69.8 years, respectively (OR 1.01; CI 95% 1.00–1.02; p<0.05). Information given by physicians resulted in 33,6% prescription rate, while in case it was 8% when nurses provided information (OR 6.33; CI 95% 5.23–7.67; p<0.001). As an effect of this study the vaccination rate was 6.3 times higher than in the previous year campaign (p<0.001). Conclusions: General practitioners are more effective in informing subjects about the importance of vaccination than nurses. Campaign can raise the vaccination rate significantly. Orv. Hetil., 2015, 156(5), 186–191.
Role of antihypertensive drugs in the treatment of migraine
Authors: Fehér Gergely , Pusch Gabriella
Published: January 2015

The treatment of migraine depends on the frequency, severity and concomitant diseases. There are several specific drugs developed for migraine prevention in addition to the additive antimigraine effects of some other non-specific drugs. The aim of this literature-based review is to summarize the possible antimigraine properties of different antihypertensive agents (beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, etc.) focusing on the possible side effects (avoidance of beta blockers in the absence of heart disease, possible antiparkinson effect of calcium channel blockers, additive effect of drugs modifying the renin-angiotensin system activity, etc.). Current evidence supports the use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (mainly lisinopril) and angiotensin receptor blockers (mainly candesartan) for long-term migraine prevention and blood pressure control. Long-term beta-blocker treatment should be avoided in the absence of ischemic heart disease due to possible unfavourable cardiovascular effects. Orv. Hetil., 2015, 156(5), 179–185.
The role of chromogranin-A and its derived peptide, WE-14 in the development of type 1 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Herold Zoltán , Nagy Péter , Patócs Attila , Somogyi Anikó
Published: January 2015

Chromogranin-A is a member of the granine protein family. It is produced in neuroendocrine cells via secretory granules. Many cleavage proteins are formed from chromogranin-A, from which some have well known biological activity, while the function of others is not yet fully known. Serum chromogranin-A levels are used in neuroendocrine tumour diagnostics. Recent studies showed that one of its cleavage protein, WE-14 may also play a role in the development of type 1 diabetes. WE-14 may function as an autoantigen for T-cells involved in the destruction of β-cells. This mechanism was previously observed only in non-obese diabetic mice. Novel results show that WE-14 also serves as a target for autoreactive cells in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic patients as well, which reaction can be increased with transglutaminase. In this paper the authors summarize the recent knowledge about chromogranin-A and its potential role in the pathomechanism of type 1 diabetes mellitus. Orv. Hetil., 2015, 156(5), 163–170.
Results of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery using the new 2.16 software and the SoftFit®Patient Interface
Authors: Nagy Zoltán Zsolt , Kiss Huba J. , Takács Ágnes I. , Kránitz Kinga , Czakó Cecília , Filkorn Tamás , Dunai Árpád , Sándor Gábor L. , Kovács Illés
Published: January 2015

Introduction: Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery improved the results of cataract surgeries. Aim: Outcome analysis of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery using the novel 2.16 software and the SoftFit®Patient Interface. Method: The novel software and the newly developed Patient Interface were used in 100 eyes of 100 patients. Results: Length of femtosecond laser pretreatment decreased to 45–60 seconds. The smaller size of the new patient interface resulted in easier docking even on pediatric eyes. Suction force used for docking decreased from 40–50 mmHg to 16–20 mmHg. Incidence rate of subconjunctival suffusion decreased from 40% to 15–20% and its clinical severity was reduced, too. No corneal microfolds evolved, thus the incidence rate of the free-floating capsulotomies increased from 30% to 97%. The total energy of femtosecond laser pretreatment was decreased by almost 50%. Corneal wounds had the desired structure, and they were easy to open and closed precisely. Conclusions: The SoftFit®patient interface and the novel software widened the possible uses of the femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery, e.g. in pediatric ophthalmology. Innovations improved the safety and the predictability of the method. Orv. Hetil., 2015, 156(6), 221–225.
Helicobacter pylori– 2014
Authors: Buzás György Miklós
Published: February 2015

The author reviews the main achievements in Helicobacter pylori research in the past 2 years. Of the more than 1000 microRNAs described thus far, sets of over- and underexpressed samples were identified that are associated with either gastric cancer or precancerous lesions, and some of them could be either markers or therapeutic targets in the near future. Meta-analyses involved 95 new publications: the association between infection and oesophageal, colorectal, pancreatic and liver carcinomas is supported by the increased odds ratios, but the results do not reach the strength seen in gastric carcinoma. Epstein–Barr virus is an emerging pathogen: 10% of gastric cancers are virus-associated; the prevalence of the virus in normal mucosa, chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer are currently being studied. Current Helicobacter pylori eradication regimens frequently achieve suboptimal results: a few optimisation methods are presented, although not all are supported by the meta-analyses. In 2013, the European Helicobacter Study Group proposed the development of a pan-European registry; data from 5792 patients registered so far indicated that many therapeutic regimens resulted in a low eradication rate. In 2013, the Healthy Stomach Initiative was started with the aim of supporting and disseminating research performed in the field of healthy and diseased stomachs. Orv. Hetil., 2015, 156(6), 203–210.
First record of Lopescladius Oliveira, 1967 (Chironomidae: Orthocladiinae) in the Piranhas-Açu River basin, Brazil, with ecological notes on its habitat use
Authors: Farias Rafaela Lima de , Alencar Thuanny Fernanda Braga , Medeiros Elvio S.F.
Published: January 2015

The present study describes a new site of occurrence for the genus Lopescladius in Brazil and reports the first record for the Piranhas-Açu River basin, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern Brazil. This new occurrence expands the distribution of the genus and adds to the knowledge of the chironomid fauna. The presence of this genus in an intermittent stream highlights the importance of future research on this type of aquatic system as well as ecological aspects related to Lopescladius.
Tantilla alticola (Boulenger, 1903) (Squamata: Colubridae): filling a geographical distribution gap in western Colombia
Authors: Vanega-Guerrero Jhonattan , Batista Abel , Medina Iliana , Vargas-Salinas Fernando
Published: January 2015

Based on a single specimen collected in La Delfina, municipality of Dagua, department of Valle del Cauca, we fills a record gap of 255 km in the distribution of the snake Tantilla alticola in western Colombia.
New record and occurrence map of Tityus serrulatus Lutz & Mello, 1922 (Scorpiones, Buthidae) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil
Authors: Mario da Rosa Conrado , Abegg Arthur Diesel , Borges Leandro Malta , Bitencourt Gabriela S. S , Di Mare Rocco Alfredo
Published: January 2015

The Brazilian scorpion Tityus serrulatus is recorded for the first time in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul, thus filling a gap of 567 km in its distribution. A specimen of the scorpion was collected in the urban area of the municipality of Santa Maria (29°43′51.31″ S, 053°48′5.74″ W) on 31 June 2014. A map was generated with the points of occurrence of the species in the state.
Floristic diversity of classified forest and partial faunal reserve of Comoé-Léraba, southwest Burkina Faso
Authors: Gnoumou Assan , Ouedraogo Oumarou , Schmidt Marco , Thiombiano Adjima
Published: January 2015

: The classified forest and partial faunal reserve of Comoé-Léraba belongs to the South Sudanian phytogeographical sector of Burkina Faso and is located in the most humid area of the country. This study aims to present a detailed list of the Comoé-Léraba reserve’s flora for a better knowledge and conservation. Floristic inventories have permitted to record 540 plant species belonging to 342 genera and 91 families, thus representing 26.12% of Burkina Faso’s phytodiversity (2067 species). Fabaceae and Poaceae with 89 and 51 species respectively, were the dominant families. The vegetation is characterized by the dominance of both phanerophytes (45.51%) and therophytes (32.73%). The importance of Guineo–­Con­golian species proves that the Comoé-Léraba flora belongs to the Sudano–Guinean transition sector. Comoé-Léraba also accounts the highest number of exclusive species followed by the reserve of Sahel in the country. Exclusive species bring out its value in flora conservation.
A perversão dos ideais no fundamentalismo religioso
Authors: Rocha Zeferino
Published: February 2015

O objetivo do artigo é refletir, na perspectiva da metapsicologia freudiana, sobre alguns processos e componentes psíquicos de natureza perversa, que estão na base dos ideais dos fundamentalistas religiosos. Neste contexto, consideraremos o conceito de "narcisismo de morte" (ou "narcisismo negativo") e sua articulação com a pulsão de morte, como também a distinção entre Eu ideal e Ideal do Eu para melhor compreender o modelo das "idealizações", pelas quais os fundamentalistas religiosos sacrificam seu próprio Eu, em nome de um Eu ideal que não é senão a projeção de suas ambições narcísicas infantis.
Psicologia, Sexualidade e Deficiência: Novas Perspectivas em Direitos Humanos
Authors: Gesser Marivete , Nuernberg Adriano Henrique
Published: February 2015

Este trabalho tem como objetivo apontar pressupostos teórico-metodológicos voltados a uma atuação profissional ética e política em Psicologia quanto à garantia dos direitos sexuais e reprodutivos de pessoas com deficiência. Para tanto, à luz do modelo social da deficiência, primeiramente serão caracterizadas as principais barreiras que as pessoas com deficiência têm enfrentado no que se refere à dimensão da sexualidade. Em seguida, serão identificados os principais avanços na legislação voltados à garantia dos direitos sexuais e reprodutivos a partir da aprovação da Convenção sobre os Direitos das Pessoas com Deficiência. Por fim, serão apresentados alguns desafios à Psicologia para o rompimento de uma prática integrativa e ancorada no modelo biomédico e de reabilitação sexual e cada vez mais próxima do modelo social da deficiência, bem como alguns pressupostos norteadores dessa atuação profissional.
Juventude e Perspectivas de Futuro: A Orientação Profissional no Programa Primeiro Emprego
Authors: Veriguine Nadia Rocha , Basso Cláudia , Soares Dulce Helena Penna
Published: February 2015

Este artigo relata a experiência de Orientação Profissional realizada a partir dos pressupostos da Psicologia Sócio-Histórica junto a um grupo de quinze jovens com idades entre dezoito e vinte e quatro anos, pertencentes ao Programa Primeiro Emprego de uma empresa de economia mista, do estado de Santa Catarina. A intervenção objetivou compreender o processo de escolha ocupacional/profissional de jovens em situação de vulnerabilidade social, contribuindo para a ampliação do rol de perspectivas futuras de trabalho (e dos modos de vida) desses jovens. Foram realizadas três oficinas de quatro horas de duração e uma entrevista integrativa individual. A partir das reflexões propostas, alguns participantes teceram projetos relacionados a continuar os estudos com cursos técnicos e/ou universitários, outros buscaram mais informações sobre possibilidades imediatas de emprego e renda e um grupo específico evidenciou o impacto da realidade social em que vive ao manifestar o desejo de evitar um futuro de fome, violências, mortes e guerras. A realização do trabalho com esse público de uma realidade socioeconômica desfavorecida e em um contexto de política pública evidencia a amplitude de possibilidades de intervenção e de pesquisa possíveis a orientação profissional sob uma perspectiva social.
A Motivação dos Profissionais de Saúde das Unidades Básicas de Saúde
Authors: Alves Filho Antônio , Borges Livia de Oliveira
Published: February 2015

Relata-se pesquisa que objetivou estudar a motivação para o trabalho dos profissionais de saúde vinculados às Unidades Básicas de Saúde do município de Natal. Compreendeu-se a motivação como um processo e aplicou-se a Teoria das Expectativas que a considera como um fenômeno processual e envolve cinco componentes: resultados do trabalho, expectativa, valên-cia, instrumentalidade e força motivacional. Entendeu-se também a motivação como um fenômeno relacionado com o contexto de trabalho e adotou-se a perspectiva psicossociológica. Aplicou-se o Inventário da Motivação e Significado do Trabalho, identificando-se os fatores que mais contribuem, bem como os que enfraquecem a força motivacional dos profissionais de saúde. Conclui-se que a maioria dos profissionais apresentou força motivacional moderada e em queda, por vivenciarem e perceberem um contexto deteriorado com condições de trabalho desfavoráveis.
Entre olhares e (in)visibilidades: reflexões sobre fotografia como produção dialógica
Authors: Mattos Laura Kemp de , Zanella Andréa Vieira , Nuernberg Adriano Henrique
Published: February 2015

A proposta deste artigo é tensionar, em fotografias produzidas por crianças com deficiência visual, o que se vê e o que se deixa de ver, as visibilidades e invisibilidades objetivadas nas fotos. Sendo as fotografias concebidas como produção discursiva e dialógica, a leitura das mesmas possibilita problematizar a relação que elas estabelecem com a realidade em que vivem. Como procedimentos metodológicos foram eleitos a produção de fotografias e o desenvolvimento de uma oficina estética. Para a análise estabelecemos uma confrontação das fotos no plano da significação, com base na análise dialógica do discurso, a partir da concepção do Círculo de Bakhtin (2010a). Os sentidos enfocados trazem à luz a realidade das crianças, independentemente de serem crianças com deficiência visual. Este aspecto foi muito significativo: os modos de (vi)ver o mundo expressos nas imagens são antes de tudo olhares de meninas e meninos.
Composição diferencial das comunidades bacterianas na rizosfera de variedas de cana-de-açúcar
Authors: Costa Diogo Paes da , Dias Armando Cavalcante Franco , Durrer Ademir , Andrade Pedro Avelino Maia de , Gumiere Thiago , Andreote Fernando Dini
Published: February 2015

A cultura da cana-de-açúcar é de extrema importância no cenário agrícola nacional. No entanto, pouco se sabe sobre a estruturação das comunidades microbianas associadas aos solos e às rizosferas de tais plantas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a estrutura e diversidade das comunidades de bactérias associadas ao solo e à rizosfera de seis variedades de cana-de-açúcar cultivadas no Estado de São Paulo (Brasil). As análises foram realizadas com base em métodos independentes de cultivo, em que a técnica de PCR-DGGE revelou alterações na rizosfera para os grupos de bactérias totais e também para os grupos de Alphaproteobacteria e Betaproteobacteria. Após essa análise, quatro amostras (três de rizosfera e uma de solo) foram usadas para o sequenciamento da região V6 do gene 16S DNAr na plataforma Ion Torrent TM. Essa análise gerou um total de 95.812 sequências, dentro das quais houve a predominância das afiliadas aos filos Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria e Acidobateria . Os resultados revelaram que as comunidades bacterianas na rizosfera são distintas daquelas encontradas no solo. Foi possível ainda observar efeito diferencial de plantas das variedades. Alguns grupos bacterianos apresentaram menor frequência na rizosfera (Acidobacteria ), enquanto outros se mostraram fortemente estimulados pela presença das raízes, comumente para todas as variedades (Betaproteobacteria , Nitrospora e Chloroflexi ), ou em respostas variedade-específicas (Bacilli e Sphingobacteria ).
Erosivity of rainfall in Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Authors: Schick Jefferson , Bertol Ildegardis , Cogo Neroli Pedro , Paz González Antonio
Published: February 2015

The erosive capacity of rainfall can be expressed by an index and knowing it allows recommendation of soil management and conservation practices to reduce water erosion. The objective of this study was to calculate various indices of rainfall erosivity in Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil, identify the best one, and discover its temporal distribution. The study was conducted at the Center of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, Lages, Santa Catarina, using daily rainfall charts from 1989 to 2012. Using the computer program Chuveros , 107 erosivity indices were obtained, which were based on maximum intensity in 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 135, 150, 165, 180, 210, and 240 min of duration and on the combination of these intensities with the kinetic energy obtained by the equations of Brown & Foster, Wagner & Massambani, and Wischmeier & Smith. The indices of the time period from 1993 to 2012 were correlated with the respective soil losses from the standard plot of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) in order to select the erosivity index for the region. Erosive rainfall accounted for 83 % of the mean annual total volume of 1,533 mm. The erosivity index (R factor) of rainfall recommended for Lages is the EI30, whose mean annual value is 5,033 MJ mm ha-1 h-1, and of this value, 66 % occurs from September to February. Mean annual erosivity has a return period estimated at two years with a 50 % probability of occurrence.
Cistos epidermais em ovinos
Authors: Pierezan Felipe , Panziera Welden , Tessele Bianca , Galiza Glauco J.N. , Barros Claudio S.L.
Published: February 2015

São descritos os aspectos clínico-patológicos de cistos epidermais em quatro ovinos, com idade entre dois e 12 anos, oriundos da região central do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Três desses ovinos apresentavam múltiplos nódulos cutâneos, distribuídos aleatoriamente pelo corpo, e um ovino apresentava nódulo cutâneo solitário na região cervical. O período entre o aparecimento do primeiro nódulo e o surgimento de múltiplos nódulos foi de oito meses, em um caso, e um ano, em dois casos. Os quatro ovinos eram os únicos animais afetados em seus respectivos rebanhos. Os nódulos cutâneos eram redondos ou ovais, salientes, flutuantes, não pruriginosos e recobertos por pele parcialmente alopécica. Esses nódulos variavam de 1,0 a 7,0cm de diâmetro e, ocasionalmente, apresentavam um pequeno orifício central, com 1-2mm de diâmetro, na superfície externa. Ao corte eram císticos, delimitados por uma parede fina e branca, com 0,5-0,8cm de espessura, e preenchidos por material branco ou amarelado e friável. Histologicamente, os cistos eram revestidos por epitélio, contendo todos os estratos de um epitélio escamosos estratificado, sobre uma fina cápsula de tecido conjuntivo fibroso denso. Os cistos eram preenchidos por agregados homogêneos e feixes de ceratina, arranjados de forma concêntrica. Baseado na localização e características macroscópicas e histológicas esses cistos foram diagnosticados como cistos epidermais infundibulares.
Postmortem findings in collared peccaries raised in captivity in northeastern Brazil
Authors: Batista Jael S. , Olinda Roberio G. , Rodrigues Carla M.F. , Silva Taciana M.F. , Vale Rodolfo G. , Viana Geysa A. , Oliveira Andréia F. , Oliveira Moacir F.
Published: February 2015

This study is a retrospective examination of diseases in collared peccaries that were diagnosed by the Veterinary Pathology Laboratory, Universidade Federal Rural do Semiárido. Necropsy and histological examination were performed from 2005 to 2010. Of the 50 necropsied collared peccaries, 24% died due to restraint and capture myopathy; 18% died from trauma; and the remainder was diagnosed with splenic hemangioma (6%), enterolithiasis (6%), gastritis (6%), gastric ulcer (4%), intestinal volvulus (4%), gastric volvulus (2%), mammary carcinoma (2%), polycystic kidney disease (2%), pyometra (2%), and suppurative bronchopneumonia (2%). Twelve animals remained undiagnosed, seven of which (14%) were in advanced autolytic condition and five of which (10%) had no gross or microscopic lesions that were compatible with disease. This paper describes illnesses that have not been reported in the collared peccary, focusing on their clinical and pathological aspects.
O giro dos outros: fundamentos e sistemas nas folias de Urucuia, Minas Gerais
Authors: Pereira Luzimar Paulo
Published: February 2015

Em Urucuia, norte de Minas Gerais, os conceitos locais de fundamentoe sistema evocam, respectivamente, as semelhanças e as diferenças entre as festas de folia realizadas em um grande circuito festivo. Descrevendo a circulação de devotos por diversas festas, procuro neste artigo analisar os usos narrativos e festivos destas noções para destacar o modo como elas estão relacionadas a processos específicos de produção e contestação de uma experiência sagrada calcada nas ideias de unidade e totalidade. Ao proporem que as festas sejam simultaneamente uma e várias, que sejam permanentes e mutantes, que sirvam às comunidades e aos interesses individuais, os devotos põem em jogo demarcadores rituais capazes de produzir contextualmente a confirmação do poder totalizador e atemporal das folias ao mesmo tempo em que abrem espaço para a sua dissolução.