bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The use of emotional literacy in work with sexual offenders
Authors: Knight Charlotte , Modi Panna
Published: March 2014

Emotional literacy as a skill in probation practice requires an ability to understand and regulate one’s own emotions, in order to be responsive to the emotions of others. The concepts and methods used in this article arise from research by Charlotte Knight for a PhD on emotional literacy in work with high-risk offenders and the practice of Panna Modi, who works as a probation officer in a sex offender treatment unit with low, medium and high risk offenders. Reference is made to the case studies of two men who were participants in a Community Sex Offender Groupwork Programme (C-SOGP) and examines some of the emotional processes and skills involved in work with them.
Trends With Corticosteroid Use in Males With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Born 1982-2001
Authors: Fox Deborah J. , Kumar Anil , West Nancy A. , DiRienzo A. Gregory , James Katherine A. , Oleszek Joyce ,   the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking, and Research Network (MD STARnet)
Published: March 2014

This study examines trends in corticosteroid use for males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy by birth year, race/ethnicity, and knowledge of Duchenne muscular dystrophy family history. Firstborn males (n = 521) selected from a population-based surveillance system of Duchenne muscular dystrophy were analyzed using Kaplan Meier and regression methods. Comparing males born 1982 to 1986 with males born 1997 to 2001, steroid use increased from 54% to 72% and mean age at steroid initiation decreased from 8.2 to 7.1 years. Hispanics and non-Hispanic Black males used steroids less frequently and delayed initiation compared to white males. Compared to males without a Duchenne muscular dystrophy family history, males with known family history were half as likely to use steroids. Duration of steroid use increased over time and age at initiation decreased. Racial/ethnic disparities exist for steroid use and should be addressed to improve outcome and quality of life for boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Distinguishing Counterfeit From Authentic Product Retailers in the Virtual Marketplace
Authors: Wilson Jeremy M. , Fenoff Roy
Published: March 2014

Product counterfeiting is a large and growing crime that has many forms of victims, from consumers and corporations to governments and societies. Contributing to this growth, the Internet offers a means by which counterfeiters can easily apply their illicit trade around the globe with relative anonymity. However, little is known about the ways in which counterfeiters market their products online and whether and how they can be distinguished from authorized retailers selling authentic product. In this research, we empirically explore authorized and counterfeiter business-to-consumer websites for a luxury apparel maker and an audio electronics company. Building on the extant literature, we statistically distinguish the websites based on effective website design features, including interactivity and navigation, functionality, marketing, and security. We find that counterfeiter websites are different from authorized retailers on many key attributes. Additionally, some of these differences hold between industries, whereas as others are industry specific. We discuss these findings relative to advancing ideas on how counterfeiters target victims, conceptualizing crime and place, and opportunity for e-displacement. We conclude with a brief summary of some implications for the detection and prevention of these crimes by law enforcement, industry, and consumers.
The conditions of exposure and immediacy: Internet surveillance and Generation Y
Authors: Lee Ashlin , Cook Peta S.
Published: March 2014

Surveillance through information and communication technologies is an integral part of modernity. However, there has been little research into how surveillance is experienced, with much research focusing on the structural aspects of surveillance. We conducted focus groups with Generation Y internet users to investigate their experiences of internet surveillance. They demonstrate an awareness of and ambivalence about surveillance online, negotiating their digital visibility and exposure against the risks and benefits of using the internet. However, their overwhelming interest and concern is that their online access to desired content is immediate and unfettered. We argue that immediacy has come to dominate how Generation Y understand and negotiate their internet experience, and describe how immediacy outweighs any concerns participants have. This study highlights the need to further explore the experience of surveillance, and the importance of immediacy in understanding sociotechnical systems and experiences.
Whither the transvestite? Theorising male-to-female transvestism in feminist and queer theory
Authors: Allen Samantha
Published: March 2014

Male-to-female transvestism is a complex phenomenon that is often confused with other manifestations of male-to-female cross-dressing, e.g. drag performance. As a practice, male-to-female transvestism remains under-theorised in feminist and queer literature. In this article I approach male-to-female transvestism from two different directions. First, I sketch out some of the meta-theoretical issues surrounding its place in feminist and queer scholarship. Second, I hone in on particular details of male-to-female transvestite culture in order to model the kind of attentive reading that male-to-female transvestism requires. The first section of the article presents readings of three foundational texts – Gayle Rubin’s ‘Thinking Sex’ (1984), Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble (1990) and Marjorie Garber’s Vested Interests (1992) – to highlight the challenges facing the theorisation of male-to-female transvestism in feminist and queer scholarly traditions. In the second section, I turn to an online message board for male-to-female cross-dressers (crossdressers.com) and read practices of passing and photography through a theoretical framework informed by Alan Turing, Masahiro Mori and Silvan Tomkins.
Cardiomyocyte differentiation induced in cardiac progenitor cells by cardiac fibroblast-conditioned medium
Authors: Zhang Xi , Shen Man-Ru , Xu Zhen-Dong , Hu Zhe , Chen Chao , Chi Ya-Li , Kong Zhen-Dong , Li Zi-Fu , Li Xiao-Tong , Guo Shi-Lei , Xiong Shao-Hu , Zhang Chuan-Sen
Published: March 2014

Our previous study showed that after being treated with 5-azacytidine, Nkx2.5+ human cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) derived from embryonic heart tubes could differentiate into cardiomyocytes. Although 5-azacytidine is a classical agent that induces myogenic differentiation in various types of cells, the drug is toxic and unspecific for myogenic differentiation. To investigate the possibility of inducing CPCs to differentiate into cardiomyocytes by a specific and non-toxic method, CPCs of passage 15 and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were treated with cardiac ventricular fibroblast-conditioned medium (CVF-conditioned medium). Following this treatment, the Nkx2.5+ CPCs underwent cardiomyogenic differentiation. Phase-contrast microscopy showed that the morphology of the treated CPCs gradually changed. Ultrastructural observation confirmed that the cells contained typical sarcomeres. The expression of cardiomyocyte-associated genes, such as alpha-cardiac actin, cardiac troponin T, and beta-myosin heavy chain (MHC), was increased in the CPCs that had undergone cardiomyogenic differentiation compared with untreated cells. In contrast, the MSCs did not exhibit changes in morphology or molecular expression after being treated with CVF-conditioned medium. The results indicated that Nkx2.5+ CPCs treated with CVF-conditioned medium were capable of differentiating into a cardiac phenotype, whereas treated MSCs did not appear to undergo cardiomyogenic differentiation. Subsequently, following the addition of Dkk1 and the blocking of Wnt signaling pathway, CVF-conditioned medium-induced morphological changes and expression of cardiomyocyte-associated genes of Nkx2.5+ CPCs were inhibited, which indicates that CVF-conditioned medium-induced cardiomyogenic differentiation of Nkx2.5+ CPCs is associated with Wnt signaling pathway. In addition, we also found that the activation of Wnt signaling pathway was accompanied by higher expression of GATA-4 and the blocking of the pathway inhibited the expression of GATA-4 in CVF-conditioned medium-incubated Nkx2.5+ CPCs. This finding suggests that Wnt signaling pathway may alter GATA-4 expression and activate the cardiogenic program in the regulation of differentiation. In conclusion, Nkx2.5+ CPCs have enormous potential for cardiomyogenic differentiation and the CVF-conditioned medium specifically induces CPCs to differentiate into a cardiac phenotype. Wnt signaling pathway is involved in CVF-conditioned medium-induced cardiomyogenic differentiation of Nkx2.5+ CPCs.
Constipation severity is associated with productivity losses and healthcare utilization in patients with chronic constipation
Authors: Neri Luca , Basilisco Guido , Corazziari Enrico , Stanghellini Vincenzo , Bassotti Gabrio , Bellini Massimo , Perelli Ilaria , Cuomo Rosario ,   LIRS Study Group
Published: March 2014

Objective

We sought to evaluate the association between constipation severity, productivity losses and healthcare utilization in a national sample of Italian patients with chronic non‐organic constipation (CC)

Methods

We enrolled 878 outpatients with CC. Clinical and demographic data were collected by physicians during clinical examinations. Patients completed a self‐administered questionnaire (Patient Assessment of Constipation‐Symptoms, PAC‐SYM; Work Productivity and Activity Impairment; healthcare utilization, and Symptoms Checklist 90 Revised – Somatization Scale, SCL‐90 R).

Results

Mean PAC‐SYM score was 1.62 ± 0.69. Mean weekly sick time due to constipation was 2.7 ± 8.6 h and productivity losses due to presenteeism was 19.7% ± 22.3%. Adjusted productivity losses in patients with severe CC (PAC‐SYM score 2.3–4.0) compared to patients with mild symptoms (PAC‐SYM score 0.0–1.0) was Italian Purchase Power Parity US$ 6160. Constipation severity (PAC‐SYM quintiles) was associated with higher healthcare utilization (RRPAC‐SYM 4/0 1.84; p ‐value for linear trend <0.01). After adjustment for somatization scores, the association of constipation severity with productivity losses and healthcare utilization rates was attenuated yet statistically significant.

Conclusions

We observed a graded increase in productivity losses and healthcare utilization with increasing constipation severity. Further studies should evaluate whether significant savings might be achieved with regimens aimed at reducing the constipation severity.
Palmieri’s double suture skin repair: a new double suture approach to cases of skin cancer and ulcerative lesions
Authors: Palmieri Beniamino , Grappolini Simone , Fiamengo Barbara , Iannitti Tommaso
Published: March 2014

We describe two case reports to assess the efficacy of a new method suitable to close small-sized pressure ulcers and cancer-related skin lesions.
A handy approximation for a mediated bioelectrocatalysis process, related to Michaelis-Menten equation
Authors: Filobello-Nino Uriel , Vazquez-Leal Hector , Benhammouda Brahim , Hernandez-Martinez Luis , Khan Yasir , Jimenez-Fernandez Victor Manuel , Herrera-May Agustin Leobardo , Castaneda-Sheissa Roberto , Pereyra-Diaz Domitilo , Cervantes-Perez Juan , Agustin Perez-Sesma Jose Antonio , Hernandez-Machuca Sergio Francisco , Cuellar-Hernandez Leticia
Published: March 2014

In this article, Perturbation Method (PM) is employed to obtain a handy approximate solution to the steady state nonlinear reaction diffusion equation containing a nonlinear term related to Michaelis-Menten of the enzymatic reaction. Comparing graphics between the approximate and exact solutions, it will be shown that the PM method is quite efficient.
Brief psychological intervention after self-harm: randomised controlled trial from Pakistan
Authors: Husain Nusrat , Afsar Salahuddin , Ara Jamal , Fayyaz Hina , Rahman Raza ur , Tomenson Barbara , Hamirani Munir , Chaudhry Nasim , Fatima Batool , Husain Meher , Naeem Farooq , Chaudhry Imran B.
Published: March 2014

Background

Self-harm is a major risk factor for completed suicide.

Aims

To determine the efficacy of a brief psychological intervention – culturally adapted manual-assisted problem-solving training (C-MAP) – delivered following an episode of self-harm compared with treatment as usual (TAU).

Method

The study was a randomised controlled assessor-masked clinical trial (trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01308151). All patients admitted after an episode of self-harm during the previous 7 days to the participating medical units of three university hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan, were included in the study. A total of 250 patients were screened and 221 were randomly allocated to C-MAP plus treatment as usual (TAU) or to TAU alone. All patients were assessed at baseline, at 3 months (end of intervention) and at 6 months after baseline. The primary outcome measure was reduction in suicidal ideation at 3 months. The secondary outcome measures included hopelessness, depression, coping resources and healthcare utilisation.

Results

A total of 108 patients were randomised to the C-MAP group and 113 to the TAU group. Patients in the C-MAP group showed statistically significant improvement on the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation and Beck Hopelessness Inventory, which was sustained at 3 months after the completion of C-MAP. There was also a significant reduction in symptoms of depression compared with patients receiving TAU.

Conclusions

The positive outcomes of this brief psychological intervention in patients attempting self-harm are promising and suggest that C-MAP may have a role in suicide prevention.
Responses ofDrosophilagiant descending neurons to visual and mechanical stimuli
Authors: Mu Laiyong , Bacon Jonathan P. , Ito Kei , Strausfeld Nicholas J.
Published: March 2014

In Drosophila, the paired Giant Descending Neurons (GDN), also known as Giant Fibers (GFs), and the paired Giant Antennal Mechanosensory Descending Neurons (GAMDN), are supplied by visual and mechanosensory inputs. Both neurons have the largest cell bodies in the brain and both supply slender axons to the neck connective. The GDN axon thereafter widens to become the largest axon in the thoracic ganglia, supplying information to leg extensor and wing depressor muscles. The GAMDN axon remains slender, interacting with other DN axons medially. GDN and GAMDN dendrites are partitioned to receive inputs from antennal mechanosensory afferents and inputs from the optic lobes. Although GDN anatomy has been well studied in Musca domestica, less is known about Drosophila homologue, including electrophysiological responses to sensory stimuli. Here we provide detailed anatomical comparisons of the GDN and the GAMDN, characterizing their sensory inputs. The GDN showed responses to light-ON and light-OFF stimuli, expanding stimuli that result in luminance decrease, mechanical stimulation of the antennae, and combined mechanical and visual stimulation. We show that ensembles of lobula columnar neurons (type Col A) and mechanosensory antennal afferents are likely responsible for these responses. The reluctance of the GDN to spike in response to stimulation confirms observations of the Musca GDN. That this reluctance may be a unique property of the GDN is suggested by comparisons with the GAMDN, in which action potentials are readily elicited by mechanical and visual stimuli. The results are discussed in the context of descending pathways involved in multimodal integration and escape responses.
miRNA sensitivity to Drosha levels correlates with pre-miRNA secondary structure
Authors: Sperber Henrik , Beem Alan , Shannon Sandra , Jones Ross , Banik Pratyusha , Chen Yu , Ku Sherman , Varani Gabriele , Yao Shuyuan , Ruohola-Baker Hannele
Published: March 2014

microRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial for cellular development and homeostasis. In order to better understand regulation of miRNA biosynthesis, we studied cleavage of primary miRNAs by Drosha. While Drosha knockdown triggers an expected decrease of many mature miRNAs in human embryonic stem cells (hESC), a subset of miRNAs are not reduced. Statistical analysis of miRNA secondary structure and fold change of expression in response to Drosha knockdown showed that absence of mismatches in the central region of the hairpin, 5 and 9–12 nt from the Drosha cutting site conferred decreased sensitivity to Drosha knockdown. This suggests that, when limiting, Drosha processes miRNAs without mismatches more efficiently than mismatched miRNAs. This is important because Drosha expression changes over cellular development and the fold change of expression for miRNAs with mismatches in the central region correlates with Drosha levels. To examine the biochemical relationship directly, we overexpressed structural variants of miRNA-145, miRNA-137, miRNA-9, and miRNA-200b in HeLa cells with and without Drosha knockdown; for these miRNAs, elimination of mismatches in the central region increased, and addition of mismatches decreased their expression in an in vitro assay and in cells with low Drosha expression. Change in Drosha expression can be a biologically relevant mechanism by which eukaryotic cells control miRNA profiles. This phenomenon may explain the impact of point mutations outside the seed region of certain miRNAs.
Dreams From Homer to Plato
Authors: Redfield James
Published: March 2014

In archaic and classical literature dreams often appear as independent entities that enter human consciousness as messengers or omens. In Homer a god can come in a dream-always in disguise-or can send a dream. Dreams are insubstantial, like the psychai; a psyche like a god may come in a dream. If a dream bears a message (which may be a lie) it declares itself a messenger; ominous dreams simply arrive and require interpretation-which may be erroneous. Insubstantial and deceptive, dreams occupy a territory between reality and unreality. The resultant ambiguities are explored at length in Odyssey 19, where a truthful, self-interpreting dream is told and rejected by the teller, who nevertheless proceeds to act as if she believed it. Later literature shows us specific rituals for dealing with dreams, and tells of their origin as children of Night or Chthôn. Sometimes exogenic dreams are contrasted with endogenic dreams, which may arise from organic states. Finally in Plato’s Republic we have an account of certain dreams as irruptions into consciousness of hidden aspects of the psyche.
Philo of Alexandria’s Dream Classification
Authors: Tovar Sofía Torallas
Published: March 2014

The Stoic three-fold classification of dreams provided Philo with a structure upon which he built his treatise on Dreams. This treatise was meant to comment on the dreams appearing in the book of Genesis, in the strict order of their appearance in the Scripture. The classification as presented by him added a gradation which classifies dreams by their phenomenology and the clarity of the message they convey. While dreams sent by God are perfectly clear, those which have the soul as a source are obscure enough to require the intervention of a skilled interpreter. The obscurity or clarity of dreams depended on the perfection acquired by the soul of the dreamer. At this point a second three-fold classification complements the one on dreams: the classification of types of lives or types of souls, which involves a gradation of the soul in its progress towards perfection, using as examples the characters appearing in the Scriptures, mainly the Patriarchs.
The Stuff of Dream
Authors: Rappold Adam
Published: March 2014

This paper employs a little-discussed passage from the Life of Aesop, wherein the slave Aesop undercuts the dream-interpretation of his master, to comment on the broader status concerns of dream interpretation in antiquity. Specifically, extending Leslie Kurke’s (2011) framework in Aesopic Conversations, this paper identifies the depiction of Aesop as part of a more widespread ’demotic’ critique of high/elite wisdom culture, arguing that belief in the predictive power of dreams was a hallmark of elite culture. By doing so, it reveals that skepticism about the ability of dreams to predict the future was a trait stereotypically associated with ’low’ or non-elite culture, at least until the first century CE. Ultimately this allows us to defamiliarize our readings of ancient sources and to generate new interpretations, a fact which is tested on Socrates’ dream in Plato’s Phaedo. As a takeaway, this revised discourse about dreams undercuts modern scholarly assumptions about the relative status of believers versus skeptics in Greek religion. Perhaps most importantly though, through its framework for reconstructing and tracing the impact of literary stereotypes, this paper offers an attempt to glimpse true popular culture and a rebuttal to the claim that the ’inner thoughts’ of the non-literate cannot be understood.
Dangerous Dreaming: The Christian Transformation of Dream Incubation
Authors: Graf Fritz
Published: March 2014

Deubner’s thesis of an easy transformation of pagan into Christian incubation has been revived recently. In my paper, I argue against such an easy reception, both for general and for specific reasons. Christian theology was much more suspicious of dreams than the pagan world and would argue against an easy adoption of dream incubation; this is confirmed by the fact that the ritual forms of dream healing in Christian churches looked very different from the rituals in pagan incubation shrines and never attained the uniformity of the pagan rites. None of the few cases where continuity has been argued for on archaeological grounds stands up to closer scrutiny, and the analysis of dream healing in the church of the Twelve Apostles in Menouthis near Alexandria and of other early literary records leads to a very nuanced understanding of how Christian dream healing succeeded pagan incubation.
Habilitation, Ruf und Inflation
Authors: Dürkop Martina
Published: March 2014

This article introduces and presents the letters from Otto Weinreich to Georg Wissowa written between 1913 and 1924. They offer glimpses into the academic world before the Great War. Initiating his career Weinreich was looking for a subject, for a mentor, and for a job in 1913. He made career like his peers step by step. In 1914 he got his chance to attain the habilitation at Halle (Saale). But the outbreak of war changed everyone’s life. Some of the younger scholars joined up the army, others had to follow during the next months or years. Only the few among them who were exempt from military service could make a classic career. When the combatants returned in 1919, they had to close a gap of some years. Meanwhile,Weinreich changed the place three times: to Tübingen, Jena and Heidelberg. At the beginning ofWeimar Republic, he had established himself as professor. He was author, editor of the Archiv für Religionswissenschaft and Religionsgeschichtliche Versuche und Vorarbeiten and contributor. He and his old mentorWissowa recalled the good old days.The letters raise several issues: Did the war further Weinreich’s career? Or did he just seize the opportunity? Had he been considered as the „rising talent“ supported by teachers like Richard Wünsch, Franz Boll, and Wissowa? Could the letters be seen as a kind of witness for fallen and surviving colleagues, for war and post-war misery, for the struggle for existence and the success of scientific work?
Study of the Effects of High Temperatures on the Engineering Properties of Steel 42CrMo4
Authors: Brnic Josip , Turkalj Goran , Canadija Marko , Lanc Domagoj , Brcic Marino
Published: March 2014

The paper presents and analyzes the experimental results of the effect of elevated temperatures on the engineering properties of steel 42CrMo4. Experimental data relating to the mechanical properties of the material, the creep resistance as well as Charpy impact energy. Temperature dependence of the mentioned properties is also shown. Some of creep curves were simulated using rheological models and an analytical equation. Finally, an assessment of fracture toughness was made that was based on experimentally determined Charpy impact energy. Based on the obtained results it is visible that the tensile strength (617 MPa) and yield strength (415 MPa) have the highest value at the room temperature while at the temperature of 700 °C (973 K) these values significantly decrease. This steel can be considered resistant to creep at 400 °C (673 K), but at higher temperatures this steel can be subjected to low levels of stress in a shorter time.
A fast solution to the conjugacy problem in the four-strand braid group
Authors: Calvez Matthieu , Wiest Bert
Published: March 2014

We present an algorithm for solving the conjugacy search problem in the four-strand braid group. The computational complexity is cubic with respect to the braid length.
A Hybrid Nature-Inspired Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm for Uncapacitated Examination Timetabling Problems
Authors: Bolaji Asaju La’aro , Khader Ahamad Tajudin , Al-Betar Mohammed Azmi , Awadallah Mohammed A.
Published: March 2014

This article presents a Hybrid Artificial Bee Colony (HABC) for uncapacitated examination timetabling. The ABC algorithm is a recent metaheuristic population-based algorithm that belongs to the Swarm Intelligence technique. Examination timetabling is a hard combinatorial optimization problem of assigning examinations to timeslots based on the given hard and soft constraints. The proposed hybridization comes in two phases: the first phase hybridized a simple local search technique as a local refinement process within the employed bee operator of the original ABC, while the second phase involves the replacement of the scout bee operator with the random consideration concept of harmony search algorithm. The former is to empower the exploitation capability of ABC, whereas the latter is used to control the diversity of the solution search space. The HABC is evaluated using a benchmark dataset defined by Carter, including 12 problem instances. The results show that the HABC is better than exiting ABC techniques and competes well with other techniques from the literature.
High biomass yielding winter cover crops can improve phosphorus availability in soil
Authors: Dube Ernest , Chiduza Cornelius , Muchaonyerwa Pardon
Published: March 2014

We investigated the effects of high biomass yielding winter cover crops, namely grazing vetch (

Vicia

dasycarpa

L.) and oats (

Avena sativa

L.), on soil phosphorus (P) availability in low fertiliser input maize-based

conservation agriculture systems. Soil samples were collected from the 0–50-mm depth of experimental

plots after 4 years of maize–winter cover crop rotations. A sequential fractionation scheme was used to

separate total soil P into labile, moderately labile and non-labile organic P (P

o

) and inorganic (P

i

) pools.

Labile P pools included microbial biomass-P as well as P

i

and P

o

pools extracted using 0.5 M NaHCO

3

and

1.0 M HCl. The non-labile P pools were humic-P and 1.0 M H

2

SO

4

extracted P. Soil on the maize–winter cover

crop rotations had higher HCl-P

i

and total P than the soil on the maize–fallow rotation. The cover crops had

no significant (

p

>0.05) effect on NaHCO

3

-P

o

, NaHCO

3

-P

i

, HCl-P

o

, fulvic acid-P and recalcitrant H

2

SO

4

-P

fractions. Non-application of fertiliser increased accumulation of humic-P on the maize–oats rotation. Cover

crop biomass input explained 73% of the variations in microbial biomass-P and 33% of variations in total

labile P. Phosphorus concentration of young maize plants was significantly increased by the cover crops,

with a positive correlation to HCl-P

i

(

r

s

=0.90). This contribution from winter cover crops to P availability in

the surface soil suggests that, in the long term, fertiliser P could be reduced in such systems.
Assessment of atmospheric trace metals in the western Bushveld Igneous Complex, South Africa
Authors: Van Zyl Pieter G. , Beukes Johan P. , Du Toit Grizelda , Mabaso Desmond , Hendriks Johan , Vakkari Ville , Tiitta Petri , Pienaar Jacobus J. , Kulmala Markku , Laakso Lauri
Published: March 2014

Trace metal species emitted into the atmosphere from natural and anthropogenic sources can cause various

health-related and environmental problems. Limited data exist for atmospheric trace metal concentrations in

South Africa, which has the largest industrialised economy in Africa, with significant mining and metallurgical

activities. A large fraction of these mineral assets is concentrated in the Bushveld Igneous Complex, with the

western limb being the most exploited. To partially address this knowledge gap, atmospheric trace metals

were collected in the western Bushveld Igneous Complex at Marikana in the North West Province. Diurnal

PM

2.5

and PM

10

samples were collected for 1 year. A total of 27 trace metal species were determined.

With the exception of Ni, none of the trace metals measured during the sampling period exceeded local or

international air quality standard limit values. Total trace metal concentrations in the PM

10

fraction peaked

during the dry months and were regularly washed out during the wet season. A less significant seasonal

trend was observed for the trace metal concentrations in the PM

2.5

fraction; a finding attributed to a faster

replenishment of smaller particles into the atmosphere after rain events. About 80% of the PM

10

trace metal

levels measured occurred in the PM

2.5

fraction, while 40% or more of all metals emanated from the PM

2.5

fraction. This finding indicated a strong influence of anthropogenic sources. Four meaningful emission

sources were determined from explorative principal component factor analysis: crustal, vanadium related,

base metal related and ferrochromium related, which correlated well with the anticipated atmospheric trace

metal sources in the region.
Developing a Bullying Scale for Use with University Students
Authors: Doğruer Nazan , Yaratan Hüseyin
Published: March 2014

Bullying is not a new topic to be researched but the consequences of bullying for university students is an area yet to be studied. Thus, in this study our aim was to develop a bullying scale for use with university students. In order to do this we categorized their bullying behaviors
as physical, verbal, emotional, and cyber; and their bullying status as bully, victim, bully-victim, and bystander. The survey we developed to validate our scale was completed by volunteer participants individually. Exploratory factor analysis was done to determine construct validity of the
scale. The internal consistency values were calculated for reliability. The resultant values showed that the developed scale can be accepted as a valid and reliable scale to be used for measuring both bully and victim behaviors among young adults studying at tertiary level.
Do Age and Gender Influence Multiple Intelligences?
Authors: Meneviş Ipek , Özad Bahire Efe
Published: March 2014

In the theory of multiple intelligences put forth by Howard Gardner, initially, he classified 7 intelligences (logical, linguistic, musical, visual, kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal) and later added another 2 (naturalistic, existential). In this study our aim was to explore
whether or not there is a correlation between these 9 intelligence types and individuals' age and gender. We used cluster sampling to select participants for the study from students in grades 10, 11 and 12 at 4 high schools in the Famagusta and Iskele Districts, Northern Cyprus. We used the
Multiple Intelligences Inventory and performed independent samples t test and analysis of variance. We found statistically significant differences for verbal, kinesthetic, existential, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist intelligences according to gender and statistically
significant differences for visual, logical, intrapersonal, naturalist, and existential intelligences according to age.
The Principal and Healthy School Climate
Authors: Gülşen Celal , Gülenay Gülden Buçkün
Published: March 2014

The objective in this study was to identify the effects of the principal on the climate of the school by conducting a survey of teachers employed at the principal's school. Researchers regard the organizational effectiveness of the school to be related to the health of the school climate.
In our study we used The Healthy School Scale developed by Akbaba (1997), which was adapted for use in Istanbul by these researchers in 2012. Results revealed that the principal plays a crucial role in the formation of the school climate.
Outcomes of Play-Based Home Support for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Sari Oktay Taymaz
Published: March 2014

Play-based home support is an important early education option that leads to positive changes in the development of children who are either at risk of, or have been diagnosed with, developmental disorders. In this case study I analyzed the second year of an education program, based
on play-based home support and family education offered to a 4-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder. I found that: (a) the child demonstrated progress in skills covered by the individualized education, (b) there was a consequential decrease in intensity of autism symptoms, (c) there
was evidence of development of the child's attention during playtime, and (d) the child's communication and speech skills showed improvement. The implications of this case study are further discussed in relation to natural learning settings, family cooperation, and early education for children
at risk of developmental disorders.
Dynamics of soil chemistry in different serpentine habitats from Serbia
Authors: Vicic Drazen , Stoiljkovic Milovan , Ninkov Jordana , Bojat Nenad , Sabovljevic Marko , Stevanovic Branka
Published: March 2014

To enhance understanding of edaphic conditions in serpentine habitats, a
thorough investigation of chemical and mechanical properties of three soils
from disjunct ultramafic outcrops in the central Balkans was undertaken. Soil
from a nearby chemically-contrasting limestone habitat was also analyzed.
Three plant species differently associated with serpentine (Halacsya
sendtneri, Cheilanthes marantae, and Seseli rigidum) were references for site
and soil selection. Twenty elements were scanned for, and fourteen were
measured in seven sequentially-extracted soil fractions. Quantified soil
properties also included: pH, levels of free CaCO3, organic matter, P2O5,
K2O, N, C, S, cation exchange capacity, total organic carbon, field capacity
and soil mechanical composition. The usual harsh components for plant growth
in serpentine soil such as elevated Mg:Ca ratio, high levels of Ni, Cr, or
Co, were significantly lower in the available fractions. There was a
significant positive correlation of organic matter and field capacity, with
most available Ca (70-80%) found in the mobile, rather than the
organically-bound fraction. This showed that a more favorable Mg:Ca ratio is
highly dependent upon a higher field capacity, which is also in accordance
with a more developed vegetation. Increasing the availability of metals (Al,
Ba, Ca, Cr, Cu, Mg, Ni, Zn) in a more developed serpentine grassland and
forest vegetation, occurred only simultaneously with decrease of the Mg:Ca
ratio and rise in other factors of fertility (N, P, K). Progressive
development of ecosystem complexity therefore raised the availability of
metals, but also reduced harsh Mg:Ca ratio disproportion, boosted levels of
nutrients and raised soil field capacity. Principal components analysis
confirmed that the main differences among serpentine habitats lay primarily
in factors of fertility. The common habitat which hosts all three reference
species offers intermediate conditions in a plant habitat selection gradient.
Comparing serpentine with limestone showed ample difference in total content
and availability of most of the surveyed elements, but very few differences
in other chemical properties. The fragility of soil and ecosystem, and
biological value of serpentine habitats demand intensive research and
protection of these diversity and endemism hotspots of the Balkan Peninsula.
Improved synthesis of gastrodin, a bioactive component of a traditional Chinese medicine
Authors: Li Yu-Wen , Ma Cui-Li
Published: March 2014

Highly practical synthesis of gastrodin has been developed using
penta-O-acetyl-b-D-glucopyranose and p-cresol as glycosyl donor and glycosyl
acceptor, respectively, in four steps with 58.1% overall yield. At the
initial step, the penta-O-acetyl-b-D-glucopyranose was treated with p-cresol
in the presence of BF3.Et2O as catalyst to generate 4-methylphenyl
2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-b-D-glucopyranoside in 76.3% yield. Furthermore, this
product was subjected to radical bromination with NBS to provide
4-(bromomethyl) phenyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-b-D-glucopyranoside in 91%
yield. Subsequently, reaction of 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-b-D-glucopyranoside
with a solution of acetone and saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate led to
4-(hydroxylmethyl) phenyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-b-D-glucopyranoside in 93%
yield. Finally, global deprotection of 4-(hydroxylmethyl) phenyl
2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-b-D-glucopyranoside under Zemplen conditions
furnished gastrodin in 90% yield. Compared to the previously reported
methods, this protocol has advantages of operational simplicity,
chromatography-free separation, high overall yield, inexpensive and common
reagents as well as less waste pollutants, rendering it an alternative
suitable for industrial production.
A Novel Function of MicroRNA 130a-3p in Hepatic Insulin Sensitivity and Liver Steatosis
Authors: Xiao Fei , Yu Junjie , Liu Bin , Guo Yajie , Li Kai , Deng Jiali , Zhang Jin , Wang Chunxia , Chen Shanghai , Du Ying , Lu Yingli , Xiao Yuzhong , Zhang Zhou , Guo Feifan
Published: March 2014

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, noncoding, short, single-stranded RNAs that are evolutionarily conserved and believed to play a role in controlling a variety of biological processes. The roles of miRNAs in insulin resistance and liver steatosis, however, are largely unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the roles of miR-130a in the regulation of insulin sensitivity and liver steatosis. In our current study, we observed that overexpression of miR-130a-3p increases insulin signaling in both HepG2 cells and primary mouse hepatocytes, and silencing of miR-130a-3p has the opposite effects. However, miR-130a-5p has no effect in the regulation of insulin signaling. Consistently, whole-body and hepatic insulin sensitivity are improved in mice injected with adenoviruses that overexpress miR-130a-3p. Furthermore, we provided evidence showing that growth factor receptor–bound protein 10 is required for miR-130a-3p–regulated insulin sensitivity. On the other hand, we observed that expression of miR-130a-3p is decreased in the livers of db/db mice and that adenovirus-mediated overexpression of miR-130a-3p reverses insulin resistance and liver steatosis, the latter of which is achieved via suppressing fatty acid synthase expression in these mice. This study identifies a novel function for hepatic miR-130a-3p in the regulation of insulin sensitivity and liver steatosis.
Narratives from call shop users: Emotional performance of velocity
Authors: Belli Simone , Harré Rom , Iñiguez Lupicinio
Published: March 2014

In recent years, the debate on emotions has been influenced by postconstructionist research, particularly the use of performativity as a key concept. According to Judith Butler (1993, 1997) the construction of emotions is a process open to constant change and redefinition. The final result of emotionlanguage “natural” development is what is known as technoscience. New ways of naming emotions have emerged within technoscience. In our research on the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) by cyber-café and call shop users, we came to understand how these technologies are significant in those users’ daily life. The emphasis will be on analyzing emotions related to the use of ICT in the aforementioned settings. Using the concept of performance (Butler, 1990), we will explore how narratives create a need for particular emotions, which did not exist before they were performed. To understand this performance, we use an ad hoc tool called Membership Categorization Analysis (MCA) as it is used by the Manchester School. Analysis has revealed the existence of a membership category in which velocity is salient as performance. This ‘velocity’ seems to follow the evolution of technoscience in the social sciences. We will observe velocity in the context created by two concepts, Donna Haraway’s (1990) cyborg and Alessandro Baricco’s (2007) mutant.
Globalization, nationalism and Europe: The need for trans-national perspectives in education
Authors: Šíp Radim
Published: March 2014

The article is divided into five parts that take readers through a historical and sociological analysis of the birth of European nationalism and concludes by emphasizing the need to overcome nationalism. In the first three parts, the author provides readers with detailed arguments on the historical background of nationalism. These show that the ideas of nationalism provided modern society with an important type of social bond. However, the article also focuses on why this type of social bond became the source of serious trouble in central Europe. It has produced many disastrous events, such as wars, the holocaust, and ethnic-cleansing. Moreover, it has brought about a style of thinking that is too rigid and out of date in our globalizing world. The fourth part shows that nationalism operates through nationalist identity-myths. In the final part of the article, the author demonstrates how this new type of nationalism type has influenced the philosophy of education, teaching and national curricula and suggests a few maxims that should govern the transition from nationalist to trans-nationalist perspectives (not only) in education.
Poverty and freedom
Authors: Graf Gunter , Schweiger Gottfried
Published: March 2014

The capability approach, which is closely connected to the works of Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, is one possible theoretical framework that could be used to answer the question as to why poverty is a problem from a moral point of view. In this paper we will focus on the normative philosophical capability approach rather than the social scientific and descriptive perspective. We will show that the approach characterizes poverty mainly as a limitation of freedom and that it is precisely this aspect, from its point of view, that makes poverty morally significant. This insight shifts the discussion away from questions regarding specific capabilities or lists of them-questions treated extensively in the literature-to the more general level of what constitutes the normative core of the capability approach. But as we will also discuss and argue, the role of freedom alone does not give us a complete picture of poverty but only presents us with one aspect relevant to evaluating it. A further aspect which we consider has not been adequately recognized and taken into account by most capability theorists is the experience of disrespect and humiliation, or to put it differently, a lack of recognition.
User-centered design of brain-computer interfaces: OpenBCI.pl and BCI Appliance
Authors: Durka P.J. , Kuś R. , Żygierewicz J. , Michalska M. , Milanowski P. , Łabęcki M. , Spustek T. , Laszuk D. , Duszyk A. , Kruszyński M.
Published: March 2014

Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) allows for non-muscular communication with external world, which may be the only way of communication for patients in a locked-in state. This paper presents a complete software framework for BCI, a novel hardware solution for stimuli rendering in BCIs based on Steady State Visual Evoked Potentials (SSVEP), and a univariate algorithm for detection of SSVEP in the EEG time series. OpenBCI is a complete software framework for brain-computer interfaces. Owing to an open license and modular architecture, it allows for flexible implementations of different communication channels in the serial or parallel hybrid mode, minimization of costs and improvements of stability and efficiency. Complete software is freely available from http://openbci.pl. BCI Appliance is a hardware solution that allows for dynamic control of menus with stable generation of stimuli for the SSVEP paradigm. The novelty consists of a design, whereby the LCD screen is illuminated from behind using an array of LEDs. Design pioneers also proposed a new line of thought about the user-centered design of BCI systems: a simple box with one on/off button, minimum embedded software, wireless connections to domotic and EEG acquisition devices, and user-controlled mode switching in a hybrid BCI.
Ensemble of data mining methods for gene ranking
Authors: Wiliński A. , Osowski S.
Published: March 2014

The paper presents the ensemble of data mining methods for discovering the most important genes and gene sequences generated by the gene expression arrays, responsible for the recognition of a particular type of cancer. The analyzed methods include the correlation of the feature with a class, application of the statistical hypotheses, the Fisher measure of discrimination and application of the linear Support Vector Machine for characterization of the discrimination ability of the features. In the first step of ranking we apply each method individually, choosing the genes most often selected in the cross validation of the available data set. In the next step we combine the results of different selection methods together and once again choose the genes most frequently appearing in the selected sets. On the basis of this we form the final ranking of the genes. The most important genes form the input information delivered to the Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier, responsible for the final recognition of tumor from non-tumor data. Different forms of checking the correctness of the proposed ranking procedure have been applied. The first one is relied on mapping the distribution of selected genes on the two-coordinate system formed by two most important principal components of the PCA transformation and applying the cluster quality measures. The other one depicts the results in the graphical form by presenting the gene expressions in the form of pixel intensity for the available data. The final confirmation of the quality of the proposed ranking method are the classification results of recognition of the cancer cases from the non-cancer (normal) ones, performed using the Gaussian kernel SVM. The results of selection of the most significant genes used by the SVM for recognition of the prostate cancer cases from normal cases have confirmed a good accuracy of results. The presented methodology is of potential use for practical application in bioinformatics.
Sensitivity analysis of deterministic signaling pathways models
Authors: Puszyński K. , Lachor P. , Kardyńska M. , Śmieja J.
Published: March 2014

The paper is focused on application of sensitivity methods to analysis of signaling pathway models. Two basic methods are compared: local, based on standard sensitivity functions, and global, based on Sobol indices. Firstly, a general outline of modeling of signaling pathways by means of ordinary differential equations is briefly described. Afterwards, the methods of sensitivity analysis, known from literature, are introduced and illustrated with a simple example of a dynamical system of the second order. Subsequently, the analysis of the p53/Mdm2 regulatory module, which is a key element of any pathway involving p53 protein, is presented. The results of this analysis suggest that no single method should be chosen for investigation of any signaling pathway model but several of them should be applied to answer important questions about sources of heterogeneity in cells behavior, robustness of signaling pathways and possible molecular drug targets.