bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in Conjunctival Hemodynamics Predict Albuminuria in Sickle Cell Nephropathy
Authors: Kord Valeshabad Ali , Wanek Justin , Saraf Santosh L. , Gaynes Bruce I. , Gordeuk Victor R. , Molokie Robert E. , Shahidi Mahnaz
Published: August 2015

Background: Albuminuria is an early manifestation of deterioration in renal function in subjects with sickle cell disease (SCD). Hyperfiltration may be an early mechanism for kidney damage in SCD. The purpose of the current study was to determine the association between conjunctival hemodynamics and albuminuria in SCD subjects with preserved glomerular filtration rate. Methods: Conjunctival microcirculation imaging was performed to measure conjunctival diameter and axial blood velocity (V) in 35 SCD and 10 healthy control subjects. Albuminuria, defined as albumin excretion ratio (AER), was obtained from the medical charts. Based on the 95% CI of conjunctival V in control subjects (0.40-0.60 mm/s), SCD subjects were allocated to 3 groups: V1 <0.40 mm/s (n = 7), V2 of 0.40-0.60 mm/s (n = 18) and V3 ≥0.60 mm/s (n = 10). Results: Mean log(AER) measurements in the V1, V2 and V3 groups were 1.08 ± 0.67, 1.39 ± 0.59 and 2.00 ± 0.91 mg/g creatinine, respectively, and followed a positive linear trend from the V1 to V3 groups (p = 0.01). By multivariate linear regression analysis, conjunctival V significantly correlated with albuminuria (p = 0.01) independent of age, blood pressure, α-thalassemia, hematocrit, white blood cell count and lactate dehydrogenase concentration. Conclusions: Increased conjunctival V is associated with albuminuria in SCD subjects. Assessment of conjunctival microvascular hemodynamics may improve our understanding of the pathophysiology and clinical management of sickle cell nephropathy.
Teacher Layoffs, Teacher Quality, and Student Achievement: Evidence from a Discretionary Layoff Policy
Authors: Kraft Matthew A.
Published: August 2015

Most teacher layoffs during the Great Recession were implemented following inverse-seniority policies. In this paper, I examine the implementation of a discretionary layoff policy in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. Administrators did not uniformly lay off the most or least senior teachers but instead selected teachers who were previously retired, late-hired, unlicensed, low-performing, or nontenured. Using quasi-experimental variation within schools across grades, I then estimate the differential effects of teacher layoffs on student achievement based on teacher seniority and effectiveness. Mathematics achievement in grades that lost an effective teacher, as measured by principal evaluations or value-added scores, decreased 0.05 to 0.11 standard deviations more than in grades that lost an ineffective teacher. In contrast, teacher seniority has limited predictive power on the effects of layoffs. Simulation analyses show that the district selected teachers who were, on average, less effective than those teachers identified under an inverse-seniority policy, and also reduced job losses.
Briófitas do caxetal, em Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brasil
Authors: Visnadi Sandra Regina
Published: August 2015

The “caxeta” [Tabebuia cassinoides (Lam.) DC., Bignoniaceae] is exclusive of Brazil, where it occurs in flooded areas of the coastal plains, between the states of Pernambuco and Santa Catarina, forming large populations called “caxetais”. Bryophytes collections were made in 1988, 1993 and 1995, in the “caxetal” of Ubatuba, SP, Brazil. The material is deposited in the Herbaria SP and HRCB. This paper lists two divisions of bryophytes, with the total of 25 families, 61 genera, 109 species, one subspecies and four varieties. Lejeuneaceae totals the largest numbers of genera, species and of collected samples. The bryophytes were usually found on bark of living phorophytes and in a single kind of substrate. The bryoflora from “caxetal” is similar to that one reported for the Atlantic rain forest of the State of São Paulo. The liverworts Colura cylindrica and Leptolejeunea obfuscata are new records for the State of São Paulo
New records to the bryoflora of Thailand
Authors: Frahm Jan-Peter , Pollawatn Rossarin , Chantanaorrapint Sahut
Published: August 2015

Seven species are reported to the bryoflora of Thailand for the first time, one hepatic (Aneura maxima) and six mosses (Bryum russulum, Campylopus flagelliferus, C. fragilis, C. laxitextus, Dicranodontium didyction and Pohlia leucostoma).
Bryophytes of the Tucuman-Bolivian Montane Forest, Bolivia
Authors: Churchill Steven P. , Lozano Reinaldo
Published: August 2015

An inventory of the bryophytes from Tucuman-Bolivian montane forest of Bolivia resulted in 374 species distributed among 184 genera and 70 families; liverworts are represented by 97 species, 42 genera, 20 families; hornworts by a single species, genus and family; and mosses by 276 species, 141 genera, 49 families. Twenty-seven percent of the known Bolivian bryophytes are present in the Tucuman-Bolivian montane forest. Comparing the bryophyte composition of the two recognized montane forest ecoregions, the Yungas and the Tucuman-Bolivian, the former is 2.8 times more diverse than the latter
New bryophyte taxa records for tropical countries 8
Authors: Müller Frank , Pursell Ronald A.
Published: August 2015

New bryophyte taxa records for tropical countries 8.
Moss Flora of the Island of Mauritius
Authors: Een Gillis
Published: August 2015

A full list of all known mosses from the island of Mauritius is presented, with a political and botanical history, including short biographies of relevant botanists and their collections, followed by a critical list of the taxa. About 700 records are listed, from 55 collectors. Jan-Peter Frahm visited the island in 2007 and contributed with 33 new records, including Bryohumbertia flavicoma (Mull.Hal. ex Broth.) J.-P.Frahm, new to Mauritius
Desertia, a new genus in Massonieae (Asparagaceae, Scilloideae), including the description of Desertia luteovirens and the taxonomic revisions of Whiteheadia and Namophila
Authors: Martínez-Azorín Mario , Pinter Michael , Wetschnig Wolfgang
Published: August 2015

Desertia gen. nov., which belongs to tribe Massonieae, is described from south western Namibia and north western South Africa. Desertia is at first sight related to Whiteheadia and Massonia, but it can be clearly differentiated by the papillose bracts, subcampanulate flowers with straight, suberect or slightly spreading free portion of tepals and the rugose seeds. This genus is based on Whiteheadia etesionamibensis, for which the combination in Desertia is presented. Furthermore, a second species in the genus, D. luteovirens, is here described based on distinct morphological and molecular characters. Furthermore, taxonomic revisions are presented for Namophila and Whiteheadia, including identification keys for the three genera and data on morphology, ecology, and distribution for all accepted species.
Two new species of Euphorbia subg. Chamaesyce (Euphorbiaceae) from Baja California Sur, Mexico and their phylogenetic relationships
Authors: Maya-Lastra Carlos Alonso , Steinmann Victor W.
Published: August 2015

Two new species of Euphorbia subg. Chamaesyce sect. Anisophyllum are described and illustrated. Both are endemic to the Sonoran Desert of Baja California Sur, Mexico, and were previously determined as Euphorbia polycarpa. Their recognition is highly supported by both molecular and morphological data. Euphorbia vizcainensis occurs in the Vizcaíno and Magdalena subdivisions at elevations from 20 to 250 m. It differs from E. polycarpa in having rugose seeds with transverse ridges (vs. smooth seeds). It is most similar to E. pondii from which it is separated by features of the stipules, involucral appendages, and seeds. Euphorbia cerralvensis is restricted to the Cerralvo Island in the municipality of La Paz of the Central Gulf Coast subdivision, and occurs at elevations from 10 to 300 m. It also differs from E. polycarpa by having seeds with transverse ridges. Morphologically it is very distinct from other Euphorbia species in the region. Phylogenetic evidence suggests that it belongs to a clade with E. dentosa, E. leucophylla, E. petrina, and E. brandegeei, species from which it is distinguished by its suffrutescent ascending habit (vs. herbaceous prostrate habit).
Kielmeyera ferruginosa (Calophyllaceae), a new species from the Atlantic Forest, southern Bahia, Brazil
Authors: Santos Amanda Pricilla Batista , Trad Rafaela Jorge , Do Espírito Santo Fabio Da Silva , Do Amaral Maria do Carmo Estanislau , Rapini Alessandro
Published: August 2015

Kielmeyera ferruginosa, a new species of Calophyllaceae from the Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia, is here described and illustrated. The species is critically endangered and can be easily distinguished from other Kielmeyera species by the rusty coloration of the trunk and branches, orange-colored latex, and the occurrence in flooded areas. It differs from the other species of the section Prolifera by the leaves with secondary veins relatively more distant from each other and prominent on the abaxial surface. Diagnostic characters and the state of conservation of the new species are discussed, and an identification key for K. ferruginosa and related species from series Rupestres and Neglectae is provided.
A checklist of the deep sea fishes of the Levant Sea, Mediterranean Sea
Authors: GOREN MENACHEM , GALIL BELLA S.
Published: August 2015

We list sixty five fish species collected at depths greater than 500 m in the Levant Basin, including 10 depth records. The Levantine bathyal ichthyofauna is characterized by its eurybathy, with an upper bathymetric boundary that permitted penetration of the shallow Gibraltar and Siculo-Tunisian sills, and a much lower bathymetric boundary than recorded for conspecifics elsewhere. The opportunistic and resilient ichthyofauna re-colonized recently the deep-sea following the last anoxic event (~ 6 kyr), forming assemblages notably distinct from those in the western Mediterranean. The exploration and production of deep seabed hydrocarbons have raised the specter of severe direct impacts to the deep habitats. There is an urgent need for documenting the full extent of deep-sea biodiversity, and for providing information for the development of competent and pragmatic management plans and effective conservation policies.
Three new species of Horismenus Walker (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) associated with seed pods of Pithecellobium dulce (Fabaceae)
Authors: PIKART TIAGO G. , COSTA VALMIR A. , HANSSON CHRISTER , ZANUNCIO JOSÉ C. , SERRÃO JOSÉ E.
Published: August 2015

Horismenus abnormicaulis sp. nov., H. patensis sp. nov. and H. zuleidae sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), all authored by Pikart, Costa & Hansson, are described from material obtained from seed pods of Pithecellobium dulce (Roxb.) Benth. (Fabaceae) collected in Northeastern Brazil. The seed pods were infested with larvae of Coleoptera (Chrysomelidae (Bruchinae) and Curculionidae). The associations of the Horismenus species and the beetle larvae have not been established. Morphological similarities between these new species and previously described species with host known suggest that H. patensis and H. zuleidae are primary parasitoids of Bruchinae, whereas H. abnormicaulis may act as a hyperparasitoid on other Horismenus species. The three species are compared with similar species of Horismenus.
Rhigognostis erysiphaea (Meyrick, 1938) comb. nov. (Lepidoptera, Plutellidae), with description of male and female genitalia
Authors: BARANIAK EDWARD , STÜNING DIETER , WALCZAK URSZULA
Published: August 2015

A new combination, Rhigognostis erysiphaea (Meyrick, 1938) is proposed. The species is re-described with a photo of the type specimen. The male and female genitalia are described and illustrated for the first time.
The identity of Accipiter cirrocephalus rosselianus Mayr, 1940
Authors: SCHODDE RICHARD
Published: August 2015

Mayr (1940) described the subspecies Accipiter cirrocephalus rosselianus of the Collared Sparrowhawk from two specimens in juvenile (first-year) plumage collected on Rossel (Yela) Island, in the Louisiade Archipelago off southeast New Guinea. They are still the only specimens of this form known from the Louisiade Archipelago, and were taken in March 1898 and December 1915 by the renowned Rothschild collector Albert S. Meek, who sexed them as males. Mayr (l.c.) presumed their specific identity and stated that rosselianus differed from juveniles of its sister subspecies, A. c. papuanus Rothschild & Hartert, 1913 of mainland New Guinea, in the bolder, browner chevroning of the ventrum, darker dorsal plumage with broad rufous feather edging, and distinctively large size. The large size of the specimens, in fact, raises the question of missexing, because they approach female papuanus in wing (Mayr l.c.). Nevertheless, the collector Meek was careful and experienced in sexing birds (Mayr l.c.) and had recorded both specimens as males on separate occasions. In accord with data presented below, it is evident that the specimens were correctly sexed as males.
Zmiany sytuacji językowej w Wierszynie koło Irkucka w warunkach dwujęzyczności polsko-rosyjskiej
Authors: Głuszkowski Michał
Published: August 2015

Changes in the language situation of Vershina near Irkutsk in the conditions of Polish-Russian bilingualismVershina was founded in 1910 by Polish voluntary settlers from Lesser Poland. There are three main periods in Vershina’s history, with different social conditions affecting the language choice. During its first three decades the settlers preserved Polish language (a mixture of dialects from their regions of origin), traditions and the Roman Catholic religion. The effects of the Revolution of 1917 and political changes came to a village in taiga only in the late 1930’s. Vershina lost its former ethnocultural homogeneity because of Russian and Buryat workers in the local kolkhoz. It was the beginning of the increasing role of Russian language in the village’s life. The process of intensive sovietization as well as heterogeneous marriages affected language choice in many domains. In the late 1980’s the inhabitants of Vershina regained their minority rights: they can pray in their own church, learn Polish in a local school and found cultural organisations. However, during the years of communism, the language situation changed irreversibly. There are some factors which may hinder the increasing domination of Russian language, such as activity of local Polish organisation, Roman Catholic parish and folk group “Jazhumbek” but their influence is limited. Изменения языковой ситуации в Вершине Иркутской области в условиях польско-русского билингвизма Вершина была основана в 1910 г. польскими добровольными переселенцами из Малой Польши. В истории деревни мы можем выделить три основных периода, характеризирующиеся разными социальными условиями, влияющими на выбор языка. За первые три десятилетия жители Вершины сохраняли польский язык (смесь диалектов из их родных регионов), традиции и римско-католическое вероисповедание. Вершининцы (как они сами называют себя) почувствовали последствия Октябрьской революции и политические изменения только в конце 30-х гг. ХХ века. Вершина потеряла прежнюю этнокультурную гомогенность из-за присоединения к местному колхозу бурятских и русских хуторов. Роль русского языка в жизни деревни стала постепенно увеличиваться. Процесс интенсивной советизации, а также смешанные браки повлияли на выбор языка во многих сферах жизни. В конце 80-х гг. ХХ века жителям Вершины вернули их права меньшинства: они могут молиться в своем костеле, учиться польскому языку в местной школе и создавать организации, но время коммунизма неотвратимо изменило языковую ситуацию общины. Увеличивающееся преобладание русского языка может остановить лишь активная деятельность местной польской организации, римско-католического прихода и фольклорного ансамбля «Яжумбек» („Рябчик”), но их влияние ограничено.
Język polski w Rosji Radzieckiej w okresie międzywojennym a polszczyzna na Białorusi radzieckiej (na materiale wybranych zagadnień fleksji rzeczowej)
Authors: Graczykowska Tamara
Published: August 2015

The Polish language in Soviet Russia in the interwar period and the Polish language in Soviet Belarus (based on selected features of noun inflexion)In this present paper the author makes an attempt to compare several specific features of noun inflexion excerpted from “Trybuna Radziecka” with the adequate material from the Belarussian press published in the interwar period too. “Trybuna Radziecka” was the Polish newspaper published in Moscow from 1927 to 1938 and edited by Polish Communists, living as political émigrés in the post-revolution Soviet Russia. The Polish language (including the language of the Polish press) in Soviet Russia was subject to two powerful mechanisms: communist propaganda and totalitarianism. The language of the Polish press is characteristic of numerous divergences in relation to general Polish especially in vocabulary (the lexical level is dominated by the Russicisms and Sovietic elements). Comaparative analysis shows that the deviations from the general Polish occurred in both sources, but the specific inflexion features are not numerous. The flexion level is arisen under the influence of foreign language system (Belarussian and Russian). All the regional features still function in the postwar Northern Borderland Polish. Польский язык в советской России в период между первой и второй мировой войнами и польский язык в советской Белоруссии (на избранных примерах флексии имени существительного)В статье сопоставлен язык газеты „Trybuna Radziecka”, издаваемой польскими коммунистами в Москве в межвоенный период, с языком польской прессы, публикуемой в советской Белоруссии в то же веремя. Анализ ведётся на избранных примерах флексии имени существительного. Большинство явлений отмечено в обоих источниках. Следует подчеркнуть, что почти все представленные особенности флексии существительного появились вследствие восточнославянского воздействия, прежде всего русского. Некоторые отклонения представляют собой общепольские тенденции того времени (напр. колебания -i (-y) // -owie в именительном падеже существительных м.р. типа liberali или колебания ø // -i в родительном падеже мн.ч. существительных ж.р. типа czytelń). Как показало исследование, все указанные явления в области флексии зафиксированы также в послевоенной вильнюсской прессе. Автор подчёркивает, что ком мунистическая пропаганда и тоталитаризм оставили на польском языке (включая язык польской прессы) в советской России в межвоенный период сильный отпечаток (особенно в лексике).
Zapożyczenia litewskie oznaczające skłonności i stany człowieka oraz sposoby wyrażania czułości lub niechęci (na materiale gwar polskich na Litwie)
Authors: Rutkowska Krystyna
Published: August 2015

Lithuanian borrowings denoting human states, dispositions and the ways of expressing frankness and unwillingness (based on the material of Polish dialects in Lithuania)The present article is a continuation of the previous studies (Rutkowska, 2009, 2010) dedicated to Lithuanian borrowings. Two previous articles have been related to human appearance and mental characteristics. The subject of the present article is Lithuanian borrowings which describe specific human dispositions and mental states, as well as the usage of epithets and the ways of addressing other people (terms of endearment). The lexical material of the article and vocabulary analyzed previously allows to state that the words referring to man make up a group of fairly large vocabulary of Lithuanian origin. It has been observed that words of such semantic categories as agriculture, weaving, fishery, construction are characterized nowadays as archaic because of the disappearance of a particular type of folk culture and changes in the field of rural activities. However, different ways of describing a person are still present in various dialect areas. A varying degree of adaptation of borrowed lexemes suggests that the penetration of such lexemes was a continuous process, which lasted throughout the period of the contact of Polish and Lithuanian dialects, and this process is continuing at the present day. The reason for the linguistic behavior of this type of Lithuanian words in Polish dialects is semantic capacity and expressiveness of these lexemes. Литуанизмы, обозначающие состояния и склонности человека, а также способы выражения им нежности или пренебрежения (на материале польских говоров в Литве)Данная статья является продолжением предыдущих исследований, посвященных заимствованиям из литовского языка, характеризующим человека (Rutkowska, 2009, 2010). Две предыдущих статьи были посвящены анализу лексики, определяющей внешний облик и черты характера человека. Предметом исследования в данной статье являются слова, связанные с типичными склонностями человека, а также афектонимы и прозвища. Лексика, представленная в трех очередных статьях, свидетельствует о многочисленности заимствований данной лексико-семантической группы и ее продуктивности. Если слова, принадлежащие к таким семантическим категориям, как земледелие, ткачество, строительство, характеризуются архаичностью в силу перемен, происходящих в сельскохозяйственной сфере жизни, то названия, определяющие человека, и в дальнейшем употребляются на разных диалектных ареалах Литвы. Различная степень адаптации данных лексем свидетельствует о том, что процесс проникновения заимствованной лексики был длительным и существовал на протяжениии всего периода контактирования польских и литовских говоров, активно подолжается и в настоящее время. Причиной сохранения в польских говорах данной лексики является ее антропоцентризм, семантическая наполненность и экспрессивность.
Отражение ранних вариантов советских национальных языков в московских русско-иноязычных словарях
Authors: Mędelska Jolanta , Cieszkowski Marek
Published: August 2015

Reflection of early Soviet dialects of national languages in Russian bilingual dictionaries published in MoscowAfter the October Revolution, over half of the citizens of the new Russian state were non-Russians. The historical homeland of some of them was outside the Soviet Union. The experiences of two largest national minorities: the Germans (1 238 000) and the Poles (782 000) were similar in many respects. Members of both nations were persecuted, suffered massive repression, and were deported to Siberia and Kazakhstan. The new cultural and political reality (separation from the historical homeland and national languages, influence of Russian and other languages of Soviet Union nations, necessity to use new Soviet lexis and technical/scientific terminology on a daily basis) forced changes in German and Polish used in the Soviet Union. Soviet dialects of national languages were reinforced in books, handbooks, the press, and propaganda materials etc. published in German and Polish in huge number of copies. The Soviet dialects of German and Polish were reflected on the right side of Russian-German and Russian-Polish dictionaries published in the 1930s by “Sovetskaya Entsyklopedia”. The analysis and comparison of the language material excerpted from the dictionaries show that Soviet dialects of both languages were characterized by the presence of orientalisms (result of the constant contact with the nations and nationalities of the Soviet Union and their culture) and unique lexis related to the Russian way of life (Russian culinary lexis, names of musical instruments, names of garments) and Sovietisms (i.e. new political terminology and words related to the Soviet way of life). The Germans found it more difficult to adapt their native code to life in the Soviet Union.
Этимология русского диалектного слова анчутка
Authors: Kregždys Rolandas
Published: August 2015

The etymology of the Russian dialectal lexeme aнчуткаThe article deals with the etymological analysis of Russ. dial. анчýтка 'devil, demon; Antichrist; hobgoblin, water-sprite, familiar, sylvan; trollop; poor person; pickle; curse'. The precondition is made, that it reflects multipartite derivative: prefix Russ. на-+ radix Russ. чуд- [with secondary -m- (phonetic recording) instead of etymological -д-] + suff. -ка → *начудкa. Being based on the made lexeme analysis, Russ. dial. анчýтка is explained as primordially Russian (!!!) word, which contrarily V. N. Toporov's hypothesis by no means could be compared with the water space birds names. Due to such decision it can not be explained as Baltism either. By virtue of it, determination of the Protobaltic tribes presumptive borders of their residing territory in Russia, according to areal distribution of the word, is not possible.
Polonistyka na Litwie po drugiej wojnie światowej
Authors: Masojć Irena
Published: August 2015

Polish studies in Lithuania after World War IIThe history of academic Polish in Lithuania after the Second World War was largely dependent on historical and political circumstances, therefore, it can be divided into two periods: Polish studies in the Soviet Lithuania (1961–1989) and Polish studies in the independent Lithuania (1990–2010). The purpose of this article is to characterize didactic, scientific and popularizing activity of the two centers – Department of Polish Philology and Didactics, which exists at Vilnius Pedagogical University since 1961, and Centre of Polish Studies at Vilnius University, which was established in 1993. Description of Polish academic researches seeks to distinguish main directions of the carried out researches and present most significant achievements of Polish academicians in Vilnius. Particular attention is paid to linguistic issues, where the dominant role is played by the studies of dialectologic and sociolinguistic nature. Полонистика в Литве после Второй мировой войныИстория университетской полонистики в Литве после Второй мировой войны была в значительной степени обусловлена историческими и политическими обстоятельствами, следовательно, её можно разделить на два периода: полонистика в Литве советского периода (1961–1989) и полонистика в независимой Литве (1990–2010). Целью данной статьи является описание дидактической, научной и популяризаторской деятельности двух центров – Кафедры польской филологии и дидактики, которая существует в Вильнюсском педагогическом университете с 1961 года, и Центра полонистики Вильнюсского университета, который был создан в 1993 году. В описании научной деятельности вильнюсских полонистов выделены основные направления проводимых ими исследований и представлены наиболее значительные их достижения. Особое внимание уделяется лингвистическим вопросам, среди которых доминирующую роль играют исследования диалектологического и социолингвистического характера.
Polsko-litewskie badania konfrontatywne Zespołu Semantyki Instytutu Slawistyki Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Authors: Roszko Danuta , Roszko Roman
Published: August 2015

Polish-Lithuanian contrastive studies conducted by the Department of Semantics of the Institute of Slavic Studies of The Polish Academy of ScienceThe dissertation discusses the research area of the Lithuanian-Polish theoretical contrastive studies, conducted by the Department of ISS PAS, including: [1] Lithuanian-Polish theoretical contrastive studies utilizing the interlanguage (Lithuanian-Polish contrastive grammar), [2] Terminological dictionary (defi nitions of the interlanguage particular sections used in the linguistic contrast along with terminology suggestion for Slavic languages, including Lithuanian), [3] Corpus linguistics and on-line dictionaries (experimental trilingual Bulgarian-Polish-Lithuanian parallel and comparable corpora, experimental corpus of the Lithuanian local dialect of Puńsk and experimental electronic Polish-Lithuanian dictionary), [4] Research on the Lithuanian local dialect of Puńsk in Poland (grammatical description of the local dialect on the basis of the experimental dialectal corpus in contrast with Polish and Lithuanian). Польско-литовские исследования Лаборатории семантики Института Славистики Польской Академии НаукВ статье описываются научные исследования Лаборатории семантики Института Славистики ПАН, которые связаны с исследованием польского и литовского языков. Основные темы: [1] Теоретические польско-литовские сопоставительные исследования с использованием языка-посредника (Польско-литовская сопоставительная грамматика), [2] Терминологический словарь (заключающий содержания основных терминов языка-посредника и предложения самих терминов на польском и литовском языках), [3] Корпусная лингвистика и электронные онлайн-словари (экспериментальный трехязычный болгарско-польско-литовский параллельный корпус, экспериментальный корпус говора окрестностей Пунска и экспериментальный электронный польско-литовский словарь), [4] Исследования литовского говора окрестностей Пунска в Польше (грамматическое описание говора с использованием экспериментального корпуса говора в сопоставлении с польским и литовским языками).
Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) Quantitative Precipitation Estimation: Initial Operating Capabilities
Authors: Zhang Jian , Howard Kenneth , Langston Carrie , Kaney Brian , Qi Youcun , Tang Lin , Grams Heather , Wang Yadong , Cocks Stephen , Martinaitis Steven , Arthur Ami , Cooper Karen , Brogden Jeff , Kitzmiller David
Published: August 2015

Rapid advancements of computer technologies in recent years made the real-time transferring and integration of high-volume, multisource data at a centralized location a possibility. The Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) system recently implemented at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction demonstrates such capabilities by integrating about 180 operational weather radars from the conterminous United States and Canada into a seamless national 3D radar mosaic with very high spatial (1 km) and temporal (2 min) resolution. The radar data can be integrated with high-resolution numerical weather prediction model data, satellite data, and lightning and rain gauge observations to generate a suite of severe weather and quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) products. This paper provides an overview of the initial operating capabilities of MRMS QPE products.
A Coupled-Pixel Model (CPM) Atmospheric Retrieval Algorithm for High-Resolution Imagers
Authors: Morris Mary , Ruf Christopher S.
Published: August 2015

Low-frequency passive microwave observations allow for oceanic remote sensing of surface wind speed and rain rate from spaceborne and airborne platforms. For most instruments, the modeling of contributions of rain absorption and reemission in a particular field of view is simplified by the observing geometry. However, the simplifying assumptions that can be applied in most applications are not always valid for the scenes that the airborne Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD) regularly observes. Collocated Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR) and HIRAD observations of Hurricane Earl (2010) indicate that retrieval algorithms based on the usual simplified model, referred to here as the decoupled-pixel model (DPM), are not able to resolve two neighboring rainbands at the edge of HIRAD’s swath. The DPM does not allow for the possibility that a single column of atmosphere can affect the observations at multiple cross-track positions. This motivates the development of a coupled-pixel model (CPM) that is developed and tested in this paper. Simulated observations as well as HIRAD’s observations of Hurricane Earl (2010) are used to test the CPM algorithm. Key to the performance of the CPM algorithm is its ability to deconvolve the cross-track scene, as well as unscramble the signatures of surface wind speed and rain rate in HIRAD’s observations. While the CPM approach was developed specifically for HIRAD, other sensors could employ this method in similar complicated observing scenarios.
Ischemia-Modified Albumin and Atherosclerosis in Patients With Familial Mediterranean Fever
Authors: Kucuk Adem , Uslu Ali Ugur , Arslan Sevket , Balta Sevket , Ozturk Cengiz , Uysal Saliha , Yılmaz Ramazan , Sakız Davut , Kayrak Mehmet
Published: August 2015

The constriction of vessels due to atherosclerotic lesions causes hypoxia/ischemia and oxidative changes resulting in transformation of free albumin to ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) in the circulation and increased carotid intima–media thickness (cIMT). We investigated the reliability of IMA increase in evaluating atherosclerosis in patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) compared with cIMT. Patients with FMF (n = 58) diagnosed by the Tel-Hashomer criteria in attack-free period and 38 healthy people were included in the study. Patient demographics as well as the clinical and laboratory characteristics of the healthy controls and patients with FMF were noted. The IMA levels and cIMT in patients with FMF were 0.30 ± 0.09 absorbance units (ABSUs) and 1.12 ± 0.27 mm, respectively, and in the control group, IMA levels and cIMT were 0.25 ± 0.07 ABSU and 0.74 ± 0.26 mm, respectively. The IMA levels and cIMT were significantly higher in patients with FMF than in controls ( P = .020 and P < .0001, respectively). The IMA values showed positive correlation with cIMT in patients with FMF( r = .302, P = .041). Our results reveal that IMA—an oxidative stress marker—may be an indicator of atherosclerosis in patients with FMF. This finding deserves further investigation.
The Attentional Demand of Automobile Driving Revisited
Authors: Kujala Tuomo , Mäkelä Jakke , Kotilainen Ilkka , Tokkonen Timo
Published: August 2015

Objective:

We studied the utility of occlusion distance as a function of task-relevant event density in realistic traffic scenarios with self-controlled speed.

Background:

The visual occlusion technique is an established method for assessing visual demands of driving. However, occlusion time is not a highly informative measure of environmental task-relevant event density in self-paced driving scenarios because it partials out the effects of changes in driving speed.

Method:

Self-determined occlusion times and distances of 97 drivers with varying backgrounds were analyzed in driving scenarios simulating real Finnish suburban and highway traffic environments with self-determined vehicle speed.

Results:

Occlusion distances varied systematically with the expected environmental demands of the manipulated driving scenarios whereas the distributions of occlusion times remained more static across the scenarios. Systematic individual differences in the preferred occlusion distances were observed. More experienced drivers achieved better lane-keeping accuracy than inexperienced drivers with similar occlusion distances; however, driving experience was unexpectedly not a major factor for the preferred occlusion distances.

Conclusion:

Occlusion distance seems to be an informative measure for assessing task-relevant event density in realistic traffic scenarios with self-controlled speed. Occlusion time measures the visual demand of driving as the task-relevant event rate in time intervals, whereas occlusion distance measures the experienced task-relevant event density in distance intervals.

Application:

The findings can be utilized in context-aware distraction mitigation systems, human–automated vehicle interaction, road speed prediction and design, as well as in the testing of visual in-vehicle tasks for inappropriate in-vehicle glancing behaviors in any dynamic traffic scenario for which appropriate individual occlusion distances can be defined.
What is in a name? Causative explanatory models of postpartum psychosis among patients and caregivers in India
Authors: Thippeswamy Harish , Dahale Ajit , Desai Geetha , Chandra Prabha S
Published: August 2015

Background:

Explanatory models (EMs) influence decision-making related to treatment and compliance. There is little knowledge about belief systems related to postpartum psychosis in different cultures.

Aims:

To study EMs of illness among women with postpartum psychosis and their family members in India.

Method:

A total of 123 women with postpartum psychosis and their caregivers were assessed to understand their beliefs regarding causes of postpartum psychosis using Short Explanatory Model Interview (SEMI). Local names were listed and emerging themes were analysed.

Results:

Respondents often held more than one EM and only one-third held a biomedical EM. Other common models included stressors unique to childbirth, marital stress and supernatural causes. Local names reflected the underlying models.

Conclusion:

Non-biomedical EMs are common in women with postpartum psychosis. Cultural and social factors unique to childbirth appear to influence these models. There is a need to enhance awareness and knowledge about this serious disorder in the community.
Affect, empathy, and engagement: Reading African conflict in the global literary marketplace
Authors: Krishnan Madhu
Published: August 2015

This article considers the intersection of ethics, responsibility, and literature through readings of Aminatta Forna’s The Memory of Love and Dave Eggers’ What Is the What. Examining the ways in which each novel situates its staging of African conflict against the a priori image of Africa, the article focuses on the ways in which each novel demands a readerly engagement based on alterity. Rather than viewing the text as a passive repository of ethical lessons, the article suggests that by leveraging narrative unreliability both novels create a vision of literature as the active site of ethical engagement and conflict.
PLAP-1/Asporin Positively Regulates FGF-2 Activity
Authors: Awata T. , Yamada S. , Tsushima K. , Sakashita H. , Yamaba S. , Kajikawa T. , Yamashita M. , Takedachi M. , Yanagita M. , Kitamura M. , Murakami S.
Published: August 2015

PLAP-1 is an extracellular matrix protein that is predominantly expressed in the periodontal ligament within periodontal tissue. It was previously revealed that PLAP-1 negatively regulates bone morphogenetic protein 2 and transforming growth factor β activity through direct interactions. However, the interaction between PLAP-1 and other growth factors has not been defined. Here, we revealed that PLAP-1 positively regulates the activity of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2), a critical growth factor in tissue homeostasis and repair. In this study, we isolated mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) from Plap-1-/- mice generated in our laboratory. Interestingly, Plap-1-/- MEFs exhibited enhanced responses to bone morphogenetic protein 2 but defective responses to FGF-2, and Plap-1 transfection into Plap-1-/- MEFs rescued these defective responses. In addition, binding assays revealed that PLAP-1 promotes FGF-2–FGF receptor 1 (FGFR1) complex formation by direct binding to FGF-2. Immunocytochemistry analyses revealed colocalization of PLAP-1 and FGF-2 in wild-type MEFs and reduced colocalization of FGF-2 and FGFR1 in Plap-1-/- MEFs compared with wild-type MEFs. Taken together, PLAP-1 positively regulates FGF-2 activity through a direct interaction. Extracellular matrix–growth factor interactions have considerable effects; thus, this approach may be useful in several regenerative medicine applications.
Marital Status, Relationship Distress, and Self-rated Health
Authors: Meadows Robert , Arber Sara
Published: August 2015

This paper analyzes data from a nationally representative survey of adults in the United Kingdom ( Understanding Society, N = 37,253) to explore the marital status/health nexus (using categories that include a measure of relationship distress) and to assess the role that sleep problems play as a potential mediator. Findings indicate how it is not just the “form” marital status takes but also the absence or presence of relationship distress that is essential to self-rated health. We demonstrate two further findings that: (1) sleep problems act as a mediator of the link between marital status/relationship distress and self-rated health, most notably for those in cohabiting relationships with medium/high distress or who have a history of relationship loss, and (2) the mediating role of sleep problems differs for divorced men and women.
Devolving funding and taxation in the UK: a unique challenge
Authors: Travers Tony
Published: August 2015

This article describes the centralised nature of the UK, briefly describes the changes now under way in Scotland and Wales and then analyses differences in output per head as between nations and regions. It then considers the scope for devolution, including fiscal devolution within England. The United Kingdom today is one of the most fiscally-centralised of all OECD countries, but there will soon be reform in Scotland and Wales, with significant devolution of tax-raising powers to Edinburgh and Cardiff. In England, there is currently no ‘state’ or ‘regional’ tier of government. There have been significant differences in GDP/GVA per head of the nations and regions of the UK for many decades. Efforts to ‘rebalance’ the GDP/GVA totals shown above have involved public expenditure and investment programmes over several decades. The results of the UK's centralised distribution of resources, if any, on changes in regional and sub-regional performance are little studied. A highly-centralised system of taxation and public expenditure is not, it would appear, a guarantee of territorial economic equalisation. In a potentially radical policy departure, George Osborne has moved further than any minister in recent times towards a form of city-regional devolution within England. In the first instance, any devolved power is likely to be over public expenditure, though in the longer term fiscal devolution may become possible. The move towards a quasi-federal UK is now well under way.
The economic case for further fiscal decentralisation to Scotland: theoretical and empirical perspectives
Authors: Bell David , Eiser David
Published: August 2015

This paper examines the background to calls for further fiscal decentralisation in Scotland in the light of theories of fiscal federalism. In particular, it examines whether spatial differences in preferences, which are central to ‘first generation’ theories of fiscal federalism can be argued to play a central role in the case for granting Scotland further tax and spending powers. ‘Second generation’ theories of fiscal federalism draw attention to the political economy of allocating tax powers to different levels of government. Some of the authors in this strand of theory argue that the case for allocating tax powers to subnational governments can be made in terms of ‘accountability’ – the notion that local politicians can be better held to account for the outcomes of policy actions. Our empirical analysis suggests that there is no clear difference in preferences between Scotland and the rest of the UK along a number of key political dimensions. However, the Scottish parliament enjoys substantially higher levels of trust among the Scottish electorate than does the UK parliament.
Functioning Numbness Instead of Feelings as a Direction: Young Adults’ Experiences of Antidepressant Use
Authors: Sandell Kerstin , Bornäs Hanna
Published: August 2015

In this article we explore, through in-depth interviews, young adults’ experiences of depression and antidepressant use in contemporary neoliberal society. We show that medication initially brings relief and an ability to function. However, in the longer perspective the dominating experience of antidepressants is emotional numbness. We suggest that this functioning yet numb subject is well suited to neoliberal demands, where the informants respond to outer demands without challenging them. Inspired by Chantal Mouffe we suggest that depression as a diagnosis is depoliticising, and with Ian Craib, we can see a denial of disappointment that surfaces in how depression is related to contemporary society. As a possible form of resistance we identify the strong positive emphasis on emotions as giving direction, motivating the interviewees to stop medicating. Still, we see a tension between functioning – expected from adults – and emotionality – linked to adolescence as a phase that should pass.
From closed cycles to infinite progress: Early modern historiography of astronomy
Authors: Špelda Daniel
Published: August 2015

This article focuses on how early modern astronomers and historians conceptualised the course of the history of astronomy. The aim is to describe the transition from the idea of closed historical cycles to the theory of infinite progress in astronomy. The cyclical Renaissance concept of the history of astronomy is addressed, highlighting in particular the emphasis placed by Protestant astronomers on the reliance of the history of astronomy on God. This is followed by a discussion of the theory of the origin of astronomy as proposed by 17th century astronomers; and then a clarification of the unusual combination of the cyclical and linear approaches, which emerged in the historiography of astronomy in the 17th century. The article concludes with a brief outline of the transition to the concept of infinite progress that occurred at the end of the 18th century.
Reputation in a box. Objects, communication and trust in late 18th-century botanical networks
Authors: Easterby-Smith Sarah
Published: August 2015

This paper examines how and why information moved or failed to move within transatlantic botanical networks in the late eighteenth century. It addresses the problem of how practitioners created relationships of trust, and the difficulties they faced in transferring reputations between national contexts. Eighteenth-century botany was characteristically cross-cultural, cosmopolitan and socially diverse, yet in the 1770s and 1780s the American Revolutionary Wars placed these attributes under strain. The paper analyses the British and French networks that surrounded the Philadelphian plant hunter William Young (1742–1785), to show how botanists and plant collectors created and maintained connections with each other, especially when separated by geographical and cultural distance. It highlights in particular the role played by commercial plant traders, and demonstrates how practitioners used objects to transmit social as well as scholarly information. The transnational circulation of information and knowledge in the Enlightenment was determined by culturally specific judgements about trust, confidence, communication and risk. Despite the prominent role played by material culture within these networks, scholars continued to place high value on face-to-face contact as a means of judging the trustworthiness and cooperation of their agents.
Advertising Representations of Older People in the United Kingdom and Taiwan
Authors: Chen Chin-Hui
Published: August 2015

Cross-cultural studies of advertising representations of older people are relatively scarce. This article aims to fill in this gap via a comparison between Taiwan and the United Kingdom, employing a combination of quantitative content analysis and the qualitative grounded theory method. The content-analysis phase reveals underrepresentation of older people in both countries’ advertising contexts, as well as representational differences between Taiwan and the United Kingdom in terms of older characters’ role salience, the products, physical settings, and social networks they are associated with. The grounded-theory phase yields nine prototypes of older people along with subcategories to conceptualize the qualities of older people as they appear in TV ads in these countries. The findings are discussed in relation to the stereotyping of older people and transformed into hypothetical statements to be modified in future research. In conclusion, the Confucian tradition of filial piety is still found to be important in explaining the observed cross-cultural differences, but the emergence of new norms about aging in Taiwanese advertising also suggests that this tradition may be in decline.
One More Look at (Neo-)Pragmatism in Public Administration
Authors: Kasdan David Oliver
Published: August 2015

The continued interest in (neo-)pragmatism for public administration is a validation of the very kind of democratic discourse that the philosophy holds dear. Yet the back-and-forth also reinforces a critique coming from one of its major figures, Richard Rorty: We seem to be jockeying for position in an analytic language game that will never have a winner. The matter may not be “settled” per se, but the groundwork of (neo-)pragmatism’s use in public administration is practically done and, in the spirit of one of its very basic ideas, administrators should sally forth and see how it works.