bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analyzing Neoglottal Vibration of Cantonese Tracheoesophageal Speech: Preliminary Aerodynamic Study Using Inverse Filtering
Authors: Ng Manwa L. , Chan Ming-Wa
Published: February 2013

Objective: Despite the many studies on tracheoesophageal (TE) speech, the actual vibratory characteristics of the neoglottis in TE speech are not known. The present study examined the neoglottal vibratory pattern of Cantonese TE speakers by comparison with the glottal waveform produced by laryngeal speakers. Subjects and Methods: Eight superior TE and 8 laryngeal speakers of Cantonese participated in the study. All speakers were instructed to produce the vowels /i, ᴂ, a, ᴐ, u/ 3 times, and both acoustic and aerodynamic signals were recorded. While the airflow signals were later inverse-filtered to obtain the neoglottal and glottal waveforms, the acoustic signals were analyzed to obtain vowel formants, which were used as inputs to inverse filtering. Aerodynamic parameters including open quotient (OQ), speed quotient (SQ), and area under the curve (AUC) were compared between TE and laryngeal speakers. -Results: Results revealed that TE speakers exhibited comparable OQ and AUC, but significantly reduced SQ when compared with laryngeal speakers. Conclusions: Both inverse-filtered airflow signals associated with TE and laryngeal speech of Cantonese appear to be triangular in shape, indicating the opening, closing and closed phases of the (neo)glottis. However, neoglottal waveforms are highly variable. Such variability and inconsistency in neoglottal waveforms might be related to the lack of complete control over the neoglottis in TE speakers.
Molecular Mechanisms Responsible for the Differential Effects of ApoE3 and ApoE4 on Plasma Lipoprotein–Cholesterol Levels
Authors: Li Hui , Dhanasekaran Padmaja , Alexander Eric T. , Rader Daniel J. , Phillips Michael C. , Lund-Katz Sissel
Published: February 2013

Objective—

The goal of this study was to understand the molecular basis of how the amino acid substitution C112R that distinguishes human apolipoprotein (apo) E4 from apoE3 causes the more proatherogenic plasma lipoprotein–cholesterol distribution that is known to be associated with the expression of apoE4.

Approach and Results—

Adeno-associated viruses, serotype 8 (AAV8), were used to express different levels of human apoE3, apoE4, and several C-terminal truncation and internal deletion variants in C57BL/6 apoE-null mice, which exhibit marked dysbetalipoproteinemia. Plasma obtained from these mice 2 weeks after the AAV8 treatment was analyzed for cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as for the distribution of cholesterol between the lipoprotein fractions. Hepatic expression of apoE3 and apoE4 induced similar dose-dependent decreases in plasma cholesterol and triglyceride to the levels seen in control C57BL/6 mice. Importantly, at the same reduction in plasma total cholesterol, expression of apoE4 gave rise to higher very low-density lipoprotein–cholesterol (VLDL-C) and lower high-density lipoprotein–cholesterol levels relative to the apoE3 situation. The C-terminal domain and residues 261 to 272 in particular play a critical role, because deleting them markedly affected the performance of both isoforms.

Conclusions—

ApoE4 possesses enhanced lipid and VLDL-binding ability relative to apoE3, which gives rise to impaired lipolytic processing of VLDL in apoE4-expressing mice. These effects reduce VLDL remnant clearance from the plasma compartment and decrease the amount of VLDL surface components available for incorporation into the high-density lipoprotein pool, accounting for the more proatherogenic lipoprotein profile (higher VLDL-C/high-density lipoprotein–cholesterol ratio) occurring in apoE4-expressing animals compared with their apoE3 counterparts.
Facilitating Expansion of African International Trade through Information and Communication Technologies
Authors: Laryea Emmanuel T.
Published: February 2013

Abstract

This article observes that expansion of international trade, particularly exports of appropriate goods, by African economies is important to their growth and development. Unfortunately, Africa’s share of world trade has been decreasing rather than increase. The continent is behind other continents in developmental terms, despite its many resource endowments. Governance deficiencies (broadly defined) are a major cause of the inability of African economies to manage their resources for sustained growth and development. The article looks at the particular consequences of governance deficiencies on trade expansion and goes on to suggest that the deployment of ICT can ameliorate those deficiencies. It focuses on the potential positive impact of e-governance in general, and e-customs in particular, on trade expansion. It argues that e-governance, including e-customs, has the potential to enhance the international competitiveness of African economies, increase revenues for government, and increase FDI inflows for production and exportation. It concludes that while e-customs is not a panacea for Africa’s international trade under-performance, it is an important piece of infrastructure that is relatively easier and cheaper to build, but which has a high beneficial impact on trade expansion. It therefore recommends the implementation of efficient e-customs in African economies that do not yet have such systems.
Coaching of Physicians by RNs to Improve Diabetes Care
Authors: Frederick Mary L. , Johnson Pamela Jo , Duffee Janelle , McCarthy Bruce D.
Published: February 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to describe preliminary results of an innovative quality improvement intervention focused on improving physician practice patterns in diabetes care via Coaching Physicians by RN certified diabetes educators (CDEs), a program called “CPR for Diabetes Care.”

Methods

The program identified primary care physicians with optimal diabetes control rates below the system aggregate (n = 195). Physicians with the lowest rates (n = 74) were targeted for comprehensive intervention. All other low-performing physicians practicing in the same clinic system (n = 121) comprised the comparison group. Data were obtained from electronic diabetes registries for 2007 and 2008. Each physician had a set of measures from 2 points in time. Measures included optimal diabetes scores and the 5 component measures of the optimal diabetes care bundle (A1C <7, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol <100, blood pressure <130/80, aspirin use if older than 40, and no tobacco use). T tests and difference-in-difference models were used to examine changes over time.

Results

Optimal diabetes scores increased 11.7 points (from 14.7% to 26.4%) for intervention physicians and 4.0 points (from 29.7% to 32.9%) for comparison physicians. The improvement was greater for the intervention group. The greatest component improvements were in control of blood pressure and cholesterol.

Conclusions

Coaching low-performing physicians dramatically improved the proportion of diabetes patients with optimal diabetes control. The CPR for Diabetes Care program represents an innovative and effective way to address the long-standing problem of disseminating and sustaining quality improvement efforts by focusing on low-performing physicians.
Personnel Preparation Practices in ASD
Authors: Barnhill Gena P. , Sumutka Bianca , Polloway Edward A. , Lee Eunjoo
Published: February 2013

The increased attention given to the implementation of personnel preparation programs in the field of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has directly paralleled the significant increase in the number of students identified with ASD. For this study, we sought to analyze key aspects of programs for professionals who work with students with ASD. In addition to a detailed analysis of multiple demographic characteristics related to these programs (e.g., length of time program offered, level of higher education at which the program is offered, number of courses within a program, field experiences, online options), a critical focus in the research was assessing the reliance on evidence-based practices by these training programs. We also examined characteristics and practices relevant to the training of behavior analysts through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s (BACB) approved coursework.
Fruits and vegetables intake and characteristics associated among adolescents from Southern Brazil
Authors: Rieth Marta A , Moreira Marina B , Fuchs Flávio D , Moreira Leila B , Fuchs Sandra C
Published: February 2013

Background

Increased body weight has been associated with an unhealthy diet, low consumption of fruits and vegetables. Our objective was to investigate whether adolescents had low intake of fruits and vegetables, and whether gender, age and education could affect the feeding patterns.

Methods

A population-based sample of adolescents, aged 12–19 years, were randomly selected in southern Brazil and included in this cross-sectional study. The total daily consumption of fruits, vegetables, rice and beans were investigated in standardized household interviews, using a food frequency questionnaire and questions, being categorized as five or more servings per day as the five-a-day diet. ANOVA, ANCOVA, and modified Poisson regression were used in the analysis.

Results

Adolescents (n = 568) were included, 49.5% boys, 14.3% had overweight and 8.8% obesity. Approximately 23% of participants consumed five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. It was observed that 36.7% of boys and 31.0% of girls consumed less than one serving of fruit per day, and 58.4% and 44.6%, respectively, consumed less than one serving of vegetables. The consumption of vegetables, fruits, and rice and beans were not independently associated with gender. Overweight was associated with higher intake of five-a-day, independently of confounding factors.

Conclusions

Adolescents from southern Brazil have lower frequency of consumption of five servings a day of fruits and vegetables combined.
Growth of low temperature silicon nano-structures for electronic and electrical energy generation applications
Authors: Gabrielyan Nare , Saranti Konstantina , Manjunatha Krishna Nama , Paul Shashi
Published: February 2013

This paper represents the lowest growth temperature for silicon nano-wires (SiNWs) via a vapour-liquid–solid method, which has ever been reported in the literature. The nano-wires were grown using plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition technique at temperatures as low as 150°C using gallium as the catalyst. This study investigates the structure and the size of the grown silicon nano-structure as functions of growth temperature and catalyst layer thickness. Moreover, the choice of the growth temperature determines the thickness of the catalyst layer to be used.

The electrical and optical characteristics of the nano-wires were tested by incorporating them in photovoltaic solar cells, two terminal bistable memory devices and Schottky diode. With further optimisation of the growth parameters, SiNWs, grown by our method, have promising future for incorporation into high performance electronic and optical devices.
Non-Pain-Related CRF1 Activation in the Amygdala Facilitates Synaptic Transmission and Pain Responses
Authors: Ji Guangchen , Fu Yu , Adwanikar Hita , Neugebauer Volker
Published: February 2013

Background

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) plays an important role in affective states and disorders. CRF is not only a “stress hormone” but also a neuromodulator outside the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. The amygdala, a brain center for emotions, is a major site of extrahypothalamic expression of CRF and its G-protein-coupled receptors. Our previous studies showed that endogenous activation of CRF1 receptors in an arthritis pain model contributes to amygdala hyperactivity and pain-related behaviors. Here we examined the synaptic and behavioral effects of CRF in the amygdala of normal animals in the absence of tissue injury or disease.

Results

Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of neurons in the latero-capsular division of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeLC) in brain slices from normal rats showed that CRF (0.1–10 nM) increased excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) at the “nociceptive” parabrachio-amygdaloid (PB-CeLC) synapse and also increased neuronal output. Synaptic facilitation involved a postsynaptic action and was blocked by an antagonist for CRF1 (NBI27914, 1 μM) but not CRF2 (astressin-2B, 1 μM) and by an inhibitor of PKA (KT5720, 1 μM) but not PKC (GF109203X, 1 μM). CRF increased a latent NMDA receptor-mediated EPSC, and this effect also required CRF1 and PKA but not CRF2 and PKC. Stereotaxic administration of CRF (10 μM, concentration in microdialysis probe) into the CeLC by microdialysis in awake rats increased audible and ultrasonic vocalizations and decreased hindlimb withdrawal thresholds. Behavioral effects of CRF were blocked by a NBI27914 (100 μM) and KT5720 (100 μM) but not GF109203x (100 μM). CRF effects persisted when HPA axis function was suppressed by pretreatment with dexamethasone (50 μg/kg, subcutaneously).

Conclusions

Non-pain-related activation of CRF1 receptors in the amygdala can trigger pain-responses in normal animals through a mechanism that involves PKA-dependent synaptic facilitation in CeLC neurons independent of HPA axis function. The results suggest that conditions of increased amygdala CRF levels can contribute to pain in the absence of tissue pathology or disease state.
Assessing the effectiveness and safety of liposomal paclitaxel in combination with cisplatin as first-line chemotherapy for patients with advanced NSCLC with regional lymph-node metastasis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial (PLC-GC trial)
Authors: Hu Luo , Liang Gong , Yuliang Wang , Bingjing Zhu , Xiangdong Zhou , Rufu Xu
Published: February 2013

Background

Lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Around 80 to 85% of lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Regional lymphatic metastasis is a frequent occurrence in NSCLC, and the extent of lymphatic dissemination significantly determines the prognosis of patients with NSCLC. Hence, identification of alternative treatments for these patients should be considered a priority. Liposomal paclitaxel is a new formulation composed of paclitaxel and liposomes, with favorable pharmacokinetic properties. In particular, it produces dramatically higher drug concentrations in the lymph nodes than occurs with the current formulations of paclitaxel, thus we believe that patients with NSCLC with regional lymphatic metastasis may benefit from this new drug. Cisplatin-based doublet chemotherapy is recommended as the first-line treatment for patients with advanced NSCLC. We have designed a trial to assess whether first-line chemotherapy using liposomal paclitaxel combined with cisplatin (LP regimen) is superior to gemcitabine combined with cisplatin (GP regimen) in efficacy (both short-term and long-term efficacy) and safety (adverse events; AEs).

Method/Design

This is a prospective, open-label, controlled randomized clinical trial (RCT) to assess the therapeutic effects and safety of liposomal paclitaxel. The study aims to enroll 126 patients, who will be randomly allocated to one of the two treatment groups (LP and GP), with 63 patients in each group. Patients will receive four to six cycles of the assigned chemotherapy, and primary outcome will be assessed every two cycles. Patients will be recommended for surgery if the tumor becomes resectable. All participants will be followed up for at least 12 months. The objective response rate (ORR), changes in regional lymphatic metastasis (including number and size) and TNM (tumor, node, metastasis) staging will be the primary outcome measures. Progression-free survival, objective survival, median survival time, 1-year survival rate, toxicity, and time to disease progression will be the secondary outcome measures.

Conclusions

A systematic search has indicated that this proposed study will be the first RCT to evaluate whether liposomal paclitaxel plus cisplatin will have beneficial effects, compared with gemcitabine plus cisplatin, on enhancing ORR, changing TNM staging, improving long-term survival, and reducing the frequency of AEs for patients with NSCLC with regional lymphatic metastasis.

Trial registration

http://www.chictr.org Identifier: ChiCTR-TRC-12602105
Testing experiences of HIV positive refugees in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda: informing interventions to encourage priority shifting
Authors: O’Laughlin Kelli N , Rouhani Shada A , Faustin Zikama M , Ware Norma C
Published: February 2013

Background

Recent initiatives by international health and humanitarian aid organizations have focused increased attention on making HIV testing services more widely available to vulnerable populations. To realize potential health benefits from new services, they must be utilized. This research addresses the question of how utilization of testing services might be encouraged and increased for refugees displaced by conflict, to make better use of existing resources.

Methods

Open-ended interviews were conducted with HIV-infected refugees (N=73) who had tested for HIV and with HIV clinic staff (N=4) in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in southwest Uganda. Interviews focused on accessibility of HIV/AIDS-related testing and care and perspectives on how to improve utilization of testing services. Data collection took place at the Nakivale HIV/AIDS Clinic from March to July of 2011. An inductive approach to data analysis was used to identify factors related to utilization.

Results

In general, interviewees report focusing daily effort on tasks aimed at meeting survival needs. HIV testing is not prioritized over these responsibilities. Under some circumstances, however, HIV testing occurs. This happens when: (a) circumstances realign to trigger a temporary shift in priorities away from daily survival-related tasks; (b) survival needs are temporarily met; and/or (c) conditions shift to alleviate barriers to HIV testing.

Conclusion

HIV testing services provided for refugees must be not just available, but also utilized. Understanding what makes HIV testing possible for refugees who have tested can inform interventions to increase testing in this population. Intervening by encouraging priority shifts toward HIV testing, by helping ensure survival needs are met, and by eliminating barriers to testing, may result in refugees making better use of existing testing services.
Development of a core collection of Triticum and Aegilops species for improvement of wheat for activity against chronic diseases
Authors: Santra Meenakshi , Matthews Shawna B , Thompson Henry J
Published: February 2013

Background

The objective of this study was to develop a core collection ofTriticumandAegilopsspecies as a resource for the identification and characterization of wheat lines with preventive activity against chronic diseases. Given that cancer is the leading cause of mortality in the world and shares risk factors with obesity, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and given that wheat has been reported to protect against these diseases, the core collection was developed based on cancer prevalence.

Methods

The Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) database was used to identifyTriticumandAegilopsspecies grown in regions of the world that vary in cancer prevalence based on the International Agency for Cancer Research GLOBOCAN world map of cancer statistics (2008). Cancer incidence data drove variety selection with secondary consideration of ploidy, center of origin, and climate.

Results

Analysis indicated that the geographic regions from which wheat is considered to have originated have a lower incidence of cancer than other geographic regions (P<0.01), so wheat lines from countries that comprise the ‘Fertile Crescent’ were highly represented in the core collection. A total of 188 lines were selected from 62,571 accessions maintained by GRIN. The accessions identified comprised two genera and 14 taxa of 10 species within 19 groups from 82 countries. The core collection is comprised of 153 spring, 25 winter, and five facultative selections of wheat.

Conclusions

A diverse core collection of wheat germplasm has been established from a range of regions worldwide. This core collection will be used to identify wheat lines with activity against chronic diseases using anticancer activity as a screening tool.
A necrotic stimulus is required to maximize matrix-mediated myogenesis in mice
Authors: Kuraitis Drew , Berardinelli Maria Grazia , Suuronen Erik J. , Musarò Antonio
Published: February 2013

Biomaterials that are similar to skeletal muscle extracellular matrix have been shown to augment regeneration in ischemic muscle. In this study, treatment with a collagen-based matrix stimulated molecular myogenesis in an mdx murine model of necrosis. Matrix-treated animals ran ≥40% further, demonstrating functional regeneration, and expressed increased levels of myogenic transcripts. By contrast, matrix treatment was unable to induce transcriptional or functional changes in an MLC/SOD1G93A atrophic mouse model. In vitro, satellite cells were cultured under standard conditions, on matrix, in the presence of myocyte debris (to simulate a necrotic-like environment) or with both matrix and necrotic stimuli. Exposure to both matrix and necrotic stimuli induced the greatest increases in mef2c, myf5, myoD and myogenin transcripts. Furthermore, conditioned medium collected from satellite cells cultured with both stimuli contained elevated levels of factors that modulate satellite cell activation and proliferation, such as FGF-2, HGF and SDF-1. Application of the conditioned medium to C2C12 myoblasts accelerated maturation, as demonstrated by increased mef2c, myf5 and myogenin transcripts and fusion indexes. In summary, the collagen matrix required a necrotic stimulus to enhance the maturation of satellite cells and their secretion of a myogenic cocktail. Considering that matrix treatment supports myogenesis only in in vivo models that exhibit necrosis, this study demonstrates that a necrotic environment is required to maximize matrix-mediated myogenesis.
A numerical and experimental study regarding the influence of some process parameters on the damage state in wood chips
Authors: Isaksson Per , Gradin Per A. , Hellström Lisbeth M.
Published: February 2013

The specific energy consumption during mechanical refining operation can be reduced by choosing the optimal process parameters in the wood chipping process such that a beneficial pretreatment is obtained. In the case of the utilization of a larger knife-edge angle, which is one such process parameter, the energy reduction is presumably due to the increased compressive loading parallel to the wood fibers. In the present article, a chip damage parameter D of spruce is in focus, which is relevant for cracking parallel to the fibers. D is defined and its dependence on the chip length and edge angle of the chipping knife is analyzed numerically by means of finite element analyses (FEA). The cutting force was measured in a pilot wood chipper for a number of knife-edge angles. There is a good correlation between the experimental results and those of FEA.
Liberalism, Social Justice, and Individual Responsibility
Authors: de Vita Álvaro
Published: February 2013

The study examines the contemporary normative debate on social justice from the perspective of the normative political theory of “egalitarian liberalism”. Contrary to an anti-egalitarian liberal political theory, or “libertarianism”, the argument is that a notion of “effective freedom”, and not negative freedom, is central to egalitarian liberalism. Additionally, in contrast to a theoretical current of egalitarianism known as “luck egalitarianism”, the article further argues that although egalitarian liberalism assigns special importance to individual responsibility, it does so (unlike luck egalitarianism) without implying any concession to the conservative critique of egalitarianism and the state’s redistributive action.
Raman Spectroscopy of Ion-Implanted Silicon
Authors: Tuschel David D. , Lavine James P.
Published: February 2013

Raman spectroscopy is used to characterize silicon implanted with boron at a dose of 1014/cm2 or less and thermally annealed. The Raman scattering strengths and band shapes of the first-order optical mode at 520 cm-1 and of the second-order phonon modes are investigated to determine which modes are sensitive to the boron implant. The asimplanted samples show diminishing Raman scattering strength as the boron dose increases when the incident laser beam is 60° with respect to the sample normal. Thermal annealing restores some of the Raman scattering strength. Three excitation wavelengths are used and the shortest, 457.9 nm, yields the greatest spectral differences from unimplanted silicon. The backscattering geometry shows a variety of changes in the Raman spectrum upon boron implantation. These involve band shifts of the first-order optical mode, bandwidth variations of the first-order optical mode, and the intensity of the second-order mode at 620 cm-1.
Numerical Evaluation of a Sensible Heat Balance Method to Determine Rates of Soil Freezing and Thawing
Authors: Kojima Yuki , Heitman Joshua L. , Flerchinger Gerald N. , Horton Robert
Published: February 2013

In situ determination of soil freezing and thawing is difficult despite its importance for many environmental processes. A sensible heat balance (SHB) method using a sequence of heat pulse probes has been shown to accurately measure water evaporation in subsurface soil, and it has the potential to measure soil freezing and thawing. Determination of soil freezing and thawing may be more challenging than evaporation, however, because the latent heat of fusion is smaller than the latent heat of vaporization. Furthermore, convective heat flow associated with liquid water flow and occurrence of evaporation or condensation during freezing and thawing may cause inaccurate estimation of freezing and thawing with the SHB method. The objective of this study was to examine the applicability of the SHB concept to soil freezing and thawing. Soil freezing and thawing events were simulated with the simultaneous heat and water (SHAW) model. Ice contents were estimated by applying the SHB concept to numerical data produced by the SHAW model. Close agreement between the SHB‐estimated and the SHAW‐simulated ice contents were observed at depths below 24 mm. The main cause of inaccuracies with the SHB method was poor estimation of heat conduction at the 12‐mm depth, possibly due to simplifications of temporal or vertical distributions of temperature and thermal conductivity. The effects of convective heat flow and concurrent evaporation or condensation and freezing or thawing on the SHB method were small. The results indicate that the SHB method is conceptually suitable for estimating soil freezing and thawing. Independent, accurate estimates of thermal properties must be available to effectively use the SHB method to determine in situ soil freezing and thawing.
Health-related quality of life in patients with coronary artery disease after coronary revascularization
Authors: Tasić Ivan , Lazarević Gordana , Stojanović Miomir , Kostić Svetlana , Rihter Marija , Djordjević Dragan , Simonović Dejan , Vulić Dušan , Stefanović Vladisav
Published: February 2013

The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of life (HRQoL) in coronary artery disease(CAD) patients, admitted for rehabilitation within 3 months after an acute coronary event, in relation to treatment strategy [conservative treatment without revascularization (WR), percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)]. Methods: Overall 719 consecutive CAD patients were involved in the study: WR (n=170), PTCA (n=226), CABG (n=323). HRQoL was estimated using the SF-36 questionnaire for total QoL and its two dimensions for physical and mental health [physical and mental component scores (PCS, MCS)]. Sexual dysfunction was assessed using the ASEX scale. Results: Significantly higher PCS, MCS and total SF-36, but lower ASEX score, were found in men compared with women. The ASEX score was significantly affected by age. Significantly higher PCS was found in PTCA group compared with that of CABG group. In multivariate analysis a significant positive association was obtained between PCS/MCS and male sex, between regular exercise, hyperlipoproteinemia, and permanent stress. ASEX was significantly positively associated with the age, CHF and non smoking. Conclusion: The results of this study have demonstrated significantly better HRQoL in men, younger CAD patients, patients who underwent PTCA and in patients without self-reported exposition to stress.
Acute abdomen due to bladder perforation in a patient with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Habek Dubravko , Pavelić-Turudić Tatjana , Vukelić Milka , Mazul-Sunko Branka
Published: February 2013

The authors presented a case report of the acute abdomen with pelvic abscess because bladder perforation in a 21-year-old patient with multiple sclerosis and intermittent catheterization of the urinary bladder.
A Review Of The Literature And Media Reports Of Patterns Of Mental Health Stigma And Addressing Stigma In Slovenia Until 2010 / Pregled Literature In Medijskih Poročil O Stigmatizaciji Ljudi Z Duševnimi Motnajmi In O Ukrepih Proti Stigmi V Sloveniji Do Leta 2010
Authors: Valič Maja , Knifton Lee , Švab Vesna
Published: February 2013

As part of the ASPEN (Anti-Stigma Programme - European Network) project’s Work Package 4 (‘Anti-stigma’ best
practice), Aspen sites were to conduct a literature review on stigma in their country. In Slovenia, besides the peer
review publications and reports, we also included all media reports on stigma in the last five years to illustrate the
impact of various professional and public initiatives to reduce stigma and discrimination against depression.
The Slovenian report includes several areas of mental health stigma defined through peer reviewed literature and
other professional publications.
Die kleine House-Apotheke: Reception of the American, German and Polish Gregory House and Varied Translations of the Pronoun you
Authors: Urban Anna
Published: February 2013

Two audiovisual translations of the American hit medical drama, House M.D., German dubbing and Polish voiceover, and the analysis of translation strategies of the pronominal form of address you are the point of departure for choosing the right strategy for translation of the German book written by Michael Reufsteck and Jochen Stöckle Die kleine House-Apotheke. Ein Beipackzettel zur Kultserie which is the first German guide to the hit medical drama, providing unique insight into making of each episode of the first three series. The comparison of the two translation strategies - the German and the Polish one - shows that translation of the pronoun you determined the reception of the main protagonist. The reduced pronominal paradigm in English which does not distinguish between a formal and an informal address pronoun has created two different protagonists.
Measuring Vowel Duration Variability in Native English Speakers and Polish Learners
Authors: Porzuczek Andrzej
Published: February 2013

This paper presents a set of simple statistical measures that illustrate the difference between native English speakers and Polish learners of English in varying the length of vocalic segments in read speech. Relative vowel duration and vowel length variation are widely used as basic criteria for establishing rhythmic differences between languages and dialects of a language. The parameter of vocalic duration is employed in popular measures such as ΔV (Ramus et al. 1999), VarcoV (Dellwo 2006, White and Mattys 2007), and PVI (Low et al. 2000, Grabe and Low 2002). Apart from rhythm studies, the processing of data concerning vowel duration can be used to establish the level of discrepancy between native speech and learner speech in investigating other temporal aspects of FL pronunciation, such as tense-lax vowel distinction, accentual lengthening or the degree of unstressed vowel reduction, which are often pointed out as serious problems in the acquisition of English pronunciation by Polish learners. Using descriptive statistics (relations between personal mean vowel duration and standard deviation), the author calculates several indices that demonstrate individual learners' (13 subjects) scores in relation to the native speakers' (12 subjects) score ranges. In some tested aspects, the results of the two groups of speakers are almost cleanly separated, which suggests not only the existence of specific didactic problems but also their actual scale.
The Double-Edged Sword of RP: the Contrasting Roles of a Pronunciation Model in both Native and Non-native Environments
Authors: Ježek Miroslav
Published: February 2013

Received Pronunciation (RP) is often studied as the pronunciation model in Great Britain and non-English-speaking countries separately. What my paper focuses on is the duality with which RP is essentially endowed: the role(s) in which it has to satisfy the needs of both native and non-native speakers of English.

Whilst the claim that RP has changed recently goes unchallenged, the issue of reflecting these changes in the preferred transcription models is hotly debated. Upton’s model of RP is one that does include several new symbols, motivated by an attempt to ‘ensure that the description of a late twentieth century version the accent […] looks forward to the new millennium rather than back at increasingly outmoded forms’ (2001:352). I discuss the feasibility of adopting Upton’s model of RP as the pronunciation model in non-English speaking countries, where it is desirable to resolve the paradox that ‘most of our teaching is aimed at young people, but the model we provide is that of middle-aged or old speakers’ (Roach 2005: 394).

The observations I make are largely based on my MA research, which is now being modified for the purposes of my Ph.D. I asked undergraduate students of English in England and the Czech Republic to evaluate seven voices ranging from the clearly regional to the unquestionably RP. The objective was to discover which sounds are considered to fall within the scope of RP by students in both countries, which approach avoids treating RP as though it were to include only the sounds ‘allowed by a preconceived model’ (Upton 2000: 78). Further, the respondents were asked to comment on the most salient features in the recordings: what they opted to comment on reveals a marked difference in the role of RP as a model accent in the given countries. Societies which lack a prestigious non-regional accent are often oblivious to the social connotations RP carries. Whilst it seems technically impossible to replace the model accent in all teaching materials all over the world, creating awareness of the fact that a rather outmoded model of RP found in many textbooks may not always be the best option is a necessary step towards ensuring that non-English speaking students are not only understood but that their speech will attract no adverse judgements.
New Ways of Analysing the History of Varieties of English – An Acoustic Analysis of Early Pop Music Recordings from Ghana
Authors: Schmidt Sebastian
Published: February 2013

Focusing on English in Ghana, this paper explores some ways in which early popular music recordings might be used to reconstruct the phonology of colonial and post-colonial Englishes in a situation where other recordings are (mostly) absent.

While the history of standard and, to a certain degree, non-standard varieties of “Inner Circle Englishes” (Kachru 1986) has received linguistic attention, diachronic investigations of Outer Circle varieties are still the exception. For the most part, descriptions of the history of post-colonial Englishes are restricted to sociohistorical outlines from a macro-sociolinguistic perspective with little if any reference to the linguistic structure of earlier stages of the varieties. One main reason for this lack of diachronic studies is the limited availability of authentic historical data. In contrast to spoken material, written sources are more readily available, since early travel accounts, diaries or memoirs of missionaries, traders and administrators often contain quotes and at times there are even documents produced by speakers of colonial Englishes themselves (cf. the diary of Antera Duke, a late 18th century Nigerian slave trader; Behrendt et al. 2010). Such material provides insights into the morphology, syntax and the lexicon of earlier stages of varieties of English (cf. Hickey 2010), but it is inadequate for the reconstruction of phonological systems. Obtaining spoken material, which permits phonological investigation, is far more difficult, since there are comparatively few early recordings of Outer Circle Englishes. In such cases, popular music recordings can fill the gap.

I will present first results of an acoustic analysis of Ghanaian “Highlife” songs from the 1950s to 1960s. My results show that vowel subsystems in the 1950s and 1960s show a different kind of variation than in present-day Ghanaian English. Particularly the STRUT lexical set is realized as /a, ɔ/ in the Highlife-corpus. Today, it is realized with three different vowels in Ghanaian English, /a, ε, ɔ/ (Huber 2004: 849). A particular emphasis will also be on the way Praat (Boersma and Weenink 2011) can be used to analyze music recordings.
Questionnaire-Based Pronunciation Studies: Italian, Spanish and Polish Students’ Views on their English Pronunciation
Authors: Nowacka Marta
Published: February 2013

This article is an attempt to review the most recent phonetic literature on the application of questionnaires in phonetic studies. In detail, we review the scope of pronunciation questionnaire-based surveys with respect to Polish and non-Polish students of English. In addition, this paper aims to examine European students’ beliefs and attitudes towards their own English pronunciation and is also intended to provide some arguments for or against the use of foreign-accented rather than native models of pronunciation in phonetic instruction.

The data come from three groups of informants, namely: Italian, Spanish and Polish students of English. With respect to foreign, non-Polish respondents, the study was conducted at the University of Salento in Italy and the University in Vigo, Spain within the framework of the Erasmus Teacher Mobility Programme in two consecutive academic years: i.e. 2010/2011 and 2011/2012. As regards Polish respondents, our research involved subjects from six different tertiary schools, i.e. five universities and one college, located in various parts of Poland.

On balance, the results of our study give an insight into the phonetic preferences of adult European advanced students of English with reference to the importance of good native-like pronunciation, the aims of pronunciation study, factors contributing to phonetic progress and their self-study pronunciation learning strategies. Our findings point to the fact that students of English wish to speak with good pronunciation, set a high native-like standard for themselves, report having benefited from their phonetic instruction and exposure to native English and that they work on their pronunciation by means of various, mostly cognitive, strategies.

Rather than casting new light on teaching pronunciation, the outcome of this study is consistent with the findings of other research on foreign students’ choice of preferred pronunciation model, which is undeniably native rather than foreign-accented.
Stressed Vowel Duration and Phonemic Length Contrast
Authors: Ciszewski Tomasz
Published: February 2013

It has been generally accepted that greater vowel/syllable duration is a reliable correlate of stress and that absolute durational differences between vowels underlie phonemic length contrasts. In this paper we shall demonstrate that duration is not an independent stress correlate, but rather it is derivative of another stress correlate, namely pitch. Phonemic contrast, on the other hand, is qualitative rather than quantitative.

These findings are based on the results of an experiment in which four speakers of SBrE read 162 mono-, di- and trisyllabic target items (made of CV sequences) both in isolation and in carrier phrases. In the stressed syllables all Southern British English vowels and diphthongs were represented and each vowel was placed in 3 consonantal contexts: (a) followed by a voiced obstruent, (b) voiceless obstruent and (c) a sonorant. Then, all vowels (both stressed and unstressed) were extracted from target items and measured with PRAAT.

The results indicate that stressed vowels may be longer than unstressed ones. Their durational superiority, however, is not stress-related, but follows mainly from vowelintrinsic durational characteristics and, to some extent, from the prosodic context (i.e. the number of following unstressed vowels) in which it is placed. In CV1CV2 disyllables, when V1 is phonemically short, the following word-final unstressed vowel is almost always longer. It is only when V1 is a phonemically long vowel that V2 may be shorter. As far as diphthongal V1 is concerned, the durational V1~V2 relation is variable. Interestingly, the V1~V3 relation in trisyllables follows the same durational pattern. In both types of items the rare cases when a phonemically short V1 is indeed longer than the word-final vowel involve a stressed vowel which is open, e.g. [æ,o], and whose minimal execution time is longer due to a more extensive jaw movement. These observations imply that both in acoustic and perceptual terms the realisation of word stress is not based on the durational superiority of stressed vowels over unstressed ones. When it is, it is only an epiphenomenon of intrinsic duration of the stressed vowel and extra shortness of nonfinal unstressed vowel.

As far as phonemic length contrast is concerned, we observe a high degree of durational overlap between phonemically long and short vowels in monosyllabic CVC words (which is enforced by a greater pitch excursion), whereas in polysyllables the differences seem to be perceptually non-salient (>40 ms, cf. Lehiste 1970). This suggests that the differences in vowel duration are not significant enough to underlie phonological length contrasts.
Photocatalytic properties of transparent TiO2 coatings doped with neodymium
Authors: Wojcieszak Damian , Kaczmarek Danuta , Domaradzki Jarosław , Mazur Michał , Morawski Antoni W. , Janus Magdalena , Prociów Eugenius , Gemmellaro Pietro
Published: February 2013

In this work photocatalytic properties of TiO2 thin fi lms doped with 8.51 at. % of Nd were described. The self-cleaning phenomenon of thin fi lms was discussed together with the structural, optical and surface properties of prepared thin fi lms. Transparent coatings based on titanium dioxide were manufactured by high-energy reactive magnetron sputtering process. Incorporation of Nd during sputtering process results in amorphous behavior, without a signifi cant infl uence on transparency and colour as compared to the undoped TiO2-rutile matrix. Nevertheless, doping with neodymium doubles the photocatalytic activity of the matrix due to higher quantity of photo-generated charge carriers and more effi cient mechanism of energy transfer.
Electrocoagulation of model wastewater using aluminum electrodes
Authors: Smoczyński Lech , Muńska Kamilla Teresa , Pierożyński Bogusław , Kosobucka Marta
Published: February 2013

Electrocoagulation makes an alternative method to chemical coagulation. This paper presents the results obtained during the electrocoagulation of the model wastewater using aluminum electrodes. The wastewater was treated by means of chronopotentiometric electrocoagulation process in a static system, at the constant current I = 0.3 A; therefore higher doses of electrocoagulant required longer electrocoagulation time. Changes in zeta potential, pH, turbidity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), suspended solids and total phosphorus concentrations in the treated wastewater were determined. A new method for determining the optimal dosage of the aluminum electrocoagulant was proposed through application of the third degree polynomial function rather than the parabolic equation. An increase in the electrocoagulant dose raised the share of sweep fl occulation in the studied treatment process, resulting in the effective removal over 90% of phosphorus compounds from the system.
Influence of the unsaturated photoinitiators kind on the properties of uv-crosslinkable acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesives
Authors: Czech Zbigniew , Kowalczyk Agnieszka , Górka Karolina , Głuch Urszula , Shao Lu , Świderska Jolanta
Published: February 2013

UV-crossinkable pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSA) materials are called, in the adhesives trade photoreactive self-adhesive. UV-crosslinkable PSAs are designed after the UV-initiated crosslinking reaction to stick to almost any surface by a simple contact under light pressure. This special class of adhesives does not undergo any physical transformation or chemical reaction during the bonding process. Because of the rheological properties the adhesive must be fi nely tuned for the application, combining a carefully chosen polymer architecture and monomer composition with the proper addition of small additives called photoinitiators. The best way is using the unsaturated copolymerizable photoinitiators and their direct incorporation into polymer chain during the polymerization process. Progress in the coating technology and the development of novel photoreactive acrylic adhesives will open the door to new applications and an extended market penetration of UV-crosslinkable acrylic adhesive raw materials containing unsaturated copolymerizable photoinitiators incorporated into the polymer backbone. Photoreactive UV-crosslinkable acrylic PSA are characterized by good tack, good adhesion, excellent cohesion and very low shrinkage.
Evaluation of fouling potential of nanofiltration membranes based on the dynamic contact angle measurements
Authors: Gryta Marek , Bastrzyk Justyna , Lech Diana
Published: February 2013

In this work the studies were performed on the intensity of fouling of the membrane NF90 and NF270 depending on the value of dynamic contact angle, previously determined for these membrane. The NF membranes were used for the separation of broth obtained during the fermentation of glycerol by Lactobacillus
casei bacteria. The measurements of dynamic contact angle were carried out using the Wilhelmy plate method. Taped membranes samples (support layer to support layer), wetted for 2 days in deionized water prior to testing, were used to study the contact angle of top layer and its organic fouling. Using deionized water; the contact angle values equal to 27-30o and 53-57o for NF270 and NF90, respectively, were obtained. As a consequence of adsorption of organic compound on the membrane surfaces, the contact angle obtained for both fouled membranes was about 55-56o, and this value was closer to the contact angle of non-fouled NF90 membrane. Therefore, the NF90 membrane was more resistant to organic fouling during the separation of broth.
The chemical cleaning of ceramic membrane used in UF
Authors: Tomaszewska Maria , Białończyk Lidia
Published: February 2013

Ultrafiltration (UF) is one of the membrane processes which is mostly used in the dairy industry for the separation and concentration of whey components or fermentation broth. Fouling of UF membranes in the food industry is primarily due to a deposition of microorganisms, proteins, fats and minerals on the membrane surface. Thus, cleaning of the membranes is an essential step of UF separation. The results from investigations of chemical cleaning of a ceramic UF membrane fouled by precipitation of whey components and yeast contained in the fermentation broth are presented. The effect of cleaning procedure on the degree of permeability restoration by the fouled membrane was studied. The results demonstrated that a combination of sodium hydroxide, phosphoric acid and sodium hypochlorite as a disinfectant could be successfully used to achieve an optimum recovery of the membrane properties.