bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bone biology in the elderly: clinical importance for fracture treatment
Authors: Rolvien Tim , Amling Michael
Published: December 2016

Age-related bone impairment often leads to fragility fractures in the elderly. Although excellent surgical care is widely provided, diagnosis and treatment of the underlying bone disorder are often not kept in mind. The interplay of the three major bone cells – osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and osteocytes – is normally well regulated via the secretion of messengers to control bone remodeling. Possible imbalances that might occur in the elderly are partly due to age, genetic risk factors, and adverse lifestyle factors but importantly also due to imbalances in calcium homeostasis (mostly due to vitamin D deficiency or hypochlorhydria), which have to be eliminated. Therefore, the cooperation between the trauma surgeon and the osteologist is of major importance to diagnose and treat the respective patients at risk. We propose that any patient suffering from fragility fractures is rigorously screened for osteoporosis and metabolic bone diseases. This includes bone density measurement by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, laboratory tests for calcium, phosphate, vitamin D, and bone turnover markers, as well as additional diagnostic modalities if needed. Thereby, most risk factors, including vitamin D deficiency, can be identified and treated while patients who meet the criteria for a specific therapy (i.e. antiresorptive and osteoanabolic) receive such. If local health systems succeed to manage this process of secondary fracture prevention, morbidity and mortality of fragility fractures will decline to a minimum level.
Kinetic Model of the Nitrogen Oxide Removal Process by Ozone
Authors: Jaroszyńska –Wolińska J.
Published: December 2016

The paper describes a kinetic model of removal of nitrogen oxide oxidation process by an oxygenozone mixture. The kinetic model includes total of eight chemical reactions and six reagents participating in them. NO, O
Actinometry Measurement of Oxygen Dissociation Degree in a Microwave Discharge Plasma and Effect of Electron Energy Distribution Function
Authors: Sakamoto Takeshi , Matsuura Haruaki , Akatsuka Hiroshi
Published: December 2016

We measured the dissociation degree of oxygen molecule in a microwave discharge oxygen plasma by optical emission spectroscopy measurement based on actinometry method. We generated an oxygen plasma in a cylindrical quartz tube (26 mm i.d.) with a discharge pressure 0.5 - 3.0 Torr. The microwave frequency was 2.45 GHz and the output power was set at 600 W. We monitored the oxygen atom density by actinometry using the 844.6 nm line of oxygen atom and the 811.5 nm line of argon. The dissociation degree was estimated at about a few percent. To discuss the validity of the measured dissociation degree, we calculated the population balance equations of the active spices and EEDF (electron energy distribution function) self-consistently. The theoretical calculations were in agreement with the experimental results. We discussed the validity of the dissociation degree of oxygen molecule and some reactions, which play an important role in the microwave discharge oxygen plasma.
Titanium Oxidation by Microwave Discharge Oxygen Plasma and Relationship with Plasma Parameters
Authors: Kakizaka S. , Sakamoto T. , Matsuura H. , Akatsuka H.
Published: December 2016

We made an experimental study on Ti oxidation by microwave discharge oxygen plasma. We treated titanium sheets with 15 × 15 × 2 mm
Effect of TiO2 Precursor on the Photoactivity of Fe-C-TiO2 Photocatalysts for Acid Red (AR) Decomposition
Authors: Tryba Beata
Published: December 2016

Fe-C-TiO
Epoxidation of 1-butene-3-ol with Hydrogen Peroxide under Autogenic and Atmospheric Pressure
Authors: Wróblewska Agnieszka , Wajzberg Joanna , Milchert Eugeniusz
Published: December 2016

The influence of the technological parameters on the course of the epoxidation of 1-butene-3-ol (1B3O) over the TS-1 catalyst has been presented. A 30 wt% H
Photocatalytic Oxidation of Pharmaceutical compounds: Kinetics and Pathways for Ibuprofen, Clofibric Acid, Diclofenac and Naproxen
Authors: Thanasawasdi Haruthai , Leckie James , Mill Theodore
Published: December 2016

Photocatalytic oxidation of ibuprofen, clofibric acid, diclofenac and naproxen were studied in near- UV illuminated (> 300nm) aqueous TiO
Photocatalytic Oxidation of H2S on TiO2 and TiO2-ZrO2 Thin Films
Authors: Portela Raquel , Sánchez Benigno , Coronado Juan M.
Published: December 2016

Hydrogen sulfide is a widespread pollutant responsible for foul odors and severe damage to health and materials. However, current removal technologies have serious drawbacks. Photocatalysis seems to be a good alternative technology for eliminating H
Preparation of Crystalline Nanosized Titania by Microemulsion: Evaluation of Process Variables
Authors: Dong Cheng-Di , Liao Yu-Ling , Kao Chih-Ming , Chen Chiu-Wen , Lin Hong-Yin , Huang Chin-Pao
Published: December 2016

Crystalline TiO
Factorial Design for the Photodegradation of Chloramphenicol with Immobilized TiO2
Authors: Baeza Bernarda , Lizama Cristian , Caneo Cecilia , Ollin Mario
Published: December 2016

In this work, the effect of six variables: sustrate concentration, initial pH, peroxide/substrate molar ratio, bubbling rate, recirculation rate, and irradiation wavelength on the photocatalytic degradation of chloramphenicol (CAP) using TiO
An Integral Degradation Model to Describe H2O2-Photooxidation of Linear Alkylbenzenesulfonate (LAS) Surfactants
Authors: Menéndez A. , Lombraña J. I. , Luis A. de
Published: December 2016

Synthetic surfactants are amphipathic molecules consisting of a hydrophilic polar head moiety and a hydrophobic non-polar tail one. Alkyl benzene sulfonates are the principal type of laundry anionic surfactants, they are extensively used because of its relatively low cost, good performance, and easy-processing to a stable powder with biodegradable characteristics at low concentrations. LAS are a mixture of homologues and phenyl positional isomers, each containing an aromatic ring sulfonated at position para and attached to a C
Photocatalytic Decolorization of Methylene Blue with Two Photoreactors
Authors: Arias Fernando , Ortiz Erika , López–Vásquez Andrés , Colina–Márquez José , Machuca Fiderman
Published: December 2016

Most of dyes are considered as non - biodegradable substances and because this, they have became in an environmental problem. Commercial dyes are used in paper and textile industries, and their by-products contaminate surface water sources. Titanium dioxide - based photocatalysis can be an alternative for treatment of dye - contaminated water streams before dumping, because this process can generate powerful oxidant species as hydroxyl free radicals (•OH). In this study, the photocatalytic decolorization of methylene blue was carried out in a compound parabolic collector (CPC) and tubular collector (TC; no reflectors) using the radiation provided by a set of six UV black-lamps. The experimental tests corresponding to a central-composite experimental design were carried out during three hours, whereas the tests for optimal conditions were carried out during 315 min. The decolorization of the dye was measured indirectly with UV- visible absorbance. The optimal region could be determined using the Response Surface Methodology, and for CPC reactor the results were 70.8% for optimal degradation at 0.44 g/L of TiO
Evaluation of Zinc Oxide-Based Photocatalytic Degradation of a Commercial Pesticide
Authors: Burbano Jorge , Cruz Isabel , Colina–Márquez Jose , López–Vásquez Andrés , Machuca Fiderman
Published: December 2016

In this study, the performance of zinc oxide as a catalyst for photodegradation of commercial herbicide 2,4-D AMINA 4
Effect of Ultrasound on the Properties of Heterogeneous Catalysts for Sono-Fenton Oxidation Processes
Authors: Melero Juan A. , Martínez Fernando , Molina Raúl
Published: December 2016

The objective of this research is to assess the effect of ultrasonic irradiation (20 KHz) on the catalytic activity and catalyst particle size of different iron-containing solids (hematite/SBA-15 nanocomposite; hematite; goethite). The catalytic activities of the different catalysts were investigated in the sono-Fenton degradation of a phenolic aqueous solution in the presence of hydrogen peroxide at pH 3. The catalytic performance was monitored in terms of phenol and total organic carbon (TOC) conversions. The concentration changes of different by-products coming from incomplete mineralization of phenol were also monitored. The stability was examined by measuring iron dissolved in the reaction medium after reaction. The degradation rate in the presence of the nanocomposite material was higher than that when SBA-15 and hematite were separately suspended and also higher than that found for the bulk and unsupported iron oxides (hematite and goethite). The particle size of the catalysts suffers serious changes during the sonication which strongly depend on their nature. Unlike nanocomposite material which presents a deep catalyst particle reduction, unsupported bulk iron oxides yield an agglomeration of the particles. The considerable enhancement of the activity achieved with the nanocomposite material is due to the catalyst particles size reduction during ultrasound irradiation as well as the high dispersion of the metallic species over the mesostructured support.
Chemo- and Regio-Selectivity in the TiO2-Mediated Photooxidation of 1,n-diols
Authors: Molinari Alessandra , Bruni Marco , Maldotti Andrea
Published: December 2016

Proper reaction conditions have been found for the conversion of 1,2 propanediol, 1,3 butanediol and 1,4 pentanediol to the corresponding hydroxy-carbonylic compounds with good chemo- and regio-selectivity by photochemical excitation of CH
Turbulence characteristics of flow in an open channel with temporally varying mobile bedforms
Authors: Hanmaiahgari Prashanth Reddy , Roussinova Vesselina , Balachandar Ram
Published: December 2016

Turbulence of flow over mobile bedforms in natural open channels is not yet clearly understood. An attempt is made in this paper to determine the effect of naturally formed mobile bedforms on velocities, turbulent intensities and turbulent stresses. Instantaneous velocities are measured using a two-dimensional particle image velocimetry (PIV) to evaluate the turbulence structure of free surface flow over a fixed (immobile) bed, a weakly mobile bed and a temporally varying mobile bed with different stages of bedform development. This paper documents the vertical distribution of velocity, turbulence intensities, Reynolds shear stress and higher-order moments including skewness and turbulent diffusion factors. Analysis of the velocity distributions shows a substantial decrease of velocity near the bed with increasing bedform mobility due to increased friction. A modified logarithmic law with a reduced von Kármán constant and increased velocity shift is proposed for the case of the mobile bedforms. A significant increase in the Reynolds shear stress is observed in the mobile bedforms experiments accompanied by changes over the entire flow depth compared to an immobile bed. The skewness factor distribution was found to be different in the case of the flow over the mobile bedforms. All higher-order turbulence descriptors are found to be significantly affected by the formation of temporally varying and non-equilibrium mobile bedforms. Quadrant analysis indicates that sweep and outward events are found to be dominant in strongly mobile bedforms and govern the bedform mobility.
Preanalytical Nonconformity Management Regarding Primary Tube Mixing in Brazil
Authors: Lima-Oliveira Gabriel , Guidi Gian Cesare , Guimaraes Andre Valpassos Pacifici , Correa Jose Abol , Lippi Giuseppe
Published: December 2016

Background: The multifaceted clinical laboratory process is divided in three essential phases: the preanalytical, analytical and postanalytical phase. Problems emerging from the preanalytical phase are responsible for more than 60% of laboratory errors. This report is aimed at highlighting and discussing nonconformity (e.g., nonstandardized procedures) in primary blood tube mixing immediately after blood collection by venipuncture with evacuated tube systems.

Methods: From January 2015 to December 2015, fifty different laboratory quality managers from Brazil were contacted to request their internal audit reports on nonconformity regarding primary blood tube mixing immediately after blood collection by venipuncture performed using evacuated tube systems.

Results and Conclusions: A minority of internal audits (i.e., 4%) concluded that evacuated blood tubes were not accurately mixed after collection, whereas more than half of them reported that evacuated blood tubes were vigorously mixed immediately after collection, thus magnifying the risk of producing spurious hemolysis. Despite the vast majority of centers declaring that evacuated blood tubes were mixed gently and carefully, the overall number of inversions was found to be different from that recommended by the manufacturer. Since the turbulence generated by the standard vacuum pressure inside the primary evacuated tubes seems to be sufficient for providing solubilization, mixing and stabilization between additives and blood during venipuncture, avoidance of primary tube mixing probably does not introduce a major bias in tests results and may not be considered a nonconformity during audits for accreditation.
Corrosion behavior of wrought magnesium alloys AZ31 and AZ61 in Hank’s solution
Authors: Tkacz J. , Slouková K. , Minda J. , Drábiková J. , Fintová S. , Doležal P. , Wasserbauer J.
Published: December 2016

Corrosion behavior of wrought magnesium alloys AZ31 and AZ61 was studied in Hank’s solution. Potentiodynamic curves measured after short-term of exposure showed higher corrosion resistance of AZ31 magnesium alloy in comparison with AZ61 magnesium alloy. On the contrary, long-term tests measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed higher corrosion resistance of AZ61 magnesium alloy in comparison with AZ31 magnesium alloy.
Heteropolyacids like new anticorrosion pigment in organic paints
Authors: Nechvílová K. , Kalendová A.
Published: December 2016

This paper is focused on the heteropoly acids as another new possibility of dopant for conducting polymers which can be used as anticorrosive pigments for steel protection. The newly prepared pigments, silicotungstic and phosphotungstic heteropoly acids, were characterized by determination of oil number and density. The value of critical pigment volume concentration was determinated by these values. The pigment volume concentration was 0.5; 1; 3 and 5 % in epoxyester-resin witch was used as a binder. Organic coatings were applicated on steel panels which were tested by mechanical and corrosion tests. The main exam was exposition of testing sample in sulphur dioxide atmosphere. Another important exam was measuring the specific electrical conductivity and determination of corrosion loss. After 1584 hours, the samples were evaluated. Values of anticorrosion efficiency are increased for silicotungstic heteropoly acid pigment. But with long-term exposition, phosphotungstic heteropoly acid pigment has better and higher anticorrosion efficiency than the other sample.
Meta-parody in contemporary Russian media: viewpoint blending behind Dmitry Bykov’s 2009 poem “Infectious”
Authors: Pleshakova Anna
Published: December 2016

The author uses the case of Dmitry Bykov’s “Заразное” (Infectious) to explore metaparody, a genre, which has received very little attention in literary studies and has not been explored from the cognitive poetic perspective so far. The author investigates Bykov’s performance of metaparody as a new Russian hybrid genre event, related to the new Russian ideology of nationalism, as well as the respective Kremlin-sponsored media discourse.
Verbs of locomotion like идти (to go) – ходить (to walk): some thoughts on their semantic description
Authors: Samedova Nezrin
Published: December 2016

The author presents the analysis of discussions about the semantic description of traditionally postulated verbs of locomotion like идти /to go/ - ходить /to walk/. The analysis reveals that there are very few ideas on the nature of the verbs that are uncontroversial. The second objective of the author is to propose a theory that not only incorporates ideas of several generations of eminent researchers but is also consistent within itself, comprehensive and as simple as possible.
Crystal structure of syn-2,4-di-o-tolylpentane-2,4-diol, C19H24O2
Authors: Yinchun Jiao , Shuang Deng
Published: December 2016

C19H24O2, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 13.3172(6) Å, b = 9.1454(5) Å, c = 13.8551(5) Å, β = 98.930(4)°, V = 1666.97(13) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0510, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1652, T = 291 K.
Crystal structure of 2-(4-oxo-2-thioxothiazolidin-3-yl)acetic acid monohydrate, C5H7NO4S2
Authors: Barakat Assem , Ali M. , Al-Majid Abdullah Mohammed , Ghabbour Hazem A.
Published: December 2016

C5H7NO4S2, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 4.8114(2) Å, b = 12.1265(5) Å, c = 14.2881(6) Å, β = 92.845(1)°, V = 832.62(6) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0302, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.0731, T = 100(2).
Systematics and Faunistics of Neotropical Olethreutini, 3: Omiostola MEYRICK, 1922 (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
Authors: Razowski Józef , Becker Vitor O.
Published: December 2016

Seven species of Omiostola are recorded from Brazil, Ecuador and Cuba, four of which (O. longimacula, O. paragerda, O. manca, O. macella) are described as new. An alphabetical list of the known species of the genus is provided. O. macrotrachela is synonymized with O. hemeropis. Episimus melanaspis and E. varablancana are transferred to Omiostola.
Efficacy of aqueous extracts of black alder (Alnus glutinosa GAERTN.) and black elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) in reducing the occurrence of Phyllotreta spp., some lepidopteran pests and diamondback moth parasitoids on white cabbage
Authors: Jankowska Beata , Wojciechowicz-Żytko Elżbieta
Published: December 2016

The insecticidal and antifeedant effects of aqueous extracts from two common plants (black alder Alnus glutinosa and black elderberry Sambucus nigra) on the occurrence of flea beetles (Phyllotreta spp.), as well as lepidopteran pests like the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella, small white butterfly Pieris rapae, large white butterfly Pieris brassicae, cabbage moth Mamestra brassicae and the Plutella xylostella parasitoid complex were investigated on white cabbage in 2008-2009. Aqueous extracts of black elderberry Sambucus nigra significantly reduced numbers of flea beetles Phyllotreta spp., eggs of Pieris rapae and P. brassicae, and larvae and pupae of Plutella xylostella on the cabbage. The aqueous extract of Alnus glutinosa was less effective. Parasitoids had the greatest impact on reducing numbers of diamondback moth: the dominant species was Diadegma fenestralis. The smallest number of parasitoids was reared from pupae collected from plots where the cabbages had been sprayed with the Sambucus nigra extract.
The first records of Nemapogon gliriella (HEYDEN, 1865) (Lepidoptera, Tineidae) in Poland: a fungivorous species reared from sporocarps of Stereum hirsutum (WILLD.) PERS. and S. rugosum PERS. (Fungi: Basidiomycota)
Authors: Dobrzański Xavier , Dawidowicz Łukasz , Wagner Grzegorz Karol , Jaworski Tomasz
Published: December 2016

The paper presents the first records of the tineid moth Nemapogon gliriella in Poland. Eleven specimens were reared from sporocarps of Stereum hirsutum and S. rugosum growing on dead oak and hazel wood. Issues concerning morphological similarity with other species in the genus Nemapogon are briefly discussed. The basic ecological characteristics of the species are presented.
Biological control of thrips pests (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in a commercial greenhouse in Hungary
Authors: Farkas Péter , Bagi Nóra , Szabó Árpád , Ladányi Márta , Kis Krisztiánné , Sojnóczki Annamária , Reiter Dániel , Pénzes Béla , Fail József
Published: December 2016

Polyphagous thrips, like western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis and onion thrips Thrips tabaci, are major pests in various ornamental and vegetable crops in greenhouses throughout the world. In Hungary, both of these polyphagous thrips species frequently cause severe damage in many greenhouse crops, especially in commercial sweet pepper. Chemical control is not always feasible because of certain ecological characteristics of these thrips species. The commercially available phytoseiid predatory mites like Amblyseius swirskii and anthocorid flower bugs like Orius laevigatus are often used simultaneously for the biological control of severe thrips infestation in sweet pepper cultivation in Hungary. Our observations demonstrated that the polyphagous thrips assemblages were effectively controlled by the combined release of natural enemies, despite the fact that the establishment of O. laevigatus did not seem to be successful in the first year. Overall, the thrips population density remained below the economic threshold in both years. However, the low infestation level of thrips suggests that a single predator release strategy could be applied effectively and still maintain the thrips below the damage threshold in greenhouse sweet pepper.
Genetic and Environmental Basis of the Relationship Between Dissociative Experiences and Cloninger’s Temperament and Character Dimensions – Pilot Study
Authors: Domozych Wojciech , Dragan Wojciech Łukasz
Published: December 2016

Dissociation is commonly regarded as a disruption in the normally integrated functions of memory, knowledge, affect, sensation or behavior. The present study utilized behavioral genetics’ methodology to investigate genetic and environmental basis of the relationship between dissociation and Cloninger’s temperament and character traits. A sample of 83 monozygotic and 65 dizygotic twins were administered self-report measures which assessed dissociative experiences along with personality dimensions. Significant correlations and high loads of common genetic variance between dissociative experiences and personality traits of novelty seeking, self-directedness, cooperativeness and self-transcendence were identified. Heritability of dissociative experiences was estimated at 62%. The study shows that there exists a considerable amount of genetic variance overlap between dissociation and personality dimensions. It also supports the hypothesis that propensity to dissociate is highly heritable
Factors affecting decisions to have a second child: exploiting the theory of planned behaviour
Authors: Lukšík Ivan , Bianchi Gabriel , Popper Miroslav , Baboš Pavol
Published: December 2016

The objective of this study is to explore factors that affect the decisions single-child parents make when considering whether to have a second child applying the psychological theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Quantitative survey data from a sample of parents with a single child selected from a Slovak representative sample was used to perform regression analysis assessing effects of attitudes, subjective norms and perceived control on intention to have a second child within the next three years. Results largely confirm the model captured in TPB. All three components of the TPB have a significant effect on intentions to have a second child. A particular set of liberal and conservative attitudes facilitate plans to have a second child. The strongest predictors, however, are the perceived pressure from the social environment (subjective norm) and subjective desire to have a child (perceived control). The study concludes that, along with demographic and sociological variables, psychological factors play a significant role in decision-making processes concerning reproductive planning.
Perceived competence and warmth influence respect, liking and trust in work relations
Authors: Oleszkiewicz Anna , Lachowicz-Tabaczek Kinga
Published: December 2016

Many studies confirmed the positive effect of trust on human relations and performance in organizations. As a social judgment, trust should be related to perceived competence and warmth as two basic dimensions of person perception. Surprisingly, to date no attempts have been made to examine the influence of attributed competence and warmth on social judgments in interpersonal relations at work. To this end, we examine the influence of perceived competence and warmth on trust, liking and respect in upward and downward work relations. A study involving 190 middle-stage managers revealed that the two fundamental dimensions of social cognition (competence and warmth) influence respect, liking and trust. Competence had a stronger effect on respect than warmth; the opposite was true for liking. Trust was conditioned by both competence and warmth to an equal, high extent. At the same time, warmth expressed by supervisors led to higher results in liking, respect and trust in them than warmth expressed by subordinates.
Where are (Pseudo)Science Fool’s Hoax Articles in April From?
Authors: Bártlová Tereza
Published: December 2016

In this paper, we discuss in detail what is behind April Fool’s Day
A. J. Greimas: un Professeur à l’université turque
Authors: Öztokat Nedret
Published: December 2016

A. J. Greimas a enseigné dans les universités d’Istanbul et d’Ankara entre 1958 et 1962. Sa présence en Turquie a permis la formation de jeunes chercheurs qui deviendront les pionniers de la sémiotique greimassienne en Turquie, à l’instar de Tahsin Yücel et Berke Vardar. Nous nous proposons, dans cet article, de prendre en considération la réception de l’enseignement de Greimas en Turquie afin de retracer le parcours de la sémiotique au sein de l’université turque. Dans la Revue Dilbilim (Linguistique) de la Faculté des Lettres de l’Université d’Istanbul trois entretiens avec Greimas ont été publiés. Le premier figure dans le premier numéro paru en 1976; le second, dans le numéro VI paru en 1980; et le troisième, en 1987 dans le numéro VII de la revue Dilbilim. Nous analyserons les grandes lignes de ces trois entretiens qui ont longtemps été considérés comme des textes d’orientation pour les jeunes sémioticiens turcs; nous essayerons ainsi de saisir le parcours scientifique de Greimas. A travers les propos échangés entre Greimas et Berke Vardar qui a recueilli ces entretiens, nous pouvons observer l’avancée de la sémiotique telle qu’elle était conçue en France tout en essayant de rendre compte du développement de la sémiotique greimassienne qui a trouvé un écho favorable dans le milieu universitaire turc.
A Constructional Analysis of Obligatory XVS Syntactic Structures
Authors: Prado-Alonso Carlos
Published: December 2016

The analysis of obligatory or formulaic XVS structures - as in “Here comes the sun” or “Now is the time to solve our problems” - has been neglected in the literature since it has been argued that there seems to be no linguistic variation involved in the use of these types of syntactic constructions. Here, I defend the view that obligatory XVS structures are productive, highly structured constructions which are worthy of serious linguistic investigation. On the basis of a corpus-based analysis of written and spoken texts, it is argued that the different obligatory XVS types distinguished in the literature are clear instances of constructions as understood in the Construction Grammar framework. Despite their formal and functional dissimilarities, the article shows that these XVS structures still relate to one another in systematic and predictable ways, and are in fact grouped in relation to a unit in the schematic network which is naturally most salient - the prototype - and form with it a family of nodes which are extensions from the prototype - in the system. In sum, the analysis here will show that obligatory XVS structures are constructions which form an interconnected, structured system or network and are best understood with reference to different forms of inheritance.
Scholar – Fictionist – Memoirist: David Lodge’s Documentary (Self-)Biography in Quite a Good Time to be Born: 1935–1975
Authors: Kusek Robert
Published: December 2016

Over the last decade or so, David Lodge has become not only a reader but also an avid practitioner of “fact-based writing” - be it the biographical novel (The Master of 2004 and A Man of Parts 2011), the autobiographical novel (Deaf Sentence of 2008), the biographical essay (Lives in Writing of 2014) and - finally - a proper autobiography (Quite a Good Time to Be Born of 2015). The aim of this paper is to analyse Lodge’s recent turn to life narratives and, in particular, his autobiographical story of 2015; and, consequently, to address the following questions: Does Lodge’s memoir offer “an experiment in autobiography” (to quote H.G. Wells, one of Lodge’s favourites), or remain a conventional life story immune to the tenets of contemporary life writing? Is it the work of a (self- )historian, or a novelist? Does it belong to the “regime of truth,” or is it the product of memory? Finally, is it, indeed, a memoir (as its subtitle claims), or a specimen of self-biography? The paper will show special interest in the work’s generic characteristics and will offer an attempt to locate Quite a Good Time to Be Born on the map of contemporary life writing practices.
The Link Between Economic Growth, Crime and Deterrence Measures in Nigeria
Authors: Adekoya Adenuga Fabian , Razak Nor Azam Abdul
Published: December 2016

The level of crime in Nigeria has become devastating and in order to put more sanity into the economy and the country at large, the Government has embarked on different deterrence measures in curbing crime. Thus, this study examined the interaction of deterrence measures with crime in order to see how economic growth was affected when they were used in curbing crime at different instances. That is, the interaction of deterrence measures with crime informed us how they have helped in lowering crime in Nigeria for a better economic growth to subsist. The deterrence measures considered in this work are in line with the rational choice theory being the cost of crime imposed on the society. Furthermore, this study considered data from 1975 to 2013 with the use of autoregressive distributed lag model. Moreover, the results showed that crime dependency on deterrence measures asymmetrically constituted means of lowering economic growth in the country. Hence, this study suggested that prosecution should be well funded and in order to curb crime and improve economic growth in Nigeria. That is, this would afford the country to reduce the congestion of prison inmates and thus, it would discourage long waiting trials.
Analysis of the Evolution of SMEs in Western Romania Between 2011–2014, Using the Mathematical Modelling
Authors: Gaga Loghin , Gabor Andrei , Naaji Antonela , Popescu Marius Constantin
Published: December 2016

The SMEs in Romania, which remained reliable after the economic crisis, had a better dynamic of business development in relation to large and very large companies. The increase of the fiscal value of these companies has improved every year, leading to spectacular results in certain fields of activity, particularly services, trade and IT. After the economic crisis, the SMEs from the Western region had a dynamic business market, outstripping all other regions of economic development. The result was the increase in the number of SMEs and the number of jobs in this region. In this article, we propose a mathematical model based on multivariate analysis, specifically on cluster analysis, in order to analyse the economic activities of SMEs in the Western development region. Cluster analysis is a multivariate analysis method that includes algorithms able to identify and group efficiently and descriptively a similar group in terms of certain common properties, in a lot of time objects.

The purpose of this paper is the analysis of the economic efficiency of SMEs’ activities in the Western area of Romania and the extraction of activities through modeling in order to maximise the efficiency of the companies in the future.
Recht als Praxis. Herausforderungen der Rechtsforschung heute
Authors: Baer Susanne
Published: December 2016

Nicht nur in Zeiten einer „Flüchtlingskrise“ häufen sich die Rufe nach dem Recht, wobei sich je nach politischer Vorstellung unterscheidet, was das Recht verspricht. Um dann nicht in eine Krise des Rechts, und hier: eine Krise der Grund- und Menschenrechte zu geraten, ist es dringend erforderlich, genau zu verstehen, was Recht auf welche Weise leistet, ob und wie also die Versprechungen des Rechts gehalten werden. Dabei trifft die kritische Rechtsforschung auf mindestens sieben Herausforderungen. Es gibt eine schier endlose Fülle an Material. Es gibt weiterhin tradierte Vorbehalte in der Rechtswissenschaft, zugleich eine hohe disziplinäre Vielfalt der Ansätze – mit ihren jeweiligen Tücken. Dazu kommt die verführerische Macht des Rechts als Gegenstand, der eigentlich kritisch beleuchtet werden soll. Es will dann auch noch intradisziplinär mehrfach verstanden werden, obwohl ein großer Teil rechtlicher Praxis tatsächlich im Dunkeln liegt. Und schließlich frustriert die kognitive Resistenz derjenigen, die von Rechtsforschung profitieren sollen. Nicht zuletzt die Rückbesinnung auf die kritischen Wurzeln der Rechtsforschung tragen dazu bei, diese Herausforderungen zu überwinden.
Reflexive Rechtssoziologie zwischen Wissenschaft und Zivilgesellschaft
Authors: Guibentif Pierre
Published: December 2016

Rechtssoziologie befasst sich mit Fragen, welche von der Öffentlichkeit mit großem Interesse verfolgt werden. Und dennoch wird ihr Beitrag als solcher kaum zur Kenntnis genommen. Als mögliche Antwort auf diese Sachlage könnte die Rechtssoziologie an der reflexiven Analyse der heutigen Lage der Wissenschaften teilnehmen, und damit an der Aufwertung der gesellschaftlichen Rolle der Wissenschaften allgemein – zur Einhaltung ihrer Versprechungen – mitwirken.
Invariom-based comparative electron density studies of iso-sildenafil and sildenafil
Authors: Dittrich Birger , Luger Peter
Published: December 2016

The title compounds have raised considerable medical and broad public interest in that sildenafil is used as an agent against male erectile dysfunction; iso-sildenafil is not in clinical use. A comparison of their structural and electronic properties therefore seems of interest. The electron densities of iso-sildenafil and the cationic and neutral forms of sildenafil were examined by the application of the invariom formalism relying on diffraction data reported in the literature. The electron-density distributions obtained were subjected to topological analysis using the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) formalism to yield bond topological and atomic properties. Moreover, molecular Hirshfeld surfaces and electrostatic potentials (ESPs) were calculated. A number of structural and electronic differences were thus identified between sildenafil and the iso-analog. In both sildenafil structures, the phenyl ring and the pyrazolopyrimidine fragment are practically coplanar (planar conformation), whereas in the iso-analog they exhibit an angle of 44° (inclined form). Related to differences in molecular structure are completely different hydrogen bonding patterns and differences in the ESPs, the latter ones being influenced by different methylation at the pyrazolopyrimidine fragment. Iso-sildenafil is present as a hydrogen-bond dimer in the crystal, and the ESP of this dimer is dominated by a surrounding positive potential.
Shorter Duration Time Trial Performance and Recovery Is Not Improved by Inclusion of Protein in a Multiple Carbohydrate Supplement
Authors: Wolfe Anthony S. , Brandt Sallee A. , Krause Isaac A. , Mavison Rachel W. , Aponte Josh A. , Ferguson-Stegall Lisa M.
Published: December 2016

Wolfe, AS, Brandt, SA, Krause, IA, Mavison, RW, Aponte, JA, and Ferguson-Stegall, LM. Shorter duration time trial performance and recovery is not improved by inclusion of protein in a multiple carbohydrate supplement. J Strength Cond Res 31(9): 2509–2518, 2017—Ingesting multiple carbohydrate (CHO) types during exercise can improve endurance performance compared with single CHO only. Adding protein to a multiple CHO beverage has been shown to increase cycling time to exhaustion (TTE) compared with a single CHO beverage. However, it is unclear if improvements were due to multiple CHO or protein, and TTE protocols are not representative of typical race events. This study investigated whether adding protein to a multiple CHO beverage improved performance and recovery in 2 same-day cycling time trials (TTs) compared with isocaloric multiple CHO only. Ten cyclists (37.4 ± 8.9 years; V̇o
2max 54.6 ± 6.5 ml·kg−1·min−1) performed a familiarization and 2 randomized, crossover, double-blinded experimental trials consisting of pretrial leg strength testing, 40-km TT, 30-min recovery, 10-km TT, and posttrial leg strength testing. Seven 275 ml doses of multiple CHO (MCO) or multiple CHO+protein (MCP) were ingested during the protocol. Blood glucose, lactate, heart rate (HR), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were also measured. Continuous variables were analyzed with paired t-tests, and repeated measures with repeated-measures analysis of variance. No differences existed between MCO and MCP in 40-km TT time (81.6 ± 2.8 vs. 81.9 ± 2.9 minutes, respectively, p = 0.94), or in 10-km time (24.0 ± 0.9 vs. 23.9 ± 1.0 minutes, p = 0.97). Blood glucose was higher before 10-km TT in MCO compared with MCP (3.78 ± 0.20 vs. 3.31 ± 0.19 mmol·L−1, p = 0.002). No treatment differences were found for lactate, HR, RPE, or strength recovery. When using a protocol and performance measures that replicate realistic, shorter duration events, adding protein to a multiple CHO beverage does not improve performance compared with multiple CHO only.
Carbohydrate and Caffeine Improves High-Intensity Running of Elite Rugby League Interchange Players During Simulated Match Play
Authors: Clarke Jon S. , Highton Jamie M. , Close Graeme L. , Twist Craig
Published: December 2016

Clarke, JS, Highton, J, Close, GL, and Twist, C. Carbohydrate and caffeine improves high-intensity running of elite rugby league interchange players during simulated match play. J Strength Cond Res 33(5): 1320–1327, 2019—The study examined the effects of carbohydrate and caffeine ingestion on simulated rugby league interchange performance. Eight male elite rugby league forwards completed 2 trials of a rugby league simulation protocol for interchange players 7 days apart in a randomized crossover design, ingesting either carbohydrate (CHO; 40 g·h−1) or carbohydrate and caffeine (CHO-C) (40 g·h−1 + 3 mg·kg−1) drink. Movement characteristics, heart rate, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), and countermovement jump (CMJ) height were measured during the protocol. CHO-C resulted in likely to very likely higher mean running speeds (effect size [ES] 0.43–0.75), distance in high-intensity running (ES 0.41–0.64), and mean sprint speeds (ES 0.39–1.04) compared with CHO. Heart rate was possibly to very likely higher (ES 0.32–0.74), and RPE was likely to very likely lower (ES −0.53 to 0.86) with CHO-C. There was a likely trivial to possibly higher CMJ in CHO-C compared with CHO (ES 0.07–0.25). The coingestion of carbohydrate with caffeine has an ergogenic effect to reduce the sense of effort and increase high-intensity running capability that might be used to enhance interchange running performance in elite rugby league players.
Motion and Muscle Activity Are Affected by Instability Location During a Squat Exercise
Authors: Nairn Brian C. , Sutherland Chad A. , Drake Janessa D.M.
Published: December 2016

Nairn, BC, Sutherland, CA, and Drake, JDM. Motion and muscle activity are affected by instability location during a squat exercise. J Strength Cond Res 31(3): 677–685, 2017—Squat exercise training using instability devices has become increasingly popular for a multitude of reasons. Many devices generate instability at the feet and provide a bottom-up perturbation; however, the effect of a top-down instability device during a squat remains unclear. To induce instability at the upper body, a water-filled cylinder called the Attitube was used. This study analyzed the effects of instability location (top-down, bottom-up, and no instability) during a squat exercise in terms of kinematics and muscle activation. Ten male participants were instrumented with 75 reflective markers to track kinematics of the ankle, knee, hip, trunk, and the Bar/Attitube, and electromyography was recorded from 12 muscles bilaterally. Squats were performed with an Olympic bar on a stable surface, an Olympic bar on a BOSU ball (BALL, bottom-up), and the Attitube on solid ground (TUBE, top-down). The TUBE showed up to 1.5 times reduction in erector spinae activation and up to 1.5 times less trunk flexion while being performed at a slower velocity. There was also higher abdominal activation in the TUBE, with up to 2.8 times greater oblique activation compared with the stable condition. The BALL increased ankle eversion and knee flexion with higher muscle activation in gastrocnemius, biceps femoris, and quadriceps. Overall, changing the location of instability during a squat changed the motion and muscle activation patterns of the trunk and lower extremities. This provides information for future research into rehabilitation, learning proper squat technique, and for specific training scenarios.
Decision-Related Activity in Macaque V2 for Fine Disparity Discrimination Is Not Compatible with Optimal Linear Readout
Authors: Clery Stephane , Cumming Bruce G. , Nienborg Hendrikje
Published: December 2016

Fine judgments of stereoscopic depth rely mainly on relative judgments of depth (relative binocular disparity) between objects, rather than judgments of the distance to where the eyes are fixating (absolute disparity). In macaques, visual area V2 is the earliest site in the visual processing hierarchy for which neurons selective for relative disparity have been observed (Thomas et al., 2002). Here, we found that, in macaques trained to perform a fine disparity discrimination task, disparity-selective neurons in V2 were highly selective for the task, and their activity correlated with the animals' perceptual decisions (unexplained by the stimulus). This may partially explain similar correlations reported in downstream areas. Although compatible with a perceptual role of these neurons for the task, the interpretation of such decision-related activity is complicated by the effects of interneuronal “noise” correlations between sensory neurons. Recent work has developed simple predictions to differentiate decoding schemes (Pitkow et al., 2015) without needing measures of noise correlations, and found that data from early sensory areas were compatible with optimal linear readout of populations with information-limiting correlations. In contrast, our data here deviated significantly from these predictions. We additionally tested this prediction for previously reported results of decision-related activity in V2 for a related task, coarse disparity discrimination (Nienborg and Cumming, 2006), thought to rely on absolute disparity. Although these data followed the predicted pattern, they violated the prediction quantitatively. This suggests that optimal linear decoding of sensory signals is not generally a good predictor of behavior in simple perceptual tasks.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTActivity in sensory neurons that correlates with an animal's decision is widely believed to provide insights into how the brain uses information from sensory neurons. Recent theoretical work developed simple predictions to differentiate decoding schemes, and found support for optimal linear readout of early sensory populations with information-limiting correlations. Here, we observed decision-related activity for neurons in visual area V2 of macaques performing fine disparity discrimination, as yet the earliest site for this task. These findings, and previously reported results from V2 in a different task, deviated from the predictions for optimal linear readout of a population with information-limiting correlations. Our results suggest that optimal linear decoding of early sensory information is not a general decoding strategy used by the brain.
Tuberculous Abdominal cocoon in childern– A Single Centre Study in remote area in northern India
Authors: Singal Rikki , B Satyashree , Mittal Amit , Sharma Bhanu Pratap , Singal Samita , Zaman Muzzafarr , Shardha Parteek
Published: December 2016

Background. Amongst the numerous causes of intestinal obstruction listed in the literature, sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis also called Abdominal Cocoon (AC) is one of the rarest entities. Its characteristic feature is a thick fibrotic membrane encasing varying lengths of the small and large gut in a cocoon. In India, there is an increasing incidence of tuberculosis, especially in the rural areas.Aims and objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical presentation and evaluate the operative findings of tuberculous AC. We also evaluated the outcomes and response to anti tuberculous treatment (ATT) in all the patients diagnosed with this condition.Material and methods. This study was carried out at M.M. Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Mullana, Ambala, India between April 2013 – March 2016 in the Department of Pediatric Surgery. This is a prospective study. A total of 17 patients diagnosed with abdominal cocoon secondary to tuberculosis have been included in the study.Results. A total of 17 patients presented to the emergency ward with features of acute intestinal obstruction. The average age was 15.3 years (range 9 years to 16 years). There were 14 females and 3 males. All patients presented with abdominal pain, bilious vomiting, constipation and abdominal distention. The patients were operated in our hospital and relieved of their obstruction. Based on their operative findings and after histopathological confirmation, patients were given ATT. In the follow-up, all patients did well, without recurrence of tuberculosis or intestinal obstruction. Conclusion. Tuberculosis as a cause of childhood AC is rather common in developing countries and is potentially a fatal condition. A strong clinical suspicion, sonographic and computed tomography scan findings help establish a pre-operative diagnosis. Tuberculous AC has a strong prevalence in females.  Surgery is the mainstay of treatment followed by anti-tuberculous drugs.
PROPOSED SCORE FOR THE SELF-ASSESSMENT OF AN ENDOSCOPY DEPARTMENT PERFORMANCE IN COLONOSCOPY SCREENING
Authors: Sporea Ioan , Popescu Alina , Sirli Roxana , Pascu Oliviu , Cijevschi Prelipcean Cristina , Dobru Daniela , Bota Simona , Gherhardt Diana , Gradinaru Oana , Popescu Madalina
Published: December 2016

The aim of the paper was to propose a score for performance evaluation in colonoscopy units.Method. We proposed a score (CDCD score - Cecal intubation, polyp Detection rate, Cleansing and Documentation of cecal intubation) based on the following parameters that  assess the quality of colonoscopy units: total colonoscopies rate, polyp detection rate, rate of cecal intubation photo record, rate of recorded Boston bowel preparation scale (BBPS) (rated 1 to 5 stars). The mean score obtained based on the above mentioned criteria was used as a quality parameter of the endoscopy unit.We  applied and calculated this score in all screening colonoscopies performed in our Endoscopy Department during the last 4 years.Results. The study group included 856 screening colonoscopies. The rate of total colonoscopies was 92.1% (789/856 cases) and the polyp detection rate was 23.9%. Regarding the quality of bowel preparation, the BBPS was recorded in 51.1% cases. The cecal intubation was photo recorded in 44% of cases.We considered that of the 4 parameters, the highest weight for an excellent quality belonged to the cecal intubation rate, followed by the polyp detection rate, because they evaluate the endoscopic technique, while the other 2 are more administrative. Thus, for the unit’s assessment we used the following equation: UNIT’S QUALITY CDCD SCORE = (3xcecal intubation rate+3xpolyp detection rate+1xphoto documentation+1xBBPS documentation)/8. Thus, the CDCD Score for our unit was ≈4 stars (3.7 stars).Conclusion. the proposed CDCD score may be an objective tool for the quality assessment in different endoscopy units.