bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Walking Test: Use in clinical practice
Authors: Acquistapace Flavio , Piepoli Massimo F.
Published: January 2016

Exercise Capacity is the expression of the cardiovascular and of metabolic organic efficiency and represents a important prognostic marker. The Six Minute Walking Test is adopted in the practice for exercise capacity evaluation in the normal subject as in pneumologic or cardiac rehabilitation programs, and in both pediatric and elderly ages. The aim of the work is to present a practical summary of the application of the six minutes walking test, according to the American Thoracic Society statement. We reviewed the various experiences of its application, and reported the indications, clinical interpretation parameters, relationship and correlation between functional and clinical parameters (hospitalization, quality of life, therapy and exercise control response and compliance), the basic and advanced protocol, the application modality, the reporting models, and the educational checklist.
Comprehensive exercise training improves ventilatory muscle function and reduces dyspnea perception in patients with COPD
Authors: Cortopassi F. , Castro A.A.M. , Porto E.F. , Colucci M. , Fonseca G. , Torre-Bouscoulet L. , Iamonti V. , Jardim J.R.
Published: January 2016

Background. Comprehensive exercise training (CET) is an efficient strategy to decrease dyspnea perception in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and may result in significant improvement in ventilatory muscles function. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of general exercise training on dyspnea perception and on respiratory muscles strength in COPD patients. Methods. Consecutive COPD patients were enrolled to complete a CET programme. The patients underwent a routine that included a global warm up, upper and lower limbs endurance exercise as well as stretching and relaxation. Before and after the CET programme, patients completed maximal inspiratory (PImax) and expiratory (PEmax) pressures measurements, maximal incremental test, endurance test, and 6-min walk distance (6MWD). Results. 71 patients (52 male). Mean age 67.6±8.6 years, FEV1 (%) 44.2±16.2 and Mahler dyspnea scale 6.4±1.8. The results before and after the exercise programme were: PImax 64.7±22.9 vs. 75.5±23.7 cmH2O (p=0.001), PEmax 110.8±28.1 vs. 120.4±28.1 cmH2O (p=0.004), 6MWD 510.6±90.3 vs. 528.2±99.7 metres (p=0.88), time of incremental test 672±135 vs. 856±226 sec (p<0.0001). Compared with the pre exercise programme, we observed a significant reduction on Borg dyspnea scale (6.1±2.8 to 3.6±2.3, p<0.0001) as well as a longer test time (504±218 to 1.038±841, p<0.0001) at the end of the endurance test after CET programme. Improvement of PImax correlated negatively with dyspnea perception at iso-time during the endurance test (r= -0.33, p=0.03). Conclusions. Our results confirm that CET is associated with significant improvement in PImax, PEmax and provide evidence demonstrating that CET reduces dyspnea perception in patients with COPD.
Episodic medical home interventions in severe bedridden Chronic Respiratory Failure patients: a 4 year retrospective study
Authors: Barbano L. , Bertella E. , Vitacca M.
Published: January 2016

Background and Aim. Home care for respiratory patients includes a complex array of services delivered in an uncontrolled setting. The role of a respiratory specialist inside the home healthcare team has been scarcely studied up to now. Our aims were to analyse the number and quality of episodic home visits performed by respiratory physicians to severe bedridden Chronic Respiratory Failure (CRF) patients, and also to evaluate the safety of tracheotomy tube substitutions at home. Methods. 231 home interventions (59.8/year) in 123 CRF patients (59 males; age 63±17y, 24 on oxygen therapy, 35 under non invasive mechanical ventilation, 46 under invasive ventilation, 74 with tracheostomy) located 35±16 km far from referred hospital, were revised in a period of 4 years (2005-2008). Results. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (31%) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (28%) were the more frequent diagnoses. Interventions were: tracheotomy tube substitution (64%) presenting 22% of minor adverse events and 1.4% of major adverse events; change or new oxygen prescription (37%); nocturnal pulsed saturimetric trend prescription (24%); change in mechanical ventilation (MV) setting (4%); new MV adaptation (7%). After medical intervention, new home medical equipment devices (oxygen and MV) were prescribed in 36% of the cases while rehabilitative hospital admission and home respiratory physiotherapy prescription was proposed in 9% and 6% of the cases respectively. Patient/caregiver’s satisfaction was reported on average 8.48±0.79 (1 = the worst; 10 = the higher). The local health care system (HCS) reimbursed 70€ for each home intervention. Families saved 42±20€ per visit for ambulance transportation. Conclusions. Home visits performed by a respiratory physician to bedridden patients with chronic respiratory failure: 1. include predominantly patients affected by COPD and ALS; 2. determine a very good satisfaction to patients/caregivers; 3. allow money saving to caregivers; 4. are predominantly made up to change tracheotomy tube without severe adverse events.
A Preliminary Study on the First Selected Translation of The Book of Poetry into French
Authors: JIANG Xiangyan
Published: January 2016

This article aims to sketch a preliminary analysis of eight poems from The Book of Poetry, translated into French by the French Jesuit Joseph de Premare (1660–1736) in the early 18th century. Premare implanted the doctrines of Christianity in his translation of the eight poems that were selected from the Greater Odes of the Kingdom (大雅), Minor Odes of the Kingdom (小雅) and the Sacrificial Odes of Zhou (周頌), which were analysed from three aspects: firstly, the theme of the eight odes, king and kingship, allude to the Lord; and the first ode Jing Zhi (敬之), meaning to reverence Tian (敬天) by title, refers virtually to reverence God. Secondly, the Christianized translation is especially obvious in the translation of the words Tian (天), Haotian (昊天), and Shangdi (上帝): these were translated as the God in Christianity. Thirdly, even the story of Paradise Lost in the Bible is implanted in the translation of the ode Zhan Yang (瞻卬). This article also clarifies that because of Premare’s translation the image of the wise king Wen (文王) was shaped and became known in Europe.
Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Calretinin and Cytokeratin-19 in Odontogenic Keratocyst and Ameloblastoma: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Pawar Vipul Mohan , Hosalkar Rashmi , Iyer Janaki
Published: January 2016

The odontogenic epithelial remnants, i.e. cell rests of Serre and Malassez, are formed from dental lamina and Hertwig's epithelial root sheath respectively, may proliferate and have role in pathogenesis of odontogenic cysts and tumors. Odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) is the most common and aggressive cyst of the dental lamina origin. Ameloblastoma, the second most common odontogenic tumor (OT), is a clinically benign and locally invasive polymorphic neoplasia. Differentiation of OKC from ameloblastoma sometimes poses a diagnostic dilemma, thus necessitating the need to differentiate between the two (especially unicystic ameloblastoma and OKC). Calretinin, a calcium binding protein, functions as a calcium buffer and a regulator of apoptosis. Some studies have shown its expression in parakeratinized OKC, unicystic and solid ameloblastoma, but not in other OTs. Calretinin may thus provide a better understanding of the biological behavior and tumorogenesis of ameloblastoma. cytokeratin (CK)-19 is a type I cytokeratin, has been found to be a reliable marker of epithelial differentiation. The intense expression of CK-19 is useful for identification of odontogenic epithelial components, thus suggesting their potential for proliferation to form epithelial odontogenic cysts and tumors. The aim of this study is to evaluate calretinin and Ck-19 in OKC and ameloblastoma. For this retrospective study, 20 formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue samples of histopathologically proven OKC and ameloblastoma each, retrieved from the department of oral pathology was used. The results will be evaluated by using immunohistochemical analysis.

How to cite this article

Pawar VM, Patel S, Pathak J, Swain N, Hosalkar R, Iyer J. Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Calretinin and Cytokeratin-19 in Odontogenic Keratocyst and Ameloblastoma: A Retrospective Study. J Contemp Dent 2015;5(2):98-103.
Probiotics and Oral Health
Authors: Bhaskar Dara John , Kalra Monika , Punia Himanshu , Jinghala Vikas
Published: January 2016

Not all the bacteria in the human body are harmful. Some microbes have a beneficial health effects on the host. Such live microbes are known as probiotics. This term ‘probiotic’ is derived from the Greek word meaning ‘for life’. There are claims that probiotics strengthen the immune system to combat allergies, exposure to toxic substances, stress and other diseases. The use of probiotic plays an important aspect in dentistry too ever since the oral infections occupied the prime space among the other infections effecting the humans. Their use in premalignant and malignant oral disorders is yet to be probed. This article will focus on benefits of probiotics for systemic and oral health.

How to cite this article

Kalra M, Bhaskar DJ, Punia H, Singh V, Jinghala V. Probiotics and Oral Health. J Contemp Dent 2015;5(2): 104-106.
Survey among Middle and Secondary School Students about their Attitudes toward Esthetics and Perception of the Desired Treatment to Improve Dental Appearance: A Crosssectional Study
Authors: Sedky Nabila Ahmed
Published: January 2016

Objectives

To assess disparities in attitudes concerning importance of dental appearance in middle and secondary school students, to evaluate students’ satisfaction with their current dental esthetic and to determine preferred dental treatment to improve appearance.

Materials and Methods

Eighteen self-administered anonymous questionnaire was randomly administered to 2250 middle and secondary school students in Buraidah city, Qassim Province, with a response rate of 100%. All statistical analyses were carried out at p < 0.05 and 0.01.

Results

The majority of secondary school students registered higher responses to the four statements asking about importance of dental appearance. Dissatisfaction with oral condition and general appearance of teeth was reported by 39.47% of total number of participants. Older students registering higher levels of dissatisfaction (50.42%) with a significant difference between both groups (p < 0.01). Dissatisfaction with dental appearance was mainly related to teeth color, poor alignment/ crowding of teeth, anterior teeth protrusion, caries, fractures and non-esthetic fillings. Teeth whitening, orthodontic treatment, and esthetic fillings represented the high majority of treatments perceived more by secondary school students, while dental crowns were more demanding by middle school students. A strong correlation was found between level of education and satisfaction with oral condition, the reasons for dissatisfaction with general appearance and perception of desired treatment to improve dental appearance.

Conclusion

Older students were more concerned about the significance of dental appearance. Secondary school students were more dissatisfied with their dental appearance. Displeasure with tooth color was correlated with increased desire for tooth whitening. Dental crowns were more required by younger students.

How to cite this article

Sedky NA. Survey among Middle and Secondary School Students about their Attitudes toward Esthetics and Perception of the Desired Treatment to Improve Dental Appearance: A Cross-sectional Study. J Contemp Dent 2015;5(3):136-143.
Densitometric Evaluation of Different Pulp Capping Materials using the Prodigy DXA System
Authors: Poggio Claudio , Beltrami Riccardo , Bernardinelli Luisa , Perna Simone , Rondanelli Mariangela , Guido Davide
Published: January 2016

Background

The dependence of dental diagnosis on radiographs makes it important for all materials used in the oral cavity to be radiopaque: they can thus be identified and distinguished from dental structures. The objective of the present study was to compare the radiopacity of different pulp capping materials using an experimental densitometric evaluation (Prodigy DXA system).

Materials and Methods

Thirty specimens were prepared for each material following manufacturers’ instructions. Dentin slices were obtained from freshly extracted premolar teeth. All materials were scanned on a GE healthcare lunar Prodigy and iDXA in routine clinical manner. The assessment of normality was developed by the Shapiro-Wilk test; the Kruskal-Wallis test, and its multiple comparisons, was applied to compare the materials.

Results

Results with p < 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant. Major differences were registered between the materials and the dentinal tissue.

Conclusion

Materials containing bismuth oxide showed high densitometric values when compared with resin-based materials and with materials containing zirconium oxide and zinc oxide.

How to cite this article

Beltrami R, Bernardinelli L, Perna S, Rondanelli M, Guido D, Poggio C. Densitometric Evaluation of Different Pulp Capping Materials using the Prodigy DXA System. J Contemp Dent 2015;5(3):144-148.
Jim Crow Routine
Authors: Berrey Stephen A.
Published: January 2016

The South's system of Jim Crow racial oppression is usually understood in terms of legal segregation that mandated the separation of white and black Americans. Yet, as this book shows, it was also a high-stakes drama that played out in the routines of everyday life, where blacks and whites regularly interacted on sidewalks and buses and in businesses and homes. Every day, individuals made, unmade, and remade Jim Crow in how they played their racial roles—how they moved, talked, even gestured. The highly visible but often subtle nature of these interactions constituted the Jim Crow routine.
Guaranteed Pure
Authors: Gloege Timothy
Published: January 2016

American evangelicalism has long walked hand in hand with modern consumer capitalism. This book shows us why, through an engaging story about God and big business at the Moody Bible Institute. Founded in Chicago by shoe-salesman-turned-revivalist Dwight Lyman Moody in 1889, the institute became a center of fundamentalism under the guidance of the innovative promoter and president of Quaker Oats, Henry Crowell. This book explores the framework for understanding humanity shared by these business and evangelical leaders, whose perspectives clearly differed from those underlying modern scientific theories. At the core of their “corporate evangelical” framework was a modern individualism understood primarily in terms of economic relations.
Commanders and Command in the Roman Republic and Early Empire
Authors: Drogula Fred K.
Published: January 2016

This book studies the development of Roman provincial command using the terms and concepts of the Romans themselves as reference points. Beginning in the earliest years of the republic, the text argues, provincial command was not a uniform concept fixed in positive law but rather a dynamic set of ideas shaped by traditional practice. Therefore, as the Roman state grew, concepts of authority, control over territory, and military power underwent continual transformation. This adaptability was a tremendous resource for the Romans since it enabled them to respond to new military challenges in effective ways. But it was also a source of conflict over the roles and definitions of power. The rise of popular politics in the late republic enabled men like Pompey and Caesar to use their considerable influence to manipulate the flexible traditions of military command for their own advantage. Later, Augustus used nominal provincial commands to appease the senate even as he concentrated military and governing power under his own control by claiming supreme rule. In doing so, he laid the groundwork for the early empire’s rules of command.
System Kids
Authors: Silver Lauren J.
Published: January 2016

This book considers the daily lives of adolescent mothers as they negotiate the child welfare system to meet the needs of their children and themselves. Often categorized as dependent and delinquent, these young women routinely become wards of the state as they move across the legal and social borders of a fragmented urban bureaucracy. Combining critical policy study and ethnography, and drawing on current scholarship as well as personal experience as a welfare program manager, the book demonstrates how social welfare “silos” construct the lives of youth as disconnected, reinforcing unforgiving policies and imposing demands on women the system was intended to help.
Utopian Studies, Environmental Literature, and the Legacy of an Idea: Educating Desire in Miguel Abensour and Ursula K. Le Guin
Authors: Nadir Christine
Published: January 2016

This article examines the concept of the “education of desire,” which undergirds literary utopian studies’ response to postmodernism’s challenge to the modern utopian impulse. The analysis returns to two classic utopian texts—the work of Miguel Abensour, who coined the term “education of desire,” and Ursula K. Le Guin’s novel about ecological sustainability, “The Dispossessed”—to argue that the education of desire involves a more intimate relationship between desire and domination than literary utopian studies has allowed. This article not only transforms our understanding of a mainstay of utopian studies; it relates this discussion to utopian strains in environmental thought, tracing the tension between the desire for ecological sustainability and the social, political, and economic prescriptions this would entail.
Utopia Matters: From Brotherhoods to Bauhaus
Authors: Pohl Nicole
Published: January 2016

The golden age has not passed; it lies in the future.

—Paul Signac
There Is Time for Calculation in Speed Chess, and Calculation Accuracy Increases With Expertise
Authors: Chang Yu-Hsuan A. , Lane David M.
Published: January 2016

the recognition–action theory of chess skill holds that expertise in chess is due primarily to the ability to recognize familiar patterns of pieces. despite its widespread acclaim, empirical evidence for this theory is indirect. one source of indirect evidence is that there is a high correlation between speed chess and standard chess. Assuming that there is little or no time for calculation in speed chess, this high correlation implies that calculation is not the primary factor in standard chess. two studies were conducted analyzing 100 games of speed chess. in study 1, we examined the distributions of move times, and the key finding was that players often spent considerable time on a few moves. Moreover, stronger players were more likely than weaker players to do so. study 2 examined skill differences in calculation by examining poor moves. the stronger players made proportionally fewer blunders (moves that a 2-ply search would have revealed to be errors). overall, the poor moves made by the weaker players would have required a less extensive search to be revealed as poor moves than the poor moves made by the stronger players. Apparently, the stronger players are searching deeper and more accurately. these results are difficult to reconcile with the view that speed chess does not allow players time to calculate extensively and call into question the assertion that the high correlation between speed chess and standard chess supports recognition–action theory.
Does Number of Perceptions or Cross-Modal Auditory Cueing Influence Audiovisual Processing Speed?
Authors: Altieri Nicholas , Wenger Michael J. , Wallace Mark T. , Stevenson Ryan A.
Published: January 2016

What factors contribute to redundant target processing speed besides statistical facilitation? one possibility is that multiple percepts may drive these effects. Another, although not mutually exclusive hypothesis, is that cross- channel cueing from one modality to another may influence response times. We implemented an auditory–visual detection task using the sound- induced flash illusion to examine whether one or both of these possibilities contributes to changes in processing speed; we did so by examining the data of individual participants. our results indicated shorter response times in several participants when multiple flashes were perceived in the standard sound- induced flash illusion, thereby replicating previous work in the literature. Additionally, we found evidence for faster responses in several participants when carrying out the same analysis in trials in which 1 beep was presented with 2 real flashes. overall, our analysis indicates that some observers benefit from cross- modal facilitation, whereas others may benefit from a combination of cross- modal facilitation and increased perceptual judgments.
Effects of Infographics on Students Achievement and Attitude towards Geography Lessons
Authors: Çifçi Taner
Published: January 2016

Geography is a very comprehensive field of study with many subjects to study topics. Using a wide range of materials in the teaching of this course can this lesson be made effective and permanent because we do not have chances to observe natural phenomena. Therefore, in geography education materials natural environment is to be brought to class by using materials. One of these materials is infographics. Within the scope of this study, the effects of use of infographics on students’ achievement and attitude in geography course. The study is important as it can contribute to design of new instructional materials to be used in classes. The study was designed as quasi-experimental study, which is one of the quantitative study methods. In the study, “Solomon Four Group Design” has been used. As a result, it can be said that using infographics in geography lessons increase academic achievement and attitude levels of the students. It can also contribute to visual and verbal learning levels. Besides, these results can also provide guidance to teachers as they provide alternative and different instructional materials in geography lessons. Infographics can be effectively and widely used in geography lessons in different grade levels and learning areas when visual and information are to be given together. It is also suggested to use infographics in cases where achievement and attitudes of students in geography lesson is low.
Socioeconomic Status and Its Effect on Teacher/Parental Communication in Schools
Authors: Ankrum Raymond J
Published: January 2016

The power of communication and community engagement utilized by teachers to actively involve parents and guardians in the educational process of their children is essential to the growth of the students. An important component to student motivation is a teacher’s ability to leverage parental/guardian relationships. A teacher’s ability to form partnerships with parents to help motivate student achievement is an unmeasurable intangible. Teacher interactions with parents/guardians can make or break the student’s relationships with the teachers. Teachers should think of parents as thought-partners in providing rigorous, meaningful education to students. Parents should think of teachers as extended family to students. The partnership between parent and teacher should bridge the gap in the child’s education. Extraneous factors such as the Socio-economic status of families should never play a role in how teachers communicate with parents.
Mobile Learning as a Method of Ubiquitous Learning: Students’ Attitudes, Readiness, and Possible Barriers to Implementation in Higher Education
Authors: Alhassan Riyadh
Published: January 2016

The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes and level of readiness, and possible barriers to implementing Mobile Learning as a part of ubiquitous learning. In addition, the study attempted to find out to what extent students are interested in mobile learning. It also aimed to answer the question regarding the readiness of college students to use mobile learning technologies. Furthermore, the level of students experience in electronic learning was examined. The study was conducted to gather valuable data about are the possible advantages and disadvantages of mobile learning, and the barriers do students expect facing when implementing the mobile learning technologies. To answer the research questions, a questionnaire was administered to 1000 college students, with some of them being interviewed for in-depth information. The findings of the study showed that students had highly positive attitudes toward mobile learning, and they had the necessary technical knowledge to implement mobile learning. However, students were found to have very little experience in electronic and mobile learning. Students have mentioned some advantages of mobile learning among which was the possibility of learning outside the classroom and at any time. Some disadvantages were mentioned such as the fact that students might become annoyed with receiving too many text messages per day. Finally, students listed some barriers they expect to face the implementation of mobile learning. The study concluded with suggestions for future research and recommendations to university officials to better implement mobile learning.
The Politics of Memory in a Divided Society: A Comparison of Post-Franco Spain and Post-Soviet Ukraine
Authors: Shevel Oxana
Published: January 2016

Through a comparison of post-Franco Spain and post-Soviet Ukraine, Oxana Shevel examines state responses to the challenge of dealing with divided historical memory. Both countries embarked on the transition from authoritarian rule divided by the memory of the recent past, but each dealt with this similar challenge very differently. This article discusses Spain's “democratization of memory” policy centered on the state's refusal to define a common historical memory for the society as a whole and on the official recognition of the multiplicity of “personal and family” memories and examines why no comparable policy has emerged in Ukraine so far. Shevel considers the potential applicability of the Spanish solution to Ukraine in light of both social realities and theories of nation building, in particular the debate over whether national unity necessitates a cultural nation and shared collective memory, or whether unity in a democracy can be built on other foundations.
The Tale of Joseph and Zulaykha on the Volga Frontier: The Struggle for Gender, Religious, and National Identity in Imperial and Postrevolutionary Russia
Authors: Kefeli Agnès
Published: January 2016

The ancient tale of Joseph, son of Jacob, and Zulaykha was a "best seller" on the Silk Road from Russia to China. Before the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, the Tatars, a Turkic-speaking people living in the middle Volga, used this tale to propagate Islam among the animistic and Eastern Orthodox Finno-Ugric and Turkic peoples. Tatars drew upon this famous tale to address the internal communal fractures caused by Russian colonization, which opened the doors to Eastern Christianity, a far stronger competitor than the local indigenous religions. While scholars have shown interest in the tale's literary value and linguistic history, there has been no effort to investigate its readership. Yet the story of Joseph and Zulaykha as presented in popular poems and religious books empowered both men and women on the Volga frontier to refashion their religious and national identities. Today proponents of national revival call for the reappropriation of such tales to restore boundaries between Tatars and Russians.
Desiring the Other: The Ambivalent Polish Self in Novel and Film
Authors: Ostrowska Elżbieta
Published: January 2016

In this article, Elżbieta Ostrowska employs categories of postcolonialism to examine two novels by Henryk Sienkiewicz,With Fire and SwordandFire in the Steppe, and their filmic adaptations by Jerzy Hoffman. Her aim is to reconstruct their ideological discourse regarding Polish national identity and its positioning within Europe. Located between east and west, Poland was both a colonizing power (of Ukraine, Lithuania, and Belorussia) and a colonized country (by Russia, Prussia, and Austria-Hungary). These two novels, written during the time of partitions, offer a nostalgic vision of the country’s past power and its colonizing aspirations. Ostrowska argues that various textual efforts aimed at solidifying the notion of national identity and its positioning within a geopolitical order of Europe are disrupted by structures of female desire implicitly present in both the novels and films. These structures puncture the solid fabric of the national historical epic and undermine the hegemonic notion of Polish masculinity.
Poetics of Brotherhood: Organic and Mechanistic Narrative in Late Tolstoi
Authors: Kliger Ilya , Zakariya Nasser
Published: January 2016

In this article, Ilya Kliger and Nasser Zakariya treat Lev Tolstoi's conception of brotherhood from a narratological perspective. In the process, they trace the outlines of late Tolstoian narrative poetics, situating it within a variegated landscape of Tolstoi's own more properly “realist” literary practice, and offering broader suggestions on the workings of narrative in its capacity to model social relations and ethical action. A narratological focus here allows them to elucidate how stories take part in contemporary understandings of social influence, human connectedness, and alienation— not only on the level of themes but also, and more deeply, on the level of the narrative organization of events. Their main focus is on one of Tolstoi's late novellas “The Forged Coupon” and his last novel Resurrection.
The RussianAufklärer: Tolstoi in Search of Truth, Freedom, and Immortality
Authors: Steiner Lina
Published: January 2016

Lev Tolstoi, in his dunking about life, death, freedom, and immortality, drew significandy on the German philosophical tradition from Leibniz and Moses Mendelssohn to Immanuel Kant, Johann Gottfried Herder, and Friedrich Schleiermacher, as Lina Steiner argues in this article. Herder, who tried to salvage rationalism by getting away from the mechanistic metaphysics of the French Enlightenment and reintroducing the teleological explanation of nature, was a particularly important influence on Tolstoi. Herder's view of life, including both individual life and the life of community, as organic Bildung underlay the artistic conception ofWar and Peace, Tolstoi's first major fictional narrative. Tolstoi continued to develop this organicist paradigm in his later sociopolitical, religious, and aesthietic writings.
Topography of Post-Soviet Nationalism: The Provinces—the Capital—the West
Authors: Parts Lyudmila
Published: January 2016

The cultural myth of the provinces provides the contemporary cultural elite with a semiotic apparatus for formulating Russia's new, postimperial identity. Today, cultural production locates true Russianness outside newly prosperous, multiethnic, and westernized Moscow. In mass culture, the traditional privileging of the center over the backward provinces gives way to the view of the provinces as a repository of national tradition and moral strength. Conversely, high literature and art-house films provide an alternative, harshly critical image of them. In both cases, a particular concept of Russianness is negotiated, one in which the provinces play a central role. Ultimately, both redirect nationalist discourse away from the deeply unsatisfying model of Russia versus the west and instead offer a hermetic national identity based on an “us versus us,” rather than “us versus them,” model.
Investigations into the Unpoliced Novel:Moll FlandersandThe Comely Cook
Authors: Lieber Emma
Published: January 2016

Taking its cue from Lev Tolstoi's claim, in “A Few Words Apropos of the BookWar and Peace,” that the Russian novel is a “deviation from European form,” this article investigates deviance as a formal and thematic aspect of the Russian novel. Concentrating on Mikhail Chulkov'sThe Comely Cookas an early exemplar of the Russian novel form, and locating its deviance against the backdrop of Daniel Defoe'sMoll Flanders(the English novel with which it is most frequently paired), I examine both formal matters and the texts' thematic and imaginative clusters. These questions of commercialism, capital, and the role of money; of gender difference, the regulation of sexuality and pleasure, and bodily life generally; of Oedipal family arrangements and communal organization; and of repetition and the production of the new are especially at stake in investigating issues of normativity and abnormality, or regularity and deformity, as they are given shape in the works. In particular, this article concentrates on the police as a multivalent literary, and particularly novelistic, construct to present the Russian novel as a distinctively unpoliced and unregulated genre whose lawlessness is brought into relief by the culture of discipline and legality that pervades Defoe's work.
Behind the Veil: A Study of Chechen Black Widows' Web
Authors: Toto Caitlin
Published: January 2016

Why is the proportion of female terrorist attacks in Chechnya high compared to the rest of the world? Chechnya has undergone years of trauma, and a number of Chechen females, labeled “black widows,” have attempted to enact social justice through terrorism. however, why is it that fewer females are engaged in terrorist attacks in other war-stricken parts of the world? To explain why Chechnya is an outlier in this respect, this article will analyze Chechen terrorism on the individual, organizational, and strategic levels and then compare these findings to the terrorist dynamics of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. This comparison will allow the reader to gain a better understanding of the types of environments that are more likely to foster female participation in terrorist attacks.
Neither Red Nor Blue: The Influence of Independent Voters in Massachusetts
Authors: McCaffrey Olivia
Published: January 2016

In a time when candidates feel pressure to tout their independent attitude and bipartisan spirit in order to win elections, the growing presence of the independent political mindset among voters cannot be ignored. Massachusetts is a perfect microcosm through which to explore the influence of independent voters. The perception of Massachusetts as a predominantly blue state in which Democratic candidates dominate is misleading. While this is true of the legislature, the electorate of the Bay State is over one-half independent, giving Massachusetts the largest proportion of independent voters in the United States. This piece explores how a predominantly independent constituency elects a predominantly single-party legislature. Using registration and election data as well as first-hand accounts from Massachusetts legislators, this article seeks to uncover how the indpendent voter fits into America's dominant two-party system. In this process, it confronts questions on the merit of the two-party system as well as the identity of the American voter.
White Space: Reflections on the Poetry of Stephane Mallarme
Authors: Grant Kaelin
Published: January 2016

How can one approach the oeuvre of Stephane Mallarme, the French symbolist poet notorious for his indecipherable writings? Mallarme was idolized by his generation of artists, though even his contemporaries often found themselves unable to disentangle his intractably coy but brilliant poems. As one critic noted, the poet's work seems "suspended in permanent uncertainty," and the sheer density of wordplay is enough to dishearten any reader, but with the help of several modern critics and the guidance of Mallarme's own character, the lustful Faune who figures in one of Mallarme's most recognizable pieces, the reader may discover an avenue into the mind of one of the most mysterious and exquisitely radiant poets who ever dared to communicate his vision of beauty.
Incorporados: The Art of Ana Mendieta
Authors: McCutcheon Erin L.
Published: January 2016

The art of Ana Mendieta, though still largely unrecognized, has an important place in art history. Not only is it significant to the development of new ways of creating art, but the ideas presented call into question commonly accepted attitudes of American society in radical ways. In her rejection of the gallery space and transformation of performance art into sculpture works, into art as a disappearing act, Mendieta explores the shaky boundaries of what art actually is and could be. In these explorations, she dissects the idea of identity and gives it a new definition on her own terms. This essay explores Mendieta's mostly ignored early works in conjunction with her more well known later pieces in order to give a more full examination of both the ideas present and the importance the work has beyond her own personal life and to the whole of society.
Early Koranic Manuscripts: The Blue Koran Debate
Authors: Neumeier Emily
Published: January 2016

The art of calligraphy and illumination of manuscripts holds a revered place in Islamic art because Musilms believe that God revelaed to them the World through the Prophet Muhammad in the form of the Koran. The beauty of the Blue Koran, one of the most exquisite early manuscripts of the Koran, speaks for itself with its richly dyed parchment with gold and silver inking. But this object of beauty is an object of mystery as well. A century-long debate among scholars centers around the Blue Koran and its provenance. Here their opinions will be weighed and new evidence and theories will be brought to light. This project was begun in anticipatio of the exhibit at the McMullen Museum in the fall of 2006 of the David Collection, an impressive and varied collection of Islamic art.
De Malorum Natura: Lucretius and the Nature of Evil
Authors: Campbell Nathaniel
Published: January 2016

This paper seeks to explore the nature of evil in respect to the ethics of Epicurean philosophy presented in Lucretius' De Rerum Natura. Drawing on atomic physics and its complete corporeal physicality, Epicurean philosophy produces an ethical system in which the highest good is defined in terms of maximum pleasure both in the body and in the mind. Evil, therefore, must be anyting that detracts from that state of pleasure. It may be further categorized as either natural or human evil. However, it is the evils induced by the misunderstood nature of both the gods and death that are the most harmful to a peaceful state of mind. It is Lucretius' goal to root out these evils and, in doing so, establish the peace of the gods in the mind of the human.
Mark Rothko: A Cross-Modal Approach
Authors: Sarno Ann
Published: January 2016

Synesthesia is not only highly instrumental but primary in our figurative thought and expression. The overlapping of sensory modalities can be used to elucidate complex layers of perception through a universal type of metaphor. In regards to abstract expressionism, a visual strategy that is vague and vat, referring to alternative modes of perception to comprehend painting proves extremely useful when exercised with discretion. The research I have conducted includes psychological experiments, studies on color, gravity, physics, acoustics, architecture and art criticism. By analyzing gravity, volume, pitch weight and saturation in music, I have identified them in abstract expressionist Mark Rothko's art. Although these components are mutable in Rothko's career, they are consistently present.
Antioxidants and Gene Regulation: The Effects of Vitamins C and E on Estrogen Receptors
Authors: Ho Nam Jeong
Published: January 2016

Research shows that estrogen binding to its receptor plays a role in breast cancer development and that antioxidants possibly mitigate this effect. Past research examined whether various treatments lead to accelerated cell division, but characterization and comparison of the effects of different treatments on gene level expression of the receptor was not accomplished. Initially, the effect of antioxidants on the estrogen receptor expression was investigated, revealing the presence of Vitamins C and E on nitric oxide release (a possible cancer reduction agent) stimulated by estrogen acting on the surface estrogen receptor of breast cancer cells was observed. Generally, Vitamin E was most effective for improving nitric oxide release.
Trans-Generational Trauma: The Zone of Indistinction After Auschwitz
Authors: Kraus Rebecca
Published: January 2016

Giorgio Agamben talks about the concentration camp as a zone of indistinction where the exception was the rule, the illicit licit, and the extreme normalized. This paper seeks to extend Agamben's theory to understand the trauma of the concentration camp. If the real horror of the camp was indeed this zone of indistinction, then can we understand the trauma as the continued experience of the traces of this zone of indistinction? While the survivors were in the camps, it was a barbaric world built on normality; in their later lives, it was a normal world laced with traces of barbarism. Abraham and Torok's theory of the phantom is applied to discuss how this trauma of indistinction is transferred to the children of Holocaust survivors. Finally, Art Spiegelman's Maus and Melvin Jules Bukiet's After are examined through the lense of these combined theories to discuss the form of second generation Holocaust literature in relation to the trans-generational trauma experienced by its authors.
Midfielders, MCs, and Mediascapes: Soccer and Hip-Hop's Global Hope for the Third World
Authors: Brady Alex
Published: January 2016

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected due to the cultural and economic trends that we have collectively labeled "globalization," various localized communities and their respective cultural phenomena have collided with unprecedented vigor. This paper explores two such phenomena-the international communities of soccer and of hip-hop-and documents thae role that these forms play in the globalized world. Both in their marketing and through the various ways in which different groups have interpreted them. If they are to be understood as a means by which the Third World can transcend longstanding social boundaries, can we truly say that globalized media is accurately representing these ideals? Drawing extensively on a wide variety of scholarship concerning both of these cultural forms, this essay attempts to consider this question.
Microbicides: A New Frontier in HIV/AIDS Prevention
Authors: Kenny Daniel
Published: January 2016

Sexually transmitted diseases have long been a taboo subject among many cultures and creeds. Although the stigma surroudning these unfortunate illnesses arises from their sexual nature, sheer ignorance must be blamed for the way people perceive them. The idea of acquring the HIV virus and possibly developing AIDS has struck fear in the lives of the sexually activte, especially those individuals who cannot protect themselves-the poor, powerless women of our world. Though many structural barriers act to oppress these human beings, the lack of a vacicine for HIV/AIDS proves to be their greatest hardship. The current development of microbicides, however, gives them hope. Utilizing the latest research from experts in the area of HIV/AIDS, this essay attempts to inform our greater community of the ability of microbicides to combat both a physical and social disease that has plagued society for too long.
Overcoming Ignorance: The Case for a Moral Imperative to Combat Global Poverty
Authors: Wendel Paul
Published: January 2016

The response of affluent individuals and countries to the extremes of global poverty in today's world is in dire need of reconsideration. While political philosophies such as John Rawls and Thomas Nagel argue that obligations of justice should not extend beyond national boundaries, other such as Thomas Pogge and Peter Singer emphasize that increased global interdependence has made national boundaries irrelevant for matters of morality and justice. Instead, affluent individuals must undertake a new moral mindset when considering the issue of global poverty, and a new, moderate, moral cosmopolitan theory for justice should be established in order to change the state of poverty in our world radically.
Gunpowder Empire: The Mighty Ottoman Military Outpaced
Authors: McGovern Conor
Published: January 2016

The Ottoman Empire's adoption of gunpowder as a war-winning weapon predated other European states and signaled the beginning of the military revolution which characterized the early modern era that began in 1453 with the fall of Constantinople and ended around 1800. However, the Turkish advantage in arms was short-lived, and by the end of the era, the empire's military was outdated and at the mercy of its European neighbors. Focusing on the three major areas that chracterized the military revolution-artillery, fortification, and firepower-this paper examins how the Ottoman Empire's military stagnated as a result of its refusal to innovate.
The Disaster After the Disaster: The Evolution and De-Evolution of FEMA
Authors: Gardner Patrick
Published: January 2016

Since the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) inception during the Carter Administration in 1979, it has undergone a tumultuous history marked by a series of praised successess and grave failures. In its early stages, it was highly criticized for sluggish responses to crises as well as pervasive mismanagement. James Lee Witt revolutionized the agency, creating one of the most respected and efficient organizations in government. Although many people thought the progress he made would be long-lasting, the agency fell back into public criticism with a series of poor operations after Witt's departure, beginning with the 9/11 attack and peaking with its mismanagement of the Hurricane Katrina response. This paper examines how Witt transformed FEMA into a functional organization, as well as why it fell apart during the Bush Administration. It focuses on the key differences between how James Lee Witt and his successors handled the stages of emergency management strategy
Judging Harshly: The Bush Doctrine in Practice
Authors: Scullin Christopher
Published: January 2016

The Bush Doctrine, formally known as the United States National Security Strategy 2002, reorients United States foreign and domestic security policy to reocgnize the increasing threat of terroristic warfare. The doctrine mandates taking any action deemed necessary for American security, maintaining the option for preventative, unilateral war. This paper will explore the doctrine's impact on US foreign policy as well as its shortcomings as a component of international law. It concludes that a shift in foreign policy is necessary to improve the doctrine's effectiveness.
Barrios, Gangs, and Enclaves: A Socioeconomic Reading of Luis Rodriguez's Always Running
Authors: Brunner Christopher
Published: January 2016

This paper will engage in a socioeconomic analysis of Luis Rodriguez's Always Running. The paper will identify the Lomas barrio as an immigrant enclave isolated from the Greater Los Angeles community. While an immigrant enclave typically serves as a transitional community for ethnic immigrants, the geographic, political, and social isolation of the economically-deprived barrio lead to exclusion of the resident Chicano population from the surrounding communities. As a result, Rodriguez and the other youth are thrown into the nihilistic gang lifestyle of La Vida Loca, a rebellious and militant response to the marginalization of the neighborhood. The paper concludes that while gang lifestyle is not the best option for the youth of the barrio, it is the only chance to earn the respect, identity, and sense of belonging that the barrio cannot provide.