bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Flexible Yet Globally Regular Multigood Demand System
Authors: Mehta Nitin
Published: April 2015

A vexing challenge when using the utility-maximization framework to estimate consumers’ decisions on which set of goods to purchase and how much quantity to buy is obtaining a functional form of the utility that satisfies three criteria: tractability, flexibility, and global regularity. Flexibility refers to the ability of a utility function to impose minimal prior restrictions on demand elasticities. Global regularity refers to the ability of a utility function to satisfy regularity properties required by economic theory in the entire feasible space of variables. The tractable utility functions used so far are either inflexible, which could yield inaccurate estimates of underlying elasticities, or do not satisfy global regularity, which can result in invalid expressions of likelihood and invalid policy simulations. I tackle this problem by deriving necessary and sufficient conditions for global regularity of Basic Translog utility. Using simulated and scanner data, I show that the proposed demand system yields better model fit, more accurately captures underlying elasticities, and yields substantially different results in counterfactuals compared to alternatives used in prior literature. Specifically, unlike the alternatives used so far, the proposed demand system allows for complementarities between goods, and more accurately captures the extent of their inferiority, the extent of their substitutability, and asymmetries in cross price effects.
Flower and ornamental plants wholesale markets in Brazil
Authors: Silva Lucas Carvalho e , Paiva Patrícia Duarte de Oliveira , Santos Antônio Carlos
Published: April 2015

In Brazil, formal wholesale trade of floriculture products is concentrated in the state of São Paulo, which represents 90% of the national market. Through the most diverse sales systems, wholesale trade of flowers and ornamental plants is in expansion and is carried out both in supply centers and sales centers. The aim of this study is to present the characteristics, dynamics, and history of trade in the main flower and ornamental plant wholesale markets in Brazil. To analyze these markets, we collected primary data provided by the wholesale markets themselves and secondary data obtained from bibliographic research. The wholesale flower and ornamental plant market in Brazil is concentrated in the state of São Paulo, although there are supply centers in other states. This market is mainly formed by Veiling Holambra, CEASA/Campinas, CEAGESP-ETSP, and Cooperflora/Floranet, with transactions of more than R$ 732 million/year, and 48.77% of this amount is through Veiling Holambra.
Effects of plant conduction systems and organic fertilizer management on disease incidence and severity in ‘Osiana’ and ‘Carola’ roses
Authors: Ribeiro Márcia De Nazaré Oliveira , Almeida Elka Fabiana Aparecida , Lessa Marília Andrade , Ribeiro Júnior Pedro Martins , Barbosa Sérgio Soares , Figueiredo Júnia Rafael Mendonça , Reis Simone Novaes
Published: April 2015

Conventional pruning is a very common practice for pruning rose cultivars in Brazil. However, few Brazilian producers known any other efficient plant training method for roses, namely “lateral stem bending” or “arching technique”, which involves bending the branches of the rosebush in order to increase the photosynthetic rate of the plant. As well as plant training, the use of fertilizers must also be done carefully in order to obtain high quality roses. Biofertilizers are recommended because of their multiple effects: fertilizer, protein synthesis stimulant, insect repellent, and disease controller. The aim of this study was to assess the plant training system and management of organic fertilizer on the incidence and severity of disease in the ‘Osiana’ and ‘Carola’ roses. The ‘Osiana’ rosebushes received three concentrations (0%, 5%, and 15%) of foliar biofertilizer applied monthly to the leaves together with two plant conduction methods (conventional pruning and lateral stem bending). ‘Carola’ roses were treated with three types of fertilizer (chemical fertilizer on the soil + bokashi on the soil, chemical fertilizer on the soil + foliar FishfertilÒand chemical fertilization on the soil without applying organic fertilizers) every two weeks, together with 2 plant conduction systems (conventional pruning and lateral stem bending). The additional treatments in ‘Carola’ roses were composed of two organic fertilizers (Bokashi and foliar Fishfertil®) and chemical fertilization with lateral pruning. The incidence and severity of disease in these plants during the experiment were assessed over 5 months. For the ‘Osiana’ rose, the incidence and severity of disease were not influenced by fertilizer management or plant training methods. For the ‘Carola’ roses, the different types of fertilizer caused different responses according to the plant training system used, with the biofertilizer Fishfertil® reducing the incidence of powdery mildew when applied to plants with laterally bent stems.
Durabilidade pós-produção de vasos de três espécies de Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae) em diferentes substratos
Authors: Rodrigues Antonio Anderson de Jesus , Torres Rebeca De Araújo , Vieira Adriely Fernandes , Lima Luciana Ferreira de , Takane Roberto Jun , Pivetta Kathia Fernandes Lopes
Published: April 2015

Potted plants have wide appeal among ornamental plants and one of the most produced for the market belong to the genus Kalanchoe. One aspect to be observed in potted plants is their durability post-production when maintained in indoors conditions as offices and homes. This study aimed to evaluate the durability of the pot post-production life of three species of Kalanchoe (K. marmorata, K. thyrsiflora and K. tubiflora) on different substrates. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with 40 replicates per treatment in factorial 3 x 2 (three species of Kalanchoe x two substrates - washed sand and coconut fiber). After 30 days, it was evaluated the general aspects as changes in color, leaf abscission and shading of the stem apex. It was found significant differences between species and also between the substrates tested, but only in relation to the general aspects. The species Kalanchoe marmorata and K. tubiflora stood out by receiving top grades in most of the evaluated characteristics. The best substrate that provided plants the maintenance of the most of their ornamental characteristics over the 30 days was the coconut fiber.
Design of a hierarchical fuzzy model predictive controller
Authors: Fallah Zeinab , Ahmadieh Khanesar Mojtaba , Teshnehlab Mohammad
Published: April 2015

In order to control a nonlinear system using Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC), a nonlinear model from system is required. In this paper, a hierarchical neuro-fuzzy model is used for nonlinear identification of the plant. The use of hierarchical neuro-fuzzy systems makes it possible to overcome the curse of dimensionality. In neuro-fuzzy systems, if the input number increases, then the number of rules increases exponentially. One solution to this problem is making use of Hierarchical Fuzzy System Mamdani (HFS) in which the number of the rules increases linearly. Gradient descent and recursive least square algorithm are used simultaneously to train the parameters of the HFS. Gradient Descent Algorithm is utilized to train the parameters, which appear nonlinearly in the output of HFS, and RLS is used to train the parameters of consequent the part, which appears linearly in the output of HFS. Finally, a model predictive fuzzy controller based on a predictive cost function is proposed. Using Gradient Descent Algorithm, the parameters of the controller are optimized. The proposed controller is simulated on the control of continuous stirred tank reactor. It is shown that the proposed method can control the system with high performance.
Crème de la Crème: The Teach For All Experience and Its Lessons for Policy-Making in Latin America
Authors: Cumsille R. Belen , Fiszbein Ariel
Published: April 2015

This paper analyzes the experience of Teach For All partners in different countries around the globe in three areas: (a) Recruitment and Selection; (b) Training and Development; and (c) Placement. Using information from semi-structured interviews with Teach For All staff members and national partners, we analyze the key elements of the Teach For All approach in these areas. Based on that analysis we argue that Teach For All’s active recruitment and rigorous selection of candidates, emphasis of quality over length in training, the continued support offered to teachers and the heavy emphasis on data and evaluation constitute practices that, if pursued at the systems level, could enhance the quality of teaching and, consequently, learning outcomes in Latin America.
Developing Language Literacy in the Educational Scene
Authors: Pazonyi Judit , Bodonyi Edit
Published: April 2015

The empirical research the paper is based on was carried out in forms of workshops organized for groups of international teacher trainees between 2009 and 2012. The aim of these workshops was to master a “learning by doing” experiential model by which language literacy can be effectively developed or improved. The topic is discussed in its complexity, highlighting some important issues of teacher training internationally, and also the still controversial situation of alternative education that tailors its curriculum to the pupils and students’ needs and facilitates such methods as the one the paper details on.
The Content and Language Integrated Learning Approach in Use
Authors: Šulistová Jindřiška
Published: April 2015

The article briefly introduces the CLIL method and its use. The paper explains the terms hard CLIL and soft CLIL. Next, it deals with CLIL specifics, possible advantages and disadvantages. The competence and educational requirements on teachers are mentioned, too. This contribution also contains a sample lesson of recruitment.
Before defining performance criteria we must agree on what a “qualitative test procedure” is
Authors: Nordin Gunnar
Published: April 2015

The term “qualitative test” is ambiguous and should not be used for nominal (classification) or ordinal (grading) tests. Characteristics for nominal and ordinal scale test results, such as traceability and uncertainty, remains to be established before general performance criteria can be agreed upon. For ordinal binary test with a quantitative back ground scale an assay could be characterized with the three quantities “C
Kant im Kino
Authors: Chung Jihae
Published: April 2015

Using a detailed analysis of scenes from Into the Wild (2007), this study aims to demonstrate how the theory of the sublime, particularly Kant’s theory, can be applied to film. To this purpose, the sublime will be referred to in the film heuristically as the Cinematic Sublime. My basic assumptions here are as follows: First, Kant’s theory of the sublime can be seen as a philosophical and aesthetic emotion-oriented teaching. Second, the emotional-sensory experience of the sublime is always manifested in the interconnection of both the film’s technical apparatus as well as its physical and mental perception. So the different modes of experiencing of the Cinematic Sublime can be described as filmic emotions. As a consequence, the phenomenon of the Cinematic Sublime is a textually constructed sensation, which can be analyzed with the help of textual analysis. Third, the Cinematical Sublime can be experienced through intersubjective activities of the audience during film reception, requiring a high degree of imagination, empathy and constitutive perception. Thus, I am undertaking a film-philosophical investigation that can be described as an analysis of film emotions based upon the textuality of film
The Use of Imagery by Portuguese Soccer Goalkeepers
Authors: Ribeiro Joana , Madeira João , Dias Cláudia , Stewart Lindsay Ross , Corte-Real Nuno , Fonseca António
Published: April 2015

The purpose of this investigation was to study the extent to which Portuguese soccer goalkeepers used imagery, and to examine if and how athletes of different ages differed in their use of imagery. Seventy soccer goalkeepers playing in the two major Portuguese soccer leagues completed the translated versions of the Sports Inventory of Mental Strategies, the Imagery Use Questionnaire for Soccer Players, the Sport Imagery Training and the Sport Imagery Questionnaire. The results showed that imagery was most used in competition than in training, preferably in its visual dimension and from an internal perspective. The results also demonstrated that athletes used imagery both for motivational and cognitive purposes, but the motivational function, namely its general-mastery component, was slightly more used and with more vivid images. After competition and when injured, under-21 athletes used imagery significantly less than their older counterparts.
Gonadal malignancy risk and prophylactic gonadectomy in disorders of sexual development
Authors: Abacı Ayhan , Çatlı Gönül , Berberoğlu Merih
Published: April 2015

Disorders of sex development (DSD) are a generic definition including any problem noted at birth where the genitalia are atypical in relation to the chromosomes or gonads. The most important clinical problems in DSD comprise physical and psychological disturbances and the risk of gonadal tumor development. Germ cell tumor risk is lowest (<5%) in patients with defects in androgene action or synthesis (such as complete androgen insensitivity syndrome, 5α-reductase deficiency), whereas the highest risk (15%–60%) is observed in 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis. The presence of Y chromosomal material in the karyotype increases the risk for the development of gonadal tumors. The reported age of tumor development varies based on the etiology of DSD (gonadal dysgenesis, androgen insensitivity syndrome, androgen synthesis defects, mixed gonadal dysgenesis, etc.). In the past, early gonadectomy was recommended for all cases of 46,XY DSD, however, according to current approaches, gonadal tumor risk is predicted based on the molecular diagnosis and the timing of the gonadectomy depends on the result of molecular analysis. Until now, optimal protocol in the management of DSD is still controversial. In addition to that, safe and well-accepted guidelines are needed. There is limited number of prospective studies on timing of a gonadectomy in childhood and adolescence. Therefore, evidence-based data on timing and indications of gonadectomy in patients with DSD are needed. In this review, recent data regarding gonadal malignancy risk in DSD and recommendations on timing of gonadectomy are presented.
Spectrum of clinical presentations and endocrinological findings of patients with septo-optic dysplasia: a retrospective study
Authors: Cemeroglu Ayse Pinar , Coulas Tarin , Kleis Lora
Published: April 2015

: Septo-optic dysplasia (SOD) is a rare condition with variable clinical pictures and spectrum of findings.

: To analyze the spectrum of findings, frequency and age of onset of hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunctions in children with SOD.

A retrospective electronic medical record (EMR) chart review was done for patients with SOD seen in a tertiary care center’s pediatric endocrinology clinic between January 1, 2012, and March 31, 2014. The diagnostic criteria for SOD included presence of ≥2 of the following: (i) optic nerve hypoplasia, (ii) agenesis/hypoplasia of septum pellucidum and/or corpus callosum and (iii) hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction.

Eighty patients fitting the diagnostic criteria of SOD were included in this study. The majority of patients (96%) had optic nerve hypoplasia on magnetic resonance imaging and were diagnosed due to visual issues including nystagmus (36%) or strabismus (13.8%). Hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction was most common (51%) when optic nerve hypoplasia was present with (36%) or without (15%) dysgenesis of septum pellucidum and/or corpus callosum compared to dysgenesis of septum pellucidum and/or corpus callosum alone (4%). Hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction was noted in 55% of patients, and most (86%) were diagnosed ≤2 years of age. Central hypothyroidism and growth hormone deficiency were most common followed by secondary/tertiary adrenal insufficiency and diabetes insipidus.

: The risk of hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction in SOD is highest ≤2 years of age and when both optic nerve hypoplasia and dysgenesis of septum pellucidum/corpus callosum are present, suggesting a need for more frequent follow-up and screening tests for hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction in these patients.
Oral glucose tolerance test within the scope of prenatal care: Evaluation 2010–2012
Authors: Krendl Erich , Mustafa Maria Elisabeth
Published: April 2015

Background: General screening for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is recommended in Austria since 2010. As a result of the guidelines, pregnant women are tested between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation with the 75 g/2 h-oral glucose tolerance test (75 g/2 h-OGTT). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of GDM in our laboratory retrospectively. Furthermore, we wanted to study the pattern of abnormal 1 h- and 2 h-glucose values from 75 g/2 h-OGTTs compared with fasting plasma glucose values. Further testing of GDM patients after delivery is recommended. As a result of this issue we analyzed all follow-up screening.

Methods: Standardized 75 g/2 h-OGTTs were assessed in 3963 pregnant women. The cut-off value for fasting plasma glucose (FPG) is ε 5.1 mmol/L, for 1 h value ε 10.0 mmol/L, and for 2 h value ε 8.5 mmol/L. One or more abnormal values were considered as GDM, respectively.

Results: GDM was detected in 8.5% (n=335) of the tested pregnant women. Elevated FPG values were measured in 5.1% (n=201). These are 60% of all GDM patients. After delivery we analyzed 14 out of 335 GDM patients (4.2%) to reevaluate postpartum glucose tolerance with the standard OGTT (World Health Organization criteria).

Conclusions: GDM is a common disease, and in our study 8.5% of pregnancies were affected. When and how to screen is still a matter of discussion. One strategy to become more cost-effective is to use a two-step screening algorithm including FPG measurement and a risk estimation model. In postpartum follow-up, there is still considerable potential to reduce diabetes-associated illness and costs.
NMR spectroscopy – a modern analytical tool for serum analytics of lipoproteins and metabolites
Authors: Baumstark Daniela , Pagel Philipp , Eiglsperger Johannes , Pfahlert Volker , Huber Fritz
Published: April 2015

NMR spectroscopy is a modern analytical method which is extremely suitable for the analysis of various body fluids. In addition to small metabolite quantification, the method is capable of differentiated lipoprotein subfraction measurements. The technique can be well standardized and allows extensive automation and good sample throughput compared with lipoprotein fractionation via ultracentrifugation. Because all evaluated parameters are determined simultaneously in one measurement, this method is especially suitable for metabolomics approaches in which even subtle changes in metabolite ratios may be relevant. This review gives an overview of the current methods of NMR spectroscopy, analysis strategies, and practical applications in various studies concerning lipid analysis as well as metabolomics. Over the course of the past years, NMR spectroscopy has heavily evolved from a mere research method into a tool that can be expected to play an important role in routine diagnostic testing in the future.
Hjalmar Schacht, Enrico Mattei und Bayerns Anschluss an das Ölzeitalter
Authors: Scherpenberg Jens van
Published: April 2015

Vorspann

Enrico Mattei und Hjalmar Schacht gehören zu den schillerndsten Figuren der europäischen Wirtschaftsgeschichte des 20. Jahrhunderts. Der italienische „Erdöl- Korsar“ und der deutschnationale Finanzjongleur mit dem Ruf eines Zauberers hatten auf den ersten Blick wenig gemeinsam - hier der christdemokratische Kämpfer gegen den Faschismus, dort der ehemalige Bankier Hitlers. Doch sie einte nach 1949 die Überzeugung, Italien und die Bundesrepublik müssten eigene wirtschaftspolitische Akzente setzen, um insbesondere der Dominanz der Vereinigten Staaten etwas entgegensetzen zu können. Zu einem zentralen Feld der Auseinandersetzung entwickelte sich seit den späten 1950er Jahren die Ölpolitik, wobei Süddeutschland als Markt immer stärker in den Blick geriet. Jens van Scherpenberg zeichnet diesen Konflikt nach und fügt der Frühgeschichte des Erdölzeitalters der Bundesrepublik auf der Basis neuer Quellen ebenso neue Akzente hinzu wie der Biographie von Hjalmar Schacht.
How “your hands look” and “what they can do”
Authors: White Michele
Published: April 2015

Women use the #ManicureMonday Twitter hashtag to educate people about hand and nail care, share their nail art and expertise, and look at various hands. Beginning in 2013, the scientist Hope Jahren organized a hashtag hijacking in which scientists who were not in control of or associated with #ManicureMonday disrupted individuals' collaborative conversations about manicures, tried to educate participants, and expressed the scientists' values and interests. The scientists argued that what women's hands do is more important than how they look and that women and their manicured hands are constructed as passive objects on the Twitter feed. Jahren and these other scientists have identified Twitter as useful for their conversations about science and extended their own social capital by microblogging. They also use Twitter as a way to instruct women about objectification and other feminist issues and to intervene in women's interest in their nails, which these scientists believe is frivolous and disempowering. In this article, I address the diverse ways in which these ideas of usefulness, useful media, instruction, and social capital are articulated through #ManicureMonday by performing a close textual analysis of the manicure tweets and the hashtag hijacking. My reading is based on the relationship among feminist inquiries about viewing positions and objectification, the literature on useful media, and conceptions of social capital. I argue that we need to attend to the ways the #ManicureMonday hijacking and other instances of media education may not be useful for all participants.
Speaking Bitterness
Authors: Kay Jilly Boyce
Published: April 2015

This article explores the six-part television debate series No Man's Land, which was broadcast on ITV in Britain in 1973. It argues that the program is a historically significant example of the public orientation of the women's liberation movement and its engagement with, rather than straightforward hostility toward, the mass media. The program was produced by women who were active in the women's liberation movement; it was presented by the feminist Juliet Mitchell; and its studio audience was populated by, among others, many women who were aligned with the movement. The format of No Man's Land mixed short documentary films that were explicitly concerned with the structural oppression of women and discussion with a studio audience in response to the themes of these films. The article reflects on how television texts such as No Man's Land tend to be absent from existing popular and academic histories; it suggests that dominant understandings of the relationship between the mass media and the women's liberation movement as mutually antagonistic frequently function to close off the spaces where such texts might be considered. Through close analysis of the program and its reviews in print media, it considers the problems and possibilities of and constraints on early second-wave feminists who appropriated and operated within mass-media—and specifically televised—forms. It also points to the importance of socialist feminism as a discursive context for British television in the early 1970s.
Lesbian Feminist Cinema's Archive and Moonforce Media's National Women's Film Circuit
Authors: Samer Roxanne
Published: April 2015

This essay offers a microhistory of the feminist film distributor Moonforce Media. Between 1975 and 1980, Moonforce Media built the National Women's Film Circuit, a lesbian feminist distribution system that circulated preconstituted packages of multigeneric feminist films through as wide a nontheatrical feminist U.S. market as possible. Drawing on the organization's records and ephemera, now located in the Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College, and oral histories with its founders, this analysis of the development of Moonforce Media—its distribution policies, programming choices, and exhibition strategies—and audiences' reception of the National Women's Film Circuit provides insight into how feminist media workers strove to change society through the ongoing learning process of relating to one another and to their audiences. It also offers an opportunity to return to the emergence of cultural feminism and to rethink the economic and affective labor of lesbian feminist organizations and lesbian feminist cinema in particular. Often thought to have redirected second-wave efforts away from radical feminism's earlier revolutionary challenges of systemic sexism and toward the more retreatist and capitalist creation of a female counterculture, here cultural/lesbian feminism does not delimit political possibility, but instead supports a range of political practices in its variegated conception of lesbian media and deployment of said media across geographies and ideologies. In its exhibition, lesbian feminist cinema brought together diverse audiences with a wide range of expectations and demands for its feminist films, and, in turn, these cinematic encounters constituted an affective archive of 1970s U.S. feminisms.
Anita Maris Boggs
Authors: Serna Laura Isabel
Published: April 2015

This short essay sketches the career of Anita Uada Maris Boggs, cofounder of the Bureau of Commercial Education, a charitable organization that from the 1910s through the 1930s circulated a library of sponsored films. I argue that Boggs's absence from film historiography has been doubly determined: first by the relative invisibility of educational film, and second by ideologies of gender that obscured women's work in the film industry, broadly construed, behind that of their male collaborators.
Integrative network analysis reveals molecular mechanisms of blood pressure regulation
Authors: Huan Tianxiao , Meng Qingying , Saleh Mohamed A , Norlander Allison E , Joehanes Roby , Zhu Jun , Chen Brian H , Zhang Bin , Johnson Andrew D , Ying Saixia , Courchesne Paul , Raghavachari Nalini , Wang Richard , Liu Poching ,   The International Consortium for Blood Pressure GWAS (ICBP), O'Donnell Christopher J , Vasan Ramachandran , Munson Peter J , Madhur Meena S , Harrison David G , Yang Xia , Levy Daniel
Published: April 2015

Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous loci associated with blood pressure (BP). The molecular mechanisms underlying BP regulation, however, remain unclear. We investigated BP‐associated molecular mechanisms by integrating BP GWAS with whole blood mRNA expression profiles in 3,679 individuals, using network approaches. BP transcriptomic signatures at the single‐gene and the coexpression network module levels were identified. Four coexpression modules were identified as potentially causal based on genetic inference because expression‐related SNPs for their corresponding genes demonstrated enrichment for BP GWAS signals. Genes from the four modules were further projected onto predefined molecular interaction networks, revealing key drivers. Gene subnetworks entailing molecular interactions between key drivers and BP‐related genes were uncovered. As proof‐of‐concept, we validated SH2B3, one of the top key drivers, using Sh2b3−/− mice. We found that a significant number of genes predicted to be regulated by SH2B3 in gene networks are perturbed in Sh2b3−/− mice, which demonstrate an exaggerated pressor response to angiotensin II infusion. Our findings may help to identify novel targets for the prevention or treatment of hypertension.
β-cell dysfunction in women with previous gestational diabetes is associated with visceral adipose tissue distribution
Authors: Lekva Tove , Bollerslev Jens , Godang Kristin , Roland Marie Cecilie Paasche , Friis Camilla Margrethe , Voldner Nanna , Henriksen Tore , Ueland Thor
Published: April 2015

Context

Glucose intolerance in pregnancy predicts an increased risk of future type 2 diabetes.

Objective

The aim of the study was to evaluate glucose metabolism in women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) at 5 years follow-up and identify risk factors associated with disturbed glucose metabolism post-partum.

Design

This follow-up study included 300 consecutively enrolled women from a previous population-based cohort study. The participants underwent oral glucose tolerance test under pregnancy and in the follow-up study, in addition to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in the follow-up study.

Results

Fifty-two women (17.7%) were found to have GDM in pregnancy with an odds ratio of 4.8 developing prediabetes 5 years later. β-cell function, but not insulin resistance or sensitivity, was reduced in the follow-up study after adjusting for known risk factors. Furthermore, visceral fat content at follow-up was increased in GDM women compared to non-GDM women, and the β-cell function declined with increasing visceral fat in both groups but was more pronounced in the women with previous GDM.

Conclusions

Women with GDM are at increased risk of developing prediabetes and have a decreased β-cell function 5 years post-partum that is associated with increased visceral fat mass.
Mass spectrometry and immunoassay: how to measure steroid hormones today and tomorrow
Authors: Taylor Angela E , Keevil Brian , Huhtaniemi Ilpo T
Published: April 2015

The recent onslaught of mass spectrometry (MS) to measurements of steroid hormones, including demands that they should be the only acceptable method, has confused clinicians and scientists who have relied for more than 40 years on a variety of immunoassay (IA) methods in steroid hormone measurements. There is little doubt that MS methods with their superior specificity will be the future method of choice in many clinical and research applications of steroid hormone measurement. However, the majority of steroid measurements are currently, and will continue to be, carried out using various types of IAs for several reasons, including their technical ease, cost and availability of commercial reagents. Speedy replacement of all IAs with MS is an unrealistic and unnecessary goal, because the availability of MS measurements is limited by cost, need of expensive equipment, technical demands and lack of commercial applications. Furthermore, IAs have multiple well-known advantages that vindicate their continuing use. The purpose of this article is to elucidate the advantages and limitations of the MS and IA techniques from two angles, i.e. promotion of MS and defence of IA. The purpose of the text is to give the reader an unbiased view about the current state and future trends of steroid analysis and to help him/her choose the correct assay method to serve his/her diagnostic and research needs.
Bisphenol A effects on gene expression in adipocytes from children: association with metabolic disorders
Authors: Menale Ciro , Piccolo Maria Teresa , Cirillo Grazia , Calogero Raffaele A , Papparella Alfonso , Mita Luigi , Giudice Emanuele Miraglia Del , Diano Nadia , Crispi Stefania , Mita Damiano Gustavo
Published: April 2015

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a xenobiotic endocrine-disrupting chemical.In vitroandin vivostudies have indicated that BPA alters endocrine-metabolic pathways in adipose tissue, which increases the risk of metabolic disorders and obesity. BPA can affect adipose tissue and increase fat cell numbers or sizes by regulating the expression of the genes that are directly involved in metabolic homeostasis and obesity. Several studies performed in animal models have accounted for an obesogen role of BPA, but its effects on human adipocytes – especially in children – have been poorly investigated. The aim of this study is to understand the molecular mechanisms by which environmentally relevant doses of BPA can interfere with the canonical endocrine function that regulates metabolism in mature human adipocytes from prepubertal, non-obese children. BPA can act as an estrogen agonist or antagonist depending on the physiological context. To identify the molecular signatures associated with metabolism, transcriptional modifications of mature adipocytes from prepubertal children exposed to estrogen were evaluated by means of microarray analysis. The analysis of deregulated genes associated with metabolic disorders allowed us to identify a small group of genes that are expressed in an opposite manner from that of adipocytes treated with BPA. In particular, we found that BPA increases the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the expression ofFABP4andCD36, two genes involved in lipid metabolism. In addition, BPA decreases the expression ofPCSK1, a gene involved in insulin production. These results indicate that exposure to BPA may be an important risk factor for developing metabolic disorders that are involved in childhood metabolism dysregulation.
Risk and preventive factors for heat illness in radiation decontamination workers after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident
Authors: Kakamu Takeyasu , Hidaka Tomoo , Hayakawa Takehito , Kumagai Tomohiro , Jinnouchi Takanobu , Tsuji Masayoshi , Nakano Shinichi , Koyama Kikuo , Fukushima Tetsuhito
Published: April 2015

Risk and preventive factors for heat illness in radiation decontamination workers after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident: Takeyasu Kakamu, et al. Department of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine

Objective

The aim of this study was to reveal factors related to heat illness in radiation decontamination workers and determine effective preventive measures.

Methods

A self‐administered questionnaire was sent to 1,505 radiation decontamination workers. The questionnaire included age, sex, duration of decontamination work, previous occupation, education provided by employers regarding heat illness, preventive action against heat illness, and subjective symptoms of heat illness during work. We included 528 men, who replied and answered all questions, in the statistical analysis. Subjective symptoms of heat illness were categorized as “no symptoms”, “Grade I” and “Grade II” according to severity. A multiple linear regression model was used to determine the factors associated with the severity of heat illness.

Results

The mean age of the subjects was 47.6 years old (standard deviation: 13.4). Of the 528 workers, 316 (59.8%) experienced heat illness symptoms (213 at Grade I and 103 at Grade II). The results of the stepwise selection revealed that age, outdoor manual labor, adequate sleep, use of a cool vest, and salt intake were selected as preventive factors, whereas living in a company dormitory or temporary housing, wearing light clothing, and consuming breakfast were selected as risk factors for heat illness.

Conclusions

Both working conditions and living environment are associated with heat illness in radiation decontamination workers. Type of housing and sleep are also strongly related to heat illness during work. Employers should consider not only the working conditions of the employee but also the employee's daily living conditions, in order to prevent heat illness.
Syncretism of the Puppet theatre / Sinkretizam lutkarskoga kazališta
Authors: Đerđ Zdenka
Published: April 2015

AbstractFor Luko Paljetak a theatre puppet is a special poetic expression which connects metaphors of an object, a picture and a tone – language and movement into one whole. That is the reason why Paljetak’s poems are at the same time visual events, polyphony and metaphor. They are not poetically sufficient results, but beginnings of a new set of meanings created in motion – movement, i.e. puppet animation. Paljetak’s poetry and essays on works of art have the same characteristics and he creates and uses the same procedures as when he is the director and/or writer of sketches/plays in the puppet theatre. They are: perceiving the obverse and reverse as one, a way to wholeness, the original whiteness, a polarisation of colour and non-colour, colourism, masks, collage, combining pictures and forms, ambiguities, dynamics of contact of extremes and opposites, simultaneous existence of reality and illusion, sadness and melancholy. When using the puppet theatre means of expression, Paljetak experiences, ponders about and questions the new place of man in space and time. The poetry of the theatre puppet and the puppet theatre is therefore an integral part of Paljetak’s poetry.Key words: character puppet animation; Paljetak L.; puppet play; stage; theatre puppet. ---SažetakZa Luka Paljetka kazališna je lutka osobit pjesnički izraz koji u cjelinu povezuje metafore predmeta, slike, tona – jezika i pokreta. Zbog toga su Paljetkove pjesme istodobno i vizualna događanja, i polifonije, i metafore. To nisu pjesnički dostatni ishodi, nego počeci novih značenja stvaranih u gibanju-pokretu, odnosno lutkarskoj animaciji. Tako se u Paljetkovoj poeziji i u esejima o likovnim djelima nalaze odlike, postupci koje autor kao redatelj i/ili pisac skica/igrokaza stvara, primjenjuje  u lutkarskom kazalištu. To su: cjelovitost viđenja lica i naličja i put do cjelovitosti, prvotnost bjeline, polarizacija boje i neboje, kolorizam, maskiranje, kolažiranje, montiranje slika i oblika, dvosmislenosti značenja, dinamizam dodira krajnosti i suprotnosti, supostojanje zbilje i iluzije, tuge i sjete. Izražajnim sredstvima lutkarskoga kazališta Paljetak na osobit način doživljava, promišlja i propituje recentnu poziciju čovjeka u prostoru i vremenu. Stoga je poezija kazališne lutke, odnosno lutkarskoga kazališta, sastavnim dijelom Paljetkova pjesništva. Ključne riječi: animacija lika-lutke; kazališna lutka; lutkarski igrokaz; Paljetak L.; pozornica.
Survey of Collective Intelligence as Interdisciplinary Phenomenon / Istraživanje kolektivne inteligencije kao interdisciplinarnog fenomena
Authors: Soleša-Grijak Đurđa , Soleša Dragan
Published: April 2015

AbstractWhile people have been talking about collective intelligence for decades, new communication technologies, particularly Web 2.0, allow now for huge numbers of people to work together in new ways. The great success of systems like Google and Wikipedia suggest that it is now the right time for their further development. The aim of this study was to determine which form of collective Web intelligence was used by young people through Web 2.0 applications. The sample (N=103) in this study comprised young people aged 20 to 30. The Evaluation scale of use of Web 2.0 applications was applied in this research. The results showed that young people use collective intelligence based on collaboration through Web 2.0 applications. Presenting the analysis of applications that are most frequently used, the paper suggests possible ways to use Web 2.0 in social learning in order to obtain the best effect in different types of environment.Key words: social learning; Web 2.0; youth.---SažetakDok ljudi već desetljećima govore o kolektivnoj inteligenciji, nove komunikacijske tehnologije, pogotovo Web 2.0 alati, sada već golemom broju korisnika omogućuju suradnički rad na mnoge načine. Velik uspjeh sustava poput Google-a i Wikipedije upućuje na činjenicu da je sada došao pravi trenutak za njihovo daljnje unapređenje. Cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je odrediti koje oblike kolektivne web-inteligencije koriste mladi primjenom Web 2.0 alata. Uzorak (N=103) u ovom istraživanju činili su mladi u dobi od 20 do 30 godina. U istraživanju je primijenjena Skala za procjenu korištenja Web 2.0 alata. Rezultati su pokazali da mladi upotrebljavaju kolektivnu inteligenciju koja se temelji na suradnji putem Web 2.0 aplikacija. Prikazom analize aplikacija koje se najčešće koriste, ovaj rad daje prijedloge mogućih načina upotrebe Web 2.0 alata u društvenom učenju kako bi se ostvario najbolji učinak u različitim vrstama okoline. Ključne riječi: društveno učenje; mladi; Web 2.0.
An International Perspective on the Teacher Qualities Issue: the Case of Croatia and Turkey / Problem kvalitete nastavnika s međunarodnoga gledišta: slučaj Hrvatske i Turske
Authors: Rajić Višnja , Hosgorur Tugba , Drvodelić Maja
Published: April 2015

It is a well-known fact that the quality of the education system depends greatly on the quality of the teacher (Buchanan, 2012). Therefore, it is clear that it is important for prospective teachers to develop competences and qualities necessary for their future profession in the course of their education. This paper aims to find out how prospective teachers from Croatia and Turkey evaluate the importance and required level of personal and professional qualities. This research was conducted on a sample of 1004 prospective primary school teachers attending the first and final year of study (500 from Croatia and 504 from Turkey). The results show that Croatian prospective teachers evaluate personal and professional qualities as significantly more important, and that they believe to have higher possession of these qualities than their Turkish colleagues. Overall, prospective teachers in their final year of study evaluate that they have significantly more developed professional skills than their first year colleagues.Key words: personal teacher qualities; professional teacher qualities; prospective teachers; teacher educationPoznato je da kvaliteta obrazovnoga sustava uvelike ovisi o kvaliteti nastavnika (Buchanan, 2012). Prema tome, jasno je koliko je važno da budući učitelji tijekom obrazovanja razviju kompetencije i kvalitete potrebne za svoje buduće zanimanje. Cilj je ovoga rada istražiti kako budući učitelji iz Hrvatske i Turske ocjenjuju važnost osobnih i profesionalnih kvaliteta i u kojoj ih mjeri posjeduju. Istraživanje je provedeno na uzorku od 1004 buduća osnovnoškolska učitelja koji su pohađali prvu i završnu godinu studija (500 iz Hrvatske i 504 iz Turske). Rezultati pokazuju da budući učitelji iz Hrvatske ocjenjuju svoje osobne i profesionalne kvalitete znatno važnijima i da smatraju kako ih posjeduju na znatno višoj razini od svojih turskih kolega. Ispitanici cjelokupnog uzorka budućih učitelja koji pohađaju posljednju godinu studija ocjenjuju da imaju znatno razvijenije profesionalne vještine od svojih kolega koji pohađaju prvu godinu studija. Ključne riječi: budući učitelji; obrazovanje učitelja; osobne kvalitete učitelja; profesionalne kvalitete učitelja
Growth of the tropical zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) on reefs in northeastern Brazil
Authors: SILVA JANINE F. , GOMES PAULA B. , SANTANA ERIKA C. , SILVA JOÃO M. , LIMA ÉRICA P. , SANTOS ANDRE M.M. , PÉREZ CARLOS D.
Published: April 2015

In Brazilian reefs, zoanthids, especially Palythoa caribaeorum are fundamental for structuring the local benthic community. The objective of this study was to determine the growth rate of P. caribaeorum, and to assess the influence of the site (different beaches), season (dry and wet), location (intertidal or infralittoral zones), and human pressure associated with tourism. For one year we monitored the cover of P. caribaeorum in transects and focused on 20 colonies. We cut off a square (100 cm2) from the central part of the colony and monitored the bare area for four months in each season. The average growth rates varied from 0.015 and 0.021 cm.day-1. The rate was homogeneous in all localities, and there was no influence from colony site, location, or touristic visitation, showing that the growth velocity may be an intrinsic characteristic of the species, with a strong genetic component. The growth rate of P. caribaeorum differed among months, and peaked in the first month after injury. The average cover varied from 6.2 to 22.9% and was lower on the reef visited by tourists. The present study corroborates the hypothesis that P. caribaeorum is important for coastal reef dynamics due to its fast and continuous growth.
Non-motor signs in Parkinson’s disease: a review
Authors: Munhoz Renato P. , Moro Adriana , Silveira-Moriyama Laura , Teive Helio A.
Published: April 2015

During the past decade the view of Parkinson’s disease (PD) as a motor disorder has changed significantly and currently it is recognized as a multisystem process with diverse non-motor signs (NMS). In addition to been extremely common, these NMS play a major role in undermining functionality and quality of life. On the other hand, NMS are under recognized by physicians and neglected by patients. Here, we review the most common NMS in PD, including cognitive, psychiatric, sleep, metabolic, and sensory disturbances, discuss the current knowledge from biological, epidemiological, clinical, and prognostic standpoints, highlighting the need for early recognition and management.
CHARACTERIZATION OF BULK SOIL HUMIN AND ITS ALKALINE-SOLUBLE AND ALKALINE-INSOLUBLE FRACTIONS
Authors: Li Cuilan , Gao Shuqing , Gao Qiang , Wang Lichun , Zhang Jinjing
Published: April 2015

Humic substances are the major components of soil organic matter. Among the three humic substance components (humic acid, fulvic acid, and humin), humin is the most insoluble in aqueous solution at any pH value and, in turn, the least understood. Humin has poor solubility mainly because it is tightly bonded to inorganic soil colloids. By breaking the linkage between humin and inorganic soil colloids using inorganic or organic solvents, bulk humin can be partially soluble in alkali, enabling a better understanding of the structure and properties of humin. However, the structural relationship between bulk humin and its alkaline-soluble (AS) and alkaline-insoluble (AIS) fractions is still unknown. In this study, we isolated bulk humin from two soils of Northeast China by exhaustive extraction (25 to 28 times) with 0.1 mol L-1 NaOH + 0.1 mol L-1 Na4P2O7, followed by the traditional treatment with 10 % HF-HCl. The isolated bulk humin was then fractionated into AS-humin and AIS-humin by exhaustive extraction (12 to 15 times) with 0.1 mol L-1 NaOH. Elemental analysis and solid-state 13C cross-polarization magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (13C CPMAS NMR) spectroscopy were used to characterize and compare the chemical structures of bulk humin and its corresponding fractions. The results showed that, regardless of soil types, bulk humin was the most aliphatic and most hydrophobic, AS-humin was the least aliphatic, and AIS-humin was the least alkylated among the three humic components. The results showed that bulk humin and its corresponding AS-humin and AIS-humin fractions are structurally differed from one another, implying that the functions of these humic components in the soil environment differed.