bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Animal Release: The Dharma Being Staged between Marketplace and Park# / 放生：在市场和公园间上演的佛法#
Authors: Yang Der-Ruey
Published: August 2015

Despite having been sharply criticized and ridiculed on ecological and/or theological grounds by people both in and outside the Buddhist community for decades, fangsheng (animal release) is still one of the most popular devotional acts among Chinese Buddhists, especially urban Buddhists. In fact, to the dismay of those enlightened critics, this controversial practice may well be one of the key factors that have made Buddhism the fastest-growing religion in China in recent decades. This paper thus attempts to explain why Chinese urban Buddhists persistently favor fangsheng. It begins with a brief review of the process by which famous Buddhist monks and pious emperors constructed the classical form of animal release in China from the late fifth through the eleventh century. Then it describes several styles of animal release that are currently practiced in Nanjing, especially those being reformed and enthusiastically organized by numerous jushi (Buddhist laity) groups. After that, it discusses why fangsheng has become one of the most popular devotional practices in Nanjing. Based on participant observation and in-depth interviews, the author argues that the most remarkable advantage of fangsheng is the dramatic, sensational effects it can produce easily and reliably, which may explain why it is an invincible method of Buddhist spiritual cultivation. More precisely, fangsheng in practice is the enactment of a sensational ritual drama that represents the pilgrimage of all mortals from hell (the marketplace) to heaven (a park). Many practitioners and attendants appear to be deeply moved by witnessing the creatures chosen for fangsheng, onto which those practitioners often project themselves, saved from torture and tragic death.
Underground Railroads of Christian Conversion: North Korean Migrants and Evangelical Missionary Networks in Northeast Asia / 皈依基督教的地下通道: 北朝鲜1移民与东北亚的 新教传教
Authors: Jung Jin-Heon
Published: August 2015

This article examines the processes by which North Korean migrants encounter and convert to Christianity in the Sino-Korean border area and en route to South Korea. Since the mid-1990s when North Korea began suffering from severe famine, many North Koreans began crossing the border into China in search of food. It is the Korean Protestant Church that not only established the Underground Railroad through which many of the border crossers travel via China to South Korea, but that also provides various religious and non-religious services for North Koreans when they settle in South Korea. With this “Christian passage,” as I call it, and settlement, a startling 80–90 percent of the migrants identify themselves as Protestant after reaching South Korea. My ethnography asserts that their conversion should not be considered as merely a matter of a liberal individual’s ontological transformation without also considering both institutional interventions (missionary networks) and specific geopolitical conditions (the Cold War, famine, and globalization). I argue that Christianity serves as a window through which we can better understand how the complex ideological, political, and cultural tensions (i.e., nationalism, imperialism, freedom, human rights, etc.) all meet in the reconfiguration of the migrants’ identities. More precisely, through an examination of conversion as a cultural project joined with citizen making, this article sheds light on the ways in which religion both creates and demolishes North Korean-ness in favor of a national future—a Christianized reunified nation.
Humor in intercultural interaction as both content and process in the classroom
Authors: Davies Catherine Evans
Published: August 2015

This article uses interactional sociolinguistic methodology to examine humor as both content and process in the classroom. It contributes to our increasing understanding not only of the ways that humor is perceived and constructed in intercultural discourse, but also the ways that it may have pedagogical benefits of increasing L2 pragmatic and interactional competence. The topic of humor in the classroom is typically treated either in relation to the teacher’s behavior, or in relation to course content. The former focuses on strategies for the use of humor in the service of effective classroom control and relationships with students (e.g.,
Humoring the audience: performance strategies and persuasion in Midwestern American stand-up comedy
Authors: DeCamp Elise
Published: August 2015

This paper explores how performance strategies in stand-up comedy are employed to foster audience receptivity to a comedian’s social commentaries. Stand-up comedy, among other art forms within the live performance genre, possesses the unique ability to respond in real time to the mood, energy, and overall engagement level of a crowd. This responsiveness to audiences is evident to a lesser degree in satirical news shows like
On the role of vigilance in the interpretation of puns
Authors: Cruz Manuel Padilla
Published: August 2015

Humans are vigilant against deception and misinterpretation thanks to a set of cognitive mechanisms that monitor their interlocutors’ benevolence, credibility, competence and preferences, as well as the plausibility and acceptability of the interpretative hypotheses constructed. This paper explores the role of these mechanisms in the comprehension of puns. Through purposeful ambiguity, these bias the audience to an interpretation which, despite initially receiving some credibility, must be dismissed in order for the audience to arrive at a less salient interpretation. In doing so, this paper suggests an approach to their comprehension that differs from previous relevance-theoretic ones, which regard optimal relevance as the criterion determining the acceptability of interpretative hypotheses. Vigilance mechanisms are here argued to be essential for the audience to consider additional interpretative hypotheses, as these mechanisms alert the audience to the punster’s jocular intention, which surfaces in the production of a text amenable to reinterpretation. They also trigger a sophisticated processing strategy that encourages the audience to backtrack in order to detect the reinterpretable part of the text. This involves metarepresentation, as the audience need to attribute to the communicator the intention to transmit a different message.
A gender study of personality and humor in comedians
Authors: Schwehm Andrew J. , McDermut Wilson , Thorpe Katherine
Published: August 2015

Although individual differences in personality traits and humor between comedians and non-comedians have received increased attention, conclusions are limited to males as prior samples include few female comedians. This is the first quantitative study of personality traits and humor with more female (n=36) than male (n=33) comedians. This study compared comedians to a diverse non-comedian sample of undergraduates (n=89). A logistic regression using personality, humor styles, and gender as predictors correctly identified 83% of participants as either comedians or non-comedians. As hypothesized, personality and humor styles, but not gender, were significant predictors of comedian status. Male and female comedians were similar on Big Five Personality traits except for neuroticism, on which female comedians scored significantly higher than their male counterparts. Comedians scored significantly higher than non-comedians on extraversion and openness, while non-comedians just failed to be significant in scoring higher than comedians on agreeableness. In addition, as measured by the Humor Styles Questionnaire, male and female comedians scored similarly on all four humor styles (affiliative, self-enhancing, aggressive, self-defeating) and scored higher than non-comedians on the humor styles. Overall, these findings suggest personality differences and humor styles are two traits responsible for individuals pursuing stand-up comedy.
Thinking fast and slow in the experience of humor
Authors: Ventis Larry
Published: August 2015

The present work theorizes that the experience of humor relies on distinct roles for each of the two thought modes identified by
Assessment of selected behavior aspects of 10 male persons with profound intellectual disability in regard to atmospheric conditions during a three-month-long observation
Authors: Myśliwiec Andrzej , Kuszewski Michal , Saulicz Edward , Nowak Anna , Wolny Tomasz , Gogola Anna , Linek Pawel
Published: August 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a connection between the weather and the capacity of people with severe disabilities to undertake physical activity, their mental disposition and the occurrence of the epileptic seizures.

The observation was carried out on a group of ten male subjects with severe intellectual disabilities. The observation of the persons was carried out by three pedagogues. The method of direct observation was used in the research.

In the course of the conducted studies, a dependence between physical activity and temperature, atmospheric pressure and atmospheric humidity was discovered.

The mental disposition and physical activity of the people with severe intellectual disabilities showed a dependence on the temperature and atmospheric pressure.
Econometric Analysis of Croatia’s Proclaimed Foreign Exchange Rate
Authors: Mance Davor , Žiković Saša , Mance Diana
Published: August 2015

The officially proclaimed foreign exchange policy of the Croatian National Bank (CNB) is a managed float with a discretionary right of intervention on the Croatian kuna/euro foreign exchange (FX) market in order to maintain price stability. This paper examines the validity of three monetary policy hypotheses: the stability of the nominal exchange rate, the stability of exchange rate changes, and the exchange rate to inflation pass-through effect. The CNB claims a direct FX to inflation rate pass-through channel for which we find no evidence, but we find a strong link between FX rate changes and changes in M4, as well as between M4 changes and inflation. Changes in foreign investment Granger cause changes in monetary aggregates that further Granger cause inflation. Changes in FX rate Granger cause a reaction in M4 that indirectly Granger causes a further rise in inflation. Vector Autoregression Impulse Response Functions of changes in FX rate, M1, M4, and CPI confirm the Granger causalities in the established order.
Conceptual Model of Relationships among Customer Perceptions of Components of Insurance Service
Authors: Sebjan Urban , Tominc Polona
Published: August 2015

The objective of this study was to examine the conceptual model and to study the relationships between customer perceptions of the benefits of sales promotion, quality, adequacy of premium, and adequacy of information about the coverage of insurance services. The research model was tested with structural equation modeling (SEM) with a sample of 200 Slovenian users of insurance services. The results indicated that higher perceived benefits of sales promotion were associated with higher perceived quality of insurance services. In addition, higher perceived quality was associated with higher perceived adequacy of information about the coverage and the premium for insurance services. The study also found that higher perceived adequacy of premium was associated with higher perceived adequacy of information about the coverage of insurance services.
The Effect of Corporate Citizenship Activities (CCAS) on Financial Performance and Market Performance: The Omani Experience
Authors: Shaker Al Ani Mawih K. , Jamil Syed Ahsan
Published: August 2015

The main objective of this study is to investigate and analyze the effects of corporate citizenship activities on the financial performance and market performance of Omani manufacturing companies in the Sultanate of Oman for the period 2009-2013. The Financial performance of companies is measured by two independent variables: return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). Market performance is measured by the fair market value of shares (FMV). CCAs are determined by the voluntary disclosures of corporate citizenship activities by the companies. The study concludes that there is a positive impact by CCAs on the financial and market performance of the Omani companies that leads to profit maximization.
Actions that Combat the Disruption of the Moral and Social Code with the Purpose of Favoritism
Authors: Prado De Toledo Sergio Armando
Published: August 2015

Currently, corruption has been so generalized and sophisticated that threatens to undermine the own society structure. Corruption is a problem identified in all the countries. What changes is how we deal with it. Nevertheless, why is there so much corruption? Within the group of factors, it is possible to highlight the high bureaucracy that reduces the efficiency of the public administration; the presence of a slow Judiciary Branch which is very low is terms of efficiency, when reprimanding illicit practices that incite everything ending up in pizza (this sentence was literally translated from Portuguese, it does not exist in English, but it means that impunity prevails in Brazil.); the existence of a corporatist sense among the Administration industries in the public sector in relation to the private sector and so facilitating corruption.

The penalty for corruption should be constrained to mechanisms that allow the system of criminal justice to carry out actions of arrest, prosecution, penalty and repair to the country. Combating corruption complies with the republican ideal for the reduction of costs in Brazil. Moralizing the public-private relations offers juridical security to the market. The fact that some countries, especially Brazil, are seriously combating against corruption brings hope, with an eye on a more rigid legislation and less bureaucratic as well, with the end of the corporatist sense and the equivalence of salaries between the public and private sector. We shall provide effective criminal, administrative and civil penalties of inhibiting nature for future action; we shall provide cooperation between the law applicator and the private companies; we shall prevent the conflict of interests; we shall forbid the existence of “black fund” at the companies and we shall encouraged the relief or reduction of taxes to expenses considered as bribery or other conducts related
The Essential Conditions for the Validity of the Contract of Carriage
Authors: Cotutiu Aurelia
Published: August 2015

At the conclusion of the transport contract for goods or people, the carrier shall make available to the consignor or the passenger his exclusive and special service to travel in space with a suitable means of transport, different from other previous or subsequent transport services. Thus, the transport activity is entirely distinct and independent from the civil or economic transactions concerning the goods transported, which run between the consignor and the recipient, or, taking another example, from the insurance agreement during the transport of goods or persons, imposed by law. At the same time, transport is a service of public interest, which obliges the transport operator to publish permanently his transport offer with all the information needed to access it. This is the source of the organized and uniform periodicity of the carrying trade, performed as a constant preoccupation in order to obtain profit. But, because of the multitude and diversity of displacement interests of the transport beneficiaries, sometimes the transport operator is forced to arrange that the transport of goods or people contracting should be carried out through another carrier. Therefore, whenever the transporter is substituted by another transport operator for total or partial execution of its duty, the latter will be considered part of the transport contract, taking over all obligations of the contracting operator directly with the beneficiary of his service.
Maximum Allowable Dynamic Load of Mobile Manipulators with Stability Consideration
Authors: Heidary H. R.
Published: August 2015

High payload to mass ratio is one of the advantages of mobile robot manipulators. In this paper, a general formula for finding the maximum allowable dynamic load (MADL) of wheeled mobile robot is presented. Mobile manipulators operating in field environments will be required to manipulate large loads, and to perform such tasks on uneven terrain, which may cause the system to reach dangerous tip-over instability. Therefore, the method is expanded for finding the MADL of mobile manipulators with stability consideration. Moment-Height Stability (MHS) criterion is used as an index for the system stability. Full dynamic model of wheeled mobile base and mounted manipulator is considered with respect to the dynamic of non-holonomic constraint. Then, a method for determination of the maximum allowable loads is described, subject to actuator constraints and by imposing the stability limitation as a new constraint. The actuator torque constraint is applied by using a speed-torque characteristics curve of a typical DC motor. In order to verify the effectiveness of the presented algorithm, several simulation studies considering a two-link planar manipulator, mounted on a mobile base are presented and the results are discussed.
“This fabulous flotsam”: Michael Moorcock’s Urban Anthropology in “London under London”
Authors: Houswitschka Christoph
Published: August 2015

Michael Moorcock is often described as “one of the most prolific and varied writers working in Britain” (Malcolm 146). His success as a writer and editor of science fiction and fantasy literature is well established, but he is also the author of two novels about London, Mother London (1988) and King of the City (2000). Hardly known, Mother London by Michael Moorcock, offers itself to a variety of approaches that have been widely discussed in the context of studies on English literature during the Thatcher years, post-modernism, and psycho-geography. The novel resonates with the author’s own childhood in war-time London without being autobiographical. It tells the story of three Londoners who were traumatised during the Blitz. The following article focuses on the mysteries of subterranean London that represents the hidden and unconscious identities of its inhabitants in the post-war period.
Upheavals of Emotions, Madness of Form: Mary M. Talbot’s and Bryan Talbot’s Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes and a Transdiegetised (Auto)Biographical Commix
Authors: Kusek Robert
Published: August 2015

In 2012, Mary M. Talbot and Bryan Talbot joined the likes of Richard Ellmann, Gordon Bowker and Michael Hastings and in their graphic memoir Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes (2012) offered a new re-telling of James Joyce’s life, focusing, in particular, on the difficult relationship between the great Irish writer, and his daughter Lucia. However, the story of a complicated emotional bond between Joyce and Lucia was only a framework for an autobiographical coming-of age narrative about Mary M. Talbot herself and her violent relationship with James S. Atherton, a celebrated Joycean scholar and her very own “cold mad feary father”. Following Martha C. Nussbaum’s conception about cognitive and narrative structure of emotions postulated in Love’s Knowledge (1990) and Upheavals of Thoughts (2001), this article wishes to argue in favour of an organic connection between the volume’s thematic concerns and its generic affiliation. In other words, it discusses how a specific class of emotions pertaining to Lucia’s gradual mental disintegration can be adequately told only in a specific literary form, i.e. in a transdiegetised “commix”, an (auto)biographical account which occupies a threshold space between a comic and a novel, fiction and non-fiction, biography and autobiography, words and pictures.
Holistic Linguistics: Anthropocentric Foundations and the Functional-Cognitive Paradigm
Authors: Tyurkan (Belichenko) Elena
Published: August 2015

This paper dwells on some aspects of language, grammar in particular, through the prism of the functional-cognitive approach. It covers such issues as language and mind, the embodiment of language, the peculiarities of language acquisition, and the metaphoric nature of the human mind. The functional-cognitive approach is regarded as part of a holistic anthropocentric paradigm where language is conceived of as a natural biological phenomenon connected with the adaptive functions of a human being as a holistic living organism. A new paradigm gives rise to new epistemologies and generates new forms of scientific collaboration. Thus, neurosciences, quantum physics, and biology become involved in processing language data, influencing the direction and goals of linguistic research. As suggested by the author of this paper, changes in language can be viewed with regard to quantum effects observed in the macroworld, or an autopoietic reconstruction of the language system. Dwelling on the ideas of cognitive typology, the paper also makes an attempt to elucidate some reasons for the appearance of new structural features in language which influence the reconstruction of its grammatical interface in the first place. Such processes are viewed as the reflection of global shifts in the linguistic world image of language bearers under the influence of the outer world/extralinguistic factors, and as connected with encoding by language of the changes in socio-discursive parameters of the intercourse. Finally, some perspectives of grammar analysis are outlined
Long term results of the use of compression anastomosis clips (CAC) in gastrointestinal surgery – the first report
Authors: Kuśnierz Katarzyna , Lampe Paweł
Published: August 2015

The aim of the study was to present the first long-term results on the clinical use of compression anastomosis clips (CAC) in upper and lower gastrointestinal tract anastomoses.

Material and methods. The study included 50 patients who underwent anastomosis of the upper (n = 32) or lower GI tract (n = 18) with the use of CAC. In the period of 6‑7 months after the surgery, patients underwent endoscopic examination and computed tomography evaluation of the anastomosis. Each anastomosis was evaluated macro and microscopically. The width of anastomoses was evaluated using a 4-point-scale for grading stenosis.

Results. Of the 50 patients who underwent anastomosis with compression anastomosis clip, 28 (56%) patients reported to the follow-up examination within 190‑209 days of the execution of the anastomosis. Among the 22 patients who did not report to the study, 18 (36%) patients died within 91‑154 days from the execution of the anastomosis (mean 122 days), 4 (8%) patients were impossible to contact after discharge from hospital. Two mild stenoses (I0) were diagnosed; 1 of them was found in the gastroenterostomy and 1 in Braun enteroenterostomy. Microscopic changes were diagnosed in 4 anastomoses (3 gastroenterostomies, 1 Braun enteroenterostomy). Anastomoses were well-formed and wide, scars in the line of anastomoses were thin.

Conclusions. During the period of 6 months after the anastomoses performed using CAC have been formed, they were evaluated as unobstructed and functioning properly; therefore, they can be safely performed within the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract.
Preoperative pancreatic duct stenting in patients undergoing laparoscopic pancreatic surgery – a preliminary report
Authors: Rubinkiewicz Mateusz , Migaczewski Marcin , Pędziwiatr Michał , Matłok Maciej , Dembiński Marcin , Budzyński Andrzej
Published: August 2015

Laparoscopic surgery is becoming an approved technique in pancreatic surgery. It offers some advantages over an open approach due to shorter hospital stay and decreased complication rate. Regardless the technique the most significant problem of pancreatic surgery is postoperative pancreatic fistula. There are numerous methods attempted at reduction of its incidence. One of the possibilities is preoperative pancreatic duct stenting. It aims at decreasing the pressure in the pancreatic duct, which is supposed to facilitate pancreatic juice flow to the duodenum.

The aim of the study was to determine the role of preoperative pancreatic duct stenting in pancreatic surgery.

Material and methods. Nineteen patients undergoing laparoscopic pancreatic resection were enrolled into the study. Prior to the surgery, all of the patients were submitted for the Endoscopic Retrograde Choleangiopancreatography (ERCP) with pancreatic duct stenting. Following the subsequent laparoscopic pancreatic resection, all patients were monitored to detect the pancreatic fistula appearance. The pancreatic stent was removed 6‑8 weeks after the surgery.

Results. With an exception of two patients, all other patients underwent successful ERCP with pancreatic duct stenting before the surgery. In one case the placement of the prosthesis failed due to a tortuous pancreatic duct. Five patients had an episode of acute pancreatitis including two severe courses as a complication of preoperative ERCP. One of the patient died due to severe GI bleeding 2 weeks after stenting. Among the procedures there were 15 distal pancreatectomies, two enucleations of the tumor localized in the uncinate process and in the body of the pancreas and one central pancreatectomy. The median time of surgery duration was 186 minutes (90‑300; ±56). No conversions to an open approach were necessary. Likewise, there was neither any major complications reported in a postoperative course nor incidence of pancreatic fistula in any of the patients undergoing surgery.

Conclusions. Preoperative pancreatic duct stenting can decrease the incidence of pancreatic fistula. However, a number of serious complications exceed the potential benefit of this method.
Olfaction and traumatic head injury - Is it possible to discriminate between malingering and patients with smell disorders based on nowadays knowledge?
Authors: Sabaru Iulia , Sarafoleanu Codrut
Published: August 2015

BACKGROUND. Olfaction is one the most important senses; however, even nowadays it is incompletely known in humans from an anatomical and physiological point of view, but also as concerns the assessment methods and treatment. The main causes for acquired olfactory dysfunctions involve inflammatory pathology (local or general) and head trauma. Olfactory impairment after traumatic head injury (THI) is more frequent than believed. Today there are a number of tests for assessing the loss of smell, but more studies are needed in order to establish standardized protocols for patients with such pathology after THI. This uncertainty is more and more exploited by malingerers.

OBJECTIVE. The aim of the paper was to find in literature the necessary information in order to permit a correct management of a patient with olfactory impairment after head trauma and to establish new protocols that may help identify malingerers when medico-legal implications exists.

MATERIAL AND METHODS. We studied an amount of works and studies in order to highlight the diagnosis options specialist have, if such a case is encountered (olfactory loss after THI).

RESULTS. Recent studies show that great progress has been made, but more scientific research is needed. Specialists still search correlation between all diagnosis methods.

CONCLUSION. Olfactory disorders are an important topic given their importance in patient quality of life, but also for the medico-legal implications.
Correlations between morphology and ultrasound exam in cases with nasal and paranasal sinuses pathology
Authors: Dumitru Mihai , Tweedie Daniel , Anghel Ion , Cergan Romica , Sarafoleanu Codrut , Costache Adrian
Published: August 2015

BACKGROUND. Ultrasonography has been used in rhinology for diagnosing trauma lesions (fractures, hemosinus), second opinion in tumoral pathology, screening for sinusitis, but on a small scale and with future prospects of cost efficiency.

OBJECTIVE. We hope to grow awareness of the possible use of ultrasound in screening for nasal and paranasal sinuses pathology at the level of ENT emergency departments.

MATERIAL AND METHODS. We describe the technique for ultrasound examination of this region, emphasizing the need for a profound anatomical knowledge characteristic for ENT specialists. Any specialist having access to an ultrasound machine is encouraged to experiment with this imaging procedure. Two cases benefited from the use of ultrasonography in order to receive a better management and a swift treatment. One case presented with a maxillary sinus tumor and another with a paranasal tumor neighbouring the orbit.

CONCLUSION. Ultrasonography of nasal and paranasal sinuses permits serial examination without irradiating the patient; it could be implemented as an addition to FAST-like protocols at the level of emergency departments in order to screen for occult head and neck pathology prior to conventional radiology and CT imaging and thus reducing costs
A role for 11C-methionine PET imaging in ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome
Authors: Koulouri Olympia , Steuwe Andrea , Gillett Daniel , Hoole Andrew C , Powlson Andrew S , Donnelly Neil A , Burnet Neil G , Antoun Nagui M , Cheow Heok , Mannion Richard J , Pickard John D , Gurnell Mark
Published: August 2015

Objective

We report our experience of functional imaging with11C-methionine positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET–CT) co-registered with 3D gradient echo (spoiled gradient recalled (SPGR)) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the investigation of ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome.

Design

Twenty patients with i)de novoCushing's disease (CD,n=10), ii) residual or recurrent hypercortisolism following first pituitary surgery (±radiotherapy;n=8) or iii) ectopic Cushing's syndrome (n=2) were referred to our centre for functional imaging studies between 2010 and 2015. Six of the patients withde novoCD and five of those with persistent/relapsed disease had a suspected abnormality on conventional MRI.

Methods

All patients underwent11C-methionine PET–CT. For pituitary imaging, co-registration of PET–CT images with contemporaneous SPGR MRI (1 mm slice thickness) was performed, followed by detailed mapping of11C-methionine uptake across the sella in three planes (coronal, sagittal and axial). This allowed us to determine whether suspected adenomas seen on structural imaging exhibited focal tracer uptake on functional imaging.

Results

In seven of ten patients withde novoCD, asymmetric11C-methionine uptake was observed within the sella, which co-localized with the suspected site of a corticotroph microadenoma visualised on SPGR MRI (and which was subsequently confirmed histologically following successful transsphenoidal surgery (TSS)). Focal11C-methionine uptake that correlated with a suspected abnormality on pituitary MRI was seen in five of eight patients with residual or recurrent Cushing's syndrome following first TSS (and pituitary radiotherapy in two cases). Two patients elected to undergo repeat TSS with histology confirming a corticotroph tumour in each case. In two patients with the ectopic ACTH syndrome,11C-methionine was concentrated in sites of distant metastases, with minimal uptake in the sellar region.

Conclusions

11C-methionine PET–CT can aid the detection of ACTH-secreting tumours in Cushing's syndrome and facilitate targeted therapy.
The Genetics of Resistance toMorindaFruit Toxin During the Postembryonic Stages inDrosophila sechellia
Authors: Huang Yan , Erezyilmaz Deniz
Published: August 2015

Although a great deal has been learned regarding the genetic changes that give rise to adaptation in bacteria and yeast, an understanding of how new complex traits arise in multicellular organisms is far less complete. Many phytophagous insect species are ecological specialists that have adapted to utilize a single host plant. Drosophila sechellia is a specialist that utilizes the ripe fruit of Morinda citrifolia, which is toxic to its sibling species, D. simulans. Here we apply multiplexed shotgun genotyping and QTL analysis to examine the genetic basis of resistance to M. citrifolia fruit toxin in interspecific hybrids. We identify a locus of large effect on the third chromosome (QTL-IIIsima) in the D. simulans backcross that was not detected in previous analyses. We also identify a highly significant QTL of large effect on the X chromosome, QTL-Xsim. Additional smaller-effect loci were also identified in the D. simulans and D. sechellia backcrosses. We did not detect significant epistasis between loci. Instead, our analysis reveals large and smaller-effect loci that contribute to M. citrifolia resistance additively. The additive effect of each locus suggests that partial resistance to lower levels of M. citrifolia toxin could be passed through introgression from D. sechellia to D. simulans in nature. The identification of the major effect loci, QTL-IIIsima and QTL-Xsim, is an important step toward identifying the molecular basis of adaptation in a multicellular organism.
Second-Generation Linkage Maps for the Pacific OysterCrassostrea gigasReveal Errors in Assembly of Genome Scaffolds
Authors: Hedgecock Dennis , Shin Grace , Gracey Andrew Y , Den Berg David Van , Samanta Manoj P
Published: August 2015

The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, a widely cultivated marine bivalve mollusc, is becoming a genetically and genomically enabled model for highly fecund marine metazoans with complex life-histories. A genome sequence is available for the Pacific oyster, as are first-generation, low-density, linkage and gene-centromere maps mostly constructed from microsatellite DNA markers. Here, higher density, second-generation, linkage maps are constructed from more than 1100 coding (exonic) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), as well as 66 previously mapped microsatellite DNA markers, all typed in five families of Pacific oysters (nearly 172,000 genotypes). The map comprises 10 linkage groups, as expected, has an average total length of 588 cM, an average marker-spacing of 1.0 cM, and covers 86% of a genome estimated to be 616 cM. All but seven of the mapped SNPs map to 618 genome scaffolds; 260 scaffolds contain two or more mapped SNPs, but for 100 of these scaffolds (38.5%), the contained SNPs map to different linkage groups, suggesting widespread errors in scaffold assemblies. The 100 misassembled scaffolds are significantly longer than those that map to a single linkage group. On the genetic maps, marker orders and intermarker distances vary across families and mapping methods, owing to an abundance of markers segregating from only one parent, to widespread distortions of segregation ratios caused by early mortality, as previously observed for oysters, and to genotyping errors. Maps made from framework markers provide stronger support for marker orders and reasonable map lengths and are used to produce a consensus high-density linkage map containing 656 markers.
Genome-Wide Linkage Analysis Identifies Loci for Physical Appearance Traits in Chickens
Authors: Sun Yanfa , Liu Ranran , Zhao Guiping , Zheng Maiqing , Sun Yan , Yu Xiaoqiong , Li Peng , Wen Jie
Published: August 2015

Physical appearance traits, such as feather-crested head, comb size and type, beard, wattles size, and feathered feet, are used to distinguish between breeds of chicken and also may be associated with economic traits. In this study, a genome-wide linkage analysis was used to identify candidate regions and genes for physical appearance traits and to potentially provide further knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that underlie these traits. The linkage analysis was conducted with an F2 population derived from Beijing-You chickens and a commercial broiler line. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms were analyzed using the Illumina 60K Chicken SNP Beadchip. The data were used to map quantitative trait loci and genes for six physical appearance traits. A 10-cM/0.51-Mb region (0.0−10.0 cM/0.00−0.51 Mb) with 1% genome-wide significant level on LGE22C19W28_E50C23 linkage group (LGE22) for crest trait was identified, which is likely very closely linked to the HOXC8. A QTL with 5% chromosome-wide significant level for comb weight, which partly overlaps with a region identified in a previous study, was identified at 74 cM/25.55 Mb on chicken (Gallus gallus; GG) chromosome 3 (i.e., GGA3). For beard and wattles traits, an identical region 11 cM/2.23 Mb (0.0−11.0 cM/0.00−2.23 Mb) including WNT3 and GH genes on GGA27 was identified. Two QTL with 1% genome-wide significant level for feathered feet trait, one 9-cM/2.80-Mb (48.0-57.0/13.40-16.20 Mb) region on GGA13, and another 12-cM/1.45-Mb (41.0−53.0 cM/11.37−12.82 Mb) region on GGA15 were identified. These candidate regions and genes provide important genetic information for the physical appearance traits in chicken.
CEI-UCI: instrumento para evaluar el cuidado de enfermería individualizado de adultos en la UCI
Authors: Henao Castaño Ángela María , Amaya Maria Consuelo Del Pilar
Published: August 2015

El propósito de este estudio fue diseñar el instrumento Cuidado de Enfermería Individualizado en Unidad de Cuidado Intensivo (CEI-UCI) para identificar las intervenciones de cuidado de enfermería individualizado en pacientes con ventilación mecánica invasiva en la UCI.

Metodología: Estudio psicométrico, exploratorio-observacional, con n = 156 enfermeras que laboraban en la UCI con pacientes adultos en ventilación mecánica. Se diseñaron un total de 85 ítems para iniciar las pruebas. Para la validez facial se utilizó la V. Aiken por encima de 0,70. Para la validez de contenido se realizó el cálculo de Lawshe Modificado igual o mayor a de 0,58. La validez de constructo se obtuvo por medio del análisis factorial con ocho dominios nanda. La confiabilidad se reportó con test-retest para los días 1, 2 y 3 de estadía de los pacientes en UCI.

Resultados: El CEI-UCI presentó una validez facial con rangos entre 0,75-0,82, con un CVI con rangos entre 0,58-0,90. La validez de constructo se confirmó con una varianza total explicada del 73% para cuatro factores. La confiabilidad por el test-retest entre los tres primeros días de aplicado el instrumento se presentó con un rango de 0,662 a 1,00.

Conclusiones: El instrumento CEI-UCI posee 53 ítems y seis dimensiones con validez facial, aparente y consistencia interna. La validez de constructo derivada del análisis factorial
de cuatro factores se denominaron Dimensiones, a saber: F1, Protección y seguridad (17 ítems); F2, Interacción fisiológica y social (3 ítems); F3, Roles y conexiones sociales (13 ítems); y F4, Autopercepción y nutrición (11 ítems). Además, hubo dos dimensiones permanentes y centinelas: Perceptual-Cognitivo y el de Confort.
Three new species of Masdevallia (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae) from the Ayacucho and Puno regions in Peru
Authors: Daltröm Stig , Ruíz Pérez Saul
Published: August 2015

Three new species of Masdevallia, subgenus Masdevallia are described, illustrated with line drawings and color photographs, one dwarf species in section Coriaceae and two attractive and rather large species in section Masdevallia. The former section is also treated as the genus Byrsella by Luer (2006). All three new species are distinguished by unique combinations of features that separate them from all other species in the large genus Masdevallia.
Root anatomy of Galeandra leptoceras (Orchidaceae)
Authors: Barretta-dos-Santos Leila E. , Sant'Ana Jéssica , Petini-Benelli Adarilda , Pedroso-de-Moraes Cristiano
Published: August 2015

Due to the scarce information about the root organization of Galeandra genus representatives, this study aimed to describe the root anatomy of Galeandra leptoceras, describing adaptations related to hydric relations and characters of taxonomic interest. Five roots of three plants were fixed and preserved in 50% alcohol. These ones were cut in midline with the use of razors. The sections were stained with 0.05% Safrablau and mounted in glycerin. It was observed that the roots of species are structurally adapted to epiphytism; however, some anatomical features show that this species requires more frequent watering or environments with constant humidity. The anatomical characteristics described for roots support results reported by authors that include the genus in subtribe Catasetinae, Cymbidieae tribe. The anatomical characters have generic uniformity, serving as a tool for the genus’s systematic.
Role of As in the Anisotropic Positioning of Self-Assembled InAs Quantum Dots
Authors: Arciprete Fabrizio , Placidi Ernesto , Magri Rita , Fanfoni Massimo , Balzarotti Adalberto , Patella Fulvia
Published: August 2015

Progress in tailoring the size, shape and positioning of Quantum Dots on the substrate is crucial for their potential applications in new optoelectronic devices for nano-photonics as well as in quantum information and computation. Using Molecular Beam Epitaxy in pulsed deposition mode we demonstrate that the nucleation of InAs Quantum Dots can be selectively guided on the GaAs(001) surface by a suitable choice of the kinetic parameters for the growth of both the GaAs buffer layer and the InAs Quantum Dots. By developing a two-species rate-equation kinetic model we show that the positioning of the Quantum Dots on only one side of mounds of the GaAs buffer can be traced back to the very small As flux gradient between the two mound slopes $\left( {\Delta F_A /F_A \approx 1 - 5\% } \right)$ caused by the proper tilting of the incoming As flux. Such gradient originates, at the relatively high growth-temperature, a net cation flow from one slope of the mound to the other that is responsible for the selective growth.
Reduction in Gate Leakage Current of AlGaN/GaN HEMT by Rapid Thermal Oxidation
Authors: T Sreenidhi , Rahman A. Azizur , Bhattacharya Arnab , DasGupta Amitava , DasGupta Nandita
Published: August 2015

Rapid Thermal Oxidation (RTO) of AlGaN barrier has been employed to reduce the gate leakage current in AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors. Current Voltage (I – V) and Capacitance Voltage (C – V) characteristics of Schottky Barrier diodes and Metal Oxide Semiconductor diodes are compared. At room temperature, reduction in gate leakage current over an order of magnitude in reverse bias and four orders of magnitude in forward bias is achieved upon oxidation. While the gate current reduces upon RTO, gate capacitance does not change indicating gate control over the channel is not compromised. I – V and C – V characterization have been carried out at different temperatures to get more insight into the device operation.
Organic Based Magnetic Thin Films by Low Temperature CVD
Authors: Edelstein Ruth Shima , Yoo Jung-Woo , Raju N. P. , Bergeson Jeremy D. , Pokhodnya Konstantin I. , Miller Joel S. , Epstein Arthur J.
Published: August 2015

We describe how the composition of an organic - based magnet can be controlled by varying the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) conditions. A study was conducted for the Co2(CO)8/ TCNE system to form cobalt tetracyanoethylene [Co(TCNE)x, x∼2, a paramagnetic material], and for the V(CO)6/ TCNEx system to form vanadium tetracyanoethylene [V(TCNE)x, x∼2, a ferrimagnetic material]. Thin V(TCNE)x, x∼2 films (∼0.05-0.5 μm) with room temperature conductivity of 10-4<σRT<10-3S/cm and magnetic ordering temperature Tc of up to ∼400K were deposited. The V(TCNE)x, x∼2 thin films have the potential for incorporation in a spin-valve device as one of the magnetic contacts, and are promising candidates to form optically controlled magnetic-based structures.
Constructions of motherhood and fatherhood in newspaper articles on maternal and paternal postpartum depression
Authors: Alexander Elizabeth M. , McMullen Linda M.
Published: August 2015

Postpartum depression (PPD) is typically constructed as a medical condition that is defined by prevalence rates, time of onset, duration, symptoms, causes and treatments. Presentations of PPD in popular texts have also revealed that it is a site for constructions of mothering/motherhood. While PPD has traditionally been assumed to be the domain of women, researchers have recently focused attention on PPD and men. Using articles on maternal and paternal PPD published in Canadian and American newspapers between 2008 and 2012, we analysed how constructions of mothering/motherhood and fathering/fatherhood were inscribed in this public forum. We show how mothering/motherhood was foregrounded via dominant evaluative discourses and highly imbued with expectations while fathering/fatherhood was kept in the background and characterised by the unavailability of clear expectations. We conclude that maternal PPD remains primary and normative while paternal PPD remains ‘othered’ despite the supposed attention to it in these public texts.
Sex, Culpability and the Defence of Provocation, Danielle Tyson (2013) Abingdon: Routledge, 223pp. The Language of Sexual Misconduct Cases, Roger Shuy (2012) Oxford: Oxford University Press, 229pp.
Authors: Ainsworth Janet
Published: August 2015

Sex, Culpability and the Defence of Provocation, Danielle Tyson (2013) Abingdon: Routledge, 223pp. The Language of Sexual Misconduct Cases, Roger Shuy (2012) Oxford: Oxford University Press, 229pp.
Seleção genética em progênies de Eucalyptus camaldulensis em área de cerrado matogrossense
Authors: Azevedo Luana Pâmella de Almeida , Costa Reginaldo Brito da , Martinez Diego Tyszka , Tsukamoto Filho Antonio de Arruda , Brondani Gilvano Ebling , Baretta Maísa Caroline , Ajala Willian Vieira
Published: August 2015

O presente trabalho objetivou estimar parâmetros, correlações e ganhos genéticos para caracteres de crescimento e forma, em um teste de progênies deEucalyptus camaldulensis na região centro-oeste do Brasil. Aos três anos de idade, as progênies foram avaliadas quanto aos caracteres: altura total (ALTT), altura comercial (ALTC), diâmetro à altura do peito (DAP) e forma de fuste (FF). A análise de deviance detectou diferenças significativas para os caracteres ALTC, DAP e FF. As estimativas das herdabilidades individuais foram de baixa magnitude para ALTT (0,10) e DAP (0,16), porém, ALTC (0,18) e FF (0,25) apresentaram valores de média a alta magnitude. Os coeficientes de variação genética individual (CVgi%) variaram de 8,59% para FF a 15,91% para ALTC. As correlações fenotípicas e genéticas preditas foram positivas e de alta magnitude entre ALTT e ALTC (0,80 e 0,82, respectivamente) e ALTT e DAP (0,85 e 0,86, respectivamente), indicando que a seleção indireta pode ser utilizada para essas associações. A seleção individual se mostrou superior, quando comparada à seleção entre e dentro. Os valores encontrados indicaram perspectivas de progressos genéticos com seleção baseada nos caracteres avaliados.
Número de operações mecanizadas na colheita do café
Authors: Santinato Felipe , Ruas Renato Adriane Alves , Silva Rouverson Pereira da , Carvalho Filho Alberto , Santinato Roberto
Published: August 2015

A realização de mais de uma operação da colhedora de café pode aumentar a eficiência de colheita dos frutos, minimizando a quantidade de café remanescente nas plantas e a necessidade de repasse manual. O repasse manual comumente encarece o processo de produção e promove maiores danos às plantas em relação à colheita mecanizada. Entretanto, deve-se conhecer qual número de operações da colhedora é necessário para derriçar completamente os frutos dos cafeeiros, em lavouras que apresentem diferentes cargas produtivas, notadamente as de cargas mais elevadas, por apresentarem maior dificuldade em serem totalmente colhidas. Portanto, objetivou-se, com este trabalho, avaliar o número de operações da colhedora, em duas lavouras de café, para uma colheita eficiente. Foram comparadas duas situações: lavoura com carga intermediária (50,78 sacas de café ben ha-1)e lavoura com carga alta (121,54 sacas de café ben ha-1), na região do Cerrado Mineiro, utilizando de uma a seis operações de uma colhedora KTR. Utilizou-se delineamento de blocos ao acaso e quatro repetições. Avaliou-se a quantidade de café caído, remanescente, colhido e eficiência de colheita. Obteve-se que, para que a quantidade de café remanescente nas plantas seja suficiente para dispensar o repasse manual, são necessárias três operações da colhedora de café em cargas elevadas e duas em cargas intermediárias. Independentemente da carga de café, utilizar três ou mais operações da colhedora colhe maior quantidade de frutos, no entanto, sem diferir quanto à eficiência de colheita da colheita com duas operações