bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Outcomes after Binocular Implantation of a New Trifocal Diffractive Intraocular Lens
Authors: Kretz Florian T. A. , Breyer Detlev , Diakonis Vasilios F. , Klabe Karsten , Henke Franziska , Auffarth Gerd U. , Kaymak Hakan
Published: August 2015

Purpose.To evaluate visual, refractive, and contrast sensitivity outcomes, as well as the incidence of pseudophakic photic phenomena and patient satisfaction after bilateral diffractive trifocal intraocular lens (IOL) implantation.Methods. This prospective nonrandomized study included consecutive patients undergoing cataract surgery with bilateral implantation of a diffractive trifocal IOL (AT LISA tri 839MP, Carl Zeiss Meditec). Distance, intermediate, and near visual outcomes were evaluated as well as the defocus curve and the refractive outcomes 3 months after surgery. Photopic and mesopic contrast sensitivity, patient satisfaction, and halo perception were also evaluated.Results.Seventy-six eyes of 38 patients were included; 90% of eyes showed a spherical equivalent within ±0.50 diopters 3 months after surgery. All patients had a binocular uncorrected distance visual acuity of 0.00 LogMAR or better and a binocular uncorrected intermediate visual acuity of 0.10 LogMAR or better, 3 months after surgery. Furthermore, 85% of patients achieved a binocular uncorrected near visual acuity of 0.10 LogMAR or better.Conclusions.Trifocal diffractive IOL implantation seems to provide an effective restoration of visual function for far, intermediate, and near distances, providing high levels of visual quality and patient satisfaction.
Polydatin Alleviates Small Intestine Injury during Hemorrhagic Shock as a SIRT1 Activator
Authors: Zeng Zhenhua , Chen Zhongqing , Xu Siqi , Song Rui , Yang Hong , Zhao Ke-seng
Published: August 2015

Objective. To evaluate the role of SIRT1 in small intestine damage following severe hemorrhagic shock and to investigate whether polydatin (PD) can activate SIRT1 in shock treatment.Research Design and Methods. The severe hemorrhagic shock model was reproduced in Sprague Dawley rats.Main Outcome Measures. Two hours after drug administration, half of the rats were assessed for survival time evaluation and the remainder were used for small intestinal tissue sample collection.Results. Bleeding and swelling appeared in the small intestine with epithelial apoptosis and gut barrier disturbance during hemorrhagic shock. SIRT1 activity and PGC-1αprotein expression of the small intestine were decreased, which led to an increase in acetylated SOD2 and decreases in the expression and activity of SOD2, resulting in severe oxidative stress. The decreased SIRT1 activity and expression were partially restored in the PD administration group, which showed reduced intestine injury and longer survival time. Notably, the effect of PD was abolished after the addition of Ex527, a selective inhibitor of SIRT1.Conclusions. The results collectively suggest a role for the SIRT1-PGC-1α-SOD2 axis in small intestine injury following severe hemorrhagic shock and that PD is an effective SIRT1 activator for the shock treatment.
Development of an Inexpensive Sensor Network for Recognition of Sitting Posture
Authors: Barba Ricardo , de Madrid Ángel P. , Boticario Jesús G.
Published: August 2015

The aim of this work is the development of a network of wireless devices to determine, along with a time-stamp, postural changes of users that are to be used in personalized learning environments. For this purpose, we have designed a basic low-cost pressure sensor that can be built from components easily available. Several of these basic sensors (of sizes and shapes chosen specifically for the task) are integrated into a posture sensor cushion, which is electronically controlled by an Arduino microcontroller board. This accounts for experiments involving either a single cushion to be used by an individual end-user setting approach or classroom approaches where several of these cushions make up a sensor network via ZigBee wireless connections. The system thus formed is an excellent alternative to other more expensive commercial systems and provides a low-cost, easy-to-use, portable, scalable, autonomous, flexible solution with free hardware and software, which can be integrated with other sensing devices into a larger affect detection system, customizable to cope with postural changes at required time intervals and support single and collective oriented experimentation approaches.
Fabrication and Evaluation of Polycaprolactone/Gelatin‐Based Electrospun Nanofibers with Antibacterial Properties
Authors: Chong Lor Huai , Lim Mim Mim , Sultana Naznin
Published: August 2015

Nanofibrous scaffolds were fabricated through blending of a synthetic polymer, polycaprolactone (PCL), and a natural polymer, gelatin (GE), using an electrospinning technique. Processing and solution parameters were optimized to determine the suitable properties of PCL/GE‐based nanofibers. Several characterizations were conducted to determine surface morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), wettability using water contact angle measurement, and chemical bonding analysis using attenuated total reflectance (ATR) of PCL/GE‐based nanofibers. Experimental results showed that 14% (w/v) PCL/GE with a flow rate of 0.5 mL/h and 18 kV demonstrated suitable properties. This nanofiber was then further investigated for its in vitro degradation, drug loading (using a model drug, tetracycline hydrochloride), and antibacterial testing (using zone inhibition method).
Unexpected Abscess Localization of the Anterior Abdominal Wall in an ADPKD Patient Undergoing Hemodialysis
Authors: Sabanis Nikos , Paschou Eleni , Gavriilaki Eleni , Mourounoglou Maria , Vasileiou Sotirios
Published: August 2015

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is one of the most common monogenic disorders and the leading inheritable cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide. Cystic and noncystic extrarenal manifestations are correlated with variable clinical presentations so that an inherited disorder is now considered a systemic disease. Kidney and liver cystic infections are the most common infectious complications in ADPKD patients. Furthermore, it is well known that ADPKD is commonly associated with colonic diverticular disease which recently has been reported to be linked to increased risk of infection on hemodialysis patients. Herein, we present a case of anterior abdominal wall abscess caused byEnterococcus faecalisin a patient with ADPKD undergoing hemodialysis. Although the precise pathway of infection remains uncertain, the previous medical history as well as the clinical course of our patient led us to hypothesize an alternative route of infection from the gastrointestinal tract through an aberrant intestinal barrier into the bloodstream and eventually to an atypical location.
VR23: A Quinoline–Sulfonyl Hybrid Proteasome Inhibitor That Selectively Kills Cancer via Cyclin E–Mediated Centrosome Amplification
Authors: Pundir Sheetal , Vu Hai-Yen , Solomon V. Raja , McClure Rebecca , Lee Hoyun
Published: August 2015

The proteasome is clinically validated as a target for cancer therapeutics. However, proteasome-inhibitory agents that are cancer selective have yet to be developed. In this study, we report the identification of a safe and effective proteasome inhibitor with selective anticancer properties. We screened a chemical library constructed using a hybrid approach that incorporated a 4-piperazinylquinoline scaffold and a sulfonyl phamarcophore. From this library, we identified 7-chloro-4-(4-(2,4-dinitrophenylsulfonyl)piperazin-1-yl)quinoline (VR23) as a small molecule that potently inhibited the activities of trypsin-like proteasomes (IC50 = 1 nmol/L), chymotrypsin-like proteasomes (IC50 = 50–100 nmol/L), and caspase-like proteasomes (IC50 = 3 μmol/L). Data from molecular docking and substrate competition assays established that the primary molecular target of VR23 was β2 of the 20S proteasome catalytic subunit. Notably, VR23 was structurally distinct from other known proteasome inhibitors and selectively killed cancer cells by apoptosis, with little effect on noncancerous cells. Mechanistic investigations showed that cancer cells exposed to VR23 underwent an abnormal centrosome amplification cycle caused by the accumulation of ubiquitinated cyclin E. In combinations with the clinically approved chymotrypsin-like proteasome inhibitor bortezomib, VR23 produced a synergistic effect in killing multiple myeloma cells, including those that were resistant to bortezomib. VR23 was effective in vivo in controlling multiple myelomas and metastatic breast cancer cells, in the latter case also enhancing the antitumor activity of paclitaxel while reducing its side effects. Overall, our results identify VR23 as a structurally novel proteasome inhibitor with desirable properties as an anticancer agent. Cancer Res; 75(19); 4164–75. ©2015 AACR.
Identification of a Three-Biomarker Panel in Urine for Early Detection of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Radon Tomasz P. , Massat Nathalie J. , Jones Richard , Alrawashdeh Wasfi , Dumartin Laurent , Ennis Darren , Duffy Stephen W. , Kocher Hemant M. , Pereira Stephen P. , Guarner (posthumous) Luisa , Murta-Nascimento Cristiane , Real Francisco X. , Malats Núria , Neoptolemos John , Costello Eithne , Greenhalf William , Lemoine Nick R. , Crnogorac-Jurcevic Tatjana
Published: August 2015

Purpose: Noninvasive biomarkers for early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are currently not available. Here, we aimed to identify a set of urine proteins able to distinguish patients with early-stage PDAC from healthy individuals.

Experimental design: Proteomes of 18 urine samples from healthy controls, chronic pancreatitis, and patients with PDAC (six/group) were assayed using GeLC/MS/MS analysis. The selected biomarkers were subsequently validated with ELISA assays using multiple logistic regression applied to a training dataset in a multicenter cohort comprising 488 urine samples.

Results: LYVE-1, REG1A, and TFF1 were selected as candidate biomarkers. When comparing PDAC (n = 192) with healthy (n = 87) urine specimens, the resulting areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves (AUC) of the panel were 0.89 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.84–0.94] in the training (70% of the data) and 0.92 (95% CI, 0.86–0.98) in the validation (30% of the data) datasets. When comparing PDAC stage I–II (n = 71) with healthy urine specimens, the panel achieved AUCs of 0.90 (95% CI, 0.84–0.96) and 0.93 (95% CI, 0.84–1.00) in the training and validation datasets, respectively. In PDAC stage I–II and healthy samples with matching plasma CA19.9, the panel achieved a higher AUC of 0.97 (95% CI, 0.94–0.99) than CA19.9 (AUC = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.81–0.95, P = 0.005). Adding plasma CA19.9 to the panel increased the AUC from 0.97 (95% CI, 0.94–0.99) to 0.99 (95% CI, 0.97–1.00, P = 0.04), but did not improve the comparison of stage I–IIA PDAC (n = 17) with healthy urine.

Conclusions: We have established a novel, three-protein biomarker panel that is able to detect patients with early-stage pancreatic cancer in urine specimens. Clin Cancer Res; 21(15); 3512–21. ©2015 AACR.
Photorefractive Keratectomy in Keratoconus
Authors: Tambe Deepali Sandeep , Ivarsen Anders , Hjortdal Jesper
Published: August 2015

Purpose: To assess the efficacy and safety of topography-guided photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for keratoconus and to estimate the subsequent risk of progression. Methods: This is a retrospective follow-up study. Between 1998 and 2013, 28 eyes of 23 patients (age 17-60) with grade 1-3 keratoconus received topography-guided PRK. Corrected-distance visual acuity (CDVA), keratometry, pachymetry, and corneal topography were assessed before, after 3 months, and at a late follow-up of a median of 7 years after the procedure. Postoperative complications including subsequent keratoplasty were noted. Results: Of the 28 eyes, 5 (18%) had undergone corneal transplantation at a median of 7 years (range 3-10) after PRK. Four eyes were not available for follow-up. In the remaining 19 eyes, CDVA was improved in 16 eyes (84.3%), reduced in 2 eyes (10.5%), and unchanged in 1 eye (5.2%). Thus, average CDVA had improved from 0.49 logMAR before PRK to 0.27 logMAR at 3 months, and to 0.24 at the long-term follow-up. The mean spherical equivalent was reduced from -6.2 to -3.7 dpt after 3 months and to -2.1 dpt at the late follow-up. Similarly, the mean cylinder was reduced from -4.2 to -3.0 dpt after 3 months and at the late follow-up. Conclusion: Topography-guided PRK in keratoconus may be effective for reducing myopia and astigmatism and may offer a temporary or permanent alternative to keratoplasty in contact lens-intolerant keratoconus. In the present study, we found a low risk of keratoconus progression after PRK.
Aberrant Placental Villus Expression of miR-486-3p and miR-3074-5p in Recurrent Miscarriage Patients and Uterine Expression of These MicroRNAs during Early Pregnancy in Mice
Authors: Gu Yan , Zhang Xuan , Yang Qian , Wang Jianmei , He Yaping , Sun Zhaogui , Zhang Huiqin , Wang Jian
Published: August 2015

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are critical regulators of gene expression; they have emerged as new players in the pathophysiology of reproductive disorders such as preeclampsia and recurrent miscarriage (RM). In this study, miRNA expression profiles were determined by deep sequencing analysis in placental villi obtained from women with RM and with gestational age-matched normal pregnancy (NP). A total of 69 miRNAs were found to be aberrantly expressed in RM. Five of these human (Homo sapiens) miRNAs (hsa-miRNAs), including hsa-miR-3074-5p, -486-3p, -1269b, -6765-3p and -144-3p, were validated by qRT-PCR in 12 RM and 10 NP placental villi. Hsa-miR-3074-5p expression was significantly higher, while hsa-miR-486-3p expression was significantly lower, in RM compared to NP. Subsequently, the expression of mouse (Mus musculus) miR-486-3p (mmu-miR-486-3p) and mmu-miR-3074-5p, which are identical to hsa-miR-486-3p and hsa-miR-3074-5p, respectively, were examined by qRT-PCR in the uterus during early pregnancy. Mmu-miR-486-3p expression was significantly increased during the peri-implantation period, and the levels were significantly higher at implantation than at non-implantation sites. In contrast, the expression of mmu-miR-3074-5p was markedly decreased at implantation compared to non-implantation sites. These data suggest that miR-486-3p and miR-3074-5p may be involved in embryo implantation and that their aberrant expression is associated with RM. Larger studies are warranted to follow up this pilot study.
Novel Prokinetic Acotiamide Reduces Transient Lower Esophageal Sphincter Relaxation in Healthy Subjects
Authors: Yamashita Hiroshi , Kanamori Atsushi , Fukuchi Takumi , Tsujimae Masahiro , Koizumi Akio , Iwatsubo Taro , Koyama Shintaro , Eguchi Takaaki , Ubukata Satoshi , Fujita Mikio , Okada Akihiko
Published: August 2015

Background/Aims: Currently, there is no study evaluating the effect of acotiamide on transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations (TLESRs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of acotiamide on TLESRs using simultaneous high-resolution manometry (HRM) and impedance-pH monitoring. Methods: Ten healthy subjects were enrolled. On day 1, subjects underwent HRM and impedance-pH recordings as a baseline. Subjects ate a 750-kcal liquid meal; recording was continued for 2 h while the subjects were in a sitting position. After the administration of acotiamide 100 mg three times a day for 1 week, subjects underwent HRM and impedance-pH recording under the same protocol. Results: A total of 208 TLESRs were identified at baseline. Acotiamide decreased the total number of TLESRs from 208 to 143 (p < 0.05). The rate of reflux events during TLESRs after acotiamide administration was similar to that at baseline (57% after acotiamide vs. 58% at baseline). Bolus clearance time was significantly reduced by acotiamide. Conclusions: Acotiamide was believed to have the potential for reducing TLESRs and for enhancing esophageal bolus clearance in healthy volunteers. Future research is needed to determine whether the effects of acotiamide that reduce TLESRs and enhance esophageal motility could improve symptoms in patients with refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Metastatic Prostatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Successfully Treated with Docetaxel Chemotherapy: A Case Report
Authors: Fujiwara Ryo , Kageyama Susumu , Tomita Keiji , Hanada Eiki , Tsuru Teruhiko , Yoshida Tetsuya , Narita Mitsuhiro , Isono Takahiro , Kawauchi Akihiro
Published: August 2015

A 68-year-old man presented with gross hematuria. A papillary urethral tumor adjacent to the verumontanum was found by cystourethroscopy. Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was 3.246 ng/ml. A transurethral biopsy specimen was most suggestive of a primary urothelial carcinoma of the prostate, for which a radical cystoprostatectomy was performed. The final pathology was prostatic ductal adenocarcinoma with very focal acinar features (Gleason score 5 + 4 = 9, pT3bN0M0). Local recurrence and pelvic bone metastases developed 17 months later, and his PSA rose to 10.806 ng/ml. He was treated with combined androgen blockade and radiation. Two years later, the lesion showed progressive growth. Treatment followed with docetaxel (70 mg/m2 every 3 weeks) and prednisolone 5 mg twice daily. After 10 cycles of chemotherapy, all lesions disappeared and PSA decreased to <0.005 ng/ml. Three years after chemotherapy, he maintains a complete response without any additional treatments. Docetaxel chemotherapy can be an effective treatment for patients with recurrent prostatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Tenascin-C May Accelerate Cardiac Fibrosis by Activating Macrophages via the Integrin αVβ3/Nuclear Factor–κB/Interleukin-6 Axis
Authors: Shimojo Naoshi , Hashizume Ryotaro , Kanayama Kazuki , Hara Mari , Suzuki Yuka , Nishioka Tomohiro , Hiroe Michiaki , Yoshida Toshimichi , Imanaka-Yoshida Kyoko
Published: August 2015

Tenascin-C (TN-C) is an extracellular matrix protein not detected in normal adult heart, but expressed in several heart diseases closely associated with inflammation. Accumulating data suggest that TN-C may play a significant role in progression of ventricular remodeling. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the role of TN-C in hypertensive cardiac fibrosis and underlying molecular mechanisms. Angiotensin II was administered to wild-type and TN-C knockout mice for 4 weeks. In wild-type mice, the treatment induced increase of collagen fibers and accumulation of macrophages in perivascular areas associated with deposition of TN-C and upregulated the expression levels of interleukin-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 as compared with wild-type/control mice. These changes were significantly reduced in TN-C knockout/angiotensin II mice. In vitro, TN-C accelerated macrophage migration and induced accumulation of integrin αVβ3 in focal adhesions, with phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and Src. TN-C treatment also induced nuclear translocation of phospho-NF-κB and upregulated interleukin-6 expression of macrophages in an NF-κB–dependent manner; this being suppressed by inhibitors for integrin αVβ3 and Src. Furthermore, interleukin-6 upregulated expression of collagen I by cardiac fibroblasts. TN-C may enhance inflammatory responses by accelerating macrophage migration and synthesis of proinflammatory/profibrotic cytokines via integrin αVβ3/FAK-Src/NF-κB, resulting in increased fibrosis.
Does Teacher Evaluation Improve School Performance? Experimental Evidence from Chicago's Excellence in Teaching Project
Authors: Steinberg Matthew P. , Sartain Lauren
Published: August 2015

Chicago Public Schools initiated the Excellence in Teaching Project, a teacher evaluation program designed to increase student learning by improving classroom instruction through structured principal–teacher dialogue. The pilot began in forty-four elementary schools in 2008–09 (cohort 1) and scaled up to include an additional forty-eight elementary schools in 2009–10 (cohort 2). Leveraging the experimental design of the rollout, cohort 1 schools performed better in reading and math than cohort 2 schools at the end of the first year, though the math effects are not statistically significant. We find the initial improvement for cohort 1 schools remains even after cohort 2 schools adopted the program. Moreover, the pilot differentially impacted schools with different characteristics. Higher-achieving and lower-poverty schools were the primary beneficiaries, suggesting the intervention was most successful in more advantaged schools. These findings are relevant for policy makers and school leaders who are implementing evaluation systems that incorporate classroom observations.
Vestibular–Somatosensory Interactions: A Mechanism in Search of a Function?
Authors: Ferrè Elisa Raffaella , Haggard Patrick
Published: August 2015

No unimodal vestibular cortex has been identified in the human brain. Rather, vestibular inputs are strongly integrated with signals from other sensory modalities, such as vision, touch and proprioception. This convergence could reflect an important mechanism for maintaining a perception of the body, including individual body parts, relative to the rest of the environment. Neuroimaging, electrophysiological and psychophysical studies showed evidence for multisensory interactions between vestibular and somatosensory signals. However, no convincing overall theoretical framework has been proposed for vestibular–somatosensory interactions, and it remains unclear whether such percepts are by-products of neural convergence, or a functional multimodal integration. Here we review the current literature on vestibular–multisensory interactions in order to develop a framework for understanding the functions of such multimodal interaction. We propose that the target of vestibular–somatosensory interactions is a form of self-representation.
Out-of-Body Experiences and Other Complex Dissociation Experiences in a Patient with Unilateral Peripheral Vestibular Damage and Deficient Multisensory Integration
Authors: Kaliuzhna Mariia , Vibert Dominique , Grivaz Petr , Blanke Olaf
Published: August 2015

Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) are illusory perceptions of one’s body from an elevated disembodied perspective. Recent theories postulate a double disintegration process in the personal (visual, proprioceptive and tactile disintegration) and extrapersonal (visual and vestibular disintegration) space as the basis of OBEs. Here we describe a case which corroborates and extends this hypothesis. The patient suffered from peripheral vestibular damage and presented with OBEs and lucid dreams. Analysis of the patient’s behaviour revealed a failure of visuo-vestibular integration and abnormal sensitivity to visuo-tactile conflicts that have previously been shown to experimentally induce out-of-body illusions (in healthy subjects). In light of these experimental findings and the patient’s symptomatology we extend an earlier model of the role of vestibular signals in OBEs. Our results advocate the involvement of subcortical bodily mechanisms in the occurrence of OBEs.
Taxonomic novelties in Plantago section Virginica (Plantaginaceae) and an updated identification key
Authors: Hassemer Gustavo , Trevisan Rafael , Meudt Heidi , Rønsted Nina
Published: August 2015

This study raises two rather poorly understood subspecies to the rank of species, and revalidates two subspecies in Plantago (Plantaginaceae) section Virginica. Plantago napiformis, formerly P. tomentosa subsp. napiformis, is an uncommon species from grasslands in northeastern Argentina, southern Paraguay and southern Brazil. Plantago pretoana, formerly P. australis subsp. pretoana, is a rare species, endemic to high-elevation bogs in two small areas in southern Brazil: Serra do Itatiaia, and around Lagoa Dourada. Plantago australis subsp. angustifolia and P. australis subsp. hirtella have been recently synonymised under P. australis subsp. australis, but we present evidence here for the revalidation of these two subspecies. We also revise the distribution of P. australis subsp. angustifolia, greatly reducing it, and expand the distribution of P. australis subsp. australis. Finally, we provide an updated identification key to all 22 Plantago species and subspecies in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and northeastern Argentina.
Molecular phylogeny of Niphargus boskovici (Crustacea: Amphipoda) reveals a new species from epikarst
Authors: ŠVARA VID , DELIĆ TEO , RAĐA TONĆI , FIŠER CENE
Published: August 2015

We describe a new species of an amphipod Niphargus zagorae sp. n. and redescribe its nearest relative and morphologically similar species N. boskovici S. Karaman, 1952. We present the geographic distributions of both species, morphological diagnoses and infer their phylogenetic position within the genus based on COI, 28S and H3 markers.
Wpływ języka rosyjskiego na zasób leksykalny polskiej gwary mieszkańców Wierszyny na Syberii
Authors: Paśko-Koneczniak Dorota
Published: August 2015

The influence of the Russian language on the vocabulary in the Polish dialect of the inhabitants of Vershina in SiberiaVershina is a Polish village in Siberia. It is situated 130 kilometres north of Irkutsk. The village was founded by the Polish settlers in 1910, and it was part of the planned voluntary colonisation of Siberia. The colonisers came from the territory that had formerly been annexed to Russia, namely Zagłębie and Małopolska. The inhabitants of Vershina are a bilingual community: they use the Polish dialect and the Russian language interchangeably, depending on the communicative context. The dialect in question is a unique insular dialect, as many inhabitants of Vershina are in contact with the Polish educated language, thanks to their visits to Poland. Some have even graduated from Polish universities. The interaction between the Polish dialect and the Russian language leads to the process of linguistic interference, which is noticeable especially in the sphere of vocabulary. The lexicon is the fastest-changing element of the language. With the appearance of new aspects of reality, there come into being new designations. The influence of the Russian language on the Polish dialect is equated with a variety of distinct phenomena. In the dialect studied there are a lot of borrowings, calques and hybrids. The words borrowed include mainly the vocabulary connected with health, jobs and professions, technical advancement, as well as the Siberian and Soviet reality. Влияние русского языка на лексику польского говора жителей деревни Вершина в СибириВершина – польское село в Сибири, расположенное в 130 км к северу от Иркутска. Деревня была основана польскими переселенцами в 1910 году в рамках добровольного и планированного заселения Сибири. Колонизаторами были крестьяне из Королества Польского, входившего в состав Российской империи – из Силезского угольного бассейна и Малой Польши. Жители Вершины являются билингвами и употребляют польский говор и русский язык попеременно, в зависимости от коммуникативной ситуации. Говор Вершины представляет собой особенный тип говора, так как многие жители этой деревни имеют контакт с польским литературным языком благодаря поездкам в Польшу и учёбе. (Некоторые даже получили в Польше высшее образование). При контакте польского говора с русским языком наблюдается интерференция, прежде всего в лексике. Лексика подвергается самым бы стрым изменениям. Недостающие в польском речевом обиходе слова жители Вершины компенсируют русскими. Это влияние представлено разнообразными языковыми явлениями (заимствованиями, калькированием, образованием, гибридов и т. п.). Заимствования чаще всего касаются сферы сибирской и советской действительности, техники, а также названий, связанных со здоровьем, и названий профессий.
Analiza semantyczna przewisk staroobrzędowców z okolic Augustowa i Suwałk
Authors: Ziółkowska Magdalena
Published: August 2015

The semantic analysis of nicknames of Old Believers’ from Augustów and Suwalki regionsThe Old Believers settled down in North-Eastern Poland in the second half of the 18th century. They were living in hermetic, homogenous communities. This protected their culture from strong exterior influence. Nowadays, after a number of civilizing transformations, the isolation practically disappeared making the Old Believers’ culture defenceless against influence of dominant Polish culture. Together with all that changes the Old Believers’ anthroponymy has been transformed. Nicknames used to be were very popular in Old Believers’ community. Giving nicknames is still a living only in villages Gabowe Grądy and Bór. The most numerous group are nicknames motivated by appellatives that define external inner features, temperament and habits. These names reflect the objective knowledge of the nickname makers and they are expressed by concrete vocabulary. Семантический анализ прозвищ у старообрядцев из окрестностей городов Августов и СувалкиСтароверы появились на территории современной Польши в конце XVIII столетия. Они прибыли сюда из окрестностей Великие Луки и принесли с собой часть культурного наследия той территории, также язык и антропонимическую систему. Прозвища староверов представляют собой интерес с точки зрения их происхождения. Некоторые из них образованы от диалектных слов. Многие имеют свои эквиваленты как в русском, так и в польском языках, что является доказательством параллельного функционирования в их группе двух языков и двух культур в их обществе. До второй мировой войны прозвища были распространены среди старообрядцев, проживающих в разных местах их проживания в Польше. В настоящее время они популярны лишь в деревнях Габове Гронды и Бур, поскольку только здесь старообрядцы проживают в компактной среде. В речи старообрядцев встречаем несколько видов прозвищ: прозвища, образованные от аппелятивов, прозвища – цитаты, прозвища, образованные от имён собственных.
How Has Subtropical Stratocumulus and Associated Meteorology Changed since the 1980s?*
Authors: Seethala C. , Norris Joel R. , Myers Timothy A.
Published: August 2015

The importance of low-level cloud feedbacks to climate sensitivity motivates an investigation of how low-level cloud amount and related meteorological conditions have changed in recent decades in subtropical stratocumulus regions. Using satellite cloud datasets corrected for inhomogeneities, it is found that during 1984–2009 low-level cloud amount substantially increased over the northeastern Pacific, southeastern Pacific, and southeastern Atlantic; decreased over the northeastern Atlantic; and weakly increased over the southeastern Indian Ocean subtropical stratocumulus regions. Examination of meteorological parameters from four reanalyses indicates that positive trends in low-level cloud amount are associated with cooler sea surface temperature, greater inversion strength, and enhanced cold-air advection. The converse holds for negative trends in low-level cloud amount. A multilinear regression model based on these three meteorological variables reproduces the sign and magnitude of observed cloud amount trends in all stratocumulus regions within the range of observational uncertainty. Changes in inversion strength have the largest independent effect on cloud trends, followed by changes in advection strength. Changes in sea surface temperature have the smallest independent effect on cloud trends. Differing signs of cloud trends and differing contributions from meteorological parameters suggest that observed changes in subtropical stratocumulus since the 1980s may be due to natural variability rather than a systematic response to climate change.
A Hydrometeor Classification Method for X-Band Polarimetric Radar: Construction and Validation Focusing on Solid Hydrometeors under Moist Environments
Authors: Kouketsu Takeharu , Uyeda Hiroshi , Ohigashi Tadayasu , Oue Mariko , Takeuchi Hiroto , Shinoda Taro , Tsuboki Kazuhisa , Kubo Mamoru , Muramoto Ken-ichiro
Published: August 2015

A fuzzy-logic-based hydrometeor classification (HC) method for X-band polarimetric radar (X-pol), which is suitable for observation of solid hydrometeors under moist environments producing little or no hail, is constructed and validated. This HC method identifies the most likely hydrometeor at each radar sampling volume from eight categories: 1) drizzle, 2) rain, 3) wet snow aggregates, 4) dry snow aggregates, 5) ice crystals, 6) dry graupel, 7) wet graupel, and 8) rain–hail mixture. Membership functions are defined on the basis of previous studies. The HC method uses radar reflectivity Zh, differential reflectivity Zdr, specific differential phase Kdp, and correlation coefficient ρhv as its main inputs, and temperature with some consideration of relative humidity as supplemental information. The method is validated against ground and in situ observations of solid hydrometeors (dry graupel, dry snow aggregates, and ice crystals) under a moist environment. Observational data from a ground-based imaging system are used to validate the HC method for dry graupel and dry snow aggregates. For dry snow aggregates and ice crystals, the HC method is validated using simultaneous observations from a balloonborne instrument [hydrometeor videosonde (HYVIS)] and an X-pol range–height indicator directed toward the HYVIS. The HC method distinguishes effectively between dry graupel, dry snow aggregates, and ice crystals, and is therefore valid for HC under moist environments.
Extending the Square Root Method to Account for Additive Forecast Noise in Ensemble Methods
Authors: Raanes Patrick Nima , Carrassi Alberto , Bertino Laurent
Published: August 2015

A square root approach is considered for the problem of accounting for model noise in the forecast step of the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) and related algorithms. The primary aim is to replace the method of simulated, pseudo-random additive so as to eliminate the associated sampling errors. The core method is based on the analysis step of ensemble square root filters, and consists in the deterministic computation of a transform matrix. The theoretical advantages regarding dynamical consistency are surveyed, applying equally well to the square root method in the analysis step. A fundamental problem due to the limited size of the ensemble subspace is discussed, and novel solutions that complement the core method are suggested and studied. Benchmarks from twin experiments with simple, low-order dynamics indicate improved performance over standard approaches such as additive, simulated noise, and multiplicative inflation.
Evaluation of a Probabilistic Forecasting Methodology for Severe Convective Weather in the 2014 Hazardous Weather Testbed
Authors: Karstens Christopher D. , Stumpf Greg , Ling Chen , Hua Lesheng , Kingfield Darrel , Smith Travis M. , Correia James , Calhoun Kristin , Ortega Kiel , Melick Chris , Rothfusz Lans P.
Published: August 2015

A proposed new method for hazard identification and prediction was evaluated with forecasters in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hazardous Weather Testbed during 2014. This method combines hazard-following objects with forecaster-issued trends of exceedance probabilities to produce probabilistic hazard information, as opposed to the static, deterministic polygon and attendant text product methodology presently employed by the National Weather Service to issue severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings. Three components of the test bed activities are discussed: usage of the new tools, verification of storm-based warnings and probabilistic forecasts from a control–test experiment, and subjective feedback on the proposed paradigm change. Forecasters were able to quickly adapt to the new tools and concepts and ultimately produced probabilistic hazard information in a timely manner. The probabilistic forecasts from two severe hail events tested in a control–test experiment were more skillful than storm-based warnings and were found to have reliability in the low-probability spectrum. False alarm area decreased while the traditional verification metrics degraded with increasing probability thresholds. The latter finding is attributable to a limitation in applying the current verification methodology to probabilistic forecasts. Relaxation of on-the-fence decisions exposed a need to provide information for hazard areas below the decision-point thresholds of current warnings. Automated guidance information was helpful in combating potential workload issues, and forecasters raised a need for improved guidance and training to inform consistent and reliable forecasts.
Preprocedural Albumin Levels and Risk of In-Stent Restenosis After Coronary Stenting With Bare-Metal Stent
Authors: Celik Ibrahim Etem , Yarlioglues Mikail , Kurtul Alparslan , Duran Mustafa , Koseoglu Cemal , Oksuz Fatih , Aksoy Ozlem , Murat Sani Namik
Published: August 2015

In-stent restenosis (ISR) remains a significant clinical problem in patients with coronary artery disease treated with percutaneous coronary intervention. Decreased serum albumin (SA) level is related to an increased risk of cardiovascular events. The aim of the present study was to assess whether SA levels at admission are an independent predictor of ISR in patients undergoing bare-metal stent (BMS) implantation. A total of 341 patients (aged 61 ± 11, 65.4% men) with a history of BMS implantation and a further control coronary angiography due to stable angina pectoris (SAP) were included. The study population was classified into 2 groups: patients with and without ISR. The ISR was observed in 140 (41.1%) patients. We found significantly lower SA levels in patients who developed ISR than in those who did not (3.69 ± 0.41 vs 4.07 ± 0.35 mg/dL, P < .001). Multivariate analysis revealed that SA level (odds ratio 0.109, 95% confidence interval 0.017-0.700, P = .020), stent diameter, reason for stent implantation, and body mass index were independent risk factors for the development of ISR. The SA level at admission is inversely associated with ISR in patients with SAP.
Neural substrates of risky decision making in individuals with Internet addiction
Authors: Seok Ji-Woo , Lee Kyung Hwa , Sohn Sunju , Sohn Jin-Hun
Published: August 2015

Objective:

With the wide and rapid expansion of computers and smartphones, Internet use has become an essential part of life and an important tool that serves various purposes. Despite the advantages of Internet use, psychological and behavioral problems, including Internet addiction, have been reported. In response to growing concern, researchers have focused on the characteristics of Internet addicts. However, relatively little is known about the behavioral and neural mechanisms that underlie Internet addiction, especially with respect to risky decision making, which is an important domain frequently reported in other types of addictions.

Method:

To examine the neural characteristics of decision making in Internet addicts, Internet addicts and healthy controls were scanned while they performed a financial decision-making task.

Results:

Relative to healthy controls, Internet addicts showed (1) more frequent risky decision making; (2) greater activation in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and the left caudate nucleus, which are brain regions involved in conflict monitoring and reward, respectively; and (3) less activation in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, an area associated with cognitive control/regulation.

Conclusion:

These findings suggest that risky decision making may be an important behavioral characteristic of Internet addiction and that altered brain function in regions associated with conflict monitoring, reward and cognitive control/regulation might be critical biological risk factors for Internet addiction.
A Networked Boost: Burglary Co-Offending and Repeat Victimization Using a Network Approach
Authors: Lantz Brendan , Ruback R. Barry
Published: August 2015

Burglarized locations are at an elevated risk of re-victimization soon after an initial offense. The current study uses a two-mode network approach to examine three possible mechanisms of repeat victimization: (a) The characteristics of a location make the target attractive to all motivated offenders, (b) the same offender returns to the offense location multiple times, or (c) other offender(s), to whom the primary offender is connected, commit subsequent offenses. The results support all three mechanisms, but particularly the same offender returning for subsequent offenses. These “returners” are generally more experienced, more connected burglary offenders. Significantly, however, repeat victimizations not committed by the same offender(s) often involve connected co-offenders, a mechanism for repeat victimization that has not been previously demonstrated empirically.
How do young people in Cambodia perceive the impact of societal attitudes, media and religion on suicidal behaviour?
Authors: Jegannathan Bhoomikumar , Kullgren Gunnar , Dahlblom Kjerstin
Published: August 2015

Background:

Young people in low and middle income countries (LMICs) in societal transitions with rapidly changing norms face an increased risk of suicide. This study explores how young people in Cambodia understand the impact on suicidal behaviour from societal attitudes, media and religion.

Material:

Focus group discussions were held with school students from a suburban area. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data.

Discussion:

Participants perceived the prevailing suicide-stigmatizing societal attitudes, the double-edged media and suicide-ambiguity in Buddhist religion as challenging. Globalization was recognized as contradicting with traditional Cambodian norms and values.

Conclusion:

Suicide prevention programmes should take into consideration the complex picture of suicide that young people are exposed to.
Self-protection, Psychological Externalities, and the Social Dynamics of Fear
Authors: Antoci Angelo , Maccioni Alessandro Fiori , Sacco Pier Luigi , Sodini Mauro
Published: August 2015

We examine the social dynamics of crime by means of evolutionary game theory, and we model the choice of boundedly rational potential victims to privately self-protect against prospective offenders. Negative externalities from self-protection, as the socially transmitted fear of victimization, can influence the strategic choices of victims even with constant or declining crime rates, and this circumstance may lead to Pareto inefficient equilibria with excessive expenses for private protection. Providing higher levels of public security (or of appropriate social care) financed through discriminatory taxation of private defensive behaviors can prevent crime and reduce superfluous self-protection, thus driving the social dynamics toward a more efficient equilibrium. Public policy can therefore be effective in implementing the social optimum. This article extends previous work by Cressman, Morrison, and Wen by increasing the range of possible dynamics and the scope for public intervention. Consequently, in our model, public policy can deter crime and improve the welfare of victims by addressing the intangible aspects of crime, that is, the social dynamics of fear.
Romani Refugees and the Postwar Order
Authors: Joskowicz Ari
Published: August 2015

Scholarship on Romani (Gypsy) migration has typically focused either on longue durée patterns of persecution and marginalization or on Roma migrants within Europe since the fall of communism. This article shows how the westward migration of Roma after the Second World War and during the early years of the Cold War breaks with several common assumptions about the history of displaced persons, refugees, and Roma alike. Contrary to claims about unbroken continuities in the persecution of European Roma, in the immediate postwar years officers of the International Refugee Organization used ‘Gypsy' as a privileged category that improved an applicant’s changes of getting support from the organization. Internationalization thus offered a brief respite from discrimination for one of the only ethnic refugee groups without its own lobby. This situation changed by the 1950s, when national refugee administrations replaced the earlier international refugee regimes established in the wake of the war. Roma became an exception at a time when West European governments were accepting asylum-seekers from Eastern Europe as part of their ongoing Cold War propaganda efforts. In this period government officials concerned with protecting national interests reverted to earlier classifications of ‘Gypsies' as nomads who were, by definition, not refugees.
City deals, decentralisation and the governance of local infrastructure funding and financing in the UK
Authors: O'Brien Peter , Pike Andy
Published: August 2015

This article reflects upon a comparative analysis of the 28 ‘City Deals’ agreed between UK government, Scottish government and city-regional groupings in England and Scotland since 2011. The City Deals have sought to incentivise local actors to identify and prioritise ‘asks’ of UK and devolved governments, fund, finance and deliver infrastructure and other economic development interventions, and to reform city/city-region governance structures to ‘unlock’ urban growth. Our analysis is based upon 32 in-depth interviews with lead actors in the City Deals, including elected officials from local government, central government officials and policy specialists from think tanks, as well as a secondary literature review. We find that City Deals are reworking the role of the UK state internally and through changed central-local and intra-local (city-regional) relations. Regional and urban public policy is being recast as a process of deal-making founded upon territorial competition and negotiation between central national and local actors unequally endowed with information and resources, leading to highly imbalanced and inequitable outcomes across the UK. As a template for public policymaking in an emergent and decentralising context, deal-making raises substantive and unresolved issues for governance in the UK that are especially pertinent as the new Conservative government at Westminster pledges to widen and broaden this approach as a central component of its future devolution strategy and policy.
‘Right Taste, Wrong Place’: Local Food Cultures, (Dis)identification and the Formation of Classed Identity
Authors: Cappellini Benedetta , Parsons Elizabeth , Harman Vicki
Published: August 2015

This article investigates how culinary taste contributes to the formation of middle class identity in a working class context in the UK. We explore practices of food consumption among a group of individuals working at a UK university located in a working class city. We find a rather limited and discrepant cosmopolitanism, in which culinary practices are evaluated in terms of those worth engaging in, and those not worth engaging in, based on their ‘user friendliness’ for cosmopolitan middle class dispositions. Depictions of the local food culture as lacking are also dominant, used as a negative ground against which these dispositions are hierarchically formulated. Here middle class culinary tastes seem to be driven by disengagement with the wrong sort of place and a relatively closed alignment with the ‘proper’ and the ‘safe’ rather than by any open creative individuality.