bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Local Regeneration of Cortisol by 11β-HSD1 Contributes to Insulin Resistance of the Granulosa Cells in PCOS
Authors: Zhu Qinling , Zuo Rujuan , He Yaqiong , Wang Yuan , Chen Zi-jiang , Sun Yun , Sun Kang 
Published: March 2016

AbstractContext:Insulin resistance (IR) of the granulosa cells may account for the ovarian dysfunctions observed in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). The underlying mechanism remains largely unresolved.Objective:The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship of IR of the granulosa cells with cortisol in the follicular fluid and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (11β-HSD1 and -2) in the granulosa cells in PCOS.Design:Follicular fluid and granulosa cells were collected from non-PCOS and PCOS patients with and without IR to measure cortisol concentration and the amounts of 11β-HSD1 and -2, which were then correlated with IR status. The effects of cortisol on the expression of genes pertinent to IR were studied in cultured human granulosa cells.Results:Cortisol concentration in the follicular fluid, 11β-HSD1 but not 11β-HSD2 mRNA in the granulosa cells were significantly elevated in PCOS with IR. Increased reductase and decreased oxidase activities of 11β-HSD were observed in granulosa cells in PCOS with IR. In cultured granulosa cells, insulin-induced Akt phosphorylation was significantly attenuated by cortisol. Cortisol not only increased phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10, an inhibitor of Akt phosphorylation, but also 11β-HSD1 in the cells.Conclusions:Increased 11β-HSD1 expression and its reductase activity in granulosa cells are the major causes of increased cortisol concentration in the follicular fluid of PCOS with IR. The consequent excessive cortisol might contribute to IR of the granulosa cells in PCOS patients by attenuating Akt phosphorylation via induction of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 expression, which might be further exacerbated by the induction of 11β-HSD1.
Surface tension dominates insect flight on fluid interfaces
Authors: Mukundarajan Haripriya , Bardon Thibaut C. , Kim Dong Hyun , Prakash Manu 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT
Flight on the 2D air–water interface, with body weight supported by surface tension, is a unique locomotion strategy well adapted for the environmental niche on the surface of water. Although previously described in aquatic insects like stoneflies, the biomechanics of interfacial flight has never been analysed. Here, we report interfacial flight as an adapted behaviour in waterlily beetles (Galerucella nymphaeae) which are also dexterous airborne fliers. We present the first quantitative biomechanical model of interfacial flight in insects, uncovering an intricate interplay of capillary, aerodynamic and neuromuscular forces. We show that waterlily beetles use their tarsal claws to attach themselves to the interface, via a fluid contact line pinned at the claw. We investigate the kinematics of interfacial flight trajectories using high-speed imaging and construct a mathematical model describing the flight dynamics. Our results show that non-linear surface tension forces make interfacial flight energetically expensive compared with airborne flight at the relatively high speeds characteristic of waterlily beetles, and cause chaotic dynamics to arise naturally in these regimes. We identify the crucial roles of capillary–gravity wave drag and oscillatory surface tension forces which dominate interfacial flight, showing that the air–water interface presents a radically modified force landscape for flapping wing flight compared with air.
Does the physiology of chondrichthyan fishes constrain their distribution in the deep sea?
Authors: Treberg Jason R. , Speers-Roesch Ben 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACTThe deep sea is the largest ecosystem on Earth but organisms living there must contend with high pressure, low temperature, darkness and scarce food. Chondrichthyan fishes (sharks and their relatives) are important consumers in most marine ecosystems but are uncommon deeper than 3000 m and exceedingly rare, or quite possibly absent, from the vast abyss (depths &gt;4000 m). By contrast, teleost (bony) fishes are commonly found to depths of ∼8400 m. Why chondrichthyans are scarce at abyssal depths is a major biogeographical puzzle. Here, after outlining the depth-related physiological trends among chondrichthyans, we discuss several existing and new hypotheses that implicate unique physiological and biochemical characteristics of chondrichthyans as potential constraints on their depth distribution. We highlight three major, and not mutually exclusive, working hypotheses: (1) the urea-based osmoregulatory strategy of chondrichthyans might conflict with the interactive effects of low temperature and high pressure on protein and membrane function at great depth; (2) the reliance on lipid accumulation for buoyancy in chondrichthyans has a unique energetic cost, which might increasingly limit growth and reproductive output as food availability decreases with depth; (3) their osmoregulatory strategy may make chondrichthyans unusually nitrogen limited, a potential liability in the food-poor abyss. These hypotheses acting in concert could help to explain the scarcity of chondrichthyans at great depths: the mechanisms of the first hypothesis may place an absolute, pressure-related depth limit on physiological function, while the mechanisms of the second and third hypotheses may limit depth distribution by constraining performance in the oligotrophic abyss, in ways that preclude the establishment of viable populations or lead to competitive exclusion by teleosts.
Students-Physicists Informative Foreign Language Reading E-Learning
Authors: Святкина  , Svyatkina E. 
Published: March 2016

The need of introduction the e-learning course “Academic skills” for the third
year students-physicists after their having completed a two-years compulsory
English course is substantiated in the article. The course contributes
to further communicative competence forming. It implies informative foreign
language reading skills development. This could allow engineering students
to better understand general and complex scientific notions while reading
articles on their future speciality. The author considers e-learning to be in
demand in our modern society and this form of getting education distantly is
regarded as most popular one successfully involved in educational milieu.
It is e-learning developed within INFOMEPHIST system based on Moodle
and having strong methodical, didactical and technical support that became
popular in National Research Nuclear University (Moscow Engineering
Physics Institute). The announced e-learning course is expected to be inserted
in the unique education environment of the University.
Assistance to foster families of outside organizations: current state and trends
Authors: Иванова Ольга , Ivanova Olga 
Published: March 2016

The article is devoted to the question of external assistance to foster families. While in an orphanage a child in
need of aid falls into the target audience of the activities of charities and other organizations. Orphanages are well
informed. There is a well-established system of interaction of orphanages with the guardianship and charitable
organizations. The hierarchy system of care for orphans allows, at the initiative of the teachers and administrative
staff, to cope with the problems associated with the pedagogical process in the child’s upbringing, with the status
of orphans residing at the institution. However, there may be problems in attracting external assistance: more
stringent are the requirements for those people who are willing to volunteer and work with children. When the child
releases into the foster care, his status changes, and foster parents are forced to decide difficult questions arise
concerning the health, education, further education, household needs, physical, psychological and socio-cultural
adaptation of the child. In blood family, the child is in the stages of preparation for independent living gradually.
Adoptive parents are forced into raising a child who already has social experience, and often negative. In the
public mind the question of assistance of various kinds, such a child is not as acute: there is a man who took upon
himself the authority of the care of the minor, this is his foster parent (foster parents). It is necessary to inform foster
parents about what funds are working with orphans; what is the target audience of the Fund, and how it can help
prepare a foster child for future life. In the article there is the possibility of application to various funds on solving
some of the problems, as well as for positive pedagogical effect of the process of obtaining external assistance. In
addition, the article provides an example of the activities of the Center foster families “Tenderness” in the village of
Vyritsa of the Leningrad region, which is a unique community of foster families, leading activities to foster children
and their preparation for future life through support.
«Great unidentified movement». Festivals in Volgograd as a tool of influence on the urban environment and development
Authors: Гафар Татьяна , Gafar Tatyana , Лисицкий Андрей , Lisitskiy Andrey 
Published: March 2016

The article discusses the concept of the festival as a form of organizing regional cultural life and a subject of
cultural policy in the region, the current state of development of culture of Volgograd region. The authors present
expert opinion on the work done on research of the festival movement in the Volgograd region of 80s – 90s of the
XX century and now days. They examine not only festival practice, but the notion of the festival as a form of the
organizing regional cultural life and the subject of cultural policy in the region. The authors analyze the current
state of development of culture of the Volgograd region, the potential of cultural and symbolic resources of the region
for the increase of its attractiveness for tourists, creation of conditions for changes in the social and economic
situation in the region. There are comparative characteristics of socio-economic development of the Volgograd
region and neighboring regions. It considers problems of development and preservation of the intellectual potential
of the region. This article uses the materials of focus groups and in-depth interviews of organizers, idea creators,
participants and spectators of the festivals. The participants of the festival movement formulate goals and objectives
of the festivals, the conditions under which these festivals can become the factor of the region development.
This study is an attempt to systematize the practical experiments with a view to develop approaches for the creation
of the festival organization model as a form of territorial development with culture. The authors are experts in the
field of cultural studies with theoretical and practical experience of implementing social and cultural projects.
The article will be useful for office professionals and cultural managers, cultural specialists, potential authors of
projects in the sphere of culture.
Quality Improvement Initiative and Safety of Insulin Pen Usage in a Small Hospital
Authors: Klug Mikayla J. , Cady Kevin , Tate Janice , Rivey Michael P. 
Published: March 2016

Background The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) has stressed the need for hospitals to re-evaluate their methods of insulin delivery in an effort to minimize complications of insulin pen use. Improper use of insulin pens can lead to adverse effects, such as hypoglycemia or blood-borne infections. Objective This study was an American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) quality improvement activity focused on insulin pen safety in the hospital. The objective of this study was to improve insulin pen delivery and patient health and to reduce adverse effects related to insulin pen use. The purpose of the impact activity was to utilize pharmacist experts to evaluate processes related to the use of insulin pens within the hospital and then implement quality improvement efforts to address potential safety concerns. Methods Baseline and postintervention questionnaires were administered to all nursing personnel ( N = 400) to assess their analytical and procedural knowledge regarding insulin pen use and administration. Insulin administration observations and insulin pen storage and labeling audits were also conducted at the same time points in 3 patient care areas where insulin administration was common. Process improvements were made after the baseline data were collected. Results An overall improvement in insulin pen use was determined after implementation of the quality improvement plan. The greatest improvements were seen for insulin pen administration. The proper storage of insulin pens had 69% compliance at baseline that rose to 98% compliance post intervention, an improvement of 29% ( P < .01). Similarly, compliance with the return of insulin pens to proper storage areas increased by 16%, from 78% at baseline to 94% post intervention ( P < .05). Conclusion An improvement in insulin pen usage was promoted by a quality initiative in a small hospital setting. Periodic education about safety procedures along with yearly reviews for all nurses will improve the ongoing safety of insulin pen usage within the hospital.
Yemen Crisis and Pakistan: A Holistic Overview
Authors: Khalid Iqbal  
Published: March 2016

Yemen crisis is the latest open-ended conflict in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region after Iraq, Libya and Syria. Ensuing fissures may threaten the security of the Arab world as a whole—regimes as well as the people. Saudi Arabia intervened first and sought justification to its action later; this has set a dangerous precedence in international politics. Pakistani parliament's avoidance of a Saudi request to join the military action in Yemen has laid to rest a common perception that Pakistan is a rental state. Crisis has also brought forth the reality that keeping a balance in its relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran is Pakistan's strategic necessity. Pakistan government's handling of crisis was inadequate; while Pakistan's military engagement was still jockeying between emotionalism and pragmatism, the portion of the crisis relevant to Pakistan's military engagement was almost over.
As developments regarding Yemen continue to unfold on daily basis, this article covers events up to May 29, 2015.
Interaction of Galectin-3 Concentrations with the Treatment Effects of β-Blockers and RAS Blockade in Patients with Systolic Heart Failure: A Derivation-Validation Study from TIME-CHF and GISSI-HF
Authors: Wijk Sandra Sanders-van , Masson Serge , Milani Valentina , Rickenbacher Peter , Gorini Marco , Tavazzi Luigi T , Tobler Daniel , Rickli Hans , Latini Roberto , Brunner-La Roccaenen Hans-Peter ,   for the TIME-CHF Investigators and the GISSI-HF Investigators
Published: March 2016

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Galectin-3 predicts prognosis in heart failure (HF) and may help to select HF patients in need of intensified therapy.

METHODS
This retrospective post hoc analysis included 219 patients from the Trial of Intensified versus Standard Medical Therapy in Elderly Patients with Congestive Heart Failure (TIME-HF) and 631 patients from Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Insufficienza Cardiaca (GISSI-HF) with HF who had reduced ejection fraction and available galectin-3 plasma concentrations. The interaction between galectin-3, β-blockers, renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockade, and spironolactone on outcome was evaluated in TIME-CHF and validated in GISSI-HF. End points were all-cause mortality and the composite of mortality with HF hospitalization or any hospitalization.

RESULTS
High galectin-3 concentrations were associated with adverse outcome in both cohorts and remained significantly associated with death after multivariate adjustment [hazard ratio 2.42 (95% CI 1.17–5.01), P = 0.02, in TIME-CHF; 1.47 (1.02–2.10), P = 0.04, in GISSI-HF). In TIME-CHF, patients with low galectin-3 plasma concentrations had a better prognosis when β-blockers were up-titrated, whereas patients with high galectin-3 plasma concentrations did not (interaction P &lt; 0.05 for mortality and death with or without hospitalization). Opposite trends were seen for RAS blockade but were not statistically significant. Patients with high galectin-3 plasma concentrations had neutral prognosis when receiving spironolactone, whereas patients with low galectin-3 plasma concentrations had worse prognosis when receiving spironolactone (interaction P &lt; 0.10 for death with or without hospitalization). In the GISSI-HF validation cohort, these interactions were confirmed for β-blockers (P &lt; 0.05 for all end points) and consistent for RAS blockade (P &lt; 0.10 for death with or without hospitalization), but inconsistent for spironolactone.

CONCLUSIONS
Galectin-3 is a mediocre prognostic marker, and galectin-3 concentrations interact with the treatment effect of β-blockers and possibly RAS blockade in patients with systolic HF.
Screening Ethiopia: A preliminary study of the history and contemporary developments of film production in Ethiopia
Authors: Jedlowski Alessandro 
Published: March 2016

Abstract
Until recently, Ethiopian cinema has attracted little scholarly attention outside the country. Nevertheless, its history is rich and complex, and thanks to the introduction of digital technologies, film production is today booming. Almost 600 films have been released over the past ten years, a fifth of it only during 2013. Crowds of people queue in front of Addis Ababa’s theatre halls, waiting to buy entry tickets to the most recent local releases. And ambitious young artists spend their little economies trying to build a name for themselves in the upcoming local stardom. This article presents the preliminary results of an ongoing research on the Ethiopian video film industry in order to open up the field for further discussion and debate. It is divided into four sections, devoted respectively to the history of film-making in Ethiopia, to the contemporary video film industry’s economy, and to an overview of the main narrative and aesthetic trends that have appeared since the emergence of the new wave of film production.
A feminist approach to contemporary female Kenyan cinema: Women and nation in From a Whisper (Kahiu, 2008) and Something Necessary (Kibinge, 2013)
Authors: Giruzzi Clara 
Published: March 2016

Abstract
This article addresses depictions of women in relation to nation in two contemporary Kenyan films made by women: From a Whisper (Wanuri Kahiu, 2008) and Something Necessary (Judy Kibinge, 2013). The analysis of the films is located within the theoretical framework of African feminism. Using textual analysis as its main method, this article argues that these films convey an African feminist sensibility. This is revealed in the contextualised women’s issues that the films address, in their equalitarian representation of men and women as identifiable through their common humanity, and in their pacifist messages about conflict resolution and forgiveness. Moreover, this article intends to show that these films successfully tie the personal to the political, as individual stories of Kenyan women are intertwined with national events and post-trauma national reconstruction. Thus the films highlight the role of women in nation-building, to which the film-makers themselves contribute.
Analysis of the Saxicolous Lichen Communities in Măcin Mountains National Park
Authors: Fodor Ecaterina 
Published: March 2016

Abstract
The assemblage of saxicolous lichenized fungal communities in Măcin Mountains National Park was assessed during a biodiversity study developed between 2006 and 2008. Fifty three species of saxicolous lichenized fungi were identified on Hercynic granites and granitoid outcrops characterized by intense weathering process. Apparently, competition was not the main mechanism in community assemblage as calculated C score showed (non-significant difference between mean calculated and simulated score). Niche overlap assessment showed that lichens avoided competition by spatial niche partition (mean Pianka index of 0.07 for sampling quadrats and 0.20 for locations). The estimation of nestedness index (N=0.63 at local scale and N=0.88 at sampling quadrat scale) indicated that local communities were subsets of a larger, regional scale metacommunity. Similarities in community composition across locations were assessed by means of Ward algorithm, results indicating that the most dissimilar communities were encountered at Pietrele Mariei, a residual inselberg and Suluc foothill. Conservation of saxicolous communities containing endangered species such as Umbilicaria grisea, critically endangered Ramalina obtusata and vulnerable Acrocordia gemmata, Pertusaria hemisphaerica, Pertusaria pertusa will be challenged in the future by anthropogenic impact coming from agriculture, sheep grazing and quarries operating in the proximity of the reserve area.
12. The Smell of Beer as a Factor Affecting the Emission of Carbon Dioxide by Arion Lusitanicus Auct. Non-Mabille
Authors: Piechowicz Bartosz , Rębisz Elżbieta , Grodzicki Przemysław , Zaręba Lech , Balawejder Maciej , Pieniążek Marcin , Stawarczyk Kinga , Piechowicz Iwona 
Published: March 2016

Abstract
More and more frequently beer is used as an attractant in traps to eliminate the slug Arion lusitanicus auct. non-Mabille. The smell of beer is not indifferent to animals. Hence it is highly probable that it affects the physiological processes in the slug’s body. The aim of our study was to examine whether the smell can induce changes in respiration activity (measured as CO2 emission) of adult individuals of Arion lusitanicus. The results showed that all the tested brands of beer caused an increase in CO2 emission. Furthermore, in all the samples of studied brands of beer, this increase in CO2 emission correlated negatively to the content of the following compounds: acrylic acid N- hydroxysuccinimide ester, decanoic acid, (9Z,12Z)-9,12-octadecadienoic acid, 2-(acetyloxy)-1- [(acetyloxy)methyl]ethyl ester, bicyclo[4,1,0]heptane and ethyl caprylate.
The Genetic Structure of Five Pig Breeds Maintained in Poland
Authors: Szmatoła Tomasz , Ropka-Molik Katarzyna , Tyra Mirosław , Piórkowska Katarzyna , Żukowski Kacper , Oczkowicz Maria , Blicharski Tadeusz 
Published: March 2016

Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate genetic variability of five pig populations maintained in Poland with the usage of model based clustering method (MCMC approach) on microsatellite data. A high degree of genetic diversity with the values corrected for sample sizes was observed for four breeds: 0.740 for Polish Landrace, 0.697 for Pietrain, 0.692 for Polish Large White and 0.688 for Puławska. Duroc breed, however, was characterized by the lowest genetic diversity (0.589), allelic richness and number of effective alleles. As for Structure software results, each breed was represented by their own cluster while maintaining a possible small admixture of other breeds. The results obtained suggest a moderate gene flow between breeds, especially between Polish Landrace and Polish Large White has occurred. The lowest admixture was presented for Duroc breed, which confirms its high purity. The presented results can be used to study the structure and as a genetic information for the preservation and further genetic improvement of the pig breeds maintained in Poland. It seems also advisable to conduct further studies with a larger number of microsatellites and by analysis of mitochondrial DNA.