Kalba, valdžia ir kūnas

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Kalba, valdžia ir kūnas. II dalis

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Prancūzų kalbos statusai

The objective of this article is to make a sociolinguistic and descriptive analysis of the statuses of the French language in the world. We carried out a rich study of theoretical and historic works. Having presented the historic outline of the sociolinguistic phenomenon of the statuses of language as such and the statistical data, we made the descriptive analysis of the following statuses of French: that of the official language, the mother tongue, a language of teaching (of foreign language, second language), an international language, a language of employment, a language of culture, a language of daily usage. Definitions of all statuses of the French language are given. Statistically it is difficult, if not impossible, to specify boundaries of home language status. The process of francophonie in one or another status of the French language directly and indirectly influences more than onethird of all world countries. This phenomenon confirms the claim that the French language becomes a primary world’s language of culture in all possible language statuses. Therefore, we assume that in the future French language should officially acquire and legally validate international status of the language of the world culture. Our analysis showed us that at the moment, the status of official language can be applied: in countries or in regions as well as in numerous international organizations, such as the European Union, by example. French appears among both working languages of the UNO, as well as all its agencies. The French language is one of three working languages of the African Union (52 member countries), and one of two working languages of the European Union (with English). In the countries where French acquired the status of the official language, the co-official language or the administrative language, it is taught as a second language; where French has no official status, it is taught as a foreign language or as a language of culture. In the context of current globalization French should acquire a new dominant status that of the language of the world culture.Sociolingvistinis prancūzų kalbos tyrimas pagal jos statusus atskleidžia šios kalbos gyvybingumą ir parodo naujus kalbos pokyčius bei vaidmenį pasaulio istorijoje. Pagrindiniai straipsnyje analizuojami klausimai: prancūzų kalbos vaidmens apžvalga šiuolaikiniame pasaulyje, šios kalbos įvairių statusų (prancūzų, kaip užsienio kalba FLE, prancūzų, kaip antroji kalba FLS, kultūros, darbo, vartojimo buityje, tarptautinė, oficialioji, gimtoji kalba) nusakymas bei jų apibrėžčių suformulavimas. Oficialioji kalba reiškia kalbą, kuri kaip tokia apibrėžta kokios nors šalies, valstybės (ar organizacijos) konstitucijoje ar kituose jurisprudencijos dokumentuose. Šis statusas taikomas dvejopai: 1. už Prancūzijos metropolijos ribų: šalyse, valstybėse, srityse, teritorijose ir 2. įvairiose tarptautinėse institucijose bei organizacijose. Kultūros kalba vadinama tokia kalba, kuri šalies konstitucijoje nėra nurodyta kaip tokia, bet šalyje turi didžiulį prestižą ir privilegijuotą kultūros statusą. Be to, ji dar turi atitikti tam tikras nuostatas. XVII a. pradžioje iš lotynų kalbos prancūzų kalba perėmėtarptautinės kalbos statusą. Taip ji tampa visų Europos tautų bendravimo bei diplomatijos kalba. Švietimo sistemoje prancūzų kalba – mokslo ir (arba) mokymo kalba gali būti dar įvairiausių tipų (prancūzų, kaip užsienio kalba, prancūzų, kaip antroji kalba, trečioji ir t. t). Gimtoji kalba ir buitinio vartojimo kalba gali būti ta pati viena kalba, bet ir dvi skirtingos kalbos tam pačiam asmeniui. Pastaruoju metu jau tampa įprasta, kad darbo kalbos statusą turinti kalba yra vartojama interneto prieigose. Šiuolaikiniame globalizacijos kontekste prancūzų kalba įgyja visas prielaidas tapti pasauline kultūros kalba

Kavos poveikis žarnyno veiklai po žarnyno laparoskopinės rezekcinės operacijos: perspektyvusis atsitiktinių imčių tyrimas

TikslasPooperacinis žarnų nepraeinamumas – dažnai pasitaikantis žarnyno rezekcinių operacijų padarinys. Nustatytas teigiamas kavos poveikis žarnyno motorikai sveikiems tiriamiesiems. Lieka neaišku, ar kava galėtų sumažinti pooperacinio žarnyno nepraeinamumo riziką. Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti kavos ir kofeino poveikį žarnyno veiklai po žarnyno rezekcinių operacijų.Ligoniai ir metodaiVilniaus universiteto Onkologijos institute 2013 01 01–2014 12 31 atliekamas atsitiktinės atrankos kontroliuojamas perspektyvusis tyrimas. Įtraukti pacientai, kuriems atlikta laparoskopinė storosios žarnos operacija. Prieš operaciją ligoniai paskirstytiį tris grupes: pooperaciniu laikotarpiu gaunančių vandens (100 ml 3 kartus per dieną), dekofeinizuotos kavos ir kavos su kofeinu. Pirminės svarbos tikslas – laikas iki pirmojo pasituštinimo. Antrinės svarbos tikslai – laikas, iki išėjo dujos, ir laikas ikimaisto toleravimo.RezultataiLigoniai buvo suskirstyti į tris grupes po 16 kiekvienoje. Šeši buvo atšaukti: keturi – dėl operacijos pasikeitimo, du atsisakė dalyvauti. Demografiniai pacientų rodikliai buvo panašūs visose grupėse. Ligoniai, kurie gėrė dekofeinizuotą kavą bei kavą sukofeinu, pasituštino anksčiau negu vandenį gėrusios grupės ligoniai: 3,23±1,36 ir 3,64±1,29 paros vs 3,9±0,99, p<0,05. Laikas iki maisto toleravimo – 1,63 ir 2,42 paros vs 2,82, p<0,05, laikas, iki išėjo dujos, – 1,44 ir 1,62 vs 1,92, p<0,05.IšvadosKavos vartojimas po kolektomijos yra saugus ir sumažina laikotarpį iki pasituštinimo. Kofeinas žarnų funkcijos neskatina.Does coffee affect the duration of postoperative ileus following elective laparoscopic colectomy? A randomized prospective single-center studyAudrius Dulskas, Michail Klimovskij, Marija Vitkauskienė, Narimantas Evaldas Samalavičius Background / objectivePostoperative ileus is a common problem after colorectal surgery. A positive effect of coffee on the bowel motor activity has been described. It is still unclear whether coffee consumption decreases the risk of postoperative ileus. The aim of the study was to determine whether consuming an 8-ounce cup of coffee is effective in preventing or reducing postoperative ileus.Patients and methodsFrom January 1st, 2013 to December 31st 2014, a prospective study is being performed at the Institute of Oncology of Vilnius University. Patients with a malignant or benign disease, undergoing elective laparoscopic colectomy, are assigned randomly before surgery to receive either coffee with caffeine (group 1), coffee without caffeine (group 2), or water (group 3) (100 ml three times daily) after the procedure. The primary endpoint is the time to first bowel movement, and the secondary endpoints are the time to the first flatus and the time to solid food tolerance.ResultsA total of 48 patients have been randomized, 16 to each group. Six patients were excluded: four due to a change in the surgical procedure, and two refused to participate. Patients’ demographic characteristics were similar in all groups. The time till the first bowel movement was significantly (p < 0.05) shorter in the decaffeinated coffee (3.23; SD 1.36) and coffee with caffeine (3.64; SD 1.29) groups versus the water group (3.90; SD 0.99). The time till the tolerance of solid food (1.63 and 2.42 versus 2.85; p < 0.05) and the time till the first flatus (1.44 and 1.66 versus 1.92; p < 0.05) showed a similar trend.ConclusionsCoffee consumption after colectomy has been safe and associated with a reduced time to the first bowel action. Caffeine consumption does not decrease the length of postoperative ileus. Note: these are the preliminary data which should be evaluated as a trend of the future final results

Silicone Rubber and Microcrystalline Cellulose Composites with Antimicrobial Properties

The goal of this study was to create polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) composites with high mechanical properties and antimicrobial activity. Vinyl-terminated PDMS was mixed with bifunctional filler, which combines MCC stiffness and antimicrobial properties of silver nanoparticles. To provide antimicrobial properties the silver nanoparticles in situ were synthesized by chemical reducing method in MCC aqueous suspension. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) concentration deposited on MCC particles surface was varied. The morphology, antimicrobial activity and mechanical properties of PDMS/MCC composites and their components have been investigated. It was shown that the combination of MCC/AgNPs as a filler and PDMS as matrix advantages bring multifunctional properties to polymer matrix composite. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.20.1.4397</p

Discovery and development of safe-in-man broad-spectrum antiviral agents

Viral diseases are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. Virus-specific vaccines and antiviral drugs are the most powerful tools to combat viral diseases. However, broad-spectrum antiviral agents (BSAAs, i.e. compounds targeting viruses belonging to two or more viral families) could provide additional protection of the general population from emerging and re-emerging viral diseases, reinforcing the arsenal of available antiviral options. Here, we review discovery and development of BSAAs and summarize the information on 120 safe-in-man agents in a freely accessible database (https://drugvirus.info/). Future and ongoing pre-clinical and clinical studies will increase the number of BSAAs, expand the spectrum of their indications, and identify drug combinations for treatment of emerging and re-emerging viral infections as well as co-infections. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases.Non peer reviewe

Fire performance of charring closed-cell polymeric insulation materials: polyisocyanurate and phenolic foam

Results are presented from 2 series of ad hoc experimental programmes using the cone calorimeter to investigate the burning behaviour of charring closed-cell polymeric insulation materials, specifically polyisocyanurate (PIR) and phenolic (PF) foams. These insulation materials are widely used in the construction industry due to their relatively low thermal conductivity. However, they are combustible in nature; therefore, their fire performance needs to be carefully studied, and characterisation of their thermal degradation and burning behaviour is required in support of performance-based approaches for fire safety design. The first series of experiments was used to examine the flaming and smouldering of the char from PIR and PF. The peak heat release rate per unit area was within the range of 120 to 170kW/m(2) for PIR and 80 to 140kW/m(2) for PF. The effective heat of combustion during flaming was within the range of 13 to 16kJ/g for PIR and around 16kJ/g for PF, while the CO/CO2 ratio was within 0.05 to 0.10 for PIR and 0.025 to 0.05 for PF. The second experimental programme served to map the thermal degradation processes of pyrolysis and oxidation in relation to temperature measurements within the solid phase under constant levels of nominal irradiation. Both programmes showed that surface regression due to smouldering was more significant for PF than PIR under the same heat exposure conditions, essentially because of the different degree of overlap in pyrolysis and oxidation reactions. The smouldering of the char was found to self-extinguish after removal of the external heat source

Synergistic Interferon-Alpha-Based Combinations for Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Viral Infections

Background: There is an urgent need for new antivirals with powerful therapeutic potential and tolerable side effects. Methods: Here, we tested the antiviral properties of interferons (IFNs), alone and with other drugs in vitro. Results: While IFNs alone were insufficient to completely abolish replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), IFNα, in combination with remdesivir, EIDD-2801, camostat, cycloheximide, or convalescent serum, proved to be more effective. Transcriptome and metabolomic analyses revealed that the IFNα–remdesivir combination suppressed SARS-CoV-2-mediated changes in Calu-3 cells and lung organoids, although it altered the homeostasis of uninfected cells and organoids. We also demonstrated that IFNα combinations with sofosbuvir, telaprevir, NITD008, ribavirin, pimodivir, or lamivudine were effective against HCV, HEV, FLuAV, or HIV at lower concentrations, compared to monotherapies. Conclusions: Altogether, our results indicated that IFNα can be combined with drugs that affect viral RNA transcription, protein synthesis, and processing to make synergistic combinations that can be attractive targets for further pre-clinical and clinical development against emerging and re-emerging viral infections

Emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.620 with variant of concern-like mutations and deletions

Distinct SARS-CoV-2 lineages, discovered through various genomic surveillance initiatives, have emerged during the pandemic following unprecedented reductions in worldwide human mobility. We here describe a SARS-CoV-2 lineage - designated B.1.620 - discovered in Lithuania and carrying many mutations and deletions in the spike protein shared with widespread variants of concern (VOCs), including E484K, S477N and deletions HV69Delta, Y144Delta, and LLA241/243Delta. As well as documenting the suite of mutations this lineage carries, we also describe its potential to be resistant to neutralising antibodies, accompanying travel histories for a subset of European cases, evidence of local B.1.620 transmission in Europe with a focus on Lithuania, and significance of its prevalence in Central Africa owing to recent genome sequencing efforts there. We make a case for its likely Central African origin using advanced phylogeographic inference methodologies incorporating recorded travel histories of infected travellers

Emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.620 with variant of concern-like mutations and deletions.

Distinct SARS-CoV-2 lineages, discovered through various genomic surveillance initiatives, have emerged during the pandemic following unprecedented reductions in worldwide human mobility. We here describe a SARS-CoV-2 lineage - designated B.1.620 - discovered in Lithuania and carrying many mutations and deletions in the spike protein shared with widespread variants of concern (VOCs), including E484K, S477N and deletions HV69Δ, Y144Δ, and LLA241/243Δ. As well as documenting the suite of mutations this lineage carries, we also describe its potential to be resistant to neutralising antibodies, accompanying travel histories for a subset of European cases, evidence of local B.1.620 transmission in Europe with a focus on Lithuania, and significance of its prevalence in Central Africa owing to recent genome sequencing efforts there. We make a case for its likely Central African origin using advanced phylogeographic inference methodologies incorporating recorded travel histories of infected travellers