bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Dictionary of Irish Artists
Authors: Strickland Walter
Published: May 2013

First published in 1913, this highly illustrated two-volume work was intended to give as full an account as possible of the lives and works of painters, sculptors and engravers in Ireland from the earliest times to the nineteenth century. Until then, the history of Irish art had been largely neglected, so this project was an extensive undertaking for Walter George Strickland (1850–1928), who became Director of the National Gallery of Ireland. It took him two decades to compile, and involved accessing private collections, corresponding with experts, meeting with the artists' descendants, and consulting letters, diaries and notes relating to their works. Volume 1 covers artists with surnames beginning A to K. Each entry contains biographical information on the artist and details of their works, with portraits and examples provided in hundreds of plates. This unique reference work remains of great interest to art historians and historians of Ireland.
Introductory Notes on Lying-In Institutions
Authors: Nightingale Florence
Published: May 2013

The greatest postnatal killer of the nineteenth century was puerperal fever. A vicious and usually fatal form of septicaemia, puerperal or childbed fever was known to occur in maternity hospitals far more frequently than at home births, and to spread faster in crowded wards than in those with fewer patients. Its cause was unknown. In this precise statistical analysis of the facts, gathered from several sources across the major cities of Europe, Florence Nightingale (1820–1910) explores the mystery of puerperal fever and its possible causes. She stresses the necessity of good ventilation in hospitals, condemning those with overcrowded wards, and cites instances where the layout of wards has a noticeable correlation with the number of deaths. Published in 1871, just before Pasteur's work on germ theory proved that the problem could be all but eradicated if doctors washed their hands more rigorously, this work remains clear, scholarly and engaging.
Suburban Residences and How to Circumvent Them
Authors: Panton Jane Ellen
Published: May 2013

Jane Ellen Panton (1847–1923) was the second daughter of the artist William Powell Frith, and a journalist and author on domestic issues. First published in 1896, this was one of a series of advice guides written by Panton on life and work in the middle-class home. In it she offers ideas to those with 'middle sized incomes' for overcoming the pitfalls of suburban life, such as selecting the optimal location, avoiding noise and disputes between neighbours, decorating and furnishing the home, and employing various domestic techniques in order to achieve the 'perfect house and housekeeping'. Drawing on twelve years' experience of suburban living, the author makes suggestions for each part of the house, and the concluding chapter addresses the question of whether to employ a servant. Providing a revealing snapshot of life in late nineteenth-century England, this book will be of great interest to historians and sociologists.
Lectures on Justification
Authors: Newman John Henry
Published: May 2013

One of the leading Christian theologians of the nineteenth century, John Henry Newman (1801–90) was already a famous and controversial figure, as the leader of the Oxford Movement, by the time he published these lectures in 1838. He was still a Church of England vicar, but in 1845 he would join the Roman Catholic Church and eventually become a cardinal. The thirteen lectures here, addressing the doctrine of salvation through faith, cover issues of obedience, righteousness, Christ's resurrection, faith as the sole source of justification, the role of rites and works, and that of preaching. Offering a complementary rather than dichotomous interpretation of the competing theological positions, this work reveals the progress of Newman's thinking and reflects his journey towards leaving the Church of England.
History of the War in France and Belgium, in 1815
Authors: Siborne William
Published: May 2013

Originally published in 1844, this two-volume work by William Siborne (1797–1830) represented the first major history of the Waterloo Campaign that was based on eyewitness accounts. Although Siborne, an infantry officer, had not served in the campaign himself, he did write to scores of officers who had, and their replies provided him with information he later used to construct the famous but controversial model of the field at Waterloo, which earned him the enmity of the Duke of Wellington (largely because Siborne's view of events conflicted with the Duke's). Siborne used much of the material for this book, which covers the entire campaign from Napoleon's escape from Elba in February 1815, through the battles of Ligny, Quatre Bras and Waterloo, right up to the Allies' entry into Paris in July. The maps published in a third volume can be viewed online. Volume 1 takes the story up to the opening stages of Waterloo.
Lectures on General Nursing
Authors: Lückes Eva C. E.
Published: May 2013

Eva Charlotte Ellis Lückes (1854–1919) was a pioneer of nursing training and friend of Florence Nightingale. In 1880, aged only twenty-six, she became matron of the London Hospital, the largest hospital in England, a post she held until her death. During her time there she improved working conditions for the nurses and trained her own staff, recognising the importance of a knowledge of anatomy and physiology, but never losing sight of the primary duty of a nurse to care for a patient's needs. First published in book form in 1884, these lectures were part of the training for probationers at the London Hospital. Emphasising the importance of attention to detail, the lectures address the practicalities of nursing, covering such topics as the management of infection, caring for sick children, bandaging techniques, and drug administration. Also reissued in this series is Lückes's popular 1886 textbook Hospital Sisters and their Duties.
Global Justice and International Economic Law
Authors: Garcia Frank J.
Published: May 2013

For centuries, international trade has been seen as essential to the wealth and power of nations. More recently we have started to understand its problematic role as an engine of distributive justice. In this compelling book Frank J. Garcia proposes a new way to evaluate, construct and manage international trade - one that is based on norms of economic justice, comparative advantage and national interest. Garcia examines three ways to conceptualize the problem of trade and global justice, drawn from Rawlsian liberalism, communitarianism and consent theory. These approaches illustrate specific issues of importance to the way global justice has been theorized, offering a pluralistic mode of arguing for global justice and highlighting the unique modes of discourse we employ when engaging with global justice and their implications for conceptualizing and arguing the problem. Garcia suggests a new direction for trade agreements built around truly consensual trade negotiations and the kind of international economic system they would structure.
The Life and Letters of Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq
Authors: Busbecq Ogier Ghislain de
Published: May 2013

Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq (1522–92) was a Flemish herbalist, diplomat and writer. In 1554, Ferdinand I, soon to be Holy Roman Emperor, dispatched him to Suleiman the Magnificent's court as an ambassador to the Ottoman empire, where Busbecq spent years negotiating a border dispute between his employer and the sultan. While there, he also discovered important manuscripts and sent the first tulip bulbs to Europe. He returned to Vienna in 1562, where he acted as counsellor to Ferdinand, after whose death he continued to serve the Habsburgs. This two-volume work, first published in 1881, contains Busbecq's letters, edited and translated into English from Latin by two Cambridge scholars. Volume 1 contains a lengthy biography of Busbecq, written by the editors, and his famous Turkish Letters, which are a unique source of information on Ottoman court life in the sixteenth century.
The Life and Letters of Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq
Authors: Busbecq Ogier Ghislain de
Published: May 2013

Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq (1522–92) was a Flemish herbalist, diplomat and writer. In 1554, Ferdinand I, soon to be Holy Roman Emperor, dispatched him to Suleiman the Magnificent's court as an ambassador to the Ottoman empire, where Busbecq spent years negotiating a border dispute between his employer and the sultan. While there, he also discovered important manuscripts and sent the first tulip bulbs to Europe. He returned to Vienna in 1562, where he acted as counsellor to Ferdinand, after whose death he continued to serve the Habsburgs. This two-volume work, first published in 1881, contains Busbecq's letters, edited and translated into English from Latin by two Cambridge scholars. Volume 2 contains letters written in France to the Holy Roman Emperors Maximilian II and Rudolph II, and an index and appendix to both volumes, the latter including Busbecq's itineraries and a helpful outline of Hungarian history.
The Life of Mrs Jordan
Authors: Boaden James
Published: May 2013

The actress Dorothy Jordan (1761–1816), contemporary of Sarah Siddons, was born in London, one of nine children. Her reputation as the greatest comic actress of her time was secured upon joining Sheridan's company at Drury Lane in 1785. Remembered particularly for cross-dressing roles such as Rosalind in As You Like It and Viola in Twelfth Night, she brought great charm and spontaneity to her interpretations. Her life off-stage was equally colourful, and she was for over twenty years the lover of William, Duke of Clarence, with whom she had ten children. This two-volume biography, first published in 1831, was written by her friend James Boaden (1762–1839), a playwright who later turned to theatrical biography. In it, he relates the extraordinary and poignant story of her life from acclaim to obscurity. Volume 2 covers her many provincial tours, her enforced separation from Clarence, retirement and self-imposed exile in France.
A Treatise on the Decorative Part of Civil Architecture
Authors: Chambers William
Published: May 2013

Sir William Chambers (1722–96), architect and furniture designer, wished to further his career in the 1750s by publishing on architecture. He also became the Prince of Wales' architectural tutor, architect to the office of works, then head of the royal works (comptroller and surveyor-general from 1782). Notably, he remodelled Buckingham House (1762–73) and designed Somerset House (1775–96), but Chambers' reputation rests also on his Treatise on Civil Architecture (1759), which he revised and expanded in 1791 as A Treatise on the Decorative Part of Civil Architecture. It is regarded as one of the standard English texts on classical architecture, and remains essential reading. This reissue is of the two-volume edition of 1825, annotated by the architect and writer Joseph Gwilt (1784–1863). Volume 1 contains Gwilt's prefatory material, including an analysis of Grecian architecture's development, followed by Chambers' systematic treatment of the orders of architecture.
The Makers of Florence
Authors: Oliphant Margaret
Published: May 2013

An influential and prolific Victorian author, Margaret Oliphant (1828–97) is best remembered for her 'Chronicles of Carlingford' - novels which sketch the religious and domestic politics of a provincial community - particularly the most popular in the cycle, Miss Marjoribanks (1866), and for her many book reviews, essays and serialised fiction for Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine. Her output included ninety-eight novels, some fifty short stories, works of biography and non-fiction, and a series of cultural histories of European cities, of which this is the first. Originally published in 1876, the book paints a vivid picture of the cultural development of the great city of Florence during the Renaissance through biographical sketches of its key figures. They include Dante, Giotto, Savonarola, and 'he who stands alone amongst the crowd': Michelangelo. Written in an engaging style and illustrated throughout with many fine engravings, this is a work of lasting interest and popular appeal.
Crisis Management during the Roman Republic
Authors: Golden Gregory K.
Published: May 2013

'Crisis' is the defining word for our times and it likewise played a key role in defining the scope of government during the Roman Republic. This book is a comprehensive analysis of key incidents in the history of the Republic that can be characterized as crises, and the institutional response mechanisms that were employed by the governing apparatus to resolve them. Concentrating on military and other violent threats to the stability of the governing system, this book highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of the institutional framework that the Romans created. Looking at key historical moments, Gregory K. Golden considers how the Romans defined a crisis and what measures were taken to combat them, including declaring a state of emergency, suspending all non-war-related business, and instituting an emergency military draft, as well as resorting to rule by dictator in the early Republic.
Non-Hausdorff Topology and Domain Theory
Authors: Goubault-Larrecq Jean
Published: May 2013

This unique book on modern topology looks well beyond traditional treatises and explores spaces that may, but need not, be Hausdorff. This is essential for domain theory, the cornerstone of semantics of computer languages, where the Scott topology is almost never Hausdorff. For the first time in a single volume, this book covers basic material on metric and topological spaces, advanced material on complete partial orders, Stone duality, stable compactness, quasi-metric spaces and much more. An early chapter on metric spaces serves as an invitation to the topic (continuity, limits, compactness, completeness) and forms a complete introductory course by itself. Graduate students and researchers alike will enjoy exploring this treasure trove of results. Full proofs are given, as well as motivating ideas, clear explanations, illuminating examples, application exercises and some more challenging problems for more advanced readers.
Quantum Information Theory
Authors: Wilde Mark M.
Published: May 2013

Finally, here is a modern, self-contained text on quantum information theory suitable for graduate-level courses. Developing the subject 'from the ground up' it covers classical results as well as major advances of the past decade. Beginning with an extensive overview of classical information theory suitable for the non-expert, the author then turns his attention to quantum mechanics for quantum information theory, and the important protocols of teleportation, super-dense coding and entanglement distribution. He develops all of the tools necessary for understanding important results in quantum information theory, including capacity theorems for classical, entanglement-assisted, private and quantum communication. The book also covers important recent developments such as superadditivity of private, coherent and Holevo information, and the superactivation of quantum capacity. This book will be warmly welcomed by the upcoming generation of quantum information theorists and the already established community of classical information theorists.
Dynamic Models for Volatility and Heavy Tails
Authors: Harvey Andrew C.
Published: May 2013

The volatility of financial returns changes over time and, for the last thirty years, Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (GARCH) models have provided the principal means of analyzing, modeling and monitoring such changes. Taking into account that financial returns typically exhibit heavy tails - that is, extreme values can occur from time to time - Andrew Harvey's new book shows how a small but radical change in the way GARCH models are formulated leads to a resolution of many of the theoretical problems inherent in the statistical theory. The approach can also be applied to other aspects of volatility. The more general class of Dynamic Conditional Score models extends to robust modeling of outliers in the levels of time series and to the treatment of time-varying relationships. The statistical theory draws on basic principles of maximum likelihood estimation and, by doing so, leads to an elegant and unified treatment of nonlinear time-series modeling.
Making Citizens in Africa
Authors: Smith Lahra
Published: May 2013

Smith argues that citizenship creation and expansion is a pivotal part of political contestation in Africa today. Citizenship is a powerful analytical tool to approach political life in contemporary Africa because the institutional and structural reforms of the past two decades have been inextricably linked with the battle over the 'right to have rights'. Professor Lahra Smith's work advances the notion of meaningful citizenship, referring to the ways in which rights are exercised, or the effective practice of citizenship. Using data from Ethiopia and developing a historically informed study of language policy, ethnicity and gender identities, Smith analyzes the contestation over citizenship that engages the state, social movements and individuals in substantive ways. By combining original data on language policy in contemporary Ethiopia with detailed historical study and a focus on ethnicity, citizenship and gender, this work brings a fresh approach to Ethiopian political development and contemporary citizenship concerns across Africa.
Labor Divided in the Postwar European Welfare State
Authors: Oude Nijhuis Dennie
Published: May 2013

This book explains how the success of attempts to expand the boundaries of the postwar welfare state in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom depended on organized labor's willingness to support redistribution of risk and income among different groups of workers. By illuminating and explaining differences within and between labor union movements, it traces the historical origins of 'inclusive' and 'dual' welfare systems. In doing so, the book shows that labor unions can either have a profoundly conservative impact on the welfare state or act as an impelling force for progressive welfare reform. Based on an extensive range of archive material, this book explores the institutional foundations of social solidarity.
Antigone, Interrupted
Authors: Honig Bonnie
Published: May 2013

Sophocles' Antigone is a touchstone in democratic, feminist and legal theory, and possibly the most commented upon play in the history of philosophy and political theory. Bonnie Honig's rereading of it therefore involves intervening in a host of literatures and unsettling many of their governing assumptions. Exploring the power of Antigone in a variety of political, cultural, and theoretical settings, Honig identifies the 'Antigone-effect' - which moves those who enlist Antigone for their politics from activism into lamentation. She argues that Antigone's own lamentations can be seen not just as signs of dissidence but rather as markers of a rival world view with its own sovereignty and vitality. Honig argues that the play does not offer simply a model for resistance politics or 'equal dignity in death', but a more positive politics of counter-sovereignty and solidarity which emphasizes equality in life.
Producing Women's Poetry, 1600–1730
Authors: Wright Gillian
Published: May 2013

Producing Women's Poetry is the first specialist study to consider English-language poetry by women across the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Gillian Wright explores not only the forms and topics favoured by women, but also how their verse was enabled and shaped by their textual and biographical circumstances. She combines traditional literary and bibliographical approaches to address women's complex use of manuscript and print and their relationships with the male-generated genres of the traditional literary canon, as well as the role of agents such as scribes, publishers and editors in helping to determine how women's poetry was preserved, circulated and remembered. Wright focuses on key figures in the emerging canon of early modern women's writing, Anne Bradstreet, Katherine Philips and Anne Finch, alongside the work of lesser-known poets Anne Southwell and Mary Monck, to create a new and compelling account of early modern women's literary history.
Modern Computer Algebra
Authors: von zur Gathen Joachim , Gerhard Jürgen
Published: May 2013

Computer algebra systems are now ubiquitous in all areas of science and engineering. This highly successful textbook, widely regarded as the 'bible of computer algebra', gives a thorough introduction to the algorithmic basis of the mathematical engine in computer algebra systems. Designed to accompany one- or two-semester courses for advanced undergraduate or graduate students in computer science or mathematics, its comprehensiveness and reliability has also made it an essential reference for professionals in the area. Special features include: detailed study of algorithms including time analysis; implementation reports on several topics; complete proofs of the mathematical underpinnings; and a wide variety of applications (among others, in chemistry, coding theory, cryptography, computational logic, and the design of calendars and musical scales). A great deal of historical information and illustration enlivens the text. In this third edition, errors have been corrected and much of the Fast Euclidean Algorithm chapter has been renovated.
Scaling results up from a plot and paddock scale to a property – a case study from a long-term grazing experiment in northern Australia
Authors: Scanlan J. C. , MacLeod N. D. , O'Reagain P. J.
Published: May 2013

Grazing experiments are usually used to quantify and demonstrate the biophysical impact of grazing strategies, with the Wambiana grazing experiment being one of the longest running such experiments in northern Australia. Previous economic analyses of this experiment suggest that there is a major advantage in stocking at a fixed, moderate stocking rate or in using decision rules allowing flexible stocking to match available feed supply. The present study developed and applied a modelling procedure to use data collected at the small plot, land type and paddock scales at the experimental site to simulate the property-level implications of a range of stocking rates for a breeding-finishing cattle enterprise. The greatest economic performance was achieved at a moderate stocking rate of 10.5 adult equivalents 100 ha–1. For the same stocking rate over time, the fixed stocking strategy gave a greater economic performance than strategies that involved moderate changes to stocking rates each year in response to feed supply. Model outcomes were consistent with previous economic analyses using experimental data. Further modelling of the experimental data is warranted and similar analyses could be applied to other major grazing experiments to allow the scaling of results to greater scales.
Cserjesi et al. reply
Authors: Cserjesi Renata , Van Braeckel Koenraad N J A , Timmerman Marieke , Butcher Phillipa R , Kerstjens Jorien M , Reijneveld Sijmen A , Bouma Anke , Bos Arend F , Geuze Reint H
Published: May 2013

This is a reply to the letter by Chabra 673.
The effect of environmental factors on infection of blueberry fruit by Colletotrichum acutatum
Authors: Miles T. D. , Gillett J. M. , Jarosz A. M. , Schilder A. M. C.
Published: May 2013

Anthracnose fruit rot of blueberries caused by Colletotrichum acutatum is a serious problem in humid blueberry‐growing regions of North America. In order to develop a disease prediction model, environmental factors that affect mycelial growth, conidial germination, appressorium formation and fruit infection by C. acutatum were investigated. Variables included temperature, wetness duration, wetness interruption and relative humidity. The optimal temperature for mycelial growth was 26°C, and little or no growth was observed at 5 and 35°C. The development of melanized appressoria was studied on Parafilm‐covered glass slides and infection was evaluated in immature and mature blueberry fruits. In all three assays, the optimal temperature for infection was identified as 25°C, and infections increased up to a wetness duration of 48 h. Three‐dimensional Gaussian equations were used to assess the effect of temperature and wetness duration on the development of melanized appressoria (R2 = 0·89) on Parafilm‐covered glass slides and on infection incidence in immature (R2 = 0·86) and mature (R2 = 0·90) blueberry fruits. Interrupted wetness periods of different durations were investigated and models were fitted to the response of melanized appressoria (R2 = 0·95) and infection incidence in immature (R2 = 0·90) and mature (R2 = 0·78) blueberry fruits. Additionally, the development of melanized appressoria and fruit infection incidence were modelled in relation to relative humidity (R2 = 0·99 and 0·97, respectively). Three comprehensive equations were then developed that incorporate the aforementioned variables. The results lay the groundwork for a disease prediction model for anthracnose fruit rot in blueberries.
Living with HIV postdiagnosis: a qualitative study of the experiences of Nairobi slum residents
Authors: Wekesa Eliud , Coast Ernestina
Published: May 2013

Objectives

To characterise the experiences of heterosexual men and women living with HIV postdiagnosis and explain these experiences in relation to their identity and sexuality.

Design

Qualitative study using in-depth interviews and a theoretically informed biographic disruption theory.

Setting

Interviews were conducted in two Nairobi slums (Kenya).

Participants

41 HIV-infected heterosexual men and women aged 18 years or older.

Results

People living with HIV have divergent experiences surrounding HIV diagnosis. Postdiagnosis, there are multiple phases of identity transition, including status (non-)disclosure, and attempts at identity repair and normalcy. For some people, this process involves a transition to a new self-identity, incorporating both HIV and antiretroviral treatment (ART) into their lives. For others, it involves a partial transition, with some aspects of their prediagnosis identity persisting, and for others it involves a rejection of HIV identity. Those people who were able to incorporate HIV/AIDS in their identity, without it being disruptive to their biography, were pursuing safer sexual and reproductive lives. By contrast, those people with a more continuous biography continued to reflect their prediagnosis identity and sexual behaviour.

Conclusions

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) had to rework their sense of identity following diagnosis in the context of living in a slum setting. Men and women living with HIV in slums are poorly supported by health systems and services as they attempt to cope with a diagnosis of HIV. Given the availability of ART, health services and professionals need to support the rights of PLWHA to be sexually active if they want to and achieve their fertility goals, while minimising HIV transmission risk.
Nodding syndrome in Ugandan children—clinical features, brain imaging and complications: a case series
Authors: Idro Richard , Opoka Robert Opika , Aanyu Hellen T , Kakooza-Mwesige Angelina , Piloya-Were Theresa , Namusoke Hanifa , Musoke Sarah Bonita , Nalugya Joyce , Bangirana Paul , Mwaka Amos Deogratius , White Steven , Chong Kling , Atai-Omoruto Anne D , Mworozi Edison , Nankunda Jolly , Kiguli Sarah , Aceng Jane Ruth , Tumwine James K
Published: May 2013

Objectives

Nodding syndrome is a devastating neurological disorder of uncertain aetiology affecting children in Africa. There is no diagnostic test, and risk factors and symptoms that would allow early diagnosis are poorly documented. This study aimed to describe the clinical, electrophysiological and brain imaging (MRI) features and complications of nodding syndrome in Ugandan children.

Design

Case series.

Participants

22 children with nodding syndrome brought to Mulago National Referral Hospital for assessment.

Outcome measures

Clinical features, physical and functional disabilities, EEG and brain MRI findings and a staging system with a progressive development of symptoms and complications.

Results

The median age of symptom onset was 6 (range 4–10) years and median duration of symptoms was 8.5 (range 2–11) years. 16 of 22 families reported multiple affected children. Physical manifestations and complications included stunting, wasting, lip changes and gross physical deformities. The bone age was delayed by 2 (range 1–6) years. There was peripheral muscle wasting and progressive generalised wasting. Four children had nodding as the only seizure type; 18 in addition had myoclonic, absence and/or generalised tonic–clonic seizures developing 1–3 years after the onset of illness. Psychiatric manifestations included wandering, aggression, depression and disordered perception. Cognitive assessment in three children demonstrated profound impairment. The EEG was abnormal in all, suggesting symptomatic generalised epilepsy in the majority. There were different degrees of cortical and cerebellar atrophy on brain MRI, but no hippocampal changes. Five stages with worsening physical, EEG and brain imaging features were identified: a prodrome, the development of head nodding and cognitive decline, other seizure types, multiple complications and severe disability.

Conclusions

Nodding syndrome is a neurological disorder that may be characterised as probably symptomatic generalised epilepsy. Clinical manifestations and complications develop in stages which might be useful in defining treatment and rehabilitation. Studies of risk factors, pathogenesis, management and outcome are urgently needed.
Mechanical thrombectomy with the Solitaire device in acute basilar artery occlusion
Authors: Mourand Isabelle , Machi Paolo , Milhaud Didier , Picot Marie-Christine , Lobotesis Kyriakos , Arquizan Caroline , Costalat Vincent , Héroum Chérif , Sablot Denis , Bouly Stéphane , Lalu Thibault , Bonafé Alain
Published: May 2013

Aims

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of mechanical thrombectomy with the Solitaire FR device in revascularization of patients with acute basilar artery occlusion (ABAO) and to identify the predictive factors for clinical outcome.

Methods

This prospective single-center study included 31 patients with acute ischemic stroke attributable to ABAO treated within the first 24 h after onset of symptoms with the Solitaire device. Nineteen patients simultaneously received intravenous thrombolysis. Recanalization rates after stent retrieval were determined and the clinical outcome and mortality rate were assessed 180 days after treatment.

Results

The mean ±SD age of the patients was 61±17 years, the median prethrombectomy NIH Stroke Scale score was 38 (IQR 9–38) and the median Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score was 7 (IQR 4–14). Successful recanalization (TICI 3 or 2b) was achieved in 23 patients (74%). Five symptomatic intracranial hemorrhages were related to the procedure. Ten symptomatic distal migrations of thrombotic material occurred. A favorable outcome, defined as a modified Rankin Score (mRS) of 0–2, was observed in 35% of patients (11/31). Overall mortality rate was 32% (10/31). In the univariate analysis, elevated baseline glucose (p=0.008) was significantly associated with a poor outcome (mRS >2), whereas a tendency towards significance was observed with age (p=0.06), GCS on admission (p=0.07) and symptom-related lesions on T2 sequences (p=0.10). Patients with successful recanalization tended to have a better outcome (p=0.20).

Conclusion

Mechanical thrombectomy with the Solitaire FR device can rapidly and effectively contribute to a high rate of recanalization and improve functional outcome in patients with ABAO and has an acceptable complication rate.
Sustainable growth rate 2013: time for definitive intervention
Authors: Hirsch Joshua A , Rosman David A , Liu Raymond W , Ding Alexander , Manchikanti Laxmaiah
Published: May 2013

Federal healthcare spending has been a subject of intense concern as the US Congress continues to search for ways to reduce the budget deficit. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that, even though it is growing more slowly than previously projected, federal spending on Medicare, Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) will reach nearly $900 billion in 2013. In 2011 the Medicare program paid $68 billion for physicians and other health professional services, 12% of total Medicare spending. Since 2002 the sustainable growth rate (SGR) correction has called for reductions to physician reimbursements; however, Congress has typically staved off these reductions, although the situation remains precarious for physicians who accept Medicare. The fiscal cliff agreement that came into focus at the end of 2012 averted a 26.5% reduction to physician reimbursements related to the SGR correction. Nonetheless, the threat of these devastating cuts continues to loom. The Administration, Congress and others have devised many options to fix this unsustainable situation. This review explores the historical development of the SGR, touches on elements of the formula itself and outlines current proposals for fixing the SGR problem. A recent CBO estimate reduces the potential cost of a 10-year fix of SGR system to $138 billion. This has provided new hope for resolution of this long-standing issue.
Estimating chlamydia re-infection rates: an empirical example
Authors: Torrone Elizabeth A , Satterwhite Catherine L , Scholes Delia , Yu Onchee , Berman Stuart , Peterman Thomas A
Published: May 2013

Objective

Chlamydia re-infection data are used to inform and evaluate chlamydia control programmes. We quantitatively investigated the effect of denominator selection on estimating re-infection rates and trends.

Methods

Using data on women aged 15–44 years enrolled in Group Health Cooperative (GH), a Pacific Northwest health plan, annual chlamydia re-infection rates from 1998 to 2006 were calculated. Three different denominators were compared using person-years contributed by: (1) all women; (2) women with a prior documented chlamydial infection regardless of whether they were retested; and (3) women with a prior chlamydial infection who were retested within 14 months.

Results

From 1998 to 2006, among all women 15–44 years enrolled in GH, re-infection rates increased from 64 to 149 cases per 100 000 person-years. Among women with a prior infection, rates decreased from 10 857 to 8782 cases per 100 000 person-years. Among women with a prior infection who were retested, rates increased from 29 374 to 42 475 cases per 100 000 person-years.

Conclusions

Using the same dataset, we demonstrate that it is possible to tell three different stories about the magnitude of rates and trends in chlamydia re-infection among women by using different denominators. All of these strategies have limitations, but restricting the denominator to women with a prior infection who are retested may best represent the population at-risk for re-infection. Still, rates do not account for additional factors influencing the number of re-infections diagnosed, including screening coverage and changes in test technology. Caution is needed in examining and comparing re-infection data.
SOFT-ASSIGNMENT RANDOM-FOREST WITH AN APPLICATION TO DISCRIMINATIVE REPRESENTATION OF HUMAN ACTIONS IN VIDEOS
Authors: BURGHOUTS GERTJAN J.
Published: May 2013

The bag-of-features model is a distinctive and robust approach to detect human actions in videos. The discriminative power of this model relies heavily on the quantization of the video features into visual words. The quantization determines how well the visual words describe the human action. Random forests have proven to efficiently transform the features into distinctive visual words. A major disadvantage of the random forest is that it makes binary decisions on the feature values, and thus not taking into account uncertainties of the values. We propose a soft-assignment random forest, which is a generalization of the random forest, by substitution of the binary decisions inside the tree nodes by a sigmoid function. The slope of the sigmoid models the degree of uncertainty about a feature's value. The results demonstrate that the soft-assignment random forest improves significantly the action detection accuracy compared to the original random forest. The human actions that are hard to detect — because they involve interactions with or manipulations of some (typically small) item — are structurally improved. Most prominent improvements are reported for a person handing, throwing, dropping, hauling, taking, closing or opening some item. Improvements are achieved for the state-of-the-art on the IXMAS and UT-Interaction datasets by using the soft-assignment random forest.
A SEQUENCE OF NEW BRIDGE INDICES FOR LINKS EACH OF WHICH HAS A TRIVIAL KNOT COMPONENT
Authors: KODANI YORIKO
Published: May 2013

Let L = K1 ∪ K2 be a 2-component link in S3 such that K1 is a trivial knot. In this paper, we introduce for each n(∈ ℕ) a new bridge index bK1=n([L]) of L called a constrained bridge index with respect to n-bridge K1. Roughly speaking, bK1=n([L]) is the minimum of the bridge numbers of the links ambient isotopic to L under the constraint that all of the bridge numbers of the components corresponding to K1 are n. We give exact values bK1=n([L]) (n = 1, 2, …) for particular [Formula: see text] constructed as follows: There exist unknotted solid tori V1 ⊂ V2 ⊂ ⋯ ⊂ Vm in S3, where the core of each Vj(j = 1, 2, …, m - 1) is a (1, αj)-torus knot (αj ∈ ℤ) in Vj+1, such that K1 is the core of V1, and [Formula: see text] is the core of the exterior of Vm.
EFFECTS OF Au ON THE GROWTH OF ZnO NANOSTRUCTURES ON Si BY MOCVD
Authors: CONG CHEN , FAN LU YANG , PING HE HAI , WEI WU KE , ZHEN YE ZHI
Published: May 2013

The effects of Au on the growth of ZnO nanostructures on Si by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) at a relatively low temperature (450°C) were investigated. The experimental results showed that Au nanoparticles played a critical role during the growth of the ZnO nanostructures and affected their morphology and optical properties. It was found that Au nanoparticles particularly affected the nucleation of ZnO nanostructures during the growth process and the Au -assisted growth mechanism of ZnO nanostructures should be ascribed to the vapor–solid (VS) mechanism. The formation of a nanoneedle may be attributed to a more reactive interface between Au and ZnO , which leads to more zinc gaseous species absorbed near the interface. Different nucleation sites on ZnO nuclei resulted in the disorder of ZnO nanoneedles. Moreover, the crystalline quality of nano- ZnO was improved due to the presence of Au , according to the smaller full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the low-temperature exciton emission. We confirmed that ZnO nanoneedles showed better crystalline quality than ZnO nanorods through the HRTEM images and the SAED patterns. The reason for the improvement of the crystalline quality of nano- ZnO may be due to the less lattice mismatch.
Cultural Amnesia, Cultural Nostalgia and False Memory: Africa’s Identity Crisis Revisited
Authors: Mazrui Ali A.
Published: May 2013

Abstract

The point of departure of this article is Ernest Renan’s observation that the secret of nation-building is to get one’s history wrong. We critically analyze – in the broader and historical context of the encounters between Africans and Europeans – the role of collective memory in its four functions of preservation, selection, elimination and invention. We focus on the first function to examine in depth how positive preservation of memory can become a form of nostalgia and how negative selection by memory can lead to elimination and amnesia. We argue that both nostalgia and amnesia can be forms of “getting one’s history wrong” in order to get one’s national identity right. We also attempt to show how historical invention can be consolidated into a false memory – placing something in the past which was never there before.
Language of Instruction and Learning in Mathematics and Science in Some African Countries
Authors: Brock-Utne Birgit
Published: May 2013

Abstract

This article looks into the unfounded belief in many so-called anglophone countries in Africa that mathematics and science are best taught in English and not in an African language, the language pupils and teachers normally speak and command much better than English. Examples are given from Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and Ghana. The reintroduction of English from the 5th grade in primary school in maths and science in the Kiswahili speaking island of Zanzibar is discussed at some length. Examples from Africa are contrasted with examples from some Asian countries like Sri Lanka and Malaysia. The attitudes of parents which are built on a misconception are analysed. The article ends on a more optimistic note claiming that misconceptions can be altered.
Africa-Asia Relations since the End of “Unipolar” Globalization: Focus on Education and Research
Authors: Lumumba-Kasongo Tukumbi
Published: May 2013

Abstract

The role of education and research in social progress is vital. Since China was admitted into the World Trade Organization in 2001, its economic, financial and trade assistance with Africa has intensified, reflecting certain aspects of the claims associated with the Bandung Conference in 1955. And Japanese relations with Africa, which were at their peak from the end of 1980s through the beginning of the 1990s, have steadily been declining. Furthermore, as China has become the second largest economy in the World since 2010, it has begun projecting its influential power in Africa. Despite the newfound emergence of Chinese power in Africa, it is Japan that has created the strongest institutional support of its activities in the name of new Japan International Cooperation Agency ( JICA), which redefines Japan relationship with Africa through the TICAD initiative.

The competition between these two powers can benefit Africa if she can build her political leverage in her own capacity to identify her priorities with confidence and determination. Using comparative and historical perspectives, this article focuses on the examination of the new trends regarding Chinese and Japanese assistance to Africa with a particular focus on education and research.
Mobilities and Sediments: Spatial Dynamics in the Context of Contemporary Sub-Saharan African Migration to Europe
Authors: Schapendonk Joris
Published: May 2013

Abstract

Contemporary African migration to the European Union (EU) is triggered by global interconnectedness, but at the same time it is opposed by the hard borders of the EU. As a consequence, sub-Saharan African migrants often undertake fragmented and dangerous journeys to the North. These journeys are mainly discussed with regard to the rather linear notion of transit migration (as if migrants depart, go through a transit phase and settle afterwards). In this paper I take a different perspective by approaching migrants’ journeys as open and dynamic phenomena that evolve ‘en route’. I present an analytical lens that takes different mobilities (of people, goods, information, etc.) as the starting point to investigate these migration journeys. With this mobilities lens I analyze in detail three trajectories of African migrants who are moving to the EU. In order to avoid a simple ‘everything is mobile’ argument, I subsequently explore the role of the geographical concept of ‘place’ in the facilitation of these migration journeys. I thereby take into account places as geographical localities as well as migrants’ places in their social networks. Finally, I illustrate how mobilities, in turn, bring their ‘sediments’. This means that they change and give meaning to places. This reciprocal way of relating mobilities to places helps us to go beyond both individualistic and structuralistic explanations of migration.
Mission Networks and the African Diaspora in Britain
Authors: Higgins Thomas Winfield
Published: May 2013

Abstract

Scholars have frequently commented on the networks fostered by Africans living in the diaspora. It is not commonly recognized that many African Christians also relied upon ‘mission networks.’ These networks exerted a degree of influence on migrants, but were also a great help, particularly to students, and for that reason many Africans valued them while living in Britain. Such was the case with G. Daniels Ekarte, who founded the African Churches Mission in Liverpool, and others including: James ‘Holy’ Johnson, Byang Kato, Parmenas Mukiri Githendu and Emmanuel Akingbala.
The Hajj From West Africa From a Global Historical Perspective (19th and 20th Centuries)
Authors: Lecocq Baz
Published: May 2013

Abstract

Over the last years, in average, 2,1 million people per year performed the hajj. These millions stand in contrast to the numbers visiting Mecca half a century ago. On average, until 1946 a rough 60,000 pilgrims visited Mecca annually, with at least half of these coming from the Arabian Peninsula. Today Saudi nationals make up about a quarter of all pilgrims. The explanations for the staggering thirtyfold increase in total pilgrims, and the even more spectacular growth of the number of foreign pilgrims in slightly more than half a century are quite simple. First of all, the increasing world population in general led to larger numbers of pilgrims. Second, the journey became safer and better organised during the 20th century. In those parts of the Muslim world where it was not already (the Ottoman Empire), the organisation of the hajj became a state affair, organised first by the colonial authorities, and by the postcolonial states afterwards. Third, despite growing disparities in the distribution of global economic wealth an increasing number of Muslims could afford to pay for the journey. And finally the availability of cheap mechanical mass transport increased over this time period. This paper will look at these interconnected reasons for the spectacular growth of the hajj in the past half century from a world historical perspective, focussing on the West African Sahel in the 19th and 20th centuries. In this paper I hope to sketch how state rule, changing economies, motorised mass transport, and religion are interconnected phenomena, which are all shaped by and giving shape to world historical events in the Muslim world. The focus will be largely on the changing demography and social geography of the pilgrimage journey to Mecca as performed by pilgrims from the Sahel, and the changing significance of this journey in their lives.
A new species of Duttaphrynus (Anura : Bufonidae) from Northeast India
Authors: DAS ABHIJIT , CHETIA MITALI , DUTTA SUSHIL KUMAR , SENGUPTA SAIBAL
Published: May 2013

A new species of montane toad Duttaphrynus is described from Nagaland state of Northeast India. The new species is diagnosable based on following combination of characters: absence of preorbital, postorbital and orbitotympanic ridges, elongated and broad parotid gland, first finger longer than second and presence of a mid-dorsal line. The tympanum is hidden under a skin fold (in male) or absent (in female). The species is compared with its congers from India and Indo- China. We propose to consider Duttaphrynus wokhaensis as junior synonym of Duttaphrynus melanostictus.
A review of the subgenus Cladoconnus Reitter of the genus Euconnus Thomson (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae) from the Balkan Peninsula, Turkey and Caucasus
Authors: HLAVÁČ PETER
Published: May 2013

The subgenus Cladoconnus Reitter, 1909 of the megadiverse genus Euconnus Thomson, 1859 is redescribed and revised for the Balkan Peninsula, Turkey and Caucasus. The following species are described: Euconnus (Cladoconnus) gagrani-cus sp. nov., E. (C.) ispartaensis sp. nov., E. (C.) meybohmi sp. nov., E. (C.) brachati sp. nov. and E. (C.) croaticus sp. nov. Lectotypes are designated for E. (C.) anatolicus Franz, 1997, E. (C.) dodecanicus Franz, 1966, E. (C.) robustus Reit-ter, 1882 and E. (C.) winneguthi Apfelbeck, 1907. Euconnus (Cladoconnus) major (Motschulsky, 1851) is placed as a ju-nior synonym of E. (C.) motschulskii (Motschulsky, 1837). Two species groups, schlosseri and denticornis are defined; identification keys to the groups and species are given.