bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A novel procedure on next generation sequencing data analysis using text mining algorithm
Authors: Zhao Weizhong , Chen James J. , Perkins Roger , Wang Yuping , Liu Zhichao , Hong Huixiao , Tong Weida , Zou Wen
Published: May 2016

Background

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have provided researchers with vast possibilities in various biological and biomedical research areas. Efficient data mining strategies are in high demand for large scale comparative and evolutional studies to be performed on the large amounts of data derived from NGS projects. Topic modeling is an active research field in machine learning and has been mainly used as an analytical tool to structure large textual corpora for data mining.

Methods

We report a novel procedure to analyse NGS data using topic modeling. It consists of four major procedures: NGS data retrieval, preprocessing, topic modeling, and data mining using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic outputs. The NGS data set of the Salmonella enterica strains were used as a case study to show the workflow of this procedure. The perplexity measurement of the topic numbers and the convergence efficiencies of Gibbs sampling were calculated and discussed for achieving the best result from the proposed procedure.

Results

The output topics by LDA algorithms could be treated as features of Salmonella strains to accurately describe the genetic diversity of fliC gene in various serotypes. The results of a two-way hierarchical clustering and data matrix analysis on LDA-derived matrices successfully classified Salmonella serotypes based on the NGS data. The implementation of topic modeling in NGS data analysis procedure provides a new way to elucidate genetic information from NGS data, and identify the gene-phenotype relationships and biomarkers, especially in the era of biological and medical big data.

Conclusion

The implementation of topic modeling in NGS data analysis provides a new way to elucidate genetic information from NGS data, and identify the gene-phenotype relationships and biomarkers, especially in the era of biological and medical big data.
Bapineuzumab for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease in two global, randomized, phase 3 trials
Authors: Vandenberghe Rik , Rinne Juha O. , Boada Mercè , Katayama Sadao , Scheltens Philip , Vellas Bruno , Tuchman Michael , Gass Achim , Fiebach Jochen B. , Hill Derek , Lobello Kasia , Li David , McRae Tom , Lucas Prisca , Evans Iona , Booth Kevin , Luscan Gerald , Wyman Bradley T. , Hua Lisa , Yang Lingfeng , Brashear H. Robert , Black Ronald S. ,   for the Bapineuzumab 3000 and 3001 Clinical Study Investigators
Published: May 2016

Background

Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy (clinical and biomarker) and safety of intravenous bapineuzumab in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Methods

Two of four phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 18-month trials were conducted globally: one in apolipoprotein E ε4 carriers and another in noncarriers. Patients received bapineuzumab 0.5 mg/kg (both trials) or 1.0 mg/kg (noncarrier trial) or placebo every 13 weeks. Coprimary endpoints were change from baseline to week 78 on the 11-item Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale–Cognitive subscale and the Disability Assessment for Dementia.

Results

A total of 683 and 329 patients completed the current carrier and noncarrier trials, respectively, which were terminated prematurely owing to lack of efficacy in the two other phase 3 trials of bapineuzumab in AD. The current trials showed no significant difference between bapineuzumab and placebo for the coprimary endpoints and no effect of bapineuzumab on amyloid load or cerebrospinal fluid phosphorylated tau. (Both measures were stable over time in the placebo group.) Amyloid-related imaging abnormalities with edema or effusion were confirmed as the most notable adverse event.

Conclusions

These phase 3 global trials confirmed lack of efficacy of bapineuzumab at tested doses on clinical endpoints in patients with mild to moderate AD. Some differences in the biomarker results were seen compared with the other phase 3 bapineuzumab trials. No unexpected adverse events were observed.

Trial registration

Noncarriers (3000) ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00667810; registered 24 Apr 2008.

Carriers (3001) ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00676143; registered 2 May 2008.
Organizing empyema induced in mice by Streptococcus pneumoniae: effects of plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 deficiency
Authors: Tucker Torry A. , Jeffers Ann , Boren Jake , Quaid Brandon , Owens Shuzi , Koenig Kathleen B. , Tsukasaki Yoshikazu , Florova Galina , Komissarov Andrey A. , Ikebe Mitsuo , Idell Steven
Published: May 2016

Background

Pleural infection affects about 65,000 patients annually in the US and UK. In this and other forms of pleural injury, mesothelial cells (PMCs) undergo a process called mesothelial (Meso) mesenchymal transition (MT), by which PMCs acquire a profibrogenic phenotype with increased expression of α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) and matrix proteins. MesoMT thereby contributes to pleural organization with fibrosis and lung restriction. Current murine empyema models are characterized by early mortality, limiting analysis of the pathogenesis of pleural organization and mechanisms that promote MesoMT after infection.

Methods

A new murine empyema model was generated in C57BL/6 J mice by intrapleural delivery of Streptococcus pneumoniae (D39, 3 × 107–5 × 109 cfu) to enable use of genetically manipulated animals. CT‐scanning and pulmonary function tests were used to characterize the physiologic consequences of organizing empyema. Histology, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence were used to assess pleural injury. ELISA, cytokine array and western analyses were used to assess pleural fluid mediators and markers of MesoMT in primary PMCs.

Results

Induction of empyema was done through intranasal or intrapleural delivery of S. pneumoniae. Intranasal delivery impaired lung compliance (p < 0.05) and reduced lung volume (p < 0.05) by 7 days, but failed to reliably induce empyema and was characterized by unacceptable mortality. Intrapleural delivery of S. pneumoniae induced empyema by 24 h with lung restriction and development of pleural fibrosis which persisted for up to 14 days. Markers of MesoMT were increased in the visceral pleura of S. pneumoniae infected mice. KC, IL‐17A, MIP‐1β, MCP‐1, PGE2 and plasmin activity were increased in pleural lavage of infected mice at 7 days. PAI‐1−/− mice died within 4 days, had increased pleural inflammation and higher PGE2 levels than WT mice. PGE2 was induced in primary PMCs by uPA and plasmin and induced markers of MesoMT.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first murine model of subacute, organizing empyema. The model can be used to identify factors that, like PAI‐1 deficiency, alter outcomes and dissect their contribution to pleural organization, rind formation and lung restriction.
“The Great Sea Voyage Which Marriage Can Be”
Authors: Wegner Phillip E.
Published: May 2016

This essay takes up the challenge, issued by Fredric Jameson in a 1976 minnesota review essay, to become attentive to the “presence of some Utopian content even within the most degraded and degrading type of commercial product.” It does so through a reading of the Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore film 50 First Dates (2004) as an example of the utopian film genre that Stanley Cavell identifies as “the comedy of remarriage.” It further draws upon the insights of Alain Badiou to theorize a larger schema of related practices that I name the “evental genres” before exploring in some detail how the deep fidelity practiced by the central couple in the film — most powerfully on display in its unexpected climax — develops a concrete figure of the day-by-day labors, the unending process of remaking, renewal, and reinvention required in any authentic marriage and hence any truly utopian project.
An optical method to evaluate both mass and functional competence of pancreatic α- and β-cells
Authors: Wang Yi , Han Chengsheng , Zhu Wenzhen , Wu Zhengxing , Liu Yanmei , Chen Liangyi
Published: May 2016

Imbalanced glucagon and insulin release leads to the onset of type 2 diabetes. To pinpoint the underlying primary driving force, here we have developed a fast, non-biased optical method to measure ratios of pancreatic α- and β-cell mass and function simultaneously. We firstly label both primary α- and β-cells with the red fluorescent probe ZinRhodaLactam-1 (ZRL1), and then highlight α-cells by selectively quenching the ZRL1 signal from β-cells. Based on the signals before and after quenching, we calculate the ratio of the α-cell to β-cell mass within live islets, which we found matched the results from immunohistochemistry. From the same islets, glucagon and insulin release capability can be concomitantly measured. Thus, we were able to measure the ratio of α-cell to β-cell mass and their function in wild-type and diabetic Leprdb/Leprdb (denoted db/db) mice at different ages. We find that the initial glucose intolerance that appears in 10-week-old db/db mice is associated with further expansion of α-cell mass prior to deterioration in functional β-cell mass. Our method is extendable to studies of islet mass and function in other type 2 diabetes animal models, which shall benefit mechanistic studies of imbalanced hormone secretion during type 2 diabetes progression.
Substance use during pregnancy
Authors: Forray Ariadna
Published: May 2016

Prenatal substance use is a critical public health concern that is linked with several harmful maternal and fetal consequences. The most frequently used substance in pregnancy is tobacco, followed by alcohol, cannabis and other illicit substances. Unfortunately, polysubstance use in pregnancy is common, as well as psychiatric comorbidity, environmental stressors, and limited and disrupted parental care, all of which can compound deleterious maternal and fetal outcomes. There are few existing treatments for prenatal substance use and these mainly comprise behavioral and psychosocial interventions. Contingency management has been shown to be the most efficacious of these. The purpose of this review is to examine the recent literature on the prenatal use of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, stimulants, and opioids, including the effects of these on maternal and fetal health and the current therapeutic options.
Priority regions for research on dryland cereals and legumes
Authors: Hyman Glenn , Barona Elizabeth , Biradar Chandrashekhar , Guevara Edward , Dixon John , Beebe Steve , Castano Silvia Elena , Alabi Tunrayo , Gumma Murali Krishna , Sivasankar Shoba , Rivera Ovidio , Espinosa Herlin , Cardona Jorge
Published: May 2016

Dryland cereals and legumes  are important crops in farming systems across the world.  Yet they are frequently neglected among the priorities for international agricultural research and development, often due to lack of information on their magnitude and extent. Given what we know about the global distribution of dryland cereals and legumes, what regions should be high priority for research and development to improve livelihoods and food security? This research evaluated the geographic dimensions of these crops and the farming systems where they are found worldwide. The study employed geographic information science and data to assess the key farming systems and regions for these crops. Dryland cereal and legume crops should be given high priority in 18 farming systems worldwide, where their cultivated area comprises more than 160 million ha. These regions include the dryer areas of South Asia, West and East Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, Central America and other parts of Asia. These regions are prone to drought and heat stress, have limiting soil constraints, make up half of the global population and account for 60 percent of the global poor and malnourished. The dryland cereal and legume crops and farming systems merit more research and development attention to improve productivity and address development problems. This project developed an open access dataset and information resource that provides the basis for future analysis of the geographic dimensions of dryland cereals and legumes.
A cloud-based learning environment for comparing RNA-seq aligners
Authors: Baskin Elizabeth , DeFord Peter , Dennis Allison F. , Misner Ian , Tan Frederick J. , Busby Ben
Published: May 2016

The rapid rise of high-throughput, data intensive experimental techniques has thrust many biologists into the role of data analyst – a role many biologists feel ill equipped to fill. Novices often struggle to find the resources and expertise they need to analyze their experimental results in a wet-lab environment. To fill this need, we developed an educational resource as part of a National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) hackathon. Using RNA-seq as a model, our tutorial guides new users through the steps of data analysis, while placing an emphasis on understanding the motivation behind choices made in the process. To advance the goal of providing a deeper understanding of the analysis process, we developed a new tool, bamDiff. bamDiff allows users to compare the performance of multiple RNA-seq aligners, allowing users to select the most appropriate aligner for the data in question and experimental end-goal. Our tutorial is accessible via a GitHub wiki, with associated data and software provided on an Amazon Machine Image (AMI), which can be completed at no cost to the user through the Amazon Educate Program. Following the hackathon, our tutorial was integrated into the October 2015 offering of NCBI NOW (Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Online Workshop) a free online experience targeting individuals new to NGS analysis.
Sequestering seawater on land: a water-based solution to global issues
Authors: Boyer Stéphane , Lefort Marie-Caroline
Published: May 2016

The ‘surplus’ of oceanic water generated by climate change offers an unprecedented opportunity to tackle a number of global issues through a very pragmatic process: shifting the excess water from the oceans onto the land. Here we propose that sea-level rise could be mitigated through the desalination of very large amounts of seawater in massive desalination plants. To efficiently mitigate sea-level rise, desalinized water could be stored on land in the form of crop, wetlands or new forests. Based on a US$ 500 million price to build an individual mega desalination plant with current technology, the cost of controlling current sea-level rise through water desalination approaches US$ 23 trillion. However, the economic, environmental and health benefits would also be immense and could contribute to addressing a number of global issues including sea-level rise, food security, biodiversity loss and climate change. Because these issues are intimately intertwined, responses should aim at addressing them all concurrently and at global scale.
Competitive Equilibria in Two-Sided Matching Markets with General Utility Functions
Authors: Alaei Saeed , Jain Kamal , Malekian Azarakhsh
Published: May 2016

We present an exact characterization of utilities in competitive equilibria of two-sided matching markets in which the utility of each agent depends on the choice of partner and the terms of the partnership, potentially including monetary transfer. Examples of such markets include sellers and buyers or jobs and workers. Demange and Gale showed that the set of competitive equilibria in this type of market forms a complete lattice with each extreme point of the lattice representing an equilibrium with the highest utilities for the agents on one side and the lowest utilities for the agents on the opposite side.

Our characterization is based on establishing a connection between the competitive equilibria of a market and the competitive equilibria of certain strict subsets of that market—each obtained by removing exactly one agent. This characterization captures the effect of competition when agents are added to the market or removed from the market. It gives a precise procedure for constructing competitive equilibria and provides a constructive proof of existence of such equilibria; in contrast, previous proofs have been based on fixed point theorems.
The Early Results of the Reconstruction of Chronic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Deficiency with Single Tunnel-Dual-Bundle Technique and Quadruple Hamstring Autograft
Authors: Akalin Serdar , Baz Ali Bülent , Kiliçaslan Ömer Faruk , Tokatman Bogaçhan , Arik Hasan , Ercan Emrah
Published: May 2016

Purpose: Our study retrospectively evaluates the early results of the reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) defficiency by single tunnel–Dual bundle technique and quadruple autogenous hamstring tendon graft.
Methods: Fourteen female and 46 male patients whom with chronic instability due to ACL deficiency were included in this study. The injury mechanism was sports related injury in 45 patients and in 15 patients the injury were other causes. All of the patients were treated with Single tunnel–Dual band technique and quadruple autogenous hamstring semitendinosus (ST) and gracilis (G) tendon graft. The patients were clinically evaluated with Lachman test, pivot-shift test, anterior drawer test, Mc Murray test, Lysholm activity scale and International Knee Documentation Comittee (IKDC) Questionaire preoperatively and postoperatively and the data were recorded.
Results: The average follow-up was 34.08 months (45–26 months). Both of the menisci were intact in 22 of the patients (36.6%) and meniscal lesion were present in 38 (63.3%) patients. Two of the patients with medial meniscal lesion were sutured with meniscal repair system. Also micro-fracture was performed in 4 patients with grade 3 chondral lesion in medial femoral condyle. The preoperative mean IKDC scores of 38.3 points (range 28.7–63.9) raised to 78.1 points (range 54-98.9) postoperatively and the difference was statystically significant.
Conclusion: In light of the findings of our study and related literature we can comment that the mid-term results of the reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) defficiency by single tunnel–Dual band technique and quadruple autogeneus hamstring tendon graft with AperFix fixation system are stisfactory.
Total Hip Arthroplasty with Acetabular Bone Graft Reconstruction in Neglected Fractures of the Acetabulum: A preliminary report of sixteen cases
Authors: Bassiony Ayman Abdelaziz , Asal Mohamed Kamal
Published: May 2016

Background: Neglected acetabular fractures is a challenging to treat. Total hip arthroplasty with bone-graft reconstruction is among the most popular methods of providing bony support in cases of acetabular bony deficiencies during total hip arthroplasty. Controversy still exists on the best method for bony reconstruction.
Patients and Methods: Sixteen patients having neglected acetabular fracture or fracture dislocation were operated for total hip arthroplasty using autograft from the femoral head. The average age of the patients was 50 years (range 36-58 years). There were 12 males and 4 females. Average time of follow up was 3 years.
Results: There was graft resorption in two cases with subsequent revision. Average Harris hip score pre-operatively was 46, which improved to an average of 84 post-operatively.
Conclusion: Our study has shown that total hip replacement with bone grafting in form of auto graft of the femoral head provide good results in reconstruction of acetabular bony deficiencies due to neglected acetabular fracture.
A Randomized Clinical Trial of Multimodal Therapy and Mulligan’s Concept of Manual Therapy for Patients with Chronic Pain Syndrome Caused by Upper Cervical Spine Disorders
Authors: Put Marcin , Huber Juliusz , Pieniazek Marek , Gadek-Michalska Anna , Szczygiel Andrzej
Published: May 2016

Study Design: A randomized, parallel-group clinical trial, 2 weeks treatment period with follow-up reassessment after therapy.
Objectives: To compare the relative efficacy of multimodal rehabilitation and Mulligan’s concept of manual therapy for patients with chronic neck pain and cervicogenic headache.
Background: Cervicogenic headache and neck pain are the main syndromes caused by upper cervical musculosceletal disorders (C0-C3). According to clinical researches for about 20% of the patients with chronic unilateral headache, the cause is of the cervical origin. Relatively little is known about the efficacy of Mulligan’s concept of manual therapy for patients with chronic pain syndrome caused by upper cervical spine disorders.
Methods: Patients (n=104) with chronic pain syndrome caused by upper cervical spine disorders, were randomized into two groups: multimodal therapy (massage, electrotherapy, ultrasound) and Mulligan’s concept of manual therapy group. Outcomes: pain intensity (VAS), neck disability index (NDI), range of motion (ROM).
Results: Both groups (multimodal therapy and Mulligan’s concept) showed significantly reduced pain and disability, but the effect between groups wasn’t significantly superior with either therapy alone. Mulligan’s concept of manual therapy showed greater gains in range of motion; extension (p=0.01), left rotation (p=0.01) and right rotation (p=0.03) than the multimodal therapy.
Conclusion: Mulligan’s techniques are an effective method in the management of upper cervical spine disorders.
Upper canopy pollinators of Eucryphia cordifolia Cav., a tree of South American temperate rain forest
Authors: Smith-Ramírez Cecilia , Martínez Paula , Díaz Iván , Galaz Marcelo , Armesto Juan J.
Published: May 2016

Ecological processes in the upper canopy of temperate forests have been seldom studied because of the limited accessibility. Here, we present the results of the first survey of the pollinator assemblage and the frequency of insect visits to flowers in the upper branches of ulmo, Eucryphia cordifolia Cav., an emergent 30-40 m-tall tree in rainforests of Chiloé Island, Chile. We compared these findings with a survey of flower visitors restricted to lower branches of E. cordifolia 1- in the forest understory, 2- in lower branches in an agroforestry area. We found 10 species of pollinators in canopy, and eight, 12 and 15 species in understory, depending of tree locations. The main pollinators of E. cordifolia in the upper canopy differed significantly from the pollinator assemblage recorded in lower tree branches. We conclude that the pollinator assemblages of the temperate forest canopy and interior are still unknown.
A new bromelain-based enzyme for the release of Dupuytren’s contracture
Authors: Rubin G. , Rinott M. , Wolovelsky A. , Rosenberg L. , Shoham Y. , Rozen N.
Published: May 2016

Objectives

Injectable Bromelain Solution (IBS) is a modified investigational derivate of the medical grade bromelain-debriding pharmaceutical agent (NexoBrid) studied and approved for a rapid (four-hour single application), eschar-specific, deep burn debridement. We conducted an ex vivo study to determine the ability of IBS to dissolve-disrupt (enzymatic fasciotomy) Dupuytren’s cords.

Materials and Methods

Specially prepared medical grade IBS was injected into fresh Dupuytren’s cords excised from patients undergoing surgical fasciectomy. These cords were tested by tension-loading them to failure with the Zwick 1445 (Zwick GmbH & Co. KG, Ulm, Germany) tension testing system.

Results

We completed a pilot concept-validation study that proved the efficacy of IBS to induce enzymatic fasciotomy in ten cords compared with control in ten cords. We then completed a dosing study with an additional 71 cords injected with IBS in descending doses from 150 mg/cc to 0.8 mg/cc. The dosing study demonstrated that the minimal effective dose of 0.5 cc of 6.25 mg/cc to 5 mg/cc could achieve cord rupture in more than 80% of cases.

Conclusions

These preliminary results indicate that IBS may be effective in enzymatic fasciotomy in Dupuytren’s contracture. Cite this article: Dr G. Rubin. A new bromelain-based enzyme for the release of Dupuytren’s contracture: Dupuytren’s enzymatic bromelain-based release. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:175–177. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.55.BJR-2016-0072.
New Paradigms for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research in Electronic Medical Records:
An example of detecting urinary incontinence following prostatectomy
Authors: Hernandez-Boussard Tina , Tamang Suzanne , Blayney Douglas , Brooks Jim , Shah Nigam
Published: May 2016

Introduction: National initiatives to develop quality metrics emphasize the need
to include patient-centered outcomes. Patient-centered outcomes are complex, require
documentation of patient communications, and have not been routinely collected by
healthcare providers. The widespread implementation of electronic medical records (EHR)
offers opportunities to assess patient-centered outcomes within the routine healthcare
delivery system. The objective of this study was to test the feasibility and accuracy of
identifying patient centered outcomes within the EHR.Methods: Data from patients with
localized prostate cancer undergoing prostatectomy were used to develop and test
algorithms to accurately identify patient-centered outcomes in post-operative EHRs – we
used urinary incontinence as the use case. Standard data mining techniques were used to
extract and annotate free text and structured data to assess urinary incontinence
recorded within the EHRs.Results. A total 5,349 prostate cancer patients were identified
in our EHR-system between 1998-2013. Among these EHRs, 30.3% had a text mention
of urinary incontinence within 90 days post-operative compared to less than 1.0% with a
structured data field for urinary incontinence (i.e. ICD-9 code). Our workflow had good
precision and recall for urinary incontinence (positive predictive value: 0.73 and
sensitivity: 0.84).Discussion. Our data indicate that important patient-centered
outcomes, such as urinary incontinence, are being captured in EHRs as free text and
highlight the long-standing importance of accurate clinician documentation. Standard
data mining algorithms can accurately and efficiently identify these outcomes in
existing EHRs; the complete assessment of these outcomes is essential to move practice
into the patient-centered realm of healthcare.
Load level forwarding work element analysis based on automatic follow-up data
Authors: Manner Jussi , Palmroth Lauri , Nordfjell Tomas , Lindroos Ola
Published: May 2016

Recent developments in on-board technology have enabled automatic collection of follow-up data on forwarder work. The objective of this study was to exploit this possibility to obtain highly representative information on time consumption of specific work elements (including overlapping crane work and driving), with one load as unit of observation, for large forwarders in final felling operations. The data used were collected by the John Deere TimberLink system as nine operators forwarded 8868 loads, in total, at sites in mid-Sweden. Load-sizes were not available. For the average and median extraction distances (219 and 174 m, respectively), , , , and effective work (PM) accounted for ca. 45, 19, 8.5, 7.5 and 14% of total forwarding time consumption, respectively. The average and median total time consumptions were 45.8 and 42.1 minutes/load, respectively. The developed models explained large proportions of the variation of time consumption for the work elements and , but minor proportions for the work elements and Based on the means, the crane was used during 74.8% of PM time, the driving speed was nonzero during 31.9% of the PM time, and occurred during 6.7% of the PM time. Time consumption per load was more strongly associated with distance than with extraction distance, indicating that the relevance of extraction distance as a main indicator of forwarding productivity should be re-considered.LoadingUnloadingDriving emptyDriving loadedOther time Driving emptyDriving loadedLoading Unloading. LoadingLoadingSimultaneous crane work and drivingLoadingLoading drive
The obligation of national Courts against whose decision there is no judicial remedy to refer questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union
Authors: Neamt Valentin Paul
Published: May 2016

The present paper presents the obligation that courts in the member states of the European Union have to refer questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union, with a focus on courts against whose decision there is no judicial remedy under national law. The paper starts by presenting the applicable framework regarding the preliminary reference procedure, then focuses on analyzing the exceptions to national court’s duty under article 267 TFEU, with a focus on the direction in which the case law is heading based on the most recent judgments handed down by the Court of Justice of the European Union in 2015, finally presenting the author’s conclusions and observation on the subject.
The right to death. Fiction or reality?
Authors: Lucan Maria Casandra
Published: May 2016

The present article is part of a dense literature – result of a perennial debate – that has polarized societies for a long time and has evident reverberations in the present. It deals with “the right to death”, trying to offer some answers referring to its existence in fact and the way in which it is perceived by different states and diverse entities with juridical nature. In the first part of the paper, it is insisted upon the right to life, so that subsequently, to speak in detail about a “right to death” and the moral and juridical implications of using such phrases. There are analyzed different states of the world found on one part or the other of the barricade in what concerns the legality of euthanasia and assisted suicide – considered the two hypostasis of the right in question. It is offered, as well, an analysis of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, mentioning that, paradoxically, while it cannot be modified so that it allows the appearance of some new rights, it can tacitly accept the creation by some states that have adhered to it of some rights antagonistic with those presented in its text. The conclusion, is that not any liberalization movement of a social action – quantified through the request of a right – has as a direct result a progress of the respective society, especially when the action creates something diametrically opposed to some fundamental functioning norms, such as, by excellence, the granting of the protection of life of all individuals.
Droplet infiltration dynamics and soil wettability related to soil organic matter of soil aggregate coatings and interiors
Authors: Fér Miroslav , Leue Martin , Kodešová Radka , Gerke Horst H. , Ellerbrock Ruth H.
Published: May 2016

The organo-mineral coatings of soil aggregates, cracks, and biopores control sorption and macropore-matrix exchange during preferential flow, in particular in the clay-illuvial Bt-horizon of Luvisols. The soil organic matter (SOM) composition has been hypothesized to explain temporal changes in the hydraulic properties of aggregate surfaces. The objective of this research was to find relations between the temporal change in wettability, in terms of droplet infiltration dynamics, and the SOM composition of coated and uncoated aggregate surfaces. We used 20 to 40 mm sized soil aggregates from the Bt2 horizon of a Haplic Luvisol from loess that were (i) coated, (ii) not coated (both intact), and (iii) aggregates from which coatings were removed (cut). The SOM composition of the aggregate surfaces was characterized by infrared spectroscopy in the diffuse reflection mode (DRIFT). A potential wettability index (PWI) was calculated from the ratio of hydrophobic and hydrophilic functional groups in SOM. The water drop penetration times (WDPT) and contact angles (CA) during droplet infiltration experiments were determined on dry and moist aggregate samples of the three types. The decrease in the CA with time was described using the power function (CA(t) = at−b
). For dry aggregates, the WDPT values were larger for coated as compared to uncoated regions on the aggregate surfaces, and increased with increasing PWI value (R
2 = 0.75). The a parameter was significantly related to the WDPT (R
2 = 0.84) and to the PWI (R
2 = 0.64). The relations between the b parameter and the WDPT (R
2 = 0.61) and the PWI (R
2 = 0.53) were also significant. The WDPT values of wet soil aggregates were higher than those of dry aggregates due to high water contents, which limited the droplet infiltration potential. At the wet aggregate surfaces, the WDPT values increased with the PWI of the SOM (R
2 = 0.64). In contrast to dry samples, no significant relationships were found between parameters a or b of CA(t) and WDPT or PWI for wet aggregate surfaces. The results suggest that the effect of the SOM composition of coatings on surface wettability decreases with increasing soil moisture. In addition to the dominant impact of SOM, the wettability of aggregate surfaces could be affected by different mineralogical compositions of clay in coatings and interiors of aggregates. Particularly, wettability of coatings could be decreased by illite which was the dominant clay type in coatings. However, the influence of different clay mineral fractions on surface wettability was not due to small number of measurements (2 and 1 samples from coatings and interiors, respectively) quantified.
Trend analysis of climatic variables in an arid and semi-arid region of the Ajmer District, Rajasthan, India
Authors: Pingale Santosh M. , Khare Deepak , Jat Mahesh K. , Adamowski Jan
Published: May 2016

In the present study, trends and variations in climatic variables (i.e. rainfall, wet day frequency, surface temperature, diurnal temperature, cloud cover, and reference and potential evapotranspiration) were analyzed on seasonal (monsoon and non-monsoon) and annual time scales for the Ajmer District of Rajasthan, India. This was done using non-parametric statistical techniques, i.e. the Mann–Kendall (MK) and Modified Mann–Kendall (MMK) tests, over a period of 100 years. The MK test with prewhitening (MK–PW) of climatic series was also applied to climatic variables and the results were compared to those obtained through the MK and MMK tests in order to assess the performance of trend detection methods. The Pettitt–Mann–Whitney (PMW) test was applied to detect the temporal shift in climatic series. The trend analysis revealed that annual and seasonal rainfall did not show any statistically significant trend at a 10% significant level. A noticeable trend increase was found in wet day frequency, surface temperature and reference evapotranspiration (ET) during the non-monsoon season from the three non-parametric statistical tests at a 10% significance level. A statistically significant decrease in maximum temperature was found during the non-monsoon season by the MK–PW test alone. This analysis of several climatic variables at the district scale is helpful for the planning and management of water resources and the development of adaptation strategies in adverse climatic conditions.
The evaluation of corrosion properties of coated materials by utilization of EIS
Authors: Brezinová J. , Koncz J. , Draganovská D. , Guzanová A.
Published: May 2016

The paper presents results of research aimed at determining the corrosive properties of steel with cathode metal coating in selected corrosive environments. The corrosion properties of the tin coated steel were evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic tests. For realised measurements, distilled water, 0.5 mol dm−3 NaCl solution, 0.1 mol dm−3 NaCl solution and SARS, which simulates acid rain were used as corrosive solutions. Both corrosion methods are suitable for diagnosing corrosion properties of steel with metal coatings.
Evaluation of corrosion attack of chimney liners
Authors: Blahetová M. , Horák J. , Kubesa P. , Lasek S. , Ochodek T.
Published: May 2016

The case study of chimney liner corrosion addresses three specific cases of damage of chimney systems from of stainless steels. These systems were used for flue of gas arising from the combustion of brown coal in small automatic boilers, which are used for heating. Detailed analyzes implied that the cause of devastating corrosion of the steel AISI 316 and 304 steel (CSN 17349, 17241) was particularly high content of halides (chlorides and fluorides), which caused a severe pitting corrosion, which led up to the perforation of the liner material. Simultaneous reduction of the thickness of the used sheets was due to by the general corrosion, which was caused by the sulfur in the solid fuel. The condensation then led to acid environment and therefore the corrosion below the dew point of the sulfuric acid has occurred. All is documented by metallographic analysis and microanalysis of the corrosion products.
Review of recent EU funded research projects from
the perspective of urban sound planning: do the
results cope with the needs of Europe’s noise
policy?
Authors: Alves Sonia , Scheuren Joachim , Altreuther Beate
Published: May 2016

Noise pollution is one of the major environmental
problems affecting European citizens in urban areas.
Although the Environmental Noise Directive is in force
since 2002, there is still a gap between defined objectives
and outcomes. The EU Seventh Environment Action Programme
attempts to achieve the reduction of noise pollution
by means of more effective European noise policies.
This must be coupled with providing assistance to local
administrations on dealing with existing noise problems,
for example through Urban Sound Planners.
The aim of this paper is to present the results of a systematic
review of European projects addressing urban sound
planning topics and furthermore an overview of the most
relevant research results that can be applied by practitioners.
In order to understand the European funding strategy,
the most valued research topics (number of projects
and funding support) are assessed. A key finding of this
review is the disagreement between air traffic noise research
funding and its importance on overall noise exposure.
Another finding is that the scientific knowledge for
urban sound planning exists but it requires adequately
dissemination of results, among the policy makers and local
authorities, who are usually responsible for policy implementation.
Narrative Writing in Digital Formats: Interpreting the Impact of Audience
Authors: Lawrence Joshua Fahey , Niiya Melissa , Warschauer March
Published: May 2016

Digital writing has enabled students to write for a variety of authentic audiences, both in and out of the classroom. As they consider audience, students shoulder a cognitive burden that they must juggle in addition to the task of composition. At the same time, writing provides students with opportunities to craft and express their identities. The ways that identity formation and cognitive load intersect may be particularly complex in digital, online writing environments, as students gain the ability to share and receive feedback from global and local audiences. In this counterbalanced experimental study, 86 seventh- and eighth-grade students responded to two narrative prompts. One prompt was written for the teacher and the other was written for the teacher and peers in an online forum. We examined student writing fluency, mechanical errors, academic word use, and setting. Students were found to be more likely to set narratives in private settings when writing for an audience that included peers. We discuss this finding from cognitive and sociocultural perspectives and how it might inform networked communication research.
Superdense Coding Interleaved with Forward Error Correction
Authors: Sadlier Ronald J. , Humble Travis S.
Published: May 2016

Superdense coding promises increased classical capacity and communication security but this advantage may be undermined by noise in the quantum channel. We present a numerical study of how forward error correction (FEC) applied to the encoded classical message can be used to mitigate against quantum channel noise. By studying the bit error rate under different FEC codes, we identify the unique role that burst errors play in superdense coding, and we show how these can be mitigated against by interleaving the FEC codewords prior to transmission. We conclude that classical FEC with interleaving is a useful method to improve the performance in near-term demonstrations of superdense coding.
Phase estimation with squeezed single photons
Authors: Olivares Stefano , Popovic Maria , Paris Matteo G. A.
Published: May 2016

We address the performance of an interferometric setup in which a squeezed single photon interferes at a beam splitter with a coherent state. Our analysis in based on both the quantum Fisher information and the sensitivity when a Mach-Zehnder setup is considered and the difference photocurrent is detected at the output. We compare our results with those obtained feeding the interferometer with a squeezed vacuum (with the same squeezing parameter of the squeezed single photon) and a coherent state in order to have the same total number of photons circulating in the interferometer. We find that for fixed squeezing parameter and total number of photons there is a threshold of the coherent amplitude interfering with the squeezed single photon above which the squeezed single photons outperform the performance of squeezed vacuum (showing the highest quantum Fisher information). When the difference photocurrent measurement is considered, we can always find a threshold of the squeezing parameter (given the total number of photons and the coherent amplitude) above which squeezed single photons can be exploited to reach a better sensitivity with respect to the use of squeezed vacuum states also in the presence of non unit quantum efficiency.
The semiotics of migrants’ food: Between codes and experience
Authors: Greco Sara
Published: May 2016

This paper sets out to analyze cultural semiotics of migrants’ food and culinary practices. Moving from the perspective of the Tartu school of semiotics, which views culture both as a grammar (a set of codes) and as a set of texts, food can be characterized as a specific cultural element where grammar and text (code and experience) are woven together. International migrants live one or more ruptures and changes in their status quo due to their adaptation to the receiving country, which puts their cultural habits into questions. In this framework, even “normal” and well-established culinary practices might need to change. In this relation, I claim that it is on the basis of migrants’ new experience abroad that it is possible to change culinary grammars. In order to move beyond a descriptive account of change, and understand the reasons why migrants construct a new semiotics of food, this paper also integrates elements from argumentation theory in order to analyze the reasons given by migrants to explain the changes they are making. The analysis proposed here is based on a corpus of interviews to migrating mothers of different origins, all living in the greater London area.
Abnormal UP/DOWN Membrane Potential Dynamics Coupled with the Neocortical Slow Oscillation in Dentate Granule Cells during the Latent Phase of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
Authors: Ouedraogo David W. , Lenck-Santini Pierre-Pascal , Marti Geoffrey , Robbe David , Crépel Valérie , Epsztein Jérôme
Published: May 2016

The dentate gyrus, a major entry point to the hippocampus, gates (or filters) incoming information from the cortex. During sleep or anesthesia, the slow-wave oscillation (SWO) orchestrates hippocampus–neocortex communication, which is important for memory formation. The dentate gate is altered in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) early during epileptogenesis, which favors the propagation of pathological activities. Yet, whether the gating of physiological SWO by dentate granule cells (DGCs) is altered in TLE has remained unexplored. We combined intracellular recordings of membrane potential (Vm) of DGCs and local field potential recordings of the SWO in parietal cortex in anesthetized rats early during epileptogenesis [post-status epilepticus (SE) rats]. As expected, in control rats, theVmof DGCs weakly and rarely oscillated in the SWO frequency range. In contrast, in post-SE rats, theVmof DGCs displayed strong and long-lasting SWO. In these cells, clear UP and DOWN states, in phase with the neocortical SWO, led to a bimodalVmdistribution. In post-SE rats, the firing of DGCs was increased and more temporally modulated by the neocortical SWO. We conclude that UP/DOWN state dynamics dominate theVmof DGCs and firing early during epileptogenesis. This abnormally strong neocortical influence on the dynamics of DGCs may profoundly modify the hippocampus–neocortex dialogue during sleep and associated cognitive functions.
The McKittrick–Wheelock syndrome: a rare cause of curable diabetes
Authors: Challis Benjamin G , Lim Chung Thong , Cluroe Alison , Cameron Ewen , O’Rahilly Stephen
Published: May 2016

McKittrick–Wheelock syndrome (MWS) is a rare consequence of severe dehydration and electrolyte depletion due to mucinous diarrhoea secondary to a rectosigmoid villous adenoma. Reported cases of MWS commonly describe hypersecretion of mucinous diarrhoea in association with dehydration, hypokalaemia, hyponatraemia, hypochloraemia and pre-renal azotemia. Hyperglycaemia and diabetes are rarely reported manifestations of MWS. Herein we describe the case of a 59-year-old woman who presented with new-onset diabetes and severe electrolyte derangement due to a giant rectal villous adenoma. Subsequent endoscopic resection of the tumour cured her diabetes and normalised electrolytes. This case describes a rare cause of ‘curable diabetes’ and indicates hyperaldosteronism and/or whole-body potassium stores as important regulators of insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis.

Learning points

McKittrick–Wheelock syndrome (MWS) is typically characterised by the triad of pre-renal failure, electrolyte derangement and chronic diarrhoea resulting from a secretory colonic neoplasm.

Hyperglycaemia and new-onset diabetes are rare clinical manifestations of MWS.

Hyperaldosteronism and/or hypokalaemia may worsen glucose tolerance in MWS.

Aggressive replacement of fluid and electrolytes is the mainstay of acute management, with definitive treatment and complete reversal of the metabolic abnormalities being achieved by endoscopic or surgical resection of the neoplasm.
Generations of Struggle: Panel Discussion on Protest before, during, and after the Ferguson Rebellion
Authors: Green Percy , Kelley Robin D. G. , Lipsitz George , Poe Tef , Rogers Jamala , Hinton Elizabeth , Johnson Walter
Published: May 2016

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Audre Lorde on Single-Issue Campaigns
Authors: Lord Audre
Published: May 2016

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Fred Ho’s Wicked Theory and Naked Practice
Authors: Anthony III David H.
Published: May 2016

To speak of someone as unparalleled often seems trite; in Fred Ho’s case, it seems mandatory. A composer, musician, performance artist, and scholar, he really lived a life beyond categorization. In 2009, with the collaboration of Diane C. Fujino, the University of Minnesota Press published a retrospective anthology of his writings titled Wicked Theory, Naked Practice. Sadly, that volume is now also a memorial: a self-written festschrift. On April 12, 2014, Fred Ho succumbed to cancer, leaving behind an astonishingly innovative body of work. Fred Wei-Han Houn, or Hóu Wéihàn, later more popularly known as Fred Ho, was extraordinary. A virtuosic talent, he was a renaissance person without being limited by the masculinist modifier “man.” Wicked Theory, Wicked Practice offers a cross-section of Ho’s passionate written work over a decade. This collection is divided into four parts: 1) “The Movement and The Self,” 2) “Music Aesthetics and Artistic Production,” 3) “Asian American Pacific Cultural Theory and Criticism,” and 4) “Wicked Theory, Naked Practice.” However, the book really may be read in any order. In fact, tackling it out of order or choosing a random article might be in keeping with the improvisatory quality of much of Ho’s work. It is evocative of a quotation attributed to Cecil Taylor to the effect that “If a man plays for a certain amount of time—scales, licks, what have you—eventually a kind of order asserts itself.”