bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Zagzebski, Authority, and Faith
Authors: Dougherty Trent
Published: March 2017

Epistemic Authority is a mature work of a leading epistemologist and philosopher of religion (and metaphysician, too, but that character doesn’t feature in this story). It is a work primarily in epistemology with applications to religious epistemology. There are obvious applications of the notion of epistemic authority to philosophy of religion. For, on the face of it, the notion of some kind of ‘epistemic authority’ may serve as a conceptual anchor for our understanding of faith. Indeed, there is ample historical precedent for this. Faith, says Locke, is ‘the assent to any proposition ... upon the credit of the proposer, as coming from God, in some extraordinary way of communication’. 1 In later Lockeans, ‘credit’ is often rendered ‘authority’, and the terms were used synonymously at the time of his writing. 2 One of the beauties of Locke’s view is its reductionism, that is, it’s parsimony, which is a species of elegance and therefore beauty. Zagzebski’s notion is more high-octane than Locke’s. In this essay I will do four things. In Section 1 I will describe two kinds or notions of authority or at least two usages of the word ‘authority’. In Section 2 I will describe Zagzebski’s use of one of these notions, the non-Lockean one, to ground the reasonableness of religious belief. In Section 3 I will give four arguments against her view. In section 4 I will reply to her critique of Locke. The upshot, in my view, is that though we learn much (very much indeed) from Epistemic Authority (about both testimony in general and religious testimony in particular among many other things), a more Lockean approach to the nature of faith is still preferable.
The Moral Epistemological Argument for Atheism
Authors: Park John
Published: March 2017

Numerous supposed immoral mandates and commands by God found in religious texts are introduced and discussed. Such passages are used to construct a logical contradiction contention that is called the moral epistemological argument. It is shown how there is a contradiction in that God is omnibenevolent, God can instruct human beings, and God at times provides us with unethical orders and laws. Given the existence of the contradiction, it is argued that an omnibenevolent God does not exist. Finally, this contention is defended from several objections.
Tropes as Divine Acts: The Nature of Creaturely Properties in a World Sustained by God
Authors: Garcia Robert K.
Published: March 2017

I aim to synthesize two issues within theistic metaphysics. The first concerns the metaphysics of creaturely properties and, more specifically, the nature of unshareable properties, or tropes. The second concerns the metaphysics of providence and, more specifically, the way in which God sustains creatures, or sustenance. I propose that creaturely properties, understood as what I call modifier tropes, are identical with divine acts of sustenance, understood as acts of property-conferral. I argue that this theistic conferralism is attractive because it integrates trope theory and the doctrine of sustenance in a mutually enhancing way. Taking modifier tropes to be divine acts mitigates certain weaknesses of trope theory and safeguards divine sustenance from the threat of both deism and occasionalism.
A Cause Among Causes? God Acting in the Natural World
Authors: Silva Ignacio
Published: March 2017

Contemporary debates on divine action tend to focus on finding a space in nature where there would be no natural causes, where nature offers indeterminacy, openness, and potentiality, to place God’s action. These places are found through the natural sciences, in particular quantum mechanics. God’s action is then located in those ontological ‘causal-gaps’ offered by certain interpretations of quantum mechanics. In this view, God would determine what is left underdetermined in nature without disrupting the laws of nature. These contemporary proposals evidence at least two unexamined assumptions, which frame the discussion in such a way that they portray God as acting as a secondary cause or a ‘cause among causes’. God is somewhat required to act within these ‘gaps’, binding God to the laws of nature, and placing God’s action at the level of secondary causes. I suggest that understanding God’s action, following Thomas Aquinas, in terms of primary and secondary causation could help dissolve this difficulty. Aquinas moves away from this objection by suggesting to speak of an analogical notion of cause, allowing for an analogical understanding of God’s causality in nature. With a radically different understanding of the interplay between secondary causes and God, Aquinas manages to avoid conceiving God as a cause among causes, keeping the distinctive transcendent character of God’s causality safe from objections.
To Make a Rainbow - God's Work in Nature
Authors: Goodman Lenn E.
Published: March 2017

The Torah lays out a rich idea of God’s governance in the Scroll of Esther: Circumstance lays the warp, but human choices weave the woof of destiny. God remains unseen. Delegation of agency, including human freedom, is implicit in the act of creation: God does not clutch efficacy jealously to his breast. Biblically, God acts through nature, making the elements his servitors. Miracles do not violate God’s covenant with nature. Maimonides, following rabbinic homilies, finds them embedded in that covenant. Divine agency is clearest today in evolution and its special case, the emergence of autonomy and the rise of consciousness and personhood.
Special Divine Insight: Escaping the Snow Queen's Palace
Authors: Pinsent Andrew
Published: March 2017

Insights play a role in every field that can be called knowledge, but are of particular interest to the philosophy of religion and special divine action. Although these acts of understanding cannot be generated at will, a second person can vastly accelerate understanding by a first person. In this paper, I argue that this catalysis of insight is best attained in a situation of ‘second- person relatedness’, involving epistemic humility and shared awareness of shared focus. I also argue that this approach provides an appropriate interpretation of Aquinas’s account of God’s gift of understanding. On this basis, it is specifically the context of second-person relatedness to God, as ‘I’ to ‘you’, that is expected to have the most far-reaching impact on understanding of the world. I illustrate the conclusions by means of the story of The Snow Queen, by Hans Christian Andersen, drawing also some practical implications for insights in daily life.
God's Omnipresence
Authors: Jedwab Joseph
Published: March 2017

I defend Christian classical theism’s view that God is aspatial in the strict sense but omnipresent only in a loose sense. I consider ten different proposals according to which God is strictly omnipresent and reject them all. I then present two arguments for the claim that God is strictly aspatial. Finally, I argue that, given God creates and sustains all else, God is loosely omnipresent.
Tradition and Conceptual Dynamics According to an Inferentialist Theory of Meaning
Authors: Furstenberg Ariel
Published: March 2017

In this article I develop a conceptual dynamical account from an inferentialist theory of meaning and content; thus illuminating the connection between conceptual dynamics and tradition. The inferentialist theory taken into account here is that of Robert Brandom. While expanding on Brandom’s notion of scorekeeping, I claim that insufficiency, and sometimes even inability, to differentiate and navigate between past heritage and present discourse is of the essence of highly traditional discourses; creating a unique type of conceptual dynamics which is commonplace mainly within religious traditional discourses. This claim is supported by a case study from a Jewish traditional discourse.
'Can a Philosophical Justification of Ethics Be Autonomous While Acknowledging the Role of God in Grounding Moral Facts?'
Authors: Halbig Christoph
Published: March 2017

Autonomy and ethics are related to each other in complex ways. The paper starts by distinguishing and characterizing three basic dimensions of this relation. It proceeds by arguing for the compatibility of moral realism with a due respect for human autonomy. Nevertheless, supernaturalist moral realism seems to pose a special challenge for the autonomy of ethics as a self-standing normative realm. The paper ends with some considerations on the role of divine authority both in metaethics and in the general theory of value.
Evidentially Compelling Religious Experiences and the Moral Status of Naturalism
Authors: Dumsday Travis
Published: March 2017

Religious experiences come in a variety of types, leading to multiple taxonomies. One sort that has not received much attention as a distinct topic is what I will call ‘evidentially compelling religious experience’ (ECRE). The nature of an ECRE is such that if it actually occurs, its occurrence plausibly entails the falsity of metaphysical naturalism. Examples of ECREs might include visions / auditions / near-death experiences conveying information the hearer could not have known through natural means, later verified; unambiguously miraculous healings; fulfilled prophecy; supernatural rescues; inter-subjective religious experiences (e.g., multiple people simultaneously having the same vision of the Virgin Mary), etc. After presenting a representative set of published case studies of ECREs, I argue that for most settled metaphysical naturalists (though not all), the combination of a settled metaphysical naturalism with an awareness of the relative commonality of testimony to ECREs is either irrational or immoral. This is because that conjunction entails either an unjust and uncharitable judgement on a great many of those testifying to ECREs (namely that they are liars), or an irrational refusal to acknowledge this entailment.
God's Being Is in Becoming: An Essay in Theological Idealism
Authors: Von Sass Hartmut
Published: March 2017

God’s being is becoming – the title is the thesis. The first section of this paper will be dedicated to the problem of radical historicity in sketching three dogmatic approaches dealing with the relation between God and history. After critically introducing the concept of relational – in contrast to intrinsic – properties in the second section I will apply a revised version of this concept theologically in integrating it into the architecture of Trinitarian thinking. Accordingly, and on that basis, the last section can address the ambivalent as well as precarious question in which sense God’s ultimate being is in real (be) coming.
Evaluating Annual Average Daily Traffic Calculation Methods with Continuous Truck Traffic Data
Authors: Grande Giuseppe , Wood Steven , Ominski Auja , Regehr Jonathan D.
Published: March 2017

Traffic volume, often measured in relation to annual average daily traffic (AADT), is a fundamental output of traffic monitoring programs. At continuous count sites, unusual events or counter malfunctions periodically cause data loss, which influences AADT accuracy and precision. This paper evaluates five methods used to calculate AADT values from continuous count data, including the use of a simple average, the commonly adopted method developed by AASHTO (the AASHTO method), and methods that incorporate adjustments to the AASHTO method. The evaluation imposes data removal scenarios designed to simulate real-life causes of data loss to quantify the accuracy and precision improvements provided by these adjustments. Truck traffic data are used to reveal issues arising when volumes are low or when they exhibit unusual temporal patterns. Unlike the AASHTO method, which incorporates a weighted average and an hourly base time period, the FHWA method provides the most accurate and precise results in all data removal scenarios, according to the evaluation. Specifically, when up to 15 days of data are randomly removed, application of the FHWA method can be expected to produce errors within approximately é1.4% of the true AADT value, 95% of the time. Results also demonstrate that including a weighted average improves AADT accuracy primarily, whereas the use of hourly rather than daily count data influences precision. If possible, practitioners contemplating the adoption of the FHWA method should assess its relative advantages within their local context.
Plentern mit Kiefern – Ergebnisse aus den USA
Authors: Guldin James M. , Bragg Don C. , Zingg Andreas
Published: March 2017

Plentering with pines – results from the United States

Until now, scientifically reliable data on plentering of light-demanding tree species in Europe have been lacking. This gap is filled with long-term trials from the USA, among others with southern yellow pines. In the southern state of Arkansas, two plots of 16 hectares were installed in 1936, in the context of a large-scale trial of mixed loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Miller) stands, in which plentering has been applied using single-tree harvest of predominantly sawtimber-sized trees (dbh >30 cm) with natural regeneration. The aim of the experiment is to investigate the possibilities and limits of uneven-aged silviculture with shade-intolerant tree species, and whether this can be applied in cutover southern yellow pine stands in order to improve the stand structure, to increase growth, and to make periodic harvests possible. The two plots were in different initial states – one more or less fully stocked, the other with poor initial stocking. Since 1936, 18 complete surveys have been conducted where all trees 10 cm and larger were tallied by diameter. During that same time period, 14 plenter harvests have been carried out using the Volume Control-Guiding Diameter Limit method in both plots. In order to check the variability of stand structure within the 16-hectare stands, each was subdivided into four quarters, and the diameter distributions were compared within each quarter. The uneven- aged structure was checked by a sample of tree-ring counts. Both stands retained continuous canopy cover throughout the observation period. The initial differences in the number of stems, the basal area, the standing volume, the proportion of sawtimber, the average basal area and the mean quadratic diameter dg became alike in the course of time, which shows the flexibility of plentering and the tendency to develop stands where the harvest of growth appears to be sustainable. The dg of the harvest was initially slightly more than 20 cm, but is today more than 50 cm. The average total growth is 6 m3/ha and year. The results show that these stands are uneven-aged stands in an advanced stage of the transformation to plentering. We suspect that in the absence of a major natural disturbance event, the plentering approach in southern yellow pines will continue to be promising in the future.
Nationale Untersuchung zur Bildung, Betreuung und Erziehung in der frühen Kindheit (NUBBEK) – Design, Methodenüberblick, Datenzugang und das Potenzial zu Mehrebenenanalysen
Authors: Leyendecker Birgit , Agache Alexandru , Madsen Stefanie
Published: March 2017

This article introduces the German National Study on Early Childhood Education and Care (NUBBEK). NUBBEK offers an empirical basis for the study of care and education within and outside of the family for two- (n = 1242) and four-year old children (n = 714). Data were collected in 2010 and 2011; 27% of all children grew up in either Turkish or Russian immigrant families. NUBBEK adopted a socio-ecological perspective on education and care. Data on orientation, structure, and processes were gathered in a parallel fashion in both home environment and 567 external day care settings. The article provides information on the design of NUBBEK, the sample, the instruments (interviews, questionnaires, observations, tests), as well as on selected intra-class-coefficients (ICC) for potential multilevel-analyses. In fall 2014, the data will be available for the scientific community at the GESIS data archive.

Zusammenfassung

Dieser Beitrag stellt die Nationale Untersuchung zur Bildung, Betreuung und Erziehung in der frühen Kindheit (NUBBEK) vor. NUBBEK bietet eine empirische Basis zur Erforschung der familiären und außerfamiliären Betreuung von zweijährigen (n = 1242) und vierjährigen (n = 714) Kindern. Die Daten stammen aus den Jahren 2010 bis 2011; 27% der Kinder hatten einen türkischen oder einen russischen Migrationshintergrund. Die NUBBEK-Studie orientierte sich an einer sozialökologischen Konzeption von Bildung und Entwicklung. Orientierungsqualität, Strukturqualität sowie Prozessqualität wurden weitgehend parallel sowohl für das Betreuungssetting Familie erhoben als auch für 567 Krippen-, Kindergarten- und Tagespflegegruppen. Das Design der Studie, die Stichprobe, die eingesetzten Verfahren (Beobachtungen, Interviews, Fragebögen, Testungen der Kinder) sowie ausgewählte Intraklassen-Korrelationskoeffizienten (ICC) für potenzielle Mehrebenanalysen werden vorgestellt. Die Daten sind ab Herbst 2014 im Datenarchiv von GESIS für Forschungseinrichtungen zugänglich.
New ways of building, showcasing, and measuring scholarly reputation in the digital age
Authors: Nicholas Dave
Published: March 2017

Journals and scholars build their reputation on citations. An array of citation measures has been developed, including citation counts for the individual scholar. Yet, over 50 activities that contribute to reputation building can be identified across five areas of scholarly activity: research, integration, application, teaching, and co-creation. In the past ten years new platforms have merged that foster and measure an array of practices. This article systematically audits new reputation measures and addresses the question if the new and old measures will collide, ushering in disruptive change.
The transformation of scientific journal publishing: Open access after the Berlin 12 Conference
Authors: Schimmer Ralf
Published: March 2017

In the last 10–15 years, Open Access has become a shared vision of many if not most of the world’s national and international research councils. Open Access as a principle is very well established in the international discourse on research policies; however, Open Access as a practice has yet to transform the traditional subscription-based publishing system, which is as vigorous and prosperous as ever, despite its inherent restrictions on access and usage and its remarkable detachment from the potentials of a 21st century web-based publishing system. OA2020 is a transformative initiative trying to bring a new approach to the transactional side of the publishing system and the ways in which its cash flow is organized. Publishing and financial data are brought together in a way to demonstrate that such a switch would indeed be feasible. OA2020 lays out the path for how this transformation could happen so that Open Access to research results would finally be a reality from the moment of their publication.
Magnetically levitated linear slider with a non-contact power transfer method
Authors: Annasiwaththa Buddhika Imantha , Oka Koichi , Harada Akinori
Published: March 2017

A magnetically levitated linear slider (MagLevLS) with a non-contact power transfer method is proposed. The levitated platform was designed as a four-point suspended rigid metal plate. Magnetic levitation and zero power control under forces introduced by the non-contact power transfer method was experimentally investigated and presented. The presented MagLevLS is expected to use as a short-range transport system in a clean operating environment. An open-end generator was purposed to achieve non-contact power transfer. The open-end generator design was analyzed using FEM and experimental data obtained from an experimental prototype was presented. The proposed MagLevLS platform uses four hybrid electromagnets (HEMs) as actuators for levitation. A PD controller with integral feedback was used to achieve quasi-zero power operation of the levitated platform. A single rigid platform was used to mount all four HEMs, and a 0.25 W steady state power consumption for per HEM was achieved under disturbances introduced by the open-end generator. According to the results, MagLevLS can achieve stable levitation under cogging forces and generate sufficient power for continuous operation.
Clinical Application of Brain MRI in the Diagnostic Work-up of Parkinsonism
Authors: Meijer Frederick J.A. , Goraj Bozena , Bloem Bastiaan R. , Esselink Rianne A.J.
Published: March 2017

Background: Differentiating Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonism on clinical parameters is challenging, especially in early disease courses. This is due to large overlap in symptoms and because the so called red flags, i.e. symptoms indicating atypical parkinsonism, have not (fully) developed. Brain MRI can aid to improve the accuracy and confidence about the diagnosis.

Objective and Methods: In the current paper, we discuss when brain MRI should be performed in the diagnostic work-up of parkinsonism, our preferred brain MRI scanning protocol, and the diagnostic value of specific abnormalities.

Results and Conclusions: The main purpose of brain MRI is to assess cerebrovascular damage, and to exclude other possible – and sometimes treatable – causes of parkinsonism, such as normal pressure hydrocephalus. Furthermore, brain MRI can support the possible or probable diagnosis of a specific form of atypical parkinsonism.
The MPTP Story
Authors: Langston J. William
Published: March 2017

The identification of MPTP, a relatively simple compound which causes selective degeneration of the substantia nigra after systemic administration, has had an a significant impact on the understanding and treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD) over the last 30 years. This article is prefaced by the intriguing “medical detective story” that lead to the discovery of the biological effects of MPTP in humans. The steps that lead to the unraveling its mechanism of action and their impact on research into pathways underlying nigrostriatal degeneration are reviewed. The impact of the animal models that have been developed utilizing MPTP is also described with a focus on the translational implications of MPTP-related research. These include use of MAO-B inhibitors aimed at neuroprotection in PD and the importance of a stable primate model for PD which was utilized to better understand the circuitry of the basal ganglia, and the identification of the subthalamic nucleus as a target for deep brain stimulation. Finally, the results of a broad range of epidemiologic studies aimed as assessing the impact of environmental factors in PD that have been inspired by MPTP are summarized, including the discovery of other neurotoxicants (rotenone and paraquat) with parkinsonogenic effects. Overall, this article attempts to describe how the discovery of this nigral neurotoxicant began, where it is currently, and what the future may hold.
My 25 Stimulating Years with DBS in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Hariz Marwan
Published: March 2017

The year 2017 marks the 30th anniversary of the birth of modern deep brain stimulation (DBS), which was introduced by Benabid, Pollak et al. in 1987, initially targeting the motor thalamus to treat tremor, and subsequently targeting the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for treatment of symptoms of advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD). STN DBS is undoubtedly “the most important discovery since levodopa”, as stated by David Marsden in 1994. In 2014, The Lasker– DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award to “honor two scientists who developed deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus”, was bestowed upon Benabid and DeLong. STN DBS remains today the main surgical procedure for PD, due to its effectiveness in ameliorating PD symptoms and because it is the only surgical procedure for PD that allows a radical decrease in medication. Future improvements of DBS include the possibility to deliver a “closed-loop”, “on demand” stimulation, as highly preliminary studies suggest that it may improve both axial and appendicular symptoms and reduce side effects such as dysarthria. Even though DBS of the subthalamic nucleus is the main surgical procedure used today for patients with PD, all patients are not suitable for STN DBS; as a functional neurosurgeon performing since more than 25 years various surgical procedures the aim of which is not to save life but to improve the patient’s quality of life, I consider that the surgery should be tailored to the patient’s individual symptoms and needs, and that its safety is paramount.
The Birth of the Modern Era of Parkinson’s Disease Genetics
Authors: Singleton Andrew B. , Hardy John A. , Gasser Thomas
Published: March 2017

Genetic understanding in Parkinson’s disease (PD) has followed a path of hard won evolution occasionally punctuated by revolution. While it was suggested early on by both Leroux and Gowers that heredity had a role to play in PD, this was a view that wasn’t widely enough held to even be unpopular. The dogma was that the disease was one of environmental provenance and while the evidence for this is still rather scarce, this view pervades in the minds of patients, clinicians, and scientists. Conversely the evidence linking genetics to PD is both overwhelming and growing. Here we describe the growth of genetics in PD from backwater to driving force, and the structure and shape of its future.
MicroRNA 21 is up-regulated in adipose tissue of obese diabetic subjects
Authors: Guglielmi Valeria , D’Adamo Monica , Menghini Rossella , Cardellini Marina , Gentileschi Paolo , Federici Massimo , Sbraccia Paolo
Published: March 2017

We investigated miR21 expression in omental (OAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) from 16 obese subjects undergoing bariatric surgery. Patients were divided into two age- and BMI-matched groups according to the presence of type 2 diabetes (T2D). miR21 was not differently expressed in OAT and SAT. However, miR21 expression was two folds greater in adipose tissue in patients with T2D. Accordingly, in primary cultures of adipocytes from non diabetic overweight subjects, miR21 expression increased after 24-h exposure to high glucose and insulin. In conclusion, miR21 appears linked to insulin-resistance deterioration within its pathophysiologic progression from obesity to T2D.
Zika virus - A global concern
Authors: Rasul Choudhury Habibur
Published: March 2017

Abstract not availableBang Med J (Khulna) 2016; 49 : 1-2
Etiological factors of Intussusception among children in a tertiary care hospital
Authors: Rahman Mizanur , Islam Md Tarikul , Rahman Hamudur , Ahmed Masud
Published: March 2017

Background: There are still dearth of knowlege of intussusception regarding its aetiology and predisposing factor among children.Objectives: We attempted to find out per operatively the etiological factors responsible for intussusceptions in children and their association with predisposing factors in our context. We also intended to know peroperatively the specific role of hypertrophid Peyer's patches of mesenteric lymph adenitis as lead points.Methodology: This prospective observational study was conducted in Khulna Medical College Hospital and other private hospitals in Khulna from November 2012 to April 2016. A total of 50 patients who underwent surgery for intussusception were included in the study. Seasonal influences, gastroenteritis and upper respiratory tract infections were evaluated as predisposing factors and presence of hypertrophied Peyer's patches and other lead points were evaluated as etiological factors. Peroperatively the causes were identified and their association with viral gastroenteritis and respiratory tract infection were intended to find out.Results: seventy two percent of the patients were below one year. A male preponderance was observed (70%). Thirty two percent were affected in the spring and 36% in the summer. Half (54%) of the patients had a history of gastroenteritis, while 40% had a history of respiratory tract infection. Per operative findings, show that three quarter (76%) had ileo colic, 18% had ileo ileo colic and only 6% had ileo ileal variety of intussusceptions. Forty two (89.3%) patients had hypertrophied Peyer's patches or Mesenteric lymphadenities.Conclusion: Hypertrophied Peyer's patches or Mesenteric lymphadenitis are the main etiological factor of intussusceptions in our children.Bang Med J (Khulna) 2016; 49 : 23-26
Life threatening cut throat injury due to kite string
Authors: Roy Dev , Roy Biswanath , Bose Arijit
Published: March 2017

Kite flying is a popular sport in Indian subcontinent. The string or manjha, used for flying kites is coated with ground glass and glue, which makes it very sharp. This abrasive string can give rise to various types of injuries ranging from minor cuts to life threatening injuries and cause severe disabilities and death. The authors report a complicated case of cut throat injury due to kite string "manjha' and its surgical management.Bang Med J (Khulna) 2016; 49 : 31-33
Recent advances in the management of Thalassaemia: A Review Update
Authors: Sarker Nihar Ranjan , Ghosh Ashis Kumar , Saha Santosh Kumar , Shahriar Abdullah
Published: March 2017

The discussion of disease management focuses on the use of transfusion therapy and the newly developed oral iron chelators, deferiprone and deferasirox, especially combination of the chelator drugs. It has been also discussed on splenectomy and pediatrician management of endocrinopathies and cardiac complications. In addition, the use of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has produced cure rates as high as 97%, and the use of cord blood transplantation as well. Major advances have being made in the discovery of critical modifier genes, such as Myb and especially BCL11A (B cell lymphoma 11A), a master regulator of HbF (fetal hemoglobin) and hemoglobin switching. Finally, the year 2010 has brought in the first successful experiment of gene therapy in a ß-thalassemia patient, opening up the perspective of a generalized cure for all ß- Thalassaemia patients.J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll, June 2014, Vol.6(1); 31-37
Integrated teaching in undergraduate medical education
Authors: Rahman Md Mustafizur , Kutubi Afroza
Published: March 2017

Abstract not AvailableJ Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll, 2014; 6(2):47-48
Aetiological ahents of Adult Bacterial Pneumonia parients admitted at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Dhaka city
Authors: Jahan Rownak , Tarafder Shirin , Haque Anwarul
Published: March 2017

Background: Bacterial pneumonia is one of the most common causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide especially in adults.Objective: The purpose of this present study was to identify the aetiological agents and antimicrobial sensitivity pattern of bacterial pneumonia in patients admitted at intensive care unit (ICU).Methodology: This cross sectional study was carried out in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh from August 2012 to July 2013. Blood and tracheal aspirates (TA) culture were done in clinically diagnosed pneumonia patients admitted in the ICU of BSMMU. PCR of TA was performed to identify Legionella species. Urine ICT of patients was done to detect Streptococcus pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 antigens. Antimicrobial susceptibility of isolated bacteria was done by disc diffusion method.Result: A total of 36 pneumonia patients admitted at ICU were recruited. The most common identified bacteria were Acinetobacter species (33.3%) followed by Pseudomonas species (30.5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (11.1%), Escherichia coli (5.5%), Enterobacter aerogenes (5.5%), Legionella (8.3%), Citrobacterfreundii (2.8%) and Proteus mirabilis (2.8%). Majority of the bacteria were resistant to first line antibiotics and highly sensitive to carbapenems.Conclusion: Most common isolated bacteria are the Acinetobacter species, Pseudomonas species and Klebsiella pneumoniae among the pneumonic patients with the resistant to first line antibiotics and sensitive to carbapenems.J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll, 2015; 7(1):22-25
Acute Kidney Injury after ingestion of Star fruit juice in patients with previous history of acute kidney injury: Two case reports
Authors: Islam Sayed Fazlul , Hadizzaman KBM , Morshed Syed Mahbub , Faroque Md Omar , Ahmed AH Hamid , Hasan Md Forhad , Bhuiyan Golam Fahad
Published: March 2017

Acute kidney injury can occur due to various reasons. In this case report two cases of acute kidney injury (AKI) were reported after ingestion of 250 ml of starfruit juice presented. In both cases features of nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity were found and there was mild to moderate rise in serum creatinine. Routine and microscopic examination of urine showed mild degree of proteinuria, no other active urinary sediment was found except calcium oxalate crystals. Renal biopsy was done in both cases which showed features of acute tubular necrosis. These two patients were treated symptomatically and discharged with normal serum creatinine. There is no case report of acute kidney injury due to star fruit ingestion in Bangladesh. Star fruit is very popular, cheap and easily available. But its nephrotoxic effect is not known to general population. These two case reports might be a first time message to the nation.J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll, 2015; 7(1):33-35
Climate Change and Human Health
Authors: Rwshon AHM
Published: March 2017

Abstract not availableJ Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll, June 2016, Vol.8(1); 1-2
Association between Helicobacter Pylori and Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Authors: Yasmin Nilofar , Begum Kohinoor , Saha Santosh Kumar , Naher Kamrun , Ghosh Dilip Kumar , Nandi Eva Rani , Begum Hasina
Published: March 2017

Background: Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is the severe form of the nausea & vomiting in pregnancy and is associated with weight loss, ketonemia ,ketonuria ,electrolyte imbalances and profound volume depletion. Increased accumulation of fluid caused by elevated steroid hormones in pregnancy, a shift in pH and change of pH in the gastrointestinal tract could result in the manifestation of subclinical Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori) infection. We therefore examined whether seropositivity for IgG antibodies to H. Pylori may be related to hyperemesis graviderum.Objective: To determine the association of H-pylori infection in hyperemesis graviderum patients.Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology, Dhaka medical college hospital from January 2007 to December 2008. Total 82 pregnant patients, 40 were hyperemesis gravidarum patients (Cases, group A) and 42 were normal pregnancy without hyperemesis graviderum (Control, group B) for admission and attending for routine ANC in OPD were selected. Purposive sampling method was followed as per inclusion and exclusion criteria. Evaluation of the patients was based on history, physical examination and investigation. Serum IgG antibody response to H.pylori antigen by ELISA were measured from every patients and analysed for its association with HG.Results: Most of the patients of this study were primi gravida, Group-A was 72.5% and Group-B was 66.7%. Maximum number of women in both the groups belonged to lower socio-economic status (Group-A was 85% and Group-B was (76%). Previous H/O hyperemesis gravidarum in the Group-A was 52.5% and Group-B was 07 % (p<.01), that is statistically highly significant. Antibody to Helicobactor pylori in serum was positive in Group-A 47.5%, and Group-B 19%. The difference was statistically significant. (p value-0.006).Conclusion: According to the findings of our study, H.pylori infection would seem to be an important associated factor in the exacerbation of HG, but it does not seem to be the only cause of the disease.J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll, June 2016, Vol.8(1); 13-16
Neonatal outcome of suspected fetal distress cases
Authors: Guha Kaberi , Asraf Fatema
Published: March 2017

Background: Perinatal mortality is closely related to the early and accurate recognition of foetal distress. Objective of the study was to find out neonatal outcome in suspected fetal distress cases.Methods: This was a cross sectional study done in ShSMCH. Purposively 38 samples were taken in three weeks time and clinical state related to fetal distress and neonatal outcome of them were observed.Results: Fetal movement were less in 36.8% cases. Abnormal fetal heart rate were present in 89.4% cases and in 47.4% cases amniotic fluid was meconium stained. First minute Apgar score was low in 36.8% cases and 47.4% were admitted in paediatric ward. The clinical profile for diagnosis of fetal distress was not significantly associated with low apgar scores.Conclusion: There was very little appreciation for assumption of fetal distress clinically.J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll, June 2016, Vol.8(1); 23-25
Green Dreams, Toxic Legacies: Toward a Digital Political Ecology of Silicon Valley
Authors: Heppler Jason A.
Published: March 2017

This article examines the ways that geohumanities approaches historical research aids in the study of environmental and urban history in one of the twentieth century's fastest growing American urban centers. It explores how San Jose typified the challenges of Silicon Valley's rapid urbanization and desire to chart a new form of industrialisation predicated on the ‘greenness’ of high-tech manufacturing and development. These issues are examined through a variety of mapping and GIS projects that seek to understand areas of cities threatened by natural hazards, to unveil the growth of cities over time, and how polluted areas introduced environmental hazards to social inequality. The article concludes that studies of urban areas cannot be separated from questions about the environment and its role in social justice, urban planning, and politics.
A Deep Chart (the Aqua-Face of Deep Mapping)
Authors: Hayman Eleanor , Wedge Mark , James Colleen
Published: March 2017

This paper showcases a counter-mapping project with the Tlingit and Tagish peoples of the circumpolar north. Engaging critically with the evolving theory and practice of deep mapping we reveal how collaborative water research designed to provide a framework for indigenous water legislation is expressed visually on a Google Earth platform. This aquatic counter-map, or as we call it, a deep chart, not only empowers the Tlingit and Tagish, but reclaims and revitalises critical cultural values, whilst simultaneously preserving linguistic and cultural memory in a digital form. More broadly, the deep chart is currently being brought into global water ethic debates as a visual ethno-cartographic example of an alternative relationship humans might have with water, paving the way for a new water consciousness. This is in direct contrast to current, dominant and sometimes destructive global water governance and water management models and practices.

We showcase a participatory and aqua-centric deep charting paradigm that is evolving through Geographics Information Science (GIS) platforms in collaboration with the CTFN (Tlingit and Tagish) community and government. This research challenges the contemporary cartography of the dominant Anglo-American valuing of water. It also presents an alternative water vision that we argue can shift ‘terra-centric’ thinking towards ‘aqua-centric’ thinking. It further provides a blueprint for informing global water ethics debates.
‘The Story of Us’: Place-Making through Public Interaction with Digital GeoHumanities in Colorado Springs
Authors: Harner John , Knapp Kevin , Davis-Witherow Leah
Published: March 2017

Connection to place is important to people's individual and collective identity, a fundamental dimension of humanity. Scholars can shape place-making, but only by guiding the public to their own sense of place rather than telling them how to do so. Scholars must also be aware of the limitations inherent to all representations of place, and work to foster active engagement through multiple avenues of exploration. This paper explains a collaborative project at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum that uses methods definitive of a digital geohumanities to bring past landscapes alive, making the spatial connections that narrate the shaping of the city. We developed a deep mapping project where museum visitors a) interface with web-delivered, time-enabled animated maps on standing gallery tables, b) compare historic photos with adjacent contemporary street views on those maps, and c) engage with other geovisualizations that portray historical and geographical change. Visitors also have the opportunity to use mobile devices to take walking tours throughout the city, and to provide their own content and directions for the project. This hybrid of scholarly-led, multi-media narratives blended with public participation and open navigation can be a template for other deep-mapping projects to create connections to place.
A Visual Analytics Approach for Detecting and Understanding Anomalous Resident Behaviors in Smart Healthcare
Authors: Liao Zhifang , Kong Lingyuan , Wang Xiao , Zhao Ying , Zhou Fangfang , Liao Zhining , Fan Xiaoping
Published: March 2017

With the development of science and technology, it is possible to analyze residents’ daily behaviors for the purpose of smart healthcare in the smart home environment. Many researchers have begun to detect residents’ anomalous behaviors and assess their physical condition, but these approaches used by the researchers are often caught in plight caused by a lack of ground truth, one-sided analysis of behavior, and difficulty of understanding behaviors. In this paper, we put forward a smart home visual analysis system (SHVis) to help analysts detect and comprehend unusual behaviors of residents, and predict the health information intelligently. Firstly, the system classifies daily activities recorded by sensor devices in smart home environment into different categories, and discovers unusual behavior patterns of residents living in this environment by using various characteristics extracted from those activities and appropriate unsupervised anomaly detection algorithm. Secondly, on the basis of figuring out the residents’ anomaly degree of every date, we explore the daily behavior patterns and details with the help of several visualization views, and compare and analyze residents’ activities of various dates to find the reasons why residents act unusually. In the case study of this paper, we analyze residents’ behaviors that happened over two months and find unusual indoor behaviors and give health advice to the residents.
The Effect of EN Ratio and Current on Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Weld Joined by AC-GMAW on Square Groove Butt Joints
Authors: Ikram Adeel , Chung Hyun
Published: March 2017

In the present work, the effect of welding current and electrode negative (EN) ratio on microstructure and mechanical properties of square groove butt joint produced by alternating current gas metal arc welding (AC-GMAW) process has been investigated. The experiments were conducted using different combination of welding current ranging from 150 A to 250 A with three distinct EN ratios i.e., 0%, 30% and 50% on 5 mm thick steel plates at a constant joint gap of 1 mm and welding speed of 10 mm/s. The effect of current and EN ratio on welding soundness was evaluated through optical microscopy, tensile tests and micro-hardness mapping. The results revealed that, at higher values of currents, an increase in EN ratio resulted an increase in penetration depth. It was found that at a current of 250 A and a 50% EN ratio, the deep penetration was obtained. Tensile test results showed that the tensile strength properties improved with increasing current. Furthermore, the micro-hardness distribution was not strikingly affected by changing the EN ratio.
Upgrading Lignocellulosic Biomasses: Hydrogenolysis of Platform Derived Molecules Promoted by Heterogeneous Pd-Fe Catalysts
Authors: Espro Claudia , Gumina Bianca , Paone Emilia , Mauriello Francesco
Published: March 2017

This review provides an overview of heterogeneous bimetallic Pd-Fe catalysts in the C–C and C–O cleavage of platform molecules such as C2–C6 polyols, furfural, phenol derivatives and aromatic ethers that are all easily obtainable from renewable cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin (the major components of lignocellulosic biomasses). The interaction between palladium and iron affords bimetallic Pd-Fe sites (ensemble or alloy) that were found to be very active in several sustainable reactions including hydrogenolysis, catalytic transfer hydrogenolysis (CTH) and aqueous phase reforming (APR) that will be highlighted. This contribution concentrates also on the different synthetic strategies (incipient wetness impregnation, deposition-precipitaion, co-precipitaion) adopted for the preparation of heterogeneous Pd-Fe systems as well as on the main characterization techniques used (XRD, TEM, H2-TPR, XPS and EXAFS) in order to elucidate the key factors that influence the unique catalytic performances observed.
Differential Influences of Parenting Dimensions and Parental Physical Abuse during Childhood on Overweight and Obesity in Adolescents
Authors: Mößle Thomas , Kliem Sören , Lohmann Anna , Bergmann Marie , Baier Dirk
Published: March 2017

Besides other explanatory variables, parenting styles and parental violence might also be responsible for setting a path towards overweight/obesity in childhood. While this association has consistently been observed for adults, findings for adolescents still remain scarce and inconsistent. Therefore, the goal of this study is to add evidence on this topic for children and adolescents. Analyses are based on a sample of 1729 German, ninth-grade students. To analyze associations between parenting dimensions and weight status, non-parametric conditional inference trees were applied. Three gender-specific pathways for a heightened risk of overweight/obesity were observed: (1) female adolescents who report having experienced severe parental physical abuse and medium/high parental warmth in childhood; (2) male adolescents who report having experienced low or medium parental monitoring in childhood; and (3) this second pathway for male adolescents is more pronounced if the families receive welfare. The importance of promoting parenting styles characterized by warmth and a lack of physical abuse is also discussed. This is one of only a few studies examining the association of parenting dimensions/parental physical abuse and weight status in adolescence. Future studies should include even more parenting dimensions, as well as parental physical abuse levels, in order to detect and untangle gender-specific effects on weight status.
(Un)supported Current Tourism Development in UNESCO Protected Site: The Case of Old City of Dubrovnik
Authors: Pavlić Ivana , Portolan Ana , Puh Barbara
Published: March 2017

The main purpose of this paper is to explore and determine perceptions of residents living in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) protected site Old City of Dubrovnik (OCD) towards tourism development. Uncontrolled tourism expansion has impact on local residents’ life and on their (un)support for specific form of tourism development. Comprehension of residents’ perceptions is crucial for realization of adequate tourism development and for mutual satisfaction of tourism demand and supply. Therefore, the aim is to test the model of residents’ perceptions of economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts of tourism on their (un)support for specific form of tourism development. To realize the purpose of this research, Cronbach alpha, explorative (EFC) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM) were applied. The findings indicate that there is a direct relationship between residents who perceive positive and negative economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts of tourism and their (un)support for tourism development. This paper points out the role and significance of the permanent residents’ perceptions research concerning the issues that are related to the quality tourism development due to the high interaction between local residents, tourists and local tourism development especially in the areas under the protection of UNESCO.