bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of second line and subsequent targeted therapies in metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC) patients treated with first line cediranib
Authors: Richter Suzanne , Seah Jo-An , Pond Gregory R , Gan Hui K , Mackenzie Mary J. , Hotte Sebastien J. , Mukherjee Som D. , Murray Nevin , Kollmannsberger Christian , Heng Daniel , Haider Masoom A. , Halford Robert , Ivy S. Percy , Moore Malcolm J. , Sridhar Srikala S.
Published: December 2014

Introduction: Pivotal phase III trials have positioned angiogenesis inhibitors as first-line therapy for the management of most advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinomas (mRCC). Approaches to second-line therapy, however, remain more controversial with respect to drug selection and drug sequencing.Methods: In this study we evaluated mRCC patients who were initially treated on the first-line National Cancer Institute (NCI) trial with the highly potent vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), cediranib, to determine the efficacy and tolerability of subsequent therapies.Results: Twenty-eight (65.1%) of the 43 patients enrolled on the first-line cediranib trial were known to receive second-line therapy, most commonly sunitinib (n = 21), with 4 (14%), 2 (7%) and 1 (3%) patients receiving temsirolimus, sorafenib, and interleukin, respectively. Of these, 14 (50%) went on to have 3 or more lines of therapy. The progression-free survival (PFS) proportion (PFS) at 1 year from starting second line was 30% (14.5%–47.9%). Longer duration of first-line cediranib treatment was modestly associated with longer duration of second-line treatment (Spearman rho 0.26). Patients who discontinued cediranib for toxicity were less likely to receive second-line sunitinib.Conclusion: In this real world evaluation, sequential use of TKIs for the management of mRCC was common. PFS with sequential TKIs was similar to observed and published results for any second-line therapy. Prior toxicity affected treatment patterns and the frequent use of at least 3 lines of therapy underscores the need for prospective sequencing trials in this disease.
“Can These Dry Bones Live?”
Authors: Udombana Nsongurua J.
Published: December 2014

“Can These Dry Bones Live?” In Search of a Lasting Therapy for AU and ICC Toxic Relationship

The competing visions of international criminal justice between the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the African Union (AU) reached a climax with the recent adoption of the AU Protocol enlarging the mandate of the African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples’ Rights to cover criminal jurisdiction. The Protocol, inter alia, grants immunity to state officials for atrocious crimes, which clearly conflicts with the ICC Statute’s normative framework. This dialectic is bound to deepen an already toxic relationship between the two international players. This article calls for practical reasonableness by all stakeholders in order to revive the diminishing effort at advancing international criminal justice in Africa.
California Water Rate Trends
Authors: Gaur Sanjay , Atwater Drew
Published: December 2014

Trends of steadily rising total water bills, commodity increases, and a move toward conservation‐based rate structures across 14 California counties between 2003 and 2013 may be a predictor of what's to come for the rest of the country.
Editorial
Authors: Marzal Felici Javier , Casero Ripollés Andreu
Published: December 2014

Presentación de los contenidos del número 8.
Validez y extensiones del modelo de la probabilidad de elaboración (ELM). Para una teoría persuasiva de campo en publicidad
Authors: León Sáez de Ybarra José Luis
Published: December 2014

El principal modelo de persuasión, el modelo de la probabilidad de elaboración (ELM), es sometido a revisión, más allá de un verificacionismo experimental, desde el análisis de marcos (framing). Se exponen las reglas de problematización de la psicología social cognitiva, de donde nace el modelo, se compara su valor explicativo y su pragmática con el que resulta del método inductivo (propuesto por Glaser), y se pone en relación con los modelos implícitos de los realizadores publicitarios y las necesidades persuasivas publicitarias. De todo ello se extrae una evaluación de conjunto de ELM. Conforme a la heurística de integración disciplinar, propuesta por el nobel Herbert Simon, y desde el análisis anterior, se propone una vía integradora para la extensión del modelo ELM, en forma de nueva metateoría que pueda contribuir al avance de la teorización persuasiva en publicidad.
Cambios sociológicos producidos por las nuevas tecnologías
Authors: Abáncens José Ángel
Published: December 2014

Artículo para la sección Tribuna de adComunica
Tecnocreatividad
Authors: Martín Eugenio
Published: December 2014

Artículo para la sección Tribuna de adComunica
MacGyver y la tecnocreatividad
Authors: Larraona Ariño Luke
Published: December 2014

Artículo para la sección Tribuna de adComunica
Posesión creativa
Authors: Álvarez Eva
Published: December 2014

Artículo sección Tribuna de adComunica.
Se busca director creativo
Authors: Zomeño Daniel
Published: December 2014

Artículo para la sección Tribuna de adComunica
Una visión actual y accesible de la comunicación política
Authors: Casero Ripollés Andreu
Published: December 2014

Reseña de libroPerloff, Richard M. (2014). The Dynamics of Political Communication. Media and Politics in a Digital Age. New York: Routledge.
Creatividad y nuevas tecnologías: Las claves de la cultura emprendedora. El papel de la universidad en la formación de intelectuales con espíritu emprendedor
Authors: Rodrigo Martín Luis , García García Francisco , Rodrigo Martín Isabel
Published: December 2014

Vivimos en una sociedad azotada por una fuerte depresión económica y, lo que es más preocupante, una crisis de ideas y valores. Las respuestas tomadas desde los poderes públicos a esta situación, como recortes o contención, no han servido para resolver los problemas sino para poner en jaque la idea de un estado del bienestar, de naturaleza social, que trata de mitigar las desigualdades entre sus ciudadanos. Precisamente por este motivo se hace necesario buscar una solución más compleja y a largo plazo. Una estrategia que apueste de forma decidida y sin complejos por la educación, la investigación y la creatividad como ejes vertebradores de las diferentes políticas de recuperación. Una nueva universidad que tenga como fin principal formar ciudadanos con competencias intra e interpersonales, partícipes de una cultura emprendedora que permita dar respuestas a los problemas actuales y a los nuevos que se presentarán en el futuro. Nuevos modelos que generen ideas creativas e innovadoras encaminadas a la creación de empleo de calidad, incrementen el bienestar de los ciudadanos, ampliando sus espacios de participación activa, de comunicación y expresión, y construyendo una sociedad más equilibrada, presidida por la idea de justicia social, donde cobren importancia los valores del compromiso emocional, racional y ético, y que gestione la diversidad como una fuente de riqueza.
Marcas compartidas. El branding relacional como base para la movilización de los consumidores
Authors: Hernández-Santaolalla Víctor , Rubio-Hernández María del Mar
Published: December 2014

El público ha abandonado su papel pasivo tradicional con respecto a los medios y ello se manifiesta en diversos ámbitos, como la comunicación persuasiva, en la que se centra el presente artículo. Las marcas, conscientes del nuevo rol desempeñado por consumidores cada vez más activos y de los beneficios que ello reporta, diseñan estrategias y acciones de comunicación encaminadas a incentivar su participación y se afanan en construir relaciones duraderas, cimentadas en historias compartidas. Las formas de promoción se materializan en acciones que cuentan con las redes sociales y comunidades online como principales aliados, ya que sirven como plataformas para la colaboración colectiva y la creación de experiencias comunes entre los usuarios de un determinado producto. En este artículo se hace un breve repaso de las últimas teorías en comunicación que explican el éxito de la cultura participativa como forma de promoción aplicada no solo a productos y servicios, sino a otros ámbitos como la política, el turismo o las series de televisión. Asimismo, dichas teorías se ilustran a partir de casos reales que se han desarrollado en los últimos años, con el fin de evidenciar la eficacia de las mismas y su creciente importancia en la gestión de marcas.
Relaciones virtuosas. Empresas y asociaciones frente a la Responsabilidad Social Corporativa
Authors: Solito Laura
Published: December 2014

La Responsabilidad Social Corporativa (RSC) emerge como un fenómeno comunicativo interesante, presentando ejemplos relevantes que muestran que es posible conciliar los valores éticos con los objetivos de las empresas. Si en el pasado este tipo de acciones se interpretaban como un intento de la empresa para conquistar al consumidor, sin que hubiera una implicación real en los temas sociales propuestos, a día de hoy se erige como objetivo la construcción de una relación diferente entre la empresa, el consumidor y el contexto social. En este trabajo se presentan los resultados de una investigación que estudia la comunicación de la RSC. Se han analizado en profundidad 10 proyectos realizados por 10 empresas y una decena de asociaciones. Para conseguir los objetivos de la investigación se ha utilizado una metodología de análisis cualitativo: a) el análisis de las páginas web de las asociaciones y de las empresas implicadas en los proyectos, para poder identificar las modalidades comunicativas de las iniciativas y enmarcar así el proyecto seleccionado en un contexto comunicativo más amplio para ambos socios; b) realización de entrevistas en profundidad de al menos un representante de cada uno de los socios (en total se han realizado 23 entrevistas); c) el estudio de los materiales utilizados en el proceso de producción y comunicación de la iniciativa y el análisis del contenido de los mismos. Los datos de los casos analizados y la articulación de los resultados obtenidos se han seleccionado, refutado e interpretado en base a un objetivo concreto: identificar, a pesar de su heterogeneidad ineludible, los elementos que comparten todos los proyectos y que favorecen la posibilidad de incrementar y reforzar el “espacio” que los proyectos de responsabilidad social corporativa están intentando conquistar en el escenario más amplio y variado de la comunicación social. Se considera que a la colaboración entre empresas y asociaciones es una relación comunicativa y, por tanto, se ha analizado desde el punto de vista relacional y dialógico.
Redes sociales basadas en imágenes como herramienta de comunicación museística. Museos y centros de arte Moderno y Contemporáneo de España en Pinterest e Instagram
Authors: Marcelino Mercedes Georgina Victoria , De la Morena Taboada Marián
Published: December 2014

Los museos y centros de arte alrededor del mundo, especialmente los catalogados como de arte Moderno y Contemporáneo, siguen el ejemplo de grandes marcas, empresas e instituciones y experimentan las ventajas de integrar a su plan de comunicación redes sociales basadas en imágenes como Pinterest e Instagram, que son las redes de esta tipología que mayor crecimiento de usuarios han experimentado en los últimos años. Una vez exploramos teóricamente qué son y cómo funcionan las redes sociales Pinterest e Instagram, y como están siendo  aprovechadas por marcas e instituciones culturales, nos adentramos a descubrir qué nivel de  participación tienen los museos españoles en las mismas. La población de la presente investigación la compone el universo de museos y centros de arte Moderno y Contemporáneo de España, en principio relacionados por dos condicionantes comunes; el arte moderno y contemporáneo como temática museológica y encontrarse localizados físicamente en territorio español. Analizaremos, cuáles de los museos y centros de arte Moderno y Contemporáneo de España son partícipes activos de estas dos redes sociales y si hacen uso de las mismas para la promoción de productos culturales, con miras a determinar si estas instituciones reconocen o no el potencial de ambas en la elaboración de una estrategia de comunicación online acorde a los nuevos tiempos.
Fausto Romitelli en son temps
Authors: Kaltenecker Martin
Published: December 2014

L’oeuvre de Romitelli illustre un nouveau « régime » de la musique, où l’oeuvre n’est plus conçue et présentée au premier chef comme organisation ou structure critique mais comme dispositif d’écoute. C’est de l’entrée dans une matière, d’un zoom, d’un éveil de résonances que sont tirées les structurations. Ce nouveau paradigme peut se décliner selon plusieurs axes, dont nous suivons les traces chez Romitelli : un désir de continuité (à travers une conception d’objets mélodiques par dépli et repli) ; l’importance de la fusion sonore (intégration du son électronique dans l’instrumental) ; un souci d’une écoute à la fois incarnée (la guitare électrique fonctionne comme signal, comme « accroche », au sens des théoriciens de la musique populaire) et efficace (le processus doit être intelligible, la forme se découpant en pans et sections).
La saturation, métaphore pour la composition ?
Authors: Rigaudière Pierre
Published: December 2014

L’exploration par les compositeurs du courant spectral ou par Helmut Lachenmann de
la face inharmonique du son aura assurément joué un rôle crucial dans l’acceptation par les
générations suivantes de la composante acoustique bruiteuse comme un matériau entièrement
légitime pour la composition. Pour des compositeurs comme Franck Bedrossian, Raphaël Cendo
et Yann Robin, il ne s’agissait plus d’envisager le son saturé comme un son poussé dans ses
derniers retranchements, ou comme l’outil d’une critique du « beau son » hérité du
romantisme, mais bel et bien d’en faire la matière d’un discours articulé. Composer
l’excès – de son, d’énergie – devenait pour eux un défi qu’il fallait relever par
l’écriture. Constituer une palette de modes de jeu et de timbres était une chose, en assurer
la dynamique et la cohérence en était une autre. L’une des visées principales de cet article
est de montrer comment, sur la base d’un vocabulaire en grande partie commun, les trois
compositeurs « saturationnistes » ont élaboré une grammaire qui les différencie aujourd’hui
de façon manifeste.
Constituent Power, the Rights of Nature, and Universal Jurisdiction
Authors: Colón-Ríos Joel
Published: December 2014

This article provides a justification for the exercise of universal jurisdiction in cases of serious environmental damage. This justification rests in important ways on the theory of constituent power. The theory of constituent power has an intergenerational component that requires the protection of the environmental conditions that allow future generations to engage in constitution-making episodes. This article maintains that, by virtue of the connections between constituent power, the right to self-determination, and state sovereignty, the justification for the exercise of universal jurisdiction for serious environmental damage is at least as compelling as the justification for its exercise with respect to egregious human rights infringements. In those scenarios, courts exercising universal jurisdiction would be acting to protect the ability of present and future peoples to participate in the constitution and reconstitution of the states that make up the international community. Such a jurisdiction would rest on the authority of humanity as a whole rather than on that of any state or people.
Sfax, laboratoire du développement urbain durable en Tunisie?
Authors: Bennasr Ali , Megdiche Taoufik , Verdeil Eric
Published: December 2014

Les initiatives réalisées au nom du développement durable sont souvent critiquées pour leur prise en compte insuffisante des avis et des enjeux locaux, et accusées de se contenter de reproduire des bonnes pratiques décontextualisées. C’est particulièrement le cas dans les pays arabes à régime autoritaire. Cet article revient sur l’expérience de la Stratégie de développement du Grand Sfax (SDGS), considérée comme un succès par plusieurs acteurs internationaux, tunisiens et sfaxiens, afin d’identifier les facteurs de cette réussite relative, tout en soulignant les limites de cette expérience. L’article présente d’abord les débats sur le développement urbain durable dans les pays arabes et notamment dans le contexte tunisien. Puis il analyse l’expérience de Sfax en soulignant le rôle initiateur des institutions internationales, la nature des interactions entre les participants à l’élaboration de cette stratégie et en particulier le rôle des acteurs locaux issus de la société civile, et l’argumentation utilisée qui a permis l’établissement d’un consensus. À travers deux projets issus de cette stratégie, l’article considère l’inscription dans l’histoire locale du développement comme une condition essentielle de la poursuite de ce processus. Toutefois, en s’attachant aux évolutions de ces projets jusqu’à la période actuelle marquée par le changement politique, l’article souligne aussi les limites du consensus atteint, et notamment les tensions qui surviennent autour de l’enjeu social.
Protocolo técnico para la fotografía de fuentes filológicas primarias
Authors: Guixà Ricardo , Montaner Alberto
Published: December 2014

This paper presents a technical protocol for taking photographs of primary sources of philological use for documentary purposes. The protocol is designed for obtaining an image as close to the original object as possible. The first section provides a detailed description of the materials necessary for photographing handwritten or printed texts. The next section describes a method adapted to the new circumstances of digital photography, in two steps: capturing RAW images, then editing them. This study gives a systematic description of the first part, describing, step by step, the technical decisions related to photographic shot settings in different lighting situations, with the aims of maximizing the quality of the result and preventing any loss of relevant data.
La iconografía en la era digital: hacia una heurística para el estudio del contenido de las imágenes medievales
Authors: Cayuela Begoña
Published: December 2014

This article invites us to consider the usefulness of iconography as a method to describe the subjects represented in medieval works of art. In this study, a greater emphasis has been put on investigating the epistemological implications resulting from the use of that method, and the biases that may appear in the process of transforming images into words. The aim is to address what has been called the “semantic gap”, i.e., a kind of barrier that prevents the verbal representation of a non-lexical medium, such as the visual one, in a satisfactory and undiminished way. After a brief panorama of image theory throughout the classical era, with especial reference to the rhetorical genre of ekphrasis, this study suggests that, beneath the apparent balance between the verbal and the visual media, a rivalry persists. Later on, in medieval times, a mutation occurs in the way we perceive the visual arts and the images start being considered as texts that can be read. Thanks to the prejudice implied by the statement that we can only attain knowledge through words, the image is relegated to a decorative role or, at the most, an instrument of evangelisation of the illiterate. In the discipline of medieval art history, defective uses of iconography have led to question its validity as a tool for analysis, even after the systematizing task endeavoured by Erwin Panofsky. Iconography, however, has gained new momentum thanks largely to the creation of digital collections that require iconographic principles to facilitate the recovery of visual documents. The new technologies, however, have accentuated the semantic gap between image and word, and nuanced the value of iconography, combined with indexing techniques based on controlled vocabularies and thesauri. In addition, a critical survey has been made of the most interesting projects which have undertaken the task of indexing the medieval art. Finally, it is argued that migration of iconography into the Web can be the hard core that allows medieval art history to step forward and fully enter into the domain of digital humanities.
Joan Roís de Corella, la seua vida i el seu entorn: noves dades per a la història de la cultura en la València del segle xv
Authors: Chiner Gimeno Jaume J.
Published: December 2014

This article offers a full updating of the biographical records of the writer Joan Roís de Corella (1435-1497) and his family: his great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, siblings and children. All data are presented in a systematic way, generation by generation, and a new vision of the writer himself is offered. In its documentary section, 432 documents are transcribed or summarised, dating from 1373 to 1516. A broad range of new archival data is presented; other previously known data are corrected or improved.Some examples: Joan Roís de Corella had four children: Magdalena (born 1459), Maria, Joan and Estefania, the latter two by Isabel Martínez de Vera. Joan Roís de Corella was widely known and respected amongst the citizens of Valencia; he was frequently sought out for positions of trust, such as being the executor of wills. New documents testify to the long period over which Corella preached, and details are given of this, particularly his preaching activities in his last years. Further data are given on his relationship with the Borja family. Magdalena Roís de Corella, his daughter, was married to another writer, son of the notary Pero Pérez: Miquel Pérez –who, therefore, turns out to be Corella’s son-in-law. Miquel Pérez’s library had more than 75 books, among which several new Italian titles stand out. New documentation is given of business transactions by Isabel Martínez de Vera regarding copies of Joan Roís de Corella’s translation of the Vita Christi by Ludolph of Saxony. The date on which jurats of the city of Valencia licensed Joan Roís de Corella, the writer’s son, to print a “Passis” is also modified. Finally, an exact localization is given for the respective houses in which Joan Roís de Corella, Dalfina Roís de Corella and Isabel Martínez de Vera and her children lived.In a significant part of this documentation, new information is provided which affects our knowledge of other important characters in fifteenth-century Valencia, such as Bernat Fenollar, Joan Escrivà, Berenguer Mercader, Jaume Roig, Lluís de Castellví, Guillem Ramon de Vila-rasa and Elionor Flors de Vallterra.
Didactic platform for teaching of three-phase rectifier circuits in power electronics
Authors: Brito Marcelo R. S. , Melo Fernando C. , Freitas Luiz C. , Vieira João B. , Coelho Ernane A. A. , Farias Valdeir J. , Freitas Luiz C. G.
Published: December 2014

With the aim of preventing an Electrical Engineering course from being predominantly theoretical, the didactic materials used in laboratory activities are essential to make the learning process easier and more stimulating for the student. In this context, this paper presents a didactic platform developed for teaching a.c.-d.c. converters in the subject of power electronics at the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Brazil. The proposed platform consists of a three-phase controlled and/or uncontrolled rectifier. The IC TCA785 is used to control thyristor operation. In order to make teaching more dynamical, the didactic platform was designed to have various operating conditions, simulating, for example, breakdown components and mixed use of thyristors and diodes. A prototype of the proposed platform was built, evaluated experimentally in the laboratory and the results are shown in this paper.
The Management of Diabetic Foot Ulcers Through Optimal Off-Loading
Authors: Snyder Robert J. , Frykberg Robert G. , Rogers Lee C. , Applewhite Andrew J. , Bell Desmond , Bohn Gregory , Fife Caroline E. , Jensen Jeffrey , Wilcox James
Published: December 2014

Background

We sought to develop a consensus statement for the use of off-loading in the management of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs).

Methods

A literature search of PubMed for evidence regarding off-loading of DFUs was initially conducted, followed by a meeting of authors on March 15, 2013, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to draft consensus statements and recommendations using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) approach to assess quality of evidence and develop strength of recommendations for each consensus statement.

Results

Evidence is clear that adequate off-loading increases the likelihood of DFU healing and that increased clinician use of effective off-loading is necessary. Recommendations are included to guide clinicians on the optimal use of off-loading based on an initial comprehensive patient/wound assessment and the necessity to improve patient adherence with off-loading devices.

Conclusions

The likelihood of DFU healing is increased with off-loading adherence, and, current evidence favors the use of nonremovable casts or fixed ankle walking braces as optimum off-loading modalities. There currently exists a gap between what the evidence supports regarding the efficacy of DFU off-loading and what is performed in clinical practice despite expert consensus on the standard of care.
Astrocytes refine cortical connectivity at dendritic spines
Authors: Risher W Christopher , Patel Sagar , Kim Il Hwan , Uezu Akiyoshi , Bhagat Srishti , Wilton Daniel K , Pilaz Louis-Jan , Singh Alvarado Jonnathan , Calhan Osman Y , Silver Debra L , Stevens Beth , Calakos Nicole , Soderling Scott H , Eroglu Cagla
Published: December 2014

During cortical synaptic development, thalamic axons must establish synaptic connections despite the presence of the more abundant intracortical projections. How thalamocortical synapses are formed and maintained in this competitive environment is unknown. Here, we show that astrocyte-secreted protein hevin is required for normal thalamocortical synaptic connectivity in the mouse cortex. Absence of hevin results in a profound, long-lasting reduction in thalamocortical synapses accompanied by a transient increase in intracortical excitatory connections. Three-dimensional reconstructions of cortical neurons from serial section electron microscopy (ssEM) revealed that, during early postnatal development, dendritic spines often receive multiple excitatory inputs. Immuno-EM and confocal analyses revealed that majority of the spines with multiple excitatory contacts (SMECs) receive simultaneous thalamic and cortical inputs. Proportion of SMECs diminishes as the brain develops, but SMECs remain abundant in Hevin-null mice. These findings reveal that, through secretion of hevin, astrocytes control an important developmental synaptic refinement process at dendritic spines.
Section 1 Local governance and development – hand in hand
Authors: Gjertsen Tor
Published: December 2014

“It must be both problem and problem-solving oriented, to be relevant to us.”
Section 7 Conclusion: Knowledge and capacity building in rural development
Authors: Gjertsen Tor
Published: December 2014

"Work done and lesson learned"
Aging Small Scale Coconut Farmers in Central Philippines -- Their Perspectives on Farming, Succession and Future Impact on the Local Ecology
Authors: YAP ERNESTO GO
Published: December 2014

The goal of past administrations of the Philippine government was to enablethe country to be self-sustainable in food production. This paper takes intostudy the coconut farmers; the country being a prime producer and exporter ofcoconuts. Many past and recent studies have shown that the coconut industryhas often been beset with numerous problems and small scale coconut farmersare poor, with the causes ranging from lack of finance, technical assistance andsocio-cultural factors. This study further explored the perspectives of smallscale coconut farmers on the issues of aging and succession, obstacles andopportunities of farming, as well as the future impact on the local ecology. Thisstudy is conducted in the province of Negros Oriental, Municipality of Bacong, in Central Philippines. Qualitative methods were primarily used in the research, including a survey, key informant interviews, participant observation. Thestudy revealed that family members currently involved in coconut farming aredecreasing, and a significant number of families do not have members to succeedthe parent-farmers, preferring to go for non-farming jobs. Farms are expected to be neglected. Keywords - Small-scale coconut farmers, poverty, perspectives, succession, local ecology,descriptive design, succession, Philippines
Upstream water resource management to address downstream pollution concerns: A policy framework with application to the Nakdong River basin in South Korea
Authors: Yoon Taeyeon , Rhodes Charles , Shah Farhed A.
Published: December 2014

An empirical framework for assisting with water quality management is proposed that relies on open‐source hydrologic data. Such data are measured periodically at fixed water stations and commonly available in time‐series form. To fully exploit the data, we suggest that observations from multiple stations should be combined into a single long‐panel data set, and an econometric model developed to estimate upstream management effects on downstream water quality. Selection of the model's functional form and explanatory variables would be informed by rating curves, and idiosyncrasies across and within stations handled in an error term by testing contemporary correlation, serial correlation, and heteroskedasticity. Our proposed approach is illustrated with an application to the Nakdong River basin in South Korea. Three alternative policies to achieve downstream BOD level targets are evaluated: upstream water treatment, greater dam discharge, and development of a new water source. Upstream water treatment directly cuts off incoming pollutants, thereby presenting the smallest variation in its downstream effects on BOD levels. Treatment is advantageous when reliability of water quality is a primary concern. Dam discharge is a flexible tool, and may be used strategically during a low‐flow season. We consider development of a new water corridor from an extant dam as our third policy option. This turns out to be the most cost‐effective way for securing lower BOD levels in the downstream target city. Even though we consider a relatively simple watershed to illustrate the usefulness of our approach, it can be adapted easily to analyze more complex upstream‐downstream issues.
Is the monthly temperature climate of the United States becoming more extreme?
Authors: Kunkel Kenneth E. , Vose Russell S. , Stevens Laura E. , Knight Richard W.
Published: December 2014

A new data set of monthly temperatures, adjusted for detected inhomogeneities, was used to examine whether the monthly temperature climate of the U.S. has become more extreme. During the past two to three decades, there has been a shift toward more frequent very warm months, but less frequent very cold months. Thus, overall the monthly temperature climate has not become more extreme. Midtwentieth century including the 1930s was an earlier period of frequent very warm months, a result of very warm daytime temperatures, while nighttime temperatures were not unusual. Regionally, there is a lack of century‐scale warming in the southeast U.S. annually and in parts of the central U.S. in the summer, characterized by lack of daytime warming while there has been nighttime warming. Compared to the earlier midcentury warm period, recent decades have been more (less) extreme in the summer (winter) in the west while Midwest summers have been less extreme.
Energy and heat fluxes due to vertically propagating Yanai waves observed in the equatorial Indian Ocean
Authors: Smyth W. D. , Durland T. S. , Moum J. N.
Published: December 2014

Shipboard current measurements in the equatorial Indian Ocean in October and November of 2011 revealed oscillations in the meridional velocity with amplitude
. These were clearest in a layer extending from ∼300 to 600 m depth and had periods near 3 weeks. Phase propagation was upward. Measurements from two sequential time series at the equator, four meridional transects and one zonal transect are used to identify the oscillation as a Yanai wave packet and to establish its dominant frequency and vertical wavelength. The Doppler shift is accounted for, so that measured wave properties are translated into the reference frame of the mean zonal flow. We take advantage of the fact that, in the depth range where the wave signal was clearest, the time‐averaged current and buoyancy frequency were nearly uniform with depth, allowing application of the classical theoretical representation of vertically propagating plane waves. Using the theory, we estimate wave properties that are not directly measured, such as the group velocity and the zonal wavelength and phase speed. The theory predicts a vertical energy flux that is comparable to that carried by midlatitude near‐inertial waves. We also quantify the wave‐driven meridional heat flux and the Stokes drift.
The Rhythm Method: A New Method for Measuring Cognitive Load—An Experimental Dual‐Task Study
Authors: Park Babette , Brünken Roland
Published: December 2014

The present study joins a series of studies that used the dual‐task paradigm to measure cognitive load while learning with multimedia instruction. The goal of the current work was to develop a secondary task, to measure cognitive load in a direct and continuous way using intra‐individual, behavioral measures. The new task is achieved by utilizing internalized cues. More specifically, a previously practiced rhythm is executed continuously by foot tapping (secondary task) while learning (primary task). Precision of the executed rhythm was used as indicator for cognitive load—the higher the precision, the lower cognitive load. The suitability of this method was examined by two multimedia experiments (n1 = 30; n2 = 50). Cognitive load was manipulated by seductive details (Experiment 1: with vs. without) and modality (Experiment 2: on‐screen text vs. narration). Learners who learned under low cognitive load conditions (Experiment 1: without seductive details; Experiment 2: narration) showed significantly higher rhythm precision. These results provide evidence that rhythm precision allows for a precise and continuous measurement of cognitive load during learning. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Improved Thermal Stability of Polymer Solar Cells by Incorporating Porphyrins
Authors: Wang Sisi , Qu Yunpeng , Li Sijun , Ye Feng , Chen Zhaobin , Yang Xiaoniu
Published: December 2014

Thermal stability has been the important issue in organic solar cell, especially for the large scale fabrication and application in the future. In this work, a new strategy involving the introduction of porphyrin compound (BL) is proposed to prevent the [6,6]‐phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) aggregation. The supramolecular interactions between PC61BM and BL are first demonstrated in PC61BM:BL binary blend, and then the effect of BL on P3HT:PC61BM blend is qualitatively and quantitatively studied by differential scanning calorimetry, UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, optical microscopy, and fluorescence techniques. It is found that the BL addition not only stabilizes the morphology of P3HT:PC61BM blend films, but also shows a good ability to maintain the electron mobility by depressing the PC61BM crystallization. And the thermal stability of the devices based on P3HT:PC61BM:BL ternary blend films is therefore greatly improved. For example, 8 wt% BL doping drops the power conversion efficiency by 10.5% relative to its peak value after 48 h of annealing at 130 °C, while 71.5% of decrease is obtained for the device without BL after only 3 h of annealing. This strategy is preliminarily proved to be universal and will show great potentials in future commercialization of polymer solar cells.
Abnormal erythroid maturation leads to microcytic anemia in the TSAP6/Steap3 null mouse model
Authors: Blanc Lionel , Papoin Julien , Debnath Gargi , Vidal Michel , Amson Robert , Telerman Adam , An Xiuli , Mohandas Narla
Published: December 2014

Genetic ablation of the ferrireductase STEAP3, also known as TSAP6, leads to severe microcytic and hypochromic red cells with moderate anemia in the mouse. However, the mechanism leading to anemia is poorly understood. Previous results indicate that TSAP6/Steap3 is a regulator of exosome secretion. Using TSAP6/Steap3 knockout mice, we first undertook a comprehensive hematologic characterization of the red cell compartment, and confirmed a dramatic decrease in the volume and hemoglobin content of these erythrocytes. We observed marked anisocytosis as well as the presence of fragmenting erythrocytes. Consistent with these observations, we found by ektacytometry decreased membrane mechanical stability of knockout red cells. However, we were unable to document significant changes in the expression levels of the major skeletal and transmembrane proteins to account for this decrease in the membrane stability. Furthermore, there were no differences in red cell survival between wild type and knockout animals. However, when we monitored erythropoiesis, we found a decreased number of proerythroblasts in the bone marrow of TSAP6/Steap3−/− animals. In addition, progression from the proerythroblastic to the orthochromatic stage was affected, with accumulation of cells at the polychromatic stage. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that abnormal erythroid maturation is the main cause of anemia in these mice. Am. J. Hematol. 90:235–241, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mechanical recanalization in basilar artery occlusion: The ENDOSTROKE study
Authors: Singer Oliver C. , Berkefeld Joachim , Nolte Christian H. , Bohner Georg , Haring Hans‐Peter , Trenkler Johannes , Gröschel Klaus , Müller‐Forell Wibke , Niederkorn Kurt , Deutschmann Hannes , Neumann‐Haefelin Tobias , Hohmann Carina , Bussmeyer Matthias , Mpotsaris Anastasios , Stoll Anett , Bormann Albrecht , Brenck Johannes , Schlamann Marc U. , Jander Sebastian , Turowski Bernd , Petzold Gabor C. , Urbach Horst , Liebeskind David S. ,   for the ENDOSTROKE Study Group
Published: December 2014

Objective

A study was undertaken to evaluate clinical and procedural factors associated with outcome and recanalization in endovascular stroke treatment (EVT) of basilar artery (BA) occlusion.

Methods

ENDOSTROKE is an investigator‐initiated multicenter registry for patients undergoing EVT. This analysis includes 148 consecutive patients with BA occlusion, with 59% having received intravenous thrombolysis prior to EVT. Recanalization (defined as Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction [TICI] score 2b–3) and collateral status (using the American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology/Society of Interventional Radiology collateral grading system) were assessed by a blinded core laboratory. Good (moderate) outcome was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 2 (0–3) assessed after at least 3 months (median time to follow‐up = 120 days).

Results

Thirty‐four percent had good and 42% had moderate clinical outcome; mortality was 35%. TICI 2b–3 recanalization was achieved by 79%. Age, hypertension, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores, collateral status, and the use of magnetic resonance imaging prior to EVT predicted clinical outcome, the latter 3 remaining independent predictors in multivariate analysis. Independent predictors of recanalization were better collateral status and the use of a stent retriever. However, recanalization did not significantly predict clinical outcome.

Interpretation

Beside initial stroke severity, the collateral status predicts clinical outcome and recanalization in BA occlusion. Our data suggest that the use of a stent retriever is associated with high recanalization rates, but recanalization on its own does not predict outcome. The role of other modifiable factors, including the choice of pretreatment imaging modality and time issues, warrants further investigation. Ann Neurol 2015;77:415–424
Benzimidazole‐based silver(I)–N‐heterocyclic carbene complexes as anti‐bacterials: synthesis, crystal structures and nucleic acids interaction studies
Authors: Asekunowo Patrick O. , Haque Rosenani A. , Razali Mohd. R. , Budagumpi Srinivasa
Published: December 2014

A series of new benzimidazolium salts as N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursors has been synthesized. Reactions of these salts with Ag2O with varying metal‐to‐salt ratio facilitate the formation of a series of new binuclear and mononuclear Ag(I)–NHC complexes. All compounds were characterized using physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction study reveals a binuclear structure for one of the complexes and a mononuclear one for two others. These complexes exist as cationic Ag(I)–NHC complexes with the chelation of carbene carbons to the silver centre in an almost linear manner. The compounds were screened for their anti‐bacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 12600) as a Gram‐positive bacterium and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) as a Gram‐negative bacterium. The results show that both bacteria appear markedly inhibited. Furthermore, the results suggest the possibility of steric variation as a modulation of the anti‐bacterial activities. The nuclease activities of the compounds were assessed using gel electrophoresis and the results indicate that these complexes can cleave or degrade DNA and RNA via a non‐oxidative mechanism. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of physical therapy anatomy performance and anxiety scores in timed and untimed practical tests
Authors: Schwartz Sarah M. , Evans Cathy , Agur Anne M.R.
Published: December 2014

Students in health care professional programs face many stressful tests that determine successful completion of their program. Test anxiety during these high stakes examinations can affect working memory and lead to poor outcomes. Methods of decreasing test anxiety include lengthening the time available to complete examinations or evaluating students using untimed examinations. There is currently no consensus in the literature regarding whether untimed examinations provide a benefit to test performance in clinical anatomy. This study aimed to determine the impact of timed versus untimed practical tests on Master of Physical Therapy student anatomy performance and test anxiety. Test anxiety was measured using the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Differences in performance, anxiety scores, and time taken were compared using paired sample Student's t‐tests. Eighty‐one of the 84 students completed the study and provided feedback. Students performed significantly higher on the untimed test (P = 0.005), with a significant reduction in test anxiety (P < 0.001). Students who were unsuccessful on the timed test showed the greatest improvement on the untimed test (
 = 20.4 ±10%). Eighty‐three percent (n = 69) of students preferred the untimed test, 8.4% (n = 7) the timed test, and 8.4% (n = 7) had no preference. Students took on average eight minutes longer on the untimed test. This study found that physical therapy students perform better on untimed tests, which may be related to a reduction in test anxiety. If the intended goal of evaluating health care professional students is to determine fundamental competencies, these factors should be considered when designing future curricula. Anat Sci Educ 8: 518–524. © 2014 American Association of Anatomists.
Ein Blick in die Tiefe der Seele: Hypnose im Kultur‐ und Lehrfilm (1920–1936)
Authors: Ledebur Sophie
Published: December 2014

Gazing into the Depths of the Soul: Hypnotism in Documentary and Instructional Film (1920–1936). Although part of the medical fold since the 1870s, hypnosis was long relegated to the margins, recognised and used by only a relatively small group of medical professionals. In the decades around 1900 hypnotic techniques were monopolised as a form of medical treatment through a long and in no way linear process. Hypnosis of laymen was vehemently opposed, however, denounced as being far too dangerous. And yet, medical participation in the aura of spectacular intervention into the human psyche garnered support. The medium of both documentary and instructional film served an important function in this regard, conveying popular interest in acknowledging hypnosis as a scientific method. On the basis of four medically accredited films on hypnosis from 1920 to 1936, this paper attempts to investigate how medical experts and these genres, as part of their effort to claim hypnosis from the realm of public spectacle and parapsychological experimentation, worked to stabilise hypnosis as a purified form of medical and psychiatric practice.
Randomized clinical trial comparing neurological outcomes after carotid endarterectomy or stenting
Authors: Kuliha M , Roubec M , Procházka V , Jonszta T , Hrbáč T , Havelka J , Goldírová A , Langová K , Herzig R , Školoudík D
Published: December 2014

Background

Silent infarction in the brain can be detected in around 34 per cent of patients after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and 54 per cent after carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS). This study compared the risk of new infarctions in the brain in patients undergoing CEA or CAS.

Methods

Consecutive patients with internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis exceeding 70 per cent were screened for inclusion in this prospective study. Patients with indications for intervention, and eligible for both methods, were allocated randomly to CEA or CAS. Neurological examination, cognitive function tests and MRI of the brain were undertaken before and 24 h after intervention.

Results

Of 150 randomized patients, 73 (47 men; mean age 64·9(7·1) years) underwent CEA and 77 (58 men; 66·4(7·5) years) had CAS. New infarctions on MRI were found more frequently after CAS (49 versus 25 per cent; P = 0·002). Lesion volume was also significantly greater after CAS (P = 0·010). Multiple logistic regression analyses identified intervention in the right ICA as the only independent predictor of brain infarction (odds ratio 2·10, 95 per cent c.i. 1·03 to 4·25; P = 0·040). Stroke or transient ischaemic attack occurred in one patient after CEA and in two after CAS. No significant differences were found in cognitive test results between the groups.

Conclusion

These data confirm a higher risk of silent infarction in the brain on MRI after CAS in comparison with CEA, but without measurable change in cognitive function. Registration number: NCT01591005 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).