bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mediating spaces acting for the collaboration in the future school
Authors: Teräväinen H. , Staffans A. , Hyvärinen R.
Published: March 2015

In this paper we report the performance and preliminary results of studies carried outduring the years 2007-2008 in a research project called InnoArch, Places and Spaces for Learning.InnoArch is a part of a large trans-disciplinary InnoSchool consortium (1.1.2007- 28.2.2010) aiming todevelop a set of research-based good practices, processes, models and designs for the Future SchoolConcept. InnoArch research has focused partly on "place and mapping”, which includes a place-based approachto pedagogical processes. On the other hand the research has concentrated on "space andexperience”, which includes architectural or spatial analyses of the building and the neighborhood. The spatial experience on each environmental scale is perceived with all senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell,touch and body awareness. Indoor studies are mainly about "creating and experiencing the space”,something that has great bearing on architectural thinking when designing the future school. The non-physical virtual space is seen as a mediator between the physical environment (neighborhood)and the PjBLL (Project Based Learning Lab at Jakomäki School in Helsinki). Places in the physical environment can be located on the commentary map, which will be constructed in the School Forum byteachers and students.The pupils themselves have an opportunity to personalize the room which is here described as a PjBLL.The room provides possibilities to pursue video observation as well as participative observation and participative design research during architectural workshops. These studies were conducted together with teachers, the pedagogical focus being on TSL processes and the architectural view on physicaland virtual spaces. Sustainability is within the focus of both the environmental studies as well as in lifelongand life-wide learning processes. The pedagogical idea based on inquiry-based learning encourages to strengthen pupils´ epistemic agency in the local community and to empower them to beactive stakeholders in it.
A collaborative research project on evidence-based and eco-effective design
Authors: Shepley Mardelle M. , Baum Mara , Rostenberg Bill
Published: March 2015

The primary purpose of this study was to provide information regarding the design of healthcare facilities in the context of two important considerations, evidence-based design (EBD) andeco-effective design (EED). The secondary purpose was to test the effectiveness of research involving collaboration between practitioners and academic researchers, and the collaboration between EBD and EED professionals. The research team included designers and staff from a firm specializing in EBD andEED and a university researcher. Methods employed included focus groups, snowball surveys, and questionnaires. Practitioner focus groups specializing in EBD and EED identified critical questions that were translated into a 22-question, Likert and narrative-response survey. EBD and EED experts, via asnowball survey, selected the best practice institutions that would be the most appropriate recipients of a questionnaire that would address the role of EBD and EED. Administrators, representing theseinstitutions, participated in the survey. This study is significant in that it demonstrates that in spite of prior perceptions that EBD and EED are in conflict with one another, administrators perceived the twoas being fundamentally compatible. This conclusion is useful to designers and facility administrators by freeing them to incorporate both of these critical approaches in the design of new facilities. Observations are made regarding the collaborative process between practitioners and researchers.
New methods of researching healthcare facility users: the nursing workspace
Authors: Keddy Karen
Published: March 2015

This study is entitled Embodied Professionalism: The relationship between the physicalnature of nursing work and nursing space. The analysis is based in a critical examination of existing approaches, assumptions, and attitudes in the research literature about who, what, and how to study the person-environment relationship in healthcare facilities. New methods of studying how nurses experience their work, their workplace and the objects in their workspace are needed in order to address important issues of this person-environment relationship. Nursing work is re-conceptualized asembodied professionalism which acknowledges the interconnections between the physical labor ofprofessional nursing work, time, and space. This is a qualitative case study of nursing activities on a surgical unit that are invisible, marginalized, and unaccounted for in the research literature. Instead of studying how nurses' efficiency and productivity could be increased through design interventions, this study examines the physical nature of nursing work and the physical setting from the nurses' perspective. Instead of viewing the healthcare facility as solely a place for healing, this approach views the healthcare facility as a place for working. A nurse's goal can simply be the desire to ‘get the workdone.' A qualitative research methodology and a mixed method approach is used in this study. The methods include structured interviews, location mapping, photo-documentation, architectural inventories, place-centered behavioral mapping, and focused observations. In order to get a better understanding of how nurses experience their workspace, an image-based visual research method, theexperiential collage, was designed. The findings from using these methods reveal the significant rolethat the physical activities of moving, searching, and recovering play in gaining insights into nurses' socio-spatial experience of the nursing workspace.
Border Patrol: Professional Jurisdictions in Sustainable Urban Environments
Authors: Henn Rebecca
Published: March 2015

According to the United Nations, our world is becoming more populated, more urban, more connected, more globalized, and more complex. With this physical and social complexity comes a need for increased coordination in negotiating our urban futures. Environmental design and planning professionals have worked for decades according to traditional institutionalized role structures. Sustainability”in considering a wider variety of stakeholders”promises not only to include more members in the typical design and construction team (e.g., sustainability consultants, community representatives, technical specialists, etc.), but also to change the jurisdiction of tasks (e.g., project management, decision making, design leadership, etc.) taken on by actors in traditional roles (e.g., owner, architect, contractor, etc.). This paper examines how a wider social concern for environmental and social sustainability has affected the design and construction industry. Organizational and sociological theories suggest that professions are "bound to a set of tasks by ties of jurisdiction... [P]rofessions make up an interacting system... and a profession's success reflects as much the situations of its competitors and the system structure as it does the profession's own efforts” (Abbott 1988: 33). Abbott also suggests that "larger social forces” affect the structuring of professional boundaries. Treating sustainability as a "larger social force,” this paper examines current understandings of professional boundaries in the planning, design, and construction of our environments. It answers questions of how professionals renegotiate roles, responsibilities, and compensation when dealing with an uncertain change in traditional processes.The qualitative data stem from three university building projects. Each project was proposed ab initio without a mandate to achieve LEED Certification, but this complex criterion was subsequently added at different phases of design for each project. The in situ reconfiguration of existing responsibilities”and assignment of new responsibilities”shows how professionals integrate new practices and processes to achieve both environmentally and professionally sustainable futures.
Agility, Adaptability + Appropriateness: Conceiving, Crafting & Constructing an Architecture of the 21st Century
Authors: Sinclair, Brian R. , Mousazadeh Somayeh , Safarzadeh Ghazaleh
Published: March 2015

Architectural design in our current times has tended to generate buildings which, despite their aesthetic qualities, frequently prove static, rigid and intractable. The intense and significant production of architecture around the planet has created a situation whereby modification of the existing building stock is costly, difficult and at times implausible. Beginning in the mid-twentieth century architects began to more seriously question narrow design approaches and in response explored more open, mutable and responsive ways of building. Architects such as Kisho Kurokawa and Cedric Price, in an effort to envision more resilient & robust solutions, explored methods of design and construction which afforded greater user control, modification and customization of environments. As opposed to buildings in which users needed to adapt to environmental constraints, these progressive designers imagined spaces that adjusted to user needs. A significant challenge to these visionaries was a lag between thinking and technology – quite simply construction proved unable to fully address concept. Today the world has changed in dramatic ways, with advancements in technology, expectations of society, and a quest for greater sustainability all driving a push for more agile, adaptable and appropriate Architecture. The present paper critically contemplates the condition of contemporary building design, examines emerging trends, and postulates an innovative model & philosophy for realizing a more responsive, responsible and fitting Architecture for the 21st Century. While considering historical initiatives, theories and practices, the paper also examines contemporary applications and future possibilities, arguing that many forces hold promise to align in ways before unimaginable. Advancing from the established foundation of Open Building (OB) research and practice, and building upon a holistic and inter-connected strategy (Sinclair 2009) for environmental design, the new model places emphasis and effort on heightened agility, adaptability and appropriateness – all urgently needed in our current, uncertain and tumultuous times.
Image and video processing with FPGA support used for biometric as well as other applications
Authors: Napieralski Andrzej , Cłapa Jakub , Grabowski Kamil , Napieralska Małgorzata , Sankowski Wojciech , Sękalski Przemysław , Zubert Mariusz
Published: March 2015

Paper presents the recent research in DMCS. The image processing and
biometric research projects are presented. One of the key elements is an
image acquisition and processing. The most recent biometric research projects
are in the area of authentication in uncooperative scenarios and utilizing
many different biometric traits (multimodal biometric systems). Also, the
recent research on the removal of geometric distortion from live video
streams using FPGA and GPU hardware is presented together with preliminary
performance results.
Study on the spatial generation of breakdown spots in MIM capacitors with different aspect ratios
Authors: Saura Xavier , Riccio Michele , de Falco , Suñé Jordi , Irace Andrea , Miranda Enrique
Published: March 2015

Metal-insulator-metal (MIM) large area (>10-4 cm2) capacitors with different
aspect ratios were subjected to severe stress conditions (Eox>4-5 MV/cm) with
the aim of generating a large density of breakdown spots (from 105 to 106
spots/cm2) in the same device. The resulting mark pattern on the top metal
electrode associated with the failure events was analyzed first using
conventional functional estimators for two-dimensional spatial statistics.
Second, as a double check, the attention was focused on the same breakdown
spot patterns but in relation to the probe point location. In this latter
case, the objective was to rule out any stochastic dependence of the
breakdown spot distribution on the position of the source of degradation and
therefore to confirm whether or not the spots follow a complete spatial
randomness (CSR) process. In order to simplify the mathematical treatment of
the point-to-event distributions, the voltage probe was assumed to be located
at one corner of the observation window which significantly reduces the
number of cases to analyze. Infrared images revealed that the generation of
the spots is associated with micro-explosions within the insulating material
(HfO2) and with the local volatilization of the top metal electrode (Pt).
New generation of 3.3kV IGBTs with monolitically integrated voltage and current sensors
Authors: Flores David , Hidalgo Salvador , Urresti Jesús
Published: March 2015

Although IGBT modules are widely used as power semiconductor switch in many
high power applications, there are still reliability problems related to the
current unbalance between paralleled IGBTs that may destroy the whole module
and, eventually, the power system. Indeed, short-circuit and overvoltage
events can also destroy some of the IGBTs of the power module. In this sense,
the instantaneous monitoring of the anode current and voltage values and the
use of a more intelligent gate driver able to work with the signals of each
particular IGBT of the module would enhance its operating lifetime. In this
sense, the paper describes the design, optimization, fabrication and basic
performances of 3.3kV-50A punch-through IGBTs for traction and tap
changer applications where anode current and voltage sensors are
monolithically integrated within the IGBT core.
Design of CMOS readout frontend circuit for MEMS capacitive microphones
Authors: Arbet Daniel , Stopjaková Viera , Kovác Martin , Nagy Lukás , Nagy Gabriel
Published: March 2015

This paper deals with a frontend part of the readout circuit developed as an
integrated circuit that after bonding together with a MEMS capacitive
microphone (MCM) chip will be used in a noise dosimeter applicable in very
noisy and harsh environment, e.g. mine. Therefore, the main attention has
been paid to the high dynamic range, low offset and low noise of the
developed readout interface as well as its low-power consumption feature.
For conversion of the MCM?s capacitance variation into voltage, an approach
based on the buffered input conversion stage biased by a voltage divider was
used. The advantage of this approach is that the voltage divider formed by
MOS transistors can be connected to the high-impedance node (i.e. the output
of the MCM, in this case). The whole frontend part of the readout interface
was designed in a standard 0.35mm CMOS technology. Finally, the achieved
results are discussed and compared to other works.
Interactive Fuzzy Goal Programming approach in multi-response stratified sample surveys
Authors: Gupta Neha , Ali Irfan , Bari Abdul
Published: March 2015

In this paper, we applied an Interactive Fuzzy Goal Programming (IFGP)
approach with linear, exponential and hyperbolic membership functions, which
focuses on maximizing the minimum membership values to determine the
preferred compromise solution for the multi-response stratified surveys
problem, formulated as a Multi- Objective Non Linear Programming Problem
(MONLPP), and by linearizing the nonlinear objective functions at their
individual optimum solution, the problem is approximated to an Integer Linear
Programming Problem (ILPP). A numerical example based on real data is given,
and comparison with some existing allocations viz. Cochran?s compromise
allocation, Chatterjee?s compromise allocation and Khowaja?s compromise
allocation is made to demonstrate the utility of the approach.
The Streetlight Effect in Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Battaglia Manuela , Atkinson Mark A.
Published: March 2015

In the nearly 100 years since the discovery of therapeutic insulin, significant research efforts have been directed at finding the underlying cause of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and developing a “cure” for the disease. While progress has clearly been made toward each of these goals, neither vision has been fulfilled. With increasing pressure from both public and private funders of diabetes research, growing impatience of those with T1D at the lack of practical discoveries, increased competition for research funds, uncertainties on the reproducibility of published scientific data, and questions regarding the value of animal models, the current research environment has become extraordinarily difficult to traverse from the perspective of investigators. As a result, there is an increasing pressure toward performance of what might be considered “safe” research, where the aim is to affirm existing dogmas rather than to pioneer efforts involving unconventional thought. Psychologists refer to this practice as “observational bias” while cartoonists label the process the “streetlight effect.” In this Perspective, we consider notions in T1D research that should be subject to bold question and provide additional concepts, many somewhat orphan to research efforts, whose investigation could lead to a means for truly identifying the cause of and a cure for T1D.
Determinants of Shortened, Disrupted, and Mistimed Sleep and Associated Metabolic Health Consequences in Healthy Humans
Authors: Cedernaes Jonathan , Schiöth Helgi B. , Benedict Christian
Published: March 2015

Recent increases in the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in modern societies have been paralleled by reductions in the time their denizens spend asleep. Epidemiological studies have shown that disturbed sleep—comprising short, low-quality, and mistimed sleep—increases the risk of metabolic diseases, especially obesity and T2DM. Supporting a causal role of disturbed sleep, experimental animal and human studies have found that sleep loss can impair metabolic control and body weight regulation. Possible mechanisms for the observed changes comprise sleep loss–induced changes in appetite-signaling hormones (e.g., higher levels of the hunger-promoting hormone ghrelin) or hedonic brain responses, altered responses of peripheral tissues to metabolic signals, and changes in energy intake and expenditure. Even though the overall consensus is that sleep loss leads to metabolic perturbations promoting the development of obesity and T2DM, experimental evidence supporting the validity of this view has been inconsistent. This Perspective aims at discussing molecular to behavioral factors through which short, low-quality, and mistimed sleep may threaten metabolic public health. In this context, possible factors that may determine the extent to which poor sleep patterns increase the risk of metabolic pathologies within and across generations will be discussed (e.g., timing and genetics).
Surge in Newly Identified Diabetes Among Medicaid Patients in 2014 Within Medicaid Expansion States Under the Affordable Care Act
Authors: Kaufman Harvey W. , Chen Zhen , Fonseca Vivian A. , McPhaul Michael J.
Published: March 2015

OBJECTIVE

Twenty-six states and the District of Columbia expanded Medicaid in January 2014 pursuant to the Affordable Care Act (ACA); 24 states did not. This created an opportunity to examine the impact of Medicaid expansion on the number of Medicaid patients with newly identified diabetes among enrollees (19–64 years of age) who had laboratory testing through Quest Diagnostics.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Newly identified diabetes was defined as an ICD-9 diagnosis code of 250.x (diabetes) or hemoglobin A1c of >6.4% (46 mmol/mol) within the first 6 months of a calendar year and the absence of both in the preceding calendar year within our data repository.

RESULTS

We identified 215,398 and 218,890 patients who met our definition of newly diagnosed diabetes within the first 6 months of 2013 (control period) and 2014 (study period), respectively (a 1.6% increase). We identified 26,237 Medicaid-enrolled patients with new diabetes in the control period vs. 29,673 in the study period: an increase of 13%. The number of Medicaid-enrolled patients with newly identified diabetes increased by 23% (14,625 vs. 18,020 patients) in the 26 states (and District of Columbia) that expanded Medicaid compared with an increase of 0.4% (11,612 vs. 11,653 patients) in the 24 states that did not expand Medicaid during this period. Similar differences were observed in younger and older adults and for both men and women.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that in the states that expanded Medicaid under the ACA, an increased number of Medicaid patients with diabetes are being diagnosed and treated earlier. This could be anticipated to lead to better long-term outcomes.
Temporal processing and speech perception in quiet and noise across different degrees of ANSD
Authors: Narne Vijaya Kumar , Chatni Suma , Kalaiah Mohan Kumar , Chandan Hunsur Suresh , Deepthi Mahadeva , Barman Animesh
Published: March 2015

Objective:

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of degree of temporal processing impairment in adult listeners with ANSD on speech perception measures.

Study design:

Forty-six listeners with ANSD and 30 normal hearing listeners participated in the study. Temporal resolution was measured using the Temporal Modulation Transfer Function (TMTF). Speech identification scores in quiet were measured for bisyllabic words and Speech Reception Threshold in noise (SRTn) was measured for words. Furthermore, consonant identification was measured for 20 VCV stimuli.

Results:

Listeners with ANSD performed significantly worse than normal hearing listeners in both temporal resolution and speech perception measures. Peak sensitivity and 3dB cut-off frequency were estimated for each individual in both groups from the TMTFs data using an exponential fitting function. The listeners with ANSD were subgrouped into mild, moderate and severe degrees based on peak sensitivity. As the degree of temporal processing impairment increased, speech identification scores reduced and SRTn increased systematically. Similarly, consonant identification decreased with increase in temporal processing impairment. Among phonemic features, manner of articulation was better perceived compared to voice and place of articulation.

Conclusion:

The high correlation between temporal processing ability and speech perception suggests that temporal processing measures may be a potential tool for assessing the severity of ANSD in adult listeners.
‘A war film with a difference’: Adrian Brunel'sBlightyand Negotiation within the British Studio System of the Late Silent Period
Authors: Botting Josephine
Published: March 2015

The creation and viewing of war films was one of the elements in the process by which Britain attempted to come to terms with the horrors of the First World War. During the interwar period, war films took two main forms: those which reconstructed famous battles and melodramas set against a wartime backdrop. However, the film Blighty, directed by Adrian Brunel in 1927, took a slightly different approach, focusing not on military action but on those who stayed behind on the Home Front. As a director during the silent period, Brunel trod a stony path, operating largely on the fringes of the industry and never really getting a firm foothold in the developing studio structure. He remains well regarded for his independent productions yet also directed five features for Gainsborough at the end of the silent period. Of these film, his first, Blighty, is perhaps his most successful production within the studio system in terms of managing a compromise between his desire to maintain control while also fulfilling the studio's aims and requirement for box office success. Brunel's aversion to the war film as a genre meant that from the start of the project, he was engaged in a process of negotiation with the studio in order to preserve as far as possible what he regarded as a certain creative and moral imperative.
The Pioneer Vanishes: Midnight Oil and the Birth of Adult Education Television
Authors: Griffin Ken
Published: March 2015

The pioneering work of Ulster Television (UTV) in the field of adult education television is among the most neglected chapters of UK regional broadcasting history. Between July 1962 and August 1963 the station produced 73 televised lectures in association with Queen's University, Belfast. UTV's initial effort, Midnight Oil (1962), was the first ever adult education series on UK television, while its sequel, The Inquiring Mind (1963), explored the medium's potential as an illustrative educational tool. Both series prefigured key aspects of the television broadcasts which supported the subsequent Open University. Their audience ratings also challenged established wisdom about the potential reach of televised adult education. Despite their innovative nature, UTV's series have been marginalised within accounts of the origins of adult education television in the UK. Such narratives have tended to focus on later English productions and generally identify Anglia Television's Dawn University (1963) as the first precursor to the Open University. One account, Sendall (1983) , even questioned the veracity of the UTV's claim to have brought adult education television to the UK. This article establishes the extent and nature of UTV's contribution to adult education television before examining the factors which may have led to the marginalisation of its role within narratives surrounding UK broadcasting history.
Thermodynamics in Curved Space-Time and Its Application to Holography
Authors: Xiao Yong , Feng Li-Hua , Guan Li
Published: March 2015

The thermodynamic behaviors of a system living in a curved space-time are different from those of a system in a flat space-time. We have investigated the thermodynamics for a system consisting of relativistic massless bosons. We show that a strongly curved metric will produce a large enhancement of the degrees of freedom in the formulae of energy and entropy of the system, as a comparison to the case in a flat space-time. We are mainly concerned with its implications to holography, including the derivations of holographic entropy and holographic screen.
Assisting Sustainable Forest Management and Forest Policy Planning with the Sim4Tree Decision Support System
Authors: Dalemans Floris , Jacxsens Paul , Van Orshoven Jos , Kint Vincent , Moonen Pieter , Muys Bart
Published: March 2015

As European forest policy increasingly focuses on multiple ecosystem services and participatory decision making, forest managers and policy planners have a need for integrated, user-friendly, broad spectrum decision support systems (DSS) that address risks and uncertainties, such as climate change, in a robust way and that provide credible advice in a transparent manner, enabling effective stakeholder involvement. The Sim4Tree DSS has been accordingly developed as a user-oriented, modular and multipurpose toolbox. Sim4Tree supports strategic and tactical forestry planning by providing simulations of forest development, ecosystem services potential and economic performance through time, from a regional to a stand scale, under various management and climate regimes. Sim4Tree allows comparing the performance of different scenarios with regard to diverse criteria so as to optimize management choices. This paper explains the concept, characteristics, functionalities, components and use of the current Sim4Tree DSS v2.5, which was parameterized for the region of Flanders, Belgium, but can be flexibly adapted to allow a broader use. When considering the current challenges for forestry DSS, an effort has been made towards the participatory component and towards integration, while the lack of robustness remains Sim4Tree’s weakest point. However, its structural flexibility allows many possibilities for future improvement and extension.
Nicotine Levels and Presence of Selected Tobacco-Derived Toxins in Tobacco Flavoured Electronic Cigarette Refill Liquids
Authors: Farsalinos Konstantinos , Gillman I. , Melvin Matt , Paolantonio Amelia , Gardow Wendy , Humphries Kathy , Brown Sherri , Poulas Konstantinos , Voudris Vassilis
Published: March 2015

Background. Some electronic cigarette (EC) liquids of tobacco flavour contain extracts of cured tobacco leaves produced by a process of solvent extraction and steeping. These are commonly called Natural Extract of Tobacco (NET) liquids. The purpose of the study was to evaluate nicotine levels and the presence of tobacco-derived toxins in tobacco-flavoured conventional and NET liquids. Methods. Twenty-one samples (10 conventional and 11 NET liquids) were obtained from the US and Greek market. Nicotine levels were measured and compared with labelled values. The levels of tobacco-derived chemicals were compared with literature data on tobacco products. Results. Twelve samples had nicotine levels within 10% of the labelled value. Inconsistency ranged from −21% to 22.1%, with no difference observed between conventional and NET liquids. Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) were present in all samples at ng/mL levels. Nitrates were present almost exclusively in NET liquids. Acetaldehyde was present predominantly in conventional liquids while formaldehyde was detected in almost all EC liquids at trace levels. Phenols were present in trace amounts, mostly in NET liquids. Total TSNAs and nitrate, which are derived from the tobacco plant, were present at levels 200–300 times lower in 1 mL of NET liquids compared to 1 gram of tobacco products. Conclusions. NET liquids contained higher levels of phenols and nitrates, but lower levels of acetaldehyde compared to conventional EC liquids. The lower levels of tobacco-derived toxins found in NET liquids compared to tobacco products indicate that the extraction process used to make these products did not transfer a significant amount of toxins to the NET. Overall, all EC liquids contained far lower (by 2–3 orders of magnitude) levels of the tobacco-derived toxins compared to tobacco products.
Does An Education Seminar Intervention Improve the Parents’ Knowledge on Vaccination? Evidence from Yiwu, East China
Authors: Hu Yu
Published: March 2015

Background: caregivers’ knowledge on vaccination is an important impact factor for their children’s vaccination status. The aims of this study were to evaluate the caregivers’ knowledge of vaccination, and to assess effectiveness of a health education seminar for improving caregivers’ knowledge on immunization. Methods: pre- and post-assessment design was adopted for a single group to evaluate the effectiveness of the health education seminar on vaccination. The seminar consisted of a lecture using simple understandable language. Improvements in total knowledge score before and after the seminar were assessed using a validated questionnaire that included ten questions. Description analysis and non-parametric tests were applied to evaluate and compare the vaccination knowledge level before and after the seminar. Results: 378 caregivers participated in this study. The majority were mothers. Of the ten questions, the correct response rates had significantly increased for nine questions after the education seminar. The mean total score of the assessment before the seminar was 5.2 ± 1.2 while that was 8.4 ± 0.9 for the assessment after the seminar, with a significant increase of 3.18 points. Conclusion: a short education seminar designed for caregivers had a remarkable effect on their vaccination knowledge. Health education on vaccination targeting migrant caregivers, caregivers with lower education level or household income, and employed caregivers are needed in future.
ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy for the Assessment of Biochemical Changes in Skin Due to Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Lima Cássio , Goulart Viviane , Côrrea Luciana , Pereira Thiago , Zezell Denise
Published: March 2015

Nonmelanoma skin cancers represent 95% of cutaneous neoplasms. Among them, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the more aggressive form and shows a pattern of possible metastatic profile. In this work, we used Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopy to assess the biochemical changes in normal skin caused by squamous cell carcinoma induced by multi-stage chemical carcinogenesis in mice. Changes in the absorption intensities and shifts were observed in the vibrational modes associated to proteins, indicating changes in secondary conformation in the neoplastic tissue. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to evaluate the potential of the technique to differentiate the spectra of neoplastic and normal skin tissue, so that the accuracy obtained for this classification was 86.4%. In this sense, attenuated total reflection (ATR)-FTIR spectroscopy provides a useful tool to complement histopathological analysis in the clinical routine for the diagnosis of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
Sulfated Steroid–Amino Acid Conjugates from the Irish Marine Sponge Polymastia boletiformis
Authors: Smyrniotopoulos Vangelis , Rae Margaret , Soldatou Sylvia , Ding Yuanqing , Wolff Carsten , McCormack Grace , Coleman Christina , Ferreira Daneel , Tasdemir Deniz
Published: March 2015

Antifungal bioactivity-guided fractionation of the organic extract of the sponge Polymastia boletiformis, collected from the west coast of Ireland, led to the isolation of two new sulfated steroid-amino acid conjugates (1 and 2). Extensive 1D and 2D NMR analyses in combination with quantum mechanical calculations of the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra, optical rotation, and 13C chemical shifts were used to establish the chemical structures of 1 and 2. Both compounds exhibited moderate antifungal activity against Cladosporium cucumerinum, while compound 2 was also active against Candida albicans. Marine natural products containing steroidal and amino acid constituents are extremely rare in nature.
Optimization of Solid-Supported Glaser-Hay Reactions in the Microwave
Authors: Lampkowski Jessica , Maza Johnathan , Verma Sanjana , Young Douglas
Published: March 2015

The translation of organometallic reactions into a microwave reactor has numerous advantages. Herein, we describe the application of a previously developed solid-supported Glaser-Hay reaction to microwave conditions. Overall, an array of diynes has been prepared demonstrating the ability to conduct chemoselective reactions in the microwave within 20 min compared to the 16 h thermal conditions. Moreover, non-microwave transparent alkynes have been found to react more quickly, preventing catalyst quenching, and resulting in higher yields.
A Room Temperature Nitric Oxide Gas Sensor Based on a Copper-Ion-Doped Polyaniline/Tungsten Oxide Nanocomposite
Authors: Wang Shih-Han , Shen Chi-Yen , Su Jian-Ming , Chang Shiang-Wen
Published: March 2015

The parts-per-billion-level nitric oxide (NO) gas sensing capability of a copper-ion-doped polyaniline/tungsten oxide nanocomposite (Cu2+/PANI/WO3) film coated on a Rayleigh surface acoustic wave device was investigated. The sensor developed in this study was sensitive to NO gas at room temperature in dry nitrogen. The surface morphology, dopant distribution, and electric properties were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping, and Hall effect measurements, respectively. The Cu2+/PANI/WO3 film exhibited high NO gas sensitivity and selectivity as well as long-term stability. At 1 ppb of NO, a signal with a frequency shift of 4.3 ppm and a signal-to-noise ratio of 17 was observed. The sensor exhibited distinct selectivity toward NO gas with no substantial response to O2, NH3 and CO2 gases.
Thermodynamic Modeling and Analysis of an Optical Electric-Field Sensor
Authors: Xiao Xia , Xu Yan , Dong Zexing
Published: March 2015

The stability of the optical electric field sensor (OEFS) in actual operation is affected by environmental factors such as temperature and SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride). To analyze the operational environment parameters affecting the optical properties of crystals, a thermodynamic model of the OEFS in which the optical properties of the crystal are changed by the first-order effects and the second-order effects was established. The intensity parameters such as electric, stress and temperature fields were introduced. The theoretical analysis results show that under temperature, stress and electric field conditions, the optical properties of the sensing crystals are no longer changed only by the electro-optic effect, but also by the temperature and the stress fields. Further synthesis suggests the expected optical property changes under the effect of the environment fields. OEFS tests show that the accuracy of OEFS is dependent on temperature with a ratio error of −0.8%~1.5% in the temperature range from −25 °C to +40 °C.
Epitope Prediction Assays Combined with Validation Assays Strongly Narrows down Putative Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Epitopes
Authors: Ip Peng , Nijman Hans , Daemen Toos
Published: March 2015

Tumor vaccine design requires prediction and validation of immunogenic MHC class I epitopes expressed by target cells as well as MHC class II epitopes expressed by antigen-presenting cells essential for the induction of optimal immune responses. Epitope prediction methods are based on different algorithms and are instrumental for a first screening of possible epitopes. However, their results do not reflect a one-to-one correlation with experimental data. We combined several in silico prediction methods to unravel the most promising C57BL/6 mouse-restricted Hepatitis C virus (HCV) MHC class I epitopes and validated these epitopes in vitro and in vivo. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes within the HCV non-structural proteins were identified, and proteasomal cleavage sites and helper T cell (Th) epitopes at close proximity to these CTL epitopes were analyzed using multiple prediction algorithms. This combined in silico analysis enhances the precision of identification of functional HCV-specific CTL epitopes. This approach will be applicable to the design of human vaccines not only for HCV, but also for other antigens in which T-cell responses play a crucial role.
Can Low-Resolution Airborne Laser Scanning Data Be Used to Model Stream Rating Curves?
Authors: Lyon Steve , Nathanson Marcus , Lam Norris , Dahlke Helen , Rutzinger Martin , Kean Jason , Laudon Hjalmar
Published: March 2015

This pilot study explores the potential of using low-resolution (0.2 points/m2) airborne laser scanning (ALS)-derived elevation data to model stream rating curves. Rating curves, which allow the functional translation of stream water depth into discharge, making them integral to water resource monitoring efforts, were modeled using a physics-based approach that captures basic geometric measurements to establish flow resistance due to implicit channel roughness. We tested synthetically thinned high-resolution (more than 2 points/m2) ALS data as a proxy for low-resolution data at a point density equivalent to that obtained within most national-scale ALS strategies. Our results show that the errors incurred due to the effect of low-resolution versus high-resolution ALS data were less than those due to flow measurement and empirical rating curve fitting uncertainties. As such, although there likely are scale and technical limitations to consider, it is theoretically possible to generate rating curves in a river network from ALS data of the resolution anticipated within national-scale ALS schemes (at least for rivers with relatively simple geometries). This is promising, since generating rating curves from ALS scans would greatly enhance our ability to monitor streamflow by simplifying the overall effort required.
Élites, pouvoir et régulation à Madagascar
Authors: Roubaud François , Razafindrakoto Mireille , Wachsberger Jean-Michel
Published: March 2015

Cet article vise à fournir un cadre interprétatif de la trajectoire malgache sur le long terme en retraçant les nœuds structurants de son économie politique. La concomitance de périodes d’expansion économique et de crises politiques laisse en effet supposer qu’une des sources essentielles des difficultés rencontrées par le pays est sa faible capacité à instaurer un consensus politique stable autour des processus d’accumulation et des modes de répartition des richesses. Dans cette hypothèse, la compréhension de la trajectoire malgache passe par une relecture de l’histoire longue en vue de mettre en évidence, de la période coloniale à nos jours, les principaux acteurs, les sources de pouvoir et de richesse, les modes de régulation économique et sociale et les contradictions du système. Nous distinguons six grandes périodes, chacune séparée par une nette rupture qui ne réussit pas à en résoudre les principales contradictions.
Les crises malgaches vues par la conférence épiscopale de Madagascar
Authors: Rafitoson Ketakandriana , Rafitoson Ketakandriana
Published: March 2015

L’État malgache est laïc mais l’Église a toujours tenu un rôle prépondérant dans la vie politique malgache. À travers ses écrits, ses communications et analyses, l’Église catholique a décortiqué la vie politique et sociale malgache et ce depuis le début de la colonisation. À travers l’analyse inédite des écrits des évêques, nous proposons d’étudier les grilles d’interprétation des crises malgaches produites par les ecclésiastes catholiques. Ce travail nous permet de voir dans quelle mesure des éléments récurrents de crise sont identifiés par les analyses politiques de l’Église catholique malgache depuis 1889.
Madagascar : le développement contrarié
Authors: Châtaigner Jean-Marc
Published: March 2015

La crise malgache 2008-2013 ne s’inscrit pas comme un épisode accidentel et isolé de l’histoire de la Grande Île et des maux qui ont affecté ce pays depuis le xix e  siècle. Les problèmes majeurs de la Grande Île, ceux qu’il lui faudra surmonter et vaincre pour retrouver les chemins de la croissance et d’un développement qui ne soit plus contrarié, s’appellent la mauvaise gouvernance, l’affairisme et le mauvais partage des richesses. Faute de mettre ces questions sur la table et d’y apporter des réponses, le risque pourrait être grand que cette sortie de crise ne conduise à une nouvelle implosion régressive (ou un énième « bond en arrière ») dans quelques années.
L’État et les matières premières à Madagascar
Authors: Sanchez Samuel F.
Published: March 2015

La crise contemporaine de l’État à Madagascar se manifeste par une instabilité politique chronique, mais aussi par l’extension de la contrebande, en particulier des produits bruts (bois précieux, produits miniers). Les saisies régulières, par exemple, de bois de rose dans le nord de Madagascar, défraient régulièrement la chronique. L’exportation incontrôlée de ces produits, notamment des bois précieux (bois de rose, santal, ébène, palissandre), occasionne un considérable manque à gagner pour les finances de l’État malgache. Elle contribue aussi à la dégradation des forêts primaires de la Grande Île. Ce phénomène peut paraître nouveau, mais il n’en est rien. Ce court article ne se veut pas exhaustif, mais entend jeter quelques clefs de compréhension pour mieux cerner le rapport que les constructions étatiques malgaches entretiennent avec le commerce international.
Une géographie de la France ludique. La dimension spatiale des pratiques culturelles
Authors: Borzakian Manouk
Published: March 2015

Cet article entend démontrer l’intérêt d’une approche spatiale des pratiques ludiques et, plus largement, des pratiques culturelles, en s’appuyant sur une enquête consacrée à la distribution spatiale des licenciés français de six jeux institutionnels. Dans la lignée critique du modèle de la distinction, la cartographie de ces licenciés permet tout d’abord de confirmer les liens statistiques entre certains jeux et catégories socioprofessionnelles. Par ailleurs, ce type d’homologie peut être transposé des groupes sociaux aux portions d’espace – avec des pratiques fortement régionalisées – et plus encore aux types d’espace. Dans le premier cas, il n’existe pas toujours une cause structurelle identifiable; il demeure que l’impulsion de départ crée un contexte favorable, permettant au succès d’un jeu de s’autoentretenir. Dans le second cas, les variations de gradient d’urbanité constituent un important facteur explicatif des pratiques, opposant deux idéaux-types : la mono-activité des communes rurales et petites villes, et l’émergence dans les grands centres urbains de pratiques rares et diverses. Dans l’ensemble, l’enquête met en évidence le fait que les configurations spatiales participent à informer les goûts et leur perpétuation.
Relire la géographie de Conrad Malte-Brun
Authors: Péaud Laura
Published: March 2015

En 1807 et 1810, Conrad Malte-Brun propose à travers deux entreprises éditoriales, la revue des Annales des Voyages, de la Géographie et de l’Histoire et le Précis de la géographie universelle , de fonder une discipline géographique sur des bases solides et communes. Il s’agit de la première entreprise de ce genre en langue française, qu’il convient de saluer et d’envisager comme un moment d’histoire des sciences remarquable à ce titre. Malte-Brun entend en effet accélérer la reconnaissance et l’autonomie de la géographie dans le champ des sciences, en lui conférant une identité disciplinaire cohérente et solide. Celle-ci est construite sur les bases d’un collectif de géographes, qui doit se retrouver dans des méthodes, outils et concepts communs. Si l’annonce liminaire est claire et convaincante, la lecture de ces deux textes laisse apparaître des choix épistémologiques bien spécifiques dans le projet porté par Malte-Brun, parmi lesquels : la prééminence de la littérarité aux dépens d’un travail d’analyse ; le rejet d’innovations méthodologiques pourtant portées par d’autres géographes, comme le terrain ; enfin, sur l’autonomie scientifique tant souhaitée l’emporte encore largement l’hétéronomie face notamment aux sciences historiques. En analysant ces textes, cet article vise à éclairer un moment historique de fondation pour la discipline, dans la mesure où le projet de Malte-Brun influença largement la géographie de cette époque.
Le site d’Étouvy / La Graverie (Calvados) : un xenodochium au passage de la Vire ?
Authors: Levalet Daniel
Published: March 2015

Au sud-ouest du département du Calvados, de part et d’autre de la Vire, les deux villages d’Étouvy et de La Graverie sont situés à proximité immédiate d’une voie antique franchissant le fleuve par un gué. Si les traces d’un établissement antique, à la frontière de deux cités, ne sont pas assurées, la présence d’un habitat du haut Moyen Âge est plus vraisemblable, l’église de La Graverie étant construite sur une nécropole à sarcophages. Quant à Étouvy, il pourrait correspondre à un vicus mentionné dans la Vita S. Severii . Le site (une vallée encaissée et inondable), la proximité des deux églises, les liens avec certaines abbayes normandes, nous conduit à poser l’hypothèse de l’existence d’un xenodochium alto-médiéval.
Les donations pieuses en Écosse aux XII e et XIII e siècles : l’exemple du Coldinghamshire
Authors: Brodin Aline
Published: March 2015

Au cours des xii e et xiii e  siècles, l’Écosse, bien que pays indépendant, connaît un grand nombre de changements sous l’influence anglo-normande, notamment la diffusion de l’utilisation de l’écrit et des idées de la réforme grégorienne. L’étude des donations pieuses destinées au prieuré de Coldingham entre 1095 et 1286, dont beaucoup sont émises par des laïcs de rang humble, met en évidence un souci pour le salut de son âme et de celle de ses proches dans toutes les couches de la société, ainsi qu’un attachement à la paroisse et aux saints locaux. Par ailleurs, l’analyse précise des formules utilisées dans les chartes nous éclaire sur les obligations matérielles liées aux dons, et sur le rôle du pouvoir royal écossais dans la transaction. On constate le développement de particularités écossaises dans la formulation des textes de donations, même si l’on peut dresser quelques parallèles entre le développement des formules en Normandie et en Angleterre d’une part, et en Écosse d’autre part.