bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reliability and Validity of Objective Measures of Physical Activity in Youth With Cerebral Palsy Who Are Ambulatory
Authors: O'Neil Margaret E. , Fragala-Pinkham Maria , Lennon Nancy , George Ameeka , Forman Jeffrey , Trost Stewart G.
Published: June 2015

Background

Physical therapy for youth with cerebral palsy (CP) who are ambulatory includes interventions to increase functional mobility and participation in physical activity (PA). Thus, reliable and valid measures are needed to document PA in youth with CP.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the inter-instrument reliability and concurrent validity of 3 accelerometer-based motion sensors with indirect calorimetry as the criterion for measuring PA intensity in youth with CP.

Methods

Fifty-seven youth with CP (mean age=12.5 years, SD=3.3; 51% female; 49.1% with spastic hemiplegia) participated. Inclusion criteria were: aged 6 to 20 years, ambulatory, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I through III, able to follow directions, and able to complete the full PA protocol. Protocol activities included standardized activity trials with increasing PA intensity (resting, writing, household chores, active video games, and walking at 3 self-selected speeds), as measured by weight-relative oxygen uptake (in mL/kg/min). During each trial, participants wore bilateral accelerometers on the upper arms, waist/hip, and ankle and a portable indirect calorimeter. Intraclass coefficient correlations (ICCs) were calculated to evaluate inter-instrument reliability (left-to-right accelerometer placement). Spearman correlations were used to examine concurrent validity between accelerometer output (activity and step counts) and indirect calorimetry. Friedman analyses of variance with post hoc pair-wise analyses were conducted to examine the validity of accelerometers to discriminate PA intensity across activity trials.

Results

All accelerometers exhibited excellent inter-instrument reliability (ICC=.94–.99) and good concurrent validity (rho=.70–.85). All accelerometers discriminated PA intensity across most activity trials.

Limitations

This PA protocol consisted of controlled activity trials.

Conclusions

Accelerometers provide valid and reliable measures of PA intensity among youth with CP.
Association of Varus Thrust With Pain and Stiffness and Activities of Daily Living in Patients With Medial Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Fukutani Naoto , Iijima Hirotaka , Fukumoto Takahiko , Uritani Daisuke , Kaneda Eishi , Ota Kazuo , Aoyama Tomoki , Tsuboyama Tadao , Matsuda Shuichi
Published: June 2015

Background

Increasing evidence highlights potential associations between varus thrust and health domains associated with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between varus thrust and 2 subcategories—“pain and stiffness” and “activities of daily living (ADL)”—of the Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure (JKOM).

Design

This was a cross-sectional study.

Methods

In total, 296 outpatients with knee OA visiting orthopedic clinics were enrolled. The inclusion criteria were age ≥50 years, medial knee OA and Kellgren-Lawrence (K/L) grade ≥1 in one or both knees, and the ability to walk independently. Standard posterior-anterior knee radiographs were measured for varus alignment. Participants were video recorded while walking and were evaluated for the presence or absence of varus thrust. Pain and stiffness of the knee joint and ADL were evaluated using the JKOM. Multivariate regressions (outcomes: pain and stiffness and ADL; predictor variable: varus thrust) were performed.

Results

Varus thrust was present in 46 (16.2%) of 284 patients. Multivariate regression analyses demonstrated that varus thrust is independently associated with pain and stiffness, adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, K/L grade, and varus alignment (β=.17, P=.005). However, the association between varus thrust and ADL was not significant (β=.11, P=.058). Based on sensitivity analyses, including participants of K/L grade 1 had little influence on this analysis.

Limitations

Only 16.2% of participants had a varus thrust. Moreover, a cause-effect relationship between varus thrust and pain and stiffness remains unknown due to the cross-sectional design of this study.

Conclusions

Varus thrust was associated with pain and stiffness in patients with medial knee OA. However, the association between varus thrust and ADL did not reach significance.
Interval Estimation of Standardized Mean Differences in Paired-Samples Designs
Authors: Bonett Douglas G.
Published: June 2015

Paired-samples designs are used frequently in educational and behavioral research. In applications where the response variable is quantitative, researchers are encouraged to supplement the results of a paired-samples t-test with a confidence interval (CI) for a mean difference or a standardized mean difference. Six CIs for standardized mean differences were examined and two were found to perform well under a wide range of conditions.
Formulation and Evaluation of Ibuprofen Loaded Lipospheres for Effective Oral Drug Delivery
Authors: Momoh MA , Kenechukwu FC , Gwarzo MS , Builders PF
Published: June 2015

Ibuprofen (IBU) is an anti-inflammatory drug characterized by low solubility and bioavailabilty. This study was to develop IBU-liposphere and investigated for in vitro and in vivo performance. IBU free base was incorporated into lipospheres based on micronized beeswax and Phospholipon® 90H in the ratio of (1:3), via hot emulsification. IBU-loaded lipospheres were characterized based on morphology, encapsulation efficiency (EE%), and in vitro drug release. Analgesic, anti-inflammatory activities and the pharmacokinetics were similarly evaluated. Minimum and maximum encapsulation efficiency (EE%) of 89.4 and 97.9% were obtained for lipospheres A1 and A3, respectively. Stable, spherical and smooth lipospheres of size range 101 ± 0.30 to 178 ± 0.30 ?m were obtained. Minimum and maximum release of 75 and 96.9% were obtained for A1 and A3, respectively. Significant (p<0.005) analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities were achieved with prolong plasma concentration. IBU-lipospheres based on beeswax and phospholipid could be explored as an alternative drug delivery system.Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 14(1): 17-27, 2015 (June)
Rendering the Qur'an into Cadenced, Rhyming English Prose: Process and Outcome in a Translation of Sūrat al-Ghāshiya (Q. 88)
Authors: Toorawa Shawkat M.
Published: June 2015

Translators of the Qur'an often explain the general principles underlying their translation but rarely, if ever, go into the nitty-gritty of the process and discuss aspects such as specific word choice, word placement, rhyme/non-rhyme, assonance/consonance, and so on. Either they do not think about these dimensions of their translation explicitly, or soundscape and soundshape is not as important to them as ‘meaning’. As a translator who believes that Qur'anic meaning inheres in word placement and word choice, I aim to demonstrate how this can be transferred to the English translation by recording all my choices as I translated Sūrat al-Ghāshiya (Q. 88). Thus, process (the act of translation) is made explicit, and product (translation proper) can be appreciated as the outcome of the process. Another important aim of this discussion is to encourage others translating the Qur'anic text (from single verses for quotation in their own scholarship to longer pieces or, indeed, the whole Qur'an) to appreciate the importance of word placement and choice, even in the target language (in this case, English).
Sliding-Mode Synchronization Control for Uncertain Fractional-Order Chaotic Systems with Time Delay
Authors: Liu Haorui , Yang Juan
Published: June 2015

Specifically setting a time delay fractional financial system as the study object, this paper proposes a single controller method to eliminate the impact of model uncertainty and external disturbances on the system. The proposed method is based on the stability theory of Lyapunov sliding-mode adaptive control and fractional-order linear systems. The controller can fit the system state within the sliding-mode surface so as to realize synchronization of fractional-order chaotic systems. Analysis results demonstrate that the proposed single integral, sliding-mode control method can control the time delay fractional power system to realize chaotic synchronization, with strong robustness to external disturbance. The controller is simple in structure. The proposed method was also validated by numerical simulation.
Photocatalytic Membrane Reactor for the Removal of C.I. Disperse Red 73
Authors: Buscio Valentina , Brosillon Stephan , Mendret Julie , Crespi Martí , Gutiérrez-Bouzán Carmen
Published: June 2015

After the dyeing process, part of the dyes used to color textile materials are not fixed into the substrate and are discharged into wastewater as residual dyes. In this study, a heterogeneous photocatalytic process combined with microfiltration has been investigated for the removal of C.I. Disperse Red 73 from synthetic textile effluents. The titanium dioxide (TiO2) Aeroxide P25 was selected as photocatalyst. The photocatalytic treatment achieved between 60% and 90% of dye degradation and up to 98% chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal. The influence of different parameters on photocatalytic degradation was studied: pH, initial photocatalyst loading, and dye concentration. The best conditions for dye degradation were pH 4, an initial dye concentration of 50 mg·L−1, and a TiO2 loading of 2 g·L−1. The photocatalytic membrane treatment provided a high quality permeate, which can be reused.
Effect of Plasticizer Type and Concentration on Tensile, Thermal and Barrier Properties of Biodegradable Films Based on Sugar Palm (Arenga pinnata) Starch
Authors: Sanyang Muhammed , Sapuan Salit , Jawaid Mohammad , Ishak Mohamad , Sahari Japar
Published: June 2015

The use of starch based films as a potential alternative choice to petroleum derived plastics is imperative for environmental waste management. This study presents a new biopolymer (sugar palm starch) for the preparation of biodegradable packaging films using a solution casting technique. The effect of different plasticizer types (glycerol (G), sorbitol (S) and glycerol-sorbitol (GS) combination) with varying concentrations (0, 15, 30 and 45, w/w%) on the tensile, thermal and barrier properties of sugar palm starch (SPS) films was evaluated. Regardless of plasticizer types, the tensile strength of plasticized SPS films decreased, whereas their elongation at break (E%) increased as the plasticizer concentrations were raised. However, the E% for G and GS-plasticized films significantly decreased at a higher plasticizer concentration (45% w/w) due to the anti-plasticization effect of plasticizers. Change in plasticizer concentration showed an insignificant effect on the thermal properties of S-plasticized films. The glass transition temperature of SPS films slightly decreased as the plasticizer concentration increased from 15% to 45%. The plasticized films exhibited increased water vapor permeability values from 4.855 × 10−10 to 8.70 × 10−10 g·m−1·s−1·Pa−1, irrespective of plasticizer types. Overall, the current study manifested that plasticized sugar palm starch can be regarded as a promising biopolymer for biodegradable films.
Estimating Pasture Quality of Fresh Vegetation Based on Spectral Slope of Mixed Data of Dry and Fresh Vegetation—Method Development
Authors: Lugassi Rachel , Chudnovsky Alexandra , Zaady Eli , Dvash Levana , Goldshleger Naftaly
Published: June 2015

The main objective of the present study was to apply a slope-based spectral method to both dry and fresh pasture vegetation. Differences in eight spectral ranges were identified across the near infrared-shortwave infrared (NIR-SWIR) that were indicative of changes in chemical properties. Slopes across these ranges were calculated and a partial least squares (PLS) analytical model was constructed for the slopes vs. crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) contents. Different datasets with different numbers of fresh/dry samples were constructed to predict CP and NDF contents. When using a mixed-sample dataset with dry-to-fresh ratios of 85%:15% and 75%:25%, the correlations of CP (R2 = 0.95, in both) and NDF (R2 = 0.84 and 0.82, respectively) were almost as high as when using only dry samples (0.97 and 0.85, respectively). Furthermore, satisfactory correlations were obtained with a dry-to-fresh ratio of 50%:50% for CP (R2 = 0.92). The results of our study are especially encouraging because CP and NDF contents could be predicted even though some of the selected spectral regions were directly affected by atmospheric water vapor or water in the plants.
Spatial Variability Mapping of Crop Residue Using Hyperion (EO-1) Hyperspectral Data
Authors: Bannari Abderrazak , Staenz Karl , Champagne Catherine , Khurshid K.
Published: June 2015

Soil management practices that maintain crop residue cover and reduce tillage improve soil structure, increase organic matter content in the soil, positively influence water infiltration, evaporation and soil temperature, and play an important role in fixing CO2 in the soil. Consequently, good residue management practices on agricultural land have many positive impacts on soil quality, crop production quality and decrease the rate of soil erosion. Several studies have been undertaken to develop and test methods to derive information on crop residue cover and soil tillage using empirical and semi-empirical methods in combination with remote sensing data. However, these methods are generally not sufficiently rigorous and accurate for characterizing the spatial variability of crop residue cover in agricultural fields. The goal of this research is to investigate the potential of hyperspectral Hyperion (Earth Observing-1, EO-1) data and constrained linear spectral mixture analysis (CLSMA) for percent crop residue cover estimation and mapping. Hyperion data were acquired together with ground-reference measurements for validation purposes at the beginning of the agricultural season (prior to spring crop planting) in Saskatchewan (Canada). At this time, only bare soil and crop residue were present with no crop cover development. In order to extract the crop residue fraction, the images were preprocessed, and then unmixed considering the entire spectral range (427 nm–2355 nm) and the pure spectra (endmember). The results showed that the correlation between ground-reference measurements and extracted fractions from the Hyperion data using CLMSA showed that the model was overall a very good predictor for crop residue percent cover (index of agreement (D) of 0.94, coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.73 and root mean square error (RMSE) of 8.7%) and soil percent cover (D of 0.91, R2 of 0.68 and RMSE of 10.3%). This performance of Hyperion is mainly due to the spectral band characteristics, especially the availability of contiguous narrow bands in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) region, which is sensitive to the residue (lignin and cellulose absorption features).
Inertial Sensor-Based Touch and Shake Metaphor for Expressive Control of 3D Virtual Avatars
Authors: Patil Shashidhar , Chintalapalli Harinadha , Kim Dubeom , Chai Youngho
Published: June 2015

In this paper, we present an inertial sensor-based touch and shake metaphor for expressive control of a 3D virtual avatar in a virtual environment. An intuitive six degrees-of-freedom wireless inertial motion sensor is used as a gesture and motion control input device with a sensor fusion algorithm. The algorithm enables user hand motions to be tracked in 3D space via magnetic, angular rate, and gravity sensors. A quaternion-based complementary filter is implemented to reduce noise and drift. An algorithm based on dynamic time-warping is developed for efficient recognition of dynamic hand gestures with real-time automatic hand gesture segmentation. Our approach enables the recognition of gestures and estimates gesture variations for continuous interaction. We demonstrate the gesture expressivity using an interactive flexible gesture mapping interface for authoring and controlling a 3D virtual avatar and its motion by tracking user dynamic hand gestures. This synthesizes stylistic variations in a 3D virtual avatar, producing motions that are not present in the motion database using hand gesture sequences from a single inertial motion sensor.
What Is Sustainable Agriculture? A Systematic Review
Authors: Velten Sarah , Leventon Julia , Jager Nicolas , Newig Jens
Published: June 2015

The idea of a sustainable agriculture has gained prominence since the publication of the Brundtland Report in 1987. Yet, the concept of sustainable agriculture is very vague and ambiguous in its meaning, which renders its use and implementation extremely difficult. In this systematic review paper, we aim to advance understandings of sustainable agriculture from a social science and governance perspective by identifying areas of complementarity and concern between emerging definitions of sustainable agriculture. For this purpose, we conducted a structured literature review in combination with a cluster analysis in order to (1) identify the overall ideas and aspects associated with sustainable agriculture; (2) detect patterns and differences in how these ideas and aspects are adopted or applied; (3) evaluate how the different ideas and aspects of sustainable agriculture are combined in the scientific debate, and assess whether these different conceptions match with those that have been claimed to exist in the debate. There are two valuable outcomes from this research. The first is a framework for understanding the components of sustainable agriculture. The second outcome is in highlighting ways for actors involved with sustainable agriculture to deal with the complexity and multiplicity of this concept in a constructive manner.
La céramique médiévale du Mas de Vignoles XV à Nîmes (Gard) : contribution à la caractérisation des VIIIe-Xe siècles nîmois
Authors: Maufras Odile , Ratsimba Antoine
Published: June 2015

Les fouilles archéologiques préventives menées en 2009 au Mas de Vignoles à Nîmes (Gard) ont livré le lot de vaisselle du haut Moyen Âge le plus abondant exhumé à ce jour dans le nîmois. Les mobiliers proviennent d’un dépotoir stratifié et sont associés à trois datations par le radiocarbone (AMS). Les données chronologiques montrent que l’ensemble s’est formé sur une courte période située entre le quart du VIIIe et l’aube du XIe siècle. La typologie des objets, en revanche, correspond à un faciès que l’on attribuait jusque-là au XIIe siècle. L’étude du matériel publiée ici essaie de préciser la typologie des vaisselles du haut Moyen Âge. L’article rend compte de la méthode utilisée, des catégories de produits rencontrées sur le site et analyse des lots de mobilier en regard des indices de chronologie relative et des éléments de datation absolue. La confrontation avec le matériel des sites régionaux conduit à caractériser le vaisselier nîmois des VIIIe et Xe siècles et tente de mettre en évidence les marqueurs propres aux productions du XIIe siècle.
L’église et le couvent des Capucins d’Embrun (Hautes-Alpes), 1633-1791
Authors: Nicolas Nathalie
Published: June 2015

En mars 2011, la fouille du choeur liturgique de l’église des Capucins d’Embrun (Hautes-Alpes) a permis de mettre en évidence les phases d’aménagement de cet édifice dont la construction fut autorisée en 1633, sur les ruines de la citadelle arasée, dans un quartier périphérique de la ville. L’Ordre capucin essaima d’abord dans les provinces de Paris et de Lyon, puis en Provence au XVIIe siècle. C’est à cette période que l’architecture de l’Ordre est codifiée dans un traité rédigé par un Père capucin, Antoine de Pordenone (1603). Les observations réalisées sur les maçonneries intérieures et extérieures de l’édifice embrunais (nef, chapelle latérale, choeur liturgique et choeur des moines) et la fouille intégrale du premier choeur, ont révélé l’existence d’aménagements liturgiques originaux. Des hagioscopes partiellement murés ont été mis au jour dans le choeur liturgique de ce couvent qui fut transformé en arsenal à la Révolution, puis occupé par l’Armée au XIXe siècle. De même, une inscription gravée, enfouie sous le mur qui séparait les deux choeurs, indique que l’édifice était placé sous la protection de saint Joseph -Guillaume IX d’Hugues étant archevêque. Enfin, une dizaine d’actes notariés éclairent le contexte de construction de l’église, et précisent l’ordonnance générale du couvent dont le périmètre n’était pas concerné par la prescription de fouille.
Exploring the Nexus Between Tourism Demand and Cultural Similarity
Authors: Cheung Yun Hsing (Yh) , Saha Shrabani
Published: June 2015

This article attempts to bring an economic underpinning to tourism research. It uses the gravity model to derive an econometric model to explore the relationship between cultural similarity and tourism demand, with special reference to Australia inbound tourism from 42 source countries.
Since language and religion are thought to be the main exposition and carrier of culture, we developed a continuous, normalized, and time variant index to capture the similarity in language and religious profile between a source country and Australia. The inclusion of these indexes in an empirical
model yields OLS and quantile results that support the belief that there is a close link between culture similarity and tourism demand.
Patient with Inoperable Pheochromocytoma
Authors: Brancíková D. , Mechl Z. , Adam Z. , Jandáková E. , Pavlovský Z. , Válek V. , Andrašina Z.
Published: June 2015

Malignant pheochromocytoma is a tumour with a very low incidence that occurs sporadically or in the presence of multiple endocrine neoplasia. We present the case of a woman with a sporadic occurrence of pheochromocytoma diagnosed in the phase of multiple dissemination in the abdominal cavity and overexpressing adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine. Local transarterial chemoembolization and systemic treatment with lanreotide resulted in a very good response, a decrease in the production of catecholamines for 12 months and a partial decrease for another 8 months, with stabilization of disease determined by imaging. Systemic treatment with tegafur resulted in disease stabilization lasting 50 months, after which the drug was discontinued because of adverse effects. Maintenance therapy with lanreotide continues, and no disease progression has been observed for 4 months. The treatment algorithm for such patients is multidisciplinary and must always take into account the current scope of the disease, intercurrence, and the general condition of the patient.
Histologic Classification of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer over Time: Reducing the Rates of Not-Otherwise-Specified
Authors: Ho C. , Tong K.M. , Ramsden K. , Ionescu D.N. , Laskin J.
Published: June 2015

Background: The importance of histologic classification in selecting the appropriate systemic therapy for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) came to attention in 2007. In British Columbia, that information was communicated through international and national meetings, our centralized cancer care program, and to the medical community at large in multidisciplinary forums. We examined the effects of those education programs on the categorization of NSCLC and associated systemic treatment practices. Methods: The BC Cancer Agency provides cancer care to 4.6 million residents of British Columbia. A retrospective review of all stage IIIB and IV NSCLC patients referred in 2007 and 2011 collected baseline characteristics, treatment, and outcomes. Histology was classified using the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, 3rd edition, for the Canadian Cancer Registry. Results: In 2007, 671 patients were referred, and 170 received chemotherapy; in 2011, the relevant figures were 680 and 197 respectively. Baseline characteristics in the cohorts were not statistically significantly different in 2007 and 2011. Histologic classifications in 2007 were 41% nonsquamous, 13% squamous, and 46% not otherwise specified (NOS); in 2011, they were 63%, 17%, and 20% respectively. Exposure to pemetrexed in any line of therapy in 2007 was 22% for nonsquamous, 17% for squamous, and 10% for NOS; in 2011, exposure was 39%, 3%, and 37% respectively. Exposure to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR TKI) in 2007 was 36%, 22%, and 33%; in 2011, it was 64%, 60%, and 63%. Median overall survival duration, 2007 versus 2011, was 3.25 months versus 3.57 months with best supportive care, and 11.31 months versus 11.54 months with chemotherapy. Conclusions: The specificity of NSCLC histologic categorization improved in 2011 compared with 2007, with a reduction of 26 percentage points in the rate of NOS disease. The proportion of patients treated with chemotherapy over time remained the same, but the use of pemetrexed and egfr tki increased. The increased accuracy in histologic classification resulted in more appropriate utilization of systemic drugs.
Through a Glass Darkly: The Mammography Debate
Authors: Kaniklidis C.
Published: June 2015

About the ongoing breast cancer screening mammography debate (less a controversy, because many points of consensus and convergence are present if not always apparent), we can make these points as prelude: that it is complex; that it is naïvely implausible to expect any decisive final resolution to the residual issues that will be convincing to the principle contending parties; and that behind it all, the devil is in the methodology [...]
Beyond the Mammography Debate: A Moderate Perspective
Authors: Kaniklidis C
Published: June 2015

After some decades of contention, one can almost despair and conclude that (paraphrasing) “the mammography debate you will have with you always.” Against that sentiment, in this review I argue, after reflecting on some of the major themes of this long-standing debate, that we must begin to move beyond the narrow borders of claim and counterclaim to seek consensus on what the balance of methodologically sound and critically appraised evidence demonstrates, and also to find overlooked underlying convergences; after acknowledging the reality of some residual and non-trivial harms from mammography, to promote effective strategies for harm mitigation; and to encourage deployment of new screening modalities that will render many of the issues and concerns in the debate obsolete. To these ends, I provide a sketch of what this looking forward and beyond the current debate might look like, leveraging advantages from abbreviated breast magnetic resonance imaging technologies (such as the ultrafast and twist protocols) and from digital breast tomosynthesis—also known as three-dimensional mammography. I also locate the debate within the broader context of mammography in the real world as it plays out not for the disputants, but for the stakeholders themselves: the screening-eligible patients and the physicians in the front lines who are charged with enabling both the acts of screening and the facts of screening at their maximally objective and patientaccessible levels to facilitate informed decisions.
The Kirkendall effect and nanoscience: hollow nanospheres and nanotubes
Authors: El Mel Abdel-Aziz , Nakamura Ryusuke , Bittencourt Carla
Published: June 2015

Hollow nanostructures are ranked among the top materials for applications in various modern technological areas including energy storage devices, catalyst, optics and sensors. The last years have witnessed increasing interest in the Kirkendall effect as a versatile route to fabricate hollow nanostructures with different shapes, compositions and functionalities. Although the conversion chemistry of nanostructures from solid to hollow has reached a very advanced maturity, there is still much to be discovered and learned on this effect. Here, the recent progress on the use of the Kirkendall effect to synthesize hollow nanospheres and nanotubes is reviewed with a special emphasis on the fundamental mechanisms occurring during such a conversion process. The discussion includes the oxidation of metal nanostructures (i.e., nanospheres and nanowires), which is an important process involving the Kirkendall effect. For nanospheres, the symmetrical and the asymmetrical mechanisms are both reviewed and compared on the basis of recent reports in the literature. For nanotubes, in addition to a summary of the conversion processes, the unusual effects observed in some particular cases (e.g., formation of segmented or bamboo-like nanotubes) are summarized and discussed. Finally, we conclude with a summary, where the prospective future direction of this research field is discussed.
Bone Conduction Thresholds without Bone Vibrator Application Force
Authors: Geal-Dor Miriam , Chordekar Shai , Adelman Cahtia , Sohmer Haim
Published: June 2015

Background:Osseous bone conduction (BC) stimulation involves applying the clinical bone vibrator with an application force of about 5 Newton (N) to the skin over the cranial vault of skull bone (e.g., mastoid, forehead). In nonosseous BC (also called soft tissue conduction),
the bone vibrator elicits hearing when it is applied to skin sites not over the cranial vault of skull bone, such as the neck.Purpose:To gain insight into the mechanisms of osseous and nonosseous BC.Research Design:In general, thresholds were determined with the bone vibrator
applied with about 5 N force directly to osseous sites (mastoid, forehead) on the head of the participants, as classically conducted in the clinic, and again without direct physical contact (i.e., 0 N force) achieved by coupling the bone vibrator to gel as in ultrasound diagnostic imaging,
on the same or nearby skin sites (nonosseous BC). The participants were equipped with earplugs to minimize air-conducted stimulation.Study Sample:In the first experiment, 10 normal-hearing participants were tested with stimulation (5 and 0 N) at the forehead; in the second experiment,
10 additional normal-hearing participants were tested with stimulation at the mastoid (about 5 N) and at the nearby tragus and cavum concha of the external ear (0 N).Results:The mean thresholds with 0 N were much better than might be expected from classical theories in response to stimulation
by a bone vibrator, in the absence of any application force. The differences between the mean thresholds with the 0 N and the 5 N forces depended on condition, site, and stimulus frequency of the comparisons. The difference was 1.5 dB at 1.0 kHz on the forehead; ranged between 10 and 12.5
dB at 1.0 kHz on the cavum and tragus (versus on the mastoid) and at 2.0 and 4.0 kHz on the forehead; 17 and 19 dB at 2.0 kHz on the cavum and tragus (versus on the mastoid); reaching 32 dB only in a single condition (forehead at 0.5 kHz).Conclusions:As it is unlikely that threshold
intensity stimulation delivered with 0 N application force could have induced vibrations of the underlying or nearby bone, inducing osseous BC, the relatively low thresholds in the absence of any application force, together with the small differences between the thresholds with 0 N (gel/soft
tissue, nonosseous) and 5 N force (osseous BC) lead to the suggestion that in most situations, the BC thresholds actually represent the nonosseous (soft tissue conduction) thresholds at the stimulation site.
FUZZY MULTIATTRIBUTE CONSUMER CHOICE AMONG HEALTH INSURANCE OPTIONS
Authors: KAHRAMAN Cengiz , SUDER Asli , TURANOGLU BEKAR Ebru
Published: June 2015

People buy insurance to protect themselves against possible financial loss in the future. Health insurance provides protection against the possibility of financial loss due to health care use. A selection among health insurance options is a multiattribute decision making problem including many conflicting criteria. This problem can be better solved using the fuzzy set theory since human decision making is generally based on vague and linguistic data. We propose an integrated methodology composed of fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS to select the best health insurance option. The considered option types, Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), and Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) are evaluated using eight different criteria under fuzziness. A sensitivity analysis is also realized.
Un dépassement capitaliste du salariat ?
Authors: Didry Claude , Le Bot Florent
Published: June 2015

Notre texte part de l’idée que le capitalisme ne fait pas corps avec un salariat qu’il trouverait comme une donnée dans son développement. Il consiste plutôt en une règle de calcul permettant d’escompter un profit par une transaction commerciale. Dans cette perspective, le salariat ne se dégage que progressivement par la projection du travail sur le droit aboutissant à cette base institutionnelle que constitue le droit du travail. Ce cadre étant posé, nous déterminons trois temps dans un capitalisme cherchant à se déprendre de ses responsabilités à l’égard de ses producteurs. L’acte 1 consacre le registre du commerce comme pseudo-fondement de la liberté économique à travers le marchandage dérivé du louage d’ouvrage défini par le Code civil, avant qu’un Code du travail n’établisse la relation employeur-employé. L’acte 2 installe le salariat au cœur de la crise des années 1930, tout en ouvrant sur des tentatives d’échappées en forme d’utopies rationalisatrices. L’acte 3 voit le salariat se diluer dans le chômage de masse, tandis que l’injonction « tous entrepreneurs de sa vie », figure modernisée du loueur d’ouvrage, cherche à occulter la permanence du travail salarié dans la vie quotidienne. Avec cette proposition de sociohistoire, il s’agit d’interroger la notion de salariat grâce aux outils croisés de l’historien et du sociologue, les sources du droit du travail et de la pratique, en vue de considérer cette notion à travers l’étendue sociologique des champs d’expérience et l’épaisseur historique des horizons d’attente.
Sortir de la crise par la technique et par la science ? Les réponses de l’abondancisme de Jacques Duboin
Authors: Dard Olivier
Published: June 2015

Le bouillonnement né de la crise des années trente a accouché d’une doctrine connue sous le nom d’abondancisme portée par son infatigable fondateur, Jacques Duboin. Elle postulait que la crise des années trente était un faux problème tandis qu’une « ère nouvelle », synonyme de « changement total » s’offrait à l’humanité. Une sortie du système capitaliste par l’abondance pour tous, une abondance rendue possible par la machine. Libératrice, elle permettrait d’éviter à l’homme de consacrer son temps au travail, notamment, aux tâches pénibles. Ayant réglé, grâce à ses possibilités d’extension réputées sans limites, le problème de la production, l’humanité n’aurait donc qu’à se consacrer à la question de la distribution. Centrée sur l’étude de l’itinéraire et des idées de Jacques Duboin, cette étude porte sur la genèse, le contenu, les réceptions, la diffusion et la postérité de son projet abondanciste et distributiste.
Le modèle paysan à l’échelle nationale ou la pesanteur des conditions socioéconomiques sur la construction d’une nation
Authors: Zadora Anna
Published: June 2015

Le présent article analyse la problématique de la construction identitaire sur l’exemple biélorusse. Les conditions socioéconomiques de la mise en place des liens identitaires jouent un rôle majeur dans la construction. L’évolution historique des Biélorusses est liée à des situations de subordination politique et d’affaiblissement économique, ce qui n’a pas créé de conditions propices pour la consolidation de l’identité nationale. Les Biélorusses peuvent être qualifiés de « nation paysanne », car les paysans prédominent dans la structure démographique jusqu’aux années 1970. Les traditions et modes de vie paysans dominent encore aujourd’hui dans la société, et ce fait peut expliquer la faiblesse de l’identité biélorusse.
Les rapports de domination au sein du mouvement des femmes à Bruxelles : critiques et résistances des féministes minoritaires
Authors: Ouali Nouria
Published: June 2015

L’article examine les rapports de domination au sein du féminisme majoritaire francophone bruxellois que dénoncent des féministes minoritaires. Une première partie décrit le processus de construction politique du groupe des femmes minoritaires établi sur la base de la confession (réelle ou supposée) et de la couleur de la peau. La deuxième partie présente le paysage complexe du féminisme francophone et son approche des femmes minoritaires et de leurs préoccupations, tandis que la troisième met en relief les résistances des féministes minoritaires à la domination et leur influence sur la reconfiguration des organisations féministes. La dernière partie s’appuie sur des témoignages de féministes minoritaires pour illustrer les tensions et les controverses. En conclusion, l’article propose des pistes pour tenter de dépasser les antagonismes qui divisent et paralysent le mouvement féministe bruxellois.
Ce que fait la biosécurité à la surveillance des animaux
Authors: Fortané Nicolas , Keck Frédéric
Published: June 2015

De nombreux travaux ont déjà porté sur la façon dont le nouvel impératif de biosécurité a transformé les politiques de santé publique. Si les nouvelles formes de préparation aux crises sanitaires ont bien été étudiées dans le domaine de la santé publique, en revanche, dans le domaine de la gestion des maladies animales, peu de travaux ont pour l’instant cherché à mettre à l’épreuve le concept de biosécurité. Face à ce constat, ce numéro propose une triple inflexion. La première concerne l’instrument central des politiques biosécuritaires : la surveillance des maladies animales. La seconde est méthodologique ; il s’agit d’étudier « par le bas » les pratiques de surveillance. La troisième concerne les formes de connaissances sur les maladies animales et la production et/ou le maintien d’ignorances.
How biosecurity reframes animal surveillance
Authors: Fortané Nicolas , Keck Frédéric
Published: June 2015

Several works have already looked at how the new biosecurity imperative has transformed public health policies. Although the new methods of preparing for health crises have been studied in relation to public health, in the field of animal disease management there has so far been little research to test the concept of biosecurity. To this end, this issue offers a three-dimensional approach. The first is a thematic orientation which concerns the central instrument of biosecurity policies in this era of zoonotic threat: the surveillance of animal disease. The second orientation is methodological; one needs to study surveillance practices “from the bottom up”. The third concerns the new forms of knowledge in relation to animal disease and the production and/or maintenance of ignorance.
Sauvage et domestique, homme et animal
Authors: Figuié Muriel , Binot Aurélie , Caron Alexandre
Published: June 2015

La surveillance des animaux d’élevage relève d’enjeux multiples qui dépassent le simple contrôle de leurs performances de production et évoluent en fonction du contexte historique, social, politique et économique. Dans le cas de la Rhodésie du Sud (futur Zimbabwe), des dispositifs complexes de surveillance des animaux ont contribué à l’organisation et la sécurité territoriale de l’État colonial, et à son développement économique. Avec l’indépendance du pays, ils ont servi de base à l’organisation du contrôle de la fièvre aphteuse selon les normes internationales et permis de développer l’élevage pour l’exportation. Ces dispositifs reposent principalement sur une catégorisation et « séquestration géographique » du vivant : colon/indigène ; homme/animal ; domestique/sauvage ; sain/malsain. L’organisation de la surveillance va être bouleversée par les réformes foncières des années 2000 et son rétablissement remis en cause par la montée en puissance des concepts de biodiversité et « One Health », et la volonté d’intégrer les populations pauvres au développement économique. De nouveaux dispositifs de surveillance émergent (sous la forme de parcs transfrontaliers et de normes sanitaires de type « commodity based trade ») qui visent à associer davantage le contrôle des flux à celui des frontières et témoignent de continuités et discontinuités avec les catégories héritées de la période coloniale.
Maintenir la vigilance
Authors: Doré Antoine , Barbier Marc
Published: June 2015

Cet article s’intéresse aux conditions de maintien et de pérennisation des dispositifs et des organisations chargées de la gestion préventive de phénomènes intermittents de faible fréquence soumis à l’épreuve de l’attente. Il propose une lecture sociologique centrée sur les modalités d’instauration et de fonctionnement d’un dispositif de gestion des invasions de criquets pèlerins en Mauritanie. À partir d’une analyse empirique à trois niveaux (étude des conditions historiques de la structuration du dispositif de lutte préventive contre les invasions acridiennes, étude des discours gestionnaires contrastés qui accompagnent la fabrique d’une attente vigilante et étude ethnographique au sein d’un centre de lutte contre les invasions de criquets pèlerins), les auteurs proposent une analyse interprétative qui débouche sur la proposition et la caractérisation de la notion d’objet-frontière-transitionnel. Ce travail propose une contribution originale à l’analyse des modalités de surveillance dans la structuration des régimes biosécuritaires impliquant des formes de vie instables.
Transformer pour contrôler
Authors: Dupé Sandrine
Published: June 2015

La lutte contre les moustiques vecteurs de maladies a longtemps été basée sur l’usage des insecticides. Mais les résistances qu’ils provoquent chez les moustiques et leurs effets sur l’environnement remettent en question leur utilisation systématique. La prise en considération de ces limites marque un tournant dans les politiques de santé publique. Elle inscrit la lutte contre les moustiques dans un régime biosécuritaire. L’étude comparée de deux techniques de lutte déployées à La Réunion pour limiter l’usage des insecticides permet de penser les effets de l’abandon des insecticides. Deux choses seront observées : la déstabilisation des représentations et pratiques induite par la mise au ban des insecticides, et les ressorts politiques, axiologiques et technoscientifiques sur lesquels s’appuient les acteurs de la santé publique (opérateurs et experts) pour impulser cette transformation biosécuritaire.
La surveillance comme dispositif-frontière
Authors: Fortané Nicolas
Published: June 2015

Cet article étudie le fonctionnement d’un dispositif de surveillance des bactéries résistantes d’origine animale, le Résapath. Nous montrons, à partir d’une analyse à la fois historique et pragmatique de ce dispositif, comment trois catégories d’acteurs ont progressivement été amenées à coopérer dans le but de produire des connaissances sur les risques d’antibiorésistance liés à l’utilisation des antibiotiques en médecine vétérinaire. Mais les investissements des microbiologistes, des épidémiologistes et des vétérinaires praticiens au sein du dispositif ne reposent pas sur les mêmes pratiques et ne relèvent pas des mêmes finalités. Le Résapath tend donc à fabriquer trois référents ontologiques distincts de bactéries résistantes, dont l’incommensurabilité engendre des formes d’ignorances et rend incertaine la gouvernabilité des objets de (mé)connaissance ainsi produits.
La biodiversité autrement…
Authors: Mougenot Catherine , Petit Sandrine
Published: June 2015

La biodiversité n’est pas seulement un concept, c’est aussi une histoire, une rencontre, un lieu, un bien dont on a la charge, une réalité familière et sensible, « attachée » dans une multiplicité de liens. Cette réalité habite les récits d’une soixantaine de chercheurs qui ont accepté de se lancer dans une expérience singulière pour eux à savoir : raconter leur histoire et celle de leurs travaux. Dans ces récits, la fabrique des faits scientifiques est enchâssée dans des pratiques, des anecdotes, dans des relations personnelles ou institutionnelles, dans des choix qui s’entremêlent. Et elle pose la question de savoir comment en embrasser la totalité ou, plus modestement, comment en rendre compte. Dans cet article, notre parti consiste à adopter les lunettes d’une sociologie modeste, c’est-à-dire : suivre la réalité toujours en train de se faire (1), expérimenter des histoires qui en rendent compte en raisonnant sur ce dont elles sont capables (2) et nous sentir concerné(e)s et responsables de ces descriptions du monde (3). Ce sont là trois propositions qui travaillent ensemble et s’inscrivent dans la volonté de produire des savoirs « situés ».
Living Labs and Urban Smartness
Authors: Concilio Grazia , Molinari Francesco
Published: June 2015

Urban Living Labs are socio-digital innovation environments in realistic city life conditions based on multi-stakeholder partnerships that effectively involve citizens in the co-creation and co-production of new or reformed public services and infrastructures. This chapter explores the growing phenomenon of Urban Living Labs and analyses the nature of related innovations in the perspective of ‘City Smartness' – a mantra for local governments worldwide which are having to address increasingly complex problems with fast diminishing financial resources. It goes on to briefly overview the urban governance models emerging in such environments and finally focuses on the challenges posed by these models as result of integration between the ‘technology push' Smart City vision and the ‘human pull' Urban Living Lab concept and approach.
ICT-Based Solutions Supporting Energy Systems for Smart Cities
Authors: Loibl Wolfgang , Bach Brigitte , Zucker Gerhard , Agugiaro Giorgio , Palensky Peter , Schmidt Ralf-Roman , Basciotti Daniele , Brunner Helfried
Published: June 2015

This chapter describes ICT solutions for planning, maintaining and assessing urban energy systems. There is no single urban energy system, but – like the city itself – a system of sub-systems with different scales, spatially ranging from buildings to blocks, districts and to the city, temporally ranging from real time data to hourly, daily, monthly and finally annual totals. ICT support must consider these different sub-systems which makes necessary dividing the chapter into different sections. The chapter starts with framework conditions and general requirements for ICT solutions, and continues discussing urban development simulating models. Then decision support tools are described for energy supply and demand as well as for energy efficiency improvement assessment. Later further instruments for Smart Grid-, district heating- and cooling-planning, as well as demand side management are addressed. In the final section tools are discussed for building automation systems as smallest physical entity within the urban energy system.
An Innovative Approach to Vehicle Electrification for Smart Cities
Authors: Dutta Promiti , Boulanger Albert , Anderson Roger , Wu Leon
Published: June 2015

Vehicles, both personal and commercial, have become ubiquitous forms of transportation in the developed world. The auto industry is amidst a technological transformation in identifying alternative sources of energy to power vehicles due to two driving forces: environmental pollution prevention and depletion of fuel resources. This driver for developing “smarter” solutions to create a “smarter planet” is crucial to advancing the science behind electric vehicles (EVs). EVs have been in existence since the mid-19th century, and electric locomotion has been the commonplace in many other vehicle types such as trains. The focus of this chapter is to discuss the feasibility of EVs in smart cities. In particular, the chapter explores the types of EVs, advantages and challenges faced by EVs to penetrate the market, and to outline state-of-the-art research and technologies that are driving the creation of newer and better EVs for adoption in the smart cities of tomorrow.