bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modified Distance Regularized Level Set Segmentation Based Analysis for Kidney Stone Detection
Authors: Viswanath K. , Gunasundari R.
Published: July 2015

The abnormalities of the kidney can be identified by ultrasound imaging. The kidney may have structural abnormalities like kidney swelling, change in its position and appearance. Kidney abnormality may also arise due to the formation of stones, cysts, cancerous cells, congenital anomalies, blockage of urine etc. For surgical operations it is very important to identify the exact and accurate location of stone in the kidney. The ultrasound images are of low contrast and contain speckle noise. This makes the detection of kidney abnormalities rather challenging task. Thus preprocessing of ultrasound images is carried out to remove speckle noise. In preprocessing, first image restoration is done to reduce speckle noise then it is applied to Gabor filter for smoothening. Next the resultant image is enhanced using histogram equalization. The preprocessed ultrasound image is segmented using distance regularized level set segmentation (DR-LSS), since it yields better results. It uses a two-step splitting methods to iteratively solve the DR-LSS equation, first step is iterating LSS equation, and then solving the Sign distance equation. The second step is to regularize the level set function which is the obtained from first step for better stability. The DR is included for LSS for eliminating of anti-leakages on image boundary. The DR-LSS does not require any expensive re-initialization and it is very high speed of operation. The RD-LSS results are compared with distance regularized level set evolution DRLSE1, DRLSE2 and DRLSE3. Extracted region of the kidney after segmentation is applied to Symlets (Sym12), Biorthogonal (bio3.7, bio3.9 & bio4.4) and Daubechies (Db12) lifting scheme wavelet subbands to extract energy levels. These energy level gives an indication about presence of stone in that particular location which significantly vary from that of normal energy level. These energy levels are trained by Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) and Back Propagation (BP) ANN to identify the type of stone with an accuracy of 98.6%.
Analytics on Fireworks Algorithm Solving Problems with Shifts in the Decision Space and Objective Space
Authors: Cheng Shi , Qin Quande , Chen Junfeng , Shi Yuhui , Zhang Qingyu
Published: July 2015

Fireworks algorithms for solving problems with the optima shift in decision space and/or objective space are analyzed in this paper. The standard benchmark problems have several weaknesses in the research of swarm intelligence algorithms for solving single objective problems. The optimum is in the center of search range, and is the same at each dimension of the search space. The optimum shift in decision space and/or objective space could increase the difficulty of problem solving. A mapping strategy, modular arithmetic mapping, is utilized in the original fireworks algorithm to handle solutions out of search range. The solutions are implicitly guided to the center of search range for problems with symmetrical search range via this strategy. The optimization performance of fireworks algorithm on shift functions may be affected by this strategy. Four kinds of mapping strategies, which include mapping by modular arithmetic, mapping to the boundary, mapping to stochastic region, and mapping to limited stochastic region, are compared on problems with different dimensions and different optimum shift range. From experimental results, the fireworks algorithms with mapping to the boundary, or mapping to limited stochastic region obtain good performance on problems with the optimum shift. This is probably because the search tendency is kept in these two strategies. The definition of population diversity measurement is also proposed in this paper, from observation on population diversity changes, the useful information of fireworks algorithm solving different kinds of problems could be obtained.
Cutting Edge: Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 Negatively Regulates Th1 Function
Authors: Shehade Hussein , Acolty Valérie , Moser Muriel , Oldenhove Guillaume
Published: July 2015

Tissue hypoxia can occur in physiological and pathological conditions. When O2 availability decreases, the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α is stabilized and regulates cellular adaptation to hypoxia. The objective of this study was to test whether HIF-1α regulates T cell fate and to define the molecular mechanisms of this control. Our data demonstrate that Th1 cells lose their capacity to produce IFN-γ when cultured under hypoxia. HIF-1α−/− Th1 cells were insensitive to hypoxia, underlining a critical role for HIF-1α. Our results point to a role for IL-10, as suggested by the increased IL-10 expression at low O2 levels and the unchanged IFN-γ production by IL-10–deficient Th1 cells stimulated in hypoxic conditions. Accordingly, STAT3 phosphorylation is increased in Th1 cells under hypoxia, leading to enhanced HIF-1α transcription, which, in turn, may inhibit suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 transcription. This positive-feedback loop reinforces STAT3 activation and downregulates Th1 responses that may cause collateral damage to the host.
Valproic Acid Ameliorates Graft-versus-Host Disease by Downregulating Th1 and Th17 Cells
Authors: Long Jun , Chang Li , Shen Yan , Gao Wen-Hui , Wu Yue-Nv , Dou Han-Bo , Huang Meng-Meng , Wang Ying , Fang Wei-Yue , Shan Jie-Hui , Wang Yue-Ying , Zhu Jiang , Chen Zhu , Hu Jiong
Published: July 2015

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is the major complication after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Valproic acid (VPA) was described as a histone deacetylase inhibitor that had anti-inflammatory effects and reduced the production of proinflammatory cytokines in experimental autoimmune disease models. Using well-characterized mouse models of MHC-mismatched transplantation, we studied the effects of VPA on GVHD severity and graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) activity. Administration of VPA significantly attenuated the clinical severity of GVHD, the histopathology of GVHD-involved organs, and the overall mortality from GVHD. VPA downregulated Th1 and Th17 cell responses and cytokine production in vitro and in vivo, whereas its effect on GVHD was regulatory T cell independent. The effect of VPA was related to its ability to directly reduce the activity of Akt, an important regulator of T cell immune responses. Importantly, when mice received lethal doses of host-type acute leukemia cells, administration of VPA did not impair GVL activity and resulted in significantly improved leukemia-free survival. These findings reveal a unique role for VPA as a histone deacetylase inhibitor in reducing the donor CD4+ T cells that contribute to GVHD, which may provide a strategy to reduce GVHD while preserving the GVL effect.
Iron Age fauna from the Sibudu Cave, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Authors: Le Roux Andreas
Published: July 2015

No abstract available
Exploring �nostalgia� and �imagination� for ubuntu-research: A postfoundational perspective
Authors: M�ller Julian
Published: July 2015

This article is an effort to put some of the paradoxical and confusing concepts of ubuntu on the table. Both the terms �nostalgia� and �imagination� provide us with language that can help us to talk about this complex of ideas and perspectives. On the one hand, the clouds of nostalgia surrounding ubuntu will be acknowledged and used. On the other hand, the difficulties and challenges brought about by nostalgic language have to be explored with imagination. Options for the conducting of empirical research in order to create a thicker understanding, including nostalgic language, will then be discussed. I will firstly reflect on the role of nostalgia as the atmosphere within which concepts of ubuntu find breathing space. Then the two types of nostalgia, namely restorative and reflective nostalgia will be discussed. The choice for reflective nostalgia will be argued and explained and this will hopefully provide an imaginative basis for the development of the research project on such an evasive concept as ubuntu. In conclusion some methodological guidelines, based on the postfoundational approach, will be drawn.
Constrained Approximation with Jacobi Weights
Authors: Kopotun Kirill , Leviatan Dany , Shevchuk Igor
Published: July 2015

In this paper, we prove that for ℓ = 1 or 2 the rate of best ℓ- monotone polynomial approximation in the Lp norm (1 ≤ p ≤) weighted by the Jacobi weight with , is bounded by an appropriate (ℓ + 1)-st modulus of smoothness with the same weight, and that this rate cannot be bounded by the (ℓ + 2)-nd modulus. Related results on constrained weighted spline approximation and applications of our estimates are also given.
Conformal symmetries of the super Dirac operator
Authors: Coulembier Kevin , De Bie Hendrik
Published: July 2015

In this paper, the Dirac operator, acting on super functions with values in super spinor space, is defined along the lines of the construction of generalized Cauchy–Riemann operators by Stein and Weiss. The introduction of the superalgebra of symmetries

\mathfrak{osp}(m|2n)

is a new and essential feature in this approach. This algebra of symmetries is extended to the algebra of conformal symmetries

\mathfrak{osp}(m+1,1|2n)

. The kernel of the Dirac operator is studied as a representation of both algebras. The construction also gives an explicit realization of the Howe dual pair

\mathfrak{osp}(1|2)\times\mathfrak{osp}(m|2n)\subset \mathfrak{osp}(m+4n|2m+2n)

. Finally, the super Dirac operator gives insight into the open problem of classifying invariant first order differential operators in super parabolic geometries.
Lattice points in rotated convex domains
Authors: Guo Jingwei
Published: July 2015

If

\mathcal{B}\subset \mathbb{R}^d

(

d\geqslant 2

) is a compact convex domain with a smooth boundary of finite type, we prove that for almost every rotation

\theta\in SO(d)

the remainder of the lattice point problem,

P_{\theta \mathcal{B}}(t)

, is of order

O_{\theta}(t^{d-2+2/(d+1)-\zeta_d})

with a positive number

\zeta_d

. Furthermore we extend the estimate of the above type, in the planar case, to general compact convex domains.
A note on theta divisors of stable bundles
Authors: Brivio Sonia
Published: July 2015

Let

C

be a smooth complex irreducible projective curve of genus

g \geq 3

. We show that if

C

is a Petri curve with

g \geq 4

, a general stable vector bundle

E

on

C

, with integer slope, admits an irreducible and reduced theta divisor

\Theta_E

, whose singular locus has dimension

g-4

. If

C

is non-hyperelliptic of genus

3

, then actually

\Theta_E

is smooth and irreducible for a general stable vector bundle

E

with integer slope on

C

.
Continuous measurements at the urban roadside in an Asian Megacity by Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM): particulate matter characteristics during fall and winter seasons in Hong Kong
Authors: Sun C. , Lee B. P. , Huang D. , Li Y. J. , Schurman M. I. , Louie P. K. K. , Luk C. , Chan C. K.
Published: July 2015

Abstract. Non-refractory submicron aerosol is characterized using an Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) in the fall and winter seasons of 2013 at the roadside in an Asian megacity environment in Hong Kong. Organic aerosol (OA), characterized by application of Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF), and sulfate are found dominant. Traffic-related organic aerosol shows good correlation with other vehicle-related species, and cooking aerosol displays clear meal-time concentration maxima and association with surface winds from restaurant areas. Contributions of individual species and OA factors to high NR-PM1 are analyzed for hourly data and daily data; while cooking emissions in OA contribute to high hourly concentrations, particularly during meal times, secondary organic aerosol components are responsible for episodic events and high day-to-day PM concentrations. Clean periods are either associated with precipitation, which reduces secondary OA with a~lesser impact on primary organics, or clean oceanic air masses with reduced long-range transport and better dilution of local pollution. Haze events are connected with increases in contribution of secondary organic aerosol, from 30 to 50 % among total non-refractory organics, and influence of continental air masses.
Evaluation of MAX-DOAS aerosol retrievals by coincident observations using CRDS, lidar, and sky radiometer inTsukuba, Japan
Authors: Irie H. , Nakayama T. , Shimizu A. , Yamazaki A. , Nagai T. , Uchiyama A. , Zaizen Y. , Kagamitani S. , Matsumi Y.
Published: July 2015

Abstract. Coincident aerosol observations of multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS), cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS), lidar, and sky radiometer were conducted in Tsukuba, Japan, on 5–18 October 2010. MAX-DOAS aerosol retrieval (for aerosol extinction coefficient and aerosol optical depth at 476 nm) was evaluated from the viewpoint of the need for a correction factor for oxygen collision complexes (O4 or O2–O2) absorption. The present study strongly supports this need, as systematic residuals at relatively high elevation angles (20 and 30°) were evident in MAX-DOAS profile retrievals conducted without the correction. However, adopting a single number for the correction factor (fO4 = 1.25) for all of the elevation angles led to systematic overestimation of near-surface aerosol extinction coefficients, as reported in the literature. To achieve agreement with all three observations, we limited the set of elevation angles to ≤10° and adopted an elevation-angle-dependent correction factor for practical profile retrievals with scattered light observations by a ground-based MAX-DOAS. With these modifications, we expect to minimize the possible effects of temperature-dependent O4 absorption cross section and uncertainty in DOAS fit on an aerosol profile retrieval, although more efforts are encouraged to quantitatively identify a physical explanation for the need of a correction factor.
An automatic collector to monitor insoluble atmospheric deposition: application for mineral dust deposition
Authors: Laurent B. , Losno R. , Chevaillier S. , Vincent J. , Roullet P. , Bon Nguyen E. , Ouboulmane N. , Triquet S. , Fornier M. , Raimbault P. , Bergametti G.
Published: July 2015

Abstract. Deposition is one of the key terms of the mineral dust cycle. However, dust deposition remains poorly constrained in transport models simulating the atmospheric dust cycle. This is mainly due to the limited number of relevant deposition measurements. This paper aims to present an automatic collector (CARAGA), specially developed to sample the total (dry and wet) atmospheric deposition of insoluble dust in remote areas. The autonomy of the CARAGA can range from 25 days to almost 1 year depending on the programmed sampling frequency (from 1 day to 2 weeks respectively). This collector is used to sample atmospheric deposition of Saharan dust on the Frioul islands in the Gulf of Lions in the Western Mediterranean. To quantify the mineral dust mass in deposition samples, a weighing and ignition protocol is applied. Almost 2 years of continuous deposition measurements performed on a weekly sampling basis on Frioul Island are presented and discussed with air mass trajectories and satellite observations of dust. Insoluble mineral deposition measured on Frioul Island was 2.45 g m−2 for February to December 2011 and 3.16 g m−2 for January to October 2012. Nine major mineral deposition events, measured during periods with significant MODIS aerosol optical depths, were associated with air masses coming from the southern Mediterranean Basin and North Africa.
Holocene climate variability in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea (Gulf of Lions)
Authors: Jalali B. , Sicre M.-A. , Bassetti M.-A. , Kallel N.
Published: July 2015

Abstract. Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and land-derived input time series were generated from the Gulf of Lions inner-shelf sediments (NW Mediterranean Sea) using alkenones and high-molecular-weight odd-carbon numbered n-alkanes (TERR-alkanes), respectively. The SST record depicts three main phases: a warm Early Holocene (∼ 18 ± 0.4 °C) followed by a cooling of ∼ 3 °C (from 7000 to 1000 BP) and rapid warming from ∼ 1850 AD onwards. Several superimposed multi-decadal cooling events of ∼ 1 °C amplitude were also identified. TERR-alkanes were also quantified to identify periods of high river discharge in relation with flood events of the Rhone River and precipitations. Their concentrations show a broad increase from the early Holocene towards present with a pronounced minimum around 2500 BP and large fluctuations during the second part of the Holocene. Comparison with Holocene flood activity reconstructions across the Alps region suggests that sediments of the inner shelf originate mainly from the Upper Rhone River catchment basin and that they are primarily delivered during positive NAO.
The nexus of oil, conflict, and climate change vulnerability of pastoral communities in Northwest Kenya
Authors: Schilling J. , Locham R. , Weinzierl T. , Vivekananda J. , Scheffran J.
Published: July 2015

Abstract. Turkana, in northwest Kenya, is the country's poorest and least developed county. Pastoralism in Turkana is well adapted to the harsh climatic conditions but an increase in drought frequency associated with global climate change and intensifying violent conflicts between pastoral groups, poses significant challenges for local communities. The conflicts are especially violent in the border region between the Turkana and the Pokot communities. In this very region significant oil reserves have been found recently. The first aim of this paper is to analyse how the oil exploration affects the communities' vulnerability to climate change. Secondly, the paper explores the risk of the oil explorations to create new conflicts or aggravate existing ones. The primary method of the study is qualitative field research supplemented with a geo-spatial analysis of conflict data. The field research was conducted in October 2013 and April 2014 in three villages with different levels of engagement with the oil exploration. At the time of the research, oil exploration was expected close to Lokwamosing while it had recently started in the vicinity of Lopii and had been ongoing for a longer time close to Nakukulas. The findings suggest that the oil exploration increases the community's vulnerability to climate change. Further, unmet community expectations for water, employment and development pose a significant risk for violent conflict between local communities and the operating oil company. Intercommunal conflict over water and land could increase as well.
Hydrological connectivity inferred from diatom transport through the riparian-stream system
Authors: Martínez-Carreras N. , Wetzel C. E. , Frentress J. , Ector L. , McDonnell J. J. , Hoffmann L. , Pfister L.
Published: July 2015

Abstract. Diatoms (Bacillariophyta) are one of the most common and diverse algal groups (ca. 200 000 species, ≈ 10–200 μm, unicellular, eukaryotic). Here we investigate the potential of aerial diatoms (i.e. diatoms nearly exclusively occurring outside water bodies, in wet, moist or temporarily dry places) to infer surface hydrological connectivity between hillslope-riparian-stream (HRS) landscape units during storm runoff events. We present data from the Weierbach catchment (0.45 km2, northwestern Luxembourg) that quantify the relative abundance of aerial diatom species on hillslopes and in riparian zones (i.e. surface soils, litter, bryophytes and vegetation) and within streams (i.e. stream water, epilithon and epipelon). We tested the hypothesis that different diatom species assemblages inhabit specific moisture domains of the catchment (i.e. HRS units) and, consequently, the presence of certain species assemblages in the stream during runoff events offers the potential for recording whether there was hydrological connectivity between these domains or not. We found that a higher percentage of aerial diatom species was present in samples collected from the riparian and hillslope zones than inside the stream. However, diatoms were absent on hillslopes covered by dry litter and the quantities of diatoms (in absolute numbers) were small in the rest of hillslope samples. This limits their use for inferring hillslope-riparian zone connectivity. Our results also showed that aerial diatom abundance in the stream increased systematically during all sampled events (n = 11, 2011–2012) in response to incident precipitation and increasing discharge. This transport of aerial diatoms during events suggested a rapid connectivity between the soil surface and the stream. Diatom transport data were compared to two-component hydrograph separation, and end-member mixing analysis (EMMA) using stream water chemistry and stable isotope data. Hillslope overland flow was insignificant during most sampled events. This research suggests that diatoms were likely sourced exclusively from the riparian zone, since it was not only the largest aerial diatom reservoir, but also since soil water from the riparian zone was a major streamflow source during rainfall events under both wet and dry antecedent conditions. In comparison to other tracer methods, diatoms require taxonomy knowledge and a rather large processing time. However, they can provide unequivocal evidence of hydrological connectivity and potentially be used at larger catchment scales.
Effectiveness of Evidence-based Pneumonia CPOE Order Sets Measured by Health Outcomes
Authors: Krive Jacob , Shoolin Joel S. , Zink Steven D.
Published: July 2015

ObjectiveEvidence-based sets of medical orders for the treatment of patients with common conditions have the potential to induce greater efficiency and convenience across the system, along with more consistent health outcomes. Despite ongoing utilization of order sets, quantitative evidence of their effectiveness is lacking. In this study, conducted at Advocate Health Care in Illinois, we quantitatively analyzed the benefits of community acquired pneumonia order sets as measured by mortality, readmission, and length of stay (LOS) outcomes.MethodsIn this study, we examined five years (2007–2011) of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) data from two city and two suburban community care hospitals. Mortality and readmissions benefits were analyzed by comparing “order set” and “no order set” groups of adult patients using logistic regression, Pearson’s chi-squared, and Fisher’s exact methods. LOS was calculated by applying one-way ANOVA and the Mann-Whitney U test, supplemented by analysis of comorbidity via the Charlson Comorbidity Index.ResultsThe results indicate that patient treatment orders placed via electronic sets were effective in reducing mortality [OR=1.787; 95% CF 1.170-2.730; P=.061], readmissions [OR=1.362; 95% CF 1.015-1.827; P=.039], and LOS [F (1,5087)=6.885, P=.009, 4.79 days (no order set group) vs. 4.32 days (order set group)].ConclusionEvidence-based ordering practices have the potential to improve pneumonia outcomes through reduction of mortality, hospital readmissions, and cost of care. However, the practice must be part of a larger strategic effort to reduce variability in patient care processes. Further experimental and/or observational studies are required to reduce the barriers to retrospective patient care analyses.Keywords: evidence-based medicine, medication order sets, health outcomes research, pneumonia, computerized physician order entry (CPOE).
Development of the Inventory Management and Tracking System (IMATS) to Track the Availability of Public Health Department Medical Countermeasures During Public Health Emergencies
Authors: Sahar Liora , Faler Guy , Hristov Emil , Hughes Susan , Lee Leslie , Westnedge Caroline , Erickson Benjamin , Nichols Barbara
Published: July 2015

Objective: To bridge  gaps identified during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic by  developing a system that provides public health departments improved capability to manage and track medical countermeasures at the state and local levels and to report their inventory levels to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).   Materials and Methods: The CDC Countermeasure Tracking Systems (CTS) program designed and implemented the Inventory Management and Tracking System (IMATS) to manage, track, and report medical countermeasure inventories at the state and local levels. IMATS was designed by CDC in collaboration with state and local public health departments to ensure a “user-centered design approach.” A survey was completed to assess functionality and user satisfaction.Results: IMATS was deployed in September 2011 and is provided at no cost to public health departments. Many state and local public health departments nationwide have adopted IMATS and use it to track countermeasure inventories during public health emergencies and daily operations.  Discussion:  A successful response to public health emergencies requires efficient, accurate reporting of countermeasure inventory levels. IMATS is designed to support both emergency operations and everyday activities. Future improvements to the system include integrating barcoding technology and streamlining user access. To maintain system readiness, we continue to collect user feedback, improve technology, and enhance its functionality.  Conclusion: IMATS satisfies the need for a system for monitoring and reporting health departments’ countermeasure quantities so that decision makers are better informed. The “user-centered design approach” was successful, as evident by the many public health departments that adopted IMATS.
Enhancing health policymakers’ information literacy capacity for policymaking on control of infectious diseases of poverty in Nigeria
Authors: Uneke Chigozie Jesse , Ezeoha Abel Abeh , Uro-Chukwu Henry , Ezeonu Chinonyelum Thecla , Ogbu Ogbonnaya , Onwe Friday , Edoga Chima
Published: July 2015

Background: In Nigeria, one of the major challenges associated with evidence-to-policy link in the control of infectious diseases of poverty (IDP), is the deficient information literacy capacity among policymakers.  There is need for policymakers to develop capacity to discover relevant information, accurately evaluate retrieved information and to apply it correctly.Objectives: To use information literacy tool of International Network for Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to enhance policymakers’ capacity for policymaking on control of IDP in Nigeria.Methods: Modified “before and after” intervention study design was used in which outcomes were measured on target participants both before the intervention is implemented and after. This study was conducted in Ebonyi State, south-eastern Nigeria and participants were career health policy makers. A two-day health-policy information literacy training workshop was organized to enhance participants’ information literacy capacity.  Topics covered included: introduction to information literacy; defining information problem; searching for information online; evaluating information; science information; knowledge sharing interviews; and training skills. Results: A total of 52 policymakers attended the workshop. The pre-workshop mean of knowledge and capacity for information literacy ranged from 2.15-2.97, while the post-workshop mean ranged from 3.34-3.64 on 4point scale. The percentage increase in mean of knowledge and capacity at the end of the workshop ranged from 22.6%-55.3%.Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that through information literacy training workshop policy makers can acquire the capacity to identify, capture and share the right kind of information in the right contexts to influence relevant action or a policy decision.Key Words: Policymakers, information literacy, capacity, infectious diseases of poverty, workshop
An innovative web based system for reporting rare diseases in paediatrics
Authors: Mukhi Shamir N , Laffin Thibodeau Melanie , Szijarto Barbara
Published: July 2015

Surveillance of rare diseases in children is an important aspect of public health. Rare diseases affect thousands of children worldwide. The Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program (CPSP) has been in existence since 1996, and provides an innovative means to undertake paediatric surveillance and increase awareness of childhood disorders that are high in disability, morbidity, mortality, and economic costs to society, despite their low frequency. Traditionally, CPSP used manual paper-based reporting on a monthly basis, which although had an impressive response rate, it had inherent longer processing times and costs associated with it. The article below describes an innovative web-based system that enables seamless reporting from participants across the country providing a quick, reliable and simple mechanism for the users to submit data while yielding better data quality, timeliness and increased efficiencies. The development of such a system represents a significant advancement in the public health informatics area, building capacity for seamless and rapid data management for national surveillance.
Made in Translation:
Authors: Karni Rebecca
Published: July 2015

My paper aims to highlight an inherently translated quality—an “originary translatedness”—of the Japanese British author Kazuo Ishiguro's prose, which has often been read in terms of its supposed “English” and/or “Japanese” characteristics and that works on the levels of realism, genre, mood, and visuality. More specifically, focusing on the author's first three novels, A Pale View of Hills (1982), An Artist of the Floating World (1986), and The Remains of the Day (1989), my article examines a type of translational realism at work in Ishiguro's fiction that thwarts the “Englishness” and “Japaneseness” it simultaneously invokes, thus foregrounding the cultural–mythological construction of its images of “Japan” and “England.” In this way, as I argue, Ishiguro's texts introduce readers to their own cultural preconceptions and stereotypes, providing the basis for the culturalist approaches dominating the critical response to his oeuvre. The final part of the article turns to a discussion of another of the author's novels, When We Were Orphans (2000), highlighting how Ishiguro, through manipulation of traditional narrative categories—especially unreliability and realism—as well as through recycling of images and the language of mass media, constructs an inherently mediated fictional world of “global culture.”
Les plaideurs en Cour supérieure, 1880-1890 : classe, genre et juridicité durant la transition au capitalisme industriel1
Authors: Nootens Thierry
Published: July 2015

Nous avons examiné près de 700 poursuites entendues par la Cour supérieure dans le district de Trois-Rivières durant les années 1880. Plus d’une douzaine d’années se sont alors écoulées depuis la promulgation du Code civil du Bas-Canada de 1866. Au même moment, la transition au capitalisme industriel transforme les rapports de production. Deux questions générales ont guidé l’analyse : qu’est-ce que les dossiers de cette cour dévoilent quant aux enjeux sociojuridiques propres à une société régionale en transformation ? Cette documentation renvoie-t-elle à une phase particulière de l’histoire de la juridicisation et de la judiciarisation des rapports sociaux au Québec ?
Penser la mobilité, penser Montréal. La planification du tracé du réseau initial de métro, 1960-1966
Authors: Gilbert Dale
Published: July 2015

Cet article examine les déterminants du choix du tracé du réseau initial de métro de Montréal. Nous démontrons que l’intégration du métro au territoire montréalais, planifiée sous la gouverne de l’administration municipale, répondit en grande partie à une volonté de faire du métro un levier de redéveloppement urbain et de protéger certaines artères des désagréments causés par sa construction. Les tensions suscitées par cette administration intransigeante envers les municipalités voisines, de même que les choix technologiques qu’elle effectua, contribuèrent également à faire en sorte que le réseau initial fut presque exclusivement limité au territoire montréalais.
L’intérêt des parties dans l’abus d’exercice des voies de droit
Authors: Ndiaye Ndèye  Coumba Madeleine
Published: July 2015

L’exercice d’une voie de droit oppose une partie en droit d’exiger le respect de sa prérogative et une autre devant répondre de son obligation. Alors, les intérêts en présence sont naturellement divergents, car chaque partie oeuvrera pour sortir triomphante du conflit. Ainsi, le risque d’en arriver à un abus est réel, et c’est ce qui justifie la sanction. Il ne faudrait pas que par l’exercice d’un droit, un justiciable soit lésé. Ses intérêts sont ainsi protégés par la modération de l’exécution des droits des uns et des autres. Par ailleurs, il ne faudrait pas, non plus, porter atteinte à l’intérêt des parties par un encadrement trop élastique de la notion d’abus. En effet, la sanction de l’exercice abusif d’une voie de droit peut dissuader les plaideurs. Ce serait, ainsi, violenter l’accès au droit, qui est fondamental dans la réalisation des droits subjectifs. La consécration de la loyauté permettrait d’éviter ces dérives.
Le droit à la liberté face aux formes modernes de travail « non libre » : le cas de l’obligation de résidence chez l’employeur
Authors: Gallié Martin , Galerand Elsa , Bourbeau Andrée
Published: July 2015

Cet article interroge la portée du droit à la liberté garanti par l’article 7 de la Charte canadienne des droits et libertés, en matière de protection des travailleurs dépendants qui sont de facto assignés à des formes de travail non libre. L’analyse est centrée sur l’obligation de résidence en tant que mécanisme particulier de privation de liberté. Les auteurs avancent que si, selon la jurisprudence constante de la Cour suprême, le droit à la liberté de sa personne ne protège pas le droit au travail ou le droit à l’emploi, il n’exclut pas certaines dispositions du droit du travail (la réglementation des rapports entre employés et employeurs) de son champ de protection. Dans cette perspective, le droit notamment de ne pas être soumis au travail forcé, de pouvoir quitter un emploi et un employeur, de ne pas vivre chez son employeur et d’être payé pour toutes les heures travaillées pourrait être protégé par les garanties offertes par l’article 7 de la Charte. L’obligation de résider chez l’employeur, qui s’impose actuellement de facto aux travailleurs agricoles et travailleuses domestiques, pourrait alors être contestée sur le fondement du droit à la liberté.
Challenges of Transnational Trademark Law Practice: The Case of Nigerian Companies’ Brands in OAPI States
Authors: Nwabueze Caroline Joëlle
Published: July 2015

Nigeria industrial growth has turned the country into an indispensable economic support for its neighbours. Only for the case of Cameroon, Nigeria has been the leading supplier with respectively 22% and 17.8% of imports in 2011 and 2012 with trade amounting to 328 billion FCFA per annum. This results in part from Nigerian companies’ exportations in local markets. Nigerian trademarks related to cosmetics, furniture, electronics, and pharmaceutical goods abound in neighbouring countries. However, a strengthening of Nigerian companies in regional markets encompasses strategies to avoid infringing on the trademark rights. Such strategies should include the consideration of special trademarks features by different institutions of the intellectual property (IP) system in the relevant neighbour export markets. This is by the mere fact that the legal status of those goods, although physical property, relies mainly on the material law applicable, which is trademark in the present case. Because the principle of territoriality requires that trademark protection be sought in the place where the goods are sold—and trademark applications filed in each country in which protection is sought—, Nigerian companies planning to outsource some business activity in neighbour markets will seek compliance with trademarks norms applicable in the Organisation africaine de la propriété intellectuelle (OAPI) of which those countries—Benin, Cameroon, Chad, and Guinea—are part. The trade partnership between companies from a common law trademark background on one hand, and civil law intellectual property community on the other, inevitably raises some frictions and trademarks issues. This article analyses the trademark challenges arising from Nigerian companies’ business decision to enter OAPI markets and export goods and services. The article firstly underlines the issues to be taken into consideration, including registration and enforcement of the companies’ marks in OAPI. Then the paper simultaneously reviews the dissimilarities issues between the Nigerian Trademark Act and the OAPI Trademark System to which the Nigerian companies are confronted. If trademark protection makes it easier for an enterprise to access transnational markets, the establishment of a Trademark Community with neighbouring countries helps for sure national industries to establish partnerships with other firms for sustainable development in the areas such as production, marketing, distribution or delivery of goods and services. In light of the trademark harmonisation in the European Union internal market, the present paper concludes by recommending the creation of a Trademark Community in the West and Central African region between Nigeria and its neighbouring countries.
Gastrointestinal Tolerability of Delayed-Release Dimethyl Fumarate in a Multicenter, Open-Label Study of Patients with Relapsing Forms of Multiple Sclerosis (MANAGE)
Authors: Fox Edward J. , Vasquez Alberto , Grainger William , Ma Tina S. , von Hehn Christian , Walsh John , Li Jie , Zambrano Javier
Published: July 2015

Background: In phase 3 trials, delayed-release dimethyl fumarate (DMF; also known as gastroresistant DMF) demonstrated efficacy in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). Gastrointestinal (GI) events were associated with DMF treatment. The single-arm, open-label MANAGE study examined the incidence, severity, duration, and management of GI events in adults with relapsing MS initiating DMF treatment in clinical practice in the United States shortly after marketing approval.

Patients and Methods: Patients (N = 233) took DMF for up to 12 weeks and recorded information regarding GI events using an eDiary and numerical rating scales.

Results: Overall, 54.1% of patients used symptomatic therapy and had GI symptoms. The incidence of GI events was highest in the first month of treatment. The duration of GI events varied by event type, and severity was generally mild to moderate. Decreased severity was seen in patients treated with antacids, bismuth subsalicylate, acid-secretion blockers, antidiarrheals, and antiemetics. Less than 10% of patients were using symptomatic therapy for GI events by week 12 of DMF treatment. A modest reduction in severe GI events was observed in patients who regularly took DMF with food compared with patients who did not. The incidence of GI-related events was comparable in patients with or without a history of GI abnormalities and in patients who did or did not use alcohol or tobacco.

Conclusions: Gastrointestinal events associated with DMF are generally transient, mild to moderate in severity, and manageable. Symptomatic therapy and dosing with food may mitigate these events.
An enhanced model of the contemporary and long‐term (200 ka) sublimation of the massive subsurface ice in Beacon Valley, Antarctica
Authors: Liu Lu , Sletten Ronald S. , Hagedorn Birgit , Hallet Bernard , McKay Christopher P. , Stone John O.
Published: July 2015

A massive ice body buried under several decimeters of dry regolith in Beacon Valley, Antarctica, is believed to be more than 1 Ma old and perhaps over 8.1 Ma; however, vapor diffusion models suggest that subsurface ice in this region is not stable under current climate conditions. To better understand the controls on sublimation rates and stability of this massive ice, we have modeled vapor diffusion using 12 years of climate and soil temperature data from 1999 to 2011, including field measurements of episodic snow cover and snowmelt events that have not been represented in previous models of ground ice sublimation. The model is then extended to reconstruct the sublimation history over the last 200 ka using paleotemperatures estimated from ice core data from nearby Taylor Dome and a relationship between atmospheric temperature and humidity derived from our meteorological records. The model quantifies the impact of episodic snow events; they account for a nearly 30% reduction in the massive ice loss. The sublimation rate of ground ice averages 0.11 mm a−1 between 1999 and 2011 in Beacon Valley. Parameterized with past environmental conditions and assuming the same regolith thickness, the modeled sublimation rate of ground ice in Beacon Valley averages 0.09 mm a−1 for the last 200 ka, comparable to the long‐term average rate estimated independently from various studies based on cosmogenic isotopes. This study provides a realistic estimate of the long‐term sublimation history and supports the inference that the buried ice in Beacon Valley is older than 1 Ma.
LA‐ICPMS Ba/Ca analyses of planktic foraminifera from the Bay of Bengal: Implications for late Pleistocene orbital control on monsoon freshwater flux
Authors: Evans David , Bhatia Rehemat , Stoll Heather , Müller Wolfgang
Published: July 2015

Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) indices are characterized by large secular variation during both glacials and interglacials. Although much information about palaeomonsoon intensity is derived from such indicies, current data sets do not relate simply to precipitation. In order to directly constrain the variability of ISM freshwater flux to the Bay of Bengal, we report Ba/Ca LA‐ICPMS data of the surface‐dwelling foraminifera Globigerinoides ruber from core RC12–343 (central Bay of Bengal) between 68 and 47 ka. Planktic foraminifera Ba/Ca directly relates to seawater Ba/Ca, in turn principally controlled by freshwater flux. Our foraminifera‐derived
record for the central Bay of Bengal is highly coherent with that derived from
O measurements of the same material, implying that these reconstructions are not significantly biased by potential shifts in
. Validating this method allows us to produce a freshwater stack for the last 80 ka for the Bay of Bengal, enabling the orbital controls on ISM precipitation to be examined for the first time. The highest freshwater flux in the last 80 ka was ∼3X larger than present and occurred during the early‐mid Holocene. We show that the orbital timing of this record is best explained by a combination of factors with a weighting of ∼45% given to the 30°N‐equator mean summer insolation gradient and ∼55% given to the variability of May–July insolation at the equator and June–July insolation at 30°N. These processes are consistent with current mechanistic understanding of ISM forcings and demonstrate a dominant orbital control on monsoon precipitation amount on millennial timescales.
Strong sea surface cooling in the eastern equatorial Pacific and implications for Galápagos Penguin conservation
Authors: Karnauskas K. B. , Jenouvrier S. , Brown C. W. , Murtugudde R.
Published: July 2015

The Galápagos is a flourishing yet fragile ecosystem whose health is particularly sensitive to regional and global climate variations. The distribution of several species, including the Galápagos Penguin, is intimately tied to upwelling of cold, nutrient‐rich water along the western shores of the archipelago. Here we show, using reliable, high‐resolution sea surface temperature observations, that the Galápagos cold pool has been intensifying and expanding northward since 1982. The linear cooling trend of 0.8°C/33 yr is likely the result of long‐term changes in equatorial ocean circulation previously identified. Moreover, the northward expansion of the cold pool is dynamically consistent with a slackening of the cross‐equatorial component of the regional trade winds—leading to an equatorward shift of the mean position of the Equatorial Undercurrent. The implied change in strength and distribution of upwelling has important implications for ongoing and future conservation measures in the Galápagos.
Noise properties of HF radar measurement of ocean surface currents
Authors: Forget Philippe
Published: July 2015

High‐frequency (HF) radars are commonly used for coastal circulation monitoring. The objective of the study is to assess what is the minimum timescale of variability of the geophysical surface currents that are accessible to the radar measurement given the intrinsic noise of this measurement. Noise properties are derived from the power density spectra (PDSs) of radial current records, which are compared to a model of the PDS of idealized currents contaminated by an additive white noise. The data were collected by two radar systems operating in the Northwestern Mediterranean. Periods of 3 weeks to 7 months are considered. Most of measured currents are affected by a white noise effect. Noise properties vary in time and space and are not specific to a particular radar station or to the radar signal processing method used (beam forming or direction finding). An increase of the noise level reduces the effective temporal resolution of radar‐derived currents and then increases the minimum observable timescale of variability of geophysical currents. Our results are consistent with results of comparison found in literature between in situ sensors and radar measurements as well as between two radars operating along a same base line. The study suggests a self‐sufficient method, requiring no external data, to estimate the minimum sampling period to consider for getting data sets having a minimized contamination by instrumental noise. This period can also be taken for smoothing or filtering measured currents.
On the reliability of the Spatial Scintillation Index to detect earthquake precursors in the ionosphere
Authors: Masci F. , Thomas J. N.
Published: July 2015

The scientific literature includes many reports of ionospheric phenomena that are retrospectively identified prior to seismic events. These disturbances of the Earth's ionosphere are considered to be possible precursors of the impending earthquakes. However, a causal relationship between ionospheric phenomena and earthquakes has never been definitively demonstrated, and attempts at identifying precursory effects in the ionosphere have been called into question by several studies. Among the candidate indicators of ionospheric precursors there is the Spatial Scintillation Index (SSI) proposed by Pulinets et al. (2007). The usefulness of this index in the search for precursory effects of earthquakes has been criticized by Thomas et al. (2012) and Masci (2013). In a recent report, Pulinets and Davidenko (2014) attempt to briefly respond to the remarks of these researchers. Here we cast doubt that Pulinets and Davidenko (2014) have shown that SSI is a reliable indicator of precursory effects of earthquakes in the ionosphere.
A New Salt‐Baked Approach for Confining Selenium in Metal Complex‐Derived Porous Carbon with Superior Lithium Storage Properties
Authors: Li Xiaona , Liang Jianwen , Hou Zhiguo , Zhang Wanqun , Wang Yan , Zhu Yongchun , Qian Yitai
Published: July 2015

For lithium‐selenium batteries, commercial applications are hindered by the inferior electrical conductivity of selenium and the low utilization ratio of the active selenium. Here, we report a new baked‐in‐salt approach to enable Se to better infiltrate into metal‐complex‐derived porous carbon (Se/MnMC‐B). The approach uses the confined, narrow space that is sandwiched between two compact NaCl solid disks, thus avoiding the need for protection with argon or a vacuum environment during processing. The electrochemical properties for both lithium and sodium storage of our Se/MnMC‐B cathode were found to be outstanding. For lithium storage, the Se/MnMC‐B cathode (with 72% selenium loading) exhibited a capacity of 580 mA h g−1 after 1000 cycles at 1 C, and an excellent rate capability was achieved at 20 C and 510 mA h g−1. For sodium storage, a specific capacity of 535 mA h g−1 was achieved at 0.1 C after 150 cycles. These results demonstrate the potential of this approach as a new effective general synthesis method for confining other low melting point materials into a porous carbon matrix.