bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Representation of social actors in Finnish, Estonian, and Russian dailies, 1905–2005
Authors: Kõuts Ragne , Lõhmus Maarja
Published: August 2014

Social actors is the central category in the constructions of social reality—representation of actors is related to values, can offer behavior models and identification basis for recipients of the mass media messages. Representation of social actors definitely has changed over time and differs in cultures. In representation of social actors not only qualitative aspects of actors are important, rather their visibility in quantitative terms as well. According to the social constructionist approach, those who are more visible in the media content are visible in society as well. In the present study, the composition of social actors in Finnish, Estonian, and Russian dailies during 20th century will be analyzed. We hypothesize that transformations in those societies were accompanied by a growing plurality of social positions, more balanced gender relations, and higher visibility of minorities. We suppose that between analyzed countries we will find significant similarities and differences as well, some of them explained through common and/or individual histories of the countries, some of them are rather co-products of modernization processes reflected in analyzed countries’ mass media discourses.
Impedance as an adjunct to manometric testing to investigate symptoms of dysphagia: What it has failed to do and what it may tell us in the future
Authors: Omari T , Tack J , Rommel N
Published: August 2014

Dysphagia is a common reason for referral for investigations of oesophageal motility. Impedance measurement has now been incorporated into commercially available diagnostic manometry systems for more than a decade. This innovation, which offered the ability to record patterns of bolus transport without the need for simultaneous radiology, has for the most part failed to live up to expectations, offering few additional diagnostic insights.

This review examines the potential pitfalls related to how impedance patterns are currently analysed and introduces and discusses the new concept of pressure‐flow analysis integrating pressure and impedance measurements to derive new metrics linked to the pressures occurring within and around the bolus as it is being transported.
How does lenalidomide target the chronic lymphocytic leukemia microenvironment?
Authors: Kater Arnon P. , Tonino Sanne H. , Egle Alexander , Ramsay Alan G.
Published: August 2014

Immunotherapy has emerged as a viable clinical strategy to harness endogenous antitumor T-cell immunity. Lenalidomide is an oral immunomodulatory drug that repairs antitumor T-cell function and is showing efficacy in ongoing chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and lymphoma clinical trials. This article focuses on advances in our understanding of its mechanism of action in the tumor microenvironment and provides a clinical update in CLL. Challenges associated with this drug and its potential use in the targeted drug treatment era are discussed.
Three-dimensional chiropractor-patient contact loads during side posture lumbar spinal manipulation: a pilot study
Authors: Gudavalli Maruti Ram , Rowell Robert M
Published: August 2014

Background

Patients with low back pain often seek chiropractic care and more than ninety percent of Chiropractors use lumbar side posture manipulation for the treatment of low back pain. During this procedure chiropractors deliver forces by means of hand contact on the patient in a side lying position. The objective of this pilot study was to report on the three-dimensional forces at the hand contact between the chiropractor and the simulated patient (asymptomatic volunteers) during side posture lumbar high velocity low amplitude adjustments.

Methods

In 2005, two licensed chiropractors delivered spinal manipulations to the lumbar spines of the participants. A three-dimensional force transducer (Model # Mini-45, ATI-Industrial Automation, Apex, North Carolina) was used to measure the three-dimensional loads. The force-time histories were analyzed for preloads, peak loads, duration of thrusts to peak load, duration of thrust for completion, rate of loading, and magnitudes of the three forces and the resultant total force delivered by the chiropractor.

Results

The two chiropractors delivered a total of 14 thrusts to the five asymptomatic volunteers. Normal force (Fz) is the dominating force, followed by inferior-superior force (Fx). The lateral force (Fy) occurred in both directions.

Conclusions

This study reports on the three dimensional load (three forces and the total resultant force) characteristics of chiropractor-patient hand contact while delivering a chiropractic high velocity low amplitude (HVLA) manipulation in a side lying position.
Comparative sequencing analysis reveals high genomic concordance between matched primary and metastatic colorectal cancer lesions
Authors: Brannon A Rose , Vakiani Efsevia , Sylvester Brooke E , Scott Sasinya N , McDermott Gregory , Shah Ronak H , Kania Krishan , Viale Agnes , Oschwald Dayna M , Vacic Vladimir , Emde Anne-Katrin , Cercek Andrea , Yaeger Rona , Kemeny Nancy E , Saltz Leonard B , Shia Jinru , D’Angelica Michael I , Weiser Martin R , Solit David B , Berger Michael F
Published: August 2014

Background

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, with over 50,000 deaths estimated in 2014. Molecular profiling for somatic mutations that predict absence of response to anti-EGFR therapy has become standard practice in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer; however, the quantity and type of tissue available for testing is frequently limited. Further, the degree to which the primary tumor is a faithful representation of metastatic disease has been questioned. As next-generation sequencing technology becomes more widely available for clinical use and additional molecularly targeted agents are considered as treatment options in colorectal cancer, it is important to characterize the extent of tumor heterogeneity between primary and metastatic tumors.

Results

We performed deep coverage, targeted next-generation sequencing of 230 key cancer-associated genes for 69 matched primary and metastatic tumors and normal tissue. Mutation profiles were 100% concordant for KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF, and were highly concordant for recurrent alterations in colorectal cancer. Additionally, whole genome sequencing of four patient trios did not reveal any additional site-specific targetable alterations.

Conclusions

Colorectal cancer primary tumors and metastases exhibit high genomic concordance. As current clinical practices in colorectal cancer revolve around KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF mutation status, diagnostic sequencing of either primary or metastatic tissue as available is acceptable for most patients. Additionally, consistency between targeted sequencing and whole genome sequencing results suggests that targeted sequencing may be a suitable strategy for clinical diagnostic applications.
Advocacy, education, and the role of not-for-profit organizations in Lewy body dementias
Authors: Taylor Angela , Yardley Cecilia
Published: August 2014

Lewy body dementias (LBDs) represent a spectrum of dementias that are associated with the presence of Lewy bodies in the brain and that dramatically impact both the person diagnosed and the family caregiver. LBD charities provide education of the public and health-care professionals, emotional support to families, and advocacy to policy-makers on the needs of LBD families and advance research. The US-based Lewy Body Dementia Association and the Lewy Body Society in the UK play an important role in reducing the burden that LBD places on families and society and provide leadership on issues affecting LBD families. Health-care providers are encouraged to refer families upon diagnosis to LBD charities as an additional resource to clinical care.
Literature as Rejuvenation: A Defense of Herder's Defense of Poetry
Authors: Illbruck Helmut
Published: August 2014

This essay reexamines Johann Gottfried Herder's theoretical import for the idea and practice of comparative literature. To that end, it contextualizes Herder's defense of poetry within the historical debate between Kant and Herder over the genesis, cast, and practical value of critical reason, and also emphasizes Herder's turn to poetry as a molding influence on Erich Auerbach's conception of philology as effective preservation and a form of synthetic mythography. To delineate and defend Herder's position, the essay undertakes a revisionist theoretical reading of Herder's neglected essay “Iduna, or the Apple of Rejuvenation,” which offers a persuasive counter-position to Kant's critical trajectory. In reinvigorating the idea of rejuvenation tied to the formative power of the imagination and poetic synthesis, Herder sets out to explicate the generative power of poetry as configuring creative inventions and relative differences in poetic as much as cognitive structure, as a way of substantiating and legitimating his—comparative—defense of original poetry. The essay concludes by suggesting how Herder's historical intervention may be inserted, theoretically, into still current questions regarding ideas of “world poetry.”
Astonishing Politics: Emerson, Levinas, and Thinking Beyond Virility
Authors: Mastroianni Dominic
Published: August 2014

This essay brings together Ralph Waldo Emerson and Emmanuel Levinas, two thinkers who are almost never paired, to examine their shared interest in the political implications of astonishment. The two have in common a way of inviting readers, persistently but enigmatically, to understand the political significance and performative force of their philosophical writing. The essay attends to the resonance generated when each thinker's words become the circumstances for reading the other's. In the disarming experience of astonishment Levinas and Emerson seek alternatives to conceptions of politics that celebrate the “virile virtues” of fixture, resistance, and comprehension. The essay focuses on three points of resonance: figures of imperiled but resilient selfhood, meditations on the power of thinking to astonish, and the use of figures of the hand to rethink established political concepts. Centrally, both Emerson and Levinas cast virility as a firmness or “fixture” that desirable political labor would relax. Fixture does not account for a kind of power so mobile, flexible, or fluid that it cannot even be said to resist that over which it exerts power. Reading Emerson and Levinas side by side allows a fresh approach to vexing aspects of their work, including the tension between Emerson's political activism and philosophical thought, and the dearth of Levinas's reflections on the transitive force of his own writing.
On Multitude and Beyond
Authors: Bardini Thierry
Published: August 2014

With questions addressing ideas central to Virno’s thinking as they relate to prominent trends in critical theories over the past decades, this interview helps illuminate Virno’s position as an engaged intellectual and the continued relevance of his thought to the emancipatory project initiated by Marxism in the last century.
High Varroa mite abundance influences chemical profiles of worker bees and mite–host preferences
Authors: Cervo R. , Bruschini C. , Cappa F. , Meconcelli S. , Pieraccini G. , Pradella D. , Turillazzi S.
Published: August 2014

Honeybee disappearance is one of the major environmental and economic challenges this century has to face. The ecto-parasitic mite Varroa destructor represents one of the main causes of the worldwide beehive losses. Although halting mite transmission among beehives is of primary importance to save honeybee colonies from further decline, the natural route used by mites to abandon a collapsing colony has not been extensively investigated so far. Here, we explored whether, with increasing mite abundance within the colony, mites change their behaviour to maximize the chances of leaving a highly infested colony. We show that, at low mite abundance, mites remain within the colony and promote their reproduction by riding nurses that they distinguish from foragers by different chemical cuticular signatures. When mite abundance increases, the chemical profile of nurses and foragers tends to overlap, promoting mite departure from exploited colonies by riding pollen foragers.
Robustness Considerations and Effects of Moisture Variations on near Infrared Method Performance for Solid Dosage Form Assay
Authors: Igne Benoît , Hossain Md. Nayeem , Drennen James K. , Anderson Carl A.
Published: August 2014

Quantitative analysis by near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy involves the establishment of the relationship between spectra, related to both physical and chemical information of a sample, and the corresponding parameter(s) of interest. To make a model useful and robust, other sources of variability, not directly related to the element(s) to predict should be included in the calibration set. One of the potential sources of variability is moisture. Raw materials may have different moisture levels as a function of the manufacturing lots, the geographic situation of a plant, storage conditions or the season. In a traditional calibration effort, tablets are often made at the same time and no robustness to moisture is built into the model. The present article investigates how moisture variations affect the predictive ability of a NIR calibration model for active ingredient in solid oral dosage forms. Examples of variable selection and orthogonalisation techniques are presented as an alternative to including the moisture variability in the calibration data. Tablets composed of acetaminophen, lactose, microcrystalline cellulose, hypromellose and magnesium stearate were manufactured using laboratory scale equipment. A full-factorial design was used to vary acetaminophen (five levels) and excipient ratios (three levels) to generate tablets for calibration and test. Tablets were placed in humidity chambers over saturated salt solutions and equilibrated to 11%, 32%, 52% and 75% relative humidity, respectively. Calibration and test tablets were scanned at each moisture level. Following spectral collection, the acetaminophen content was determined by HPLC. From each sample set representing tablets equilibrated at a single relative humidity, individual calibration models for acetaminophen were constructed. Test samples, stored at the alternate relative humidity conditions, were predicted. When the moisture level was different between calibration and test sets, the prediction error increased, indicating a degradation of the model performance when moisture variance was unaccounted for. Models developed using selected variable, orthogonalisation and global approaches gave significantly lower prediction errors for the test set than the individual models applied to all samples. These findings demonstrated the importance of accounting for expected sources of variance, such as moisture in order to achieve robust calibrations.
Feasibility Study of Diffuse Reflectance and Transmittance near Infrared Spectroscopy for Rapid Analysis of Ascorbic Acid Concentration in Bilayer Tablets Using a High-Speed Polychromator-Type Spectrometer
Authors: Ishikawa Daitaro , Genkawa Takuma , Murayama Kodai , Komiyama Makoto , Ozaki Yukihiro
Published: August 2014

The feasibility of real-time release testing of bilayer tablets was investigated using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. The newly developed polychromator-type NIR spectrometer was used to compare the diffuse reflectance (DR) and transmittance (Tr) NIR spectroscopic techniques. This spectrometer not only performs highly sensitive NIR measurements but also yields the NIR spectra of an intact tablet on a millisecond (ms) timescale; i.e. 500 ms for the DR-NIR measurements and 400 ms for the Tr-NIR measurements. The bilayer tablets were prepared with the first layer comprising 0–10% ascorbic acid (AsA), 20% corn starch, 5% talc, 30% microcrystalline cellulose and 45–35% lactose, and the second layer comprising 20% corn starch, 5% talc, 30% microcrystalline cellulose and 45% lactose; their DR-and Tr-NIR spectra were acquired from both sides of the tablet. With these spectra, the feasibility of DR- and Tr-NIR spectroscopy for the quantitative analysis of AsA in the bilayer tablets was compared. The DR- and Tr-NIR spectra of the bilayer tablets and their second-derivative spectra were studied. The AsA bands were not identified in the DR- and Tr-NIR spectra. However, the AsA bands at 995 nm and 1458 nm were observed in the second-derivative spectra. All the developed regression models predicted the AsA concentration, and regression vectors indicated that the prediction was based on the AsA bands. In addition, the model using the Tr-NIR spectra was able to predict the AsA concentration, even when the bilayer tablet was flipped.
Audit on outcome of midwife-led gestational diabetes care
Authors: Jones Sooi-Mai , Wilson Claire
Published: August 2014

The aim was to compare the pregnancy outcomes of gestational diabetic women who received midwife-led care to those who received specific treatment from multidisciplinary teams and to determine the progress of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

A retrospective audit was used on a cohort of 291 gestational diabetic women at an east London maternity unit. Outcome measures were ethnicity; attendance at the clinics; mode of deliveries; premature birth requiring admission to neonatal unit; macrosomia and diagnosis of T2DM 6 weeks post delivery.

The highest proportion of GDM were Bangladeshi (81.7%) and African (7.9%) compared to (4.1%) Caucasian. This is representative of the ethnic group of T2DM in the 2005 Confidential Enquiries into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH) report. Clinic attendances during the first 6 months were reduced by 50% with significantly shorter waiting times. Sixty-two percent of the women delivered vaginally; 31% by caesarian section and 6% of women had assisted deliveries. Adverse pregnancy outcomes—macrosomic babies (1%, 3/298) and premature babies (4.1%, 13/298) born at 29–35 weeks—were lower in women receiving treatment. Four percent (12/219) women progressed to T2DM at 6 weeks post delivery.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) (2003) do not recommend routine screening. If nothing else, these 4% of women are the same women at risk of unrecognized, undiagnosed and untreated T2DM. CEMACH (2005) data suggested these women have particularly poor outcomes. The evidence of this audit led to the following changes in the diagnostic value for impaired glucose tolerance: the biochemistry value for 2 hours post 75g glucose is now equal to or more than 7.8mmol/L (World Health Organization, 1999; NICE, 2008). The gap identified in the criteria for selective screening is to screen all women from minority ethnic group including South Asian, Middle Eastern, African and Black Caribbean.
Learning through experience: a student's reflection of a stillbirth
Authors: Anderson Sophie
Published: August 2014

I decided to submit this reflection because, after delivering a stillbirth and looking after the woman and her partner for the rest of the day, I went home and cried all night. I never wanted to think of what had happened again as it was so upsetting. My mentor suggested that I write a reflection of what happened—I was horrified at the thought but she persisted and I completed the reflection process using Gibb's reflective cycle. My mentor's continuous support during and after looking after this woman and her partner has left me feeling more confident in my ability to support women and their families in similar situations. I am grateful to my mentor for helping me through this experience and I want other students to realize the importance of reflection and what a huge help it can be.
Treating the menopausal patient: the role of hormones and physiological changes
Authors: Warren Lynn
Published: August 2014

The menopause is a natural process that occurs in all women. However, it brings with it a myriad of physiological and psychological changes that culminate in the end of fertility, an assumed lack of ‘attractiveness’, sudden ‘ageing‘ and a sense of ‘invisibility’. For many women, the menopause may also coincide with greater financial and emotional independence and a need for change. This article provides a brief overview of both the physiological changes associated with the menopause and the several treatments available for menopausal patients to enhance the appearance and quality of their skin. It further explores the ‘menopausal woman’ as a lifelong patient, preparing, educating and treating her from her first visit as a 30-year-old woman through to the perimenopause and beyond. This approach to the care of menopausal patients gives aesthetic nurses the opportunity to combine and use all of their nursing skills, while enriching and expanding their clinic offering.
Culture clash: appearance concerns in black and minority ethnic groups
Authors: Stock Nicola
Published: August 2014

Around the world, men and women of all cultures and ethnicities are being exposed to Western appearance ideals. Paired with a lack of representation of black and minority ethnic (BME) men and women in the mainstream media, the public's appreciation of ethnic diversity is being threatened. Nicola Stock examines the growing trend of appearance-altering practice among those from BME communities
Identifying the key concepts of marketing: attention, interest, desire and action
Authors: Ratcliffe Jason
Published: August 2014

In Jason Ratcliffe's second column on brand development, he discusses the use of the AIDA formula by reflecting on a business case study and applying the main elements to a clinic email marketing campaign. This article gives aesthetic practitioners advice on setting goals, capturing interest, staying focused, creating a desire for the service and calling potential clients to action
Scotland responds to Keogh report by forming Cosmetic Interventions Expert Group
Authors: Collier Helena
Published: August 2014

While the English Government's stance on regulating medical aesthetic practice remains unchanged, with Health Education England consulting with both clinicians and non-clinicians on the administration of cosmetic injectables, Scotland has taken the initiative to put forward its own public health recommendations. Helena Collier praises the work of the Scottish Cosmetic Interventions Expert Group
Supporting Inclusion Through Technology-Enhanced Knowledge Networks
Authors: Winton Pamela J. , Lim Chih-Ing
Published: August 2014

This article shares social media strategies for using a particular approach–knowledge networks–to integrate the best available research with family and practitioner wisdom and values in order to develop socially valid, evidence-based products to support the inclusion of young children with disabilities. Three examples are provided to illustrate the application of specific social media tools for developing and supporting knowledge networks. Lessons learned from the examples and implications for how others may use social media to support knowledge networks are discussed.
Students With Deaf-Blindness and Their Families: Service Utilization and Satisfaction
Authors: Kyzar Kathleen B. , Summers Jean Ann
Published: August 2014

Research on child- and family-related service needs for families of children with severe disabilities is scant, and the literature regarding the service needs of children/families with deaf-blindness is almost nonexistent. This study examined child and family disability-related service utilization and satisfaction with services from the perspective of a national sample of 227 parents who had a child aged birth through 21 with deaf-blindness. Participants were recruited from state deaf-blind technical assistance projects. We utilized survey research design and descriptive statistics to report results. Friend and family support had the highest ratings of utilization. Education and related services were also highly used, whereas mental health services and intervener services were among services/supports with the lowest rates of use. After-school care also had low rates of utilization and, for participants who reported using the service, satisfaction ratings were low. On average, only three services had satisfaction ratings within the “adequate” range: well-child checks, early intervention, and health provider (for informational purposes). A discussion of the findings in terms of the implications for family support policy, practice, and research is provided.
On a Few of Ann and Rud Turnbull's Many Contributions as Public Intellectuals
Authors: Singer George H. S. , Wang Mian
Published: August 2014

This article reflects on a few of the major intellectual contributions Ann and Rud Turnbull and their colleagues at the Beach Center on Family and Disability have made to their academic fields and to the wider society. The focus is on some of their key ideas that have been particularly innovative and important in changing the way scholars, policy makers, practitioners, and parents understand families of children with disabilities. The state of affairs in 1960 for a family of a newborn with an intellectual disability is compared to present conditions in order to highlight the extent of the historic shift in how the United States addresses the needs of families of children with disabilities. Four key intellectual contributions by the Turnbulls are discussed, with attention given to the social context in which they were developed and their subsequent impact on family research, policy, and professional practices. The importance of the development of new measurement instruments is emphasized and their value is discussed in both redirecting research and bridging the gap between academic audiences and the families who are meant to benefit from this work.
The level of knowledge of prospective biology teachers on gene technology and their source of information
Authors: Yılmaz Miraç , Öğretmen Tuncay
Published: August 2014

The Gene Technology includes an area of various implementations (health, agriculture etc.) on which we shall have knowledge and which will be our guide in our actions. This is of particular importance notably when it is evaluated in terms of the instructors providing education on these issues to the public. Knowledge and literacy on gene technology is acquired through educational institutions and various sources of information. The aim of this study is to assess the level of knowledge of prospective biology teachers on gene technology, and to investigate the sources of knowledge on the related subject. 135 prospective biology teachers participated in this study. Descriptive analyses were carried out for the items, the frequencies were interpreted and cross tabulation analyses were used. The results of this study demonstrate that the prospective biology teachers possess predominantly a low-level knowledge on gene technology (69.6%) and mostly feel that their knowledge on gene technology is scanty, regardless of whether they have taken courses on the subject or not. The top sources of the prospective teachers (over 60% as frequency) are television documentaries on gene technology, and journals, biology/chemistry teachers and experts from universities on the related area.
Geschäftsprozesse und technische Prozesse
Authors: Schüller Andreas , Epple Ulrich , Elger Jürgen , Müller-Martin Andreas , Löwen Ulrich
Published: August 2014

In diesem Artikel stellen wir ein Ebenenmodell vor, mit dem Prozesse
in Unternehmen strukturiert werden können. Die Trennung zwischen
Prozeduren, ausführenden Einheiten und Prozessen ist in der
Automatisierungstechnik ein verbreitetes Mittel. Dieses Konzept wird
auf Geschäftsprozesse übertragen. Die Modellstruktur führt
zu einer stärkeren Verzahnung zwischen Geschäftsprozessen und
technischen Prozessen, wie sie im Rahmen der Industrie 4.0-Initiative
gefordert wird.
Numerical study of the influence of veneer lathe checks on the elastic mechanical properties of laminated veneer lumber (LVL) made of beech
Authors: Pot Guillaume , Denaud Louis-Etienne , Collet Robert
Published: August 2014

Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is a well-known high-performance engineered wood product suitable for structural applications. However, the peeling process can induce lathe checks of the veneer with various depth and spatial frequencies. In this study, a finite element model (FEM) is proposed to describe and to analyze the influence of veneer lathe checks on the elastic properties of LVL. Firstly, the typical lathe check depths and frequencies were determined by means of different compression rates of the pressure bar when peeling. These experimental results served as input to the model to compare the influence of check depth and frequency on the elastic behavior of an LVL beam in four-point bending. The checks were modeled as free spaces in the cross-section that can be partially filled with glue. The results show that the longitudinal modulus of elasticity is marginally affected by checking, while the shear rigidity of the LVL beam is significantly reduced in edgewise bending if checks are not glued. Gluing checks, even under consideration of a low Young’s modulus of glue, highly reduces the effect of checking on the elastic mechanical properties of LVL.
Wood polypropylene composites prepared by thermally modified fibers at two extrusion speeds: mechanical and viscoelastic properties
Authors: Askanian Haroutioun , Verney Vincent , Commereuc Sophie , Guyonnet René , Massardier Valérie
Published: August 2014

Composites have been prepared with polypropylene (PP) as a matrix and pine flours, either thermally treated (Wtr) or not (W), as fillers resulting in wood plastic composites (WPCs). The treatment by retification at 280° mainly elevates the hydrophobicity of wood. The WPCs were fabricated with a co-rotating twin-screw extruder with the screw speeds of 500 and 1200 rpm and specimens were prepared by injection molding. Viscoelastic behavior, tensile test and Charpy impact test of Wtr PC were compared with PP and WPC. Wtr PC has a better dispersion and highest tensile modulus. As expected, a decrease in elongation at break and impact strength was observed for all composites. Processing at 1200 rpm improved by 60% the Young modulus of the WPC compared to 500 rpm, whereas 500 rpm was enough to obtain the highest modulus for Wtr PC.
Optimizing Feature Subset and Parameters for Support Vector Machine Using Multiobjective Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Ahuja Jyoti , Ratnoo Saroj
Published: August 2014

The well-known classifier support vector machine has many parameters associated with its various kernel functions. The radial basis function kernel, being the most preferred kernel, has two parameters (namely, regularization parameter C and γ) to be optimized. The problem of optimizing these parameter values is called model selection in the literature, and its results strongly influence the performance of the classifier. Another factor that affects the classification performance of a classifier is the feature subset. Both these factors are interdependent and must be dealt with simultaneously. Following the multiobjective definition of feature selection, we have applied a multiobjective genetic algorithm (MOGA), NSGA II, to optimize the feature subset and model parameters simultaneously. Comparison of the proposed approach with the grid algorithm and GA-based method suggests that the MOGA-based approach performs better than the grid algorithm and is as good as the GA-based approach. Moreover, it provides multiple solutions instead of a single solution. The users can prefer one feature subset over the other as per their requirement and available resources.
Yield analysis of copolymers: effect of temperature, feed ratio and initiator concentration on the copolymerization
Authors: Wasnik Hemlata R. , Kelkar Deepali S. , Ganvir Vikrant Y.
Published: August 2014

Copolymerization of pyrrole and aniline was carried out using chemical methods. The synthesis was carried out at different temperatures for different proportions of the monomers. The monomer reactivity ratios for pyrrole and aniline were calculated as 5.2 and 0.19, respectively, by using the low conversion analysis method. In addition, the same was done for two different concentrations of the initiator. The graphs for percentage conversion were plotted for various combinations of temperature, feed ratio and initiator concentration. Thus, an effort was made to study the impact of various parameters on the process of copolymerization.
Synergistic effect of carbon nanotubes in combination with magnesium hydroxide on the flame retardant poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate)
Authors: Li Hongyan , Liu Hongli , Li Junwei , Tao Sen , Li Jing , Li Yajing , Li Po
Published: August 2014

To investigate the synergistic effect of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in combination with magnesium hydroxide (MH) on the flame retardant poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA), a series of EVA-based composites filled with CNTs, MH, a mixture of MH and CNTs, and MH-modified CNTs (MH-CNTs) were prepared. Characterizations of the fillers and the composites were performed by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and cone calorimetry. The results indicated that the presence of CNTs affected the size of the attaching MH, which was decreased to around 20 nm. MH also had an enlarged special surface area in the MH-CNTs. A synergism was found in the MH-CNTs on the thermal retardant EVA composites due to the interaction between MH and CNTs.
New Ablation Technologies and Techniques
Authors: Mahida Saagar , Berte Benjamin , Yamashita Seigo , Derval Nicolas , Denis Arnaud , Shah Ashok , Amraoui Sana , Hocini Meleze , Haissaguerre Michel , Jais Pierre , Sacher Frederic ,   Hôpital Cardiologique du Haut-Lévêque and Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux II, Bordeaux, Avenue de Magellan, 33604 Pessac, France. E: saagar7m7@yahoo.co.uk,   Hôpital Cardiologique du Haut-Lévêque and Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux II, Bordeaux, France,   Hôpital Cardiologique du Haut-Lévêque and Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux II, Bordeaux, France,   Hôpital Cardiologique du Haut-Lévêque and Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux II, Bordeaux, France,   Hôpital Cardiologique du Haut-Lévêque and Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux II, Bordeaux, France,   Hôpital Cardiologique du Haut-Lévêque and Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux II, Bordeaux, France,   Hôpital Cardiologique du Haut-Lévêque and Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux II, Bordeaux, France,   Hôpital Cardiologique du Haut-Lévêque and Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux II, Bordeaux, France,   Hôpital Cardiologique du Haut-Lévêque and Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux II, Bordeaux, France,   Hôpital Cardiologique du Haut-Lévêque and Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux II, Bordeaux, France,   Hôpital Cardiologique du Haut-Lévêque and Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux II, Bordeaux, France
Published: August 2014

Catheter ablation is an established treatment strategy for a range of different cardiac arrhythmias. Over the past decade two major areas of expansion have been ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) and ventricular tachycardia (VT) in the context of structurally abnormal hearts. In parallel with the expanding role of catheter ablation for AF and VT, multiple novel technologies have been developed which aim to increase safety and procedural success. Areas of development include novel catheter designs, novel navigation technologies and higher resolution imaging techniques. The aim of the present review is to provide an overview of novel developments in AF ablation and VT ablation in patients with of structural cardiac diseases.
Cardiac Autonomic Denervation for Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Katritsis George D , Katritsis Demosthenes G ,   Academic Foundation Trainee, John Radcliffe Hospital, The Oxford University Clinical Academic Graduate School, Oxford, UK,   Director, Department of Cardiology, Athens Euroclinic, 9 Athanassiadou Street, Athens 11521, Greece. E: dkatritsis@euroclinic.gr, dgkatr@otenet.gr
Published: August 2014

The influence of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) on triggering and perpetuation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is well established. Ganglionated plexi (GP) ablation achieves autonomic denervation by affecting both the parasympathetic and sympathetic components of the ANS. GP ablation can be accomplished endocardially or epicardially, i.e. during the maze procedure or thoracoscopic approaches. Recent evidence indicates that anatomic GP ablation at relevant atrial sites appears to be safe and improves the results of pulmonary vein isolation in patients with paroxysmal and persistent AF.
Genetic Discoveries in Atrial Fibrillation and Implications for Clinical Practice
Authors: Mahida Saagar ,   Leeds General Infirmary, Great George Street, Leeds, LS1 3EX, UK. E: saagar7m7@yahoo.co.uk
Published: August 2014

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an arrhythmia with a genetic basis. Over the past decade, rapid advances in genotyping technology have revolutionised research regarding the genetic basis of AF. While AF genetics research was previously largely restricted to familial forms of AF, recent studies have begun to characterise the genetic architecture underlying the form of AF encountered in everyday clinical practice. These discoveries could have a significant impact on the management of AF. However, much work remains before genetic findings can be translated to clinical practice. This review summarises results of studies in AF genetics to date and discusses the potential implications of these findings in clinical practice.
Mechanisms of Atrial Fibrillation – Reentry, Rotors and Reality
Authors: Waks Jonathan W , Josephson Mark E ,   Clinical Fellow in Cardiac Electrophysiology, Harvard Medical School, Harvard-Thorndike Electrophysiology Institute and Arrhythmia Service, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, US,   Herman C. Dana Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Chief of the Cardiovascular Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Director, Harvard-Thorndike Electrophysiology Institute and Arrhythmia Service, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 185 Pilgrim Road, Baker 4, Boston, MA 02215. E: mjoseph2@bidmc.harvard.edu
Published: August 2014

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice, yet our understanding of the mechanisms that initiate and sustain this arrhythmia remains quite poor. Over the last 50 years, various mechanisms of AF have been proposed, yet none has been consistently observed in both experimental studies and in humans. Recently, there has been increasing interest in understanding how spiral waves or rotors – which are specific, organised forms of functional reentry – sustain human AF and how they might be therapeutic targets for catheter-based ablation. The following review describes the historical understanding of reentry and AF mechanisms from earlier in the 20th century, advances in our understanding of mechanisms that are able to sustain AF with a focus on rotors and complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAEs), and how the study of AF mechanisms has resulted in new strategies for treating AF with novel forms of catheter ablation.
Ventricular Assist Devices – Evolution of Surgical Heart Failure Treatment
Authors: Wiedemann Dominik , Haberl Thomas , Riebandt Julia , Simon Paul , Laufer Günther , Zimpfer Daniel ,   Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria. E: dominik.wiedemann@meduniwien.ac.at,   Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria,   Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria,   Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria,   Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria,   Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Published: August 2014

End-stage heart failure represents a substantial worldwide problem for the healthcare system. Despite significant improvements (medical heart failure treatment, implantable cardioverters, cardiac resyschronisation devices), long-term survival and quality of life of t ese patients remains poor. Heart transplantation has been an effective therapy for terminal heart failure, but it remains limited by an increasing shortage of available donor organs along with strict criteria defining acceptable recipients. For the last 50 years, mechanical alternatives to support the circulation have been investigated; however, during the early years device development has been marked in general by slow progress. However, in the past two decades, the technology has evolved dramatically. The purpose of this review is to give a short summary on the evolution of ventricular assist device (VAD) therapy and to give perspectives for future treatment of heart failure.
Update on preimplantation genetic diagnosis and screening
Authors: Kőrösi Tamás , Török Olga , Vajta Gábor
Published: August 2014

Recent advancement in both human embryology and genomics has created a completely new situation for practical and widespread application of preimplantation genetic diagnosis and screening with a dramatic effect on assisted reproduction. The mapping of the first human genome and the advancement in sequencing technology and bioinformatics has led to the discovery of the exact genetic background of exponentially increasing number of diseases. In parallel, methods for culturing human embryos have also radically improved, enabling the late transfer, and the procedure of vitrification the safe cryopreservation. In consequence, refined genetic analyses have become available from blastocyst biopsy followed by the application of novel genomic methods. Furthermore, some studies suggest that by the selection of aneuploid embryos the pregnancy- and birth-rates can be increased. The amount and the depth of information obtainable from the embryos raise several technical and ethical questions that can be answered by further prospective randomized trials. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(35), 1375–1382.
Feasibility of the implementation of medication reconciliation in Hungary
Authors: Freisinger Ádám , Lám Judit , Barki Lilla , Király Márton , Belicza Éva
Published: August 2014

Introduction: For medication safety improvement medication reconciliation was proven to be an effective method transferable between different healthcare providers and ward profiles. Aim: Gaining a better understanding of the process of reconciling medicines. Mapping the driving and restraining forces of introducing medication reconciliation. Method: A search of the literature was conducted. 19 databases were searched using 7 different search engines. The relevance of the papers was rated by two independent experts. Data were extracted based on a previously compiled extraction tool. Results: 230 articles were evaluated. Limits and driving forces of implementing medication reconciliation were set out. Often mentioned implementation obstacles were: communication issues, disengagement of the leaders, unpredictable resources and competence problems. Recommendations mainly consisted of process redesign techniques, presentation of cost-effectiveness data and arranging special training for staff. Conclusions: For improvement of medication safety in Hungarian hospitals implementing medication reconciliation should be considered. The conclusion of ongoing on-site trials as well as limits and success factors identified in this paper should taken into account. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(35), 1395–1405.
A short note on the proof of the ergodic theorem
Authors: Kusolitsch Norbert
Published: August 2014

In this note the proof of a slight generalization of the Maximal Ergodic Inequality is a bit simplified and it is shown that from this generalized inequality Birkhoff’s Pointwise Ergodic Theorem follows almost immediately.
Spectral theory of dissipative q-Sturm-Liouville problems
Authors: Eryilmaz Aytekin , Tuna Hüseyin
Published: August 2014

This paper is devoted to studying a q-analogue of Sturm-Liouville operators. We formulate a dissipative q-difference operator in a Hilbert space. We construct a self adjoint dilation of such operators. We also construct a functional model of the maximal dissipative operator which is based on the method of Pavlov and define its characteristic function. Finally, we prove theorems on the completeness of the system of eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the maximal dissipative q-Sturm-Liouville difference operator.
Theoretical and Experimental Understanding of Charge-Injection GeTe/Sb2Te3Superlattice Phase Change Memory
Authors: Takaura Norikatsu
Published: August 2014

A charge-injection GeTe/Sb2Te3 superlattice phase change memory (PCM or PRAM) has been developed as a candidate for a non-volatile memory that replaces NAND flash memory. It differs from PRAM with the conventional material of GeSbTe, and is therefore named “TRAM (topological switching random access memory)”. First principle calculations showed a resistance change in the GeTe/Sb2Te3 superlattice was enhanced by charge injection. The fabrication and analyses of a one-resistor TEG revealed that the superlattice structure was maintained after 1M endurance, which proved the occurrence of non-melting resistance change in TRAM. The reset current of TRAM was found to be less than 1/5 of that of conventional PRAM. Furthermore, TRAM enables a set -speed of 10 ns and reset -operation by DC-sweep to be achieved, which experimentally proved the atomic movement in TRAM can be enhanced by charge injection.
Properties and Characterization of Building Materials from the Laosicheng Ruins in Southern China*
Authors: Xiao Ya , Wang Ning , Gu Haibin , Guo Weimin , Gao Feng , Niu Ning , Liu Shaojun
Published: August 2014

As one of the most typical ancient cultural relics in southern China's minority regions near Changsha in Hunan province, the magnificent Laosicheng ruins excavated recently have been included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Tentative List. Urgent conservation of excavated Laosicheng ruins brings about the need for a study of the formulation and properties of construction materials used, including earth, stone, mortar, and brick. In the present study, comprehensive analyses were carried out to determine their raw material compositions, mineralogical, and microstructural properties using sheet polarized optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometer, thermogravimetric/differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Special attention was paid to mortars, which were the most widely used in building the Laosicheng. Results show that mortar used as external render of the city wall is mainly built up from inorganic CaCO3 and MgCO3 based hybrid materials produced by the carbonation of Ca(OH)2 and Mg(OH)2 with a small amount of sticky rice. In contrast, mortar used to bond stones of the city walls is a traditional mortar that does not contain sticky rice. This study is a part of a huge interdisciplinary project aimed to clarify the role of organics in ancient China’s organic-inorganic hybrid mortar, which can be considered as one of the greatest invention in construction material history. The results provide valuable basic data and restoration strategies that can be used in the conservation of the ruins as well.