bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Les oreilles du cœur et l’œil de la raison : penser la justice à partir de l’approche phénoménologique de la miséricorde
Authors: Leblanc Cathy
Published: November 2017

Le terme de « miséricorde » apparaît dès le xii e siècle dans les textes, c’est-à-dire vers le dernier tiers du Moyen Âge, la pensée médiévale étant essentiellement teintée de religion, à une époque où philosophie et théologie ne sont pas véritablement distinctes. Réfléchir sur le lien entre miséricorde et justice invite soit à penser la justice divine et son paradigme, soit à explorer la manière dont la sphère religieuse se présente au programme de la justice civile. La difficulté consiste alors à se demander à quel type de justice la miséricorde peut véritablement participer. Dans cet article, nous proposons une approche phénoménologique de la miséricorde afin d’en explorer l’espace sémantique pour descendre petit à petit au niveau du repentir comme capacité de se retourner soi-même sur soi-même pour dire la rature et la correction que l’on souhaite apporter au texte de son existence.
Les médiations artistiques, d’autres chemins de rencontre possibles
Authors: Paquis Lucille
Published: November 2017

Présentation d’une pratique de médiation artistique conduite par une psychologue avec des adolescents en situation de crise. La conduite concrète d’une séquence est détaillée. La position particulière du psychologue, décalée des pratiques de parole habituelles, est argumentée.
C’est la mer ?
Authors: Reynes-Seguin Guénaelle
Published: November 2017

Ce texte retrace l’histoire d’une rencontre vécue à l’occasion d’une médiation thérapeutique par l’art, soutenue par un maillage institutionnel se référant à la psychothérapie institutionnelle.
La pratique urbaine de l’équarrissage à la charnière du Moyen Âge et de l’époque moderne
Authors: Barme Maude , Clavel Benoît
Published: November 2017

La présence des chevaux dans les villes se manifeste dans la récurrence des dépôts réunissant leurs cadavres. Après leur mort, suite à un accident ou à leur réforme, les chevaux et autres équidés deviennent source de matières premières et leurs carcasses sont exploitées, le plus souvent dans des zones spécifiques, à l’écart des habitations, en raison des nuisances diverses générées et de la masse importante de déchets produits. Néanmoins, cette règle générale semble connaître des exceptions, ou du moins des aménagements : certaines découvertes très ponctuelles et de moindre ampleur nous engagent à nous interroger sur les modalités des dépôts et les contours de l’activité d’équarrissage en milieu urbain, à la charnière du Moyen Âge et de l’époque moderne. Cette problématique s’accompagne de son nécessaire corollaire, soit la perception des contemporains confrontés aux pratiques des écorcheurs de chevaux.
D’une forge imposante à une écurie de la Renaissance au château de Caen
Authors: Guillot Bénédicte , Béguier Irène
Published: November 2017

Cet article permet de suivre l’évolution d’un grand édifice, mis au jour au château de Caen en 2005. Construit d'abord pour servir de forge au début de la guerre de Cent Ans, le bâtiment a suivi les péripéties politiques de la Normandie, jusqu’à être converti en écurie de la Renaissance par un des gouverneurs du château au tout début du xvie siècle.
Jesus is my Nr. 1
Authors: Aterianus-Owanga Alice
Published: November 2017

Au Gabon, dans le monde du hip-hop comme dans le reste de la société, la sorcellerie est omniprésente. En témoigne l’histoire de Jordy, rappeur converti au pentecôtisme et au rap gospel, qui a reconfiguré son rapport à la musique hip-hop en même temps qu’il s’est délivré de la persécution sorcière. Son parcours éclaire les pouvoirs ambivalents conférés au rap dans ce contexte : tantôt maléfique, tantôt désenvoûteur.
Armes sonores et musiques d’ambiance
Authors: Volcler Juliette , Stoichita Victor A.
Published: November 2017

Depuis la seconde guerre mondiale, les recherches se succèdent en Europe et en Amérique du Nord pour exploiter les ondes acoustiques à des fins offensives. Dans cet arsenal « non-létal », la musique est convoquée comme un moyen efficace d’atteindre l’intimité psychique des personnes ciblées. Cet imaginaire menaçant est en lien étroit avec la psychologie comportementale, et avec le champ d’étude plus large de la manipulation sonore qui émerge à partir des années 1930 autour du théâtre, du cinéma et de la musique d’ambiance.
Diaboli in mûsîqî
Authors: During Jean
Published: November 2017

Du croisement des données de terrain (enquêtes réalisées au Baloutchistan) et des références aux sources littéraires classiques de l’islam (soufisme et théologie), se dégage une problématique articulée en trois volets : l’évaluation et les réserves, exprimées par les acteurs eux-mêmes, quant aux pratiques de transe curative (
le’b
) et au rôle qu’y tient la musique ; l’évaluation, la valorisation ou les objections des soufis et des théologiens concernant les transports extatiques durant les rites de
samâ’
et de
dhikr 
;

l’intrication des champs curatif et dévotionnel où l’usage de la musique présente des dangers, car d’un point de vue substantialiste, certains sons possèderaient un pouvoir intrinsèque.
Tibetan vibratory connections
Authors: Diemberger Hildegard , Ramble Charles
Published: November 2017

In Tibet sounds can heal, make ill, protect, challenge, appease, defile, purify, seduce or even liberate from worldly attachments. Sounds of the natural environment merge with human-made music and chanting in soundscapes that are intimately interconnected. While the spiritual features and healing powers of Buddhist ritual music have been often described, what is perhaps less known is the kaleidoscope of natural and human sounds against which it has been developed and performed for centuries. In this portfolio we explore some of these sacred soundscapes, their history and impacts.
Arab Gulf Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership
Authors: Abalkhail Jouharah Mohammad
Published: November 2017

This chapter examines the challenges facing women's careers in the Arab Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries. It suggests strategies to increase the number of females in leadership positions. A systematic literature review establishes current findings, as well as future needs in the understanding of factors impacting women's career progression in leadership positions. This chapter contributes knowledge on issues of women's career advancement in the Arab GCC countries. It is relevant to decision makers and Human Resource Development (HRD) practitioners as they utilize women's talents and promote equal opportunity in the workplace.
An Efficient Innovative Approach Towards Color Image Enhancement
Authors: Bora Dibya Jyoti
Published: November 2017

Image Enhancement works as a first mandatory criteria for an efficient image analysis task. Removing noises and managing the contrast are the two major tasks that need to be accomplished in an image enhancement process. In this article, an innovative approach for color image enhancement is proposed. The proposed approach is a two-step technique. The first step is the noise removal step. Here, an improved median filter, Improved_Median(), is introduced to smooth the noises which exist in the original color image. Then, in the second step, local contrast enhancement is done. For that, an improved version of CLAHE, AA_CLAHE() is proposed for the local contrast management of the filtered image. The V-channel of HSV color space is used for the color computations involved in the local contrast management process. The overall enhancement done by the proposed approach is found to be satisfactory and outperforms the same produced by other state-of-the-art algorithms through experiments on several noisy and poor contrast color images obtained from different standards databases.
Developing Confident Computational Thinking through Teacher Twinning Online
Authors: Oldham Elizabeth , Cowan Pamela , Millwood Richard , Strong Glenn , Bresnihan Nina , Amond Mags , Hegarty Lisa
Published: November 2017

In view of the current focus on computational thinking in schools, professional development is needed so that teachers can help students acquire the requisite skills. Enhancing teachers' confidence is one important aspect. This article describes a project which offers teachers a playful, supportive introduction to computer programming, using the language Scratch. The project, CTwins (“Coding Twins” or “Computational Thinking wins”), entails teachers working in pairs called ‘twins' to produce an artefact, by communicating and reflecting in an online environment. The theoretical framework uses research on pair programming and working in online communities. An evaluative action research approach in two cycles was undertaken, the first being a pilot. For each cycle, teachers completed surveys to measure confidence pre- and post-participation, posted to the online environment, and participated in a focus group. The article then outlines implementation of the CTwins strategy, presents the findings – teachers' confidence showed gains overall-– and discusses possibilities for future work.
On the Convergence and Diversity of Pareto Fronts Using Swarm Intelligence Metaheuristics for Constrained Search Space
Authors: Zeltni Kamel , Meshoul Souham , Al-Baity Heyam H.
Published: November 2017

This article reviews existing constraint-handling techniques then presents a new design for Swarm Intelligence Metaheuristics (SIM) to deal with constrained multi-objective optimization problems (CMOPs). This new design aims to investigate potential effects of leader concepts that characterize the dynamic of SIM in the hope to help the population to reach Pareto optimal solutions in a constrained search space. The new leader-based constraint handling mechanism is incorporated in Constrained Multi-Objective Cuckoo Search (C-MOCS) and Constrained Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (C-MOPSO) as specific instances of a more general class of SIMs. The experimental results are carried out using a set of six well-known test functions and two performance metrics. The convergence and diversity of C-MOCS and C-MOPSO are analysed and compared to the well-known Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm (MOEA) NSGA-II and discussed based on the obtained results.
Effect of Fly Ash on Compressive Strength of Metakaolin Based Geopolymer
Authors: Siriwan Chokkha
Published: November 2017

Geopolymers were produced through two precursors including solid components and alkaline activators.It was attracted interesting as a green technology because it was the possibility to the remarkably low emission of CO2 in its manufacturing process as compared with Portland Cement (PC). In the present work, the studied program was divided into three steps. In Step 1, Ranong clay (Thailand source) was used as a solid powder and the concentrationof sodium hydroxidewas tested as an alkali solution. After mixing, the geopolymer slurry was casted into a steel mold. The curing condition of all specimens was maintained at 60oC for 24 hrs. The compressive strength of all specimens was tested after curing 1 day. The maximum compressive strength of 10M NaOH was selected intothe next step. In step 2, the partial replacement of 10M NaOH by Na2SiO3 was studied. In this case, 20 wt% of Na2SiO3 was presented as alkaline activatorinto the next step. In step 3, the amount of Fly ash(0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% by weight) was studied on partial metakaolin replacement. However, the highest compressive strength of 30 wt% fly ashis29.74MPa. To support the results from compressive strength, the microstructure, and geopolymerizationof all compositions were investigated using a scanning electron microscope and a Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively.
Impulse Grounding Resistance of Graphite Flexible Grounding Material under Spark Effect
Authors: Zhang Peng Cheng , Xun Yuan , Bo Zhao
Published: November 2017

Graphite flexible grounding material is an environmentally friendly material with corrosion resistant, non-magnetic and flexible characteristic, which is gradually applied to grounding of transmission lines in recent years. In order to provide a reference for grounding grid design and impulse resistance measurement, an iterative calculation method based on electric-network theory is proposed. The equivalent method of the equivalent time-varying radius and influence of different iteration methodsonthe calculation resultsare discussed. Furthermore the accuracy of this method is compared with that of traditional ones in regulations. In the end the impulse grounding resistance of three kinds of grounding grids are calculated with this method and the empirical formulas of impulse coefficient are built. The results show that it can be considered that there is reference value in the calculation results obtained by the method in this paper, and the calculation accuracy improved as well. It obtains three typical grid structures under the impulse coefficient experience formula, and the grounding grid design and impulse resistance measurements of flexible graphite grounding electrode can provide reference. Flexible graphite grounding material has a broad application prospect in the power system grounding technology.
Influence of Heat Treatment on Interface Structure of Stainless Steel/Gray Iron Bimetallic Layered Castings
Authors: Ramadan Mohamed , Hafez Khalid M. , Abdel Halim K.S. , Fathy N. , Chiba Tadachika , Sato Hisashi , Watanabe Yoshimi
Published: November 2017

The present study is undertaken to investigate the influence of annealing and normalizing heat treatment on the bimetallic interface microstructures of 304 stainless steel and gray cast iron. The current work is aim to control the bimetal interface microstructures by different types of heat treatment processes to improve performance of the bimetallic castings performance. For low temperature annealing, specimens are heated to 760 0C for 60 min in an electrical heating furnace. For high temperature annealing and normalizing, specimens are heated to 920 0C for 120 and 240 min. A different interface structures are obained for all heat treated samples. Annealing and normalizing induce a significant effect on the diffusion of C and Cr elements and slightly effect on the diffusion of Ni element. Thickness of interface layer 1 (austenite + carbide) increases by increasingthe annealing temperature.
ZigBee WSN Applied in Intelligent Monitoring Systems of Agricultural Environment
Authors: Yuan Li Na , Chen Hua Jun , Gong Jing
Published: November 2017

China is a great agricultural country, which has huge total land resources, yet very little per capita, and meets the food requirements of numerous people about 7% of the world's land. How to increase product yield, improve production efficiency, and combine the dual effect of environment and economy based on the limited resources, is one of the significant problems to urgently need to be addressed at present. This paper first introduces the architecture standard of agricultural Internet of things (IOT), then expounds the basic situation of ZigBee and wireless sensor network (WSN), and finally analyzes the demand for intelligent monitoring system of agricultural environment (IMSAE), from the perspective of the overall design, preliminarily designs an IMSAE using ZigBee WSN.
Modelling a Multi-Stage Diffuser for Sucrose Extraction in Sugarcane Biorefineries
Authors: Noel Simas Barbosa Larissa de Souza , Santiago Patrícia Aparecida , Seleghim Jr. Paulo
Published: November 2017

The extraction of sugar is one of the first and main stages of sugarcane processing, and obtaining high sucrose extraction efficiencies is essential for the productivity of ethanol and sugar industries. In recent years, the number of diffusers for sucrose extraction has been increasing significantly in Brazil due to several reasons, the main ones being their higher efficiency, lower energy costs and lower maintenance and capital costs. Different factors may influence the sucrose extraction efficiency in industrial diffusers, such as operating conditions that are different from nominal equipment design conditions. Thus, the objective of this work is the modelling of a sucrose extraction process, in a multi-stage sugarcane industrial diffuser. The extraction process was first transformed into a mathematical model using phenomenological equations for the mass and momentum balance considering a lumped parameter model approach. The formulated equations were then modelled in LabVIEW and the model was tested through the analysis of the influence of the input variables in the diffuser’s extraction efficiency. Five scenarios were considered and different imbibition liquid input positions and mass flow rates, as well as different percolation liquid recirculation rates were evaluated. The results show that: (1) the insertion of imbibition liquid in more than one stage decreases the percolation velocities in most of the stages, increasing the concentration of sugar in the megasse but also increasing the concentration of sugar in the final juice; (2) higher imbibition flow rates increases the percolation velocity and, therefore, decrease sucrose concentration in the megasse. However, it dilutes the extracted juice; (3) higher recirculation rates to the same stages increase the percolation velocity and benefit sucrose extraction efficiency, decreasing the sugar concentration in the megasse and increasing the sugar concentration in the juice. Yet, a limit for the increase in recirculation must be respected in order to prevent flooding. All the obtained results were consistent and showed that the model is able to project the operation of a diffuser. In a next stage, a multi-objective optimization will be performed in order to optimize operational conditions of the equipment.
Experimental Study of the Rate of Evaporation from Porous Media of Different Matrices
Authors: Yeu Y.L. , Tan H.H.J. , Gorin Alexander , Vakhguelt Anatoli
Published: November 2017

Evaporation and boiling from porous media has drawn a broad attention in many applications ranging from industrial, environmental to engineering and technologies. However, prediction of evaporation rates from porous media remains a challenge due to complex interactions between ambient conditions and the porous media properties such as complex geometry, material of the matrices composing porous medium, many length scales, surface phenomena, and effective transport coefficients. In this study, the evaporation rates of distilled water from porous media of different matrices were studied experimentally. Porous media were made up from spherical brass balls of different diameters of 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm and 5 mm. The temperature profiles across porous media, air temperature, humidity, and amount of water evaporated were measured in experiments. The effects of the porosity, the thickness of a porous layer, and particle size on the evaporation from porous media were investigated. Different materials of the porous matrices have allowed bringing to light the influence of the material properties. The experimental data show that the rate of evaporation of distilled water with brass balls is higher than that of only distilled water without a porous medium embedded into the water layer and does not change significantly after a steady state condition is achieved.
Renewable Energy Potential of Kazakhstan
Authors: Vakhguelt Anatoli
Published: November 2017

2017 is the year when the capital of Kazakhstan Astana is hosting the EXPO2017 “Future Energy” conference. It is interesting to consider how Kazakhstan is developing renewable energy usage. Kazakhstan with its huge territory and not very large population is having great potential for renewable energy production. Most of the territory has sufficient amount for solar energy harvest and also large amount of area with high speed of wind, which has large potential to produce sufficient amount of wind energy. Areas such as Jungar Gates and Chylyk Corridor have a huge potential for the production of energy by wind turbines. The part of Kazakhstan between the Balkhash Lake and Aral Sea is not very populated due to shortage of water. At the same time this area has a very high level of solar irradiation. It is possible to harvest there a large amount of solar energy if it would have many solar panel arrays installed. The problem difficult to overcome would be the maintenance of these solar panel arrays due to low population and pure living conditions. There are at least two major reasons to go for renewable energy development in the country. First one – Kazakhstani leadership is looking into opportunities to change from a resource economy (it is one of the oil producing countries – it has more than 2% of the world oil reserve and many other resources) to a technology driven one. In this case resources will be used to produce different products. Due to that, one of the challenges is to move from fossil fuel driven energy production to alternative sources and the potential is there. Another stimulus is that Kazakhstan is the country which has joined to Kyoto protocol and Paris agreement. Thus, Kazakhstan tends to reduce greenhouse effect and also Kazakhstan is going towards the generation of energy from alternative sources. The government of the country is developing the legislation in direction to encourage producers and users to increase share of alternative sources for energy generation in Kazakhstan. It provides users with benefits if they supply energy produced by alternative sources to the grid with preferable rates.
Development Issues of Alternative Energy in Algeria
Authors: Azouaou Lamia , Slimani Nassima , Chadlia Amel
Published: November 2017

Nowadays, global warming is central to all discussions, as governments are trying to make decisions in order to slow the greenhouse effect. This lead to the creation of “sustainable development”, which relies on renewable energies in order to preserve the environment. The development issues of renewable energy in Algeria drove the Algerian State to integrate it in the national energy mix. It is a major challenge regarding the preservation of fossil fuels, diversification of electricity production chains and contribution to sustainable development. Algeria launched a renewable energy development program going from 2011 to 2030 in order to revive economic growth in this country. The program recently concluded its first phase dedicated to pilot projects and testing various technologies available. The Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency Development Program (REEEDP), in the revised version by the services of the Department of Energy, has just been adopted with the conclusions highlighted by its first phase.the preservation of fossil fuels, diversification of electricity production chains and contribution to sustainable development. Algeria launched a renewable energy development program going from 2011 to 2030 in order to revive economic growth in this country. The program recently concluded its first phase dedicated to pilot projects and testing various technologies available. The Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency Development Program (REEEDP), in the revised version by the services of the Department of Energy, has just been adopted with the conclusions highlighted by its first phase.
Numerical Solution of the Bio-Heat Transfer Equation with Uncertain Parameters Using the Sensitivity Analysis Methods
Authors: Mochnacki Bohdan , Ciesielski Mariusz , Piasecka-Belkhayat Alicja
Published: November 2017

In the paper the numerical solution concerning the skin tissue heating in the case of uncertain thermophysical parameters is discussed. The solutions of this type of problems presented previously are based on the application of interval arithmetic. In particular, the parameters appearing in the governing equations and boundary-initial conditions are treated as the interval numbers. Here, the authors propose another approach using for this purpose the methods of sensitivity analysis. The mathematical model of the process concerns the heterogeneous tissue domain subjected to an external heat source. At the stage of numerical modeling both the basic model and the sensitivity ones are solved using the finite difference method. In the final part of the paper, a computational example is presented.
LAD2D: A Computer Code for Detonation Fluid Dynamics Problems with Large Distortion and Internal Slip
Authors: Wang Rui Li , Liang Xiao , Lin Zhong
Published: November 2017

This paper describes the LAD2D computer code, which numerically solves the equations of transient, multilaterals, compressible fluid dynamics. Of particular interest is the general capability to handle material interfaces, including slip, cavitations, or void closure. Also included is the capability to treat material strength and plasticity, as well as high explosive (HE). LAD2D uses a Lagrangian finite volume numerical technique. The method manages the sliding meshes and the internal meshes unifying as arbitrary polygonal meshes, and present a new changing connectivity of mesh technology based on the moving position of grid points with their topological relations. Of particular interest is the changing connectivity of mesh to handle the large deformation mesh and to close the gap during numerical simulation. The verification and validation (V&V) of LAD2D software was implemented based on the foundation of scientific software’s V&V method. Several applications of the changing connectivity of mesh are presented with comparison of calculations with experimental results to demonstrate the capability of the new method. The changing connectivity of mesh may be used on arbitrary geometries, using structured or unstructured meshes, and it leads to strong numerical simulation capability for multilaterals problems.
Development of Ultra-Thin Opaque White Hydroxyapatite Sheet for Restoration of Enamel and Aesthetic Treatments of Teeth
Authors: Kato Nobuhiro , Ido Yuki , Yamamoto Ei , Hontsu Shigeki
Published: November 2017

In cosmetic dentistry, bleaching and laminate veneer methods are common treatments to improve the appearance of teeth. However, there are limitations to these treatments, as they damage the enamel which are not capable of recovering naturally. In this study, novel hydroxyapatite (HAp) sheets, which enable both enamel restoration and aesthetic treatments, were developed. Results indicated that the lower range of the sintering temperatures, of the pulsed laser deposition targets, produced lighter shades of amorphous Calcium phosphate (ACP) sheets. Subsequently, the post-annealing process of the sheets induced crystallization processes of the ACP sheets, to form HAp sheets, and improved the shade rank of the sheet. The shade rank of the developed sheet (6.8 ± 0.2) was almost comparable to the average shade rank of the teeth of Japanese people, within a range of 6.5 to 7.0.
In Vitro Characterization Perspectives Using Fourier Transform Infrared Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS) and Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Spectroscopy (DRIFT)
Authors: Brangule Agnese , Skadins Ingus , Reinis Aigars , Gross Kārlis Agris , Kroica Juta
Published: November 2017

The activity of antibacterial material is conventionally estimated by using an indirect method – a bacteria suspension is inoculated onto a surface, and then the bacteria are collected from the surface and examined as to whether they can form colonies on the agar plate. In the present study, the presence of bacteria was examined by direct detection. Our study is based on FTIR-PAS with an interferometer cantilever detector. Our work discusses the possibility of identifying and distinguishing the presence of different bacteria (Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and the possibility to evaluate the crystallization processes on the pressed calcium phosphate surface.
How do clergy in the Afrikaans-speaking churches deal with sexuality and HIV prevention in young people? Is the message clear?
Authors: Van Dyk Alta C.
Published: November 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate how clergy are dealing with HIV prevention and sexuality education of young people in their congregations. An electronic questionnaire was filled in by 142 clergy from white Afrikaans-speaking churches in the Reformed tradition. Results showed that 77% clergy believed that unmarried young people in their congregations are sexually active. More than 85% clergy agreed that it is the task of the church to provide sexuality and HIV prevention education to young congregants. However, not many clergy (13%) offered HIV prevention programmes for young people in their own congregations. The main HIV prevention message 85% of clergy were prepared to share with young congregants was ‘abstinence only’ or ‘your body is the temple of God’. Only 15% clergy (significantly more female clergy) were prepared to offer comprehensive sexuality education (abstinence PLUS) programmes. The HIV prevention message of the church should at least be in line with the lived experiences and reality of its youth in today’s society. The church can no longer afford to alienate young people through moralism only. She needs an approach that satisfies both morality and reality.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article has implications for the fields of psychology, HIV and AIDS research and pastoral care. It challenges the way the church prepares young people to cope with HIV in a modern society and suggests change in terms of a greater participation in the sexuality education of young people.
Mental Healthcare Delivery in Rural Greece: A 10-year Account of a Mobile Mental Health Unit
Authors: Peritogiannis Vaios , Manthopoulou Thiresia , Gogou Afroditi , Mavreas Venetsanos
Published: November 2017

Introduction: Patients living in rural and remote areas may have limited access to mental healthcare due to lack of facilities and socioeconomic reasons, and this is the case of rural areas in Eastern Europe countries. In Greece, community mental health service delivery in rural areas has been implemented through the development of the Mobile Mental Health Units (MMHUs). Methods: We present a 10-year account of the operation of the MMHU of the prefectures of Ioannina and Thesprotia (MMHU I-T) and report on the impact of the service on mental health delivery in the catchment area. The MMHU I-T is a multidisciplinary community mental health team which delivers services in rural and mountainous areas of Northwest Greece. Results: The MMHU I-T has become an integral part of the local primary care system and is well known to the population of the catchment area. By the end of 2016, the majority of patients (60%) were self-referred or family-referred, compared to 24% in the first 2 years. Currently, the number of active patients is 293 (mean age 63 years, 49.5% are older adults), and the mean caseload for each member of the team is 36.6. A significant proportion of patients (28%) receive care with regular domiciliary visits, and the provision of home-based care was correlated with the age of the patients. Within the first 2 years of operation of the MMHU I-T hospitalizations of treatment, engaged patients were reduced significantly by 30.4%, whereas the treatment engagement rates of patients with psychotic disorders were 67.2% in 5 years. Conclusions: The MMHU I-T and other similar units in Greece are a successful paradigm of a low-cost service which promotes mental health in rural, remote, and deprived areas. This model of care may be informative for clinical practice and health policy given the ongoing recession and health budget cuts. It suggests that rural mental healthcare may be effectively delivered by integrating generic community mental health mobile teams into the primary care system.
Histologically Confirmed Intracranial Tumors Managed at Enugu, Nigeria
Authors: Ndubuisi Chika Anele , Ohaegbulam Samuel C. , Iroegbu Linda U. , Ekuma Mike Ezeali , Mezue Wilfred C. , Erechukwu Uwadiegwu Alphonsus
Published: November 2017

Background: There is controversy about the global distribution of intracranial tumors (ICTs). The previous reports from Africa suggested low frequency and different pattern of distribution of brain tumors from what obtains in other continents. The limitations at that time, including paucity of diagnostic facilities and personnel, have improved. Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze the current trend and distribution of histology confirmed brain tumors managed in Enugu, in a decade. Methods: A retrospective analysis of ICTs managed between 2006 and 2015 at Memfys Hospital, Enugu. Only cases with conclusive histology report were analyzed. The World Health Organization ICT classification was used. Results: This study reviewed 252 patients out of 612 neuroimaging diagnosed brain tumors. Mean age was 42.8 years and male-to-female ratio was 1.2:1.0. Annual frequency increased from 11 in 2006 to 55 in 2015. Metastatic brain tumors accounted for 5.6%, and infratentorial tumors represented 16.3%. Frequency of the common primary tumors were meningioma (32.9%), glioma (23.8%), pituitary adenomas (13.5%), and craniopharyngioma (7.5%) (P =0.001). Vestibular schwannoma accounted for 1.2%. Meningioma did not have gender difference (P =0.714). Medulloblastoma, glioma, and craniopharyngioma were the most common pediatric tumors. About 8.7% presented unconscious (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between radiology and histology diagnosis (P =0.932). Conclusion: Meningioma is the most frequent tumor with increasing male incidence, but the frequency of glioma is increasing. Metastasis, acoustic schwannoma, lymphoma, and germ cell tumors seem to be uncommon. Late presentation is the rule.
Predictors of In-hospital Mortality of Acute Ischemic Stroke in Adult Population
Authors: Shah Bhupendra , Bartaula Bijay , Adhikari Janak , Neupane Hari Shankar , Shah Birendra Prasad , Poudel Gunaraj
Published: November 2017

Introduction: Stroke is the second most common cause of mortality worldwide. Data regarding the predictors of mortality of acute ischemic stroke are widely discordant. Identifying the predictors and providing the utmost care to a high-risk patient is still an unmet need in middle- to low-income countries. We did this study to identify the predictor of in-hospital mortality of acute ischemic stroke. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with acute ischemic stroke presented to the tertiary care center in eastern Nepal from January 2012 to December 2016. We enrolled patients of age 18 years and older with acute ischemic stroke in this study. The primary outcome of the study was in-hospital mortality of enrolled patients. Predictors of mortality were analyzed by comparing the patients with acute ischemic stroke who had mortality with those who survived. Results: The mean age of enrolled patients was 66 years. Among 257, the in-hospital mortality rate was 20.5%. The patients with in-hospital mortality had lower Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score (9 vs. 12, P < 0.001) compared to those who survived. During admission, a patient with in-hospital mortality had significantly lower arterial oxygen saturation (92 vs. 95, P < 0.001), higher pulse rate (91 vs. 83, P =0.009), and higher respiratory rate (24 vs. 21, P < 0.001) than those patients with acute ischemic stroke who survived. Conclusion: Lower GCS score, baseline higher pulse rate, higher respiratory rate, and lower arterial oxygen saturation are the predictors of in-hospital mortality of adult with acute ischemic stroke.
White Matter Changes in Corpus Callosum in a Patient with Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
Authors: Mullaguri Naresh , Battineni Anusha , Newey Christopher R. , Nattanmai Premkumar
Published: November 2017

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (INPH) is characterized by the clinical triad of gait and cognitive dysfunction and urinary incontinence. Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunting is often required for treatment. Review of literature shows few case reports discussing benign magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2 hyperintense changes in the corpus callosum of NPH patients after shunting due to mechanical compression of the middle and posterior regions of the body against falx cerebri leading to ischemic demyelination. These changes can be a delayed phenomenon and may interfere with clinical evaluation and may lead to unnecessary procedures and investigations. We present a patient with NPH who was admitted to the neurocritical care unit in coma with quetiapine and trazodone overdose. Diffuse changes in the body of the corpus callosum were seen on MRI suspicious for acute vasogenic edema due to drug overdose. However, it was later determined to be due to the VP shunting for the NPH. We report this case to raise the awareness of neuroimaging changes in patients with NPH who have VP shunting.
Effect of Scapular Stabilization Exercise during Standing on Upper Limb Function and Gait Ability of Stroke Patients
Authors: JO Kim , BH Lee ,   Lee J
Published: November 2017

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of scapular stabilization exercise during standing on a paretic side on upper limb function and gait ability of stroke patients. Methods: This study was a hospital-based, randomized controlled trial with a blinded assessor. A total of 17 patients with hemiplegic diagnosis after stroke were divided into two groups (9 patients in a study group and 8 patients in a control group). The study group received physical therapy and scapular stabilization exercise on a paretic side. Participants were subjected to initial evaluation before the treatment. Subjects were subsequently re-evaluated 4 and 8 weeks later to compare the changes. Measurements of hand function and gait ability were performed. Results: Based on multivariate analysis of variance for repeated-measures, there was a significant time effect for Timed Up and Go test (TUG) (F =13.816, P =0.000), Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) (F =18.613, P =0.000), and manual function test (MFT) (F =16.777, P =0.000). The group × time interaction effect was also significant for FGA (F =4.966, P =0.024) and MFT (F =6.946, P =0.003), but not for TUG test (F =3.343, P =0.069). Conclusion: Results of the present study indicated that scapular stabilization exercise during standing on a paretic side for 8 weeks had an effect on hand function and gait ability of hemiplegic patients after stroke. Further studies are needed to find the most proper exercise for stroke patients who have gait disability and upper limb dysfunction.
Coping and Suicidal Ideations in Women with Symptoms of Postpartum Depression
Authors: Doucet S. , Letourneau N.
Published: November 2017

Objective

To explore the relationship between coping mechanisms and suicidal ideations among women who experience symptoms of postpartum depression.

Design

This exploratory descriptive study used secondary data from a study of women who experienced symptoms of postpartum depression.

Participants

Convenience and purposive sampling were used to obtain the community sample of 40 women who experienced symptoms of postpartum depression.

Methods

Binary logistic regression was employed to explore emotion-focused coping, avoidance-focused coping, problem-focused coping, and religious coping as predictors of suicidal ideations.

Results

Approximately 27% of the sample reported suicidal ideations within the past seven days. The results showed that lower levels of emotion-focused coping and higher levels of avoidance-focused and religious coping predicted suicidal ideations in participants. Problem-focused coping did not predict suicidal ideations.

Conclusion

Overall, our findings provide support for the importance of coping mechanisms as predictors of suicidal ideations among women who experience symptoms of postpartum depression. The results illustrate the need for health professionals to conduct routine assessments on coping strategies and thoughts of suicide when caring for postpartum women, as well as the need to integrate coping approaches in the prevention and treatment of suicidal ideations.
In Vitro Models Using the Human Placenta to Study Fetal Exposure to Drugs
Authors: Kovo Michal , Golan Abraham
Published: November 2017

Over the recent years there has been a gradual rise in the use of pharmaceuticals during pregnancy. Knowledge on placental drug transfer and metabolism has increased during the past decades as well. Investigation of the transplacental transfer of any therapeutically useful drug is essential to the understanding of its metabolic processes and is a prerequisite for its use during pregnancy. The purpose of this review is to give insight on the various techniques that have been developed to evaluate transplacental transfer of drugs and xenobiotics.
The Pathogenesis of Autism
Authors: Watts Timothy John
Published: November 2017

Autism is well known as a complex developmental disorder with a seemingly confusing and uncertain pathogenesis. The definitive mechanisms that promote autism are poorly understood and mostly unknown, yet available theories do appear to focus on the disruption of normal cerebral development and its subsequent implications on the functional brain unit. This mini-review aims solely to discuss and evaluate the most prominent current theories regarding the pathogenesis of autism. The main conclusion is that although there is not a clear pathway of mechanisms directed towards a simple pathogenesis and an established link to autism on the symptomatic level; there are however several important theories (neural connectivity, neural migration, excitatory-inhibitory neural activity, dendritic morphology, neuroimmune; calcium signalling and mirror neurone) which appear to offer an explanation to how autism develops. It seems probable that autism's neurodevelopmental defect is ‘multi-domain’ in origin (rather than a single anomaly) and is hence distributed across numerous levels of study (genetic, immunopathogenic, etc.). A more definitive understanding of the pathogenesis could facilitate the development of better treatments for this complex psychiatric disorder.
Adenomatoid Tumor of Testis
Authors: Amin Waqas , Parwani Anil V.
Published: November 2017

Adenomatoid tumors are responsible for 30% of all paratesticular masses. These are usually asymptomatic, slow growing masses. They are benign tumors comprising of cords and tubules of cuboidal to columnar cells with vacuolated cytoplasm and fibrous stroma. They are considered to be of mesothelial origin supported by histochemical studies and genetic analysis of Wilms tumor 1 gene expression. Excision biopsy is both diagnostic and therapeutic procedure. The main clinical consideration is accurate diagnosis preventing unnecessary orchiectomy. Diagnostic studies include serum tumor markers (negative alpha fetoprotein, beta HCG, LDH) ultrasonography (hypoechoic and homogenous appearance) and frozen section.
Combined Hepatocellular Cholangiocarcinomas; Analysis of a Large Database
Authors: Wachtel Mitchell S. , Zhang Yan , Xu Tom , Chiriva-Internati Maurizio , Frezza Eldo E
Published: November 2017

Aim

Combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma (combined tumor) has been described as either a variant of hepatoma or a variant of cholangiocarcinoma. Prior studies evaluated fewer than 50 patients with combined tumors, precluding multivariate analyses. Posited was the notion that analysis of a large database would yield more definite answers.

Methods

This study used SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute) to analyze 282 combined tumors, 2,035 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas, and 19,336 hepatomas between the years 1973-2003. Multinomial logit regression calculated point estimates and 95% confidence intervals (c.i.) for relative risk (rr). Cox regression calculated point estimates and 95% confidence intervals (c.i.) for hazard ratios (ĥ).

Results

Men less often had cholangiocarcinomas than they had combined tumors (rr = 0.63, c.i. = 0.49-0.81). Hepatomas less often than combined tumors presented with distant spread (rr = 0.56, c.i. = 0.43-0.72). Men (rr = 1.50, c.i. = 1.17-1.93) and patients with a known Asian or Pacific birthplace (rr = 2.36, c.i. = 1.56-3.56) more often had hepatomas than they had combined tumors. Among patients not known to have an Asian/Pacific birthplace, a diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma (ĥ = 0.72, c.i. = 0.63-0.82) or hepatoma (ĥ = 0.75, c.i. = 0.66-0.86) provided a better prognosis than did a diagnosis of combined tumor.

Conclusion

Combined tumors differ from hepatomas and cholangiocarcinomas in terms of distribution and survival patterns in the population; they should be considered neither cholangiocarcinomas nor hepatomas.
Treated Choroidal Melanoma with Late Metastases to the Contralateral Orbit
Authors: George Sonia , Cooke Carole A. , Ginnity Gerald F. Mc , White Steve , Venkatraman Laksmi
Published: November 2017

Choroidal melanoma is the commonest adult primary intraocular tumour, 1 and usual sites of secondary spread are to liver, bone and lung. Although delayed recurrence of ipsilateral orbital melanoma is well documented, metastasis to the contralateral orbit is a rarely encountered phenomenon. We describe a case of metastatic spread to the contralateral orbit in a patient 12 years after proton beam radiotherapy of choroidal melanoma.
Assessment of the Potential Role of Tryptophan as the Precursor of Serotonin and Melatonin for the Aged Sleep-wake Cycle and Immune Function: Streptopelia Risoria as a Model
Authors: Paredes Sergio D. , Barriga Carmen , Reiter Russel J. , Rodríguez Ana B.
Published: November 2017

In the present review we summarize the relationship between the amino acid, tryptophan, the neurotransmitter, serotonin, and the indole, melatonin, with the rhythms of sleep/wake and the immune response along with the possible connections between the alterations in these rhythms due to aging and the so-called “serotonin and melatonin deficiency state.” The decrease associated with aging of the brain and circulating levels of serotonin and melatonin seemingly contributes to the alterations of both the sleep/wake cycle and the immune response that typically accompany old age. The supplemental administration of tryptophan, e.g. the inclusion of tryptophan-enriched food in the diet, might help to remediate these age-related alterations due to its capacity of raise the serotonin and melatonin levels in the brain and blood. Herein, we also summarize a set of studies related to the potential role that tryptophan, and its derived product melatonin, may play in the restoration of the aged circadian rhythms of sleep/wake and immune response, taking the ringdove ( Streptopelia risoria) as a suitable model.
Kynurenine Pathway Metabolites in Humans: Disease and Healthy States
Authors: Chen Yiquan , Guillemin Gilles J.
Published: November 2017

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that can be metabolised through different pathways, a major route being the kynurenine pathway. The first enzyme of the pathway, indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase, is strongly stimulated by inflammatory molecules, particularly interferon gamma. Thus, the kynurenine pathway is often systematically up-regulated when the immune response is activated. The biological significance is that 1) the depletion of tryptophan and generation of kynurenines play a key modulatory role in the immune response; and 2) some of the kynurenines, such as quinolinic acid, 3-hydroxykynurenine and kynurenic acid, are neuroactive. The kynurenine pathway has been demonstrated to be involved in many diseases and disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, AIDS dementia complex, malaria, cancer, depression and schizophrenia, where imbalances in tryptophan and kynurenines have been found. This review compiles most of these studies and provides an overview of how the kynurenine pathway might be contributing to disease development, and the concentrations of tryptophan and kynurenines in the serum, cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissues in control and patient subjects.