bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Weight of Trash: Teaching Sustainability and Ecofeminism by Asking Undergraduates to Carry Around Their Own Garbage
Authors: Fahs Breanne
Published: June 2015

This essay outlines a recent assignment I designed for an upper-division cross-listed women and gender studies/social justice and human rights course I teach called, “Trash, Freaks, and SCUM.”  In the context of the students reading Edward Humes’ (2012) Garbology, the trash bag assignment asked that students carry around their trash for two 48-hour periods and that they present it to the class.  While the first two day period assesses their actual trash output, students are asked to produce as little trash as possible for the second two day period. This assignment aims to make trash visible and to help students learn about climate change, sustainability, conspicuous consumption, and how their individual carbon footprint contributes to the “big picture” of environmental strain.  I describe this assignment and its goals in this essay, followed by an assessment of its role in teaching about social justice, in order to underscore the importance of experiential learning with trash and to highlight how this assignment fits the mission of my courses on feminism and social justice.
Ignorance/ Denial-Fear/ Paralysis/ Engagement/ Commitment: Reflections on a Decade Teaching Climate Change Law
Authors: Stein Eleanor
Published: June 2015

Teaching about climate change at any level means introducing students to the fearsome realities of our rapidly changing earth.  But more than transmitting curriculum content, this teaching requires opening a space where students can investigate, research and interrogate the logic of the media, corporate, and government discourse on climate change.
News for Educational Workers
Authors: Vogt Leonard
Published: June 2015

N/A
Introduction: Teaching About Climate Change
Authors: Davis James , Rosen Bob
Published: June 2015

This is an introduction to the special issue on Teaching About Climate Change.
Recent vertebrate tracks in sandy substrates and their paleoenvironmental implications: examples from coastal Lithuania
Authors: Buynevich Ilya
Published: June 2015

A diverse suite of vertebrate footprints documented along the coast of Lithuania offers insight into the distribution and preservation potential of tracks in sandy substrates. Whereas ichnotaxonomy is not conventionally applied to modern tracks, a case is made for using footprint classification based on Vialov’s (1966) nomenclature to both observed and predicted track distribution based on extramorphological characteristics of the tracemaker. Along a barrier spit (Curonian Spit) and mainland shoreline (Būtingė) sites, two general types of avian footprints (Avipeda sp), as well as three carnivore (Bestiopeda), four ungulate (Pecoripeda, Suipeda, Hippipeda), and two rodent (Rodentipeda) track morphotypes are described. The habitat preferences result in a predictable distribution of track assemblages with a potential of differentiating vertebrate ichnofacies (lagoon shoreline, open sea beach, dunes). The moisture content, possibility of freezing and rapid aeolian burial, and lithological anomalies (e.g., heavy-mineral concentrations) enhance the preservation potential of tracks. Once preserved, the attitude of trackways in respect to bedding surfaces determines their integrity and here a model of potential regional track distribution is proposed. Track formation and preservation in modern settings provides a useful guide to locating and studying vertebrate footprints and other traces in sand-dominated coastal and aeolian sequences.
Fentanyl buccal tablet versus oral oxycodone for Emergency Department treatment of musculoskeletal pain
Authors: Arthur Annette O. , Mushtaq Nasir , Mumma Shannon , Thomas Stephen H.
Published: June 2015

Background:Emergency Department (ED) analgesia can potentially be delivered quickly using transbuccal administration. A previous study identified time-of-onset advantage of a 100 mcg fentanyl buccal tablet (FBT) as compared to a dose of 5 mg oxycodone with 325 mg acetaminophen. The current study reports comparison of higher-dose (200 mcg) FBT as compared to a more commonly used oxycodone dose of 10 mg with 650 mg acetaminophen.Methods:Time frame: Patients were enrolled between October 2012 and October 2014.

Setting: The study was conducted in an urban teaching ED with annual census of 55,000.

Patients: The 50 convenience-sampled cases met eligibility criteria of age 18-60, with isolated orthopedic complaints; subjects required X-ray to rule-out fracture, and to have pain sufficient to warrant opioids.

Interventions: In this double-blind placebo-controlled analgesia trial, patients were randomized to one of two study groups. OXY subjects received two orally ingested tablets, each containing 5 mg oxycodone and 325 mg acetaminophen, and a transbuccal inactive comparator. FBT subjects received two placebo oral tablets and a 200 mcg FBT.

Data:The main study endpoint was achievement of at least two points' reduction in numeric pain rating scale (NPRS) within ten minutes of study drug administration. NPRS was assessed at the time of study entry and every five minutes' post-drug administration for an hour. Secondary endpoints included assessment of side effects and subjects' desire to have the same medication for future similar pain.

Analysis: Categorical data were assessed with binomial exact 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Continuous data, after being demonstrated as non-normal with skewness-kurtosis testing, were analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis testing. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed to assess whether, after adjustment for potential confounders, there was a difference between FBT and OXY groups with respect to time to achieving significant analgesia.Results:Study groups were similar with respect to age (medians: OXY 34, FBT 38, p = 0.47), initial pain score (median 8 in each group), sex (proportion of males: OXY 64%, FBT 48%, p = 0.25), and ethnicity (proportion of whites: OXY 68%, FBT 56%, p = 0.38). The same proportion (52%) of OXY and FBT cases achieved significant reduction in pain within 15 minutes. Multivariate Cox regression adjusting for potential confounders confirmed (p = 0.28) no difference in rates of pain reduction between OXY and FBT. There were no major complications in either group. The majority of subjects in each group (80% in FBT group versus 76% in OXY group, p = 0.73) expressed high satisfaction and preference to receive the same regimen in future.Conclusion:This study's results suggest approximate equivalence between 200 mcg FBT and 10 mg oxycodone with 650 mg acetaminophen, with respect to time-to-analgesia, analgesic efficacy, side effects, and patient satisfaction.
C’est arrivé près de chez vous! Het arrest Italmoda en het ontzeggen van rechten aan de particulier op grond van de EU-richtlijn
Authors: Vandamme Thomas
Published: June 2015

In deze bijdrage wordt stilgestaan bij de uitspraak van het Hof van Justitie in de zaak Italmoda waarin een nieuw aspect van directe werking van richtlijnen naar voren komt. Nationale overheden zijn verplicht rechten te weigeren als niet aan de materiële vereisten voor de verkrijging daarvan is voldaan. Dat is met name het geval als de begunstigde van btw-faciliteiten betrokken bleek te zijn geweest bij fraude of misbruik van recht. Deze zaak is voor fiscalisten van groot belang, temeer omdat hij vragen oproept ten aanzien van de relatie tussen fraudebestrijding en fiscale neutraliteit. Het arrest heeft echter ook een institutioneel belang dat het btw-recht overstijgt. In hoeverre wordt het verbod van omgekeerde verticale werking van richtlijnen, en daaraan gekoppeld het verbod tot het direct opleggen van verplichtingen aan de particulier, ingeperkt?

HR 22 februari 2013, ECLI:NL:HR:2013:BW5440
RESULTS ON DEVELOPMENT OF MONITORING TOOLS FOR STORAGE GRAIN INSECTS
Authors: Buyantogtokh P , Adyasuren G , Enkhbayar Ch , Myagmar Ch
Published: June 2015

For the purpose of monitoring poisonous insects in storage of grain, flour mills, food industry, and plant originated products it was developed a rapid method to reveal it and insects’ density, distribution, level of harm and control method was determined. Two different pest traps were developed: paper trap and cylinder trap. Results of experimental study showed that these traps were suitable in order to reveal and catch the pests and possible for the use in monitoring studies for the storage poisonous insects. The distribution and density of poisonous insects was established using these traps. The number of caught poisonous insect and their distribution was established by the method of G.A. Zakladnoi and level of harm was determined.Mongolian Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol.13(2) 2014: 84-87
THE RESULT OF PLANT PATHOGENIC FUSARIUM SPP ISOLATED FROM CONIFEROUS FOREST IN NEAR ULAANBATAAR CITY
Authors: Nasanjargal D , Otgonzaya M , Chinzorig R , Byambasuren M
Published: June 2015

Fusarium type of fungi forms whitish or bright color and grows really fast. Fusarium subglutinans f. sp. pini (F. circinatum Nirenbery & O’Donnell), F. Oxysporum f. sp. Psidii and F. solani are widely distributed plant entomopathogenic fungi. This fungus usually gives a signs of yellowing, drying and shedding when causing disease.Main aim of our study is to identify Fusarium spp fungi based on disease symptoms such as yellowing, drying and shedding of the needles then define isolated pure culture of fungi and formulate control method. [4,6,7]In this study atotal of sixty-nine samples including larch, pine and spruce were collected from 8 locations out of 127 pieces collected from 13 locations are used. According to standard methodology, when isolating mixed and pure culture samples were placed on wet Petri dish in incubator at 26°C for 7 days until the fungus growth appearedalso average mycelia growth and conidia have observed.This Fusariumspecie typically gives whitish tinged grayish-violent color in colony center on PDA. Observing culture mycelia growth and conidia, genus name has identified using “Identification of Mitosporic Fungi” by Dr. Katsuhiko Ando. When formulating control method against fungi, bioproduct of Bacillus subtilis 26D strain, made in Russian as well as plant originated bioproduct called 1.5 % Matrine & Osthole Asmade in China have been experimented against entomopathogenic fungi Fusarium sppareused. Based on the study results Fusarium type of fungi is detected from samples taken from Bogdiin am, Jigjid and Taivan mountain. Hence bioproduct of Bacillus subtilis 26D strain inhibited fungal growth whereas can be possible biocontrol for Fusarium spp whereas plant originated bioproduct 1.5% Matrine & Osthole AS made in P.R.C cannot inhibit the growth of this fungi.Forest morbidity is not well researched in Mongolia. Based on our research forest regions near Ulaanbaatar city have higher morbidity rate. Disease symptoms of conifers have shown yellowing, drying and even shedding of the needles.A total of sixty-nine samples including larch, pine and spruce were collected from 8 locations near Ulaanbaatar city. Samples were placed on wet plates in incubator at 26°C for 7 days until the fungus growth appeared. Fresh fungal growth from the plated samples then transferred onto PDA. Fusarium species typically have average mycelia growth, aerial mycelium and gives whitish tinged grayish-violent color in colony center on PDA.Mongolian Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol.13(2) 2014: 101-104
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SOIL SEED BANK AND VEGETATION DIVERSITY ON DIFFERENT GRAZING PRESSURE
Authors: Jargalsaikhan Gantuya
Published: June 2015

In a case study, the main objective was to compare three sites with different grazing pressures in Hvitarsida, W-Iceland in relation to current vegetation, seed bank composition and the correlation between those. Our results show that there were significant difference in species composition in above and belowground, giving very little similarity in species composition between seed bank and current vegetation composition. The only exceptions were Agrostis capillaris and Bistorta vivipara that had close similarity between current aboveground vegetation and soil seed bank. Agrostis capillaris had a great abundance in all the sites and Bistorta vivipara proliferates mostly with bulbils that most likely were numerous in the soil. The results of our study agree with current theories on seed bank composition and similar studies,that the similarity between current above ground vegetation and soil seed bank depends on current dominant species (annual or perennial)and the productivity (high or low) of the site.Mongolian Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol.13(2) 2014: 105-113
EFFECT OF YEAST (CANDIDA UTILIS) ON THE COMMERCIAL LAYER HEN’S LIVE WEIGHT AND EGG PRODUCTION
Authors: Rentsenkhand J , Togtokhbayar N
Published: June 2015

In order to investigate the effect of a yeast on laying hens performance and live weight, one hundred Rodonit-3 breed laying hens (75 week of age), were selected and randomly allocated to 25 pens containing 4 laying hens each with 6 replicates and assigned to receive one of 4 dietary treatments (1. Control, 2. Yeast 2%, 3.Yeast 4%, 4.Yeast 6%). The results showed that egg production and egg weight not significantly different, live weight and feed intake significant differences.Mongolian Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol.13(2) 2014: 114-116
THE RESULTS OF A STUDY OF THE POPULATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF SNOW LEOPARDS (UNCIA UNCIA SCHREBER 1775) OF TSAGAAN SHUVUUT NATURAL RESERVE THROUGH AUTOMATIC CAMERAS AND FUR SPOTS
Authors: Tugsuu B , Ganbat G , Munkhtsog B
Published: June 2015

Snow leopard is one of the endangered species that has been listed in the Red book of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as well as in 11 countries of Central Asia, including Mongolia. The main reasons of endangerment include the disappearance and decrease of their prey population due to livestock feeding into their habitat, illegal hunting to sell beautiful skins, hunting of their prey and vanishing of their habitat due to the impacts of human activities. Determining the habitation, population number, and density and comprehensively identifying the factors of influence have vital importance in conserving the population of snow leopards in Mongolia and Russia, the northernmost habitants of the world’s snow leopards.Mongolian Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol.13(2) 2014: 131-135
Reflections on Archival User Studies
Authors: Rhee Hea Lim
Published: June 2015

This study is the first to focus on how developments in research trends, technology, and other factors have changed archival user studies. How have they changed in the past thirty years? How have they been conducted? This study examines and analyzes the US and Canadian literature on archival user studies to trace their past, characterize their present, and uncover the issues and challenges facing the archival community in conducting user studies. It discusses findings and gives suggestions for further archival user studies.
Japanese Cartoons, Virtual Child Pornography, Academic Libraries, and the Law
Authors: Masuchika Glenn
Published: June 2015

Many academic libraries are adding comics and cartoon in print form to their collections. Japanese comics, called "manga," are a large part of this collecting. However, in some of these items, there are drawn images of people seemingly under eighteen years of age engaged in highly graphic, uncensored, sex acts. The purpose of this paper is to discuss whether collecting such materials may violate anti-obscenity laws of the United States and expose the collection developer and the library to criminal liabilities. It also suggests that these concerns can lead librarians to self-censorship in their collection development duties.
Management: Reflections on Diversity and Organizational Development
Authors: Leadley Sarah
Published: June 2015

Effectively addressing diversity issues can be a challenge in any organization—yet, when done well, it can manifest as more of an opportunity to foster a strong sense of community and maximize potential within it. In this column, Sarah Leadley maps the robust approach taken at the University of Washington Bothell/Cascadia College Library to develop cultural competencies among staff and establish diversity as a strategic priority. The library’s integrated agenda, grounded in the principles of social justice and built around teachable moments, suggests a noteworthy facet of organizational development that is well worth modeling.
From Committees of RUSA: Notable Books List 2015
Authors: Notable Books Council RUSQ
Published: June 2015

The Notable Books Council, a group of readers' advisory experts within the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association, has announced its selections for the 2015 Notable Books List.Since 1944, the goal of the Notable Books Council has been to make available to the nation's readers a list of about twenty-five very good, very readable, and at times very important fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books for the adult reader. A book may be selected for inclusion on the Notable Books List if it possesses exceptional literary merit, expands the horizons of human knowledge, makes a specialized body of knowledge accessible to the nonspecialist, has the potential to contribute significantly to the solution of a contemporary problem, or presents a unique concept.
Sources: Experiencing America's Story through Fiction
Authors: Wachsmann Melanie
Published: June 2015

This book is packed full of historical fiction titles to incorporate into curriculum, aid in collection development, or to assist with reader's advisory. Organized chronologically, the book begins with the colonization and settlement of America and proceeds through contemporary America, which, according the author, begins in 1980. The author ends with a bibliography and an index that includes authors, titles, and major historical events.
Sources: Guide to Reference in Business and Economics
Authors: Hudson-Ward Alexia
Published: June 2015

The Guide to Reference in Business and Economics, edited by Steven W. Sowards and Elisabeth Leonard, is an outstanding reference resource that will be beneficial to academic and public librarians as well as to LIS students, LIS faculty members, and some corporate librarians. The majority of the book's content is derived from the "Economics and Business" section of ALA's online guide Guide to Reference (www.guidetoreference.org) and has been carefully curated by the editors to ensure that high-quality resources are highlighted.
Sources: 500 Great Military Leaders
Authors: Davis Evan
Published: June 2015

If the title were 500 Important/Noteworthy Military Leaders, that would sound awkward, so instead we have "Great," but listing the important/noteworthy is what Tucker says in his preface he was striving to achieve. That helps explain his selections, many of whom are portrayed as capable men who played significant roles in major wars--perhaps as trainers or planners or theoreticians. Others were outstanding subordinate leaders or â€œgreatâ€ within their times and locales.
Sources: All Things Julius Caesar: An Encyclopedia of Caesar's World and Legacy
Authors: Trott Garrett B.
Published: June 2015

All Things Julius Caesar (ATJC) is part of a series of encyclopedias titled All Things. This series looks at a topic--in this case, Julius Caesar--from a variety of angles, including cultural, religious, and architectural. This provides the reader with ability to understand the larger historical context for a specific topic. While there are several reference works related to the Roman Empire, there are none that provide such a broad perspective on a narrow topic.
Sources: Antarctica and the Arctic Circle: A Geographic Encyclopedia of the Earth's Polar Regions
Authors: Euster Lisa
Published: June 2015

Although calling itself a geographic encyclopedia, the scope of this two-volume set is broader than such a designation suggests. Hund has attempted to encompass a large range of information about a vast area, perhaps a bit much for a modest two-volume set. Attempting to address in a meaningful way topics in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and applied sciences for both poles in approximately 350 entries and fewer than 800 pages is ambitious. His stated "central feature . . . the original inhabitants of the Arctic region" (xi) would, alone, merit a work of this size. John Stewart's larger, two-volume Antarctica: An Encyclopedia, 2nd ed. (McFarland, 2011) is more limited in both geographical and topical scope.
Sources: Famous Assassinations in World History: An Encyclopedia
Authors: Elrod Rachael
Published: June 2015

Famous Assassinations in World History: An Encyclopedia includes two volumes of 266 entries of assassinations and attempted assassinations of world political leaders from 465 BCE to 2012. Notable names include John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, Adolf Hitler, Benazir Bhutto, Rasputin, and Osama bin Laden. The only nonpolitical person included is John Lennon, included because of his sociopolitical involvement toward the end of his life. Four entries are included on organizations involved in multiple assassinations such as the Ku Klux Klan. The entries, arranged alphabetically, include a description of the assassination, a profile of the victim, and an explanation of how the assassination or attempted assassination effected politics and society of the time.
Sources: The Great American Mosaic: An Exploration of Diversity in Primary Documents
Authors: Hudson Chris G.
Published: June 2015

Gary Y. Okihiro's edited collection of primary documents, The Great American Mosaic, is a conventionally formatted ABC-CLIO sourcebook of historical materials divided between four volumes, one of each focusing on the experiences of African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans, and Native Americans. A set that also included a volume focused on the experience of Muslim Americans might have increased the impression of timeliness to the work as a whole, but such an identity-based assignment would not have gelled with Okihiro's geographically based organization, the logic of which he explains tautly in a general introduction to the set.
Sources: Health Under Fire: Medical Care During America's Wars
Authors: Chercourt Mina
Published: June 2015

Health Under Fire: Medical Care During America's Wars focuses on US conflicts and wars starting with colonial conflicts (pre-US) and ending with wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan. This historical reference highlights connections between war and health. It traces the evolution of medical practices during times of war. Health Under Fire: Medical Care During America's Wars not only looks at the unique health challenges during times of war, but also looks at medical advances made during these times in history.
Sources: Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God
Authors: Singleton Brent D.
Published: June 2015

Countless encyclopedic works have been published recently on Islam, some covering the subject broadly and others tackling discrete topics within the religion. This reference set is entirely unique in that it approaches Islam through the lens of the Prophet Muhammad's life and theological and historical place within the religion and wider world.
Sources: Women's Rights in the United States: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Issues, Events, and People
Authors: Slack Anita J.
Published: June 2015

I have found Women's Rights in the United States: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Issues, Events, and People to be a well-organized, comprehensive, and useful resource. Since Ursuline College is a women-focused institution, the library tends to keep an eye trained on titles on topics like women's rights. Our reference collection includes multiple resources on women's rights; however, we own nothing quite as sweeping in scope while still being focused on women in the United States.
Sources: World War I: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection
Authors: Laudicina Matthew
Published: June 2015

This past summer marked the one hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. It is likely not a complete coincidence that numerous publishers are taking this opportunity to publish various monographs and reference sets to coincide with this occasion. The boldly titled World War I: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection has recently come to publication and achieves the lofty proclamations of its title.
Gestão democrática e projeto político-pedagógico: estudo de caso em uma escola municipal de São Gonçalo dos Campos/BA
Authors: Cazumbá Rodrigo Santos , Silva Raimunda Maria da
Published: June 2015

Este trabalho discute-se acerca da gestão democrática e do projeto político-pedagógico, tendo como objetivo central analisar como ocorre o processo de construção coletiva do PPP em uma unidade de ensino. A pesquisa foi realizada em uma escola pública municipal de São Gonçalo dos Campos - BA, sendo desenvolvida por meio de um estudo de caso, com aplicação de questionários envolvendo professores, gestor e coordenador. O trabalho constituiu-se de duas partes: a primeira consiste de uma revisão literária abordando os diversos aspectos da gestão democrática e projeto político-pedagógico. A segunda parte consiste na apresentação dos resultados de um estudo de caso. A pesquisa revelou que na escola estudada o PPP não é elaborado de forma coletiva e existe uma participação bastante limitada da comunidade escolar nos processos de gestão.Palavras-chave: projeto político-pedagógico, gestão democrática, construção coletiva.
La profondeur des dispositifs civilisateurs : la dialectique négative entre la politesse et la moralité chez l’Anthropologie de Kant
Authors: Sánchez Madrid Nuria
Published: June 2015

Cet article analyse la contribution que la belle apparence de la vertu, dont la multiplicité de formes peut se réunir autour le nom générique de decorum, offre au procès de civilisation et aussi à la progressive moralisation de l’espèce humaine selon l’anthropologie morale de Kant.
El filósofo y el teúrgo en el pensamiento de Jámblico: Una metafísica del símbolo
Authors: Hermoso Félix María Jesús
Published: June 2015

La razón de la convivencia en el pensamiento de Jámblico de una valoración incontestable de la filosofía con una sólida presencia de la teúrgia plantea un reto a la crítica contemporánea. Desde los parámetros actuales de interpretación se hace difícilmente comprensible esta convivencia que parece, en su núcleo mismo, contradictoria. Pese a la recuperación paulatina de la importancia y la seriedad de este pensamiento que en la actualidad se lleva a cabo, muchos puntos quedan sin resolver. Se hace necesario ensayar un nuevo marco interpretativo capaz de dar razón de la convergencia entre filosofía y teúrgia en el pensamiento de Jámblico, respetando su coherencia interna y buscando el sentido y la solidez de su propuesta. En la búsqueda de este marco, la naturaleza y la función del símbolo ha de ser determinante. La comprensión de la figura del teúrgo en el pensamiento de Jámblico adquirirá sentido en este marco interpretativo.
Notas filosóficas de Levinas
Authors: Ramírez Guijarro Alba
Published: June 2015

Reseña de LEVINAS, Emmanuel. Escritos inéditos 1. Madrid: Trotta, 2013, 284 pp. Trad. Miguel García-Baró, Mercedes Huarte y Javier Ramos.
Introduction
Authors: Biers Katherine , Marcus Sharon
Published: June 2015

The six theatre scholars who have contributed to this special issue of Nineteenth Century Theatre and Film seek to account for the global scale of nineteenth-century performance by establishing transnational frameworks for theatre studies, a field still often defined in terms of national traditions. For much of the long nineteenth century, performance was global and global culture depended as much on performance as on literature in print. The essays collected here demonstrate that ceaseless mobility across national borders helped to define the experience of writing for, performing in and going to the theatre throughout the nineteenth century. These essays also add a significant dimension to the burgeoning scholarly literature on global theatre by emphasising intersections between performance, print and other media and by documenting and analysing the practices of transnational adaptation and remediation across international lines that were ubiquitous in a pre-copyright age. They demonstrate that nineteenth-century theatre may have been as crucial as poetry or the novel to creating the borderless global world whose value is so often hotly debated today.
Neural population dynamics in human motor cortex during movements in people with ALS
Authors: Pandarinath Chethan , Gilja Vikash , Blabe Christine H , Nuyujukian Paul , Sarma Anish A , Sorice Brittany L , Eskandar Emad N , Hochberg Leigh R , Henderson Jaimie M , Shenoy Krishna V
Published: June 2015

The prevailing view of motor cortex holds that motor cortical neural activity represents muscle or movement parameters. However, recent studies in non-human primates have shown that neural activity does not simply represent muscle or movement parameters; instead, its temporal structure is well-described by a dynamical system where activity during movement evolves lawfully from an initial pre-movement state. In this study, we analyze neuronal ensemble activity in motor cortex in two clinical trial participants diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). We find that activity in human motor cortex has similar dynamical structure to that of non-human primates, indicating that human motor cortex contains a similar underlying dynamical system for movement generation.

Clinical trial registration: NCT00912041.
NMR illuminates the pathways to ALS
Authors: Xie Tao , Kalodimos Charalampos G
Published: June 2015

A combination of NMR techniques is able to explore the structure of short-lived protein conformations.
Is addiction a myth? Donald Davidson’s solution to the problem of akrasia says not*
Authors: Heather Nick , Segal Gabriel
Published: June 2015

Heather, N., & Segal, G. (2015). Is addiction a myth? Donald Davidson’s solution to the problem of akrasia says not*. The International Journal Of Alcohol And Drug Research, 4(1), 77-83. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v4i1.195An obvious problem for the concept of addiction is its portrayal as involving involuntary behavior in the face of the addict’s intentional actions. This has led some writers to call addiction a myth and to describe the self-labeling of persons as addicts as an illustration of causal attribution. We argue that this position is seriously mistaken. We propose that it is possible to construct a meaningful concept of addiction without assuming it involves completely involuntary behavior and to do so within the language of agents engaging in intentional action. One way of doing so arises from the work of Donald Davidson (1917-2003), particularly his essay "How is weakness of the will possible?" (Davidson, 1969). Davidson proposes a solution to the classic philosophical problem (called the problem of akrasia or incontinence) of how it is logically possible for someone to perform an action against her better judgement, and his solution is relevant to an understanding of addiction (i.e., addiction is a class of akratic action). Thus, Davidson’s solution to this philosophical problem is also an answer to the question of how it is possible to understand addiction without assuming it entails completely involuntary behavior. At the same time, Davidson’s conclusion at the end of his essay—that the akrates cannot give a reason for preferring incontinent over continent action—suggests what addicts mean when they say they feel compelled to behave the way they do.
Addiction: A highly successful, essentially contested concept
Authors: Borch Anita , Rantala Varpu
Published: June 2015

Borch, A., & Rantala, V. (2015). Addiction: A highly successful, essentially contested concept. The International Journal Of Alcohol And Drug Research, 4(1), 1-4. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v4i1.200Within two or three decades an increasing use of the concept of addiction has been observed in the media, in expert discourses, in popular culture, and in everyday talk. The concept does not only cover traditional substance use but also a growing range of behaviors like gambling, internet use, sex, eating, work, and shopping. One important reason behind the concept’s “use value” lies most likely in the fact that it can be adapted to so many different situations of contemporary life. The concept also integrates everyday talk with medical and scientific discourse (Room, Hellman, & Stenius, this issue; Valverde, 1998). The scientific sector is supposed to produce the most reliable, transparent, objective, and impersonal knowledge (Warshal, 2010), and as such the concept holds the credibility label of being “made by science.”
Large‐eddy simulation of three mixed‐phase cloud events during ISDAC: Conditions for persistent heterogeneous ice formation
Authors: Savre J. , Ekman A. M. L.
Published: June 2015

A Classical‐Nucleation‐Theory‐based parameterization for heterogenous ice nucleation, including explicit dependencies of the nucleation rates on the number concentration, size, and composition of the ambient aerosol population, is implemented in a cloud‐scale, large‐eddy simulation model and evaluated against Arctic mixed‐phase cloud events observed during Indirect and Semi‐Direct Aerosol Campaign (ISDAC). An important feature of the parameterization is that the ice nucleation efficiency of each considered aerosol type is described using a contact angle distribution which evolves with time so that the model accounts for the inhibition of ice nucleation as the most efficient ice‐forming particles are nucleated and scavenged. The model gives a reasonable representation of first‐order (ice water paths) and second‐order (ice crystal size distributions) ice microphysical properties. The production of new ice crystals in the upper part of the cloud, essential to guarantee sustained mixed‐phase conditions, is found to be controlled mostly by the competition between radiative cooling (resulting in more aerosol particles becoming efficient ice nuclei as the temperature decreases), cloud‐top entrainment (entraining fresh particles into the cloud), and nucleation scavenging of the ice+forming aerosol particles. The relative contribution of each process is mostly determined by the cloud‐top temperature and the entrainment rates. Accounting for the evolution of the contact angle probability density function with time seems to be essential to capture the persistence of in‐cloud ice production without having to, for example, increase the free tropospheric aerosol concentration. Although limited to only three cases and despite important limitations of the parameterization (e.g., the present version only considers dust and black carbon as potential ice nuclei), the results suggest that modeling the time evolution of the ice nuclei population ability to form ice is required to accurately model Arctic mixed‐phase cloud processes.
Ionospheric variation during pulsating aurora
Authors: Hosokawa K. , Ogawa Y.
Published: June 2015

We have statistically analyzed data from the European Incoherent Scatter (EISCAT) UHF/VHF radars in Tromsø (69.60°N, 19.20°E), Norway, to reveal how the occurrence of pulsating auroras (PsAs) modifies the electron density profile in the ionosphere. By checking five winter seasons' (2007–2012) observations of all‐sky aurora cameras of the National Institute of Polar Research in Tromsø, we have extracted 21 cases of PsA. During these PsA events, either the UHF or VHF radar of EISCAT was operative and the electron density profiles were obtained along the field‐aligned or vertical direction near the zenith. From these electron density measurements, we calculated hmE (E region peak height) and NmE (E region peak density), which are proxies for the energy and flux of the precipitating PsA electrons, respectively. Then, we examined how these two parameters changed during the evolution of 21 PsA events in a statistical fashion. The results can be summarized as follows: (1) hmE is lower (the energy of precipitation electrons is higher) during the periods of PsA than that in the surrounding interval; (2) when NmE is higher (flux of PsA electrons is larger), hmE tends to be lower (precipitation is harder); (3) hmE is lower and NmE is larger in the later magnetic local time; and (4) when the AE index during the preceding substorm is larger, hmE is lower and NmE is larger. These tendencies are discussed in terms of the characteristics of particles and plasma waves in the source of PsA in the magnetosphere. In addition to the statistics of the EISCAT data, we carried out several detailed case studies, in which the altitude profiles of the electron density were derived by separating the On and Off phases of PsA. This allows us to estimate the true altitude profiles of the PsA ionization, which can be used for estimating the characteristic energy of the PsA electrons and better understanding the wave‐particle interaction process in the magnetosphere.
MonteCarlo Studies, Empirical Response Surfaces in
Authors: Power Simon
Published: June 2015

This article examines the role of empirical response surfaces in succinctly summarizing the results of Monte Carlo studies and providing a simple means of predicting the outcome of Monte Carlo experiments that were not explicitly included in a particular study. It includes a simple illustrative example and discusses recent applications in the case of unit‐root and cointegration test statistics with nonstandard distributions.
Impact of Inflation and Interest on Aggregate Claims
Authors: Garrido José , Léveillé Ghislain
Published: June 2015

Inflation can have a significant impact on insured losses. Insurance companies recognize this effect on their aggregate claims when setting premiums and reserves.

Interest earned by insurance companies on their reserves can, to some extent, offset the effect of inflation on claims. This article looks at the combined effect of these economical variables, inflation and interest, on the distribution of aggregate claims.
Life Insurance Mathematics
Authors: Norberg Ragnar
Published: June 2015

The subject matter and methodology of modern life insurance mathematics are surveyed. Standard insurance products with payments depending only on life history events are described and analyzed in the commonly used Markov chain model under the assumption of deterministic interest rates. The actuarial equivalence principle for determining premiums and reserves is motivated by risk diversification in large portfolios. Differential equations for reserves and other conditional expected values are obtained and proclaimed basic constructive and computational tools. The traditional method for managing nondiversifiable risk arising from changes in, for example, mortality rates and interest rates is outlined; premiums are calculated under prudent assumptions and systematic surpluses thus created are repaid as bonus. An alternative way of managing nondiversifiable risk is to link the contractual payments to the development of mortality, interest, and possibly other demographic or economic indexes. Examples of the so‐called index‐linked products are given, and premiums and reserves are determined by combined use of classical actuarial principles and principles of pricing and hedging from financial mathematics. Transfer of nondiversifiable risk to the financial markets through creation of tradable insurance derivatives is outlined as an idea. Methods for estimation of mortality and other vital rates are fetched from modern statistical life history analysis and therefore only briefly described. Finally, martingale techniques are presented and their applications are discussed.
Epidemic Models, Control
Authors: Clancy Damian
Published: June 2015

Two approaches are considered in relation to classic deterministic and stochastic epidemic models: to reduce the basic reproduction number below unity or to define costs of intervention and infection and choose the optimal intervention policy. For each approach, the issue of incorporating parameter uncertainty when determining a control strategy is discussed.
Measurement of Agreement
Authors: Shoukri Mohamed M.
Published: June 2015

This article reviews some well‐known indices of agreement, the conceptual and statistical issues related to their estimation, and their interpretation for both categorical and interval scale measurements. Particular measures of agreement that are discussed include kappa, a measure of category distinguishability, measure for agreement with nominal responses, monotonic agreement, and agreement measures for 2 × 2 tables. Agreement of multiple raters for the same subject is also discussed, together with the use of unanimity and majority rules. Software to carry out these calculations is also mentioned.

Since the publication of the first review, several books (Dunn, G. (2004); Broemeling, L. D. (2009).Bayesian Methods for Measures of Agreement, Chapman & Hall/CRC Biostatistics Series, Boca Raton, FL; Gwet, K. L.Handbook of Inter‐rater Reliability, 3rd Edition, Advanced Analytics, LLC, Gaithersburg, MD; Shoukri, M. M. (2010).Measures of Interobserver Agreement and Reliability, 2nd Edition, Chapman & Hall/CRC Biostatistics Series, Boca Raton, FL; Von Eye, A. and Mun, E. Y. (2004).Analyzing Rater Agreement: Manifest Variable Methods Hardcover. ISBN‐13: 978–08058496771 ISBN‐10:080584967X Edition: Har/Cdr.) have been published, which is an indication that the topic is of interest to applied statisticians, clinicians, and other practitioners.
Multivariate Survival Analysis
Authors: Dabrowska Dorota M.
Published: June 2015

Multivariate survival analysis deals with methods designed for the study of correlated failure time observations taken on a single individual or a group of individuals. Examples of applications include epidemiologic studies on the familial tendency in chronic disease incidence, follow‐up studies of recurrent diseases, litter‐matched carcinogenicity experiments on animals, or clinical trials on paired human organs. We give an overview of common approaches to nonparametric estimation of survival function in the presence of censoring and truncation, testing dependencies, and semiparametric regression modeling.
Shepard Diagram
Authors: Leeuw Jan De , Mair Patrick
Published: June 2015

The Shepard diagram is a version of the residual plot familiar from regression analysis that is useful in nonmetric scaling. We discuss its properties and illustrate it with an example.
Data Mining
Authors: Hand David J. , Adams Niall M.
Published: June 2015

Data mining is the discovery of structures and patterns in large and complex data sets. There are two aspects to data mining: model building and pattern detection. Model building in data mining is very similar to statistical modeling, although new problems arise because of the large sizes of the data sets and the fact that data mining is often secondary data analysis. Pattern detection seeks anomalies or small local structures in data, with the vast mass of the data being irrelevant. Indeed, one view of many large‐scale data mining activities is that they primarily constitute filtering and data reduction. Although some subdisciplines of statistics have examined special cases of this problem, the bulk of the work on pattern detection to date has been computational, with an emphasis on algorithms.
Correlational Studies
Authors: Busk Patricia L.
Published: June 2015

Correlational study is a specific type of descriptive research in which the researcher is interested in relationships between two or more variables. Researchers collect data for these variables on a single sample of adequate size.
Fuzzy Cluster Analysis
Authors: Manton Kenneth G. , Lowrimore Gene
Published: June 2015

Usually in cluster analysis, an object is a member of one and only one cluster, a property described as “crisp” membership. Fuzzy cluster analysis allows an object to have partial membership in more than one cluster. This is different from the situation where the membership is actually crisp and each case has a probability of belonging to a particular cluster. Selecting a good membership function is important to the success of the fuzzy clustering methods. The Grade of Membership model – which has a long history of usage in other contexts – is proposed as a straightforward way of performing fuzzy cluster analysis. The Grade of Membership model is illustrated by an example involving gene expression data.
Ethics in Research
Authors: Miller Richard L.
Published: June 2015

This review of research ethics provides a history of the regulation of research ethics and a summary of ethical issues including the recruitment of human participants, informed consent, debriefing, deception, avoiding harm, confidentiality, risk/benefit assessment, vulnerable populations, methodological issues, the use of animals, and ethical publication standards.
LASSO, the
Authors: Knight Keith
Published: June 2015

The LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) is a method of estimation in linear regression (and related) models that combines shrinkage estimation achieved in ridge regression with model selection where some (or all) parameter estimates are set to zero. The LASSO is capable of producing a “sparse” estimate of the parameter and can be used effectively even when the number of parameters exceeds the number of observations. LASSO estimates can be computed very efficiently using a number of methods, including coordinate descent methods. A number of generalizations of the LASSO have been proposed, including the fused LASSO, the group LASSO, and the adaptive LASSO.
Imaging‐Guided Combined Photothermal and Radiotherapy to Treat Subcutaneous and Metastatic Tumors Using Iodine‐131‐Doped Copper Sulfide Nanoparticles
Authors: Yi Xuan , Yang Kai , Liang Chao , Zhong Xiaoyan , Ning Ping , Song Guosheng , Wang Dongliang , Ge Cuicui , Chen Chunying , Chai Zhifang , Liu Zhuang
Published: June 2015

Combining different therapeutic strategies to treat cancer by overcoming limitations of conventional cancer therapies has shown great promise in both fundamental and clinical studies. Herein, by adding 131I when making iodine‐doped CuS nanoparticles, CuS/[131I]I nanoparticles are obtained, which after functionalization with polyethylene glycol (PEG) are used for radiotherapy (RT) and photothermal therapy (PTT), by utilizing their intrinsic high near‐infrared absorbance and the doped 131I‐radioactivity, respectively. The combined RT and PTT based on CuS/[131I]I‐PEG is then conducted, achieving remarkable synergistic therapeutic effects as demonstrated in the treatment of subcutaneous tumors. In the meanwhile, as revealed by bimodal nuclear imaging and computed tomography (CT) imaging, it is found that CuS/[131I]I‐PEG nanoparticles after being injected into primary solid tumors could migrate to and retain in their nearby sentinel lymph nodes. Importantly, the combined RT and PTT applied on those lymph nodes to assist surgical resection of primary tumors results in remarkably inhibited cancer metastasis and greatly prolonged animal survival. In vivo toxicology studies further reveal that our CuS/I‐PEG is not obviously toxic to animals at fourfold of the treatment dose. This work thus demonstrates the potential of combining RT and PTT using a single nanoagent for imaging‐guided treatment of metastatic tumors.