bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Revisiting nephrocalcinosis: A single‐centre perspective. A northern Italian experience
Authors: Piccoli Giorgina Barbara , De Pascale Agostino , Randone Olga , Vigotti Federica Neve , Priola Adriano Massimiliano , Naretto Carla , Ferraresi Martina , Aroasio Emiliano , Gonella Silvana , Mongilardi Elena , Scognamiglio Stefania , Consiglio Valentina , Roggero Simona , Piga Antonio , Roccatello Dario , Veltri Andrea
Published: June 2015

Aim

Nephrocalcinosis is a clinical‐pathological entity characterized by the deposition of calcium salts within the kidney parenchyma. Both the protean presentation and multiple causes may explain the lack of data regarding its prevalence. The aim of this study is to report the prevalence and main clinical features of nephrocalcinosis diagnosed in a newly opened nephrology outpatient unit.

Methods

Analysis on the data we prospectively gathered from the start of activity (2007–2013) was carried out. Clinical and laboratory data were collected from the medical records and from the general laboratory; diagnosis was based upon imaging data reviewed by the same radiologists.

Results

Sixty‐five of 2695 patients referred to our unit were diagnosed with nephrocalcinosis (2.4%). The affected patients were younger than the overall out‐patient population (median: 37.7 (min–max: 8–82) vs 63 years (2–102) P < 0.001), with higher female prevalence (68% vs 51.4%: P < 0.05) and better preserved kidney function (CKD‐EPI 103 (23–165) vs 60 mL/min (3.2–169) P < 0.001). Kidney stones were the main reason for referral (35.4%), followed by electrolyte disturbances (22.7%), acute pyelonephritis (4.6%), AKI or CKD (4.6%). Nephrocalcinosis was associated with autoimmune diseases in 29% and with microcythaemia in 23%, while positive family history was present in 23% of patients. Various electrolyte disturbances were observed, with hypercalciuria being the hallmark of beta thalassaemic patients.

Conclusions

Nephrocalcinosis is a rare, but not exceptional disease in nephrology. In Mediterranean countries, microcythaemia would appear to be a major cause of this disease. Greater awareness of nephrocalcinosis is needed for an integrated approach involving various branches of internal medicine and radiology.
Vertical distribution of Fe and Fe(III)-reducing bacteria in the sediments of Lake Donghu, China
Authors: Tian Cuicui , Wang Chunbo , Tian Yingying , Wu Xingqiang , Xiao Bangding
Published: June 2015

In lake sediments, iron (Fe) is the most versatile element, and the redox cycling of Fe has a wide influence on the biogeochemical cycling of organic and inorganic substances. The aim of the present study was to analyze the vertical distribution of Fe and Fe(III)-reducing bacteria (FeRB) in the surface sediment (30 cm) of Lake Donghu, China. At the 3 sites we surveyed, FeRB and Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria (FeOB) coexisted in anoxic sediments. Geobacter-related FeRB accounted for 5%–31% of the total Bacteria, while Gallionella-related FeOB accounted for only 0.1%–1.3%. A significant correlation between the relative abundance of poorly crystalline Fe and Geobacter spp. suggested that poorly crystalline Fe favored microbial Fe(III) reduction. Poorly crystalline Fe and Geobacter spp. were significantly associated with solid-phase Fe(II) and total inorganic phosphorus levels. Pore water Fe(II) concentrations negatively correlated with NO3–at all sites. We concluded that Geobacter spp. were abundant in the sediments of Lake Donghu, and the redox of Fe might participate in the cycling of nitrogen and phosphorus in sediments. These observations provided insight into the roles of microbial Fe cycling in lake sediments.
ОНТОЛОГІЧНИЙ ПІДХІД ДО ПОБУДОВИ ПРЕДМЕТНО ОБЛАСТІ НА ОСНОВІ КВАНТОВО-ФРЕЙМОВО МОДЕЛІ
Authors: Pikulyak M. V.
Published: June 2015

Application of the technology of the component planning of knowledge base in the adaptive educational system, developed on the basis of quantum-frame model, is investigated in the article.

In accordance with such presentation, the ontological model of educational material at the level of quanta is constructed on the basis of semantic network of frames. The whole educational course is presented as a set of the separate modules which unite the great number of informative resources and great number of the test elements that control the level of study of educational material by a student. On results of testing the selection of the elements of content for the repeated or deep study takes place on the basis of relations which set the hierarchy of quanta and associative relations that link informative units.

The offered technology provides possibility of the automatic generating of educational content that the most exactly meets the gaps in students’ knowledge.

This method of structurization allows to realize the construction of individual educational trajectories for learners in the adaptive systems of knowledge transfer.
ВИЗНАЧЕННЯ ВЗАЄМОДІЇ ПОТОКІВ ІНФОРМАЦІЇ ПРИ ОЦІНЦІ ЯКОСТІ ФОРМУЛЯРНОЇ СИСТЕМИ
Authors: Blikhar V. Ye.
Published: June 2015

Official system of medical products, created and implemented in Ukraine in 2009 requires effective feedback to assess its effectiveness [2, 4]. For this purpose, the monitoring mechanism based on predefined quality criteria and indicators, which takes place at all levels of functioning formulary system [3]. Collection process and subsequent automated data processing must be defined information flows for information technologies support the monitoring formulary system.
ДИНАМІКА ЗМІН РОЗРАХУНКОВИХ ПОКАЗНИКІВ ЛАЗЕРНОЇ ДОПЛЕРІВСЬКОЇ ФЛОУМЕГРІЇ ОПІКОВИХ ПОВЕРХОНЬ У ХВОРИХ З ТЕРМІЧНОЮ ТРАВМОЮ ПРИ ПРОВЕДЕННІ РАННЬОГО ХІРУРГІЧНОГО ЛІКУВАННЯ З ВИКОРИСТАННЯМ ГІДРОГЕЛЕВИХ ПОВ’ЯЗОК ТА ПІНОПОЛІУРЕТАНОВИХ АДСОРБЕНТІВ
Authors: Kovalchuk A. O.
Published: June 2015

The dynamics of changes of amplitude-frequency range and medium-arithmetic values of the microcirculation hemo burn wounds in patients with thermal injury during early necrosectomy followed by wound closure hydrogel mesh products and sponged adsorbents. Revealed that normalization of laser Doppler flowmeter is statistically significantly faster in areas of burn lesions of the dermis where used in the treatment of combined hydrogel coatings and polyurethane sponge sorbing groups compared with observations, which were used in order to treat local antiseptics and hydrogel mono coverage.
ОГЛЯД МЕТОДІВ ТА МОДЕЛЕЙ ПОЛІМЕРАЗНО-ЛАНЦЮГОВОЇ РЕАКЦІЇ
Authors: Sverstyuk A. S. , Bihunyak T. V. , Pereviznyk B. O.
Published: June 2015

In the article overviewed the methods and polymerase chain reaction models for the mathematical modeling and evaluating minimum time required problem for of each stage of the cycle and showed how to increase the studied molecular biology techniques efficiency.
Arabidopsis AINTEGUMENTA (ANT) mediates salt tolerance by trans-repressing SCABP8
Authors: Meng Lai-Sheng , Wang Yi-Bo , Yao Shun-Qiao , Liu Aizhong
Published: June 2015

The Arabidopsis AINTEGUMENTA (ANT) gene, which encodes an APETALA2 (AP2)-like transcription factor, controls plant organ cell number and organ size throughout shoot development. ANT is thus a key factor in plant shoot development. Here, we found that ANT plays an essential role in conferring salt tolerance in Arabidopsis. ant--Knock Out (KO) mutants presented a salt-tolerant phenotype, whereas 35S:ANT transgenic plants exhibited more sensitive phenotypes under high salt stress. Further analysis indicated ANT functioned mainly in the shoot response to salt toxicity. Target gene analysis revealed that ANT bound to the promoter of SOS3-LIKE CALCIUM BINDING PROTEIN8 (SCABP8), which encodes a putative calcium sensor, thereby inhibiting SCABP8 expression. It has been reported that the salt sensitivity of scabp8 is more prominent in shoot tissues. Genetic experiments indicated that the mutation of SCABP8 suppresses the ant-KO salt-tolerant phenotype, implying that ANT functions as a negative transcriptional regulator of SCABP8 upon salt stress. Together, the above results reveal that ANT is a novel regulator of salt stress, and that ANT binds to the SCABP8 promoter, mediating salt tolerance.
More on explicit estimators for a banded covariance matrix
Authors: Karlsson Emil , Singull Martin
Published: June 2015

The problem of estimating mean and covariances of a multivariate normally distributed random vector has been studied in many forms. This paper focuses on the estimators proposed by Ohlson et al. (2011) for a banded covariance structure with m-dependence. We rewrite the estimator when m = 1, which makes it easier to analyze. This leads to an adjustment, and an unbiased estimator can be proposed. A new and easier proof of consistency is then presented.This theory is also generalized to a general linear model where the corresponding theorems and propositions are stated to establish unbiasedness and consistency.
The Macedonian Issue in the Geopolitics of the Balkans in the 20s of the Twentieth Century in the Light of British Diplomatic Relations
Authors: Paszkiewicz Jędrzej
Published: June 2015

The article shows the attitude of the Great Britain towards controversies connected with the so‑called Macedonian issue during the inter‑war period, using British archival and published sources. From the point of view of Great Britain the Macedonian issue should be eliminated from the international politics of those times. Its instrumentalization through individual revisionist countries of the region and powers could lead to destruction of the interwar political order in the region. The Macedonian case was treated by British diplomats as a result of political manipulation and unfulfilled aspirations of circles, dissatisfied with the political status quo of those days. The demands to recognize the Macedonian population as an ethnic minority were ignored by the British diplomacy, treating them as an expression of revisionism. The British hope was in the long‑term assimilation of the population within Yugoslavia and Greece. British diplomacy insisted that Bulgarian authorities restrict the influence of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) on relations with Yugoslavia. On the other hand, Yugoslavia should give up supporting Bulgarian emigrants who found refuge there after the coup in September 1923. Moreover, British diplomacy cared about no influence, in any form of the controversy related to the Macedonian issue, on the League of Nations.
The Policy of the George H.W. Bush’s Administration Toward Macedonia
Authors: Szczesio Sławomir Lucjan
Published: June 2015

At the end of the Cold War, Yugoslavia lost its geopolitical significance for the United States. The President George H.W. Bush Administration tried to support these political forces in the SFRY, which tended to maintain the multiethnic country, for example the new Prime Minister of Yugoslavia Ante Marković, and the leader of Macedonia, Kiro Gligorov. The Americans opposed the independence aspiration of Croatians and Slovenians, because they were afraid that it would lead to the ultimate falling apart of the country, which could influence the USSR. When the EC recognized Slovenia and Croatia, the Bush Administration refrained from following European countries until April 1992, considering the consequences for Bosnia and Macedonia. The peaceful and democratic nature of Macedonia’s independence placed the republic in a good position to be recognized by the United States. But Greece led a vigorous campaign against the recognition of Macedonia and the Administration of George H.W. Bush was worried that a conflict between Greece and Macedonia could spark a regional conflict in which Greece and Turkey, two members of the NATO, could clash against each other. One influence on the decision of the Bush Administration was the Greek lobby in the United States, which actively engaged in the Macedonian case and the 1992 presidential campaign. Concurrently, without establishing official diplomatic relations with Macedonia, the Americans engaged in the works of the CSCE mission and supported the preventive deployment of “blue helmets” to appease the domestic situation and contain neighbours from aggressive steps. “The Macedonian Problem,” as the bloody war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, remained unravelled by George H.W. Bush and became a problem for his successor in the White House.
Asymmetry of the Albanian‑Macedonian Military Conflict in 2001
Authors: Krzak Andrzej
Published: June 2015

The aim of this paper is to present the circumstances and course of the Albanian‑Macedonian conflict in 2001, the political situation in Macedonia after 1991, the relationship between Macedonia and its western neighbour – Albania,Macedonian police and armed forcesand the structures of National Liberation Army (KLA) as well. The author presents a thorough analysis of the asymmetric action of the Albanian terrorists and security forces of Macedonia. It is emphasises that the Macedonian Albanians’ revolt began when the military and security forces of Serbia joined the operations against Albanian terrorists in southern Serbia. Additionally, the threat of destabilisation of the Macedonian state is still valid. Former KLA structures were only partially disassembled, a large amount of equipment and weapons was hidden. Despite of the numerous international initiatives and progressive (but also illusory) stability, the ethnic and political conflict has been deferred and it is only a matter of time for someone to reopen the Macedonian “Pandora’s box”. Moreover, the Security System of the Republic of Macedonia must be constructed so that at the start of the rebellion all subsystems could be able to counter the threat effectively. Therefore, it is necessary for Macedonia to cooperate between its security forces and neighbours as well as to build a military infrastructure, to be able to use it to manoeuvre troops and special forces.
International Military and Police Missions to the Republic of Macedonia and Their Role in Stabilizing Macedonian‑Albanian Relations
Authors: Korzeniewska-Wiszniewska Mirella
Published: June 2015

After the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the outbreak of conflicts related to that process the international diplomacy decided to introduce military missions, of various nature, in Croatia and Bosnia and Hercegovina, that is former Yugoslavian republics, where a war was waged in the first half of the 1990s. The Republic of Macedonia declared independence already in 1991, but it became independent peacefully; it did not mean, however, that the country was free from internal problems, for instance of ethnic nature, which escalated before the end of the twentieth century putting the Macedonian state on the brink of civil war on the eve of the new century. The escalation necessitated the invitation by the state authorities of international military missions to assist in stabilising the country’s internal situation.
Un aspecto del modelado de la Cuenca de Busot: los glacis
Authors: Box Amorós Margarita
Published: June 2015

El área de estudio se encuentra en una posición relativamente conflictiva de cara a su ubicación dentro de las unidades béticas. Es de todos modos clara su pertenencia al dominio externo de las mismas, si bien la controversia se establece a la hora de enclavar dicha zona en el dominio Subbético o Prebético. Conviene, pues, comenzar por advertir que se trata de un sector donde ambos conjuntos entran en contacto, aunque las investigaciones realizadas por los geólogos han puesto de manifiesto la naturaleza prebética de este área.
Efectos inducidos por la reciente industrialización en el medio agrario de Sax : de las casas de labor a las residencias secundarias
Authors: Ponce Herrero Gabino
Published: June 2015

El espacio agrario de Sax ha sido, a lo largo de la historia, el principal agente reguladordel contingente humano. Las alzas y bajas de su productividad han tenido siempre fiel reflejo en la demografía local, estableciéndose un equilibrio entre población y recursos que determinaba, en cada momento, un óptimo del volumen demográfico. Con el despegue industrial de finales de la década de los cincuenta y el gran desarrollo económico y demográfico de los sesenta y setenta se rompió el equilibrio. El sector primario se vio desbancado por el creciente auge de la industria y los servicios, quedando relegado, cada vez más, a un tercer plano en la producción económica, hasta llegar, en los años ochenta, a tener un valor puramente anecdótico.
Vivienda agraria en suelo rural: bases para una necesaria ordenación
Authors: Alberdi Collantes Juan Cruz
Published: June 2015

La identificación urbana de vida rural como sinónimo de calidad de vida provoca que en algunas áreas, preferentemente en aquellas más próximas a la ciudad, prolifere la construcción de vivienda aislada. Éstas, además, se realizan a menudo bajo la figura de supuesta vivienda agraria, única posibilidad de realizar este tipo de construcción, atendiendo a la normativa urbanística actual. La progresiva desaparición de la función agraria en la explotación o el desuso en el que entran algunas instituciones agrarias, como el mayorazgo vasco, provoca que la urbanización sea intensa. En este artículo realizamos, atendiendo a la normativa urbanística de la provincia de Gipuzkoa, una propuesta de mejora para la regulación de la vivienda unifamiliar aislada.
Capacidad y vulnerabilidad de los suelos de la Comunidad Valenciana
Authors: Añó Vidal Carlos , Sánchez Díaz Juan , Antolín Tomás Carmen , Goberna Estellés Marta
Published: June 2015

La infrautilización de la información que aporta la cartografía de suelos está ocasionada, entre otros motivos, por la presentación en términos exclusivamente científicos de los resultados generados por los reconocimientos edafológicos. En este trabajo, para facilitar el uso e interpretación de los mapas de suelos, se establecen las pautas generales de comportamiento de la mayoría de las unidades taxonómicas cartografiadas en la Comunidad Valenciana, indicando su capacidad y vulnerabilidad. El Indicador de Capacidad muestra la vocación intrínseca del medio edáfico y del entorno físico que permitirá o limitará el uso agrario. El Indicador de Vulnerabilidad considera las limitaciones potenciales, ocasionadas por una gestión deficiente, que pueden deteriorar las funciones del sistema edáfico.
Aplicación de un método de clasificación sinóptica a la Península Ibérica
Authors: Rasilla Álvarez Domingo Fernando
Published: June 2015

Este trabajo presenta un método de clasificación sinóptica aplicado a la Península Ibérica, combinando técnicas multivariadas de reducción y clasificación de la información y una metodología subjetiva con larga tradición en Climatología Sinóptica. El resultado es un calendario diario de 10 tipos de circulación desde 1946 a 1996. Para verificar su bondad se describen algunas características dinámicas y climáticas de cada uno de los tipos sinópticos.
Is zinc oxide a potential material for future high-power and high-frequency electron device applications?
Authors: Siddiqua Poppy , Hadi Walid A. , Shur Michael S. , O’Leary Stephen K.
Published: June 2015

At the present moment, zinc oxide is primarily being used as an electronic material for low-field thin-film transistor and transparent conducting oxide device applications. In this paper, we present some recent results on the steady-state electron transport within zinc oxide suggesting that this material may also be considered as an alternative material to gallium nitride for high-power and high-frequency electron device applications. The expected device performance that may be obtained from zinc oxide-based devices is then projected and contrasted with that expected from gallium nitride-based devices. It is shown that zinc oxide-based devices have a slight advantage when compared with the case of gallium nitride.
Genetic Diversity among Pentaploid Buffelgrass Accessions
Authors: Burson Byron L. , Renganayaki K. , Dowling Charlie D. , Hinze Lori L. , Jessup Russell W.
Published: June 2015

Buffelgrass [Pennisetum ciliare (L.) Link (syn. Cenchrus ciliaris L.)], an important pasture and range grass in the arid semi‐tropics and tropics, has excellent drought‐tolerance but lacks winter hardiness. It is a polymorphic, apomictic species and its most common chromosome number is 2n = 4x = 36. Eighty‐six pentaploid (2n = 5x = 45) accessions from South Africa were deposited into the USDA National Germplasm System (NPGS) in 1976 and these were more winter‐hardy than all tetraploid accessions. Prior to 1976, only 31 pentaploids were in the NPGS but they lacked cold tolerance. Since 1976, ten pentaploid accessions with unknown cold tolerance have been added to the NPGS and they were included. The genetic diversity among all these pentaploid accessions was investigated to determine if the winter‐hardy and non‐winter‐hardy genotypes were distinct. Amplified fragment length polymorphisms were used to determine the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among the accessions. Ten primer combinations generated 862 polymorphic bands; the number of bands identified by each primer ranged from 74 to 117 (mean 93.4). Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis revealed two groups with one separating into two sub‐groups and one sub‐group separating into two subdivisions. Genetic similarity coefficients ranged from 0.39 to 0.98 (mean 0.74). These findings show considerable genetic diversity among the pentaploid accessions. Most cold‐tolerant and non‐cold‐tolerant genotypes separated by subgroups but not by group. Nine tetraploid accessions, included for reference, clustered into several subgroups. The pentaploid genotypes appear to have polyphyletic origins.
Reduced Nitrogen Mineralization and Litter Decomposition in Unfertilized Smooth Bromegrass Pastures
Authors: Wingeyer Ana B. , Guretzky John A. , Schacht Walter H. , Klopfenstein Terry J.
Published: June 2015

Nitrogen fertilization has been shown to affect herbage accumulation, litter deposition, litter N return, and presence of weeds in smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) pastures. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pasture management strategies that varied amount and form of N input on soil N mineralization, litter decomposition, and litter N release in smooth bromegrass pasture. Management strategies included: (i) nitrogen‐fertilized pasture grazed with unsupplemented beef cattle (FERT); (ii) unfertilized pasture grazed with unsupplemented beef cattle (CONT); and (iii) unfertilized pasture grazed with dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS)‐supplemented beef cattle (SUPP). After 210 d of aerobic soil incubation, cumulative soil N mineralization was 155.1 ± 9.8, 170.5 ± 15.6, and 180.2 ± 13.8 mg N kg–1 soil for CONT, SUPP, and FERT pastures, respectively, which represented a supply of 254, 279, and 294 kg N ha–1 for the 0‐ to 15‐cm soil depth, respectively. Decomposition day models incorporating precipitation and temperature generally were the best predictors of litter decomposition. Regardless of the model used, there was no difference in litter decomposition among management strategies in 2010, while in 2011, both leaf and stem litter decomposed faster in FERT than CONT and SUPP pastures. After 8 yr of management, cessation of N fertilization in CONT and SUPP resulted in a soil environment that supported less litter decomposition than FERT.
Tuning a semantic relatedness algorithm using a multiscale approach
Authors: Leal José , Costa Teresa
Published: June 2015

The research presented in this paper builds on previous work that lead to the
definition of a family of semantic relatedness algorithms. These algorithms
depend on a semantic graph and on a set of weights assigned to each type of
arcs in the graph. The current objective of this research is to automatically
tune the weights for a given graph in order to increase the proximity
quality. The quality of a semantic relatedness method is usually measured
against a benchmark data set. The results produced by a method are compared
with those on the benchmark using a nonparametric measure of statistical
dependence, such as the Spearman?s rank correlation coefficient. The
presented methodology works the other way round and uses this correlation
coefficient to tune the proximity weights. The tuning process is controlled
by a genetic algorithm using the Spearman?s rank correlation coefficient as
fitness function. This algorithm has its own set of parameters which also
need to be tuned. Bootstrapping is a statistical method for generating
samples that is used in this methodology to enable a large number of
repetitions of a genetic algorithm, exploring the results of alternative
parameter settings. This approach raises several technical challenges due to
its computational complexity. This paper provides details on techniques used
to speedup the process. The proposed approach was validated with the WordNet
2.1 and the WordSim-353 data set. Several ranges of parameter values were
tested and the obtained results are better than the state of the art methods
for computing semantic relatedness using the WordNet 2.1, with the advantage
of not requiring any domain knowledge of the semantic graph.
Towards an engine for coordination-based architectural reconfigurations
Authors: Rodrigues Flávio , Oliveira Nuno , Barbosa Luís
Published: June 2015

Software reconfigurability became increasingly relevant to the architectural
process due to the crescent dependency of modern societies on reliable and
adaptable systems. Such systems are supposed to adapt themselves to
surrounding environmental changes with minimal service disruption, if any.
This paper introduces an engine that statically applies reconfigurations to
(formal) models of software architectures. Reconfigurations are specified
using a domain specific language-ReCooPLa-which targets the manipulation of
software coordination structures, typically used in service-oriented
architectures (soa). The engine is responsible for the compilation of
ReCooPLa instances and their application to the relevant coordination
structures. The resulting configurations are amenable to formal analysis of
qualitative and quantitative (probabilistic) properties.
Fuzzified risk management: Selection of safeguards to minimize the maximum risk
Authors: Vicente Eloy , Mateos Alfonso , Jiménez-Martín Antonio
Published: June 2015

Threats can trigger incidents in information systems (IS) causing damage or
intangible material loss to assets. A good selection of safeguards is
critical for reducing risks caused by threats. This paper deals with the
selection of failure transmission, preventive and palliative safeguards that
minimize the maximum risk of an IS for a specified budget. We assume that all
the elements in the IS are valuated using a linguistic scale, which is
capable of accounting for imprecision and/or vagueness concerning the inputs.
Trapezoidal fuzzy numbers are associated with these linguistic terms, and
risk analysis and management is consequently based on trapezoidal fuzzy
number arithmetic. We model and solve the respective fuzzy optimization
problem by means of the simulated annealing metaheuristic and give an example
to illustrate the safeguard selection process.
On distributed concern delivery in user interface design
Authors: Cerny Tomas , Macik Miroslav , Donahoo Michael , Janousek Jan
Published: June 2015

Increasing demands on user interface (UI) usability, adaptability, and
dynamic behavior drives ever-growing development and maintenance complexity.
Traditional UI design techniques result in complex descriptions for data
presentations with significant information restatement. In addition, multiple
concerns in UI development leads to descriptions that exhibit concern
tangling, which results in high fragment replication. Concern-separating
approaches address these issues; however, they fail to maintain the
separation of concerns for execution tasks like rendering or UI delivery to
clients. During the rendering process at the server side, the separation
collapses into entangled concerns that are provided to clients. Such
client-side entanglement may seem inconsequential since the clients are
simply displaying what is sent to them; however, such entanglement
compromises client performance as it results in problems such as replication,
fragment granularity ill-suited for effective caching, etc. This paper
considers advantages brought by concern-separation from both perspectives. It
proposes extension to the aspect-oriented UI design with distributed concern
delivery (DCD) for client-server applications. Such an extension lessens the
serverside involvement in UI assembly and reduces the fragment replication in
provided UI descriptions. The server provides clients with individual UI
concerns, and they become partially responsible for the UI assembly. This
change increases client-side concern reuse and extends caching opportunities,
reducing the volume of transmitted information between client and server to
improve UI responsiveness and performance. The underlying aspect-oriented UI
design automates the server-side derivation of concerns related to data
presentations adapted to runtime context, security, conditions, etc.
Evaluation of the approach is considered in a case study applying DCD to an
existing, production web application. Our results demonstrate decreased
volumes of UI descriptions assembled by the server-side and extended
client-side caching abilities, reducing required data/fragment transmission,
which improves UI responsiveness. Furthermore, we evaluate the potential
benefits of DCD integration implications in selected UI frameworks.
On the origin of European imbalances in the context of European integration
Authors: Carrasco Carlos , Peinado Patricia
Published: June 2015

We study the origin of European imbalances in the context of European
integration. As a whole, the European Union and Eurozone have had nearly
balanced external accounts. However, member countries have presented
divergent positions. We analyse the short-term and medium-term factors
underlying the presence of European external imbalances. Our results reveal
the existence of divergent trends in key macroeconomic variables within the
Eurozone. Moreover, the current account (CA) responds in the short-term to
real unit labour cost (ULC) and discretionary fiscal policy. However, we
point out the possible existence of a structural component of the CA. When
assessing the medium-term determinants of the CA imbalances, catching-up,
old-age dependency ratio and country-level specialisation (non-price
competitiveness) are relevant variables explaining those imbalances.
Current account imbalances in the EMU: An assessment of official policy responses
Authors: Dodig Nina , Herr Hansjörg
Published: June 2015

To handle the sovereign debt crisis in general and macroeconomic imbalances
in particular the leading EU institutions and the Troika (European Central
Bank, European Commission and International Monetary Fund) adopted two broad
approaches: The short-term approach is based on enhancing the Stability and
Growth Pact and to impose fiscal austerity on crisis countries. The medium-
to long-term strategy consists of internal devaluation via reducing wage
costs. Both approaches were combined with structural adjustment programs in
the spirit of the Washington Consensus. The Troika?s policy implies an
asymmetric adjustment process burdening only crisis countries. It led to the
shrinking of demand and output in crisis countries comparable to the Great
Depression and brought the European Monetary Union to the edge of deflation.
These polices must be judged as mislead increasing the risk of Japanese
disease with more than one lost decade.
Using Gaps to Design Educational Programs
Authors: Lubejko Barbara G.
Published: June 2015

To adequately address the professional development needs of nurses, continuing nursing education programs must focus on identified gaps in knowledge, skill, and practice. However, attention must be paid not only to content areas but also to the types of gaps, as these can provide guidance about the best learning techniques and evaluation methods to use.

J Contin Educ Nurs.
2015;46(6):241–243.
Storytelling: A Leadership and Educational Tool
Authors: Kowalski Karren
Published: June 2015

A powerful tool that leaders and educators can use to engage the listeners—both staff and learners—is storytelling. Stories demonstrate important points, valuable lessons, and the behaviors that are preferred by the leader.

J Contin Educ Nurs
. 2015;46(6):250–251.
Focusing on the “T” in LGBT: An Online Survey of Related Content in Texas Nursing Programs
Authors: Walsh David , Hendrickson Sherry Garrett
Published: June 2015

Background:

As nurses, we advocate for the most vulnerable and underserved, who, within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, are transgender individuals. Yet, the existence of LGBT education in nursing schools has not been examined.

Method:

After approval by the university institutional review board, 113 nursing programs in Texas were surveyed between November 2013 and January 2014, with a 12-question, Web-based questionnaire. A Verisign certificate and 128-bit encryption program supported compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.

Results:

Nineteen percent of the surveys were returned. Ten (47.62%) of 21 respondents addressed transgender or transsexual individuals. Fifteen (71.43%) of 21 answered a free-text question to estimate the number of hours spent addressing LGBT content, reporting an average of 1.6 hours.

Conclusion:

Our study suggests that, in Texas, nursing students may not be receiving sufficient content, nor do they understand transgender health needs or how to best deliver competent, compassionate care to this population. [
J Nurs Educ
. 2015;54(6):347–351.]
Librarians’ competency and willingness towards serving the users with disabilities: where do Sri Lankan librarians stand?
Authors: Wijayaratne Anusha , Amarasekara Ramani
Published: June 2015

This paper presents the findings of a survey that aims at exploring the potential of Sri Lankan library professionals for serving the disabled users. Results revealed that the librarians are not adequately knowledgeable and sufficiently skilled to operate an inclusive service for people with special needs, though, they are extremely willing to do so. The paper also discusses the areas that should be strengthened in order to empower the librarians while highlighting the necessity of broadening the boundaries to welcome this very special group of users.Journal of the University Librarians Association of Sri Lanka, Vol. 18, Issue 1, January 2014, Page 1-18
The complexity of rural contexts experienced by community disability workers in three southern African countries
Authors: Booyens Margaret , Van Pletzen Ermien , Lorenzo Theresa
Published: June 2015

An understanding of rural communities is fundamental to effective community-based rehabilitation work with persons with disabilities. By removing barriers to community participation, persons with disabilities are enabled to satisfy their fundamental human needs. However, insufficient attention has been paid to the challenges that rural community disability workers (CDWs) face in trying to realise these objectives. This qualitative interpretive study, involving in-depth interviews with 16 community disability workers in Botswana, Malawi and South Africa, revealed the complex ways in which poverty, inappropriately used power and negative attitudes of service providers and communities combine to create formidable barriers to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in families and rural communities. The paper highlights the importance of understanding and working with the concept of ‘disability’ from a social justice and development perspective. It stresses that by targeting attitudes, actions and relationships, community disability workers can bring about social change in the lives of persons with disabilities and the communities in which they live.
The ocean carbon sink – impacts, vulnerabilities and challenges
Authors: Heinze C. , Meyer S. , Goris N. , Anderson L. , Steinfeldt R. , Chang N. , Le Quéré C. , Bakker D. C. E.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is, next to water vapour, considered to be the most important natural greenhouse gas on Earth. Rapidly rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations caused by human actions such as fossil fuel burning, land-use change or cement production over the past 250 years have given cause for concern that changes in Earth's climate system may progress at a much faster pace and larger extent than during the past 20 000 years. Investigating global carbon cycle pathways and finding suitable adaptation and mitigation strategies has, therefore, become of major concern in many research fields. The oceans have a key role in regulating atmospheric CO2 concentrations and currently take up about 25% of annual anthropogenic carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Questions that yet need to be answered are what the carbon uptake kinetics of the oceans will be in the future and how the increase in oceanic carbon inventory will affect its ecosystems and their services. This requires comprehensive investigations, including high-quality ocean carbon measurements on different spatial and temporal scales, the management of data in sophisticated databases, the application of Earth system models to provide future projections for given emission scenarios as well as a global synthesis and outreach to policy makers. In this paper, the current understanding of the ocean as an important carbon sink is reviewed with respect to these topics. Emphasis is placed on the complex interplay of different physical, chemical and biological processes that yield both positive and negative air–sea flux values for natural and anthropogenic CO2 as well as on increased CO2 (uptake) as the regulating force of the radiative warming of the atmosphere and the gradual acidification of the oceans. Major future ocean carbon challenges in the fields of ocean observations, modelling and process research as well as the relevance of other biogeochemical cycles and greenhouse gases are discussed.
riḥla and Self-Reinvention of Abū Bakr Ibn al-ʿArabī
Authors: Garden Kenneth
Published: June 2015

The Andalusi Abū Bakr Ibn al-ʿArabī (d. 543/1148), one of the great figures of the Mālikī tradition, gained his scholarly credentials through a journey to seek knowledge in the East (riḥla fī ṭalab al-ʿilm). He commemorated his journey in a travelogue so widely admired that it initiated a new genre of Arabic travel writing. This article examines both the journey and the travelogue as strategies Abū Bakr employed to regain his family’s elite status and property, both lost when the Almoravids overthrew the ṭāʾifa of Seville that his father served as a vizier.
How does increasing horizontal resolution in a global climate model improve the simulation of aerosol‐cloud interactions?
Authors: Ma Po‐Lun , Rasch Philip J. , Wang Minghuai , Wang Hailong , Ghan Steven J. , Easter Richard C. , Gustafson William I. , Liu Xiaohong , Zhang Yuying , Ma Hsi‐Yen
Published: June 2015

The Community Atmosphere Model Version 5 is run at horizontal grid spacing of 2, 1, 0.5, and 0.25°, with the meteorology nudged toward the Year Of Tropical Convection analysis, and cloud simulators and the collocated A‐Train satellite observations are used to explore the resolution dependence of aerosol‐cloud interactions. The higher‐resolution model produces results that agree better with observations, showing an increase of susceptibility of cloud droplet size, indicating a stronger first aerosol indirect forcing (AIF), and a decrease of susceptibility of precipitation probability, suggesting a weaker second AIF. The resolution sensitivities of AIF are attributed to those of droplet nucleation and precipitation parameterizations. The annual average AIF in the Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes (where most anthropogenic emissions occur) in the 0.25° model is reduced by about 1 W m−2 (−30%) compared to the 2° model, leading to a 0.26 W m−2 reduction (−15%) in the global annual average AIF.
Research on the change of chemical composition in productive process of Re Du Ning injection by HPLC/Q‐TOF MS
Authors: Zhang Shan , Li Yan‐Jing , Zhang Chun‐Xiao , Huang Wen‐Zhe , Ding Gang , Wang Zhen‐Zhong , Bi Yu‐An , Xiao Wei
Published: June 2015

A high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (HPLC/Q‐TOF MS) was developed for the analysis of chemical composition change in the production process of Re Du Ning injection, a Chinese medicine preparation with a combination of Lonicera japonica Thunb., Gardenia jasminoides Ellis and Artemisia annua L. A total of 90 compounds from raw materials–intermediates–Re Du Ning injection were detected; among them, 55 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized, and the characteristic ions of different types of compounds were described. Based on these studies, the different types of compounds in the various process routes were analyzed. A total of 28 compounds, including seven iridoid glycosides and six monoterpenes from G. jasminoides Ellis, five iridoid glycosides, nine phenolic acids and one unknown compound from L. japonica Thunb., were transferred to Re Du Ning injection, and two unknown compounds were generated in the production process of Re Du Ning injection. The results indicated that the Chinese Medicine Pharmaceutical process control is very important. This method could provide some reference for other Chinese medicine preparations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hydrological and sedimentological processes of flood layer formation in Lake Mondsee
Authors: Kämpf Lucas , Mueller Philip , Höllerer Hannes , Plessen Birgit , Naumann Rudolf , Thoss Heiko , Güntner Andreas , Merz Bruno , Brauer Achim
Published: June 2015

Detrital layers in lake sediments are recorders of extreme flood events. However, their use for establishing time series of past floods is limited by lack in understanding processes of detrital layer formation. Therefore, we monitored hydro‐sedimentary dynamics in Lake Mondsee (Upper Austria) and its main tributary, Griesler Ache, over a 3‐year period from January 2011 to December 2013. Precipitation, discharge and turbidity were recorded continuously at the river outlet to the lake and compared to sediment fluxes trapped with 3 to 12 days resolution at two locations in the lake basin, in a distance of 0·9 (proximal) and 2·8 km (distal) to the Griesler Ache inflow. Within the 3‐year observation period, 26 river floods of different magnitude (10 to 110 m3 s−1) have been recorded resulting in variable sediment fluxes to the lake (4 to 760 g m−2 d−1) including the ‘century‐scale’ flood event in June 2013. The comparison of hydrological and sedimentological data revealed (i) a rapid sedimentation within 3 days after the peak runoff in the proximal and within 6 to 10 days in the distal lake basin; (ii) empirical flood thresholds for triggering sediment flux at the lake floor increasing from the proximal (20 m3 s−1) to the distal lake basin (30 m3 s−1) and (iii) various factors that control the detrital sediment transport in the lake. The amount of sediment transported to the lake is controlled by runoff and catchment sediment availability. The distribution of detrital sediment within the lake basin is mainly driven by mesopycnal interflows and closely linked to flood duration and the season in which a flood occurred. The combined hydro‐sedimentary monitoring revealed detailed insights into processes of flood layer formation in a meso‐scale peri‐Alpine lake and, thereby, improves the interpretation of the depositional record of flood layers.
Hydro‐morphodynamic evolution in a 90° movable bed discordant confluence with low discharge ratio
Authors: Guillén‐Ludeña Sebastián , Franca Mário J. , Cardoso António H. , Schleiss Anton J.
Published: June 2015

Confluences with low discharge and momentum ratios, where narrow steep tributaries with high sediment load join a wide low‐gradient main channel that provides the main discharge, are often observed in high mountain regions such as in the upper‐Rhone river catchment in Switzerland. Few existing studies have examined the hydro‐morphodynamics of this type of river confluence while considering sediment discharge in both confluent channels. This paper presents the evolution of the bed morphology and hydrodynamics as observed in an experimental facility with a movable bed. For that purpose, one experiment was carried out in a laboratory confluence with low discharge and momentum ratios, where constant sediment rates were supplied to both flumes. During the experiment, bed topography and water surface elevations were systematically recorded. When the bed topography reached a steady state (so‐called equilibrium) and the outgoing sediment rate approximated the incoming rate, flow velocity was measured at 12 different points distributed throughout the confluence, and the grain size distribution of the bed surface was analyzed. Typical morphodynamic features of discordant confluences such as a bank‐attached bar and a flow deflection zone are identified in this study. Nevertheless, the presence of a marked scour hole in the discordant confluence and distinct flow regimes for the tributary and main channel, differ from results obtained in previous studies. Strong acceleration of the flow along the outer bank of the main channel is responsible for the scour hole. This erosion is facilitated by the sediment discharge into the confluence from the main channel which inhibits bed armoring in this region. The supercritical flow regime observed in the tributary is the hydrodynamic response to the imposed sediment rate in the tributary. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Intravenous Bisphosphonate Therapy of Young Children With Osteogenesis Imperfecta: Skeletal Findings During Follow Up Throughout the Growing Years
Authors: Palomo Telma , Fassier François , Ouellet Jean , Sato Atsuko , Montpetit Kathleen , Glorieux Francis H , Rauch Frank
Published: June 2015

Cyclical intravenous bisphosphonate therapy is widely used to treat children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), but little is known about long-term treatment outcomes. We therefore reviewed 37 children with OI (OI type I, n = 1; OI type III, n = 14; and OI type IV, n = 22) who started intravenous bisphosphonate therapy before 5 years of age (median 2.2 years; range, 0.1 to 4.8 years), and who had a subsequent follow-up period of at least 10 years (median 14.8 years; range, 10.7 to 18.2 years), during which they had received intravenous bisphosphonate treatment (pamidronate or zoledronic acid) for at least 6 years. During the observation period, the mean lumbar spine areal bone mineral density Z-score increased from –6.6 (SD 3.1) to –3.0 (SD 1.8), and weight Z-score increased from –2.3 (SD 1.5) to –1.7 (SD 1.7) (p < 0.001 and p = 0.008). At the time of the last assessment, patients with OI type IV had significantly higher height Z-scores than a control group of patients matched for age, gender, and OI type who had not received bisphosphonates. Patients had a median of six femur fractures (range, 0 to 18) and five tibia fractures (range, 0 to 17) during the follow-up period. At baseline, 35% of vertebra were affected by compression fractures, whereas only 6% of vertebra appeared compressed at the last evaluation (p < 0.001), indicating vertebral reshaping during growth. Spinal fusion surgery was performed in 16 patients (43%). Among the 21 patients who did not have spinal fusion surgery, 13 had scoliosis with a curvature ranging from 10 to 56 degrees. In conclusion, long-term intravenous bisphosphonate therapy was associated with higher Z-scores for lumbar spine areal bone mineral density and vertebral reshaping, but long-bone fracture rates were still high and the majority of patients developed scoliosis. © 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.