bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metabolic Fate of Fructose Ingested with and without Glucose in a Mixed Meal
Authors: Theytaz Fanny , De Giorgi Sara , Hodson Leanne , Stefanoni Nathalie , Rey Valentine , Schneiter Philippe , Giusti Vittorio , Tappy Luc
Published: July 2014

Ingestion of pure fructose stimulates de novo lipogenesis and gluconeogenesis. This may however not be relevant to typical nutritional situations, where fructose is invariably ingested with glucose. We therefore assessed the metabolic fate of fructose incorporated in a mixed meal without or with glucose in eight healthy volunteers. Each participant was studied over six hours after the ingestion of liquid meals containing either 13C-labelled fructose, unlabeled glucose, lipids and protein (Fr + G) or 13C-labelled fructose, lipids and protein, but without glucose (Fr), or protein and lipids alone (ProLip). After Fr + G, plasma 13C-glucose production accounted for 19.0% ± 1.5% and 13CO2 production for 32.2% ± 1.3% of 13C-fructose carbons. After Fr, 13C-glucose production (26.5% ± 1.4%) and 13CO2 production (36.6% ± 1.9%) were higher (p < 0.05) than with Fr + G. 13C-lactate concentration and very low density lipoprotein VLDL 13C-palmitate concentrations increased to the same extent with Fr + G and Fr, while chylomicron 13C-palmitate tended to increase more with Fr + G. These data indicate that gluconeogenesis, lactic acid production and both intestinal and hepatic de novo lipogenesis contributed to the disposal of fructose carbons ingested together with a mixed meal. Co-ingestion of glucose decreased fructose oxidation and gluconeogenesis and tended to increase 13C-pamitate concentration in gut-derived chylomicrons, but not in hepatic-borne VLDL-triacylglycerol (TG). This trial was approved by clinicaltrial. gov. Identifier is NCT01792089.
Implementation of a Data Packet Generator Using Pattern Matching for Wearable ECG Monitoring Systems
Authors: Noh Yun , Jeong Do
Published: July 2014

In this paper, a packet generator using a pattern matching algorithm for real-time abnormal heartbeat detection is proposed. The packet generator creates a very small data packet which conveys sufficient crucial information for health condition analysis. The data packet envelopes real time ECG signals and transmits them to a smartphone via Bluetooth. An Android application was developed specifically to decode the packet and extract ECG information for health condition analysis. Several graphical presentations are displayed and shown on the smartphone. We evaluate the performance of abnormal heartbeat detection accuracy using the MIT/BIH Arrhythmia Database and real time experiments. The experimental result confirm our finding that abnormal heart beat detection is practically possible. We also performed data compression ratio and signal restoration performance evaluations to establish the usefulness of the proposed packet generator and the results were excellent.
Automated Analysis of Barley Organs Using 3D Laser Scanning: An Approach for High Throughput Phenotyping
Authors: Paulus Stefan , Dupuis Jan , Riedel Sebastian , Kuhlmann Heiner
Published: July 2014

Due to the rise of laser scanning the 3D geometry of plant architecture is easy to acquire. Nevertheless, an automated interpretation and, finally, the segmentation into functional groups are still difficult to achieve. Two barley plants were scanned in a time course, and the organs were separated by applying a histogram-based classification algorithm. The leaf organs were represented by meshing algorithms, while the stem organs were parameterized by a least-squares cylinder approximation. We introduced surface feature histograms with an accuracy of 96% for the separation of the barley organs, leaf and stem. This enables growth monitoring in a time course for barley plants. Its reliability was demonstrated by a comparison with manually fitted parameters with a correlation R2 = 0:99 for the leaf area and R2 = 0:98 for the cumulated stem height. A proof of concept has been given for its applicability for the detection of water stress in barley, where the extension growth of an irrigated and a non-irrigated plant has been monitored.
Empire. The concept and its problems in the historiography on the iberian empires in the Early Modern Age
Authors: Hausser Christian , Pietschmann Horst
Published: July 2014

The article studies the more recent historiography about the Spanish and Portuguese empires. It identifies several types of interpretations and the use of ‘empire’ as a concept in different contexts, academic traditions and epochs. In doing so, it points to the achievements made and to the gaps that still exist, especially in the context of Renaissance humanism. It is the article‘s goal to facilitate a dialogue between academics about a topic that in the last decade or so has revealed crucial for the study of Ibero-American as well as for European history.
‘There is but one world’: Globalisation and connections in the overseas territories of the Spanish Habsburgs (1581-1640)
Authors: Martínez Torres José Antonio
Published: July 2014

The study of the overseas empire of the Spanish Habsburgs during the period when the Crown of Portugal was incorporated to this politico-economic structure and the study of their encounters, exchanges and contributions at all levels are increasingly being perceived as a plausible and original alternative within the current historiographical debate evolving around the configuration of the new European political order produced during the Early Modern period and characterised by the so-called ‘crisis of the State’ and the economic ‘decadence’ of the territories of southern Europe. This article offers some observations concerning this interesting subject, as well as some insight into the implications that this process carried in the Spanish and Portuguese cases.
Mobilizations and divisions of the scientific community in wartime
Authors: López-Ocón Cabrera Leoncio
Published: July 2014

This paper has a triple objective. On the one hand, it pretends to give an overview of the links between science, war and university during three key moments of contemporary history: the French Revolution, the Great War and the Second World War. Furthermore special attention is paid to the mobilization of actors, to changes in the organizational processes of science and to the creation of technical artifacts in each of the above warmongers situations. Thirdly we consider the fact that the scientific community tends to split at critical junctures. During the French Revolution the revolutionary messianism politicized science and it divided scientists within their country. A century later, in the early twentieth century, the nationalist messianism dominated the political scene. This messianism raised controversy among scientists, not only within their respective states, but also between the various states of the international community.
Cement with silica fume and granulated blast-furnace slag: strength behavior and hydration
Authors: Bonavetti V. L. , Castellano C. , Donza H. , Rahhal V. F. , Irassar E. F.
Published: July 2014

This paper analyses the influence of portland cement replacement by silica fume (up to 10%) and/or granulated blast furnace slag (up to 70%) on the hydration cement (XRD, heat of hydration, non evaporable water content and calcium hydroxide content) curing under sealed conditions and their effect on the mechanical strength.
The obtained results indicate that binary cements containing silica fume and ternary cements there was a significant increase of hydration rate at early age. At later ages, most of studied cements have an equivalent or greater strength that those obtained in the plain portland cement.
Effect of the aggregate grading on the concrete air permeability
Authors: Argiz C. , Sanjuán M. A. , Muñoz-Martialay R.
Published: July 2014

Great durability problems are being found in concrete structures related to the penetrability of aggressive agents through the concrete (ie. chloride penetration, sulphate attack, carbonation, freezing and thawing, and so on). Air permeability coefficient is used as an effective tool to estimate the potential durability of concrete structures due to its direct relation with the microstructure and the moisture content.
This paper discusses the effect of the aggregate grading and water/cement ratio on the air permeability coefficient. An aggregate grading with more sand than coarse aggregates has resulted more beneficial from the point of view of concrete air permeability. This fact can be attributed to a denser skeleton formed by the finer aggregates. With fine aggregates, the higher water/cement ratio, the lower air permeability. However, the contrary was found with coarse aggregates. Overall, a temperature increase from 20 °C to 60 °C during preconditioning led to a Dair increase of 40–80%.
The NKG2D Ligand ULBP2 Is Specifically Regulated through an Invariant Chain–Dependent Endosomal Pathway
Authors: Uhlenbrock Franziska , Hagemann-Jensen Michael , Kehlet Stephanie , Andresen Lars , Pastorekova Silvia , Skov Søren
Published: July 2014

Soluble ULBP2 is a marker for poor prognosis in several types of cancer. In this study we demonstrate that both soluble and cell surface–bound ULBP2 is transported via a so far unrecognized endosomal pathway. ULBP2 surface expression, but not MICA/B, could specifically be targeted and retained by affecting endosomal/lysosomal integrity and protein kinase C activity. The invariant chain was further essential for endosomal transport of ULBP2. This novel pathway was identified through screening experiments by which methylselenic acid was found to possess notable NKG2D ligand regulatory properties. The protein kinase C inhibitor methylselenic acid induced MICA/B surface expression but dominantly blocked ULBP2 surface transport. Remarkably, by targeting this novel pathway we could specifically block the production of soluble ULBP2 from different, primary melanomas. Our findings strongly suggest that the endosomal transport pathway constitutes a novel therapeutic target for ULBP2-producing tumors.
Immobilized Immune Complexes Induce Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Release by Human Neutrophil Granulocytes via FcγRIIIB and Mac-1
Authors: Behnen Martina , Leschczyk Christoph , Möller Sonja , Batel Tobit , Klinger Matthias , Solbach Werner , Laskay Tamás
Published: July 2014

Canonical neutrophil antimicrobial effector mechanisms, such as degranulation, production of reactive oxygen species, and release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), can result in severe pathology. Activation of neutrophils through immune complexes (ICs) plays a central role in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune inflammatory diseases. In this study, we report that immobilized ICs (iICs), which are hallmarks of several autoimmune diseases, induce the release of NETs from primary human neutrophils. The iIC-induced NET formation was found to require production of reactive oxygen species by NADPH oxidase and myeloperoxidase and to be mediated by FcγRIIIb. Blocking of the β2 integrin macrophage-1 Ag but not lymphocyte function–associated Ag-1 abolished iIC-induced NET formation. This suggests that FcγRIIIb signals in association with macrophage-1 Ag. As intracellular signaling pathways involved in iIC-induced NET formation we identified the tyrosine kinase Src/Syk pathway, which downstream regulates the PI3K/Akt, p38 MAPK, and ERK1/2 pathways. To our knowledge, the present study shows for the first time that iICs induce NET formation. Thus, we conclude that NETs contribute to pathology in autoimmune inflammatory disorders associated with surface-bound ICs.
Aerosol Vaccination with AERAS-402 Elicits Robust Cellular Immune Responses in the Lungs of Rhesus Macaques but Fails To Protect against High-Dose Mycobacterium tuberculosis Challenge
Authors: Darrah Patricia A. , Bolton Diane L. , Lackner Andrew A. , Kaushal Deepak , Aye Pyone Pyone , Mehra Smriti , Blanchard James L. , Didier Peter J. , Roy Chad J. , Rao Srinivas S. , Hokey David A. , Scanga Charles A. , Sizemore Donata R. , Sadoff Jerald C. , Roederer Mario , Seder Robert A.
Published: July 2014

Development of a vaccine against pulmonary tuberculosis may require immunization strategies that induce a high frequency of Ag-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells in the lung. The nonhuman primate model is essential for testing such approaches because it has predictive value for how vaccines elicit responses in humans. In this study, we used an aerosol vaccination strategy to administer AERAS-402, a replication-defective recombinant adenovirus (rAd) type 35 expressing Mycobacterium tuberculosis Ags Ag85A, Ag85B, and TB10.4, in bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG)-primed or unprimed rhesus macaques. Immunization with BCG generated low purified protein derivative–specific CD4 T cell responses in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage. In contrast, aerosolized AERAS-402 alone or following BCG induced potent and stable Ag85A/b-specific CD4 and CD8 effector T cells in bronchoalveolar lavage that largely produced IFN-γ, as well as TNF and IL-2. Such responses induced by BCG, AERAS-402, or both failed to confer overall protection following challenge with 275 CFUs M. tuberculosis Erdman, although vaccine-induced responses associated with reduced pathology were observed in some animals. Anamnestic T cell responses to Ag85A/b were not detected in blood of immunized animals after challenge. Overall, our data suggest that a high M. tuberculosis challenge dose may be a critical factor in limiting vaccine efficacy in this model. However, the ability of aerosol rAd immunization to generate potent cellular immunity in the lung suggests that using different or more immunogens, alternative rAd serotypes with enhanced immunogenicity, and a physiological challenge dose may achieve protection against M. tuberculosis.
Biweekly cetuximab and first-line chemotherapy in chinese patients with k-ras
wild-type colorectal cancers
Authors: Chan Wing-Lok , Lee Victor Ho Fun , Siu Wai Kwan Steven , Ho Pui Ying Patty , Liu Rico King Yin , Leung To Wai
Published: July 2014

Background: The efficacy and safety of using combination chemotherapy with cetuximab as first-line treatment in patients with K-ras wild-type colorectal cancers has been well established. In general, weekly cetuximab was given with biweekly chemotherapy FOLFOX-4 or FOLFIRI, synchronizing them would be appealed to both patients and health care professionals. Materials and Methods: This Phase II, prospective study investigated the efficacy and safety of using biweekly cetuximab 500 mg/m 2 with chemotherapy FOLFOX-4 or FOLFIRI as first-line treatment for Chinese patients with K-ras wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer. The study endpoints included overall objective response (OR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and safety. Results: Total 15 Chinese patients (male: 10 [67%]; median age: 60 [range 41-80]) were enrolled. Patients received median 12 cycles (range 2-12) of chemotherapy + cetuximab (FOLFOX-4 + cetuximab: 9 [60%]; FOLFIRI + cetuximab: 6 [40%]). Six patients (40%) with non-progressive disease after 12 cycles of chemotherapy + cetuximab carried on maintenance cetuximab. Median duration of follow-up (FU) was 23.7 months. The OR was 40% (complete response: 0%; partial response: 40%) for a disease control rate of 87%. Median PFS and OS were 7.8 months and 17.9 months respectively. For maintenance cetuximab phase, median PFS since the start of maintenance cetuximab was 6.8 months and median OS was 17.0 months. The only grade 3-4 toxicities were neutropenia (26.7%) in chemotherapy phase and acneiform rashes (16.7%) in maintenance phase. Conclusions: Biweekly cetuximab with combination chemotherapy was effective and safe as weekly dose. Further studies are warranted for the role of maintenance cetuximab.
Tolvaptan
Authors: Rangarajan Bharath , Binoy Vineetha , Hingmire Sachin Sharatchandra , Noronha Vanita
Published: July 2014

Hyponatremia is a common and often under-recogonised clinical problem in oncologic practice. The recogonition of the cause of hyponatremia and initiation of appropriate and timely intervention can prevent morbidity and improve treatment tolerance. This drug review aims at discussing the currently approved oral vaptanagent Tolvaptan. Vaptans including Tolvaptan act as "aquaretic" agents cousing excretion of water while retaining the sodium. Administration of this agent for prescribed periods result in improvement of serum sodium levels. The drug can be used in many clinical situations resulting in hyponatremia including congestive heart failure, cirrhosis and syndrome of inappropriate ADH secretion (SIADH) including SIADH related to malignancies.
Landscape-scale variability in soil organic carbon storage in the central Canadian Arctic
Authors: Campeau A. Brett , Lafleur Peter M. , Humphreys Elyn R.
Published: July 2014

Campeau, A. B., Lafleur, P. M. and Humphreys, E. R. 2014. Landscape-scale variability in soil organic carbon storage in the central Canadian Arctic. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 477–488. Arctic soils constitute a vast, but poorly quantified, pool of soil organic carbon (SOC). The uncertainty associated with pan-Arctic SOC storage estimates – a result of limited SOC and land cover data – needs to be reduced if we are to better predict the impact of future changes to Arctic carbon stocks resulting from climate warming. In this study landscape-scale variability in SOC at a Southern Arctic Ecozone site in the central Canadian Arctic was investigated with the ultimate goal of up-scaling SOC estimates with a land cover classification system. Total SOC was estimated to depths of 30 cm and 50 cm for 76 soil pits, together representing eight different vegetation communities in seven different broad landscape units. Soil organic carbon to 50 cm was lowest for the xerophytic herb community in the esker complex landscape unit (7.2±2.2 SD kg m−2) and highest in the birch hummock terrain in the lowland tundra landscape unit (36.4±2.8 kg m−2), followed by wet sedge and dry sedge communities in the wetland complex (29.8±9.9 and 22.0±2.0 kg m−2, respectively). The up-scaled estimates of mean SOC for the study area (excluding water) were 15.8 kg m−2 (to 50 cm) and 11.6 kg m−2 (to 30 cm). On a landscape scale, soil moisture content was found to have an important influence on SOC variability. Overall, this study highlights the importance of SOC variability at fine scales and its impact on up-scaling SOC in Arctic landscapes.
The regeneration of highly bioavailable iron by meso‐ and microzooplankton
Authors: Nuester Jochen , Shema Steve , Vermont Alexander , Fields David M. , Twining Benjamin S.
Published: July 2014

The micronutrient iron (Fe) is rapidly cycled in surface waters, and regenerated Fe supports much of the phytoplankton growth in open ocean waters. Meso‐ and microzooplankton grazing are both important mechanisms to regenerate Fe, but the chemical conditions in the respective digestive systems are different and might affect the bioavailability of Fe. We conducted radiotracer grazing experiments with the copepod Acartia tonsa or the heterotrophic dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis marina feeding on the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana or the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi. Uptake of regenerated 55Fe by a separate T. pseudonana culture was compared to the uptake of inorganic Fe. Iron regenerated by A. tonsa was taken up 4‐ to 7‐fold faster than inorganic iron. In contrast, no difference was detected between the uptake rate of inorganic Fe and Fe regenerated by O. marina. Ingestion of different prey by A. tonsa revealed that Fe released during diatom digestion was taken up 1.8‐fold faster than Fe released from coccolithophore digestion. Digestive systems and the chemical makeup of the ingested prey are crucial in determining the bioavailability of regenerated Fe. Differences in pH and oxygen saturation between digestive vacuoles and guts may affect the speciation of regenerated Fe, and the release of ferrous Fe might contribute to the bioavailability of regenerated Fe. The ecological structure determines the importance of regenerated Fe for a particular ecosystem.
Partitioning between benthic and pelagic nitrate reduction in the Lake Lugano south basin
Authors: Wenk Christine B. , Zopfi Jakob , Gardner Wayne S. , McCarthy Mark J. , Niemann Helge , Veronesi Mauro , Lehmann Moritz F.
Published: July 2014

We evaluated the seasonal variation of denitrification, anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) rates in the sediments and the integrative N (and O) isotopic signatures of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) compounds in the overlying water column of the monomictic Lake Lugano south basin. Denitrification was the dominant NO−3 reduction pathway, whereas the contribution of anammox and DNRA to total benthic NO−3 reduction was < 6% and < 12%, respectively. Sedimentary denitrification rates were highest (up to 57.2 ± 16.8 µmol N m−2 h−1) during fully oxic bottom water conditions. With the formation of seasonal bottom water anoxia, NO−3 reduction was partitioned between water column and sedimentary processes. Total benthic NO−3 reduction rates determined in 15N‐label experiments and sediment—water interface N2 fluxes as calculated from water column N2 : Ar gradients revealed that sedimentary denitrification still accounted for ∼ 40% of total N2 production during bottom water anoxia. The partitioning between water column and sedimentary denitrification was further evaluated by the natural abundance stable N isotope composition of dissolved NO−3 in the water column. With anaerobic bottom water conditions, water column NO−3 concentrations gradually decreased, paralleled by an increase in δ15N— and δ18O— NO−3 from approximately 7‰ to 20‰ and from 2‰ to 14‰, respectively. Using a closed‐system (Rayleigh) model, the N and O isotope effects associated with community NO−3 consumption were 15ε ≈ 13.7‰ and 18ε ≈ 11.3‰, respectively. With the assumptions of a relatively low net N isotope effect associated with sedimentary denitrification (i.e., 15εsed = 1.5–3‰) vs. a fully expressed biological N isotope fractionation during water column denitrification (i.e., 15εwater = 20–25‰), our results confirm that 36–51% of reduction occurred within the sediment. The general agreement between the indirect (isotopic) approach and the flux and rate measurements suggests that water column nitrate isotope measurements can be used to distinguish between benthic and pelagic denitrification quantitatively.
The Shaping of Local Self-Government and Economic Development through City Strategic Planning: A Case Study
Authors: Alonso Ángel Iglesias
Published: July 2014

In the contemporary multiplying uncertainties of local governments, politicians and public managers are constantly faced by a recurrent problem: despite financial constraints and with scarce resources, they have to combine the delivery of efficient public services with local economic development and democratic quality. This paper draws on an ethnography concerning the design and implementation of a Strategic Planning process within a Spanish city government and is framed by the proposition that local governments are experimental places for what is usually referred to as democratic governance. Focusing on the way in which the use of Strategic Planning entails a trade-off between urban and economic development and democracy, the article explores how this formal mechanism of citizens’ and business´ participation serves to establish relational processes to reinvigorate local economic development, democracy and administrative modernization. The paper also argues that, in order to fully implement new urban development practices at the local level, it is necessary to take into account not only institutional issues, but also the communal, social and political resources that frame both formal and informal deliberations propelled by the Strategic Planning process. It is the interaction and combination of these that determine the paths and developments of local government innovations.
The Changes of the Roles of the Hungarian Counties: Towards a One and a Half-Tier System?
Authors: Hoffman István
Published: July 2014

Several models of the definition of local government competences have been evolved in the modern public law systems. Traditionally the county governments have had an important role in the Hungarian public administration. Although this role was weakened after 1990 the new county governments have had important service provider functions to 2011 which system has been changed by the new Hungarian Municipal Code. The former public services performed by the county governments became the tasks of the central government and partly the functions of the county towns. Thus the counties lost the majority of their functions and they received just narrow competences in regional planning. These tasks were extended by the reforms of 2013 which can be the base of a new “developing county” approach.
Productivity Changes in Slovenian Urban Municipalities
Authors: Pevcin Primož
Published: July 2014

Paper estimates productivity change in 10 Slovenian urban (city) municipalities during the period 2009-2012. Total factor productivity (TFP) change is estimated with input-orientated Malmquist productivity indices, which enables the productivity change to be decomposed into technical efficiency change and into technological change. The results indicate that average TFP annual means decreased by 5.8 % during the report period, and only one urban municipality experienced productivity improvement. Besides, technological regress can be identified as the main source of TFP decrease during the report period.
The Economics of Waste Management: Evidence from the Czech Republic and Slovakia
Authors: Merickova Beata Mikusova , Nemec Juraj , Soukopova Jana
Published: July 2014

This article investigates conditions in the Czech Republic and Slovakia to answer the following questions: Is there any evidence of an optimum mode of waste management provision? Do economies of scale exist in waste management in the Czech Republic? Data from the Czech Republic and Slovakia did not confirm internal or external provision of waste management services as better. The analysis of waste management costs in the Czech Republic did not confirm the existence of economies of scale; however, in municipalities with fewer than 4000 inhabitants, the cost curve is U shaped with an optimum somewhere at the level of 2000 inhabitants.
Decentralization of Educational System and its Impact on Local Self-Government in Slovakia
Authors: Mihalik Jaroslav , Klimovský Daniel
Published: July 2014

The decentralization of the state public administration was announced in spite of the EU integration process as well as the reform of the state public administration that proved the necessity of transforming and transferring the competences and finances to the subnational levels of governance. From this principle, among others, the regional and municipal administration of education sector evolved in Slovakia. This article aims to study the decentralization development with the particular impact on local self-government and regional school system. The authors argue about the potential threats of school decentralization and challenges that the system of regional and municipal schools brings.
Improving Tax Administration's Services as a Factor of Tax Compliance: The Case of Tax Audit
Authors: Hauptman Lidija , Horvat Mirjana , Korez-Vide Romana
Published: July 2014

In this paper the experiences of taxpayers with the tax audits services as an important tool of tax authorities’ struggle against tax evasion are discussed. In the theoretical part of the paper the factors of tax compliance and the tax authorities’ measures in combating tax evasion are examined, the levels of tax rates and the compliance burden of European Union member states’ tax systems are compared. In the empirical part of the paper the experiences of Slovenian companies with tax audit services are analyzed. Better understanding of the drivers of taxpayer compliance behavior allows tax administration to identify and implement policy measures more effectively.
Participation and Anti-Discrimination Based Local Strategic Documents – Case of Macedonian Municipalities
Authors: Ananiev Jovan , Poposka Zaneta
Published: July 2014

This paper analyzes the process of preparation and implementation of strategic documents in Macedonian municipalities in terms of public participation and respect of the principle of anti-discrimination. These two principles underpin greater transparency and democracy in municipalities and greater efficiency of developed local policies. The paper builds up on the empirical research where more than 30 municipal strategic documents in ten municipalities. Results indicate that vast majority of analyzed documents were prepared, monitored and evaluated without public participation. In addition, the principle of anti-discrimination was not incorporated in the documents and individual target groups susceptible to discrimination were not mainstreamed. Possible recommendations are discussed, and implications for future engagement of municipalities are outlined.
Dual Legitimacy in the Development of the Network City - A Case Study of Kaohsiung City Council
Authors: Liao Da-Chi , Wu Hsin-Che , Li Chen-Hsun
Published: July 2014

This paper discusses the theoretical rheology of local governance from the bureaucratic system to the network city and explores whether and how such a city network can be developed in a dual local government system. This paper suggests that, in dual systems, councilors are nodes which extend their networks, and councilors together can construct a more comprehensive network than a city executive branch alone does, so as to remedy the executive branch’s deficiencies concerning city affairs. This paper chooses Kaohsiung city council as its case study and provides evidence that the network developed by city council and councilors covers many city affairs which are ignored by the city executive branch. This result also implies that the network city may be better feasible in a dual local government system than in a unitary one.
Impacts of Decentralization on the Local Government Expenditures and Public Services in the EU Countries
Authors: Halásková Martina , Halaskova Renata
Published: July 2014

Successful decentralisation joins public finances and fiscal authority with the responsibility for providing services with functions of local government. The paper deals with decentralisation of public administration in EU countries, focusing on fiscal decentralisation and local government expenditures, allocated for financing the requirements of local and regional sector. Attention is paid to theoretical aspects, reform tendencies, approaches and measuring fiscal decentralisation, but also to the role of local budgets when providing for public services. The research proper is concentrated on the extent of expenditure decentralisation in EU countries over the years 2001-2012 and on mutual relations of local government expenditures, seen as % of general government expenditures, and as % of GDP.
Placebo Effect
Authors: Krajnc Slavko , Holcman Borut
Published: July 2014

In this discussion the authors present the issue of the law against the increasing globalisation and the issue of the theology in liturgy, where individual reformers wish for a return to the archaic forms of divine worship. The meaning of both presented cases is unifying, that is, directed to the national and liturgical communion. Both presented systems must lead to misuse and semblance – to a Placebo effect. When conscientiously considering cultural properties and its emanations, it may seem possible to avoid the danger of the Placebo effect.
Intersite validations of the pixel-wise method for liver R2* analysis in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients
Authors: Saiviroonporn Pairash , Viprakasit Vip , Sanpakit Kleebsabai , Wood John C. , Krittayaphong Rungroj
Published: July 2014

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

MRI-R2* has been accepted as a clinical tool for monitoring iron overload in thalassemia patients, especially for monitoring liver iron concentration (LIC). The most optimal and practical method of analysis however, is still open to further investigations. Our objective was to investigate intra- and intersite observer variability of the pixel-wise method for liver R2* analysis in thalassemia patients using a monoexponential with a constant offset model.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

We performed 88 liver R2* measurements on 72 thalassemia major patients. A single breath-hold multi-echo gradient-echo sequence was acquired and analyzed at both the reference (REF) and local (LOC) sites. The analysis defined the region of interest in the whole liver parenchyma, excluding the great vessels, and were reported as median values.

RESULTS:

The R2* values from the REF and LOC were statistically comparable for all comparisons. The intrasite and intersite observer variation were 0.75% (less than 0.9%) and 2.5%, respectively, both of which are comparable to previous reports, but substantially lower than conventional region-based approaches.

CONCLuSION:

The low variation of the R2* also yielded excellent variation in the tabulated hepatic iron content. However, caution is required when comparing the results to different implementation methods and appropriate evaluation and validation of methodology for any new scan site is essential before its clinical use.
Bcl-2 protein expression in mucoepidermoid carcinoma of salivary glands
Authors: Sefvan Janjua Omer , Mehmood Qureshi Sana , Sarfraz Khan Tariq , Alamgir Wajiha
Published: July 2014

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is the most common salivary gland tumor with varying behavior among different histopathological grades. The objective of this study was to determine the expression of Bcl-2 protein in mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) and to correlate with histological grades.

METHODS:

The records of 40 cases of MEC were collected from the histopathology department. Fresh slides were prepared and fresh diagnoses were made using the grading criteria for MEC. Immunohistochemical markers for Bcl-2 were applied and the results analyzed using the chi-square test.

RESULTS:

Of 40 cases, 20 were males and 20 were females. The range in age of the patients was 6 to 67 years mean (SD) was 42.6 (1.85) years. Twenty-two were low grade (55%), 11 high grade (27.5%) and 7 (17.5%) were intermediate grade MEC. Among these 40 cases, Bcl-2 expression was positive in 24 cases and negative in 16 cases. In 22 cases of low-grade MEC, 19 were positive while only 3 were negative. In high-grade tumors, all 11 cases were found to have a negative expression of Bcl-2 protein. in intermediate-grade MEC, 5 cases showed positive expression while only 2 cases showed negative expression.

CONCLUSION:

Bcl-2 protein expression showed positive expression in low-grade and negative expression in high-grade MEC. intermediate grade showed more than 50% positive results for Bcl-2. Correlation between grades of MEC and expression of Bcl-2 is statistically significant and can be used for the depicting the prognosis of MEC along with other prognostic and clinico-pathological parameters.
Evaluation of the performance of a particle concentrator for online instrumentation
Authors: Saarikoski S. , Carbone S. , Cubison M. J. , Hillamo R. , Keronen P. , Sioutas C. , Worsnop D. R. , Jimenez J. L.
Published: July 2014

Abstract. The performance of the miniature Versatile Aerosol Concentration Enrichment System (m-VACES; Geller et al., 2005) was investigated in laboratory and field studies using online instruments. Laboratory tests focused on the behavior of monodisperse ammonium sulfate (AS) or dioctyl sebacate (DOS) particles in the m-VACES measured with the aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) and scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS). The ambient measurements were conducted at an urban site in Helsinki, Finland, where the operation of the m-VACES was explored in conjunction with a Soot Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (SP-AMS) in addition to the SMPS. In laboratory tests, the growth of particles in water vapor produced a stable droplet size distribution independent of the original particle size. However, when the droplets were dried with the goal of measuring the original size distribution, a shift to larger particles was observed for small particle sizes (up to ~ 200 nm in mobility diameter). That growth was probably caused by water-soluble organic compounds absorbed on the water droplets from the gas phase, but not evaporated in the drying phase. In ambient measurements, a similar enrichment was observed for nitrate and sulfate in the m-VACES whereas the presence of acidic ambient particles affected the enrichment of ammonium. Gaseous ammonia was likely to be absorbed on acidic particles in the m-VACES, neutralizing the aerosol. For organics, the enrichment efficiency was comparable with sulfate and nitrate but a small positive artifact for hydrocarbons and nitrogen-containing organic compounds was noticed. Ambient and concentrated organic aerosol (OA) was analyzed further with positive matrix factorization (PMF). A three-factor solution was chosen for both of the data sets but the factors were slightly different for the ambient and concentrated OA, however, the data set used for the PMF analysis was limited in size (3 days) and therefore had substantial uncertainty. Overall, the operation of the m-VACES was not found to lead to any severe sampling artifacts. The effect of acidity could be an issue in locations where the aerosol is acidic, however, in those cases the use of a denuder (which was not used in this study) is recommended. Further ambient tests are needed for the characterization of the m-VACES as the time period for the ambient measurements was only 5 days in this study. Especially for OA additional tests are important as the chemical properties of organics can differ widely depending on time and location.
HESFIRE: an explicit fire model for projections in the coupled Human–Earth System
Authors: Le Page Y. , Morton D. , Bond-Lamberty B. , Pereira J. M. C. , Hurtt G.
Published: July 2014

Abstract. Vegetation fires are a major driver of ecosystem dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions. Potential changes in fire activity under future climate and land use scenarios thus have important consequences for human and natural systems. Anticipating these consequences relies first on a realistic model of fire activity (e.g. fire incidence and inter-annual variability) and second on a model accounting for fire impacts (e.g. mortality and emissions). Key opportunities remain to develop the capabilities of fire activity models, which include quantifying the influence of poorly understood fire drivers, modeling the occurrence of large, multi-day fires – which have major impacts – and evaluating the fire driving assumptions and parameterization with observation data. Here, we describe a fire model, HESFIRE, which integrates the influence of weather, vegetation characteristics, and human activities in a standalone framework, with a particular emphasis on keeping model assumptions consistent with fire ecology, such as allowing fires to spread over consecutive days. A subset of the model parameters was calibrated through an optimization procedure using observational data to enhance our understanding of regional drivers of fire activity and improve the performance of the model on a global scale. Modeled fire activity showed reasonable agreement with observations of burned area, fire seasonality and inter-annual variability in many regions, including for spatial and temporal domains not included in the optimization procedure. Significant discrepancies – most notably regarding fires in boreal regions, in xeric ecosystems, and fire size distribution – are investigated to propose model development strategies. We highlight the capabilities of HESFIRE and its optimization procedure to analyze the sensitivity of fire activity, and to provide fire projections in the coupled Human–Earth System at regional and global scale. These capabilities and their detailed evaluation also provide a solid foundation for integration within a vegetation model to represent fire impacts on vegetation dynamics and emissions.
Ancient pre-glacial erosion surfaces preserved beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
Authors: Rose K. C. , Ross N. , Bingham R. G. , Corr H. F. J. , Ferraccioli F. , Jordan T. A. , Le Brocq A. M. , Rippin D. M. , Siegert M. J.
Published: July 2014

Abstract. We present ice-penetrating radar evidence for ~150 km wide planation surfaces beneath the upstream Institute and Möller Ice Streams, West Antarctica. Accounting for isostatic rebound under ice-free conditions, the surfaces would be around sea level. We, thus, interpreted the surfaces as ancient, marine erosion (wave-cut) platforms. The scale and geometry of the platforms are comparable to erosion surfaces identified in the Ross Sea embayment, on the opposite side of West Antarctica. Their formation is likely to have begun after the development of the deep ocean basin of the Weddell Sea (~160 Myr ago). In order to form wave-cut platforms, the sea must be relatively free of sea ice for a sustained period to allow wave erosion at wave base. As a consequence, the most recent period of sustained marine erosion is likely to be the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum (17–15 Ma), when warm atmospheric and oceanic temperatures would have prevented ice from blanketing the coast during periods of ice-sheet retreat. The erosion surfaces are preserved in this location due to the collective action of the Pirrit and Martin–Nash Hills on ice-sheet flow, which results in a region of slow flowing, cold-based ice downstream of this major topographic barrier. This investigation shows that smooth, flat subglacial topography does not always correspond with regions of either present or former fast ice flow, as has previously been assumed.
Evaluating the effectiveness of flood damage mitigation measures by the application of propensity score matching
Authors: Hudson P. , Botzen W. J. W. , Kreibich H. , Bubeck P. , Aerts J. C. J. H.
Published: July 2014

Abstract. The employment of damage mitigation measures (DMMs) by individuals is an important component of integrated flood risk management. In order to promote efficient damage mitigation measures, accurate estimates of their damage mitigation potential are required. That is, for correctly assessing the damage mitigation measures' effectiveness from survey data, one needs to control for sources of bias. A biased estimate can occur if risk characteristics differ between individuals who have, or have not, implemented mitigation measures. This study removed this bias by applying an econometric evaluation technique called propensity score matching (PSM) to a survey of German households along three major rivers that were flooded in 2002, 2005, and 2006. The application of this method detected substantial overestimates of mitigation measures' effectiveness if bias is not controlled for, ranging from nearly EUR 1700 to 15 000 per measure. Bias-corrected effectiveness estimates of several mitigation measures show that these measures are still very effective since they prevent between EUR 6700 and 14 000 of flood damage per flood event. This study concludes with four main recommendations regarding how to better apply propensity score matching in future studies, and makes several policy recommendations.
Changes in the timing and duration of the near-surface soil freeze/thaw status from 1956 to 2006 across China
Authors: Zhang T. , Wang K. , Zhong X.
Published: July 2014

Abstract. The near-surface soil freeze/thaw status is an important indicator of climate change. Using data from 636 meteorological stations, with a 0 °C threshold, we investigated the long-term spatiotemporal variations of the first date of the near-surface soil freeze, the last date of the freeze, the duration of the freeze, and the number of freezing days across China over the period 1956–2006 (with a baseline period of July 1971 through June 2001). The results reveal the responses of the near-surface soil freeze to warming climate. The first date of soil freeze was delayed 5 days (0.10 ± 0.03 day yr−1) and the last datewas advanced 7 days (0.15 ± 0.02 day yr−1) over this period. The duration of the near-surface soil freeze decreased 13 days from 1956 through 2006, and the number of near-surface soil freeze days fell by ~10 days. All of these climate indicators have varied sharply since the early 1990s. Climate indicators in west China generally vary more than those measured in east China. Altitude plays an important role in soil freeze/thaw dynamics in west China, and latitude is critical in the eastern portion of the country. Air temperature significantly affects near-surface soil freeze, especially the duration of freeze and number of freeze days.
Réponse à Jean-Luc Petit
Authors: Descombes Vincent
Published: July 2014

AbstractRicœur, in his Philosophy of the Will (1950), is already turning eidetic descriptions into linguistic descriptions. Therefore what is at stake between phenomenologists and analytic philosophers is not the linguistic turn as such. Rather, it is the question whether all psychological verbs are experiential verbs. The contribution of Vincent Descombes is presented as a response to the communication of Jean-Luc Petit delivered in Paris in November 2013 for the International Congress "Ricœur and Contemporary Philosophy in the English Language." A written version of Jean-Luc Petit’s paper can be found in this issue. NDE RésuméDès sa Philosophie de la volonté (1950), Ricœur donne un tour linguistique à ses descriptions eidétiques. Ce n'est donc pas le tournant linguistique qui sépare la phénoménologie de l'action d'une grammaire philosophique, mais plutôt la question de savoir si tous les verbes psychologiques sont des verbes d'expérience. La contribution de Vincent Descombes se présente comme une réponse à la communication de Jean-Luc Petit prononcée à Paris en novembre 2013 pour le congrès international “Ricœur et la philosophie contemporaine de langue anglaise.” On trouvera dans ce numéro la version écrite de la communication de Jean-Luc Petit. NDE
Introduction
Authors: Michel Johann
Published: July 2014

English translation of Johann Michel's introduction.
The Uneasy Case Against Tax Lien Subordination
Authors: Oei Shu-Yi
Published: July 2014

I.R.C. § 6323, which governs how the federal tax lien ranks against the interests of the taxpayer’s other creditors, subordinates the tax lien to the claims of other creditors in various ways. Tax lien subordination is commonly justified on the grounds that it enhances taxpayer asset value, facilitates commercial transactions, and reduces monitoring costs for private creditors. This short essay argues, however, that these benefits may be illusory. Tax lien subordination may, in fact, be unnecessarily costly and distortive and may lead to unfair distributive results. This essay suggests that the tax lien priority scheme might be made less costly by reducing its multiple levels of subordination. This could be accomplished in two ways: First, by reducing the magnitude or number of the superpriorities and other prioritized interests; and second, by eliminating the priority of the four horsemen over the un-noticed federal tax lien, or, alternatively, by moving away from a system of pure public notice and toward a semi-private inquiry-based system.
The GeoWeb and everyday life: An analysis of spatial tactics and volunteered geographic information
Authors: Lingel Jessa , Bishop Bradley Wade
Published: July 2014

In this paper, we discuss GeoWeb technologies, specifically those created via volunteered geographic information (VGI) as a means of analyzing the political contours of mapmaking. Our paper is structured around two case studies of VGI projects that allow for consideration for the political efficacy (and potential drawbacks) of these geospatial technologies. We use de Certeau’s constructs of strategies and tactics as a conceptual framing, which allows for a political reading of geographic data couched in the context of everyday life, as well as opening up inquiry into the politics of making, accessing and interpreting spatial data. We conclude by suggesting provocations for future research on the GeoWeb and VGI at the intersection of geography and information science.