bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Primary Surgical Therapy for Locally Limited Oral Tongue Cancer
Authors: Mantsopoulos Konstantinos , Psychogios Georgios , Künzel Julian , Waldfahrer Frank , Zenk Johannes , Iro Heinrich
Published: May 2014

Objectives. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of primary surgical treatment in the management of locally limited oral tongue carcinoma.Methods. A retrospective evaluation was carried out for all patients treated with primary surgery for pT1-pT2 oral tongue carcinomas at a tertiary referral center between 1980 and 2005. All cases were assessed for disease-specific survival and local control rates in relation to T classification, N classification, infiltration depth of the primary tumor, and decision making on neck management and adjuvant therapy. The cases were additionally evaluated for the incidence of major complications and tracheotomies.Results. 263 cases were assessed. The 5-year disease-specific survival rate was 75.2%. Positive neck disease was shown to be a significant negative prognostic factor. The occult metastasis rate was 20.2%.Conclusions. Primary surgical treatment is a very effective modality against T1-T2 oral tongue carcinoma, and a low rate of complications can be anticipated.
Nodular Fasciitis of the Breast Mimicking Breast Cancer
Authors: Yamamoto Shinya , Chishima Takashi , Adachi Shouko
Published: May 2014

Nodular fasciitis is a benign proliferative lesion that is usually found in the soft tissue of the upper extremity and trunk in young to middle-aged persons. It has rarely been described in the breast. A 35-year-old woman had noticed a mass in her left breast. It was elastic-hard, 13 mm in size, and located mainly in the upper inner quadrant of the left breast. Mammography did not detect the mass. Ultrasonography revealed a hypoechoic lesion with an irregular margin. Neither fine-needle aspiration cytology nor core needle biopsy established a definitive diagnosis. Excisional biopsy was therefore performed. Histologically, the excised tumor tissue results were consistent with a diagnosis of nodular fasciitis of the breast. We report a case of nodular fasciitis of the breast, a rare histological type of breast tumor.
The Thromboembolic Risk in Giant Cell Arteritis: A Critical Review of the Literature
Authors: Guida A. , Tufano A. , Perna P. , Moscato P. , De Donato M. T. , Finelli R. , Caputo D. , Di Minno M. N. D.
Published: May 2014

Giant cell arteritis is a systemic vasculitis characterized by granulomatous inflammation of the aorta and its main vessels. Cardiovascular risk, both for arterial and venous thromboembolism, is increased in these patients, but the role of thromboprophylaxis is still debated. It should be suspected in elderly patients suffering from sudden onset severe headaches, jaw claudication, and visual disease. Early diagnosis is necessary because prognosis depends on the timeliness of treatment: this kind of arteritis can be complicated by vision loss and cerebrovascular strokes. Corticosteroids remain the cornerstone of the pharmacological treatment of GCA. Aspirin seems to be effective in cardiovascular prevention, while the use of anticoagulant therapy is controversial. Association with other rheumatological disease, particularly with polymyalgia rheumatica is well known, while possible association with antiphospholipid syndrome is not established. Large future trials may provide information about the optimal therapy. Other approaches with new drugs, such as TNF-alpha blockades, Il-6 and IL-1 blockade agents, need to be tested in larger trials.
Characterization of aMycobacterium aviumsubsp.aviumOperon Associated with Virulence and Drug Detoxification
Authors: Viale Mariana Noelia , Park Kun Taek , Imperiale Belén , Gioffre Andrea Karina , Colombatti Olivieri María Alejandra , Moyano Roberto Damián , Morcillo Nora , Santangelo María de la Paz , Davis William , Romano María Isabel
Published: May 2014

ThelprG-p55operon ofMycobacterium tuberculosisandMycobacterium bovisis involved in the transport of toxic compounds. P55 is an efflux pump that provides resistance to several drugs, while LprG is a lipoprotein that modulates the host's immune response against mycobacteria. The knockout mutation of this operon severely reduces the replication of both mycobacterial species during infection in mice and increases susceptibility to toxic compounds. In order to gain insight into the function of LprG in theMycobacterium aviumcomplex, in this study, we assayed the effect of the deletion oflprG gene in the D4ER strain ofMycobacterium aviumsubsp.avium. The replacement oflprG gene with a hygromycin cassette caused a polar effect on the expression ofp55. Also, a twofold decrease in ethidium bromide susceptibility was observed and the resistance to the antibiotics rifampicin, amikacin, linezolid, and rifabutin was impaired in the mutant strain. In addition, the mutation decreased the virulence of the bacteria in macrophagesin vitroand in a mice modelin vivo. These findings clearly indicate that functional LprG and P55 are necessary for the correct transport of toxic compounds and for the survival of MAAin vitroandin vivo.
A Case of Unsuspected Peritoneal Mesothelioma Occurring with Colonic Adenocarcinoma Masquerading as Peritoneal Metastases
Authors: Xie Wei , Green Linda K. , Patel Rishi A. , Lai Syeling
Published: May 2014

We report a case of synchronous primary colonic adenocarcinoma and malignant mesothelioma. A 61-year-old male presented with a six-month history of fatigue and weight loss. An abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan showed a 5.8 cm partially obstructing mass in the cecum with ascites and peritoneal thickening. A biopsy of the large mass showed an adenocarcinoma. Because the patient was clinically thought to be a T4 colon carcinoma with peritoneal metastatic lesions (M1), prior to initiating chemotherapy, a debulking right hemicolectomy was performed. Resection of the colon and ileum revealed a T3N0 colonic mucinous adenocarcinoma and concurrent diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. Presenting synchronous colonic and peritoneal mesothelial primary malignancies are exceedingly rare but must be considered to prevent incorrect clinical staging.
Prevalence of Sleep Disorders and Their Impacts on Occupational Performance: A Comparison between Shift Workers and Nonshift Workers
Authors: Yazdi Zohreh , Sadeghniiat-Haghighi Khosro , Loukzadeh Ziba , Elmizadeh Khadijeh , Abbasi Mahnaz
Published: May 2014

The consequences of sleep deprivation and sleepiness have been noted as the most important health problem in our modern society among shift workers. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of sleep disorders and their possible effects on work performance in two groups of Iranian shift workers and nonshift workers. This study was designed as a cross-sectional study. The data were collected by PSQI, Berlin questionnaire, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Insomnia Severity Index, and RLS Questionnaire. Occupational impact of different sleep disorders was detected by Occupational Impact of Sleep Disorder questionnaire. These questionnaires were filled in by 210 shift workers and 204 nonshift workers. There was no significant difference in the age, BMI, marital status, and years of employment in the two groups. Shift workers scored significantly higher in the OISD. The prevalence of insomnia, poor sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness was significantly higher in shift workers. Correlations between OISD scores and insomnia, sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness were significant. We concluded that sleep disorders should receive more attention as a robust indicator of work limitation.
Altered Passive Eruption and Familial Trait: A Preliminary Investigation
Authors: Rossi Roberto , Brunelli Giorgio , Piras Vincenzo , Pilloni Andrea
Published: May 2014

Altered passive eruption is described as a condition in which the relationship between teeth, alveolar bone, and the soft tissues creates an excessive gingival display and, in turn, in some circumstances, it may reveal a clinical aspect also known as the “gummy smile.” The surgical management of such cases is well understood and has been widely described, with mucogingival and osseous resective procedures being predictable surgical means leading to more balanced aesthetics and proper display of the teeth anatomy. The possible familial trait in case of passive eruption and therefore the possibility of recurrence of the same condition in families of siblings or parents of affected patients have been investigated in this study. 20 patients have been selected and treated in both a private practice and university settings and their immediate family trees were evaluated in order to understand the incidence of the condition. 65% of the treated patients had one or more family members with the same condition leading to seeking further investigation on the possible genetic correlation.
The Solution of Nonlinear Fourth-Order Differential Equation with Integral Boundary Conditions
Authors: Fu Yanli , Yao Huanmin
Published: May 2014

An iterative algorithm is proposed for solving the solution of a nonlinear fourth-order differential equation with integral boundary conditions. Its approximate solutionun(x)is represented in the reproducing kernel space. It is proved thatun(x)converges uniformly to the exact solutionu(x). Moreover, the derivatives ofun(x)are also convergent to the derivatives ofu(x). Numerical results show that the method employed in the paper is valid.
Novel Biomarkers of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Disease: Identifying Gaps and Dispelling Misperceptions
Authors: Moris Demetrios , Mantonakis Eleftherios , Avgerinos Efthymios , Makris Marinos , Bakoyiannis Chris , Pikoulis Emmanuel , Georgopoulos Sotirios
Published: May 2014

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a prevalent and potentially life-threatening disease. Early detection by screening programs and subsequent surveillance has been shown to be effective at reducing the risk of mortality due to aneurysm rupture. The aim of this review is to summarize the developments in the literature concerning the latest biomarkers (from 2008 to date) and their potential screening and therapeutic values. Our search included human studies in English and found numerous novel biomarkers under research, which were categorized in 6 groups. Most of these studies are either experimental or hampered by their low numbers of patients. We concluded that currently no specific laboratory markers allow screeing for the disease and monitoring its progression or the results of treatment. Further studies and studies in larger patient groups are required in order to validate biomarkers as cost-effective tools in the AAA disease.
Recovering Uniform Coverage in a 3D Survey: Case Study from Onshore Southern India
Authors: Shukla K. , Jaiswal P. , Singh C. S.
Published: May 2014

We present a case study on 3D seismic acquisition under inaccessible ground conditions and heavy head-loads. The novelty in this case study is designing novel shot recovery strategies. The study area is in a densely populated region in Southern India, where a 3D survey was conducted over an area of 700 km2to illuminate a target formation at 3000 m depth. The survey was designed in a brick pattern with six shots in a round, a line repeat interval of 2, and offset and skid grid of 300 m×300 m. Only 40% of full fold could be obtained with conventional shot recovery methods. To increase the survey fold, two new shot recovery strategies were attempted. First, the original offset and skid grid was increased to 1100 m×1200 m. Second, if the recovery shot did not fall in this grid, it was relocated along the swath from its original location to a distance equal to half the inline offset. The two strategies, employed together, increased the fold to 90% of full fold at the target area maintaining its uniformity. Although the illumination of the target zone was adequate for interpretation in this case, we see a need for adaptation if these strategies are to be applied in other surveys. In general, issues related to offset-limit, shot-density, and grid-spacing are a matter of continual optimization in 3D surveys.
Effect of Induced Acute Diabetes and Insulin Therapy on Stratum Corneum Barrier Function in Rat Skin
Authors: Lehman Paul A. , Franz Thomas J.
Published: May 2014

Background: A wide variety of cutaneous manifestations are associated with diabetes. However, there is a paucity of information on stratum corneum barrier function in diabetics, with and without insulin therapy. Methods: To assess for alteration of the stratum corneum, its barrier function was tested by evaluating the percutaneous absorption of water, ethanol, lidocaine and hydrocortisone, in vitro, on normal control, 4-week diabetic and 8-day insulin-treated diabetic Sprague-Dawley CD rats. Results: Total water penetration was not different between the 3 groups though flux profiles were different. Both total penetration and peak flux of lidocaine and hydrocortisone increased slightly in the diabetic rats over the control group. However, total penetration and peak flux (including ethanol) were significantly increased in the insulin-treated rats. Conclusion: The data indicate that diabetes modestly alters stratum corneum physiology but less so than that seen following insulin therapy.
What Influences Referral to 12-Step Mutual Self-Help Groups by Treatment Professionals?
Authors: Wall Rosemary , Sondhi Arun , Day Ed
Published: May 2014

Background/Aims: Twelve-step mutual self-help groups provide cost-effective support for recovery from substance misuse problems. Evidence suggests they are successful as an adjunct to formal treatment and that referral from clinicians is important in fostering engagement. Methods: This study surveyed substance misuse treatment professionals employed within two agencies in Birmingham (UK). Results: A total of 92 clinicians (79.3%) eligible to participate completed a questionnaire that explored their attitudes, knowledge and referral practices with regard to 12-step groups (TSGs). Most (74%) had a positive attitude, and almost 80% referred at least some of their clients to TSGs. However, 30% had not referred any clients in the past month, and multivariate analysis showed that referral was associated with greater objective knowledge about TSGs when other factors were controlled for. Conclusions: These results have implications for linking professional treatment to mutual self-help groups, and potential strategies to increase referral are discussed.
Age-Related Variety in Electrolyte Levels and Prevalence of Dysnatremias and Dyskalemias in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department
Authors: Lindner Gregor , Pfortmüller Carmen A. , Leichtle Alexander B. , Fiedler Georg M. , Exadaktylos Aristomenis K.
Published: May 2014

Background: It was found that age and female gender are predisposing factors for hyponatremia in patients taking thiazides. Objective: To investigate whether a relationship exists between age and gender and serum sodium and potassium as well as the prevalence rates in a large population of patients presenting to the emergency department of a university hospital. Methods: In this retrospective analysis we gathered data on age, gender and current diuretic medication of all patients admitted to the emergency department of a large university hospital with measurement of serum sodium and potassium between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010. Prevalence rates of and risk factors for electrolyte disorders were calculated on the basis of these data. Results: A total of 20,667 patients were included in the analysis. Serum sodium levels declined significantly with increasing age while serum potassium rose, independent of diuretic medication at presentation. The prevalence rates of hyponatremia and hyperkalemia increased from 2.3% for hyponatremia in patients aged 16-21 years to 16.9% in patients aged >80 years and from 0.8% for hyperkalemia to 10.4%. In the regression analysis, age >60 years was a predictor for the presence of hyponatremia and hyperkalemia as was current use of diuretic medication. Male gender was associated with a decreased prevalence of hyponatremia and hypokalemia, while it was a predictor of hyperkalemia. Conclusions: Sodium levels were lower with increasing age, independent of diuretic intake, while potassium levels were higher. We found dramatically increasing prevalences of hyponatremia and hyperkalemia with increasing age, while no such effect could be found for hypernatremia and hypokalemia.
S100A1 in Human Heart Failure
Authors: Bennett Mosi K. , Sweet Wendy E. , Baicker-McKee Sara , Looney Elizabeth , Karohl Kristen , Mountis Maria , Tang W.H. Wilson , Starling Randall C. , Moravec Christine S.
Published: May 2014

Background—

We hypothesized that S100A1 is regulated during human hypertrophy and heart failure and that it may be implicated in remodeling after left ventricular assist device. S100A1 is decreased in animal and human heart failure, and restoration produces functional recovery in animal models and in failing human myocytes. With the potential for gene therapy, it is important to carefully explore human cardiac S100A1 regulation and its role in remodeling.

Methods and Results—

We measured S100A1, the sarcoplasmic endoplasmic reticulum Ca
2+
ATPase, phospholamban, and ryanodine receptor proteins, as well as β-adrenergic receptor density in nonfailing, hypertrophied (left ventricular hypertrophy), failing, and failing left ventricular assist device–supported hearts. We determined functional consequences of protein alterations in isolated contracting muscles from the same hearts. S100A1, sarcoplasmic endoplasmic reticulum Ca
2+
ATPase and phospholamban were normal in left ventricular hypertrophy, but decreased in failing hearts, while ryanodine receptor was unchanged in either group. Baseline muscle contraction was not altered in left ventricular hypertrophy or failing hearts. β-Adrenergic receptor and inotropic response were decreased in failing hearts. In failing left ventricular assist device–supported hearts, S100A1 and sarcoplasmic endoplasmic reticulum Ca
2+
ATPase showed no recovery, while phospholamban, β-adrenergic receptor, and the inotropic response fully recovered.

Conclusions—

S100A1 and sarcoplasmic endoplasmic reticulum Ca
2+
ATPase, both key Ca
2+
-regulatory proteins, are decreased in human heart failure, and these changes are not reversed after left ventricular assist device. The clinical significance of these findings for cardiac recovery remains to be addressed.
An Online Spaced-Education Game Among Clinicians Improves Their Patients’ Time to Blood Pressure Control
Authors: Kerfoot B. Price , Turchin Alexander , Breydo Eugene , Gagnon David , Conlin Paul R.
Published: May 2014

Background—

Many patients with high blood pressure (BP) do not have antihypertensive medications appropriately intensified at clinician visits. We investigated whether an online spaced-education (SE) game among primary care clinicians can decrease time to BP target among their hypertensive patients.

Methods and Results—

A 2-arm randomized trial was conducted over 52 weeks among primary care clinicians at 8 hospitals. Educational content consisted of 32 validated multiple-choice questions with explanations on hypertension management. Providers were randomized into 2 groups: SE clinicians were enrolled in the game, whereas control clinicians received identical educational content in an online posting. SE game clinicians were e-mailed 1 question every 3 days. Adaptive game mechanics resent questions in 12 or 24 days if answered incorrectly or correctly, respectively. Clinicians retired questions by answering each correctly twice consecutively. Posting of relative performance among peers fostered competition. Primary outcome measure was time to BP target (<140/90 mm Hg). One hundred eleven clinicians enrolled. The SE game was completed by 87% of clinicians (48/55), whereas 84% of control clinicians (47/56) read the online posting. In multivariable analysis of 17 866 hypertensive periods among 14 336 patients, the hazard ratio for time to BP target in the SE game cohort was 1.043 (95% confidence interval, 1.007–1.081;
P
=0.018). The number of hypertensive episodes needed to treat to normalize one additional patient’s BP was 67.8. The number of clinicians needed to teach to achieve this was 0.43.

Conclusions—

An online SE game among clinicians generated a modest but significant reduction in the time to BP target among their hypertensive patients.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00904007.
Effects of Nebivolol Versus Metoprolol on Sodium Sensitivity and Renal Sodium Handling in Hypertensive Hispanic Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Preston Richard A. , Afshartous David , Materson Barry J. , Rodco Rolando , Alonso Alberto B.
Published: May 2014

Several consistent lines of evidence indicate an association between sodium sensitivity and impaired nitric oxide bioactivity. Nevertheless, whether restoring nitric oxide in humans by pharmacological means can ameliorate sodium sensitivity has not been investigated. Because nebivolol has been demonstrated to increase nitric oxide bioactivity in both laboratory and clinical investigations, we hypothesized that nebivolol might ameliorate sodium sensitivity and improve renal sodium handling in comparison to metoprolol. We therefore conducted a randomized, 2-treatment-period crossover trial in 19 Hispanic postmenopausal women with hypertension to determine the comparative effects of nebivolol versus metoprolol on (1) 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure response to an increase in dietary sodium from 5 days of low sodium to 5 days of high sodium, (2) renal natriuretic response to a 1-L saline challenge, and (3) asymmetrical dimethylarginine. Clinic blood pressure and heart rate were significantly reduced after 4 weeks of treatment with both nebivolol and metoprolol. Twenty-four–hour mean systolic blood pressure increased sharply from low sodium to high sodium for both nebivolol and metoprolol. Nevertheless, the increases in blood pressure did not differ between the 2 drugs: 7.7 (3.1, 12.3) mm Hg with metoprolol and 9.3 (4.6, 13.9) mm Hg with nebivolol (
P
=0.63). Furthermore, we observed no differences between the drugs in natriuretic response to saline challenge or asymmetrical dimethylarginine. In a sodium-sensitive population, at doses sufficient to produce reductions in blood pressure and heart rate, nebivolol did not demonstrate a significant effect on sodium sensitivity or sodium handling compared with metoprolol.
Unacknowledged Pioneer: Gender, Nation, and Class in the Short Stories of Samīrah ʿAzzām
Authors: Farag Joseph R.
Published: May 2014

Abstract

This paper charts the articulation of feminist, gender, and nationalist concerns in the writings of Samīrah ʿAzzām (1927-1967). It situates ʿAzzām’s oeuvre within the Palestinian literary canon, arguing through a series of close readings of her short stories that, though overlooked, ʿAzzām’s writings are in fact seminal. Writing in the wake of the Nakbah, ʿAzzām was among the first to articulate many of the tropes and motifs that would become central to Palestinian literary production. While her overriding concern was with class critique, ʿAzzām’s writing simultaneously prefigures later Palestinian feminist literary social critiques.
Bankers and Politics: The Network of Shi‘i Moneychangers in Eighth-Ninth Century Kufa and their Role in the Shi‘i Community
Authors: Asatryan Mushegh
Published: May 2014

Abstract

The article studies the network of moneychangers in the Shi‘i community of Kufa during the eighth-ninth centuries. It argues that apart from exchanging currencies, some of these moneychangers acted as financial agents for the imams, collecting funds from their following, receiving donations on their behalf, and with the collected money regulating the internal affairs of the Kufan Shi‘i community. By looking at the history of the Shi‘i community and, still broader, of the region as a whole, the article seeks to explain why the group of moneychangers became important among the Kufan Shi‘is, especially during Ja‘far al-Sadeq’s time and later, while being virtually insignificant at earlier periods. The article combines a quantitative study of biographical dictionaries with evidence found in literary accounts.
Illicit Acts and Sacred Space: Everyday Crime in the Shrine City of Mashhad, 1913-1914
Authors: Vejdani Farzin
Published: May 2014

Abstract

This article explores the connection between individuals, spaces, and daily crime in the shrine city of Mashhad during 1913-4. It challenges the prevailing emphasis on the city’s sacred status by highlighting the frequency and nature of illicit activities often involving urban non-elites. Using the Mashhad police newspaper Ettelā‘āt-e Yawmiya, it reconstructs conflicts between masters and apprentices, soldiers and civilians, tribes and settled populations, artisans, and family members. The article pays attention to the spatial distribution of crime in public and private spaces throughout the city. Finally, it considers the spectrum of crimes falling within the purview of the police including theft, raids, violence, debauchery, drunkenness, public disorder, and gambling.
The Shajara-ye Turk as an Important Source on the History of Relations between Khiva and Its Neighbors
Authors: Allaeva Nigora
Published: May 2014

Abstract

This article examines the relations between Khiva and its neighbors, specifically the Safavids and the Shaybanids, in the sixteenth and first half of the seventeenth century. It draws substantially on the Shajara-ye Turk, which has hitherto not been analysed in order to illustrate the relations between Khiva and other regional powers in its immediate reach. Using a comparative approach, we argue that, contrary to the prevailing notion of isolation found in the secondary literature, Khiva maintained manifold ties with its neighbors and was well embedded within the framework of regional states. Contrary to the arguments in the secondary literature, the article concludes that the Sunni-Shi‘i conflict had a more political rather than religious character, and did not create any impediment between dynasties of different religious backgrounds.
Translation, Authority and Exegesis in Modern Iranian Sufism: Two Iranian Sufi Masters in Dialogue
Authors: Cancian Alessandro
Published: May 2014

Abstract

This paper is a reflection on the treatise, Qor’ān-e majid va se dāstān-e asrār-āmiz-e ‘erfāni (“The noble Koran and three arcane mystical stories”), composed by the Iranian Sufi master Hājj Soltān-Hoseyn Tābanda Gonābādi “Rezā-‘Ali Shāh” (d. 1992). The “three arcane mystical stories” in this treatise are the pericopes presented in the Surat al-Kahf (i.e., those of the seven sleepers, Moses and al-Khezr, and Zu’l-qarneyn), and the work itself is what I call an “augmented translation” into Persian of the relevant passages of Soltān-‘Ali Shāh’s (1835-1909) tafsir, the Bayān al-saāda fi maqāmāt al-‘ebāda.The augmented translation carried out by Rezā-‘Ali Shāh is interesting not only because of its doctrinal content (and, in this respect, probably only to a limited extent), but also because it provides an example of how religious authority is articulated in contemporary Iran. The way it was done, the language that was used, the conscious introduction of new material all show how a modern 20th-century Iranian spiritual master struggled to transform the language of tradition while respecting the very authority from which his religious status stemmed.
Paradoxical Influence of the Islamicized School Education in Iran since the 1980s on Performance
Authors: Matti Nathalie
Published: May 2014

Abstract

After the 1979 revolution, the education system in Iran was reformed. In order to create a “new individual integrated in the Islamic society” (Paivandi, 14), at the beginning of the 1980s, the Iranian regime put the issue of learning at the center of the construction of a new society with a strong Islamic identity.

The implications of the reformed school in the aesthetic field, and in particular in actresses’ performances, created very tight meshes, linking together the active and the passive learning of the Iranian population. Nevertheless, it is possible to understand its complexity through the observation and analysis of actresses’ performances in the theater and cinema, considering it as a laboratory of life that gives us access to the realm of the senses.
Russian and Ottoman Newspapers in the War of 1877–1878
Authors: Isci Onur
Published: May 2014

The proliferation of popular newspapers during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 transformed the boundaries of public debate in Russia and brought the people into close contact with each other as well as with the outer world. Printing and the press had a parallel effect on the fin-de-siècle Ottoman public sphere. Newspapers of the Sublime Porte utilized defeats against Russia to juxtapose – if not depose – the Sultan’s cult as the sole symbol of unity with a nationalist one. “Wartime Propaganda and the Legacies of Defeat” is a comparative study of the two major newspapers – Golos and Basiret – during this period. I examine the major commonalities between these papers: such as perceived images of the enemy, the war’s aims and purposes, as well as the behavior of the troops portrayed by the war correspondents. My primary purpose is to shed light on the Turkish popular press, which weighed in on the issues of nationalism, defeat and political campaigning just as its Russian counterparts did. Ultimately, this article argues that the emergence of a critically debating public sphere in Russia and Turkey demonstrates how both empires experienced modernity in the sense that most Europeans understood it.
Urban Biography and the Reconstruction of Sevastopol after World War II
Authors: Qualls Karl D.
Published: May 2014

The Crimean War brought destruction to Russia’s Black Sea peninsula but, like Napoleon’s invasion fifty years earlier, the war also became a central event in Russia’s national history. In his The Origins of the Crimean War (1994), David Goldfrank introduced readers to the complex diplomatic wrangling that led to the Crimean War. This article seeks to explain how and why the Crimean War (or “first great defense”) rivals only World War II (the “second great defense”) in Sevastopol’s urban biography. Because of the work of writers, filmmakers, sculptors, and architects – who during and after World War II began to link the first great defense with the second and used images similar to Leo Tolstoy’s a century earlier – Sevastopol retains its close connection to its pre-Revolutionary military history. Even in the Soviet period, Sevastopol’s urban biography relied less on the Bolshevik Revolution and Civil War than it did on the Crimean War because of the narrative reframing during the 1940s.
Russian Scouting as a School for Liberalism
Authors: Zelensky Elizabeth Kristofovich
Published: May 2014

The subject of this article is the relationship between liberalism, scouting and childhood in late Imperial Russia and among the Russian diaspora from 1920. It is a study of liberalism as an emotive tie rather than a political phenomenon – a community of sentiment metonymically tied to the emotional content of “the idyll of gentry childhood,” as this was first expressed in Leo Tolstoy’s Childhood. Through O.I. Pantukhoff (1882–1973), the founder of Russian scouting, it traces the development of Russian scouting within Russia before 1917 and among the Russian political diaspora after 1920 as an institutional vehicle for such liberal values as self-development, initiative and individuality (lichnost’). Today, Russian scouting continues to exist in the major centers of Russian emigration, and has reappeared in Russia itself, testifying to the liberal sentiment as a continuing aspect of Russian norms for childhood. The institution of Russian scouting, as reflected in the personal papers and memoirs of Pantukhoff, gives us an entry into the emotional culture of liberalism; helps us expand our historical perspectives beyond the parameters of its study as a failed political movement, and acknowledge its continuing presence in the Russian cultural semio-sphere.
Classical Methods
Authors: Smith Edward N.
Published: May 2014

Abstract

The literature of warfare records the insights of past generations into one of the most harrowing and trying elements of the human experience. The classical works from the Warring States period created the base of military thought in China that also influenced much of East Asia. According to Mao Zedong, these ancient texts bore special importance as literature, sources of study, and inspiration for the people of China. This hard-purchased expertise reflected the experiences of the past that present scholars must carefully study, especially as new works of military thought within the Chinese literary base appeared in the twentieth century, penned and spoken by Mao himself. These new texts demonstrated a steady continuity from the earliest Chinese military-philosophical literature. Most notably, these common concepts included a consistent conceptualization about the role of warfare in society, the importance of complementary opposites, capitalizing on strengths and exploiting weaknesses, and adaptability to changing dynamics. The influence of Mao’s writings ensured these precepts continued to exercise an important influence upon the People’s Republic of China, creating the base of military-philosophical literature in the prc.
A revision of the bathyal and abyssal necrophage genus Cyclocaris Stebbing, 1888 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Cyclocaridae) with the addition of two new species from the Atlantic Ocean
Authors: HORTON TAMMY , THURSTON MICHAEL H.
Published: May 2014

Two new species of the deep-sea scavenging genus Cyclocaris (Crustacea: Amphipoda) are described from bathyal and abyssal depths in the North and tropical Atlantic Ocean, bringing the total number of species in the genus to four. An account of all four species is given and an updated key to the genus Cyclocaris is provided.
Description of Cephalotes specularis n. sp. (Formicidae: Myrmicinae)—the mirror turtle ant
Authors: BRANDÃO CARLOS ROBERTO F. , FEITOSA RODRIGO M. , POWELL SCOTT , DEL-CLARO KLEBER
Published: May 2014

We describe here Cephalotes specularis n. sp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Cephalotini) based on minor and major workers, gynes and larvae from Uberlândia, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. On morphological and molecular grounds, this new species belongs to the C. fiebrigi + C. bruchi species complex, of which there are 11 previously described species (one in C. bruchi group and 10 in the C. fiebrigi group). All members of these groups are found in, or are limited to the South American “arid diagonal”, comprised of the Argentinian Chaco, the Cerrados of central South America, and the Brazilian northeastern caatingas. Workers of C. specularis n. sp. have an extremely shiny gaster which is mirror-like, notwithstanding its sparse covering by minute hairs. This species engages in a form of resource-based social parasitism of the host ant Crematogaster ampla (Myrmicinae: Crematogastrini). Cephalotes specularis foragers move freely in the dense traffic of Crematogaster ampla foraging trails. They exhibit highly atypical body posturing for turtle ants, which makes them hard to distinguish from the Crematogaster foragers.
Analysis of 17 α-hydroxyprogesterone in bloodspots by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Salter Simon J , Cook Paul , Davies Justin H , Armston Annie E
Published: May 2014

Background

Monitoring of treatment for patients diagnosed with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) can be performed by measuring the concentration of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) in bloodspots collected on filter papers. A method is described here for measuring 17OHP by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LCMSMS).

Methods

17OHP was extracted by liquid–liquid extraction and analysed by LCMSMS. The method was validated for sensitivity, specificity, linearity, recovery, ion suppression, precision and bias.

Results

The standard curve was linear from 0 to 400 nmol/L. Intra-assay %CVs were <10 and inter-assay %CVs were <15 over the range 10–200 nmol/L. Limit of quantitation was 6 nmol/L. No ion suppression was detected. The only interfering compound detected was deoxycorticosterone, an intermediate steroid with the same molecular weight as 17α-hydroxyprogesterone. The method was more accurate and precise than an existing radioimmunoassay. There was poor correlation between the two assays.

Conclusions

We have developed a sensitive and specific assay suitable for quantitation of 17OHP in bloodspots. This method performs better than radioimmunoassay and allows smaller samples to be used.
Unexplored aspects of bureaucratic autonomy: a state of the field and ways forward
Authors: Maggetti Martino , Verhoest Koen
Published: May 2014

This article first provides a selective overview of the literature on bureaucratic autonomy and identifies different approaches to this topic. The second section discusses three major sets of open questions, which will be tackled in the contributions to this special issue: the subjective, dynamic and relational nature of autonomy; the complex linkages between tasks, organizational forms, and national path dependencies on the one hand and autonomy and performance on the other hand; and the interplay between autonomy, accountability and democratic legitimacy.
Examining the Effects of Tourist Resort Image on Place Attachment
Authors: Fan Jun , Qiu Hong-Liang
Published: May 2014

In recent years, the notion of place attachment has become one of the most engaging topics for tourism marketing researchers. Despite increased attention by researchers, little attention has been given to the relationship between destination image and place attachment. Few studies have examined the influence of various factors of destination image on place attachment. These factors are important because destination managers and administrators need to make substantial efforts to establish a positive image of their resort to attract potential visitors. We developed and tested three models to define the multitude of factors that affect the place attachment of a tourist resort. The study was conducted using a multi-dimensional survey. Using structural model to test relative hypothesis, the results of this research are presented. The study’s practical implications and limitations are also discussed.
Integrating Spanish lexical resources by meta-classifiers for polarity classification
Authors: Martínez-Cámara Eugenio , Martín-Valdivia M. Teresa , Molina-González M. Dolores , Perea-Ortega José M.
Published: May 2014

In this paper we focus on unsupervised sentiment analysis in Spanish. The lack of resources for languages other than English, as for example Spanish, adds more complexity to the task. However, we take advantage of some good already existing lexical resources. We have carried out several experiments using different unsupervised approaches in order to compare the different methodologies for solving the problem of the Spanish polarity classification in a corpus of movie reviews. Among all these approaches, perhaps the newest one integrates SentiWordNet with the Multilingual Central Repository to tackle polarity detection directly over the Spanish corpus. However, the results obtained were not as promising as we expected, and so we carried out another group of experiments combining all the methods using meta-classifiers. The results obtained with stacking outperformed the individual experiments and encourage us to continue in this way.
The Role of Networks in International Labour Migration: The Case of Returned Migrants in East Java
Authors: Christinawati Evi L. , Pudjiharjo M. , Pratomo Devanto S.
Published: May 2014

This study examines the role of social networks in the overseas migration decisions of workers from East Java, Indonesia. The data for this study are obtained from a survey of 363 respondents in Sumberejo village, located in Malang district in East Java. This district is well known as one of the main contributors of Indonesian labour migrants to overseas. Using a multinomial logit specification across different labour market outcomes, this study finds that labour recruiters or middlemen play the most important role in labour migrants’ decisions to work overseas, although middlemen are in fact are not allowed by regulation. The number of friends and relatives respondents feel close to is also a significant factor, but not as high as middlemen. Relatives have a positive and significant effect for the respondents who worked in the formal sector, while friends have a significantly positive effect for the respondents who worked in the informal sector.

JEL: J61
Institutions or Geography: Which Matters Most for Economic Development?
Authors: Saha Bibhas
Published: May 2014

Although development economics generally confines its attention to the last 60 years, there is a growing body of research that looks back centuries and tries to determine if the events in the long past are responsible for underdevelopment of today’s developing countries. Broadly speaking, there are two views on the long-term determinants of comparative development. One view is that the extractive institutions created during colonization between 1500 and 1900 are responsible for underdevelopment we see today. The other view is that these institutions were created because of particular geographical factors, and the role of geography is played out on a much longer time scale. This article provides a brief survey of the two alternative perspectives on development economics.

JEL: N4, O1, O4
Production Efforts in Large Indian Cities: A Network-based Approach
Authors: Bervoets Sebastian , Deroïan Frédéric
Published: May 2014

In this article we construct a network of roads connecting large Indian cities and we evaluate this network’s overall performance. We consider a model where the production efforts of connected cities are strategic complements, and we relate the equilibrium effort proﬁle to a well known centrality measure, the Katz-Bonacich centrality. We then make use of this result to compute the level of efforts of different cities in the current network and identify which city contributes most to overall efforts, which existing road is the most inﬂuential and which new road should be constructed in priority. Our results shed light on the importance of relatively small cities on aggregate efforts. Our exercise illustrates how network details might generate unexpected effects.

JEL: C72, D85
The Truth Comes Naturally! Does It?
Authors: Verschuere Bruno , Shalvi Shaul
Published: May 2014

Does the truth come naturally? And by implication, does this mean that a lie may not come as naturally as the truth? Truth-Default Theory and the Information Manipulation Theory 2 diverge in their opinion on whether people’s natural response is to lie or tell the truth. In line with Truth-Default Theory, cognitive psychology research supports the notion that the truth is the default in human communication. Information Manipulation Theory 2 holds that lying may come as naturally as, or even more naturally than, truth telling, and recent social psychology research supports this possibility. We suggest that motivation may explain the divergence between the two theories and the two lines of research. We raise the hypothesis that truth telling may be the natural response absent clear motivations to lie (hence, most human communication) and that lying may prevail as the automatic reaction when it brings about important self-profit. We hope that this hypothesis will stimulate new research that will allow for bridging the theoretical and empirical findings that seem discrepant at first and show when the truth (vs. the lie) comes naturally.
Incremental controller synthesis in probabilistic environments with temporal logic constraints
Authors: Ulusoy Alphan , Wongpiromsarn Tichakorn , Belta Calin
Published: May 2014

In this paper, we consider automatic computation of optimal control strategies for a robot interacting with a set of independent uncontrollable agents in a graph-like environment. The mission specification is given as a syntactically co-safe Linear Temporal Logic formula over some properties that hold at the vertices of the environment. The robot is assumed to be a deterministic transition system, while the agents are probabilistic Markov models. The goal is to control the robot such that the probability of satisfying the mission specification is maximized. We propose a computationally efficient incremental algorithm based on the fact that temporal logic verification is computationally cheaper than synthesis. We present several case studies where we compare our approach to the classical non-incremental approach in terms of computation time and memory usage.
Newly Hatched Chicks Solve the Visual Binding Problem
Authors: Wood Justin N.
Published: May 2014

For an organism to perceive coherent and unified objects, its visual system must bind color and shape features into integrated color-shape representations in memory. However, the origins of this ability have not yet been established. To examine whether newborns can build an integrated representation of the first object they see, I raised newly hatched chicks ( Gallus gallus) in controlled-rearing chambers that contained a single virtual object. This object rotated continuously, revealing a different color and shape combination on each of its two faces. Chicks were able to build an integrated representation of this object. For example, they reliably distinguished an object defined by a purple circle and yellow triangle from an object defined by a purple triangle and yellow circle. This result shows that newborns can begin binding color and shape features into integrated representations at the onset of their experience with visual objects.
Linear-to-rotary motion converter using asymmetric compliant mechanics and single-crystal PMN-PT stack actuator
Authors: Na Tae-Won , Kang Dae-Hyun , Jung Jin-Young , Han Jae-Hung , Oh Il-Kwon
Published: May 2014

In this article, we report a novel linear-to-rotary motion converter that employs a single-crystal 0.71Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.29PbTiO3 (PMN-29PT) (PMN-29PT ) stack actuator and asymmetric compliant mechanics for flexural hinges. This unique motion converter is compact, economical to fabricate and has the capacity to be utilized in small-scale applications. The linear-to-rotary motion converter prototype was designed and fabricated using a seven-bar linkage kinematic model. Additionally, compliant mechanics at flexural hinges were used in place of conventional revolute joints. The converter consists of a stack actuator and a structural mechanism, including flexural hinges and a pivot hinge to convert linear motion to rotary motion. To determine the feasibility of the mechanism design and to estimate the accurate rotational motion of the designed converter, numerical simulations utilizing COMSOL Multiphysics 4.3 and experimental validation were performed by evaluating the displacement of the stack actuator and the rotational angle of the linear-to-rotary motion converter according to the changes of driving voltages. The experimental results show that the linear-to-rotary motion converter can produce a rotation angle of 1.52° at an input voltage of 900 V. The unique linear-to-rotary motion converter design proposed here can be applied to various engineering fields, instead of existing mechanical linear-to-rotary mechanisms, due to the advantages in compact size and precise control.