bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early Decision-Making in Drug Development: The Potential Role of Pharmaco-EEG and Pharmaco-Sleep
Authors: Wilson Frederick J. , Danjou Philippe
Published: February 2016

The pharmaceutical industry has been suffering from low clinical success rates of new drugs for some time with particularly high attrition in early clinical development, especially for drugs aimed at central targets. Both pharmaco-electroencephalography (EEG) and pharmaco-sleep, along with other biomarker techniques, have significant potential to assist with this problem by enabling early decisions to be made about the likelihood of a compound proving successful in the clinic. This paper discusses the role and points of application of biomarker techniques in early drug development. It proposes a framework for the use of pharmaco-EEG and pharmaco-sleep in drug development that (i) relies on the combination of preclinical data and an understanding of translatability to generate robust hypotheses for testing in early clinical studies and (ii) is backed up by a clear decision-making process. The areas that need further development before this framework can be put fully into practice are discussed, along with some possible routes by which this could be achieved through precompetitive co-operation within the industry.
Assessment of Wakefulness and Brain Arousal Regulation in Psychiatric Research
Authors: Sander Christian , Hensch Tilman , Wittekind Dirk Alexander , Böttger Daniel , Hegerl Ulrich
Published: February 2016

During the last few decades, much knowledge has been gained about sleep being a heterogeneous condition with several distinct sleep stages that represent fundamentally different physiological states. The same applies for the wake state which also comprises distinct global functional states (called vigilance stages). However, various terms and concepts have been introduced describing different aspects of wakefulness, and accordingly several methods of assessment exist, e.g. sleep laboratory assessments (Multiple Sleep Latency Test, Maintenance of Wakefulness Test), questionnaires (Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Karolinska Sleepiness Scale), behavioural tasks (Psychomotor Vigilance Test) or electroencephalography (EEG)-based assessments (Alpha Attenuation Test, Karolinska Drowsiness Test). Furthermore, several theoretical concepts about the regulation of sleep and wakefulness have been put forward, and physiological correlates have been identified. Most relevant for healthy functioning is the regulation of brain arousal and the adaption of wakefulness to the environmental and situational needs so that the optimal balance between energy conservation and responsiveness can be obtained. Since one approach to the assessment of brain arousal regulation is the classification of EEG vigilance stages, a computer-based algorithm (Vigilance Algorithm Leipzig) has been introduced, allowing classification of EEG vigilance stages in EEG recordings under resting conditions. The time course of EEG vigilance stages in EEGs of 15-20 min duration allows estimation of the individual arousal regulation (hyperstable, adaptive, or unstable vigilance pattern). The vigilance model of affective disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder links a disturbed arousal regulation to the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders and accordingly helps to explain and possibly also predict treatment effects of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for these conditions.
Long-Term Outcomes of Hepatitis-C-Infected Patients Achieving a Sustained Virological Response and Undergoing Radical Treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Kunimoto Hideo , Ikeda Kenji , Sorin Yushi , Fujiyama Shunichiro , Kawamura Yusuke , Kobayashi Masahiro , Sezaki Hitomi , Hosaka Tetsuya , Akuta Norio , Saitoh Satoshi , Suzuki Fumitaka , Suzuki Yoshiyuki , Arase Yasuji , Kumada Hiromitsu
Published: February 2016

Background and Aims: A sustained virological response (SVR) decreases the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with hepatitis C. We investigated the long-term outcomes of patients who developed HCC after achieving SVR with interferon therapy. Patients: Of 75 patients who developed HCC after SVR, 40 patients underwent radical therapies (SVR group). From 436 patients undergoing surgical resection for hepatitis C virus-positive HCC, 80 patients were randomly chosen as a control cohort, after adjusting for age, gender, and extent of hepatic fibrosis (non-SVR group). Patients were observed for a median of 5.08 years. Results: HCC recurrence was found in 16 SVR patients and in 66 non-SVR patients. The respective HCC recurrence rates of SVR and non-SVR patients were 23 and 56% at 3 years, 42 and 77% at 5 years, and 53 and 90% at 10 years (p = 0.001). The respective overall survival rates in the SVR and non-SVR groups were 93 and 68% at 5 years, 88 and 34% at 10 years, and 53 and 21% at 15 years (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Although SVR patients had a significantly lower HCC recurrence rate than the non-SVR patients, the cumulative recurrence rate of SVR patients increased to 86% at 15 years.
Enhanced-Resolution Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging
Authors: Uji Akihito , Murakami Tomoaki , Arichika Shigeta , Muraoka Yuki , Yoshitake Shin , Dodo Yoko , Yoshimura Nagahisa
Published: February 2016

Purpose: The effect of the enhanced-resolution imaging (ERI) technique on optical coherence tomography (OCT) images was evaluated. Methods: A total of 5 healthy subjects and 20 patients diagnosed with various eye diseases were recruited into the study. ERI, a novel image processing technique, was accomplished by using super-resolution technology, and was assessed by objectively and subjectively comparing the image quality among three different image groups: images enlarged without bicubic interpolation (NONE), with bicubic interpolation (IP), and with ERI. Results: ERI showed a higher ratio of the detailed variance to the background variance than NONE, whereas no significant difference was detected between NONE and IP. The mean opinion score of 5 experienced retinal specialists for ERI was significantly higher than that for IP. Conclusions: ERI generated a sharper image and clearly visualized small objects. Additionally, it is effective in enhancing OCT image quality.
Use of a Toric Intraocular Lens and a Limbal-Relaxing Incision for the Management of Astigmatism in Combined Glaucoma and Cataract Surgery
Authors: Gibbons Allister
Published: February 2016

Purpose: We report the surgical management of a patient with glaucoma undergoing cataract surgery with high preexisting astigmatism. A combination of techniques was employed for her astigmatism management. Methods: A 76-year-old female with 5.5 dpt of corneal astigmatism underwent surgery in her left eye consisting of one-site trabeculectomy, phacoemulsification, toric intraocular lens implantation and a single inferior limbal-relaxing incision. Results: Intraocular pressure control was achieved with no medication at 11 mm Hg; before the filtering procedure, the pressure was 16 mm Hg on two topical drugs. Astigmatism was reduced to 0.75 dpt, and both corrected and uncorrected visual acuity improved. Conclusions: Astigmatism management can have a good outcome in combined procedures. We encourage surgeons to address astigmatism in the preoperative planning of patients undergoing glaucoma surgery associated with phacoemulsification.
Health Authorities Data Collection of THC:CBD Oromucosal Spray (L'Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco Web Registry): Figures after 1.5 Years
Authors: Patti Francesco
Published: February 2016

Background: In Italy, all prescriptions for THC:CBD oromucosal spray for treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) spasticity are linked to the official Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco (AIFA) web-based registry, which tracks the effectiveness and tolerability of medications in a prospective and observational manner. Methods: AIFA e-registry data for THC:CBD oromucosal spray collected between January 2014 and February 2015 for 1,534 patients from 30 large Italian specialized MS centres were compiled. Patients had a long disease history (17.6 ± 8.6 years) and significant impairment (mean Expanded Disability Status Scale score 6.4 ± 1.2). MS spasticity was evaluated using the 0-10 numerical rating scale (NRS). Results: After the first month titration and trial period, 61.9% of patients achieved sufficient improvement in spasticity (≥20% NRS) to qualify for continued treatment. After 6 months, clinically meaningful ≥30% NRS improvement was recorded in 40.2% of patients continuing with treatment. Spasticity-associated symptoms such as cramps and nocturnal spasms improved in most responding patients. Mean reported doses of THC:CBD oromucosal spray (6.2-6.7 sprays/day) were lower than those reported in clinical trials. Adverse events (mainly mild to moderate) were reported by 15% of patients; no new safety concerns beyond the approved label were identified. Conclusion: The results of the AIFA e-registry analysis align with those of other THC:CBD observational projects and reaffirm the characteristics of this therapeutic option in the management of treatment-resistant MS spasticity, a frequently overlooked symptom.
Abundance, herd size, activity pattern and occupancy of ungulates in Southeastern Mexico
Authors: Pérez-Irineo Gabriela , Santos-Moreno Antonio
Published: February 2016

This study provides information about relative abundance, herd size, activity pattern, and occupancy of ungulates at Los Chimalapas, southeastern Mexico, one of the last refuges inhabited by two conservation priority ungulate species: Tapirus bairdii and Tayassu pecari. For three years, four species of ungulates were recorded using camera traps: T. bairdii, T. pecari, Mazama temama, and Tayassu tajacu, involving an effort of 8529 trap-days and 839 records. T. pecari was found to be highest in relative abundance, while T. tajacu’s abundance was lowest. Populations were composed principally of adults, but there were records of offspring for all four species. The herd size was smaller compared to other populations of T. tajacu and T. pecari. Occupancy models were used to analyze the presence of the species in the region and showed that M. temama and T. bairdii had a high occupancy probability. In comparison, the occupancy probability of T. pecari was low. This study shows that ungulate populations are still breeding, and have higher possibility of permanence, in Los Chimalapas, Southeastern Mexico. The region is an important area for the conservation of T. bairdii and T. pecari, both disappeared from some other areas of the southeast.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean and Its Contribution to Democracy Promotion and Crisis Management
Authors: Cofelice Andrea
Published: February 2016

One of the main functions of international parliamentary institutions (ipis) consists of conducting parallel diplomatic relations, known as parliamentary diplomacy, especially in the fields of peace-building, crisis management and democracy promotion. The effectiveness of this form of so-called ‘parliamentarization’ of international relations is often called into question, and can only be judged through systematic empirical work. This article aims at contributing to this debate by exploring the parliamentary diplomacy activities performed by one of the most prominent parliamentary actors in Euro–Mediterranean relations: the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (pam). What kinds of tools has pam adopted to implement its parliamentary diplomacy function? What is the impact of pam’s parliamentary diplomacy? The article considers the following elements: legal and policy instruments; institutional features; functions performed while in session; activities directly addressing the national level; and parliamentary diplomacy as such. The period encompassed by the analysis ranges from 2006 to 2014.
«Мужская дружба»? Вилли Брандт и Леонид Брежнев в контексте энергетического диалога между ФРГ и СССР в 1970–1973 гг.
Authors: Keller Andrei V.
Published: February 2016

With the signing of the Moscow Treaty in 1970 between the Soviet Union and West Germany, a new period in Soviet-German relations began. This phenomenon was made possible by two factors: the strengthening of Brezhnev's power and the election of Willy Brandt as Chancellor of West Germany. This article identified the importance of the personal relationship between the two politicians in the transition from a policy of harsh confrontation during the Cold War to a policy of détente and economic cooperation in the form of an energy dialogue from 1970 to 1973. Against the background of current events, the author poses the question of why the two politicians were unable to agree to a policy against the backdrop of the perceived ideological antagonism between the capitalist and socialist systems. This article also considers how the relationship between the two men affected the development of economic cooperation between the two countries.
A new jellynose, Ateleopus edentatus, from the western Pacific Ocean (Teleostei: Ateleopodiformes: Ateleopodidae)
Authors: KAGA TATSUYA
Published: February 2016

Ateleopus edentatus sp. nov. is described based on 12 specimens collected from the Kyushu-Palau Ridge in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinguished from its three known congeners in completely lacking upper-jaw teeth. It is also distinguished from Ateleopus indicus by having 94–130 anal+caudal-fin rays vs. 76–82 in A. indicus, 11–13 gill rakers vs. 7–8, and 26–28+81–107=109–135 vertebrae vs. 22–24+75–80=97–103.
O losie niektórych leksemów gwarowych w sytuacji zaniku gwar
Authors: Kucharzyk Renata
Published: February 2016

On the fate of some dialectal lexemes in the situation of dialect disappearanceThis article concerns the durability of dialectal vocabulary in the situation in which local dialects are disappearing. It turns out that although the use of local dialects is decreasing, local dialect lexis has not disappeared completely. This is because some dialectal words are being incorporated into colloquial language. The intensity of this phenomenon varies – from occasional occurrences to strong rooting in the lexicon of colloquial Polish. The basis for these considerations is the word bambuch (belly) and a few other units from its word family (bambuszek, rozbambuszyć, wybambuszyć). The way they function in the colloquial language has been traced in the utterances of Internet users published on different forums. As the mate­ rial analysis reveals, local dialect words often become components of colloquial utterances, as a result of which they maintain their vivacity and it is possible for them to be included in general Polish vocabulary. O losie niektórych leksemów gwarowych w sytuacji zaniku gwarW tym artykule podjęto temat trwałości słownictwa dialektalnego w sytuacji zaniku gwar. Okazuje się, że wycofywanie się gwar z użycia nie oznacza zupełnego zaniku leksyki gwarowej. Część tego słownictwa przedostaje się bowiem do języka potocznego. Nasilenie zjawiska jest różne – od sporadycznych użyć po dobre osa­dzenie w zasobie polszczyzny potocznej. Podstawę niniejszych rozważań stanowi wyraz bambuch ‘brzuch’ i kilka innych jednostek z jego rodziny słowotwórczej (bambuszek, rozbambuszyć, wybambuszyć). Ich funkcjonowanie w języku potocznym zostało prześledzone w wypowiedziach użytkowników Internetu zamieszczonych na rozmaitych forach. Jak pokazała analiza materiału, wyrazy gwarowe często stają się komponentami wypowiedzi potocznych, dzięki czemu podtrzymują swoją żywotność i mają szansę na stałe wejść do zasobu polszczyzny ogólnej.
Czy współcześnie powstający kaszubski język literacki oraz obecnie tworzony język neobretoński mogą stanowić przedmiot dociekań badaczy językowego obrazu świata?
Authors: Dołowy-Rybińska Nicole , Popowska-Taborska Hanna
Published: February 2016

Can the presently created Kashubian literary language and the currently formed new Breton language be objects of consideration for researchers of the linguistic picture of the world?The influence of the Polish language in conjunction with education and the mass media have brought about in the second half of the 20th century a growth of Polish-Kashubian bilingualism and a decline of Kashubian dialects. Simultaneously, work on the creation and promotion of the literary Kashubian language has begun. The standard Kashubian language is new to all users as is the new Breton language standardized in the last decades of the 20th century. Intergenerational transmission of the Breton language was severed after WWII. The ethnic revival of the 1970s led to the revalorization of the Breton culture and language, taught since then in a number of schools and at adult courses. Normalized Kashubian and Breton languages are full of neologisms. But at the same time they have also been considerably purified of those traits which make them similar to the respective dominant language (Polish and French). Furthermore, the range of use to which these minority languages are put is very different from one user to another. All these specifics result in the near impossibility of researching the linguistic picture of the world of contemporary normalized minority languages. Czy współcześnie powstający kaszubski język literacki oraz obecnie tworzony język neobretoński mogą stanowić przedmiot dociekań badaczy językowego obrazu świata?Wpływ polszczyzny związany ze szkołą i mediami masowymi spowodował wzrost w drugiej połowie XX wieku dwujęzyczności kaszubsko-polskiej i zanikanie dialektów kaszubskich. Jednocześnie rozpoczęły się prace nad stworzeniem i upowszechnieniem kaszubskiego języka literackiego. Standardowy język kaszubski jest nowy dla wszystkich użytkowników, podobnie jak standaryzowany w drugiej połowie XX wieku język bretoński. Międzypokoleniowa transmisja bretońskiego została przerwana w połowie XX wieku. Odrodzenie etniczne lat 70. XX wieku doprowadziło do rewaloryzacji kultury i języka bretońskiego, którego dzieci zaczęły się uczyć w szkołach, a dorośli – na kursach. Znormalizowane języki kaszubski i bretoński pełne są neologizmów, podlegają również procesom puryfikacji mającym oczyścić je z cech upodobniających do języka dominującego (polskiego i francuskiego). Zakres posługiwania się nimi u poszczególnych ich użytkowników jest silnie zróżnicowany. Wszystkie te fakty sprawiają, że badanie językowego obrazu świata normalizowanych obecnie języków mniejszościowych nie wydaje się możliwe.
When El Niño Rages: How Satellite Data Can Help Water-Stressed Islands
Authors: Luchetti Nicholas T. , Sutton Jessica R. P. , Wright Ethan E. , Kruk Michael C. , Marra John J.
Published: February 2016

There are more than 2,000 islands across Hawaii and the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI), where freshwater resources are heavily dependent upon rainfall. Many of the islands experience dramatic variations in precipitation during the different phases of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Traditionally, forecasters in the region relied on ENSO climatologies based on spatially limited in situ data to inform their seasonal precipitation outlooks. To address this gap, a unique NOAA/NASA collaborative project updated the ENSO-based rainfall climatology for the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) encompassing Hawaii and the USAPI using NOAA’s PERSIANN Climate Data Record (CDR). The PERSIANN-CDR provides a 30-yr record of global daily precipitation at 0.25° resolution (∼750 km2 near the equator). This project took place over a 10- week NASA DEVELOP National Program term and resulted in a 478-page climatic reference atlas. This atlas is based on a 30-yr period from 1 January 1985 through 31 December 2014 and complements station data by offering an enhanced spatial representation of rainfall averages.

Regional and EEZ-specific maps throughout the atlas illustrate the percent departure from average for each season based on the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) for different ENSO phases. To facilitate intercomparisons across locations, this percentage-based climatology was provided to regional climatologists, forecasters, and outreach experts within the region. Anomalous wet and dry maps for each ENSO phase are used by the regional constituents to better understand precipitation patterns across their regions and to produce more accurate forecasts to inform adaptation, conservation, and mitigation options for drought and f looding events.
Macrophysical, Microphysical, and Radiative Properties of Tropical Mesoscale Convective Systems over Their Life Cycle
Authors: Bouniol Dominique , Roca Rémy , Fiolleau Thomas , Poan D. Emmanuel
Published: February 2016

Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) are important drivers of the atmospheric large-scale circulation through their associated diabatic heating profile. Taking advantage of recent tracking techniques, this study investigates the evolution of macrophysical, microphysical, and radiative properties over the MCS life cycle by merging geostationary and polar-orbiting satellite data. These observations are performed in three major convective areas: continental West Africa, the adjacent Atlantic Ocean, and the open Indian Ocean. MCS properties are also investigated according to internal subregions (convective, stratiform, and nonprecipitating anvil). Continental MCSs show a specific life cycle, with more intense convection at the beginning. Larger and denser hydrometeors are thus found at higher altitudes, as well as up to the cirriform subregion. Oceanic MCSs have more constant reflectivity values, suggesting a less intense convective updraft, but more persistent intensity. A layer of small crystals is found in all subregions, but with a depth that varies according to the MCS subregion and life cycle. Radiative properties are also examined. It appears that the evolution of large and dense hydrometeors tends to control the evolution of the cloud albedo and the outgoing longwave radiation. The impact of dense hydrometeors, detrained from the convective towers, is also seen in the radiative heating profiles, in particular in the shortwave domain. A dipole of cooling near the cloud top and heating near the cloud base is found in the longwave; this cooling intensifies near the end of the life cycle.
Online X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) Analysis of Heavy Metals in Pulverized Coal on a Conveyor Belt
Authors: Yan Zhang , XinLei Zhang , WenBao Jia , Qing Shan , YongSheng Ling , DaQian Hei , Da Chen
Published: February 2016

Heavy metals in haze episode will continue to threaten the quality of public health around the world. In order to decrease the emission of heavy metals produced from coal burning, an online X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer system, consisting of an XRF analyzer with data acquisition software and a laser rangefinder, was developed to carry out the measurement of heavy metals in pulverized coal. The XRF analyzer was mounted on a sled, which can effectively smooth the surface of pulverized coal and reduce the impact of surface roughness during online measurement. The laser rangefinder was mounted over the sled for measuring the distance between a pulverized coal sample and the analyzer. Several heavy metals and other elements in pulverized coal were online measured by the XRF analyzer directly above a conveyor belt. The limits of detection for Hg, Pb, Cr, Ti, Fe, and Ca by the analyzer were 44 ± 2, 34 ± 2, 17 ± 3, 41 ± 4, 19 ± 3, and 65 ± 2 mg·kg–1, respectively. The relative standard deviation (%RSD) for the elements mentioned was less than 7.74%. By comparison with the results by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), relative deviation (%D) of the online XRF analyzer was less than 10% for Cr, Ti, and Ca, in the range of 0.8–24.26% for Fe, and greater than 20% for Hg and Pb.
What Is a Sinful Social Structure?
Authors: Finn Daniel K.
Published: February 2016

Catholic social teaching has long affirmed the existence of sinful social structures but without describing them or how they operate. This article reviews magisterial teaching on sinful social structures and turns to critical realist sociology for an analysis of structures as having causal influence through the free choices of persons within them. Theologically, social structures (whether markets or parishes) can be “sinful” in an analogous sense, similar to original sin. A typology of inclusive and extractive economic institutions exemplifies how this analysis can apply to sinful social structures today.
Relation between Corporate Governance and Firm Valuation: Analysis of International Data
Authors: Iren Perihan , Bathala Chenchu
Published: February 2016

This study examines the relationship between corporate governance and firm valuation using a comprehensive data set from 25 countries. Empirical results show the existence of a positive and significant association benveen corporate governance structure and firm valuation. Overall, the results confirm that better governed firms are valued higher. The analysis reveals that firms would benefit by improving their corporate governance practices.
Corporate Governance: An empirical Analysis of Ownership and Performance in Indian banks
Authors: Mishra Swayam Prava , Srivatsava Harish V.
Published: February 2016

The paper aims at understanding corporate governance in India with special reference to banking sector. It is to understand some of the important issues concerning the corporate governance of banks and attempts to empirically analyze the relationship between ownership structure and banks performance in India. A sample of 15 Indian banks is taken from the universe of 78 banks from 3 categories (Nationalized, Foreign and other scheduled commercial banks) which are identified on the basis of branch size, deposit amount (mobilization) and capital and reserves & surpluses in the year 2008-09. The paper analyzes the association between ownership structure and bank's financial performance through variables such as ROA, net NPA ratio and Operating expenses. The results of panel regression analysis have shown no significant ownership effect with respect to Return on Assets. The study also confirms significant and negative association of NPA with all three types of ownership patterns.
Corporate Governance Failure: A Case Study of Satyam
Authors: Sharma Jai Prakash
Published: February 2016

Corporate Governance has become prominent over the last two decades as many countries witnessed corporates succumbing to questionable corporate policies and unethical practices, setting in motion reforms through codes and standards on corporate governance. India too had had its share of corporate scams. The recent fraud in Satyam has shattered the dreams of various investors, shocked the government and regulators alike and led to questioning the accounting practices of statutory auditors and corporate governance norms. Unethical business conduct, cooking of books of accounts, questionable role of audit committee, flawed ownership structure and other major governance flaws were noticed in the collapse of Satyam. As in USA, UK and other countries, India too needs similar kind of corporate governance reforms. Even though corporate governance mechanisms cannot prevent unethical activity by top management completely, but they can at least act as a means of detecting such activity before it is too late.
A contemporary cultural policy for contemporary music?
Authors: Homan Shane
Published: February 2016

Creative Nation confirmed the shift by federal governments to viewing popular music as part of the Australian cultural economy, where the ‘contemporary music’ industries were expected to contribute to economic growth as much as providing a set of creative practices for musicians and audiences. In the 19 years between Creative Nation and Creative Australia, much has changed. This article examines relationships between the music industries, governments and audiences in three areas. First, it charts the funding of popular music within the broader cultural sector to illuminate the competing discourses and demands of the popular and classical music sectors in federal budgets. Second, it traces configurations of popular music and national identity as part of national policy. Third, the article explores how both national policy documents position Australian popular music amid global technological and regulatory shifts. As instruments of cultural nationalism, Creative Nation and Creative Australia are useful texts in assessing the opportunities and limits of nations in asserting coherent national strategies.
Transforming cultures? From Creative Nation to Creative Australia
Authors: Rowe David , Noble Greg , Bennett Tony , Kelly Michelle
Published: February 2016

This article introduces the Special Issue, ‘Transforming Cultures? From Creative Nation to Creative Australia’. Taking its historical reference point from the 1994 national cultural policy Creative Nation, it outlines the issue’s theoretical foundation in the field theory of Pierre Bourdieu, while also signalling field theory’s limitations in relation to transnationalism, ethnic heterogeneity and Indigeneity. This introduction addresses the specific conditions that require an approach that takes full account of the endogenous and exogenous factors influencing the constitution of culture in Australia from Creative Nation to its 2013 successor national cultural policy, Creative Australia, to the present day and beyond. Finally, the issue’s articles, which cover the broadcast media, sport, music, literature, heritage, and Indigenous art fields, are outlined, as are their contributions to advancing understanding of the key social and policy issues shaping the present conditions and future possibilities of Australian cultural fields in the process of transformation.
Simultaneous measurement of nitrous acid, nitric acid, and nitrogen dioxide by means of a novel multipollutant diffusive sampler in libraries and archives
Authors: Vichi Francesca , Mašková Ludmila , Frattoni Massimiliano , Imperiali Andrea , Smolík Jiří
Published: February 2016

Introduction

A novel multipollutant diffusive sampler for HONO, HNO3, and NO2 was used and tested at four different libraries/archives in different seasons. Two were located in Switzerland in Bern (Swiss National Library) and Geneve (Bibliotheque de Geneve), both with HVAC system equipped with filters for pollutants removal, and the other two in the Czech Republic in Teplice (Regional Library) and in Prague (National Archives), where in this case the former is naturally ventilated and whereas the latter is equipped with HVAC system with filtration.

Results

The ratios between indoor and outdoor concentrations of NO2 showed a greater penetration of pollutants indoors in the naturally ventilated library than in the filtrated archives. The indoor concentrations of HNO3 were very low probably due to the high deposition velocity of nitric acid on available surfaces. HONO concentration values were usually lower outdoors, which indicated that HONO was produced by reactions on indoor surfaces.

Conclusion

The results revealed that the reproducibility of the new multipollutant sampler measurements was reasonable (according to EU directives) for NO2 and HNO3 and that the newly developed multipollutant sampler can be used in archives and libraries, allowing to map the pollutants distribution indoors. Due to high efficiency of insulating systems normally employed and of filtration systems, the values recorded for the pollutants indoors are often lower than the detection limits.
Interval inversion approach for an improved interpretation of well logs
Authors: Dobróka Mihály , Szabó Norbert Péter , Tóth József , Vass Péter
Published: February 2016

The quality analysis of well-logging inversion results has always been an important part of formation evaluation. The precise calculation of hydrocarbon reserves requires the most accurate possible estimation of porosity, water saturation, and shale and rock-matrix volumes. The local inversion method conventionally used to predict the above model parameters depth by depth represents a marginally overdetermined inverse problem, which is rather sensitive to the uncertainty of observed data and limited in estimation accuracy. To reduce the harmful effect of data noise on the estimated model, we have suggested the interval inversion method, in which an increase of the overdetermination ratio allows a more accurate solution of the well-logging inverse problem. The interval inversion method inverts the data set of a longer depth interval to predict the vertical distributions of petrophysical parameters in a joint inversion procedure. In formulating the forward problem, we have extended the validity of probe response functions to a greater depth interval assuming the petrophysical parameters are depth dependent, and then we expanded the model parameters into a series using the Legendre polynomials as basis functions for modeling inhomogeneous formations. We solved the inverse problem for a much smaller number of expansion coefficients than data to derive the petrophysical parameters in a stable overdetermined inversion procedure. The added advantage of the interval inversion method is that the layer thicknesses and suitably chosen zone parameters can be estimated automatically by the inversion procedure to refine the results of inverse and forward modeling. We have defined depth-dependent model covariance and correlation matrices to compare the quality of the local and interval inversion results. A detailed study using well logs measured from a Hungarian gas-bearing unconsolidated formation revealed that the greatly overdetermined interval inversion procedure can be effectively used in reducing the estimation errors in shaly sand formations, which may refine significantly the results of reserve calculation.
Overexpression of β-Klotho in Adipose Tissue Sensitizes Male Mice to Endogenous FGF21 and Provides Protection From Diet-Induced Obesity
Authors: Samms Ricardo J. , Cheng Christine C. , Kharitonenkov Alexei , Gimeno Ruth E. , Adams Andrew C.
Published: February 2016

The endocrine hormone fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is induced in the adaptive response to nutrient deprivation, where it serves to regulate the integrated response to fasting via its primary receptor complex, FGF receptor 1 coupled with the cofactor β-klotho (KLB) in target tissues. Curiously, endogenous FGF21 levels are also elevated in preclinical models of obesity and in obese/diabetic individuals. In addition to higher FGF21 levels, reduced KLB expression in liver and adipose tissue has been noted in these same individuals, suggesting that obesity may represent an FGF21 resistant state. To explore the contribution of tissue-specific KLB levels to endogenous FGF21 activity, in both fasting and high-fat diet feeding conditions, we generated animals overexpressing KLB in liver (LKLBOE) or adipose (ATKLBOE). Supportive of tissue-specific partitioning of FGF21 action, after chronic high-fat feeding, ATKLBOE mice gained significantly less weight than WT. Reduced weight gain was associated with elevated caloric expenditure, accompanied by a reduced respiratory exchange ratio and lower plasma free fatty acids levels, suggestive of augmented lipid metabolism. In contrast, LKLBOE had no effect on body weight but did reduce plasma cholesterol. The metabolic response to fasting was enhanced in LKLBOE mice, evidenced by increased ketone production, whereas no changes in this were noted in ATKLBOE mice. Taken together, these data provide further support that specific effects of FGF21 are mediated via engagement of distinct target organs. Furthermore, enhancing KLB expression in adipose may sensitize to endogenous FGF21, thus representing a novel strategy to combat metabolic disease.
Recolonizing the Mind: Gottfried Benn's Primitivism
Authors: Dittrich Joshua
Published: February 2016

Literary primitivism in select poems and essays by Gottfried Benn reveals complex interrelations of primitivist discourse with modernism, colonialism, and fascism in Weimar Germany. Arguing that Benn explicitly enters the discourse of Weimar (post)colonialism in the mid-1920s with poems like “Erst wenn” and “Ostafrika,” this essay contextualizes Benn's colonial turn in the primitivist/modernist poetics of his earlier Rönne novellas and his brief turn to a fascist aesthetic in essays of the early 1930s. His primitivist poetic fantasy of the “Southern Word” becomes an imaginary palimpsest on which colonial and racial fantasies of self and other uneasily coincide as his literary imagination both merges with and exceeds the turbulent discursive currents of the Weimar period.
The “Psyche of the White Man” And the Mass Face on Film: Béla Balázs between Racialist and Marxist Physiognomics
Authors: Heins Laura
Published: February 2016

Concerns about the passages on race and physiognomy in Béla Balázs's film theoretical writings often focus on his references to cinema's promotion of a normative “white psyche.” Through comparative analyses of Balázs with the racial physiognomist Ludwig Ferdinand Clauss as well as with Balázs's fellow Marxist Walter Benjamin, this article outlines key aspects of both right-wing and left-wing physiognomics. While Balázs did share with reactionary physiognomists the problematic idealist tendency to view the body as materialized soul, his views on physiognomy evaded racial essentialism, as he promoted cinematic physiognomics as a way to overcome boundaries of race and nation. Furthermore, Balázs and Benjamin used physiognomic perception to reconfigure social hierarchies and the relationship of spectators to technology and the material world, thus converting potentially reactionary concepts into ones that could be made serviceable for Marxism.
An Institution of Nazi Statesmanship: Friedrich Pollock's Theoretical Contribution to the Study of Anti-Semitism
Authors: Lenhard Philipp
Published: February 2016

This text is Friedrich Pollock's typescript of a public lecture he delivered at the luncheon session of the National Annual Meeting of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, on April 29, 1944, in Washington, DC. In his lecture Pollock lays out a new concept of a political anti-Semitism that he distinguishes not only from premodern Christian anti-Judaism but also from nineteenth-century racialist discourse. Under National Socialism, anti-Semitism was transformed from an attitude, based on personal convictions, to an “institution of Nazi statesmanship.” For Pollock, anti-Semitic ideology appears to be initially a liberal phenomenon, an expression of a “false consciousness,” while in Nazi Germany the extermination of the Jews became a political institution, a pillar of the state.
The royal irises (Iris subg. Iris sect. Oncocyclus): Plastid and low‐copy nuclea data contribute to an understanding of their phylogenetic relationships
Authors: Wilson Carol A. , Padiernos Justin , Sapir Yuval
Published: February 2016

Iris sect. Oncocyclus species generally occur in small populations or locally scattered over rocky hillsides, steppes, and deserts from the north Caucasus to the eastern Mediterranean. Species of this section are easily recognized by their inflorescences of a single, large, spherical flower and sepals with a dark signal spot and adjacent beard of multicellular hairs. We present here results of the first phylogenetic study of sect. Oncocyclus based on one low‐copy nuclear and six plastid markers from 33 of approximately 42 species and infraspecific taxa. Gene trees are congruent and nuclear markers are more potentially parsimony informative than plastid markers. We identify clades that do not correspond to previously described species groups based on size, color, and shape of perianth parts and show that hypotheses of species monophyly are not supported. In general, diversification is greatest along terminal branches suggesting that species diversified in isolation. The Caucasus is suggested as the ancestral area for sect. Oncocyclus and the eastern Mediterranean as an important area of diversification.
The Role of Brand Image and Product Characteristics on Firms’ Entry and OEM Decisions
Authors: Caldieraro Fabio
Published: February 2016

We investigate the optimal market entry and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) decisions of a firm facing a market in which firms’ brands can be horizontally differentiated and products can be vertically differentiated. The entrant might sell under its own brand and compete with an incumbent, become a supplier to the incumbent, or both. Findings reveal that when consumers perceive the firms are horizontally and vertically differentiated, the entrant profits by simultaneously entering the market and establishing an OEM arrangement with the incumbent. In such competitive scenarios, both buyer and seller increase profits by agreeing on wholesale prices that are not too low, which softens both horizontal and vertical conflict between the firms. Findings also show that the incumbent may prefer to pay high wholesale prices to the entrant even if the incumbent had the option to source the product independently at a lower marginal cost. When firms have the capability of producing each other’s product lines, supply relationships between them can still happen in equilibrium. In this case, an interesting result is that firms may optimally select to differentiate production and, because of the OEM relationship, sell the same product qualities to consumers. The reason for this outcome is that the OEM arrangement with differentiated production causes a strategic effect that reduces the firms’ aggressiveness when competing for consumers. Under certain conditions, the OEM arrangement can completely nullify the horizontal and vertical conflict between the firms.

This paper was accepted by J. Miguel Villas-Boas, marketing.
Value similarity: the key to building public trust in charitable organisations
Authors: Yang Yongjiao , Brennan Iain , Wilkinson Mick
Published: February 2016

This article explores the relationship between value similarity and public trust in charitable organisations. Through a focus group interview and an empirical study based on a sample in the United Kingdom, findings show that value similarity between the public and charitable organisations is an important driver of trust in charities even when individuals lack in-depth knowledge of them. It is also an elemental domain of public trust in charities and makes the greatest contribution to explaining this concept. It is concluded that value similarity is the key to understanding and establishing public trust, which is essential for prosperity of the voluntary sector.
El tercer sector en la co–construcción de la política AccèsLogis en Québec
Authors: Vaillancourt Yves , Ducharme Marie–Noëlle , Aubry François , Grenier Stéphane
Published: February 2016

Este artículo se apoya en trabajos teóricos y empíricos llevados adelante desde hace 20 años en el marco de un programa de viviendas sociales en Québec, Canadá. Para ello realizaremos un análisis en el cual distinguiremos dos formas de participación de los actores del tercer sector en el desarrollo de las políticas públicas. La primera, definida como co–producción, en la que la participación de los actores se limita a la puesta en ejecución de las políticas públicas, y la segunda, llamada co–construcción, que expresa la relación en la intervención conjunta de esos actores en el diseño mismo de las políticas. Para ilustrar esta distinción, analizaremos la intervención del tercer sector en un programa de vivienda social llamado Accès Logis Québec que permitió, entre 1997 y 2014, realizar y desarrollar 37 000 nuevas viviendas.
Finanzas para el cooperativismo. Una reflexión sobre los sentidos del dinero
Authors: Raffoul Sinchicay María Eva , Litman Leila Carla
Published: February 2016

El dinero como objeto de indagación ha sido abordado por estudios sociológicos y antropológicos que complejizaron la mirada económica clásica discutiendo con una visión que lo asocia a la despersonalización de la vida. Estos estudios subrayaron, en cambio, los diferentes usos y significados del dinero explorando lo que éste produce: por medio del dinero las relaciones se mantienen, recrean y disputan. En este artículo reflexionaremos sobre los sentidos que adquiere el uso del mismo en la experiencia de una ONG, la Fundación La Base Fondo de Microcréditos Solidarios. La Base entrega préstamos para emprendimientos productivos asociativos del Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires, con el objetivo de apoyar una gestión democrática del trabajo. Entendemos que estos intercambios no pueden comprenderse desde una mirada centrada en la racionalidad económica como imperativo que se impone sobre la gestión del dinero de esta ONG. Analizaremos en cambio el modo en que en la construcción política de La Base, el dinero de los préstamos es marcado creando y recreando los vínculos personales con las cooperativas.
La universidad pública en la construcción de otra economía. Una perspectiva desde la Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires
Authors: Pearson Marcos
Published: February 2016

¿Cuál es el aporte fundamental que puede hacer la universidad pública para el desarrollo y fortalecimiento de una economía social y solidaria y cuáles son las principales limitaciones, desafíos y potencialidades que encontramos día a día en el proceso de construcción de otra economía? El presente artículo tiene por horizonte compartir y exponer de forma ordenada algunas de las reflexiones y debates vinculados al desarrollo de la economía social y solidaria durante los últimos años en Argentina, poniendo especial atención a su presencia en el ámbito de las universidades públicas y de la articulación de éstas con las políticas públicas destinadas a su promoción. Para exponer estas reflexiones y análisis se hará pie en la experiencia real y concreta que estamos desarrollando desde el año 2011 en el marco del Programa de Economía Social y Solidaria (Programa ESS) de la Secretaría de Extensión de la Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires.
Economía Social y Solidaria. Una mirada desde las políticas públicas locales
Authors: Cuvertino Mariano , Cherner Guillermo
Published: February 2016

El trabajo es una descripción de las políticas públicas llevadas adelante por la Municipalidad de Santa Fe con relación al crecimiento y la consolidación del trabajo autogestivo, vinculado con los conceptos y las nociones de la Economía Social y Solidaria (ESS). En el artículo se detallan las estrategias elaboradas en conjunto con distintos actores del Estado, como es el caso del gobierno de la provincia de Santa Fe y de la Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), con la creación del Centro de Emprendedores de la Economía Social en la ciudad de Santa Fe. Se detallan también las intervenciones realizadas en la búsqueda de herramientas que posibiliten la inclusión socioproductiva como política de Estado y los desafíos que deberá afrontar el gobierno local en la consolidación de esas políticas.
La trama social de la economía popular
Authors: Pastormerlo Emilia
Published: February 2016

Editorial: Espacio.Año: 2014.
Fortalecimiento de la (auto)gestión de cooperativas de trabajo en el marco de la Economía Social y Solidaria en la ciudad de Santa Fe
Authors: Tealdo Julio , Sotto Orlando , Serafino Eugenio
Published: February 2016

La forma de autogestión de las cooperativas de trabajo como modo de organización y administración de la producción y distribución genera una serie de inconvenientes que obstaculizan su fortalecimiento. Conciliar esto con el refuerzo de la democracia participativa fue un gran desafío para las cooperativas de trabajo y el equipo extensionista del Proyecto de Extensión de Interés Social (PEIS) “Fortalecimiento y capacitación de las cooperativas de trabajo y otras organizaciones sociales en el marco de la Economía Social y Solidaria en la ciudad de Santa Fe” de la Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL). En los encuentros realizados, los asociados de las cooperativas no sólo obtuvieron capacidades y herramientas de gestión nuevas, sino que también despertaron en su interior la voluntad necesaria para seguir adquiriendo otras habilidades y para replicar estos conocimientos en su comunidad.