bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early Diagnosis of Bladder Exstrophy: Quantitative Assessment of a Low‐Inserted Umbilical Cord
Authors: Fishel‐Bartal Michal , Perlman Sharon , Messing Baruch , Bardin Ron , Kivilevitch Zvi , Achiron Reuven , Gilboa Yinon
Published: April 2017

Objectives

Bladder exstrophy is a rare severe congenital malformation. Early prenatal diagnosis is scarcely described in the literature. Low insertion of the umbilical cord is a constant anatomic feature of bladder exstrophy. The aim of our study was to assess whether early measurements of the umbilical cord insertion–to–genital tubercle length may serve as quantitative measurements for a low‐inserted umbilical cord in cases of bladder exstrophy.

Methods

The umbilical cord insertion–to–genital tubercle length was prospectively measured in all cases referred for a nonvisualized urinary bladder before 18 weeks' gestation. Final diagnoses were compared with prenatal measurements.

Results

Fifteen fetuses were evaluated for a nonvisualized bladder at a mean gestational age of 15.7 weeks (range, 14–17 weeks). Of them, 6 cases were diagnosed with bladder exstrophy, and 9 cases had a normal urinary bladder. All cases with bladder exstrophy had an umbilical cord insertion–to–genital tubercle length below the fifth percentile for gestational age, whereas cases with a normal bladder had a normal measurement.

Conclusions

Fetuses with bladder exstrophy have an umbilical cord insertion–to–genital tubercle length below the fifth percentile of the general population. This measurement may serve as a complementary objective sonographic parameter in the prenatal assessment and counseling of cases suspected of having bladder exstrophy during early pregnancy.
Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for production of 2‐Phenylethylacetate from L‐phenylalanine
Authors: Guo Daoyi , Zhang Lihua , Pan Hong , Li Xun
Published: April 2017

In order to meet the need of consumer preferences for natural flavor compounds, microbial synthesis method has become a very attractive alternative to the chemical production. The 2‐phenylethanol (2‐PE) and its ester 2‐phenylethylacetate (2‐PEAc) are two extremely important flavor compounds with a rose‐like odor. In recent years, Escherichia coli and yeast have been metabolically engineered to produce 2‐PE. However, a metabolic engineering approach for 2‐PEAc production is rare. Here, we designed and expressed a 2‐PEAc biosynthetic pathway in E. coli. This pathway comprised four steps: aminotransferase (ARO8) for transamination of L‐phenylalanine to phenylpyruvate, 2‐keto acid decarboxylase KDC for the decarboxylation of the phenylpyruvate to phenylacetaldehyde, aldehyde reductase YjgB for the reduction of phenylacetaldehyde to 2‐PE, alcohol acetyltransferase ATF1 for the esterification of 2‐PE to 2‐PEAc. Using the engineered E. coli strain for shake flasks cultivation with 1 g/L L‐phenylalanine, we achieved co‐production of 268 mg/L 2‐PEAc and 277 mg/L 2‐PE. Our results suggest that approximately 65% of L‐phenylalanine was utilized toward 2‐PEAc and 2‐PE biosynthesis and thus demonstrate potential industrial applicability of this microbial platform.
Genomics and metabolomics of post‐weaning return to estrus
Authors: Rempel Lea A. , Rohrer Gary A. , Nonneman Danny J.
Published: April 2017

The weaning‐to‐estrus interval is a multifaceted trait that has the potential to substantially improve production efficiency in today's global swine industry, if variation in this measure can be reduced. Systems‐biology approaches should help close the knowledge gap and increase selection tools and management strategies—such as gilt development programs, farrowing, and lactation feeding programs—to decrease the weaning‐to‐estrus interval. Metabolomics, the study of small compounds within biofluids and tissues, provides links between genotype and phenotype. Given the complexity and influence of the environment on the weaning‐to‐estrus interval, incorporating metabolomics data will provide valuable insight and guidance for future physiological as well as genetic and genomic strategies to reduce this interval, thereby improving sow productivity.
Dietary lactalbumin and lactoferrin interact with inulin to modulate energy balance in obese rats
Authors: Singh Arashdeep , Zapata Rizaldy C. , Pezeshki Adel , Chelikani Prasanth K.
Published: April 2017

Objective

To determine whether diets enriched with the whey protein components lactalbumin and lactoferrin interact additively with inulin to improve energy balance by decreasing food intake and body weight (BW).

Methods

In four experiments, diet‐induced obese rats were randomized to diets containing either lactalbumin or lactoferrin at low (20% kcal) or high (40% kcal) doses, and inulin at low (7.5% w/w) or high (15% w/w) doses, alone or in combination. Energy intake (EI), energy expenditure (EE), respiratory quotient (RQ), BW, body composition, plasma insulin, and leptin concentrations were measured.

Results

Lactalbumin and inulin at low doses were ineffective, whereas high doses additively decreased EI and RQ. Low doses of lactoferrin and inulin additively decreased EI, BW, fat and lean mass, and RQ. High doses of lactoferrin and inulin additively decreased EI, supra‐additively decreased BW, fat, and lean mass, and also decreased RQ and plasma leptin concentrations.

Conclusions

High doses of lactalbumin and inulin additively decreased EI. Importantly, lactoferrin and inulin at both low and high dose combinations, additively or supra‐additively, decreased EI, BW, and adiposity.
Chronic intestinal electrical stimulation improves glucose intolerance and insulin resistance in diet‐induced obesity rats
Authors: Li Shiying , Zhu Weijian , Zhang Sujuan , Chen Jiande D.Z.
Published: April 2017

Objective

Obesity is a contributing factor to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to study the therapeutic potential of intestinal electrical stimulation (IES) for obesity and associated glucose intolerance and insulin resistance in diet‐induced obesity (DIO) rats.

Methods

DIO rats were divided into two groups to receive sham or IES for 8 weeks. Oral glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance tests were performed. Gastric emptying and small bowel transit tests were performed. Blood samples were collected for the analysis of insulin and free fatty acid (FFA).

Results

Chronic IES reduced food intake and body weight and decreased the adiposity index in DIO rats. Compared with chow‐fed rats, DIO rats had an elevated fasting plasma glucose level, impaired glucose tolerance, and impaired insulin sensitivity, which were improved after chronic IES. FFA was elevated in DIO rats and suppressed with IES. Chronic IES delayed gastric emptying but accelerated small bowel transit.

Conclusions

IES reduces food intake and body weight and improves glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in DIO rats. The ameliorating effect on glycemic control may be due to the weight loss and suppression of plasma FFA. Other mechanisms such as the modulation of gastrointestinal transit may also be involved.
Visual complaints in intracranial germinomas
Authors: Frappaz Didier , Pedone Claire , Thiesse Philippe , Szathmari Alexandru , Conter Cécile Faure , Mottolese Carmine , Carrie Christian
Published: April 2017

Objective

Patients with brain tumors often report having visual complaints. This may be due to increased intracranial pressure, compression/invasion of the optic pathway or diplopia. We assessed the incidence and the etiology of visual symptoms in patients with intracranial germinoma tumors (ICGTs).

Methods and Materials

We performed a blinded retrospective review of the clinical charts and the initial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 28 patients with ICGT. Thirteen tumors were pineal, five suprasellar, seven bifocal, and further three involved either the optic nerve, the corpus callosum, or the brainstem.

Results

Twelve patients reported visual disturbances, seven of whom mainly experienced a decrease in vision. Two of those were initially managed as “retrobulbar neuritis” when endocrinologic symptoms prompted assessment by MRI. Involvement of the optic pathway was underestimated, and both relapsed. Field deficits were definitive sequelae, whereas visual acuity was sometimes regressive in the absence of optic atrophy.

Conclusions

Compression or invasion of the optic pathway by germinomas is not a rare occurrence, and this possibility should not be overlooked when thickening or contrast enhancement is detected. Radiotherapy fields should be extended accordingly.
Protecting Internet users from becoming victimized attackers of click‐fraud
Authors: Iqbal Md Shahrear , Zulkernine Mohammad , Jaafar Fehmi , Gu Yuan
Published: April 2017

Internet users are often victimized by malicious attackers. Some attackers infect and use innocent users' machines to launch large‐scale attacks without the users' knowledge. One of such attacks is the click‐fraud attack. Click‐fraud happens in pay‐per‐click ad networks where the ad network charges advertisers for every click on their ads. Click‐fraud has been proved to be a serious problem for the online advertisement industry. In a click‐fraud attack, a user or an automated software clicks on an ad with a malicious intent and advertisers need to pay for those valueless clicks. Among many forms of click‐fraud, botnets with the automated clickers are the most severe ones. In this study, we present a method for detecting automated clickers from the user side. The proposed method to fight click‐fraud, FCFraud, can be integrated into the desktop and smart device operating systems. Since most modern operating systems already provide some kind of antimalware service, our proposed method can be implemented as a part of the service. We believe that an effective protection at the operating system level can save billions of dollars of the advertisers. Experiments show that FCFraud is 99.6% (98.2% in mobile ad library–generated traffic) accurate in classifying ad requests from all user processes and it is 100% successful in detecting clickbots in both desktop and mobile devices. We implement a cloud backend for the FCFraud service to save battery power in mobile devices. The overhead of executing FCFraud is also analyzed and we show that it is reasonable for both the platforms.
Chronic hypertension and adverse pregnancy outcome: a cohort study
Authors: Panaitescu A. M. , Syngelaki A. , Prodan N. , Akolekar R. , Nicolaides K. H.
Published: April 2017

Objective

To examine the association between chronic hypertension (CH) and a wide range of adverse pregnancy outcomes after adjustment for confounding factors in obstetric history and maternal characteristics.

Methods

This was a prospective screening study for adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with singleton pregnancy attending their first routine hospital visit at 11 + 0 to 13 + 6 weeks' gestation. Data on maternal characteristics, medical and obstetric history and pregnancy outcome were collected. Regression analysis was performed to examine the association between CH and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including late miscarriage, stillbirth, pre‐eclampsia (PE), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), spontaneous and iatrogenic preterm birth (PTB), small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) neonate, large‐for‐gestational‐age (LGA) neonate and elective and emergency Cesarean section (CS).

Results

The study population of 109 932 pregnancies included 1417 (1.3%) women with CH. After adjusting for potential confounding variables from maternal characteristics, medical and obstetric history, CH was associated with increased risk of stillbirth (odds ratio (OR), 2.38 (95% CI, 1.51–3.75)), PE (OR, 5.76 (95% CI, 4.93–6.73)), SGA (OR, 2.06 (95% CI, 1.79–2.39)), GDM (OR, 1.61 (95% CI, 1.27–2.05)), iatrogenic PTB < 37 weeks (OR, 3.73 (95% CI, 3.07–4.53)) and elective CS (OR, 1.79 (95% CI, 1.52–2.11)), decreased risk of LGA (OR, 0.65 (95% CI, 0.53–0.78)) and had no significant effect on late miscarriage, spontaneous PTB or emergency CS.

Conclusion

CH should be combined with other maternal characteristics and medical and obstetric history when calculating an individualized adjusted risk for adverse pregnancy complications. CH increases the risk of stillbirth, PE, SGA, GDM, iatrogenic PTB and elective CS and reduces the risk for LGA. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Placental histopathology associated with pre‐eclampsia: systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Falco M. L. , Sivanathan J. , Laoreti A. , Thilaganathan B. , Khalil A.
Published: April 2017

Objective

Pre‐eclampsia (PE) is associated with impaired trophoblastic invasion and typical villous and vascular placental lesions. The primary aim of this study was to quantify the prevalence of placental histopathological lesions in pregnancies complicated by PE.

Methods

MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL were searched electronically, and relevant articles reporting on placental histopathological lesions were assessed according to the following criteria: study design, number of pregnancies included, severity of PE and whether the pathologist was blinded to the clinical information. Prospective and retrospective case–control studies including ≥ 100 pregnancies were included in the systematic review. The incidence of each type of histological lesion according to the Perinatal Section of the Society for Pediatric Pathology classification in pre‐eclamptic and normal pregnancies was identified, and lesions were categorized into two main groups: villous lesions and vascular lesions. Random‐effects meta‐analysis of proportions was used for analysis. Between‐study heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic.

Results

The search yielded 717 citations, and a total of eight studies (four blinded and four non‐blinded) were included in the review. In unblinded studies, the pooled prevalence of villous lesions was 11.6% and 48.2% in normal and pre‐eclamptic pregnancies, respectively, giving a pooled odds ratio (OR) of 7.59. In blinded studies, the pooled prevalence of villous lesions was 18.5% and 42.0% in normal and pre‐eclamptic pregnancies, respectively, giving a pooled OR of 4.28. In unblinded studies, the pooled prevalence of vascular lesions was 8.1% and 37.3% in normal and pre‐eclamptic pregnancies, respectively, giving a pooled OR of 20.34. In blinded studies, the pooled prevalence of vascular lesions was 9.8% and 38.9%, in normal and pre‐eclamptic pregnancies, respectively, giving a pooled OR of 7.08.

Conclusions

In blinded studies, the incidence of both placental villous and vascular histopathological lesions is four‐ to seven‐fold higher in pre‐eclamptic than in normal pregnancies. Greater differences are reported in unblinded studies. Despite the higher probability (point prevalence) of finding abnormal placental pathology in pregnancies with PE, placental lesions are not specific to the diagnosis of PE. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Perinatal loss at term: role of uteroplacental and fetal Doppler assessment
Authors: Monaghan C. , Binder J. , Thilaganathan B. , Morales‐Roselló J. , Khalil A.
Published: April 2017

Objective

To examine the associations of uterine artery (UtA) Doppler indices and cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) with perinatal outcome at term.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at a tertiary referral center that included all singleton pregnancies undergoing ultrasound assessment in the third trimester that subsequently delivered at term. Fetal biometry and Doppler assessment, including that of the umbilical artery (UA), fetal middle cerebral artery (MCA) and UtA, were recorded. Data were corrected for gestational age, and CPR was calculated as the ratio of MCA pulsatility index (PI) to UA‐PI. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine for independent predictors of adverse perinatal outcome.

Results

The study included 7013 pregnancies, 12 of which were complicated by perinatal death. When compared with pregnancies resulting in perinatal survival, pregnancies complicated by perinatal death had a significantly higher proportion of small‐for‐gestational‐age infants (25.0% vs 5%; P = 0.001) and a higher incidence of low (< 5th centile) CPR (16.7% vs 4.5%; P = 0.041). A subgroup analysis comparing 1527 low‐risk pregnancies that resulted in fetal survival with pregnancies complicated by perinatal death demonstrated that UtA‐PI multiples of the median (MoM), CPR < 5th centile and estimated fetal weight (EFW) centile were all associated significantly with the risk of perinatal death at term (all P < 0.05). After adjusting for confounding variables, only EFW centile (odds ratio (OR) 0.96 (95% CI, 0.93–0.99); P = 0.003) and UtA‐PI MoM (OR 13.10 (95%CI, 1.95–87.89); P = 0.008) remained independent predictors of perinatal death in the low‐risk cohort.

Conclusion

High UtA‐PI at term is associated independently with an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcome, regardless of fetal size. These results suggest that perinatal mortality at term is related not only to EFW and fetal redistribution (CPR), but also to indices of uterine perfusion. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Managing People in Organizations
Authors: Adams Jeremy
Published: April 2017

Managing People in Organisations takes a managerial, issues-based approach to examining the key themes of contemporary HR and OB topics, and provides a detailed evaluation of both the current academic literature and an overview of current workplace practices.
Language and Law
Authors: Mooney Annabelle
Published: April 2017

We are constantly surrounded by legal language, but sometimes it is almost impossible to understand. Providing extracts from real-life legal cases, this highly usable and accessible textbook brims with helpful examples and activities that will help you to navigate this area.
Sleep and Dreaming
Authors: Empson Jacob
Published: April 2017

Everyone sleeps and everyone dreams. Yet we are almost entirely unconscious of what is happening to us when we sleep and we forget almost all of our dreams. This third edition of a classic introduction to the subject provides a fascinating insight into this most universal of subjects, critically analysing recent research by psychologists and neuroscientists (much of which has been published in the last ten years) and reviewing historical and cultural beliefs about dreams. Sleep and Dreaming is a comprehensive and rigorous text for undergraduate students, offering a rewarding and engaging introduction to the field.

New to this Edition:

- Contains much new material, particularly on the physiology of sleep

- A new chapter by Professor Michael Wang on the psychological treatment of insomnia
The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Empire
Authors: Pearson Raymond
Published: April 2017

The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Empire describes and explains the creation, maintenance and eventual demise of the Soviet regime across post-1945 Eastern Europe. Balancing internal factors such as resilient nationalism against external factors such as America’s acceleration of the arms race, Raymond Pearson sets the so-called ‘Soviet Empire’ within the broader context of global imperialism and decolonisation. Full coverage is also given to the dramatic episodes of Eastern Europe dissent and the chequered career of the ostensibly monolithic ‘Soviet Empire’.

This revised and updated second edition features an expanded final chapter on the ‘Last Empire’, assessing not only its patent strengths and hidden weaknesses, but also its much publicised vices and rarely acknowledged virtues. New documentation that has only become available in the last five years has been incorporated to provide a fuller retrospective historical judgement on the Soviet regime across Eastern Europe.
Staging Masculinities
Authors: Mangan Michael
Published: April 2017

One man in his time plays many parts/His acts being seven ages', asserts Shakespeare's Jacques, in a speech which foreshadows what has become a commonplace of contemporary gender theory: that masculinity, far from being a secure, unproblematic gender identity, is a site of crisis and contradictions.

Staging Masculinities engages with the complex and paradoxical history of masculinities by exploring the ways in which changing concepts of what it means 'to be a man' have been represented, celebrated, examined and critiqued on mainstream Western - and particularly English - stages. Mapping a history of masculinities onto a history of theatre, Michael Mangan analyses a wide range of plays and performances, from Henry V to Peter Pan, and from medieval liturgical drama to contemporary West-End hits. In the process Mangan offers new and gendered readings of several familiar plays, and traces an intricate relationship between theatrical performance and gender performance.
Cash-Flow Appraisal for Property Investment
Authors: Fraser W.D.
Published: April 2017

This book is a practical guide to the application of discounted cash flow for second and third year undergraduates on property management courses and would also be useful for practising chartered surveyors and those involved in the property business. Good practice requires an understanding of the underlying concepts and rationale as well as the principles, criteria and practical issues which inform the estimation of cash flows and choice of discount rate. This book draws on relevant financial theory to provide the reader with the extent and quality of understanding required to support good practice.
Prognostic Scoring System for Patients Who Present with a Gastric Outlet Obstruction Caused by Advanced Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Sugiura Teiichi , Okamura Yukiyasu , Ito Takaaki , Yamamoto Yusuke , Ashida Ryo , Yoshida Yukio , Tanaka Masaki , Uesaka Katsuhiko
Published: April 2017

Background

Gastroenterostomy and stent placement are the most common palliative procedures for patients with a gastric outlet obstruction caused by advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Gastroenterostomy is regarded as the optimum treatment for patients in whom a longer survival is expected, while stent placement is preferred for patients whose survival is likely to be relatively short. However, prognosis of such patients has not been fully evaluated.

Methods

This study included patients undergoing gastroenterostomy or duodenal stent placement for gastric outlet obstruction caused by advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma between 2002 and 2015. Prognostic factors found to be significant based on a multivariate analysis were given a prognostic score according to their hazard ratios (HR). The overall survivals stratified according to the total prognostic score were compared.

Results

The median survival time of all cohorts was 4.2 months. The multivariate analyses demonstrated a neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) ≥ 4 (HR = 4.01, p < 0.001), presence of liver metastases (HR = 1.90, p = 0.002), and presence of cancer pain (HR = 2.08, p < 0.001) to be significant prognostic factors. Regarding the HR, NLR ≥ 4, liver metastases and cancer pain were subsequently scored as 2, 1, and 1, respectively. The median survival time was 9.4 months in patients with a score of 0 or 1 and 3.3 months in patients with a score of 2–4, respectively.

Conclusion

The scoring system clearly demonstrates the patient survival. Patients with scores of 0 or 1 are favorable candidates for gastroenterostomy, while patients with scores of 2–4 are candidates for stent placement.
Development of a Streamlined Work Flow for Handling Patients’ Genetic Testing Insurance Authorizations
Authors: Uhlmann Wendy R. , Schwalm Katie , Raymond Victoria M.
Published: April 2017

Obtaining genetic testing insurance authorizations for patients is a complex, time‐involved process often requiring genetic counselor (GC) and physician involvement. In an effort to mitigate this complexity and meet the increasing number of genetic testing insurance authorization requests, GCs formed a novel partnership with an industrial engineer (IE) and a patient services associate (PSA) to develop a streamlined work flow. Eight genetics clinics and five specialty clinics at the University of Michigan were surveyed to obtain benchmarking data. Tasks needed for genetic testing insurance authorization were outlined and time‐saving work flow changes were introduced including 1) creation of an Excel password‐protected shared database between GCs and PSAs, used for initiating insurance authorization requests, tracking and follow‐up 2) instituting the PSAs sending GCs a pre‐clinic email noting each patients’ genetic testing insurance coverage 3) inclusion of test medical necessity documentation in the clinic visit summary note instead of writing a separate insurance letter and 4) PSAs development of a manual with insurance providers and genetic testing laboratories information. These work flow changes made it more efficient to request and track genetic testing insurance authorizations for patients, enhanced GCs and PSAs communication, and reduced tasks done by clinicians.
DNA barcoding of freshwater zooplankton in Lake Kasumigaura, Japan
Authors: Makino Wataru , Maruoka Natsumi , Nakagawa Megumi , Takamura Noriko
Published: April 2017

Although DNA barcoding is a promising tool for the identification of organisms, it requires the development of a specific reference sequence library for sample application. In the present study we developed a Lake Kasumigaura, Japan, zooplankton DNA barcode library to increase the sensitivity of future zooplankton monitoring for detecting lake ecosystem condition changes. Specifically, the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) haplotype, i.e., the primary DNA barcode, was examined for each zooplankton taxon. In crustaceans, 37 mtCOI haplotypes were obtained from 99 individuals, representing four and 15 morpho‐species of Copepoda and Cladocera, respectively. Comparing these sequences with those in GenBank shows that the lake harbors putative non‐indigenous species, such as Daphnia ambigua. In rotifers, 132 mtCOI haplotypes were obtained from 302 individuals, representing 11 genera and one unclassified taxon. The automatic barcode gap discovery (ABGD) algorithm separated these haplotypes into 43 species. Brachionus cf. calyciflorus was divided into five ABGD species, and different ABGD species tended to occur in different seasons. Seasonal ABGD‐species succession was also observed within Polyarthra spp. and Synchaeta spp. These seasonal successions were not detected by inspections of external morphology alone. Accepting up to 7% sequence divergence within the same species, mtCOI reference sequences were available in GenBank for three, 13, and 17 species in Copepoda, Cladocera, and Rotifera, respectively. The present results, therefore, reveal the serious shortage of mtCOI reference sequences for rotifers, and underscore the urgency of developing rotifer mtCOI barcode libraries on a global scale.
Black Power and the Power of Protest: Re-Examining Approaches for Radical Economic Development
Authors: Gammage Justin
Published: April 2017

A look at movements organized and carried out in Philadelphia aimed at economically empowering African Americans could be useful in assessing degrees of success toward identified objectives and in evaluating gains toward addressing the critical question of economic self-sufficiency. The African American community in Philadelphia has a lengthy history of social activism and was successful in establishing early legislation protecting African American employment rights. This paper surveys demonstrations in Philadelphia geared toward improving African Americans’ collective economic reality. Next, it assesses the success of the demonstrations in Philadelphia toward their desired objectives. Then, it analyzes the significance of these movements toward addressing the central concern of economic stability. Lastly, it recommends necessary shifts in objectives to adequately address economic self-sufficiency.
Le judiciaire, la détermination de la peine et la polycontexturalité de l’opinion publique
Authors: Dubé Richard , Garcia Margarida
Published: April 2017

Cet article propose de re-conceptualiser la manière dont les sciences sociales et juridiques se sont traditionnellement représenté le rapport du système judiciaire à l’opinion publique. Nos développements s’appuient sur la théorie des systèmes de Niklas Luhmann de même que sur des exemples empiriques tirés de la jurisprudence et d’entretiens qualitatifs permettant de mettre en évidence le potentiel heuristique d’une polycontexturalisation de l’opinion publique. En sciences sociales et juridiques, si les recherches se sont surtout intéressées au point de vue de l’opinion publique sur la justice du judiciaire, la notion de polycontexturalité nous amène, quant à elle, à déplacer l’angle d’observation et à privilégier l’analyse des structures impliquées dans la sélection et la mise en forme judiciaire des opinions publiques privilégiées. L’objectif n’est alors plus celui de comprendre comment l’opinion publique pense le judiciaire, mais plutôt de comprendre à cet égard comment le judiciaire pense que l’opinion publique pense.
Impact of faecal DM excretion on faecal calcium losses in dogs eating complete moist and dry pet foods – food digestibility is a major determinant of calcium requirements
Authors: Kienzle Ellen , Brenten Thomas , Dobenecker Britta
Published: April 2017

The recommendations for the Ca supply for maintenance of dogs have been reduced by about 75 % in the last decades. An important factor for Ca requirements is faecal Ca losses. In previous studies with experimental diets faecal Ca losses depended on Ca intake and on faecal DM excretion. A predictive equation for faecal Ca losses in mg/kg body weight (BW) developed in a fibre model is: faecal losses = −33·8 + (13·6 faecal DM excretion (g/kg BW)) + (0·78 Ca intake (mg/kg BW)). The present study aimed at testing this equation in pet food with material from trials carried out for other purposes. Digestion trials with twenty-five dry and fifteen moist foods (326 observations in total) were evaluated retrospectively. Faecal DM excretion and faecal Ca losses were significantly correlated (r2 0·86; P < 0·001). There was a highly significant correlation (r2 0·87; P < 0·001) between the experimentally determined faecal Ca excretion and the faecal Ca excretion predicted by the equation of Kienzle et al. The data from the previous fibre model study could be transferred to prepared moist and dry dog food. Faecal DM excretion has a considerable impact on faecal Ca losses in a practical feeding situation. In conclusion, Ca requirements for maintenance may vary with food DM intake and digestibility.
Middle Cambrian through lowermost Ordovician conodonts from Hunan, South China
Authors: Dong Xi-ping , Zhang Huaqiao
Published: April 2017

Since 1986, samples with a total mass of more than 14,000 kg, mainly from three key sections in western Hunan, South China, have been processed for conodonts. Previous work mainly focused on biostratigraphy, but the taxonomy has been performed only on the faunas of the middle Cambrian. Described herein are conodonts of the upper Cambrian (Furongian Series) through lowermost Ordovician from Hunan, South China. Conodonts of the middle Cambrian are redescribed, based on material that has been recovered for more than three decades. The fauna consists of 82 species belonging to 36 genera. Newly established genera areLugnathusn. gen.,Miaognathusn. gen.,Millerodontusn. gen.,Tujiagnathusn. gen.,Wangcunellan. gen. andWangcunognathusn. gen. New species areCoelocerodontus hunanensisn. sp.,Furnishina wangcunensisn. sp.,Laiwugnathus hunanensisn. sp.,Laiwugnathus transitansn. sp.,Lugnathus hunanensisn. gen. n. sp.,Miaognathus multicostatusn. gen. n. sp.,Millerodontus intermediusn. gen. n. sp.,Prosagittodontus compressusn. sp.,Tujiagnathus gracilisn. gen. n. sp.,Wangcunella conicusn. gen. n. sp.,Wangcunognathus elegansn. gen. n. sp.,Westergaardodina dimorphan. sp.,Westergaardodina gigantean. sp., andWestergaardodina solan. sp. The taxonomy of some conodont genera is revised. In the light of histological investigation, genera are assigned to euconodonts, paraconodonts, or protoconodonts. The 13 conodont zones previously proposed in the middle Cambrian through lowermost Ordovician remain the same, but taxa within these conodont zones are documented more clearly because of the revised taxonomy proposed herein.
Epidemic potential by sexual activity distributions
Authors: MOODY JAMES , ADAMS JIMI , MORRIS MARTINA
Published: April 2017

For sexually transmitted infections like HIV to propagate through a population, there must be a path linking susceptible cases to currently infectious cases. The existence of such paths depends in part on the degree distribution. Here, we use simulation methods to examine how two features of the degree distribution affect network connectivity: Mean degree captures a volume dimension, while the skewness of the upper tail captures a shape dimension. We find a clear interaction between shape and volume: When mean degree is low, connectivity is greater for long-tailed distributions, but at higher mean degree, connectivity is greater in short-tailed distributions. The phase transition to a giant component and giant bicomponent emerges as a positive function of volume, but it rises more sharply and ultimately reaches more people in short-tail distributions than in long-tail distributions. These findings suggest that any interventions should be attuned to how practices affect both the volume and shape of the degree distribution, noting potential unanticipated effects. For example, policies that primarily affect high-volume nodes may not be effective if they simply redistribute volume among lower degree actors, which appears to exacerbate underlying network connectivity.
What Can We Learn from Predictive Modeling?
Authors: Cranmer Skyler J. , Desmarais Bruce A.
Published: April 2017

The large majority of inferences drawn in empirical political research follow from model-based associations (e.g., regression). Here, we articulate the benefits of predictive modeling as a complement to this approach. Predictive models aim to specify a probabilistic model that provides a good fit to testing data that were not used to estimate the model’s parameters. Our goals are threefold. First, we review the central benefits of this under-utilized approach from a perspective uncommon in the existing literature: we focus on how predictive modeling can be used to complement and augment standard associational analyses. Second, we advance the state of the literature by laying out a simple set of benchmark predictive criteria. Third, we illustrate our approach through a detailed application to the prediction of interstate conflict.
Early Ordovician (Tremadocian and Floian) graptolites from the Than Sa Formation, northeast Vietnam
Authors: RUSHTON ADRIAN , WILLIAMS MARK , PHONG NGUYEN DUC , KOMATSU TOSHIFUMI , SIVETER DAVID , ZALASIEWICZ JAN , TIEN DINH CONG , HIEN NGUYEN VIET , MANH NGUYEN HUU , TANAKA GENGO
Published: April 2017

The lower Palaeozoic marine succession of NE Vietnam accumulated on the South China plate. Despite historical works dating to French colonial times, the stratigraphy and palaeontology of the succession is poorly constrained. Chief amongst the lower Palaeozoic lithostratigraphical divisions is the Than Sa Formation, a c. 1200 m thick succession of clastic rocks of Cambrian and early Ordovician age. Newly collected graptolites (including Rhabdinopora? sp. and Tetragraptus approximatus) from the upper part of the formation identify strata assignable to the Tremadocian and Floian stages of the Lower Ordovician. The same succession also probably records the Cambrian–Ordovician boundary. Our analysis identifies one or more intervals of graptolite-bearing laminated mudstones in the upper part of the Than Sa Formation that may be widespread in NE Vietnam during the early Tremadocian.
Insular pathology in young people with high-functioning autism and first-episode psychosis
Authors: Parellada M. , Pina-Camacho L. , Moreno C. , Aleman Y. , Krebs M.-O. , Desco M. , Merchán-Naranjo J. , Del Rey-Mejías A. , Boada L. , Llorente C. , Moreno D. , Arango C. , Janssen J.
Published: April 2017

Background

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and psychosis share deficits in social cognition. The insular region has been associated with awareness of self and reality, which may be basic for proper social interactions.

Methods

Total and regional insular volume and thickness measurements were obtained from a sample of 30 children and adolescents with ASD, 29 with early onset first-episode psychosis (FEP), and 26 healthy controls (HC). Total, regional, and voxel-level volume and thickness measurements were compared between groups (with correction for multiple comparisons), and the relationship between these measurements and symptom severity was explored.

Results

Compared with HC, a shared volume deficit was observed for the right (but not the left) anterior insula (ASD: p = 0.007, FEP: p = 0.032), and for the bilateral posterior insula: (left, ASD: p = 0.011, FEP: p = 0.033; right, ASD: p = 0.004, FEP: p = 0.028). A voxel-based morphometry (VBM) conjunction analysis showed that ASD and FEP patients shared a gray matter volume and thickness deficit in the left posterior insula. Within patients, right anterior (r = −0.28, p = 0.041) and left posterior (r = −0.29, p = 0.030) insular volumes negatively correlated with the severity of insight deficits, and left posterior insular volume negatively correlated with the severity of ‘autistic-like’ symptoms (r = −0.30, p = 0.028).

Conclusions

The shared reduced volume and thickness in the anterior and posterior regions of the insula in ASD and FEP provides the first tentative evidence that these conditions share structural pathology that may be linked to shared symptomatology.
ARCHAEOLOGY IN THE WAR ZONE: AUGUST SCHÖRGENDORFER AND THEKUNSTSCHUTZON CRETE DURING WORLD WAR II
Authors: Flouda Georgia
Published: April 2017

This paper considers the recruitment of young archaeologists into the German military on Crete and its impact upon the development of archaeological agendas during the period of the Third Reich. It explores – as a case study – the archaeological activity of August Schörgendorfer, an Austrian archaeologist, on German-occupied Crete. Schörgendorfer enlisted as aWehrmachtofficer, was upgraded to aKunstschutzofficer through the intervention of Major General Julius Ringel, and in 1941–2 undertook illicit excavations at Knossos and in the Mesara. By presenting data collected through archival research and Schörgendorfer's previously unpublished photo album of Crete, I explore his ideological trajectories and his archaeological itineraries on the island under occupation. Integrating the latter with the recent historiography of Nazi-era archaeology illuminates undocumented aspects of theWehrmacht’s archaeological research on the island. Facets of the cultural policies of the German Archaeological Institute and wider questions of archaeological ethics are informed by analysing the entanglement of archaeological institutions and archaeologists with the political turmoil of the era of World War II.
HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT IN CENTRAL-EASTERN AND SOUTH EUROPE COUNTRIES: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Authors: Guzvic Vladimir , Catic Tarik , Kostic Marina
Published: April 2017

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the healthcare system and health financing in Bosnia and Herzegovina and recent trends in health technology assessment (HTA) placement in the system.

Methods: A short review of PubMed published literature has been conducted using key words related to reimbursement, HTA, and health policy. We also revised legislation in Bosnia and Herzegovina published in Official Gazettes related to healthcare financing and organization.

Results: A deecentralized system in Bosnia and Herzegovina led to high differences in health policy. HTA has been recognized in legislation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but it still has not been introduced in practice in full capacity. A small number of publications are found in PubMed treating these issues, but generally the problem of introduction of HTA in Bosnia and Herzegovina is lack of experts, as well as the political environment and education in this field.

Conclusions: HTA in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska has a short history because of a huge political impact in the decision-making process, decentralized system, and multiple decision makers in these regions. Challenges remain in assessments, in development of more transparent approaches in different areas of the health system in these regions, and in consistent application of appropriate standards especially in education of professionals who will provide establishment of HTA in the health system of The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska.
DRUG EVALUATION AND DECISION MAKING IN CATALONIA: DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK BASED ON MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS (MCDA) FOR ORPHAN DRUGS
Authors: Gilabert-Perramon Antoni , Torrent-Farnell Josep , Catalan Arancha , Prat Alba , Fontanet Manel , Puig-Peiró Ruth , Merino-Montero Sandra , Khoury Hanane , Goetghebeur Mireille M. , Badia Xavier
Published: April 2017

Objectives:The aim of this study was to adapt and assess the value of a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) framework (EVIDEM) for the evaluation of Orphan drugs in Catalonia (Catalan Health Service).

Methods:The standard evaluation and decision-making procedures of CatSalut were compared with the EVIDEM methodology and contents. The EVIDEM framework was adapted to the Catalan context, focusing on the evaluation of Orphan drugs (PASFTAC program), during a Workshop with sixteen PASFTAC members. The criteria weighting was done using two different techniques (nonhierarchical and hierarchical). Reliability was assessed by re-test.

Results:The EVIDEM framework and methodology was found useful and feasible for Orphan drugs evaluation and decision making in Catalonia. All the criteria considered for the development of the CatSalut Technical Reports and decision making were considered in the framework. Nevertheless, the framework could improve the reporting of some of these criteria (i.e., “unmet needs” or “nonmedical costs”). Some Contextual criteria were removed (i.e., “Mandate and scope of healthcare system”, “Environmental impact”) or adapted (“population priorities and access”) for CatSalut purposes. Independently of the weighting technique considered, the most important evaluation criteria identified for orphan drugs were: “disease severity”, “unmet needs” and “comparative effectiveness”, while the “size of the population” had the lowest relevance for decision making. Test–retest analysis showed weight consistency among techniques, supporting reliability overtime.

Conclusions:MCDA (EVIDEM framework) could be a useful tool to complement the current evaluation methods of CatSalut, contributing to standardization and pragmatism, providing a method to tackle ethical dilemmas and facilitating discussions related to decision making.
ESTIMATION FOR THE PREDICTION OF POINT PROCESSES WITH MANY COVARIATES
Authors: Sancetta Alessio
Published: April 2017

Estimation of the intensity of a point process is considered within a nonparametric framework. The intensity measure is unknown and depends on covariates, possibly many more than the observed number of jumps. Only a single trajectory of the counting process is observed. Interest lies in estimating the intensity conditional on the covariates. The impact of the covariates is modelled by an additive model where each component can be written as a linear combination of possibly unknown functions. The focus is on prediction as opposed to variable screening. Conditions are imposed on the coefficients of this linear combination in order to control the estimation error. The rates of convergence are optimal when the number of active covariates is large. As an application, the intensity of the buy and sell trades of the New Zealand Dollar futures is estimated and a test for forecast evaluation is presented. A simulation is included to provide some finite sample intuition on the model and asymptotic properties.
PROCESSOR SHARING G-QUEUES WITH INERT CUSTOMERS AND CATASTROPHES: A MODEL FOR SERVER AGING AND REJUVENATION
Authors: Fourneau J.-M. , Ait El Majhoub Y.
Published: April 2017

We consider open networks of queues with Processor-Sharing discipline and signals. The signals deletes all the customers present in the queues and vanish instantaneously. The customers may be usual customers or inert customers. Inert customers do not receive service but the servers still try to share the service capacity between all the customers (inert or usual). Thus a part of the service capacity is wasted. We prove that such a model has a product-form steady-state distribution when the signal arrival rates are positive.
Strolling in Tel Aviv: Setting Up and Breaking Down Boundaries in S. Yizhar'sPreliminaries(Mikdamot)
Authors: Tzur Dvir
Published: April 2017

The article discusses the image of Tel Aviv, the first Hebrew city, as it is described in the novelPreliminariesby S. Yizhar (Yizhar Smilansky), one of Israel's best-known authors. In this novel, which engages with the question of home and borders, borders function as a double-edged sword: on the one hand, they define home and create a circumscribed place for the protagonist and his family. On the other hand, the novel dwells on the urge to cross borders and shatter the distinction between home and the world. In this regard, Tel Aviv is sometimes described as a pleasant, “normal” city, yet at other times it is written as a perilous place—since it divides between Jews and Arabs. Tel Aviv is also the place where one can imagine a great future or see a concealed history. It is a total urban experience, encapsulating the individual.
“Our Shtetl, Tel Aviv, Must and Will Become the Metropolis of Yiddish”: Tel Aviv—a Center of Yiddish Culture?
Authors: Bar-Am Gali Drucker
Published: April 2017

The remnant of the eastern European Jews that arrived in Israel after the Holocaust established a vibrant center of Yiddish culture in Tel Aviv. This paper tells its story. It spotlights the uniqueness of the Tel Aviv center in comparison with similar cultural centers established by eastern European Jews in other cities around the world, both before and after the Holocaust. It portrays the Jewish cultural activists and leaders that composed the Tel Aviv Yiddish center, the special conditions that awaited them in Israel, the institutions that they established, and their aftermath. Finally, it considers the Tel Aviv Yiddish cultural center as a test case for examining the social role of the Jewish cultural center after the Holocaust.
Just Miles Away but Worlds Apart: Examining Jewish Participation in Integration Programs at Black Mountain College and Highlander Folk School, 1933–1964
Authors: Soltz Wendy F.
Published: April 2017

Small liberal arts and folk schools attempted desegregation decades before other southern colleges and universities. Historians have long argued that Jews were active and influential in the fight for civil rights in the South in the 1950s and 1960s, but were Jews involved in these early attempts to enroll black students in historically white schools? If they were, were they successful and how did their Jewishness affect the efficacy of their attempts? In order to answer these questions, this article compares and contrasts two such schools, Black Mountain College in North Carolina and Highlander Folk School in Tennessee, which established “integration programs” in the 1940s. This research reveals that when Jews saturated a school, and were visibly involved in desegregation, their attempts to desegregate the institution were ultimately unsuccessful. When Jews supported a school through donations behind the scenes and occasional visits, however, the institution successfully desegregated.