bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
STRAßBURG — FREIBURG — PARIS — KRAKAU
Authors: Wójcik Rafał
Published: April 2015

Die Ars memorativa war im spätmittelalterlichen Krakau sehr populär. Das Fach wurde vertreten von ausländischen und polnischen Gelehrten, zum Beispiel: Jacobus Publicius, Konrad Celtis, Thomas Murner, Johannes Enclen de Cusa (Cusanus), Stanis􀄑aw Korzybski, Antoni von Radomsko und Jan Szklarek. Man muss jedoch feststellen, dass Thomas Murners Lehrmethoden zur Logik noch nicht in Bezug gesetzt worden sind zu den mnemotechnischen Instrumenten der polnischen Franziskaner-Observanten oder anderer Gelehrter, die in Polen wirkten. Speziell ist der Traktat des Jacque Le Févre d’Étaples — abgesehen von einer Bemerkung von Gustav Bauch — noch nicht in seiner Eigenschaft als Inspirationsquelle für Murners Methode untersucht worden. Der Beitrag stellt die Logica memorativa als einen paradigmatischen Fall mnemotechnischen Methodentransfers zwischen Frankreich, Deutschland und Polen an der Wende vom 15. zum 16. Jh. dar.
LEERE STATT LEHRE IM EULENSPIEGEL
Authors: Schwarz Alexander
Published: April 2015

Gedruckte Bücher um 1500 sind in Deutschland im Normalfall lateinisch, religiös und belehrend. Der Eulenspiegel ist in jeder Beziehung eine Ausnahme, was seinen sofortigen, internationalen und vielerorts bis heute ungebrochenen Erfolg ebenso erstaunlich macht wie es ihn erklären dürfte. Die Vorrede macht keinen Hehl daraus: Der Autor sei des Lateins unkundig und bittet die Leser, das Buch nicht zu Zeiten des Gottesdienstes aufzuschlagen, das er „Nur allein” zusammengestellt habe, „umb ein frölich Gemüt zu machen in schweren Zeiten”. Die Traditionalität der Vorrede ist bekannt, doch sie betrifft diesen letzten Punkt nicht, sodass wir durchaus danach fragen können, wie der Text mit seinem Verzicht auf Lehre und Wissenstransfer umgeht und ob sich dieser Umgang im Laufe der 500jährigen Rezeptionsgeschichte ändert.
DIE ELEMENTE DES AUTOBIOGRAPHISCHEN SCHREIBENS IM DIARIUM VON CASPAR MEUSELER AUS TALLINN
Authors: Saagpakk Maris
Published: April 2015

Der vorliegende Beitrag ist der Analyse eines frühneuzeitlichen Diariums aus der Stadt Tallinn (Reval) gewidmet, das im Folgenden als eine Vorform zu späteren literarischen Tagebüchern verstanden wird. Caspar Meuselers (1569-1651) Diarienhefte aus den Jahren 1610-1621 und 1621-1641 sind auf Niederdeutsch verfasste und weitgehend chronikartige Aufzeichnungen über das Gildeleben. In diesem Aufsatz wird nachgezeichnet, welche für das autobiographische Schreiben charakteristischen Merkmale sich bei diesem Text beobachten lassen.
ZWISCHEN KANONISIERUNG UND ADAPTATION: HEDWIG VON SCHLESIEN
Authors: Seelbach Sabine
Published: April 2015

Die Hedwigslegende ist in zwei Redaktionen mit jeweils konstantem Text trotz unterschiedlichster Kontexte überliefert. Was als Sakralisierung des Textes wahrgenommen wurde, läßt sich mit dem Instrumentarium einer kulturwissenschaftlich orientierten Philologie weitergehend interpretieren. Der Vergleich der Redaktionen, die Untersuchung der jeweiligen Paratexte, die kodikologischmediale Betrachtung der äußeren Einrichtung und Ausstattung der Handschriften, der Mitüberlieferung sowie der sprachlichen Minimalabweichungen geben Auskunft über adressatenabhängige Veränderungen des Heiligendesigns.
“AUß DER VRSACH DAS DU EIN TYRANN BIST”
Authors: Hufnagel Bianca
Published: April 2015

Ulrich von Hutten schreibt 1517 das Totengespräch Phalarismus, welches alle von Michail Bachtin genannten Merkmale karnevalesker Literatur aufweist, um gegen Herzog Ulrich von Württemberg zu polemisieren, der Huttens Verwandten ermordete. Durch die Nutzbarmachung des mundus inversus und dadurch, dass Hutten mit der gewählten Gattung Ulrich so zeigen kann, wie er ihn dargestellt haben möchte, wird der Unterweltsdialog zu einem politischen Kampfmittel, welches den Herzog als grausamen und illegitimen Herrscher brandmarkt.
DIE ERSTE DEUTSCHE ÜBERSETZUNG DES CORTEGIANO
Authors: Masiero Federica
Published: April 2015

Castigliones Libro del Cortegiano (1528), das Hauptwerk der höfischen Konversationsliteratur, wurde in Deutschland 1565 zum ersten Mal übersetzt, also mit einiger Verspätung im Vergleich zu den anderen europäischen Nationen. Der Übersetzer heißt Laurentz Kratzer. Als er 1565 das Vorwort zu seiner Übertragung schrieb, war er Mautzähler im oberbayerischen Burghausen. Ziel der folgenden Untersuchung ist eine syntaktisch vergleichende Analyse zwischen der ersten deutschen Version und dem italienischen Original, die uns aufschlussreiche Einblicke in den Prosastil der deutschen Übertragung sowie in die Besondernheiten der Übersetzungsliteratur des 16. Jahrhundert gewähren wird.
KRITISCHES ZUM METEORFLUGBLATT DES SEBASTIAN BRANT
Authors: Daub Susanne
Published: April 2015

Sebastian Brants drei Gedichte zum Meteoreinschlag von 1492 benützen das damals hochaktuelle Medium des bebilderten Flugblattes. Sie wurden schnell und weit verbreitet und später vielfach interpretiert — literarisch, aber auch naturwissenschaftlich —, obwohl einige Wörter und Sätze in der überlieferten Textfassung kaum verständlich waren. Das gilt zum Beispiel für die antik-lateinische Datierung im Gedicht, die seltene Latinisierung des Hochrheintals (das so zum Etschtal wurde), die falsch verstandene deutsche Anrede an den König und das örtlich relevante Missverständnis eines Flussnamens anstelle eines Pronominaladverbs. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird die Textgrundlage der drei zusammengehörigen Gedichte kritisch analysiert, Fehler werden verbessert, und es wird ihre Genese zu rekonstruieren versucht. Der lateinische Text wird erstmals ins Deutsche übersetzt.
Lee Waves Associated with a Commercial Jetliner Accident at Denver International Airport
Authors: Keller Teddie L. , Trier Stanley B. , Hall William D. , Sharman Robert D. , Xu Mei , Liu Yubao
Published: April 2015

At 1818 mountain standard time 20 December 2008, a Boeing 737 jetliner encountered significant crosswinds while accelerating for takeoff at the Denver International Airport (DIA), ran off the side of the runway, and burst into flames. Passengers and crew were able to evacuate quickly, and, although there were injuries, there were no fatalities. Winds around the time of the accident were predominantly from the west, with substantial spatial and temporal speed variability across the airport property. Embedded in this mostly westerly flow were intermittent gusts that created strong crosswinds for the north–south runways. According to the report from the National Transportation Safety Board, it was one of these strong gusts that initiated the events that led to the runway excursion and subsequent crash of the aircraft. Numerous aircraft reported significant mountain-wave activity and turbulence over Colorado on the day of the accident. To determine whether wave activity may have contributed to the strong, intermittent gustiness at DIA, a high-resolution multinested numerical simulation was performed using the Clark–Hall model, with a horizontal grid spacing of 250 m in the inner domain. Results from this simulation suggest that the surface gustiness at DIA was associated with undulations in a train of lee waves in a midtropospheric stable layer above the airport, creating regions of higher-velocity air descending toward the surface. In contrast, a simulation with horizontal grid spacing that was similar to that of a state-of-the-art operational forecast model (3 km) did not predict strong winds at DIA.
Precipitation and Cloud Structures of Intense Rain during the 2013 Great Colorado Flood
Authors: Friedrich Katja , Kalina Evan A. , Aikins Joshua , Gochis David , Rasmussen Roy
Published: April 2015

Radar and disdrometer observations collected during the 2013 Great Colorado Flood are used to diagnose the spatial and vertical structure of clouds and precipitation during episodes of intense rainfall. The analysis focuses on 30 h of intense rainfall in the vicinity of Boulder, Colorado, during 2200–0400 UTC 11–13 September. The strongest rainfall occurred along lower parts of the Colorado Front Range at >1.6 km MSL and on the northern side of the Palmer Divide. The vertical structure of clouds and horizontal distribution of rainfall are strongly linked to upslope flow and low-level forcing, which resulted in surface convergence. During times of weak forcing, shallow convection produced rain at and below the melting layer through collision–coalescence and, to a lesser extent, riming. A mesoscale circulation interacting with the local terrain produced convective rainfall with high cloud tops that favored ice crystal production. During moderate forcing with cloud tops slightly exceeding the 0°C level, both cold- and warm-phase microphysical processes dominated. Less rain with weaker rainfall rates was observed over the higher-elevation stations compared to the lower-elevation stations across the foothills.
Mood instability as a precursor to depressive illness: A prospective and mediational analysis
Authors: Marwaha Steven , Balbuena Lloyd , Winsper Catherine , Bowen Rudy
Published: April 2015

Objective:

Mood instability levels are high in depression, but temporal precedence and potential mechanisms are unknown. Hypotheses tested were as follows: (1) mood instability is associated with depression cross-sectionally, (2) mood instability predicts new onset and maintenance of depression prospectively and (3) the mood instability and depression link are mediated by sleep problems, alcohol abuse and life events.

Method:

Data from the National Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2000 at baseline ( N = 8580) and 18-month follow-up ( N = 2413) were used. Regression modeling controlling for socio-demographic factors, anxiety and hypomanic mood was conducted. Multiple mediational analyses were used to test our conceptual path model.

Results:

Mood instability was associated with depression cross-sectionally (odds ratio: 5.28; 95% confidence interval: [3.67, 7.59]; p < 0.001) and predicted depression inception (odds ratio: 2.43; 95% confidence interval: [1.03–5.76]; p = 0.042) after controlling for important confounders. Mood instability did not predict maintenance of depression. Sleep difficulties and severe problems with close friends and family significantly mediated the link between mood instability and new onset depression (23.05% and 6.19% of the link, respectively). Alcohol abuse and divorce were not important mediators in the model.

Conclusion:

Mood instability is a precursor of a depressive episode, predicting its onset. Difficulties in sleep are a significant part of the pathway. Interventions targeting mood instability and sleep problems have the potential to reduce the risk of depression.
Genius Hour Makes Great Teachers Redundant
Authors: Allen Megan
Published: April 2015

In this satirical article, one teacher finds out that implementing Genius Hour in her classroom has unintended results. Genius Hour, modeled after Google’s policy of allowing employees to spend 20% of their time working on a project of their own choosing, allows students to work on a project that follows their own passion.
Secondary trauma among social workers treating trauma clients: The role of coping strategies and internal resources
Authors: Gil Sharon , Weinberg Michael
Published: April 2015

This study explores the association between coping strategies (problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidance), internal resources (dispositional optimism and mastery), demographic and work characteristics, and secondary trauma symptoms among 160 social workers in public agencies treating clients who were victims of trauma. A hierarchical regression analysis revealed that emotion-focused and avoidance coping strategies, previous history of exposure to a traumatic event, and high exposure to traumatic material through clients were associated with increased levels of secondary trauma, while dispositional optimism, mastery, and steady supervision on a weekly basis were associated with a reduction of those symptoms. Theoretical and clinical implications of the findings are discussed.
The “How” and “When” of Parental Loss in Adulthood
Authors: Hayslip Bert , Pruett Jessica H. , Caballero Daniela M.
Published: April 2015

In order to evaluate the role of cause of death on the grief responses of parentally bereaved young and middle-aged adults, 400 individuals completed measures assessing their experiences and feelings surrounding the loss of a parent. Respondents included 247 young adults and 155 middle-aged adults. Cause of death was categorized as acute or anticipated with 209 participants reporting the parent’s death as acute, while anticipated death was reported by 191 individuals. Results suggested that gender of the adult child and age level of the participant were important factors contributing to the grief response, and women were found to have more difficulty adjusting to the loss of a parent as well as demonstrating a more intense grief response. Young adults were found to be more impacted by the loss of a parent than were middle-aged adults. Those who were single or separated were similarly more impacted versus those who were married, where more young adults were single/separated and more middle-aged adults were married. Cause of death was only mildly influential in influencing responses to parental loss and did not interact with other studied variables. These results point to the importance of support from others in coping with a parent’s death as well as for the counseling of bereaved persons who may be at risk for difficulties in coping with the death of a parent and enable a more precise understanding of individual grief processes across the adult lifespan.
From palaeoanthropology in China to Chinese palaeoanthropology: Science, imperialism and nationalism in North China, 1920–1939
Authors: Yen Hsiao-pei
Published: April 2015

Before the establishment of the Cenozoic Research Laboratory ( Xinshengdai yanjiushi) in 1929, paleoanthropological research in China was mainly in the hands of foreigners, individual explorers as well as organized teams. This paper describes the development of paleoanthropology in China in the 1920s and 1930s and its transformation from the international phase to an indigenized one. It focuses on the international elite scientist network in metropolitan Beijing whose activities and discoveries led to such transformation. The bond between members of the network was built on shared scientific devotion, joint field experience, and social activities. However, such scientific internationalism was not immune from imperialistic and nationalistic interests and competition as most members of the network also belonged to institutions of the dominant hegemonic powers, such as the French Paleontological Mission and the American Museum of Natural History, operating by the logic of international system of imperialism. While these foreign institutions enjoyed relatively unrestricted access to the Chinese frontier and Mongolia in the early 20th century to discover and collect for the establishment of what they saw as universal scientific knowledge, in the late 1920s rising Chinese and Mongolian nationalisms began to interpret these activities as violations to their national sovereignty. The idea of establishing a “Chinese” institute to carry out paleoanthropological research in China took shape in such milieu. This paper highlights the entanglement between scientific internationalism, imperialism, nationalism in China in the early 20th century and the complicated process of knowledge formation at various national and personal levels.
Do decision rules matter? A descriptive study of English language proficiency assessment classifications for English-language learners and native English speakers in fifth grade
Authors: Carroll Patricia E. , Bailey Alison L.
Published: April 2015

English language proficiency assessments (ELPA) are used in the United States to measure annually the English language progress and proficiency of English-language learners (ELLs), a subgroup of language minority students who receive language acquisition support mandated and largely funded by Title III (NCLB, 2001). ELPA proficient and non-proficient classifications are determined by applying decision rules to combine the sub-domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in a conjunctive, compensatory, mixed or complementary manner in order that an ELP performance standard can be set. Although the ELP performance standard is used to set accountability objectives for federal reporting, it also is used to reveal students’ readiness for exit from English language services. This study operationalizes and tests the ELP performance standard for student-level decision making by describing to what extent students are classified as non-proficient under different models and rules and the effect of these differences on their eligibility for redesignation. Test performances from one state’s ELPA were gathered from a statewide sample of ELL ( n = 875) and randomly selected sample of native English speaker students (non-ELL, n = 92) in fifth grade. Findings indicate sizable differences in non-proficient classifications for ELLs, non-ELLs, and a constructed subgroup of academically high-performing students. There were also observed differences in redesignation eligibility in all groups suggesting that choice of model and decision rule can extend the length of time even high-performing students spend in English language services. Discussion includes implications for validation of high-stakes classification systems.
Empirical Treatment Effectiveness Models for Binary Outcomes
Authors: Dalton Jarrod E. , Dawson Neal V. , Sessler Daniel I. , Schold Jesse D. , Love Thomas E. , Kattan Michael W.
Published: April 2015

Randomized trials provide strong evidence regarding efficacy of interventions but are limited in their capacity to address potential heterogeneity in effectiveness within broad clinical populations. For example, a treatment that on average is superior may be distinctly worse in certain patients. We propose a technique for using large electronic health registries to develop and validate decision models that measure—for distinct combinations of covariate values—the difference in predicted outcomes among 2 alternative treatments. We demonstrate the methodology in a prototype analysis of in-hospital mortality under alternative revascularization treatments. First, we developed prediction models for a binary outcome of interest for each treatment. Decision criteria were then defined based on the treatment-specific model predictions. Patients were then classified as receiving concordant or discordant care (in relation to the model recommendation), and the association between discordance and outcomes was evaluated. We then present alternative decision criteria and validation methodologies, as well as sensitivity analyses that investigate 1) the imbalance between treatments on observed covariates and 2) the aggregate impact of unobserved covariates. Our methodology supplements population-average clinical trial results by modeling heterogeneity in outcomes according to specific covariate values. It thus allows for assessment of current practice, from which cogent hypotheses for improved care can be derived. Newly emerging large population registries will allow for accurate predictions of outcome risk under competing treatments, as complex functions of predictor variables. Whether or not the models might be used to inform decision making depends on the extent to which important predictors are available. Further work is needed to understand the strengths and limitations of this approach, particularly in relation to those based on randomized trials.
Estimating effective dose from 3D imaging with interventional fluoroscopy systems using limited exposure data
Authors: Svalkvist Angelica , Hansson Jonny , Båth Magnus
Published: April 2015

Background

Estimations of the effective dose from three-dimensional (3D) rotational imaging with interventional fluoroscopy systems are hampered by the fact that not all systems provide individual exposure values for each projection image included in the examination.

Purpose

To investigate the error in resulting effective dose introduced by not using individual exposure values for each projection image in the dose calculations for 3D rotational imaging with interventional fluoroscopy systems.

Material and Methods

An interventional fluoroscopy system was used to acquire images of two anthropomorphic phantoms. Calculations of the effective dose were performed using two different methods: 1, using individual exposure values for each projection image; and 2, using the mean tube voltage and the total dose-area product (DAP), evenly distributed over a selection of projection images. The second method was also tested in hypothetical examinations to investigate the effects of worst-case scenarios regarding the effect of exposure asymmetry on the error.

Results

The error in resulting effective dose obtained when simplifying the dose calculations by using Method 2 instead of Method 1 was within ±14%. The error increased slightly for the worst-case scenarios but was still smaller than ±20%, regardless of anatomical region, tube voltage variation, and patient size.

Conclusion

Given the uncertainties associated with the effective dose concept as well as of reported DAP values, the present study indicates that dose calculations based on average exposure values distributed over a smaller selection of projection angles can provide reasonably accurate estimations of the radiation doses from 3D imaging using interventional fluoroscopy systems.
Development and application of a control scheme to reduce insufficient operation of an NG-diesel dual-fuel automobile
Authors: Zhang Chunhua , Zhao Wei , Miao Tao , Wu Han
Published: April 2015

The thermal efficiency levels are generally maintained while the smoke emission levels are reduced significantly with natural-gas–diesel dual-fuel operation in comparison with those with diesel operation. Thus, the dual-fuel mode is a good choice for in-use vehicles to reduce the smoke emissions and the fuel cost. However, the higher hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions compared with those for traditional diesel operation under low loads is a concern. In this paper, a control scheme is proposed to reduce insufficient operation in the natural-gas–diesel dual-fuel mode. Also, a control system, including a control unit and actuating devices, is developed to realize the scheme. The responses of the governor lever, the smoke emissions of the vehicle and the fuel consumption values are compared and analysed. The test results show that the response of the governor lever is sufficient for practical applications, as it is able to follow the pedal stroke instantaneously with good accuracy. The lugdown smoke emissions of the diesel mode do not conform to those given in the Chinese Standard GB 3847-2005, but those of the dual-fuel mode do. In the road tests, the substitution ratio of liquefied natural gas to diesel is 61.36%, and the fuel cost saving ratio is up to 21.71%. Overall, the scheme and the electronic control device work reliably and can be applied to both liquefied natural gas and compressed natural gas as gaseous fuels.
Fiscal Sustainability of India’s National Food Security Act 2013
Authors: Pradhan Krishanu
Published: April 2015

Forward-looking approaches to fiscal sustainability generally assess the fiscal implications of future programme-specific expenditure. This article attempts to assess the future fiscal implications of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, for the Indian economy. The results, under the baseline scenario based on the projected debt–GDP ratio, indicate a modest increase till 2021–22 and then debt/GDP declines towards the current level of 70% in 2012–13, signifying fiscal sustainability. The dynamics of the projected baseline debt–GDP ratio are largely shaped by the provisions of the Act and underlying demographic factors during the projection horizon. Sensitivity analysis under different assumptions about productivity growth, the interest on government borrowing and primary deficit–GDP ratios show mixed results and hence provide necessary policy pointers towards restoring fiscal sustainability under the Act. Keeping the primary deficit–GDP ratio below 1.5 per cent through periodic upwards revisions in the issue price of food grains, as envisaged in the Act, coupled with higher productivity growth and lower interest on government debt, would ensure long-term fiscal sustainability of the Act.

JEL Classification: H24, H62, H68, J11, Q18
Elections in India
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Bappaditya
Published: April 2015

The two major concerns in Indian electoral system are enormous spending and increased criminalisation of politics. While roughly one-third of all elected offices (state or national) have members with some criminal charges, the spending in 2009 general elections exceeded the total spends in the US general elections held a year earlier. This article links the two. We develop a theoretical model that views candidates as a strategic choice by the parties. We propose a two-dimensional contest function. In this framework we analyse the likely scenarios when a party chooses candidates with criminal records as well as how much to spend for that candidate. Our framework also analyses the role of reservations. We use records of 36,731 candidates who contested elections at either Lok Sabha or Assembly level during the last 5 years.
Is There a Need for Early Palliative Care in Patients With Life-Limiting Illnesses? Interview Study With Patients About Experienced Care Needs From Diagnosis Onward
Authors: Beernaert Kim , Deliens Luc , De Vleminck Aline , Devroey Dirk , Pardon Koen , Block Lieve Van den , Cohen Joachim
Published: April 2015

The early integration of specialist palliative care has been shown to benefit the quality of life of patients with advanced cancer. In order to explore whether other seriously ill people and people at even earlier phases would also benefit from early palliative care, we conducted 18 qualitative interviews with people having cancer, chronic obstructive lung disease, heart failure, or dementia at different phases of the illness trajectory about how they experienced care needs related to their disease from diagnosis onward. Respondents experienced needs within the different domains of palliative care at different stages of the illness and different illness types or duration of the illness. This study contributes to the understanding of primary care needs of patients for whom palliative care (not necessarily specialized palliative care) could be beneficial.
Recurrence of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients With Cancer Treated With Warfarin
Authors: Marshall Ariela L. , Campigotto Federico , Neuberg Donna , Rowe Betty , Connors Jean M.
Published: April 2015

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication in patients with cancer. Previous randomized studies have demonstrated that the rates of recurrent VTE are lower in patients treated with low-molecular-weight heparin compared to warfarin. We performed a retrospective analysis of 236 patients with cancer managed by a dedicated oncology anticoagulation management service to compare “real-world” rates of recurrent VTE and bleeding in patients treated with warfarin versus parenteral anticoagulants. Initial anticoagulant regimen included a parenteral agent with transition to warfarin in 132 (55.9%) patients, enoxaparin in 53 (22.5%), dalteparin in 37 (15.7%), and fondaparinux in 14 (5.9%). Taking into account the competing risk of death, cumulative incidence of VTE recurrence at 6 months was 4.0% with warfarin, 10.3% with enoxaparin, 3.0% with dalteparin, and 7.7% with fondaparinux ( P = .004). Bleeding complications occurred in 10.6% of patients on warfarin, 17.0% on enoxaparin, 27.0% on dalteparin, and 14.3% on fondaparinux ( P = .089). In a dedicated anticoagulation clinic, specific for patients with cancer, warfarin may be an acceptable treatment for first thrombotic events in patients with cancer.
Paradoxical effect of capecitabine in 5-fluorouracil-induced cardiotoxicity: A case vignette and literature review
Authors: Saneeymehri Seyyedeh S , Markey Kelly R , Mahipal Amit
Published: April 2015

5-fluorouracil is a chemotherapeutic agent that plays an important role in the treatment of various cancers including head and neck and gastrointestinal malignancies. Therapy with 5-fluorouracil is rarely associated with cardiotoxic effects including angina, heart failure, myocardial infarction and cardiac arrest, resulting in discontinuation at the expense of sub-optimal treatment of the targeted malignancy. In this article, we review the literature reported on 5-fluorouracil-associated cardiotoxicity and present a case of a patient who experienced chest pain on 5-fluorouracil. The cardiac symptoms subsided after initiation of capecitabine, the oral formulation of 5-fluorouracil. To our knowledge, this is only the second reported case where 5-fluorouracil was successfully replaced by capecitabine without recurrence of cardiac symptoms. Capecitabine may be a viable option for patients who develop 5-fluorouracil-induced chest pain. However, large clinical trials are warranted to confirm these findings. Currently, there is insufficient evidence to recommend an optimal approach for safe and effective alternative treatment for patients who experience 5-fluorouracil-induced cardiac adverse events.
Toxicological and Genotoxicity Assessment of a Dihydroquercetin-Rich Dahurian Larch Tree (Larix gmelinii Rupr) Extract (Lavitol)
Authors: Schauss Alexander G. , Tselyico Sergei S. , Kuznetsova Victoria A. , Yegorova Inna
Published: April 2015

Safety assessment is reported of an orally ingested dihydroquercetin-rich extract (Lavitol) derived from the Dahurian larch tree, used as a food additive and as a dietary supplement ingredient. Dihydroquercetin, a potent antioxidant, is also known as taxifolin. The results of genotoxicity and toxicological tests (Comet assay, micronucleus test in human lymphocytes, chromosomal aberration test, subacute 7-day oral toxicity study, subchronic 90-day toxicology study with histopathologies, and, prenatal and postnatal developmental toxicity studies) on the extract provide further support for the safety of its consumption as a food supplement and food additive.
Formulae of roughness peak distribution parameters with standard deviation and correlation length
Authors: Zhou Wei , Tang Jinyuan , He Yanfei
Published: April 2015

Principle error exists when peak distribution parameters are calculated based on the random process theory, and the microtopography simulation with desired peak distributions still cannot be realized. To solve these problems, the relationship between peak distribution parameters and surface statistical distribution parameters is studied through lots of rough surface reconstructions. The effects of high-pass filtering with different cut-off lengths are analyzed. In addition, formulae of peak distribution parameters with standard deviation and correlation length are constructed by mathematical fitting. The formulae are verified with experimental data and compared with classical literature. Finally, an example of application of the formulae to microtopography simulation is provided.
Chasing the McGuffin: Towards the continuing reform of program evaluation
Authors: Kushner Saville
Published: April 2015

This article focuses its attention on the contemporary need for reform of evaluation and its use – reform in the direction of greater emphasis on localism, on generalizing from small samples and emphasizing direct observation of program interactions. None of these propositions is novel, but it is necessary to reinvent methodological wheels from time to time. As evaluation has become internalized into the administrative system it has been drawn to the business of generalizing beyond and across contexts, seeking to make definitive statements about a program, a domain or a population and assuming that program results are a measure of program quality. This serves the information needs of managers and the policy shaping community – less so those of practitioners whose generalizations are often limited to context. But underlying this is a conflict between distinct forms of knowledge: knowledge for control and knowledge for action. Evaluation is too frequently pressed into the service of the former. A rhetorical device is used to distinguish programme quality as a results measurement from programme quality as the rigorous analysis of programme experience and values. This is Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘McGuffin’ - the objective of a plot which is irrelevant in itself, but which gives meaning to the chase.
Opening access to administrative data for evaluating public services: The case of the Justice Data Lab
Authors: Lyon Fergus , Gyateng Tracey , Pritchard David , Vaze Prabhat , Vickers Ian , Webb Nicola
Published: April 2015

As government administrative data sets are increasingly made available for new (non-administrative) purposes, there is a need to improve access to such resources for voluntary and community organizations, social enterprises and private businesses for statistical analysis and evaluation purposes. The Justice Data Lab set up by the Ministry of Justice in the UK presents an innovative case of how administrative data can be linked to other data held by organizations delivering public services. The establishment of a unit within a secure setting holding evaluation and statistical expertise has enabled providers of programmes aimed at reducing re-offending to obtain evidence on how the impact of their interventions differs from that of a matched comparison group. This article explores the development of the Justice Data Lab, the methodological and other challenges faced, and the experiences of user organizations. The article draws out implications for future development of Data Labs and the use of administrative data for the evaluation of public services.
Room- and illumination-related effects of an artificial skylight
Authors: Canazei M , Laner M , Staggl S , Pohl W , Ragazzi P , Magatti D , Martinelli E , Di Trapani P
Published: April 2015

An artificial skylight has been developed which aims at creating an impression of a daylight opening in the ceiling by means of an artificial sunspot and a blue sky with perceived infinite depth. It is the goal of this work to compare and quantify the perceived room atmosphere created by this artificial system with that created by a conventional lighting system. A total of 100 subjects participated in a randomized controlled study within which the short-term effects on room lighting- and room atmosphere-appearance were determined. Both the artificial skylight and the resulting room atmosphere were perceived as very natural and attractive. Thus, the first strong evidence for the expected positive effects of this artificial skylight was determined.
Narendra Modi and the Power of Television in Gujarat
Authors: Jaffrelot Christophe
Published: April 2015

The growing importance of images in the age of television has created the conditions for Narendra Modi to evolve his nondiscursive populist mode of political communication as Chief Minister of Gujarat. Beyond television, he has relied on techniques like mobile vans carrying TV sets and 3D holograms shown in many different locations simultaneously. In this type of high-tech populism, the dress codes and the body language have mattered lot, and hence Modi’s obsession with details, including the colors to wear and the length of his kurta’s sleeves. If Indira Gandhi’s brand of populism relied mostly on the radio, Narendra Modi, who has short circuited his party in the same proportion, belongs to the television era. But he has not used this medium only to promote his image (TV has also played a role in preparing the ground for the Gujarat pogrom after Godhra).
Evaluation of Vessel Sealing Performance Among Ultrasonic Devices in a Porcine Model
Authors: Tanaka Ryota , Gitelis Matthew , Meiselman Danny , Abar Bijan , Zapf Matthew , Carbray JoAnn , Vigneswaran Yalini , Zhao Jin-Cheng , Ujiki Michael
Published: April 2015

Background. As new technologies emerge, it is imperative to define which new devices are most likely to provide a reproducible, effective result for the patient and surgeon. The purpose of our study was to analyze 3 commercially available ultrasonic energy devices; the Sonicision (SC), the Harmonic ACE (HA), and the THUNDERBEAT (TB). Material and Methods. Eight female Yorkshire pigs were used for data collection and vessel harvest. Three devices were evaluated and compared with each other with respect to seal failure and cutting speed in vivo. After vessel harvest, one end of the fragment was sent for histological evaluation, and the other was used for burst pressure measurement testing in a blinded fashion. The coagulation and cut levels of all the generators were set up at a similar and constant level. Results. Eighty-four vessels (47 arteries and 37 veins) were tested. Mean vessel diameter was equal among the groups. Cutting speed was significantly faster with TB (3.4 ± 0.7 seconds) than SC or HA (5.8 ± 2.4 and 6.1 ± 3.1 seconds; P < .0001). Burst pressure trended higher after ligation with TB (505.4 ± 349.4 mm Hg) than SC and HA (435.8 ± 403.0 and 437.6 ± 291.3 mm Hg). There were 2 seal failures in the SC group and HA group and none in the TB group. Histologically, the perpendicular width of tissue seal with TB (1.250 ± 0.55 mm) was significantly longer than that of the SC and the HA (0.772 ± 0.23 and 0.686 ± 0.23 mm; P < .0001). Conclusions. TB has proven to provide the most rapid and reliable seal. Therefore, TB may be safer and may decrease time during surgical procedures.
‘Music’s a Family Thing’: Cultural Socialisation and Parental Transference
Authors: Reeves Aaron
Published: April 2015

While parental encouragement or parent-led consumption transmits cultural practices from parents to children, the reasons parents provide regarding why they encourage cultural engagement remains unclear. Using music as a case study, and through analysing semi-structured interviews, this research explores how parents express and actualise their desire for their children to learn to play a musical instrument. Results suggest that respondents do not strongly associate musical practice with developing valued character traits nor with social or educational attainment. Instead, parental encouragement to play music is shaped by family ties and the parental perception of ‘natural’ talent in their children. Parental perception of natural talent is most common among parents who themselves play an instrument and among those parents who play music with their children. Family and musicality are the most commonly cited reasons for encouraging music and these are found among all educational groups. Without dismissing the importance of social position, this evidence suggests that parents articulate their preferences toward musical participation in terms of familial cohesion and shared identity.
Absolute and Relative Contraindications to IV rt-PA for Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Fugate Jennifer E. , Rabinstein Alejandro A.
Published: April 2015

Most of the contraindications to the administration of intravenous (IV) recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) originated as exclusion criteria in major stroke trials. These were derived from expert consensus for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) trial. Despite the fact that the safety and efficacy of IV rtPA has been repeatedly confirmed in large international observational studies over the past 20 years, most patients with acute ischemic stroke disappointingly still do not receive thrombolytic treatment. Some of the original exclusion criteria have proven to be unnecessarily restrictive in real-world clinical practice. It has been suggested that application of relaxed exclusion criteria might increase the IV thrombolysis rate up to 20% with comparable outcomes to thrombolysis with more conventional criteria. We review the absolute and relative contraindications to IV rtPA for acute ischemic stroke, discussing the underlying rationale and evidence supporting these exclusion criteria.
Social Media in the Classroom
Authors: Bliss Kadi
Published: April 2015

This article outlines an approach to engaging and educating college students through the use of social media. The project is designed for a substance use course at the college/university undergraduate level. However, it could be adapted for any health education course/health issue where education and/or communication via social media are appropriate. It is well suited for both face-to-face and online classroom settings and has been utilized in both venues. This project capitalizes on the growing trend of technology and social media use among college students to build essential communication/education skills among future health educators, improve learning capacity in the millennial generation, and contribute to the amount of research-based information available to the public via the World Wide Web.
Integrity and Virtue: The Forming of Good Character
Authors: Mitchell Louise A.
Published: April 2015

Moral character is formed by one's actions. The habits, actions, and emotional responses of the person of good character all are united and directed toward the moral and the good. Because human beings are body/soul unities, actions of the body are actions of the self, that is, human beings are self-possessing, self-governing, and self-determining. In order to be of good character, one must know the good, act in morally good ways, and be disposed and inclined toward the good through the development of virtues. Character and action are intertwined so intimately that one's professional duties, or even what is perceived by others as one's duties, cannot override one's conscience without negatively affecting (and changing) one's character. For the physician to be of good character, it is vital that he or she follow his or her conscience in all things: in private life and also in his or her profession, i.e., in the treatment of patients.

Lay summary

Character cannot be separated from the person. To be of good character means that one's habits, actions, and emotional responses all are united and directed toward the moral and the good. In this, public actions cannot be separated from private actions. Both sets of actions affect one's character. For example, a physician believes use of contraceptives to be immoral yet prescribes them in the office because he or she feels a duty to provide what the patient asks for, or a pharmacist who believes abortion to be immoral fills prescriptions for the abortifacient RU-486. These public acts affect one's character even if one's private belief is the opposite of the action. They leave traces on one's character. Not only do actions reflect the goodness or badness of one's character, one's actions also change one's character. The more one does an immoral action or recommends an immoral action for others, the more it becomes part of one's character to be the type of person who condones that immoral action. In order to be of good character one must not only know and desire the good, one must also pursue it in both private and public actions. Virtue is an aid in this; it is the act of good character. Growing in the virtues, especially prudence (knowing what to seek and what to avoid) forms good character. What is at stake is the integrity of the person. The physician who believes that use of contraception is immoral must also act in ways that display that belief and avoid actions that promote contraception use by his or her patients.
The role of stem cell transplantation for chronic myelogenous leukemia in the 21st century
Authors: Barrett A. John , Ito Sawa
Published: April 2015

The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), a treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), has largely replaced curative strategies based on allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). Nevertheless, SCT still remains an option for accelerated/blastic-phase and selected chronic-phase CML. Transplant outcomes can be optimized by peritransplant TKIs, conditioning regimen, BCR-ABL monitoring, and relapse management. Controversies exist in transplant timing, pediatric CML, alternative donors, and economics. SCT continues to serve as a platform of “operational cure” for CML with TKIs and immunotherapies.
Human phenotype ontology annotation and cluster analysis to unravel genetic defects in 707 cases with unexplained bleeding and platelet disorders
Authors: Westbury Sarah K , Turro Ernest , Greene Daniel , Lentaigne Claire , Kelly Anne M , Bariana Tadbir K , Simeoni Ilenia , Pillois Xavier , Attwood Antony , Austin Steve , Jansen Sjoert BG , Bakchoul Tamam , Crisp-Hihn Abi , Erber Wendy N , Favier Rémi , Foad Nicola , Gattens Michael , Jolley Jennifer D , Liesner Ri , Meacham Stuart , Millar Carolyn M , Nurden Alan T , Peerlinck Kathelijne , Perry David J , Poudel Pawan , Schulman Sol , Schulze Harald , Stephens Jonathan C , Furie Bruce , Robinson Peter N , van Geet Chris , Rendon Augusto , Gomez Keith , Laffan Michael A , Lambert Michele P , Nurden Paquita , Ouwehand Willem H , Richardson Sylvia , Mumford Andrew D , Freson Kathleen ,   on behalf of the BRIDGE-BPD Consortium
Published: April 2015

Background

Heritable bleeding and platelet disorders (BPD) are heterogeneous and frequently have an unknown genetic basis. The BRIDGE-BPD study aims to discover new causal genes for BPD by high throughput sequencing using cluster analyses based on improved and standardised deep, multi-system phenotyping of cases.

Methods

We report a new approach in which the clinical and laboratory characteristics of BPD cases are annotated with adapted Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) terms. Cluster analyses are then used to characterise groups of cases with similar HPO terms and variants in the same genes.

Results

We show that 60% of index cases with heritable BPD enrolled at 10 European or US centres were annotated with HPO terms indicating abnormalities in organ systems other than blood or blood-forming tissues, particularly the nervous system. Cases within pedigrees clustered closely together on the bases of their HPO-coded phenotypes, as did cases sharing several clinically suspected syndromic disorders. Cases subsequently found to harbour variants in ACTN1 also clustered closely, even though diagnosis of this recently described disorder was not possible using only the clinical and laboratory data available to the enrolling clinician.

Conclusions

These findings validate our novel HPO-based phenotype clustering methodology for known BPD, thus providing a new discovery tool for BPD of unknown genetic basis. This approach will also be relevant for other rare diseases with significant genetic heterogeneity.
Multivalued SK-contractions with respect to b-generalized pseudodistances
Authors: Gabeleh Moosa , Plebaniak Robert
Published: April 2015

A new class of multivalued non-self-mappings, called SK-contractions with respect to b-generalized pseudodistances, is introduced and used to investigate the existence of best proximity points by using an appropriate geometric property. Some new fixed point results in b-metric spaces are also obtained. Examples are given to support the usability of our main results.
Outrun radiation damage with electrons?
Authors: Egerton Ray F
Published: April 2015

The diffract-before-destroy method, using 50- to 100-fs x-ray pulses from a free-electron laser, was designed to determine the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules in close to their natural state. Here we explore the possibility of using short electron pulses for the same purpose and the related question of whether radiation damage can be outrun with electrons. Major problems include Coulomb repulsion within the incident beam and the need for high lateral coherence, difficulties that are discussed in terms of existing and future electron sources. Using longer pulses of electrons appears to make the attainment of near-atomic resolution more feasible, at least for nanocrystalline particles, whereas obtaining this information from single-molecule particles in an aqueous environment seems a more distant goal. We also consider the possibility of serial crystallography using a liquid jet injector with a continuous electron beam in a transmission electron microscope (TEM).