bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis and treatment of liver abscesses in cattle
Authors: Scott Phil
Published: May 2013

Ultrasonographic demonstration of abscesses within the liver in an animal with chronic weight loss/poor production should stimulate further ultrasonographic examination of the lungs and right kidney to assess bacteraemic spread although it is often difficult to afford a precise prognosis. Most liver abscesses are caused by Trueperella (formerly Arcanobacterium) pyogenes and the most effective treatment is procaine penicillin administered for 30–42 consecutive days. The mechanism of weight loss in animals with liver abscesses has not been reported, but a number of pathogenic mechanisms are plausible including gastrointestinal dysfunction, liver disease, and hypercatabolism. Anorexia, due to pain or chronic inflammation, is possible.
Digital dermatitis: treatment and control
Authors: Bell Nick J
Published: May 2013

Bovine digital dermatitis has been an increasingly important cause of lameness over the last 25 years. Research would suggest the treatment and control is relatively simple although antibacterial licensing laws make choices for practitioners less straightforward. Furthermore, the appearance of ‘non-healing’ claw lesions has created a new challenge for treatment and control. For optimal prevention attention to foot hygiene, biosecurity and breeding is needed but these are more challenging for farmers to implement than daily foot disinfection protocols.
Speech Perception in Children Under Noisy Situations
Authors: Monteiro Natália Fernanda Garro , Molina Samira Vilela , Bevilacqua Maria Cecília , Lauris José Roberto Pereira , Moret Adriane Lima Mortari , Jacob Regina Tangerino de Souza
Published: May 2013

Introduction: The ability to understand speech is impaired by many factors during evaluations, especially under noise, and it is still more complex for children under these conditions.

Objective: To analyze the speech perception in children with a normal hearing in different noise situations.

Method: Way of study transverse section. The Brazilian Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) was performed in 21 children aged between 7 and 14 with a standard hearing and no cognitive alterations. The sentence lists were randomly used in these situations: silence (S), frontal noise (FN); right-side noise (RN); left-side noise (LN); noise at 180°. (RT) and a comparison between the result of the compound noise (CN) and the diffuse noise in four sound areas at 45°; 135°; 225° e 315° (4 BXS).

Results: The statistical analysis showed a significant difference among the following situations: RN with FN; BN with FN; and it was worse with 4 BXS, where a difference for RN, BN, CN, LN and FN was found. To analyze a correlation with age, it was significant regarding the age, as a result of HINT values only for the frontal noise.

Conclusion: The significant differences in the results of speech perception among the different hearing conditions in the evaluated individuals suggest carefulness when choosing the stimulus in evaluations of speech perception in the noise in hearing-impaired children. Accordingly, researches in this field are necessary to determine the standards and variations related to its application and result interpretation.
Using the Past to Inform the Future: Anti-VEGF Therapy as a Road Map to Develop Novel Therapies for Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: Titchenell Paul M. , Antonetti David A.
Published: May 2013

Therapies targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are revolutionizing the treatment of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME). In August 2012, ranibizumab, a monoclonal antibody fragment targeting VEGF designed for ocular use, became the first and only U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved medical therapy for DME and the first approved treatment in over 25 years. This approval was based on strong preclinical data followed by numerous clinical trials that demonstrate an essential role of VEGF in vascular permeability and angiogenesis in both normal physiology and disease pathology. In this Perspective, we will examine the experimental studies and scientific data that aided in the success of the development of therapies targeting VEGF and consider how these approaches may inform the development of future therapeutics for diabetic eye disease. A multipoint model is proposed, based on well-established drug development principles, with the goal of improving the success of clinical drug development. This model suggests that to provide a validated preclinical target, investigators should demonstrate the following: the role of the target in normal physiology, a causal link to disease pathogenesis, correlation to human disease, and the ability to elicit clinically relevant improvements of disease phenotypes in animal models with multiple, chemically diverse interventions. This model will provide a framework to validate the current preclinical targets and identify novel targets to improve drug development success for DR.
On the generalized Davenport constant and the Noether number
Authors: Cziszter Kálmán , Domokos Mátyás
Published: May 2013

Known results on the generalized Davenport constant relating zero-sum sequences over a finite abelian group are extended for the generalized Noether number relating rings of polynomial invariants of an arbitrary finite group. An improved general upper degree bound for polynomial invariants of a non-cyclic finite group that cut out the zero vector is given.
Teaching Tip: Making the Most of Hospital Rounds
Authors: Lane India F. , Cornell Karen K.
Published: May 2013

Effective clinical teaching rounds are facilitated by adequate and specific orientation, a positive climate, interpersonal rapport, and dynamic discussions. Using fewer and better-quality questions also promotes effective learning and saves valuable time, while providing multiple opportunities for student engagement and for assessing student performance. This paper provides a brief review of these key points and offers tips and examples for clinicians or other team members leading conference room rounds sessions in veterinary settings.
Utility of a Writing Station in the Multiple Mini-Interview
Authors: Raghavan Malathi , Burnett Margaret , Martin Bruce D. , Christensen Heather , Young Deborah G. , MacKalski Barbara , Aoki Fred
Published: May 2013

The multiple mini-interview (MMI) is a reliable and valid method of selecting applicants for admission to health professional schools on the basis of non-cognitive traits. Because the MMI is a series of short interview stations that applicants rotate through in coordinated sequence, it can potentially be resource intensive. However, the MMI design has room for innovation and efficiency. At the University of Manitoba Faculty of Medicine, a 10-minute unsupervised writing station (WS) was incorporated into the MMI to obtain a writing sample from each applicant, to increase the number of independent scores per applicant, and to increase the number of applicants interviewed per circuit without increasing interviewer numbers. One assessor evaluated all the writing samples and assigned a score ranging from 1 to 7. With the inclusion of a WS into an 11-station MMI, the faculty's capacity to interview applicants increased by 9% (from 297 to 324) without substantially increasing interviewer hours needed per day. For 1,257 applicants interviewed in 2008–2011, the mean WS score was 4.03 (SD=1.36), whereas applicants' mean of 10 oral station (OS) scores was 4.62 (SD=0.69). Correlations between WS score and mean OS score ranged from .16 to .27 (p<.01) over the four years. Because inter-station correlations for OS ranged from .01 to .37, the correlation of .21 between WS and mean OS scores for all four years combined appears reasonable. Institutions that want to effectively increase the capacity of their MMI process might consider adding a WS.
Assessment of snowmelt runoff modelling and isotope analysis: a case study from the western Himalaya, India
Authors: Ahluwalia Rajeev Saran , Rai S.P. , Jain Sanjay K. , Kumar Bhishm , Dobhal D.P.
Published: May 2013

The major river systems of India, i.e. the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra river systems originating in the Himalayan region, are considered the lifeline of the Indian subcontinent. The main sources maintaining the flow of the Himalayan rivers are snow/glacial melt runoff, rainfall runoff and base flow. The Beas River originates from Beas Kund Glacier in the Himalayan region and flows down to join the Sutlej River, which is a tributary of the Indus River system. In the present study two approaches, namely hydrologic modelling and isotope analysis, have been applied to estimate the contribution of snow and glacier melt. Samples of streamflow, rainfall and snow for isotopic analysis were collected daily from April to September and weekly from October to March during 2010 and 2011. The isotope analysis of samples reveals that the snow/glacier melt contribution to the Beas River at Manali is 50% of the total flow during these 2 years. Snowmelt runoff modelling has been carried out using the SNOWMOD model, and the snow/glacier melt runoff contribution is calculated to be 52% of the total flow during the same period. These findings indicate that the results obtained from the two approaches are similar.
Multiscale spatial variability of lidar-derived and modeled snow depth on Hardangervidda, Norway
Authors: Melvold Kjetil , Skaugen Thomas
Published: May 2013

This study presents results from an Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) mapping survey of snow depth on the mountain plateau Hardangervidda, Norway, in 2008 and 2009 at the approximate time of maximum snow accumulation during the winter. The spatial extent of the survey area is >240 km2. Large variability is found for snow depth at a local scale (2 m2), and similar spatial patterns in accumulation are found between 2008 and 2009. The local snow-depth measurements were aggregated by averaging to produce new datasets at 10, 50, 100, 250 and 500 m2 and 1 km2 resolution. The measured values at 1 km2 were compared with simulated snow depth from the seNorge snow model (www.senorge.no), which is run on a 1 km2 grid resolution. Results show that the spatial variability decreases as the scale increases. At a scale of about 500 m2 to 1 km2 the variability of snow depth is somewhat larger than that modeled by seNorge. This analysis shows that (1) the regional-scale spatial pattern of snow distribution is well captured by the seNorge model and (2) relatively large differences in snow depth between the measured and modeled values are present.
2'-[(4-Fluorophenyl)carbonyl]-1'-phenyl-1',2',5',6',7',7a'-hexahydrospiro[indole-3,3'-pyrrolizin]-2(1H)-one
Authors: Sapnakumari Majal , Narayana Badiadka , Samshuddin Seranthimata , Sarojini Balladka
Published: May 2013

A new spiro[indole-3,3'-pyrrolizine] derivative is regioselectively synthesized by the straightforward multicomponent reaction of 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-phenylprop-2-en-1-one, isatin and L-proline without any catalyst. The structure of the newly synthesized compound is characterized by IR, NMR, UV-visible and mass spectral data. The compound is also screened for its reducing power assay.
Calcium Channel Blockers as Tocolytics: Principles of Their Actions, Adverse Effects and Therapeutic Combinations
Authors: Gáspár Róbert , Hajagos-Tóth Judit
Published: May 2013

Dihydropyridine Ca2+ channel blockers (CCBs) are widely accepted in the treatment of premature labour. Their mechanism of action in tocolysis involves the blockade of L-type Ca2+ channels, influenced by the Ca2+-activated K+ channels, beta-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs) and sexual hormones. In clinical practice, most experience has been gained with the use of nifedipine, whose efficacy is superior or comparable to those of β-agonists and oxytocin antagonists. Additionally, it has a favourable adverse effect profile as compared with the majority of other tocolytics. The most frequent and well-tolerated side-effects of CCBs are tachycardia, headache and hypotension. In tocolytic therapy efforts are currently being made to find combinations of tocolytic agents that yield better therapeutic action. The available human and animal studies suggest that the combination of CCBs with β-AR agonists is beneficial, although such combinations can pose risk of pulmonary oedema in multiple pregnancies and maternal cardiovascular diseases. Preclinical data indicate the potential benefit of combinations of CCBs and oxytocin antagonists. However, the combinations of CCBs with progesterone or cyclooxygenase inhibitors may decrease their efficacy. The CCBs are likely to remain one of the most important groups of drugs for the rapid inhibition of premature uterine contractions. Their significance may be magnified by further clinical studies on their combined use for tocolysis.
Le bouclier d'Achille (Homère, Iliade, XVIII, 478-608)
Authors: Pigeaud Jackie
Published: May 2013

La question du bouclier d'Achille peut s'interpréter en termes de rhétorique, ou de poétique. Ce qui rend ce texte merveilleux, c'est l'adéquation de l'œuvre d'art et du monde. Telle est, peut-être, le fondement même de la poésie homérique, où se fondraient enfin les deux termes de la parataxe. Cela fut possible par un certain nombre de conditions, dont les unes tiennent au génie du poète, les autres à un moment de la culture.
Une innovation technologique dans l’espace OHADA : la lettre de voiture électronique en matière de contrats de transport de marchandises par route
Authors: Ouattara Aboudramane
Published: May 2013

L’institution de la lettre de voiture électronique par l’Acte uniforme relatif aux contrats de transport de marchandises par route (AUCTMR) constitue une véritable révolution dans l’espace OHADA. En effet, dans aucun des Actes uniformes antérieurs, il n’avait été pris en compte avec une telle affirmation et formulation l’incidence des technologies de l’information et des communications sur le nouveau droit des affaires édifié par l’Organisation. La nouvelle institution devra cependant sa vulgarisation au même titre que la lettre de voiture classique dans le milieu africain des affaires au respect préalable de certaines conditions d’efficacité juridique.
Le voisinage en Afrique : plaidoyer pour la construction d’un droit africain du voisinage
Authors: Fometeu Joseph
Published: May 2013

In Africa, a neighbour is generally a true brother even if at times, he may be a nuisance with the urbanisation. In spite of this aspect, few legal actions are taken out within the framework of neighbourhood. We may therefore be tempted to believe that the paucity of legal protecting conceals conflicts and provide an enabling environment for reconciliation. As corollary, laws regulating the conduct of neighbour as reflected in laws inherited from colonial masters and administrative authorities and which are still in force in most African countries are not well adapted to local realities in these countries. This, without doubt, provides the impetus for the continent to develop its own laws to regulate the conduct of neighbours. This development must be orientated towards the relaxation of certain rules governing this domain. Three main ideas could support this view. Firstly, the law in force still include out of court rules such as those governing joint ownership. Secondly, as previously said, law providing strong individual rights are not adapted to the African context. Thirdly, modern legislation encourages conciliation as the first step to legal proceedings.
Vers une constitution britannique fondée sur des principes normatifs
Authors: Oliver Dawn
Published: May 2013

This paper discusses an important shift that has been taking place in the UK for some three decades, from a political to a predominantly principle-based Constitution. The starting point is Griffith’s seminal lecture of 1979 on "The Political Constitution", according to which it was appropriate that the Constitutional system and the rights of individuals should be determined by politicians and not by judges ; the Constitution was the outcome of political conflicts ; it was not appropriate for judges, who are not politically accountable, to determine the outcomes of political conflicts. The Constitution was "what happens". A number of statutory reforms of a constitutional nature have been introduced since 1979, including the Human Rights Act 1998, the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. The principles of judicial review have developed in the same direction, progressively subjecting executive bodies to rules which protect individuals. Many soft law principles of a constitutional nature have also been elaborated. Thus increasing areas of political activity are principle-based. Although many aspects of the Constitution are now based in legal sources, the role of the courts remains limited : they have no power to disapply an Act of Parliament, even if it breaches a constitutional principle. Dawn Oliver suggests that the courts’ adherence to the doctrine of the legislative supremacy of Parliament is a pragmatic way of protecting their authority, and avoiding conflicts with the executive and Parliament which would put at risk the rule of law itself.
Les maux des mots en droit comparé - L’avant projet de réforme du droit des obligations en anglais
Authors: Levasseur Alain
Published: May 2013

The mixed legal system of the state of Louisiana invites the comparatist to take part in the unique experience, now two hundred years old, of a legal culture deeply anchored in Roman, Spanish and French law, legal systems prevailing on the European continent, and a culture expressed to the outside world in the English language, the language therefore of the common law born in England. Can one dream about the possibility of replacing a body of water that still divides the "civil law” of the continent from the island of the "common law”, with a land territory such as Louisiana that would become a "bridge of reconciliation” between the rival legal systems by borrowing the language of one of them, English or French, to faithfully transcribe the essence and spirit of the other ? Can one capture the experience, particularly if it is old, of a legal culture and freeze it in the stillness of the words of a language foreign to that culture ? Louisiana : a witness ?
Study on the total synthesis of velbanamine: Chemoselective dioxygenation of alkenes with PIFA via a stop-and-flow strategy
Authors: Liu Huili , Zheng Kuan , Lu Xiang , Wang Xiaoxia , Hong Ran
Published: May 2013

A “stop-and-flow” strategy was developed for the chemoselective dioxygenation of alkenes with a PIFA-initiated cyclization. This method is conceived for the desymmetrization of seco-diene, and a series of substituted 5-hydroxymethyl-γ-lactones were constructed after hydrolysis. This strategy also differentiates terminally substituted alkenes and constitutes a potentially novel synthetic approach for the efficient synthesis toward velbanamine.
La frontière à l'épreuve des mobilités aériennes : étude de l'aéroport de Paris Charles-de-Gaulle
Authors: Frétigny Jean-Baptiste
Published: May 2013

Cet article interroge le sens et la spatialité de nouvelles frontières, à la fois nodales et métropolitaines, projetées et mises en réseau au cœur de la circulation. La recherche porte sur l’aéroport de Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle, deuxième aéroport le plus fréquenté au monde en nombre de passagers internationaux. Elle s’appuie sur un travail de terrain qui combine le recueil de données par observation directe, la réalisation d’entretiens avec les différents acteurs de la plateforme, professionnels et passagers, et l’examen d’un corpus documentaire. La frontière aéroportuaire s’avère de plus en plus évolutive et polymorphe car elle est finement associée à de multiples types de parcours selon les mobilités, contribuant ainsi à catégoriser et à territorialiser les populations mobiles selon des logiques qui ne sont pas seulement celles de l’État-nation dans lequel s’inscrit l’aéroport. Loin de conduire cependant à une dissolution des limites des territoires, la projection de la frontière renvoie plutôt à une inflexion du sens du passage par l’expérience d’une territorialité transfrontalière ambiguë, qui tient à la fois d’un espace interétatique et d’une certaine ouverture à d’autres constructions territoriales.
Immigration, dynamiques socio-économiques territoriales et mouvements résidentiels. Quelles perspectives pour les résidents du Luxembourg ?
Authors: Lord Sébastien , Gerber Philippe
Published: May 2013

Immigration, socio-economic territorial dynamics and residential mouvements. What perspectives for the residents of Luxembourg? L’immigration est au centre de la croissance économique et du développement social du Luxembourg. On retrouve dans le pays d’importants écarts entre certains sous-groupes d’étrangers hautement qualifiés opposés à d’autres moins formés, s’ajoutant aux inégalités socio-économiques déjà présentes dans la population nationale. Dans cet article, nous nous intéressons à l’évolution des inégalités sociales dans un contexte d’immigration, en nous focalisant sur la dimension longitudinale. Nous explorons, avec le dernier recensement national exhaustif, l’évolution des territoires communaux luxembourgeois du point de vue socio-économique pour voir comment les mouvements résidentiels des populations nationales et étrangères ont, dans l’espace social et spatial, suivi ou non la tendance de prospérité qui a marqué le pays dans les dernières décennies. Dans un premier temps, nous construisons une série de portraits descriptifs sur l’évolution des communes à la lumière de la mobilité résidentielle et de l’immigration. Ces portraits montrent que les inégalités sociales et spatiales se sont principalement structurées autour de la capitale et ses communes périurbaines en tant que territoires privilégiés, et le sud comme territoire plus précarisé. Dans un deuxième temps, à travers une série de modèles probabilistes, notre exploration permet d’isoler de manière dynamique l’implication explicite de l’immigration qualifiée et moins qualifiée dans l’évolution des territoires. L’arrivée d’étrangers marque ainsi fortement la structure socio-spatiale du territoire luxembourgeois.
E-Government for Social and Economic Development
Authors: Ngwenya Bongani
Published: May 2013

This chapter posits that e-Government constitutes a critical context for social and economic development in both developed and developing countries. In addition to leveraging economic development, e-Government also helps to stream line government services to more social based values of inclusion and citizens’ participation, accessibility and power relationship ratios. It is clear from literature that e-Government is not a new phenomenon in most developed countries and some developing countries in Asia and Africa. These countries have already announced their Open Government Initiatives and data portals. However, e-Government leads to greater information asymmetry among citizens and government. There is also institutionalization and diffusion asymmetry of the practice of the current Openness in e-Government models within developing countries in particular. The study presented in this chapter draws on organizational decision-making research and adopts an explorative research approach that is informed by grounded theory. The findings of the research are that the information asymmetry between citizens and government; asymmetry in institutionalization, and diffusion within developed and developing countries are widely attributed to socio-economic and political variations in developed and developing countries. Unless these differences are skillfully identified and accommodated as such into the development and use models, openness in e-Government efforts would not help achieve the social and economic development goals by developing countries in particular.
E-Governance Projects for E-Inclusion in India
Authors: Misra Harekrishna
Published: May 2013

Globally, e-governance systems have evolved towards wider acceptance. Almost all the countries have embraced e-governance as part of their long term policy. Contemporary e-governance systems argue in favour of convergence with scale up strategies. These strategies include convergence among the business sector, government and the civil society in the country and aim to connect with international agencies for better networking. E-inclusion has also been an integral part of the national e-governance strategies to spur citizen participation. In case of European Union (EU), e-governance, e-inclusion and such convergence have become very important because of the member-driven common interests and benefits. In the case of developing countries, similar efforts are being made to incubate and rollout converged services to citizens in rural and semi-urban areas with e-inclusion imperatives. Notwithstanding these varied approaches, there are pitfalls in translating the strategies into actions at the national level. Implementation of strategies at the national level calls for appropriate architectural analyses. This is because e-governance efforts need huge capital investments, require longer life development cycles and involve multi-agent service orientation to address the barriers of e-inclusion. In this chapter, e-governance architectural issues are discussed with three cases drawn from Indian scenarios through a conceptual framework. This framework aims to examine the possibilities of architectural convergence for national level e-governance services with e-inclusion as an important attribute.
Perceived Sociability and Social Presence in a Collaborative Serious Game
Authors: Oksanen Kimmo , Hämäläinen Raija
Published: May 2013

Collaborative serious games have proven to have the potential to support joint knowledge construction, and there is a growing interest in applying such games to promote high-level learning. However, most of the existing studies have focused on the effects of functional, task-specific support while ignoring the social aspects of collaborative learning. This study is one aim to fill in the knowledge gap in order to understand how learners experience educational games as a means of social interaction and collaboration. The findings indicated that the game environment facilitated and supported players’ socio-emotional processes by eliciting students’ social presence and sociability. This has been further shown to play an important role in the emergence of social interaction and collaborative learning. These results can be applied in the design of collaborative educational games that support social aspects of collaborative learning.
A Conceptual Framework to Understanding Online Consumer Buying Behavior
Authors: Amin Bijal Zaveri , Amin Prahant
Published: May 2013

Online shopping is becoming a well-accepted way to purchase a variety of products and services. For online shoppers, an online interactive hypertext environment enables them to search and control information; alteration in the traditional mass media environment in which the sender of messages largely controls what will be seen and heard as well as shift of control in favor of the receiver for customization of information, and quick comparative analysis among competing products/services. The attempt has been made by the researcher to include conceptual framework of online consumer buying behavior by including various aspects of literature review viz, Attitude, orientation and motivation towards online shopping. An attempt would be made in this paper to put forward results and findings based on critical review of available literature in form of earlier research studies relating to trends, growth, developments and future potentials of e-commerce and evolving behavioral patterns of online shopping activities considering its diffusion and issues especially concerning to gender, security etc. with its implications on e-marketplaces, society and businesses in near future. Finally, this study discovered a significantly impact of Consumer online buying behavior and Important managerial implications and recommendations are also presented.
Evidential Network-Based Multimodal Fusion for Fall Detection
Authors: Aguilar Paulo Armando Cavalcante , Boudy Jerome , Istrate Dan , Medjahed Hamid , Dorizzi Bernadette , Mota João Cesar Moura , Baldinger Jean Louis , Guettari Toufik , Belfeki Imad
Published: May 2013

The multi-sensor fusion can provide more accurate and reliable information compared to information from each sensor separately taken. Moreover, the data from multiple heterogeneous sensors present in the medical surveillance systems have different degrees of uncertainty. Among multi-sensor data fusion techniques, Bayesian methods and Evidence theories such as Dempster-Shafer Theory (DST) are commonly used to handle the degree of uncertainty in the fusion processes. Based on a graphic representation of the DST called Evidential Networks, we propose a structure of heterogeneous multi-sensor fusion for falls detection. The proposed Evidential Network (EN) can handle the uncertainty present in a mobile and a fixed sensor-based remote monitoring systems (fall detection) by fusing them and therefore increasing the fall detection sensitivity compared to the a separated system alone.
Virtual Communities as Narrative Networks
Authors: Weeks Michael R. , Veltri Natasha F.
Published: May 2013

This paper extends our understanding of knowledge creation in virtual communities of practice by examining crowdsourcing activities that enable knowledge creation in these social structures. An interpretive methodology, narrative networks analysis, is used to systematically study the narratives of discussion forums in a virtual community. The virtual community studied is voluntary for the participants, and open to anyone. Through the analysis of the narrative, a model of knowledge creation is developed that identifies types of evidentiary knowledge contributions, as well as conversation mitigators that help or hinder knowledge creation within the community. Knowledge is a primary attraction of a virtual community for many of its members, and this study aims to understand how knowledge is shared and created in such voluntary communities of practice. The model highlights elements that enhance and impair knowledge creation in this type of crowdsourced environment.
Integrating Knowledge Sources
Authors: Wimmer Hayden , Yoon Victoria , Rada Roy
Published: May 2013

There has been a plethora of research in the area of knowledge portals, knowledge warehouses, ontologies, ontology creation and mapping, as well as the automatic creation and mapping of ontologies. While research exists in each respective area there is a lack of conceptual models that will integrate ontologies as a tool for disparate data source integration into knowledge portals or enterprise knowledge warehouses. The purpose of this work is to discuss different tools that have been developed in academic research and provide a conceptual model of how to implement these tools in relation to knowledge portals and warehouses.
The Quality of Democracy-Concept vs. the Quintuple Helix
Authors: Schlattl Gerhard
Published: May 2013

This article focuses on the virtues of minimalist vs. maximalist democracy conceptions, based on the central research: Should the Quality of Democracy be equated with the Quality of Society? The article addresses the Quintuple Helix, recently introduced by Carayannis & Campbell (2010), followed by a conceptual discussion of one practical operationalization, notably the “Democracy Ranking” developed by Campbell (2008). By contrast, a more concise model on political democracy, notably the Quality-of-Democracy Concept (QD-Concept), is subsequently elaborated and finally incorporated into the Quintuple Helix for further discussion. The primary aim of the article is highlighting the need to avoid the fallacy of conceptual overstretch in the framework of assessing the quality of democracy. Democracy conceptualizations should more clearly be differentiated from broader conceptualizations on quality of society.
A Study of Normalized Population Diversity in Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Cheng Shi , Shi Yuhui , Qin Quande
Published: May 2013

The values and velocities of a Particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm can be recorded as series of matrix and its population diversity can be considered as an observation of the distribution of matrix elements. Each dimension is measured separately in the dimension-wise diversity, on the contrary, the element-wise diversity measures all dimension together. In this paper, PSO algorithm is first represented in the matrix format, then based on the analysis of the relationship between pairs of vectors in PSO solution matrix, different normalization strategies are utilized for dimension-wise and element-wise population diversity, respectively. Experiments on benchmark functions are conducted. Based on the simulation results of ten benchmark functions (include unimodal/multimodal function, separable/non-separable function), the properties of normalized population diversities are analyzed and discussed.
On the Analysis of HPSO Improvement by Use of the Volitive Operator of Fish School Search
Authors: Cavalcanti-Júnior George M. , Lima-Neto Fernando B. , Bastos-Filho Carmelo J. A.
Published: May 2013

Swarm Intelligence algorithms have been extensively applied to solve optimization problems. However, in some domains even well-established techniques such as Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) may not present the necessary ability to generate diversity during the process of the swarm convergence. Indeed, this is the major difficulty to use PSO to tackle dynamic problems. Many efforts to overcome this weakness have been made. One of them is through the hybridization of the PSO with other algorithms. For example, the Volitive PSO is a hybrid algorithm that presents as good performance on dynamic problems by applying a very interesting feature, the collective volitive operator, which was extracted from the Fish School Search algorithm and embedded into PSO. In this paper, the authors investigated further hybridizations in line with the Volitive PSO approach. This time they used the Heterogeneous PSO instead of the PSO, and named this novel approach Volitive HPSO. In the paper, the authors investigate the influence of the collective volitive operator (of FSS) in the HPSO. The results show that this operator significantly improves HPSO performance when compared to the non-hybrid approaches of PSO and its variations in dynamic environments.
Strategic Interaction 2.0
Authors: Johnson Neil H. , deHaan Jonathan
Published: May 2013

The potential of web-based 2.0 technology for teaching and assessing intercultural pragmatics has become an area of focus for language educators (Cohen, 2008; Belz, 2005, 2006). Research has highlighted that second and foreign language learners show significant differences from native speakers in language use, in particular, with the execution and comprehension of certain speech acts (Bardovi-Harlig & Mahan-Taylor, 2003). Without effective instruction, differences in pragmatics are evident in the English of learners regardless of their first language background or language proficiency. In EFL contexts, such as Japan, where learners have limited exposure to native speaker norms, teaching and learning pragmatic competence can be particularly challenging. The authors describe an ongoing curriculum development project in a Japanese university context, where the goal is to design and implement an effective approach to teaching interlanguage pragmatics. Digitally enhanced Strategic Interaction (SI) sequences (Di Pietro, 1987) provide opportunities for learners to engage in realistic interactive situations that are mediated by use of model conversations, an online wiki space, and digital video technologies. The online space provides opportunities for learner reflection, peer assisted feedback, and detailed intervention from the instructor. Data analysis from pre- and post- written discourse completion tasks suggests that learners are able to use language in more context sensitive ways having engaged with the teaching/learning cycle design.
Robots and the Ethics of Care
Authors: Johansson Linda
Published: May 2013

In this paper, the moral theory ethics of care – EoC – is investigated and connected to care robots. The aim is twofold: first, to provide a plausible and ethically relevant interpretation of the key term care in EoC (which is, it is argued, slightly different from the everyday use of the term) indicating that we should distinguish between “natural care” and “ethical care”. The second aim is to discuss whether EoC may be a suitable theory to implement in care robots. The conclusion is that EoC may be a theory that is suitable for robots in health care settings.
Natural Scrub Typhus Antibody Suppresses HIV CXCR4(X4) Viruses
Authors: Watt George , Kantipong Pacharee , Burnouf Thierry , Shikuma Cecilia , Philpott Sean
Published: May 2013

Viral load generally rises in HIV-infected individuals with a concomitant infection, but falls markedly in some individuals with scrub typhus (ST), a common Asian rickettsial infection. ST infection appears to shift the viral population from CXCR4-using (X4) to CCR5-utilizing (R5) strains, and there is evidence of cross-reactivity between ST-specific antibodies and HIV-1. We examined the mechanism of ST suppression of HIV by measuring the effects of ST infection on X4 and R5 viruses in vivo and in vitro, and assessing the relative contributions of antibodies and chemokines to the inhibitory effect. In vivo, a single scrub typhus plasma infusion markedly reduced the subpopulation of HIV-1 viruses using the X4 co-receptor in all 8 recipients, and eliminated X4 viruses 6 patients. In vitro, the 14 ST sera tested all inhibited the replication of an X4 but not an R5 virus. This inhibitory effect was maintained if ST sera were depleted of chemokines but was lost upon removal of antibodies. Sera from ST-infected mice recognized a target that co-localized with X4 HIV gp120 in immunofluorescent experiments. These in vivo and in vitro data suggest that acute ST infection generates cross-reactive antibodies that produce potent suppression of CXCR4- but not CCR5-using HIV-1 viruses. ST suppression of HIV replication could reveal novel mechanisms that could be exploited for vaccination strategies, as well as aid in the development of fusion inhibitors and other new therapeutic regimens. This also appears to be the first instance where one pathogen is neutralized by antibody produced in response to infection by a completely unrelated organism.
Cathedral of Kairos:
Authors: Benjamin Crosby Richard
Published: May 2013

Traditionally, kairos is defined by its transience. Scholars assume that in order to capitalize on the rhetorical power of kairos, a speaker must capture the “opportune moment” before it passes. This article makes the case that the kairic moment can be sustained indefinitely through the sacralization of physical space. Linking rhetorical theories of kairos as “God's time” to Mircea Eliade's discussion of “sacred hierophanies,” the article performs an analysis of the National Cathedral in Washington DC and concludes that rhetoric can circumvent traditional contingencies when deployed within kairic space.
The Reasonable and the Sensible:
Authors: Kraemer Don J.
Published: May 2013

Joining the New Rhetoric project's conversation about argumentation as justice, this article aims to add an expanded version of the psychological to the just resources of argumentation. After examining how Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca's The New Rhetoric justifies attention to—yet ultimately swerves from—contingencies of psycho-physical sensation, I turn to Burke's highly elaborated concept of identification, which adds to the New Rhetoric project by articulating the relations of physiological sensation, attitude and emotion, and persuasion. Linking ethics and form, identification provides a means by which one may grow increasingly aware of the sensation-driven defensiveness that can undermine dialogic exchange. After making this case that Burke's rhetoric can help develop what is not in the New Rhetoric project but should be—the resource of constitutive, affective identification—I end with what should be in Burke but is not—a universality that a “we” of substantially different constitutions would agree on.
Identification of Risk Factors for Recurrence in High-Risk Stage II Colon Cancer
Authors: Hatano Satoshi , Ishida Hideyuki , Ishibashi Keiichiro , Kumamoto Kensuke , Haga Norihiro , Miura Ichiro
Published: May 2013

To identify risk factors for recurrence in patients with stage II colon cancer, Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed in 194 patients with stage II colon cancer who underwent curative surgery between April 1997 and December 2008. Thirteen clinical and pathologic factors, including use of fluoropyrimidine-based adjuvant chemotherapy in 113 of the patients (58.2%), were assessed. By multivariate analysis, only obstruction, perforation, and T4-level invasion were identified as independent risk factors affecting disease-free survival (DFS) (P < 0.01). The 5-year DFS rate was 70.6% in patients with one or more risk factors (n = 68) and 96.0% in patients with no risk factors (n = 126) (P < 0.01). These results suggest that obstruction, perforation, and T4-level invasion are suitable candidates for prediction of tumor recurrence in patients with stage II colon cancer. The oxaliplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy, which has been reported to be effective in stage III colon cancer patients, may improve the prognosis in high-risk stage II colon cancer patients.
A Stand-Alone Synbiotic Treatment for the Prevention of D-Lactic Acidosis in Short Bowel Syndrome
Authors: Takahashi Kazuhiro , Terashima Hideo , Kohno Keisuke , Ohkohchi Nobuhiro
Published: May 2013

Synbiotics are combinations of probiotics and prebiotics that have recently been used in the context of various gastrointestinal diseases, including infectious enteritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and bowel obstruction. We encountered a patient with recurrent D-lactic acidosis who was treated successfully for long periods using synbiotics. The patient was diagnosed as having short bowel syndrome and had recurrent episodes of neurologic dysfunction due to D-lactic acidosis. In addition to fasting, the patient had been treated with antibiotics to eliminate D-lactate–producing bacteria. After the failure of antibiotic treatment, a stand-alone synbiotic treatment was started, specifically Bifidobacterium breve Yakult and Lactobacillus casei Shirota as probiotics, and galacto-oligosaccharide as a prebiotic. Serum D-lactate levels declined, and the patient has been recurrence-free for 3 years without dietary restriction. Synbiotics allowed the reduction in colonic absorption of D-lactate by both prevention of D-lactate–producing bacterial overgrowth and stimulation of intestinal motility, leading to remission of D-lactate acidosis.
Drug Susceptibility Testing Guided Treatment for Drug-Resistant Spinal Tuberculosis: A Retrospective Analysis of 19 Patients
Authors: Xu Lan , Jian-Zhong Xu , Xue-Mei Liu , Bao-Feng Ge
Published: May 2013

Spinal tuberculosis is the most common manifestation of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. However, there have been few reports on the topic of drug-resistant spinal tuberculosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of treatment with a combination of surgery and individual chemotherapy guided by drug susceptibility testing for drug-resistant spinal tuberculosis. We retrospectively analyzed 19 patients with drug-resistant spinal tuberculosis. After surgery, individual chemotherapy was tailored for each patient according to his or her drug resistance profile and previous history of chemotherapy. The patients were followed up clinically and radiologically for an average period of 36 months. Among 19 drug-resistant spinal tuberculosis cases, 16 were multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), and 3 were non–MDR-TB. The patients with MDR-TB and non–MDR-TB had undergone previous chemotherapy for an average of 12.50 ± 2.00 months (0–55 months) and 5.50 ± 1.20 months (0–60 months), respectively. A total of 16 patients underwent open operations, and the other 3 had percutaneous drainage and local chemotherapy. Patients received individual chemotherapy for an average of 24 months postoperatively. All patients had been cured at the final follow-up. Drug-resistant spinal tuberculosis is mainly acquired through previous irregular chemotherapy and the spread of drug-resistant strains. Treatment with a combination of surgery and individual chemotherapy is feasible in the treatment of severe complications and the prevention of acquired drug resistance.
Storage of Allogeneic Vascular Grafts: Experience From a High-Volume Liver Transplant Institute
Authors: Aydin Cemalettin , Ince Volkan , Otan Emrah , Akbulut Sami , Koc Cemalettin , Kayaalp Cuneyt , Yilmaz Sezai
Published: May 2013

Allogeneic vascular grafts are often required for vascular reconstruction during living donor liver transplantation. Such grafts are obtained prior to use, making storage conditions a critical issue for maintaining the integrity of the tissue to ensure a successful transplantation. This study describes an optimized storage protocol currently in use at a high-volume liver transplant center. Twenty-nine allogeneic vascular graft tissues obtained during cardiovascular surgery or from cadaveric donors were stored respectively in sterile 50 mL of Ringer lactate solution, without any preservation solutions or antimicrobials, at −22°C for a maximum of 3 months. Prior to use in vascular reconstruction, grafts were thawed in 0.9% NaCl solution at 37°C, and 1 × 0.5-cm2 tissue samples were collected for microbial culturing and viral serology. ABO compatibility was not performed for any patients receiving vascular grafts. During this prospective study, all 29 allogeneic vascular grafts were used for back-table vascular reconstruction in living donor liver transplantation procedures. A total of 16 grafts were from the saphenous vein, 10 were from the iliac vein, and 3 were from the iliac artery. Bacterial growth was not detected in any tissue samples taken from the stored grafts. No vascular graft-related complications occurred during the 5 months of follow-up. The successful vascular reconstructions achieved with all 29 study grafts demonstrate that the simple, inexpensive storage method described herein is feasible and safe. Randomized, controlled studies should be carried out to further optimize and standardize the technique.
Bottom‐Up Synthesis of Bis(triisopropylsilyl)ethynyl Hexaphyrin Bearing an Unsubstituted meso‐Carbon
Authors: Mori Hirotaka , Naoda Koji , Osuka Atsuhiro
Published: May 2013

3,7‐Dibromo‐10,15,20,25,30‐pentakis(pentafluorophenyl)hexaphyrin (3) and 3,7‐bis(triisopropylsilyl)‐10,15,20,25,30‐pentakis(pentafluorophenyl)hexaphyrin (4) were synthesized by a stepwise route, in which prefunctionalized dipyrromethane Sn4+ complexes serve as key precursors. Hexaphyrins 3 and 4 have rectangular structures with an unsubstituted meso position on the shorter side. These hexaphyrins are stable in air.
BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A NOVEL β‐N‐ACETYLHEXOSAMINIDASE FROM THE INSECT OSTRINIA FURNACALIS
Authors: Huo Yamin , Chen Lei , Qu Mingbo , Chen Qi , Yang Qing
Published: May 2013

The β‐N‐acetylhexosaminidase FDL specifically removes the β‐1,2‐GlcNAc residue conjugated to the α‐1,3‐mannose residue of the core structure of insect N‐glycans, playing significant physiological roles in post‐translational modification in the Golgi apparatus. Little is known about its enzymatic properties. We obtained the OfFDL gene from the insect Ostrinia furnacalis by RT‐PCR. The full length cDNA of FDL is 2241 bp carrying an opening reading frame of 1923 bp encoding 640 amino acids. The recombinant protein OfFDL in a soluble and active form was obtained with high purity through a two‐step purification strategy. The recombinant OfFDL exclusively hydrolyzes the terminal β‐1,2‐GlcNAc residue from the α‐1,3 branch instead of the α‐1,6 branch of the substrate GnGn‐PA. Several kinetic parameters including kcat/Km values toward four artificial substrates and Ki values of three representative hexosaminidase inhibitors were obtained.