bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Suivi et survie des patients atteints de cancer du poumon par web-application
Authors: Denis Fabrice
Published: August 2018

La e-santé est à la mode, mais les éléments cliniques démontrant son utilité sont rares et se limitent à de la transmission de données relatant des symptômes, sans analyse spécifique. La théorie du chaos est applicable à la dynamique du cancer. Elle apporte des possibilités d’utilisation de ses propriétés pour développer des outils pratiques de surveillance pertinents et validés pour les patients. La théorie du chaos déterministe est applicable à la compréhension de la dynamique tumorale du fait des interactions entre les cellules tumorales, endothéliales et immunitaires. La théorie de l’observabilité est une de ses propriétés qui suggère que le suivi de l’hôte (le patient, par ses symptômes et son poids) est une variable puissante pour évaluer la dynamique de la maladie et son impact. Le suivi intensif et l’analyse des symptômes des patients pour détecter des récidives et des complications cliniques par une web-application (MoovcareTM) ont démontré leur intérêt chez près de 300 patients dans 4 études prospectives dont 1 essai pilote montrant un bénéfice de 27 % en survie à 1 an, et un essai randomisé de phase 3 avec un bénéfice de 26 % de survie à 1 an, par rapport à un suivi classique. Six autres études de suivi intensif montrent des résultats favorables en oncologie pour un total de plus de 2 000 patients randomisés.
Les traitements hormonaux des mineurs transgenres, ou les obstacles de l’éthique médicale aujourd’hui
Authors: Bernier Ariel , Leplège Alain
Published: August 2018

L’âge des mineurs qui réclament un traitement pour la dysphorie du genre (anciennement et encore couramment appelée « transgénérisme » ou « transsexualité ») ne cesse de reculer [1], mais un manque de consensus sur des traitements qui soient médicalement et éthiquement acceptables pour les individus prépubères, rend difficile leur prise en charge [2, 3]. Une étude des critères sur lesquels reposent les choix de traitement de ces patients, et plus particulièrement le blocage hormonal, révèle certains obstacles intrinsèques à l’éthique médicale qui empêchent l’élaboration d’une réponse claire et décisive. Nous verrons, dans cette revue, que les experts médicaux, les psychologues et les spécialistes de sciences humaines ne s’accordent pas sur l’origine et donc sur la définition du transgénérisme. Il est ainsi difficile de prendre en charge les individus concernés, l’éthique médicale tirant souvent aujourd’hui son autorité d’un accord général entre les experts. Nous analyserons également comment les risques du traitement proposé, ou les risques de refuser de donner ce traitement, peuvent également peser dans les débats d’éthique médicale, alors qu’ils sont évalués de plusieurs manières, certaines étant plus subjectives que d’autres. Finalement, reste la question difficile du consentement chez les mineurs. L’âge en deçà duquel le mineur ne peut prendre la responsabilité pour ses propres actes apparaît se modifier arbitrairement selon le thème abordé : avortements, traitements pour maladies sexuellement transmissibles, etc. Les débats autour du traitement hormonal des mineurs transgenres doivent donc tenir compte de ces considérations éthiques afin de pouvoir mieux les aider.
Les protéines Fe-S Wbl, de nouvelles cibles thérapeutiques pour lutter contre la tuberculose
Authors: Guitton Jeanne , Bekara Miriam , Golinelli-Cohen Marie-Pierre
Published: August 2018

Pour la troisième année, dans le cadre du module d’enseignement « Physiopathologie de la signalisation » proposé par l’université Paris-sud, les étudiants du Master « Biologie Santé » de l’université Paris-Saclay se sont confrontés à l’écriture scientifique. Ils ont sélectionné 8 articles scientifiques récents dans le domaine de la signalisation cellulaire présentant des résultats originaux, via des approches expérimentales variées, sur des thèmes allant des relations hôte-pathogène aux innovations thérapeutiques, en passant par la signalisation hépatique et le métabolisme. Après un travail préparatoire réalisé avec l’équipe pédagogique, les étudiants, organisés en binômes, ont ensuite rédigé, guidés par des chercheurs, une Nouvelle soulignant les résultats majeurs et l’originalité de l’article étudié. Ils ont beaucoup apprécié cette initiation à l’écriture d’articles scientifiques et, comme vous pourrez le lire, se sont investis dans ce travail avec enthousiasme ! Deux de ces Nouvelles sont publiées dans ce numéro, les autres le seront dans les prochains numéros de m/s.
Le microbiote intestinal de souris, un enjeu majeur dans la reproductibilité des résultats des modèles in vivo
Authors: Estavoyer Benjamin , Soudja Saidi
Published: August 2018

Dans le cadre d’un partenariat avec médecine/sciences, et pour la seconde année, des étudiants du module d’immunologie virologie et cancer du Master de cancérologie de Lyon présentent une analyse d’articles scientifiques récents faisant état d’observations innovantes et importantes. Ce travail a été encadré par des chercheurs confirmés du département d’immunologie, virologie et inflammation du CRCL. Le master de cancérologie de Lyon (Lyon1-VetAgroSup) accueille chaque année 30 à 40 étudiants en M1 et en M2. Ce master dit « d’excellence » assure aux étudiants de M1 une formation à la cancérologie reposant sur un socle de base commun (biologie cellulaire, moléculaire, immunologie, bio-statistique…) En M2, les étudiants peuvent choisir l’une des trois spécialités suivantes : le Master recherche « Recherche en cancérologie », le Master recherche et professionnel « Technologie haut débit en cancérologie » et enfin le Master recherche et professionnel « Innovations thérapeutiques en cancérologie ». Le Master de cancérologie de Lyon repose sur une forte implication des chercheurs et enseignants-chercheurs du laboratoire d’excellence en développement et cancérologie (LabEx DEVweCAN), ainsi que sur un partenariat solide avec plusieurs instituts dont le MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, États-Unis), l’université d’Harvard (Boston, États-Unis), l’université Johns Hopkins (Baltimore, États-Unis), l’Imperial College of London (Royaume-Uni), les universités de Jiao Tong (République Populaire de Chine) et de Tokyo (Japon), entre autres. Pour plus d’information : http://devwecan.universite-lyon.fr/formation/
Dossier : La fabrique de la compensation écologique : controverses et pratiques – Regards d’écologues sur le premier site naturel de compensation français
Authors: Dutoit Thierry , Jaunatre Renaud , Alignan Jean-François , Bulot Adeline , Wolff Axel , Buisson Élise
Published: August 2018

Le premier site naturel de compensation français a été inauguré le 11 mai 2009 sur le site d’un verger abandonné dans la plaine de Crau (Bouches-du-Rhône, France). Cette opération avait notamment pour objectif d’expérimenter le premier mécanisme d’offre de compensation français via la réhabilitation d’une végétation herbacée permettant le retour des oiseaux steppiques emblématiques de cet espace. Impliqués dans le comité local de pilotage, des écologues ont conseillé les techniques de réhabilitation et expertisé leurs effets sur la biodiversité tout en réalisant des recherches expérimentales pour étendre la restauration à la végétation et à certains groupes d’insectes. Après 7 années de suivis, les résultats montrent que la réhabilitation a bien permis la création d’une végétation favorable au retour de l’avifaune steppique mais le succès des expérimentations de restauration ne peut pas encore être définitivement prédit sur le long terme. Ces résultats soulignent les difficultés scientifiques et techniques de la restauration et limitent donc le mécanisme de compensation à la réhabilitation de certaines composantes ou fonctions.
Stochastic formulations of the parametrix method
Authors: Kohatsu-Higa Arturo , Yûki Gô
Published: August 2018

In this manuscript, we consider stochastic expressions of the parametrix method for solutions ofd-dimensional stochastic differential equations (SDEs) with drift coefficients which belong toLp(Rd),p>d. We prove the existence and Hölder continuity of probability density functions for distributions of solutions at fixed points and obtain an explicit expansionvia(stochastic) parametrix methods. We also obtain Gaussian type upper and lower bounds for these probability density functions.
Stéphane Leduc et la physique du vivant
Authors: Clément Raphaël
Published: August 2018

Par quels mécanismes un organisme vivant, système d’une complexité physique étourdissante, émerge-t-il à partir d’un état initial très peu organisé ? Cette question a de tout temps constitué un défi conceptuel majeur pour les sciences naturelles.

Vers 1900, Stéphane Leduc conçoit des expériences physiques dans lesquelles des formes jusque-là supposées spécifiques du vivant émergent spontanément. Il souligne les « facultés d’organisation » des forces physiques ordinaires qui, selon lui, président à la formation d’un organisme. Largement oubliées au 20esiècle durant l’ère génétique, ses idées préfigurent pourtant le concept moderne d’auto-organisation, et prennent tout leur sens aujourd’hui, alors que l’utilisation de concepts physiques explose en biologie du développement.
Proposition d’externalisation coopérative de l’éducation thérapeutique à partir d’une réflexion hospitalière
Authors: Carvalho Arlette de , Gagnayre Rémi
Published: August 2018

Introduction : La loi santé 2016-41 du 26 janvier 2016 prescrit, en tant qu’élément central du système de santé français, la coordination des soins. Dans le champ de l’éducation thérapeutique du patient (ETP), le but est de renforcer sa continuité entre l’hôpital et la ville en associant tous lieux d’opportunités complémentaires au lieu habituel et majoritaire de l’éducation que représente l’hôpital. Afin d’explorer une hypothèse d’externalisation de l’ETP de l’hôpital par l’hôpital vers la ville avec l’intention de développer une culture du décloisonnement, il est nécessaire d’assurer la qualité de la relation entre les différents acteurs concernés. Objectifs : L’objectif de cette étude est de faire émerger des attentes et conditions vis-à-vis d’une telle hypothèse par les acteurs concernés. Méthodes : Une étude qualitative et inductive, de type exploratoire et propositionnelle a été menée de janvier à mars 2017 sur un échantillon de 26 acteurs de l’éducation thérapeutique en ville comme à l’hôpital, patients inclus. Résultats : Si la relation ville/hôpital est vécue comme cloisonnée et concurrentielle, la complémentarité de ces deux systèmes est souhaitée et pensée de manière organisée autour de l’externalisation d’une expertise hospitalière. Discussion : Les résultats amènent à penser cette externalisation inclusive et coopérative entre ces mêmes acteurs. Conclusion : Décloisonner l’hôpital vers la ville est possible et indispensable, en particulier en ETP. Néanmoins, il convient de définir un cadre à cette collaboration ville-hôpital dont l’externalisation coopérative pourrait être une proposition.
Rapid Authentication and Quality Evaluation of Cinnamomum verum Powder Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Multivariate Analyses
Authors: Shawky Eman , Selim Dina
Published: August 2018

Parallel to the growing global interest in alternative medical therapies, high measures of counterfeit pharmaceuticals enter the global market and, therefore, detection of such marketed products is essential. This article throws an illuminating spot on the adulteration of Cinnamomum verum (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) with Cinnamomum cassia and exhaustively extracted C. verum. A speedy and nondestructive near-infrared method in conjunction with the mathematical tools of chemometrics was used to distinguish between genuine cinnamon and its common adulterants. The principal component analysis and the hierarchical cluster analysis models successfully discriminated between unadulterated and adulterated samples. In the second part of the work, soft independent modeling of class analogy was implemented to construct a chemometric model to authenticate C. verum samples. The constructed model could successfully predict and judge the quality of C. verum powder without any misleading predictions. Finally, partial least squares regression was approached to establish the correlation for adulterated samples regarding their cassia and exhausted cinnamon content. The R2
of calibration and validation were all higher than 0.9, while the root mean square errors were all lower than 0.05, indicating that the established models were successful. Overall, the developed models were shown to have significant potential as time-saving and accurate methods for identification of true cinnamon powder, which can help guarantee both quality aspects of identity and purity of the herbal drug by avoiding its adulteration and could be implemented as a routine screening in its quality control with no need for any sample preparation.
Clinical utility of novel ultrathin single-balloon enteroscopy: a feasibility study
Authors: Takabayashi Kaoru , Hosoe Naoki , Miyanaga Ryoichi , Fukuhara Seiichiro , Kimura Kayoko , Mizuno Shinta , Naganuma Makoto , Yahagi Naohisa , Ogata Haruhiko , Kanai Takanori
Published: August 2018

Background The advent of balloon-assisted enteroscopy (BAE) has facilitated the examination of the entire digestive tract. However, using a rigid sliding tube during the procedure reduces patient acceptance. This study evaluated the clinical application of a newly developed ultrathin single-balloon enteroscope for BAE.

Methods 28 outpatients underwent enteroscopy with a novel ultrathin single-balloon enteroscope. None of the subjects required therapeutic procedures, such as balloon dilation or hemostasis. The insertability, efficacy, and safety of the ultrathin single-balloon endoscope were evaluated retrospectively.

Results 7 patients underwent transoral enteroscopy and 21 patients underwent transanal enteroscopy under conscious sedation. No adverse events related to the procedure were reported in any patients. Targeted observation and/or targeted biopsy were achieved in all procedures. All transoral procedures allowed evaluation of the jejunum beyond the ligament of Treitz. All transanal procedures allowed intubation of the terminal ileum, despite several patients having severe stenosis of the colon and ileum.

Conclusion A novel ultrathin single-balloon enteroscope showed adequate insertability and safety for outpatient surveillance enteroscopy under conscious sedation.
Why Do the Patients with Hirschsprung Disease Get Redo Pull-Through Operation?
Authors: Han Ji-Won , Youn Joong Kee , Oh Chaeyoun , Kim Hyun-Young , Jung Sung-Eun , Park Kwi-Won
Published: August 2018

Introduction The treatment of Hirschsprung disease (HD) is pull-through (PT) surgery. Redo PT can be performed in 1 to 10% of patients after initial PT. In this study, we reviewed the causes and associated factors of redo PT.

Materials and Methods We retrospectively reviewed medical charts of 657 patients with HD who underwent surgeries between September 1979 and January 2016. The indications for redo PT are as follows. First, there were persistent obstructive symptoms after the first operation, (1) with transition zone shown definitely on contrast study, (2) with anatomic problems, and (3) obstructive symptoms persist despite conservative or nonredo surgical treatment without (1) and (2). We analyzed the causes and associated factors of redo PT.

Results A total of 49 (7.5%) patients underwent redo PT. Among them, 41 and 8 patients underwent PT twice and three times, respectively. Among 57 cases of redo, the causes of redo included pathologic problem (n = 28)—aganglionosis (n = 20), hypoganglionosis (n = 4), immature ganglion cell (n = 4)—or anatomic problem (n = 21)—stricture (n = 13), fistula and/or abscess (n = 8) at anastomosis. Comparing associated factors between the nonredo and redo groups, the redo group had longer initial PT operation time (p = 0.001), more postoperative complications (p < 0.001), and more transanal endorectal PT (TERPT) approach as initial PTs (p < 0.001). According to causes of redo, the anatomic problem group underwent more third PTs than the pathologic problem group (p = 0.010).

Conclusion Approximately 7.5% of patients experienced redo PT. The cause of redo included pathologic (n = 28) or anatomic problem (n = 21). Longer operation time, more complications, and TERPT were associated with redo. The anatomic problem group underwent more third PTs than the pathologic problem group.
Leveraging Patient-Reported Outcomes Using Data Visualization
Authors: Grossman Lisa , Feiner Steven , Mitchell Elliot , Masterson Creber Ruth
Published: August 2018

Background Health care organizations increasingly use patient-reported outcomes (PROs) to capture patients' health status. Although federal policy mandates PRO collection, the challenge remains to better engage patients in PRO surveys, and ensure patients comprehend the surveys and their results.

Objective This article identifies the design requirements for an interface that assists patients with PRO survey completion and interpretation, and then builds and evaluates the interface.

Methods We employed a user-centered design process that consisted of three stages. First, we conducted qualitative interviews and surveys with 13 patients and 11 health care providers to understand their perceptions of the value and challenges associated with the use of PRO measures. Second, we used the results to identify design requirements for an interface that collects PROs, and designed the interface. Third, we conducted usability testing with 12 additional patients in a hospital setting.

Results In interviews, patients and providers reported that PRO surveys help patients to reflect on their symptoms, potentially identifying new opportunities for improved care. However, 6 out of 13 patients reported significant difficultly in understanding PRO survey questions, answer choices and results. Therefore, we identified aiding comprehension as a key design requirement, and incorporated visualizations into our interface design to aid comprehension. In usability testing, patients found the interface highly usable.

Conclusion Future interfaces designed to collect PROs may benefit from employing strategies such as visualization to aid comprehension and engage patients with surveys.
AlGaN/GaN pressure sensor with a Wheatstone bridge structure
Authors: Tan X. , Lv Y. J. , Zhou X. Y. , Wang Y. G. , Song X. B. , Gu G. D. , Ji P. F. , Yang X. L. , Shen B. , Feng Z. H. , Cai S. J.
Published: August 2018

In this work, a Wheatstone bridge-type pressure sensor based on AlGaN/GaN heterostructure was fabricated for the first time. The pressure sensor consisted of four gateless high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) on a 585 μm depth circular membrane, in which 15-μm-thick silicon substrate was left. Direct voltage readout was realized in the AlGaN/GaN pressure sensor, which exhibited a non-linearity of 0.6% with a sensitivity of 1.25 μV/kPa/V over a wide pressure range from 0.1 MPa to 5 MPa. Because of the in-plane isotropic properties, the working mechanism in the AlGaN/GaN pressure sensor is found to be quite different from the silicon-based sensor. Although the resistances of the four gateless HEMTs all increased with enlarging pressure, the changes of neighboring resistors varied with alignments under the piezoelectric effects. Finally, voltage linear readout was realized by the differential operation of Wheatstone bridge circuit.
Residual stress analysis and control of multilayer flexible moisture barrier films with SiNx and Al2O3 layers
Authors: Park Jang Soon , Yong Sang Heon , Choi You Jin , Chae Heeyeop
Published: August 2018

In this work, we investigated the residual film stress of barrier layers and its effect on moisture barrier property and flexibility. We have deposited silicon nitride (SiNx) layer by a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer by a spatially-resolved atomic layer deposition (SR-ALD) process on polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) flexible substrates at temperature below 100 °C. Two different types of film structure were fabricated to relieve the residual stress. First, we deposited SiNx layers on the both sides of PEN substrates and investigated residual film stress, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) and flexibility. The residual stress was greatly reduced from 824 MPa in the single-side deposited SiNx film to 39.54 MPa in the double-side SiNx deposited film at the same total thickness of 600 nm. WVTR was reduced by 68% to 5.93×10-4 g/(m2•day) with a double-sided film from 1.85×10-3 g/(m2•day) with a single-sided SiNx film. The WVTR of the double-sided film was increased by 33% after 1,000 bending at 1.5 cm of radius while that of the single-sided film was increased by 51 % after bending. Second, we fabricated the multilayer structure with alternating of SiNx and Al2O3 layers on one side of PEN substrates. The residual film stress is reduced by 28% from 595.1 MPa in bilayer structure to 432.5 MPa in the 2.5 dyad multilayer structure. The WVTR was also reduced to 1.55×10-4 g/(m2•day) with the 2.5 dyad multilayer structure from 2.6×10-4 g/(m2•day) with the bilayer structure.
Master equation for coarse-time macroscopic dynamics
Authors: Krakovsky Andrey
Published: August 2018

We derive master equation for a macroscopic dynamics of complex systems driven by time-dependent processes containing both fast and slow degrees of freedom. Presence of fast degrees of freedom can be established through a timescale test and fast dynamics is averaged out by a rigorous coarse time-stepping procedure applicable to many cross-disciplinary areas.
Rapid preparations and thermoelectric properties of bulk skutterudites with in situ nanostructures
Authors: Yu Yue , Duan Bo , Bai Guanghui , Li Jialiang , E Libo , Li Fang , Chen Gang , Zhai Pengcheng
Published: August 2018

In this paper, Ge and Te co-doped skutterudites Co4Sb11Ge1-xTex were synthesized via two rapid preparation methods, melt quenching-spark plasma sintering (MQ-SPS) and high pressure-spark plasma sintering (HP-SPS). Bulk skutterudites can be synthesized in as little as 6 hours by MQ-SPS and under 1 hour by HP-SPS, as shown by both scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. This is a dramatic improvement over traditional methods requiring a full week of processing. The Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity across a temperature range of 300 to 800 K where measured. This work shows that the processing by HP-SPS significantly decreases thermal and lattice thermal conductivities, while increasing the temperature-dependent Seebeck maximum. Consequently, the HP-Co4Sb11Ge1-xTex samples show a higher dimensionless figure of merit compared with that of MQ-Co4Sb11Ge1-xTex samples throughout the measured temperature range.
Laser-induced composition change tunes emission energy of nanowire quantum dots
Authors: Fellet Melissae
Published: August 2018

An array of nanowires containing quantum dots that can be precisely tuned to emit identical photons could be useful for quantum encryption or communication.
Passive infrasound monitoring is an active area of study
Authors: Feder Toni
Published: August 2018

A defense application has spawned a wide range of global research and practical uses.
Application of visible and near-infrared spectroscopy for evaluation of ewes milk with different feeds
Authors: Bahri A. , Nawar S. , Selmi H. , Amraoui M. , Rouissi H. , Mouazen A. M.
Published: August 2018

Rapid measurement optical techniques have the advantage over traditional methods of being faster and non-destructive. In this work visible and near-infrared spectroscopy (vis-NIRS) was used to investigate differences between measured values of key milk properties (e.g. fat, protein and lactose) in 30 samples of ewes milk according to three feed systems; faba beans, field peas and control diet. A mobile fibre-optic vis-NIR spectrophotometer (350–2500 nm) was used to collect reflectance spectra from milk samples. Principal component analysis was used to explore differences between milk samples according to the feed supplied, and a partial least-squares regression and random forest regression were adopted to develop calibration models for the prediction of milk properties. Results of the principal component analysis showed clear separation between the three groups of milk samples according to the diet of the ewes throughout the lactation period. Milk fat, protein and lactose were predicted with good accuracy by means of partial least-squares regression (R2 = 0.70–0.83 and ratio of prediction deviation, which is the ratio of standard deviation to root mean square error of prediction = 1.85–2.44). However, the best prediction results were obtained with random forest regression models (R2 = 0.86–0.90; ratio of prediction deviation = 2.73–3.26). The adoption of the vis-NIRS coupled with multivariate modelling tools can be recommended for exploring to differences between milk samples according to different feed systems, and to predict key milk properties, based particularly on the random forest regression modelling technique.
Genetic correlation estimates between milk production traits, mastitis and different measures of somatic cells in Holstein cows
Authors: Chegini Arash , Hossein-Zadeh Navid Ghavi , Hosseini-Moghadam Seyed Hossein , Shadparvar Abdol Ahad
Published: August 2018

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters including repeatability, heritability as well as genetic and environmental relationships between 305-day milk yield, milk fat and protein yield (Fat and Pro), milk fat and protein percentages (Fat% and Pro%), mastitis (Mast), number of mastitis occurrence and different measurements of somatic cell counts using linear and threshold animal as well as linear and threshold sire models in Holstein cows of Iran. Records of 33851 first lactation Holstein cows from five large dairy herds with calving dates from March 2002 to September 2014 were analysed, using Gibbs sampling methodology. Heritabilities of production traits estimated by linear animal model ranged from 0.14 (Fat%) to 0.29 (Pro%). Generally, udder health traits had low heritability (ranged from 0.005 to 0.10). Estimates of heritability for Mast using linear models were higher than those obtained with threshold models. However, in general estimates of heritabilities using threshold models were higher than those from linear models. There were unfavourable genetic correlations between production traits and Mast, which implies that breeding programs with emphasis on 305-day milk yield will experience deterioration in udder health. Despite low heritability of udder health traits, genetic variability exists for these traits that allow selecting superior animals and increasing resistance to Mast and animal welfare. Considering relatively high ratio of permanent environmental variance for Mast, culling decisions can be made with higher accuracy in order to reduce Mast incidence phenotypically over time.
Growth, carcass characteristics and meat quality of Chinese indigenous Yanan pig crossbred with Duroc and Berkshire genotypes
Authors: Chen Yan , Wei Yingying , Chen Jianning , Lv Daojun , Li Peining , Zhu Li , Tang Guoqing , Li Xuewei , Jiang Yanzhi
Published: August 2018

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of crossbreeding on the growth, carcass characteristics and meat quality of Chinese native Yanan (YN) pig breed and related crossbreeds, including Duroc × Yanan (DY) and Duroc × (Berkshire × Yanan) (DBY). In total, 60 pigs (20 per breed) were used in the study. The results showed that both crossbreeds, especially DBY pigs, exhibited improved growth and carcass characteristics compared with those of purebred YN pigs. Moreover, the two crossbreeds, especially DBY pigs, produced acceptable meat-quality characteristics (normal pH and meat-colour values, high intramuscular fat content and water-holding capacity, acceptable muscle-fibre parameters, and strong pork flavour) similar to those of YN pigs. M. longissimus lumborum contained eight essential amino acids, with high contents in all pigs. C18:1, C16:0, C18:0, and C18:2 were the main fatty acids in M. longissimus lumborum in the three breeds, and a polyunsaturated:saturated fatty acid ratio of ~0.2 was observed in DBY and YN pigs. These results indicated that DBY pigs exhibit an acceptable total production performance and could be extensively used in commercial pig production to provide high-quality niche products.
Effects of nitrate supplementation and forage level on gas production, nitrogen balance and dry-matter degradation in sheep
Authors: Sharifi M. , Taghizadeh A. , Khadem A. A. , Hosseinkhani A. , Mohammadzadeh H.
Published: August 2018

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of nitrate supplementation on dry-matter (DM) degradation and ruminal fermentation parameters by using in vitro gas production and in situ technique. In vitro gas production and in situ DM degradation in the presence or absence of nitrate were recorded at all incubation times. At all incubation times, diets incubated with nitrate gave a significantly lower gas production than did the other diets, except at 2-h incubation. Ruminal DM degradation did not differ among the experimental treatments. Furthermore, at most incubation times, total volatile fatty acids in diets containing nitrate were lower than those in the other treatments. Nitrate supplementation considerably increased gas production from the insoluble fraction, whereas it decreased gas production from the quickly soluble fraction, and potential gas production. Moreover, in all incubations, there were significant correlations between gas production and in situ DM-degradation parameters. The control diet had the greatest retained nitrogen content, but the diets containing nitrate had the greatest faecal nitrogen. The results showed that nitrate addition resulted in a lower gas production and volatile fatty acid production in in vitro assay. It was concluded that considering the strong posetive relationship between the two methodologies, the degradability parameters can be predicted from obtained gas production.
Improved region-specific emission factors for enteric methane emissions from cattle in smallholder mixed crop: livestock systems of Nandi County, Kenya
Authors: Ndung'u P. W. , Bebe B. O. , Ondiek J. O. , Butterbach-Bahl K. , Merbold L. , Goopy J. P.
Published: August 2018

National greenhouse-gas (GHG) inventories in most developing countries, and in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in particular, use default (Tier I) GHG emission factors (EFs) provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to estimate enteric methane (CH4) emissions from livestock. Because these EFs are based on data primarily from developed countries, there is a high degree of uncertainty associated with CH4 emission estimates from African livestock systems. Accurate Tier II GHG emission reporting from developing countries becomes particularly important following the Paris Climate agreement made at COP21, which encourages countries to mitigate GHG emissions from agricultural sources. In light of this, the present study provides improved enteric CH4 emission estimates for cattle in Nandi County, Western Kenya, representing a common livestock production system found in East Africa. Using the data from measurements of liveweight and liveweight change, milk production and locomotion collected from 1143 cattle in 127 households across 36 villages over three major agro-ecological zones covering a full year, we estimated total metabolic energy requirements. From this and assessments of digestibility from seasonally available feeds, we estimated feed intake and used this to calculate daily CH4 production by season, and, subsequently, created new EFs. Mean EFs were 50.6, 45.5, 28.5, 33.2 and 29.0 kg CH4/head.year for females (>2 years), males (>2 years), heifers (1–2 years), young males (1–2 years) and calves (<1 year) respectively, and were lower than the IPCC Tier I estimates for unspecified African adult cattle, but higher for calves and young males. Thus, using IPCC Tier 1 EFs may overestimate current enteric CH4 emissions in some African livestock systems.
Sums of two homogeneous Cantor sets
Authors: Takahashi Yuki
Published: August 2018

We show that for any two homogeneous Cantor sets with sum of Hausdorff dimensions that exceeds 1, one can create an interval in the sumset by applying arbitrary small perturbations (without leaving the class of homogeneous Cantor sets). In our setting the perturbations have more freedom than in the setting of the Palis conjecture, so our result can be viewed as an affirmative answer to a weaker form of the Palis conjecture. We also consider self-similar sets with overlaps on the real line (not necessarily homogeneous) and show that one can create an interval by applying arbitrary small perturbations if the uniform self-similar measure has

L
2

L^2

-density.
Popular Culture and Cultural Studies
Authors: Prasad M. Madhava
Published: August 2018

At the core of what we know as popular culture studies today is the work of scholars associated with or influenced by the Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies. Popular culture itself and intellectual interest in its risks and possibilities, however, long predate this moment. Earlier in the 20th century, members of the Frankfurt School took an active interest in what was then referred to as “mass culture” or the culture industry. Semiotics, emerging in the latter half of the 20th century as an exciting new methodology of cultural analysis, turned to popular culture for many of its objects as it redefined textuality, reading, and meaning. The works of Roland Barthes and Umberto Eco are exemplary in this regard. The work of the Birmingham school, also known as British cultural studies, drew from both of these intellectual traditions but went on to forge its own unique methods drawing on Marxist and poststructuralist theoretical legacies. Quickly spreading across the Anglophone world, Cultural Studies is now widely recognized, if not as a discipline proper, as a distinctive branch of the humanities. Other methodologies contemporaneous with this trend are also now clubbed together as part of this generalized practice of cultural studies. Important among these are feminist approaches to popular culture exemplified by work on Hollywood cinema and women’s melodrama in particular, the study of images and representations through a mass communications approach, and ethnographic studies of readers of popular romances and television audiences. A minor, theoretically weak tradition of popular culture studies initiated by Ray Browne parallelly in the Unites States may also be mentioned. More recently, Slavoj Zizek has introduced startlingly new ways of drawing popular cultural texts into philosophical debates. If all of these can be taken together as constituting what is generally referred to as popular culture studies today, it is still limited to the 20th century. Apart from the Frankfurt School and semiotics, British cultural studies also counts among the precursors it had to settle scores with, the tradition of cultural criticism in Britain that Matthew Arnold and in his wake F. R. Leavis undertook as they sought to insulate “the best of what was thought and said” from the debasing influence of the commercial press and mass culture in general. But the history of popular culture as an object of investigation and social concern goes further back still to the 18th and 19th centuries, the period of the rise and spread of mass literature, boosted by the rise of a working-class readership.
The Political Economy of Gender
Authors: Hutchinson Annabelle , McGuire Elizabeth K. , Rosenbluth Frances McCall , Yamagishi Hikaru
Published: August 2018

Compared to their male counterparts, females the world over typically achieve lower levels of pay, status, and representation. But the patterns of gender gaps in wages and power across countries and across sectors within countries point to systematic and empirically testable propositions about the supply and demand of labor and the bargaining consequences of remuneration. Time constraints on females, on account of socially mandated family work, hinder their advancement in endeavors that put a premium on availability and continuous career investment.
Stress and Coping Theory Across the Adult Lifespan
Authors: Surachman Agus , Almeida David M.
Published: August 2018

Stress is a broad and complex phenomenon characterized by environmental demands, internal psychological processes, and physical outcomes. The study of stress is multifaceted and commonly divided into three theoretical perspectives: social, psychological, and biological. The social stress perspective emphasizes how stressful life experiences are embedded into social structures and hierarchies. The psychological stress perspective highlights internal processes that occur during stressful situations, such as individual appraisals of the threat and harm of the stressors and of the ways of coping with such stressors. Finally, the biological stress perspective focuses on the acute and long-term physiological changes that result from stressors and their associated psychological appraisals. Stress and coping are inherently intertwined with adult development.
Using Naturalistic Observation to Develop Crime-Control Policies in Nighttime Entertainment Districts
Authors: Perez-Trujillo Monica
Published: August 2018

For the last 20 years, research based on the idea that opportunities for crime are related to specific times and places has informed crime-control policies in nighttime entertainment districts. In order to examine crime in these areas, many studies have relied on large data sets that associate city- and neighborhood-level factors with crime and delinquency. These studies have helped us understand the importance of environmental and situational factors, as well as the impact of changes in legislation and regulations to control alcohol availability (e.g., reducing the density of alcohol outlets and trading hours) and the implementation of interventions in licensed premises to reduce intoxication and disorder. However, when informing crime-control policies, the use of alternative methods to examine entertainment districts, such as naturalistic observations, can be vital. Because nighttime entertainment districts are extremely complex environments, observation is useful to examine and identify situational factors and local dynamics that increase or decrease the opportunities for crime in specific places. Observational methods can be particularly useful to understand the context in which criminal behavior and aggressive incidents occur, the interplay of situational risk factors specific to a public drinking environment, and the social and cultural factors (e.g., the relationship between police, staff, and customers) that can facilitate or challenge the implementation of crime-control strategies in these multifaceted contexts.

Naturalistic observation is a data-collection method that involves accessing the field to systematically record and describe features of the space, people’s characteristics and patterns of movement, individual behaviors, and exchanges between actors in natural settings. It can be used in both quantitative and qualitative designs, although in different ways. In entertainment districts, researchers have used this method to understand crimes that are underreported and underregistered, such as sexual harassment, and to study patrons’ behaviors in licensed premises and surrounding streets, as well as staff management practices and control strategies. While they have some limitations, such as the fact that information is filtered by what observers see and how they interpret events, observation methods can uniquely contribute to the development of crime-control policies in entertainment districts by focusing on specific situational and cultural factors relating to violence and crime at a local level, as well as suggesting differentiated responses to the types of incidents that take place in these settings.
Executive Clemency in the United States
Authors: Colgate Love Margaret
Published: August 2018

Executive clemency has a rich history in the United States, both as an agent of justice and as a tool of politics. A presidential power to pardon was included in Article II of the Constitution, and all but one of the state constitutions provides for a clemency mechanism. States have established a variety of ways to manage and sometimes limit a governor’s exercise of the constitutional pardoning power, but the president’s power has remained unlimited by law. Until quite recently, clemency played a fully operational part in both federal and state justice systems, and the pardoning power was used regularly and generously to temper the harsh results of a criminal prosecution. Presidents also used their power to calm and unify the country after a period of strife, and to further policy goals when legislative solutions fell short.

But in modern times unruly clemency’s justice-enhancing role has been severely diminished, initially because reforms in the legal system made it less necessary, but later because of theoretical and practical objections to its regular use. A reluctance on the part of elected officials to take political risks, as well as clemency-related controversies, have further eroded clemency’s legitimacy. As a result, in most U.S. jurisdictions clemency now plays a limited role, and the public regards its exercise with suspicion. There are only about a dozen states in which clemency operates as an integral part of the justice system, in large part because its exercise is protected from political pressures by constitutional design. At the same time, the need for an effective clemency mechanism has never been greater, particularly in the federal system, because of lengthy mandatory prison sentences and the lifelong collateral civil consequences of conviction. It appears unlikely that an unregulated and unrestrained executive power will ever be restored to its former justice-enhancing role, so that those concerned about fairness and proportionality in criminal punishments must engage in the more demanding work of democratic reform.
Online Research Resources for South Asian History
Authors: Magier Aruna Pulipaka
Published: August 2018

Because so much of South Asia’s archival and primary source materials as well as precolonial and colonial-era published sources traditionally referred to by historians reside in physical archives and libraries that are difficult to access, the work of individual historians until recently had often been limited to resources they could access only from significant collections outside of South Asia, such as those at the British Library and at some major US research libraries. Research travel to South Asia to consult domestic collections there has always been expensive, impractical, and too often an exceedingly challenging endeavor because of the local limitations on access. But with the growth of the internet since the 1990s, and the relative ease of putting materials online, there has been an explosion of small- and large-scale efforts at digitization and online publishing of more unique and previously inaccessible treasures from South Asia. As of the early 2000s, a wealth of valuable open-access as well as commercially produced and distributed content is available online to scholars of South Asian history.

However, this profusion itself has created new challenges. The lack of selectivity, peer review, or other quality evaluations for much internet publishing, the dearth of standards for long-term website continuity and presentation, the absence of centralized pathways for structured discovery of these resources, the bewildering array of user interfaces, the increasing monetization of online access to primary source content, and the inadequate attention to digital preservation all make this universe of digital content a far from ideal setting for historical research. To enable historians more effectively to identify authoritative online sources that meet their research needs and how to access them, collaborative endeavors by South Asia librarians and academic institutions are beginning to yield useful results and to create orderly oases in the general chaos of the internet.
Animating African History: Digital and Visual Trends
Authors: Callus Paula
Published: August 2018

Contrary to popular belief, the animated moving image on the African continent has long and diverse histories across many countries. Although it shares both the technology and some of the formal aspects of cinema, its historical development followed a different trajectory to that of indexical film, both in Europe and in Africa. This may be because of animation’s ability to draw upon a range of artistic practice, which means it can take many guises; at times it appears like a cartoon, or sometimes like puppets or sculptures that come to life; at other times it is a metamorphic drawing or painting, or even a photographic montage. In addition, while animation tends to be associated with content specifically intended for a children’s audience, it has in fact been an effective vehicle to conceal sociopolitical critique that would otherwise be considered problematic. Different animators in Africa have used animation to this end, presenting subversive and social-realist content within the unrealistic depictions of fantastical stories, the parodic, comedic or allegorical, or culturally located visual metaphors. African animators have also used animation to safeguard and give permanence to the stories, myths, and legends they grew up with. These legends have occasionally also informed animated superheroes in games such as the Kenyan mobile phone application Africa’s Legends, or the cast of an Afro-futurist setting such as the Nigerian “Afro-anime” production Red Origins. With the onset of digital technology, the landscape of animation in Africa has seen a blossoming of activity from expert and non-expert prod-users. Their work circulates in formal and informal settings, whether visible at a festival, on television and mainstream media, in online social networking spaces or on video streaming sites such as YouTube or Vimeo. The prolific characteristic of animation made for digital spaces has resulted in a paradoxical simultaneous visibility and invisibility. Networks of African artists have benefited from the visibility and distribution that the Internet and smart phone technologies offer; for example, Kenyan multimedia artists Just a Band were quoted as saying that they were discovered online before they were discovered in Nairobi. However, the ephemeral quality of these digital spaces can also be problematic from the archivist’s perspective as digital traces change. For this reason it is increasingly important to capture the traces that African artists leave in this dynamic space as they reflect the zeitgeist.