bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deliberative Justice and Collective Identity
Authors: Barker Derek W. M.
Published: October 2015

Drawing upon insights from virtue ethics, this essay develops a concept of collective identity specifically suited to deliberative democracy: a virtues-centered theory of deliberative justice. Viewing democratic legitimacy as a political phenomenon, we must account for more than the formal rules that must be satisfied according to deontological theories of deliberative democracy. I argue that common approaches to deliberative democracy are unable to account for the motivations of deliberation, or ensure that citizens have the cognitive skills to deliberate well. Next, I engage with critics of deliberative democracy who have moved toward broader and more humanistic concepts of deliberation but have stopped short of conceiving of justice as a virtue and, in their own way, neglected questions of collective identity. I reconstruct justice as a virtue from a deliberative perspective, combining virtue ethics’ emphasis on habituation with a weaker sense of collective identity that allows for value pluralism and disagreement, consistent with deliberative democracy. That is, deliberative democracy requires a shared and habituated civic culture of mutual understanding of differences. Finally, drawing from discourse on race in contemporary American politics, I conclude with brief illustrations of the need for a collective identity based on mutual understanding. Although deliberative democracy does not require a thick or intense sense of social solidarity, it does need citizens to share habits, inclinations, and capacities to engage in communication across their differences.
No place to hide? The ethics and analytics of tracking mobility using mobile phone data
Authors: Taylor Linnet
Published: October 2015

This paper examines the ethical and methodological problems with tracking human mobility using data from mobile phones, focusing on research involving low- and middle-income countries. Such datasets are becoming accessible to an increasingly broad community of researchers and data scientists, with a variety of analytical and policy uses proposed. This paper provides an overview of the state of the art in this area of research, then sets out a new analytical framework for such data sources that focuses on three pressing issues: first, interpretation and disciplinary bias; second, the potential risks to data subjects in low- and middle-income countries and possible ethical responses; and third, the likelihood of ‘function creep’ from benign to less benign uses. Using the case study of a data science challenge involving West African mobile phone data, I argue that human mobility is becoming legible in new, more detailed ways, and that this carries with it the dual risk of rendering certain groups invisible and of misinterpreting what is visible. Thus, this emerging ability to track movement in real time offers both the possibility of improved responses to conflict and forced migration, but also unprecedented power to surveil and control unwanted population movement.
A Legislator under Surveillance: The Creation and Implementation of Swiss Banking Legislation 1910–1934
Authors: Mazbouri Malik , Schaufelbuehl Janick Marina
Published: October 2015

This paper analyses how banking regulation was introduced in Switzerland – one of the world’s most prominent financial centres – which remained in place until the beginning of the twenty-first century. It shows that the law adopted on 8 November 1934 is a perfect example of capture of the regulator by the regulated. Essentially a political response in the context of the economic crisis of the 1930s, it largely reflected the interests of banking circles by limiting the intervention of the State as much as possible. The introduction of the new legislation was facilitated by the temporary weakness of Swiss banking circles, as they depended on the State to delay or prevent the collapse of many major credit institutions. They did not manage to derail the law as they had two decades earlier when they scuppered the federal bill on banks drawn up between 1914 and 1916. But this time they were better organized and more united, and intervened all the more effectively in the legislative process itself. The 1934 law is thus distinctive in that it made no structural changes to the architecture of the financial centre but merely codified its practices through flexible legislation meant to reassure the public. The law was aimed less at controlling banking activity than at keeping – thanks to skilfully calibrated political concessions – the State from having to intervene more directly in the internal management of banks or in the fixing of interest rates and the export of capital.
Harnessing exception: Mobilities, credibility, and the casino
Authors: Zhang Juan , Yeoh Brenda SA
Published: October 2015

Using Singapore’s newly opened mega casino resorts as an example, this article illustrates how the expanding casino economy in Asia shapes, and is shaped by, an emerging mobility regime that works through the politics of exception. The coupling of mobility and exception creates a particular governing technology of tracking credibility through which mobile subjects and citizen subjects become manageable. Credibility demands that individuals must demonstrate their own rationality and capability in the exceptional space of global circulation. Exception is harnessed when logics of economic optimization and ethicalization are maintained to legitimize different processes of channeling, sorting, and bordering. They create new articulations of mobile identities and exclusion.
Agriculture and Nutrition in Bangladesh
Authors: Yosef Sivan , Jones Andrew D. , Chakraborty Barnali , Gillespie Stuart
Published: October 2015

Background:

Although much work has been done on the theoretical links between agriculture and nutrition, there is limited understanding of the evidence from observational and experimental research studies on the impacts of agriculture programs on nutrition outcomes.

Objective:

To assess the emphasis of the literature on different agriculture–nutrition pathways in Bangladesh.

Methods:

Twenty databases and Web sites were searched, yielding more than 2400 resources that were pared down through an iterative, eliminative process to 60 articles. These articles were then rated for quality and mapped to 1 of the 6 agriculture–nutrition pathways.

Results:

The body of evidence reveals gaps in knowledge in all of the pathways, but especially in the areas of agriculture as a source of livelihoods, and women’s role as intermediaries between agriculture and good nutrition and health within their household.

Conclusion:

More research is needed on the links between agriculture and nutrition in country-specific settings, particularly as regards the role of women. Nutrition-related outcomes, such as dietary diversity and women’s empowerment, need to be measured more explicitly when evaluating the impact of agricultural production systems and development initiatives.
Impact of hydrophobic treatment of jute on moisture regain and mechanical properties of composite material
Authors: Ali Azam , Shaker Khubab , Nawab Yasir , Ashraf Munir , Basit Abdul , Shahid Salma , Umair Muhammad
Published: October 2015

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of fluorocarbon, hydrocarbon, and hybrid fluorocarbon on the mechanical properties and moisture regain of jute fiber reinforced composite materials. A significant difference in moisture regain values of treated and untreated reinforcement samples was observed, when the concentration of chemical finish (hybrid fluorocarbs) was 40 g/L. The composite made from treated reinforcement regained very low moisture content as well as exhibited improved mechanical properties (tensile and flexural strength). Having both characteristics (hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups) in hybrid fluorocarbon, the treated jute fibers and corresponding composites showed better properties as compared to counterparts treated by other two chemicals, due to better interface.
The effects of aluminum hydroxide and ammonium polyphosphate on the flame retardancy and mechanical property of polyisocyanurate–polyurethane foams
Authors: Liu Yanlin , He Jiyu , Yang Rongjie
Published: October 2015

Ammonium polyphosphate and aluminum hydroxide were added simultaneously to polyisocyanurate–polyurethane foams as flame retardants. The effects of aluminum hydroxide and ammonium polyphosphate on the fire retardancy and mechanical property of polyisocyanurate–polyurethane foams were investigated. Thermogravimetric and thermogravimetric–Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were used to investigate the thermal stability and decomposition of the foams. Cone calorimeter tests, the limiting oxygen index, and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the fire performance of aluminum hydroxide and ammonium polyphosphate. The results show that the compressive strength of the foams increases upon the addition of both aluminum hydroxide and ammonium polyphosphate. The flame retardancy of the polyisocyanurate–polyurethane foams can be significantly improved under the effect of aluminum hydroxide and ammonium polyphosphate. After the addition of 5-phr aluminum hydroxide and 15-phr ammonium polyphosphate, the limiting oxygen index value increases from 21.2% for the reference sample to 28.0%, while the peak heat release rate reduces from 159.8 kW/m2 for the reference sample to 76.8 kW/m2. The effects between aluminum hydroxide and ammonium polyphosphate occur in the condensed phase. Spherical projections with “villi-like” particles are formed covering the surface of char to hinder flame and energy transmission.
The Onset of Ethnic War
Authors: Tang Shiping
Published: October 2015

This article develops a general theory regarding the onset of ethnic war, starting with two analytic innovations: a mechanism-based approach toward social facts and an emphasis on dynamic interactions. I deploy two meta-mechanisms – the security dilemma/spiral model and intergroup-intragroup interactions – as meta-synthesizers. I then bring together the numerous factors and mechanisms scattered in the literature into a more integrative and dynamic theory of ethnic war by linking factors with immediate drivers of conflictual behavior via the two meta-mechanisms. The resulting theory not only integrates numerous factors and mechanisms identified within the existing literature, but it also reveals previously hidden or neglected factors, interactions, and mechanisms that point to fruitful directions for future inquires.
Mars precision landing guidance based on model predictive control approach
Authors: Jung Youeyun , Bang Hyochoong
Published: October 2015

A precision landing guidance design for the Mars powered descent phase is proposed based on model predictive control (MPC) approach. Dynamics model used for the formulation are convexificated and linearized to adopt the convex optimization technique, which has been suggested by researchers of Jet Propulsion Laboratory. To employ the receding horizon frame and reduce the number of control inputs, the convex optimization problem is augmented with Laguerre functions. To represent the minimum fuel consumption or minimum landing error precisely unlike the optimal control theory, new cost function is designed by combining them with weighting factors. Moreover, the stability of the proposed guidance design for the independent control inputs calculated from each time step is verified by using Lyapunov stability analysis. Finally, numerical simulations are conducted to examine the suggested guidance formulation and to compare the performance with an optimal solution.
Can citizen science enhance public understanding of science?
Authors: Bonney Rick , Phillips Tina B. , Ballard Heidi L. , Enck Jody W.
Published: October 2015

Over the past 20 years, thousands of citizen science projects engaging millions of participants in collecting and/or processing data have sprung up around the world. Here we review documented outcomes from four categories of citizen science projects which are defined by the nature of the activities in which their participants engage – Data Collection, Data Processing, Curriculum-based, and Community Science. We find strong evidence that scientific outcomes of citizen science are well documented, particularly for Data Collection and Data Processing projects. We find limited but growing evidence that citizen science projects achieve participant gains in knowledge about science knowledge and process, increase public awareness of the diversity of scientific research, and provide deeper meaning to participants’ hobbies. We also find some evidence that citizen science can contribute positively to social well-being by influencing the questions that are being addressed and by giving people a voice in local environmental decision making. While not all citizen science projects are intended to achieve a greater degree of public understanding of science, social change, or improved science -society relationships, those projects that do require effort and resources in four main categories: (1) project design, (2) outcomes measurement, (3) engagement of new audiences, and (4) new directions for research.
Effective stress of gas-bearing coal and its dual pore damage constitutive model
Authors: Hu Shaobin , Wang Enyuan , Liu Xiaofei
Published: October 2015

The dual pore structure of coal and occurence of gas adsorption make gas-bearing coal different from other non-adsorptive porous materials, and therefore interactions between coal and gas cannot be accurately described by Terzaghi effective stress. Considering adsorbed-gas-induced swelling stress and erosion, and pore/fracture-induced damage and failure to coal skeleton, the new effective stress equation for three-phase medium composed of free gas, adsorbed gas and coal skeleton is established. It can be used to reveal the effects of the spatial and temporal distribution and evolution of coal pores/fractures under different stress conditions on coal's mechanical deformation and damage characteristics, and to quantify the erosion effects of adsorbed gas on coal from a physicochemical point of view. Based on the basic principles of irreversible thermodynamics, a dual pore elastic-brittle-plastic damage constitutive model of gas-bearing coal is established. The model is further verified through the full stress–strain experiments and the adsorption-induced swelling experiments of gas-bearing coal under different axial pressures, and compared with the elasticoplasticity model established based on Terzaghi effective stress. The results show that the dual pore damage constitutive model could better describe the gas–coal interaction mechanism, and solve the fluid–solid coupling problems in gas and coal engineering practices.
A Two-Wave Study of Self-Monitoring Personality, Social Network Churn, and In-Degree Centrality in Close Friendship and General Socializing Networks
Authors: Bhardwaj Arjun , Qureshi Israr , Konrad Alison M. , Lee Seung Hwan (Mark)
Published: October 2015

We examine the role of self-monitoring personality in shaping network change in two important types of social relationships. In a two-wave social network study, we find that individuals with higher levels of self-monitoring derive persistent personality-linked in-degree centrality benefits in the general socializing network but have fading benefits over time in the close friendship network. Simultaneous examination of the formation and dissolution of relationships over time (network churn) reveals that this pattern of network change is shaped by differential reactions of relationship partners to individuals based upon level of self-monitoring in the two network types. Overall, by incorporating the dynamic reactions of relationship partners, the findings contribute to the understanding of the complex relationship between personality and social network development.
A review in the treatment of oncologic emergencies
Authors: Pi Judy , Kang Young , Smith Michael , Earl Marc , Norigian Zaven , McBride Ali
Published: October 2015

Aim

Oncologic emergencies are often categorized as a group of metabolic abnormalities associated with the diagnosis of cancer or the initiation of chemotherapy for treatment. These syndromes often arise in the acute setting, demanding an accurate knowledge of the associated condition and current treatment. In this review, we evaluate five oncologic emergencies: tumor lysis syndrome, hypercalcemia, hyponatremia, spinal cord compression, and disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Oncologic emergencies are often diverse in etiology and are often associated with the initiation of chemotherapy. Tumor lysis syndrome presents as severe electrolyte abnormalities that need to be addressed urgently, sometimes prior to initiation of chemotherapy. Hypercalcemia of malignancy is treated with aggressive rehydration, furosemide, and intravenous bisphosphonates. If a patient with cancer presents with normovolemic hyponatremia, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone should be suspected. Malignant spinal cord compression happens when cancer cells grow in, or near to, the spine and press on the spinal cord and nerves. This causes swelling and a reduction in the blood supply to the spinal cord and nerve roots. Disseminated intravascular coagulation is characterized by systemic activation of blood coagulation, which results in generation and deposition of fibrin, leading to microvascular thrombi in various organs and contributing to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.

Conclusion

Knowledge of oncology emergencies is critical to the understanding of these emergent syndromes in oncology patients. Each of these disease states requires careful evaluation of the patient’s symptoms, monitoring parameters for conditions and supportive care measures and interventions.
Physical activity and pediatric multiple sclerosis: Developing a research agenda
Authors: Yeh E Ann , Kinnett-Hopkins Dominique , Grover Stephanie A , Motl Robert W
Published: October 2015

Three-quarters of children with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience fatigue or depression, and progressive neurocognitive decline may be seen as early as two years after MS diagnosis. Furthermore, a higher magnetic resonance imaging disease burden is seen in pediatric-onset MS compared with adult-onset MS. To date, limited knowledge exists regarding behavioral methods for managing symptoms and disease progression in pediatric MS. To that end, this paper builds an evidence-based argument for the possible symptomatic and disease-modifying effects of exercise and physical activity in pediatric MS. This will be accomplished through: (a) a review of pediatric MS and its consequences; (b) a brief overview of physical activity and its consequences in children and adults with MS; and (c) a selective review of research on the neurological benefits of physical activity in pediatric populations. This topical review concludes with a list of 10 questions to guide future research on physical activity and pediatric MS. The objective of this paper is the provision of a research interest, focus and agenda involving pediatric MS and its lifelong management though exercise and physical activity behavior. Such an agenda is critical as the effects and maintenance of physical activity and exercise track across the lifespan, particularly when developed in the early stages of life.
Improved patient-reported health impact of multiple sclerosis: The ENABLE study of PR-fampridine
Authors: Macdonell Richard , Nagels Guy , Laplaud David-Axel , Pozzilli Carlo , de Jong Brigit , Martins da Silva Ana , Nicholas Richard , Lechner-Scott Jeannette , Gaebler Julia A , Agarwal Sonalee , Wang Ping , Yeh Michael , Hovenden Maria , Soelberg Sørensen Per
Published: October 2015

Background:

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating disease that negatively impacts patients’ lives.

Objective:

ENABLE assessed the effect of long-term prolonged-release (PR) fampridine (dalfampridine extended release in the United States) treatment on patient-perceived health impact in patients with MS with walking impairment.

Methods:

ENABLE was a 48-week, open-label, Phase 4 study of PR-fampridine 10 mg twice daily. Patients who showed any improvement in Timed 25-Foot Walk walking speed at weeks 2 and 4 and any improvement in 12-item MS Walking Scale score at week 4 remained on treatment. The primary endpoint was change from baseline in 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) physical component summary (PCS) score.

Results:

At week 4, 707/901 (78.5%) patients met the criteria to remain on treatment. Patients on treatment demonstrated significant and clinically meaningful improvements in SF-36 PCS scores from baseline (mean change (95% confidence interval)) to week 12 (4.30 (3.83, 4.78); p < 0.0001), week 24 (3.75 (3.23, 4.27); p < 0.0001), week 36 (3.46 (2.95, 3.97); p < 0.0001), and week 48 (3.24 (2.72, 3.77); p < 0.0001). Significant improvements from baseline were also demonstrated in secondary health measures in patients on treatment.

Conclusion:

PR-fampridine improved patient-perceived physical and psychological health impact of MS measured in a real-life setting.
Opening locked doors: Integrating a palliative care approach into the management of patients with severe multiple sclerosis
Authors: Strupp J , Voltz R , Golla H
Published: October 2015

Patients severely affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) have a large range of unmet needs. Although initially counterintuitive, specialized palliative care (PC) may be beneficial for these patients and their relatives. PC has advanced greatly in recent years, yet it is still predominantly tumour patients who profit from this. For MS, a first randomized phase II trial has already demonstrated significant benefits for patients and their caregivers when PC was included in their care. However, there are barriers: neurologists not convinced about PC, or PC not taking on MS patients. Studies have shown that misunderstandings and a lack of information among healthcare professionals about the roles and services of PC for MS are still prevalent. This topical review will give an overview of the unmet needs of patients as well as the possible benefits and barriers of PC for MS, and will describe models of services on how to “open locked doors”.
Implications of dietary salt intake for multiple sclerosis pathogenesis
Authors: Hucke Stephanie , Wiendl Heinz , Klotz Luisa
Published: October 2015

In recent years it has become increasingly clear that, alongside genetic risk factors, environmental factors strongly influence the incidence and severity of multiple sclerosis (MS). Based on observations from epidemiological studies, the potential contribution of dietary habits has lately been a matter of debate. Recently it was shown that high salt conditions promote pathogenic T-cell responses and aggravate autoimmunity in an animal model of MS, suggesting that high dietary salt intake might promote central nervous system (CNS) autoimmunity. However, so far, not much is known about the influence of dietary salt intake on MS disease pathology. Here, we discuss the association of dietary salt levels and MS with a special focus on the mechanisms of salt-mediated modulation of the different cell types critically involved in the pathophysiology of MS.
This Week in Blackness, the George Zimmerman acquittal, and the production of a networked collective identity
Authors: Florini Sarah
Published: October 2015

The night of George Zimmerman’s acquittal in the shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, This Week in Blackness (TWiB!) went livestreaming online with an unscheduled broadcast of their flagship podcast TWiB! Radio. To many, the verdict laid bare the systemic racism that the dominant neoliberal racial discourse of colorblindness works to obscure by emphasizing individual over collective racial identity. TWiB!, which functions simultaneously as both a broadcast-style network and a social media network, created an interactive, multi-media, trans-platform space where listeners and TWiB! staff came together to express their grief and anger. Drawing on longstanding Black traditions of both public and private counter-discourse production, TWiB! rejected colorblindness and reified a Black collective identity at a moment of racial turmoil.
Railway vehicle modelling for the vehicle–track interaction compatibility analysis
Authors: Magalhães H , Ambrósio J , Pombo J
Published: October 2015

Railway vehicle homologation with respect to running dynamics is addressed via dedicated norms that require the knowledge of the accelerations and wheel–rail contact forces obtained from experimental computational testing. Multibody dynamics allows the modelling of railway vehicles and their simulation on realistic operations conditions. However, the representativeness of the multibody models, and the results of their use in railway dynamics are greatly influenced by the modelling assumptions and their ability to represent the operational conditions. In this paper, two alternative multibody models of a railway vehicle are presented and simulated in a realistic railway track scenarios to appraise the consequences of different modelling assumptions on the railway dynamic analysis outcome. A vehicle–track interaction compatibility analysis is performed afterwards according to norm EN 14363. The analysis consists of two stages: the use of a simplified method, described in the norm for the identification of the different performance indexes from the railway vehicle dynamic analysis outcome; and the visual inspection of the vehicle motion with respect to the track via dedicated visualization tools. The results of the virtual vehicle homologation tests are presented and discussed in face of the modelling assumptions used, being significant differences identified between the railway vehicle modelled with cylindrical joints with clearances or with equivalent force elements. It is also concluded that the use of clearance joints prevents the need to use modelling assumptions on the equivalent force elements that have limited or no physical meaning, thus reducing the number of modelling parameters for which a high level of abstraction has to be exercised.
Silk scaffolds for musculoskeletal tissue engineering
Authors: Yao Danyu , Liu Haifeng , Fan Yubo
Published: October 2015

The musculoskeletal system, which includes bone, cartilage, tendon/ligament, and skeletal muscle, is becoming the targets for tissue engineering because of the high need for their repair and regeneration. Numerous factors would affect the use of musculoskeletal tissue engineering for tissue regeneration ranging from cells used for scaffold seeding to the manufacture and structures of materials. The essential function of the scaffolds is to convey growth factors as well as cells to the target site to aid the regeneration of the injury. Among the variety of biomaterials used in scaffold engineering, silk fibroin is recognized as an ideal material for its impressive cytocompatibility, slow biodegradability, and excellent mechanical properties. The current review describes the advances made in the fabrication of silk fibroin scaffolds with different forms such as films, particles, electrospun fibers, hydrogels, three-dimensional porous scaffolds, and their applications in the regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues.
Generic substitution policy implementation: A pharmacists' perspective survey
Authors: Yousefi Nazila , Mehralian Gholamhossein , Peiravian Farzad , Noee Fatemeh
Published: October 2015

Objective

Pharmaceutical expenditures have increasingly grown in the past decades, prompting policy makers to pay more and more attention to developing such strategies as generic substitution to deal with this challenging issue. Community pharmacists whose recommendations have a strong influence on consumers’ decisions can play a pivotal role in the success of the strategy of dispensing generic medicines. Considering the aforementioned issue, it is imperative to evaluate pharmacists’ perception of generic substitution alongside their perception of the roles of patients, physicians, and government in this regard.

Methods

A cross-sectional descriptive study involving pharmacists working in Tehran community pharmacies (2000) was performed, using a self-administrated anonymous questionnaire.

Key findings

A total of 1208 questionnaires were returned, which provides a response rate of 60%. According to responses, 43% of the participants believed that generic medicines are bioequivalent to branded medicines, and the majority of the respondents (71.6%) stated that they do substitution if generic medicine is available. However, more than half of the respondents do not believe in the efficacy of generic medicines. In addition, they think that patients, physicians, and government have important roles in generic substitution. The government in particular plays a pivotal role as far as implementing different pharmaceutical policies are concerned.

Conclusions

The results indicated that Iranian pharmacists have good insights regarding the implementation and promotion of a generic substitution strategy; thus, they need the support of patients, physicians, and government to increase the utilization of generic medicines.
Recent advances in the development of Aurora kinases inhibitors in hematological malignancies
Authors: Choudary Iqra , Barr Paul M. , Friedberg Jonathan
Published: October 2015

Over the last two decades, since the discovery of Drosophila mutants in 1995, much effort has been made to understand Aurora kinase biology. Three mammalian subtypes have been identified thus far which include the Aurora A, B and C kinases. These regulatory proteins specifically work at the cytoskeleton and chromosomal structures between the kinetochores and have vital functions in the early phases of the mitotic cell cycle. Today, there are multiple phase I and phase II clinical trials as well as numerous preclinical studies taking place looking at Aurora kinase inhibitors in both hematologic and solid malignancies. This review focuses on the preclinical and clinical development of Aurora kinase inhibitors in hematological malignancy and discusses their therapeutic potential.
Lixisenatide in type 2 diabetes: latest evidence and clinical usefulness
Authors: Anderson Sarah L. , Trujillo Jennifer M.
Published: October 2015

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a highly prevalent disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. The hallmark of T2D is hyperglycemia and, while many treatment modalities exist, achieving and maintaining glycemic control can be challenging. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (RAs) are an appealing treatment option as they improve glycemic control, reduce weight, and limit the risk of hypoglycemia. Lixisenatide is a once-daily GLP-1 RA that has been evaluated in the GetGoal clinical trial program and has demonstrated efficacy and tolerability across a spectrum of patients. The feature that most distinguishes lixisenatide from other GLP-1 RAs is its ability to substantially reduce postprandial glucose (PPG) for the meal immediately following injection. Because of its positive effects on PPG, lixisenatide is being considered as a replacement for prandial insulin, and a fixed dose combination product containing lixisenatide and basal insulin is in development. Lixisenatide is a promising new addition to the antidiabetic armamentarium, but due to the lack of real-world experience with the drug, its exact place in therapy is unknown.
Media Priming of Road Traffic Accidents in Kenya
Authors: Mogambi Hezron , Nyakeri Florence
Published: October 2015

This article examines how the print media in Kenya reported road traffic accidents (RTAs). Using the priming theory, the article sought to identify the patterns of reporting and issues arising from such reporting of RTAs in the print media in Kenya. This is because the cost of RTAs in Kenya to the economy is estimated at Ksh. 14 billion per year. The study was a content analysis of two leading newspapers in Kenya— Daily Nation and the Standard newspapers. Data were collected using an analysis of the stories contained in the leading newspapers that related to RTAs. The content of 251 articles on RTAs was reviewed. A thematic analysis was done on the data which was then presented using simple tabular comparison of means, graphs, charts, and text. It was found that the newspapers play a significant role in passing on RTA information to the public, although a lot still needs to be done to address an obvious gap. Print media should improve its reportage of RTAs, the way it reports and primes it, and the amount of space allocated to stories on RTAs. Therefore, more space needs to be allocated to road safety issues even as all stakeholders should be encouraged to share information and opinions regarding road safety through the media. Information on RTAs and associated issues need to be published in prime pages regularly and not only when reporting on road crashes.
Does the Association Between Self-Reported Restless Sleep and Objective Sleep Efficiency Differ in Obese and Non-Obese Women? Findings From the Kingston Senior Women Study
Authors: Wilson Alexandra , Pyke Kyra E. , Bassett Emma , Moore Spencer
Published: October 2015

Our study assessed the validity of self-reported restless sleep (SRRS) in measuring sleep efficiency and the degree to which these measures differed depending on obesity status in older women. Data were from 100 participants enrolled in the Kingston Senior Women Study. Participants recorded SRRS for 7 consecutive nights. Sleep efficiency measures were recorded nightly through actigraphy. Repeated-measures multilevel logistic analysis was used. Mean sleep efficiency was 87% ( SE = 1.09), SRRS occurred in 37% ( SE = 3) of nights. Obesity status moderated the association between sleep efficiency and SRRS (odds ratio [OR] = 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.02, 1.14]) when controlling for age, medication intake, and depressive symptoms. Higher sleep efficiency reduced the odds of SRRS in non-obese women, but no association was shown in obese women. The lack of correspondence between objective and subjective measures in obese women suggests that SRRS may not be as indicative of sleep quality in obese compared with non-obese older women.
Fuzzy fixed point theorems on the complete fuzzy spaces under supremum metric
Authors: Suantai Suthep , Petrot Narin , Saksirikun Warut
Published: October 2015

By using the concept of a class of functions, the $\mathcal {R}$
R
-functions, we provide some fuzzy fixed point theorems on a space of fuzzy sets equipped with the supremum metric. By presenting a technique of constructing a sequence of successive approximations, we obtain some interesting results that improve many existing results. The related cases are also shown and discussed.
A spatial data warehouse recommendation approach: conceptual framework and experimental evaluation
Authors: Aissi Saida , Gouider Mohamed Salah , Sboui Tarek , Said Lamjed Ben
Published: October 2015

Spatial data warehouses store a large
amount of historized and aggregated data. They are usually exploited by Spatial OLAP (SOLAP) systems to extract relevant information. Extracting such information may be complex and difficult. The user might ignore what part of the warehouse contains the relevant information and what the next query should be. On the other hand, recommendation systems aim to help users to retrieve relevant information according to their preferences and analytical objectives. Hence, developing a SOLAP recommendation system would enhance spatial data warehouses exploitation. This paper proposes a SOLAP recommendation approach that aims to help users better exploit spatial data warehouses and retrieve relevant information by recommending personalized spatial MDX (Multidimensional Expressions) queries. The approach detects implicitly the preferences and needs of SOLAP users using a spatio-semantic similarity measure. The approach is described theoretically and validated by experiments.
Complete genome sequence of the thermophilic Thermus sp. CCB_US3_UF1 from a hot spring in Malaysia
Authors: Teh Beng Soon , Lau Nyok-Sean , Ng Fui Ling , Abdul Rahman Ahmad Yamin , Wan Xuehua , Saito Jennifer A. , Hou Shaobin , Teh Aik-Hong , Najimudin Nazalan , Alam Maqsudul
Published: October 2015

Thermus sp. strain CCB_US3_UF1 is a thermophilic bacterium of the genus Thermus, a member of the family Thermaceae. Members of the genus Thermus have been widely used as a biological model for structural biology studies and to understand the mechanism of microbial adaptation under thermal environments. Here, we present the complete genome sequence of Thermus sp. CCB_US3_UF1 isolated from a hot spring in Malaysia, which is the fifth member of the genus Thermus with a completely sequenced and publicly available genome (Genbank date of release: December 2, 2011). Thermus sp. CCB_US3_UF1 has the third largest genome within the genus. The complete genome comprises of a chromosome of 2.26 Mb and a plasmid of 19.7 kb. The genome contains 2279 protein-coding and 54 RNA genes. In addition, its genome revealed potential pathways for the synthesis of secondary metabolites (isoprenoid) and pigments (carotenoid).
Image registration guided wavefield tomography for shear-wave velocity model building
Authors: Yang Di , Shang Xuefeng , Malcolm Alison , Fehler Michael , Baek Hyoungsu
Published: October 2015

Multicomponent acquisitions offer the opportunity to form elastic migration images and to estimate elastic parameters of the subsurface. Compared with better constrained P-wave velocity inversions, it is more difficult to estimate the S-wave velocity due to strong nonlinearities introduced by converted S-waves. We have developed an iterative S-wave velocity inversion method guided by image registration. Given an accurate P-wave velocity and a simple initial S-wave model, we form P-P and P-S images using elastic reverse time migration. We use image registration to find the shifts between the P-S and P-P images. The S-wave velocity model could be updated iteratively by minimizing the differences between the original and the fractionally warped P-S images. A simple layered model and a modified Marmousi model are used to demonstrate the viability of the new method. In both examples, high-quality P-S images, as well as smooth S-wave velocity models, are inverted efficiently with a homogeneous S-wave initial model.
Development and piloting of a plan for integrating mental health in primary care in Sehore district, Madhya Pradesh, India
Authors: Shidhaye Rahul , Shrivastava Sanjay , Murhar Vaibhav , Samudre Sandesh , Ahuja Shalini , Ramaswamy Rohit , Patel Vikram
Published: October 2015

Background

The large treatment gap for mental disorders in India underlines the need for integration of mental health in primary care.

Aims

To operationalise the delivery of the World Health Organization Mental Health Gap Action Plan interventions for priority mental disorders and to design an integrated mental healthcare plan (MHCP) comprising packages of care for primary healthcare in one district.

Method

Mixed methods were used including theory of change workshops, qualitative research to develop the MHCP and piloting of specific packages of care in a single facility.

Results

The MHCP comprises three enabling packages: programme management, capacity building and community mobilisation; and four service delivery packages: awareness for mental disorders, identification, treatment and recovery. Challenges were encountered in training primary care workers to improve identification and treatment.

Conclusions

There are a number of challenges to integrating mental health into primary care, which can be addressed through the injection of new resources and collaborative care models.
Medicaid in Ohio: The Politics of Expansion, Reauthorization, and Reform
Authors: Skinner Daniel
Published: October 2015

When, in 2012, the US Supreme Court held that Medicaid expansion sanctioned by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was essentially optional for states, it ushered in a newly contentious state politics. States led by Republican governors and legislatures opposed to the ACA had to decide whether to accept extensive federal funding to expand Medicaid for citizens in their states who were earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. This Report from the States focuses on Ohio, whose Republican governor successfully navigated the rancorous politics of Medicaid to expand the state's program in 2014. Working at odds with his own party and gaining praise from traditional political opponents for his leadership on the issue, John Kasich circumvented the state legislature, turning to the Controlling Board to bring about initial expansion. In the wake of Kasich's landslide reelection in 2014, the politics of expansion and reauthorization have given way to a pervasive discourse of “reform.” In this next phase Kasich has endorsed policy positions (e.g., cost sharing, a focus on “personal responsibility”) that reunite him with his party's more traditional view of Medicaid while continuing to emphasize the importance of expansion.
Random measurable sets and covariogram realizability problems
Authors: Galerne Bruno , Lachièze-Rey Raphael
Published: October 2015

We provide a characterization of realisable set covariograms, bringing a rigorous yet abstract solution to theS2problem in materials science. Our method is based on the covariogram functional for random measurable sets (RAMS) and on a result about the representation of positive operators on a noncompact space. RAMS are an alternative to the classical random closed sets in stochastic geometry and geostatistics, and they provide a weaker framework that allows the manipulation of more irregular functionals, such as the perimeter. We therefore use the illustration provided by theS2problem to advocate the use of RAMS for solving theoretical problems of a geometric nature. Along the way, we extend the theory of random measurable sets, and in particular the local approximation of the perimeter by local covariograms.
Galam's bottom-up hierarchical system and public debate model revisited
Authors: Lanchier N. , Taylor N.
Published: October 2015

This paper is concerned with the bottom-up hierarchical system and public debate model proposed by Galam (2008), as well as a spatial version of the public debate model. In all three models, there is a population of individuals who are characterized by one of two competing opinions, say opinion −1 and opinion +1. This population is further divided into groups of common size s. In the bottom-up hierarchical system, each group elects a representative candidate, whereas in the other two models, all the members of each group discuss at random times until they reach a consensus. At each election/discussion, the winning opinion is chosen according to Galam's majority rule: the opinion with the majority of representatives wins when there is a strict majority, while one opinion, say opinion −1, is chosen by default in the case of a tie. For the public debate models we also consider the following natural updating rule that we call proportional rule: the winning opinion is chosen at random with a probability equal to the fraction of its supporters in the group. The three models differ in term of their population structure: in the bottom-up hierarchical system, individuals are located on a finite regular tree, in the nonspatial public debate model, they are located on a complete graph, and in the spatial public debate model, they are located on the d-dimensional regular lattice. For the bottom-up hierarchical system and nonspatial public debate model, Galam studied the probability that a given opinion wins under the majority rule and, assuming that individuals' opinions are initially independent, making the initial number of supporters of a given opinion a binomial random variable. The first objective of this paper is to revisit Galam's result, assuming that the initial number of individuals in favor of a given opinion is a fixed deterministic number. Our analysis reveals phase transitions that are sharper under our assumption than under Galam's assumption, particularly with small population size. The second objective is to determine whether both opinions can coexist at equilibrium for the spatial public debate model under the proportional rule, which depends on the spatial dimension.
State space collapse for critical multistage epidemics
Authors: Simatos Florian
Published: October 2015

We study a multistage epidemic model which generalizes the SIR model and where infected individuals go through K ≥ 1 stages of the epidemic before being removed. An infected individual in stage k ∈ {1, …, K} may infect a susceptible individual, who directly goes to stage k of the epidemic; or it may go to the next stage k + 1 of the epidemic. For this model, we identify the critical regime in which we establish diffusion approximations. Surprisingly, the limiting diffusion exhibits an unusual form of state space collapse which we analyze in detail.
A necessary and sufficient condition for the nontrivial limit of the derivative martingale in a branching random walk
Authors: Chen Xinxin
Published: October 2015

We consider a branching random walk. Biggins and Kyprianou (2004) proved that, in the boundary case, the associated derivative martingale converges almost surely to a finite nonnegative limit, whose law serves as a fixed point of a smoothing transformation (Mandelbrot's cascade). In this paper, we give a necessary and sufficient condition for the nontriviality of the limit in this boundary case.
Rare-event simulation and efficient discretization for the supremum of Gaussian random fields
Authors: Li Xiaoou , Liu Jingchen
Published: October 2015

In this paper we consider a classic problem concerning the high excursion probabilities of a Gaussian random fieldfliving on a compact setT. We develop efficient computational methods for the tail probabilitiesℙ{supTf(t) >b}. For each positive ε, we present Monte Carlo algorithms that run inconstanttime and compute the probabilities with relative error ε for arbitrarily largeb. The efficiency results are applicable to a large class of Hölder continuous Gaussian random fields. Besides computations, the change of measure and its analysis techniques have several theoretical and practical indications in the asymptotic analysis of Gaussian random fields.
Distance between two random k-out digraphs, with and without preferential attachment
Authors: Peterson Nicholas R. , Pittel Boris
Published: October 2015

A random k-out mapping (digraph) on [n] is generated by choosing k random images of each vertex one at a time, subject to a 'preferential attachment' rule: the current vertex selects an image i with probability proportional to a given parameter α = α(n) plus the number of times i has already been selected. Intuitively, the larger α becomes, the closer the resulting k-out mapping is to the uniformly random k-out mapping. We prove that α = Θ(n1/2) is the threshold for α growing 'fast enough' to make the random digraph approach the uniformly random digraph in terms of the total variation distance. We also determine an exact limit for this distance for the α = βn1/2 case.