bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bone Age Assessment
Authors: Kavya S. , Pugalendi Pavithra , P. A. Rose Martina , Sriraam N. , Babu K. S. , Hiremath Basavaraj
Published: February 2014

Bone age assessment defined as the measure of skeletal development is most often used in pediatrics and forensics to estimate the true age of a person. It is usually done by comparing the left hand X-ray of a person with the hand radiographs in the standard atlas or based on local regions of interests (ROI) that include epiphyseal regions of the phalanges (14 ROI’s).Both these assessments were labour intensive, prone to discrepancies and can only be used to estimate the age till 18. Hence there is a need to develop automated method to assess the bone age by exploiting the appropriate features. This paper attempts to identify a procedure in recognizing the respective bone that belongs to male or female with its corresponding age. The automated procedure comprises of segmentation of metacarpals using area based statistics followed by typical feature extraction. Nine features are extracted for the experimental study. A back propagation neural network is then applied to classify whether the given sample refers to male or female bone. It is observed from the simulation results that the proposed procedure is found to be less computation burden and the results are found to be comparable with the existing work reported in the literature.
Optical Fibers on Medical Instrumentation
Authors: Carmo J. P. , Ribeiro J. E.
Published: February 2014

This paper provides a revision with the state-of-the-art related to the use of optical fiber sensors on medical instrumentation. Two types of optical fiber sensors are the focus of review: conventional optical fibers for communications and fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs).
Magnetic Nano Particles for Medical Applications
Authors: Anjali C. K. , Gayatri M. S. Navya , Kumudha M. , Yoganand H. S. , Narayan K. , Prasad B. Daruka
Published: February 2014

Nano zinc ferrite powder was prepared by eco-friendly hydrothermal method. The prepared compound was well characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and UV-Vis spectophotometry. The compound formation was confirmed without any additional impurities. The PXRD data shows the crystallite size of the compound was about 6 nm. The SEM image showed the agglomeration of spherical nanoparticles. The UV-Vis spectrum and energy gap calculation confirmed the semiconducting behaviour of the sample. The magnetic properties of the compound revealed superparamagnetic nature at room temperature. These magnetic properties of the spherical nanoparticles are widely required in high performance devices like MRI contrast agent, cell separation and other biomedical applications.
Cross-Layered Secure and QoS Aware Design of VOIP over Wireless Ad-Hoc Networks
Authors: Vakilinia Shahin , Alvandi Mohammadhossein , Shoja Mohammadreza Khalili , Vakilinia Iman
Published: February 2014

In this paper, Cross-layer design has been used to provide quality of service (QoS) and security at the same time for VOIP over the wireless ad-hoc network. In this paper the authors extend their previous work (i.e. Multi-path Multi-Channel Protocol Design for Secure QoS-Aware VOIP in Wireless Ad-Hoc Networks) by adding transport and application layers considerations. The goal of this paper is to support QoS and security of VOIP simultaneously. Simulation results shows that the proposed cross-layered protocol stack design significantly improve QoS parameters of the VOIP calls under the jamming or Denial-of-service attacks.
ILR
Authors: Talasila Manoop , Curtmola Reza , Borcea Cristian
Published: February 2014

People-centric sensing with smart phones can be used for large scale sensing of the physical world at low cost by leveraging the available sensors on the phones. However, the sensed data submitted by participants is not always reliable as they can submit false data to earn money without executing the actual task at the desired location. To address this problem, the authors propose ILR, a scheme which Improves the Location Reliability of mobile crowd sensed data with minimal human efforts. In this scheme, the authors bootstrap the trust in the system by first manually validating a small number of photos submitted by participants. Based on these validations, the location of these photos is assumed to be trusted. Second, the authors extend this location trust to co-located sensed data points found in the Bluetooth range of the devices that provided the validated photos. In addition, the scheme also helps to detect false location claims associated with sensed data. The authors applied ILR on data collected from their McSense prototype deployed on Android phones used by students on their campus and detected a significant percentage of the malicious users.
Incident and Disaster Management Training
Authors: Hewitt Anne M. , Mirliss Danielle , Twal Riad
Published: February 2014

During the last five years, the maturation of incident and disaster management training has evolved substantially with widespread evidence that ICT positively impacts disaster outcomes. Virtual world (VW) technology with the use of avatars appears commonplace and widely accepted as either a stand-alone or a complementary learning strategy. However, the primary goals of emergency preparedness training (EPT), increased collaboration, leadership, and decision-making skills, have not been altered. This retrospective article briefly reviews the evolution in ICT learning theories and applies them to a virtual world simulation developed in Second Life™ for MHA graduate students completing an Emergency Management course. After five years of implementing the VW training, student results continue to show increased comfortability with the use of virtual worlds as a training platform, positive knowledge attainment, and marked improvement of emergency management skills. Additional research is recommended, but findings suggest that ICT appropriate learning theories (constructivism, situativity, visualization, and interactivity) still remain the most integral components for a successful virtual world training simulation.
Ascertaining Trust Indicators in Social Networking Sites
Authors: Veerasamy N. , Labuschagne W. A.
Published: February 2014

The use of social network sites has exploded with its multitude of functions which include posting pictures, interests, activities and establishing contacts. However, users may be unaware of the lurking dangers of threats originating from Social Networking Sites (SNS) which include malware or fake profiles. This paper investigates the indicators to arouse suspicion that a social networking account is invalid with a specific focus on Facebook as an illustrative example. The results from a survey on users’ opinions on social networks, is presented in the paper. This helps reveal some of the trust indicators that leads users to ascertaining whether a social networking profile is valid or not. Finally, indicators of potentially deceptive agents and profiles are given as a guideline to help users decide whether they should proceed with interaction with certain contacts.
Social Engineering Techniques and Password Security
Authors: Medlin B. Dawn
Published: February 2014

Due to the Internet and applications that can access the Internet, healthcare employees can benefit from the ability to view patient data almost anywhere and at any time. Data and information is also being shared among third party vendors, partners and supplies. With this type of accessibility of information which generally does include very personal information such as diagnosis and social security numbers, data can easily be obtained either through social engineering techniques or weak password usage. In this paper, a presentation of social engineering techniques is explored as well as the password practices of actual health care workers.
IT Governance in Higher Education Institutions in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Authors: Ajami Racha , Al-Qirim Nabeel
Published: February 2014

With IT affecting all aspects of university’s/school’s academic and professional affairs, an efficient IT governance (ITG) is required to assure that all kinds of expensive and complex information technology is appropriately governed. Despite the importance of IT; there has been limited research looking at how ITG is implemented in higher education institution or how to harness its benefits. This research focuses on how ITG is adopted and implemented in higher education institutions in UAE by considering the case of two different universities. The research proposes a theoretical framework derived from COBIT and Six Sigma to help in governing IT in higher education institutions. The framework will help in directing different processes toward evaluating any decision concerning the alignment and compatibility of IT with the overall strategies and goals of higher education institutions. This is achieved to increase services quality over time, aligning and supporting business strategies, and controlling and minimizing IT risks in order to increase stakeholder’s value and reducing cost.
Despeckle Filtering Toolbox for Medical Ultrasound Video
Authors: Loizou Christos P. , Theofanous Charoula , Pantziaris Marios , Kasparis Takis , Christodoulides Paul , Nicolaides Andrew N. , Pattichis Constantinos S.
Published: February 2014

Ultrasound medical video has the potential in differentiating between normal and abnormal tissue and structure. Ultrasound imaging is used in border identification and texture characterisation of the atherosclerotic carotid plaque in the common carotid artery (CCA), the identification and measurement of the intima-media thickness (IMT) and the lumen diameter that are very important in the assessment of cardiovascular disease. However, visual perception is reduced by speckle noise affecting the quality of ultrasound B-mode imaging. Noise reduction is therefore essential for increasing the visual quality or as a pre-processing step for further automated analysis, such as the video segmentation of the IMT and the atherosclerotic carotid plaque in ultrasound video sequences. In order to facilitate this analysis, the authors have developed a video analysis software toolbox based on MATLAB® that uses video despeckling, texture analysis and image quality evaluation techniques to automate the pre-processing and complement the disease evaluation in ultrasound CCA videos. The proposed software, which is based on a graphical user interface (GUI), incorporates video normalisation, 4 different despeckle filtering techniques (DsFlsmv, DsFhmedian, DsFkuwahara and DsFsrad), 65 texture features, 11 quantitative video quality metrics and objective video quality evaluation. The software was validated on 10 ultrasound videos of the CCA, by comparing its results with quantitative visual analysis performed by two medical experts. It was shown that the filters DsFlsmv, and DsFhmedian improved video quality perception (based on the expert’s assessment and the video quality metrics). It is anticipated that the system could help the physician in the assessment of cardiovascular video analysis. However, exhaustive evaluation of the despeckle filtering toolbox has to be carried out by more experts on more videos.
Performance Evaluation of SHA-2 Standard vs. SHA-3 Finalists on Two Freescale Platforms
Authors: Murvay Pal-Stefan , Groza Bogdan
Published: February 2014

Embedded devices are ubiquitously involved in a large variety of security applications which heavily rely on the computation of hash functions. Roughly, two alternatives for speeding up computations co-exist in these resource constrained devices: parallel processing and hardware acceleration. Needles to say, multi-core devices are clearly the next step in embedded systems due to clear technological limitations on single processor frequency. Hardware accelerators are long known to be a cheaper approach for costly cryptographic functions. The authors analysis is focused on the five SHA-3 finalists which are also contrasted to the previous SHA-2 standard and to the widespread MD5. On the hardware side, the authors deploy their implementations on two platforms from Freescale: a S12X core equipped with an XGATE coprocessor and a Kinetis K60 core equipped with a crypto co-processor. These platforms differ significantly in terms of computational power, the first is based on a 16-bit Freescale proprietary architecture while the former relies on a more recent 32-bit Cortex core. The authors’ experimental results show mixed performances between the old standard and the new candidates. Some of the new candidates clearly outperform the old standard in terms of both computational speed and memory requirements while others do not. Bottom line, on the 16 bit platform BLAKE and Grøstl are the top performers while on the 32-bit platform Keccak, Blake and Skein give the best results.
Ligation of Surface Ig by Gut-Derived Antigen Positively Selects Chicken Bursal and Peripheral B Cells
Authors: Davani Dariush , Pancer Zeev , Ratcliffe Michael J. H.
Published: February 2014

In many mammals and birds, B cell lymphopoiesis takes place in GALT, such as the avian bursa of Fabricius. Although BCR expression is sufficient for bursal colonization, the role of BCR ligation in the later stages of bursal B cell lymphopoiesis remains elusive. To address this directly, we introduced a surface Ig–related construct with defined Ag specificity containing the Ag-binding portion of a lamprey variable lymphocyte receptor specific for PE fused to a truncated chicken μ-chain (VLRPETμ) into developing chick embryos. VLRPETμ expression supports bursal follicle colonization, clonal expansion, and Ig V gene diversification. VLRPETμ-expressing B cells migrate to the periphery in the absence of the Ag starting from day 18 of embryogenesis. VLRPETμ-expressing B cells declined rapidly in the bursa and periphery in the absence of Ag after hatch; however, intrabursal injection of PE prolonged survival of VLRPETμ+ bursal and peripheral B cells. Intrabursal introduction of Ag increased emigration of short-lived LT2+ B cells. Peripheral VLRPETμ+ B cells were maintained following intrabursal PE application and contained both short-lived LT2+ and long-lived LT2− B cells. In the chicken bursa, the later stages of B cell development occur in the presence of gut-derived Ag; therefore, we conclude that Ag-mediated ligation of BCR in bursal B cells acts to positively select bursal B cells into both short-lived and long-lived peripheral B cell populations.
A clash of gods – Conceptualising space in Daniel 1
Authors: De Bruyn J. Jacobus
Published: February 2014

Applying cognitive linguistics to the text of Daniel 1 is a useful exegetical aid for a better understanding of the narrative. Studying the author’s use of ‘spatial markers’ such as ‘Jerusalem’, ‘Babylon’, ‘temple’ and some other spatial features, makes it possible to reconstruct the narrative into a ‘cognitive spatial frameset’. In this particular exegetical frameset, Daniel 1 can be described as a narrated confrontation between Yahweh and the gods of Babylon. Within this conflict between deities, Daniel, the divine agent becomes a spatial embodiment of Yahweh’s power and authority to act inside a hostile, non-Israelite environment and at the same time undermines the authority of the Babylonian gods.
Serum biochemical and haematological reference intervals for water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) heifers
Authors: Abd Ellah Mahmoud R. , Hamed Maha I. , Ibrahim Derar R. , Rateb Hassan Z.
Published: February 2014

Based on a review of the literature, reference intervals for water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) serum biochemistry and haematology have not previously been published. The current study was done to establish reference intervals for water buffalo heifers. The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry stated that at least 120 values are necessary to obtain reliable estimates for reference intervals. A total number of 127 clinically healthy buffalo heifers (1–2 years old) were included in the study. Animals were examined at buffalo farms that belong to Assiut Governorate, Egypt. Three types of samples were collected: serum samples for biochemical analysis, whole blood samples for haematological analysis and faecal samples for parasitological examination. Animals that fitted the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Biochemical analysis included serum total proteins, albumin, total globulins, alpha, beta and gamma globulin levels, and aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma glutamyl transferase, creatine phosphokinase and lactate dehydrogenase activity. In addition to the above, serum creatinine, urea, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, indirect bilirubin, sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, iron, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, very low density lipoprotein, glucose levels and 20 haematological variables were measured. The 95.0% reference intervals were calculated by removing the upper and lower 2.5% of the interval for each serum biochemical constituent to give the 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles. Confidence intervals were calculated for each reference limit. Reference intervals from the current study were compared with established values for cows. The current study is as far as could be determined the first that establishes reference intervals for the serum biochemical and haematological parameters in water buffalo heifers.
An exploration of stereotype perceptions amongst support staff within a South African higher education institution
Authors: Moloto Given R.B. , Brink Lizelle , Nel J. Alewyn
Published: February 2014

Orientation: After the 1994 democratic elections, South African organisations had to replace discriminatory policies with new policies to integrate all people and to embrace diversity. As a consequence stereotypes may be more prevalent in diverse working environments.Research purpose: The objective of this study was to explore the experience of stereotypes amongst the support staff within a higher education institution.Motivation for this study: Changes within South African working environments, and specifically higher education institutions, resulted in more diverse management teams and a more culturally diverse workforce. With this in mind, the experience of stereotypes may become more prevalent within South African working environments. Many researchers have focused on stereotypes; however, studies on stereotypes within South Africa are limited, especially within higher education institutions. Research approach, design and method: The research approach was qualitative and a case study design was employed. A combination of both quota and convenience sampling was used. The sample consisted of (N = 30) support staff within a higher education institution in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data.Main findings: The results indicated that the participants do experience stereotypes within their workplace and also hold stereotypes of other people within their workplace. The most prevalent stereotypes mentioned by participants were age, gender, racial and occupational stereotypes. There is also an indication that stereotypes have cognitive, emotional and behavioural effects on the stereotyped.Practical/managerial implications: Organisations should do away with stereotyping by embracing and managing diversity and dealing with stereotypes, specifically within higher education institutions. When managers are aware of stereotypes and the effects thereof in the organisation, they can make every effort to eradicate the stereotypes and address the impact thereof.Contribution: In an environment where there is a diverse workforce, stereotyping is more likely to exist. This study will provide useful information about stereotypes within a higher education institution seeing that there are a limited number of studies on this topic within South Africa and within this specific occupation. The results of the study will enlighten the organisation to become more aware of stereotypes and the debilitating impact that they have on the individual and the organisation, thereby providing the organisation with the opportunity to address stereotypes and the impact thereof on employees and the organisation.
Pulmonary Hyalinizing Granuloma Associated with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
Authors: Coleman Christopher , Nassar Aziza , McComb Barbara
Published: February 2014

Pulmonary hyalinizing granuloma (PHG) is a rare, benign lung disease of unknown etiology. It manifests as discrete, rounded nodules within the lung parenchyma. A 39-year-old woman presented for investigation after pulmonary nodules were found incidentally. Chest computed tomography showed multiple, discrete, non-enhancing pulmonary nodules bilaterally. Positron emission tomography (PET) was negative. Biopsy demonstrated a non-specific lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate. Open resection yielded two nodules consistent with hyalinizing granulomas. The differential for multiple pulmonary nodules is broad. PET scan can help rule out metastatic disease, although some cancers are not hypermetabolic on PET. Furthermore, some non-malignant conditions, including hyalinizing granuloma, can show increased activity on PET. PHG should be included in the differential of multiple pulmonary nodules, especially if nodule stability can be demonstrated and/or needle biopsies are non-diagnostic. Associated immune-mediated conditions, such as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in our patient, may also favor HG. In this case report we find an association between PHG and ITP.
Fast Exponential Time Integration for Pricing Options in Stochastic Volatility Jump Diffusion Models
Authors: Pang Hong-Kui , Sun Hai-Wei
Published: February 2014

The stochastic volatility jump diffusion model with jumps in both return and volatility leads to a two-dimensional partial integro-differential equation (PIDE). We exploit a fast exponential time integration scheme to solve this PIDE. After spatial discretization and temporal integration, the solution of the PIDE can be formulated as the action of an exponential of a block Toeplitz matrix on a vector. The shift-invert Arnoldi method is employed to approximate this product. To reduce the computational cost, matrix splitting is combined with the multigrid method to deal with the shift-invert matrix-vector product in each inner iteration. Numerical results show that our proposed scheme is more robust and efficient than the existing high accurate implicit-explicit Euler-based extrapolation scheme.
An Artificial Boundary Condition for a Class of Quasi-Newtonian Stokes Flows
Authors: Liu Baoqing , Chen Qing , Du Qikui
Published: February 2014

An artificial boundary condition method, derived in terms of infinite Fourier series, is applied to solve a class of quasi-Newtonian Stokes flows. Based on the natural boundary reduction involving an artificial condition on the artificial boundary, the coupled variational problem and its numerical solution are obtained. The unique solvability of the continuous and discrete formulations are discussed, and the error analysis for the problem is also considered. Finally, an a posteriori error estimate for the corresponding problem is provided.
Comparative Study on Waterborne Parasites between Malaysia and Thailand: A New Insight
Authors: Kumar Thulasi , Onichandran Subashini , Lim Yvonne A. L. , Sawangjaroen Nongyao , Ithoi Init , Andiappan Hemah , Salibay Cristina C. , Dungca Julieta Z. , Chye Tan Tian , Sulaiman Wan Y. W. , Ling Lau Yee , Nissapatorn Veeranoot
Published: February 2014

This study investigated the distribution of parasites as main contaminants in water environments of peninsular Malaysia (October 2011–December 2011) and the southeastern coast of Thailand (June 2012). Sixty-four water samples, 33 from Malaysia and 31 from Thailand, of various water types were examined according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. Drinking or household water types from both countries were free from parasitic contamination. The recreational/environmental (except a swimming pool in Malaysia) and effluent water types from these two countries were contaminated with waterborne parasites: Giardia (0.04–4 cysts/L), Cryptosporidium (0.06–2.33 oocysts/L), hookworm (6.67–350 ova/L), Ascaris (0.33–33.33 ova/L), and Schistosoma (9.25–13.33 ova/L). The most contaminated sites were recreational lake garden 3 in Malaysia and river 2 in Thailand. Higher concentrations of Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and hookworm were found in samples from Malaysia than in samples from Thailand. The presence of Giardia cysts showed a significant association with the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts (P < 0.005).
Correlation between Presence of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in Heart Tissue of Baboons and Cynomolgus Monkeys, and Lymphocytic Myocarditis
Authors: Mubiru James N. , Yang Alice , Dick Edward J. , Owston Michael , Sharp R. Mark , VandeBerg Jane F. , Shade Robert E. , VandeBerg John L.
Published: February 2014

Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease, preferentially infects cardiac and digestive tissues. Baboons living in Texas (Papio hamadryas) and cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) have been reported to be infected naturally with T. cruzi. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed cases of animals that were diagnosed with lymphocytic myocarditis and used a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method (S36/S35 primer set) to amplify T. cruzi DNA from archived frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) cardiac tissues. We show that the PCR method is applicable in archived frozen and FFPE tissues and the sensitivity is in the femtogram range. A positive correlation between PCR positivity and lymphocytic myocarditis in both baboons and cynomolgus monkeys is shown. We also show epicarditis as a common finding in animals infected with T. cruzi.
Measuring the Effectiveness of Interventions When Occupational Performance is Severely Impaired
Authors: Parkinson Sue , Cooper John R , de las Heras de Pablo Carmen Gloria , Forsyth Kirsty
Published: February 2014

There has been a call for conceptually valid assessments to measure occupational performance with greater sensitivity. This opinion piece reasons that a broad-based tool is required to relate subtle shifts in occupational participation to changes in the therapeutic environment. It includes case vignettes from learning disability and dementia services to illustrate the progress that can be made in occupational participation. Improvements in participation were matched to indicators of change in existing assessment and intervention manuals, leading to the development of a new assessment. Future research will investigate the assessment's potential to measure progress when a person's occupational performance is severely impaired.
Intra- and Inter-Rater Reliability of the Assessment of Children's Hand Skills Based on Video Recordings
Authors: Chien Chi-Wen , Scanlon Clare , Rodger Sylvia , Copley Jodie
Published: February 2014

Introduction:

Hand skills are essential for children's occupational performance. The Assessment of Children's Hand Skills is a new assessment that utilizes naturalistic observations to capture children's actual hand-skill performance in everyday contexts. This study aimed to explore intra- and inter-rater reliability of the assessment based on video recordings, which are different from original naturalistic observations.

Method:

Two raters scored video recordings of 54 hand-skill activities performed by 12 children with developmental disabilities, twice in 2 weeks. Intra- and inter-rater reliability was examined at the individual hand-skill item scores, activity scores, and children's composite scores of the Assessment of Children's Hand Skills.

Findings:

Intra-rater reliability at item levels was generally acceptable, and both raters exhibited moderate to high agreement between the first and second evaluations (intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.61–0.93) at activity scores and children's composite scores. However, the agreement between the two raters was unacceptable for most hand-skill items and activity scores. After rater effects were adjusted by Rasch analysis in children's composite scores, the inter-rater reliability was improved (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.81).

Conclusion:

This study shows that the Assessment of Children's Hand Skills based on video recordings is reliable within the same raters. Further research is required to confirm its inter-rater reliability by involving more training and raters with varied clinical experience.
The Role Checklist V2: QP: Establishment of Reliability and Validation of Electronic Administration
Authors: Scott Patricia Jane , McFadden Rachel , Yates Kristen , Baker Sarah , McSoley Sara
Published: February 2014

Introduction:

The purpose of this study was to establish reliability of the Role Checklist Version 2: Quality of Performance (Role Checklist V2: QP) and verify the internal consistency between paper and electronic administration. This revised Role Checklist includes a Part 3, which prompts clients to rank the quality of their current performance in occupational roles, thus adding an ‘insider view’, to complete the picture of clients' occupational role participation.

Method:

One hundred participants completed the Role Checklist V2: QP by paper and electronic means in a test—retest design.

Findings:

Estimates of kappa, weighted kappa, and Cronbach's alpha were used to measure the reliability of the Role Checklist V2: QP. For Part 1, kappa values for individual roles ranged from 0.53 to 0.95. Cronbach's alpha values representing percent agreement for Parts 2 and 3 showed a significant level of agreement between paper and electronic administrations. Values for Part 2 and 3 showed almost perfect agreement of 0.88 to 1.0.

Conclusion:

Kappa and Cronbach's alpha values indicate the Role Checklist V2: QP is a reliable instrument and can be administered confidently via either electronic means or paper and pencil to gather information about clients' role incumbency, role value, and satisfaction with role performance.
Automated rain rate estimates using the Ka-band ARM Zenith Radar (KAZR)
Authors: Chandra A. , Zhang C. , Kollias P. , Matrosov S. , Szyrmer W.
Published: February 2014

Abstract. The use of millimeter wavelength radars for probing precipitation has recently gained interest. However, estimation of precipitation variables is not straightforward due to strong attenuation, radar receiver saturation, antenna wet radome effects and natural microphysical variability. Here, an automated algorithm is developed for routinely retrieving rain rates from profiling Ka-band (35-GHz) ARM zenith radars (KAZR). A 1-D simple, steady state microphysical model is used to estimate the impact of microphysical processes and attenuation on the profiles of the radar observables at 35-GHz and thus provide criteria for identifying when attenuation or microphysical processes dominate KAZR observations. KAZR observations are also screened for saturation and wet radome effects. The proposed algorithm is implemented in two steps: high rain rates are retrieved by using the amount of attenuation in rain layers, while lower rain rates by the Ze–R (reflectivity-rain rate) relation is implemented. Observations collected by the KAZR, disdrometer and scanning weather radars during the DYNAMO/AMIE field campaign at Gan Island of the tropical Indian Ocean are used to validate the proposed approach. The results indicate that the proposed algorithm can be used to derive robust statistics of rain rates in the tropics from KAZR observations.
Last Interglacial model-data mismatch of thermal maximum temperatures partially explained
Authors: Bakker P. , Renssen H.
Published: February 2014

Abstract. The timing of the Last Interglacial (LIG) thermal maximum is highly uncertain. Compilations of maximum LIG temperatures are therefore based on the assumption that maximum warmth occurred synchronously across the globe. Although known to be an oversimplification, the impact of this assumption on temperature estimates has yet to be assessed. We use the LIG temperature evolutions simulated by 9 different climate models to investigate whether the assumption of synchronicity results in a sizeable overestimation of LIG thermal maximum temperatures. We find that for annual temperatures, the overestimation is small, strongly model-dependent (global mean 0.4 ± 0.3 °C) and cannot explain the recently published 0.67 °C difference between simulated and reconstructed LIG thermal maximum temperatures. However, if one takes into consideration that temperature proxies are possibly biased towards summer, the overestimation of the LIG thermal maximum based on warmest month temperatures is non-negligible (global mean 1.1 ± 0.4 °C) and can at least partly explain the 0.67 °C global model-data difference.
Developing an index for heavy convective rainfall over a Mediterranean coastal area
Authors: Korologou M. , Flocas H. , Michalopoulou H.
Published: February 2014

Abstract. Heavy convective rainfall incidents that occurred over western coastal Greece and led to flash floods are analyzed with respect to mesoscale analysis for the period from January 2006 to June 2011. The synoptic scale circulation is examined throughout the troposphere along with satellite images, lightning data and synoptic observations of weather stations. Well known instability indices are calculated and tested against synoptic observations. Taking into account the severity of the incidents, the performance of the indices was not as good as expected. Further detailed analysis resulted to the development of a new index that incorporates formalized experience of local weather and modeled knowledge of mechanism of severe thunderstorms. The proposed index named Local Instability Index (LII) is then evaluated and its performance is found to be quite satisfactory.
Contagious Joy:
Authors: Antliff Mark
Published: February 2014

In 1913 a cross section of the London- and Paris-based avant-garde signed a public petition protesting the Paris Municipal government's censorship of Jacob Epstein's Tomb of Oscar Wilde. Published as a broadside in mid-March 1913 by the journal Action d'art, the petition was forgotten until Epstein highlighted it in his 1940 autobiography. The Action d'art group's defense of Epstein's tomb was premised on a theory of anarchist-individualism espoused by the journal's founder, André Colomer, and his “art action.” The movement itself proved a success, which resulted in the forging of strong ties between anarchist writers, artists, and the avant-garde community.
Peirce and Photography: Art, Semiotics, and Science
Authors: Robins Alexander
Published: February 2014

In this article, I focus on Charles Sanders Peirce's viability for contemporary art history and criticism. I argue that in order to make sense of Peirce's published remarks on photographs they should be read in light of specific nineteenth-century uses of photography in experimental science. I argue that Peirce's comments on photography are consistent with a realist theory of science. It is only when these remarks are contextualized within a broader scientific project that we may begin to mine Peirce for his art historical value.
Evidentiating Free Will
Authors: Rescher Nicholas
Published: February 2014

The idea is nowadays current that recent work in neurophysiology strongly counterindicates the doctrine of free will. The present piece seeks to exhibit the incorrectness of this view.
Implementation of a Quality Improvement Program to Improve Sweat Test Performance in a Pediatric Hospital
Authors: Aqil Barina , West Aaron , Dowlin Michael , Tam Estella , Nordstrom Cristy , Buffone Gregory , Devaraj Sridevi
Published: February 2014

Context.—All positive screening of newborns for cystic fibrosis using the dried blood spot 2-tiered immunoreactive trypsinogen/DNA method requires subsequent sweat chloride testing for confirmation. Obtaining an adequate volume of sweat to measure chloride is a challenge for many cystic fibrosis centers across the nation. The standard for patients older than 3 months is less than 5% quantity not sufficient (QNS) and for patients 3 months or younger is less than 10% QNS.

Objective.—To set up a quality improvement (QI) program for sweat testing to improve QNS rates using the Wescor Macroduct (Wescor, Inc, Logan, Utah) method at Texas Children's Hospital's laboratory, Houston, Texas.

Design.—Single-center study.

Results.—Quantity not sufficient rates were evaluated for 4 months before and 8 months after implementation of the QI program for patients aged 3 months or younger and those older than 3 months. The QI program included changes in technician training, service, site of collection, mode of collection, weekly review, and forms to screen patients for medications that may alter sweat production. A marked improvement was observed in the rates of QNS, which declined considerably from 16.7% to 8.5% (≤3 months old) and from 9.3% to 2.2% (>3 months old) after implementation of the QI initiative in both age categories.

Conclusion.—This report demonstrates the effectiveness of the QI program in significantly improving QNS rates in sweat chloride testing in a pediatric hospital.
La recompensa del muro o la insegura proliferación del “barrio cerrado”. Reflexiones en torno a 'La Zona' y 'On the safe side'
Authors: Muñoz Aunión Marta
Published: February 2014

Resumen: La proliferación en las metrópolis globales de los llamados “barrios cerrados” o gated communities obedece a una interpretación de la ciudad en clave de amenaza. Una de sus consecuencias es la fragmentación del suelo público de modo tal, que junto a la presunta protección de algunos, acaba exponiéndose el desequilibrio y la interperie económica y social en las que habita el resto de ciudadanos. El análisis de la película La Zona (Plá, R. 2007) y el documental On the safe side (Wichmann, C. & Schmid, L.2010) pone de relieve los elementos esenciales que dan forma a este tipo de ocupación del territorio metropolitano creando dinámicas de exclusión, distanciamiento y alteridad. La comparación entre la ficción y la realidad documentada permite reflexionar sobre el futuro de las megalópolis y los modos de convivencia que puede llegar a generar la localización física del antagonismo entre la marginalidad y el elitismo. Palabras claves: megalópolis, “barrio cerrado”, fragmentación urbana y social, representaciones cinematográficas, alteridad.
Glolugares: espacios singulares de la glocalización. El caso de Valencia.
Authors: Hernández Gil Manuel
Published: February 2014

En el presente artículo pretendemos introducir el concepto de "glolugar", a modo de tipo ideal weberiano, para caracterizar lo que a nuestro juicio constituye un determinado espacio singular de la glocalización, un espacio complejo y relativamente novedoso que no se deja atrapar en las categorías del lugar clásico o del no-lugar contemporáneo. Por ello, y para contextualizar teóricamente nuestra propuesta, en primer lugar plantearemos los conceptos de globalización, glocalización y grobarización. Posteriormente describiremos las realidades que enuncian los lugares, los lugares de memoria y los no-lugares, para acto seguido presentar y argumentar la relevancia de lo que hemos dado en llamar "glolugares". Finalmente describiremos una serie de rasgos relevantes del área Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias-Puerto de Valencia que permitirían interpretarla en términos de un glolugar.
Transgresión de un silencio obligado: la polifonía discursiva de Leonardo Padura
Authors: García Talaván Paula
Published: February 2014

Resumen: En este artículo intentamos demostrar la riqueza polifónica de la prosa de Leonardo Padura destacando las múltiples voces que dialogan en las páginas de sus novelas y los distintos géneros y formas que estas adoptan. Además pretendemos destacar esta combinación polifónica como una medida de oposición al discurso oficial cubano de los años setenta.   Palabras Clave: Polifonía discursiva, neopolicial, Padura, Cuba. Abstract: In this paper we try to demonstrate the polyphonic wealth of Leonardo Padura's prose.  To achieve this, we emphasize the multiple voices talking from the pages of his novels and the different genres and forms that these voices are able to adopt. Besides, we seek to emphasize this polyphony as a measure of opposition to the official Cuban speech of the seventies.   Key Words: Polyphony, speech, neo-policial, Padura, Cuba.
Desplazamientos. Una reflexión sobre la posibilidad de escuchar el horror
Authors: Acedo Alonso Noemí
Published: February 2014

Resumen: Las relaciones que existen entre la poesía y la representación del fenómeno de la Shoah han sido ampliamente estudiadas por la filosofía y los estudios literarios, interesados en todo lo que concierne a la memoria y al recuerdo del horror. Sin embargo, creo que las razones que llevan a algunos sobrevivientes de la última dictadura militar argentina a afirmar que la poesía es el género más adecuado para aproximarse a la representación del horror están todavía insuficientemente exploradas.  A partir de la crítica filosófica de la representación y del estudio contemporáneo sobre la significación de la escucha, ahondaré en el sentido de la afirmación sobre la poesía y el horror.   Palabras clave: representación, horror, visión, poesía, testimonio, escucha. Abstract: The relations that exist between the poetry and the representation of the Shoah have been widely studied by the philosophy and the literary studies, which are interested in what concerns the memory and the recollection of the horror. Nevertheless, I believe that the reasons that lead some survivors of the last military Argentine dictatorship to affirming that the poetry is the best genre  to come closer the representation of the horror are still insufficiently explored. From the philosophical critique of the representation and of the contemporary study on the significance of the listening, I will go deeply into the sense of the affirmation on the poetry and the horror. Key words: representation, horror, vision, poetry, testimony, listening.
De los cruces entre el cine y la literatura: Osvaldo Soriano y la desmitificación del Olimpo hollywoodense
Authors: Previtera Roberta
Published: February 2014

Resumen: Este artículo se propone investigar la recuperación del discurso cinematográfico operada por el escritor argentino Osvaldo Soriano. El autor retoma personajes arquetípicos, esquemas narrativos y convenciones descriptivas de los principales géneros cinematográficos hollywoodenses y las adapta al contexto cultural argentino. En particular se analizará la relación que se establece entre la novela Cuarteles de invierno y el género western. Se trata de una rescritura paródica en la que Soriano, desmitificando los valores tradicionalmente asociados al género, transmite un punto de vista crítico sobre el presente histórico.  Palabras Clave:Soriano, desmitificación, cine, western, reescritura. Abstract: The aim of the work is studying how Osvaldo Soriano introduces elements of cinematographic speech in his novels. He picks up Hollywood archetypical characters, narrative formulas and descriptive conventions and adapts them to the Argentinean cultural context. In particular we will analyze the relationship between the novel Cuarteles de invierno and the western. This novel is a parody where Soriano operate a demystification of the genre’s values in order to transmit a critical evaluation of the contemporary society.  Key Words:Soriano, demystification, cinema, western, rewriting.
Del lector en Borges: de cruces genéricos e intertextuales
Authors: Centenera Tapia Gerardo
Published: February 2014

Resumen: Exposición de las propuestas teóricas de Borges sobre el género literario. Se plantea la pertinencia de aplicarlas en el análisis de su propia obra. Se discute su validez como herramienta crítica, su influencia en la crítica ulterior y su relación con el conjunto del pensamiento del autor.  Palabras clave: Borges, género, recepción, hibridez genérica, crítica creativa  Abstract: Relation of Borges’ theoretical ideas about literary genre. We comtemplate the suitability of applying these ideas in the analysis of Borge’s own work; wheter they are valid as a critical tool, its influence in ulterior criticism as well as its relation within the overall thinking of the author.  Key words: Borges, genre, Reception, hybrid genre, creative criticism
La construcción de la experiencia del viaje en la escritura: figuras del escritor viajero contemporáneo
Authors: Zygmunt Karolina
Published: February 2014

Resumen: El presente trabajo propone un análisis de la representación del viaje en las obras literarias contemporáneas. Se parte de la hipótesis de que existe una relación entre la experiencia del viaje y su representación en la literatura. El objetivo de este ejercicio crítico es explicar este vínculo, señalando la importancia de la escritura como un espacio en el que se construye la experiencia del viaje.   Palabras Clave: Guevara, Armada, Reverte, Kerouac, Chatwin, Krakauer, Kapucinski,  viaje, transformación del sujeto, conocimiento, metaliteratura, intertextualidad.  Abstract: This article proposes an analysis of the representation of the journey in contemporary literature. It’s assumed that there's a relationship between the journey experience and her representation in the literature. The goal of this critical exercise is to explain this connection, as well as the importance of writing, which can work as a space of creation of the journey experience.   Key Words: Guevara, Guevara, Armada, Reverte, Kerouac, Chatwin, Krakauer, Kapu?ci?ski,  transformation of the subject, knowledge, metaliterature, intertextuality
PTRN-1, a microtubule minus end-binding CAMSAP homolog, promotes microtubule function in Caenorhabditis elegans neurons
Authors: Richardson Claire E , Spilker Kerri A , Cueva Juan G , Perrino John , Goodman Miriam B , Shen Kang
Published: February 2014

In neuronal processes, microtubules (MTs) provide structural support and serve as tracks for molecular motors. While it is known that neuronal MTs are more stable than MTs in non-neuronal cells, the molecular mechanisms underlying this stability are not fully understood. In this study, we used live fluorescence microscopy to show that the C. elegans CAMSAP protein PTRN-1 localizes to puncta along neuronal processes, stabilizes MT foci, and promotes MT polymerization in neurites. Electron microscopy revealed that ptrn-1 null mutants have fewer MTs and abnormal MT organization in the PLM neuron. Animals grown with a MT depolymerizing drug caused synthetic defects in neurite branching in the absence of ptrn-1 function, indicating that PTRN-1 promotes MT stability. Further, ptrn-1 null mutants exhibited aberrant neurite morphology and synaptic vesicle localization that is partially dependent on dlk-1. Our results suggest that PTRN-1 represents an important mechanism for promoting MT stability in neurons.
Mitochondrial Rab GAPs govern autophagosome biogenesis during mitophagy
Authors: Yamano Koji , Fogel Adam I , Wang Chunxin , van der Bliek Alexander M , Youle Richard J
Published: February 2014

Damaged mitochondria can be selectively eliminated by mitophagy. Although two gene products mutated in Parkinson’s disease, PINK1, and Parkin have been found to play a central role in triggering mitophagy in mammals, how the pre-autophagosomal isolation membrane selectively and accurately engulfs damaged mitochondria remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that TBC1D15, a mitochondrial Rab GTPase-activating protein (Rab-GAP), governs autophagosome biogenesis and morphology downstream of Parkin activation. To constrain autophagosome morphogenesis to that of the cargo, TBC1D15 inhibits Rab7 activity and associates with both the mitochondria through binding Fis1 and the isolation membrane through the interactions with LC3/GABARAP family members. Another TBC family member TBC1D17, also participates in mitophagy and forms homodimers and heterodimers with TBC1D15. These results demonstrate that TBC1D15 and TBC1D17 mediate proper autophagic encapsulation of mitochondria by regulating Rab7 activity at the interface between mitochondria and isolation membranes.