bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Migration of a Broken Kirschner Wire after Surgical Treatment of Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocation
Authors: Batın Sabri , Ozan Fırat , Gürbüz Kaan , Uzun Erdal , Kayalı Cemil , Altay Taşkın
Published: December 2016

Kirschner wire (K-wire) is one of the commonly used implants in orthopaedics practice. Migration of the wire is one of the most frequently reported complications after fixation by the K-wire. In particular, it has been reported that a greater range of motion in the shoulder, negative intrathoracic pressure associated with respiration, gravitational force, and muscular activities may cause migration from the upper extremities. In general, thin and long foreign bodies with smooth surfaces that are localized within the tendon sheath and at an upper extremity can migrate more readily and can reach longer distances. Here, we present a patient with long-term migration of a broken K-wire who underwent fixation for acromioclavicular joint dislocation 5 years ago.
Effects of Freestream Turbulence on Cavity Tone and Sound Source
Authors: Yokoyama Hiroshi , Odawara Hiroshi , Iida Akiyoshi
Published: December 2016

To clarify the effects of freestream turbulence on cavity tones, flow and acoustic fields were directly predicted for cavity flows with various intensities of freestream turbulence. The freestream Mach number was 0.09 and the Reynolds number based on the cavity length was 4.0 × 104. The depth-to-length ratio of the cavity,D/L, was 0.5 and 2.5, where the acoustic resonance of a depth-mode occurs forD/L= 2.5. The incoming boundary layer was laminar. The results for the intensity of freestream turbulence of Tu = 2.3% revealed that the reduced level of cavity tones in a cavity flow with acoustic resonance(D/L=2.5)was greater than that without acoustic resonance(D/L=0.5). To clarify the reason for this, the sound source based on Lighthill’s acoustic analogy was computed, and the contributions of the intensity and spanwise coherence of the sound source to the reduction of the cavity tone were estimated. As a result, the effects of the reduction of spanwise coherence on the cavity tone were greater in the cavity flow with acoustic resonance than in that without resonance, while the effects of the intensity were comparable for both flows.
Assessment of Ventilation Distribution during Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery: An Electrical Impedance Tomography Study
Authors: Stankiewicz-Rudnicki Michal , Gaszynski Wojciech , Gaszynski Tomasz
Published: December 2016

Introduction. The aim of the study was to assess changes of regional ventilation distribution at the level of the 3rd intercostal space in the lungs of morbidly obese patients as a result of general anaesthesia and laparoscopic surgery as well as the relation of these changes to lung mechanics. We also wanted to determine if positive end-expiratory pressure of 10 cm H2O prevents the expected atelectasis in the morbidly obese patients during general anaesthesia.Materials and Methods. 49 patients completed the examination and were randomized to 2 groups: ventilated without positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP 0) and with PEEP of 10 cm H2O (PEEP 10) preceded by a recruitment maneuver with peak inspiratory pressure of 40 cm H2O. Impedance Ratio (IR) was utilized to examine ventilation distribution changes as a result of anaesthesia, pneumoperitoneum, and change of body position. We also analyzed intraoperative respiratory mechanics and pulse oximetry values.Results.In both groups general anaesthesia caused a ventilation shift towards the nondependent lungs which was not further intensified after pneumoperitoneum. Reverse Trendelenburg position promoted homogeneous ventilation distribution. Respiratory system compliance was reduced after insufflation and improved after exsufflation of pneumoperitoneum. There were no statistically significant differences in ventilation distribution between the examined groups. Respiratory system compliance, plateau pressure, and pulse oximetry values were higher in PEEP 10.Conclusions.Changes of ventilation distribution in the obese do occur at cranial lung regions. During pneumoperitoneum alterations of ventilation distribution may not follow the direction of the changes of lung mechanics. In the obese patients PEEP level of 10 cm H2O preceded by a recruitment maneuver improves respiratory compliance and oxygenation but does not eliminate atelectasis induced by general anaesthesia.
Evaluating CCS Investment of China by a Novel Real Option-Based Model
Authors: Chu Hongrui , Ran Lun , Zhang Ran
Published: December 2016

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is an effective method to mitigate CO2emission pressure; however it is hard to be evaluated due to uncertainties. This paper establishes a real options analysis (ROA) model to evaluate CCS investment from the perspective of the existing thermal power plant by considering the fluctuations of electricity price, carbon price, and thermal coal price. The model is solved by the proposed robust Least Squares Monte Carlo method and China is taken as a case study to assess power plant’s CCS investment revenue. In the case study, robust ROA and ROA are compared under some CCS incentive factors. The results indicate that the proposed robust ROA is more realistic and suitable for CCS evaluation than common ROA to some extent. Finally, a policy schema to promote CCS investment is derived.
Performance of the WHO 2011 TB Symptom Screening Algorithm for Pulmonary TB Diagnosis among HIV-Infected Patients in Gondar University Referral Hospital, Ethiopia
Authors: Menberu Martha Alemayehu
Published: December 2016

The new WHO 2011 guidelines on TB screening among HIV-infected individuals recommend screening using four TB symptoms (current cough, fever, weight loss, and night sweats). This study aimed to assess the performance of WHO 2011 TB symptom screening algorithm for diagnosing pulmonary TB in HIV patients and identify possible risk factors for TB. Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2012 to November 2012. A total of 250 HIV-infected patients aged ≥18 years visiting the University of Gondar Hospital, ART clinic, were enrolled. Information about WHO TB clinical symptoms and other known risk factors for TB was collected using structured questionnaire. Spot-morning-spot sputum samples were collected and direct AFB microscopy, sputum culture, and RD9 molecular typing were performed. Statistical data analysis was performed using SPSS Version 20.0 software. Of 250 study participants, fever was reported in 169 (67.6%), whereas cough and night sweats were reported in 167 (66.8%) and 152 (60.8%), respectively. A total of 11 (4.4%) TB cases were identified. Of these, 82% (9/11) TB patients reported cough, so that the negative predictive value was 98%. In addition, 66% (158/239) TB negative patients reported cough, so that positive predictive value of cough was 5%. According to the new WHOTB symptom screening algorithm, out of 250 HIV-infected persons, 83% (5/6) have been investigated by TB symptom screening and AFB smear microscopy. Therefore, the 2011 WHO TB symptom screening tool for the diagnosis of pulmonary TB is likely to reduce the diagnostic delay and lower TB morbidity and mortality rate particularly in HIV prevalent settings.
Prevalence, Severity, and Determinant Factors of Anemia among Pregnant Women in South Sudanese Refugees, Pugnido, Western Ethiopia
Authors: Alemayehu Aklilu , Gedefaw Lealem , Yemane Tilahun , Asres Yaregal
Published: December 2016

Background.Anemia is one of the major health problems among refugee pregnant women in the world. Anemia among pregnant women is multifactorial and results in detrimental consequences on the mothers and infants. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, severity, and determinants of anemia among pregnant women in South Sudanese refugees, Pugnido western, Ethiopia.Methods.A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Pugnido Administration Refugee and Returnee Affairs Health Center from April 15 to June 30, 2015. Demographic and related data were collected using questionnaire based interview. Complete blood count was done using CELL-DYN 1800 (Abbott USA). Blood smear and fecal specimen were examined for hemoparasite and intestinal parasite, respectively. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were done using SPSS-Version 20.0.Results.The overall prevalence of anemia was 36.1%, from whom 2.3% had severe anemia. Being in third trimester, eating meat at most once a week, drinking tea immediately after meal at least once a day, having mid-upper arm circumference below 21 centimeters, and intestinal parasitic infection were identified as independent factors of anemia.Conclusion.More than one-third of pregnant women had anemia in this study. Intervention based strategies on identified determinant factors will be very important to combat anemia among the group.
The Economic Burden of Obesity in Germany: Results from the Population-Based KORA Studies
Authors: Yates Nichola , Teuner Christina M. , Hunger Matthias , Holle Rolf , Stark Renée , Laxy Michael , Hauner Hans , Peters Annette , Wolfenstetter Silke B.
Published: December 2016

Objective: To estimate the excess costs of obese compared to normal-weight persons in Germany based on self-reported resource utilisation and work absence. Methods: Five cross sectional surveys of cohort studies in southern Germany were pooled resulting in 9,070 observations for 6,731 individuals (31-96 years). BMI was measured in the study centre. Self-reported health care utilisation and work absence was used to estimate direct and indirect costs for the year 2011 based on unit costs. Using regression analyses, adjusted costs for different BMI groups were calculated. Results: Overweight and obese people showed significantly higher odds of health care utilisation and productivity losses compared with normal-weight people in most categories. Total direct/indirect costs were significantly higher with increasing severity of obesity (pre-obese (1.05 (0.90-1.23) / 1.38 (1.11-1.71)), obesity level I (1.18 (1.00-1.39) / 1.33 (1.02-1.73)), obesity level II (1.46 (1.14-1.87) / 1.77 (1.18-2.65)) or level III (2.04 (1.40-2.97) / 1.99 (1.20-3.30)) compared to normal-weight participants. In particular, higher obesity classes were significantly associated with increased costs for medication, general practitioner utilisation and work absence. Conclusion: Our results show that overweight and obesity are associated with enormous societal direct and indirect costs in Germany. This supports the evidence from previous top-down studies, but provides important new information based on a large pooled data set and measured BMI.
Correlations of Plasma Desphosphorylated Uncarboxylated Matrix Gla Protein with Vascular Calcification and Vascular Stiffness in Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Thamratnopkoon Sipanan , Susantitaphong Paweena , Tumkosit Monravee , Katavetin Pisut , Tiranathanagul Khajohn , Praditpornsilpa Kearkiat , Eiam-Ong Somchai
Published: December 2016

Background: Matrix Gla protein (MGP) is a potent inhibitor of vascular calcification and needs vitamin K-dependent carboxylation for its activity. High levels of desphosphorylated uncarboxylated MGP (dp-ucMGP) were significantly associated with vitamin K deficiency and vascular calcification. This study was conducted to explore the correlations of plasma dp-ucMGP with vascular calcification and vascular stiffness in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 83 CKD stages 3-5 patients. Vascular calcification score was determined by calcific lesions in the abdominal aorta (AAC) shown by lateral lumbar film; vascular stiffness was assessed by cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) and pulse wave velocity, while plasma dp-ucMGP levels were measured using ELISA method. Multivariate regression analyses were used to select factors that were independently associated with vascular calcification and vascular stiffness. Results: The mean age was 62.9 ± 13.9 years. CKD stages 3, 4, and 5 constituted 51.8, 13.3, and 34.9%, respectively. The median of plasma dp-ucMGP levels in CKD stages 3, 4, and 5 were 586 (452-888), 870 (594-1,591), and 1,050 (518-1,298) pmol/L, respectively. The prevalence of vascular calcification (AAC score ≥1) was 63.4% and that of vascular stiffness (CAVI ≥9) was 46.3%. Vascular calcification was correlated with vascular stiffness (r2 = 0.50, p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis models to predict vascular calcification showed that age and plasma dp-ucMGP levels were significantly correlated with vascular calcification (OR 1.21; 95% CI 1.09-1.33; p < 0.001 and OR 1.002; 95% CI 1.001-1.004; p = 0.004, respectively). In contrast, there was no association between plasma dp-ucMGP levels and vascular stiffness. Conclusions: Plasma dp-ucMGP levels increase according to the severity of CKD. Plasma dp-ucMGP was positively associated with vascular calcification and might be utilized as an early marker for vascular calcification in CKD patients.
Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein for Prehospital Diagnosis of Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Rozanski Michal , Waldschmidt Carolin , Kunz Alexander , Grittner Ulrike , Ebinger Martin , Wendt Matthias , Winter Benjamin , Bollweg Kerstin , Villringer Kersten , Fiebach Jochen B. , Audebert Heinrich J.
Published: December 2016

Background: Both, acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and hemorrhage stroke (intracerebral hemorrhage, ICH) require early attention but different treatment strategies. Plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels were found to be elevated in ICH patients after they arrived in the hospital. Because treatment options differed, we sought to determine whether GFAP can be used to accurately differentiate between of AIS and ICH in the prehospital setting. Methods: We assessed acute stroke patients in the Stroke Emergency Mobile (STEMO). STEMO is a stroke ambulance staffed by a specialized team including a neurologist and equipped with a computed tomography scanner plus a point-of-care laboratory. The STEMO ambulance is integrated in the emergency medical system of Berlin, Germany. Following prehospital stroke diagnosis, blood was drawn and subsequently analysed using research assays from Roche diagnostics. The clinical accuracy of plasma GFAP was tested using a cut-off value of 0.29 ng/ml. Results: Blood samples of 74 patients were analysed. Twenty-five patients had ICH (mean age 69 ± 11 years, median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) 15) and 49 IS (mean age 75 ± 10 years, median NIHSS 6). Nine ICH (0 IS patients) had GFAP-levels above 0.29 ng/ml. The sensitivity and specificity of GFAP for differentiating between ICH and AIS were 36.0 and 100%. The sensitivity for ICH volume >15 ml was 61.5%. ICH patients without GFAP elevation had significantly smaller hemorrhage volumes (median 4.5 vs. 37.6 ml, p = 0.004) and were less likely to deteriorate (19 vs. 56%, p = 0.087). Conclusions: GFAP levels >0.29 ng/ml were seen only in ICH, thus confirming the diagnosis of ICH during prehospital care. However, sensitivity is low particularly in smaller hemorrhages.
Pubertal Development in 17Beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 3 Deficiency
Authors: Hiort Olaf , Marshall Louise , Birnbaum Wiebke , Wünsch Lutz , Holterhus Paul-Martin , Döhnert Ulla , Werner Ralf
Published: December 2016

Background: 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD) type 3 deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder with diminished testosterone synthesis and consequently underandrogenisation. 46,XY patients with 17β-HSD type 3 deficiency are often assigned a female sex at birth but have a high virilisation potential at the time of puberty. Methods: We studied four 46,XY patients with 17β-HSD type 3 deficiency at puberty with regard to the underlying mutations, the hormone values, and the clinical findings. Results: Three patients were initially assigned a female sex and 1 was assigned a male sex. All had relevant mutations in the HSD17B3 gene. The 2 patients with deleterious mutations had lower testosterone values at the time of puberty than the patients with possible residual activity of 17β-HSD type 3. One of the latter patients changed to male gender. Conclusion: All 4 patients with 17β-HSD type 3 deficiency synthesized relevant amounts (>0.7 µg/L) of testosterone at puberty, which lead to variable androgenisation. In patients with presumable residual activity of the mutated enzyme, testosterone values in the male reference range can be achieved, thereby inducing male pubertal development. These patients should possibly be assigned a male sex. Any surgical intervention should be avoided until the patients are old enough to consider their options of medical and surgical intervention.
Adverse Influence of Pre-Stroke Dementia on Short-Term Functional Outcomes in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke: The Fukuoka Stroke Registry
Authors: Wakisaka Yoshinobu , Matsuo Ryu , Hata Jun , Kuroda Junya , Kitazono Takanari , Kamouchi Masahiro , Ago Tetsuro ,   on behalf of the Fukuoka Stroke Registry Investigators
Published: December 2016

Background: Dementia and stroke are major causes of disability in the elderly. However, the association between pre-stroke dementia and functional outcome after stoke remains unresolved. We aimed to determine this association in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods: Among patients registered in the Fukuoka Stroke Registry from June 2007 to May 2015, 4,237 patients with ischemic stroke within 24 h of onset, who were functionally independent before the onset, were enrolled in this study. Pre-stroke dementia was defined as any type of dementia that was present prior to the index stroke. Primary and secondary study outcomes were poor functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale 3-6) at 3 months after the stroke onset and neurological deterioration (≥2-point increases on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score during hospitalization), respectively. For propensity score (PS)-matched cohort study to control confounding variables for pre-stroke dementia, 318 pairs of patients with and without pre-stroke dementia were also selected on the basis of 1:1 matching. Multivariable logistic regression models and conditional logistic regression analysis were used to quantify associations between pre-stroke dementia and study outcomes. Results: Of all 4,237 participants, 347 (8.2%) had pre-stroke dementia. The frequencies of neurological deterioration and poor functional outcome were significantly higher in patients with pre-stroke dementia than in those without pre-stroke dementia (neurological deterioration, 16.1 vs. 7.1%, p < 0.01; poor functional outcome, 63.7 vs. 27.1%, p < 0.01). Multivariable analysis showed that pre-stroke dementia was significantly associated with neurological deterioration (OR 1.67; 95% CI 1.14-2.41; p < 0.01) and poor functional outcome (OR 2.91; 95% CI 2.17-3.91; p < 0.01). In the PS-matched cohort study, the same trends were observed between the pre-stroke dementia and neurological deterioration (OR 2.60; 95% CI 1.17-5.78; p < 0.01) and between the dementia and poor functional outcome (OR 3.62; 95% CI 1.89-6.95; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Pre-stroke dementia was significantly associated with higher risks for poor functional outcome at 3 months after stroke onset as well as for neurological deterioration during hospitalization in patients with acute ischemic stroke.
Tá serto! Só que não... argumentação, enunciação, interdiscurso
Authors: Zoppi-Fontana Mónica Graziela , Oliveira Sheila Elias de
Published: December 2016

Neste artigo abordamos a relação entre discurso, enunciação e argumentação. Tomamos a argumentação como fato de linguagem com diferentes modos de inscrição na língua, na enunciação e no interdiscurso. Como tal, ela permite observar o funcionamento do político na linguagem: as divisões das línguas e dos falantes em relação aos direitos ao dizer, aos modos de dizer e às posições ideológicas (interdiscursivas) que os determinam como base de constituição das relações argumentativas. Especificamente, observamos o funcionamento da argumentação em um fato de enunciação: a delocutividade, que implica retomadas do dizer, produzindo novas formas linguísticas a partir da relação de enunciação. Analisamos duas interjeições delocutivas, Tá serto e Só que não. Ambas as formas encontram sua origem nas enunciações digitais no Brasil e sua materialidade está ligada intrinsecamente ao modo de produção e circulação da escrita no ambiente digital. Enquanto formas da língua, elas são afetadas pelos processos que participam da construção do léxico e de regularidades do sistema linguístico. A deriva das formas completas tá serto, só que não, para as formas abreviadas e seu uso como hashtags #serto, #sqn, são um traço do processo de estabilização destas formas na língua, por efeito da delocutividade enunciativa, que as incorpora às regularidades do sistema como indicadores de um modo de dizer irônico, aproximando-se no seu valor semântico-enunciativo a outros marcadores de modalização.
As estratégias argumentativas na ação de indenização por danos morais: o estudo de uma petição inicial
Authors: Carvalho Ariana De , Melo Mônica Santos de Souza
Published: December 2016

Pautando na Teoria Semiolinguística, pretendeu-se a investigar o discurso desenvolvido em uma petição inicial que envolve ação de indenização por danos morais na relação de consumo, verificando como os recursos das dimensões do logos e do pathos foram empregados pelo advogado para persuadir a juíza de que o pedido de indenização é válido. Objetivou-se também averiguar quais imaginários sociodiscursivos foram expressos nesse discurso. Chegou-se à conclusão de que a noção de contrato de comunicação é muito marcante e norteadora desse discurso. Verificou-se a predominância da dimensão do logos e, ainda, uma regularidade no uso das técnicas dessa dimensão. Averiguou-se que os argumentos de ordem patêmica também tiveram grande importância na argumentação, pois estando o dano moral ligado diretamente ao abalo emocional do requerente pela violação de seus direitos, a argumentação baseada apenas no logos seria pouco consistente. Ficou claro que a voz do advogado é oriunda da coletividade com a qual compartilha valores e princípios.
Argumentação em discursos sobre formação superior e atuação na área de Letras: análise em relatórios de estágio supervisionado
Authors: Souza Gilton Sampaio de , Alves Maria Leidiana
Published: December 2016

Partilhando do pressuposto de que a argumentação é constitutiva da linguagem, objetivamos analisar aqui as teses defendidas por autores/oradores de relatórios de estágio supervisionado, em discursos sobre formação e atuação na área de Letras de uma IES pública, considerando as teses como centrais ao processo argumentativo e as articulando às técnicas argumentativas empregadas e ao auditório a que se destinam os oradores. Os pressupostos teóricos advêm da Nova Retórica (PERELMAN e OLBRECHTS-TYTECA, 2005) e da contribuição de estudiosos da área. Nos processos argumentativos dos cinco relatórios observamos a existência de diferentes teses, ancoradas em argumentos de autoridade, superação, direção, modelo/antimodelo e da pessoa e seus atos, sob pontos de vista variados: (i) não há associação entre a prática desenvolvida pelo estagiário e a prática desenvolvida pelo professor da educação básica; (ii) é necessário articular teoria e prática no ensino de português; e (iii) o estágio fundamenta o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia inovadora para ensino. As conclusões apontam distanciamentos entre as teses sobre o ensino de Língua Portuguesa oferecido na educação superior e na educação básica, revelando argumentos às vezes antagônicos sobre a formação e a atuação nesses dois níveis de ensino.
A interação argumentativa no discurso literário: da literatura das ideias ao relato de ficção
Authors: Amossy Ruth
Published: December 2016

A dimensão argumentativa do texto literário se expressa na capacidade de orientar a visão de seus leitores. A teoria de Perelman inscreve a interação argumentativa no discurso do orador e os trabalhos contemporâneos em Linguística Pragmática e em Narratologia permitem a localização precisa das instâncias interdiscursivas tal como elas se inscrevem no texto, assim como as modalidades de ancoragem social do diapositivo enunciativo, fundando uma aproximação ao texto literário em uma perspectiva dialógica. A argumentação na ficção literária será então analisada a partir das relações que o autor, narrador e personagens mantêm com o narratário, tornando assim aparente a pluridimensionalidade da argumentação no texto literário. Finalmente, a análise argumentativa do discurso de um comício tal como foi colocado em cena pelo escritor Roger Martin du Gard em Os Thibault permite mostrar como o discurso do narrador conduz a uma problematização da argumentação de primeiro nível, bem como esta se desenvolve na relação orador-auditório.
Argumentação e falácias em entrevistas televisivas: por um diálogo entre o modelo Toulmin e a perspectiva textual-interativa
Authors: Segundo Paulo Roberto Gonçalves
Published: December 2016

Neste artigo, propomos uma articulação entre o modelo Toulmin de argumentação e a perspectiva textual-interativa para a análise de uma entrevista de televisão polêmica concedida pelo então candidato a prefeito de São Paulo, Fernando Haddad (PT), a César Tralli, no programa SPTV, da Rede Globo de Comunicações, em período de campanha eleitoral. A proposta justifica-se na medida em que o modelo Toulmin permite uma formalização esquemática da estrutura argumentativa que viabiliza uma análise crítica do processo, ao passo que a perspectiva textual-interativa possibilita compreender a dinâmica de produção e interpretação locais de sentido no texto conversacional, fornecendo ferramentas explanatórias para a construção do esquema argumentativo, o que envolve a variabilidade na explicitação dos componentes do modelo e na configuração de suas relações recíprocas. Pudemos depreender as tendências de: (1) o entrevistador construir a Alegação sob forma de pergunta, de forma a incitar que a resposta consista em uma Refutação, processo permeado por uma dinâmica de preservação da própria face, da face do entrevistador e do Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT), na qual o entrevistado busca caracterizar o raciocínio do âncora como falacioso; (2) implicitação de Garantias e, especialmente, Apoios; e (3) construção de cadeias complexas de esquemas argumentativos.
Virtual Reality Musical Instruments: State of the Art, Design Principles, and Future Directions
Authors: Serafin Stefania , Erkut Cumhur , Kojs Juraj , Nilsson Niels C. , Nordahl Rolf
Published: December 2016

The rapid development and availability of low-cost technologies have created a wide interest in virtual reality. In the field of computer music, the term “virtual musical instruments” has been used for a long time to describe software simulations, extensions of existing musical instruments, and ways to control them with new interfaces for musical expression. Virtual reality musical instruments (VRMIs) that include a simulated visual component delivered via a head-mounted display or other forms of immersive visualization have not yet received much attention. In this article, we present a field overview of VRMIs from the viewpoint of the performer. We propose nine design guidelines, describe evaluation methods, analyze case studies, and consider future challenges.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Formula: Algorithmic Composition for Musical Theater
Authors: Collins Nick
Published: December 2016

Algorithmic composition methods must prove themselves within real-world musical contexts to more firmly solidify their adoption in musical practice. The present project is an automatic composing program trained on a corpus of songs from musical theater to create novel material, directly generating a scored lead sheet of vocal melody and chords. The program can also produce output based upon phonetic analysis of user-provided lyrics. The chance to undertake the research arose from a television documentary funded by Sky Arts that considered the question of whether current-generation, computationally creative methods could devise a new work of musical theater (the research described here provides but one strand within that project). Allied with the documentary, the resultant musical had a two-week West End run in London and was itself broadcast in full. Evaluation of the project included both design feedback from a musical theater composer team, and critical feedback from audiences and media coverage. The research challenges of the real-world context are discussed, with respect to the compromises necessary to get such a project to the stage.
A Study of Musical Pitch Distance Using a Self-Organized Hierarchical Linear Dynamical System on Acoustic Signals
Authors: Cinar Goktug T. , Sain James P. , Principe Jose C.
Published: December 2016

The hierarchical linear dynamical system (HLDS) is a self-organizing architecture to cluster acoustic time series. The HLDS architecture is equivalent to a Kalman filter whose top-layer state learns to create subspaces that tessellate the acoustic signal in regions that correspond to different musical pitches. The observation layer of the HLDS is built from a biologically plausible gammatone filter bank that provides the representation space for the state assignments. An important characteristic of the methodology is that it is adaptive and self-organizing, i.e., previous exposure to the acoustic input is the only requirement for learning and recognition. In this article we show that the representation space that the algorithm learns from acoustic signals preserves the organization found in monophonic notes, and exhibits (for isolated pitches and triads) properties suggested in the theory of efficient chromatic voice leading and neo-Riemannian theories.
MOLLOY: As the Story Was Told. Or not.
Authors: Duffy Brian
Published: December 2016

Narrative convention and expectation lead us to conceive of Molloy's narrative as a chronologically consistent account of a single journey, the events of which are causally, spatially and temporally related to each other. Drawing first upon the narration of the A and B episode, and then upon the evidence of the entire text, this article proposes that what Molloy relates is not, in fact, the story of a journey, nor of a journey, nor of a journey to his mother, hut is, rather, an achronic narrative organised according to the sylleptic theme of Molloy's permanent condition of journeying around the figure of his mother.
FREEDOM AND CULTURAL LOCATION IN BECKETI'S: Eleuthéria
Authors: Boxall Peter
Published: December 2016

Eleuthéria has been regarded by Beckett's critics as a puzzingly anomalous play, partly as a result of its apparent engagement with a set of culturally specific sociopolitical problems. In this article I argue that Eleuthéria is driven by cultural and dramatic concerns which remain central to Beckett's later theatre. In examining the relation between aesthetic freedom and cultural location as it is depicted in this play, the article resituates the playas Beckett's revealing early exploration of the limits and possibilities of the theatre in locating a site of dramatic resistance to cultural and ideological appropriation.
AN INTERPRETIVE DIALOGUE: Beckett's "First Love" and Bakhtin's Categories of Meaning
Authors: Ayers Carolyn Jursa
Published: December 2016

From the very first sentence of "First Love", Beckett's narrator-protagonist engages the reader in an aggressive, one-sided dialogue. We might respond by bringing the voice of the narrator, and Beckett's narrative in general, into contact with the major theorizer of dialogue, Mikhail Bakhtin. Bakhtin's categories of genre suggest that Beckett's story may share strategic affinities with the menippea, while his concept of chronotope helps to clarify some of the contradictory details in the text. It is the idea of dialogue, however, with its implied surrender of power to the other that dominates the text and obsesses the narrator. In illuminating the narrator's resistance to, and regretful acknowledgement of his dialogic position in the worId, Bakhtin's words respond to and renew Beckett's.
The identity of Vespertilio oreias Temminck, 1840—solving a taxonomic puzzle
Authors: CSORBA GÁBOR , SMEENK CHRIS , LEE BENJAMIN P. Y.-H.
Published: December 2016

Vespertilio oreias (generally known as Myotis oreias) has long been considered an endemic bat species to Singapore but its taxonomic status has been in doubt, and no specimens have been found since its description in 1840. Temminck formally described it based on a mounted skin (now in poor condition and accompanied by some skull fragments). The holotype was re-examined and we found it to be a composite, consisting of two separate individuals representing two distinct genera, the skin belonging to a Kerivoula whereas the skull fragments are of a Myotis. The mounted skin is accepted herewith as the name-bearing type, as the skull fragments were taken out after Temminck had published his description. Unfortunately, neither the skin nor the dental remains show enough anatomical details to identify the species unambiguously. Hence, the name Vespertilio oreias is considered a nomen dubium and the name oreias should be referred to the genus Kerivoula.
A new large Myloplus Gill 1896 from rio Negro basin, Brazilian Amazon (Characiformes: Serrasalmidae)
Authors: ANDRADE MARCELO C. , OTA RAFAELA P. , BASTOS DOUGLAS A. , JÉGU MICHEL
Published: December 2016

Myloplus lucienae, new species, is described from the blackwater tributaries of the rio Negro basin. It is one of the few Myloplus species typically found in rapid areas of the Guiana Shield. It is diagnosed from congeners by the combination of an elongated body, small prepelvic spines that reach anteriorly just to the middle of the abdomen between verticals through pectoral- and pelvic-fin origin, and large scales on flanks resulting in smaller scale counts.
Nomenclatural changes in Mymaridae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea)
Authors: AQUINO DANIEL A. , TRIAPITSYN SERGUEI V. , HUBER JOHN T.
Published: December 2016

Three New World species are transferred from Polynema Haliday to other genera of Mymaridae and redescribed based on examination of their type specimens: Polynema albicoxa Ashmead to Acmopolynema Ogloblin as Acmopolynema albicoxa (Ashmead), comb. n., Polynema porteri (Brèthes) to Agalmopolynema Ogloblin as Agalmopolynema porteri (Brèthes), comb. n., and Polynema giraulti Perkins, for which a lectotype is designated, to Stephanodes Enock as Stephanodes giraulti (Perkins), comb. n. Agalmopolynema shajovskoii Fidalgo, syn. n. is synonymized under Agalmopolynema porteri; Polynema (Dorypolynema) gaucho Triapitsyn & Aquino, syn. n. and P. grenadensis Ashmead, syn. n., are synonymized under Polynema (Dorypolynema) magniceps Ashmead, for which taxonomic notes are given. Caenomymar Yoshimoto, syn. n. is synonymized under Omyomymar Schauff, and its only species Caenomymar howdeni Yoshimoto is transferred to Omyomymar as Omyomymar howdeni (Yoshimoto), comb. n. Gonatocerus chula Triapitsyn & Bernal is transferred to Cosmocomoidea Howard as Cosmocomoidea chula (Triapitsyn & Bernal), comb. n. Erythmelus mirus Girault is transferred to Cleruchoides Lin & Huber as Cleruchoides mirus (Girault), comb. n. and compared with Cleruchoides noackae Lin & Huber, a species introduced from Australia into South America as a biological control agent of Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero & Dellapé (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae), an introduced pest of Eucalyptus. Four spelling corrections are made to species names in Cosmocomoidea and Lymaenon Walker.
Revision of the genus Pselaphomorphus Motschulsky, 1855 (Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae: Jubini). Corrections
Authors: VÁSQUEZ-VÉLEZ LAURA M.
Published: December 2016

In my revision of the genus Pselaphomorphus Motschulsky, 1855 (Vásquez-Vélez 2016) the depository of the holotype of P. cayennensis Vásquez-Vélez, 2016 was not listed. As a result, the requirements of Article 16.4.2 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1999) have not been met, making the name unavailable. This note aims at correcting the earlier mistake: the holotype of P. cayennensis is deposited at the Museum of natural history (Muséum d’histoire naturelle), Geneva, Switzerland.
The Cuban Response to the Ebola Epidemic in West Africa
Authors: Chaple Enrique Beldarraín , Mercer Mary Anne
Published: December 2016

In December 2013 the first case of Ebola appeared in Guinea. In September 2014 the United Nations (UN) and its specialized agency the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a call for medical collaboration in response to the medical crisis and social disaster caused by the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa. Cuban authorities responded immediately to the call by offering specialized help for the epidemic, in collaboration with WHO. A group of 256 Cuban doctors, nurses and other health professionals provided direct care during the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Equatorial Guinea from October 2014 to April 2015. This paper explains the main features of the Cuban health system, describes the development of Cuba's international medical cooperation approach, and highlights the work done by Cuban health collaborators in addressing the damage caused by the Ebola epidemic. Information used includes reports and documents of the Ministry of Public Health of Cuba, reports of WHO and PAHO, and articles published in scientific journals and newspaper articles. The response of the Cuban medical teams to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa is only one example of the Cuban efforts to strengthening health care provision in areas of need throughout the world.
Accountability in the post-Lisbon European Union
Authors: Jan Brandsma Gijs , Heidbreder Eva , Mastenbroek Ellen
Published: December 2016

This special issue takes stock of recent post-Lisbon additions to the European Union’s accountability toolkit. It provides indications that older decision-making tools tend to be more accountable than newer ones, and that, in some areas, decision-making is shifting towards less accountable arenas. This introductory article reviews the debate on the gradual evolution of the European Union’s accountability system and introduces key aspects of the post-Lisbon era that can be expected to affect accountability in the European Union, and that have been overlooked by the literature thus far: delegated acts, economic governance and regulatory evaluations. The contributions to this special issue address each of these domains in detail and highlight the degree to which accountability has been enhanced. A final contribution shows how these arrangements fit into the wider landscape of already-existing European Union accountabilities and how this landscape has developed over time.

Points for practitioners

There is an apparent link between the relative novelty of the institutional setting in which a governance system is embedded and its accountability. Settings that include a strong role for the European Commission tend to be the most accountable ones, while those that rely mostly on intergovernmental logics, including those that have been created outside the Treaty framework, come with significant gaps.
Varieties of Second Modernity and the Cosmopolitan Vision
Authors: Beck Ulrich
Published: December 2016

This text was prepared for presentation in Nagoya, Japan, in 2010. Its aim was to explore a dialogue with Asians toward a cosmopolitan sociology. Beginning from the idea of entangled modernities which threaten their own foundations, Ulrich Beck advocated a complete conceptual innovation of sociology in order to better comprehend the fundamental fragility and mutability of societal dynamics shaped by the globalization of capital and risks today. More specifically, he proposed a cosmopolitan turn of sociology: first, by criticizing methodological nationalism; second, by introducing the concept of cosmopolitization; third, by re-mapping social inequalities; fourth, by discussing risk society in the context of East Asian development; and fifth and finally, by proposing a cosmopolitan vision. Along this line, Beck attempted an overview of the researches done on second modern transformation in East Asia and suggested that an active dialogue may be possible when Asians begin to see the West from their perspectives rather than being caught in the Euro-centric and West-hegemonic presuppositions.
The Legacy of Ulrich Beck in Asia: Introduction
Authors: Han Sang-Jin
Published: December 2016

This introduction briefly describes the relational trajectory between Ulrich Beck and Asia in the last few years. It draws particular attention to his last words about the role of Asia in the global risk community. Beck began to speak of the concept of metamorphosis in the 2014 Seoul conference as the correct key to understanding emancipatory catastrophism that he had expressed in the 2013 Potsdam conference. He was fascinated by the explanatory power of this concept and was driven to complete a book to explain the cosmopolitan change of the world from this perspective. With his advocacy of cities as cosmopolitan transformers, he urged Asian cities, particularly Seoul, to initiate ‘United Cities of Asia’ for a cosmopolitan cooperation for risk governance. Beck also suggested ‘a parliament of risk actors’ as a practical task to be realized in the future. In this introduction the author attempts to trace back the formation of these ideas by focusing on the interaction between Beck and Asia before his sudden passing.
Negotiating the domain of mental capacity
Authors: Case Paula
Published: December 2016

‘The decision on capacity is one for the judge to make’. 1 Deciding whose voices matter in the assessment of someone’s decision-making capacity raises issues of social and legal policy. Despite legal judgments explicitly asserting that the law has the upper hand in mental capacity assessment, both statute and judgments from the Court of Protection (CoP) have to some extent endorsed capacity as largely the domain of medical expertise. Academics have claimed that the courts have historically adopted a ‘deferential’ or even ‘medicalized’ approach to expert evidence on this issue. Yet, it is vital that the CoP exercises rigorous scrutiny of capacity assessment, for while human rights discourse constructs ‘objective medical expertise’ as a safeguard against the arbitrary forfeiture of decision-making power, excessive deference can transform medical opinion from safeguard to a form of arbitrariness in its own right. This short sociolegal study combines quantitative and qualitative approaches to probe this suggestion of deference, drawing from a sample of over 60 CoP judgments where the issue of capacity was examined in some detail. In the course of undertaking this task, the article interrogates the notions of ‘deference’ and ‘medicalization’ to explore the intertwining of medical and legal domains on the issue of mental capacity.
Fail-safe encircling of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles with bearing only measurements
Authors: Daingade Sangeeta , Sinha Arpita
Published: December 2016

This paper presents a cooperative strategy to achieve evenly spaced circular formation of a group of unmanned aerial vehicles. The strategy is claimed to be fail-safe because the circular formation remains unaltered even if one or more unmanned aerial vehicles fail. We can also add more unmanned aerial vehicles without altering the formation. The control law uses only bearing angle information. We can pre-specify the centre of the circular formation of the unmanned aerial vehicles. The unmanned aerial vehicles will maintain the desired distance from the centre with bearing angle measurement only. We assume that the unmanned aerial vehicles are identical and can measure the bearing angle of all the other unmanned aerial vehicles. The strategy is analysed using unicycle kinematic and verified using six-degree-of-freedom model of the unmanned aerial vehicles. Extensive simulations are carried out for noisy measurement, presence of wind and moving target.
Prevalence of Herpes Simplex Virus 2 (HSV-2) infection and associated risk factors in a cohort of HIV negative women in Durban, South Africa
Authors: Daniels Brodie , Wand Handan , Ramjee Gita ,   the MDP Team
Published: December 2016

Background

Herpes Simplex Virus 2 (HSV-2) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) worldwide and is a risk factor for the acquisition and transmission of other STIs, including HIV. We determined the prevalence and predictors of HSV-2 infection among women screened for a HIV prevention trial in Durban, South Africa. Univariate and multivariate logistic and Cox regression models were used to determine the correlates and predictors of HSV-2 infection at enrolment and seroconversion during the study respectively.

Results

Prevalence of HSV-2 at screening was 65% and crude incidence was 22.3 per 100 person-years (PY) (95% CI 20.4–24.3). The HIV seroconversion was significantly higher among those testing positive for HSV-2 at baseline compared to women who were negative [8.7 per 100 person years (PY) versus 5.2 per 100 PY; (p < 0.001)]. In univariate analysis, age was determined to be the most significant predictor for HSV-2 diagnosis, while co-infection with syphilis was also a significant predictor, while age and co-infection with syphilis remained the two most significant predictors of having HSV-2 in multivariate analysis at baseline. Consistent with these results, along with HIV seroconversion, age was also identified as a significant predictor for incidence of HSV-2.

Conclusion

Given the unacceptably high prevalence and incidence rates of HSV-2 infection reported here, HSV-2 and general STI education needs to be reinforced in these communities, with a focus on condom education for prevention. HSV-2 has emerged as the most prevalent STI which is most often asymptomatic and unrecognized, and which increases women’s risk of acquiring other STIs, including HIV.
From Representation to Corposubjectivation
Authors: Pons Rabasa Alba
Published: December 2016

As part of the doctoral research project “Social Transformations and Corporeal Micropolitics: A Study on the Process of Normalization of Trans* in Mexico City,” the author has acted as a participant observer in the Trans* Support Group of the Condesa Specialized Clinic of Mexico City since 2012. The support group is inside the first and primary public health institution that has offered medical attention to trans* persons, whether transsexual or transgender, since 2009 as a part of public insurance. This article presents as much the history of the group—its origins and particularities, as well as its development as a project under the aegis of the clinic but not planned or regulated by it—as a first dialogue between processes of corposubjectivation among those who attend the group and the clinic context, as well as with the process of the normalization of trans* in Mexico City in general. The objective is to reflect ethnographically on the embodiment of gender as norm and leakage, showing the constant tension between the representation and the experience of it.
Translating Hijra into Transgender
Authors: Roy Jeff
Published: December 2016

This article analyzes discourses and performance practices in India's hijra and transgender communities through a comparison of badhais (ritualistic acoustic music and dance performed by hijras) and dances from the professional transgender-led troupe known as the Dancing Queens. Differences between the two evince the transformation of regimes and representations of hijra identity from devalorized codes of social difference to respectable, middle-class ones within a transgender narrative of self-understanding and personal empowerment.