bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing Calibration Factors for Crash Prediction Models with Consideration of Crash Recording Threshold Change
Authors: Jalayer Mohammad , Zhou Huaguo , Williamson Michael , LaMondia Jeffrey J.
Published: December 2015

The focus of this paper is on presenting a revised method to develop calibration factors (CFs) with consideration of the change in the crash recording threshold (CRT), which is a minimum value to report crashes. The higher the CRT, the fewer the number of recorded property damage only (PDO) crashes. In this paper, a threshold adjustment factor was defined and used to estimate the new CFs. Because the threshold change affects only the total number of crashes and the PDO crashes, the percentage of fatal and injury (F/I) crashes before the threshold change needs to be adjusted to properly estimate the total number of F/I crashes. The revised method was verified with case studies using Illinois data. Five years of crash data were gathered and used to develop CFs for five roadway types, including two-lane undivided (2U), two-lane with a two-way left-turn lane (3T), four-lane undivided (4U), four-lane divided (4D), and four-lane with a two-way left-turn lane (5T). Because of an increase in the CRT in 2009, a method is needed to supplement the standard approach to adjust CFs with consideration of the effect of the new CRT. The CFs for 2U and 3T before–after considering the threshold adjustment factor were 1.44/1.32 and 1.24/1.12, respectively, while the CFs before–after the threshold change for 4U, 4D, and 5T were 0.99/0.85, 0.68/0.55, and 0.77/0.69, respectively. The results proved that the revised method can help state and local agencies predict the number of crashes without redeveloping new CFs resulting from the change in CRT.
Statistical Evaluation of Different Sample Sizes for Local Calibration Process in the Highway Safety Manual
Authors: Shin Hyeon-Shic , Yu Jeong Whon , Dadvar Seyedehsan , Lee Young-Jae
Published: December 2015

An approach to determine a statistically reliable sample size for developing local calibration factors (LCFs) was proposed to complement the Highway Safety Manual's (HSM) sampling guidance. The HSM suggests a minimum sample size of 30 to 50 sites per facility type with at least 100 annual crashes. However, the HSM fails to provide clear guidance on how to determine a minimum sample size to ensure the statistical reliability of LCFs. The proposed approach based on the finite population correction (FPC) factor determined minimum sample sizes by considering trade-offs between the desired error levels of the estimated LCFs, confidence levels, and sample standard deviations. The sample sizes by facility types were drawn on the basis of various statistical assumptions; then they were assured by the comparisons between FPC-based samples and the HSM-based samples. LCF values estimated from the HSM-based sample sizes yielded inconsistent reliabilities depending on the facility types. In contrast, those estimated from the samples by the FPC-based approach satisfied the desired reliabilities of the LCFs for all facility types.
Terms and conditions of high-mountain lake ice-cover chemistry (Carpathians, Poland)
Authors: Kurzyca Iwona , Choiński Adam , Pociask-Karteczka Joanna , Lawniczak Agnieszka , Frankowski Marcin
Published: December 2015

We discuss the results of an investigation of the chemical composition of the ice cover on the high-mountain lake Morskie Oko in the Tatra Mountains, Carpathians, Poland. In the years 2007–13, the ice cover was characterized by an average duration of 6 months, a thickness range of 0.40–1.14 m, and a multilayered structure with water or slush inclusion. In water from the melted ice cover, chloride (max. 69%) and sulphate (max. 51%) anions and ammonium (max. 66%) and calcium (max. 78%) cations predominated. Different concentrations of ions (F−, Cl−, NO3−, SO42−, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, NH4+) in the upper, middle and bottom layers of ice were observed, along with long-term variability and spatial diversification within the ice layer over the lake. Snowpack lying on the ice and the water body under the ice were also investigated, and the influence on the ice cover of certain ions in elevated concentrations was observed (e.g. Cl−in the upper ice cover and the snowpack, and Ca2+in the bottom ice cover and water body).
Central nervous system activity of the methanol extracts of Helianthus annuus seeds in mice model
Authors: Islam Rubab Tarannum , Islam Ahmed Tanjimul , Hossain Mir Monir , Mazumder Kishor
Published: December 2015

Helianthus annuus seeds contain various chemical components and evaluate different biological activities. The present study was carried out to investigate the central nervous system (CNS) activity of methanolic extract of Helianthus annuus seeds in mice model. General behaviour, antidepressant activity and anxiolytic activity was observed. The results revealed that the methanol extract of Helianthus annuus seeds at 100 and 200 mg/kg caused a significant increase in the spontaneous activity (general behavioural profile), moderate increase in anxiolytic activity (light-dark box and elevated plus maze test) and remarkable increase in antidepressant activity (tail suspension test). The results suggest that methanol extract of Helianthus annuus exhibit significant antidepressant and moderate anxiolytic activity in tested animal models.Islam et al., International Current Pharmaceutical Journal, December 2015, 5(1): 1-4
Vitamin D deficiency in children: A review on prevention and treatment strategy
Authors: Alreshidi Ibrahim Dughaim
Published: December 2015

As an essential fat-soluble vitamin in human body, the main function of vitamin D (VD) is mediated by its receptor. In the past decade, VD has drawn gradual and consistent attention from the scientific community and health professionals. According to epidemiological survey, approximately one billion people are under the state of vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency in the world. This phenomenon is also very common in China. By participating in calcium and phosphorus absorption from GIT, VD stands as a very important functional immune regulator. It plays a vital role in modulating both innate and adaptive immune responses, mainly through the modulation of growth, differentiation and function of a variety of immune cells, and the influence of secretion of cytokines and antimicrobial peptides. VD deficiency and pediatric diseases such as acute lower respiratory infection and asthma are associated with not only pediatric skeletal disorders (including nutritional rickets?osteomalacla?and osteoporosis), but also pediatric non-skeletal disorders, such as mortality rate, cardiovascular disorders and mortality?metabolic syndrome (including obesity?impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), diabetes mellitus, lipid metabolism disorders and hypertension), cancer?infection?allergy and asthma, neurological and mental diseases?autoimmune diseases?and chronic kidney diseases. Although VD treatment of skeletal disorders has been widely recognized?its efficacy and long-term effect on non-skeletal disorders is not clear. Hence, for the benefit of general children and their families, aim of the present review is to determine some convincing facts of evidence-based medicine about Chinese children, and to discuss certain reasonable, right and effective measures to prevent VD deficiency thereby reducing the risk of rickets.Alreshidi, International Current Pharmaceutical Journal, December 2015, 5(1): 5-8
The Loss of Boredom and the End of the Human
Authors: Gere Charlie
Published: December 2015

This paper looks at the role of boredom as central to the emergence of the human, and at its disappearance in our hypermediated culture. It does so through the works of Giorgio Agamben, in particular his discussions of the apparatus and of Stimmung, mood; his engagement with Heidegger's notion of boredom as Stimmung; and Agamben's radical reading of Aristotle's understanding of potentiality. Finally through a consideration of the relation between Agamben and John Cage and other avant-garde artists working with the idea of boredom, this paper examines the role of art in allowing boredom to reveal the fundamental inoperativity of the human, something that the culture of contemporary distraction and hypermediation disavows.
Bored to Death: Improvisations on a Theme
Authors: Frendo Maria
Published: December 2015

Since Petronius and Ovid wrote about the Sybil lamenting the loss of her freedom, which she had traded for eternal life, boredom has not ceased to fascinate and allure. Plato and Aristotle broached the topic philosophically, followed by a whole range of philosophers, writers, painters, and musicians. In this paper, Maria Frendo traces a genealogy of a host of characters in fiction and literary tradition who are afflicted by boredom, from Petronius’ Sybil to Beckett's Vladimir and Estragon, from Shakespeare's Antonio to Tennyson's Lotos-Eaters, from Huysmans’ Count des Esseintes to Eliot's Prufrock, but not forgetting woman: signally, through Flaubert's Emma Bovary. The essay's development and focus bear on two further considerations: firstly, the relation of boredom with death and desire, whereby the longing for relief from the situation in which one is trapped is accompanied by disinclination to resist and an accommodation to paralysis; and, secondly, patterns of duality and doubling across a good number of the predicaments depicted. Halfway through, the paper formally performs a boredom and irritation of its own in the process of highlighting existential angst and postmodernist neurosis in literature and the post-literary, and shifts its focus onto the poetry of Baudelaire and Mallarmé. This apparent randomness is deliberate: hence the subtitle ‘Improvisations on a Theme’, suggestive of thematic and structural characteristics to the paper and its argument.
The Doomed, the Post-, and the Exact Curve of the Thing: Tao Lin in the After
Authors: Ardoin Paul
Published: December 2015

This article reads the potential of the literary text to challenge and exceed the limits of the conventionally literary, moving toward the realm of what we might understand, in fact, as the countertextual or post-literary. It locates this post-literary potential in Tao Lin's post-9/11 collection Bed, which itself focuses on periods of postness as affectively marked. Following recent work in theories of affect, this paper reads Bed as invested in art's potential to transform negative affects into productive action. In the case of Lin's text, this work lies both in its content and in a form characterised by a distinctive brand of metaphor that heeds T. E. Hulme's modernist call ‘to get out the exact curve of the feeling or thing’, alongside a devotion to a conspicuously anti-literary flatness Lin has described as the ‘concrete slash literal’.
The Computational Sublime in Nick Montfort's ‘Round’ and ‘All the Names of God’
Authors: Aquilina Mario
Published: December 2015

What if the post-literary also meant that which operates in a literary space (almost) devoid of language as we know it: for instance, a space in which language simply frames the literary or poetic rather than ‘containing’ it? What if the countertextual also meant the (en)countering of literary text with non-textual elements, such as mathematical concepts, or with texts that we would not normally think of as literary, such as computer code? This article addresses these issues in relation to Nick Montfort's #!, a 2014 print collection of poems that presents readers with the output of computer programs as well as the programs themselves, which are designed to operate on principles of text generation regulated by specific constraints. More specifically, it focuses on two works in the collection, ‘Round’ and ‘All the Names of God’, which are read in relation to the notions of the ‘computational sublime’ and the ‘event’.
The Imperceptibility of Style in Danto's Theory of Art: Metaphor and the Artist's Knowledge
Authors: Snyder Stephen
Published: December 2015

Arthur Danto's analytic theory of art relies on a form of artistic interpretation that requires access to the art theoretical concepts of the artworld, ‘an atmosphere of artistic theory, a knowledge of the history of art: an artworld’. Art, in what Danto refers to as post-history, has become theoretical, yet it is here contended that his explanation of the artist's creative style lacks a theoretical dimension. This article examines Danto's account of style in light of the role the artistic metaphor plays in the interpretation of the artwork, arguing that it is unable to account for the metaphorical power he claims is embedded within the work of art. An artist's style issues from a unique perspective, the way an artist inhabits a specific spot in history. Though each person has such a perspective, when applied aesthetically, it is the key to the articulation of a unique historical meaning in the work of art. At the same time, artists' knowledge of their contribution remains cut off from this perspective, for they are unaware of their self-manifestation of the historical concept of style. This article makes the case that Danto's notion of style, based on Sartre's notion of being-for-itself, cannot fulfil the role he allots it in his theory because, at some level, artists must apprehend their style to create a work of art capable of functioning critically as a countertext. It is only through the apprehension of their style, and dialogical activity that takes place between the artist and the beholders, that the unseen body of artworld theory is formed. Without this, when oriented to the aesthetic, style provides no concept or theory for the mind to behold. This article presents an alternative approach to style that recognizes the role of theory in the creation of metaphor, which would circumvent this problem.
Evaluation of Cognitive Functions through the Systemic Lisbon Battery: Normative Data
Authors: Oliveira J. , Brito R. , Lopes P. , Rodelo L. , Pinto L. , Morais D. , Gamito P.
Published: December 2015

Introduction: This article is part of the Focus Theme of Methods of Information in Medicine on “Methodologies, Models and Algorithms for Patients Rehabilitation”. Background: ICT is an emerging alternative to paper-and-pencil tests for the assessment of cognitive functions, allowing for the monitoring of participants’ behavior while they perform simulations of instrumental activi -ties of daily life (IADLs) in a virtual reality (VR) scenario. This requires normative values for each VR task, so that deviations to normality can be identified as indicators of cognitive impairment. Objectives: To identify normative data for several IADL tasks that are available on the Systemic Lisbon Battery (SLB). Methods: Fifty-nine participants performed a series of VR tasks that require the use of the memory and executive function dimensions of cognitive functionality. Results: Normative data for the different subsets and total score of the SLB, based on proportion of correct hits per execution time, were identified. Age and experience with video games affect (respectively, negatively and positively) performance on the SLB and should be taken into account in assessment; on the other hand, gender and education do not. Conclusions: Overall results suggest that the SLB may be useful to assess cognitive functioning during the execution of activities of daily living, but larger studies and with clinical samples are needed.
Development and characterization of microsatellite markers in the African deciduous tree Terminalia superba (Combretaceae)
Authors: Demenou Boris B. , Migliore Jérémy , Tosso Felicien , Kaymak Esra , Hardy Olivier J.
Published: December 2015

Premise of the study:

Microsatellites were designed and characterized in the African timber forest tree Terminalia superba (Combretaceae). Due to their high variability, these markers are suitable to investigate gene flow patterns and the structure of genetic diversity.

Methods and Results:

From a genomic library obtained by next‐generation sequencing, seven monomorphic and 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed. The polymorphic microsatellites displayed two to 27 alleles (mean 11.4; expected heterozygosity range 0.283–0.940, mean 0.736) in one population from southeastern Cameroon. Genotypes were typical of an outbreeding diploid species, although null alleles explain a significant heterozygote deficit in three loci. Cross‐amplification in three congeneric species (T. ivorensis, T. avicennioides, and T. mantaly) failed, suggesting that T. superba is rather divergent.

Conclusions:

This set of newly developed microsatellite markers will be useful for assessing the genetic diversity, population structure, and demographic history of T. superba in tropical African forests.
The Change In Global Strategic Balance: Current Status and Trends in Military Power of Selected Countries
Authors: Šilhan Vladimír
Published: December 2015

The aim of this article is to provide comparison of the main indicators of military power among the individual EU countries, between the EU in total and the U.S., and the comparison of the world's biggest military powers. Current evolvement of changes in military power indicates the shift of the centre of gravity aiming prevailingly eastward towards raising and growing economical powers. Due to the differences of various input data, multiple information sources used for comparison are significantly different. In addition, it is difficult to get them for some isolated countries, the results of which are sometimes only estimated. The study also includes information on the main importers and exporters of the military equipment, as well as the estimation of future trends.
Priorities for 21st Century: U.S. Security Strategy after 2008
Authors: Eichler Jan
Published: December 2015

The re-election of Barrack Obama implies that the President preferring political solutions to military ones will have remained for the next four years in the White House. As far U. S. strategy culture is concerned, without doubts American armed forces are going to be prepared to be modern, strong, agile and capable to meet the U.S. National Security strategy goals whatever and wherever they might be. Simultaneously, Obama´s programme for his second term presupposes to close down several military bases all around the world, together with reductions in the size of forces, manpower. Only the most important will be preserved. The further development will be therefore predestined by necessary quantitative reductions, but at the same time by qualitative updating American armed forces, and by the stress on power projection capabilities to take an active approach to counter any threats worldwide.
The Dimensions of War and Peace that Can't be Neglected: Ecophilosophy & Paxology
Authors: Černoch Felix
Published: December 2015

The author explains some terms being neglected in the last few years. War is one of many ways for implementing policy, but actually it is self-breeding and at the same time its own last source. The hypertrophy of available means for warfare creates the atrophy of its functions and consequently even its reason. War is still an extreme choice, bringing about the danger of total devastation of humane environment. It's strange that environmentalists do not put their protests to this centre of gravity. On the contrary, many of them regard wars as natural thing, originated in the very nature of humane dispositions. It has its source probably in the fact that there is no self-contained theory dealing with war and peace, the so-called paxology-the theory how peace can be maintained in the world.
Perception of Security Threats in the CBRN Sphere: History and Challenges
Authors: Otřísal Pavel
Published: December 2015

The period of the beginning of the 21st century is typical for the situation characterized by minimization of a global conflict and by decreasing risks of a direct aggression among neighbouring countries. Nonetheless, the occurrence and permanent existence of mass destruction weapons and industrial accidents caused by human beings, natural disasters produced by leakages of toxic industrial materials, are considered as a global problem that determinates not only the activities of national armies, but also activities of civil population. The danger of WMD deployment is especially high at time of danger, when forces are to be used or misused, and terrorist activities might multiply in some world's regions, even in technologically underdeveloped countries.
Competing Hypotheses Analysis: Practical Applications
Authors: Zůna Pavel
Published: December 2015

V roce 2007 a v roce 2010 byly ve Vojenských rozhledech uveřejněny články, ve kterých se autoři zabývali otázkou analytického myšlení a analytických metod v oblasti vojenského zpravodajství. Jejich autoři zmínili mimo jiné i metodu ¨. Využití této metody není jen ve zpravodajství, ale dá se použít při řešení celé řady dalších vojenských rozhodovacích problémů. Tento článek ve své první části popisuje filozofii a logiku metody analýzy soupeřících hypotéz a některé teoretické úvahy autorů a kritiků této metody. Druhá část uvádí příklad použití metody a možné použití při argumentační podpoře řešení jiných rozhodovacích problémů v rámci procesů obranného plánování. Metoda není složitá, ale v praxi se nesnadno zavádí. Článek vysvětluje jak vlastní teorii a modifikace metody, tak ukazuje na možné obtíže, s nimiž se můžeme při jejím zavádění setkat.
Civil-Military Cooperation: Its Changing Role in Combined NATO Operations and Under National Command
Authors: Zona Pavel , Galatík Vlastimil
Published: December 2015

The role of civil-military cooperation (CIMIC) is increasing in the post-modern wars (operations). CIMIC is a significant element at the coordination of military and civilian participant activities over current military operations. New tasks for actors are as result from new NATO concept and outline new tasks dimension. The armed forces as well as the Army of the Czech Republic (ACR), have to solve many problems associated with this new dimension. The article outlines a possible set of activities associated with the new approach to CIMIC in crisis management in the context of the Alliance operation.
The Basics of Environmental Security in Military Operations
Authors: Cempírek Miroslav , Komár Aleš , Vincenec Vladislav
Published: December 2015

In course of action, modern forces ought to be capable to safe living surroundings by the implementation of environmental protection into military planning and decision-making process. Traditionally it protects not only a location around military bases, training areas, but also in all operational area of deployed armed forces. This study therefore deals with methods of environmental protection and the so-called risk management to prevent damages that can't be remediated, both in the field of natural, cultural or historic sights and relicts.
An Economic Evaluation of Abolishing MoD Military Secondary School at Moravská Třebová
Authors: Poláchová Marie , Chovancová Petra
Published: December 2015

Recently the defence department has been meeting lower and lower money sources that could finally bring about lower salaries, reduction in numbers of servicemen, dozens of military units are dissolved. One of such economic measures are plans for dismantling the last Military Secondary School (MSS ) in the Czech Republic. Backed by the assessment of expenses or inputs and outputs, stated in several tablets, the authoresses evaluate the abolition of MSS from a long-term view as rather ineffective, in spite of some short-time savings.
The Future of Czech Defence System
Authors: Rašek Antonín
Published: December 2015

Methodically, presented study comes out of a book by Martin Potůček at al. Studying the Future as a Challenge. Its author offers a comprehensive characteristic of several fundamental challenges to social forecasting. It begins by defining forecasting as the formulation of conditional accounts of possible futures. The main forecasting theme to be solved are as follows: ageing Czech population as a security problem, corruption, criminality, organized crime as a tool of political and economy instability, the marginalization of Czech Armed Forces in context of globalization and overall European defence, possible threat of the collapse of Czech defence system.
The Effort to Destroy Chemical Weapons Continues
Authors: Středa Ladislav , Caban Pavel
Published: December 2015

The final extended deadline, established by the Chemical Weapons Convention for the destruction of chemical weapons, passed in 2012. Despite all efforts and enormous amount of funds, the goal to destroy all chemical weapons within this date has not been achieved. The authors enumerate states that this fulfilled this resolution and others that this task did not accomplished, for some reasons. According to the destruction plans, the Russian Federation should complete the destruction by the end of 2015, Libya by the end of 2016, and the United States not until September 2023.
On Strategy and Operations: A Short Insight into Military History
Authors: Spišák Ján
Published: December 2015

The basic orientation in the field of military art demands at least elementary knowledge of military history and understanding to military strategy influence on the art of war. The questions tied to understanding military strategy and its influence on the preparation and conducting military operations are part of study programmes of all life education at the Defence University. The purpose of this article, dedicated to military strategy problems, is deeper understanding to its basic connections, understanding a direction the strategy took in a designated period and its development. I ought to explain in short its role and attitude towards the nature of military operations.
The Use of Simulation Technologies in the Preparation for New Types of Operations
Authors: Hubáček Martin , Hausner Drahomír , Vráb Vladimír
Published: December 2015

The article deals with using of simulation technology for training commanders and staffs in new types of operations. It summaries the overall development in the area, occurred since the establishment of the Center of Simulation and Training Technologies. There are presented turning points in training on simulators, i. e. requirements for combat in urban area, special operations of small units, of ground forces interaction with supporting units, the use of command and control systems and the cooperation between the military and rescue workers. It also points to the new requirements in the fields of training and shows possible ways of their solution. The second part deals with problems of NEC and its implementation into simulation systems. The article presents the results of SIMNEC defence research and its contribution to the future expansion of the capabilities of tactical simulator.
Military Deception in the Information Age
Authors: Kubeša Milan
Published: December 2015

Infomantion era could be characterized as a period of steem qualitative and quantitative information raise, aroused namely by sharp development of information and comunication technologies (ICT) . Military deception thus acquires new dimensions, wider chances to be employed in armed forces operations. This article concludes a free series of essays dealing with military deceiving. It is thinking over questions resulting from deception-information age relations, the beginnig of which could be situated into the 80s last century.
Some Aspects of a Combat Support Element: Battalion Task Force
Authors: Šufajzl Martin
Published: December 2015

In this article the author thinks over one of many variants the mortar units could be deployed into battalion combat task forces to support developing operations. It is a process of gradual compatibility with the units of North Atlantic Alliance and modernizing mortar weapons system with regard to prospective personnel reductions. It is important for joint commanders to be familiar with this kind of combat support, so that they could use it effectively in land operations.
Préférer le présent pour mieux concilier justice sociale au sein et entre les générations
Authors: Rio Cédric
Published: December 2015

Nous défendons l’application d’une préférence pure pour le présent positive au niveau social spécifique, consistant à accorder une priorité relative à la réalisation de la justice sociale au sein des générations. Cela permet selon nous de mieux concilier des exigences de justice sociale entre les générations et au sein de celles-ci. Une telle priorité est possible et souhaitable pour les vivants comme pour les individus futurs dès lors qu’elle est appliquée au sein d’un système de coopération intergénérationelle dont nous précisons les modalités.
The Role of Aberrometry in Accommodative Spasm After Myopic Photorefractive Keratectomy
Authors: Shetty Rohit , Deshpande Kalyani , Kemmanu Vasudha , Kaweri Luci
Published: December 2015

PURPOSE:

To report the role of aberrometry in a case of accommodative spasm following myopic photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).

METHODS:

Observational case report.

RESULTS:

One month following myopic PRK, a 33-year-old healthy woman complained of seeing multiple images and headache that interfered with her daily activities. Her corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) was 20/40 in the right eye and 20/25 in the left eye with a manifest refraction of −0.75 −0.50 × 165° in the right eye and plano −0.50 × 20° in the left eye. Cycloplegic refraction was plano −0.50 × 165° in the right eye and plano −0.5 × 20° in the left eye. Ray tracing aberrometry showed variable refraction with increase in internal defocus, which after cycloplegia reduced from 1.019 to 0.142
µ
m in the right eye and 0.366 to 0.230
µ
m in the left eye. Total ocular aberrations decreased by 53.16% in the right eye (range: 1.511 to 0.708
µ
m) and 18.77% (range: 0.671 to 0.545
µ
m) in the left eye; corresponding simulated Snellen visual acuity charts also showed improvement. The patient was treated with one drop of cyclopentolate 1% three times a day for 6 weeks, following which headache and ghosting of images completely resolved.

CONCLUSIONS:

Accommodative spasm should be considered in patients with visual disturbances of uncertain causes following myopic refractive surgery. Ray tracing aberrometry can serve as a diagnostic and educative tool in managing such patients.

[
J Refract Surg.
2015;31(12):851–853.]
Comparison of Geographic Atrophy Growth Rates Using Different Imaging Modalities in the COMPLETE Study
Authors: Yehoshua Zohar , de Amorim Garcia Filho Carlos Alexandre , Nunes Renata Portella , Gregori Giovanni , Penha Fernando M. , Moshfeghi Andrew A. , Sadda SriniVas , Feuer William , Rosenfeld Philip J.
Published: December 2015

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

To compare the measurements and growth rates of geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) obtained using different imaging modalities.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Thirty patients with AMD and GA measuring from 1.25 mm
2
to 18 mm
2
based on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) fundus imaging were enrolled. Imaging was performed at baseline and at follow-up months 3, 6, 9, and 12, including autofluorescence (AF) imaging with a fundus camera-based flash system (TRC-50DX; Topcon Medical Systems, Oakland, NJ; AF excitation λ: 535–585 nm; detection λ: 605–715 nm), AF and fluorescein angiography (FA) imaging with a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) system (Spectralis; Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany; AF excitation λ: 488 nm; detection λ: > 500 nm), and SD-OCT en face imaging (Cirrus; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA).

RESULTS:

Average baseline square root measurements and enlargement rates of square root areas appeared similar across all modalities; 0.2 mm was the largest difference between any pair of measurement means. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were essentially equal to 1 for all comparisons of area measurements but were lower for growth rates than area measurements. Comparison of 26-week average enlargement rates showed no significant difference between the SLO AF image and enhanced SD-OCT en face image (mean difference: 0.01 mm; SD: 0.10;
P
= .70).

CONCLUSION:

Agreement among all imaging modalities in measuring the areas of GA at baseline diminished when the growth rates of GA were compared over 26 weeks, likely because each imaging technique identifies different anatomic features along the border of GA, which may appear similar but change at different rates.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2015;46:413–422.]
Characteristics and Outcomes of Sequential Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachments
Authors: Walia Harpreet S. , Shah Gaurav K. , Blinder Kevin J.
Published: December 2015

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

While copious data exist regarding the incidence, treatment, and prognosis of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD), fewer data exist regarding bilateral RRD.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

The authors performed a retrospective review of patients with sequential bilateral rhegmatogenous retinal detachments over a 5-year period from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2014, that were repaired at a single institution. Data were reviewed for 80 eyes of 40 patients, which is the largest series of sequential RRD reported.

RESULTS:

In patients with sequential RRD, the subsequently affected eyes were more likely to present with better initial visual acuity, shorter duration of symptoms, less macula-off status, and less concurrent proliferative vitreoretinopathy. The subsequent eye had better final visual acuity and was less likely to re-detach. Subsequent eyes tended to progress to RRD despite prophylactic retinopexy.

CONCLUSION:

The constellation of baseline characteristics in which subsequent eyes presented with better initial visual acuity, shorter duration of symptoms, less macula-detached status, and less concurrent proliferative vitreoretinopathy when compared to the initial eye correspond with the findings that subsequent eyes had more successful anatomical and better visual outcomes.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2015;46:445–449.]
Vitreous Incarceration After Ranibizumab Injection: An Ultrasound Biomicroscopy Study
Authors: Helvaci Sezer , Sahinoglu-Keskek Nedime , Kiziloglu Mustafa , Oksuz Huseyin , Cevher Selim
Published: December 2015

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

The aim of the study was to evaluate vitreous incarceration at the injection site using ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) after intravitreal injection of ranibizumab.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

The study included 39 eyes of 34 patients who underwent intravitreal injection of 0.05 mL of ranibizumab. UBM (HiScan; Optikon, Rome, Italy) with a 50 MHz probe was performed 1 day after surgery to determine the existence of vitreous incarceration at the injection site.

RESULTS:

The mean patient age was 59.7 (± 10.1) years, and 58.9% were female. Vitreous incarceration into the pars plana site was detected in six eyes (15.3%) the day after intravitreal injection.

CONCLUSION:

Vitreous incarceration at the injection site after intravitreal injection is thought to lead to a higher risk for complications such as infection, retinal breaks, retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage, and fibrovascular proliferation at the injection site. To understand the clinical importance of vitreous incarceration, further long-term prospective studies are necessary.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2015;46:471–474.]
L’érudition imaginaire
Authors: Piégay-Gros Nathalie
Published: December 2015

Discréditée par le discours critique et théorique, l’érudition est présente dans un grand nombre d’œuvres de fiction ou de récits. Elle peut être l’objet d’une critique acerbe exercée à l’encontre d’un savant fou, dupe ou excentrique (Queneau, Nabokov, Canetti). Elle s’oppose souvent à l’exercice de l’imagination et à l’intelligence spéculative. Mais l’érudition imaginaire peut aussi donner lieu à dispositifs érudits mis en place dans le texte du roman : appareil de notes, listes, enquête philologique, discours savants...  migrent dans la fiction. Expression d’un savoir savant, souvent désuet, l’érudition est bordée par la folie et la mélancolie. Dans l’œuvre de Borges ou de Sebald, comme dans celle de Quignard ou de Pierre Michon, l’érudition traduit ainsi une inquiétude envers les pouvoirs de la littérature et envers son rapport au savoir et à la mémoire.
Le Docteur invraisemblable ou la psychanalyse possible selon Ramón Gómez de la Serna
Authors: Piégay Victor-Arthur
Published: December 2015

En 1914, Ramón Gómez de la Serna publie un roman intitulé Le Docteur invraisemblable dans lequel il donne à lire le rapport entre un savoir imaginaire et un savoir réel en cours de démocratisation. À bien des égards en effet, la méthode employée par le protagoniste éponyme, toute invraisemblable qu’elle paraisse, évoque celle de cette discipline nouvelle qu’est la psychanalyse freudienne. Le roman est ainsi publié durant une période où, si les écrits de Freud n’ont pas encore été traduits, la psychanalyse commence à être connue en Espagne, en particulier grâce aux articles de José Ortega y Gasset. Dans un texte faisant la part belle à la fantaisie et à l’imagination et qui présente de nombreuses caractéristiques du genre du récit poétique, Ramón se livre finalement à la fictionnalisation d’une discipline balbutiante et encore entourée de zones d’ombre.
Portrait du Père Noël en Docteur Faust
Authors: Rebillon Carole
Published: December 2015

En 1946, le poète américain E.E.Cummings fait paraître une brève pièce de théâtre satirique : Santa Claus. A Morality. Cette pièce se présente comme une réécriture burlesque du mythe de Faust, et Cummings en assume le caractère allégorique. Après avoir abordé les rapports entre Faust et Santa Claus, nous étudierons le rôle central que tient l’image d’une technologie imaginaire (la « mine de rouages ») dans l'économie de la pièce. Ce faisant, nous aurons un aperçu d'un questionnement qui parcourt toute l’œuvre poétique de Cummings, celle de la place de l’imaginaire dans un monde matérialiste et envahi par la technologie. Ce questionnement sera mis en relation avec celui de la réception de la vulgarisation scientifique à l’époque de l’écriture de la pièce.
La « shadokologie » dans la première et la deuxième série des Shadoks
Authors: Kohn Jessica
Published: December 2015

Créé par Jacques Rouxel, le dessin-animé des Shadoks inscrit l'imaginaire français de la fin des années 1960 dans un contexte technologique et artistique résolument moderne. Sciences et savoirs imaginaires y ont une place de premier choix, dans une sorte de genèse « futuriste » qui s'inspire des avancées techniques des années 1960 et parodie de manière farfelue les savoirs scientifiques, théoriques et mathématiques, en s'inspirant par exemple de la 'Pataphysique. Toutefois, le feuilleton traite avant tout de l'absurdité possible de la science, jusqu'à poser la question du caractère aliénant de celle-ci, notamment lorsqu'elle est au service de l'autorité. En définitive, les Shadoks ne célèbrent la connaissance que si celle-ci reste au service de l'imaginaire.
Le « roman » de la mélancolie aux XVIe et XVIIe siècles
Authors: Luccioni-Sauvage Carine
Published: December 2015

À travers le corpus des traités de médecine consacrés en intégralité ou en partie à la mélancolie, qui sont publiés en France aux XVIe et XVIIe siècles, la science révèle les liens étroits qu’elle noue entre raison et imagination, liens caractéristiques d’un âge préscientifique où la pensée se départ rarement de l’exemple et de l’analogie. Dans un souci de vulgarisation, l’exposé didactique est soumis aux principes horatiens de l’utile dulci et les ressources de la rhétorique fournissent au médecin les moyens de plaire au public. Selon cet art de persuader, le modèle fictionnel, qu’il soit narratif ou lyrique, intègre la catégorie de l’imaginaire au champ du savoir mélancologue qui trouve dans le conte ou la fable quelques-unes de ses formes d’expression originales.
Le numérique au service de l'adaptation d'étudiants allophones à la micro-communauté d'une grande école française
Authors: Salengros-Iguenane Isabelle
Published: December 2015

Cet article traite des points forts d'une approche culturelle appuyée sur le numérique pour aider des étudiants allophones de l'École nationale des ponts et chaussées à entrer en connivence avec leurs pairs français. En appui sur les travaux consacrés à l'utilisation d'Internet et des outils numériques, notre objectif est ici d'analyser et de valider les apports d'Internet pour l'approche culturelle dans la micro-communauté de cette grande école française, à partir de données longitudinales. Pour cela, nous insistons d'abord sur les principes didactiques adoptés pour le type d'activités, le mode d'accompagnement et le rôle de l'apprenant. Nous montrons ainsi la pertinence de l'approche retenue pour la construction et la transformation des connaissances, la responsabilisation, la communication en français, les échanges avec les Français et la mise en place d'une prise de conscience interculturelle chez les étudiants allophones concernés. L'étude confirme aussi que cette démarche permet d'appréhender la logique de complexité et de variabilité qui touche la dimension culturelle de l'apprentissage d'une langue.
Un environnement informatique pour la formation des formateurs en FLE colombiens, fondé sur la linguistique textuelle
Authors: Mejia Jorge Mauricio Molina , Antoniadis Georges
Published: December 2015

Dans cet article, nous présentons une proposition de dispositif informatique d'aide à la formation fondé sur la linguistique textuelle, destiné à former des futurs enseignants de FLE dans le contexte de l'éducation supérieure en Colombie. Il est né du besoin d'offrir un instrument d'appui à l'enseignement des notions linguistiques que les futurs enseignants de français devront transmettre à leurs apprenants de langue. Notre système est fondé sur la technologie du TAL dont il se sert pour la conception des activités à partir d'un corpus spécifiquement annoté suivant les notions de la linguistique textuelle. Le dispositif pourra être utilisé en présentiel comme à distance.
Expansion and Practical Implementation of the MFC Cybersecurity Model via a Novel Security Requirements Taxonomy
Authors: Rjaibi Neila , Rabai Latifa Ben Arfa
Published: December 2015

In security risk management practices if we cannot measure, we can neither control nor improve. A challenging issue in the context of cyber security is to deal with the orthogonal classification of security requirements. A literature review has shown that there are different models of security requirements. Everyone examines some requirements and neglects others. In this paper, the authors intend to answer the question: what taxonomy of security requirements should we use in a security quantification process? It is thus imperative to build a standard, unified and hierarchical taxonomy which incorporates 13 security requirements and then refined in layer into 31 sub-factors referring to the variety of the proposed models based on previous works. The Mean Failure Cost model (MFC) is a recent, strong and structural risk management model. It is a cascade of linear models to quantify security threats in term of loss that results from system's vulnerabilities. It computes for each system's stakeholders his loss of operation ($/H) while taking account of its respective users, security requirements, system's components and the complete list of security threats. The proposed taxonomy is used to optimize quantification using the MFC metric by reducing the redundancy in estimating the security requirements values, and increasing accuracy in estimation. The authors applied the expansion of the MFC model to the context of e-learning platforms.
A Novel Multidimensional Approach to Integrate Big Data in Business Intelligence
Authors: Maté Alejandro , Llorens Hector , de Gregorio Elisa , Tardío Roberto , Gil David , Muñoz-Terol Rafa , Trujillo Juan
Published: December 2015

The huge amount of information available and its heterogeneity has surpassed the capacity of current data management technologies. Dealing with huge amounts of structured and unstructured data, often referred as Big Data, is a hot research topic and a technological challenge. In this paper, the authors present an approach aimed to enable OLAP queries over different, heterogeneous, data sources. Their approach is based on a MapReduce paradigm, which integrates different formats into the recent RDF Data Cube format. The benefits of their approach are that it is capable of querying different sources of information, while maintaining at the same time, an integrated, comprehensive view of the data available. The paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages, as well as the implementation challenges that such approach presents. Furthermore, the approach is evaluated in detail by means of a case study.
A Distributed System for The Management of Fine-grained Provenance
Authors: Sultana Salmin , Bertino Elisa
Published: December 2015

Existing provenance systems operate at a single layer of abstraction (workflow/process/OS) at which they record and store provenance. However, the provenance captured from different layers provides the highest benefit when integrated through a unified provenance framework. To build such a framework, a comprehensive provenance model able to represent the provenance of data objects with various semantics and granularity is the first step. In this paper, the authors propose a provenance model able to represent the provenance of any data object captured at any abstraction layer and present an abstract schema of the model. The expressive nature of the model enables a wide range of provenance queries. The authors also illustrate the utility of their model in real world data processing systems. In the paper, they also introduce a data provenance distributed middleware system composed of several different components and services that capture provenance according to their model and securely stores it in a central repository. As part of our middleware, the authors present a thin stackable file system, called FiPS, for capturing local provenance in a portable manner. FiPS is able to capture provenance at various degrees of granularity, transform provenance records into secure information, and direct the resulting provenance data to various persistent storage systems.
Análise da função pulmonar em indivíduos com lesão do plexo braquial
Authors: Vasconcelos Thiago Brasileiro de , Costa Rachel Belarmino , Josino Jeanne Batista , Magalhães Clarissa Bentes de Araujo , Maia Nathalia Parente de Sousa , Bastos Vasco Pinheiro Diógenes
Published: December 2015

Introdução. As lesões do plexo braquial têm graves repercussões sobre a funcionalidade, vida familiar e qualidade de vida. Objetivo. Analisar a função pulmonar em indivíduos com lesão do plexo braquial. Méto­do. Estudo transversal desenvolvido com 15 voluntários com lesão no plexo braquial em uma clínica escola de Fisioterapia na cidade de For­taleza-CE. A função pulmonar foi avaliada através da ventilometria, manovacuometria e espirometria. Resultados. Dos 15 voluntários com lesão no plexo braquial, 73,26% (n=11) tinham lesão completa e 26,74% (n=4) lesão incompleta. Na avaliação da função pulmonar encontramos uma frequência respiratória média de 15,73rpm (10- 24), volume corrente médio de 0,72L (0,29-1,2) e volume minuto médio de 10,68L/min (5,60-17,55). Na manovacometria, a amostra em estudo apresentou uma PiMáx de -121,66±8,58 cmH20 e PeMáx de 86±6,78 cmH2O, valores expiratórios menores do que o predi­to (p<0,001). Em relação aos valores espirométricos, os voluntários apresentaram uma característica de distúrbio ventilatório restritivo. Conclusão. Os indivíduos com lesão do plexo braquial apresentaram déficit na função pulmonar, com característica de padrão restritivo além de apresentarem fraqueza muscular expiratória.