bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neurobiology of Psychotherpeutic Relationship-New Perspectives
Authors: Samardžić Ljiljana , Nikolić Gordana
Published: May 2013

Since the time of Freud’s “Project for psychology as natural science” in 1895, at the dawn of psychoanalysis as the theory and therapy, psychoanalysis and psychotherapy in general have been attempting to establish and develop their biological roots. Numerous external and internal limitations and resistances have been limiting and opposing this process for almost a century. The last two decades brought a significant change in this view, especially following the development of contemporary neuroimaging techniques with their dynamic and functional features and growing interest for mental processes on behalf of neuroscience. The aim of this paper was to review scientific articles on recent advances in the field of neurobiology of psychotherapy, especially neurobiological underpinnings of psychotherapeutic relationship, and point to the new perspectives this knowledge brings. Recent advances in neurobiology and psychotherapy research open the way for the integration of psychotherapy and neurobiology. With this regard, science could contribute to closing the mind-brain gap which has been artificially dividing a human being for centuries. An integrated field enables new scientific perspective for both disciplines with multilayered understanding of mind-brain functioning.
Determination of Clindamycin Phosphate in Different Vaginal Gel Formulations by Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography
Authors: Stanković Milica , Savić Vesna , Marinković Valentina
Published: May 2013

Clindamycin is an antibiotic effective against Gram-positive aerobes and both Gramnegative and Gram-positive anaerobic pathogens. Clindamycin (its phosphate ester) was used as a model drug for our study in order to check the efficacy of the developed vaginal gel formulations.

The aim of this study was to develop an analytical method suitable for the determination of clindamycin phosphate in three different vaginal gel formulations. The main difference between the three formulations was the use of different gelation agents in the formulations (Carbopol® 940, Carbopol® Ultrez 10 and Pemulen® TR 1). A new isocratic high performance liquid chromatography method based on reverse phase separation has been developed for the determination of clindamycin phosphate. The separation was achieved on a Zorbax Eclipse plus C8 column with a mobile phase of acetonitrile and pH 2.5 phosphate buffer and UV detection at 210 nm. A linear response (r>0.99) was observed in the range of 10.0-80.0 μg mL-1. The method shows good recoveries and relative standard deviations were less than 1.0%. The method can be applied to assess the stability of clindamycin phosphate in vaginal gel formulations. It can be used for quality control and stability study samples analysis.

Clindamycin phosphate concentration was different in vaginal gel formulations with different gelation agents, so the conclusion is that gelation agents (gel carriers) have a significant influence on the active drug concentration. The obtained results confirm that vaginal gel formulation with Carbopol® 940 shows the maximal stability during the analysis and provides the optimal value of clindamycin phosphate concentration.
Suppressive Effect of Fig (Ficus Carica) Latex on Esophageal Cancer Cell Proliferation
Authors: Hashemi Seyyed Abbas , Abediankenari Saeid
Published: May 2013

Fig (Ficus carica) tree latex was a source of treatment of different diseases in the Iranian traditional medicine reported by Avicenna in his 10th century book Canon of Medicine. The aim of this investigation was to establish the anticancer effect of fig tree latex on human cancer cells.

The in vitro effect of different doses of fig tree latex including 2.5 mg/ml, 5 mg/ml, and 10 mg/ml on esophageal cancer cell line was evaluated after 72 hours by MTT assay.

There was a significant change in 10 mg/ml treatment of latex after 72 hours on esophageal cancer line (P; 0.025). Ten mg/ml was the optimum concentration in the inhibition of cell line growth.

Fig (Ficus carica) tree latex could be a candidate as a potential agent for the inhibition of cancerous cells production and development.
Mature Intracranial Teratoma
Authors: Dimov Irena , Tasić Desanka , Stojanović Ivana , Stojanović Simonida , Stojanović Nebojša , Stefanović Ivan , Dimov Dragan
Published: May 2013

Teratomas constitute a group of nongerminomatous germ cell tumors that are composed of an admixture of different tissue types representative of ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm. Intracranial teratomas are rare, comprising approximately 0.5% of all intracranial tumors. They preferentially involve the midline structures, and occur primarily in children.

We presented an unusual case of mature intracranial teratoma with extracranial extension in a 24-year-old man who complained of headache, nausea and vomiting. The intracranial expansive lesion was localized in the left frontotemporobasal region extending into the ipsilateral orbit. The patient underwent total resection of the tumor. No adjuvant treatment was given. On gross examination, the resected tumor was lobulated, containing heterogeneous solid and cystic components. Histologic investigation revealed the presence of various fully differentiated tissues representative of the three germ cell layers, including adipose tissue, cartilage, bone, striated muscle bundles, brain tissue, respiratory epithelium and glandular structures. The diagnosis of mature teratoma was established. Follow-up at four years did not show any evidence of recurrence.

The presented case is an unusual example of mature teratoma with regards to the age of the patient and, especially, to the location of the tumor, both intraand extracranially. It is critical to recognize this rare entity by extensive sampling to rule out the presence of immature elements which may constitute only a minor part of the tumor.
Burkitt Lymphoma in Elderly Patients
Authors: Petković Ivan , Mihailović Dragan , Krstić Miljan , Pejčić Ivica , Vrbić Svetislav , Balić Mirjana
Published: May 2013

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a disease of predominantly young population, while in the elderly it occurs as a rare neoplasm. Elderly patients (age >60 years) represent a significant problem because of the inability to apply effective aggressive chemiotherapy in these cases. The risk of induction death is very high and unacceptible. Mainly, palliative treatments are applied, whose goal is not curing but maintaining the quality of life. We present the case of a person 75 years old with a diagnosis of sporadic, typical BL treated with CHOP+R in the induction therapy with excellent response but rapid progression after the abolition of rituximab. In discussion, the authors are looking for relevant data on the therapeutic approach in BL in the elderly.
Cavernous weathering forms in SW Iceland: a case study on weathering of basalts in a cold temperate maritime climate
Authors: Zwalińska Katarzyna , Dąbski Maciej
Published: May 2013

The article is a case study of the development of cavernous weathering forms (alveoli and tafoni) on a sea cliff near Keflavik on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland. The majority of forms are found on vertical or inclined rock faces and cluster around the uppermost edge of the cliff. Single hollows gradually evolve due to back wearing of their sidewalls into complex caverns, until finally the whole outermost layer of basalt is removed. Particular attention is paid to mineralogical changes of basalts due to chemical and salt weathering. Chemical decomposition of feldspars, pyroxenes and olivines followed by precipitation of iron on and within the weathering rind, the presence of micro- and macro-pores such as gas bubbles and delivery of marine salts are proposed to be the key factors influencing cavern development.
Neighbourhood coefficients of cellular automata for research on land use changes with map algebra
Authors: Werner Piotr A.
Published: May 2013

The dependency of land use and the neighbouring land cover patches is related to the existing neighbourhood or the predominant land use types in a given region, which stimulates further land changes of the lot being observed. Land use changes can be considered a complex and (to an extent) random process. The complexity of interactions means that the conventional deductive models are constrained, particularly in the case of the spatio-temporal phenomena, and implies the application of cellular automata to spatial research. Cellular automata are similar to the map algebra models in GIS. The concept of using neighbourhood coefficients in the analysis of land use changes is based on the combination of map algebra with two-dimensional cellular automata. The aims of this research included formulating the theoretical structure of neighbourhood coefficients, analysing their operationalization and testing their practical application. The verification of research and procedures included maps and statistics of simulations of land use changes in Poland.
Iterative methods for zero points of accretive operators in Banach spaces
Authors: Wang Sheng Hua , Cho Sun Young , Qin Xiao Long
Published: May 2013

The purpose of this paper is to consider the problem of approximating zero points of accretive operators. We introduce and analysis Mann-type iterative algorithm with errors and Halpern-type iterative algorithms with errors. Weak and strong convergence theorems are established in a real Banach space. As applications, we consider the problem of approximating a minimizer of a proper lower semicontinuous convex function in a real Hilbert space
On some lacunary difference sequence spaces defined by a sequence of Orlicz functions and q-lacunary Δnm-statistical convergence
Authors: Tripathy Binod Chandra , Dutta Hemen
Published: May 2013

In this article, we introduce the lacunary difference sequence spaces w0(M, θ, Δnm, p, q), w1(M, θ, Δnm, p, q) and w∞(M, θ, Δnm, p, q) using a sequence M = (Mk) of Orlicz functions and investigate some relevant properties of these spaces. Then, we define and study the notion of q-lacunary Δnm-statistical convergent sequences. Further, we study the relationship between q-lacunary n m-statistical convergent sequences and Δnm the spaces w0(M, θ, Δnm, p, q) and w1(M, θ, Δnm, p, q).
Stability of a Class of Nonlinear Neutral Stochastic Differential Equations with Variable Time Delays
Authors: Wu Meng , Huang Nanjing , Zhao Changwen
Published: May 2013

In this paper, we study the mean square asymptotic stability of a class of generalized nonlinear neutral stochastic differential equations with variable time delays by using fixed point theory. An asymptotic mean square stability theorem with a necessary and sufficient condition is proved which improves and generalizes some well-known results. Finally, two examples are given to illustrate our results.
Magnetic Schrödinger Operators with Discrete Spectra on Non-Compact Kähler Manifolds
Authors: Anghel Nicolae
Published: May 2013

We identify a class of magnetic Schrödinger operators on Käler manifolds which exhibit pure point spectrum. To this end we embed the Schröinger problem into a Dirac-type problem via a parallel spinor and use a Bochner-Weitzenböck argument to prove our spectral discreteness criterion
On geometric structures associated with triple systems
Authors: Kamiya Noriaki
Published: May 2013

In this paper, we show that geometric phenomena can be charac- terized using the concept of triple systems. In particular, we study a complex structure associated with triple systems
Singularities of the eta function of first order differential operators
Authors: Loya Paul , Moroianu Sergiu
Published: May 2013

We report on a particular case of the paper [7], joint with Raphaël Ponge, showing that generically, the eta function of a first-order differential operator over a closed manifold of dimension n has first-order poles at all positive integers of the form n - 1; n - 3; n - 5;. . . .
On Variable Exponent Amalgam Spaces
Authors: Aydin İsmail
Published: May 2013

We derive some of the basic properties of weighted variable exponent Lebesgue spaces Lp(.)w (ℝn) and investigate embeddings of these spaces under some conditions. Also a new family of Wiener amalgam spaces W(Lp(.)w ;Lqv) is defined, where the local component is a weighted variable exponent Lebesgue space Lp(.)w (ℝn) and the global component is a weighted Lebesgue space Lqv (ℝn) : We investigate the properties of the spaces W(Lp(.)w ;Lqv): We also present new Hölder-type inequalities and embeddings for these spaces.
Equilibrium existence under generalized convexity
Authors: Patriche Monica
Published: May 2013

We introduce, in the first part, the notion of weakly convex pair of correspondences, we give its economic interpretation, we state a fixed point and a selection theorem. Then, by using a tehnique based on a continuous selection, we prove existence theorems of quilibrium for an abstract economy. In the second part, we define the weakly biconvex correspondences, we prove a selection theorem and we also demonstrate the existence of equilibrium for a generalized quasi-game (2003 Kim's model). In the last part of the paper, we give other applications in the game theory, finding equilibrium for abstract economies having correspondences with weakly convex graph. We show that the equilibrium exists without continuity assumptions.
Design and Synthesis of Chiral Spiro Ligands
Authors: Bajracharya Gan B.
Published: May 2013

Tremendous progress has been made in design and synthesis of chiral spiro ligands and researches in finding their utility have led development of several asymmetric- and organo-catalysis. This review describes recent advances in synthesis of chiral spiro ligands.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jncs.v28i0.8036Journal of Nepal Chemical SocietyVol.28, 20111-23Uploaded date: May 6, 2013
An Attempt of Geopolymer Synthesis from Construction Waste
Authors: Jha Vinay Kumar , Tuladhar Anupama
Published: May 2013

Recently, the demolition of old houses and the construction of new buildings in Kathmandu valley are in the peak which in turn generates a huge amount of construction waste. This construction waste is rich source of alumino-silicate and thus used as raw material for the synthesis of geopolymer in this study. Geopolymers have been synthesized from construction waste using NaOH and Na2SiO3 as activators. Some parameters like alkali concentration, ratio of Na2SiO3 to construction waste and curing time have been varied in order to improve the quality of geopolymeric product. The results obtained revealed the maximum compressive strength of 7.3 MPa at the ratio of sodium silicate to construction waste of 0.5 (w/w) on 15 days curing time at 40ºC temperature. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jncs.v28i0.8038Journal of Nepal Chemical Society Vol.28, 2011 Page 29-33 Uploaded date: March 6, 2013
Photophysical Investigatigation of Poly [N-isopropylacrylamide-co-Acrylic Acid] Copolymers
Authors: Pokhrel Megh Raj
Published: May 2013

Poly[n-isopropylacrylamide], Poly[NIPAM], and Poly[n-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid], poly[NIPAM-co-AA] copolymers exhibit the interesting property of size contraction with increasing temperature. Photophysical probe, ruthenium-tris-phenanthroline has been used to monitor the above changes and the studies are correlated with independent study state fluorescence data. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jncs.v28i0.8109 Journal of Nepal Chemical Society Vol. 28, 2011 Page: 67-73 Uploaded Date: May 24, 2013
Origins, genetic structure, and systematics of the narrow endemic peatmosses (Sphagnum): S. guwassanense and S. triseriporum (Sphagnaceae)
Authors: Shaw A. Jonathan , Shaw Blanka , Johnson Matthew G. , Higuchi Masanobu , Arikawa Tomotsugu , Ueno Takeshi , Devos Nicolas
Published: May 2013

• Premise of the study: Sphagnum dominates vast expanses of wetland habitats throughout the northern hemisphere and species delimitation within the genus is important because floristic changes associated with a warming global climate may have measureable impacts on large‐scale ecological processes. Most northern hemisphere peatmoss species (Sphagnum) have circumboreal ranges, but the Japanese species generally known as S. calymmatophyllum is endemic to Honshu Island. This prompted a population genetic and phylogenetic analysis to resolve the origin(s), population structure, and phylogenetic relationships of this morphologically variable species.

• Methods: Sixty plants collected from Mt. Gassan and Mt. Hakkoda were genotyped for 12 microsatellite loci. Two plastid loci and three anonymous nuclear loci were sequenced in a subset of the plants, plus representatives from 10 closely related species.

• Key results: Gametophytes exhibited fixed or nearly fixed heterozygosity at 9–10 of the 12 microsatellite loci. Two genetic groups were resolved by the microsatellite data, individuals showed no evidence of admixture, and the two groups of plants differ in morphology. They are heterozygous for different sets of alleles. The two taxa share plastid DNA sequences with two species that are common in Alaska.

• Conclusions: Two taxa were distinguished: S. guwassanense and S. triseriporum. Both are allopolyploids; they originated independently from different but closely related progenitors. The maternal progenitor was likely either S. orientale or S. inexspectatum. The two allopolyploid taxa are heterozygous for (different) private microsatellite alleles, and one progenitor could be extinct.
The impact of scientific journals of communication: Comparing Google Scholar Metrics, Web of Science and Scopus
Authors: Delgado-López-Cózar Emilio , Repiso-Caballero Rafael
Published: May 2013

Google Scholar Metrics' launch in April 2012, a new bibliometric tool for the evaluation of scientific journals by means of citation counting, has ended with the duopoly exerted by the Web of Science and Scopus databases. This paper aims at comparing the coverage of these three databases and the similarity their journal rankings may have. We selected a sample of journals from the field of Communication Studies indexed in the three databases. Data was recollected on 1720 November, 2012. 277 journals were identified to which we calculated their hindex and ranked them according to such indicator. Then, we analyzed the correlation between the rankings generated. Google Scholar Metrics dobles the coverage of the other databases, reducing the bias toward English language both; web of Science and Scopus have. Google Scholar Metrics shows higher hindex values (an average 47% higher than Scopus and 40% higher than Web of Science), allowing to better rank journals. We conclude that Google Scholar Metrics is a tool capable of identifying the main journals in Communication Studies offering results as reliable and valid as the ones Web of Science and Scopus show.

La aparición de Google Scholar Metrics en abril de 2012 como nuevo sistema de evaluación bibliométrica de revistas científicas a partir del recuento de las citas bibliográficas que éstas han recibido en Google Scholar rompe el duopolio ejercido hasta el momento por las bases de datos Web of Science y Scopus. El objetivo de este trabajo es comparar la cobertura que poseen estas tres bases de datos y la similitud que puedan presentar los rankings elaborados a partir de ellas. Se ha elegido como muestra las revistas de comunicación indizadas en las tres bases de datos. Las búsquedas bibliográficas se efectuaron entre el 17 y el 20 de noviembre de 2012. Se calcula el índice h de las 277 revistas identificadas y se averigua la correlación existente entre los rankings generados. Google Scholar Metrics duplica la cobertura, reduce el sesgo anglosajón que poseen Web of Science y Scopus. Google Scholar Metrics proporciona índices h más elevados (un promedio de un 47% superior a Scopus y un 40% a Web of Science) con lo que permite discriminar mejor las posiciones de las revistas en el ranking. En conclusión, Google Scholar Metrics es una herramienta capaz de identificar las principales revistas de comunicación ofreciendo resultados tan solventes, fiables y válidos como los generados por Web of Science y Scopus.
The influence of social networks on the adolescents’ online practices
Authors: García-Jiménez Antonio , López-de-Ayala-López María-Cruz , Catalina-García Beatriz
Published: May 2013

The aim of this article is to study in depth the changes taking place in the habits of adolescents using online communication, particularly due to the dramatic arrival of social networks in their daily lives, and the sociocultural implications of these processes. The research methodology focuses on a selfadministered questionnaire applied nationally. Based on the results of a survey of a representative national sample of 2,077 adolescents (12 to 17yearolds), this study has sought to update the information about online practices among Spanish adolescents, specifically with regard to the remarkable development of social networks. Similarly, the behavior of both regular users of social networks and of nonregular users has been compared, with the aim of detecting the influence of social network use on general online life, and we have considered the following variables: gender, age, funding type of the educational establishment and social class. Among the main conclusions of the study, we emphasize a more intensive use of the Internet as regards time and activities by those who are more frequent users of social networks, and especially the activities they carry out to keep in touch and share content with their equals.

Profundizar en los cambios que se están perfilando en los hábitos online de los adolescentes, en particular debido a la fuerte irrupción de las redes sociales en su vida cotidiana, así como en las implicaciones socioculturales de estos procesos, es el objeto de este trabajo. La metodología de investigación se centró en un cuestionario autoadministrado aplicado a escala nacional. Sobre una muestra representativa nacional de 2.077 adolescentes (de 12 a 17 años), se ha buscado actualizar la información relativa a las prácticas online entre los menores y adolescentes españoles, con atención específica a la extensión del fenómeno de las redes sociales e identificando su influencia sobre las prácticas de los adolescentes en la Red. De igual modo, se comparan los usos entre los usuarios habituales de las redes sociales y los que no las tienen entre sus prácticas cotidianas, con la idea de detectar la influencia del uso de las redes sociales en los usos generales en Internet y controlando esa relación en función de cuatro variables: sexo, edad, titularidad del centro al que asisten los adolescentes y clase social. Entre las principales conclusiones destacamos el uso más intensivo en tiempo y en actividades de los usuarios que utilizan muy frecuentemente las redes sociales, con especial incidencia en aquellas actividades que les permiten mantener el contacto y compartir contenidos con sus pares.
Schizophrenia traveler type
Authors: Bota Robert
Published: May 2013

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An inventory of natural resources harvested from national parks in South Africa
Authors: Van Wilgen Nicola J. , Dopolo Mbulelo , Symonds Alexis , Vermeulen Wessel , Bester Elzette , Smith Kyle , McGeoch Melodie A.
Published: May 2013

Resource harvesting is permissible within South African protected areas under certain conditions as part of benefit sharing that seeks to strengthen relationships with communities living adjacent to parks. However, not all resource use is authorised and little is currently known about what is harvested, or the extent and impacts of harvesting in parks. This limits capacity to monitor and set the boundaries for such use. This paper provides a checklist of resources harvested within each of 19 national parks managed by South African National Parks. Data were gathered by means of a question-based survey of park staff. A database detailing the parks from which each resource was harvested and its purpose(s) was compiled, representing the most comprehensive list of resources harvested from parks to date. A total of 382 harvested biological and abiotic resources (284 terrestrial and 98 aquatic), used for a wide range of purposes, were identified across parks. Many of the resources, especially animals (96%), were harvested destructively. The strongest motivation for harvest was subsistence, although most resources were also used for financial gain through informal business. Although current data are not sufficient to determine harvest sustainability for most resources, better data and increased awareness of resource use activities will enable future research to this end.Conservation implications: The checklist of harvested resources provides critical baseline data for parks, which will facilitate assessment of park-specific priorities for research, monitoring and management action.
Comment on “A Comparison of Buprenorphine + Naloxone to Buprenorphine and Methadone in the Treatment of Opioid Dependence during Pregnancy: Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes”
Authors: Newman Robert G. , Gevertz Susan G.
Published: May 2013

In a recent article, Lund et al sought to compare maternal and neonatal outcomes of various treatment regimens for opioid dependence during pregnancy. 1 In their background, discussion the authors state that “In the United States buprenorphine plus naloxone [Suboxone®] … has been the preferred form of prescribed buprenorphine due to its reduced abuse liability relative to buprenorphine alone [Subutex®].” This claim is certainly consistent with the view of the firm that has manufactured and sold both products, Reckitt Benckiser. In September of 2011, the company announced that it was “… discontinuing distribution and sale of Subutex® tablets as we believe that mono product (product containing buprenorphine alone with no naloxone) creates a greater risk of misuse, abuse and diversion …”. 2 Supporting evidence for the alleged “reduced abuse liability” appears to be lacking, however, and evidence cannot be located in the two references cited by Dr. Lund and his co-authors, which in fact are silent on the subject of abuse potential. 3 , 4 In contrast, it has been reported that the transition to buprenorphine/naloxone from the mono formulation has been associated with “… no reduction in injection risk behaviors among IDUs.” 5
Air quality resolution for health impacts assessment: influence of regional characteristics
Authors: Thompson T. M. , Saari R. K. , Selin N. E.
Published: May 2013

Abstract. We evaluate how regional characteristics of weather, population, and background pollution might impact the selection of optimal model resolution when calculating the human health impacts of changes to air quality. Using an approach consistent with air quality policy evaluation, we use a regional chemical transport model (CAMx) and a health benefits mapping program (BenMAP) to calculate the human health impacts associated with changes in ozone and fine particulate matter resulting from an emissions reduction scenario. We evaluate this same scenario at 36, 12 and 4 km resolution for nine regions in the Eastern US representing varied characteristics. We find that the human health benefits associated with changes in ozone concentrations are sensitive to resolution, especially in urban areas where we estimate that benefits calculated using coarse resolution results are on average two times greater than benefits calculated using finer scale results. In three urban areas we analyzed, results calculated using 36 km resolution modeling fell outside the uncertainty range of results calculated using finer scale modeling. In rural areas the influence of resolution is less pronounced with only an 8% increase in the estimated health impacts when using 36 km resolution over finer scales. In contrast, health benefits associated with changes in PM2.5 concentrations were not sensitive to resolution and did not follow a pattern based on any regional characteristics evaluated. The largest difference between the health impacts estimated using 36 km modeling results and either 12 or 4 km results was at most ±10% in any region. Several regions showed increases in estimated benefits as resolution increased (opposite the impact seen with ozone modeling) due to a higher contribution of primary PM in those regions, while some regions showed decreases in estimated benefits as resolution increased due to a higher contribution of secondary PM. Given that changes in PM2.5 dominate the human health impacts we conclude that human health benefits associated with decreases in ozone plus PM2.5, when calculated at 36 km resolution are indistinguishable from the benefits calculated using fine (12 km or finer) resolution modeling in the context of policy decisions.
Inferred changes in El Niño-Southern Oscillation variance over the past six centuries
Authors: McGregor S. , Timmermann A. , England M. H. , Elison Timm O. , Wittenberg A. T.
Published: May 2013

Abstract. It is vital to understand how the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has responded to past changes in natural and anthropogenic forcings, in order to better understand and predict its response to future greenhouse warming. To date, however, the instrumental record is too brief to fully characterize natural ENSO variability, while large discrepancies exist amongst paleo-proxy reconstructions of ENSO. These paleo-proxy reconstructions have typically attempted to reconstruct the full temporal variability of ENSO, rather than focusing simply on its variance. Here a new approach is developed that synthesizes the information on common low frequency variance changes from various proxy datasets to obtain estimates of ENSO variance. The method is tested using surrogate data from two coupled general circulation model (CGCM) simulations. It is shown that in the presence of dating uncertainties, synthesizing variance information provides a more robust estimate of ENSO variance than synthesizing the raw data than identifying its running variance. We also examine whether good temporal correspondence between proxy data and instrumental ENSO records implies a good representation of ENSO variance. A significant improvement in reconstructing ENSO variance changes is found when combining several proxies from diverse ENSO-teleconnected source regions, rather than by relying on a single well-correlated location, suggesting that ENSO variance estimates provided derived from a single site should be viewed with caution. Finally, identifying the common variance signal in a series of existing proxy based reconstructions of ENSO variability over the last 600 yr we find that the common ENSO variance over the period 1600–1900 was considerably lower than during 1979–2009.
Regional scale ozone data assimilation using an Ensemble Kalman Filter and the CHIMERE Chemical-Transport Model
Authors: Gaubert B. , Coman A. , Foret G. , Meleux F. , Ung A. , Rouil L. , Ionescu A. , Candau Y. , Beekmann M.
Published: May 2013

Abstract. The Ensemble Kalman Filter is an efficient algorithm for data assimilation; it allows for an estimation of forecast and analysis error by updating the model error covariance matrices at the analysis step. This algorithm has been coupled to the CHIMERE chemical transport model in order to assimilate ozone ground measurements at the regional scale. The analyzed ozone field is evaluated using a consistent set of observations and shows a reduction of the quadratic error by about a third and an improvement of the hourly correlation coefficient despite of a low ensemble size designed for operational purposes. A classification of the European observation network is derived from the ozone temporal variability in order to qualitatively determine the observation spatial representativeness. Then, an estimation of the temporal behavior of both model and observations error variances of the assimilated stations is checked using a posteriori Desroziers diagnostics. The amplitude of the additive noise applied to the ozone fields can be diagnosed and tuned online. The evaluation of the obtained background error variance distribution through the Reduced Centered Random Variable standard deviation shows improved statistics. The use of the diagnostics indicates a strong diurnal cycle of both the model and the representativeness errors. Another design of the ensemble is constructed by perturbing model parameter, but does not allow creating enough variability if used solely. Finally, the overall filter performance over evaluation stations is found to be relatively unaffected by different formulations of observation and simulation errors.
Masthead & General Information
Authors: JTLP JTLP
Published: May 2013

Contains Table of Contents, Masthead, & General Information
Performance as an Achievement and as a Cultural Event
Authors: Barragán Oscar
Published: May 2013

In this essay I argue that some aspects of aesthetic philosophy of music education are compatible with multicultural proposals. To show this I first distinguish between two different aspects of multicultural advocacy: one related to sociopolitical goals and one related to the inclusion of different musical traditions and practices in our music programs. These two conceptions of multiculturalism are complementary but can be distinguished for purposes of clarifying the relationship between aesthetic and multicultural assumptions about the value of multicultural music education. I then consider how the multicultural interest for the appreciation of extramusical values can coexist with aesthetic education’s concerns for the appreciation of "music for its own sake." In this respect I reveal how Phillip Alperson’s (2008) notion of work-in- performance can accommodate aesthetic and multiculturalist intuitions. The idea of work-in-performance tells us that sometimes we attend to two aspects of the musical presentation simultaneously: we attend to the musical content of the presentation and to the act of the performer in producing or reproducing such content. For this reason we can think of performance as a kind of musical practice characterized by a dual object of attention. This means that in some cases we need to acknowledge these two aspects of the performance in order to understand the value of the presentation. It suggests further that in order to have a more comprehensive understanding of the performance, we may need intuitions from aesthetic and multiculturalist considerations.
Fiasco: Formalism, Communication, and Aesthetic Education
Authors: Moore Kevin Z.
Published: May 2013

A forty-thousand-year-old history of profound and unprecedented verisimilitude in the visual arts ended in a fiasco of visual communication in the twentieth century. And the fiasco continues into the twenty-first century, thanks to tenured formalists in art schools and exorbitant prices in auction houses and galleries, with incomprehensible art fetching incomprehensible prices. After all, the cost of the new art’s victory over illustration was visual communication, a cost many have come to think too dear. That cost need not be paid in full, however, if art education and the finer optic of ultrathin observation redirect formalism onto productively observational pathways, weaving back into formalism features for sharing information that were untimely ripped from it by a century of overzealous and poorly informed interests in advancing visual communication in the arts.
The Education of Grown-ups: An Aesthetics of Reading Cavell
Authors: David LaRocca
Published: May 2013

Just as there was a time when it was uncommon, not to say unfashionable and perhaps professionally treacherous, for philosophers to write about Ralph Waldo Emerson, there was also a time when the pertinence of Stanley Cavell’s work for philosophy was a point of controversy. Now there is little reason to worry or complain that his work is not getting sufficient attention, so this essay is not undertaken in a mode of defense or complaint, but instead in a mood of wonder. I am interested in the phenomenon and practice of reading Cavell’s writing--work that appears capable of inspiring new writing while also causing the inspired to feel afraid of, or otherwise estranged from, the work. Panicked by its pedagogical force, a reader trying to write new things may be led to defer or diminish the work that inspired those new things, finding that the inspiration suffocates new initiatives in prose. In this essay I attend closely to how these and other issues in the aesthetics of reading appear when reading Cavell. My invocation of Cavell’s notion that "philosophy becomes the education of grownups" is meant to associate the aesthetics of reading Cavell’s work with the more general experience of education as it continues into maturity, regardless of discipline.
Rapid Diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection and Drug Susceptibility Testing
Authors: Wilson Michael L.
Published: May 2013

Context.—The global control of tuberculosis remains a challenge from the standpoint of diagnosis, detection of drug resistance, and treatment. This is an area of special concern to the health of women and children, particularly in regions of the world with high infant mortality rates and where women have limited access to health care.

Objective.—Because treatment can only be initiated when infection is detected, and is guided by the results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing, there recently has been a marked increase in the development and testing of novel assays designed to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, with or without simultaneous detection of resistance to isoniazid and/or rifampin. Both nonmolecular and molecular assays have been developed. This review will summarize the current knowledge about the use of rapid tests to detect M tuberculosis and drug resistance.

Data Sources.—Review of the most recent World Health Organization Global Tuberculosis Report, as well as selected publications in the primary research literature, meta-analyses, and review articles.

Conclusions.—To a large extent, nonmolecular methods are refinements or modifications of conventional methods, with the primary goal of providing more rapid test results. In contrast, molecular methods use novel technologies to detect the presence of M tuberculosis complex and genes conferring drug resistance. Evaluations of molecular assays have generally shown that these assays are of variable sensitivity for detecting the presence of M tuberculosis complex, and in particular are insensitive when used with smear-negative specimens. As a group, molecular assays have been shown to be of high sensitivity for detecting resistance to rifampin, but of variable sensitivity for detecting resistance to isoniazid.
Hospital-Acquired Hyponatremia in Pediatric Patients: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Easley Deidra , Tillman Emma
Published: May 2013

Hypotonic intravenous (IV) fluids in children are a mainstay of therapy based on a recommendation made in 1957 by Holliday and Segar. Since that time, hospital-acquired hyponatremia caused by hypotonic IV fluids has been found to be an additional risk factor in the cause of death and neurological impairment in acutely ill children. This article reviews and critically evaluates the literature regarding the association of hyponatremia and hypotonic IV fluids in pediatric hospitalized, postoperative, and critical care patients.
Agreement of Different Drug-Drug Interaction Checkers for Proton Pump Inhibitors
Authors: Carollo Massimo , Crisafulli Salvatore , Selleri Margherita , Piccoli Luca , L’Abbate Luca , Trifirò Gianluca
Published: July 2024

Importance

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are a widely prescribed class of drugs, potentially interacting with a large number of medicines, especially among older patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. Beyond summary of product characteristics (SPCs), interaction checkers (ICs) are routinely used tools to help clinicians in medication review interventions.

Objective

To assess the consistency of information on drugs potentially interacting with PPIs as reported in their SPCs and different ICs.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study was conducted using data from SPCs for 5 PPIs (omeprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, and rabeprazole) and 5 ICs (ie, INTERCheck WEB, Micromedex, Lexicomp, Epocrates, and drugs.com). Information from the SPCs and the ICs were extracted between July 15 and 30, 2023.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The main outcome was the level of agreement among SPCs and the 5 ICs in identifying drugs potentially interacting with PPIs and attributing drug-drug interaction (DDI) severity categories. The level of agreement was computed using Gwet AC1 statistic on the 5 ICs and by comparing 4-sets and 2-sets of ICs. As a sensitivity analysis, the level of agreement in listing PPI-related DDIs was evaluated using Cohen κ and Fleiss κ coefficients.

Results

Considering SPCs and the 5 ICs, a total of 518 potentially interacting drugs with omeprazole were reported, 455 for esomeprazole, 433 for lansoprazole, 421 for pantoprazole, and 405 for rabeprazole. As compared with the ICs, the SPCs reported a much smaller number of drugs potentially interacting with PPIs, with proportions ranging from 2.7% (11 potentially interacting drugs) for rabeprazole to 7.6% (33 potentially interacting drugs) for lansoprazole of the total identified drugs at risk of interaction with a PPI. The overall level of agreement among the 5 ICs for identifying potential interactions was poor (from 0.23 [95% CI, 0.21-0.25] for omeprazole to 0.27 [95% CI, 0.24-0.29] for pantoprazole and 0.27 [95% CI, 0.25-0.29] for rabeprazole). Similarly, the level of agreement was low in 4-set and 2-set analyses as well as when restricting the analysis to the potential DDIs identified as severe (range, 0.30-0.32).

Conclusions and Relevance

This cross-sectional study found significant disagreement among different ICs and SPCs, highlighting the need to focus on standardizing DDI databases. Therefore, to ensure evaluation and prevention of clinically relevant DDIs, it is recommended to revise multiple ICs and consult with specialists, such as clinical pharmacologists, particularly for patients with complex medical conditions.
Predeductible Coverage and Receipt of Telemental Health Visits
Authors: Fang Kacey , Marshall Jaclyn , Fendrick A. Mark , Huskamp Haiden A. , Thomas Latoya , Mehrotra Ateev
Published: July 2024

This cohort study examines the utilization changes associated with the reintroduction of cost sharing for patients receiving telemental health services.
Medicaid-Covered Peer Support Services Used by Enrollees With Opioid Use Disorder
Authors: Bao Yuhua , Zhang Hao , Hutchings Kayla , Harris Rebecca Arden , Calderbank Tara , Schackman Bruce R.
Published: July 2024

This cross-sectional study provides a multistate description of utilization of Medicaid-covered peer support services in 2019 by enrollees with opioid use disorder (OUD).
Detection of breast cancer by deep belief network with improved activation function
Authors: Archana S.
Published: July 2024

Breast cancer is the most prevalent kind of tumor to occur in females and the primary cause of death for women. Early detection is perhaps the most successful strategy to minimize breast cancer mortality. Early diagnosis necessitates a consistent and efficient diagnostics method that allows doctors to differentiate benign from malignant breast cancers without a surgical sample. The goal of this endeavor is to develop a sophisticated breast cancer diagnosis method. The primary goal of the paper is to reduce the death rate among women by promoting early detection of breast cancer. First, pre‐processing techniques such as median filtering and contrast limiting adaptive histogram equalization are used to the obtained raw images. By doing this, the machine‐learning model's computational complexity is decreased and the image quality is enhanced. K‐means clustering is used to segregate the pre‐processed image. Additionally, features including the enhanced local vector pattern, grey‐level co‐occurrence matrix and local vector patterns are produced in the course of the feature extraction stage. Finally, an optimized deep belief network (DBN) is carrying out the classification process. To boosts the classification accuracy, activation function of DBN (tanh, softmax, ReLu) as well as its weight function is optimized by the proposed grey wolf updated whale optimization algorithm The accuracy of the greywolf updated whale optimization algorithm+DBN is above 93% for datasets 1 and 2 when compared to extant models. Finally, calculation of the performance validates the proposed model's performance.
PEG 300 Promotes Mesodermal Differentiation in iPSC‐Derived Embryoid Body Formation In Vitro
Authors: Xu Jianyi , Fang Lijun , Zhou Jiahui , Jiang Hongjing , Wu Yindi , Liang Yuanfeng , Xiao Cong , Liu Qing , Sun Xuheng , Lin Zhanyi
Published: July 2024

Embryoid bodies (EB) are sensitive to changes in the culture conditions. Recent studies show that the addition of PEG 300 to culture medium affects cell growth and differentiation; however, its effect on the embryoid body is unclear. This study aims to understand the role of PEG 300 in the process of EB formation and germ layer differentiation. EBs formed more efficiently and differentiated toward the mesoderm when cultured in a medium supplemented with appropriate concentrations of PEG 300. The expression of T/Bry, a marker of mesodermal differentiation, increases in EBs in the PEG group, and the expression of TUBB3 generally decreases, showing a quantitative relationship with PEG. Furthermore, further differentiation of PEG‐pretreated EB into vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) by directional induction shows that PEG 300‐pretreated induced VSMCs have higher expression of phenotypic markers and greater secretory and contractile functions. This study highlights the role of PEG 300 in the culture medium during EB differentiation, which can significantly enhance mesodermal gene expression and the efficiency of subsequent differentiation into smooth muscle cells and other target cells.
Regulation of Type I Interferon and Autophagy in Immunity against Mycobacterium Tuberculosis: Role of CGAS and STING1
Authors: Malik Asrar Ahmad , Shariq Mohd , Sheikh Javaid Ahmad , Fayaz Haleema , Srivastava Gauri , Thakuri Deeksha , Ahuja Yashika , Ali Saquib , Alam Anwar , Ehtesham Nasreen Z. , Hasnain Seyed E.
Published: July 2024

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) is a significant intracellular pathogen responsible for numerous infectious disease‐related deaths worldwide. It uses ESX‐1 T7SS to damage phagosomes and to enter the cytosol of host cells after phagocytosis. During infection, M. tb and host mitochondria release dsDNA, which activates the CGAS‐STING1 pathway. This pathway leads to the production of type I interferons and proinflammatory cytokines and activates autophagy, which targets and degrades bacteria within autophagosomes. However, the role of type I IFNs in immunity against M. tb is controversial. While previous research has suggested a protective role, recent findings from cgas‐sting1 knockout mouse studies have contradicted this. Additionally, a study using knockout mice and non‐human primate models uncovered a new mechanism by which neutrophils recruited to lung infections form neutrophil extracellular traps. Activating plasmacytoid dendritic cells causes them to produce type I IFNs, which interfere with the function of interstitial macrophages and increase the likelihood of tuberculosis. Notably, M. tb uses its virulence proteins to disrupt the CGAS‐STING1 signaling pathway leading to enhanced pathogenesis. Investigating the CGAS‐STING1 pathway can help develop new ways to fight tuberculosis.