bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Masked Expression of Life-History Traits in a Highly Variable Environment
Authors: DeBoer Jason A. , Fontaine Joseph J. , Chizinski Christopher J. , Pope Kevin L.
Published: April 2015

Differing life-history strategies may act as a constraint on reproductive expression that ultimately limits the ability of individual species to respond to changes in the magnitude or frequency of environmental variation, and potentially underlies the variation often inherent in phenotypic and evolved responses to anthropogenic change. Alternatively, if there are environmental cues that predict reproductive potential, differential expression of life-history strategies may represent differences in the adaptive capacity to optimize current reproductive value given variation in environmental conditions. We compared several aspects of walleye Sander vitreus spawning ecology at two reservoirs that differ in environmental variability (i.e., annual water-level fluctuation) to identify the capacity of phenotypic expression and the corresponding association with age. Despite significant differences in female body and liver masses between reservoirs that differ in environmental variability, we found no difference in reproductive investment measured by egg size and fecundity. Walleye in a highly variable environment appear to exhibit reproductive traits more typical of a short-lived life-history strategy, which may be resultant from the interaction of environmental and anthropogenic pressures. This finding emphasizes the need to identify the degree to which life-history expression represents physiological constraints versus ecological optimization, particularly as anthropogenic change continues to alter environmental conditions.
Evaluating behavioral and neuroimaging data on past tense processing
Authors: Seidenberg Mark S. , Hoeffner James H.
Published: April 2015

Jaeger, Lockwood, Kemmerer, Van Valin, Murphy, and Khalak 1996 ( Language 72.3) reported an experimental study that provided reaction time and PET neuroimaging data said to support Pinker's (1991) theory of inflectional morphology in which rule-governed forms and exceptions are processed by separate mechanisms. The results were also taken as evidence against connectionist accounts in which a single processing system generates both types of forms. We provide a critical analysis of the study that yields three main conclusions: First, Jaeger et al.'s data do not provide strong evidence that rule-governed forms and exceptions are processed in separate brain regions. Second, there are problems with the design of the study that contaminate critical comparisons between conditions. The results therefore afford alternative interpretations related to experiment-specific factors rather than the regular-irregular distinction. Third, the dissociations between rule-governed forms and exceptions observed in studies such as Jaeger et al.'s can be accommodated by the connectionist theory. We conclude by offering suggestions for future research that would overcome the major limitations of this study and provide more decisive evidence bearing on the issues.
Kipling’s Wireless Impressionism: Telecommunication and Narration in Early Modernism
Authors: Fielding Heather
Published: April 2015

While Kipling’s 1902 story “Wireless” has often been thought to exemplify an already outmoded realist narration, this essay argues that the story is an early experiment with impressionism. Midway through, the narrator’s point of view suddenly becomes distorted and private. The story makes sense of this change through the figure of the wireless telegraph, which Kipling uses to imagine a dizzying excess of technological chatter—a serious concern in contemporary discourse about the wireless—that makes communication impossible and isolates the individual despite his permeability to the world. “Wireless” reveals impressionism to be a specifically post-telegraphic telecommunication discourse.
Transformational and Transactional Leadership: An Exploration of Gender, Experience, and Institution Type
Authors: Martin Jason
Published: April 2015

This exploratory study examined the rates of transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership among academic library deans, directors, and university librarians to see if any differences in leadership styles existed by gender, age and experience of the leaders, and type of institution in which they worked. The study found no differences between male and female leaders, but women were more likely to use idealized attributes and inspirational motivation, both skills of transformational leaders. The study found no difference in leadership styles by type of institution but did find a strong correlation between the number of years of administrative experience and the use of transactional leadership.
Grade Trend Analysis for a Credit-Bearing Library Instruction Course
Authors: Guo Shu
Published: April 2015

Statistics suggest the prevalence of grade inflation nationwide, and researchers perform many analyses on student grades at both university and college levels. This analysis focuses on a one-credit library instruction course for undergraduate students at a large public university. The studies examine thirty semester GPAs and the percentages of As awarded over a fifteen-year period, from fall 1999 to spring 2014, to identify if there is any trend in the grades for the credit-bearing course. This longitudinal study is also intended to develop a practical method to evaluate student grades and to identify potential grading inconsistency problems for similar courses.
The Student/Library Computer Science Collaborative
Authors: Hahn Jim
Published: April 2015

With funding from an Institute of Museum and Library Services demonstration grant, librarians of the Undergraduate Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign partnered with students in computer science courses to design and build student-centered mobile apps. The grant work called for demonstration of student collaboration strategies and computing workflows that would enable greater access to collections and awareness of library services, while investigating aspects of location-specific mobile digital services. This case study reports grant strategies and goals, app design choices, and student and librarian outputs at the end of the grant.
Shadows of the Colonial: David Hare, empathetic perception, and ethnographic Surrealism in the 1940s
Authors: Mesch Claudia
Published: April 2015

This essay considers the largely forgotten photographic portfolio by the American surrealist artist David Hare, Pueblo Indians of New Mexico As They Are Today , published in New York in 1941. I wish to examine the critical relation of Hare’s photographic portraits in this portfolio to the photo-based practices and procedures of ethnographic surrealism as it turned toward surrealist ethnography. I would argue for this criticality even if Hare’s grasp of these practices may have been largely intuitive. Hare’s bridging of the genres of ethnographic photography and studio portraiture had mixed results. Hare did not publish or exhibit his photographs in a manner that delivered a critique of surrealist attitudes toward the Native object as these were formulated in surrealist publications and exhibitions at the time. Nonetheless his portraits in Pueblo Indians of New Mexico As They Are Today do interrupt, by formalist and other means, the “defiled” representation of Native people within traditional ethnographic photography. I argue that Hare engaged several of his Native sitters with an attitude of mutuality and empathy. We might uncover how his series generally contests the relation the surrealists were otherwise establishing with Native culture in these same years.
Myth, History and Repetition: André Breton and Vodou in Haiti
Authors: Geis Terri
Published: April 2015

During André Breton’s visit to Haiti in 1945-46, the French surrealist leader sought to connect surrealist politics and automatist practices with the legacies of the Haitian Revolution and the ritual practices of Vodou possession. Recent developments in Haitian painting were central to his efforts, as can be seen from a comment that Breton left in the visitors’ book at the Centre d’Art in Port-au-Prince: “Haitian painting will drink the blood of the phoenix. And, with the epaulets of [Jean-Jacques] Dessalines, it will ventilate the world.” Breton was specifically referring to the work of painter and Vodou priest Hector Hyppolite, whom he identified as the first artist to directly depict Vodou scenes and the lwa (Vodou deities), as opposed to hiding them in chromolithographs of Catholic saints or invoking them through impermanent vevé (abstracted forms drawn with powder during rituals). Breton’s writings on Hyppolite were undeniably central to the artist’s international status from the late 1940s on, but the surrealist readily admitted that his understanding of Hyppolite’s art was inhibited by their lack of a common language. Returning to France with multiple paintings by Hyppolite, Breton integrated this artwork into the increased surrealist focus on the occult, myth and magic. This paper examines key moments of intersection and divergence between Hyppolite and the surrealists, and explores the varying functions of Hyppolite’s paintings—most specifically a painting depicting the lwa Ogoun Ferraile—within the varying contexts of Haiti and Paris.
Swinging Hava Nagila: “Jewish Jazz” And Jewish Identity
Authors: Hersch Charles
Published: April 2015

This essay examines “Jewish jazz”—attempts to combine “Jewish music” and jazz into a new genre—from the perspective of Jewish ethnic identity. The movement began with two albums in the early 1960s and then reemerged in a second wave in the 1990s. I analyze these musical forays as attempts to explore and expand modern American Jewish identity. Jewish jazz began tentatively, reflecting the assimilationist leanings of American Jews in the post-World War II era. As multiculturalism emerged in the late twentieth century, Jewish jazz became brasher in proclaiming its Jewishness. These performances sought to expand Jewish identity to fit a multicultural society, and sometimes black musicians stretched their identities as well by expanding into Jewish music. At its best, Jewish jazz reaffirmed Jewishness while revealing connections with African Americans, with whom Jews have shared a diasporic, urban American culture. Such assertion and expansion of identity encountered fierce resistance in a society that is still attached to rigid ethnic categories.
Richard L. Rubenstein and the Death of “Ghetto Judaism”
Authors: Krawcowicz Barbara
Published: April 2015

Richard L. Rubenstein, who initiated the American debate about theological consequences of the Holocaust with the publication of After Auschwitz in 1966, is best known for his claim that God was dead. This proclamation of God’s demise is usually understood as a result of reasoning that includes the occurrence of the Holocaust among its premises. In the article, the author presents an alternative interpretation. Analyzing Rubenstein’s early essays, the author argues that his rejection of theodicy as traditionally construed and of the notion of God as the Lord of History should rather be read as a part of Rubenstein’s critique of “ghetto Judaism”—Judaism born in tragic and anomalous circumstances of exile, containing intrinsically problematic ideas of God, divine providence, and divine election. Heavily influenced by existentialism in general and by Paul Tillich’s rejection of traditional theism in particular, Rubenstein believed that traditional Judaism had outlived its purpose. In Rubenstein’s thought, Auschwitz—and those interpretations of the Holocaust that attempted to place it within the parameters of traditional vocabulary and the covenantal framework—the author submits, serves primarily as the most glaring example of the bankruptcy of “ghetto Judaism” and its God. It is not, however, the reason for this God’s death and Rubenstein’s argument is logically independent of the fact of the Holocaust.
Wild Neighbors: Megarian Ethnic Identity in Fifth-Century Athenian Comedy
Authors: Florence Monica
Published: April 2015

The fifth-century Athenian comic poets create a vivid and consistent stereotype of Megara and the Megarians: they characterize the Megarians, unlike other Greeks, as violent, childlike, impoverished, conniving, and uncivilized. In this paper, I examine the comic perception of Megarian ethnic identity and suggest that this vision is inextricably linked to Athenian imperial ideology. Through stereotyping and ethnic abuse of their Megarian neighbors, the comic poets establish a greater distance between themselves and the Dorian Megarians. They thereby imply that even this nearby Greek landscape requires Athenian control and they sanction Athenian aggression towards it.
Frogs around the Pond? Cultural Diversity in the Ancient World and the New Millennium
Authors: Morris Sarah P. , Of Steinmetz
Published: April 2015

This essay examines relations between Greeks and non-Greeks in the eastern Mediterranean in three case studies. A Geometric clay pyxis from Athens is compared to an older Egyptian granary, to consider how shapes, images, and beliefs might travel across time and place. In the second case, a famous image of Artemis from Ephesus is traced to Anatolian traditions of the second millennium. Finally, the role of myth, or the narrative behind such images, is examined in the figure of Midas, whose asses’ ears could harbor royal Anatolian attributes. Details of these connections are explored elsewhere; this essay asks how and why we pursue them in classical art and myth, and what the results accomplish for our purposes as teachers and scholars of classical antiquity.
Multi-Ethnic Armies in Virgil, Lucan, and Claudian: Intertextuality, War, and the Ideology of Romanitas
Authors: Dewar Michael
Published: April 2015

At In Rufinum 2.101–19, Claudian presents Stilicho as leading a multi-ethnic army that unites in perfect harmony the troops of the two previously divided halves of the Empire. Much of the power of the propaganda comes from a skilful combination of two earlier epic models, Virgil and Lucan. In Virgil, however, the diverse nations presented as showing allegiance to Augustus are conquered peoples, whereas Stilicho commands an army in which nationalities are subsumed within the wider loyalty of Roman citizens. And whereas Lucan’s two armies are opposing sides in a destructive civil war, Stilicho’s army is one that is harmoniously reunited after a similar war has reached a happy conclusion.
The Last Book of the Aeneid
Authors: Tarrant Richard
Published: April 2015

The first part of this paper discusses several effects Virgil achieves by delaying the decisive encounter between Aeneas and Turnus for the greater part of Aeneid 12: these include multiple indirect encounters between the two characters, a dense web of allusions casting Turnus and the Latins in roles that recall the doomed Trojans, and several anticipations of events that lie beyond the end of the narrative proper. The second part re-examines the end of the book against this background and in the light of recent discussions, emphasizing Virgil’s complex view of Aeneas’ actions and of human action in general.
Xenophon’s anabasis : The First War Memoir
Authors: LaForse Bruce
Published: April 2015

The Anabasis has long resisted definitive classification. Scholars have seen it as a philosophical tract, an apologia , an ethno-geographical treatise, and a commentary on a military campaign, among other proposals. While it contains elements of many such works, the Anabasis most closely resembles the highly personal modern war memoir as defined by Samuel Hynes. After books one and two set the stage, the narrative focuses exclusively on Xenophon and records his transformation from an untried nobody into a respected and well-known commander.
Electronic Publication: The State of the Question
Authors: Gardiner Eileen , Musto Ronald G.
Published: April 2015

Our paper will have two parts: we will begin by briefly introducing the project and describing our model and approach to scholarly electronic publishing, and we will take up the relationship of this project to the changes occurring in scholarly communication. We will concentrate on the experience from our own Project, but we will note progress on issues in electronic history publishing being made by the other important projects currently under way.
A New Presentation of Selected Greek Geographers
Authors: Shipley D. Graham J.
Published: April 2015

The Selected Greek Geographers project, recently launched, will publish a selection of ancient Greek geographical authors in English translations with short historical commentaries. The paper sets out the rationale for a new presentation of these geographical texts, and compares it with other on-going projects such as the Budé Géographes grecs and Fragmente der griechischen Historiker V. A paragraph of the author’s draft translation of Pseudo-Skylax is compared with previous versions, and a sample of commentary in SGG style offered for consideration. Finally, a longer extract from the translation (§§1–10) is analysed.
Voice, Identity, Presence: Aural Images of Stammering in Victoria Hanna’s Performance Signals
Authors: Abeliovich Ruthie
Published: April 2015

This essay explores the vocal rhetoric of Israeli performance artist Victoria Hanna in her 2005 performance Signals . In this performance, Hanna presents an interpretation of Jewish texts and rituals traditionally facilitated in public Jewish rituals by male figures. Prominent in her oratory are the symptoms of her stammering speech impediment: pauses, repetitions of syllables, segmentation of words, excessive reproduction of sounds, and prolonged phonemes. The essay considers Hanna’s stammering as a theatrical vocal repository, creating aural imagery that focuses the spectator on the dissociative relations between the religious texts she performs and her identity as a woman. Drawing from Steven Connor’s notion of “The Vocalic Body” (2000), the essay interprets Hanna’s stammering as representing an utterance that projects the cultural fantasies of female agency on her body and reconfigures her presence as an acoustic medium. It argues that by staging herself as a vehicle facilitating a male textual tradition, Hanna effectively controls her voice.
Cinemática inversa de robot serial utilizando algoritmo genético basado en MCDS
Authors: Vaca González Juan Jairo , Peña Caro Cristhian Andrés , Vacca González Harold
Published: April 2015

Los robots manipuladores seriales son herramientas eficaces para realizar tareas repetitivas y de precisión en la industria, siempre que se comprenda la cinemática involucrada en el posicionamiento y orientación del efector final. Este artículo presenta una metodología para resolver el problema cinemático inverso de un robot serial (Melfa RV-2A) utilizando un algoritmo genético (AG) a partir del modelo cinemático directo Screws (MCDS). Para esto, se obtienen los parámetros Screw que modelan el robot, se calcula el espacio de trabajo asociado y se diseña el AG contemplando una función multi-objetivo de alcance de posición y orientación en que se sitúa el efector final, con respecto a una coordenada y orientación de un punto objetivo establecido. La validación del AG se realiza según la aptitud, el tiempo de convergencia y la cantidad de generaciones usadas por la función para alcanzar el objetivo. Por tanto, la implementación de un AG basado en un MCDS es una herramienta prometedora que podría utilizarse para calcular la cinemática inversa de robots seriales. Esta novedosa implementación permite establecer por primera vez la exposición matricial de un sistema cinemático directo para obtener la solución cinemática inversa de un robot serial. En consecuencia, se demuestra que esta es una metodología factible y eficiente para solucionar la cinemática inversa de cualquier tipo de robot manipulador.
Los residuos de la construcción y demolición en la ciudad de Cali: un análisis hacia su gestión, manejo y aprovechamiento
Authors: Robayo Salazar Rafael Andres , Mattey Centeno Pedro Enrique , Silva Urrego Yimmy Fernando , Burgos Galindo Diana Marcela , Delvasto Arjona Silvio
Published: April 2015

El número de obras de construcción, remodelación y demolición en las ciudades colombianas aumenta de manera constante como consecuencia del crecimiento y desarrollo socioeconómico de la población urbana. Sin embargo, estas prácticas generan grandes volúmenes de residuos que en la actualidad se han convertido en un problema de contaminación ambiental en ciudades como Cali (Colombia). La búsqueda de soluciones integrales que permitan un adecuado manejo, gestión y aprovechamiento de los diferentes materiales que componen los residuos de la construcción y demolición (RC&D) era impensable hace algunas décadas. No obstante, hoy día es un desafío apremiante para los diferentes sectores de la sociedad que deben encaminar esfuerzos para encontrar soluciones. En este sentido, este artículo de revisión presenta un análisis sobre la situación actual alrededor de este tema en la ciudad mencionada y propone la generación de acciones de acuerdo con las oportunidades y retos necesarios para alcanzar una gestión total de los RC&D. El análisis de esta problemática podría ayudar a orientar futuras investigaciones sobre el tema, además de promover su prioridad en la agenda pública, generando así las condiciones necesarias para que la actividad del reciclaje de los RC&D se convierta en una posibilidad viable en las ciudades colombianas a partir de la experiencia obtenida.
Formulations to overcome the divergence of iterative method of fixed-point in nonlinear equations solution
Authors: Rodríguez Calderón Wilson , Pallares Muñoz Myriam Rocío
Published: April 2015

Cuando se requiere encontrar la solución de una ecuación no lineal existen dos grandes alternativas: los métodos cerrados que usan intervalos que contienen la raíz y durante su proceso iterativo reducen su tamaño de manera natural, y los métodos abiertos que son una buena opción por no requerir un intervalo inicial que la encierre. En general, se sabe que los métodos abiertos son más eficientes computacionalmente aunque no siempre convergen. Este trabajo presenta el estudio de uno de los casos de divergencia cuando se usa el método abierto de iteración de punto fijo; se trata de una aplicación típica de hidráulica de canales cuando se requiere calcular el tirante normal en un canal rectangular haciendo uso de la fórmula clásica de Manning. Para solucionar el problema de divergencia se proponen dos estrategias (desarrolladas por los autores) que permiten modificar la función de iteración realizando formulaciones adicionales que parten del método original y su teorema de convergencia. Aunque la ecuación de Manning se resuelve con otros métodos como el de Newton, cuando se usa el de iteración de punto fijo se presenta una situación interesante de divergencia que puede solucionarse y además obtener convergencia superior a la cuadrática en las iteraciones iniciales. Situaciones de divergencia monotónica como la que se presenta en este artículo han sido estudiadas con las estrategias propuestas con resultados satisfactorios. En el artículo se presentan comparaciones para reconocer las ventajas de las estrategias propuestas frente a los métodos abiertos más representativos.
Job dissatisfaction among vocational and technical teachers
Mesleki teknik öğretmenlerde iş doyumsuzluğu
Authors: Deliönü Özcan , Garipağaoğlu Burçak Çağla
Published: April 2015

The purpose of this study is to determine the causes of job dissatisfaction among teachers in the field of vocational and technical education and suggest viable alternatives for the solution of this problem.  The study was conducted with qualitative research techniques. The data was collected from a total of 44 participants via one-to-one interviews and focus group discussions.  To obtain a better and more holistic picture of the factors leading to job dissatisfaction, participants were selected from vocational and technical schools located in various parts of İstanbul with high population of teachers and students. The results of the study demonstrate that the causes of job satisfaction are generally related with communication within the organization, working conditions, school administration and social reputation of teaching as a profession rather than the pay, job security, professional development and promotion opportunities. Moreover, it was understood that stress resulting from workplace conflicts, heavy workloads, vague job descriptions and unmet expectations are found to be closely related with job dissatisfaction among vocational and technical teachers. 

 

Özet

Bu araştırmanın amacı meslek liselerinde çalışan mesleki teknik öğretmenlerin iş doyumsuzluğuna ilişkin görüş ve düşüncelerini  belirlemek, ve sorunun çözümü için uygun önerilerin geliştirilmesini sağlamaktır. Nitel araştırma yöntemi ile gerçekleştirilen bu araştırmada 44 mesleki teknik öğretmen ve yöneticisi ile odak grup görüşmeleri ve bire bir görüşmeler yapılarak iş doyumsuzluğunun nedenleri araştırılmıştır. Araştırmada meslek liselerinde çalışan mesleki teknik öğretmenlerin iş doyumsuzluğunun nedenlerinin doğru bir şekilde yansıtılabilmesi için değişken çeşitliliğinin sayıca fazla olduğu ve İstanbul’un farklı bölgelerinde yer alan, öğrenci ve öğretmen sayılarının fazla olduğu meslek liseleri seçilmiştir. Yapılan çalışma sonucunda mesleki teknik öğretmenlerin iş doyumsuzluğu nedenlerinin ücret, iş güvencesi, gelişme ve yükselme olanaklarından çok, çalışanlar arasındaki iletişim, çalışma ortamı, yönetim ve denetim anlayışı ile öğretmenin sosyal konumu ile ilintili olduğu ortaya çıkmıştır. Ayrıca,  iş ortamında yaşanan çatışma, aşırı iş yükü ve belirsizlik gibi stres kaynakları ile çalışanın işleriyle ilgili karşılanamayan beklentilerinin iş doyumsuzluğu ile yakından ilişkili olduğu anlaşılmıştır.
On the intersection of a Hermitian surface with an elliptic quadric
Authors: Cossidente Antonio , Pavese Francesco
Published: April 2015

We investigate the intersection between the generalized quadrangle arising from a Hermitian surface H(3, q2) and an elliptic quadric Q−(3, q2) of PG(3, q2). In odd characteristic we determine the possible intersection sizes between H(3, q2) and Q−(3, q2) under the hypothesis that they share the same tangent plane at a common point. When the characteristic is even, we determine the configuration arising from the intersection of H(3, q2) and Q−(3, q2), provided that the generators of H(3, q2) that are tangents with respect to Q−(3, q2) are the extended lines of a symplectic generalized quadrangle W(3, q) embedded in H(3, q2). As a by-product, new infinite families of hyperovals on H(3, q2) are constructed.
Economic Analysis of Pre-trial Negotiations: A Behavioral Approach
Authors: Dandekar Suyog Ravindra , Raja Angara V.
Published: April 2015

The paper provides a behavioral approach to analysis of pre-trial negotiations. This paper differs from earlier studies in that the most likely outcome forms the basis on which the parties assess their benefits and costs. This is based not on precise calculations of expected values, but on the expectations of the parties which depend on assessment of relative strengths of their case. This is modelled as an outcome of an imperfect cognitive process which is characterized by coherence based reasoning and insensitivities to actual probabilities, and legal discovery. Furthermore, the paper identifies factors which affect bargaining power and how bargaining power affects settlement amounts.
Lasers in InP generic photonic integration technology platforms
Authors: Latkowski Sylwester , Lenstra Daan
Published: April 2015

A review is given of a number of lasers in a form of photonic integrated circuits realized on InP substrate using a generic integration approach. The potential of these photonic circuits lies in their compactness, low power consumption, and significant reduction of fabrication cost by realization in generic foundry runs. Generic integration platforms offer the possibility of realizing functionally advanced photonic circuits using combinations of just a few standardized and parameterized building blocks. This vibrant field opens new doors to innovative product development for SMEs as well as curiosity-driven research.
Governance und Qualitätsmanagement in Bibliotheken
Authors: Leiber Theodor , Köster Anette
Published: April 2015

Akademische wie öffentliche Bibliotheken sind gegenwärtig mit zahlreichen veränderten Rahmenbedingungen und Herausforderungen konfrontiert (z. B. technologische Innovationen; Dynamik von Bildung und Wissensgesellschaft; Ressourcenknappheit): Wie sollen Bibliotheken der Zukunft konzipiert werden? Wie kann die Leistungsmessung von der Inputlastigkeit befreit werden? Welches sind die identitätsbildenden Aufgaben von Bibliotheken und wie können sie sich als kompetitive Akteure etablieren? Diese Herausforderungen und Entwicklungsperspektiven, so die These des vorliegenden Aufsatzes, können ohne systematisches Qualitätsmanagement und strategische Steuerung (Governance) nicht effektiv bewältigt werden. Denn die erforderlichen Kompetenzen, Strukturen und Prozesse, die im Folgenden diskutiert werden, müssen auf strategisch orientierte Qualitätsentwicklung ausgerichtet sein.
Die Verhältnisse sind unterschiedlich, ein normierter Vergleich macht keinen Sinn. Ein Statement zum BIX.
Authors: Moeske Ulrich
Published: April 2015

Der BIX als Instrument, um die Leistungen verschiedener Bibliotheken miteinander zu vergleichen, liefert in vielen Teilen nicht nur ein verzerrtes Bild der bibliothekarischen Praxis, sondern schadet darüber hinaus. Besonders in seiner Verwendung als Mittel zur Selbstdarstellung in der Öffentlichkeit. Durch einen fahrlässigen Umgang mit dem zugrunde liegenden Zahlenmaterial, den so genannten „harten Fakten“, eröffnet der BIX seinen Rezipienten vielfältige Interpretationsspielräume. Insgesamt stellt sich damit die grundlegende Frage: Sollte man den BIX besser abschaffen?
Weniger, aber besser?
Authors: Pilzer Harald
Published: April 2015

Seit rund 15 Jahren gibt es den Bibliotheksindex BIX als Instrument einer vergleichenden Messung von Aufwand und Leistungen von öffentlichen kommunalen Bibliotheken aller Größenklassen. Hier soll der Versuch unternommen werden, die Aussagen des BIX anhand von vier typischen Fragstellungen, die die Kommunalpolitik im Zusammenhang mit Bibliotheken aufwirft, zu behandeln und zu prüfen, inwieweit der BIX Antwortpotentiale bereit hält und eine Rückwirkung auf die kommunale Entscheidungsebene haben kann.
Are regulation-driven performance criteria still acceptable? – The German point of view
Authors: Orth Matthias
Published: April 2015

Performance criteria should be a challenge for the laboratories to improve their quality. In countries with mandatory proficiency testing, the definition of performance criteria is a particular issue. If the definition of performance criteria is mandated from the regulatory bodies to medico-scientific institutions, scientific approaches (i.e., based on biological variation), the state-of-the-art approach (i.e., based on technical feasibility) as well as medical needs can be used to set up performance criteria such as the Richtlinie der Bundesärztekammer (RiliBÄK; Guideline of the German Medical Association on Quality Assurance in Medical Laboratory Examinations) in Germany. The experiences with RiliBÄK show that these performance criteria have to be revised on an ongoing basis.
The μ-ordinary Hasse invariant of\break unitary Shimura varieties
Authors: Goldring Wushi , Nicole Marc-Hubert
Published: April 2015

We construct a generalization of the Hasse invariant for any Shimura variety of PEL-type A over a prime of good reduction, whose non-vanishing locus is the open and dense μ-ordinary locus.
On a statistic for testing the homogeneity of polynomial samples
Authors: Zubkov Andrey M. , Selivanov Boris I.
Published: April 2015

We consider M ≥ 2 independent polynomial samples with N outcomes. For the case when M and N are fixed but sizes of samples tend to infinity we find limit distributions of a new statistic σ
Effects of Ultrasonic Treatment on Microstructure and Properties of Al-Based Composites Reinforced by In Situ Al2O3 Nanoparticles
Authors: Chen Cunguang , Guo Zhimeng , Luo Ji , Wang Wenwen , Hao Junjie
Published: April 2015

An investigation on the microstructure of as-cast Al-Mg-Cu composites reinforced by in situ nano-sized Al2O3 dispersoids with ultrasonic treatment showed that ultrasonic treatment of the melt prior to casting had a significant effect on the size and sphericity of α-Al dendrites as well as on the size, continuity and sphericity of intermetallic particles (Al2CuMg) formed during cooling and solidification of the composite. More importantly, Al2O3 nanoparticles were uniformly distributed inside the grains, which were in situ produced by the displacement reaction between Al and CuO in the melt under ultrasonic treatment. The microstructural effects were mainly attributed to the cavitation and streaming phenomena which took place during ultrasonic treatment in the melt. The mechanical properties were investigated by tensile tests and hardness measurements. Ultrasonic treatment caused a significant increase in the yield strength (~43%), ultimate tensile strength (~32%) and hardness (~13%), and simultaneously slight improvement in the ductility.
A Medical System for Supporting Civilian Crisis Response
Authors: Ren Chiang H. , Smith William K. , Christensen James
Published: April 2015

This paper examines the growth of mobile communications, electronic health records, and clinical decision support technologies and formulates the concept for a system that leverages these technologies to enable the general public to better support medical response during and after crisis events. Recognizing that data for modeling how people will react to and behave with such a system is very limited, the initial analysis was directed toward the potentials of civilian users, operations centers with remote medical advisors, and the new medical system for civilian response. Using relational diagrams, system operations for when the user is confronting a massive crisis, coping with an isolated emergency, or conducting self-training are described to encourage the initiation of pilot projects with user test groups. There are risks in shifting the dynamics between first responders and the people they are trying to save. However, the life-saving potential of emerging technologies demands further investigation and testing.
International Trade, Fairness, and Labour Migration
Authors: Loriaux Sylvie , Herwig Alexia
Published: April 2015

This paper aims to show that fairness in trade calls for relaxing existing WTO rules to include a greater liberalisation of labour migration. After having addressed several objections to global egalitarianism, it will argue, first, that the world’s rich and the world’s poor participate in a same multilateral trading system whose point is primarily to reduce trade barriers, and hence to establish global economic competitions, in order to raise their standards of living; second, that these competitions are subject to requirements of formal and substantive fairness; and, third, that the substantive fairness of the competitions that are taking place in the field of trade in goods is likely to require a greater liberalisation of labour migration, especially low-skilled labour from developing countries.
A Theory of Fairness in Trade
Authors: James Aaron
Published: April 2015

A theory of fairness in international trade should answer at least three questions. What, at the basic level, are we to assess as fair or unfair in the trade context? What sort of fairness issue does this basic subject of assessment raise? And, what moral principles must be fulfilled if trade is to be fair in the relevant sense? This discussion presents answers to these questions that derive from a “constructivist” methodology inspired by John Rawls and the social contract tradition.
Crystal structure of bis[4,4,4]-trifluoro-1-(2-thienyl)butanedione-1,3] copper( II) with two 1-butylimidazole ligands, C30H32CuF6N4O4S2
Authors: Wang Gao-Feng , Sun Shu-Wen , Qian Kun , Ma Hui-Xuan , Yang Xia , Liu Zhao-Rong
Published: April 2015

C30H32CuF6N4O4S2, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 13.209(5) Å, b = 8.715(3) Å, c = 14.599(5) Å, β = 92.217(5)°, V = 1679.3 Å3, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0509, wRref(F2) = 0.1683, T = 296 K.
Crystal structure of 3-iodo-4,6-dimethoxy-benzaldehyde, C9H9IO3
Authors: Nogororabanga Jean , Mama Neliswa , Hosten Eric C. , Betz Richard
Published: April 2015

C9H9IO3, orthorhombic, Pnma (no. 62), a = 10.9655(5) Å, b = 6.5768(3) Å, c = 13.3770(6) Å, V = 964.7 Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0130, wRref(F2) = 0.0350, T = 200 K.
A brief description about the fathers of computer and information sciences
Authors: Khan Majid , Shah Tariq , Shahab Ali
Published: April 2015

In this article, we are mainly presenting a tribute to the fathers of computer and information sciences, George Boole and Claude Elwood Shannon with their hardships and achievements. This piece of writing also elaborates the applications of George Boole's and Claude Shannon’s works in different disciplines.
Morphology and thermomechanical properties of epoxy composites highly filled with waste bulk molding compounds (BMC)
Authors: Matykiewicz Danuta , Barczewski Mateusz , Sterzyński Tomasz
Published: April 2015

The aim of this study was to produce epoxy composites highly filled with waste bulk molding compounds (BMC). The used amount of filler ranged from 30 wt% to 60 wt%. The influence of BMC on the epoxy resin curing process was monitored with the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to evaluate the chemical structure of composites. The mechanical and thermal properties were examined by means of dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), the Charpy method and the Shore D test. The fracture surface morphology of composites was observed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The storage modulus G′ of the epoxy composites with BMC was higher than the reference epoxy sample and significantly dependent on filler content. All investigated materials showed similar values of hardness, but at the same time low values of impact strength. Therefore, obtained composites can be used as low cost coating materials.
A family of triangular Hermite finite elements complementing the Bogner–Fox–Schmit rectangle
Authors: Gileva Lidia , Shaidurov Vladimir , Dobronets Boris
Published: April 2015

The Bogner-Fox-Schmit rectangular element is one of the simplest elements that provide continuous differentiability of an approximate solution in the framework of the finite element method. However, it can be applied only on a simple domain composed of rectangles whose sides are parallel to two different straight lines.We propose a new family of triangular Hermite elements that involves straight-sided elements and elements with a curved side. Such an element can be used in combination with the Bogner-Fox-Schmit element near the boundary of an arbitrary polygonal domain or a domain with a curved part of the boundary and provides continuous differentiability of an approximate solution in thewhole domain up to the boundary.
New results and problems in the theory of algorithms of statistical simulation of radiation transfer
Authors: Mikhailov Gennady A.
Published: April 2015

The paper presents new results of development of stochastic modelling algorithms for radiation transfer aimed for the study of effects caused by a stochastic radiation model and variation of its parameters. This research was initiated by G. I. Marchuk in order to solve urgent problems of atmospheric optics. Some formulations of corresponding new mathematical problems are given in the paper.
The Development or Exacerbation of Eating Disorder Symptoms After Topiramate Initiation
Authors: Lebow Jocelyn , Chuy Jeffrey A. , Cedermark Kyle , Cook Katlyn , Sim Leslie A.
Published: April 2015

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved topiramate for migraine prevention in adolescents. Given the well-established appetite-suppressant side effects of topiramate, as well as data suggesting a potential comorbidity between migraine and eating disorders, susceptible young migraine patients may be at a greater risk for the development or worsening of eating disorder symptoms with topiramate therapy. This case series comprises 7 adolescent patients in whom serious eating disorders developed or were exacerbated after the initiation of topiramate therapy. Clinical characteristics of these patients are highlighted. In addition, this case series provides guidelines for providers to use in assessing eating disorders before prescribing topiramate for migraine prevention in adolescents.
Role of implantable loop recorder in the clinical diagnosis of syncope: Results of the introduction of an effective diagnostic tool
Authors: Somlói Miklós , Toldy-Schedel Emil , Nényei Zoltán , Böszörményi Róbert , Tomcsányi János
Published: April 2015

Introduction: Extension of electrocardiographic monitoring via loop recorder implantation may increase the diagnostic yield of syncope work-up. Aim: In this retrospective observational study, the authors wanted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of implantable loop recorder in the everyday clinical practice. Method: The authors analyzed the electronically stored data of all patients who underwent loop recorder implantation between 2005 and 2014 in their cardiology department because of recurrent syncope of undetermined origin. Results: There were 52 loop recorder implantations within the study period. During the 167 (±136) days of monitoring, 36 (69.2%) diagnostic events occurred. In two-thirds of events, (46.2% of all monitored patients) a specific arrhythmia diagnosis was reached, allowing definitive treatment in these cases. In this selected population, there was no correlation between age, presence of known high-risk predictors, or accompanying trauma, and the mechanism of syncope. Conclusions: The high diagnostic rate of implantable loop recorder in the everyday clinical practice is in accordance with the findings in prospective clinical studies. This observation supports the early application of loop recorder in the diagnostic algorithm of syncope. Orv. Hetil., 2015, 156(15), 609–613.
Symptomatology and treatment of persistent genital arousal disorder. Case report
Authors: Erős Erika , Brockhauser Ildikó , Pólyán Edina
Published: April 2015

Persistent genital arousal disorder is a rare condition among women characterized by unwanted and intrusive sexual arousal that can persist for an extended period of time and unrelated to sexual desire or sexual stimuli. Since its first documentation in 2001, numerous studies have been dedicated to investigate its specifics. The persistent genital arousal occurs in the absence of sexual interest and fantasies and it causes excessive psychological suffering. Masturbation, spontaneous orgasm or sexual intercourse can offer only a temporary relief. Researches provide a limited insight into the characteristics of persistent genital arousal disorder. This paper presents a case and summarizes the scientific findings on prevalence, etiology and treatment perspectives. Orv. Hetil., 2015, 156(15), 614–618.
Quinclorac and Aminocyclopyrachlor Movement in Sandy Soils
Authors: Adams Jason W. , Lym Rodney G.
Published: April 2015

The Sheyenne National Grassland (SNG) is a native tall grass and mixed grass prairie located in southeastern North Dakota. Approximately half of the SNG has been invaded by leafy spurge (Euphorbia esulaL.) and control methods have been limited. Many herbicides cannot be utilized at the SNG due to sandy soils (> 80%) and shallow groundwater, nor can they be applied near the western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclaraSheviak and Bowles), a federally listed threatened plant found on the SNG. Quinclorac and aminocyclopyrachlor were considered for use on the SNG but potential to enter the groundwater was unclear. Movement of quinclorac and aminocyclopyrachlor was evaluated in 70 cm soil columns that simulated field conditions from five ecological sites. Quinclorac leached further following the heavy rainfall event of 15 cm in 48 h compared to the annual precipitation of 51 cm applied over 9 wk. Quinclorac leached approximately 45 cm into the soil profile averaged over all soil types and both precipitation events but never exceeded 65 cm regardless of soil type. Aminocyclopyrachlor leaching was greater than quinclorac and moved through all soil types into the leachate following both watering regimes. Desorption of both herbicides was incomplete. Approximately 10 and 32% of applied aminocyclopyrachlor and quinclorac, respectively, remained in the top 5 cm of soil regardless of soil type or watering regime. Quinclorac but not aminocyclopyrachlor was considered suitable for use at the SNG to control leafy spurge and has the added benefit of not harming the western prairie fringed orchid.
The Safety and Efficacy of Single-Agent Pemetrexed in Platinum-Resistant Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma: A Large Single-Institution Experience
Authors: Bambury Richard M. , Benjamin David J. , Chaim Joshua L. , Zabor Emily C. , Sullivan John , Garcia-Grossman Ilana R. , Regazzi Ashley M. , Ostrovnaya Irina , Apollo Aryln , Xiao Han , Voss Martin H. , Iyer Gopa , Bajorin Dean F. , Rosenberg Jonathan E.
Published: April 2015

Background.

Pemetrexed is a commonly used treatment for platinum-resistant advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC) based on objective response rates of 8% and 28% in two small phase II studies. To address the discrepancy in reported response rates and to assess efficacy and toxicity outside of a clinical trial setting, we performed a large retrospective analysis of pemetrexed use at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. We also investigated candidate prognostic factors for overall survival in this setting to explore whether the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) had independent prognostic significance.

Patients and Methods.

Patients receiving pemetrexed for platinum-resistant advanced UC between 2008 and 2013 were identified. The Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST, version 1.1) were used to determine response rate. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to examine the association of various factors with efficacy and survival outcomes. Hematologic toxicity and laboratory abnormalities were recorded.

Results.

One hundred and twenty-nine patients were treated with pemetrexed. The objective response rate was 5% (95% confidence interval: 1%–9%), and the median duration of response was 8 months. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 2.4 months, and the 6-month PFS rate was 14%. There was no significant difference in response rate by age, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, or number of prior therapies. On multivariable analysis, ECOG performance status (p < .01), liver metastases (p = .02), and NLR (p < .01) had independent prognostic significance for overall survival.

Conclusion.

This 129-patient series is the largest reported data set describing pemetrexed use in advanced UC. Activity was modest, although discovery of molecular biomarkers predictive of response would be valuable to identify the small subset of patients who do gain significant benefit. Overall, the data highlight the urgent need to develop novel therapies for these patients.