bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Knot Detection Errors When Using a Computed Tomography Log Scanner for Sawing Control
Authors: Breinig Lorenz , Berglund Anders , Grönlund Anders , Brüchert Franka , Sauter Udo H.
Published: January 2014

Roundwood scanners utilizing X-ray computed tomography (CT) provide the information required for individual log-sawing optimization. However, errors in the automated detection of quality-relevant internal wood features for sawing control may lead to improper log positioning at breakdown, impairing the realization of value recovery potential. It is thus of interest to have an estimation of the impact of feature detection errors on the performance of sawing optimization. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to quantify the effect of errors in knot detection on a breakdown optimization by adjustment of log rotation. Therefore, sawing simulations were performed with the geometric descriptions of log shape and internal knots extracted from the CT scans of 57 Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) logs. Three types of artificially set knot description errors were tested under different pricing and product scenarios, each in different magnitudes as systematic or random error. Errors in knot diameter were found to have the greatest impact for both systematic and random errors. The effect of errors in dead knot border radial position was less pronounced but still substantial for higher error levels, while errors in knot rotational position could be neglected even for the highest magnitudes of error tested. The assumed price differentiation between product qualities had a major influence on the impact of the errors. It could be observed that with errors of higher magnitudes than those reported for present knot detection algorithms, an improvement in value recovery compared with outer-shape–based optimization still resulted in the simulated rotation optimization.
Positive Psychology and Brain Injury Rehabilitation
Authors: Evans Jonathan J.
Published: January 2014

Positive psychology (PP) is the scientific study of positive emotion and wellbeing. In recent years, there has been a shift in the focus of PP from understanding the factors that contribute to wellbeing to developing and evaluating interventions to improve wellbeing. This article addresses the question of whether the principles and practice of PP are relevant to brain injury rehabilitation. It is concluded that PP is indeed relevant to brain injury rehabilitation; that much of our current (best) practice is consistent with the principles of PP, but there remain areas where brain injury rehabilitation practice could draw further on the specific methods of PP.
Smoking Cessation Program Targeting Adolescents: Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al-Lehiany Obaidullah , Stanley David
Published: January 2014

While developed countries have enjoyed a decreasing incidence of smoking over the last 30 years, in the developing world there are still reports of rapid smoking take-up. It seems that in developing countries tobacco smoking remains the number one cause of preventable death well into the future. To combat this costly habit, many governments have employed smoking cessation strategies since the 1960s. These programs have involved advertising the negative health impacts of smoking, increased taxation, targeted legislation, and even clinical counselling. This project aimed to explore and critically review the body of literature related to smoking cessation strategies in Saudi Arabia and assess their effectiveness. The project also aimed to use the data gathered to recommend legislative changes to smoking cessation programs. For the Saudi Arabian context, the results of the project found that the smoking cessation strategies, despite being revolutionary in many regards, still lacked depth, and that both males and females, particularly adolescents, were adopting smoking in increasing numbers. The recommendations of the project were for Saudi Arabian authorities to review a number of the current initiatives, and initiate further approaches to smoking cessation, such as stringent requirements for health warnings on cigarette packets.
Time Spent With Urges to Smoke and Strength of Urges as Independent Predictors of Self-Rated Difficulty Not Smoking During Abstinence
Authors: Georgiades Chrissa , West Robert
Published: January 2014

Self-perceived difficulty not smoking during a quit attempts is potentially an important factor mediating ability to remain abstinent during quit attempts. We investigated how far this could be explained by specific withdrawal symptoms (e.g., irritability, depressed mood, hunger etc.), strength of the urges to smoke and the time spent with urges to smoke. Thirty-five male and female smokers, who smoked at least 15 cigarettes per day were required to abstain overnight and attended the laboratory the next day and completed the Mood and Physical Symptoms Scale (MPSS), a validated questionnaire assessing cigarette withdrawal symptoms and urges to smoke. They also rated how difficult they had found it not smoking. Difficulty not smoking was independently and strongly predicted by both strength of urges to smoke and time spent with urges, but not by other withdrawal symptoms. The results support the idea that both time spent with urges and strength of urges to smoke are what primarily makes it difficult for smokers to abstain early in a quit attempt and that other withdrawal symptoms play a more modest role. Further research is needed to confirm this finding and examine how far difficulty not smoking mediates failure of quit attempts.
Eco-cinema, sustainability and Africa: A reading of Out of Africa (1985), The Constant Gardener (2005) and District 9 (2010)
Authors: Brereton Pat
Published: January 2014

The language of eco-sustainability is seeping into what would otherwise be considered as establishment thinkers and in many ways is beginning to become accepted as part of the common global culture. Meanwhile, developing countries like those in Africa urgently require more immediate poverty and primary health-care issues to be addressed. The danger of environmental issues becoming simply topical and embracing populist, business-driven notions like ‘universal sustainability’ is exacerbated of course by the conflicting directions and often contradictory objectives of the broad ecological movement. The long established tradition of Hollywood films set in Africa almost always appears to use the continent to tell a white and western story, while also reaffirming the western archetype of Africans not being able to live peacefully and wallowing in internecine wars. In this article I signal how an ecological, revisionist reading of three seminal (Hollywood) African films might be made.
The Effect of Chemical Composition of Aggregate on the Performance of Hot and Warm Mix Asphalt in Presence of Water
Authors: Al-Rawashdeh Abdalla S. , Sargand Shad M.
Published: January 2014

Warm mix asphalt (WMA) is a new technology designed to lower the energy required for asphalt mixture production and to reduce the amount of undesirable odors emitted during the mixing and paving processes. The Warm Asphalt Mix-foam (WAM-Foam) type of WMA is applied in two stages of the mixing process. The first stage is to coat the surface of the aggregate with a soft asphalt binder. Then a foamed hard binder is introduced to the mixture to decrease the mix temperature. This technology can reduce the energy consumption up to 30%. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the chemical and mineralogical compositions of aggregate across the state of Ohio and to assess the performance of WMA foamed asphalt specimens collected in two different locations in Ohio and compare the results with the performance of hot mix asphalt (HMA) specimens in presence of water by using a dynamic modulus test (E*) and asphalt concrete cracking device (ACCD). The aggregate gradation for both projects was almost the same. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the Columbus project mixture contained more silica (SiO2) than the Woodville project mixture. Based on the results obtained from the ACCD, the HMA and WMA from Columbus had a higher strain than the HMA and WMA from Woodville. For each location, the strength of the HMA was higher than the strength of WMA. The dynamic modulus confirmed the stiffness difference, and indicated it may be caused by Ohio's foaming process trapping more water within the aggregate-binder interface.
A Simple Test Method for Rapid Measurement of Fines Content in Soils
Authors: Mousa Ahmad , Mahgoub Mohamed , Wiszowaty Piotr
Published: January 2014

Visual soil classification methods used for estimating fines content are often relied upon in geotechnical investigations. The estimations of these methods are highly judgmental, generally erratic, and typically necessitate a confirmation. Laboratory mass-based wash tests are regularly performed on selected soil samples in order to verify or complement in situ visual classifications. Therefore, there is a dire need to improve the accuracy of fines content estimates of the visual methods. A preliminary study was conducted to assess the principle of estimating fines content by measuring relative volumes of the coarse-grained to fine-grained soil fractions. The results indicated soundness and adequacy of the principle. Utilizing this volume-based concept and the standard sample washing methods, a pilot study was conducted to develop and evaluate a more precise testing method, the mold test. Triplicate test runs were carried out on 144 soil samples. With run times of 5 to 15 min, the test is sufficiently rapid. The estimated fines contents of the samples were compared with that determined by the ASTM D1140 test. The absolute differences between the two estimates fell within ±5 % range, which is an appreciably higher accuracy than those of commonly used visual soil classification methods. Analysis performed on the results of the pilot study attested statistical competences of the proposed test method. This study has proven that the mold test is convenient for measuring fines content in soils at almost no cost—except minor consumables. The test method eliminates the subjectivity associated with current visual classification tests as well as the time and cost of the standard laboratory wash tests. While it is not intended to be a substitute for the latter, the mold test is an economically viable option that maintains balance between laboratory accuracy and practicality of the field methods.
Influence of Shoulder Diameter, Plunge Depth, Welding Speed, Rotational Speed on the Tensile Behavior of Friction Stir Welded AA 6061-T6 Sheets
Authors: Janaki Ramulu Perumalla , Ganesh Narayanan R.
Published: January 2014

In the present work, the effect of a few important process parameters like shoulder diameter, plunge depth, welding speed, rotational speed on the tensile behavior, namely flow strength, elongation, and hardness are studied. The relation between the thickness gradient of friction stir welded (FSW) sheets developed during the forming and strain hardening exponent of weld zone and elongation improvement has been explored. Micro-hardness showed a decreasing trend, from the base material to the centre of the nugget zone, except near the transition zone. With increase in shoulder diameter and welding speed, hardness has increased. However, with increase in plunge depth and rotational speed, hardness has decreased. The plunge depth effect on hardness distribution is negligible. The FSW sheets showed a decreased flow stress and improved elongation when compared to base material. The overall elongation of FSW sheets and weld zone has improved with increase in plunge depth, shoulder diameter, and rotational speed in most of the cases, while welding speed has shown insignificant effect. The thickness gradient is found to be severe in un-welded blanks as compared to FSW blanks. With increase in shoulder diameter, plunge depth, and rotation speed, the thickness gradient is found to decrease, while welding speed showed negligible effect. With improvement in strain hardening exponent of FSW sheets and weld zone with respect to changing welding conditions, the thinning gradient has reduced improving the overall elongation of welded sheets in most of the cases.
Influence of Control Mode on Thermomechanical Fatigue Testing of Circumferentially-Notched Specimens
Authors: Fernandez-Zelaia P. , Neu R. W.
Published: January 2014

The aim of this study is to understand the influence of experimentally applied boundary conditions on circumferentially-notched specimens under thermomechanical fatigue loadings (TMF) in two Ni-base superalloys, one equiaxed polycrystalline, and one directionally-solidified. TMF experiments were performed under both force-controlled and displacement-controlled conditions. Notch severities ranged from kt = 1.3 to kt = 2. The notch response was evaluated by finite element analysis using temperature-dependent viscoplasticity. The experiments and analyses are used to assess the impact of the applied boundary conditions on calculated and observed fatigue crack initiation lives.
Evaluation of right adrenal vein cannulation by computed tomography angiography in 140 consecutive patients undergoing adrenal venous sampling
Authors: Onozawa Shiro , Murata Satoru , Tajima Hiroyuki , Yamaguchi Hidenori , Mine Takahiko , Ishizaki Akira , Sugihara Hitoshi , Oikawa Shinichi , Kumita Shin-ichiro
Published: January 2014

Objective

As it is now known that primary aldosteronism (PA) is more prevalent than was previously recognized, and is a potentially curable cause of hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases, the search for a safe and effective means of its diagnosis has reemerged as a topic of interest. Adrenal venous sampling is the gold standard for diagnosis of PA, but the technique is challenging and the small right adrenal vein can be particularly difficult to cannulate. Our objective was to evaluate the usefulness of computed tomography during angiography (angio-CT) in increasing the success of adrenal venous sampling and to identify factors associated with cannulation failure.

Design

Retrospective review.

Methods

A total of 140 consecutive patients with suspected PA except Cushing's syndrome treated at a single hospital from June 2008 to May 2013 were included. Catheter misplacement and correct cannulation rates before angio-CT and success rate of sampling after angio-CT were calculated. Univariate analysis for factors related to incorrect cannulation included gender, age, height, weight, BMI, and adrenal nodules. Successful sampling was biochemically defined according to cortisol concentrations in the venous blood samples.

Results

Angio-CT detected misplaced catheters in 13 patients (9.3%). The calculated correct cannulation rate of adrenal vein sampling increased from 86.4% before angio-CT to 95.7% after CT (P<0.001, McNemar's test). Univariate analysis showed a tendency for a higher rate of failure of right adrenal venous sampling in taller patients (P=0.052, Mann–Whitney'sUtest).

Conclusion

Angio-CT improved success of adrenal venous sampling.
Mitochondrial membrane potential in 2-cell stage embryos correlates with the success of preimplantation development
Authors: Komatsu Kouji , Iwase Akira , Mawatari Miki , Wang Jingwen , Yamashita Mamoru , Kikkawa Fumitaka
Published: January 2014

Hormonal stimulation in superovulation induces female mice to ovulate more oocytes than spontaneous ovulation. Because the superovulated oocytes contain a number of oocytes that normally regress before spontaneous ovulation or immature oocytes, the development of some embryos that derive from these oocytes by IVF is prevented. Therefore, the quality of superovulated oocytes should differ from that of spontaneously ovulated oocytes. In this study, we evaluated the quality of superovulated oocytes, by examining 1- and 2-cell stage embryos, in which the development mainly depends on the maternal mRNA, proteins, and mitochondria that are contained in the oocytes, and we then measured the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) of the 1- and 2-cell stage,in vivo-fertilized, and IVF embryos. The ΔΨmof 1-cell stage IVF embryos was lower than that ofin vivo-fertilized embryos; however, there was no difference between IVF embryos. During the developmental process from 1- to 2-cell stage, the ΔΨmofin vivo-fertilized embryos was highly upregulated, whereas a number of IVF embryos remained unchanged. As a result, 2-cell stage embryos were divided into two groups: high- and low- ΔΨm2-cell stage IVF embryos. The development of low-ΔΨm2-cell stage IVF embryos tended to be arrested after the 2-cell stage. These results indicated that the upregulation of ΔΨmduring the 1- to 2-cell stage was important in the development of early preimplantation embryos; there were some defects in the mitochondria of superovulated oocytes, which prevented their development.
Serum levels of insulin-like factor 3, anti-Müllerian hormone, inhibin B, and testosterone during pubertal transition in healthy boys: a longitudinal pilot study
Authors: Johansen Marie Lindhardt , Anand-Ivell Ravinder , Mouritsen Annette , Hagen Casper P , Mieritz Mikkel G , Søeborg Tue , Johannsen Trine Holm , Main Katharina M , Andersson Anna-Maria , Ivell Richard , Juul Anders
Published: January 2014

Insulin-like factor 3 (INSL3) is a promising marker of Leydig cell function with potentially high clinical relevance. Limited data of INSL3 levels in relation to other reproductive hormones in healthy pubertal boys exist. In this study, we aimed to evaluate longitudinal serum changes in INSL3 compared with LH, FSH, testosterone, inhibin B, and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) during puberty in healthy boys. Ten boys were included from the longitudinal part of the COPENHAGEN Puberty Study. Pubertal evaluation, including testicular volume, was performed and blood samples were drawn every 6 months for 5 years. Serum concentrations of testosterone were determined by a newly developed LC–MS/MS method, and serum concentrations of INSL3, AMH, inhibin B, FSH, and LH respectively were determined by validated immunoassays. The results showed that serum INSL3 levels increased progressively with increasing age, pubertal onset, and testicular volume. In six of the ten boys, LH increased before the first observed increase in INSL3. In the remaining four boys, the increase in LH and INSL3 was observed at the same examination. The increases in serum concentrations of LH, testosterone, and INSL3 were not parallel or in ordered succession and varied interindividually. We demonstrated that INSL3 concentrations were tightly associated with pubertal onset and increasing testicular volume. However, the pubertal increases in LH, INSL3, and testosterone concentrations were not entirely parallel, suggesting that INSL3 and testosterone may be regulated differently. Thus, we speculate that INSL3 provides additional information on Leydig cell differentiation and function during puberty compared with traditional markers of testicular function.
A new approach to atomic level characterization of grain boundaries by atom probe tomography
Authors: Yao L. , Miller M. K.
Published: January 2014

A novel atom probe tomography (APT) method has been developed that enables a full description of the orientation relationship between individual grains to be determined together with estimates of the extents of solute segregation for all elements over the surface of the grain boundary with 1 nm by 1 nm spatial resolution. This approach also enables variations in the solute excess for the elements with the habit plane and curvature of the grain boundary to be evaluated. The method has been applied to a mechanically-alloyed nanostructured ferritic alloy (NFA) after high dose heavy ion irradiation. The innovative high-resolution two-dimensional mapping of the solute segregation across the surface of grain boundaries in the NFA clearly demonstrates that the distributions of chromium and tungsten are not uniform across the grain boundaries, and the distributions correlate with changes in its local curvature and the position of the grain boundary precipitates. These features pin the grain boundary against grain growth and provide the stability for excellent creep properties.
High Resolution Position Monitoring of Suspended MEMS towards Biological and Chemical Sensors
Authors: Putrino G. , Martyniuk M. , Keating A. , Dell J.M. , Faraone L.
Published: January 2014

We present an integrated readout technique for interrogating the suspension height of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) structures. This readout technique is envisaged to be useful in applications such as MEMS-based biological and chemical sensing, where it is necessary to obtain the accurate position of a MEMS beam. The approach is based on the suspended MEMS structure modulating light transmission in an underlying optical waveguide via Fabry-Perrot phenomena. The performance of the technique is predicted via finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations the results of which are confirmed by experimental measurements.
A construção do SUS-problema no jornal Folha de S. Paulo
Authors: Silva Gabriela Martins , Rasera Emerson Fernando
Published: January 2014

Estuda os processos de construção discursiva do SUS-problema em notícias do jornal Folha de S. Paulo publicadas em 2008. Foram selecionadas 667 notícias em pesquisa on line no acervo da Folha, examinadas segundo a análise crítica do discurso e as contribuições da perspectiva construcionista social. Metodologicamente, como prática textual, investigou-se a partir de quais recursos linguísticos foi construído o SUS-problema; e, como prática discursiva, qual a influência do veículo jornal e do estilo jornalístico na produção desses sentidos. Ao construir o SUS-problema, essas produções foram consideradas propiciadoras de uma visão limitada e negativa do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), baseada na desconfiança e na impossibilidade de melhorar o Sistema.
Gilberto Freyre: um teórico da globalização?
Authors: Gerstenberger Debora
Published: January 2014

Gilberto Freyre é um dos mais importantes intelectuais e cientistas sociais brasileiros de todos os tempos. No entanto, ao contrário de Fernand Braudel, o famoso contemporâneo francês e colega seu, Freyre atualmente não é considerado um fundador da nova ‘história global’. A questão é: qual o valor da obra de Gilberto Freyre para a historiografia contemporânea? Já que a maioria de seus livros trata de temas como colonialismo, migração e a ‘miscigenação’ de diferentes etnias e culturas, será que também revela algo sobre o que chamamos hoje de globalização? Como historiadores, no âmbito da nova história global, podemos utilizar seus escritos para entender (melhor) o passado? E, se assim for, como podemos aproveitar sua obra?
Redes sociotécnicas de assistência à saúde em acupuntura: estudo de caso sobre a formação básica de estudantes de medicina
Authors: Roland Maria Inês de França , Gianini Reinaldo José
Published: January 2014

Trata-se de estudo qualitativo sobre as redes sociotécnicas que orientam a estrutura e o funcionamento da Liga de Acupuntura da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. Emprega-se metodologia da teoria ator-rede, desenvolvida por Bruno Latour nos estudos sobre produção científica. Constituído de observação de campo, entrevista semiestruturada e análise documental, o estudo oferece achados relevantes, com destaque para o entendimento da acupuntura como estratégia terapêutica efetiva na assistência à saúde, modulando o uso de fármacos, a identificação da necessidade de regulamentação do ensino e prática da acupuntura e o reconhecimento de outros profissionais da área da saúde como colegas na prática dessa terapêutica.
Downscaling technique to estimate hydrologic vulnerability to climate change: an application to the Conchos River Basin, Mexico
Authors: Acosta Iván Rivas , Martínez Martín José Montero
Published: January 2014

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggests that vulnerability to climate change depends on three main factors: exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. Each factor was evaluated in a hydrologic context, for instance exposure was interpreted as a change in surface runoff. Factors were combined using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and an overall methodology to map hydrologic vulnerability was proposed. The Conchos River Basin, which is the main tributary of the Rio Grande, was used as a case study. The long-term rate of change in surface runoff was estimated considering the variation in future precipitation from 23 Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models (AOGCM) by using the Reliability Ensemble Averaging (REA) method. Two climate change scenarios (A1B and A2) and three time horizons (2030, 2050 and 2100) were chosen. Results showed a decrease in surface runoff up to 28% (A1B-2100) north of the Basin. Hence, it is likely to have more frequent droughts. However, it would be challenging to compensate the lack of surface runoff since groundwater resources are already depleted. Finally, overall hydrologic vulnerability maps were obtained to locate the most vulnerable regions, where precisely adaption efforts would be more necessary to sustain environmental conditions.
Impacts of climate change on irrigation water requirements for rice–wheat cultivation in Bagmati River Basin, Nepal
Authors: Shrestha S. , Gyawali B. , Bhattarai U.
Published: January 2014

This study highlights the spatial and temporal impacts of climate change on rice–wheat cropping systems, focusing on irrigation water requirement (IWR) in the Bagmati River Basin of Nepal. The outputs from a general circulation model (HadCM3) for two selected scenarios (A2 and B2) of IPCC and for three time periods (2020s, 2050s, and 2080s) have been downscaled and compared to a baseline climatology. CROPWAT 8.0 model is used to estimate the water requirements. IWRs show different trends in different physiographic regions and different growth stages of rice and wheat. A decreasing trend of IWRs in the Mid Hills and the High Hills indicates that farmer-based small irrigation schemes are sufficient to meet the requirements. However, in the Terai region, where there is an increasing trend in IWRs, the deficit volume of water needs to be supplied from potential large-scale irrigation schemes.
Spatial variation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and equivalent toxicity in Sydney Harbour, Australia
Authors: Aryal Rupak , Beecham Simon , Vigneswaran Sarvanamuthu , Kandasamy Jaya , Naidu Ravi
Published: January 2014

Harbour sediments include wash-off from different nearby catchments that have various landuse activities. In this study the spatial variation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Sydney Harbour was studied by analysing the sediment. The sediment was collected from 12 locations and 16 PAHs that are prioritized by the United States Environmental Protection Authority were analysed. The concentrations in the sediment were in the range of 54–23,440 ng/g of total PAHs and this varied from location to location. The result suggests that the harbour is contaminated with PAHs from low concentration to very high concentration. Among the total PAHs, approximately 75% were medium to higher molecular weight 4- and 5-ring member PAHs. A toxicity identification evaluation (TEQ) approach using a toxicity equivalency factor (TEF) was applied to assess the sediment toxicity. The TEF was found to be between 22 and 8,277 ng TEQ/g. The TEQ value indicated potential adverse ecological and human health effects in many locations.
The illiberal founding of modern political science and its implications for the contemporary study of politics
Authors: Rozic Peter
Published: January 2014

What philosopher should be conferred the prestigious title of the founder of
modern political science? This article claims that Thomas Hobbes most
deserves to be called the founding father of the modern scientific discipline
tasked with the study of politics, state and government. Disapproving of its
ancient founder, Aristotle, the discipline begins anew with a combination of
arguments from Machiavelli and Hobbes. More precisely, modern political
science is founded on the Hobbesian correction of Machiavelli as Hobbes not
only focuses on the separation of morals and science, by relying on an
illiberal conception of human nature, but also radically redefines science as
such. This paradigmatic shift has in turn subverted the discipline. The
legacies of Hobbesian scientific revolution have provided contemporary
political science with a justification for its fascination with order and
metrics. Denying the intrinsic value of the normative nature of political
realities, a coherent conception of politics and, consequently, a coherent
conception of the purpose of the study of politics remain incomplete and
illiberal.
Retributive theories of punishment
Authors: Milevski Voin
Published: January 2014

One of the most serious problems facing the analysis of philosophical
arguments is the fat that some of the main terms in those arguments are
ambiguous and vague. This is exactly the case with the term ?retribution?.
Namely, in the philosophical literature about moral justification of
punishment many quite dissimilar theories are often characterized as
retributive theories of punishment. Also, the term ?retribution? is typically
used in a very broad and imprecise way. What exactly is the meaning of the
term ?retribution?? Is it the case that all the theories that are classified
as retributive can be properly characterized in that way? These are the main
questions that John Cottingham attempts to answer in his analysis of
retributive theories of punishment. The main goal of this paper is to present
Cottingham?s classification of retributive theories, as well as to explain
its significance and potential defects. I hope that in the course of this
paper it will become clear that, despite some minor flaws and shortcomings,
Cottingham?s classification is still one the most thorough analysis of
retributive theories of punishment, and that it is the best introduction to
retributivism for anyone who is interested in the philosophy of punishment.
Francisco suárez on the object of the metaphysics
Authors: Milidrag Predrag
Published: January 2014

For Su?rez, the object of the metaphysics is being insofar as it is real
being (ens reale). In order to explain this, the author analyzes Su?rez?s
notions of formal and objective concept (conceptus formalis, conceptus
objectivus). Su?rez finds that the primary feature of the objective concept
of being is its unity; nevertheless that does not imply the univocal concept
of being because the objective concept of being is applied on its instances
on diverse ways. When considering what is being (ens), Su?rez makes the
difference between being taken as a noun and being taken as a participle. The
later one signifies everything actually existing; being as a noun signifies
everything which have the real essence (essentia realis), with actual
existence or without it. The real essence he defines as something that is not
repugnant to actual existence and which is not a figment of mind. The
objective concept of being is a result of precisive abstraction and encompass
all real essences, actual as well as non-actual. As such, for Su?rez, it is
the object of the metaphysics as a science.
Challenging Quinean naturalism
Authors: Zoric Aleksandra
Published: January 2014

Our aim in this paper is to reconstruct Quine?s project of naturalistic
epistemology and to investigate its relationship with the rest of his
philosophy. For Quine naturalism offered a way out of most of the problems he
was facing and was meant to reconcile conflicting standpoints he held over
the years. However, by assigning some sort of primacy to naturalism one can
shed doubt on the importance of some other aspects of his philosophy, most
notably his empiricism. That this move is not an easy one to make is
witnessed by the fact that Quine himself refrained from making it. We will
show that he offered arguments which favor one, as well as arguments favoring
the other.
Testimonies about the earliest Greek philosophy
Authors: Djuric Drago
Published: January 2014

By all accounts all the works of early Greek philosophers were lost forever.
Everything we know about their teachings we owe testimonies which have been
preserved in the writings of later thinkers. Today it is not possible to
seriously consider the earliest Greek philosophy without consulting studies
dealing with testimonies about that philosophy. We will here devote our
attention to these testimonies, to their importance, to their classification,
history of their researches, as well as state of the research in our time.
When it comes to classification of genres of testimonies, we will illustrate
the most striking representatives of each of them. Central role in the
history of this research played a Hermann Diels. We will highlight the
importance and achievements of his research, to say something about his
predecessors and successors, as well as today's scrutiny of its grandiose
works Doxographi Graeci and Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker.
Information Asymmetry and the Ex Ante Impact of Public Disclosure Quality on Price Efficiency and the Cost of Capital: Evidence from a Laboratory Market
Authors: Barron Orie E. , Qu Hong
Published: January 2014

This paper examines the ex ante effects of public information quality on market prices and how such effects vary with information asymmetry among traders in a two-period experimental market. We vary public information quality by changing its precision and information asymmetry among traders by varying the distribution of private signals. We find high-quality public disclosure leads to increased price efficiency and decreased cost of capital in the pre-announcement period when information asymmetry is high. The impending high-quality public information increases the competition among informed traders, which leads prices to impound more private information and alleviates the adverse selection problems facing uninformed traders. Our study suggests building a high-quality public information environment (e.g., by adopting high-quality accounting standards or committing to transparent disclosure policies) would likely provide ex ante benefits for firms with significant adverse selection among traders.
The Histone Acetylase Activator Pentadecylidenemalonate 1b Rescues Proliferation and Differentiation in the Human Cardiac Mesenchymal Cells of Type 2 Diabetic Patients
Authors: Vecellio Matteo , Spallotta Francesco , Nanni Simona , Colussi Claudia , Cencioni Chiara , Derlet Anja , Bassetti Beatrice , Tilenni Manuela , Carena Maria Cristina , Farsetti Antonella , Sbardella Gianluca , Castellano Sabrina , Mai Antonello , Martelli Fabio , Pompilio Giulio , Capogrossi Maurizio C. , Rossini Alessandra , Dimmeler Stefanie , Zeiher Andreas , Gaetano Carlo
Published: January 2014

This study investigates the diabetes-associated alterations present in cardiac mesenchymal cells (CMSC) obtained from normoglycemic (ND-CMSC) and type 2 diabetic patients (D-CMSC), identifying the histone acetylase (HAT) activator pentadecylidenemalonate 1b (SPV106) as a potential pharmacological intervention to restore cellular function. D-CMSC were characterized by a reduced proliferation rate, diminished phosphorylation at histone H3 serine 10 (H3S10P), decreased differentiation potential, and premature cellular senescence. A global histone code profiling of D-CMSC revealed that acetylation on histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9Ac) and lysine 14 (H3K14Ac) was decreased, whereas the trimethylation of H3K9Ac and lysine 27 significantly increased. These observations were paralleled by a downregulation of the GCN5-related N-acetyltransferases (GNAT) p300/CBP-associated factor and its isoform 5-α general control of amino acid synthesis (GCN5a), determining a relative decrease in total HAT activity. DNA CpG island hypermethylation was detected at promoters of genes involved in cell growth control and genomic stability. Remarkably, treatment with the GNAT proactivator SPV106 restored normal levels of H3K9Ac and H3K14Ac, reduced DNA CpG hypermethylation, and recovered D-CMSC proliferation and differentiation. These results suggest that epigenetic interventions may reverse alterations in human CMSC obtained from diabetic patients.
Endogenous Oils Derived From Human Adipocytes Are Potent Adjuvants That Promote IL-1α–Dependent Inflammation
Authors: Tynan Graham A. , Hearnden Claire H. , Oleszycka Ewa , Lyons Claire L. , Coutts Graham , O’Connell Jean , Corrigan Michelle A. , Lynch Lydia , Campbell Matthew , Callanan John J. , Mok Kenneth H. , Geoghegan Justin , O’Farrelly Cliona , Allan Stuart M. , Roche Helen M. , O’Shea Donal B. , Lavelle Ed C.
Published: January 2014

Obesity is characterized by chronic inflammation associated with neutrophil and M1 macrophage infiltration into white adipose tissue. However, the mechanisms underlying this process remain largely unknown. Based on the ability of oil-based adjuvants to induce immune responses, we hypothesized that endogenous oils derived from necrotic adipocytes may function as an immunological “danger signal.” Here we show that endogenous oils of human origin are potent adjuvants, enhancing antibody responses to a level comparable to Freund’s incomplete adjuvant. The endogenous oils were capable of promoting interleukin (IL)-1α–dependent recruitment of neutrophils and M1-like macrophages, while simultaneously diminishing M2-like macrophages. We found that endogenous oils from subcutaneous and omental adipocytes, and from healthy and unhealthy obese individuals, promoted comparable inflammatory responses. Furthermore, we also confirmed that white adipocytes in visceral fat of metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO) individuals are significantly larger than those in metabolically healthy obese individuals. Since adipocyte size is positively correlated with adipocyte death, we propose that endogenous oils have a higher propensity to be released from hypertrophied visceral fat in MUO individuals and that this is the key factor in driving inflammation. In summary, this study shows that adipocytes contain a potent oil adjuvant which drives IL-1α–dependent proinflammatory responses in vivo.
Induction of Mixed Chimerism Depletes Pre-existing and De Novo–Developed Autoreactive B Cells in Autoimmune NOD Mice
Authors: Racine Jeremy J. , Wang Miao , Zhang Mingfeng , Zeng Defu
Published: January 2014

Destruction of pancreatic islet β-cells in type 1 diabetes (T1D) is mainly mediated by autoimmune T and B lymphocytes. We reported that induction of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)–mismatched mixed chimerism reversed autoimmunity and reestablished thymic negative selection of autoreactive T cells in NOD mice, but it is still unclear how mixed chimerism tolerizes autoreactive B cells. The current studies were designed to reveal the mechanisms on how mixed chimerism tolerizes autoreactive B cells in T1D. Accordingly, mixed chimerism was induced in NOD mice through radiation-free nonmyeloablative anti-CD3/CD8 conditioning and infusion of donor CD4+ T cell–depleted spleen and whole bone marrow (BM) cells or through myeloablative total body irradiation conditioning and reconstitution with T cell–depleted BM cells from donor and host. Kinetic analysis of percentage and yield of preplasma and plasma B cells, newly developed B-cell subsets, and their apoptosis was performed 30–60 days after transplantation. Induction of MHC-mismatched mixed chimerism results in depleting host-type pre-existing preplasma and plasma B cells as well as augmenting apoptosis of immature transitional T1 B cells, including insulin-specific B cells in a donor B cell–dependent manner. Therefore, induction of MHC-mismatched mixed chimerism depletes pre-existing and de novo–developed autoreactive B cells.
GLP-1R–Targeting Magnetic Nanoparticles for Pancreatic Islet Imaging
Authors: Wang Ping , Yoo Byunghee , Yang Jingsheng , Zhang Xueli , Ross Alana , Pantazopoulos Pamela , Dai Guangping , Moore Anna
Published: January 2014

Noninvasive assessment of pancreatic β-cell mass would tremendously aid in managing type 1 diabetes (T1D). Toward this goal, we synthesized an exendin-4 conjugated magnetic iron oxide–based nanoparticle probe targeting glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R), which is highly expressed on the surface of pancreatic β-cells. In vitro studies in βTC-6, the β-cell line, showed specific accumulation of the targeted probe (termed MN-Ex10-Cy5.5) compared with nontargeted (termed MN-Cy5.5). In vivo magnetic resonance imaging showed a significant transverse relaxation time (T2) shortening in the pancreata of mice injected with the MN-Ex10-Cy5.5 probe compared with control animals injected with the nontargeted probe at 7.5 and 24 h after injection. Furthermore, ΔT2 of the pancreata of prediabetic NOD mice was significantly higher than that of diabetic NOD mice after the injection of MN-Ex10-Cy5.5, indicating the decrease of probe accumulation in these animals due to β-cell loss. Of note, ΔT2 of prediabetic and diabetic NOD mice injected with MN-Cy5.5 was not significantly changed, reflecting the nonspecific mode of accumulation of nontargeted probe. We believe our results point to the potential for using this agent for monitoring the disease development and response of T1D to therapy.
Health-Related Physical Activity Levels in Spanish Youth and Young Adults
Authors: Cocca Armando , Liukkonen Jarmo , Mayorga-Vega Daniel , Viciana-Ramírez Jesús
Published: January 2014

The aim of this study was to analyze the current physical activity (PA) levels in youth and young adults from Granada, Spain, and to assess if they accomplish the recommendations for healthy PA. A sample of 1,832 boys and 1,840 girls was administered the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results showed that most of the children (72.2%) and adolescents (56.4%) reached the recommended PA levels, whereas only 40% of young adults achieved recommended levels of PA. The most active were students from Primary schools, whereas university students were the least active. Youth of college and university ages were found to be at higher risk for engagement in PA.
Titles in Highly Ranked Multidisciplinary Psychology Journals 1966–2011: More Words and Punctuation Marks Allow for the Communication of More Information
Authors: Whissell Cynthia
Published: January 2014

Titles of articles in seven highly ranked multidisciplinary psychology journals for every fifth year between 1966 and 2011 (inclusive) were studied in terms of title length, word length, punctuation density, and word pleasantness, activation, and concreteness (assessed by the Dictionary of Affect in Language). Titles grew longer (by three words) and were more frequently punctuated (by one colon or comma for every other article) between 1966 and 2011. This may reflect the increasing complexity of psychology and satisfy readers' requirements for more specific information. There were significant differences among journals (e.g., titles in the Annual Review of Psychology were scored by the Dictionary of Affect as the most pleasant, and those in Psychological Bulletin as the least pleasant) and among categories of journals (e.g., titles in review journals employed longer words than those in research or association journals). Differences were stable across time and were employed to successfully categorize titles from a validation sample.
Representations of German-Polish Border Regions in Contemporary Polish Fiction: Space, Memory, Identity
Authors: Sywenky Irene
Published: January 2014

This article examines post 1989 Polish literary production that addresses German-Polish history and border relations in the aftermath of World War II and participates in the German-Polish dialogue of reconciliation. I consider the methodological implications of border space and spatial memory for the analysis of mass displacements in the German-Polish border region with particular attention to spatiocultural interstitiality, deterritorialization, unhomeliness, and border identity. Focusing on two representative novels, Stefan Chwin's Death in Danzig and Olga Tokarczuk's House of Day, House of Night, I argue that these authors' attention to geospatiality, border space, and displacement forms a distinct characteristic of Polish border narratives. Chwin's and Tokarczuk's construction of interstitial border spaces reflects a complex dynamic between place, historical memory, and self-identification while disrupting and challenging the unitary mythologies of the nation. With their fictional re-imagining of wartime and postwar German-Polish border region, these writers participate in the politics of collective memory of the border region and the construction and articulation of the Polish perspective that shapes the discourse of memory east of the border.
Methodology and reporting of meta-analyses in the neurosurgical literature
Authors: Klimo Paul , Thompson Clinton J. , Ragel Brian T. , Boop Frederick A.
Published: January 2014

Object

Neurosurgeons are inundated with vast amounts of new clinical research on a daily basis, making it difficult and time-consuming to keep up with the latest literature. Meta-analysis is an extension of a systematic review that employs statistical techniques to pool the data from the literature in order to calculate a cumulative effect size. This is done to answer a clearly defined a priori question. Despite their increasing popularity in the neurosurgery literature, meta-analyses have not been scrutinized in terms of reporting and methodology.

Methods

The authors performed a literature search using PubMed/MEDLINE to locate all meta-analyses that have been published in the JNS Publishing Group journals (Journal of Neurosurgery, Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, and Neurosurgical Focus) or Neurosurgery. Accepted checklists for reporting (PRISMA) and methodology (AMSTAR) were applied to each meta-analysis, and the number of items within each checklist that were satisfactorily fulfilled was recorded. The authors sought to answer 4 specific questions: Are meta-analyses improving 1) with time; 2) when the study met their definition of a meta-analysis; 3) when clinicians collaborated with a potential expert in meta-analysis; and 4) when the meta-analysis was the only focus of the paper?

Results

Seventy-two meta-analyses were published in the JNS Publishing Group journals and Neurosurgery between 1990 and 2012. The number of published meta-analyses has increased dramatically in the last several years. The most common topics were vascular, and most were based on observational studies. Only 11 papers were prepared using an established checklist. The average AMSTAR and PRISMA scores (proportion of items satisfactorily fulfilled divided by the total number of eligible items in the respective instrument) were 31% and 55%, respectively. Major deficiencies were identified, including the lack of a comprehensive search strategy, study selection and data extraction, assessment of heterogeneity, publication bias, and study quality. Almost one-third of the papers did not meet our basic definition of a meta-analysis. The quality of reporting and methodology was better 1) when the study met our definition of a meta-analysis; 2) when one or more of the authors had experience or expertise in conducting a meta-analysis; 3) when the meta-analysis was not conducted alongside an evaluation of the authors' own data; and 4) in more recent studies.

Conclusions

Reporting and methodology of meta-analyses in the neurosurgery literature is excessively variable and overall poor. As these papers are being published with increasing frequency, neurosurgical journals need to adopt a clear definition of a meta-analysis and insist that they be created using checklists for both reporting and methodology. Standardization will ensure high-quality publications.