bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La sonrisa de Wittgenstein: de la paradoja del decir y callar en el tractatus
Authors: Figueroa Barrera Jorge Enrique
Published: November 2017

Este artículo es un intento por sintetizar el producto del trabajo de grado titulado “De la crítica del lenguaje a la praxis del silencio. La paradoja del decir y el callar en la lógica filosófica del Tractatus” en el que se pretende mostrar que el silencio místico es inefable, por lo que es necio tratar de hablar o representar su sentido. La herramienta o escalera para alcanzar la compresión tractariana del silencio es el análisis lógico del lenguaje porque mediante él es posible trazar límites a la expresión del pensamiento, frontera que no nos muestra en superficie el lenguaje ordinario. El lenguaje lógico nos permite ver el mundo como un todo limitado; el análisis y exploración de las posibilidades del lenguaje desde el sentimiento de totalidad, a través de la praxis del silencio, nos conduce al sentimiento místico. El silencio del Tractatus no es pasivo, por eso, como el Buddha, desde su apacible remanso de conocimiento y experiencia el sabio calla y sonríe.
El proceso de producción del pensamiento creativo y la gestión del conocimiento
Authors: Useche Aldana Oscar
Published: November 2017

Proponer elementos para el debate sobre la gestión del conocimiento es el objetivo de este artículo en el cual el autor parte de describir los procesos que hicieron visible las grandes transformaciones en el mundo del trabajo y de la empresa. No obstante, aún para muchos sectores el conocimiento es un concepto borroso y difícil de manejar. El tema cobra total vigencia en la medida que la tendencia es a la primacía de la producción de bienes inmateriales y a desplegar un proyecto administrativo fundado en la “gestión del conocimiento” que enlaza la producción económica a escalas inéditas con la valorización del capital social. En esta dirección, los grupos sociales con mayores aptitudes para desarrollarse serán aquellos que tengan un mayor acumulado en redes sociales, en confianza en sus organizaciones, y quienes resignifiquen y modernicen sus instituciones; es decir quienes incorporen la gestión del conocimiento a la construcción de capital social propio.
PENGEMBANGAN MEDIA PEMBELAJARAN TERPADU BERBASIS APLIKASI FREEMIND DALAM MENINGKATKAN KUALITAS PEMBELAJARAN IPS DI JURUSAN PGMI FAKULTAS ILMU TARBIYAH DAN KEGURUAN UIN MAULANA MALIK IBRAHIM
Authors: Zahroh Nur Lailatus
Published: November 2017

Penelitian ini dilatarbelakangi oleh ditemukannya permasalahan pada penelitian sebelumnya yaitu adanya model pembelajaran terpadu namun media yang digunakan masih terpisah. Oleh karena itu dibutuhkan sebuah media yang mampu memadukan semua materi IPS. Rumusan masalah difokuskan pada apakah media pembelajaran berbasis aplikasi freemind dapat meningkatkan kualitas pembelajaran IPS SD di SD di jurusan PGMI Fakultas Tarbiyah UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang.  Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah Research & Development Uji coba media dilakukan dengan metode eksperimen. Tiga hasil penelitian ini yaitu Media yang diproduksi adalah media pembelajaran dengan tema Indonesia klasik ini berupa media visual dari penggunaan aplikasi mindmap/freemind. Media pembelajaran berbasis aplikasi mindmap/freemind dapat meningkatkan kualitas pembelajaran IPS SD di jurusan PGMI UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang. Media pembelajaran berbasis aplikasi mindmap/freemind dapat meningkatkan pemahaman materi IPS Mahasiswa lebih tinggi dari pada media yang lain. Oleh karena itu media pembelajaran ini sebaiknya terus digunakan dalam pembelajaran IPS.
Diagnóstico situacional de la Carrera de Enfermería
Authors: Martínez García Diana Nancy , Analuisa Jiménez Eulalia Isabel , Herrera López José Luis , Laguapillo Vergara Alexandra , De la Fuente Briz Miguel Ángel , Cevallos Méndez Carmen De las Mercedes , Fernández Nieto Miriam Ivonne , Quishpe Jara Graciela De las Mercedes
Published: November 2017

Introducción: La Carrera de Enfermería responde a las necesidades en el entorno de salud identificadas en la zona central del país. Está debidamente planificada acorde a las instancias científicas y técnicas del momento.Objetivo: Diagnosticar la situación actual de la Carrera de Enfermería de la UTA en función de las necesidades del entorno en el cual se desarrolla y el encargo social de la misma. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo y retrospectivo. El periodo de estudio abarcó de abril a septiembre del año 2015, el universo de estudio estuvo integrado por los 46 docentes que laboraban en la carrera en ese periodo y no se seleccionó muestra.Resultados: La planta docente solo contó con dos docentes titulares auxiliares, tan solo el 31.8% eran docentes a tiempo completo. El 95% de los docentes tuvo afinidad con las cátedras que imparten. Las actividades de vinculación con la colectividad y la gestión mayormente recayeron en los docentes a tiempo completo. Durante el periodo fueron publicados cuatro libros y el 73% de los graduados se encontraron como empleados públicos.Conclusiones: No se cuenta con programas de posgrado en aras de mejorar la afinidad de estos a la catedra que imparten los docentes. En el área de investigación no se ha potencializado la creación de grupos de investigación multidisciplinarios, que a la vez involucren a los estudiantes de pregrado, de manera que se fomente una dinámica de investigación desde que se inicia el estudiante en su profesión.
Glaucoma secundario a melanoma uveal
Authors: Gómez Martínez Nairovys , Góméz Martínez Nayaris , Primelles Hernandez Roberto
Published: November 2017

Introducción: Los tumores localizados en iris y cuerpo ciliar son poco frecuentes y puede ser valorada su resección local como alternativa terapéutica. El melanoma uveal representa el 79-81% de los melanomas oculares y el 3-5% de todos los melanomas.Objetivo: Dar a conocer el caso de una patología infrecuente con pocos casos reportados en la literatura, enfatizar su importancia dentro de los diagnósticos diferenciales y del estudio histopatológico.Descripción del caso: Paciente femenina de 47 años de edad, quien acudió a la consulta de oftalmología, para valoración de una lesión pigmentada en endotelio corneal y en iris asociada a hipertensión ocular y pérdida de la agudeza visual en el ojo izquierdo de cuatro meses de evolución. La biomicroscopía ultrasónica confirmó la presencia de una masa iridiana, localizada en la periferia del iris. El estudio anatomopatológico mostró una proliferación de células névicas pleomórficas que reemplazaban el estroma normal del iris.Conclusiones: En pacientes que presentan una clínica de glaucoma unilateral refractario a tratamiento farmacológico junto con dispersión de pigmento es importante una exploración exhaustiva destacando el papel de la biomicroscopía ultrasónica.
La medicina como tema de representación en la historia de la pintura. I. La Edad Media y el Renacimiento pintan a la salud
Authors: Valdivia Herrero Lázaro Gerardo , Nazario Dollz Ana María , García Orozco Lucas , Escalona Rabaza Milagros , Arzuaga Martí Yamila Bárbara , Sánchez Miño Jorge Isaac
Published: November 2017

I. La Edad Media y el Renacimiento pintan a la salud
Awareness of retinal screening in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus: Are we meeting standards of care?
Authors: Adil Munazir , Siddiqui Samreen , Waghdhare Swati , Bhargava Amit , Jha Sujeet
Published: November 2017

Background: Since diabetic retinopathy is a silent, but progressive complication of diabetes, and comprises 4.8% of the global causes of blindness, it is imperative that it is detected early and treated in a timely fashion.Awareness about retinopathy amongst patients with diabetes is an important aspect in the management of diabetes.Aims and Objective: To understand the level of awareness of retinal screening in North Indian patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), attending a tertiary care hospital.Materials and Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional questionnaire based study, conducted over a 6 month period at a tertiary care hospital in North India. Patients above the age of 18, having an underlying diagnosis of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), were included in the study. The Unpaired or independent student t-test were used for the comparison of the mean value of two groups, and the Chi-square test for the comparison of categorical variables. The p-value was taken as significant when less than 0.05 (p<0.05). A Confidence interval of 95% was used.Results: The mean age of the study subjects was 53.78±11.24 years, with a mean age of diagnosis of 46.50±10.7 years, and a mean duration of having diabetes of 7.4±7.61 years. Glycemic control was sub-optimal, with the mean HbA1c of the cohort at 9.55%. Of 100 responders, 33% reported being unaware of the ocular complications of diabetes. Only 48% stated that their healthcare provider had advised them that they need a routine yearly dilated eye exam. Despite 62% of the cohort reporting decreased visual acquity, 52% did not have an eye exam in the preceding year.Conclusion: The majority of our patients remains unaware of the complications of their diabetes, and hence may not be engaged in its management. More longitudinal studies are needed to understand what factors are affecting health literacy in the population. Better sustainable and patient-centric education models need to be developed, that will serve to increase health literacy, and improve patient care.Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.8(6) 2017 9-12
A case of Pulmonary Hamartoma
Authors: Sabir Mele Chelakkoth , Manappallil Robin George
Published: November 2017

No abstractAsian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.8(6) 2017 45-46
Editorial
Authors:   The Editors
Published: November 2017

The five articles in this issue of European Comic Art briefly summarised
below overlap and complement each other in interesting ways. They all
take up a historical perspective, either in relation to comics theory or in
relation to the politics of magazine publishing. Three of them have as
their point of departure formal characteristics of the medium, offering
a reappraisal of some critical terms and concepts. Three are concerned
with the Franco-Belgian heritage, whether as repository of childhood
memories or ideological battleground, and one with the changing
British
comics scene of the 1970s and 1980s. All five articles touch upon
the question of borders, defended or contested, both on a formal level
and in relation to cultural and national identity.
Rethinking the 'Memorable Panel' from Pierre Sterckx to Olivier Josso Hamel
Authors: Crucifix Benoît
Published: November 2017

This article returns to the origins of the case mémorable in the pages of Les
Cahiers de la bande dessinée and revisits the debates between Pierre Sterckx
and Benoît Peeters over the relationship between single panels and narrative,
which were articulated around a conceptual tension between linear
and tabular. It proposes that the concept of the ‘memorable panel’ pinpoints
important issues concerning the recirculation of single images, isolated
from their contexts, and the discourse of memory that becomes associated
with them. A close reading of Olivier Josso Hamel’s Au travail, in which
the cartoonist redraws his own set of memorable panels, further calls for
a reconsideration of Sterckx’s concept in the light of a creative practice that
intimately engages with the memory of such panels in a complex relationship
to their original narratives.
Update on critical care for acute spinal cord injury in the setting of polytrauma
Authors: Yue John K. , Winkler Ethan A. , Rick Jonathan W. , Deng Hansen , Partow Carlene P. , Upadhyayula Pavan S. , Birk Harjus S. , Chan Andrew K. , Dhall Sanjay S.
Published: November 2017

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) often occurs in patients with concurrent traumatic injuries in other body systems. These patients with polytrauma pose unique challenges to clinicians. The current review evaluates existing guidelines and updates the evidence for prehospital transport, immobilization, initial resuscitation, critical care, hemodynamic stability, diagnostic imaging, surgical techniques, and timing appropriate for the patient with SCI who has multisystem trauma. Initial management should be systematic, with focus on spinal immobilization, timely transport, and optimizing perfusion to the spinal cord. There is general evidence for the maintenance of mean arterial pressure of > 85 mm Hg during immediate and acute care to optimize neurological outcome; however, the selection of vasopressor type and duration should be judicious, with considerations for level of injury and risks of increased cardiogenic complications in the elderly. Level II recommendations exist for early decompression, and additional time points of neurological assessment within the first 24 hours and during acute care are warranted to determine the temporality of benefits attributable to early surgery. Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis using low-molecular-weight heparin is recommended by current guidelines for SCI. For these patients, titration of tidal volumes is important to balance the association of earlier weaning off the ventilator, with its risk of atelectasis, against the risk for lung damage from mechanical overinflation that can occur with prolonged ventilation. Careful evaluation of infection risk is a priority following multisystem trauma for patients with relative immunosuppression or compromise. Although patients with polytrauma may experience longer rehabilitation courses, long-term neurological recovery is generally comparable to that in patients with isolated SCI after controlling for demographics. Bowel and bladder disorders are common following SCI, significantly reduce quality of life, and constitute a focus of targeted therapies. Emerging biomarkers including glial fibrillary acidic protein, S100β, and microRNAs for traumatic SCIs are presented. Systematic management approaches to minimize sources of secondary injury are discussed, and areas requiring further research, implementation, and validation are identified.
The impact of blood pressure management after spinal cord injury: a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Saadeh Yamaan S. , Smith Brandon W. , Joseph Jacob R. , Jaffer Sohaib Y. , Buckingham Martin J. , Oppenlander Mark E. , Szerlip Nicholas J. , Park Paul
Published: November 2017

OBJECTIVE

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in significant morbidity and mortality. Improving neurological recovery by reducing secondary injury is a major principle in the management of SCI. To minimize secondary injury, blood pressure (BP) augmentation has been advocated. The objective of this study was to review the evidence behind BP management after SCI.

METHODS

This systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Using the PubMed database, the authors identified studies that investigated BP management after acute SCI. Information on BP goals, duration of BP management, vasopressor selection, and neurological outcomes were analyzed.

RESULTS

Eleven studies that met inclusion criteria were identified. Nine studies were retrospective, and 2 were single-cohort prospective investigations. Of the 9 retrospective studies, 7 reported a goal mean arterial pressure (MAP) of higher than 85 mm Hg. For the 2 prospective studies, the MAP goals were higher than 85 mm Hg and higher than 90 mm Hg. The duration of BP management varied from more than 24 hours to 7 days in 6 of the retrospective studies that reported the duration of treatment. In both prospective studies, the duration of treatment was 7 days. In the 2 prospective studies, neurological outcomes were stable to improved with BP management. The retrospective studies, however, were contradictory with regard to the correlation of BP management and outcomes. Dopamine, norepinephrine, and phenylephrine were the agents that were frequently used to augment BP. However, more complications have been associated with dopamine use than with the other vasopressors.

CONCLUSIONS

There are no high-quality data regarding optimal BP goals and duration in the management of acute SCI. Based on the highest level of evidence available from the 2 prospective studies, MAP goals of 85–90 mm Hg for a duration of 5–7 days should be considered. Norepinephrine for cervical and upper thoracic injuries and phenylephrine or norepinephrine for mid- to lower thoracic injuries should be considered.
A systematic review of perioperative seizure prophylaxis during brain tumor resection: the case for a multicenter randomized clinical trial
Authors: Chandra Vyshak , Rock Andrew K. , Opalak Charles , Stary Joel M. , Sima Adam P. , Carr Matthew , Vega Rafael A. , Broaddus William C.
Published: November 2017

OBJECTIVE

The majority of neurosurgeons administer antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) prophylactically for supratentorial tumor resection without clear evidence to support this practice. The putative benefit of perioperative seizure prophylaxis must be weighed against the risks of adverse effects and drug interactions in patients without a history of seizures. Consequently, the authors conducted a systematic review of prospective randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that have evaluated the efficacy of perioperative seizure prophylaxis among patients without a history of seizures.

METHODS

Five databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL/Academic Search Complete, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect) were searched for RCTs published before May 2017 and investigating perioperative seizure prophylaxis in brain tumor resection. Of the 496 unique research articles identified, 4 were selected for inclusion in this review.

RESULTS

This systematic review revealed a weighted average seizure rate of 10.65% for the control groups. There was no significant difference in seizure rates among the groups that received seizure prophylaxis and those that did not. Further, this expected incidence of new-onset postoperative seizures would require a total of 1258 patients to enroll in a RCT, as determined by a Farrington-Manning noninferiority test performed at the 0.05 level using a noninferiority difference of 5%.

CONCLUSIONS

According to a systematic review of major RCTs, the administration of prophylactic AEDs after brain tumor resection shows no significant reduction in the incidence of seizures compared with that in controls. A large multicenter randomized clinical trial would be required to assess whether perioperative seizure prophylaxis provides benefit for patients undergoing brain tumor resection.
Neurosurgical applications of viscoelastic hemostatic assays
Authors: Kvint Svetlana , Schuster James , Kumar Monisha A.
Published: November 2017

Patients taking antithrombotic agents are very common in neurosurgical practice. The perioperative management of these patients can be extremely challenging especially as newer agents, with poorly defined laboratory monitoring and reversal strategies, become more prevalent. This is especially true with emergent cases in which rapid reversal of anticoagulation is required and the patient’s exact medical history is not available. With an aging patient population and the associated increase in diseases such as atrial fibrillation, it is expected that the use of these agents will continue to rise in coming years. Furthermore, thromboembolic complications such as deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and myocardial infarction are common complications of major surgery. These trends, in conjunction with a growing understanding of the hemostatic process and its contribution to the pathophysiology of disease, stress the importance of the complete evaluation of a patient’s hemostatic profile in guiding management decisions. Viscoelastic hemostatic assays (VHAs), such as thromboelastography and rotational thromboelastometry, are global assessments of coagulation that account for the cellular and plasma components of coagulation. This FDA-approved technology has been available for decades and has been widely used in cardiac surgery and liver transplantation. Although VHAs were cumbersome in the past, advances in software and design have made them more accurate, reliable, and accessible to the neurosurgeon. VHAs have demonstrated utility in guiding intraoperative blood product transfusion, identifying coagulopathy in trauma, and managing postoperative thromboprophylaxis. The first half of this review aims to evaluate and assess VHAs, while the latter half seeks to appraise the evidence supporting their use in neurosurgical populations.
A step-down unit transfer protocol for low-risk aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
Authors: Chartrain Alexander G. , Awad Ahmed J. , Sarkiss Christopher A. , Feng Rui , Liu Yangbo , Mocco J , Bederson Joshua B. , Mayer Stephan A. , Dangayach Neha S. , Gordon Errol
Published: November 2017

OBJECTIVE

Patients who have experienced subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) often receive care in the setting of the ICU. However, SAH patients may not all require extended ICU admission. The authors established a protocol on January 1, 2015, to transfer select, low-risk patients to a step-down unit (SDU) to streamline care for SAH patients. This study describes the results of the implemented protocol.

METHODS

In this retrospective chart review, patients presenting with SAH between January 2011 and September 2016 were reviewed for inclusion. The control group consisted of patients admitted prior to establishment of the SDU transfer protocol, while the intervention group consisted of patients admitted afterward.

RESULTS

Of the patients in the intervention group, 79.2% (57/72) were transferred to the SDU during their admission. Of these transferred patients, 29.8% (17/57) required return to the neurosurgical ICU (NSICU). There were no instances of morbidity or mortality directly related to care in the SDU. Patients in the intervention group had a mean reduced NSICU length of stay, by 1.95 days, which trended toward significance, and a longer average hospitalization, by 2.7 days, which also trended toward significance. In-hospital mortality and 90-day readmission rate were not statistically different between the groups. In addition, early transfer timing prior to 7 days was associated with neither a higher return rate to the NSICU nor higher 90-day readmission rate.

CONCLUSIONS

In this retrospective study, the authors demonstrated that the transfer protocol was safe, feasible, and effective in reducing the ICU length of stay and was independent of transfer timing. Confirmation of these results is needed in a large, multicenter study.
Complications of invasive intracranial pressure monitoring devices in neurocritical care
Authors: Tavakoli Samon , Peitz Geoffrey , Ares William , Hafeez Shaheryar , Grandhi Ramesh
Published: November 2017

Intracranial pressure monitoring devices have become the standard of care for the management of patients with pathologies associated with intracranial hypertension. Given the importance of invasive intracranial monitoring devices in the modern neurointensive care setting, gaining a thorough understanding of the potential complications related to device placement—and misplacement—is crucial. The increased prevalence of intracranial pressure monitoring as a management tool for neurosurgical patients has led to the publication of a plethora of papers regarding their indications and complications. The authors aim to provide a concise review of key contemporary articles in the literature concerning important complications with the hope of elucidating practices that improve outcomes for neurocritically ill patients.
c-Abl and Parkinson’s Disease: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential
Authors: Brahmachari Saurav , Karuppagounder Senthilkumar S. , Ge Preston , Lee Saebom , Dawson Valina L. , Dawson Ted M. , Ko Han Seok
Published: November 2017

Although the etiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is poorly understood, oxidative stress has long been implicated in the pathogenesis of the disease. However, multifaceted and divergent signaling cascades downstream of oxidative stress have posed challenges for researchers to identify a central component of the oxidative stress-induced pathways causing neurodegeneration in PD. Since 2010, c-Abl—a non-receptor tyrosine kinase and an indicator of oxidative stress—has shown remarkable potential as a future promising drug target in PD therapeutics. Although, the constitutively active form of c-Abl, Bcr-Abl, has a long history in chronic myeloid leukemia and acute lymphocytic leukemia, the role of c-Abl in PD and relevant neurodegenerative diseases was completely unknown. Recently, others and we have identified and validated c-Abl as an important pathogenic mediator of the disease, where activated c-Abl emerges as a common link to various PD-related inducers of oxidative stress relevant to both sporadic and familial forms of PD and α-synucleinopathies. This review discusses the role of c-Abl in PD and the latest advancement on c-Abl as a drug target and as a prospective biomarker.
Bioactive Potentials of Cassia renigera Benth. Extracts against the Stored Product Pests Callosobruchus chinensis L., Sitophilus oryzae L. and Tribolium castaneum (Hbst.)
Authors: Nesa M. , Islam S. , Sharma S. K. , Rekha S. B. , Ferdous J. , Islam N.
Published: November 2017

Petroleum (Pet.) ether, CHCl3 and CH3OH extracts of Cassia renigera Benth. were tested against Callosobruchus chinensis L. for dose-mortality and repellency; and against Sitophilus oryzae L. and Tribolium castaneum (Hbst.) for repellent activity test. The Pet. ether extract of leaf was found active against C. chinensis adults through dose mortality assay and the LD50 values established were 9.270, 4.932, 2.032, 1.721, 1.671, 1.543, 1.513, 1.503 and 1.478 mg cm-2 for 0.5, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 and 48 h of exposure respectively. However, the leaf extracts of CHCl3 and CH3OH; as well as the Pet. ether, CHCl3 and CH3OH extracts of the stem-bark did not give mortality to the test organism. The CHCl3 extract of leaf showed repellent activity against Tribolium castaneum at 0.1% level of significance (P < 0.001), and the Pet. ether extracts of the leaf and the CH3OH extracts of the stem-bark offered repellency at 1% level of significance (P < 0.01) between dose levels. Only the CHCl3 extracts of the stem-bark gave repellency at 5% level of significance (P < 0.05), while the CH3OH extracts of leaf and Pet. ether extract of stem-bark did not show any significant repellency at all.
Memoirs of Sight Loss from Post-Independence Ireland
Authors: Grubgeld Elizabeth
Published: November 2017

Life writing by disabled people in Ireland during the post-independence period constitutes a culturally specific narrative emphasizing the relationship between disability and class and the shaping forces of social and geographical insularity. Because of the often contentious history of activist blind workers in Ireland, as well as the ongoing association between ocular impairments and Ireland's political and economic history, memoirs of sight loss provide a particularly rich field of inquiry into the relationship among disability, class, and the impact of colonialism. Key to this investigation are Sean O'Casey's I Knock at the Door (1939) and Joe Bollard's memoir of mid-century Ireland Out of Sight (1998).
Bernard Shaw, Sean O'Faolain, and the Irish Public Intellectual
Authors: Kent Brad
Published: November 2017

This essay examines the influence of Bernard Shaw on Sean O'Faolain's ideas and his understanding of his role as a public intellectual. In theoretical terms, the essay underscores the rhetorical and concrete importance of precursors, delineating an effective means for successors to legitimise their arguments and to claim the mantle of public intellectual. The genealogical tracing of O'Faolain's indebtedness to Shaw and O'Faolain's repeated defence of him against Irish-Ireland polemicists has more direct implications for Irish Studies, as it attests that Shaw needs to be more seriously, broadly, and consistently considered as an Irish writer.
Heaney and the Photograph: ‘Strange Fruit’ in Manuscript and Published Form
Authors: McConnell Gail
Published: November 2017

This article considers the composition history of Seamus Heaney's poem ‘Strange Fruit’, published in North (1975), by analysing manuscript drafts held at Emory University. Tracing the Christological and pre-Christian symbolism of earlier drafts of the poem, and the significance of photography for P.V. Glob's The Bog People (1969) and Heaney's imagination, it considers the figure of the blind double in Heaney's work.
‘Let's wait and see’: Twisted Affinities between Beckett and Friel
Authors: Germanou Maria
Published: November 2017

This article discusses Beckett's and Friel's interest in waiting in the context of Jacques Derrida's notions of ‘messianism’ and the ‘messianic’. Beckett's Waiting for Godot and Friel's Freedom of the City and Wonderful Tennessee associate waiting with a dislike of closure and endorse a future which evades determination and lies outside the current rigid, rational, and legitimate concepts. Yet contrary to Beckett's tramps who are unable to cope with the radical openness of the future and are confined to repetition, Friel's characters embrace a future that remains open to self difference and struggle to move beyond the inadequacy of the familiar and the feasible.
Design, Development and Testing of Shape Shifting Wing Model
Authors: Ninian Dean , Dakka Sam
Published: November 2017

The design and development of morphing (shape shifting) aircraft wings—an innovative technology that has the potential to increase the aerodynamic efficiency and reduce noise signatures of aircrafts—was carried out. This research was focused on reducing lift-induced drag at the flaps of the aerofoil and to improve the design to achieve the optimum aerodynamic efficiency. Simulation revealed a 10.8% coefficient of lift increase for the initial morphing wing and 15.4% for the optimized morphing wing as compared to conventional wing design. At angles of attack of 0, 5, 10 and 15 degrees, the optimized wing has an increase in lift-to-drag ratio of 18.3%, 10.5%, 10.6% and 4% respectively when compared with the conventional wing. Simulations also showed that there is a significant improvement on pressure distribution over the lower surface of the morphing wing aerofoil. The increase in flow smoothness and reduction in vortex size reduced pressure drag along the trailing edge of the wing as a result an increase in pressure on the lower surface was experienced. A morphing wing reduced the size of the vortices and therefore the noise levels measured were reduced by up to 50%.
CSO Based Solution for Load Kickback Effect in Deregulated Power Systems
Authors: Selvakumar K. , Vijayakumar K. , Boopathi C.S.
Published: November 2017

With increase in power demand, load demand values have also risen to a greater extent. Sometimes, these demands are met with the great difficulties. All these difficulties drive us to seek other alternative ways. One such a way demand response (DR) is considered in this paper, it is a new concept that is introduced in the system in order to reduce peak hour stresses. When implementing the demand response, the main setbacks that arise is the load kickback effect, which the sudden rise in demand during non-peak hours that is caused by the overuse of power by consumers, after their constant reduction of power during peak hours. This paper discusses the various kickback load types, and an effective approach to avoid and tackle kickback effect, by an effective method Cat Swarm Optimization (CSO), which is based on studying the movement of cats. The optimization has been implemented on an IEEE 30 bus and 75 bus Indian utility system, and the results are discussed.
Numerical Simulations of the Impacts of Mountain on Oasis Effects in Arid Central Asia
Authors: Zhang Miao , Luo Geping , Hamdi Rafiq , Qiu Yuan , Wang Xinxin , Maeyer Philippe De , Kurban Alishir
Published: November 2017

The oases in the mountain-basin systems of Central Asia are extremely fragile. Investigating oasis effects and oasis-desert interactions is important for understanding the ecological stability of oases. However, previous studies have been performed only in oasis-desert environments and have not considered the impacts of mountains. In this study, oasis effects were explored in the context of mountain effects in the northern Tianshan Mountains (NTM) using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Four numerical simulations are performed. The def simulation uses the default terrestrial datasets provided by the WRF model. The mod simulation uses actual terrestrial datasets from satellite products. The non-oasis simulation is a scenario simulation in which oasis areas are replaced by desert conditions, while all other conditions are the same as the mod simulation. Finally, the non-mountain simulation is a scenario simulation in which the elevation values of all grids are set to a constant value of 300 m, while all other conditions are the same as in the mod simulation. The mod simulation agrees well with near-surface measurements of temperature, relative humidity and latent heat flux. The Tianshan Mountains exert a cooling and wetting effects in the NTM region. The oasis breeze circulation (OBC) between oases and the deserts is counteracted by the stronger background circulation. Thus, the self-supporting mechanism of oases originating from the OBC plays a limited role in maintaining the ecological stability of oases in this mountain-basin system. However, the mountain wind causes the “cold-wet’’ island effects of the oases to extend into the oasis-desert transition zone at night, which is beneficial for plants in the transition region.
Evolutionary Conservation of the Components in the TOR Signaling Pathways
Authors: Tatebe Hisashi , Shiozaki Kazuhiro
Published: November 2017

Target of rapamycin (TOR) is an evolutionarily conserved protein kinase that controls multiple cellular processes upon various intracellular and extracellular stimuli. Since its first discovery, extensive studies have been conducted both in yeast and animal species including humans. Those studies have revealed that TOR forms two structurally and physiologically distinct protein complexes; TOR complex 1 (TORC1) is ubiquitous among eukaryotes including animals, yeast, protozoa, and plants, while TOR complex 2 (TORC2) is conserved in diverse eukaryotic species other than plants. The studies have also identified two crucial regulators of mammalian TORC1 (mTORC1), Ras homolog enriched in brain (RHEB) and RAG GTPases. Of these, RAG regulates TORC1 in yeast as well and is conserved among eukaryotes with the green algae and land plants as apparent exceptions. RHEB is present in various eukaryotes but sporadically missing in multiple taxa. RHEB, in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, appears to be extremely divergent with concomitant loss of its function as a TORC1 regulator. In this review, we summarize the evolutionarily conserved functions of the key regulatory subunits of TORC1 and TORC2, namely RAPTOR, RICTOR, and SIN1. We also delve into the evolutionary conservation of RHEB and RAG and discuss the conserved roles of these GTPases in regulating TORC1.
Characterization of Barnyard Millet Starch Films Containing Borage Seed Oil
Authors: Cao Thi , Yang So-Young , Song Kyung
Published: November 2017

In this study, barnyard millet starch (BMS) was used to prepare edible films. Antioxidant activity was conferred to the BMS film by incorporating borage seed oil (BO). The physical, optical, and thermal properties as well as antioxidant activities of the films were evaluated. The incorporation of BO into the BMS films decreased the tensile strength from 9.46 to 4.69 MPa and increased the elongation at break of the films from 82.49% to 103.87%. Water vapor permeability, water solubility, and moisture content of the BMS films decreased with increasing BO concentration, whereas Hunter b value and opacity increased, L and a values of the films decreased. The BMS films containing BO exhibited antioxidant activity that increased proportionally with increased BO concentration. In particular, the BMS film with 1.0% BO exhibited the highest antioxidant activity and light barrier properties among the BMS films. Therefore, the BMS films with added BO can be used as an antioxidant packaging material.
Nanoindentation of HMX and Idoxuridine to Determine Mechanical Similarity
Authors: Burch Alexandra , Yeager John , Bahr David
Published: November 2017

Assessing the mechanical behavior (elastic properties, plastic properties, and fracture phenomena) of molecular crystals is often complicated by the difficulty in preparing samples. Pharmaceuticals and energetic materials in particular are often used in composite structures or tablets, where the individual grains can strongly impact the solid behavior. Nanoindentation is a convenient method to experimentally assess these properties, and it is used here to demonstrate the similarity in the mechanical properties of two distinct systems: individual crystals of the explosive cyclotetramethylene tetranitramine (HMX) and the pharmaceutical idoxuridine were tested in their as-precipitated state, and the effective average modulus and hardness (which can be orientation dependent) were determined. Both exhibit a hardness of 1.0 GPa, with an effective reduced modulus of 25 and 23 GPa for the HMX and idoxuridine, respectively. They also exhibit similar yield point behavior. This indicates idoxuridine may be a suitable mechanical surrogate (or “mock”) for HMX. While the methodology to assess elastic and plastic properties was relatively insensitive to specific crystal orientation (i.e., a uniform distribution in properties was observed for all random crystals tested), the indentation-induced fracture properties appear to be much more sensitive to tip-crystal orientation, and an unloading slope analysis is used to demonstrate the need for further refinement in relating toughness to orientation in these materials with relatively complex slip systems and crystal structures.
Instance Selection for Classifier Performance Estimation in Meta Learning
Authors: Blachnik Marcin
Published: November 2017

Building an accurate prediction model is challenging and requires appropriate model selection. This process is very time consuming but can be accelerated with meta-learning–automatic model recommendation by estimating the performances of given prediction models without training them. Meta-learning utilizes metadata extracted from the dataset to effectively estimate the accuracy of the model in question. To achieve that goal, metadata descriptors must be gathered efficiently and must be informative to allow the precise estimation of prediction accuracy. In this paper, a new type of metadata descriptors is analyzed. These descriptors are based on the compression level obtained from the instance selection methods at the data-preprocessing stage. To verify their suitability, two types of experiments on real-world datasets have been conducted. In the first one, 11 instance selection methods were examined in order to validate the compression–accuracy relation for three classifiers: k-nearest neighbors (kNN), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest. From this analysis, two methods are recommended (instance-based learning type 2 (IB2), and edited nearest neighbor (ENN)) which are then compared with the state-of-the-art metaset descriptors. The obtained results confirm that the two suggested compression-based meta-features help to predict accuracy of the base model much more accurately than the state-of-the-art solution.
Climate Impacts on Tree Growth in the Sierra Nevada
Authors: Aubry-Kientz Mélaine , Moran Emily
Published: November 2017

Rising temperatures and aridity may negatively impact tree growth, and therefore ecosystem services like carbon sequestration. In the Sierra Nevada in California, annual variation in precipitation is high, and forests have already been impacted by several recent severe droughts. In this study, we used growth census data from long-term plots in the Sierra Nevada to calibrate an annual climate-dependent growth model. Our results highlight a high diversity of responses to climate, although the effects of climate are small compared to those of tree size and competition. Some species grow less during dry years (Pinus contorta and Calocedrus decurrens) but, surprisingly, other species exhibit higher growth during dry years (Pinus monticola, Abies magnifica, Pinus jeffreyi, Quercus kelloggii). These results emphasize the need for growth models to take into account species variability, as well as spatial heterogeneity, when studying mixed conifer forests. So far, temperatures have increased in California, and tree growth of some species may drastically decrease in the Sierra Nevada if warming continues, leading to changes in forest structure and composition as well as potential changes in wood production and carbon sequestration.
Throughput-Aware Cooperative Reinforcement Learning for Adaptive Resource Allocation in Device-to-Device Communication
Authors: Khan Muhidul , Alam Muhammad , Moullec Yannick , Yaacoub Elias
Published: November 2017

Device-to-device (D2D) communication is an essential feature for the future cellular networks as it increases spectrum efficiency by reusing resources between cellular and D2D users. However, the performance of the overall system can degrade if there is no proper control over interferences produced by the D2D users. Efficient resource allocation among D2D User equipments (UE) in a cellular network is desirable since it helps to provide a suitable interference management system. In this paper, we propose a cooperative reinforcement learning algorithm for adaptive resource allocation, which contributes to improving system throughput. In order to avoid selfish devices, which try to increase the throughput independently, we consider cooperation between devices as promising approach to significantly improve the overall system throughput. We impose cooperation by sharing the value function/learned policies between devices and incorporating a neighboring factor. We incorporate the set of states with the appropriate number of system-defined variables, which increases the observation space and consequently improves the accuracy of the learning algorithm. Finally, we compare our work with existing distributed reinforcement learning and random allocation of resources. Simulation results show that the proposed resource allocation algorithm outperforms both existing methods while varying the number of D2D users and transmission power in terms of overall system throughput, as well as D2D throughput by proper Resource block (RB)-power level combination with fairness measure and improving the Quality of service (QoS) by efficient controlling of the interference level.
Quality of Service Based NOMA Group D2D Communications
Authors: Anwar Asim , Seet Boon-Chong , Li Xue
Published: November 2017

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) provides superior spectral efficiency and is considered as a promising multiple access scheme for fifth generation (5G) wireless systems. The spectrum efficiency can be further enhanced by enabling device-to-device (D2D) communications. In this work, we propose quality of service (QoS) based NOMA (Q-NOMA) group D2D communications in which the D2D receivers (DRs) are ordered according to their QoS requirements. We discuss two possible implementations of proposed Q-NOMA group D2D communications based on the two power allocation coefficient policies. In order to capture the key aspects of D2D communications, which are device clustering and spatial separation, we model the locations of D2D transmitters (DTs) by Gauss–Poisson process (GPP). The DRs are then considered to be clustered around DTs. Multiple DTs can exist in proximity of each other. In order to characterize the performance, we derive the Laplace transform of the interference at the probe D2D receiver and obtain a closed-form expression of its outage probability using stochastic geometry tools. The performance of proposed Q-NOMA group D2D communications is then evaluated and benchmarked against conventional paired D2D communications.
Construction of Subgame-Perfect Mixed-Strategy Equilibria in Repeated Games
Authors: Berg Kimmo , Schoenmakers Gijs
Published: November 2017

This paper examines how to construct subgame-perfect mixed-strategy equilibria in discounted repeated games with perfect monitoring. We introduce a relatively simple class of strategy profiles that are easy to compute and may give rise to a large set of equilibrium payoffs. These sets are called self-supporting sets, since the set itself provides the continuation payoffs that are required to support the equilibrium strategies. Moreover, the corresponding strategies are simple as the players face the same augmented game on each round but they play different mixed actions after each realized pure-action profile. We find that certain payoffs can be obtained in equilibrium with much lower discount factor values compared to pure strategies. The theory and the concepts are illustrated in 2 × 2 games.
Societal, Policy and Academic ‘Visions’ for the Future of the Marine Environment and Its Management, Exemplified in the Western and Northern Isles of Scotland
Authors: Billing Suzannah-Lynn , Tett Paul , Brennan Ruth , Miller Raeanne
Published: November 2017

Interactions between environmental and social change are complex and require deep insights into human perceptions, values, motivations and choices. Humanities disciplines can bring these insights to the study of marine social–ecological systems in the context of global environmental challenges. Such systems can be defined on a range of scales, but the cases most easily studied include those of small islands and their communities. This paper presents findings from three studies in the Western and Northern isles of Scotland, concentrating on some of the processes involved in social sustainability that contribute on the one hand to protecting what a community has, and on the other hand allowing a community to evolve so as to adapt to new conditions. It relates the several sorts of transformations involved, to the role and impact of external institutions such as those of governance of the natural environment, the energy market, and academic research, which together make up the environment of the transformation. By examining the world-views of different groups of actors, this paper illustrates that an understanding of the mental constructs underlying these world-views can help marine governance through integrating different ways of knowing. This paper identifies where it would be useful to employ a transdisciplinary ‘translator’ or a ‘space’ for dialogue in order to capture the diverse ‘visions’ and perceptions that these groups have in relation to management of the marine environment, where there are synergies and where more should to be done to negotiate between competing values and needs. It illustrates the practical contributions to operational policy that can emerge through challenging the dominant management discourses for the marine environment.
Updates on the Management of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (NMSC)
Authors: Fahradyan Artur , Howell Anna , Wolfswinkel Erik , Tsuha Michaela , Sheth Parthiv , Wong Alex
Published: November 2017

Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) are the most common malignancy worldwide, of which 99% are basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of skin. NMSCs are generally considered a curable diseases, yet they currently pose an increasing global healthcare problem due to rising incidence. This has led to a shift in emphasis on prevention of NMSCs with development of various skin cancer prevention programs worldwide. This article aims to summarize the most recent changes and advances made in NMSC management with a focus on prevention, screening, diagnosis, and staging.