bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Failure of Executive Power
Authors: Robertson James Oliver
Published: May 2015

Vaughn Davis Bornet. The Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1983.415 + xvi pp. Robert H. Ferrell, ed. The Diary of James C. Hagerty: Eisenhower in Mid-Course, 1954-1955. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1983. 269 + xvi pp. Burton I. Kaufman. Trade and Aid: Eisenhower's Foreign Economic Policy 1953-1961. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1982. 279 + xi pp. Richard L. Schott and Dagmar S. Hamilton. People, Positions, and Power: The Political Appointments of Lyndon Johnson. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1983.245 + x pp. James E. Underwood and William J. Daniels. Governor Rockefeller in New York: The Apex of Pragmatic Liberalism in the United States. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1982. 335 + xvi pp. All five of these books are about American political leaders, their power, their policies, their behavior, their followers. All celebrate the power of men in executive office who were determined to rule in a nation with a tradition of representative democracy and some (perhaps vestigial) democratic institutions. They focus on the long presidencies of the 1950s and 1960s— Eisenhower's and Johnson's—and on Nelson Rockefeller's fifteen-year governorship of New York (1959-74). By their published existence as a few out of hundreds of volumes on the same subjects, they are monuments to the power of the "cult of personality" and the imperial executive in modern American life. Even the single volume of the five which is focused on policy, Trade and Aid, is concerned, as its subtitle assures us, with Eisenhower s foreign economic policy, not with America's or Congress' or the government's. Government in America, as these books clearly indicate, has become the exercise of legislative, administrative and policy-making power by executive leaders and the people surrounding them.
La Detroit Urban League, 1916-1930 : am~~liorer le sort d'un peuple, le programme d'aide aux travailleurs de la Detroit Urban League, 1916-1930
Authors: LeBlanc Luc
Published: May 2015

As we all know, it is one of the purposes of the League to get Negroes into the more skilled, the better paid and the more healthy processes of industry. Wherever this is accomplished the Negro is able to maintain a better standard of living and is consequently less apt to become dependent, delinquent or destitute. Moreover, the more trades and occupations that the Negro becomes familiar with, the greater asset he is to the community. ~~~Forrester B. Washington (DUL, General Correspondence, 1916)
Polluting the Waters
Authors: Henry Adam Hughes
Published: May 2015

In response to an alleged Communist coup in Indonesia on 1 October 1965, ambassadors Sir Keith Shann (Australia), Sir Andrew Gilchrist (United Kingdom), and Marshall Green (United States) initiated anti-Communist propaganda campaigns. In conjunction with the Indonesian army, these campaigns helped to underpin the rationale for widespread, army-coordinated anti-Communist repression throughout Indonesia. Through a careful re-examination of Australian archival materials regarding Indonesia between October 1965 and February 1966, this article provides a detailed, transnational chronology of propaganda efforts during the period of the massacres, highlighting the direct and indirect connections between them and the killings.
Anatomy of Denial: Manipulating Sources and Manufacturing a Rebellion
Authors: Kaligian Dikran
Published: May 2015

Turkey’s and Sudan’s governments use similar genocide denial tactics. This article, by closely examining Turkey’s tactic of claiming an Armenian rebellion, can help scholars combat similar claims by Sudan. Deniers claim the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) fomented a rebellion, but they elide the fact that Turkey’s ruling party tried to recruit the ARF to form a fifth column behind Russian lines. They also dismiss as a subterfuge the ARF World Congress decision that Ottoman and Russian Armenians must join their respective armies. These authors ignore multiple sources describing the interparty negotiations but base their positions on a book by Esat Uras, a perpetrator of the genocide, which created the template for denial. Deniers also distort the formation of volunteer regiments in the Russian army, made up predominantly of Russian Armenians, into a mass movement of Armenians deserting the Ottoman army to conduct guerilla warfare. The evidence for these false claims consists of a single Ottoman intelligence report and distortions of Armenian sources. But the internal deliberations of the ARF show no evidence of a conspiracy with Russia.
The Black Deeds of the Kremlin: Sixty Years Later
Authors: Klid Bohdan
Published: May 2015

In 1953, on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Famine of 1932–1933 in Ukraine, émigrés from eastern and central Ukraine published in Toronto an English-language collection titled The Black Deeds of the Kremlin: A White Book. The volume contained largely memoirs and testimonies on policies and actions taken by Soviet authorities that Raphael Lemkin had identified that same year as constituting the Ukrainian Genocide. A second volume, published in 1955, was dedicated to the collectivization and famine. The two, however, went virtually unnoticed by the scholarly community until the appearance of Robert Conquest’s The Harvest of Sorrow: Soviet Collectivization and the Terror-Famine (1986). At that time, Conquest was attacked for using émigré sources, characterized by some critics as Cold War products, biased and unreliable. Despite shortcomings, the publication of the two volumes marked an admirable effort by the émigrés to tell their stories of repression and persecution under Stalinist rule in Ukraine.
Introduction: The Ottoman Genocides of Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks
Authors: Smith Roger W.
Published: May 2015

One hundred years ago, the Ottoman regime, best known as that of the Young Turks, began a series of actions that led to the genocides of Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks that only ended in 1923. The articles presented in this special issue of Genocide Studies International deal with the competing interpretations of why the Armenian Genocide occurred, with what the German archives reveal about it and any German responsibility for it, and with Turkish denial since the 1960s. They also make major contributions to understanding the lesser-known Ottoman genocides, those against the Assyrians and the Greeks. There are also questions raised about the concept of genocide and its relation to ethnic cleansing, massacres, deportation, and war. Overall, there is the theme of the complexity of genocide: modes, techniques, and motives. Careful consideration of the Ottoman genocides deepens our understanding of what genocide is and how it can be enacted. What must be averted is letting its complexity become a cover for denial.
Contending Interpretations Concerning the Armenian Genocide: Continuity and Conspiracy, Discontinuity and Cumulative Radicalization
Authors: Melson Robert
Published: May 2015

Some historians who write about and document the Armenian Genocide may still differ on the significance of the massacres of 1894–1896 and on the process that initiated the mass murder during and following the First World War. One group of historians argues that the genocide was, in effect, a continuation of the 1894–1896 massacres and that its origins were rooted in Islam and Ottoman culture. A second group of historians contends that the genocide was qualitatively different from the massacres and that it was driven by a policy of radicalization during the First World War. This historiographical disagreement has some parallels to that between historians of the Holocaust who stress the role of German culture and the ideology of the leadership as against those who emphasize the cumulative radicalization of Nazi policy that was spurred by the Second World War. The second view of the Armenian Genocide is, in effect, a critique of the first. After examining these two approaches, this article concludes with an evaluation of some of the assumptions of the second view.
Acute effects of normal saline and lactated Ringer’s with erythropoietin on microcirculatory perfusion, tissue bioenergetics, and gut permeability of the small intestine in a hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation rat model
Authors: Kao Raymond L.C. , Huang Weixiong , Xenocostas Anargyros , Driman David , Martin Claudio M. , Mele Tina , Parry Neil , Rui Tao
Published: May 2015

Introduction: Erythropoietin (EPO) has acute hemodynamic and anti-inflammatory effects in addition to its erythropoietic action. We tested the hypothesis that recombinant human EPO (rHuEPO) given at the time of resuscitation with normal saline (NS) or lactated Ringer’s (LR) will improve capillary perfusion and tissue bioenergetics in a hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation (HS/R) rat model. Methods: Anesthetized rats’ ileal muscular layer was prepared for intra-vital microscopy. The rats were hemorrhaged 30 millitres per kilogram over 10 minutes with uncontrolled mean arterial pressure for 50 minutes. They were then randomized to one of four groups (NS, NS + rHuEPO, LR, and LR + rHuEPO; n = 6/group) and underwent a 60-minute resuscitation period. Intravenous rHuEPO (1,000 U/kg) was given at the start of fluid resuscitation. Gut microcirculation and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase (NADH) fluorescence were recorded for off-line analysis at baseline, 50 minutes of shock, and 60 minutes of resuscitation. In a separate HS/R experiment ( n = 10/group), gut permeability to fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran and endotoxin levels, tissue damage, and portal vein blood levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) were examined. Results: LR alone demonstrated better gut microcirculation and decreased gut injury than NS alone. NS + rHuEPO, compared with NS alone, improved functional capillary density (22.9 ± 0.6 Cap/mm and 20.2 ± 1.0 Cap/mm, respectively; p < 0.01), red blood cell flow scores (2.1 ± 0.2 and 1.3 ± 0.2, respectively; p < 0.01), and tissue NADH fluorescence (54.5 ± 0.3% and 59.7 ± 0.8%, respectively; p < 0.01). Compared with LR, LR + rHuEPO did not result in significant improvement in microcirculation. Adding rHuEPO to NS improved gut permeability, inflammatory mediators (IL-6, TNF), and tissue injury, but adding it to LR did not. Discussion: LR improved tissue microcirculation, decreased permeability to macromolecules, and reduced mucosal injury in the ileum compared with NS alone. The beneficial effects of rHuEPO administration were mostly observed in the NS resuscitation group.
Use of the CAREN system as a treatment adjunct for Canadian Armed Forces members with chronic non-specific low back pain: a pilot study
Authors: Hebert Jacqueline S. , Parent Eric , Rehani Mayank , Hébert Luc J. , Stiegelmar Robert , Besemann Markus
Published: May 2015

Introduction: Non-specific chronic low back pain (cLBP) is a significant concern for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Some CAF members develop pain-related fear of movement that is difficult to treat. The goal of this pilot study was to test the feasibility of applying a virtual reality exercise program using the Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN) with CAF members with cLBP and kinesiophobia. Methods: Participants were randomized into one of two treatment groups or a control group. The treatment groups received 10 CAREN sessions over 2.5 weeks (high intensity) or over 5 weeks (low intensity), and the control group received exercise instruction alone. A standard CAREN protocol using five applications was used to encourage trunk movement and stability. Results: Eleven participants were recruited. Both CAREN treatment protocols were feasible, with 100% attendance, and CAREN performance continued to improve over the 10 sessions with no plateau. CAREN participants showed stable or slightly improved scores on outcome measures from baseline to post-intervention. Participants showed no consistency on the physical performance measures, with ceiling effects or variability noted between participants. Discussion: Significant inferences regarding effectiveness cannot be made because of the low number of participants. The CAREN treatment protocol was shown to be feasible and well tolerated at these intensities. The outcome measures that show the most promise for future study include the Oswestry Disability Index, Fear of Daily Activities Questionnaire, Edgren Side Step Test, and 30-second chair stand. Future randomized controlled trials to study the effectiveness of the CAREN intervention should include military-relevant outcomes and cost efficiency.
Chemical Composition of Water Soluble Inorganic Species in Precipitation at Shihwa Basin, Korea
Authors: Park Seung-Myung , Seo Beom-Keun , Lee Gangwoong , Kahng Sung-Hyun , Jang Yu
Published: May 2015

Weekly rain samples were collected in coastal areas of the Shihwa Basin (Korea) from June 2000 to November 2007. The study region includes industrial, rural, and agricultural areas. Wet precipitation was analyzed for conductivity, pH, Cl−, NO3−, SO42−, Na+, K+, Mg2+, NH4+, and Ca2+. The major components of precipitation in the Shihwa Basin were NH4+, volume-weighted mean (VWM) of 44.6 µeq∙L−1, representing 43% of all cations, and SO42−, with the highest concentration among the anions (55%) at all stations. The pH ranged from 3.4 to 7.7 with a VMM of 4.84. H+ was weakly but positively correlated with SO42− (r = 0.39, p < 0.001) and NO3− (r = 0.38, p < 0.001). About 66% of the acidity was neutralized by NH4+ and Ca2+. The Cl−/Na+ ratio of the precipitation was 37% higher than seawater Cl−/Na+. The high SO42−/NO3− ratio of 2.3 is attributed to the influence of the surrounding industrial sources. Results from positive matrix factorization showed that the precipitation chemistry in Shihwa Basin was influenced by secondary nitrate and sulfate (41% ± 1.1%), followed by sea salt and Asian dust, contributing 23% ± 3.9% and 17% ± 0.2%, respectively. In this study, the annual trends of SO42− and NO3− (p < 0.05) increased, different from the trends in some locations, due to the influence of the expanding power generating facilities located in the upwind area. The increasing trends of SO42− and NO3− in the study region have important implications for reducing air pollution in accordance with national energy policy.
Photon-Induced Spin-Orbit Coupling in Ultracold Atoms inside Optical Cavity
Authors: Dong Lin , Zhu Chuanzhou , Pu Han
Published: May 2015

We consider an atom inside a ring cavity, where a plane-wave cavity field together with an external coherent laser beam induces a two-photon Raman transition between two hyperfine ground states of the atom. This cavity-assisted Raman transition induces effective coupling between atom’s internal degrees of freedom and its center-of-mass motion. In the meantime, atomic dynamics exerts a back-action to cavity photons. We investigate the properties of this system by adopting a mean-field and a full quantum approach, and show that the interplay between the atomic dynamics and the cavity field gives rise to intriguing nonlinear phenomena.
Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) for the Evaluation of Shear-Force-Dependent Bacterial Adhesion
Authors: Zagorodko Oleksandr , Bouckaert Julie , Dumych Tetiana , Bilyy Rostyslav , Larroulet Iban , Serrano Aritz , Dorta Dimitri , Gouin Sebastien , Dima Stefan-Ovidiu , Oancea Florin , Boukherroub Rabah , Szunerits Sabine
Published: May 2015

The colonization of Escherichia coli (E. coli) to host cell surfaces is known to be a glycan-specific process that can be modulated by shear stress. In this work we investigate whether flow rate changes in microchannels integrated on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) surfaces would allow for investigating such processes in an easy and high-throughput manner. We demonstrate that adhesion of uropathogenic E. coli UTI89 on heptyl α-d-mannopyranoside-modified gold SPR substrates is minimal under almost static conditions (flow rates of 10 µL·min−1), and reaches a maximum at flow rates of 30 µL·min−1 (≈30 mPa). This concept is applicable to the investigation of any ligand-pathogen interactions, offering a robust, easy, and fast method for screening adhesion characteristics of pathogens to ligand-modified interfaces.
Sex Differences in Behavioral Outcomes Following Temperature Modulation During Induced Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Injury in Rats
Authors: Smith Amanda , Garbus Haley , Rosenkrantz Ted , Fitch Roslyn
Published: May 2015

Neonatal hypoxia ischemia (HI; reduced oxygen and/or blood flow to the brain) can cause various degrees of tissue damage, as well as subsequent cognitive/behavioral deficits such as motor, learning/memory, and auditory impairments. These outcomes frequently result from cardiovascular and/or respiratory events observed in premature infants. Data suggests that there is a sex difference in HI outcome, with males being more adversely affected relative to comparably injured females. Brain/body temperature may play a role in modulating the severity of an HI insult, with hypothermia during an insult yielding more favorable anatomical and behavioral outcomes. The current study utilized a postnatal day (P) 7 rodent model of HI injury to assess the effect of temperature modulation during injury in each sex. We hypothesized that female P7 rats would benefit more from lowered body temperatures as compared to male P7 rats. We assessed all subjects on rota-rod, auditory discrimination, and spatial/non-spatial maze tasks. Our results revealed a significant benefit of temperature reduction in HI females as measured by most of the employed behavioral tasks. However, HI males benefitted from temperature reduction as measured on auditory and non-spatial tasks. Our data suggest that temperature reduction protects both sexes from the deleterious effects of HI injury, but task and sex specific patterns of relative efficacy are seen.
Insights into the Molecular Pathogenesis of Activated B-Cell-like Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma and Its Therapeutic Implications
Authors: Lenz Georg
Published: May 2015

Within the last couple of years, the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive the pathogenesis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has significantly improved. Large-scale gene expression profiling studies have led to the discovery of several molecularly defined subtypes that are characterized by specific oncogene addictions and significant differences in their outcome. Next generation sequencing efforts combined with RNA interference screens frequently identify crucial oncogenes that lead to constitutive activation of various signaling pathways that drive lymphomagenesis. This review summarizes our current understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of the activated B-cell-like (ABC) DLBCL subtype that is characterized by poor prognosis. A special emphasis is put on findings that might impact therapeutic strategies of affected patients.
Studying Plant–Insect Interactions with Solid Phase Microextraction: Screening for Airborne Volatile Emissions Response of Soybeans to the Soybean Aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Authors: Cai Lingshuang , Koziel Jacek , O'Neal Matthew
Published: May 2015

Insects trigger plants to release volatile compounds that mediate the interaction with both pest and beneficial insects. Soybean aphids (Aphis glycines) induces soybean (Glycine max) leaves to produce volatiles that attract predators of the aphid. In this research, we describe the use of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) for extraction of volatiles from A. glycines-infested plant. Objectives were to (1) determine if SPME can be used to collect soybean plant volatiles and to (2) use headspace SPME-GC-MS approach to screen compounds associated with A. glycines-infested soybeans, grown in the laboratory and in the field, to identify previously known and potentially novel chemical markers of infestation. A total of 62 plant volatiles were identified, representing 10 chemical classes. 39 compounds had not been found in previous studies of soybean volatile emissions. 3-hexen-1-ol, dimethyl nonatriene, indole, caryophyllene, benzaldehyde, linalool, methyl salicylate (MeSA), benzene ethanol, and farnesene were considered herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs). For reproductive field-grown soybeans, three compounds were emitted in greater abundance from leaves infested with A. glycines, cis-3-hexen-1-ol acetate, MeSA and farnesene. In summary, SPME can detect the emission of HIPVs from plants infested with insect herbivores.
Entropy vs. Energy Waveform Processing: A Comparison Based on the Heat Equation
Authors: Hughes Michael , McCarthy John , Bruillard Paul , Marsh Jon , Wickline Samuel
Published: May 2015

Virtually all modern imaging devices collect electromagnetic or acoustic waves and use the energy carried by these waves to determine pixel values to create what is basically an “energy” picture. However, waves also carry “information”, as quantified by some form of entropy, and this may also be used to produce an “information” image. Numerous published studies have demonstrated the advantages of entropy, or “information imaging”, over conventional methods. The most sensitive information measure appears to be the joint entropy of the collected wave and a reference signal. The sensitivity of repeated experimental observations of a slowly-changing quantity may be defined as the mean variation (i.e., observed change) divided by mean variance (i.e., noise). Wiener integration permits computation of the required mean values and variances as solutions to the heat equation, permitting estimation of their relative magnitudes. There always exists a reference, such that joint entropy has larger variation and smaller variance than the corresponding quantities for signal energy, matching observations of several studies. Moreover, a general prescription for finding an “optimal” reference for the joint entropy emerges, which also has been validated in several studies.
Multi-Pulsed High Hydrostatic Pressure Treatment of Foods
Authors: Buzrul Sencer
Published: May 2015

Multi-pulsed high hydrostatic pressure (mpHHP) treatment of foods has been investigated for more than two decades. It was reported that the mpHHP treatment, with few exceptions, is more effective than the classical or single-pulsed HHP (spHHP) treatment for inactivation of microorganisms in fruit juice, dairy products, liquid whole egg, meat products, and sea foods. Moreover, the mpHHP treatment could be also used to inactivate enzymes in foods and to increase the shelf-life of foods. The effects of the mpHHP treatment of foods are summarized and the differences between the mpHHP and spHHP are also emphasized.
Pretreatment with Relaxin Does Not Restore NO-Mediated Modulation of Calcium Signal in Coronary Endothelial Cells Isolated from Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Nistri Silvia , Di Cesare Mannelli Lorenzo , Ghelardini Carla , Zanardelli Matteo , Bani Daniele , Failli Paola
Published: May 2015

We demonstrated that in coronary endothelial cells (RCEs) from normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY), the hormone relaxin (RLX) increases NO production and reduces calcium transients by a NO-related mechanism. Since an impairment of the NO pathway has been described in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), the present study was aimed at exploring RLX effects on RCEs from SHR, hypothesizing that RLX could restore calcium responsiveness to NO. RCEs were isolated from WKY and SHR. Calcium transients were evaluated by image analysis after the administration of angiotensin II or α-thrombin. Angiotensin II (1 µM) caused a prompt rise of [Ca2+]i in WKY and SHR RCEs and a rapid decrease, being the decay time higher in SHR than in WKY. NOS inhibition increased calcium transient in WKY, but not in SHR RCEs. Whereas RLX pretreatment (24 h, 60 ng/mL) was ineffective in SHR, it strongly reduced calcium transient in WKY in a NO-dependent way. A similar behavior was measured using 30 U/mL α-thrombin. The current study offers evidence that RLX cannot restore NO responsiveness in SHR, suggesting an accurate selection of patients eligible for RLX treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
Immunotherapeutic Applications of NK Cells
Authors: Davis Carter , Rizzieri David
Published: May 2015

Natural Killer (NK) cells are lymphoid cells that exhibit an innate response against virus-infected cells. These cells are also capable of mounting an immune response against tumor cells after education through major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. NK cell regulation is mediated through IFN-gamma and IL-15, important cytokines which can drive NK cell expansion in vivo. Previous studies have shown effective infusion of allogeneic NK cells after lymphodepleting regimens with induction of remission of poor prognosis acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Challenges remain in the expansion of these NK cells once infused and in their education to recognize tumor targets. A principal mechanism of tumor recognition is through KIR mismatch in cells lacking self MHC I molecules. Activating KIRs exist, though their ligands are unknown at this time. Impacting NK cell expansion and education in vivo has been challenging, and thus far clinical applications of NK cells have shown promise in helping to maintain remission in humans, though this remission has not been maintained. Future efforts to utilize NK cells clinically are focusing on developing more consistency in successful expansion of NK cell and educating them to recognize their tumor targets. Additional efforts to utilize novel antibody-based therapy to engage NK cells to their tumor targets are also in development.
Computer-Aided Framework for the Design of Freeze-Drying Cycles: Optimization of the Operating Conditions of the Primary Drying Stage
Authors: Fissore Davide , Pisano Roberto
Published: May 2015

This paper deals with the freeze-drying process and, in particular, with the optimization of the operating conditions of the primary drying stage. When designing a freeze-drying cycle, process control aims at obtaining the values of the operating conditions (temperature of the heating fluid and pressure in the drying chamber) resulting in a product temperature lower than the limit value of the product, and in the shortest drying time. This is particularly challenging, mainly due to the intrinsic nonlinearity of the system. In this framework, deep process knowledge is required for deriving a suitable process dynamic model that can be used to calculate the design space for the primary drying stage. The design space can then be used to properly design (and optimize) the process, preserving product quality. The case of a product whose dried layer resistance, one of the key model parameters, is affected by the operating conditions is addressed in this paper, and a simple and effective method to calculate the design space in this case is presented and discussed.
Amorphous Silicon p-i-n Structure Acting as Light and Temperature Sensor
Authors: De Cesare Giampiero , Nascetti Augusto , Caputo Domenico
Published: May 2015

In this work, we propose a multi-parametric sensor able to measure both temperature and radiation intensity, suitable to increase the level of integration and miniaturization in Lab-on-Chip applications. The device is based on amorphous silicon p-doped/intrinsic/n-doped thin film junction. The device is first characterized as radiation and temperature sensor independently. We found a maximum value of responsivity equal to 350 mA/W at 510 nm and temperature sensitivity equal to 3.2 mV/K. We then investigated the effects of the temperature variation on light intensity measurement and of the light intensity variation on the accuracy of the temperature measurement. We found that the temperature variation induces an error lower than 0.55 pW/K in the light intensity measurement at 550 nm when the diode is biased in short circuit condition, while an error below 1 K/µW results in the temperature measurement when a forward bias current higher than 25 µA/cm2 is applied.
A Novel Software Architecture for the Provision of Context-Aware Semantic Transport Information
Authors: Moreno Asier , Perallos Asier , López-de-Ipiña Diego , Onieva Enrique , Salaberria Itziar , Masegosa Antonio
Published: May 2015

The effectiveness of Intelligent Transportation Systems depends largely on the ability to integrate information from diverse sources and the suitability of this information for the specific user. This paper describes a new approach for the management and exchange of this information, related to multimodal transportation. A novel software architecture is presented, with particular emphasis on the design of the data model and the enablement of services for information retrieval, thereby obtaining a semantic model for the representation of transport information. The publication of transport data as semantic information is established through the development of a Multimodal Transport Ontology (MTO) and the design of a distributed architecture allowing dynamic integration of transport data. The advantages afforded by the proposed system due to the use of Linked Open Data and a distributed architecture are stated, comparing it with other existing solutions. The adequacy of the information generated in regard to the specific user’s context is also addressed. Finally, a working solution of a semantic trip planner using actual transport data and running on the proposed architecture is presented, as a demonstration and validation of the system.
An Energy-Efficient Underground Localization System Based on Heterogeneous Wireless Networks
Authors: Yuan Yazhou , Chen Cailian , Guan Xinping , Yang Qiuling
Published: May 2015

A precision positioning system with energy efficiency is of great necessity for guaranteeing personnel safety in underground mines. The location information of the miners’ should be transmitted to the control center timely and reliably; therefore, a heterogeneous network with the backbone based on high speed Industrial Ethernet is deployed. Since the mobile wireless nodes are working in an irregular tunnel, a specific wireless propagation model cannot fit all situations. In this paper, an underground localization system is designed to enable the adaptation to kinds of harsh tunnel environments, but also to reduce the energy consumption and thus prolong the lifetime of the network. Three key techniques are developed and implemented to improve the system performance, including a step counting algorithm with accelerometers, a power control algorithm and an adaptive packets scheduling scheme. The simulation study and experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms and the implementation.
Thermoeconomic Analysis of Biodiesel Production from Used Cooking Oils
Authors: Font de Mora Emilio , Torres César , Valero Antonio
Published: May 2015

Biodiesel from used cooking oil (UCO) is one of the most sustainable solutions to replace conventional fossil fuels in the transport sector. It can achieve greenhouse gas savings up to 88% and at the same time reducing the disposal of a polluting waste. In addition, it does not provoke potential negative impacts that conventional biofuels may eventually cause linked to the use of arable land. For this reason, most policy frameworks favor its consumption. This is the case of the EU policy that double-counters the use of residue and waste use to achieve the renewable energy target in the transport sector. According to different sources, biodiesel produced from UCO could replace around 1.5%–1.8% of the EU-27 diesel consumption. This paper presents an in-depth thermoeconomic analysis of the UCO biodiesel life cycle to understand its cost formation process. It calculates the ExROI value (exergy return on investment) and renewability factor, and it demonstrates that thermoeconomics is a useful tool to assess life cycles of renewable energy systems. It also shows that UCO life cycle biodiesel production is more sustainable than biodiesel produced from vegetable oils.
Honeybee (Apis mellifera) Venom Reinforces Viral Clearance during the Early Stage of Infection with Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus through the Up-Regulation of Th1-Specific Immune Responses
Authors: Lee Jin-A , Kim Yun-Mi , Hyun Pung-Mi , Jeon Jong-Woon , Park Jin-Kyu , Suh Guk-Hyun , Jung Bock-Gie , Lee Bong-Joo
Published: May 2015

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is a chronic and immunosuppressive viral disease that is responsible for substantial economic losses for the swine industry. Honeybee venom (HBV) is known to possess several beneficial biological properties, particularly, immunomodulatory effects. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating the effects of HBV on the immune response and viral clearance during the early stage of infection with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in pigs. HBV was administered via three routes of nasal, neck, and rectal and then the pigs were inoculated with PRRSV intranasally. The CD4+/CD8+ cell ratio and levels of interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-12 were significantly increased in the HBV-administered healthy pigs via nasal and rectal administration. In experimentally PRRSV-challenged pigs with virus, the viral genome load in the serum, lung, bronchial lymph nodes and tonsil was significantly decreased, as was the severity of interstitial pneumonia, in the nasal and rectal administration group. Furthermore, the levels of Th1 cytokines (IFN-γ and IL-12) were significantly increased, along with up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β) with HBV administration. Thus, HBV administration—especially via the nasal or rectal route—could be a suitable strategy for immune enhancement and prevention of PRRSV infection in pigs.
Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 3 Diversity: Phylogenetic Analysis and Presence of Subtype 3b in Wild Boar in Europe
Authors: Vina-Rodriguez Ariel , Schlosser Josephine , Becher Dietmar , Kaden Volker , Groschup Martin , Eiden Martin
Published: May 2015

An increasing number of indigenous cases of hepatitis E caused by genotype 3 viruses (HEV-3) have been diagnosed all around the word, particularly in industrialized countries. Hepatitis E is a zoonotic disease and accumulating evidence indicates that domestic pigs and wild boars are the main reservoirs of HEV-3. A detailed analysis of HEV-3 subtypes could help to determine the interplay of human activity, the role of animals as reservoirs and cross species transmission. Although complete genome sequences are most appropriate for HEV subtype determination, in most cases only partial genomic sequences are available. We therefore carried out a subtype classification analysis, which uses regions from all three open reading frames of the genome. Using this approach, more than 1000 published HEV-3 isolates were subtyped. Newly recovered HEV partial sequences from hunted German wild boars were also included in this study. These sequences were assigned to genotype 3 and clustered within subtype 3a, 3i and, unexpectedly, one of them within the subtype 3b, a first non-human report of this subtype in Europe.
Dynamique des paysages végétaux sahélo-soudaniens et pratiques agro-pastorales à l'holocène : exemples au Burkina Faso (Holocene dynamic of Sahelo-sudanian vegetation landscapes and agro-pastoral practices : examples from Burkina Faso)
Authors: Ballouche Aziz
Published: May 2015

Résumé. - L'évolution, à diverses échelles de temps, d'écosystèmes sahéliens et soudaniens, étudiée par la palynologie ou la télédétection, permet une nouvelle approche de la dynamique des paysages végétaux de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Dans l'Oudalan, au Sahel burkinabé, on peut mettre en évidence la probable emprise humaine sur le milieu, depuis près de 3000 ans, tandis que dans le sud-est du Burkina Faso, autour de la Chaîne de Gobnangou, les processus récents d'intensification agricole aboutissent à une véritable Kulturlandschaft.
Genèse et anthropisation des dunes holocènes des Chtouka (Maroc) (Genesis and anthropisation of the holocene dunes of the Chtouka (Morocco))
Authors: Weisrock André , Fontugne Michel , Barrada Mohamed , Adele B.
Published: May 2015

Résumé. - Dans la plaine sableuse des Chtouka, partie sud-occidentale de la Plaine du Souss, on distingue, sur le soubassement consolidé du Pléistocène supérieur, trois générations de formations dunaires holocènes : une formation dunaire correspondant à la remontée marine «mellahienne», vers 12000-vers 6000 B.P., une formation dunaire «proto-historique», vers 4000-vers 1500 B.P., et enfin les systèmes vifs sub-actuels et actuels.
Le déploiement urbain d'un réseau multimédia : le cas de Bourges (The urban spreading of a multimedia network : the case study of Bourges)
Authors: Lestrade Marc
Published: May 2015

Résumé. - France Télécom a beaucoup investi dans les autoroutes de l'information. La moitié de ces investissements ira à quatre villes dans le cadre du projet « DORA ». Le cas de Bourges est intéressant car la ville sera équipée dans sa moitié sud seulement, ce qui mettra en évidence les disparités résultant de l'implantation inégale de nouvelles technologies.
L'évolution récente de l'activité maritime et portuaire dans les pays de la Baltique (Recent evolution of the maritime and port activity in the Baltic states)
Authors: Marcadon Jacques
Published: May 2015

Abstract. - The link between the states around the Baltic is the sea. In spite of the constraints of the nature, the shipping industry is growing. But the situation is different from one state to another.
Décollectivisation et indépendance. La trajectoire agraire lituanienne (Decollectivization and independence. The agrarian trajectory of Lituania)
Authors: Mačiulytė Jurgita , Maurel Marie-Claude
Published: May 2015

Abstract. - Lituania's return to independence endowed decollectivization process with a strong symbolic significance, relying on the will to revive the family agricultural model which prevailed during the two world wars. The agrarian reform policy intend to gain conflicting aims : return land to their former owners, dividing collective assets between members of the collective farms and converting them in new partnerships, allocating plots to workers without land. New social forms of production had appeared and their extend is dependent on regional structural legacies.
Ultra-Low Dose of Intravitreal Bevacizumab in the Treatment of Retinopathy of Prematurity
Authors: Connor Alan J. , Papastavrou Vasileios T. , Hillier Roxane J. , Shafiq Ayad
Published: May 2015

Intravitreal bevacizumab is an increasingly common treatment choice for posterior retinopathy of prematurity. Despite concern about its systemic effects, there have been few studies on the lowest effective dose. The authors describe a case that was successfully treated with 0.16 mg of bevacizumab, the first time this dose has been reported.

[
J Pediatric Ophthalmol Strabismus.
2015;52:e20–e21.]
Synthetic Cannabinoids: The Dangers of Spicing It Up
Authors: Salani Deborah A. , Zdanowicz Martin M.
Published: May 2015

Cannabinoids are the most commonly used illegal substances in the world. Spice and K2 are synthetic cannabinoid (SC) products that contain a mixture of herbs and plant matter combined with synthetic compounds similar to tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive component of cannabis. Because the effects of Spice and K2 are similar to cannabis, many users are smoking these products as legal substitutes despite package labeling that they are not designed for human consumption. These SC products appeal to users because they are easily accessible and not readily detected in standard urine drug screens. The active components in SC products are highly potent and poorly characterized. Use of these agents has been associated with serious psychological and physiological side effects. Because abuse of SC products has become a national public health issue, nurses should be aware of the effects of SC compounds and must take a lead role in educating patients about the dangers of their use. [
Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 53
(5), 36–43.]
“Evidence” and the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder
Authors: Howland Robert H.
Published: May 2015

Alcohol use disorder is an important public health problem for which evidence-based treatments should be used. In the current article, two recent publications related to this topic (i.e., a featured article from
The Atlantic
and a brief guide from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA]) are critically evaluated. Both publications emphasize that evidence-based medications are underused for the treatment of alcohol use disorder. The featured article was critical of faith-based Alcoholics Anonymous
®
12-step programs, but the critique was not based on a sound evaluation of research pertaining to their use. The brief guide prepared for SAMHSA was developed by a scientific consensus panel reviewing current evidence of the effectiveness of available medications, but focused only on those that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this indication, neglecting to describe potentially effective off-label use of other FDA-approved medications. [
Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services
,
53
(5), 11–14.]
Ethical and Privacy Implications of the use of Social Media during the Eyjafjallajokull Eruption Crisis
Authors: Watson Hayley , Finn Rachel L.
Published: May 2015

In a relatively new area of research for crisis management, this article presents a discussion of some of the privacy and ethical implications surrounding the use of social media in the event of a crisis. The article uses the travel chaos caused by the eruptions of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in 2010 to contextualise the analysis. It begins by providing an overview of the use of social media in crisis management, before continuing to present two case studies of the use of social media by members of the public and the aviation industry during the crisis caused by the ash plume. The article then proceeds to examine some select ethical and privacy implications stemming from the use of social media such as privacy infringements and inequality. The article concludes by briefly summarising the findings and considering next steps for future research in this area.
Crowdsourcing Investigations
Authors: Tapia Andrea H. , LaLone Nicolas J.
Published: May 2015

In this paper the authors illustrate the ethical dilemmas that arise when large public investigations in a crisis are crowdsourced. The authors focus the variations in public opinion concerning the actions of two online groups during the immediate aftermath of the Boston Marathon Bombing. These groups collected and organized relief for victims, collected photos and videos taken of the bombing scene and created online mechanisms for the sharing and analysis of images collected online. They also used their large numbers and the affordances of the Internet to produce an answer to the question, “who was the perpetrator, and what kind of bomb was used?” The authors view their actions through public opinion, through sampling Twitter and applying a sentiment analysis to this data. They use this tool to pinpoint moments during the crisis investigation when the public became either more positively or negatively inclined toward the actions of the online publics. The authors use this as a surrogate, or proxy, for social approval or disapproval of their actions, which exposes large swings in public emotion as ethical lines are crossed by online publics.
Privacy, Security, and Liberty
Authors: Büscher Monika , Perng Sung-Yueh , Liegl Michael
Published: May 2015

This paper explores issues of privacy, security and liberty arising in relation to information and communication technologies (ICT) for crisis response and management. Privacy, security and liberty are concepts that have undergone significant changes over time. The authors show how ICT related transformations of socio-technical practices involved in their enactment create challenges, opportunities and dangers in the context of crisis response. While opportunities include development of more informed, efficient and agile emergency management, dangers include increased surveillance, social sorting, and an erosion of privacy, civil liberties and virtues of humanity. The authors explore causes and mechanisms that underpin these dynamics and measures developed to address them. Against this backdrop, they discuss ‘design for privacy' as a socio-technical design approach that empowers people. The aim is to motivate, and explore avenues for, socio-technical innovation that supports information processing and respect for privacy in crisis response and management.
THE UTILITY OF BLOOD AND BONE MARROW FILMS AND TREPHINE BIOPSY SECTIONS IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF PARASITIC INFECTIONS
Authors: Miller Clare , Bain Barbara
Published: May 2015

The laboratory haematologist has a role in the diagnosis of parasitic infections. Peripheral blood examination is critical in the diagnosis of malaria, babesiosis, filariasis and trypanosomiasis. Bone marrow examination is important in the diagnosis of leishmaniasis and occasionally leads to the diagnosis of other parasitic infections. The detection of eosinophilia or iron deficiency anaemia can alert the laboratory haematologist or physician to the possibility of parasitic infection. In addition to morphological skills, an adequate clinical history is important for speedy and accurate diagnosis, particularly in non-endemic areas.
Comparative Study between Bridging External Fixation vs Volar Plating (Ellis-T Plate) for Comminuted Fracture of the Distal End Radius
Authors: Gupta SK Venkatesh , Mandapalli Pradeep
Published: May 2015

Background

The purpose of this study is to compare between the open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) using a volar plate and external fixation with K-wire fixation for the treatment of unstable distal radius fractures.

Materials and methods

This investigation was designed to prospectively evaluate the outcomes of similar distal radius fracture patterns treated by ORIF with volar platingvsclosed reduction and pinning with external fixation.

Results

Open reduction and internal fixation with volar locking plate group has overall decrease incidence of complications significantly less radial shortening and significantly greater postoperative wrist motion when compared to external fixation.

Conclusion

Use of volar locking plate resulted in a faster recovery of function compared with external fixation. Use of volar locking plate resulted in better anatomical function and grip strength. However, no functional advantage was demonstrated at or beyond 12 weeks or 1 year.

Gupta SKV, Mandapalli P. Comparative Study between Bridging External FixationvsVolar Plating (Ellis-T Plate) for Comminuted Fracture of the Distal End Radius. The Duke Orthop J 2015;5(1):20-24.
The effect of peripheral administration of ghrelin on the performance of growing geese
Authors: Aghdam Shahryar H. , Lotfi A.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effect of intraperitoneal (IP) injection of ghrelin on goose performance. Hence, forty-eight 28-day-old geese were assigned into three treatments which lasted 40 days. The first intact group included no injection; that is, treatment 1 was characterized by G0; treatment 2, given to the second intact group, was characterized by G50, 50 ng kg−1 ghrelin body weight (BW); and treatment 3, given to the third intact group, was characterized by G100, 100 ng kg−1 ghrelin BW. Ghrelin was injected at the outset of the experimental rearing period (28-day-old birds). Blood samples were taken at two different times: (1) 12 h after the injection and (2) at the end of the rearing period. The effects of the injections were examined and evaluated during two rearing periods (28–48 days old and 48–68 days old). In the second treatment (G50), ghrelin injection caused an increase in the feed intake during the growing period but not the finishing period. Body weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of the growing period and finishing period did not change following any ghrelin treatments (P > 0.05). Injection of ghrelin at G100 increased breast muscle (pectoral) weight. The results of the present study indicate that ghrelin has a significant impact on feeding regulation and muscle growth at a certain period in geese. Nevertheless, it should be noted that ghrelin may have different effects on feeding of avian species.