bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive analysis of neurobehavior associated with histomorphological alterations in a chronic constrictive nerve injury model through use of the CatWalk XT system
Authors: Chiang Chien-Yi , Sheu Meei-Ling , Cheng Fu-Chou , Chen Chun-Jung , Su Hong-Lin , Sheehan Jason , Pan Hung-Chuan
Published: November 2013

Object

Neuropathic pain is debilitating, and when chronic, it significantly affects the patient physically, psychologically, and socially. The neurobehavior of animals used as a model for chronic constriction injury seems analogous to the neurobehavior of humans with neuropathic pain. However, no data depicting the severity of histomorphological alterations of the nervous system associated with graded changes in neurobehavior are available. To determine the severity of histomorphological alteration related to neurobehavior, the authors created a model of chronic constrictive injury of varying intensity in rats and used the CatWalk XT system to evaluate neurobehavior.

Methods

A total of 60 Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 250–300 g each, were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 groups that would receive sham surgery or 1, 2, 3, or 4 ligatures of 3-0 chromic gut loosely ligated around the left sciatic nerve. Neurobehavior was assessed by CatWalk XT, thermal hyperalgesia, and mechanic allodynia before injury and periodically after injury. The nerve tissue from skin to dorsal spinal cord was obtained for histomorphological analysis 1 week after injury, and brain evoked potentials were analyzed 4 weeks after injury.

Results.

Significant differences in expression of nerve growth factor existed in skin, and the differences were associated with the intensity of nerve injury. After injury, expression of cluster of differentiation 68 and tumor necrosis factor–α was increased, and expression of S100 protein in the middle of the injured nerve was decreased. Increased expression of synaptophysin in the dorsal root ganglion and dorsal spinal cord correlated with the intensity of injury. The amplitude of sensory evoked potential increased with greater severity of nerve damage. Mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia did not differ significantly among treatment groups at various time points. CatWalk XT gait analysis indicated significant differences for print areas, maximum contact maximum intensity, stand phase, swing phase, single stance, and regular index, with sham and/or intragroup comparisons.

Conclusions.

Histomorphological and electrophysiological alterations were associated with severity of nerve damage. Subtle neurobehavioral differences were detected by the CatWalk XT system but not by mechanical allodynia or thermal hyperalgesia. Thus, the CatWalk XT system should be a useful tool for monitoring changes in neuropathic pain, especially subtle alterations.
A management strategy for intraventricular subependymal giant cell astrocytomas in tuberous sclerosis complex
Authors: Harter David H. , Bassani Luigi , Rodgers Shaun D. , Roth Jonathan , Devinsky Orrin , Carlson Chad , Wisoff Jeffery H. , Weiner Howard L.
Published: November 2013

Object

Subependymal giant cell astrocytomas (SEGAs) are benign tumors, most commonly associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). The vast majority of these tumors arise from the lateral ependymal surface adjacent to the foramen of Monro, therefore potentially encroaching on one or both foramina, and resulting in obstructive hydrocephalus that necessitates surgical decompression. The indications for surgery, intraoperative considerations, and evolution of the authors' management paradigm are presented.

Methods

Patients with TSC who underwent craniotomy for SEGA resection at New York University Langone Medical Center between January 1997 and March 2011 were identified. Preoperative imaging, clinical characteristics, management decisions, operative procedures, and outcomes were reviewed.

Results

Eighteen patients with TSC underwent 22 primary tumor resections for SEGAs. The indication for surgery was meaningful radiographic tumor progression in 16 of 21 cases. The average age at the time of operation was 10.3 years. Average follow-up duration was 52 months (range 12–124 months). The operative approach was intrahemispheric-transcallosal in 16 cases, transcortical-transventricular in 5, and neuroendoscopic in 1. Nine tumors were on the right, 9 on the left, and 3 were bilateral. Gross-total resection was documented in 16 of 22 cases in our series, with radical subtotal resection achieved in 4 cases, and subtotal resection (STR) in 2 cases. Two patients had undergone ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement preoperatively and 7 patients required shunt placement after surgery for moderate to severe ventriculomegaly. Two patients experienced tumor progression requiring reoperation; both of these patients had initially undergone STR.

Conclusions

The authors present their management strategy for TSC patients with SEGAs. Select patients underwent microsurgical resection of SEGAs with acceptable morbidity. Gross-total resection or radical STR was achieved in 90.9% of our series (20 of 22 primary tumor resections), with no recurrences in this group. Approximately half of our patient series required CSF diversionary procedures. There were no instances of permanent neurological morbidity associated with surgery.
Pediatric tectal plate gliomas: clinical and radiological progression, MR imaging characteristics, and management of hydrocephalus
Authors: Griessenauer Christoph J. , Rizk Elias , Miller Joseph H. , Hendrix Philipp , Tubbs R. Shane , Dias Mark S. , Riemenschneider Kelsie , Chern Joshua J.
Published: November 2013

Object

Tectal plate gliomas are generally low-grade astrocytomas with favorable prognosis, and observation of the lesion and management of hydrocephalus remain the mainstay of treatment.

Methods

A cohort of patients with tectal plate gliomas at 2 academic institutions was retrospectively reviewed.

Results

Forty-four patients with a mean age of 10.2 years who harbored tectal plate gliomas were included in the study. The mean clinical and radiological follow-up was 7.6 ± 3.3 years (median 7.9 years, range 1.5–14.7 years) and 6.5 ± 3.1 years (median 6.5 years, range 1.1–14.7 years), respectively. The most frequent intervention was CSF diversion (81.8% of patients) followed by biopsy (11.4%), radiotherapy (4.5%), chemotherapy (4.5%), and resection (2.3%). On MR imaging tectal plate gliomas most commonly showed T1-weighted isointensity (71.4%), T2-weighted hyperintensity (88.1%), and rarely enhanced (19%). The initial mean volume was 1.6 ± 2.2 cm3 and it increased to 2.0 ± 4.4 cm3 (p = 0.628) at the last follow-up. Frontal and occipital horn ratio (FOHR) and third ventricular width statistically decreased over time (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively).

Conclusions

The authors' results support existing evidence that tectal plate gliomas frequently follow a benign clinical and radiographic course and rarely require any intervention beyond management of associated hydrocephalus.
Risk factors for intraoperative lateral mass fracture of lateral mass screw fixation in the subaxial cervical spine
Authors: Inoue Shinichi , Moriyama Tokuhide , Tachibana Toshiya , Okada Fumiaki , Maruo Keishi , Horinouchi Yutaka , Yoshiya Shinichi
Published: November 2013

Object

Although lateral mass screw fixation for the cervical spine is a safe technique, lateral mass fracture during screw fixation is occasionally encountered intraoperatively. This event is regarded as a minor complication; however, it poses difficulties in management that may affect fixation stability and clinical outcome. The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence and etiology of lateral mass fractures during cervical lateral mass screw fixation.

Methods

A retrospective clinical review of patient records was performed in 117 consecutive patients (mean age 57 years, range 15–86 years) who underwent lateral mass screw fixation using a modified Magerl method from 1997 to 2010 at a single institution. A total of 555 lateral masses were included in this study. The outer diameters of the screws were 3.5 or 4.0 mm. In the retrospective clinical analysis, the incidence of intraoperative lateral mass fractures was reviewed. Potential risk factors for this complication were assessed using multivariate analysis.

Results

The incidence of lateral mass fractures during cervical lateral mass screw fixation was 4.7% (26 lateral masses) among all cases. Among the disorders, the incidence was highest in patients with destructive spondyloarthropathy (DSA) (18.8%, 12 lateral masses). There was no significant difference with respect to lateral mass fracture between the use of 4.0-mm screws (5.6%) and 3.5-mm screws (3.6%). Independent risk factors identified by logistic regression were DSA (OR 7.89, p < 0.001) and screw insertion in the C-6 lateral masses (OR 2.80, p = 0.018).

Conclusions

The overall incidence of lateral mass fracture during cervical lateral mass screw fixation was 4.7%. Destructive spondyloarthropathy as an underlying cause of morbidity and screw placement in the C-6 lateral mass were identified as independent risk factors. Use of a 4.0-mm screw in patients with DSA may be a principal risk factor for this complication.
Integrating Holocaust Research
Authors: Blanke Tobias , Kristel Conny
Published: November 2013

In this article we present our ideas for an integrating activity for archival research on the Holocaust. We analyse how we can improve Holocaust-related collection descriptions for research, which we will make available online, and how EHRI provides travel grants for transnational access to existing infrastructures in Holocaust research. Both approaches help us overcome that Holocaust-related material is geographically dispersed and address the challenges for historical research stemming from the way documentation on the Holocaust has been attempted up to now.

We have chosen to implement the EHRI integrated information resource using graph databases. With their emphasis on relationships, graph databases are particularly well suited for historical research in particular and humanities research in general. We analyse the architecture and implementation details of this novel approach and show how graph databases integrate with traditional ways of searching and browsing historical collections. This way, we support more advanced means of access to facts in the documents and enable deep semantically meaningful access to the documents. The innovation of EHRI lies in the combination of digital and non-digital means to integrate existing infrastructures. We believe this might be a model for many related research activities in the humanities.
ARIADNE: Advanced Research Infrastructures for Archaeological Dataset Networking in Europe
Authors: Niccolucci Franco , Richards Julian D.
Published: November 2013

Archaeologists regularly deal with large and diverse data sets, which are frequently the only record of excavated and destroyed archaeological sites. They need digital research infrastructures to preserve and provide access to this fragile digital data and to develop tools to manipulate and analyse it. Digital data is also increasing in quantity and size, and is often born digital, but there is a high degree of fragmentation and difficulty of accessing data in an integrated way. There is a small but growing number of national discipline-specific research infrastructures, and there have been a few project based attempts to provide European exemplars. This paper describes ARIADNE, a new research infrastructure for archaeologists, funded by the European Commission. It discusses some of the major issues and challenges and introduces some of the activities that ARIADNE partners will undertake. Given the transnational nature of many archaeological research questions, there is a clear value-added for organising research infrastructures in archaeology at a European level.
Multi-Core Parallel Gradual Pattern Mining Based on Multi-Precision Fuzzy Orderings
Authors: Sicard Nicolas , Aryadinata Yogi , Del Razo Lopez Federico , Laurent Anne , Flores Perfecto
Published: November 2013

Gradual patterns aim at describing co-variations of data such as the higher the size, the higher the weight. In recent years, such patterns have been studied more and more from the data mining point of view. The extraction of such patterns relies on efficient and smart orderings that can be built among data, for instance, when ordering the data with respect to the size, then the data are also ordered with respect to the weight. However, in many application domains, it is hardly possible to consider that data values are crisply ordered. When considering gene expression, it is not true from the biological point of view that Gene 1 is more expressed than Gene 2, if the levels of expression only differ from the tenth decimal. We thus consider fuzzy orderings and fuzzy gamma rank correlation. In this paper, we address two major problems related to this framework: (i) the high memory consumption and (ii) the precision, representation and efficient storage of the fuzzy concordance degrees versus the loss or gain of computing power. For this purpose, we consider multi-precision matrices represented using sparse matrices coupled with parallel algorithms. Experimental results show the interest of our proposal.
Between Research and Practice: Experts on Implementing Sustainable Construction
Authors: Bharathi Krishna , Nicol Lee
Published: November 2013

Despite documented political support for energy reduction measures in Switzerland’s built environment, as well as high international regard for its construction and research sectors, design practitioners and researchers perceive a diverse set of challenges involved in the implementation of green development solutions. Grounded in Science and Technology Studies (STS), observations drawn from 31 semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with Swiss building industry experts provide insight into the relationships between designers, researchers and public authorities. A series of examples from the empirical data show how regulatory frictions and the challenges of implementing construction strategies into diverse domestic and international working contexts are ameliorated.
An Educational Resource on Water and Health as a Teaching Aid in French Primary Schools—Part II: Design and Validation
Authors: Savanovitch Chantal , Sauvant-Rochat Marie-Pierre
Published: November 2013

An educational resource on water and health, using an approach focused on health education and environmental health education, was developed to help teachers in the classroom. The implementation of health education programs in French primary schools is explained. Three specific objectives were identified, targeting 3rd, 4th, and 5th year pupils: water as a body constituent, water as a nutrient element, and water as a factor in hygiene, and their individual contribution to good health. The project was led by academics in close collaboration with education and health professionals (school nurses, public health engineers), and people working in health promotion organizations and environmental associations. The method used for the design and validation of the resource was adapted to the educational objective. The “Water and Health” educational resource is structured in 25 modules and includes 89 work files. It was validated in the classroom and includes an assessment of the teaching material and the pupils’ results. The resource has been published in French by the Regional Teachers’ Resource Centre (CRDP Auvergne, France) and is distributed by the National Teachers’ Resource Network (Sceren).
Effect of Urinary Bisphenol A on Androgenic Hormones and Insulin Resistance in Preadolescent Girls: A Pilot Study from the Ewha Birth & Growth Cohort
Authors: Lee Hye , Kim Young , Lee Hwayoung , Gwak Hye , Park Eun , Cho Su , Kim Hae , Ha Eun , Park Hyesook
Published: November 2013

To assess the effect of urinary bisphenol A (BPA) on repeated measurements of androgenic hormones and metabolic indices, we used multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) adjusted for potential confounders at baseline. During July to August 2011, 80 preadolescent girls enrolled in the Ewha Birth & Growth Cohort study participated in a follow-up study and then forty-eight of them (60.0%) came back one year later. Baseline levels of estradiol and androstenedione were higher in the BPA group than in the non-BPA group. One year later, girls in the high BPA exposure group showed higher levels of androstenedione, testosterone, estradiol, and insulin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, than those in the other groups (p < 0.05). In MANOVA, estradiol and androstenedione showed significant differences among groups, while dehydroepiandrosterone, insulin, and HOMA-IR showed marginally significant differences. Exposure to BPA may affect endocrine metabolism in preadolescents. However, further investigation is required to elucidate the mechanisms linking BPA with regulation of androgenic hormones.
Aberrant Expression of Posterior HOX Genes in Well Differentiated Histotypes of Thyroid Cancers
Authors: Cantile Monica , Scognamiglio Giosuè , La Sala Lucia , La Mantia Elvira , Scaramuzza Veronica , Valentino Elena , Tatangelo Fabiana , Losito Simona , Pezzullo Luciano , Chiofalo Maria , Fulciniti Franco , Franco Renato , Botti Gerardo
Published: November 2013

Molecular etiology of thyroid cancers has been widely studied, and several molecular alterations have been identified mainly associated with follicular and papillary histotypes. However, the molecular bases of the complex pathogenesis of thyroid carcinomas remain poorly understood. HOX genes regulate normal embryonic development, cell differentiation and other critical processes in eukaryotic cell life. Several studies have shown that HOX genes play a role in neoplastic transformation of several human tissues. In particular, the genes belonging to HOX paralogous group 13 seem to hold a relevant role in both tumor development and progression. We have identified a significant prognostic role of HOX D13 in pancreatic cancer and we have recently showed the strong and progressive over-expression of HOX C13 in melanoma metastases and deregulation of HOX B13 expression in bladder cancers. In this study we have investigated, by immunohistochemisty and quantitative Real Time PCR, the HOX paralogous group 13 genes/proteins expression in thyroid cancer evolution and progression, also evaluating its ability to discriminate between main histotypes. Our results showed an aberrant expression, both at gene and protein level, of all members belonging to paralogous group 13 (HOX A13, HOX B13, HOX C13 and HOX D13) in adenoma, papillary and follicular thyroid cancers samples. The data suggest a potential role of HOX paralogous group 13 genes in pathogenesis and differential diagnosis of thyroid cancers.
Design, Synthesis, Antifungal Activities and 3D-QSAR of New N,N'-Diacylhydrazines Containing 2,4-Dichlorophenoxy Moiety
Authors: Sun Na-Bo , Shi Yan-Xia , Liu Xing-Hai , Ma Yi , Tan Cheng-Xia , Weng Jian-Quan , Jin Jian-Zhong , Li Bao-Ju
Published: November 2013

A series of new N,N'-diacylhydrazine derivatives were designed and synthesized. Their structures were verified by 1H-NMR, mass spectra (MS) and elemental analysis. The antifungal activities of these N,N'-diacylhydrazines were evaluated. The bioassay results showed that most of these N,N'-diacylhydrazines showed excellent antifungal activities against Cladosporium cucumerinum, Corynespora cassiicola, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Erysiphe cichoracearum, and Colletotrichum orbiculare in vivo. The half maximal effective concentration (EC50) of one of the compounds was also determined, and found to be comparable with a commercial drug. To further investigate the structure–activity relationship, comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) was performed on the basis of antifungal activity data. Both the steric and electronic field distributions of CoMFA are in good agreement in this study.
I62− Anion Composed of Two Asymmetric Triiodide Moieties: A Competition between Halogen and Hydrogen Bond
Authors: Van Megen Martin , Reiss Guido
Published: October 2013

The reaction of 1,8-diaminooctane with hydroiodic acid in the presence of iodine gave a new polyiodide-containing salt: 1,8-diaminiumoctane bis(triiodide), (H3N-(CH2)8-NH3)[I3]2. The title compound has been characterized by crystallographic and spectroscopic methods. The polyiodide ion is the first example of a hydrogen bonded I62− dianion consisting of two very asymmetric triiodide components with I−I distances of 2.7739(4) and 3.1778(4) Å interacting by a weak halogen bond (I···I: 3.5017(2) Å). The structural parameters of the triiodide anions, derived from X-ray crystallographic data, are in good agreement with the Raman and Far-IR spectroscopic results.
The Effect of Stretching on Ultraviolet Protection of Cotton and Cotton/Coolmax-Blended Weft Knitted Fabric in a Dry State
Authors: Kan Chi-wai , Yam Lim-yung , Ng Sun-pui
Published: October 2013

In this paper, the ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of weft knitted fabrics made from 20Ne cotton yarn, Coolmax yarn and their blends in dry, relaxed and stretched states were studied. According to the fibre composition, samples were divided into three groups: Group I (single cotton yarn); Group II (cotton/cotton combination); and Group III (Coolmax/cotton combination) for discussion. In addition, yarn and fabric properties such as yarn tenacity, yarn strength, fibre combination and water vapour transmission that affect the corresponding UPF values are used for formulating a prediction model in order to determine UPF. Generally speaking, when samples are measured under stretched conditions in a dry state, they exhibit a remarkable reduction in ultraviolet protective power, as pores are opened up and UV radiation can easily penetrate through these pores. In addition, greater stretch percentage came along with greater reduction in UPF. This can be explained by the fact that the amount and the size of pores increase when samples are subjected to greater tension.
Microstructure of Haynes® 282® Superalloy after Vacuum Induction Melting and Investment Casting of Thin-Walled Components
Authors: Matysiak Hubert , Zagorska Malgorzata , Andersson Joel , Balkowiec Alicja , Cygan Rafal , Rasinski Marcin , Pisarek Marcin , Andrzejczuk Mariusz , Kubiak Krzysztof , Kurzydlowski Krzysztof
Published: November 2013

The aim of this work was to characterize the microstructure of the as-cast Haynes® 282® alloy. Observations and analyses were carried out using techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), light microscopy (LM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), wave length dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (WDS), auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and electron energy-loss spectrometry (EELS). The phases identified in the as-cast alloy include: γ (gamma matrix), γʹ (matrix strengthening phase), (TiMoCr)C (primary carbide), TiN (primary nitride), σ (sigma-TCP phase), (TiMo)2SC (carbosulphide) and a lamellar constituent consisting of molybdenum and chromium rich secondary carbide phase together with γ phase. Within the dendrites the γʹ appears mostly in the form of spherical, nanometric precipitates (74 nm), while coarser (113 nm) cubic γʹ precipitates are present in the interdendritic areas. Volume fraction content of the γʹ precipitates in the dendrites and interdendritic areas are 9.6% and 8.5%, respectively. Primary nitrides metallic nitrides (MN), are homogeneously dispersed in the as-cast microstructure, while primary carbides metallic carbides (MC), preferentially precipitate in interdendritic areas. Such preference is also observed in the case of globular σ phase. Lamellar constituents characterized as secondary carbides/γ phases were together with (TiMo)2SC phase always observed adjacent to σ phase precipitates. Crystallographic relations were established in-between the MC, σ, secondary carbides and γ/γʹ matrix.
A Sensitive DNAzyme-Based Chiral Sensor for Lead Detection
Authors: Kuang Hua , Yin Honghong , Xing Changrui , Xu Chuanlai
Published: November 2013

A DNAzyme-based sensor for the determination and quantification of lead ions (Pb2+) has been established, which combines the recognition and catalysis of DNAzyme with the optical properties of nanomaterials. Circular dichroism (CD) signals were obtained by a DNAzyme-based assembly of asymmetric silver nanoparticle (AgNPs) dimers. A good linear relationship between CD signals and Pb2+ concentration was obtained ranging from 0.05 ng∙mL−1 to 10 ng∙mL−1 with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.02 ng∙mL−1. The specificity of this sensor in lead ion detection was excellent, and a satisfactory recovery was obtained in the analysis of tap water samples. The proposed technique possesses both high sensitivity and good specificity, giving it great potential for the analysis of Pb2+ in water.
Bivalve Omics: State of the Art and Potential Applications for the Biomonitoring of Harmful Marine Compounds
Authors: Suárez-Ulloa Victoria , Fernández-Tajes Juan , Manfrin Chiara , Gerdol Marco , Venier Paola , Eirín-López José
Published: November 2013

The extraordinary progress experienced by sequencing technologies and bioinformatics has made the development of omic studies virtually ubiquitous in all fields of life sciences nowadays. However, scientific attention has been quite unevenly distributed throughout the different branches of the tree of life, leaving molluscs, one of the most diverse animal groups, relatively unexplored and without representation within the narrow collection of well established model organisms. Within this Phylum, bivalve molluscs play a fundamental role in the functioning of the marine ecosystem, constitute very valuable commercial resources in aquaculture, and have been widely used as sentinel organisms in the biomonitoring of marine pollution. Yet, it has only been very recently that this complex group of organisms became a preferential subject for omic studies, posing new challenges for their integrative characterization. The present contribution aims to give a detailed insight into the state of the art of the omic studies and functional information analysis of bivalve molluscs, providing a timely perspective on the available data resources and on the current and prospective applications for the biomonitoring of harmful marine compounds.
3-Ishwarone, a Rare Ishwarane Sesquiterpene from Peperomia scandens Ruiz & Pavon: Structural Elucidation through a Joint Experimental and Theoretical Study
Authors: Dos S. Junior Fernando , Velozo Leosvaldo , De Carvalho Erika , Marques André , Borges Ricardo , Trindade Ana , Dos Santos Maria , De Albuquerque Ana , Costa Fabio , Kaplan Maria , De Amorim Mauro
Published: October 2013

3-Ishwarone, (1), a sesquiterpene with a rare ishwarane skeleton, was isolated from Peperomia scandens Ruiz & Pavon (Piperaceae). Its structure was unambiguously determined by 1D- and 2D-NMR and infrared analyses, as well as by comparative theoretical studies which involved calculations of 13C-NMR chemical shifts, using the Density Functional Theory (DFT) with the mPW1PW91 hybrid functional and Pople’s 6-31G(d) basis set, and of vibrational frequencies, using the B3LYP hybrid functional and triple ζ Dunning’s correlation consistent basis set (cc-pVTZ), of (1) and three of its possible diastereomers, compounds 2–4.
Towards A New Reading of the Political Thought of the Dévot Faction: The Opposition to Cardinal Richelieu’s Ministériat
Authors: Maillet-Rao Caroline
Published: October 2013

For a long time, historiography has considered the political thought of the dévot party, led by Mathieu de Morgues and Michel de Marillac, to be supportive of a traditional monarchy, Catholicism and the extermination of Protestants, while being opposed to the Thirty Years War. This faction’s political thought has been looked upon as being in contrast to that of Cardinal Richelieu, which was comparatively regarded as profoundly absolutist and modern. Such an understanding of the dévots’ political thought, albeit disputed, continues to prevail. The present article intends to demonstrate that the dévots were in fact on the side of the absolutists, which explains their opposition to Richelieu. Indeed, they never criticized absolutism, but rather, the illegitimate leadership of the government by an all-powerful premier ministre, namely, Richelieu. According to the dévots, the ministériat actually betrayed the very essence of absolute monarchy. Before proposing a new perspective on its political thought, it is important to reflect upon the definition of the dévot party. This will be followed by an overview of the lives and work of the principal representatives of this faction, Mathieu de Morgues (1582–1670) and Michel de Marillac (1560–1632). An examination of the historiography on this subject enables this article’s conclusions to be situated in a broader context.
Assessing the Performance of a Northern Gulf of Mexico Tidal Model Using Satellite Imagery
Authors: Medeiros Stephen , Hagen Scott , Chaouch Naira , Feyen Jesse , Temimi Marouane , Weishampel John , Funakoshi Yuji , Khanbilvardi Reza
Published: November 2013

Tidal harmonic analysis simulations along with simulations spanning four specific historical time periods in 2003 and 2004 were conducted to test the performance of a northern Gulf of Mexico tidal model. A recently developed method for detecting inundated areas based on integrated remotely sensed data (i.e., Radarsat-1, aerial imagery, LiDAR, Landsat 7 ETM+) was applied to assess the performance of the tidal model. The analysis demonstrates the applicability of the method and its agreement with traditional performance assessment techniques such as harmonic resynthesis and water level time series analysis. Based on the flooded/non-flooded coastal areas estimated by the integrated remotely sensed data, the model is able to adequately reproduce the extent of inundation within four sample areas from the coast along the Florida panhandle, correctly identifying areas as wet or dry over 85% of the time. Comparisons of the tidal model inundation to synoptic (point-in-time) inundation areas generated from the remotely sensed data generally agree with the results of the traditional performance assessment techniques. Moreover, this approach is able to illustrate the spatial distribution of model inundation accuracy allowing for targeted refinement of model parameters.
Design and Test of a Hybrid Foot Force Sensing and GPS System for Richer User Mobility Activity Recognition
Authors: Zhang Zelun , Poslad Stefan
Published: November 2013

Wearable and accompanied sensors and devices are increasingly being used for user activity recognition. However, typical GPS-based and accelerometer-based (ACC) methods face three main challenges: a low recognition accuracy; a coarse recognition capability, i.e., they cannot recognise both human posture (during travelling) and transportation mode simultaneously, and a relatively high computational complexity. Here, a new GPS and Foot-Force (GPS + FF) sensor method is proposed to overcome these challenges that leverages a set of wearable FF sensors in combination with GPS, e.g., in a mobile phone. User mobility activities that can be recognised include both daily user postures and common transportation modes: sitting, standing, walking, cycling, bus passenger, car passenger (including private cars and taxis) and car driver. The novelty of this work is that our approach provides a more comprehensive recognition capability in terms of reliably recognising both human posture and transportation mode simultaneously during travel. In addition, by comparing the new GPS + FF method with both an ACC method (62% accuracy) and a GPS + ACC based method (70% accuracy) as baseline methods, it obtains a higher accuracy (95%) with less computational complexity, when tested on a dataset obtained from ten individuals.
How Much for Water? Economic Assessment and Mapping of Floodplain Water Storage as a Catchment-Scale Ecosystem Service of Wetlands
Authors: Grygoruk Mateusz , Mirosław-Świątek Dorota , Chrzanowska Weronika , Ignar Stefan
Published: November 2013

The integration of water management goals in protected wetland areas agriculturally managed in an intensive manner recalls the comparison of apples (ecological values) and oranges (economic dimension of agriculture). Sustainable wetland management frequently fails if environmental features are not referred to as ecosystem services and quantified in economic terms. In our hydrological-economical study on floodplain wetlands located in the Lower Basin of the Biebrza Valley, we attempt to quantify the monetary value of water storage in the floodplain during flood phenomena as an important ecosystem service. The unit monetary value of water storage in the catchment of Biebrza Valley was assessed on the basis of small artificial water reservoirs, constructed in recent years and located in the area of research, and reached 0.53 EUR·m−3·year−1. In a GIS-based study on hydrological floodplain processes in the years 1995–2011, we assessed the average annual volume of active water storage in the floodplain which reached 10.36 M m3 year−1, giving a monetary value of EUR 5.49 million per annum. We propose that the methodology presented in our analysis could be applied as water storage subsidies in valuable floodplains, to prevent their deterioration originating from agriculture intensification.
THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE ALGORITHM RECALCULATING DATA ON EXPERIMENTAL AERODYNAMIC TESTS INTO WIND AFFECTED LOAD STRAINS / AERODINAMINIO BANDYMO DUOMENŲ PERSKAIČIAVIMO ŠIŲ VĖJO POVEIKIO APKROVŲ ATMAINAS ALGORITMO ESMĖ
Authors: Samofalov Michail , Kazakov Artur , Pavlovsky Roman M.
Published: October 2013

The article examines an algorithm used for processing the results of laboratory tests when experimental data was obtained in the aerodynamic tunnel. The paper deals with information when data about pressure distribution on the surfaces of a designed building are recalculated into wind loads required for calculating a virtual model for the finite element method. Due to differences in methodology between experimental airflow testing in the aerodynamic tunnel and the simulation of wind loads for a complex facility referring to the finite element method, the proposed investigations are actual while taking into account the current design codes and climatology conditions for an individual site. A review of similar problems, design conditions, the principles of the conducted experiment, a concept of the algorithm, basic assumptions and some results are briefly described in the paper. The final conclusions and recommendations can help with choosing the right solution during such calculations.

Santrauka

Straipsnyje nagrinėjamas laboratorinio bandymo rezultatų apdorojimo algoritmas, kai aerodinaminiame tunelyje gauti eksperimentiniai duomenys apie oro slėgio pasiskirstymą ant pastato maketo paviršių perskaičiuojami šio vėjo apkrovas, reikalingas baigtinių elementų metodo virtualiajam modeliui skaičiuoti. Duomenu perkėlimo uždavinys yra aktualus, nes laboratorinių tyrimų metodika ir priemonės iš esmės skiriasi nuo skaitinio modeliavimo baigtiniais elementais eigos ir principų, kai atsižvelgiama šių realiai projektuojamo statinio vietovės klimatologines sąlygas ir galiojančių projektavimo normų reikalavimus. Straipsnyje apžvelgta eksperimento duomenų apdorojimo problematika, nagrinejama konkretaus statinio konstrukcijų skaičiavimo situacija, aptarti pagrindiniai laboratorinio aerodinaminio bandymo principai, paaiškintas duomenų perkėlimo inžinerinis algoritmas bei esmines prielaidos, pasirinktinai pateikti rezultatai uždavinio sprendimui vaizduoti. Baigiamosios išvados ir siūlymai pades rasti tinkamiausius sprendinius kuriant panašaus pobūdžio algoritmus.
Former pour entretenir et développer la créativité de l'entreprise : les leçons du Cirque du Soleil
Authors: Massé David , Paris Thomas
Published: November 2013

Cet article présente les particularités et les enjeux de la formation des athlètes-artistes du Cirque du Soleil. Il dévoile les coulisses d’une transformation propre à l’entreprise : le passage de l’athlète à l’artiste. Ce cas illustre comment une organisation peut préserver et améliorer sa créativité grâce à la formation de ses recrues. À travers cette recherche, nous mettons en avant les conditions de succès à respecter pour favoriser l’intégration et le plein engagement du personnel dans une culture de créativité : faire de la formation pour accompagner le développement de l’entreprise, favoriser le développement personnel à travers la créativité dans une tâche spécifique, mettre l’accent sur la pratique, construire une culture de la rétroaction incitative et lutter contre l’érosion des apprentissages.
Gérer les idées pour mieux innover
Authors: Harvey Jean-François , Naggar Raouf , Cohendet Patrick , Simon Laurent
Published: November 2013

Les gestionnaires sont de plus en plus convaincus que la génération et le développement d’idées représentent des enjeux prioritaires pour l’organisation. Gérer stratégiquement les idées permet à leur organisation d’innover plus souvent, plus rapidement ou plus radicalement. Cela peut contribuer, d’une part, à maintenir des parts de marché ou à en gagner de nouvelles et, d’autre part, à diminuer les coûts d’investissement, de maintenance et d’exploitation. Cependant, les modalités de la gestion des idées demeurent floues. Se basant sur l’étude d’une initiative de gestion des idées menée à l’Institut de recherche d’Hydro-Québec et sur la littérature dans ce domaine, cet article présente les paradoxes et les défis de la gestion des idées, puis décrit quatre propositions pour relever ces défis : commencer par les questions courantes ; accepter l’existence d’un réservoir tacite, le stimuler et savoir l’utiliser ; assurer la cohérence des systèmes ; transformer les ateliers de partage en occasions de briller.
Social Networks and Young People
Authors: Ferreira Neuza
Published: November 2013

This paper aims at stating the main advantages and implications of Web 2.0 by analysing popular social networks in Portugal and addressing some examples of their utility. The authors present results of an empirical study applied to young people, aged between 12 and 20 years old, in a specific Portuguese region. In the first part of the study, main characteristics and differences between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 are presented. In addition, results of empirical research and concluding remarks are presented and discussed. Achieved results seem to be particularly relevant for academics and industry professionals who might be interested in the application of new technologies for communication and socialization purposes.
Software Development Life Cycles and Methodologies
Authors: Conger Sue
Published: November 2013

Information Systems as a discipline has generated thousands of research papers, yet the practice still suffers from poor-quality applications. This paper evaluates the current state of application development, finding practice wanting in a number of areas. Changes recommended to fix historical shortcomings include improved management attention to risk management, testing, and detailed work practices. In addition, for industry’s move to services orientation, recommended changes include development of usable interfaces and a view of applications as embedded in the larger business services in which they function. These business services relate to both services provided to parent-organization customers as well as services provided by the information technology organization to its constituents. Because of this shift toward service orientation, more emphasis on usability, applications, testing, and improvement of underlying process quality are needed. The shift to services can be facilitated by adopting tenets of IT service management and user-centered design and by attending to service delivery during application development.
Tracking Values in Web based Student Teacher Exchanges
Authors: Hansson Thomas
Published: November 2013

When vocational student teachers communicate on a virtual platform in a combined campus and web based university course they focus on the contents of teaching and learning. However, in communicating professional teacher knowledge they implicitly express their personal values too. Without giving it much thought, they embed values in their verbal entries and they assess embedded values in their peers’ texts. This article introduces a soft systems model for categorizing the influence of values on web based interactions.
Systems Approach to Knowledge Synthesis
Authors: Nakamori Yoshiteru , Wierzbicki Andrzej P.
Published: November 2013

This article presents a systems approach to knowledge synthesis or construction, starting with a new systems thinking named the informed systems thinking, which should serve as the basic tool of knowledge integration and support creativity. Based on this new systems thinking, a new systems approach to knowledge synthesis or construction has been developed as a systems methodology that consists of three fundamental parts: how to collect and synthesize knowledge, how to use our abilities in collecting knowledge, and how to justify the synthesized knowledge. This article first describes the informed systems thinking and then introduces a new systems approach to knowledge synthesis and the features of this new approach from a viewpoint of knowledge creation.
A Conceptual Framework for Effective Knowledge Management Using Information and Communication Technologies
Authors: Deng Hepu
Published: November 2013

This paper investigates the role of information and communication technologies in enabling and facilitating the conversion of knowledge objects in knowledge management and explores how these roles might be affected in an organization. Such an investigation is based on a critical analysis of the relationships between data, information and knowledge, leading to the development of a transformation model between data, information and knowledge. Using a multi-method approach, in this paper, the author presents a conceptual framework for effective knowledge management in an organization. The author discusses the implications of the proposed framework for designing and developing knowledge management systems in an organization.
Semantic Interoperability for Enhancing Sharing and Learning through E-Government Knowledge-Intensive Portal Services
Authors: Kiu Ching-Chieh , Yuen Lai-Yung , Tsui Eric
Published: November 2013

E-Government emerges from web sites that offer static information, documents and forms for employees and citizens, enquiries, and process automations to many types of stakeholders. Increasingly, different layers of government services are being consolidated into a knowledge portal, providing on time and online services. Such knowledge portals not only provide a platform for integrating applications and information from all government sources, but also provide platforms for knowledge sharing and learning to the public with the objective to improve the efficiency and the quality of E-Government processes and services. However, due to the heterogeneity of applications and information across different levels of government agencies, a significant amount of work is needed to re-configure such applications and services into a new platform. However, semantics are often deficient, which results in problems establishing effective knowledge sharing and learning in E-Government. This paper confers how knowledge intensive portals can be used for enhancing sharing and learning in E-Government. The authors discuss innovative information on how the Semantic Web and Web 2.0 technologies can be applied in providing interoperability to leverage knowledge sharing and learning activities.
Empowering Students to be Scientifically Literate through Digital Literacy
Authors: Ng Wan
Published: October 2013

The objective of this chapter is to discuss the relationships between the three literacies that are mentioned above: digital literacy, science literacy and multiple literacies. The chapter will define digital literacy and scientific literacy and argue that being digitally literate would enhance the development of scientific literacy. It will look at the similarities in skills required for the two literacies (i.e., skills derived from learning science and learning to use digital technology). These are skills at both the operational and conceptual levels. The chapter will draw on these similarities to discuss how being digitally literate could better support the independent and personalized learning of science in the development of individuals who are scientifically literate. The use of multiple literacies pedagogy, the multimodal means of learning and communicating, as bridging the two literacies will be made. Specific examples will be used to illustrate the objective of this chapter. The chapter will conclude with a conceptual framework for the development of digital literacy in empowering students to become scientifically literate.
Comparing the Characteristics of Text-Speak Used by English and Japanese Students
Authors: Underwood Jean , Okubayashi Taiichiro
Published: November 2013

Text messaging is pervasive among the youth of many cultures, but the extent and nature of text-speak, the modified host language, is open to question. This study of English and Japanese undergraduates specifically investigated whether text-speak is a product of the technological constraints on the host language or is influenced by gender differences in communication style. The study had a between-subjects factorial design with two independent variables: language (English, Japanese) and gender (male, female). The dependent variable was frequency and type of text modification. The results show both a qualitative and quantitative difference in texting between the two groups with English texters being more active. However, English and Japanese females made more adaptations to the host-language than their within-culture male peers, even though the structure of the two host languages was very different. The greater use of abbreviations by females compared to males might be explained either by a higher engagement with this mode of communication or diverging goals between the sexes when texting.
The Voice of Isotretinoin
Authors: Elpern David
Published: November 2013

This paper is a joint patient and health professional narrative that emphasizes possible utilities of a persistent clinical encounter between patients and health professionals toward improving health outcomes. It illustrates one of the important objectives of “User Driven Healthcare” that notes an increasing influence of asynchronous email as well as electronic social networking between patients and health professionals as transformative toward the future of healthcare. The patient reports an important side effect of a drug hitherto under-reported in the literature as discovered by her physician after further web based searching. This experience led him to further reflect on possible causes of prior reported side effects of the drug such as suicidal ideation.