bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regeneration of Brownfield Area and Redundant Technical Culture Buildings to Symbols of Contemporary City
Authors: Barišić Marenić Zrinka , Andrašević Mia
Published: February 2016

BACKGROUND: Industrial complexes and technical culture complexes are significant morphological elements of the city.AIM: This paper focuses on the two European towns and showcases: Bilbao in Spain and Zagreb in Croatia.MATERIAL AND METHODS: The extravagant project of Gehry’s started the reformation of the Bilbao with growth of tourism and profit in general. Beside the urban regeneration, it started the trend of star-architects building their masterpieces one next to another along the river Nervion. This paper focuses on two complexes of technical culture buildings in Zagreb, presenting early conversion versus still unsolved regeneration.RESULTS: Former industrial city of Bilbao is nowadays a symbol of contemporary architecture featured by Guggenheim Museum and designed by Frank Ghery. It featured urban regeneration and numerous other examples of the contemporary architecture. This paper focuses as well on conversion of former wine-storage for mixed-use complex designed by Philippe Starck. The initial idea of the project was to revive the dying neighborhood because of the gentrification caused by the Guggenheim Museum. Zagreb intensive development in recent 150 years is based on industrialization process. After intensive deindustrialization, regeneration of redundant industrial complexes and technical culture buildings is segmented. Although the most prominent regenerations are significant architectural achievements winning the most prominent architectural awards, numerous complexes are awaiting for the conversions. Many of them are left to decay, or were demolished promptly, offering attractive location for new buildings that have been raised. This paper focuses on two complexes of technical culture buildings in Zagreb, presenting early conversion versus still unsolved regeneration. The first one is the avant-garde example of conversion of Tannery building for the Glypthotek of Yugoslav, i.e. Croatian Academy of Science and Art. The other example is Zagreb Fair, which realization since 1955 has initialized urbanization of late modern New Zagreb. Decay of Fair function, led to provisory or designed conversion of pavilions for new purposes, but the integral regeneration still is still missing.CONCLUSION:Urban regeneration should be considered seriously, and lead to transformation to contemporary city of 21st century.
CEO compensation and board diversity : evidence from french listed companies
Authors: Dardour Ali , Husser Jocelyn , Hollandts Xavier
Published: February 2016

Cet article a pour objet d’étudier l’influence de la diversité dans le conseil d’administration sur la rémunération des dirigeants. Cette étude a été menée sur un échantillon de sociétés cotées du SBF 120 sur la période 2003-2013. Elle délivre des résultats importants concernant la mise en œuvre de la loi Copé-Zimmermann qui rend obligatoire la féminisation des conseils d’administration ou de surveillance des sociétés cotées. C’est la première étude à explorer la relation entre les différentes formes de la diversité (diversité de genre, représentation des salariés et des actionnaires-salariés, indépendance du conseil d’administration) et les différentes composantes de la rémunération des dirigeants. Les résultats mettent en évidence les éléments suivants : la représentation des femmes a un effet négatif sur la rémunération des dirigeants. Le niveau de représentation des salariés influe aussi négativement sur la rémunération des dirigeants.
Contribution au pilotage de la masse salariale par la fonction RH dans les établissements publics de santé : premiers résultats d’une recherche collaborative
Authors: Cappelletti Laurent , Lartigau Jérôme , Noguera Florence
Published: February 2016

Le contexte de normalisation et de maîtrise des coûts qui caractérise les établissements publics hospitaliers les oblige à moderniser le pilotage de leur masse salariale par leur fonction RH. Au travers d’une recherche collaborative à l’initiative du ministère de la santé, l’article investigue une série d’hypothèses pour favoriser une telle modernisation. La valeur ajoutée de la recherche est double. Au plan des missions de la fonction RH, elle montre que cette dernière doit conserver dans son périmètre d’intervention, notamment dans les établissements de santé, le pilotage de la masse salariale au travers une concertation plus fine avec le contrôle de gestion. Au plan de son organisation, la recherche montre que la fonction RH doit s’orienter vers un modèle de décentralisation synchronisée pour être créatrice de valeur et mieux intégrer les changements normatifs permanents qui caractérisent le secteur de la santé.
Entre fidélité et réconciliation, quelle place pour la politique dans la Tunisie révolutionnaire ?
Authors: Dakhli Leyla
Published: February 2016

Cet article se propose d’explorer la situation de la Tunisie révolutionnaire de 2015, en prenant pour point de départ les discussions relatives à la loi sur la réconciliation économique proposée par le gouvernement d’Habib Essid. Ces discussions mettent en relief les jeux politiques et les tensions sur l’interprétation du changement en cours depuis 2010-2011. Ils permettent de qualifier la séquence actuelle de « restauration » au sein du processus révolutionnaire.
Un État « civil » peut-il être religieux ? Débats tunisiens
Authors: Bras Jean-Philippe
Published: February 2016

La place de l’islam dans la Constitution a été au centre des débats constitutionnels tunisiens entre 2011 et 2013. Pour surmonter les incompatibilités entre le programme constitutionnel d’Ennahdha se proposant d’islamiser les institutions et le droit, et celui des partis séculiers qui visait à garantir une nette séparation entre État et religion, les constituants ont eu recours à deux principaux procédés : l’incertitude sémantique, en reconduisant l’article 1 er de la Constitution de 1959 dans ses ambiguïtés rédactionnelles ; la créativité conceptuelle, à travers l’émergence d’une nouvelle notion, l’« État civil », que les deux camps pouvaient s’approprier, mais dans des significations qui pouvaient tantôt converger, tantôt diverger.
Système électoral et révolution : la voie tunisienne
Authors: Gobe Éric
Published: February 2016

La volonté affichée par les acteurs de la « révolution » tunisienne de trouver la meilleure adéquation entre « peuple révolutionnaire » et « peuple électeur » les a incités à choisir un mode de scrutin proportionnel au plus fort reste et sans seuil électoral pour élire une assemblée nationale constituante. À l’usage, cette option, en interdisant au parti islamiste Ennahdha d’emporter la majorité des sièges au sein de cette assemblée, est apparue comme un facteur d’équilibre entre forces politiques, ce qui a poussé les députés à reconduire le même mode de scrutin pour les élections législatives d’octobre 2014.
Au-delà de l’exception tunisienne : les failles et les risques du processus révolutionnaire
Authors: Hmed Choukri
Published: February 2016

L’exceptionnalité de la révolution tunisienne est célébrée dans le monde occidental et attestée par le pacifisme relatif de sa transition comme par les succès accumulés dans le champ politique. Cet article montre cependant qu’au-delà de ce constat quatre enjeux menacent le processus révolutionnaire et entravent la dynamique de transition : le terrorisme et les défis sécuritaires, le modèle économique, la démocratie sociale et la justice transitionnelle.
Contextures graphiques dans les manuscrits d’auteurs : repères
Authors: Crasson Aurèle
Published: February 2016

Il s’agit de porter le regard sur la relation qui unit écriture (scripto) et représentations non verbales (graphies) dans les manuscrits en présentant la richesse de ces productions, tant dans une perspective de théorisation génétique que du point de vue des outils d’écriture actuels. La raréfaction du manuscrit va de pair avec celle des traces non verbales dans l’écriture produite avec les ordinateurs. Ce constat donne l’occasion de revenir sur les enjeux sémiotiques du manuscrit en s’attachant aux effets que produisent, dans l’écriture, la coexistence du verbal (la langue écrite) et du non verbal (les représentations graphiques hormis celles de l’écriture, les espaces de sonorités, les structurations rythmiques, les dispositifs).
Défense et illustration de la page
Authors: Hay Louis
Published: February 2016

La première partie de l’étude procède d’une génétique historique. Elle examine la problématique de la page dans la longue durée et l’inscrit dans l’évolution d’une culture de l’écrit. À la lumière de ce passé, une seconde partie propose une vision intégrée des fonctions dont la séquence crée la possibilité d’une genèse : objet matériel manipulable – support à l’interface de la pensée et de la trace –, unité qui scande les étapes de l’écriture – espace où mots et graphismes interfèrent dans la production d’un sens. La conclusion se tourne vers une autre dimension de l’histoire : celle de l’avenir.
Streptococci Engage TLR13 on Myeloid Cells in a Site-Specific Fashion
Authors: Kolter Julia , Feuerstein Reinhild , Spoeri Evelyne , Gharun Kourosh , Elling Roland , Trieu-Cuot Patrick , Goldmann Tobias , Waskow Claudia , Chen Zhijian J. , Kirschning Carsten J. , Deshmukh Sachin D. , Henneke Philipp
Published: February 2016

Streptococci are common human colonizers with a species-specific mucocutaneous distribution. At the same time, they are among the most important and most virulent invasive bacterial pathogens. Thus, site-specific cellular innate immunity, which is predominantly executed by resident and invading myeloid cells, has to be adapted with respect to streptococcal sensing, handling, and response. In this article, we show that TLR13 is the critical mouse macrophage (MΦ) receptor in the response to group B Streptococcus, both in bone marrow–derived MΦs and in mature tissue MΦs, such as those residing in the lamina propria of the colon and the dermis, as well as in microglia. In contrast, TLR13 and its chaperone UNC-93B are dispensable for a potent cytokine response of blood monocytes to group B Streptococcus, although monocytes serve as the key progenitors of intestinal and dermal MΦs. Furthermore, a specific role for TLR13 with respect to MΦ function is supported by the response to staphylococci, where TLR13 and UNC-93B limit the cytokine response in bone marrow–derived MΦs and microglia, but not in dermal MΦs. In summary, TLR13 is a critical and site-specific receptor in the single MΦ response to β-hemolytic streptococci.
Vaccine Targeting of Subdominant CD8+ T Cell Epitopes Increases the Breadth of the T Cell Response upon Viral Challenge, but May Impair Immediate Virus Control
Authors: Steffensen Maria A. , Pedersen Louise H. , Jahn Marie L. , Nielsen Karen N. , Christensen Jan P. , Thomsen Allan R.
Published: February 2016

As a result of the difficulties in making efficient vaccines against genetically unstable viruses such as HIV, it has been suggested that future vaccines should preferentially target subdominant epitopes, the idea being that this should allow a greater breadth of the induced T cell response and, hence, a greater efficiency in controlling escape variants. However, to our knowledge the evidence supporting this concept is limited at best. To improve upon this, we used the murine lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus model and adenoviral vectors to compare a vaccine expressing unmodified Ag to a vaccine expressing the same Ag without its immunodominant epitope. We found that removal of the dominant epitope allowed the induction of CD8+ T cell responses targeting at least two otherwise subdominant epitopes. Importantly, the overall magnitude of the induced T cell responses was similar, allowing us to directly compare the efficiency of these vaccines. Doing this, we observed that mice vaccinated with the vaccine expressing unmodified Ag more efficiently controlled an acute viral challenge. In the course of a more chronic viral infection, mice vaccinated using the vaccine targeting subdominant epitopes caught up with the conventionally vaccinated mice, and analysis of the breadth of the CD8+ T cell response revealed that this was notably greater in the former mice. However, under the conditions of our studies, we never saw any functional advantage of this. This may represent a limitation of our model, but clearly our findings underscore the importance of carefully weighing the pros and cons of changes in epitope targeting before any implementation.
Rapid Evolution of the CD8+ TCR Repertoire in Neonatal Mice
Authors: Carey Alison J. , Gracias Donald T. , Thayer Jillian L. , Boesteanu Alina C. , Kumova Ogan K. , Mueller Yvonne M. , Hope Jennifer L. , Fraietta Joseph A. , van Zessen David B. H. , Katsikis Peter D.
Published: February 2016

Currently, there is little consensus regarding the most appropriate animal model to study acute infection and the virus-specific CD8+ T cell (CTL) responses in neonates. TCRβ high-throughput sequencing in naive CTL of differently aged neonatal mice was performed, which demonstrated differential Vβ family gene usage. Using an acute influenza infection model, we examined the TCR repertoire of the CTL response in neonatal and adult mice infected with influenza type A virus. Three-day-old mice mounted a greatly reduced primary NP(366–374)–specific CTL response when compared with 7-d-old and adult mice, whereas secondary CTL responses were normal. Analysis of NP(366–374)-specific CTL TCR repertoire revealed different Vβ gene usage and greatly reduced public clonotypes in 3-d-old neonates. This could underlie the impaired CTL response in these neonates. To directly test this, we examined whether controlling the TCR would restore neonatal CTL responses. We performed adoptive transfers of both nontransgenic and TCR-transgenic OVA(257–264)-specific (OT-I) CD8+ T cells into influenza-infected hosts, which revealed that naive neonatal and adult OT-I cells expand equally well in neonatal and adult hosts. In contrast, nontransgenic neonatal CD8+ T cells when transferred into adults failed to expand. We further demonstrate that differences in TCR avidity may contribute to decreased expansion of the endogenous neonatal CTL. These studies highlight the rapid evolution of the neonatal TCR repertoire during the first week of life and show that impaired neonatal CTL immunity results from an immature TCR repertoire, rather than intrinsic signaling defects or a suppressive environment.
Germinal Center T Follicular Helper Cells Are Highly Permissive to HIV-1 and Alter Their Phenotype during Virus Replication
Authors: Kohler Stephanie L. , Pham Michael N. , Folkvord Joy M. , Arends Tessa , Miller Shannon M. , Miles Brodie , Meditz Amie L. , McCarter Martin , Levy David N. , Connick Elizabeth
Published: February 2016

HIV-1 replication is concentrated within CD4+ T cells in B cell follicles of secondary lymphoid tissues during asymptomatic disease. Limited data suggest that a subset of T follicular helper cells (TFH) within germinal centers (GC) is highly permissive to HIV-1. Whether GC TFH are the major HIV-1 virus–producing cells in vivo has not been established. In this study, we investigated TFH permissivity to HIV-1 ex vivo by spinoculating and culturing tonsil cells with HIV-1 GFP reporter viruses. Using flow cytometry, higher percentages of GC TFH (CXCR5highPD-1high) and CXCR5+programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)low cells were GFP+ than non-GC TFH (CXCR5+PD-1intermediate) or extrafollicular (EF) (CXCR5−) cells. When sorted prior to spinoculation, however, GC TFH were substantially more permissive than CXCR5+PD-1low or EF cells, suggesting that many GC TFH transition to a CXCR5+PD-1low phenotype during productive infection. In situ hybridization on inguinal lymph node sections from untreated HIV-1–infected individuals without AIDS revealed higher frequencies of HIV-1 RNA+ cells in GC than non-GC regions of follicle or EF regions. Superinfection of HIV-1–infected individuals’ lymph node cells with GFP reporter virus confirmed the permissivity of follicular cells ex vivo. Lymph node immunostaining revealed 96% of CXCR5+CD4+ cells were located in follicles. Within sorted lymph node cells from four HIV-infected individuals, CXCR5+ subsets harbored 11–66-fold more HIV-1 RNA than CXCR5− subsets, as determined by RT PCR. Thus, GC TFH are highly permissive to HIV-1, but downregulate PD-1 and, to a lesser extent, CXCR5 during HIV-1 replication. These data further implicate GC TFH as the major HIV-1–producing cells in chronic asymptomatic HIV-1 infection.
Simulated Night Shift Disrupts Circadian Rhythms of Immune Functions in Humans
Authors: Cuesta Marc , Boudreau Philippe , Dubeau-Laramée Geneviève , Cermakian Nicolas , Boivin Diane B.
Published: February 2016

Recent research unveiled a circadian regulation of the immune system in rodents, yet little is known about rhythms of immune functions in humans and how they are affected by circadian disruption. In this study, we assessed rhythms of cytokine secretion by immune cells and tested their response to simulated night shifts. PBMCs were collected from nine participants kept in constant posture over 24 h under a day-oriented schedule (baseline) and after 3 d under a night-oriented schedule. Monocytes and T lymphocytes were stimulated with LPS and PHA, respectively. At baseline, a bimodal rhythmic secretion was detected for IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α: a night peak was primarily due to a higher responsiveness of monocytes, and a day peak was partly due to a higher proportion of monocytes. A rhythmic release was also observed for IL-2 and IFN-γ, with a nighttime peak due to a higher cell count and responsiveness of T lymphocytes. Following night shifts, with the exception of IL-2, cytokine secretion was still rhythmic but with peak levels phase advanced by 4.5–6 h, whereas the rhythm in monocyte and T lymphocyte numbers was not shifted. This suggests distinct mechanisms of regulation between responsiveness to stimuli and cell numbers of the human immune system. Under a night-oriented schedule, only cytokine release was partly shifted in response to the change in the sleep–wake cycle. This led to a desynchronization of rhythmic immune parameters, which might contribute to the increased risk for infection, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, and cancer reported in shift workers.
Cathelicidins Have Direct Antiviral Activity against Respiratory Syncytial Virus In Vitro and Protective Function In Vivo in Mice and Humans
Authors: Currie Silke M. , Gwyer Findlay Emily , McFarlane Amanda J. , Fitch Paul M. , Böttcher Bettina , Colegrave Nick , Paras Allan , Jozwik Agnieszka , Chiu Christopher , Schwarze Jürgen , Davidson Donald J.
Published: February 2016

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of respiratory tract infection in infants, causing significant morbidity and mortality. No vaccine or specific, effective treatment is currently available. A more complete understanding of the key components of effective host response to RSV and novel preventative and therapeutic interventions are urgently required. Cathelicidins are host defense peptides, expressed in the inflamed lung, with key microbicidal and modulatory roles in innate host defense against infection. In this article, we demonstrate that the human cathelicidin LL-37 mediates an antiviral effect on RSV by inducing direct damage to the viral envelope, disrupting viral particles and decreasing virus binding to, and infection of, human epithelial cells in vitro. In addition, exogenously applied LL-37 is protective against RSV-mediated disease in vivo, in a murine model of pulmonary RSV infection, demonstrating maximal efficacy when applied concomitantly with virus. Furthermore, endogenous murine cathelicidin, induced by infection, has a fundamental role in protection against disease in vivo postinfection with RSV. Finally, higher nasal levels of LL-37 are associated with protection in a healthy human adult RSV infection model. These data lead us to propose that cathelicidins are a key, nonredundant component of host defense against pulmonary infection with RSV, functioning as a first point of contact antiviral shield and having additional later-phase roles in minimizing the severity of disease outcome. Consequently, cathelicidins represent an inducible target for preventative strategies against RSV infection and may inform the design of novel therapeutic analogs for use in established infection.
Assessing Students’ Knowledge and Soft Skills Competency in the Industrial Training Programme: The Employers’ Perspective
Authors: Chiu Lim Khong , Mahat Nor Idayu , Rashid Basri , Razak Norhanim A. , Omar Hamimi
Published: February 2016

The importance of developing soft skills competency among students should be the priority of all the Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in order to ensure their graduates are marketable. Therefore, it is essential for HEIs to distinguish the knowledge and soft skill levels of their students so that strategies and intervention could be implemented to rectify their capabilities. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the knowledge and soft skills competency from the employer’s viewpoints on the Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) students participating in the industrial training programme. A total of 438 employers from different industrial backgrounds had participated in this study. A questionnaire consisting of five dimensions of soft skills which are basic knowledge, communication skills, practical skills, leadership, and attitude was utilized to collect data. The results of this study indicate that the employers were satisfied with the knowledge and soft skills competency portrayed by UUM students in preparing themselves for the real work environment. The employers from the service sectors were satisfied with students’ performance in all dimensions of soft skills measured. However, employers from the factory and commerce sector perceived as moderate satisfaction for all dimensions of soft skills. Additionally, the employers of the factory and commerce sector assessed by giving the lowest satisfaction score for “hands-on” skills, but generally they satisfied with the students’ communication skills. The information gathered can provide important insights from the perspective of organizations which is valuable in improving the overall hard and soft skills competency for future professionals and managers.
Evaluation of the Reduction of Tsunami Damages Based on Local Wisdom Contermeasures in Indonesia
Authors: Usman Fadly , Wicaksono Agus Dwi , Setiawan Eko
Published: February 2016

Local wisdoms such as a traditional ethics, land-use system and others had sometimes mitigated tsunami damages in Indonesia. The effective use of those local wisdoms is strongly desired especially in developing countries, because it is quite difficult for those countries to allocate enough budgets for constructing hard type of countermeasures against tsunami. Among local wisdoms against tsunami hazard, this study evaluates the efficiency of a hollow topography which can be seen on the beach along Lampon village in Indonesia. Artificial hollows are arrayed on the beach as one of the local wisdoms in Lampon village to reduce the intensity of inundated tsunami flow. The numerical simulation of tsunami inundation is conducted to evaluate the efficiency of this hollow topography. Furthermore, this study evaluates the efficiency of some contrivances, such a combination of vegetation area and a multiple-use of hollow and embankment topography, in order to enhance the performance of countermeasure based on the local wisdom.
Constructing Marketing Indicators and Measuring the Satisfaction of Asian International Students in the Higher Education Sector
Authors: Chen Yu-Chuan
Published: February 2016

This paper addresses the construction of marketing mix strategies within the Taiwanese higher education sector and the applicability of such strategies to measure the satisfaction levels of Asian international students. Due to a declining birth rate in Asia as well as an oversupply of schools, recruitting international students is an effective tactic for higher education managers in Taiwan. To pool a representative sample of the population, international subjects were drawn from all higher education institutions in Taiwan. For this research, the author collected 328 valid questionnaires. Descriptive statistics indicated that the seven-factor model was of good fit and included attributes of product, place, price, promotion, people, reputation, and physical evidence. The results from the study highlighted the applicability of the importance-performance analysis (hereafter IPA) for managers attempting to improve their marketing mix strategies and resources from appropriate marketing sectors.
Bangkok Men’s Attitudes towards Marital Rape
Authors: Jermsittiparsert Kittisak , Kasemsukphaisit Paranee
Published: February 2016

This research aims (i) to explore Bangkok men’s understandings of section 276 of the criminal code; (ii) to examine the attitudes on marital rape as perceived by men in Bangkok and to conduct a comparative study on the observed attitudes using various demographic assessment factors, namely, age, marital status, occupation, and income level; (iii) to investigate the correlations between the level of understandings of the relevant law and the attitudes of men living in Bangkok on marital rape by employing quantitative research method, with the use of questionaries that would collect data from 280 research subjects. The data analysis is carried out using frequency, mean, percentage, one-way analysis of variance, least significant difference (LSD), and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient analysis with significance level 0.5.

The research findings indicates that the subjects possess the least understandings of section 276 of the criminal code (  = .15) and contain average level of attitudes with respect to the issue of marital rape (  = 3.19). When examining with different assessment factors, it is found that the subjects bare an attitude of cognition at low level (  = 2.22), of feelings at average level (  = 3.36), and of action tendency at considerable level (  = 3.98). Results from the comparative analysis on different levels of attitudes over the issue of marital rape, using different demographic assessment factors, reveal that the difference in income generates different level of attitudes whereas the differences in age, marital status and occupation bare relatively similar level of attitudes. Lastly, no correlation is found when looking at the outcome of the correlation analysis between level of understandings and attitudes perceived.
More effective drugs lead to harder selective sweeps in the evolution of drug resistance in HIV-1
Authors: Feder Alison F , Rhee Soo-Yon , Holmes Susan P , Shafer Robert W , Petrov Dmitri A , Pennings Pleuni S
Published: February 2016

In the early days of HIV treatment, drug resistance occurred rapidly and predictably in all patients, but under modern treatments, resistance arises slowly, if at all. The probability of resistance should be controlled by the rate of generation of resistance mutations. If many adaptive mutations arise simultaneously, then adaptation proceeds by soft selective sweeps in which multiple adaptive mutations spread concomitantly, but if adaptive mutations occur rarely in the population, then a single adaptive mutation should spread alone in a hard selective sweep. Here, we use 6717 HIV-1 consensus sequences from patients treated with first-line therapies between 1989 and 2013 to confirm that the transition from fast to slow evolution of drug resistance was indeed accompanied with the expected transition from soft to hard selective sweeps. This suggests more generally that evolution proceeds via hard sweeps if resistance is unlikely and via soft sweeps if it is likely.
Comparison of classic terminology with the FIGO PALM‐COEIN system for classification of the underlying causes of abnormal uterine bleeding
Authors: Töz Emrah , Sancı Muzaffer , Özcan Aykut , Beyan Emrah , İnan Abdurrahman H
Published: February 2016

Objective

To compare classic terminology and the PALM‐COEIN (polyp, adenomyosis, leiomyoma, malignancy and hyperplasia, coagulopathy, ovulatory disorders, endometrium, iatrogenic, and not classified) classification system among women who underwent surgery for abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), and to subclassify the components of the PALM group for future studies.

Methods

In a retrospective study, data were obtained for nonpregnant women aged 18–55 years who underwent hysterectomy, myomectomy, or polypectomy for AUB at a center in Turkey in 2014. The patients were retrospectively classified according to the PALM‐COEIN system, and the two terminologies were compared.

Results: A total of 471 women were included. The term “hypermenorrhea” covered 15 different pathology combinations, “menorrhagia” nine, “metrorrhagia” 14, and “menometrorrhagia” 18. Of 92 patients with polyp, 5 (5.4%) had two polyps and 1 (1.1%) had three. Of 146 patients with adenomyosis, 131 (89.7%) had diffuse adenomyosis and 12 (8.2%) had adenomyoma. Of 309 patients with myoma uteri, 108 (34.9%) had submucous myoma and 201 (65.1%) had other types of myoma.

Conclusion

Classic terminology for AUB is insufficient and confusing with respect to etiologic pathologies among nonpregnant women of reproductive age. Widespread adoption of the PALM‐COEIN system for AUB classification will facilitate more meaningful communication among both clinicians and investigators, and clarify the populations that should be evaluated in clinical trials, thereby enhancing communication with patients.
Multicenter analysis comparing robotic, open, laparoscopic, and vaginal hysterectomies performed by high‐volume surgeons for benign indications
Authors: Lim Peter C. , Crane John T. , English Eric J. , Farnam Richard W. , Garza Devin M. , Winter Marc L. , Rozeboom Jerry L.
Published: February 2016

Objective

To compare perioperative outcomes between robotic‐assisted benign hysterectomies and abdominal, vaginal, and laparoscopic hysterectomies when performed by high‐volume surgeons.

Methods

A multicenter data analysis compared 30‐day outcomes from consecutive robotic‐assisted hysterectomies performed by high‐volume surgeons (≥ 60 prior procedures) at nine centers with records retrieved from the Premier Perspective database for abdominal, vaginal, and laparoscopic hysterectomies performed by high‐volume gynecologic surgeons. Data on benign hysterectomy disorders from January 1, 2012 to September 30, 2013 were included.

Results

Data from 2300 robotic‐assisted, 9745 abdominal, 8121 vaginal, and 11 952 laparoscopic hysterectomies were included. The robotic‐assisted patient cohort had a significantly higher rate of adhesive disease compared with the vaginal (P < 0.001) and laparoscopic cohorts (P < 0.001), a significantly higher rate of morbid obesity than the vaginal (P < 0.001) or laparoscopic cohorts (P < 0.001), and a significantly higher rate of large uteri (> 250 g) than the abdominal (P < 0.001), vaginal (P < 0.001), or laparoscopic cohorts (P = 0.017). The robotic‐assisted cohort experienced significantly fewer intraoperative complications than the abdominal (P < 0.001) and vaginal cohorts (P < 0.001), and experienced significantly fewer postoperative complications compared with all the comparator cohorts (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

When performed by gynecologic surgeons with relevant high‐volume experience, robotic‐assisted benign hysterectomy provided improved outcomes compared with abdominal, vaginal, and laparoscopic hysterectomy.
Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Skin Diseases Among Army Personnel and Flood Victims During the 2011 Floods in Thailand
Authors: Thongtaeparak Wittaya , Pratchyapruit Walai-orn , Kotanivong Settha , Sirithanakit Nimit , Thunyaharn Sudaluck , Rangsin Ram , Chaikaew Phachara , Wongyongsin Pitee , Pinyoboon Pongpak , Sutthiwan Phatcharaphan , Theethansiri Witchwaree , Janthayanont Dusit , Mungthin Mathirut
Published: February 2016

Objective

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for skin problems among flood victims and army personnel during the 2011 floods in Thailand.

Methods

To determine the prevalence of and risk factors for skin symptoms, standardized questionnaires were used to collect demographic data, current skin symptoms, history of water exposure, and sanitary behaviors. A certified dermatologist evaluated those who presented with skin problems and provided diagnoses. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess independent risk factors for skin symptoms.

Results

The most prevalent skin disease was irritant contact dermatitis. Flood victims showed a higher prevalence of skin symptoms compared with army personnel. Development of skin symptoms after exposure to floodwater was also observed earlier among flood victims. Having a history of skin diseases and delayed skin cleaning after exposure were also significant risk factors for the development of skin symptoms.

Conclusion

This information might be used as guidelines for protecting military personnel and to educate the general public regarding flood disaster management. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:570–575)
Uncertainty propagation in model extraction by system identification and its implication for control design
Authors: Dovetta Nicolas , Schmid Peter J. , Sipp Denis
Published: February 2016

In data-based control design, system-identification techniques are used to extract low-dimensional representations of the input–output map between actuators and sensors from observed data signals. Under realistic conditions, noise in the signals is present and is expected to influence the identified system representation. For the subsequent design of the controller, it is important to gauge the sensitivity of the system representation to noise in the observed data; this information will impact the robustness of the controller and influence the stability margins for a closed-loop configuration. Commonly, full Monte Carlo analysis has been used to quantify the effect of data noise on the system identification and control design, but in fluid systems, this approach is often prohibitively expensive, due to the high dimensionality of the data input space, for both numerical simulations and physical experiments. Instead, we present a framework for the estimation of statistical properties of identified system representations given an uncertainty in the processed data. Our approach consists of a perturbative method, relating noise in the data to identified system parameters, which is followed by a Monte Carlo technique to propagate uncertainties in the system parameters to error bounds in Nyquist and Bode plots. This hybrid approach combines accuracy, by treating the system-identification part perturbatively, and computational efficiency, by applying Monte Carlo techniques to the low-dimensional input space of the control design and performance/stability evaluation part. This combination makes the proposed technique affordable and efficient even for large-scale flow-control problems. The ARMarkov/LS identification procedure has been chosen as a representative system-identification technique to illustrate this framework and to obtain error bounds on the identified system parameters based on the signal-to-noise ratio of the input–output data sequence. The procedure is illustrated on the control design for flow over an idealized aerofoil with a trailing-edge splitter plate.
Utilitarianism and Punishment
Authors: Smart J. J. C.
Published: February 2016

Utilitarianism is the view that the rightness of an action depends entirely on expected utility, that is on the sum of the utilities of its consequences weighted by their various probabilities. I shall distinguish two forms of utilitarianism: hedonistic utilitarianism and preference utilitarianism. In hedonistic utilitarianism it is just a matter of pleasure and its opposite, unpleasure. Often utilitarians have used ‘pain’ instead of ‘unpleasure’, but this has the disadvantage that ‘pain’ can suggest ‘a pain’, and ‘a pain’ is not the opposite of ‘a pleasure’. If I annoy you I give you the opposite of pleasure but I do not necessarily give you a pain. In preference utilitarianism we take value to be satisfaction of desires or preferences. It is a difficult theory to work out in so far as we have to take ‘preference’ here to be intrinsic preference, and so need a clear distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic preferences.
Punishment and Moral Seriousness
Authors: Kleinig John
Published: February 2016

There is no single “problem of punishment”. The activity of punishing is problematic at many levels. There are problems relating to the authority to punish, the severity of punishment, the method of punishment, and of course the moral basis for punishment. Given this, we should be surprised were we to find that all these problems could be comprehended by a single, simple rationale. Nevertheless, there is one, fundamental, underlying moral challenge posed by all punishment, and it is especially (though not exclusively) to this that the classical justifications of punishment have been primarily directed. “Retributivist” and “utilitarian” justifications, however we understand them, are, above all, responses to what I see as this central problem of punishment.
The Justification of Punishment: A Comment on Retribution and Deterrence
Authors: Gur-Arye Miriam
Published: February 2016

In this comment I wish to defend Antony Duff's final conclusion; namely, that punishment is to be seen as a deterrent system constrained by requirements of justice. I shall do this, however, mainly by using John Kleinig's arguments. My aim is to show that although Kleinig himself rejects deterrence as part of punishment's justification, some of his arguments can best be defended if deterrence is taken into account. In the final section of the comment I shall return to Duff's arguments in this context, but only in order to raise some doubts as to their underlying assumption.

Before doing so, let me compare, briefly, Duff's and Kleinig's attitudes which seem to be relevant to the purpose of this comment.

Both Kleinig and Duff believe that, ideally, punishment is to be justified by retributive considerations. According to Kleinig, even in such an imperfect society as ours, punishment should still remain retributive.
The Current Profile of Capital Punishment
Authors: Mosk Stanley
Published: February 2016

In a way, I suppose, everything has been said about the death penalty that can be said. Yet we continue to discuss the penalty, the legal processes involved, the actual means of execution, the crimes for which death is to be imposed, and at the cornerstone, the moral justification for society deliberately taking human lives.

At the risk of appearing immodest, I claim to be peculiarly equipped to enter into this discussion because I have been on all sides of the issue — not, I hasten to explain, because of unconcern or ambivalence. First, as an idealistic young man, I debated for abolition of the death penalty. Then, as executive secretary to the Governor of California, I had the duty of actually interviewing, in prison, men — and one woman — under sentence of death and making a report to the Governor. He, in turn, had the responsibility of commuting some sentences to life and allowing others to go to their death.
Reflections on Capital Punishment
Authors: Schwarzschild Henry
Published: February 2016

I, too, want to express my gratitude to Mishkenot Sha'ananim and to Ms. Karin Moses for their organization of this Conference and for their accommodating hospitality, and to Prof. Igor Primoratz of the Hebrew University for his thoughtful invitation to me to participate and for his almost inexhaustible patience in waiting for my paper.

I should mention also the pleasure of being with so many distinguished scholars from Israel, Europe and America, some of them old comrades (or antagonists) in the work for social justice, all of them, I fear, the intellectual betters of someone who, like myself, is (as it were) a professional activist rather than a systematic thinker. I am honoured to be in their company.
Punishment and its Alternatives — A Comment
Authors: Sebba Leslie
Published: February 2016

The papers presented in this last session of the Conference — by Marc Galanter and Richard Abel — tend towards a quasi-sociological perspective, emphasizing the limits of the applicability of the criminal law and its implementation, and drawing attention to alternative normative systems — whether extra-penal or extra-legal.

The papers differ, however, in at least two important respects. The first difference is in tone and orientation. While Galanter is essentially pragmatic, Abel's perspective is radical. On this point it is interesting to observe that Abel's radical criticisms are directed primarily at the inadequacies of the law in the context of the protection of the weaker members of society. Until recently, the radical thrust was generally directed at the overuse of the law against the underprivileged. Recently conducted victim surveys have pointed to the victimization of the poor by offenders rather than as offenders, and this information clearly forms part of the backdrop to Abel's analysis.
Punishment: Civil Style
Authors: Galanter Marc
Published: February 2016

Discussions of punishment and its role in modern societies often proceed as if punishment is co-extensive with the criminal justice system. Instead, I want to begin with the observation that a large part of punishment as a social institution is outside the criminal law — indeed much of it lies outside the legal system. To understand the working of punishment in our societies and what the law can do with it and about it requires that we examine the entire span of punishment, not just that part which epitomizes it in legal theory.

What is punishment? I hesitate to get into a definitional struggle on what must be well-worn turf. It seems to me that we can identify a core idea of “bad for bad” — i.e., the imposition of a harm, injury, deprivation or other bad thing on someone on the ground of the commission of some offence. The infliction of harm on the offender may be viewed as a goal (or as proximate to a goal of justice) or it may be viewed instrumentally as a means to social betterment, through rehabilitation, incapacitation, deterrence, reassurance, and so forth. Thus, the harm may be thought to redound to the offender's ultimate benefit or that of the society.
Ocular pathological changes in hamsters experimentally infected withSchistosoma mansoni
Authors: Ismail H.I.H. , Ashour D.S. , Abou Rayia D.M. , Ali A.L.
Published: February 2016

Ocular lesions have been reported in patients with schistosomiasis; however, the problem with studying schistosomal infection of the human eye is that biopsies are almost impossible to take, and histopathological examination of suspicious lesions can only be undertaken post-mortem or after enucleation. This work aimed to study the possible effects and pathogenesis of schistosomiasis on the eye. This study involved 55 hamsters; five hamsters remained non-infected and the remaining 50 hamsters were infected withSchistosoma mansonicercariae. Infected hamsters were sacrificed on weeks 8, 12, 16 and 20 post-infection (pi). Eye sections were prepared and stained for histopathological and immunohistochemical studies. Histopathological changes detected in hamsters infected after 16 and 20 weeks included looseness and oedema of the innermost retinal layers together with hyperplastic polypoid growth. Neither eggs nor granulomata were detected in eye sections throughout the experimental period. Deposition ofS. mansoniantigen was revealed in 35% of infected hamsters. Later, on weeks 16 and 20 pi, moderate subepithelial conjuctival deposits and marked subchoroidal and scleral deposition were detected. In conclusion, the deposition of schistosomal antigen and immune complexes may play a pivotal role in the ocular changes that occur in schistosomiasis, even in the absence of detectableSchistosomaeggs. Schistosomiasis should be suspected in cases with unexplained ophthalmological findings, especially in endemic areas.
Regularity of Hausdorff measure function for conformal dynamical systems
Authors: URBAŃSKI MARIUSZ , ZDUNIK ANNA
Published: February 2016

We deal with the question of continuity of numerical values of Hausdorff measures in parametrised families of linear (similarity) and conformal dynamical systems by developing the pioneering work of Lars Olsen and the work [SUZ]. We prove Hölder continuity of the function ascribing to a parameter the numerical value of the Hausdorff measure of either the corresponding limit set or the corresponding Julia set. We consider three cases. Firstly, we consider the case of parametrised families of conformal iterated function systems in $\mathbb{R}$k with k ⩾ 3. Secondly, we consider all linear iterated function systems consisting of similarities in $\mathbb{R}$k with k ⩾ 1. In either of these two cases, the strong separation condition is assumed. In the latter case the Hölder exponent obtained is equal to 1/2. Thirdly, we prove such Hölder continuity for analytic families of conformal expanding repellers in the complex plane $\mathbb{C}$. Furthermore, we prove the Hausdorff measure function to be piecewise real–analytic for families of naturally parametrised linear IFSs in $\mathbb{R}$ satisfying the strong separation condition. On the other hand, we also give an example of a family of linear IFSs in $\mathbb{R}$ for which this function is not even differentiable at some parameters.
Difficulty Recalling People's Names
Authors: Fisher C.M.
Published: February 2016

Background:

Difficulty recalling people's names is common in the adult population, especially in the elderly. The subject is scarcely mentioned in the literature. An 82-year-old patient gave the history that for 33 years he had made prospective observations on his own difficulty with people's names.

Methods:

Documentation and analysis of the patient's personal observations in which his ability to recall the names of friends, acquaintances, colleagues, public figures, movie stars and athletes is compared with that of his spouse. A suitable test-battery for the names of famous North American persons was not available.

Results:

The patient's capability in recalling people's names was clearly inferior to that of his spouse. The patient's intellect was otherwise intact and the impairment seemed to be isolated to the category of proper-naming. Doubts were raised about the patient's own conclusion that the deficit was progressive.

Conclusions:

A parallel may be drawn between benign difficulty recalling people's names and the acquired categorical deficit for proper naming reported in the literature in recent years. Based on Damasio's concept of anatomically compartmentalized sensory subsystems, it is hypothesized that our patient's symptom represents an innate limited capacity for proper naming.