bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chronic spontaneous urticaria: latest developments in aetiology, diagnosis and therapy
Authors: Vestergaard Christian , Deleuran Mette
Published: October 2015

Chronic urticaria is a debilitating disease characterized by itching and hives with or without angioedema lasting for more than 6 weeks. The disease carries a significant emotional and economic burden for the patient and often results in an odyssey between doctors of different specialities. Patients suffering from chronic urticaria are considered more difficult to satisfy, treat and to have a bigger emotional burden than the average patient in dermatology, paediatric and general practice settings. A joint initiative under the Dermatology section of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical immunology (EAACI), the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN), the European Dermatology Forum (EDF) and the World Allergy Organization (WAO) has resulted in recently published guidelines for the diagnosis, classification and treatment of chronic urticarial: these guidelines are clinically useful and have a high success rate when followed in daily clinical practice. The treatment of choice for chronic urticaria is still nonsedating antihistamines although other treatments are available, with omalizumab (humanized IgG anti IgE antibodies) as the newest therapy. The pathogenesis of urticaria is poorly understood but autoimmunity is considered as one of the major underlying causes for this disease, although other theories exist.
The Platformization of the Web: Making Web Data Platform Ready
Authors: Helmond Anne
Published: October 2015

In this article, I inquire into Facebook’s development as a platform by situating it within the transformation of social network sites into social media platforms. I explore this shift with a historical perspective on, what I refer to as, platformization, or the rise of the platform as the dominant infrastructural and economic model of the social web and its consequences. Platformization entails the extension of social media platforms into the rest of the web and their drive to make external web data “platform ready.” The specific technological architecture and ontological distinctiveness of platforms will be examined by taking their programmability into account. I position platformization as a form of platform critique that inquires into the dynamics of the decentralization of platform features and the recentralization of “platform ready” data as a way to examine the consequences of the programmability of social media platforms for the web.
Mapping Controversies with Social Media: The Case for Symmetry
Authors: Marres Noortje , Moats David
Published: October 2015

This article assesses the usefulness for social media research of controversy analysis, an approach developed in Science and Technology Studies (STS) and related fields. We propose that this approach can help to address an important methodological problem in social media research, namely, the tension between social media as resource for social research and as an empirical object in its own right. Initially developed for analyzing interactions between science, technology, and society, controversy analysis has in recent decades been implemented digitally to study public debates and issues dynamics online. A key feature of controversy analysis as a digital method, we argue, is that it enables a symmetrical approach to the study of media-technological dynamics and issue dynamics. It allows us to pay equal attention to the ways in which a digital platform like Twitter mediates public issues, and to how controversies mediate “social media” as an object of public attention. To sketch the contours of such a symmetrical approach, the article discusses examples from a recent social media research project in which we mapped issues of “privacy” and “surveillance” in the wake of the National Security Agency (NSA) data leak by Edward Snowden in June 2013. Through a discussion of social media research practice, we then outline a symmetrical approach to analyzing controversy with social media. We conclude that the digital implementation of such an approach requires further exchanges between social media researchers and controversy analysts.
“Having it All” on Social Media: Entrepreneurial Femininity and Self-Branding Among Fashion Bloggers
Authors: Duffy Brooke Erin , Hund Emily
Published: October 2015

Against the backdrop of the widespread individualization of the creative workforce, various genres of social media production have emerged from the traditionally feminine domains of fashion, beauty, domesticity, and craft. Fashion blogging, in particular, is considered one of the most commercially successful and publicly visible forms of digital cultural production. To explore how fashion bloggers represent their branded personae as enterprising feminine subjects, we conducted a qualitative analysis of the textual ( n = 38 author narratives) and visual ( n = 760 Instagram images) content published by leading fashion bloggers; we supplement this with in-depth interviews with eight full-time fashion/beauty bloggers. Through this data, we show how top-ranked bloggers depict the ideal of “having it all” through three interrelated tropes: the destiny of passionate work, staging the glam life, and carefully curated social sharing. Together, these tropes articulate a form of entrepreneurial femininity that draws upon post-feminist sensibilities and the contemporary logic of self-branding. We argue, however, that this socially mediated version of self-enterprise obscures the labor, discipline, and capital necessary to emulate these standards, while deploying the unshakable myth that women should work through and for consumption. We conclude by addressing how these findings are symptomatic of a digital media economy marked by the persistence of social inequalities of gender, race, class, and more.
The Case for Alternative Social Media
Authors: Gehl Robert W.
Published: October 2015

What are “alternative social media”? How can we distinguish alternative social media from mainstream social media? Why are social media alternatives important? How do they work? Why do people make them? What do they tell us about contemporary corporate social media and its related phenomena: surveillance, privacy, power, self-expression, and sociality? This essay answers these questions by theorizing alternative social media. The empirical data for this alternative social media theory are drawn from previous work on alternative sites such as Diaspora, rstat.us, Twister, GNU social, and the Dark Web Social Network. These cases are used to build a generalized conceptual framework. However, this article does not solely theorize from these examples, but rather seeks to contextualize and historicize alternative social media theory within larger bodies of work. In addition to generalization from examples, the theory is informed by two threads. The first thread is the work of alternative media scholars such as Nick Couldry, Chris Atton, and Clemencia Rodriguez, who have done the historical and theoretical work to define alternative media. The second thread is a synthesis of works exploring the technical side of contemporary media, coming from new fields such as software studies. The threads and empirical analyses of sites such as Diaspora, Quitter, and rstat.us are combined into a theoretical matrix that can account for the processes and technical infrastructures that comprise social media alternatives and explain why they are distinct from sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google, as well as why they are important.
Improving Social Measurement by Understanding Interaction in Survey Interviews
Authors: Schober Michael F. , Conrad Frederick G.
Published: October 2015

Many of the official statistics and leading indicators that inform policy decisions are created from aggregating data collected in scientific survey interviews. What happens in the back-and-forth of those interviews—whether a sampled member of the public agrees to participate or not, whether a respondent comprehends questions in the way they were intended or not, whether the interview is spoken or texted—can thus have far-reaching consequences. But the landscape for social measurement is rapidly changing: Participation rates are declining, and people’s daily communication patterns are evolving with new technologies (text messaging, video chatting, social media posting, etc.). New analyses of survey interactions are demonstrating aspects of interviewer speech that can substantially affect survey participation, which is vital if social measurement is to be trustworthy. Findings also suggest that, once a survey interview starts, the risks of misunderstanding and miscommunication are greater than one might expect, potentially jeopardizing the accuracy of survey results; different approaches to interviewing that allow clarification dialogue can improve respondents’ comprehension and thus survey data quality. Analyses of text messaging and voice interviews on smartphones demonstrate the importance of adapting scientific social measurement to new patterns of communication, adding ways for people to contribute their data at a time and in a mode that is convenient for them even when they are mobile or multitasking.
Sonographic Evaluation of Budd-Chiari Syndrome With Intracaval Stent
Authors: King Rochelle
Published: October 2015

Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) with an intracaval stent is a rare presentation. In most Western patients with BCS, it is predominantly the hepatic veins that are involved, not the inferior vena cava (IVC). In the case presented, the patient had antiphospholipid syndrome with BCS that involved the IVC and required an intracaval stent. Presented with the case study are scanning techniques for BCS and the IVC to help sonographers evaluate the normal and abnormal anatomy and hemodynamics of this system.
Editorial: Identification of in vivo markers for human polarized macrophages: a need that’s finally met
Authors: Williams Kenneth C , Kim Woong-Ki
Published: October 2015

Discussion on the identification of M1 and M2 macrophage markers in humans, and their clinical relevance.
The famous case of Alice Cooper – psychiatry in
pictures
Authors: Silvert Mark
Published: October 2015

Alice Cooper, the infamous theatrical rock star, real name Vincent Furnier,
was suffering with depression and life-threatening alcohol addiction at the
height of his success, when he was drinking well over a bottle of whiskey a
day. This comic depicting Alice being committed to hospital was published in
1979 by Marvel Comics to coincide with Alice's album ‘From the Inside’. It
was co-written with Elton John's well-known lyricist Bernie Taupin. It
describes when Alice Cooper voluntarily incarcerated himself into Cornell
Medical Centre in White Plains, New York.
Association between poor oral health and eating disorders:
Systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kisely Steve , Baghaie Hooman , Lalloo Ratilal , Johnson Newell W.
Published: October 2015

Background

There is a well-established link between oral pathology and eating
disorders in the presence of self-induced vomiting. There is less
information concerning this relationship in the absence of self-induced
vomiting, in spite of risk factors such as psychotropic-induced dry
mouth, nutritional deficiency or acidic diet.

Aims

To determine the association between eating disorder and poor oral
health, including any difference between patients with and without
self-induced vomiting.

Method

A systematic search was made of Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE and article
bibliographies. Outcomes were dental erosion, salivary gland function and
the mean number of decayed, missing and filled teeth or surfaces
(DMFT/S).

Results

Ten studies had sufficient data for a random effects meta-analysis
(psychiatric patients n = 556, controls
n = 556). Patients with an eating disorder had five
times the odds of dental erosion compared with controls (95% CI
3.31–7.58); odds were highest in those with self-induced vomiting (odds
ratio (OR) = 7.32). Patients also had significantly higher DMFS scores
(mean difference 3.07, 95% CI 0.66–5.48) and reduced salivary flow (OR =
2.24, 95% CI 1.44–3.51).

Conclusions

These findings highlight the importance of collaboration between dental
and medical practitioners. Dentists may be the first clinicians to
suspect an eating disorder given patients' reluctance to present for
psychiatric treatment, whereas mental health clinicians should be aware
of the oral consequences of inappropriate diet, psychotropic medication
and self-induced vomiting.
Payment by results in forensic mental health
Authors: Gibbons Luke , McCarthy Lucy
Published: October 2015

Forensic mental health services are low-volume, high-cost services. Payment by results (PbR) is the UK s latest attempt to improve efficiency and controls pending behaviours within the secure services. This article discusses the utility of the PbR mechanic in forensic mental health. It explores PbR implementation in non-forensic mental health settings, similar funding processes internationally, and early PbR implementation work in the UK's secure services. Finally, the article discusses the challenges faced when implementing PbR in forensic mental health services and puts forward possible next steps in determining the utility of PbR in forensic mental health.
Meeting report – 9th IRIC International Symposium on Molecular Targets in Cancer Genomics
Authors: Laumont Céline M. , Haberl David , Ghugari Rahul , Tsao Sarah
Published: October 2015

Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) organized the 9th IRIC International Symposium on 14–15 May, 2015. The symposium was held at the IRIC, an ultra-modern research hub and training center located on the hilltop of the Université de Montréal campus in Montreal, Canada. This year's title was ‘Molecular Targets in Cancer Genomics', reflecting the common interest of the IRIC student community. Through four broadly themed sessions, organizers sought to highlight the new generation of anti-cancer strategies including targeted therapies directed against actionable cancer-specific mutations, and immunotherapies, which enhance immune responses against cancer. Both targeted and immunotherapies are tailored to cancer-specific features, and require precise knowledge of cancer cells, from their genome to their proteome. The focus of this symposium was on translating the molecular basis of cancer into a functional understanding of aberrant pathways, and to uncover novel targets to be exploited for cancer therapeutic strategies.
Leishmania carbon metabolism in the macrophage phagolysosome- feast or famine?
Authors: McConville Malcolm J. , Saunders Eleanor C. , Kloehn Joachim , Dagley Michael J.
Published: October 2015

A number of medically important microbial pathogens target and proliferate within macrophages and other phagocytic cells in their mammalian hosts. While the majority of these pathogens replicate within the host cell cytosol or non-hydrolytic vacuolar compartments, a few, including protists belonging to the genus Leishmania, proliferate long-term within mature lysosome compartments.  How these parasites achieve this feat remains poorly defined. In this review, we highlight recent studies that suggest that Leishmania virulence is intimately linked to programmed changes in the growth rate and carbon metabolism of the obligate intra-macrophage stages. We propose that activation of a slow growth and a stringent metabolic response confers resistance to multiple stresses (oxidative, temperature, pH), as well as both nutrient limitation and nutrient excess within this niche. These studies highlight the importance of metabolic processes as key virulence determinants in Leishmania.
Defining the role of intramedullary nailing for fractures of the distal radius
Authors: Jordan R. W. , Saithna A.
Published: October 2015

This article is a systematic review of the published literature about the biomechanics, functional outcome and complications of intramedullary nailing of fractures of the distal radius.

We searched the Medline and EMBASE databases and included all studies which reported the outcome of intramedullary (IM) nailing of fractures of the distal radius. Data about functional outcome, range of movement (ROM), strength and complications, were extracted. The studies included were appraised independently by both authors using a validated quality assessment scale for non-controlled studies and the CONSORT statement for randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

The search strategy revealed 785 studies, of which 16 were included for full paper review. These included three biomechanical studies, eight case series and five randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

The biomechanical studies concluded that IM nails were at least as strong as locking plates. The clinical studies reported that IM nailing gave a comparable ROM, functional outcome and grip strength to other fixation techniques.

However, the mean complication rate of intramedullary nailing was 17.6% (0% to 50%). This is higher than the rates reported in contemporary studies for volar plating. It raises concerns about the role of intramedullary nailing, particularly when comparative studies have failed to show that it has any major advantage over other techniques. Further adequately powered RCTs comparing the technique to both volar plating and percutaneous wire fixation are needed.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1370–6.
Neurolysis for the treatment of sciatic nerve palsy associated with total hip arthroplasty
Authors: Regev G. J. , Drexler M. , Sever R. , Dwyer T. , Khashan M. , Lidar Z. , Salame K. , Rochkind S.
Published: October 2015

Sciatic nerve palsy following total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a relatively rare yet potentially devastating complication. The purpose of this case series was to report the results of patients with a sciatic nerve palsy who presented between 2000 and 2010, following primary and revision THA and were treated with neurolysis. A retrospective review was made of 12 patients (eight women and four men), with sciatic nerve palsy following THA. The mean age of the patients was 62.7 years (50 to 72; standard deviation 6.9). They underwent interfascicular neurolysis for sciatic nerve palsy, after failing a trial of non-operative treatment for a minimum of six months. Following surgery, a statistically and clinically significant improvement in motor function was seen in all patients. The mean peroneal nerve score function improved from 0.42 (0 to 3) to 3 (1 to 5) (p < 0.001). The mean tibial nerve motor function score improved from 1.75 (1 to 4) to 3.92 (3 to 5) (p = 0.02).The mean improvement in sensory function was a clinically negligible 1 out of 5 in all patients. In total, 11 patients reported improvement in their pain following surgery.

We conclude that neurolysis of the sciatic nerve has a favourable prognosis in patients with a sciatic nerve palsy following THA. Our findings suggest that surgery should not be delayed for > 12 months following injury.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1345–9
Changes in cardiac function after pedicle subtraction osteotomy in patients with a kyphosis due to ankylosing spondylitis
Authors: Fu J. , Song K. , Zhang Y. G. , Zheng G. Q. , Zhang G. Y. , Liu C. , Wang Y.
Published: October 2015

Cardiac disease in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has previously been studied but not in patients with a kyphosis or in those who have undergone an operation to correct it.

The aim of this study was to measure the post-operative changes in cardiac function of patients with an AS kyphosis after pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO).

The original cohort consisted of 39 patients (33 men, six women). Of these, four patients (two men, two women) were lost to follow-up leaving 35 patients (31 men, four women) to study. The mean age of the remaining patients was 37.4 years (22.3 to 47.8) and their mean duration of AS was 17.0 years (4.6 to 26.4). Echocardiographic measurements, resting heart rate (RHR), physical function score (PFS), and full-length standing spinal radiographs were obtained before surgery and at the two-year follow-up.

The mean pre-operative RHR was 80.2 bpm (60.6 to 112.3) which dropped to a mean of 73.7 bpm (60.7 to 90.6) at the two-year follow-up (p = 0.0000). Of 15 patients with normal ventricular function pre-operatively, two developed mild left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) at the two-year follow-up. Of 20 patients with mild LVDD pre-operatively only five had this post-operatively. Overall, 15 patients had normal LV diastolic function before their operation and 28 patients had normal LV function at the two-year follow-up.

The clinical improvement was 15 out of 20 (75.0%): cardiac function in patients with AS whose kyphosis was treated by PSO was significantly improved.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1405–10.
Long-term results of compartmental arthroplasties of the knee
Authors: Parratte S. , Ollivier M. , Lunebourg A. , Abdel M. P. , Argenson J-N.
Published: October 2015

Partial knee arthroplasty (PKA), either medial or lateral unicompartmental knee artroplasty (UKA) or patellofemoral arthroplasty (PFA) are a good option in suitable patients and have the advantages of reduced operative trauma, preservation of both cruciate ligaments and bone stock, and restoration of normal kinematics within the knee joint. However, questions remain concerning long-term survival. The goal of this review article was to present the long-term results of medial and lateral UKA, PFA and combined compartmental arthroplasty for multicompartmental disease. Medium- and long-term studies suggest reasonable outcomes at ten years with survival greater than 95% in UKA performed for medial osteoarthritis or osteonecrosis, and similarly for lateral UKA, particularly when fixed-bearing implants are used. Disappointing long-term outcomes have been observed with the first generation of patellofemoral implants, as well as early Bi-Uni (ie, combined medial and lateral UKA) or Bicompartmental (combined UKA and PFA) implants due to design and fixation issues. Promising short- and med-term results with the newer generations of PFAs and bicompartmental arthroplasties will require long-term confirmation.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B(10 Suppl A):9–15.
Prophylactic antibiotic regimens in tumour surgery (PARITY)
Authors:   The PARITY Investigators
Published: October 2015

Objective

Clinical studies of patients with bone sarcomas have been challenged by insufficient numbers at individual centres to draw valid conclusions. Our objective was to assess the feasibility of conducting a definitive multi-centre randomised controlled trial (RCT) to determine whether a five-day regimen of post-operative antibiotics, in comparison to a 24-hour regimen, decreases surgical site infections in patients undergoing endoprosthetic reconstruction for lower extremity primary bone tumours.

Methods

We performed a pilot international multi-centre RCT. We used central randomisation to conceal treatment allocation and sham antibiotics to blind participants, surgeons, and data collectors. We determined feasibility by measuring patient enrolment, completeness of follow-up, and protocol deviations for the antibiotic regimens.

Results

We screened 96 patients and enrolled 60 participants (44 men and 16 women) across 21 sites from four countries over 24 months (mean 2.13 participants per site per year, standard deviation 2.14). One participant was lost to follow-up and one withdrew consent. Complete data were obtained for 98% of eligible patients at two weeks, 83% at six months, and 73% at one year (the remainder with partial data or pending queries). In total, 18 participants missed at least one dose of antibiotics or placebo post-operatively, but 93% of all post-operative doses were administered per protocol.

Conclusions

It is feasible to conduct a definitive multi-centre RCT of post-operative antibiotic regimens in patients with bone sarcomas, but further expansion of our collaborative network will be critical. We have demonstrated an ability to coordinate in multiple countries, enrol participants, maintain protocol adherence, and minimise losses to follow-up. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res;4:154–162
Surface and Interface Properties of Lauroyl Sarcosinate-Adsorbed CP+-Montmorillonite
Authors: Yapar Saadet , Özdemir Günselı , Fernández Solarte Alejandra M. , Torres Sánchez Rosa M.
Published: October 2015

Catanionic surfactant systems are used as drug-delivery vehicles and as nanocompartments in the formation of biomaterials and nanosized particles. Clay minerals are compatible with organic tissues and also have biomedical applications. The aim of the present study was to combine the properties of catanionic surfactants and clay minerals to obtain new materials with potential uses in medicine, waste-water treatment, and antibacterial applications. The surfactants chosen to make the catanionic surfactant were cetylpyridinium (CP) and lauroyl sarcosinate (SR), which interact strongly in aqueous media and cause specific aggregations such as ion-pair amphiphiles and needle- and leaf-like structures. Aside from the aqueous solution, new ternary systems are formed with different structures and properties through the addition of montmorillonite (Mnt). The surface and interlayer structures of the different Mnt-CP-SR samples prepared by using CP and SR in amounts equal to various ratios of cationic exchange capacity of the clay mineral were studied. They were also compared with the structured surfactant aggregates formed in aqueous media. The Mnt-CP-SR samples were subjected to X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analyses, and zeta-potential measurements to elucidate the interlayer- and external-surface structures. The XRD analyses showed the formation of a compact structure in the interlayer region resulting from the interaction between randomly oriented pyridinium and negatively charged SR head groups. The triple interactions among the Mnt surface, CP, and SR were more complex than the double interactions between the Mnt and cationic surfactant, and the CP played a dominant role in the formation of external and interlayer surface structures regardless of the amount and order of the addition of SR. The new findings support new applications for organoclays in the fields of biomedicine, remediation of polluted water, and nanocomposite materials.
The meaning of centrality and margin in Lisbon’s Rossio: Spatializing urban processes before and after the 1755 earthquake1
Authors: Malet Calvo Daniel
Published: October 2015

Praça do Rossio has been the most emblematic space in central Lisbon both before and after the 1755 earthquake that destroyed much of the city. Up until the thirteenth century Rossio was a barren area outside the walls of the medieval city and was used as a common space where people held ceremonies for 500 years. The Rossio also connected inland rural area with the city within the walls, acting as a bridge between those two worlds. For this reason Rossio has always been a space for all kind of vendors, outsiders, beggars and social rejects, while also a route into the city for agrarian culture, rituals and people. Despite the attempts by the city’s masters and the Crown to seize the space for the construction of their institutions, it was not until the 1755 earthquake that this finally happened. The reconstruction of Lisbon under the gaze of the enlightened rationalist Marquis of Pombal represented the beginning of a new era for the city: giving birth to the modern bourgeois city, in which the historical organization of space was reshaped, the Rossio’s traditional functions displaced and the meaning and contents of the hegemonic city representations and imaginaries such as fado music and the annual People’s Saints (Santos Populares) celebrations renewed. In this article, the centrality of Rossio is reviewed, with a stress on the displacement of some of its attributes to the districts after the earthquake by the romantic heritage processes of meaning. However, the Rossio maintained some of its traditional functions, with the daily presence there of African migrants as an example.
Agressive central giant cell granuloma of the mandible: case report
Authors: Durão Ana Reis , Koch José Teixeira , Miranda Marcelo , Aline Aline Morosolli
Published: October 2015

Central giant cell granulomas (CGCG) are benign intraosseous proliferative lesions. Usually located are at the anterior region of the maxilla or mandible, although are more frequently found in the mandible. Etiopathogenesis of these lesions has remained unknown, however, some consider them as reparative response rather than neoplastic condition. Clinically CGCG present as asymptomatic, with expansive swelling causing deviation or proliferation of cortical bone. This condition is usually unifocal. Surgical removal is often the preferred treatment. Although nonsurgical treatment methods, such as intralesional corticosteroid injections, systemic calcitonin and interferon have been reported. This article describes the radiographic features of a large CGCG in the anterior mandibular region seen in a 9 year-old patient. Treatment of this lesion included resection of the anterior region of the mandible and replacement by tibia with bone growth factors. Keywords: Central giant cell granuloma; reparative granulomas; mandible; jaws.
AVALIAÇÃO DOS PARÂMETROS FÍSICO-QUÍMICOS E ANÁLISE POR COMPONENTES PRINCIPAIS DE MÉIS SILVESTRES PRODUZIDOS E COMERCIALIZADOS NO ESTADO DO RIO DE JANEIRO, BRASIL
Authors: Lirio Fábio Cerdeira , Bello Mariana dos Santos , Moura Mirian Ribeiro Leite , De Carvalho Lúcia Maria Jaeger , Gregorio Sandra Regina
Published: October 2015

O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar os parâmetros físico-químicos de méis silvestres comercializados no Rio de Janeiro. Foram analisadas 24 amostras, no período entre 2007 e 2008. A análise por componentes principais foi executada para aprimorar os resultados obtidos na caracterização físico-química dos méis silvestres. Os resultados da avaliação físicoquímica mostraram que 12 amostras (50 %) estavam em conformidade com a legislação vigente, 10 amostras (42 %) foram reprovadas em um parâmetro físico-químico e 2 amostras (8 %) foram reprovadas em 2 ou mais parâmetros de qualidade. A análise por componentes principais revelou que três componentes principais apresentaram 84,8 % da variância total dos dados. Além disso, 75 % dos parâmetros físico-químicos foram adequadamente apresentados pelos três componentes principais. Contudo, não foi possível observar o agrupamento eficiente das amostras, por regionalização ou prazo de validade, devido ao comportamento heterogêneo dos parâmetros físico-químicos dos méis silvestres. Portanto, a análise de componentes principais não permitiu a classificação dos méis silvestres. Além disso, a análise físico-química mostrou que as medidas de controle da qualidade devem ser aprimoradas com o objetivo de garantir a qualidade dos méis silvestres produzidos e comercializados no Rio de Janeiro.
INVESTIGAÇÃO DA SUSPEITA DE DESVIO DE QUALIDADE EM UMA SOLUÇÃO INJETÁVEL DE CITRATO DE FENTANILA
Authors: Lombardo Márcia , Eserian Jaqueline Kalleian
Published: October 2015

A fentanila é um fármaco analgésico de uso hospitalar indicado principalmente como componente da anestesia. Devido a uma queixa técnica de um hospital de São Paulo apontando a ineficácia terapêutica de uma solução injetável de citrato de fentanila após o uso na anestesia, amostras do produto foram coletadas pela Vigilância Sanitária para análise. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar ensaios físico-químicos nas amostras, com prioridade para identificação e teor do fármaco, utilizando um cromatógrafo líquido de alta eficiência equipado com detector de arranjo de diodos. Os dois lotes analisados apresentaram identificação positiva para citrato de fentanila e 97,30% do teor declarado do fármaco; resultados satisfatórios em relação ao especificado pelo fabricante do produto. Assim, foi possível excluir desvios no teor do fármaco como a causa da ineficácia terapêutica, indicando a necessidade de investigações complementares e levantando maiores discussões sobre o caso.
An agent-oriented hierarchic strategy for solving inverse problems
Authors: Smołka Maciej , Schaefer Robert , Paszyński Maciej , Pardo David , Álvarez-Aramberri Julen
Published: October 2015

The paper discusses the complex, agent-oriented hierarchic memetic strategy (HMS) dedicated to solving inverse parametric problems. The strategy goes beyond the idea of two-phase global optimization algorithms. The global search performed by a tree of dependent demes is dynamically alternated with local, steepest descent searches. The strategy offers exceptionally low computational costs, mainly because the direct solver accuracy (performed by the hp-adaptive finite element method) is dynamically adjusted for each inverse search step. The computational cost is further decreased by the strategy employed for solution inter-processing and fitness deterioration. The HMS efficiency is compared with the results of a standard evolutionary technique, as well as with the multi-start strategy on benchmarks that exhibit typical inverse problems’ difficulties. Finally, an HMS application to a real-life engineering problem leading to the identification of oil deposits by inverting magnetotelluric measurements is presented. The HMS applicability to the inversion of magnetotelluric data is also mathematically verified.
On the order equivalence relation of binary association measures
Authors: Paradowski Mariusz
Published: October 2015

Over a century of research has resulted in a set of more than a hundred binary association measures. Many of them share similar properties. An overview of binary association measures is presented, focused on their order equivalences. Association measures are grouped according to their relations. Transformations between these measures are shown, both formally and visually. A generalization coefficient is proposed, based on joint probability and marginal probabilities. Combining association measures is one of recent trends in computer science. Measures are combined in linear and nonlinear discrimination models, automated feature selection or construction. Knowledge about their relations is particularly important to avoid problems of meaningless results, zeroed generalized variances, the curse of dimensionality, or simply to save time
The Impact of Maternity Leave Laws on Cesarean Delivery
Authors: Stoddard Christiana , Stock Wendy A. , Hogenson Elise
Published: October 2015

Through their influence on insurance and relative leave length, maternity leave laws can alter the incentives to choose cesarean delivery. We use a difference-in-difference approach to estimate the impact of state-level maternity leave laws on cesarean delivery. Empirical results suggest that maternity leave laws guaranteeing relatively short leaves are associated with reduced probability of cesarean delivery. Laws that guarantee continued insurance coverage during the leave are associated with an increase in the probability of cesarean delivery among insured women.
The World Bank and Child Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Coburn Carolyn , Restivo Michael , Shandra John M.
Published: October 2015

We examine the impact of World Bank structural adjustment and health lending on child mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa from 1990 to 2005. We use two-way fixed effects regression models to analyze data for a sample of thirty-one Sub-Saharan African nations. We find that when a Sub-Saharan African nation receives a World Bank structural adjustment loan then it tends to have higher levels of child mortality than when it does not receive such a loan. Conversely, we find that when a Sub-Saharan African nations receives a World Bank investment loan in the health sector then it tends to have lower levels of child mortality than it if does not receive an investment health loan. We conclude by talking about the theoretical implications, methodological implications, policy suggestions, limitations of the study, and possible avenues for future research.
An efficiency defence for mergers: Putting an intricate puzzle together
Authors: Drauz Götz
Published: October 2015

The EU merger control system is currently undergoing a reform. Alongside proposed changes to the EC Merger Regulation, the European Commission adopted draft guidelines for the appraisal of horizontal mergers. One important issue of the guidelines is the treatment of efficiencies within the appraisal of mergers. The purpose of this article is to analyse some of the key issues.
EU Merger Control at a Turning Point- the Court of First Instance's “Schneider” and “Tetra” judgments
Authors: Wessely Thomas W.
Published: October 2015

“Antitrust is a hungry policy, always seeking new terrain to conquer as soon as it has won its victories and imposed rigid rules in older areas” (Bark, The Antitrust Paradox, 249 (1978)). The Airtours/First Choice, Schneider/Legrand and Tetra Laval/Side! mergers had all fallen prey to that hungry policy. In each of the cases, an increasingly expansive merger control enforcement had ventured on new ground. In June and October 2002, the Court annulled all three prohibition decisions. The Court's judgments mark a clear turning point in EU merger control.
Pediatric Post–Acute Hospital Care: Striving for Identity and Value
Authors: O’Brien Jane E. , Berry Jay , Dumas Helene
Published: October 2015

The landscape of hospital care for children is changing. Hospital clinicians are challenged to provide high-quality care to 2 increasingly complex groups of children: (1) healthy children admitted for high-severity acute illnesses or injury and (2) children admitted with lifelong, and often disabling, chronic conditions. Hospitalizations for both of these groups are becoming more prevalent, lengthy, and costly. In many situations, these children need weeks, or sometimes months, to recover from their illness or injury, with a sustained intensity of daily caregiving needs throughout their recovery period. Pediatric post–acute hospital care is a little-known and underused option in pediatric health care that could substantially help these children stabilize in a less restrictive and less costly environment than acute care hospitals can provide. In this commentary, we (1) propose the need and place for pediatric post–acute care hospitals along the continuum of care, (2) discuss the characteristics of children currently cared for in pediatric post–acute care hospitals, (3) suggest research opportunities and challenges, and (4) present issues related to the cost and value of pediatric post–acute care hospitals.
Aplinkosauginių mokesčių įtaka aplinkos taršai ir gamtos išteklių naudojimui
Authors: Saveikytė Gabija , Butvilaitė Aušra , Butkuvienė Vaida , Leibus Inguna
Published: October 2015

Aplinkosauginiai mokesčiai įvardijami kaip viena efektyviausių priemonių aplinkos apsaugos būklei gerinti ir racionaliam išteklių vartojimui. Tačiau nėra ištirta, kokie aplinkosauginiai mokesčiai ir kaip prisideda prie aplinkos taršos mažinimo ir racionalių išteklių panaudojimo skatinimo. Svarbu įvertinti aplinkosauginių mokesčių reikšmę taršai ir gamtos išteklių panaudojimui, pateikti šių mokesčių įtakos aplinkos taršos mažinimui ir gamtos išteklių racionaliam naudojimui didinimo galimybes. Atlikus aplinkosauginių mokesčių pajamų ir išlaidų ES šalyse analizę, paremtą išteklių vartojimui gerinti skiriamomis lėšomis, įvertinta šių mokesčių įtaka aplinkos taršos mažėjimui ir racionaliam išteklių vartojimui bei pasiūlytos šių mokesčių įtakos didinimo galimybės.
Defining Borders of Vitrification Region in the Li2O⋅B2O3-B2O3-Yb2O3⋅B2O3 System
Authors: Asadov MirSalim M. , Mammadov Asif N. , Tagiev Dilgam B. , Akhmedova Naile A.
Published: October 2015

Phase relations along the Li2O⋅2B2O3-Yb2O3⋅B2O3 polythermal section of the Li2O –B2O3–Yb2O3 system were investigated by differential thermal analysis, x-ray diffraction, and microstructural analysis. The state phase diagram of the Li2O⋅2B2O3-Yb2O3⋅B2O3 section is an eutectic system with invariant eutectic point corresponding to ∼0.2 mole fraction of Yb2O3⋅B2O3 and 800 °C. According to physico-chemical analysis, the Li2O⋅2B2O3-Yb2O3⋅B2O3 polythermal section is quasi-binary, allowing us to partially triangulate the Li2O-B2O3-Yb2O3 system. The borders of the glass formation region were defined in the Li2O⋅2B2O3-B2O3-Yb2O3⋅B2O3 concentration triangle. The vitreous samples showed a semiconducting nature.
Priming with Religion and Supernatural Agency Enhances the Perception of Intentionality in Natural Phenomena
Authors: Nieuwboer Wieteke , Van Schie Hein T. , Wigboldus Daniël
Published: October 2015

Cognitive theories of religion suggest that belief in supernatural agents finds a basis in the human tendency to (over) detect agency in the environment. The present research investigated whether activation of religious concepts enhances the attribution of agency in natural phenomena. In two experiments we administered a religion prime (a religion questionnaire in Experiment 1; a subliminal God prime in Experiment 2) and measured the amount of intentionality and free will that participants ascribed to images of natural phenomena and agents. In both experiments participants ascribed more agency to natural phenomena if they had been presented with a religion prime. Item analyses for both experiments furthermore revealed that the effect of religious priming was most pronounced for items of natural phenomena that were perceived as beyond personal control. These findings provide empirical support for the hypothesized relation between religion and agency detection.
Language use and self-identification: The case of Lithuanian Poles
Authors: Geben Kinga , Ramonienė Meilutė
Published: October 2015

Based on newly collected quantitative and qualitative data from two research projects on language use and attitudes carried out in Lithuanian cities and towns, this paper aims to report and contrast current identity tendencies and their links with the linguistic behaviour of Lithuanian Poles permanently residing in the capital Vilnius and in smaller towns. The study reported here involves a description of the Polish community and review of its background, analysis of the sociolinguistic peculiarities of Polish and identification of areas in which it is used, an evaluation of the role of Polish in the identity of its users as well as changes in the process of identity formation. The data covered in the article consist of 281 responses from Lithuanian Poles in the two research projects. The quantitative data were supplemented with the findings from qualitative research, so this article analyses 14 interviews, or nearly six hours of recorded data. The study shows that different urban contexts are characterised by varying linguistic behaviour. The interview material reveals the importance of the interrelationship between ethnicity and citizenship as well as between identity and the place of residence.
APRENDIZAGEM BASEADA EM PROBLEMAS (ABP): UM MÉTODO DE APRENDIZAGEM INOVADOR PARA O ENSINO EDUCATIVO
Authors: Souza Samir Cristino de , Dourado Luis
Published: October 2015

A prática de ensino, ainda hoje, não diferente do que ocorreu durante muito tempo, consiste, essencialmente, no modelo de aula em que o professor transmite um conteúdo com breve momento de discussão e atividades as quais o aluno, após memorizar as informações, tem de responder. Algumas estratégias metodológicas de ensino diferenciadas vêm sendo desenvolvidas por professores, que acreditam ser possível promover mudanças em suas práticas pedagógicas, tendo em vista uma aprendizagem significativa. A Aprendizagem Baseada em Problemas (ABP) surge como uma dessas estratégias de método inovadoras em que os estudantes trabalham com o objetivo de solucionar um problema real ou simulado a partir de um contexto. Trata-se, portanto, de um método de aprendizagem centrado no aluno, que deixa o papel de receptor passivo do conhecimento e assume o lugar de protagonista de seu próprio aprendizado por meio da pesquisa. Este artigo constitui-se em uma revisão da literatura básica sobre a Aprendizagem Baseada em Problemas. O objetivo é apresentar a ABP como um método de aprendizagem significativo e eficaz, que pode ser utilizado nos diversos níveis de ensino e nas mais diferentes disciplinas. Por meio de uma investigação do estado da arte sobre a ABP, buscamos refletir acerca da sua importância como método de aprendizagem. A ABP tem apresentado resultados positivos, observados por pesquisadores das mais diferentes áreas, os quais a utilizaram como método de aprendizagem, seja em cursos universitários, seja na educação básica. Espera-se, com este artigo, possibilitar a reflexão sobre novas estratégias de aprendizagem para um ensino educativo.
The Conditional Dependence Structure between Precious Metals: A Copula-GARCH Approach
Authors: Wanat Stanisław , Papież Monika , Śmiech Sławomir
Published: October 2015

The aim of the paper is to analyse the conditional dependence structure between precious metal returns using a copula-DCC-GARCH approach. Conditional correlation matrices are used to identify the states of the precious metals market by assuming that a given state of the market corresponds to a typical pattern of the conditional dependence structure. Cluster analysis allows for pointing at transition points between the market states, that is the points of drastic change in the conditional dependence structure. The application of the methodology described above to the period between 1997 and 2013 indicates three market states of four major precious metals (gold, silver, platinum and palladium). The results obtained reveal a sudden increase in dependencies between precious metals at the turn of April and May 2004.
Wybrane aspekty społeczno-ekonomicznych skutków uzależnienia od hazardu
Authors: Mielecka-Kubień Zofia , Biolik Józef , Warzecha Katarzyna , Wójcik Andrzej
Published: October 2015

The purpose of the study was to estimate the consequences of gambling addiction on the basis of a survey conducted among the patients of gambling addiction treatment centres. The survey was conducted from March through September 2013. The results of the research indicate that in Poland, like in other countries, gambling addiction causes many negative health, social and economic consequences for both addicts and their families, and the financial as well as non-financial consequences caused by gambling addiction are significant.
The Application of a Rolling Causality Test for Analysing Dependencies between the Prices of Corn, Crude Oil and Ethanol
Authors: Papież Monika
Published: October 2015

The objective of the paper is to analyse causality between the prices of corn, crude oil and ethanol. The analysis conducted for the paper is a dynamic one, and the data used consist of weekly futures prices of crude oil, corn, and ethanol from January 5, 2007 till April 11, 2014. The assessment of causal links between the prices of corn, crude oil and ethanol is carried out with the use of rolling regression applied to the augmented-VAR framework proposed by Toda and Yamamoto in 1995. The application of the rolling regression procedures in the modified Wald (MWALD) causality test allows for the investigation of the persistence of stability in causal relations between the prices analysed. The results obtained indicate that the linkages between energy prices and agricultural commodity prices changed in the period analysed. The results of Granger causality tests reveal that in the analysed period the price of corn influences the price of energy (crude oil and ethanol). Also, crude oil prices influence corn prices and ethanol prices. However, ethanol prices were not observed to influence crude oil prices or corn prices.