bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pharmacological Treatment of Pain in Cancer Patients: The Role of Adjuvant Analgesics, a Systematic Review
Authors: van den Beuken‐van Everdingen Marieke H.J. , de Graeff Alexander , Jongen Joost L.M. , Dijkstra Denise , Mostovaya Irina , Vissers Kris C. ,   the national guideline working group “Diagnosis treatment of cancer pain”
Published: May 2016

Context

In patients with cancer, pain is one of the most feared and burdensome symptoms. Adjuvant analgesics are an important cornerstone on which treatment of pain in patients with cancer is based.

Objectives

To update our guidelines for the treatment of pain in patients with cancer, we performed a systematic review on the use of adjuvant analgesics in pain in cancer.

Methods

A systematic search of the literature was performed searching for articles that studied the effect of (1) antidepressants, (2) anti‐epileptics, (3) N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, and (4) other adjuvant analgesics in patients with cancer pain and described their effects on pain intensity and/or side effects.

Results

Based on the keywords and after reading the full papers, we could include 12 papers on anticonvulsants, 10 papers on antidepressants, four on NMDA receptor antagonists, and 10 papers on other adjuvant analgesics. The methodological quality of the included papers was graded as low to very low. Overall, there was a low quality of evidence that gabapentin, pregabalin, amitriptyline, and venlafaxine were effective in reducing pain intensity in patients with cancer pain. There was insufficient evidence on the effectiveness of lamotrigine, levetiracetam, NMDA antagonists, cannabinoids, corticosteroids, and local anesthetics on reducing pain intensity in patients with cancer pain.

Conclusion

The quality of currently available evidence on the effectiveness of adjuvant analgesics in the treatment of cancer pain is low. The treatment of pain associated with cancer should be tailored to the patient's personal preferences.
Topological nature of nonlinear optical effects in solids
Authors: Morimoto Takahiro , Nagaosa Naoto
Published: May 2016

Study of nonlinear optical responses reveals their quantum topological nature.
Diabetes hinders community-acquired pneumonia outcomes in hospitalized patients
Authors: Martins M , Boavida J M , Raposo J F , Froes F , Nunes B , Ribeiro R T , Macedo M P , Penha-Gonçalves C
Published: May 2016

Objectives

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and its impact on hospital length of stay and in-hospital mortality.

Research design and methods

We carried out a retrospective, nationwide register analysis of CAP in adult patients admitted to Portuguese hospitals between 2009 and 2012. Anonymous data from 157 291 adult patients with CAP were extracted from the National Hospital Discharge Database and we performed a DM-conditioned analysis stratified by age, sex and year of hospitalization.

Results

The 74 175 CAP episodes that matched the inclusion criteria showed a high burden of DM that tended to increase over time, from 23.7% in 2009 to 28.1% in 2012. Interestingly, patients with CAP had high DM prevalence in the context of the national DM prevalence. Episodes of CAP in patients with DM had on average 0.8 days longer hospital stay as compared to patients without DM (p<0.0001), totaling a surplus of 15 370 days of stay attributable to DM in 19 212 admissions. In-hospital mortality was also significantly higher in patients with CAP who have DM (15.2%) versus those who have DM (13.5%) (p=0.002).

Conclusions

Our analysis revealed that DM prevalence was significantly increased within CAP hospital admissions, reinforcing other studies’ findings that suggest that DM is a risk factor for CAP. Since patients with CAP who have DM have longer hospitalization time and higher mortality rates, these results hold informative value for patient guidance and healthcare strategies.
Epidemiology, health systems and stakeholders in rheumatic heart disease in Africa: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Moloi Annesinah Hlengiwe , Watkins David , Engel Mark E , Mall Sumaya , Zühlke Liesl
Published: May 2016

Introduction

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a chronic disease affecting the heart valves, secondary to group A streptococcal infection (GAS) and subsequent acute rheumatic fever (ARF). However, RHD cure and preventative measures are inextricably linked with socioeconomic development, as the disease mainly affects children and young adults living in poverty. In order to address RHD, public health officials and health policymakers require up-to-date knowledge on the epidemiology of GAS, ARF and RHD, as well as the existing enablers and gaps in delivery of evidence-based care for these conditions. We propose to conduct a systematic review to assess the literature comprehensively, synthesising all existing quantitative and qualitative data relating to RHD in Africa.

Methods and analysis

We plan to conduct a comprehensive literature search using a number of databases and reference lists of relevant articles published from January 1995 to December 2015. Two evaluators will independently review and extract data from each article. Additionally, we will assess overall study quality and risk of bias, using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme criteria for quantitative and qualitative studies, respectively. We will meta-analyse estimates of prevalence, incidence, case fatality and mortality for each of the conditions separately for each country. Qualitative meta-analysis will be conducted for facilitators and barriers in RHD health access. Lastly, we will create a list of key stakeholders. This protocol is registered in the PROSPERO International Prospective Register of systematic reviews, registration number CRD42016032852.

Ethics and dissemination

The information provided by this review will inform and assist relevant stakeholders in identifying key areas of intervention, and designing and implementing evidence-based programmes and policies at the local and regional level. With slight modifications (ie, to the country terms in the search strategy), this protocol can be used as part of a needs assessment in any endemic country.
Regional scale-up of an Emergency Triage Assessment and Treatment (ETAT) training programme from a referral hospital to primary care health centres in Guatemala
Authors: Kapoor Rupa , Sandoval Maria Antonieta , Avendaño Leslie , Cruz Andrea T , Soto Miguel A , Camp Elizabeth A , Crouse Heather L
Published: May 2016

Objective

Emergency Triage Assessment and Treatment (ETAT) was developed by the WHO to teach paediatric assessment, triage and initial management to healthcare workers (HCWs) in resource-limited hospital-based settings. This study sought to evaluate the extension of ETAT training from a regional hospital to paediatric HCWs at local primary care health centres (PHCs) in Guatemala.

Methods

Prior to providing a 16 h ETAT training module, immediately after, and at 3, 6 and 12 months, we used written pre-tests and post-tests and five-point Likert surveys to evaluate, respectively, clinical knowledge and provider confidence in providing acute care paediatrics; hands-on clinical skills were tested at 3, 6 and 12 months.

Results

Fifty-two HCWs (14 general physicians, 38 nurses) from four regional PHCs participated; 65%, 60% and 46% completed 3-month, 6-month and 12-month follow-ups, respectively. Test scores show significant acquisition of clinical knowledge initially, which was retained over time when tested at 3, 6 and 12 months (46 vs 70, p<0.001). Hands-on clinical skills scores demonstrated retention at 3, 6 and 12 months. Although participants were more confident about acute care paediatrics immediately after training (66 vs 104, p<0.001), this decreased with time, though not to pre-intervention levels.

Conclusions

ETAT trainings were successfully extended to PHCs in a resource-limited setting with significant knowledge acquisition and retention over time and improved HCW confidence with acute care paediatrics. This process could serve as a successful model for in-country and international scale-up of ETAT.
Characterizing phenotypic divergence using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics in four populations of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus; Pisces: Gasterosteidae) in Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Authors: Pistore A.E. , Barry T.N. , Bowles E. , Sharma R. , Vanderzwan S.L. , Rogers S.M. , Jamniczky H.A.
Published: May 2016

The threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L., 1758) is a vertebrate model for the study of the relationship between phenotype and environment in facilitating rapid evolutionary change. Using four populations from a system of lakes in Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska, and microcomputed tomography and three-dimensional geometric morphometrics, we test the hypothesis that stickleback populations inhabiting freshwater environments display cranial phenotypes that are intermediate between the putative ancestral form and the low-plated freshwater populations that demonstrate substantial divergence toward new phenotypic optima. We further test the hypothesis that phenotypic covariance structure is disrupted in the context of such putatively recent adaptive events. We report significant phenotypic differences among all four populations that includes a component of sexual dimorphism. Furthermore, we show evidence of disrupted phenotypic covariance structure among these populations. Taken together, these findings indicate the importance of phenotypic quantification as a key step in elucidating both the ecological processes responsible for rapid adaptive radiations and the role of developmental mechanisms in biasing evolutionary change.
CFT dual of charged AdS black hole in the large dimension limit
Authors: Guo Er-Dong , Li Miao , Sun Jia-Rui
Published: May 2016

We study the dual CFT description of the [Formula: see text]-dimensional Reissner–Nordström-Anti de Sitter (RN-AdS[Formula: see text]) black hole in the large dimension (large [Formula: see text]) limit, both for the extremal and nonextremal cases. The central charge of the dual CFT2 (or chiral CFT1) is calculated for the near-horizon near extremal geometry which possesses an AdS2 structure. Besides, the [Formula: see text]-picture hidden conformal symmetry in the nonextremal background can be naturally obtained by a probe charged scalar field in the large [Formula: see text] limit, without the need to input the usual limits to probe the hidden conformal symmetry. Furthermore, a new dual CFT description of the nonextremal RN-AdS[Formula: see text] black hole is found in the large [Formula: see text] limit and the duality is analyzed by comparing the entropies, the absorption cross-sections and the retarded Green’s functions obtained both from the gravity and the dual CFT sides.
Plasma miR-10a: A Potential Biomarker for Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Luo Liyun , Chen Bairong , Li Songbiao , Wei Xiaoliang , Liu Tianmin , Huang Yin , Lin Xiufang
Published: May 2016

Aims. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD). The objective of this study is to determine plasma levels of miR-10a in CAD and analyze its association with the severity of CAD.Materials and Methods. Plasma miR-10a levels in 60 CAD patients including stable angina pectoris (SAP) (n=29), unstable angina pectoris (UAP) or non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (MI) (NSTEMI) (n=17), or ST elevation MI (STEMI) (n=14) and 20 non-CAD subjects were assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and associations of miR-10a levels with risk factors of CAD and its severity were analyzed.Results. The qRT-PCR results showed that plasma miR-10a levels were decreased in CAD patients, and CAD with high SYNTAX scores or STEMI was significantly associated with lower miR-10a levels.Conclusions. Lower plasma miR-10a levels were negatively associated with the presence as well as severity of CAD, and plasma miR-10a can act as a potential biomarker for estimating the presence and severity of CAD.
Face Spoof Attack Recognition Using Discriminative Image Patches
Authors: Akhtar Zahid , Foresti Gian Luca
Published: May 2016

Face recognition systems are now being used in many applications such as border crossings, banks, and mobile payments. The wide scale deployment of facial recognition systems has attracted intensive attention to the reliability of face biometrics against spoof attacks, where a photo, a video, or a 3D mask of a genuine user’s face can be used to gain illegitimate access to facilities or services. Though several face antispoofing or liveness detection methods (which determine at the time of capture whether a face is live or spoof) have been proposed, the issue is still unsolved due to difficulty in finding discriminative and computationally inexpensive features and methods for spoof attacks. In addition, existing techniques use whole face image or complete video for liveness detection. However, often certain face regions (video frames) are redundant or correspond to the clutter in the image (video), thus leading generally to low performances. Therefore, we propose seven novel methods to find discriminative image patches, which we define as regions that are salient, instrumental, and class-specific. Four well-known classifiers, namely, support vector machine (SVM), Naive-Bayes, Quadratic Discriminant Analysis (QDA), and Ensemble, are then used to distinguish between genuine and spoof faces using a voting based scheme. Experimental analysis on two publicly available databases (Idiap REPLAY-ATTACK and CASIA-FASD) shows promising results compared to existing works.
Late Occurring Medial Migration of a Lag Screw in Gamma Nailing
Authors: van Hoef S. , Fuchs M. C. H. W. , ten Broeke R. H. M.
Published: May 2016

An 81-year-old female was treated for a pertrochanteric multifragmentary fracture of the proximal femur with a third-generation Gamma nail. After 3 months she presented herself again with acute pain and inability to bear weight on the leg. Radiographs showed medial migration of the lag screw. She was treated with a total hip arthroplasty, after which she was successfully discharged. In this case report the possible causes of this late and unusual complication are discussed.
Anatomy of Inferior Mesenteric Artery in Fetuses
Authors: Nuzhat Ayesha
Published: May 2016

Aim. To analyze Inferior Mesenteric Artery in fetuses through its site of origin, length, diameter, and variation of its branches.Method. 100 fetuses were collected from various hospitals in Warangal at Kakatiya Medical College in Andhra Pradesh, India, and were divided into two groups, group I (second-trimester fetuses) and group II (third-trimester fetuses), followed by dissection.Result.(1) Site of Origin. In group I fetuses, origin of Inferior Mesenteric Artery was at third lumbar vertebra in 33 out of 34 fetuses (97.2%). In one fetus it was at first lumbar vertebra, 2.8%. In all group II fetuses, origin of Inferior Mesenteric Artery was at third lumbar vertebra.(2) Length. In group I fetuses it ranged between 18 and 30 mm, average being 24 mm except in one fetus where it was 48 mm. In group II fetuses the length ranged from 30 to 34 mm, average being 32 mm.(3) Diameter. In group I fetuses it ranged from 0.5 to 1 mm, and in group II fetuses it ranged from 1 to 2 mm, average being 1.5 mm.(4) Branches. Out of 34 fetuses of group I, 4 fetuses showed variation. In one fetus left colic artery was arising from abdominal aorta, 2.9%. In 3 fetuses, Inferior Mesenteric Artery was giving a branch to left kidney, 8.8%. Out of 66 fetuses in group II, 64 had normal branching. In one fetus left renal artery was arising from Inferior Mesenteric Artery, 1.5%, and in another fetus one accessory renal artery was arising from Inferior Mesenteric Artery and entering the lower pole of left kidney.Conclusion. Formation, course, and branching pattern of an artery depend on development and origin of organs to attain the actual adult position.
Thyroid Hormones, Autoantibodies, Ultrasonography, and Clinical Parameters for Predicting Thyroid Cancer
Authors: He Lin-zheng , Zeng Tian-shu , Pu Lin , Pan Shi-xiu , Xia Wen-fang , Chen Lu-lu
Published: May 2016

Our objective was to evaluate thyroid nodule malignancy prediction using thyroid function tests, autoantibodies, ultrasonographic imaging, and clinical data. We conducted a retrospective cohort study in 1400 patients with nodular thyroid disease (NTD). The thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration was significantly higher in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) versus benign thyroid nodular disease (BTND) (p=0.004). The receiver operating characteristic curve of TSH showed an AUC of 0.58 (95% CI 0.53–0.62,p=0.001), sensitivity of 74%, and specificity of 57% at a cut-off of 1.59 mIU/L. There was an incremental increase in TSH concentration along with the increasing tumor size (p<0.001). Thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) concentration was associated with an increased risk of malignancy (p=0.029), but this association was lost when the effect of TSH was taken into account (p=0.11). Thyroid ultrasonographic characteristics, including fewer than three nodules, hypoechoic appearance, solid component, poorly defined margin, intranodular or peripheral-intranodular flow, and punctate calcification, can be used to predict the risk of thyroid cancer. In conclusion, our study suggests that preoperative serum TSH concentration, age, and ultrasonographic features can be used to predict the risk of malignancy in patients with NTD.
Exergy and Environmental Impact Assessment between Solar Powered Gas Turbine and Conventional Gas Turbine Power Plant
Authors: Rajaei Ali , Barzegar Avval Hasan , Eslami Elmira
Published: May 2016

Recuperator is a heat exchanger that is used in gas turbine power plants to recover energy from outlet hot gases to heat up the air entering the combustion chamber. Similarly, the combustion chamber inlet air can be heated up to temperatures up to 1000 (°C) by solar power tower (SPT) as a renewable and environmentally benign energy source. In this study, comprehensive comparison between these two systems in terms of energy, exergy, and environmental impacts is carried out. Thermodynamic simulation of both cycles is conducted using a developed program in MATLAB environment. Exergetic performances of both cycles and their emissions are compared and parametric study is carried out. A new parameter (renewable factor) is proposed to evaluate resources quality and measure how green an exergy loss or destruction or a system as a whole is. Nonrenewable exergy destruction and loss are reduced compared to GT with recuperator cycle by 34.89% and 47.41%, respectively. Reductions in CO2,NOx, and CO compared to GT with recuperator cycle by 49.92%, 66.14%, and 39.77%, respectively, are in line with renewable factor value of around 55.7 which proves the ability of the proposed green measure to evaluate and compare the cycles performances.
Repeated Isoflurane Exposures Impair Long-Term Potentiation and Increase Basal GABAergic Activity in the Basolateral Amygdala
Authors: Long II Robert P. , Aroniadou-Anderjaska Vassiliki , Prager Eric M. , Pidoplichko Volodymyr I. , Figueiredo Taiza H. , Braga Maria F. M.
Published: May 2016

After surgery requiring general anesthesia, patients often experience emotional disturbances, but it is unclear if this is due to anesthetic exposure. In the present study, we examined whether isoflurane anesthesia produces long-term pathophysiological alterations in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), a brain region that plays a central role in emotional behavior. Ten-week-old, male rats were administered either a single, 1 h long isoflurane (1.5%) anesthesia or three, 1 h long isoflurane exposures, separated by 48 h. Long-term potentiation (LTP) and spontaneous GABAergic activity in the BLA were studied 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month later. Single isoflurane anesthesia had no significant effect on the magnitude of LTP. In contrast, after repeated isoflurane exposures, LTP was dramatically impaired at both 1 day and 1 week after the last exposure but was restored by 1 month after the exposures. SpontaneousGABAAreceptor-mediated IPSCs were increased at 1 day and 1 week after repeated exposures but had returned to control levels by 1 month after exposure. Thus, repeated exposures to isoflurane cause a long-lasting—but not permanent—impairment of synaptic plasticity in the BLA, which could be due to increased basal GABAergic activity. These pathophysiological alterations may produce emotional disturbances and impaired fear-related learning.
Dual-Level Game-Based Energy Efficiency and Fairness for Green Cellular Networks
Authors: Kim Sungwook
Published: May 2016

In the recent decades, cellular networks have revolutionized the way of next generation communication networks. However, due to the global climate change, reducing the energy consumption of cellular infrastructures is an important and urgent problem. In this study, we propose a novel two-level cooperative game framework for improving the energy efficiency and fairness in cellular networks. For the energy efficiency, base stations (BSs) constantly monitor the current traffic load and cooperate with each other to maximize the energy saving. For the energy fairness, renewable energy can be shared dynamically while ensuring the fairness among BSs. To achieve an excellent cellular network performance, the concepts of theRaiffa Bargaining SolutionandJain’s fairnessare extended and practically applied to our dual-level cooperative game model. Through system level simulations, the proposed scheme is evaluated and compared with other existing schemes. The simulation results show that our two-level game approach outperforms the existing schemes in providing a better fair-efficient system performance.
Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Inflammasome Signaling after Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Geng Fengyang , Ma Yinghua , Xing Tao , Zhuang Xianbo , Zhu Jianxin , Yao Lusu
Published: May 2016

Objective: Neuroinflammation plays an important role in secondary tissue damage after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Recently, the inflammasome-mediated inflammatory pathway has been observed in the inflammatory response of TBI. In this study, we investigated the influence of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on inflammasome activation after TBI. Methods: The experimental mice were randomly divided into 4 groups as follows: sham-operated normobaric air (21% O2 at one absolute atmosphere), HBOT only, TBI + normobaric air and TBI + HBOT. Following the evaluation of motor deficits and brain edema, the expression of inflammasome components and effectors was measured by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Moreover, alterations in IL-1β, IL-18 and high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) were calculated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at each time point after injury. Results: HBOT improved motor score and reduced brain edema. Furthermore, it suppressed protein expression of inflammasome components and reduced the levels of IL-1β and IL-18, accompanied by the reduction of HMGB1 in brain tissues and serum. Conclusion: These results suggest that HBOT may alleviate the inflammatory response after TBI by inhibiting the activation of inflammasome signaling.
The Legacy of Hermes: Deception and Dialectic in Plato’s Cratylus
Authors: Pettersson Olof
Published: May 2016

Against the background of a conventionalist theory, and staged as a defense of a naturalistic notion of names and naming, the critique of language developed in Plato’s Cratylus does not only propose that human language, in contrast to the language of the gods, is bound to the realm of myth and lie. The dialogue also concludes by offering a set of reasons to think that knowledge of reality is not within the reach of our words. Interpretations of the dialogue’s long etymological sections often neglect this critique and tend to end up with an overly optimistic assessment of the theory of language on offer. In the light of one of the dialogue’s central etymological accounts, Socrates’ etymology of the name Hermes, this paper discusses two recent and influential versions of such a view: David Sedley’s theory of onomatopoetic encapsulation and Franco Trivigno’s qualified referentialism. It argues that the complex relation between language and reality expressed in the Cratylus cannot be exhaustively captured by either of these theories because Plato considers all names to be semantically underdetermined until they are put to use. It suggests that Plato rather works with a functionalistic notion of names and naming, and that the dialogue’s account of natural and correct naming is to be understood in these terms.
Plato’s unwritten doctrines: a discussion
Authors: Szlezák Thomas Alexander , Staehler Tanya
Published: May 2016

The Editor has received a letter from prof. Thomas Szlezák in connection to prof. Tanja Staehler’s paper Theuth versus Thamus: the esoteric Plato revisited, published in this Journal vol. 7 1 2013. We reproduce here both his letter and her response to it.
Fantasy on the Clock: The Virtual Cruelty of Collected Works’ The Balcony
Authors: Chaleff Rebecca
Published: May 2016

Inside the brick and stone of San Francisco’s historic Old Mint, Collected Works’ site-specific production of Jean Genet’s The Balcony mobilizes the play’s ambiguous temporality to underscore the role of financialization within multiple historical moments. Within the slippage between a past, present, and virtual charged with desires for power and capital, the spectator, too, becomes complicit in the consumption and construction of capital.
A New Measure of College Quality to Study the Effects of College Sector and Peers on Degree Attainment
Authors: Smith Jonathan , Stange Kevin
Published: May 2016

Students starting at a two-year college are much less likely to graduate than similar students who start at a four-year college, but the sources of this attainment gap are largely unexplained. This paper investigates the attainment consequences of sector choice and peer quality among recent high school graduates. Using data on all Preliminary SAT (PSAT) test-takers between 2004 and 2006, we develop a novel measure of peer ability for most two-year and four-year colleges in the United States—the average PSAT of enrolled students. We document substantial variation in this measure of peer quality across two-year colleges and nontrivial overlap between the two-year and four-year sectors. We find that half the gap in bachelor's degree attainment rates across sectors is explained by differences in peers, leaving room for structural barriers to transferring between institutions to also play an important role.
Digging deeper towards capricious management: ‘Personal traits become part of the means of production’
Authors: Hanlon Gerard
Published: May 2016

What follows examines the shifting nature of work to argue that we need to look beyond the employment relationship and the work organization to understand labour. It suggests one tendency in capitalism is to generate ‘all labour as productive of value’ (Harvie, 2005: 161), so that we subsume life to work. The article also suggests that, rather than being new, this development is an intensification of the past. Indeed, by returning to early management writers, it asserts that we can see the scale of management’s political ambition to subsume life to work. As such, to understand labour we need to comprehend the broader issue of capitalism’s social reproduction and the manner in which it recalibrates the subject as a ‘subject of value’.
Internal model controller design via H∞ dynamic output feedback
Authors: Yaman S , Ustoglu İ , Ucun L
Published: May 2016

This paper deals with internal model controller design via [Formula: see text] dynamic output feedback for linear perturbed systems. The study proposes an internal model controller within the perspective of [Formula: see text] dynamic output feedback, utilizing a linear matrix inequality based optimization algorithm. This proposed method is a synthesis of an internal model controller design that has different application fields, as reported in the literature, and an [Formula: see text] dynamic output feedback controller, which has proven its success in several studies. The proposed controller attenuates disturbances, having bounded energies on controlled output. The originality of the work lies in the combination of two different approaches to obtain an optimal controller design algorithm. The liability and performance of the proposed method are illustrated via simulations, which are applied to a couple of benchmark problems.
Improving estimates of occupancy rate and population density in different dwelling types
Authors: Talent Mishka
Published: May 2016

Population density is heterogeneous, and using large spatial areas as a basis for estimates from highly urbanised areas leads to unrepresentative values. This work shows that population density estimated at the census district level (average 225 dwellings) in Canberra, Australia, poorly reflects dwelling types. Data at the individual block level (net or gross block area) greatly improve the estimates. Eight typical dwelling types in Canberra are used to show that there is a relationship between building form and estimated population density only when population density is calculated using the ‘net block’ area. To estimate population density at a finer scale than census district, the number of occupants in individual dwellings must be estimated. Assuming a city-wide constant occupancy rate in all dwelling types results in a twofold overestimation of population density in high-density dwellings. Fitting a polynomial function to the occupancy-rate and block-area data for different dwelling types of the city also provides a closer estimate than a categorical (step-wise) estimate; the occupancy rate estimate is then easily calculated from a single variable, the mean gross block size in the census district where the dwelling is located. In high-density dwellings in Canberra (e.g. more than 10 storeys), the occupancy rate was approximately 1.3 people per dwelling and in low-density dwellings (e.g. > 1000 m2 per dwelling) the occupancy rate approached 2.8 people. This work is of value to researchers and planners who use measures of population density for assessing, for example, the per capita resource sustainability of different buildings.
Street network analysis “edge effects”: Examining the sensitivity of centrality measures to boundary conditions
Authors: Gil Jorge
Published: May 2016

With increased interest in the use of network analysis to study the urban and regional environment, it is important to understand the sensitivity of centrality analysis results to the so-called “edge effect”. Most street network models have artificial boundaries, and there are principles that can be applied to minimise or eliminate the effect of the boundary condition. However, the extent of this impact has not been systematically studied and remains little understood. In this article we present an empirical study on the impact of different network model boundaries on the results of closeness and betweenness centrality analysis of street networks. The results demonstrate that the centrality measures are affected differently by the edge effect, and that the same centrality measure is affected differently depending on the type of network distance used. These results highlight the importance, in any study of street networks, of defining the network's boundary in a way that is relevant to the research question, and of selecting appropriate analysis parameters and statistics.
Spreading depolarizations in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage: Association with perihematomal edema progression
Authors: Helbok Raimund , Schiefecker Alois Josef , Friberg Christian , Beer Ronny , Kofler Mario , Rhomberg Paul , Unterberger Iris , Gizewski Elke , Hauerberg John , Möller Kirsten , Lackner Peter , Broessner Gregor , Pfausler Bettina , Ortler Martin , Thome Claudius , Schmutzhard Erich , Fabricius Martin
Published: May 2016

Pathophysiologic mechanisms of secondary brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage and in particular mechanisms of perihematomal-edema progression remain incompletely understood. Recently, the role of spreading depolarizations in secondary brain injury was established in ischemic stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage and traumatic brain injury patients. Its role in intracerebral hemorrhage patients and in particular the association with perihematomal-edema is not known. A total of 27 comatose intracerebral hemorrhage patients in whom hematoma evacuation and subdural electrocorticography was performed were studied prospectively. Hematoma evacuation and subdural strip electrode placement was performed within the first 24 h in 18 patients (67%). Electrocorticography recordings started 3 h after surgery (IQR, 3–5 h) and lasted 157 h (median) per patient and 4876 h in all 27 patients. In 18 patients (67%), a total of 650 spreading depolarizations were observed. Spreading depolarizations were more common in the initial days with a peak incidence on day 2. Median electrocorticography depression time was longer than previously reported (14.7 min, IQR, 9–22 min). Postoperative perihematomal-edema progression (85% of patients) was significantly associated with occurrence of isolated and clustered spreading depolarizations. Monitoring of spreading depolarizations may help to better understand pathophysiologic mechanisms of secondary insults after intracerebral hemorrhage. Whether they may serve as target in the treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage deserves further research.
Micro-hardness evaluation for surface alloying of H11 die steel with Cu–Cr–Ni powder metallurgy tool in electrical discharge machining
Authors: Gill Amoljit Singh , Kumar Sanjeev
Published: May 2016

Electrical discharge machining is a non-conventional material removal process; recently, efforts have been made to use it as a surface alloying/modifying method. This study investigates and compares the micro-hardness of the surface machined by electrical discharge machining process using composite tool electrode (copper–chromium–nickel) manufactured by powder metallurgy and conventional copper tool. Design of experiment is used to find the best level of process parameters in order to achieve high micro-hardness. The machined surfaces are subsequently analyzed using different techniques like scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive spectroscopy to ascertain the surface characteristics. Results indicate that the micro-hardness of the alloyed surface formed by powder metallurgy tool electrode is improved by 96.3% as compared to base material and 65.7% as compared to the surface machined by conventional copper electrode. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy of the surface machined using powder metallurgy electrode confirms significant material migration from tool and dielectric to the machined surface. The X-ray diffraction shows the formation of cementite (Fe3C), intermetallic compound of iron, chromium and nickel (FeCrNi) and chromium carbide (Cr7C3) on the surface machined using powder metallurgy electrode.
Reminders Through Association
Authors: Rogers Todd , Milkman Katherine L.
Published: May 2016

People often fail to follow through on good intentions. While limited self-control is frequently the culprit, another cause is simply forgetting to enact intentions when opportunities arise. We introduce a novel, potent approach to facilitating follow-through: the reminders-through-association approach. This approach involves associating intentions (e.g., to mail a letter on your desk tomorrow) with distinctive cues that will capture attention when you have opportunities to act on those intentions (e.g., Valentine’s Day flowers that arrived late yesterday, which are sitting on your desk). We showed that cue-based reminders are more potent when the cues they employ are distinctive relative to (a) other regularly encountered stimuli and (b) other stimuli encountered concurrently. Further, they can be more effective than written or electronic reminder messages, and they are undervalued and underused. The reminders-through-association approach, developed by integrating and expanding on past research on self-control, reminders, and prospective memory, can be a powerful tool for policymakers and individuals.
Tourism in the European economic crisis: Mediatised worldmaking and new tourist imaginaries in Greece
Authors: Tzanelli Rodanthi , Korstanje Maximiliano E
Published: May 2016

The article interrogates the rationale and origins of changing imaginaries of tourism in Greece in the context of the current economic crisis. We detect a radical change in the ‘picture’ of the country that circulates in global media conduits (YouTube, Facebook, official press websites and personal blogs). We enact a journey into past media representations of Greece as an idyllic peasant and working-class site, but proceed to highlight that such representations are being recycled today by Greeks (especially but not exclusively) living and studying abroad. This stereotype, which focuses on embodied understandings of happiness and well-being, is being challenged by the current economic crisis. In its place, we detect the emergence of a new dark and slum imaginary, propagated by both native and global intellectuals–activists. The new imaginary both tests in practice and bears the potential to re-invent Greece as a tourist destination. Not only is the change informed by the European histories of art, slum and dark tourism, focusing on middle-class refinement and philanthropy, it also bears the potential to promote Greece as a cultural tourist destination in global value hierarchies in controversial ways.
Blunted Reward Processing in Remitted Melancholic Depression
Authors: Weinberg Anna , Shankman Stewart A.
Published: May 2016

Blunted reward response appears to be a trait-like marker of vulnerability for major depressive disorder (MDD). As such, it should be present in remitted individuals; however, depression is a heterogeneous syndrome. Reward-related impairments may be more pronounced in individuals with melancholic depression. The present study examined neural responses to rewards in remitted melancholic depression (rMD; n = 29), remitted nonmelancholic depression (rNMD; n = 56), and healthy controls (HC; n = 81). Event-related potentials to monetary gain and loss were recorded during a simple gambling paradigm. Relative to both the HC and the rNMD groups, who did not differ from one another, rMD was characterized by a blunted response to rewards. Moreover, the rMD and rNMD groups did not differ in course or severity of their past illnesses, or current depressive symptoms or functioning. Results suggest that blunted response to rewards may be a viable vulnerability marker for melancholic depression.
Exploitation of natural killer cells for the treatment of acute leukemia
Authors: Handgretinger Rupert , Lang Peter , André Maya C.
Published: May 2016

Natural killer (NK) cells play an important role in surveillance and elimination of malignant cells. Their spontaneous cytotoxicity was first demonstrated in vitro against leukemia cell lines, and NK cells might play a crucial role in the therapy of leukemia. NK cell activity is controlled by an array of germ line–encoded activating and inhibitory receptors, as well as modulating coreceptors. This biologic feature can be exploited in allogeneic cell therapy, and the recognition of “missing-self” on target cells is crucial for promoting NK cell–mediated graft-versus-leukemia effects. In this regard, NK cells that express an inhibitory killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (iKIR) for which the respective major histocompatibility complex class I ligand is absent on leukemic target cells can exert alloreactivity in vitro and in vivo. Several models regarding potential donor–patient constellations have been described that have demonstrated the clinical benefit of such alloreactivity of the donor-derived NK cell system in patients with adult acute myeloid leukemia and pediatric B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Moreover, adoptive transfer of mature allogeneic NK cells in the nontransplant or transplant setting has been shown to be safe and feasible, whereas its effectivity needs further evaluation. NK cell therapy can be further improved by optimal donor selection based on phenotypic and genotypic properties, by adoptive transfer of NK cells with ex vivo or in vivo cytokine stimulation, by the use of antibodies to induce antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity or to block iKIRs, or by transduction of chimeric antigen receptors.
Representation of anatomy in online atlases and databases: a survey and collection of patterns for interface design
Authors: Clarkson Melissa D.
Published: May 2016

Background

A large number of online atlases and databases have been developed to mange the rapidly growing amount of data describing embryogenesis. As these community resources continue to evolve, it is important to understand how representations of anatomy can facilitate the sharing and integration of data. In addition, attention to the design of the interfaces is critical to make online resources useful and usable.

Results

I first present a survey of online atlases and gene expression resources for model organisms, with a focus on methods of semantic and spatial representation of anatomy. A total of 14 anatomical atlases and 21 gene expression resources are included. This survey demonstrates how choices in semantic representation, in the form of ontologies, can enhance interface search functions and provide links between relevant information. This survey also reviews methods for spatially representing anatomy in online resources. I then provide a collection of patterns for interface design based on the atlases and databases surveyed. These patterns include methods for displaying graphics, integrating semantic and spatial representations, organizing information, and querying databases to find genes expressed in anatomical structures.

Conclusions

This collection of patterns for interface design will assist biologists and software developers in planning the interfaces of new atlases and databases or enhancing existing ones. They also show the benefits of standardizing semantic and spatial representations of anatomy by demonstrating how interfaces can use standardization to provide enhanced functionality.
Discussion and Communications: “Ground Roll”
Authors: Byerly Perry
Published: May 2016

Your attention is called to this department of the JOURNAL which it is hoped may be made a regular part of each issue. It is your department, and its continuance is dependent upon your contributions.
Hamlet's Early International Lives: Geeraardt Brandt'sDe Veinzende Torquatusand the Performance of Political Realism
Authors: Leo Russ
Published: May 2016

Written in Dutch and set in imperial Rome, Geeraardt Brandt's De Veinzende Torquatus (The Feigning Torquatus, 1645) bears unmistakable traces of an encounter with Hamlet. More than a literary-historical curio, Torquatus reveals much about Continental adaptations of, and audiences for, English dramatic works. This essay introduces Brandt and his intellectual milieu, demonstrating how and why he turned to Hamlet in an early investigation of revenge tragedy and political realism. From the dynamic plots to the histrionic style of performance, English drama offered Brandt a vision of political life not unlike the political realism of Tacitus and Machiavelli. While attending to the complexities and problems of establishing its provenance, the essay excavates the tragic vision of political life at work in Torquatus — a version of politics that struck Dutch audiences as prescient in its capacity to render visible the erratic and ultimately realistic behavior of sovereigns and subjects alike.
Pornography and the Spanish Inquisition: The Reading of Le Portier Des Chartreux in Eighteenth-Century Madrid
Authors: Vicente Marta V.
Published: May 2016

In January 1786, the Spanish Inquisition accused the Mexican theologian and bibliographer José Mariano de Beristain of purchasing, possessing, and reading aloud the French pornographic novel Le Portier des Chartreux (The Porter of the Charter House). Flouting his vows, the clergyman had invited men and women to his bedroom, read them the novel, and showed its illustrations. Beristain's story offers a rare glimpse into readership practices and the transmission of ideas in the eighteenth-century Spanish world. Le Portier was not just pornographic; it also had a philosophical and political message that, according to current scholarship, instilled radical ideas in readers. Beristain's story, however, shows that instead of absorbing the intended message, readers either were scandalized or simply took pleasure in the pornographic elements of the story. Their understanding of Le Portier thus challenges the idea that “politically motivated pornography” directly affected public opinion in the late eighteenth century.
Stage Use As the Tools of Creative Educational Process Stimulation
Authors: Сенновская  , Sennovskaya E.
Published: May 2016

The article discusses the problem of using the technologies of the stage as the creative component of the educational process and an effective

mean of stimulation of the interest in school training by children (by the example of school with one teacher), all-round development of the skills

and person of a schoolchild, development of feeling of own successfulness. The author gives examples of the activities in which schoolchildren of

different ages.
Insurance coverage issues associated with bariatric surgery in the US
Authors: Medacier Odiane
Published: May 2016

Obesity has become a global epidemic. In the UK, the rate of obesity has risen by about 1% per year since the mid-1990s, and in 2009 about 25% of UK adults were obese and 57% were overweight. The US is also experiencing this epidemic. While new data continue to emerge in support of bariatric surgery as a way of combating the obesity epidemic, it is not a miracle solution. Despite its proven cost-effectiveness, the public funding of bariatric surgery is frequently questioned based on ethical arguments relating to the self-inflicted or non-disease nature of obesity. The aim of this paper is to explore issues surrounding the provision of insurance coverage for bariatric surgery in the US, using four main criteria from the Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee 2010 report, to weigh the decision determinants for payment of bariatric surgery.
Journal Scan
Authors: Welyczko Nikki
Published: May 2016

Nikki Welyczko, Teacher Fellow and Principal Lecturer for Adult Nursing at the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, provides a brief overview of recently published nursing and health articles
Comparative father involvement: the dynamics of gender culture, policy and practice
Authors: Adler Marina A. , Lenz Karl
Published: May 2016

This concluding chapter provides summary and analytic comparison of the statutory leave policies, child care coverage, and indicators of the gender and fatherhood regimes of the six countries featured in this book. It synthesizes the lessons learned, describes the patterns found, proposes an elaborated conceptual model of father involvement with young children, and provides some recommendations for policy and practice. Based on the evidence presented, the editors examine to what extent the integration of the concepts of ‘capability to care’ and ‘agency gap’ into the fatherhood regime model are useful in understanding the intersections of gender regime, family policy, and related cultures of care, workplace culture, and fathers’ individual agency and practice. What are the commonalities and differences in how cultural norms regarding masculinity and maternalism, degrees of gender egalitarianism, and related policy constellations translate into specific fathering practices? What can be learned from the different attempts to increase father involvement with young children via policies in order to promote gender egalitarianism and family well–being that includes empowered fathers?