bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
FRENCH-ASIAN CONNECTIONS: THE COMPAGNIES DES INDES, FRANCE'S EASTERN TRADE, AND NEW DIRECTIONS IN HISTORICAL SCHOLARSHIP
Authors: GOTTMANN FELICIA 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACTWith the recent rise in global history as a discipline, early modern Europe's Asian trade has become a new focus of interest. In French historiography, however, this still remains marginalized. Some studies of the French East India Companies and the French presence in Asia exist, but the impact of this on metropolitan France remains woefully underexplored. This article outlines the history and historiography of the French East India Companies and their wider role and importance, outlining pathways of both existing, current, and possible future research.
The effect of anti-reflux treatment on subjective voice measurements of patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux
Authors: Beech T J , Campbell G , McDermott A L , Batch A J 
Published: May 2013

AbstractObjective:To assess the impact of anti-reflux treatment and speech therapy on subjective voice measurements of patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux.Methods:This paper reports a prospective study of patients seen in a voice clinic over a three-year period who were being treated for laryngopharyngeal reflux. Patients were assessed at presentation using the reflux symptom index and voice symptom scale, and were reassessed at three months and six months post-treatment. Treatment entailed twice daily proton pump inhibitor therapy and speech therapy.Results:The study comprised 74 patients. The reflux symptom index and voice symptom scale scores significantly improved following treatment at both three and six months. There was a correlation between improved reflux symptom index scores and improved voice symptom scale scores.Conclusion:Treatment of laryngopharyngeal reflux with twice daily proton pump inhibitors and speech therapy resulted in improved subjective voice measurements for patients.
Modulational instability of an ultra-intense laser pulse in electron–positron plasmas
Authors: HU QIANG-LIN , XIAO GUI-LAN , YU XIAO-GUANG 
Published: May 2013

AbstractThis paper investigates the modulational instability of a linearly polarized ultra-intense laser pulse propagating in electron–positron plasmas. Based on the wave equation, which contains vacuum polarization and magnetization effects, the nonlinear dispersion relation and the growth rate of instability are obtained and the effects of plasma number density and laser intensity on the growth rate are analyzed. Numerical results show that if the laser intensity is high enough, the modulational instability growth rate induced by vacuum polarization and magnetization nonlinearity can dominate the modulational instability growth rate induced by the nonlinearity associated with a relativistic effect and ponderomotive force.
Moral critique and defence of theodicy
Authors: SHEARN SAMUEL 
Published: May 2013

AbstractIn this essay, moral anti-theodicy is characterized as opposition to the trivialization of suffering, defined as the reinterpretation of horrendous evils in a way the sufferer cannot accept. Ambitious theodicy (which claim goods emerge from specific evils) is deemed always to trivialize horrendous evils and, because there is no specific theoretical context, also harm sufferers. Moral anti-theodicy is susceptible to two main criticisms. First, it is over-demanding as a moral position. Second, anti-theodicist opposition to least ambitious theodicies, which portray God's decision to create as an ‘all-or-nothing’ scenario, requires a moral commitment to philosophical pessimism. Thus anti-theodicists should not be quick to take the moral high ground. However, this should not encourage theodicists, since theodicies may well be self-defeating in so far as they attempt to provide comfort.
Design of a petawatt optical parametric chirped pulse amplification upgrade of the kilojoule iodine laser PALS
Authors: Novák Ondřej , Divoký Martin , Turčičová Hana , Straka Petr 
Published: May 2013

AbstractA design for generation of two ultra-high power laser beams, 130 TW and 1.4 PW, using a chain of optical parametric chirped pulse amplifiers, first pumped by a 10 Hz frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser, and later by the frequency tripled single-shot kilojoule level iodine laser Prague Asterix Laser System is presented. Expected enhancement of the parameters in the upgrade, besides the output power, are up to 1022 W/cm2 from 1016 W/cm2 in target intensity, and about 20 fs from 0.5 ns in pulse duration. Owing to the limited dimensions of the Prague Asterix Laser System building, the lay-out of the new equipment had to use only the left-over space in the laser hall.
‘International Law is Part of the Law of the Land’: True or False?
Authors: KEITH KENNETH 
Published: May 2013

AbstractThis article addresses the question stated in its title by considering not only the role of national courts but also the roles of national legislatures and executives. That emphasis is called for because most of international law most of the time operates through national, rather than international, institutions and in particular through the executive and the legislature. Before I get to those national institutions, I consider two undisputed propositions of law, the varying characteristics of rules of international law and the impact of those characteristics on different national constitutional and legal systems.
The ICC and Complementarity in Practice
Authors: NSEREKO DANIEL 
Published: May 2013

AbstractSince the start of its operations 10 years ago, the International Criminal Court has dealt with a number of challenges to the admissibility of cases before it. Some of the challenges were mounted by territorial states that had jurisdiction over the cases. Others were mounted by accused persons. The Court, acting on its own initiative, has, on a number of occasions, also considered issues of the admissibility of cases before it. It has done this, in the main, at the pre-trial stages of proceedings. Some of the cases arose out of state or Security Council referrals. Others arose out of the Prosecutor's initiated investigations. In the course of dealing with these matters the Court has endeavoured to strike a balance between the states’ right to exercise their sovereignty through national proceedings, on the one hand, and the interests of the international community to ensure that ‘the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole must not go unpunished’, on the other. In the process of doing so the Court has also developed some practices and generated an impressive body of jurisprudence, the subject of this article. The jurisprudence evinces the Court's readiness to assume jurisdiction over a case in situations where there is clear inaction on the part of the national authorities. The article, which is a critical exposé of that jurisprudence, endorses this stance as a veritable antidote to impunity for atrocity crimes.
Surveillance, urban governance and legitimacy in late Ottoman Istanbul: spying on music and entertainment during the Hamidian regime (1876–1909)
Authors: EROL MERIH 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT:The topic of this study is the control of urban space in late Ottoman Istanbul, particularly during the reign of Abdülhamid II (1876–1909). Issues of the control and surveillance of public gatherings and popular entertainment are investigated by focusing on the Greeks of Istanbul, the largest non-Muslim population in the city. The article is based on an investigation of petitions, the Ottoman Police Ministry records and spy reports on various planned and spontaneous, private and public activities, such as charity concerts, theatrical performances, and collective singing in private and public meetings.
Alarming predictions for obesity and non-communicable diseases in the Middle East
Authors: Kilpi Fanny , Webber Laura , Musaigner Abdulrahman , Aitsi-Selmi Amina , Marsh Tim , Rtveladze Ketevan , McPherson Klim , Brown Martin 
Published: May 2013

AbstractObjectiveThe present study aimed to model obesity trends and future obesity-related disease for nine countries in the Middle East; in addition, to explore how hypothetical reductions in population obesity levels could ameliorate anticipated disease burdens.DesignA regression analysis of cross-sectional data v. BMI showed age- and sex-specific BMI trends, which fed into a micro simulation with a million Monte Carlo trials for each country. We also examined two alternative scenarios where population BMI was reduced by 1 % and 5 %.SettingStatistical modelling of obesity trends was carried out in nine Middle East countries (Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Turkey).SubjectsBMI data along with disease incidence, mortality and survival data from national and sub-national data sets were used for the modelling process.ResultsHigh rates of overweight and obesity increased in both men and women in most countries. The burden of incident type 2 diabetes, CHD and stroke would be moderated with even small reductions in obesity levels.ConclusionsObesity is a growing problem in the Middle East which requires government action on the primary prevention of obesity. The present results are important for policy makers to know the effectiveness of obesity interventions on future disease burden.
Maternal mental health is associated with child undernutrition and illness in Bangladesh, Vietnam and Ethiopia
Authors: Nguyen Phuong H , Saha Kuntal K , Ali Disha , Menon Purnima , Manohar Swetha , Mai Lan Tran , Rawat Rahul , Ruel Marie T 
Published: May 2013

AbstractObjectiveWe assessed associations of maternal common mental disorders (CMD) with undernutrition and two common illnesses in children aged 0–5 years.DesignCross-sectional survey. Maternal CMD was measured using the WHO Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20. Child undernutrition was defined as stunting, underweight or wasting. Child illnesses included diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections (ARI). Multivariate logistic regression was used to test these associations adjusting for confounders at child, maternal and household levels.SettingBangladesh, Vietnam and Ethiopia.SubjectsMothers with children aged 0–5 years from 4400 households in Bangladesh, 4029 households in Vietnam and 3000 households in Ethiopia.ResultsThe prevalence of maternal CMD was high, ranging from 31 % in Vietnam to 49 % in Bangladesh. Child undernutrition was more prevalent in Bangladesh and Ethiopia than in Vietnam. Symptoms of ARI and diarrhoea were also prevalent. In multivariate analysis, maternal CMD was associated with child stunting in Bangladesh (OR = 1·21; 95 % CI 1·03, 1·41) and with child underweight in Vietnam (OR = 1·27; 95 % CI 1·01, 1·61); no association was found with wasting. Maternal CMD was strongly associated with diarrhoea and ARI in all three countries.ConclusionsMaternal CMD, which affected nearly half of women in Bangladesh and one-third in Vietnam, was an important determinant of child stunting and underweight, respectively. No such association was found in Ethiopia, although CMD affected 39 % of women. Maternal CMD was strongly associated with childhood illnesses in all three countries. Interventions to support maternal mental health are important for women's own well-being and could make important contributions to improving child health and nutrition.
The Potential of Materials Analysis by Electron Rutherford Backscattering as Illustrated by a Case Study of Mouse Bones and Related Compounds
Authors: Vos Maarten , Tökési Károly , Benkö Ilona 
Published: May 2013

AbstractElectron Rutherford backscattering (ERBS) is a new technique that could be developed into a tool for materials analysis. Here we try to establish a methodology for the use of ERBS for materials analysis of more complex samples using bone minerals as a test case. For this purpose, we also studied several reference samples containing Ca: calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and hydroxyapatite and mouse bone powder. A very good understanding of the spectra of CaCO3 and hydroxyapatite was obtained. Quantitative interpretation of the bone spectrum is more challenging. A good fit of these spectra is only obtained with the same peak widths as used for the hydroxyapatite sample, if one allows for the presence of impurity atoms with a mass close to that of Na and Mg. Our conclusion is that a meaningful interpretation of spectra of more complex samples in terms of composition is indeed possible, but only if widths of the peaks contributing to the spectra are known. Knowledge of the peak widths can either be developed by the study of reference samples (as was done here) or potentially be derived from theory.
Improving on sputum smear microscopy for diagnosis of tuberculosis in resource-poor settings.
Authors: Ramsay A. , Steingart K. R. , Madhukar Pai Madhukar Pai 
Published: May 2013

Abstract

This chapter discusses the limitations of direct sputum smear microscopy for diagnosis of tuberculosis as practised currently, reviews the recent WHO recommendations, and discusses how the performance of sputum smear microscopy may be improved. It also explores how sputum smear microscopy services may be complemented by add-on tests and identifies which tests (now and in the future) may replace smear microscopy in certain defined situations.
Molecular diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis.
Authors: Bateson A. L. , Reddington K. , O'Grady J. 
Published: May 2013

Abstract

This chapter describes molecular diagnostic methods for pulmonary tuberculosis according to 3 groups: nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), molecular line probe assays (LPAs) and sequencing assays. It covers both commercial and in-house methods for the detection of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC), differentiation of the MTC and molecular drug susceptibility testing (DST) for anti-M. tuberculosis drugs. The advantages, disadvantages and future of molecular diagnosis for tuberculosis, including point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tests, are also discussed.
Improving on the LJ slope - automated liquid culture.
Authors: Viveiros M. , Machado D. , Couto I. , Amaral L. 
Published: May 2013

Abstract

This chapter describes the different types of media for culture and isolation of mycobacteria, and discusses the adaptation of automated liquid culture systems for the qualitative and quantitative drug susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacteria.
Sniffing out tuberculosis.
Authors: McNerney R. , Turner C. 
Published: May 2013

Abstract

This chapter describes the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for disease detection and reviews progress towards a diagnostic test for tuberculosis. The human olfactory detection of tuberculosis, the volatile biomarkers of tuberculosis, and the use of e-noses, chromatography and mass spectrometry in VOC analysis are discussed.
Genotypic measures of antibiotic susceptibility.
Authors: Mathys V. , Mathema B. , Bifani P. 
Published: May 2013

Abstract

This chapter reviews the genetic basis of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and correlates to phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility. It focuses on antituberculous agents (rifampicin, isoniazid, ethionamide, pyrazinamide, ethambutol, fluoroquinolones, para-aminosalicylic acid, aminoglycosides and macrocyclic polypeptide antibiotics) and drug resistance-conferring mutations that are most relevant in the clinical and epidemiological settings.
Mycobacterial lipid bodies and resuscitation-promoting factor dependency as potential biomarkers of response to chemotherapy.
Authors: Garton N. J. , Mukamolova G. V. , Barer M. R. 
Published: May 2013

Abstract

This chapter discusses sputum Mycobacterium tuberculosis phenotypes (slow/non-growth, lipid bodies and resuscitation-promoting factor dependency) and their potential as biomarkers for the assessment of patient response to therapy. The relationship between sputum M. tuberculosis phenotypes and antibiotic tolerance is described.
The Shapes of Sociability in the Instrumental Music of the Later Eighteenth Century
Authors: Sutcliffe W. Dean 
Published: May 2013

AbstractThe particular listener-friendliness of later eighteenth-century music is no secret; it has been an article of faith for some more recent writers, but has not that often informed the basic approach to this repertory. Theories of rhetoric, schema or topic are certainly premissed on such an understanding, but do not necessarily address what the author believes to be a central aspect of the musical aesthetics (and indeed of the wider culture) of the time: sociability. Yet music, especially instrumental music, arguably forms the most powerful expression of sociability that has reached us from that time – not merely reflecting wider practices but actively providing models for human behaviour. I discuss some of the common syntactical mechanisms that convey the sociable impulse, in line with Judith Schwartz's definition of an art that ‘communicate[s] by means of pattern rather than momentary passion’, and with particular reference to Pleyel, J. C. Bach and Haydn.
Secret Letters and a Missing Memorandum: New Light on the Personal Relationship between Felix Mendelssohn and Jenny Lind
Authors: Biddlecombe George 
Published: May 2013

AbstractThe Committee of the Mendelssohn Scholarship Foundation possesses material indicating that Mendelssohn wrote passionate love letters to Jenny Lind entreating her to join him in an adulterous relationship and threatening suicide as a means of exerting pressure upon her, and that these letters were destroyed on being discovered after her death. The notion that Mendelssohn would have written such letters conflicts strikingly with the received view of his character. Nevertheless, the veracity of the material is beyond doubt, and, while it does not include specific evidence that Mendelssohn and Lind began an affair, it points more clearly than has hitherto been possible towards an answer to this question. Thus it necessitates a radical revision of perceptions of these two major musicians. For Otto Goldschmidt, Lind's husband, destroying the letters was crucial in protecting the reputations not only of his wife and Mendelssohn but also of himself and his family.
The effect of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose on red cell distribution width: a subanalysis of the FAIR‐HF study
Authors: Van Craenenbroeck Emeline M. , Conraads Viviane M. , Greenlaw Nicola , Gaudesius Giedrius , Mori Claudio , Ponikowski Piotr , Anker Stefan D. 
Published: May 2013

AimsRed cell distribution width (RDW), a measure of variability in red blood cell size, is a novel prognostic marker in chronic heart failure (CHF). Iron deficiency contributes to elevated RDW. In the FAIR‐HF trial, i.v. ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) improved the 6 min walk test (6MWT) distance in iron‐deficient CHF patients. We studied the effect of FCM on RDW and the relationship between RDW and 6MWT distance.Methods and resultsIn FAIR‐HF, iron‐deficient CHF patients were randomized to FCM or placebo in a 2:1 ratio. From the total cohort (n = 459), we included 415 patients in whom RDW values and 6MWT distance were available for baseline and at least one follow‐up visit (after 4, 12, and 24 weeks). Baseline RDW was higher in anaemic (haemoglobin <12 g/dL) compared with non‐anaemic patients [15.2% (14.0–16.8) vs. 14.2% (13.4–15.4), P < 0.0001, median (interquartile range)]. In multivariate analysis, RDW was significantly associated with transferrin saturation (P < 0.001) and C‐reactive protein levels (P = 0.002). Treatment with FCM led to a biphasic response; RDW increased within 4 weeks (+0.54% absolute change from baseline, P = 0.01) but fell to values below the placebo group after 24 weeks (–1.0 %, P = 0.03). The 6MWT distance and RDW were inversely related at baseline (r = –0.30, P < 0.0001). In all patients, the increase in 6MWT distance after 24 weeks was significantly correlated with a decrease in RDW (r= –0.25, P < 0.0001), even after adjustment for changes in haemoglobin.ConclusionsIron deficiency in CHF is associated with high RDW, even after adjustment for the presence of anaemia. Treatment with i.v. FCM in iron‐deficient CHF patients decreases RDW.
Clinical and neurohormonal correlates and prognostic value of serum prolactin levels in patients with chronic heart failure
Authors: Parissis John T. , Farmakis Dimitrios , Fountoulaki Katerina , Rigas Antonios , Nikolaou Maria , Paraskevaidis Ioannis A. , Bistola Vassiliki , Venetsanou Koula , Ikonomidis Ignatios , Anastasiou‐Nana Maria , Kremastinos Dimitrios T. , Filippatos Gerasimos 
Published: May 2013

AimsHypothalamic axis deregulation is associated with clinical severity and depression in chronic heart failure (CHF). We investigated the relationship of serum prolactin, an indicator of hypothalamic axis function, to neurohomonal/immune activation and depressive symptoms in CHF as well as its prognostic value.Methods and resultsSerum prolactin was determined in 180 patients with advanced CHF (aged 65 ± 12 years, mean LVEF 27 ± 7%) along with natriuretic peptides (BNP), inflammatory cytokines, endothelial adhesion molecules, 6 min walk test (6MWT), and the Zung self‐rating depression scale (SDS). Patients were followed for all‐cause death or hospitalization for cardiovascular reasons for up to 8 months. Prolactin levels were significantly correlated with NYHA class (r = 0.394, P < 0.001), LVEF (r = –0.314, P < 0.001), 6MWT (r = –0.353, P < 0.001), BNP (r = 0.374, P < 0.001), Zung SDS (r = 0.544, P < 0.001), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) (r = 0.451, P < 0.001), IL‐10 (r = –0.426, P < 0.001), tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α (r = 0.310, P = 0.001), soluble Fas (r = 0.333, P < 0.001), soluble Fas‐ligand (r = 0.517, P < 0.001), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) (r = 0.409, P < 0.001), and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1 (VCAM‐1) (r = 0.480, P < 0.001). During follow‐up, 119 patients (66%) died or were hospitalized for cardiovascular events after a median time of 72 days (range 5–220 days); these patients had higher baseline prolactin levels (10.2 ± 5.7 vs. 6.7 ± 4.3 ng/mL, P < 0.001), and a prolactin value ≥4.5 ng/mL was associated with a higher rate of death or hospitalization (116 ± 7 vs. 181 ± 11 days, P = 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, prolactin levels remained an independent predictor of death or hospitalization (<4.5 vs. ≥4.5 ng/mL; odds ratio, 0.368; 95% confidence interval 0.148–0.913; P = 0.031), along with BNP (P < 0.001) and 6MWT (P = 0.020).ConclusionsSerum prolactin is associated with neurohormonal/immune activation and depressive symptoms and is an independent predictor of prognosis in advanced CHF.
Niche marketing research: status and challenges
Authors: Toften Kjell , Hammervoll Trond 
Published: May 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a concise status of niche marketing research and thereby provide a basis for further scholarly enhancement and insights for practitioners.Design/methodology/approachThis paper takes the form of a literature review.FindingsReasons for why and when to pursue niche marketing, key success factors for implementing niche marketing and the potential problem areas are identified. Avenues for advancing knowledge about niche marketing are discussed.Research limitations/implicationsPractitioners benefit from this comprehensive review of findings and insights from previous research. Scholars benefit from this review, as it summarizes and identifies key areas for future niche marketing research.Originality/valueThere has be no known scholarly article assessing the status of niche marketing research since Dalgic and Leeuw's seminal work.