bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of ventricular arrhythmias on survival in patients after myocardial infarction
Authors: Mitręga Katarzyna Anna , Kolczyńska Agnieszka , Hanzel Joanna , Cebula Sylwia , Morawski Stanisław , Mencel Grzegorz , Kowalczyk Jacek , Kalarus Zbigniew , Średniawa Beata 
Published: February 2014

Introduction: Despite the continuous development of new methods of pharmacological and invasive treatment for patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) the prognosis of long-term survival is still uncertain. Therefore, there is still need to look for new noninvasive predictors of death in patients after MI. Aim: To analyze the prognostic value of ventricular arrhythmias in predicting mortality following MI in long-term follow-up. Methods: We analyzed 390 consecutive patients (114 females and 276 males, aged 63.9 ± 11.15 years, mean EF: 43.8 ± 7.9%) with MI treated invasively. On the 5th day after MI 24-hour digital Holter recording was performed to assess the number of premature ventricular beats (VPB) and their sustained forms such as: salvos and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (nsVT < 30 s). The large numbers of ventricular extrasystoles: ≥ 10 VPB / hour were considered as abnormal. In echocardiography the size of heart cavities and cardiac contractile function were evaluated. Within 30.1 ± 15.1 months of follow-up 38 patients died. Results: In the group of patients with MI the mean value of ventricular ectopy during the day was: 318.8 ± 1447.6. Large numbers of ventricular extrasystoles were observed in 75% patients, while nsVT in 6% patients. Significant differences in the incidence of death after MI were observed in patients with nsVT and ventricular salvos. In the group of patients who died in comparison to the group of patients who survived in long-term follow-up, a significantly less ventricular ectopic incidence was noted (9.83% vs 90.17%, p < 0.01). In patients who died after MI more premature ventricular beats (≥ 10 VPB / h) and a greater nsVT incidence were observed; however not significant. Moreover, in patients with MI the systolic and diastolic LV dimension, decreased values of hemoglobin, salvos and nsVT incidence are the independent risk factors of death. The strongest independent risk factor of death after MI is salvos (HR: 1.32, P < 0.01). Conclusions: In long term follow-up the largest differences in death were observed in patients with ventricular salvos and nsVT. Furthermore, ventricular salvos are the strongest independent risk factor of death in patients with AMI.
Politique PQ 2.0 : qui sont les blogueurs politiques québécois ?
Authors: Giasson Thierry , Darisse Cyntia , Raynauld Vincent 
Published: February 2014

L’article présente les résultats du premier sondage mené auprès de participants de la blogosphère politique québécoise. Les données tirées de l’enquête permettent de tracer le profil sociopolitique des blogueurs politiques québécois, d’identifier leurs habitudes « bloguistiques », leurs visions de la démocratie et les motivations qui les guident dans leur activité de rédaction en ligne. Les conclusions indiquent que, d’un point de vue politique, les blogueurs québécois se démarquent de l’ensemble nord-américain mais également de la société québécoise en général. Ce double constat d’une blogosphère politique québécoise « distincte » s’explique en majeure partie par le statut minoritaire de la nation québécoise.
La proportionnelle a-t-elle des effets vertueux ? Une étude expérimentale
Authors: Labbé St-Vincent Simon 
Published: February 2014

Des élections expérimentales faites à Montréal, Paris et Bruxelles permettent de comparer l’influence directe du mode de scrutin sur la décision des électeurs de voter ou non, et de voter pour leur parti préféré ou non. En tout, 16 groupes de 21 électeurs votent sous différents systèmes électoraux, soit le système uninominal à un tour et la représentation proportionnelle. Les préférences sont attribuées aléatoirement et connues de tous les participants. Nos résultats indiquent que le vote n’est pas globalement plus sincère et que la participation électorale n’est pas plus élevée lorsque le nombre de sièges pouvant être remportés augmente. Toutefois, nous observons moins de désertion d’un petit parti sous le système proportionnel.
L’UNESCO face à l’enjeu « commerce-culture »
Authors: Vlassis Antonios 
Published: February 2014

Le présent article tente de saisir l’action politique du secrétariat de l’UNESCO vis-à-vis de la gestion de l’interface entre le commerce et la culture, ainsi que ses marges de manoeuvre face aux entrepreneurs de la diversité des expressions culturelles. Alors que la plupart des études relatives à cet enjeu supposent que le secrétariat général reste largement favorable au processus de l’élaboration et de la mise en oeuvre de la Convention sur la diversité culturelle, nous nous interrogeons ici sur les conditions – empiriquement sondées – qui permettent au secrétariat d’agir. Notre analyse démonte alors l’idée courante selon laquelle l’UNESCO était à l’avant-garde de la Convention et illustre les raisons pour lesquelles l’organisation a adopté une position conservatrice sur cette question et a mis en oeuvre un certain nombre de stratégies qui tiennent compte de logiques institutionnelles propres à l’UNESCO.
Pour un renouvellement du questionnement sur la société civile égyptienne
Authors: Ben Néfissa Sarah 
Published: February 2014

Cet article a pour objectif de renouveler le questionnement sur la société civile égyptienne en proposant une démarche susceptible de lever les apories du débat classique sur celle-ci. La démarche repose sur la distinction entre la société civile comme unrépertoire de l’actionpour les acteurs sociaux et politiques et la société civile comme unconceptformulé par les scientifiques. Le texte montre ainsi que le renouvellement du concept de société civile proposé par Jean Cohen et Andrew Arato peut être utile pour comprendre le processus d’autonomisation de la société civile égyptienne des dernières années. Le texte met l’accent sur le redémarrage du parcours historique de la notion de société civile en Égypte à la suite de la révolution du 25 janvier 2011 avec le débat en cours sur la question de la « civilité » de l’État égyptien et de ses rapports avec la religion et l’institution militaire. La dernière partie de l’article constate toutefois que la distinction entre les deux registres de discours sur la société civile est difficile à faire. Les luttes de définitions de la société civile au sein du milieu scientifique revêtent une telle intensité qu’elles nuisent à l’obtention d’un consensus scientifique minimal sur cette notion.
A Corporation Cyber War Strategy
Authors: AbuAli Amer Nizar , Sisan Saeb 
Published: February 2014

AbstractA corporation cyber war is a new type of attack that will be considered as a more dangerous attack faces the different corporations in each country in the world. The importance of a corporation cyber war now increases more and more, because of its large passive impact on a corporations work. So each country must start to defend against this type of this attack by preparing efficient strategies to reduce impacts of corporation cyber war attack to acceptable level. This paper will mention strategy to defend against corporation cyber war, which can be considered as a first step toward protecting corporations from corporation cyber war threat in efficient way and using understandable approach. Most research papers focus on cyber war between countries while our research contribution focuses on new side by focus on using of cyber war as a tool that can be used by one company against other companies by show how to prevent information warfare between companies from strategically view to help countries to address this issue and we take Jordan as a case study, so this research results can be increased trust on computing for society by increasing security and encourage more investment in information technology through prevent abusing of computers.
Innovative Education Environment and Open Data Initiative:Steps towards User-Powered Society-Oriented Systems
Authors: Khriyenko O , Khriyenko T 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThe economy is not keeping pace with the increasing speed of technological evolution. The inadequacy of the current system of education is a possible reason for this. Evolution forces us to produce experts for tasks and businesses which do not yet exist, to teach them technologies which have not yet been devised. The best way to produce experts is to accentuate the learner’s best abilities and skills, assess the learner’s potential and develop it further. We badly need revolutionary methods to facilitate intelligent personalization of study processes and approaches to make innovative education content more attractive and motivational for the learner. Advanced information management services and platforms play a valuable role in education process development, enabling new generations of students and education-related content providers to create, share, search, combine and deliver reliable and competent information. Earlier learner involvement in study content co-creation or personalization processes might dramatically increase student motivation and speed up the study process. Like any other products or services, e-Learning services need marketing to attract customers and make them a valuable source. To achieve a vision of ubiquitous knowledge, the next generation of innovative education environments will apply the achievements of the Open Data initiative and move towards learner-driven society-oriented systems. Therefore, this paper touches on different aspects of co-creative innovative education environment and correspondent e-Learning marketing strategies.
Using a Class-Wide, Semester-Long Project to Teach Software Engineering Principles
Authors: Young Paul E , Needham Donald M 
Published: February 2014

AbstractA senior-level, project-based Software Engineering course taught at the University of Central Arkansas serves as the capstone course for the Computer Science Program and introduces students to the theory, tools, and techniques used to build large-scale software systems in a project-driven setting. Foundational to the course is the use of a class-wide, semesterlong course project to emphasize the theoretical aspects of the software process and the system used for scoring student performance on the project. One project is selected for the entire class with students divided into teams of four to six students to support different functional requirement areas. A milestone-driven approach is used following a modified version of the Unified Process for project development. Student scores on the project are divided into a group score, assignable via a rubric-like grade sheet, and an individual score which is determined by the individual’s effort as assigned using the task-management tool, Issue-Tracker. Experiences gained and lessons learned in teaching the course are provided as a guide for those wishing to follow a similar approach to teaching Software Engineering in the future.
Is there a discrepancy between geological and geodetic slip rates along the San Andreas Fault System?
Authors: Tong Xiaopeng , Smith‐Konter Bridget , Sandwell David T. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractPrevious inversions for slip rate along the San Andreas Fault System (SAFS), based on elastic half‐space models, show a discrepancy between the geologic and geodetic slip rates along a few major fault segments. In this study, we use an earthquake cycle model representing an elastic plate over a viscoelastic half‐space to demonstrate that there is no significant discrepancy between long‐term geologic and geodetic slip rates. The California statewide model includes 41 major fault segments having steady slip from the base of the locked zone to the base of the elastic plate and episodic shallow slip based on known historical ruptures and geologic recurrence intervals. The slip rates are constrained by 1981 secular velocity measurements from GPS and L‐band intereferometric synthetic aperture radar. A model with a thick elastic layer (60 km) and half‐space viscosity of 1019Pa s is preferred because it produces the smallest misfit to both the geologic and the geodetic data. We find that the geodetic slip rates from the thick plate model agrees to within the bounds of the geologic slip rates, while the rates from the elastic half‐space model disagree on specific important fault segments such as the Mojave and the North Coast segment of the San Andreas Fault. The viscoelastic earthquake cycle models have generally higher slip rates than the half‐space model because most of the faults along the SAFS are late in the earthquake cycle, so today they are moving slower than the long‐term cycle‐averaged velocity as governed by the viscoelastic relaxation process.
Overgeneral Autobiographical Memories: Gender Differences in Depression
Authors: Ros Laura , Ricarte Jorge J. , Serrano Juan P. , Nieto Marta , Aguilar Maria J. , Latorre Jose M. 
Published: February 2014

SummaryConsidering the higher prevalence of depression in women than in men, the study of the variables that underlie this gender difference becomes important for both the prevention and the treatment of depression. This study explores gender differences in the relationship between depressive symptoms, rumination, repressive coping, and overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM) in a nonclinical population. There are 141 men and 148 women who completed the measures of depression, rumination, and repression, and the Autobiographical Memory Test to assess OGM. Women remembered a higher number of specific memories than men. Most importantly, results showed a different pattern of association between rumination, repression, depression, and OGM by gender. Depressive symptoms were associated with repressive coping and OGM in women. However, depressive symptomatology was related to repressive coping but not to OGM in men. These results suggest that the role of OGM in depression may be less important in men than in women. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimal Generic Advertising under Bilateral Imperfect Competition between Processors and Retailers
Authors: Chung Chanjin , Eom Youg Sook , Yang Byung Woo 
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of bilateral imperfect competition between processors and retailers and of import supply on optimal advertising intensity, advertising expenditures, and checkoff assessment rates. First, comparative static analyses were conducted on the newly developed optimal advertising intensity formula. Second, to consider the endogenous nature of optimal advertising, a linear market equilibrium model was developed and applied to the U.S. beef industry. Results showed that the full consideration of retailer‐processor bilateral market power lowered the optimal values of assessment rates, advertising expenditures, and advertising intensity for the checkoff board whereas consideration of importers increases the optimal values. The results indicate that ignoring the import sector in optimal generic advertising modeling should underestimate these optimal values, whereas ignoring the bilateral market power between processors and retailers overestimates the values.
Salivary estradiol and testosterone in filipino men: Diurnal patterns and relationships with adiposity
Authors: Gettler Lee T. , McDade Thomas W. , Feranil Alan B. , Agustin Sonny S. , Kuzawa Christopher W. 
Published: February 2014

ObjectivesWe used detailed saliva sampling procedures to test for diurnal changes in men's salivary estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) and assessed whether greater adiposity predicted higher E2 and T.MethodsWe drew on a subsample of young adults enrolled in a long‐running birth cohort study in Metro Cebu, Philippines. Subjects provided saliva samples at four time points during the day (waking, waking +40 min, early evening, and bedtime), which were assayed for E2 and T. Using these detailed hormonal data, we calculated E2 (n = 29) and T (n = 44) area‐under‐the‐curve values, which provide insights on hormonal production over the study period.ResultsWhile T declined immediately after waking and reached a nadir in the early evening, E2 did not show significant diurnal change (P ≥ 0.1) but was positively correlated to T at multiple time points (P ≤ 0.05). Subjects with higher adiposity (BMI, waist circumference, skinfolds) had elevated E2 secretion throughout the day (P ≤ 0.01), but adiposity was not related to salivary T.ConclusionsConsistent with past research, our results indicate that adipose tissue is a significant site of E2 production in males but differ from a limited number of prior studies of young men in that we did not find lower T with increasing adiposity. Given E2's role in male hypothalamic‐pituitary‐gonadal function and complex interfaces with the immune system, these results have important implications for models of male life history as rates of overweight and obesity rise in populations around the world. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 26:376–383, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Identification of α2‐Macroglobulin as a Master Inhibitor of Cartilage‐Degrading Factors That Attenuates the Progression of Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis
Authors: Wang Shaowei , Wei Xiaochun , Zhou Jingming , Zhang Jing , Li Kai , Chen Qian , Terek Richard , Fleming Braden C. , Goldring Mary B. , Ehrlich Michael G. , Zhang Ge , Wei Lei 
Published: February 2014

ObjectiveTo determine if supplemental intraarticular α2‐macroglobulin (α2M) has a chondroprotective effect in a rat model of osteoarthritis (OA).MethodsUsing Western blotting, mass spectrometry, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and immunohistochemistry, α2M was identified as a potential therapeutic agent through a comparison of α2M concentrations in serum, synovial fluid (SF), and cartilage from normal subjects and patients with OA. In cultured chondrocytes, the effects of α2M on interleukin‐1 (IL‐1)–induced cartilage catabolic enzymes were evaluated by Luminex assay and ELISA. In vivo effects on cartilage degeneration and matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP‐13) concentration were evaluated in male rats (n = 120) randomized to 1 of 4 treatments: 1) anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) and saline injections, 2) ACLT and 1 IU/kg injections of α2M, 3) ACLT and 2 IU/kg injections of α2M, or 4) sham operation and saline injections. Rats were administered intraarticular injections for 6 weeks. The concentration of MMP‐13 in SF lavage fluid was measured using ELISA. OA‐related gene expression was quantified by real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The extent of OA progression was graded by histologic examination.ResultsIn both normal subjects and OA patients, α2M levels were lower in SF as compared to serum, and in OA patients, MMP‐13 levels were higher in SF than in serum. In vitro, α2M inhibited the induction of MMP‐13 by IL‐1 in a dose‐dependent manner in human chondrocytes. In the rat model of ACLT OA, supplemental intraarticular injection of α2M reduced the concentration of MMP‐13 in SF, had a favorable effect on OA‐related gene expression, and attenuated OA progression.ConclusionThe plasma protease inhibitor α2M is not present in sufficient concentrations to inactivate the high concentrations of catabolic factors found in OA SF. Our findings suggest that supplemental intraarticular α2M provides chondral protection in posttraumatic OA.
Bounded Connectivity‐Preserving Leader‐Follower Flocking Algorithms Without Acceleration Measurements
Authors: Mao Yutian , Dou Lihua , Fang Hao , Chen Jie 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThe problem of distributed connectivity‐preserving leader‐follower flocking of multiple autonomous agents with second‐order dynamics is investigated. First, a new class of bounded artificial potential fields is carefully designed which could guarantee connectivity preservation, distance stabilization and collision avoidance simultaneously as the system evolves. Furthermore, in the absence of acceleration measurements of the dynamic leader, a set of distributed and bounded leader‐follower flocking control protocols is derived for each follower with the aid of the combination of potential based gradient descent methods and the sliding mode control paradigms. It is shown that all followers achieve velocity consensus and collision avoidance with the dynamic leader, the underlying network remains connected for all time, and the desired stable flocking behavior is asymptotically achieved on the condition that the initial network is connected. Finally, nontrivial simulations and experiments are worked out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithms.
Ormosil gels doped with engineered catechol 1,2 dioxygenases for chlorocatechol bioremediation
Authors: Micalella Chiara , Caglio Raffaella , Mozzarelli Andrea , Valetti Francesca , Pessione Enrica , Giunta Carlo , Bruno Stefano 
Published: February 2014

AbstractEnzymes entrapped in wet, nanoporous silica gel have great potential as bioreactors for bioremediation because of their improved thermal, chemical, and mechanical stability with respect to enzymes in solution. The B isozyme of catechol 1,2 dioxygenase from Acinetobacter radioresistens and its mutants of Leu69 and Ala72, designed for an increased reactivity toward the environmental pollutant chlorocatechols, were encapsulated using alkoxysilanes and alkyl alkoxysilanes as precursors in varying proportions. Encapsulation of the mutants in a hydrophobic tetramethoxysilane/dimethoxydimethylsilane‐based matrix yielded a remarkable 10‐ to 12‐fold enhancement in reactivity toward chlorocatechols. These gels also showed a fivefold increase in relative reactivity toward chlorocatechols with respect to the natural substrate catechol, thus compensating for their relatively low activity for these substrates in solution. The encapsulated enzyme, unlike the enzyme in solution, proved resilient in assays carried out in urban wastewater and bacteria‐contaminated solutions mimicking environmentally relevant conditions. Overall, the combination of a structure‐based rational design of enzyme mutants, and the selection of a suitable encapsulation material, proved to be a powerful approach for the production and optimization of a potential bioremediation device, with increased activity and resistance toward bacterial degradation.
A comparative study into alterations of coenzyme Q redox status in ageing pigs, mice, and worms
Authors: Onur Simone , Niklowitz Petra , Fischer Alexandra , Metges Cornelia C. , Grune Tilman , Menke Thomas , Rimbach Gerald , Döring Frank 
Published: February 2014

AbstractCoenzyme Q derivatives (CoQ) are lipid soluble antioxidants that are synthesized endogenously in almost all species and function as an obligatory cofactor of the respiratory chain. There is evidence that CoQ status is altered by age in several species. Here we determined level and redox‐state of CoQ in different age groups of pigs, mice and Caenorhabditis elegans. Since these species are very different with respect to lifespan, reproduction and physiology, our approach could provide some general tendencies of CoQ status in ageing organisms. We found that CoQ level decreases with age in pigs and mice, whereas CoQ content increases in older worms. As observed in all three species, ubiquinone, the oxidized form of CoQ, increases with age. Additionally, we were able to show that supplementation of ubiquinol‐10, the reduced form of human CoQ10, slightly increases lifespan of post‐reproductive worms. In conclusion, the percentage of the oxidized form of CoQ increases with age indicating higher oxidative stress or rather a decreased anti‐oxidative capacity of aged animals. © 2014 BioFactors, 40(3):346–354, 2014