bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
L’Afrique dans le monde, le monde depuis l’Afrique: lectures croisées d’Achille Mbembe et de Célestin Monga
Authors: Mangeon Anthony 
Published: July 2015

Abstract
Rooted in the historical and political realities of their native country, Cameroon, and yet deeply influenced by their common experience of exile and intellectual nomadism, historian Achille Mbembe and economicist Célestin Monga share many commonalities, among which the ambition of rethinking Africa’s contemporary situation at a world scale as well as their attempt to understand the contemporary world from an African viewpoint. Achille Mbembe is now well known for his theorization of the postcolony (or the forms of political imagination in Africa), as well as for his concept of Afropolitanism, which characterizes ‘the new African sensibility in the age of diaspora and globalization’. Célestin Monga, for his part, has developed, through various travelogues and essays, an original thought based on a nihilist understanding of the creativity at work in the various aspects of ordinary life in Africa, yet also taking into account the major dynamics of globalization. Building on the biographical and intellectual analogies between Monga and Mbembe, this article explores their common assumptions as well as the major lines of their dissent; it then focuses on certain tensions and paradoxes in order to outline the main differences in the critical and literary postures of both thinkers.
Ancrés dans les réalités historiques et politiques du Cameroun, mais nourris également par leur expérience de l’exil voire par un certain nomadisme intellectuel, les penseurs Achille Mbembe et Célestin Monga partagent un même projet: repenser la situation de l’Afrique dans le monde, et développer sur l’état du monde contemporain un point de vue neuf depuis l’Afrique. Si Mbembe est aujourd’hui célèbre pour avoir théorisé, d’une part, la postcolonie (ou les formes contemporaines de l’imagination politique en Afrique) et, d’autre part, l’afropolitanisme ou la manifestation d’une ‘nouvelle sensibilité africaine dans un nouvel âge de dispersion et de circulation’, l’oeuvre de Célestin Monga, en apparence plus littéraire, décline sous la forme de carnets de voyage et d’essais critiques une pensée tout aussi originale, puisqu’elle aborde les aspects créatifs de la vie quotidienne en Afrique, ainsi que les grandes dynamiques de la mondialisation au prisme du nihilisme philosophique. Cet article expose donc les grandes lignes de ces pensées gémellaires, dans leurs convergences et dans leurs singularités, pour analyser ensuite quelques tensions ou paradoxes dans leurs positions critiques et dans leurs postures littéraires respectives.
Bilateralism in the Spanish presidencies of the Council of the European Union: Alliances for the development of European foreign policy
Authors: Mestres Laia 
Published: July 2015

Abstract
One consistent strategy of Spain’s European policy has been bilateralism, that is to say, the development of intense relationships with certain other member states in order to gain influence in decisions regarding the process of European integration. In addition, finding allies has proven essential for the success of Spanish proposals in the European Union (EU), especially during the four Spanish presidencies of the Council of the EU. In this sense, successive Spanish governments have promoted a bilateral rapprochement with the EU’s large member states (France, Germany, Italy and secondarily the United Kingdom) through regular meetings with their governmental leaders. One of the fields where Spain’s bilateralist strategy has been more active is European foreign policy, which has become a privileged sphere for the analysis of the power of states within the EU. This article will look at the four Spanish experiences of holding the rotating presidency of the EU Council and compare the different bilateral strategies developed by each Prime Minister in office.
Painting the CFSP in national colours: Portuguese strategies to help shape the EUs external relations
Authors: Robinson Steven 
Published: July 2015

Abstract
The agenda-setting power of the rotating Council presidency presented successive Portuguese governments with an opportunity to externalize the country’s core foreign-policy priorities onto the European level. As such, Portugal’s presidencies of the Council of the European Union have been particularly instrumental in formalizing relations between the EU and the Lusophone world. The first and second EU–Africa summits, the first EU–Brazil summit, the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Commission and the Executive Secretariat of the Community of Portuguese-speaking countries (CPLP), and the closer association of Cape Verde to the EU, all occurred while Portugal held the rotating Council presidency. This article discusses the strategies, challenges and successes of the three Portuguese presidencies (1992, 2000 and 2007) in shaping the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). It also explores the options available to Portugal in the post-Lisbon era, where the rotating Council presidency’s agenda-setting powers are considerably reduced with regard to CFSP matters. Both prior to and since the Treaty of Lisbon coming into force, Portugal’s strategy has been to stress its historic links to Africa and Brazil, as these relations constitute Portugal’s contribution to building the CFSP, furthering its core national foreign-policy priorities by putting its position in the Lusophone world at the disposal of the European Union’s external action.
Understanding local democracy in Catalonia: From formally institutionalized processes to self-organized social referenda on independence
Authors: Medir Lluís 
Published: July 2015

Abstract
This article identifies and describes key aspects of two movements that sought to empower local democracy in Catalonia from 2008 to 2010 and they are useful to understand the political process leading to the informal referendum on independence held on 9 November 2014. First, it analyses the institutional actions of the Catalan government to promote local democracy in 2008. Second, it focuses on the organizational processes of the local referenda on Catalan independence held in 2010, conducted exclusively by self-organized and ideologically oriented citizens in each locality. In 2008, there were 874 instruments created by local governments to promote the participatory process, while from 2009 to 2010 more than 500 localities held local referenda on independence. Both movements are extensive enough to be interpreted as an important turning point in recent Catalan history. This article will link both processes by highlighting their main features, tracing their historical roots and explaining their relationships, in order to gain a better understanding of the political conditions that finally led to the government-organized independence referendum in 2014.
Efficient processing of window functions in analytical SQL queries
Authors: Leis Viktor , Kundhikanjana Kan , Kemper Alfons , Neumann Thomas 
Published: July 2015

Window functions, also known as analytic OLAP functions, have been part of the SQL standard for more than a decade and are now a widely-used feature. Window functions allow to elegantly express many useful query types including time series analysis, ranking, percentiles, moving averages, and cumulative sums. Formulating such queries in plain SQL-92 is usually both cumbersome and inefficient.
Despite being supported by all major database systems, there have been few publications that describe how to implement an efficient relational window operator. This work aims at filling this gap by presenting an efficient and general algorithm for the window operator. Our algorithm is optimized for high-performance main-memory database systems and has excellent performance on modern multi-core CPUs. We show how to fully parallelize all phases of the operator in order to effectively scale for arbitrary input distributions.
The role of timely measurement of galectin-3, NT-proBNP, cystatin C and hsTnT in predicting prognosis and heart function after heart transplantation
Authors: Franeková Janka , Hošková Lenka , Sečník Peter , Pazderník Michal , Kotrbatá Markéta , Kubíček Zdeněk , Jabor Antonín 
Published: July 2015

AbstractChanges of biomarkers measured soon after heart transplantation (HTx) can reflect different processes: cardiomyocyte necrosis (troponins, high-sensitivity cardiac TnT and TnI), heart function (natriuretic peptides, BNP and NT-proBNP), fibrosis (galectin-3 and ST2), and global cardiorenal risk (cystatin C). We assessed the prognostic role of hsTnT, NT-proBNP, galectin-3 and cystatin C during the early post-transplant period.A total of 121 consecutive post-HTx patients were assessed. The main outcomes were survival, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and rejection periods. Survival was assessed after intermediate (12 months) and long periods (total follow-up during study, median of survival 763 days, IR 527–1038 days). LVEF was assessed 12 months after HTx. Rejection was evaluated during follow-up. We report biomarker concentrations measured 10 days and 12 months after HTx.Ten days after HTx, cystatin C and hsTnT predicted death both under univariable and multivariable analysis. These two biomarkers along with galectin-3 were increased in patients with decreased LVEF measured 1 year after HTx. NT-proBNP did not show early prognostic power. None of the measured biomarkers predicted rejection, but hsTnT and NT-proBNP were increased significantly 12 months after HTx in patients with at least one rejection.Cystatin C and hsTnT measured 10 days after HTx can provide prognostic information on survival and galectin-3 measured at the same time may display a relationship to heart function assessed 1 year after HTx. Further study should be carried out in a large cohort of patients.
Efficacy of PU foam materials for scientific investigation in footwear research
Authors: Mathivanan Selvaraj , Mohan Ranganathan , Das Bhabendra Nath 
Published: July 2015

Abstract
People across the world are primarily concerned with the importance of inserts in footwear in terms of their effectiveness to accomplish therapeutic benefits. Body weight has been implicated as a factor in plantar heel pain, and foot orthoses are commonly used in its conservative treatment and are helpful in reducing symptoms of strain in the fascia during standing and ambulation. It is necessary to investigate the effectiveness of footwear inserts and their impact especially for people with high body mass index (BMI). Hence, research on polyurethane (PU) foams is warranted to identify an ideal material that provides comfort for high-BMI individuals. This article presents details on the physical characteristics of PU foam and its efficacy on functional performances as footwear inserts. PU foam materials have been assessed on various physical characteristics such as density, hardness, compression set followed by resilience, and cushioning behaviors. Of the four densities evaluated, D120 has the highest resilience on static and dynamic conditions. The cushion energy behaviors with respect to walking/running on static and dynamic condition were superior, as they possess better cushioning performance on footwear applications. Hence, the D120 PU foam material is concluded to be the best material for footwear insert for alleviating foot and ankle pain-related problems and for providing therapeutic benefits to high-BMI individuals.
Receptor for advanced glycation end-products in neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Juranek Judyta , Ray Rashmi , Banach Marta , Rai Vivek 
Published: July 2015

Abstract
This review, for the first time, aims to summarize the current knowledge in the emerging field of RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end-products) studies in neurodegeneration and neurodegenerative diseases. RAGE, a member of the multiligand cell surface immunoglobulin family, has been implicated in numerous pathological conditions – from diabetes and cardiovascular diseases to tumors and neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, familial amyloid polyneuropathy, diabetic neuropathy, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. Until now, the detailed mechanisms of the contribution of RAGE to neurodegeneration remain elusive; however, mounting evidence suggests that its detrimental actions are triggered by its ligand interactions and contribute to increased neuroinflammation, neuronal degeneration, and apoptosis. Deciphering the role of RAGE in neurodegenerative disorders will be a milestone in our basic understanding of the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration, helping to delineate molecular links between complex RAGE signaling pathways and neuronal dysfunction and neurodegeneration.
Electronic, Thermal, and Superconducting Properties of Metal Nitrides (MN) and Metal Carbides (MC) (M=V, Nb, Ta) Compounds by First Principles Studies
Authors: Subhashree G. , Sankar S. , Krithiga R. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractStructural, electronic, and superconducting properties of carbides and nitrides of vanadium (V), niobium (Nb), and tantalum (Ta) (group V transition elements) have been studied by computing their electronic band structure characteristics. The electronic band structure calculations have been carried out based on the density functional theory (DFT) within the local density approximation (LDA) by using the tight binding linear muffin tin orbital method. The NaCl-type cubic structures of MN and MC (M=V, Nb, Ta) compounds have been confirmed from the electronic total energy minimum of these compounds. The ground state properties, such as equilibrium lattice constant (a0), bulk modulus (B), and Wigner–Seitz radius (S0) are determined and compared with available data. The electronic density of states reveals the metallic nature of the chosen materials. The electronic specific heat coefficient, Debye temperature, and superconducting transition temperature obtained from the band structure results are found to agree well with the earlier reported literature.
Occupational injuries of teachers and educational staff at special schools with multiple and severely handicapped children in Rhineland‐Palatinate (Germany): results of a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Claus Matthias , Kimbel Renate , Letzel Stephan , Rose Dirk‐Matthias 
Published: July 2015

Occupational injuries of teachers and educational staff at special schools with multiple and severely handicapped children in Rhineland‐Palatinate (Germany): results of a cross‐sectional study: Matthias Claus, et al. Institute for Teachers’ Health at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, GermanyObjectiveThe present study aimed to describe the prevalence, type, and influencing factors of occupational injuries of staff working at special schools with multiple and severely handicapped pupils in Southwestern Germany.MethodsThis cross‐sectional study was carried out between August 2010 and August 2012 at 13 special schools with focus on motoric and/or holistic development of handicapped pupils in Rhineland‐Palatinate (Germany). Participants were interviewed using a written questionnaire.ResultsThere were 395 participants (response proportion: 59.7%) in our study, with 390 being eligible for statistical analysis. Respondents were on average 45 years old and mainly female (86.9%). The 12‐month injury prevalence was 16.9%. Joint dislocations, sprains, and torn ligaments (41.6%) were the main types of injuries. Pupils (59.8%) and auxiliary equipment (12.2%) were identified as the main causes of injury by the respondents. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that washing pupils (using auxiliary equipment) (aOR, 3.93; 95% CI, 1.66−9.31) and daily physical strain due to unexpected conduct of pupils (aOR, 3.70; 95% CI, 1.20−11.37) were the main influencing factors for an occupational injury.ConclusionsAlmost one in five persons suffered an occupational injury in the previous 12 months. Nursing activities, including close contact with pupils, were identified as the most important factors for an injury. In order to prevent injuries at special schools, a multifaceted approach is necessary. This includes sufficient supply of auxiliary devices including proper technical maintenance. Furthermore, regular participation in training for manual handling of heavy loads and schooling on the technical use of auxiliary devices should be encouraged.
Terahertz Wavefront Control by Graphene Metasurface
Authors: Yatooshi Takumi , Ishikawa Atsushi , Tsuruta Kenji 
Published: July 2015

ABSTRACTWe propose and numerically investigate a tunable metasurface made of an array of graphene ribbons to dynamically control terahertz (THz) wavefront. The metasurface consists of graphene micro ribbons on a silver mirror with a SiO2 gap layer. The graphene ribbons are designed to exhibit localized plasmon resonances depending on their Fermi levels to introduce abrupt phase shifts along the metasurface. With interference of the Fabry-Perot resonances in the SiO2 layer, phase shift through the system is largely accumulated, covering up to 2π range for full control of the THz wavefront. Numerical simulations prove that wide-angle reflected THz beam steering from -53° to +53° with a high reflection efficiency as high as 60% is achieved at 5 THz while the propagation direction of THz beam could be switched within 0.6 ps.
The Impact of New Technologies on Leisure in Developed and Emerging Economies
Authors: Ciochetto Lynne 
Published: July 2015

<p>In the last two decades there has been an exponential increase in worldwide computer use, followed by a similar expansion in mobile phone usage. There are a number of factors caused this increase: technological advances in functionality, the migration of computer use from work to the home environment, increased accessibility of data through the increased capacity of search engines and the rapid growth in popularity of social media websites after 2004. The exponential growth of mobile phone use followed a similar but more rapid trajectory and the user base expanded in emerging economies when 3G mobile phone technologies provided internet access. There has been a major shift in the way people communicate particularly the exponential increase in the use of social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Skype and Baibu. Sites such as iTunes and YouTube have changed the way music and video are accessed, listened to and used. Changing patterns of technology use have had a major impact on the way people conduct their lives and have impacted significantly on leisure activities in both developed and emerging economies: the types of activities and the way those activities are pursued in both at home and when people travel.<ins cite="mailto:ITS" datetime="2015-06-08T09:11"></ins></p>
Assessing the Nonbiodegradable Fraction of the Thickened Waste Activated Sludge
Authors: Elbeshbishy Elsayed , Dhar Bipro Ranjan , Nakhla George 
Published: July 2015

ABSTRACT: In this study, the feasibility of using three methods to estimate the nonbiodegradable fraction of five thickened waste activated sludge (TWAS) samples was evaluated using long‐term biochemical methane potential tests at four substrate to biomass ratios. The nonbiodegradable fraction was calculated based on the remaining volatile suspended solids (VSS), remaining total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD), and remaining total organic carbon (TOC). It was evident that the nonbiodegradable fraction of TWAS ranged from 12 to 27%. The average nonbiodegradable fractions of TWAS were 21, 18, and 23% based on remaining VSS, TCOD, and TOC, respectively. The proposed method can be potentially used to characterize biosolids for design and modeling anaerobic treatment processes.
Survival time of dogs with splenic hemangiosarcoma treated by splenectomy with or without adjuvant chemotherapy: 208 cases (2001–2012)
Authors: Wendelburg Kristin M. , Price Lori Lyn , Burgess Kristine E. , Lyons Jeremiah A. , Lew Felicia H. , Berg John 
Published: July 2015

Abstract
Objective—To determine survival time for dogs with splenic hemangiosarcoma treated with splenectomy alone, identify potential prognostic factors, and evaluate the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy.
Design—Retrospective case series.
Animals—208 dogs.
Procedures—Medical records were reviewed, long-term follow-up information was obtained, and survival data were analyzed statistically.
Results—154 dogs were treated with surgery alone, and 54 were treated with surgery and chemotherapy. Twenty-eight dogs received conventional chemotherapy, 13 received cyclophosphamide-based metronomic chemotherapy, and 13 received both conventional and metronomic chemotherapy. Median survival time of dogs treated with splenectomy alone was 1.6 months. Clinical stage was the only prognostic factor significantly associated with survival time. When the entire follow-up period was considered, there was no significant difference in survival time between dogs treated with surgery alone and dogs treated with surgery and chemotherapy. However, during the first 4 months of follow-up, after adjusting for the effects of clinical stage, survival time was significantly prolonged among dogs receiving any type of chemotherapy (hazard ratio, 0.6) and among dogs receiving both conventional and metronomic chemotherapy (hazard ratio, 0.4).
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Clinical stage was strongly associated with prognosis for dogs with splenic hemangiosarcoma. Chemotherapy was effective in prolonging survival time during the early portion of the follow-up period. Combinations of doxorubicin-based conventional protocols and cyclophosphamide-based metronomic protocols appeared to be more effective than either type of chemotherapy alone, but prolongations in survival time resulting from current protocols were modest.
Anatomie d’un tsunami : la percée électorale du Tea Party
Authors: Jacob Rafael 
Published: July 2015

Résumé : Dans le présent article, l’auteur examine les facteurs ayant favorisé la percée électorale du mouvement Tea Party. Il fait état d’éléments contextuels (notamment une conjoncture économique difficile) et institutionnels (comme le système d’élections primaires aux États-Unis). L’article se conclut avec une évaluation sommaire du rôle du Tea Party dans les années qui ont suivi cette montée initiale.
Bureaucracy in America: Reading Ryan’s Budget with Agamben
Authors: Trigg Christopher 
Published: July 2015

Abstract: The article analyses Paul Ryan’s 2013 budget proposal in conjunction with Giorgio Agamben’s The Kingdom and the Glory (2011). Agamben contends that early Christian attempts to differentiate between “the being of God and his activity” continue to structure politics today. Drawing on Agamben’s reading of Thomas Aquinas, I demonstrate how the argument of Ryan’s budget is not only predicated on fiscal responsibility and a moral objection to “big government” but also on a politico-theological conviction that bureaucracies of men and women should not intervene in matters best left to a free market guided by divine providence.