Publishing an Archeological Excavation Report in a Logicist Workflow

The logicist programme, which was initiated in the 1970s by J.C. Gardin, aims: first, to clarify the reasoning processes in the field of archeology; second, to explore new forms of publication, in order to get over the growing imbalance between the flood of publications and our capacities of assimilation. The logicist programme brings out the cognitive structure of archaeological constructs, which establish a bridge between empirical facts, or descriptive propositions, at one end of the argumentation, and interpretative propositions at the other end. This condensation process opens the way for alternative forms of publication, designed to speed up the assimilation of the chain of inference and the consultation of the database on which it stands. In this paper we propose a new publishing workflow respecting the principles of the logicist programme. We show how texts are encoded using XML markup in accordance to Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) recommendations. We explain how the relations between propositions are marked-up as hypertext references with simple qualification. Next, we describe how to extract the overall organization of the interpretation process from the XML tree as RDF triple by extrapolating from relations’ links. We also show how to produce an overview diagram representing the interpretative process

Practical guidelines for the treatment of patellar fractures in adults.

The role of the patella is paramount in the transmission of the quadriceps muscle forces, the increase of the lever arm, the distribution of the forces on the trochlea and the centring of the extensor apparatus. Despite the low incidence of patellar factures in comparison with other lower limb fractures, the painful and functional complications, such as knee stiffness, loss of extension and patellofemoral osteoarthritis, can be very disabling and will often compromise the return to a professional or recreational activity and induce falls in the elderly population. Treatment can be conservative or surgical, provided that it is adapted to the type of fracture. Undisplaced fractures with an intact extensor mechanism can be treated nonoperatively. Surgical treatment is recommended for fractures that either disrupt the extensor mechanism or have more than 2 to 3 mm of step-off and more than 1 to 4 mm of displacement. Tension band fixation is the most commonly employed surgical technique. In most cases, hardware has to be removed after fracture healing because of implant-related pain. Operative treatment of comminuted patellar fractures presents a significant challenge to surgeons. Failure to restore the articular surface contour results in posttraumatic arthritis. Anatomical reconstruction of the articular surface is the only way to prevent the development of posttraumatic osteoarthritis. Typically, fracture classification and thus treatment choice are based on anteroposterior and lateral radiographs of the knee, but when computed tomography of the knee was performed pre-operatively, both the classification and treatment were modified thanks to a better understanding of the fracture complexity. The purpose of this article is to review current treatment strategies and optimise the management of adult patients with patellar fractures

Immunological evaluation of herbal extracts commonly used for treatment of mental diseases during pregnancy

Nonpsychotic mental diseases (NMDs) affect approximately 15% of pregnant women in the US. Herbal preparations are perceived a safe alternative to placenta-crossing antidepressants or benzodiazepines in the treatment of nonpsychotic mental diseases. But are these drugs really safe for mother and foetus? This question is of great relevance to physicians and patients. Therefore, this study investigates the influence of St. John's wort, valerian, hops, lavender, and California poppy and their compounds hyperforin and hypericin, protopine, valerenic acid, and valtrate, as well as linalool, on immune modulating effects in vitro. For this purpose a variety of methods was applied to assess the effects on viability and function of human primary lymphocytes. Viability was assessed via spectrometric assessment, flow cytometric detection of cell death markers and comet assay for possible genotoxicity. Functional assessment was conducted via flow cytometric assessment of proliferation, cell cycle and immunophenotyping. For California poppy, lavender, hops, and the compounds protopine and linalool, and valerenic acid, no effect was found on the viability, proliferation, and function of primary human lymphocytes. However, St. John's wort and valerian inhibited the proliferation of primary human lymphocytes. Hyperforin, hypericin, and valtrate inhibited viability, induced apoptosis, and inhibited cell division. Calculated maximum concentration of compounds in the body fluid, as well as calculated concentrations based on pharmacokinetic data from the literature, were low and supported that the observed effects in vitro would probably have no relevance on patients. In-silico analyses comparing the structure of studied substances with the structure of relevant control substances and known immunosuppressants revealed structural similarities of hyperforin and valerenic acid to the glucocorticoids. Valtrate showed structural similarities to the T cells signaling modulating drugs

The Eight Modes of Local Governance in West Africa

Used in an analytical and non?normative way, the concept of governance may be taken to refer to any organised method of delivering public or collective services and goods according to specific logics and norms, and to specific forms of authority. This article applies the concept to analysis of local arenas in which public goods and services are delivered or co?delivered in Niger and other countries of West Africa. The analysis proposes eight ‘modes of local governance’ and describes their main characteristics drawing on fieldwork evidence collected over an extended period. Chiefly, associational, municipal (municipal council), project?based, bureaucratic, sponsorship?based, religious and merchant modes of governance are distinguished. The article concludes by defining and delimiting a concept of local political culture, referring to a set of shared modern practices and representations relating to the practical operation of modes of local governance in specific local arenas

Endoleak, a specific complication of the endovascular treatment of aortic aneurysms

peer reviewedEndoleaks represent the most common complication of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair. With the increasing use of endovascular techniques for aortic aneurysm repair, the prevalence of endoleaks has risen. While maintaining pressurization of the aneurysm sac, endoleaks expose to persistent risks of an evolution towards rupture. Long-term surveillance with imaging studies is necessary to reduce the incidence of these specific complications that may require intervention. The objective of this article is to draw the attention to the possible occurrence of these complications and to report the elements of diagnosis and treatment

Los arenales costeros del litoral catalán (la bahía de Rosas)

[ES] Se distinguen dos fuentes para los minerales pesados que se encuentran en las playas de la bahía de Rosas: los basaltos de Olot, para la augita, olivino e hiperstena y las rocas metamórficas del macizo de los Alberes y Cabo de Creus de donde proceden la andalucita, silimanita y distena. La distribución de los minerales, se explica por el transporte efectuado por las corrientes de deriva, los temporales y el viento. Las anomaiías en la distribucidn de algunas especies se deben a los accicentes del terreno y a las condiciones dinámicas muy activas de la bahía, que afectan a la seleccidn de minerales.[EN] The heavy minerals of Gulf of Rosas coastal sand have two different sources. The more frequent heavy minerals are augite and olivine which come from Olot basalts. The metamorfic association is presented by andalusite, siliimanite and kyanite and they come from the metamorfic rocks of the Pyrenees and Cap of Creus massif. Homblende can have two origins: the metamorfic and the granitic rocks of river Muga basin.Peer reviewe

Medicinal Plants for the Treatment of Mental Diseases in Pregnancy: An In Vitro Safety Assessment

Pregnancy is a critical period for medical care, during which the well-being of woman and fetus must be considered. This is particularly relevant in managing non-psychotic mental disorders since treatment with central nervous system-active drugs and untreated NMDs may have negative effects. Some well-known herbal preparations (phytopharmaceuticals), including St. Johnʼs wort, California poppy, valerian, lavender, and hops, possess antidepressant, sedative, anxiolytic, or antidepressant properties and could be used to treat mental diseases such as depression, restlessness, and anxiety in pregnancy. Our goal was to assess their safety in vitro, focusing on cytotoxicity, induction of apoptosis, genotoxicity, and effects on metabolic properties and differentiation in cells widely used as a placental cell model (BeWo b30 placenta choriocarcinoma cells). The lavender essential oil was inconspicuous in all experiments and showed no detrimental effects. At low-to-high concentrations, no extract markedly affected the chosen safety parameters. At an artificially high concentration of 100 µg/mL, extracts from St. Johnʼs wort, California poppy, valerian, and hops had minimal cytotoxic effects. None of the extracts resulted in genotoxic effects or altered glucose consumption or lactate production, nor did they induce or inhibit BeWo b30 cell differentiation. This study suggests that all tested preparations from St. Johnʼs wort, California poppy, valerian, lavender, and hops, in concentrations up to 30 µg/mL, do not possess any cytotoxic or genotoxic potential and do not compromise placental cell viability, metabolic activity, and differentiation. Empirical and clinical studies during pregnancy are needed to support these in vitro data

X-ray strain analysis of {111} fiber-textured thin films independent of grain-interaction models

The anisotropic elastic response of supported thin films with a {111} fiber texture has been studied using an in-situ micro-tensile tester and X-ray diffractometry. It is shown which specific X-ray diffraction measurement geometries can be used to analyze the elastic strains in thin films without requiring any assumptions regarding elastic interactions between grains. It is evidenced (theoretically and experimentally) that the combination of two specific geometries leads to a simple linear relationship between the measured strains and the geometrical variable sin 2 , avoiding the transition scale models. The linear fit of the experimental data allows a direct determination of the relationship between the three single-crystal elastic compliances or a direct determination of the S 44 single-crystal elastic compliance and the combination of S 11 + 2S 12 if the macroscopic stress is known. This methodology has been applied to a model system, i.e. gold film for which no size effect is expected, deposited on polyimide substrate, and it was found that S 44 = 23.2 TPa -1 and S 11 + 2S 12 = 1.9 TPa -1 , in good accordance with values for large crystals of gold. © 2011 International Union of Crystallography Printed in Singapore - all rights reserved