bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complications of First Craniotomy for Intra-Axial Brain Tumour
Authors: Cabantog Alberto M. , Bernstein Mark
Published: February 2016

Complications were examined in a single surgeon’s series of 207 consecutive adult patients undergoing first craniotomy for intra-axial brain tumour. The study group consisted of 114 gliomas, 74 metastatic tumours and 19 miscellaneous lesions. There were 25 infratentorial tumours and 182 supratentorial tumours (39 deep and 143 superficial). The total number of patients sustaining complications was 52 for an overall complication rate of 25.1%; the rate was higher for infratentorial tumours (44.0%) than supratentorial tumours (22.8%) regardless of histology (p = 0.012). There were 5 deaths for a mortality rate of 2.4%. Forty-seven patients incurred operative morbidity (22.7%); 7 out of the 47 had multiple complications. Sixteen patients sustained transient worsening due to edema (7.7%) and 6 patients sustained permanent neurological deficit (2.9%). Medical complications were suffered by 17 patients (8.2%). Major complications which significantly altered the quality and/or quantity of survival were suffered by 9 patients overall (4.3%).
Stretch Reflex Latencies in Spastic Hemiparetic Subjects are Prolonged After Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation
Authors: Hui-Chan Christina W.Y. , Levin Mindy F.
Published: February 2016

Low-intensity repetitive electrical stimulation such as dorsal column and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) reportedly decreases spasticity and improves voluntary motor control. However, the mechanisms mediating these effects are unclear. Recent findings suggest that spasticity may be characterized more appropriately by a decrease in the stretch reflex threshold than by an increase in gain. Our objectives were: (1) to examine possible changes in stretch reflex excitability following 45 min of TENS, (2) to map out the time course of possible post-stimulation effects via both latency and magnitude (amplitude or area) measurements, and (3) to determine the role of segmental versus non-segmental mechanisms involved in mediating these changes. The effects of 45 min of segmentally and heterosegmentally applied TENS on lower limb reflexes in ten spastic hemiparetic subjects were contrasted with those resulting from placebo stimulation. We found that both segmentally and heterosegmentally applied TENS caused an immediate increase in soleus H reflex latencies that was evident for up to 60 minutes post-stimulation in over 75% of the subjects. Similar increases for up to 60 and 40 minutes post-stimulation was noted for the stretch reflex latencies in 50% and 67% of the subjects respectively for segmental and heterosegmental stimulation. These results suggested that manipulation of segmental and heterosegmental afférents for 45 min may lead to a decrease of the otherwise augmented stretch reflex excitability accompanying hemiparetic spasticity.
Abducens Palsy Following Shunting for Hydrocephalus
Authors: Espinosa J.A. , Giroux M. , Johnston K. , Kirkham T. , Villemure J.G.
Published: February 2016

Over a period of 12 years, 80 patients underwent ventricular shunting for normal pressure hydrocephalus. Three developed sixth cranial nerve palsy in the first two weeks after surgery. This uncommon complication is usually transitory following the same pattern of abducens palsy after lumbar puncture or spinal anesthesia. Traction on the nerve with local ischemia has been involved as the responsible mechanism in both instances.
Impact of Migraine and Tension-Type Headache on Life-Style, Consulting Behaviour, and Medication Use: A Canadian Population Survey
Authors: Edmeads John , Findlay Helen , Tugwell Peter , Pryse-Phillips William , Nelson R.F. , Murray T.J.
Published: February 2016

A large sample of Canadian adults was surveyed by telephone to determine the prevalence and characterization of headache, and the effects of headache on life-style, consulting behaviours and medication use. We reported prevalence and characterization in a previous issue; here, we detail the effects of headaches on sufferers. Sixteen and one-half percent of adult Canadians experience migraine and 29% tension-type headaches. In over 70% of headache sufferers interpersonal relationships are impaired. Regular activities are limited in 78% of migraine attacks and 38% of tension-type headaches. Despite this, only 64% of migraine and 45% of tension-type headache sufferers had ever sought medical attention, and of these only 32% returned for ongoing care. Fourteen percent of migraine and 8% of tension-type headache sufferers had used emergency departments. Most headache sufferers take medication, primarily over-the-counter varieties. Measures to reach the headache population are needed, as are safe effective treatment options that will encourage them to participate in their medical care.
Progressive Focal Degenerative Disease of the Posterior Associative Cortex
Authors: Attig Ezzedine , Jacquy Jean , Uytdenhoef Patrick , Roland Hervé
Published: February 2016

A 72-year-old man developed a very progressive neuropsychologic deficit 6 years ago, beginning with isolated visual topographic memory disturbances and visuo-constructive apraxia without additional manifestations of dementia. The syndrome worsened thereafter with the emergence of visual agnosia, simultagnosia, psychic paralysis of gaze, auditivo-verbal agnosia, and recently an amnestic syndrome with confabulation and confusion (at the end of 1989). CT scans, which remained unchanged over the years, showed mild, focal atrophic changes revealed by dilatation of the right occipital horn. His angiograms were normal. Two SPECT studies (with HMPAO measurements), performed 6 years from the onset, detected marked hypoperfusion in both parieto-occipital regions, mainly on the right side. Progressive focal degenerative disease without dementia is a relatively new syndrome, especially in cases with progressive aphasia.1 As noted in our patient, progressive disturbances initially localized in the right parieto-occipital region followed by posterior bilobar degeneration (pronounced on the right side) without dementia until late in the course may represent another exceptionally reported characteristic of this new syndrome. It is suggested that this variant of the Mesulam syndrome is more likely explained by progressive atrophy of the Alzheimer type.
The Use of Antiepileptic Drug Levels In Children: A Survey of Canadian Pediatric Neurologists
Authors: Dooley J.M. , Camfield P.R. , Camfield C.S. , Gordon K.E. , Fraser A.D.
Published: February 2016

There are 60 pediatric neurologists in Canada. Replies were received from 56 in response to a survey regarding the use and perceived value of antiepileptic drug (AED) levels. AED levels are frequently ordered and influence clinical care. There were, however, discrepancies among pediatric neurologists regarding the upper and lower limits of the “therapeutic ranges” and the clinical application of levels. We suggest that both the value and use of AED levels needs further study.
Failure to Recognize Status Epilepticus in a Paralysed Patient
Authors: Munn R.I. , Farrell K.
Published: February 2016

Paralysis induced by neuromuscular blocking agents facilitates ventilation of seriously ill patients but may preclude clinical recognition of seizures. We describe the occurrence of severe cognitive impairment in a 14-year-old girl in whom status epilepticus was recognized only when pancuronium was withdrawn after 14 hours of paralysis. This patient emphasizes a potential danger of paralysis from drugs in patients with acute cerebral dysfunction.
Parieto-cerebellar Loop Impairment in Ataxic Hemiparesis: Proposed Pathophysiology Based on an Analysis of Cerebral Blood Flow
Authors: Attig Ezzedine
Published: February 2016

Sixteen stroke patients suffering from ataxic hemiparesis syndrome were studied with regional cerebral blood flow measured by 133-Xenon inhalation technique (12 patients) and by SPECT (HMPAO) (9 patients). The causative lesions (hematoma in 7 and infarct in 9), unilateral in 15 patients and bilateral in 1, were located in the posterior two-thirds of the corona radiata, thalamocapsular and subthalamus regions, or cerebral peduncle. Ataxia of the cerebellar type was unilateral in 15 patients and bilateral in 1 with similar, deep, bilateral causative lesions. Four patients presented some characteristics of proprioceptive ataxia (mixed ataxia). Associated cognitive disturbances were present in 9 patients and absent in 7. Eleven of the 12 subjects studied by 133-Xenon inhalation technique showed limited centro-parietal hypoperfusion, mainly in the inferior parietal lobule, ipsilateral to the causative lesion and bilaterally in the patient with bilateral lesions and ataxia. Ipsilateral hypoperfusion was confirmed in 7/9 patients studied by SPECT, which also demonstrated contralateral cerebellar hypoperfusion in 4 patients. These findings suggest that ataxic hemiparesis syndrome results from functional depression (diaschisis) consequent to the interruption at many levels of an “inferior parietal associative cortex - cerebellar anterior lobe” circuit.
Minimum Standards for Clinical Evoked Potential Studies
Authors:   Canadian Society of Clinical Neurophysiologists
Published: February 2016

Evoked potentials are the electrical changes that occur in the brain in response to sensory stimuli. They can be recorded from scalp electrodes using sensitive amplifiers. Averaging techniques are necessary to separate the evoked potentials from other electrical activities. Evoked potentials can provide helpful information for the clinical evaluation of neurological patients. They can assess sensory function by demonstrating the brain's response to sensory stimuli. They can localize dysfunction in sensory pathways by showing where and when a sensory response becomes abnormal. They can identify abnormalities of sensory processing that are not apparent during the usual clinical examination. They can assess the extent of normal or abnormal function and thereby assist prognosis in patients with brain-damage.
SPECT for Differential Diagnosis of Dementia and Correlation of rCBF with Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Osimani Alicia , Ichise Masanori , Chung Dae-Gyun , Pogue Janice M. , Freedman Morris
Published: February 2016

99mTc-HM-PAO single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was used to image 30 patients referred for the assessment of dementia. SPECT images revealed various patterns of regional cerebral perfusion (rCBF) in the subgroups of patients with the clinical diagnoses of Alzheimer's disease (AD, n = 14), Pick's disease (n = 1), and multi-infarct dementia (n = 7). In three patients, SPECT clarified the clinical differential diagnostic possibilities. Using a relative rCBF quantification technique, the relationship between specific cognitive impairments and rCBF in the AD patients was determined. There was a significant correlation between language impairment and left hemisphere hypoperfusion, whereas, apraxia correlated with hypoperfusion in the left parietal region. Thus, HMPAO SPECT is useful as an aid in the differential diagnosis of dementia and the technique of relative rCBF quantification with SPECT may contribute to the understanding of the clinico-anatomical relations of cognitive deficits in dementia.
HIV-1/AIDS Neuropathology in a Canadian Teaching Centre
Authors: Walsh Kimberley , Thompson William , Megyesi Joseph , Wiley Clayton A. , Hammond Robert
Published: February 2016

Background:

The nervous system is a major target of HIV-1 infection and site of many complications of AIDS. Most of our knowledge pertaining to the range and frequency of neuropathology in HIV-1/AIDS is from large centres outside Canada in different social and health care settings. The goal of the present study was to describe HIV-1/AIDS-associated neuropathology before and during the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy at a Canadian teaching centre.

Methods:

The records of the Department of Pathology, London Health Sciences Centre were electronically searched for cases of HIV-1/AIDS that came to postmortem examination since 1985. The clinical records and pathological materials were reviewed.

Results:

Sixteen autopsies of HIV-1/AIDS were identified. All patients were male. Fourteen contracted HIV-1 through high risk homosexual activity, one through the transfusion of blood products and one through intravenous drug use. Three patients (19%) had pre-mortem evidence of HIV-1 associated dementia. At autopsy, 12 of the 16 cases had neuropathological findings and the most common diagnoses were HIV-1 encephalitis, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, toxoplasmosis, and primary CNS lymphoma.

Conclusions:

High risk homosexual activity was a more prominent factor in acquiring AIDS in cases coming to postmortem examination compared with previous reports from most larger urban centres outside Canada where injection drug use and high risk heterosexual activity factored prominently. The incidence of HIV-1 associated dementia was similar to that reported previously. This study confirms the heavy burden and wide spectrum of disease experienced by the nervous system in HIV-1/AIDS.
Cortical Relay Time for Long Latency Reflexes in Patients with Definite Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Tataroglu Cengiz , Genc Ahmet , Idiman Egemen , Cakmur Raif , Idiman Fethi
Published: February 2016

Background:

Long latency reflexes (LLR) include afferent sensory, efferent motor and central transcortical pathways. It is supposed that the cortical relay time (CRT) reflects the conduction of central transcortical loop of LLR. Recently, evidence related to the cortical involvement in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been reported in some studies. Our aim was to investigate the CRT alterations in patients with MS.

Methods:

Upper extremity motor evoked potentials (MEP), somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) and LLR were tested in 28 patients with MS and control subjects (n=22). The patients with MS were classified according to the clinical form (relapsing-remitting [R-R] and progressive groups). The MS patients with secondary progressive and primary progressive forms were considered as the “progressive” group. CRT for LLR was calculated by subtracting the peak latency of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) and that of motor evoked potentials (MEP) by transcranial magnetic stimulation from the onset latency of the second component of LLR (LLR2) (CRT = LLR2 – [MEP latency + N20 latency])

Results:

Cortical relay time was calculated as 7.4 ± 0.9 ms in control subjects. Cortical relay time was prolonged in patients with MS (11.2 ± 2.9 ms) (p<0.0001). The latencies of LLR, MEP and SEP were also prolonged in patients with MS. Cortical relay time was not correlated with disease severity and clinical form in contrast to other tests.

Conclusions:

Our findings suggested that CRT can be a valuable electrophysiological tool in patients with MS. Involvement of extracortical neural circuits between sensory and motor cortices or cortical involvement due to MS may cause these findings.
The Aphasia Quotient: The Taxonomic Approach to Measurement of Aphasic Disability
Authors: Kertesz Andrew , Poole Elizabeth
Published: February 2016

150 aphasiacs and 59 controls were examined with a scorable, comprehensive battery, designed to be used by the clinician and the research worker. The subtests of Fluency, Information, Comprehension, Repetition and Naming were added and compared to a hypothetical normal of 100 obtaining the “aphasia Quotient.” This is a measurement of the severity of language impairment. On the basis of their performance on the subtests, the patients were classified according to taxonomic principles into Global, Motor (Broca’s), Isolation, Sensory (Wernicke’s), Transcortical Motor, Transcortical Sensory, Conduction and Anomic groups (in order of severity). This classification is considered a clinically valid baseline for research, diagnosis and prognosis.
Istanbul between Civilization and Discontent
Authors: Aksoy Asu , Robins Kevin
Published: February 2016

In the context of economic globalisation and the new international order taking shape after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Istanbul is assuming a new and strategic prominence in the world. What kind of city is Istanbul likely to become in its next phase of existence? What can we say of the urban culture and of the sense of urbanity that are now developing there? There are those who maintain that the new Istanbul is again becoming a cosmopolitan city, a cultural mosaic. What strike us most forcefully are the forces that are working to inhibit and undermine any such ideal. First, we consider the contemporary transformation in urban form, and then we shall go on to explore the changing cultural identity of the city.
Disjuncture in Ethnicity: Negotiating Circassian Identity in Jordan, Turkey and the Caucasus
Authors: Shami Seteney
Published: February 2016

Theorizing about nationalism must now incorporate phenomena brought about by the break-up of the Soviet Union, the disintegration of formerly socialist states and the emergence of so-called “ethno-nationalisms”. Previously, nationalism was mostly addressed in terms of modernization, nation-building and post-colonialism. In these interpretations, the presence of a modernizing state was a given, although the success or failure of these states in mobilizing the loyalties of their populations was seen to vary. What is now troubling to the older paradigms is how to interpret the phenomenon of nationalism sans state, or at least in the absence of the political, economic, ideological construct of the nation-state.
Turkey's experience with neoliberal policies since 1980 in retrospect and prospect
Authors: Şenses Fikret
Published: February 2016

This paper provides a critical assessment of Turkey's economic performance under the neoliberal economic policies which have been instrumental in generating a profound transformation in its socioeconomic structure since 1980. The paper draws special attention to the government's loss of policy autonomy and the democratic deficit at the initial and implementation stages of this transformation. It then evaluates Turkey's economic performance on the basis of indicators with medium and long-term impacts, such as investment, saving, industrialization, unemployment, and income distribution. This assessment shows that the neoliberal model has failed to fulfill its promises, with the Turkish economy failing to achieve performance equal to that under the previous import-substitution strategy or in comparable countries. The paper then identifies the main problem areas confronting the economy: the current account deficit, the labor market, insufficient industrial progress and income distribution, and poverty. To solve these problems, it calls for both a radical rethinking of the neoliberal policy regime and for proactive state intervention to stimulate saving and investment as part of a new development strategy, giving primary importance to industrialization, employment creation, and more equitable income distribution.
Necessary Conformism: An Art of Living for Young People in Turkey
Authors: Lðkðslð Demet
Published: February 2016

This paper focuses on the everyday life experiences of the post-1980 generation in Turkey–a generation stigmatized for being depoliticized and apathetic. Rather than accepting this stigmatizing view, however, this analysis aims to better understand young people's actual lived experiences. To do so, it adopts the concept of “necessary conformism” developed in previous empirical research. This concept offers an alternative analytical framework that transcends the engaged/disengaged or political/ unpolitical dichotomy in young people's social participation. Specifically, the application of this concept reveals that apathetic behavior may actually mask powerful discontent and suffering that can be expressed neither through conventional politics nor open resistance. The necessary conformism of young people, therefore, is not apathetic behavior, but the expression of an underlying discontent and often a hidden agony.
Refah Party and the City Administration of Istanbul: Liberal Islam, Localism and Hybridity
Authors: Çınar Alev İnan
Published: February 2016

As Islam becomes an increasingly salient element of political life in various countries around the world, there is a growing need to make sense of the new forms and meanings Islam assumes in its various manifestations. It is obvious by now that complex mechanisms surrounding the politics of Islam cannot be adequately understood by the employment of such broad and overgeneralizing categories as “reactionism”, “fundamentalism” or “conservatism.” Political Islam, far from being a unified social movement with a coherent political aim, is a fragmented, multi-faceted phenomenon which cannot, therefore, be adequately understood through singular categories.
Reappropriating the “Green”: Islamist Environmentalism
Authors: Erdur Oğuz
Published: February 2016

Soon after coming to power in 1994, one of the first actions of the Islamist municipality in Istanbul was to paint the cobblestones around the municipal area green. The semiotics involved in this seemingly unimportant alteration from the usual yellow or white was immediately recognized by the media, which in turn drew the public's attention to the issue. The municipality was harshly criticized for marking out its territory with an Islamist symbol, i.e., the color green. The mayor, in return, responded by asserting that green was one of the colors that was legally designated for this particular purpose. Yet, instead of arguing further in terms of the lawfulness of this action and democratic rights involved in the administration of a municipality, he declared that the green cobblestones in fact symbolized the environmentalist aspect of the municipal policy.
Mercantile Militarism in Turkey, 1960-1998
Authors: Parla Taha
Published: February 2016

It was in 1974 when I first took a look at mercantile militarism in Turkey, emergent in the form of OYAK-Ordu Yardımlaşma Kurumu (Armed Forces Mutual Trust and Pension Fund) (Parla 1974). In the first section of this paper, I shall present the case as it then appeared. In the second section, I will update the data on the phenomenon of OYAK as of 1998. In the third, I shall examine aspects of the second, complementary wave of Turkish mercantile militarism that has manifested itself in the form of TSKGV-Türk Silahlı Kuvvetlerini Güçlendirme Vakfı (Foundation for Strengthening the Turkish Armed Forces). The concluding section will suggest a way in which this subject can be put in the larger context of an all-pervasive militarism in Turkey—political, constitutional, cultural—as well as some of the ways in which critical appreciation of this phenomenon seems crucial for understanding Turkish politics and political economy better.
Art and Power in Turkey: Culture, Aesthetics and Nationalism During the Single Party Era
Authors: Köksal Duygu
Published: February 2016

One prominent intellectual of the early Turkish Republic, İsmail Hakkı Baltacıoğlu, argued that the new Republic should be “a Republic of fine arts.” Indeed, the early Republican project in Turkey perceived culture and art as media through which the Republic could not only represent its achievements but also “create” itself. The present study focuses on the cultural policies and elite perceptions of culture during the single-party regime in Turkey. More specifically, it looks into the developments that took place in the plastic arts and in elite approaches towards aesthetics. This is done in order to shed light on young Turkey's cultural modernization. Examining the interaction between aesthetics and power, this discussion stands at the intersection of political studies and cultural history.
A Belated Awakening: National and International Responses to the Internal Displacement of Kurds in Turkey
Authors: Ayata Bilgin , Yükseker Deniz
Published: February 2016

Internal displacement has replaced the flows of border-crossing refugees as the major form of forced migration across the world in the past two decades. International organizations seek to have a central role in providing assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) although this phenomenon comes under the traditional realm of state sovereignty, in contrast to the refugee regime, which is part of international law. The evolving international IDP regime has triggered policy and scholarly debates about various aspects of state responsibility and international assistance. On one hand, when states fail to provide protection to the displaced, the decision to take international action is often selective and depends to a large extent on the balance of geopolitical interests of powerful donor states. On the other hand, extant international humanitarian assistance practices also face criticism for having created new modes of power over displaced groups.
“I Miss My Village!”: Forced Kurdish Migrants in İstanbul and Their Representation in Associations
Authors: Çelik Ayşe Betül
Published: February 2016

Metropolises in Turkey like İstanbul, Ankara, and İzmir along with the cities in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia received a significant number of internally displaced Kurds (hereinafter referred to as Kurdish IDPs) in the late 1980s to the 1990s. One of the impacts of this displacement in the urban areas has been the alteration in the ways in which some hometown associations functioned, and the formation of some new Kurdish associations. Changes in the nature of migration from voluntary to forced migration have largely contributed to the way some hometown associations began to restructure their agendas and their depiction of the needs of their members, in addition to the extension of their service areas to reach out to these forced migrants. However, as argued below, the way many hometown associations dealt with the problems of the Kurdish IDPs and their identity issues were limited and non-political as compared to the newly formed Kurdish associations of the 1990s, which extended their service functions to include the expression of the needs and identities specific to the “Kurdish group,” and in the case of Kurdish women's associations to “Kurdish women.”
Globalization, modernity and democracy: In search of a viable domestic polity for a sustainable Turkish foreign policy
Authors: Keyman E. Fuat
Published: February 2016

In recent years. Turkey has initiated a proactive, multi-dimensional and constructive foreign policy in many areas, ranging from contributing to peace and stability in the Middle East, to playing an active role in countering terrorism and extremism, from becoming a new “energy hub” to acting as one of the architects of “the inter-civilization dialogue initiative” aiming at producing a vision of the world, based on dialogue, tolerance and living together. Thus, there has been an upsurge of interest in, and a global attraction to, Turkey and its contemporary history. Moreover, the global attraction to Turkey has stemmed not only from the geopolitical identity of Turkey, as a strong state with the capacity to function as a “geopolitical security hinge” in the intersection of the Middle East, the Balkans and the Caucasian regions, but also from its cultural identity as a modern national formation with parliamentary democratic governance, secular constitutional structure and mainly Muslim population. Furthermore, as the world has become more globalized, more interdependent and more risky, this new foreign policy identity entailed the employment of not only geopolitics but also identity and economy. Thus, geopolitics, modernity and democracy have become the constitutive dimensions of Turkish foreign policy today This paper explores the ways in which the increasing role and visibility of “soft power” in Turkish foreign policy operates, and suggests that to be sustainable, Turkish foreign policy, relying on soft power, should go hand in hand with the process of the consolidation of Turkish democracy, and also accept and put into practice Turkey-EU relations as the main axis of proactiveness and constructiveness.
Falling from grace: Gender norms and gender strategies in Eastern Turkey
Authors: Weiss Nerina
Published: February 2016

This article calls for a critical scholarly engagement with women's participation in the Kurdish movement. Since the 1980s, women have appropriated the political sphere in different gender roles, and their activism is mostly seen as a way of empowerment and emancipation. Albeit legitimate, such a claim often fails to account for the social and political control mechanisms inherent in the new political gender roles. This article presents the life stories of four Kurdish women. Although politically active, these women do not necessarily define themselves through their political activity. Thus they do not present their life story according to the party line, but dwell on the different social and political expectations, state violence and the contradicting role models with whom they have to deal on a daily basis. Therefore, the status associated with their roles, especially those of the “new” and emancipated woman, does not necessarily represent their own experiences and subjectivities. Women who openly criticize the social and political constraints by transgressing the boundaries of accepted conduct face social as well as political sanctions.
Alevist Movements at Home and Abroad: Mobilization Spaces and Disjunction
Authors: Massicard Elise
Published: February 2016

The Alevist movement developed almost simultaneously in Turkey and among Turkish migrants, but it is structured and acts quite differently in these distinct, albeit related, political spaces. This comparative empirical study tries to explain the differences in the discourses and the success of Alevist movements in Turkey and Germany by relating them to the broader institutional and discursive contexts within which they are embedded. Alevist movements are incorporated differently in state policies directed to claim-makers and consequently possess different discursive and institutional resources. Spatially bounded institutional contexts and political agendas frame the discourse and strategies of Alevist claim-making, and result in divergent developments. It is thus necessary to disentangle the multiple levels of claim-and policy-making involved (local, national and supranational), and to analyze their relationships and possible articulations. ‘Transnational’ mobilization has often been understood as a mere continuation of mobilization at home or, oppositely, as its driving force. This paper questions the continuity between mobilizations at home and abroad, and argues that mobilization in migration entails specific dynamics, which may not be re-imported home.
The Poverty of Democracy in Turkey: The Refah Party Episode
Authors: Gülalp Haldun
Published: February 2016

The rise of Islamist political movements through open electoral competition has constituted a challenge to the political systems of numerous Middle Eastern countries in recent years and has led to a rethinking of the question of compatibility between Islam and democracy. Esposito and Voll (1996, pp. 193-94) have pointed out that while many unquestioningly believe that Islam and democracy are fundamentally opposed, “many Muslims have made advocacy of democracy the litmus test for the credibility and legitimacy of regimes and for political parties and opposition.”
The Rebuilding of İstanbul Revisited: Foreign Planners in the Early Republican Years
Authors: Akpınar İpek
Published: February 2016

In the 1930s, the attention of Turkey’s politicians shifted back from Ankara and Anatolian cities to İstanbul. In 1932, the Governorship-Municipality of İstanbul organized an urban design competition for İstanbul, and four foreign city planners were invited. In the meantime, Martin Wagner came to İstanbul for the preparation of urban reports. In 1937, Henri Prost, the prominent urbanist of Paris, was invited to İstanbul and prepared the first master plan of the city. In Turkey and in İstanbul, town planning processes have been significantly influenced by “Western” planning principles, cultures, and experiences while gaining a local meaning in the context of Turkish politics and the state-formation process. The aim of this study is to describe the urban design competition of 1933 and the first master plan of 1937. Beyond references to Western European cities as in the “city-beautiful” planning approach, this study, based on a series of official documents, plan reports and their rhetoric, investigates in particular the role of foreign planners/urbanists in İstanbul in the context of the construction of a nation-state. The analysis of these foreign planners’ work suggests that urban planning in Republican Turkey was closely linked to the construction of the nation state.
OPTIMAL PROPORTIONAL REINSURANCE AND INVESTMENT PROBLEM WITH CONSTRAINTS ON RISK CONTROL IN A GENERAL JUMP-DIFFUSION FINANCIAL MARKET
Authors: ZHU HUIMING , HUANG YA , ZHOU JIEMING , YANG XIANGQUN , DENG CHAO
Published: February 2016

We study the optimal proportional reinsurance and investment problem in a general jump-diffusion financial market. Assuming that the insurer’s surplus process follows a jump-diffusion process, the insurer can purchase proportional reinsurance from the reinsurer and invest in a risk-free asset and a risky asset, whose price is modelled by a general jump-diffusion process. The insurance company wishes to maximize the expected exponential utility of the terminal wealth. By using techniques of stochastic control theory, closed-form expressions for the value function and optimal strategy are obtained. A Monte Carlo simulation is conducted to illustrate that the closed-form expressions we derived are indeed the optimal strategies, and some numerical examples are presented to analyse the impact of model parameters on the optimal strategies.
Gpr176 is a Gz-linked orphan G-protein-coupled receptor that sets the pace of circadian behaviour
Authors: Doi Masao , Murai Iori , Kunisue Sumihiro , Setsu Genzui , Uchio Naohiro , Tanaka Rina , Kobayashi Sakurako , Shimatani Hiroyuki , Hayashi Hida , Chao Hsu-Wen , Nakagawa Yuuki , Takahashi Yukari , Hotta Yunhong , Yasunaga Jun-ichirou , Matsuoka Masao , Hastings Michael H. , Kiyonari Hiroshi , Okamura Hitoshi
Published: February 2016

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) participate in a broad range of physiological functions. A priority for fundamental and clinical research, therefore, is to decipher the function of over 140 remaining orphan GPCRs. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the brain’s circadian pacemaker, governs daily rhythms in behaviour and physiology. Here we launch the SCN orphan GPCR project to (i) search for murine orphan GPCRs with enriched expression in the SCN, (ii) generate mutant animals deficient in candidate GPCRs, and (iii) analyse the impact on circadian rhythms. We thereby identify Gpr176 as an SCN-enriched orphan GPCR that sets the pace of circadian behaviour. Gpr176 is expressed in a circadian manner by SCN neurons, and molecular characterization reveals that it represses cAMP signalling in an agonist-independent manner. Gpr176 acts independently of, and in parallel to, the Vipr2 GPCR, not through the canonical Gi, but via the unique G-protein subclass Gz.
Luminescent platinum(II) complexes with functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene or diphosphine selectively probe mismatched and abasic DNA
Authors: Fung Sin Ki , Zou Taotao , Cao Bei , Chen Tianfeng , To Wai-Pong , Yang Chen , Lok Chun-Nam , Che Chi-Ming
Published: February 2016

The selective targeting of mismatched DNA overexpressed in cancer cells is an appealing strategy in designing cancer diagnosis and therapy protocols. Few luminescent probes that specifically detect intracellular mismatched DNA have been reported. Here we used Pt(II) complexes with luminescence sensitive to subtle changes in the local environment and report several Pt(II) complexes that selectively bind to and identify DNA mismatches. We evaluated the complexes’ DNA-binding characteristics by ultraviolet/visible absorption titration, isothermal titration calorimetry, nuclear magnetic resonance and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations. These Pt(II) complexes show up to 15-fold higher emission intensities upon binding to mismatched DNA over matched DNA and can be utilized for both detecting DNA abasic sites and identifying cancer cells and human tissue samples with different levels of mismatch repair. Our work highlights the potential of luminescent Pt(II) complexes to differentiate between normal cells and cancer cells which generally possess more aberrant DNA structures.
Nanotwin-governed toughening mechanism in hierarchically structured biological materials
Authors: Shin Yoon Ah , Yin Sheng , Li Xiaoyan , Lee Subin , Moon Sungmin , Jeong Jiwon , Kwon Minhyug , Yoo Seung Jo , Kim Young-Min , Zhang Teng , Gao Huajian , Oh Sang Ho
Published: February 2016

As a natural biocomposite, Strombus gigas, commonly known as the giant pink queen conch shell, exhibits outstanding mechanical properties, especially a high fracture toughness. It is known that the basic building block of conch shell contains a high density of growth twins with average thickness of several nanometres, but their effects on the mechanical properties of the shell remain mysterious. Here we reveal a toughening mechanism governed by nanoscale twins in the conch shell. A combination of in situ fracture experiments inside a transmission electron microscope, large-scale atomistic simulations and finite element modelling show that the twin boundaries can effectively block crack propagation by inducing phase transformation and delocalization of deformation around the crack tip. This mechanism leads to an increase in fracture energy of the basic building block by one order of magnitude, and contributes significantly to that of the overall structure via structural hierarchy.
A collagen-binding EGFR antibody fragment targeting tumors with a collagen-rich extracellular matrix
Authors: Liang Hui , Li Xiaoran , Wang Bin , Chen Bing , Zhao Yannan , Sun Jie , Zhuang Yan , Shi Jiajia , Shen He , Zhang Zhijun , Dai Jianwu
Published: February 2016

Many tumors over-express collagen, which constitutes the physical scaffold of tumor microenvironment. Collagen has been considered to be a target for cancer therapy. The collagen-binding domain (CBD) is a short peptide, which could bind to collagen and achieve the sustained release of CBD-fused proteins in collagen scaffold. Here, a collagen-binding EGFR antibody fragment was designed and expressed for targeting the collagen-rich extracellular matrix in tumors. The antibody fragment (Fab) of cetuximab was fused with CBD (CBD-Fab) and expressed in Pichia pastoris. CBD-Fab maintained antigen binding and anti-tumor activity of cetuximab and obtained a collagen-binding ability in vitro. The results also showed CBD-Fab was mainly enriched in tumors and had longer retention time in tumors in A431 s.c. xenografts. Furthermore, CBD-Fab showed a similar therapeutic efficacy as cetuximab in A431 xenografts. Although CBD-Fab hasn’t showed better therapeutic effects than cetuximab, its smaller molecular and special target may be applicable as antibody–drug conjugates (ADC) or immunotoxins.
Enrichment and isolation of Flavobacterium strains with tolerance to high concentrations of cesium ion
Authors: Kato Souichiro , Goya Eri , Tanaka Michiko , Kitagawa Wataru , Kikuchi Yoshitomo , Asano Kozo , Kamagata Yoichi
Published: February 2016

Interest in the interaction of microorganisms with cesium ions (Cs+) has arisen, especially in terms of their potent ability for radiocesium bioaccumulation and their important roles in biogeochemical cycling. Although high concentrations of Cs+ display toxic effects on microorganisms, there have been only limited reports for Cs+-tolerant microorganisms. Here we report enrichment and isolation of Cs+-tolerant microorganisms from soil microbiota. Microbial community analysis revealed that bacteria within the phylum Bacteroidetes, especially Flavobacterium spp., dominated in enrichment cultures in the medium supplemented with 50 or 200 mM Cs+, while Gammaproteobacteria was dominant in the control enrichment cultures (in the presence of 50 and 200 mM K+ instead of Cs+). The dominant Flavobacterium sp. was successfully isolated from the enrichment culture and was closely related to Flavobacterium chungbukense with 99.5% identity. Growth experiments clearly demonstrated that the isolate has significantly higher tolerance to Cs+ compared to its close relatives, suggesting the Cs+-tolerance is a specific trait of this strain, but not a universal trait in the genus Flavobacterium. Measurement of intracellular K+ and Cs+ concentrations of the Cs+-tolerant isolate and its close relatives suggested that the ability to maintain low intracellular Cs+ concentration confers the tolerance against high concentrations of external Cs+.
Novel Vertical 3D Structure of TaOx-based RRAM with Self-localized Switching Region by Sidewall Electrode Oxidation
Authors: Yu Muxi , Cai Yimao , Wang Zongwei , Fang Yichen , Liu Yefan , Yu Zhizhen , Pan Yue , Zhang Zhenxing , Tan Jing , Yang Xue , Li Ming , Huang Ru
Published: February 2016

A novel vertical 3D RRAM structure with greatly improved reliability behavior is proposed and experimentally demonstrated through basically compatible process featuring self-localized switching region by sidewall electrode oxidation. Compared with the conventional structure, due to the effective confinement of the switching region, the newly-proposed structure shows about two orders higher endurance (>108 without verification operation) and better retention (>180h@150 °C), as well as high uniformity. Corresponding model is put forward, on the base of which thorough theoretical analysis and calculations are conducted as well, demonstrating that, resulting from the physically-isolated switching from neighboring cells, the proposed structure exhibits dramatically improved reliability due to effective suppression of thermal effects and oxygen vacancies diffusion interference, indicating that this novel structure is very promising for future high density 3D RRAM application.
Growth of Continuous Monolayer Graphene with Millimeter-sized Domains Using Industrially Safe Conditions
Authors: Wu Xingyi , Zhong Guofang , D'Arsié Lorenzo , Sugime Hisashi , Esconjauregui Santiago , Robertson Alex W. , Robertson John
Published: February 2016

We demonstrate the growth of continuous monolayer graphene films with millimeter-sized domains on Cu foils under intrinsically safe, atmospheric pressure growth conditions, suitable for application in roll-to-roll reactors. Previous attempts to grow large domains in graphene have been limited to isolated graphene single crystals rather than as part of an industrially useable continuous film. With both appropriate pre-treatment of the Cu and optimization of the CH4 supply, we show that it is possible to grow continuous films of monolayer graphene with millimeter scale domains within 80 min by chemical vapour deposition. The films are grown under industrially safe conditions, i.e., the flammable gases (H2 and CH4) are diluted to well below their lower explosive limit. The high quality, spatial uniformity, and low density of domain boundaries are demonstrated by charge carrier mobility measurements, scanning electron microscope, electron diffraction study, and Raman mapping. The hole mobility reaches as high as ~5,700 cm2 V−1 s−1 in ambient conditions. The growth process of such high-quality graphene with a low H2 concentration and short growth times widens the possibility of industrial mass production.
Peptide Reactivity of Isothiocyanates – Implications for Skin Allergy
Authors: Karlsson Isabella , Samuelsson Kristin , Ponting David J. , Törnqvist Margareta , Ilag Leopold L. , Nilsson Ulrika
Published: February 2016

Skin allergy is a chronic condition that affects about 20% of the population of the western world. This disease is caused by small reactive compounds, haptens, able to penetrate into the epidermis and modify endogenous proteins, thereby triggering an immunogenic reaction. Phenyl isothiocyanate (PITC) and ethyl isothiocyanate (EITC) have been suggested to be responsible for allergic skin reactions to chloroprene rubber, the main constituent of wetsuits, orthopedic braces, and many types of sports gear. In the present work we have studied the reactivity of the isothiocyanates PITC, EITC, and tetramethylrhodamine-6-isothiocyanate (6-TRITC) toward peptides under aqueous conditions at physiological pH to gain information about the types of immunogenic complexes these compounds may form in the skin. We found that all three compounds reacted quickly with cysteine moieties. For PITC and 6-TRITC the cysteine adducts decomposed over time, while stable adducts with lysine were formed. These experimental findings were verified by DFT calculations. Our results may suggest that the latter are responsible for allergic reactions to isothiocyanates. The initial adduct formation with cysteine residues may still be of great importance as it prevents hydrolysis and facilitates the transport of isothiocyanates into epidermis where they can form stable immunogenic complexes with lysine-containing proteins.
Tissue-based multiphoton analysis of actomyosin and structural responses in human trabecular meshwork
Authors: Gonzalez Jose M. , Ko Minhee K. , Pouw Andrew , Tan James C. H.
Published: February 2016

The contractile trabecular meshwork (TM) modulates aqueous humor outflow resistance and intraocular pressure. The primary goal was to visualize and quantify human TM contractile state by analyzing actin polymerization (F-actin) by 2-photon excitation fluorescence imaging (TPEF) in situ. A secondary goal was to ascertain if structural extracellular matrix (ECM) configuration changed with contractility. Viable ex vivo human TM was incubated with latrunculin-A (Lat-A) or vehicle prior to Alexa-568-phalloidin labeling and TPEF. Quantitative image analysis was applied to 2-dimensional (2D) optical sections and 3D image reconstructions. After Lat-A exposure, (a) the F-actin network reorganized as aggregates; (b) F-actin-associated fluorescence intensity was reduced by 48.6% (mean; p = 0.007; n = 8); (c) F-actin 3D distribution was reduced by 68.9% (p = 0.040); (d) ECM pore cross-sectional area and volume were larger by 36% (p = 0.032) and 65% (p = 0.059) respectively and pores appeared more interconnected; (e) expression of type I collagen and elastin, key TM structural ECM proteins, were unaltered (p = 0.54); and (f) tissue viability was unchanged (p = 0.39) relative to vehicle controls. Thus Lat-A-induced reduction of actomyosin contractility was associated with TM porous expansion without evidence of reduced structural ECM protein expression or cellular viability. These important subcellular-level dynamics could be visualized and quantified within human tissue by TPEF.