bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chlorotoxin-Fc Fusion Inhibits Release of MMP-2 from Pancreatic Cancer Cells
Authors: El-Ghlban Samah , Kasai Tomonari , Shigehiro Tsukasa , Yin Hong Xia , Sekhar Sreeja , Ida Mikiko , Sanchez Anna , Mizutani Akifumi , Kudoh Takayuki , Murakami Hiroshi , Seno Masaharu
Published: January 2014

Chlorotoxin (CTX) is a 36-amino acid peptide derived fromLeiurus quinquestriatus(scorpion) venom, which inhibits low-conductance chloride channels in colonic epithelial cells. It has been reported that CTX also binds to matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), membrane type-1 MMP, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2, as well as CLC-3 chloride ion channels and other proteins. Pancreatic cancer cells require the activation of MMP-2 during invasion and migration. In this study, the fusion protein was generated by joining the CTX peptide to the amino terminus of the human IgG-Fc domain without a hinge domain, the monomeric form of chlorotoxin (M-CTX-Fc). The resulting fusion protein was then used to target pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1)in vitro. M-CTX-Fc decreased MMP-2 release into the media of PANC-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. M-CTX-Fc internalization into PANC-1 cells was observed. When the cells were treated with chlorpromazine (CPZ), the internalization of the fusion protein was reduced, implicating a clathrin-dependent internalization mechanism of M-CTX-Fc in PANC-1 cells. Furthermore, M-CTX-Fc clearly exhibited the inhibition of the migration depending on the concentration, but human IgG, as negative control of Fc, was not affected. The M-CTX-Fc may be an effective instrument for targeting pancreatic cancer.
Nonspectrality of Certain Self-Affine Measures onℝ3
Authors: Gao Gui-Bao
Published: January 2014

We will determine the nonspectrality of self-affine measureμB,Dcorresponding toB=diag[p1,p2,p3]  (p1∈(2ℤ+1)∖{±1},p2∈2ℤ∖{0}), andD={0,e1,e2,e3}in the spaceℝ3is supported onT(B,D), wheree1,  e2, ande3are the standard basis of unit column vectors inℝ3, and there exist at most4mutually orthogonal exponential functions inL2(μB,D), where the number4is the best. This generalizes the known results on the spectrality of self-affine measures.
Development of a Safety Evaluation Model for Provincial Highway
Authors: Yuan Li , Yuan He-wei , Ma Yong-feng , Ren Ying-wei
Published: January 2014

Provincial highway safety is one of the most important issues in transportation. To evaluate or assess the safety performance of provincial highway, traffic crash analysis or traffic conflict analysis has been used for a long history. However, it is very difficult and time-consuming to obtain historical crash data or traffic conflict data. This study analyzes the provincial highways' accident data during 2006–2010, and the characteristics of provincial highway have been investigated; in addition the influencing elements are identified. A comprehensive approach is introduced to evaluate provincial highway safety performance and corresponding models are developed considering the accidents, geometrics, facilities, and traffic environment. The approach will also result in a safety index to indicate the safety performance level of the provincial highway. In this paper, the approach (called safety evaluation approach) is practically applied to evaluate the safety performance of some provincial highways in Hebei Province. Results from the real application indicate that the approach has good applicability and can be used by field safety engineers.
Solving Generalized Mixed Equilibria, Variational Inequalities, and Constrained Convex Minimization
Authors: Al-Mazrooei A. E. , Latif A. , Yao J. C.
Published: January 2014

We propose implicit and explicit iterative algorithms for finding a common element of the set of solutions of the minimization problem for a convex and continuously Fréchet differentiable functional, the set of solutions of a finite family of generalized mixed equilibrium problems, and the set of solutions of a finite family of variational inequalities for inverse strong monotone mappings in a real Hilbert space. We prove that the sequences generated by the proposed algorithms converge strongly to a common element of three sets, which is the unique solution of a variational inequality defined over the intersection of three sets under very mild conditions.
Several Guaranteed Descent Conjugate Gradient Methods for Unconstrained Optimization
Authors: Liu San-Yang , Huang Yuan-Yuan
Published: January 2014

This paper investigates a general form of guaranteed descent conjugate gradient methods which satisfies the descent conditiongkTdk≤-1-1/4θkgk2  θk>1/4and which is strongly convergent whenever the weak Wolfe line search is fulfilled. Moreover, we present several specific guaranteed descent conjugate gradient methods and give their numerical results for large-scale unconstrained optimization.
Tumorgrafts as In Vivo Surrogates for Women with Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Weroha S. John , Becker Marc A. , Enderica-Gonzalez Sergio , Harrington Sean C. , Oberg Ann L. , Maurer Matthew J. , Perkins Sarah E. , AlHilli Mariam , Butler Kristina A. , McKinstry Sarah , Fink Stephanie , Jenkins Robert B. , Hou Xiaonan , Kalli Kimberly R. , Goodman Karin M. , Sarkaria Jann N. , Karlan Beth Y. , Kumar Amanika , Kaufmann Scott H. , Hartmann Lynn C. , Haluska Paul
Published: January 2014

Purpose: Ovarian cancer has a high recurrence and mortality rate. A barrier to improved outcomes includes a lack of accurate models for preclinical testing of novel therapeutics.

Experimental Design: Clinically relevant, patient-derived tumorgraft models were generated from sequential patients and the first 168 engrafted models are described. Fresh ovarian, primary peritoneal, and fallopian tube carcinomas were collected at the time of debulking surgery and injected intraperitoneally into severe combined immunodeficient mice.

Results: Tumorgrafts demonstrated a 74% engraftment rate with microscopic fidelity of primary tumor characteristics. Low-passage tumorgrafts also showed comparable genomic aberrations with the corresponding primary tumor and exhibit gene set enrichment of multiple ovarian cancer molecular subtypes, similar to patient tumors. Importantly, each of these tumorgraft models is annotated with clinical data and for those that have been tested, response to platinum chemotherapy correlates with the source patient.

Conclusions: Presented herein is the largest known living tumor bank of patient-derived, ovarian tumorgraft models that can be applied to the development of personalized cancer treatment. Clin Cancer Res; 20(5); 1288–97. ©2014 AACR.
Luteolin Nanoparticle in Chemoprevention: In Vitro and In Vivo Anticancer Activity
Authors: Majumdar Debatosh , Jung Kyung-Ho , Zhang Hongzheng , Nannapaneni Sreenivas , Wang Xu , Amin A.R.M. Ruhul , Chen Zhengjia , Chen Zhuo (G). , Shin Dong M.
Published: January 2014

Cancer prevention (chemoprevention) by using naturally occurring dietary agents has gained immense interest because of the broad safety window of these compounds. However, many of these compounds are hydrophobic and poorly soluble in water. They frequently display low bioavailability, poor systemic delivery, and low efficacy. To circumvent this problem, we explored a novel approach toward chemoprevention using nanotechnology to deliver luteolin, a natural compound present in green vegetables. We formulated water-soluble polymer-encapsulated Nano-Luteolin from hydrophobic luteolin, and studied its anticancer activity against lung cancer and head and neck cancer. In vitro studies demonstrated that, like luteolin, Nano-Luteolin inhibited the growth of lung cancer cells (H292 cell line) and squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN) cells (Tu212 cell line). In Tu212 cells, the IC50 value of Nano-Luteolin was 4.13 μmol/L, and that of luteolin was 6.96 μmol/L. In H292 cells, the IC50 of luteolin was 15.56 μmol/L, and Nano-Luteolin was 14.96 μmol/L. In vivo studies using a tumor xenograft mouse model demonstrated that Nano-Luteolin has a significant inhibitory effect on the tumor growth of SCCHN in comparison to luteolin. Our results suggest that nanoparticle delivery of naturally occurring dietary agents like luteolin has many advantages and may have potential application in chemoprevention in clinical settings. Cancer Prev Res; 7(1); 65–73. ©2013 AACR.
Potential Vascular Mechanisms of Ramipril Induced Increases in Walking Ability in Patients With Intermittent Claudication
Authors: Ahimastos Anna A. , Latouche Celine , Natoli Alaina K. , Reddy-luthmoodoo Medini , Golledge Jonathan , Kingwell Bronwyn A.
Published: January 2014

Rationale:

We recently reported that ramipril more than doubled maximum walking times in patients with peripheral artery disease with intermittent claudication.

Objective:

Our aim was to conduct exploratory analyses of the effects of ramipril therapy on circulating biomarkers of angiogenesis/arteriogenesis, thrombosis, inflammation, and leukocyte adhesion in patients with intermittent claudication.

Methods and Results:

One hundred sixty-five patients with intermittent claudication (mean, 65.3 [SD, 6.7] years) were administered ramipril 10 mg per day (n=82) or matching placebo (n=83) for 24 weeks in a randomized, double-blind study. Plasma biomarkers of angiogenesis/arteriogenesis (vascular endothelial growth factor-A, fibroblast growth factor-2), thrombosis (D-dimer, von Willebrand factor, thrombin-antithrombin III), inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, osteopontin), and leukocyte adhesion (soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1) were measured at baseline and 24 weeks. Relative to placebo, ramipril was associated with increases in vascular endothelial growth factor-A by 38% (95% confidence interval [CI], 34%–42%) and fibroblast growth factor-2 by 64% (95% CI, 44–85%;
P
<0.001 for both), and reductions in D-dimer by 24% (95% CI, −30% to −18%), von Willebrand factor by 22% (95% CI, −35% to −9%), thrombin-antithrombin III by 16% (95% CI, −19% to −13%), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein by 13% (95% CI, −14% to −9%), osteopontin by 12% (95% CI, −14% to −10%), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 by 14% (95% CI, −18% to −10%), and soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 by 15% (95% CI, −17% to −13%; all
P
<0.001). With the exception of von Willebrand factor, all the above changes correlated significantly with the change in maximum walking time (
P
=0.02−0.001) in the group treated with ramipril.

Conclusions:

Ramipril is associated with an increase in the biomarkers of angiogenesis/arteriogenesis and reduction in the markers of thrombosis, inflammation, and leukocyte adhesion. This study informs strategies to improve mobility in patients with intermittent claudication.

Clinical Trial Registration Information:

URL:
http://clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00681226.
The Åland Islands: Neither local nor fully sovereign
Authors: Joenniemi Pertti
Published: January 2014

The Åland Islands received their co-sovereign standing from the League of Nations in 1921, the settlement of a Finnish–Swedish dispute. The clash was over ownership, and the league advocated that Åland should remain part of Finland, albeit elevated to the status of a self-governing polity. The verdict implied that Finland’s sovereignty was significantly compromised, whereas the islands landed in an in-between situation, being neither local nor fully sovereign. The duality of Åland – remaining an integral part of Finland yet still distinct with a standing of its own, including various cultural and linguistic safeguards – meant more generally that the islands fall through the interstices of the dominant discourses pertaining to political space. However, the lack of any clear conceptual standing has not amounted to anything profoundly disadvantageous. Their liminal nature of being neither this nor that has instead furnished the islands with a rather favourable posture. Their standing, although initially perceived as a loss and still seen in some interventions as unwarranted and viewed as a source of ontological uncertainty, arguably accounts for their ability to transform what usually appears as weakness into a considerable degree of influence. The article thus aims to explore what explains such an outcome and the manner in which the ambiguity of the islands has stood the test of time, taking into account that their standing has, among other things, been impacted by Finland and the islands both joining the EU in 1995 and the sovereignty games involved.
Genesis 3 revisited
Authors: Beattie D. R. G.
Published: January 2014

A curious feature hitherto unrecognised in Gen 3:16 offers a solution to a long recognised but never fully resolved question about Gen 4:7.
The convening power of food as growth machine politics: A study of food policymaking and partnership formation in Baltimore
Authors: Bedore Melanie
Published: January 2014

Why do some partnerships form successfully while others fail? Much has been written about the conditions for successful partnership formation, however the qualities of the policy issue itself have rarely been central to this debate. Drawing on qualitative research about a food policymaking initiative in Baltimore, Maryland, this article explores the ‘convening power’ of food as a policy topic, and the relationship between civic capital and the politics of urban growth in horizontal partnerships. Drawing from Nelles’ framework for inter-municipal cooperation, and Logan and Molotch’s urban growth machine model, the article presents a set of conditions for successful partnership formation that elaborates on the underlying urban growth consensus that drives civic capital in the city. Baltimore’s food policy efforts suggest that a policy issue may show greater ‘partnerability’ when an initiative can generate both exchange and use value, thereby appealing widely to the local growth coalition and other stakeholders.
Mobilising contingent workers: An analysis of two successful cases
Authors: Simms Melanie , Dean Deborah
Published: January 2014

This article examines two cases of successful efforts by UK trade unions to mobilise contingent workers. The evidence strongly illustrates the explanatory potential of Kelly’s mobilisation theory and deepens understanding of how mobilisation processes work within unions. The findings emphasise the importance of officers and activists in framing collective interests as ‘cultures of solidarity’ (Fantasia, 1988). Solidarity both within groups of contingent workers and between them and the wider union is essential for successful mobilisation. Building solidarities helps these workers overcome their inherently weak position in the labour market; a process that is important to understand in greater detail if we are to understand union revitalisation efforts more widely.
Uncovering the Multifaceted-Self in the Domain of Negative Traits
Authors: Cheung Wing-Yee , Wildschut Tim , Sedikides Constantine , Pinter Brad
Published: January 2014

The multifaceted-self effect is the ascription of more traits to self than others. Consensus is that this effect occurs for positive, but not negative, traits. We propose that the effect also occurs for negative traits when they can be endorsed with low intensity (“I am a little bit lazy”), thereby circumventing self-protection concerns. In Experiment 1, the multifaceted-self effect occurred for positive, but not negative, traits on a high-intensity trait-endorsement measure. However, it occurred irrespective of trait valence on a low-intensity trait-endorsement measure. In Experiment 2, the multifaceted-self effect occurred for positive, but not negative, traits on a strong trait-endorsement measure. However, it occurred irrespective of trait valence on a diminuted trait-endorsement measure—a finding conceptually replicated in Experiment 3. In Experiment 4, participants spontaneously adopted diminutive terms (“a little bit”) when describing their negative traits. Individuals reconcile negative self-knowledge with self-protection concerns by expressing it in muted terms.
A Quality Improvement Case Report
Authors: Hudson Lauren M. , Boullata Joseph I.
Published: January 2014

The medication‐use process surrounding parenteral nutrition (PN) is complex and associated with safety concerns. Standardization and communication throughout the PN‐use process are a valued risk management strategy. Regardless of an organization's current policies, procedures, and practices, further improvements in the PN‐use process are always possible. This takes concerted effort, collaboration, and time but is within the reach of any organization. A case report of one institution's quality improvement initiative in the PN‐use process is described.
Linguistic Capital and the Currency of Spanish in Hispanic Advertising Production
Authors: Chávez Christopher A.
Published: January 2014

This study examines how advertising intended for U.S. Latinos is indelibly shaped by the interaction between Hispanic agencies and their English monolingual clients. Although previous research on Hispanic advertising has typically focused on the psychological state of the speaker, less attention has been paid to the social consequences of speech. Using Bourdieu’s theory of practice as an analytical framework, qualitative interviews were conducted with 34 advertising practitioners. The testimonies reveal that in limited contexts within the production of Hispanic advertising, practitioners’ knowledge of Spanish serves as a form of linguistic capital, which they have been able to successfully convert into economic capital. However, the value associated with speaking Spanish is relatively constrained due to language ideologies at play in the larger social space. In this class-stratified, multilingual professional community, more powerful English monolinguals maintain strict control over Spanish language messages. This is made possible by formal and informal practices built into the production process.
Mimicking Bollywood in Slumdog Millionaire: Global Hollywood’s Newest Co-Optation of Culture
Authors: Cox Nicole B. , Proffitt Jennifer M.
Published: January 2014

In an age when mass media transcend geographic barriers, Slumdog Millionaire ( SDM) represents a new type of film in the global media market—a seemingly Bollywood, although not technically Bollywood, production. As film-going provides a site for ideological and cultural production, this article examines SDM’s success as a product imitative of Bollywood film. Due to its recency, SDM has yet to be examined as a product that crosses both cultural and geographic boundaries with commercial ties to major Hollywood media conglomerates. Applying political economic theory, this research examines the reasons for Hollywood involvement in a film production that is mimetic of the Bollywood genre, in an attempt to better understand the global political economic factors that drive the film industry today.
Assessing Uncertainties Surrounding Combined Endpoints for Use in Economic Models
Authors: Heeg Bart M. , van Hout Ben A.
Published: January 2014

Background: To increase power to detect a treatment effect, trials may combine multiple endpoints such as survival, myocardial infarctions, and strokes. When such trials are used to define the uncertainty associated with input parameters in an economic model, the output uncertainty will depend on the way in which the dependency between individual endpoints is modeled. Objective: To develop a flexible approach to model the interrelationship between individual components of a combined endpoint. Methods: A standard independent Dirichlet approach is compared with a dependent Dirichlet approach and logistic approaches. The logistic approaches use a link between the various endpoints by either an observed clinical variable (cholesterol) or a latent one. The logistic and Dirichlet methods are compared using 6 statin trials including 5 endpoints: myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, fatal MI, fatal stroke, and other cardiovascular death. The results are compared using the point estimates and uncertainty in a simplified cardiovascular model to calculate point estimates and uncertainty of estimated incremental life-years when applying probabilistic sensitivity analysis. The influence of the link between endpoints is tested by changing the prior in the logistic approaches. Results: The dependent Dirichlet approach reduces uncertainty up to 29% and changes the point estimate by up to 28%. The logistic approach with uninformative priors does not affect the uncertainty and point estimates. When strong priors are used, the uncertainty margins get smaller (up to 49%) and point estimates vary more. Including information about cholesterol has limited impact. Conclusions: The logistic approaches offer a flexible way to reflect one’s beliefs about the interrelationships between individual endpoints, potentially decreasing uncertainty margins. The approach works equally well with and without data concerning the underlying disease process.
Levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase-9 proteins in patients with glioma
Authors: Ma Chengyuan , Li Yang , Zhang Xianfeng , Zhao Gang , Xu Haiyang
Published: January 2014

Objective

To investigate the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) proteins in patients with glioma, in order to determine if either protein has prognostic value.

Method

The presence of VEGF and MMP-9 proteins in paraffin-embedded tumour specimens from patients with glioma was detected using immunohistochemistry. The correlation between the levels of VEGF and MMP-9 proteins and tumour grade was analysed.

Results

A total of 32 patients with low-grade gliomas (World Health Organization [WHO] grade II) and 48 patients with high-grade gliomas (WHO grades III–IV) participated in the study. Positive immunohistochemical staining of VEGF and MMP-9 proteins was detected in 58/80 (72.5%) and 60/80 (75.0%) of patients, respectively. The level of VEGF immunostaining was significantly positively correlated with the level of MMP-9 immunostaining ( r = 0.78). Significantly more high-grade gliomas (grades III–IV) demonstrated positive VEGF and MMP-9 immunostaining compared with the low grade gliomas (grades I–II).

Conclusions

These data suggest that VEGF and MMP-9 play an important role in the malignant behaviour of gliomas.
Increased permeability of blood–brain barrier is mediated by serine protease during Cryptococcus meningitis
Authors: Xu Chi-Yu , Zhu Hong-Mei , Wu Jian-Hua , Wen Hai , Liu Cui-Jie
Published: January 2014

Objectives

To determine the role of serine protease in the disruption of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) during Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis.

Methods

Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were used to determine the production of serine protease by different strains of C. neoformans. BBB permeability in immunosuppressed rats inoculated with C. neoformans or C. neoformans plus aprotinin was examined via Evans blue staining. In vitro BBB permeability (transwell passage of horseradish peroxidase) was determined in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) cultured with serine protease or serine protease plus aprotinin. Electron microscopy of rat brain tissue was used to visualise C. neoformans infection.

Results

Serine protease mRNA and protein were detected in all C. neoformans serotypes. C. neoformans infection increased BBB permeability in vivo, but this effect was ameliorated by aprotinin. Treatment of BMECs with serine protease increased permeability in vitro. This effect was reversed by aprotinin.

Conclusion

Serine protease secreted by C. neoformans leads to BBB disruption during Cryptococcus meningitis. Serine protease may be a novel treatment target for Cryptococcus meningitis .
Is Dolphin Morbillivirus Virulent for White-Beaked Dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostris)?
Authors: van Elk C. E. , van de Bildt M. W. G. , Jauniaux T. , Hiemstra S. , van Run P. R. W. A. , Foster G. , Meerbeek J. , Osterhaus A. D. M. E. , Kuiken T.
Published: January 2014

The virulence of morbilliviruses for toothed whales (odontocetes) appears to differ according to host species. In 4 species of odontocetes, morbilliviruses are highly virulent, causing large-scale epizootics with high mortality. In 8 other species of odontocetes, including white-beaked dolphins ( Lagenorhynchus albirostris), morbilliviruses have been found as an incidental infection. In these species, the virulence of morbilliviruses is not clear. Therefore, the admission of 2 white-beaked dolphins with morbillivirus infection into a rehabilitation center provided a unique opportunity to investigate the virulence of morbillivirus in this species. By phylogenetic analysis, the morbilliviruses in both animals were identified as a dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) most closely related to that detected in a white-beaked dolphin in Germany in 2007. Both animals were examined clinically and pathologically. Case No. 1 had a chronic neural DMV infection, characterized by polioencephalitis in the cerebrum and morbillivirus antigen expression limited to neurons and glial cells. Surprisingly, no nervous signs were observed in this animal during the 6 months before death. Case No. 2 had a subacute systemic DMV infection, characterized by interstitial pneumonia, leucopenia, lymphoid depletion, and DMV antigen expression in mononuclear cells and syncytia in the lung and in mononuclear cells in multiple lymphoid organs. Cause of death was not attributed to DMV infection in either animal. DMV was not detected in 2 contemporaneously stranded white-beaked dolphins. Stranding rate did not increase in the region. These results suggest that DMV is not highly virulent for white-beaked dolphins.
Conceptualizing Social Determinants of Maternal and Infant Health Disparities
Authors: Klawetter Susanne
Published: January 2014

Research demonstrates that women and children within marginalized ethnic and racial groups and those living in poverty experience disparate health outcomes. These disparities have immediate and long-term consequences. Exploring two theories used to examine social determinants of health—life course perspective and historical trauma response, this article will explain the major premises of each, provide application examples, compare and examine utility for practice, and highlight areas for future research. A theoretical critique will be included, as well as insight into how these theories together might address gaps as an approach to maternal and infant health research and practice.
Patriarchal Accommodations
Authors: Andrews Abigail , Shahrokni Nazanin
Published: January 2014

This paper begins from a paradox. In the 1980s and 1990s, women became increasingly mobile, especially in the developing world. Scholars generally attribute this shift to global economic pressure or to the spread of (Western) gender egalitarianism. Yet, in some places, women gained mobility just as local institutions extended policies excluding them or segregating them from men. Here, we look at two such cases: first, how women of Tehran, Iran, became the majority of bus riders just as the city segregated public transportation, and second, how women in the rural, Mexican village of San Pedro came to predominate among emigrants to the United States, even as they were excluded from participating in village politics. We use what we call “linked ethnographies” to put these two cases into dialogue. While attending to the particularities of each site, we find that in both, women gained mobility through the very policies that appeared to confine or exclude them. We call these policies “patriarchal accommodations.” They were patriarchal, because they enshrined formal gender difference associated with male dominance. They were accommodations, because they adapted existing standards of “appropriate” masculinity and femininity to global economic pressure, enabling women to work, study, and consume. We argue that patriarchal accommodations may facilitate women’s entry into the public sphere, particularly in non-Western regimes.
Determination of contact stiffness in ball screws considering variable contact angles
Authors: Chen Yongjiang , Tang Wencheng
Published: January 2014

The contact angles formed at the position of each ball in ball screws are conventionally assumed to be a constant value in determination of contact stiffness. In this study, instead of being treated as pre-assumed constants, the contact angle is formulated as functions of the position angle of balls to reﬂect their distribution dependent on the operation condition and design parameters. After establishing a proper transformed coordinate system according to the ball screw mechanism, the variable contact angles and normal forces of the ball screw are predicted. Then the contact stiffness obtained by numerical calculations is validated by experiment and several characteristics arising from the variable contact angle will be discussed.
Effect of temperature-dependent mechanical properties of plastic collapse of thin discs
Authors: Alexandrov Sergei , Wang Yun-Che , Aizikovich Sergey
Published: January 2014

The von Mises yield criterion is combined with an equilibrium equation to provide a semi-analytical plastic collapse solution for a thin hollow disc inserted into a rigid container and subject to thermal loading. A numerical method is only necessary to sequentially solve several simple transcendental equations. The state of stress is plane and the temperature field is uniform. The main distinguished feature of the solution is that all basic thermo-mechanical properties are temperature-dependent. The objective of the paper is to show the effect of temperature-dependency of these properties on plastic collapse.
Parental discourse and identity management in the talk of indigenous and migrant speakers
Authors: Xenitidou Maria , Greco Morasso Sara
Published: January 2014

This article integrates discursive psychology and argumentation studies to discuss the regularities identified in two sets of data – focus group discussions amongst indigenous Greeks residing in Central Northern Greece and interviews with non-indigenous women with children, resident in the greater London area. The initial regularity identified consisted of participants talking as parents and talking about children mobilizing the normative expectations of parenthood in voicing strong views about ‘others’ from ethnic, cultural and racial backgrounds other than those of the speakers. This seemed to function as a form of denial, identifying further regularities in the discursive strategies used by participants and in the lines of arguments developed. Furthermore, two themes emerged as commonplace in talking about ‘others’ in the lines of argument developed by participants – security/insecurity and hierarchies. These regularities are considered and the potentials of analysing discourse from two integrated approaches are discussed.
The Army Disease: Drug Addiction and the Civil War
Authors: Lewy Jonathan
Published: January 2014

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, historians and doctors have claimed that the ‘army disease’ of both the Union and the Confederate armies was morphine addiction. But since drug addiction was not yet fully understood in medical texts of the mid-1860s, addiction as the army disease could have been perceived only in hindsight. Whether addiction was prevalent among veteran troops or not, one thing can be firmly ascertained: after the Civil War, every other war in American history has brought with it a drug problem, whether real or imagined.
Inter-service Debate and the Origins of Strategic Culture: The ‘Principles of War’ in the British Armed Forces, 1919–1939
Authors: Searle Alaric
Published: January 2014

In the literature on the emergence of the principles of war in British military thought there has been a failure to examine the reaction of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force to the appearance of the first list of principles in the army’s 1920 Field Service Regulations. By considering correspondence, articles, books, field manuals, and staff college lecture scripts, this article demonstrates that there was a debate on the principles of war between the world wars which involved all three armed services. The acceptance of the principles into the doctrine of each of the services represented a fundamental shift away from Jomini and the final acceptance of Clausewitzian approaches to the theory of war. The debate also contributed significantly to the emergence of a ‘common language’ between the services, thus laying the basis for a tri-service ‘strategic culture’ which was attuned to the challenges of joint operations.
The hidden ethical element of nursing care rationing
Authors: Papastavrou Evridiki , Andreou Panayiota , Vryonides Stavros
Published: January 2014

Objective:

To explore nurses’ experiences and perceptions about prioritizations, omissions, and rationing of bedside nursing care.

Methods:

A total of 23 nurses participated in four focus groups. The interviews were based on a semi-structured interview guide; data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach.

Findings:

Four themes were developed based on the data: (a) priorities in the delivery of care; (b) professional roles, responsibilities, and role conflicts; (c) environmental factors influencing care omissions; and (d) perceived outcomes of rationing.

Discussion:

The delivery of nursing care is framed by the biomedical ethos and inter-professional role conflict while the standards of basic care are jeopardized. Organizational and environmental factors appear to exert significant influence on prioritization. Failure to carry out necessary nursing tasks may lead to adverse patient outcomes, role conflict, and an ethical burden on nurses.

Conclusion:

There is a need for further exploration and possible redesign of the nursing role, scope, and responsibilities, as well as addressing the arising ethical issues of rationing in nursing care.
Measurement of urinary canine S100A8/A9 and S100A12 concentrations as candidate biomarkers of lower urinary tract neoplasia in dogs
Authors: Heilmann Romy M. , Wright Zachary M. , Lanerie David J. , Suchodolski Jan S. , Steiner Jörg M.
Published: January 2014

Members of the S100 family of calcium-binding proteins (S100A8, A9, and A12; calgranulins) have been associated with inflammation and cancer in human beings. Proteins S100A8 and A9 were overexpressed in human patients with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) and prostate carcinoma (PCA), suggesting their potential as biomarkers for diagnosing and/or predicting the progression of such neoplasms. Calgranulins have not been studied in dogs with TCC or PCA. Established in-house immunoassays were validated and found suitable for measuring S100A8/A9 and S100A12 in canine urine samples to allow the study of the role of these biomarkers in dogs with TCC or PCA. Urinary calgranulin concentrations were not affected by blood contamination (e.g., due to cystocentesis), and should be normalized against urine specific gravity or urinary creatinine concentration. Urinary calgranulin concentrations were significantly increased in 11 dogs with TCC or PCA (untreated) compared to 42 healthy dogs, and the ratio between S100A8/A9 and S100A12 was significantly higher in 11 dogs with TCC or PCA than in 10 dogs diagnosed with a urinary tract infection, suggesting that calgranulins are potential biomarkers for TCC or PCA in canine patients. The clinical utility of measuring urinary calgranulins in dogs with suspected TCC or PCA warrants further investigation.
Effects of Group-Level Fit on Group Conflict and Performance
Authors: Seong Jee Young , Choi Jin Nam
Published: January 2014

Departing from the prevailing focus of the person–environment (P-E) fit literature on individual-level outcomes, we apply the fit concept to the group level and develop a theoretical framework that elaborates the nomological network involving group-level goal fit and ability fit. Specifically, we propose that the positive affect exhibited by leaders and members is a predictor of group-level goal fit and ability fit. We expect two types of group-level fit to predict group performance by shaping intermediate interactive dynamics among members, such as task and relationship conflict. Our analyses based on 96 work teams with 898 members provide empirical support for most of our hypotheses. Of the two group-level fit constructs, only group-level goal fit exerts a significant effect on group performance, which is completely mediated by task and relationship conflict. These theoretical and empirical developments highlight the potential and benefit of the group-level application of the P-E fit theory.
Colour vision impairment is associated with disease severity in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Martínez-Lapiscina Elena H , Ortiz-Pérez Santiago , Fraga-Pumar Elena , Martínez-Heras Eloy , Gabilondo Iñigo , Llufriu Sara , Bullich Santiago , Figueras Marc , Saiz Albert , Sánchez-Dalmau Bernardo , Villoslada Pablo
Published: January 2014

Background:

Colour vision assessment correlates with damage of the visual pathway and might be informative of overall brain damage in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective:

The objective of this paper is to investigate the association between impaired colour vision and disease severity.

Methods:

We performed neurological and ophthalmic examinations, as well as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) analyses, on 108 MS patients, both at baseline and after a follow-up of one year. Colour vision was evaluated by Hardy, Rand and Rittler plates. Dyschromatopsia was defined if colour vision was impaired in either eye, except for participants with optic neuritis (ON), for whom only the unaffected eye was considered. We used general linear models adjusted for sex, age, disease duration and MS treatment for comparing presence of dyschromatopsia and disease severity.

Results:

Impaired colour vision in non-ON eyes was detected in 21 out of 108 patients at baseline. At baseline, patients with dyschromatopsia had lower Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) scores and Brief Repeatable Battery-Neuropsychology executive function scores than those participants with normal colour vision. In addition, these patients had thinner retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), and smaller macular volume, normalized brain volume and normalized gray matter volume (NGMV) at baseline. Moreover, participants with incident dyschromatopsia after one-year follow-up had a greater disability measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale and MSFC-20 and a greater decrease in NGMV than participants with normal colour vision.

Conclusions:

Colour vision impairment is associated with greater MS severity.
Acting abstractions: Metaphors, narrative structures, and the eclipse of agency
Authors: Bucher Bernd
Published: January 2014

Norm diffusion theorists have advanced our understanding of how ‘norms emerge, spread and become internalized.’ Although this literature and especially the norm life cycle model is based on a constructivist ontology that gives equal weight to agency and structure, one can make out ‘a tendency in this literature to erase’ agency from norm diffusion narratives. This article suggests that the ‘invisibilization’ of agency stems from two mutually reinforcing scholarly practices. For one, insufficient attention is paid to the metaphors describing norm propagation (diffusion, cascade, life cycle, etc.). These metaphors are frequently employed in ways that point to mechanistic and automatized processes of ‘norm diffusion.’ Secondly, norms are often placed in the subject position in sentences. Although uncontroversial in terms of syntax, this mode of writing leads to narrative structures in which norms function as agents. Rather than identifying actual actors, the norm diffusion literature suggests that norms emerge, norms diffuse, and norms cascade. These semantics create an ‘illusion of agency’ without accounting for the actual processes through which norms are articulated, propagated, contested, adapted, adopted, or rejected. Norm diffusion research subsequently comes to be closely associated with self-actionist modes of thinking, which focuses research on intrinsic qualities of norms, rather than on socially embedded agency and power relations central to processes of diffusing norms. Being more attentive to metaphors and syntax will be instrumental in moving the literature from a misplaced focus on norm diffusion to a focus on the underlying power relations of agential norm politics.
The politics of pension reform in Greece and Turkey: International institutions as external determinants of adjustments
Authors: Güleç Aslı
Published: January 2014

Among welfare programmes public pension schemes have been particularly subject to cost-containment. Various countries have been exposed to relatively similar pressures such as ageing populations or growing unemployment. The literature on comparative welfare states tends to highlight the significance of domestic factors in mediating the influence of these pressures. This article instead explores the policy impact of international financial institutions (IFIs) including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union (EU) on the reform of old-age pension systems in Greece and Turkey. It suggests that in both countries, IFIs have helped to trigger the process of reforms and to spread the global pension orthodoxy. Although the pension schemes still diverge in institutional structure and benefit provision, in both cases adoption of the pension orthodoxy of individualisation of pension rights has followed the advice tendered by the IFIs.
Informal ethics consultations in academic health care settings: A quantitative description and a qualitative analysis with a focus on patient participation
Authors: Rudnick Abraham , Pallaveshi Luljeta , Sibbald Robert William , Forchuk Cheryl
Published: January 2014

Background

Ethics consultations are established in contemporary health care. Informal ethics consultations often occur and are possibly beneficial, yet they have not been empirically studied. We sought to describe features of informal ethics consultations and to identify facilitators and disruptors of patient participation in such ethics consultations.

Methods

We used a mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) evaluation design and conveniently sampled 64 sequential informal ethics consultations over a period of 3 years in two academic health care centers in one city in Canada. Data were collected by the two participating ethicists. We used statistical description for the quantitative data and thematic analysis for the qualitative data.

Results

Patients participated in only two (3%) of the informal ethics consultations. Factors that disrupted patient participation in ethics consultations were related to patients’ issues (mental impairments), family issues (family withholding information from the patient), and team members’ issues (efficiency considerations).

Conclusion

Informal ethics consultations may be used for ethics capacity building of health care providers rather than for engagement with addressed patients. Further research on informal ethics consultations is required, including in different sites.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Applied to Childhood Traumatic Grief in the Aftermath of a Motor-Vehicle Accident
Authors: Stevens Anne E. , Michael Kurt D.
Published: January 2014

Symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, and unresolved grief can appear in children and adolescents following the witnessing or experiencing of a traumatic event and respond with intense fear, helplessness, or horror. Those who lose a loved one in a traumatic manner can develop childhood traumatic grief (CTG), where typical grieving is hindered by trauma symptoms, causing significant impairment in daily functioning, relationships, and academic pursuits. The following is a case study describing a trauma-focused cognitive behavioral approach to treat posttraumatic stress disorder and CTG in a 16-year-old driver of a motor vehicle accident in which his peer was killed. A graduate student clinician provided treatment under supervision within the context of a school mental health program. The results of the intervention were associated with significant reductions in symptoms and impairments in daily living. The implications of these data and recommendations for clinicians treating CTG are provided.
Dynamic rescheduling heuristics for military village search environments
Authors: Maxwell Paul , Maciejewski Anthony A. , Siegel Howard Jay , Potter Jerry , Smith Jay
Published: January 2014

On the modern battlefield cordon and search missions (also known as village searches) are conducted daily. Creating resource allocations that link search teams (e.g. soldiers, robots, unmanned aerial vehicles, military working dogs) to target buildings is difficult and time consuming in the static planning environment and is even more challenging in a time-constrained dynamic environment. Conducting dynamic resource allocation during the execution of a military village search mission is beneficial especially when the time to develop a static plan is limited and hence the quality of the plan is relatively poor. Dynamic heuristics can help improve the static plan because they are able to incorporate current state information that is unavailable prior to mission execution and thus produce more accurate results than static heuristics alone can achieve. There are currently no automated means to create these dynamic resource allocations for military use. Using robustness concepts, this paper proposes and compares dynamic resource allocation heuristics that create mission plans that are resilient against uncertainty in the environment and that save valuable time for military planning staff.
Leadership, more or less? A processual, communication perspective on the role of agency in leadership theory
Authors: Tourish Dennis
Published: January 2014

‘More’ or ‘better’ leadership remains a popular panacea for business failure, climate change, educational underachievement and myriad other world problems. Yet there has been a growing concern that traditional approaches to the subject have naturalised oppressive power relationships, particularly in the workplace. Scholars have therefore put more stress on the creative contribution of ‘followers’ as co-creators of organisational reality. It is now normal to find calls for shared leadership, less leadership or no leadership. This article argues that even when couched in emancipatory terms, many of these perspectives still tend to diminish the contribution of organisational actors who do not occupy formal leadership roles. Communication and process theories of organisation are employed to suggest that leadership could be more usefully envisaged as those practices which see leaders occupying transitory roles within fluid social structures, in which there is no essence of leadership apart from the discursive constructions of organisational actors and in which the facilitation of disagreement and dissent holds the same importance as a traditional stress on the achievement of cohesion and agreement.