bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Histochemical and Molecular Characterization of Spongiosal Cells in Native Tissue, Two- and Three-Dimensional Cultures of Rat Aortic Valve
Authors: Nanduri Vibudha , Moein Beheita , Thatipalli Avinash Raj , Pande Gopal , Ganguly Anasuya
Published: January 2016

The histocytochemical and molecular analysis of cells that constitute the aortic valve (AV) of the rat heart was done in this study. We have focussed on the identity of cells in the spongiosal layer of the valve by immunofluorescence studies using lineage specific markers and cytochemical staining. We have established two-dimensional (2D) cultures of cells from isolated rat AV leaflets and maintained endothelial and interstitial valvular cells (IVC) over a period of six to eight weeks. Using “passage 0” cells from 2D valvular cultures, we could reconstruct the three-dimensional (3D) valvular tissue in collagen gels that showed very similar cellular organization and marker expression profile, as that of the native tissue. Lineage specific markers in the native tissue and cell cultures were studied by Reverse Transcriptase-PCR and immunofluorescence for VCAM-I, α-SMA, collagen I, CD71, collagen II, and E-cadherin markers. This is the first report on the identification of cell lineages in the spongiosal layer of AV and the successful reconstruction of 3D valvular tissue from primary cell cultures of AV.
Pica for Uncooked Basmati Rice in Two Women with Iron Deficiency and a Review of Ryzophagia
Authors: Barton James C. , Barton J. Clayborn , Bertoli Luigi F.
Published: January 2016

Reports of pica for uncooked rice (ryzophagia) in adults who reside in European and derivative countries are uncommon. We evaluated and treated two nonpregnant women with pica for uncooked basmati rice. Both women reported fatigue, abdominal discomfort after consuming large quantities of uncooked basmati rice, and hair loss. One woman was from India and the other was from Pakistan. Both women were vegetarians. Basmati was the local rice in their native countries and their usual rice in the USA. Both women had tooth damage due to eating uncooked rice and iron deficiency with microcytic anemia attributed to menorrhagia and multiparity. Ryzophagia and other manifestations (except tooth damage) resolved after iron dextran therapy. We review and discuss other reports of ryzophagia associated with iron deficiency, pregnancy, race/ethnicity, geographic origin, and local traditions. We conclude that adults with ryzophagia in European and derivative countries are likely to be non-Europeans.
Spoke Dimension on the Motion Performance of a Floating Wind Turbine with Tension-Leg Platform
Authors: Wang H. F. , Fan Y. H.
Published: January 2016

The tension-leg platform (TLP) supporting structure is a good choice for floating offshore wind turbines because TLP has superior motion dynamics. This study investigates the effects of TLP spoke dimensions on the motion of a floating offshore wind turbine system (FOWT). Spoke dimension and offshore floating TLP were subjected to irregular wave and wind excitation to evaluate the motion of the FOWT. This research has been divided into two parts: (1) Five models were designed based on different spoke dimensions, and aerohydroservo-elastic coupled analyses were conducted on the models using the finite element method. (2) Considering the coupled effects of the dynamic response of a top wind turbine, a supporting-tower structure, a mooring system, and two models on a reduced scale of 1 : 80 were constructed and experimentally tested under different conditions. Numerical and experimental results demonstrate that the spoke dimensions have a significant effect on the motion of FOWT and the experimental result that spoke dimension can reduce surge platform movement to improve turbine performance.
In VitroAntimicrobial Activity of Spices and Medicinal Herbs against Selected Microbes Associated with Juices
Authors: Dhiman Romika , Aggarwal Neeraj , Aneja Kamal Rai , Kaur Manpreet
Published: January 2016

In the present investigation, comparison of antimicrobial activities of different spices,Curcuma longa,Zingiber officinale, andMentha arvensis, and medicinal herbs, such asWithania somnifera,Rauvolfia serpentina,Emblica officinalis,Terminalia arjuna, andCentella asiatica, was evaluated. Different extraction solvents (acetone, methanol, ethanol, and water) were used and extracts were examined againstBacillus cereus,Serratiasp.,Rhodotorula mucilaginosa,Aspergillus flavus, andPenicillium citrinumisolated from juices. Extracts from the medicinal herb and spices have significant activity.B. cereuswas the most sensitive andR. mucilaginosawas the most resistant among the microorganisms tested. Ethanolic and methanolic extract ofC. asiaticadisplayed maximum diameter of inhibition zone against bacteria and yeast and percentage mycelial inhibition against moulds. This study confirmed the potential of selected extracts of spices as effective natural food preservative in juices.
Translating Science into Survival: Report on the Inaugural International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference
Authors: Hubbard-Lucey Vanessa M. , Tontonoz Matthew J.
Published: January 2016

The inaugural International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference, cohosted by the Cancer Research Institute (CRI), the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the Association for Cancer Immunotherapy (CIMT), and the European Academy of Tumor Immunology (EATI), was held in New York City on September 16–19, 2015. The conference brought together nearly 1,400 scientists, clinicians, regulators, patient advocates, and other stakeholders to discuss the latest scientific developments in cancer immunology and immunotherapy, as well as the regulatory hurdles facing new drug development. This conference report summarizes the main themes that emerged during the 4-day meeting. Cancer Immunol Res; 4(1); 3–11. ©2016 AACR.
VEGF/VEGFR2 Signaling Regulates Germ Cell Proliferation in vitro and Promotes Mouse Testicular Regeneration in vivo
Authors: Tian Ruhui , Yang Shi , Zhu Yong , Zou Shasha , Li Peng , Wang Junlong , Zhu Zijue , Huang Yiran , He Zuping , Li Zheng
Published: January 2016

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays fundamental roles in testicular development; however, its function on testicular regeneration remains unknown. The objective of this study was to explore the roles VEGF/VEGFR2 signaling plays in mouse germ cells and in mouse testicular regeneration. VEGF and the VEGFR2 antagonist SU5416 were added to culture medium to evaluate their effects on spermatogonial stem cell line (C18-4 cells) proliferation. Testicular cells obtained from newborn male ICR mice were grafted into the dorsal region of male BALB/c nude mice. VEGF and SU5416 were injected into the graft sites to assess the effects of the VEGF and VEGFR2 signaling pathways on testicular reconstitution. The grafts were analyzed after 8 weeks. We found that VEGF promoted C18-4 proliferation in vitro, indicating its role in germ cell survival. HE staining revealed that seminiferous tubules were reconstituted and male germ cells from spermatogonia to spermatids could be observed in testis-like tissues 8 weeks after grafting. A few advantaged male germ cells, including spermatocytes and spermatids, were found in SU5416-treated grafts. Moreover, VEGF enhanced the expression of genes specific for male germ cells and vascularization in 8-week grafts, whereas SU5416 decreased the expression of these genes. SU5416-treated grafts had a lower expression of MVH and CD31, indicating that blockade of VEGF/VEGFR2 signaling reduces the efficiency of seminiferous tubule reconstitution. Collectively, these data suggest that VEGF/VEGFR2 signaling regulates germ cell proliferation and promotes testicular regeneration via direct action on germ cells and the enhancement of vascularization.
Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Embolisation of Placental Chorioangioma Using Cyanoacrylate
Authors: Cheng Yvonne Kwun Yue , Yu Simon Chun Ho , So Po Lam , Leung Tak Yeung
Published: January 2016

We describe a case of large chorioangioma diagnosed at 22 weeks of gestation. As the tumour progressively enlarged to 8 cm with fetal cardiomegaly and increased middle cerebral arterial peak systolic velocity, embolisation of its feeding artery by percutaneous injection of cyanoacrylate was performed under ultrasound guidance. Devascularisation was immediate and complete, and the fetal cardiomegaly and anaemic features resolved after 3 weeks. A healthy infant was born at 34 weeks of gestation following spontaneous preterm labour. Pathological examination of the placenta confirmed an infarcted chorioangioma. Literature on the various prenatal treatments of chorioangioma was reviewed and showed that embolisation using cyanoacrylate is a feasible, simple, and effective treatment for large chorioangiomas. The techniques to optimise the success of the procedure were also discussed.
Plasma FGF23 and Calcified Atherosclerotic Plaque in African Americans with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Freedman Barry I. , Divers Jasmin , Russell Gregory B. , Bowden Donald W. , Carr J. Jeffrey , Wagenknecht Lynne E. , Hightower R. Caresse , Xu Jianzhao , Smith Susan Carrie , Langefeld Carl D. , Hruska Keith A. , Register Thomas C.
Published: January 2016

Background: Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a phosphaturic hormone implicated in disorders of serum phosphorus concentration and vitamin D. The role of FGF23 in vascular calcification remains controversial. Methods: Relationships between FGF23 and coronary artery calcified atherosclerotic plaque (CAC), aortoiliac calcified plaque (CP), carotid artery CP, volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), albuminuria, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were determined in 545 African Americans with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and preserved kidney function in African American-Diabetes Heart Study participants. Generalized linear models were fitted to test associations between FGF23 and cardiovascular, bone, and renal phenotypes, and change in measurements over time, adjusting for age, gender, African ancestry proportion, body mass index, diabetes duration, hemoglobin A1c, blood pressure, renin-angiotensin-system inhibitors, statins, calcium supplements, serum calcium, and serum phosphate. Results: The sample was 56.7% female with a mean (SD) age of 55.6 (9.6) years, diabetes duration of 10.3 (8.2) years, eGFR 90.9 (22.1) ml/min/1.73 m2, urine albumin:creatinine ratio (UACR) 151 (588) (median 13) mg/g, plasma FGF23 161 (157) RU/ml, and CAC 637 (1,179) mg. In fully adjusted models, FGF23 was negatively associated with eGFR (p < 0.0001) and positively associated with UACR (p < 0.0001) and CAC (p = 0.0006), but not with carotid CP or aortic CP. Baseline FGF23 concentration did not associate with changes in vBMD or CAC after a mean of 5.1 years follow-up. Conclusions: Plasma FGF23 concentrations were independently associated with subclinical coronary artery disease, albuminuria, and kidney function in the understudied African American population with T2D. Findings support relationships between FGF23 and vascular calcification, but not between FGF23 and bone mineral density, in African Americans lacking advanced nephropathy.
Pockets, Buttons and Hangers: Designing a New Uniform for Health Care Professionals
Authors: Petersen Trine Brun , Riisberg Vibeke
Published: January 2016

The aim of this article is to study how a new uniform for health care professionals in a Danish region came into being as a negotiation between a number of heterogeneous actors who fundamentally influenced the final design. The crux of this type of design is formed by conflicting demands: that the garment should be able to accommodate the user's bodily existence and that it must be adapted to the lean and rational maintenance processes of modern day health care. Drawing on Actor-Network Theory, the article explores the complex interplay between the different actors involved in the design process and discusses the uniform as a design product that combines the meticulous functional analysis of industrial design with concerns about self-presentation and identity of fashion and dress.
Seasonal-to-Interannual Prediction Skills of Near-Surface Air Temperature in the CMIP5 Decadal Hindcast Experiments
Authors: Choi Jung , Son Seok-Woo , Ham Yoo-Geun , Lee June-Yi , Kim Hye-Mi
Published: January 2016

This study explores the seasonal-to-interannual near-surface air temperature (TAS) prediction skills of state-of-the-art climate models that were involved in phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) decadal hindcast/forecast experiments. The experiments are initialized in either November or January of each year and integrated for up to 10 years, providing a good opportunity for filling the gap between seasonal and decadal climate predictions. The long-lead multimodel ensemble (MME) prediction is evaluated for 1981–2007 in terms of the anomaly correlation coefficient (ACC) and mean-squared skill score (MSSS), which combines ACC and conditional bias, with respect to observations and reanalysis data, paying particular attention to the seasonal dependency of the global-mean and equatorial Pacific TAS predictions. The MME shows statistically significant ACCs and MSSSs for the annual global-mean TAS for up to two years, mainly because of long-term global warming trends. When the long-term trends are removed, the prediction skill is reduced. The prediction skills are generally lower in boreal winters than in other seasons regardless of lead times. This lack of winter prediction skill is attributed to the failure of capturing the long-term trend and interannual variability of TAS over high-latitude continents in the Northern Hemisphere. In contrast to global-mean TAS, regional TAS over the equatorial Pacific is predicted well in winter. This is mainly due to a successful prediction of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). In most models, the wintertime ENSO index is reasonably well predicted for at least one year in advance. The sensitivity of the prediction skill to the initialized month and method is also discussed.
Simulating Human Water Regulation: The Development of an Optimal Complexity, Climate-Adaptive Reservoir Management Model for an LSM
Authors: Solander Kurt C. , Reager John T. , Thomas Brian F. , David Cédric H. , Famiglietti James S.
Published: January 2016

The widespread influence of reservoirs on global rivers makes representations of reservoir outflow and storage essential components of large-scale hydrology and climate simulations across the land surface and atmosphere. Yet, reservoirs have yet to be commonly integrated into earth system models. This deficiency influences model processes such as evaporation and runoff, which are critical for accurate simulations of the coupled climate system. This study describes the development of a generalized reservoir model capable of reproducing realistic reservoir behavior for future integration in a global land surface model (LSM). Equations of increasing complexity relating reservoir inflow, outflow, and storage were tested for 14 California reservoirs that span a range of spatial and climate regimes. Temperature was employed in model equations to modulate seasonal changes in reservoir management behavior and to allow for the evolution of management seasonality as future climate varies. Optimized parameter values for the best-performing model were generalized based on the ratio of winter inflow to storage capacity so a future LSM user can generate reservoirs in any grid location by specifying the given storage capacity. Model performance statistics show good agreement between observed and simulated reservoir storage and outflow for both calibration (mean normalized RMSE = 0.48; mean coefficient of determination = 0.53) and validation reservoirs (mean normalized RMSE = 0.15; mean coefficient of determination = 0.67). The low complexity of model equations that include climate-adaptive operation features combined with robust model performance show promise for simulations of reservoir impacts on hydrology and climate within an LSM.
Roles of an Atmospheric River and a Cutoff Low in the Extreme Precipitation Event in Hiroshima on 19 August 2014
Authors: Hirota Nagio , Takayabu Yukari N. , Kato Masaya , Arakane Sho
Published: January 2016

Precipitation in excess of 100 mm h−1 in Hiroshima, Japan, on 19 August 2014, caused a flash flood that resulted in 75 deaths and destroyed 330 houses. This study examined the meteorological background of this fatal flood. During this event, considerable filamentary transport of water vapor from the Indochina Peninsula to the Japanese islands occurred, forming a so-called atmospheric river (AR). This AR had a deep structure with an amount of free tropospheric moisture comparable with that of the boundary layer. Furthermore, a cutoff low (COL), detached from the subtropical jet over the central Pacific, moved northwestward to the Japanese islands. Instability associated with the cold core of the COL and dynamical ascent induced in front of it, interacted with the free tropospheric moisture of the AR, which caused the considerable precipitation in Hiroshima. Moreover, the mountains of the Japanese islands played a role in localizing the precipitation in Hiroshima. These roles were separately evaluated on the basis of sensitivity experiments with a cloud-resolving model.
Impact of Knowledge Management Capabilities on Knowledge Management Effectiveness in Indian Organizations
Authors: Bharadwaj Sangeeta Shah , Chauhan Sumedha , Raman Aparna
Published: January 2016

Executive Summary

Since the existence of organization, organizational knowledge has been managed more informally than in formal ways. This was done through a knowledge supporting culture, by trusting and managing the employees. This was possible due to the small size of the organizations and co-location of employees. However, increasing global competition and growth of marketplaces have created a competitive incentive among many companies to consolidate and reconcile their knowledge assets as a means of creating value that is sustainable over time. In such a scenario, a need was felt to formally manage knowledge by developing capabilities.

The objective of this research article is to explore the knowledge management (KM) capabilities in large Indian organizations and their impact on knowledge effectiveness. It is based on the premise that together the perspectives of KM infrastructure and KM processes provide a useful theoretical foundation for defining important aspects of knowledge effectiveness in organizations. Knowledge management capabilities are explored with respect to infrastructure, structure, and culture. Knowledge management processes comprise creation/acquisition, storage, dissemination, and application. This research has found evidence that large Indian organizations have started realizing the importance of managing knowledge as a strategic asset. However, the approach is different in different organizations. Some organizations rely more on creating knowledge infrastructure capabilities through culture and structure while others equally emphasize the need of process approach to manage both tacit and explicit knowledge within the organization. KM effectiveness is defined in terms of improved communication, enhanced collaboration, improved employee skills, better decision-making, and improved productivity.

Data collected from 156 organizations was subject to structural equation modelling. The results established that both infrastructure capabilities and process capabilities play an important role in improving KM effectiveness.
Alternative source of stem cells derived from human periodontal ligament: a new treatment for experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Authors: Trubiani Oriana , Giacoppo Sabrina , Ballerini Patrizia , Diomede Francesca , Piattelli Adriano , Bramanti Placido , Mazzon Emanuela
Published: January 2016

Background

Multiple sclerosis is a demyelinating disease mostly of autoimmune origin that affects and damages the central nervous system, leading to a disabling condition. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether administration of mesenchymal stem cells from human periodontal ligament (hPDLSCs) could ameliorate multiple sclerosis progression by exerting neuroprotective effects in an experimental model of autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE).

Methods

EAE was induced by immunization with myelin oligodendroglial glycoprotein peptide (MOG)35–55 in C57BL/6 mice. After immunization, mice were observed every 48 hours for signs of EAE and weight loss. At the onset of disease, approximately 14 days after immunization, EAE mice were subjected to a single intravenous injection of hPDLSCs (106 cells/150 μl) into the tail vein. At the point of animal sacrifice on day 56 after EAE induction, spinal cord and brain tissues were collected in order to perform histological evaluation, immunohistochemistry and western blotting analysis.

Results

Achieved results reveal that treatment with hPDLSCs may exert neuroprotective effects against EAE, diminishing both clinical signs and histological score typical of the disease (lymphocytic infiltration and demyelination) probably through the production of neurotrophic factors (results focused on brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor expression). Furthermore, administration of hPDLSCs modulates expression of inflammatory key markers (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-10, glial fibrillary acidic protein, Nrf2 and Foxp3), the release of CD4 and CD8α T cells, and the triggering of apoptotic death pathway (data shown for cleaved caspase 3, p53 and p21).

Conclusions

In light of the achieved results, transplantation of hPDLSCs may represent a putative novel and helpful tool for multiple sclerosis treatment. These cells could have considerable implication for future therapies for multiple sclerosis and this study may represent the starting point for further investigations.
Ulam-Hyers stability and well-posedness of fixed point problems for α-λ-contractions on quasi b-metric spaces
Authors: Felhi Abdelbasset , Sahmim Slah , Aydi Hassen
Published: January 2016

In this paper, we establish some fixed point results for α-λ-contractions in the class of quasi b-metric spaces. To illustrate the obtained results, we provide some examples and an application on a solution of an integral equation. We also study the stability of Ulam-Hyers and well-posedness of a fixed point problem. Our obtained results give an answer to an open problem of Kutbi and Sintunavarat (Abstr. Appl. Anal. 2014:268230, 2014).
An approximate 3D inversion method for inversion of single-well induction-logging responses
Authors: Bensdorp Silvian , Petersen Steen A. , Olsen Per-Atle , Antonsen Frank , van den Berg Peter M. , Fokkema Jacob T.
Published: January 2016

Electromagnetic logging is a technique used to probe differences in electric conductivity around a measurement device. Electromagnetic logging while drilling can contribute to proactive geosteering to improve well placement in reservoirs because such measurements can serve as an indication for the structure of the surrounding geology. We have developed a novel way of predicting the 3D conductivity distribution around a drilling tool, based on the contrast-source inversion method, in which we have replaced the full integral-equation approach by the single spherical scatterer (SSS) approximation. The approximation took into account the dominant features of the diffusive electromagnetic field. This allowed for a substantial gain in computational speed and storage of the inversion method for reconstruction of the conductivity distribution. In view of the limited range of the electromagnetic probing, the overall reconstruction can be segmented in several local windows. This reduced the computational speed requirements and the storage requirements dramatically, while safeguarding the overall 3D character of reconstruction. We have synthesized 3D electromagnetic logging data using synthetic models and conductivity maps from a hydrocarbon North Sea reservoir model. Reconstructions were made for multiple source frequencies, and the results were compared with the results obtained from the Born approximation. We have observed that reconstruction based on the SSS approximation was superior to the one based on the Born approximation. Our algorithm helped us determine the feasibility of producing reconstructions of reservoir sections in a short time frame, which allows for real-time decision making during drilling operations.
Helicopter-borne ground-penetrating radar investigations on temperate alpine glaciers: A comparison of different systems and their abilities for bedrock mapping
Authors: Rutishauser Anja , Maurer Hansruedi , Bauder Andreas
Published: January 2016

On the basis of a large data set, comprising approximately 1200 km of profile lines acquired with different helicopter-borne ground-penetrating radar (GPR) systems over temperate glaciers in the western Swiss Alps, we have analyzed the possibilities and limitations of using helicopter-borne GPR surveying to map the ice-bedrock interface. We have considered data from three different acquisition systems including (1) a low-frequency pulsed system hanging below the helicopter (BGR), (2) a stepped frequency system hanging below the helicopter (Radar Systemtechnik GmbH [RST]), and (3) a commercial system mounted directly on the helicopter skids (Geophysical Survey Systems Incorporated [GSSI]). The systems showed considerable differences in their performance. The best results were achieved with the BGR system. On average, the RST and GSSI systems yielded comparable results, but we observed significant site-specific differences. A comparison with ground-based GPR data found that the quality of helicopter-borne data is inferior, but the compelling advantages of airborne surveying still make helicopter-borne data acquisition an attractive option. Statistical analyses concerning the bedrock detectability revealed not only large differences between the different acquisition systems but also between different regions within our investigation area. The percentage of bedrock reflections identified (with respect to the overall profile length within a particular region) varied from 11.7% to 68.9%. Obvious factors for missing the bedrock reflections included large bedrock depths and steeply dipping bedrock interfaces, but we also observed that internal features within the ice body may obscure bedrock reflections. In particular, we identified a conspicuous “internal reflection band” in many profiles acquired with the GSSI system. We attribute this feature to abrupt changes of the water content within the ice, but more research is required for a better understanding of the nature of this internal reflection band.
Distribution of preferred ice crystal orientation determined from seismic anisotropy: Evidence from Jakobshavn Isbræ and the North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling facility, Greenland
Authors: Vélez José A. , Tsoflias Georgios P. , Black Ross A. , Van der Veen Cornelis J. , Anandakrishnan Sridhar
Published: January 2016

Preferred crystal orientation fabrics (COFs) within an ice sheet or glacier are typically found from ice cores. We conducted experiments at the North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling (NEEM) facility ice core location, where COF data were available at Jakobshavn Isbræ west Greenland, to test if COF can be determined seismically. We used observations of anisotropic seismic wave propagation on multioffset gathers and englacial imaging from a 2D reflection profile. Anisotropy analysis of the NEEM data yielded mean c-axes distributed over a conical region of 30° to 32° from vertical. No internal ice seismic reflectors were imaged. Direct COF measurements collected in the ice core agreed with the seismic observations. At Jakobshavn Isbræ, we used a multioffset gather and a 2D reflection profile, but we lacked ice core data. Englacial reflectors allowed the determination of ice column interval properties. Anisotropy analysis found that the upper 1640 m of the ice column consisted of cold ([Formula: see text]) and mostly isotropic ice with c-axes distributed over a conical region of 80° from vertical. The lower 300 m of the ice column was characterized by warm ([Formula: see text]) ice with COF. These observations were consistent with complex ice fabric development and temperature estimations over the same region of Jakobshavn Isbræ. This study demonstrated that the ice sheet and glacier ice anisotropy information can be gained from seismic field observations.
Evidence-based mental health and e-learning: a guide for clinicians
Authors: Smith Katharine A. , Tomlin André , Cipriani Andrea , Geddes John R.
Published: January 2016

The internet provides access to what is often a bewildering array of medical knowledge on mental health, some (but not all) of which is evidence based. As well as information for clinicians, there has been a dramatic increase in the variety and quality of information available for patients and carers. In this article we discuss the advantages and limitations of the types of information available, with suggested sites and strategies for assessing their relative merits.
Psychiatric assessments on medical wards: a guide for general psychiatrists
Authors: Segal Tim , Ranjith Gopinath
Published: January 2016

Psychiatric assessments on medical wards of a general hospital are complicated by various factors, including the lack of privacy, medical illness-related factors such as cognitive deficits and communication barriers, and the vagueness of the referral question asked. In this article, we try to guide general psychiatrists who do not routinely carry out such assessments through practical steps from receiving the referral to signing off the case. The key differences in the process and content of psychiatric assessments are discussed, as are diagnostic dilemmas. Subtle aspects of communicating the outcome of the assessments to patients and referrers are emphasised with specific guidance on writing consultation notes. We conclude with a discussion of the principles of biopsychosocial management and judging the outcomes of consultations on medical wards.
How evolution can help us understand child development and behaviour
Authors: Swanepoel Annie , Sieff Daniela F. , Music Graham , Launer John , Reiss Michael , Wren Bernadette
Published: January 2016

The traditional disease model, still dominant in psychiatry, is less than ideal for making sense of psychological issues such as the effects of early childhood experiences on development. We argue that a model based on evolutionary thinking can deepen understanding and aid clinical practice by showing how behaviours, bodily responses and psychological beliefs tend to develop for ‘adaptive’ reasons, even when these ways of being might on first appearance seem pathological. Such understanding has implications for treatment. It also challenges the genetic determinist model, by showing that developmental pathways have evolved to be responsive to the physical and social environment in which the individual matures. Thought can now be given to how biological or psychological treatments – and changing a child's environment – can foster well-being. Evolutionary thinking has major implications for how we think about psychopathology and for targeting the optimum sites, levels and timings for interventions.
CBT: making effective plans
Authors: Osborne David , Williams Chris
Published: January 2016

Working with people who are experiencing mental health difficulties brings many challenges about how best to progress towards shared goals. The cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) approach can provide a structure and framework for effective treatment. It aims to help people identify goals and work towards them. We describe a practical approach that provides a structure for step-by-step planning, engaging the patient and promoting planned change.
Alzheimer's disease: The amyloid hypothesis on
trial
Authors: Harrison Judith R. , Owen Michael J.
Published: January 2016

The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease is complex. The amyloid hypothesis
has directed research efforts for many years, but it has recently been
questioned after failed drug trials. Here, we review the evidence for and
against and suggest that it might be premature to abandon the amyloid
hypothesis.
Activin Enhances α- to β-Cell Transdifferentiation as a Source For β-Cells In Male FSTL3 Knockout Mice
Authors: Brown Melissa L. , Andrzejewski Danielle , Burnside Amy , Schneyer Alan L.
Published: January 2016

Diabetes results from inadequate β-cell number and/or function to control serum glucose concentrations so that replacement of lost β-cells could become a viable therapy for diabetes. In addition to embryonic stem cell sources for new β-cells, evidence for transdifferentiation/reprogramming of non-β-cells to functional β-cells is accumulating. In addition, de-differentiation of β-cells observed in diabetes and their subsequent conversion to α-cells raises the possibility that adult islet cell fate is malleable and controlled by local hormonal and/or environmental cues. We previously demonstrated that inactivation of the activin antagonist, follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3) resulted in β-cell expansion and improved glucose homeostasis in the absence of β-cell proliferation. We recently reported that activin directly suppressed expression of critical α-cell genes while increasing expression of β-cell genes, supporting the hypothesis that activin is one of the local hormones controlling islet cell fate and that increased activin signaling accelerates α- to β-cell transdifferentiation. We tested this hypothesis using Gluc-Cre/yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) α-cell lineage tracing technology combined with FSTL3 knockout (KO) mice to label α-cells with YFP. Flow cytometry was used to quantify unlabeled and labeled α- and β-cells. We found that Ins+/YFP+ cells were significantly increased in FSTL3 KO mice compared with wild type littermates. Labeled Ins+/YFP+ cells increased significantly with age in FSTL3 KO mice but not wild type littermates. Sorting results were substantiated by counting fluorescently labeled cells in pancreatic sections. Activin treatment of isolated islets significantly increased the number of YFP+/Ins+ cells. These results suggest that α- to β-cell transdifferentiation is influenced by activin signaling and may contribute substantially to β-cell mass.
The Type 3 Deiodinase Is a Critical Determinant of Appropriate Thyroid Hormone Action in the Developing Testis
Authors: Martinez M. Elena , Karaczyn Aldona , Stohn J. Patrizia , Donnelly William T. , Croteau Walburga , Peeters Robin P. , Galton Valerie A. , Forrest Douglas , St. Germain Donald , Hernandez Arturo
Published: January 2016

Timely and appropriate levels of thyroid hormone (TH) signaling are necessary to ensure normal developmental outcomes in many tissues. Studies using pharmacological models of altered TH status have revealed an influence of these hormones on testis development and size, but little is known about the role of endogenous determinants of TH action in the developing male gonads. Using a genetic approach, we demonstrate that the type 3 deiodinase (D3), which inactivates TH and protects developing tissues from undue TH action, is a key factor. D3 is highly expressed in the developing testis, and D3-deficient (D3KO) mice exhibit thyrotoxicosis and cell proliferation arrest in the neonatal testis, resulting in an approximately 75% reduction in testis size. This is accompanied by larger seminiferous tubules, impaired spermatogenesis, and a hormonal profile indicative of primary hypogonadism. A deficiency in the TH receptor-α fully normalizes testis size and adult testis gene expression in D3KO mice, indicating that the effects of D3 deficiency are mediated through this type of receptor. Similarly, genetic deficiencies in the D2 or in the monocarboxylate transporter 8 partially rescue the abnormalities in testis size and gonadal axis gene expression featured in the D3KO mice. Our study highlights the testis as an important tissue in which determinants of TH action coordinately converge to ensure normal development and identifies D3 as a critical factor in testis development and in testicular protection from thyrotoxicosis.
Drawing in the Digital Field
Authors: Brandon Claire
Published: January 2016

This article investigates miniature painter Shahzia Sikander's work in animation. It begins by providing background on Sikander's earlier animation work since 2001 and by exploring the use of sound, image, and digital technology in these works. These animations are made from many small drawings, which are scanned and digitally altered. The article then focuses on The Last Post (2010), which marked a radical departure in the artist's animation practice. The Last Post deals with the history of colonial struggle and the legacy of the British East India Company in South and East Asia.
Introduction
Authors: Abu-Lughod Lila
Published: January 2016

This essay introduces the special section “The Politics of Feminist Politics,” which brings together the work of feminist scholars of the Middle East and South Asia to highlight the silences, exclusions, and occlusions that mark the transregional imaginative geographies of both “feminism” and “Islam.” Together, these essays suggest that careful analysis of the languages of justice, forms of social and political life, and embodied realities that belong to particular places and times can unseat the “common sense” of liberal feminist discourse and trouble its universalist claims. These essays track the everyday languages and institutions of governance, policing, and morality by working carefully through diverse fields, including legal cases and reasoning, histories of education, dynamics of marriage, arts of linguistic transformation, politics of religious argument, legitimations of state power, and political economies of labor and housing. They analyze the circulations of terms and bodies in the public sphere and in public space, drawing attention not only to the social exclusions and selective silencings that often attend feminist projects but also to their points of openness and to possibilities for a more inclusive politics.
Scandals of Seduction and the Seductions of Scandal
Authors: Siddiqi Dina M.
Published: January 2016

My argument revolves around two distinct but entangled lines of inquiry. The first considers the spectacle of Muslim female injury/vulnerability in relation to projects of global solidarity and sisterhood. In light of the entrenched, recursive nature of prevailing associations between Islam and spectacularized cultural violence, I ask what counts as a feminist injury and for whom. Under what conditions is the normative feminist gaze scandalized, and what does this imply for the politics of seeing and not seeing? I argue that in addition to the long-sedimented orientalist trope of Muslim women's bodies under threat, secular liberal sensibilities toward pain—visible, bodily, and attributable to religious backwardness—render certain kinds of injury always already scandalous. In contrast, less spectacular structural violence does not offend liberal sensibilities in quite the same manner. In the second part of the essay, I turn to the effects of maintaining a distinction between religiously inflicted illiberal pain and less visible secular forms of suffering. Moral outrage at scandalous forms of punishment precludes attending to systemic forms of subjugation that reside in the political rather than the cultural. I show how the resulting analytical blind spots allow questions of female desire and sexual agency to be perpetually elided. I draw on examples of fatwas in shalish (informal community hearings) and legal judgments on rape in Bangladesh to make my argument.
Listening to Rights Talk in Damascus
Authors: Ferguson Susanna
Published: January 2016

Ferguson reads a 2009–11 debate over the proposed reissue of Syria's Personal Status Code in the Syrian feminist journal al-Thara to highlight the role women's rights discourse plays in disciplining and producing political subjects. She draws on Talal Asad's observation that “languages of justice do not simply justify political acts, they help to shape political actors.” In the case of al-Thara, Ferguson argues, “women's rights” functions as one such language of justice, helping shape the political subjectivities of those who speak in its name. She shows how invocations of women's rights help fashion subjects who share a faith in modernity and progress and an aversion to tradition, a distancing from what is deemed religious in favor of what is considered secular, and a confidence in the promises of the nation, the universal, and the international. This debate also demonstrates how invocations of women's rights are inflected by the history and political specificities of the contexts in which they are deployed. The article asks how formulating arguments around women's rights serves to influence and delimit political claims and possible alliances.
The First Lady Phenomenon
Authors: Sukarieh Mayssoun
Published: January 2016

Drawing on analysis of different sources—media analysis, policy documents, interviews, and participant observation—this article analyzes the representation of Queen Rania of Jordan and the First Lady of Syria, Asma al-Assad, and their work in civil society. An analysis of Rania and Assad helps illustrate the ways in which gender roles and representations, in the Arab and Muslim world as elsewhere, are always multiple and contradictory, varying across lines of social class and intimately connected to and shaped by the ever changing political and ideological projects of states and elites. As such, there is a need, when addressing gender politics in the Arab and Muslim world, to move beyond simple stances of contesting or inverting single kinds of gender representations (whether “traditional” or “modern”) and instead move toward constructing grounded analyses of how constellations of gender roles and representations are constructed and negotiated within the context of regional and global political economy.
Islamist Women and the Arab Spring
Authors: Yafout Merieme
Published: January 2016

There is near unanimity among observers that those who have benefited most from the Arab Spring are the Islamists, who have been brought to power at the ballot box in a number of the countries that have witnessed revolutions or popular movements. How has the Islamists' transition from opposition to rule in their respective countries impacted the position of Islamist women? What impact has Islamists' participation in popular movements had on women's situation within these movements? This essay sets out to answer such questions by examining the following Islamist movements: the Tunisian Renaissance Movement (Ennahda), the Moroccan Justice and Development Party (JDP) with its religious advocacy wing the Unification and Reform Movement (URM), and the Al-Adl Wal Ihsane Justice and Spirituality Organization (JSO) in Morocco.
Civil and the Limits of Politics in Revolutionary Egypt
Authors: Hasso Frances S.
Published: January 2016

Based on analysis of scholarly and primary sources that include July 2011 and January and February 2014 fieldwork in Cairo, this article examines civil as a word with multiple synchronic meanings and shifts in valence in Egypt between January 2011 and July 2013. I argue that civil stood as a rhetorical placeholder in a time with few secure ideological positions, little agreement about the content of the good society, and wide recognition of the enormity of obstacles to transformation. The article draws on Jacques Rancière's understandings of “politics” and “police” to examine sensibilities and relations of transgression and control that work on and through bodies, intimacies, and meanings of the civil. Among the essential lessons of the 2011 Arab revolutions is that ideological differences and material inequalities do not easily melt, even in emergent, pluralistic, and nondoctrinaire revolutionary politics, because it is difficult to erase positional and embodied differences in the scenes where politics are made.
Islam in Black and White
Authors: Launay Robert
Published: January 2016

Ware's impassioned condemnation of the idea of Islam noir is a reaction to its unfortunate consequences for the scholarly study of Africa and of Islam: the marginalization of Islam in the study of Africa and of Africa in the study of Islam. On the other hand, if we attempt to historicize the emergence of the paradigm of Islam noir in terms of European attitudes toward Africa and toward Islam in the early twentieth century, we can reach a more nuanced appreciation of the ambivalences in European racial (though perhaps not always unequivocally racist) thinking. Early twentieth-century French attitudes toward Africa and blackness were by no means univocally negative, although they also relied on racial dichotomization. The French avant-garde, and even the general public, celebrated blackness in the fields of art, music, and dance, while anthropologists were engaged in the quest for “authentic” African cosmologies. The Negritude movement among francophone African intellectuals incorporated the very dichotomies that had earlier informed the elaboration of the paradigm of Islam noir. The British, by way of contrast, did not elaborate a concept of Islam noir, and the comparison with the French case is instructive.
Salafi Theology and Islamic Orthodoxy in West Africa
Authors: Wright Zachary
Published: January 2016

The publication of Rudolph Ware's The Walking Qur'an revives the debate surrounding fundamentally divergent understandings of Islamic identity, the epistemological divide between Salafism and traditionally trained African Muslim scholars. This article extends Ware's findings into the field of articulated theology, suggesting a virulent contestation for orthodoxy where traditionalists are hardly outflanked by the supposed scripturalism of Salafi doctrine.
Rereading the Past, Reshaping the Present
Authors: Alidou Ousseina Dioula
Published: January 2016

This article uses Rudolph T. Ware III's original and compelling book, The Walking Qur'an: Islamic Education, Embodied Knowledge, and History in West Africa, as a window through which to reflect on the contribution of West African clerisy of the classical Quran tradition to Islamic thought and the social transformative aims of their teachings and epistemologies. It focuses on the ways in which the West African clerisy of the historical period covered by Ware framed philosophical resistance strategies, based on their embodied knowledge of the Quran, to combat hegemonic forces of enslavement. In this way, they were able to reconstitute a sense of emancipatory noble citizenship. In the process, the essay shows how Ware's study challenges both the perceived notion, reiterated in many studies of the classical Quran school, that this classic institution, once catering equally to both men and women, is a purveyor of a passive, Thomistic education, and the Hegelian dismissal of Africa South of the Sahara as a place of no philosophy and, according to Hugh Trevor-Roper, of no history. The discussion also draws attention to the philosophical distinctiveness of the classical Quran school tradition and modernist puritanical Wahhabi Salafism sweeping through West Muslim African societies.