bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of a high-performance motorcycle by an advanced multibody/control co-simulation
Authors: Barbagallo R , Sequenzia G , Oliveri SM , Cammarata A
Published: September 2015

The present work aims at the development of an advanced control system implemented through Adams/View-Matlab/Simulink co-simulation for a high-performance motorcycle dynamics study. In particular, the purpose of this study is to create a model able to consider several aspects of the rider–motorbike dynamic simulation and its control system, generally treated separately in the literature, making also use of an original and accurate modelling of the rider. From a previous multi-body model of motorcycle/virtual rider, developed by the authors, a flexible tool is created to simulate system dynamics to follow any trajectory at a prescribed velocity profile. Considering high-performance motorcycle dynamics are greatly influenced by the rider’s weight, his movements have been accurately replicated to obtain the most realistic results. To simulate the passive impedance of rider’s arms, a torque was applied to the steering as per the literature. The aerodynamic force was modelled as a function of kinematics variables and rider’s posture. The control system is very flexible and adaptable to different manoeuvres realistically reproducing engine and braking performance, steering torque and rider movements. Numerical results show that the control system can accurately direct the motorcycle/rider system along an entire lap of the Monza circuit, following a desired path at a given velocity profile. The model developed allows a complete view of the motorbike-rider dynamic behaviour thus being useful during both design phase and set-up, with a considerable saving in terms of both cost and time; it can also evaluate the influence on the system dynamics of riders with different anatomical characteristics and driving styles.
The sensuous city: Sensory methodologies in urban ethnographic research
Authors: Low Kelvin E.Y.
Published: September 2015

While urban dimensions of landscapes and the physical environment are often regarded as built structures that relate to functionality in modern life, cities are also sites of human experience that comprise social relationships, memories, emotions, and how they are negotiated on an everyday basis. Embedded within these processes of sociality is how the senses mediate one's engagement with urban life, hence rendering insights into the multi-sensory character of urbanity. This article surveys a range of sensory methodologies that may be harnessed towards articulating the social life of the senses in urbanity such as smellscape walkabouts in order to explicate the doing of sensory ethnography in urban contexts. The aim is to elucidate how place, social actors, and sensory experiences come together in the production and analysis of urban ethnographic research, including the embodied constitutions of researchers in the process of data generation.
Neoliberal visions, post-capitalist memories: Heritage politics and the counter-mapping of Singapore’s cityscape
Authors: Liew Kai Khiun , Pang Natalie
Published: September 2015

This paper argues that the move towards a neoliberal vision of the city-state in the postindustrial era in Singapore has not gone unchallenged. With alternative resources of collective memory, the innovations of the social media and openings within the state dominated press, the authors seek to illustrate the process of counter-mapping of Singapore’s cityscape by conservation groups. The relationship between technological affordances and citizen aspirations are discussed informed by the ethnomethodological approach, where the focus of analysis is to understand the methods by which social actors use, interpret and make sense of their own actions. In this context, we draw on a series of case studies where citizens have counter-mapped to reflect their urban aspirations, and in the process, construct meanings around the actions of counter-mapping. In the hygienic futuristic neoliberal vision of a globally connected Singapore, conservationists are pushing for a post-capitalist and localized geo-cultural topographical imagination.
There must be some way out of here: Beyond a spatial conception of Muslim ghettoization in Mumbai?
Authors: Gupta Radhika
Published: September 2015

In contemporary India, large numbers of Muslims tend to be segregated into ghettoes. Even when this is not the case, the study of Muslims is often stalked by a ghetto mentality reflected in thematic choices made by the researcher. Can consideration of everyday aspirations enable a shift away from this ghetto mentality? Or does the ghetto reassert itself as effect, beyond its spatiality, in a wider culture of suspicion that marks the relationship with the other in an urban milieu? This article ponders whether there is a way out of the ghetto for Muslims. I consider this through a reflexive narrative of my personal experience of conducting research among Shi‘a Muslims in Mumbai. I reflect upon whether the paradoxical dynamic between keeping at a distance yet reaching out is intrinsic to any ethnographic research or acquires a distinct edge when conducting research among Muslims in urban India.
‘You can’t move in Hackney without bumping into an anthropologist’: why certain places attract research attention
Authors: Neal Sarah , Mohan Giles , Cochrane Allan , Bennett Katy
Published: September 2015

In social research some places and populations are disproportionately targeted by researchers. While relatively little work exists on the concept of over-research those accounts that do exist tend to focus on participant-based research relationships and not place-based research relationships. Using interdisciplinary approaches and fieldwork experiences from a recently completed qualitative study of urban multiculture in England we develop the over-research debates in three key ways. First, the notion of ‘over-research’ carries negative connotations and we reflect on these as well as the possibility of more nuanced readings of research encounters. Second, we develop a more relational analysis, in which place – the London Borough of Hackney – is understood to be an animating force in the research process. Third, we argue that our experiences of the research provide evidence that many of the participants in the project were adept and confident in their engagements with the research process. In this way, the article suggests, disproportionate research attention may foster not research fatigue but a more knowing and co-productive research relationship.
Uneasy laughter: encountering the anti-immigration debate
Authors: Mäkinen Katariina
Published: September 2015

This article interrogates instances of laughter in doing research from a methodological and ethical perspective. Both the theoretical insights of the ‘turn to affect’ and the methodological discussions concerning emotional reflexivity in social sciences are combined in order to explore the ambiguities unravelled by ‘uneasy laughter’ in the particular context of researching the Finnish anti-immigration debate. Through careful reflection, laughter can be recognised as a beginning from which to understand relations of power and the production of whiteness and class in the debate, and the changing place of the researcher in all this. Furthermore, it is suggested that understanding affects as embedded in power relations makes it possible to account also for those affective and emotional reactions that are deemed shameful and ‘wrong’ in doing research. Exploring laughter thus allows approaches in which unruly and ethically questionable affects can be made part of an ethically responsible research.
Impact monitoring in stiffened composite aerospace panels by wave propagation
Authors: Nucera Claudio , White Sara , Chen Zhi Ming , Kim Hyonny , Lanza di Scalea Francesco
Published: September 2015

The technique of piezoelectric rosettes has been developed for the location of acoustic emission sources. Since the rosette-based acoustic emission source location algorithm is not dependent on the wave velocity, the method lends itself to monitoring complex composite structures where the velocity can change with wave propagation direction (due to anisotropy) or along the wave propagation path (due to tapered and multilayered geometries). This article presents the acoustic emission source location results from “blunt” impact tests conducted on a curved carbon fiber–reinforced plastic composite panel with co-cured stiffeners and bolted shear ties of overall dimensions of 0.9 m × 0.9 m. The results of these tests are of interest to follow the evolution of damage during the impact event. In addition, an impact force identification procedure is presented. The procedure is a model-based approach that minimizes the difference between predicted and experimental acoustic emission waves generated by the impact. The numerical procedure is tested favorably against the output of a hammer impact on a stiffened carbon fiber–reinforced plastic panel.
Rethinking the problems of adherence to medications
Authors: Boddington Paula
Published: September 2015

Poor adherence to medication is a persistent problem in the practice of medicine, which gives rise to problems for individual patients, for the healthcare system as a whole, and in some cases, for third parties and for public health. There has been some progress in understanding the causes and solutions but much more work needs to be done. To develop the ethical responses to adherence, the problems need to be analysed more precisely. It is argued that, given that one pressing concern is whether poorly adherent patients are being unfairly blamed or stigmatised, it is necessary to pay attention not just to the content of claims about adherence, but to the rhetoric of how these are presented. A necessity-concerns framework does much to advance understanding and ethics but may have certain pitfalls, and an approach based on micro-economic modelling may help to refine understandings of the position of the patient. It is also argued that a more sophisticated understanding of the ethical issues will be gained by recognising two problems: first, poor adherence to medications per se; second, poor knowledge about adherence to medications. These are related, but give rise to distinct ethical concerns.
Stalking
Authors: Logan TK , Walker Robert
Published: September 2015

Despite the high prevalence of stalking and the risk of harm it poses to victims, arrest rates, prosecutions, and convictions for stalking continue to be low in the United States. The overall goal of this article is to introduce a multidimensional framework of stalking that adds to the current literature by (1) providing a conceptual framework consistent with legal elements of many stalking statutes to facilitate assessment, communication, documentation, and safety planning for stalking several victims; (2) introducing a more systematic way of assessing course of conduct and the context of fear in stalking situations in order to increase the understanding of cumulative fear for stalking victims; (3) emphasizing the aspects of stalking harm that go beyond violence and that show how harm from stalking accumulates over time including life sabotage; and (4) discussing 12 risk factors derived from the overall multidimensional framework that can be used to describe the big picture of stalking and to facilitate safety planning for victims. Implications for future research are discussed.
Amantadine-Induced Livedo Racemosa
Authors: Criado Paulo Ricardo , Alavi Afsaneh , Valente Neusa Yuriko Sakai , Sotto Mirian Nacagami
Published: September 2015

Although livedo reticularis is a known adverse effect of amantadine, only limited studies have addressed this association. Livedo racemosa in contrast to livedo reticularis is characterized by a striking violaceous netlike pattern of the skin similar to livedo reticularis with a different histopathology and morphology (irregular, broken circular segments). In this case report, we present 2 cases of livedo racemosa and edema of lower extremities following amantadine treatment. The cutaneous biopsies in both cases showed intraluminal thrombi in subcutaneous blood vessels without evidence of vasculitis, which is consistent with livedo racemosa.
Where to Put the Port? The Free Harbor Fight and the Historical Development of Los Angeles
Authors: Morris Eric A.
Published: September 2015

Los Angeles lacks a natural harbor. Moreover, in the 1880s, the rail line to its inadequate port at San Pedro was controlled by railroad magnate Collis P. Huntington. When his monopoly was threatened, Huntington planned a new port at Santa Monica built with federal money wrested from San Pedro. Huntington chose a site that guaranteed he would dominate the Santa Monica port. Congress ultimately chose to fund San Pedro instead. Hence, San Pedro Bay grew into one of the world’s great ports and Santa Monica was transformed into a glamorous beach resort, with powerful impacts on the region’s urban geography.
Interactive Effects Between Exercise and Serotonergic Pharmacotherapy on Cortical Reorganization After Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Foffani Guglielmo , Shumsky Jed , Knudsen Eric B. , Ganzer Patrick D. , Moxon Karen A.
Published: September 2015

Background. In rat models of spinal cord injury, at least 3 different strategies can be used to promote long-term cortical reorganization: (1) active exercise above the level of the lesion; (2) passive exercise below the level of the lesion; and (3) serotonergic pharmacotherapy. Whether and how these potential therapeutic strategies—and their underlying mechanisms of action—interact remains unknown. Methods. In spinally transected adult rats, we compared the effects of active exercise above the level of the lesion (treadmill), passive exercise below the level of the lesion (bike), serotonergic pharmacotherapy (quipazine), and combinations of the above therapies (bike+quipazine, treadmill+quipazine, bike+treadmill+quipazine) on long-term cortical reorganization (9 weeks after the spinal transection). Cortical reorganization was measured as the percentage of cells recorded in the deafferented hindlimb cortex that responded to tactile stimulation of the contralateral forelimb. Results. Bike and quipazine are “competing” therapies for cortical reorganization, in the sense that quipazine limits the cortical reorganization induced by bike, whereas treadmill and quipazine are “collaborative” therapies, in the sense that the reorganization induced by quipazine combined with treadmill is greater than the reorganization induced by either quipazine or treadmill. Conclusions. These results uncover the interactive effects between active/passive exercise and serotonergic pharmacotherapy on cortical reorganization after spinal cord injury, emphasizing the importance of understanding the effects of therapeutic strategies in spinal cord injury (and in other forms of deafferentation) from an integrated system-level approach.
Variable Intensive Early Walking Poststroke (VIEWS)
Authors: Hornby T. George , Holleran Carey L. , Hennessy Patrick W. , Leddy Abigail L. , Connolly Mark , Camardo Jaclyn , Woodward Jane , Mahtani Gordhan , Lovell Linda , Roth Elliot J.
Published: September 2015

Background. Converging evidence suggests that the amount of stepping practice is an important training parameter that influences locomotor recovery poststroke. More recent data suggest that stepping intensity and variability are also important, although such strategies are often discouraged early poststroke. Objective. The present study examined the efficacy of high-intensity, variable stepping training on walking and nonwalking outcomes in individuals 1 to 6 months poststroke as compared with conventional interventions. Methods. Individuals with unilateral stroke (mean duration = 101 days) were randomized to receive ≤40, 1-hour experimental or control training sessions over 10 weeks. Experimental interventions consisted only of stepping practice at high cardiovascular intensity (70%-80% heart rate reserve) in variable contexts (tasks or environments). Control interventions were determined by clinical physical therapists and supplemented using standardized conventional strategies. Blinded assessments were obtained at baseline, midtraining, and posttraining with a 2-month follow-up. Results. A total of 32 individuals (15 experimental) received different training paradigms that varied in the amount, intensity, and types of tasks performed. Primary outcomes of walking speed (experimental, 0.27 ± 0.22 m/s vs control, 0.09 ± 0.09 m/s) and distances (119 ± 113 m vs 30 ± 32 m) were different between groups, with stepping amount and intensity related to these differences. Gains in temporal gait symmetry and self-reported participation scores were greater following experimental training, without differences in balance or sit-to-stand performance. Conclusion. Variable intensive stepping training resulted in greater improvements in walking ability than conventional interventions early poststroke. Future studies should evaluate the relative contributions of these training parameters.
Spatial Neglect Hinders Success of Inpatient Rehabilitation in Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Chen Peii , Ward Irene , Khan Ummais , Liu Yan , Hreha Kimberly
Published: September 2015

Background. Current knowledge about spatial neglect and its impact on rehabilitation mostly originates from stroke studies. Objective. To examine the impact of spatial neglect on rehabilitation outcome in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods. The retrospective study included 156 consecutive patients with TBI (73 women; median age = 69.5 years; interquartile range = 50-81 years) at an inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF). We examined whether the presence of spatial neglect affected the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores, length of stay, or discharge disposition. Based on the available medical records, we also explored whether spatial neglect was associated with tactile sensation or muscle strength asymmetry in the extremities and whether specific brain injuries or lesions predicted spatial neglect. Results. In all, 30.1% (47 of 156) of the sample had spatial neglect. Sex, age, severity of TBI, or time postinjury did not differ between patients with and without spatial neglect. In comparison to patients without spatial neglect, patients with the disorder stayed in IRF 5 days longer, had lower FIM scores at discharge, improved slower in both Cognitive and Motor FIM scores, and might have less likelihood of return home. In addition, left-sided neglect was associated with asymmetric strength in the lower extremities, specifically left weaker than the right. Finally, brain injury–induced mass effect predicted left-sided neglect. Conclusions. Spatial neglect is common following TBI, impedes rehabilitation progress in both motor and cognitive domains, and prolongs length of stay. Future research is needed for linking specific traumatic injuries and lesioned networks to spatial neglect and related impairment.
The online dating romance scam: The psychological impact on victims – both financial and non-financial
Authors: Whitty Monica T , Buchanan Tom
Published: September 2015

This article examines the psychological impact of the online dating romance scam. Unlike other mass-marketing fraud victims, these victims experienced a ‘double hit’ of the scam: a financial loss and the loss of a relationship. For most, the loss of the relationship was more upsetting than their financial losses (many described the loss of the relationship as a ‘death’). Some described their experience as traumatic and all were affected negatively by the crime. Most victims had not found ways to cope given the lack of understanding from family and friends. Denial (e.g. not accepting the scam was real or not being able to separate the fake identity with the criminal) was identified as an ineffective means of coping, leaving the victim vulnerable to a second wave of the scam. Suggestions are made as to how to change policy with regards to law enforcement to deal with this crime.
“You don’t look Puerto Rican”: Collective memory and community in Orlando
Authors: Silver Patricia
Published: September 2015

Although the 2010 US Census counts documented a large Puerto Rican community in and around Orlando, Florida, 30 years earlier in 1980 Puerto Ricans were living scattered about the area practically unnoticed. A 2008–2009 oral history collection of Puerto Rican memories in Orlando from the 1940s to 1980s gives evidence that middle-class social relations mitigated racial dissonance for some in Orlando’s black-white binary, making it possible to almost disappear into the dominant society. This article posits collective memory as a sociocultural process not an outcome and argues that in that almost is a space of dissonance and difference, where strategic moments of forgetting and re-remembering inform the dynamics of collective memory formation. The memories recorded in the collection describe a slippery space between an invisibility emerging from pressures to assimilate and a hypervisibility emerging from US colonial history in Puerto Rico and widespread stereotyping of the Puerto Rican diaspora in the United States.
Upper limb joint position sense during shoulder flexion in healthy individuals: a pilot study to develop a new assessment method
Authors: Glendon Kerry , Hood Victoria
Published: September 2015

Background

Altered shoulder joint position sense (JPS) following shoulder injury has been demonstrated in the literature and may increase the risk of injury. A JPS assessment targeting the shoulder will provide the clinician with an objective marker. The present study aimed to develop an assessment method of JPS using an active relocation test (ART).

Methods

In total, 40 healthy participants were recruited. A laser-pointer attached to the index finger during an ART allowed measurement (mm) of JPS by measuring the distance between the target and relocated position. Participants were blindfolded and stood an arm’s length (approximately 1 m) away from the wall. Whilst keeping the wrist in neutral and elbow extended, the participant actively moved to the target position (90° glenohumeral flexion), held for 5 seconds, returned their arm to their side and actively returned to the target position. A mean was calculated from three trials to provide an ART score.

Results

The mean (SD) dominant and nondominant ART score was 89.2 (SD 35.5) mm (95% confidence interval = 77.87 mm to 100.5 mm) and 94.1 (34.5) mm (95% confidence interval = 83.1 mm to 105.2 mm), respectively. Arm dominance did not significantly affect ART scores.

Conclusions

No significant difference was demonstrated between the dominant and nondominant arm using an ART assessing JPS acuity. Further studies are needed to establish inter-rater and intra-rater reliability.
Games and Diabetes
Authors: Lazem Shaimaa , Webster Mary , Holmes Wayne , Wolf Motje
Published: September 2015

Here we review 18 articles that describe the design and evaluation of 1 or more games for diabetes from technical, methodological, and theoretical perspectives. We undertook searches covering the period 2010 to May 2015 in the ACM, IEEE, Journal of Medical Internet Research, Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, and Google Scholar online databases using the keywords “children,” “computer games,” “diabetes,” “games,” “type 1,” and “type 2” in various Boolean combinations. The review sets out to establish, for future research, an understanding of the current landscape of digital games designed for children with diabetes. We briefly explored the use and impact of well-established learning theories in such games. The most frequently mentioned theoretical frameworks were social cognitive theory and social constructivism. Due to the limitations of the reported evaluation methodologies, little evidence was found to support the strong promise of games for diabetes. Furthermore, we could not establish a relation between design features and the game outcomes. We argue that an in-depth discussion about the extent to which learning theories could and should be manifested in the design decisions is required.
Pre-Occupancy Evaluation of Patient Satisfaction in Hospitals
Authors: van der Zwart Johan , van der Voordt Theo J. M.
Published: September 2015

Aim:

To explore analytical drawing techniques as a means to assess the attainment of preset objectives in the design phase of hospital buildings and to test ex ante if the building fits with these objectives, with a focus on view on nature, wayfinding, daylight, visibility of patient areas from reception desks, privacy, and communication between medical staff and patients, and noise reduction.

Background:

The impact of the build environment on user value is at the core of evidence-based design, but these values are normally only experienced by users after the building is constructed. Therefore, assessment of these values during the design phase could improve the outcome for patients.

Topical Headings:

An analysis of available assessment tools showed that research by drawing and the use of space syntax methods is an adequate means to visualize the strengths and weaknesses of floor plans in relation to spatial user experience. This approach is illustrated by an assessment of a nursing ward of the Deventer hospital in the Netherlands.

Conclusions/Recommendations:

Floor plan analysis by using space syntax techniques makes it possible to visualize various aspects of user value and supports the incorporation of usability issues in the discussion between the designer, the client, and the users during the design process. It is recommended to test the findings of the design assessment by a post-occupancy evaluation of the building-in-use and to conduct similar studies in other hospitals, as a means to build a body of knowledge for user-oriented design and management of hospital buildings.
Securing Livelihoods
Authors: Aubert Jean-Eric , Suzuta Eriko
Published: September 2015

Mankind has experienced more than two centuries of almost continuous economic and social progress since the Industrial Revolution. In recent decades, billions of people have been lifted out of poverty. However, a serious slowdown has occurred with the recent global financial and economic crisis. Other daunting challenges also threaten the future of livelihoods, particularly on the demographic and environmental fronts. How will societies cope with such challenges? How can we build resilient societies? These are the types of questions explored more fully in a book recently published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, of which this article presents and discusses key findings and messages.
Power and Sadomasochism
Authors: Lammers Joris , Imhoff Roland
Published: September 2015

A large sample of 14,306 men and women was used to examine the relationship between social power and sexual arousal to consensual sadomasochism. Results showed that power increases the arousal to sadomasochism, after controlling for age and dominance. Furthermore, the effect of power on arousal by sadistic thoughts is stronger among women than among men, while the effect of power on arousal by masochistic thoughts is stronger among men than women. These findings refute common beliefs, reinforced through novels such as Fifty Shades of Grey, that the desire for sadomasochism reflects a desire to play out power dynamics in the bedroom. Instead, the effect of power is driven through a process of disinhibition that leads people to disregard sexual norms in general and disregard sexual norms associated with their gender in particular. These results add to an emerging literature that social power changes traditional gender patterns in sex.
The Emotional Cost of Humanity
Authors: Cameron C. Daryl , Harris Lasana T. , Payne B. Keith
Published: September 2015

Although mind perception is a basic part of social interaction, people often dehumanize others by denying them mental states. Many theories suggest that dehumanization happens in order to facilitate aggression or account for past immorality. We suggest a novel motivation for dehumanization: to avoid affective costs. We show that dehumanization of stigmatized targets (e.g., drug addicts) relative to nonstigmatized targets is strongest for those who are motivated to avoid emotional exhaustion. In Experiment 1, participants anticipated more exhaustion from helping, and attributed less mind to, a stigmatized target and anticipated exhaustion partially mediated the influence of stigma on mind attribution. Experiment 2 manipulated anticipated exhaustion prior to an empathy plea and revealed that the influence of stigma on mind attribution was only present when people anticipated high levels of emotional exhaustion.
Chronic urinary bladder torsion causing urinary incontinence in a cat
Authors: James Daniel R , Collins David , Johnson Philippa J , Marchevsky Andrew M
Published: September 2015

Case summary

A 10-month-old female spayed domestic shorthair cat was presented for urinary incontinence. The cat was azotaemic, and ultrasound examination identified hydroureter and hydronephrosis. Subsequent computed tomography (CT) contrast pyelography allowed a diagnosis of urinary bladder torsion. Surgical findings and treatment are described. Postoperatively, incontinence and azotaemia resolved, and marked improvements were documented with ultrasound and CT in urinary tract structural abnormalities.

Relevance and novel information

To our knowledge, urinary bladder torsion has not been previously reported in the cat. This case most probably occurred as a complication of ovariohysterectomy, as has been reported in the dog; however, the presenting sign of chronic urinary incontinence is unique. Response to surgical correction was favourable.
Proliferative, necrotizing and crescentic immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis in a cat
Authors: Gross Carolyn , Cianciolo Rachel E , Lees George E , Brown Cathy A , Foster Jonathan D
Published: September 2015

Case Summary

A 5-year-old cat was examined for vomiting and anorexia of 2 days’ duration. Azotemia, hyperphosphatemia and hypoalbuminemia were the main biochemical findings. Serial analyses of the urine revealed isosthenuria, proteinuria and eventual glucosuria. Hyperechoic perirenal fat was detected surrounding the right kidney by ultrasonography. Histopathologic evaluation of ante-mortem ultrasound-guided needle biopsies of the right kidney was consistent with proliferative, necrotizing and crescentic glomerulonephritis with fibrin thrombi, proteinaceous and red blood cell casts, and moderate multifocal chronic-active interstitial nephritis. Owing to a lack of clinical improvement, the cat was eventually euthanized. Post-mortem renal biopsies were processed for light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence. This revealed severe focal proliferative and necrotizing glomerulonephritis with cellular crescent formation, podocyte injury and secondary segmental sclerosis. Ultrastructural analysis revealed scattered electron-dense deposits in the mesangium, and immunofluorescence demonstrated positive granular staining for λ light chains, consistent with immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis. Severe diffuse acute tubular epithelial injury and numerous red blood cell casts were also seen.

Relevance and novel information

To our knowledge, this is the first report of naturally occurring proliferative, necrotizing and crescentic immune complex glomerulonephritis in a cat.
From Collegial Organization to Strategic Management of Resources
Authors: Rasmussen Bente
Published: September 2015

The article looks into the consequences for recruitment of Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development’s recommendations that universities should manage their resources strategically to foster excellence. Using institutional ethnography as described by Dorothy Smith in a sociology department in Norway, it shows how strategic recruiting for excellence resulted in nominating candidates who were not able to teach the sociology program. Operationalizing potential for excellence as the number of (international) publications in the last 5 years resulted in nominating candidates with narrow fields of expertise who had been offered favorable conditions to publish internationally. When academic quality is translated into the number of international publications in the last 5 years, it undermines the policy of gender equity in academia by ruling out women who use paid parental leave to have children during their PhD period. The focus on publications in English also threatens to marginalize sociology’s contribution to public debate and national policy.
Spontaneous Eye-Blink Rate as an Index of Reward Responsivity
Authors: Peckham Andrew D. , Johnson Sheri L.
Published: September 2015

Extensive research supports the role of striatal dopamine in pursuing and responding to reward, and that eye-blink rate is a valid indicator of striatal dopamine. This study tested whether phasic changes in blink rate could provide an index of reward pursuit. This hypothesis was tested in people with bipolar I disorder (BD; a population with aberrations in reward responsivity) and in those without BD. A total of 31 adults with BD and 28 control participants completed a laboratory task involving effort toward monetary reward. Blink rate was recorded using eye tracking at baseline, reward anticipation, and postreward. Those in the BD group completed self-report measures relating to reward and ambition. Results showed that across all participants, blink rates increased from reward anticipation to postreward. In the BD group, reward-relevant measures were strongly correlated with variation in blink rate. These findings provide validation for phasic changes in blink rate as an index of reward response.
Assessment of Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission HIV Services in the Bantey Meanchey Province in Cambodia
Authors: Sau Mealiny Sokun , Balamane Maya , Lurie Mark , Harwell Joseph , Welle Emily , Mean Chhivun , Cu-Uvin Susan
Published: September 2015

Background:

Elimination of pediatric HIV requires a robust program for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT). The goal of this study was to assess the implementation of these services in Cambodia.

Methods:

This prospective study was conducted in Bantey Meanchey at 2 sites. Staff reviewed daily clinic and laboratory registration logs to gather data on PMTCT service access among antenatal women.

Results:

A total of 12 140 pregnant women received antenatal care. Only 4034 (33.2%) received pre-HIV test counseling. Of which 3407 (84.5%) received an HIV test. Eighteen (94.7%) of 19 women testing HIV-seropositive received triple-combination antiretroviral (ARV) medication. Fifteen HIV-exposed infants were delivered during the study. One infant tested HIV positive and is on ARV medication.

Conclusion:

Acceptance for HIV testing was high among women who received pretest counseling. An increase in the number of counselors may improve the rates of HIV testing. Follow-up mechanisms targeting mother–baby pairs should focus on increasing timely service uptake in the public sector.
Environmental exposure to pesticides and respiratory health
Authors: Mamane Ali , Raherison Chantal , Tessier Jean-François , Baldi Isabelle , Bouvier Ghislaine
Published: September 2015

Respiratory effects of environmental exposure to pesticides are debated. Here we aimed to review epidemiological studies published up until 2013, using the PubMed database. 20 studies dealing with respiratory health and non-occupational pesticide exposure were identified, 14 carried out on children and six on adults.

In four out of nine studies in children with biological measurements, mothers' dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) blood levels during pregnancy were associated with asthma and wheezing in young children. An association was also found between permethrin in indoor air during pregnancy and wheezing in children. A significant association between asthma and DDE measured in children's blood (aged 7–10 years) was observed in one study. However, in three studies, no association was found between asthma or respiratory infections in children and pesticide levels in breast milk and/or infant blood. Lastly, in three out of four studies where post-natal pesticide exposure of children was assessed by parental questionnaire an association with respiratory symptoms was found. Results of the fewer studies on pesticide environmental exposure and respiratory health of adults were much less conclusive: indeed, the associations observed were weak and often not significant.

In conclusion, further studies are needed to confirm whether there is a respiratory risk associated with environmental exposure to pesticides.
Coagulation and anticoagulation in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Crooks Michael G. , Hart Simon P.
Published: September 2015

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an incurable, progressive interstitial lung disease with a prognosis that is worse than that of many cancers. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated a link between IPF and thrombotic vascular events. Coagulation and fibrinolytic systems play central roles in wound healing and repair, processes hypothesised to be abnormal within the IPF lung. Animal models of pulmonary fibrosis have demonstrated an imbalance between thrombosis and fibrinolysis within the alveolar compartment, a finding that is also observed in IPF patients. A systemic prothrombotic state also occurs in IPF and is associated with increased mortality, but trials of anticoagulation in IPF have provided conflicting results. Differences in methodology, intervention and study populations may contribute to the inconsistent trial outcomes. The new oral anticoagulants have properties that may prove advantageous in targeting both thrombotic risk and progression of lung fibrosis.
Integration of interventional bronchoscopy in the management of lung cancer
Authors: Guibert Nicolas , Mazieres Julien , Marquette Charles-Hugo , Rouviere Damien , Didier Alain , Hermant Christophe
Published: September 2015

Tracheal or bronchial proximal stenoses occur as complications in 20–30% of lung cancers, resulting in a dramatic alteration in quality of life and poor prognosis. Bronchoscopic management of these obstructions is based on what are known as “thermal” techniques for intraluminal stenosis and/or placement of tracheal or bronchial prostheses for extrinsic compressions, leading to rapid symptom palliation in the vast majority of patients. This invasive treatment should only be used in cases of symptomatic obstructions and in the presence of viable bronchial tree and downstream parenchyma.

This review aims to clarify 1) the available methods for assessing the characteristics of stenoses before treatment, 2) the various techniques available including their preferred indications, outcomes and complications, and 3) the integration of interventional bronchoscopy in the multidisciplinary management of proximal bronchial cancers and its synergistic effects with the other specific treatments (surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy).
Macrophage adaptation in airway inflammatory resolution
Authors: Kaur Manminder , Bell Thomas , Salek-Ardakani Samira , Hussell Tracy
Published: September 2015

Bacterial and viral infections (exacerbations) are particularly problematic in those with underlying respiratory disease, including post-viral infection, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary fibrosis. Patients experiencing exacerbations tend to be at the more severe end of the disease spectrum and are often difficult to treat. Most of the unmet medical need remains in this patient group. Airway macrophages are one of the first cell populations to encounter airborne pathogens and, in health, exist in a state of reduced responsiveness due to interactions with the respiratory epithelium and specific factors found in the airway lumen. Granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interleukin-10, transforming growth factor-β, surfactant proteins and signallingviathe CD200 receptor, for example, all raise the threshold above which airway macrophages can be activated. We highlight that following severe respiratory inflammation, the airspace microenvironment does not automatically re-set to baseline and may leave airway macrophages more restrained than they were at the outset. This excessive restraint is mediated in part by the clearance of apoptotic cells and components of extracellular matrix. This implies that one strategy to combat respiratory exacerbations would be to retune airway macrophage responsiveness to allow earlier bacterial recognition.
Therapeutic strategies in pneumonia: going beyond antibiotics
Authors: Müller-Redetzky Holger , Lienau Jasmin , Suttorp Norbert , Witzenrath Martin
Published: September 2015

Dysregulation of the innate immune system drives lung injury and its systemic sequelae due to breakdown of vascular barrier function, harmful hyperinflammation and microcirculatory failure, which contribute to the unfavourable outcome of patients with severe pneumonia. A variety of promising therapeutic targets have been identified and numerous innovative therapeutic approaches demonstrated to improve lung injury in experimental preclinical studies. However, at present specific preventive or curative strategies for the treatment of lung failure in pneumonia in addition to antibiotics are still missing. The aim of this mini-review is to give a short overview of some, but not all, adjuvant therapeutic strategies for pneumonia and its most important complications, sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome, and briefly discuss future perspectives.
Epidemiological studies in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: pitfalls in methodologies and data interpretation
Authors: Caminati Antonella , Madotto Fabiana , Cesana Giancarlo , Conti Sara , Harari Sergio
Published: September 2015

Data on incidence, prevalence and mortality of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are sparse and vary across studies. The true incidence and prevalence of the disease are unknown. In general, the overall prevalence and incidence reported in European and Asian countries are lower than those reported in American studies. In recent years, the epidemiological approach to IPF has been difficult for many reasons. First, the diagnostic criteria of the disease have changed over time. Secondly, the coding system used for IPF in administrative databases, the most common data source used to study this aspect of the disease, has been modified in the past few years. Finally, the study design, the methodology and the population selected in each of the studies are very different. All these aspects make comparisons among studies very difficult or impossible. In this review, we list the main issues that might arise when comparing different studies and that should be taken into consideration when describing the state of epidemiological knowledge concerning this pathology.
Pulmonary hypertension in patients with chronic myeloproliferative disorders
Authors: Adir Yochai , Elia Davide , Harari Sergio
Published: September 2015

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a major complication of several haematological disorders. Chronic myeloproliferative diseases (CMPDs) associated with pulmonary hypertension have been included in group five of the clinical classification for pulmonary hypertension, corresponding to pulmonary hypertension for which the aetiology is unclear and/or multifactorial. The aim of this review is to discuss the epidemiology, pathogenic mechanism and treatment approaches of the more common forms of pulmonary hypertension in the context of CMPD's: chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, precapillary pulmonary hypertension and drug-induced PH.
Smoking and interstitial lung diseases
Authors: Margaritopoulos George A. , Vasarmidi Eirini , Jacob Joseph , Wells Athol U. , Antoniou Katerina M.
Published: September 2015

For many years has been well known that smoking could cause lung damage. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer have been the two most common smoking-related lung diseases. In the recent years, attention has also focused on the role of smoking in the development of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). Indeed, there are three diseases, namely respiratory bronchiolitis-associated ILD, desquamative interstitial pneumonia and pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis, that are currently considered aetiologically linked to smoking and a few others which are more likely to develop in smokers. Here, we aim to focus on the most recent findings regarding the role of smoking in the pathogenesis and clinical behaviour of ILDs.
Early-life adversity and orbitofrontal and cerebellar volumes in
adults with obsessive–compulsive disorder: Voxel-based morphometry
study
Authors: Brooks Samantha J. , Naidoo Vanesh , Roos Annerine , Fouché Jean-Paul , Lochner Christine , Stein Dan J.
Published: September 2015

Background

Early-life adversity is a risk for obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD),
but the impact at the neural level is less clear.

Aims

To investigate the association between brain volumes and early-life
adversity in individuals with a diagnosis of OCD only.

Method

The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-28) was used to assess early-life
adversity in 21 participants with OCD and 25 matched healthy controls.
The relationship between global and regional brain volume and early-life
adversity was measured using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). All data were
corrected for multiple comparisons using family-wise error (FWE) at
P<0.05.

Results

In the OCD group, correlations with total CTQ scores were positively
associated with a larger right orbitofrontal cortex volume. Physical
neglect was higher in the OCD group than in controls and was positively
associated with larger right cerebellum volume in the OCD group only.

Conclusions

Larger brain volumes may reflect underlying developmental neuropathology
in adults with OCD who also have experience of childhood trauma.
Modeling staphylococcal pneumonia in a human 3D lung tissue model system delineates toxin-mediated pathology
Authors: Shambat Srikanth Mairpady , Chen Puran , Hoang Anh Thu Nguyen , Bergsten Helena , Vandenesch Francois , Siemens Nikolai , Lina Gerard , Monk Ian R. , Foster Timothy J. , Arakere Gayathri , Svensson Mattias , Norrby-Teglund Anna
Published: September 2015

Staphylococcus aureus necrotizing pneumonia is recognized as a toxin-mediated disease, but yet the tissue destructive events remain elusive partly due to lack of mechanistic studies in human lung tissue. In this study, a 3D tissue model composed of human lung epithelial cells and fibroblasts was used to delineate the role of specific staphylococcal exotoxins in tissue pathology associated with severe pneumonia. To this end, the models were exposed to the mixture of exotoxins produced by S. aureus strains isolated from patients with varying severity of lung infection, namely necrotizing pneumonia or lung empyema, or to purified toxins. The necrotizing pneumonia strains secreted high levels of α-toxin and PVL, and triggered high cytotoxicity, inflammation, necrosis and loss of E-cadherin in the lung epithelium. In contrast, the lung empyema strain produced moderate levels of PVL, but negligible amounts of α-toxin, and triggered limited tissue damage. α-toxin had a direct damaging effect on the epithelium, as verified by toxin-deficient mutants and pure α-toxin. Moreover, PVL contributed to pathology through the lysis of neutrophils, and a combination of α-toxin and PVL resulted in the most severe epithelial injury. In addition, toxin-induced release of pro-inflammatory mediators from lung tissue models resulted in enhanced neutrophil migration. Using a collection of 31 strains from patients with staphylococcal pneumonia revealed that strains producing high levels of α-toxin and PVL were cytotoxic and associated with fatal outcome. Also, the strains that produced the highest toxin levels induced significantly greater epithelial disruption. Of importance, toxin-mediated lung epithelium destruction could be inhibited by polyspecific intravenous immunoglobulin containing antibodies against α-toxin and PVL. This study introduces a novel model system for studies of staphylococcal pneumonia in a human setting, and the results revealed that a combination and levels of α-toxin and PVL correlate with tissue pathology and clinical outcome associated with pneumonia.