bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resveratrol counters systemic lupus erythematosus-associated atherogenicity by normalizing cholesterol efflux
Authors: Voloshyna Iryna , Teboul Isaac , Littlefield Michael J , Siegart Nicolle M , Turi George K , Fazzari Melissa J , Carsons Steven E , DeLeon Joshua , Reiss Allison B
Published: April 2016

Resveratrol is a bioactive molecule used in dietary supplements and herbal medicines and consumed worldwide. Numerous investigations by our group and others have indicated cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory properties of resveratrol. The present study explored potential atheroprotective actions of resveratrol on cholesterol efflux in cultured human macrophages exposed to plasma from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. These results were confirmed in ApoE−/−Fas−/− double knockout mice, displaying a lupus profile with accelerated atherosclerosis. Resveratrol treatment attenuated atherosclerosis in these mice. THP-1 human macrophages were exposed to 10% pooled or individual plasma from patients who met diagnostic criteria for SLE. Expression of multiple proteins involved in reverse cholesterol transport (ABCA1, ABCG1, SR-B1, and cytochrome P450 27-hydroxylase) was assessed using QRT-PCR and Western blotting techniques. Ten-week-old ApoE−/−Fas−/− double knockout mice ( n = 30) were randomly divided into two equal groups of 15, one of which received 0.01% resveratrol for 10 consecutive weeks. Atherosclerosis progression was evaluated in murine aortas. Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) were cultured and expression of cholesterol efflux proteins was analyzed in each group of mice. Our data indicate that inhibition of cholesterol efflux by lupus plasma in THP-1 human macrophages is rescued by resveratrol. Similarly, administration of resveratrol in a lupus-like murine model reduces plaque formation in vivo and augments cholesterol efflux in BMDM. This study presents evidence for a beneficial role of resveratrol in atherosclerosis in the specific setting of SLE. Therefore, resveratrol may merit investigation as an additional resource available to reduce lipid deposition and atherosclerosis in humans, especially in such vulnerable populations as lupus patients.
Using Large Diabetes Databases for Research
Authors: Wild Sarah , Fischbacher Colin , McKnight John ,   (on Behalf of the Scottish Diabetes Research Network Epidemiology Group)
Published: April 2016

There are an increasing number of clinical, administrative and trial databases that can be used for research. These are particularly valuable if there are opportunities for linkage to other databases. This paper describes examples of the use of large diabetes databases for research. It reviews the advantages and disadvantages of using large diabetes databases for research and suggests solutions for some challenges. Large, high-quality databases offer potential sources of information for research at relatively low cost. Fundamental issues for using databases for research are the completeness of capture of cases within the population and time period of interest and accuracy of the diagnosis of diabetes and outcomes of interest. The extent to which people included in the database are representative should be considered if the database is not population based and there is the intention to extrapolate findings to the wider diabetes population. Information on key variables such as date of diagnosis or duration of diabetes may not be available at all, may be inaccurate or may contain a large amount of missing data. Information on key confounding factors is rarely available for the nondiabetic or general population limiting comparisons with the population of people with diabetes. However comparisons that allow for differences in distribution of important demographic factors may be feasible using data for the whole population or a matched cohort study design. In summary, diabetes databases can be used to address important research questions. Understanding the strengths and limitations of this approach is crucial to interpret the findings appropriately.
Culture Matters
Authors: Chen Fang Fang , Jing Yiming , Lee Jeong Min , Bai Liying
Published: April 2016

This article examined cultural variations on the relations of social competence to competence and trustworthiness and the importance of these dimensions in deciding social outcomes. Participants made judgments of personality traits based on inferences from faces of political candidates in the United States and Taiwan. Social competence was distinct from competence but related to trustworthiness among U.S. participants, whereas social competence was related to competence but distinct from trustworthiness among Chinese participants. With respect to winning actual past elections, perceived competence was more important for candidates in the United States than for those in Taiwan, whereas perceived social competence was more important for candidates in Taiwan than for those in the United States. With regard to predicting participants' hypothetical voting choices, competence was valued more among U.S. voters, whereas trustworthiness was favored more among Chinese voters. The role of culture in affecting the function of these dimensions in social perception and judgment is discussed.
Middle‐term mortality and re‐bleeding after initial diverticular bleeding: A nationwide study of 365 mostly elderly French patients
Authors: Lorenzo Diane , Gallois Claire , Lahmek Pierre , Lesgourgues Bruno , Champion Christine , Charpignon Claire , Faroux Roger , Bour Bruno , Remy André‐Jean , Naouri Chantal , Picon Magali , Poncin Eric , Macaigne Gilles , Seyrig Jacques‐Arnaud , Bernardini David , Bellaïche Guy , Grasset Denis , Henrion Jean , Heluwaert Frédéric , Piperaud René , Bordes Gilbert , Bourhis Francois , Arpurt Jean‐Pierre , Pariente Alexandre , Nahon Stéphane ,   Groupe des Hémorragies Digestives Basses de l'ANGH (Association Nationale des Hépato‐Gastroentérologues des Hôpitaux Généraux)
Published: April 2016

Background and aims

The aim of this study was to determine the mortality and re‐bleeding rates, and the risk factors involved, in a cohort of patients with previous diverticular bleeding (DB).

Methods

In 2007, data on 2462 patients with lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding were collected prospectively at several French hospitals. We studied the follow‐up of patients with DB retrospectively. The following data were collected: age, mortality rates and re‐bleeding rates, drug intake, surgery and comorbidities.

Results

Data on 365 patients, including 181 women (mean age 83.6 ± 9.8 years) were available. The median follow‐up time was 3.9 years (IQR 25–75: 1.7–5.4). Of these, 148 patients died (40.5%). Among the 70 patients (19.2%) who had at least one re‐bleeding episode, nine died and three underwent surgical procedures. Anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy was discontinued in 70 cases (19.2%).

The independent risk factors contributing to mortality were age > 80 years (HR = 3.18 (2.1–4.9); p  < 0.001) and a Charlson comorbidity score > 2 (1.91 (1.31–2.79); p  = 0.003). Discontinuation of therapy was not significantly associated with a risk of death due to cardiovascular events. No risk factors responsible for re‐bleeding were identified, such as antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy in particular.

Conclusions

In this cohort, the rates of mortality and DB re‐bleeding after a median follow‐up time of 3.9 years were 19.2% and 40.5%, respectively. The majority of the deaths recorded were not due to re‐bleeding.
Navigating between real and virtual spaces: An exploration of the hybrid shopping experience
Authors: Collin-Lachaud Isabelle , Vanheems Régine
Published: April 2016

This research focuses on the shopping experience involving navigation between real and virtual shopping spaces. The analysis of 35 interviews of consumers allows us to understand and conceptualize this experience in terms of a variety of trajectories experienced as natural and effortless by respondents. Even though the channels are not integrated, the customer’s experience is nonetheless not fragmented, and indeed may be enhanced by the active role played by the consumer. In a contribution to the existing literature, the findings also reveal the importance of the social dimension of the cross-channel shopping experience that enables consumers to stay connected with their private sphere. We also suggest various managerial implications, particularly on how retailers can co-construct new forms of shopping with their customers, and we point out the limitations of shopping that are both seamless and overly formatted.
Diagnosis of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus verminous pneumonia via sonography-guided fine-needle pulmonary parenchymal aspiration in a cat
Authors: Gambino Jennifer , Hiebert Elizabeth , Johnson Melanie , Williams Matthew
Published: April 2016

Case summary A 9-year-old, male neutered, indoor–outdoor domestic shorthair cat from the northern Alabama countryside presented for a 3 week history of coughing, lethargy and an episode of self-resolving dyspnea that occurred 1 week prior to presentation. Three-view thoracic radiographs revealed a moderate-to-severe, diffuse, mixed bronchial to structured interstitial (miliary-to-nodular) pulmonary pattern in all lung lobes with peribronchial cuffing and multifocal areas of mild patchy alveolar opacity. Ultrasound-guided evaluation and fine-needle aspiration of the caudodorsal lung parenchyma was performed with sedation. Cytology revealed many widely scattered Aelurostrongylus abstrusus larvae and ova. Upon the confirmed diagnosis of A abstrusus verminous pneumonia, treatment with fenbendazole and selamectin resulted in complete resolution of clinical signs within 6 weeks of the initial diagnosis.

Relevance and novel information We report herein the first documented case in the Americas of A abstrusus verminous pneumonia diagnosed via cytologic evaluation of an in vivo, percutaneous ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspirate of affected lung. Additionally, to our knowledge, we offer the first account of the sonographic (pulmonary) features of the disease.
Persistent Biomechanical Alterations After ACL Reconstruction Are Associated With Early Cartilage Matrix Changes Detected by Quantitative MR
Authors: Amano Keiko , Pedoia Valentina , Su Favian , Souza Richard B. , Li Xiaojuan , Ma C. Benjamin
Published: April 2016

Background:

The effectiveness of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in preventing early osteoarthritis is debated. Restoring the original biomechanics may potentially prevent degeneration, but apparent pathomechanisms have yet to be described. Newer quantitative magnetic resonance (qMR) imaging techniques, specifically T1ρ and T2, offer novel, noninvasive methods of visualizing and quantifying early cartilage degeneration.

Purpose:

To determine the tibiofemoral biomechanical alterations before and after ACL reconstruction using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to evaluate the association between biomechanics and cartilage degeneration using T1ρ and T2.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

Knee MRIs of 51 individuals (mean age, 29.5 ± 8.4 years) with unilateral ACL injuries were obtained prior to surgery; 19 control subjects (mean age, 30.7 ± 5.3 years) were also scanned. Follow-up MRIs were obtained at 6 months and 1 year. Tibial position (TP), internal tibial rotation (ITR), and T1ρ and T2 were calculated using an in-house Matlab program. Student t tests, repeated measures, and regression models were used to compare differences between injured and uninjured sides, observe longitudinal changes, and evaluate correlations between TP, ITR, and T1ρ and T2.

Results:

TP was significantly more anterior on the injured side at all time points ( P < .001). ITR was significantly increased on the injured side prior to surgery ( P = .033). At 1 year, a more anterior TP was associated with elevated T1ρ ( P = .002) and T2 ( P = .026) in the posterolateral tibia and with decreased T2 in the central lateral femur ( P = .048); ITR was associated with increased T1ρ in the posteromedial femur ( P = .009). ITR at 6 months was associated with increased T1ρ at 1 year in the posteromedial tibia ( P = .029).

Conclusion:

Persistent biomechanical alterations after ACL reconstruction are related to significant changes in cartilage T1ρ and T2 at 1 year postreconstruction. Longitudinal correlations between ITR and T1ρ suggest that these alterations may be indicative of future cartilage injury, leading to degeneration and osteoarthritis.

Clinical Relevance:

Newer surgical techniques should be developed to eliminate the persistent anterior tibial translation commonly seen after ACL reconstruction. qMR will be a useful tool to evaluate the ability of these newer techniques to prevent cartilage changes.
New arsenate minerals from the Arsenatnaya fumarole, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. I. Yurmarinite, Na7(Fe3+,Mg,Cu)4(AsO4)6
Authors: Pekov I. V. , Zubkova N. V. , Yapaskurt V. O. , Belakovskiy D. I. , Lykova I. S. , Vigasina M. F. , Sidorov E. G. , Pushcharovsky D. Yu.
Published: April 2016

A new mineral, yurmarinite, Na7(Fe3+,Mg,Cu)4(AsO4)6, occurs in sublimates of the Arsenatnaya fumarole at the Second scoria cone of the Northern Breakthrough of the Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. It is associated with hatertite, bradaczekite, johillerite, hematite, tenorite, tilasite and aphthitalite. Yurmarinite occurs as well-shaped, equant crystals up to 0.3 mm in size, their clusters up to 0.5 mm and thin, interrupted crystal crusts up to 3 mm × 3 mm on volcanic scoria. Crystal forms are {101}, {011}, {100}, {110} and {001}. Yurmarinite is transparent, pale green or pale yellowish green to colourless. The lustre is vitreous and the mineral is brittle. The Mohs hardness is ∼4½. One direction of imperfect cleavage was observed, the fracture is uneven. D(calc.) is 4.00 g cm−3. Yurmarinite is optically uniaxial (−), ω = 1.748(5), ε = 1.720(3). The Raman spectrum is given. The chemical composition (wt.%, electron microprobe data) is Na2O 16.85, K2O 0.97, CaO 1.28, MgO 2.33, MnO 0.05, CuO 3.17, ZnO 0.97, Al2O3 0.99, Fe2O3 16.44, TiO2 0.06, P2O5 0.12, V2O5 0.08, As2O5 56.68, total 99.89. The empirical formula, calculated on the basis of 24 O atoms per formula unit, is (Na6.55Ca0.28K0.22)S7.05(Fe2.483+Mg0.70Cu0.48Al0.23Zn0.14Ti0.01Mn0.01)S4.05(As5.94P0.02V0.01)S5.97O24. Yurmarinite is rhombohedral, Rc, a = 13.7444(2), c = 18.3077(3) Å, V = 2995.13(8) Å3, Z = 6. The strongest reflections in the X-ray powder pattern [d, Å (I)(hkl)] are: 7.28(45)(012); 4.375(33)(211); 3.440(35)(220); 3.217(36)(131,214); 2.999(30)(223); 2.841(100)(125); 2.598(43)(410). The crystal structure was solved from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data to R = 0.0230. The structure is based on a 3D heteropolyhedral framework formed by M4O18 clusters (M = Fe3+ > Mg,Cu) linked with AsO4 tetrahedra. Sodium atoms occupy two octahedrally coordinated sites in the voids of the framework. In terms of structure, yurmarinite is unique among minerals but isotypic with several synthetic compounds with the general formula (Na7–x☐x)(M3+x3+M1–x2+)(T5+O4)2 in which T = As or P, M3+ = Fe or Al, M2+ = Fe and 0 ≤ x ≤ 1. The mineral is named in honour of the Russian mineralogist, petrologist and specialist in studies of ore deposits, Professor Yuriy B. Marin (b. 1939). The paper also contains a description of the Arsenathaya fumarole and an overview of arsenate minerals formed in volcanic exhalations.
Asbestiform sepiolite coated by aliphatic hydrocarbons from Perletoa, Aosta Valley Region (Western Alps, Italy): characterization, genesis and possible hazards
Authors: Giustetto R. , Seenivasan K. , Belluso E.
Published: April 2016

An atypical asbestiform sepiolite occurrence with exceptionally long fibres wrapped by a sheath of aliphatic hydrocarbons was found in the Gressoney Valley (Italian Western Alps) while monitoring asbestos presence in outcrops of serpentinite rocks. Microscopic and Fourier transform infrared analyses proved that these fibres, apparently up to several cm long, are formed by bundles of thinner fibrils (average length: 150 μm) potentially dispersible in the environment. When observed using transmission electron microscopy these fibrils show a rhomboidal to parallelogram cross section (<1 μm), of which surfaces are covered mostly by an aliphatic hydrocarbon film – an association not reported in the literature. The sepiolite fibrils and their organic coating probably originated in sequential steps from precipitation of Si/Mg rich hydrothermal fluids, resulting from serpentinization of olivine and clinopyroxene and a Fischer-Tropsch-type reaction. The presence of hydrocarbons has serious implications for the sepiolite habit, as the organic wrap interacts with the fibril’s surface reducing the amount of adsorbed water and favouring the fragmentation of thicker units into thinner ones, due to an ‘opening’ process implying separation along z and cleavage on (110). This defibrillation mechanism, coupled with the extraordinary length, further increases the aspect ratio of these fibrils (length/width ≫3) thus amplifying their potential danger for human health when dispersed in air and inhaled.
Physical activity and exercise capacity in patients with moderate COPD exacerbations
Authors: Alahmari Ayedh D. , Kowlessar Beverly S. , Patel Anant R.C. , Mackay Alex J. , Allinson James P. , Wedzicha Jadwiga A. , Donaldson Gavin C.
Published: April 2016

Little is known about changes in physical activity during moderate (out-patient managed) exacerbations.

6-min walking distance (6MWD) was measured during 50 exacerbations when the patients were stable, and at 3 and 7 days post-exacerbation presentation. At similar time points, quadriceps maximum voluntary contraction (QMVC) was measured during 47 different exacerbations. Physical activity (SenseWear; Bodymedia Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, USA) was recorded over 2 consecutive-week periods post-presentation.

6MWD fell from a median 422 m when stable to 373 m on day 3 (p=0.001). Similarly, QMVC fell from 32.6versus29.7 kg (p=0.026). Falls in 6MWD were associated with a rise in C-reactive protein (r= −0.364; p=0.041) and increased Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Fatigue (FACIT-F) (r= −0.44; p=0.013). Light physical activity was 2.18 h·day−1during the first week post-exacerbation and was less over week 2 (1.98 h·day−1; p=0.009). Patients who had attended pulmonary rehabilitation had smaller changes in 6MWD than those who had not attended (−35.0versus−114.9 m; p=0.013). Falls in physical activity were correlated with higher depression scores (rho= −0.51; p=0.006).

These findings indicate that exercise capacity and muscle strength fall at exacerbation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients who are treated at home and are free to maintain normal activity.
The Troubled History of Psychiatry's Quest for Specificity
Authors: Horwitz Allan V. , Grob Gerald N.
Published: April 2016

Over the course of the nineteenth century, medical disciplines replaced holistic conceptions of body and mind with specific diagnoses that were unrelated to the qualities and circumstances of the individuals who harbored them. Despite periodic attempts from the late nineteenth through the mid-twentieth centuries to implement diagnostic systems based on the principle of specificity, psychiatric diagnoses remained undifferentiated, overlapping, and capacious. The need for medical legitimacy, compatibility with a biomedical model, and conditions that third parties would reimburse led psychiatry to replace the psychodynamically oriented DSM-I and DSM-II with the radically empiricist DSM-III in 1980. This manual emphasized explicit measurement, symptom-based entities, and homogeneous categories that were compatible with the specific disorders embraced in the rest of medicine. Yet the diagnostic system that the DSM-III launched was incongruent with the underlying nature of the continuous, fluid, and intersecting conditions with which psychiatry deals. The widespread institutionalization of the specific diagnostic system in psychiatric practice, however, prevented any thoroughgoing revisions when the DSM-5 was published in 2013. The result is an impasse between psychiatry's classificatory system and the need for scientific progress in understanding the causes of and treatments for mental disorders.
Implementing the Affordable Care Act: The Promise and Limits of Health Care Reform
Authors: Oberlander Jonathan
Published: April 2016

The Obama administration has confronted a formidable array of obstacles in implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA has overcome those obstacles to substantially expand access to health insurance, though significant problems with its approach have emerged. What does the ACA's performance to date tell us about the possibilities and limits of health care reform in the United States? I identify key challenges in ACA implementation—the inherently disruptive nature of reform, partisan polarization, the limits of “near universal” coverage, complexity, and divided public opinion—and analyze how these issues have shaped its evolution. The article concludes by exploring the political and policy challenges that lie ahead for the ACA.
Recent advances in echocardiography: strain and strain rate imaging
Authors: Mirea Oana , Duchenne Jurgen , Voigt Jens-Uwe
Published: April 2016

Deformation imaging by echocardiography is a well-established research tool which has been gaining interest from clinical cardiologists since the introduction of speckle tracking. Post-processing of echo images to analyze deformation has become readily available at the fingertips of the user. New parameters such as global longitudinal strain have been shown to provide added diagnostic value, and ongoing efforts of the imaging societies and industry aimed at harmonizing methods will improve the technique further. This review focuses on recent advances in the field of echocardiographic strain and strain rate imaging, and provides an overview on its current and potential future clinical applications.
Time for sharing data to become routine: the seven excuses for not doing so are all invalid
Authors: Smith Richard , Roberts Ian
Published: April 2016

Data are more valuable than scientific papers but researchers are incentivised to publish papers not share data. Patients are the main beneficiaries of data sharing but researchers have several incentives not to share: others might use their data to get ahead in the academic rat race; they might be scooped; their results might not be replicable; competitors may reach different conclusions; their data management might be exposed as poor; patient confidentiality might be breached; and technical difficulties make sharing impossible. All of these barriers can be overcome and researchers should be rewarded for sharing data. Data sharing must become routine.
Dementia care in hospitals: interprofessional education
Authors: Scammell Janet
Published: April 2016

Janet Scammell, Associate Professor at Bournemouth University, discusses the recent Alzheimer's Society report and its implication for nurses and patient care
Together we support
Authors: Stevens Judith
Published: April 2016

Childcare is playing an increasingly significant role in children's early development, with many now spending part of their day at nursery, which means a positive working relationship with parents is vital.
The glory of gardening
Authors: Solly Kathryn
Published: April 2016

Whether you have a small or large outdoor area, if you wish to nurture gardening skills, consider how these will fit alongside the many other creative challenges that children will face outside.
Critical maternalism: A window on the 21st century
Authors: Jarvis Pam
Published: April 2016

The concept of maternalism emerged during the mid-19th century, as a way of analysing the problems emerging from working class, industrial poverty, and it still has relevance and potential for change today.
Getting dads involved in reading
Authors: Douglas Jonathan
Published: April 2016

A survey by the National Literacy Trust found that half as many fathers as mothers say they have the most influence over developing their pre-schooler's literacy skills, a view we must all work to change.
Foundations of maths
Authors: Sargent Marianne
Published: April 2016

Children need to understand what numbers are and be able to use them in an everyday context before they can move on in their learning; a knowledge of number order will help them to count accurately.
High-Sensitivity Sandwich ELISA for Plasma NT-proUcn2: Plasma Concentrations and Relationship to Mortality in Heart Failure
Authors: Liew Oi Wah , Yandle Timothy G , Chong Jenny P C , Ng Yan Xia , Frampton Christopher M , Ng Tze Pin , Lam Carolyn S P , Richards A Mark
Published: April 2016

BACKGROUND

Urocortin 2 (Ucn2) has powerful hemodynamic, renal, and neurohormonal actions and likely participates in normal circulatory homeostasis and the compensatory response to heart failure (HF). A validated assay for endogenous circulating Ucn2 would facilitate investigations into Ucn2 physiology and elucidate its derangement and potential as a biomarker in heart disease.

METHOD

We developed a chemiluminescence-based sandwich ELISA to measure plasma N-terminal (NT)-proUcn2 in non-HF patients (control; n = 160) and HF patients with reduced (HFREF; n = 134) and preserved (HFPEF; n = 121) left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

RESULTS

The ELISA had a limit of detection of 8.47 ng/L (1.52 pmol/L) and working range of 23.8–572 ng/L. Intra- and interassay CV and total error were 4.8, 16.2, and 17.7%, respectively. The median (interquartile range) plasma NT-proUcn2 concentration in controls was 112 (86–132) ng/L. HFREF, HFPEF, and all HF plasma concentrations were significantly increased [117 (98–141) ng/L, P = 0.0007; 119 (93–136) ng/L, P = 0.0376, and 119 (97–140) ng/L, P = 0.001] compared with controls but did not differ significantly between HFREF and HFPEF. NT-proUcn2 was modestly related to age (r = 0.264, P = 0.001) and cardiac troponin T (r = 0.258, P = 0.001) but not N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, body mass index, LVEF, or estimated glomerular filtration rate. On multivariate analysis, plasma NT-proUcn2 was independently and inversely related to 2-year mortality in HF.

CONCLUSIONS

The validated ELISA measured human NT-proUcn2 in plasma and showed modest but significant increases in HF patients compared with controls. In HF, the unusual inverse relationship between plasma NT-proUcn2 and 2-year mortality portends potential prognostic value but requires further corroboration.
Conceptualizing (re)worked narratives of the American family: From the American Dream to American decay in ‘new’ television
Authors: Coghlan Jo
Published: April 2016

American television family dramas have long functioned for broadcast networks as a metaphoric framework to affirm the values of the American Dream. Since the 1990s, American cable television providers have challenged this long-held practice. Originally scripted programming, complete with large budgets, auteur freedom and not reliant on advertising revenue, delivered to audiences (re)worked family dramas that exposed the myth of the American Dream. It is suggested that in this shift, audiences were exposed to narratives of American decay predicated on a failing social, economic and political system. Evidence for this shift is examined in an analysis of six family dramas produced between 1997 and 2013. The aim of this analysis is to interrogate shifts as indicative of a new television landscape.
Reviews
Authors: Franks Rachel , Mountfort Paul , Marsh Simon , Oliver-Hopkins Olivia , Cornell Katie , Heidrich Jessica
Published: April 2016

Fan Phenomena: Star Wars, Mika Elovaara (ED.) (2013) Bristol: Intellect Ltd, 112 pp., ISBN: 9781783200221, p/bk, AUD$22.00

Giardino Dei Tarocchi/The Tarot Garden: Niki De Saint Phalle (Permanent Installation), Località Garavicchio, Capalbio, Italy

Peter Henessey: ‘Making it Real’, The University of Queensland art Museum, 14 March–12 July 2015

Directorial Self-Fashioning in American Horror Cinema: George A. Romero, wes Craven, Rob Zombie, Eli Roth and the Masters of Horror, ben Kooyman (2014) Lewiston, New York and Lampeter, Wales: The Edwin Mellen Press, 313 pp., ISBN: 9780779952373, p/back, $170.95 USD

‘Private Archaeology: Marina Abramovic´’, Museum of old and new art, Hobart, 13 June–5 October 2015

‘Objects that talk, 50 objects 50 Stories’, The Nicholson Museum, University of Sydney, 5 June 2012–7 November 2015
Keeping in control: The figure of the fan in the Tamil film industry
Authors: Gerritsen Roos
Published: April 2016

In this article I propose to critically engage with the figure of the fan in Tamil Nadu’s cinematic landscape. The ways in which fans contribute to a visual and political landscape are rather exceptional in South Asia and therefore require particular attention. I use the notion of the figure, following Barker and Lindquist, as ‘subject positions that embody, manifest, and, to some degree, comment upon a particular historical moment’ to elucidate the blurring lines of the figure as notion and as lived experience. By examining the figure I will show how fandom is a constant dialogue between intense affinity, affection and excess versus justification, control and denunciation. This brings fans from being part of the grand narratives of cine-politics in Tamil Nadu and the often taken for granted positions that they take in this to a subject position that shows the practice of being a fan.
Mysskin’s Pisaasu (2014): Ghost as the goddess
Authors: Pillai Swarnavel Eswaran
Published: April 2016

This article engages with the Tamil film Pisaasu/‘The Ghost’ (Mysskin, 2014) to analyse the horror genre as providing the space for the binary of a beautiful maiden and her ghost and the gradual collapsing of the binary between the body and the spirit to make a statement on the predicament of women, particularly in Tamil society, thereby enabling the unravelling of the layers of the unconscious of a patriarchal society. The singularity of Mysskin’s Pisaasu, however, lies in its inversion of the ghost as yearning for love instead of revenge and thereby offering a rich space to interrogate Creed’s theorization of the monstrous feminine by juxtaposing it with the specificity of Tamil culture and psyche, as well as engage with the possibilities afforded by digital technology to converse with the cultural subconscious in its own language – one made up of complex images.
“Stay with your words”: Indigenous youth, local policy, and the work of language fortification
Authors: Sumida Huaman Elizabeth , Martin Nathan D. , Chosa Carnell T.
Published: April 2016

This article focuses on the work of cultural and language maintenance and fortification with Indigenous youth populations. Here, the idea of work represents two strands of thought: first, research that is partnered with Indigenous youth-serving institutions and that prioritizes Indigenous youth perspectives; and second, the work of cultural and linguistic engagement that is often taken for granted as part of the sociocultural fabric of Indigenous communities where youth are active participants. By highlighting a study with Pueblo Indian youth in the southwestern United States, we aim to build on the counter-narrative frameworks of other educational scholars and community-based researchers in order to offer alternative approaches towards understanding how Indigenous youth can and do participate in representing themselves as cultural and language agents of change. Arriving at this realization requires several key steps, including deconstructing dominant assumptions, holding ourselves accountable for interrogating and revisiting our own biases, and ultimately committing to long-term research and support with Indigenous youth. As such, we offer empirical evidence that contradicts universal discourse of Indigenous peoples and youth as victims at risk. Instead, we focus on the ways in which Indigenous youth demonstrate both tentative and bold fortification of key elements in their Indigenous identities and illustrate promise in contribution to multiple levels of policy development to address their communities’ most urgent needs and goals.
The Use of SNP Microarrays for Biodiversity Studies of Sheep – A Review
Authors: Kawęcka Aldona , Gurgul Artur , Miksza-Cybulska Anna
Published: April 2016

The conservation of farm animal genetic resources and their protection against genetic erosion requires knowledge of biodiversity status. Genetic variation in populations can be estimated using both traditional pedigree-based methods and molecular techniques. SNP microarrays are a new generation of molecular genetic tools, which have found application in analysis of biodiversity in populations of domestic and wild sheep, in studies of resistance to intestinal parasites and foot rot, and in searching for markers associated with meat and milk yield, or colour inheritance traits. The aim of the study is the review of recent literature on the biodiversity and the use of molecular markers for population genetics in different breeds and populations of sheep.
Observations on the Maturation and Development of a Roman Snail (Helix Pomatia, Linnaeus, 1758) Population of Farmed Origin in Natural Plots
Authors: Ligaszewski Maciej , Pol Przemysław , Radkowska Iwona , Łysak Andrzej
Published: April 2016

Observations were made concerning active species protection of the Roman snail. Samples were collected from three natural plots in which 3,000 marked hatchlings of farmed origin, aged 1+ (three individuals per m2), were placed in mid-May 2011. The hatchlings originated from breeding snails of the park, or ‘source’ plot. The other plots were a forest, or ‘inhabited’ plot, occupied by a foreign population and a cultivated ‘empty’ plot, which had been emptied of its natural population. By the end of June 2012, the introduced snails were aged 2+, when snails of this species reach maturity. During this period, as part of the analysis of collected samples, the snails in their final maturation period in this age group were divided into mature and immature groups. After thirteen months of observations, a greater density was observed for the farm-originated, naturalised population in the ‘empty’ plot than in the total populations for the other two plots. In the ‘empty’ plot the percentage of somatic and sexually mature farmed snails aged 2+ was significantly higher than in the same snail groups from the other two research plots. There were no statistically significant differences between the shell diameters of the mature farmed snails in all the research plots. The Roman snails of farmed origin considerably extended their territorial range, maintaining their high percentage share in the local natural populations.
Effects of Galactooligosaccharide and Pediococcus Acidilactici on Antioxidant Defence and Disease Resistance of Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus Mykiss
Authors: Hoseinifar Seyed Hossein , Hoseini Seyed Morteza , Bagheri Dara
Published: April 2016

The present study investigated the effects of dietary prebiotic galactooligosaccharide [(GOS), 1%], probiotic (Pediococcus acidilactici) [7.57 log CFU g-1] and synbiotic (GOS + P. acidilactici) on antioxidant enzymes activity and disease resistance of rainbow trout (15.04±0.52 g). After 8 weeks feeding on the experimental diets, liver catalase (CAT ), glutathione S-transferases (GST), glutathione reductase (GR) activities, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured. Thereafter, all fish were challenged by Streptococcus iniae. Probiotic, prebiotic and synbiotic had no significant effect on liver MDA level compared to the control group (P>0.05). However, CAT , GST and GR activities were significantly higher in the fish fed probiotic, prebiotic and synbiotic, compared to the control group (P<0.05). The highest CAT and GST activities were observed in the fish fed diet supplemented with synbiotic. There were no significant differences in GR activity among different groups (P>0.05). Bacterial challenge showed that feeding on probiotic, prebiotic and synbiotic remarkably increased resistance against S. iniae (P<0.05), with the highest resistance observed in the synbiotic group. The results indicated that although both GOS and P. acidilactici significantly increased antioxidant defence and improved disease resistance, combination of GOS and P. acidilactici had an additive effect. Combination of GOS and P. acidilactici is recommended to increase trout antioxidant capacity and streptococcosis.
Effect of Extrusion on Nutrients Digestibility, Metabolizable Energy and Nutritional Value of Yellow Lupine Seeds for Broiler Chickens
Authors: Rutkowski Andrzej , Kaczmarek Sebastian A. , Hejdysz Marcin , Jamroz Dorota
Published: April 2016

The aim of investigations was the estimation of nutritional value of currently cultivated yellow lupine cultivars in raw and extruded form, and their usefulness for broiler chickens. Two experiments were conducted with male Ross 308 chickens. In a digestibility trial 60 fifteen-day-old birds were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments (20 replications in each). Birds were kept in individual pens. Digestibility was calculated using the difference method. From day 16 to 21, diets contained lupine meal in raw or extruded form and the basal diet in the ratio 20:80. Subsequently, the total digestibility of dry matter and crude fat, also apparent nitrogen retention and AMEN value of lupine seeds were determined on chickens fed different forms of lupine. The ileal digestibility of crude protein and amino acids of lupine seeds was also analyzed. In the second experiment the one-day-old birds were randomly assigned to ten dietary treatments (10 replications in each) and were fed diets with increasing amounts of raw or extruded lupine from 10 to 30%. The chickens in control treatments were fed a diet without lupine. Extruded yellow lupine meal was characterized by lower phytic P content in comparison to raw yellow lupine meal. The content of remaining ingredients and antinutritional substances was similar. Yellow lupine seeds post extrusion were characterized by better total crude fat digestibility, nitrogen retention and AMEN values, compared to raw seeds. Higher ileal digestibility was confirmed in numerous amino acids, except lysine, threonine and valine (P≤0.05). By feeding the broilers with diets consisting of 10 to 30% of lupine seeds post extrusion (experiment II), improved apparent fat digestibility, apparent nitrogen retention and AMEN values were achieved in young chickens (P<0.01). Using 10 and 20% of lupine in the diets showed significant positive effects of extrusion on body weight gains, feed intake and feed conversion rate. The performance indices of chickens were drastically decreased by use of 25% ratio of both raw and extruded yellow lupine in the diet. This effect was heightened by a 30% share in feed mixtures.
Impact of Building Walls of Historic Objects from Half-Timbered Wall in their State of Thermal Protection / Wpływ Budowy Ścian Historycznych Budynków z Muru Pruskiego Na Ich Stan Ochrony Cieplnej
Authors: Szymanowska-Gwiżdż Agnieszka , Steidl Tomasz
Published: April 2016

The paper presents the problems connected with preserved examples of buildings in Upper Silesia that contain the elements of half-timbered walls. This type of construction currently characterizes houses of various utility functions. Often, their formation was related to the construction of patron settlements, accompanied by the development of industrial plants. Today, there is a problem of insufficient thermal insulation of barriers in half-timbered houses and numerous attempts to improve their thermal parameters are observed. In this type of projects, the correct determination of the existing state in terms of construction of the barrier and thermal protection seems to be important, as the starting points for further analysis. The study determines the insulation of frame walls with ceramic fill, with a variety of material and construction solutions. Literature examples and in situ measurements results were used for the research.
Application of numerical modelling to scaling-up of electrically induced extraction from an organic mixture using an ionic liquid
Authors: Kamiński Kamil , Weatherley Laurence R. , Petera Jerzy
Published: April 2016

Liquid-liquid extraction provides an environmentally friendly process as an alternative to azeotropic distillation, pervaporation and reverse osmosis because these techniques require the use of large amounts of energy, may involve volatile organic compounds, and operation at high pressure.

Ionic liquids (ILs) continue to gain wide recognition as potential environmentally friendly solvents due to their unique properties. However due to their current high cost, their use in industry is seriously limited without an efficient methodology for recovery and recycle.

In this paper we describe an innovative methodology for a liquid-liquid extraction process based on an electrically induced emulsion of an ionic liquid as the extracting solvent dispersed in an organic mixture. This offers a most efficient exploitation of the solvent. On the other hand we present our own design of a pilot (semi-industrial) scale extractor based on this methodology and which demonstrates effective recovery of the ionic liquid. In order to achieve this goal we used a numerical modelling tool implemented using our own simulation software based on the finite element method. We also used our original previous experience with generating and investigating liquid-liquid electrosprays using phase Doppler anemometry. Finally we present recommendations for contactor geometry and for the preferred operating conditions for the extractor.
Strongylophthalmyiidae, Tanypezidae and Megamerinidae (Diptera) in the Czech Republic and Slovakia: current state of knowledge
Authors: Roháček Jindřich
Published: April 2016

A review of the occurrence of representatives of the families Strongylophthalmyiidae, Tanypezidae and Megamerinidae (Diptera) in the Czech Republic and Slovakia is presented based on literary data and recently obtained records. Strongylophthalmyia pictipes Frey, 1935 (Strongylophthalmyiidae) is a new addition to the fauna of the Czech Republic. Its record from the Jizerské hory Mts is the second from Central Europe and represents a new southwestern most distribution limit of the species. Biology, distribution, faunistics in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and importance for nature conservation (with evaluation of degree of jeopardy) are discussed for all species, including also Strongylophthalmyia ustulata (Zetterstedt, 1847), Tanypeza longimana Fallén, 1820 (Tanypezidae) and Megamerina dolium (Fabricius, 1805 (Megamerinidae).
Efficient Spectrum Sharing in Heterogeneous Wireless Environments
Authors: Schneider Joerg , Karrenbauer Michael , Crippa Marcos Rates , Schotten Hans D.
Published: April 2016

Today, spectrum is scarce because of the growing number of wireless devices and the steadily increasing demand for high data rates. Streaming and online gaming are a new kind of challenge for wireless networks in terms of delay and throughput. Systems like LTE enable high data-rates (100 MBit/s and above) combined with a low latency. Despite of all these new transmission technologies a major bottleneck is caused by the available spectrum. Furthermore this problem gets exacerbated by a static frequency assignment. To overcome this bottleneck new concepts for adaptive spectrum assignment with respect to load situation need to be developed. In this article we describe and evaluate an architecture which is able to handle different kinds of spectrum sharing techniques. Furthermore, our approach is able to deal with short time sharing (up to one minute). Therefore, we developed a Spectrum Management System (SMS) which is based on a hierarchical organized distributed hash table (DHT) architecture. Additionally, our system deploys databases for additional information like spectrum usage rules, incumbents or network coverage information (described by polygons). To enable the handling of time-critical spectrum data, we introduce a time synchronisation protocol named Lightweight Time Synchronisation (LT-Sync) which considers the system architecture and estimates transmission delays.
Clay mineralogy of the Boda Claystone Formation (Mecsek Mts., SW Hungary)
Authors: Németh Tibor , Máthé Zoltán , Pekker Péter , Dódony István , Kovács-Kis Viktória , Sipos Péter , Cora Ildikó , Kovács Ivett
Published: April 2016

Boda Claystone Formation (BCF) is the host rock of the planned site for high level nuclear waste repository inHungary. Samples representing the dominant rock types of BCF were studied: albitic claystone, claystone with high illite content, and analcime bearing claystone. Clay minerals in these three rock types were characterized by Xray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermal analysis (DTA-TG), and the results were discussed from the point of view of the radionuclide sorption properties being studied in the future. Mineral compositions of bulk BCF samples vary in wide ranges. In the albitic sample, besides the dominant illite, few percent of chlorite represents the layer silicates in the clay fraction. Illite is the dominating phase in the illitic sample, with a few percent of chlorite. HRTEM study revealed that the thickness of illite particles rarely reaches 10 layers, usually are of 5-6 TOT layer thick. Illite crystals are generally thicker in the albitic sample than in the illitic one. The significant difference between the clay mineral characterisitics of the analcimous and the other two samples is that the former contains regularly interstratified chlorite/smectite beside the dominant illite.

Based on the structural and chemical data two illite type minerals are present in the BCF samples: 1M polytype containing octahedral Fe and Mg besides Al, 2M polytype illite generally is free of Fe andMg. Close association of very thin illite plates and nanosized hematite crystals is typical textural feature for BCF.

The goal of this study is to provide solid mineralogical basis for further studies focusing on radionuclide sorption properties.
Responsible Marketing: Doing Well by Doing Good
Authors: Bhattacharya CB
Published: April 2016

Business value and social or environmental values can go hand in hand. If companies not only create socio-environmental value by caring for people and our planet, but also drive business value and profit through such initiatives, then CSR or corporate social responsibility can be a source of competitive differentiation and advantage. In such companies, sustainability initiatives are close to the core businesses which leverage the competencies of the company and in line with company values and principles. While some stumbling blacks need to be mastered on the way, many companies have applied this concept successfully. The business value created by CSR initiatives ranges from employee and customer loyalty, positive word of mouth, resilience to negative information about the company and several other coveted business outcomes.
To integrate CSR successfully, management should be committed to its causes, integrate all stakeholders in the initiatives and communicate about projects in an open, honest and authentic way. Much like other aspects of marketing strategy, there is a need to monitor and measure sustainability efforts to tune activities and insure overall success.