bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Blood Pressure
Authors: Zhang Xi , Li Yufeng , Del Gobbo Liana C. , Rosanoff Andrea , Wang Jiawei , Zhang Wen , Song Yiqing
Published: July 2016

The antihypertensive effect of magnesium (Mg) supplementation remains controversial. We aimed to quantify the effect of oral Mg supplementation on blood pressure (BP) by synthesizing available evidence from randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. We searched trials of Mg supplementation on normotensive and hypertensive adults published up to February 1, 2016 from MEDLINE and EMBASE databases; 34 trials involving 2028 participants were eligible for this meta-analysis. Weighted mean differences of changes in BP and serum Mg were calculated by random-effects meta-analysis. Mg supplementation at a median dose of 368 mg/d for a median duration of 3 months significantly reduced systolic BP by 2.00 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, 0.43–3.58) and diastolic BP by 1.78 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, 0.73–2.82); these reductions were accompanied by 0.05 mmol/L (95% confidence interval, 0.03, 0.07) elevation of serum Mg compared with placebo. Using a restricted cubic spline curve, we found that Mg supplementation with a dose of 300 mg/d or duration of 1 month is sufficient to elevate serum Mg and reduce BP; and serum Mg was negatively associated with diastolic BP but not systolic BP (all
P
<0.05). In the stratified analyses, a greater reduction in BP tended to be found in trials with high quality or low dropout rate (all
P
values for interaction <0.05). However, residual heterogeneity may still exist after considering these possible factors. Our findings indicate a causal effect of Mg supplementation on lowering BPs in adults. Further well-designed trials are warranted to validate the BP-lowering efficacy of optimal Mg treatment.
Introduction: Diplomacy and Cultural Translation in the Early Modern World
Authors: Osborne Toby , Rubiés Joan-Pau
Published: July 2016

The essays in this collection explore diplomacy as a form of cultural translation. Out of necessity, Europeans sought new ways of conducting diplomacy in the changing environment of the early modern world, as they grappled with challenges from within their old but crumbling respublica christiana, and also with changing relations with powers and communities beyond it. Reflecting the current vitality of research into early modern diplomacy and practice that has extended the boundaries of what we consider as constituting “diplomacy,” these essays collectively examine how Europeans, on state and sub-state levels, interacted with powers from the Near East, Asia and Africa. In doing so, they contribute to a more nuanced understanding of how increasingly globalized diplomatic agents deployed symbolic and rhetorical languages that could be shared amongst different participants.
The “New Turkey”? Urban Renewal and Beyond
Authors: Demiralp Seda
Published: July 2016

Turkey has been going through a major urban transformation for the past decade as a result of the vigorous urban policy of the akp government. Luxury real estate projects, from gated communities to office towers and shopping malls are mushrooming every day to replace parks, forests, historical sites, beaches, and other shared space. This urban policy has been largely accepted by capitalist groups who prioritized economic growth. Yet, it was criticized by left-wing and environmentalist circles who problematized the displacement of the urban poor, elimination of diversity, and the decline of urban nature as a result. Nevertheless, a critical aspect of this urban renewal policy, namely the dramatic expansion of the boundaries and control of the government at the expense of rival institutions and actors received little attention. This analysis focuses on the akp government’s legislative interventions that affected the schemes of urban development. The study considers how this urban policy combined capitalist strategies with political centralization, which allowed solidification of government control.
Islamic Reformism as Networks of Meaning
Authors: Østebø Terje
Published: July 2016

This study focuses on the issue of Islamic reformism and provides insights to a highly diverse and ambiguous phenomenon. Located in contemporary Ethiopia, the case in point for the study is what I have labeled the Intellectualist movement. De-institutionalized and decentered in character, the movement was a major player on the Ethiopian religious and political scene, and contributed significantly to the shaping of generations of young Muslims from the early 1990s to up until today. The Intellectualist movement is a good example of a kind of reformism that often escapes analysts’ attention, and the argument is that movement’s informal character points to an important trend among many contemporary religious reformism: their appearance as social networks and the processural character of reform itself. Applying the concept of network of meaning, which points to how movements are loosely structured and constituted around personal and face-to-face interactions, the study emphasizes reform movements as venues for learning, for ideological production, and for the creation of new subjects. This means that they are more than instruments for direct action, but that they are fields for symbolic exchange and self-reflexive relationships engagement, which in turn constitute processes for the realization of alternative behavior and for the mobilization of action.
Estimating Lightning from Microwave Remote Sensing Data
Authors: Magi Brian I. , Winesett Thomas , Cecil Daniel. J.
Published: July 2016

This study evaluates a method for estimating the cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flash rate from microwave remote sensing data. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program satellites have been in operation since 1987 and include global-viewing microwave sensors that capture thunderstorms as brightness temperature depressions. The National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) has monitored CG lightning in the United States since 1997. This study investigates the relationship between CG lightning and microwave brightness temperature fields for the contiguous United States from April to September for the years 2005–12. The findings suggest that an exponential function, empirically fit to the NLDN and SSM/I data, provides lightning count measurements that agree to within 60%–70% with NLDN lightning, but with substantial misses and false alarms in the predictions. The discrepancies seem to be attributable to regional differences in thunderstorm characteristics that require a detailed study at smaller spatial scales to truly resolve, but snow at higher elevations also produces some anomalous microwave temperature depressions similar to those of thunderstorms. The results for the contiguous United States in this study are a step toward potentially using SSM/I data to estimate CG lightning around the world, although the sensitivity of the results to regional differences related to meteorological regimes would need further study.
Adaptive Dealiasing for Doppler Velocities Scanned from Hurricanes and Typhoons
Authors: Jiang Yuan , Xu Qin
Published: July 2016

By fitting a parametric vortex model directly to aliased radar radial velocities scanned from a hurricane, the maximum tangential velocity and its radial distance from the hurricane vortex center can be estimated by the recently developed alias-robust vortex analysis. This vortex analysis can be refined to produce a suitable reference radial velocity field on each tilt of a radar scan for the reference check in the first main step of dealiasing. This paper presents the techniques developed for the refinements and shows how and to what extent the refined vortex analysis can improve the reference check and thus enhance the dealiased data coverage, especially over severely aliased data areas around the vortex core of a hurricane or typhoon. In addition, stringent threshold conditions are used in the reference check and the subsequent continuity check to ensure the accepted data are free of alias or almost so. The robustness and improved performance of the method are exemplified by the results tested with severely aliased radial velocities scanned by operational WSR-88D radars from hurricanes in the United States and by operational China New Generation Weather Radar (CINRAD) base data format SA radars from typhoons in China.
Advancing Research on the Spread of Stigmatizing Beliefs With Insights From Rumor Transmission
Authors: Zhu Xun , Smith Rachel
Published: July 2016

The essay examined a commonly stated but rarely elaborated assumption in stigma theories: Stigma must be socialized to engender community-level marginalization and discrimination. Existing research has focused on intrapersonal processes and structural factors that promote stigma socialization, but much less is known about how interpersonal sharing messages that induce stigmatization (i.e., stigma appeals) contributes to the diffusion and adoption of stigma throughout a community. Drawing from theories and research on rumor transmission, the essay explored three questions: Why do people share stigma appeals with others; what do they say; and with whom do they share them? The essay highlighted directions for future research on interpersonal sharing of stigma appeals and provided a heuristic foundation for research into mechanisms through which stigma is created and becomes persistent.
Weyerhaeuser
Authors: Harrison Jeffrey L.
Published: July 2016

Weyerhaeuser Co. v. Ross-Simmons Hardwood Lumber Co. could have been influential in three ways. First, the Court directly addressed the standard for predatory buying and, consequently, could have influenced the likelihood antitrust plaintiffs will rely on that theory. Second, its express recognition of the similarities between the buying and selling sides of markets could have encourage increased reliance on monopsony-based theories of liability. Finally, the decision could have created the impetus for refining the analysis of a number of issues when they arise in monopsony contexts. These include monopsony tying, the use of monopsony power to gain power on the selling side of markets, as well as standing and antitrust injury. This study finds that its impact has been to discourage use of the predatory buying theory and, perhaps, of monopsony theories generally. Interestingly, it has encouraged defendants to claim plaintiffs are making Weyerhaeser-like claims in hopes of being granted a dismissal.
Laser-induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy (LIFS) for Discrimination of Genetically Close Sweet Orange Accessions (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck)
Authors: Massaiti Kuboyama Kubota Thiago , Bebeachibuli Magalhães Aida , Nery da Silva Marina , Ribeiro Villas Boas Paulino , Novelli Valdenice M. , Bastianel Marinês , Sagawa Cíntia H. D. , Cristofani-Yaly Mariângela , Marcondes Bastos Pereira Milori Débora
Published: July 2016

Although there is substantial diversity among cultivated sweet oranges genotypes with respect to morphological, physiological, and agronomic traits, very little variation at DNA level has been observed. It is possible that this low DNA molecular variability is due to a narrow genetic basis commonly observed in this citrus group. The most different morphological characters observed were originated through mutations, which are maintained by vegetative propagation. Despite all molecular tools available for discrimination between these different accessions, in general, low polymorphism has been observed in all groups of sweet oranges and they may not be identified by molecular markers. In this context, this paper describes the results obtained by using laser-induced fluorescent spectroscopy (LIFS) as a tool to discriminate sweet orange accessions ( Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) including common, low acidity, pigmented, and navel orange groups, with very little variation at DNA level. The findings showed that LIFS combined with statistical methods is capable to discriminate different accessions. The basic idea is that citrus leaves have multiple fluorophores and concentration depends on their genetics and metabolism. Thus, we consider that the optical properties of citrus leaves may be different, depending on variety. The results have shown that the developed method, for the best classification rate, reaches an average sensitivity and specificity of 95% and 97.5%, respectively. An interesting application of this study is the development of an economically viable tool for early identification in seedling certification, in citrus breeding programs, in cultivar protection, or in germplasm core collection.
Impact of Privatization of Ports on Relative Efficiency of Major Ports of India
Authors: Dasgupta Mrinal Kumar , Sinha Deepankar
Published: July 2016

In this article, an attempt has been made to identify the effect of liberalization on the efficiencies of container terminals of major ports of India. In India, the liberalization process started since 1991. As a result, many of the major ports, administered by the union government of India privatized their container terminals. In this study, the efficiency of privately managed terminals, under major ports, has been compared with public container terminals using data envelopment analysis (DEA). In this article, output-oriented DEA using DEAP (Data Envelopment Analysis (Computer) Programme) software has been carried out where the inverse of turnaround time per thousand twenty equivalent units (TEUs) has been taken as the output. The results of the study show that though the efficiency of containers terminals are affected by privatization to a great extent, they depend on other factors too.
Bernard Magubane’s The Making of a Racist State Revisited
Authors: Nyoka Bongani
Published: July 2016

The year 2016 not only marks the 20th anniversary of Bernard Magubane’s classic book in historical sociology, The Making of a Racist State: British Imperialism and the Union of South Africa, 1875-1910, but it is also a year in which White South Africans engaged in racial bigotry on social media. A number of commentators, together with South African politicians, have argued that racism in South Africa should be “criminalized.” This review essay argues that such an approach is not only ahistorical but that it also mistakes the unessential for the essential. In particular, the review essay conducts a close reading of Magubane’s book in an effort to gain insights on how best to understand racism.
Mechanical and damage tolerance behavior of short sisal fiber reinforced recycled polypropylene biocomposites
Authors: Naushad Md , Nayak Sanjay K , Mohanty Smita , Panda Bishnu P
Published: July 2016

Sisal fiber (SF) reinforced recycled polypropylene biocomposites were prepared by melt blending technique. Biocomposites prepared with the incorporation of 40 wt% untreated sisal fiber loading showed a marginal improvement in mechanical properties as compared with matrix recycled polypropylene. SF surface was mercerized and maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene was used as a coupling agent for better fiber matrix interfacial bonding. Mercerized sisal fiber reinforced biocomposites prepared with compatibilizer (maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene) shows significant improvement in tensile and flexural strength. Damage tolerance of recycled polypropylene matrix and its biocomposites were evaluated in monotonic and cyclic tensile test. Untreated sisal fiber reinforced biocomposites prepared with maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene shows improvement in damage tolerance compared with untreated sisal fiber biocomposites. Impact fractured morphology of biocomposites revealed better interfacial bonding between fiber, maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene, and recycled polypropylene matrix.
Mechanical properties, wear behavior and crystallographic texture of Al–multiwalled carbon nanotube composites developed by powder metallurgy route
Authors: Kumar Lailesh , Nasimul Alam Syed , Sahoo Santosh Kumar
Published: July 2016

Aluminum (Al)-based metal matrix composites reinforced with multiwalled carbon nanotubes were developed by powder metallurgy route. The Al and multiwalled carbon nanotubes powder mixtures were consolidated under a load of 565 MPa followed by sintering at 550℃ for 2 h in inert atmosphere. Al–1, 2, and 3 wt.% multiwalled carbon nanotube composites were developed. In the present study, the microstructure, mechanical properties, sliding wear behavior, and crystallographic texture of various Al–multiwalled carbon nanotube composites were investigated. The multiwalled carbon nanotubes produced by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition technique and the various sintered composites were characterized using scanning electron microscope, high-resolution transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. A significant improvement in relative density, Vickers microhardness, and wear resistance of the composites up to addition of 2 wt.% of multiwalled carbon nanotubes was observed. The deterioration in these properties beyond 2 wt.% of multiwalled carbon nanotubes was possibly due to the agglomeration of multiwalled carbon nanotubes in the Al matrix. The tensile strength of Al–multiwalled carbon nanotube composites continuously decreases with the addition of multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The decrease in tensile strength can be attributed to the detrimental effect of Al4C3 formed at the interface of the Al matrix and the multiwalled carbon nanotubes which will cause premature failure of the composite. The addition of multiwalled carbon nanotubes altered the crystallographic texture of the composites. The residual stresses in the various composites were found to be compressive in nature and also show improvement up to addition of 2 wt.% multiwalled carbon nanotubes in the Al matrix.
Looted Antiquities, Art Museums and Restitution in the United States since 1970
Authors: La Follette Laetitia
Published: July 2016

US attitudes towards restitution and the problem of looted antiquities have shifted since 1970, as pressure builds to change norms for the acquisition of unprovenanced artefacts that have fueled a transnational trade in stolen objects and the depredation of archaeological sites worldwide. This article traces several triggers for change and initial steps towards a revised policy while also cataloguing areas of resistance. It examines the mechanisms of US government policy for international heritage protection and suggests that domestic legislation of the 1990s protecting the heritage of Native Americans has played a significant role in changing museum attitudes and policies. The new transparency for indigenous artifacts has produced museum displays that address their ownership history, larger social context and the distinctly different values assigned them by various groups. For classical antiquities, in contrast, attention to aesthetics still trumps such vital contextual information. This article suggests a different approach, one that showcases the biography of the object, its various lives or contexts, and the way different stakeholders have valued it over time. By drawing attention to restitution and the looting of heritage sites, such an approach better explains the history of the work of art and the continued importance of antiquity today.
Burying the Alliance: Interment, Repatriation and the Politics of the Sacred in Occupied Germany
Authors: Bernstein Seth
Published: July 2016

In 1945 Europe was a vast graveyard. The diaspora of the dead was perhaps most prominent in Germany, where the dead of the four occupying forces were spread across the country. As the allies worked through the postwar settlement with Germany, they considered another pressing question: How to treat the dead? The case of occupied Germany highlights different approaches to commemoration. Soviet officials commemorated the war dead as symbols of the collective sacrifice of the USSR in Eastern Europe, while the western allies desired to identify and rebury fallen soldiers to meet the expectations of their domestic audiences.

Despite these differences, the politics of the sacred surrounding the dead necessitated that the allies engage one another. As the occupation regimes of France, the United Kingdom and the United States of America embarked on their mission to retrieve their dead from the Soviet zone, USSR officials reacted with skepticism and hostility. But rather than rejecting what they viewed as attempts at espionage, Soviet officers traded the western dead for their own sacred mission – the chance to return living Soviet repatriates from the western zones of occupation. Even as animosity grew in the emerging Cold War, occupation officials made uneasy compromises across the iron curtain.
Fatal corrosive ingestion: A study from South and South-East Delhi, India (2005–2014)
Authors: Swain Rajanikanta , Behera Chittaranjan , Gupta Sudhir Kumar
Published: July 2016

The study presents a retrospective analysis of 64 cases of death resulting from ingestion of corrosive substances. The cases represented approximately 0.4% of all autopsies conducted and 13.6% of all fatal poisonings studied during the 10-year period from January 2005 to December 2014 at the Department of Forensic Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. The data was analyzed with regard to age, sex, nature and source of corrosive substance used, survival period, cause and manner of death. Males (64.06%) outnumbered females (35.94%), with a male-to-female ratio of 1.78:1. The most common age group involved was 21–30 years (35.94%). Sulfuric acid (68.75%) presented as the most common corrosive substance ingested. Household cleaning substances (39.06%) were identified as a common source of such type of corrosive substance, but the exact source could not be identified in 56.26% of cases. In the majority of cases (46.88%) death was due to perforation peritonitis. Most of the victims (54.69%) succumbed to their injuries within a day of ingestion. In 87.5% of cases, the corrosive substance was consumed for suicidal purposes. A strict regulatory framework is required for the production, distribution, storage and use of corrosive substances. Preventive guidelines and creating awareness among the masses will go a long way towards curbing such unfortunate incidents.
Transgenerational Authenticity Measurement
Authors: Giannini James , Wick Daniel T.
Published: July 2016

The authors examined their previously published studies of transgenerational authenticity in a Japanese cohort (Ito, Horikoshi, & Kodama). In the previous paper, the authors addressed semantic and semiotic concerns. In this paper, design flaws and statistical flaws are examined.
“Are You Gonna Take My Job Away?”: Latina Bilingual Education Teachers’ Relationships With White Colleagues in a White Racial Frame
Authors: Amos Yukari Takimoto
Published: July 2016

Using a White racial frame as a theoretical framework, this study investigated the relationship between two Latina bilingual education teachers and their White colleagues. A qualitative analysis reveals that the participants demonstrated effective teaching skills using their cultural attributes. However, the participants’ competence stirred jealousy and fear among the colleagues who displayed emotionally driven responses, such as microaggressions, and they were positioned as competitors rather than collaborators. The participants were willing to establish positive relations with their colleagues, but it seems that the unexamined and omnipresent White racial frame throughout their schools systematically alienated them.
Book Review: Mukul Dube, India Since 2002: Articles Published in Mainstream, Yogesh Atal and Sunil K. Choudhary, Right Turn in Indian Polity—Modi on BJP’s Chariot
Authors: Chaturvedi Shashank
Published: July 2016

Mukul Dube, India Since 2002: Articles Published in Mainstream, New Delhi, AlterNotes Press, 2015, 198 pp., ₹380, ISBN: 978-81-908923-6-0.

Yogesh Atal and Sunil K. Choudhary, Right Turn in Indian Polity—Modi on BJP’s Chariot, New Delhi, Har-Anand Publication, 2015, 248 pp., ₹695, ISBN: 978-81-241-1888-7.
Prevalence and clinical aspects of tungiasis in south-west Nigerian schoolchildren
Authors: Ugbomoiko Uade S , Ariza Liana , Babamale Abdulkareem O , Heukelbach Jorg
Published: July 2016

Tungiasis is highly prevalent in resource-poor communities in sub-Saharan Africa, but studies among schoolchildren are scanty. We assessed prevalence, parasite load and clinical aspects of tungiasis in schoolchildren in south-western Nigeria. A total of 545 schoolchildren was examined. Of these, 133 (24.4%; 95% CI, 20.9–28.2%) were infested with Tunga penetrans. Boys showed a higher prevalence than girls (31% versus 18%, P < 0.0001); in those infested, the median number of lesions was two, with no gender difference (2 boys, interquartile range, 1–4; 2 girls; interquartile range, 1–4; P = 0.34). The maximum number of 44 lesions was found in a 14-year-old boy. Desquamation was present in 90.2%, followed by erythema (54.9%) and oedema (43.6%); 54.9% showed any chronic pathology and more one-third nail deformations. Our study indicates that tungiasis is an important health problem in rural Nigerian schoolchildren. Sustainable interventions are required to control the disease in this and similar communities.
Soul-Blindness, Police Orders and Black Lives Matter
Authors: Havercroft Jonathan , Owen David
Published: July 2016

What does it mean to see someone as human, as a member of humankind? What kind of call for justice is it to demand that a group be seen as human beings? This article explores a fundamental kind of injustice: one of perception and how we respond to our perceptions. Drawing on Cavell, Wittgenstein and Rancière, we elucidate “soul blindness” as a distinct and basic form of injustice. Rancière’s police orders and Cavell’s soul blindness are mutually constitutive; the undoing of police orders entails a politics of soul dawning. Soul dawning entails acknowledging the humanity of others without erasing difference. In the concluding section, we consider white obliviousness to the Black Lives Matters (BLM) movement as a case of soul blindness. Part of the political import of BLM is its capacity to illustrate how practices of soul blindness in the United States constitute whiteness in a racialized police order.
The influence of emotional difficulty, parent-child relationship, peer relationships, materially-oriented and appearance-oriented attitudes on adolescent problem behavior
Authors: Bae Sung Man
Published: July 2016

This study explored predictors of adolescent problem behavior utilizing panel data from the National Youth Policy Institute. Data were collected from June 2013 to August 2013 from 3195 middle school students living in 15 cities of South Korea. Data were analysed using hierarchical regression in two steps. The first step included gender and school record; the second step added emotional difficulty, parent-child relationship, peer relationships, self-esteem, materially oriented attitude, and appearance-oriented attitude. Results showed that male students had greater problem behaviors than female students. Greater emotional difficulties were associated with greater problem behaviors. On the other hand, a better parent-child relationship and better peer relationships were related to fewer problem behaviors. Notably, greater materially and appearance-oriented attitudes were related to greater problem behaviors. This study implies that excessively extrinsic values or attitudes should be discouraged to prevent teenager problem behavior.
Evaluating Diabetes Educational Interventions With a Skill Development Component in Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Abualula Nada A. , Jacobsen Kathryn H. , Milligan Renee A. , Rodan Margaret F. , Conn Vicki S.
Published: July 2016

Purpose

Adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) may have reduced quality of life (QOL) when compared with their peers. This systematic review evaluated the effectiveness of diabetes self-management education (DSME) interventions with a skills development component on the QOL of adolescents with T1DM.

Methods

Six databases were systematically searched for studies on the QOL outcomes of DSME interventions for adolescents with T1DM. Fourteen studies published between 1994 and 2014 met the inclusion criteria.

Results

Of the 14 studies, only 4 had significant QOL outcomes for the intervention participants. Successful DSME interventions had indirect behavioral skills foci or a combination of indirect and direct behavioral skills foci and a duration ≥2 months.

Conclusion

This review provides evidence that educational interventions with an indirect behavioral skills development that facilitates diabetes management may improve QOL among adolescents with T1DM. Structured interventions targeting adolescents’ QOL are needed to determine which are most effective in improving QOL. Adolescents with T1DM should be routinely screened and monitored for low QOL and referred to QOL-improving interventions.
Pakistan’s Frontline Status, War on Terror and the Jama’at-E-Islami Response
Authors: Nazar Mudasir
Published: July 2016

How Islamic parties in South Asia respond to the global ‘War on Terror’ (WOT) and politicise related issues remains largely covered in press reports, which are often not in English. This article seeks to analyse the responses of one influential Pakistani Islamic party, Jama’at-e-Islami (JI), as a leading voice of protest. It provides evidence that engagement with WOT has reactivated JI and has become a political commodity for Islamists in Pakistan, feeding hopes that they will play a larger role in future governments in Pakistan. However, there are also signs that such hopes will remain unrealistic if JI does not distance itself from extremism and curbs Islamists’ terrorist activities.
Dairy Economy of India
Authors: Ohlan Ramphul
Published: July 2016

India remains the world’s largest producer and consumer of milk. The present study empirically evaluates the transformations in demand and supply of dairy products in India, identifying that the share of dairy products in the food basket has significantly increased among both rural and urban consumers. While demand for dairy products is highly elastic and related to income, the analysis also shows large regional disparities in production and per capita availability of milk in India. After examining various aspects of dairy consumption and production patterns in India, the article also includes policy considerations to improve dairy production. It suggests that to stimulate dairy sector development and reduce inequality in dairy products consumption in India, milk and milk products should be included in the diet provided through the Midday Meal Schemes for primary education children. Overall, to meet the growing demand for dairy products, given their role in food security, the Government of India should continue to aim for sustained growth.
Food Politics and Counter-Hegemonic Assertion in Indian University Campuses
Authors: Pathania Gaurav J.
Published: July 2016

Recently, heated debates concerning food politics have erupted at some of the most prestigious institutes of higher education in India. Students demand inclusion of beef and other meat in their hostel food menu, claiming hostel canteens represent only ‘mainstream’ Hindu culture. To boycott this culture and instil consciousness of their cosmopolitan life-world, they organise campus ‘Beef Festivals’ and publicly idolise so-called ‘demons’ of Hindu mythology. Using a Gramscian framework, this article explores the activism of marginalised students as counter-hegemonic and critically examines the ideological standpoints involved. As university spaces become significant sites to reinvent caste identities, we see that in their counter-hegemonic struggles, marginalised students employ the same tools and symbols of meat and myth as their opponents. It is argued that this strategy ultimately risks contradicting the goal of their activism and may block broader visions of an equal and just society.
Negotiating across difference: Gendered exclusions and cooperation in the shea value chain
Authors: Elias Marlène , Arora-Jonsson Seema
Published: July 2016

Shea butter, derived from the African shea tree, has acquired a pivotal position in global agro-food and cosmetics industries. In Burkina Faso, public and private actors as well as civil society are converging upon the product to boost the incomes of rural female producers. As a result of these trends, the shea value chain is increasingly segmented; shea nuts are sold in a low-return, conventional market and simultaneously enter an alternative, high-value niche market. In the latter strand of the value chain, some producers are improving their prospects by forming an association. Tracing relationships across the two strands, we demonstrate how ‘horizontal’ relations based on gender, ethnicity, age and geography contribute to shaping participation and benefit capture in the shea value chain. We argue that processes of social inclusion and exclusion operate in parallel, as differentiated actors both cooperate and compete to secure their place within the chain. While collective organizing brings positive social and economic benefits, we show that producers’ associations need not be empowering for all women. The significance of collective enterprises, but also their drawbacks must be considered when valorising pathways to women's empowerment. Our study reinforces calls for greater integration of horizontal elements in value chain analyses.
Preoperative hemoglobin level: the best predictor of transfusion of packed red cells
Authors: de Boer Wiebe J. , Visser Cornelis , Ganushchak Yuri M.
Published: July 2016

Blood transfusions could have serious consequences for patients. A reduction in the transfusion rate could be accomplished by an optimized blood management. Clear guidelines and awareness among all employees at a single institution have resulted in a reduction in transfusion rates in recent years. Identification of the group of patients who still received a blood transfusion in recent years could result in a further reduction. This study enrolled 4022 patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery between 2008 and 2013. Patients were divided into three groups: “no blood transfusion”, “transfusion of packed red cells only” and “any other combinations of blood transfusion”. In total, 16 variables were tested for their association with the administration of homologous blood. The variables associated with blood transfusion were included in a stepwise multinomial logistic regression analysis to find the variables with the strongest association.

For the transfusion of packed red cells only and any other combinations of blood transfusion, the following predictors are found: gender, age, weight, type of surgery, reoperation, unstable angina pectoris, endocarditis, recent myocardial infarction, preoperative creatinine level, preoperative hemoglobin level and preoperative platelet count. The best predictor for the transfusion of packed red cells is preoperative hemoglobin level (4.1 to 7.8 mmol/l). For other blood products, the strongest association was found with type of surgery (aortic surgery, ventricular septal rupture and intracardiac tumour).
Novel parameter settings for gain-scheduled feedback control of rotational speed in a floating offshore wind turbine–generator system
Authors: Wakui Tetsuya , Yoshimura Motoki , Yokoyama Ryohei
Published: July 2016

Novel parameter settings for gain-scheduled feedback control of rotational speed using collective blade pitch manipulation in a spar-buoy floating offshore wind turbine–generator system were developed in order to reduce both power-output fluctuation and platform motion. The development was conducted through numerical simulation using the aeroelastic simulation model (FAST), measured high wind speed data, and simulated irregular sea waves. In this gain-scheduled feedback control of rotational speed, a proportional-plus-integral action was employed, and the proportional gain was varied to the blade pitch angle. First, the sensitivity analysis of the control parameter settings, that is, the proportional gain, integral time, and the generator torque manipulation strategy, to the system performances was carried out. Then, a new guideline of parameter settings for the gain-scheduled feedback control was theoretically revealed by investigating the damped oscillation characteristics of the feedback control loop. Novel parameter settings yielded a natural frequency of the feedback control loop higher than that of the platform pitching motion and a damping coefficient larger than 1.0. Under these parameter settings, the platform pitching motion was similar to that under settings previously developed for this floating offshore system, while the power-output fluctuation was drastically reduced. High power–generation performance and a significant reduction in the damage equivalent fatigue loads at the main parts of the system were also obtained.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Activates Proinflammatory Signaling Pathways and Induces Oxidative Stress in Tendon Fibroblasts
Authors: Hudgens Joshua L. , Sugg Kristoffer B. , Grekin Jeremy A. , Gumucio Jonathan P. , Bedi Asheesh , Mendias Christopher L.
Published: July 2016

Background:

Tendon injuries are one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions in active patients. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has shown some promise in the treatment of tendon disorders, but little is known as to the mechanisms by which PRP can improve tendon regeneration. PRP contains numerous different growth factors and cytokines that activate various cellular signaling cascades, but it has been difficult to determine precisely which signaling pathways and cellular responses are activated after PRP treatment. Additionally, macrophages play an important role in modulating tendon regeneration, but the influence of PRP on determining whether macrophages assume a proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory phenotype remains unknown.

Purpose:

To use genome-wide expression profiling, bioinformatics, and protein analysis to determine the cellular pathways activated in fibroblasts treated with PRP. The effect of PRP on macrophage polarization was also evaluated.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Tendon fibroblasts or macrophages from rats were cultured and treated with either platelet-poor plasma (PPP) or PRP. RNA or protein was isolated from cells and analyzed using microarrays, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunoblotting, or bioinformatics techniques.

Results:

Pathway analysis determined that the most highly induced signaling pathways in PRP-treated tendon fibroblasts were TNFα and NFκB pathways. PRP also downregulated the expression of extracellular matrix genes and induced the expression of autophagy-related genes and reactive oxygen species (ROS) genes and protein markers in tendon fibroblasts. PRP failed to have a major effect on markers of macrophage polarization.

Conclusion:

PRP induces an inflammatory response in tendon fibroblasts, which leads to the formation of ROS and the activation of oxidative stress pathways. PRP does not appear to significantly modulate macrophage polarization.

Clinical Relevance:

PRP might act by inducing a transient inflammatory event, which could then trigger a tissue regeneration response.
Should We Limit Innings Pitched After Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction in Major League Baseball Pitchers?
Authors: Erickson Brandon J. , Cvetanovich Gregory L. , Bach Bernard R. , Bush-Joseph Charles A. , Verma Nikhil N. , Romeo Anthony A.
Published: July 2016

Background:

Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (UCLR) has become a common procedure among Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers. It is unclear if a limit on innings pitched after UCLR should be instituted to prevent revision UCLR.

Hypothesis:

Number of innings pitched and number of pitches thrown after UCLR will not affect whether a pitcher requires a revision UCLR.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

All MLB pitchers between 1974 and 2015 who pitched at least 1 full season after UCLR were included in this study. Pitch counts and innings pitched for the first full season after UCLR as well as total pitch count and total innings pitched were recorded. Pitch counts and innings pitched were compared among players who required revision UCLR and those who did not.

Results:

Overall, 154 pitchers were included. Of these, 135 pitchers did not require revision UCLR while 19 underwent revision UCLR. No significant difference existed between pitchers who underwent revision UCLR and those who did not when comparing number of innings pitched in the season after UCLR (79.4 ± 46.7 vs 90.1 ± 58.6; P = .9016), number of pitches thrown in the season after UCLR (1233.2 ± 710.4 vs 1449.2 ± 904.1; P = .7337), number of innings pitched in the pitcher’s career after UCLR (357.4 ± 312.0 vs 399.3 ± 446.4; P = .6945), and number of pitches thrown in the pitcher’s career after UCLR (5632.7 ± 4583.9 vs 5674.7 ± 5755.4; P = .4789), respectively. Furthermore, no difference existed in revision rate between pitchers who pitched more or less than 180 innings in the first full season after UCLR ( P = .6678).

Conclusion:

The number of innings pitched and number of pitches thrown in the first full season as well as over a player’s career after UCLR are not associated with an increased risk of a pitcher requiring revision UCLR.
Predictors of Length of Career After Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement in Professional Hockey Players
Authors: Menge Travis J. , Briggs Karen K. , Philippon Marc J.
Published: July 2016

Background:

Previous studies have shown that professional hockey players return to sport at a high rate after hip arthroscopy, although it is unknown how long players continue to compete at a professional level after surgery.

Purpose:

To determine the prevalence of athletes who continued playing in the National Hockey League (NHL) for a minimum of 5 years after hip arthroscopy for treatment of symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and to determine predictors associated with length of career.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A total of 60 professional hockey players (69 hips) underwent hip arthroscopy for FAI by a single surgeon between 2005 and 2010. Data were retrieved from NHL.com and Hockey-reference.com regarding information on each player’s professional career. Position played, age, surgical procedure, and intraoperative findings were also used in data analysis.

Results:

There were 12 centers, 15 defensemen, 16 goalies, and 17 wings studied. Of the 60 athletes, 40 (67%) continued to play professionally a minimum of 5 years after hip arthroscopy. As of the 2015 season, the mean length of a player’s NHL career was 13.7 years (range, 2-27 years), with an average of 5.9 years played after hip arthroscopy. There was no difference in length of career or years played when goalies were compared with other positions ( P = .760). Length of career and years played after arthroscopy correlated with age at surgery ( r = 0.799 and −0.408, respectively). Players who played ≥5 years after arthroscopy were significantly younger than those who did not (25 vs 30 years; P = .001). Athletes who played <5 years after arthroscopy had a longer average duration of symptoms before surgery when compared with those who played ≥5 years (20.2 vs 9.3 months; P = .049). There were no differences in length of career or years played after arthroscopy based on type of labral treatment.

Conclusion:

Professional NHL players who underwent hip arthroscopy for FAI were able to continue playing for an average of 5.9 years after surgery, with 67% playing a minimum of 5 years postoperatively. Younger age and shorter duration of symptoms at time of surgery correlated with greater length of career and years played after hip arthroscopy. Players who did not play a minimum of 5 years postoperatively had significantly longer duration of symptoms before surgery. The study data support early arthroscopic treatment of professional hockey players with symptomatic FAI.
Political ideological shift: A theoretical approach
Authors: Facchini François
Published: July 2016

The author explains ideological change using a theory justifying an individual’s grounds for action. If an individual prefers ideology A to ideology B, it is because the costs of justifying A are less than the costs of justifying B. On this basis, the dynamic behind ideologies is explained partly by their justification context and partly by rises in justification costs. The context for their rationale plays a not insignificant role, as it qualifies the type of event capable of generating a change. An event generates a change because it makes an ideology problematic and places the individual in a situation of cognitive dissonance. This event is an experiment in an empiricist justification context, a logical factor in a rationalist context and an interpretative inconsistency in a religious context. The event that generates change is qualified thus; it might be argued that an event makes an ideology problematic when it increases its justification costs. Logically, its rationale costs should increase with the quality of alternative ideologies, the position of scientific or religious authorities – depending on the rationale context – the number of people who decide to revise their ideology or to abandon it, and the entire body of knowledge deemed to be non-problematic by individuals.
Measurement of Spatial Ability: Construction and Validation of the Spatial Reasoning Instrument for Middle School Students
Authors: Ramful Ajay , Lowrie Thomas , Logan Tracy
Published: July 2016

This article describes the development and validation of a newly designed instrument for measuring the spatial ability of middle school students (11-13 years old). The design of the Spatial Reasoning Instrument (SRI) is based on three constructs (mental rotation, spatial orientation, and spatial visualization) and is aligned to the type of spatial maneuvers and task representations that middle-school students may encounter in mathematics and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-related subjects. The instrument was administered to 430 students. Initially, a set of 15 items were devised for each of the three spatial constructs and the 45 items were eventually reduced to 30 items on the basis of factor analysis. The three underpinning factors accounted for 43% of variance. An internal reliability value of .845 was obtained. Subsequent Rasch analysis revealed appropriate item difficulty fit across each of the constructs. The three constructs of the SRI correlated significantly with existing well-established psychological instruments: for mental rotation (.71), spatial orientation (.41), and spatial visualization (.66). The psychometric characteristics of SRI substantiate the use of this measurement tool for research and pedagogical purposes.
Working Extra Hours in the Australian Public Service: Organizational Drivers and Consequences
Authors: Taylor Jeannette
Published: July 2016

Why do government employees work long hours, and what are the consequences? Although there is generally little scope for extra pay in return for extra hours in the Australian Public Service (APS), a significant proportion of its employees work long hours. This study draws from the organizational citizenship behavior literature in an attempt to understand why APS employees work extra hours. It uses the 2015 APS Employee Census to examine the APS employees’ patterns of working hours and the links between working extra hours and three outcomes: job performance, personal well-being, and intention to leave one’s agency. Several organizational factors are found to be positively associated with working extra hours. Many who work extra hours also believe that their job performance is high, but they report poor well-being and are thinking of leaving their agency.