bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LIM Domain Only 2 Regulates Endothelial Proliferation, Angiogenesis, and Tissue Regeneration
Authors: Meng Shu , Matrone Gianfranco , Lv Jie , Chen Kaifu , Wong Wing Tak , Cooke John P.
Published: October 2016

Background

LIM
domain only 2 (
LMO
2, human gene) is a key transcription factor that regulates hematopoiesis and vascular development. However, its role in adult endothelial function has been incompletely characterized.

Methods and Results

In vitro loss‐ and gain‐of‐function studies on
LMO
2 were performed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells with lentiviral overexpression or short hairpin RNA knockdown (
KD
) of
LMO
2, respectively.
LMO
2
KD
significantly impaired endothelial proliferation.
LMO
2 controls endothelial G1/S transition through transcriptional regulation of cyclin‐dependent kinase 2 and 4 as determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR), western blot, and chromatin immunoprecipitation, and also influences the expression of Cyclin D1 and Cyclin A1.
LMO
2
KD
also impaired angiogenesis by reducing transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) expression, whereas supplementation of exogenous
TGF‐
β restored defective network formation in
LMO
2
KD
human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In a zebrafish model of caudal fin regeneration,
RT
‐
PCR
revealed that the lmo2 (zebrafish gene) gene was upregulated at day 5 postresection. The
KD
of lmo2 by vivo‐morpholino injections in adult
Tg
(
fli1:egfp)

y1

zebrafish reduced 5‐bromo‐2′‐deoxyuridine incorporation in endothelial cells, impaired neoangiogenesis in the resected caudal fin, and substantially delayed fin regeneration.

Conclusions

The transcriptional factor
LMO
2 regulates endothelial proliferation and angiogenesis in vitro. Furthermore,
LMO
2 is required for angiogenesis and tissue healing in vivo. Thus,
LMO
2 is a critical determinant of vascular and tissue regeneration.
Meta‐Analysis of Potassium Intake and the Risk of Stroke
Authors: Vinceti Marco , Filippini Tommaso , Crippa Alessio , de Sesmaisons Agnès , Wise Lauren A. , Orsini Nicola
Published: October 2016

Background

The possibility that lifestyle factors such as diet, specifically potassium intake, may modify the risk of stroke has been suggested by several observational cohort studies, including some recent reports. We performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis of existing studies and assessed the dose–response relation between potassium intake and stroke risk.

Methods and Results

We reviewed the observational cohort studies addressing the relation between potassium intake, and incidence or mortality of total stroke or stroke subtypes published through August 6, 2016. We carried out a meta‐analysis of 16 cohort studies based on the relative risk (
RR
) of stroke comparing the highest versus lowest intake categories. We also plotted a pooled dose–response curve of
RR
of stroke according to potassium intake. Analyses were performed with and without adjustment for blood pressure. Relative to the lowest category of potassium intake, the highest category of potassium intake was associated with a 13% reduced risk of stroke (
RR
=0.87, 95%
CI
0.80–0.94) in the blood pressure–adjusted analysis. Summary
RR
s tended to decrease when original estimates were unadjusted for blood pressure. Analysis for stroke subtypes yielded comparable results. In the spline analysis, the pooled
RR
was lowest at 90 mmol of potassium daily intake (
RR
s=0.78, 95%
CI
0.70–0.86) in blood pressure–adjusted analysis, and 0.67 (95%
CI
0.57–0.78) in unadjusted analysis.

Conclusions

Overall, this dose–response meta‐analysis confirms the inverse association between potassium intake and stroke risk, with potassium intake of 90 mmol (≈3500 mg)/day associated with the lowest risk of stroke.
Cost-Effectiveness of Endovascular Stroke Therapy
Authors: Kunz Wolfgang G. , Hunink M.G. Myriam , Sommer Wieland H. , Beyer Sebastian E. , Meinel Felix G. , Dorn Franziska , Wirth Stefan , Reiser Maximilian F. , Ertl-Wagner Birgit , Thierfelder Kolja M.
Published: October 2016

Background and Purpose—

Endovascular therapy in addition to standard care (EVT+SC) has been demonstrated to be more effective than SC in acute ischemic large vessel occlusion stroke. Our aim was to determine the cost-effectiveness of EVT+SC depending on patients’ initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, time from symptom onset, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS), and occlusion location.

Methods—

A decision model based on Markov simulations estimated lifetime costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) associated with both strategies applied in a US setting. Model input parameters were obtained from the literature, including recently pooled outcome data of 5 randomized controlled trials (ESCAPE [Endovascular Treatment for Small Core and Proximal Occlusion Ischemic Stroke], EXTEND-IA [Extending the Time for Thrombolysis in Emergency Neurological Deficits–Intra-Arterial], MR CLEAN [Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Netherlands], REVASCAT [Randomized Trial of Revascularization With Solitaire FR Device Versus Best Medical Therapy in the Treatment of Acute Stroke Due to Anterior Circulation Large Vessel Occlusion Presenting Within 8 Hours of Symptom Onset], and SWIFT PRIME [Solitaire With the Intention for Thrombectomy as Primary Endovascular Treatment]). Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed to estimate uncertainty of the model results. Net monetary benefits, incremental costs, incremental effectiveness, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were derived from the probabilistic sensitivity analysis. The willingness-to-pay was set to $50 000/QALY.

Results—

Overall, EVT+SC was cost-effective compared with SC (incremental cost: $4938, incremental effectiveness: 1.59 QALYs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio: $3110/QALY) in 100% of simulations. In all patient subgroups, EVT+SC led to gained QALYs (range: 0.47–2.12), and mean incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were considered cost-effective. However, subgroups with ASPECTS ≤5 or with M2 occlusions showed considerably higher incremental cost-effectiveness ratios ($14 273/QALY and $28 812/QALY, respectively) and only reached suboptimal acceptability in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis (75.5% and 59.4%, respectively). All other subgroups had acceptability rates of 90% to 100%.

Conclusions—

EVT+SC is cost-effective in most subgroups. In patients with ASPECTS ≤5 or with M2 occlusions, cost-effectiveness remains uncertain based on current data.
Renal Function and the Risk of Stroke and Bleeding in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Bonde Anders Nissen , Lip Gregory Y.H. , Kamper Anne-Lise , Fosbøl Emil L. , Staerk Laila , Carlson Nicholas , Torp-Pedersen Christian , Gislason Gunnar , Olesen Jonas Bjerring
Published: October 2016

Background and Purpose—

We sought to determine the risk of stroke/thromboembolism and bleeding associated with reduced renal function in patients with atrial fibrillation and the risk of stroke and bleeding associated with warfarin treatment in specific estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) groups.

Methods—

We conducted a register-based cohort study and included patients discharged with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation from 1997 to 2011 with available eGFR.

Results—

A total of 17 349 patients were identified with eGFR available at baseline. All levels of lower eGFR were associated with higher risk of stroke/thromboembolism and bleeding. Use of warfarin was associated with higher bleeding risk in all eGFR groups; hazard ratios 1.23 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97–1.56), 1.26 (95% CI, 1.14–1.40), 1.18 (95% CI, 1.07–1.31), 1.11 (95% CI, 0.87–1.42), 2.01 (95% CI, 1.14–3.54) in patients with eGFR ≥90, 60 to 89, 30 to 59, 15 to 29, and <15 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
, respectively. Use of warfarin was associated with lower risk of stroke/thromboembolism in patients with eGFR ≥15 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
; hazard ratios 0.57 (95% CI, 0.43–0.76), 0.57 (95% CI, 0.51–0.64), 0.48 (95% CI, 0.44–0.54), 0.60 (95% CI, 0.45–0.80) in patients with eGFR ≥90, 60 to 89, 30 to 59, and 15 to 29 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
, respectively. Use of warfarin was not associated with lower risk of stroke/thromboembolism in patients with eGFR<15 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
; hazard ratio 1.18 (95% CI, 0.58–2.40).

Conclusions—

In patients with atrial fibrillation, the risk of stroke and bleeding was associated with levels of renal function. Warfarin treatment was associated with higher risk of bleeding in all eGFR groups and lower risk of stroke in patients with eGFR≥15 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
.
Das Datum des Phidias-Prozesses, die Aufstellung der Athena Parthenos und der Ausbruch des Peloponnesischen Krieges bei Philochoros
Authors: Schubert Charlotte
Published: October 2016

The scholia on AristophanesPax605-606 refer to Philochoros’ dating of Pheidias’ trial, the inauguration of the chryselephantine Athena Parthenos, the Megarian decree and the idea that Pericles started the Peloponnesian war to sidetrack the Athenians’ attention away from his own responsibilities concerning Pheidias’ fraud. In contrast to previous opinions this paper shows that the scholiasts believed Philochoros’ information to belong to the events of 432/1bc.
The Golden Rule in Classical Judaism
Authors: Neusner Jacob
Published: October 2016

Rabbinic Judaism calls the Golden Rule the encompassing principle of the Torah. But when the system undertakes to generalize, it entirely ignores the Golden Rule. The faithful, this is to say, are admonished to dedicate themselves to studying the generative data of the Golden Rule. But when the system concretely invokes the Golden Rule, it does not elaborate and extend it, analyzing its implications for fresh problems. This article thus proposes that, in classical Judaism, the Golden Rule is inert, not active; it is inconsequential in an exact sense of the word, not weighty in secondary development. It yields nothing beyond itself and does not invite new questions or stimulate speculation about new problems. The Golden Rule emerges as a commonplace that the system invokes without extension and elaboration.
The Significance of John 1:14–18 for Understanding John’s Approach to Law and Ethics
Authors: Loader William
Published: October 2016

The paper examines the role and status of Torah in Johannine ethics by examining where Torah first becomes the focus of attention, John 1:14–18. While what precedes in the prologue provides important background and what follows in the rest of the Gospel sheds significant light on the passage, this paper argues that already within 1:14–18, and not just in 1:16b, key parameters are set that inform our understanding of John’s approach to the Law and ethics as a whole.
The Efficacy of Collaboration: Tibetan Medicine Across Countries and Conversations
Authors: Craig Sienna
Published: October 2016

First delivered as a plenary lecture at theictam viiicongress in September 2013 in South Korea, this paper discusses two interdisciplinary and collaborative workshops focusing on Tibetan medicine (also known as Sowa Rigpa) in contemporary contexts. The first event, which took place in December 2011, brought together nearly 40 practitioners of Sowa Rigpa from the greater Himalaya and Tibetan regions of the People’s Republic of China (prc), along with four anthropologists, for intensive, interactive discussions on pharmacology by making medicines together. The second event, which took place in October 2012 in Xining, Qinghai Province,prc, involved practitioners, educators, and researchers from the Arura Group, one of the leading Tibetan medicine institutions in theprc, with researchers from the United States, Europe, andtar(Tibet Autonomous Region) for in-depth discussions about integrative clinical research and the place of the humanities and social sciences in the study of traditional medicines. Both events were supported, directly or indirectly, by the International Association for the Study of Traditional Asian Medicine (iastam), and abided in spirit with the mission of this organisation, namely, to bring scholars and practitioners of Asian medicine together for mutual exchange. While the Kathmandu event emphasised hands-on learning and the co-production of both knowledge and things, the Xining workshop provided Tibetan medical colleagues in theprcwith the opportunity to engage with broad discussions, at once methodological and epistemological, about the meaning, purpose, and aims of research on traditional medicines today.
The Dangers of ‘Warming and Replenishing’ (wenbu 溫補) during the Ming to Qing Epistemic Transition
Authors: de Vries Leslie
Published: October 2016

Through a case study of Zhao Xianke’s 趙獻可One Principle through Medicine(Yiguan醫貫) (1617?) and Xu Dachun’s 徐大椿 (1693–1771) denouncements of this text, my article zooms in on divergent discourses on the safety and efficacy of medicinal substances and compounds in late imperial China. Although Xu Dachun’s fierce attacks on the popular ‘warming and replenishing’ (wenbu溫補) therapies can be situated in an epistemic shift from the cosmology of ‘Song learning’ (songxue宋學) towards the philology of ‘Han learning’ (hanxue漢學) and ‘evidential research’ (kaozheng考證), I argue that more complex issues were at stake as well. Changed political, social, ethical, and economic realities shaped new and multifaceted perceptions of the nature of medicine, the medical profession, and the usage of medicinals in the aftermath of the Ming to Qing transition.
The Question of Efficacy
Authors: Sivin Nathan
Published: October 2016

Historians avoid studying the efficacy of therapy before the age of the double-blind randomised trial. A related topic that has been the cause of great confusion is the meaning of the placebo effect and the efficacy of placebos. Medical anthropology and sociology, although they do not usually study the past, offer extremely useful tools for dealing rationally with both issues. This study uses their methods, among others, to argue that the body’s response to specific therapy is only one component of understanding efficacy, and that the others are much more useful in historical studies, especially those of other cultures. The case studies given in this paper are based on largely medical texts from sixteenth- to seventeenth-century China.
The Administration of Tibetan Precious Pills
Authors: Czaja Olaf
Published: October 2016

Precious pills represent a special kind of Tibetan drug that once was, and still is, highly sought after by Tibetan, Chinese, and Mongolian patients. Such pills are generally taken as a potent prophylactic remedy, and can be used to cure various diseases. The present study seeks to discuss the dispensation and efficacy of precious pills according to the presentations of historical Tibetan medical scholars. Several treatises dealing with these instructions will be analysed, thereby revealing their underlying concepts, and highlighting their points of both general consensus and disagreement. The analysis of these detailed instructions will reveal the fact that these precious pills were not merely given to a patient but, in order to ensure their full efficacy, involved an elaborate regimen concerning three chronological periods: (1) the time of preparation, (2) the time of dispensation, and (3) the time after dispensation. Thus the present study surveys not only the ritual empowerment of drugs in Tibetan medicine, but also the importance of social relationships between doctors and patients in Tibetan medical history.
Amphitheater und lachende Hügel: neulateinische Landschaften
Authors: Korenjak Martin
Published: October 2016

The concept of landscape is often said to have developed only in the 18th century. Earlier place descriptions supposedly lack the sense of unity and mood that we feel to be constitutive for a real landscape. Using the example of Neo-Latin literature, the present article shows that this idea is wrong. Early modern Latin authors are perfectly able to describe true landscapes. They even have developed a number of specific literary techniques to represent scenic unity and atmosphere.
Dichoropetalum vuralii (Apiaceae), a new species from Yenişarbademli (Isparta, south-western Turkey)
Authors: ÖZBEK MEHMET UFUK , ARSLAN MÜNEVVER , ÖZBEK FUNDA
Published: October 2016

Dichoropetalum vuralii, a new species of Dichoropetalum sect. Dichoropetalum, is described and illustrated from the alpine stage of Dedegöl Mountains in south-western Anatolia, Turkey. It is morphologically similar to D. depauperatum and D. bupleuroides from which it differs mainly in the stem length, basal leaves and segments, number and shape of bracts and bracteoles, and mericarp features. The diagnostic morphological and carpo-anatomical characters of D. vuralii are discussed with regard to other close relatives. Additionally, notes are presented regarding its ecology and conservation status. Furthermore, pollen and mericarp surface characteristics are investigated using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The geographical distribution of this new species, as well as related species, is mapped.
Using the Coefficient of Confidence to Make the Philosophical Switch From A Posteriori to A Priori Inferential Statistics
Authors: Trafimow David
Published: October 2016

There has been much controversy over the null hypothesis significance testing procedure, with much of the criticism centered on the problem of inverse inference. Specifically, p gives the probability of the finding (or one more extreme) given the null hypothesis, whereas the null hypothesis significance testing procedure involves drawing a conclusion about the null hypothesis given the finding. Many critics have called for null hypothesis significance tests to be replaced with confidence intervals. However, confidence intervals also suffer from a version of the inverse inference problem. The only known solution to the inverse inference problem is to use the famous theorem by Bayes, but this involves commitments that many researchers are not willing to make. However, it is possible to ask a useful question for which inverse inference is not a problem and that leads to the computation of the coefficient of confidence. In turn, and much more important, using the coefficient of confidence implies the desirability of switching from the current emphasis on a posteriori inferential statistics to an emphasis on a priori inferential statistics.
Neuroimaging Research: From Null-Hypothesis Falsification to Out-of-Sample Generalization
Authors: Bzdok Danilo , Varoquaux Gaël , Thirion Bertrand
Published: October 2016

Brain-imaging technology has boosted the quantification of neurobiological phenomena underlying human mental operations and their disturbances. Since its inception, drawing inference on neurophysiological effects hinged on classical statistical methods, especially, the general linear model. The tens of thousands of variables per brain scan were routinely tackled by independent statistical tests on each voxel. This circumvented the curse of dimensionality in exchange for neurobiologically imperfect observation units, a challenging multiple comparisons problem, and limited scaling to currently growing data repositories. Yet, the always bigger information granularity of neuroimaging data repositories has lunched a rapidly increasing adoption of statistical learning algorithms. These scale naturally to high-dimensional data, extract models from data rather than prespecifying them, and are empirically evaluated for extrapolation to unseen data. The present article portrays commonalities and differences between long-standing classical inference and upcoming generalization inference relevant for conducting neuroimaging research.
Hypothesis Testing in the Real World
Authors: Miller Jeff
Published: October 2016

Critics of null hypothesis significance testing suggest that (a) its basic logic is invalid and (b) it addresses a question that is of no interest. In contrast to (a), I argue that the underlying logic of hypothesis testing is actually extremely straightforward and compelling. To substantiate that, I present examples showing that hypothesis testing logic is routinely used in everyday life. These same examples also refute (b) by showing circumstances in which the logic of hypothesis testing addresses a question of prime interest. Null hypothesis significance testing may sometimes be misunderstood or misapplied, but these problems should be addressed by improved education.
An Observational Study of Classroom Acoustical Design and Repetitive Behaviors in Children With Autism
Authors: Kanakri Shireen M. , Shepley Mardelle , Tassinary Louis G. , Varni James W. , Fawaz Haitham M.
Published: October 2016

The objective of the present study is to explore the impact of acoustical design on children with autism in school classrooms. Empirical research on this topic will provide information on how interior space features and spatial environment characteristics can be used to support the learning and developmental needs of children with autism. Specifically, the connection between repetitive behaviors and ambient noise levels in school classroom environments was observed in four classrooms. The occurrence of repetitive motor movements, repetitive speech, ear covering, hitting, loud vocalizations, blinking, and verbally complaining in relation to decibel levels were analyzed using Noldus Observer XT software. As hypothesized, a correlation between noise levels and frequency of target behaviors was found; that is, as decibel levels increased, several of the observed behaviors occurred with greater frequency. Further empirical testing is necessary to test a causal relationship between increased ambient noise levels and autism-related behaviors, and sensory discomfort as a mediator of that relationship. Findings are applied to the development of classroom design guidelines.
Experimental validation of through-thickness resin flow model in the consolidation of saturated porous media
Authors: Danzi Mario , Klunker Florian , Ermanni Paolo
Published: October 2016

In this paper, a reliable and reproducible experimental procedure for the study of the through-thickness flow induced by the compaction of a saturated porous media is presented. Experimental fluid pressure data are exploited in the validation of a fully coupled fluid-mechanical model and the verification of the related material parameters. The experimental results show overall good agreement with the numerical solution, for all three configurations tested. In addition, up-scaling rules have been identified, which relate the consolidation time with the fluid viscosity and the number of layers.
Mechanical properties of recycled carbon fibre/polyester thermoplastic tape composites
Authors: Akonda MH , Stefanova M , Potluri P , Shah DU
Published: October 2016

The increasing use of high-value carbon fibre in composites is linked with increasing waste generation: from dry fibre and prepreg offcuts during manufacturing to end-of-life parts. In this work, a novel thermoplastic tape was produced from 60 wt.% manufacturing waste carbon fibres (60 mm long) and 40 wt.% polyester fibres using a thermal consolidation technique. The thin (0.2 mm) and narrow (20 mm wide) tapes were then used to fabricate laminated composite panels in two 0/90 tape architectures: cross-ply and woven ply. Various mechanical properties, including tensile, flexural, compression and impact were evaluated. It was found that cross-ply performed better than woven ply laminates, with failure in the latter materials typically initiating at the tape interlacement points.
Expert Evidence in Criminal Proceedings
Authors: Stockdale Michael , Jackson Adam
Published: October 2016

In its 2011 report Expert Evidence in Criminal Proceedings in England and Wales (Law Com No. 325), the Law Commission recommended that the admissibility of expert evidence in criminal proceedings should be governed by a new statutory regime comprising a new statutory reliability test in combination with codification and refinement of existing common law principles relating to ‘assistance’, ‘expertise’ and ‘impartiality’. The government declined to enact the Law Commission’s draft Bill due to a lack of certainty as to whether the additional costs incurred would be offset by savings. Instead the government invited the Criminal Procedure Rule Committee (CrimPRC) to consider amendments to the Criminal Procedure Rules (CrimPR) to introduce, as far as possible, the spirit of the Law Commission’s recommendations. The consequent amendments to CrimPR Part 33 (now CrimPR Part 19) in combination with the making of the new Practice Direction CrimPD 33A (now CrimPD 19A) by the Lord Chief Justice resulted in what he described in his 2014 Criminal Bar Association Kalisher Lecture as ‘a novel way of implementing an excellent Report’. This paper considers the possible evolution of the common law in light of these amendments, the challenges associated with adopting such a novel approach to reform and the potential opportunities for the improvement of expert evidence in criminal proceedings that the changes were intended to create.
Criminal Justice and Global Public Goods
Authors: Wilson Tim J
Published: October 2016

This article places sharing forensic biometric data for international criminal justice cooperation purposes within the domain of global public goods. Such cooperation is a rational response to globalisation, but faces several obstacles. These range from sociocultural and political concerns about national legal and criminal justice autonomy to the potential impact of market fundamentalism on scientific standardisation and cooperation mechanism delivery. The significance of such inhibitors will vary as societal and personal perceptions of stability change. These issues are examined by analysing the progress achieved with the EU Prüm forensic biometric data exchange model. Shocks to European stability, such as the increased scale of terrorist crimes and the UK EU referendum result will inevitably test the resilience of Prüm. Combining insights from global public goods and criminal law scholarship, however, may help to identify how reactions to such shocks, including questions about future UK participation in Prüm, might be managed.
Armed Forces, Cyberspace, and Global Images
Authors: Golan Oren , Ben-Ari Eyal
Published: October 2016

This study centers on the relation between militaries, violence, and publicly available digital images. Military websites can be characterized as forms of representation of national institutions comparable to the sites of any large organization. However, the way these websites publicly frame and explain the military’s use of organized violence has not been investigated. Accordingly, this study examines how contemporary militaries manage their public and online relation to their core expertise, organized violence. The analysis is based on a longitudinal analysis of the Israeli Defense Force’s (IDF) official websites (2007–2015) and interviews with key webmasters. The integration of the Internet and new media into the IDF’s official websites highlights its deliberate move into the cybernetic realm to manage, order, manipulate, and handle its public images and representations as a legitimate social institution charged with using violence in the defense of the country.
Public and Local Government Leader Opinions on Environmental Federalism
Authors: Mills Sarah , Gore Christopher
Published: October 2016

How should regulatory authority over environmental policy issues be allocated? While there has been previous work on public preferences regarding environmental federalism, less attention has been paid to the opinions of local government officials, who are often on the front lines testing the limits (or not) of their authority. Using survey data of public and local official opinion about environmental federalism, this article finds that local government officials often see a significantly different role for national, subnational, and local government than their constituents, even after accounting for demographic differences between the groups. This article draws on data from two subnational jurisdictions in different countries (Michigan, United States and Ontario, Canada) and finds that the differences between the general public and local officials are durable even with a change in national context.
‘This is our Call of Duty’: hegemony, history and resistant videogames in the Middle East
Authors: Saber Dima , Webber Nick
Published: October 2016

In recent years, non-state actors in the Middle East have engaged a new generation of activists through a variety of media strategies. Notable among these is a series of videogame interventions, which have appropriated Western game products to convey political and religious messages through the inversion or complication of the roles of hero and enemy. This article explores a selection of such media, produced by or in support of two non-state groups, Hezbollah and Islamic State (IS). The article takes a discourse theoretical approach to examine the ideologies presented in these media and reflects on the ways in which these game artefacts engage with, and reject, Western narratives of history and of US pre-eminence. It concludes that while these game interventions challenge existing hegemonic (re)presentations of the Middle East and the ‘War on Terror’, they remove or reduce agency to the extent that those who engage with them can only witness these challenges, rather than instigate their own. While we acknowledge that hegemony can always be challenged, we view this lack of agency as support for Mouffe’s proposition that the result of counter-hegemonic resistance is often to maintain and reproduce the hegemonic order.
Palliative care education for medical students: Differences in course evolution, organisation, evaluation and funding: A survey of all UK medical schools
Authors: Walker Steven , Gibbins Jane , Paes Paul , Adams Astrid , Chandratilake Madawa , Gishen Faye , Lodge Philip , Wee Bee , Barclay Stephen
Published: October 2016

Background:

A proportion of newly qualified doctors report feeling unprepared to manage patients with palliative care and end-of-life needs. This may be related to barriers within their institution during undergraduate training. Information is limited regarding the current organisation of palliative care teaching across UK medical schools.

Aims:

To investigate the evolution and structure of palliative care teaching at UK medical schools.

Design:

Anonymised, web-based questionnaire.

Settings/participants:

Results were obtained from palliative care course organisers at all 30 UK medical schools.

Results:

The palliative care course was established through active planning (13/30, 43%), ad hoc development (10, 33%) or combination of approaches (7, 23%). The place of palliative care teaching within the curriculum varied. A student-selected palliative care component was offered by 29/30 (97%). All medical schools sought student feedback. The course was reviewed in 26/30 (87%) but not in 4. Similarly, a course organiser was responsible for the palliative care programme in 26/30 but not in 4. A total of 22 respondents spent a mean of 3.9 h (median 2.5)/week in supporting/delivering palliative care education (<1–16 h). In all, 17/29 (59%) had attended a teaching course or shared duties with a colleague who had done so. Course organisers received titular recognition in 18/27 (67%; no title 9 (33%); unknown 3 (11%)). An academic department of Palliative Medicine existed in 12/30 (40%) medical schools. Funding was not universally transparent. Palliative care teaching was associated with some form of funding in 20/30 (66%).

Conclusion:

Development, organisation, course evaluation and funding for palliative care teaching at UK medical schools are variable. This may have implications for delivery of effective palliative care education for medical students.
Exploring Provider Reactions to Decision Aid Distribution and Shared Decision Making
Authors: Hsu Clarissa , Liss David T. , Frosch Dominick L. , Westbrook Emily O. , Arterburn David
Published: October 2016

Background. A critical component of shared decision making (SDM) is the role played by health care providers in distributing decision aids (DAs) and initiating SDM conversations. Existing literature indicates that decisions about designing and implementing DAs must take provider perspectives into account. However, little is known about how differences in provider attitudes across specialties may impact DA implementation and how provider attitudes may shift after DA implementation. Group Health’s Decision Aid Implementation project was carried out in six specialties using 12 video-based DAs for preference-sensitive conditions; this study focused on two of the six specialties. Design. In-depth, qualitative interviews with specialty care providers in two specialties—orthopedics and cardiology—at two time points during DA implementation. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Results. We interviewed 19 care providers in orthopedics and cardiology. All respondents believed that providing patients with accurate information on their health conditions and treatment options was important and that most patients wanted an active role in decision making. However, respondents diverged in decision-making styles and views on the practicality and appropriateness of using the DAs and SDM. For example, cardiology specialists were ambivalent about DAs for coronary artery disease because many viewed DAs and SDM as unnecessary or inappropriate for this clinical condition. Provider attitudes towards DAs and SDM were generally stable over two years. Limitations. Limitations include a lack of patient perspectives, social desirability bias, and possible selection bias. Conclusions. Successfully implementing DAs in clinical practice to promote SDM requires addressing individual provider attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge of SDM by specialty. During DA development and implementation, providers should be asked for input about the specific conditions and care processes that are most appropriate for SDM.
The Institutionalization of Alternative Economies
Authors: Papaoikonomou Eleni , Valor Carmen
Published: October 2016

This paper explores the institutionalization process of complementary currencies; understanding the institutionalization of alternative economies is key in order to assess their sustainability. Drawing from neo-institutional theory, the paper examines the objectification processes in a sample of Spanish and Greek recently formed time banks. The paper focuses on the rationalization stage, i.e. when rules, practices and symbols are embedded in the organization, and studies how symbols and norms establish the framework for social interaction and make the common space of action visible. The main finding of this paper is that timebanking is subject to multiple logics, both inter and intra time banks. These logics lead to adopt different organizational forms, promote disparate forms of actorhood, and adopt different pricing and accounting systems. Yet, these objects are not aligned with one another, and tensions between the symbolic and the functional are found. Institutionalization is not yet complete as there are still missing blended models that bridge multiple logics.
The problem of epistemic jurisdiction in global governance: The case of sustainability standards for biofuels
Authors: Winickoff David E , Mondou Matthieu
Published: October 2016

While there is ample scholarly work on regulatory science within the state, or single-sited global institutions, there is less on its operation within complex modes of global governance that are decentered, overlapping, multi-sectorial and multi-leveled. Using a co-productionist framework, this study identifies ‘epistemic jurisdiction’ – the power to produce or warrant technical knowledge for a given political community, topical arena or geographical territory – as a central problem for regulatory science in complex governance. We explore these dynamics in the arena of global sustainability standards for biofuels. We select three institutional fora as sites of inquiry: the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials, and the International Organization for Standardization. These cases allow us to analyze how the co-production of sustainability science responds to problems of epistemic jurisdiction in the global regulatory order. First, different problems of epistemic jurisdiction beset different standard-setting bodies, and these problems shape both the content of regulatory science and the procedures designed to make it authoritative. Second, in order to produce global regulatory science, technical bodies must manage an array of conflicting imperatives – including scientific virtue, due process and the need to recruit adoptees to perpetuate the standard. At different levels of governance, standard drafters struggle to balance loyalties to country, to company or constituency and to the larger project of internationalization. Confronted with these sometimes conflicting pressures, actors across the standards system quite self-consciously maneuver to build or retain authority for their forum through a combination of scientific adjustment and political negotiation. Third, the evidentiary demands of regulatory science in global administrative spaces are deeply affected by 1) a market for standards, in which firms and states can choose the cheapest sustainability certification, and 2) the international trade regime, in which the long shadow of WTO law exerts a powerful disciplining function.
Minimally Invasive Double-Button Fixation of Displaced Lateral Clavicular Fractures in Athletes
Authors: Ranalletta Maximiliano , Rossi Luciano A. , Barros Hugo , Nally Francisco , Tanoira Ignacio , Bongiovanni Santiago L. , Maignon Gastón D.
Published: October 2016

Background:

Early union and a rapid return to prior function are the priorities for young athletes with lateral clavicular fractures. Furthermore, it is essential to avoid nonunion in this subgroup of patients, as this is frequently associated with persistent pain, restriction of movement, and loss of strength and endurance of the shoulder.

Purpose:

To analyze the time to return to sport, functional outcomes, and complications in a group of athletes with displaced lateral clavicular fractures treated using closed reduction and minimally invasive double-button fixation.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A total of 21 athletes with displaced lateral clavicular fractures were treated with closed reduction and minimally invasive double-button fixation between March 2008 and October 2013. Patients completed a questionnaire focused on the time to return to sport and treatment course. Functional outcomes were assessed with the Constant score and the short version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) questionnaire. Pain was evaluated with the visual analog scale (VAS). Radiographs were reviewed to identify radiographic union, malunion, and nonunion.

Results:

Of the 21 study patients, 20 returned to sport after treatment; 100% returned to the same level. The mean time to return to play was 78 days (range, 41-120 days). Four patients (20%) returned to sport less than 6 weeks after surgery, 14 (70%) returned between 6 and 12 weeks after surgery, and 2 (10%) returned after 12 weeks. The mean Constant score was 89.1 ± 4.2 (range, 79-100), the mean QuickDASH score was 0.4 ± 2.6 (range, 0-7.1), and the mean VAS pain score was 0.4 ± 1.0 (range, 0-3) at final follow-up (mean, 41 months). The only complication was asymptomatic nonunion. Hardware removal was not necessary in any patient.

Conclusion:

Closed reduction and minimally invasive double-button fixation of displaced lateral clavicular fractures in athletes was successful in terms of returning to the previous level of athletic activity regardless of the type of sport, with excellent clinical results and a low rate of complications.
Fiscal Deficit and Economic Growth in Bangladesh
Authors: Rana Ebney Ayaj , Wahid Abu N. M.
Published: October 2016

The economy of Bangladesh is currently going through a period of continuous budget deficit. The present data suggest that the government budget deficit, on average, is nearly 5% of the country’s GDP. This has been true since the early 2000s. To finance this deficit, governments have been borrowing largely from domestic and foreign sources resulting in inflationary pressure on one hand, and crowding out of private investments on the other. During the same period, although the economy has grown steadily at a rate of more than 6%, this growth is less than the potential. This article presents an econometric study of the impact of government budget deficits on the economic growth of Bangladesh. We conduct a time-series analysis using ordinary least squares estimation, vector error correction model, and granger causality test. The findings suggest that the government budget deficit has statistically significant negative impact on economic growth in Bangladesh. Policy implications of our findings include reestablishing the rule of law, political stability in the country, restructuring tax structure, closing tax loopholes, and harmonizing fiscal policy with monetary policy to attract additional domestic and foreign investment.
Applying the International Classification of Functioning–Children and Youth Version to Pediatric Neuro-oncology
Authors: Pletschko Thomas , Felnhofer Anna , Schwarzinger Agathe , Weiler Liesa , Slavc Irene , Leiss Ulrike
Published: October 2016

Given the increased survival rates in patients with pediatric central nervous system tumors, late effects such as treatment- and/or illness-related neurologic sequelae as well as neuropsychological deficits and social difficulties have moved into focus in follow-up care. In order to provide personalized treatment recommendations for pediatric brain tumor survivors, it is crucial not only to assess cognitive impairments but also to measure a patient’s functional deficiencies, for example, restricted participation in everyday social activities. Thus, this article introduces the International Classification of Functioning–Children and Youth version (ICF-CY) as a conceptual framework for quantifying functional limitations and informing long-term care in pediatric neuro-oncology. A standardized self-report and proxy-report questionnaire for measuring participation is briefly discussed and specific recommendations based on so-called core sets for clinical practice in pediatric neuro-oncology are provided.
Violence Against Displaced Syrian Women in Lebanon
Authors: Usta Jinan , Masterson Amelia Reese , Farver JoAnn M.
Published: October 2016

This study used focus group discussions to explore 29 Syrian women’s experiences of being displaced refugees in Lebanon. Women reported intimate partner violence (IPV), harassment, and community violence. They experienced difficult living conditions characterized by crowding and lack of privacy, adult unemployment, and overall feelings of helplessness. Most frequently, they used negative coping strategies, including justification and acceptance of IPV and often physically harmed their own children due to heightened stress. Some sought support from other Syrian refugee women. Although the study did not address the root causes of IPV, the results shed light on women’s experiences and indicate that training them in positive coping strategies and establishing support groups would help them face IPV that occurs in refugee settings.
From Authoritarian Liberalism to Economic Technocracy: Neoliberalism, Politics and ‘De-democratization’
Authors: Kiely Ray
Published: October 2016

Neoliberalism is often sharply contrasted with collectivist ideologies, including conservatism and fascism as well as socialism. This paper challenges such a characterization as too one-sided, focusing on neoliberalism in the context of ‘crises’ of liberal modernity, highlighting significant areas of overlap with authoritarian conservative and neo-fascist critiques of the rise of ‘mass democracy’ in the 1930s, and the common project to resist the politicization of the market economy and constitutional order. This project was applied and adapted in the post-1945 context, and specifically the second crisis of liberal modernity in the 1960s and 1970s, which turned to insights from the Chicago School to support economic technocracy over democracy. It was in this context that neoliberals developed either a more explicit authoritarianism in order to resist the demands of democracy, or the reconstruction of governance according to market principles, both designed to ‘de-democratize’ the liberal democratic political order.
Common Carotid Artery Ligation to Minimize Blood Loss During Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Authors: Goodman Alice E. , Goodman Andrew R.
Published: October 2016

Oral and maxillofacial surgery in veterinary medicine carries the risk of severe hemorrhage due to the great vascular supply of the head. Temporary hemostasis can be achieved with the application of pressure or hemostatic agents, but more definitive treatment may be needed to ensure bleeding will not resume once the patient is awake and normotensive. 1 , 2 Actively bleeding vessels encountered during maxillofacial surgery may be inaccessible, and vessels may recoil into bone, sometimes preventing definitive ligation. These scenarios may require ligation of the common carotid artery. 1 The purpose of this paper is to describe how to perform ligation of the common carotid artery in a step-by-step fashion. Both temporary and permanent ligation techniques are described.
Dynamic analysis and tracking trajectory control of a crane
Authors: Kang Huang , Shunqiang Sun , Shengchao Zhen , Xinfang Ge , Yongqi Zhu
Published: October 2016

This paper introduces a method to solve the crane motion trajectory control problem. A dynamic model is proposed based on the Udwadia–Kalaba equation, which can be solved without extra parameters, such as the Lagrange multiplier. The motion trajectory of a crane is used as a constraint (referred to as trajectory tracking constraint). To satisfy the system trajectory, a method to calculate the driving conditions on the basis of the above conditions is proposed. A 2D plane dynamic model of a crane is established. Five stages of crane movement are obtained. Simulation is performed with Matlab. Simulation results simulation show that the Udwadia–Kalaba equation can be well applied to trajectory tracking control of cranes.
Comparison and evaluation of railway subgrade quality detection methods
Authors: Nie Ru-song , Leng Wu-ming , Yang Qi , Chen Yohchia F , Xu Fang
Published: October 2016

Subgrade is a critical component of railway systems since it provides a stable platform for the track substructure. The implementation of quality assurance methods is very important during the construction of a new railway subgrade and in monitoring the working performance of operating railways. There are several indicators available to measure the compaction and mechanical performance of a completed subgrade system, including compaction degree ( K), porosity ( n), modulus of subgrade reaction ( K30), basic bearing capacity ([Formula: see text]), strain moduli ( Ev), dynamic modulus of deformation ( Evd), and light dynamic penetration ( N10). The objective of this research was to compare and evaluate the frequently used engineering methods in order to select the important and reliable indicators of field parameters. Four soil models with different degree of compaction were considered in the common laboratory tests and detection methods in China to determine the construction quality. The implementation and test results of these methods were analyzed and compared. The study results indicate that K correlates with n linearly. There is also a good correlation among K30, Ev, and Evd. As a recommendation, K is considered as the controlling indicator for compaction performance, and Ev2 and Evd are considered as the controlling indicators for railway subgrade stiffness evaluation. The bearing capacity or strength indicators may be added to the quality detection work in heavy-haul railway construction.