bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Scales of participation and multi-scalar citizenship in EU participatory governance
Authors: Mäkinen Katja
Published: December 2020

The EU still has a democratic deficit and its legitimacy is strongly questioned. This reveals the importance of citizenship and participation in the context of the challenges the EU faces today. The article contributes to the current discussions on the shifting frameworks of participation and citizenship through empirical research into the EU’s participatory governance. It asks how participation is framed in terms of scale and how these scalar framings are used to formulate citizenship in selected projects funded by the EU programmes on citizenship and culture. This microlevel analysis yields new insights into the politics of scale in the EU’s multilevel participatory governance. Frame analysis of the texts produced in these EU projects indicates how the combination of European and local scales is articulated to shape and regulate participation, citizenship and the EU as a community. The article therefore introduces a new concept, Euro-local scale, to make sense of this rehierarchisation of scales in the EU’s participatory governance.
Ambulatory end-stage liver disease in Ghana; patient profile and utility of alpha fetoprotein and aspartate aminotransferase: platelet ratio index
Authors: Nartey Yvonne Ayerki , Awuku Yaw Asante , Agyei-Nkansah Adwoa , Duah Amoako , Bampoh Sally Afua , Ayawin Joshua , Asibey Shadrack Osei , Björkström Niklas K. , Ye Weimin , Afihene Mary Yeboah , Roberts Lewis Rowland , Plymoth Amelie
Published: December 2020

Background

End-stage liver disease (ESLD) is a major burden on public health, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an important risk factor. We aimed to describe clinical characteristics of ESLD from cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the performance of aspartate aminotransferase (AST)—platelet ratio index (APRI) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) in Ghana.

Methods

We performed an observational cross-sectional study in outpatient hepatology clinics at three teaching hospitals in Ghana, West Africa. One hundred and forty-one HCC, 216 cirrhosis and 218 chronic HBV patients were recruited by convenience sampling. Sociodemographic, history and examination, laboratory, and disease staging information were shown using descriptive statistics. Performance of the APRI score in diagnosis of cirrhosis and AFP in the diagnosis of HCC was determined using AUROC analysis.

Results

Median age at presentation was 44 years for HCC and 46 years for cirrhosis. HBV was found in 69.5% of HCC and 47.2% of cirrhosis cases, and HCV in 6.4% and 3.7% respectively. APRI cut-off of 2 had sensitivity of 45.4% and specificity of 95% in diagnosis of cirrhosis, and cut-off of 1 had sensitivity of 75.9% and specificity of 89%. AUC of AFP was 0.88 (95% CI 0.81–0.94) in diagnosis of HCC. Low monthly income was associated with lower odds of undertaking AFP. Thirty one percent of cirrhotic persons were Child–Pugh C, and 67.9% of HCC patients had advanced or terminal disease at presentation.

Conclusions

Our findings emphasize the young age of ESLD patients in Ghana and the advanced nature at presentation. It highlights shortcomings in surveillance and the need for policies to address the burden and improve outcomes in Ghana.
Acetabular- and femoral orientation after periacetabular osteotomy as a predictor for outcome and osteoarthritis
Authors: Goronzy Jens , Franken Lea , Hartmann Albrecht , Thielemann Falk , Blum Sophia , Günther Klaus-Peter , Nowotny Jörg , Postler Anne
Published: December 2020

Background

Periacetabular osteotomy is a successful treatment for hip dysplasia. The results are influenced, however, by optimal positioning of the acetabular fragment, femoral head morphology and maybe even femoral version as well as combined anteversion have an impact. In order to obtain better insight on fragment placement, postoperative acetabular orientation and femoral morphology were evaluated in a midterm follow-up in regard to functional outcome and osteoarthritis progression.

Methods

A follow-up examination with 49 prospectively documented patients (66 hips) after periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) was performed after 62.2 ± 18.6 months. Mean age of patients undergoing surgery was 26.7 ± 9.6 years, 40 (82%) of these patients were female. All patients were evaluated with an a.p. pelvic x-ray and an isotropic MRI in order to assess acetabular version, femoral head cover, alpha angle, femoral torsion and combined anteversion. The acetabular version was measured at the femoral head center as well as 0.5 cm below and 0.5 and 1 cm above the femoral head center and in addition seven modified acetabular sector angles were determined. Femoral torsion was assessed in an oblique view of the femoral neck. The combined acetabular and femoral version was calculated as well. To evaluate the clinical outcome the pre- and postoperative WOMAC score as well as postoperative Oxford Hip Score and Global Treatment Outcome were analyzed.

Results

After PAO acetabular version at the femoral head center (31.4 ± 9.6°) was increased, the anterior cover at the 15 o’clock position (34.7 ± 15.4°) was reduced and both correlated significantly with progression of osteoarthritis, although not with the functional outcome. Combined acetabular and femoral torsion had no influence on the progression of osteoarthritis or outcome scores.

Conclusion

Long-term results after PAO are dependent on good positioning of the acetabular fragment in all 3 planes. Next to a good lateral coverage a balanced horizontal alignment without iatrogenic pincer impingement due to acetabular retroversion, or insufficient coverage of the anterior femoral head is important.
14-Day Ketone Supplementation Lowers Glucose and Improves Vascular Function in Obesity: A Randomized Crossover Trial
Authors: Walsh Jeremy J , Neudorf Helena , Little Jonathan P
Published: December 2020

Context

Postprandial hyperglycemia increases systemic inflammation and is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A ketone monoester (KME) drink containing β-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB) rapidly lowers plasma glucose, which may be a strategy protecting against postprandial hyperglycemia.

Objective

We hypothesized that KME would attenuate 2-hour postprandial glucose, lower systemic inflammation, and improve vascular function in adults with obesity.

Methods

In a randomized crossover design, 14 participants with obesity (age = 56 ± 12 years; body mass index = 32.8 ± 7.7 kg/m2) consumed KME (12 g β-OHB) or placebo 15 minutes prior to each meal for 14 days with all meals provided and matched between conditions. Postprandial glycemia was assessed by continuous glucose monitoring. Vascular function and inflammation were assessed before and after treatment periods.

Results

Postprandial glucose was 8.0% lower in KME versus placebo (g = 0.735; P = 0.011) and 24-hour average glucose reduced by 7.8% (g = 0.686; P = 0.0001). Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation increased from 6.2  ±  1.5% to 8.9 ± 3.3% in KME (g = 1.05; P = 0.0004) with no changes in placebo (condition × time interaction, P = 0.004). There were no changes in plasma cytokines; however, lipopolysaccharide-stimulated monocyte caspase-1 activation was lower following KME supplementation versus placebo (stimulation × condition × time interaction; P = 0.004). The KME supplement was well tolerated by participants and adherence to the supplementation regimen was very high.

Conclusions

In adults with obesity, 14 days of premeal KME supplementation improves glucose control, enhances vascular function, and may reduce cellular inflammation. KME supplementation may be a viable, nonpharmacological approach to improving and protecting vascular health in people with heightened cardiometabolic risk.
Indirect Suppression of Pulsatile LH Secretion by CRH Neurons in the Female Mouse
Authors: Yip Siew Hoong , Liu Xinhuai , Hessler Sabine , Cheong Isaiah , Porteous Robert , Herbison Allan E
Published: December 2020

Acute stress is a potent suppressor of pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion, but the mechanisms through which corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons inhibit gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release remain unclear. The activation of paraventricular nucleus (PVN) CRH neurons with Cre-dependent hM3Dq in Crh-Cre female mice resulted in the robust suppression of pulsatile LH secretion. Channelrhodopsin (ChR2)-assisted circuit mapping revealed that PVN CRH neuron projections existed around kisspeptin neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARN) although many more fibers made close appositions with GnRH neuron distal dendrons in the ventral ARN. Acutely prepared brain slice electrophysiology experiments in GnRH- green fluorescent protein (GFP) mice showed a dose-dependent (30 and 300 nM CRH) activation of firing in ~20% of GnRH neurons in both intact diestrus and ovariectomized mice with inhibitory effects being uncommon (<8%). Confocal GCaMP6 imaging of GnRH neuron distal dendrons in acute para-horizontal brain slices from GnRH-Cre mice injected with Cre-dependent GCaMP6s adeno-associated viruses demonstrated no effects of 30 to 300 nM CRH on GnRH neuron dendron calcium concentrations. Electrophysiological recordings of ARN kisspeptin neurons in Crh-Cre,Kiss1-GFP mice revealed no effects of 30 -300 nM CRH on basal or neurokinin B-stimulated firing rate. Similarly, the optogenetic activation (2-20 Hz) of CRH nerve terminals in the ARN of Crh-Cre,Kiss1-GFP mice injected with Cre-dependent ChR2 had no effect on kisspeptin neuron firing. Together, these studies demonstrate that PVN CRH neurons potently suppress LH pulsatility but do not exert direct inhibitory control over GnRH neurons, at their cell body or dendron, or the ARN kisspeptin neuron pulse generator in the female mouse.
Human Glucagon Expression Is under the Control of miR-320a
Authors: Jo SeongHo , Xu Guanlan , Jing Gu , Chen Junqin , Shalev Anath
Published: December 2020

Increased glucagon is a hallmark of diabetes and leads to worsening of the hyperglycemia, but the molecular mechanisms causing it are still unknown. We therefore investigated the possibility that microRNAs might be involved in the regulation of glucagon. Indeed, analysis of the glucagon 3′ untranslated region (UTR) revealed potential binding sites for miR-320a, and using luciferase reporter assays we found that miR-320a directly targets the 3′ UTRs of human and rodent glucagon. In addition, endogenous glucagon mRNA and protein expression as well as glucagon secretion were reduced in response to miR-320a overexpression, whereas inhibition of miR-320a upregulated glucagon expression. Interestingly, miR-320a expression was decreased by high glucose, and this was associated with an increase in glucagon expression in human islets and mouse αTC1-6 cells. Moreover, miR-320a overexpression completely blunted these effects. Importantly, miR-320a was also significantly downregulated in human islets of subjects with type 2 diabetes and this was accompanied by increased glucagon expression. Thus, our data suggest that glucose-induced downregulation of miR-320a may contribute to the paradoxical increase in glucagon observed in type 2 diabetes and reveal for the first time that glucagon expression is under the control by a microRNA providing novel insight into the abnormal regulation of glucagon in diabetes.
Activation of Ovarian Taste Receptors Inhibits Progesterone Production Potentially via NO/cGMP and Apoptotic Signaling
Authors: Jiang Jingle , Liu Siyi , Qi Lina , Wei Quanwei , Shi Fangxiong
Published: December 2020

Taste receptors are not only expressed in the taste buds, but also in other nongustatory tissues, including the reproductive system. Taste receptors can be activated by various tastants, thereby exerting relatively physiologic functions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects and potential mechanisms underlying ovarian taste receptor activation on progesterone production using saccharin sodium as the receptor agonist in a pseudopregnant rat model. Taste 1 receptor member 2 (TAS1R2) and taste 2 receptor member 31 (TAS2R31) were demonstrated to be abundantly expressed in the corpora lutea of rats, and intraperitoneal injection of saccharin sodium can activate both of them and initiate their downstream signaling cascades. The activation of these ovarian taste receptors promoted nitric oxide (NO) production via endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). NO production then increased ovarian cyclic guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cGMP) levels, which, in turn, decreased ovarian cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate levels. In addition, the activation of ovarian taste receptors induced apoptosis, possibly through NO and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling. As a result, the activation of ovarian taste receptors reduced the protein expression of steroidogenesis-related factors, causing the inhibition of ovarian progesterone production. In summary, our data suggest that the activation of ovarian taste receptors inhibits progesterone production in pseudopregnant rats, potentially via NO/cGMP and apoptotic signaling.
Repeated Activation of Noradrenergic Receptors in the Ventromedial Hypothalamus Suppresses the Response to Hypoglycemia
Authors: Sejling Anne-Sophie , Wang Peili , Zhu Wanling , Farhat Rawad , Knight Nicholas , Appadurai Daniel , Chan Owen
Published: December 2020

Activation of the adrenergic system in response to hypoglycemia is important for proper recovery from low glucose levels. However, it has been suggested that repeated adrenergic stimulation may also contribute to counterregulatory failure, but the underlying mechanisms are not known. The aim of this study was to establish whether repeated activation of noradrenergic receptors in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) contributes to blunting of the counterregulatory response by enhancing local lactate production. The VMH of nondiabetic rats were infused with either artificial extracellular fluid, norepinephrine (NE), or salbutamol for 3 hours/day for 3 consecutive days before they underwent a hypoglycemic clamp with microdialysis to monitor changes in VMH lactate levels. Repeated exposure to NE or salbutamol suppressed both the glucagon and epinephrine responses to hypoglycemia compared to controls. Furthermore, antecedent NE and salbutamol treatments raised extracellular lactate levels in the VMH. To determine whether the elevated lactate levels were responsible for impairing the hormone response, we pharmacologically inhibited neuronal lactate transport in a subgroup of NE-treated rats during the clamp. Blocking neuronal lactate utilization improved the counterregulatory hormone responses in NE-treated animals, suggesting that repeated activation of VMH β2-adrenergic receptors increases local lactate levels which in turn, suppresses the counterregulatory hormone response to hypoglycemia.
A novel dual-path high-throughput acousto-optic tunable filter imaging spectropolarimeter
Authors: Abdlaty Ramy , Fang Qiyin
Published: December 2020

It is highly demanding to identify healthy and non-healthy species in a heterogeneous environment such as human tissues. In such a case, one identifier, such as a spectral fingerprint, might be inadequate. Therefore, additional identification is required, for instance, a polarisation measurement. In view of that, the development of a spectropolarimeter that captures two cross-polarised arrays of spectral images is a key requirement. To meet this requirement, an imager optical setup has been designed to provide spatial, spectral and polarisation preference information for species that exist in a heterogeneous environment, such as in medical tissue samples. The spectral and polarisation information is obtained employing an acousto-optic tunable filter and a polarising beam splitter, respectively. The optical imager is designed to operate in the visible-near infrared range (450–850 nm) with a spectral resolution of 3 nm. The spectropolarimeter design along with optical characterisation results are reported.
Comparison of time-use patterns and self-efficacy in family caregivers of patients with chronic disease
Authors: Riyahi Azade , Abdolrazaghi Hosseinali , Sarlak Nazanin , Faraji Sepideh , Nobakht Zahra
Published: December 2020

Background/Aims

Caregivers perform an important role but caring affects other roles they perform, resulting in poor time management and reduced quality of life. This study aimed to compare the time-use patterns and self-efficacy of caregivers of two groups of patients with chronic disease: those with a diagnosis of mental illness and those without a diagnosis of mental illness.

Methods

Family caregivers of patients with a chronic disease who were aged between 20–60 years, resident in Arak, not taking care of another patient and literate were eligible to participate. The presence of mental illness was based on a psychiatrist's diagnosis at least 6 months before the study. The Mothers' Time Use Questionnaire, Sherer Self-efficacy Scale and a demographic questionnaire were used to capture data relating to time-use, self-efficacy and participant characteristics. Data were analysed using independent t-test and Mann–Whitney U test to identify and compare time-use patterns and self-efficacy.

Results

There were no significant between-group differences in demographics or mean time-use scores in six domains (rest/sleep, leisure, housework, work/occupation, social participation and satisfaction with time management). Self-care time-use scores (time, quality, importance and enjoyment) were significantly higher for caregivers of patients with chronic disease with a diagnosis of mental illness. Patient care time-use scores were significantly higher for caregivers of patients with chronic disease without a diagnosis of mental illness. Mean self-efficacy score was significantly higher in the group caring for patients with a diagnosis of psychiatric disease.

Conclusions

Chronic physical illnesses may result in greater dependence on caregivers than mental illness, increasing the amount of time spent on care and reducing caregiver self-efficacy.
Health-related quality of life improves over the duration of home-based rehabilitation services
Authors: Fulton Shelley , Dunk Penny , Stiller Kathy
Published: December 2020

Background/Aims

Home-based rehabilitation is an alternative to inpatient rehabilitation. There is little research evaluating its effect on health-related quality of life. This study aimed to investigate whether health-related quality of life improves with rehabilitation services provided in the home.

Methods

A prospective, single-arm, observational study was undertaken, involving 121 patients receiving home-based rehabilitation services. A health-related quality of life questionnaire was completed by participants at the start and completion of services (using the 5-Level EuroQol-5 Dimension instrument) and analysed descriptively. Changes in health-related quality of life were compared using paired sample t-tests. Multivariate regression analyses were undertaken to investigate the effects of various factors (eg age, gender, diagnostic category) on the observed changes in health-related quality of life.

Results

Improved health-related quality of life was found: more participants reported ‘no’ or ‘slight’ problems at completion than initially, and there were significant increases in index values (P<0.001) and EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale scores (P<0.001). Admission scores, diagnostic group and duration of home-based rehabilitation services influenced health-related quality of life.

Conclusions

Health-related quality of life improved from start to completion of home-based rehabilitation services. This may reflect natural recovery and/or the effect of the rehabilitation interventions. Health-related quality of life measures, such as the 5-Level EuroQol-5 Dimension instrument, may be useful to evaluate the effect of home-based rehabilitation.
Displacement-agnostic coherent imaging through scatter with an interpretable deep neural network
Authors: Li Yunzhe , Cheng Shiyi , Xue Yujia , Tian Lei
Published: December 2020

Coherent imaging through scatter is a challenging task. Both model-based and data-driven approaches have been explored to solve the inverse scattering problem. In our previous work, we have shown that a deep learning approach can make high-quality and highly generalizable predictions through unseen diffusers. Here, we propose a new deep neural network model that is agnostic to a broader class of perturbations including scatterer change, displacements, and system defocus up to 10× depth of field. In addition, we develop a new analysis framework for interpreting the mechanism of our deep learning model and visualizing its generalizability based on an unsupervised dimension reduction technique. We show that our model can unmix the scattering-specific information and extract the object-specific information and achieve generalization under different scattering conditions. Our work paves the way to a robust and interpretable deep learning approach to imaging through scattering media.
Painting Music: Using artificial intelligence to create music from live painted drawings
Authors: Starkey Andrew , Steenhauer Kate , Caven Jack
Published: December 2020

This article describes the development of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques that monitor a painting or drawing evolving in real time and produce musical notes that relate to the individual elements of art as the artwork develops on the canvas. The article describes the practical approach required to capture the artwork unfolding in real time and then describes the framework used to develop the correlations between visual art and music. The AI technique exploits these areas of similarity within the two distinct artforms in order to respond to the live-painted elements and produce musical notes that reflect the development of the evolving artwork. A prototype of this system was implemented in a live stage performance at Aberdeen May Festival 2019 whose narrative centred on the question Is AI good or bad? Other outputs of this project are a 20-minute film and a body of (tangible) visual artwork for digital platforms and gallery environments informed and inspired by AI. The integration of these disciplines through AI transforms a static artform into one that is dynamic, interactive, transformational, transient and temporal.
Drawing the room | Drawing within the room
Authors: Paterson Aaron , Mulla Sarosh , Macken Marian
Published: December 2020

This project report outlines ongoing collaborative design research that addresses aspects of architectural drawing, in particular scale and time. This project is discussed through the lens of the inhabitation of drawing: in both the making of, and encountering, drawing. ‘Drawing the Room | Drawing within the Room’ (2019) couples projective drawings with post factum documentation – or creative post-occupancy data – of built houses. Using motion capture technology, the movements of inhabitation are captured and translated to line work animations. The resulting drawings of inhabitation are projected full-scale, exhibited in the space of the architectural office, the site of conceiving and production of both drawings and architecture. Using the architectural office as the space of installation and exhibition presents a practice for acknowledging and engaging with these spaces of creativity, beyond casting the office as commercial space. The project explores contemporary performative drawing practices within architecture and considers the ways in which bodies and drawings interact. This work highlights the fundamental importance of lines within architecture, not as demarcation, divider or indexical references, but as temporal traces of bodily movement.
Drawing Ed Ruscha
Authors: Turpie Edward Jonathan
Published: December 2020

This project aims to discuss drawing as a method of bridging the void between digital imaging technologies and physical drawing in the fine art domain. It does so by investigating the role of drawing and printing in contemporary portraiture. Drawn and printed silkscreen portraits are made from a synthesis of graphite marks, digital pixels and water-based ink deposited on paper surfaces. The practice-led research described here explores the materiality of the emergent image when drawing is impressed on an electronic media trace. This investigation is timely in the context of the unprecedented impact of digital technologies on contemporary culture that tend to displace the physicality of drawing. By taking an approach to portraiture whereby artist and sitter do not meet in person, the project initiates a portrait of Ed Ruscha using the medium of video images. Digital electronic images held pixel by pixel in smartphone camera and computer hard disks are interpreted into physical drawing environments to make an expressive representation of a human form. Tactile gestural mark-making is contrasted with electronic imaging to create a pensive image where techniques are blended. The process and methodology are described, and the artistic outputs are shared across the globe through digital and analogue communication systems.
Drawing birdsong: A comparative analysis between the electronic and the human
Authors: Carter Harriet
Published: December 2020

This research project explores the different ways in which mechanical and manual methods of drawing provide a visual encounter with birdsong. Bruyninckx (2018) has documented historical comparisons of spectrogram analysis and manual music-based graphic transcription in the field of ornithology. Moving away from the field of ornithology in the context of artist research, this project provides a comparative analysis of drawing processes between machine and human. Specifically, between a spectrogram depicted in Audacity®, manual notations and printmaking from encounters with birdsong recordings in the natural landscape. This research aims to explore how drawing from encounters with birdsong in the landscape informs how experiences with sound are visually interpreted. In doing so, I highlight the limitations of and similarities between the two different modalities of drawing. Specifically, I compare drawing processes in the mechanical empiricism of the spectrogram and manual gestures created during moments of perceived embodied experience. The comparative analysis considers how each drawing process articulates the complexity and ephemerality of birdsong. It investigates whether it may be lost or conversely made tangible through the different forms of transcription and composition. Whilst phenomenological theory often underpins investigations exploring embodied experiences, it was not feasible to include it into a research project of this size. Instead, there is potential to build on aspects of phenomenology in future research. In doing so, it can expand on the drawing methods and findings of embodied encounters with the natural landscape. This project has stemmed from my doctoral research that interrogates transposition between the auditory and visual through natural and musical interpretations of birdsong. Transposition as a site of an embodied encounter is explored via my painting practice.
A sense of coherence: Drawing for the mind
Authors: Robertson Emma
Published: December 2020

As part of the award-winning Big Anxiety Festival in Australia, an exhibition of mixed-media drawings of plants and seeds was displayed at the University of Sydney, at the same time as two public drawing workshops in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. This paper describes and summarizes the various drawing techniques used in these workshops, and discusses the feedback from participants, who self-identified as having anxiety. Drawing using different types of approaches allowed workshop participants to mediate their tacit knowledge of the symptoms and solutions of living with anxiety, and to transition to a lived experience of proactively using drawings to improve their individual cognition, mindsets and mental health. Utilizing the platform afforded by the promotion of Mental Health Month in New South Wales, allowed the drawing exhibitions and workshops to be understood more broadly within an interdisciplinary context, which embedded their impact on other fields of research, including ecopsychology and biophilia, in a salutogenic model of practice. Specific to this approach, a ‘sense of coherence’ was deliberately embedded in both of the workshops’ sequential drawing exercises, which were observational and objective in intent. The exhibitions in 2017 and 2019 also consciously deployed a ‘sense of coherence’ in their design. Documentation drawings have recently been used as a tool to alleviate anxiety and promote wellness in medical staff working in a UK Emergency Department during the COVID-19 pandemic. This demonstrated the widespread potential applications for drawings to provide an antidote and a method of communication to proactively and positively assist mental health. Further research and exploration of the role that drawing plants and nature can play in the construction of learning in the context of individuals struggling with anxiety may offer routes to new knowledge and better understanding and potentially enhance connections between art and health researchers and institutions globally.
Measured drawing: A nationalist reaction in early republican Turkey
Authors: Akboy-İlk Serra
Published: December 2020

A measured drawing, by definition, includes the existing condition of the historic building, including graphical notes of alterations, additions and subtractions occurred during the lifetime of the edifice. These particular graphical records annotated with notes and surface measurements inform heritage conservation and research activities. When conducting research on the built environment, repairing a historic material or restoring the building to a significant phase in its life, measured drawings provide the analytical information for physical interventions. With the proclamation of Republic of Turkey in 1923, the nation state became the major steward to protect architectural heritage in a landscape tainted with decades of wars. Measured drawings were prioritized as scientific tools for repairs, physical interventions and methodical classification of historic properties. What has been taken for granted as scientific documentation, however, suited context-independent and historically constructed interpretation of building forms and traditions. Fuelled with the implementation of Turkish History Thesis, the contents of measured drawings could not escape from the formalist understanding of nationalist historiography. The drawings became idealized depictions of perfect monuments, rather than an acute graphical replica of ailing built environment. Reading measured drawings as a graphical arrangement of formalism, this article addresses the early republican desire to invest the built heritage with nationalist inquiries.
Binding Space: The Book as Spatial Practice, Marian Macken (2018)
Authors: Avramidis Konstantinos
Published: December 2020

Review of: Binding Space: The Book as Spatial Practice, Marian Macken (2018)

London: Routledge, 186 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-47248-323-2, p/bk, £42.99
Dance improvisation through Authentic Movement: A practice of discernment
Authors: McLeod Shaun
Published: December 2020

Dance improvisation in performance is often spirited and unpredictable. But the form can also be hampered by its conditions of uncertainty so that a state of open, spontaneous creativity can actually become difficult to achieve in performance situations. In particular, the perceived ‘judgment’ of an audience can alternately enhance or inhibit the performer’s creative engagement with open improvisation. This article describes a studio process utilizing Authentic Movement which was directed towards a performance in which the dancers attempted to diminish the negative impact that external factors, or internalized perceptions of external factors, can have on improvisation. However, the article is specifically focused on the experiences of a single dancer (the author) in the studio practice which underpinned the performance. At the heart of this practice were personal explorations of how best to discern a positive personal interest while improvising. This discernment is framed as a means to define an ‘inner witness’ (drawing from Authentic Movement theory): an internal perceptual anchor at the centre of the practice which helps fosters an open, imaginative engagement with improvisation. The article also seeks to clarify a subjective situation in objective, theoretical terms and so to shed light on a phenomenon also experienced by many other performers of improvisation. Drawing on the work of Teresa Brennan and Mihali Csikszentmihalyi, the article examines how the affective impact of judgment can interrupt the spontaneous flow of embodied imagination in improvisation.
(Re-)engaging touch as a tango dancer: An experimental framework for kinaesthetic listening1
Authors: Rufo Raffaele
Published: December 2020

This article explores how the felt sense of touch, as engaged through the enabling constraints of the Argentine tango duet, can facilitate an experience of kinaesthetic listening in the spaces emerging between the dancer’s inside and outside worlds. The author’s habitual perception of giving and receiving touch as a tango dancer is destabilized by framing a series of somatic experiences in settings where customary tango conditions and assumptions do not apply. This involves experimenting with methods and tools of inquiry borrowed from contact and contemporary dance improvisation. The article argues that when practiced as a form of kinaesthetic listening, tango is conducive to a process of sensing and feeling together. In this process, it becomes possible to be touched both physically and affectively by the movement impulses negotiated between the partners. This possibility unsettles the reductive idea of one’s body as a separate entity preceding the encounter.
Somaticist in the dance archives: Exploring Jerome Robbins’ diaries through somatics
Authors: Saumaa Hiie
Published: December 2020

In this short piece, I highlight the question of how to bring somatics skills acquired in a somatics class to bear upon other life contexts. I use the example of scholarly work: I show how I use somatic methods as I conduct research in the archives of the choreographer Jerome Robbins (1918–98), housed at the Jerome Robbins Dance Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. I suggest that we need to pay more attention to the question of how students and practitioners could bring physical awareness into their various life scenarios and tasks. I propose that if we learn how to transfer our somatic knowledge into different life contexts, our lives can become more embodied and we can tap into the knowledge that emanates from the physical self.
Hold my hand: A somatic analysis of Sacred Circle Dancing
Authors: Buckwalter Melinda
Published: December 2020

In a recent ethnographic study of Sacred Circle Dancing, I noticed that prominent circle dancing websites focused on its meditative and community-building aspects, whilst distinguishing features of practice – circling, handholding, centring and the sacred – remain mostly unaddressed. Developed in 1976 for Findhorn’s spiritual community in Scotland, Sacred Circle Dancing is usually considered from a folk roots perspective. What might somatic analysis offer Sacred Circle Dancing? In their editorial note to the Journal of Dance & Somatic Practices (6:1) on dance and somatic practices across cultures, Sylvie Fortin and Andrée Grau describe a prototype for somatic analysis that uses embodied methodology and challenges logocentric ways of knowing. I argue that somatic analysis excavates a spectrum of values embedded in practice, vital for the ethnographer in understanding why a group chooses a particular dance form. In the case of Sacred Circle Dancing, a contemporary discourse emerges engaging intimacy, culture and identity, ecology and the sacred, suggesting that the practice addresses these needs.
The superhero in me: Connectivity between the dual identities of inner superhero and outer alter-ego
Authors: Buck-Pavlick Helen
Published: December 2020

In this article, the author shares their processes and reflections from a somatic and pedagogical research project conducted at a Title I middle school in Tempe, Arizona. The project, ‘The superhero in me: Connectivity between the dual identities of inner superhero and outer alter-ego’ explores the duality, perceived dualism and duel-ism of the embodied middle school experience through the lens of superheroes and alter-egos. The research served several purposes: (1) exploration into how to communicate Laban Movement Analysis and Bartenieff Fundamentals along with key somatic concepts, such as self-awareness, self-control and autonomy to early adolescent learners in a way that is accessible and relatable, (2) facilitating an embodied understanding of the dualism between personal inner and outer identities, expressivity, attitudes and tendencies, with the aim of helping early adolescent students improve navigation of the challenging contexts they encounter (such as conflicting self and social identities, vulnerabilities, insider/outsider feelings, body image, self-confidence and the desire to be both unique and to fit in), (3) providing an opportunity for adolescent students to explore perceptions of inner and outer identities and the duel between these identities as carried within their own bodies and (4) creating an opportunity for students to collaboratively generate choreography. The dance classroom community chosen for this project had prior experience in dance within the school’s existing programme, specific learning challenges and opportunities for somatic knowledge development. Preliminary research and classroom observations unveiled thematic concepts (such as body image issues, low self-confidence and conflicting perceptions of self-identity) which informed teaching strategies, curriculum and subject matter. The framework of the curriculum considered critical theories of development, somatic practice, philosophy and collaborative inquiry. Questions that inspired the research included: how do early adolescent students construct understanding of their individual identities and experiences in a meaningful somatic way? How do we create lessons that integrate somatic exploration, social emotional learning and choreographic practice into early adolescent dance class? What is it about the adolescent experience that makes superheroes so compelling? What do superheroes tell us about ourselves?
When body makes its presence felt: Somatic-informed movement practice as an integral part of the hospital care team
Authors: Collinson Penny
Published: December 2020

This article addresses the nature of somatic-informed movement practice (SIMP) taking place in hospitals as a participatory art form. It focuses on the data from a report that collates the scope of practice, working patterns and procedures of somatic-informed movement practitioners in the United Kingdom (), specifically the views of the six practitioners interviewed. The article first identifies key principles and values underpinning SIMP, exploring ways in which it might support people with illness. This is followed by a description of the aims and function of the report and data which enables us to see how SIMP cultivates embodied relational awareness through a ‘co-creative’ process, and concludes by addressing why creativity and presence can support people who may have lost trust and connection with their bodies through illness. The article acknowledges the challenge of placing embodied arts practice (such as SIMP) in a medical paradigm and includes recommendations for ways forward.
Effect of parity on metabolic and oxidative stress profiles in Holstein dairy cows
Authors: Yehia Shimaa G. , Ramadan Eman S. , Megahed Eissa A. , Salem Noha Y.
Published: December 2020

Background and Aim: Pregnancy and lactation have an impact on health status of animals and constitute burden on body metabolites and the oxidant-antioxidant equilibrium. This study is aimed at evaluating metabolic and oxidative stress patterns and parity impacts in both primiparous and multiparous dairy cows.

Materials and Methods: Twenty-seven primiparous and multiparous Holstein cows were enrolled and categorized into four groups according to their physiologic status: Primiparous peripartum heifer (n=5), primiparous postpartum cow (n=9), multiparous peripartum cows (n=5), and multiparous postpartum cows (n=8). Blood sample was taken from each animal – peripartum groups at 3 weeks prepartum and postpartum groups at 3 weeks post-parturition – for complete blood picture, glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, total protein, albumin, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity, and haptoglobin estimation.

Results: Postpartum primiparous cows showed significant decrease in glucose, total protein, and albumin while showing significant increase in MDA, NEFA, and globulin; on the other hand, multiparous postpartum cows showed significant decrease in glucose, total protein, and albumin, associated with significant increase in cholesterol and MDA when compared with prepartum PP and MP cows, respectively. Postpartum multiparous cows significantly showed reduction in NEFA when compared to primiparous postpartum cows. Hematologic profiles of postpartum primiparous and multiparous cows showed significant decrease in red blood cells and packed cell volume, significant increase in lymphocytes when compared with prepartum cows.

Conclusion: Metabolic and oxidative abnormalities exist in both primiparous and multiparous cows during the transition phase, however postpartum primiparous cows show higher susceptibility to negative energy balance impacts. Oxidant/ antioxidant imbalance occurred in both the primiparous and multiparous postpartum cows, highlighting the importance of oxidative stress profiles in the assessment of metabolic health status during transition.
Clinical and pathological features of aspergillosis due to Aspergillus fumigatus in broilers
Authors: Nururrozi Alfarisa , Yanuartono Yanuartono , Widyarini Sitarina , Ramandani Dhasia , Indarjulianto Soedarmanto
Published: December 2020

Background and Aim: Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous pathogen causing aspergillosis in poultry. This research aimed to evaluate the clinical and pathological features of aspergillosis infection in broilers.

Materials and Methods: A. fumigatus infection was induced experimentally by intra-air sac inoculation of a 1.7×108 spore suspension into broilers. Infected and non-infected birds were closely observed for the development of clinical signs of infection twice daily. Pathological samples were collected 5, 14, and 30 days post-infection (dpi) and examined by hematoxylin-eosin staining.

Results: A total of 160 birds were included in this study. Clinical signs emerged at 3 dpi and became consistent at 5 dpi. A considerable decrease in severity and number of birds showing infection symptoms followed. The clinical signs of aspergillosis included anorexia (n=40; 50%), lethargy (n=32; 40%), dyspnea (n=38; 48%), and gasping (n=29; 36%). Macroscopic changes in the air sacs at 3 dpi included the development of minor lesions showing cloudiness, slight membrane thickening, and local exudates. Histopathological examination of the air sacs collected at 3 dpi indicated local inflammation surrounded by hyphae and spores. At 5 dpi, infected birds developed nodules, necrosis, and parenchymal consolidation of the lungs. Pulmonary changes, such as bronchopneumonia, spores, septate hyphae, and mild granulomatous inflammation, were also observed. At 14 dpi, multiple caseous nodules and plaques were found in the air sacs; plaque and necrosis in large areas of the lungs and severe multifocal granulomatous inflammation were noted.

Conclusion: The clinical symptoms of aspergillosis emerged at 3 dpi and gradually decreased beginning at 7 dpi. Similar pathological changes were observed in the air sacs and lungs. The results of this work provide additional information on the pathogenesis of aspergillosis.
PREVALANCE OF GENETIC MUTATION ASSOSIATED WITH (RPOB) RIFAMPICIN RESISTANT AMONG THE TREATED TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS
Authors: Vasudevan Girija , M Muthuraj , samrot Antony V
Published: December 2020

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused predominantly by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. India accounts for one fourth of the global TB burden. Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) undermines control efforts and its burden is poorly understood in resource-limited settings. Drug resistant TB is a laboratory based diagnosis and is performed either by phenotypic drug susceptibility testing using solid/liquid culture or genotypic testing for detection of resistance by Line Probe Assay/Cartridge based Nucleic Acid Amplification tests.
Syarat Sehat Jasmani Sebagai Diskriminasi Tenaga Kerja Difabel
Authors: Gaol Heru Saputra Lumban
Published: December 2020

The inclusion of the ’physically healthy’ requirement in recruiting job vacancies has led to various interpretations. This practice has been going on for a long time and often violates persons with disabilities' rights to obtain equal employment opportunities. This study aims to analyze the interpretation of physical health requirements in the recruitment of job vacancies. Sources of research data are employers, disabled workers, and the Yogyakarta Provincial Government. Researchers analyzed legal norms and qualitative data, then presented descriptively. The study concluded that there had not been one interpretation from the employer, disabled workers, and the government about ‘being physically healthy.’ The term is often interpreted as ‘being physically complete.’ This biased interpretation discriminates against disabled workers entering the workforce.[Keberadaan syarat ‘sehat jasmani’ dalam rekrutmen lowongan kerja menimbulkan berbagai penafsiran, khususnya bagi tenaga kerja difabel. Praktik ini sudah berlangsung lama dan melanggar hak difabel untuk memperoleh kesempatan yang setara dalam lapangan pekerjaan. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis penafsiran syarat sehat jasmani dalam rekrutmen lowongan kerja. Sumber data penelitian adalah pihak pemberi kerja, tenaga kerja difabel, dan Pemerintah Provinsi Yogyakarta. Penelitian dilakukan dengan menganalisis norma hukum dan data kualitatif, kemudian disajikan secara deskriptif. Penelitian menyimpulkan bahwa belum ada kesatuan penafsiran dari pihak pemberi kerja, tenaga kerja difabel, dan pemerintah tentang kriteria sehat jasmani. Syarat sehat jasmani sering diartikan sebagai fisik yang lengkap. Hal mendiskriminasi tenaga kerja difabel dalam memasuki lapangan pekerjaan.]