bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Systemic GM-CSF Recruits Effector T Cells into the Tumor Microenvironment in Localized Prostate Cancer
Authors: Wei Xiao X. , Chan Stephen , Kwek Serena , Lewis Jera , Dao Vinh , Zhang Li , Cooperberg Matthew R. , Ryan Charles J. , Lin Amy M. , Friedlander Terence W. , Rini Brian , Kane Christopher , Simko Jeffry P. , Carroll Peter R. , Small Eric J. , Fong Lawrence
Published: September 2016

Granulocytic–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is used as an adjuvant in cancer vaccine trials and has the potential to enhance antitumor efficacy with immunotherapy; however, its immunologic effects are not fully understood. Here, we report results from a phase I study of neoadjuvant GM-CSF in patients with localized prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy. Patients received subcutaneous injections of GM-CSF (250 μg/m2/day) daily for 2 weeks (cohort 1; n = 6), 3 weeks (cohort 2; n = 6), or 4 weeks (cohort 3; n = 6). Treatment was well tolerated with all grade 1 or 2 adverse events. Two patients had a decline in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) of more than 50%. GM-CSF treatment increased the numbers of circulating mature myeloid dendritic cells, proliferating conventional CD4 T cells, proliferating CD8 T cells, and to a lesser magnitude FoxP3+ regulatory CD4 T cells. Although GM-CSF treatment did not augment antigen-presenting cell localization to the prostate, treatment was associated with recruitment of CD8+ T cells to the tumor. These results suggest that systemic GM-CSF can modulate T-cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment. Cancer Immunol Res; 4(11); 948–58. ©2016 AACR.
Domestic Reflections, Electric Reflections: Design Interventions Foregrounding Energy Mundanity in the Home
Authors: McKinnon Heather
Published: September 2016

For many years, Human-Computer Interaction and interaction design researchers have been exploring the potential for interactive technologies to encourage sustainable living practices. This paper examines existing literature concerning domestic energy feedback, interlacing past examples of domestic interventions into the discussion. It synthesises recent design research conducted around domestic energy-use and provides a discussion into household circumstances, everyday activities, and the use and role of design. The themes presented are threefold. First, the individual is contrasted to the household collective and in turn calls for the scope and scale of design interventions to be geared towards connection between household members. The second theme questions the everyday, and proposes new avenues of thought when designing for the mundanity of everyday life. Finally, I propose that a design approach which counteracts an affirmative design approach, such as critical design, is an appropriate fit when critiquing and evaluating the mundane, everyday aspects of domestic life.
Monographs, Archives, and Networks: Representing Designer Relationships
Authors: Moriarty Catherine
Published: September 2016

The connection, visualization, and interpretation of historical data inform the representation of design's past, its digital present, and the possibilities of the future. This article introduces ideas about the arrangement and understanding of design historical information and documentation that has evolved through the critical stewardship of the University of Brighton Design Archives and its program of digitization projects over a 20-year period. It argues that researchers need to understand better the inherently monographic form of many archives, the relationship between analogue and digital artifacts and environments, and the implications of this evolving and inter-connected landscape for design research and research across the humanities. (103)
Morphological and molecular data support the monophyletic nature of the genus Pratylenchoides Winslow, 1958 (Nematoda: Merliniidae) and reveal its intrageneric structuring
Authors: Azizi Kourosh , Eskandari Ali , Karegar Akbar , Ghaderi Reza , van den Elsen Sven , Holterman Martijn , Helder Johannes
Published: September 2016

The genus Pratylenchoides has recently been transferred from the family Pratylenchidae to Merliniidae. To investigate further the relationship between these ‘Pratylenchus-like’ species (residing in the subfamily Pratylenchoidinae) and the subfamily Merliniinae, more than 500 soil samples were collected from various natural and agronomic habitats in the northern and north-western provinces of Iran. In this study, paratypes or populations of 22 species of Pratylenchoides, including the Iranian populations of P. alkani, P. crenicauda, P. erzurumensis, P. laticauda, P. nevadensis, P. ritteri and an undescribed species, were studied. Intra- and interspecies variation of the following characters were investigated: position of the pharyngeal gland nuclei, shape of female and male head, striation of female tail terminus, number of lateral lines at mid-body and in phasmid region for females, presence of intestinal fasciculi, and shape of sperm. Combining morphological and molecular data prompted us to propose two clusters of related Pratylenchoides species. One cluster includes P. crenicauda, P. variabilis and P. erzurumensis, whereas the second cluster consists of P. alkani, P. nevadensis and P. ritteri. Our data point to a sister positioning of P. magnicauda vis-à-vis all Pratylenchoides species included in this research. Analyses of SSU rDNA (for family and subfamily relationships) and partial LSU rDNA sequences (for intrageneric relationships) data revealed: i) the distal and nested positioning of all Pratylenchoidinae within the Merliniidae; ii) the single transition from ectoparasitism to migratory endoparasitism within the family Merliniidae corresponds with the current subfamily partitioning; and iii) support for the monophyletic nature of the genus Pratylenchoides.
Effect of Thermoelectric Coupling Parameter in a Semiconducting Medium Under Photothermal Theory
Authors: Ailawalia Praveen , Singla Amit
Published: September 2016

The purpose of this paper is to study the two dimensional deformation in a semi-infinite semiconducting medium. The deformation is caused subjected to a mechanical force applied along the interface of elastic layer of thickness h and a semiconducting medium. Normal Mode analysis
has been used to obtain the exact expression of normal displacement, normal force stress, temperature distribution and carrier density. The effect of this force and thermoelectric coupling parameter on the displacement component, force stress, temperature distribution and carrier density has
been depicted graphically.
Magneto-Electric Response and Functionality in Barium Ferrite/Barium Titanate/Epoxy Resin Nanocomposites
Authors: Kanapitsas A. , Psarras G. C. , Tsonos C. , Speliotis Th. , Patsidis A. C. , Siores E. , Triantis D.
Published: September 2016

Hybrid nanocomposites with barium ferrite and barium titanate nanoparticles embedded within an epoxy resin matrix, were prepared and studied, varying the fillers content. The morphology of the fabricated specimens was examined by means of scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive
X-ray spectroscopy. Dielectric and magnetic properties of the nanocomposites were investigated via broadband dielectric spectroscopy and magnetization tests, respectively. Fine dispersions of nanofillers were detected via electron microscopy in all studied cases. Dielectric permittivity increases
with diminishing frequency and increasing temperature and filler content. Recorded relaxation processes are attributed to interfacial polarization, between matrix and nanoparticles, glass to rubber transition of the polymer matrix (α-relaxation), and re-arrangement of polar-side
groups of the main polymer chain (β-relaxation). Magnetization and magnetic saturation increase with the amount of barium ferrite nanoparticles.
Physical, Optical and Photochemical Properties of CeO2 Nanoparticles Synthesized by Solution Combustion Method
Authors: Bakkiyaraj R. , Balakrishnan M.
Published: September 2016

Cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by solution combustion method using cerium nitrate and urea. The prepared sample was characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectroscopy (FTIR), Ultraviolet (UV) and Photoluminescence
(PL), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HRTEM), Thermogravimetric-Differential Thermal Analysis (TG-DTA) and photocatalytic measurements. The XRD results confirmed that the synthesized nanocrystalline CeO2 samples
have cubic structure with average grain size about 12, 18 and 26 nm (as prepared at 120 °C, sintered at 300 °C and sintered at 600 °C respectively). The HRTEM results confirmed that the synthesized nanoparticles have good polycrystalline nature. In the PL spectra, a strong and
broad emission band was observed at 425 nm due to the presence of blue shift in the visible region. The TEM results revealed that the synthesized CeO2 nanoparticles were sphere shaped particles of size in the range 10–15 nm. The degradation of methylene blue catalysed by CeO2
nanoparticles was studied under visible light irradiation. The maximum degradation was obtained with 1.0 g/L CeO2 at pH 11 within 5 hours.
Selective Nanopores in Graphene Sheet for Separation I-129 Isotope from Air
Authors: Fatemi Seyyed Mahmood , Sepehrian Hamid , Arabieh Masoud
Published: September 2016

Molecular dynamic simulation was used to investigate the ability of nanoporous graphene membrane in gas separation process. Three di-atomic gases (I2, N2 and O2) were considered, in which different pore sizes were modeled on graphene. The structure contains
an impermeable movable wall (piston) to push the mixture gases toward the nanoporous graphene membrane. Two different simulations were carried out, with two different piston velocities. Two key factors in gases separation process are the pore size of graphene and the velocity of movable wall.
The results revealed that I-129 separation was improved by using proper size of pore and by decreasing the velocity of movable wall. It was also found that the I-129 gas radionuclides could be completely separated from nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the pore-12 graphene configuration. It
was also found that nitrogen was more strongly adsorbed onto the membrane than oxygen, while I-129 was not adsorbed.
Influence of Hermanson's Dielectric Screening Function on the Nonlinear Optical Properties of Impurity Doped Quantum Dots in Presence of Gaussian White Noise
Authors: Bera Aindrila , Saha Surajit , Ganguly Jayanta , Ghosh Manas
Published: September 2016

We study the modulation of various nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of impurity doped quantum dot (QD) under the influence of position-dependent dielectric screening function (PDDSF) in presence and absence of noise. The NLO properties include total optical
absorption coefficient (TOAC), total refractive index change (TRIC), nonlinear optical rectification (NOR), second harmonic generation (SHG), and third harmonic generation (THG). The profiles of above NLO properties have been
analysed as a function of incident photon energy using both static dielectric constant (SDC) and PDDSF. Noise function assumes a Gaussian distribution and applied to the system additively as well as multiplicatively. Critical comparison among the profiles of above NLO properties
using SDC and PDDSF has been conducted to realize the role of the latter. In addition, the role of mode of application of noise (additive/multiplicative) on the said profiles has also been explored. The profiles are found to display shift of peak position, amplification, diminish, and maximization
of peak values under different conditions. The observations reveal subtle interplay between noise and PDDSF in tailoring the intricate features of various NLO properties and bear importance in the related field of research.
Slant Helix Curves and Acceleration Centers in Minkowski 3-Space Ε31
Authors: Bekar Murat , Yayli Yusuf
Published: September 2016

In this study, some basic concepts (e.g., instant screw axis (ISA), instantaneous pole points, acceleration pole points) will be given and analyzed about an alternative one-parameter motion of a rigid-body in 3-dimensional Minkowski space Ε31 obtained by moving
coordinate frame {N, C, W} along a non-null unit speed curve α = α(t), where N, C and W correspond to unit principal normal vector field, derivative vector field
of unit principal normal vector field and Darboux vector field (or angular-velocity vector field) of the non-null unit speed curve α, respectively.
Comments on “Dynamics of Upper-Level Frontogenesis in Baroclinic Waves”
Authors: Buzzi Andrea
Published: September 2016

A recent paper by Mak et al. grants the opportunity to discuss two different definitions of the frontogenetical function proposed in the literature to study the formation and evolution of upper-level fronts. This comment exposes some problems that, in this author’s opinion, are related to the use of the Lagrangian tendency of the 3D (in place of horizontal) gradient of potential temperature, as adopted in the Mak et al. paper.
Comparing Tropospheric Warming in Climate Models and Satellite Data
Authors: Santer Benjamin D. , Solomon Susan , Pallotta Giuliana , Mears Carl , Po-Chedley Stephen , Fu Qiang , Wentz Frank , Zou Cheng-Zhi , Painter Jeffrey , Cvijanovic Ivana , Bonfils Céline
Published: September 2016

Updated and improved satellite retrievals of the temperature of the mid-to-upper troposphere (TMT) are used to address key questions about the size and significance of TMT trends, agreement with model-derived TMT values, and whether models and satellite data show similar vertical profiles of warming. A recent study claimed that TMT trends over 1979 and 2015 are 3 times larger in climate models than in satellite data but did not correct for the contribution TMT trends receive from stratospheric cooling. Here, it is shown that the average ratio of modeled and observed TMT trends is sensitive to both satellite data uncertainties and model–data differences in stratospheric cooling. When the impact of lower-stratospheric cooling on TMT is accounted for, and when the most recent versions of satellite datasets are used, the previously claimed ratio of three between simulated and observed near-global TMT trends is reduced to approximately 1.7. Next, the validity of the statement that satellite data show no significant tropospheric warming over the last 18 years is assessed. This claim is not supported by the current analysis: in five out of six corrected satellite TMT records, significant global-scale tropospheric warming has occurred within the last 18 years. Finally, long-standing concerns are examined regarding discrepancies in modeled and observed vertical profiles of warming in the tropical atmosphere. It is shown that amplification of tropical warming between the lower and mid-to-upper troposphere is now in close agreement in the average of 37 climate models and in one updated satellite record.
P- and S-wave energy flux density vectors
Authors: Tang Huai-Gu , He Bing-Shou , Mou Hai-Bo
Published: September 2016

The conventional energy flux density vector indicates the propagation direction of mixed P- and S-wave wavefields, which means when a wavefront of P-wave encounters a wavefront of S-wave with different propagation directions, the vectors cannot indicate both directions accurately. To avoid inaccuracies caused by superposition of P- and S-waves in a conventional energy flux density vector, P- and S-wave energy flux density vectors should be calculated separately. Because the conventional energy flux density vector is obtained by multiplying the stress tensor by the particle-velocity vector, the common way to calculate P- and S-wave energy flux density vectors is to decompose the stress tensor and particle-velocity vector into the P- and S-wave parts before multiplication. However, we have found that the P-wave still interfere with the S-wave energy flux density vector calculated by this method. Therefore, we have developed a new method to calculate P- and S-wave energy flux density vectors based on a set of new equations but not velocity-stress equations. First, we decompose elastic wavefield by the set of equations to obtain the P- and S-wave particle-velocity vectors, dilatation scalar, and rotation vector. Then, we calculate the P-wave energy flux density vector by multiplying the P-wave particle-velocity vector by dilatation scalar, and we calculate the S-wave energy flux density vector as a cross product of the S-wave particle-velocity vector and rotation vector. The vectors can indicate accurate propagation directions of P- and S-waves, respectively, without being interfered by the superposition of the two wave modes.
Stuart Hall: Art and the Politics of Black Cultural Production
Authors: McRobbie Angela
Published: September 2016

This article makes three specific and interrelated arguments. First, it argues that the power of Stuart Hall's pedagogy can be understood as having established a “third space” between political activism and academic research, a space that in the 1970s and early 1980s permitted the development of British cultural studies as an anti-elitist, theoretically informed approach to the field of culture, in particular popular culture. Second, I propose that as this space also opened itself up, starting in the late 1980s, to emerging young black and Asian British artists, and as it extended itself so as to engage with the work of key postcolonial theorists, a body of films and artworks appeared that expanded this space, maintaining the integrity of a practice that refuted the distinctions between high and low culture, in terms of aesthetics, and rhetorical address, and audiences. Third, I argue that the advent of neo liberal political culture in the United Kingdom cuts short the conditions of emergence, which had supported this group of artists, with all that this augurs for future generations of black and Asian artists today.
Stuart Hall and the Whiteness of the Whale
Authors: Faflik David
Published: September 2016

However much he might be identified with cultural and postcolonial studies, Stuart Hall has imparted to students from a range of interdisciplines a means of interpretation that is rooted, at last, in metaphor. Hall's writing made imaginative use of language for reasons other than the literal conveyance of meaning, but that is not to say he was interested in metaphors for their own sake. Rather, Hall employed metaphors as an interpretive tool for practicing a kind of inquiry that maintained a careful balance between the immediate objects of his observation and whatever it was those objects might be said to represent in their associative constructions. No matter the artifact he was “reading,” Hall's usual interpretive move was a relational one. In this essay, I explore the metaphorical nature of that relation, drawing parallels between Hall's own method of cultural analysis and those of his like-minded predecessors, including author Herman Melville, literary theorist Mikhail Bakhtin, and social theorist C. L. R. James.
Taking a Break: Toilets, Gender, and Disgust
Authors: Plaskow Judith
Published: September 2016

The brouhaha over Hillary Clinton's bathroom break during the third Democratic debate in December 2015 brings together two interrelated themes: the obstacles surrounding women's access to bathrooms and the broader cultural discomfort with elimination that makes inequities in access difficult to address. This article first describes some of the ways that public toilets perpetuate the subordination of women within a framework in which everyone must identify either as a woman or a man. Public bathrooms help socialize women into acceptance of inferiority while constantly communicating to transgender people their outsiderness and difference. Such discrimination is difficult to remedy because the topic of toilets makes many people embarrassed and uncomfortable, and human waste, especially feces, engenders strong feelings of disgust. Thinking through and implementing adequate toilet provision for everyone thus necessarily entails rethinking attitudes toward elimination as an aspect of our embodiment.
Closure, Affect, and the Continuing Queer Potential of Public Toilets
Authors: Jeyasingham Dharman
Published: September 2016

Across many Western countries, a substantial proportion of public toilets have either closed or been materially adapted in order to prevent their use for sex, while sexual interactions in public spaces generally, and toilets in particular, are policed more effectively than ever before. Despite these changes, this essay argues that public toilets continue to hold queer potential because of their intrinsic spatial qualities, their affective resonances, and their capacity to connect us with past times and events. As such, they provide sites for imagining sex outside of the erotic and affective frames of contemporary homonormativity. The essay explores these ideas through two examples of engagements with past public toilet spaces. The first example is Tearoom, a film (2007) and accompanying book (2008) by William E. Jones, which presents footage from covert police surveillance of a toilet in Ohio in 1962 that was used in criminal proceedings leading to the conviction of numerous men for consensual sex crimes. The second example is the Edwardian Cloakroom, a building in Bristol, England, that functioned as a public toilet until 2001 and has, more recently, been used as an exhibition space for art installations exploring matters such as solitude, surveillance, difference, and stigma.
Speed-dependent interplay between local pattern-generating activity and sensory signals during walking inDrosophila
Authors: Berendes Volker , Zill Sasha N. , Büschges Ansgar , Bockemühl Till
Published: September 2016

In insects, the coordinated motor output required for walking is based on the interaction between local pattern-generating networks providing basic rhythmicity and leg sensory signals which modulate this output on a cycle-to-cycle basis. How this interplay changes speed-dependently and thereby gives rise to the different coordination patterns observed at different speeds is understood insufficiently. Here, we used amputation to reduce sensory signals in single legs and decouple them mechanically during walking in Drosophila. This allowed for the dissociation between locally-generated motor output in the stump and coordinating influences from intact legs. Leg stumps were still rhythmically active during walking. While the oscillatory frequency in intact legs was dependent on walking speed, stumps showed a high and relatively constant oscillation frequency at all walking speeds. At low walking speeds we found no strict cycle-to-cycle coupling between stumps and intact legs. In contrast, at high walking speeds stump oscillations were strongly coupled to the movement of intact legs on a 1-to-1 basis. While during slow walking there was no preferred phase between stumps and intact legs, we nevertheless found a preferred time interval between touch-down or lift-off events in intact legs and levation or depression of stumps. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that, as in other insects, walking speed in Drosophila is predominantly controlled by indirect mechanisms and that direct modulation of basic pattern-generating circuits plays a subsidiary role. Furthermore, inter-leg coordination strength seems to be speed-dependent and greater coordination is evident at higher walking speeds.
Adverse Selection and Auction Design for Internet Display Advertising
Authors: Arnosti Nick , Beck Marissa , Milgrom Paul
Published: September 2016

We model an online display advertising environment in which “performance” advertisers can measure the value of individual impressions, whereas “brand” advertisers cannot. If advertiser values for ad opportunities are positively correlated, second-price auctions for impressions can be inefficient and expose brand advertisers to adverse selection. Bayesian-optimal auctions have other drawbacks: they are complex, introduce incentives for false-name bidding, and do not resolve adverse selection. We introduce “modified second bid” auctions as the unique auctions that overcome these disadvantages. When advertiser match values are drawn independently from heavy-tailed distributions, a modified second bid auction captures at least 94.8 percent of the first-best expected value. In that setting and similar ones, the benefits of switching from an ordinary second-price auction to the modified second bid auction may be large, and the cost of defending against shill bidding and adverse selection may be low. (JEL D44, D82, L86, M37)
The Agricultural Origins of Time Preference
Authors: Galor Oded , Özak Ömer
Published: September 2016

This research explores the origins of observed differences in time preference across countries and regions. Exploiting a natural experiment associated with the expansion of suitable crops for cultivation in the course of the Columbian Exchange, the research establishes that pre-industrial agro-climatic characteristics which were conducive to higher return to agricultural investment triggered selection, adaptation, and learning processes that generated a persistent positive effect on the prevalence of long-term orientation in the contemporary era. Furthermore, the research establishes that these agro-climatic characteristics have had a culturally embodied impact on economic behavior such as technological adoption, education, saving, and smoking. (JEL D72, G21, G28)
Identifying ELIXIR Core Data Resources
Authors: Durinx Christine , McEntyre Jo , Appel Ron , Apweiler Rolf , Barlow Mary , Blomberg Niklas , Cook Chuck , Gasteiger Elisabeth , Kim Jee-Hyub , Lopez Rodrigo , Redaschi Nicole , Stockinger Heinz , Teixeira Daniel , Valencia Alfonso
Published: September 2016

The core mission of ELIXIR is to build a stable and sustainable infrastructure for biological information across Europe. At the heart of this are the data resources, tools and services that ELIXIR offers to the life-sciences community, providing stable and sustainable access to biological data. ELIXIR aims to ensure that these resources are available long-term and that the life-cycles of these resources are managed such that they support the scientific needs of the life-sciences, including biological research.

ELIXIR Core Data Resources are defined as a set of European data resources that are of fundamental importance to the wider life-science community and the long-term preservation of biological data. They are complete collections of generic value to life-science, are considered an authority in their field with respect to one or more characteristics, and show high levels of scientific quality and service. Thus, ELIXIR Core Data Resources are of wide applicability and usage.

This paper describes the structures, governance and processes that support the identification and evaluation of ELIXIR Core Data Resources. It identifies key indicators which reflect the essence of the definition of an ELIXIR Core Data Resource and support the promotion of excellence in resource development and operation. It describes the specific indicators in more detail and explains their application within ELIXIR’s sustainability strategy and science policy actions, and in capacity building, life-cycle management and technical actions.

Establishing the portfolio of ELIXIR Core Data Resources and ELIXIR Services is a key priority for ELIXIR and publicly marks the transition towards a cohesive infrastructure.
Least Squares Approximation to the Distribution of Project Completion Times with Gaussian Uncertainty
Authors: Zheng Zhichao , Natarajan Karthik , Teo Chung-Piaw
Published: September 2016

This paper is motivated by the following question: How to construct good approximation for the distribution of the solution value to linear optimization problem when the random objective coefficients follow a multivariate normal distribution? Using Stein’s Identity, we show that the least squares normal approximation of the random optimal value can be computed by estimating the persistency values of the corresponding optimization problem. We further extend our method to construct a least squares quadratic estimator to improve the accuracy of the approximation; in particular, to capture the skewness of the objective. Computational studies show that the new approach provides more accurate estimates of the distributions of project completion times compared to existing methods.
Be a dental nurse, be a sober hero!
Authors: Wake Charlotte
Published: September 2016

When it comes to national health campaigns, charity starts at home but can also open doors, suggests Charlotte Wake
The power of three
Authors: Dawson Trudie
Published: September 2016

Trudie Dawson considers the skills for the dental team with an ageing society, revealing the three stages of ageing and that, very often, there is three-way communication
Delivering online training
Authors: Roberts Clare
Published: September 2016

Clare Roberts reviews the successes and challenges of delivering online training towards a registerable qualification for dental nurses
Window on their health
Authors: Harding Jocelyn
Published: September 2016

A look at the dental team's care of cancer patients – before, during and after treatment, with Jocelyn Harding
‘Do you feel tired?’
Authors: Bissett Gaby
Published: September 2016

With 80% of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) suffers currently undiagnosed in the UK, many middle-aged men and women are completely unaware they have the condition. Gaby Bissett looks at the effects of OSA – and how the dental team can help
‘Sorry’ can be the hardest word
Authors: Collier Andrew
Published: September 2016

Andrew Collier on the implications of the GDC's new guidance on duty of candour
A survival analysis of 1084 knees of the Oxford unicompartmental knee arthroplasty
Authors: Bottomley N. , Jones L. D. , Rout R. , Alvand A. , Rombach I. , Evans T. , Jackson W. F. M. , Beard D. J. , Price A. J.
Published: September 2016

Aims

The aim of this to study was to compare the previously unreported long-term survival outcome of the Oxford medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) performed by trainee surgeons and consultants.

Patients and Methods

We therefore identified a previously unreported cohort of 1084 knees in 947 patients who had a UKA inserted for anteromedial knee arthritis by consultants and surgeons in training, at a tertiary arthroplasty centre and performed survival analysis on the group with revision as the endpoint.

Results

The ten-year cumulative survival rate for revision or exchange of any part of the prosthetic components was 93.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) 86.1 to 100, number at risk 45). Consultant surgeons had a nine-year cumulative survival rate of 93.9% (95% CI 90.2 to 97.6, number at risk 16). Trainee surgeons had a cumulative nine-year survival rate of 93.0% (95% CI 90.3 to 95.7, number at risk 35). Although there was no differences in implant survival between consultants and trainees (p = 0.30), there was a difference in failure pattern whereby all re-operations performed for bearing dislocation (n = 7), occurred in the trainee group. This accounted for 0.6% of the entire cohort and 15% of the re-operations.

Conclusion

This is the largest single series of the Oxford UKA ever reported and demonstrates that good results can be achieved by a heterogeneous group of surgeons, including trainees, if performed within a high-volume centre with considerable experience with the procedure. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;(10 Suppl B):22–7.
Searching for vernacular concepts in the contemporary scene: The Turkish floor table as a source of design inspiration
Authors: Nasir Esra Bici
Published: September 2016

Following reforms resulting from westernization, domestic culture in Turkey and related styles of using household items changed considerably. In the context of transformations regarding the withdrawal of vernacular items and practices, adapted, globally sourced forms of furniture became common in Turkish middle-class homes. This article focuses on the furniture and items related to eating, in which the modern dining table, connoting an established residence, is depicted as very different from the floor table which was representative of nomadic culture. Thus, the vernacular floor table and the contemporary dining table and other eating units are analysed in terms of their dichotomies – mobility/stability, lightness/heaviness, visibility/invisibility and emptiness/fullness – to ascertain ways to encourage the possibility of wider adoption of vernacular design qualities. Text and visual analyses were conducted on recent interior architecture and decoration magazines to seek out relationships to the vernacular design qualities to assess their adaptability to the contemporary environment. Research results illustrate that mobility, lightness, invisibility and emptiness are highly desired concepts but with novel diffractions and interpretations, still making the floor table a rich source of design inspiration.
France in Mali: Towards a new Africa strategy?
Authors: Chafer Tony
Published: September 2016

This article addresses the question whether the French military intervention in Mali in 2013 (Operation Serval) and the follow-up Operation Barkhane are evidence of a new French military strategy in Africa. The first part briefly sets out the chronology of events that led to the French intervention. The decisionmaking process in Paris that led to the decision to intervene and the sequence of events following the intervention is then examined, in order to show that this raised important questions about the viability of the key principles – partnership, ‘Africanization’ and ‘Europeanization’ – that informed and underpinned France’s Africa policy from the late 1990s. It is argued that Operation Serval and the follow-on operation, Barkhane, need to be understood, first, in the context of the importance attached to Africa as a privileged arena for the projection of French power overseas. Second, they must be understood in the geopolitical context of the neo-liberal post-Cold War international order, within which France, as a major western power and permanent member of the UNSC, feels it has a responsibility to undertake certain actions. Third, they should also be understood against the background of the failure to reform the institutional architecture of Africa policymaking, in particular the roles of the Ministry of Defence and the ‘Africa cell’ at the Elysée Palace, which have traditionally played a pivotal role in Africa policy. Finally, the article argues that a new Africa strategy did emerge under President Hollande, albeit in an unplanned and incremental manner, but that the resulting policy is some distance from representing a renovated, or ‘normalized’, Africa policy based on a new partnership with Africa.
Comparative studies between herbal toothpaste (dantkanti) and non-herbal tooth paste
Authors: Singh Kuldeep , Singh Pooja , Oberoi Gurpreet
Published: September 2016

The purpose of the paper is to highlight the advantages of using the herbal tooth paste with that of conventional paste. The approach is to make use of naturally available herbs such as Akarkara (anacyclus pyrethrum), Neem (azadirachta indica), Babool (acacia arabica), Haldi (curcuma longa) etc to make herbal paste. These herbal mixture acts as antimicrobial agents. The clinical study is carried out with three parameters – Debris index, Calculus index and Gingival bleeding index. These parameters were compared over conventional paste. We have carried out studies with 100 people of different age groups ranging from 25 to 50 years covering both men and women. The statistical t-test is carried out between the unpaired two groups of herbal and non-herbal pastes. The results shows that the group – A (herbal) has significantly lower debris, calculus and gingival bleeding index value. The debris index and calculus index have p < 0.001, the oral hygiene index also has the p < 0.001, which is significant and the gingival bleeding index has the p < 0.05.The conclusion is that the herbal Dantkanti toothpaste is more efficient in maintenance of oral hygiene and gum bleeding as compared to the non-herbal toothpaste.
TIPS Creation in Patients with Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava
Authors: Chovanec Vendelín , Krajina Antonín , Hůlek Petr , Měšťan Miroslav , Renc Ondřej
Published: September 2016

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt is a minimally invasive endovascular procedure that has played an important role in the treatment of acute or repeated variceal bleeding or refractory ascites. The standard venous access route for this procedure is the right jugular vein. Sometimes it is better to use the left jugular vein because of lower probability of life threatening complication or technical failure. In this case reports the authors have described their experience with TIPS creation in two patients with persistent left and absent right superior vena cava and recommend using the left jugular vein as an access route in this rare anatomical variant.
The interface between research on individual difference variables and teaching practice: The case of cognitive factors and personality
Authors: Biedroń Adriana , Pawlak Mirosław
Published: September 2016

While a substantial body of empirical evidence has been accrued about the role of individual differences in second language acquisition, relatively little is still known about how factors of this kind can mediate the effects of instructional practices as well as how empirically-derived insights can inform foreign language pedagogy, both with respect to shaping certain variables and adjusting instruction to individual learner profiles. The present paper is an attempt to shed light on the interface between research on individual difference factors and teaching practice, focusing upon variables which do not easily lend themselves to external manipulation, namely intelligence, foreign language aptitude, working memory and personality, with the role of the last of these in language learning being admittedly the least obvious. In each case, the main research findings will briefly be outlined, their potential for informing instruction will be considered, and, in the final part, the caveats concerning practical applications of research on the variables in question will be spelled out.
Explicit Finite-Difference Scheme for the Numerical Solution of the Model Equation of Nonlinear Hereditary Oscillator with Variable-Order Fractional Derivatives
Authors: Parovik Roman I.
Published: September 2016

The paper deals with the model of variable-order nonlinear hereditary oscillator based on a numerical finite-difference scheme. Numerical experiments have been carried out to evaluate the stability and convergence of the difference scheme. It is argued that the approximation, stability and convergence are of the first order, while the scheme is stable and converges to the exact solution.
Differentiation between Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas Species Isolated from Fish Using Molecular and MALDI-TOF Method
Authors: Aksentijević Ksenija , Ašanin Jelena , Milivojević Dušan , Čolović Svetlana , Butorac Ana , Cindrić Mario , Mišić Dušan
Published: September 2016

For the purpose of precise antibiotic susceptibility testing it is necessary to clearly distinguish Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas genera, considering acquired resistance of Pseudomonas species, as well as the intrinsic resistance of Stenotrophomonas species. This is why in the identification of the 51 isolates originated from fish, the following methods were used: standard PCR, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and MALDI-TOF.

The results of the standard PCR test, 16S rRNA gene sequencing and MALDI-TOF analysis confirmed 35 strains to belong to the Pseudomonas genus. Standard PCR test and VITEK MS device confirmed that 10 strains belong to Stenotrophomonas maltophilia species.

Three strains were positive in both standard PCR tests for Pseudomonas and Stenotrpohomonas. 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified these 3 strains to be 99% Pseudomonas sp. and 99% Stenotrophomonas sp. VITEK MS first identified these three strains as 99% Stenotrophomonas, and in the repeated identification it identified them as 99% Pseudomonas. MALDI TOF/TOF 4800 Plus device identified these strains as Stenotrophomonas.

Three strains were negative in both standard PCR tests for Pseudomonas and Stenotrpohomonas. 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified these 3 strains to be 99% Pseudomonas sp. and 99% Stenotrophomonas sp. VITEK MS first identified these three strains as 99% Stenotrophomonas, and in the repeated identification it identified them as 99% Pseudomonas. MALDI TOF/TOF 4800 Plus device identified these strains as Stenotrophomonas.

Although modern test methods that have very high specificity (PCR, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, MALDI TOF) were used in this study, precise differentiation between Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas species for 6 isolates could not be reached using the above mentioned methods.
Molecular Detection of Pseudorabies Virus (PrV), Porcine Parvovirus (PPV) and Porcine Circovirus 2 (PCV2) in Swine in Republic of Montenegro
Authors: Miković Radoš , Knežević Aleksandra , Milić Nenad , Krnjaić Dejan , Radojičić Marina , Veljović Ljubiša , Milićević Vesna , Zorić Andrea , Stanojević Maja , Nišavić Jakov
Published: September 2016

The presence of pseudorabies virus (PrV), porcine parvovirus (PPV) and porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) was examined in sixty samples (spleen and lymph nodes) and thirty samples of sacral ganglia collected from non-vaccinated swine by virus isolation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Using PCR method PrV was detected in three samples, PPV in seven samples and six samples were found positive for PCV2. The phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences of three PrV isolates identified in this study showed high similarity and significant clustering within the PrV genotype I strains such as Kaplan and Bartha isolated from pigs in Hungary, strain Becker isolated in USA and strain Kolchis isolated in Greece. The nucleotide sequences of two PPV isolates showed high level of similarity with the strain Challenge isolated from pigs in UK, strain Kresse isolated in USA and strains 77 and LZ isolated in China. The phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences of two PCV2 isolates showed high level of similarity and significant clustering within genotype PCV2b strains such as NIVS-3, NIVS-5 and NIVS-6 isolated in Serbia, strain 3959 isolated in Austria, strain PM165 isolated from pigs in Brasil, and strain XT2008 isolated in China. The results of our study present the molecular characterization of PrV, PPV and PCV2 identified in swine in Republic of Montenegro. Besides that, these results confirmed that PCR is a very useful method for rapid detection of these viruses in subclinically infected swine.
Caseous Lymphadenitis in Sheep in the Falkland Islands
Authors: Listos Piotr , Gryzinska Magdalena , Martychiewicz Marcin , Pointing Stephen , Barton Albrecht , Dylewska Malgorzata
Published: September 2016

Caseous lymphadenitis (CLA), also called pseudotuberculosis, is a chronic and highly infectious disease of sheep and goats, subject to obligatory registration in the European Union. The EU law also applies to special territories, which include the Falkland Islands. On the Falkland Islands 99% of sheep and goats are slaughtered in one slaughterhouse, overseen by veterinary authorities, and approved for export to EU countries (mainly the UK). The export season begins about the middle of January and usually lasts 3-4 months. In the years 2013-2015 were examined 162 317 sheep, including 39 971 lambs, 35 357 yearlings and 86 989 mature rams. During the study lung tissue clippings were collected. During the 2013 season lesions were observed in 8 025 of animals (13.9% CLA). In 2014 lesions were noted in 7716 with CLA accounting for 13.91% and in 2015 lesions were noted in 5743 with CLA accounting for 11.7%. Further analysis of cases of CLA on the Falkland Islands seems interesting, as they are British overseas territories and therefore part of the European Union.
Intermittent Gastroesophageal Intussusception in a Kitten Resolved with a Percutaneous Gastropexy
Authors: Del-Angel-Caraza Javier , Alvarez-Contreras Paolo Cesar , Barbosa-Mireles Marco Antonio , Quijano-Hernández Israel Alejandro
Published: September 2016

Gastroesophageal intussusception is a rare pathology characterized by an acute or intermittent invagination of the stomach into the lumen caudal to the thoracic esophagus, the pathogenesis is not well understood, although it is likely multifactorial. The mortality is high, associated with a late diagnosis and a rapid deterioration. A 4-month-old male domestic shorthair kitten presented for evaluation of intermittent respiratory distress and abdominal discomfort with two weeks of evolution. Based on clinical history, clinical sings and imaging studies a diagnosis of intermittent gastroesophageal intussusception was established. The reduction of the intussusception was performed with endoscopy maneuvers and with medical and nutritional management for some days, but this failed and finally was reduced with a percutaneous gastropexy tube to prevent recurrence with a good long-term outcome. Gastroesophageal intussusception in cats is associated with megaesophagus or hiatal hernia, and should be considered as a differential diagnosis in patients with chronic vomiting, regurgitation or respiratory disease. Survey and contrasted thoracic radiographs can be used to identify gross anatomical abnormalities, but the definitive diagnosis should be made by esophagogastroscopy with the possibility of reducing the intussusception. The use of percutaneous gastropexy provides other possible option to conventional surgery for the management of this pathology in cats.
Fractional descriptor continuous–time linear systems described by the Caputo–Fabrizio derivative
Authors: Kaczorek Tadeusz , Borawski Kamil
Published: September 2016

The Weierstrass–Kronecker theorem on the decomposition of the regular pencil is extended to fractional descriptor continuous-time linear systems described by the Caputo–Fabrizio derivative. A method for computing solutions of continuous-time systems is presented. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the positivity and stability of these systems are established. The discussion is illustrated with a numerical example.
A finite element method for extended KdV equations
Authors: Karczewska Anna , Rozmej Piotr , Szczeciński Maciej , Boguniewicz Bartosz
Published: September 2016

The finite element method (FEM) is applied to obtain numerical solutions to a recently derived nonlinear equation for the shallow water wave problem. A weak formulation and the Petrov–Galerkin method are used. It is shown that the FEM gives a reasonable description of the wave dynamics of soliton waves governed by extended KdV equations. Some new results for several cases of bottom shapes are presented. The numerical scheme presented here is suitable for taking into account stochastic effects, which will be discussed in a subsequent paper.
State estimation for MISO non–linear systems in controller canonical form
Authors: Schwaller Benoît , Ensminger Denis , Dresp-Langley Birgitta , Ragot José
Published: September 2016

We propose a new observer where the model, decomposed in generalized canonical form of regulation described by Fliess, is dissociated from the part assuring error correction. The obtained stable exact estimates give direct access to state variables in the form of successive derivatives. The dynamic response of the observer converges exponentially, as long as the nonlinearities are locally of Lipschitz type. In this case, we demonstrate that a quadratic Lyapunov function provides a number of inequalities which guarantee at least local stability. A synthesis of gains is proposed, independent of the observation time scale. Simulations of a Düffing system and a Lorenz strange attractor illustrate theoretical developments.