bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fully laparoscopic left‐sided donor hepatectomy is safe and associated with shorter hospital stay and earlier return to work: A comparative study
Authors: Samstein Benjamin , Griesemer Adam , Cherqui Daniel , Mansour Tarek , Pisa Joseph , Yegiants Anna , Fox Alyson N. , Guarrera James V. , Kato Tomoaki , Halazun Karim J. , Emond Jean
Published: March 2015

Living donor liver transplantation has failed to become a major means of transplantation in the United States, where <5% of the transplants are performed with living donors. At least 30% to 50% of the complications of donor hepatectomy appear to be related to abdominal wall trauma, including hernia, bowel obstruction, and chronic abdominal discomfort. We analyzed our experience with laparoscopically procured donor hepatectomy. We compared 22 full laparoscopic donor hepatectomies to 20 open/hybrid hepatectomies over an 11‐year period. Donor and recipient demographics, complications, and graft and recipient outcomes were analyzed. All 22 laparoscopically procured liver allografts were transplanted successfully. The laparoscopically procured grafts took longer to procure (7 hours 58 minutes versus 6 hours 38 minutes; P < 0.001). The laparoscopically procured cases had lower blood loss (177.3 versus 3753 cc; P < 0.001), a shorter length of stay, and significantly reduced days off work (P = .01). The 1‐year graft survival was not different (90% in the laparoscopic group and 85% in the open group; P = 0.70). The 1‐year patient survival was not different (95% in the laparoscopic group and 85% in the open group; P = 0.32). There was a trend toward lower wound issues in the laparoscopic group, but this did not reach significance (the hybrid/open group had a 15% hernia rate versus 5% for the laparoscopic group). In experienced living donor centers, laparoscopic liver donation appears to be feasible for all pediatric recipients and some adult recipients. Outcomes for the recipients of laparoscopically procured grafts do not appear significantly different from outcomes with hybrid/open techniques. Liver Transpl 21:768–773, 2015. © 2015 AASLD.
Skin biopsy and I‐123 MIBG scintigraphy findings in idiopathic Parkinson's disease and parkinsonism: A comparative study
Authors: Giannoccaro Maria Pia , Donadio Vincenzo , Incensi Alex , Pizza Fabio , Cason Ernesto , Di Stasi Vitantonio , Martinelli Paolo , Scaglione Cesa , Capellari Sabina , Treglia Giorgio , Liguori Rocco
Published: March 2015

Background

123I‐meta‐iodobenzylguanidine (123I‐MIBG) myocardial scintigraphy is considered reliable in differentiating idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) from other parkinsonisms, but it is biased by pharmacological treatments. Skin biopsy is not influenced by therapy and has disclosed skin denervation in IPD. Our aims were to compare 123I‐MIBG scintigraphy and skin biopsy findings in IPD and parkinsonisms to (1) verify whether myocardial and skin denervations are linked; (2) explore the simultaneous extent of the autonomic dysfunction.

Methods

We studied 22 IPD and 11 parkinsonism patients by means of 123I‐MIBG scintigraphy and skin biopsies.

Results

In the IPD group, both 123I‐MIBG scintigraphy and skin biopsy results were abnormal in 91% of patients, showing concordance in 82% of cases. In parkinsonisms, results of both tests were normal in all patients.

Conclusion

(1) Skin biopsy and 123I‐MIBG scintigraphy provide comparable results; (2) in IPD, autonomic dysfunctions are often simultaneously widespread at cardiac and skin branches. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
PS48 can replace bovine serum albumin in pig embryo culture medium, and improve in vitro embryo development by phosphorylating AKT
Authors: Spate Lee D. , Brown Alana , Redel Bethany K. , Whitworth Kristin M. , Prather Randall S.
Published: March 2015

The application of embryo‐related technology is dependent on in vitro culture systems. Unfortunately, most culture media are suboptimal and result in developmentally compromised embryos. Since embryo development is partially dependent upon Warburg Effect‐like metabolism, our goal was to test the response of embryos treated with compounds that are known to stimulate or enhance this Effect. One such compound is 5‐(4‐chloro‐phenyl)‐3‐phenyl‐pent‐2‐enoic acid (PS48). When added during oocyte maturation, the quality of the resultant embryos was compromised, whereas when added to the culture medium after fertilization, PS48 improved both the percentage of embryos that reach the blastocyst stage and the number of nuclei in those blastocysts. Embryonic PS48 treatment resulted in more phosphorylated v‐akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog (AKT) in blastocyst‐stage embryos as compared to the controls. Further, PS48 could replace bovine serum albumin in embryo culture medium, as demonstrated by high‐quality embryos that were developmentally competent. The action of PS48 appears to be via stimulation of phosphoinositide‐3 kinase and phosphorylation of AKT, which is consistent with stimulation of the Warburg Effect. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 82: 315–320, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On the Modeling of the Semicontinuous Heterophase Polymerization of Alkyl Methacrylates With Different Water Solubilities
Authors: Pérez García María G. , Alvarado Abraham G. , Pérez‐Carrillo Lourdes A. , Puig Jorge E. , López‐Serrano Francisco , García Sandoval Juan P. , Mendizábal Eduardo
Published: March 2015

A generalized model is presented here for the semicontinuous heterophase polymerization of methyl and hexyl methacrylate, which have very different water solubility. In this polymerization technique, neat monomer is fed at a controlled rate over a monomer‐free aqueous solution of surfactant and initiator, to produce nanometer size particles with controlled molar masses, and high polymer/surfactant ratios similar to those used in conventional emulsion polymerization. For the two monomers studied at three different addition rates, model predictions accurately reproduce conversion‐versus‐time curves, the evolution of particle size, and the number density of particles. The model reveals that the controlling nucleation mechanism shifts from micellar to homogeneous nucleation as the monomer solubility in water increases.
Tailor Made Products by Smart Processes
Authors: Bott Thomas , Gerlinger Wolfgang , Barth Johannes
Published: March 2015

The article gives insight into current aspects of polymer reaction engineering and process development done at BASF research and outlines future trends of the working fields also with regard to globalization of R&D especially in Asia‐Pacific and China. From our perspective PRE will play a crucial role in development of new system solutions for current and future customer needs. Since applications generally become more sophisticated and customized, a change in the development workflow is required. For more successful product development in the future it should be beneficial to start at understanding of structure property relationships of a desired application rather than at synthesizing and screening new structures. Such a strategy termed by “application seeks product” should be based on the full set of established modeling tools, analytics, and new polymerization techniques.
Gradient‐modulated SWIFT
Authors: Zhang Jinjin , Idiyatullin Djaudat , Corum Curtis A. , Kobayashi Naoharu , Garwood Michael
Published: March 2015

Purpose

Methods designed to image fast‐relaxing spins, such as sweep imaging with Fourier transformation (SWIFT), often utilize high excitation bandwidth and duty cycle, and in some applications the optimal flip angle cannot be used without exceeding safe specific absorption rate (SAR) levels. The aim is to reduce SAR and increase the flexibility of SWIFT by applying time‐varying gradient‐modulation (GM). The modified sequence is called GM‐SWIFT.

Theory and Methods

The method known as gradient‐modulated offset independent adiabaticity was used to modulate the radiofrequency (RF) pulse and gradients. An expanded correlation algorithm was developed for GM‐SWIFT to correct the phase and scale effects. Simulations and phantom and in vivo human experiments were performed to verify the correlation algorithm and to evaluate imaging performance.

Results

GM‐SWIFT reduces SAR, RF amplitude, and acquisition time by up to 90%, 70%, and 45%, respectively, while maintaining image quality. The choice of GM parameter influences the lower limit of short T2* sensitivity, which can be exploited to suppress unwanted image haze from unresolvable ultrashort T2* signals originating from plastic materials in the coil housing and fixatives.

Conclusions

GM‐SWIFT reduces peak and total RF power requirements and provides additional flexibility for optimizing SAR, RF amplitude, scan time, and image quality. Magn Reson Med 75:537–546, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Urodynamic catheter moisture sensor: A novel device to improve leak point pressure detection
Authors: Marshall Blake R. , Arlen Angela M. , Kirsch Andrew J.
Published: March 2015

Aims

High‐quality urodynamic studies in patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction are important, as UDS may be the only reliable gauge of potential risk for upper tract deterioration and the optimal tool to guide lower urinary tract management. Reliance on direct visualization of leakage during typical UDS remains a potential source of error.

Methods

Given the necessity of accurate leak point pressures, we developed a wireless leak detection sensor to eliminate the need for visual inspection during UDS.

Results

A mean decrease in detrusor leak point pressure of 3 cm/H20 and a mean 11% decrease in capacity at leakage was observed when employing the sensor compared to visual inspection in children undergoing two fillings during a single UDS session.

Conclusion

Removing the visual inspection component of UDS may improve accuracy of pressure readings. Neurourol. Urodynam. 35:647–648, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A new finite element approach for solving three‐dimensional problems using trimmed hexahedral elements
Authors: Kim Hyun‐Gyu , Sohn Dongwoo
Published: March 2015

In this paper, a novel finite element approach is presented to solve three‐dimensional problems using trimmed hexahedral elements generated by cutting a simple block consisting of regular hexahedral elements with a computer‐aided design (CAD) surface. Trimmed hexahedral elements, which are polyhedral elements with curved faces, are placed at the boundaries of finite element models, and regular hexahedral elements remain in the interior regions. Shape functions for trimmed hexahedral elements are developed by using moving least square approximation with harmonic weight functions based on an extension of Wachspress coordinates to curved faces. A subdivision of polyhedral domains into tetrahedral sub‐domains is performed to construct shape functions for trimmed hexahedral elements, and numerical integration of the weak form can be carried out consistently over the tetrahedral sub‐domains. Trimmed hexahedral elements have similar properties to conventional finite elements regarding the continuity, the completeness, the node–element connectivity, and the inter‐element compatibility. Numerical examples for three‐dimensional linear elastic problems with complex geometries show the efficiency and effectiveness of the present method. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Frictional contact analysis of functionally graded materials with Lagrange finite block method
Authors: Li M. , Lei M. , Munjiza A. , Wen P. H.
Published: March 2015

Based on the one‐dimensional differential matrix derived from the Lagrange series expansion, the finite block method was recently developed to solve both the elasticity and transient heat conduction problems of anisotropic and functionally graded materials. In this paper, the formulation of the Lagrange finite block method with boundary type in the strong form is presented and applied to non‐conforming contact problems for the functionally graded materials subjected to either static or dynamic loads. The first order partial differential matrices are only needed both in the governing equations and in the Neumann boundary condition. By introducing the mapping technique, a block of quadratic type is transformed from the Cartesian coordinate of global system to the normalized coordinate with eight seeds. Time dependent partial differential equations are analyzed in the Laplace transformed domain and the Durbin's inversion method is applied to determine all the physical values in the time domain. Conforming and non‐conforming contacts are investigated by using the iterative algorithm with full load technique. Illustrative numerical examples are given and comparisons have been made with analytical solutions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modeling of cement hydration in high performance concrete structures with hybrid finite elements
Authors: de Freitas J. A. Teixeira , Cuong P. T. , Faria Rui
Published: March 2015

A hybrid finite element formulation is used to model the hygro‐thermo‐chemical process of cement hydration in high performance concrete. The temperature and the relative humidity fields are directly approximated in the domain of the element using naturally hierarchical bases independent of the mapping used to define its geometry. This added flexibility in modeling implies the independent approximation of the heat and moisture flux fields on the boundary of the element, the typical feature of hybrid finite element formulations. The formulation can be implemented using coarse and, eventually, unstructured meshes, which may contain elements with high aspect ratios, an option that can be advantageously used in the simulation of the casting of concrete structural elements. The resulting solving system is sparse and well suited to adaptive refinement and parallelization. It is solved coupling a trapezoidal time integration rule with an adaptation of the Newton–Raphson method designed to preserve symmetry. The relative performance of the formulation is assessed using a set of testing problems supported by experimental data and results obtained with conventional (conform) finite elements. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Developing a Fidelity Assessment Instrument for Nurse Home Visitors
Authors: Black Kirsten J. , Wenger Mary Beth , O’ Fallon Molly
Published: March 2015

Fidelity monitoring is a core component for successful translation of evidence‐based interventions, yet little guidance is available on developing tools to assess intervention fidelity that are valid and feasible for use in community settings. We partnered with nurses in the field to develop a fidelity monitoring instrument that would capture the essential elements of the nursing intervention that is the core of Nurse‐Family Partnership, a prenatal and early childhood home visitation program. Using a grounded approach, we employed concept mapping to identify the salient behavioral characteristics associated with the program, and then, adapting Dreyfus’ model of skill development, created a tool to assess nurse home visitors (NHVs) according to their stage of growth. In a pilot, the Nursing Practice Assessment (NPA) form was used to assess 188 NHVs. The average time to complete the tool was 1 hour, and skill development stage was concordant with years of NHV experience. According to surveys of supervisors and NHVs, the tool captured the essential elements of the program model. Articulating the essential elements of each skill development stage can provide a foundation for professional development for NHVs. In response to feedback, online training modules were developed prior to large‐scale implementation in the field. The grounded methods used to develop the NPA enhanced its internal consistency and implementation feasibility and could be utilized by other public health nursing programs. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Preparation, microstructure, mechanical, and thermal properties of in situ polymerized polyimide/organically modified sericite mica composites
Authors: Zhang Qi , Li Duxin , Lai Dengwang , You Yilan , Ou Baoli
Published: March 2015

In this work, sericite mica was initially modified with a multi‐step procedure and the novel composites of polyimide (PI) with the organophilic sericite mica were subsequently synthesized via in situ polymerization technique. XRD patterns revealed d002‐spacing of clay was expanded from 0.99 to 2.77 nm. TEM photographs indicated majority of the organoclay exhibited an exfoliated morphology structure in composites with 5 wt% filler loading. Several critical properties of composites such as thermal stability, mechanical property, and storage modulus were tremendously enhanced with the increasing organoclay loading. Especially, the glass transition temperature of composites with 7 wt% organoclay addition revealed a 72°C increment compared with pristine PI, indicating greater improvement than the reported literature values. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:2243–2251, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
A first look at women's perspectives on noninvasive prenatal testing to detect sex chromosome aneuploidies and microdeletion syndromes
Authors: Agatisa Patricia K. , Mercer Mary Beth , Leek Angela C. , Smith Marissa B. , Philipson Elliot , Farrell Ruth M.
Published: March 2015

Objective

The aim of this study is to explore women's opinions about the use of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) to assess the risk of sex chromosome aneuploidies and microdeletion syndromes.

Methods

Focus groups were conducted with women who were currently pregnant or had recently delivered. Qualitative analysis using interpretive description was used to generate study findings.

Results

Thirty‐one women (mean age 32.4 years) participated in the focus groups. Participants were unfamiliar with sex chromosome aneuploidies but expressed support for the use of NIPT to detect these conditions. Participants were uncertain about the utility and actionability of receiving information about microdeletion syndromes with variable or unknown phenotypic expression. Participants voiced their desire to be informed of all conditions assessed by NIPT prior to testing. They considered clinicians to be the key provider of such information, although stated that patients have a responsibility to be knowledgeable prior to testing in order to support informed decision making.

Conclusions

The use of NIPT to identify sex chromosome aneuploidies and microdeletion syndromes will introduce new challenges for clinicians to ensure pregnant women have the information and resources to make informed choices about NIPT when used for these conditions. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Heart failure: key points and recent developments in management
Authors: Davis Russell
Published: March 2015

Treatment of heart failure is evolving rapidly. Our drug review highlights recent developments in diagnosis and management and emerging new therapies.
Lurasidone: new SGA for schizophrenia in adults
Authors: Chaplin Steve , Weatherdon Georgina , Taylor Mark
Published: March 2015

Our new products review presents the clinical data relating to the efficacy and safety of lurasidone and discusses its place in the treatment of schizophrenia.
Low back pain: diagnosis and management
Authors: Cowen Ruth , Towlerton Glyn
Published: March 2015

Lower back pain is defined as pain in the lumbosacral area and should be classified according to the underlying mechanism. Here, the authors discuss assessment and recommended management.
The MJO skeleton model with observation‐based background state and forcing
Authors: Ogrosky H. Reed , Stechmann Samuel N.
Published: March 2015

The Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) skeleton model, a nonlinear oscillator model, has previously been shown to have solutions which exhibit several features in common with observed MJOs. In prior studies, model solutions have been found using mathematically simple (constant or sinusoidal) identical moistening and radiative forcing functions. Here we investigate whether this model can also produce realistic regional variability. To do this, observation‐based forcing functions are prescribed for latent heat flux and radiative cooling, and model solutions –both linear and nonlinear –are studied. In the stochastic nonlinear model, solutions reproduce the climatological mean convective activity well and the climatological variance reasonably well for such a simple model. In the linearized model, the solutions are found to contain additional structure including a realistic wave envelope of convective activity centred over the warm pool. These linear solutions are then used to identify and compare significant MJO activity in both reanalysis data and stochastic model solutions. Additional potential uses for these analytical and numerical solutions are discussed.
Association of human papillomavirus with Fanconi anemia promotes carcinogenesis in Fanconi anemia patients
Authors: Liu Guang Bin , Chen Jiezhong , Wu Zhan He , Zhao Kong‐Nan
Published: March 2015

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare recessive disorder associated with chromosomal fragility. FA patients are at very high risk of cancers, especially head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas caused by infection of human papillomaviruses (HPVs). By integrating into the host genome, HPV oncogenes E6 and E7 drive the genomic instability to promote DNA damage and gene mutations necessary for carcinogenesis in FA patients. Furthermore, E6 and E7 oncoproteins not only inhibit p53 and retinoblastoma but also impair the FANC/BRCA signaling pathway to prevent DNA damage repair and alter multiple signals including cell‐cycle checkpoints, telomere function, cell proliferation, and interference of the host immune system leading to cancer development in FA patients. In this review, we summarize recent advances in unraveling the molecular mechanisms of FA susceptibility to HPV‐induced cancers, which facilitate rational preventive and therapeutic strategies. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Potential Impacts of Stream Crossing Traffic On Macroinvertebrate Communities in the Missouri Ozark River
Authors: Heth R. L. S. , Bowles D. E. , Havel J. E.
Published: March 2015

Depending on intensity, physical disturbance can either decrease or increase diversity of stream macroinvertebrate communities. Recreational activities in parks are one component of physical disturbance. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of stream crossings and recreational traffic on macroinvertebrate assemblages. Five stream‐crossing sites were sampled during winter and summer in the Current River, Ozarks National Scenic Riverways, Missouri, USA. Stream‐crossing traffic was assessed using trail cameras. At each site, macroinvertebrates were collected from four locations: riffle upstream of crossing, riffle immediately downstream of crossing and second and third riffles downstream of crossing. We compared sites and locations within sites using standard metrics (taxa richness, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera richness, biotic index and diversity) and their composite stream condition index (SCI) plus multivariate analyses (Nonmetric multidimensional scaling and correlations). Stream crossings had no detectable impacts on macroinvertebrate communities in winter, but in summer location, effects were present. Patterns in SCI scores across locations varied among sites, with no consistent declines in macroinvertebrate diversity downstream of crossings. Longitudinal stream effects dominated over potential stream‐crossing effects on macroinvertebrate communities. Overall, high SCI scores indicated that current levels of stream crossings and traffic in this scenic riverway do not pose a threat to macroinvertebrate communities at the spatial and temporal scale of this study. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Combination of In Situ Microscopy and Calorimetry to Study Austenite Decomposition in Inclusion Engineered Steels
Authors: Mu Wangzhong , Shibata Hiroyuki , Hedström Peter , Jönsson Pär Göran , Nakajima Keiji
Published: March 2015

In situ high temperature confocal laser scanning microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry studies of ferrite formation in inclusion engineered (Ti2O3 and TiN) steels have been performed. The applied methodology allows distinction between intragranular ferrite, grain boundary ferrite, and pearlite. The effect of the inclusions and cooling rates on the initiation of phase transformation and the final microstructure is discussed. It is concluded that the applied hybrid methodology could provide vital details of solid‐state phase transformations within the field of inclusion engineering.
Study on the properties of space charge and breakdown for epoxy–paper composites
Authors: Cao Wen , Shen Wei , Wu Kai
Published: March 2015

The properties of space charge and breakdown in epoxy/paper composites are studied in this paper. The results show that the breakdown voltage of the epoxy/paper composite is lower than that of the epoxy under AC voltage but is higher under DC voltage. In order to explain this phenomenon, the space charge behavior is investigated. In epoxy/paper composites, the space charges easily accumulate at the epoxy/paper interface at low fields, and the electric field distribution is highly deformed. However, the amount of interface charges decreases with increasing voltage, leading to a more uniform field distribution in the composites. This behavior is different from that of the pure epoxy, resulting in the different breakdown properties of pure epoxy and epoxy/paper composites. © 2015 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Aggregated transfer function for smart grid FastADR feedback control of wide area distributed building facilities
Authors: Fukazawa Taro , Kiyota Akihisa , Ninagawa Chuzo
Published: March 2015

Feedback control of fast automated demand response (FastADR) is gaining much attention for load frequency control (LFC) of the future smart grids. We propose a single aggregated transfer function for feedback control of power consumption of a cluster of wide‐area‐distributed building air‐conditioner facilities. An example of aggregated transfer function is derived from the measured step responses of the loads, and the effectiveness of the approximation for control properties is confirmed by simulations. © 2015 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Develop tools to enable a ‘zero‐stop’ office
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: March 2015

Staff members in John Papinchak's office joke that they don't like to say “no.” Instead, they say, “Let's consider our options.”
Effects of halloysite nanotubes on the properties of polypropylene/(recycled natural rubber gloves)/(halloysite nanotubes composites)
Authors: Ismail H. , Tan B.K. , Suharty Neng Sri , Husseinsyah Salmah , Supri A.G.
Published: March 2015

The polypropylene/(recycled natural rubber gloves)/(halloysite nanotubes) (PP/rNRg/HNTs) composites were prepared by using an internal mixer. The effect of HNTs loading on processibility, tensile properties, thermal stability, and morphology of PP/rNRg/HNTs composites were investigated. The stabilization torque increased with HNTs loading. Two parts by weight per hundred parts of resin of HNTs‐filled PP/rNRg/HNTs composites shows the highest tensile strength. The scanning electron micrographs show good dispersion of HNTs and good filler‐matrix interaction, particularly at 2 parts by weight per hundred parts of resin of HNTs. The incorporation of HNTs also improved the thermal stability of PP/rNRg/HNTs composite. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 22:487–491, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Generating invariants for non-linear loops by linear algebraic methods
Authors: Rebiha Rachid , Moura Arnaldo Vieira , Matringe Nadir
Published: March 2015

We present new computational methods that can automate the discovery and the strengthening of non-linear interrelationships among the variables of programs containing non-linear loops, that is, that give rise to multivariate polynomial and fractional relationships. Our methods have complexities lower than the mathematical foundations of the previous approaches, which used Gröbner basis computations, quantifier eliminations or cylindrical algebraic decompositions. We show that the preconditions for discrete transitions can be viewed as morphisms over a vector space of degree bounded by polynomials. These morphisms can, thus, be suitably represented by matrices. We also introduce fractional and polynomial consecution, as more general forms for approximating consecution. The new relaxed consecution conditions are also encoded as morphisms represented by matrices. By so doing, we can reduce the non-linear loop invariant generation problem to the computation of eigenspaces of specific morphisms. Moreover, as one of the main results, we provide very general sufficient conditions allowing for the existence and computation of whole loop invariant ideals. As far as it is our knowledge, it is the first invariant generation methods that can handle multivariate fractional loops.
Effects of environmental factors on key kinetic parameters relevant to pitting corrosion
Authors: Woldemedhin M. T. , Srinivasan J. , Kelly R. G.
Published: March 2015

Experiments using stainless steel artificial pit (lead-in-pencil) electrodes in ferric chloride and lithium chloride solutions were performed in order to determine the effects of key environmental factors such as chloride concentration and pH of the bulk solution on the central parameters utilized to characterize the pitting phenomenon—the repassivation potential Erp and the pit stability product under a salt film (i · x)saltfilm. For all the stainless steel alloys studied, a relative independence of the Erp to the pit depth was observed once sufficient anodic charge had been passed. The pit stability product under a salt film was seen to be largely insensitive to the pH of the bulk solution. Erp, on the other hand, was fairly independent of bulk pH only at the lower chloride concentrations of both lithium chloride and ferric chloride solutions. The two parameters were affected differently by variation in the chloride concentration of the bulk solutions. Increasing the chloride concentration resulted in a decrease in the value of (i · x)saltfilm for all alloys in both solutions. In ferric chloride, the value of Erp increased with increasing chloride concentration for Custom 465 and the austenitic steels, whereas it decreased across the same range for 17–4 pH. These trends were explained qualitatively using solution conductivity and alloying composition arguments. Finally, the results obtained from this study allowed for a rationalization of the phenomenology, enabling a method of measurement of the diffusion coefficient and the concentration at saturation of the “stainless steel cation” within the pit, both of which agreed well with values obtained from the existing literature.
Modified Brachioradialis Wrap for Stabilizing the Distal Radioulnar Joint: Case Report
Authors: Marinello Patrick G. , Peers Sebastian , Bafus Blaine T. , Evans Peter J.
Published: March 2015

Distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) stability requires competent static and dynamic soft tissues. Multiple DRUJ techniques have been described in the literature. Our method is a novel modification of the Gupta method of DRUJ stabilization used in a revision reconstruction on a patient with a total wrist arthroplasty. A brachioradialis graft is harvested and tunneled through Parona's space volar to the pronator quadratus and through the muscle body. The tendon is then brought dorsal between the radius and ulna to the dorsal side of the distal ulna and sutured to the floor of the 5th extensor compartment, as well as to the surrounding extensor reticulum ulnar to the 6th compartment with nonabsorbable sutures. Our modification of the method described by Gupta prevents ulnar subluxaton of the extensor carpal ulnaris (ECU), allows the tendon graft construct to more adequately resist volar translation of the radius, and thus acts like a leash to pull the radius dorsally to the stationary ulna. This modification gives the graft a better force vector to resist the volar translation of the distal radius. We are able to present successful 30-month follow-up of this procedure.
Pedagogies That Explore Food Practices: Resetting the Table for Improved Eco-Justice
Authors: Harris Carol E. , Barter Barbara G.
Published: March 2015

As health threats appear with increasing regularity in our food systems and other food crises loom worldwide, we look to rural areas to provide local and nutritious foods. Educationally, we seek approaches to food studies that engage students and their communities and, ultimately, lead to positive action. Yet food studies receive only generic coverage and tangential attention within existing curricula. This article, reporting a pilot study located at Canada's geographic and cultural edge, focuses on local knowledge about past and present food practices. Objectives are to test pedagogies that bring all students greater opportunities for engagement and learning about their physical environment and food history, and that can be applied to rural and, with modifications, urban settings. Three critical, place-base pedagogical approaches — experiential, discovery and arts-based — to classroom teaching and learning are discussed, as well as implications for educational leadership, teacher training and curriculum development.
Visuospatial Learning in Traumatic Brain Injury: An Examination of Impairments using the Computerised Austin Maze Task
Authors: Honan Cynthia A. , McDonald Skye , Fisher Alana
Published: March 2015

An important aspect of cognitive functioning that is often impaired following traumatic brain injury (TBI) is visuospatial learning and memory. The Austin Maze task is a measure of visuospatial learning that has a long history in both clinical neuropsychological practice and research, particularly in individuals with TBI. The aim of this study was to evaluate visuospatial learning deficits following TBI using a new computerised version of the Austin Maze task. Twenty-eight individuals with moderate-to-severe TBI were compared to 28 healthy controls on this task, together with alternative neuropsychological measures, including the WAIS-III Digit Symbol and Digit Span subtests, the Trail Making Test, WMS-III Logical Memory, and Rey Osterrieth Complex Figure Test. The results demonstrated that TBI individuals performed significantly more poorly on the Austin Maze task than control participants. The Austin Maze task also demonstrated good convergent and divergent validity with the alternative neuropsychological measures. Thus, the computerised version of the Austin Maze appears to be a sensitive measure that can detect visuospatial learning impairments in individuals with moderate-to-severe TBI. The new computerised version of the task offers much promise in that it is more accessible and easier to administer than the conventional form of the test.
The European Union Integrated Political Crisis Response Arrangements: Improving the European Union’s Major Crisis Response Coordination Capacities
Authors: de Miguel Beriain Iñigo , Atienza-Macías Elena , Armaza Emilio Armaza
Published: March 2015

In recent years, the European Union (EU) has progressively assumed more and more of a primary role in crisis response coordination. The EU Integrated Political Crisis Response arrangements (IPCR) were recently approved to facilitate this task. These new agreements, which substitute for the Crisis Coordination Agreements, will add more flexibility to crisis response mechanisms in the EU. They will also strengthen cooperation between the different relevant agents in a major crisis situation and create new useful tools, such as the Integrated Situational Awareness and Analysis. Their real performance still needs to be fully tested, but some weakness can already be foreseen. This article provides a deep analysis of this new legislation. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:234-238)
FURTHER BULLAE FROM SELEUCIA ON THE TIGRIS
Authors: Messina Vito
Published: March 2015

This paper makes available clay sealings found during the last campaigns of the Italian expedition at Seleucia on the Tigris whose publication was delayed by the 1990–91 Gulf War. The sealings were discovered in the North Agora—where a large archive building containing more than 25,000 sealings was also unearthed—and provide additional information on the iconography and style of the subjects impressed on their surfaces by official and private seals. Most of the sealings were found in the context of the stoa, a public building facing the archive on the opposite side of the agora, but seem to have been displaced there accidentally or for some reason, difficult to ascertain, only at a later date: originally they were probably kept in the archive building itself.
THE BEGINNING OF THE EARLY DYNASTIC PERIOD AT UR
Authors: Benati Giacomo
Published: March 2015

This article presents a reconsideration of the architecture, stratigraphy and finds from Building Level H, excavated in Trial Pit F at Ur. Analysis of Woolley's original excavation records, kept at the British Museum, provides the basis for a contextual reconstruction. A new complete study of published and unpublished materials now housed at the British Museum and at the Penn Museum of Philadelphia is offered here. Distribution of in situ artefacts is examined here in order to provide insights on the function of the excavated loci. Finally, pottery and glyptic assemblages, considered from a regional perspective, are used to define the chronological horizon of Level H.
BACK TO SENNACHERIB'S AQUEDUCT AT JERWAN: A REASSESSMENT OF THE TEXTUAL EVIDENCE
Authors: Fales F. M. , Del Fabbro R.
Published: March 2015

The aqueduct in limestone blocks at Jerwan in the present day Dohuk region of Iraqi Kurdistan is one of the most imposing monuments erected by the Assyrian king Sennacherib (704–681 b.c.) as part of his vast hydraulic program for Nineveh. This aqueduct, subject of a precise and innovative, albeit brief, investigation by Thorkild Jacobsen and Seton Lloyd in 1933, was re-examined in September 2012 by the two authors with an eye to the cuneiform texts engraved on the stone surfaces. The present study is aimed at a survey of the various specimens of royal inscriptions A–C, in their various occurrences and in relation to the architectural features of the monument; specifically, a new geographical analysis of inscription B is suggested. An updated contextual overview is provided of the approximately 200 inscribed blocks bearing so-called “inscription D”, benefitting from new collations. Finally, working hypotheses are presented on the probable place of origin of this text, and on the historical phase in which the puzzling placement of its written components could have taken place.
ON THE ALEKSANDROV–RASSIAS PROBLEM OF DISTANCE PRESERVING MAPPINGS
Authors: WANG SHUMING , REN WEIYUN
Published: March 2015

In this paper, we introduce the concept of a semi-parallelogram and obtain some results for the Aleksandrov–Rassias problem using this concept. In particular, we resolve an important case of this problem for mappings preserving two distances with a nonintegral ratio.
Molecular characterization and phylogeny ofKalotermespopulations from the Levant, and description ofKalotermes phoeniciaesp. nov.
Authors: Ghesini S. , Marini M.
Published: March 2015

The presence of the yellow-necked drywood termite,Kalotermes flavicollisFabr., has been reported along most of the Mediterranean coasts of Europe, Africa and Asia. While morphological and genetic data exist on EuropeanK. flavicollispopulations from western and central Mediterranean regions, data on eastern MediterraneanKalotermesare scarce, and no genetic data exist to date. In this study, we analyzed 17Kalotermessp. colonies from 11 localities in the Levant (Cyprus, Lebanon, and Israel), in order to characterize genetically (mitochondrial DNA: COII, 16S, and control region) these populations. We found that samples from the Levant are genetically different fromK. flavicollis, with distance values falling in the range of interspecific distances. In the phylogeny of EuropeanKalotermespopulations, samples from the Levant form a clade of their own, sister to a clade includingK. flavicollisandKalotermes italicus. Inside the eastern Mediterranean clade, all the samples from Cyprus are included in a well-supported subclade, suggesting that the colonization of the island might have occurred in a single event. These findings show that the populations we examined do not belong to the speciesK. flavicollis, but to a new species peculiar to the Levant, that we describe asKalotermes phoeniciaesp. nov. It is possible that previous reports ofK. flavicollisin this region can be attributed toK. phoeniciae.
Inheritance of photoperiodic control of larval diapause in the Asian corn borer Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée)
Authors: Xiao L. , He H.M. , Zhong P.S. , Fu S. , Chen C. , Xue F.S.
Published: March 2015

The Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis enters diapause as fully grown larvae. Owing to geographical variation in photoperiodic control of diapause, the subtropical strain from Hefei city (HF) enters diapause in response to short daylengths, whereas the tropical strain from Ledong county (LD) exhibits almost no diapause under the same conditions. The two strains were used in crosses to study the inheritance of diapause. The HF strain showed a typical long-day response with a critical daylength of approximately14.97 h at 22 °C, 14.60 h at 25 °C and 13.68 h at 28 °C. The LD strain showed weak photoperiodic responses at 22 and 25 °C; and the F1 progeny also showed a long-day response with significantly shorter critical daylength compared with the HF strain. However, the LD × HF (F × M) crosses had significantly longer critical daylengths than HF × LD crosses, indicating a sexual bias in the inheritance of diapause induction, with the male parent having more influence on the F1 progeny. The critical daylength in a backcross to HF was significantly longer than a backcross to LD. Whether the inheritance of diapause fits an additive hypothesis or not depended on photoperiod, with results from different photoperiods showing additive inheritance or incomplete dominance of either diapause or non-diapause. Unlike diapause induction, the duration of diapause for reciprocal crosses was equally influenced by each parent, suggesting that diapause incidence and maintenance are controlled by separate systems in O. furnacalis.
Putting Habib Abdurrahim in His Place: Genealogy, Scale, and Islamization in Seunagan, Indonesia
Authors: Birchok Daniel Andrew
Published: March 2015

In this paper I argue that the ways in which a genealogical idiom brings together multiple scales of space and time is as important to its social, political, or religious efficacy as the particular people, places, and events it incorporates. To illustrate this point, I turn to the unusual patrilineal genealogy of Habib Abdurrahim, a nineteenth-century descendant of the Prophet Muhammad buried in the Indonesian region of Seunagan. Since the late 1950s, Habib Abdurrahim's descendants have cultivated a version of his patriline emphasizing five prominent figures. This constellation of figures, together with the relationships Muslims in Seunagan foster with each of the five, produce configurations of spatial-temporal scale through which local Muslims inscribe themselves as participants in several Islamic pasts: the establishment of Seunagan's customary practice, the Islamization of the Indonesian nation, and Islam's cosmic history. Narrative, social, and ritual practices surrounding Habib Abdurahim's patriline link Muslims in Seunagan to the multiple scales that inhere in the genealogy, encouraging them to see themselves as actors within entwined and unfolding histories of Islamization.
Michael Cusack and the revival of Gaelic games in Ulster
Authors: McAnallen Dónal
Published: March 2015

Ulster has not yet been invaded systematically, but from the information we have received, many important centres are taking to the fields in the most enthusiastic manner'. Thus wrote Gaelic Athletic Association (G.A.A.) founder Michael Cusack in 1885. It was fashionable then to refer to a national sports party ‘invading’ another land to exhibit a sport to the host country, but Cusack was probably parodying unionist depictions of recent nationalist political campaigns in the north-east as ’invasions’ – a term that itself mocked nationalism and its southern promoters as foreign entities in the north.
Faecal egg counts and expulsion dynamics of the whipworm, Trichuris trichiura following self-infection
Authors: Hansen E.P. , Tejedor A.M. , Thamsborg S.M. , Alstrup Hansen T.V. , Dahlerup J.F. , Nejsum P.
Published: March 2015

More than 400 million humans are estimated to be infected with the intestinal helminth parasite, Trichuris trichiura. The infection is chronic in nature and high-intensity infection can lead to colitis, anaemia, Trichuris Dysentery Syndrome and reduced cognitive performance. Single doses of 400 mg albendazole or 500 mg mebendazole (MBZ) are used in mass drug administration programmes, but this has been shown to be insufficient. In this study, worm expulsion dynamics are described after MBZ treatment, given as a multi-dose and single-dose treatment in two separate T. trichiura self-infection studies. Worm expulsion dynamics post-treatment showed a similar pattern regardless of the dose regime, with the first worms observed on day 2 and the last worms expelled on days 9 and 13 post-treatment. Establishment of a chronic infection was observed following the inefficient single-dose treatment. The prepatent period was 13–16 weeks in both studies and worms were found to have a lifespan of at least 1 year and 10 months. These self-infection studies provide key information on the chronicity of T. trichiura infections, expulsion dynamics after anthelmintic treatment and the prepatent period, as well as the fecundity of female worms, which was around 18,000 eggs/female per day.
The battle for Zimbabwe in 2013: from polarisation to ambivalence
Authors: Gallagher Julia
Published: March 2015

On the face of it, the triumph of Robert Mugabe and ZANU(PF) in the 2013 elections came as a shock, not least to opposition MDC activists. However, after a period of introspection, many have begun to construct a coherent and wide-ranging account of the result which explores opposition shortcomings, and the revived relationship between the electorate and Mugabe's ZANU(PF). This article, based on interviews with political activists conducted three months after the election, outlines and attempts to explain this account. It explores the way in which a politics of polarisation that dominated Zimbabwe in recent years appears to have given way to a politics of ambivalence: where Zimbabweans once viewed their political landscape as one populated by antinomies, they now see their state and its relation to themselves in more complex and ambiguous ways. As a result, Zimbabweans' conception of the state is increasingly coming to resemble Mbembe's formulation of states as contemporaneously ‘organizers of public happiness’ and wielders of arbitrary violence.
Monte Carlo method and High Performance Computing for solving Fokker–Planck equation of minority plasma particles
Authors: Hirvijoki E. , Kurki-Suonio T. , Äkäslompolo S. , Varje J. , Koskela T. , Miettunen J.
Published: March 2015

This paper explains how to obtain the distribution function of minority ions in tokamak plasmas using the Monte Carlo method. Since the emphasis is on energetic ions, the guiding-center transformation is outlined, including also the transformation of the collision operator. Even within the guiding-center formalism, the fast particle simulations can still be very CPU intensive and, therefore, we introduce the reader also to the world of high-performance computing. The paper is concluded with a few examples where the presented method has been applied.