bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Activity of Protein Kinase C-α Within the Subfornical Organ Is Necessary for Fluid Intake in Response to Brain Angiotensin
Authors: Coble Jeffrey P. , Johnson Ralph F. , Cassell Martin D. , Johnson Alan Kim , Grobe Justin L. , Sigmund Curt D.
Published: April 2014

Angiotensin-II production in the subfornical organ acting through angiotensin-II type-1 receptors is necessary for polydipsia, resulting from elevated renin–angiotensin system activity. Protein kinase C and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways have been shown to mediate effects of angiotensin-II in the brain. We investigated mechanisms that mediate brain angiotensin-II–induced polydipsia. We used double-transgenic sRA mice, consisting of human renin controlled by the neuron-specific synapsin promoter crossed with human angiotensinogen controlled by its endogenous promoter, which results in brain-specific overexpression of angiotensin-II, particularly in the subfornical organ. We also used the deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt model of hypertension, which exhibits polydipsia. Inhibition of protein kinase C, but not extracellular signal–regulated kinases, protein kinase A, or vasopressin V
1A
and V
2
receptors, corrected the elevated water intake of sRA mice. Using an isoform selective inhibitor and an adenovirus expressing dominant negative protein kinase C-α revealed that protein kinase C-α in the subfornical organ was necessary to mediate elevated fluid and sodium intake in sRA mice. Inhibition of protein kinase C activity also attenuated polydipsia in the deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt model. We provide evidence that inducing protein kinase C activity centrally is sufficient to induce water intake in water-replete wild-type mice, and that cell surface localization of protein kinase C-α can be induced in cultured cells from the subfornical organ. These experimental findings demonstrate a role for central protein kinase C activity in fluid balance, and further mechanistically demonstrate the importance of protein kinase C-α signaling in the subfornical organ in fluid intake stimulated by angiotensin-II in the brain.
Taxonomic notes on Dutch desmids VI (Streptophyta, Desmidiales): new species, newly described zygospores
Authors: VAN WESTEN MARIEN , COESEL PETER
Published: April 2014

From the Netherlands, three desmid species are newly described to science: Actinotaenium spinosporum (with zygospores), Staurastrum brachiatoides (with zygospores) and Staurastrum quadriradiatum. In addition to that, zygospores of the rather rare species Staurastrum echinatum are described for the first time. Differences with similar-looking species are discussed.
Third instars larvae of Gepus gibbosus Hölzel, 1968 (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontindae)
Authors: SATAR ALİ , TUSUN SADREDDİN , BOZDOĞAN HAKAN
Published: April 2014

The third instar larva of Gepus gibbosus Hölzel, 1968 are described and figured for the first time using light and scanning electron microscopy. The females were collected from Derik, Mardin Province, Turkey and maintained in the laboratory. The morphology of different parts of the larva such as head, mandibles, and antennae are described and illustrated. G. gibbosus is new for the Turkish fauna.
An Analysis of Secular Change in Tides at Open-Ocean Sites in the Pacific
Authors: Zaron Edward D. , Jay David A.
Published: April 2014

Hourly sea level is examined at 25 open-ocean stations in the Pacific Ocean with records longer than 30 yr. A search for trends finds that the amplitude of the dominant semidiurnal tide M2 is increasing at 12 of the 13 sites where a statistically significant trend can be identified. It is also found that nontidal variance in the neighborhood of M2 is decreasing at all 12 of the sites where a significant increase in M2 tide is occurring. The trend in amplitude of the dominant diurnal tide K1 is significant at six stations, and it is both increasing (four stations) and decreasing (two stations). The trend in semidiurnal-band variance suggests the hypothesis that increases in M2 could be caused by improvements in time keeping or data processing that would reduce the apparent phase variability of the tide. This possibility is examined and found to be the likely explanation for tidal trends at four stations. Local changes are found to explain the trend at two stations, Johnston Island and Mokuoloe, as diagnosed from correlated changes in nonlinear overtides and site history. Changes in M2 at the equatorial station of Kanton are significant and unexplained by either timing errors or local morphodynamics; although, strong nonlinear overtides are present. Changing tides at five stations in the western Pacific, Malakal, Yap, Saipan, Kapingamarangi, and Pohnpei cannot be explained by the above and suggest a region where a connection between climate and tides may yet be identified.
On the Treatment of the Supernatural by Zeba Crook
Authors: Bedard Stephen J.
Published: April 2014

In a recent article, New Testament scholar Zeba Crook argues that in order for the study of Christian Origins to be taken seriously alongside other academic disciplines, a naturalistic philosophy must be adopted. Currently, there is a blend of openness, agnosticism and rejection among New Testament scholars with regard to miracles in the New Testament. This article responds to the concerns about an openness to the supernatural and offers a suggestion on how the study of religion can remain an academic discipline apart from theology and yet still be open to supernatural explanations.
The European Court legitimates access of Italian couples to assisted reproductive techniques and to pre-implantation genetic diagnosis
Authors: Turillazzi Emanuela , Frati Paola , Busardò Francesco Paolo , Gulino Matteo , Fineschi Vittorio
Published: April 2014

On 28 August 2012, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued a judgment regarding the requirements for the legitimate access of couples to assisted reproductive techniques (ART) and to pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). This judgment concerns the case of an Italian couple who found out after their first child was born with cystic fibrosis that they were healthy carriers of the disease. When the woman became pregnant again in 2010 and underwent fetal screening, it was found that the unborn child also had cystic fibrosis, whereupon she had the pregnancy terminated on medical grounds. In order to have the embryo genetically screened prior to implantation under the procedure of PGD, the couple sought to use in vitro fertilisation to have another child. Since article 1 of the Italian law strictly limits access to ART to sterile/infertile couples or those in which the man has a sexually transmissible disease, the couple appealed to the European court, raising the question of the violation of articles 8 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The applicants lodged a complaint that they were not allowed legitimate access to ART and to PGD to select an embryo not affected by the disease. The European Court affirmed that the prohibition imposed by Italian law violated article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Focusing on important regulatory and legal differences among EU Nations in providing ART treatments and PGD, we derived some important similarities and differences.
Motivation of Public Managers as Raters in Performance Appraisal
Authors: Park Seejeen
Published: April 2014

The motivation of public managers to provide accurate personnel performance appraisals in the public sector is an unexplored area of study in public administration. This study provides preliminary steps in developing a rater motivation model (RMM) for the public administration field. The RMM is built using three primary determinants of rater motivation (felt accountability, incentive structures, and public service motivation). In addition, this study examines the variations in raters’ perceived rating accuracy depending on the existence of a reward system for accurate appraisers and an organizational forced distribution rating system. The sample consists of public officials working in various levels of the U.S. and Korean governments. This study uses confirmatory factor analysis to construct measures of rater motivation and multiple regression analysis to observe the relationship between the determinants and the rater’s perceived performance rating accuracy. The findings suggest that raters are significantly affected by all three determinants of rater motivation as well as by the presence of rewards for accurate appraisal and a forced distribution rating system. Implications for both the public administration literature and practice are suggested.
Making Collaborators Happy
Authors: Zhou Jing , Zhang Zhang-ran , Xie Tian
Published: April 2014

Collaboration is essential to public management. In the Chinese culture, collaborators’ satisfaction is considered key to quality of collaboration. Focusing on the role of negotiation in collaboration, this article presents an integrative negotiation theory that explores the development of collaborators’ satisfaction during negotiation process. Priming methodology was adapted to explore the causal relationship between collaborator’s level of satisfaction and its predicting variables, such as experienced emotions during negotiations and sense of profitability. The results were pertinent to the field of collaborative public management and negotiation.
Application of variable-speed ground-source heat pumps to displacement ventilation systems for use in sub-tropical regions
Authors: Lee CK , Lam HN
Published: April 2014

The merit of applying variable-speed ground-source heat pumps (VSGSHPs) to displacement ventilation (DV) systems was investigated for use in offices in Hong Kong. To improve the dehumidification capacity of the DV systems, a sensible heat recovery wheel was added between the mixed and supply air streams with a heat recovery effectiveness of 0.4. By maintaining the peak fluid temperature leaving the ground heat exchanger borefield after one year to be the same, the required borehole depth and the total energy consumption of the modified DV system were reduced by 16.8% and 19.4%, respectively, as compared to a conventional mixing ventilation system which employed a constant-speed ground-source heat pump. This enhanced the economic feasibility of applying ground-source heat pumps to sub-tropical regions.

Practical application: The high initial cost of ground-source heat pump systems is the main obstacle to their wide acceptance in actual practice, particularly for application to sub-tropical regions where the air-conditioning demand is cooling-dominated. The present study demonstrates a design strategy in which both the initial and running cost of the ground-source heat pump systems can be reduced, thus enhancing the economic feasibility of the systems.
Within-Person Variability in Job Performance
Authors: Dalal Reeshad S. , Bhave Devasheesh P. , Fiset John
Published: April 2014

Although both researchers and practitioners know that an employee’s performance varies over time within a job, this within-person performance variability is not well understood and in fact is often treated as error. In the current paper, we first identify the importance of a within-person approach to job performance and then review several extant theories of within-person performance variability that, despite vastly different foci, converge on the contention that job performance is dynamic rather than static. We compare and contrast the theories along several common metrics and thereby facilitate a discussion of commonalities, differences, and theory elaboration. In so doing, we identify important future research questions on within-person performance variability and methodological challenges in addressing these research questions. Finally, we highlight how the conventional practical implications articulated on the basis of a static, between-person perspective on job performance may need to be modified to account for the dynamic, within-person nature of performance.
On religion, politics and democratic legitimacy in Egypt, January 2011–June 2013
Authors: Hamzawy Amr
Published: April 2014

The relationship between religion and politics complicated efforts to develop a constitutional and legal framework for the post-revolution Egyptian state. During different stages of the transitional phase, this led to results that are dangerously misaligned with the principles of democracy and citizenship. During the period between 2011 and 2013, several constitutional and legal results emerged. New laws on the exercise of political rights, election procedures and political parties did not stipulate a ban on the use of religion for political, electoral, or partisan purposes. This provided a legal loophole for the use of religious slogans in politics and prevented the imposition of penalties on groups exploiting religious spaces for electoral campaigning and other political purposes. This situation is contradictory to inclusive, citizenship-based politics. It also leaves society vulnerable to serious risks related to political and partisan affiliations as well as to electoral behavior based on religious identity instead of ideas and goals common to all citizens, regardless of religion. In addition to the contradictions between the constitutional and legal results of the transitional phase and the principles of democracy and citizenship resulting from the mixing of religion and politics in post-revolution Egypt, another set of political contradictions resulted from the ongoing use of religion in politics by conflicting groups. These contradictions, among other factors, prevented the success of efforts to foster democracy, citizenship and power devolution.
The archaic and us
Authors: Rosati Massimo
Published: April 2014

This article is based on a paper given in December 2013 at a German–Italian workshop on Jürgen Habermas’ theory. Massimo Rosati had been studying Jürgen Habermas’ thought and classical sociology in the Durkheimian tradition for years. Because of his own Durkheimian reading of communicative action, he had been unsurprised when Habermas began to write systematically on religion. In this article, he addresses the new post-secular sensitivity to the remnants of mimetic and mythic worldviews within theoretical ones and discusses the sacred as a universal historical structure of human consciousness.
The new legitimation crises of Arab states and Turkey
Authors: Benhabib Seyla
Published: April 2014

The Arab Spring uprisings that led to the downfall of erstwhile authoritarian regimes in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya heralded the end of a state system introduced into the Middle East and North Africa by imperialist powers after the First World War. Characterized by an authoritarian model of modernization and secularization from above, these regimes are challenged by the rise of political Islam and its ideology of a transnational ‘ ummah’. Islamist parties that have come to power in Egypt and Tunisia, however, have proven remarkably unsuccessful in stabilizing governments and writing new constitutions. Are democracy and a religious revival compatible? What will replace the spent legitimacy of these regimes across the region? The legitimation crises of the Arab world have transnational dimensions as well as being influenced by the politics and attitudes of diasporic populations in Europe who need to contend with a different model of church–state relations referred to as ‘the Protestant model of religion’. Contemporary Turkey, which was often pointed to as a successful model of the synthesis of Islam with a pluralist representative democracy, is itself in the throes of another legitimation crisis in the aftermath of the Gezi Park protests which took place in the summer of 2013. What does all this bode for the region?
Polytrauma to right diaphragm, descending thoracic aorta, and innominate artery
Authors: Siddiqi Mohammad Salman , Sharma Ashok Kumar , Sabti Hilal Al
Published: April 2014

Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture with concomitant great vessel injuries is a catastrophic and life-threatening injury group that requires immediate identification and management. It can be both diagnostically and therapeutically very challenging. We report a case of combined traumatic diaphragmatic, aortic and innominate artery injuries, which was managed successfully. To have a fruitful outcome, management of this injury complex should preferably be staged depending on the hemodynamic stability of the patient. In a patient with traumatic diaphragmatic injuries, one should also have a high index of suspicion of associated great vessel injuries.
Treatment of Large Knee Osteochondral Lesions With a Biomimetic Scaffold
Authors: Berruto Massimo , Delcogliano Marco , de Caro Francesca , Carimati Giulia , Uboldi Francesco , Ferrua Paolo , Ziveri Giovanni , De Biase Carlo Felice
Published: April 2014

Background:

Osteochondral knee lesions represent a challenging condition encountered by orthopaedic surgeons. A variety of methods have been developed to repair articular cartilage defects. However, these techniques are limited by donor site morbidity or by the requirement for a staged procedure.

Purpose:

To assess the effectiveness of a biomimetic osteochondral scaffold for the treatment of large osteochondral knee lesions.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

From 2009 to 2011, a total of 49 patients affected by isolated large osteochondral knee lesions (mean [± SD] size, 4.35 ± 1.26 cm2) were treated with the biomimetic scaffold. Patients were evaluated using the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Tegner, and visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, as well as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) up to 3-year follow-up. The MOCART (magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue) score was performed to analyze different variables. Biopsies were carried out in 5 patients. Four of the 5 second-look arthroscopies and biopsies were performed on patients with failed results because of ethical issues.

Results:

The mean IKDC subjective score increased significantly from 45.45 ± 19.29 preoperatively to 70.86 ± 18.08 at 1-year follow-up and to 75.42 ± 19.31 at 2-year follow-up ( P < .001). The IKDC objective score changed from 50% normal and nearly normal knees before treatment to 89.79% at the 2-year follow-up. There was a statistically significant improvement ( P < .005) in VAS score from the preoperative level (6.69 ± 1.88) to the 2-year follow-up (1.96 ± 2.47). Tegner scores increased ( P < .001) from the preoperative value (2.20 ± 0.67) to the 2-year follow-up (4.9 ± 1.73) without achieving preinjury level. A correlation was found between the IKDC subjective score and age ( P < .001, r = −0.497, ρ = −0.502). Patients affected by osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) achieved a statistically significantly better outcome ( P < .05). A subgroup of 19 competitive athletes showed a statistically significantly improvement ( P < .001) in the subjective IKDC (86.5 ± 13.2) compared with the nonathletic subpopulation (69.03 ± 19.41) at the 2-year follow-up. The MRI findings of 30 patients were available at 2-year follow-up: 70% showed complete filling of the lesion, 63.3% had an intact articular surface, and 86% had mild or no effusion. In all cases, in dual T2-weighted fast spin echo sequence, the repair tissue showed a hyperintensive signal with respect to the surrounding subchondral bone; however, no edema was observed.

Conclusion:

The study findings indicate that the biomimetic scaffold that was investigated is an off-the-shelf, cell-free, and cost-effective implant that can regenerate either cartilage or subchondral bone. The scaffold allows a 1-step surgical procedure that can be used for osteochondral lesions, OCD, and in some cases osteonecrosis.
Surgical Predictors of Early Revision Surgery After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Andernord Daniel , Björnsson Haukur , Petzold Max , Eriksson Bengt I. , Forssblad Magnus , Karlsson Jón , Samuelsson Kristian
Published: April 2014

Background:

An important objective of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) registries is to detect and report early graft failure and revision surgery after ACL reconstruction.

Purpose:

To investigate surgical variables and identify predictors of revision surgery after ACL reconstruction.

Study Design:

Prospective cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

This prospective cohort study was based on data from the Swedish National Knee Ligament Register during the years 2005 through 2011. Eight surgical variables were investigated: graft selection, graft width, single-bundle or double-bundle techniques, femoral graft fixation, tibial graft fixation, injury-to-surgery interval, injuries to menisci, and injuries to cartilage. The primary endpoint was the 2-year incidence of revision surgery. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated and adjusted for confounders by use of multivariate statistics.

Results:

A total of 13,102 patients were included (5541 women [42%] and 7561 men [58%]; P < .001). Hamstring tendon autografts accounted for 90% (11,764 patients) of all reconstructions, of which 96% were performed with a single-bundle technique (11,339 patients). Patellar tendon autografts accounted for the remaining 10% (1338 patients). At index reconstruction, observed injuries to menisci and cartilage were common (40% and 28%, respectively). The overall 2-year incidence of revision surgery was 1.60% (women, 1.57%; men, 1.63%; P = .854). Patients with metal interference screw fixation of a semitendinosus tendon autograft on the tibia had a significantly reduced risk of early revision surgery (RR = 0.32; 95% CI, 0.12-0.90; P = .031).

Conclusion:

Metal interference screw fixation of a semitendinosus tendon autograft on the tibia was an independent predictor of significantly lower 2-year incidence of revision surgery. Graft selection, graft width, a single-bundle or a double-bundle technique, femoral graft fixation, the injury-to-surgery interval, and meniscus injury were not predictors of early revision surgery.
Expressed Sense of Self by People With Alzheimer’s Disease in a Support Group Interpreted in Terms of Agency and Communion
Authors: Hedman Ragnhild , Hansebo Görel , Ternestedt Britt-Marie , Hellström Ingrid , Norberg Astrid
Published: April 2014

The self is constructed in cooperation with other people and social context influences how people perceive and express it. People with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) often receive insufficient support in constructing their preferred selves, but little is known about how they express themselves together with other people with AD. In accordance with Harré’s social constructionist theory of self, this study aimed to describe how five people with mild and moderate AD express their Self 2 (i.e., their personal attributes and life histories) in a support group with a facilitator experienced in communicating with people with AD. The participants’ expressions of their Self 2 were analyzed with qualitative abductive content analysis and interpreted in terms of agency and communion and a lack of agency and communion. The findings highlight the importance of supporting a sense of agency and communion when assisting people with AD in constructing their self.
Quality of Life and Psychological Distress Among Older Adults
Authors: Henning-Smith Carrie
Published: April 2014

This study asks (a) What are the relationships between types of living arrangements and psychological well-being for older adults? and (b) How do these relationships differ by gender? Data come from the 2010 wave of the National Health Interview Survey and include non-institutionalized adults aged 65 and older ( N = 4,862). Dependent variables include self-rated quality of life and psychological distress. The study finds that older adults living alone or with others fare worse than those living with a spouse only. Yet, the outcomes of different types of living arrangements for older adults vary by gender. Women living with others are at greater risk of worse quality of life and serious psychological distress than men. Programs and policies must be responsive to the diverse needs of this population, rather than attempting a “one-size-fits-all” approach to housing and community-based services designed to promote older adults’ psychological well-being and independence.
Induced Gamma Oscillations Differentiate Familiar and Novel Voices in Children With MECP2 Duplication and Rett Syndromes
Authors: Peters Sarika U. , Gordon Reyna L. , Key Alexandra P.
Published: April 2014

Normal levels of the methyl CpG–binding protein 2 (MeCP2) are critical to neurologic functioning, and slight alterations result in intellectual disability and autistic features. It was hypothesized that children with MECP2 duplication (overexpression of MeCP2) and Rett syndrome (underexpression of MeCP2) would exhibit distinct electroencephalographic (EEG) indices of auditory stimulus discrimination. In this study, gamma-band oscillatory responses to familiar and novel voices were examined and related to social functioning in 17 children (3-11 years old) with MECP2 duplication (n = 12) and Rett syndrome (n = 5). Relative to the stranger’s voice, gamma activity in response to the mother’s voice was increased in MECP2 duplication but decreased in Rett syndrome. In MECP2 duplication, greater mother versus stranger differences in gamma activity were associated with higher social functioning. For the first time, brain responses in a passive voice discrimination paradigm show that overexpression and underexpression of MeCP2 have differential effects on cortical information processing.
Cerebral Candidiasis in a 4-Year-Old Boy After Intestinal Surgery
Authors: Zhang Shu-Cheng
Published: April 2014

Cerebral candidiasis is a devastating disease which contributes to a high mortality. Most of the cerebral candidiasis are never microbiologically or radiologically confirmed. In this case, a 4-year-old boy who developed cerebral candidiasis was successfully rescued and presented. The diagnosis of cerebral candidiasis was established based on both microbiologic and radiologic examinations. The pathogen was revealed to be Candida albicans by cerebrospinal fluid and central venous catheter cultures, and the cerebral involvement was recorded by series head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with an appearance of special encephalitis demonstrated. The imaging studies played a critical role throughout the diagnosis and treatment. Familiarity with the imaging findings in the appropriate clinical setting may result in a heightened level of awareness of this infection and, consequently, in earlier diagnosis and treatment.
Fuel cell membranes of phosphoric acid–doped poly(benzimidazole/ether/siloxane/amide)/sulfonated polystyrene/silica nanoparticle nanocomposites
Authors: Kausar Ayesha
Published: April 2014

Poly(benzimidazole/ether/siloxane/amide) (PBESA) having siloxane and ether groups in the backbone has been prepared using 4-(3,4-diaminophenoxy)benzene-1,2-diamine, bis(carboxypropy)tetramethyldisiloxane, and 4,4′-oxydianiline via polyphosphoric acid processes with heating up to 160°C. The sulfonation of polystyrene (PS-S) was conducted using 98% sulfuric acid. Afterward, a series of hybrid membranes using PBESA/PS-S/silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) have been developed with 0.1–2 wt% nanofiller. Later, the membranes were doped with phosphoric acid and subjected to various characterization techniques. Field emission scanning electron micrographs (FESEMs) showed gyroid-like patterning of nanoporous membranes with uniform ionic pathways. Fine water retention capability and higher proton conductivity of new hybrids, owing to consistent porous membrane structure, were observed. Increasing the amount of nanoparticles (0.1–2 wt%) also enhanced the tensile stress of acid-doped PBESA/PS-S/SiNPs nanocomposites from 64.9 to 68.1 MPa. There existed a relationship between nanofiller loading and thermal stability of the membranes. The glass transition temperature of phosphoric acid–doped PBESA/PS-S/SiNPs nanocomposites increased from 202 to 214°C. The membranes also had fine ion exchange capacity (IEC) of around 2.5–3.7 mmol g−1. Novel membranes with high IEC value achieved high proton conductivity of 1.26–2.74 S cm−1 in a wide range of humidity values at 80°C, which was higher than that for perfluorinated Nafion® 117 membrane (1.1 × 10−1 S cm−1 at 80°C, 94% relative humidity (RH)). The fuel cell (hydrogen/oxygen) using PBESA/PS-S/SiNPs 2 (IEC 3.7 mmol g−1) showed better performance than that of Nafion® 117 at 40°C (30% RH).
Psychosocial Factors Involved in Transitions From College to Postcollege Careers for Male NCAA Division-1 Basketball Players
Authors: Cummins Paul , O’Boyle Ian
Published: April 2014

This article investigated the key psychosocial factors that impact upon National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division-1 male basketball players, as they transition from college to postcollege athletic or nonathletic careers. Participants ( N = 9) were current/former NCAA Division-1 basketball players. Four participants were selected based on their current transition status and five were selected based on their previous transition success. Qualitative semistructured interviews were used to examine participants’ perceptions of current and postcollege transitions for the relevant groups. Interviews were based on the developmental model of Wylleman and Lavallee and the model of human adaptation to transition. Using grounded theory methodology, five categories were identified that relate to the transitioning process as experienced by the research sample. Research limitations and implications arising from this exploratory examination are discussed.
Novel control strategies for roll/pitch stabilization of tank wagons
Authors: Nahidi Asal , Younesian Davood
Published: April 2014

In this paper, novel control strategies are proposed to suppress the sloshing phenomenon in tank wagons. Surface liquid movement can cause additional oscillations in the car body, and consequently, the dynamic stability of the rail car experiences additional problems. Lateral and longitudinal surface movements of liquid are modeled and simulated. In the proposed methodology, part of the liquid is isolated in a tube in order to provide the essential inertia in passive and active vibration absorbers. The performance of different vibration-absorbing systems including the tuned mass damper, delayed resonator and nonlinear energy sink are evaluated in a variety of loading situations. Dynamic stability is measured in terms of Nadal’s criterion and the unloading quotient is determined as an auxiliary index and compared with limiting criteria. It is found that an appropriately designed and installed control system can passively absorb and locally dissipate a major portion of the kinetic energy of the car body, up to an optimal value of 65%.
Increasing metro line capacity by optimisation of track circuit in a speed code Automatic Train Protection system
Authors: Mera JM , Carabaño E , Soler M , Castellote E
Published: April 2014

When analyzing a railway operation, multiple issues must be taken into account to obtain the best results in terms of safety, efficiency and flexibility. In this project, carried out in collaboration between CITEF and a European metro line, a tool has been developed and implemented. Based on the line data provided by the metro line, the signalling system (distance to go/speed signalling), the main characteristics of the rolling stock, etc., information can be obtained for modelling/modifying the line, changing or removing/inserting track circuits or even changing the maximum running speeds on those track circuits. Travel times, line frequencies, bottlenecks, and degraded conditions are also analyzed from the simulations, so that finally the best headway to be implemented on the line can be proposed for the user, who is able to know how to improve the main line features like capacity and frequency of trains. Integrating distance to go and speed signalling into the set of parameters, is another capability proposed. Fundamental information on the signalling system capacity can be obtained simply by running the algorithms designed for this task along with the changes in order to carry it out.
Languages of suffering
Authors: Brinkmann Svend
Published: April 2014

Human beings are meaning-making creatures, who not only suffer in an immediately felt way, but who can interpret and articulate their discontents through the use of language. The goal of this article is to map different languages of suffering that have been—and still are—in use, when human beings make sense of their problems in living. I argue that our current conception of suffering has been pathologized and biomedicalized with the diagnostic manuals serving as a significant source from which a diagnostic language of suffering emanates. I briefly present four other languages of suffering—religious, existential, moral, and political ones—that are today often delegitimatized by the dominant psychiatric language. Building on pragmatist and hermeneutic philosophies, my goal is to argue that different languages enable different forms of understanding and action, and that we need many different languages in order to fully understand the human condition.
The Play of the Semiotic and the Symbolic: The Authenticity of the Life of Mother Maria Skobtsova
Authors: Bauerova Katerina
Published: April 2014

This article deals with the issue of innovation in church tradition, more specifically in Orthodoxy. Using as an example the admittedly untypical life of Mother Maria Skobtsova (1891–1945), an Orthodox nun living in France after the 1917 revolution in Russia, the article shows how the creative moments of her life, which shaped the church tradition in exile, can be also viewed from a psychoanalytical perspective. With the help of French psychoanalyst Julia Kristeva, the creative changes Mother Maria brought to church tradition can be seen as the play of the semiotic and the symbolic within the Symbolic order: the maternal, imaginatively associative, less conscious and the paternal, regulated, structured and regulated. The subversive forces of the semiotic – madness, holiness and poetry – observed in Mother Maria’s life, brought new and living possibilities into the theology of Orthodox diaspora.
Pure Complexity: Mary Daly’s Catholic Legacy
Authors: Hunt Mary E.
Published: April 2014

Mary Daly had a complicated relationship to the Catholic tradition. While it is commonly assumed that she rejected it thoroughly, this article offers a more nuanced look at the various ways in which it shaped her thinking. What is clear is that she had a decisive impact on the Catholic tradition, indeed on religion in general. Language about the divine, images of deities, human participation in things spiritual will never be the same after her thorough-going feminist critique. Her legacy is multi-faceted like the woman herself.
Deborah: A Paradigm for Christian Women’s Active Participation in Nigerian Governance
Authors: Olusola Adesanya Ibiyinka
Published: April 2014

In Nigeria, available data revealed that most women – especially Christian women – are poorly represented in the political arena. The paper provides an in-depth analysis of the need for Christian women to be actively involved in Nigerian governance. The leadership quality, style and successes of Deborah in the Bible is used as a case study, to encourage Nigerian Christian women to show interest in political offices so that they can help to remove the scourge of human indignity that is plaguing the country. The paper explores some of the factors that are holding Christian women back from being involved in governance. This is achieved with reference to relevant books and personal interviews. Some of the factors identified as the constraints that keep women inactive in governance are socio-cultural constraints, violence that characterized governance, organization constraints, the poor leadership examples of some women, and economic and domestic workload. The paper therefore recommended that Interested and virtuous Christian women should come on board like Deborah to contribute their own quota to the progress and growth of Nigeria.
Eroticism and Mysticism as a Transgression of Boundaries: the Song of Songs 5: 2–8 and the Mystical Texts of Mechthild of Magdeburg
Authors: Perintfalvi Rita
Published: April 2014

This paper presents the structural connections between eroticism and mysticism on the basis of two text sources: there are some texts of ‘The flowing light of the Godhead’ of Mechthild of Magdeburg and the Song of Songs 5: 2–8. Both texts represent a call for transgressions, since without these the experience of God is not possible. Eroticism as well as mysticism strives for the transcendental experience of union. This is however only to be attained in ecstasy, in a state of the Ego out of itself where the border separating one from the other is transgressed. This results in an unexpected and incomparable experience where no more boundaries between ‘You and Me’ are perceivable. Therefore eroticism is a sort of sacred reality that leads to the experience of the transcendent and divine and through it to the existential transubstantiation of the person.
Christianity and the Climate Crisis: Theological Assets and Deficits
Authors: Waschenfelder Jacob
Published: April 2014

This essay examines the complex relationship between Christianity and the climate crisis. It first looks at theological convictions found in statements made by church leaders meant to advance Christian engagement. It then examines the now legendary acerbic attacks made by historian Lynn White in the late 1960s, criticizing these same theological convictions for actually disabling environmental engagement. Centrally, it then turns to the progressive, eco-theology of Sallie McFague who, while echoing White’s concerns, offers more recent and thorough criticisms of tradition-based Christian theology, focusing especially on its propagating an outdated anthropology and earth-fleeing spiritualities. Finally, the essay focuses on the tragic immediacy of the climate catastrophe, suggesting that a North American culture of optimism and consumerism is causing millions to respond with indifference and denial, and that an activist-oriented pessimism may be a more mature and constructive response to the dire situation we now face.
Family Caregiver Role and Burden Related to Gender and Family Relationships
Authors: Friedemann Marie-Luise , Buckwalter Kathleen C.
Published: April 2014

This study described and contrasted family caregivers and explored the effect of gender and family relationship on the caregiver’s role perception, workload, burden, and family help. Home care agencies and community organizations assisted with the recruitment of 533 multicultural, predominantly Latino caregivers who were interviewed at home. The Caregiver Identity Theory guided the study. Survey instruments were standardized tools or were constructed and pretested for this study. Descriptive statistics and t-test analyses assisted in describing the sample, and multivariate analyses were used to contrast the caregiver groups. Findings suggested a gendered approach to self-appraisal and coping. Men in this predominantly Latino and Caribbean sample felt less burden and depression than women who believed caregiving is a female duty. Family nurses should pay attention to the most vulnerable groups—older spouses resistant to using family and community resources and hard-working female adult children—and assess each family situation individually.
Understanding Parental Experiences Through Their Narratives of Restitution, Chaos, and Quest
Authors: Bally Jill M. G. , Holtslander Lorraine , Duggleby Wendy , Wright Karen , Thomas Roanne , Spurr Shelley , Mpofu Christopher
Published: April 2014

The purpose of this secondary analysis was to develop an enhanced understanding of the experiences of parents who have children in treatment for cancer. Data collected from 16 parents (12 mothers and 4 fathers) were analyzed using Frank’s dialogical narrative analysis. Findings demonstrated that parents’ experiences were represented in chaos, restitution, and quest narratives. Each of these narratives was only one instance of a very complex and changing parental experience that cannot be understood in isolation from the others. The holistic understanding provided by these findings contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of parental experiences of their child’s illness and highlights the need for health professionals to invite conversations about parents’ illness experience and attend to the specific narrative type parents are presenting to support them adequately. Additional research is required to develop supportive approaches for each narrative which takes into account the complexities of parents’ experiences.
“F**k Rape!”
Authors: Ringrose Jessica , Renold Emma
Published: April 2014

The aim of this article is to demystify what we think we are doing when we engage in qualitative analysis. We illustrate the centrality of affect in meaning making, showing how interpretation is always already entangled in complex affective ethical and political relationalities that circulate in, through, and outside empirical research. We explore research processes as “intra-acting” drawing upon Barad, and develop Deleuze and Guattari’s concepts of “assemblages,” “intensities,” “territorialization,” and “lines of flight” to analyze research encounters. Taking inspiration from MacLure’s notions of data “hot spots” that “glow,” we explore methodological processes of working with “affective intensities.” In particular, we draw upon our research with teen girls, mapping out how the discursive-embodied category “slut” works as an affective intensity that propels our feminist research assemblage—from the co-creation of “data” in the field to the “data” analysis and beyond.
Barriers and Facilitators to Provision of Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccines in Home Health Care Agencies
Authors: Madigan Elizabeth A. , Kenneley Irena
Published: April 2014

The recommendations for influenza and pneumococcal vaccines are widely known yet the rates of both immunizations for home health care patients are 70% or less. The purpose of this study was to identify the facilitators and barriers to immunizations ultimately to improve vaccination rates among home health care patients. Using a multi-case study approach with five agencies and one group of administrators, facilitators included providing patients with a vaccine “card” and using the agency’s electronic medical record (EMR) for decision support/reminders. We determined that there were patient barriers (misperceptions about vaccines in general, difficulty in recalling vaccine status) and provider barriers (misperceptions about vaccines among health care workers, home health care agencies not receiving accurate information from other providers or difficulty in determining vaccine status).
Changing Epidemiology of Methylphenidate Prescriptions in the Community: A Multifactorial Model
Authors: Jaber Lutfi , Rigler Shmuel , Shuper Avinoam , Diamond Gary
Published: April 2014

Objective: To examine dispensing patterns of methylphenidate (MPH) to determine how socioeconomic status (SES), ethnocultural affiliation, and gender affect the medical treatment of ADHD. Method: We reviewed MPH prescription records for year 2011 of children aged 6 to 18, from regional pharmacies serving homogeneous neighborhoods. Results: MPH prescriptions showed an increase in prevalence from 4.2% to 7.5% in the years 2007 to 2011, respectively. Jewish children were four times more likely to be prescribed MPH than Arab children, with significant discrepancies along SES and gender lines ( p < .001). Higher SES and male gender were associated with greater use of MPH. General pediatric prescription rates of MPH in all communities increased by 85%, compared with year 2007 statistics ( p < .001). Conclusion: Prescription patterns for MPH in children reflect diagnostic patterns of ADHD that appear to be heavily influenced by additive factors of SES, cultural attitudes, and gender. Dispensing data provide valuable information for targeting underserved groups and defining potential areas of abuse.
ADHD, Conduct Disorder, Substance Use Disorder, and Nonprescription Stimulant Use
Authors: Brook Judith S. , Balka Elinor B. , Zhang Chenshu , Brook David W.
Published: April 2014

Objective: To assess whether the relationship of an ADHD diagnosis by adolescence to nonprescription stimulant use in adulthood is direct or indirect, via Conduct Disorder (CD) and/or Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Method: Data were obtained from multiple waves of interviews and questionnaires completed by 551 community-based participants when they were between the mean ages of 14.1 and 36.6 years. Results: The results of the structural equation model (SEM) supported both a direct association between early ADHD and later nonprescription stimulant use ( B = .18, z = 2.74) and the relationship from ADHD to later nonprescription stimulant use ( B = .01, z = 1.72) via CD and SUD. Conclusion: The longitudinal data supporting these paths suggest that efforts to prevent and treat the misuse of nonprescription stimulants may be more effective if attention is paid to those with a history of ADHD, as well as to those who also had CD and SUD.
Multiple sclerosis registries in Europe – results of a systematic survey
Authors: Flachenecker Peter , Buckow Karoline , Pugliatti Maura , Kes Vanja Bašić , Battaglia Mario A , Boyko Alexey , Confavreux Christian , Ellenberger David , Eskic Danica , Ford David , Friede Tim , Fuge Jan , Glaser Anna , Hillert Jan , Holloway Edward , Ioannidou Eva , Kappos Ludwig , Kasilingam Elisabeth , Koch-Henriksen Nils , Kuhle Jens , Lepore Vito , Middleton Rod , Myhr Kjell-Morton , Orologas Anastasios , Otero Susana , Pitschnau-Michel Dorothea , Rienhoff Otto , Sastre-Garriga Jaume , Schyns-Liharska Tsveta , Sutovic Dragana , Thalheim Christoph , Trojano Maria , Vlasov Yan V , Yaldizli Özgür ,   for the EUReMS Consortium*
Published: April 2014

Background:

Identification of MS registries and databases that are currently in use in Europe as well as a detailed knowledge of their content and structure is important in order to facilitate comprehensive analysis and comparison of data.

Methods:

National MS registries or databases were identified by literature search, from the results of the MS Barometer 2011 and by asking 33 national MS societies. A standardized questionnaire was developed and sent to the registries’ leaders, followed by telephone interviews with them.

Results:

Twenty registries were identified, with 13 completing the questionnaire and seven being interviewed by telephone. These registries differed widely for objectives, structure, collected data, and for patients and centres included. Despite this heterogeneity, common objectives of the registries were epidemiology ( n=10), long-term therapy outcome ( n=8), healthcare research ( n=9) and support/basis for clinical trials ( n=8). While physician-based outcome measures (EDSS) are used in all registries, data from patients’ perspectives were only collected in six registries.

Conclusions:

The detailed information on a large number of national MS registries in Europe is a prerequisite to facilitating harmonized integration of existing data from MS registries and databases, as well as comprehensive analyses and comparison across European populations.