bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of GADD45a in murine models of radiation- and bleomycin-induced lung injury
Authors: Mathew Biji , Takekoshi Daisuke , Sammani Saad , Epshtein Yulia , Sharma Rajesh , Smith Brett D. , Mitra Sumegha , Desai Ankit A. , Weichselbaum Ralph R. , Garcia Joe G. N. , Jacobson Jeffrey R.
Published: October 2015

We previously reported protective effects of GADD45a (growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible gene 45 alpha) in murine ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) via effects on Akt-mediated endothelial cell signaling. In the present study we investigated the role of GADD45a in separate murine models of radiation- and bleomycin-induced lung injury. Initial studies of wild-type mice subjected to single-dose thoracic radiation (10 Gy) confirmed a significant increase in lung GADD45a expression within 24 h and persistent at 6 wk. Mice deficient in GADD45a (GADD45a−/−) demonstrated increased susceptibility to radiation-induced lung injury (RILI, 10 Gy) evidenced by increased bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid total cell counts, protein and albumin levels, and levels of inflammatory cytokines compared with RILI-challenged wild-type animals at 2 and 4 wk. Furthermore, GADD45a−/−mice had decreased total and phosphorylated lung Akt levels both at baseline and 6 wk after RILI challenge relative to wild-type mice while increased RILI susceptibility was observed in both Akt+/−mice and mice treated with an Akt inhibitor beginning 1 wk prior to irradiation. Additionally, overexpression of a constitutively active Akt1 transgene reversed RILI-susceptibility in GADD45a−/−mice. In separate studies, lung fibrotic changes 2 wk after treatment with bleomycin (0.25 U/kg IT) was significantly increased in GADD45a−/−mice compared with wild-type mice assessed by lung collagen content and histology. These data implicate GADD45a as an important modulator of lung inflammatory responses across different injury models and highlight GADD45a-mediated signaling as a novel target in inflammatory lung injury clinically.
Carbon monoxide in the treatment of sepsis
Authors: Nakahira Kiichi , Choi Augustine M. K.
Published: October 2015

Carbon monoxide (CO), a low-molecular-weight gas, is endogenously produced in the body as a product of heme degradation catalyzed by heme oxygenase (HO) enzymes. As the beneficial roles of HO system have been elucidated in vitro and in vivo, CO itself has also been reported as a potent cytoprotective molecule. Whereas CO represents a toxic inhalation hazard at high concentration, low-dose exogenous CO treatment (∼250–500 parts per million) demonstrates protective functions including but not limited to the anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects in preclinical models of human diseases. Of note, CO exposure confers protection in animal models of sepsis by inhibiting inflammatory responses and also enhancing bacterial phagocytosis in leukocytes. These unique functions of CO including both dampening inflammation and promoting host defense mechanism are mediated by multiple pathways such as autophagy induction or biosynthesis of specialized proresolving lipid mediators. We suggest that CO gas may represent a novel therapy for patients with sepsis.
A systemic defect in Toll-like receptor 4 signaling increases lipopolysaccharide-induced suppression of IL-2-dependent T-cell proliferation in COPD
Authors: Knobloch Jürgen , Chikosi Sarah-Jane , Yanik Sarah , Rupp Jan , Jungck David , Koch Andrea
Published: October 2015

The susceptibility to bacterial infections is increased in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This promotes exacerbations. IL-2 triggers CD4+/Th1-cell proliferation, which is important for infection defense. Bacterial endotoxin (LPS) activates MyD88/IRAK and TRIF/IKKε/TBK1 pathways via Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) in Th1 cells. Systemic defects in TLR pathways in CD4+/Th1 cells cause an impairment of IL-2-dependent immune responses to bacterial infections in COPD. Peripheral blood CD4+T cells of never smokers, smokers without COPD, and smokers with COPD (each n = 10) were ex vivo activated towards Th1 and stimulated with LPS. IL-2, MyD88, and TRIF expression, and cell proliferation was analyzed by ELISA, quantitative RT-PCR, and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and trypan blue staining comparative among the cohorts. IL-2 release from activated T cells was increased in COPD vs. smokers and never smokers. LPS reduced IL-2 expression and T-cell proliferation. These effects were increased in COPD vs. never smokers and inversely correlated with FEV1(%predicted). The MyD88/TRIF ratio was decreased in Th1 cells of COPD. The suppression of IL-2 by LPS was abolished by MyD88/IRAK blockade in never smokers but by TRIF/IKKε/TBK1 blockade in COPD. Moxifloxacin restored IL-2 expression and T-cell proliferation in the presence of LPS by blocking p38 MAPK. The increased IL-2 release from Th1 cells in COPD might contribute to airway inflammation in disease exacerbations. A switch from MyD88/IRAK to TRIF/IKKε/TBK1 signaling amplifies the suppression of IL-2-dependent proliferation of CD4+T cells by LPS in COPD. This molecular pathology is of systemic origin, might impair adaptive immune responses, and could explain the increased susceptibility to bacterial infections in COPD. Targeting TLR4-downstream signaling, for example, with moxifloxacin, might reduce exacerbation rates.
Vaccination with LAG-3Ig (IMP321) and Peptides Induces Specific CD4 and CD8 T-Cell Responses in Metastatic Melanoma Patients—Report of a Phase I/IIa Clinical Trial
Authors: Legat Amandine , Maby-El Hajjami Hélène , Baumgaertner Petra , Cagnon Laurène , Abed Maillard Samia , Geldhof Christine , Iancu Emanuela M. , Lebon Luc , Guillaume Philippe , Dojcinovic Danijel , Michielin Olivier , Romano Emanuela , Berthod Grégoire , Rimoldi Donata , Triebel Frédéric , Luescher Immanuel , Rufer Nathalie , Speiser Daniel E.
Published: October 2015

Purpose: Cancer vaccines aim to generate and maintain antitumor immune responses. We designed a phase I/IIa clinical trial to test a vaccine formulation composed of Montanide ISA-51 (Incomplete Freund's Adjuvant), LAG-3Ig (IMP321, a non-Toll like Receptor agonist with adjuvant properties), and five synthetic peptides derived from tumor-associated antigens (four short 9/10-mers targeting CD8 T-cells, and one longer 15-mer targeting CD4 T-cells). Primary endpoints were safety and T-cell responses.

Experimental Design: Sixteen metastatic melanoma patients received serial vaccinations. Up to nine injections were subcutaneously administered in three cycles, each with three vaccinations every 3 weeks, with 6 to 14 weeks interval between cycles. Blood samples were collected at baseline, 1-week after the third, sixth and ninth vaccination, and 6 months after the last vaccination. Circulating T-cells were monitored by tetramer staining directly ex vivo, and by combinatorial tetramer and cytokine staining on in vitro stimulated cells.

Results: Side effects were mild to moderate, comparable to vaccines with Montanide alone. Specific CD8 T-cell responses to at least one peptide formulated in the vaccine preparation were found in 13 of 16 patients. However, two of the four short peptides of the vaccine formulation did not elicit CD8 T-cell responses. Specific CD4 T-cell responses were found in all 16 patients.

Conclusions: We conclude that vaccination with IMP321 is a promising and safe strategy for inducing sustained immune responses, encouraging further development for cancer vaccines as components of combination therapies. Clin Cancer Res; 22(6); 1330–40. ©2015 AACR.
Safety and Pharmacokinetics of Lenvatinib in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Ikeda Masafumi , Okusaka Takuji , Mitsunaga Shuichi , Ueno Hideki , Tamai Toshiyuki , Suzuki Takuya , Hayato Seiichi , Kadowaki Tadashi , Okita Kiwamu , Kumada Hiromitsu
Published: October 2015

Purpose: To determine the maximum tolerable dose (MTD), safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary efficacy of lenvatinib in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Experimental Design: This multicenter, open-label, phase I, dose-escalation study included patients aged 20 to 80 years, refractory to standard therapy, and stratified by hepatic function measured using Child–Pugh (CP) scores: CP-A (score, 5–6) and CP-B (score, 7–8). Lenvatinib was administered continually once daily for 4-week cycles. MTD was defined as the maximum dose associated with ≤ 1 dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) occurring in cycle 1 among 6 patients.

Results: In total, 20 patients (9 in CP-A and 11 in CP-B) were enrolled. The MTD was 12 and 8 mg once daily in CP-A and CP-B, respectively; DLTs included proteinuria, hepatic encephalopathy, and hyperbilirubinemia. The most common grade 3 toxicities included hypertension in CP-A and hyperbilirubinemia in CP-B. Lenvatinib plasma concentration at 24 hours after administration (C24 h) for 12 mg once daily was higher in patients with HCC than in patients with other solid tumors shown in a previous phase I study, but C24 h for 25 mg once daily lenvatinib was comparable. After lenvatinib treatment, the number of circulating endothelial and c-Kit+ cells decreased and the levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL10, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor increased (P < 0.05). Partial responses were observed in 3 patients and tumor shrinkage occurred in 14 patients.

Conclusions: Lenvatinib (12 mg once daily) demonstrated preliminary efficacy with manageable toxicity and is the recommended dose for phase II studies in patients with HCC and CP-A. Clin Cancer Res; 22(6); 1385–94. ©2015 AACR.
Sensitive Detection of Mono- and Polyclonal ESR1 Mutations in Primary Tumors, Metastatic Lesions, and Cell-Free DNA of Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Wang Peilu , Bahreini Amir , Gyanchandani Rekha , Lucas Peter C. , Hartmaier Ryan J. , Watters Rebecca J. , Jonnalagadda Amruth R. , Trejo Bittar Humberto E. , Berg Aaron , Hamilton Ronald L. , Kurland Brenda F. , Weiss Kurt R. , Mathew Aju , Leone Jose Pablo , Davidson Nancy E. , Nikiforova Marina N. , Brufsky Adam M. , Ambros Tadeu F. , Stern Andrew M. , Puhalla Shannon L. , Lee Adrian V. , Oesterreich Steffi
Published: October 2015

Purpose: Given the clinical relevance of ESR1 mutations as potential drivers of resistance to endocrine therapy, this study used sensitive detection methods to determine the frequency of ESR1 mutations in primary and metastatic breast cancer, and in cell-free DNA (cfDNA).

Experimental Design: Six ESR1 mutations (K303R, S463P, Y537C, Y537N, Y537S, D538G) were assessed by digital droplet PCR (ddPCR), with lower limits of detection of 0.05% to 0.16%, in primary tumors (n = 43), bone (n = 12) and brain metastases (n = 38), and cfDNA (n = 29). Correlations between ESR1 mutations in metastatic lesions and single (1 patient) or serial blood draws (4 patients) were assessed.

Results: ESR1 mutations were detected for D538G (n = 13), Y537S (n = 3), and Y537C (n = 1), and not for K303R, S463P, or Y537N. Mutation rates were 7.0% (3/43 primary tumors), 9.1% (1/11 bone metastases), 12.5% (3/24 brain metastases), and 24.1% (7/29 cfDNA). Two patients showed polyclonal disease with more than one ESR1 mutation. Mutation allele frequencies were 0.07% to 0.2% in primary tumors, 1.4% in bone metastases, 34.3% to 44.9% in brain metastases, and 0.2% to 13.7% in cfDNA. In cases with both cfDNA and metastatic samples (n = 5), mutations were detected in both (n = 3) or in cfDNA only (n = 2). Treatment was associated with changes in ESR1 mutation detection and allele frequency.

Conclusions: ESR1 mutations were detected at very low allele frequencies in some primary breast cancers, and at high allele frequency in metastases, suggesting that in some tumors rare ESR1-mutant clones are enriched by endocrine therapy. Further studies should address whether sensitive detection of ESR1 mutations in primary breast cancer and in serial blood draws may be predictive for development of resistant disease. Clin Cancer Res; 22(5); 1130–7. ©2015 AACR.

See related commentary by Gu and Fuqua, p. 1034
Potassium Channel Blockade Enhances Atrial Fibrillation–Selective Antiarrhythmic Effects of Optimized State-Dependent Sodium Channel Blockade
Authors: Aguilar Martin , Xiong Feng , Qi Xiao Yan , Comtois Philippe , Nattel Stanley
Published: October 2015

Background—

The development of effective and safe antiarrhythmic drugs for atrial fibrillation (AF) rhythm control is an unmet clinical need. Multichannel blockers are believed to have advantages over single-channel blockers for AF, but their development has been completely empirical to date. We tested the hypothesis that adding K
+
-channel blockade improves the atrium-selective electrophysiological profile and anti-AF effects of optimized Na
+
-channel blockers.

Methods and Results—

Realistic cardiomyocyte-, tissue-, and state-dependent Na
+
-channel block mathematical models, optical mapping, and action potential recording were used to study the effect of Na
+
-current (
I
Na
) blockade with or without concomitant inhibition of the rapid or ultrarapid delayed-rectifier K
+
currents (
I
Kr
and
I
Kur
, respectively). In the mathematical model, maximal AF selectivity was obtained with an inactivated-state Na
+
-channel blocker. Combining optimized Na
+
-channel blocker with
I
Kr
block increased rate-dependent and atrium-selective peak
I
Na
reduction, increased AF selectivity, and more effectively terminated AF compared with optimized Na
+
-channel blocker alone. Combining optimized Na
+
-channel blocker with
I
Kur
block had similar effects but without
I
Kr
block–induced ventricular action potential prolongation. Consistent with the mathematical model, in coronary-perfused canine hearts, the addition of dofetilide (selective
I
Kr
blocker) to pilsicainide (selective
I
Na
blocker) produced enhanced atrium-selective effects on maximal phase 0 upstroke and conduction velocity. Furthermore, pilsicainide plus dofetilide had higher AF termination efficacy than pilsicainide alone. Pilsicainide alone had no statistically significant effect on AF inducibility, whereas pilsicainide plus dofetilide rendered AF noninducible.

Conclusions—

K
+
-channel block potentiates the AF-selective anti-AF effects obtainable with optimized Na
+
-channel blockade. Combining optimized Na
+
-channel block with blockade of atrial K
+
currents is a potentially valuable AF-selective antiarrhythmic drug strategy.
Nuclear Power for a Dictatorship: State and Business involvement in the Spanish Atomic Program, 1950–85
Authors: De la Torre Joseba , Rubio-Varas Maria del Mar
Published: October 2015

Spain was the first developing country to exploit a nuclear power plant commercially. By the early 1970s Spain had become the major nuclear client of the USA, the world’s largest reactor exporter. Despite its importance, historians are just beginning to revisit and establish the sequence of the events that make up Spain’s nuclear history. This article analyses the role played by the state in enabling one of Western Europe’s poorest countries to join the exclusive nuclear power club. In a departure from the technological approach used in previous literature, the history of Spain’s progress in the nuclear power field is retraced against the background of its political and economic evolution.
Racial Discrimination, Weakened School Bonds, and Problematic Behaviors
Authors: Unnever James D. , Cullen Francis T. , Barnes J. C.
Published: October 2015

Objectives:

This article examines a core hypothesis of Unnever and Gabbidon’s theory that racial discrimination should diminish the ability of African American youths to build strong bonds with their school, which in turn should increase their likelihood of engaging in problematic behaviors over time. Their thesis further argues that these relationships should persist after controlling for affectional ties with parents and other covariates.

Methods:

This hypothesis is assessed using data from two cohorts included within the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Results:

The results show that racial discrimination predicts changes in problematic behaviors from wave 1 to wave 3 and weakens the attachment that African American youths have with their teachers and their commitment to their education while controlling for affectional ties to parents and other covariates.

Conclusions:

The results lend support to Unnever and Gabbidon’s thesis that a holistic understanding of African Americans’ offending must be grounded in their everyday experiences with what it means to be Black in a racialized society.
‘Men of iron will’: Idealized gender in Christian heavy metal
Authors: Rademacher Heidi E
Published: October 2015

The borders between sacred and secular music are often believed to be fixed and impenetrable. However, when a secular musical genre is reworked for consumption by religious audiences, a space is created where the sacred meets the secular, and this can be used to examine the variety of ways in which cultural norms, values, and ideologies fluctuate and converge between the religious and temporal spheres. In this article, the author looks at the overlapping of Christian and secular heavy metal music, focusing on the ways gender is described, celebrated, and normalized in the lyrics of Christian metal. After analyzing the lyrics of 351 Christian heavy metal songs, she conducts an in-depth analysis of three sets of lyrics. Despite the obvious antithesis between the worlds of heavy metal music and evangelical Christianity, her analysis highlights one avenue where the sacred and secular merge. The display, production, and management of gender can be viewed as a common trope that links Christian metal to secular metal and can function as a means of creating a space for the alignment of religious beliefs within the larger cultural expectations of gender.
Organisations islamiques en Europe et aux États-Unis : les perspectives interdisciplinaires et ascendantes
Authors: Kortmann Matthias , Rosenow-Williams Kerstin
Published: October 2015

This article utilizes an analytical framework that examines the differences in the organizational forms and strategies of Islamic organizations with reference to both internal and external factors affecting the organization, such as internal organizational characteristics and national and transnational political opportunity structures. This perspective is applied to review the empirical results of recent secondary studies from a cross-national and transatlantic perspective. In particular, this paper centres around a meta-analysis of research findings collected in the volume Islamic organizations in Europe and the USA: A multidisciplinary perspective, edited by Kortmann and Rosenow-Williams (2013), which presents new empirical research on Islamic organizations in the USA, Germany, France, the Netherlands, the UK, the Baltic States, Poland, Spain, Belgium and Switzerland.
Model Uncertainty and Robustness
Authors: Young Cristobal , Holsteen Katherine
Published: October 2015

Model uncertainty is pervasive in social science. A key question is how robust empirical results are to sensible changes in model specification. We present a new approach and applied statistical software for computational multimodel analysis. Our approach proceeds in two steps: First, we estimate the modeling distribution of estimates across all combinations of possible controls as well as specified functional form issues, variable definitions, standard error calculations, and estimation commands. This allows analysts to present their core, preferred estimate in the context of a distribution of plausible estimates. Second, we develop a model influence analysis showing how each model ingredient affects the coefficient of interest. This shows which model assumptions, if any, are critical to obtaining an empirical result. We demonstrate the architecture and interpretation of multimodel analysis using data on the union wage premium, gender dynamics in mortgage lending, and tax flight migration among U.S. states. These illustrate how initial results can be strongly robust to alternative model specifications or remarkably dependent on a knife-edge specification.
Ratio via Machina: Three Standards of Mechanistic Explanation in Sociology
Authors: Aviles Natalie B. , Reed Isaac Ariail
Published: October 2015

Recently, sociologists have expended much effort in attempts to define social mechanisms. We intervene in these debates by proposing that sociologists in fact have a choice to make between three standards of what constitutes a good mechanistic explanation: substantial, formal, and metaphorical mechanistic explanation. All three standards are active in the field, and we suggest that a more complete theory of mechanistic explanation in sociology must parse these three approaches to draw out the implicit evaluative criteria appropriate to each. Doing so will reveal quite different preferences for explanatory scope and nuance hidden under the ubiquitous term “social mechanism.” Finally, moving beyond extensive debates about realism and antirealism, we argue prescriptively against “mechanistic fundamentalism” for sociology and advocate for a more pluralistic understanding of social causality.
Model Ambiguities in Configurational Comparative Research
Authors: Baumgartner Michael , Thiem Alrik
Published: October 2015

For many years, sociologists, political scientists, and management scholars have readily relied on Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) for the purpose of configurational causal modeling. However, this article reveals that a severe problem in the application of QCA has gone unnoticed so far: model ambiguities. These arise when multiple causal models fare equally well in accounting for configurational data. Mainly due to the uncritical import of an algorithm that is unsuitable for causal modeling, researchers have typically been unaware of the whole model space. As a result, there exists an indeterminable risk for practically all QCA studies published in the last quarter century to have presented findings that their data did not warrant. Using hypothetical data, we first identify the algorithmic source of ambiguities and discuss to what extent they affect different methodological aspects of QCA. By reanalyzing a published QCA study from rural sociology, we then show that model ambiguities are not a mere theoretical possibility but a reality in applied research, which can assume such extreme proportions that no causal conclusions whatsoever are possible. Finally, the prevalence of model ambiguities is examined by performing a comprehensive analysis of 192 truth tables across 28 QCA studies published in applied sociology. In conclusion, we urge that future QCA practice ensures full transparency with respect to model ambiguities, both by informing readers of QCA-based research about their extent and by employing algorithms capable of revealing them.
More Power to You? A Case Against Binding Decisions as the Ultimate Access to Information Enforcement Tool
Authors: Holsen Sarah , Pasquier Martial
Published: October 2015

The enforcement of Access to Information laws is crucial to their effectiveness. Information commissioners, who enforce about one quarter of federal policies, are granted powers to help them execute their tasks. Many scholars argue that a commissioner should have the right to issue legally binding orders. However, we found that a commissioner with recommendation power is not necessarily less effective. This article argues that one must consider what binding decision power really means, whether the body uses it, and how the body uses its other powers and fulfills its tasks before declaring that binding decision power is the ultimate enforcement tool.
Singleness and self-identity
Authors: Simpson Roona
Published: October 2015

Demographic trends in recent decades such as the delay and decline in marriage and increase in divorce have meant more men and women experiencing periods of singleness. For women in particular, singleness has long been considered anomalous: normative femininity, bound up with marriage and motherhood, has meant single woman being represented in terms of deficit or deviance. The increase in singleness is one aspect of wider social changes that have implications for the categories of identity available to single women. In this article, I draw on in-depth qualitative interviews with never-married single women in Britain to examine the single self-identities evident in their narratives. I consider the extent to which these suggest shifts in the centrality of partnership status in the context of the latter half of the 20th century.
Managing information following hurtful experiences
Authors: Pederson Joshua R. , McLaren Rachel M.
Published: October 2015

The present study explores how personal network members manage information related to hurtful experiences. The study uses communication privacy management (CPM) theory as the theoretical framework for a theme analysis of responses of disclosers of hurtful experiences and confidants regarding how they manage information related to a hurtful experience. Results of the thematic analysis provide insight into the process by which people disclose a hurtful experience with a personal network member, establish rules for sharing information, manage privacy boundaries, and deal with privacy turbulence. Findings illuminate the unique challenges and circumstances present in the context of hurtful experiences. The implications for coping with a hurtful experience and extending CPM theory are discussed.
Curing the Mischiefs of Faction in the American Administrative State
Authors: Cook Brian J.
Published: October 2015

The worries American citizens express about the distorting influence of minority factions, or special interests, on public governance are as old as the republic. I briefly recount the constitutional design flaws and developmental changes that have combined to make these worries more valid than ever in an age of administratively centered governance. I then review the evidence on the nature and extent of special interest influence on the administrative process from a broad swath of scholarship. After noting the limited efficacy of attempts to limit special interest influence via minor tinkering with the separation of powers, I argue for more fundamental structural change in the form of administration as a separate, constitutionally recognized element of the separation of powers. I outline basic structural features and offer hypothetical yet plausible consequences of such a design change. The latter, I contend, are amenable to confirmation or refutation through systematic analysis of evidence that is already available from past and current governing experience.
“Food Deserts” in Urban Districts
Authors: Cerovečki Irena Guszak , Grünhagen Marko
Published: October 2015

While the marketing literature has investigated the availability and affordability of food and food stores from various angles and in many different global contexts, a recent phenomenon that has only received scant attention in the marketing literature thus far is the appearance of food deserts in urban environments. Food deserts have been observed in Western markets (e.g., in the U.K. and the U.S.) with a literature base that originates in urban planning. This article represents the first attempt to introduce the food desert phenomenon to the marketing literature overall, and to the macromarketing context specifically. A definition of a food desert is created from a marketing perspective. The impact of emerging food deserts on market segments of vulnerable consumers, such as the elderly or mobility-impaired consumers, and the ensuing public policy implications appear particularly relevant to macromarketers. This study investigates the absence of food-sources in a context that may not appear as a likely candidate for this phenomenon, a transitional economy in Southeastern Europe, Croatia. Evidence for the existence of a food desert is provided through primary and secondary data, and public policy implications are discussed.
Bodies of War, the Past Continuous, and (Ar)rhythmic Experiences
Authors: Väyrynen Tarja , Puumala Eeva
Published: October 2015

In recent years, International Relations scholars have shown a growing interest in the body. Yet, the body often remains rather abstract. In this article, we engage with the lived body and personal histories, claim that the international is not only personal but also corporeal with bodily dimension, and explore the body as a complex intersection that characterizes and shapes the relations between the singular, social, and international. To illustrate our argument, we discuss a sensuous experience of war that defies simplistic categorization and interpretation. The aim is to introduce an alternative onto-epistemological angle on International Relations in order to overcome the separation of the discipline from ordinary people and local everyday practices. The body is shown to be a site of the political, a place of intersection that both enacts practices and fosters relations with others and toward the world, and engages in practices that disrupt the normal rhythm of international politics and its governing logic.
Requirements change: Understanding the type of changes in the requirements document of novice designers
Authors: Joshi Shraddha , Summers Joshua D
Published: October 2015

This paper presents the findings from a case study conducted to investigate the evolution in the requirements documents of novice engineering designers (students). The case study was conducted with four student teams working in parallel on senior design project. At the beginning of the semester, all four teams were given the design problem and set of initial requirements by the sponsor. For the purpose of this case study, data were collected from all four teams in the form of weekly requirements update. These requirements were then investigated to explore the evolution of requirements and identify the changes in individual requirements from initial weeks to final week. The findings from this case study suggest that the requirements document of novice designers changes in multiple ways. Finally, a set of recommendations and guidelines are developed to help the novice designers to maintain the requirements document and manage the changes in the requirements document.
Geography and indigeneity I
Authors: Radcliffe Sarah A.
Published: October 2015

Why talk of indigeneity rather than of Indigenous peoples? This report examines the critical purchase on questions of inequality, subjectivity and power offered by critical geographies of indigeneity. In comparison with accounts that treat indigeneity as relational with nature and the more-than-human, the report highlights literature that examines indigeneity as relational with deeply historical, institutionalized and power-inflected ontologies. To think about settler colonialism as an ongoing effect, not a singular event, recognizes how patterns of engagement with and oppression of indigeneity pervade the colonial present and its geographies beyond the specific locales associated with Indigenous peoples. Finally, the report examines how indigeneity figures in the geography discipline’s knowledge production, and argues that worldly Indigenous ontologies are theorizing the world precisely because they are forced to apprehend, appraise and then rethink ‘universals’.
Two dimensional versus three dimensional modelling in fretting fatigue life prediction
Authors: Vázquez Jesús , Navarro Carlos , Domínguez Jaime
Published: October 2015

This work analyses the influence that the type of geometry used to model a cylindrical contact has on fretting fatigue life predictions. It also studies the effect that the assumed fatigue crack shape has on fretting fatigue life predictions. The strain–stress fields are obtained using different finite elements models. These models consider the following three types of behaviour: plane stress, plane strain (2D geometries) and 3D. Each of these models produces a different crack-initiation life, a different evolution of the stress intensity factor (SIF), and therefore a different crack-propagation life. As a consequence, different fretting fatigue life predictions are obtained with each model. Regarding the SIF evaluation, the weight function method is employed in all the models. Finally, the lives obtained using the three numerical models are compared with experimental lives.
New daily persistent headache: A lack of an association with white matter abnormalities on neuroimaging
Authors: Rozen Todd D
Published: October 2015

Objective

To provide results from the largest study of new daily persistent headache patients to date and specifically evaluate if patients with primary new daily persistent headache develop white matter abnormalities or infarct-like lesions on neuroimaging.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of patient medical records utilizing an electronic medical record system. All patients were seen at a headache specialty clinic by a single headache neurologist and diagnosed with primary new daily persistent headache during the time period of January 2009 to January 2013.

Results

Altogether, 97 patients were diagnosed with primary new daily persistent headache (65 women and 32 men). The mean average age of onset was slightly younger in women than men: 32.4 years vs. 35.8 years. In total, 84 of the 97 new daily persistent headache patients had no white matter abnormalities or infarct-like lesions on magnetic resonance imaging with a gender distribution of 56 women and 28 men. The mean age of onset of this white matter negative subgroup was 31.1 years. Of these individuals, 36% had cardiovascular/cerebrovascular risk factors and 44% had a history of migraine. Only 13 new daily persistent headache patients (nine women, four men) demonstrated white matter abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging. None had infarct-like lesions. The mean age of onset of this white matter positive subgroup was 54.2 years, significantly older than the white matter negative population ( p < .05). All new daily persistent headache patients in the white matter positive subgroup had cardiovascular/cerebrovascular risk factors and dual risk factors were noted in seven of 13 patients. Only 23% had a migraine history. Almost 40% of the patients in the white matter negative group were imaged 3 years after headache onset and at least six patients were imaged at least 9 years or more after onset of new daily persistent headache. Triggering events in both white matter lesion positive and negative populations were typical of the new daily persistent headache population as a whole and not specific to the presence or absence of brain imaging lesions except for a post-surgery trigger, which was significantly more likely to occur in the white matter positive group. Migraine associated symptoms occurred in 77% of the white matter negative subgroup compared with 46% of the white matter positive subgroup, which was a significant difference.

Conclusion

White matter abnormalities and infarct-like lesions do not appear to occur in primary new daily persistent headache patients. Only new daily persistent headache patients with risk factors (cardiovascular/cerebrovascular or migraine) developed white matter abnormalities on brain magnetic resonance imaging. No patient with new daily persistent headache developed infarct-like lesions. New daily persistent headache triggering events (outside of possibly post-surgery) or the presence of migrainous symptoms did not appear to enhance the development of white matter abnormalities.
Test-retest reliability of visual-evoked potential habituation
Authors: Rauschel Veronika , Ruscheweyh Ruth , Krafczyk Siegbert , Straube Andreas
Published: October 2015

Objective

Habituation of visual-evoked potentials (VEPs) is typically described as deficient interictally in migraine patients, supposedly indicating altered cortical excitability. Use of this parameter for monitoring changes over time, e.g. under treatment, requires demonstration of test-retest reliability.

Methods

VEPs were recorded interictally in 41 episodic migraine patients and 40 controls. N75–P100 amplitudes were measured over six consecutive blocks of 75 VEPs each. Amplitude regression slopes and block ratios were used to quantify VEP habituation. Test-retest reliability was assessed over 15 minutes and two to three weeks.

Results

Controls showed significantly more negative VEP habituation slopes than migraine patients (−0.21 ± 0.40 vs. 0.04 ± 0.46 µV/block, p < 0.05). Results were similar for block ratios, though, in the migraine group, VEP habituation significantly increased from test to two- to three-week retest ( p < 0.05). In addition, VEP habituation test-retest correlations were mostly poor both in migraine patients and controls (intraclass correlation coefficients, 15 minutes: −0.13 to 0.30, two to three weeks: 0.07 to 0.59).

Conclusions

Deficient VEP habituation in migraine was confirmed. However, the test-retest reliability of VEP habituation was rather weak. Therefore, we suggest that VEP habituation should be used for evaluation of cortical excitability under treatment only at the group level and only when a control group with sham treatment is included.
From pay-per-bag to pay-per-kg: The case of Flanders revisited
Authors: De Jaeger Simon , Eyckmans Johan
Published: October 2015

Weight-based pricing systems for municipal solid waste collection and processing are increasingly popular in many European countries and regions. However, the impact on waste generation of such pricing schedules remains debated and depends strongly on the practical details of the system used. This article assesses the impact of a voluntary transition by Flemish municipalities from the default price-per-bag pricing systems to a more sophisticated weight-based pricing schedule. By (1) exploiting alternative statistical techniques, (2) using more recent data and (3) focusing on the introduction effect of the new pricing schedule, we are able to complement and refine prior research on this topic. Our results indicate that introducing weight-based pricing has initially a significant and substantial downward impact on the amount of residual municipal solid waste per capita. This result is robust under different methodologies that control for selection bias. There are however, indications that this initial effect does not persist in the years after introduction.
Association of Interleukin-1 Gene Cluster and Interleukin-1 Receptor Polymorphisms With Febrile Seizures
Authors: Soltani Samaneh , Zare-Shahabadi Ameneh , Shahrokhi Amin , Rezaei Arezou , Zoghi Samaneh , Zamani Gholam Reza , Mohammadi Mahmoud , Ashrafi Mahmoud Reza , Rezaei Nima
Published: October 2015

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) plays a key role in inflammation, has an effect on a wide variety of cells, and often leads to tissue destruction. While the ratio between IL-1 and IL-1Ra could influence the development of different diseases of the central nervous system, its gene polymorphisms were investigated in a group of patients with febrile seizures. Ninety patients with febrile seizures were enrolled and compared with 140 controls. The allele and genotype frequency of single nucleotide polymorphisms within the IL-1α, β, IL-1 R and IL-1Ra gene were determined. The frequency of the IL-1Ra/C allele at position Mspa-I 11100 was decreased significantly ( P = .002) and the IL-1Ra/T frequency was significantly increased in patients ( P = .002). In addition, the CT genotype frequency at the same position was significantly overrepresented in controls compared to patients ( P = .001). Certain alleles and genotypes in the IL-1 gene were overrepresented in patients with febrile seizures, which possibly could predispose individuals to this disease.
The Role of Prematurity in Patients With Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Zelnik Nathanel , Lahat Eli , Heyman Eli , Livne Amir , Schertz Mitchell , Sagie Liora , Fattal-Valevski Aviva
Published: October 2015

A multicenter retrospective study was conducted to investigate the perinatal factors, imaging findings and clinical characteristics of hemiplegic cerebral palsy with a particular focus on children born prematurely. Our cohort included 135 patients of whom 42% were born prematurely; 16% were extreme premature infants who were born at 30 weeks or earlier. Nineteen (14%) were twins. Right hemiplegia was slightly more common and accounted for 59% of the patients. Imaging findings of intraventricular hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia were more prevalent in premature children whereas stroke, porencephaly, cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral atrophy were more evenly distributed in both term-born and prematurely-born children ( p < 0.01). The overall prevalence of epilepsy in the cohort was 26% with no differences in full-term compared to prematurely-born children. Regardless of the gestational birth age, intellectual deficits were more common in the presence of comorbidity of both hemiplegia and epilepsy ( p < 0.05).
Effect of modifications of lignin on thermal, structural, and mechanical properties of polypropylene/modified lignin blends
Authors: Maldhure Atul V , Ekhe Jayant D
Published: October 2015

Use of organic biomass, industrial waste lignin, was considered interesting due to its easy availability, polymeric nature, and ample scope to modify with an aim to replace conventional metal oxides to achieve improved properties of the blend when blended with polyolefins. To study the effect of chemical modification of lignin on the thermal, structural, and mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP)/modified lignin blends, purified industrial waste lignin was modified by two different chemical methods and blended in various proportions in PP matrix. The thermal stability of the blends was studied by thermogravimetric analysis, whereas melting and crystallization behavior of blends was studied by non-isothermal differential scanning calorimetry. The results show improved thermal stability of blends with increasing modified lignin proportion in the PP matrix. More depression in melting point was observed in PP/alkylated lignin blends than PP/arylated lignin blends, whereas addition of alkylated lignin shows polymorphism in PP matrix. Intermolecular interactions between blend components have been evaluated by applying several mathematical models to experimental mechanical property data. In most of the cases, good agreement has been obtained between the predictions made by using mathematical models and interpretations done on the basis of experimental data, showing the suitability of these models for predicting the mechanical properties of PP/modified lignin blends.
Effect of recycling on polypropylene composites reinforced with glass fibres
Authors: Colucci Giovanna , Simon Hadrien , Roncato Davide , Martorana Brunetto , Badini Claudio
Published: October 2015

The aim of the work was to investigate the effect of recycling on the mechanical behaviour of polypropylene composites reinforced with glass fibres (GFs), starting from a material already used in automotive for vehicle components, obtained by injection moulding. Formerly specimens of pristine composites were subjected to tensile and flexural tests, then the specimens were grinded, reprocessed and recycled only once. The recycled composites showed a slight decrease in the elastic modulus and tensile and flexural strength values. Morphological investigations, carried out by scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy, were also performed to study the microstructure and the fibre–polymer interfaces, together with the GFs’ orientation and distribution within the polymeric matrix before and after the mechanical recycling. The results revealed that the mechanical recycling had no significant effect on the final microstructure and performance of the fully recycled composites, which can be still successfully used for structural applications in the automotive field.
Preparation of carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics with high fiber volume fraction and high heat-resistant properties
Authors: Liu Bing , Xu Anchang , Bao Limin
Published: October 2015

In the present article, a highly heat-resistant composite with a high fiber volume fraction ( Vf > 60%) was successfully manufactured using engineering plastic Nylon66 as matrix and carbon fabric as reinforcement by a solution impregnation molding method. The mechanical properties of the composite were investigated using a tensile measuring device. Mechanical analysis revealed the superior mechanical properties of the composite relative to those of previously reported carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTPs). The cross section and fracture surface of the composite were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The resin successfully impregnated the fiber bundles and the bonding strength of the fiber–resin interface was excellent. Dynamic mechanical analysis was used to evaluate the heat-resistant property of the composite. The composite exhibited a better heat-resistant property relative to that of the carbon fiber-reinforced crystalline co-polyester composite. To further verify the versatility of this method, super engineering plastic polyetherimide with a higher molecular weight was successfully employed as matrix to prepare CFRTP.
Impact of interaction between cavity flow and mainstream on the performance of a model trapped vortex combustor
Authors: Wu Zejun , He Xiaomin , Jin Yi , Song Yaoyu , Zhu Yixiao
Published: October 2015

In trapped vortex combustors, radial strut serves as a critical component for it determines the interaction between cavity flow and mainstream and thus combustion and emission performances. Aiming at this topic, a trapped vortex combustor comprising interchangeable aerodynamic multipoint fueling setup, which have different strut width but same passage area, is designed. Experimental studies are carried out to investigate the combustion efficiency and emission performance. The configuration with wider struts exhibits excellent ability of NOx reduction in all operating conditions. However, relatively higher level of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon are produced especially under cavity-only conditions, and thus the corresponding combustion efficiencies are lower. Nonreacting computational fluid dynamics results show that it is difficult for cavity flow to rush to the tail of bluff body because slenderer struts cannot provide sufficient protection. Thus, flow pattern and mixing of cavity flow and mainstream are influenced. Residence time of cavity-fore flow is calculated using a novel approach referred to as difference of tracer-pulse response. Reacting flow simulations show a different flow structure from reacting flow. It reveals that cavity flow can partially rush to the tail of bluff body through the channel behind the slenderer struts of configuration-1. However, the mixture fraction and temperature behind the bluff body of configuration-1 are still lower, and thus the NOx formation rate is relative lower.
Homosexuality as a Discrete Class
Authors: Norris Alyssa L. , Marcus David K. , Green Bradley A.
Published: October 2015

Previous research on the latent structure of sexual orientation has returned conflicting results, with some studies finding a dimensional structure (i.e., ranging quantitatively along a spectrum) and others a taxonic structure (i.e., categories of individuals with distinct orientations). The current study used a sample ( N = 33,525) from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). A series of taxometric analyses were conducted using three indicators of sexual orientation: identity, behavior, and attraction. These analyses, performed separately for women and men, revealed low-base-rate same-sex-oriented taxa for men (base rate = 3.0%) and women (base rate = 2.7%). Generally, taxon membership conferred an increased risk for psychiatric and substance-use disorders. Although taxa were present for men and women, women demonstrated greater sexual fluidity, such that any level of same-sex sexuality conferred taxon membership for men but not for women.