bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Systems Design Exploration Approach that Illuminates Tradespaces Using Statistical Experimental Designs
Authors: MacCalman Alex D. , Beery Paul T. , Paulo Eugene P.
Published: October 2016

This paper describes an approach that leverages computer simulation models and statistical experimental designs for exploration studies during the early conceptual design of a system. We apply the approach to a naval ship design problem and demonstrate how we can illuminate trade decisions among multiple design decisions and evaluation measures using a dynamic dashboard. After performing experimental designs on a collection of simulation models, we can fit statistical models that act as surrogates to these simulations. These surrogate models allow us to explore a wider variety of system alternatives rather than fixating on a narrow set of alternatives. The purpose of the approach is to simultaneously explore the operational and physical domains using statistical surrogate models in order to illuminate trade decisions between the system's operational effectiveness and physical design considerations.
To Rearrange or not to Rearrange: Reactivity of NHCs towards Chloro‐ and Hydrostannanes R2SnCl2 (R = Me, Ph) and Ph3SnH
Authors: Schneider Heidi , Krahfuß Mirjam J. , Radius Udo
Published: October 2016

The reaction of 1,3‐diisopropylimidazolin‐2‐ylidene (iPr2Im) with diphenyldichlorostannane and dimethyldichlorostannane, respectively, leads to the formation of the adducts (iPr2Im)·SnPh2Cl2 (1) and (iPr2Im)·SnMe2Cl2 (2). These compounds are stable in solution to temperatures up to 80 °C for several days and rearrangement to backbone‐tethered bis(imidazolium) salts or ring expansion reaction to six membered heterocyclic rings was not observed. The reaction of iPr2Im with triphenylstannane Ph3SnH leads to reductive dehydrocoupling of the stannane to yield distannane Sn2Ph6 and iPr2ImH2. Thus, the reactivity of these tin compounds is completely different compared to those of the lighter congener silicon, for which rearrangement (chlorides) and NHC ring expansion (hydrides) was reported earlier.
N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Reactivity Towards Mercurous Chloride
Authors: Roy Matthew M. D. , Ferguson Michael J. , Rivard Eric
Published: October 2016

The synthesis and characterization of a novel dimeric N‐heterocyclic carbene ligated trimercury hexachloride adduct [(IPr)Hg3Cl6]2 [IPr = (HCNDipp)2C:; Dipp = 2,6‐iPr2C6H3] is reported from the disproportionation reaction of IPr with mercury(I) chloride. The molecular structure of this species in the solid state represents a new bonding motif for a mercury halide.
Construction of the effective plastic yield surfaces of vertebral trabecular bone under twisting and bending moments stresses using a 3D microstructural model
Authors: Goda Ibrahim , Ganghoffer Jean‐François
Published: October 2016

Trabecular bone experiences complex multiaxial loads which can lead to entire bone fracture. The available knowledge of the failure properties of trabecular under multiaxial states of stress is quite limited, especially under bending and twisting moment stresses. Analytical models of the mechanical response of trabecular bone based on microstructural models can significantly enhance our understanding of multiaxial failure behavior under such loadings. For this purpose, plastic yield surfaces are derived for lattice‐like models of the trabecular bone structure with a relatively high effective density, such that failure occurs by full plastic flow. The asymptotic discrete homogenization approach is involved to construct the plastic collapse surfaces of the periodic 3D rod‐like architecture of vertebral bone in micropolar couple stress space incorporating natural anisotropy of bone. Both in‐plane and out‐of‐plane bending couple stress states are considered in addition to torsional couple stresses. A plastic yield criterion is adopted to address general bending and torsional couple loadings, accounting for combined cell wall bone microstructure bending and torsion. The criterion for full plastic yielding is micromechanically motivated and relies on the calculation of the microscopic couple stresses (or micromoments) that are linked to the homogenized curvatures. The plastic yield surface is associated to a complete plasticization of the trabecular strut section. Additionally, since the effective bone density is the most important factor affecting the failure behavior of bone, the plastic strengths of vertebral bone are obtained in terms of the relative density to provide insights about the impact of bone relative density on the plastic collapse conditions. The vertebral plastic failure domains due to torsional and bending couple stresses are related to the relative density, expressed in terms of the micro‐architecture parameters, itself changing with age.
Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of cystathionine beta‐synthase deficiency
Authors: Morris Andrew A. M. , Kožich Viktor , Santra Saikat , Andria Generoso , Ben‐Omran Tawfeg I. M. , Chakrapani Anupam B. , Crushell Ellen , Henderson Mick J. , Hochuli Michel , Huemer Martina , Janssen Miriam C. H. , Maillot Francois , Mayne Philip D. , McNulty Jenny , Morrison Tara M. , Ogier Helene , O'Sullivan Siobhan , Pavlíková Markéta , de Almeida Isabel Tavares , Terry Allyson , Yap Sufin , Blom Henk J. , Chapman Kimberly A.
Published: October 2016

Cystathionine beta‐synthase (CBS) deficiency is a rare inherited disorder in the methionine catabolic pathway, in which the impaired synthesis of cystathionine leads to accumulation of homocysteine. Patients can present to many different specialists and diagnosis is often delayed. Severely affected patients usually present in childhood with ectopia lentis, learning difficulties and skeletal abnormalities. These patients generally require treatment with a low‐methionine diet and/or betaine. In contrast, mildly affected patients are likely to present as adults with thromboembolism and to respond to treatment with pyridoxine. In this article, we present recommendations for the diagnosis and management of CBS deficiency, based on a systematic review of the literature. Unfortunately, the quality of the evidence is poor, as it often is for rare diseases. We strongly recommend measuring the plasma total homocysteine concentrations in any patient whose clinical features suggest the diagnosis. Our recommendations may help to standardise testing for pyridoxine responsiveness. Current evidence suggests that patients are unlikely to develop complications if the plasma total homocysteine concentration is maintained below 120 μmol/L. Nevertheless, we recommend keeping the concentration below 100 μmol/L because levels fluctuate and the complications associated with high levels are so serious.
Spatial synchrony of wader populations in inland lakes of the Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Gonçalves M. S. S. , Gil‐Delgado J. A. , Gosálvez R. U. , López‐Iborra G. M. , Ponz A. , Velasco A.
Published: October 2016

Spatial synchronization refers to similarity in temporal variations between spatially separated populations. Three mechanisms have been associated with the spatial synchrony of populations: Moran effect, dispersal and trophic interactions. In this study, we explored the degree of spatial synchrony of three wader species populations (Pied Avocet, Black‐winged Stilt and Kentish Plover) using monthly estimates of their abundance in inland lakes of the Iberian Peninsula. The effect of several types of wetland variables (structural, hydroperiod and landscape) on spatial synchronization was explored. Groups of lakes with significant synchronization were identified for all three species. The lakes with wastewater input presented longer hydroperiods than those that did not receive these effluents, and this factor was positively related to the spatial synchrony of the Pied Avocet and Kentish Plover populations. The distance between lakes (used as an indicator of the dispersal effect on synchronization) was significant only in Pied Avocet. No structural or landscape variables were related to spatial synchronization in any species. It was impossible to identify any variable related to the spatial synchronization of Black‐winged Stilt abundance as a possible result of the high ecological plasticity of this species. Our data provides the first evidence for mechanisms that act on the spatial synchronizing of wader populations in temporary continental lakes in central Spain, and show that the hydroperiod of lakes acts as an important factor in the spatial synchronization of aquatic species and that its effect is mediated by the reception of urban wastewater.
Scheduled maturation in low colorectal and coloanal anastomoses
Authors: Fernandes Rubens Henrique Oleques
Published: October 2016

Introduction Anastomotic dehiscence is the main complication after low colorectal and coloanal anastomoses. The techniques commonly used are the double-stapling and hand-sewn anastomoses, both are made with immediate maturation. These techniques do not prevent pelvic sepsis in many patients and are not feasible in all cases.

Objective The study aim is to report the technical details and results with the use of scheduled maturation anastomosis in ten patients.

Surgical technique The scheduled maturation anastomosis is done in two steps. The first step is the closure of colonic stump in a way that keeps the mucosa layer in everted position. The second step is the union of the colon and rectum ends by transanal access. All the sutures are made with 2/0 polyglactin. A diverting stoma must be done in all cases. After 30 days, begins spontaneous opening of the anastomosis.

Results Ten patients underwent this technique. There were two cases of stenosis that were treated with digital dilatation in office. All patients had their diverting ostomy closed.

Conclusion The scheduled maturation anastomosis is feasible in difficult cases and may prevent pelvic sepsis in low colorectal and coloanal anastomoses.
Sex Differences in Emotion Recognition and Emotional Inferencing Following Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Zupan Barbra , Babbage Duncan , Neumann Dawn , Willer Barry
Published: October 2016

The primary objective of the current study was to determine if men and women with traumatic brain injury (TBI) differ in their emotion recognition and emotional inferencing abilities. In addition to overall accuracy, we explored whether differences were contingent upon the target emotion for each task, or upon high- and low-intensity facial and vocal emotion expressions. A total of 160 participants (116 men) with severe TBI completed three tasks – a task measuring facial emotion recognition (DANVA-Faces), vocal emotion recognition (DANVA-Voices) and one measuring emotional inferencing (emotional inference from stories test (EIST)). Results showed that women with TBI were significantly more accurate in their recognition of vocal emotion expressions and also for emotional inferencing. Further analyses of task performance showed that women were significantly better than men at recognising fearful facial expressions and also facial emotion expressions high in intensity. Women also displayed increased response accuracy for sad vocal expressions and low-intensity vocal emotion expressions. Analysis of the EIST task showed that women were more accurate than men at emotional inferencing in sad and fearful stories. A similar proportion of women and men with TBI were impaired (≥ 2 SDs when compared to normative means) at facial emotion perception, χ2 = 1.45, p = 0.228, but a larger proportion of men was impaired at vocal emotion recognition, χ2 = 7.13, p = 0.008, and emotional inferencing, χ2 = 7.51, p = 0.006.
Panel of Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Biomarkers in ALS: A Pilot Study
Authors: Blasco Hélène , Garcon Guillaume , Patin Franck , Veyrat-Durebex Charlotte , Boyer Judith , Devos David , Vourc’h Patrick , Andres Christian R. , Corcia Philippe
Published: October 2016

Background: Pathophysiological mechanisms that contribute to neurodegeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) include oxidative stress and inflammation. We conducted a preliminary study to explore these mechanisms, to discuss their link in ALS, and to determine the feasibility of incorporating this combined analysis into current biomarkers research. Methods: We enrolled 10 ALS patients and 10 controls. We measured the activities of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, superoxyde dismutase (SOD), and the levels of serum total antioxidant status (TAS), malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and glutathione status (e.g. glutathione disulfide, GSSG/reduced glutathione, GSH). We analysed the concentrations of homocysteine, several cytokines, vitamins and metals by standard methods used in routine practice. Results: There was a significant decrease in TAS levels (p=0.027) and increase in 8-OHdG (p=0.014) and MDA (p=0.011) levels in ALS patients. We also observed a significantly higher GSSG/GSH ratio (p=0.022), and IL-6 (p=0.0079) and IL-8 (p=0.009) concentrations in ALS patients. Correlations were found between biological and clinical markers (homosysteine vs. clinical status at diagnosis, p=0.02) and between some biological markers such as IL-6 vs. GSSG/GSH (p=0.045) or SOD activity (p=0.017). Conclusion: We confirmed the systemic alteration of both the redox and the inflammation status in ALS patients, and we observed a link with some clinical parameters. These promising results encourage us to pursue this study with collection of combined oxidative stress and inflammatory markers.
On a class of reflected AR(1) processes
Authors: Boxma Onno , Mandjes Michel , Reed Josh
Published: October 2016

In this paper we study a reflected AR(1) process, i.e. a process (Zn)n obeying the recursion Zn+1= max{aZn+Xn,0}, with (Xn)n a sequence of independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) random variables. We find explicit results for the distribution of Zn (in terms of transforms) in case Xn can be written as Yn−Bn, with (Bn)n being a sequence of independent random variables which are all Exp(λ) distributed, and (Yn)n i.i.d.; when |a|<1 we can also perform the corresponding stationary analysis. Extensions are possible to the case that (Bn)n are of phase-type. Under a heavy-traffic scaling, it is shown that the process converges to a reflected Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process; the corresponding steady-state distribution converges to the distribution of a normal random variable conditioned on being positive.
Bounded-hop percolation and wireless communication
Authors: Hirsch Christian
Published: October 2016

Motivated by an application in wireless telecommunication networks, we consider a two-type continuum-percolation problem involving a homogeneous Poisson point process of users and a stationary and ergodic point process of base stations. Starting from a randomly chosen point of the Poisson point process, we investigate the distribution of the minimum number of hops that are needed to reach some point of the base station process. In the supercritical regime of continuum percolation, we use the close relationship between Euclidean and chemical distance to identify the distributional limit of the rescaled minimum number of hops that are needed to connect a typical Poisson point to a point of the base station process as its intensity tends to 0. In particular, we obtain an explicit expression for the asymptotic probability that a typical Poisson point connects to a point of the base station process in a given number of hops.
Central limit theorems for a hypergeometric randomly reinforced urn
Authors: Crimaldi Irene
Published: October 2016

We consider a variant of the randomly reinforced urn where more balls can be simultaneously drawn out and balls of different colors can be simultaneously added. More precisely, at each time-step, the conditional distribution of the number of extracted balls of a certain color, given the past, is assumed to be hypergeometric. We prove some central limit theorems in the sense of stable convergence and of almost sure conditional convergence, which are stronger than convergence in distribution. The proven results provide asymptotic confidence intervals for the limit proportion, whose distribution is generally unknown. Moreover, we also consider the case of more urns subjected to some random common factors.
An extension of a convergence theorem for Markov chains arising in population genetics
Authors: Möhle Martin , Notohara Morihiro
Published: October 2016

An extension of a convergence theorem for sequences of Markov chains is derived. For every positive integer N let (XN(r))r be a Markov chain with the same finite state space S and transition matrix ΠN=I+dNBN, where I is the unit matrix, Q a generator matrix, (BN)N a sequence of matrices, limN℩∞cN= limN→∞dN=0 and limN→∞cN∕dN=0. Suppose that the limits P≔limm→∞(I+dNQ)m and G≔limN→∞PBNP exist. If the sequence of initial distributions PXN(0) converges weakly to some probability measure μ, then the finite-dimensional distributions of (XN([t∕cN))t≥0 converge to those of the Markov process (Xt)t≥0 with initial distribution μ, transition matrix PetG and limN→∞(I+dNQ+cNBN)[t∕cN]
Afronauts: On Science Fiction and the Crisis of Possibility
Authors: Armillas-Tiseyra Magalí
Published: October 2016

This essay investigates the critical function of science fiction (SF) tropes in SF and non-SF works by and about Africans. It begins with the assertion that works that invoke SF tropes, even if they are not properly speaking SF, can productively be read within the frame of SF. It then analyzes the ways in which writers and visual artists use speculative technological advances to explore the systematic marginalization of the African continent in the world-system. Drawing on Darko Suvin, Raymond Williams, and Fredric Jameson, it illustrates how these works use the cognitive estrangement characteristic of SF to posit a break in established systems of thought; this is, ultimately, a utopian gesture. Works discussed include Deji Bryce Olukotun’sNigerians in Space, Sony Labou Tansi’sLife and a Half, Ngugi wa Thiong’o’sWizard of the Crow, Cristina de Middel’sThe Afronauts, and Frances Bodomo’sAfronauts.
Life Is a Biological Risk: Contagion, Contamination, and Utopia in African Science Fiction
Authors: Moonsamy Nedine
Published: October 2016

Given the centrality of utopia to the African literary and postcolonial imaginary, science fiction by African writers offers a unique opportunity to explore and critique the sociopolitical salience of imagined African futures. Through a close reading of three short stories in theAfroSF: Science Fiction by African Writers Vol I(2012) anthology, I illustrate how generic science fiction utopias prove to be much too sterile when applied to an African context and thus do not amount to a viable and sustainable future. Making use of tropes of contagion, there is a clear desire to demonstrate that the human impulse is, in many ways, contrary to the objectives of neat utopias and these stories subsequently seek to “contaminate” the notion of utopia itself. Overall, I suggest that this is indicative of a shifting postcolonial landscape that needs to more carefully weigh the price of its utopias.
SF, Infrastructure, and the Anthropocene: Reading Moxyland and Zoo City
Authors: Smith Brady
Published: October 2016

This essay probes the relationship between nature and infrastructure in Moxyland (2008) and Zoo City (2010), SF novels by the South African writer Lauren Beukes. I show, in one vein, how “nature” and “infrastructure” are not at all opposed in the way that ecocriticism and urban studies often suggest; in these speculative fictions, nature and infrastructure coincide, such that “nature” becomes coextensive with everyday life in these texts. At the same time, the essay uses Moxyland and Zoo City to explore a problem I take to be fundamental to literary and environmental studies in Africa, namely the place of African texts and contexts in the rapidly growing body of work on the Anthropocene, humanity’s new geologic age. Not only do these novels suggest yoking discourse on the Anthropocene to the new materialisms of scholars such as Jane Bennett or Bruno Latour, but the manner in which they do so can help us think about how to make the concept accessible to literary form.
The Politics of Scrutiny in Human Rights Monitoring: Evidence from Structural Topic Models of US State Department Human Rights Reports
Authors: Bagozzi Benjamin E. , Berliner Daniel
Published: October 2016

Human rights monitoring reports play important roles both in the international human rights regime and in productions of human rights data. However, human rights reports are produced by organizations subject to formal and informal pressures that may influence the topics considered salient for attention and scrutiny. We study this potential using structural topic models (STMs), a method used for identifying the latent topical dimensions of texts and assessing the effects of covariates on these dimensions. We apply STMs to a corpus of 6298 State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices (1977–2012), identifying a plausible set of topics including killings and disappearances, freedoms of expression and movement, and labor rights, among others. We find that these topics vary markedly both over time and space. We also find that while US domestic politics play no systematic role in shaping topic prevalence, US allies tend to receivemoreattention to violations of physical integrity rights. These results challenge extant research, and illustrate the usefulness of STM methods for future study of foreign policy documents. Our findings also highlight the importance oftopical attention shiftsin documents that monitor and evaluate countries.
14C Contamination Testing in Natural Abundance Laboratories: A New Preparation Method Using Wet Chemical Oxidation and Some Experiences
Authors: McIntyre Cameron P , Lechleitner Franziska , Lang Susan Q , Haghiour Negar , Fahrni Simon , Wacker Lukas , Synal Hans-Arno
Published: October 2016

Substances enriched with radiocarbon can easily contaminate samples and laboratories used for natural abundance measurements. We have developed a new method using wet chemical oxidation for swabbing laboratories and equipment to test for 14C contamination. Here, we report the findings of 18 months’ work and more than 800 tests covering studies at multiple locations. Evidence of past and current use of enriched 14C was found at all but one location and a program of testing and communication was used to mitigate its effects. Remediation was attempted with mixed success and depended on the complexity and level of the contamination. We describe four cases from different situations.
THE TRIAL OF THOMAS KWOYELO: OPPORTUNITY OR SPECTRE? REFLECTIONS FROM THE GROUND ON THE FIRST LRA PROSECUTION
Authors: Macdonald Anna , Porter Holly
Published: October 2016

The trial of Thomas Kwoyelo – the first war crimes prosecution of a former Lord's Resistance Army fighter, and the only domestic war crimes prosecution in Uganda at the time of writing – has been packed with drama, intrigue and politics. The article considers what Kwoyelo's trial means for those most affected by the crimes he allegedly committed, and, more broadly, what it means for the ‘transitional justice’ project in Uganda. The article is concerned primarily with how the trial has been interpreted ‘on the ground’ in Acholiland: by local leadership; by those with a personal relationship to Kwoyelo; by direct victims of his alleged crimes; and by those who were not. Responses to the trial have been shaped by people's specific wartime experiences and if or how his prosecution relates to their current circumstances – as well as by the profound value of social harmony and distrust of higher authorities to dispense justice. We conclude with a discussion of the relevance of our findings for the practice of ‘transitional justice’ across the African continent.
SIMILARITY AND DIFFERENCE, CONTEXT AND TRADITION, IN CONTEMPORARY RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS IN WEST AFRICA
Authors: Peel J. D. Y.
Published: October 2016

The position I critique in this paper is really a complex of closely overlapping positions, some more theoretically sophisticated or better grounded empirically than others.1Their central thrust is to emphasize the similarities rather than the differences between current movements in the world religions, particularly Christianity and Islam, but also to a lesser extent in Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism. It appeals more to social scientists than to those working in religious studies, particularly scholars of specific religious traditions. It also taps into a common lay attitude to what might be called a ‘secular common sense’, which feels impatience or distaste for all forms of what it considers religious extremism, while at the same time shying away from regarding any one religion as more prone to extremism than others. This is the kind of interlocutor who will counter an observation about violent militancy in contemporary Islam – in the context, let us say, of a discussion about Boko Haram – with ‘But what about the Crusades’?
Deliberate Disengagement: How Education Can Decrease Political Participation in Electoral Authoritarian Regimes
Authors: CROKE KEVIN , GROSSMAN GUY , LARREGUY HORACIO A. , MARSHALL JOHN
Published: October 2016

A large literature examining advanced and consolidating democracies suggests that education increases political participation. However, in electoral authoritarian regimes, educated voters may instead deliberately disengage. If education increases critical capacities, political awareness, and support for democracy, educated citizens may believe that participation is futile or legitimizes autocrats. We test this argument in Zimbabwe—a paradigmatic electoral authoritarian regime—by exploiting cross-cohort variation in access to education following a major educational reform. We find that educationdecreasespolitical participation, substantially reducing the likelihood that better-educated citizens vote, contact politicians, or attend community meetings. Consistent with deliberate disengagement, education’s negative effect on participation dissipated following 2008’s more competitive election, which (temporarily) initiated unprecedented power sharing. Supporting the mechanisms underpinning our hypothesis, educated citizens experience better economic outcomes, are more interested in politics, and are more supportive of democracy, but are also more likely to criticize the government and support opposition parties.
Whole-blood fatty acids are associated with executive function in Tanzanian children aged 4–6 years: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Jumbe Theresia , Comstock Sarah S. , Harris William S. , Kinabo Joyce , Pontifex Matthew B. , Fenton Jenifer I.
Published: October 2016

Essential fatty acids (EFA) are PUFA that are metabolised to long-chain PUFA and are important for brain development and cognitive function. The objective of this study was to determine the association between whole-blood EFA and cognitive function in Tanzanian children. A total of 325 2–6-year-old children attempted the dimensional change card sort (DCCS) tasks to assess executive function. Blood samples were collected for fatty acid (FA) analysis by GC. Associations between executive function and FA levels were assessed by regression. Among the 130 4–6-year-old children who attempted the DCCS tasks, whole-blood levels of linoleic acid were positively associated with executive function, whereas whole-blood levels ofα-linolenic acid and nervonic acid were inversely associated with executive function. A full model including all twenty-five FA explained 38 % of the variation in executive function, whereas a reduced model including only the EFA (α-linolenic acid and linoleic acid), DHA and EPA explained 25 % of the variation in executive function. Children who had sufficient whole-blood levels of EFA were 3·8 times more likely to successfully complete all DCCS tasks compared with children with insufficient EFA. These results suggest that whole-blood FA levels are associated with cognitive abilities. Intervention trials that include assessment of whole-blood FA levels are required to determine the relationships between intake, blood levels and executive function in Tanzanian children.
No difference in acute effects of supplementalv.dietary calcium on blood pressure and microvascular function in obese women challenged with a high-fat meal: a cross-over randomised study
Authors: Ferreira Thaís da Silva , Leal Priscila Mansur , Antunes Vanessa Parada , Sanjuliani Antonio Felipe , Klein Márcia Regina Simas Torres
Published: October 2016

Recent studies suggest that supplemental Ca (SC) increases the risk of cardiovascular events, whereas dietary Ca (DC) decreases the risk of cardiovascular events. Although frequently consumed with meals, it remains unclear whether Ca can mitigate or aggravate the deleterious effects of a high-fat meal on cardiovascular risk factors. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of SC or DC on blood pressure (BP) and microvascular function (MVF) in the postprandial period in obese women challenged with a high-fat meal. In this cross-over controlled trial, sixteen obese women aged 20–50 years were randomly assigned to receive three test meals (2908 kJ (695 kcal); 48 % fat): high DC (HDCM; 547 mg DC), high SC (HSCM; 500 mg SC–calcium carbonate) and low Ca (LCM; 42 mg DC). BP was continuously evaluated from 15 min before to 120 min after meals by digital photoplethysmography. Before and 120 min after meals, participants underwent evaluation of serum Ca and microvascular flow after postocclusive reactive hyperaemia (PORH) by laser speckle contrast imaging. Ionised serum Ca rose significantly only after HSCM. Systolic BP increased after the three meals, whereas diastolic BP increased after LCM and HDCM. Hyperaemia peak, hyperaemia amplitude and AUC evaluated after PORH decreased with LCM. After HDCM, there was a reduction in hyperaemia peak and hyperaemia amplitude, whereas HSCM decreased only hyperaemia peak. However, comparative analyses of the effects of three test meals on serum Ca, BP and MVF revealed no significant meal×time interaction. This study suggests that in obese women SC and DC do not interfere with the effects of a high-fat meal on BP and MVF.
Stay-green characterization in Belgian forage maize
Authors: SWANCKAERT J. , PANNECOUCQUE J. , VAN WAES J. , STEPPE K. , VAN LABEKE M-C. , REHEUL D.
Published: October 2016

The term ‘stay-green’ (SG) is used in studies with varieties showing delayed senescence in the field. However, delayed appearance of visual symptoms of leaf senescence does not guarantee a longer duration of photosynthesis. The question arises whether the variation in photosynthetic capacity between silage maize varieties currently on the Belgian market is large enough to define different SG types. Furthermore, physiological traits were investigated as proxies for photosynthesis, including chlorophyll concentration, nitrogen (N) concentration, SPAD readings and greenness score. Finally, the functionality of the SG trait was determined by studying dry matter (DM) and N partitioning in the plants. To address these questions, eight silage maize varieties were monitored at two sites in Belgium over 2 years (2013–2014). Two plant types were found: hereafter called ‘normal’ and ‘SG’. The SG varieties had higher values for photosynthetic capacity and they coincided with higher values for the proxies. Because a higher photosynthetic capacity did not provoke higher assimilate accumulation in the leaves, the SG trait was characterized as a cosmetic one. The SG trait influenced N dynamics in the plant: lower N translocation from the leaves to the ear resulted in lower ear N concentration and lower ear DM yield. No differences in whole-crop N concentration and whole-crop DM yield were found. As the SG trait mainly provokes shifts in partition of DM and N between vegetative and generative tissues, the energy source also shifts from starch (provided by the ear) to cell wall material (provided by the stover).
Development and validation of a low-cost microsurgery Ear Trainer for low-resource settings
Authors: Clark M P A , Westerberg B D , Mitchell J E
Published: October 2016

Objective:

Chronic suppurative otitis media is a neglected condition affecting up to 330 million people worldwide, with the burden of the disease in impoverished countries. The need for non-governmental organisations to hardwire training into their programmes has been highlighted. An ear surgery simulator appropriate for training in resource-poor settings was developed, and its effectiveness in facilitating the acquisition of headlight and microsurgical skills necessary to safely perform procedures via the ear canal was investigated.

Methods:

Face validity was assessed via questionnaires. Six tasks were developed: a headlight foreign body removal task, and microscope tasks of foreign body removal, ventilation tube insertion, tympanomeatal flap raising, myringoplasty and middle-ear manipulation. Participants with varying ENT experience were video-recorded performing each task and scored by a blinded expert observer to assess construct validity.

Results:

Face validity results confirmed that our Ear Trainer was a realistic representation of the ear. Construct validity results showed a statistically significant trend, with experts performing the best and those with limited experience performing better than novices.

Conclusion:

This study validates our Ear Trainer as a useful training tool for assessing headlight and microsurgical skills required to perform otological procedures.
Networked Justice: Judges, the Diffusion of Ideas, and Legal Reform Movements in Mexico
Authors: INGRAM MATTHEW C.
Published: October 2016

Existing research shows that the ideas of judges shape their behaviour. A natural next question to ask is, where do these ideas come from? Yet, there is little empirical evidence regarding the content and distribution of these ideas and even less evidence regarding the sources of these ideas, especially how ideas transfer or diffuse among judges. In this article, a survey of judges in the Mexican state of Michoacán generates original data on the attitudes and professional ties among these legal elites, and a mixed-methods design examines the diffusion of these attitudes along these ties, sequencing quantitative network analyses and interviews with judges to strengthen causal inferences. The core finding that the social structure of judges influences the attitudes judges hold contributes a valuable analytic complement to scholarship on comparative judicial behaviour, and clarifies our understanding of the role of judicial networks in strengthening democracy and the rule of law.
Pupil voice and attitudes to music during the transition to secondary school
Authors: Kokotsaki Dimitra
Published: October 2016

Pupil voice research has been recognised in the last 15 years for its potential to re-shape the conditions of learning and help raise child engagement and standards of achievement. In music education, however, there still seems to exist a misalignment between the content of the curriculum and pupils’ learning expectations and interests. The aim of this study was to explore pupils’ views about school music during the transition to secondary school and identify which components of their music lessons contribute to them feeling happier about music at school. The analysis of interview and questionnaire data revealed some pupils’ disillusionment about music at the beginning of secondary school when their initial high expectations about opportunities for practical musical involvement were not met.
Astroaesthetics: Performance and the Rise of Interplanetary Culture
Authors: CERVERA FELIPE
Published: October 2016

Recent years have seen an increase in extraterrestrial exploration projects. What was once a series of competing displays of Cold War political and military might between the US and the USSR has now re-emerged with international collaborations and fresh contestants that range from newly developed, government-based Space programmes to a growing list of private and corporate investors and entrepreneurs. Historically, performances and performative actions and utterances have been important instruments for the representation and politicization of outer-Space discovery and exploration. An inevitable corollary of the recent developments of Space exploration, therefore, is that diverse performances and performatives in and about Space are also flourishing. Their multiplicity reflects the complexity of contemporary geopolitics as well as the forms that these performances may take, including extreme sports, theatre, music videos, social-media interactions and experimental performance. The increase in expressive possibilities calls for a mode of critical attention that addresses them in their scientific, geopolitical and formal particularity.
An Eternal Parting: Staging Internal Diaspora, Performing South Korean Nationalism
Authors: LEE HYUNJUNG
Published: October 2016

The myth of Korean-ness is reconstructed via the figures of minorities in a documentary/performance, An Eternal Parting, performed by the South Korean performance group Movement Dang-Dang in 2011 and 2013. It showcases the phenomena of Korean diaspora, starting with the deportations of Korean exiles from Siberia under Stalin during the 1930s, and hinges on the presence of the descendants of exiled Korean ethnic populations in contemporary South Korea, including how they are both accepted and excluded by their countrymen. However, although An Eternal Parting tries to redefine the myth of Korean-ness from a marginal viewpoint, its fundamental ambivalence does not escape hegemonic Korean ideologies of nationalism, bloodline, family and home.
Theatre and the Publics of Democracy: Between Melodrama and Rational Realism
Authors: CHATTERJEE PARTHA
Published: October 2016

The theatre that developed in late nineteenth-century India, especially in the Bengal and Maharashtra regions, catered to an audience that was much wider than the new educated middle-class males who introduced the European stage form in Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune. Driven by private capital, the new Indian theatre adopted the melodrama as its main dramatic form. When performance capital shifted to the more lucrative field of cinema in the middle of the twentieth century, the melodramatic form again became the chief narrative mode. Such is its power that it has become the principal rhetorical form of popular democracy in India. In the decades after independence, theatre was rescued from imminent death by the support provided by state agencies which sponsored the production of a national theatre canon and style, as opposed to the prevailing regional ones. However, with bureaucratization and political interference, theatre in India today must revert to its one inherent superiority over the cinema – the immediacy of its encounter with small audiences.
Older Adults’ Online Dating Profiles and Successful Aging
Authors: Wada Mineko , Mortenson William Bennett , Hurd Clarke Laura
Published: October 2016

Cette étude a examiné la pertinence des trois critères de Rowe et Kahn pour le vieillissement réussi à des représentations de soi dans profils de recontre en ligne des aînés:faible probabilité de maladie ou d’invalidité;fonctionnement élevéetl’engagement de la vie active. Dans cette étude transversale, 320 profils de rencontre en ligne des personnes âgées ont été choisis aléatoirement et codés selon ces critères. Les analyses de régression logistique ont déterminé si l’âge, le sexe et la race / ethnicité prédit l’auto-présentation. Peu de profils étaient révélateurs du vieillissement réussi en raison de la faible prévalence des deux premiers critères. Cependant, le troisième critère a été identifié dans de nombreux profils. Les Amérindiens étaient beaucoup moins susceptibles que les autres groupes ethniques pour mettre en évidence les premier et deuxième critères. Présentant le premier critère prédit le jeune âge. Profils de présentations des femmes du troisième critère sont restés très élevés avec l’âge. Les résultats suggèrent que les critères peuvent être sans importance pour les personnes âgées qui cherchent des partenaires, ou peuvent refléter l’exclusivité de cette idée.
Cyclic patterns in the central European tick-borne encephalitis incidence series
Authors: ZEMAN P.
Published: October 2016

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is peculiar due to its unstable dynamics with profound inter-annual fluctuations in case numbers – a phenomenon not well understood to date. Possible reasons – apart from variable human contact with TBE foci – include external factors, e.g. climatic forcing, autonomous oscillations of the disease system itself, or a combined action of both. Spectral analysis of TBE data from six regions of central Europe (CE) revealed that the ostensibly chaotic dynamics can be explained in terms of four superposed (quasi-)periodical oscillations: a quasi-biennial, triennial, pentennial, and a decadal cycle. These oscillations exhibit a high degree of regularity and synchrony across CE. Nevertheless, some amplitude and phase variations are responsible for regional differences in incidence patterns. In addition, periodic changes occur in the degree of synchrony in the regions: marked in-phase periods alternate with rather off-phase periods. Such a feature in the disease dynamics implies that it arises as basically diverging self-oscillations of local disease systems which, at intervals, receive synchronizing impulses, such as periodic variations in food availability for key hosts driven by external factors. This makes the disease dynamics synchronized over a large area during peaks in the synchronization signal, shifting to asynchrony in the time in between.
Comparative genomic fingerprinting of Campylobacter: application in routine public health surveillance and epidemiological investigations
Authors: SCHLEIHAUF E. , MUTSCHALL S. , BILLARD B. , TABOADA E. N. , HALDANE D.
Published: October 2016

A subtyping methodology for Campylobacter, Comparative Genomic Fingerprinting (CGF40), has been described recently. The objective of this study was to assess the utility of CGF40 as a tool to enhance routine public health surveillance of campylobacteriosis. Isolates of Campylobacter from across the province were requested and sent for CGF40 subtyping. Epidemiological data from cases reported to public health officials in Nova Scotia, Canada, from January 2012 to March 2015 were linked with blinded CGF40 subtyping results. CGF40 was epidemiologically valid; subtyping discerned known epidemiologically related isolates and augmented case-finding. Predominant sources and locations of subtype detection from the national reference database showed some study subtypes were rare and even novel to the database, while others were more commonly identified over multiple years and with exposures locally and internationally. A case-case study design was applied to examine risk factors for the most common CGF40 subtypes detected. Differences in the epidemiology of different CGF40 subtypes were observed. Statistically significant associations were noted for specific subtypes with rural residence, local exposure, contact with a pet dog or cat, contact with chickens, and drinking unpasteurized milk. With prospective use, CGF40 could potentially identify unrecognized outbreaks and contribute to epidemiological investigations of case clusters.
Music therapy for palliative care: A realist review
Authors: McConnell Tracey , Porter Sam
Published: October 2016

Objective:

Music therapy has experienced a rising demand as an adjunct therapy for symptom management among palliative care patients. We conducted a realist review of the literature to develop a greater understanding of how music therapy might benefit palliative care patients and the contextual mechanisms that promote or inhibit its successful implementation.

Method:

We searched electronic databases (CINAHL, Embase, Medline, and PsychINFO) for literature containing information on music therapy for palliative care. In keeping with the realist approach, we examined all relevant literature to develop theories that could explain how music therapy works.

Results:

A total of 51 articles were included in the review. Music therapy was found to have a therapeutic effect on the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual suffering of palliative care patients. We also identified program mechanisms that help explain music therapy's therapeutic effects, along with facilitating contexts for implementation.

Significance of results:

Music therapy may be an effective nonpharmacological approach to managing distressing symptoms in palliative care patients. The findings also suggest that group music therapy may be a cost-efficient and effective way to support staff caring for palliative care patients. We encourage others to continue developing the evidence base in order to expand our understanding of how music therapy works, with the aim of informing and improving the provision of music therapy for palliative care patients.
Theory, history, and great transformations
Authors: Reus-Smit Christian
Published: October 2016

In International Relations arguments abouthistoricalorigins provoketheoreticaldebates, as origins assume an emergent theoretical unit of inquiry – an international order, system, society, etc. – while at the same time defining its core properties and dynamics. By boldly casting the long 19th century as the origin of global modernity and, in turn, the modern international order, Buzan and Lawson’sThe Global Transformationchallenges the romance with Westphalia that undergirds so much of our theorizing. Yet, the contributions to this symposium push deeper than usual, challenging established ways of conceiving change, and suggesting very different models ofpropertheorizing. While all of the papers ostensibly debate large-scale systems change, three modes of change are in contention: breakpoint, evolutionary, and processual. The further one pushes towards the latter, however, the more elusive the idea of ‘system’ becomes, eroding the fundamental boundary condition that undergirds the systemic mode of theorizing that dominates the field. Similarly, a persistent theme in these contributions is Buzan and Lawson’s purported failure to theorize change. But instead of offering rival theories, contributors advance very different conceptions oftheorizing, from pre-observational conceptualization to causal explanation. This not only challenges the field to reflect more systematically on the process of theorizing, but to acknowledge forms of theorizing that it currently brackets.
The global transformation: more than meets the eye
Authors: Musgrave Paul , Nexon Daniel
Published: October 2016

Buzan and Lawson’sThe Global Transformationestablishes that many of the basic parameters of world politics originated in the ‘long 19th century’. Despite finding much to admire in their book, we are concerned that it lacks an explicit theory of change. In its drive to highlight the novelty and exceptionalism of the 19th century, it offers insufficient guidance on two key issues: first, how international relations scholars should situate Buzan and Lawson’s ‘global transformation’ in existing debates over transhistorical processes; and, second, how they should apply lessons from that transformation to understanding emergent trends in the contemporary world. We argue that a more explicit study of causal factors might help account forwhythe 19th century was unusual. We conclude with thoughts about how the field should proceed afterThe Global Transformation. In particular, it points to how concatenating changes could profoundly alter international politics – an approach we term ‘Exotic International Relations’. Buzan and Lawson’s book therefore serves as a marker for the importance of systematically theorizing how radical potentialities for transformation might rearrange existing structural assemblages in world politics.