bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“My Older Clients Fall Through Every Crack in the System”: Geriatrics Knowledge of Legal Professionals
Authors: Soones Tacara , Ahalt Cyrus , Garrigues Sarah , Faigman David , Williams Brie A.
Published: March 2014

With the number of older adult arrestees and prisoners increasing rapidly, legal professionals increasingly provide front‐line identification and response to age‐related health conditions (including cognitive and physical impairments) that may affect legal outcomes, such as the ability to participate in one's defense or stay safe in jail. The goals of this study were to assess the ability of legal professionals to recognize and respond to age‐related conditions that could affect legal outcomes and to identify recommendations to address important knowledge gaps. This was a mixed quantitative–qualitative study. Legal professionals (N = 72) in the criminal justice system were surveyed to describe their demographic characteristics, expertise, and prior aging‐related training and to inform the qualitative interview guide. Those surveyed included attorneys (district attorneys (25%), public defenders and legal advocates (58%)), judges (6%), and court‐affiliated social workers (11%). In‐depth qualitative interviews were then conducted with a subset of 10 legal professionals who worked with older adults at least weekly. Results from the surveys and interviews revealed knowledge deficits in four important areas: age‐related health, identification of cognitive impairment, assessment of safety risk, and optimization of services upon release from jail. Four recommendations to close these gaps emerged: educate legal professionals about age‐related health, train professionals to identify cognitive and sensory impairment, develop checklists to identify those at risk of poor health or safety, and improve knowledge of and access to transitional services for older adults. These findings suggest that geriatrics knowledge gaps of legal professionals exist that may contribute to adverse medical or legal outcomes for older adults involved in the criminal justice system and that partnerships between healthcare and legal professionals are needed to address these challenges.
Case of uterine papillary serous carcinoma following tamoxifen treatment that could not be diagnosed during screening
Authors: Maenaka Takahide , Egawa‐Takata Tomomi , Hisamoto Koji , Kunishige Ichiro , Nishio Yukihiro , Tsujimoto Masahiko
Published: March 2014

This case involved a 69‐year‐old woman who had been taking tamoxifen for 5 years after breast cancer surgery. She was referred to our clinic for endometrial cancer screening when tamoxifen was first prescribed. Subsequently, transvaginal ultrasonography and endometrial cytology were performed every 6 months. Despite these regular examinations, stage IVb papillary serous carcinoma was detected 8 months after the end of tamoxifen administration. Total abdominal hysterectomy was performed, but only a small polyp was seen upon macroscopic examination of the uterus. However, papillary serous carcinoma was found microscopically in almost all lymphovascular spaces in the uterus from the endometrium to the serosa. On the surface of the polyp, only endometrial intraepithelial carcinoma with positive immunostaining for p53 was detected. Chemotherapy, including a platinum compound, was administrated, but unfortunately it was ineffective and the patient died of her disease 14 months after the operation.
A controlled trial on the effect of feeding dietary chestnut extract and glycerol monolaurate on liver function in newborn calves
Authors: Wieland M. , Weber B. K. , Hafner‐Marx A. , Sauter‐Louis C. , Bauer J. , Knubben‐Schweizer G. , Metzner M.
Published: March 2014

Beginning in the fall of 2010, an increasing and alarming number of cases of calves suffering from liver dystrophy were reported in the south of Germany. An epidemiological investigation was carried out by the authors between November 2010 and July 2011, leading to the implication of a commercial dietary supplement as the potential cause for this outbreak. The components of this product were first tested in a cell culture model and two of them (dietary chestnut extract and glycerol monolaurate) showed a cytotoxic effect. The objective of this study was therefore to evaluate the effect of supplemental feeding of both components alone or in combination on liver function in newborn calves on a commercial dairy farm. Ten calves were enrolled in each of the three treatment groups and the control group (group O) following a blocked design. Treatment consisted of supplementation with chestnut extract at 0.02% of birth body mass (BM) (group C), supplementation with glycerol monolaurate at 0.006% of BM (group G) or a combined treatment (group CG) for five consecutive days. The effect of treatments on liver function was evaluated clinically and by measurement of glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities as well as the determination of the concentrations of glucose, L‐lactate and total bilirubin in serum. There was a significant increase in GLDH and AST activities and a significant decrease in glucose concentration in treatment groups C and CG compared with the control group (p ≤ 0.035), whereas no difference was shown for group G. Survival was significantly decreased in groups C (p = 0.029) and CG (p = 0.001) compared with both group G and the control group. These results suggest that dietary chestnut extract in an amount of 0.02% of BM alone or in combination has a toxic effect on liver function in newborn calves.
Cystatin C is differentially involved in multiple system atrophy phenotypes
Authors: Urbizu Aintzane , Canet‐Pons Julia , Munoz‐Marmol Ana M. , Aldecoa Iban , Lopez Maria T. , Compta Yaroslau , Alvarez Ramiro , Ispierto Lourdes , Tolosa Eduardo , Ariza Aurelio , Beyer Katrin
Published: March 2014

Aims

As cystatin C (CysC) is involved in some forms of neurodegeneration, we investigated the possible relationship between CysC and multiple system atrophy (MSA), including its parkinsonian (MSAp) and cerebellar (MSAc) phenotypes.

Methods

Cystatin C gene (CST3) haplotypes were determined by PCR followed by KspI digestion in 50 MSA patients and 108 controls. CST3 and cathepsins B, D and L1 mRNA levels were studied in frozen post‐mortem caudate nucleus and cerebellar samples of eight MSAp, four MSAc and 18 control brains and analysed by the ΔΔCt method. CysC immunohistochemistry was performed on three MSAp, three MSAc and three control cerebella. Additionally, determination of CST3 and cathepsins B, D and L1 mRNA levels and immunohistochemistry for CysC were carried out in cerebella from three patients with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration, three with spinocerebellar ataxia (type 3, SCA3) and three with cerebellar ischaemia (CI).

Results

In the set of blood samples, the CST3 B‐haplotype was associated with MSAp (OR 4.86, confidence interval 1.84–13.3). High CST3 mRNA levels were found in MSAp caudate nuclei [expression change: 3.08 (2.98–3.18)] and MSAc cerebella [expression change: 2.44 (2.14–2.88)]. In the latter there was CysC over‐expression in Purkinje cells, Bergmann glia and dentate nucleus neurones. No cathepsin increase was detected in MSA cerebella. High mRNA levels of CST3 and cathepsins B and L1 were observed in SCA3 and CI brains.

Conclusions

CysC changes are differentially present in the parkinsonian and cerebellar forms of MSA and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of this neurodegenerative condition.
Cerebral and spinal cord tanycytic ependymomas in a young adult with a mutation in the NF2 gene
Authors: Kuga Yoshihiro , Ohnishi Hideki , Kodama Yuji , Takakura Shuji , Hayashi Masato , Yagi Ryokichi , Fukutome Kenji , Matsushima Ken , Okamoto Kouichirou , Taomoto Katsushi , Takahashi Hitoshi
Published: March 2014

We studied one frontal lobe tumor and multiple spinal cord tumors (one in an extramedullary location) that had been resected from a 24‐year‐old man. The frontal lobe tumor was well demarcated and non‐infiltrating, and consisted of eosinophilic, elongated fibrillary cells arranged in a fascicular pattern. A similar histology was reproduced in the spinal cord tumors, with additional areas showing standard features of ependymoma. Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural observations revealed that all the tumors were ependymal in nature with positivity for GFAP and epithelial membrane antigen and negativity for oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2, showing intra‐ and intercellular microrosettes, leading us to a diagnosis of tanycytic ependymoma for the frontal lobe tumor and tanycytic ependymoma with ordinary ependymomatous component for the spinal cord tumors. The spinal extramedullary tumor was a schwannoma. Importantly, a heterozygous truncating mutation in the NF2 gene was identified in the blood lymphocytes from the patient. It is known that multiple nervous system tumors can occur in neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), which is caused by mutation in the NF2 gene, and that occurrence of ependymoma, including the tanycytic variant, can be associated with this genetic condition. The present case provides further information about the clinicopathology of tanycytic ependymoma with details of the immunohistochemical, ultrastructural and genetic features.
A comparison of paravertebral nerve block catheters and thoracic epidural catheters for postoperative analgesia following the Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum repair
Authors: Hall Burton Denise M. , Boretsky Karen R.
Published: March 2014

Introduction

Thoracic epidurals (TE) have been advocated as a superior method for controlling postoperative pain after repair of pectus excavatum with a Nuss procedure. However, three recent reports of permanent neurologic injury after the Nuss procedure with concurrent TE analgesia have raised concerns about the safety of this combination. Paravertebral nerve blocks (PVNB) are used successfully for analgesia of the chest, but no studies are available comparing TE and PVNB catheters for postoperative analgesia in this patient population. This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of PVNB catheters with TE catheters for postoperative analgesia in pediatric patients undergoing the Nuss procedure.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 20 adolescent males undergoing a thoracoscopic Nuss procedure with either bilateral PVNB catheters (n = 10) or TE catheter (n = 10) and compared postoperative opiate consumption and pain scores.

Results

There were no statistically significant differences between the groups with respect to demographics, opiate consumption measured in morphine equivalents, and pain scores.

Discussion

In this small series, bilateral PVNB catheters resulted in equivalent opioid consumption and pain scores when compared to TE for postoperative pain management in pediatric patients undergoing the Nuss procedure. Large prospective studies are needed to further compare the efficacy, incidence of side effects, and complications of TE and PVNB catheters for postoperative analgesia in this pediatric population.
Predicting onset of chronic lung disease using cord blood cytokines
Authors: Takao Daishi , Ibara Satoshi , Tokuhisa Takuya , Ishihara Chie , Maede Yoshinobu , Matsui Takako , Tokumasu Hironobu , Sato Kyoko , Hirakawa Eiji , Kabayama Chika , Yamamoto Masakatu
Published: March 2014

Background

Applicability of cord blood interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) as markers for early prediction of the onset of chronic lung disease (CLD) due to intrauterine infection was investigated in the present study.

Methods

Eighty very low‐birthweight infants with chorioamnionitis were divided into two groups: the CLD group (42 patients) and the non‐CLD group (38 patients), according to the presence or absence of CLD, and the clinical background and cord blood IL‐6 and IL‐8 levels in each group were compared and investigated.

Results

The CLD group had significantly longer duration of mechanical ventilation and hospitalization (P < 0.05) and significantly higher IL‐6 and IL‐8 (P < 0.01) than the non‐CLD group. Using the receiver operating characteristic curves of CLD onset for both IL‐6 and IL‐8, the cut‐off value of IL‐6 for predicting onset of CLD was 48.0 pg/mL, and its sensitivity and specificity were 76% and 96%, respectively. The cut‐off value for IL‐8 was 66.0 pg/mL, and its sensitivity and specificity were 71% and 82%, respectively.

Conclusion

The cord blood levels of both IL‐6 and IL‐8 were significantly higher in the CLD group, indicating that both IL‐6 and IL‐8 are useful predictors of onset of CLD.
MAC OR NON-MAC: NOT A PROBLEM
Authors: HUANG LIBO , SHEN LI , LV YASHUAI , WANG ZHIYING , DAI KUI
Published: March 2014

Multicore designs have become the dominant organization for future high performance microprocessors. Instead of increasing cache sizes, clock frequencies, pipeline depths or register file (RF) ports, multicore designs tend to make each processor core simple but highly efficient. This new dimension for improving performance and power efficiency in multicore requires us to rethink processor architecture. Multiply-accumulate (MAC) operation is such a performance improvement technique that needs to be reviewed. MAC operation is the fundamentals of many DSP and multimedia applications, but it tends to be awkward to implement in an orthogonal instruction set architecture (ISA) because of operand bandwidth problem, instruction encoding problem, and hardware cost problem. So a big question is that whether we should support MAC or not in high-efficiency processor designs? This paper does a comparative study on this question and introduce data bandwidth relaxing techniques to eliminate narrow bandwidth provided by two-port RFs. The trade-off are also made to solve the instruction coding and hardware cost problem. So, the new design wisdom becomes that if you support multiply (MUL) operation, then support MAC operation.
EXPLORING INTERNAL CORPORATE VENTURING IN SMEs: EFFECTUATION AT WORK IN A NEW CONTEXT
Authors: EVALD MAJBRITT ROSTGAARD , SENDEROVITZ MARTIN
Published: March 2014

This exploratory study investigates how small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may engage in business development through internal corporate venturing (ICV). We show, based upon three case studies, how ICV in SMEs may be organised in a predominantly improvised manner wherein unforeseen new business opportunities are created in an emergent and iterative trial-and-error process without predetermined goals and without pre-planned strategies. This is a process, we argue, that resembles predominantly effectuation logic. The study contributes to the stream of extant ICV literature by focusing on how SMEs engage in ICV. Moreover, the study contributes to the development of effectuation theory by demonstrating that effectuation logic makes sense, not only in its original venture creation context as suggested by Sarasvathy, but also with regard to how established SMEs infuse more innovative thinking through improvised ICV activities. Findings illustrate that, overall, SMEs act more effectual than causational; and also more than parts of the ICV literature suggest. However, looking at SMEs' ICV activities over several years, it becomes apparent that effectual logics are combined with more causational, pre-planned strategic behaviour.
DYNAMICS OF USER NETWORKS IN ON-LINE ELECTRONIC AUCTIONS
Authors: SLANINA FRANTIŠEK
Published: March 2014

The network of users in the Internet auction site Aukro.cz is analyzed. We show that the fluctuations in the activity of users has non-Gaussian distribution with long-time correlations. The bipartite network of auctions and users has degree distribution following a stretched exponential. The networks observed within a short time windows are highly fragmented and their structure exhibits long memory, which is observed in the power-law decay of correlations, with a small exponent around 0.2.
Feasibility of Endoscopic Treatment of Middle Ear Myoclonus: A Cadaveric Study
Authors: Pollak Natasha , Azadarmaki Roya , Ahmad Sidrah
Published: March 2014

Stapedius and tensor tympani tenotomy is a relatively simple surgical procedure commonly performed to control pulsatile tinnitus due to middle ear myoclonus and for several other indications. We designed a cadaveric study to assess the feasibility of an entirely endoscopic approach to stapedius and tensor tympani tenotomy. We performed this endoscopic ear surgery in 10 cadaveric temporal bones and summarized our experience. Endoscopic stapedius and tensor tympani section is a new, minimally invasive treatment option for middle ear myoclonus that should be considered as the first line surgical approach in patients who fail medical therapy. The use of an endoscopic approach allows for easier access and vastly superior visualization of the relevant anatomy, which in turn allows the surgeon to minimize tissue dissection. The entire operation, including raising the tympanomeatal flap and tendon section, can be safely completed under visualization with a rigid endoscope.
An Innocent Appearing Subcutaneous Nodule Diagnoses a Small Cell Lung Cancer in a Never-Smoker Female
Authors: Sinha Nupur , Niazi Masooma , Diaz-Fuentes Gilda , Duncalf Richard
Published: March 2014

Lung cancer among never-smokers is recognized as the 7th most common cause of cancer death globally. Adenocarcinoma is the most commonly reported histology. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has the strongest association with smoking and is rarely reported in never-smokers. Although lung cancer in never-smokers is more common in women, the overall incidence of SCLC in female never-smokers still remains low. Soft tissue metastases from any cancer are rare with an overall prevalence of 1.8%. Soft tissue metastases from lung primary are uncommon, mostly from adenocarcinoma, and portend a poor prognosis. Cutaneous metastases from SCLC are exceptionally rare with reported incidence of 0.3% to 0.8%. We believe ours is the first reported case of SCLC presenting as subcutaneous nodule, in a never-smoker, otherwise asymptomatic female. The diagnosis of SCLC was made incidentally by the excisional biopsy of the subcutaneous nodule. Subsequent CT chest and PET scan revealed a hypermetabolic right lower lobe spiculated lung mass with adrenal and liver involvement. Platinum and etoposide chemotherapy with prophylactic cranial irradiation was initiated for advanced SCLC, and she required further irinotecan and taxol for subsequent pancreatic and adrenal metastases. With continued deterioration, she died approximately 36 months from diagnosis, while under hospice care.
Percutaneous Compression Plate versus Dynamic Hip Screw for Treatment of Intertrochanteric Hip Fractures: A Meta-Analyse of Five Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Zhang Lei , Shen Jie , Yu Shengpeng , Huang Qiang , Xie Zhao
Published: March 2014

Background. Percutaneous compression plating (PCCP) has been advocated to reduce blood loss, relieve pain, and lead to faster rehabilitation for the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to estimate the outcomes and complications of the PCCP versus dynamic hip screw (DHS) fixation for intertrochanteric fractures.Methods. All randomized controlled trials (RCT) that compared PCCP with DHS in treating adult patients with intertrochanteric fractures were included. Main outcomes were collected and analysed using the RevMan 5.1 version.Results. Five trials met the inclusion criteria. Compared with DHS, PCCP had similar operation time (95% CI: −26.01~4.05,P= 0.15), length of hospitalization (95% CI: −1.79~1.25,P= 0.73), mortality (95% CI: 0.37~1.02,P= 0.06), incidence of implant-related complications (95% CI: 0.29~1.82,P= 0.49), and reoperation rate (95% CI: 0.41~3.05,P= 0.83). But blood loss (95% CI: −173.84~−4.81,P= 0.04) and transfusion need (95% CI: −0.53~−0.07,P= 0.01) significantly favored the PCCP.Conclusions. The PCCP was associated with reduced blood loss and less transfusion need, but similar to DHS in other respects. Owing to the limitations of this systematic review, more high-quality RCTs are still needed to assess the clinical efficiency of PCCP.
The Role of Polarons in Cuprates Hi-Tc Superconductivity
Authors: Umo M. I.
Published: March 2014

The phonon contribution to the phenomenon of high temperature superconductivity in the cuprates is argued as being masked as polarons generated by the polarization of the charge reservoir accompanying the Jahn-Teller tilting of the apical oxygen. We discuss the Mahan oscillator-spring extension model as an analogy to the charge reservoir-CuO plane c-axis polarons. Using the Boltzmann kinetic equation, we show that the polaron dissociates or collapses at a temperature corresponding to the critical temperature of the superconductor.
A Novel Oxidation‐Reduction Route for Layer‐by‐Layer Synthesis of TiO2 Nanolayers and Investigation of Its Photocatalytical Properties
Authors: Semishchenko Konstantin , Tolstoy Valeri , Lobinsky Artem
Published: March 2014

Layer‐by‐layer (LbL) synthesis of titanium dioxide was performed by an oxidation‐reduction route using a Ti(OH)3 colloid and NaNO2 solutions. A model of chemical reactions was proposed based on the results of an investigation of synthesized nanolayers by scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe analysis and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and studying colloidal solution of Ti(OH)3 with laser Doppler microelectrophoresis. At each cycle, negatively charged colloidal particles of adsorbed onto the surface of substrate. During the next stage of treatment in NaNO2 solution, the particles were oxidized to Ti(OH)4. Photocatalytic activity was studied by following decomposition of methylene blue (MB) under UV irradiation. Sensitivity of the measurements was increased using a diffuse transmittance (DT) method. The investigation revealed strong photocatalytical properties of the synthesized layers, caused by their high area per unit volume and uniform globular structure.
Photocatalytic Activity of Hierarchically Structured TiO2Films Synthesized by Chemical Vapor Deposition
Authors: Lee Heon , Park Sung Hoon , Park Young-Kwon , Kim Sun-Jae , Kim Byung-Hoon , Lee Jaehong , Jung Sang-Chul
Published: March 2014

Hierarchically structured TiO2photocatalyst films were synthesized using low-pressure metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (LPMOCVD) method to examine their photocatalytic activity. The thickness of the TiO2films increased proportionally with increasing deposition time. The TiO2film synthesized at 773 K showed a hierarchical structure composed of vertically grown laminar (112)-oriented anatase crystals. With increasing deposition time, the grain became larger and the morphology became sharper. In the initial CVD stage, small particular crystals were formed, above which sequential growth of layers of columnars with increasing size took place, forming hierarchical structure. The hierarchically structured TiO2film exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than unhierarchically structured TiO2film. The photocatalytic activity increased with increasing film thickness.
How Do Older Persons Understand the Purpose and Relevance of Preventive Home Visits? A Study of Experiences after a First Visit
Authors: Tøien Mette , Heggelund Morten , Fagerström Lisbeth
Published: March 2014

The aim of this study was to explore and describe older persons’ experiences of their first Preventive Home Visit. Preventive Home Visits (PHV) are health services that aim to promote older persons' health, prevent functional decline, and reduce the need for comprehensive healthcare. The knowledge base to guide the design of effective PHV interventions is scarce. Studies that explore older persons' experiences of the first visit are essential, as compliance with the service is a prerequisite for positive outcomes. An explorative and descriptive design was applied. Qualitative research interviews with ten older persons who had received the first PHV the previous year were analysed with regard to manifest and latent content. The findings revealed that the understanding of the purpose of PHV varied. For some participants, the concepts and aims of health promotion and disease prevention were difficult to comprehend. The possibility to prepare for the visit was sought. All participants appreciated the service; the dialogue quality was good and a trusted municipal contact person provided security. To enhance compliance and ensure effective PHV, the invitation to the PHV service should include clearly stated aims and specific information about the first visit. An individualised, person-centred approach should be applied.
Effect of Video-Based versus Personalized Instruction on Errors during Elastic Tubing Exercises for Musculoskeletal Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Jay Kenneth , schraefel m. c. , Brandt Mikkel , Andersen Lars L.
Published: March 2014

Workplace interventions have shown beneficial results of resistance training for chronic pain in the neck, shoulder, and arm. However, studies have relied on experienced exercise instructors, which may not be an available resource at most workplaces. The objective of this study is to evaluate the technical performance level of upper limb rehabilitation exercises following video-based versus personalized exercise instruction. We recruited 38 laboratory technicians and office workers with neck/shoulder pain for a two-week exercise training period receiving either (1) personal and video or (2) video only instruction in four typical neck/shoulder/arm rehabilitation exercises using elastic tubing. At a 2-week follow-up, the participants’ technical execution was assessed by two blinded physical therapists using a reliable error assessment tool. The error assessment was based on ordinal deviation of joint position from the ideal position of the shoulder, elbow, and wrist in a single plane by visual observation. Of the four exercises only unilateral shoulder external rotation had a higher normalized error score in the V group of 22.19 (9.30) to 12.64 (6.94) in the P group (P=0.002). For the remaining three exercises the normalized error score did not differ. In conclusion, when instructing simple exercises to reduce musculoskeletal pain the use of video material is a cost-effective solution that can be implemented easily in corporations with challenging work schedules not allowing for a fixed time of day to go see a personal trainer.
IL-27 Driven Upregulation of Surface HLA-E Expression on Monocytes Inhibits IFN-γRelease by Autologous NK Cells
Authors: Morandi Fabio , Airoldi Irma , Pistoia Vito
Published: March 2014

HLA-G and HLA-E are HLA-Ib molecules with several immunoregulatory properties. Their cell surface expression can be modulated by different cytokines. Since IL-27 and IL-30 may either stimulate or regulate immune responses, we have here tested whether these cytokines may modulate HLA-G and -E expression and function on human monocytes. Monocytes expressed gp130 and WSX-1, the two chains of IL27 receptor (R), and IL6Rα(that serves as IL-30R, in combination with gp130). However, only IL27R appeared to be functional, as witnessed by IL-27 driven STAT1/ STAT3 phosphorylation. IL-27, but not IL-30, significantly upregulated HLA-E (but not HLA-G) expression on monocytes. IFN-γ; secretion by activated NK cells was dampened when the latter cells were cocultured with IL-27 pretreated autologous monocytes. Such effect was not achieved using untreated or IL-30 pretreated monocytes, thus indicating that IL-27 driven HLA-E upregulation might be involved, possibly through the interaction of this molecule with CD94/NKG2A inhibitory receptor on NK cells. In contrast, cytotoxic granules release by NK cell in response to K562 cells was unaffected in the presence of IL-27 pretreated monocytes. In conclusion, we delineated a novel immunoregulatory function of IL-27 involving HLA-E upregulation on monocytes that might in turn indirectly impair some NK cell functions.
Lectotypification, synonymy, and a new name in Senna series Aphyllae (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae)
Authors: Robbiati Federico , Ariza Luis , Anton Ana , Fortunato Renee
Published: March 2014

In series Aphyllae, Senna acanthoclada is lectotypified on images, housed at Albrecht von Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, Universität Göttingen; a new circumscription and synonyms for S. aphylla are given, and a new name: S. aphylla var. pedula var. nov. is proposed.
A new species of Clematis L. (Ranunculaceae) from Iran
Authors: Habibi Meisam , NOHOOJI MAJID GHORBANI , BALADEHI MOHAMMADHADI HEIDARI , AZIZIAN DINA
Published: March 2014

After extensive sampling and investigations of the genus Clematis from various locations in Iran, Clematis iranica is introduced as a new species. The diagnosis, description and illustration of the new species are presented here. The affinities and differences to the most closely related species (C. orientalis) are presented based on morphological, cytological, palynological and anatomical characters.
A new species of Coelogyne (Orchidaceae) from western Yunnan, China
Authors: LI RONG , DAO ZHI-LING
Published: March 2014

A new species of Orchidaceae, Coelogyne pianmaensis, is described and illustrated from western Yunnan, China. Morphologically, it is similar to Coelogyne corymbosa, but differs from the latter by having dark brown eyelike blotches surrounded by brownish-yellow on lip, 1-veined obovate-oblong leaves, 7-veined oblong-lanceolate sepals, shorter pedicel and ovary, and 7-veined petals.
A preliminary study of the genus Nymphicula Snellen from Australia, New Guinea and the south Pacific (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea: Crambidae: Acentropinae)
Authors: AGASSIZ DAVID
Published: March 2014

The species of Nymphicula occurring in Australia and south Pacific islands are described and illustrated. 22 new species are described: N. adelphalis, N. christinae, N. conjunctalis, N. edwardsi, N. hampsoni, N. ochrepunctalis, N. torresalis, N. beni, N. irianalis, N. michaeli, N. monticola, N. nokensis, N. plumbilinealis, N. submarginalis, N. susannae, N. tariensis, N. xanthocostalis, N. fionae, N. insulalis, N. lactealis, N. lifuensis, N. cheesmanae. A replacement name is proposed for Cataclysta dialitha Tams: Nymphicula samoensis.
‘Pet ke waaste’: Rights, resistance and the East Indian Railway Strike, 1922
Authors: Webb Silas
Published: March 2014

At its peak, the East Indian Railway strike of 1922 affected more than 1500 kilometres of rail and involved tens of thousands of workers. The strike was an exemplary moment in Indian worker politics. It advanced an idiom of citizenship, distinct from Gandhian non-cooperation and Congress nationalism, in order to make claims for redress on their employer and the state, and simultaneously, to exhibit profound social power against the colonial state and would-be nationalist representatives. Though this strike began in response to allegations of a brutal assault, the demands of the workers, I will argue, expose the limits of both political nationalism and colonialism. To establish this point, the EIR strike is placed in a trans-colonial context with Kenya, which allows for the appreciation of the interwar period as a transformative moment in worker politics. Not only did the Indian strike actively resist Gandhi’s proscriptions on striking and maintaining financial ties to the railway company, the workers also moved against the authority of the colonial state by appropriating discourses of governance that were conventionally used against them. Thus, while the strike relied on the breakdown of colonial authority resulting from nationalist agitation, the strike exceeded the purview of elite politics.
Modelling and control issues for automated highway systems
Authors: Shladover S E
Published: March 2014

This paper reviews the modelling and control issues relevant to automated highway systems (AHSs). Following a clarification of the definition of AHSs and an identification of its unique characteristics, the bulk of the paper addresses the methods and available tools for design and evaluation of AHSs. This review is subdivided by layers of a hierarchical system architecture in order to reduce the topic to manageable dimensions. The paper concludes with an identification of some of the key continuing research needs in AHSs.
Input shaping for vibration-free positioning of flexible systems
Authors: Sahinkaya M N
Published: March 2014

Input shaping is a simple and effective method for reducing the residual vibration when positioning lightly damped systems, and it remains an active research area. In this paper, a continuous and differentiable function is introduced to define the desired motion, and then the input is shaped by inverse dynamic analysis. In the proposed method the only parameter that needs to be defined is the output speed, which is limited only by the physical constraints of the drive system. The calculation of an optimum speed is demonstrated by simulation examples. It is also shown that, under certain circumstances, the process can be further simplified and the need for inverse dynamics is eliminated.
Hyperstability approach to the synthesis of adaptive controller for uncertain time-varying delay systems with sector-bounded non-linear inputs
Authors: Chang K-M
Published: March 2014

In this paper, a general approach is taken to the synthesis of model reference adaptive controllers for uncertain time-varying delay systems with sector-bounded non-linear inputs via hyperstability theory. It is ensured that the proposed control system is asymptotically hyperstable for the time-varying delay system with system parameter variations, modelling errors and external disturbances. Finally, some computer simulations are given to illustrate the performance of the proposed adaptive control scheme.
The bilinear method: A new stability-preserving order reduction approach
Authors: Lucas T N
Published: March 2014

A new way of reducing the order of linear system transfer functions is presented. It guarantees stability in the approximation of stable systems and differs from existing stability-preserving methods by taking into account whole system parameter information when obtaining the approximate poles, not just that of the system poles. It uses a bilinear transformation in the process, which renders the method more flexible than traditional techniques. Examples are given to highlight the advantages of the new approach.
Dynamic modelling and linear quadratic Gaussian control of a twin-rotor multi-input multi-output system
Authors: Ahmad S M , Chipperfield A J , Tokhi M O
Published: March 2014

This paper presents an investigation into the modelling and control of a one-degree-of-freedom (1 DOF) twin-rotor multi-input multi-output (MIMO) system (TRMS). The behaviour of the TRMS in certain aspects resembles that of a helicopter. Hence, it is an interesting identification and control problem. A dynamic model characterizing the TRMS in hover is extracted using a black-box system identification technique. The extracted model is employed in the design of a feedback linear quadratic Gaussian compensator, namely the stability augmentation system (SAS). This has a good tracking capability but requires high control effort and has inadequate authority over residual vibration of the system. These problems are resolved by further augmenting the system with a command path prefilter, resulting in the command and stability augmentation system (CSAS). The combined feedforward and feedback compensator satisfies the performance objectives and obeys the actuator constraint. The control law is implemented in realtime on the TRMS platform.
Development of a robust non-linear observer for dynamic positioning of ships
Authors: Kim M-H , Inman D J
Published: March 2014

A robust non-linear observer, utilizing the sliding mode concept, is developed for the dynamic positioning (DP) of ships. The main advantage of the proposed observer is its robustness. The observer is based on work by Fossen and Strand, providing estimates of linear velocities of the ship and bias from slowly varying environmental loads. It also filters out wave frequency motion to avoid wear of actuators and excessive fuel consumption. In particular, the observer structure with a saturation function makes the proposed observer robust against neglected non-linearities, disturbances and uncertainties. A non-linear output feedback controller is derived on the basis of the developed observer using the observer backstepping technique, and the global stability of the observer and control law is shown by Lyapunov stability theory. A set of simulations was carried out to investigate the performance of the proposed observer for dynamic positioning of a ship.
Extracting symptoms of bearing faults in the wavelet domain
Authors: Shao Y , Nezu K
Published: March 2014

Improving the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio is one of the classic machinery failure diagnostic problems. A new failure detection procedure using a wavelet-based estimator is proposed for extracting the symptoms of bearing faults under environmental noise conditions. The paper discusses the relationship between de-noising efficiency and S/N ratio under different threshold values and wavelet decompositions. Efficient ranges of wavelet coefficients and levels of wavelet decomposition for extracting the symptoms of bearing faults are obtained. A comparison of the failure detection capabilities of an envelope detector and a wavelet-based estimator under significant environmental noise is performed and the results show that the wavelet-based estimator is an effective method for extracting the symptoms of a bearing fault under such conditions.
Adaptive friction compensation in mechanisms using the Dahl model
Authors: Kelly R , Santibanez V , Gonzalez E
Published: March 2014

Friction in mechanisms is a phenomenon that degrades the performance of control systems. Among the various ingredients present in the friction phenomenon, the viscous effect is particularly harmful. In order to deal with viscous friction, which has been recognized during experimental tests to be a complex function of the operating temperature, this paper proposes a smooth adaptive viscous friction compensator using a non-linear observer based on the Dahl model of friction. The performance of the proposed control scheme is illustrated through experiments on a direct-drive servo motor.
Controlling the penetration of flexible bone tissue using the stapedotomy microdrill
Authors: Brett P N , Baker D A , Taylor R , Griffiths M V
Published: March 2014

In this paper a surgical robotic system is described for microdrilling a stapedotomy. The stapedotomy procedure is a delicate operation that is challenging to achieve successfully owing to the fact that, under manual control, the surgeon is working at the thresholds of human perception and dexterity. The automated drilling system described in this paper is sensory guided along a single tool axis. Information on the state of the drilling process is derived from feed force and torque sensory data with respect to time and displacement. The information on the state of the process is used to select the strategy to move the drill bit along its trajectory in order to achieve a minimum level of protrusion of the drill bit beyond the far surface of the stapes footplate. The drilling system is able automatically to determine the unknowns of tissue thickness, hardness and flexibility. Detection of the onset of breakthrough, key to establishing the thickness, is by identification of features in the multiple sensory data that signify this condition. The system demonstrates acceptable performance in the laboratory with positional errors with respect to flexible target positions of approximately 20 μm.
Fuzzy logic motion control of a piezoelectrically actuated table
Authors: Sung M Y , Huang S J
Published: March 2014

In order to improve the small travel and hysterisis defects of piezoelectric actuators, the high-frequency oscillation of piezoelectric material is employed to induce the back and forth motion of a fingertip contacted with a slide to construct a friction actuating mechanism. However, this piezoelectric actuating system has obvious non-linear and time-varying dead-zone offset control voltage due to static friction. It is difficult to establish an accurate dynamic model for model-based control design. Here, a model-free fuzzy control algorithm is employed, and the look-ahead control target is chosen for trajectory plannig to reduce the chance of trapping into the dead zone. Different trajectory speeds are planned between two points to investigate the tracking control performance and the steady state error of this fuzzy look-ahead controller. The dynamic experimental results of this proposed controller are compared with that of a proportional, integral and derivative (PID) controller.
Improved computation of mixed μ bounds for flight control law robustness analysis
Authors: Bates D G , Mannchen T
Published: March 2014

An approach for improving the quality of bounds on the structured singular value in the case of mixed real and complex uncertainty models is described. The proposed approach uses constrained non-linear optimization to improve the lower bound on μ generated by standard commercially available algorithms. A similar approach is used to compute more reliably bounds on the peak value of μ for problems that give rise to sharp peaks in the μ plot as a function of frequency. Both approaches are shown to be simple and computationally efficient to implement, and their practical usefulness is demonstrated on the problem of checking a stability margin clearance criterion for a V/STOL (vertical/short take-off and landing) aircraft flight control law.
How to Read a Discipline
Authors: Hitchcock Peter
Published: March 2014

This article examines how critical concepts interact between disciplines as a measure of their priorities and possibilities. In particular, the critique focuses on the identity and identification processes of comparative literature and how these might be reconfigured, or remediated, by considering the logic of another discipline: in this case, media studies. The defining works I have in mind include “The Rhetoric of Temporality” by Paul de Man and, perhaps more controversially, the contemporaneous work of Ariel Dorfman and Armand Mattelart, How to Read Donald Duck. What we find are not the absolute differences of disciplinary procedures but certain grounds of comparison themselves: something that I believe is more than the subject of a historical inquiry alone.
Bionic Ballplayers: Risk, Profit, and the Body as Commodity, 1964 – 2007
Authors: Rose Sarah F. , Salzmann Joshua A. T.
Published: March 2014

In this article the authors explore the dramatic shifts in the business of baseball that drove the medicalization of the game and players' bodies. Before the advent of salary arbitration (1974) and free agency (1976), ballplayers were disposable parts in a high-risk work environment. Buoyed by exploding television revenues, the free agent market drove players' salaries into the millions, transforming the economics of bodily management. Enticed by the prospect of riches, players and teams harnessed fitness training, reconstructive surgery, biomechanical analysis, and performance-enhancing drugs to reduce wear and tear on players' bodies and, ultimately, radically alter them for profit. This interplay between economic incentives and medicine created what the authors call “bionic ballplayers”: bigger, stronger, and at times more fragile than their predecessors. By attacking individual ballplayers' morality, commentators have obscured the more salient issue: baseball is representative of the fact that Americans increasingly live in an age of biotechnology in which bodily modification for profit has become the norm and often an unstated job requirement. In this postindustrial age, the body remains a crucial means of production. Thus, the authors suggest that the question raised by steroids is not only individual morality but also the morality produced by a political economy of labor that calls for both services and body parts rendered.
Substitution in the Finnish forest industry’s roundwood procurement
Authors: Hautamäki Sanna , Mutanen Antti , Viitanen Jari
Published: March 2014

In this study, the interaction and substitution between domestic and imported roundwood in the Finnish forest industryâs wood procurement is analysed by timber assortments. The results from the translog cost function approach and quarterly data of the total wood procurement and its components during the euro regime indicate that, to a certain extent, the Finnish forest industry has had the possibility of substituting imported roundwood volumes between countries in the Baltic Sea region. Contrary to earlier studies, also in the case of Russian birch pulpwood, the most important imported timber assortment, the results suggest that Russian birch pulpwood has rather substituted for than complemented the domestic supply in Finland. The increase in roundwood export duties in Russia has had a statistically significant effect on the trade in birch pulpwood and spruce sawlogs. Moreover, the results confirm the earlier findings of a rigid demand for roundwood in Finnish roundwood markets.
Measuring and monitoring socio-cultural sustainability in the action of forest biodiversity cooperation networks
Authors: Rantala Mirja , Hujala Teppo , Kurttila Mikko
Published: March 2014

To safeguard overall sustainability in forest resource management, the ecological, economic, social, and cultural dimensions of sustainability should all be considered. However, the socio-cultural impacts are frequently contemplated only weakly in sustainability assessments. Hitherto, attempts to operationalize socio-cultural impacts arising from economic utilization or conservation of forest resources have been perceived as vague when compared to rigorous ecological and economic indicators. One reason is that socio-cultural impacts of forest management on individuals and communities are many and by nature context- and case-specific: they need local definition, which hampers diffusion of good solutions. This study developed a multi-criteria method for measuring and monitoring socio-cultural impacts of forest resource management; the case of cooperation network projects within Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland (METSO) provided empirical data. Based on a literature review, a set of 10 criteria and 25 indicators was compiled. Cumulative utility scores, presenting networksâ contributions to socio-cultural sustainability, were generated using performance, expert evaluation and weighting data and an additive utility model. The method enables longitudinal monitoring of socio-cultural impacts, which is beneficial because outcomes are different at different time points of projectsâ life cycles and some appear with a delay. The method can be used in comparing sub-utility distributions i.e. monitoring unitsâ performance profiles, providing valuable information for policy-makers. The multi-criteria approach and the list of socio-cultural criteria are internationally transferable to other countries and contexts such as forest bioenergy, nature tourism, watershed management, that call for analysing socio-cultural impacts of forest resource management activity on private lands.
Chance Operations and Randomizers in Avant-garde and Electronic Poetry: Tying Media to Language
Authors: Baillehache Jonathan
Published: March 2014

This article explores and compares the use of chance procedures and randomizers in Dada, Surrealism, Russian Futurism, and contemporary electronic poetry. I analyze the role of materiality of media in creating unexpected literary outcomes through a discussion of Freud’s concept of the uncanny and Katherine Hayles’s concept of computation as symptom.