bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feasibility study on the rotary ultrasonic elliptical machining for countersinking of carbon fiber–reinforced plastics
Authors: Li Zhe , Zhang Deyuan , Qin Wei , Geng Daxi
Published: January 2016

Carbon fiber–reinforced plastics have been widely applied in aerospace industry as aircraft structural components due to their excellent mechanical and physical properties. The countersinking process of the carbon fiber–reinforced plastic hole is indispensable for the assembly of countersunk head screw. In conventional countersinking process of carbon fiber–reinforced plastics, it is prone to produce the delamination, fiber pullout, poor surface levelness and dimensional accuracy of countersunk hole. As a new technology, the rotary ultrasonic elliptical machining for countersinking of carbon fiber–reinforced plastics is employed, which is a non-traditional process that can effectively improve the surface levelness, surface integrity and machining accuracy of carbon fiber–reinforced plastic countersunk hole. This article reported a feasibility study on the rotary ultrasonic elliptical machining for countersinking of carbon fiber–reinforced plastics without coolant for the first time. The processing principle of rotary ultrasonic elliptical machining for countersinking was illustrated according to the countersinking models and the equations of motion locus. Based on the principle analysis, the surface levelness, tool blades’ path and countersunk hole surface morphology in rotary ultrasonic elliptical machining of the separated and unseparated types were analyzed compared to that in conventional countersinking. In addition, the rotary ultrasonic elliptical vibration transducer was designed and fabricated, as well as the experimental platform was set up. The experimental results demonstrated that the rotary ultrasonic elliptical machining achieved much better results than that in conventional countersinking, such as lower thrust force, torque, cutting temperature, better surface levelness, hole dimensional accuracy, surface integrity and chip-removal effect. The experimental results also verified the feasibility of rotary ultrasonic elliptical machining for countersinking of carbon fiber–reinforced plastics.
Nontraditional finishing processes for internal surfaces and passages: A review
Authors: Tan Kai Liang , Yeo Swee-Hock , Ong Chin Hwee
Published: January 2016

The development of various nontraditional principles to finish the internal surfaces and passages is reviewed. In particular, attention is focused on three relatively mature finishing techniques: abrasive flow machining, internal magnetic abrasive finishing and fluidized bed machining. Their working principles, capabilities and limitations are evaluated accordingly. Finally, the significance of developing internal surface finishing capabilities and the vast potential ahead of this research field are highlighted.
Attitudes towards job protection legislation: Comparing insiders and outsiders in Finland, Norway and Sweden
Authors: Svalund Jørgen , Saloniemi Antti , Vulkan Patrik
Published: January 2016

This article investigates employees’ attitudes towards job protection legislation and attitudinal differences between employees with different levels of job security. National surveys from three Nordic countries, using different measures of insider–outsider positions in the labour market, do not support the assumption that outsiders (those with insecure jobs) prefer laxer job protection legislation. On the contrary, workers in secure jobs seem more likely to prefer laxer regulation.
Social Activities, Socioeconomic Factors, and Overweight Status Among Middle-Aged and Older Korean Adults
Authors: Noh Jin-Won , Kim Hyun-Jin , Lee Christine , Oh In-Hwan , Kwon Young Dae
Published: January 2016

This study aims to investigate the relationship between social activities and overweight among middle-aged and older adults. This study used data from the 2008 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging which included a total of 8157 adults. We divided body mass index into 2 groups: normal weight and overweight. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the association between social activities and overweight. For males, frequency of meetings with neighbors (1-3 times a week) was associated with being less overweight. Middle-aged adults who met with neighbors 1 to 3 times a week were less likely being overweight than those with once a year meeting frequency. On the contrary, social activity participation is related with high risk of overweight especially in the female and older adults. Our results suggest that social activity participation and social support needs to be taken into consideration when dealing with being overweight.
Helping professionals and Border Force secrecy: effective asylum-seeker healthcare requires independence from callous policies
Authors: Dudley Michael
Published: January 2016

Objective:

To examine the Australian Border Force Act (BFA) and its context, its implications for asylum-seeker healthcare and professionals, and contemporary and historical parallels.

Conclusions:

Prolonged immigration detention and policies aiming to deter irregular migration cause maritime asylum-seekers undeniable, well-publicised harms and (notwithstanding claims about preventing drownings) show reckless indifference and calculated cruelty. Service personnel may be harmed. Such policies misuse helping professionals to underwrite state abuses and promote public numbing and indifference, resembling other state abuses in the ‘war on terror’ and (with qualification) historical counterparts, e.g. Nazi Germany. Human service practitioners and organisations recently denounced the BFA that forbids disclosure about these matters. Continuing asylum-seeker healthcare balances the likelihood of effective care and monitoring with lending credibility to abuses. Boycotting it might sacrifice scrutiny and care, fail to compel professionals and affect temporary overseas workers. Entirely transferring healthcare from immigration to Federal and/or State health departments, with resources augmented to adequate standard, would strengthen clinical independence and quality, minimise healthcare’s being securitised and politicised, and uphold ethical codes. Such measures will not resolve detention’s problems, but coupled with independent auditing, would expose and moderate detention’s worst effects, promoting changes in national conversation and policy-making.
First episode mania following cessation of varenicline (Champix)
Authors: Baker Richard , Gill Nav , Parker Gordon
Published: January 2016

Objectives:

To describe a case of first episode mania and in which varenicline (Champix) or its withdrawal appears to have been the precipitating factor.

Methods:

The clinical presentation and progress are detailed and the relevant literature in relation to varenicline is provided.

Results:

The case report adds to the literature indicating that varenicline may induce a range of mood states, albeit with reported incidents of mania being rare.

Conclusions:

In reviewing causes of mood states, including mania, seeking information on any exposure to varenicline would appear to be relevant.
Night and Day
Authors: Bowe Brian J. , Hoewe Jennifer
Published: January 2016

This study analyzes letters to the editor in two Oklahoma newspapers during the debate over a constitutional amendment banning judicial use of the Islamic moral code called “Shariah Law.” Using Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) to operationalize the moral evaluations in media framing, three morality-based frames were identified: a Patriot frame emphasizing Shariah’s harms, a Heritage frame advocating loyalty to the American Way, and a Golden Rule frame promoting equal treatment of Muslims. Each frame was related to moral foundations that align with particular political ideologies, and amendment supporters were more likely to frame their arguments in moral terms.
Civic Implications of Secondary School Journalism
Authors: Bobkowski Piotr S. , Miller Patrick R.
Published: January 2016

This study examines the association between high school journalism and civic engagement in early adulthood, independent of other civic activities. Nationally representative data show that taking high school journalism classes is related positively to voting in the years following high school, to a similar degree that taking debate classes or participating in student government is related to voting. High school journalism also moderates the association between family socioeconomics and civic engagement. Underprivileged student journalists tend to vote and volunteer more than their non-journalism peers. The study theorizes journalism education’s unique contributions to civic development and civic communication competence.
Broken Windows, Broken Promises
Authors: Sharp-Grier Martina L. , Martin Jennifer L.
Published: January 2016

We present our narrative as an exercise in Critical Performance Pedagogy: Culture Jamming. It is our contribution to the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Our collective voice, which is framed as a reflexive layered narrative, is offered to both incite introspection and provide a glimpse into the lived understanding of the “Other[ed].” The call and response-inspired exchange represents indigenous method, and is a challenge to the hegemony regarding the narrative voicing of African Americans. It frames the frustration and subsequent activism of stigmatized people and offers a response to their narrative by a White educator poised to institute culturally responsive pedagogy. It is presented as research method, commentary, and call to action, in this not-so-post-racial milieu.
Deliberative versus nondeliberative evaluation of a minority group after viewing an entertainment portrayal
Authors: Jain Parul
Published: January 2016

This study tests whether entertainment portrayals of international medical graduate physicians may influence attitudes toward such physicians among television viewers. Given the growing importance of international physicians in U.S. health care delivery, such effects would have the potential to impact significant numbers of patient–physician interactions. From a theoretical and methodological standpoint, this examination extends existing work on entertainment portrayals of often-stigmatized minorities and its impact on minorities for whom stereotypes may be in some respects favorable. An experiment manipulating positive versus negative portrayals of the communicative and professional competence of an Asian Indian female physician on the program ER found that exposure had no effect on conventional, deliberative measures of attitude toward such physicians. However, use of attitude-accessibility measurement suggested that viewers (to the extent that they identified with the narrative character, an Asian Indian physician) who saw the negative portrayal were slower to respond that they liked other Asian Indian female physicians who were presented in photos in a judgment task afterwards—in other words, the negative portrayal inhibited an approach response to other similar physicians. An implication of this finding is that such television portrayals may have the potential to influence affective responses to medical providers from the same demographic as the character portrayed, in ways viewers are likely to be unaware of. Such responses may well influence patient expectations and interactions with such physicians.
Experimental investigation on lateral performance of pre-stressed tube bolted connection with high initial stiffness
Authors: He Minjuan , Zhao Yi , Ma Renle
Published: January 2016

This article presents an experimental study on the moment-resisting capacity and stiffness of the proposed pre-stressed tube bolted connection. High-strength bolts with tubes were used as fasteners in such connections. A series of monotonic and reversed cyclic loading tests were conducted with T-shaped glulam beam-to-column connections. The strength, stiffness, ductility, and energy dissipation property of the pre-stressed tube bolted connections were obtained and compared with traditional bolted connections. Meanwhile, the effect of self-tapping screw reinforcement on increasing the structural performance of the pre-stressed tube bolted connection was also investigated. The results showed that the initial rotational stiffness of pre-stressed tube bolted connection improved significantly as a result of the friction between steel tubes and steel plate together with the tight-fitting of tubes and timber holes. The ultimate moment-resisting capacity and ductility of the pre-stressed tube bolted connection were also increased when self-tapping screws were applied.
Numerical investigation of progressive collapse resistance of reinforced concrete frames subject to column removals from different stories
Authors: Li Yi , Lu Xinzheng , Guan Hong , Ren Peiqi
Published: January 2016

This article presents a nonlinear static pushdown analysis to evaluate the progressive collapse-resisting capacity curves of typical reinforced concrete frames under different deformations. Unlike the previous studies in which only a few typical columns, such as a column on the bottom storey, are removed, this study examines the column removal scenarios for various typical locations from different stories. The primary findings are as follows: (1) the Vierendeel action causes different internal forces in the beams of different stories, which reduces the progressive collapse resistance under the beam mechanism and delays the development of the catenary mechanism. This may result in the beams failing successively from one floor to another in a frame system, which differs from the theoretical assumption that the beams are damaged simultaneously on different floors; (2) seismic designs significantly improve the progressive collapse resistance under the beam mechanism, especially for lower stories. However such an improvement is less significant for the catenary mechanism and little improvement is found for the top regions of the frame structures. Furthermore, a nonlinear dynamic analysis is conducted to validate the predicted resistances of the reinforced concrete frames in satisfying the requirement of collapse prevention. The design parameters as specified in the existing codes are also discussed.
Structural performance of reinforced concrete exterior beam–column joint subjected to combined shear and torsion
Authors: Elshafiey Tarek M , Atta Ahmed M , Afefy Hamdy M , Ellithy Mohamed E
Published: January 2016

This article presents the results of an experimental study conducted in order to investigate the behavior of Type-I beam–column joints, where the beam was subjected to shear stresses due to combined effect of shear force and torsional moment (beam eccentric loading). Eight beam–column joint specimens were constructed and tested up to failure in order to better understand the complicated behavior due to combined loading transmitted from the beam to the column. The studied parameters were the eccentricity of beam load (torsional-moment-to-shear-force ratio Mt/ Q), the configuration of beam side and compression reinforcing steel, the existence of the joint reinforcing stirrups, and the beam rigidity. Generally, the shear failure at the beam zone or at the joint panel was noticed to be the governing mode of failure for all tested specimens. The test results highlighted the importance of the configuration of both longitudinal side and compression reinforcing steel of the beam, where the inadequate embedded length of both of them into the joint panel including stirrups decreased the beam ultimate capacity but it kept the failure zone away from the joint panel. Finally, a three-dimensional truss model was presented and analyzed. The results of the three-dimensional model showed good agreement with the experimental findings.
Design and performance validation of a compact wireless ultrasonic device for localized damage detection
Authors: Chen Shuo , Dong Xinjun , Kim Jin-Yeon , Wu Shengxing , Wang Yang
Published: January 2016

Recent years have seen growing adoption of wireless structural sensor nodes that can significantly reduce the cost and installation effort of a structural health monitoring system. While previous wireless sensor development has mainly focused upon dynamic and vibration measurements at lower frequency domains, in this study, a new wireless ultrasonic sensing node capable of megahertz excitation and sampling is proposed. In addition to presenting the design of the wireless ultrasonic sensing node, experimental notch test and fatigue test of a dog-bone specimen are described in this article. The experimental results demonstrate that the ultrasonic characteristics of surface cracks can be identified in both scenarios with the proposed wireless sensor node. Furthermore, a signal processing procedure is proposed to obtain an accurate estimation of the ultrasonic signal amplitude, which can be a key indicator for crack identification. The procedure involves signal reconstruction with the cardinal sine function and envelope detection using discrete Hilbert transform.
Multi-zone phenomenological combustion modeling of biodiesel fueled compression ignition engine
Authors: Rajkumar Sundararajan , Thangaraja Jeyaseelan
Published: January 2016

The renewable biodiesel fuel is considered as one of the most promising alternative fuels to compression ignition engines. As there are more than 350 oil-bearing crops with wide variation in their compositional characteristics, it is indispensable to study the combustion characteristics of biodiesel fuels to adopt them as alternative fuels for diesel engines. This article presents a multi-zone phenomenological model for predicting the combustion characteristics of non-edible karanja and jatropha biodiesel fuels in a compression ignition engine. The various thermo-physical properties of the biodiesel fuels needed for the combustion modeling are evaluated based on their methyl ester composition. The model predictions in terms of combustion characteristics of diesel and biodiesel fuels are validated with the experimental results at different engine speed and load conditions. The model predictions are observed to match well with the experimental values within the maximum prediction error of 8.6%. A comparative analysis of combustion characteristics between diesel and biodiesel fuel is also pursued. It is predicted that the peak pressure and spray average peak temperature of karanja and jatropha biodiesel are higher compared to those of diesel fuel which corroborate with the several observations reported in the literature.
Objects, images and texts: Archaeology and violence
Authors: Hall Martin
Published: January 2016

Today, monuments and archaeological sites are often specific targets for violence. But rather than casting this as either collateral damage or the result of ignorance and incivility, it can be argued that the material world, in all its widely varied forms, is enmeshed in conflict and violence. This can be better understood in terms of the haptic significance of objects caught up in extreme and traumatic circumstances.

The point of departure for this paper is W.J.T. Mitchell’s concept of the “traumatic gap” that emerges as “the unrepresentable space between words and images”. I show that where the normative breaks down, the haptic qualities of media can assume far greater significance. Books and pictures become objects as well as semiotic registers and graphic representations. Understanding this – the “X” that Mitchell uses to designate the emptiness between the normal meanings of words and images – requires and enables an archaeology of violence. Taking a cue from Mitchell’s formulation, I show how the particular qualities of this space can be expressed in a new algorithm, “image ←→ object ←→ text”.

This space – Mitchell’s “presence of an absence” – can only be filled by things that are neither images nor texts in their conventional sense. This is demonstrated by the extreme of the torture cell, where the most mundane of everyday objects become both normalized in the careful, systematic records of the military operative, and terrifying in the experience of the prisoner. Here, the figure of the Hooded Man, leaked from the clandestine archive of Abu Ghraib, serves as an emblem for the horror of contemporary violence; both executioner and victim, torturer and prisoner, both the Christ-like posture of the saviour and the horror of beheading.
Markers of fibrinolysis may predict development of lower extremity arterial disease in patients with diabetes: A longitudinal prospective cohort study with 10 years of follow-up
Authors: Rautio Aslak , Boman Kurt , Eriksson Jan W , Svensson Maria K
Published: January 2016

Background:

A previous cross-sectional study suggested that tissue plasminogen activator–activity might be an early marker of asymptomatic lower extremity arterial disease, but the long-term relationship is unknown.

Subjects and methods:

This study included 96 diabetic (48 type 1/48 type 2) and 62 non-diabetic subjects aged 30–70 years without previously known lower extremity arterial disease (age: 50.3 ± 9.3 years, gender: M/W 47.5/52.5% and body mass index: 26.6 ± 4.5 kg/m2). The relationships between asymptomatic lower extremity arterial disease and fibrinolytic markers (tissue plasminogen activator–activity, tissue plasminogen activator–mass, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 activity) at baseline and after 10 years were assessed by logistic regression analysis adjusting for age, hypertension, statin treatment, HbA1c, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol as fixed covariates.

Results:

The tissue plasminogen activator–activity at baseline and at the 10-year follow-up significantly predicted the presence of sign(s) of lower extremity arterial disease (odds ratio = 1.78, 95% confidence interval: 1.02–3.10, p = 0.043 and odds ratio = 1.78, 95% confidence interval: 1.12–2.23, p = 0.014, respectively). In addition, tissue plasminogen activator–mass at the 10-year follow-up was associated with signs of lower extremity arterial disease (odds ratio = 1.07, 95% confidence interval: 1.00–1.15, p = 0.046). Baseline age, hypertension and HbA1c were independently associated with sign(s) of lower extremity arterial disease at 10 years (odds ratio = 1.09, 95% confidence interval: 1.04–1.14, p = < 0.001; odds ratio = 3.68, 95% confidence interval: 1.67–8.12, p = 0.001 and odds ratio = 1.54, 95% confidence interval: 1.21–1.95, p = < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion:

This long-term study supports previous findings of a significant association between asymptomatic lower extremity arterial disease and tissue plasminogen activator–activity. Thus, tissue plasminogen activator–activity may be an early marker of lower extremity arterial disease although the mechanism of this relationship remains unclear.
GPU-Based Simulation of Ultrasound Imaging Artifacts for Cryosurgery Training
Authors: Keelan Robert , Shimada Kenji , Rabin Yoed
Published: January 2016

This study presents an efficient computational technique for the simulation of ultrasound imaging artifacts associated with cryosurgery based on nonlinear ray tracing. This study is part of an ongoing effort to develop computerized training tools for cryosurgery, with prostate cryosurgery as a development model. The capability of performing virtual cryosurgical procedures on a variety of test cases is essential for effective surgical training. Simulated ultrasound imaging artifacts include reverberation and reflection of the cryoprobes in the unfrozen tissue, reflections caused by the freezing front, shadowing caused by the frozen region, and tissue property changes in repeated freeze–thaw cycles procedures. The simulated artifacts appear to preserve the key features observed in a clinical setting. This study displays an example of how training may benefit from toggling between the undisturbed ultrasound image, the simulated temperature field, the simulated imaging artifacts, and an augmented hybrid presentation of the temperature field superimposed on the ultrasound image. The proposed method is demonstrated on a graphic processing unit at 100 frames per second, on a mid-range personal workstation, at two orders of magnitude faster than a typical cryoprocedure. This performance is based on computation with C++ accelerated massive parallelism and its interoperability with the DirectX-rendering application programming interface.
A Pilot Study Using a Web Survey to Identify Characteristics That Influence Hypogonadal Men to Initiate Testosterone Replacement Therapy
Authors: Rosen Raymond C. , Seftel Allen D. , Ruff Dustin D. , Muram David
Published: January 2016

Men with hypogonadism (HG) who choose testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) may have distinct characteristics that provide insight as to why they may/may not initiate therapy. The aim of the current study was to identify trends in patient characteristics and attitudes in men diagnosed with HG who initiated TRT (TRT+) compared with men who were diagnosed with HG but did not initiate TRT (TRT−). The market research-based online survey conducted between 2012 and 2013 included patients from a Federated Sample, a commercially available panel of patients with diverse medical conditions. The current analysis was composed of two groups: TRT+ ( n = 155) and TRT− ( n = 157). Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and attitudes toward HG and TRT were examined as potential predictors of primary adherence in men with HG; cohorts were compared by using Fisher’s exact test. Significant associations among sexual orientation, relationship status, educational level, presence of comorbid erectile dysfunction, area of residence, and TRT initiation were present ( p ≤ .05). College-educated, heterosexual, married men with comorbid erectile dysfunction living in suburban and urban areas were more likely to initiate treatment. The most bothersome symptoms reported were lack of energy (90% vs. 81%, p = .075), decreased strength and endurance (86% vs. 76%, p = .077), and deterioration in work performance (52% vs. 31%, p = .004); lack of energy prompted men to seek help. Patients (48%) in the TRT+ group were more knowledgeable regarding HG as compared with TRT− respondents (14%, p < .001), and most men obtained their information from a health care professional (89% vs. 82%, p = .074). The current analysis identified distinct demographic and clinical characteristics and attitudes among TRT users compared with men who were diagnosed with HG yet remained untreated.
A Qualitative Study on Unassisted Smoking Cessation Among Chinese Canadian Immigrants
Authors: Mao Aimei , Bottorff Joan L.
Published: January 2016

It is well-known that majority of smokers worldwide quit smoking without any assistance. This is even more evident among Chinese smokers. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore how Chinese Canadian immigrant men who smoked cigarettes perceived smoking cessation aids and services and how they used any form of the smoking cessation assistance to help them quit smoking. The study was conducted in British Columbia, Canada. Twenty-two Chinese immigrants were recruited by internet advertisement and through connections with local Chinese communities. Ten of the 22 participants were current smokers and the other 12 had quit smoking in the past 5 years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews. Although all participants, including both the ex-smokers and current smokers, had made more than one quit attempt, they rarely used cessation aids or services even after they had immigrated to Canada. The barriers to seeking the cessation assistance were grouped into two categories: practical barriers and cultural barriers. The practical barriers included “Lack of available information on smoking cessation assistance” and “Difficulty in accessing smoking cessation assistance,” while cultural barriers included “Denial of physiological addiction to nicotine,” “Mistrust in the effectiveness of smoking cessation assistance,” “Tendency of self-reliance in solving problems,” and “Concern of privacy revelation related to utilization of smoking cessation assistance.” The findings revealed Chinese immigrants’ unwillingness to use smoking cessation assistance as the result of vulnerability as immigrants and culturally cultivated masculinities of self-control and self-reliance.
Lumbosacral agenesis in a cat
Authors: Hybki Gabrielle C , Murphy Lisa A , Marchi Joseph P , Patlogar Jeffrey E , Brisson Jennifer O , Nakamura Reid K
Published: January 2016

Case summary

Lumbosacral agenesis is a rare congenital condition reported in children. We report a 17-week-old female domestic shorthair cat with lumbosacral agenesis on whole-body radiographs. The cat was euthanized shortly thereafter presentation. A necropsy was not permitted.

Relevance and novel information

This is the first reported feline case of lumbosacral agenesis.
Gait Training in Patients Discharged to a Skilled Nursing Facility Following Total Joint Arthroplasty
Authors: Haghverdian Brandon , Wright David , Doan Linda T. , Tran Dennis , Schwarzkopf Ran
Published: January 2016

Background:

Expenditures for postacute care in total joint arthroplasty (TJA) have risen dramatically over recent decades. Therefore, efforts are underway to better identify cost savings in postacute rehabilitation centers, such as skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). The primary purpose of this study was to analyze gait training achievements in post-TJA patients in the interval between hospital discharge and the patients’ first 4 days at the SNF. Identification of potential losses in therapeutic progress may lead the way for improved patient care, outcomes, and cost savings. Our hypothesis is that patients discharged to an SNF will have a decline in gait achievements upon transfer from the hospital.

Methods:

A total of 68 patients who underwent TJA were included. The total distance ambulated during physical therapy (PT) was recorded for the last day of hospital therapy and the first 4 days at the SNF as well as the reported visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores.

Results:

There was a 73% decline in distance ambulated on SNF day 0 ( Hospital: 138.6 ft vs SNF: 37.9 ft; P < .001) and a 50% decline on SNF day 1 ( Hospital: 103.0 ft; SNF vs 51.1 ft; P < .001) compared to the last hospital session. There were no significant differences in distance walked on SNF days 3 and 4 relative to the last hospital session. The VAS pain scores did not significantly differ on SNF days 0 and 1 compared to the last hospital day but began to significantly decline on SNF day 3 ( Hospital: 4.9; SNF: 3.3; P = .02) and day 4 ( Hospital: 3.9; SNF: 2.3; P = .03).

Conclusion:

There was a significant decline in ambulatory proficiency in post-TJA patients on the day of and the day following hospital discharge to an SNF. These deficits cannot be attributed to heightened pain levels. Early and progressive ambulation is a recognized component of appropriate PT following TJA. This study therefore highlights the transition from hospital to SNF as a crucial and novel target for improvement in post-TJA care.
Peri-urbanization, Land Use Change and Water security: A New Trigger for Water Conflicts?
Authors: Narain Vishal
Published: January 2016

Urbanization processes involve the appropriation of land and water resources from the peripheral regions. Thus some individuals and groups lose access to these resources to support urban expansion. Since water access is often tied to land ownership, the acquisition of land for urban expansion compromises periurban water security. This process creates a potential for water conflicts; these conflicts may take place between urban and periurban water users, between periurban water users and the state or among periurban water users. Understanding potential causes of conflict and devising institutions to reconcile divergent interests could be instrumental in promoting periurban water security.
Behind the Dam
Authors: Vergnes J.N.
Published: January 2016

Knowledge Transfer Statement:

This fictional narrative can be used by dental education professionals when teaching about the patient-dentist relationship. In particular, this narrative may be useful in patient-centered programs in dental education.
Nationalistic Authorship and Resistance in Northeastern Sri Lanka
Authors: Seoighe Rachel
Published: January 2016

Post-war Sri Lanka is defined by the logic of Sinhala-Buddhist nationalism, glorification and expansion of the military, and the exponential growth of state-corporate economic projects. This article examines the performative politics of the state in mass ritual discourse and spatial domination while acknowledging the various ways in which elements of the Northeastern Tamil community in Sri Lanka are mobilising as an activist community in the post-war period, including political agitation and emancipatory initiatives that respond to social justice issues, such as land grabs. Offering an analysis premised on the concept of performative politics, this article interrogates the process by which the state defines itself, while the Tamil community has used performative politics to communicate the unacceptability of the post-war performance of power. A framework of performative politics in post-war Sri Lanka, I argue, introduces a new grammar of politics more responsive to the nationalistic Sinhala-Buddhist settler-colonial tendencies of the state and to the polyvalent nature of Tamil resistance. On the international level, the state performatively complies with international demands for accountability and reconciliation while continuing to oppress the Tamil minority and undertake nationalistic authorship of post-war space.
Islamism and Civil Society in India
Authors: Hashmi Fahad
Published: January 2016

There are many theses about Islamism being evolved in response to the changes in world politics. Recently, the ‘transformation’ thesis that explains how Islamism changed over time in the Indian context has been making rounds. This article investigates the state of Islamism in India, taking into account the inner-self of the phenomenon instead of its external perception, drawing primarily on Maududi’s writings and the Jamaat-e-Islami of India’s current literature. Taking Islamism as a movement in the domain of civil society that also possesses a discursive arena, that is, a public sphere, this article nuances the relationship between the civil society and Islamism. It argues that the Jamaat-e-Islami of India has adopted a bottom-up approach to broaden its reach in civil society. To this end, the party is contesting mainstream representations, offering oppositional counter-discourses and engaging with the public sphere and representing an emerging counterpublic that is challenging the hegemonic structures of the state as well as of the mainstream Muslim community. Hence, the article posits that Islamism has not undergone transformation on an ideological terrain.
Choreographic Occultation and Petrification of Meaning: Post-colonial Law and Alternative Subject
Authors: Quaiser Neshat
Published: January 2016

Post-colonial law and legal institutions are inscribed in the history of colonial power, its legal epistemology and the ways in which these constructed colonial and consequently post-colonial legal subjects. Employing the concept of choreographic occultation, 1 1   Choreography here refers to a designed management of people or events to effect consent, control and domination. Occultation refers to a designed concealment of intents. However, choreographic occultation as a concept constitutes a deeper meaning as we shall see further in the text. the article examines the ways in which law—as it has evolved over a long span of time—contributes, as an occultating constitutive, crucially in the construction of inverted truth, meaning and subject through an examination of various domains of legal practices such as capital punishment, rule of law, trial and alternative subject formation in post-colonial India. Although the article deals with specific examples from Indian jurisprudence, the general concerns with the colonial/post-colonial legacy of juridical/legal practice and critique of the Western/liberal notion of law as choreographed give it a general focus as well.
Battles Against the Body: Reconstructing Femininity in Patriarchal Religio-social Spaces
Authors: Ghosh Ratul
Published: January 2016

Femininity has been a social construct; the biological attributes of female sexuality had provided mere supporting logics to those constructing authorities which could easily be identified in patriarchal sociopolitical agencies. Philosophy, on the other hand, has always been used by religion as well as governmental authorities to provide a theoretical framework for its pragmatics of dominance and discrimination. The proposed article would focus on how femininity has been persistently considered as a corporeal phenomenon in the socio-religious domain and would explore how the initiated women had to fight against their own body to fit in that discriminating and dominating social structure and religious pragmatics. In the course of this discussion, this article would also focus on politicisation of feminine corporeality in ancient as well as modern societies to exemplify the subtle dominance of patriarchy. Thus, this article would try to understand the making of female subjectivity through this inner battle in the arena of a phallocentric socio-religious narrative.
A two-phase procedure for non-normal quantitative trait genetic association study
Authors: Zhang Wei , Li Huiyun , Li Zhaohai , Li Qizhai
Published: January 2016

Background

The nonparametric trend test (NPT) is well suitable for identifying the genetic variants associated with quantitative traits when the trait values do not satisfy the normal distribution assumption. If the genetic model, defined according to the mode of inheritance, is known, the NPT derived under the given genetic model is optimal. However, in practice, the genetic model is often unknown beforehand. The NPT derived from an uncorrected model might result in loss of power. When the underlying genetic model is unknown, a robust test is preferred to maintain satisfactory power.

Results

We propose a two-phase procedure to handle the uncertainty of the genetic model for non-normal quantitative trait genetic association study. First, a model selection procedure is employed to help choose the genetic model. Then the optimal test derived under the selected model is constructed to test for possible association. To control the type I error rate, we derive the joint distribution of the test statistics developed in the two phases and obtain the proper size.

Conclusions

The proposed method is more robust than existing methods through the simulation results and application to gene DNAH9 from the Genetic Analysis Workshop 16 for associated with Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody further demonstrate its performance.
Survival of residual neutrophils and accelerated myelopoiesis limit the efficacy of antibody-mediated depletion of Ly-6G+ cells in tumor-bearing mice
Authors: Moses Katrin , Klein Johanna C , Männ Linda , Klingberg Anika , Gunzer Matthias , Brandau Sven
Published: January 2016

Expansion of Ly-6G+ myeloid cells has been reported in most murine cancer models. However, divergent findings exist regarding the role and effect of these cells on host immunity and tumor progression. Antibody-mediated depletion of Ly-6G+ cells is a common technique to assess the in vivo relevance of these cells. Interpretation of results crucially depends on the efficacy and course of depletion. We established murine head and neck cancer models and analyzed the efficacy of antibody-mediated depletion by flow cytometry, conventional histology, and intravital imaging with a novel Ly-6G–transgenic mouse model. The first phase of depletion was characterized by effective elimination of Ly-6G+ cells from the peripheral blood. Nevertheless, viable, resistant cells were found to reside in the tumor tissue and spleen. This peripheral depletion phase was associated with high systemic levels of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and KC and enhanced splenic production of Ly-6G+ cells. Even under sustained treatment with either αGr-1 or αLy-6G antibodies, peripheral blood depletion ended after approximately 1 wk and was followed by reappearance of immature Ly-6G+ cells with an immunoregulatory phenotype. Reappearance of these depletion-resistant immature cells was enhanced in tumor-bearing, compared with naïve, control mice. Collectively, our data suggest that depletion of Ly-6G+ myeloid cells in tumor-bearing mice is counteracted by the persistence of intratumoral cells, enhanced extramedullary granulopoiesis, and accelerated reappearance of immature cells. Hence, extensive monitoring of in vivo kinetics and tissue distribution of Ly-6G+ cells is required in depletion studies.
Distinct CCR7 glycosylation pattern shapes receptor signaling and endocytosis to modulate chemotactic responses
Authors: Hauser Mark A , Kindinger Ilona , Laufer Julia M , Späte Anne-Katrin , Bucher Delia , Vanes Sarah L , Krueger Wolfgang A , Wittmann Valentin , Legler Daniel F
Published: January 2016

The homeostatic chemokines CCL19 and CCL21 and their common cognate chemokine receptor CCR7 orchestrate immune cell trafficking by eliciting distinct signaling pathways. Here, we demonstrate that human CCR7 is N-glycosylated on 2 specific residues in the N terminus and the third extracellular loop. Conceptually, CCR7 glycosylation adds steric hindrance to the receptor N terminus and extracellular loop 3, acting as a “swinging door” to regulate receptor sensitivity and cell migration. We found that freshly isolated human B cells, as well as expanded T cells, but not naïve T cells, express highly sialylated CCR7. Moreover, we identified that human dendritic cells imprint T cell migration toward CCR7 ligands by secreting enzymes that deglycosylate CCR7, thereby boosting CCR7 signaling on T cells, permitting enhanced T cell locomotion, while simultaneously decreasing receptor endocytosis. In addition, dendritic cells proteolytically convert immobilized CCL21 to a soluble form that is more potent in triggering chemotactic movement and does not desensitize the receptor. Furthermore, we demonstrate that soluble CCL21 functionally resembles neither the CCL19 nor the CCL21 phenotype but acts as a chemokine with unique features. Thus, we advance the concept of dendritic cell-dependent generation of micromilieus and lymph node conditioning by demonstrating a novel layer of CCR7 regulation through CCR7 sialylation. In summary, we demonstrate that leukocyte subsets express distinct patterns of CCR7 sialylation that contribute to receptor signaling and fine-tuning chemotactic responses.
Distinguishing aggregate formation and aggregate clearance using cell-based assays
Authors: Eenjes Evelien , Dragich Joanna M. , Kampinga Harm H. , Yamamoto Ai
Published: January 2016

The accumulation of ubiquitylated proteinaceous inclusions represents a complex process, reflecting the disequilibrium between aggregate formation and aggregate clearance. Although decreasing aggregate formation or augmenting aggregate clearance will ultimately lead to a diminished aggregate burden, in terms of disease pathogenesis, the different approaches can have distinct outcomes. Using a novel cell-based assay that can distinguish newly formed versus preformed inclusions, we demonstrate that two proteins previously implicated in the autophagic clearance of expanded polyglutamine inclusions, HspB7 and Alfy (also known as WDFY3), actually affect very distinct cellular processes to affect aggregate burden. Using this cell-based assay, we also establish that constitutive expression of the aggregation-prone protein can measurably slow the elimination of protein aggregates, given that not all aggregates appear to be available for degradation. This new assay can therefore not only determine at what step a modifier might influence aggregate burden, but also can be used to provide new insights into how protein aggregates are targeted for degradation.
The critical importance of the fetal hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis
Authors: Wood Charles E. , Keller-Wood Maureen
Published: January 2016

The fetal hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is at the center of mechanisms controlling fetal readiness for birth, survival after birth and, in several species, determination of the timing of birth. Stereotypical increases in fetal HPA axis activity at the end of gestation are critical for preparing the fetus for successful transition to postnatal life. The fundamental importance in fetal development of the endogenous activation of this endocrine axis at the end of gestation has led to the use of glucocorticoids for reducing neonatal morbidity in premature infants. However, the choice of dose and repetition of treatments has been controversial, raising the possibility that excess glucocorticoid might program an increased incidence of adult disease (e.g., coronary artery disease and diabetes). We make the argument that because of the critical importance of the fetal HPA axis and its interaction with the maternal HPA axis, dysregulation of cortisol plasma concentrations or inappropriate manipulation pharmacologically can have negative consequences at the beginning of extrauterine life and for decades thereafter.
Interactive techniques application at creation and estimate of scientific-popular content
Authors: Соломенцев Юрий , Solomentsev Yuriy , Шептунов Сергей , Sheptunov Sergey , Воробьев Иван , Vorobev Ivan
Published: January 2016

The application of multimedia and interactive techniques at the creation and estimate of scientific-popular content is considered. The most suitable formats of the multimedia content for the popularization of scientific knowledge and also the peculiarities of a user and a content interaction are presented. The essential constituents of the interactive multimedia-content of science are formulated.
The Functional Capacities of Peripheral Blood Regulatory T Cells after an Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant Correlate with the Risk of Graft-Versus-Host Disease
Authors: Peragine Nadia , Iori Anna P. , Barberi Walter , De Propris Maria S. , Guarini Anna , Foà Robin , Torelli Giovanni F.
Published: January 2016

The immunologic reconstitution is ultimately responsible of the clinical outcome of patients who have undergone an allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). The occurrence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which represents the major cause of morbidity and mortality after the transplant correlates with the concentration in the peripheral blood (PB) of regulatory T cells (Tregs). In this study we aim at demonstrating that not only the concentration but also the functional capacities and the degree of activity of Tregs act as an important regulator of alloreactivity and may help to predict the risk of acute and chronic GVHD in the post-transplant period. Sixteen patients who underwent an allogeneic SCT were evaluated at 1 year from transplant. Tregs were expanded from the PB of these patients and from 8 normal donors; their expansion capacity, phenotype, suppressor activity and IL-10 production were measured. Tregs expanded from patients without GVHD exerted a higher suppressive function on the proliferative reaction of T cells and showed a higher IL-10 production capacity compared to patients with acute or chronic GVHD. These results document that the functional activity and the suppressor capacity of Tregs after an allogeneic SCT may protect from GVHD, and support the design of clinical protocols based on the infusion of expanded and activated Tregs.