bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
de Morton Mobility Index Is Feasible, Reliable, and Valid in Patients With Critical Illness
Authors: Sommers Juultje , Vredeveld Tom , Lindeboom Robert , Nollet Frans , Engelbert Raoul H.H. , van der Schaaf Marike
Published: April 2016

Background

Intensive care unit (ICU) stays often lead to reduced physical functioning. Change in physical functioning in patients in the ICU is inadequately assessed through available instruments. The de Morton Mobility Index (DEMMI), developed to assess mobility in elderly hospitalized patients, is promising for use in patients who are critically ill.

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinimetric properties of the DEMMI for patients in the ICU.

Design

A prospective, observational reliability and validity study was conducted.

Methods

To evaluate interrater and intrarater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients), patients admitted to the ICU were assessed with the DEMMI during and after ICU stay. Validity was evaluated by correlating the DEMMI with the Barthel Index (BI), the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (Katz ADL), and manual muscle testing (MMT). Feasibility was evaluated based on the percentage of participants in which the DEMMI could be assessed, the floor and ceiling effects, and the number of adverse events.

Results

One hundred fifteen participants were included (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II [APACHE II] mean score=15.2 and Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment [SOFA] mean score=7). Interrater reliability was .93 in the ICU and .97 on the wards, whereas intrarater reliability during the ICU stay was .68. Validity (Spearman rho coefficient) during the ICU stay was .56, −.45, and .57 for the BI, Katz ADL, and MMT, respectively. The DEMMI showed low floor and ceiling effects (2.6%) during and after ICU discharge. There were no major adverse events.

Limitations

Rapid changes in participants' health status may have led to underestimation of intrarater reliability.

Conclusion

The DEMMI was found to be clinically feasible, reliable, and valid for measuring mobility in an ICU population. Therefore, the DEMMI should be considered a preferred instrument for measuring mobility in patients during and after their ICU stay.
Distortion Control through Synchronized Vacuum Heat Treatment
Authors: Heuer V. , Leist T. , Schmitt G.
Published: April 2016

Controlling distortion is of key importance during the case hardening process for the production of automotive and non-automotive metallic components. By effective control of distortion and the variation of distortion, significant costs in post heat treatment machining processes can be avoided. In some cases it is even possible to eliminate all post-machining. In other cases it may be possible to avoid the press-quenching of individual components, resulting in huge cost-benefits. A recently introduced new vacuum furnace design allows the treatment of small batches in a single layer of parts (“2D-treatment”) which allows for easy automated loading and unloading of the fixture-trays. By using the small batch concept, a continuous flow of parts can be established (“One Piece Flow”). There is no need to wait until enough parts are collected to build a large batch with multiple layers (“3D-batch”). This compact furnace unit can be implemented into the heart of the production chain and provides heat-treatment processes which can be fully synchronized with the green and hard machining-operations. When performing case hardening, the components are Low Pressure Carburized (LPC) at high temperatures (1050 °C) followed by gas quenching. The treatment in single layers offers an optimum in quality regarding: temperature homogeneity, quench homogeneity and distortion control. Typical components for this technology come from the automotive, aerospace and tool industry. The directly following contribution in this Journal (A. Schüler et al., p. 90–98)shows more results achieved with this technology on selected truck-components such as gears and sliding-sleeves.
De l’intuition dans la décision des managers de l’action publique
Authors: Bertolucci Marius , Pinzon Juan David
Published: April 2016

L’intuition demeure l’objet de peu d’études empiriques malgré l’intérêt qu’elle suscite chez les chercheurs et praticiens. Cette recherche exploratoire interroge les facteurs de l’intuition dans les processus décisionnels des managers de huit réseaux territorialisés d’organisations, terrain d’observation privilégié des métiers et des compétences émergeant de l’action publique. Les auteurs avancent que les normes de gouvernance façonnent les modes de management et, par-là, influencent les modes de décision. Outre des leviers managériaux, ils proposent le concept d’intuition distribuée.
Le cadre dirigeant public, entre logique de gestion et logique managériale
Authors: Dupuis Jérôme
Published: April 2016

Cet article se propose d’étudier, dans le contexte caractérisant le nouveau management territorial, les rôles, positionnements et postures de managers territoriaux eu égard à trois de leurs missions exercées ; comme assistant à maître d’ouvrage, représentant du maître d’ouvrage et maître d’œuvre, respectivement dans la conduite des politiques publiques, des projets de territoire et des organisations. En s’appuyant sur une analyse interprétative de 65 entretiens menés à deux reprises en 2012 et 2014 auprès de cadres dirigeants des collectivités locales, l’auteur montre quelles sont les tensions pouvant naître entre ces différents registres.
Stratégie de participation des opérateurs publics de recherche
Authors: Kustosz Isabelle
Published: April 2016

Bien qu’imposant un référentiel puissant, le programme-cadre de recherche et de développement technologique (PCRDT) de l’Union européenne est l’objet d’actions de lobbying de la part des opérateurs infracommunautaires – états membres, régions, organismes de recherche, groupements d’universités – soucieux d’y optimiser leur participation. Cette contribution propose une typologie des différentes formes de lobbying en jeu, faisant apparaître une tendance aux aménagements de surface et à l’incrémentalisme. Elle recourt au cadre théorique de l’ACF (Advocacy Coalition Framework) pour analyser les implications organisationnelles et réticulaires qui en découlent.
Nico Cloete, Peter Maassen and Tracy Bailey (eds) (2015) Knowledge Production and Contradictory Functions in African Higher Education
Authors: Alemu Sintayehu Kassaye
Published: April 2016

Nico Cloete, Peter Maassen and Tracy Bailey (eds) (2015) Knowledge Production and Contradictory Functions in African Higher Education Cape Town, South Africa: African Minds, 295 pp., ISBN: 978-1-920677-85-5.
Neurosurgery and human immunodeficiency virus in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy: a review
Authors: Henderson Duncan , Sims-Williams Hugh P. , Wilhelm Thomas , Sims-Williams Helen , Bhagani Sanjay , Thorne Lewis
Published: April 2016

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a global health problem. It renders the central nervous system susceptible to infectious and noninfectious diseases. HIV-positive individuals may present to neurosurgical services with brain lesions of unknown etiology. The differential diagnosis in these cases is broad, including opportunistic infections and malignancies, and investigation should be tailored accordingly. Opportunistic infections of the central nervous system can be complicated by hydrocephalus, and the management is pathogen dependent. Patients may also present to a neurosurgical service with conditions unrelated to their HIV status.

This review outlines important conditions that cause brain lesions and hydrocephalus. It addresses the issues of diagnosis and intervention in HIV-positive patients in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy, while not ignoring the potential for opportunistic central nervous system infection in undiagnosed patients.

The care of HIV-positive patients presenting to neurosurgical services requires a multidisciplinary approach, which is reflected in the authorship of this review, as well as in the guidance given.
Endoscopic temporal ventriculocisternostomy for the management of temporal horn entrapment: report of 4 cases
Authors: Paredes Igor , Orduna Javier , Fustero David , Salgado Juan Antonio Alvarez , de Diego Jose María Belinchon , de Mesa Francisco González-Llanos Fernández
Published: April 2016

Entrapment of the temporal horn is a rare form of noncommunicating focal hydrocephalus. Standard treatment has not yet been established for this condition, and only a few cases have been reported in the literature. The authors reviewed their cases of temporal horn entrapment treated between May 2013 and December 2014 and report their experience with endoscopic temporal ventriculocisternostomy. Four patients were identified (3 adults and 1 child) who underwent this treatment. In 3 patients, the condition developed after tumor resection, and in 1 patient it developed after resection of an arteriovenous malformation. In 1 patient, a recurrent trapped temporal horn developed and a refenestration was successfully performed. No procedure-related complications were observed, and all of the patients remained shunt-free at last follow-up (range 4–24 months). Endoscopic temporal horn ventriculocisternostomy is a safe and effective procedure for the treatment of symptomatic temporal horn entrapment in selected cases. However, there is little experience with the procedure to recommend it as the treatment of choice.
Novel spinal instrumentation to enhance osteogenesis and fusion: a preliminary study
Authors: MacEwan Matthew R. , Talcott Michael R. , Moran Daniel W. , Leuthardt Eric C.
Published: April 2016

OBJECTIVE

Instrumented spinal fusion continues to exhibit high failure rates in patients undergoing multilevel lumbar fusion or pseudarthrosis revision; with Grade II or higher spondylolisthesis; or in those possessing risk factors such as obesity, tobacco use, or metabolic disorders. Direct current (DC) electrical stimulation of bone growth represents a unique surgical adjunct in vertebral fusion procedures, yet existing spinal fusion stimulators are not optimized to enhance interbody fusion. To develop an advanced method of applying DC electrical stimulation to promote interbody fusion, a novel osteogenic spinal system capable of routing DC through rigid instrumentation and into the vertebral bodies was fabricated. A pilot study was designed to assess the feasibility of osteogenic instrumentation and compare the ability of osteogenic instrumentation to promote successful interbody fusion in vivo to standard spinal instrumentation with autograft.

METHODS

Instrumented, single-level, posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) with autologous graft was performed at L4–5 in adult Toggenburg/Alpine goats, using both osteogenic spinal instrumentation (plus electrical stimulation) and standard spinal instrumentation (no electrical stimulation). At terminal time points (3 months, 6 months), animals were killed and lumbar spines were explanted for radiographic analysis using a SOMATOM Dual Source Definition CT Scanner and high-resolution Microcat II CT Scanner. Trabecular continuity, radiodensity within the fusion mass, and regional bone formation were examined to determine successful spinal fusion.

RESULTS

Quantitative analysis of average bone density in pedicle screw beds confirmed that electroactive pedicle screws used in the osteogenic spinal system focally enhanced bone density in instrumented vertebral bodies. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of high-resolution CT scans of explanted lumbar spines further demonstrated that the osteogenic spinal system induced solid bony fusion across the L4–5 disc space as early as 6 weeks postoperatively. In comparison, inactive spinal instrumentation with autograft was unable to promote successful interbody fusion by 6 months postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS

Results of this study demonstrate that novel osteogenic spinal instrumentation supports interbody fusion through the focal delivery of DC electrical stimulation. With further technical development and scientific/clinical validation, osteogenic spinal instrumentation may offer a unique alternative to biological scaffolds and pharmaceutical adjuncts used in spinal fusion procedures.
Registration of TIL:383.13, TIL:625 and TIL:634, Three Long Grain Tropical Japonica Rice Germplasm Lines Containing Novel Indica Alleles that Increase Tiller Production and Grain Yield
Authors: Pinson Shannon R. M. , Wang Yueguang , Tabien Rodante E.
Published: April 2016

Three rice (Oryza sativa L.) germplasm lines designated TIL:383.13 (Reg. No. GP‐144, GSOR 100605), TIL:625 (Reg. No. GP‐145, GSOR 100698), and TIL:634 (Reg. No. GP‐146, GSOR 100702), contain a total of seven alleles of indica rice origin associated with earlier development and increased numbers of tillers during early plant development stages in an elite US tropical japonica rice genetic background having long grain shape and intermediate amylose content and gelatinization temperature. The three high‐tillering introgression lines also exhibit increased panicle number and grain yield and were jointly released in 2016 by the USDA‐ARS and Texas A&M Agrilife Research. The novel alleles for enhanced tiller production originated from ‘TeQing’, an indica rice cultivar from China, and were transferred through a series of backcrossing into lines having a predominantly ‘Lemont’ genetic background. TeQing is well known in the United States for both its high yield and its disease resistance but is not suitable for commercial production due to lodging and poor grain quality. A combination of molecular and phenotypic data was used to identify these three improved germplasm lines from among 123 TeQing‐into‐Lemont backcross introgression lines. A combination of phenotypic and molecular data was used to select three lines from among 123 TeQing‐into‐Lemont backcross introgression lines.
‘Elgin‐ND’ Spring Wheat: A Newly Adapted Cultivar to the North‐Central Plains of the United States with High Agronomic and Quality Performance
Authors: Mergoum Mohamed , Simsek Senay , Zhong Shaobin , Acevedo Maricelis , Friesen Timothy L. , Alamri Mohammed S. , Xu Steven , Liu Zhaohui
Published: April 2016

The spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) industry and growers usually value adapted wheat cultivars with high quality attributes, an essential criteria for maintaining wheat as a competitive commodity at the national and international levels. Therefore, the goal of the breeding program is to develop wheat cultivars that meet the above criteria using appropriate breeding tools. ‘Elgin‐ND’ (CV‐1116, PI 668099), a hard red spring wheat (HRSW) developed at North Dakota State University was released by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station in 2013. Elgin‐ND, tested as experimental line ND818, was released because it is adapted to the US spring wheat growing conditions. It combines high yield potential with high protein and end‐use quality and has a good disease resistance package. This includes resistance to Fusarium head blight [caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe; teleomorph Gibberella zeae (Schwein.) Petch)]; leaf diseases including stem rust (caused by Puccinia graminis Pers.:Pers. f. sp. tritici Eriks. & E. Henn) and leaf rust (caused by Puccinia triticina Eriks.); tan spot [caused by Pyrenophora tritici‐repentis (Died.) Drechs]; and bacterial leaf blight (caused by Xanthomonas translucens pv. undulosa). However, Elgin‐ND relies heavily on the major Lr21 gene that confers resistance to leaf rust. Thus, it is susceptible to the new race that overcomes the Lr21 gene. The name Elgin‐ND was chosen for ND818 after a small town in western North Dakota, where the cultivar is expected to be widely planted.
Registration of PR1146‐138 Yellow Bean Germplasm Line
Authors: Beaver James S. , Prophete Emmanuel , Démosthène Gasner , Porch Timothy G.
Published: April 2016

The yellow bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important market class in Haiti. There have been, however, no previous attempts to genetically improve this seed type for the Caribbean. Landrace varieties of yellow beans in Haiti are susceptible to Bean golden yellow mosaic virus (BGYMV) and Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV), which are important dry bean diseases in the region. In addition, leafhopper (Empoasca kraemeri Ross and Moore) can cause significant yield loss, especially when common beans are planted during periods of low precipitation. The development of dry bean cultivars with enhanced levels of resistance to diseases and pests is an important goal of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) and the National Seed Service in Haiti. PR1146‐138 (Reg. No. GP‐298, PI 675225) is a multiple virus‐ and pest‐resistant bean germplasm line adapted to the humid tropics that was developed and released cooperatively in 2015 by the UPR Agricultural Experiment Station, the USDA‐ARS, and the National Seed Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development of the Republic of Haiti. PR1146‐138 has a yellow seed type with a hue angle of 86.30 and a chroma of 34.68. PR1146‐138 possesses the I locus that confers resistance to BCMV and the bgm‐1 gene for resistance to BGYMV. PR1146‐138 produced a mean seed yield of 2095 kg ha−1 when tested in Puerto Rico and Haiti in seven environments over a 3‐yr period. It has a determinate growth habit and reached harvest maturity from 65 to 70 d after planting. This line should serve as a useful source of resistance to BGYMV, BCMV, and leafhoppers in the improvement of Andean beans for the tropical lowlands.
Registration of ‘CPSG‐3481’ Sugarcane
Authors: Afghan Shahid , Shahzad Aamir , Comstock Jack C. , Zhao Duli , Ali Aamir
Published: April 2016

‘CPSG‐3481’ (Reg. No. CV‐165, PI 676023) sugarcane (a complex hybrid of Saccharum spp.) cultivar was developed through cooperative research conducted by the Shakarganj Sugar Research Institute in Pakistan and the USDA‐ARS Sugarcane Field Station in the United States and released to growers for loam soils in Pakistan in September 2012. CPSG‐3481 was developed from a biparental cross (CP 81‐1238 × CP 85‐1308) made at Canal Point (CP), FL, USA, in December 1992, and selection process was made at the Shakarganj Sugar Research Institute, Punjab, Pakistan, in 2001–2011. CPSG‐3481 was commercially released by the variety evaluation committee of sugarcane scientists from the public and private sectors in the sugarcane production region (Punjab, Pakistan) in 2012 because of its high cane and sucrose yields and high commercial recoverable sucrose on loam soils and its acceptable levels of resistance to red rot (caused by Colletotrichum falcatum Went), brown rust (caused by Puccinia melanocephala Syd. & P. Syd.), pokkah boeng (caused by Fusarium moniliforme J. Sheldon), Sugarcane mosaic virus, and smut (caused by Ustilago scitaminea Syd. & P. Syd.) in Pakistan. Based on results of nine harvests of three crops (plant cane, first ratoon, and second ratoon) in the final‐stage replicated yield trials conducted at three locations on loam soils and compared with a reference cultivar HSF‐240, CPSG‐3481 had 19.4% higher (p < 0.030) cane yield, 19.7% higher (p < 0.001) commercial recoverable sucrose, 43.0% higher (p < 0.001) sucrose yield, and 19.4% greater (p < 0.001) economic index.
Registration of an Oilseed Sunflower Germplasm HA‐DM1 Resistant to Sunflower Downy Mildew
Authors: Qi L. L. , Seiler G. J.
Published: April 2016

HA‐DM1 (Reg. No. GP‐335, PI 674793) sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) germplasm was developed and released cooperatively by the USDA‐ARS, Sunflower and Plant Biology Research Unit and the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station in 2015. HA‐DM1 is a BC2F4–derived oilseed maintainer line from the cross HA 89*2/NMS HA 89/Helianthus argophyllus PI 494573, selected for resistance to downy mildew (DM) [caused by Plasmopara halstedii (Farl.) Berl. et de Toni], a destructive disease in sunflower. The DM resistance in HA‐DM1 originated from wild H. argophyllus accession PI 494573 and is conditioned by a single dominant gene designated Pl18. Pl18 has been mapped to linkage group 2 of the sunflower genome and is independent of all known identified DM resistance genes in sunflower. HA‐DM1 has resistance to all P. halstedii races identified in the United States to date, providing a potential new source for resistance to emerging virulent races of P. halstedii in sunflower in North America and around the world.
Lactucin induces potent anti-cancer effects in HL-60 human leukemia cancer cells by inducing apoptosis and sub-G1 cell cycle arrest
Authors: Zhang Fu-Hua , Yan Yu-Ling , Wang Ying , Liu Zhen
Published: April 2016

The main purpose of the present study was to examine the antitumor and apoptotic effects of lactucin in HL-60 human leukemia cancer cells. MTT assay was used to examine the cytotoxic effects of lactucin while as phase contrast, fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy techniques were used to evaluate the apoptotic effects of lactucin in these cells. Flow cytometry was used to assess the effects of lactucin on cell cycle phase distribution. The results indicate that lactucin induced potent, time– and dose-dependent antitumor effects. The microscopic techniques showed that lactucin induced characteristic features of apoptosis including cell shrinkage, membrane blebbing, appearance of vacuoles, swelling of mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. Viable cells are stained green, early apoptotic cells are stained yellow, while as late apoptotic cells are stained reddish orange. Flow cytometry revealed that lactucin induced sub-G1 cell cycle arrest.

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Phase contrast microscopy:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9

 
Central Nervous System Oxygen Toxicity and Hyperbaric Oxygen Seizures
Authors: Manning Edward P.
Published: April 2016

INTRODUCTION: The use of hyperbaric oxygen (O2) as a therapeutic agent carries with it the risk of central nervous system (CNS) O2 toxicity.METHODS: To further the understanding of this risk and the nature of its molecular mechanism, a review
was conducted on the literature from various fields.RESULTS: Numerous physiological changes are produced by increased partial pressures of oxygen (Po2), which may ultimately result in CNS O2 toxicity. The human body has several equilibrated safeguards that
minimize effects of reactive species on neural networks, believed to play a primary role in CNS O2 toxicity. Increased partial pressure of oxygen (Po2) appears to saturate protective enzymes and unfavorably shift protective reactions in the direction of neural network
overstimulation. Certain regions of the CNS appear more susceptible than others to these effects. Failure to decrease the elevated Po2 can result in a tonic-clonic seizure and death. Randomized, controlled studies in human populations would require a multicenter trial over a long
period of time with numerous endpoints used to identify O2 toxicity.CONCLUSIONS: The mounting scientific evidence and apparent increase in the number of hyperbaric O2 treatments demonstrate a need for further study in the near future.Manning EP. Central
nervous system oxygen toxicity and hyperbaric oxygen seizures. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2016; 87(5):477–486.
Vestibular Stimulus and Perceived Roll Tilt During Coordinated Turns in Aircraft and Gondola Centrifuge
Authors: Tribukait Arne , Ström Adrian , Bergsten Eddie , Eiken Ola
Published: April 2016

BACKGROUND: One disorienting movement pattern, common during flight, is the entering of a coordinated turn. While the otoliths persistently sense upright head position, the change in roll attitude constitutes a semicircular canal stimulus. This sensory conflict also arises during
acceleration in a swing-out gondola centrifuge. From a vestibular viewpoint there are, however, certain differences between the two stimulus situations; the aim of the present study was to elucidate whether these differences are reflected in the perceived roll attitude.METHODS:
Eight nonpilots were tested in a centrifuge (four runs) and during flight (two turns). The subjective visual horizontal (SVH) was measured using an adjustable luminous line in darkness. The centrifuge was accelerated from stationary to 1.56 G (roll 50°) within 7 s; the duration of the
G plateau was 5 min. With the aircraft, turns with approximately 1.4 G (45°) were entered within 15 s and lasted for 5 min. Tilt perception (TP) was defined as the ratio of SVH/real roll tilt; initial and final values were calculated for each centrifugation/turn.RESULTS: In
both systems there was a sensation of tilt that declined with time. The initial TP was (mean ± SD): 0.40 ± 0.27 (centrifuge) and 0.37 ± 0.30 (flight). The final TP was 0.20 ± 0.26 and 0.17 ± 0.19, respectively. Both initial and final TP correlated between
the two conditions.CONCLUSION: The physical roll tilt is under-estimated to a similar degree in the centrifuge and aircraft. Also the correspondence at the individual level suggests that the vestibular dilemma of coordinated flight can be recreated in a lifelike manner using a gondola
centrifuge.Tribukait A, Ström A, Bergsten E, Eiken O. Vestibular stimulus and perceived roll tilt during coordinated turns in aircraft and gondola centrifuge. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2016; 87(5):454–463.
Carotid and Femoral Artery Intima-Media Thickness During 6 Months of Spaceflight
Authors: Arbeille Philippe , Provost Romain , Zuj Kathryn
Published: April 2016

INTRODUCTION: The objective was to determine the effects of 6 mo of microgravity exposure on conduit artery diameter and wall thickness.METHODS: Diagnostic images of the common carotid artery (CC) and superficial femoral artery (FA) were obtained using echography which
astronauts performed on themselves after receiving minimal training in the use of ultrasound imaging. Echographic video was recorded using a volume capture method directed by a trained sonographer on the ground through videoconferencing. Vessel properties were later assessed by processing
the downlinked video. Data were collected from 10 astronauts who performed the echographic video capture at the beginning of the spaceflight (day 15) and near the end of the spaceflight (day 115 to 165). In-flight and postflight measurements were compared to preflight assessments.RESULTS:
No significant changes with spaceflight were found for CC and FA diameter. Intima-media thickness (IMT) of the CC was found to be significantly increased (12% ± 4) in all astronauts during the spaceflight (early and late flight) and remained elevated 4 d after returning to Earth. Similarly,
FA IMT was increased during the flight but returned to preflight levels 4 d postflight.CONCLUSION: The experiment demonstrated that, using the volume capture method of echography, untrained astronauts were able to capture enough echographic data to display vessel images of good
quality for analysis. The increase in both CC and FA IMT during the flight suggest an adaptation to microgravity and to the confined environment of spaceflight which deserves further investigation.Arbeille P, Provost R, Zuj K. Carotid and femoral artery intima-media thickness during
6 months of spaceflight. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2016; 87(5):449–453.
The Biopolitics of Israeli Settler Colonialism: Palestinian Bedouin Children Theorise the Present
Authors: Shalhoub-Kevorkian Nadera
Published: April 2016

In the unrecognised Bedouin villages in the Naqab, Palestinians suffer from state negligence, deprived of equal representation and access to essential services like healthcare and education. Whereas previous scholarship points to cultural, lifestyle, or societal conditions to account for the trends of poor health and education in Bedouin communities, this article seeks to identify the underlying structures of dispossession that produce everyday obstacles to the livelihoods of Palestinian children. Student dropout rates or socially threatening behavior amongst Bedouin children is misrepresented as stemming from Bedouin society rather than from biopolitical attempts to use children as politicised tools within a settler colonial society. In analyzing Israeli policy and testimonies collected from children living under these conditions, I argue that the advancement of a culture of blaming for this exploitation and impoverishment furthers eliminatory efforts against native Palestinians and reveals the culpability of the state in the technologies of violence in the lives of Bedouin children.
Oral Traditions of Naqab Bedouin Women: Challenging Settler-Colonial Representations Through Embodied Performance
Authors: Richter-Devroe Sophie
Published: April 2016

The Naqab Bedouin have faced—historically and today—various Israeli settler-colonial practices and discourses aimed at erasing their status as natives of the land. Israeli representations of the Naqab Bedouin often stereotype them as roaming nomads without any links (and consequently rights) to the land or to other Palestinian communities. Naqab Bedouin women's oral and embodied traditions constitute an important challenge to such settler-colonial representations. Women's songs, oral poetry and performances contain important historical counter-narratives, and they also function as embodied systems of learning, teaching, storing, and, to a certain extent, transmitting this community's indigenous memories, knowledges and ways of being.
Universalised versus Particularised Conceptualisations of Islam in Translations of the Qur'an
Authors: Eggen Nora S.
Published: April 2016

In this article I offer a case study on conceptualisations of Islam in translations of the Qur'an into the Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian languages during the past 170 years. While situating the translations as well as their translators in their historical and cultural contexts, the study does not take an assumed motivation of the translator as a starting point for the analysis, nor is it source text oriented and framed by discussions on translatability. Rather, this study aims at investigating the conceptual impact of different translation strategies, through a comprehensive micro-level analysis of eight target texts and their translations of the Qur'anic lexical cluster islām/aslama/muslim. The differences between the translations are mainly born out of two overall translation strategies: choosing between a monosemantic and a polysemantic view of the Qur'anic language and between the generic and the technical sense of the lexemes. I argue that these choices and how they are negotiated in the translated texts with their paratexts produces universalised versus particularised conceptualisations of Islam.
Ḥukm bi-mā anzala'llāh: The Forgotten Prehistory of an Islamist Slogan
Authors: Wagner Mark S.
Published: April 2016

The phrases ḥukm bi-mā anzala'llāh (‘ruling/judging by that which God has revealed’) and ḥukm bi-ghayri mā anzala'llāh (‘ruling/judging by other than that which God has revealed’) as well as the identities of the kāfirūn, ẓālimūn, and fāsiqūn guilty of the latter have preoccupied Muslim exegetes of Sūrat al-Māʾida, verses 42–8. Among Muʿtazilīs, the verses pointed to the instrumentality of revelation, including that of the Muslims, an idea that some Twelver Shīʿī exegetes preserved. Among Sunnīs, the verses referred specifically to the ideal interaction between Muslim and non-Muslim legal systems. This article will explore how Rashīd Riḍā laid the groundwork for the Islamist appropriation of these verses by taking Twelver Shīʿī exegesis of the verses out of its original context. The religious debate following the assassination of Anwar Sadat dramatised the clash between the traditional Sunnī understanding of the verses and the novel interpretation offered by Riḍā and later Islamist exegetes such as Shaʿrāwī and Quṭb.
Lairds of Suburbia: Scottish Migrant Settlement and Housing in Australian Cities, 1880–1930
Authors: Wilkie Ben
Published: April 2016

Drawing on decennial population statistics from 1881 to 1933, this article evaluates the settlement patterns of Scottish migrants in Australian cities. It considers the urban nature of Scottish settlement, and argues that settlement patterns were associated with employment opportunities for working-class Scots, along with various housing, lifestyle, and religious preferences, often grounded in pre-migration experiences of city living. Furthermore, this article demonstrates that Scottish migrants in Australia at the turn of the twentieth century largely belonged to an urban industrial working class, and provides a useful correction to the traditional images of Scots in Australia as mostly rural, well-off, and conservative migrants.
Women Candidates and Councillors in Scottish Local Government, 1974–2012
Authors: Bochel Hugh , Bochel Catherine
Published: April 2016

While significant attention has been paid to the levels of representation of women in both the Westminster Parliament and the Scottish Parliament, much less consideration has been given to the position within local government. This article addresses that deficit for Scotland. It shows that for twenty-five years following the reorganisation of local government in Scotland in 1974 there was a slow but relatively steady increase in the numbers of female candidates and councillors, although more recently this appears to have plateaued somewhat, together with a similar increase in the number of women councillors taking up more senior roles in Scotland's councils. The article analyses the representation of women in Scottish local government over the period from 1974 to 2012 against the backdrop of significant change in Scotland, including a further restructuring of local government and the introduction of the Single Transferable Vote for council elections, the creation of the Scottish Parliament, the rise of the SNP and the decline of the Conservative Party.
The Scottish Referendum
Authors: Emerson Peter
Published: April 2016

And the winner was… devo-max. It was not on the ballot paper; it received just a handful of spoiled votes; but it won.

So maybe the two-option, yes-or-no ballot was not the most appropriate decision-making methodology. Rather, a three-option poll might have been the catalyst for a more subtle debate and a more accurate outcome, while a preferential vote on five or six options could have catered for even more sophistication.

Accordingly, this article questions the decision to restrict the 2014 referendum to two options. Next, it asks what might have happened if a three-option ballot had been held. It then compares what could happen under different voting procedures before advocating a more inclusive structure. And lastly, consideration is given to multi-option referendums, both in Scotland and abroad.
Immune Responses to Circulating and Vaccine Viral Strains in HIV-Infected and Uninfected Children and Youth Who Received the 2013/2014 Quadrivalent Live-Attenuated Influenza Vaccine
Authors: Weinberg Adriana , Curtis Donna , Ning Mariangeli Freitas , Claypool David Jeremy , Jalbert Emilie , Patterson Julie , Frank Daniel N. , Ir Diana , Armon Carl
Published: April 2016

The live-attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) has generally been more efficacious than the inactivated vaccine in children. However, LAIV is not recommended for HIV-infected children because of insufficient data. We compared cellular, humoral, and mucosal immune responses to the 2013–2014 LAIV quadrivalent (LAIV4) in HIV-infected and uninfected children 2–25 years of age (yoa). We analyzed the responses to the vaccine H1N1 (H1N1-09), to the circulating H1N1 (H1N1-14), which had significant mutations compared to H1N1-09 and to B Yamagata (BY), which had the highest effectiveness in 2013–2014. Forty-six HIV-infected and 56 uninfected participants with prior influenza immunization had blood and nasal swabs collected before and after LAIV4 for IFNγ T and IgG/IgA memory B-cell responses (ELISPOT), plasma antibodies [hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) and microneutralization (MN)], and mucosal IgA (ELISA). The HIV-infected participants had median CD4+ T cells = 645 cells/μL and plasma HIV RNA = 20 copies/mL. Eighty-four percent were on combination anti-retroviral therapy. Regardless of HIV status, significant increases in T-cell responses were observed against BY, but not against H1N1-09. H1N1-09 T-cell immunity was higher than H1N1-14 both before and after vaccination. LAIV4 significantly increased memory IgG B-cell immunity against H1N1-14 and BY in uninfected, but not in HIV-infected participants. Regardless of HIV status, H1N1-09 memory IgG B-cell immunity was higher than H1N1-14 and lower than BY. There were significant HAI titer increases after vaccination in all groups and against all viruses. However, H1N1-14 MN titers were significantly lower than H1N1-09 before and after vaccination overall and in HIV-uninfected vaccinees. Regardless of HIV status, LAIV4 increased nasal IgA concentrations against all viruses. The fold-increase in H1N1-09 IgA was lower than BY. Overall, participants <9 yoa had decreased BY-specific HAI and nasal IgA responses to LAIV4. In conclusion, HIV-infected and uninfected children and youth had comparable responses to LAIV4. H1N1-09 immune responses were lower than BY and higher than H1N1-14, suggesting that both antigenic mismatches between circulating and vaccine H1N1 and lower immunogenicity of the H1N1 vaccine strain may have contributed to the decreased H1N1 effectiveness of 2013–2014 LAIV4.
Adsorption Performance of Methyl Violet via α-Fe2O3@Porous Hollow Carbonaceous Microspheres and Its Effective Regeneration through a Fenton-Like Reaction
Authors: Tong Zhiqing , Zheng Pei , Bai Bo , Wang Honglun , Suo Yourui
Published: April 2016

α-Fe2O3@porous hollow carbonaceous microspheres (α-Fe2O3@PHCMs) were prepared through a combination of hydrothermal and calcination method. The novel α-Fe2O3@PHCMs integrated the adsorptive and catalytic performances and served as an inexpensive adsorbent to rapidly remove cationic dye (methyl violet (MV)) from aqueous solution. Equilibrium studies indicated that the dye molecules obeyed Langmuir type of adsorption with the calculated maximum adsorption capacity of 539.8 mg∙g−1 at 313.15 K. Kinetic data were better described by pseudo-second-order model and the thermodynamic studies illustrated that MV adsorption onto the composite was spontaneous, endothermic and occurred by physisorption. The Fenton-like process was found to be effective for the regeneration of the spent α-Fe2O3@PHCMs. The regeneration efficiency, as high as 88.0%, was still maintained after three consecutive adsorption-regeneration cycles. FTIR and XRD characterizations of the composite before and after adsorption-regeneration treatment showed that the Fenton-like process did not cause serious damage to the structure of composites.
A High-Performance Adaptive Incremental Conductance MPPT Algorithm for Photovoltaic Systems
Authors: Li Chendi , Chen Yuanrui , Zhou Dongbao , Liu Junfeng , Zeng Jun
Published: April 2016

The output characteristics of photovoltaic (PV) arrays vary with the change of environment, and maximum power point (MPP) tracking (MPPT) techniques are thus employed to extract the peak power from PV arrays. Based on the analysis of existing MPPT methods, a novel incremental conductance (INC) MPPT algorithm is proposed with an adaptive variable step size. The proposed algorithm automatically regulates the step size to track the MPP through a step size adjustment coefficient, and a user predefined constant is unnecessary for the convergence of the MPPT method, thus simplifying the design of the PV system. A tuning method of initial step sizes is also presented, which is derived from the approximate linear relationship between the open-circuit voltage and MPP voltage. Compared with the conventional INC method, the proposed method can achieve faster dynamic response and better steady state performance simultaneously under the conditions of extreme irradiance changes. A Matlab/Simulink model and a 5 kW PV system prototype controlled by a digital signal controller (TMS320F28035) were established. Simulations and experimental results further validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Fofonoff Negative Modes
Authors: Pedlosky Joseph
Published: April 2016

The classic solution of Fofonoff to the problem of free inertial flow in a closed basin is extended to the case where the potential vorticity, q, is linearly proportional to the streamfunction, with a negative definite constant, − K 2 . Such a relation arises naturally in the presence of an eastward flow, instead of Fofonoff’s westward zonal flow on the β plane. The resulting solutions can be wavelike if K 2 = β L 2 / U π 2 exceeds the critical value of 1 where U is the magnitude of the eastward flow and L is the characteristic meridional scale of the motion. Solutions are presented with various boundary conditions on the basin boundaries, and conditions for which the solutions suffer a resonance are also obtained. It is suggested that oceanic circulations with eastward flows naturally excite these Fofonoff negative modes. The possibility of resonance and instability adds additional physical complexity to the modes.
Hydrological Evaluation of TRMM Rainfall over the Upper Senegal River Basin
Authors: Bodian Ansoumana , Dezetter Alain , Deme Abdoulaye , Diop Lamine
Published: April 2016

The availability of climatic data, especially on a daily time step, has become very rare in West Africa over the last few years due to the high costs of climate data monitoring. This scarcity of climatic data is a huge obstacle to conduct hydrological studies over some watersheds. In this context, our study aimed to evaluate the capacity of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite data to simulate the observed runoffs over the Bafing (the main important tributary of the Senegal River) before their potential integration in hydrological studies. The conceptual hydrological model GR4J (modèle du Génie Rural (Agricultural Engineering Model) à 4 paramètres Journalier (4 parameters Daily)) has been used, calibrated and validated over the 1961–1997 period with rainfall and Potential Evapotranspiration (PET) as inputs. Then, the parameters that best reflect the rainfall-runoff relation, obtained during the cross-calibration-validation phase, were used to simulate runoff over the 1998–2004 period using observed and TRMM rainfalls. The findings of this study show that there is a high consistency between satellite-based estimates and ground-based observations of rainfall. Over the 1998–2004 simulation period, the two rainfall data series show quite satisfactorily results. The output hydrographs from satellite-based estimates and ground-based observations of rainfall coincide quite well with the shape of observed hydrographs with Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency coefficient (NSE) of 0.88 and 0.80 for observed rainfalls and TRMM rainfalls, respectively.
Seasonal and Geographic Variation of Pediatric Malaria in Burundi: 2011 to 2012
Authors: Moise Imelda , Roy Shouraseni , Nkengurutse Delphin , Ndikubagenzi Jacques
Published: April 2016

We analyzed hospitalization records from 2011 to 2012 to examine the spatial patterns of pediatric malaria in Burundi. Malaria case data for those below the age of five years were categorized according to the four principal seasons of Burundi, which are two rainy seasons (February to May; September to November) and two dry seasons (June to August; December to January). The Getis-Ord Gi* statistic was used to examine seasonal spatial patterns of pediatric malaria, whereas geographically weighted regression (GWR) were used to examine the potential role of environmental variables on the spatial patterns of cases. There were a total of 19,890 pediatric malaria cases reported during the study period. The incidence among males was higher than that among females; and it was higher in rural districts. The seasonal incidence peaks occurred in the northern half of the country during the wet season while during the dry season, incidence was higher in southern Burundi. Elevation played a greater role in explaining variance in the prevalence of pediatric malaria during seasonal peaks than rainfall. The counterintuitive finding in northern Burundi confirms previous findings and suggests other factors (e.g., land cover/land use) facilitate the persistence of the mosquito population in the highlands of Africa.
Hybrid Macro-Porous Titanium Ornamented by Degradable 3D Gel/nHA Micro-Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Regeneration
Authors: Yin Bo , Ma Pei , Chen Jun , Wang Hai , Wu Gui , Li Bo , Li Qiang , Huang Zhifeng , Qiu Guixing , Wu Zhihong
Published: April 2016

Porous titanium is a kind of promising material for bone substitution, while its bio-inert property results in demand of modifications to improve the osteointegration capacity. In this study, gelatin (Gel) and nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) were used to construct 3D micro-scaffolds in the pores of porous titanium in the ratios of Gel:nHA = 1:0, Gel:nHA = 1:1, and Gel:nHA = 1:3, respectively. Cell attachment and proliferation, and gene and protein expression levels of osteogenic markers were evaluated in MC3T3-E1 cells, followed by bone regeneration assessment in a rabbit radius defect model. All hybrid scaffolds with different composition ratio were found to have significant promotional effects in cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation, in which the group with Gel:nHA = 1:1 showed the best performance in vitro, as well as the most bone regeneration volume in vivo. This 3D micro-scaffolds modification may be an innovative method for porous titanium ornamentation and shows potential application values in clinic.
Toxicity of Insecticides on Various Life Stages of Two Tortricid Pests of Cranberries and on a Non-Target Predator
Authors: Rodriguez-Saona Cesar , Wanumen Andrea , Salamanca Jordano , Holdcraft Robert , Kyryczenko-Roth Vera
Published: April 2016

Laboratory and extended laboratory bioassays were conducted to determine the residual toxicities of various insecticides against two key pests of cranberries, Sparganothis sulfureana and Choristoneura parallela (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), and their non-target effects on the predatory Orius insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae). The effects of nine insecticides with different modes of action on S. sulfureana and Ch. parallela eggs, larvae, and adults were tested in the laboratory, while the efficacy of a post-bloom application on larval mortality and mass of these pests and on adult O. insidiosus was evaluated in extended laboratory experiments. The organophosphate chlorpyrifos and the spinosyn spinetoram provided long-lasting (seven-day) control against all stages of both pests. The growth regulator methoxyfenozide and the diamides chlorantraniliprole and cyantraniliprole had strong (1–7 days) larvicidal, particularly on young larvae, and growth inhibitory activity, but only the diamides were adulticidal. Among neonicotinoids, acetamiprid had stronger ovicidal and adulticidal activity than thiamethoxam, showing within-insecticide class differences in toxicities; however, both were weak on larvae. Lethality of novaluron and indoxacarb was inconsistent, varying depending on species and stage. Chlorpyrifos was most toxic to O. insidiosus. These results show species- and stage-specific toxicities, and greater compatibility with biological control, of the newer reduced-risk classes of insecticides than older chemistries.
(E)-3-Methyl-6-(3-oxo-3-(thiophen-2-yl)-1-propenyl)-2(3H)-benzothiazolone
Authors: Ivanova Yordanka , Gerova Mariana , Chanev Christo , Petrov Ognyan
Published: April 2016

The title compound, (E)-3-methyl-6-(3-oxo-3-(thiophen-2-yl)-1-propenyl)-2(3H)-benzothiazolone, was synthesized by Claisen-Schmidt condensation of 3-methyl-2(3H)-benzothiazolone-6-carbaldehyde with 2-acetylthiophene in 94% yield. The structure of the target compound was confirmed using 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, IR, MS, and elemental analysis.