bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intensified Interannual Relationship between Tropical Cyclone Genesis Frequency over the Northwest Pacific and the SST Gradient between the Southwest Pacific and the Western Pacific Warm Pool since the Mid-1970s
Authors: Zhao Jiuwei , Zhan Ruifen , Wang Yuqing , Tao Li
Published: March 2016

The sea surface temperature gradient (SSTG) between the southwest Pacific (SWP; 40°–20°S, 160°E–170°W) and the western Pacific warm pool (WWP; 0°–16°N, 125°–165°E) in boreal spring was revealed to contribute significantly to the interannual variability of tropical cyclone (TC) genesis frequency over the western North Pacific (WNP) since 1980. The present study extends the analysis back to 1951. Results show that the interannual relationship between the SSTG and WNP TC genesis frequency is statistically significant only after the mid-1970s while insignificant prior to 1974. Further analyses show that the SSTG is strongly negatively correlated with the SST anomaly (SSTA) in the central Pacific (CP) in the recent period while with the SSTA in the equatorial eastern Pacific (EP) in the prior period. In the prior period, the spring positive (negative) EP SSTA induces an anticyclonic (cyclonic) circulation over the WNP. This partly offsets the impact of the SSTG anomaly on the atmospheric circulation over the WNP. In addition, the SSTG anomaly in spring shows poor persistence through summer. As a result, the relationship between the spring SSTG anomaly and WNP TC genesis frequency is largely weakened in the prior period. In the recent period, the response of the atmospheric circulation over the WNP to the CP SSTAs enhances the atmospheric circulation response to the spring SSTG anomaly, thus strengthening the relationship between the SSTG and WNP TC genesis frequency. These results are further confirmed by the atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) simulations.
Attribution of Runoff Decline in the Amu Darya River in Central Asia during 1951–2007
Authors: Wang Xiaolei , Luo Yi , Sun Lin , He Chansheng , Zhang Yiqing , Liu Shiyin
Published: March 2016

Runoff in the Amu Darya River (ADR) in central Asia has been declining steadily since the 1950s. The reasons for this decline are ambiguous, requiring a complete analysis of glaciohydrological processes across the entire data-scarce source region. In this study, grid databases of precipitation from the Asian Precipitation–Highly Resolved Observational Data Integration Toward Evaluation of Water Resources (APHRODITE) and temperature from Princeton’s Global Meteorological Forcing Dataset (PGMFD) are used to force the distributed, glacier-enhanced Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to simulate glaciohydrological processes for 1951–2007 so as to determine long-term streamflow changes and the primary driving factors in the source region of the ADR. The study suggests that the database was a suitable proxy for temperature and precipitation forcing in simulating glaciohydrological processes in the data-scarce alpine catchment region. The estimated annual streamflow of 72.6 km3 in the upper ADR had a decreasing trend for the period from 1951 to 2007. Change in precipitation, rather than in temperature, dominated the decline in streamflow in either the tributaries or mainstream of the ADR. The streamflow decreased by 15.5% because of the decline in precipitation but only increased by 0.2% as a result of the increase in temperature. Thus, warming temperature had much less effect than declining precipitation on streamflow decline in the ADR in central Asia in 1951–2007.
Diagnostic Evaluation and Home Monitor Use in Late Preterm to Term Infants With Apnea, Bradycardia, and Desaturations
Authors: Veit Lauren , Amberson Michael , Freiberger Christina , Montenegro Brian , Mukhopadhyay Sagori , Rhein Lawrence M.
Published: March 2016

Apnea, bradycardia, and oxygen desaturation events are a common in neonatal intensive care units, with relevant literature to date largely focusing on very low birth weight and extremely low birth weight infants. We conducted a retrospective review of infants born at ≥34 weeks gestational age at 2 tertiary neonatal intensive care units in Boston, MA, between January 2009 and December 2013. Our objectives included (1) describing the diagnostic evaluations performed in late preterm to term infants with discharge-delaying apnea, bradycardia, or oxygen desaturation events and (2) identifying variables associated with home monitor use. Of the 741 eligible infants identified, diagnostic evaluations were variable and infrequent with blood culture, blood glucose, and head ultrasound performed most commonly. The likelihood of home monitor use was greater in infants with either a prolonged inpatient stay or greater gestational age at birth.
On temporary organizations: A review, synthesis and research agenda
Authors: Burke Catriona M , Morley Michael J
Published: March 2016

Despite the ascendency of temporary organizations to common practice in many industries, and their expansion as an area of academic inquiry, research evidence on their genesis, development and impact remains fragmented across diverse fields, many of which fail to engage with each other. Our purpose in this article is to bring greater systematics to the scholarship on temporary organizations through documenting their evolution and assembling their bricolage. To this end, we first define and delineate the concept of the temporary organization and we develop an inductively derived framework for organizing the literature comprising individual/team attributes and interior processes, task attributes, tensions between the temporary organization and the permanent organization, networks and organizational fields and performance/outcomes of temporary organizations. Following an explication of these attributes and the dominant relationships between them, we suggest how this nascent area of inquiry might advance through the identification of a number of significant research opportunities. Finally, we highlight the consequences for broader management and organization theory development.
‘Curiouser and curiouser!’: Organizations as Wonderland – a metaphorical alternative to the rational model
Authors: McCabe Darren
Published: March 2016

The metaphors in Morgan’s (1986) Images of Organization largely imply order, rationality, stability and manageability. This reflects that the text is concerned with facilitating the design and management of organizations. This article draws on Lewis Carroll’s (1865) novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to propose Wonderland as an alternative metaphor that places at centre stage issues such as absurdity, irrationality, uncertainty and disorder. Rather than a marginal or temporary aberration, it is argued that such conditions need to be understood as an everyday experience for many. This metaphor is important because those who are tasked with managing organizations may find it stressful and puzzling that they are so inept, when they compare their experiences and achievements with the rational model. In this sense, it offers both comfort and perhaps encouragement, but it should also foster humility and caution in terms of what those at the top can achieve. Likewise, those on the receiving end of irrational decisions or who reside in absurd worlds can gain solace from knowing that they are not alone, whilst those concerned with resisting such conditions can find strength in the knowledge that those in positions of authority are not omniscient/omnipotent.
Un corps qui fait images: le rituel de la crucifixion (Liban)
Authors: Aubin-Boltanski Emma
Published: March 2016

Every year, on Good Friday, Catherine, a Maronite mystic, wife and mother of three, relives Christ’s sufferings in the course of a ritual known as insilâb (crucifixion). She unveils the wounds on her body to a crowd of worshippers gathered around her. Although this ritual is in keeping with a long imitatio Christi tradition formalized and theorized over the centuries, as well as following a predetermined and predictable ‘script’, it entails moments of disorder. This is because the insilâb is centred on an ‘enigma body’ which ‘condenses’ the Virgin and her Son, the saint and her believer. As a living icon offered to the sight and touch of hundreds of worshippers, her body blurs the border between the divine and mundane worlds; the sacred and the profane; female and male; parent and child; past and present; image and living person.
The Roles that Otto Selz and Karl Popper Played in 20th-Century Psychology and Philosophy of Science
Authors: Wettersten John
Published: March 2016

The early research of Karl Popper both in psychology and in philosophy of science is described; its basis for his later breakthroughs in the philosophy of science is explained. His debt to Otto Selz’s thought psychology is thereby detailed. Otto Selz’s philosophy of science is then explained, and its conflict with Popper’s early as well as his later views is portrayed. These studies of the conflicting views of Popper’s early views and Selz’s philosophy of science provide the basis for demonstrating the mistakes that Michel ter Hark has made in claiming that the alleged originality of Popper’s views occurred only in the 1970s and are little more than a rehash of Selz’s alleged evolutionary epistemology.
A study on the tip tracking control of a single flexible beam
Authors: Castillo-Berrio Claudia F , Engin Seref N , Feliu-Batlle Vicente
Published: March 2016

This sequential paper aims to present studies on modelling and tip tracking control of a flexible single beam. It first outlines the flexible-beam robotic mechanism that was designed and built to be used for the force and torque sensory information-based modelling and control. It then details the vibration suppression controller strategy that is applied to this robotic system. The controller is designed with respect to a simple lumped model describing the dynamics of the system. Here the dynamics of the closed-loop controlled motor is inverted in order to obtain a system with unity dynamics. Further, the flexible-beam dynamics is input state linearized. Finally, a simple external feedback control, which is based on the measurements of beam deflections using a force and torque sensor, is implemented. The complete experimental setup was positioned by two servo-motors controlled by a proportional-integral-derivative controller for each axis. The proposed controllers allow the flexible beam to move continuously in a precise manner, so that it could be treated as an accurate positioning sensor. Simulation and experimental results provided at the end illustrate that the controllers designed and implemented produce a satisfactory control performance and adequate robustness to model uncertainties and system nonlinearities.
Influence of Patient-Centered Decision Making on Sustained Weight Loss and Risk Reduction Following Lifestyle Intervention Efforts in Rural Pennsylvania
Authors: Piatt Gretchen A. , Seidel Miriam C. , Powell Robert O. , Zgibor Janice C.
Published: March 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine whether weight loss and cardiovascular disease risk factor reduction was maintained following a lifestyle intervention.

Methods

Five hundred fifty-five individuals without diabetes from 8 rural communities were screened for BMI ≥25 kg/m2 and abdominal obesity (86.1% female, 95.1% white, 55.8% obese). Communities and eligible participants (n = 493; mean age, 51 years, 87.6% female, 94.1% Caucasian) were assigned to 4 study groups: face-to-face, DVD, Internet, and self-selection (SS) (n = 101). Self-selection participants chose the intervention modality (60% face-to-face, 40% Internet, 0% DVD). Outcomes included weight change and risk factor reduction at 18 months.

Results

All groups achieved maintenance of 5% weight loss in over half of participants. Self-selection participants had the largest proportion maintain (89.5%). Similarly, nearly 75% of participants sustained risk factor reduction. After multivariate adjustment, participants in SS were 2.3 times more likely to maintain 5% weight loss compared to the other groups, but not risk factor reduction.

Conclusion

Despite the modality, lifestyle intervention was effective at maintaining weight loss and risk reduction. However, SS participants were twice as likely to sustain improvements compared to other groups. The importance of patient-centered decision making in health care is paramount.
Eight decades of ICRP recommendations in medicine: a perspective
Authors: Ortiz López P.
Published: March 2016

Medicine has been intimately associated with ionising radiation since the discovery of x rays in 1895; the first adverse effects of radiation were observed in persons working in research and on medical staff using x rays. Consequently, in 1925, the first International Congress of Radiology considered the need for a protection committee, which was established at its second congress in Stockholm in 1928 and is known today as the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The first ICRP recommendations in 1928 were devoted to the protection of medical staff in the use of x rays for diagnosis and radiotherapy, and radium for radiotherapy. Later, ICRP devoted increased attention to the protection of patients, starting in 1970 with Publication 16 on protection of the patient in x-ray diagnosis, followed by three reports on the broad areas of radiation medicine: diagnostic radiology, radiation therapy, and nuclear medicine. A major change was made at the end of the 20th Century with the introduction of a series of short reports, focussed on specific problems and addressing specific medical practices. Since then, as many as 20 reports have been published on issues such as prevention of accidental exposure in radiotherapy, avoidance of radiation injuries from interventional procedures, managing radiation dose in digital radiology and computed tomography, protection in paediatric radiology, and many others.
Urks and the Urban Subsurface as Geosocial Formation
Authors: Wallsten Björn , Krook Joakim
Published: March 2016

This article investigates “urks,” that is, disconnected parts of urban infrastructure that remain in their subsurface location. The reason for engaging in this topic is resource scarcity concerns, as urks contain large amounts of copper and aluminum that could be “mined” for the benefit of the environment. Our starting point is that there is a certain nonstagnant capacity of waste-like entities such as urks and that their resistance to categorization is crucial to encapsulate their political potential (cf. Hawkins 2006; Moore 2012; Hird 2013). We investigate how this indeterminate capacity has implications in terms of where future trajectories for urk recovery are conceivable. The study is based on interviews with respondents from the infrastructure and waste sectors in Sweden. By stressing the relationship between urks and their geosocial subsurface surroundings, we use the respondents’ exploratory interpretations of urks to outline a spectrum of issues that should be further discussed for urks to become a matter of concern. The negotiation of these issues, we suggest, can be conceived of as a form of navigation along the perceived fault lines between actors and priorities, and they must be resolved for increased urk recovery to occur.
We are one Kenya: representations of the nation, leadership, and de-ethnicized identity on reality TV
Authors: Tully Melissa , Tuwei David
Published: March 2016

This research analyzes Uongozi, a massive multimodal civic education campaign that culminated in the Uongozi reality television show, situating the campaign within its socio-political context. Our analysis suggests that Uongozi framed and promoted a version of leadership that is tied to an idealized progressive, youth leader despite the lack of quality youth ‘candidates’ on the show. The campaign also endorsed a message of national unity and identity, articulated through the promotion of a nonethnic collective Kenyan identity. Uongozi contributed to a larger pre-election narrative promulgated through mass media efforts that encouraged Kenyans to move beyond ethnicity in their voting and participate in a peaceful election.
The embodiment of conscience
Authors: Chari Anita
Published: March 2016

This article draws a connection between the faculty of conscience and the capacity for embodied feeling. It suggests that the capacity to engage with conscience and the ability to be responsive to oneself and to others at a sensate level are directly connected and that through embodied practices of sensing and feeling one can cultivate forms of personal conscience, which, in these terms, is not just an intellectual or cognitive moral capacity but is also related to the capacity for sensate experience that is informed by the ability to feel our own bodies. If one cultivates a sensate relationship with oneself, with others, and with society, a deeper level of embodied feeling and a growing responsiveness to the world can emerge, and for me this is called conscience. Conscience involves making a relationship with the world in a particular way, one that is responsive and responsible to it. Yet I contend that understanding the centrality of sensate experience for critical conscience tends to be foreclosed in many contemporary theoretical discussions due to an emphasis upon the body as a site of normalization and subjection. In this article I examine the pitfalls of approaches to embodiment that are overly so focused, and I contrast them with an approach to conscience that highlights sensation and embodied responsiveness. I moreover argue for the potential significance in moral and political terms of particular embodied practices that ignite and empower bodily sensation for the cultivation of conscience.
Nurses’ Beliefs About Caring for Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Oyesanya Tolu O. , Thomas Mitchell A. , Brown Roger L. , Turkstra Lyn S.
Published: March 2016

Patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their families rely on health care providers, particularly nurses, to provide accurate information, yet inaccurate beliefs about TBI have been found among nurses. Although prior studies have assessed nurses’ beliefs about TBI recovery and rehabilitation, none have assessed specific beliefs about the nursing role to care for these patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate nurses’ beliefs and learning preferences about caring for patients with moderate-to-severe TBI. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 513 nurses at a Midwestern hospital between October and December 2014 (20.3% response rate). Latent class analysis was used. Findings showed that nurses had inaccurate beliefs about TBI relating to recovery and the nursing role, and had significant differences in learning preferences. These findings have implications for development of educational and training interventions specific to nurses to ensure that they have factual information about TBI and to clarify the nursing role.
Short term, low dose fluoxetine blocks estrous cycle-linked changes in responsiveness to diazepam in female rats
Authors: Soares-Rachetti Vanessa de P , de Sousa Pinto Ícaro A , Santos Raliny O , André Eunice , Gavioli Elaine C , Lovick Thelma
Published: March 2016

Anxiety behavior in female Wistar rats was assessed at different stages of the estrous cycle using the elevated plus maze (EPM). No differences were observed at any cycle stage. Pretreatment with diazepam (1 mg kg−1 intraperitoneal (i.p.)) 30 min before testing produced an anxiolytic effect (significant increase in percentage of time in the open arms compared to control group in the same cycle phase) in animals in proestrus, estrus, and early diestrus but had no effect in rats in late diestrus. Locomotor activity (total arm entries) was unchanged at any cycle phase. When rats in the late diestrus phase were pretreated with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine (1.75 mg kg−1 i.p. on the afternoon of early diestrus and again in the morning of late diestrus) diazepam produced an anxiolytic effect (increase percentage time in the open arms). This dose is sufficient to raise brain allopregnanolone concentration without affecting 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) systems. We propose that insensitivity to diazepam in late diestrus is due to increased expression of benzodiazepine insensitive α4 subunit-containing gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABAA) receptors triggered by a sharp decrease in brain allopregnanolone concentration. Pretreatment with fluoxetine to raise brain allopregnanolone concentration during late diestrus prevents the withdrawal effect.
An Audacious Request: Abraham's Dialogue with God in Genesis 18
Authors: Bridge Edward
Published: March 2016

Genesis 18.17–33, Abraham's dialogue with Yahweh over the number of righteous people in Sodom, is a difficulty in exegesis and interpretation. At a literary level, there has been no agreement on the nature of Abraham's language. It is common to interpret Abraham as bargaining with God in similar fashion to haggling over the price of goods in a bazaar; but proposals have been made that Abraham uses legal-like language, ‘socratic dialogue’ and midrash. There is also no agreement on the purpose of Abraham's dialogue. An analysis of Gen. 18.17–33 using politeness theory proposes that Abraham, as portrayed in the narrative, wants to reduce the number of people as the basis for God's forgiveness of Sodom and Gomorrah. This is an audacious request and so considerable forms of polite language are used to assist the request. However, it is argued that this request is not Abraham's real intention. Rather, his intention is to have Lot spared from Yahweh's destruction of the cities. This request is ‘off-record’, the politest strategy that could be used.
A Novel Silk Fiber–Based Scaffold for Regeneration of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament
Authors: Teuschl Andreas , Heimel Patrick , Nürnberger Silvia , van Griensven Martijn , Redl Heinz , Nau Thomas
Published: March 2016

Background:

Because of ongoing problems with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, new approaches in the treatment of ACL injuries, particularly strategies based on tissue engineering, have gained increasing research interest. To allow for ACL regeneration, a structured scaffold that provides a mechanical basis, has cells from different sources, and comprises mechanical as well as biological factors is needed. Biological materials, biodegradable polymers, and composite materials are being used and tested as scaffolds. The optimal scaffold for ACL regeneration should be biocompatible and biodegradable to allow tissue ingrowth but also needs to have the right mechanical properties to provide immediate mechanical stability.

Hypotheses:

The study hypotheses were that (1) a novel degradable silk fiber–based scaffold with mechanical properties similar to the native ACL will be able to initiate ligament regeneration after ACL resection and reconstruction under in vivo conditions and (2) additional cell seeding of the scaffold with autologous stromal vascular fraction–containing adipose-derived stem cells will increase regenerative activity.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

A total of 33 mountain sheep underwent ACL resection and randomization to 2 experimental groups: (1) ACL reconstruction with a scaffold alone and (2) ACL reconstruction with a cell-seeded scaffold. Histological evaluation of the intra-articular portion of the reconstructed/regenerated ligament was performed after 6 and 12 months.

Results:

After 6 months, connective tissue surrounded the silk scaffold with ingrowth in some areas. The cell-seeded scaffolds had a significant lower silk content compared with the unseeded scaffolds and demonstrated a higher content of newly formed tissue. After 12 months, the density of the silk fibers decreased significantly, and the ingrowth of newly formed tissue increased in both groups. No differences between the 2 groups regarding silk fiber degradation and regenerated tissue were detected at 12 months.

Conclusion:

The novel silk fiber–based scaffold was able to stimulate ACL regeneration under in vivo conditions. Additional cell seeding led to increased tissue regeneration and decreased silk fiber content at 6 months, whereas these differences were not present at 12 months.

Clinical Relevance:

ACL regeneration using a silk fiber–based scaffold with and without additional cell seeding may provide a new treatment option after joint injuries.
Risk of Noncontact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries Is Not Associated With Slope and Concavity of the Tibial Plateau in Recreational Alpine Skiers
Authors: Blanke Fabian , Kiapour Ata M. , Haenle Maximilian , Fischer Jens , Majewski Martin , Vogt Stephan , Camathias Carlo
Published: March 2016

Background:

Anatomic features of the tibial plateau (ie, posterior slope and medial concavity) have been associated with an increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. However, it remains unclear whether these findings translate to ACL injuries sustained during recreational alpine skiing.

Purpose:

To investigate the association in recreational alpine skiers between prominent morphological features of the tibial plateau (slope and concavity) and the risk of sustaining an ACL injury during a noncontact incident.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Magnetic resonance imaging data of 121 recreational alpine skiers (74 female, 47 male) after a noncontact knee injury were used for this study. Of these patients, 80 (71% female [n = 57]) had a complete unilateral ACL tear (rupture group), and 41 (41% female [n = 17]) had no indications of an ACL injury (intact group). Two blinded independent examiners measured the slopes of the tibial plateau in the sagittal and coronal planes along with the maximum depth of the medial tibial plateau. Measurements were compared between sexes and between groups using t tests. Logistic regression was used to assess the associations between quantified anatomic indices and the risk of ACL injuries.

Results:

Within 121 study patients, female skiers had greater odds of an ACL tear compared with male skiers (odds ratio, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.6-7.8; P < .001). Female skiers were more likely to have a greater lateral tibial slope (LTS) ( P = .02) and medial tibial slope (MTS) ( P = .02) with a shallower medial tibial depth (MTD) ( P = .02) compared with male skiers. No differences between sexes were observed in the coronal tibial slope (CTS) ( P = .97). Male and female skiers as a combined group showed no associations between quantified anatomic indices and the risk of sustaining an ACL tear ( P > .10). Likewise, no significant differences were observed between the intact versus rupture group in any of the quantified anatomic indices ( P > .10). Similar findings were observed when the analyses were repeated on male and female skiers separately.

Conclusion:

Despite differences between sexes in knee anatomy and the injury risk, the sagittal and coronal slopes (LTS, MTS, CTS), as well as the concavity of the medial tibial plateau (MTD), were not associated with the risk of an ACL tear during a noncontact injury among recreational alpine skiers.
Who Helps? Immigrant-native Differences in Patterns of Homework Assistance
Authors: Lanuza Yader R.
Published: March 2016

In the United States, the dominant view of children is that they are passive receivers of parental resources—sites of investment that consume parental assets. However, this research largely ignores immigrant families, a fast-growing segment of the American population. This study uses data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten Class of 1998–1999 (ECLS-K) to examine immigrant-native differences in who provides homework help to children in their households, a resource that most, if not all, children need and which parents are asked to provide. I find that, relative to white children in native-born households, both Asian and Latino children in immigrant households are more likely to rely on siblings for homework help (as opposed to parents). Unequal parental resources do not explain these immigrant-native differences. I show that far from being passive receivers of parental resources, children in immigrant families contribute much-needed resources—homework assistance, in this case—to their household members. This contribution, I suggest, is an expression of a larger immigrant adaptation strategy in the United States.
The Akedah in Pseudo-Philo: A Paradigm of Divine–Human Reciprocity
Authors: Bohlinger Tavis A.
Published: March 2016

Pseudo-Philo ( L.A.B.) presents the Akedah, Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis 22, in a unique manner compared to the rest of the Jewish pseudepigrapha. Not only does the Akedah enjoy a greater frequency of recollection in this rewriting of Israel's foundational narrative, but a special pattern of divine-human interaction can be discerned through examination of the three unambiguous references to the Akedah in L.A.B. Whilst previous studies have focused on these references primarily in the context of atonement theory, the present article seeks to answer a different question: what does the Akedah convey for Pseudo-Philo about the relationship of God with his covenant people? This study proposes that the Akedah represents for Pseudo-Philo the perfect counter-paradigm to Israel's cycle of sin and judgment drawn from Judges and replicated in L.A.B., and is thus the quintessential covenant pattern of divine-human intercourse.
Glorification through Fear in 2 Enoch
Authors: Orlov Andrei
Published: March 2016

This article explores the imagery of fear found in 2 Enoch and its significance for the glorious transformations that Enoch undergoes during his heavenly journey. This transition from the fallen human form to the state of the celestial citizen, achieved through fear, evokes some protological allusions, namely, the protoplasts' fear in the Garden of Eden after their fall. This article argues that the fear of the visionary thus serves as an important prerequisite for the reversal of the fallen nature of humanity and as the first step towards the restoration of its nature to the prelapsarian state.
Design and analysis of a gravity-based passive tracking mechanism to a linear solar concentrating collector
Authors: Natarajan M , Srinivas T
Published: March 2016

A novel gravity-based power-free solar tracking mechanism has been developed to track a linear solar concentrating collector. Multireflector compound parabolic collectors having three parabolic segments and two flat surfaces is chosen due to its high intercept factor and suitability to the current tracking. The working of tracking mechanism is studied to find the tracking loads in the east and the west sides of collector. A generalized mathematical model is derived to simulate the tracking motion from the sunrise to sunset. The identified design variants are sprocket wheel diameter, spring stiffness, solar collector’s weight, counter balance, and tracking wheel radius. The spring length is derived from the constraints. To make a compact product, the tracking load has been minimized at large sprocket wheel, low stiff spring, lighter collector weight, and small radius of tracking. For a typical collector load of 50 kg, the designed tracking load is 50 kg with 620 mm spring length, 250 mm of sprocket wheel diameter and 60 mm tracking radius.
Using Taguchi approach for optimizing mechanical properties of hybrid laminates nanocomposite
Authors: Hamed Mashhadzadeh Amin , Fereidoon Abdolhossein , Rostamiyan Yasser , Khatibi Mohammad Mahdi , Mohammadi Mohammad Reza , Nikjoo Ali
Published: March 2016

In current study, two kinds of nano-composites were prepared and the effect of input parameters on impact properties of desired hybrid nano-composites was investigated. Carbon fiber orientation, nano-clay content, and carbon nano-tube content were selected as input parameters in one set and carbon fiber orientation, nano-clay content, and nano-SiO2 content were the input parameters of the other set of prepared nano-composites. Taguchi design was used for design of experiments and analyzing results. The obtained results show that the maximum value of impact strength for both of nano-composites occurred in the design level 2 with 0 degree of fiber orientation, 1.5 wt% of nano-clay, 1 wt% of nano-SiO2, and 1 wt% of carbon nano-tube and the magnitude of impact strength for nano-clay/carbon nano-tube and nano-clay/nano-SiO2 was 6.6 kJ/m2 and 6.3 kJ/m2, respectively. From analysis of variance, it was clear that all of the input variables had reverse effect on impact response except the nano-clay. The carbon fiber orientation had the greatest effect and the effect of carbon nano-tube was higher than nano-SiO2 according to its probability value. Also mechanical plots show that, the optimum level of input variables of hybrid nano-composites reached higher values of impact strength compared with pure epoxy and binary nano-composites.
Research on vibration suppression method of alternating current motor based on fractional order control strategy
Authors: Zhao HM , Li DY , Deng W , Yang XH
Published: March 2016

At present, the changing structure, material and increasing device are used to suppress the vibration of motor in general. These methods increase system complexity in the different degree. So a novel vibration suppression method based on fractional order Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller is proposed in this article. First, the digital realization process of fractional order PID controller is illustrated in detail. Then the integer order PID controller and fractional order PID controller are, respectively, used to adjust the input current of inverter to control the 1.5 kW alternating current motor. The vibration frequency spectrums and stator current frequency spectrums in low-frequency and carrier frequency band are, respectively, studied by using the comparison and analysis methods. At the same time, the vibration frequency spectrum and stator current frequency spectrum of 15 kW alternating current motor are compared and analyzed. And the frequency spectrums near the rotating frequency of stator current of 1.5 kW and 15 kW alternating current motors are amplified to deeply analyze spectrum characteristics. The experimental results show that the fractional order PID controller has the characteristics of multi-point control by comparing with the integer order PID controller. It changes the frequency components of stator current, and then the electromagnetic torque is more stable. So, the fractional order PID controller can better suppress the vibration of alternating current motor. The proposed method can provide a new idea for vibration suppression of rotating machinery.
Effect of different contact surfaces between concrete sleeper and ballast on mobilized lateral resistance against impact loads
Authors: Hosseini Ahmad , Esmaeili Morteza
Published: March 2016

The amount of ballast particles surrounding a railway track significantly influences its resistance in all directions. As time goes by, with the development of high-speed trains, more attention has been paid to this issue owing to the increase in dynamic effects of rolling stock on track loading. The focus of the present study is on the investigation of the interaction between different surfaces (base, crib, and shoulder) of concrete sleeper and their adjacent ballast layer along with the related parameters under lateral impact loading condition. In this regard, by utilizing a pendulum loading test device, a number of lateral impact tests were conducted on an instrumented concrete sleeper in laboratory. On the basis of experimental results, the average contribution of base, crib, and shoulder zones in the total dynamic lateral resistance of sleeper was calculated as 48%, 23%, and 29%, respectively. Furthermore, in the lateral impact force domain of 13–28 kN, the sleeper–ballast dynamic friction coefficient at base and crib zones varied in the ranges 0.8–1.5 and 0.5–0.6. Moreover, a maximum impact factor of 2.5 was obtained for analysis and design purposes. It should be stated that the trend of laboratory results confirmed the common static friction coefficient of 0.8.
The DSM and learning difficulties: formulating a genealogy of the learning-disabled subject
Authors: Katchergin Ofer
Published: March 2016

The article examines the manner in which the learning-disabled subject is created as an object within contemporary psychiatric discourse by means of a genealogical analysis of the learning-disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). It investigates how this pathology was formed historically in the text, what metamorphoses it underwent, and their epistemic significance. First, the theoretical underpinnings of the sociological discourse on DSM are presented, giving a brief background of the DSM status in the Israeli context. Many problematic characteristics in the text are unveiled, by means of critiques from sociology, anthropology and discourse studies. Second, the changing definitions and conceptualizations of learning-disorders in the seven editions of the Manual and the accompanying case studies (1952–2013) are examined. It becomes apparent that the disorders have undergone changes that have enabled the biomedical paradigm to triumph. The implications of these transformations are addressed.
Discourse analysis as immanent critique: Possibilities and limits of normative critique in empirical discourse studies
Authors: Herzog Benno
Published: March 2016

Although discourse analysts often conceive of their work as critical, there is little theoretical discussion regarding the possibility of normative critique in the scientific community of discourse analysis. Rarely are the normative grounds and normative scope of such a critique clear. Thus, this article attempts to find theoretically robust and practical answers to the following question: ‘How is a normative critique possible?’ In seeking my answer, I first provide a short overview of the possibilities of normative critique in critical discourse analysis. Second, I offer an argument in favour of immanent critique while explaining both its advantages and its theoretical and practical problems. Finally, I demonstrate how sociological discourse analysis and immanent critique can mutually benefit from one another. The theses I formulate and defend are as follows: Although the notion of immanent critique cannot adequately answer methodological questions, these answers can be found in several recent proposals on discourse analysis. Additionally, a combination of the dialectical approaches to immanent critique and discourse analysis might help overcome the methodological deficit of Critical Theory. Finally, this combination can resolve several theoretical deficits in discourse theory.
Hardware-in-the-loop simulation of two-shaft gas turbine engine’s electronic control unit
Authors: Montazeri-Gh Morteza , Abyaneh Soroush , Kazemnejad Sajjad
Published: March 2016

An electronic control unit for a fuel control system of two-shaft gas turbine engines plays an undisputable role in providing the required fuel flow to the engine as well as satisfying engine’s operational characteristics. One of the main challenges in designing such unit is the accuracy of its performance and the control strategy implementation on an electronic hardware via repeatable and comprehensive tests. In this article, a hardware-in-the-loop simulation is presented for testing of the electronic control unit for a two-shaft gas turbine engine. For this purpose, the engine is first presented and modeled by the use of Wiener block structure method. The fuel controller with Min–Max structure is then explained. Finally, the controller is implemented on a PC/104 hardware and tested in an hardware-in-the-loop simulation in order to verify its correct performance. The results show that the fuel controller satisfies all of the engine’s physical constraints, confirming the controller competence and successful implementation of the engine control algorithm on the PC/104 hardware.
A liposomal steroid nano-drug for treating systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Moallem E , Koren E , Ulmansky R , Pizov G , Barlev M , Barenholz Y , Naparstek Y
Published: March 2016

Background

Glucocorticoids have been known for years to be the most effective therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus. Their use, however, is limited by the need for high doses due to their unfavorable pharmacokinetics and biodistribution. We have previously developed a novel liposome-based steroidal (methylprednisolone hemisuccinate (MPS)) nano-drug and demonstrated its specific accumulation in inflamed tissues, as well as its superior therapeutic efficacy over that of free glucocorticoids (non-liposomal) in the autoimmune diseases, including the adjuvant arthritis rat model and the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mouse model.

Objectives

In the present work we have evaluated the therapeutic effect of the above liposome-based steroidal (MPS) nano-drug in the MRL-lpr/lpr murine model of SLE and compared it with similar doses of the free MPS.

Methods

MRL-lpr/lpr mice were treated with daily injections of free MPS or weekly injections of 10% dextrose, empty nano-liposomes or the steroidal nano-drug and the course of their disease was followed up to the age of 24 weeks.

Results

Treatment with the steroidal nano-drug was found to be significantly superior to the free MPS in suppressing anti-dsDNA antibody levels, proliferation of lymphoid tissue and renal damage, and in prolonging survival of animals.

Conclusion

This significant superiority of our liposome based steroidal nano-drug administered weekly compared with daily injections of free methylprednisolone hemisuccinate in suppressing murine lupus indicates this glucocorticoid nano-drug formulation may be a good candidate for the treatment of human SLE.
Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov (1810–1881): A pioneering Russian surgeon and medical scientist
Authors: Hendriks Inge F , Bovill James G , van Luijt Peter A , Hogendoorn Pancras CW
Published: March 2016

Nikolay Pirogov qualified as a physician from Moscow University in 1828 and then studied surgery and anatomy at University of Dorpat. He developed new surgical techniques, including the eponymous osteoplastic foot amputation. His application of scientifically based techniques extended surgery from a craft to a science. During the Crimean War he initiated the deployment of women as nurses and used triage for dealing with mass casualties. His textbook on field surgery became the standard reference on the subject and his principles remained virtually unchanged until the Second World War. Pirogov died on 5 December 1881 at his estate in Vishnya.
Maternal Nutritional Status, Food Intake and Pregnancy Weight Gain in Nepal
Authors: Acharya Ojaswi , Zotor Francis B. , Chaudhary Pushpa , Deepak K. , Amuna Paul , Ellahi Basma
Published: March 2016

Poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy may predispose to intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), immunological and metabolic adaptations which manifest as low birth weight (LBW) and increase the risk of adult non-communicable disease. This study examined the relationships between maternal nutritional status, food intake and pregnancy weight gain (PWG) which may account for risk of LBW in Nepal.

A prospective cross-sectional study was undertaken in rural and urban Nepalese population using simple random sampling to select eligible subjects. Retrospective data was extracted from records and dietary intake was assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire and 24 Hour Dietary Recall.

A total of 376 women were recruited. A high prevalence of LBW (27.9 per cent) and preterm (14 per cent) delivery were observed. LBW was higher in rural than urban subjects ( p < 0.05). Birth weight was related to period of gestation ( r = 0.609, p < 0.05) ( r = 0.49, p < 0.001), energy intake ( r = 0.061, p < 0.001) and maternal protein intake ( r = 0.501, p < 0.001). Low PWG (8.11 kg) was also observed and was associated with protein ( r = 0.499, p < 0.01) and energy intake ( r = 0.396, p < 0.01) and were lower among mothers in rural areas ( p < 0.05). Calcium intake was related to crown heel length (CHL) ( r = 0.399, p < 0.001). Lipid, zinc and folate intake were significantly different in rural and urban subjects although the latter were adequate in both.

Findings demonstrate the impact of maternal nutrition on birth outcomes in relation to specific nutrients and components of the diet. Targeted interventions are supported by the findings of this study in both rural and urban areas of Nepal.
Media, Migration and Politics: The Coverage of the Little India Riot in The Straits Times in Singapore
Authors: Kaur Satveer , Tan Naomi , Dutta Mohan Jyoti
Published: March 2016

On 8 December 2013, a group of foreign construction workers (FCWs) were involved in a confrontation with the police in the Little India neighbourhood of Singapore after the death of a worker in a vehicle accident. The confrontation was framed as the ‘Little India riot’ in The Straits Times, the most widely read newspaper in Singapore, often referred to as a state apparatus serving as a tool for nation building. Drawing upon framing theory, we analyze articles published in The Straits Times covering the ‘Little India riot’ over the period of a year. Our thematic analysis suggests that the newspaper framed the workers as ‘rioters’, connecting the riot to alcohol and street justice as a trait of the Indian culture, offering a cultural explanation for the underlying factors stirring and shaping the confrontation. The framing of the workers as criminals also justified increased surveillance and control of FCWs as safety measures to preserve Singapore’s security and national image as an investment and tourism destination. The news stories also presented multiple viewpoints regarding the handling of the riot and subsequent policy responses, allowing room for contesting opinions in the mediated public sphere. Left absent in the frames were the alternative narratives grounded in the voices of the FCWs.
Viewing Bhadra: Of Pedestrian Vision in Ahmedabad’s Global City Image
Authors: Thomas Pooja Susan
Published: March 2016

This article will examine the redevelopment plan of the Bhadra Fort precincts (the Bhadra Plaza) in the walled city of Ahmedabad to understand the city’s projection of its neoliberal visual ability to produce the symbol and space of global habitude. The Bhadra Fort is the citadel, the ceremonial centre of the city of Ahmedabad that Ahmed Shah founded in 1411. Over the years, as the city of Ahmedabad grew and expanded its city limits, this inner core of the city came to be perceived as a site of disease, communal conflict and general residential decline. The Bhadra project promises to transform the fort precincts into a site of leisure and a source of economic revitalization.

I critically trace the rationale of this project taken up by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Archaeological Survey of India that articulates the seamless integration of the walled city with the rest of the ‘developed’ parts of Ahmedabad. I show that this integration is envisaged as consequent to the complete pedestrianization of the Bhadra Plaza. I argue that the project erases the materiality of its historical space and the history of its use. Unlike de Certeau’s pedestrian whose ways of seeing offered a critique to the hegemony of the planner’s eye, the figure of the pedestrian is now co-opted into the imagination of the Bhadra Plaza.