bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A design methodology for lattice and tensegrity structures based on a stiffness and volume optimization algorithm using morphological indicators
Authors: Latteur Pierre , Feron Jonas , Denoel Vincent
Published: December 2017

This article presents a design methodology based on a stiffness and volume optimization algorithm for three-dimensional nonlinear hyperstatic and pre-stressed structures composed of elements only subjected to axial forces, with a special emphasis on tensegrity structures. The algorithm is based on dimensionless numbers called morphological indicators that allow finding, within a given family of structures, the geometry related to a maximum stiffness or a minimum volume of materials or the best ratio between stiffness and volume. The algorithm takes into account the buckling of the struts and different materials for cables and struts. This article first demonstrates the optimization algorithm and then gives numerical confirmations and examples.
Design and structural analysis of complex timber structures with glued T-joint connections for robotic assembly
Authors: Kohlhammer Thomas , Apolinarska Aleksandra Anna , Gramazio Fabio , Kohler Matthias
Published: December 2017

Combining computation and robotic fabrication and assembly creates rationale for new types of design and construction methods which are not bound to constraints of standardization and allows structurally informed differentiation. This research presents methods for designing and analysis of structural behavior for novel types of timber structures made of simple elements which are suitable for robotic assembly. Specifically, structures derived from Reciprocal Frames built with linear timber elements and connected with glued butt T-joints were of interest due to their applicability in integrated robotic fabrication and assembly processes. So far, little has been known about the complexity of their structural behavior and their potential for load-bearing application in construction. In response, this research established a corresponding structural analysis method for such structures and specifically the adhesive-based T-joint connections. Furthermore, this analysis method has been implemented as a computational tool integrated with algorithmic design modeling methods, which supports an architect or an engineer in exploring the potential designs based on immediate structural feedback. Finally, these tools were employed to conduct case studies which show that the structural behavior of the discussed structures is highly complex, and slight geometric modification allows to significantly improve the load-bearing capacity.
Diabetes is associated with decreased migraine risk: A nationwide cohort study
Authors: Antonazzo Ippazio Cosimo , Riise Trond , Cortese Marianna , Berge Line Iden , Engeland Anders , Bernt Fasmer Ole , Lund Anders , Joachim Ødegaard Ketil , Poluzzi Elisabetta , Bjornevik Kjetil
Published: December 2017

Background

Results from studies on diabetes and migraine risk are conflicting, which may be due to methodological limitations. Prospective studies with long follow-up could increase our understanding of the relationship between the two diseases.

Method

We performed a cohort study including the whole Norwegian population alive on 01.01.2004, using prescriptions registered in the Norwegian prescription database to identify individuals developing type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and migraine during follow-up (10 years). We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate rate ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals for the effect of diabetes on migraine risk, adjusting for age, sex, and educational level.

Result

We identified 7,883 type 1 diabetes patients and 93,600 type 2 patients during the study period. Type 1 diabetes was significantly associated with a subsequent decreased migraine risk during follow-up in the age- and sex-adjusted analyses (0.74; 0.61–0.89). Type 2 diabetes was also associated with a significantly lower migraine risk (0.89; 0.83–0.95). Further adjustment for educational level yielded similar results for both diabetes.

Conclusion

Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes were significantly associated with a decreased risk of migraine. This suggests that diabetes or diabetes treatment may have a protective effect on the development of migraine.
Ultrastructure of neurovascular changes in human diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Fehér János , Taurone Samanta , Spoletini Marialuisa , Biró Zsolt , Varsányi Balázs , Scuderi Gianluca , Orlando Maria Patrizia , Turchetta Rosaria , Micera Alessandra , Artico Marco
Published: December 2017

The previous concept regarding diabetic retinopathy assigned a primary role to hyperglycemia-induced microvascular alterations, while neuronal and glial abnormalities were considered to be secondary to either ischemia or exudation. The aim of this study was to reveal the potential role of neuronal and glial cells in initial and advanced alterations of the retinopathy in human type 2 diabetes. Electron microscopy and histochemical studies were performed on 38 surgically removed human eyes (28 obtained from diabetic patients and 10 from non-diabetic patients). Morphometric analysis of basement membrane material and lipids was performed. An accumulation of metabolic by-products was found in the capillary wall with aging: this aspect was significantly more pronounced in diabetics. Müller glial cells were found to contribute to alterations of the capillary wall and to occlusion, as well as to the development of proliferative retinopathy and cystoid degeneration of the retina. Our results showed morphological evidence regarding the role of neuronal and glial cells in the pathology of diabetic retinopathy, prior and in addition to microangiopathy. These morphological findings support a neurovascular pathogenesis at the origin of diabetic retinopathy, thus the current treatment approach should be completed by neuroprotective measures.
Arnica and Bromelain for Blepharoplasty-Associated Ecchymosis
Authors: Seamont David , Vrcek Ivan , Nakra Tanuj , Mancini Ronald
Published: December 2017

Homeopathic and naturopathic supplementation has gained increasing popularity as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities. Arnica and Bromelain are 2 commonly used supplements thought to be effective in reducing ecchymosis. This study was designed to explore the impact of combination therapy with Arnica and Bromelain on postoperative ecchymosis in patients undergoing blepharoplasty. In total, 130 patients undergoing upper eyelid blepharoplasty were enrolled. Patients with bleeding diatheses or inability to comply with cessation of anticoagulants were excluded. Aspirin and all naturopathic and homeopathic treatments were discontinued 2 weeks prior to surgery. In all, 64 patients received oral Arnica and Bromelain treatment starting 7 days prior to surgery and extending 7 days postoperatively. Sixty-six patients received no supplementation. Upper eyelid blepharoplasty was performed with skin flap excision, hemostasis with electrocautery, and closure with running 6-0 fast absorbing plain gut. Postoperative photos were taken 7 days following surgery. Photos were analyzed by 2 blinded reviewers, who graded the severity of ecchymosis using a visual analog scale. All 130 patients were seen during the postoperative course. There were no patients lost to follow-up, and there were no adverse reactions to the treatment protocol that necessitated discontinuation of Arnica and Bromelain. Average ecchymosis in the treatment arm was 5.00 compared with 4.43 in the control arm ( P = .67). At the conclusion of this study, the investigators find insufficient evidence that the combination of Arnica and Bromelain is effective at producing a statistically significant difference in ecchymosis following upper eyelid blepharoplasty.
Evaluation of the hemocompatibility of RADA 16-I peptide
Authors: Taghavi Laleh , Aramvash Asieh , Seyedkarimi Mansooreh Sadat , Malek Sabet Narges
Published: December 2017

RADA 16-I is an ionic self-assembling peptide that can form macroscopic scaffolds through β-sheet structures which are used in favor of cell growth and tissue engineering. This peptide has also the ability to stop bleeding effectively and quickly (∼20 seconds) when applied directly to the injuries. This study is focused on coagulation process, platelet aggregation, C3 and C4 concentrations, CBC counting, hemolysis, and white blood cell morphology tests to analyze hemocompatibility of RADA 16-I at different concentrations – 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5%. According to the results, RADA 16-I hydrogel decreased the number of blood cells, slightly increased clot formation time and platelet aggregation, and yielded negligible hemolysis and only small changes in C3 and C4 concentrations and white blood cell morphology. All by all, the in vitro tests of hemocompatibility showed no perturbation in the blood composition when the peptides were in contact with the blood. The observed rapid hemostasis might be a result of increasing local concentrations of molecules involved in the formation of clot near the peptide hydrogel, thereby making a barrier which ended up with complete hemostasis. In conclusion, our experiments strongly supported further development of biomaterials based on RADA 16-I peptide.
Culture, Contraception, and Colorblindess: Youth Sexual Health Promotion as a Gendered Racial Project
Authors: Barcelos Chris
Published: December 2017

Feminist scholars have identified how race and gender discourses influence the creation and implementation of school-based sexual health education and the provision of health care, yet there are few studies that examine how race and gender work in sexual health promotion as it occurs through community-based public health efforts. Drawing on three years of ethnographic research in a low-income Puerto Rican community, this article demonstrates how a gendered racial project of essentializing Latinx culture surrounding young women’s sexuality and reproduction works to both obscure and reinforce race and racism in sexual health promotion. Professional stakeholders mobilize culture as an explanation for high birth rates among young Latinas in the city and reproduce a “Latino culture narrative” in which Latina gender and sexuality is understood as deterministic and homogenous. Simultaneously, an ideology of colorblindness enables the uncritical promotion of long-acting reversible contraception and obscures the history of reproductive oppression experienced by women of color. I consider how colorblindness and culture narratives allow stakeholders to abdicate responsibility for gendered racial inequality and conclude by advocating for the incorporation of racial and reproductive justice frameworks in sexual health promotion.
Putamen Volume Differences Among Older Adults: Depression Status, Melancholia, and Age
Authors: Sachs-Ericsson Natalie J. , Hajcak Greg , Sheffler Julia L. , Stanley Ian H. , Selby Edward A. , Potter Guy G. , Steffens David C.
Published: December 2017

Background:

Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) may exhibit smaller striatal volumes reflecting deficits in the reward circuit. Deficits may change with age and be more pronounced among the melancholic subtype. Limited research has investigated striatal volume differences in older adults and by depression subtypes.

Method:

We used baseline data from the Neurocognitive Outcomes of Depression in the Elderly study. We examined volumetric differences in the putamen and caudate nucleus among older adults (60 years and older), comparing healthy control participants (n = 134) to depressed participants (n = 226), and comparing nonmelancholic depressed participants (n = 93) to melancholic depressed participants (n = 133). Group-by-age interactions were examined.

Results:

There were no significant group differences for the caudate nucleus. For the left putamen, investigation of the significant group-by-age interaction revealed that volume size was greater for the healthy controls compared to the depressed participants but only at younger ages (60-65 years); group differences diminished with increasing age. Examining volume by depression subtype revealed that the melancholic depressed participants had a smaller left putamen compared to the nonmelancholic depressed participants. Anhedonia symptoms were related to both smaller left and right putamen.

Conclusion:

Structural abnormalities in reward regions may underlie the anhedonic phenotype. Volume loss associated with MDD may attenuate in older age.
The Institutional Antecedents of Managerial Networking in Chinese Environmental NGOs
Authors: Li Hui , Tang Shui-Yan , Lo Carlos Wing-Hung
Published: December 2017

This study examines how various aspects of institutional context, including the regulatory environment, government affiliation, and government work experience, shape environmental nongovernmental organizations’ (eNGOs) managerial networking in China. Data from a nationwide survey of 267 eNGOs and in-depth interviews in 2014-2015 are analyzed. The findings show that China’s restrictive political environment suppresses eNGOs’ peer and business networking but is not associated with government networking. Compared with government-organized NGOs (GONGOs), civic eNGOs network more with peers, businesses, and government agencies. Furthermore, eNGOs with leaders having government work experience conduct more government networking. Theoretically, these findings point to the importance of the political and institutional context of managerial networking. Empirically, this study provides the first set of quantitative data analysis demonstrating how institutional factors affect NGO managerial networking under authoritarianism.
Meet the local policy workers: Implementation of health promotion guidelines in Denmark
Authors: Wimmelmann Camilla L , Vallgårda Signild , Jensen Anja MB
Published: December 2017

Reporting on an interview and observation-based study in Danish municipalities, this article deals with local policy workers and takes it's departure in the great variation we observed in implementation of centrally issued health promotion guidelines. We present five types of local policy workers, each of whom we found typified a specific way of reasoning and implementing the guidelines. This typology illustrates the diversity found within a group of local policy workers and helps explain the variability reported in most studies on policy/guideline implementation. On the level of individuals, variation in implementation is often explained by the implementers’ perceptions of need for, and potential benefits of the policy, self-efficacy and skill proficiency. We add ‘professionally related experiences’ as another explanation. We introduce the concepts of translation and hinterland to understand how and why people in the same positions receiving the same set of guidelines implement them differently and suggest that local policy workers’ professionally related experiences affect the frames in which they translate the guidelines and decide upon the strategies of implementation. As such, this article illustrates a residual order of implementation practice: the unruly and elusive part of public policy implementation, ordered only partly by the centrally issued policies.
A decoupled flexure-based rotary micropositioning stage with compact size
Authors: Zhu Xiaobo , Wen Zhijie , Chen Guozhen , Liang Jiaxin , Liu Pinkuan
Published: December 2017

This paper presents the design and analysis of a novel compact flexure-based rotary micropositioning stage driven by piezoelectric actuator. The developed stage possesses a double four-bar rotary mechanism with rotational symmetric configuration and totally kinematic decoupling, which can convert the linear motion of the piezoelectric actuator into the pure rotational motion, significantly minimizing the parasitic error at the rotation center. Based on the configuration, a single piezoelectric actuator is employed to drive the stage, avoiding actuator redundancy and large configuration size. Meanwhile, we introduce a compliant rotational guiding mechanism to enhance the rotational stiffness and dynamics of the stage. Analytical modeling and finite element analysis are adopted to facilitate the design of dimension. Finally, a prototype of the stage is manufactured and tested, which is capable of a rotational angle of [Formula: see text] with the first natural frequency of 430 Hz, whilst the well-constrained maximum center shift along the X- and Y-axis are 0.29 µm and 0.12 µm, respectively, indicating good decoupling capability. Furthermore, the compact size of [Formula: see text] is beneficial for limited working space.
Optimization of the welding process parameters of Mg–5Gd–3Y magnesium alloy plates with a hybrid Kriging and particle swarm optimization algorithm
Authors: Ma Xiaoying , Sun Zhili , Cui Peng , Wu Junwei
Published: December 2017

Selecting suitable welding process parameters to obtain optimal mechanical properties of the weld bead in AC gas tungsten arc welding is of vital importance. This paper presents a combination method of the Kriging model and particle swarm optimization for optimizing welding process parameters to achieve the optimum mechanical properties, such as the tensile strength and micro-hardness, of the weld bead in AC gas tungsten arc welding of GW53 magnesium alloy plates. The Taguchi orthogonal array is first employed to construct a database including the input process parameters (welding speed, welding current, and protection gas flow) and the responses (the tensile strength and micro-hardness of the weld joint). Then, the Kriging model is used to establish the relationships between the input process parameters and the responses. The optimal mechanical properties of the weld bead corresponding to the welding process parameters are obtained by the proposed hybrid Kriging and particle swarm optimization algorithm. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by contrasting the mechanical properties, such as the tensile strength and the average micro-hardness, in the welding base metal and the weld bead. Furthermore, the main reasons for the decrease in the mechanical properties of welded plates are described in this paper.
A semi-analytical solution to the global navigation satellite system attitude determination problem
Authors: Li Shengquan , Zhu Jianjun , Fan Long , Chang Guobin , Deng Kailiang
Published: December 2017

Global navigation satellite system attitude determination based on carrier phase differencing technique is studied. A realistic stochastic model is followed to fully consider the correlations among different measurements in the least-squares problem formulation. A prior-free, computation-fixed, and averagely optimal solution is proposed suitable for real-time and high-dynamic situations. The prior-free property is achieved by developing an analytical sub-optimal solution. This solution follows first transforming the original problem into one with vector measurements and then further approximating it with a general Wahba’s problem. The fixed computation is guaranteed by performing only one or two rounds of correction of the analytical solution. Every single round follows a linearization-estimation-correction process. The process also provides an error or covariance analysis for the estimate. The average optimality in terms of the root mean squared errors is brought about by the relatively good quality of the analytical solution and the fast convergence of the correction processes. The numerical experiments, with three 4 m long baselines and 5 mm (standard deviation) carrier phase errors, show that the estimation errors (in magnitude) for all three channels are well below 0.4° for almost all epochs and within 0.2° for most epochs.
Study on low-velocity impact and residual strength at high temperatures of composite laminates
Authors: Weng Jingmeng , Wen Weidong , Zhang Hongjian
Published: December 2017

In this paper, low-velocity impact characteristics and residual tensile/compressive strength of composite laminates at high temperatures are experimentally and analytically investigated. Low-velocity impact tests at room temperature were performed using a drop-weight apparatus, and residual strength tests at high temperatures were performed using a hydraulic MTS machine. The experimental results show that both residual tensile and compressive strength decrease monotonically with the increase of impact energy, while the variation trend of residual tensile/compressive strength of composite laminates keeps the same with longitudinal tensile/compressive strength with the increase of temperature. In addition, a new stress-based delamination failure criterion was established, in which the delamination is considered to be controlled by the difference between through-thickness stresses of adjacent layers. Once delamination occurs, only the elements below the interface are marked with delamination, whereas the material properties of the elements on both sides of the interface are reduced simultaneously. In this way, delamination can be defined more precisely without cohesive elements, and a considerable reduction in CPU time can be achieved. Combined with extended Hashin failure criteria, an integrated finite element model was established to simulate low-velocity impact damage and to predict residual tensile and compressive strength of composite laminates. The numerical results show good agreements with experimental data.
Influence of conformity on the wear of total knee replacement: An experimental study
Authors: Brockett Claire L , Carbone Silvia , Fisher John , Jennings Louise M
Published: December 2017

Wear of total knee replacement continues to be a significant factor influencing the clinical longevity of implants. Historically, failure due to delamination and fatigue directed design towards more conforming inserts to reduce contact stress. As new generations of more oxidatively stable polyethylene have been developed, more flexibility in bearing design has been introduced. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of insert conformity on the wear performance of a fixed bearing total knee replacement through experimental simulation. Two geometries of insert were studied under standard gait conditions. There was a significant reduction in wear with reducing implant conformity. This study has demonstrated that bearing conformity has a significant impact on the wear performance of a fixed bearing total knee replacement, providing opportunities to improve clinical performance through enhanced material and design selection.
Palm biomass waste as supplementary source of electricity generation in Ghana: Case of the Juaben Oil Mills
Authors: Asibey Michael O , Yeboah Vivian , Adabor Eric K
Published: December 2017

The purpose of the study was to examine the potential of palm biomass, taking a case of the Juaben Oil Mills in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, which has over the years generated electricity for its operations from its waste products and other benefits that have accrued to the company and the host community. Primary data collection and intensive desk study approaches were employed albeit qualitatively, to describe the use of palm biomass as supplementary source of electricity generation in Ghana. The study showed that there is enough potential (waste by-products) for electricity generation to supplement current production from hydropower to meet growing demand. However, policy and institutional arrangements do not easily allow generation and extension for communal benefits. The authors therefore recommend a relook at existing policy and institutional arrangements to help promote this alternative source of energy for efficient and sustainable domestic and industrial uses. We also argue that ensuring efficiency in energy generation calls for R&D into its commercial potential and explore more efficient means of managing industrial and other agro biofuel wastes in developing economies. Future energy policy must also create and harness diversity of available biomass resources and reduce the delivery risks of the resources.
Caffeine affects HFD-induced hepatic steatosis by multifactorial intervention
Authors: Helal MG , Ayoub SE , Elkashefand WF , Ibrahim TM
Published: December 2017

The incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered a risk factor for hepatic fibrosis. Therefore, there is critical need to develop novel cheap and effective therapeutic approaches to prevent and reverse NAFLD. Caffeine is commonly consumed beverage and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This study examined whether caffeine can ameliorate liver injury induced by high-fat diet (HFD) feeding. Four groups of rats were used and treated for 16 weeks as follows: control group, rats were fed a standard diet; HFD group, rats were fed HFD; and caffeine 20 and caffeine 30 groups, rats were fed HFD for 16 weeks in addition to different doses of caffeine (20 or 30 mg/kg, respectively) for last 8 weeks. The HFD-induced liver injury is determined biochemically by evaluating serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin, bilirubin, triglycerides, cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and by histopathological examination. Tissue malondialdehyde, total nitrate/nitrite, and glutathione concentration were also measured. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction technique was used to determine the expression of lipogenic enzyme genes. Caffeine treatment significantly decreased the elevated serum ALT, AST, and bilirubin and increased the reduced albumin level. Interestingly, the hepatic mRNA expression of Fatty acid synthase and acetyl CoA carboxylase was decreased by caffeine, while the protein expression of hepatic carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 and proliferation-activated receptor α was increased. Furthermore, caffeine reduced tissue lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. These effects suggest that caffeine could improve HFD-induced hepatic injury by suppressing inflammatory response and oxidative stress and regulating hepatic de novo lipogenesis and β-oxidation.
Predictors of disability in a childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus cohort: results from the CARRA Legacy Registry
Authors: Hersh A O , Case S M , Son M B ,   for the CARRA Registry Investigators
Published: December 2017

Objective

Few descriptions of physical disability in childhood-onset SLE (cSLE) exist. We sought to describe disability in a large North American cohort of patients with cSLE and identify predictors of disability.

Methods

Sociodemographic and clinical data were obtained from the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Legacy Registry for patients with cSLE enrolled between May 2010 and October 2014. The Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) was used to assess disability and physical functioning. Chi-square tests were used for univariate analyses, and multivariate logistic regression was used to assess predictors of disability.

Results

We analyzed data for 939 patients with cSLE. The median and mean CHAQ scores were 0 and 0.25, respectively, and 41% of the cohort had at least mild disability. Arthritis and higher pain scores were significantly associated with disability as compared to those without disability ( p < 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, low annual income, arthritis, and higher pain scores were associated with disability at baseline.

Conclusions

Disability as measured by baseline CHAQ was fairly common in cSLE patients in the CARRA Legacy Registry, and was associated with low household income, arthritis, and higher pain scores. In addition to optimal disease control, ensuring psychosocial supports and addressing pain may reduce disability in cSLE. Further study is needed of disability in cSLE.
Prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders in adults with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: García-Carrasco M , Mendoza-Pinto C , Autrán-Limón M A , Herrera Robles E , Méndez Martínez S , Etchegaray Morales I , Montiel Jarquín Á , Gálvez Romero J L , Soto-Santillán P , Galindo-Herrera J , López-Colombo A
Published: December 2017

Objective

(a) to assess the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) in female Mexican systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients using the Rome III criteria and (b) to examine the effect of disease duration on FGID prevalence.

Methods

Female SLE outpatients aged ≥18 years with no organic gastrointestinal disorder were included. Participants were invited to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy screening and a faecal immunochemical test. FGID symptoms were evaluated using the Rome III questionnaire.

Results

Eighty-six SLE patients with median age of 45 (interquartile range 34–54) years were included. At least one FGID was found in 76.7% (66/88) of patients with SLE. The most prevalent domains of FGID diagnosed were functional oesophageal, gastroduodenal disorders and bowel disorders, of which functional dyspepsia (72.7%), functional heartburn (68.1%) and bloating (63.8%) were the most frequent. Fifty-nine per cent of patients had overlapping FGIDs. The most prevalent overlap was the combination of functional dyspepsia and functional heartburn. Patients with longer disease duration had a higher prevalence of FGID than those with shorter disease duration.

Conclusions

There was a high prevalence of FGIDs in Mexican SLE women with low disease activity. Overlapping FGIDs were frequent. Longer disease duration may be associated with FGIDs in SLE patients.
Colonial time in tension: Decolonizing temporal imaginaries
Authors: Adib  , Emiljanowicz Paul
Published: December 2017

This article argues that colonial time is fractured, uneven, and co-constituted by tension. Despite coercive violence and instruments of temporal control, non-internalized alternative conceptions of time can/do exist, hybridize, and transform autonomously. We explore these tensions through an examination of post-revolution Iran's attempt to project colonial time through the prison system, and the persistence of non-internalized temporal alternatives as articulated through prisoner memoirs and narratives. Prisons and imprisonment, by removing bodies from the body politic, functions to colonize time to erase, homogenize, and mediate past, present, and future – thereby reproducing ideational-material governance. Yet prisoner memoirs and narratives reveal this process to be incomplete as the agency of individuals to retain, create, and testify provide indications of non-internalized decolonial temporal imaginaries. In taking into consideration our case study and recent trends in anthropology, we inject into the field of International Relations an understanding of colonial time as tension, which can be applied to political-economic and cultural contexts in which time is actively being colonized.
Permutations of functional magnetic resonance imaging classification may not be normally distributed
Authors: Al-Rawi Mohammed S , Freitas Adelaide , Duarte João V , Cunha Joao P , Castelo-Branco Miguel
Published: December 2017

A fundamental question that often occurs in statistical tests is the normality of distributions. Countless distributions exist in science and life, but one distribution that is obtained via permutations, usually referred to as permutation distribution, is interesting. Although a permutation distribution should behave in accord with the central limit theorem, if both the independence condition and the identical distribution condition are fulfilled, no studies have corroborated this concurrence in functional magnetic resonance imaging data. In this work, we used Anderson–Darling test to evaluate the accordance level of permutation distributions of classification accuracies to normality expected under central limit theorem. A simulation study has been carried out using functional magnetic resonance imaging data collected, while human subjects responded to visual stimulation paradigms. Two scrambling schemes are evaluated: the first based on permuting both the training and the testing sets and the second on permuting only the testing set. The results showed that, while a normal distribution does not adequately fit to permutation distributions most of the times, it tends to be quite well acceptable when mean classification accuracies averaged over a set of different classifiers is considered. The results also showed that permutation distributions can be probabilistically affected by performing motion correction to functional magnetic resonance imaging data, and thus may weaken the approximation of permutation distributions to a normal law. Such findings, however, have no relation to univariate/univoxel analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Overall, the results revealed a strong dependence across the folds of cross-validation and across functional magnetic resonance imaging runs and that may hinder the reliability of using cross-validation. The obtained p-values and the drawn confidence level intervals exhibited beyond doubt that different permutation schemes may beget different permutation distributions as well as different levels of accord with central limit theorem. We also found that different permutation schemes can lead to different permutation distributions and that may lead to different assessment of the statistical significance of classification accuracy.
In Vivo Long-Term Tracking of Neural Stem Cells Transplanted into an Acute Ischemic Stroke model with Reporter Gene-Based Bimodal MR and Optical Imaging
Authors: Zhang Fang , Duan Xiaohui , Lu Liejing , Zhang Xiang , Chen Meiwei , Mao Jiaji , Cao Minghui , Shen Jun
Published: December 2017

Transplantation of neural stem cells (NSCs) is emerging as a new therapeutic approach for stroke. Real-time imaging of transplanted NSCs is essential for successful cell delivery, safety monitoring, tracking cell fate and function, and understanding the interactions of transplanted cells with the host environment. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of magnetic nanoparticle-labeled cells has been the most widely used means to track stem cells in vivo. Nevertheless, it does not allow for the reliable discrimination between live and dead cells. Reporter gene-based MRI was considered as an alternative strategy to overcome this shortcoming. In this work, a class of lentiviral vector-encoding ferritin heavy chain (FTH) and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was constructed to deliver reporter genes into NSCs. After these transgenic NSCs were transplanted into the contralateral hemisphere of rats with acute ischemic stroke, MRI and fluorescence imaging (FLI) were performed in vivo for tracking the fate of transplanted cells over a long period of 6 wk. The results demonstrated that the FTH and EGFP can be effectively and safely delivered to NSCs via the designed lentiviral vector. The distribution and migration of grafted stem cells could be monitored by bimodal MRI and FLI. FTH can be used as a robust MRI reporter for reliable reporting of the short-term viability of cell grafts, whereas its capacity for tracking the long-term viability of stem cells remains dependent on several confounding factors such as cell death and the concomitant reactive inflammation.
Fully Dedifferentiated Chondrocytes Expanded in Specific Mesenchymal Stem Cell Growth Medium with FGF2 Obtains Mesenchymal Stem Cell Phenotype In Vitro but Retains Chondrocyte Phenotype In Vivo
Authors: Lee Jungsun , Lee Jin-Yeon , Chae Byung-Chul , Jang Jeongho , Lee EunAh , Son Youngsook
Published: December 2017

Given recent progress in regenerative medicine, we need a means to expand chondrocytes in quantity without losing their regenerative capability. Although many reports have shown that growth factor supplementation can have beneficial effects, the use of growth factor–supplemented basal media has widespread effect on the characteristics of chondrocytes. Chondrocytes were in vitro cultured in the 2 most widely used chondrocyte growth media, conventional chondrocyte culture medium and mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) culture medium, both with and without fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) supplementation. Their expansion rates, expressions of extracellular matrix–related factors, senescence, and differentiation potentials were examined in vitro and in vivo. Our results revealed that chondrocytes quickly dedifferentiated during expansion in all tested media, as assessed by the loss of type II collagen expression. The 2 basal media (chondrocyte culture medium vs. MSC culture medium) were associated with distinct differences in cell senescence. Consistent with the literature, FGF2 was associated with accelerated dedifferentiation during expansion culture and superior redifferentiation upon induction. However, chondrocytes expanded in FGF2-containing conventional chondrocyte culture medium showed MSC-like features, as indicated by their ability to direct ectopic bone formation and cartilage formation. In contrast, chondrocytes cultured in FGF2-supplemented MSC culture medium showed potent chondrogenesis and almost no bone formation. The present findings show that the chosen basal medium can exert profound effects on the characteristics and activity of in vitro–expanded chondrocytes and indicate that right growth factor/medium combination can help chondrocytes retain a high-level chondrogenic potential without undergoing hypertrophic transition.
Nano-Encapsulation of Bilirubin in Pluronic F127–Chitosan Improves Uptake in β Cells and Increases Islet Viability and Function after Hypoxic Stress
Authors: Fullagar Bronwyn , Rao Wei , Gilor Chen , Xu Feng , He Xiaoming , Adin Christopher A.
Published: December 2017

Pancreatic islet transplantation is the only curative, noninvasive treatment for type 1 diabetes mellitus; however, high rates of cell death in the immediate postimplantation period have limited the success of this procedure. Bilirubin, an endogenous antioxidant, can improve the survival of murine pancreatic allografts during hypoxic stress but has poor solubility in aqueous solutions. We hypothesized that nano-encapsulation of bilirubin in pluronic 127–chitosan nanoparticle bilirubin (nBR) would improve uptake by murine pancreatic islet cells and improve their viability following hypoxic stress. Nano-bilirubin was synthesized, and drug release characteristics were studied in vitro. Cellular uptake of nBR was compared to free bilirubin (fBR) in an insulinoma cell line (INS-R3) model using confocal-like structured illumination microscopy. Next, C57BL/6 mouse islets were treated with concentrations of 0 to 20 μM of nBR, fBR, or empty nanoparticle (eNP), prior to incubation under standard or hypoxic conditions. Islet viability and function were compared between treatment groups. Release of bilirubin was greatest from nBR suspended in protein-rich solution. Increased, selective uptake of nBR by INS-R3 cells was demonstrated. Cell death after hypoxic stress was significantly decreased in murine islets treated with 5 μM nBR (18.5% ± 14.1) compared to untreated islets (33.5% ± 17.5%; P = 0.019), with reduction in central necrosis. Treatment group had a significant effect on glucose stimulation index [SI], ( P = 0.0137) and islets treated with 5 μM nBR had the highest SI overall. Delivery of bilirubin using pluronic F127–chitosan NP improves uptake by murine islets compared to fBR and offers dose-dependent protective effects following hypoxic stress.
Book Review: Jon Ronson, So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed
Authors: Reynolds Chelsea
Published: December 2017

Jon Ronson, So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, 2015, New York: Riverhead Books, 304 pp., US$15, ISBN-13: 978-1594487132 (Hardcover).
Book Review: Michael G. Strawser (Ed.), New Media and Digital Pedagogy: Enhancing the Twenty-first-century Classroom
Authors: Torosyan Gayane
Published: December 2017

Michael G. Strawser (Ed.), New Media and Digital Pedagogy: Enhancing the Twenty-first-century Classroom, 2017, Lanham, Boulder, New York, London: Lexington Books, 185 pp., US$90, ISBN-13: 978-1-4985-4851-9 (Hardcover).
EU citizenship and social solidarity
Authors: Mantu Sandra , Minderhoud Paul
Published: December 2017

In this article, we seek to place the CJEU’s recent case law on social rights for economically inactive EU citizens within the larger political context of the last couple of years that has been characterized by the increased contestation of the type of mobility underpinning EU citizenship. The relationship between EU citizenship and social solidarity – in the form of social rights for mobile EU citizens – has taken centre stage during the Brexit affair. Political debates concerning the free movement of (poor) EU citizens have focused upon the issues of the abuse of free movement rights and welfare tourism, despite a lack of evidence that the two are actually taking place on a large scale within the EU. The now defunct Brexit deal highlights the extension of debates that initially focused on economically inactive EU citizens to EU workers, whose mobility had been considered a positive aspect of EU integration. The scope of social solidarity in the EU is demoted as a result of judicial and political interventions that question the social dimension of EU citizenship and which may have implications for other groups of migrants situated within the EU.
Genetic characterization of bovine respiratory syncytial virus strains isolated in Italy: evidence for the circulation of new divergent clades
Authors: Bertolotti Luigi , Giammarioli Monica , Rosati Sergio
Published: December 2017

Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) is circulating in cattle in Europe. Although vaccination helps control the disease, its prevalence within and among herds remains high. Previous genetic characterization studies revealed a strict geographic correlation between viral variants; on the other hand, they showed the emergence of new variants in northern Europe. Few studies have described BRSV distribution, and little is known about the genetic features of BRSV strains circulating in Italy. We studied sample-positive tests for BRSV, and sequenced the coding regions of the G and N proteins to determine the presence of divergent variants. Two different sets of sequences were found, including in samples from animals from vaccinated herds. The 2 groups of sequences correspond to 2 time periods and suggest an active role of herd immunity in preventing the spread of infection. Our findings that different strains of BRSV are circulating in Italy and that the virus is evolving rapidly highlight the importance of updating vaccination strategies.
Unraveling the Mobilization of Memory in Research With Refugees
Authors: Kevers Ruth , Rober Peter , De Haene Lucia
Published: December 2017

In this article, we explore how narrative accounts of trauma are co-constructed through the interaction between researcher and participant. Using a narrative multiple-case study with Kurdish refugee families, we address how this process takes place, investigating how researcher and participants were engaged in relational, moral, collective, and sociopolitical dimensions of remembering, and how this led to the emergence of particular ethical questions. Case examples indicate that acknowledging the multilayered co-construction of remembering in the research relationship profoundly complicates existing deontological guidelines that predominantly emphasize the researcher’s responsibility in sensitively dealing with participants’ alleged autobiographical trauma narratives. Instead, our analysis invites qualitative researchers to engage in a continued, context-specific ethical reflection on the potential risks and benefits that are invoked in studies with survivors of collective violence.
Combination of PedCAT Weightbearing CT With Pedography Assessment of the Relationship Between Anatomy-Based Foot Center and Force/Pressure-Based Center of Gravity
Authors: Richter Martinus , Lintz Francois , Zech Stefan , Meissner Stefan Andreas
Published: December 2017

Background:

A customized pedography sensor (Pliance; Novel, Munich, Germany) was inserted into a pedCAT (Curvebeam, Warrington, PA). The aim of this study was to analyze the relative position of the anatomical foot center (FC) and the pedographic center of gravity (COG). The hypothesis was that FC should be a good predictor of mediolateral position of COG but not longitudinal since hindfoot anatomy allows free anteroposterior movement but limited mediolateral movement.

Methods:

In 90 patients (180 feet), a pedCAT scan with simultaneous pedography with full weightbearing in a standing position was performed. The morphology-based definition of the FC was performed with the pedCAT data following the Torque Ankle Lever Arm System (TALAS) algorithm. The force/pressure-based COG was defined with the pedography data using a software-based algorithm. The distance between FC and COG and the direction of a potential shift (distal-proximal, mediolateral) was measured and analyzed. COG motion during data acquisition was recorded and analyzed. Mean age of patients was 53.8 (range, 17-84) years, and 57 (63%) were female.

Results:

The distance between FC and COG was 28.7 mm on average (range, 0-60). FC was distal to COG in 175 feet (97%; mean, 27.5 mm; range, –15 to 60) and lateral in 112 feet (62%; mean, 2.0 mm; range, –18 to 20).

Conclusions:

There was a constant and major distal longitudinal shift of COG relative to FC and an inconstant minor mediolateral shift.

Clinical Relevance:

The data might be taken into consideration for planning and follow-up in foot and ankle surgery.
A Public Pedagogy of White Victimhood: (Im)Moral Facts, Settler Identity, and Genocide Denial in Dakota Homeland
Authors: Lybeck Rick
Published: December 2017

This article examines dominant discourses driving southern Minnesota’s white public pedagogy of the U.S.–Dakota War of 1862, focusing specifically on hardline separations between fact and opinion that divert citizens from acknowledging the moral significance of their state’s genocidal founding. Supported by objectivist discourses enshrined in today’s Common Core Standards, the regional need to distinguish fact from opinion reveals highly situated white-supremacist roots when historicized, originating in primary-source materials that perplexingly frame white “victimhood” and Dakota “savagery” as objective moral knowledge. Critically analyzing recent acts of fact-checking performed by members of a regional settler discourse community, this article shows such “objective” knowledge at work, persistently thriving on age-old notions of white-settler identity and white community belonging. Ultimately, this article exposes the ongoing persuasive power of the primary sources’ dominant discourse, the anti-Indian sublime, and its role in erasing moral facts about regional crimes against humanity.
Frictions and Actions: The Actor’s Role in Ethnodrama
Authors: Vachon Wolfgang , Hossain Rahat , Ramsay Natalie , Moore Mo , Milo Michael
Published: December 2017

Despite the growing body of literature in ethnotheater and ethnodrama, there has been little written about the role, responsibilities, and experiences of actors within the process. This article takes the reflections of one actor preparing, performing, and processing an ethnotheater production. Six “frictions” are identified and explored, leading to several recommendations for researchers, writers, actors, directors, and others involved in developing ethnodrama, ethnotheater, and ethnoperformances.
Future Directions for Positive Behavior Support: A Commentary
Authors: Horner Robert H. , Sugai George
Published: December 2017

Clarke et al. provide a summary of research published in Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions over the past 17 years and identify trends in the type of scholarship guiding the field. We offer this commentary in response to an invitation to suggest directions for the future of research focusing on positive behavior support, and implications for how that research can benefit individuals in school, community, work, and home settings.