bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Note sull’emigrazione: Emozioni ed emigrazione. De Amicis
Authors: Pascale Vincenzo
Published: September 2013

La raccolta di racconti brevi Sull’Oceano (1889) di Edmondo De Amicis, elaborata a seguito di un viaggio fatto dallo scrittore da Genova in Argentina (Rio de la Plata) assieme a diverse migliaia di emigranti italiani, esplora la genesi di un sentimento (il risentimento) che, mentre ha trovato ampia trattazione negli studi filosofici e sociologici, è stato poco esplorato nell’ambito degli studi letterari che si focalizzano sull’emigrazione. La mia riflessione critica si concentrerà in particolare su tre racconti: “L’imbarco degli emigranti,” “L’Italia a bordo” e “Rancori e amori.”

L’articolo si apre con un rapido excursus storico sull’emigrazione italiana, diretta sia in Europa sia oltreoceano per poi passare all’analisi letteraria dei sentimenti che De Amicis individuò tra i viaggiatori italiani imbarcatisi da Genova e diretti a Buenos Aires. Il risentimento viene esplorato attraverso le posizioni teoriche di Max Scheler (1874–1928). Esso è generato da un’incapacità di elaborare un sentimento, in molti casi, di inferiorità, causato da sistematiche repressioni emozionali che successivamente determinano una detrazione di certi valori e incidono sui giudizi di valore. La raccolta di racconti brevi di De Amicis si propone di far conoscere alla borghesia italiana non solo il dramma dell’emigrazione, ma anche la sua funzione salvifica, individuale e sociale in termini di stabilità, senza trascurare la possibilità di individuare nelle comunità italiane all’estero, le cosiddette colonie, una funzione vitale nella definizione identitaria e sociale della nuova nazione italiana. L’articolo si conclude con un rimando ad autori (Pascoli, Corradini, Oriani) che, pur occupandosi nei loro romanzi della vicenda storica e umana dell’emigrazione italiana, la elaborarono in chiave ideologica ponendo le basi per il nazionalismo italiano.
Environmental effect on the mechanical properties of commingled-yarn-based carbon fibre/polyamide 6 composites
Authors: Prabhakaran R.T. Durai , Toftegaard Helmuth
Published: September 2013

The main objective of this experimental investigation was to evaluate the changes from accelerated ageing on selected properties of carbon fibre/polyamide 6 composites based on hybrid yarns. In this study, two types of mechanical tests were performed to measure the environmental influence on the material properties. They are three-point bending to measure the flexural strength and stiffness, and short beam three-point bending to measure the interlaminar shear strength. The 10-mm-thick quasi-isotropic carbon fibre/polyamide 6 composites with 52% volume fraction of carbon fibre to be tested were manufactured by autoclave consolidation. The test samples were dried, and subsequently exposed to 60℃ and 100% relative humidity at different lengths of time up to 2500 h, followed by drying at 23℃ and 50% relative humidity. Few samples were additionally completely dried at 70℃ in vacuum for 21 months. Tests were also performed on as manufactured and dried material at low temperature (–45℃) and high temperature (115℃). The measured mechanical properties decreased with exposure time at 60℃ and 100% relative humidity. Both the bending stiffness and the strength degrade to a level of about 65%, whereas interlaminar shear strength drops to about 87% of the property values of the unexposed (initially dried) material. The bending stiffness and strength at −45℃ are about 87% of the properties at room temperature, whereas at 115℃ the stiffness drops to 75% and the strength drops to 60% of the properties at room temperature. The interlaminar shear strength values also drop to about 75% at both −45℃ and 115℃. Extreme temperatures and long-time exposure to humidity of quasi-isotropic carbon fibre/polyamide 6 laminates can thus reduce the bending stiffness and strength by up to 35% and the interlaminar shear strength by up to 25%.
Fracture toughness of fiber metal laminates: Carbon nanotube modified Ti–polymer–matrix composite interface
Authors: Truong Hieu TX , Lagoudas Dimitris C , Ochoa Ozden O , Lafdi Khalid
Published: September 2013

Multifunctional hybrid composites are proposed as novel solutions to meet the demands in various industrial applications ranging from aerospace to biomedicine. The combination of carbon fiber and/or fabric, metal foil, and carbon nanotubes is utilized to develop such composites. This study focuses on processing and fracture toughness characterization of the carbon fiber-reinforced polymer–matrix composites and the carbon nanotube modified interface between the polymer–matrix composite and titanium foil. Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) process is used to fabricate the laminate. Double cantilever beam tests at both room temperature and high temperature are conducted to assess the mode I interlaminar fracture toughness. The experimental and characterization efforts suggest that carbon nanotubes improve bonding at the hybrid interface. Simple computational models are developed to assist the interpretation of experimental results and further investigate the damage modes. The numerical results agree well with the limited experiments at crack initiation and furthermore support the absence of mode mixity.
Determination of the in-plane shear rigidity modulus of a carbon non-crimp fabric from bias-extension data test
Authors: Samir Daghboudj , Hamid Satha
Published: September 2013

The knowledge of the mechanical behavior of woven fabrics is necessary in many applications, in particular, for the simulation of textile composite forming. However, in-plane shear behavior of textile performs is the most studied mechanical property, because this mode of deformation is necessary for forming on double curvature surfaces. In this paper, bias extension tests on non-crimp fabrics (NCF) have been conducted. Two different types of non-crimp fabrics were tested. Force and displacement were measured and then force displacement curves were plotted. Shear angles and normalized shear forces were determined. The shear stress was represented as function of the shear angle, and obtained curves were assigned polynomial regression equations. The derivative of those regression equations provides in-plane modulus of rigidity as a function of shear angle. The effect of small stitches on the rigidity of these fabrics was also examined.
The characterisation and modelling of manufacturing porosity of a 2-D carbon/carbon composite
Authors: Alghamdi Abdulrahman , Khan Aftab , Mummery Paul , Sheikh Mohammad
Published: September 2013

The thermal properties of carbon/carbon composite are strongly affected by manufacturing porosity. This paper focuses on the characterisation of the manufacturing macro-porosity of a 2D carbon/carbon composite using X-ray computed tomography. The different types of manufacturing porosity were classified and quantified according to their size and location. Three types of macro-porosity were identified using computed tomography, namely trans-tow cracks, interfacial cracks and dry zones. A composite unit cell representing the three types of porosity was developed to model and investigate the effective transverse thermal transport properties (thermal conductivity and diffusivity) of the carbon/carbon composite. Finite element simulations and theoretical calculations were performed and compared with laser flash tests for validation. The influence of the stacking sequence of the laminates on porosity distribution and transverse thermal conductivity of the carbon/carbon composite was also investigated.
The Exopolysaccharide Matrix
Authors: Koo H. , Falsetta M.L. , Klein M.I.
Published: September 2013

Many infectious diseases in humans are caused or exacerbated by biofilms. Dental caries is a prime example of a biofilm-dependent disease, resulting from interactions of microorganisms, host factors, and diet (sugars), which modulate the dynamic formation of biofilms on tooth surfaces. All biofilms have a microbial-derived extracellular matrix as an essential constituent. The exopolysaccharides formed through interactions between sucrose- (and starch-) and Streptococcus mutans-derived exoenzymes present in the pellicle and on microbial surfaces (including non-mutans) provide binding sites for cariogenic and other organisms. The polymers formed in situ enmesh the microorganisms while forming a matrix facilitating the assembly of three-dimensional (3D) multicellular structures that encompass a series of microenvironments and are firmly attached to teeth. The metabolic activity of microbes embedded in this exopolysaccharide-rich and diffusion-limiting matrix leads to acidification of the milieu and, eventually, acid-dissolution of enamel. Here, we discuss recent advances concerning spatio-temporal development of the exopolysaccharide matrix and its essential role in the pathogenesis of dental caries. We focus on how the matrix serves as a 3D scaffold for biofilm assembly while creating spatial heterogeneities and low-pH microenvironments/niches. Further understanding on how the matrix modulates microbial activity and virulence expression could lead to new approaches to control cariogenic biofilms.
Seeking New Perspectives on the Development of Teacher Education
Authors: Hökkä Päivi , Eteläpelto Anneli
Published: September 2013

Studies show that changes in teacher education around the world occur slowly and are difficult to implement. This study aims to contribute to the discussion on the major resources for and obstacles to developing teacher education and finding novel solutions to overcome the obstacles. Resources and obstacles were investigated in the context of academic and university-based teacher education in Finland. Findings revealed three major challenges: (a) obstacles in renegotiating professional identity, (b) internal competition between subject-matter groups within the department, and (c) discrepancies between individual agency and organizational development. Based on the findings, this study argues that teacher educators’ individual and collective agency must be supported to enhance their continuous professional learning and organizational change. This goal can be achieved by developing teacher education concurrently at multiple levels, including the individual, work community, and organizational levels. In addition, there is a need to construct multiple couplings between these levels.
The Rhetoric of Suffering, Hope, and Redemption in Masters of the Dew: A Rhetorical and Politico-Theological Analysis of Manuel as Peasant-messiah and Redeemer
Authors: Joseph Celucien L.
Published: September 2013

Jacques Roumain’s 1944 peasant novel, Gouverneurs de la roséé ( Masters of the Dew, 1947) is not only a testament to stunning literary skill but also a masterwork of profound theological and philosophical reflection that articulates a robust humanistic and theo-political response to the problem of evil, suffering, pain, and poverty in the world. The objective of this article is twofold. First, it explores the intersections of the rhetoric of suffering, hope, and redemption in the novel. Second, it analyses Roumain’s creative theological construction of the atonement language and the presentation of Manuel Jean-Joseph as the Christ-figure and peasant-redeemer in the narrative. This article interprets Masters of the Dew’s atonement theology first in the light of René Gerard’s theory of scapegoating as articulated in his 1972 book, La violence et le sacré ( Violence and the Sacred, 1977), and, second, against the backdrop of the biblical story of the atoning sacrifice of Christ. I argue that Roumain intends the death of Manuel to be read as a vicarious atonement for the salvation and reconciliation of the community at Fonds Rouge in the same manner as New Testament writers understood the death of Jesus vicariously as a substitution for the sins and salvation of the world. Against the Girardian framework, I contend that Manuel’s death is depicted as a substitution for the peace of Fonds Rouge villagers and to prevent the cycle of violence from erupting among the peasants.
Syncretism and the Construction of a Personal Spirituality
Authors: Koertner Ulrich H.J.
Published: September 2013

This article discusses the issue of syncretism in the contemporary European context. It argues from a Protestant perspective and takes account especially of German-speaking theology. It describes Christian faith as syncretistic in a certain manner but argues that confession of the universal soteriological significance of the person, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is a theological criterion for limits of syncretism. For the construction of a personal spirituality one has to distinguish between different meanings of spirituality, religion, and religiosity. The theological relevance of these distinctions is demonstrated by the recent discussion about syncretistic tendencies in the field of spiritual care.
Farewell to Faith? The Changing Role of Religion in Presidential Politics
Authors: Bennett James B.
Published: September 2013

The 2012 Presidential election was the first in United States history in which neither party nominated a white Protestant for president, or for vice-president. The distinctiveness of the candidates’ religious identities, combined with the central role of religion in the last half century of presidential campaigns, suggested that religion would likewise be central in 2012. But religion did not appear to play a central role, at least on the surface. The candidates’ religious identities barely surfaced as an issue, and religious issues and leaders likewise remained on the sideline. The reasons were twofold. First, the candidates themselves neutralized the issue of faith, since neither stood to gain from making his own or his opponent’s faith an issue. Second, the nation’s changing religious demographics limited the effectiveness of appeals to religion. The result was a changed relationship between religion and presidential politics that will characterize elections for many decades to come. In light of such changes, Christians would do well to consider the ways that they invoke religion and history in the political sphere.
The “Indigenizing” and “Pilgrim” Principles of Andrew F. Walls Reassessed from a South African Perspective
Authors: Müller Retief
Published: September 2013

The Christian historian and distinguished scholar of world Christianity Andrew F. Walls described the pendulum-like influences of both indigenizing and pilgrim principles that are inherent to the way the Christian gospel has interacted with human cultures throughout history. This article takes seriously Walls’s idea as a powerful theological tool for assessing the authenticity of contextual Christianities. It considers Walls’s concepts from the divergent perspectives of Afrikaner Reformed Christianity, and African Zionist Christianity in South Africa. It concludes that although still very useful as intellectual tools, the pilgrim and indigenizing principles should not really be considered as opposing poles given the living realities of contemporary, migrant, world Christianities, of which African Zionist Christianity functions as a good example.
‘A big night out’: Young people’s drinking, social practice and spatial experience in the ‘liminoid’ zones of English night-time cities
Authors: Roberts Marion
Published: September 2013

This paper frames the debate on ‘binge’ drinking amongst young people within the perspectives of materialism and cultural geography. Drawing on the concept of social practice as interpreted through the perspective of urban design, the research investigated spatial variations in youth drinking using a case study approach to examine two urban areas in England. The study confirmed that the social practice of the ‘big night out’ has become an established feature of youth drinking. The research found the practice constituted in specialist ‘clusters’ of venues and it is argued that place-based characteristics form a significant component of its production and experience. The paper concludes with a reflection on the challenges the evidence poses to previous interpretations of leisure divisions within mainstream nightlife and to the theorisation of place-based differences in drinking milieux oriented towards young people. The implications for public policies are considered.
Workplace Bullying as Workplace Corruption
Authors: Vickers Margaret H.
Published: September 2013

Creative nonfiction writing is used to interpret secondary data and produce a short story depicting events of workplace bullying in the public sector as also being acts of corruption. Creative nonfiction writing enables interrogation of, and vicarious experience of, sensitive, complex, and controversial workplace events. Readers are invited to think, and feel, the events of bullying (and corruption), as well the multiple perspectives involved. For organizations grappling with workplace bullying, understanding the behaviors as also being potentially corrupt will deepen understanding, as will recognition of the possible rationales of those involved in its downward spiral.
Job insecurity and the unemployment rate: Micro- and macro-level predictors of perceived job insecurity among Finnish employees 1984–2008
Authors: Ellonen Noora , Nätti Jouko
Published: September 2013

In this article several micro-level determinants and the unemployment rate as macro-level determinant of perceived job insecurity are studied among Finnish employees from 1984 to 2008. The main questions are: Is the unemployment rate a significant macro-level determinant in different times, what is the most relevant unit for measuring unemployment – region or industry –, and does the effect of the micro- and macro-level determinants vary over time? The findings suggest that industry-related characteristics are more important than regional characteristics in explaining job insecurity. Perceived job insecurity is explained by micro-level determinants as well as unemployment rate as macro-level determinant. The effects, however, vary over time: the meaning of industry-related characteristics decreases and the meaning of individual-level characteristics increases.
The effectiveness of codetermination laws in cooperative and adversarial employment relations: When does regulation have bite?
Authors: Backes-Gellner Uschi , Mohrenweiser Jens , Pull Kerstin
Published: September 2013

The German Codetermination Law grants workers of establishments with 200 or more employees the right to have a works councillor who is fully exempted from his or her regular job duties while still paid a regular salary. This article analyses theoretically and empirically how this de jure right to exemption translates into de facto practice, and explicitly takes into account the nature of the employment relations participation regime. It is found that the right of exemption has no effect in cooperative employment relations because exemptions are granted even in the absence of legal rights, but does make a difference in adversarial relations when exemptions are only granted above the threshold where legal rights force employers to do so, i.e. legal rights do make a decisive difference in exactly those situations where the legislators’ intent would not be realized without the right to legal enforcement.
Exploring realities of food security: Oral accounts of migrant workers in urban India
Authors: Rai Rajnish Kumar , Selvaraj Patturaja
Published: September 2013

Traditional approaches of food security largely draw from neoliberal prescriptions, which focus on supply side issues of improving productivity and efficiency through market mechanisms. Reflections on the oral accounts of 30 migrants from eastern India to the capital city of Gujarat, India, provide two important insights regarding food security related issues. First, in terms of the lived realities of these migrants, traditional approaches of food security are inadequate to address their concerns as they exacerbate their food related vulnerabilities. Second, economic democracy and food sovereignty approaches are more helpful in addressing food related vulnerabilities as these approaches engage more comprehensively with the multidimensional socioeconomic vulnerabilities of the migrants from the perspective of equity and justice.
Rethinking factional alliances and union renewal: Inter-union collaboration in the 21st century
Authors: Brigden Cathy , Kaine Sarah
Published: September 2013

In the past two decades, trade unions have sought to counter membership decline, initially through a focus on organizing. More recently the union renewal project has prompted a re-examination of whether unions can use different types of inter-union collaboration to build power for workers and the movement. This article examines two examples of such inter-union collaboration, the Transport Unions Federation and the Australian Workers’ Union–Maritime Union of Australia Offshore Alliance. The development of these organizational relationships is important to the trade union movement in Australia and internationally as examples of new forms of external solidarity.
The Structure of Counterproductive Work Behavior
Authors: Marcus Bernd , Taylor O. Anita , Hastings Stephanie E. , Sturm Alexandra , Weigelt Oliver
Published: September 2013

Although counterproductive work behavior (CWB) has long been established as a broad domain of job behaviors, little agreement exists about its internal structure. The present research addressed alternative models of broadly defined CWB according to which specific behaviors can be grouped into (a) one general factor, or into (b) two, (c) five, or (d) eleven narrower facets, and a number of possible integrations of these models. First, conceptual differences between these models (including the nature of overall CWB as implying a reflective or formative model, boundaries of the domain, and relations among specific facets) are reviewed with regard to theoretical and practical implications. In Study 1, structural meta-analysis was then used to test whether a reflective higher-order factor underlies meta-analytically constructed correlation matrices of five CWB facets. Analyses supported a general factor model. For Study 2, a primary data set (N = 1,237 employees) was collected in order to test alternative structural models and possible integrations of these models. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the best fit was for a bimodal (nonhierarchical) model in which individual CWBs simultaneously load on one of the eleven facets describing their content (e.g., theft, absenteeism) and on one of three factors describing the target primarily harmed (organization, other persons, self). Less support was found for hierarchical models and for models involving fewer content factors. These findings suggest that CWB is best described by a reflective higher-order factor at the general level and by a complex set of bimodal facets at the more specific level.
The Usefulness of a Yearly Head and Neck Surgery Trip to Rural Kenya
Authors: Pearce Elizabeth C. , Mainthia Rajshri , Freeman Kali L. , Mueller Jeffrey L. , Rohde Sarah L. , Netterville James L.
Published: September 2013

Objective

Surgical specialty trips to third world countries have been praised and criticized. Our objective was to learn the usefulness of a yearly head and neck surgery trip through initial analysis of 2 years of patient data.

Methods

We reviewed data from a prospectively maintained repository of surgical patients treated during head and neck surgical trips to Malindi, Kenya, in 2010 and 2011. Basic demographics, distance traveled for care, access to physicians, preoperative diagnosis, surgical procedure(s), and pathology were recorded when available.

Results

In 2 years, 226 surgeries were performed. Patient age ranged between 3 months and 85 years, and gender was evenly split. Half of patients came from outside the town of Malindi, and a third traveled over 100 kilometers for care. The majority reported access to a local physician, yet very few patients were offered prior surgical treatment. The most common operations performed were adenotonsillectomy and hemithyroidectomy. A wide variety of cases were performed, including parotidectomies, maxillectomies, mandibulectomies, cleft lip and palate repair, and free flap reconstructions. Local and national visiting otolaryngologist–head and neck surgeons participated or observed throughout our visits with teaching emphasis based on their skills and specific learning goals.

Conclusions

Annual surgical specialty trips to rural, resource‐limited regions are useful and worthwhile and offer procedures not otherwise available. On such trips, it is important to collect patient, surgical, and pathology data to help visiting surgeons determine the best procedures to teach local physicians and provide needed resources.
Repeated aripiprazole treatment causes dopamine D2 receptor up-regulation and dopamine supersensitivity in young rats
Authors: Varela Fausto A , Der-Ghazarian Taleen , Lee Ryan J , Charntikov Sergios , Crawford Cynthia A , McDougall Sanders A
Published: September 2013

Aripiprazole is a second-generation antipsychotic that is increasingly being prescribed to children and adolescents. Despite this trend, little preclinical research has been done on the neural and behavioral actions of aripiprazole during early development. In the present study, young male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with vehicle, haloperidol (1 mg/kg), or aripiprazole (10 mg/kg) once daily on postnatal days (PD) 10–20. After 1, 4, or 8 days (i.e. on PD 21, PD 24, or PD 28), amphetamine-induced locomotor activity and stereotypy, as well as dorsal striatal D2 receptor levels, were measured in separate groups of rats. Pretreating young rats with aripiprazole or haloperidol increased D2 binding sites in the dorsal striatum. Consistent with these results, dopamine supersensitivity was apparent when aripiprazole- and haloperidol-pretreated rats were given a test day injection of amphetamine (2 or 4 mg/kg). Increased D2 receptor levels and altered behavioral responding persisted for at least 8 days after conclusion of the pretreatment regimen. Contrary to what has been reported in adults, repeated aripiprazole treatment caused D2 receptor up-regulation and persistent alterations of amphetamine-induced behavior in young rats. These findings are consistent with human clinical studies showing that children and adolescents are more prone than adults to aripiprazole-induced side effects, including extrapyramidal symptoms.
Trajectories of Change and Relationship Between Parent-Adolescent School-Related Conflict and Academic Achievement in Early Adolescence
Authors: Brković Irma , Keresteš Gordana , Puklek Levpušcˇek Melita
Published: September 2013

The study explored changes in parent-adolescent school-related conflict rate and academic performance over a 5-year period among Croatian early adolescents and gender differences in these changes. Furthermore, it examined the relationship between conflict and achievement. The study was performed by applying an accelerated approach to overlapping cohort design in which 851 adolescents (51.4% girls) and 1,288 parents (53.9% mothers) participated. The data were collected three times, approximately 1 year apart. Parallel forms of the Parent-Adolescent Conflict Scale were administered to measure parent-adolescent conflict rate in different dyads and from different informants. The results of the multilevel modeling showed an overall increase in parent-adolescent school-related conflict rate and a decrease in academic achievement. According to parental reports, conflict with boys increased more steeply than conflict with girls. Boys also showed a steeper decrease in academic achievement than girls. A bidirectional link between school-related conflicts and academic achievement was confirmed.
Relationship between epicardial adipose tissue volume measured using coronary computed tomography angiography and atherosclerotic plaque characteristics in patients with severe coronary artery stenosis
Authors: Dong Dan-Dan , Wang Kai , Wang Dan , Zhang Tong , Tu Ying-Feng , Shen Bao-Zhong
Published: September 2013

Aim

To investigate the relationship between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume and coronary plaque composition.

Methods

EAT volume (measured using coronary computed tomography angiography) and coronary plaque characteristics were assessed on a per-segment basis (modified 15-segment American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association classification) in patients with severe coronary artery stenosis. Coronary plaques were classified into four types: 1, calcified plaques; 2, mixed plaques (calcification dominant); 3, mixed plaques (non-calcification dominant); and 4, non-calcified plaques. The gold standard for luminal stenosis was conventional coronary angiography.

Results

In 365 patients (mean age 58.7 ± 8.0 years), EAT volume was 169.85 ± 29.94 ml. There were no significant between-group differences in patient characteristics. Statistically significant differences in EAT volume between non-calcified and calcified plaque groups were observed. EAT volume showed a positive correlation with total cholesterol and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, and a very weak correlation with age, triglyceride, body mass index and high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol.

Conclusion

EAT volume was higher in the presence of non-calcified and mixed plaques in patients with ≥50% severe coronary artery stenosis.
Immune System Cells in Healthy Ferrets
Authors: Vidaña B. , Majó N. , Pérez M. , Montoya M. , Martorell J. , Martínez J.
Published: September 2013

The ferret has emerged as an excellent animal model to characterize several physiologic and pathologic conditions. The distribution and characterization of different types of immune system cells were studied in healthy ferret tissues. Eight primary antibodies were tested for immunohistochemistry in formalin-fixed tissues: anti-CD3, anti-CD79α, anti-CD20, anti-HLA-DR, anti-lysozyme, anti-CD163, anti-SWC3, and anti-Mac387. The anti-CD3 antibody labeled T cells mainly in interfollicular and paracortical areas of lymph nodes, cortex and thymic medulla, and periarteriolar lymphoid sheaths in the spleen. The anti-CD79α and anti-CD20 antibodies immunolabeled B cells located in lymphoid follicles at lymph nodes, spleen, and Peyer patches. The CD79α and CD20 antibodies also labeled cells with nonlymphoid morphology in atypical B-cell locations. The anti-HLA-DR antibody labeled macrophages, some populations of B and T lymphocytes, and different populations of dendritic cells in lymph nodes, Peyer patches, spleen, and thymus. The anti-lysozyme antibody immunolabeled macrophages in the liver, lymph nodes, spleen, and thymus. The Mac-387, CD163, and SWC3 antibodies did not show any positive reaction in formalin-fixed or frozen tissues. To elucidate the origin of the uncommon CD79α/CD20 positive cells, a double immunohistochemistry was carried out using the anti-HLA-DR + the anti-CD79α, the anti-HLA-DR + the anti-CD20, and the anti-lysozyme + the anti-CD79α antibodies. Double labeling was mainly observed when the anti-HLA-DR + the anti-CD79α antibodies were combined. The immunohistologic characterization and distribution of these immune system cells in healthy ferret tissues should be of value in future comparative studies of diseases in ferrets.
Temporal and Geographic Clustering of Polyomavirus-Associated Olfactory Tumors in 10 Free-Ranging Raccoons (Procyon lotor)
Authors: Giannitti F. , Higgins R. J. , Pesavento P. A. , Cruz F. Dela , Clifford D. L. , Piazza M. , Struckhoff A. Parker , Valle L. Del , Bollen A. W. , Puschner B. , Kerr E. , Gelberg H. , Mete A. , McGraw S. , Woods L. W.
Published: September 2013

Reports of primary nervous system tumors in wild raccoons are extremely rare. Olfactory tumors were diagnosed postmortem in 9 free-ranging raccoons from 4 contiguous counties in California and 1 raccoon from Oregon within a 26-month period between 2010 and 2012. We describe the geographic and temporal features of these 10 cases, including the laboratory diagnostic investigations and the neuropathologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural characteristics of these tumors in the affected animals. All 9 raccoons from California were found within a localized geographic region of the San Francisco Bay Area (within a 44.13-km radius). The tight temporal and geographic clustering and consistent anatomic location in the olfactory system of tumor types not previously described in raccoons (malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors and undifferentiated sarcomas) strongly suggest either a common cause or a precipitating factor leading to induction or potentiation of neuro-oncogenesis and so prompted an extensive diagnostic investigation to explore possible oncogenic infectious and/or toxic causes. By a consensus polymerase chain reaction strategy, a novel, recently reported polyomavirus called raccoon polyomavirus was identified in all 10 tumors but not in the normal brain tissue from the affected animals, suggesting that the virus might play a role in neuro-oncogenesis. In addition, expression of the viral protein T antigen was detected in all tumors containing the viral sequences. We discuss the potential role of raccoon polyomavirus as an oncogenic virus.
MicroRNAs
Authors: Bhaskaran M. , Mohan M.
Published: September 2013

The discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) in 1993 followed by developments and discoveries in small RNA biology have redefined the biological landscape by significantly altering the longstanding dogmas that defined gene regulation. These small RNAs play a significant role in modulation of an array of physiological and pathological processes ranging from embryonic development to neoplastic progression. Unique miRNA signatures of various inherited, metabolic, infectious, and neoplastic diseases have added a new dimension to the studies that look at their pathogenesis and highlight their potential to be reliable biomarkers. Also, altering miRNA functionality and the development of novel in vivo delivery systems to achieve targeted modulation of specific miRNA function are being actively pursued as novel approaches for therapeutic intervention in many diseases. Here we review the current body of knowledge on the role of miRNAs in development and disease and discuss future implications.
Reconceptualizing power and gendered subjectivities in domestic cooking spaces
Authors: Meah Angela
Published: September 2013

Drawing on evidence from the Global North and South, this paper explores the power dynamics of domestic kitchens in different geographical contexts. Noting the gendered nature of domesticity, it contrasts those perspectives which regard women’s primary responsibility for foodwork as inherently oppressive, with others which see kitchens and associated domestic spaces as sites of potential empowerment for women. The paper explores the complex, spatially-distributed, character of power surrounding domestic foodwork, decentring Anglo-American understandings of the relationship between gender, power and domestic space by foregrounding the experiences of a range of women from across the globe. The paper also examines the increasing role of men in domestic settings, particularly in the Global North, assessing the extent to which their engagement in cooking and other domestic practices may be challenging conventional understandings of the relationship between gender, power and space. Focusing on the spatial dynamics of the domestic kitchen, this paper advances a more nuanced understanding of the co-constitutive nature of the relationship between gender and power, including the instabilities and slippages that occur in the performance of various domestic foodwork tasks. The paper advocates future research on the boundaries of home, work and leisure, focusing on their significance in the constitution and transformation of male and female subjectivities.
Numerical evaluation of the original “Neuber’s rule” for pure out-of-plane shear loading
Authors: Kilambi Sreelatha , Tipton Steven M
Published: September 2013

Neuber’s rule has become a popular analytical tool for evaluating notch root stress and strain for fatigue life estimation. The original study was based on the geometry of prismatic bodies with hyperbolic notches under pure out-of-plane shear with a nonlinear material model. From this study, the author observed that “The geometric mean of stress and strain concentration factors is equal to theoretical elastic stress concentration factor, Kt.” Although this conclusion was based on a “special deformation law,” Neuber suggested that it can be approximately extended to any stress–strain law and to tensile and bending loads replacing shear stress and strain with equivalent von Mises stress and strain and Neuber’s rule evolved. Extensive research has been conducted to evaluate and generalize Neuber’s rule for fatigue analysis. However, the applicability of Neuber’s rule to a specific situation requires consideration of the material model utilized, in addition to the notch geometry and loading conditions. This article presents a detailed finite element analysis of Neuber’s rule using out-of-plane shear loading on prismatic bodies with hyperbolic notch geometries identical to those considered by Neuber. Neuber’s nonlinear material model (special deformation law) is compared to the Ramberg–Osgood material model, and discernable differences were observed. Neuber’s observations were approximately valid for conditions congruent with his constitutive model. For the Ramberg–Osgood model, this happens to occur only for a strain hardening exponent of about 0.2. For other values of the strain hardening exponent, Neuber’s model cannot emulate the shape of the Ramberg–Osgood curve, and notch strain predictions from Neuber’s rule are less accurate.
Chronic post-traumatic headache after mild head injury: A descriptive study
Authors: Kjeldgaard Dorte , Forchhammer Hysse , Teasdale Tom , Jensen Rigmor H
Published: September 2013

Background

The aetiology behind chronic post-traumatic headache (CPTH) after mild head injury is unclear and management is complicated. In order to optimize treatment strategies we aimed to characterize a CPTH population.

Methods

Ninety patients with CPTH and 45 patients with chronic primary headaches were enrolled from the Danish Headache Center. All patients were interviewed about demographic and headache data. They completed the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ), Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire, SF-36 and a headache diary.

Results

The CPTH group experienced more cognitive ( p <  0.001) and somatic symptoms ( p =  0.048) and rated their self-perceived health as more affected in terms of physical function ( p =  0.036), physical role function ( p =  0.012) and social function ( p =  0.012) than the control group. Surprisingly, 31% of the CPTH group had a score equal to or above the cut-off score for having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) according to the HTQ. In terms of demographics and headache, the groups were comparable except the CPTH group were more often without affiliation to the labour market ( p <  0.001).

Conclusions

The loss of work capacity and high levels of disability for the CPTH patients suggests directions for further research into what important factors are embedded in the patients’ PTSD symptoms and might explain their prolonged illness.
The effect of posterior hypothalamus region deep brain stimulation on sleep
Authors: Kovac Stjepana , Wright Mary-Anne , Eriksson Sofia H , Zrinzo Ludvic , Matharu Manjit , Walker Matthew C
Published: September 2013

Background

Early observations by von Economo showed that the posterior part of the hypothalamus (PH) plays a prominent role in sleep-wake regulation. The PH is a candidate area involved in cluster headaches and other trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs) and is targeted for deep brain stimulation (DBS).

Case reports

Sleep studies in two men, 69- and 39-years-old, with pre-existing sleep disorders, before and after PH-DBS for pharamacoresistant cluster headache and SUNCT syndrome showed that PH-DBS led to a dramatic alteration of the patients’ sleep patterns. This coincided with an improvement of the predominantly diurnal TACs, suggesting a PH-DBS-induced change in sleep patterns. Hypnograms after DBS demonstrated disrupted sleep and a prolonged period of wakefulness after midnight in both patients, which was reproduced the second night.

Conclusions

PH-DBS, a promising treatment for severe refractory TACs, affects sleep quality and pre-existing sleep disorders. This needs to be considered when treating patients with PH-DBS.
Factors Associated With Meniscal Tears and Chondral Lesions in Patients Undergoing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Kluczynski Melissa A. , Marzo John M. , Bisson Leslie J.
Published: September 2013

Background:

Increased time from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury to surgery is known to be associated with increased medial meniscal tears. Few studies have examined the predictors of meniscal tears and chondral lesions, including instability episodes.

Purpose:

To examine the predictors of meniscal tears and chondral injuries in patients undergoing ACL reconstruction.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Data were collected prospectively from 541 patients undergoing ACL reconstruction. Logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for predictors of meniscal tears, tear management, and chondral injuries. Predictors included age, sex, body mass index (25-29.99 and ≥30 vs ≤24.99 kg/m2), mechanism (contact vs noncontact) and type (high-impact sports [basketball, football, soccer, and skiing] and other sports vs not sports related) of injury, interval from injury to surgery (≤6 vs >6 weeks and ≤12 vs >12 weeks), and instability episodes (vs none).

Results:

A total of 211 lateral meniscal tears (35.3% untreated, 48.3% meniscectomized, 16.4% repaired), 197 medial meniscal tears (25% untreated, 52% meniscectomized, 23% repaired), and 82 chondral injuries occurred. Age predicted chondral injuries. Male sex predicted more lateral meniscal tears overall, untreated lateral tears, and lateral meniscectomies as well as predicting medial meniscal tears overall and medial meniscectomies. Obesity predicted more chondral injuries. Sports-related injuries predicted fewer medial meniscal tears overall and medial meniscectomies. Injuries ≤6 weeks from surgery predicted more lateral meniscal repairs but fewer medial meniscectomies. Injuries ≤12 weeks from surgery predicted more chondral injuries. More instability episodes predicted medial meniscal tears overall, untreated medial tears, medial meniscectomies, and medial repairs.

Conclusion:

Male sex predicted lateral meniscal tears and management. Male sex, sports, injuries ≤6 weeks from surgery, and preoperative episodes of instability predicted medial meniscal tears and management. Age predicted chondral injuries. This was one of the first studies to examine the number of instability episodes as a predictor of an intra-articular injury.
Global Inequities
Authors: Lee Eunjung , Johnstone Marjorie
Published: September 2013

In an era of global movement of capital, information, and workers, various groups of migrant women experience systemic exclusion and marginalization in Canada. A demand for care workers for domestic services has resulted in a Live-in Caregiver Program. An increase of marketing Canadian education internationally has brought in burgeoning numbers of international students and their accompanying mothers. Despite pervasive discourses of these phenomena as “profit or asset” to nation building in both home and host countries, the cost of globalization has been picked up by women regardless of their socioeconomic class, and their marginalization is ingrained in our legislation.
Mobile Phone Use in Africa
Authors: James Jeffrey
Published: September 2013

Traditional consumer theory assumes that welfare occurs at the point where a good is purchased, and this assumption forms a central part of standard neoclassical welfare analysis. This note argues by contrast that the use of products (including technologies) is also a fundamental determinant of the welfare effect of adopting mobile phones in developing countries. To show this, I rely on a new and detailed data set for 11 African countries and reach some important—albeit tentative—conclusions about the consequences of introducing mobile phone use into existing literatures. In particular, this variable offsets the degree of inequality measured only by adoption and reduces the digital divide as compared to the conventional measure.
Place Knowing of Persons and Populations
Authors: Thomas Elizabeth A.
Published: September 2013

Place emerges when space acquires definition in social constructions of meaning as landscape-languages, which reflect assumptions about physical and social realities. The place work of nursing, which resonated throughout Nightingale’s work and the profession’s evolution, focuses on human health and healing in the historical transitions and landscape-languages of populations. However, evidence-based practice dominated by empirical knowing inadequately addresses complex health and illness dynamics between place and populations. Translating evidence to the life course experiences of individuals and populations requires place knowing of human situated embodiment within discrete space. An exploration of the concept of place, its application to nursing, and the need for a place paradigm for practice is presented. A sense of salience and situated cognition has been identified as the essential element of the transformation needed in the education of nurses. Place knowing integrates other patterns of knowing (empirical, ethical, aesthetical, personal, unknowing, sociopolitical, and emancipatory) in a situated cognition. Place knowing, like other established patterns of knowing, is a significant epistemological foundation of nursing. Place knowing allows the nuanced intricately complex dynamics of embodied situated human health and illness to be examined, the salience of the particulars to be considered, and the whole of the landscape-languages to emerge.
The Impact of Ethnic Diversity on Participation in European Voluntary Organizations
Authors: Savelkoul Michael , Gesthuizen Maurice , Scheepers Peer
Published: September 2013

In this study, we test whether Putnam’s general claim of a negative effect of ethnic diversity holds for (active and passive) involvement in three types of voluntary organizations: leisure, interest, and activist organizations. Using data from the European Social Survey (wave 1), we applied multilevel analyses distinguishing individuals, regions, and countries. Only at the regional level, did we find that ethnic diversity reduced involvement in interest organizations. Yet, ethnic diversity induced passive involvement in activist organizations. Subsequently, we included mechanisms derived from conflict and contact theory to disentangle the indirect effects of ethnic diversity. Ethnic threat perceptions influenced participation in all voluntary associations negatively, while intergroup contact turned out to have positive influences. Our findings stress the necessity of distinguishing different types of voluntary organizations and modes of involvement and underline the importance of incorporating indirect effects of ethnic diversity.
‘The future’s bright, the future’s mobile’: a study of Apple and Google mobile application developers
Authors: Bergvall-Kåreborn Birgitta , Howcroft Debra
Published: September 2013

Software work is often depicted as a ‘sunrise occupation’, consisting of knowledge workers that are able to craft stable careers. The aim of this article is to question this account by analysing the experiences of mobile applications developers, with a focus on Apple and Google platforms. The analysis is situated in the context of wider socioeconomic trends and developments in product and technology markets, since these structures frame the working practices of software developers. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork in Sweden, the UK and the USA, the study reveals how changing market structures have given rise to increasingly precarious working conditions and unstable labour markets.