bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Transplanted Onto the Heart Surface Achieve Therapeutic Myocardial Repair Despite Immunologic Responses in Rats
Authors: Tano Nobuko , Kaneko Masahiro , Ichihara Yuki , Ikebe Chiho , Coppen Steven R. , Shiraishi Manabu , Shintani Yasunori , Yashiro Kenta , Warrens Anthony , Suzuki Ken
Published: February 2016

Background

Transplantation of allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells (
MSC
s) is a promising treatment for heart failure. We have shown that epicardial placement of cell sheets markedly increases donor cell survival and augments therapeutic effects compared with the current methods. Although immune rejection of intramyocardially injected allogeneic
MSC
s have been suggested, allogeneic
MSC
s transplanted on the heart surface (virtual space) may undergo different courses. This study aimed to elucidate immunologic response against epicardially placed allogeneic
MSC
s, rejection or acceptance of these cells, and their therapeutic effects for heart failure.

Methods and Results

At 4 weeks after coronary artery ligation, Lewis rats underwent epicardial placement of
MSC
sheets from syngeneic Lewis or allogeneic Fischer 344 rats or sham treatment. At days 3 and 10 after treatment, similar ratios (≈50% and 30%, respectively) of grafted
MSC
s survived on the heart surface in both
MSC
sheet groups. By day 28, survival of syngeneic
MSC
s was substantially reduced (8.9%); survival of allogeneic
MSC
s was more extensively reduced (0.2%), suggesting allorejection. Correspondingly, allogeneic
MSC
s were found to have evoked an immunologic response, albeit low level, as characterized by accumulation of
CD
4
+
T cells and upregulation of interleukin 6. Despite this alloimmune response, the allogeneic
MSC
sheet achieved myocardial upregulation of reparative factors, enhanced repair of the failing myocardium, and improved cardiac function to the equivalent degree observed for the syngeneic
MSC
sheet.

Conclusions

Allogeneic
MSC
s placed on the heart surface evoked an immunologic response; however, this allowed sufficient early phase donor cell survival to induce equivalent therapeutic benefits to syngeneic
MSC
s. Further development of this approach toward clinical application is warranted.
Misinterpretation of the Determinants of Elevated Forward Wave Amplitude Inflates the Role of the Proximal Aorta
Authors: Phan Timothy S. , Li John K‐J. , Segers Patrick , Chirinos Julio A.
Published: February 2016

Background

The hemodynamic basis for increased pulse pressure (
PP
) with aging remains controversial. The classic paradigm attributes a predominant role to increased pulse wave velocity (
PWV
) and premature wave reflections (
WR
s). A controversial new paradigm proposes increased forward pressure wave amplitude (
FWA
), attributed to proximal aortic characteristic impedance (Z
c
), as the predominant factor, with minor contributions from
WR
s. Based on theoretical considerations, we hypothesized that (rectified)
WR
s drive the increase in
FWA
, and that the forward pressure wave does not depend solely on the interaction between flow and Z
c
(
QZ
c product).

Methods and Results

We performed 3 substudies: (1) open‐chest anesthetized dog experiments (n=5); (2) asymmetric T‐tube model‐based study; and (3) human study in a diverse clinical population (n=193). Animal experiments demonstrated that
FWA
corresponds to peak
QZ
c only when
WR
s are minimal. As
WR
s increased,
FWA
was systematically greater than
QZ
c and peaked well after peak flow, analogous to late‐systolic peaking of pressure attributable to
WR
s. T‐tube modeling confirmed that increased/premature
WR
s resulted in increased
FWA
. Magnitude and timing of
WR
s explained 80.8% and 74.3% of the variability in the difference between
FWA
and peak
QZ
c in dog and human substudies, respectively.

Conclusions

Only in cases of minimal reflections does
FWA
primarily reveal the interaction between peak aortic flow and proximal aortic diameter/stiffness.
FWA
is strongly dependent on rectified reflections. If interpreted out of context with the hemodynamic principles of its derivation, the
FWA
paradigm inappropriately amplifies the role of the proximal aorta in elevation of
FWA
and PP.
Reduction in Kv Current Enhances the Temporal Dispersion of the Action Potential in Diabetic Myocytes: Insights From a Novel Repolarization Algorithm
Authors: Meo Marianna , Meste Olivier , Signore Sergio , Sorrentino Andrea , Cannata Antonio , Zhou Yu , Matsuda Alex , Luciani Marco , Kannappan Ramaswamy , Goichberg Polina , Leri Annarosa , Anversa Piero , Rota Marcello
Published: February 2016

Background

Diabetes is associated with prolongation of the
QT
interval of the electrocardiogram and enhanced dispersion of ventricular repolarization, factors that, together with atherosclerosis and myocardial ischemia, may promote the occurrence of electrical disorders. Thus, we tested the possibility that alterations in transmembrane ionic currents reduce the repolarization reserve of myocytes, leading to action potential (
AP
) prolongation and enhanced beat‐to‐beat variability of repolarization.

Methods and Results

Diabetes was induced in mice with streptozotocin (
STZ
), and effects of hyperglycemia on electrical properties of whole heart and myocytes were studied with respect to an untreated control group (Ctrl) using electrocardiographic recordings in vivo, ex vivo perfused hearts, and single‐cell patch‐clamp analysis. Additionally, a newly developed algorithm was introduced to obtain detailed information of the impact of high glucose on
AP
profile. Compared to Ctrl, hyperglycemia in
STZ
‐treated animals was coupled with prolongation of the
QT
interval, enhanced temporal dispersion of electrical recovery, and susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias, defects observed, in part, in the Akita mutant mouse model of type I diabetes.
AP
was prolonged and beat‐to‐beat variability of repolarization was enhanced in diabetic myocytes, with respect to Ctrl cells. Density of Kv K
+
and L‐type Ca
2+
currents were decreased in
STZ
myocytes, in comparison to cells from normoglycemic mice. Pharmacological reduction of Kv currents in Ctrl cells lengthened
AP
duration and increased temporal dispersion of repolarization, reiterating features identified in diabetic myocytes.

Conclusions

Reductions in the repolarizing K
+
currents may contribute to electrical disturbances of the diabetic heart.
Differentiation of Body Fluid Stains on Fabrics Using External Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Chemometrics
Authors: Zapata Félix , de la Ossa Ma Ángeles Fernández , García-Ruiz Carmen
Published: February 2016

Body fluids are evidence of great forensic interest due to the DNA extracted from them, which allows genetic identification of people. This study focuses on the discrimination among semen, vaginal fluid, and urine stains (main fluids in sexual crimes) placed on different colored cotton fabrics by external reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) combined with chemometrics. Semen–vaginal fluid mixtures and potential false positive substances commonly found in daily life such as soaps, milk, juices, and lotions were also studied. Results demonstrated that the IR spectral signature obtained for each body fluid allowed its identification and the correct classification of unknown stains by means of principal component analysis (PCA) and soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA). Interestingly, results proved that these IR spectra did not show any bands due to the color of the fabric and no substance of those present in daily life which were analyzed, provided a false positive.
Group projects in foundation electrical engineering courses: Do they help, harm or make no difference to the students’ learning experience?
Authors: Al-Nashash Hasan , Gunn Cindy
Published: February 2016

This paper discusses research investigating to what extent, if any, group work influences the students’ learning experience in Fundamentals of Electronics. Two classes of second year students from the College of Engineering at American University of Sharjah were involved. At least one class project is an established assignment in the class and is usually done in groups. For the purposes of this research, one class completed the project in groups and the other class completed it individually. The students were then given a short test specific to the material covered by the project. They also filled out a short survey and participated in focus group interviews to discuss their experience. The results indicate that although many of the students stated they enjoyed working in groups, a number of them admitted they did not gain a full understanding of the course material through the group work activity.
Characteristics of suicidal outpatients with mood, anxiety and somatoform disorders: The role of childhood abuse and neglect
Authors: Carlier Ingrid VE , Hovens Jacqueline GFM , Streevelaar Marion F , van Rood Yanda R , van Veen Tineke
Published: February 2016

Background:

The most prevalent psychiatric disorders are mood, anxiety and somatoform (MAS) disorders which show high mutual comorbidity, childhood trauma and elevated risk of suicidality. So far, no studies have compared suicide risk in a secondary care population with comorbid MAS disorders. This gap was taken as starting point for the study.

Aims:

In comparing suicidal and non-suicidal MAS patients, the following was examined: suicide risk in the three disorder groups, socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, occurrence of childhood trauma types and contribution of childhood trauma to suicidality.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study compared suicidal ( n = 316) versus non-suicidal comorbid MAS outpatients ( n = 929) by means of the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview Plus (MINI-Plus), Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), Short Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36), Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology–Short Form (DAPP-SF) and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ).

Results:

Compared to non-suicidal MAS patients, suicidal MAS patients mostly had mood disorders (single/comorbid), multiple diagnoses, worse functioning, more personality pathology (self-harm) and more childhood neglect and abuse.

Conclusion:

Especially (comorbid) depressed patients are at risk for suicide, and routine screening and monitoring of childhood trauma and suicidality in them are recommended, along with the timely deployment of appropriate trauma-focused psychotherapy.
Do people with bipolar disorders have access to psychosocial treatments? A survey in Italy
Authors: Barbato Angelo , Vallarino Martine , Rapisarda Filippo , Lora Antonio , Parabiaghi Alberto , D’Avanzo Barbara , Lesage Alain
Published: February 2016

Background:

Several guidelines consider psychosocial treatments an essential component of clinical management of bipolar disorders in addition to drug therapy. However, to what extent such interventions are available in everyday practice to the average patient attending mental health services is not known.

Aims:

This study aims to investigate access of people with bipolar disorders to psychosocial treatments in a community-based care system.

Method:

Information on care delivery and service utilization were retrieved from the psychiatric database of Lombardy, Italy, covering a population of 9,743,000, for all adults who had at least one contact in 2009 with psychiatric services. Rates of patients with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder who had access to individual psychotherapy, couple/family therapy, group psychotherapy and family interventions were calculated and compared to patients with schizophrenia and depression.

Results:

A total of 8,899 subjects with bipolar disorder had been in contact with psychiatric services, corresponding to a treated annual prevalence rate of 1.1‰. More than 80% of patients were treated in community settings. Rates of patients receiving structured psychosocial treatments ranged from 0.7% for couple/family therapy to 6.1% for individual psychotherapy. No differences with patients with schizophrenia and depression were found. Patients with schizophrenia received more interventions labeled as rehabilitation.

Conclusion:

Few people with bipolar disorders had access to psychosocial treatments. Even in a well-developed system of community care, offer of psychosocial interventions for bipolar disorders is inadequate. This issue should be a target for future research on dissemination and implementation strategies.
Strengthening mechanisms of (Al3Zrmp + ZrB2np)/AA5052 hybrid composites
Authors: Gautam G , Kumar N , Mohan A , Gautam RK , Mohan S
Published: February 2016

To establish the correlation between grain size, dislocations, dispersed particles (size and vol.%) along with their solid solution strengthening effects in alloy and combined effect of all on the strengthening of advanced composite materials (Al3Zrmp + ZrB2np)/AA5052 hybrid composites have been selected for the investigation. (Al3Zrmp + ZrB2np)/AA5052 hybrid composites have been synthesized by the direct melt reaction of AA5052 alloy and inorganic salts (K2ZrF6 and KBF4). These composites have been characterised by X-ray diffractometer, optical microscopy, scanning-electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, transmission-electron microscopy, tensile and hardness test. Results indicate the successful formation of second phase reinforcement particles namely Al3Zr and ZrB2 in the AA5052 alloy matrix. Al3Zr particles exhibit rectangular and polyhedron morphology within an average of micron size while ZrB2 show hexagonal and rectangular within an average of nano size. Grain refinement of Al-rich phase observed in the composites, increases with increasing vol.% of reinforcement particles. TEM observation shows the presence of dislocations in the composite matrix which help to improve the strength parameters. Tensile results show the improvement in strength parameters which improve with the increasing amount of particles whereas percentage elongation also improves up to certain vol.% of particles and beyond that decrease. However, bulk hardness shows an increasing trend continuously with vol.% of particles. The strengthening mechanisms, namely dislocation, Orowan, grain-refined and solid solution are quantified for the hybrid (Al3Zrmp + ZrB2np)/AA5052 composites and the total of above are in agreement with experimental results. Solid-solution and Orowan are the predominant strengthening mechanisms in the composites.
Music Programs in Charter and Traditional Schools
Authors: Kelley Jamey , Demorest Steven M.
Published: February 2016

Since the arrival of the first charter school in Minnesota in 1991, charter schools have become one of the largest movements in educational reform. In recent years, research has emerged that has compared the effectiveness of charter schools with their traditional school counterparts. The purpose of this study was to compare the extent of music offerings between charter schools and traditional public schools in the same urban district and geographic location within the city. Results indicated that while all schools in the sample offered significantly less music than national averages, significantly more charter schools offered music during the school day. Charter schools were more likely to offer traditional music (band, choir, orchestra) as electives. Schools with music programs, regardless of school type, had higher test scores and higher attendance rates even when controlling for differences in socioeconomic status between music and non music schools. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the charter school movement, arts education policy, and suggestions for future research.
Meso-scale modeling of residential and business locations
Authors: Zünd Daniel , Woodbury Robert , Schmit Gerhard
Published: February 2016

Worldwide, cities are growing and consequently becoming more complex. It is difficult to understand the possible impacts of policy, planning and design options to urban systems. We present a modeling framework that enables fast feedback on proposed interventions. The proposed framework models residential and business agglomerations in the meso-scale and allows full control on any stage of the modeling and simulation process. At its core is a spatial distance network sub-model that captures distances between sub-areas. Each sub-area is represented through a maximum likelihood equilibrium model of residences and firms. In practical terms this supports exploring many possibilities within the short time frames typically available in planning processes. We have implemented the framework and demonstrate our implementation with both abstract data and data from the city of Zürich.
A novel method to bind soybean protein onto the surface of poly(ethylene terephthalate) fabric
Authors: Zhou Jianfeng , Zheng Dandan , Zhang Fengxiu , Zhang Guangxian
Published: February 2016

In this study, –NH2 groups were introduced to a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabric to make the fabric hydrophilic and, then, soybean protein was bonded on the surface of the modified PET fabric to obtain a soybean protein/PET composite fabric. The –NH2 groups allowed the soybean protein to be firmly bonded on the surface of the modified PET fabric. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the surface of each modified PET fiber had a small number of grooves and that there was a thin film on each soybean protein/PET fiber. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectra demonstrated that the nitrated and reduced PET fibers were introduced –NH2 groups and that there were –CO–NH– groups on the surface of soybean protein/PET fibers. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses showed that there was a nitrogen element on the modified PET fibers. The X-ray diffraction patterns suggested that the crystal structures of the modified fibers did not change significantly during the modification processes. The thermogravimetry results showed that the thermal stability of soybean protein/PET fiber kept well. The wearability tests indicated that the breaking strength and elasticity of the original fabric were well retained by the modified fabrics. The soybean protein/PET fabric had good levels of hydrophilicity and softness when the binding rate was below 3.0%.
Geometrical modeling of tubular braided structures using generalized rose curve
Authors: Ning Fanggang , Potluri Prasad , Yu Weidong , Hearle John
Published: February 2016

This paper reports a geometrical modeling technique for tubular braided structures based on the generalized rose curve as the mathematical model. By analysis of the braiding process, the modeling method for the tubular braided structures is derived based on the intersection of braiding surface and helical surface. As application of this method, braided structures of diamond braid, regular braid and Hercules braid with strands and tapes are simulated using SolidWorks®, and the modeling effect is validated by two different real braided ropes with different braiding elements. This modeling method is not confined by the profiles of mandrels, and could be employed to simulate the braided structures for overbraiding bodies with varying cross-sections. As an application, braided models overbraiding a rotary hyperboloid and a bottle-like structure with strand and tape elements, respectively, are constructed.
SOX Disclosure and the Effect of Internal Controls on Executive Compensation
Authors: Paletta Angelo , Alimehmeti Genc
Published: February 2016

We study the organizational impact of internal control systems, by examining 1,593 firms with 15,606 executives over 2002-2010. We find that internal control systems explain a significant amount of executive and, in particular, CFO compensation, after controlling for other governance, executive personal characteristics, firm, and macroeconomic determinants of pay. Moreover, the negative relationship between pay and internal control systems suggests that executives operating in firms with ineffective internal control systems earn greater compensation. The results of the longitudinal analysis suggest that firms with ineffective internal control systems have greater agency problems and, consequently, greater levels of executive compensation. The CEO pay shows a nonsignificant relationship with internal control systems.
Democracy, women’s rights, and public opinion in Tunisia
Authors: Brym Robert , Andersen Robert
Published: February 2016

The Arab Spring demonstrated that public opinion can powerfully affect the region’s political life. Tunisia is particularly important in this regard; it is the Arab country where democracy has taken firmest root and is therefore of enormous geopolitical significance insofar as it can serve as a model for other countries in the region. This article assesses the state of Tunisian democracy using data from a 2015 survey of 1580 Tunisian adults. It finds that most of the country’s citizens are ambivalent or skeptical about the Arab Spring’s benefits, while support for freedom of speech has weakened in recent years. A multivariate analysis assesses the impact of socio-demographic factors and support for women’s rights (key to the entrenchment of democracy in Tunisia) on democratic attitudes. It is concluded that, while Tunisia’s political record to date provides grounds for cautiously forecasting that democracy will endure, its path is unlikely to be easy.
‘Flexible bio-citizenship’ and international medical travel: Transnational mobilities for care in Asia
Authors: Whittaker Andrea , Leng Chee Heng
Published: February 2016

International medical travel (IMT) challenges the notion of health care as a responsibility of a nation-state to its citizens, tied to the territory of a nation-state. As patients travel for medical care, they invoke not territorialised notions of citizenship, but make new claims. In this article, the authors propose the term ‘flexible bio-citizenship’ that extends the notion of ‘flexible citizenship’ to describe transnational mobilities for the accumulation of biovalue. They argue that people who travel for medical care come from a variety of backgrounds, identities and circumstances for whom the physical and economic ability to travel and cross borders is a form of flexible social capital enabling them to access levels of care otherwise inaccessible to them. The article explores the implications upon citizenship for a diverse range of people who travel for their health care: from highly mobile cosmopolitan professional expatriate workers, regional border crossers, migrant workers, those who cannot afford care at home, patients whose status makes treatments unavailable, and outsourced patients forced to travel for care. Their mobility allows them to gain biovalue but also alters their citizenship relationships and perspectives.
Mesmerized by Enlargement
Authors: Lightfoot Simon , Szent-Iványi Balázs , Wolczuk Kataryna
Published: February 2016

The accession of the East-Central European (ECE) countries carried a promise of enhancing and enriching the EU’s Eastern policy. The new member states had the strongest interests among EU member states to ensure that countries in the East are prosperous, stable, and democratic. Yet, the EU’s Eastern policy has been largely criticised for its ineffectiveness. So why have they not been able to address the shortcomings in the EU’s Eastern policies? The article argues that the ECE countries supported the way the EU’s Eastern policies were conceived and implemented because they saw it as a potent vehicle to promote their own transition experience not only in the region but also within the EU. We argue that the ECE states have experienced three types of challenges when promoting their transition experience. First, uploading to the EU level remained largely at a rhetorical level. Second, there are conceptual and practical difficulties in defining what constitutes transition experience and harnessing it, as well as coordinating its transfer between the ECE states. Finally, while using transition experience as the basis for their development assistance strategies, the ECE countries actually insufficiently conceptualised the “development” aspect in these policies. Being so driven by their own experience, they have not drawn the lessons from enlargement to use in a non-accession context, especially by incorporating the broader lessons with regard to development.
Student Diversity Augments Studying Sustainability in Higher Education
Authors: Dan Nguyen Linh , Mino Takashi
Published: February 2016

Since 2000, and especially during the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD 2005–2014), many universities have begun offering educational programmes on sustainability. Over this span, the level and type of diversity among students have only increased. This begs the question: How does university student diversity affect sustainability education? What is productive and confounding about learners’ cultural and academic heterogeneity? This research draws on a literature review, a survey of university students studying sustainability in Japan and an observational study. The results demonstrate that interaction between students from different cultures and disciplines clearly improves skills for sustainability education, especially critical thinking and problem solving. Moreover, the surveyed students expressed interest in and appreciation of opportunities to expose their sustainability research themes to audiences of various research fields.
Contested terrain and terrain that contests: Donald Trump, golf’s environmental politics, and a challenge to anthropocentrism in Physical Cultural Studies
Authors: Millington Brad , Wilson Brian
Published: February 2016

This article focuses on the case of Trump International Golf Links, Scotland (TIGLS), a golf course in Aberdeenshire that opened in 2012 after a lengthy and contentious application and development phase. Herein, we draw from a larger study of golf and the environment with the aim of assessing both the TIGLS case in itself and its implications for the study of sport/physical culture in general. The TIGLS case on the one hand provides an empirical example of the concept of ‘environmental managerialism’ – which is to say it exemplifies how governments, even with an ostensible commitment to sustainability in place, can still give approval to environmentally impactful development projects. It also provides an empirical example of a new social movement at work. Once the TIGLS development earned government approval, it was met by opposition during the construction phase by a group called ‘Tripping Up Trump’. On the other hand, we use the TIGLS case as a platform for a broader research commentary, one focused especially on the recently emergent Physical Cultural Studies (PCS) literature. Our contention at this time is that PCS as thus far conceived is anthropocentric in its scope; the important and necessary role that non-humans play in physical cultural contexts has largely been overlooked. We call for further consideration of how ‘new materialist’ perspectives can inform research on sport and other dimensions of physical culture.
Episode-Based Approaches to Measuring Health Care Quality
Authors: Hussey Peter S. , Friedberg Mark W. , Anhang Price Rebecca , Lovejoy Susan L. , Damberg Cheryl L.
Published: February 2016

Most currently available quality measures reflect point-in-time provider tasks, providing a limited and fragmented assessment of care. The concept of episodes of care could be used to develop quality measurement approaches that reflect longer periods of care. With input from clinical experts, we constructed episode-of-care frameworks for six illustrative conditions and identified potential gaps and measure development priority areas. Episode-based measures could assess changes in health outcomes (“delta measures”), the amount of time during an episode in which a patient has suboptimal health status (“integral measures”), quality contingent upon events occurring previously (“contingent measures”), and composites of measures throughout the episode. This article identifies a number of challenges that will need to be addressed to advance operationalization of episode-based quality measurement.
Assessing Regional Cooperation in Water Services
Authors: Kurki Vuokko , Pietilä Pekka , Katko Tapio
Published: February 2016

Water services, that is, water supply and wastewater disposal, are traditionally the responsibility of local governments. Many municipalities have joined forces to meet the challenges of increasing water quality requirements, aging infrastructures, and decreasing fiscal resources. Regional cooperation is claimed to generate benefits in various ways, but there are challenges to this assumption. This article assesses the benefits and challenges of regional cooperation through the following categories: economies of scale, socioeconomic and spatial disparities, autonomy and legitimacy, by comparing Finnish experiences with previous research findings. Our assessment concludes that the benefits and challenges of regional cooperation are not straightforward, not only dependent on the local context but also on the level and tradition of cooperation, especially on the degree of organizational autonomy.
The Right to the Citi(zen)
Authors: Bengtsson Stina
Published: February 2016

Following the publication of Henri Lefebvre’s book Le Droit à la ville (1968), a debate has emerged regarding the neoliberal takeover of urban spaces and activism. Nonetheless, in the past 10 years, we have seen the continuous expansion of public space via social networking media and, today, most public institutions in Western states use social networking sites to communicate with their “citizens.” Although there are many serious problems associated with this takeover, little has been said about them so far. In this article, I address the contribution of The right to the city to this debate by analyzing a public institution which tried to establish communication with its “citizens” in an urban space in a virtual world. My analysis concludes that the users of this new media platform did not regard themselves as citizens when they were dwelling in this urban space online, but instead saw themselves as the consumers they were addressed as in this environment.
Imagining Shared Space
Authors: Chakravarty Surajit , Hwee-Hwa Chan Felicity
Published: February 2016

Murals have long been used in communities to express solidarity and voice political opinions. As neighborhoods become increasingly diverse, complex economic and political motivations emerge for making murals that reflect new claims and contests over space. Focusing on recently designated ethnic “-towns” in the Greater Los Angeles area, the study finds that murals reveal multiple narratives and motives, including negotiations over space, identity, place-branding, and border-making as well as interethnic competition and reconciliation. It is argued that understanding the evolving functions and multivalent potentials of murals is critical for the success of place making and community planning. In particular, we draw attention to the trend of businesses and local government agencies using murals to make statements on identity and intercultural relations.
Control from within: How soldiers control the military
Authors: Levy Yagil
Published: February 2016

This article attempts to fill a gap in the literature about civilian control by presenting the concept of control from within the military and investigating its determinants. Control from within is the intentional action taken by soldiers tasked with missions with which they disagree in an attempt to affect how the military implements politically based directives. The forms of control from within include restraining the aggressiveness of other soldiers, whistle-blowing, selective and gray refusal to deploy, foot-dragging, collective bargaining about deployments, and documentation and testimonies. By drawing on the cases of the US and Israeli militaries, I argue that the interplay of two variables determines the choice made by soldiers tasked with missions with which they disagree: the level of presence of potentially subversive soldiers belonging to the same social group; and the group’s social status within and outside the military. These variables are strongly affected by the type of manpower system. Under conscription, both variables exert a powerful effect, encouraging the exercising of control from within. In contrast, a volunteer system reduces the influence of the two variables, so control from within is more restricted, and dissatisfied soldiers may favor other forms of action with a limited impact on military policies.
The impact of Islam and the public and political portrayals of Islam on child-rearing practices—Discursive analyses of parental accounts among Muslims living in Denmark
Authors: Dalgaard Nina T
Published: February 2016

With the rise of Islamist terrorist attacks in the US and Europe the impact of Islam on child-rearing practices has become a matter of public attention and debate. Within the political discourse in the Western world and in the mass media, Muslims are often being portrayed negatively. Research has documented how Muslims living in the West are adversely affected by the negative portrayals of Islam associated with the War on Terror. The aim of the present study was to explore the impact of Islam on child-rearing practices and parental identity formation among self-identified Muslims in Denmark. Using a discursive approach to analyzing interviews with parents in 29 Middle Eastern refugee families, six rhetorical strategies were identified: (1) minimizing differences, (2) highlighting compatibility, (3) emphasizing positive aspects of Islam, (4) countering common prejudice, (5) actively distancing oneself from terrorists/extremists, and (6) separating Islam as a religion from cultural traditions. It is argued that the global as well as national political discourse post 9/11 is reflected in all of the six rhetorical strategies. Whether parents position themselves as having a high or low bicultural identity or a Muslim parental identity, their positioning involves drawing on the discursive resources from the mass media, the global and national political and public discourse. Furthermore, it is argued that all rhetorical strategies can be seen as attempts to counter the hurt associated with the negative portrayal of Islam.
A question of pathology: Attachment patterns, object relations, and a disorder of the self within the rock opera TOMMY
Authors: Daniels Graeme
Published: February 2016

This article observes the 50th anniversary of The Who with a psychodynamic analysis of their landmark rock opera Tommy. Applying object relations theory, attachment, and trauma research, the article casts the opera as an illustration of instinct and insecure attachments, exacerbated by childhood trauma, culminating in an adult relational style that suggests schizoid and narcissistic personality features. The article offers an overview of object relations theory, attachment patterns, pertinent object relations units, serving as a potential teaching tool in keeping with the tradition of bibliotherapy, or its derivative discipline, cinematherapy. The article pays particular attention to the influence of distorted parent/child communication in the development of pathology.
Toward a cultural psychology of mental disorder: The case of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Brinkmann Svend
Published: February 2016

Cultural psychology is now a significant approach in many areas of psychology. However, today’s cultural psychology has little to say about mental disorder, which is otherwise a key theme in psychology as such. Most theorizing on mental disorder has historically been dominated by psychodynamic, cognitivist, and behaviorist schools, and more recently by the neurosciences. This article tentatively articulates an approach to the very idea of mental disorder from a cultural psychological perspective. It is argued that cultural psychology has the potentials to develop a comprehensive understanding of mental disorder that combines awareness of the brain and body with sociocultural norms and practices without reducing mental disorder to either of these. In that sense, it may steer a course between essentialist models of psychopathology on the one hand, and radical social constructionist ones on the other. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults is referred to as an illustrative example, but the theory presented here has more general ambitions.
The pervasive power of political positioning: A review of Culture & Political Psychology
Authors: Carriere Kevin R
Published: February 2016

Magioglou brought together a host of researchers to examine the lay political thought that an individual deals with at a daily basis. The authors provide a very sound foundation of what can be understood and learned from a societal examination of political psychology. The work models out various ways to conceptualize the individual trying to make meaning of social order, and its methodological and theoretical contributions should be praised by both political scientists and psychologists alike. This work triangulates around notions that seem at first to divide the individual—right and wrong, self and other—and show the unification of them through the interactions of power and values. In this way, this work has extended the discourse of political psychology by positing the individual not simply as a citizen, but as a powerful player whose meaning-making continually shapes the social order one acts within.
Volumetry and biomechanical parameters detected by 3D and 2D ultrasound in patients with and without an abdominal aortic aneurysm
Authors: Batagini Nayara Cioffi , Ventura Carlos Augusto Pinto , Raghavan Madhavan L , Chammas Maria Cristina , Tachibana Adriano , da Silva Erasmo Simão
Published: February 2016

The objective was to demonstrate the ability of ultrasound (US) with 3D properties to evaluate volumetry and biomechanical parameters of the aorta in patients with and without abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Thirty-one patients with normal aortas (group 1), 46 patients with AAA measuring 3.0–5.5 cm (group 2) and 31 patients with AAA ⩾ 5.5 cm (group 3) underwent a 2D/3D-US examination of the infra-renal aorta, and the images were post-processed prior to being analyzed. In the maximum diameter, the global circumferential strain and the global maximum rotation assessed by 2D speckle-tracking algorithms were compared among the three groups. The volumetry data obtained using 3D-US from 40 AAA patients were compared with the volumetry data obtained by a contemporary computed tomography (CT) scan. The median global circumferential strain was 2.0% (interquartile range (IR): 1.0–3.0), 1.0% (IR: 1.0–2.0) and 1.0% (IR: 1.0–1.75) in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively ( p < 0.001). The median global maximum rotation decreased progressively from group 1 to group 3 (1.38º (IR: 0.77–2.13), 0.80º (IR: 0.57–1.0) and 0.50º (IR: 0.31–0.75), p < 0.001). AAA volume estimations by 3D-US correlated well with CT ( R2 = 0.76). In conclusion, US with 3D properties is non-invasive and has the potential to evaluate volumetry and biomechanical characteristics of AAA.
Inferences Made Easy
Authors: Dancey Logan , Sheagley Geoffrey
Published: February 2016

This article investigates whether constituents are able to accurately infer their senators’ votes when the senator frequently votes against the party line. We find that when senators repeatedly vote against the party line, constituents’ ability to correctly identify their senators’ votes drops precipitously while levels of misinformation rise. We then show that citizens represented by senators who tend to vote against the party line are also less able to connect their policy positions with their evaluations of those senators. These findings indicate that there is substantial variation across senators in the ability of their constituents to hold them accountable for their votes while in office. Constituents simply know less about the positions taken by moderate senators and have a harder time aligning their levels of policy agreement with a senator with their evaluation of that senator if she frequently votes against her party.
Resources, Aspirations, and Emerging Multinationals
Authors: Xie En , Huang Yuanyuan , Peng Mike W. , Zhuang Guijun
Published: February 2016

Drawing on the resource-based view and the behavioral theory of the firm, we examine how resources and aspirations affect rapid internationalization of firms from emerging economies. Using a 5-year panel from 257 publicly listed manufacturing firms from China, we find that neither technological resources nor marketing resources—two knowledge-based drivers traditionally identified to be behind internationalization—directly drive these firms’ growth in internationalization. Instead, we find that emerging multinationals’ performance relative to aspirations has a U-shaped impact on their growth in internationalization. In addition, technological resources amplify the U-shaped effect of performance relative to aspirations, while marketing resources weaken the effect.
Making News, Making the Economy: Technological Changes and Financial Pressures in Brazil
Authors: Undurraga Tomás
Published: February 2016

Media convergence and growing financial pressure on the journalistic field have triggered significant changes in newsmaking cultures across the world. This article examines the challenges of media convergence in the newsroom of Valor Econômico, the main economic newspaper in Brazil. In particular, it explores how the introduction in 2013 of Valor Pro, a real time news service oriented to the financial market, changed newsmaking practices at Valor Econômico. The introduction of Valor Pro meant that journalists from the whole newsroom had to report news simultaneously for three platforms: the real time service, the online website and the printed paper. This shift not only intensified journalists’ workloads and altered the manufacture of news, but also increased financial pressure on the paper’s agenda. I argue that this shift – from producing news for the public towards producing news for the market – cannot be explained solely with reference to traditional political economic factors such as ideological decisions at editorial level and the structural properties of the Brazilian media sphere. Instead, drawing on resources from cultural sociology and from science and technology studies, I provide a richer explanation that acknowledges the impact of technological innovation, the shifting nature of news values, and the agency of journalists themselves. This article elaborates on seven months of ethnographic fieldwork in Valor Econômico’s newsroom in São Paulo between 2013 and 2015 and contributes to the literature on cultural sociology, media studies and science and technology studies.
Natural history and factors associated with ulnar-sided wrist pain in distal radial fractures treated by plate fixation
Authors: Kim J. K. , Kim D. J. , Yun Y.
Published: February 2016

We documented longitudinal changes in the incidence of ulnar-sided wrist pain after distal radial fractures treated by plate fixation and identified factors associated with ulnar-sided wrist pain. A total of 140 patients were enrolled in this study. Radiographs were taken 3 months after operation, and were used to measure radial inclination, anterior angulation and ulnar variance, and to identify the presence of an ulnar styloid fracture. Clinical assessments at the same time included grip strengths, ranges of wrist motion and the patient-rated wrist evaluation questionnaire. The presence of ulnar-sided wrist pain was noted at each follow-up visit. The incidence of ulnar-sided wrist pain decreased significantly with time after surgery (22 patients at 3 months, 11 patients at 6 months and three patients at 12 months). The mean age, sex, the presence of an ulnar styloid fracture and the classification of the distal radial fracture were not factors that were associated with a higher incidence of ulnar-sided wrist pain, but there was an association between higher patient-rated wrist evaluation scores and the presence of ulnar-sided wrist pain.

Level of evidence: Prognosis, Level IV
Asymmetric six-strand core sutures enhance tendon fatigue strength and the optimal asymmetry
Authors: Kozono N. , Okada T. , Takeuchi N. , Hanada M. , Shimoto T. , Iwamoto Y.
Published: February 2016

Under cyclic loading, we recorded the fatigue strength of a six-strand tendon repair with different symmetry in the lengths of suture purchase in two stumps of 120 dental rolls and in 30 porcine tendons. First, the strengths of the repairs with 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mm asymmetry were screened using the dental rolls. The asymmetric core suture repairs were then made with a Kessler repair of equal suture purchase (10 mm) in two tendon stumps, and shifting two other Kessler repairs by 1, 3 or 5 mm, respectively, along the longitudinal axis of the tendon in relation to the first (symmetric) Kessler repair. The core repairs with 3 mm or more asymmetry in suture purchases in two tendon ends showed significantly greater fatigue strength and significantly smaller gaps compared with 1 mm asymmetry in core suture repair. Our results support that asymmetric placement of core sutures in two tendon ends favour resisting gapping at the repair site and 3 mm or more asymmetry is needed to produce such beneficial effects.
Protesting the Paradigm
Authors: Shahin Saif , Zheng Pei , Sturm Heloisa Aruth , Fadnis Deepa
Published: February 2016

This study assesses the scope and applicability of the “protest paradigm” in non-Western contexts by examining the news coverage of Brazilian, Chinese, and Indian protests in their domestic media. Two publications from each nation, one conservative and one progressive, are content analyzed for adherence to a series of marginalization devices that have often been used by the U.S. media to ridicule protest movements and portray them as violent. The Indian media emerge as the least likely to follow the protest paradigm, while Brazilian and Chinese media conform to it in moderate levels. Comparative analysis suggests the historical legitimacy of informal power negotiations in a political culture makes news media more willing to take protesters seriously and limits adherence to the protest paradigm. In contrast, a news organization’s ideological affiliation with the government of the day, rather than any ideology per se, makes it relatively more likely to conform to the protest paradigm. Marginalization devices such as circus, appearance, and eyewitness accounts are rarely used in any of these nations. But disparity of sources, (non)reference to protesters’ causes and violence, and violence blame appear to be abiding features of news coverage of protests everywhere.