The mobilising effect of political choice

Political choice is central to citizens’ participation in elections. Nonetheless, little is known about the individual-level mechanisms that link political choice and turnout. It is argued in this article that turnout decisions are shaped not only by the differences between the parties (party polarisation), but also by the closeness of parties to citizens’ own ideological position (congruence), and that congruence matters more in polarised systems where more is at stake. Analysing cross-national survey data from 80 elections, it is found that both polarisation and congruence have a mobilising effect, but that polarisation moderates the effect of congruence on turnout. To further explore the causal effect of political choice, the arrival of a new radical right-wing party in Germany, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), is leveraged and the findings show that the presence of the AfD had a mobilising effect, especially for citizens with congruent views

A motion-based approach to abdominal clutter reduction

In ultrasound images, clutter is a noise artifact most easily observed in anechoic or hypoechoic regions. It appears as diffuse echoes overlying anatomical structures of diagnostic importance, obscuring tissue borders and reducing image contrast. A novel clutter reduction method for abdominal images is proposed, wherein the abdominal wall is displaced during successive-frame image acquisitions. A region of clutter distal to the abdominal wall was observed to move with the abdominal wall, and finite impulse response (FIR) and blind source separation (BSS) motion filters were implemented to reduce this clutter. The proposed clutter reduction method was tested in simulated and phantom data and applied to fundamental and harmonic in vivo bladder and liver images from 2 volunteers. Results show clutter reductions ranging from 0 to 18 dB in FIR-filtered images and 9 to 27 dB in BSS-filtered images. The contrast-to-noise ratio was improved by 21 to 68% and 44 to 108% in FIR- and BSS-filtered images, respectively. Improvements in contrast ranged from 4 to 12 dB. The method shows promise for reducing clutter in other abdominal images

TITAN's Digital RFQ Ion Beam Cooler and Buncher, Operation and Performance

We present a description of the Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) ion trap built as part of the TITAN facility. It consists of a gas-filled, segmented, linear Paul trap and is the first stage of the TITAN setup with the purpose of cooling and bunching radioactive ion beams delivered from ISAC-TRIUMF. This is the first such device to be driven digitally, i.e., using a high voltage ($V_{pp} = \rm{400 \, V}$), wide bandwidth ($0.2 < f < 1.2 \, \rm{MHz}$) square-wave as compared to the typical sinusoidal wave form. Results from the commissioning of the device as well as systematic studies with stable and radioactive ions are presented including efficiency measurements with stable $^{133}$Cs and radioactive $^{124, 126}$Cs. A novel and unique mode of operation of this device is also demonstrated where the cooled ion bunches are extracted in reverse mode, i.e., in the same direction as previously injected.Comment: 34 pages, 17 figure

Impact of the Nordic Arthroplasty Register Association (NARA) collaboration on demographics, methods and revision rates in knee arthroplasty: a register-based study from NARA 2000–2017

Background and purpose: We have previously observed differences in treatment and outcome of knee arthroplasties in the Nordic countries. To evaluate the impact of Nordic collaboration in the last 15 years we aimed to compare patient demographics, methods, and revision rates in primary knee arthroplasties among the 4 Nordic countries.Patients and methods: We included 535,051 primary knee arthroplasties reported 2000-2017 from the Nordic Arthroplasty Register Association (NARA) database. Kaplan-Meier analysis (KM) and restricted mean survival time (RMST) analysis were used to evaluate the cumulative revision rate (CRR) and RMST estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and to compare countries in relation to risk of revision for any reason.Results: After 2010, the increase in incidence of knee arthroplasty plateaued in Sweden and Denmark but continued to increase in Finland and Norway. In 2017 the incidence was highest in Finland with 226 per 105 person-years, while it was less than 150 per 105 in the 3 other Nordic countries. In total knee arthroplasties performed for osteoarthritis (OA), overall CRR at 15 years for revision due to any reason was higher in Denmark (CRR 9.6%, 95% CI 9.2-10), Norway (CRR 9.1%, CI 8.7-9.5), and Finland (CRR 7.0%, CI 6.8-7.3) compared with Sweden (CRR 6.6%, CI 6.4-6.8). There were differences among the countries in use of implant brand and type, fixation, patellar component, and use of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.Interpretation: We evinced a slowing growth of incidence of knee arthroplasties in the Nordic countries after 2010 with Finland having the highest incidence. We also noted substantial differences among the 4 Nordic countries, with Sweden having a lower risk of revision than the other countries. No impact of NARA could be demonstrated and CRR did not improve over time.</p

Partial-wave analysis of the eta pi+ pi- system produced in the reaction pi-p --> eta pi+ pi- n at 18 GeV/c

A partial-wave analysis of 9082 eta pi+ pi- n events produced in the reaction pi- p --> eta pi+ pi- n at 18.3 GeV/c has been carried out using data from experiment 852 at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The data are dominated by J^{PC} = 0^{-+} partial waves consistent with observation of the eta(1295) and the eta(1440). The mass and width of the eta(1295) were determined to be 1282 +- 5 MeV and 66 +- 13 Mev respectively while the eta(1440) was observed with a mass of 1404 +- 6 MeV and width of 80 +- 21 MeV. Other partial waves of importance include the 1++ and the 1+- waves. Results of the partial wave analysis are combined with results of other experiments to estimate f1(1285) branching fractions. These values are considerably different from current values determined without the aid of amplitude analyses.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figure

Correction of pathology in mice displaying Gaucher disease type 1 by a clinically-applicable lentiviral vector

Gaucher disease type 1 (GD1) is an inherited lysosomal disorder with multisystemic effects in patients. Hallmark symptoms include hepatosplenomegaly, cytopenias, and bone disease with varying degrees of severity. Mutations in a single gene, glucosidase beta acid 1 (GBA1), are the underlying cause for the disorder, resulting in insufficient activity of the enzyme glucocerebrosidase, which in turn leads to a progressive accumulation of the lipid component glucocerebroside. In this study, we treat mice with signs consistent with GD1, with hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells transduced with a lentiviral vector containing an RNA transcript that, after reverse transcription, results in codon-optimized cDNA that, upon its integration into the genome encodes for functional human glucocerebrosidase. Five months after gene transfer, a highly significant reduction in glucocerebroside accumulation with subsequent reversal of hepatosplenomegaly, restoration of blood parameters, and a tendency of increased bone mass and density was evident in vector-treated mice compared to non-treated controls. Furthermore, histopathology revealed a prominent reduction of Gaucher cell infiltration after gene therapy. The vector displayed an oligoclonal distribution pattern but with no sign of vector-induced clonal dominance and a typical lentiviral vector integration profile. Cumulatively, our findings support the initiation of the first clinical trial for GD1 using the lentiviral vector described here.Medical Biochemistr

Anisotropy in mechanical properties and fracture behavior of an oxide dispersion Fe20Cr5Al alloy

Anisotropy of fracture toughness and fracture behavior of Fe20Cr5Al oxide dispersion-strengthened alloy has been investigated by means of compression tests, hardness tests, and wedge splitting test. The results show a small effect of the compression direction on yield strength (YS) and strain hardening. The YS is minimum for longitudinal direction and maximum for the tangential direction. The transverse plastic strain ratio is similar for tangential and longitudinal directions but very different from that in normal direction. Hardness depends on the indentation plane; it is lower for any plane parallel to the L-T plane and of similar magnitude for the other orthogonal planes, i.e., the L-S and T-S planes. Macroscopically, two failure modes have been observed after wedge-splitting tests, those of LS and TS specimens in which fracture deviates along one or two branches normal to the notch plane, and those of LT, TL, SL, and ST specimens in which fracture propagates along the notch plane. Besides LT and TL specimens present delaminations parallel to L-T plane. Both, the fracture surface of branching cracks and that of the delaminations, show an intergranular brittle fracture appearance. It is proposed that the main cause of the delamination and crack branching is the alignment in the mesoscopic scale of the ultrafine grains structure which is enhanced by the 〈110〉- texture of the material and by the presence in the grain boundaries of both yttria dispersoids and impurity contaminations. An elastoplastic finite element analysis was performed to study what stress state is the cause of the branches and delaminations. It is concluded that the normal to the crack branches and/or the shear stress components could determine the crack bifurcation mechanism, whereas the delamination it seems that it is controlled by the magnitude of the stress component normal to the delamination plane. © The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International 2014.Peer Reviewe

Perceptions of 'coming out' among British Muslim gay men

The cultural processes of heteronormativity and compulsory heterosexuality are acutely active within Islamic societies. The present study explored perceptions of 'coming out' among a group of British Muslim gay men (BMGM), focussing upon the potential consequences for identity processes and psychological well-being. Ten BMGM of Pakistani descent were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. Interview transcripts were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis and informed by identity process theory. Four superordinate themes are reported, including (1) 'social representational constraints upon "coming out"'; (2) ' "coming out": a source of shame and a threat to distinctiveness'; (3) 'fear of physical violence from ingroup members'; and (4) 'foreseeing the future: "coming out" as a coping strategy'. Data suggest that BMGM face a bi-dimensional homophobia from ethno-religious ingroup members and the general population, which can render the prospect of 'coming out' threatening for identity. Theoretical and practical implications of this research are discussed

Glucosylated cholesterol in mammalian cells and tissues: formation and degradation by multiple cellular β-glucosidases

The membrane lipid glucosylceramide (GlcCer) is continuously formed and degraded. Cells express two GlcCer-degrading β-glucosidases, GBA and GBA2, located in and outside the lysosome, respectively. Here we demonstrate that through transglucosylation both GBA and GBA2 are able to catalyze in vitro the transfer of glucosyl-moieties from GlcCer to cholesterol, and vice versa. Furthermore, the natural occurrence of 1-O-cholesteryl-β-D-glucopyranoside (GlcChol) in mouse tissues and human plasma is demonstrated using LC-MS/MS and 13C6-labelled GlcChol as internal standard. In cells the inhibition of GBA increases GlcChol, whereas inhibition of GBA2 decreases glucosylated sterol. Similarly, in GBA2-deficient mice GlcChol is reduced. Depletion of GlcCer by inhibition of GlcCer synthase decreases GlcChol in cells and likewise in plasma of inhibitor-treated Gaucher disease patients. In tissues of mice with Niemann-Pick type C, a condition characterized by intralysosomal accumulation of cholesterol, marked elevations in GlcChol occur as well. When lysosomal accumulation of cholesterol is induced in cultured cells, GlcChol is formed via lysosomal GBA. This illustrates that reversible transglucosylation reactions are highly dependent on local availability of suitable acceptors. In conclusion, mammalian tissues contain GlcChol formed by transglucosylation through β-glucosidases using GlcCer as donor. Our findings reveal a novel metabolic function for GlcCer.Bio-organic SynthesisMedical Biochemistr