bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intact Heart Loose Patch Photolysis Reveals Ionic Current Kinetics During Ventricular Action Potentials
Authors: Ramos-Franco Josefina , Aguilar-Sanchez Yuriana , Escobar Ariel L.
Published: November 2015

Rationale:

Assessing the underlying ionic currents during a triggered action potential (AP) in intact perfused hearts offers the opportunity to link molecular mechanisms with pathophysiological problems in cardiovascular research. The developed loose patch photolysis technique can provide striking new insights into cardiac function at the whole heart level during health and disease.

Objective:

To measure transmembrane ionic currents during an AP to determine how and when surface Ca
2+
influx that triggers Ca
2+
-induced Ca
2+
release occurs and how Ca
2+
-activated conductances can contribute to the genesis of AP phase 2.

Methods and Results:

Loose patch photolysis allows the measurement of transmembrane ionic currents in intact hearts. During a triggered AP, a voltage-dependent Ca
2+
conductance was fractionally activated (dis-inhibited) by rapidly photo-degrading nifedipine, the Ca
2+
channel blocker. The ionic currents during a mouse ventricular AP showed a fast early component and a slower late component. Pharmacological studies established that the molecular basis underlying the early component was driven by an influx of Ca
2+
through the L-type channel, CaV 1.2. The late component was identified as an Na
+
–Ca
2+
exchanger current mediated by Ca
2+
released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum.

Conclusions:

The novel loose patch photolysis technique allowed the dissection of transmembrane ionic currents in the intact heart. We were able to determine that during an AP, L-type Ca
2+
current contributes to phase 1, whereas Na
+
–Ca
2+
exchanger contributes to phase 2. In addition, loose patch photolysis revealed that the influx of Ca
2+
through L-type Ca
2+
channels terminates because of voltage-dependent deactivation and not by Ca
2+
-dependent inactivation, as commonly believed.
Cerebrolysin and Recovery After Stroke (CARS)
Authors: Muresanu Dafin F. , Heiss Wolf-Dieter , Hoemberg Volker , Bajenaru Ovidiu , Popescu Cristian Dinu , Vester Johannes C. , Rahlfs Volker W. , Doppler Edith , Meier Dieter , Moessler Herbert , Guekht Alla
Published: November 2015

Background and Purpose—

The aim of this trial was to investigate whether stroke patients who receive Cerebrolysin show improved motor function in the upper extremities at day 90 compared with patients who receive a placebo.

Methods—

This study was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, parallel-group study. Patients were treated with Cerebrolysin (30 mL/d) or a placebo (saline) once daily for 21 days, beginning at 24 to 72 hours after stroke onset. The patients also participated in a standardized rehabilitation program for 21 days that was initiated within 72 hours after stroke onset. The primary end point was the Action Research Arm Test score on day 90.

Results—

The nonparametric effect size on the Action Research Arm Test score on day 90 indicated a large superiority of Cerebrolysin compared with the placebo (Mann–Whitney estimator, 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.63–0.79;
P
<0.0001). The multivariate effect size on global status, as assessed using 12 different outcome scales, indicated a small-to-medium superiority of Cerebrolysin (Mann–Whitney estimator, 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.58–0.65;
P
<0.0001). The rate of premature discontinuation was <5% (3.8%). Cerebrolysin was safe and well tolerated.

Conclusions—

Cerebrolysin had a beneficial effect on function and global outcome in early rehabilitation patients after stroke. Its safety was comparable with that of the placebo, suggesting a favorable benefit/risk ratio. Because this study was exploratory and had a relatively small sample size, the results should be confirmed in a large-scale, randomized clinical trial.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu
. Unique identifier: 2007-000870-21.
Reduced Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate, a Pentose Phosphate Pathway Product, Might Be a Novel Drug Candidate for Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Li Mei , Zhou Zhi-Peng , Sun Meiling , Cao Lijuan , Chen Jieyu , Qin Yuan-Yuan , Gu Jin-Hua , Han Feng , Sheng Rui , Wu Jun-Chao , Ding Yuqiang , Qin Zheng-Hong
Published: November 2015

Background and Purpose—

Our previous study has defined a role of TP53-induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator in neuroprotection against ischemic injury through increasing the flow of pentose phosphate pathway. We hypothesized that the pentose phosphate pathway product nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) could be a novel drug for treatment of ischemic stroke.

Methods—

The NADPH was given before, at the onset, or after stroke onset with single or repeated intravenous (mice and rats) or intraperitoneal injections (monkey). The short- and long-term therapeutic effects of NADPH were evaluated in male adult ICR mice (total=614) with transient middle cerebral artery occlusion, in male adult Sprague–Dawley rats (total=114) with permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion, and in male adult rhesus monkey (total=12) with thrombotic middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Results—

Administration of NADPH led to a dramatic increase in the levels of ATP and reduced form of glutathione, whereas it decreased the levels of reactive oxygen species. NADPH significantly reduced infarct volume, improved poststroke survival, and recovery of neurological functions in mouse and rat models of stroke. Robust neuroprotection of a single dose of NADPH was seen when it was administered within 5 hours after reperfusion; however, repeat administration of NADPH twice a day for 7 days starting 24 hours after the onset of stroke also offered therapeutic effects. Pretreatment with NADPH also significantly improved the outcome of stroke insult.

Conclusions—

Administration of exogenous NADPH significantly protected neurons against ischemia/reperfusion-induced injury in 2 rodent stroke models. Thus, NADPH might be a promising drug candidate for treatment of ischemic stroke.
Indirectly Encoding Running and Jumping Sodarace Creatures for Artificial Life
Authors: Szerlip Paul , Stanley Kenneth O.
Published: November 2015

This article presents a lightweight platform for evolving two-dimensional artificial creatures. The aim of providing such a platform is to reduce the barrier to entry for researchers interested in evolving creatures for artificial life experiments. In effect the novel platform, which is inspired by the Sodarace construction set, makes it easy to set up creative scenarios that test the abilities of Sodarace-like creatures made of masses and springs. In this way it allows the researcher to focus on evolutionary algorithms and dynamics. The new indirectly encoded Sodarace (IESoR) system introduced in this article extends the original Sodarace by enabling the evolution of significantly more complex and regular creature morphologies. These morphologies are themselves encoded by compositional pattern-producing networks (CPPNs), an indirect encoding previously shown effective at encoding regularities and symmetries in structure. The capability of this lightweight system to facilitate research in artificial life is then demonstrated through both walking and jumping domains, in which IESoR discovers a wide breadth of strategies through novelty search with local competition.
Experiments on and Numerical Modeling of the Capture and Concentration of Transcription-Translation Machinery inside Vesicles
Authors: Mavelli Fabio , Stano Pasquale
Published: November 2015

Synthetic or semi-synthetic minimal cells are those cell-like artificial compartments that are based on the encapsulation of molecules inside lipid vesicles (liposomes). Synthetic cells are currently used as primitive cell models and are very promising tools for future biotechnology. Despite the recent experimental advancements and sophistication reached in this field, the complete elucidation of many fundamental physical aspects still poses experimental and theoretical challenges. The interplay between solute capture and vesicle formation is one of the most intriguing ones. In a series of studies, we have reported that when vesicles spontaneously form in a dilute solution of proteins, ribosomes, or ribo-peptidic complexes, then, contrary to statistical predictions, it is possible to find a small fraction of liposomes (<1%) that contain a very large number of solutes, so that their local (intravesicular) concentrations largely exceed the expected value. More recently, we have demonstrated that this effect (spontaneous crowding) operates also on multimolecular mixtures, and can drive the synthesis of proteins inside vesicles, whereas the same reaction does not proceed at a measurable rate in the external bulk phase. Here we firstly introduce and discuss these already published observations. Then, we present a computational investigation of the encapsulation of transcription-translation (TX-TL) machinery inside vesicles, based on a minimal protein synthesis model and on different solute partition functions. Results show that experimental data are compatible with an entrapment model that follows a power law rather than a Gaussian distribution. The results are discussed from the viewpoint of origin of life, highlighting open questions and possible future research directions.
Technology, Essence, and Everyday Living
Authors: Scott Charles E.
Published: November 2015

This paper engages “A Triadic Conversation” in Conversations on a Country Path. The context of this engagement is Heidegger’s account of τέχνη and φύσις in Contributions to Philosophy (Of the Event) as they are put to work in the conversation of a guide, a scholar, and a scientist. The leading questions are whether Heidegger’s thoughts of Seyn, Wesen, and Machination are helpful to understand and engage the pressing challenges to Western societies? Are those challenges primarily the devastations wrought by a culture of technology and its accompanying mind-set that, according to Heidegger, inevitably lead to war and massive types of destruction among all worldly lives? And is “A Triadic Conversation” an indication of a dangerous alienation from the everyday social and political world in which it was conceived? Stillness and silence play significant roles in the discussion of his accounts of the Wesen of humans and of nature as it brings to bear the everyday events that defined the time during which Heidegger wrote “A Triadic Conversation.” The paper concludes with a reflection on the importance of the differences between Heidegger’s approach and ones that begin by confronting the confusing, uncertain, but specific events that are taking place in the thinkers’ world.
Expressive Bodies
Authors: Landes Donald A.
Published: November 2015

In “The Vestige of Art,” Jean-Luc Nancy argues that art is neither representation nor inscription, but rather exscription. The figure is the vestige of an expressive gesture; it represents neither a separable idea nor the one who traced it but, rather exscribes their presence and their world in the event of expression. As such, Nancy’s aesthetics in The Muses deploys a certain logic of expression best understood in the tradition of Merleau-Pontian phenomenology. Echoing Merleau-Ponty’s notion of speech accomplishing, rather than translating, thought, Nancy’s understanding of the expressive gesture suggests an event that brings forth a self that does not pre-exist its expression and that is paradoxically always already past, always already fallen into material vestiges. By connecting Merleau-Ponty’s notion of a “past that has never been present” to Nancy’s concept of exscription, I argue that reading Nancy’s The Muses and Merleau-Ponty’s “Eye and Mind” together suggests an importantly restructured “phenomenology” of painting that is in fact more of an ontology of intercorporeality.
Nomophilacy and Beyond
Authors: Colombo Giorgio Fabio
Published: November 2015

The issue of how civil law jurisdictions rely on precedents in the absence of a firm stare decisis rule is one of the most debated topics in comparative law. While most studies focus on the convergence of legal systems and/or rely on socio-legal reflections, this paper employs an institutional approach based on the comparison of the supreme courts of Italy and Japan, two civil law countries that share many similarities in history, perceptions of the civil litigation system, and eventual drift towards a quasi-precedential model. The study tries to demonstrate that even when there are no formally binding precedents, technical, procedural rules make supreme courts’ decisions fundamental for the formation of norms. The analysis highlights the different weight each factor (i.e. structure and functioning of the supreme courts, reforms in civil procedure, access to justice) and actor (i.e. judges, scholars) has in the formation and application of precedents in Italy and Japan.
Understanding Public Policy as an Exception to the Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards
Authors: Dar Wasiq Abass
Published: November 2015

The paper, as the title suggests, aims at understanding and exploring the doctrine of public policy as a ground for refusing enforcement of foreign arbitral awards. Public Policy is one such ground provided in the New York Convention as well as in the uncitral Model Law, which is most often invoked in the national courts to challenge or refuse the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards. What makes it more complicated is the lack of common world-wide definition of public policy or practice on its application, as the same varies from State to State. The traces of ambiguity, subjectivity (at the hands of the courts in terms of interpretation of the concept), and unpredictability associated with the concept of public policy have at times significantly thwarted the effectiveness and efficiency of international commercial arbitration. This paper attempts to understand and explore the enigma of public policy as an exception to the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards. Apart from revisiting various scholarly works on this issue, interpretation of this concept by various judicial institutions across the globe (with special focus on India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) has been attempted, followed by a comparative analysis, to analyse its application on the ground. This paper argues and suggests that a more desirable method of interpreting public policy, i.e. narrow interpretation, is the need of the hour, keeping in consideration the growing demands of international trade and commerce.
The Contribution and Philosophical Development of the Reformational Philosopher, Dirk H. Th. Vollenhoven
Authors: Ive Jeremy G.A.
Published: November 2015

Reformational philosophy as developed by Dirk Vollenhoven and Herman Dooyeweerd took the stage against the background of Reformational thought as seen in the work of Abraham Kuyper. Together they developed a systematic elaboration of Kuyper’s notion of sphere sovereignty. However, whereas Kuyper had largely developed his insights in a social context, Vollenhoven and Dooyeweerd carried this basic insight through far more rigorously and comprehensively than had their pioneering predecessor. They built on the foundations laid by Kuyper and elaborated his social vision to develop a philosophy of the created order as a whole that would take full account of the totality of human experience. In this article I shall outline Vollenhoven’s philosophical development.
Adelobotrys tessmannii (Merianieae, Melastomataceae) and allies: a refined circumscription and description of two new Amazonian species with notes on their ecology
Authors: Schulman Leif Edvard , Ruokolainen Kalle
Published: November 2015

Adelobotrys tessmannii is re-circumscribed and a lectotype is designated. Two new species, A. latifolius and A. microcarpus, are described, and all three species are illustrated. They have a Western Amazonian, broadly sympatric distribution, which is depicted. Field surveys and chemical soil analyses presented show that A. latifolius prefers more fertile soils than A. microcarpus¸ while A. tessmannii does not differ from the other species in this respect.
Leptochilus oblongus (Polypodiaceae), a new fern species from northern Vietnam
Authors: ZHANG LIANG , LU NGAN THI , Zhang Li-Bing
Published: November 2015

A new fern species, Leptochilus oblongus of Polypodiaceae is described and illustrated from Hoa Binh Province, northern Vietnam. Leptochilus oblongus is most similar to L. ellipticus, but the sori of the former are oblong, close to the lobe margins, and parallel with costule. In contrast, those of the latter are linear, located on main lateral veins, and forming a ca. 45 degree angle with costule.
A revised infrageneric classification for Brickellia (Asteraceae, Eupatorieae)
Authors: Schilling Edward , SCOTT RANDALL W. , PANERO JOSE L.
Published: November 2015

A recent molecular phylogenetic study of the predominantly Mexican Brickellia resolved issues regarding its generic circumscription, but a new infrageneric classification remains to be formalized.  We propose to recognize as sections nine clades identified as monophyletic based on molecular data.  Three of these clades have been previously recognized as distinct genera, Barroetea, Kuhnia, and Phanerostylis, and require names at the sectional level.  The remaining six sections have names available from previous taxonomic work, but two of them require validation at the sectional level, and all have a different species composition compared to previous studies.
A review of the genus Potemnemus Thomson, 1864 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) with description of a new species from Papua New Guinea
Authors: WALLIN HENRIK , KVAMME TORSTEIN
Published: November 2015

All preserved type specimens and type series of the genus Potemnemus Thomson, 1864 from museum collections have been examined. The presented taxonomic study is based on examination of morphological characters as well as studies of the genitalia. The genitalia are described for the first time. The type of P. scabrosus Olivier, 1790 is lost, and the original drawing has been designated as a lectotype. The monospecific genus Parapotemnemus Breuning, 1971 nov. syn. is considered to be a junior synonym of Potemnemus Thomson, 1864 based on similarities in both external and male genitalia characters. Potemnemus wheatcrofti (Breuning, 1971) nov. comb. thus becomes a new combination. The holotype of P. wheatcrofti nov. comb. is lost, and a paratype ♂ has been designated as a neotype. Potemnemus nylanderi nov. sp. is described from the eastern parts of Papua New Guinea. The following new synonyms within the genus Potemnemus have been introduced: P. hispidus Gressitt, 1952 nov. syn. is a junior synonym of P. sepicanus Kriesche, 1923, P. detzneri Kriesche, 1923 nov. syn. is a junior synonym of P. trimaculatus Lea, 1918, and P. loriai Breuning, 1956 nov. syn. and P. triturberculatus Breuning, 1942 nov. syn. are both junior synonyms of P. scabrosus (Olivier, 1790). As a result of the present study the following species have been resurrected to species level: Potemnemus trimaculatus Lea, 1918 sp. res., P. wolfi Berchmans, 1925 sp. res., and P. thomsoni Lansberge, 1880 sp. res. The genus Periaptodes Pascoe, 1866 gen. res. has been resurrected as a valid genus based on differences in both external and male genitalia characters, and re-descriptions of the genera Potemnemus and Periaptodes are presented. Consequently, the following species have been transferred back to Periaptodes from Potemnemus: Periaptodes frater (Van de Poll, 1887), P. lictor Pascoe, 1866, P. olivieri (Thomson, 1864), P. potemnemoides Kriesche, 1936. P. testator Pascoe, 1866, P. paratestator Breuning, 1980. P. testator has priority as the type species of the genus Periaptodes (designation by Breuning, 1944). McKeown’s designation in 1947 of Periaptodes lictor Pascoe, 1866 as type species of the genus is therefore invalid. A key to the species of Potemnemus is provided.
The genus Hylcalosia Fischer, 1967 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Alysiinae) of the Russian Far East
Authors: BELOKOBYLSKIJ SERGEY A.
Published: November 2015

The braconid genus Hylcalosia Fischer, 1967 of the fauna of Russia are reviewed. A new species, Hylcalosia livadiae sp. nov., from Primorskiy Territory is described. Based on new material, illustrated redescriptions of H. hymaenei Belokobylskij, 1992 and H. sutchanica Belokobylskij, 1992 are provided. Hylcalosia adsimilis Papp, 1994 is synonymised with H. sutchanica Belokobylskij, 1992 (syn. nov.). The most northern records in the Palaearctic Region, Amur Province of Russia, of the genus Hylcalosia and the species H. hymaenei and H. sutchanica are documented. A new key to all known species of this genus is provided.
A taxonomic revision of order Pilisuctorida (Ciliophora, Apostomatia) with keys to the subordinate taxa
Authors: DOVGAL IGOR , MAYÉN-ESTRADA ROSAURA
Published: November 2015

The article is to present a review of the taxonomic literature of pilisuctorid ciliates and new data from samples taken in Ukraine and Mexico. In order to contribute to the knowledge of this specialised ciliate group, the present article contains the general characteristics of order Pilisuctorida members, information on morphology and life cycles of all its representatives and some own data on distribution of three species of genus Conidophrys in Ukraine and Mexico. The taxonomic composition of this order, and diagnoses of all taxa are also included, as well the keys to the taxa.
A new species of deepwater wrasse (Labridae: Terelabrus) from the western Pacific Ocean
Authors: FUKUI YOSHINO , MOTOMURA HIROYUKI
Published: November 2015

A new labrid fish Terelabrus dewapyle sp. nov. is described as the second species of the genus, on the basis of five specimens collected from southern Japan, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji in depths of 72–92 m. The sole paratype of T. rubrovittatus Randall & Fourmanoir 1998 is herein identified as T. dewapyle and designated as a paratype of the latter. The new species can be distinguished from T. rubrovittatus by the following characters: lower number of scale rows in the longitudinal series (41 or 42 vs. 45–48 in the latter), fewer pored lateral-line scales (39 or 40 vs. 43–45), and fewer gill rakers (12 or 13 vs. 14 or 15); a broader space between the anteroventral margin of the orbit and the maxilla [least distance 1.2–3.7% (mean 2.5%) SL vs. 0.5–2.3% (1.6%)]; no red blotches on the midlateral red stripe in adults and young (vs. 8–10 red blotches superimposed on midlateral red stripe in adults); no yellow band on the dorsal fin (vs. broad vivid yellow band submarginally on the dorsal fin in adults, pale yellow band in young); a vivid yellow (vs. white) space between the upper and midlateral red stripes; and a black blotch superimposed on the midlateral red stripe on the opercle in young, the black blotch fading with growth (vs. black blotch absent or indistinct).
The first description of the leaf-mining Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) feeding on the South American plant genus Liabum, Asteraceae
Authors: STONIS JONAS R. , Diškus ARŪNAS , REMEIKIS ANDRIUS
Published: November 2015

First Liabum Adans. (Asteraceae) feeding Nepticulidae are reported. Two new new species from the Andes (Ecuador) are described: Stigmella serpantina Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. and S. pangorica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. The male genitalia of both species and the female genitalia, as well the leaf-mines of S. serpantina sp. nov. are illustrated.
Parambassis serrata, a new species of glassperch (Teleostei: Ambassidae) from the Kaladan drainage, India
Authors: DISHMA MAYANGLAMBAM , VISHWANATH WAIKHOM
Published: November 2015

Parambassis serrata, a new species of glassperch from the Kolo River, Kaladan drainage, Mizoram, India is described. It is distinguished from its congeners by the combination of characters that includes: presence of a faint, vertically-elongated brown humeral blotch; posterior margin of most spines of first dorsal fin proximally blackish; 14−16 dorsal and anal-fin branched rays; a black longitudinal stripe on ventral surface of caudal peduncle; absence of predorsal scales; a serrated preopercular ridge; 51−56 scales in lateral series; and 11 pectoral-fin rays.
E pluribus unum, ex uno plures
Authors: Seymour Lee JM , Bakke Kristin M , Cunningham Kathleen Gallagher
Published: November 2015

Why are some ethnopolitical movements divided while others are relatively unified? A growing literature examines the consequences of internal divisions in ethnopolitical movements – and shows that it matters for a range of conflict outcomes – yet the mechanisms causing such divisions remain poorly understood. Our argument emphasizes competitive dynamics between states and self-determination movements and between rival factions within these movements as key determinants of fragmentation. Drawing from literatures on social movements, contentious politics, and civil war, we situate our argument vis-à-vis three alternative and complementary sets of explanations based on theories emphasizing transnational dimensions, political institutions, and structural factors within ethnopolitical groups. Using an original dataset, we test hypotheses explaining movement fragmentation over time and use a case study of Punjab in India to identify specific causal mechanisms and missing variables. Our findings show some support for three of these theories, suggesting that ethnopolitical movements divide as a result of complex and interactive processes. But our findings also underscore that central to explaining fragmentation dynamics are factors capturing competitive dynamics, including repression, accommodation of movement demands, the turn to violence, and the dynamic and changing nature of ethnopolitical demands.
Quantitative In Situ Analysis of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament
Authors: Fujimaki Yoshimasa , Thorhauer Eric , Sasaki Yusuke , Smolinski Patrick , Tashman Scott , Fu Freddie H.
Published: November 2015

Background:

Quantification of the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in different loading conditions is important for understanding the native anatomy and thus achieving anatomic reconstruction. The ACL insertion sites are larger than the ACL midsubstance, and the isthmus (region of the smallest CSA) location may vary with the load or flexion angle.

Purpose:

To (1) quantify the CSA along the entire ACL, (2) describe the location of the ACL isthmus, (3) explore the relationship between ACL length and CSA, and (4) validate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for assessing the CSA of the midsubstance ACL.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

Eight cadaveric knees were dissected to expose the ACL and its attachments. Knees were positioned using a robotic loading system through a range of flexion angles in 3 loading states: (1) unloaded, (2) anterior tibial translation, and (3) combined rotational load of valgus and internal torque. Laser scanning quantified the shape of the ACL and its insertion site boundaries. The CSA of the ACL was measured, and the location of the isthmus was determined; the CSA of the ACL was also estimated from MRI and compared with the laser-scanned data.

Results:

The CSA of the ACL varied along the ligament, and the isthmus existed at an average (±SD) of 53.8% ± 5.5% of the distance from the tibial insertion center to the femoral insertion center. The average CSA at the isthmus was smallest in extension (39.9 ± 13.7 mm2) and increased with flexion (43.9 ± 12.1 mm2 at 90°). The ACL length was shortest at 90° of flexion and increased by 18.8% ± 10.1% in unloaded extension. Application of an anterior load increased the ACL length by 5.0% ± 3.3% in extension, and application of a combined rotational load increased its length by 4.1% ± 3.0% in extension.

Conclusion:

The ACL isthmus is located almost half of the distance between the insertion sites. The CSA of the ACL at the isthmus is largest with the knee unloaded and at 90° of flexion, and the area decreases with extension and applied loads. The CSA at the isthmus represents less than half the area of the insertion sites.

Clinical Relevance:

These results may aid surgical planning, specifically for choosing a graft size and fixation angle that most closely matches the native anatomy and function across the entire range of knee motion.
Circadian Disruption Alters the Effects of Lipopolysaccharide Treatment on Circadian and Ultradian Locomotor Activity and Body Temperature Rhythms of Female Siberian Hamsters
Authors: Prendergast Brian J. , Cable Erin J. , Stevenson Tyler J. , Onishi Kenneth G. , Zucker Irving , Kay Leslie M.
Published: November 2015

The effect of circadian rhythm (CR) disruption on immune function depends on the method by which CRs are disrupted. Behavioral and thermoregulatory responses induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment were assessed in female Siberian hamsters in which circadian locomotor activity (LMA) rhythms were eliminated by exposure to a disruptive phase-shifting protocol (DPS) that sustains arrhythmicity even when hamsters are housed in a light-dark cycle. This noninvasive treatment avoids genome manipulations and neurological damage associated with other models of CR disruption. Circadian rhythmic (RHYTH) and arrhythmic (ARR) hamsters housed in a 16L:8D photocycle were injected with bacterial LPS near the onset of the light (zeitgeber time 1; ZT1) or dark (ZT16) phase. LPS injections at ZT16 and ZT1 elicited febrile responses in both RHYTH and ARR hamsters, but the effect was attenuated in the arrhythmic females. In ZT16, LPS inhibited LMA in the dark phase immediately after injection but not on subsequent nights in both chronotypes; in contrast, LPS at ZT1 elicited more enduring (~4 day) locomotor hypoactivity in ARR than in RHYTH hamsters. Power and period of dark-phase ultradian rhythms (URs) in LMA and Tb were markedly altered by LPS treatment, as was the power in the circadian waveform. Disrupted circadian rhythms in this model system attenuated responses to LPS in a trait- and ZT-specific manner; changes in UR period and power are novel components of the acute-phase response to infection that may affect energy conservation.
Between the North Atlantic Oscillation and the Siberian High: A 4000-year snow accumulation history inferred from varved lake sediments in Finland
Authors: Saarni Saija , Saarinen Timo , Dulski Peter
Published: November 2015

Clastic-organic varved sediments from the boreal Lake Kalliojärvi, Central Finland, record changes in snow accumulation for more than 4000 years. The varve record was reconstructed using digital image analysis from 4132 varve yr BP to present with 2.2% counting error and is supported by paleomagnetic data. Two laminae are identified in a typical varve structure: (1) the minerogenic lamina, which accumulates during spring as a result of catchment erosion triggered by spring floods and (2) the organic lamina, which is composed of allochthonous and autochthonous organic matter that accumulates during summer, autumn, and winter. The minerogenic influx is related to variations in snow accumulation and follows the different phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Decreased snow accumulation is related to a weakened NAO phase. Thus, the minerogenic influx record provides additional information about NAO variation. The Fe/Mn ratio is related to changes in redox conditions at the lake floor. The oxygen availability in the lake floor depends on the duration of the ice cover during winter. Strengthened Siberian High (SH) causes colder autumn and winter temperatures and therefore leads to extended duration of ice cover. Fe/Mn can be considered as a proxy for SH. The sediment record suggests pronounced, generally positive but strongly fluctuating NAO phase, from ca. 4100 to 3200 varve yr BP. Periods of strengthened SH are observed at 3900–3600, 1900–1500, and 1200–750 varve yr BP. Our study suggests that NAO and SH operate individually, are not clearly linked, and do not entirely block each other.
The Growing Burden of Neonatal Opiate Exposure on Children and Family Services in Massachusetts
Authors: França Urbano L. , Mustafa Shaheer , McManus Michael L.
Published: November 2015

Increasing opiate use among women of reproductive age has led to a rise in adverse pregnancy outcomes, including neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Recent studies have documented the increased incidence of NAS, but subsequent impact on the chain of organizations within the social service system remains unexplored. In this article, we begin to estimate the reach of this issue by assessing the labor costs of caring for NAS infants within the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (MA DCF). Based on a process map of services, we modeled social service hours using encounter-level hospital data as inputs. In this manner, we estimate that MA DCF professionals now devote more than 10,000 hours per month to this single problem. As opiate addiction increases across America, substantial additional investment in social service providers, foster care, Early Intervention Programs, and other family services will be required.
Efficacy of intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy in patients with multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica
Authors: Yamasaki Ryo , Matsushita Takuya , Fukazawa Toshiyuki , Yokoyama Kazumasa , Fujihara Kazuo , Ogino Mieko , Yokota Takanori , Miyamoto Katsuichi , Niino Masaaki , Nomura Kyoichi , Tomioka Ryo , Tanaka Masami , Kawachi Izumi , Ohashi Takashi , Kaida Ken-ichi , Matsui Makoto , Nakatsuji Yuji , Ochi Hirofumi , Fukaura Hikoaki , Kanda Takashi , Nagaishi Akiko , Togo Kanae , Mizusawa Hidehiro , Murai Hiroyuki , Kira Jun-ichi
Published: November 2015

Background:

No large-scale studies have compared the efficacy of intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy (IVMP) for multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO).

Objective:

To explain differences in treatment responses of MS and NMO patients to IVMP.

Methods:

Changes in neurological symptoms/signs and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores before and within 1 week of IVMP completion were obtained in 2010 at 28 institutions, and retrospectively collated from 271 MS (478 courses) and 73 NMO (118 courses) cases.

Results:

In MS patients, decreased EDSS score was significant after the first (−0.8 ± 0.9), second (−0.7 ± 0.9), and third (−0.7 ± 0.8) courses ( p < 0.05), but not after the fourth (−0.3 ± 0.7) and fifth (−0.5 ± 0.6). However, decreased EDSS score was only significant after the first course (−0.5 ± 1.5, p < 0.05) in NMO patients. EDSS score was significantly decreased in MS compared with NMO patients at the first course ( p < 0.05), but not thereafter. Model analysis for EDSS score improvement at the first course, adjusting for covariates, showed significantly greater decreases in MS compared with NMO patients ( p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

IVMP is effective in MS from the first to third courses, and in NMO at the first course. Additionally, IVMP is more efficacious in MS than NMO patients, even at the first course.
Cognitive assessment of refugee children: Effects of trauma and new language acquisition
Authors: Kaplan Ida , Stolk Yvonne , Valibhoy Madeleine , Tucker Alan , Baker Judy
Published: November 2015

Each year, approximately 60,000 children of refugee background are resettled in Western countries. This paper reviews the effects of the refugee experience on cognitive functioning. The distinctive influences for these children include exposure to traumatic events and the need to acquire a new language, factors that need to be considered to avoid overdiagnosis of learning disorders and inappropriate educational placements. Prearrival trauma, psychological sequelae of traumatic events, developmental impact of trauma, and the quality of family functioning have been found to influence cognitive functioning, learning, and academic performance. In addition, the refugee child may be semiproficient in several languages, but proficient in none, whilst also trying to learn a new language. The influence that the child’s limited English proficiency, literacy, and school experience may have on academic and test performance is demonstrated by drawing on the research on refugees’ English language acquisition, as well as the more extensive literature on bilingual English language learners. Implications for interventions are drawn at the level of government policy, schools, and the individual. The paper concludes with the observation that there is a major need for longitudinal research on refugee children’s learning and academic performance and on interventions that will close the academic gap, thereby enabling refugee children to reach their educational potential.
Does trauma type relate to posttraumatic growth after war? A pilot study of young Iraqi war survivors living in Turkey
Authors: Kılıç C. , Magruder K. M. , Koryürek M. M.
Published: November 2015

Positive personal gain after adverse life events and traumas is known as posttraumatic growth (PTG). Several factors are suggested to promote PTG after stressful events, including type of trauma, in addition to younger age and female gender. Although conflicting findings exist, studies suggest that there may be less growth associated with personal traumas (i.e., physical or sexual assault, accidents) and more growth associated with shared traumas (i.e., disasters, loss). We examined whether certain types of war-related traumas are associated with more PTG in a sample of 203 Iraqi students living in Turkey who had experienced severe war-related traumatic events. They were assessed in group sessions, using a self-report battery that included the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory and War Trauma Questionnaire. War experiences were categorized into three types of trauma: trauma to self, trauma to loved ones, and adversity. Growth was measured by the Turkish version of the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory. Adversity-type events positively predicted growth, whereas trauma to self predicted growth negatively. Males and females showed a different pattern of relationship with growth. Correlations of growth with younger age and adversity observed in females were not seen in males. Our results show that different trauma types may lead to differing levels of growth, and this difference may be more pronounced when gender is taken into account.
History of Land Value Recapture in Italy
Authors: Falco Enzo
Published: November 2015

Everything that happens on the ground, every spatial intervention, has an impact on land and its value. It follows that the ability of governments to regulate the matter in its relations with private developers and landowners is of extreme importance for the civil society as a whole. Nowadays, in consideration of the fact that municipalities are short on financial resources, the need on the part of local governments to recapture part of the increase in the value of land that is generated from change in land use and other public investments, and so make landowners and developers contribute to the realization and maintenance of the public parts of the city, is ever more compelling. This article presents a historical review of the planning and fiscal measures that have been introduced in Italy since 1865 to deal with the question of betterment value with the intent of showing its importance and the specificities of the subject in city planning for central and local government.
Imaging Predictors of Improvement From a Motor Learning–Based Intervention for Children With Unilateral Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Schertz Mitchell , Shiran Shelly I. , Myers Vicki , Weinstein Maya , Fattal-Valevski Aviva , Artzi Moran , Ben Bashat Dafna , Gordon Andrew M. , Green Dido
Published: November 2015

Background. Motor-learning interventions may improve hand function in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (UCP) but with inconsistent outcomes across participants. Objective. To examine if pre-intervention brain imaging predicts benefit from bimanual intervention. Method. Twenty children with UCP with Manual Ability Classification System levels I to III, aged 7-16 years, participated in an intensive bimanual intervention. Assessments included the Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA), Jebsen Taylor Test of Hand Function (JTTHF) and Children’s Hand Experience Questionnaire (CHEQ) at baseline (T1), completion (T2) and 8-10 weeks post-intervention (T3). Imaging at baseline included conventional structural (radiological score), functional (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Results. Improvements were seen across assessments; AHA ( P = 0.04), JTTHF ( P < .001) and CHEQ ( P < 0.001). Radiological score significantly correlated with improvement at T2; AHA ( r = .475) and CHEQ ( r = .632), but negatively with improvement on unimanual measures at T3 (JTTFH r = −.514). fMRI showed negative correlations between contralesional brain activation when moving the affected hand and AHA improvements (T2: r = −.562, T3: r = −0.479). Fractional Anisotropy in the affected posterior limb of the internal capsule correlated negatively with increased bimanual use on CHEQ at T2 ( r = −547) and AHA at T3 ( r = −.656). Conclusions. Children with greater structural, functional and connective brain damage showed enhanced responses to bimanual intervention. Baseline imaging may identify parameters predicting response to intervention in children with UCP.
Funding variations for pupils with special educational needs and disability in England, 2014
Authors: Marsh Alan J.
Published: November 2015

This study explores the funding variations by English local authorities (LAs) in January 2014 for pupils with special educational needs and disability (SEND). Two quintile groups ( n = 30) are used for comparing LAs with low and high levels of statements and case studies are presented to further explore the allocations. The research findings provide a baseline for LA critical self-reviews and benchmarking of any revised funding formulae. Authorities that make limited use of statements are found to have significantly lower budgets for SEND pupils with and without statements, are more inclusive and make use of statements to primarily access special settings. Evidence is presented to affirm that the government’s current allocation methods, in part based on past levels of funding, can seriously challenge and undermine those LAs with a policy of inclusion and controlled use of statements, as these latter LAs may also wish to make vigilant use of education, health and care plans from September 2014.
Deploying the Mental Eye
Authors: Koenderink Jan , van Doorn Andrea , Wagemans Johan
Published: November 2015

Three observers performed a task designed to quantify their “pictorial relief” in visual awareness for a photograph of a piece of sculpture. In separate sessions, they were instructed to assume one of two “mental viewpoints.” The main objective was to investigate whether human observers have such command. All three observers could redirect their “mental view direction” by up to 20°. These observers experience “paradoxical monocular” stereopsis, whereas a sizable fraction of the population does not. Moreover, they had some experience in assuming various “viewing modes.” Whereas one cannot generalize to the population at large, these findings at least prove that it is possible to direct the mental viewpoint actively. This is of importance to the visual arts. For instance, academic drawings require one to be simultaneously aware of a “viewing” (for the drawing) and an “illumination direction” (for the shading). Being able to mentally deploy various vantage points is a crucial step from the “visual field” to the “visual space.”
Peripheral Color Demo
Authors: Tyler Christopher W
Published: November 2015

A set of structured demonstrations of the vividness of peripheral color vision is provided by arrays of multicolored disks scaled with eccentricity. These demonstrations are designed to correct the widespread misconception that peripheral color vision is weak or nonexistent.
Prediction of Reoperation of Femoral Neck Fractures Treated With Cannulated Screws in Elderly Patients
Authors: Gregersen Merete , Krogshede Anna , Brink Ole , Damsgaard Else Marie
Published: November 2015

Background:

Reoperation of femoral neck fractures in elderly patients is frequent. Our aim was to determine predictors of reoperations following primary internal fixation with 3 cannulated screws.

Materials and Methods:

A follow-up study included all patients aged 65+ years old patients consecutively admitted to an orthopedic ward with femoral neck fracture in the period from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2010, and fixed with cannulated screws. We retrospectively obtained all available data from patient databases related to potential predictors of reoperations: gender, age, dwelling, dementia, body mass index, vitamin D, albumin, prednisolone treatment, walking aid, performance of activities of daily living, low-energy trauma, initial displacement, and surgery quality. Outcome was reoperation due to fixation failure/prominent screws, nonunion, or avascular necrosis of femoral head within 2 years after surgery. By multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression, including mortality as a competing risk, we estimated crude and adjusted hazards ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for reoperation.

Results:

Two years after surgery, 29% of 322 elderly patients underwent reoperation. Reoperation was associated with primary fracture displacement (HRadjusted 1.61; 95% CI: 1.01-2.55; P = .04) compared to undisplacement. A poor quality of primary reduction was associated with a higher risk of reoperations than a good quality (HRadjusted 1.95; 95% CI: 1.02-3.72; P = .04). Elderly individuals in own homes and sheltered housings had a higher risk of reoperation (HRadjusted 2.67; 95% CI 1.35-5.31; P = .005) compared to nursing home residents.

Conclusion:

Our findings support the evidence of a higher incidence of reoperation in displaced femoral neck fractures compared to the nondisplaced and is associated with poor quality of fracture reduction. Reoperations are most frequent in younger and more independent patients living at home.
On Meeting NCLB School Improvement Mandate
Authors: Green Rupert
Published: November 2015

This descriptive study used nonparametric (Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U) tests to determine the efficacy of New York City (NYC) small school initiative. A sample of 369 NYC high schools was tested on various performance indicators. The results: Large schools generated statistically significant higher performance scores and were more effective at preparing students for college and careers. On the New York State (NYS) English language arts (ELA) test, a Mann–Whitney U found statistically significant difference between scores for small school (median = 2.62, n = 213) and large school (median = 2.81, n = 58), U = 3200.00, z = −5.63, p = .001, r = −.34. On the state’s math test, a Mann–Whitney U found statistically significant difference between scores for small school (median = 2.76, n = 213) and large school (median = 3.12, n = 58), U = 3086.00, z = −5.84, p = .000, r = −.35. On NYC Department of Education (NYCDOE)–assigned college and career readiness scores (CCRS), a Mann–Whitney U found statistically significant difference between CCRS for small school (median = 3.00, n = 213) and large school (median = 3.00, n = 58), U = 4705.50, z = −2.90, p = .004, r = −.018. The evidence suggests the city reconfigured large failing schools into smaller ones, resulting in the concentration of poverty (through the placement of mostly low socioeconomic status [SES] and underperforming Black and Hispanic students) in those schools. Recommendations include future studies exploring the effect of mediating and moderating factors.