bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Facile Access to 5′‐S‐(4,4′‐Dimethoxytrityl)‐2′,5′‐Dideoxyribonucleosides via Stable Disulfide Intermediates
Authors: Reddy L. Chandra Shekhar , Sharma Vivek K. , Kumar Rajesh , Singh Ankita , Parmar Virinder S. , Sanghvi Yogesh S. , Prasad Ashok K.
Published: September 2015

Thionucleosides represent an important class of modified nucleos(t)ides that have found distinct applications in the chemical biology of synthetic oligonucleotides, but the use of these compounds is substantially lessened by the instability or high reactivity of the sulfhydryl group. This unit describes a protocol for the synthesis of 2′,5′‐dideoxy‐5′‐thioribonucleoside disulfides by utilizing Mitsunobu reaction conditions on 3′‐O‐levulinyl‐2′‐deoxyribonucleosides in the presence of thiobenzoic acid followed by facile hydrolysis and in situ oxidation of the resulting 5′‐thiolated nucleosides using methanolic ammonia. The utility of these disulfides has been demonstrated as stable precursors for the synthesis of 5′‐thio‐modified 2′‐deoxynucleosides. To validate the potential of the methodology, 5′‐S‐(4,4′‐dimethoxytrityl)‐2′,5′‐dideoxythymidine phosphoramidite has been synthesized by in situ cleavage of the disulfide linkage of 2′,5′‐dideoxy‐5′‐thiothymidine disulfide followed by protection with a dimethoxytriphenyl (DMT) group and 3′‐phosphitylation using 2‐cyanoethyl N,N‐diisopropylchlorophosphoramidite. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Synthesis of Morpholino Monomers, Chlorophosphoramidate Monomers, and Solid‐Phase Synthesis of Short Morpholino Oligomers
Authors: Bhadra Jhuma , Pattanayak Sankha , Sinha Surajit
Published: September 2015

Phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) are a highly capable class of synthetic antisense oligonucleotides that are used to study gene functions in in vitro and in vivo models. This unit describes the synthesis of exocyclic‐amine‐protected 7′‐hydroxy and 7′‐chlorophosphoramidate‐activated morpholino monomers of A, T, G, and C, together with their incorporation into short PMO oligomers by solid‐phase synthesis. Starting from ribonucleosides, the exocyclic‐amine‐protected 7′‐hydroxy monomers are prepared following a modified Summerton protocol, which consists of a periodate cleavage/Schiff base formation/reduction cycle. The exocyclic amine protections are installed at a later stage (except G) to avoid the use of costly exocyclic‐amine‐protected counterparts that give control over protecting group manipulation. The 7′‐hydroxy monomers with N‐Trit/N‐MMTr are then converted to the 7′‐chlorophosphoramidate morpholino monomers in one step employing a combination of lithium bromide and DBU. These chlorophosphoramidate monomers are finally assembled by solid‐support synthesis to obtain the short PMO oligomers. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A Convenient Technique to Fix Suspension Cells on a Coverslip for Microscopy
Authors: Mihara Keiko , Nakayama Tomofumi , Saitoh Hisato
Published: September 2015

Human myeloid HL‐60 cells are usually cultured in suspension in medium containing 5% to 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and thus are often difficult to adhere to a coverslip. In this unit, we describe how removal of FBS from the culture medium facilitates adhesion of HL‐60 cells to coverslips. Importantly, HL‐60 cells that adhere to the coverslips immersed in FBS‐free medium can be immobilized in situ by conventional chemical fixatives and thus permeabilized for probing cellular structures using specific dyes and/or reagents, followed by microscopic observation. All‐trans‐retinoic‐acid‐exposed differentiated HL‐60 cells, which have properties similar to neutrophils, can also adhere efficiently to coverslips in FBS‐free medium. Because the procedure is not complex and special equipment is not required, the simplicity and cost effectiveness of this FBS‐free cell adhesion protocol may be beneficial to researchers who are interested in assessing the structure and function of suspension cells using microscopy. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Use of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell–Derived Cardiomyocytes (hiPSC‐CMs) to Monitor Compound Effects on Cardiac Myocyte Signaling Pathways
Authors: Guo Liang , Eldridge Sandy , Furniss Mike , Mussio Jodie , Davis Myrtle
Published: September 2015

There is a need to develop mechanism‐based assays to better inform risk of cardiotoxicity. Human induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC‐CMs) are rapidly gaining acceptance as a biologically relevant in vitro model for use in drug discovery and cardiotoxicity screens. Utilization of hiPSC‐CMs for mechanistic investigations would benefit from confirmation of the expression and activity of cellular pathways that are known to regulate cardiac myocyte viability and function. This unit describes an approach to demonstrate the presence and function of signaling pathways in hiPSC‐CMs and the effects of treatments on these pathways. We present a workflow that employs protocols to demonstrate protein expression and functional integrity of signaling pathway(s) of interest and to characterize biological consequences of signaling modulation. These protocols utilize a unique combination of structural, functional, and biochemical endpoints to interrogate compound effects on cardiomyocytes. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Diabetic Retinopathy: Retina‐Specific Methods for Maintenance of Diabetic Rodents and Evaluation of Vascular Histopathology and Molecular Abnormalities
Authors: Veenstra Alexander , Liu Haitao , Lee Chieh Allen , Du Yunpeng , Tang Jie , Kern Timothy S.
Published: September 2015

Diabetic retinopathy is a major cause of visual impairment, which continues to increase in prevalence as more and more people develop diabetes. Despite the importance of vision, the retina is one of the smallest tissues in the body, and specialized techniques have been developed to study retinopathy. This article summarizes several methods used to (i) induce diabetes in mice, (ii) maintain the diabetic animals throughout the months required for development of typical vascular histopathology, (iii) evaluate vascular histopathology of diabetic retinopathy, and (iv) quantitate abnormalities implicated in the development of the retinopathy. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Exploration of Energy Metabolism in the Mouse Using Indirect Calorimetry: Measurement of Daily Energy Expenditure (DEE) and Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
Authors: Meyer Carola W. , Reitmeir Peter , Tschöp Matthias H.
Published: September 2015

Current comprehensive mouse metabolic phenotyping involves studying energy balance in cohorts of mice via indirect calorimetry, which determines heat release from changes in respiratory air composition. Here, we describe the measurement of daily energy expenditure (DEE) and basal metabolic rate (BMR) in mice. These well‐defined metabolic descriptors serve as meaningful first‐line read‐outs for metabolic phenotyping and should be reported when exploring energy expenditure in mice. For further guidance, the issue of appropriate sample sizes and the frequency of sampling of metabolic measurements is also discussed. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Phenotyping Circadian Rhythms in Mice
Authors: Eckel‐Mahan Kristin , Sassone‐Corsi Paolo
Published: September 2015

Circadian rhythms take place with a periodicity of 24 hr, temporally following the rotation of the earth around its axis. Examples of circadian rhythms are the sleep/wake cycle, feeding, and hormone secretion. Light powerfully entrains the mammalian clock and assists in keeping animals synchronized to the 24‐hour cycle of the earth by activating specific neurons in the “central pacemaker” of the brain, the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Absolute periodicity of an animal can deviate slightly from 24 hr as manifest when an animal is placed into constant dark or “free‐running” conditions. Simple measurements of an organism's activity in free‐running conditions reveal its intrinsic circadian period. Mice are a particularly useful model for studying circadian rhythmicity due to the ease of genetic manipulation, thus identifying molecular contributors to rhythmicity. Furthermore, their small size allows for monitoring locomotion or activity in their homecage environment with relative ease. Several tasks commonly used to analyze circadian periodicity and plasticity in mice are presented here including the process of entrainment, determination of tau (period length) in free‐running conditions, determination of circadian periodicity in response to light disruption (e.g., jet lag studies), and evaluation of clock plasticity in non‐24‐hour conditions (T‐cycles). Studying the properties of circadian periods such as their phase, amplitude, and length in response to photic perturbation, can be particularly useful in understanding how humans respond to jet lag, night shifts, rotating shifts, or other transient or chronic disruption of environmental surroundings. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A 3D Spatio-Temporal Geovisualization of Subcounty Estimates of Historic Housing Density in Metro Atlanta, 1940–2009
Authors: Hauer Mathew
Published: September 2015

This paper is a 3D Geovisualization of subcounty estimates of historic housing density in the 20-county metro Atlanta Region for 1940–2009 using the Hammer Method. Representing information spatially and temporally, by themselves, are well developed techniques for demographers to use. Representing information spatio-temporally, together, however, is underdeveloped in the demographic literature. This paper includes a number of contemporary geovisualization techniques that can be employed to better visually represent demographic data in a more intuitive manner. Policymakers and other consumers of demographic data could greatly benefit from improved representations of the spatio-temporal data that demographers produce.
Poverty Segregation in Nonmetro Counties: A Spatial Exploration of Segregation Patterns in the US
Authors: Sparks P. Johnelle , Sparks Corey S. , Campbell Joseph J. A.
Published: September 2015

Most research on segregation focuses on racial residential segregation in metropolitan statistical areas and typically uses a-spatial measures of segregation. What is less clear is if segregation measures operate in a similar fashion in nonmetropolitan areas and if spatial patterns exist for poverty segregation in nonmetro counties. The purpose of this research was to examine multiple dimensions of poverty segregation in the United States the period 2006–2010 for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties. Data for this analysis come from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5 year estimates, the 2000 U.S. Census of Population and Housing, Summary File 3 and the USDA Economic Research Service. Four different measures of poverty segregation were calculated, including both aspatial and spatial measures. A nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test was used to test for variation in the segregation indices across metro and nonmetro areas and spatially autoregressive models were used to examine the socioeconomic correlates of poverty segregation. Results indicate significant variation in poverty segregation patterns in metro and nonmetro counties in the US, and nonmetro counties outside of the South have significantly lower levels of poverty segregation. This research adds to the literature by exploring patterns of metro and nonmetro poverty segregation and measuring different dimensions of segregation with an explicit spatial referent across counties in the contiguous United States in an effort to note differences in how segregation works across rural and urban places.
A Spatially Explicit Approach to the Study of Socio- Demographic Inequality in the Spatial Distribution of Trees across Boston Neighborhoods
Authors: Duncan Dustin T. , Kawachi Ichiro , Kum Susan , Aldstadt Jared , Piras Gianfranco , Matthews Stephen A. , Arbia Giuseppe , Castro Marcia C. , White Kellee , Williams David R.
Published: September 2015

The racial/ethnic and income composition of neighborhoods often influences local amenities, including the potential spatial distribution of trees, which are important for population health and community wellbeing, particularly in urban areas. This ecological study used spatial analytical methods to assess the relationship between neighborhood socio-demographic characteristics (i.e. minority racial/ethnic composition and poverty) and tree density at the census tract level in Boston, Massachusetts (US). We examined spatial autocorrelation with the Global Moran’sIfor all study variables and in the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression residuals as well as computed Spearman correlations non-adjusted and adjusted for spatial autocorrelation between socio-demographic characteristics and tree density. Next, we fit traditional regressions (i.e. OLS regression models) and spatial regressions (i.e. spatial simultaneous autoregressive models), as appropriate. We found significant positive spatial autocorrelation for all neighborhood socio-demographic characteristics (Global Moran’sIrange from 0.24 to 0.86, allP=0.001), for tree density (Global Moran’sI=0.452,P=0.001), and in the OLS regression residuals (Global Moran’sIrange from 0.32 to 0.38, allP<0.001). Therefore, we fit the spatial simultaneous autoregressive models. There was a negative correlation between neighborhood percent non-Hispanic Black and tree density (rS=−0.19; conventionalP-value=0.016; spatially adjustedP-value=0.299) as well as a negative correlation between predominantly non-Hispanic Black (over 60% Black) neighborhoods and tree density (rS=−0.18; conventionalP-value=0.019; spatially adjustedP-value=0.180). While the conventional OLS regression model found a marginally significant inverse relationship between Black neighborhoods and tree density, we found no statistically significant relationship between neighborhood socio-demographic composition and tree density in the spatial regression models. Methodologically, our study suggests the need to take into account spatial autocorrelation as findings/conclusions can change when the spatial autocorrelation is ignored. Substantively, our findings suggest no need for policy intervention vis-à-vis trees in Boston, though we hasten to add that replication studies, and more nuanced data on tree quality, age and diversity are needed.
Duration of Smoking Cessation and Postoperative Morbidity After Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer: How Long Should Patients Stop Smoking Before Surgery?
Authors: Yoshida Naoya , Baba Yoshifumi , Hiyoshi Yukiharu , Shigaki Hironobu , Kurashige Junji , Sakamoto Yasuo , Miyamoto Yuji , Iwatsuki Masaaki , Ishimoto Takatsugu , Kosumi Keisuke , Sugihara Hidetaka , Harada Kazuto , Tokunaga Ryuma , Izumi Daisuke , Watanabe Masayuki , Baba Hideo
Published: September 2015

Background

Smoking is one of the risk factors for postoperative morbidity. There were no studies on the correlation between the duration of smoking cessation and the incidence of morbidities after esophagectomy.

Methods

A total of 246 patients undergoing elective esophagectomy with 2‐ or 3‐field lymphadenectomy for esophageal cancer between April 2005 and February 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into five groups according to the duration of smoking cessation [no smoking cessation (including cessation for a few days), cessation for 7–30, 31–90, ≥91 days, never smoker].

Results

Any morbidity of Clavien–Dindo classification (CDc) ≥II, pneumonia, any pulmonary morbidity, surgical site infection, cardiovascular morbidity, and severe morbidities of CDc ≥IIIb frequently occurred in patients with no smoking cessation. The incidence of pneumonia and severe morbidities decreased as the duration of smoking cessation became longer. Logistic regression analysis suggested that no smoking cessation was the independent risk factor for any pulmonary morbidity (HR 3.68, 95 % CI 1.152–11.74; p = 0.028). Smoking cessation ≤30 days was also the independent risk factor for pneumonia (HR 2.89, 95 % CI 1.141–7.301; p = 0.025). Smoking cessation ≤90 days was the independent risk factor for severe morbidities of CDc ≥IIIb (HR 2.82, 95 % CI 1.072–7.427; p = 0.036).

Conclusions

Preoperative smoking cessation more than 90 days is ideal to reduce morbidities after esophagectomy. When patients with insufficient smoking cessation undergo esophagectomy, careful perioperative management is required.
Oxidative Stability of α‐Linolenic Acid in Corn Chips Enriched with Linseed Oil Pro/Antioxidative Activity of Tocopherol
Authors: Rogalski Mateusz , Szterk Arkadiusz
Published: September 2015

Extruded products, particularly those which are corn‐based, are widely consumed salty or sweet snacks; moreover, they very often provide a basis for breakfast for people around the world. Extruded products are characterised by a low nutritional value, and a particularly low content of polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n‐3 group. An attempt was made to enrich extruded corn crisps with α‐linolenic acid (ALA) through the addition of refined linseed oil at an amount of 5 %. Corn crisps were produced with the addition of the oil concerned so that the concentration of ALA in the finished product was at least 2 g 100 g−1 (in a portion). With such a content of ALA, the crisps may be classified as ‘functional food’ in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 of May 2012. The following were tested: oxidative stability, and changes to the content of ALA during 6‐month storage of crisps with the addition of linseed oil and various concentrations of δ‐tocopherol and ascorbic acid. The crisps were packed in polyamide/polyethylene barrier film packages (30/70 µm), using either atmospheric air of argon for the packaging process. The study showed that with each applied concentration of δ‐tocopherol added to the linseed oil (200–800 mg 100 g−1), it had a strong pro‐oxidant effect. Packaging in argon atmosphere play very protective role in ALA stabilisation in functional corn crisp.
Supply chain coordination by contracts under binomial production yield
Authors: Clemens Josephine , Inderfurth Karl
Published: September 2015

Supply chain coordination is enabled by adequately designed contracts so that decision making by multiple actors avoids efficiency losses in the supply chain. From the literature it is known that in newsvendor-type settings with random demand and deterministic supply the activities in supply chains can be coordinated by sophisticated contracts while the simple wholesale price contract fails to achieve coordination due to the double marginalization effect. Advanced contracts are typically characterized by risk sharing mechanisms between the actors, which have the potential to coordinate the supply chain. Regarding the opposite setting with random supply and deterministic demand, literature offers a considerably smaller spectrum of solution schemes. While contract types for the well-known stochastically proportional yield have been analyzed under different settings, other yield distributions have not received much attention in the literature so far. However, practice shows that yield types strongly depend on the industry and the production process that is considered. As consequence, they can deviate very much from the specific case of a stochastically proportional yield. This paper analyzes a buyer–supplier supply chain in a random yield, deterministic demand setting with production yield of a binomial type. It is shown how under binomially distributed yields risk sharing contracts can be used to coordinate buyer’s ordering and supplier’s production decision. Both parties are exposed to risks of overproduction and under-delivery. In contrast to settings with stochastically proportional yield, however, the impact of yield uncertainty can be quite different in the binomial yield case. Under binomial yield, the output uncertainty decreases with larger production quantities while it is independent from lot sizes under stochastically proportional yield. Consequently, the results from previous contract analyses on other yield types may not hold any longer. The current analytical study reveals that, like under stochastically proportional yield, coordination is impeded by double marginalization if a simple wholesale price contract is applied. However, more sophisticated contracts which penalize or reward the supplier can change the risk distribution so that supply chain coordination is possible also under binomial yield. In this context, many contract properties from planning under stochastically proportional yield carry over. Nevertheless, numerical examples reveal that a misspecification of the yield type can considerably downgrade the extent of supply chain coordination.
Learning through passive participation in asset market bubbles
Authors: Cason Timothy N. , Samek Anya
Published: September 2015

We report a laboratory experiment that investigates the impact of passive participation on bubble formation in asset markets with inexperienced and experienced traders. Some treatments employ pre-market training in which each participant is ‘matched’ with a trader from a different prior market and observes all trading details but does not directly participate in trading. We find that passive participation, similar to direct experience, significantly reduces mispricing in subsequent markets. This finding suggests that observation of prices is a key mechanism through which experience mitigates bubbles. We also vary whether transaction prices are displayed in a column of text or in a graphical display, and find that among inexperienced and once-experienced traders, markets with the tabular display result in bubbles that are greater in amplitude relative to markets with the graphical display.
MicroRNA‐490‐3p regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis by targeting HMGA2 in osteosarcoma
Authors: Liu Wei , Xu Guoxing , Liu Huaqiang , Li Tingting
Published: September 2015

MicroRNA‐490‐3p (miR‐490‐3p) has been implicated in several human malignancies; however, its potential functions and the underlying molecular mechanisms in osteosarcoma progression remain largely unclear. Here, we showed that miR‐490‐3p was down‐regulated in osteosarcoma cell lines. Ectopic expression of miR‐490‐3p decreased cell proliferation, induced G1 arrest and apoptosis in vitro and inhibited tumorigenicity in a mouse xenograft model. Furthermore, miR‐490‐3p bound directly to HMGA2 mRNA 3′UTR and mediated a decrease in HMGA2 mRNA and protein expression. Re‐expression of HMGA2 reversed the inhibitory effects of miR‐490‐3p. Further investigations showed an inverse correlation between low miR‐490‐3p and high HMGA2 expression in osteosarcoma tissues. Taken together, our results suggest that miR‐490‐3p functions as a potential tumor suppressor by down‐regulating HMGA2 expression directly, and it may represent a potential therapeutic target for patients with osteosarcoma.
Effects of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Swallowing Functions in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial
Authors: Song Woo Jin , Park Ji Hyuk , Lee Joo Hyun , Kim Min Young
Published: September 2015

Objective/Background

Oral-motor and sensory dysfunctions are primary reasons for difficulties with swallowing in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has been shown to provide positive effects on the swallowing function in adult populations with various neurological disorders. However, there is a lack of studies regarding the effects of NMES in children with dysphagia. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of NMES and oral sensorimotor treatment (OST) by occupational therapists in children with CP and dysphagia.

Methods

The present study was a two-group experimental design. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 10) or the control group (n = 10). The NMES group received both NMES and OST, with NMES on the pharyngeal level for 20 minutes after OST, while the control group received OST and sham–-NMES only. The treatment sessions occurred twice a week for 8 weeks.

Results

The experimental group demonstrated a significant improvement in: lip closure while swallowing, ability to swallow food without excess loss, ability to sip liquid, ability to swallow liquid without excess loss, and ability to swallow without cough (p < .05).

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that OST and NMES facilitated swallowing functions than OST and sham–-NMES in children with CP and dysphagia. Future studies need to utilise video fluoroscopy swallowing study for outcome measurements in a large participant group.
Integrated Yet Marginalized: Implications of Globalization for African Development
Authors: Ndikumana Léonce
Published: September 2015

This article discusses Africa’s deepening marginalization in the globalization of production, finance, and labor. It underscores critical development issues that result from, and are exacerbated by, globalization in the context of unequal global distribution of economic and political power: illicit financial flows and tax evasion, the brain drain, an increasing incidence of noncommunicable diseases, and the disproportionate burden of environmental degradation that is shouldered by the African continent. It also offers some policy suggestions to address these issues at national and regional levels.
Voluntarism, Virtuous Citizenship, and Nation-Building in Late Colonial and Early Postcolonial Tanzania
Authors: Hunter Emma
Published: September 2015

This article offers a historical perspective on the concept of voluntarism in modern Africa. It does so by exploring the ways in which postcolonial states grappled with the legacies of colonial-era concepts of voluntarism, using Tanzania as a case study. It argues that the postcolonial state sought to combine two strands of colonial thinking about voluntarism in a new conception of “virtuous citizenship.” But this was a fragile construction, and the language of voluntarism could bring to light divisions in society that many would have preferred to keep hidden.
Obscuring and Revealing: Muslim Engagement with Volunteering and the Aid Sector in Tanzania
Authors: Becker Felicitas
Published: September 2015

This article examines Muslim involvement, or lack of it, in AIDS services provision in Tanzania. It argues that Muslims find it harder than Christians to work with Western donors whose conceptions of civil society and volunteering do not accurately reflect the institutional practices of Muslims. Many Muslims also mistrust the role played by the state in brokering cooperation. Nevertheless, Muslims seek to engage with the volunteering discourse and have established some organizations that are visible to aid institutions. The complexity of this process reveals the political tensions and unstated agendas on the part of donors that are usually obscured by the notion of “volunteering.”
Motor Cortex Stimulation for Neuropathic Pain: A Randomized Cross-over Trial
Authors: Radic Julia A.E. , Beauprie Ian , Chiasson Paula , Kiss Zelma H.T. , Brownstone Robert M.
Published: September 2015

Background: Chronic motor cortex stimulation (MCS) has been used to treat medically refractory neuropathic pain over the past 20 years. We investigated this procedure using a prospective multicentre randomized blinded crossover trial. Methods: Twelve subjects with three different neuropathic pain syndromes had placement of MCS systems after which they were randomized to receive low (“subtherapeutic”) or high (“therapeutic”) stimulation for 12 weeks, followed by a crossover to the other treatment group for 12 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the pain visual analogue scale (VAS). Secondary outcome measures included McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), Beck Depression Inventory-II, medication log, work status, global impression of change, and SF-36 quality of life scale. Results: The trial was halted early due to lack of efficacy. One subject withdrew early due to protocol violation and five subjects withdrew early due to transient adverse events. Six subjects with upper extremity pain completed the study. There was no significant change in VAS with low or high stimulation and no significant improvement in any of the outcome measures from low to high stimulation. SF-36 role physical and mental health scores were worse with high compared to low stimulation (p=0.024, p=0.005). Conclusions: We failed to show that MCS is an effective treatment for refractory upper extremity neuropathic pain and suggest that previous studies may have been skewed by placebo effects, or ours by nocebo. We suggest that a healthy degree of skepticism is warranted when considering this invasive therapy for upper extremity pain syndromes.
Perspective Taking and Empathy: Does Having Similar Past Experience to Another Person Make It Easier to Take Their Perspective?
Authors: Gerace Adam , Day Andrew , Casey Sharon , Mohr Philip
Published: September 2015

This study tested the hypothesis that it is easier to take the perspective of another person when one has similar past experience. Volunteer participants (N= 154) were asked to take the perspective of a protagonist in one of four problematic interpersonal situations and then to rate the ease with which they felt able to perspective take and the extent of their personal past experience of similar situations. Similar past experience predicted ease of perspective taking, with the relationship influenced by reflection on past experience. Ease of perspective taking mediated the relationship between similar past experience and participant perceptions of their accuracy in understanding the other person, but ease was not associated with emotional arousal. The findings have potential therapeutic applications for attempts to increase empathy and understanding in people for whom perspective taking may be difficult.
The Better Part of Valor: Developing a System for Studying How Couples Transition Out of Untimely Conflict Conversations
Authors: Gray Tatiana D. , Hawrilenko Matt , Cordova James V.
Published: September 2015

This study employed a novel methodological design to explore how couples transition out of a disagreement that they do not have time to resolve. Thirty college-aged dating couples participated in a 20-minute interaction with their partner where they were required to transition from a conflict conversation to the story of how they met, in a time-limited paradigm. Independent coders coded transition styles and couples completed self-report measures of relationship satisfaction pre, post, and at 6-month follow-up. We identified four transition styles: Mutual Avoidant, Mutual Collaborative, Abrupt/Controlling, and Resign/Withdraw. Couples with a Resign/Withdraw style deteriorated over time compared to couples with the other three styles. Further, couples also varied in terms of transition qualities, including how easily they disengaged and how deeply meaningful the conversation was. Ease of transition was associated with increases in relationship satisfaction at 6 months, whereas depth was associated with decreases in relationship satisfaction both immediately after the interaction and at 6 months. Implications are discussed.
Inclusion, Dispersion, and Constraint: Powersharing in the World’s States, 1975–2010
Authors: Strøm Kaare W. , Gates Scott , Graham Benjamin A.T. , Strand Håvard
Published: September 2015

Arrangements for sharing political power serve three purposes: to give all relevant groups access to important political decisions; to partition the policy process, thereby granting groups relevant autonomy; and to constrain holders of political power from abusing authority. A new global dataset of political power sharing institutions, 1975–2010, is introduced here, disaggregated these along three institutional dimensions: inclusive, dispersive, and constraining. Existing literature associates power sharing with democracy and civil conflict resolution. Unlike the existing literature, this dataset shows inclusive institutions are common in post-conflict states, though least strongly associated with electoral democracy. Conversely, constraining institutions, though comparatively rare in states with current or recent civil conflicts, are highly correlated with electoral democracy.
Palynofloral patterns of terrestrial ecosystem change during the end-Triassic event – a review
Authors: LINDSTRÖM SOFIE
Published: September 2015

A review of the palynofloral succession at the well-documented Triassic–Jurassic boundary sites – Kuhjoch (Austria), St Audrie's Bay (UK), Stenlille (Denmark), Astartekløft (Greenland), Sverdrup Basin (Arctic Canada), Northern Carnarvon Basin (Western Australia), Southeast Queensland (eastern Australia) and New Zealand – show all sites experienced major to moderate re-organization of the terrestrial vegetation during the end-Triassic event. The changes led to subsequent taxonomic losses of between 17% and 73% of the Rhaetian pre-extinction palynoflora. The majority of the typical Rhaetian taxa that disappear are so far not known fromin situoccurrences in reproductive structures of macrofossil plant taxa. From an ecological perspective, the most dramatic changes occurred in the Sverdrup Basin, Stenlille, Kuhjoch and Carnarvon Basin, where the pre- and post-extinction palynofloras were fundamentally different in both composition and dominance. These changes correspond to ecological severity Category I of McGheeet al.(2004), while the remaining sites are placed in their Subcategory IIa because there the pre-extinction ecosystems are disrupted, but recover and are not replaced post-extinction. Increased total abundances of spores on both hemispheres during the extinction and recovery intervals may indicate that environmental and/or climatic conditions became less favourable for seed plants. Such conditions may include expected effects of volcanism in the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province, such as acid rain, terrestrial soil and freshwater acidification due to volcanic sulfur dioxide emissions, fluctuating ultraviolet flux due to ozone depletion caused by halogens and halocarbon compounds, and drastic changes in climatic conditions due to greenhouse gas emissions.
Narrative production skills of language minority learners and their English-only classmates in early adolescence
Authors: GÁMEZ PERLA B. , LESAUX NONIE K. , RIZZO ANDREA ANUSHKO
Published: September 2015

This study investigated the narrative production skills of early-adolescent, Spanish-speaking language minority (LM) learners (n = 43) and their English-only (EO) peers (n = 38). The sample was born in the United States, educated in English, and representative of low- and high-income backgrounds. Using a picture book as a prompt, students’ narratives were transcribed, coded, and compared on macrostructure skills (story structure), microstructure skills (discrete language skills: vocabulary and grammar), and use of mazes (disruptions in speech). Results demonstrated that the groups did not differ on story structure. However, LM learners produced lengthier narratives than their EO peers, ones that resulted in stories that were less grammatically diverse and included more grammatical revisions and errors in prepositions. Thus, by early adolescence, EO and LM learners in urban schools may have well-developed macrostructure skills, yet the LM learners may still be developing specific microstructure skills.
Transforming semantic interference into facilitation in a picture–word interference task
Authors: ZHANG QINGFANG , FENG CHEN , ZHU XUEBING , WANG CHENG
Published: September 2015

A number of studies that observed semantic facilitation in a picture–word interference task questioned the hypothesis that lexical selection during speech production is a competitive process. Semantic facilitation effects are typically observed when context words and target names do not belong to the same semantic category level. In the experiments reported in this article, we used a picture–word interference task with basic-level context words and basic-level naming (i.e., the context word is dog, and the target name is cat) to investigate semantic context effects. We observed a reversal of semantic context effect: context words that induce semantic interference when stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) are –100 and 0 ms and induce semantic facilitation at large negative SOA values (from –1000 to –400 ms, in steps of 200 ms). At the empirical level, our data suggest that manipulating SOA can reverse the polarity of the semantic context effect. Our analysis demonstrates that the conceptual selection model provides the most straightforward way to account for the reported polarity shift and the different SOA ranges covered by the semantic interference effect and the semantic facilitation effect.
Object pronouns, clitics, and omissions in child Polish and Ukrainian
Authors: MYKHAYLYK ROKSOLANA , SOPATA ALDONA
Published: September 2015

Polish and Ukrainian pattern together syntactically in allowing various omissions in the same discourse settings, for example, when the referring element has been mentioned in a previous context. However, Ukrainian employs full object pronouns morphologically, whereas Polish uses clitics in the same environments. We exploit this contrast to compare the acquisition of clitics versus full pronouns, enriching previous accounts of omissions in child speech. The results of an elicited production experiment reveal that, in the two languages considered, 3- to 6-year-old children make no errors in direct object realization, but prefer to use null arguments up to the age of 5. It is crucial that there is no obvious difference between the acquisition patterns for clitics versus pronouns, which suggests that the morphophonological properties of direct objects are not primary predictors of object realization in languages that allow discourse-related omissions.
From homoclinics to quasi-periodic solutions for ordinary differential equations
Authors: Zhu Changrong
Published: September 2015

We consider the quasi-periodic solutions bifurcated from a degenerate homoclinic solution. Assume that the unperturbed system has a homoclinic solution and a hyperbolic fixed point. The bifurcation function for the existence of a quasi-periodic solution of the perturbed system is obtained by functional analysis methods. The zeros of the bifurcation function correspond to the existence of the quasi-periodic solution at the non-zero parameter values. Some solvable conditions of the bifurcation equations are investigated. Two examples are given to illustrate the results.
The Ecumenical Struggle in South Africa: The Role of Ecumenical Movements and Organisations in Liberation Movements to 1965
Authors: Duncan Graham A , Egan Anthony
Published: September 2015

When we contemplate ecumenism in South Africa in the twentieth century, we often automatically think of the outstanding work of the South African Council of Churches during the years of apartheid. However, it had two precursors in the General Missionary Conference of South Africa (1904–36) and the Christian Council of South Africa (1936–68). Parallel yet integral to these developments we note the significant contribution of the South African Catholic Bishops’ Conference. These did not originate or exist in a vacuum but responded to the needs and currents in society and were active in the midst of para-movements such as the Christian Institute.
The Clerical Oath of Allegiance
Authors: Bursell Rupert
Published: September 2015

The taking of oaths of allegiance to the Crown has a long history pre-dating the Reformation. However, the shifting balance of power in the sixteenth century gave greater political weight to the taking of oaths, and developments in the monarchy were matched by developments in the oaths required of clerics. In the present day all clergy are required to take the Oath of Allegiance prior to ordination and on taking up clerical posts. Other office-holders in the church are also required to do so.
Helicopter In-flight Resuscitation with Freeze-dried Plasma of a Patient with a High-velocity Gunshot Wound to the Neck in Afghanistan – A Case Report
Authors: Gellerfors Mikael , Linde Joacim , Gryth Dan
Published: September 2015

Massive hemorrhage with coagulopathy is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the battlefield. The development of freeze-dried plasma (FDP) allows for early treatment with coagulation-optimizing resuscitation fluid in the prehospital setting. This report describes the first prehospital use of FDP in a patient with carotid artery injury due to a high-velocity gunshot wound (HVGSW) to the neck. It also describes in-flight constitution and administration of FDP in a Medevac Helicopter. Early administration of FDP may contribute to hemodynamic stabilization and reduction in trauma-induced coagulopathy and acidosis. However, large-scale studies are needed to define the prehospital use of FDP and other blood products.

GellerforsM,LindeJ,GrythD.Helicopter in-flight resuscitation with freeze-dried plasma of a patient with a high-velocity gunshot wound to the neck in Afghanistan – a case report.Prehosp Disaster Med.2015;30(5):509–511.
A Descriptive Analysis of Prehospital Response to Hazardous Materials Events
Authors: Martin Ashley J. , Lohse Christine M. , Sztajnkrycer Matthew D.
Published: September 2015

Objective

Little is known about the overall frequency of hazardous materials (HazMat) events in the United States and the nature of prehospital care for those exposed. The purpose of the current study was to perform a descriptive analysis of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) activations reported to a national EMS database.

Methods

Analysis of the 2012 National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) Public Release Research Data Set v.2.2.1, containing EMS emergency response data submitted by 41 states, was conducted. Mandatory data elements E0207 (Type of Response Delay), E0208 (Type of Scene Delay), and E0209 (Type of Transport Delay) contained specific codes for HazMat events and were used to identify specific EMS activation records for subsequent analysis. Overlapping data elements were identified and combined in order to prevent duplicate entries. Descriptive analyses were generated from the NEMSIS Research Data Set.

Results

A total of 17,479,328 EMS activations were reported, of which 2,527 unique activations involved HazMat response. Mass-casualty incident was coded for 5.6% of activations. The most common level of prehospital care present on scene was Basic Life Support (BLS; 51.1%); 2.1% required aggressive Advanced Life Support (ALS) response. The most common locations for HazMat activations were homes (36.2%), streets or highways (26.3%), and health care facilities (11.6%). The primary symptoms observed by EMS personnel were pain (29.6%), breathing problems (12.2%), and change in responsiveness (9.6%). Two percent of HazMat activations involved cardiac arrest, with 21.7% occurring after EMS arrival. Delays in patient care included response delay, scene delay, and transport delay.

Conclusion

Hazardous materials events are rare causes of EMS activation in the United States. The majority occur in non-industrial venues and involve two or fewer patients. Scene time frequently is delayed due to multiple barriers. Cardiac arrest is rare but occurred after EMS arrival in one-fifth of patients.

MartinAJ,LohseCM,SztajnkrycerMD.A descriptive analysis of prehospital response to hazardous materials events.Prehosp Disaster Med.2015;30(5):466–471.
Predictors of Retest Effects in a Longitudinal Study of Cognitive Aging in a Diverse Community-Based Sample
Authors: Gross Alden L. , Benitez Andreana , Shih Regina , Bangen Katherine J. , Glymour M. Maria M. , Sachs Bonnie , Sisco Shannon , Skinner Jeannine , Schneider Brooke C. , Manly Jennifer J.
Published: September 2015

Better performance due to repeated testing can bias long-term trajectories of cognitive aging and correlates of change. We examined whether retest effects differ as a function of individual differences pertinent to cognitive aging: race/ethnicity, age, sex, language, years of education, literacy, and dementia risk factors including apolipoprotein E ε4 status, baseline cognitive performance, and cardiovascular risk. We used data from the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project, a community-based cohort of older adults (n=4073). We modeled cognitive change and retest effects in summary factors for general cognitive performance, memory, executive functioning, and language using multilevel models. Retest effects were parameterized in two ways, as improvement between the first and subsequent testings, and as the square root of the number of prior testings. We evaluated whether the retest effect differed by individual characteristics. The mean retest effect for general cognitive performance was 0.60 standard deviations (95% confidence interval [0.46, 0.74]), and was similar for memory, executive functioning, and language. Retest effects were greater for participants in the lowest quartile of cognitive performance (many of whom met criteria for dementia based on a study algorithm), consistent with regression to the mean. Retest did not differ by other characteristics. Retest effects are large in this community-based sample, but do not vary by demographic or dementia-related characteristics. Differential retest effects may not limit the generalizability of inferences across different groups in longitudinal research. (JINS, 2015, 21, 506–518)
The Association between High Neuroticism-Low Extraversion and Dual-Task Performance during Walking While Talking in Non-demented Older Adults
Authors: LeMonda Brittany C. , Mahoney Jeannette R. , Verghese Joe , Holtzer Roee
Published: September 2015

The Walking While Talking (WWT) dual-task paradigm is a mobility stress test that predicts major outcomes, including falls, frailty, disability, and mortality in aging. Certain personality traits, such as neuroticism, extraversion, and their combination, have been linked to both cognitive and motor outcomes. We examined whether individual differences in personality dimensions of neuroticism and extraversion predicted dual-task performance decrements (both motor and cognitive) on a WWT task in non-demented older adults. We hypothesized that the combined effect of high neuroticism-low extraversion would be related to greater dual-task costs in gait velocity and cognitive performance in non-demented older adults. Participants (N=295; age range,=65–95 years; female=164) completed the Big Five Inventory and WWT task involving concurrent gait and a serial 7’s subtraction task. Gait velocity was obtained using an instrumented walkway. The high neuroticism-low extraversion group incurred greater dual-task costs (i.e., worse performance) in both gait velocity {95% confidence interval (CI) [−17.68 to −3.07]} and cognitive performance (95% CI [−19.34 to −2.44]) compared to the low neuroticism-high extraversion group, suggesting that high neuroticism-low extraversion interferes with the allocation of attentional resources to competing task demands during the WWT task. Older individuals with high neuroticism-low extraversion may be at higher risk for falls, mobility decline and other adverse outcomes in aging. (JINS, 2015, 21, 519–530)
Zygosity Diagnosis: When Physicians and DNA Disagree/Twin Research: Sex-Discordant Chimeric Twins; Unrelated Bone Marrow Transplantation in Infant Twins With Congenital Amegakaryotic Thrombocytopenia; Twin Study of Attractiveness to Mosquitoes; Twins Coping With Crisis/Media Highlights: The Less Favored Twin; Paternity Issues; Twins With Late-Onset Tay-Sachs Disease; Triplets at MIT
Authors: Segal Nancy L.
Published: September 2015

Physicians and other medical professionals do not always provide new parents with an accurate diagnosis of their twins’ zygosity. An overview of this problem is presented, supplemented by an interview with a mother who recently learned that her 2-year-old ‘dizygotic (DZ)’ twin girls are actually ‘monozygotic (MZ)’. Reviews of two case studies, one of twins with sex-discordance and chimerism and the other of twins with congenital amegakaryotic thrombocytopenia, follow. Two additional studies, one a twin analysis of attractiveness to mosquitoes and the other a study of twins coping with crisis, are also described. Several articles and letters from the popular media, concerning less favored twins, paternity issues surrounding superfecundation, twins with late-onset Tay-Sachs disease, and triplets admitted to MIT are informative and insightful.