bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aspiring to Music Making as Leisure through the Musical Futures Classroom
Authors: D'Amore Abigale , Smith Gareth Dylan
Published: January 2017

The chapter discusses the centrality of music making to the lives of young people, framing teenagers’ out-of-school music making and attendant identity realization as leisure activities. It presents arguments for including in school music classrooms the music that students enjoy outside of school. It describes Musical Futures, an approach to informal music learning developed from understanding how popular musicians learn and adopting these practices for the music classroom. Citing examples of nationwide research on Musical Futures from secondary schools in England, the chapter balances benefits and challenges of adopting the approach, and considers implications of a focus in school on the process rather than the product of music making. The authors argue that framing and aspiring to music making as leisure through this particular pedagogical approach could stand to benefit students, teachers, schools, and society.
“The Violin in the Attic”
Authors: Pitts Stephanie
Published: January 2017

The motivations and experiences of adults who participate in music making have attracted increasing research attention in recent years, but less is known about the probably far greater number who have “given up” playing an instrument or lapsed in their participation: what are the factors that cause people to cease their involvement in instrumental learning, and how are these different from the views of participation expressed by continuing players? Life history interviews with current and lapsed members of amateur performing groups are used here to explore the long-term impact of music education. Even when the opportunity to make music has been set aside, benefits remain of open-mindedness to the arts, support for children’s musical education, and understanding of the value of leisure and creativity. These findings lead to conclusions about how foundations for musical leisure and lifelong learning could be laid in formative education, and the routes back into musical engagement made more accessible in adulthood.
The Absence of Water Conflicts in the Developing World
Authors: Raleigh Clionadh
Published: January 2017

The debate concerning how water access, availability, and change will impact conflict is bolstered by growing evidence that some influence exists, however inconsistent. Clear conclusions are obscured by the variety of water issues in developing countries, the difference between direct and indirect effects on conflict, and the additional uncertainty of what future climate changes may do to water availability and rights. This chapter summarizes how the conflict literature has integrated water issues into analyses of violence. In contrast, water researchers are mainly concerned with how little and how poorly water resources are used and managed across Africa. Resource management and politics emerge as the most serious contributors to water stress. Initial conclusions suggest that climate change and associated water shortages are far less of a problem than access and scarcity, and that water politics is leading to new contests, possibly violent, embedded in patterns of marginalization, exclusion, and poor governance.
The Study of Social Movements in France
Authors: Fillieule Olivier
Published: January 2017

This chapter deals with the emergence of social movement studies in the French social sciences in the 1990s and its development since then. We show how the exponential growth of this field largely relied on knowledge accumulated from the North American literature, but always with a critical appraisal of its concepts, methods, and results. We stress some theoretical and methodological specificities of the French contribution to the field: the greater recourse to qualitative and in-depth methodologies and the focus on the micro-level of individual activism and micro-level processes; the dissemination of its issues and concepts into a great number of academic domains, hence its trans-disciplinary framework; and finally its long-standing reluctance to engage in comparative studies. We conclude with some reflections on a possible agenda for future research.
National Identity in France
Authors: Duchesne Sophie
Published: January 2017

This chapter deals with the way in which French social scientists study their fellow citizens’ national identity. Following Billig, national identity refers here to the way people feel “emotionally situated” within nations, whatever these emotions are; how and to what extent they believe that being French is part of their personal identity. Over recent decades, social scientists all over the world have investigated the complex feelings citizens have about their nations. In France, however, this issue has been somewhat overlooked. This disparity is a consequence of the political context and the role of social scientists in French public debates, as well as a legacy of Bourdieu’s work which has made them well aware of the power of categorization. As a conclusion, the chapter outlines a research agenda in order to overcome this sociological blind spot.
Surveillance Theory and its Implications for Law
Authors: Timan Tjerk , Galič Maša , Koops Bert-Jaap
Published: January 2017

This chapter provides an overview of key surveillance theories and their implications for law and regulation. It presents three stages of theories that characterize changes in thinking about surveillance in society and the disciplining, controlling, and entertaining functions of surveillance. Beginning with Bentham’s Panopticons and Foucault’s panopticism to discipline surveillees, surveillance theory then develops accounts of surveillant assemblages and networked surveillance that control consumers and their data doubles, to finally branch out to theorizing current modes of surveillance, such as sousveillance and participatory surveillance. Next, surveillance technologies and practices associated with these stages are discussed. The chapter concludes by highlighting the implications for regulators and lawmakers who face the challenge of regulating converging, hybrid surveillant infrastructures and assemblages, both in their context-dependent specificity and in their cumulative effect on citizen/consumers.
Data Mining as Global Governance
Authors: Johns Fleur
Published: January 2017

Data mining technologies are increasingly prominent in development and aid initiatives in which context they may be understood to be doing work of global governance. This chapter explains how data mining may be so characterized and explores how this work may be compared to more conventional governance techniques and institutions. The chapter first provides an overview of some exemplary initiatives among international institutions in which data mining plays a crucial role. It then presents a playful, mundane analogy for a governance challenge—the sorting of a sock drawer—and compares a familiar law and policy approach and a data mining approach to this challenge. Lastly, it highlights what may be at stake in the practice of data mining on the global plane and associated shifts in regulatory technique, arguing for this practice to be regarded as a matter of broad-ranging public concern.
Introduction to the Oxford Handbook of Archaeological Ceramic Analysis
Authors: Hunt Alice
Published: January 2017

Ceramic is one of the most complex and ubiquitous archaeomaterials: occurring around the world at pre-historic through industrial sites and used to fashion everything from residences and technological installations to utilitarian wares and decorative/votive figurines. It is not simply the range of cultures and functions ceramics serve but the diversity in materials and manufacture technology that makes archaeological ceramic analysis as challenging as it is essential. In this volume, we address the socio-cultural, geochemical, and mineralogical complexity inherent in archaeological ceramic analysis and provide insight into the uncertainties by providing concrete guidelines for designing rigorous research strategies and developing sophisticated and answerable anthropological research questions.
X-Ray Fluorescence-Energy Dispersive (ED-XRF) and Wavelength Dispersive (WD-XRF) Spectrometry
Authors: Hall Mark
Published: January 2017

This chapter reviews the physics and engineering behind X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry. Explained are the two different types of XRF spectrometry, their similarities and differences, and their limitations. Sample preparation for each type of XRF spectrometry is discussed. Since both methods of XRF spectrometry produce quantitative data, a short discussion of data processing and multivariate statistical methods is presented. After reviewing some of the theoretical approaches towards material culture and chemical characterization, the utility of XRF spectrometry to provenance studies of ceramics is illustrated. Some case studies are briefly reviewed that illustrate the utility of the data obtained from XRF spectrometry, answering broader anthropological and archaeological questions.
Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) and Its Applications for Ceramic Analysis
Authors: Rizzutto Marcia , Tabacniks Manfredo
Published: January 2017

Systematic research into art and cultural heritage objects in museum collections are growing daily across the world. They are generally undertaken in partnership with archaeologists, curators, historians, conservators, and restorers. The use of scientific methods to answer specific questions about objects produced by different societies reveals the materials and technologies used in the past and gives us a better understanding of the history of migration processes, cultural characteristics, and thereby more grounded parameters for the preservation and conservation of cultural heritage. The use of non-destructive methods, such as the PIXE analysis, is very suitable in such studies because damage or alteration is avoided and the integrity of the object maintained. Such techniques gave historians and curators at the Archaeological and Ethnology Museum in São Paulo new understanding of the Chimu collection of ceramics as well as of the technical process of preventive conservation.
Formal Typology of Iberian Ceramic Vessels by Morphometric Analysis
Authors: Martinez-Carrillo Ana , Barcelo Juan
Published: January 2017

In this chapter a formal typology of Iberian vessels is proposed. The ceramic material comes from different archaeological settlements located in the provinces of Jaén, Granada, and Córdoba (Andalusia, Spain) and date to Iberian period. The corpus is composed of 1,133 complete ceramic vessels. First, we define the criteria for the construction of a ceramic typology and then the similarities in the ceramic profiles are measured following morphometric criteria. The morphometric method we used to characterize and classify this wheel-made pottery according to its profile is Mathematical Morphology. Each piece is represented as a vector, obtained by sampling the so-called morphological curves (erosion, dilation, opening, and closing), and Euclidean distance is used as a measure of similarity.
Assertion
Authors: Green Mitchell S.
Published: January 2017

Assertion is here approached as a social practice developed through cultural evolution. This perspective will facilitate inquiry into questions concerning what role assertion plays in communicative life, what norms it is subject to, and whether every viable linguistic community must have a practice of assertion. The author’s evolutionary perspective will further enable us to ask how assertion relates to other communicative practices such as conversational implicature, indirect speech acts, presupposition, and, more broadly, the kinematics of conversation. It will also motivate a resolution of debates between conventionalist and intentionalist approaches to this speech act by explaining how those who make assertions can embody their intentions to perform an act of a certain kind. The chapter closes with a discussion of how assertoric practice can be compromised by patterns of malfeasance on the part of a speaker and by injustice within her milieu.
Youth Justice in Japan
Authors: Ellis Tom , Kyo Akira
Published: January 2017

This chapter provides the first comprehensive overview of Japanese youth justice, locating it within wider conceptual considerations of youth justice, such as welfare versus justice and penal populism, before outlining its historical development and questioning its uniqueness. It discusses the contested notion pre-delinquency and its net widening potential and its place in the wider trends in Japanese youth crime. The study critically assesses the overall organization, administration, and impact of the Family Court (equivalent to youth or juvenile courts) and summarizes recent developments in youth crime policy. Although the Family Court is at the center of youth justice, it involves many social welfare elements. Despite the increasingly punitive rhetoric, policy, and legislation for juveniles in Japan, there is no evidence that more juvenile offenders are being committed to the adult courts. Overall, we found a clear precedence of social welfare over criminal policy considerations.
Aesthetic, Sociological, and Exploitative Attitudes to Landscape in Greco-Roman Literature, Art, and Culture
Authors: Spencer Diana
Published: January 2017

This article introduces and discusses ancient and contemporary approaches to landscape and proposes model readings for their evaluation. Model readings suggest strategies drawn from environmental and ecocritical studies alongside art historical, and more traditional literary studies approaches. This article emphasizes in particular the benefits of evaluating architectural and agricultural interventions in nature alongside one another. Perceptions of landscape in the Greco-Roman world were strongly associated with cultivation and human invention. In order better to understand how and why aesthetic interest, sentiment, mood, and movement can also be significant, this article explores what makes for “improvement” and value in landscape. It also investigates how contemporary theory offers new ways of evaluating ancient depictions of landscape and responses to the natural environment.
Native American Diaspora and Ethnogenesis
Authors: Cipolla Craig N.
Published: January 2017

This chapter considers the current state and future of archaeological studies of Native American diaspora and ethnogenesis. It begins with an exploration of the broader literature concerning diaspora and ethnogenesis, comparing these branches of scholarship with the specific conditions—epistemological, historical, and political—of archaeologies of indigenous North America. The challenges and benefits of studying Native American diaspora and ethnogenesis are highlighted. The future of such studies is explored in relation to recent moves toward post-humanism that challenge archaeologists to ask crucial questions on who and what constitutes a community. Drawing briefly upon several case studies throughout, the essay places most emphasis on the diaspora and ethnogenesis of the Brothertown Indians. It concludes that notions of diaspora and ethnogenesis stand to make important contributions to the decolonization of indigenous history in both academic and public venues.
Disordered Mood in Cultural-Historical Context
Authors: Ryder Andrew G. , Zhao Yue , Chentsova-Dutton Yulia E.
Published: January 2017

The research literature on mood disorders is dominated by Western concepts. Historical changes and cultural variations are the focus of this chapter. We begin with a historical overview, then turn to the contemporary literature on cultural variations in mood disorders, focusing on: (1) etiological beliefs, (2) risk and resilience, (3) incidence and prevalence, and (4) symptoms. We propose an approach to understanding cultural variations in psychopathology based on a core idea from cultural psychology: the mutual constitution of culture, mind, and brain. Then, we describe some of the ways symptoms of disordered mood can be understood as emerging from looping processes in the culture-mind-brain system. For future research, we emphasize the importance of integrative studies across culture-, mind-, and brain-levels. Then we consider the possibility that historical changes in descriptions of disordered mood might include culturally shaped transformations in normal and abnormal experience.
The Liberal Betrayal of Secularism
Authors: Drury Shadia B.
Published: January 2017

This chapter offers a philosophical overview of the historical relationship between liberalism and secularism in the West. It concludes that secularism has been betrayed by the current ascendancy of a multicultural brand of liberalism. The history of religion in the West has made secularism a necessary posture that the state must adopt in the face of the threat that monotheistic religions pose to political order and stability. Secularism and liberalism are natural allies, but they are not identical. This betrayal has some serious ramifications. Not only is it incapable of dealing with the rising tide of religious extremism, it has allowed Islam to assume the mantle of liberator from the clutches of the colonial hegemon.
Secularism, Feminism, and the Public Sphere
Authors: Reilly Niamh
Published: January 2017

This chapter outlines major developments shaping contemporary debates about religion and secularism in public and political life and the role of women and feminism therein. It considers, from a gender perspective, debates in normative political theory about religion, secularism, and the Habermasian public sphere. These themes are explored as they are dealt with in feminist scholarship on the critical edges of Enlightenment thinking. The phenomena of the separation of church and state, the progressive “secularization” of modern societies and relegation of religious practice to private domains, and the growing acceptance of gender equality, are no longer presumed to be inevitable and interrelated. This chapter considers what is involved in rethinking secularism as a feminist political principle, in a context of globalization and in contemporary multicultural societies.
Market Failure, the Tragedy of the Commons, and Default Libertarianism in Contemporary Economics and Policy
Authors: Budolfson Mark
Published: January 2017

Many political theorists take the phenomenon of market failure to show that arguments for libertarianism fail in a straightforward way. This chapter explains why the most common form of this objection depends on invalid reasoning, and why a more sophisticated examination of the relevant economics has led most contemporary economists and policy experts to a view that might be called Default Libertarianism, according to which the strong default for public policy—even in response to market failures—should be toward decentralized, pro-individual freedom policies that involve minimal government intervention in markets. Some experts (but by no means all) similarly believe that even in the face of substantial market failures, libertarian policies are generally best all things considered. This shift toward more libertarian policy represents an important change from the middle of the twentieth century. This chapter explains the structure of the arguments that have led to this shift.
Interpregnancy Interval After Termination of Pregnancy and the Risks of Adverse Outcomes in Subsequent Birth
Authors: Männistö Jaana , Bloigu Aini , Mentula Maarit , Gissler Mika , Heikinheimo Oskari , Niinimäki Maarit
Published: January 2017

OBJECTIVE:

To assess whether the length of the interpregnancy interval after termination of pregnancy influences the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and small-for-gestational-age neonates in a subsequent pregnancy.

METHODS:

In this register-based study, we included all women (N=19,894) who underwent termination of pregnancy between 2000 and 2009 and whose subsequent pregnancy ended in live singleton delivery. The women were divided into five groups depending on the interpregnancy interval between termination of pregnancy and subsequent conception: interpregnancy interval less than 6 months (n=2,956), 6 to less than 12 months (n=3,203), 12 to less than 18 months (n=2,623), 18 to less than 24 months (n=2,076), and 24 months or greater (n=9,036). The incidences and unadjusted and adjusted risks of preterm birth, low birth weight, and small-for-gestational-age neonates were calculated in relation to the different interpregnancy interval lengths, the reference group being that with an interpregnancy interval of 18 to less than 24 months.

RESULTS:

There was a significant difference in the rate of preterm birth between the group with the interpregnancy interval less than 6 months and the reference group (5.6% compared with 4.0%, respectively, P=.008). After adjusting for nine background factors, an interpregnancy interval of less than 6 months was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (adjusted odds ratio 1.35, 95% confidence interval 1.02–1.77). No such association emerged in longer interpregnancy interval groups or regarding other adverse events. The possibility of unmeasured confounding cannot be ruled out.

CONCLUSION:

Slightly but significantly increased estimated risk of preterm delivery in subsequent pregnancy was seen when the interpregnancy interval after termination of pregnancy was less than 6 months. These data emphasize the need for prompt initiation of effective contraception after termination and enable counseling the patient for optimal conception interval.
Transcutaneous Nerve Stimulation for Pain Relief During Office Hysteroscopy
Authors: Lisón Juan F. , Amer-Cuenca Juan J. , Piquer-Martí Silvia , Benavent-Caballer Vicente , Biviá-Roig Gemma , Marín-Buck Alejandro
Published: January 2017

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the pain-relieving effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) during office-based hysteroscopy without sedation.

METHODS:

We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to the active TENS, placebo TENS, or control group. The active TENS intervention consisted of a varying high-frequency (80–100 Hz), 400-microseconds, individually adjusted, high-intensity TENS application with two self-adhesive electrodes placed parallel to the spinal cord at the T10–L1 and S2–S4 levels. In the placebo group, participants were connected to the TENS unit but delivering no electrical stimulation. The primary outcome was self-reported pain intensity (0–100 mm) measured on a visual analog scale at several stages (entry, contact, biopsy, and residual). The minimum clinically relevant difference for the visual analog scale has been previously reported as 10 mm. Sample size was calculated to provide 80% power to show a 10-mm difference (α=0.0125) in the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included duration of the procedure, vital parameters, vasovagal symptoms, and participant satisfaction index (0–10 rating scale).

RESULTS:

A total of 138 women (46 per group) participated in the study between January 2016 and April 2016. No differences were found between groups regarding age, weight, body mass index, parity status, menopausal status, or previous hysteroscopy status. Visual analog scale scores highlighted a decrease in pain in the active TENS group compared with the placebo group (entry: −11 mm, 95% confidence interval [CI] −17 to −5; contact: −21.9 mm, 95% CI −30 to −13.9; biopsy: −30.5 mm, 95% CI −47.1 to −13.8, P<.001). Moreover, the reduction in pain reached the minimum clinically relevant difference. Regarding satisfaction, results also revealed differences between active TENS and placebo groups (1.3, 95% CI 0.5–2.2, P=.001).

CONCLUSION:

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation reduces pain and increases patient satisfaction during office hysteroscopy without sedation.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION:

ClinicalTrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02647008.
Antiplatelet Agents and the Prevention of Spontaneous Preterm Birth
Authors: van Vliet Elvira O. G. , Askie Lisa A. , Mol Ben W. J. , Oudijk Martijn A.
Published: January 2017

OBJECTIVE:

Spontaneous preterm birth is an important cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. An increasing body of evidence suggests that uteroplacental ischemia plays an important role in the etiology of spontaneous preterm birth. We aimed to study whether antiplatelet agents reduce the risk of spontaneous preterm birth.

DATA SOURCES:

We included data from an individual participant data meta-analysis of studies that had evaluated the effect of antiplatelet agents to reduce preeclampsia (Perinatal Antiplatelet Review of International Studies Individual Participant Data).

METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION:

The meta-analysis included 31 studies that randomized women to low-dose aspirin–dipyridamole or placebo–no treatment as a primary preventive strategy for preeclampsia. For the current study we analyzed data from 17 trials (28,797 women) that supplied data on type of delivery (spontaneous compared with indicated birth).

TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS:

Primary endpoints were spontaneous preterm birth at less than 37 weeks, less than 34 weeks, and less than 28 weeks of gestation. We analyzed outcomes for each trial separately using χ2 statistics and combined in an individual participant data meta-analysis using a binary logistic regression model. Women assigned to antiplatelet treatment compared with placebo or no treatment had a lower risk of spontaneous preterm birth at less than 37 weeks (relative risk [RR] 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.86–0.996) and less than 34 weeks of gestation (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.76–0.99). The RR of having a spontaneous preterm birth at less than 37 weeks of gestation was 0.83 (95% CI 0.73–0.95) for women who have had a previous pregnancy and 0.98 (95% CI 0.89–1.09) for women in their first pregnancy. The treatment effect was stable in all other prespecified subgroups.

CONCLUSION:

Antiplatelet agents reduce spontaneous preterm birth in pregnant women at risk for preeclampsia.
Severe Maternal Morbidity Among Hispanic Women in New York City
Authors: Howell Elizabeth A. , Egorova Natalia N. , Janevic Teresa , Balbierz Amy , Zeitlin Jennifer , Hebert Paul L.
Published: January 2017

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate differences in severe maternal morbidity between Hispanic mothers and three major Hispanic subgroups compared with non-Hispanic white mothers and the extent to which differences in delivery hospitals may contribute to excess morbidity among Hispanic mothers.

METHODS:

We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study using linked 2011–2013 New York City discharge and birth certificate data sets (n=353,773). Rates of severe maternal morbidity were calculated using a published algorithm based on diagnosis and procedure codes. Mixed-effects logistic regression with a random hospital-specific intercept was used to generate risk-standardized severe maternal morbidity rates for each hospital taking into consideration patient sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities. Differences in the distribution of Hispanic and non-Hispanic white deliveries were assessed among these hospitals in relation to their risk-adjusted morbidity. Sensitivity analyses were conducted after excluding isolated blood transfusion from the morbidity composite.

RESULTS:

Severe maternal morbidity occurred in 4,541 deliveries and was higher among Hispanic than non-Hispanic white women (2.7% compared with 1.5%, P<.001); this rate was 2.9% among those who were Puerto Rican, 2.7% among those who were foreign-born Dominican, and 3.3% among those who were foreign-born Mexican. After adjustment for patient characteristics, the risk remained elevated for Hispanic women (odds ratio [OR] 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22–1.66) and for all three subgroups compared with non-Hispanic white women (P<.001). Risk for Hispanic women was attenuated in sensitivity analyses (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.02–1.33). Risk-standardized morbidity across hospitals varied sixfold. We estimate that Hispanic–non-Hispanic white differences in delivery location may contribute up to 37% of the ethnic disparity in severe maternal morbidity rates in New York City hospitals.

CONCLUSION:

Hispanic compared with non-Hispanic white mothers are more likely to deliver at hospitals with higher risk-adjusted severe maternal morbidity rates and these differences in site of delivery may contribute to excess morbidity among Hispanic mothers. Our results suggest improving quality at the lowest performing hospitals could benefit both non-Hispanic white and Hispanic women and reduce ethnic disparities in severe maternal morbidity rates.
Genital use of talc and risk of ovarian cancer: a meta-analysis
Authors: Berge Wera , Mundt Kenneth , Luu Hung , Boffetta Paolo
Published: January 2017

Some epidemiological studies suggest an association between genital use of talc powders and increased risk of ovarian cancer, but the evidence is not consistent. We performed a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies to formally evaluate this suspected association. A systematic search was conducted in Medline, Embase, and Scopus, leading to the identification of 24 case–control studies and three cohort studies. In the meta-analysis, we used a random-effect model to calculate summary estimates of the association between genital use of talc and occurrence of ovarian cancer. We assessed potential sources of between-study heterogeneity and presence of publication bias. The summary relative risk (RR) for ever use of genital talc and ovarian cancer was 1.22 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13–1.30]. The RR for case–control studies was 1.26 (95% CI: 1.17–1.35) and for cohort studies was 1.02 (95% CI: 0.85–1.20, P
heterogeneity=0.007). Serous carcinoma was the only histologic type for which an association was detected (RR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.15–1.34). There was a weak trend in RR with duration and frequency of genital talc use. This meta-analysis resulted in a weak but statistically significant association between genital use of talc and ovarian cancer, which appears to be limited to serous carcinoma with suggestion of dose-response. The heterogeneity of results by study design however, detracts from a causal interpretation of this association.
Cadaveric Testing of Robot-Assisted Access to the Internal Auditory Canal for Vestibular Schwannoma Removal
Authors: Dillon Neal P. , Balachandran Ramya , Siebold Michael A. , Webster Robert J. , Wanna George B. , Labadie Robert F.
Published: January 2017

Hypothesis:

An image-guided robotic system can safely perform the bulk removal of bone during the translabyrinthine approach to vestibular schwannoma (VS).

Background:

The translabyrinthine approach to VS removal involves extensive manual milling in the temporal bone to gain access to the internal auditory canal (IAC) for tumor resection. This bone removal is time consuming and challenging due to the presence of vital anatomy (e.g., facial nerve) embedded within the temporal bone. A robotic system can use preoperative imaging and segmentations to guide a surgical drill to remove a prescribed volume of bone, thereby preserving the surgeon for the more delicate work of opening the IAC and resecting the tumor.

Methods:

Fresh human cadaver heads were used in the experiments. For each trial, the desired bone resection volume was planned on a preoperative computed tomography (CT) image, the steps in the proposed clinical workflow were undertaken, and the robot was programmed to mill the specified volume. A postoperative CT scan was acquired for evaluation of the accuracy of the milled cavity and examination of vital anatomy.

Results:

In all experimental trials, the facial nerve and chorda tympani were preserved. The root mean squared surface accuracy of the milled cavities ranged from 0.23 to 0.65 mm and the milling time ranged from 32.7 to 57.0 minute.

Conclusion:

This work shows feasibility of using a robot-assisted approach for VS removal surgery. Further testing and system improvements are necessary to enable clinical translation of this technology.
Influence of Behavior on Complications of Osseointegrated Bone Conduction Devices in Children
Authors: Kubala Michael E. , Cox Matthew D. , Nelson Kurt L. , Richter Gresham T. , Dornhoffer John L.
Published: January 2017

Objective:

Compare incidences of complications following implantation of osseointegrated bone conduction devices (OBCD) between children with and without behavioral disorders.

Study Design:

Case series with chart review.

Setting:

Tertiary referral center otology and neurotology practice.

Patients:

Pediatric patients who underwent implantation of OBCD between May 2009 and July 2014 at Arkansas Children's Hospital.

Interventions:

Implantation with Cochlear BAHA 200 series, Cochlear BAHA BI300, or Oticon OBCD.

Main Outcome Measures:

Osseointegration failure (OIF) with resulting loss of flange-fixture and/or skin and soft tissue reactions.

Results:

The total rate of complications was 66.2%, with the majority being minor complications (39.4%). There was no difference in the total rate of complication (p = 0.461), minor complications (p = 0.443), major complications (p = 0.777), and minor and major complications (p = 0.762) between the control group and children with behavioral disorders.

Conclusion:

Behavior was not observed to influence the incidence of OIF or skin/soft tissue reactions after implantation of OBCD in pediatric patients.
Differences in Use of High-quality and Low-quality Hospitals Among Working-age Individuals by Insurance Type
Authors: Popescu Ioana , Heslin Kevin C. , Coffey Rosanna M. , Washington Raynard E. , Barrett Marguerite L. , Karnell Lucy H. , Escarce José J.
Published: January 2017

Background:

Research suggests that individuals with Medicaid or no insurance receive fewer evidence-based treatments and have worse outcomes than those with private insurance for a broad range of conditions. These differences may be due to patients’ receiving care in hospitals of different quality.

Research Design:

We used the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases 2009–2010 data to identify patients aged 18–64 years with private insurance, Medicaid, or no insurance who were hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, pneumonia, stroke, or gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Multinomial logit regressions estimated the probability of admissions to hospitals classified as high, medium, or low quality on the basis of risk-adjusted, in-hospital mortality.

Results:

Compared with patients who have private insurance, those with Medicaid or no insurance were more likely to be minorities and to reside in areas with low-socioeconomic status. The probability of admission to high-quality hospitals was similar for patients with Medicaid (23.3%) and private insurance (23.0%) but was significantly lower for patients without insurance (19.8%, P<0.01) compared with the other 2 insurance groups. Accounting for demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical characteristics did not influence the results.

Conclusions:

Previously noted disparities in hospital quality of care for Medicaid recipients are not explained by differences in the quality of hospitals they use. Patients without insurance have lower use of high-quality hospitals, a finding that needs exploration with data after 2013 in light of the Affordable Care Act, which is designed to improve access to medical care for patients without insurance.
Effect of Probiotics on Diarrhea in Children With Severe Acute Malnutrition
Authors: Grenov Benedikte , Namusoke Hanifa , Lanyero Betty , Nabukeera‐Barungi Nicolette , Ritz Christian , Mølgaard Christian , Friis Henrik , Michaelsen Kim F.
Published: January 2017

Objectives:

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of probiotics on diarrhea during in‐ and outpatient treatment of children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM).

Methods:

A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study was conducted involving 400 children admitted with SAM. Patients received 1 daily dose of a blend of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (10 billion colony‐forming units, 50:50) or placebo during hospitalization followed by an 8‐ to 12‐week outpatient treatment period, depending on patients’ recovery rate. All outcomes were reported for in‐ and outpatient treatment separately. The primary outcome was number of days with diarrhea during hospitalization. Secondary outcomes included other diarrhea outcomes, pneumonia, weight gain, and recovery.

Results:

There was no difference in number of days with diarrhea between the probiotic (n = 200) and placebo (n = 200) groups during inpatient treatment (adjusted difference +0.2 days, 95% confidence interval −0.8 to 1.2, P = 0.69); however, during outpatient treatment, probiotics reduced days with diarrhea (adjusted difference −2.2 days 95% confidence interval −3.5 to −0.3, P = 0.025). There were no effects of probiotics on diarrhea incidence and severity or pneumonia, weight gain or recovery during in‐ or outpatient treatment. Twenty‐six patients died in the probiotic versus 20 in the placebo group (P = 0.38).

Conclusions:

Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus had no effect on diarrhea in children with SAM during hospitalization, but reduced the number of days with diarrhea in outpatient treatment by 26%. Probiotics may have a role in follow‐up of hospitalized children with SAM or in community‐based treatment of malnourished children, but further studies are needed to confirm this.
Cancer-related cognitive impairment in older adults
Authors: Edelstein Andrew , Pergolizzi Denise , Alici Yesne
Published: January 2017

Purpose of review

Cancer, aging, and cognition form a complicated interface that can challenge patients, caretakers, and healthcare professionals. Although the typical aging process allows for compensatory mechanisms to help maintain daily functioning, cancer and cancer treatments can remove the fail-safes and exacerbate cognitive decline. As a result, older cancer patients can experience increased morbidity and mortality. The goal of this article is to provide additional assessment strategies, diagnostic considerations, and treatment options for providers taking care of this growing population.

Recent findings

In this review, we will discuss current areas of research with regard to epidemiology and our current understanding of cancer-related cognitive impairment in the older patient, while reinforcing the importance of the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in assessment, prognosis, and treatment guidance.

Although cognitive impairment in the older cancer patient may be an increasing cause of concern with several gaps in research, there are opportunities to take a methodical treatment approach.
Fluff-thieving birds sabotage seed dispersal
Authors: Rohwer Vanya G. , Pauw Anton , Martin Paul R.
Published: January 2017

Characterizing many species interactions as mutualisms can be misleading because some members of the interaction derive greater fitness benefits at the expense of other members. We provide detailed natural history data on a suspected bird–plant mutualism in South Africa where many species of birds use fluffy
Eriocephalus
seed material to construct their nests, potentially dispersing seeds for the plant. We focus on a common bird,
Prinia maculosa
, which invests heavily in gathering
Eriocephalus
material. Prinias spent 5 of their median 6-day nest construction period adding seed material to their nests and frequently travelled outside their territory boundary to gather
Eriocephalus
material. Yet, prinias gathered primarily
Eriocephalus
fluff and actively avoided gathering seeds. The average prinia nest contained only 6.6 seeds, but contained fluff from 579 seeds. These data suggest that prinias provide limited dispersal benefits to
Eriocephalus
plants. By contrast, the large amounts of
Eriocephalus
fluff in prinia nests, and the effort that prinias invest in gathering it, suggest that prinias benefit from constructing their nests with
Eriocephalus
material. We end by outlining hypotheses for possible fitness benefits that
Eriocephalus
material could provide prinias and other birds.
Marine soundscape shaped by fishing activity
Authors: Coquereau Laura , Lossent Julie , Grall Jacques , Chauvaud Laurent
Published: January 2017

Marine communities face anthropogenic pressures that degrade ecosystems. Because underwater soundscapes carry information about habitat quality, we explored whether destructive impacts of fishing could be evaluated via the soundscape. Maerl beds are recognized as biodiversity hotspots and they experience major worldwide degradation owing to fishing. We collected field acoustic recordings in maerl beds exposed to different fishing practices. We found that unfished maerl beds were threefold louder and exhibited sound frequencies more diversified than those recorded in fished maerl beds. Analyses of associated fauna samples indicated that snapping shrimps provided a major contribution to the maerl bed soundscape. Moreover, sea urchins and squat lobsters most likely contributed to differences between the soundscapes of unfished and fished maerl beds. Our results supported the idea that the soundscape can provide valuable information on maerl bed ecosystem health related to fishing activity.
The extreme insular adaptation of
Garganornis ballmanni
Meijer, 2014: a giant Anseriformes of the Neogene of the Mediterranean Basin
Authors: Pavia Marco , Meijer Hanneke J. M. , Rossi Maria Adelaide , Göhlich Ursula B.
Published: January 2017

New skeletal elements of the recently described endemic giant anseriform
Garganornis ballmanni
Meijer, 2014 are presented, coming from the type-area of the Gargano and from Scontrone, southern and central Italy, respectively. The new remains represent the first bird remains found at Scontrone so far, and another shared element between these two localities, both part of the Apulia-Abruzzi Palaeobioprovince. The presence of a very reduced carpometacarpus confirms its flightlessness, only previously supposed on the basis of the very large size, while the morphologies of tarsometatarsus and posterior phalanges clearly indicate the adaptation of
G. ballmanni
to a terrestrial, non-aquatic, lifestyle. Its very large body size is similar to that observed in different, heavily modified, insular waterfowl and has been normally interpreted as the response to the absence of terrestrial predators and a protection from the aerial ones. The presence of a carpal knob in the proximal carpometacarpus also indicates a fighting behaviour for this large terrestrial bird species.
Organization of biogeochemical nitrogen pathways with switch-like adjustment in fluctuating soil redox conditions
Authors: Lamba Sanjay , Bera Soumen , Rashid Mubasher , Medvinsky Alexander B. , Sun Gui-Quan , Acquisti Claudia , Chakraborty Amit , Li Bai-Lian
Published: January 2017

Nitrogen is cycled throughout ecosystems by a suite of biogeochemical processes. The high complexity of the nitrogen cycle resides in an intricate interplay between reversible biochemical pathways alternatively and specifically activated in response to diverse environmental cues. Despite aggressive research, how the fundamental nitrogen biochemical processes are assembled and maintained in fluctuating soil redox conditions remains elusive. Here, we address this question using a kinetic modelling approach coupled with dynamical systems theory and microbial genomics. We show that alternative biochemical pathways play a key role in keeping nitrogen conversion and conservation properties invariant in fluctuating environments. Our results indicate that the biochemical network holds inherent adaptive capacity to stabilize ammonium and nitrate availability, and that the bistability in the formation of ammonium is linked to the transient upregulation of the
amo-hao
mediated nitrification pathway. The bistability is maintained by a pair of complementary subsystems acting as either source or sink type systems in response to soil redox fluctuations. It is further shown how elevated anthropogenic pressure has the potential to break down the stability of the system, altering substantially ammonium and nitrate availability in the soil, with dramatic effects on biodiversity.
A combined meta-barcoding and shotgun metagenomic analysis of spontaneous wine fermentation
Authors: Sternes Peter R. , Lee Danna , Kutyna Dariusz R. , Borneman Anthony R.
Published: January 2017

Wine is a complex beverage, comprising hundreds of metabolites produced through the action of yeasts and bacteria in fermenting grape must. To ensure a robust and reliable fermentation, most commercial wines are produced via inoculation with commercial strains of the major wine yeast,Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, there is a growing trend towards the use of uninoculated or “wild” fermentations, in which the yeasts and bacteria that are naturally associated with the vineyard and winery, perform the fermentation. In doing so, the varied metabolic contributions of the numerous non-Saccharomycesspecies in this microbial community are thought to impart complexity and desirable taste and aroma attributes to wild ferments in comparison to their inoculated counterparts.

In order the map the microflora of spontaneous fermentation, metagenomic techniques were used to characterize and monitor the progression of fungal species in several wild fermentations. Both amplicon-based ITS phylotyping (meta-barcoding) and shotgun metagenomics were used to assess community structure. While providing a sensitive and highly accurate means of characterizing the wine microbiome, the shotgun metagenomic data also uncovered a significant over-abundance bias in the ITS phylotyping abundance estimations for the common non-Saccharomyceswine yeast genusMetschnikowia.