bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Historical climate controls soil respiration responses to current soil moisture
Authors: Hawkes Christine V. , Waring Bonnie G. , Rocca Jennifer D. , Kivlin Stephanie N.
Published: May 2017

Significance

Ecosystems’ feedback to climate change remains a source of uncertainty in global models that project future climate conditions. That uncertainty rests largely on how much soil carbon will be lost as microbial respiration and how that loss varies across ecosystems. Although there has been a large emphasis on microbial temperature responses, how soil microorganisms respond to changes in moisture remains poorly understood. Here we show that historical rainfall controls soil respiration responses to current moisture. This finding was robust, with historical climate repeatedly limiting current respiration regardless of alterations to soil moisture, rainfall, or the arrival of new taxa. This study highlights the importance that legacies in microbial responses to climate change can have in future ecosystem responses.
Deformable and conformal silk hydrogel inverse opal
Authors: Min Kyungtaek , Kim Sookyoung , Kim Sunghwan
Published: May 2017

Significance

Although many researchers show interest in biopolymers such as proteins and DNA due to their favorable material traits, applying biopolymer-based nanooptics to biological tissues is still challenging due to large deformation and humid environments of tissues. This constraint requires that the nanooptical devices must hold deformability, durability, and biocompatibility at the same time. In this study, we report deformable and conformal silk hydrogel inverse opals that may lead to giving night vision or IR vision to humans. Silk hydrogel is produced via photo–cross-linking of the stilbene chromophore with silk molecules under short-wavelength UV exposure. By exploiting the favorable material traits of silk, our deformable silk-based optical nanostructure adds a dimension at the interface between nanooptics and biology.
Arabidopsis
JASMONATE-INDUCED OXYGENASES down-regulate plant immunity by hydroxylation and inactivation of the hormone jasmonic acid
Authors: Caarls Lotte , Elberse Joyce , Awwanah Mo , Ludwig Nora R. , de Vries Michel , Zeilmaker Tieme , Van Wees Saskia C. M. , Schuurink Robert C. , Van den Ackerveken Guido
Published: May 2017

Significance

In plants the hormone jasmonic acid (JA) is synthesized in response to attack by pathogens and herbivores, leading to activation of defense responses. Rapidly following JA accumulation the hormone is metabolized, presumably to prevent inhibitive effects of high JA levels on growth and development. The enzymes that directly inactivate JA were so far unknown. Here, we identify four jasmonate-induced oxygenases (JOXs) in
Arabidopsis
that hydroxylate jasmonic acid to form inactive 12-OH-JA. A mutant that no longer produces the four enzymes hyperaccumulates JA, exhibits reduced growth, and is highly resistant to attackers that are sensitive to JA-dependent defense. The JOX enzymes thus play an important role in determining the amplitude and duration of JA responses to balance the growth–defense trade-off.
Bacteria exploit a polymorphic instability of the flagellar filament to escape from traps
Authors: Kühn Marco J. , Schmidt Felix K. , Eckhardt Bruno , Thormann Kai M.
Published: May 2017

Significance

It has long been established that flagella provide an efficient means of movement for bacteria in planktonic environments (free swimming) or across surfaces (swarming). However, rather little is known about bacterial motility in structured environments. In this study, we demonstrate that polarly flagellated bacteria can exploit a polymorphic instability of the flagellar filament for a third type of flagella-mediated movement in which the flagellum wraps around the cell body and the cells back out from narrow passages in a screw-like motion.
Quantum critical scaling and fluctuations in Kondo lattice materials
Authors: Yang Yi-feng , Pines David , Lonzarich Gilbert
Published: May 2017

Significance

Quantum critical materials contain quantum critical points (QCP) associated with continuous phase transitions between ordered states at zero temperature that give rise to strong quantum fluctuations of order parameter fields. Their coupling to conduction electrons in metals typically yields logarithmic or power law scaling in their electronic properties. Here, we study a particularly interesting class of quantum critical materials, Kondo lattice materials, composed of interacting local moments and conduction electrons. We propose a phenomenological framework based on the interplay of the fluctuations associated with their antiferromagnetic and delocalization QCPs and show that it explains the many anomalous scaling properties measured in these materials.
Characterization of the scrambling domain of the TMEM16 family
Authors: Gyobu Sayuri , Ishihara Kenji , Suzuki Jun , Segawa Katsumori , Nagata Shigekazu
Published: May 2017

Significance

Plasma membrane in eukaryotic cells is composed of two layers, and phospholipids are asymmetrically distributed between them by an action of flippases. Ca
2+
-dependent scramblases (TMEM16 family members) disrupt the asymmetry, and phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) exposed to the cell surface functions as a signaling molecule in various biological systems. We show that TMEM16F-supported phospholipid scrambling proceeds at 4 °C, independent of phospholipid flipping. Seven TMEM16 members carry a scrambling domain that confers scrambling ability to TMEM16A, a Ca
2+
-dependent Cl
−
channel. Mutational analysis identified hydrophilic residues in the transmembrane segments of TMEM16F that are important for exposing PtdSer. Our results may support a model in which TMEM16 proteins provide a cleft containing hydrophilic “stepping stones” in the transmembrane segments for the outward translocation of phospholipids.
Electron localization in rod-shaped triicosahedral gold nanocluster
Authors: Zhou Meng , Jin Renxi , Sfeir Matthew Y. , Chen Yuxiang , Song Yongbo , Jin Rongchao
Published: May 2017

Significance

Understanding the carrier dynamics in ultrasmall (<2-nm) gold nanoclusters is fundamentally important for their applications in solar energy storage and conversion. This work tackles how the electrons of gold nanoclusters flow after photoexcitation. The electron localization/delocalization is commonly observed in polymers and other molecular aggregates, but little is known about this phenomenon in gold nanoclusters. Here, we observed ∼100-ps excited-state electron localization in atomically precise rod-shaped Au
37
nanoclusters made up of three icosahedra. The activation energy was further obtained by temperature-dependent experiments. The excitation localization observed in rod-shaped clusters of clusters will advance their applications in nonlinear optics and energy harvesting.
Exploring the Use of Environmental DNA to Determine the Species of Salmon Redds
Authors: Strobel Burke , Laramie Matthew B. , Pilliod David S.
Published: May 2017

Annual redd counts are used to monitor the status and trends of salmonid populations, but methods to easily and reliably determine which of sympatric species made specific redds are lacking. We explored whether environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis might prove useful for assigning salmon redds to the species of origin. We collected eDNA samples from the interstitial spaces of redds constructed by Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, redds constructed by Coho Salmon O. kisutch, and areas of undisturbed gravel (n = 10 of each type) as well as from the water column adjacent to each of those sites in the Sandy River basin, Oregon, during fall 2013. The concentrations of Chinook Salmon and Coho Salmon eDNA were quantified within each sample by using real-time PCR. The water in the interstitial spaces of redds contained significantly higher concentrations of eDNA from the species that made the redd than from the other species; concentrations of eDNA from the species that built the redd were also significantly higher in the redd than in the adjacent water column. In contrast, within samples of water from the interstitial spaces of undisturbed gravel, neither Chinook Salmon eDNA nor Coho Salmon eDNA was significantly more concentrated than the other. The interstitial water of undisturbed gravel contained significantly higher Coho Salmon eDNA concentrations than the adjacent water column. In contrast, Chinook Salmon eDNA concentrations in the interstitial water of undisturbed gravel and in the adjacent water column were similar. Both species’ redds had significantly higher concentrations of their respective eDNA than did undisturbed gravel, but conclusions were confounded by differences in the timing and locations of sampling. This initial investigation highlights the potential value and some of the complexities involved in using eDNA analysis to identify the species that constructed a given redd.

Received November 18, 2016; accepted May 20, 2017Published online August 4, 2017
Environmental Drivers of the Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Spawning Blue Crabs Callinectes sapidus in the Western Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Anderson Joel , Olsen Zachary , Glen Sutton Tom Wagner , Gelpi Carey , Topping Darin
Published: May 2017

The blue crab Callinectes sapidus is an economically important shellfish found in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere. Recent declines in abundance of this species have driven progressive management actions throughout its range, including protection of spawning females by establishing “no-take” zones on the Atlantic coast. To date, no-take zones have not been established in the western Gulf of Mexico, although annual closures associated with mitigation of derelict traps exist in both Texas and Louisiana. In this study, we used long-term data acquired via fishery-independent sampling by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to assess spatial and seasonal distribution of spawning females in order to inform future evaluations of no-take areas. The presence of spawning females was modeled statistically by using water quality and spatial variables as predictors. Distance to the nearest Gulf pass was the most reliable predictor of presence, accounting for over 43% of the deviance observed in models from two independent sampling eras. Salinity (>21% of deviance) and temperature (>12% of deviance) were also reliable predictors, and the values of salinity and temperature that were associated with peak presence remained consistent over an approximately 30-year span despite increasing mean annual values of both variables through time. Peak presence in spawning grounds now occurs in early spring (March–April), contrasting with historical peak presence in the summer (June–July). These data imply seasonal shifts in spawning behavior despite relative spatial consistency through time, suggesting that Gulf pass areas would be ideal for protection of spawning blue crabs via no-take zones if such a measure is deemed necessary.

Received March 6, 2017; accepted May 18, 2017 Published online July 19, 2017
Turning the world to glass: poetic sensibility and the decolonization of imagination
Authors: Butler Jason
Published: May 2017

The rupture between event and meaning has shown itself to be a key issue plaguing collective psychology. This rupture requires as remedy a poetic sensibility that can imagine the central images or root metaphors which make experience qualitatively intelligible, an imaginal literacy that reads images while also making new images from that which is presented. Bachelard’s [(1988).Air and dreams: An essay on the imagination of movement] notion of images as liberatory, disentangling one from superficial impressions by transmuting surface to depth, and Hillman’s [(1975).Re-visioning psychology] move of ‘seeing through’ the archetypal images expressed in events will serve as foundational ideas for the author’s description of poetic sensibility as the capacity to read and make images through ‘deform[ing] what we perceive’ (p. 1). The author will highlight the central function of poetic sensibility as an essential engagement of imagination required by any movement resisting the neocolonial policies and ‘inverted totalitarianism’ [Wolin, S. (2003). Inverted totalitarianism: How the Bush regime is effecting the transformation to a fascist-like state] of the corporate and political state.
Fra-2 regulates B cell development by enhancing IRF4 and Foxo1 transcription
Authors: Ubieta Kenia , Garcia Mireia , Grötsch Bettina , Uebe Steffen , Weber Georg F. , Stein Merle , Ekici Arif , Schett Georg , Mielenz Dirk , Bozec Aline
Published: May 2017

The role of AP-1 transcription factors in early B cell development and function is still incompletely characterized. Here we address the role of Fra-2 in B cell differentiation. Deletion of Fra-2 leads to impaired B cell proliferation in the bone marrow. In addition, IL-7–stimulated pro–B cell cultures revealed a reduced differentiation from large pre–B cells to small B cells and immature B cells. Gene profiling and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing analyses unraveled a transcriptional reduction of the transcription factors Foxo1, Irf4, Ikaros, and Aiolos in Fra-2–deficient B cells. Moreover, expression of IL7Rα and Rag 1/2, downstream targets of Irf4 and Foxo1, were also reduced in the absence of Fra-2. Pro–B cell proliferation and small pre–B cell differentiation were fully rescued by expression of Foxo1 and Irf4 in Fra-2–deficient pro–B cells. Hence, Fra-2 is a key upstream regulator of Foxo1 and Irf4 expression and influences proliferation and differentiation of B cells at multiple stages.
Repeated Impact Method and Devices to Simulate the Impact Fatigue Property of Drillstring
Authors: Lin Y H , Li B , Pan J , Li Q , Liu W Y , Pan Y
Published: May 2017

It is well known that drillstring failures are a pendent problem in drilling engineering, because of the fatigue accumulation caused by the low amplitude-repeated impact. In order to reveal the effect of low amplitude-repeated impact on the failure mechanism of the drillstring, a repeated impact method and instrument have been developed based on the Charpy impact method, by which a series of tests have been performed in the condition of non-corrosive medium and with H2S environment respective. Test results of non-corrosive medium environment indicates that, with the increase of single impact energy, the low amplitude-repeated impact resistance of drillstring decreases significantly; For H2S corrosion environment, the low amplitude-repeated impact resistances with H2S is much lower than that without H2S corrosion, and high strength material such as V-150 drillstring is more sensitive to H2S corrosion media. Furthermore, based on the experiment data, the accumulation fatigue model to predict the service life of the drillstring is developed, which could be used to predict the fatigue life. Research fruits are very vital to select a suitable rotational speed for drilling job and drillstring design.
Breuil–Kisin modules via crystalline cohomology
Authors: Cais Bryden , Liu Tong
Published: May 2017

For a perfect field

k
k

of characteristic

p
>
0

p>0

and a smooth and proper formal scheme

X

\mathcal {X}

over the ring of integers of a finite and totally ramified extension

K
K

of

W
(
k
)
[
1

/

p
]

W(k)[1/p]

, we propose a cohomological construction of the Breuil–Kisin module attached to the

p
p

-adic étale cohomology

H^i_{\text {\'et}}(X_{\overline {K}},\mathbf {Z}_p). We then prove that our proposal works when

p
>
2

p>2

,

i
>
p
−
1

i > p-1

, and the crystalline cohomology of the special fiber of

X

\mathcal {X}

is torsion-free in degrees

i
i

and

i
+
1

i+1

.
COMPASS: the COMPletely Arbitrary Sequence Simulator
Authors: Low Andrew , Rodrigue Nicolas , Wong Alex
Published: May 2017

Simulated sequence alignments are frequently used to test bioinformatics tools, but current sequence simulators are limited to defined state spaces. Here, we present the COMPletely Arbitrary Sequence Simulator (COMPASS), which is able to simulate the evolution of absolutely any discrete state space along a tree, for any form of time-reversible model.

Availability and implementation

COMPASS is implemented in Python 2.7, and is freely available for all platforms with the Supplementary Information, as well as at http://labs.carleton.ca/eme/software-and-data.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
ISAMBARD: an open-source computational environment for biomolecular analysis, modelling and design
Authors: Wood Christopher W , Heal Jack W , Thomson Andrew R , Bartlett Gail J , Ibarra Amaurys Á , Brady R Leo , Sessions Richard B , Woolfson Derek N
Published: May 2017

Motivation

The rational design of biomolecules is becoming a reality. However, further computational tools are needed to facilitate and accelerate this, and to make it accessible to more users.

Results

Here we introduce ISAMBARD, a tool for structural analysis, model building and rational design of biomolecules. ISAMBARD is open-source, modular, computationally scalable and intuitive to use. These features allow non-experts to explore biomolecular design in silico. ISAMBARD addresses a standing issue in protein design, namely, how to introduce backbone variability in a controlled manner. This is achieved through the generalization of tools for parametric modelling, describing the overall shape of proteins geometrically, and without input from experimentally determined structures. This will allow backbone conformations for entire folds and assemblies not observed in nature to be generated de novo, that is, to access the ‘dark matter of protein-fold space’. We anticipate that ISAMBARD will find broad applications in biomolecular design, biotechnology and synthetic biology.

Availability and implementation

A current stable build can be downloaded from the python package index (https://pypi.python.org/pypi/isambard/) with development builds available on GitHub (https://github.com/woolfson-group/) along with documentation, tutorial material and all the scripts used to generate the data described in this paper.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
What to expect from dynamical modelling of galactic haloes
Authors: Wang Wenting , Han Jiaxin , Cole Shaun , Frenk Carlos , Sawala Till
Published: May 2017

Many dynamical models of the Milky Way halo require assumptions that the distribution function of a tracer population should be independent of time (i.e. a steady-state distribution function) and that the underlying potential is spherical. We study the limitations of such modelling by applying a general dynamical model with minimal assumptions to a large sample of galactic haloes from cosmological N-body and hydrodynamical simulations. Using dark matter particles as dynamical tracers, we find that the systematic uncertainties in the measured mass and concentration parameters typically have an amplitude of 25–40 per cent. When stars are used as tracers, however, the systematic uncertainties can be as large as a factor of 2–3. The systematic uncertainties are not reduced by increasing the tracer sample size and vary stochastically from halo to halo. These systematic uncertainties are mostly driven by underestimated statistical noise caused by correlated phase-space structures that violate the steady-state assumption. The number of independent phase-space structures inferred from the uncertainty level sets a limiting sample size beyond which a further increase no longer significantly improves the accuracy of dynamical inferences. The systematic uncertainty level is determined by the halo merger history, the shape and environment of the halo. Our conclusions apply generally to any spherical steady-state model.
Energetic constraints on electromagnetic signals from double black hole mergers
Authors: Dai Lixin , McKinney Jonathan C. , Miller M. Coleman
Published: May 2017

The possible Fermi detection of an electromagnetic counterpart to the double black hole merger GW150914 has inspired many theoretical models, some of which propose that the holes spiralled together inside a massive star. However, we show that the heat produced by the dynamical friction on such black hole orbits can exceed the stellar binding energy by a large factor, which means that this heat could destroy the star. The energy scale of the explosion and the terminal velocity of the gas can be much larger than those in conventional supernovae. If the star unbinds before the merger, it would be hard for enough gas to remain near the holes at the merger to produce a gamma-ray burst, and this consideration should be taken into account when models are proposed for electromagnetic counterparts to the coalescence of two stellar-mass black holes. We find that only when the two black holes form very close to the centre can the star certainly avoid destruction. In that case, dynamical friction can make the black holes coalesce faster than they would in vacuum, which leads to a modification of the gravitational waveform that is potentially observable by advanced LIGO.
Sulfate-Binding Protein (Sbp) from Xanthomonas citri: Structure and Functional Insights
Authors: Pereira Cristiane Tambascia , Roesler Cássia , Faria Jéssica Nascimento , Fessel Melissa Regina , Balan Andrea
Published: May 2017

The uptake and transport of sulfate in bacteria is mediated by an ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABC transporter) encoded by sbpcysUWA genes, whose importance has been widely demonstrated due to their relevance in cysteine synthesis and bacterial growth. In Xanthomonas citri, the causative agent of canker disease, the expression of components from this ABC transporter and others related to uptake of organic sulfur sources has been shown during in vitro growth cultures. In this work, based on gene reporter and proteomics analyses, we showed the activation of the promoter that controls the sbpcysUWA operon in vitro and in vivo and the expression of sulfate-binding protein (Sbp), a periplasmic-binding protein, indicating that this protein plays an important function during growth and that the transport system is active during Citrus sinensis infection. To characterize Sbp, we solved its three-dimensional structure bound to sulfate at 1.14 Å resolution and performed biochemical and functional characterization. The results revealed that Sbp interacts with sulfate without structural changes, but the interaction induces a significant increasing of protein thermal stability. Altogether, the results presented in this study show the evidence of the functionality of the ABC transporter for sulfate in X. citri and its relevance during infection.
Management of Cercospora Leaf Spot in Conventional and Organic Table Beet Production
Authors: Pethybridge Sarah J. , Vaghefi Niloofar , Kikkert Julie R.
Published: May 2017

Cercospora leaf spot (CLS; Cercospora beticola) is the most important foliar disease affecting table beet. Epidemics occur annually and fungicides extend the survival of foliage to enable mechanized harvest. However, a high frequency of strobilurin-resistant C. beticola isolates necessitates the identification of fungicides with different modes of action for tactical rotation. There is also substantial demand for organically produced table beet, for which synthetic fungicides are prohibited. Five small-plot, replicated field trials were conducted over two years to evaluate conventional and Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)-listed products for CLS control in table beet cv. Ruby Queen at Geneva and Ithaca, New York. Benzovindiflupyr + difenoconazole significantly reduced temporal disease progress (measured by the area under the disease progress stairs; AUDPS) by 86.7 to 97.3% compared with nontreated plots, and mean survival time of leaves was significantly extended. The demethylation inhibitor, propiconazole, also provided significant disease control in two trials in 2016. Disease severity in plots treated with succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (boscalid, fluxapyroxad + pyraclostrobin, and penthiopyrad) was significantly decreased compared with nontreated plots but less than other fungicides. Efficacious fungicides significantly increased the dry weight of foliage but did not significantly affect the dry weight of roots, and root shoulder diameter. The enhanced longevity of leaves and increased dry weight of foliage may extend opportunities for mechanized harvesting without deleteriously affecting root yield parameters which are strictly regulated for the processing markets. In two trials, copper octanoate + Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D747 (as Cueva + Double Nickel LC) resulted in significantly improved disease control in comparison with application of either product alone and provided comparable and reproducible disease control equivalent to conventional fungicides at both locations. The implications of these findings for CLS control in conventional and organic table beet production systems are discussed.
The Educational Climate Inventory: Measuring Students’ Perceptions of the Preclerkship and Clerkship Settings
Authors: Krupat Edward , Borges Nicole J. , Brower Richard D. , Haidet Paul M. , Schroth W. Scott , Fleenor Thomas J. , Uijtdehaage Sebastian
Published: May 2017

Purpose

To develop an instrument to assess educational climate, a critical aspect of the medical school learning environment that previous tools have not explored in depth.

Method

Fifty items were written, capturing aspects of Dweck’s performance–learning distinction, to distinguish students’ perceptions of the educational climate as learning/mastery oriented (where the goal is growth and development) versus performance oriented (where the goal is appearance of competence). These items were included in a 2014 survey of first-, second-, and third-year students at six diverse medical schools. Students rated their preclerkship or clerkship experiences and provided demographic and other data. The final Educational Climate Inventory (ECI) was determined via exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Relationships between scale scores and other variables were calculated.

Results

Responses were received from 1,441/2,590 students (56%). The 20-item ECI resulted, with three factors: centrality of learning and mutual respect; competitiveness and stress; and passive learning and memorization. Clerkship students’ ratings of their learning climate were more performance oriented than preclerkship students’ ratings (P < .001). Among preclerkship students, ECI scores were more performance oriented in schools with grading versus pass–fail systems (P < .04). Students who viewed their climate as more performance oriented were less satisfied with their medical school (P < .001) and choice of medicine as a career (P < .001).

Conclusions

The ECI allows educators to assess students’ perceptions of the learning climate. It has potential as an evaluation instrument to determine the efficacy of attempts to move health professions education toward learning and mastery.
Considerations for Residency Programs Regarding Accepting Undocumented Students Who Are DACA Recipients
Authors: Nakae Sunny , Rojas Marquez Denisse , Di Bartolo Isha Marina , Rodriguez Raquel
Published: May 2017

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative provides for the temporary deferral of enforcement of immigration laws for certain undocumented individuals brought to the United States before age 16. More than 50 medical schools now consider applicants who are DACA recipients, and medical school graduates with DACA are eligible to continue their training in graduate medical education. In this article, the authors summarize current policy and provide data on DACA recipients in medical school. They then review the implications for considering DACA recipients in graduate medical education, including employment guidelines, employer responsibilities, training at Veterans Affairs facilities, research funding, and professional licensure. They conclude by discussing the future of the DACA program and best practices for supporting students who are DACA recipients.

First, there are no employment restrictions for DACA recipients with valid work authorization documents as long as their employers use Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification. Second, unlike H-1B or J-1 visa holders, DACA recipients do not generate additional immigration-related costs for their residency programs. Next, provisions in the Civil Rights Act prohibit employers from discriminating against applicants based on national origin or, in some cases, citizenship status. Furthermore, trainees with DACA are eligible to rotate through Veterans Affairs facilities. Finally, some states, like California and New York, have adopted policies and regulations allowing trainees with DACA who meet all professional requirements to receive a medical license. Given this state of affairs, DACA recipients should have equal standing to their peers when being evaluated for residency positions.
Development of a Self-Rated Mixed Methods Skills Assessment: The National Institutes of Health Mixed Methods Research Training Program for the Health Sciences
Authors: Guetterman Timothy C. , Creswell John W. , Wittink Marsha , Barg Fran K. , Castro Felipe G. , Dahlberg Britt , Watkins Daphne C. , Deutsch Charles , Gallo Joseph J.
Published: May 2017

Introduction:

Demand for training in mixed methods is high, with little research on faculty development or assessment in mixed methods. We describe the development of a self-rated mixed methods skills assessment and provide validity evidence. The instrument taps six research domains: “Research question,” “Design/approach,” “Sampling,” “Data collection,” “Analysis,” and “Dissemination.” Respondents are asked to rate their ability to define or explain concepts of mixed methods under each domain, their ability to apply the concepts to problems, and the extent to which they need to improve.

Methods:

We administered the questionnaire to 145 faculty and students using an internet survey. We analyzed descriptive statistics and performance characteristics of the questionnaire using the Cronbach alpha to assess reliability and an analysis of variance that compared a mixed methods experience index with assessment scores to assess criterion relatedness.

Results:

Internal consistency reliability was high for the total set of items (0.95) and adequate (≥0.71) for all but one subscale. Consistent with establishing criterion validity, respondents who had more professional experiences with mixed methods (eg, published a mixed methods article) rated themselves as more skilled, which was statistically significant across the research domains.

Discussion:

This self-rated mixed methods assessment instrument may be a useful tool to assess skills in mixed methods for training programs. It can be applied widely at the graduate and faculty level. For the learner, assessment may lead to enhanced motivation to learn and training focused on self-identified needs. For faculty, the assessment may improve curriculum and course content planning.
Health Professions Education Graduate Programs Are a Pathway to Strengthening Continuing Professional Development
Authors: Cervero Ronald M. , Artino Anthony R. , Daley Barbara J. , Durning Steven J.
Published: May 2017

The need to strengthen the preparation of individuals leading and providing continuing professional development (CPD) programs has grown dramatically within the current health care context. CPD is an integral part of the continuum of health professions education and cuts across the multiple disciplines and professions delivering health care. Each health care profession needs not only to keep up to date on new information within their specific discipline but also continue to develop and expand skills in areas that link interdisciplinary areas, such as quality of care delivery and communication skills, across various professions. In this article, we examine the changing context in which CPD is provided and explain how graduate programs in health professions education can be used as a strategy to strengthen the preparation of individuals for CPD practice and advance the delivery of CPD through evidence-based and innovative strategies.
A theory of eu-estrogenemia: a unifying concept
Authors: Turner Ralph J. , Kerber Irwin J.
Published: May 2017

Objective:

The aim of the study was to propose a unifying theory for the role of estrogen in postmenopausal women through examples in basic science, randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and clinical practice.

Methods:

Review and evaluation of the literature relating to estrogen.

Discussion:

The role of hormone therapy and ubiquitous estrogen receptors after reproductive senescence gains insight from basic science models. Observational studies and individualized patient care in clinical practice may show outcomes that are not reproduced in randomized clinical trials. The understanding gained from the timing hypothesis for atherosclerosis, the critical window theory in neurosciences, randomized controlled trials, and numerous genomic and nongenomic actions of estrogen discovered in basic science provides new explanations to clinical challenges that practitioners face. Consequences of a hypo-estrogenemic duration in women's lives are poorly understood. The Study of Women Across the Nation suggests its magnitude is greater than was previously acknowledged. We propose that the healthy user bias was the result of surgical treatment (hysterectomy with oophorectomy) for many gynecological maladies followed by pharmacological and physiological doses of estrogen to optimize patient quality of life. The past decade of research has begun to demonstrate the role of estrogen in homeostasis.

Conclusions:

The theory of eu-estrogenemia provides a robust framework to unify the timing hypothesis, critical window theory, randomized controlled trials, the basic science of estrogen receptors, and clinical observations of patients over the past five decades.
INTERMEDIATE UVEITIS ASSOCIATED WITH PERIODIC FEVER, APHTHOUS STOMATITIS, PHARYNGITIS, AND CERVICAL ADENITIS SYNDROME
Authors: Choi Rene Y. , Shakoor Akbar , Bohnsack John , Vitale Albert T.
Published: May 2017

Background/Purpose:

To report two novel cases of intermediate uveitis associated with Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis, and Cervical Adenitis syndrome.

Methods:

Observational case reports and review of the literature.

Results:

Both patients in this report had an established diagnosis of Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis, and Cervical Adenitis syndrome before the onset of ocular inflammation. Infectious and noninfectious systemic conditions known to be associated with intermediate uveitis were excluded. Intermediate uveitis was confirmed clinically in both patients by the presence of vitritis, snowballs, and peripheral snowbanks in the region of the pars plana. Both cases had a course characterized by recurrent inflammation; in which systemic steroid treatment, and in one case, immunomodulatory therapy was necessary.

Conclusion:

Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis, and Cervical Adenitis syndrome is an auto-inflammatory fever disorder in childhood. Although other auto-inflammatory disorders such as, Blau syndrome, Muckle-Wells syndrome, and Behcets disease have been associated with various forms of uveitis, Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis, and Cervical Adenitis has never been reported to be associated with any type of ocular inflammation. We describe for the first time, two cases of Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis, and Cervical Adenitis syndrome presenting with intermediate uveitis.
Early life vincristine exposure evokes mechanical pain hypersensitivity in the developing rat
Authors: Schappacher Katie A. , Styczynski Lauren , Baccei Mark L.
Published: May 2017

Vincristine (VNC) is commonly used to treat pediatric cancers, including the most prevalent childhood malignancy, acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Although clinical evidence suggests that VNC causes peripheral neuropathy in children, the degree to which pediatric chemotherapeutic regimens influence pain sensitivity throughout life remains unclear, in part because of the lack of an established animal model of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain during early life. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of VNC exposure between postnatal days (P) 11 and 21 on mechanical and thermal pain sensitivity in the developing rat. Low doses of VNC (15 or 30 μg/kg) failed to alter nociceptive withdrawal reflexes at any age examined compared with vehicle-injected littermate controls. Meanwhile, high dose VNC (60 μg/kg) evoked mechanical hypersensitivity in both sexes beginning at P26 that persisted until adulthood and included both static and dynamic mechanical allodynia. Hind paw withdrawal latencies to noxious heat and cold were unaffected by high doses of VNC, suggesting a selective effect of neonatal VNC on mechanical pain sensitivity. Gross and fine motor function appeared normal after VNC treatment, although a small decrease in weight gain was observed. The VNC regimen also produced a significant decrease in intraepidermal nerve fiber density in the hind paw skin by P33. Overall, the present results demonstrate that high-dose administration of VNC during the early postnatal period selectively evokes a mechanical hypersensitivity that is slow to emerge during adolescence, providing further evidence that aberrant sensory input during early life can have prolonged consequences for pain processing.
Changes in the Health Professions
Authors: Schoenbaum Stephen C.
Published: May 2017

Increased life expectancy in the United States has been accompanied by a concomitant increase in the prevalence of chronic conditions in persons of all ages, especially older Americans. This necessitates new ways of organizing and conducting medical practice, and this affects the roles and interactions of health professionals. Physicians and other health professionals require appropriate training and more efficient workplaces to enhance their functioning and reduce burnout. Additional factors influencing the success of health professionals in further advancing the health and well-being of Americans are health information technology and ensuring that all have access to care.
Semicircular Canal Pressure Changes During High-intensity Acoustic Stimulation
Authors: Maxwell Anne K. , Banakis Hartl Renee M. , Greene Nathaniel T. , Benichoux Victor , Mattingly Jameson K. , Cass Stephen P. , Tollin Daniel J.
Published: May 2017

Hypothesis:

Acoustic stimulation generates measurable sound pressure levels in the semicircular canals.

Background:

High-intensity acoustic stimuli can cause hearing loss and balance disruptions. To examine the propagation of acoustic stimuli to the vestibular end-organs, we simultaneously measured fluid pressure in the cochlea and semicircular canals during both air- and bone-conducted sound presentation.

Methods:

Five full-cephalic human cadaveric heads were prepared bilaterally with a mastoidectomy and extended facial recess. Vestibular pressures were measured within the superior, lateral, and posterior semicircular canals, and referenced to intracochlear pressure within the scala vestibuli with fiber-optic pressure probes. Pressures were measured concurrently with laser Doppler vibrometry measurements of stapes velocity during stimulation with both air- and bone-conduction. Stimuli were pure tones between 100 Hz and 14 kHz presented with custom closed-field loudspeakers for air-conducted sounds and via commercially available bone-anchored device for bone-conducted sounds.

Results:

Pressures recorded in the superior, lateral, and posterior semicircular canals in response to sound stimulation were equal to or greater in magnitude than those recorded in the scala vestibuli (up to 20 dB higher). The pressure magnitudes varied across canals in a frequency-dependent manner.

Conclusion:

High sound pressure levels were recorded in the semicircular canals with sound stimulation, suggesting that similar acoustical energy is transmitted to the semicircular canals and the cochlea. Since these intralabyrinthine pressures exceed intracochlear pressure levels, our results suggest that the vestibular end-organs may also be at risk for injury during exposure to high-intensity acoustic stimuli known to cause trauma in the auditory system.
Vestibular Restoration and Adaptation in Vestibular Neuritis and Ramsay Hunt Syndrome With Vertigo
Authors: Martin-Sanz Eduardo , Rueda Almudena , Esteban-Sanchez Jonathan , Yanes Joaquin , Rey-Martinez Jorge , Sanz-Fernandez Ricardo
Published: May 2017

Objective:

To evaluate vestibular restoration and the evolution of the compensatory saccades in acute severe inflammatory vestibular nerve paralysis, including vestibular neuritis and Ramsay Hunt syndrome with vertigo.

Study Design:

Prospective.

Setting:

Tertiary referral center.

Patients:

Vestibular neuritis (n = 18) and Ramsay Hunt syndrome patients with vertigo (n = 13) were enrolled.

Intervention:

After treatment with oral corticosteroids, patients were followed up for 6 months.

Main Outcome Measures:

Functional recovery of the facial nerve was scored according to the House–Brackman grading system. Caloric and video head impulse tests were performed in every patient at the time of enrolment. Subsequently, successive video head impulse test (vHIT) exploration was performed at the 1, 3, and 6-month follow-up.

Results:

Eighteen patients with vestibular neuritis and 13 with Ramsay Hunt syndrome and associated vertigo were included. Vestibular function was significantly worse in patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome than in those with vestibular neuritis. Similar compensatory saccades velocity and latency values were observed in both groups, in both the caloric and initial vHIT tests. Successive vHIT results showed a significantly higher vestibulo-ocular reflex gain recovery in vestibular neuritis patients than in Ramsay Hunt syndrome patients. A significantly faster reduction in the latency, velocity, and organization of the compensatory saccades was observed in neuritis than in Ramsay Hunt syndrome patients.

Conclusions:

In addition to the recovery of the vestibulo-ocular reflex, the reduction of latency, velocity and the organization of compensatory saccades play a role in vestibular compensation.
Head Shadow and Binaural Squelch for Unilaterally Deaf Cochlear Implantees
Authors: Bernstein Joshua G. W. , Schuchman Gerald I. , Rivera Arnaldo L.
Published: May 2017

Background:

Cochlear implants (CIs) can improve speech-in-noise performance for listeners with unilateral sensorineural deafness. But these benefits are modest and in most cases are limited to head-shadow advantages, with little evidence of binaural squelch.

Hypothesis:

The goal of the investigation was to determine whether CI listeners with normal hearing or moderate hearing loss in the contralateral ear would receive a larger head-shadow benefit for target speech and noise originating from opposite sides of the head, and whether listeners would experience binaural squelch in the free field in a test involving interfering talkers.

Methods:

Eleven CI listeners performed a speech-identification task in the presence of interfering noise or speech. Six listeners had single-sided deafness (normal or near-normal audiometric thresholds in the acoustic ear) and five had asymmetric hearing loss (hearing loss in the acoustic ear treated with a hearing aid). Listeners were tested with the acoustic ear only and bilaterally with the CI turned on. One set of conditions examined head-shadow effects with target speech and masking noise presented from azimuths of 0 or ±108 degrees. A second set of conditions examined binaural squelch, with target speech presented from the front and interfering talkers symmetrically placed on both sides.

Results:

On average, the largest head-shadow benefit (5 dB) occurred when the target and masking noise were presented on opposite sides of the head. Listeners also showed an average of 2 dB of squelch, but only when the target speech was masked by interfering talkers of the same sex as the target.

Conclusions:

CIs provide listeners with unilateral deafness important benefits for speech perception in complex spatial environments, including a larger head-shadow benefit when speech and noise originate on opposite sides of the head, and an improved ability to perceptually organize an auditory scene with multiple competing voices.

The views expressed in this abstract are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy of the Department of Army/Navy/Air Force, Department of Defense, or US Government.
Clinical examination for diagnosing circulatory shock
Authors: Hiemstra Bart , Eck Ruben J. , Keus Frederik , van der Horst Iwan C.C.
Published: May 2017

Purpose of review

In the acute setting of circulatory shock, physicians largely depend on clinical examination and basic laboratory values. The daily use of clinical examination for diagnostic purposes contrasts sharp with the limited number of studies. We aim to provide an overview of the diagnostic accuracy of clinical examination in estimating circulatory shock reflected by an inadequate cardiac output (CO).

Recent findings

Recent studies showed poor correlations between CO and mottling, capillary refill time or central-to-peripheral temperature gradients in univariable analyses. The accuracy of physicians to perform an educated guess of CO based on clinical examination lies around 50% and the accuracy for recognizing a low CO is similar. Studies that used predefined clinical profiles composed of several clinical examination signs show more reliable estimations of CO with accuracies ranging from 81 up to 100%.

Single variables obtained by clinical examination should not be used when estimating CO. Physician's educated guesses of CO based on unstructured clinical examination are like the ‘flip of a coin’. Structured clinical examination based on combined clinical signs shows the best accuracy. Future studies should focus on using a combination of signs in an unselected population, eventually to educate physicians in estimating CO by using predefined clinical profiles.
Secondary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistocytosis in a Child With Brucellosis
Authors: Pekpak Esra , Sirvan Cetin Benhur
Published: May 2017

Hemophagocytic lymphohistocytosis (HLH) is a potentially fatal hyperinflammatory syndrome that is characterized by proliferation of histiocytes and hemophagocytosis in different organs. The diagnostic criteria include fever, hepatosplenomegaly, bicytopenia, high serum ferritin level, decreased natural killer cell activity, elevated soluble CD25 level, high serum fasting triglyceride level or low fibrinogen level, and hemophagocytosis in the bone marrow, spleen, or lymph nodes. HLH can be classified as primary and secondary. Secondary HLH can be related to infections. Here we report a case of Brucella-related HLH, which has been rarely reported in the literature.