bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance and Return to Sport After Thumb Ulnar Collateral Ligament Repair in Major League Baseball Players
Authors: Jack Robert A. , Sochacki Kyle R. , Gagliano Bryce , Lintner David M. , Harris Joshua D. , McCulloch Patrick C.
Published: January 2018

Background:

Acute ruptures of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the thumb are common injuries in sports. Surgical repair has yielded excellent results and high return-to-sport (RTS) rates in elite athletes.

Purpose:

To determine (1) the RTS rate in Major League Baseball (MLB) players following thumb UCL repair, (2) postoperative career length and games played per season, (3) pre- and postoperative performance, (4) postoperative performance compared with matched control players, and (5) whether dominant and nondominant hand injuries respond differently.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

MLB players who underwent thumb UCL surgery from August 3, 1987, to September 6, 2016, were identified. Demographic and performance data were collected for each player, and matched controls were identified. RTS in the MLB was defined as playing in at least 1 MLB game after surgery. Comparisons were made by use of paired-samples Student t tests.

Results:

Twenty-one players were identified, with a mean ± SD age of 31.7 ± 3.9 years and mean experience in the MLB of 8.6 ± 3.3 years at time of surgery. Twenty-one players (100%) achieved RTS in the MLB at a mean 120.0 ± 75.9 days. No significant decrease was found in games per season or career length for any position following surgery. Infielders had a significantly lower rate of postoperative wins above replacement (WAR) compared with preoperatively ( P = .006), but no significant differences in postoperative performance score were found compared with controls after the index date. No significant difference was found for performance between players undergoing surgery on their dominant hand and those who had surgery on their nondominant (glove) hand compared with controls.

Conclusion:

In this study, 100% of MLB players achieved RTS after thumb UCL repair, with in-season players returning at a mean of 8 weeks. Players who underwent thumb UCL repair played in a similar number of games per season and had similar career lengths in the MLB as controls. Infielders had a significantly lower postoperative WAR compared with preoperatively, but no significant postoperative performance score differences were noted when infielders were compared with post–index date matched controls. No significant performance differences were noted with regard to surgery on dominant and nondominant hands.
Management of Persistent Epistaxis Using Floseal Hemostatic Matrix vs. Traditional nasal packing: A prospective randomized control trial
Authors: Murray Scott , Mendez Adrian , Hopkins Alexander , El-Hakim Hamdy , Jeffery Caroline C. , Côté David W. J.
Published: January 2018

Background

Epistaxis is the most common emergent consultation to otolaryngology-head & neck surgery (OHNS) and with 60% of the population having experienced an episode and 1.6 in 10,000 requiring hospitalization in their lifetime. In preliminary studies Floseal® (Baxter, USA) Hemostatic Matrix has shown efficacy in up to 80% of persistent anterior epistaxis. We sought to evaluate the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of Floseal® (Baxter, USA) compared to traditional nasal packing for persistent epistaxis.

Methods

A prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted on all adult patients consulted to the OHNS service at the tertiary referral centers of the University of Alberta Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital for persistent epistaxis. Patients were randomized to the Floseal® (Baxter, USA) or traditional packing study arms. Our main clinical outcome measures were: 1) Hemostasis directly following treatment and at 48 h post-treatment, and 2) self-reported patient comfort at 48 h post-treatment. Further, trial data was used for a formal cost-effectiveness analysis to determine incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Univariate sensitivity analysis and uncertainty analysis were performed.

Results

There were no significant differences between groups for initial hemostasis (76.9% vs. 84.6%, p = 1.000) or, hemostasis at 48 h (76.9% vs. 69.2%, p = 1.000), requirement for admission (15.4% vs. 46.1%, p = 0.2016) or 30-day re-presentation rates (15.4% vs. 46.1%, p = 0.2016). Floseal® (Baxter, USA) was superior for decreased pain during placement (2.42 vs. 7.77, p = 0.0022), treatment (0.50 vs. 4.46, p = 0.0007) and removal (0 vs. 3.85, p = 0.0021). Floseal® (Baxter, USA) provides an average $1567.61 per patient savings from the single-payer system point of view and has an ICER of - $11,891 per re-bleed prevented (95% CI: -$37,658 to +$473). Uncertainty analysis shows that Floseal® has >90% chance of not only being cost-effective, but the dominant (preferred) treatment.

Conclusions

Floseal® (Baxter, USA) was demonstrated to be an effective, comfortable and cost-effective alternative treatment of persistent epistaxis when compared to traditional packing methods for patients referred to OHNS with a normal coagulation profile.

Trial registration

Trial registration number: NCT02488135. Date registered: June 26, 2015.
Coloration of polyester fiber with natural dye henna (Lawsonia inermis L.) without using mordant: a new approach towards a cleaner production
Authors: Rahman Bhuiyan M. A. , Ali A. , Islam A. , Hannan M. A. , Fijul Kabir S. M. , Islam M. N.
Published: January 2018

The demand of natural colorants for the dyeing of textile fibers has been increasing gradually in recent years due to a growing global ecological awareness as well as a greater emphasis on a cleaner and greener production process. The eco-friendly dyeing of polyester fiber with natural dye henna is a novel approach that has extensively been studied in this article. To this end, the dyeing of polyester fiber with henna dye was conducted at different temperatures without using hazardous metallic mordants. Then the dyeing performance was investigated in terms of depth of shade measurement, analysis of colorimetric properties of color and assessment of color fastness properties of henna dyed polyester fabric samples. The amount of dye absorption by fiber and the resulting depth of shade were found to increase with increasing dyeing temperature. In case of colorfastness properties, all dyed substrates demonstrated excellent fastness ratings against washing, rubbing and perspiration with little to no deterioration of color. Moreover, the detailed morphological study revealed that surface structure of fiber remained unchanged after dyeing at an elevated temperature and pressure. So, the findings suggest that dyeing of polyester fiber with henna dye without any metallic mordants is a promising approach to get the desired dyeing performance alongside opening up an avenue for eco-friendly dyeing.
An efficient local operator-based Q-compensated reverse time migration algorithm with multistage optimization
Authors: Zhou Tong , Hu Wenyi , Ning Jieyuan
Published: January 2018

Most existing [Formula: see text]-compensated reverse time migration ([Formula: see text]-RTM) algorithms are based on pseudospectral methods. Because of the global nature of pseudospectral operators, these methods are not ideal for efficient parallelization, implying that they may suffer from high computational cost and inefficient memory usage for large-scale industrial problems. In this work, we reported a novel [Formula: see text]-RTM algorithm — the multistage optimized [Formula: see text]-RTM method. This [Formula: see text]-RTM algorithm uses a finite-difference method to compensate the amplitude and the phase simultaneously by uniquely combining two techniques: (1) a negative [Formula: see text] method for amplitude compensation and (2) a multistage dispersion optimization technique for phase correction. To prevent high-frequency noise from growing exponentially and ruining the imaging results, we apply a finite impulse response low-pass filter using the Kaiser window. The theoretical analyses and numerical experiments demonstrate that this [Formula: see text]-RTM algorithm precisely recovers the decayed amplitude and corrects the distorted phase caused by seismic attenuation effects, and hence produces higher resolution subsurface images with the correct structural depth information. This new method performs best in the frequency range of 10–70 Hz. Compared with pseudospectral [Formula: see text]-RTM methods, this [Formula: see text]-RTM approach offers nearly identical imaging quality. Based on local numerical differential operators, this [Formula: see text]-RTM method is very suitable for parallel computing and graphic processing unit implementation, an important feature for large 3D seismic surveys.
Estimations of P- and S-wave velocities and anisotropy from measurements on artificial fractured samples
Authors: Wei Jian-Xin , Zhao Jian-Guo , Shuai Da , Di Bang-Rang , Qin Shu-Yuan
Published: January 2018

Based on the assumptions of the Hudson theory, we built nine physical models, eight of which contain penny-shaped inclusions used to simulate fractures. The fracture density of the eight fractured models ranges from 2% to 12%. In the case that the fracture size was smaller than the wavelength, P- and S-wave transducers with three different ultrasound frequencies were used to estimate the P- and S-wave velocities of the matrix and inclusions from the traveltime picks and distance measurements. The experimentally obtained velocities were substituted into the Hudson model to calculate the theoretical velocities and anisotropy of fractured models, which were then compared with the experimental values of velocities and anisotropy. In general, with the variation of fracture density, the experimental results agreed well with the theoretical estimations within the frequency range from 0.10 to 0.50 MHz. The experimental values of P- and S-wave velocities and anisotropy showed conspicuous dispersion. With the decrease of frequency, P- and S-wave velocities decreased, whereas the anisotropy increased. Besides, the interaction of fractures in the case of high fracture density can affect the propagation of the slow S-wave. When the ratio of S-wave length to fracture diameter ([Formula: see text]) was lower than five, a train of interference wave with small amplitude appeared before the first arrival of slow S-wave, which will possibly have influence on the identification of the slow S-wave.
Extending the useful angle range for elastic inversion through the amplitude-versus-angle full-waveform inversion method
Authors: Oliveira Sérgio A. M. , Braga Igor L. S. , Lacerda Murillo B. , Ouverney Geovane F. , de Franco Anderson W. P.
Published: January 2018

We have developed the amplitude versus angle full-waveform inversion (AVA-FWI) method. This method considers the complete seismic response of the layered medium, and so it is capable of correctly handling seismic amplitudes from prestack data with a wide angle range. This capability is very important because a reliable estimate of the elastic parameters and the density requires an incidence angle that goes beyond 30°. Our method inputs seismic traces from prestack time-migrated gathers ordered by angle of incidence and works under the local 1D assumption. AVA-FWI is a nonlinear inversion based on forward modeling by the reflectivity method, which substantially increases its computational cost with respect to conventional AVA inversion. To address this problem, we developed an efficient routine for angle gather modeling and a new method for differential seismogram generation that greatly reduces the amount of computation involved in this task. The AVA-FWI method was applied to synthetic data and to a geophysical reservoir characterization case study using the North Viking Graben open data set.
Cost Effectiveness of Gene Expression Profile Testing in Community Practice
Authors: Chandler Young , Schechter Clyde B. , Jayasekera Jinani , Near Aimee , O’Neill Suzanne C. , Isaacs Claudine , Phelps Charles E. , Ray G. Thomas , Lieu Tracy A. , Ramsey Scott , Mandelblatt Jeanne S.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

Gene expression profile (GEP) testing can support chemotherapy decision making for patients with early-stage, estrogen receptor–positive, human epidermal growth factor 2–negative breast cancers. This study evaluated the cost effectiveness of one GEP test, Onco type DX (Genomic Health, Redwood City, CA), in community practice with test-eligible patients age 40 to 79 years.

Methods

A simulation model compared 25-year societal incremental costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) of community Onco type DX use from 2005 to 2012 versus usual care in the pretesting era (2000 to 2004). Inputs included Onco type DX and chemotherapy data from an integrated health care system and national and published data on Onco type DX accuracy, chemotherapy effectiveness, utilities, survival and recurrence, and Medicare and patient costs. Sensitivity analyses varied individual parameters; results were also estimated for ideal conditions (ie, 100% testing and adherence to test-suggested treatment, perfect test accuracy, considering test effects on reassurance or worry, and lowest costs).

Results

Twenty-four percent of test-eligible patients had Onco type DX testing. Testing was higher in younger patients and patients with stage I disease ( v stage IIA), and 75.3% and 10.2% of patients with high and low recurrence risk scores received chemotherapy, respectively. The cost-effectiveness ratio for testing ( v usual care) was $188,125 per QALY. Considering test effects on worry versus reassurance decreased the cost-effectiveness ratio to $58,431 per QALY. With perfect test accuracy, the cost-effectiveness ratio was $28,947 per QALY, and under ideal conditions, it was $39,496 per QALY.

Conclusion

GEP testing is likely to have a high cost-effectiveness ratio on the basis of community practice patterns. However, realistic variations in assumptions about key variables could result in GEP testing having cost-effectiveness ratios in the range of other accepted interventions. The differences in cost-effectiveness ratios on the basis of community versus ideal conditions underscore the importance of considering real-world implementation when assessing the new technology.
Profile: Health and Demographic Surveillance System in peri-urban areas of Karachi, Pakistan
Authors: Muhammad Zeb Muhammad Ilyas , Naeem Komal , Fatima Urooj , Nisar Muhammad Imran , Kazi Abdul Momin , Jehan Fyezah , Shafiq Yasir , Mehmood Usma , Ali Rashid , Ali Murtaza , Ahmed Imran , Zaidi Anita K.M.
Published: January 2018

The Aga Khan University’s Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) in peri urban areas of Karachi was set up in the year 2003 in four low socioeconomic communities and covers an area of 17.6 square kilometres. Its main purpose has been to provide a platform for research projects with the focus on maternal and child health improvement, as well as educational opportunities for trainees.

The total population currently under surveillance is 249,128, for which a record of births, deaths, pregnancies and migration events is maintained by two monthly household visits. Verbal autopsies for stillbirths, deaths of children under the age of five years and adult female deaths are conducted.

For over a decade, the HDSS has been a platform for a variety of studies  including, calculation of the incidence of various infectious diseases like typhoid bacteremia, pneumonia and diarrhea, evaluation of effectiveness of various treatment regimens for neonatal sepsis, assessment of the acceptance of hospitalized care, determination of the etiology of moderate to severe diarrhea, assessment of burden and etiology of neonatal sepsis and a multi-centre cohort study measuring the burden of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths. We have also established a bio-repository of a well-defined maternal and newborn cohort.

Through a well-established HDSS rooted in maternal and child health we aim to provide concrete evidence base to guide policy makers to make informed decisions at local, national and international levels.
Epidural analgesia 2: research basis
Authors: Mander Rosemary
Published: January 2018

The first of this twopart article (Vol 1, No 6: 259-63) considered the events that provided the historical backdrop against which epidural analgesia in labour became widely utilized. In the second part, the research that supported this development is examined.
Antenatal care of women with sickle cell disease
Authors: Eboh Winifred , van den Akker Olga
Published: January 2018

Most women with sickle cell disease and other disorders affecting haemoglobin are cared for by health professionals who are either unaware of current research, or are unable to implement their knowledge in practice. This article attempts to document some of the problems encountered in current practice and show how they can be avoided.
Waterbirth, ‘first-stage’ immersion or non-immersion?
Authors: Garland Dianne , Jones Keith
Published: January 2018

The availability of immersion facilities offers women an additional option for pain management in labour. In this article, evidence regarding the outcomes of immersion, derived from routine monitoring of labour and delivery in a particular maternity unit, is presented and discussed.
Application of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to Reduce Multicollinearity Exchange Rate Currency of Some Countries in Asia Period 2004-2014
Authors: Rahayu Sri , Sugiarto Teguh , Madu Ludiro , Holiawati Holiawati , Subagyo Ahmad
Published: January 2018

This study aims to apply the model Principal component Analysis to reduce multicollinearity on variable currency exchange rate in eight countries in Asia against US Dollar including the Yen (Japan), Won (South Korea), Dollar (Hongkong), Yuan (China), Bath (Thailand), Rupiah (Indonesia), Ringgit (Malaysia), Dollar (Singapore). It looks at yield levels of multicolinierity which is smaller in comparison with PCA applications using multiple regression. This study used multiple regression test and PCA application to investigate the differences in multicollinearity at yield. From this research, it can be concluded that the use of PCA analysis applications can reduce multicollinearity in variables in doing research.
Social enterprise and policy discourse: a comparative analysis of the United Kingdom and Australia
Authors: Mason Chris , Moran Michael
Published: January 2018

This article analyses social enterprise policy in the United Kingdom and Australia, comparing the different ideational strategies adopted by policymakers in each country. Drawing upon a unique policy dataset, it reveals that in the United Kingdom policymakers combined several ideas into a sophisticated narrative that sought to reflect sector growth and engage more deeply with the public. In comparison, Australian policy actors focused on a single idea, which underlined a more pragmatic approach to the utilisation of policy narratives. Through this analysis, the article makes a number of contributions. Empirically, it provides the first comparative examination of the interplay between ideas and rhetoric in the field of social enterprise policy. Theoretically, it demonstrates the utility of discursive institutionalism in the field of policy analysis, and develops its analytical leverage by identifying the different strategies available to policymakers.
Key Success Factors of Renewable Energy Projects Implementation in Rural Areas of Indonesia
Authors: Hermawati Wati , Rosaira Ishelina
Published: January 2018

This paper is an exploratory study on renewable energy implementation in the rural areas of Indonesia. The study aim was to investigate the factors contributing to the sustainability of renewable energy projects in the rural areas. It mostly uses a qualitative approach. Primary data was mainly obtained from in-depth interviews conducted in site areas with the project owners, project managers, a key person in each local government, industry representatives, and the local community, including local leaders and users of renewable energy. Secondary data in the form of various official project reports was also used. The results indicated that the success of energy project implementation lay not only in good technology performance and long-term maintenance, but was also highly dependent on six key factors, namely: (1) project planning and development; (2) community participation; (3) active communication and beneficiaries; (4) availability of maintenance program, workshop and technician; (5) project management and institutionalization; (6) local government support and networks. The findings from this study provide useful insights to all stakeholders involved in the implementation of renewable energy technology for the rural areas in Indonesia.
Discourse in the United Kingdom on EU immigration: Analysis of Prime Minister David Cameron’s political language on EU immigrants between 2010 and 2015
Authors: Ágopcsa Réka
Published: January 2018

This article explores how immigration into the United Kingdom from the European Union became a negatively perceived “issue” in British public discourse and how the politicisation of EU immigration unfolded under the first Cameron (coalition) government, with special attention to the rhetoric of Prime Minister (PM) David Cameron. The paper assesses the role the PM’s political language and decisions played in constructing a negative image of EU immigrants in the above mentioned period. It does so by examining his speeches through Critical Discourse Analysis and defining the extent to which he politicised the phenomenon, as set out by the Copenhagen School’s theory of Securitisation. The paper consequently finds that between 2010 and 2015 Cameron’s political language adapted to the political pressures felt both within and outside his party, which as a result steered his rhetoric on EU immigration towards a growingly hostile and alienating direction. This was expressed through a political language that used overwhelmingly one-sided arguments, put more emphasis on the negative side of EU immigration, and often clearly differentiated between the “good” in-group (British citizens) and the “bad” out-group (EU immigrants). However, while the PM’s rhetoric largely contributed to the politicisation of the issue, it had no clearly identifiable securitising intent.
What Makes A Foreign Fighter? Radicalisation and Extremism in Belgium
Authors: Depuydt Michael
Published: January 2018

This article aims to explore the complex issue of what „makes” a foreign fighter: the
origins, the key characteristics, the factors that push one away from one’s home country and towards, in the case examined in this article, the Islamic State. Stripping away distorted narratives and political discourse, the article attempts to outline the core of the radicalisation process within the Belgian context based on an overview of available sources. To reach a baseline of understanding as to why Belgian foreign fighters are disproportionately represented among Islamic State combatants, the article delves into the history of Islam in Belgium. This is necessary to be able to trace the processes that led to the contemporary situation. The article subsequently offers a discussion of the elusive profile of aspiring jihadist recruits.
DAKWAH INKLUSIF DALAM MASYARAKAT SEGREGATIF DI AOMA DAN AMBESAKOA SULAWESI TENGGARA
Authors: Alifuddin Muhammad
Published: January 2018

Masalah utama penelitian ini adalah: Apakah pola dakwah institusional (berbasis Masjid-Gereja) yang dikembangkan selama ini efektif membangun kesadaran inlusiv pada masyarakat yang tersegregasi secara spasial berdasarkan pilihan keyakinan (Islam-Kristen) sebagaimana yang terjadi di Aoma Ambesakoa? Bagaimana pola dakwah yang dapat dikembangkan untuk membangun visi inklusiv pada masyarakat setempat? Studi ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan dan mengetahui model dakwah pada wilayah segregatif yang dapat dijadikan sebagai alternative pada suasana sosial yang sama meski dengan lokus berbeda. Untuk menjawab permasalahan penelitian digunakan pendekatan etnografi dan analisis fenomenologi yang dikembangkan oleh Moustakas. Beranjak dari data yang ditemukan di lapangan dapat disimpulkan bahwa ada dua pola dakwah yang berkembang di Aoma-Ambesakoa yaitu: pola formal konvensional berbasis khutbah dan ceramah dan pola non formal berbasis komunitas. Pola pertama cenderung rigid sedangkan pola kedua bersifat fleksibel. Pola kedua merupakan model dakwah pembebasan, solutif dan efektif membangun visi inklusiv masyarakat setempat yang selama ini terkunkung oleh ethnocentrisme yang ditandai melalui perekayasaan ruang berbasis ideologi (zona eksklusiv) sebagimana tercermin dalam sejarah hidup mereka selama ini. Temuan penelitian menunjukan, media dakwah inklusiv dikedua tempat, tidak berada pada jalur formal konvensional tetapi justru berada pada pendekatan non formal berbasis komunitas. Namun demikian, kedua jalur tersebut harus berpadu dan saling mengisi, mengingat jika nilai-nilai inklusiv hanya berada pada media tunggal yaitu jalur non formal berbasis komunitas sementara jalur formal konvensional tidak dibenahi dan tetap bertahan dengan model paradigma dakwah berbasis penguatan iman plus penegasian, dikhawatirkan nilai-nilai inklusiv yang dihantar oleh dakwah non formal akan kehilangan ruh keagamaan alias layu dan lesuh dara. Sebab model dakwah non formal berbasis komunitas sebagai katalisator energi inklusiv yang tidak ditopang dengan model formal konvensional, dikhawatirkan tidak dapat menjadi media tumbuh yang subur bagi pohon inklusiv.
What Is Monopoly Capital?
Authors: Foster John Bellamy
Published: January 2018

"Monopoly capital" is a term for the new form of capital, embodied in the modern giant corporation, that in the late nineteenth century began to displace the small family firm as the dominant economic unit, marking the end of the freely competitive stage of capitalism.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.
Effects of eight weeks of physical training on physical performance and heart rate variability in children
Authors: Kraama Liisa , Yague Pablo , Kyröläinen Heikki , Pulkkinen Seppo , Matinsalo Tuuli , Linnamo Vesa
Published: January 2018

Study aim: Physically active adults have been shown to have higher heart rate variability (HRV) than less active adults, but less is known about children in this regard. In adults, training-induced changes in physical performance have been shown to be related to increase in HRV, especially in its high frequency component (HF), which is a marker of parasympathetic activity. The purpose of this study was to examine whether 8 weeks of instructed physical training would improve physical performance and cardiac autonomic function (HRV) in secondary school pupils and to examine the relationship between changes in physical performance and the function of the autonomic nervous system. Material and methods: The test group included 12 girls and 12 boys and the control group 7 girls and 7 boys. All the sub­jects were 13-15 years old. Physical training included warm up, circuit training, endurance training, stretching and relaxation 3 times a week for eight weeks. Endurance training intensity was 70-75% of maximal heart rate. Endurance, flexibility, speed and power were measured before and after training. The low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) components of HRV were recorded in supine rest and in standing conditions before and after the eight-week period. Results: Time to exhaustion in the endurance test increased in the test group (p < 0.001), flexibility and ball throwing improved in the test group (p < 0.05), while no changes were observed in the control group. No significant changes were observed in HRV in either group. Conclusions: In conclusion, eight weeks of physical training improves physical performance in children, but it might not affect autonomic cardiac function.
Don Quixote, Sweded by Michel Gondry in Be Kind Rewind (2008)
Authors: Hogan Erin K.
Published: January 2018

In the spirit of poetic license from Be Kind Rewind (2008), this article argues that Michel Gondry’s film “swedes,” its playful neologism for ersatz remaking of Hollywood and classic films, Miguel de Cervantes’s Don Quixote. The feature follows the Sanchification of Jerry (Jack Black), Gondry’s Don Quixote, and Quixotification of Mike (Mos Def), Gondry’s Sancho, as they nostalgically wrong cinematic rights through sweding and try to save their working-class neighbourhood from condemnation and gentrification through community film making. Gondry swedes the Quixote through his engagement with major themes and operations in Cervantes’s classic, including nostalgia, story-telling, conflicts between reality and fantasy, authorship, the grotesque and carnivalesque, (anti-)heroes, race and gender-bending, genre, and addressees turned addressers. This article discusses Be Kind Rewind’s relationship to Hollywoodian and Cervantine classics through the theoretical frameworks of Julio Garcia Espinosa’s imperfect cinema and Foucauldian semiotics, respectively. Be Kind Rewind uses and abuses Hollywood stereotypes to re-purpose them for a critique of discriminatory practices. Where casting is concerned and where Michel’s characters diverge from Miguel’s, Be Kind Rewind advances that skin colour is not an arbitrary sign and that race has historical and contemporary meaning in intercultural interactions.
Eco-friendly microwave-enhanced green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Aloe vera leaf extract and their physico-chemical and antibacterial studies
Authors: Ahmadi Omid , Jafarizadeh-Malmiri Hoda , Jodeiri Naeimeh
Published: January 2018

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized usingAloe veraleaf extract as both reducing and stabilizing agentsviamicrowave irradiation method. The effects of the microwave exposure time and the amount of AgNO3solution on the mean particle size and concentration of the synthesized AgNPs solution were investigated using response surface methodology. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering. Well-dispersed and spherically fabricated AgNPs with mean particle size (46 nm) and maximum concentration (64 ppm) and zeta potential (+15.5 mV), were obtained at optimal synthesis conditions, using 9 ml of AgNO3(1 mm) and 0.1 ml ofAloe veraextract during microwave exposure time of 360 s. The antibacterial activity of the synthesized AgNPs was tested usingEscherichia coliandStaphylococcus aureusbacteria and the obtained results indicated their significant inhibitory effects against these two Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.
Interpreting and propagating the uncertainty of the standard atomic weights (IUPAC Technical Report)
Authors: Possolo Antonio , van der Veen Adriaan M. H. , Meija Juris , Hibbert D. Brynn
Published: January 2018

In 2009, the Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights (CIAAW) of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) introduced the interval notation to express the standard atomic weights of elements whose isotopic composition varies significantly in nature. However, it has become apparent that additional guidance would be helpful on how representative values should be derived from these intervals, and on how the associated uncertainty should be characterized and propagated to cognate quantities, such as relative molecular masses. The assignment of suitable probability distributions to the atomic weight intervals is consistent with the CIAAW’s goal of emphasizing the variability of the atomic weight values in nature. These distributions, however, are not intended to reflect the natural variability of the abundances of the different isotopes in the earth’s crust or in any other environment. Rather, they convey states of knowledge about the elemental composition of “normal” materials generally, or about specific classes of such materials. In the absence of detailed knowledge about the isotopic composition of a material, or when such details may safely be ignored, the probability distribution assigned to the standard atomic weight intervals may be taken as rectangular (or, uniform). This modeling choice is a reasonable and convenient default choice when a representative value of the atomic weight, and associated uncertainty, are needed in calculations involving atomic and relative molecular masses. When information about the provenance of the material, or other information about the isotopic composition needs to be taken into account, then this distribution may be non-uniform. We present several examples of how the probability distribution of an atomic weight or relative molecular mass may be characterized, and also how it may be used to evaluate the associated uncertainty.
Electrochemical Deposition of CoCu/Cu Multilayers: Structural and Magnetic Properties as a Function of Non-magnetic Layer Thickness
Authors: Tekgül Atakan , Kockar Hakan , Kuru Hilal , Alper Mursel
Published: January 2018

Electrochemical deposition of CoCu/Cu multilayers was performed on titanium substrates from a single bath as a function of the Cu layer thicknesses. The deposition potentials were selected as −1.5 V for the magnetic layers and −0.3 V for the non-magnetic layers with respect to the saturated calomel electrode. The current-time transients were obtained during the deposition process, and the Co layer deposition and capacitive transients were calculated. On the basis of structural analysis, the multilayers were found to be polycrystalline with both Co and Cu layers adopting the face-centered cubic structure. The calculated lattice parameters of the multilayers slightly increase from 0.3585 to 0.3615 nm with increase in the Cu layer thickness, which is consistent with the bulk value of Cu. The inter-planar distance of the peaks of the multilayers is closer to that of Cu (d
111=0.2087 nm) and Co (d
111=0.2046 nm), and they become close to that of bulk Cu with increasing Cu layer thickness. In magnetic measurements, the magnetization decreases from 156 to 44 emu/cm3 depending on the Cu layer thickness. Furthermore, the coercivity of the multilayers increases from 20 to 140 Oe. These values show that the magnetic behaviour of the multilayers lie between those of soft and hard magnetic materials, but the multilayer having 2.5 nm Cu layer thickness shows hard magnetic property. For the CoCu(4 nm)/Cu(0.7 nm) multilayer, the magnetoresistance measurement shows 5.5 % giant magnetoresistance (GMR).
Reduced Walking Speed in Subjective and Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Knapstad Mari Kalland , Steihaug Ole Martin , Aaslund Mona Kristin , Nakling Arne , Naterstad Ingvill Fjell , Fladby Tormod , Aarsland Dag , Giil Lasse Melvaer
Published: January 2018

Background and Purpose:

Walking speed is reduced in people with dementia, but less is known about predementia conditions. We, therefore, studied the relationship between walking speed, cognition, and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers in persons with subjective (SCI) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Methods:

We conducted a cross-sectional study of 22 healthy controls, 30 SCI and 17 MCI (N = 69). Walking speed was measured by a 10-m gait test at usual and fast pace. We analyzed the association between walking speed and the ordered categories of controls, SCI, and MCI in a generalized proportional odds model. Neuropsychological tests, Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (delayed recall), and Trail Making (TMT) A and B, were analyzed by negative binomial, linear, and robust regression for association with walking speed.

Results:

Walking speed at usual pace was slower moving from controls to SCI (odds ratio: 0.46, P = 0.031) and MCI (odds ratio: 0.44, P = .019) on an ordinal scale. In MCI, walking speed was reduced at fast speed (odds ratio: 0.46, P = 0.04). There were significant associations between walking speeds and neuropsychological test performance. Usual walking speed was associated with slower test performance on TMT-A (β: −.02, P = .04) and fast pace with slower performance on TMT-B (β: −.01, P = .03). There were no associations between cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers and walking speeds.

Conclusion:

Usual walking speed is reduced in a graded fashion with the early symptoms of cognitive impairment. Our results suggest that reduced walking speed at both usual and fast speed is associated with impaired cognitive function, and that walking speed could be affected at very early stages of neurodegeneration.
A six-gene panel to label follicular adenoma, low- and high-risk follicular thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Poma Anello Marcello , Giannini Riccardo , Piaggi Paolo , Ugolini Clara , Materazzi Gabriele , Miccoli Paolo , Vitti Paolo , Basolo Fulvio
Published: January 2018

The distinction between follicular thyroid carcinomas (FTCs) and follicular-patterned benign lesions is almost impossible on fine-needle aspiration cytology. Furthermore, minimally invasive FTCs (MI-FTCs) with less than 4 vascular invasion foci generally have an excellent prognosis, but there are exceptions and, so far, no molecular marker appears able to identify them reliably. We aimed to distinguish benign lesions from low- and high-risk FTCs by a small-scale combination of genes. The expression analysis of 75 selected genes was performed on 18 follicular adenomas (FAs), 14 MI-FTCs and 6 widely invasive FTC (WI-FTCs). The mutational status of theRASgenes,TERTpromoter andPAX8-PPARGrearrangements was also investigated. Seven samples were mutated, namely 3 MI-FTCs and 4 WI-FTCs. Twenty-five genes were differentially expressed (FDR <0.05) between FAs and WI-FTCs. Six of these (ECM1,RXRG,SDPR,SLC26A4,TIFF3,TIMP1) were also differently expressed among MI-FTCs and FAs or WI-FTCs and were considered to build a classification model, which was tested to classify samples according to their histological class. Hence, 31 out of 38 were correctly classified, and accuracy remained high after cross-validation (27/38). The 2 MI-FTCs incorrectly classified as WI-FTCs harbored bothRASandTERTpromoter mutations. The capability of these six genes to stratify benign, low- and high-risk lesions appears to be promising in supporting the diagnosis of indeterminate thyroid nodules.
Circulating miR-375 as a novel prognostic marker for metastatic medullary thyroid cancer patients
Authors: Romeo Paola , Colombo Carla , Granata Roberta , Calareso Giuseppina , Gualeni Ambra Vittoria , Dugo Matteo , De Cecco Loris , Rizzetti Maria Grazia , Zanframundo Angela , Aiello Antonella , Carcangiu Maria Luisa , Gloghini Annunziata , Ferrero Stefano , Licitra Lisa , Greco Angela , Fugazzola Laura , Locati Laura Deborah , Borrello Maria Grazia
Published: January 2018

This study aimed to identify circulating miRNAs as novel non-invasive biomarkers for prognosis and vandetanib response in advanced medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) patients. We prospectively recruited two independent cohorts of locally advanced/metastatic MTC patients including a subgroup of vandetanib-treated subjects: a discovery cohort (n = 20), including matched plasma/tissue samples (n = 17/20), and a validation cohort, yielding only plasma samples (n = 17). Plasma samples from healthy subjects (n = 36) and MTC patients in remission (n = 9) were used as controls. MTC (n = 17 from 8 patients included in discovery cohort) and non-neoplastic thyroid specimens (n = 3) were assessed by microarray profiling to identify candidate circulating miRNAs. qRT-PCR andin situhybridization were carried out to validate the expression and localization of a selected miRNA within tissues, and qRT-PCR was also performed to measure miRNA levels in plasma samples. By microarray analysis, we identified 51 miRNAs differentially expressed in MTC. The most overexpressed miR, miR-375, was highly expressed by C cells compared to other thyroid cells, and more expressed in MTC than in reactive C-cell hyperplasia. MTC patients had significantly higher miR-375 plasma levels than healthy controls (P < 0.0001) and subjects in remission (P = 0.0004) as demonstrated by qRT-PCR analysis. miR-375 plasma levels were not predictive of vandetanib response, but, notably, high levels were associated with significantly reduced overall survival (HR 10.61,P < 0.0001) and were a strong prognostic factor of poor prognosis (HR 6.24,P = 0.00025) in MTC patients. Overall, our results unveil plasma miR-375 as a promising prognostic marker for advanced MTC patients, to be validated in larger cohorts.
The Substrates of Nonsense-Mediated mRNA Decay inCaenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Muir Virginia S , Gasch Audrey P , Anderson Philip
Published: January 2018

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a conserved pathway that strongly influences eukaryotic gene expression. Inactivating or inhibiting NMD affects the abundance of a substantial fraction of the transcriptome in numerous species. Transcripts whose abundance is altered in NMD-deficient cells may represent either direct substrates of NMD or indirect effects of inhibiting NMD. We present a genome-wide investigation of the direct substrates of NMD in Caenorhabditis elegans. Our goals were (i) to identify mRNA substrates of NMD and (ii) to distinguish those mRNAs from others whose abundance is indirectly influenced by the absence of NMD. We previously demonstrated that Upf1p/SMG-2, the central effector of NMD in all studied eukaryotes, preferentially associates with mRNAs that contain premature translation termination codons. We used this preferential association to distinguish direct from indirect effects by coupling immunopurification of Upf1/SMG-2 with high-throughput mRNA sequencing of NMD-deficient mutants and NMD-proficient controls. We identify 680 substrates of NMD, 171 of which contain novel spliced forms that (i) include sequences of annotated introns and (ii) have not been previously documented in the C. elegans transcriptome. NMD degrades unproductively spliced mRNAs with sufficient efficiency in NMD-proficient strains that such mRNAs were not previously known. Two classes of genes are enriched among the identified NMD substrates: (i) mRNAs of expressed pseudogenes and (ii) mRNAs of gene families whose gene number has recently expanded in the C. elegans genome. Our results identify novel NMD substrates and provide a context for understanding NMD’s role in normal gene expression and genome evolution.
Invading, Leading and Navigating Cells in Caenorhabditis elegans: Insights into Cell Movement in Vivo
Authors: Sherwood David R , Plastino Julie
Published: January 2018

Highly regulated cell migration events are crucial during animal tissue formation and the trafficking of cells to sites of infection and injury. Misregulation of cell movement underlies numerous human diseases, including cancer. Although originally studied primarily in two-dimensional in vitro assays, most cell migrations in vivo occur in complex three-dimensional tissue environments that are difficult to recapitulate in cell culture or ex vivo. Further, it is now known that cells can mobilize a diverse repertoire of migration modes and subcellular structures to move through and around tissues. This review provides an overview of three distinct cellular movement events in Caenorhabditis elegans—cell invasion through basement membrane, leader cell migration during organ formation, and individual cell migration around tissues—which together illustrate powerful experimental models of diverse modes of movement in vivo. We discuss new insights into migration that are emerging from these in vivo studies and important future directions toward understanding the remarkable and assorted ways that cells move in animals.
Deletion of a Long-Range Dlx5 Enhancer Disrupts Inner Ear Development in Mice
Authors: Johnson Kenneth R , Gagnon Leona H , Tian Cong , Longo-Guess Chantal M , Low Benjamin E , Wiles Michael V , Kiernan Amy E
Published: January 2018

Distal enhancers are thought to play important roles in the spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression during embryonic development, but few predicted enhancer elements have been shown to affect transcription of their endogenous genes or to alter phenotypes when disrupted. Here, we demonstrate that a 123.6-kb deletion within the mouse Slc25a13 gene is associated with reduced transcription of Dlx5, a gene located 660 kb away. Mice homozygous for the Slc25a13 deletion mutation [named hyperspin (hspn)] have malformed inner ears and are deaf with balance defects, whereas previously reported Slc25a13 knockout mice showed no phenotypic abnormalities. Inner ears of Slc25a13hspn/hspn mice have malformations similar to those of Dlx5−/− embryos, and Dlx5 expression is severely reduced in the otocyst but not the branchial arches of Slc25a13hspn/hspn embryos, indicating that the Slc25a13hspn deletion affects otic-specific enhancers of Dlx5. In addition, transheterozygous Slc25a13+/hspn Dlx5+/− mice exhibit noncomplementation with inner ear dysmorphologies similar to those of Slc25a13hspn/hspn and Dlx5−/−embryos, verifying a cis-acting effect of the Slc25a13hspn deletion on Dlx5 expression. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deletions of putative enhancer elements located within the Slc25a13hspn deleted region failed to phenocopy the defects of Slc25a13hspn/hspn mice, suggesting the possibility of multiple enhancers with redundant functions. Our findings in mice suggest that analogous enhancer elements in the human SLC25A13 gene may regulate DLX5 expression and underlie the hearing loss that is associated with split-hand/-foot malformation 1 syndrome. Slc25a13hspn/hspn mice provide a new animal model for studying long-range enhancer effects on Dlx5 expression in the developing inner ear.
Geosynthetic reinforcement of pile-supported embankments
Authors: Girout R. , Blanc M. , Thorel L. , Dias D.
Published: January 2018

Rigid piles are used to reinforce soft soil foundations and thus increase embankment stability. This technique is improved by placing one or more geosynthetic reinforcement (GR) layers inside or at the base of the embankment. A series of 33 small scale models were tested using a geotechnical centrifuge. Soft soil settlement was imposed by the downward displacement of a tray. First, a series of models were prepared to examine how the load transmitted to the pile network increased with the embankment thickness. Using the same configuration, two identical models were prepared to successively test two different types of GR (geosynthetic reinforcement). Another approach was used to study how the external surcharges applied on the embankment affect load transfer. The results showed that, compared to the piled embankment, the load transfer increased for the case of the geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported embankment (GRPSE) due to the membrane effect. The membrane effect is higher when the GR is stiff and its vertical distance from the pile is reduced. Numerical modelling reveals that, when another GR layer is added, the second GR has an effect only if punching is sufficient. However, the second layer did not reduce embankment settlement.
Experiments on the collapse response of flat slab structures subjected to column loss
Authors: Cuong Tran Quoc , Linh Nguyen Ngoc , Hung Ha Manh , Hieu Nguyen Trung , Dat Pham Xuan
Published: January 2018

Flat slab structures are prone to progressive collapse due to their relatively heavy self-weight and susceptibility to punching shear failure. In this study, three one-third scaled slab–column sub-assemblages were statically and dynamically tested to examine the collapse behaviour of such structures when either an edge or a penultimate column is removed. In the static tests, the development of an alternative load path bridging over the removed column was investigated with two specimens that were loaded to failure by a load-control procedure using concrete weights. In the dynamic test, a specimen that had been loaded by concrete weight up to 80% of the yield-line capacity was subjected to a sudden column removal, which was simulated by a quick-release mechanism. Based on the experimental observations, the potential failure modes of flat slab structures, the development of tensile membrane action as an alternative load path, and the dynamic effects resulting from sudden column removal are discussed.