bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prophecy in Persian Yehud
Authors: Berquist Jon L.
Published: October 2016

The Persian Period (538–333 B.C.E.) was a formative period for ancient Israel’s prophetic literature. During the time that Yehud developed under Persian imperial control, several new prophets arose: Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, and the author of the last parts of Isaiah. They represent the cultural issues surrounding the construction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Also, this period saw the expansion of prophetic literature, which eventually included a historical writing about monarchic prophets (the Deuteronomistic History), three lengthy books of prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel), and a collection of shorter prophetic writings (the Book of the Twelve). The contemporary prophets and the composition of corpora of older prophets occurred in the same centuries, and the two types of prophetic literature influenced each other.
Prophecy and Apocalyptic
Authors: Cook Stephen L.
Published: October 2016

Chapter 5 describes the rise in exilic and post-exilic Israel of a new prophecy about God’s end-time reign. This prophecy (in Third Isaiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi) exhibited significant shifts in genre and patterns of revelation and intermediation. It envisioned mythic images and archetypes, known from across the ancient Near East, powerfully resurfacing to reveal transcendence interrupting human history and establishing millennial peace incontestably. It forged vibrant, urgent worldviews from allusions to Israel’s emerging corpus of authoritative, sacred writings. Each new apocalyptic imagination reflected the traditions of its originating group, often a priestly sect of Aaronides, Zadokites, or Levites. Thus, Isaiah 26 forges a prophecy of bodily resurrection from images of fecundity found in Isaiah 54. Zechariah 3 and 6 rework Ezekiel 21 and Genesis 49 into expectations of a humble Messiah. And Malachi’s warnings of end-time purgation recapitulate God’s judgment on priests in 1 Samuel 2:27–4:1.
History and Memory in the Prophets
Authors: Williamson H. G. M.
Published: October 2016

Written prophecy in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament includes many allusions to what look like historical events. Frequently they are isolated from any wider context, however, and others relate to events not otherwise known to us. In the past, scholars have assumed that these need to integrated into what we can reconstruct of Israel’s “grand narrative” of its national past and that those who heard these prophecies, then as well as now, had to have the whole narrative in mind in order to understand the reference. In this chapter it is suggested that the data can be better understood as the product of social memory. Modern examples from small but long-lived communities illustrate how episodic and sometimes even scientifically unhistorical memories can nevertheless be vital for moral, religious, and social self-understanding.
Introduction
Authors: Kalof Linda
Published: October 2016

This chapter introduces the field of animal studies as an interdisciplinary scholarly endeavor to understand the relationship humans have with other animals. That relationship is mapped into five major categories, reflected in the titles of each of the handbook’s five parts: “Animals in the Landscape of Law, Politics and Public Policy”; “Animal Intentionality, Agency, and Reflexive Thinking”; “Animals as Objects in Science, Food, Spectacle and Sport”; “Animals in Cultural Representations”; and “Animals in Ecosystems.” The chapters in each part are summarized and key issues in the “animal question” are explicated. Chapter topics include animals in research, entertainment, law, political theory, public policy, agency, tourism and ecology. Concluding remarks include an appeal for altruistic coexistence for all beings in the earth’s ecosystem.
Assessment of Improvisation in Music
Authors: Azzara Christopher D. , Snell, II Alden H.
Published: October 2016

This article provides an overview of research on assessment of improvisation in music and offers suggestions for increasing its centrality in music teaching and learning. With listening, improvising, reading, and composing as context for music teaching and learning, it covers historical and philosophical foundations for, and research on, creativity and improvisation. The article’s synthesis of the literature focuses on assessment of ability to interact, group, compare, and anticipate and predict music while improvising. Six elements (repertoire, vocabulary, intuition, reason, reflection, and exemplars) contribute to a holistic and comprehensive creative process that inspires spontaneous and meaningful music making. The article concludes with recommendations for replication and extension of research to provide insight for improvisation assessment.
Ethical Issues in Newborn Screening
Authors: Botkin Jeffrey R.
Published: October 2016

Many new parents have little awareness of the battery of screening tests that are routinely conducted on newborns in the United States and the developed world. Newborn screening, one of the most significant achievements in public health over the past 50 years, invites ongoing debate over a number of ethical and legal issues that have been part of the newborn screening landscape since the inception of the programs in the 1960s. This chapter reviews the history of newborn screening, outlines some of the key ethical and legal issues raised by these programs, and offers a prediction about how new technology may change these systems over the next few decades.
Voluntariness, Coercion, Self-ownership
Authors: Olsaretti Serena
Published: October 2016

Claims of voluntariness and the converse notion of force are invoked as the bases for conclusions about people’s rights and responsibilities in a wide range of contexts. Yet the notion of voluntariness has received less direct attention than have the related notions of freedom, coercion, autonomy, and self-ownership. The aim of this chapter is to bring to light and assess the distinctive role and normative significance of voluntariness for our judgments about people’s rights and obligations. In particular, the chapter addresses two main questions about the relevance of voluntariness. The first is whether voluntariness itself, or only the absence of coercion, has normative significance. The second is whether the notion of self-ownership must be defined through voluntariness, and what implications this has for the theses that political philosophers make by appealing to the importance of self-ownership.
Freedom and Equality
Authors: Anderson Elizabeth
Published: October 2016

Freedom and equality are often viewed as conflicting values. But there are at least three conceptions of freedom-negative, positive, and republican-and three conceptions of equality-of standing, esteem, and authority. Libertarians argue that rights to negative liberty override claims to positive liberty. However, a freedom-based defense of private property rights must favor positive over negative freedom. Furthermore, a regime of full contractual alienability of rights-on the priority of negative over republican freedom-is an unstable basis for a free society. To sustain a free society over time, republican liberty must take priority over negative liberty, resulting in a kind of authority egalitarianism. Finally, the chapter discusses how the values of freedom and equality bear on the definition of property rights. The result is a qualified defense of some core features of social democratic orders.
Occupational exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and risk of cutaneous melanoma: a meta-analysis
Authors: Boffetta Paolo , Catalani Simona , Tomasi Cesare , Pira Enrico , Apostoli Pietro
Published: October 2016

The aim of this study was to carry out a meta-analysis of studies on exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the risk of malignant melanoma (MM). We searched Scopus, PubMed, and reference lists; among 807 potentially relevant articles, we selected those based on 12 populations. Data were extracted according to a standardized form; the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was used to assess study quality. Meta-analyses were carried out according to fixed-effect and random-effects models. The fixed-effect summary relative risk (RR) for MM was 0.91 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.82–1.00]; the random-effects summary RR was 1.05 (95% CI: 0.78–1.32). The random-effects summary RR from eight occupational cohorts was 1.13 (95% CI: 0.91–1.35) and that from four community-based studies was 0.84 (95% CI: 0.36–1.31). The quality of the studies and the methods for PCB exposure assessment did not influence the RR. These results do not support the hypothesis of an association between PCB exposure and the risk of MM.
Percutaneous Release of the First Dorsal Extensor Compartment: A Cadaver Study
Authors: Güleç Ali , Türkmen Faik , Toker Serdar , Acar Mehmet Ali
Published: October 2016

Background:

To evaluate the efficiency of the percutaneous 18-G needle technique in releasing the fibro-osseous sheath over the first dorsal extensor compartment of the hand.

Methods:

Using anatomic landmarks, percutaneous release was performed with an 18-G needle on 48 wrists of 24 cadavers. The specimens were then dissected and examined for the completeness of the first dorsal extensor compartment release and any tendon or neurovascular injuries. The tunnel length, number of abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis tendons, presence of an intertendinous septum, and the effects of these parameters on percutaneous release were evaluated.

Results:

Percutaneous release was performed on all of the wrists, and the evaluation of the adequacy of release revealed 25 complete releases, 21 partial releases, and 2 missed releases. There were 19 cases of tendon complications. No neurovascular injuries were noted. The mean tunnel length was 2.66 ± 30 cm, and the mean number of tendons was 2.75 ± 0.86. A septum was present in 33.3% of cases. Tunnel length and tendon number had no statistically significant effect on release, whereas the presence of a septum was significantly associated with inadequate tunnel release and the development of tendon complications.

Conclusions:

Percutaneous release of the first dorsal extensor compartment using an 18-G needle was associated with high rates of incomplete release and tendon damage in the presence of an intertendinous septum. Further study is required under ultrasound guidance to determine the usefulness of percutaneous release in the first dorsal extensor compartment.

Clinical Relevance:

Release with a percutaneous needle tip in De Quervain’s syndrome may provide the advantages of better cosmetic results with less scar formation and an early return to work.
Breast Cancer: Genetics and Risk Assessment
Authors: TEJADA-BERGÉS TREVOR
Published: October 2016

As health care providers, we play a crucial role in the assessment of a patient’s risk for hereditary breast cancer syndromes. The panorama of genetic assessment and testing has evolved dramatically since the identification of the BRCA genes. Next-generation sequencing technology has facilitated the development of multigene panels, but 1 consequence has been an increased identification of pathogenic variants at odds with a family history as well as variants of uncertain significance for which treatment guidelines are not defined. Progress in this field requires close collaboration between patients and clinicians with a thorough understanding in cancer genetics.
FROSTED BRANCH ANGIITIS IN METHIMAZOLE-INDUCED ANTINEUTROPHIL CYTOPLASMIC ANTIBODY-POSITIVE VASCULITIS
Authors: Koike Kenzo J. , Blice Jeffrey P. , Kylstra Jan A. , Ralston Jonathan S. , Self Sally E. , Ruth Natasha M. , Del Priore Lucian V.
Published: October 2016

Purpose:

To describe an unusual case of frosted branch angiitis that developed in a patient with acute onset systemic vasculitis possibly triggered by the antithyroid medication methimazole.

Methods:

We conducted a thorough review of the medical records of a 16-year-old female patient who presented with frosted branch angiitis. During the initial hospital admission, the patient underwent an extensive systemic workup to determine the etiology of her disease and ophthalmologic testing including fundus photographs and fluorescein angiography.

Results:

Our patient presented with a unilateral acute onset loss of vision, whose fundus examination revealed the pathognomonic features of frosted branch angiitis. Extensive systemic workup revealed an antineutrophilic cytoplasmic antibody-positive vasculitis, possibly triggered by methimazole.

Conclusion:

This case is the first reported frosted branch angiitis associated with a drug-induced antineutrophilic cytoplasmic antibody-positive vasculitis triggered by methimazole.
Outcomes of Gonioscopy-assisted Transluminal Trabeculotomy (GATT) in Eyes With Prior Incisional Glaucoma Surgery
Authors: Grover Davinder S. , Godfrey David G. , Smith Oluwatosin , Shi Wei , Feuer William J. , Fellman Ronald L.
Published: October 2016

Purpose:

To report on outcomes of gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT) in eyes with prior incisional glaucoma surgery.

Patients and Methods:

A retrospective review was performed for all patients who underwent a GATT procedure with a history of prior incisional glaucoma surgery.

Results:

Thirty-five eyes of 35 patients were treated. The mean age was 67.7 years. Nineteen eyes had a prior trabeculectomy, 13 eyes had a prior glaucoma drainage device, 4 eyes had a prior trabectome, and 5 eyes had prior endocyclophotocoagulation. Mean follow-up time was 22.7 months. For all eyes, the mean preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) (SD) was 25.7 (6.5) mm Hg on 3.2 (1.0) glaucoma medications and at 24 months, the mean IOP (SD) was 15.4 (4.9) mm Hg on 2.0 (1.4) glaucoma medications (P<0.001). The prior trabeculectomy group had a preoperative IOP (SD) of 24.6 (6.4) mm Hg on 3.2 (1.0) medications and at month 24, the mean IOP (SD) was 16.7 (5.6) mm Hg on 2.1 (1.4) glaucoma medications. In the prior glaucoma drainage device group, the mean preoperative IOP (SD) was 27.0 (7.1) mm Hg on 3.4 (1.1) glaucoma medications and at 24 months, the mean IOP (SD) was 12.9 (2.6) mm Hg on 2.1 (1.2) glaucoma medications. At 24 months, the cumulative proportion of failure was 0.4 and the cumulative proportion of reoperation was 0.29.

Conclusions:

GATT appears to be safe and successful in treating 60% to 70% of open-angle patients with prior incisional glaucoma surgery. When considering all eyes, there was a significant decrease in IOP and required glaucoma medications at 24 months. This surgery should be considered in certain patients with open angles who have failed a primary traditional glaucoma surgery.
Leprosy and Lack of Awareness in U.S. Clinicians
Authors: Bianchi Terri , Sevigny Gina
Published: October 2016

Hansen’s disease, synonymously and commonly referred to as leprosy, is an important consideration when treating any chronic skin disorder and rheumatologic disorder. Personal clinical experience and a review of the literature highlight a lack of awareness for this disease by U.S. clinicians. In this country, accurate diagnosis is delayed. One cannot ensure swift and proper treatment without timely, accurate diagnosis. Unfortunately, severe debilitating nerve and tissue damage can occur within months.

The authors draw upon recent personal and clinical experiences diagnosing and treating cases of the disease during a current resurgence in Florida. The authors aim to encourage readers to increase awareness for this ancient disease. In doing so, its relevance today and essential points in diagnosis and treatment are emphasized. This article is a compilation of our recent clinical experiences, in consultation with one of the world’s leading authorities in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease and its complications: The National Hansen’s Disease Program within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Epidermal Acidification and Skin Barrier Optimization in the Management of Atopic Dermatitis
Authors: Pham Quy , Eberting Cheryl Lee
Published: October 2016

The importance of the epidermal acid mantle in maintaining the natural flora of the skin and its role in skin barrier homeostasis has been known for decades. Despite well-established evidence that the skin barrier pH is elevated in patients with inflammatory dermatoses such as atopic dermatitis, epidermal pH modification has been an underexplored therapeutic option that could potentially prevent overuse of antibiotics, topical glucocorticoids, and immune modulators. By optimizing the skin using a novel therapeutic regimen, we report three cases of recalcitrant atopic dermatitis that were successfully treated based on the concept of epidermal acidification combined with optimization of the skin barrier.
Otologic and Audiologic Outcomes in Pediatric Patients With Velo-Cardio-Facial (22q11 Deletion) Syndrome
Authors: Weir Forest W. , Wallace Sarah A. , White David R. , Hatch Jonathan L. , Nguyen Shaun A. , Meyer Ted A.
Published: October 2016

Objective:

The focus of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, type, and severity of hearing impairment in patients with velo-cardio-facial syndrome (VCFS) and to compare these characteristics with patient demographics and other otologic factors.

Study Design:

Retrospective analysis of the AudGen Database.

Setting:

Tertiary academic referral center.

Patients:

Pediatric patients in AudGenDB with a diagnosis of velo-cardio-facial syndrome or DiGeorge syndrome.

Interventions:

Appropriate audiologic, otologic, and demographic data were recorded.

Main Outcome Measure:

Four hundred six patients met inclusion criteria. Data for each patient were selected based on their encounters with earliest complete audiometric data, and hearing loss (HL) was defined as greater than 15 dB HL at any threshold by pure tone or greater than 20 dB HL by soundfield audiometry. The patients were then stratified by type and severity of HL, and available otologic and medical conditions were documented.

Results:

Two hundred forty eight (60.7%) patients had HL. Of the 391 individual HL ears, 127 had conductive, 22 had sensorineural, 115 had mixed, and 127 had unspecified hearing loss. 57% of the loss was bilateral. Patients with mixed HL had significantly worse pure-tone averages (PTAs).

Conclusion:

HL is prevalent in patients with VCFS. The hearing loss is primarily of conductive origin, with a predisposition to be bilateral, with mixed HL typically have more severe loss. There were a large number of patients with sensorineural hearing loss components as well. Further studies are needed to investigate the causal nature of the hearing impairment in VCFS, to better aid otolaryngologist and audiologists when assessing these patients.
Strength of Evidence on Demand Creation for Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision From 7 Impact Evaluations in Southern and Eastern Africa
Authors: Djimeu Eric W. , Brown Annette N.
Published: October 2016

Background:

Seven new impact evaluations of pilot programs for increasing the demand for voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) provide evidence of what works and what does not. The study findings suggest that financial compensation designed to relieve the opportunity or transportation costs from undergoing the procedure can increase the uptake of VMMC. There is also evidence that programs using peer influence can be effective, although so far only sports-based programs demonstrate a strong effect. We explore the strength of evidence in each of these 7 studies to better interpret the findings for policy making.

Methods:

We perform a risk of bias assessment and conduct power calculations using actual values for each of the 7 studies.

Results:

Three of the 7 studies have a medium risk of bias, whereas the other 4 have a low risk of bias. All but 2 of the studies have adequate power to detect meaningful effects. In the 2 with insufficient power, the estimated effects are large but statistically insignificant.

Conclusion:

The positive evidence that financial incentives presented as compensation for opportunity costs to men seeking and obtaining VMMC can increase uptake comes from strong studies, which have high power and low to medium risk of bias. The positive evidence that a comprehensive sports-based program for young men can increase uptake also comes from a strong study. The strength of the studies further validates these findings.
Process Evaluation of a Sport-Based Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision Demand-Creation Intervention in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Authors: DeCelles Jeff , Hershow Rebecca B. , Kaufman Zachary A. , Gannett Katherine R. , Kombandeya Thandanani , Chaibva Cynthia , Ross David A. , Harrison Abigail
Published: October 2016

Introduction:

Grassroot Soccer (GRS) developed 2 brief and scalable voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) promotion interventions for males in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, consisting of a 60-minute interactive, soccer-themed educational session with follow-up behavioral and logistical reinforcement. Both interventions were led by circumcised male community leaders (“coaches”) ages 18–30. “Make The Cut” (MTC) targeted adult males on soccer teams and “Make The Cut+” targeted boys in secondary schools. We conducted a process evaluation of MTC and Make The Cut+ to investigate perceptions of program impact, intervention components, and program delivery; participants' understandings of intervention content; and factors related to uptake.

Methods:

We conducted 17 interviews and 2 focus group discussions with coaches and 29 interviews with circumcised (n = 13) and uncircumcised participants (n = 16).

Results:

Findings demonstrate high program acceptability, highlighting the coach–participant relationship as a key factor associated with uptake. Specifically, participants valued the coaches' openness to discuss their personal experiences with VMMC and the accompaniment by their coaches to the VMMC clinic.

Conclusions:

Should the coach quality remain consistent at scale, MTC offers an effective approach toward generating VMMC demand among males.
Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) to Improve Patient Experience: How a Hospital Enhanced Care Transitions and Discharge Processes
Authors: Pottenger Brent C. , Davis Richard O. , Miller Joanne , Allen Lisa , Sawyer Melinda , Pronovost Peter J.
Published: October 2016

Objective:

To determine whether Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) teams could be used to enhance patient experience by improving care transitions and discharge processes in a 318-bed community hospital.

Methods:

In 2015, CUSP teams produced feasible solutions by participating in a design-thinking initiative, coupled with performance improvement tools involving data analytics and peer-learning communities. Teams completed a 90-day sprint challenge, involving weekly meetings, monthly department leader meetings, and progress trackers. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey was used, and the percent top (best) scores were reported for overall hospital ratings, discharge information, and care transitions.

Results:

The percentage of patients choosing the top score increased from 61.0% preintervention to 68.0% postintervention for overall hospital rating and from 71.4% to 80.7% for recommending the hospital. The top scores increased from 76.0% preintervention to 84.5% postintervention for the discharge information domain and from 49.2% to 53.6% for the care transitions domain.

Conclusion:

CUSP teams improved patient experience. The teams could expand their scope to be the unit-level resource focused not only on safety but also on external quality measures to which patient experience is a broad category for HCAHPS scores, and potentially on value in future work.
A Systematic Approach to Clinical Peer Review in a Critical Access Hospital
Authors: Deyo-Svendsen Mark E. , Phillips Michael R. , Albright Jill K. , Schilling Keith A. , Palmer Karl B.
Published: October 2016

Purpose:

Clinical provider peer review (CPPR) is a process for evaluating a patient's experience in encounters of care. It is part of ongoing professional practice evaluation and focused professional practice evaluation—important contributors to provider credentialing and privileging. Critical access hospitals are hindered in CPPR by having a limited number of providers, shortages of staff resources, and relationships among staff members that make unbiased review difficult. Small departments within larger institutions may face similar challenges.

Methods:

A CPPR process created at Mayo Clinic Health System is described. It involved a case review questionnaire built on the Institute of Medicine “Six Aims for Changing the Health Care System,” a standardized intervention algorithm and tracking tool.

Outcomes:

During 2007 through 2014, a total of 994 cases were reviewed; 31% led to provider dialog and education or intervention. Findings were applied to core measure processes with success rate going from 87% to 97%. Changes were adopted in end-of-life care, contributing to a 50% reduction in all-cause mortality rate.

Conclusions:

Providing peer review tools to a critical access hospital can keep peer review within a group with knowledge of the individual provider's practice and can make process improvement the everyday work of those involved.
Value-Based Health Care for Chronic Care: Aligning Outcomes Measurement with the Patient Perspective
Authors: Ebbevi David , Forsberg Helena Hvitfeldt , Essén Anna , Ernestam Sofia
Published: October 2016

Background:

Value-based health care is increasingly used for developing health care services by relating patient outcomes to costs. A hierarchical value scorecard for creating outcome measurements has been suggested: the 3-tier model. The objective of this study was to test the model against the patient's view of value in a chronic care setting.

Methods:

Semistructured interviews with 22 persons with rheumatoid arthritis were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Themes were extracted, and the model was critically applied and revised.

Results:

The study validates existing dimensions in the model but suggests adding information, social health, predictability, and continuity to make it more useful and representative of patients' preferences.

Conclusion:

Although the model aims to focus on outcomes relevant to patients, it lacks dimensions important to individuals with rheumatoid arthritis. The data illustrate difficulties in finding patients' preferred outcomes and imply tactics for arriving at meaningful measurements.
Diagnosis of Electrical Status Epilepticus During Slow-Wave Sleep With 100 Seconds of Sleep
Authors: Weber Amanda B. , Albert Dara V. , Yin Han , Held Timothy P. , Patel Anup D.
Published: October 2016

Purpose:

Strategies for diagnosing electrical status epilepticus during slow-wave sleep (ESES) vary among interpreting neurologists. Our aim was to evaluate if the spike-wave index (SWI) for the first 100 seconds of sleep is reflective of the SWI when compared with a conventional method.

Methods:

We reviewed EEGs from 2005 to 2011 that were considered diagnostic of ESES based on unspecified methods. The SWI for the first nonrapid eye movement sleep cycle (long method) was calculated by two neurophysiologists. Two different neurophysiologists calculated SWI for the first 100 seconds of sleep (short method). For the purposes of this study, ESES was defined as an SWI of >85%. The two SWI scores were compared.

Results:

Fourteen EEGs were reviewed. Despite being considered by the initial interpreter as diagnostic of ESES, only 4 of the studies had an SWI of >85% based on each of the methods. For a diagnosis of ESES, the sensitivity of the short method is 80% and the specificity is 89%. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare the long and short methods. A P value of 0.70 indicates no significant difference between the methods. Additionally, the Spearman correlation coefficient is 0.553 (P = 0.04), indicating moderate correlation between the methods.

Conclusions:

The SWI for the first 100 seconds of nonrapid eye movement sleep is predictive of the SWI for the entire first sleep cycle with a good sensitivity and specificity in our cohort. This suggests an alternative method for diagnosing ESES, which is comparable to analysis of a full night of sleep.
A Survey of Neurophysiology Fellows in the United States
Authors: Haneef Zulfi , Chiang Sharon , Rutherford Holly C. , Antony Arun R.
Published: October 2016

Purpose:

Fellowship training in Clinical Neurophysiology (CNP) is often sought following Neurology residency. However, data documenting the reasons for choosing CNP fellowship, and experiences therein, are sparse.

Methods:

Current Neurophysiology fellows across the United States participated in a 17-item, Internet-based survey. Data regarding demographics, reasons for choosing fellowship, adequacy of training, and future plans were collected.

Results:

Among respondents (n = 49), 84% graduated from a US medical school. Personal interest in CNP was the most common reason for choosing the fellowship. Program choice was guided by location and clinical strength of the program. Choosing a program based on clinical strength was likely to result in higher satisfaction scores. Overall, most (87%) were satisfied with their current program giving a satisfaction score of 4 or 5 on a 1–5 Likert scale. Lesser time spent in the epilepsy monitoring unit and EEG was also associated with higher satisfaction scores—these were also the areas that seemed to be most stressed during training. No differences emerged between male and female respondents in their answers to the various survey questions.

Conclusions:

The authors encountered a group of academically minded CNP trainees who are satisfied with their choice of fellowship, the current application process, and training received. Most intend to have a future in academic medicine. The CNP areas that seem to need further development in providing a well-rounded fellowship include training in sleep, evoked potentials, and intraoperative monitoring. The findings would be informative to future fellowship trainees and to program officers.
Aliasing of 60-Hz Artifact as a Result of Compressed Time Base
Authors: Bolen Robert D. , Edwards Jonathan C. , Halford Jonathan J.
Published: October 2016

Purpose:

Digital EEG has brought about greater flexibility in data interpretation but has also resulted in new and unique artifacts. As digital EEG has evolved, an increase in intensive care unit monitoring has occurred, bringing more sources of artifact to light. Aliasing as a result of a combination of compressed time base and display monitor resolution can result in appearance of spurious waveforms that can potentially skew interpretation.

Methods:

A portion of a digital EEG from an intensive care unit patient acquired at a sample rate of 1,024 Hz was reviewed at a time base of 15 mm/second on a monitor with a resolution of 1,920 × 1,080.

Results:

At a time base of 15 mm/second, a 60-Hz artifact resulted in the appearance of a 4-Hz delta artifact that resolved when the time base was changed to a more standard 30 mm/second.

Conclusions:

A software malfunction of the digital antialiasing filter for display resulted in the appearance of a novel 4-Hz artifact.
Fruit fly scale robots can hover longer with flapping wings than with spinning wings
Authors: Hawkes Elliot W. , Lentink David
Published: October 2016

Hovering flies generate exceptionally high lift, because their wings generate a stable leading edge vortex. Micro flying robots with a similar wing design can generate similar high lift by either flapping or spinning their wings. While it requires less power to spin a wing, the overall efficiency depends also on the actuator system driving the wing. Here, we present the first holistic analysis to calculate how long a fly-inspired micro robot can hover with flapping versus spinning wings across scales. We integrate aerodynamic data with data-driven scaling laws for actuator, electronics and mechanism performance from fruit fly to hummingbird scales. Our analysis finds that spinning wings driven by rotary actuators are superior for robots with wingspans similar to hummingbirds, yet flapping wings driven by oscillatory actuators are superior at fruit fly scale. This crossover is driven by the reduction in performance of rotary compared with oscillatory actuators at smaller scale. Our calculations emphasize that a systems-level analysis is essential for trading-off flapping versus spinning wings for micro flying robots.
Size-Dependent Expression of the Mitotic Activator Cdc25 as a Mechanism of Size Control in Fission Yeast
Authors: Keifenheim Daniel , Sun Xi-Ming , D'Souza Edridge , Ohira Makoto J. , Magner Mira , Mayhew Michael B. , Samuel Marguerat , Rhind Nicholas
Published: October 2016

Proper cell size is essential for cellular function (Hall et al., 2004). Nonetheless, despite more than 100 years of work on the subject, the mechanisms that maintain cell size homeostasis are largely mysterious (Marshall et al., 2012). Cells in growing populations maintain cell size within a narrow range by coordinating growth and division. Bacterial and eukaryotic cells both demonstrate homeostatic size control, which maintains population-level variation in cell size within a certain range, and returns the population average to that range if it is perturbed (Marshall et al., 2012; Turner et al., 2012; Amodeo and Skotheim, 2015). Recent work has proposed two different strategies for size control: budding yeast has been proposed to use an inhibitor-dilution strategy to regulate size at the G1/S transition (Schmoller et al., 2015), while bacteria appear to use an adder strategy, in which a fixed amount of growth each generation causes cell size to converge on a stable average, a mechanism also suggested for budding yeast (Campos et al., 2014; Jun and Taheri-Araghi, 2015; Taheri-Araghi et al., 2015; Tanouchi et al., 2015; Soifer et al., 2016). Here we present evidence that cell size in the fission yeastSchizosaccharomyces pombeis regulated by a third strategy: the size dependent expression of the mitotic activator Cdc25. Thecdc25transcript levels are regulated such that smaller cells express less Cdc25 and larger cells express more Cdc25, creating an increasing concentration of Cdc25 as cell grow and providing a mechanism for cell to trigger cell division when they reach a threshold concentration of Cdc25. Since regulation of mitotic entry by Cdc25 is well conserved, this mechanism may provide a wide spread solution to the problem of size control in eukaryotes.
Multi-algorithm particle simulations with Spatiocyte
Authors: Arjunan Satya N. V. , Takahashi Koichi
Published: October 2016

As quantitative biologists get more measurements of spatially regulated systems such as cell division and polarization, simulation of reaction and diffusion of proteins using the data is becoming increasingly relevant to uncover the mechanisms underlying the systems. Spatiocyte is a lattice-based stochastic particle simulator for biochemical reaction and diffusion processes. Simulations can be performed at single molecule and compartment spatial scales simultaneously. Molecules can diffuse and react in 1D (filament), 2D (membrane) and 3D (cytosol) compartments. The implications of crowded regions in the cell can be investigated because each diffusing molecule has spatial dimensions. Spatiocyte adopts multi-algorithm and multi-timescale frameworks to simulate models that simultaneously employ deterministic, stochastic and particle reaction-diffusion algorithms. Comparison of light microscopy images to simulation snapshots is supported by Spatiocyte microscopy visualization and molecule tagging features. Spatiocyte is open-source software and is freely available athttp://spatiocyte.org.
Omics and bioinformatics approaches to target boar taint
Authors: Agarwal Rahul , Narayan Jitendra
Published: October 2016

In livestock species, a rapid growth in high-throughput omics data has accelerated the pace of studies that target to dissect economically important traits to provide better quality animal products to consumers. In pig industries, young boars are generally castrated to remove boar taint, a phenotypic and inheritable trait well-known by an abnormally bad smell and taste in pork meat derived from some uncastrated male pigs. Existence of porcine reference genome made possible to catalogue genome-wide QTLs, candidate genes and biomarkers in associations with boar taint and other industrially significant traits in pigs. The aim of this paper to review the contribution of bioinformatics resources and omics technology in boar taint related studies. This paper also provides concise details about state-of-the-art sequencing technology.
Dynamical patterns of coexisting strategies in a hybrid discrete-continuum spatial evolutionary game model
Authors: Burgess A.E.F. , Schofield P.G. , Hubbard S.F. , Chaplain M.A.J. , Lorenzi T.
Published: October 2016

We present a novel hybrid modelling framework that takes into account two aspects which have been largely neglected in previous models of spatial evolutionary games: random motion and chemotaxis. A stochastic individual-based model is used to describe the player dynamics, whereas the evolution of the chemoattractant is governed by a reaction-diffusion equation. The two models are coupled by deriving individual movement rules via the discretisation of a taxis-diffusion equation which describes the evolution of the local number of players. In this framework, individuals occupying the same position can engage in a two-player game, and are awarded a payoff, in terms of reproductive fitness, according to their strategy. As an example, we let individuals play the Hawk-Dove game. Numerical simulations illustrate how random motion and chemotactic response can bring about self-generated dynamical patterns that create favourable conditions for the coexistence of hawks and doves in situations in which the two strategies cannot coexist otherwise. In this sense, our work offers a new perspective of research on spatial evolutionary games, and provides a general formalism to study the dynamics of spatially-structured populations in biological and social contexts where individual motion is likely to affect natural selection of behavioural traits.
An iron(II) complex tripodally chelated with 1,1,1-tris(pyridin-2-yl)ethane showing room-temperature spin-crossover behaviour
Authors: Ishida Takayuki , Kanetomo Takuya , Yamasaki Masaru
Published: October 2016

The spin-crossover phenomenon is a reversible low- and high-spin transition caused by external stimuli such as heat. In the novel iron(II) complex salt tetraphenylphosphonium tris(thiocyanato-κN)[1,1,1-tris(pyridin-2-yl)ethane-κ3N,N′,N′′]ferrate(II), (C24H20P)[Fe(NCS)3(C17H15N3)], the Fe—N bond lengths are in the range 2.027 (2)–2.089 (2) Å, indicating that the specimen consists of comparable molar fractions of the low- and high-spin species at 296 K. A magnetic study confirmed that spin-crossover takes place at around 290 K.
Silver(I) and rhenium(I) metal complexes of a 2,2′-bipyridine-functionalized third-generation tris(pyrazolyl)methane ligand
Authors: Semeniuc Radu F. , Reger Daniel L. , Smith Mark D.
Published: October 2016

Heterotopic ligands offer the possibility of preparing polynuclear bimetallic complexes. Recent studies of heteroditopic ligands and their metal complexes have focused on novel supramolecular systems, biological activity, and the development of MRI contrast agents. The heteroditopic ligand Bipy–CH2–O–CH2–C(pz)3(Bipy-L; Bipy is 2,2′-bipyridine and pz is pyrazolyl) reacts with AgBF4to produce the coordination polymercatena-poly[[silver(I)-(μ-5-{[tris(pyrazol-1-yl)methoxy]methyl-κ2N,N′}-2,2′-bipyridine-κ2N,N′)] diethyl ether hemisolvate], {[Ag(C22H20N8O)]BF4·0.5C4H10O}n, and with Re(CO)5Br to form the discrete compound bromidotricarbonyl(5-{[tris(pyrazol-1-yl)methoxy]methyl}-2,2′-bipyridine-κ2N,N′)rhenium(I), [ReBr(C22H20N8O)(CO)3]. The silver(I) compound is a one-dimensional coordination polymer, built up by a κ2coordination mode of the bipyridine group and a κ2–κ0coordination mode of the –C(pz)3donor set. In [ReBr(Bipy-L)(CO)3], the ligand coordinates onlyviathe bipyridine end, leaving the –C(pz)3donor set free for further coordination interactions.
A pseudotetrahedral nickel(II) complex with a tridentate oxazoline-based scorpionate ligand: chlorido[tris(4,4-dimethyloxazolin-2-yl)phenylborato]nickel(II)
Authors: Takayama Tomoaki , Nakazawa Jun , Hikichi Shiro
Published: October 2016

Poly(pyrazol-1-yl)borates have been utilized extensively in coordination compounds due to their high affinity toward cationic metal ions on the basis of electrostatic interactions derived from the mononegatively charged boron centre. The original poly(pyrazol-1-yl)borates, christened `scorpionates', were pioneered by the late Professor Swiatoslaw Trofimenko and have expanded to include various borate ligands with N-, P-, O-, S-, Se- and C-donors. Scorpionate ligands with boron–carbon bonds, rather than the normal boron–nitrogen bonds, have been developed and in these new types of scorpionate ligands, amines and azoles, such as pyridines, imidazoles and oxazolines, have been employed as N-donors instead of pyrazoles. Furthermore, a variety of bis- and tris(oxazolinyl)borate ligands, including chiral ones, have been developed. Tris(oxazolin-2-yl)borates work as facially capping tridentate chelating ligands in the same way as tris(pyrazol-1-yl)borates. In the title compound, [Ni(C21H29BN3O3)Cl], the NiIIion is coordinated by three N atoms from the facially capping tridentate chelating tris(4,4-dimethyloxazolin-2-yl)phenylborate ligand and a chloride ligand in a highly distorted tetrahedral geometry. The Ni—Cl bond length [2.1851 (5) Å] is comparable to those found in a previously reported tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)hydroborate derivative [2.1955 (18) and 2.150 (2) Å]. The molecular structure deviates fromC3vsymmetry due to the structural flexibility of the tris(4,4-dimethyloxazolin-2-yl)phenylborate ligand.
Quantitative Evaluation of the Dependence of Pool Boiling Heat Transfer Enhancement on Sintered Particle Coating Characteristics
Authors: Sarangi Suchismita , Weibel Justin A. , Garimella Suresh V.
Published: October 2016

Immersion cooling strategies often employ surface enhancements to improve the pool boiling heat transfer performance. Sintered particle/powder coatings have been commonly used on smooth surfaces to reduce the wall superheat and increase the critical heat flux (CHF). However, there is no unified understanding of the role of coating characteristics on pool boiling heat transfer enhancement. The morphology and size of the particles affect the pore geometry, permeability, thermal conductivity, and other characteristics of the sintered coating. In turn, these characteristics impact the heat transfer coefficient and CHF during boiling. In this study, pool boiling of FC-72 is experimentally investigated using copper surfaces coated with a layer of sintered copper particles of irregular and spherical morphologies for a range of porosities (∼40–80%). Particles of the same effective diameter (90–106 μm) are sintered to yield identical coating thicknesses (∼4 particle diameters). The porous structure formed by sintering is characterized using microcomputed tomography (μ-CT) scanning to study the geometric and effective thermophysical properties of the coatings. The boiling performance of the porous coatings is analyzed. Coating characteristics that influence the boiling heat transfer coefficient and CHF are identified and their relative strength of dependence analyzed using regression analysis. Irregular particles yield higher heat transfer coefficients compared to spherical particles at similar porosity. The coating porosity, pore diameter, unit necking area, unit interfacial area, effective thermal conductivity, and effective permeability are observed to be the most critical coating properties affecting the boiling heat transfer coefficient and CHF.
Vortices' Characteristics to Explain the Flange Height Effects on the Aerodynamic Performances of a Diffuser Augmented Wind Turbine
Authors: Chaker Rym , Kardous Mouldi , Chouchen Mahmoud , Aloui Fethi , Ben Nasrallah Sassi
Published: October 2016

Flange height is between the geometric features that contribute efficiently to improve the diffuser aerodynamic performances. Results obtained from wind tunnel experiments, particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements, and numerical simulations reveal that at the diffuser inlet section, the wind velocity increases as the flange height increases. Nevertheless, there is an optimal ratio (flange height/inlet section diameter, Hopt/Da ≈ 0.15) beyond it, the flange height effect on the velocity increase diminishes. This behavior can be explained by both the positions of the two contra-rotating vortices generated downstream of the diffuser and the pressure coefficient at their centers. Indeed, it was found that, as the flange height increases, the two vortices move away from each other in the flow direction and since the flange height exceeds (Hopt/Da), they became too distant from each other and from the flange. While the pressure coefficients at the vortices' centers increase with (H/Da), attain a maximum when (Hopt/Da) is reached, and then decrease. This suggests that the wind velocity increase depends on the pressure coefficient at the vortices' centers. Therefore, it depends on the vortices' locations which are in turn controlled by the flange height. In practice, this means that the diffuser could be more efficient if equipped with a control system able to hold the vortices too near from the flange.
Development and Testing of a Kilohertz Solar-to-Acoustic Energy Converter
Authors: Chen Kuan , Albonaeem Mohammed , Kim Yeongmin , Kim Nam Jin , Lim Sang Hoon , Chun Wongee
Published: October 2016

A thermal-to-acoustic energy converter (TAC) was developed and tested to produce sound waves in the kilohertz range directly from solar energy. The converter consisted of a glass window and a small amount of steel wool in the shape of a disk sealed in an aluminum housing. A Fresnel lens and a chopper wheel with 60 holes in it were employed to generate a pulsed sunbeam of approximately 200 sun intensity as the heat source of the TAC. Various designs and techniques were tested to improve the sound amplitude and signal-to-noise ratio of the converter at high frequencies. Reduction in air volume, better cooling, and improvement in air tightness were found to be effective in enhancing the sound amplitude. A shockproof mount commonly used in radio studios to reduce microphone vibration was essential in noise reduction for the TAC at high chopper wheel rotations. The sound amplitude was found to rapidly decrease with the increase in pulse frequency of the sunbeam at low frequencies. The relationship between the decibel value and frequency of the generated sound waves was changed to linear for sunbeam frequencies above 1 kHz. This is the frequency at which the penetration of surface temperature fluctuations into the aluminum housing becomes comparable with the aluminum housing thickness. At a given frequency, the sound amplitude increased almost exponentially with the increase in solar flux intensity. To the best of our knowledge, the 3 kHz sound frequency measured in our experiments is by far the highest frequency produced by a solar-to-acoustical energy converter.