bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tibial Fractures in Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding in Finland: A Retrospective Study on Fracture Types and Injury Mechanisms in 363 Patients
Authors: Stenroos A. , Pakarinen H. , Jalkanen J. , Mälkiä T. , Handolin L.
Published: September 2015

Background and Aim:

Alpine skiing and snowboarding share the hazards of accidents accounting for tibial fractures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fracture patterns and mechanisms of injury of tibial fractures taking place in downhill skiing and snowboarding.

Materials and methods:

All patients with tibial fracture due to alpine skiing or snowboarding accident treated in four trauma centers next to the largest ski resorts in Finland were analyzed between 2006 and 2012. The hospital records were retrospectively reviewed for data collection: equipment used (skis or snowboard), age, gender, and mechanism of injury. Fractures were classified according to AO-classification.

Results:

There were 342 skiing and 30 snowboarding related tibial fractures in 363 patients. Tibial shaft fracture was the most common fracture among skiers (n = 215, 63%), followed by proximal tibial fractures (n = 92, 27%). Snowboarders were most likely to suffer from proximal tibial fracture (13, 43%) or tibial shaft fracture (11, 37%). Snowboarders were also more likely than skiers to suffer complex AO type C fractures (23% vs 9%, p < 0.05). Adult skiers had both wider variety of fractures and higher prevalence of proximal tibial fractures compared to children (49% vs 16%, p < 0.05). Skiers typically got injured due to falling down on the same level (70%) and snowboarders due to loss of control while jumping (46%).

Conclusion:

The most important finding was the relatively high number of the tibial plateau fractures among adult skiers. The fracture patterns between snowboarding and skiing were different; the most common fracture type in skiers was spiral tibial shaft fracture compared to proximal tibial fractures in snowboarders. Children had more simple fractures than adults.
Risks in situations that are experienced as unfamiliar and confusing – the perspective of persons with dementia
Authors: Sandberg Linda , Rosenberg Lena , Sandman Per-Olof , Borell Lena
Published: September 2015

An increasing number of people with dementia are ageing at home in Sweden and in other countries. In order to meet the safety requirements, knowledge about how persons with dementia experience risks is required. The aim of the study was to explore and better understand how persons with dementia, living at home, experience risks in their daily life and how they handle these situations. Twelve persons with dementia were interviewed using open-ended questions, and the data were analyzed using a content analysis approach. Findings showed that participants experienced situations fraught with risks in their daily life as unfamiliar and confusing. Previously familiar places became unfamiliar to them, and details did not come together. They were uncertain about what actually had happened. How the participants handled these situations in order to reduce the risks are described.
Characteristic function–based trial-and-error control of underwater profilers for vertical-column observation
Authors: Shi Xianpeng , Lembke Chad
Published: September 2015

This article proposes a novel trial-and-error control strategy for buoyancy-driven underwater profilers that can be used for water column observation. The proposed strategy is based on the design of a characteristic function utilizing the profiler’s buoyancy adjustment components by automatically triggering a pump and a valve. To facilitate the elaboration of the proposed control strategy, a Bottom Ocean Stationing Ocean Profiler and its buoyancy adjustment system are introduced. Based on this buoyancy adjustment system, a characteristic function uses the difference between the current depth and the desired depth to determine a target velocity. Then, the trial-and-error control strategy based on error in velocity is implemented on the control of the buoyancy engine by determining whether positive or negative buoyancy adjustment is needed and by how much. This method has been applied to the depth control for our profilers resulting in field application results to validate the analysis.
Electromagnetic shielding, wicking, and drying characteristics of CSP/AN/SSW hybrid yarns-incorporated woven fabrics
Authors: Yu Zhi-Cai , He Hua-Ling , Lu Yan-Hua , Lu Xin , Zhang Jian-Fei , Lou Ching-Wen , Lin Jia-Horng
Published: September 2015

To improve the wearing comfort, durability, and antibacterial properties of the electromagnetic (EM) shielding property, a type of multifunction EM shielding woven fabrics which having great liquid transport and drying ability were fabricated in this study. This study aims to investigate theirs liquid transport, drying, and electromagnetic (EM) shielding properties. For this purpose, initially six types of multifunctional crisscross-section polyester (CSP)/antibacterial nylon (AN)/stainless steel wire (SSW) metal hybrid yarns with different wrapping amounts were produced using hollow spindle spinning technique. Conductive woven fabrics were then woven with CSP/AN/SSW metal hybrid yarns as weft yarns, and PET filaments as the warp yarns. The liquid transport and drying ability of the conductive woven fabrics were evaluated in terms of wicking ability and water evaporation rate, which are two vital factors that affect the physiological comfort level of personal protective clothing (PPC). Results indicated that adding CSP yarn in the fabricated EM shielding woven fabric could obviously improve the drying rate of the fabric. The EM shielding behavior of these woven fabrics were analyzed using a vector network analyzer in the frequency range of 300 kHz–3 GHz. Results showed that the wrapping amounts of the metal hybrid yarns significantly affect the wicking and drying abilities of the woven fabrics. In addition, the lamination angles of the fabrics with different amounts of layers remarkably affect their EM shielding characteristics.
Experimental Validation of Monte Carlo Simulations Based on a Virtual Source Model for TomoTherapy in a RANDO Phantom
Authors: Yuan Jiankui , Zheng Yiran , Wessels Barry , Lo Simon S. , Ellis Rodney , Machtay Mitchell , Yao Min
Published: September 2015

A virtual source model for Monte Carlo simulations of helical TomoTherapy has been developed previously by the authors. The purpose of this work is to perform experiments in an anthropomorphic (RANDO) phantom with the same order of complexity as in clinical treatments to validate the virtual source model to be used for quality assurance secondary check on TomoTherapy patient planning dose. Helical TomoTherapy involves complex delivery pattern with irregular beam apertures and couch movement during irradiation. Monte Carlo simulation, as the most accurate dose algorithm, is desirable in radiation dosimetry. Current Monte Carlo simulations for helical TomoTherapy adopt the full Monte Carlo model, which includes detailed modeling of individual machine component, and thus, large phase space files are required at different scoring planes. As an alternative approach, we developed a virtual source model without using the large phase space files for the patient dose calculations previously. In this work, we apply the simulation system to recompute the patient doses, which were generated by the treatment planning system in an anthropomorphic phantom to mimic the real patient treatments. We performed thermoluminescence dosimeter point dose and film measurements to compare with Monte Carlo results. Thermoluminescence dosimeter measurements show that the relative difference in both Monte Carlo and treatment planning system is within 3%, with the largest difference less than 5% for both the test plans. The film measurements demonstrated 85.7% and 98.4% passing rate using the 3 mm/3% acceptance criterion for the head and neck and lung cases, respectively. Over 95% passing rate is achieved if 4 mm/4% criterion is applied. For the dose–volume histograms, very good agreement is obtained between the Monte Carlo and treatment planning system method for both cases. The experimental results demonstrate that the virtual source model Monte Carlo system can be a viable option for the accurate dose calculation of helical TomoTherapy.
Overexpression of MAC30 is Resistant to Platinum-Based Chemotherapy in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Chen Ruhua , Fen Yan , Lin Xubo , Ma Tieliang , Cai Hourong , Ding Hui
Published: September 2015

Adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy has developed its stability as the first-line treatment in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of meningioma-associated protein (MAC30) on adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapeutic response and survival in patients with NSCLC. A total of 174 retrospective stage III B to IV Chinese patients with NSCLC were enrolled in the study. Among all cases, 85 patients were given platinum-based chemotherapy and another 89 patients received molecularly targeted therapy. The expression of MAC30 in tumor samples was confirmed via immunohistochemical staining to correlate with the therapeutic response and survival of patients. Patients having NSCLC with MAC30 overexpression showed a poorer response to platinum-based chemotherapy, while there was no prognostic value of MAC30 expression on molecularly targeted therapy. Further, patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy with enhanced MAC30 expression exhibited shorter survival. A multivariate analysis exhibited that increased MAC30 expression was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in patients having NSCLC with platinum-based chemotherapy. In conclusion, patients having NSCLC with higher MAC30 expression resisted to platinum-based chemotherapy and exhibited worse survival.
The role of ultrasound simulators in education: an investigation into sonography student experiences and clinical mentor perceptions
Authors: Gibbs Vivien
Published: September 2015

Simulation as an effective pedagogy is gaining momentum at all levels of health care education. Limited research has been undertaken on the role of simulated learning in health care and further evaluation is needed to explore the quality of learning opportunities offered, and their effectiveness in the preparation of students for clinical practice. This study was undertaken to explore ways of integrating simulation-based learning into sonography training to enhance clinical preparation. A qualitative study was undertaken, using interviews to investigate the experiences of a group of sonography students after interacting with an ultrasound simulator. The perceptions of their clinical mentors on the effectiveness of this equipment to support the education and development of sonographers were also explored. The findings confirm that ultrasound simulators provide learning opportunities in an unpressurised environment, which reduces stress for the student and potential harm to patients. Busy clinical departments acknowledge the advantages of opportunities for students to acquire basic psychomotor skills in a classroom setting, thereby avoiding the inevitable reduction in patient throughput which results from clinical training. The limitations of simulation equipment to support the development of the full range of clinical skills required by sonographers were highlighted and suggestions made for more effective integration of simulation into the teaching and learning process. Ultrasound simulators have a role in sonography education, but continued research needs to be undertaken in order to develop appropriate strategies to support students, educators and mentors to effectively integrate this methodology.
Conflicting prescriptions for ‘ethical’ leadership in complex institutions: Perspectives from US collegiate athletic administrators
Authors: Nite Calvin , Bopp Trevor
Published: September 2015

This research sought to demonstrate how institutional complexity within the field of college athletics in the United States offers conflicting prescriptions for ethical leadership. With college athletics serving as the context for this investigation, data were collected from 14 athletic administrators at four universities. Participants suggested that ethical leadership in college athletics consisted of prioritizing the institution while integrating servant leadership. We discussed how these two logics are conceptually incompatible, thereby creating conflicting perspectives as to what it meant to be an ethical leader. By incorporating an institutional logic perspective, we demonstrated that conceptions of ethical leadership are subjected to engrained ideals that may not always be compatible as they lend themselves to differing ethical frameworks. The contextual implications as well as the broader discipline implications of this research are discussed.
The Amount of Women’s Sports Coverage on International Sports News Websites’ Home Pages
Authors: Coche Roxane
Published: September 2015

A major topic of analysis in sport in Western media has been the gender gap between the amount of coverage dedicated to men’s sports compared to the amount of coverage women’s sports receive. Most of the existing research on the gender gap in sports coverage has been conducted in traditional media, but the creation and development of the internet gave new hopes to women’s sports representatives to bridge the gap. This study is a yearlong, quantitative content analysis of the home pages of eight sports news websites from four Western countries—the United States, Canada, France, and Great Britain. The goal is to determine whether the “symbolic annihilation” of women in sports found in traditional media coverage is perpetrated online, a platform on which journalists and editors are not limited by time or space.
Rehabilitation Charges Associated With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Zhang Joanne Y. , Cohen Jeremiah R. , Yeranosian Michael G. , Lord Elizabeth L. , Wang Jeffrey C. , Petrigliano Frank A. , McAllister David R.
Published: September 2015

Background:

Pre- and postoperative rehabilitation are important to the management of patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, but little attention has been given to the costs. This study evaluated the pre- and postoperative rehabilitation charges in patients with ACL reconstruction in the United States.

Hypothesis:

Patients receive preoperative rehabilitation less commonly than postoperative rehabilitation.

Study Design:

Retrospective database study.

Level of Evidence:

Level 4.

Methods:

Using the PearlDiver database, we identified patients undergoing ACL reconstruction from 2007 through 2011 using Current Procedural Terminology codes. The associated rehabilitation charges billed to insurance providers for 90 days preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively were categorized as physical therapy or as durable medical equipment (DME). The charges were examined by year and geographic region and represented as per-patient average charges (PPACs).

Results:

A total of 92,179 patients were identified in the study period. The PPAC for rehabilitation was $241 during the 90-day preoperative period and $1876 for the 6-month postoperative period. Patients averaged 2 preoperative sessions for physical therapy, with 44% of patients receiving preoperative rehabilitation in contrast with an average of 17 postoperative sessions per patient in 93% of patients. Rehabilitation charges were greater postoperatively than preoperatively ( P < 0.05). Preoperatively, 24% of patients received a DME, while 35% received a DME postoperatively. Preoperative rehabilitation PPACs were highest in the Northeast, followed by Midwest, South, and West ( P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in postoperative rehabilitation PPACs for geographic region ( P = 0.43).

Conclusion:

Preoperative rehabilitation charges were lower than postoperative charges. A patient undergoing ACL reconstruction typically received 9 times more sessions of postoperative physical therapy than preoperative.

Clinical Relevance:

This study found that preoperative supervised rehabilitation for patients with ACL reconstruction was infrequent across the United States.
Short-term outcomes following elective transcatheter arterial embolization for splenic artery aneurysms: data from a nationwide administrative database
Authors: Naganuma Michio , Matsui Hiroki , Koizumi Jun , Fushimi Kiyohide , Yasunaga Hideo
Published: September 2015

Background

Splenic artery aneurysm (SAA) rupture is life-threatening. Although elective transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) suggested low in-hospital death in previous studies, there has been no large multi-center study of elective TAE for SAA.

Purpose

To examine the short-term outcomes of TAE for splenic artery aneurysm (SAA) and analyze the factors associated with the outcomes, including liver cirrhosis, using a nationwide administrative inpatient database.

Material and Methods

We identified patients who received elective TAE with a principal diagnosis of SAA. We assessed the patient background characteristics, comprising age, sex, and specific co-morbidities, including liver cirrhosis. The outcomes included the rate of TAE-related complications (acute pancreatitis, splenic infarction, splenic abscess, or intraperitoneal hematoma), length of stay, and in-hospital mortality.

Results

Among 18.3 million inpatients in the database between July 2010 and March 2013, we identified 534 patients who received elective TAE for SAA at 229 participating hospitals. Fifty-four (10.1%) patients had liver cirrhosis. No in-hospital deaths were observed. Thirty-two (6.0%) patients had at least one TAE-related complication. A multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that liver cirrhosis was significantly associated with longer length of stay (9.5 days; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.0–12.0 days; P < 0.001). A logistic regression analysis showed that liver cirrhosis was not significantly associated with TAE-related complications (odds ratio, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.29–3.39; P = 0.980).

Conclusion

The results revealed no in-hospital mortality and a low complication rate associated with elective TAE for SAA including liver cirrhosis patients.
Outcome of mechanical thrombectomy in the very elderly for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke: the real world experience
Authors: To Chiu Yuen , Rajamand Sina , Mehra Ratnesh , Falatko Stephanie , Badr Yaser , Richards Boyd , Qahwash Omar , Fessler Richard D
Published: September 2015

Background

Although initial studies of neuroendovascular intervention did not review benefit over intravenous thrombolytics (iv r-tPA), recent studies have suggested otherwise. Elderly patients (age ≥80 years) are typically excluded from clinical trials.

Purpose

To examine the utility of mechanical thrombectomy based on patient outcomes.

Material and Methods

All stroke-alert activations at our health system from January 2011 to June 2014 were examined. All patients aged ≥80 years who had undergone mechanical thrombectomy were identified. Clinical characteristics included physiologic imaging findings, use of intravenous thrombolytics, baseline and postoperative National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), thrombolysis in cerebral infarction scores (TICI), and discharge destination.

Results

Mean NIHSS on presentation was 18.2 (range, 6–31), and 13.3 (range, 3–30) post thrombectomy. Three (16.6%) patients received iv r-tPA, two (11.1%) had symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. Eight (44.4%) died, eight (44.4%) were discharged to nursing homes, and two (11.7%) were discharged to inpatient rehab and subsequently home. Favorable outcome was achieved in five (27.7%) patients. Fourteen (77.7%) patients had physiologic imaging prior to intervention. Three (75%) of four patients who did not have physiologic imaging prior to thrombectomy died. Thirteen (66.6%) patients had TICI 3 recanalization.

Conclusion

Our study showed that although there remains a role of mechanical thrombectomy in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke in very elderly patients, it is associated with significant higher morbidity and mortality compared to younger patients, but should remain a very viable treatment option when quality of life is the most important consideration.
Self-Reduction of Displaced Bucket-Handle Medial Meniscal Tear in a 71-Year-Old Patient
Authors: Ciminero Matthew L. , Huntley Samuel R. , Ghasem Alexander D. , Pitcher John D.
Published: September 2015

Background:

Bucket-handle meniscal tears are rare in geriatric patients. Displaced bucket-handle meniscal tears are usually treated operatively. Due to the rarity of these tears in elderly patients and conflicting evidence regarding the use of arthroscopy versus conservative treatment, it is valuable to report the clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome of these injuries in elderly patients.

Case Description:

We describe a 71-year-old man who presented with an acute, displaced, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-confirmed right medial meniscal bucket-handle tear with mild effusion and no signs of degenerative joint disease. On physical examination, the patient was unable to fully extend the right leg due to locking of the knee. At 2-month follow-up, MRI showed mild degenerative changes and an anatomically reduced tear. At 6-month follow-up, the patient reported normal, pain-free knee function, and MRI showed the tear healing in anatomic position with minimal inferior surface changes and no effusion. He returned to his pain-free baseline level of physical activity.

Literature Review:

Upon review of the English literature, this 71-year-old patient is an exceptional case and one of the oldest patients reported to have sustained a displaced medial meniscal bucket-handle tear treated successfully with nonoperative means. Two reported cases of spontaneously reduced meniscal bucket-handle tears were found in the English literature, although both cases were seen in much younger males and involved the lateral meniscus.

Clinical Relevance:

This case suggests that in elderly patients with displaced medial meniscus bucket-handle tears that reduce spontaneously, the physician can safely and efficaciously use conservative, nonoperative management to achieve restoration of baseline knee function and anatomic meniscal healing while avoiding the risks of arthroscopic surgery. Surgical intervention for reduction without repair may be an available option, but no literature is present to direct care; however, complete documentation as in the current case would be instructive. Katz et al have reported that physical therapy was as efficacious as surgical intervention, although the specific displaced bucket-handle tear was not reported.
Leaders’ Behaviors During Radical Change Processes: Subordinates’ Perceptions of How Well Leader Behaviors Communicate Change
Authors: Hartge Timothy , Callahan Thomas , King Cynthia
Published: September 2015

This research asked 252 upper-, middle-, and first-line-level managers in organizations experiencing radical change to assess the effects of their own leaders’ communications and behaviors on their perceptions of the change process. Results indicated that the frequency of exhibition of most behaviors by leaders positively affected subordinates’ perceptions of change. For three types of behaviors, soliciting upward feedback, driving change, and providing resources, the importance of these behaviors to the subordinates’ moderated perceptions of the change process. Discussion of these results and their implications conclude the study.
Contemporary Religion and the Cisgendering of Reality
Authors: Sumerau J. E. , Cragun Ryan T. , Mathers Lain A. B.
Published: September 2015

This article outlines a generic process in the reproduction of inequality we name cisgendering reality. Based on 114 responses from transgender Mormons and systematic reviews of religious, transgender, and inequalities scholarship, we demonstrate how contemporary American religions cisgender reality by (1) erasing, (2) marking, and (3) punishing transgender experience in ways that reproduce conceptions of reality predicated on cisnormativity. In conclusion, we argue that examining processes of cisgendering reality may provide insight into (1) transgender religious experience, (2) transgender secular experience, and (3) cisnormativity embedded within many contemporary religions.
Development and Assessment of Signature Assignments to Increase Student Engagement in Undergraduate Public Health
Authors: Pinahs-Schultz Pamela , Beck Barbra
Published: September 2015

According to some educationists, engaging disengaged students is one of the biggest challenges facing educators. While many higher education instructors may believe that they promote various areas of learning and engagement, in a recent Faculty Survey of Student Engagement faculty in the health professions reported that 39.5% of their class time is spent lecturing and only 21% is spent on experiential activities. At the same time, fewer than 20% of employers who participated in an Association of American Colleges & Universities–sponsored survey felt that most college students are prepared with the skills and knowledge needed to complete a significant applied learning project before graduation. With this in mind, faculty in an undergraduate public health program integrated engagement-based learning and teaching in the form of signature assignments into core courses throughout the 4-year curriculum to strengthen student engagement, foster deep learning, and address concerns expressed by employers. This article outlines the process used to develop the assignments, describes each of the signature assignments, discusses how assignments were assessed, and shares assessment results.
Sympathetic Fibre Sprouting in the Skin Contributes to Pain-Related Behaviour in Spared Nerve Injury and Cuff Models of Neuropathic Pain
Authors: Nascimento Francisney P. , Magnussen Claire , Yousefpour Noosha , Ribeiro-da-Silva Alfredo
Published: September 2015

Background

Cuff and spared nerve injury (SNI) in the sciatic territory are widely used to model neuropathic pain. Because nociceptive information is first detected in skin, it is important to understand how alterations in peripheral innervation contribute to pain in each model. Over 16 weeks in male rats, changes in sensory and autonomic innervation of the skin were described after cuff and SNI using immunohistochemistry to label myelinated (neurofilament 200 positive—NF200+) and peptidergic (calcitonin gene-related peptide positive—CGRP+) primary afferents and sympathetic fibres (dopamine β-hydroxylase positive—DBH+)

Results

Cuff and SNI caused an early loss and later reinnervation of NF200 and CGRP fibres in the plantar hind paw skin. In both models, DBH+ fibres sprouted into the upper dermis of the plantar skin 4 and 6 weeks after injury. Despite these similarities, behavioural pain measures were significantly different in each model. Sympathectomy using guanethidine significantly alleviated mechanical allodynia 6 weeks after cuff, when peak sympathetic sprouting was observed, having no effect at 2 weeks, when fibres were absent. In SNI animals, mechanical allodynia in the lateral paw was significantly improved by guanethidine at 2 and 6 weeks, and the development of cold hyperalgesia, which roughly paralleled the appearance of ectopic sympathetic fibres, was alleviated by guanethidine at 6 weeks. Sympathetic fibres did not sprout into the dorsal root ganglia at 2 or 6 weeks, indicating their unimportance to pain behaviour in these two models.

Conclusions

Alterations in sympathetic innervation in the skin represents an important mechanism that contributes to pain in cuff and SNI models of neuropathic pain.
Monitoring of serum lactate level during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in adult in-hospital cardiac arrest
Authors: Wang Chih-Hung , Huang Chien-Hua , Chang Wei-Tien , Tsai Min-Shan , Yu Ping-Hsun , Wu Yen-Wen , Hung Kuan-Yu , Chen Wen-Jone
Published: September 2015

Introduction

Serum lactate level may correlate with no-flow and low-flow status during cardiac arrest. Current guidelines have no recommended durations for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before transition to the next strategy. We hypothesized that the lactate level measured during CPR could be associated with the survival probability and accordingly be useful in estimating the optimal duration for CPR.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective observational study in a single medical centre and included adult patients who had suffered an in-hospital cardiac arrest between 2006 and 2012. We used multivariable logistic regression analysis to study the association of lactate level measured during CPR and outcomes. We used generalized additive models to examine the nonlinear effects of continuous variables and conditional effect plots to visualize the estimated survival probability against CPR duration.

Results

Of the 340 patients included in our analysis, 50 patients (14.7 %) survived to hospital discharge. The mean lactate level was 9.6 mmol/L and mean CPR duration was 28.8 min. There was an inverse near-linear relationship between lactate level and probability of survival to hospital discharge. A serum lactate level <9 mmol/L was positively associated with patient survival to hospital discharge (odds ratio 2.00, 95 % confidence interval 1.01-4.06). The optimal CPR duration may not be a fixed value but depend on other conditions.

Conclusions

Serum lactate level measured during CPR could correlate with survival outcomes. A lactate level threshold of 9 mmol/L may be used as a reference value to identify patients with different survival probabilities and determine the optimal CPR durations.
In situ structure of FtsZ mini-rings in Arabidopsis chloroplasts
Authors: Johnson Carol B. , Long Zheng , Luo Zhiping , Shaik Rahamthulla S. , Sung Min Woo , Vitha Stanislav , Holzenburg Andreas
Published: September 2015

Chloroplasts are essential plant organelles that divide by binary fission through a coordinated ring-shaped division machinery located both on the outside and inside of the chloroplast. The first step in chloroplast division is the assembly of an internal division ring (Z-ring) that is composed of the key filamentous chloroplast division proteins FtsZ1 and FtsZ2. How the individual FtsZ filaments assemble into higher-order structures to form the dividing Z-ring is not well understood and the most detailed insights have so far been gleaned from prokaryotic FtsZ. Here, we present in situ data of chloroplast FtsZ making use of a smaller ring-like FtsZ assembly termed mini-rings that form under well-defined conditions. Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) permitted their mean diameter to be determined as 208 nm and also showed that 68 % of these rings are terminally attached to linear FtsZ filaments. A correlative microscopy-compatible specimen preparation based on freeze substitution after high-pressure freezing is presented addressing the challenges such as autofluorescence and specific fluorescence attenuation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning TEM (STEM) imaging of thin sections exhibited ring-like densities that matched in size with the SIM data, and TEM tomography revealed insights into the molecular architecture of mini-rings demonstrating the following key features: (1) overall, a roughly bipartite split into a more ordered/curved and less ordered/curved half is readily discernible; (2) the density distribution in individual strands matches with the X-ray data, suggesting they constitute FtsZ protofilaments; (3) in the less ordered half of the ring, the protofilaments are able to assemble into higher-order structures such as double helices and supercoiled structures. Taken together, the data suggest that the state of existence of mini-rings could be described as metastable and their possible involvement in filament storage and Z-ring assembly is discussed.
Short Communication: Attempted callus induction of holoparasite Rafflesia patma Blume using primordial flower bud tissue
Authors: WICAKSONO ADHITYO , DA SILVA JAIME A. TEIXEIRA
Published: September 2015

Abstract. Wicaksono A, Teixeira da Silva JA. 2015. Attempted callus induction of holoparasite Rafflesia patma Blume using primordial flower bud tissue. Nusantara Bioscience 7: 96-101. Callus induction of a holoparasitic plant Rafflesia patma Blume was attempted using sections of a young primordial flower bud (syn. knob) of young flower tissue as the explant. The plant is an endangered species and its ex-situ conservation is very difficult. Previous attempts in the literature have not been successful, hampered by infection and explant browning. In an attempt to improve these weaknesses, in this study, following the surface disinfection of a primordial flower bud, primordial flower bud sections were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with 2 g/L activated charcoal, 1 mg/L 1-naphthaleneacetic acid and 4 mg/L N6-benzyladenine in an attempt to induce any growth. All explants browned after 2 h, and even though browning stopped after 4 days, fungal growth continued. The remaining uninfected explants that did not brown were transferred to MS medium with 1.5 mg/L kinetin in an attempt to induce callus. Two out of 6 explants browned within days but did not develop any callus. Future research needs to focus on more robust surface sterilization procedures, a wider selection of antioxidants to reduce browning, a mixed culture with the tissue of a suitable host, Tetrastigma leucostaphyllum, to stimulate organogenesis, and testing a wider range of abiotic conditions to establish an effective micropropagation protocol.
Was kann Coaching von Mentoring lernen?
Authors: Höher Friederike
Published: September 2015

Aus der Mentoring-Forschung und besonders einem aktuellen Ansatz zum vernetzten Lernen im Mentoring ergeben sich einige Anregungen für Coaching, seine Evaluation und Wirksamkeitsforschung: Während Evaluationen von Coaching seine Erfolge für die Coachees und zum Teil auch seine Auswirkungen auf das organisationale Umfeld berücksichtigen, thematisiert die neuere Mentoring-Forschung zunehmend ebenfalls die Auswirkungen des Mentorings auf die Mentor/innen und reflektiert damit eine Entwicklung des Mentoring-Verständnisses in Richtung wechselseitiger Lern- und Entwicklungsbeziehungen. Da die Mentorenrolle mit der des Coachs zum Teil vergleichbar ist, wird dieser Gedankengang hier für die Wirksamkeitsforschung von Coaching aufgegriffen.

Ausgangspunkt der Überlegungen ist eine Untersuchung zum vernetzten Lernen im Mentoring in einer Langzeitperspektive, durch die die Effekte des Mentorings für beide Seiten, Mentees und Mentorinnen sehr deutlich werden.
Ruling the Colonies with sound: Documentary, technology and noise in Cronache dell’Impero
Authors: Fidotta Giuseppe
Published: September 2015

In 1937, the state-funded Istituto LUCE realized Cronache dell’Impero/Chronicles of the Empire, a short-lived series of documentaries aimed at attesting the activities the Regime was carrying out in the recently conquered East-Italian African territories. Attempting to go beyond the exoticism and clichéd representations usually employed in colonial documentaries, the series resorts to modernist strategies in order to highlight the value of the so-called civilizing mission. By tracing how these strategies were configured, this article looks specifically at the rhetorical use of sound and technology as a means for contributing to the propaganda purposes of the series, primarily the formation of a colonial consciousness. In this respect, technology and sound operate within a symbolic domain in which modernization and other colonial outcomes hinge on the allegedly transformative power of the Regime. Their visual and aural representations belong to the tradition of the political, avant-garde and documentary film practice.
Migration, prostitution and the representation of the black female subject in Nigerian video films about Italy
Authors: Jedlowski Alessandro
Published: September 2015

Much contemporary images of black women in Italian media are marked by the legacy of colonialist propaganda and tend to perpetuate a representation of black women as passive eroticized objects of the white male gaze. In this sense, Ponzanesi’s call for ‘new and less biased representations, which could help to assess the multiple subject positions that black identities now occupy’ is still relevant. This article responds to this call by analysing two Nigerian video films that thematize migration and prostitution trafficking in Italy. By highlighting the complexity of the processes of ‘subjectivation’ taking place throughout the migratory process, these videos invite their viewers to look at the postcolonial subject’s responsibility in shaping the world in which she lives, and offer a representation of the black female subject that is able to go beyond the voyeuristic attitude that characterizes much of the existing contemporary Italian visual culture surrounding this topic.
Orientazio problema eta algoritmo genetikoak
Authors: Kobeaga Urriolabeitia Gorka , Merino Maestre María
Published: September 2015

Artikulu hau UPV/EHUkoModelizazio eta Ikerkuntza Matematikoa, Estatistika eta Konputazioaizeneko masterrean Gorka Kobeagak defendatutako master amaierako lanean oinarrituta dago. Orientazio Problemaren (OP) aurkezpena eta ebazpen ebolutiboaren analisia du helburu. Saltzaile Ibiltariaren problema ezagunaren aldaera berezi bat da OP. Optimizazio Konbinatorioko problema honen aplikazioak eta modelizazioak aurkezten dira. OPren konputaziozko konplexutasuna dela eta, Concorde TSP solver erabiltzen duen algoritmo genetiko bat diseinatu eta inplementatu da. Gainera, herri kopuruarekiko eta distantzia mugarekiko portaera eta prozedura genetikoen parametroekiko konbergentzia aztertu da. Euskal Autonomia Erkidegoko eta literatura zientifikoko datu-baseak erabili dira.
Nonsmooth and level-resolved dynamics illustrated with a periodically driven tight-binding model
Authors: Zhang Jiang Min , Haque Masudul
Published: September 2015

We point out that in the first-order time-dependent perturbation theory, the transition probability may behave nonsmoothly in time and have kinks periodically. Moreover, the detailed temporal evolution can be sensitive to the exact locations of the eigenvalues in the continuum spectrum, in contrast to coarse-graining ideas. Underlying this nonsmooth and level-resolved dynamics is a simple equality about the sinc function sinc x ≡ sin x/x. These physical effects appear in many systems with approximately equally spaced spectra, and are also robust for larger amplitude coupling beyond the domain of perturbation theory. We use a one-dimensional periodically driven tight-binding model to illustrate these effects, both within and outside the perturbative regime.
Impact of National Board for the Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification on student achievement
Authors: Irvine Belson Sarah , Husted Thomas A
Published: September 2015

A growing number of teachers have undertaken National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification training since its inception over twenty-five years ago. Previous empirical research on the impact of NBCTs on student performance has focused on state or district-level exams in individual states and found mixed results. This study examines the relationship between National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) and student achievement on the reading and math assessments of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). We argue that achievement can be affected both directly by the certified teacher and indirectly as NBCTs provide mentoring to colleagues and assume school leadership positions. This study focuses on a nationally representative assessment to measure student achievement rather than state- or district-level assessment exams.  We find that the percentage of National Board certified teachers in a state is positively related to scores on state-level NAEP Reading and Math assessments.
Born from pre-eclamptic pregnancies predisposes infants to altered cortisol metabolism in the first postnatal year
Authors: Broughton Pipkin Fiona , Mistry Hiten D , Roy Chandrima , Dick Bernhard , Waugh Jason , Chikhi Rebecca , Kurlak Lesia O , Mohaupt Markus G
Published: September 2015

Pre-eclampsia leads to disturbed fetal organ development, including metabolic syndrome, attributed to altered pituitary-adrenal feedback loop. We measured cortisol metabolites in infants born from pre-eclamptic and normotensive women and hypothesised that glucocorticoid exposure would be exaggerated in the former. Twenty-four hour urine was collected from infants at months 3 and 12. Cortisol metabolites and apparent enzyme activities were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. From 3 to 12 months, excretion of THS, THF and pregnandiol had risen in both groups; THF also rose in the pre-eclamptic group. No difference was observed with respect to timing of the visit or to hypertensive status for THE or total F metabolites (P>0.05). All apparent enzymes activities, except 17α-hydroxylase, were lower in infants at 12 compared to 3 months in the normotensive group. In the pre-eclamptic group, only 11β-HSD activities were lower at 12 months.17α-hydroxylase and 11β-HSD activities of tetrahydro metabolites were higher in the pre-eclamptic group at 3 months (P<0.05). 11β-hydroxylase activity increased in the pre-eclamptic group at 12 months. Cortisol excretion, determined by increased 11β-hydroxylase, compensates for high 11β-HSD-dependent cortisol degradation at 3 months and at 12 months counterbalances the reduced cortisol substrate availability in infants born from pre-eclamptic mothers.
Extent of QTL Reuse During Repeated Phenotypic Divergence of Sympatric Threespine Stickleback
Authors: Conte Gina L , Arnegard Matthew E , Best Jacob , Chan Yingguang Frank , Jones Felicity C , Kingsley David M , Schluter Dolph , Peichel Catherine L
Published: September 2015

How predictable is the genetic basis of phenotypic adaptation? Answering this question begins by estimating the repeatability of adaptation at the genetic level. Here, we provide a comprehensive estimate of the repeatability of the genetic basis of adaptive phenotypic evolution in a natural system. We used quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping to discover genomic regions controlling a large number of morphological traits that have diverged in parallel between pairs of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus species complex) in Paxton and Priest lakes, British Columbia. We found that nearly half of QTL affected the same traits in the same direction in both species pairs. Another 40% influenced a parallel phenotypic trait in one lake but not the other. The remaining 10% of QTL had phenotypic effects in opposite directions in the two species pairs. Similarity in the proportional contributions of all QTL to parallel trait differences was about 0.4. Surprisingly, QTL reuse was unrelated to phenotypic effect size. Our results indicate that repeated use of the same genomic regions is a pervasive feature of parallel phenotypic adaptation, at least in sticklebacks. Identifying the causes of this pattern would aid prediction of the genetic basis of phenotypic evolution.
PRF - The right to food: Many developments, more challenges
Authors: Claeys Priscilla
Published: September 2015

The right to food (RTF)1has enjoyed growing recognition in the last decade. It has achieved legitimacy and visibility in international governance debates, where it is increasingly perceived as a useful “policy guide” (DeSchutter, 2009). The realization of the right to food is recognized as a goal of the reformed UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS), both in its mandate and in its Global Strategic Framework. The reports and interventions of the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food have received a lot of attention in recent years. Despite these developments, the RTF is still actively resisted and rejected by some states (notably the U.S. and Canada) on the grounds that economic, social, and cultural rights (ESCR) are not justiciable and hence not “true” human rights (Anderson, 2008; Chilton, 2009). Yet in many countries, the justiciability of the RTF is firmly established, as demonstrated by some famous court cases in India (school meals program) and South Africa (fisheries) (Courtis, 2007; Golay, 2011).
PRF - The right to food and politics of knowledge
Authors: McMichael Philip
Published: September 2015

This article concerns a particular struggle over the right to food, as played out recently in the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), within the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). As a relatively new participant in the CFS, the Civil Society Mechanism (CSM), representing land-using social movement organizations and progressive non-governmental organizations (NGOs), was successful in 2010 in convincing the CFS to reject investor-driven Principles of Responsible Agriculture Investment (PRAI)2formulated under World Bank leadership. Instead the CFS would consider a producer rights-driven reformulation of “responsible agricultural investment” (rai) (CFS, 2014). In its initial drafting, the rai was framed as a rights-based initiative through which all states could implement domestic forms of food security and nutrition. Over the two years of development of the rai principles, it became increasingly clear that the “right to food” concept informed quite different visions of how to stimulate “food security”.
Mapping the state of play on the global food landscape
Authors: Clapp Jennifer , Desmarais Annette , Margulis Matias
Published: September 2015

The global food landscape is changing rapidly. In 2007–08 food prices soared and remained volatile in the following years, effectively leading to a world food crisis that drove tens of millions of people into poverty and hunger. A phenomenal increase in large-scale farmland acquisitions in developing countries by a range of investors is leaving land rights in question for many small-scale producers while land grabbing is also occurring in the global North. There is also growing corporate concentration in the international food industry, from agricultural input firms to trading firms to production and processing and food retail. A changing global climate with associated unpredictable weather and crop yields complicates this picture, as does a steady increase in the application of agricultural biotechnology worldwide. To counter these global forces, communities around the world are imagining and building alternative locally-based and interconnected food systems grounded in the idea of food sovereignty to ensure food security, ecological sustainability and social justice.
SFSGEC - Meatification and the madness of the doubling narrative
Authors: Weis Tony
Published: September 2015

Since 2008, there has been an increasingly influential narrative that world crop production must (“sustainably”) double from current levels in order to feed over nine billion people by 2050 (FAO, 2009; Ray, Mueller, West, & Foley, 2013; Soil Association, 2010; Tilman, Balzer, Hill & Befort, 2011; UN, 2009), which has been enthusiastically embraced by large agro-input and agrifood corporations. Four prominent drivers feature in this doubling narrative: the magnitude of persistent hunger and malnourishment; further human population growth; expanded biofuel production; and expected dietary changes. At first glance, this conveys the appearance of a sober, objective assessment about the fact that there are many people hungry today, that there will soon be at least two billion more people, that more land is being devoted to biofuels given the limits to conventional fossil energy supplies, and that people with rising incomes will keep eating more animal products in line with past trends, what I have called the meatification of diets.