bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measurement of crude-cell-extract glycerol dehydratase activity in recombinantEscherichia coliusing coupled-enzyme reactions
Authors: Sankaranarayanan Mugesh , Seol Eunhee , Kim Yeonhee , Chauhan Ashish Singh , Park Sunghoon
Published: January 2017

Glycerol dehydratase (GDHt), which converts glycerol to 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde, is essential to the production of 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) or 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP). A reliable GDHt activity assay in crude-cell extract was developed. In the assay, GDHt converted 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO) to propionaldehyde, which was further converted to 1-propionic acid by aldehyde dehydrogenase (KGSADH) or to 1-propanol by yeast-alcohol dehydrogenase (yADH), while the NADH concentration change was monitored spectrophotometrically. Cells should be disintegrated by Bead Beater/French Press, not by chemical methods (BugBuster®/B-PER™), because the reagents significantly inactivated GDHt and coupling enzymes. Furthermore, in the assay mixture, a much higher activity of KGSADH (>200-fold) or yADH (>400-fold) than that of GDHt should have been maintained. Under optimal conditions, both KGSADH and yADH showed practically the same activity. The coupled-enzyme assay method established here should prove to be applicable to recombinant strains developed for the production of 3-HP and/or 1,3-PDO from glycerol.
Does Trainee Involvement in Fluoroscopic Injections Affect Fluoroscopic Time, Immediate Pain Reduction, and Complication Rate?
Authors: Cushman Daniel , Teramoto Masaru , Curtis Bradley , Lee David T. , Marcolina Austin , McCormick Zachary
Published: January 2017

Background

Patients have expressed concern about undergoing procedures involving trainees, even with direct attending physician supervision. Little literature has examined the effect of trainee involvement on patient outcomes.

Objective

We aimed to evaluate the effect of trainee involvement on patient complications, immediate pain reduction, and fluoroscopic time for different fluoroscopic injection types.

Design

Retrospective review.

Setting

Four academic outpatient institutions with Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)−accredited residency (physical medicine and rehabilitation, or anesthesiology) or fellowship (sports medicine or pain medicine) programs from 2000 to 2015.

Patients

All patients receiving fluoroscopically guided hip (HI), sacroiliac joint (SIJI), transforaminal epidural (TFEI), and/or interlaminar epidural injections (ILEI, performed at only 1 institution).

Methods

Outcome measures were examined based on the presence or absence of a trainee during the procedure.

Main Outcome Measurements

The primary outcome was the number of immediate complications, with secondary outcomes being fluoroscopic time per injection (FTPI) and immediate numeric rating scale percentage improvement.

Results

Trainees were involved in 67.0% of all injections (N = 7,833). Complication rates or improvements in numeric rating scale scores showed no significant differences with trainee involvement for any injection type (P > .05). Trainee involvement was associated with increased FTPI for ILEIs (18.2 ± 10.1 seconds with trainees versus 15.1 ± 8.5 seconds without trainees, P < .001), but not for HIs (P = .60) or SIJIs (P = .51). Trainee involvement with TFEIs was dependent on institution for outcome with respect to FTPI (P < .001), with 28.1 ± 17.9 seconds with trainees and 32.1 ± 22.1 seconds without trainees (P = 0.51).

Conclusions

This large multicenter study of academic institutions demonstrates that trainee involvement in fluoroscopically guided injections does not affect immediate patient complications or pain improvement. Trainee involvement does not increase fluoroscopic time for most injections, although there is an institutional difference seen. This study supports the notion that appropriate trainee supervision likely does not compromise patient safety for fluoroscopically guided injections.

Level of Evidence

II
Robustness analysis on aerial deployment motion of a Mars aircraft using multibody dynamics simulation: effects of wing-unfolding torque and timing
Authors: Fujita Koji , Nagai Hiroki
Published: January 2017

This paper investigates the effects of the design variables of an aerial deployment mechanism on the robustness of the aerial deployment through a multibody dynamics simulation. The aircraft is modelled as three joined rigid bodies: a right wing, a left wing and a centre body. A spring-loaded hinge is adopted as an actuator for deployment. The design variables are the hinge torque and the deployment timing. The robustness is evaluated using a sigma level method. The margins for the safe deployment conditions are set for the evaluation functions. The dispersive input variables are the initial drop velocity, the surrounding gust velocity, the initial pitch angle and the initial height. The design point with a deployment torque scale valueFof 0.7 and a right-wing deployment delay timeTSRof 1.0 s can safely deploy in the low-torque deployment condition. This design point is able to accomplish both a safe deployment and a lightweight deployment mechanism.
Hegel and Husserl on the Emergence of the I out of Subjectivity
Authors: Ferrarin Alfredo
Published: January 2017

Modern philosophy tends to conflate subjectivity and ego (I-think, cogito, and the like). One lesson we can draw from Hegel is that the I emerges out of a natural and habitual state in the form of a return to itself through an opposition between self and world. In turn, Husserl has an interesting take on the anonymity of an ego-less subjectivity submerged in an affective and initially passive life out of which an ego-pole first constitutes itself. In both, a latent, functioning subjectivity which forms an unconscious ground is to be kept distinct from the several activities of a wakeful and self-conscious mind. I wish to compare and contrast Hegel and Husserl on this theme. The primary texts for my examination will be Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit and the Philosophy of Subjective Spirit in the Encyclopaedia, and Husserl’s Ideas I, Ideas II, Cartesian Meditations and Experience and Judgment.
NEW DIRECTIONS IN NATURAL LAW
Authors: Lloyd Vincent
Published: January 2017

Notoriously, natural law means many things to many people. Natural law is discussed quite differently in the fields of ethics, law, and theology; it is employed quite differently in the spheres of political rhetoric, churches, and academia; it has been used quite differently in the eras of ancient Rome, medieval Europe, the Enlightenment, and the postmodern West; and something akin to natural law appears, with quite different associations, in the religious traditions of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism. In some contexts natural law refers to God's moral law. In other contexts natural law consists of norms that can be discerned solely through human reason. In still other contexts natural law describes rules that are naturally embedded in the physical world.
Glacier changes on the Tibetan Plateau derived from Landsat imagery: mid-1970s – 2000–13
Authors: YE QINGHUA , ZONG JIBIAO , TIAN LIDE , COGLEY J. GRAHAM , SONG CHUNQIAO , GUO WANQIN
Published: January 2017

Glacier area changes on the Tibetan Plateau were studied in different drainage basins based on Landsat satellite images from three epochs: 263 in the mid-1970s, 150 in 1999–2002 and 148 in 2013/14. Three mosaics (M1976, M2001 and M2013) with minimal cloud and snow cover were constructed, and the uncertainty due to each epoch having a finite span was accounted for. Glacier outlines (TPG1976, TPG2001 and TPG2013) were digitized manually with guidance from the SRTM DEM v4.1 and Google Earth imagery. To achieve complete multi-temporal coverage in a reasonable time, only debris-free ice was delineated. Area mapping uncertainty was evaluated at three study sites, Mount Qomolangma (Everest), Mount Naimona'Nyi, Mount Geladandong, where the largest differences between present and earlier measurements were within ~±4%. Area differences with previous inventories ranged from −19.6% (TPG1976 minus the first Chinese Glacier Inventory) to −3.6% and −1.1% (TPG2013 and TPG2001, respectively minus the second Chinese Glacier Inventory), while the difference TPG2001 minus the GAMDAM Glacier Inventory was +10.4%. Glacier area on the plateau decreased from 44 366 ± 2827 km2(1.7% of the study area) in the 1970s to 42 210 ± 1621 km2in 2001 and 41 137 ± 1616 km2in 2013. Shrinkage was faster in external drainage basins of the southeast than in the interior basins of the northwest, from a maximum of −0.43% a−1(−1.60% a−1during 1994–2013) in the Mekong catchment down to a minimum of −0.12% a−1in the Tarim interior drainage.
Assessing the Impact of Non-Random Measurement Error on Inference: A Sensitivity Analysis Approach
Authors: Gallop Max , Weschle Simon
Published: January 2017

Many commonly used data sources in the social sciences suffer from non-random measurement error, understood as mis-measurement of a variable that is systematically related to another variable. We argue that studies relying on potentially suspect data should take the threat this poses to inference seriously and address it routinely in a principled manner. In this article, we aid researchers in this task by introducing a sensitivity analysis approach to non-random measurement error. The method can be used for any type of data or statistical model, is simple to execute, and straightforward to communicate. This makes it possible for researchers to routinely report the robustness of their inference to the presence of non-random measurement error. We demonstrate the sensitivity analysis approach by applying it to two recent studies.
Restricting the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children in South Africa: are all nutrient profiling models the same?
Authors: Wicks Mariaan , Wright Hattie , Wentzel-Viljoen Edelweiss
Published: January 2017

The WHO has called for governments to improve children’s food environment by implementing restrictions on the marketing of ‘unhealthy’ foods to children. Nutrient profiling (NP) models are used to define ‘unhealthy’ foods and support child-directed food marketing regulations. The aim of the present study was to assess the suitability of the South African NP model (SANPM), developed and validated for health claim regulations, for child-directed food marketing regulations. The SANPM was compared with four NP models specifically developed for such regulations. A representative list of 197 foods was compiled by including all foods advertised on South African free-to-air television channels in 2014 and foods commonly consumed by South African children. The nutritional information of the foods was sourced from food packaging, company websites and a food composition table. Each individual food was classified by each of the five NP models. The percentage of foods that would be allowed according to the different NP models ranged from 6 to 45 %; the models also varied considerably with regard to the type of foods allowed for marketing to children. The majority of the pairwise comparisons between the NP models yieldedκstatistics >0·4, indicating a moderate agreement between the models. An almost perfect pairwise agreement (κ=0·948) existed between the SANPM and the UK Food Standards Agency model (United Kingdom Office of Communication nutrient profiling model), a model extensively tested and validated for such regulations. The SANPM is considered appropriate for child-directed food marketing regulations in South Africa.
Collagen peptide ingestion alters lipid metabolism-related gene expression and the unfolded protein response in mouse liver
Authors: Tometsuka Chisa , Koyama Yoh-ichi , Ishijima Tomoko , Toyoda Tsudoi , Teranishi Miki , Takehana Kazushige , Abe Keiko , Nakai Yuji
Published: January 2017

Ingestion of collagen peptide (CP) elicits beneficial effects on the body, including improvement in blood lipid profiles, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of CP ingestion on the liver, which controls lipid metabolism in the body. Male BALB/cCrSlc mice were bred with the AIN-93M diet containing 14 % casein or the AIN-93M-based low-protein diet containing 10 % casein or a diet containing 6 % casein+4 % CP for 10 weeks (n12/group). Total, free and esterified cholesterol levels in the blood decreased in the CP group. DNA microarray analysis of the liver revealed that expressions of genes related to lipid metabolic processes such as the PPAR signalling pathway and fatty acid metabolism increased in the CP group compared with the 10 % casein group. The expressions of several genes involved in steroid metabolic process, includingCyp7a1andCyp8b1, were decreased, despite being targets of transcriptional regulation by PPAR. These data suggest that lipid metabolism in the liver is altered by CP ingestion, and the decrease in blood cholesterol levels in the CP group is not due to enhancement of the steroid metabolic process. On the other hand, expressions of genes related to the unfolded protein response (UPR) significantly decreased at the mRNA level, suggesting that CP ingestion lowers endoplasmic reticulum stress. Indeed, protein levels of phosphorylated inositol-requiring enzyme 1 decreased after CP ingestion. Taken together, CP affects the broader pathways in the liver – not only lipid metabolism but also UPR.
Supplementing the maternal diet of rats with butyrate enhances mitochondrial biogenesis in the skeletal muscles of weaned offspring
Authors: Huang Yanping , Gao Shixing , Jun Guo , Zhao Ruqian , Yang Xiaojing
Published: January 2017

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of maternal dietary butyrate supplementation on energy metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis in offspring skeletal muscle and the possible mediating mechanisms. Virgin female rats were randomly assigned to either control or butyrate diets (1 % butyrate sodium) throughout gestation and lactation. At the end of lactation (21 d), the offspring were killed by exsanguination from the abdominal aorta under anaesthesia. The results showed that maternal butyrate supplementation throughout gestation and lactation did not affect offspring body weight. However, the protein expressions of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPR) 43 and 41 were significantly enhanced in offspring skeletal muscle of the maternal butyrate-supplemented group. The ATP content, most of mitochondrial DNA-encoded gene expressions, the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and 4 protein contents and the mitochondrial DNA copy number were significantly higher in the butyrate group than in the control group. Meanwhile, the protein expressions of type 1 myosin heavy chain, mitochondrial transcription factor A, PPAR-coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) and uncoupling protein 3 were significantly increased in the gastrocnemius muscle of the treatment group compared with the control group. These results indicate for the first time that maternal butyrate supplementation during the gestation and lactation periods influenced energy metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis through the GPR and PGC-1α pathways in offspring skeletal muscle at weaning.
Uplift history of the Jiaodong Peninsula, eastern North China Craton: implications for lithosphere thinning and gold mineralization
Authors: ZHAO RUI , WANG QINGFEI , LIU XUEFEI , SANTOSH M. , YUAN WANMING , WANG WEI
Published: January 2017

The link between lithosphere thinning and formation of world-class gold deposits is well established in the Jiaodong Peninsula within the eastern North China Craton (NCC). However, the timing of initiation and duration of the lithospheric thinning process as well as the depth of formation of the mineralization remain uncertain. Since these parameters are fundamental to formulate exploration strategies, in this study we perform fission track (FT) analysis on zircon and apatite grains in Late Mesozoic granitoid samples from the Jiaodong Peninsula and provide new constraints for the mode and duration of lithospheric evolution and mineralization depth. The zircon FT ages range from 64.3 to 90.9 Ma and those of apatite show a range of 32.8–50.9 Ma. The data collectively display age peaks at ~60–80 and ~30–50 Ma. Reverse modelling of the apatite FT results indicates rapid crustal uplift during ~30–80 Ma in the Jiaodong Peninsula. This period coincides with the timing of maximal sedimentation in the neighboring basins and voluminous basaltic eruptions in the eastern NCC. We suggest that the Jiaodong Peninsula has experienced two stages of crust uplift in the Late Cretaceous and Paleogene as a consequence of the continuing lithosphere thinning, together with the surrounding basins, forming the horst–graben system in the eastern NCC. The Late Mesozoic granitoids are the main wall rocks for gold deposits in Jiaodong, and thus the crust denudation history gathered from the FT data suggest that the gold mineralization formed at depths ofc.6–11 km.
Adherence of older people with instability in vestibular rehabilitation programmes: prediction criteria
Authors: Soto-Varela A , Faraldo-García A , Del-Río-Valeiras M , Rossi-Izquierdo M , Vaamonde-Sánchez-Andrade I , Gayoso-Diz P , Lirola-Delgado A , Santos-Pérez S
Published: January 2017

Objective:

To determine whether demographic characteristics or balance examination findings can predict the adherence of older people with instability to a vestibular rehabilitation programme.

Methods:

A prospective case–control study was conducted of 120 patients aged 65 years or more (mean age, 77.3 ± 6.33 years). Two groups were classified according to patients’ adherence with the follow-up post-rehabilitation protocol. Analysed variables included: age, sex, body mass index, Timed Up and Go test findings, computerised dynamic posturography, Dizziness Handicap Inventory scores and Short Falls Efficacy Scale – International questionnaire results, number of falls, and type of vestibular rehabilitation.

Results:

Two groups were established: adherents (99 individuals) and non-adherents (21 individuals). There were differences between the groups regarding: sex (female-to-male ratio of 4.8:1 in adherents and 1.63:1 in non-adherents), age (higher in non-adherents) and voluntary movement posturographic test results (non-adherents had poorer scores).

Conclusion:

The patients most likely to abandon a vestibular rehabilitation programme are very elderly males with low scores for centre of gravity balancing and limits of stability.
Women and Legal Pluralism: Lessons from Indigenous Governance Systems in the Andes
Authors: SIEDER RACHEL , BARRERA ANNA
Published: January 2017

The shift towards legally plural multicultural and pluri-national citizenship regimes in the Andes formally recognised indigenous peoples’ community-based governance systems. These tend to emphasise participation, deliberation and service to the collective, but are often criticised for discriminating against women. We argue that recent constitutional reforms and legislation combining recognition of collective rights claims with institutional guarantees for gender equality have in fact amplified indigenous women's different strategies of ‘negotiating with patriarchy’, allowing them to further the transformation of their organisations and ‘custom’. Such strategies are necessary because of the intersections of race, class and gendered exclusions that indigenous women experience, and possible because of the diverse and dynamic nature of community governance systems. Despite systemic and structural constraints on the guarantee of indigenous peoples’ rights, the actions of organised indigenous women over the last two decades point to new ways of imagining more plural, less patriarchal forms of citizenship.
The role of metabolomics in determination of new dietary biomarkers
Authors: O'Gorman A. , Brennan L.
Published: January 2017

Traditional methods for the assessment of dietary intake are prone to error; in order to improve and enhance these methods increasing interest in the identification of dietary biomarkers has materialised. Metabolomics has emerged as a key tool in the area of dietary biomarker discovery and to date the use of metabolomics has identified a number of putative biomarkers. Applications to identify novel biomarkers of intake have in general taken three approaches: (1) specific acute intervention studies to identify specific biomarkers of intake; (2) searching for biomarkers in cohort studies by correlating to self-reported intake of a specific food/food group(s); (3) analysing dietary patterns in conjunction with metabolomic profiles to identify biomarkers and nutritypes. A number of analytical technologies are employed in metabolomics as currently there is no single technique capable of measuring the entire metabolome. These approaches each have their own advantages and disadvantages. The present review will provide an overview of current technologies and applications of metabolomics in the determination of new dietary biomarkers. In addition, it will address some of the current challenges in the field and future outlooks.
Policy failures, blame games and changes to policy practice
Authors: Hinterleitner Markus
Published: January 2017

Studies examining the policy implications of elite polarisation usually concentrate on policy formulation and change, but neglect the impact of polarisation on the day-to-day application of policies. Applying the method of causal process tracing to the Swiss “Carlos” case, a blame game triggered by the reporting about an expensive therapy setting for a youth offender, this article exposes and explains a hitherto neglected, but highly important, mechanism between political elites engaging in blame generation and changes in policy practice. A policy’s distance and visibility to mass publics, as well as the incentives and resources of elites to engage in blame generation, explain the dynamics within blame games, which, in turn, effect organisational and behavioural changes that help institutionalise a more politicised policy practice. Politicised policy practice can make an important difference to policy target populations, as well as damage output legitimacy and undermine democracy.
Study on ablation products of zinc by intense pulsed ion beam irradiation
Authors: Zhang J. , Zhong H.W. , Ye Z.A. , Shen J. , Liang G.Y. , Cui X.J. , Yu X. , Zhang X.F. , Zhang G.L. , Yan S. , Remnev G.E. , Le X.Y.
Published: January 2017

As a kind of flash heat source, intense pulsed ion beam (IPIB) can be used for material surface modification. The ablation effect has important influence on interaction between IPIB and material. Therefore, the understanding of ablation mechanism is of great significance to IPIB application. In this work, pure zinc targets were irradiated and ablated by IPIB. In the ablation process under the different ion beam energy densities, the ablation products were collected by a monocrystalline silicon substrate. By analyzing the ablation products with scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive spectrometer, the surface morphology, and the spatial distribution of ablation products quantity were obtained. The results are useful for clearing the ablation process and the influence of beam parameter on the ablation effect.
A comparative study of location-based recommendation systems
Authors: Rehman Faisal , Khalid Osman , Madani Sajjad Ahmad
Published: January 2017

Recent advancements in location-based recommendation system (LBRS) and the availability of online applications, such as Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare, Path, and Facebook have introduced new research challenges in the area of LBRS. Use of content, such as geo-tagged media, point location-based, and trajectory-based information help in connecting the gap between the online social networking services and the physical world. In this article, we present a systematic review of the scientific literature of LBRS and summarize the efforts and contributions proposed in the literature. We have performed a qualitative comparison of the existing techniques used in the area of LBRS. We present the basic filtration techniques used in LBRS followed by a discussion on the services and the location features the LBRS utilizes to perform the recommendations. The classification of criteria for recommendations and evaluation metrics are also presented. We have critically investigated the techniques proposed in the literature for LBRS and extracted the challenges and promising research topics for future work.
Assessing understanding of relative clauses: a comparison of multiple-choice comprehension versus sentence repetition
Authors: FRIZELLE PAULINE , O'NEILL CLODAGH , BISHOP DOROTHY V. M.
Published: January 2017

Although sentence repetition is considered a reliable measure of children's grammatical knowledge, few studies have directly compared children's sentence repetition performance with their understanding of grammatical structures. The current study aimed to compare children's performance on these two assessment measures, using a multiple-choice picture-matching sentence comprehension task and a sentence repetition task. Thirty-three typically developing children completed both assessments, which included relative clauses representing a range of syntactic roles. Results revealed a similar order of difficulty of constructions on both measures but little agreement between them when evaluating individual differences. Interestingly, repetition was the easier of the two measures, with children showing the ability to repeat sentences they did not understand. This discrepancy is primarily attributed to the additional processing load resulting from the design of multiple-choice comprehension tasks, and highlights the fact that these assessments are invoking skills beyond those of linguistic competence.
Infinitely many non-radial solutions for the polyharmonic Hénon equation with a critical exponent
Authors: Guo Yuxia , Li Bo , Li Yi
Published: January 2017

We study the following polyharmonic Hénon equation:

where (m)* = 2N/(N – 2m) is the critical exponent, B1(0) is the unit ball in ℝN, N ⩾ 2m + 2 and K(|y|) is a bounded function. We prove the existence of infinitely many non-radial positive solutions, whose energy can be made arbitrarily large.
Maritime Anomaly Detection within Coastal Waters Based on Vessel Trajectory Clustering and Naïve Bayes Classifier
Authors: Zhen Rong , Jin Yongxing , Hu Qinyou , Shao Zheping , Nikitakos Nikitas
Published: January 2017

Maritime anomaly detection is a key technique in intelligent vessel traffic surveillance systems and implementation of maritime situational awareness. In this paper, we propose a method which combines vessel trajectory clustering and Naïve Bayes classifier to detect anomalous vessel behaviour in the maritime surveillance system. A similarity measurement between vessel trajectories is designed based on the spatial and directional characteristics of Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, then the method of hierarchical and k-medoids clustering are applied to model and learn the typical vessel sailing pattern within harbour waters. The Naïve Bayes classifier of vessel behaviour is built to classify and detect anomalous vessel behaviour. The proposed method has been tested and validated on the vessel trajectories from AIS data within the waters of Xiamen Bay and Chengsanjiao, China. The results indicate that the proposed method is effective and helpful, thus enhancing maritime situational awareness in coastal waters.
Assessing the social and environmental determinants of pertussis epidemics in Queensland, Australia: a Bayesian spatio-temporal analysis
Authors: HUANG X. , LAMBERT S. , LAU C. , SOARES MAGALHAES R. J. , MARQUESS J. , RAJMOKAN M. , MILINOVICH G. , HU W.
Published: January 2017

Pertussis epidemics have displayed substantial spatial heterogeneity in countries with high socioeconomic conditions and high vaccine coverage. This study aims to investigate the relationship between pertussis risk and socio-environmental factors on the spatio-temporal variation underlying pertussis infection. We obtained daily case numbers of pertussis notifications from Queensland Health, Australia by postal area, for the period January 2006 to December 2012. A Bayesian spatio-temporal model was used to quantify the relationship between monthly pertussis incidence and socio-environmental factors. The socio-environmental factors included monthly mean minimum temperature (MIT), monthly mean vapour pressure (VAP), Queensland school calendar pattern (SCP), and socioeconomic index for area (SEIFA). An increase in pertussis incidence was observed from 2006 to 2010 and a slight decrease from 2011 to 2012. Spatial analyses showed pertussis incidence across Queensland postal area to be low and more spatially homogeneous during 2006–2008; incidence was higher and more spatially heterogeneous after 2009. The results also showed that the average decrease in monthly pertussis incidence was 3·1% [95% credible interval (CrI) 1·3–4·8] for each 1 °C increase in monthly MIT, while average increase in monthly pertussis incidences were 6·2% (95% CrI 0·4–12·4) and 2% (95% CrI 1–3) for SCP periods and for each 10-unit increase in SEIFA, respectively. This study demonstrated that pertussis transmission is significantly associated with MIT, SEIFA, and SCP. Mapping derived from this work highlights the potential for future investigation and areas for focusing future control strategies.
Changes in the seroprevalence of cysticercosis in suspected patients in Chandigarh, India between 1998 and 2014: analysis of 17 years of data
Authors: ROBERTSON L. J. , JOSHI H. , UTAAKER K. S. , KUMAR A. , CHAUDHARY S. , GOYAL K. , SEHGAL R.
Published: January 2017

Changes in seroprevalence of cysticercosis diagnosed in Chandigarh, India between 1998 and 2014 were investigated by extraction and analysis of data from records held at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh. Among the total number of samples for which cysticercosis had been suspected during this period (N = 9650), 1716 (17·8%) were seropositive. Adults were more likely to be seropositive than children, and women were more likely to be seropositive than men. In addition to there being fewer patients with suspicion of cysticercosis over the data analysis period, the proportion of patients seropositive also reduced significantly. Despite these reductions, which are probably associated with improved infrastructure and sanitation within Chandigarh, and despite meat consumption being relatively rare in this area, the extent of cysticercosis in this population remains problematic. Further efforts should be made to reduce transmission of this infection, with particular emphasis on women. Such efforts should follow the One Health concept, and involve medical efforts (including diagnosis and treatment of T. solium tapeworm carriers), veterinary efforts directed towards meat inspection and prevention of infection of pigs, and environmental health and sanitation engineers (to minimize environmental contamination with human waste).
Probabilistic underspecification in nasal place assimilation
Authors: Coleman John , Renwick Margaret E. L. , Temple Rosalind A. M.
Published: January 2017

According to many works on English phonology, word-final alveolar consonants – andonlyalveolar consonants – assimilate to following word-initial consonants, e.g.ran quickly→ra[ŋ]quickly. Some phonologists explain the readiness of alveolar consonants to assimilate (vs.the resistance of velar and labial articulations) by proposing that they have underspecified place of articulation (e.g. Avery & Rice 1989). Labial or dorsal nasals do not undergo assimilation because theirplacenodes are specified. Therearereports that velar and labial consonants sometimes assimilate in English, but these are anecdotal observations, with no available audio and no statistics on their occurrence. We find evidence of assimilation of labial and velar nasals in the Audio British National Corpus, motivating a new, quantitative phonological framework: a statistical model of underspecification and variation which captures typical as well as less common but systematic patterns seen in non-coronal assimilation.
Multi-modal MRI investigation of volumetric and microstructural changes in the hippocampus and its subfields in mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and dementia with Lewy bodies
Authors: Mak Elijah , Gabel Silvy , Su Li , Williams Guy B. , Arnold Robert , Passamonti Luca , Vazquez Rodríguez Patricia , Surendranathan Ajenthan , Bevan-Jones W. Richard , Rowe James B. , O'Brien John T.
Published: January 2017

Background:

Volumetric atrophy and microstructural alterations in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures of the hippocampus have been reported in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, no study to date has jointly investigated concomitant microstructural and volumetric changes of the hippocampus in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).

Methods:

A total of 84 subjects (23 MCI, 17 DLB, 14 AD, and 30 healthy controls) were recruited for a multi-modal imaging (3T MRI and DTI) study that included neuropsychological evaluation. Freesurfer was used to segment the total hippocampus and delineate its subfields. The hippocampal segmentations were co-registered to the mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) maps obtained from the DTI images.

Results:

Both AD and MCI groups showed significantly smaller hippocampal volumes compared to DLB and controls, predominantly in the CA1 and subiculum subfields. Compared to controls, hippocampal MD was elevated in AD, but not in MCI. DLB was characterized by both volumetric and microstructural preservation of the hippocampus. In MCI, higher hippocampal MD was associated with greater atrophy of the hippocampus and CA1 region. Hippocampal volume was a stronger predictor of memory scores compared to MD within the MCI group.

Conclusions:

Through a multi-modal integration, we report novel evidence that the hippocampus in DLB is characterized by both macrostructural and microstructural preservation. Contrary to recent suggestions, our findings do not support the view that DTI measurements of the hippocampus are superior to volumetric changes in characterizing group differences, particularly between MCI and controls.
A DREAM DEFERRED?
Authors: Shelton Jason E.
Published: January 2017

The goal of this paper is to determine whether a privileged class position operates similarly in shaping Blacks’ and Whites’ beliefs about the causes of racial inequality. Existing studies have established that socioeconomic variation drives intraracial differences in commitments to individualistic and structural attributions. However, scholars have yet to determine whether Blacks and Whites positioned at some of the highest levels of the American class structure report corresponding beliefs about the roots of racial disparities. Pooled data from the 1985–2012 General Social Surveys indicate that class-based attitudinal differences are more prevalent and pronounced among Whites rather than Blacks. However, a privileged class position often operates similarly in shaping commitments to select structural attributions. The implications of the findings are discussed, and suggestions for future research are offered.
AS OTHERS PLUCK FRUIT OFF THE TREE OF OPPORTUNITY
Authors: Stuesse Angela , Staats Cheryl , Grant-Thomas Andrew
Published: January 2017

The foreign-born population in the United States has reached new heights, and experts predict that the country will be “majority minority” by 2042, possibly earlier. Despite its growing ethnic, racial, national, and other forms of diversity, the fundamental location of Blackness at the bottom of the pyramid of structural racism endures. In attempts to overcome the real and perceived tensions that characterize relationships between immigrants and African Americans, efforts to create space for interpersonal connection and shared structural analysis have proliferated in organizations across the country. Drawing from seventy-five interviews with individuals leading these initiatives and the review of over fifty different pedagogical resources they have developed and used, this article presents a classification and assessment of these programs. We consider these programs using an anti-racist, African Americanist framework reflected in Steinberg’s “standpoint of [the] black figure, crouched on the ground as others pluck fruit off the tree of opportunity” (2005, p. 43), and analyze their successes and shortcomings. Successes include the creation of spaces for interaction across difference and the building of a shared analysis. We find evidence of transformative effects at the intra- and interpersonal levels. The greatest limitations include immigrant-centricity in relationship-building efforts and a reluctance to engage immigrants in conversation about their relationships to Whiteness, Blackness, and racial hierarchies in the United States and in their countries of origin.
Network assemblage of regime stability and resilience: comparing Europe and China
Authors: ROOT HILTON L.
Published: January 2017

This article demonstrates that the network structures of historical regimes influence the way information is spread, which in turn circumscribe the behaviors of the different groups that make up the system. It advances two central claims. The first is a methodological one showing that patterns of long-term historical change are best studied at the system level, rather than by a traditional equilibrium framework grounded in models of individual behavior. Then, an empirical claim is established by comparisons of China's hub-and-spoke hypernetwork with Europe's multi-hub hypernetwork to show that their different patterns of interconnectivity forged their respective capacities to weather intermittent socioeconomic transitions.
The formation of terrorist groups: an analysis of Irish republican organizations
Authors: DNES ANTONY W. , BROWNLOW GRAHAM
Published: January 2017

We examine the history of the organization of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and assess whether Republican terrorism reflected the possession of valuable group-specific human capital within the terrorist cell. The analysis is motivated by economic models of the formation of specialized groups. We also note the public-goods co-ordination problem facing terrorist groups, given their inability to use mainstream enforcement mechanisms. Of particular interest are four well-defined historical examples of factionalism within the IRA. The history of Irish republicanism is consistent with the prediction that increasing the opportunities for cell members outside of life in the organization, particularly through amnesty, destabilizes the organization but leaves a hardcore of remaining terrorists. The gap between terrorist characteristics and those belonging to members of wider society is more gradated than predicted.
Embodying Musical Heritage in a New–Old Profession: American Jewish Cantorial Schools, 1904–1939
Authors: COHEN JUDAH M.
Published: January 2017

Current scholarship on music in Jewish life generally views American cantorial training as a postwar process of transplantation, translating a culture decimated by the Holocaust into a higher education program in the United States. Recently available digital repositories of historical materials, however, show at least five organized efforts to establish American cantorial schools between 1904 and 1939. I closely examine these efforts here, which reveal during this period a complicated and active negotiation surrounding the role of the cantor—and music more generally—in American Jewish life. Organizers of these schools engaged in active dialogue with cantorial colleagues in central and eastern Europe, subsequently creating institutional training models that imbued the cantor with a character, history, musical repertoire, and professional lifecycle compatible with the United States’ religious marketplace. Understanding the urge to establish these schools in the first half of the twentieth century, and the tendency to forget or minimize these efforts after World War II, offers insight into the flexibility of musical tradition as it sought to reassert itself on American soil.
Ulnar articular surface 3-D landmarks and ecomorphology of small mammals: a case study of two early Miocene typotheres (Notoungulata) from Patagonia
Authors: Muñoz Nahuel A. , Cassini Guillermo H. , Candela Adriana M. , Vizcaíno Sergio F.
Published: January 2017

Articular surfaces reflect the relative movements between adjacent bones, and the ones involved in the elbow joint provide information about forelimb movements and may be useful for making inferences about the substrate use. The proximal articular surface of the ulna was examined through 3-D geometric morphometrics, in order to assess its usefulness as a proxy for paleoecological interpretations; particularly for two small mammals from the early Miocene of Patagonia. The sample was composed of 22 extant small mammals (rodents, carnivorans and primates) and two extinct typotheres:Hegetotherium mirabile(Hegetotheriidae) andInteratherium robustum(Interatheriidae). Forty-five landmarks were taken and principal component analysis (PCA) was used to explore the morphospace structure. The results of PCA for the whole surface were inconclusive; therefore, successive analyses were made, subdividing the surface into sub-units. The PCA for the proximal part of the trochlear notch was the most informative, allowing the recognition of morphospaces with functional value: one for digging rodents and another for most climbers. Neither typothere would have had a specialisation for climbing or digging in the features analysed. This study allows morphological patterns on different parts of a joint to be detected; interpreted, at least partially, as differential responses to different kinds of mechanical stress.
Morphology of the sacral region and reproductive strategies of Metriorhynchidae: a counter-inductive approach
Authors: Herrera Yanina , Fernández Marta S. , Lamas Susana G. , Campos Lisandro , Talevi Marianella , Gasparini Zulma
Published: January 2017

Morphological and physiological features indicate Metriorhynchidae as the only group of crocodylomorphs with a pelagic lifestyle. Some of these features have evolved convergently in several clades of tetrapods secondarily adapted to aquatic life. One striking feature of metriorhynchids as compared to other crocodylomorphs is the morphology of the pelvic region (i.e., ventrally deflected sacral ribs and reduced pelvic girdle), which increases significantly the depth of this region. This morphology, as a whole, resembles that of other viviparous Mesozoic marine reptiles not phylogenetically related to metriorhynchids. We tested two alternative hypotheses of reproductive strategies in this clade: oviparityvs. viviparity. Given the lack of direct evidence supporting one or the other, we explored the use of evidence that may disconfirm either of these hypotheses. Using this counter-inductive approach, we found no cases contradicting viviparity in metriorhynchids, except for their phylogenetic position as archosaurs. A survey of reproductive modes amongst amniotes depicts the evolutionary plasticity of the transition to viviparity, and a widespread occurrence among tetrapods secondarily adapted to a marine life. Assuming oviparity for metriorhynchids implies egg-laying out of the water. However, their postcranial morphology (i.e., features of fore and hind limbs, pelvic girdle, and tail) contradicts this possibility. In this context, we rejected oviparity for metriorhynchids.
Constructional morphology of the shell/ligament system in opisthogyrate rostrate bivalves
Authors: Echevarría J. , Damborenea S. E. , Manceñido M. O.
Published: January 2017

The bivalve ligament provides the thrust for shell opening, acting as the resistance in a lever system against which adductor muscle effort is applied. Usually, its outer lamellar layer is subjected to tensile stress, while the inner fibrous layer is compressed, with the pivotal axis located between them. However, opisthogyrate rostrate bivalves display a concave dorsal margin, and both the umbo and the postero-dorsal angle of the shell project dorsally to the ligament, which then fails to act as pivotal axis. Three opisthogyrate rostrate genera of unrelated lineages show somewhat different solutions to this morpho-functional challenge. InCuspidaria(Anomalodesmata), the ligament is internal, subjected only to compression and ventral to the pivotal axis, a thickened periostracum develops, forcing the dorsal margins of the valves to act as pivotal axis, and the posterior parts of the shell's dorsal margins gape dorsally. InNuculana(Palaeotaxodonta), the inner layer of the ligament is internal, the outer layer is external but reduced, and some species develop a dorsal ridge parallel to the commissural plane, on a level with the rostrum and acting as pivotal axis. InPterotrigonia(Palaeoheterodonta) and other rostrate trigoniides, the ligament is external opisthodetic, but is allometrically reduced. Trigoniides may also develop a dorsal ridge.
Multiple Ziele und Lernmotivation: Das Forschungsprogramm „Theorie motivationaler Handlungskonflikte“
Authors: Hofer Manfred , Fries Stefan , Grund Axel
Published: January 2017

Zusammenfassung. Der Beitrag berichtet über das Forschungsprogramm „Theorie motivationaler Handlungskonflikte“, das Situationen behandelt, in denen Personen zwei gleichwertige Ziele verfolgen. Die Theorie wird an Lernenden untersucht, die Konflikte zwischen schulischen und außerschulischen Zielen erleben. Diese Konflikte spiegeln prototypisch die gesellschaftlich relevante Konkurrenz zwischen wohlbefindens- und leistungsbezogenen Werten und Zielen wider. Mit dem Anstreben von Zielen zeigen Lernende an, dass sie ihre altersspezifischen Entwicklungsaufgaben bearbeiten. Die Theorie spezifiziert die Interferenz von Anreizen der nichtgewählten Handlung mit der Ausübung der gewählten Lern- oder Freizeithandlung. In quer- und längsschnittlichen-, Experience-Sampling- sowie experimentellen Studien wird gezeigt, dass motivationale Interferenz Leistung und affektives Wohlbefinden der Lernenden beeinträchtigen kann. Bei den Bedingungen motivationaler Interferenz stehen gesellschaftlich vermittelte Werte der Leistung und des Wohlbefindens im Mittelpunkt. Wir schlagen Maßnahmen zur Minimierung von Zielkonflikten und zur Herstellung einer ausgewogenen Zeitverteilung auf verschiedene Lebensbereiche vor.
Anstrengungsvermeider: Lustlos oder hilflos? Eine latente Profilanalyse
Authors: Lintorf Katrin , Buch Susanne R. , Sparfeldt Jörn R. , Rost Detlef H.
Published: January 2017

Zusammenfassung. Das Konstrukt „Anstrengungsvermeidung“ ( Rollett & Bartram, 1998 ) geht mit ungünstigen Ausprägungen in motivationalen, affektiven sowie kognitiven Merkmalen einher. Zudem sollen sich zwei Anstrengungsvermeidungstypen abgrenzen lassen. Bislang existieren jedoch nur wenige Belege für die Unterscheidbarkeit verschiedener Typen. Anhand einer Gymnasialstichprobe (N = 1079; 8./9. Klassenstufe) wurde untersucht, ob sich unter Berücksichtigung kognitiver, motivationaler und affektiver Merkmale (zwei) Anstrengungsvermeidungsgruppen differenzieren und validieren lassen. Latente Profilanalysen sprachen für drei oder vier Klassen. Die Drei-Klassen-Lösung zeigte im Wesentlichen niveauverschiedene Profile. Die Vier-Klassen-Lösung ergab zwei Klassen mit durchschnittlichen bzw. unterdurchschnittlichen Anstrengungsvermeidungswerten („Unauffällige“ bzw. „Mustergültige“). Zudem resultierten zwei Anstrengungsvermeidungsklassen mit jeweils ungünstigen Profilen in den Analyse- und Validierungsvariablen. Sie unterscheiden sich weniger in der Ausprägung kognitiver, sondern eher in der Ausprägung motivationaler wie affektiver Merkmale („Desinteressierte“ vs. „Ängstliche“). Die Befunde werden vor dem Hintergrund differenzieller Interventionsansatzpunkte diskutiert.