bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sexual Harassment in the European Union: A Pervasive but Still Hidden Form of Gender-Based Violence
Authors: Latcheva Rossalina
Published: May 2017

Sexual harassment is recognized as discrimination on the grounds of sex and as a breach of the principle of equal treatment between men and women. The survey of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) on violence against women shows, however, that sexual harassment remains a pervasive and common experience for many women in the European Union. Dependent on the type of incident recorded, an estimated 83 to 102 million women (45%-55% of women) in the 28 EU Member States have experienced at least one form of sexual harassment since the age of 15. It also becomes apparent that many women do not talk with anyone about their experiences of sexual harassment, and very few report the most serious incidents to their hierarchy at work or to a responsible authority. Sexual harassment occurs in various settings and uses different means, such as the Internet. The FRA survey results indicate that sexual harassment against women involves a range of different perpetrators and includes the use of “new” technologies. The survey shows that sexual harassment disproportionately affects younger women, and that it is more commonly perceived and experienced by women with a university degree and women in the highest occupational groups. The article outlines key findings from the FRA Violence Against Women Survey with regard to the extent, forms, and consequences of sexual harassment in the European Union. It offers a critical discussion of existing definitions and measurements of sexual harassment, underlines how these significantly influence the reported prevalence rates in official or survey data, and points to relevant factors which explain the observed individual and country differences.
The Relation Between Violence Experienced in Childhood and Women’s Exposure to Violence in Later Life: Evidence From Europe
Authors: Till-Tentschert Ursula
Published: May 2017

Experiences of violence in childhood can affect women’s later exposure to violence and their risk of victimization. Comparable data on the extent of abuse in childhood are still rare. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) conducted in 2012 the first comparative European Union (EU)-wide survey on violence against women. This article looks at the extent and effects of childhood experiences of violence reported by women in the FRA violence against women survey in all 28 EU Member States. The article does not examine abuse and violence by children toward other children, as the FRA’s survey—which forms the basis of the analysis in this article—interviewed respondents aged 18 years and above. Women who indicated having experienced violence by an adult perpetrator before the age of 15 years appear to be at greater risk of experiencing physical and sexual abuse in later life. Factors such as the severity and frequency of violence in childhood and the type of perpetrator of childhood abuse have an impact on later victimization of women. The article examines the relation between childhood experiences of violence and later exposure to partner and nonpartner violence, by severity, frequency, and type of perpetrator. The results confirm that already a single incidence of violence in childhood increases the likelihood of revictimization at a later stage in life. The findings also show that sexual and emotional abuse in childhood has particularly strong effects on women’s lifelong experience of violence with respect to both intimate partner and nonpartner violence. The findings are assessed in the light of how to prevent cycles of abuse.
Rapid analysis of low-amplitude sinusoidal roughness in rolling-sliding elastohydrodynamic contacts including thermal effects
Authors: Hooke CJ , Morales-Espejel GE
Published: May 2017

In previous papers, the authors have developed methods for the rapid analysis of low-amplitude roughness in EHL contacts. However, these assumed that the contact was isothermal and ignored the influence of thermal effects in the conjunction. While this is adequate for rolling contacts it leads to errors when rolling-sliding conditions are considered. The aim of this paper is to extend the perturbation analysis to include thermal behaviour. This includes both the temperature rise found under smooth conditions and the cyclic variations in temperature produced by the low amplitude, sinusoidal roughness.
Reasons for transferring HIV care in London
Authors: Ahmed Nadia , Scott Duncan , Matin Nasha , Waters Laura , Whitlock Gary
Published: May 2017

People living with HIV in England, as well as non-UK born and individuals without residency, can access free HIV care at any service in England. We investigated reasons for transfer of care to three London HIV units by asking all patients transferring to fill in a questionnaire exploring reasons for leaving their previous centre and reasons for choosing the new service. A total of 111 patients completed the questionnaire. The majority of patients transferred from abroad to London HIV units, compared to within the UK. The main reason for leaving their current service was location, which was also the main reason for choosing the service they transferred to. The results of this audit can be used to improve all services to ensure any concerns patients may have are eliminated and provide healthcare tailored to patients’ needs.
Direct-Current Stimulation Does Little to Improve the Outcome of Working Memory Training in Older Adults
Authors: Nilsson Jonna , Lebedev Alexander V. , Rydström Anders , Lövdén Martin
Published: May 2017

The promise of transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) as a modulator of cognition has appealed to researchers, media, and the general public. Researchers have suggested that tDCS may increase effects of cognitive training. In this study of 123 older adults, we examined the interactive effects of 20 sessions of anodal tDCS over the left prefrontal cortex (vs. sham tDCS) and simultaneous working memory training (vs. control training) on change in cognitive abilities. Stimulation did not modulate gains from pre- to posttest on latent factors of either trained or untrained tasks in a statistically significant manner. A supporting meta-analysis ( n = 266), including younger as well as older individuals, showed that, when combined with training, tDCS was not much more effective than sham tDCS at changing working memory performance ( g = 0.07, 95% confidence interval, or CI = [−0.21, 0.34]) and global cognition performance ( g = −0.01, 95% CI = [−0.29, 0.26]) assessed in the absence of stimulation. These results question the general usefulness of current tDCS protocols for enhancing the effects of cognitive training on cognitive ability.
Personality and destiny. Francesco Borromini: portrait of a tormented soul
Authors: Cipriani Gabriele , Cipriani Luca , Di Fiorino Mario
Published: May 2017

Francesco Borromini, one of the great geniuses of Baroque architecture, was tormented and solitary, and was increasingly frustrated by the fame and success of his rival, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Borromini was an unhappy man, constantly dogged by disaster, quarrelling even with his best patrons and closest friends. In the culmination of one of the fits of depression that overcame the architect more and more frequently as his life progressed, Borromini literally fell on his own sword; he lingered in excruciating pain for 24 hours before dying. Largely forgotten, his architecture has again been recognized since the twentieth century as the creation of genius. We try to describe the personality and suicide of this pessimist giant of architecture.
Successful clozapine re-challenge following myocarditis
Authors: Nguyen Bang , Du Charles , Bastiampillai Tarun , Dhillon Rohan , Tibrewal Prashant
Published: May 2017

Objective:

To explore the evidence around clozapine re-challenge following myocarditis.

Conclusion:

This case adds to the 17 cases of clozapine re-challenge following myocarditis, of which 71% were successful (12 cases). This demonstrates that re-challenge could be performed safely and effectively in the context of clozapine-induced myocarditis, if accompanied by a strict and rigorous monitoring protocol.
A modal nonlinear static analysis method for assessment of structures under blast loading
Authors: Saedi Daryan Amir , Soleimani Sahman , Ketabdari Hesam
Published: May 2017

Modal pushover analysis (MPA) has been developed in previous studies to analyze the response of structures subjected to seismic excitation. Although this method has already been extended for diverse systems of buildings and bridges, its application is currently restricted to earthquake loading. This study is intended to extend this approach for the analysis of structures subjected to other probable loading patterns, such as blast waves and wind loads. For the analysis of structures under seismic excitation, an acceleration is applied to the structure’s base; however, in the case of a blast wave or wind load, the external load is directly applied to the building with an unexpected load pattern. Based on these differences, a new formulation for the modal analysis of structures is developed in this study. To evaluate the method, a shear wall structure is used as a case study, and the impact of a blast wave is considered as an imposed lateral load. The results obtained by the proposed method, called MPA-B, are compared to those of nonlinear dynamic analysis as a benchmark solution. The structural demands that are used as the comparison criteria are story displacement, story drifts and hinge rotations. The results of this evaluation show that the accuracy of the MPA-B method in the analysis of structures under a blast load is similar to the accuracy of the MPA method in the analysis of structures under earthquake loading.
Multiple Imputation of Missing Data for Multilevel Models
Authors: Grund Simon , Lüdtke Oliver , Robitzsch Alexander
Published: May 2017

Multiple imputation (MI) is one of the principled methods for dealing with missing data. In addition, multilevel models have become a standard tool for analyzing the nested data structures that result when lower level units (e.g., employees) are nested within higher level collectives (e.g., work groups). When applying MI to multilevel data, it is important that the imputation model takes the multilevel structure into account. In the present paper, based on theoretical arguments and computer simulations, we provide guidance using MI in the context of several classes of multilevel models, including models with random intercepts, random slopes, cross-level interactions (CLIs), and missing data in categorical and group-level variables. Our findings suggest that, oftentimes, several approaches to MI provide an effective treatment of missing data in multilevel research. Yet we also note that the current implementations of MI still have room for improvement when handling missing data in explanatory variables in models with random slopes and CLIs. We identify areas for future research and provide recommendations for research practice along with a number of step-by-step examples for the statistical software R.
Comparison of the Treatment Guidelines for Actinic Keratosis: A Critical Appraisal and Review
Authors: Fleming Patrick , Zhou Stephanie , Bobotsis Robert , Lynde Charles
Published: May 2017

There are currently several reputable guidelines on the treatment of actinic keratosis (AK) from groups in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe. These recommendations, based on evidence or expert consensus, offer clinicians a variety of treatment options for the different clinical presentations of AKs. Although the guidelines are similar in some regards, variations exist in treatment options, duration, and strength of recommendation. Some guidelines also lack input on specific therapies and certain types of AK, such as hypertrophic or thin presentations. The purpose of this article is to review and compare guidelines published by Canadian, UK, and European groups for the management of AKs in patients.
Psychosocial screening and monitoring for children in foster care: Psychometric properties of the Brief Assessment Checklist in a Dutch population study
Authors: Goemans Anouk , Tarren-Sweeney Michael , van Geel Mitch , Vedder Paul
Published: May 2017

Children in foster care experience higher levels and rates of psychosocial difficulties than children from the general population. Governments and child welfare services have a responsibility to identify those children in care who have need for therapeutic services. This can be achieved through systematic screening and monitoring of psychosocial difficulties among all children in foster care. However, general screening and assessment measures such as the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) might not adequately screen for the range of difficulties experienced by foster children. The Brief Assessment Checklists for Children (BAC-C) and Brief Assessment Checklists for Adolescents (BAC-A) are measures designed to screen for and monitor attachment- and trauma-related difficulties among child welfare populations. This article reports psychometric properties of the BAC-C and BAC-A, estimated in a population study of 219 Dutch foster children. The results suggest the BAC-C and BAC-A perform both screening and monitoring functions well. Their screening accuracy, internal reliability and concurrent validity are comparable to those estimated for the SDQ within the same child and adolescent sample. Future research is needed to assess the value of the Brief Assessment Checklists (BAC) compared to other measures and to validate cut-points for the BAC. This study further establishes the BAC-A and BAC-C as valid and useful mental health screening and monitoring measures for use with children and adolescents in foster care.
The cascading influence of multisensory processing on speech perception in autism
Authors: Stevenson Ryan A , Segers Magali , Ncube Busisiwe L , Black Karen R , Bebko James M , Ferber Susanne , Barense Morgan D
Published: May 2017

It has been recently theorized that atypical sensory processing in autism relates to difficulties in social communication. Through a series of tasks concurrently assessing multisensory temporal processes, multisensory integration and speech perception in 76 children with and without autism, we provide the first behavioral evidence of such a link. Temporal processing abilities in children with autism contributed to impairments in speech perception. This relationship was significantly mediated by their abilities to integrate social information across auditory and visual modalities. These data describe the cascading impact of sensory abilities in autism, whereby temporal processing impacts multisensory information of social information, which, in turn, contributes to deficits in speech perception. These relationships were found to be specific to autism, specific to multisensory but not unisensory integration, and specific to the processing of social information.
A Natural History of the Drag Queen Phenomenon
Authors: Moncrieff Michael , Lienard Pierre
Published: May 2017

The drag queen cultural phenomenon has been described at length. However, the depiction of outlandish and hyperbolic womanhood and taunting and formidable behavior at the core of drag queens’ public persona has still to be fully accounted for. We argue that these aspects of the drag queen’s public appearance could best be understood in a signaling framework. Publicly donning extravagant woman’s costumes attracts harassment and brings financial, mating, and opportunity costs, generating the conditions for the transmission of honest signals. By successfully withstanding those odds, drag queen impersonators signal strategic qualities to members of the gay community. Data collected among gay and straight participants support a costly signaling reading of the drag queen cultural phenomenon. Participants generally agree that successful drag queens typically incur costs, while gaining specific social benefits.
An Innovative International Community Engagement Approach
Authors: Maslin-Ostrowski Pat , Drago-Severson Eleanor , Ferguson Janet , Marsick Victoria J. , Hallett Margaret
Published: May 2017

The purpose of this article is to describe the successes and challenges of an innovative community engagement initiative in Bermuda, Education for All, in order to enlarge our understanding of how a community uses storytelling as a catalyst for transformative learning. Sponsored by the Coalition for Community Activism, community members and nonprofit groups united to facilitate an islandwide conversation about the student experience. They aspired to transform how people think about what constitutes an appropriate education and, ultimately, reframe the Bermuda conversation of schooling. We trace the evolution of the project attending to how adults came together around a shared purpose and vision for improving education. In so doing, we illuminate the complexities of using story as a catalyst for transformative learning. We provide a story circle protocol developed to gather stories of public school alumni. This story project for social change has implications for community leaders globally.
The passive solar heating technologies in rural school buildings in cold climates in China
Authors: Liu Yanfeng , Jiang Jing , Wang Dengjia , Liu Jiaping
Published: May 2017

Heating is difficult in rural school because of its cost. These areas, however, are rich in solar energy potential and should look toward passive solar designs. In this study, the indoor temperatures of three different passive solar technologies were examined. Results of calculations were verified by on-site experiments allowing on use of these models to draw further conclusions. In analyzed schools, modes of operation and functional requirements are different and the use of verified model permitted to determine the optimal type of passive solar technology. The passive heating techniques were ranked for different buildings and collected in four classes: most suitable, more suitable, less suitable, and non-suitable.
Framing the flight MH370 mystery: A content analysis of Malaysian, Chinese, and U.S. media
Authors: Bier Lindsey M , Park Sejin , Palenchar Michael J
Published: May 2017

This study analyzes frames related to the flight MH370 disappearance in Malaysian (N = 93), Chinese (N = 155), and U.S. (N = 150) newspapers. The results provide insight about media orientations in an international crisis, particularly regarding national interests and international citizenship. Attribution of responsibility is the dominant frame; secondary frames vary among conflict and human-interest frames, demonstrating that attribution of responsibility is the most important frame even with unknown controllability and ambiguous intentionality. Results also demonstrate significant differences in national interest frames and in the roles in the societal evaluation of risk. This study contextualizes the results in media systems, diplomatic relations, and cultures.
Reverse innovation in maternal health
Authors: Firoz Tabassum , Makanga Prestige Tatenda , Nathan Hannah L , Payne Beth , Magee Laura A
Published: May 2017

Reverse innovation, defined as the flow of ideas from low- to high-income settings, is gaining traction in healthcare. With an increasing focus on value, investing in low-cost but effective and innovative solutions can be of mutual benefit to both high- and low-income countries. Reverse innovation has a role in addressing maternal health challenges in high-income countries by harnessing these innovative solutions for vulnerable populations especially in rural and remote regions. In this paper, we present three examples of ‘reverse innovation’ for maternal health: a low-cost, easy-to-use blood pressure device (CRADLE), a diagnostic algorithm (mini PIERS) and accompanying mobile app (PIERS on the Move), and a novel method for mapping maternal outcomes (MOM).
Novel Use of Active Leptospermum Honey for Ringed Fixator Pin Site Care in Diabetic Charcot Deformity Patients
Authors: Lazarides Alexander L. , Hamid Kamran S. , Kerzner Michael S.
Published: May 2017

Introduction. Open reduction with external fixation (OREF) utilizing fine wire ringed fixators for correction of Charcot deformity has gained popularity over the past decade. Pin site infections are a well-documented complication of external fixation as well as a driver of escalating health care costs. We aimed to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of a novel method of pin site care utilizing active Leptospermum honey–impregnated dressings (MediHoney) in diabetic patients undergoing deformity correction with OREF. Methods. Twenty-one diabetic patients with Charcot deformities of the lower extremity were prospectively enrolled and followed for pin site complications following OREF for deformity correction. Active Leptospermum honey dressings were applied at metal-cutaneous interfaces at the end of the OREF procedure and replaced weekly for a total of 8 weeks. Patients were monitored for pin site infections from the time of surgery until external fixator removal. Sixteen consecutive patients receiving standard OREF for Charcot deformities were evaluated retrospectively to serve as a control group. Results. Of the 21 enrolled patients, 19 underwent OREF and followed up throughout the study period. Treated patients had a mean age of 58.5 years and mean body mass index measuring 33.3 kg/m2 as documented prior to surgery. The 15 patients with hemoglobin A1c labs drawn in the 3 months preceding surgery averaged 7.5. Fixators were removed at an average of 12.1 weeks after adequate bony healing. Of the 244 pin sites in 19 patients, 3 pin sites (1.2% of pins) in 2 patients (10.5% of patients) showed evidence of superficial infection. All infections resolved with oral antibiotics. Infection rates were significantly reduced when compared to the standard care control group. Conclusions. Pilot data in a prospectively collected case series demonstrate safety and efficacy of active Leptospermum honey–impregnated dressings when used for fine wire ringed fixator pin site care in diabetic Charcot deformity patients. Further investigation in the form of a prospective randomized controlled study is warranted to demonstrate the potential value of this novel intervention.

Levels of Evidence: Level IV
The urban geographical imagination in the age of Big Data
Authors: Shelton Taylor
Published: May 2017

This paper explores the variety of ways that emerging sources of (big) data are being used to re-conceptualize the city, and how these understandings of what the urban is shapes the design of interventions into it. Drawing on work on the performativity of economics, this paper uses two vignettes of the ‘new urban science’ and municipal vacant property mapping in order to argue that the mobilization of Big Data in the urban context doesn’t necessarily produce a single, greater understanding of the city as it actually is, but rather a highly variegated series of essentialized understandings of the city that render it knowable, governable and intervene-able. Through the construction of new, data-driven urban geographical imaginaries, these projects have opened up the space for urban interventions that work to depoliticize urban injustices and valorize new kinds of technical expertise as the means of going about solving these problems, opening up new possibilities for a remaking of urban space in the image of these sociotechnical paradigms. Ultimately, this paper argues that despite the importance of Big Data, as both a discourse and practice, to emerging forms of urban research and management, there is no singular or universal understanding of the urban that is promoted or developed through the application of these new sources of data, which in turn opens up meaningful possibilities for developing alternative uses of Big Data for understanding and intervening in the city in more emancipatory ways.
Crowd-sourcing the smart city: Using big geosocial media metrics in urban governance
Authors: Zook Matthew
Published: May 2017

Using Big Data to better understand urban questions is an exciting field with challenging methodological and theoretical problems. It is also, however, potentially troubling when Big Data (particularly derived from social media) is applied uncritically to urban governance via the ideas and practices of “smart cities”. This essay reviews both the historical depth of central ideas within smart city governance —particular the idea that enough data/information/knowledge can solve society problems—but also the ways that the most recent version differs. Namely, that the motivations and ideological underpinning behind the goal of urban betterment is largely driven by technology advocates and neoliberalism rather than the strong social justice themes associated with earlier applications of data to cities. Geosocial media data and metrics derived from them can provide useful insight and policy direction. But one must be ever mindful that metrics don’t simply measure; in the process of deciding what is important and possible to measure, these data are simultaneously defining what cities are.
Evaluation of an online injecting drug use stigma intervention targeted at health providers in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Brener Loren , Cama Elena , Hull Peter , Treloar Carla
Published: May 2017

People who inject drugs are highly stigmatised. Discriminatory experiences are commonly reported, particularly in health care settings. This article evaluates an online stigma reduction training module targeting health providers working with people who inject drugs. A total of 139 participants completed a pre- and post-survey including attitude items and items depicting hypothetical scenarios and concerns around client behaviours. Participants’ attitudes towards people who inject drugs were more positive and they showed less concerns about client behaviours after completing the online training module. Findings highlight the benefits of online training in reducing discriminatory attitudes towards people who inject drugs and improving confidence in working with this client group.
Designing behavioral self-regulation application for preventive personal mental healthcare
Authors: Hirano Mari , Ogura Kanako , Kitahara Mizuho , Sakamoto Daisuke , Shimoyama Haruhiko
Published: May 2017

Most of computerized cognitive behavioral therapy targeted restoration and few have targeted primary prevention. The purpose of this study is to obtain the knowledge for further development on preventive mental healthcare application. We developed a personal mental healthcare application which aimed to give users the chance to manage their mental health by self-monitoring and regulating their behavior. Through the 30-day field trial, the results showed improvement of mood score through conducting of suggested action, and the depressive mood of the participants was significantly decreased after the trial. The possibility of application and further problem was confirmed.
Images of Breastfeeding on Instagram: Self-Representation, Publicness, and Privacy Management
Authors: Locatelli Elisabetta
Published: May 2017

As recent feminist studies have recognized, breastfeeding is an interesting area of investigation since it encompasses several social and cultural issues involving both the private and the public sphere. These range from how motherhood is lived and interpreted, the representation of the body, how children are reared, women’s self-representation, breastfeeding support, and maternal work. The article illustrates a qualitative analysis of a sample of Instagram images tagged with breastfeeding-related words, with the aim of analyzing how breastfeeding is represented and the relationship between private and public discourses. For this reason, images coming from both mothers and breastfeeding promoters were analyzed. The analysis shows that breastfeeding representation on Instagram confirms, and also goes beyond, the common image of breastfeeding a newborn, showing toddlers’ breastfeeding or mothers pumping breastmilk. It also shows that breastfeeding may be connected with a wider approach to parenthood, based on proximity, and that children are active subjects of the decisions taken. The research indicates that the relationship between public and private discourses is an overlapping of shades. On one hand, research results showed several strategies enacted by parents for protecting their children’s privacy; on the other hand, the functions of images posted veer between fixing a private moment and creating public discourses using specific hashtags aimed, for example, at normalizing public breastfeeding or offering new types of support. Instagram appears, then, as a platform where personal choices and beliefs can flow into public discourse and a place for investigating how public discourses and social and cultural issues (such as breastfeeding promotion and representation) shape the way that breastfeeding is lived.
Debating the Roots of Poor Academic Performance in the West African Subregion: The Perspective of a Philosopher
Authors: Ani Emmanuel Ifeanyi
Published: May 2017

Recent nationalistic arguments have tended to blame the use of foreign language as responsible for poor academic performance and even underdevelopment. Although I theoretically agree with the mother tongue (MT) proposal concerning early elementary education, I identify some narrowness in the meaning of MT that drives the nationalistic school. A correction of this connotative inaccuracy would mean that the importance of the MT proposal to education is not as all embracing as nationalists would love to see. Even presuming theoretical correctness, I also see a number of grave practical problems with the MT initiative, including the unwillingness to develop local languages in terms of equiping them with the lexical power to serve as medium for modern research, academics, science, and technology. I also see a potential of the MT idea to sustain ethnicity, a political problem that ultimately undermines the quality of education itself. I conclude that the most critically determining factor for academic performance in this region is not the use (or lack of use) of MT but the political handling of education. I discuss, and tentatively suggest solutions to (a) the monopoly of salary fixing by politicians and (2) the extremely low budget percentage allocated to the educational sector.
Cervical Disc Arthroplasty: A Comprehensive Review of Single-Level, Multilevel, and Hybrid Procedures
Authors: Laratta Joseph L. , Shillingford Jamal N. , Saifi Comron , Riew K. Daniel
Published: May 2017

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Objectives:

Degenerative disc disease and spondylosis resulting in radiculopathy and retrodiscal myelopathy are among the most frequently encountered cervical spinal disorders. Traditionally, anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) has successfully achieved neural decompression and restored intradiscal height in these conditions. Unfortunately, nonunion and iatrogenic adjacent segment pathology associated with fusion procedures in the cervical spine has led to an interest in motion-preserving procedures. Cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) was developed in hopes of preserving cervical biomechanics while mitigating the complications associated with ACDF. Through a systematic review of both published and ongoing studies on single- and multilevel CDA, and hybrid surgeries, we aim to provide evidence for their safety and efficacy in the treatment of various cervical pathologies.

Methods:

A systematic search of several large databases, including Cochrane Central, PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov , and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry was conducted to identify published studies and ongoing clinical trials on CDA and hybrid surgery.

Results:

Among the relevant studies reviewed, 3 were randomized controlled trials, 2 systematic reviews, as well as multiple prospective case series, biomechanical studies, and meta-analyses.

Conclusion:

Over the past decade, multiple high-quality studies have shown that single-level CDA can offer equivalent clinical outcomes with a reduction in secondary procedures and total cost when compared to ACDF. However, more recently there has been an increasing prevalence of 2-level CDA and hybrid surgery. Although the data regarding these multilevel procedures is less robust, it appears that they may be as effective as their single-level counterparts.
Can Posterior Lumbar Instrumentation and Fusion Be Overpowered by Anterior Lumbar Fusion With Hyperlordotic Cages? A Cadaveric Study
Authors: Wigner Nathan , Kadam Abhijeet , Saville Philip , Arlet Vincent
Published: May 2017

Study design:

Technical report on cadavers.

Objective:

To evaluate preliminary feasibility and safety of lumbar sagittal alignment correction with anterior hyperlordotic cages used to overpower previous posterior spinal instrumentation.

Methods:

Hyperlordotic 30° anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) cages were inserted in collapsed L5-S1 disc space of 2 cadavers to overpower prior posterior L5-S1 pedicle screws and rod constructs. A distinct technique of opening up the disc space and creation of intersegmental lordosis was employed using a large endplate distractor and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) paddle distractor. Assessment of increase in the intersegmental lordosis (ISL) was made using lateral fluoroscopic imaging. Postprocedural computed tomography (CT) scans were obtained to evaluate any failure of posterior instrumentation and to serve as a surrogate marker for bone quality.

Results:

The 2 cadavers selected (from an available number of 10) were males: 82 and 84 years of age, respectively. Both had marked L5-S1 disc space collapse. The ISL achieved with hyperlordotic cages was 27.6° for the first cadaver (up from 4.9°) and 23.1° for the second one (up from 4.6°). No obvious screw-rod failure or cutout of instrumentation occurred. Postprocedure CT scans did not reveal any loosening of screws or cutout through endplates. Hounsfield unit values calculated on axial CT cuts were 73.50 (osteoporosis) and 80.70 (osteopenia) respectively for the 2 cadavers.

Conclusion:

Based on the results of the cadaveric experiment, overpowering of posterior instrumentation can be effectively achieved. Biomechanical and clinical studies are indicated to further evaluate the suitability and safety of this technique.
“No Alcohol Is Recommended, But . . .”: Health Care Students’ Attitudes About Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy
Authors: Coons Kelly D. , Watson Shelley L. , Yantzi Nicole M. , Lightfoot Nancy E. , Larocque Sylvie
Published: May 2017

Canadian findings suggest that health care providers require further training and education to support their work preventing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). However, the knowledge and training of health care students in relation to FASD remains largely unexplored. The purpose of this study was to understand the attitudes and beliefs of health care students about alcohol use during pregnancy. Twenty-one health care students participated in a scenario-based vignette about alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Although almost all students recognized that no alcohol consumption during pregnancy is the safest recommendation, many students recounted that this advice is not always conveyed during encounters with their pregnant patients. Three primary themes related to students’ attitudes concerning alcohol use during pregnancy were identified. Health care professionals in training need further education about the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and the potential health outcomes associated with prenatal alcohol exposure.
Hematopoietic origin of Langerhans cell histiocytosis and Erdheim-Chester disease in adults
Authors: Milne Paul , Bigley Venetia , Bacon Chris M. , Néel Antoine , McGovern Naomi , Bomken Simon , Haniffa Muzlifah , Diamond Eli L. , Durham Benjamin H. , Visser Johannes , Hunt David , Gunawardena Harsha , Macheta Mac , McClain Kenneth L. , Allen Carl , Abdel-Wahab Omar , Collin Matthew
Published: May 2017

Key Points

Bone marrow progenitors, monocytes, and myeloid DCs contain BRAFV600E alleles in adults with LCH and ECD. Mutant allele distribution is not disease specific, but precursors have distinct LCH-like and macrophage differentiation capacities.
Association between diffuse myocardial fibrosis and diastolic dysfunction in sickle cell anemia
Authors: Niss Omar , Fleck Robert , Makue Fowe , Alsaied Tarek , Desai Payal , Towbin Jeffrey A. , Malik Punam , Taylor Michael D. , Quinn Charles T.
Published: May 2017

Key Points

Diffuse myocardial fibrosis is a common and novel mechanism of heart disease in SCA that can be detected noninvasively. Diffuse myocardial fibrosis is strongly associated with diastolic dysfunction in individuals with SCA.
Replenishing exosomes from older bone marrow stromal cells with miR-340 inhibits myeloma-related angiogenesis
Authors: Umezu Tomohiro , Imanishi Satoshi , Azuma Kenko , Kobayashi Chiaki , Yoshizawa Seiichiro , Ohyashiki Kazuma , Ohyashiki Junko H.
Published: May 2017

Key Points

Exosomal miR-340 derived from young BMSCs inhibited tumor angiogenesis via the HGF/c-MET signaling pathway. The anti-angiogenic effect of exosomes from older BMSCs was restored by direct transfection of young BMSC-derived exosomal miRNAs.
The incidence and natural history of dasatinib complications in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia
Authors: Fox Lucy C. , Cummins Katherine D. , Costello Ben , Yeung David , Cleary Rebecca , Forsyth Cecily , Tatarczuch Maciek , Burbury Kate , Motorna Olga , Shortt Jake , Fleming Shaun , McQuillan Andrew , Schwarer Anthony , Harrup Rosemary , Holmes Amy , Ratnasingam Sumita , Chan Kah-Lok , Hsu Wei-Hsun , Ashraf Asma , Putt Faye , Grigg Andrew
Published: May 2017

Key Points

Prescribing appropriately for age and cardiovascular risk is likely to result in minimal permanent toxicity-related dasatinib cessation. CML patients on dasatinib with pleural effusion are more likely to have achieved MR4.5 after 6-month therapy than those without effusion.
Can glypican‐3 be a disease‐specific biomarker?
Authors: Chen Chaolei , Huang Xiaomin , Ying Zhaojian , Wu Dengmin , Yu Yani , Wang Xiangdong , Chen Chengshui
Published: May 2017

Background

Glypican‐3 (GPC3) is a cell surface‐bound proteoglycan which has been identified as a potential biomarker candidate in hepatocellular carcinoma, lung carcinoma, severe pneumonia, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The aim of our review is to evaluate whether GPC3 has utility as a disease‐specific biomarker, to discuss the potential involvement of GPC3 in cell biology, and to consider the changes of GPC3 gene and protein expression and regulation in hepatocellular carcinoma, lung cancer, severe pneumonia, and ARDS.

Results

Immunohistochemical studies have suggested that over‐expression of GPC3 is associated with a poorer prognosis for hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Expression of GPC3 leads to an increased apoptosis response in human lung carcinoma tumor cells, and is considered to be a candidate lung tumor suppressor gene. Increased serum levels of GPC3 have been demonstrated in ARDS patients with severe pneumonia.

Conclusions

Glypican‐3 could be considered as a clinically useful biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma, lung carcinoma, and ARDS, but further research is needed to confirm and expand on these findings.
A game-theory modeling approach to utility and strength of interactions dynamics in biomedical research social networks
Authors: Siqueiros-García J. Mario , García-Herrera Rodrigo , Hernández-Lemus Enrique , Alcalá-Corona Sergio
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Collaboration has become a cornerstone in biomedical research today. In contrast to physics which has a long history and experience in collaborative projects, biology is only recently becoming an evermore collaborative discipline. In this article we explore the effect of a collaboration network on the distribution of players having access to certain amount of resources from other players in the network and the distribution of the strength of interactions among them. We are interested in how they affect each other in the context of a network of scientific collaboration under the idea that while researchers are interested in maximizing their utilities, they also know that it is important to invest in building collaborative relationships.

Methods

We implemented two games played simultaneously: one for maximizing individual utility based on the iterated prisoner’s dilemma; the other, a coordination game for maximizing the connection strength between players. We tested our simulation on a biomedical research community network in México and compared the results with Erdös–Renyí, a Watts–Strogatz small-world and Barabási–Albert topologies.

Results

Different topologies display different global utility and global strength of interaction distributions. Moreover, the distribution of utility and strength of interaction in the researchers network is similar to that of Barabási–Albert and Watts–Strogatz topologies, respectively.

Conclusions

Data related to Science, from co-authorships to Scientists' movility are increasingly becoming available. We think that the readiness of these sort of data is a great opportunity for scientists interested in the social dynamics of science, especially in the context of computational social science.
The phosphatase Pgam5 antagonizes Wnt/β-Catenin signaling in embryonic anterior-posterior axis patterning
Authors: Rauschenberger Verena , Bernkopf Dominic B. , Krenn Sabrina , Jalal Kowcee , Heller Jens , Behrens Jürgen , Gentzel Marc , Schambony Alexandra
Published: May 2017

The scaffold protein Dishevelled is a central intracellular component of Wnt signaling pathways. Various kinases have been described that regulate and modulate Wnt signaling through phosphorylation of Dishevelled. However, besides the general protein phosphatases 1 and 2 (PP1 and PP2), no specific protein phosphatases have been identified. Here, we report on the identification and functional characterization of the protein phosphatase Pgam5 in vitro and in vivo. Pgam5 is a novel antagonist of Wnt/β-Catenin signaling in human cells and Xenopus embryogenesis. In early development, Pgam5 is essential for head formation and establishing and maintaining the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling gradient that patterns the anterior-posterior body axis. Inhibition of Wnt/β-Catenin signaling and developmental function depend on Pgam5 phosphatase activity. We show that Pgam5 interacts with Dishevelled2 and that Dishevelled2 is a substrate of Pgam5. Pgam5 mediates a marked decrease of Dishevelled2 phosphorylation in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus as well as decreased interaction between Dishevelled2, Tcf1 and β-Catenin, indicating that Pgam5 regulates Dishevelled function upstream and downstream of β-Catenin stabilization.
Interstitial fluid osmolarity modulates the action of differential tissue surface tension in progenitor cell segregation during gastrulation
Authors: Krens S. F. Gabriel , Veldhuis Jim H. , Barone Vanessa , Čapek Daniel , Maître Jean-Léon , Brodland G. Wayne , Heisenberg Carl-Philipp
Published: May 2017

The segregation of different cell types into distinct tissues is a fundamental process in metazoan development. Differences in cell adhesion and cortex tension are commonly thought to drive cell sorting by regulating tissue surface tension (TST). However, the role that differential TST plays in cell segregation within the developing embryo is as yet unclear. Here, we have analyzed the role of differential TST for germ layer progenitor cell segregation during zebrafish gastrulation. Contrary to previous observations that differential TST drives germ layer progenitor cell segregation in vitro, we show that germ layers display indistinguishable TST within the gastrulating embryo, arguing against differential TST driving germ layer progenitor cell segregation in vivo. We further show that the osmolarity of the interstitial fluid (IF) is an important factor that influences germ layer TST in vivo, and that lower osmolarity of the IF compared with standard cell culture medium can explain why germ layers display differential TST in culture but not in vivo. Finally, we show that directed migration of mesendoderm progenitors is required for germ layer progenitor cell segregation and germ layer formation.
RET-mediated glial cell line derived neurotrophic factor signaling inhibits mouse prostate development
Authors: Park Hyun-Jung , Bolton Eric C.
Published: May 2017

In humans and rodents, the prostate gland develops from the embryonic urogenital sinus (UGS). The androgen receptor (AR) is thought to control the expression of morphogenetic genes in inductive UGS mesenchyme, which promotes proliferation and cytodifferentiation of the prostatic epithelium. However, the nature of the AR-regulated morphogenetic genes and the mechanisms whereby AR controls prostate development are not understood. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) binds GDNF family receptor-α1 (GFRα1) and signals through activation of RET tyrosine kinase. Gene disruption studies in mice have revealed essential roles for GDNF signaling in development, however its role in prostate development is unexplored. Here, we establish novel roles of GDNF signaling in mouse prostate development. Utilizing an organ culture system for prostate development and Ret mutant mice, we demonstrate that RET-mediated GDNF signaling in UGS increases proliferation of mesenchyme cells and suppresses androgen-induced proliferation and differentiation of prostate epithelial cells, inhibiting prostate development. We also identify AR as a GDNF-repressed gene and Gdnf and Gfrα1 as androgen-repressed genes in UGS, thus establishing reciprocal regulatory crosstalk between AR and GDNF signaling in prostate development.
RETRACTED: Btbd7 is essential for region-specific epithelial cell dynamics and branching morphogenesis in vivo
Authors: Daley William P. , Matsumoto Kazue , Doyle Andrew D. , Wang Shaohe , DuChez Brian J. , Holmbeck Kenn , Yamada Kenneth M.
Published: May 2017

Branching morphogenesis of developing organs requires coordinated but poorly understood changes in epithelial cell-cell adhesion and cell motility. We report that Btbd7 is a crucial regulator of branching morphogenesis in vivo. Btbd7 levels are elevated in peripheral cells of branching epithelial end buds, where it enhances cell motility and cell-cell adhesion dynamics. Genetic ablation of Btbd7 in mice disrupts branching morphogenesis of salivary gland, lung and kidney. Btbd7 knockout results in more tightly packed outer bud cells, which display stronger E-cadherin localization, reduced cell motility and decreased dynamics of transient cell separations associated with cleft formation; inner bud cells remain unaffected. Mechanistic analyses using in vitro MDCK cells to mimic outer bud cell behavior establish that Btbd7 promotes loss of E-cadherin from cell-cell adhesions with enhanced migration and transient cell separation. Btbd7 can enhance E-cadherin ubiquitination, internalization, and degradation in MDCK and peripheral bud cells for regulating cell dynamics. These studies show how a specific regulatory molecule, Btbd7, can function at a local region of developing organs to regulate dynamics of cell adhesion and motility during epithelial branching morphogenesis.