bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement in a Military Population
Authors: Thomas Darren D. , Bernhardson Andrew S. , Bernstein Ethan , Dewing Christopher B.
Published: September 2017

Background:

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) can lead to hip pain and early joint degeneration. There have been few reports to date on the outcomes of hip arthroscopy for the treatment of FAI in the military population.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study was to compare patient demographics with postoperative outcomes after hip arthroscopy for symptomatic FAI and to identify preoperative risk factors for poor outcomes. The hypothesis was that certain preoperative patient characteristics will be predictive of poorer outcomes and that lower outcomes scores will be associated with a higher likelihood of medical separation from the military.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Retrospective chart review of active-duty and dependent patients older than 18 years who underwent hip arthroscopy for symptomatic FAI from 2009 to 2014 at a single institution.

Results:

A total of 469 (309 males and 160 females) surgeries were performed on 456 active-duty personnel and 13 dependent civilians, with a mean 2.5-year follow-up. Overall, 39% (n = 179) were able to return to duty (RTD), 18% (n = 82) were medically cleared to return to normal daily activities but did not remain on active duty, and 43% (n = 195) required referral to the Disability Evaluation System (DES). Increasing rank and male sex were positive predictors and Axis 1 psychiatric diagnosis, revision surgery, concomitant psoas tenotomy, multiple medical comorbidities, and complaints of generalized pelvic pain were negative predictors for returning to duty. US Marine Infantry and Special Forces showed improved RTD rates (50%-86%) compared with administrative, more sedentary, occupations (22%). On average, Single Alpha Numeric Evaluation (SANE) and visual analog scale (VAS) scores improved after surgery, with SANE scores improving 37 ± 28 points and VAS scores improving 2.6 ± 2.5 points. The mean postoperative SANE and VAS scores differed significantly between the RTD group and those not returning to duty; 87 and 1.2 points compared with 69 and 3.6 points, respectively ( P < .0001).

Conclusion:

Hip arthroscopy for the treatment of symptomatic FAI effectively improves pain symptoms and self-reported overall function but shows a much lower than expected return to full, unrestricted active duty in the general active-duty military population. Underlying psychiatric diagnoses, female sex, and more sedentary occupations are associated with lower RTD rates. Furthermore, lower postoperative SANE and VAS scores are associated with lower RTD rates. Only the more active and elite components of the military study population showed RTD rates consistent with previously reported outcomes of return to competitive sports after hip arthroscopy for FAI.
Progress and Policy Opportunities in Family Caregiver Assessment: Results From a National Survey
Authors: Shugrue Noreen , Kellett Kathy , Gruman Cindy , Tomisek Ashley , Straker Jane , Kunkel Suzanne , Robison Julie
Published: September 2017

Family caregivers play an essential role in long-term services and supports (LTSS). Despite numerous calls for robust caregiver assessment policies to determine needs and treat them as partners in care planning, there has been limited information about whether or how states assess caregiver needs and strengths, or use caregiver information. Using cross-sectional survey data from the 2015 Process Evaluation of the Older Americans Act National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), this study analyzes caregiver assessment policies and practices in 54 State Units on Aging, 619 Area Agencies on Aging, and 642 local service providers. It examines whether and for what purposes caregiver assessments are used, what domains are included, and how well current policies conform to recommended practice. It also recommends that policy makers who influence NFCSP and other LTSS programs develop caregiver assessment practices using a multidimensional framework including more caregiver-focused domains and utilizing assessment data to measure program outcomes.
One Step for a Hospital, Ten Steps for Women: African American Women’s Experiences in a Newly Accredited Baby-Friendly Hospital
Authors: Miller Elizabeth M. , Louis-Jacques Adetola F. , Deubel Tara F. , Hernandez Ivonne
Published: September 2017

Background:

Despite strides made by the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative to improve and normalize breastfeeding, considerable racial inequality persists in breastfeeding rates. Few studies have explored African American women’s experience in a Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative system to understand sources of this inequality.

Research aim:

This study aimed to explore African American women’s experiences of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding at a women’s center associated with a university-affiliated hospital that recently achieved Baby-Friendly status.

Methods:

Twenty African American women who had received perinatal care at the women’s center and the hospital participated in qualitative interviews about their experiences. Data were organized using the framework method, a type of qualitative thematic analysis, and interpreted to find how African American women related to policies laid out by the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.

Results:

Three key themes emerged from the women’s interviews: (a) An appreciation of long-term relationships with medical professionals is evident at the women’s center; (b) considerable lactation problems exist postpartum, including lack of help from Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative sources; and (c) mothers’ beliefs about infant autonomy may be at odds with the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.

Conclusion:

Hospitals with Baby-Friendly status should consider models of breastfeeding support that favor long-term healthcare relationships across the perinatal period and develop culturally sensitive approaches that support breastfeeding beliefs and behaviors found in the African American community.
Integrating multi-dynamic virtual cellular manufacturing systems into multi-market allocation and production planning
Authors: Aalaei Amin , Kayvanfar Vahid , Davoudpour Hamid
Published: September 2017

This article presents a two-stage approach to solve a multi-dynamic virtual cellular manufacturing system in multi-market allocation and production planning. The first stage identifies the plant locations and grouping parts–machines–workers’ assignment to virtual cells, while the second stage determines the production volume for each plant, the allocated amounts to each market and the operations’ allocation to the virtual cells. The goal of the proposed mathematical model is to minimize total expected cost consisting of holding, outsourcing, inter-cell material handling, external transportation, fixed cost for producing each part in each plant as well as machine and labour salaries. It is assumed that the parts’ processing times on each machine with workers as well as the products’ demands are stochastic and described by discrete scenario enrichment using the sample average approximation and Latin hypercube sampling techniques. To solve such a stochastic model, an efficient method based on the genetic algorithm is then utilized. Also, Taguchi method is employed so as to evaluate the effects of different operators and parameters on the performance of genetic algorithm. Finally, computational experiments on randomly generated test problems are presented to demonstrate the performance and power of developed model in handling uncertainty.
Women’s Perceptions of Journeying Toward an Unknown Future With Breast Cancer: The “Lives at Risk Study”
Authors: Rapport Frances , Khanom Ashrafunnesa , Doel Marcus A. , Hutchings Hayley A. , Bierbaum Mia , Hogden Anne , Shih Patti , Braithwaite Jeffrey , Clement Clare
Published: September 2017

Breast cancer risk classifications are useful for prognosis, yet little is known of their effect on patients. This study clarified women’s understandings of risk as they “journeyed” through the health care system. Breast cancer patients and women undergoing genetic investigation were recruited ( N = 25) from a large UK Health Board, 2014–2015, completing a “Book of Experience,” and Bio-photographic elicitation interviews. Stakeholder and Participant Feedback Forums were undertaken with key stakeholders, including patients, oncologists, funders, and policy developers, to inform team understanding. Thematic and visual frameworks from multidisciplinary analysis workshops uncovered two themes: “Subjective Understandings of Risk” and “Journeying Toward an Unknown Future.” Breast cancer patients and women undergoing investigation experienced risk intuitively. Statistical formulations were often perplexing, diverting attention away from concrete life-and-death facts. Following risk classification, care must be co-defined to reduce patients’ foreboding about an unknown future, taking into consideration personal risk management strategies and aspirations for a cancer-free future.
Radiographic Shape of Foot With Second Metatarsophalangeal Joint Dislocation Associated With Hallux Valgus
Authors: Kokubo Tetsuro , Hashimoto Takeshi , Suda Yasunori , Waseda Akeo , Ikezawa Hiroko
Published: September 2017

Background:

Second metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint dislocation is associated with hallux valgus, and the treatment of complete dislocation can be difficult. The purpose of this study was to radiographically clarify the characteristic foot shape in the presence of second MTP joint dislocation.

Methods:

Weight-bearing foot radiographs of the 268 patients (358 feet) with hallux valgus were examined. They were divided into 2 groups: those with second MTP joint dislocation (study group = 179 feet) and those without dislocation (control group = 179 feet). Parameters measured included the hallux valgus angle (HVA), first-second intermetatarsal angle (IMA), second MTP joint angle, hallux interphalangeal angle (IPA), second metatarsal protrusion distance (MPD), metatarsus adductus angle (MAA), and the second metatarsal declination angle (2MDA). Furthermore, the dislocation group was divided into 3 subgroups according to second toe deviation direction: group M (medial type), group N (neutral type), and group L (lateral type).

Results:

The IPA and the 2MDA were significantly greater in the study group than in the control group. By multiple comparison analysis, the IMA was greatest in group M and smallest in group L. The IPA was smaller and 2MDA greater in group N than in group L. The HVA and MAA in group L were greatest, and MPD in group L was smallest.

Conclusions:

The patients with second MTP joint dislocation associated with hallux valgus had greater hallux interphalangeal joint varus and a second metatarsal more inclined than with hallux valgus alone. The second toe deviated in a different direction according to the foot shape.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Versatility and Flexibility of Cortical Circuits
Authors: Haley Melissa S. , Maffei Arianna
Published: September 2017

Cortical circuits are known to be plastic and adaptable, as shown by an impressive body of evidence demonstrating the ability of cortical circuits to adapt to changes in environmental stimuli, development, learning, and insults. In this review, we will discuss some of the features of cortical circuits that are thought to facilitate cortical circuit versatility and flexibility. Throughout life, cortical circuits can be extensively shaped and refined by experience while preserving their overall organization, suggesting that mechanisms are in place to favor change but also to stabilize some aspects of the circuit. First, we will describe the basic organization and some of the common features of cortical circuits. We will then discuss how this underlying cortical structure provides a substrate for the experience- and learning-dependent processes that contribute to cortical flexibility.
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Improves Executive Dysfunctions in ADHD: Implications for Inhibitory Control, Interference Control, Working Memory, and Cognitive Flexibility
Authors: Nejati Vahid , Salehinejad Mohammad Ali , Nitsche Michael A. , Najian Asal , Javadi Amir-Homayoun
Published: September 2017

Objective: This study examined effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) on major executive functions (EFs), including response inhibition, executive control, working memory (WM), and cognitive flexibility/task switching in ADHD. Method: ADHD children received (a) left anodal/right cathodal DLPFC tDCS and (b) sham stimulation in Experiment 1 and (a) left anodal DLPFC/right cathodal OFC tDCS, (b) left cathodal DLPFC/right anodal OFC tDCS, and (c) sham stimulation in Experiment 2. The current intensity was 1 mA for 15 min with a 72-hr interval between sessions. Participants underwent Go/No-Go task, N-back test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), and Stroop task after each tDCS condition. Results: Anodal left DLPFC tDCS most clearly affected executive control functions (e.g., WM, interference inhibition), while cathodal left DLPFC tDCS improved inhibitory control. Cognitive flexibility/task switching benefited from combined DLPFC-OFC, but not DLPFC stimulation alone. Conclusion: Task-specific stimulation protocols can improve EFs in ADHD.
Employees’ attitudes towards welfare technology in substance abuse treatment in Finland
Authors: Rantanen Teemu , Toikko Timo
Published: September 2017

Aim:

The significance of welfare and health technology has been highlighted in recent years. However, employees’ attitudes towards welfare technology in substance abuse treatment have received little attention. This article examines employees’ readiness to introduce welfare technology in substance abuse treatment and their attitudes towards its use.

Design:

The theoretical framework of this study is based on Ajzen’s (1991, 2001) theory of planned behaviour, and the ongoing discussion about the adoption of new technology in healthcare. The research data ( N = 129) were collected in the form of an electronic questionnaire in Finland in 2015.

Results:

The results are consistent with the theory of planned behaviour and previous studies on the acceptance of information systems in healthcare. Employees’ readiness to introduce new welfare technology applications and devices in substance abuse treatment is influenced by their personal appreciation of welfare technology, the expectations of their colleagues and supervisors, as well as their own perceptions of their capacity to learn to use the applications.

Conclusions:

The study found some links between demographic factors and cognitions related to welfare technology. In particular, employees with a healthcare background are more inclined to adopt the technology than other employees in substance abuse treatment. In addition, a person’s age has a negative relationship with their perceived technology management. However, age has no significant connection with attitudes and no direct independent effect on the readiness to introduce a new welfare technology. Lastly, the results show that previous positive experiences of welfare technology make it easier to introduce new technologies.
Drinking patterns at the sub-national level
Authors: Bloomfield Kim , Grittner Ulrike , Kraus Ludwig , Piontek Daniela
Published: September 2017

Aim:

A drinking pattern is not only a major drinking variable, but is also one indicator of a country’s drinking culture. In the present study, we examine drinking patterns within and across the neighbouring countries of Denmark and Germany. The aim of the research is to determine to what extent drinking patterns differ or are shared at the sub-national level in the two countries.

Method:

Data came from the German 2012 Epidemiological Survey of Substance Use ( n = 9084) 18–64 years (response rate 54%), and the Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research’s 2011 Danish national survey ( n = 5133) 15–79 years (response rate 64%), which was reduced to a common age range, producing a final n = 4016. The drinking pattern variable included abstention, moderate drinking, heavy drinking, risky single occasion drinking (RSOD), and was investigated with bivariate statistics and gender-specific hierarchical cluster analysis.

Results:

For men three clusters emerged: one highlighting abstention and RSOD, moderate/heavy drinking, RSOD and RSOD + heavy drinking. For women, two clusters appeared: one highlighting abstention and moderate/heavy drinking and the other highlighting RSOD and RSDO + heavy drinking. The clusters revealed different geographical patterning: for men, a west vs. east divide; for women, a north–south gradient.

Conclusions:

The analysis could identify for each gender clusters representing both separate and shared drinking patterns as well as distinctive geographical placements. This new knowledge can contribute to a new understanding of the dynamics of drinking cultures and could indicate new approaches to prevention efforts and policy initiatives.
How does research evaluation impact educational research? Exploring intended and unintended consequences of research assessment in the United Kingdom, 1986–2014
Authors: Marques Marcelo , Powell Justin JW , Zapp Mike , Biesta Gert
Published: September 2017

Research evaluation systems in many countries aim to improve the quality of higher education. Among the first of such systems, the UK’s Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) dating from 1986 is now the Research Excellence Framework (REF). Highly institutionalised, it transforms research to be more accountable. While numerous studies describe the system’s effects at different levels, this longitudinal analysis examines the gradual institutionalisation and (un)intended consequences of the system from 1986 to 2014. First, we analyse historically RAE/REF’s rationale, formalisation, standardisation, and transparency, framing it as a strong research evaluation system. Second, we locate the multidisciplinary field of education, analysing the submission behaviour (staff, outputs, funding) of departments of education over time to find decreases in the number of academic staff whose research was submitted for peer review assessment; the research article as the preferred publication format; the rise of quantitative analysis; and a high and stable concentration of funding among a small number of departments. Policy instruments invoke varied responses, with such reactivity demonstrated by (1) the increasing submission selectivity in the number of staff whose publications were submitted for peer review as a form of reverse engineering, and (2) the rise of the research article as the preferred output as a self-fulfilling prophecy. The funding concentration demonstrates a largely intended consequence that exacerbates disparities between departments of education. These findings emphasise how research assessment impacts the structural organisation and cognitive development of educational research in the UK.
Acoustic field around a transonic cavity flow
Authors: Loupy GJM , Barakos GN , Kusyumov A
Published: September 2017

This paper describes new techniques for analysing cavity flows. The beamforming method is used to estimate the pressure fluctuations inside a resonant transonic cavity, highlighting the localisation of the sources of noise. The method produces insightful results and only requires the use of an acoustic array and a mean flow-field. The technique models the noise propagation in a simple and efficient way, applicable for wind tunnel test. In addition, this paper discusses the generation of the cavity tones. Computational fluid dynamics results are analysed using a superposition of reflected acoustic waves driven by the cavity flow. This analysis shows that the time-averaged flow-field drives the frequencies of the tones, while the flow-field fluctuations drive their amplitude. In addition, the tonal dynamics of the cavity flow are represented by a simple model with standing wave oscillations and their modulation. This work is complementary to the well-established Rossiter cavity model.
The Prevalence of Domestic Violence Among Pregnant Women in Nigeria: A Systematic Review
Authors: Orpin Joy , Papadopoulos Chris , Puthussery Shuby
Published: September 2017

Objective:

To identify, appraise, and synthesize research evidence on the prevalence of domestic violence (DV) among pregnant women in Nigeria.

Method:

We conducted a systematic review of all published studies between April 2004 and June 2016. Comprehensive searches were conducted on electronic databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, Global Health, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Directory of Open Access Journals, Google Scholar, and electronic libraries of the authors’ institution. Identified articles were screened in two stages against the inclusion criteria with titles and abstract screened first followed by full-text screening. Selected articles were assessed using the “guidelines for evaluating prevalence studies,” and findings were synthesized narratively.

Results:

Among 19 studies that met the inclusion criteria, two articles were excluded due to low methodological quality and 17 articles were included in the review. The prevalence of DV during pregnancy in Nigeria ranged between 2.3% and 44.6% with lifetime prevalence rates ranging between 33.1% and 63.2%. Physical, sexual, psychological, and verbal abuses were the most frequent types of DV reported in this review. The most common perpetrators were husbands, as reported in 11 of the 17 studies. Pregnant women between the ages of 20 and 30 years were the most common victims of DV.

Conclusion:

Our review suggests high prevalence of DV in pregnancy among women in Nigeria and higher lifetime prevalence. However, determining an overall, synthesized accurate prevalence rate of DV within this population based on existing evidence presents a challenge. The findings have important implications for stakeholders such as planners, policy makers, maternity care providers, and researchers in public health and social policy at national, regional, and international levels toward combating the issue.
A Comparison of Plate Versus Screw Fixation for Segmental Scaphoid Fractures: A Biomechanical Study
Authors: Goodwin Jill A. , Castañeda Paulo , Shelhamer Ryan P. , Bosch Liam C. , Edwards Scott G.
Published: September 2017

Background: Volar locking plate fixation may offer several advantages over headless screw fixation for scaphoid nonunion, or segmental or comminuted fractures: (1) increased surface area for bony healing; (2) preserved vascularity; and (3) maintenance of a gap for graft insertion. The purpose of this study is to compare headless screw and locking plate fixation of segmental scaphoid fractures and to determine whether either fixation provides a greater mechanical advantage in osteoporotic versus nonosteoporotic bone. Methods: Sixteen matched-pair cadaver scaphoids were dissected from a range of osteoporotic and nonosteoporotic specimens. Scaphoids from each matched pair were randomly assigned to either volar locking plate or compression screw fixation. A 3-mm segment of bone was circumferentially excised from each scaphoid waist to simulate a segmental defect. Implants were applied, and each specimen was then loaded in axial compression. Load to failure was defined as the load required to achieve gap closure. Mechanism of failure, load to failure, and percent gap recovery were recorded for each trial. Results: Gap closure occurred in all trials. Difference in load to failure was not statistically significant between plate and screw fixation in either nonosteoporotic or osteoporotic cadaver specimens. However, percent gap recovery was significantly higher for plate fixation than for screw fixation. Conclusions: In scaphoid fractures with segmental defect, plate and screw fixation demonstrate similar loads to failure, but plate fixation performs superiorly to screw fixation for gap recovery after an applied load to failure.
Shaping mnemonic opportunity: Remembering Iraq in American Sniper
Authors: Rancourt Michael A
Published: September 2017

This article contributes to scholarship on public memory by developing a rhetorical model of “mnemonic opportunity.” Scholars of collective memory, especially sociologists influenced by the political process model of social movement research, have conceived of mnemonic opportunity as a more or less objective set of circumstances that determine a group’s actions. I modify this view by calling on rhetorical theory which demonstrates the ways rhetors shape the apparent situation to which they ostensibly respond. The result is a view of rhetors shaping mnemonic opportunity by associating their version of events with resonant concepts in the culture and, thus, better influencing public memory. I offer a critical reading of the film American Sniper to examine how the text shapes and exploits opportunities to remember the Iraq War positively through the popular figure of the Navy SEAL as a masculine western hero.
It’s Salsa Time! A Team Activity
Authors: Crowne Kerri Anne
Published: September 2017

This article provides information on a team-building activity in which student teams make salsa. I usually use this exercise on the day that I form teams to provide an opportunity for teams to work on something that is not graded prior to completing the graded team assignment. The activity is built on several theories, such as social learning, experiential learning, and constructivist theory. The goal of the activity is to allow team members to get acquainted with each other and quickly go through the team development process. It is a springboard for discussing many aspects of teams, such as tacit knowledge, decision making, creativity, and resource allocation. It has primarily been used in an undergraduate leadership course but may be applicable to other courses.
3D elastic full-waveform inversion of surface waves in the presence of irregular topography using an envelope-based misfit function
Authors: Borisov Dmitry , Modrak Ryan , Gao Fuchun , Tromp Jeroen
Published: September 2017

Full-waveform inversion (FWI) is a powerful method for estimating the earth’s material properties. We demonstrate that surface-wave-driven FWI is well-suited to recovering near-surface structures and effective at providing S-wave speed starting models for use in conventional body-wave FWI. Using a synthetic example based on the SEG Advanced Modeling phase II foothills model, we started with an envelope-based objective function to invert for shallow large-scale heterogeneities. Then we used a waveform-difference objective function to obtain a higher-resolution model. To accurately model surface waves in the presence of complex tomography, we used a spectral-element wave-propagation solver. Envelope misfit functions are found to be effective at minimizing cycle-skipping issues in surface-wave inversions, and surface waves themselves are found to be useful for constraining complex near-surface features.
The eutheria-specific miR-290 cluster modulates placental growth and maternal-fetal transport
Authors: Paikari Alireza , D. Belair Cassandra , Saw Daniel , Blelloch Robert
Published: September 2017

The vertebrate-specific ESCC microRNA family arises from two genetic loci in mammals: miR-290/miR-371 and miR-302. The miR-302 locus is found broadly among vertebrates, whereas the miR-290/miR-371 locus is unique to eutheria, suggesting a role in placental development. Here, we evaluate that role. A knock-in reporter for the mouse miR-290 cluster is expressed throughout the embryo until gastrulation, when it becomes specifically expressed in extraembryonic tissues and the germline. In the placenta, expression is limited to the trophoblast lineage, where it remains highly expressed until birth. Deletion of the miR-290 cluster gene (Mirc5) results in reduced trophoblast progenitor cell proliferation and a reduced DNA content in endoreduplicating trophoblast giant cells. The resulting placenta is reduced in size. In addition, the vascular labyrinth is disorganized, with thickening of the maternal-fetal blood barrier and an associated reduction in diffusion. Multiple mRNA targets of the miR-290 cluster microRNAs are upregulated. These data uncover a crucial function for the miR-290 cluster in the regulation of a network of genes required for placental development, suggesting a central role for these microRNAs in the evolution of placental mammals.
Distinct regenerative potential of trunk and appendages of Drosophila mediated by JNK signalling
Authors: Martín Raquel , Pinal Noelia , Morata Ginés
Published: September 2017

The Drosophila body comprises a central part, the trunk, and outgrowths of the trunk, the appendages. Much is known about appendage regeneration, but little about the trunk. As the wing imaginal disc contains a trunk component, the notum, and a wing appendage, we have investigated the response to ablation of these two components. We find that in contrast with the strong regenerative response of the wing, the notum does not regenerate. Nevertheless, the elimination of the wing primordium elicits a proliferative response of notum cells, but they do not regenerate wing; they form a notum duplicate. Conversely, the wing cells cannot regenerate an ablated notum; they over-proliferate and generate a hinge overgrowth. These results suggest that trunk and appendages cannot be reprogrammed to generate each other. Our experiments demonstrate that the proliferative response is mediated by JNK signalling from dying cells, but JNK functions differently in the trunk and the appendages, what may explain their distinct regenerative potential
Suppression of ERK signalling abolishes primitive endoderm formation but does not promote pluripotency in rabbit embryo
Authors: Piliszek Anna , Madeja Zofia E. , Plusa Berenika
Published: September 2017

Formation of epiblast (EPI) – the founder line of all embryonic lineages – and extra-embryonic supportive tissues is one of the key events in mammalian development. The prevailing model of early mammalian development is based almost exclusively on the mouse. Here, we provide a comprehensive, stage-by-stage analysis of EPI and extra-embryonic primitive endoderm (PrE) formation during preimplantation development of the rabbit. Although we observed that rabbit embryos have several features in common with mouse embryos, including a stage-related initiation of lineage specification, our results demonstrate the existence of some key differences in lineage specification among mammals. Contrary to the current view, our data suggest that reciprocal repression of GATA6 and NANOG is not fundamental for the initial stages of PrE versus EPI specification in mammals. Furthermore, our results provide insight into the observed discrepancies relating to the role of FGF/ERK signalling in PrE versus EPI specification between mouse and other mammals.
Plastic responses of bryozoans to ocean acidification
Authors: Swezey Daniel S. , Bean Jessica R. , Hill Tessa M. , Gaylord Brian , Ninokawa Aaron T. , Sanford Eric
Published: September 2017

Phenotypic plasticity has the potential to allow organisms to respond rapidly to global environmental change, but the range and effectiveness of these responses are poorly understood across taxa and growth strategies. Colonial organisms might be particularly resilient to environmental stressors, as organizational modularity and successive asexual generations can allow for distinctively flexible responses in the aggregate form. We performed laboratory experiments to examine the effects of increasing dissolved carbon dioxide (i.e. ocean acidification) on the colonial bryozoan Celleporella cornuta sampled from two source populations within a coastal upwelling region of the northern California coast. Bryozoan colonies were remarkably plastic under these carbon dioxide (CO2) treatments. Colonies raised under high CO2 grew more quickly, investing less in reproduction and producing lighter skeletons when compared to genetically identical clones raised under current atmospheric values. Bryozoans held in high CO2 conditions also changed the Mg/Ca ratio of skeletal calcite and increased the expression of organic coverings in new growth, which may serve as protection against acidified water. We also observed strong differences between populations in reproductive investment and organic covering reaction norms, consistent with adaptive responses to persistent spatial variation in local oceanographic conditions. Our results demonstrate that phenotypic plasticity and energetic trade-offs can mediate biological responses to global environmental change, and highlight the broad range of strategies available to colonial organisms.
Fat fraction mapping using magnetic resonance imaging: insight into pathophysiology
Authors: Bray Timothy JP , Chouhan Manil D , Punwani Shonit , Bainbridge Alan , Hall-Craggs Margaret A
Published: September 2017

Adipose cells have traditionally been viewed as a simple, passive energy storage depot for triglycerides. However, in recent years it has become clear that adipose cells are highly physiologically active and have a multitude of endocrine, metabolic, haematological and immune functions. Changes in the number or size of adipose cells may be directly implicated in disease (e.g. in the metabolic syndrome), but may also be linked to other pathological processes such as inflammation, malignant infiltration or infarction. MRI is ideally suited to the quantification of fat, since most of the acquired signal comes from water and fat protons. Fat fraction (FF, the proportion of the acquired signal derived from fat protons) has, therefore, emerged as an objective, image-based biomarker of disease. Methods for FF quantification are becoming increasingly available in both research and clinical settings, but these methods vary depending on the scanner, manufacturer, imaging sequence and reconstruction software being used. Careful selection of the imaging method—and correct interpretation—can improve the accuracy of FF measurements, minimize potential confounding factors and maximize clinical utility. Here, we review methods for fat quantification and their strengths and weaknesses, before considering how they can be tailored to specific applications, particularly in the gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal systems. FF quantification is becoming established as a clinical and research tool, and understanding the underlying principles will be helpful to both imaging scientists and clinicians.
Crystal structure and fluorescence properties of the iSpinach aptamer in complex with DFHBI
Authors: Fernandez-Millan Pablo , Autour Alexis , Ennifar Eric , Westhof Eric , Ryckelynck Michael
Published: September 2017

Fluorogenic RNA aptamers are short nucleic acids able to specifically interact with small molecules and strongly enhance their fluorescence upon complex formation. Among the different systems recently introduced, Spinach, an aptamer forming a fluorescent complex with the 3,5-difluoro-4-hydroxybenzylidene imidazolinone (DFHBI), is one of the most promising. Using random mutagenesis and ultrahigh-throughput screening, we recently developed iSpinach, an improved version of the aptamer, endowed with an increased folding efficiency and thermal stability. iSpinach is a shorter version of Spinach, comprising five mutations for which the exact role has not yet been deciphered. In this work, we cocrystallized a reengineered version of iSpinach in complex with the DFHBI and solved the X-ray structure of the complex at 2 Å resolution. Only a few mutations were required to optimize iSpinach production and crystallization, underlying the good folding capacity of the molecule. The measured fluorescence half-lives in the crystal were 60% higher than in solution. Comparisons with structures previously reported for Spinach sheds some light on the possible function of the different beneficial mutations carried by iSpinach.
Fortalezas externas y consumo de sustancias en adolescentes mexicanos y colombianos
Authors: Andrade Palos Patricia , Betancourt Ocampo Diana , Moreno Carmona Norman Darío , Alvis Rizzo Alexander
Published: September 2017

El objetivo de la presente investigación fue analizar y comparar las fortalezas externas en adolescentes de México y Colombia con diferentes niveles de consumo de sustancias. Participaron 1987 adolescentes (49.87% de Colombia y 50.13% de México) hombres y mujeres, con un promedio de edad de 16.64 años. Las fortalezas evaluadas cubrieron dos aspectos generales: familia (Escala de Prácticas Parentales, Andrade & Betancourt, 2010) y amigos (escala elaborada para este estudio). El consumo de sustancias se midió con indicadores del inventario de conductas de riesgo (Andrade & Betancourt, 2008). Los resultados indicaron que la hipótesis central del estudio se comprobó, es decir, los jóvenes que no han consumido alcohol, tabaco y/o drogas presentan más fortalezas externas que aquellos que sí las han consumido
La propuesta operacionalista de Carl Hempel en los albores del DSM
Authors: Cordero Cordero Pía
Published: September 2017

En este trabajo se examina el operacionalismo y su influencia en la versión número tres del Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, a partir de la conferencia del filósofo alemán Carl Hempel expuesta ante la American Psychopathological Association en 1959. Particularmente, desde el operacionalismo del físico norteamericano Percy W. Bridgman, que aboga por un reduccionismo semántico de los conceptos de la ciencia, Hempel esgrime su  propuesta de descripción y sistematización conceptual para la taxonomía de las enfermedades mentales. Para finalizar, se mencionan algunas objeciones al operacionalismo fundamentadas en la  crítica a la noción de observación desprovista de teoría.
Sintomatología Depresiva, Ideación suicida y Auto-concepto en una muestra de niños mexicanos
Authors: CHAVEZ HERNANDEZ ANA MARIA , Correa-Romero Fredi-Everardo , Klein-Caballero Alejandro León , Macías-García Luis-Fernando , Cardoso-Espindola Karen-Viviana , Acosta-Rojas Irma-Beatríz
Published: September 2017

Diversas investigaciones demuestran la prevalencia de la Depresión infantil en varios países. Los estudios apuntan al Auto-concepto como predictor asociado de la Depresión, riesgo suicida y otras conductas de riesgo, que pueden manifestarse en la infancia o posteriormente. Existen escasos estudios reportados en México sobre Depresión y riesgo suicida en infantes, pero el suicidio consumado por infantes ha ido en crecimiento continuo. El objetivo de este estudio fue describir la relación entre la Depresión y el Auto-concepto en una muestra de niños escolarizados del estado de Guanajuato, México. El presente fue un estudio de campo, descriptivo, expost-facto, transversal, con un muestreo intencional, no probabilístico conformado por 217 niños de ambos sexos, entre 9 y 13 años de edad, del nivel de educación primaria. Se cumplieron los protocolos éticos correspondientes. Se aplicaron el Inventario de Depresión Infantil y Cuestionario de Auto-concepto general. Los resultados muestran un porcentaje por encima del esperado de infantes con Depresión moderada y severa, Ideación Suicida y bajo Auto-concepto. Se encontraron niveles de correlación significativos entre los factores del Auto-concepto y la sintomatología depresiva y el sexo. Se sugieren estrategias psico-educativas que favorezcan la temprana detección y adecuado abordaje de los signos de sufrimiento emocional y conductas de riesgo en infantes.
Optimal Contract to Induce Continued Effort
Authors: Sun Peng , Tian Feng
Published: September 2017

We consider a basic model of a risk-neutral principal incentivizing a risk-neutral agent to exert effort to raise the arrival rate of a Poisson process. The effort is costly to the agent, is unobservable to the principal, and affects the instantaneous arrival rate. Each arrival yields a constant revenue to the principal. The principal, therefore, devises a mechanism involving payments and a potential stopping time to motivate the agent to always exert effort. We formulate this problem as a stochastic optimal control model with an incentive constraint in continuous time over an infinite horizon. Although we allow payments to take general forms contingent on past arrival times, the optimal contract has a simple and intuitive structure, which depends on whether the agent is as patient as or less patient than the principal toward future income.

This paper was accepted by Manel Baucells, decision analysis.
Bond Return Predictability: Economic Value and Links to the Macroeconomy
Authors: Gargano Antonio , Pettenuzzo Davide , Timmermann Allan
Published: September 2017

Studies of bond return predictability find a puzzling disparity between strong statistical evidence of return predictability and the failure to convert return forecasts into economic gains. We show that resolving this puzzle requires accounting for important features of bond return models such as volatility dynamics and unspanned macro factors. A three-factor model comprising a forward spread, a weighted combination of forward rates, and a macro factor generates notable gains in out-of-sample forecast accuracy compared with a model based on the expectations hypothesis. Such gains in predictive accuracy translate into higher risk-adjusted portfolio returns after accounting for estimation error and model uncertainty. Consistent with models featuring unspanned macro factors, our forecasts of future bond excess returns are strongly negatively correlated with survey forecasts of short rates.

The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2017.2829

This paper was accepted by Gustavo Manso, finance.
Painting and time: Fifteen points of view
Authors: Moonie Stephen
Published: September 2017

This article offers a series of reflections upon the complex relationship of painting with time. The introduction sets out a trajectory from modernism to postmodernism. Painting’s physical immediacy was prized by modernists, but that immediacy was also subject to a logic of historical development: a disjuncture that was challenged by postmodern critics. As we move towards the contemporary period, understanding of our relationship with time has altered, according to various theorizations by David Harvey, Fredric Jameson and Paul Virilio. The introduction draws upon Nagel and Wood’s notion of ‘anachronism’ as means to consider painting’s relationship with time as non-linear; but it also proposes, as do the following contributions, that painting’s engagement with time is not merely theoretical, but is a matter of continual day-to-day practice.
Painting untimely
Authors: Phillipson Michael
Published: September 2017

In his essay ‘Painting and time’ (1979) John Berger offered a diagnosis of the fate of modern painting: under the rule of modern capitalism’s sense of time the tension between the timeless and the ephemeral that had defined the character and achievement of western painting has been lost. Producing nothing but ephemera, capitalism destroys the timeless leaving painting with nothing to paint. But here Berger sets aside his usual insistence on the defining particularity of art’s objects and opts for a different voice – that of the social analyst. I suggest that, in trying to construct a typifying generalizing conceptual knowledge, this voice misses the definitive difference of art’s things – their contextual uniqueness. In contrast I propose painting as challenging itself to confront the infinite calculability of the linear tenses of techno-capitalist work-time. Defined by its abjection in the face of measurement-without-end, it compounds all tenses, thus throwing out of joint our routine experience of time’s passage through fixed tenses. Painting’s driven ‘subject’ becomes not Berger’s ‘ephemera’ but the experience of ephemerality itself. Its unwavering commitment to analogic-becoming marks its defining otherness to all digital coding.
Stains against violence: Nalini Malani’s strategies for durational looking
Authors: Bal Mieke
Published: September 2017

This article maps six strategies that Indian narrative painter Nalini Malani uses to slow down the viewing. This is the basis of the political force of her work. She relentlessly indicts political abuse, primarily violence, and uses a variety of painterly techniques to reinforce that indictment. By means of a close reading of a few paintings and a discussion of the different techniques, allusions and connections that she deploys, this article seeks to establish how painting, including abstract painting, and its techniques can be mobilized for relevance in the social-political domain.
“Gentleman from Mississippi”
Authors: Stallings Laurence
Published: September 2017

This chapter is an essay which looks at William Faulkner's novel Pylon, the story of a group of barnstormers who are typically Faulknerian in their curiously compelling sympathies which transcend a natural impulse of disgust. The characters include a pilot, a parachute-jumper, and a woman shared by the two, as well as a little boy whose parentage is settled by a throw of the dice, a mechanic, and a newspaperman. The barn-storming group is competing with a worthless old crate for a speed trophy at an aviation meet in the city of New Valois. The text praises Pylon, saying that “it is pleasant to adventure into the imagination of the curious gentleman from Mississippi”.
“Faulkner and Desegregation”
Authors: Baldwin James
Published: September 2017

This chapter discusses William Faulkner's stand on desegregation in the South. It begins by noting how Faulkner concedes the madness and moral wrongness of the South but at the same time raises it to the level of a mystique which makes it somehow unjust to discuss Southern society in the same terms in which one would discuss any other society. According to Faulkner, “Our position is wrong and untenable, but it is not wise to keep an emotional people of balance.” Thus, if it means anything, can only mean that this “emotional people” have been swept “of balance” by the Supreme Court decision outlawing segregation. The chapter also considers Faulkner's threat to leave the “middle of the road” and asks what is the evidence of the struggle he has been carrying on there on behalf of the Negro.
“The Narrators”
Authors: Borges Jorge Luis
Published: September 2017

This chapter discusses the work of William Faulkner, describing him as a man of genius, although a willfully and perversely chaotic one. Faulkner was born in Oxford, Mississippi; in his vast work the provincial and dusty town, surrounded by the shanties of poor whites and Negroes, is the center of his fictional Yoknapatawpha County. During World War I, Faulkner enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He then became a poet, a journalist connected with New Orleans publications, and the author of famous novels and movie scenarios. In 1950 he was awarded the Nobel Prize. Faulkner represents in American letters that feudal and agrarian South which lost in the Civil War. Among his works are The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying, Light in August, Absalom, Absalom!, and Intruder in the Dust.
“Emerging as a Writer in Faulkner’s Mississippi”
Authors: Spencer Elizabeth
Published: September 2017

In this chapter, the author reflects on William Faulkner's influence on her and on other Southern writers. The author says it would be impossible to think of Oxford, Mississippi without thinking of Faulkner, its most famous citizen. She recalls growing up in Carrollton, but admits that it took her many long years in associating Oxford and the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) with Faulkner. It wasn't until she was in her early twenties and in graduate school at Vanderbilt that the author realized she must find out more about Faulkner. She began reading some of Faulkner's novels, including The Hamlet, Go Down, Moses and The Collected Stories. Critics inevitably compared her to Faulkner because of resemblances between their works. The author also reflects on three unanswered questions about Faulkner's work: his nihilism, his treatment of women characters, and the fictional Snopes family in his novels.