bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Revival of Local Festivals and Religion after the Great East Japan Earthquake
Authors: Kimura Toshiaki
Published: October 2016

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011, local festivals in the affected area have attracted wide attention as an indication of the population’s recovery. Many nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other groups have provided financial or human support to revive these local festivals. In the mass media, reports of these activities are frequently edited to depict heartwarming stories. Why was the festival revived? Does it have any meaning for the affected people? Could this trend be interpreted as a revival of religion in Japan after the disaster? In this paper, I examine the process of reviving a large-scale festival held once every twenty years in a coastal village that was seriously affected by the tsunami. My examination uses two sets of concepts: “deductive” and “inductive” rituals, and “monophonic” and “polyphonic” rituals.
The Ghosts of Tsunami Dead and Kokoro no kea in Japan’s Religious Landscape
Authors: Takahashi Hara
Published: October 2016

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in 2011, ghost tales have spread throughout disaster affected areas. There have been reports of ghost sightings and even of people being possessed by ghosts of the tsunami dead. In 2013, I conducted a survey to investigate how religious specialists deal with such phenomena. The results show that a substantial number of them were actually consulted by people troubled by ghosts. In this article, I identify four common characteristics of how priests treat such clients: (1) Acceptance and listening, (2) Performing rituals, (3) Providing moral instruction, and (4) Promoting self-care for the afflicted. Priests offer traditional religious care, but the care they provide is based on a psychological understanding of ghosts, while they also account for secular factors when considering how to best treat the people who come to them for help. This attitude toward ghosts and treatment reflects the priests’ struggle to work in the interstices between the secular and the religious in contemporary Japan, a balancing act which accounts for the recent increase of religious specialists offering kokoro no kea (care of the heart/mind) based on secular teachings in clinical fieldsites. Whether this trend will be successful or not is a yardstick by which to judge the secularity or post-secularity of contemporary and future Japanese society.
New Religions, Depopulation, and the Aging Population
Authors: Watanabe Masako
Published: October 2016

More than 20 percent of Japan’s population is over the age of sixty-five, and 45 percent of all cities, towns, and villages in Japan are classified as “depopulated” by the national government. Researchers have long been aware of the challenges that the aging population and depopulation pose to traditional Buddhist temples. In contrast to those temples, many new religions were formed when people moved from farming villages to cities. This history of providing urban forms of belonging that sometimes fed off of the depopulation that traditional Buddhist temples struggle with has led scholars to overlook ways that depopulation and the aging population might be affecting new religions. This article asks whether and how population change in contemporary Japan is affecting new religions. More specifically, through the use of statistical data, interviews, and newsletters from Konkōkyō and Risshō Kōseikai, two new religions that have locations throughout Japan, it shows that new religions are facing many of the same issues as traditional Buddhist temples. Comparing the organizational form, practices, legal structures, and membership size of these new religions, this article looks at ways that they are affected by depopulation and the aging population and how they are working to serve aging members in depopulated areas.
Behind the Mask of the Secular
Authors: Sumika Masayoshi
Published: October 2016

Jürgen Habermas, who popularized the concept of the “post-secular,” advocates that all citizens should be free to decide whether they want to use religious language in the public sphere. However, he adds the proviso that citizens who do so must accept that religious utterances ought to be translated into generally accessible language. Habermas presents this concept of “translation”—or the institutional translation proviso—as a way of bringing religious citizens into the public sphere. In his opinion, the public sphere and/or public institutions should not be open to any movement that tries to legitimize the nation on religious grounds. This paper shows that we can find logic and rhetoric that correspond to Habermas’s proviso in courtroom arguments over religion in Japan after World War II. By surveying these disputes, this paper examines whether or not the intended aims of the institutional translation proviso are achieved.
Why Do Different Drought Indices Show Distinct Future Drought Risk Outcomes in the U.S. Great Plains?
Authors: Feng Song , Trnka Miroslav , Hayes Michael , Zhang Yongjun
Published: October 2016

Vigorous discussions and disagreements about the future changes in drought intensity in the U.S. Great Plains have been taking place recently within the literature. These discussions have involved widely varying estimates based on drought indices and model-based projections of the future. To investigate and understand the causes for such a disparity between these previous estimates, the authors analyzed the soil moisture at the near-surface soil layer and the entire soil column, as well as the Palmer drought severity index, the Palmer Z index, and the standardized precipitation and evaporation index using the output from the Community Climate System Model, version 4 (CCSM4), and 25 state-of-the-art climate models. These drought indices were computed using potential evapotranspiration estimated by the physically based Penman–Monteith method (PE_pm) and the empirically based Thornthwaite method (PE_th). The results showed that the short-term drought indices are similar to modeled surface soil moisture and show a small but consistent drying trend in the future. The long-term drought indices and the total column soil moisture, however, are consistent in projecting more intense future drought. When normalized, the drought indices with PE_th all show unprecedented future drying, while the drought indices with PE_pm show comparable dryness with the modeled soil moisture. Additionally, the drought indices with PE_pm are closely related to soil moisture during both the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Overall, the drought indices with PE_pm, as well as the modeled total column soil moisture, suggest a widespread and very significant drying in the Great Plains toward the end of the century. The results suggest that the sharp contrasts about future drought risk in the Great Plains discussed in previous studies are caused by 1) comparing the projected changes in short-term droughts with that of the long-term droughts and/or 2) computing the atmospheric evaporative demand using an empirically based method (e.g., PE_th). The analysis here may be applied for drought projections in other regions across the globe.
Assistive Technology for Students With Disabilities
Authors: Etscheidt Susan Larson
Published: October 2016

Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams are required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to consider a student’s need for assistive technology (AT). Despite this legal requirement, AT supports are often not available to students with disabilities. Many students with disabilities and their families have addressed the failure to consider and provide AT supports through litigation. The purpose of this article is to examine the case law pertaining to the assessment, selection, and provision of AT learning supports for students with disabilities. A legal analysis was conducted to determine litigation themes. Based on these results, several recommendations for IEP teams are proposed.
Benedict Anderson: A Reflection by an Indonesian Urbanist
Authors: Padawangi Rita
Published: October 2016

In this article, I reflect on Benedict Anderson’s work on Indonesian urbanism. There are at least three concepts from Anderson’s work, particularly Imagined Communities, which deserve further attention in Indonesia’s urban studies, namely: 1) political cultures; 2) territorial boundaries; and 3) the urban scale of imagined communities. Besides the conceptual dimensions, the perspectives of Anderson’s work that featured ethical stance and strong commitments are useful principles in studying urbanisms in Indonesia, particularly in dealing with pragmatism in urban development. The three conceptual dimensions, along with the critical stance toward political and economic elites, point towards paying increased attention to marginalized communities in conducting urban research.
A Systematic Review and Appraisal of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Musculoskeletal Soft Tissue Injuries and Conditions
Authors: Pincus Daniel , Kuhn John E. , Sheth Ujash , Rizzone Katie , Colbenson Kristi , Dwyer Tim , Karpinos Ashley , Marks Paul H. , Wasserstein David
Published: October 2016

Background:

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are published by several sports medicine institutions. A systematic evaluation can help identify the highest quality CPGs for clinical use and identify any deficiencies that remain.

Purpose:

To identify and appraise CPGs relevant to clinical sports medicine professionals.

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Methods:

Predetermined selection criteria were utilized by 2 reviewers who independently identified published CPGs before January 1, 2014. CPGs were excluded if they focused on injured workers, radiological criteria, medical pathology, or the axial skeleton (back/neck). The remaining guidelines were scored by 6 reviewers with different clinical backgrounds using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II). Scores lower than 50% indicated deficiency. Scores were also stratified by the publishing institution and anatomic location and compared using Kruskal-Wallis tests. The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to assess the range of interobserver agreement between the evaluators.

Results:

Seventeen CPGs met the inclusion criteria. The majority of guidelines pertained to the knee, ankle, or shoulder. Interobserver agreement was strong ( r = 0.548-0.740), and mean total scores between nonsurgical (107.8) and surgical evaluators (109.3) were not statistically different. Overall guideline quality was variable but not deficient for 16 of 17 guidelines (>50%), except regarding clinical “applicability” and “editorial independence.” No difference was found between CPGs of the knee, shoulder, foot/ankle, or chronic conditions. However, CPG publishing institutions had significantly different scores; the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) guidelines scored significantly higher (141.4) than the total mean score (108.0).

Conclusion:

The overall quality of sports medicine CPGs was variable but generally not deficient, except regarding applicability and editorial independence. Bias through poor editorial independence is a concern. To improve future guideline quality, authors should pay particular attention to these areas and use existing highest quality guidelines, or the AGREE II instrument, as templates. CPGs dedicated to anatomic areas other than the knee, ankle, and shoulder are needed.
Risk Factors Associated With Knee Joint Degeneration After Arthroscopic Reshaping for Juvenile Discoid Lateral Meniscus
Authors: Yamasaki Shinya , Hashimoto Yusuke , Takigami Junsei , Terai Shozaburo , Takahashi Shinji , Nakamura Hiroaki
Published: October 2016

Background:

Although arthroscopic meniscal reshaping for discoid lateral meniscus (DLM) has better outcomes than total or subtotal meniscectomy, degenerative changes on radiographs are still seen in some patients with meniscal reshaping.

Purpose:

To assess the risk factors associated with knee joint degeneration after reshaping surgery for juvenile DLM.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Forty patients (45 knees) with a mean age of 12.0 years who underwent arthroscopic meniscal reshaping for DLM were enrolled at a mean of 39.6 months after surgery. For all patients, meniscal saucerization was performed first. Then, if the residual meniscus was unstable, stabilization was provided with suture fixation. At final follow-up, we obtained radiographs to assess degenerative changes to the knee joint using the classification by Tapper and Hoover. Residual meniscal width and meniscal extrusion (defined as a relative percentage of extrusion [RPE]) were measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Then, the correlation between radiographic evidence of degenerative changes (Tapper and Hoover grade), residual meniscal width, and RPE were assessed with Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine whether preoperative characteristics correlated with degeneration and residual meniscal width.

Results:

The mean residual meniscal width was 4.6 mm (range, 3.8-6.0 mm), and the mean ± SD RPE was 25.5% ± 21.8% at the final follow-up. There were 28 knees with Tapper and Hoover grade 0, 10 knees with grade 1, and 7 knees with grade 2. The residual meniscal width and RPE were significantly correlated with Tapper and Hoover grade (ρ = −0.489, P = .0007; ρ = 0.414, P = .005, respectively). The residual meniscal width was also significantly correlated with RPE ( r = −0.416, P = .004). The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that a 5.0-mm residual meniscal width was the cutoff value leading to evidence of degeneration. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that an anterocentral shift on preoperative MRI was a risk factor for degeneration (odds ratio, 27.2; 95% CI, 1.1-360.5; P = .012) and residual meniscal width less than 5.0 mm (odds ratio, 20.9; 95% CI, 1.5-281; P = .022).

Conclusion:

Smaller meniscal width and greater severity of meniscal extrusion correlated with knee joint degeneration. An anterocentral shift on preoperative MRI was a risk factor for degenerative changes and smaller residual meniscal width.
School leadership and management from a distributed perspective
Authors: Diamond John B , Spillane James P
Published: October 2016

Over the past twenty years distributed leadership has framed theoretical, empirical, and development work in education. In this article, we take stock of some work using a distributed perspective. We first discuss our motivations for developing this perspective and highlight some lessons learned from work in this area. Second, we make suggestions regarding fruitful directions for future research and practice-based work using a distributed perspective. We hope that this article serves as a useful contribution to the ongoing research and development work on school leadership and management from a distributed perspective.
From Kantian to Machiavellian deceivers: Development of children’s reasoning and self-reported use of secrets and lies
Authors: Lavoie Jennifer , Nagar Pooja Megha , Talwar Victoria
Published: October 2016

This article examines developmental differences in children’s reasoning about secrecy and lying as well as their use of these behaviors in two studies. Study 1 explored children’s ( N = 66, 8–15 years) reasoning about the circumstances in which secrecy and lying are acceptable. Study 2 analyzed children’s ( N = 50, 8–15 years) actual reported daily frequency of secrets and lies in relation to maladaptive behavior problems. Overall, findings suggest that children’s motivations for secrecy and lying become more nuanced, and seemingly utilitarian, with age, and that children’s use of concealment may be an adaptive tool that facilitates social relationships.
Grinding of flat glass with Fe- and Cu-based diamond tools
Authors: Ozturk Sabri
Published: October 2016

Preparation of grinding wheels is the most important effective factor in glass machining. This article presents the comparison of the iron- and copper-based grinding tools. The performance of the tools is investigated based on technical and commercial aspects using same cutting speeds, feeds, and sizes of diamond grits. Scanning electron microscope is used in order to observe the microstructures of cutting tools. The service life of the grinding tools is determined on the production line in a flat glass plant. A lifetime of Fe-based diamond tools is longer compared to the copper-based wheels. The impact of metal bond materials on the service life is examined. The results show that the Fe-based tools are more economical and more useful for grinding of glass. The holding of Fe-based bonding to diamond grit is stronger than the copper-based ones.
Guanxi’s Contribution to Commitment and Productive Conflict Between Banks and Small and Medium Enterprises in China
Authors: Wong Alfred , Wei Lu , Wang Xinyan , Tjosvold Dean
Published: October 2016

Guanxi has long been thought to play a critical role in understanding and practicing leadership, teamwork, and organizational partnerships in China. Researchers have argued that guanxi can be usefully understood as a kind of close relationship that obliges partners to assist each other. This study proposes that the theory of cooperation and competition as developed in the West can help us to understand how guanxi affects partner relationships. Findings from data on partnerships between banks and small or medium enterprises in Shanghai support the argument that guanxi strengthens cooperative goals, which in turn results in relationship commitment and productive conflict. Our study’s findings suggest that partners with guanxi interact in mutually beneficial ways that enhance their cooperative goals. Further research is needed to provide a stronger foundation for the causal inferences of these findings, and to investigate whether guanxi as it is known in China can also serve to develop cooperative goals, relationship commitment, and productive conflict among partnerships in other Asian societies and in the West.
Community-Based Participatory Research–Speed Dating
Authors: Tucker Melanie T. , Lewis Dwight W. , Payne Foster Pamela , Lucky Felecia , Yerby Lea G. , Hites Lisle , Higginbotham John C.
Published: October 2016

Developing meaningful community-based participatory relationships between researchers and the community can be challenging. The overall success of a community-based participatory relationship should be predicated on commitment and respect from empowered stakeholders. Prior to developing the technique discussed in this article, we hypothesized that the process of fostering relationships between researchers and the community was much like a social relationship: It has to develop organically and cannot be forced. To address this challenge, we developed a community-based participatory research–speed dating technique to foster relationships based on common interests, which we call CBPR-SD. This article describes the logistics of implementing CBPR-SD to foster scholarly collaborations. As part of a federally funded community-based research project, the speed dating technique was implemented for 10 researchers and 11 community leaders with a goal of developing scholarly collaborative groups who will submit applications for community-based research grants. In the end, four collaborative groups developed through CBPR-SD, three (75%) successfully submitted grant applications to fund pilot studies addressing obesity-related disparities in rural communities. Our preliminary findings suggest that CBPR-SD is a successful tool for promoting productive scholarly relationships between researchers and community leaders.
Understanding the Lives and Challenges of Women in Poverty after TANF
Authors: Hildebrandt Eugenie
Published: October 2016

Welfare Reform has caused a dramatic change in the lives and health of single mothers living in poverty. This qualitative study explored the health and socioeconomic lives of 22 community-dwelling women in poverty in the years after they were terminated from the current work-based welfare program intended to move women from welfare to work and independence. The instruments were a semistructured interview guide, the HANES General Well-Being Schedule, and a demographic data form. Data were analyzed using multistage narrative analysis and descriptive statistics. These primary source data showed participants had multiple barriers that precede or follow poverty. Their voices of how they survive are a rich source of data to assist providers and policy makers in devising evidence-based solutions for reducing poverty in America.
Shorter GGN Repeats in Androgen Receptor Gene Would Not Increase the Risk of Prostate Cancer
Authors: Li Jiatong , Xiao Feifan , Zhang Yuening , Lan Aihua , Song Qian , Zhang Ruoheng , Gu Kailong , Chen Ping , Li Zhuo , Zhang Xinhua , Yang Xiaoli
Published: October 2016

The association between the polymorphic GGN repeat in androgen receptor gene and prostate cancer susceptibility has been studied extensively. But the results of these polymorphisms with prostate cancer risk remain inconclusive. Previous meta-analysis showed short GGN repeats (≤16 repeats) had high risks for prostate cancer compared with longer GGN repeats (>16 repeats). Many studies have been published since the release of the previous meta-analysis. Here, we conducted an updated meta-analysis to demonstrate whether short repeats have higher risks for prostate cancer compared to long repeats. Five databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, The China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Web of Science) were last searched until January 1, 2016. Random- or fixed-effects model was performed based on the heterogeneity among studies. The potential publication bias was assessed via Begg funnel plot and Egger regression test. Twelve out of 157 studies were extracted. The result indicated that there was no significant difference between short repeat group and long repeat group in the overall analysis ( I2 = 80.6%, P = .000, odds ratio = 1.31, 95% confidence interval: 0.93-1.83). There was no association between the length of GGN repeats and the occurrence of prostate cancer in both Caucasian and African American ( I2 = 6.7%, P = .359, odds ratio = 1.11, 95% confidence interval: 0.94-1.32; and I2 = 74.1%, P = .050, odds ratio = 0.963, 95% confidence interval: 0.36-2.58). Our result demonstrated that a shorter GGN repeat polymorphism cannot increase the risk of prostate cancer compared to the longer GGN repeats. That’s different with previous meta-analysis.
A Vector-Based Short Hairpin RNA Targeting Aurora B Suppresses Human Prostatic Carcinoma Growth
Authors: Cao Mei , Qi Panpan , Chen Chong , Song Liju , Wang Xuege , Li Ningzhe , Wu Daoyan , Hu Guoku , Zhao Jian
Published: October 2016

Aurora kinase B, playing a vital, important role in mitosis, is frequently detected to be overexpressed in many cancer cell lines and various tumor tissues, including prostatic carcinoma. Given the essential function of Aurora kinase B in mitosis and its association with tumorigenesis, it might be a drug target for prostatic carcinoma treatment. In our study, short hairpin RNA targeting Aurora kinase B was cloned into a pGPU6 plasmid vector and then transfected into human prostatic carcinoma cells. The expression level of Aurora kinase B was verified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. At the same time, cell apoptosis was detected by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide, fluorescent staining, and flow cytometric analysis. Furthermore, prostate carcinoma cells were injected into mice to establish a tumor xenograft model. Previous studies have shown the effect of pGPU6-shAURKB plasmid on tumor growth in a prostate carcinoma xenogenic implantation model. From the study, we knew that the Aurora kinase B was significantly downregulated in prostate carcinoma cells, and cell apoptosis was also detected higher in treated groups than that in control groups. Moreover, in the prostate carcinoma xenogenic implantation model, compared with the control groups, the tumor growth was inhibited about 78.7% in the pGPU6-shAURKB plasmid–treated group, and cell apoptosis in the experimental group was notably higher than that in control groups. The average duration of tumor-bearing mice was prolonged to about 35 days. The results of experiment indicated that specific knockdown of Aurora kinase B led to prostate carcinoma cells apoptosis and inhibited tumor growth. Our data clearly confirmed that specific knockdown of Aurora kinase B expression by vector-based short hairpin RNA/liposome may be a potential new approach to treat human prostatic carcinoma.
The Serious Business of Mommy Bloggers
Authors: Song Felicia Wu
Published: October 2016

As their online efforts gather attention and become revenue sources, “mom bloggers” struggle to balance commercial affirmation with authenticity.
Friends with Academic Benefits
Authors: McCabe Janice
Published: October 2016

College students’ friendship networks are associated with specific social and academic benefits, and their friends are both resources and liabilities in academic achievement.
Decision Support System Requirements Definition for Human Extravehicular Activity Based on Cognitive Work Analysis
Authors: Miller Matthew James , McGuire Kerry M. , Feigh Karen M.
Published: October 2016

The design and adoption of decision support systems within complex work domains is a challenge for cognitive systems engineering (CSE) practitioners, particularly at the onset of project development. This article presents an example of applying CSE techniques to derive design requirements compatible with traditional systems engineering to guide decision support system development. Specifically, it demonstrates the requirements derivation process based on cognitive work analysis for a subset of human spaceflight operations known as extravehicular activity. The results are presented in two phases. First, a work domain analysis revealed a comprehensive set of work functions and constraints that exist in the extravehicular activity work domain. Second, a control task analysis was performed on a subset of the work functions identified by the work domain analysis to articulate the translation of subject matter states of knowledge to high-level decision support system requirements. This work emphasizes an incremental requirements specification process as a critical component of CSE analyses to better situate CSE perspectives within the early phases of traditional systems engineering design.
Analysis of thermal deformation and influencing factors in shrink-fitting assembly of aluminum alloy drill pipe
Authors: Wang Xiaofeng , Liu Baochang , Gao Ke , Meng Qingnan , Sun Youhong
Published: October 2016

In shrink-fitting assembly process of aluminum alloy drill pipe with steel joint, the relationship between cooling water velocity, initial heating temperature, and thermal deformation of the steel joint is an important factor to ensure the long-term reliability of the connection and the performance. In this article, the shrink-fitting assembly experiment of aluminum pipe with steel joint was conducted and the accurate experimental data were obtained for temperature field. A finite element method was then applied to simulate the temperature field of steel joint and compared with the experimental results. Based on the thermo-elasticity theories, an analytical solution was developed to calculate the thermal deformation in radial direction within the same cross section. A least-square fitting procedure was used to determine the thermal deformation of steel joint. A relationship diagram among these three factors was established, which is particularly important in predicting the minimum heating temperature of steel joint and the minimum cooling water velocity. Based on the above analysis, a method to select the initial heating temperature and the cooling water velocity was provided and the optimum values of the magnitude of interference, the initial heating temperature, and the cooling water velocity were obtained.
Searching for collisions between mobile robot and environment
Authors: Hruboš Marián , Svetlík Jozef , Nikitin Yury , Pirník Rastislav , Nemec Dušan , Šimák Vojtech , Janota Aleš , Hrbček Jozef , Gregor Michal
Published: October 2016

This article is focused on the search for potential collision of a moving object (as a mobile robot is) with the environment. Application of the proposed and presented method requires existence of the three-dimensional model of the environmental space. In this case, the models are generated automatically with the help of mobile measurement platform developed by authors and are available to other applications. Models of moving objects are loaded by the proposed application from external files. The method is based on data fusion, using data from a laser scanner, global positioning system, and inertial navigation system; however, it can also be used for data obtained by other ways. Its correctness was experimentally proved by several experimental tests. Output is in the form of calculated coordinates of the point in which a moving object would potentially collide with the environment if no avoiding action is taken. Such an object may represent an oversized load transferred by a truck, train, ship, the transport means itself or even a person.
Bilateral versus ipsilesional cortico-subcortical activity patterns in stroke show hemispheric dependence
Authors: Vidal A Cristina , Banca Paula , Pascoal Augusto G , Santo Gustavo C , Sargento-Freitas João , Gouveia Ana , Castelo-Branco Miguel
Published: October 2016

Background

Understanding of interhemispheric interactions in stroke patients during motor control is an important clinical neuroscience quest that may provide important clues for neurorehabilitation. In stroke patients, bilateral overactivation in both hemispheres has been interpreted as a poor prognostic indicator of functional recovery. In contrast, ipsilesional patterns have been linked with better motor outcomes.

Aim

We investigated the pathophysiology of hemispheric interactions during limb movement without and with contralateral restraint, to mimic the effects of constraint-induced movement therapy. We used neuroimaging to probe brain activity with such a movement-dependent interhemispheric modulation paradigm.

Methods

We used an fMRI block design during which the plegic/paretic upper limb was recruited/mobilized to perform unilateral arm elevation, as a function of presence versus absence of contralateral limb restriction ( n = 20, with balanced left/right lesion sites).

Results

Analysis of 10 right-hemispheric stroke participants yielded bilateral sensorimotor cortex activation in all movement phases in contrast with the unilateral dominance seen in the 10 left-hemispheric stroke participants. Superimposition of contralateral restriction led to a prominent shift from activation to deactivation response patterns, in particular in cortical and basal ganglia motor areas in right-hemispheric stroke. Left-hemispheric stroke was in general characterized by reduced activation patterns, even in the absence of restriction, which induced additional cortical silencing.

Conclusion

The observed hemispheric-dependent activation/deactivation shifts are novel and these pathophysiological observations suggest short-term neuroplasticity that may be useful for hemisphere-tailored neurorehabilitation.
Place-Based Investment Model of Talent Development
Authors: Paul Kristina Ayers , Seward Kristen K.
Published: October 2016

The place-based investment model (PBIM) of talent development is a programming model for developing talents of high-potential youth in ways that could serve as an investment in the community. In this article, we discuss the PBIM within rural contexts. The model is grounded in three theories—Moon’s personal talent development theory, Sternberg’s theory of successful intelligence, and social cognitive career theory—and specifies five pathways for developing talent: (a) enrichment, (b) advanced learning, (c) human connections, (d) entrepreneurial thinking, and (e) specialized guidance. Through this proposal, we intend to focus place-based talent development efforts in rural areas on giving high-potential young people the knowledge, skills, and tools for understanding themselves, for developing their strengths and passions, and for recognizing localized opportunities for achieving self-fulfillment in adulthood.
Workplace Romance Can Be Sexual Harassment
Authors: Gupta Deepak , Pallekonda Vinay
Published: October 2016

Sensitivity training for workplace romance (WPR) and sexual harassment (SHM) across workplaces should be mandated because this knowledge may protect employees and employers by preventing workplace romanticism–sexism.
The role of repeat fine needle aspiration in the management of indeterminate thyroid nodules
Authors: Jooya Alborz , Saliba Joe , Blackburn Audrey , Tamilia Michael , Hier Michael P. , Mlynarek Alex , Forest Véronique-Isabelle , Rochon Louise , Florea Anca , Wang Hangjun , Payne Richard J.
Published: October 2016

Background

Management decisions are not straightforward when the Ultrasound Guided Fine Needle Aspiration (USFNA) demonstrates a Bethesda score of either category III or IV, and a diagnostic hemi-thyroidectomy or a repeat USFNA (r-USFNA) could be performed. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of r-USFNA in the management of indeterminate thyroid nodules by evaluating the likelihood of obtaining a definite diagnosis.

Methods

We reviewed the medical records of all patients with thyroid nodules between 2011 and 2015 at the Jewish General Hospital (Montreal, Canada). Three hundred fifty-one patients who had undergone a surgical procedure (hemi or total thyroidectomy) and a diagnosis of B3 or B4 on the primary USFNA (p-USFNA) were included in the study. Ninety-six of the included patients also had a repeat USFNA prior to the surgery. Demographic data, type of procedure, and McGill Thyroid Nodule Score (MTNS) were obtained from the medical records. Malignancy rates were calculated based on the final surgical histopathology report.

Results

Upon r-USFNA, an average 76 % of patients did not change Bethesda categories, 7.4 % downgraded to a benign category. The results showed that, on an average 17.3 % of patients with p-USFNA of B3 and 20 % of patients with p-USFNA of B4, upgraded to a malignant or suspicious for malignancy category, thus changing the clinical management to total thyroidectomy. Our data demonstrates that r-USFNA facilitates choosing the correct surgery of total thyroidectomy in about 20 % of nodules that have upgraded from B3/B4 to a more definite malignant category.

Conclusions

r-USFNA in patients with indeterminate diagnoses (B3 or B4) increases categorization into more definite categories. Approximately 20 % of patients are found to have malignant thyroid nodules and suspicious for malignancy thyroid nodules upon repeating the biopsy, hence a diagnostic hemi-thyroidectomy was avoided and a more definitive surgery could be performed. Furthermore, repeat USFNA results in a fewer number of hemi-thyroidectomy and completion thyroidectomy procedures.
Draft genome of Prochlorothrix hollandica CCAP 1490/1T (CALU1027), the chlorophyll a/b-containing filamentous cyanobacterium
Authors: Velichko Natalia , Rayko Mikhail , Chernyaeva Ekaterina , Lapidus Alla , Pinevich Alexander
Published: October 2016

Prochlorothrix hollandica is filamentous non-heterocystous cyanobacterium which possesses the chlorophyll a/b light-harvesting complexes. Despite the growing interest in unusual green-pigmented cyanobacteria (prochlorophytes) to date only a few sequenced genome from prochlorophytes genera have been reported. This study sequenced the genome of Prochlorothrix hollandica CCAP 1490/1T (CALU1027). The produced draft genome assembly (5.5 Mb) contains 3737 protein-coding genes and 114 RNA genes.
Low-Dose Aspirin and Sporadic Anovulation in the EAGeR Randomized Trial
Authors: Radin Rose G. , Sjaarda Lindsey A. , Perkins Neil J. , Silver Robert M. , Chen Zhen , Lesher Laurie L. , Galai Noya , Wactawski-Wende Jean , Mumford Sunni L. , Schisterman Enrique F.
Published: October 2016

Context:

Among women with a single, recent pregnancy loss, daily preconception low-dose aspirin (LDA) increased the live birth rate with no effect on pregnancy loss. Ovulation is a potential mechanism underlying this effect.

Objective:

We estimated the effect of LDA on the per-cycle risk of anovulation among eumenorrheic women.

Design:

Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of daily LDA on reproductive outcomes. Preconception follow-up lasted 1 to 6 menstrual cycles (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00467363).

Setting:

Four US medical centers during 2007 to 2011.

Patients or Other Participants:

Healthy women (n = 1214), age 18 to 40, were attempting pregnancy, had regular menstrual cycles (21 to 42 days), and had a history of 1 to 2 documented pregnancy losses, ≤2 live births, and no infertility. All participants completed at least 1 menstrual cycle of follow-up; none withdrew due to adverse events.

Intervention:

Aspirin (81 mg) daily for 1 to 6 menstrual cycles.

Main Outcome Measure:

Per-cycle risk of anovulation, defined as the absence of both a positive spot-urine pregnancy test and a luteinizing hormone (LH) peak (2.5-fold increase in daily urinary LH). Hypothesis formulation preceded data collection.

Results:

Among 4340 cycles, LDA was not associated with anovulation (LDA: 13.4%, placebo: 11.1%; risk ratio = 1.16, 95% confidence interval, 0.88 to 1.52). Results were similar among women with a single, recent loss.

Conclusions:

Daily LDA had no effect on anovulation among women with a history of 1 to 2 pregnancy losses. LDA may affect fertility via other pathways, and these warrant further study.
Hygienic behaviour in Brazilian stingless bees
Authors: Al Toufailia Hasan , Alves Denise A. , Bento José M. S. , Marchini Luis C. , Ratnieks Francis L. W.
Published: October 2016

Social insects have many defence mechanisms against pests and pathogens. One of these is hygienic behaviour, which has been studied in detail in the honey bee, Apis mellifera. Hygienic honey bee workers remove dead and diseased larvae and pupae from sealed brood cells, thereby reducing disease transfer within the colony. Stingless bees, Meliponini, also rear broods in sealed cells. We investigated hygienic behaviour in three species of Brazilian stingless bees (Melipona scutellaris, Scaptotrigona depilis, Tetragonisca angustula) in response to freeze-killed brood. All three species had high mean levels of freeze-killed brood removal after 48 h ∼99% in M. scutellaris, 80% in S. depilis and 62% in T. angustula (N=8 colonies per species; three trials per colony). These levels are greater than in unselected honey bee populations, ∼46%. In S. depilis there was also considerable intercolony variation, ranging from 27% to 100% removal after 2 days. Interestingly, in the S. depilis colony with the slowest removal of freeze-killed brood, 15% of the adult bees emerging from their cells had shrivelled wings indicating a disease or disorder, which is as yet unidentified. Although the gross symptoms resembled the effects of deformed wing virus in the honey bee, this virus was not detected in the samples. When brood comb from the diseased colony was introduced to the other S. depilis colonies, there was a significant negative correlation between freeze-killed brood removal and the emergence of deformed worker bees (P=0.001), and a positive correlation with the cleaning out of brood cells (P=0.0008). This shows that the more hygienic colonies were detecting and removing unhealthy brood prior to adult emergence. Our results indicate that hygienic behaviour may play an important role in colony health in stingless bees. The low levels of disease normally seen in stingless bees may be because they have effective mechanisms of disease management, not because they lack diseases.
From the stem of the placental tree: trophoblast stem cells and their progeny
Authors: Latos Paulina Anna , Hemberger Myriam
Published: October 2016

Trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) retain the capacity to self-renew indefinitely and harbour the potential to differentiate into all trophoblast subtypes of the placenta. Recent studies have shown how signalling cascades integrate with transcription factor circuits to govern the fine balance between TSC self-renewal and differentiation. In addition, breakthroughs in reprogramming strategies have enabled the generation of TSCs from fibroblasts, opening up exciting new avenues that may allow the isolation of this stem cell type from other species, notably humans. Here, we review these recent advances in light of their importance for understanding placental pathologies and developing personalised medicine approaches for pregnancy complications.
Rewiring of an ancestral Tbx1/10-Ebf-Mrf network for pharyngeal muscle specification in distinct embryonic lineages
Authors: Tolkin Theadora , Christiaen Lionel
Published: October 2016

Skeletal muscles arise from diverse embryonic origins in vertebrates, yet converge on extensively shared regulatory programs that require muscle regulatory factor (MRF)-family genes. Myogenesis in the tail of the simple chordate Ciona exhibits a similar reliance on its single MRF-family gene, and diverse mechanisms activate Ci-Mrf. Here, we show that myogenesis in the atrial siphon muscles (ASMs) and oral siphon muscles (OSMs), which control the exhalant and inhalant siphons, respectively, also requires Mrf. We characterize the ontogeny of OSM progenitors and compare the molecular basis of Mrf activation in OSM versus ASM. In both muscle types, Ebf and Tbx1/10 are expressed and function upstream of Mrf. However, we demonstrate that regulatory relationships between Tbx1/10, Ebf and Mrf differ between the OSM and ASM lineages. We propose that Tbx1, Ebf and Mrf homologs form an ancient conserved regulatory state for pharyngeal muscle specification, whereas their regulatory relationships might be more evolutionarily variable.
Transient ectopic expression of the histone demethylase JMJD3 accelerates the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Akiyama Tomohiko , Wakabayashi Shunichi , Soma Atsumi , Sato Saeko , Nakatake Yuhki , Oda Mayumi , Murakami Miyako , Sakota Miki , Chikazawa-Nohtomi Nana , Ko Shigeru B. H. , Ko Minoru S. H.
Published: October 2016

Harnessing epigenetic regulation is crucial for the efficient and proper differentiation of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) into desired cell types. Histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) functions as a barrier against cell differentiation through the suppression of developmental gene expression in PSCs. Here, we have generated human PSC (hPSC) lines in which genome-wide reduction of H3K27me3 can be induced by ectopic expression of the catalytic domain of the histone demethylase JMJD3 (called JMJD3c). We found that transient, forced demethylation of H3K27me3 alone triggers the upregulation of mesoendodermal genes, even when the culture conditions for the hPSCs are not changed. Furthermore, transient and forced expression of JMJD3c followed by the forced expression of lineage-defining transcription factors enabled the hPSCs to activate tissue-specific genes directly. We have also shown that the introduction of JMJD3c facilitates the differentiation of hPSCs into functional hepatic cells and skeletal muscle cells. These results suggest the utility of the direct manipulation of epigenomes for generating desired cell types from hPSCs for cell transplantation therapy and platforms for drug screenings.
Cooperative binding of AP-1 and TEAD4 modulates the balance between vascular smooth muscle and hemogenic cell fate
Authors: Obier Nadine , Cauchy Pierre , Assi Salam A. , Gilmour Jane , Lie-A-Ling Michael , Lichtinger Monika , Hoogenkamp Maarten , Noailles Laura , Cockerill Peter N. , Lacaud Georges , Kouskoff Valerie , Bonifer Constanze
Published: October 2016

The transmission of extracellular signals into the nucleus involves inducible transcription factors, but how different signalling pathways act in a cell type-specific fashion is poorly understood. Here, we studied the regulatory role of the AP-1 transcription factor family in blood development using embryonic stem cell differentiation coupled with genome-wide transcription factor binding and gene expression analyses. AP-1 factors respond to MAP kinase signalling and comprise dimers of FOS, ATF and JUN proteins. To examine genes regulated by AP-1 and to examine how it interacts with other inducible transcription factors, we abrogated its global DNA-binding activity using a dominant-negative FOS peptide. We show that FOS and JUN bind to and activate a specific set of vascular genes and that AP-1 inhibition shifts the balance between smooth muscle and hematopoietic differentiation towards blood. Furthermore, AP-1 is required for de novo binding of TEAD4, a transcription factor connected to Hippo signalling. Our bottom-up approach demonstrates that AP-1- and TEAD4-associated cis-regulatory elements form hubs for multiple signalling-responsive transcription factors and define the cistrome that regulates vascular and hematopoietic development by extrinsic signals.
Interplay between SOX7 and RUNX1 regulates hemogenic endothelial fate in the yolk sac
Authors: Lilly Andrew J. , Costa Guilherme , Largeot Anne , Fadlullah Muhammad Z. H. , Lie-A-Ling Michael , Lacaud Georges , Kouskoff Valerie
Published: October 2016

Endothelial to hematopoietic transition (EHT) is a dynamic process involving the shutting down of endothelial gene expression and switching on of hematopoietic gene transcription. Although the factors regulating EHT in hemogenic endothelium (HE) of the dorsal aorta have been relatively well studied, the molecular regulation of yolk sac HE remains poorly understood. Here, we show that SOX7 inhibits the expression of RUNX1 target genes in HE, while having no effect on RUNX1 expression itself. We establish that SOX7 directly interacts with RUNX1 and inhibits its transcriptional activity. Through this interaction we demonstrate that SOX7 hinders RUNX1 DNA binding as well as the interaction between RUNX1 and its co-factor CBFβ. Finally, we show by single-cell expression profiling and immunofluorescence that SOX7 is broadly expressed across the RUNX1+ yolk sac HE population compared with SOX17. Collectively, these data demonstrate for the first time how direct protein-protein interactions between endothelial and hematopoietic transcription factors regulate contrasting transcriptional programs during HE differentiation and EHT.
Widespread failure to complete meiosis does not impair fecundity in parthenogenetic whiptail lizards
Authors: Newton Aracely A. , Schnittker Robert R. , Yu Zulin , Munday Sarah S. , Baumann Diana P. , Neaves William B. , Baumann Peter
Published: October 2016

Parthenogenetic species of whiptail lizards in the genus Aspidoscelis constitute a striking example of speciation by hybridization, in which first-generation hybrids instantly attain reproductive isolation and procreate as clonal all-female lineages. Production of eggs containing a full complement of chromosomes in the absence of fertilization involves genome duplication prior to the meiotic divisions. In these pseudo-tetraploid oocytes, pairing and recombination occur exclusively between identical chromosomes instead of homologs; a deviation from the normal meiotic program that maintains heterozygosity. Whether pseudo-tetraploid cells arise early in germ cell development or just prior to meiosis has remained unclear. We now show that in the obligate parthenogenetic species A. neomexicana the vast majority of oocytes enter meiosis as diploid cells. Telomere bouquet formation is normal, but synapsis fails and oocytes accumulate in large numbers at the pairing stage. Pseudo-tetraploid cells are exceedingly rare in early meiotic prophase, but they are the only cells that progress into diplotene. Despite the widespread failure to increase ploidy prior to entering meiosis, the fecundity of parthenogenetic A. neomexicana is similar to that of A. inornata, one of its bisexual ancestors.