bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spinal Epidural Hematoma Related to Vertebral Fracture in an Atypical Rigid Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis
Authors: Ramírez Villaescusa José , Restrepo Pérez Marcela , Ruiz Picazo David
Published: January 2017

Introduction:

Spinal epidural hematoma (SEH) is a rare disease that causes cord compression and neurologic deficit. Spontaneous SEH is related to minor trauma, bleeding disorders, and anticoagulant medications. Posttraumatic SEH has been associated with low-energy spine hyperextension injuries in patients with ankylosing spinal disorders such as ankylosing spondylitis and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). A variant named atypical DISH-like with SEH is reported.

Objective:

To describe the management, diagnosis, and treatment of an unusual SEH case in a patient causing delayed neurologic deficit with rigid atypical DISH-like spine.

Case Description:

An elderly woman with prior antiplatelet therapy presented with delayed neurological deficit suffering trauma after falling. Computed tomography (CT) imaging studies reveal hyperextension fracture pattern and signs mimic DISH missed on standard X-ray images. Magnetic resonance (MR) study demonstrates posterior epidural mass compatible with SEH in thoracic spine with cord compression. Using a midline posterior approach, an urgent intervention and a left multiple partial unilateral decompressive laminectomy at T4-T7 and a long instrumented fusion at T3-T9 were performed for achieving spinal stability and neurological improvement, both of which were observed.

Conclusion:

Patients with rigid spine who sustain low-energy injuries may be prone to have a fracture and epidural hematoma, especially if they take anticoagulant medications. Imaging studies including MR and CT scans should be reviewed carefully to rule out any occult fracture. Urgent or early surgical hematoma drainage and instrumented fusion must be performed to achieve stability and functional recovery.
The Effect of Insurance Type on Fragility Fracture Patient Access to Endocrinology Under the Affordable Care Act
Authors: Wiznia Daniel H. , Ndon Sifon , Kim Chang-Yeon , Zaki Theodore , Leslie Michael P.
Published: January 2017

Objectives:

To assess the effect of insurance type (Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance) on fragility fracture patients’ access to endocrinology specialists in the postoperative period.

Materials and Methods:

The research team called 247 board-certified endocrinologists in 8 representative states. The caller requested an appointment for her fictitious mother to be evaluated for osteoporosis after suffering a hip fracture that required surgery. The caller stated that her mother had an abnormal level of parathyroid hormone and her mother’s orthopedic surgeon believed she needed to see an endocrinologist. Each office was called 3 times to assess the responses for each insurance type. For each call, we documented whether the patient was able to receive an appointment and the barriers the patient confronted to receiving an appointment.

Results:

About 15.8% of offices scheduled an appointment for a patient with Medicaid, compared to 48.6% for Medicare and 54.3% for BlueCross ( P < .0001). Medicaid patients confronted more barriers to receiving appointments. There was no statistically significant difference in access for Medicaid patients in states that had expanded Medicaid versus states that had not expanded Medicaid. Medicaid reimbursement for a new level 3 patient visit did not significantly correlate with appointment success rates or wait times.

Conclusion:

Despite the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid patients have reduced access to endocrinologists and more complex barriers to receiving appointments. A more robust strategy for increasing access to care for Medicaid patients would be more equitable.
Early Complications Following Osteosynthesis of Distal Radius Fractures
Authors: Hinds Richard M. , Capo John T. , Kakar Sanjeev , Roberson James , Gottschalk Michael B.
Published: January 2017

Background:

Distal radius fractures (DRFs) are common geriatric fractures with the overall incidence expected to increase as the population continues to age. The purpose of this investigation was to compare the short-term complication rates in geriatric versus nongeriatric cohorts following osteosynthesis of DRFs.

Methods:

The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) part II database was queried for adult DRF cases performed from 2007 to 2013. Current Procedural Terminology codes were used to identify cases treated via osteosynthesis. Patient demographic information and reported complication data were analyzed. Comparisons between geriatric (age ≥65 years) and nongeriatric (age <65 years) patients were performed.

Results:

From 2007 to 2013, a total of 9867 adult DRFs were treated via osteosynthesis by ABOS part II candidates. Geriatric patients comprised 28% of the study cohort. Mean age of the geriatric and nongeriatric cohorts was 74 ± 7 and 46 ± 13 years, respectively. There was a greater proportion of female patients ( P < .001) in the geriatric cohort as compared with the nongeriatric cohort. The geriatric cohort demonstrated higher rates of anesthetic complications ( P = .021), iatrogenic bone fracture ( P = .021), implant failure ( P = .031), loss of reduction ( P = .001), unspecified medical complications ( P = .007), and death ( P = .017) than the nongeriatric cohort. The geriatric cohort also showed lower rates of nerve palsy ( P = .028) when compared with the nongeriatric cohort, though no differences in rates of secondary surgery were noted between the two cohorts.

Conclusion:

Increased rates of complications related to poor bone quality and poor health status may be expected among geriatric patients following osteosynthesis of DRFs. However, geriatric and nongeriatric patients have similarly low rates of secondary surgery. Future studies are needed to delineate the economic, functional, and societal impact of geriatric DRFs treated via osteosynthesis.
Risk Factors for Urinary Retention Following Surgical Repair of Hip Fracture in Female Patients
Authors: Cialic Ron , Shvedov Victor , Lerman Yaffa
Published: January 2017

Background/Objectives:

Postoperative urinary retention (POUR) is a common event following surgical procedures. An increase in the number of elderly individuals who undergo hip fracture repair procedures is inevitable due to the aging of population. Postoperative urinary retention is associated with both early (infections, delirium) and late complications (urinary incontinence) of surgery. The objective of the current study is to direct attention to the less studied population of patients admitted to a geriatric rehabilitation ward following hip fracture repair who are at risk of POUR.

Design:

Prospective single-center cohort study.

Setting:

Academic tertiary hospital.

Measurement:

Postvoid bladder volume by ultrasonography (US).

Results:

Postvoid bladder volume was measured by US in 88 consecutive female patients on the morning following their admission to the geriatric rehabilitation department. The mean age of the patients was 82.5 ± 6.5 years, and the frequency of POUR (defined as postvoid bladder volume ≥200 mL) was 37.5%. The POUR (n = 33) and non-POUR (n = 55) groups were similar with respect to most demographic and disease states. Multivariable stepwise logistic regression revealed a significant effect for opioid use (relative risk [RR] = 8.0, P < .001) and for treatment with anticholinergic medication (RR = 1.3, P = .046). There was an unexpectedly high proportion of patients with asymptomatic urinary retention (29 of the 33 patients, 88%).

Conclusion:

The high incidence of asymptomatic POUR in elderly patients calls for the need for improved screening tools for early identification and treatment.
Research on the Academic Benefits of the Advanced Placement Program
Authors: Warne Russell T.
Published: January 2017

With more than 3 million participants per year, the Advanced Placement (AP) program is one of the most popular programs in the United States for exposing high-achieving high school students to advanced academic content. Sponsored by the College Board, the AP program provides a framework in which high school teachers can teach introductory college-level courses to high school students. These students then take one of 34 standardized tests at the end of the year, and students who score well on their course’s AP test can receive college credit from their university in which they later enroll. Despite the popularity of the AP program, remarkably little independent research has been conducted on the academic benefits of AP. In this article, I summarize the state of knowledge about the academic benefits of AP. Previous research and descriptive data indicate that AP students outperform non-AP students on a variety of academic measures, but many other aspects of the program are poorly understood, partially due to variability across AP subjects. These aspects include the causal impact of AP, which components of the program are most effective in boosting academic achievement, and how students engage with the AP program. I also conclude by making suggestions for researchers to use new methodologies to investigate new scientific and policy questions and new student populations to improve the educational scholars’ and practitioners’ understanding of the AP program.
Responding to Marginalization
Authors: Park Jie Y.
Published: January 2017

This article offers an analysis of how refugee youths from Africa used and shifted languages and discourses in the United States. Drawing on sociocultural theories of language and utilizing ethnographic discourse and classroom observation data, the author illustrates the varied ways in which three high school–aged refugee youths used languages to make sense of who and where they are; respond to social, religious, and linguistic marginalization in the United States; and challenge narrow perceptions of African Muslims. This article brings to fore a group that, although facing a unique set of challenges in the United States, is rarely included in research on youth language practices and im/migration. Attention to their multilingual practices and the multilayered nature of their identity is central to understanding how refugee youths experience school in their new land, and how they see themselves and others. This understanding can guide school personnel, educational researchers, and community-based youth workers in their respective work with refugee students.
“Who am I?” How Female Care Leavers Construct and Make Sense of Their Identity
Authors: Colbridge Alicia K , Hassett Alex , Sisley Emma
Published: January 2017

Identity formation may be more complex for those who have been in foster care in the face of childhood abuse, difficult relationships, unstable environments, and multiple care contexts but this does not imply there is anything pathological about it. Given the higher levels of mental health difficulties in looked after children and the known role identity has in mental health, whether as a risk or a protective factor, it seems clinically significant to investigate what factors help construct or hinder the formation of identity for those who have been in care. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyze semistructured interviews of eight female care leavers about the understanding of their identity development. Three superordinate themes emerged which encapsulated participants’ identity development. These included Construction of Identity—How I Became Me, Understanding of Identity—Who am I, and Experience of Identity—How My Identity Plays Out. Participants’ construction of identity can be understood in the context of early adverse environments and developmental trauma. This construction of self, in turn, mediates how participants understand and experience their identity. Findings were discussed in relation to previous research, and limitations were outlined. Implications for future research included giving fuller consideration to the role of developmental trauma in identity formation. Clinical implications encourage understanding of looked after children and care leavers in the context of developmental trauma, rather than focusing on symptoms of various diagnoses.
Representation of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students Among Students With Learning Disabilities
Authors: Vouyoukas Constantinos , Tzouriadou Maria , Anagnostopoulou Eleni , Michalopoulou Lito E.
Published: January 2017

Ongoing research has demonstrated that culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students may be disproportionately represented among students with learning disabilities (LDs). The main aim of this research was to identify groups of CLD students at risk for LDs using the achievement criterion. To that end, 158 students participated in the current research: 78 Greeks and 80 Pontian Greeks from the former Soviet Union (Greek FSU-Pontian). Research findings indicated that the use of the achievement criterion alone is inadequate to accurately identify a student being at risk for LDs, given that CLD students’ language competence and achievement are low mainly due to their bilingualism and that language acquisition competence is positively associated to language achievement. Professional judgments based on psychoeducational evaluation data are used to classify a student as having a LD. Professional judgment is presented as a possible explanation for the disproportionate representation of CLD students among students with LDs.
Time Management for Today's Workplace Demands
Authors: Thomack Bill
Published: January 2017

As the work force decreases, the workload remains the same or, in many cases, increases. An effective employee must arrange work time to accomplish what needs to be done in the time available. The best way to manage time is to set a goal, develop a plan, and measure the outcome. To manage time requires determining where time is currently spent, taking time at the end of the day to prepare for the next morning, managing appointments, carefully planning projects, and managing phone, electronic, and paper mail. Organization is another step in effectively managing time. An organizational system decreases wasted time. Keeping the desk clear and creating a system to organize mail improves efficiency. Time management also focuses on balance, an overall purpose, and supporting principles. Personal or professional effectiveness does not depend solely on the effort expended, but whether the effort is in the right direction. The challenge of time management is to manage not only time, but also oneself.
Mortality and Cancer Incidence in a Copper-Zinc Cohort
Authors: Lightfoot Nancy E. , Berriault Colin J.
Published: January 2017

Previous studies of copper-zinc workers have primarily observed significant increases in lung and other respiratory cancers. This study concurrently examined cancer incidence and cause-specific mortality for a cohort of workers at a copper-zinc producer in Ontario, Canada, from 1964 to 2005. Significant elevations in lung cancer incidence were observed for males in the overall cohort (standardized incidence ratio [SIR] = 124, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 102–150) and for surface mine (SIR = 272, 95% CI = 124–517), concentrator (SIR = 191, 95% CI = 102–327), and central maintenance (SIR = 214, 95% CI = 125–343) employees. Significant elevations of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma incidence were observed for male underground mine employees (SIR = 232, 95% CI = 111–426). Occupational etiology cannot be ascertained with the current exploratory study design. Future studies could (1) incorporate exposure assessment for subgroups within the existing cohort and (2) determine the efficacy of wellness programs in partnership with the local health unit.
Application of Community-Based Participatory Research Principles
Authors: Lee Hyeonkyeong , Chae Duckhee , Lee Kyongeun , Lee Meenhye
Published: January 2017

The primary purpose of this study was to describe the intervention development process using the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) research framework. The intervention was then implemented to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders among female Korean-Chinese migrant workers living in Korea. The secondary purpose was to determine how community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles could be applied to the intervention development process. A literature review, a focus group of the target population, key informant interviews, and community committee meetings with the researchers were conducted. Several CBPR principles, including developing community resources and promoting an equitable partnership between the researchers and the migrant community, ensured the appropriateness of the stretching intervention program for the ethnic migrant group, promoting program participation. It is suggested that occupational health nurses consider the CBPR approach in program development for underserved migrant workers.
Repositioning Patients in Chairs—An Improved Method
Authors: Fragala Guy , Fragala Maren
Published: January 2017

Proper seated posture is important in health care settings because immobilized patients may be sitting for extended periods. In many situations, a caregiver is required to assist a slouching patient to a proper, more comfortable upright posture. The caregiver is at risk from exposure to the physical demands of this task. This study evaluated exertion and risk to the caregiver using three methods of repositioning patients in chairs in the health care setting. Through application of a new method employing an ergonomically designed device, exertion and risk were reduced. Results from this study indicate that the high-risk occupational activity of repositioning a slouching patient in a chair can be made safer for caregivers.
Evaluating and Improving Nurses' Health and Quality of Work Life
Authors: Horrigan Judith M. , Lightfoot Nancy E. , Larivière Michel A. S. , Jacklin Kristen
Published: January 2017

This article discusses evaluating and improving the health and quality of work life (QOWL) of nurses. Nurses are reported to have higher illness, disability, and absenteeism rates than all other health care workers. Research suggests that QOWL impacts nurses' health and the provision of quality health care, particularly patient safety. Occupational health nurses have a pivotal role in evaluating and improving nurses' QOWL and health. This will ensure quality health outcomes for nurses and patients and reduce costs for the health care system.
How Older Workers with Coronary Heart Disease Perceive the Health Effects of Work
Authors: Dickson Victoria Vaughan
Published: January 2017

More than 3.4 million workers have coronary heart disease (CHD) with significant work limitations and disability. Although the cohort of aging workers with CHD is growing, little is known about how older workers with CHD perceive the relationship between the work environment, including job stress, and their health. The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to explore the perceptions of the health effects of work among older workers with CHD and describe how they cope with work stress. The sample was 47% female and 33% African American. Their mean age was 59.21 (± 5.4) years, and most (55%) worked in professional or managerial jobs. Themes emerged about perceptions of the health effects of work and coping strategies. Because older employees are a vulnerable work group, understanding the perceived health effects of work may guide future workplace program development and policy.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners and Medical Certification of Interstate Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers
Authors: Guzik Arlene
Published: January 2017

On 18 April, 2012, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced plans to develop a National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. The new plan requires all medical examiners who conduct physical examinations for interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers to meet the following criteria: (1) complete specific training about FMCSA's physical qualification standards; (2) pass a test to verify understanding of those standards; and (3) maintain and demonstrate competence through periodic training and testing. By 21 May, 2014, all certified medical examiners must be in the National Registry database, after which all drivers must receive a medical examination from a certified medical examiner. Health care practitioners who wish to become certified medical examiners must meet the training and testing requirements set forth by FMCSA. After training and testing requirements are met, health care practitioners are added to the National Registry. In addition, certified medical examiners must complete refresher training every 5 years and recertify every 10 years. Medical examiners who fail to meet and maintain federal standards will not be included in the National Registry. This article provides information related to U.S. Department of Transportation driver medical certification regulations. These changes impact drivers, employers, medical examiners, and occupational health nurses and safety specialists who manage the certification of drivers.
The Place of Race in Conservative and Far-right Movements
Authors: Blee Kathleen M. , Yates Elizabeth A.
Published: January 2017

This paper explores current understandings and proposes new directions for research on the place of race in rightist social movements in the contemporary United States. We examine two broad categories of rightist movements. The first is white-majority conservative movements that deny their participation in racialized politics but in which race is implicit in their ideologies and agendas, such as the Tea Party. The second is far-right movements that explicitly espouse racist ideologies and agendas, such as neo-Nazi groups. For conservative movements, we examine the extent to which racial factors shape agendas and motivate participants. For far-right movements, we examine how they define race and seek to enact their racial goals. We point to productive possibilities for new research on the racial positionality of scholars of social movements, the relationship between rightist movements and larger social trends, and processual and longitudinal aspects of rightist movements.
Rethinking Panethnicity and the Race-immigration Divide
Authors: Brown Hana , Jones Jennifer A.
Published: January 2017

Although demographic shifts continue to spark interest in the racially transformative effects of immigration, researchers routinely lament the lack of dialogue between race and immigration scholarship. We use recent research on panethnicity to illustrate the conceptual divides that exist between the two subfields. Panethnicity research has shed new light on the formation of group identities and political mobilization, but we contend that it is problematically divorced from research on racialization. Panethnicity scholars largely view racialization and panethnic group formation as separate processes, with the latter sequentially following the former. In this article, we argue that this analytical distinction both reflects and reifies the divide between race and immigration research and yields an incomplete understanding of the group formation process. We propose an ethnoracialization model to show how the concept of panethnicity can be reconfigured to develop a robust account of group formation and to bridge the much-lamented divide between race and immigration research.
A Call for the Racialization of Immigration Studies
Authors: Sáenz Rogelio , Manges Douglas Karen
Published: January 2017

There is more than a century of research that has examined immigrants in the United States. Despite major changes in the origin of immigrants, the assimilation perspective, based on the experiences of European immigrants, continues to be the dominant paradigm used to assess immigrants in this country. While immigrants of color have experienced major hostility and racialization, research continues to largely neglect issues involving race relations. This study provides a historical overview of the racialization of immigrants including immigration policies and shows that the racialization of immigrants has occurred historically but particularly over the past half century as non-Europeans became the primary groups of immigrants in this country. In addition, the study calls for immigration researchers to more fully incorporate race perspectives into the study of immigrants. Furthermore, the study illustrates the need to consider methodological and data approaches to integrate racial matters into the study of immigrants. The article concludes with a discussion of the sociological implications of incorporating race more centrally in the study of immigrants.
Settler Colonialism as Structure
Authors: Glenn Evelyn Nakano
Published: January 2017

Understanding settler colonialism as an ongoing structure rather than a past historical event serves as the basis for an historically grounded and inclusive analysis of U.S. race and gender formation. The settler goal of seizing and establishing property rights over land and resources required the removal of indigenes, which was accomplished by various forms of direct and indirect violence, including militarized genocide. Settlers sought to control space, resources, and people not only by occupying land but also by establishing an exclusionary private property regime and coercive labor systems, including chattel slavery to work the land, extract resources, and build infrastructure. I examine the various ways in which the development of a white settler U.S. state and political economy shaped the race and gender formation of whites, Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Chinese Americans.
Social Agency and White Supremacy in Immigration Studies
Authors: Treitler Vilna Bashi
Published: January 2017

Assimilation scholarship is rooted in the race relations framework that has been critiqued for providing legitimacy to the prevailing racial order, not least because it credits ethno-racial group agency as the mechanism that causes inequities among groups’ socioeconomic outcomes and the degrees to which they are socially accepted. To explain socioeconomic inequities, alternative frames centering on racialization and structural racism look to white supremacy and the unequal ends it engenders, but the sociological theory developed in these alternatives is largely tangential to assimilation theory. That the assimilationist model still dominates leaves a key part of the discipline vulnerable to supporting white supremacist ideologies about societies falsely believed to be colorblindly meritocratic. For this reason I call upon sociologists to work together to dethrone assimilationism from its exalted status in the sociology of immigration and scholars of race knowledgeable in these alternative approaches to actively reenter the arena of immigration studies and take the ground that has been ceded to the assimilationist frame. I suggest these as next steps in a campaign to overturn the dominance of the race relations model in sociology as a whole.
Brief cognitive–behavioural therapy for patients in the community with schizophrenia: Randomised controlled trial in Beijing, China
Authors: Guo Zhi-Hua , Li Zhan-Jiang , Ma Yun , Sun Jing , Guo Jun-Hua , Li Wen-Xiu , Wang Zhi-Qiang , Xu Hui-Li , Ng Roger M. K. , Turkington Douglas , Kingdon David
Published: January 2017

Background

Brief cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) is an emerging treatment for schizophrenia in community settings; however, further trials are needed, especially in non-Western countries.

Aims

To test the effects of brief CBT for Chinese patients with schizophrenia in the community (trial registration: ChiCTR-TRC-13003709).

Method

A total of 220 patients with schizophrenia from four districts of Beijing were randomly assigned to either brief CBT plus treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU alone. Patients were assessed at baseline, post-treatment and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups by raters masked to group allocation.

Results

At the post-treatment assessment and the 12-month follow-up, patients who received brief CBT showed greater improvement in overall symptoms, general psychopathology, insight and social functioning. In total, 37.3% of those in the brief CBT plus TAU group experienced a clinically significant response, compared with only 19.1% of those in the TAU alone group (P= 0.003).

Conclusions

Brief CBT has a positive effect on Chinese patients with schizophrenia in the community.
A potential physiological role for bi-directional motility and motor clustering of mitotic kinesin-5 Cin8 in yeast mitosis
Authors: Shapira Ofer , Goldstein Alina , Al-Bassam Jawdat , Gheber Larisa
Published: January 2017

The bipolar kinesin-5 Cin8 switches from minus- to plus-end-directed motility under various conditions in vitro. The mechanism and physiological significance of this switch remain unknown. Here, we show that under high ionic strength conditions, Cin8 moves towards and concentrates in clusters at the minus ends of stable and dynamic microtubules. Clustering of Cin8 induces a switch from fast minus- to slow plus-end-directed motility and forms sites that capture antiparallel microtubules (MTs) and induces their sliding apart through plus-end-directed motility. In early mitotic cells with monopolar spindles, Cin8 localizes near the spindle poles at microtubule minus ends. This localization is dependent on the minus-end-directed motility of Cin8. In cells with assembled bipolar spindles, Cin8 is distributed along the spindle microtubules. We propose that minus-end-directed motility is required for Cin8 clustering near the spindle poles before spindle assembly. Cin8 clusters promote the capture of microtubules emanating from the neighboring spindle poles and mediate their antiparallel sliding. This activity is essential to maximize microtubule crosslinking before bipolar spindle assembly and to induce the initial separation of the spindle poles.
Can invertebrates see the e-vector of polarization as a separate modality of light?
Authors: Labhart Thomas
Published: January 2017

The visual world is rich in linearly polarized light stimuli, which are hidden from the human eye. But many invertebrate species make use of polarized light as a source of valuable visual information. However, exploiting light polarization does not necessarily imply that the electric (e)-vector orientation of polarized light can be perceived as a separate modality of light. In this Review, I address the question of whether invertebrates can detect specific e-vector orientations in a manner similar to that of humans perceiving spectral stimuli as specific hues. To analyze e-vector orientation, the signals of at least three polarization-sensitive sensors (analyzer channels) with different e-vector tuning axes must be compared. The object-based, imaging polarization vision systems of cephalopods and crustaceans, as well as the water-surface detectors of flying backswimmers, use just two analyzer channels. Although this excludes the perception of specific e-vector orientations, a two-channel system does provide a coarse, categoric analysis of polarized light stimuli, comparable to the limited color sense of dichromatic, ‘color-blind’ humans. The celestial compass of insects employs three or more analyzer channels. However, that compass is multimodal, i.e. e-vector information merges with directional information from other celestial cues, such as the solar azimuth and the spectral gradient in the sky, masking e-vector information. It seems that invertebrate organisms take no interest in the polarization details of visual stimuli, but polarization vision grants more practical benefits, such as improved object detection and visual communication for cephalopods and crustaceans, compass readings to traveling insects, or the alert ‘water below!’ to water-seeking bugs.
How the bending kinematics of swimming lampreys build negative pressure fields for suction thrust
Authors: Gemmell Brad J. , Fogerson Stephanie M. , Costello John H. , Morgan Jennifer R. , Dabiri John O. , Colin Sean P.
Published: January 2017

Swimming animals commonly bend their bodies to generate thrust. For undulating animals such as eels and lampreys, their bodies bend in the form of waves that travel from head to tail. These kinematics accelerate the flow of adjacent fluids, which alters the pressure field in a manner that generates thrust. We used a comparative approach to evaluate the cause-and-effect relationships in this process by quantifying the hydrodynamic effects of body kinematics at the body–fluid interface of the lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, during steady-state swimming. We compared the kinematics and hydrodynamics of healthy control lampreys to lampreys whose spinal cord had been transected mid-body, resulting in passive kinematics along the posterior half of their body. Using high-speed particle image velocimetry (PIV) and a method for quantifying pressure fields, we detail how the active bending kinematics of the control lampreys were crucial for setting up strong negative pressure fields (relative to ambient fields) that generated high-thrust regions at the bends as they traveled all along the body. The passive kinematics of the transected lamprey were only able to generate significant thrust at the tail, relying on positive pressure fields. These different pressure and thrust scenarios are due to differences in how active versus passive body waves generated and controlled vorticity. This demonstrates why it is more effective for undulating lampreys to pull, rather than push, themselves through the fluid.
The unusual eyes ofXenos peckii(Strepsiptera: Xenidae) have green- and UV­-sensitive photoreceptors
Authors: James Marisano , Nandamuri Sri Pratima , Stahl Aaron , Buschbeck Elke K.
Published: January 2017

The highly specialized evolution of Strepsiptera has produced one of the most unusual eyes among mature insects, perhaps in line with their extremely complex and challenging life cycle. This relatively rare insect order is one of the few for which it has been unclear what spectral classes of photoreceptors any of its members may possess, an even more apt question given the nocturnal evolution of the group. To address this question, we performed electroretinograms on adult male Xenos peckii: we measured spectral responses to equi-quantal monochromatic light flashes of different wavelengths, and established VlogI relationships to calculate spectral sensitivities. Based on opsin template fits, we found maximal spectral sensitivity (λmax) in the green domain at 539 nm. Application of a green light to ‘bleach’ green receptors revealed that a UV peak was contributed to by an independent UV opsin with a λmax of 346 nm. Transcriptomics and a phylogenetic analysis including 50 other opsin sequences further confirmed the presence of these two opsin classes. While these findings do not necessarily indicate that these unorthodox insects have color vision, they raise the possibility that UV vision plays an important role in the ability of X. peckii males to find the very cryptic strepsipteran females that are situated within their wasp hosts.
Batoid locomotion: effects of speed on pectoral fin deformation in the little skate, Leucoraja erinacea
Authors: Di Santo Valentina , Blevins Erin L. , Lauder George V.
Published: January 2017

Most batoids have a unique swimming mode in which thrust is generated by either oscillating or undulating expanded pectoral fins that form a disc. Only one previous study of the freshwater stingray has quantified three-dimensional motions of the wing, and no comparable data are available for marine batoid species that may differ considerably in their mode of locomotion. Here, we investigate three-dimensional kinematics of the pectoral wing of the little skate, Leucoraja erinacea, swimming steadily at two speeds [1 and 2 body lengths (BL) s−1]. We measured the motion of nine points in three dimensions during wing oscillation and determined that there are significant differences in movement amplitude among wing locations, as well as significant differences as speed increases in body angle, wing beat frequency and speed of the traveling wave on the wing. In addition, we analyzed differences in wing curvature with swimming speed. At 1 BL s−1, the pectoral wing is convex in shape during the downstroke along the medio-lateral fin midline, but at 2 BL s−1 the pectoral fin at this location cups into the flow, indicating active curvature control and fin stiffening. Wing kinematics of the little skate differed considerably from previous work on the freshwater stingray, which does not show active cupping of the whole fin on the downstroke.
Modular control during incline and level walking in humans
Authors: Janshen Lars , Santuz Alessandro , Ekizos Antonis , Arampatzis Adamantios
Published: January 2017

The neuromuscular control of human movement can be described by a set of muscle synergies factorized from myoelectric signals. There is some evidence that the selection, activation and flexible combination of these basic activation patterns are of a neural origin. We investigated the muscle synergies during incline and level walking to evaluate changes in the modular organization of neuromuscular control related to changes in the mechanical demands.

Our results revealed five fundamental (not further factorizable) synergies for both walking conditions but with different frequencies of appearance of the respective synergies during incline compared to level walking. Low similarities across conditions were observed in the timing of the activation patterns (motor primitives) and the weightings of the muscles within the respective elements (motor modules) for the synergies associated with the touchdown, mid-stance and early push-off phase. The changes in the neuromuscular control could be attributed to changes in the mechanical demands in support, propulsion and medio-lateral stabilization of the body during incline compared to level walking.

Our findings provide further evidence that the central nervous system flexibly uses a consistent set of neural control elements with a flexible temporal recruitment and modifications of the relative muscle weightings within each element to provide stable locomotion under varying mechanical demands during walking.
Integrating gastrocnemius force-length properties,in vivoactivation, and operating lengths reveals howAnolisdeal with ecological challenges
Authors: Foster Kathleen L. , Higham Timothy E.
Published: January 2017

A central question in biology is how animals successfully behave under complex natural conditions. Although changes in locomotor behaviour, motor control, and force production in relation to incline are commonly examined, a wide range of other factors, including a range of perch diameters, pervades arboreal habitats. Moving on different substrate diameters requires considerable alteration of body and limb posture, likely causing significant shifts in the lengths of the muscle-tendon units powering locomotion. Thus, how substrate shape impacts in vivo muscle function remains an important, but neglected question in ecophysiology. Here, we used high-speed videography, electromyography, in situ contractile experiments, and morphology to examine gastrocnemius muscle function during arboreal locomotion in the Cuban knight anole, (Anolis equestris). The gastrocnemius contributes more to the propulsive effort on broad surfaces than on narrow surfaces. Surprisingly, substrate inclination affected the relationship between the maximum potential force and fibre recruitment; the trade-off that was present between these variables on horizontal conditions became a positive relationship on inclined surfaces. Finally, the biarticular nature of the gastrocnemius allows it to generate force isometrically, regardless of condition, despite the fact that the tendons are incapable of stretching during cyclical locomotion. Our results emphasize the importance of considering ecology and muscle function together, and the necessity of examining both mechanical and physiological properties of muscles to understand how animals move in their environment.
Extensive Unilateral Iliofemoral Occlusions: Durability of Four Techniques of Arterial Reconstructions
Authors: Mellière Didier , Desgranges Pascal , Warnier de Wailly Geoffroy , Roudot-Thoraval Françoise , Allaire Eric , Becquemin Jean-Pierre
Published: January 2017

In patients with long unilateral iliofemoral occlusive disease unfit for percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), most surgeons would choose some type of prosthetic bypass (aortounifemoral, iliofemoral or cross over). All these bypasses would provide excellent early results, but some may not be sufficient in patients with a good life expectancy who also need durable patency. The purpose of the study was to compare the long-term results of four types of arterial reconstructions. Over 20 years, 468 unilateral iliofemoral occlusions were treated primarily by one of the following techniques: aortounifemoral bypass (group 1, n = 108), iliofemoral bypass (group 2, n = 144), crossover bypass (group 3, n = 108), and iliofemoral endarterectomy (group 4, n = 108). Patients in group 3 presented with more severe comorbidities, and patients in group 4 had more superficial femoral artery occlusions. All data were prospectively registered after discharge and during the survey. Patency was assessed with duplex ultrasonography on a yearly basis. Perioperative complications and death rates were similar in all groups. The standard error was less than 10% for a period of over 10 years in all groups, except for group 3, in which it was more than 10% after 8 years. At 8 years, primary patency rates in groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 79%, 66%, 74%, and 89%, respectively. The difference was significant between group 4 and group 2 ( p < .02) and group 3 ( p < .01). Secondary patency and limb salvage rates were not significantly different. In this study, for an equal perioperative risk, the primary patency rates of iliac endarterectomies were superior to those of the other techniques, suggesting that these procedures should be the first choice in patients in good physical condition. Iliofemoral bypasses and crossover bypasses needed much more redo surgery. A crossover bypass should be reserved for patients who are unfit for an abdominal approach or who have a short life expectancy.
Clinical Implications of Power Doppler Three-Dimensional Ultrasonography
Authors: AbuRahma Ali F. , Jarrett Kim , Hayes J. David
Published: January 2017

Power Doppler ultrasonography displays an estimate of the entire power contained in that part of the received radiofrequency ultrasound signal for which a phase shift corresponding to the motion of the target is detected. In contrast, conventional color Doppler imaging displays Doppler frequency shift information. Few reports have been published on the clinical utility of three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasonography in vascular patients. This study analyzed our experience of the clinical utility of this technology.

Fifty-three patients selected out of 281 who were referred to our vascular laboratory underwent both conventional color duplex ultrasonography and power Doppler ultrasonography for the following indications: the question of subtotal versus total arterial occlusion, tortuous artery with limited imaging on color duplex ultrasonography, the presence of significant disease by Doppler ultrasonography with limited imaging, deep-lying arteries with an obscure orifice (eg, renal artery), and heavily calcified arteries. The power Doppler ultrasonography portion of the examination was considered of positive diagnostic value if the final impression was different from that of conventional color duplex ultrasonography.

A positive diagnostic value was achieved in 22 of 29 (76%) carotid artery examinations, 10 of 14 (71%) peripheral artery examinations, 4 of 5 (80%) renal artery examinations, and 3 of 5 (60%) aortoiliac examinations. Overall, positive diagnostic value was achieved by adding power Doppler ultrasonography in 39 of 53 patients (74%). Five of six patients (83%) who were felt to have carotid occlusion by color duplex ultrasonography were confirmed to have subtotal occlusion by power Doppler ultrasonography. Similarly, 6 of 8 patients (75%) with questionable subtotal versus total peripheral arterial occlusion by color duplex ultrasonography were confirmed to have subtotal occlusion by power Doppler ultrasonography. Four of five patients' (80%) renal examinations had a positive diagnostic value, which included three patients in whom the orifice of renal arteries was not seen by color duplex ultrasonography.

Three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasonography can be more readily applied to clinical practice. Power Doppler ultrasonography is capable of defining the severity or extent of vascular disease, particularly in differentiating subtotal from total arterial occlusion.
Human noncoding RNA 886 (nc886) adopts two structurally distinct conformers that are functionally opposing regulators of PKR
Authors: Calderon Brenda M. , Conn Graeme L.
Published: January 2017

The double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-activated protein kinase (PKR) senses dsRNA produced during viral infection and halts cellular protein synthesis to block viral replication. How basal PKR activity is controlled in the absence of infection was unclear until the recent identification of a potential endogenous regulator, the cellular noncoding RNA 886 (nc886). However, nc886 adopts two distinct conformations for which the structural details and potential functional differences remain unclear. Here, we isolated and separately dissected the function of each form of nc886 to more clearly define the molecular mechanism of nc886-mediated PKR inhibition. We show that nc886 adopts two stable, noninterconverting RNA conformers that are functionally nonequivalent using complementary RNA structure probing and mutational analyses combined with PKR binding and activity assays. One conformer acts as a potent inhibitor, while the other is a pseudoinhibitor capable of weakly activating the kinase. We mapped the nc886 region necessary for high affinity binding and potent inhibition of PKR to an apical stem–loop structure present in only one conformer of the RNA. This structural feature is not only critical for inhibiting PKR autophosphorylation, but also the phosphorylation of its cellular substrate, the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α subunit. The identification of different activities of the nc886 conformers suggests a potential mechanism for producing a gradient of PKR regulation within the cell and reveals a way by which a cellular noncoding RNA can mask or present a structural feature to PKR for inhibition.
Practice of the Organization �Art Events� in the School and Its Integration Capabilities
Authors: ��������  , Nikitina A. , ���������  , Savenkova L. , �������  , Klimova T.
Published: January 2017

The article provides an overview of the concepts devoted to problems of integration in pedagogic, introduces the idea of the organization �artistic event�

in secondary school as an integrated training strategy that meets modern sociocultural defi ciencies. The special attention is paid to the meanings of the

terms �event�, �fact�and �occasion�. Pedagogical conditions appropriate for modeling school educational space are analyzed. The article considers

polyarteducation as innovative methods of teaching.