bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new, critically endangered species of Aiphanes (Arecaceae) from Colombia
Authors: BERNAL RODRIGO , HOYOS-GÓMEZ SAÚL E. , BORCHSENIUS FINN
Published: March 2017

Aiphanes argos is a new species of palm segregated from Aiphanes parvifolia, which is now recognized to be a species complex. Aiphanes argos is one of the few rheophytic members of the palm family, and is endemic to a small area in the Samaná Norte River canyon in Antioquia, Colombia, where it is critically endangered because its populations are threatened by the damming of the river for a hydroelectric plant. The epiteth argos is the name of the conglomerate that intends to build the dam, and is given to the palm as a plea for the conservation of the Samaná Norte River canyon.
Sensitivity of Convection-Allowing Forecasts to Land Surface Model Perturbations and Implications for Ensemble Design
Authors: Duda Jeffrey D. , Wang Xuguang , Xue Ming
Published: March 2017

In this exploratory study, a series of perturbations to the land surface model (LSM) component of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model was developed to investigate the sensitivity of forecasts of severe thunderstorms and heavy precipitation at 4-km grid spacing and whether such perturbations could improve ensemble forecasts at this scale. The perturbations (generated using a combination of perturbing fixed parameters and using separate schemes, one of which—Noah-MP—is new among the WRF modeling community) were applied to a 10-member ensemble including other mixed physics parameterizations and compared against an identically configured ensemble that did not include the LSM perturbations to determine their impact on probabilistic forecasts. A third ensemble using only the LSM perturbations was also configured.

The results from 14 (in total) 36-h ensemble forecasts suggested the LSM perturbations resulted in systematic improvement in ensemble dispersion and error characteristics. Lower-tropospheric temperature, moisture, and wind fields were all improved, as were probabilistic precipitation forecasts. Biases were not systematically altered, although some outlier members are present. Examination of near-surface temperature and mixing ratio fields, surface energy fluxes, and soil fields revealed tendencies caused by certain perturbations. A case study featuring tornadic supercells illustrated the physical causes of some of these tendencies. The results of this study suggest LSM perturbations can sample a dimension of model error not yet sampled systematically in most ensembles and should be included in convection-allowing ensembles.
What the Afghanistan mission teaches Canada
Authors: Saideman Stephen M.
Published: March 2017

This paper considers some of the lessons that can be drawn from Canada’s experience in Afghanistan. It focuses not just on the military but also on the rest of the government, two prime ministers, the opposition, the media, and the public. While the primary lesson might be “do not do this kind of thing again,” there are other lessons to draw that apply to Canada’s foreign and defence policies every day.
Recycling of carbon-fiber-reinforced polypropylene prepreg waste based on pelletization process
Authors: Tomioka Masao , Ishikawa Takeshi , Okuyama Kento , Tanaka Tatsuya
Published: March 2017

This research proposes a technique to recycle carbon-fiber-reinforced polypropylene thermoplastics based on a pelletization process followed by injection molding. Experiments were designed with different process conditions to evaluate the efficient performance of the recyclates. In this study, the properties of the recyclates with various fiber contents were compared with those of conventional virgin products. The study confirmed that the recycled composite is as usable for injection molding as virgin conventional materials in terms of flowability and mechanical properties. The recycled composite is suggested to have better interfacial adhesion between the fiber and the resin than conventional materials because of the good impregnation of the carbon fibers in the carbon-fiber-reinforced-thermoplastic waste. In conclusion, the recycling of carbon-fiber-reinforced-thermoplastic prepreg waste using the proposed method is simple, effective and it would be economical.
Impacts of Maximizing Tendencies on Experience-Based Decisions
Authors: Rim Hye Bin
Published: March 2017

Previous research on risky decisions has suggested that people tend to make different choices depending on whether they acquire the information from personally repeated experiences or from statistical summary descriptions. This phenomenon, called as a description–experience gap, was expected to be moderated by the individual difference in maximizing tendencies, a desire towards maximizing decisional outcome. Specifically, it was hypothesized that maximizers’ willingness to engage in extensive information searching would lead maximizers to make experience-based decisions as payoff distributions were given explicitly. A total of 262 participants completed four decision problems. Results showed that maximizers, compared to non-maximizers, drew more samples before making a choice but reported lower confidence levels on both the accuracy of knowledge gained from experiences and the likelihood of satisfactory outcomes. Additionally, maximizers exhibited smaller description–experience gaps than non-maximizers as expected. The implications of the findings and unanswered questions for future research were discussed.
Multimodality Treatment of Early‐Stage Tonsil Cancer
Authors: Roden Dylan F. , Schreiber David , Givi Babak
Published: March 2017

Objective

Compare survival outcomes between unimodality and multimodality treatments for early‐stage tonsil squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Study Design and Setting

Review of the National Cancer Database.

Subjects and Methods

Patients were selected if they were <70 years old with clinical stage I‐II SCC of the tonsil, as documented in the National Cancer Database from 1998 to 2011. Palliative and nonstandard treatments were excluded. Propensity score matching was performed, controlling for tumor stage, age, race, comorbidity, insurance status, and year of diagnosis. Overall survival (OS) was compared with the Kaplan‐Meier method and log‐rank test.

Results

We identified 3247 patients. Radiotherapy (RT) was delivered in 1295 patients (39.9%), surgery in 824 (25.4%), and surgery + RT in 1128 (34.7%). Patients treated with surgery + RT had the highest 5‐year OS (81.1%), followed by surgery (67.4%) and RT (63.4%; P <. 001). In a propensity score–matched subpopulation of 2378 patients, the 5‐year OS was 78.8% for surgery + RT, 66.7% for surgery, and 64.5% for RT (P <. 001). Among patients who underwent surgical tonsillectomy plus elective neck dissection and/or adjuvant RT, the 5‐year OS was equal (P =. 29), and all were superior to RT alone (P <. 001).

Conclusion

Multimodality treatment is associated with the greatest survival in early‐stage tonsil cancer. The addition of tonsillectomy to RT confers a 20% increase in survival. The current guidelines might not offer the most effective treatment. An up‐front surgical approach, followed by appropriately selected adjuvant therapy, may result in improved survival for early‐stage tonsil SCC. These findings merit investigation in a prospective clinical trial.
Weak-form Efficiency After Global Financial Crisis: Emerging Stock Market Evidence
Authors: Emenike Kalu O.
Published: March 2017

This article investigates weak-form efficiency of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and its sectors for the post-global financial crisis period using autocorrelation test, Ljung–Box Q test, McLeod-Li portmanteau test and ARCH-LM test. The descriptive statistics show that the returns of NSE and its sectors are positive. The results show that (i) investors can only predict banking sector return using superior fundamental analysis of their intrinsic values; (ii) prediction of the NSE 30 and Shari’ah equities sector returns require nonlinear model and fundamental analysis and (iii) consumer goods sector and oil and gas sector may be predicted using both technical and fundamental analyses.

JEL Classification: G11, 14
Victimization by Bullying and Physical Symptoms Among South Korean Schoolchildren
Authors: Lee Ji Hyeon
Published: March 2017

This study examined the relationship between victimization by bullying and physical symptoms among South Korean schoolchildren. Data were analyzed from a nationally representative sample of 2006 schoolchildren across South Korea aged 9–17 years. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the associations between victimization by bullying and physical symptoms in the children. Schoolchildren bullied 4 or more times by peers in the previous year were approximately 3 times more likely to report recurrent stomachache or dizziness and twice as likely to report headache and sleep difficulties than students who were never victimized by peers. These risk estimates were calculated by controlling for confounding variables. School nurses, teachers, and school counselors or school social workers should consider frequent physical symptoms (headache, stomachache, dizziness, and sleep difficulties) as potential indicators of victimization through bullying and then provide prompt intervention and support using a multidisciplinary approach when harm is confirmed.
Unified Least Squares Methods for the Evaluation of Diagnostic Tests With the Gold Standard
Authors: Tang Liansheng Larry , Yuan Ao , Collins John , Che Xuan , Chan Leighton
Published: March 2017

The article proposes a unified least squares method to estimate the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) parameters for continuous and ordinal diagnostic tests, such as cancer biomarkers. The method is based on a linear model framework using the empirically estimated sensitivities and specificities as input “data.” It gives consistent estimates for regression and accuracy parameters when the underlying continuous test results are normally distributed after some monotonic transformation. The key difference between the proposed method and the method of Tang and Zhou lies in the response variable. The response variable in the latter is transformed empirical ROC curves at different thresholds. It takes on many values for continuous test results, but few values for ordinal test results. The limited number of values for the response variable makes it impractical for ordinal data. However, the response variable in the proposed method takes on many more distinct values so that the method yields valid estimates for ordinal data. Extensive simulation studies are conducted to investigate and compare the finite sample performance of the proposed method with an existing method, and the method is then used to analyze 2 real cancer diagnostic example as an illustration.
Integrative Analysis of Gene Networks and Their Application to Lung Adenocarcinoma Studies
Authors: Lee Sangin , Liang Faming , Cai Ling , Xiao Guanghua
Published: March 2017

The construction of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) is an essential component of biomedical research to determine disease mechanisms and identify treatment targets. Gaussian graphical models (GGMs) have been widely used for constructing GRNs by inferring conditional dependence among a set of gene expressions. In practice, GRNs obtained by the analysis of a single data set may not be reliable due to sample limitations. Therefore, it is important to integrate multiple data sets from comparable studies to improve the construction of a GRN. In this article, we introduce an equivalent measure of partial correlation coefficients in GGMs and then extend the method to construct a GRN by combining the equivalent measures from different sources. Furthermore, we develop a method for multiple data sets with a natural missing mechanism to accommodate the differences among different platforms in multiple sources of data. Simulation results show that this integrative analysis outperforms the standard methods and can detect hub genes in the true network. The proposed integrative method was applied to 12 lung adenocarcinoma data sets collected from different studies. The constructed network is consistent with the current biological knowledge and reveals new insights about lung adenocarcinoma.
Plasma MicroRNA Levels Following Resection of Metastatic Melanoma
Authors: Latchana Nicholas , Abrams Zachary B , Harrison Howard J , Regan Kelly , Jacob Naduparambil , Fadda Paolo , Terando Alicia , Markowitz Joseph , Agnese Doreen , Payne Philip , Carson William E
Published: March 2017

Melanoma remains the leading cause of skin cancer–related deaths. Surgical resection and adjuvant therapies can result in disease-free intervals for stage III and stage IV disease; however, recurrence is common. Understanding microRNA (miR) dynamics following surgical resection of melanomas is critical to accurately interpret miR changes suggestive of melanoma recurrence. Plasma of 6 patients with stage III (n = 2) and stage IV (n = 4) melanoma was evaluated using the NanoString platform to determine pre- and postsurgical miR expression profiles, enabling analysis of more than 800 miRs simultaneously in 12 samples. Principal component analysis detected underlying patterns of miR expression between pre- vs postsurgical patients. Group A contained 3 of 4 patients with stage IV disease (pre- and postsurgical samples) and 2 patients with stage III disease (postsurgical samples only). The corresponding preoperative samples to both individuals with stage III disease were contained in group B along with 1 individual with stage IV disease (pre- and postsurgical samples). Group A was distinguished from group B by statistically significant analysis of variance changes in miR expression ( P < .0001). This analysis revealed that group A vs group B had downregulation of let-7b-5p, miR-520f, miR-720, miR-4454, miR-21-5p, miR-22-3p, miR-151a-3p, miR-378e, and miR-1283 and upregulation of miR-126-3p, miR-223-3p, miR-451a, let-7a-5p, let-7g-5p, miR-15b-5p, miR-16-5p, miR-20a-5p, miR-20b-5p, miR-23a-3p, miR-26a-5p, miR-106a-5p, miR-17-5p, miR-130a-3p, miR-142-3p, miR-150-5p, miR-191-5p, miR-199a-3p, miR-199b-3p, and miR-1976. Changes in miR expression were not readily evident in individuals with distant metastatic disease (stage IV) as these individuals may have prolonged inflammatory responses. Thus, inflammatory-driven miRs coinciding with tumor-derived miRs can blunt anticipated changes in expression profiles following surgical resection.
Diagnostic Applications of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance–Based Urinary Metabolomics
Authors: Capati Ana , Ijare Omkar B , Bezabeh Tedros
Published: March 2017

Metabolomics is a rapidly growing field with potential applications in various disciplines. In particular, metabolomics has received special attention in the discovery of biomarkers and diagnostics. This is largely due to the fact that metabolomics provides critical information related to the downstream products of many cellular and metabolic processes which could provide a snapshot of the health/disease status of a particular tissue or organ. Many of these cellular products eventually find their way to urine; hence, analysis of urine via metabolomics has the potential to yield useful diagnostic and prognostic information. Although there are a number of analytical platforms that can be used for this purpose, this review article will focus on nuclear magnetic resonance–based metabolomics. Furthermore, although there have been many studies addressing different diseases and metabolic disorders, the focus of this review article will be in the following specific applications: urinary tract infection, kidney transplant rejection, diabetes, some types of cancer, and inborn errors of metabolism. A number of methodological considerations that need to be taken into account for the development of a clinically useful optimal test are discussed briefly.
Histologic Chorioamnionitis, Amniotic Fluid Interleukin 6, Krebs von den Lungen 6, and Transforming Growth Factor β1 for the Development of Neonatal Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Authors: Matsumura Hisako , Ichiba Hiroyuki , Ohnishi Satoshi , Saito Mika , Shintaku Haruo
Published: March 2017

Background:

Chorioamnionitis (CAM) is an important risk factor for the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants.

Objectives:

To evaluate the effects of CAM on the development of BPD using interleukin 6 (IL-6), Krebs von den Lungen 6 (KL-6), and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) in the amniotic fluid as markers for inflammation, lung injury, and fibrosis/remodeling, respectively.

Methods:

Amniotic fluid concentrations of IL-6, KL-6, and TGF-β1 were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or electrochemiluminescence immunoassay.

Results:

Of the 36 preterm infants, 18 were exposed to histologically confirmed CAM. Of these, 12 were later diagnosed as having BPD. The IL-6, KL-6, and TGF-β1 levels in the amniotic fluid significantly increased with increasing histologic severity of CAM. Moreover, these markers were higher in the BPD group with histologic CAM than those without.

Conclusions:

Our study suggests that CAM is likely to induce inflammatory, injury, and remodeling processes in the fetal lung.
Revisiting liquid lubrication methods by means of a fully coupled approach combining plastic deformation and liquid lubrication
Authors: Üstünyagiz Esmeray , Christiansen Peter , Nielsen Chris V , Bay Niels , Martins Paulo AF
Published: March 2017

This paper presents a new approach based on a fully coupled procedure in which the lubricant flow and the plastic deformation of the metallic material in metal forming are solved simultaneously. The proposed method is an alternative to conventional modelling techniques which allow studying the effect of a broad range of parameters directly on the friction conditions. The approach is applied to strip reduction of a sheet with mesoscopic surface pockets in order to investigate the escape of lubricant from the pocket by means of Micro Plasto HydroDynamic Lubrication and Micro Plasto HydroStatic Lubrication. For the investigation on Micro Plasto HydroStatic Lubrication, the friction along the tool–workpiece contact interface and the back tension are taken as parameters, and the backward escape Micro Plasto HydroDynamic Lubrication is investigated by variations in lubricant viscosity by means of a combined numerical and analytical model, and by variations in drawing speed. Good agreement is found with the experimental observations.
A combined lens design for an LED low-beam motorcycle headlight
Authors: Luo D , Ge P , Liu D , Wang H
Published: March 2017

A conventional low-beam projector headlight design for a motorcycle conventionally uses a combination of an elliptical reflector and a baffle plate. A clear cut-off line is formed by the baffle plate. Since only one freeform surface is used, the dispersion phenomena will occur with a white LED light source because the blue and yellow light is mixed unevenly. This leads to a high colour temperature. Another method uses a micro-lens array to solve the colour temperature problems. Without using the baffle plate, it is difficult to form a clear cut-off line. What’s more, the freeform surface of the lens is complex and difficult to fabricate. We propose a combined lens, which uses a double freeform surface lens combined with a single freeform surface lens. In the combined lens, the double freeform surface lens is designed to solve the colour temperature drift and the single freeform surface lens is designed to solve the problem of the cut-off line. The simulation results can meet the ECE Regulation R113 revision 2(Class B) of the motorcycle low-beam.
Fault-tolerant sliding mode attitude tracking control for flexible spacecraft with disturbance and modeling uncertainty
Authors: Cao Xibin , Yue Chengfei , Liu Ming
Published: March 2017

This article investigates the attitude tracking control problem for a class of flexible spacecraft with a redundant four reaction wheels’ setting. In this study, inertia uncertainties, external disturbance, wheel torque saturation, and configuration misalignment are taken into account simultaneously. Two types of sliding mode controllers are presented to solve this design problem. First, supposing the norm upper bound of external disturbances, bounds of inertia, and input uncertainties are available, a terminal sliding mode attitude tracking control strategy is developed, where the controller and steering laws are synthesized together. Second, supposing these norm upper bounds are unavailable, an adaptive control law is designed to cope with attitude tracking problem. Under both control schemes, the system trajectory can be ensured to arrive on the specified sliding surface in finite time. Finally, an illustrative example is given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed attitude tracking control methodologies.
Physical Activity in Patients Treated With Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors: Thangarasa Tharshika , Imtiaz Rameez , Hiremath Swapnil , Zimmerman Deborah
Published: March 2017

Background:

Patients with chronic diseases are known to benefit from exercise. Despite a lack of compelling evidence, patients with end-stage kidney disease treated with peritoneal dialysis are often discouraged from participating in exercise programs that include resistance training due to concerns about the development of hernias and leaks. The actual effects of physical activity with or without structured exercise programs for these patients remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to more completely define the risks and benefits of physical activity in the end-stage kidney disease population treated with peritoneal dialysis.

Methods/design:

We will conduct a systematic review examining the effects of physical activity on end-stage kidney disease patients treated with peritoneal dialysis. For the purposes of this review, exercise will be considered a purposive subcategory of physical activity. The primary objective is to determine if physical activity in this patient population is associated with improvements in mental health, physical functioning, fatigue and quality of life and if there is an increase in adverse outcomes. With the help of a skilled librarian, we will search MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for randomized trials and observational studies. We will include adult end-stage kidney disease patients treated with peritoneal dialysis that have participated in an exercise training program or had their level of physical activity assessed directly or by self-report. The study must include an assessment of the association between physical activity and one of our primary or secondary outcomes measures. We will report study quality using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for randomized controlled trials and the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale for observational studies. Quality across studies will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The results of this review may help to inform guideline development for exercise recommendations specific to this patient population.

Systematic review registration:

PROSPERO:CRD42016041695.
A Clash of Paradigms? Ethnography and Ethics Approval
Authors: Mapedzahama Virginia , Dune Tinashe
Published: March 2017

Obtaining ethics approval from university ethics committees is an important part of the research process in Australia and internationally. However, for researchers engaging in ethnographic work, obtaining ethics approval can (re)present significant hurdles to overcome in planning and facilitating a research project. In this article, we discuss potential challenges of reconciling the differences between institutional ethical review standards and the reality of ethnographic research. To do so, we reflect on our own experiences seeking ethics approval for a study on racialized visibility in rural nursing and another on the experiences of gender and sexuality diverse older women. We focus on two particular queries from ethics committees that reaffirm, for us, the incompatibility of biomedically informed ethics guidelines for naturalistic, ethnographic research. The article draws on four major points of contention regarding ethical approval processes designed for biomedical research and applied to social research. With respect to social research, these are (a) the associated risks, (b) predictive informed consent, (c) the power held by social researchers, and (d) biomedical emphasis on distance and universalism within the research relationship. This article suggests a reformulation of ethics guidelines and structures such that ethics committees are better able to engage with ethnographic (and other social) research. Although these debates and structural changes may not be relevant for all social or ethnographic research, exploring these ethical difficulties is paramount to redefining expectations and the positivist standards upon which social research is often measured.
Effective medium modeling of velocity dispersion and attenuation in isotropic rocks
Authors: Sayar Paul , Torres-Verdín Carlos
Published: March 2017

Calculation of the velocity of elastic waves that propagate in saturated rocks is complicated by many dispersion and attenuation mechanisms. Wave-induced fluid flow at pore and mesoscopic scales is responsible for substantial dispersion and attenuation effects. In addition, dispersion and attenuation phenomena in rocks are due to spatial heterogeneities in density and elastic properties. Whenever the wavelength of a propagating wave is of the same scale as the size of the pores, dispersion takes place in the form of multiple scattering. We have developed an effective medium model that reproduced the combined effects on acoustic velocities of four wave-attenuation mechanisms by replicating results predicted by existing models in saturated isotropic rocks, Biot’s and squirt flow, and acoustic scattering from spherical pores and randomly oriented penny-shaped cracks. First, the strengthening of rocks and wave velocity increase with frequency associated with fluid-related dispersion was modeled by introducing the concept of complex-valued and frequency-dependent equivalent moduli for the solid background. Effective properties were calculated by invoking the newly defined dynamic solid moduli and the classic self-consistent approximation theory. Second, we replicated the geometric effect of idealized spherical and spheroidal porous inclusions on propagating waves with two existing dynamic self-consistent embedding schemes. In doing so, we explicitly derived the equations of the self-consistent model previously developed for the analysis of waves that propagated in a rock containing randomly oriented cracks. Finally, we established an original procedure to combine all dispersion effects into one simple workflow. We examined the performance of the model for a variety of cases, and consideration was given to the possibility of quantifying petrophysical and rock-physics parameters, such as the presence and shape of porous inclusions, permeability, and fluid viscosity, from seismic, sonic, and ultrasonic measurements.
Subclinical psychotic experiences and subsequent contact with mental health services
Authors: Bhavsar Vishal , Maccabe James H. , Hatch Stephani L. , Hotopf Matthew , Boydell Jane , McGuire Philip
Published: March 2017

Background

Although psychotic experiences in people without diagnosed mental health problems are associated with mental health service use, few studies have assessed this prospectively or measured service use by real-world clinical data.

Aims

To describe and investigate the association between psychotic experiences and later mental health service use, and to assess the role of symptoms of common mental health disorders in this association.

Method

We linked a representative survey of south-east London (SELCoH-1, n=1698) with health records from the local mental healthcare provider. Cox regression estimated the association of PEs with rate of mental health service use.

Results

After adjustments, psychotic experiences were associated with a 1.75-fold increase in the rate of subsequent mental health service use (hazard ratio (HR) 1.75, 95% CI 1.03–2.97) compared with those without PEs. Participants with PEs experienced longer care episodes compared with those without.

Conclusions

Psychotic experiences in the general population are important predictors of public mental health need, aside from their relevance for psychoses. We found psychotic experiences to be associated with later mental health service use, after accounting for sociodemographic confounders and concurrent psychopathology.
Bone Density Screening in Postmenopausal Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancer Treated With Aromatase Inhibitors
Authors: Stratton Jamie , Hu Xin , Soulos Pamela R. , Davidoff Amy J. , Pusztai Lajos , Gross Cary P. , Mougalian Sarah S.
Published: March 2017

Purpose:

In postmenopausal women with breast cancer treated with aromatase inhibitors (AIs), most expert panels advise baseline bone mineral density testing with a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan repeated every 1 to 2 years. How often this recommendation is followed is unclear.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective analysis of women with stage I to III breast cancer who started AI therapy from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2010, with follow-up through December 31, 2012, by using the SEER-Medicare database. Selection criteria included AI use for ≥ 6 months and no recent osteoporosis diagnosis or bisphosphonate use. We used multivariable logistic regression to investigate associations between patient characteristics and receipt of a baseline DXA scan. In patients who continued AI treatment, we assessed rates of follow-up scans.

Results:

In the sample of 2,409 patients (median age, 74 years), 51.0% received a baseline DXA scan. Demographic characteristics associated with the absence of a baseline DXA scan were older age (85 to 94 years v 67 to 69 years; odds ratio [OR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.42 to 0.92) and black v white race (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.97). Among patients who underwent a baseline DXA scan and continued AI for 3 years, 28.0% had a repeat DXA scan within 2 years and 65.9% within 3 years. In aggregate, of the 1,164 patients who continued with AI treatment for 3 years, only 34.5% had both a baseline and at least one DXA scan during the 3-year follow-up period.

Conclusion:

The majority of older Medicare beneficiaries with breast cancer treated with AIs do not undergo appropriate bone mineral density evaluation.
IFT56 regulates vertebrate developmental patterning by maintaining IFTB complex integrity and ciliary microtubule architecture
Authors: Xin Daisy , Christopher Kasey J. , Zeng Lewie , Kong Yong , Weatherbee Scott D.
Published: March 2017

Cilia are key regulators of animal development and depend on intraflagellar transport (IFT) proteins for their formation and function, yet the roles of individual IFT proteins remain unclear. We examined the Ift56hop mouse mutant and reveal novel insight into the function of IFT56, a poorly understood IFTB protein. Ift56hop mice have normal cilia distribution but display defective cilia structure, including abnormal positioning and number of ciliary microtubule doublets. We show that Ift56hop cilia are unable to accumulate Gli proteins efficiently, resulting in developmental patterning defects in Shh signaling-dependent tissues such as the limb and neural tube. Strikingly, core IFTB proteins are unable to accumulate normally within Ift56hop cilia, including IFT88, IFT81 and IFT27, which are crucial for key processes such as tubulin transport and Shh signaling. IFT56 is required specifically for the IFTB complex, as IFTA components and proteins that rely on IFTA function are unaffected in Ift56hop cilia. These studies define a distinct and novel role for IFT56 in IFTB complex integrity that is crucial for cilia structure and function and, ultimately, animal development.
Picopore: A tool for reducing the storage size of Oxford Nanopore Technologies datasets without loss of functionality
Authors: Gigante Scott
Published: March 2017

Oxford Nanopore Technologies' (ONT) MinION and PromethION long-read sequencing technologies are emerging as genuine alternatives to established Next-Generation Sequencing technologies. A combination of the highly redundant file format and a rapid increase in data generation have created a significant problem both for immediate data storage on MinION-capable laptops, and for long-term storage on lab data servers. 

We developed Picopore, a software suite offering three methods of compression. Picopore's lossless and deep lossless methods provide a 25% and 44% average reduction in size, respectively, without removing any data from the files. Picopore's raw method provides an 88% average reduction in size, while retaining biologically relevant data for the end-user. All methods have the capacity to run in real-time in parallel to a sequencing run, reducing demand for both immediate and long-term storage space.
The hoof pastern axis and its relevance to soundness
Authors: Logie Sarah
Published: March 2017

Sarah Logie, AWCF, discusses the ‘ideal’ and the implications for the horse when it is not
Wet skin conditions: the scourge of the UK winter
Authors: Watson Rebecca
Published: March 2017

Rebecca Watson discusses the diagnosis and treatment of rain scald and mud fever
Adsorption of Pyrene from Aqueous Solutions onto Sepiolite
Authors: Sabah Eyüp , Ouki Sabeha
Published: March 2017

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a large class of organic compounds which are commonly mentioned and have been shown to be highly carcinogenic and to persist in the environment for many years. An inexpensive remediation method has yet to be found, so the current study was undertaken to test the use of sepiolite, a fibrous clay mineral, as a potentially inexpensive and effective solid-phase adsorbent for sequestering PAHs. Pyrene was chosen as a model PAH due to the specific volatility, miscibility, and relatively soluble properties of the compound. A sepiolite of Turkish origin was then investigated to explore its potential to adsorb hydrophobic organic compounds from aqueous solution. The microstructure and morphology of the sepiolite were characterized using elemental analysis, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and specific surface area from N2 adsorption isotherms. The pyrene adsorption isotherms were closely fitted to the Langmuir model and the coefficients of determination (RP2) were higher than 0.999. The results indicated that the high affinity of pyrene for sepiolite surfaces was dominated by the structural channels and the large number of Si-OH groups located on the basal surfaces. The intracrystalline interactions of pyrene with the sepiolite were, however, more favorable than pyrene interactions with sepiolite surface Si-OH groups, which can react directly with pyrene to form true covalent bonds (chemical interactions). Finally, the FE-SEM images initially revealed that, after sepiolite was loaded with adsorbed pyrene, a fairly straight and rigid arrangement of fibers occurred due to the aggregation of laths to form rods and the increased amounts of adsorbed pyrene.
Characterization of the Second Parcel of the Alternative Buffer Material (ABM) Experiment — I Mineralogical Reactions
Authors: Kaufhold S. , Dohrmann R. , Götze N. , Svensson D.
Published: March 2017

The performance of bentonite barriers for high level radioactive waste (HLRW) disposal is currently being tested in various real-and up-scale disposal tests. One of the disposal tests, the ABM test (ABM = alternative buffer material), was conducted by SKB (Svensk Kärnbränslehantering) as a mediumscale experiment at the Äspö hard rock laboratory in Sweden. The present study deals with the second parcel (ABM-II), which was retrieved after 6.5 years with 2.5 years of water saturation and 3–4 years of heating up to 141°C. Nine different bentonites and two marine clays were tested to investigate the performance. The aim of the study was to provide a detailed characterization of the mineralogical and chemical changes that took place in ABM-II, compare the findings with ABM-I (the first of the six test parcels), and try to draw some general conclusions concerning the use of bentonites in such geotechnical barriers. The ABM-II test parcel revealed a set of reactions that a HLRW bentonite might undergo. The most prominent reaction was the rather complete exchange of cations, which was discussed in a second part to this publication (II — cation exchange; Dohrmann and Kaufhold, 2017). The corrosion of the Fe in metal canisters was observed, but no discrete corrosion product was identified. At the interface of bentonite and the metal canister, the formation of smectite-type trioctahedral clay minerals was observed. In contrast to the ABM-I test, anhydrite was present in many of the bentonite blocks of the ABM-II test. In most concepts used for HLRW disposal in crystalline rocks, a temperature below 100°C at the canister surface was applied to avoid boiling. In the ABM-II test, boiling of water was possibly observed. Throughout the experiment, a pressure/water loss was recorded in the upper part of the geotechnical barrier and water was added to maintain pressure in the bentonite. As a result of evaporation, NaCl crusts might have formed and the barrier was partly disintegrated. These results demonstrated that a reasonable assumption is that no boiling of water occurs in disposal concepts in which a pressure loss can occur.
The power of the imagination of historical distance: Melechesh’ ‘Mesopotamian Metal’ as a musical attempt of solving cultural conflicts in the twenty-first century
Authors: Pichler Peter
Published: March 2017

As an interdisciplinary but distinct field of cultural research, metal music studies is, as a research discourse, structurally interwoven with post-modern and post-colonial cultural history. In this article, the author examines the ways the music of the Middle Eastern extreme metal band Melechesh, called ‘Mesopotamian Metal’ by the artists themselves, constructs a hybrid cultural pattern that could help us solving cultural conflicts in the globalized world of the twenty-first century. Mesopotamian Metal constructs an innovative cultural discourse, hybridizing fragments of different ‘Western’, ‘Eastern’ and ‘Oriental’ streams of culture. Its main power lies in its way of historical storytelling: it uses the logic of hybridization, via the imagination of historical distance, to provide us with an innovative historical narrative, fashioned in the globally understood cultural outfit of extreme metal music. Explaining this empirical case by post-colonial hybridization theory adds new aspects to current research debates on the interconnections between global extreme metal discourse and regional/local cultures in metal music studies.
Cajas negras y cubos blancos: dispositivos de creación colectiva
Authors: Cornago Bernal Oscar
Published: March 2017

Este artículo desarrolla una crítica del concepto de dispositivo como forma de producción de escenarios colectivos. Para ello recurre al imaginario de la caja negra en oposición al cubo blanco, analizando la relación entre opacidad y transparencia en el ámbito del conocimiento teórico y en la investigación basada en prácticas artísticas. A través de una discusión del ritual de la Kaaba en la Meca, de las situaciones construidas de Tino Sehgal y las implosiones impugnadas de Rafael Tormo, se estudia la función de la caja negra en la creación de situaciones colectivas.
El potencial transformador del juego emersivo desde el punto de vista de las prácticas artísticas
Authors: Gallastegui González Samuel
Published: March 2017

Este artículo trata del potencial transformador que surge en los juegos digitales al realizar un cambio de orientación en el vector de atención, que de fuera hacia dentro, o inmersivo, pasa a ser de dentro hacia fuera, o emersivo. Por consiguiente, como los juegos dejan de ser estructuras ensimismadas, se reconoce y explota su capacidad de influir en la persona y la sociedad. Asimismo, se vincula la emersión de los juegos digitales con la emersión de ciertas prácticas artísticas que tratan de influir explícitamente en el individuo y la sociedad para provocar cambios tangibles. En este sentido, el artículo investiga las tecnologías blandas generadas por el juego emersivo y se pregunta qué tienen éstas que ofrecer al campo del arte. Esta investigación considera la emersión de los juegos digitales como un posible referente de tecnologías blandas que pueden ser aplicadas en las prácticas artísticas. En primer lugar examina cómo han sido conceptualizados los límites entre los juegos digitales y la vida cotidiano, en segunda instancia, se exploran posibles maneras de transgredir dichos límites en segunda instancia, y por último se reconoce el potencial transformador del juego emersivo.
FoodCultura. La experiencia de coleccionar
Authors: De Diego Murillo Nerea
Published: March 2017

La trayectoria del artista Antoni Miralda es extensa, compleja e inclasificable, ya que sus metodologías se enredan con sus proyectos y con su obra. El acto coleccionístico articula gran parte de su trabajo. La búsqueda de objetos para coleccionar genera deriva y está deriva funciona como detonadora de experiencias. Su proyecto más expandido, el Foodcultura, es una colección de artefactos materiales e inmateriales sobre el hecho culinario, pero sobre todo es un lugar para la comunicación, la conexión y la generación de experiencias. Es un modo de poner en relación, de participar y de hacer comunidad.
Medios y modos en el registro fotográfico
Authors: Canto Combarro Urtzi
Published: March 2017

Con la fotografía de registro como límite de estudio, y una serie de tomas fotográficas de obra artística dejadas por la mano de importantes artistas plásticos, analizamos la posible superación de los límites del medio fotográfico, adaptando el medio a las necesidades de la obra a registrar. Por medio de ejemplos escultóricos, pictóricos e incluso fotográficos, se da cuenta del factor humano más allá de los límites canónicos de una técnica tan formal como la del registro fotográfico.
La construcción del organismo social como una obra de arte (repeating Beuys)
Authors: Carrascosa Vacas Alex
Published: March 2017

Este artículo está constituido por tres partes. Una primera parte presenta la corriente del Arte-Vida (el lifelike art, en expresión de Allan Kaprow, creador del Happening) y sus dos principales tendencias: la vía Duchamp, consistente en la ampliación del campo del arte mediante la apropiación de elementos extra-artísticos, incluso la propia vida cotidiana; y la vía productivista, que por el contrario busca socializar el arte, aplicar el arte al proceso de construcción de un nuevo modelo social; para finalmente encontrar ambas tendencias, a través de Beuys y la Internacional Situacionista, en una idea común, la consideración de la sociedad como materia plástica, susceptible de ser (re)creada como una obra de arte, como una conciencia estÉtica. Una segunda parte, presenta las llamadas Tecnologías Sociales o Blandas como resultado sucesivo de la confluencia de la psicología social, la teoría psicoanalítica y la teoría de sistemas, en su intento conjunto de comprender el campo psicosocial y abordarlo en aras de la evolución de las relaciones e interacciones humanas. Y una tercera parte se centra en una de estas tecnologías sociales, el Proceso ‘U’, para ilustrar cómo puede contribuirse sustancialmente a la construcción del organismo social como una obra de arte.
Some pediatric problems of Australian Agorigines
Authors: Gracey Michael
Published: March 2017

Australia is generally considered one of the "developed" nations; technicalIy advanced, with high standards of living and health, and with one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world. This is true for the vast majority of Australians who are of European origin, but not for those of aboriginal descent, the ethnic minority who are now recognized to have serious health problems resembling those typical of poorer communities in other parts of theworld.
Oral contraceptive use and conotruncal congenital heart disease
Authors: Abdullah Mars Nashrah , Ali Muhammad , Deliana Melda , Tobing Tina Christina L.
Published: March 2017

Background Congenital heart disease (CHD) represents some of the more prevalent malformations among live births andremains the leading cause of death from congenital malformations.Conotruncal anomalies comprise a diverse group of CHDinvolving the outflow tracts of the heart and the great vessels.Oral contraceptive exposure before pregnancy may be one of therisk factors for conotruncal CHD.Objective To evaluate the effect of oral contraceptive use beforepregnancy on the risk of conotruncal CHD in children.Methods A case-control study was conducted from July 2010until July 2011 in Haji Adam Malik Hospital, Medan. Subjectswith CHD were divided into two groups: conotruncal CHD asthe case group and non-conotruncal CHD as the control group.Both groups had mothers with and without histories of oralcontraceptive use before pregnancy. Parents were interviewedusing questionnaires. Statistical analyses were performed usingChi-square test, student’s T-test, and Mann Whitney test.Results A total of 80 subjects were eligible, with 40 subjects ineach group. The percentages of subjects whose mothers used oralcontraceptives were 62% of the conotruncal CHD group and60% of the non-conotruncal CHD group (OR 0.82; 95%CI 0.33to 1.98). The mean duration of maternal oral contraceptive usebefore pregnancy was 19.1 months for the case group and 18.8months for the control group (P=0.87).Conclusion In children with CHD, maternal oral contraceptiveuse before pregnancy does not appear to increase the risk ofconotruncal CHD.
Água sustentável (as): um novo método para a governança da água
Authors: Camargo Soldera Bruna , De Oliveira Everton
Published: March 2017

Partindo-se do pressuposto de que a degradação da qualidade da água pode ser objetivamente mensurável, assim como sua melhora de qualidade, este trabalho apresenta um novo conceito e método que permite a criação de instrumentos econômicos para gestão hídrica, este novo método é denominado Água Sustentável (AS). A simplicidade e força do método resumem-se no cálculo do volume de água necessário para se diluir uma massa qualquer de soluto até os padrões de potabilidade, ou qualquer outro padrão ecotoxicológico mais restritivo. Este método apoia-se inicialmente no conceito de Pegada Hídrica Cinza ou Água Cinza. Uma aplicação inicial foi realizada na sub- bacia hidrográfica do rio Jaguari, a escolha da área deve-se ao fato desta ser uma área com presença de indústrias de grande porte e intensa urbanização, contribuindo para pressão sobre os recursos hídricos. Os contaminantes selecionados para o cálculo da AS estão associados aos poluentes que podem atingir o manancial hídrico superficial e permanecer nele até a sua devida diluição, estes são DBO (Demanda Bioquímica de Oxigênio), Nitrato e Fósforo. Os resultados indicam que há uma carga de poluição excedente sendo lançada, uma vez que a AS calculada é muito superior à sua capacidade de diluição do rio, demonstrando deste modo, um excesso de massa de solutos no manancial hídrico.