bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peak Running Intensity of International Rugby: Implications for Training Prescription
Authors: Delaney Jace A. , Thornton Heidi R. , Pryor John F. , Stewart Andrew M. , Dascombe Ben J. , Duthie Grant M.
Published: December 2016

Purpose:

To quantify the duration and position-specific peak running intensities of international rugby union for the prescription and monitoring of specific training methodologies.

Methods:

Global positioning systems (GPS) were used to assess the activity profile of 67 elite-level rugby union players from 2 nations across 33 international matches. A moving-average approach was used to identify the peak relative distance (m/min), average acceleration/deceleration (AveAcc; m/s2), and average metabolic power (Pmet) for a range of durations (1–10 min). Differences between positions and durations were described using a magnitude-based network.

Results:

Peak running intensity increased as the length of the moving average decreased. There were likely small to moderate increases in relative distance and AveAcc for outside backs, halfbacks, and loose forwards compared with the tight 5 group across all moving-average durations (effect size [ES] = 0.27–1.00). Pmet demands were at least likely greater for outside backs and halfbacks than for the tight 5 (ES = 0.86–0.99). Halfbacks demonstrated the greatest relative distance and Pmet outputs but were similar to outside backs and loose forwards in AveAcc demands.

Conclusions:

The current study has presented a framework to describe the peak running intensities achieved during international rugby competition by position, which are considerably higher than previously reported whole-period averages. These data provide further knowledge of the peak activity profiles of international rugby competition, and this information can be used to assist coaches and practitioners in adequately preparing athletes for the most demanding periods of play.
Player-Tracking Technology: Half-Full or Half-Empty Glass?
Authors: Buchheit Martin , Simpson Ben Michael
Published: December 2016

With the ongoing development of microtechnology, player tracking has become one of the most important components of load monitoring in team sports. The 3 main objectives of player tracking are better understanding of practice (provide an objective, a posteriori evaluation of external load and locomotor demands of any given session or match), optimization of training-load patterns at the team level, and decision making on individual players’ training programs to improve performance and prevent injuries (eg, top-up training vs unloading sequences, return to play progression). This paper discusses the basics of a simple tracking approach and the need to integrate multiple systems. The limitations of some of the most used variables in the field (including metabolic-power measures) are debated, and innovative and potentially new powerful variables are presented. The foundations of a successful player-monitoring system are probably laid on the pitch first, in the way practitioners collect their own tracking data, given the limitations of each variable, and how they report and use all this information, rather than in the technology and the variables per se. Overall, the decision to use any tracking technology or new variable should always be considered with a cost/benefit approach (ie, cost, ease of use, portability, manpower/ability to affect the training program).
The Research Doesn’t Always Apply: Practical Solutions to Evidence-Based Training-Load Monitoring in Elite Team Sports
Authors: Burgess Darren J.
Published: December 2016

Research describing load-monitoring techniques for team sport is plentiful. Much of this research is conducted retrospectively and typically involves recreational or semielite teams. Load-monitoring research conducted on professional team sports is largely observational. Challenges exist for the practitioner in implementing peer-reviewed research into the applied setting. These challenges include match scheduling, player adherence, manager/coach buy-in, sport traditions, and staff availability. External-load monitoring often attracts questions surrounding technology reliability and validity, while internal-load monitoring makes some assumptions about player adherence, as well as having some uncertainty around the impact these measures have on player performance This commentary outlines examples of load-monitoring research, discusses the issues associated with the application of this research in an elite team-sport setting, and suggests practical adjustments to the existing research where necessary.
Student Perceptions of Video Communication in an Online Sport and Recreation Studies Graduate Course
Authors: Atwater Christopher , Borup Jered , Baker Robert , West Richard E.
Published: December 2016

This qualitative case study examined student perceptions of video communication with their instructor in an online research and writing course for sport and recreation graduate students. All students participated in two personalized Skype video calls with the instructor and received two video and text feedback critiques of their written projects. Eight students were interviewed following the course. Despite minor technological and scheduling concerns, students found that their Skype calls helped form a relationship with their instructor and improved their confidence in the course. Students found that video feedback recordings on their written projects were elaborate and friendly, while text feedback comments tended to be more convenient, efficient, and concise. However, all students reported that the advantages of video feedback outweighed the advantages of text. The article concludes with recommendations for future research and for online instructors who wish to effectively blend these forms of communication.
Understanding the Challenges and Opportunities Associated With Online Learning: A Scaffolding Theory Approach
Authors: McNiff Jillian , Aicher Thomas J.
Published: December 2016

In 2013, approximately 5.3 million students took an online course in the United States—a 3.7% increase, when compared with 2012. This growth in e-learning may impact sport participation and the educational experience of student-athletes. This change creates various challenges and opportunities for those who support student-athletes’ educational development. Therefore, using the zone for proximal development and scaffolding theory, the purpose of this investigation was to determine the role student-athlete support services staff play in ensuring the effectiveness and quality of e-learning, and to identify strategies and best practices associated with e-learning. Qualitative interviews were conducted with directors of student-athlete support service organizations within Division I athletics. Results of the analysis engendered three central themes: (a) faculty relations, (b) lack of formal assessment, and (c) educational opportunities. The results aligned with the tenets of the zone of proximal development and scaffolding theory. In addition, a framework to assist student-athletes’ development is presented.
Use of Animated Pedagogical Agent in Sport Management Education: Effect on Students’ Situational Interest
Authors: Koo Gi-Yong , Shoffner Sara , Ryu Jeeheon
Published: December 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate how an animated pedagogical agent (APA) affected an individual’s level of situational interest (SI) using a case study in online education. Although online learning has become popular, the lack of social cues for students in distance-learning contexts has been suggested as problematic. APA has been conceptualized to support social agency theory between students and learning contents. SI has been considered to activate student’s immediate affective response to engage in an authentic learning context. The study examined the effect of APA in a case study on triggered-SI and maintained-SI to determine the benefits of multimedia-based instruction in online learning. A three-factor model including triggered-SI, maintained-SI-feeling, and maintained-SI-value was tested. Results revealed that the use of APA in a case study more positively stimulated students’ SI specific to triggered-SI and maintained-SI-value. Therefore, the implementation of the APA in a distance education setting could benefit students’ learning and also help educators to more effectively deliver a variety of sport management content areas.
Pedagogical Innovations for the Millennial Sport Management Student: Socrative and Twitter
Authors: Manning R. Douglas , Keiper Margaret C. , Jenny Seth E.
Published: December 2016

Pedagogical innovation involving smartphone technology paired with complementary applications may offer sport management faculty the opportunity to create an environment of engaging instruction. Technologically enhanced and innovative assignments have the potential to stimulate student interest and critical-thinking skills by presenting new experiences and active learning opportunities via participatory education. Through the discussion of technology integration and pedagogical innovation when teaching millennial students, the purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual framework—namely, the concerns-based adoption model (CBAM)—to introduce mobile technologies, such as Socrative and Twitter, into the sport management classroom.
The Antiviral Mechanism of an Influenza A Virus Nucleoprotein-Specific Single-Domain Antibody Fragment
Authors: Hanke Leo , Knockenhauer Kevin E. , Brewer R. Camille , van Diest Eline , Schmidt Florian I. , Schwartz Thomas U. , Ploegh Hidde L.
Published: December 2016

Alpaca-derived single-domain antibody fragments (VHHs) that target the influenza A virus nucleoprotein (NP) can protect cells from infection when expressed in the cytosol. We found that one such VHH, αNP-VHH1, exhibits antiviral activity similar to that of Mx proteins by blocking nuclear import of incoming viral ribonucleoproteins (vRNPs) and viral transcription and replication in the nucleus. We determined a 3.2-Å crystal structure of αNP-VHH1 in complex with influenza A virus NP. The VHH binds to a nonconserved region on the body domain of NP, which has been associated with binding to host factors and serves as a determinant of host range. Several of the NP/VHH interface residues determine sensitivity of NP to antiviral Mx GTPases. The structure of the NP/αNP-VHH1 complex affords a plausible explanation for the inhibitory properties of the VHH and suggests a rationale for the antiviral properties of Mx proteins. Such knowledge can be leveraged for much-needed novel antiviral strategies.

IMPORTANCEInfluenza virus strains can rapidly escape from protection afforded by seasonal vaccines or acquire resistance to available drugs. Additional ways to interfere with the virus life cycle are therefore urgently needed. The influenza virus nucleoprotein is one promising target for antiviral interventions. We have previously isolated alpaca-derived single-domain antibody fragments (VHHs) that protect cells from influenza virus infection if expressed intracellularly. We show here that one such VHH exhibits antiviral activities similar to those of proteins of the cellular antiviral defense (Mx proteins). We determined the three-dimensional structure of this VHH in complex with the influenza virus nucleoprotein and identified the interaction site, which overlaps regions that determine sensitivity of the virus to Mx proteins. Our data define a new vulnerability of influenza virus, help us to better understand the cellular antiviral mechanisms, and provide a well-characterized tool to further study them.
Functional Characterization of Pneumocystis carinii Inositol Transporter 1
Authors: Cushion Melanie T. , Collins Margaret S. , Sesterhenn Thomas , Porollo Aleksey , Vadukoot Anish Kizhakkekkara , Merino Edward J.
Published: December 2016

Fungi in the genus
Pneumocystis
live in the lungs of mammals, where they can cause a fatal pneumonia (PCP [

P
neumo
c
ystis

p
neumonia]) in hosts with compromised immune systems. The absence of a continuous
in vitro
culture system for any species of
Pneumocystis
has led to limited understanding of these fungi, especially for the discovery of new therapies. We recently reported that
Pneumocystis carinii
,
Pneumocystis murina
, and most significantly,
Pneumocystis jirovecii
lack both enzymes necessary for
myo-
inositol biosynthesis but contain genes with homologies to fungal
myo
-inositol transporters. Since
myo
-inositol is essential for eukaryotic viability, the primary transporter, ITR1, was functionally and structurally characterized in
P. carinii
. The predicted structure of
P. carinii
ITR1 (PcITR1) contained 12 transmembrane alpha-helices with intracellular C and N termini, consistent with other inositol transporters. The apparent
K

m

was 0.94 ± 0.08 (mean ± standard deviation), suggesting that
myo-
inositol transport in
P. carinii
is likely through a low-affinity, highly selective transport system, as no other sugars or inositol stereoisomers were significant competitive inhibitors. Glucose transport was shown to use a different transport system. The
myo
-inositol transport was distinct from mammalian transporters, as it was not sodium dependent and was cytochalasin B resistant. Inositol transport in these fungi offers an attractive new drug target because of the reliance of the fungi on its transport, clear differences between the mammalian and fungal transporters, and the ability of the host to both synthesize and transport this critical nutrient, predicting low toxicity of potential inhibitors to the fungal transporter.

IMPORTANCE
myo
-Inositol is a sugarlike nutrient that is essential for life in most organisms. Humans and microbes alike can obtain it by making it, which involves only 2 enzymes, by taking it from the environment by a transport process, or by recycling it from other cellular constituents. Inspection of the genomes of the pathogenic fungi of the genus
Pneumocystis
showed that these pneumonia-causing parasites could not make
myo
-inositol, as they lacked the 2 enzymes. Instead, we found evidence of inositol transporters, which would import the sugar from the lungs where the fungi reside. In the present report, we characterized the transport of
myo
-inositol in the fungus and found that the transporter was highly selective for
myo
-inositol and did not transport any other molecules. The transport was distinct from that in mammalian cells, and since mammals can both make and transport
myo
-inositol, while
Pneumocystis
fungi must transport it, this process offers a potential new drug target.
Staphylococcus aureus Leukocidin LukED and HIV-1 gp120 Target Different Sequence Determinants on CCR5
Authors: Tam Kayan , Schultz Megan , Reyes-Robles Tamara , Vanwalscappel Bénédicte , Horton Joshua , Alonzo Francis , Wu Beili , Landau Nathaniel R. , Torres Victor J.
Published: December 2016

Leukocidin ED (LukED) is a bicomponent pore-forming toxin produced by
Staphylococcus aureus
that lyses host cells by targeting the chemokine receptors CC chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5), CXCR1, CXCR2, and DARC. In addition to its role as a receptor for LukED, CCR5 is the major coreceptor for primary isolates of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and has been extensively studied. To compare how LukED and HIV-1 target CCR5, we analyzed their respective abilities to use CCR5/CCR2b chimeras to mediate cytotoxicity and virus entry. These analyses showed that the second and third extracellular loops (ECL) of CCR5 are necessary and sufficient for LukED to target the receptor and promote cell lysis. In contrast, the second ECL of CCR5 is necessary but not sufficient for HIV-1 infectivity. The analysis of CCR5 point mutations showed that glycine-163 is critical for HIV-1 infectivity, while arginine-274 and aspartic acid-276 are critical for LukED cytotoxicity. Point mutations in ECL2 diminished both HIV-1 infectivity and LukED cytotoxicity. Treatment of cells with LukED did not interfere with CCR5-tropic HIV-1 infectivity, demonstrating that LukED and the viral envelope glycoprotein use nonoverlapping sites on CCR5. Analysis of point mutations in LukE showed that amino acids 64 to 69 in the rim domain are required for CCR5 targeting and cytotoxicity. Taking the results together, this study identified the molecular basis by which LukED targets CCR5, highlighting the divergent molecular interactions evolved by HIV-1 and LukED to interact with CCR5.

IMPORTANCE
The bicomponent pore-forming toxins are thought to play a vital role in the success of
Staphylococcus aureus
as a mammalian pathogen. One of the leukocidins, LukED, is necessary and sufficient for lethality in mice. At the molecular level, LukED causes cell lysis through binding to specific cellular receptors. CCR5 is one of the receptors targeted by LukED and is the major coreceptor for CCR5-tropic HIV-1. While the molecular interaction of CCR5 and HIV-1 is well characterized, the means by which LukED interacts with CCR5 is less clear. In this study, we demonstrated that receptor specificity is conferred through unique interactions between key domains on CCR5 and LukE. Although HIV-1 and LukED target the same receptor, our data demonstrated that they interact with CCR5 differently, highlighting the molecular complexity of host-pathogen interactions.
Is frequent attendance of longer duration related to less transient episodes of care? A retrospective analysis of transient and chronic episodes of care
Authors: Smits Frans T , Brouwer Henk J , Schene Aart H , van Weert Henk C P M , ter Riet Gerben
Published: December 2016

Objectives

Frequent attenders (FAs) suffer more and consult general practitioners (GPs) more often forchronicphysical and psychiatric illnesses, social difficulties and distress than non-FAs. However, it is unclear to what extent FAs presenttransientepisodes of care (TECs) compared with non-FAs.

Design

Retrospective analysis of all episodes of care (ECs) in 15 116 consultations in 1 year. Reasons for encounter (RFEs) linked to patients’ problem lists were defined as chronic ECs (CECs), other episodes as TECs.

Setting

1 Dutch urban primary healthcare centre served by 5 GPs.

Participants

All 5712 adult patients were enlisted between 2007 and 2009. FAs were patients whose attendance rate ranked within the top decile of their sex and age group in at least one of the years between 2007 and 2009.

Outcome measures

Number of RFEs linked to TECs/CECs for non-FAs and 1-year (1yFAs), 2-year (2yFAs) and 3-year FAs (3yFAs), and the adjusted effect of frequent attendance of different duration on the number of TECs.

Results

The average number of RFEs linked to TECs (non-FAs 1.4; 3yFAs 7.3) and to CECs (non-FAs 0.9; 3yFAs 6.2) increased substantially with the duration of frequent attendance. The ratio of TECs to all ECs differed little for FAs (52–54%) and non-FAs (64%). Compared with non-FAs, the adjusted additional number of TECs was 3.4 (95% CI 3.2 to 3.7, 1yFAs), 6.6 (95% CI 6.1 to 7.0, 2yFAs) and 9.4 (95% CI 8.8 to 10.1, 3yFAs).

Conclusions

FAs present more TECs and CECs with longer duration of frequent attendance. The constant ratio of TECs might be a sign of a low threshold for FAs to consult their GP. The large numbers of TECs in FAs might be associated with their high level of anxiety and low mastery. The consultation pattern of FAs may best be characterised by describing both TECs and CECs.
Assessment of a web-based Guided Self-Determination intervention for adults with type 2 diabetes in general practice: a study protocol
Authors: Karlsen Bjørg , Oftedal Bjørg , Stangeland Lie Silje , Rokne Berit , Peyrot Mark , Zoffmann Vibeke , Graue Marit
Published: December 2016

Introduction

Self-management is deemed the cornerstone in overall diabetes management. Web-based self-management interventions have potential to support adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in managing their disease. Owing to somewhat ambiguous results of such interventions, interventions should be theory-based and incorporate well-defined counselling methods and techniques for behavioural change. This study is designed to assess the effectiveness of a theory-driven web-based Guided Self-Determination (GSD) intervention among adults with T2DM in general practice to improve diabetes self-management behaviours and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c).

Methods and analysis

A complex intervention design based on the framework of the UK Medical Research Council is employed as a guide for developing the intervention, assessing its feasibility and evaluating its effectiveness. The study consists of three phases: (1) the modelling phase adapting the original GSD programme for adults with T2DM, using a qualitative design, (2) feasibility assessment of the adapted intervention on the web, employing qualitative and quantitative methods and (3) evaluating the effectiveness of the intervention on diabetes self-management behaviours and HbA1c, using a quasi-experimental design. The first phase, which is completed, and the second phase, which is underway, will provide important information about the development of the intervention and its acceptability, whereas the third phase will assess the effectiveness of this systematically developed intervention.

Ethics and dissemination

The Norwegian Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics (REK west number 2015/60) has approved the study design. Patients recruited in the different phases will fill out an informed consent form prior to inclusion and will be guaranteed anonymity and the right to withdraw from the study at any time. The results of the study will be published in peer-reviewed journals, electronically and in print, and presented at research conferences.

Trial registration number:

NCT02575599.
Retrospective cohort study of usage patterns of epidural injections for spinal pain in the US fee-for-service Medicare population from 2000 to 2014
Authors: Manchikanti Laxmaiah , Pampati Vidyasagar , Hirsch Joshua A
Published: December 2016

Objective

To assess the usage patterns of epidural injections for chronic spinal pain in the fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare population from 2000 to 2014 in the USA.

Design

A retrospective cohort.

Methods

The descriptive analysis of the administrative database from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary (PSPS) master data from 2000 to 2014 was performed. The guidance from Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) was applied. Analysis included multiple variables based on the procedures, specialties and geography.

Results

Overall epidural injections increased 99% per 100 000 Medicare beneficiaries with an annual increase of 5% from 2000 to 2014. Lumbar interlaminar and caudal epidural injections constituted 36.2% of all epidural injections, with an overall decrease of 2% and an annual decrease of 0.2% per 100 000 Medicare beneficiaries. However, lumbosacral transforaminal epidural injections increased 609% with an annual increase of 15% from 2000 to 2014 per 100 000 Medicare population.

Conclusions

Usage of epidural injections increased from 2000 to 2014, with a decline thereafter. However, an escalating growth has been seen for lumbosacral transforaminal epidural injections despite numerous reports of complications and regulations to curb the usage of transforaminal epidural injections.
Traditional Chinese acupuncture versus minimal acupuncture for mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis: a protocol for a randomised, controlled pilot trial
Authors: Sun Ning , Shi Guang-Xia , Tu Jian-Feng , Li Yong-Ting , Zhang Li-Wen , Cao Yan , Du Yi , Zhao Jing-Jie , Xiong Da-Chang , Hou Hai-Kun , Liu Cun-Zhi
Published: December 2016

Introduction

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders. Acupuncture is a popular form of complementary medicine for musculoskeletal conditions, although the evidence is inconclusive. Our objective is to evaluate the efficacy of traditional Chinese acupuncture for pain relief and function improvement in mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis (TCAKOA) participants.

Methods/analysis

42 patients will be recruited who have been diagnosed with mild-to-moderate KOA and randomly allocated in equal proportions to traditional Chinese acupuncture or minimal acupuncture. They will receive acupuncture for 24 sessions over 8 weeks. The primary end point is success rate, which will be calculated according to a change from baseline in Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain and function scores at 8 weeks. Secondary end points include pain and function measurement, global change, the quality of life and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Celebrex, Pfizer) at 8, 16 and 26 weeks.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval of this study has been granted by the Research Ethical Committee of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Capital Medical University (permission number: 2016BL-010-02). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. Outcomes of the trial will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN14016893; Pre-results.
Inbox Messaging: an effective tool for minimizing non-urgent paging related interruptions in hospital medicine provider workflow
Authors: Ferguson Alice , Aaronson Barry , Anuradhika Anuradhika
Published: December 2016

Communication is one of the foundations on which safe, high quality care is built.1, 3, 6, 17, 20The nature of hospital medicine requires that nurses and providers be efficient and effective in communicating with multiple disciplines.17This need for timely communication must continually be balanced with the need to minimize interruptions in workflow.1,2 3,4,6,7,9,13,15,17,18Interruptions not only lead to distraction, they also add inefficiency to the care process and have been shown to contribute to an increased risk of medical error.2,3,4,7,17,18A major source of interruptions are pagers that emit an audible tone with each message received.3,9,10,17,18This interruptive nature makes pagers a less-than-ideal tool for communicating non-urgent (address within one hour) messages received.3,9,10,17,18In addition to increasing interruptions, pagers do not facilitate closed loop communication, another feature that has been shown to improve safety.14,17,25

Inbox Messaging is intended to provide a less disruptive closed-loop method of communication for non-urgent messages.

Inbox Messaging is an interface within the electronic health record (EHR) that functions similarly to e-mail. A multi-disciplinary communication workgroup identified this interface as having potential to not only decrease interruptions, but to also facilitate closed-loop communication. Inbox is currently utilized between the hours of 0700 and 1800 for non-urgent nurse-provider communication about patients on the hospital medicine service. The number of RN non-urgent pages per day was 103 (SD=19, n=97) prior to the Inbox intervention, with a significant decrease (p<.001) during follow-up to 38 (SD=14, n=354) pages per day. At the same time, the number of messages per day increased from 0 to 80 (SD=20, n=354) messages during follow-up. As desired, the mean number of RN urgent pages was unchanged from 13 per day to 13 per day (p=.52).

Cerner Inbox Messaging decreases the frequency of non-urgent pager-related interruptions in workflow.
Interventional management of high-flow craniofacial vascular malformations: a database analysis and review of the literature
Authors: Dabus Guilherme , Linfante Italo , Benenati James , Perlyn Chad A , Martínez-Galdámez Mario
Published: December 2016

Background

High-flow craniofacial vascular malformations are uncommon, locally aggressive lesions that pose a therapeutic challenge.

Objective

To report our experience with the treatment of high-flow craniofacial vascular malformations.

Methods

After institutional review board approval was obtained, the neurointerventional databases of two institutions were retrospectively reviewed for vascular malformations from October 2010 to June 2015. All patients who had been treated for a high-flow craniofacial vascular malformation were included in the analysis. Clinical presentation, location, type, agent and techniques used, procedural complications, and clinical and imaging follow-up were included in the analysis.

Results

Eighteen patients (12 female and 6 male) harboring 21 high-flow vascular malformations met the inclusion criteria in our study. All patients were symptomatic. One patient had two separated arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) (one nasal and the other forehead/scalp), and one patient had three separated scalp lesions. One patient with a nasal AVM had capillary malformation-AVM syndrome. Overall, 13 AVM and 8 arteriovenous fistuli were treated in 31 targeted embolization procedures (ranging from 1 procedure to 4 procedures, mean 1.7 procedures). Onyx was the predominant agent used in 25 procedures. In 31 procedures, 1 procedural complication (skin ulceration) occurred. At the end of the last treatment session 14 of the 21 lesions were cured. Symptomatic control was achieved in all cases, with resolution or significant improvement of the symptoms (mean follow-up of 10 months).

Conclusions

High-flow craniofacial vascular malformations can be successfully managed with interventional techniques.
Forest aesthetic indicators in sustainable forest management standards
Authors: Lim Sang Seop , Innes John L.
Published: December 2016

Sustainable forest management (SFM) standards have been criticized for their lack of aesthetic indicators, which some consider to be an important social component of forestry. To provide a basis for the inclusion of aesthetic indicators in SFM frameworks, we used Delphi techniques to survey the beliefs and opinions of SFM and aesthetic experts. The three major reasons provided for the lack of aesthetic indicators were a lack of aesthetic training among those designing criteria and indicators, a bias against aesthetics, which are often considered to be highly subjective, and the general omission of people with knowledge of aesthetics during the development of SFM standards. Based on the responses, we present 10 possible aesthetic indicators appropriate for international SFM standards, including eight quantitative and two qualitative indicators. We also provide 18 other potential aesthetic indicators, which can be applied at various scales of SFM, ranging from local to national. These results should provide guidance to groups developing and revising criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management at various scales, from local to international.
Linear stability analysis of two-way coupled particle-laden density current
Authors: Amini Pouriya , Khavasi Ehsan , Asadizanjani Navid
Published: December 2016

Stability of two-way coupled particle-laden density current is studied with the aim of linear stability analysis. Interfacial instability can be found in density currents, which effects entrainment and the rate of effective mixing. In this paper, we investigate the density current interfacial instability using linear stability theory, considering the particles attendance. The ultimate goal is to extract the governing equation for current with particles and study the effect of different parameters on stability of such currents. Base flow has velocity and density profiles of tangent hyperbolic type. Main current and particles are studied in two separate phases. It is found that current will be more stable as M0 (M0 = S∗N∗/ρ∗ where ρ∗ is the non-dimensional flow density, S∗ is the Stokes’ drag coefficient, and N∗ is the particles’ number density) grows, this is a result of number of particles and their radius, and also viscosity effects. The current is more stable as the growth rate increases. As the Richardson number in M0 rises, the growth rate value decreases. As the slope of the river bed increases, the current is less stable.
The pattern of reproduction in the mole-ratHeliophobiusfrom Tanzania: do not refrain during the long rains!
Authors: Ngalameno M.K. , Bastos A.D.S. , Mgode G. , Bennett N.C.
Published: December 2016

The genus Heliophobius Peters, 1846 comprises at least six cryptic, topotypical species in the Heliophobius argenteocinereus Peters, 1846 species complex. The current study investigated the breeding patterns of a wild-caught population from Tanzania where the putative species Heliophobius argenteocinereus emini Noack, 1894 resides. Individuals were collected on a monthly basis for an entire calendar year. Assessment of fœtus presence, gonadal histology, reproductive-tract morphometrics in combination with gonadal steroid (plasma progesterone and œstradiol-17β in females and testosterone in males) measurements and field observations revealed that rainfall is important for the onset of breeding. The results further confirmed that breeding is limited to a single, yearly reproductive event synchronised to the long rainfall pattern. The distinct breeding peak in July is associated with an elevation in gonadal mass, increase in concentrations of reproductive hormones, and presence of Graafian follicles and corpora lutea in the ovaries of females. These reproductive parameters coincided with the end of the long rainfall period, whereas presence of young in the maternal burrow system corresponded with the start of the short rainfall of East Africa. These findings confirm Heliophobius has a single breeding opportunity each year, and this species is therefore vulnerable to any changes that may impact their climatically attuned breeding patterns.
Symmetries and unitary interactions of mass dimension one fermionic dark matter
Authors: Lee Cheng-Yang
Published: December 2016

The fermionic fields constructed from Elko have several unexpected properties. They satisfy the Klein–Gordon but not the Dirac equation and are of mass dimension one instead of three-half. Starting with the Klein–Gordon Lagrangian, we initiate a careful study of the symmetries and interactions of these fermions and their higher-spin generalizations. We find, although the fermions are of mass dimension one, the four-point fermionic self-interaction violates unitarity at high-energy so it cannot be a fundamental interaction of the theory. Using the optical theorem, we derive an explicit bound on energy for the fermion–scalar interaction. It follows that for the spin-half fermions, the demand of renormalizability and unitarity forbids four-point interactions and only allows for the Yukawa interaction. For fermions with spin [Formula: see text], they have no renormalizable or unitary interactions. Since the theory is described by a Klein–Gordon Lagrangian, the interaction generated by the local [Formula: see text] gauge symmetry which contains a four-point interaction, is excluded by the demand of renormalizability. In the context of the Standard Model, these properties make the spin-half fermions natural dark matter candidates. Finally, we discuss the recent developments on the introduction of new adjoint and spinor duals which may allow us to circumvent the unitarity constraints on the interactions.
Traffic dynamics on networks with competitive services
Authors: Zhang Yue , Huang Ning , Li Ruiying
Published: December 2016

Competitive services have large effects on traffic congestion. Based on the investigation on Chinese railway network, a competitive services model is proposed to capture traffic correlations between different services. According to the value of the weight parameter [Formula: see text], competitive services are grouped into assortative, disassortative and neutral ones, in which their traffic loads show strongly positive, weakly positive and non-significant correlations, respectively. Simulation results illustrate that our model can effectively capture the service correlations by adjusting the weight parameter. Using this model, we analyze the influence of different types of competitive services on network congestion. Our results indicate that both capacity and efficiency of network is the lowest when it supports assortative services.
Dendrochemistry and soil clay geochemistry applied to exploration for deep U mineralization at the Halliday Lake Prospect, Athabasca Basin, Canada
Authors: Stewart P. , Kyser T. K. , Griffiths D. , Lahusen L.
Published: December 2016

Drilling at the
c.
750 m deep Halliday Lake prospect in the Athabasca Basin has identified features favourable for unconformity-related U mineralization such as sandstone enrichments in pathfinder elements, graphitic metapelite gneiss, sandstone and basement hosted faulting, hydrothermal alteration and sub-economic U mineralization. Soils, jack pine (
Pinus banksiana
) and black spruce (
Picea mariana
) tree cores were collected on a 250 m sampling grid to assess their effectiveness as exploration geochemical media for concealed mineralization. The <2 µm soil clay-size fractions comprise mixtures of quartz, chlorite, illite, kaolinite, and plagioclase with the plagioclase reflecting basement boulders transported in the Quaternary cover. Basement rocks in the till impart a geochemical signature enriched in K, Ba, Bi, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Li, Mn and Ni, complicating the interpretation of some pathfinder elements in the <2 µm soil clay-size fraction. Tree cores have Mo, Co, Cu and S enrichments in areas of thin overburden also associated with sandstone hosted hydrothermal alteration and pathfinder element enrichment. Radiogenic Pb isotope ratios in the <2 µm soil clay-size fraction are associated with drill holes hosting sub-economic U mineralization whereas barren drill holes are spatially associated with common Pb isotope ratios. Radiogenic tree core Pb isotope ratios are supportive of the <2 µm soil clay-size fraction Pb isotope ratios.
Interaction between gravity-driven listric normal fault linkage and their hanging-wall rollover development: a case study from the western Niger Delta, Nigeria
Authors: Fazlikhani Hamed , Back Stefan , Kukla Peter A. , Fossen Haakon
Published: December 2016

Rollover is the folding of the hanging-wall sedimentary record in response to slip on listric normal faults, and is a common feature of sediment-rich, gravity-driven tectonic provinces. Rollovers have been extensively studied by means of geometrical reconstruction, and numerical and analogue modelling. However, the detailed interaction between the kinematics of bounding listric normal faults and their hanging-wall deformation is not yet fully understood. In this study, we use 3D seismic-reflection data from the Forcados-Yokri area, western Niger Delta, Nigeria, to study the lateral linkage and landwards backstepping history of an array of listric normal faults, particularly focusing on their influence on the development and evolution of hanging-wall rollovers. Five individual, partly overlapping rollover structures have been studied with respect to their relative initiation and decay time, their spatial distribution, and their relationship to the tectonic history of their respective bounding faults. We demonstrate that the studied rollovers are highly dependent on the development of their bounding faults in terms of initiation time, lateral linkage, internal structural development and decay. Fault–rollover interaction is dynamic and changes through time depending on the temporal evolution of listric faults. Four genetic types of fault–rollover interaction were identified in this study: (1) the rotation of a rollover–crestal-collapse system, controlled by a changing lateral bounding-fault orientation during fault growth; (2) a stepwise shift of rollover–crestal-collapse systems associated with rollover abandonment, controlled by the initiation of a new fault in the footwall of an older structure; (3) a gradual shift of successive rollovers controlled by branching main faults; and (4) a general landwards and upwards migration of crestal-collapse faults within a rollover above stationary listric main faults.
Effects of paternal obesity on growth and adiposity of male rat offspring
Authors: Lecomte Virginie , Maloney Christopher A. , Wang Kristy W. , Morris Margaret J.
Published: December 2016

Emerging evidence suggests that paternal obesity plays an important role in offspring health. Our previous work using a rodent model of diet-induced paternal obesity showed that female offspring from high-fat diet (HFD)-fed fathers develop glucose intolerance due to impairment of pancreatic insulin secretion. Here, we focused on the health outcomes of male offspring from HFD-fed fathers. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (3 wk old) were fed control (CD-F0) or HFD (HFD-F0) for 12 wk before mating with control-fed females. Male offspring were fed control diets for up to 8 wk or 6 mo. Although male offspring from HFD-F0 did not develop any obvious glucose metabolism defects in this study, surprisingly, a growth deficit phenotype was observed from birth to 6 mo of age. Male offspring from HFD-F0 had reduced birth weight compared with CD-F0, followed by reduced postweaning growth from 9 wk of age. This resulted in 10% reduction in body weight at 6 mo with significantly smaller fat pads and skeletal muscles. Reduced circulating levels of growth hormone (GH) and IGF-I were detected at 8 wk and 6 mo, respectively. Expression of adipogenesis markers was decreased in adipose tissue of HFD-F0 offspring at 8 wk and 6 mo, and expression of growth markers was decreased in muscle of HFD-F0 offspring at 8 wk. We propose that the reduced GH secretion at 8 wk of age altered the growth of male offspring from HFD-F0, resulting in smaller animals from 9 wk to 6 mo of age. Furthermore, increased muscle triglyceride content and expression of lipogenic genes were observed in HFD-F0 offspring, potentially increasing their metabolic risk.
A perspective on chronic kidney disease progression
Authors: Zhong Jianyong , Yang Hai-Chun , Fogo Agnes B.
Published: December 2016

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) will progress to end stage without treatment, but the decline of renal function may not be linear. Compared with glomerular filtration rate and proteinuria, new surrogate markers, such as kidney injury molecule-1, neutrophil gelatinase-associated protein, apolipoprotein A-IV, and soluble urokinase receptor, may allow potential intervention and treatment in the earlier stages of CKD, which could be useful for clinical trials. New omic-based technologies reveal potential new genomic and epigenomic mechanisms that appear different from those causing the initial disease. Various clinical studies also suggest that acute kidney injury is a major risk for progressive CKD. To ameliorate the progression of CKD, the first step is optimizing renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade. New drugs targeting endothelin, transforming growth factor-β, oxidative stress, and inflammatory- and cell-based regenerative therapy may have add-on benefit.
Desynchronization does not contribute to intracortical inhibition and facilitation: a paired-pulse paradigm study combined with TST
Authors: Caranzano L. , Stephan M. A. , Herrmann F. R. , Benninger D. H.
Published: December 2016

The paired-pulse (PP) transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) paradigms allow the exploration of the motor cortex physiology. The triple stimulation technique (TST) improves conventional TMS by reducing effects of desynchronization of motor neuron discharges allowing a precise evaluation of the corticospinal conduction. The objective of our study was to explore PP TMS paradigms combined with the TST to study whether the desynchronization contributes to these phenomena and whether the combined TMS-TST protocol could improve the consistency of responses. We investigated the PP paradigms of short intracortical inhibition (SICI) with 2 ms interstimulus interval (ISI) and of intracortical facilitation (ICF) with 10 ms ISI in 22 healthy subjects applying either conventional TMS alone or combined with the TST protocol. The results of the PP paradigms combined with the TST of SICI and ICF do not differ from those with conventional TMS. However, combining the PP paradigm with the TST reduces their variability. These results speak against a contribution of the desynchronization of motor neuron discharges to the PP paradigms of SICI and ICF. Combining the PP TMS paradigm with the TST may improve their consistency, but the interindividual variability remains such that it precludes their utility for clinical practice.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Combining the triple stimulation technique with the paired-pulse stimulation paradigm improves the consistency of short intracortical inhibition and facilitation and could be useful in research, but the interindividual variability precludes their utility for clinical practice. Our findings do not suggest that desynchronization of descending discharges following transcranial magnetic stimulation contributes to short intracortical inhibition or intracortical facilitation.
Coupling multielectrode array recordings with silver labeling of recording sites to study cervical spinal network connectivity
Authors: Streeter K. A. , Sunshine M. D. , Patel S. R. , Liddell S. S. , Denholtz L. E. , Reier P. J. , Fuller D. D. , Baekey D. M.
Published: December 2016

Midcervical spinal interneurons form a complex and diffuse network and may be involved in modulating phrenic motor output. The intent of the current work was to enable a better understanding of midcervical “network-level” connectivity by pairing the neurophysiological multielectrode array (MEA) data with histological verification of the recording locations. We first developed a method to deliver 100-nA currents to electroplate silver onto and subsequently deposit silver from electrode tips after obtaining midcervical (C3–C5) recordings using an MEA in anesthetized and ventilated adult rats. Spinal tissue was then fixed, harvested, and histologically processed to “develop” the deposited silver. Histological studies verified that the silver deposition method discretely labeled (50-μm resolution) spinal recording locations between laminae IV and X in cervical segments C3-C5. Using correlative techniques, we next tested the hypothesis that midcervical neuronal discharge patterns are temporally linked. Cross-correlation histograms produced few positive peaks (5.3%) in the range of 0–0.4 ms, but 21.4% of neuronal pairs had correlogram peaks with a lag of ≥0.6 ms. These results are consistent with synchronous discharge involving mono- and polysynaptic connections among midcervical neurons. We conclude that there is a high degree of synaptic connectivity in the midcervical spinal cord and that the silver-labeling method can reliably mark metal electrode recording sites and “map” interneuron populations, thereby providing a low-cost and effective tool for use in MEA experiments. We suggest that this method will be useful for further exploration of midcervical network connectivity.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We describe a method that reliably identifies the locations of multielectrode array (MEA) recording sites while preserving the surrounding tissue for immunohistochemistry. To our knowledge, this is the first cost-effective method to identify the anatomic locations of neuronal ensembles recorded with a MEA during acute preparations without the requirement of specialized array electrodes. In addition, evaluation of activity recorded from silver-labeled sites revealed a previously unappreciated degree of connectivity between midcervical interneurons.