bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
R3 versus R4 Thoracoscopic Sympathectomy for Severe Palmar Hyperhidrosis
Authors: Wei Yiping , Jiang Han , Xu Jianjun , Yu Dongliang , Zhang Wenxiong
Published: March 2017

Background Thoracoscopic sympathectomy (TS) was the preferred surgical treatment for palmar hyperhidrosis (PH), but postoperative complications such as compensatory sweating (CS) were common. This study was projected to compare R3 versus R4 TS for treating severe PH.

Methods From April 2009 and March 2015, 106 consecutive patients with severe PH underwent bilateral R3 (n = 62) or R4 (n = 44) TS at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. The patients were followed up to evaluate symptom resolution, postoperative complications, satisfaction level, and severity of CS.

Results The 106 patients underwent 212 sympathecotomies and were cured with no severe complications or perioperative mortality. The incidence of minor side effects (such as pneumothorax, gustatory sweating, moist hands, and bradycardia) was similar in both groups. More patients had overdry hands in the R3 group than in the R4 group (6/62 vs. 0/44; p = 0.040). More CS occurred in the R3 group as compared with the R4 group (42/62 vs. 23/44; p = 0.156). The incidence of moderate-to-severe CS was higher in the R3 group than in the R4 group (14/62 vs. 4/40; p = 0.045). Most patients were satisfied with the results, except for three (5.84%) in the R3 group and one (2.27%) in the R4 group.

Conclusion PH can be effectively treated by either R3 or R4 TS, with high rates of patient satisfaction. R4 sympathectomy appears to be associated with less severe CS and should be the choice of denervation level.
Diagnostisches Vorgehen bei Verdacht auf Aderhautmelanom
Authors: Girbardt C. , Rehak M. , Wiedemann P.
Published: March 2017

Wird bei der Funduskopie ein Tumor des Augenhintergrunds entdeckt, so gilt es, alle Informationen zusammenzutragen, die die Diagnose eines Aderhautmelanoms bestätigen oder ausschließen können. Dazu steht eine Reihe exakt definierter funduskopischer Kriterien zur Verfügung, mit deren Hilfe allein oftmals bereits ein hohes Maß an diagnostischer Sicherheit erlangt werden kann. Zudem existiert eine Reihe apparativer Zusatzuntersuchungen, die zur Abgrenzung möglicher Differenzialdiagnosen herangezogen werden können. In unklaren Fällen kann eine Biopsie durchgeführt werden, oder es erfolgen Verlaufskontrollen zur Beobachtung eines möglichen Wachstums. Wird die Diagnose eines Aderhautmelanoms gestellt, so muss ein Staging zur Metastasensuche erfolgen.
Spin-wave propagation in ultra-thin YIG based waveguides
Authors: Collet M. , Gladii O. , Evelt M. , Bessonov V. , Soumah L. , Bortolotti P. , Demokritov S. O. , Henry Y. , Cros V. , Bailleul M. , Demidov V. E. , Anane A.
Published: March 2017

Spin-wave propagation in microfabricated 20 nm thick, 2.5 μm wide Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG) waveguides is studied using propagating spin-wave spectroscopy (PSWS) and phase resolved micro-focused Brillouin Light Scattering (μ-BLS) spectroscopy. We demonstrate that spin-wave propagation in 50 parallel waveguides is robust against microfabrication induced imperfections and extract spin-wave propagation parameters for the Damon-Eshbach configuration in a wide range of excitation frequencies. As expected from its low damping, YIG allows for the propagation of spin waves over long distances; the attenuation lengths is 25 μm at μ0H = 45 mT. Moreover, direct mapping of spin waves by μ-BLS allows us to reconstruct the spin-wave dispersion relation and to confirm the multi-mode propagation in the waveguides, glimpsed by propagating spin-wave spectroscopy.
In-motion coarse alignment method based on reconstructed observation vectors
Authors: Xu Xiang , Xu Xiaosu , Yao Yiqing , Wang Zhicheng
Published: March 2017

In this paper, an in-motion coarse alignment method is proposed based on the reconstructed observation vectors. Since the complicated noises are contained in the outputs of the inertial sensors, the components of measurement observation vectors, which are constructed by the sensors’ outputs, are analyzed in detail. To suppress the high-frequency noises, an effective digital filter based on the Infinite Impulse Response technology is employed. On the basis of the parameter models of the observation vectors, a new form Kalman filter, which is also an adaptive filter, is designed for the recognition of the parameter matrix. Furthermore, a robust filter technology, which is based on the Huber’s M-estimation, is employed to suppress the gross outliers, which are caused by the movement of the carrier. Simulation test and field trial are designed to verify the proposed method. All the alignment results demonstrate that the performance of the proposed method is superior to the conventional optimization-based alignment and the digital filter alignment, which are the current popular methods.
Variational approach to powder-binder separation in Poiseuille and Couette flows
Authors: Oh Youngmin , Park Dong Yong , Park Seong Jin , Fontelos Marco Antonio , Hwang Hyung Ju
Published: March 2017

To predict the time-evolution of powder separation in the Phillips model, we derive an essential condition under a viscosity model for non-Newtonian fluids which considers the effects of shear rate and particle volume fraction. Under the condition, the time-evolution is independent of initial conditions, and powder separation converges in time to smooth steady-states. The proposed condition also determines the existence and uniqueness of smooth steady-states and the degree of powder separation. Finally, we compare the theoretical prediction for the particle volume fraction to numerical verification for the purpose of confirming our prediction.
Experimental and theoretical study of iron and mild steel combustion in oxygen flows
Authors: El-Rabii Hazem , Kazakov Kirill A. , Muller Maryse
Published: March 2017

The effects of oxygen flow speed and pressure on the iron and mild steel combustion are investigated experimentally and theoretically. The studied specimens are vertical cylindrical rods subjected to an axial oxygen flow and ignited at the upper end by laser irradiation. Three main stages of the combustion process have been identified experimentally: (1) induction period, during which the rod is heated until an intensive metal oxidation begins at its upper end; (2) static combustion, during which a laminar liquid “cap’’ slowly grows on the upper rod end, and, after the liquid cap detachment from the sample; (3) dynamic combustion, which is characterized by a rapid metal consumption and turbulent liquid motions. An analytical description of these stages is given. In particular, a model of the dynamic combustion is constructed based on the turbulent oxygen transport through the liquid metal-oxide flow. This model yields a simple expression for the fraction of metal burned in the process and allows one to calculate the normal propagation speed of the solid metal–liquid interface as a function of the oxygen flow speed and pressure. A comparison of the theory with the experimental results is made, and its potential application is mentioned.
Suppression of inter-device variation for component analysis of turbid liquids based on spatially resolved diffuse reflectance spectroscopy
Authors: Zhang Shengzhao , Zhang Linna , Li Gang , Lin Ling
Published: March 2017

Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy is a useful tool for obtaining quantitative information in turbid media, which is always achieved by developing a multivariate regression model that links the spectral signal to the component concentrations. However, in most cases, variations between the actual measurement and the modeling process of the device may cause errors in predicting a component’s concentration. In this paper, we propose a data-processing method to resist these variations. The method involves performing a curve fitting of the multiple-position diffuse reflectance spectral data. One of the parameters in the fitting function was found to be insensitive to inter-device variations and sensitive to the component concentrations. The parameter of the fitted equation was used in the modeling instead of directly using the spectral signal. Experiments demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method and its resistance to errors induced by inter-device variations.
Vortex dynamics in nonlinear free surface flows
Authors: Curtis Christopher W. , Kalisch Henrik
Published: March 2017

The two-dimensional motion of point vortices in an inviscid fluid with a free surface and an impenetrable bed is investigated. The work is based on forming a closed system of equations for surface variables and vortex positions using a variant of the Ablowitz, Fokas, and Musslimani formulation [M. J. Ablowitz, A. S. Fokas, and Z. H. Musslimani, J. Fluid Mech. 562, 313–343 (2006)] of the water-wave free-surface problem. The equations are approximated with a dealiased spectral method making use of a high-order approximation of the Dirichlet-Neumann operator and a high-order time-stepping scheme. Numerical simulations reveal that the combination of vortex motion and solid bottom boundary yields interesting dynamics not seen in the case of vortex motion in an infinitely deep fluid. In particular, strong deformations of the free surface, including non-symmetric surface profiles and regions of large energy concentration, are observed. Our simulations also uncover a rich variety of vortex trajectories including orbiting and nearly parallel patterns of motion. The dynamics of the free surface and of the point vortices are strongly influenced by the initial placement and polarity of the vortices. The method put forward here is flexible enough to handle a large number of vortices and may easily be extended to include the effects of varying bathymetry, stratification, and background shear currents.
Design of Al2O3/SiO2 laminated stacks with multiple interface dipole layers to achieve large flatband voltage shifts of MOS capacitors
Authors: Kamata Hironobu , Kita Koji
Published: March 2017

We studied the dipole induced flatband voltage (VFB) shifts of Si MOS capacitors with Al2O3/SiO2/Al2O3/SiO2/Si laminated stacks ((Al2O3/SiO2)n/Si, n = 2) designed for a large positive shift of VFB. The VFB shift caused by each dipole layer was determined from capacitance-voltage characteristics by excluding the effect of fixed charges. Due to the additivity of multiple dipole layers in the laminated stack, a large VFB shift (>1 V) was observed. In our experimental condition, the dipole layers at Al2O3-on-SiO2 interfaces were selectively formed, while those at SiO2-on-Al2O3 interfaces were effectively suppressed. The validity of such additivity of VFB shifts induced by selectively formed dipole layers was also experimentally demonstrated for n ≥ 3 laminated stacks. An introduction of multiple dipole layers is applicable for a threshold voltage tuning in a wider range than the tuning with a single dipole layer.
Note: One order of magnitude better signal-to-noise ratio for neutron backscattering
Authors: Appel Markus , Frick Bernhard
Published: March 2017

We report on a new achievement which allows increasing the signal-to-noise ratio of reactor backscattering spectrometers by more than one order of magnitude by sacrificing at most 50% of the count rate. This method was recently tested on the backscattering instrument IN16B at ILL, where signal-to-noise ratios of more than 10 000 for standard samples and up to 40 000 for strong scatterers were measured with only 37% reduction in intensity. The described method is applicable at any reactor backscattering spectrometer equipped with a so-called background chopper which can optionally function as a pulse suppression chopper and presents a major advancement for high energy resolution spectroscopy with neutrons.
Fabrication of non-polar GaN based highly responsive and fast UV photodetector
Authors: Gundimeda Abhiram , Krishna Shibin , Aggarwal Neha , Sharma Alka , Sharma Nita Dilawar , Maurya K. K. , Husale Sudhir , Gupta Govind
Published: March 2017

We report the fabrication of ultraviolet photodetector on non-polar (11–20), nearly stress free, Gallium Nitride (GaN) film epitaxially grown on r-plane (1–102) sapphire substrate. High crystalline film leads to the formation of two faceted triangular islands like structures on the surface. The fabricated GaN ultraviolet photodetector exhibited a high responsivity of 340 mA/W at 5 V bias at room temperature which is the best performance reported for a-GaN/r-sapphire films. A detectivity of 1.24 × 109 Jones and noise equivalent power of 2.4 × 10−11 WHz−1/2 were also attained. The rise time and decay time of 280 ms and 450 ms have been calculated, respectively, which were the fastest response times reported for non-polar GaN ultraviolet photodetector. Such high performance devices substantiate that non-polar GaN can serve as an excellent photoconductive material for ultraviolet photodetector based applications.
Influence of thermal losses at the gate contact of Si nanowire transistors: A phenomenological treatment in quantum transport theory
Authors: Rhyner Reto , Luisier Mathieu
Published: March 2017

A quantum mechanical simulation approach relying on the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism, combining atomistic electron and phonon transport, and accounting for phonon losses at the gate contact is presented in this paper. To correctly capture self-heating effects in ultra-scaled gate-all-around nanowire field-effect transistors, it is necessary to go beyond electron-phonon and anharmonic phonon-phonon interactions. A phenomenological self-energy derived from Fourier's law is therefore introduced to model heat flows through oxide layers. It is found that in an NWFET with a channel length of 15 nm turning on thermal losses at the gate contact leads to a decrease in the maximum lattice temperature by more than 100 K and to a 10% increase in the device current in the ON-state.
Monostable superrepellent materials
Authors: Li Yanshen , Quéré David , Lv Cunjing , Zheng Quanshui
Published: March 2017

Significance

Existence of monostable Cassie states is exhibited using simple pillars exposed to mercury and dual-length-scale structures exposed to water, respectively. Then, transitions from the Cassie state to the Wenzel state are repaired without energy input, which prevents the often-reported irreversible breakdowns of superhydrophobicity. Constructing a phase diagram where both the texture density and the surface chemistry are varied allows us to establish the conditions of monostability. Furthermore, the region in the phase diagram where monostable Cassie states are observed is found to be large enough to guide further design and engineering of robust superrepellent materials.
Chapter 7. ‘Parallel gesturing’ in adult-child conversations
Authors: Graziano Maria , Kendon Adam , Cristilli Carla
Published: March 2017

Sometimes a speaker repeats an interlocutor’s gesture, at least partially. Such ‘parallel gesturing’ illustrates how gestures can enter into the conversational exchange along with speech. Here we describe examples observed in adult-child conversations (children between 3 and 9 years). Four contexts are noted: (1) adult or child repeats speech and gesture of the other’s utterance in displaying understanding; (2) the adult repeats the child’s gesture, often with modification, when offering the child a more complete or correct expression of what it just said; (3) the adult repeats the child’s gesture when matching the child’s expressive style; (4) either adult or child parallels the other’s gesture when expressions of similar discourse type are reciprocated. Children, like adults, can pay attention to each other’s gestures, as well as to words. Differences between adult and child in how a ‘paralleled’ gesture is performed shows that gestural performance, like speech, involves maturation.
Chapter 8. Sentences and conversations before speech?
Authors: Vallotton Claire D.
Published: March 2017

The author wishes to acknowledge the children, parents, student caregivers, and staff of the Center for Child and Family Studies at the University of California, Davis for their time and patience with this study. Thanks also to the dedicated and talented research assistants who collected and coded these data. Preparation of this manuscript was supported in part by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, grant number 1 F32 HD050040-01. Before first words, children use gestures to communicate and represent concepts. This study investigated two questions: Can infants pair gestures together to create two-gesture sentences? Further, can preverbal children engage in conceptually focused gesturing conversations? I observed 10 infants for 8 months during interactions with caregivers and coded all gesturing behavior. I used longitudinal growth modeling to analyze the developmental trajectories of gesturing sentence and conversation length. Infants formed 2-gesture sentences as early as 9 months and 3-gesture sentences at 1 year. Infants engaged in 4-turn conversations as early as 11 months; maximum gesture conversation length was 16 turns. Infants’ early gesturing frequency and variety predicted later sentence length; however, caregivers’ gesturing sentence length suppressed child’s sentence length.
Chapter 25. Music and leadership
Authors: Poggi Isabella
Published: March 2017

This chapter views the choir conductor as the leader of a cooperative group, whose role is not simply to provide technical instruction, but also to motivate singers, provide feedback, express the pleasure of music. It assumes that every choir conductor pursues a specific plan of action and that his/her multimodal behaviour is aimed at fulfilling the goals in that plan. It proposes an annotation scheme for analyzing a conductor’s head, eyebrow, eye, mouth, trunk and hand actions in terms of their physical parameters, their literal and indirect meanings, and their goals within the conductor’s plan. The scheme allows for the outlining of the body styles of different conductors, distinguishing them in terms of the goals fulfilled in their conduction.
Answering the Call to Accessible Quality Health Care for All Using a New Model of Local Community Not-for-Profit Charity Clinics: A Return to Christ-Centered Care of the Past
Authors: Cuellar De la Cruz Yuri , Robinson Stephen
Published: March 2017

This article uses studies and organizational trends to understand available solutions to the lack of quality health care access, especially for the poor and needy of local U.S. communities. The U.S. healthcare system seems to be moving toward the World Health Organization's recommendation for universal health coverage for healthcare sustainability. Healthcare trends and offered solutions are varied. Christian healthcare traditionally implements works of mercy guided by a Christian ethos embracing the teachings of human dignity, solidarity, the common good, and subsidiarity. Culture of Life Ministries is one of many new sustainable U.S. healthcare models which implements Christ-centered health care to meet the need of quality and accessible health care for the local community. Culture of Life Ministries employs a model of charity care through volunteerism. Volunteer workers not only improve but also transform the local healthcare system into a personal healing ministry of the highest quality for every person.

The lack of access to quality health care is a common problem in the U.S. despite various solutions offered through legislative and socioeconomic works: universal healthcare models, insurance models, and other business models. U.S. health care would be best transformed by returning to the implementation of a traditional system founded on the Christian principles of human dignity, solidarity, subsidiarity, and the common good. Culture of Life Ministries is an example of such a local ministry in Texas, which has found success in practically applying these Christ-centered, healthcare principles into an emerging not-for-profit, economically sustainable, healthcare model.
Playback Theatre, Autoethnography and Generosity
Authors: Bird Drew
Published: March 2017

The article reflects on practice as a playback theatre practitioner using the research methodology of autoethnography. The paper explores how generosity can help alleviate egocentric tendencies as an actor and overreliance on technique as a conductor. It considers generosity as central to cultivating the playback spirit and evidences how their understanding of generosity has impacted on their development as a playback practitioner. Generosity is considered as the catalyst for being able to forge more honest relationships with the teller and audience. The article furthers the thinking on how focussing on others helps facilitate ‘letting go’ of habitual patterns in the different context of dramatherapy practice. The therapeutic dynamic is considered, reflecting on how the author is more open, vulnerable and honest with clients as a consequence of their learning as a playback practitioner.
Associate Factors of Delinquency Among Incarcerated Male Juveniles in a Borstal Institution in Nigeria
Authors: Olashore Anthony A. , Akanni Oluyemi O. , Olashore Odunayo O.
Published: March 2017

Factors associated with delinquency are poorly understood in Nigeria because of paucity in research, and the knowledge of such is considered invaluable. A cross-sectional study aimed at examining the reasons for confinement in a borstal institution, and predictors of delinquency was conducted. Data from 147 incarcerated juveniles were analyzed: the presence of conduct disorders, OR = 2.27; 95% CI: 1.05–4.91, and “repeated incarceration”, OR = 6.36; 95% CI: 2.06–19.69, were the only predictors of delinquency after regression analysis. These factors play influential roles in explaining delinquency; while the roles of other factors require further investigation.
Proceedings of the ISEV symposium on “HIV, NeuroAIDS, drug abuse & EVs”
Authors: Hu Guoku , Witwer Kenneth W. , Bond Vincent C. , Haughey Norman , Kashanchi Fatah , Pulliam Lynn , Buch Shilpa
Published: March 2017

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are globular, membrane bound nanovesicles (30–100 nm range) that are shed both during normal cellular functioning and under pathological conditions by most cell types. In recent years, there has been significant interest in the study of these vesicles as conduits for the delivery of information between cells from both analogous and disparate tissues. Their ability to carry specialised cargo including signalling mediators, proteins, messenger RNA and miRNAs characterises these vesicles as primary facilitators of cell‐to‐cell communication and regulation. EVs have also been demonstrated to play important roles in the field of cancer biology and metastasis. However, significant knowledge gaps exist in the role these vesicles play in the context of HIV infection and drug abuse. To foster discussion in this area a satellite symposium on “HIV, NeuroAIDS, Drug Abuse & EVs”, was held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) in Bethesda, in April 2015. Experts in HIV and drug abuse fields were invited to share their findings on the role of EVs in HIV‐1 infection and drug addiction. Additional discussion included current areas of research in EV biology in HIV infection and drug abuse.
Distinct roles of light-activated channels TRP and TRPL in photoreceptors of Periplaneta americana
Authors: Saari Paulus , French Andrew S. , Torkkeli Päivi H. , Liu Hongxia , Immonen Esa-Ville , Frolov Roman V.
Published: March 2017

Electrophysiological studies in Drosophila melanogaster and Periplaneta americana have found that the receptor current in their microvillar photoreceptors is generated by two light-activated cationic channels, TRP (transient receptor potential) and TRPL (TRP-like), each having distinct properties. However, the relative contribution of the two channel types to sensory information coding by photoreceptors remains unclear. We recently showed that, in contrast to the diurnal Drosophila in which TRP is the principal phototransduction channel, photoreceptors of the nocturnal P. americana strongly depend on TRPL. Here, we perform a functional analysis, using patch-clamp and intracellular recordings, of P. americana photoreceptors after RNA interference to knock down TRP (TRPkd) and TRPL (TRPLkd). Several functional properties were changed in both knockdown phenotypes: cell membrane capacitance was reduced 1.7-fold, light sensitivity was greatly reduced, and amplitudes of sustained light-induced currents and voltage responses decreased more than twofold over the entire range of light intensities. The information rate (IR) was tested using a Gaussian white-noise modulated light stimulus and was lower in TRPkd photoreceptors (28 ± 21 bits/s) than in controls (52 ± 13 bits/s) because of high levels of bump noise. In contrast, although signal amplitudes were smaller than in controls, the mean IR of TRPLkd photoreceptors was unchanged at 54 ± 29 bits/s1 because of proportionally lower noise. We conclude that TRPL channels provide high-gain/high-noise transduction, suitable for vision in dim light, whereas transduction by TRP channels is relatively low-gain/low-noise and allows better information transfer in bright light.
Special birational transformations of type (2,1)
Authors: Fu Baohua , Hwang Jun-Muk
Published: March 2017

A birational transformation

\Phi : \mathbb {P}^n \dasharrow Z \subset \mathbb {P}^N, where

Z
⊂

P

N

Z \subset \mathbb {P}^N

is a nonsingular variety of Picard number 1, is called a special birational transformation of type

(
a
,
b
)

(a,b)

if

Φ
\Phi

is given by a linear system of degree 

a
a

, its inverse

Φ

−
1

\Phi ^{-1}

is given by a linear system of degree

b
b

and the base locus

S
⊂

P

n

S \subset \mathbb {P}^n

of

Φ
\Phi

is irreducible and nonsingular. In this paper, we classify special birational transformations of type

(
2
,
1
)

(2,1)

. In addition to previous works by Alzati-Sierra and Russo on this topic, our proof employs natural

C

∗

\mathbb {C}^*

-actions on

Z
Z

in a crucial way. These

C

∗

\mathbb {C}^*

-actions also relate our result to the prolongation problem studied in our previous work.
Urban and Spatial Planning in Natural Hazard Risk Management
Authors: Birkmann Jörn
Published: March 2017

This is an advance summary of a forthcoming article in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Natural Hazard Science. Please check back later for the full article.

Spatial and urban planning are acknowledged as important tools and processes that influence exposure to natural and technical hazards and risk accumulation, as well as risk and vulnerability reduction. Even though natural hazards (such as floods) and technical hazards have been discussed in spatial and urban planning for quite some time in various countries and regions, only in a very few cities and regions has there been a sufficient and systematic approach to establish risk management as part of the planning task within the field of spatial planning and urban land-use planning. Risk management strategies in spatial and urban planning have often been strengthened after major crises, such as severe fires in the middle ages in cities in Europe, or after major floods or hurricanes in North America, Asia, and Latin America, as well as Europe and Africa. In this context, risk management is understood as a cluster of concrete and practical strategies and actions on how to handle risks, and in terms of spatial and urban planning, including those risks that are of spatial importance or significant with regard to planning processes.
MetCCS predictor: a web server for predicting collision cross-section values of metabolites in ion mobility-mass spectrometry based metabolomics
Authors: Zhou Zhiwei , Xiong Xin , Zhu Zheng-Jiang
Published: March 2017

In metabolomics, rigorous structural identification of metabolites presents a challenge for bioinformatics. The use of collision cross-section (CCS) values of metabolites derived from ion mobility-mass spectrometry effectively increases the confidence of metabolite identification, but this technique suffers from the limit number of available CCS values. Currently, there is no software available for rapidly generating the metabolites’ CCS values. Here, we developed the first web server, namely, MetCCS Predictor, for predicting CCS values. It can predict the CCS values of metabolites using molecular descriptors within a few seconds. Common users with limited background on bioinformatics can benefit from this software and effectively improve the metabolite identification in metabolomics.

Availability and Implementation

The web server is freely available at: http://www.metabolomics-shanghai.org/MetCCS/.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Dendritic cell expression of the signaling molecule TRAF6 is required for immune tolerance in the lung
Authors: Han Daehee , Walsh Matthew C , Kim Kwang Soon , Hong Sung-Wook , Lee Junyoung , Yi Jaeu , Rivas Gloriany , Choi Yongwon , Surh Charles D
Published: March 2017

Immune tolerance in the lung is important for preventing hypersensitivity, such as allergic asthma. Maintenance of tolerance in the lung is established by coordinated activities of poorly understood cellular and molecular mechanisms, including participation of dendritic cells (DCs). We have previously identified DC expression of the signaling molecule TRAF6 as a non-redundant requirement for the maintenance of immune tolerance in the small intestine of mice. Because mucosal tissues share similarities in how they interact with exogenous antigens, we examined the role of DC-expressed TRAF6 in the lung. As with the intestine, we found that the absence TRAF6 expression by DCs led to spontaneous generation of Th2-associated immune responses and increased susceptibility to model antigen-induced asthma. To examine the role of commensal microbiota, mice deficient in TRAF6 in DCs were treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics and/or re-derived on a germ-free (GF) background. Interestingly, we found that antibiotics-treated specific pathogen-free, but not GF, mice showed restored immune tolerance in the absence of DC-expressed TRAF6. We further found that antibiotics mediate microbiota-independent effects on lung T cells to promote immune tolerance in the lung. This work provides both a novel tool for studying immune tolerance in the lung and an advance in our conceptual understanding of potentially common molecular mechanisms of immune tolerance in both the intestine and the lung.
Ray Navarro’s Jesus Camp, AIDS Activist Video, and the “New Anti-Catholicism”
Authors: Petro Anthony M
Published: March 2017

This essay examines the 1990 documentary Like a Prayer, emphasizing performances by Chicano AIDS activist Ray Navarro, to reassess two prevailing narratives in religion and politics. First, it challenges the culture wars distinction between secular progressivism and religious conservatism that haunts histories of religion and sexuality. It locates American AIDS activism at the center of religious and sexual narratives to question the range of subjects that become visible as “religious.” Second, reading Like a Prayer as part of the archive of modern Catholicism exposes scholarly assumptions about the relationships between religion and politics, sincerity and performance, religion and secularism. This essay expands the archive of the culture wars—and of queer and Catholic history—to include another form of religious engagement: the use of camp. Thinking with an analytics of camp suggests how AIDS activists employed religious imagery in ways that confound the very division between Catholic and anti-Catholic, religious and secular.
Safety and Efficacy of the Sofia (6F) PLUS Distal Access Reperfusion Catheter in the Endovascular Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Shallwani Hussain , Shakir Hakeem J , Rangel-Castilla Leonardo , Davies Jason M , Sonig Ashish , Sattur Mithun G , Bendok Bernard R , Snyder Kenneth V , Siddiqui Adnan H , Levy Elad I
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND

Neuroendovascular intervention has become a key treatment option for acute ischemic stroke. The Sofia (6F) PLUS catheter was designed for neurovascular access for diagnostic or therapeutic interventions.

OBJECTIVE

To report the first series describing use of the Sofia PLUS intermediate/distal access reperfusion catheter in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, 41 stroke cases were identified in which the catheter was utilized for thrombolysis/thrombectomy. Mean preprocedure National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 16.5 ± 5.2 (range 4-29). Occluded vessels included the M1 segment, M2 segment, internal carotid artery terminus, cervical internal carotid artery, and basilar artery.

RESULTS

Successful positioning of the Sofia PLUS catheter near the occlusion site was achieved in 38 (92.7%) of 41 cases in which thrombectomy or thrombolysis was attempted using intraarterial tissue plasminogen activator, a direct aspiration first-pass technique, and/or stent retrieval. A postprocedure thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) score of 2b/3 was achieved in 37 of 41 cases. Of 15 cases where the Sofia PLUS was used for a direct aspiration first-pass technique, TICI 2b/3 was achieved in 11 (73.3%). In one case where intra-arterial tissue plasminogen activator was used as the only treatment modality, TICI 2a was achieved. No device-related or catheter-related complications were observed. The mean 7-d-postprocedure National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score among the 39 survivors was 8.5 ± 7.3 (range 0-23).

CONCLUSION

Initial results with use of the Sofia (6F) PLUS for endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke have been encouraging. Experience with a larger series is warranted to further evaluate the safety and efficacy of this device and compare it with other reperfusion catheters.
Exercise
Authors: Hechanova Rachel L. , Wegler Jennifer L. , Forest Christopher P.
Published: March 2017

Sedentary lifestyles and low physical activity have led to rising health concerns and increasing mortality risks. With the growing concern of the inactivity of adult Americans, it is important that physical activity be promoted to prevent disease and reduce health risks. This article reviews the benefits of physical activity and the steps that primary care providers should take to evaluate physical activity as the fifth vital sign in every patient encounter. The 5A's (assess, advise, agree, assist, and arrange) should be applied in order to implement an exercise prescription into the practice of medicine.
Water and temperature stress define the optimal flowering period for wheat in south-eastern Australia
Authors: Flohr B.M. , Hunt J.R. , Kirkegaard J.A. , Evans J.R.
Published: March 2017

Across the Australian wheat belt, the time at which wheat flowers is a critical determinant of yield. In all environments an optimal flowering period (OFP) exists which is defined by decreasing frost risk, and increasing water and heat stress. Despite their critical importance, OFPs have not been comprehensively defined across south eastern Australia’s (SEA) cropping zone using yield estimates incorporating temperature, radiation and water-stress. In this study, the widely validated cropping systems model APSIM was used to simulate wheat yield and flowering date, with reductions in yield applied for frost and heat damage based on air temperatures during sensitive periods. Simulated crops were sown at weekly intervals from April 1 to July 15 of each year. The relationship between flowering date and grain yield was established for 28 locations using 51-years (1963-2013) of climate records. We defined OFPs as the flowering period which was associated with a mean yield of ≥ 95% of maximum yield from the combination of 51 seasons and 16 sowing dates. OFPs for wheat in SEA varied with site and season and were largely driven by seasonal water supply and demand, with extremes of heat and temperature having a secondary though auto-correlated effect. Quantifying OFPs will be a vital first step to identify suitable genotype x sowing date combinations to maximise yield in different locations, particularly given recent and predicted regional climate shifts including the decline in autumn rainfall.
Feminizing Wolbachia endosymbiont disrupts maternal sex chromosome inheritance in a butterfly species
Authors: Kageyama Daisuke , Ohno Mizuki , Sasaki Tatsushi , Yoshido Atsuo , Konagaya Tatsuro , Jouraku Akiya , Kuwazaki Seigo , Kanamori Hiroyuki , Katayose Yuichi , Narita Satoko , Miyata Mai , Riegler Markus , Sahara Ken
Published: March 2017

Genomes are vulnerable to selfish genetic elements that enhance their own transmission often at the expense of host fitness. Examples are cytoplasmic elements such as maternally inherited bacteria that cause feminization, male-killing, parthenogenesis and cytoplasmic incompatibility. We demonstrate, for the first time, that segregation distortion, a phenomenon so far seen only for nuclear genetic elements, can also be caused by a cytoplasmic element, the ubiquitous endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia. For Eurema mandarina butterfly lineages with a Z0 sex chromosome constitution, we provide direct and conclusive evidence that Wolbachia induces production of all-female progeny by a dual role: the compensation for the female-determining function that is absent in Z0 lineages (feminization) and the prevention of maternal sex chromosome inheritance to offspring as a specific type of segregation distortion. Therefore, our findings highlight that both sex determination and chromosome inheritance — crucially important developmental processes of higher eukaryotes — can be manipulated by cytoplasmic parasites.
From the statistics of connectivity to the statistics of spike times in neuronal networks
Authors: Ocker Gabriel Koch , Hu Yu , Buice Michael A. , Doiron Brent , Josić KreŠimir , Rosenbaum Robert , Shea-Brown Eric
Published: March 2017

An essential step toward understanding neural circuits is linking their structure and their dynamics. In general, this relationship can be almost arbitrarily complex. Recent theoretical work has, however, begun to identify some broad principles underlying collective spiking activity in neural circuits. The first is that local features of network connectivity can be surprisingly effective in predicting global statistics of activity across a network. The second is that, for the important case of large networks with excitatory-inhibitory balance, correlated spiking persists or vanishes depending on the spatial scales of recurrent and feedforward connectivity. We close by showing how these ideas, together with plasticity rules, can help to close the loop between network structure and activity statistics.

Highlights

Remarkable new data on connectivity and activity raise the promise and raise the bar for linking structure and dynamics in neural networks.

Recent theories aim at a statistical approach, in which the enormous complexity of wiring diagrams is reduced to key features of that connectivity that drive coherent, network-wide activity.

We provide a unified view of three branches of this work, tied to a broadly useful “neural response” formula that explicitly relates connectivity to spike train statistics.

This isolates a surprisingly systematic role for the local structure and spatial scale of connectivity in determining spike correlations, and shows how the coevolution of structured connectivity and spiking statistics through synaptic plasticity can be predicted self-consistently.
Rapid genome recoding by iterative recombineering of synthetic DNA
Authors: Lau Yu Heng , Stirling Finn , Kuo James , Karrenbelt Michiel A.P. , Chan Yujia A. , Riesselman Adam , Horton Connor A. , Schaefer Elena , Lips David , Weinstock Matthew T. , Gibson Daniel G. , Way Jeffrey C. , Silver Pamela A.
Published: March 2017

Genome recoding will provide a deeper understanding of genetics and transform biotechnology. We bypass the reliance of previous genome recoding methods on site-specific enzymes and demonstrate a rapid recombineering based strategy for writing genomes by Stepwise Integration of Rolling Circle Amplified Segments (SIRCAS). We installed the largest number of codon substitutions in a single organism yet published, creating a strain ofSalmonella typhimuriumwith 1557 leucine codon changes across 200 kb of the genome.
Genoppi: a web application for interactive integration of experimental proteomics results with genetic datasets
Authors: Kim April , Malolepsza Edyta , Lim Justin , Lage Kasper
Published: March 2017

Integrating protein-protein interaction experiments and genetic datasets can lead to new insight into the cellular processes implicated in diseases, but this integration is technically challenging. Here, we present Genoppi, a web application that integrates quantitative interaction proteomics data and results from genome-wide association studies or exome sequencing projects, to highlight biological relationships that might otherwise be difficult to discern. Written in R, Python and Bash script, Genoppi is a user-friendly framework easily deployed across Mac OS and Linux distributions.

Availability

Genoppi is open source and available athttps://github.com/lagelab/Genoppi

Contact

aprilkim@broadinstitute.organdlage.kasper@mgh.harvard.edu
Is there really any difference between lesson and learning study? Both focus on neriage
Authors: Wood Keith
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight similarities between Japanese lesson study, Chinese lesson study and learning study.

Design/methodology/approach

This editorial review is intended to stimulate a discussion about a critical aspect of both Lesson and learning studies exemplified by the texts published in issue 6.2 of this journal.

Findings

The author identifies neriage, the comparison and discussion phase of Japanese lesson study, as a critical aspect of both Lesson and learning studies and emphasises that both involve research leading to teachers learning what makes effective lessons possible. Attention is drawn to the importance of being explicit about the theory of learning behind Lesson and learning studies and how its implementation leads to teacher learning.

Originality/value

This editorial review provides a framework for evaluating the quality of lesson and learning studies in educational institutions.
Lesson studies in initial mathematics teacher education
Authors: da Ponte João Pedro
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the research concerning the use of lesson studies in the education of secondary school prospective mathematics teachers. It discusses the adaptations made on the designs, the aims and outcomes established, the processes used, and the needed improvements in the experiences reported so far.

Design/methodology/approach

The scientific studies reviewed were identified in a Google search, using the key words “lesson study”, “mathematics”, and “secondary.” The identified material was recorded in a database and the themes for the analysis cover the planning, execution, and reflection phases of a formative process.

Findings

The paper identifies the several pending issues regarding the use of lesson studies in prospective teacher education such as defining the aims, establishing the relationships among participants, scaling, and adapting lesson studies for the particular purpose of educating future teachers.

Research limitations/implications

At a practical level, this review suggests that lesson studies in pre-service teacher education must have a clear formative aim. It also shows that many formats are possible and must be chosen according to the specific conditions. In addition, it suggests the need for research regarding the definition of the aims, the working relationships established among participants, the problem of scale, and the problem of adaptation or simplification.

Originality/value

The paper identifies the key issues in the design of lesson studies in initial teacher education. It argues that besides signaling the positive outcomes, more critical (or self-critical) investigations are needed, e.g. using external researchers as “critical friends”, which address their difficulties, limitations, and drawbacks in a more thorough way.
Improving English language teaching through lesson study
Authors: Goh Rachel , Fang Yanping
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on how a grade level team in a Singapore primary school used lesson study to mediate the implementation of the English language national curriculum. It aims to explore how this process had mobilised different teachers’ knowledge, challenged their beliefs of teaching and student learning, and created impact on their learning and knowledge.

Design/methodology/approach

An interpretive qualitative study using a case study methodology was employed. Data collected included participant observations and individual interviews. Transcripts of lesson study discussions were open coded for the content of teacher discourse and the sources of influences on the teachers’ reasoning and action.

Findings

The findings indicate that each stage of the lesson process engaged teachers’ deliberative discourse differently and constituted their building a common inquiry stance into the problem of student learning in reading and writing, moving away from a lesson-based view to embracing a curriculum-based deliberation, and challenging their shared assumptions and enabling their learning to adopt the students’ lens in improving the research lesson.

Originality/value

This study provides an illustrative case on how teachers’ talk about work practices in lesson study mediated teacher learning in a group context. The study established the importance of an interconnected view of teacher interaction in lesson study that factored in the consideration of the influences at the teachers’ level and at the school’s level that enabled and/ or impeded a broader consideration of practice and richer conditions for the mentoring of novice teachers in the team.
A response to “A preventable death? A family’s perspective on an adult safeguarding review regarding an adult with traumatic brain injury”
Authors: Morgan Pete
Published: March 2017

Purpose

To reflect on the particular case from a professional’s perspective to provide, in conjunction with the original article, a more holistic overview of some of its implications for safeguarding practice and, by definition, for the provision of health and social care support services to individuals with a traumatic brain injury and their families. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

A response to an already published article.

Findings

That a lack of “professional curiosity” on the part of practitioners across a range of professions and agencies led to a failure to initiate safeguarding processes and procedures appropriately, resulting in avoidable damage to the subject of the article, the author’s partner and their families.

Practical implications

There is a need for a greater awareness and understanding of the implications of traumatic brain injuries across health and social care services: that hospital discharge planning and community support services need to be more flexible in identifying and meeting the needs of patients with traumatic brain injury, that there is no substitute for “professional curiosity” in ensuring that assessments are holistic, and that services are appropriate and multi-agency working is effective.

Originality/value

This is a response to an existing publication.