bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comparison of injuries in elite male and female football players: A five‐season prospective study
Authors: Larruskain J. , Lekue J. A. , Diaz N. , Odriozola A. , Gil S. M.
Published: February 2017

The aim was to compare the epidemiology of injuries between elite male and female football players from the same club. Injuries and individual exposure time in a male team and a female team, both playing in the Spanish first division, were prospectively recorded by the club's medical staff for five seasons (2010‐2015) following the FIFA consensus statement. Total, training, and match exposure hours per player‐season were 20% higher for men compared to women (P<.01). Total, training, and match injury incidence were 30%‐40% higher in men (P≤.04) mainly due to a 4.82 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.30‐10.08) times higher incidence of contusions, as there were no differences in the incidence of muscle and joint/ligament injuries (P≥.44). The total number of absence days was 21% larger in women owing to a 5.36 (95% CI 1.11‐25.79) times higher incidence of severe knee and ankle ligament injuries. Hamstring strains and pubalgia cases were 1.93 (95% CI 1.16‐3.20) and 11.10 (95% CI 1.48‐83.44) times more frequent in men, respectively; whereas quadriceps strains, anterior cruciate ligament ruptures, and ankle syndesmosis injuries were 2.25 (95% CI 1.22‐4.17), 4.59 (95% CI 0.93‐22.76), and 5.36 (95% CI 1.11‐25.79) times more common in women, respectively. In conclusion, prevention strategies should be tailored to the needs of male and female football players, with men more predisposed to hamstring strains and hip/groin injuries, and women to quadriceps strains and severe knee and ankle ligament injuries.
Muscle stiffness of posterior lower leg in runners with a history of medial tibial stress syndrome
Authors: Saeki J. , Nakamura M. , Nakao S. , Fujita K. , Yanase K. , Ichihashi N.
Published: February 2017

Previous history of medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is a risk factor for MTSS relapse, which suggests that there might be some physical factors that are related to MTSS development in runners with a history of MTSS. The relationship between MTSS and muscle stiffness can be assessed in a cross‐sectional study that measures muscle stiffness in subjects with a history of MTSS, who do not have pain at the time of measurement, and in those without a history of MTSS. The purpose of this study was to compare the shear elastic modulus, which is an index of muscle stiffness, of all posterior lower leg muscles of subjects with a history of MTSS and those with no history and investigate which muscles could be related to MTSS. Twenty‐four male collegiate runners (age, 20.0±1.7 years; height, 172.7±4.8 cm; weight, 57.3±3.7 kg) participated in this study; 14 had a history of MTSS, and 10 did not. The shear elastic moduli of the lateral gastrocnemius, medial gastrocnemius, soleus, peroneus longus, peroneus brevis, flexor hallucis longus, flexor digitorum longus, and tibialis posterior were measured using shear wave elastography. The shear elastic moduli of the flexor digitorum longus and tibialis posterior were significantly higher in subjects with a history of MTSS than in those with no history. However, there was no significant difference in the shear elastic moduli of other muscles. The results of this study suggest that flexor digitorum longus and tibialis posterior stiffness could be related to MTSS.
sgs1: a neomorphic nac52 allele impairing post‐transcriptional gene silencing through SGS3 downregulation
Authors: Butel Nicolas , Le Masson Ivan , Bouteiller Nathalie , Vaucheret Hervé , Elmayan Taline
Published: February 2017

Post‐transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) is a defense mechanism that targets invading nucleic acids from endogenous (transposons) or exogenous (pathogens, transgenes) sources. Genetic screens based on the reactivation of silenced transgenes have long been used to identify cellular components and regulators of PTGS. Here we show that the first isolated PTGS‐deficient mutant, sgs1, is impaired in the transcription factor NAC52. This mutant exhibits striking similarities to a mutant impaired in the H3K4me3 demethylase JMJ14 isolated from the same genetic screen. These similarities include increased transgene promoter DNA methylation, reduced H3K4me3 and H3K36me3 levels, reduced PolII occupancy and reduced transgene mRNA accumulation. It is likely that increased DNA methylation is the cause of reduced transcription because the effect of jmj14 and sgs1 on transgene transcription is suppressed by drm2, a mutation that compromises de novo DNA methylation, suggesting that the JMJ14‐NAC52 module promotes transgene transcription by preventing DNA methylation. Remarkably, sgs1 has a stronger effect than jmj14 and nac52 null alleles on PTGS systems requiring siRNA amplification, and this is due to reduced SGS3 mRNA levels in sgs1. Given that the sgs1 mutation changes a conserved amino acid of the NAC proteins involved in homodimerization, we propose that sgs1 corresponds to a neomorphic nac52 allele encoding a mutant protein that lacks wild‐type NAC52 activity but promotes SGS3 downregulation. Together, these results indicate that impairment of PTGS in sgs1 is due to its dual effect on transgene transcription and SGS3 transcription, thus compromising siRNA amplification.
Septic transfusion case caused by a platelet pool with visible clotting due to contamination with Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Loza‐Correa Maria , Kou Yuntong , Taha Mariam , Kalab Miloslav , Ronholm Jennifer , Schlievert Patrick M. , Cahill Michael P. , Skeate Robert , Cserti‐Gazdewich Christine , Ramirez‐Arcos Sandra
Published: February 2017

BACKGROUND

Contamination of platelet concentrates (PCs) with Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most significant ongoing transfusion safety risks in developed countries.

CASE REPORT

This report describes a transfusion reaction in an elderly patient diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, transfused with a 4‐day‐old buffy coat PC through a central venous catheter. The transfusion was interrupted when a large fibrous clot in the PC obstructed infusion pump flow. Shortly afterward, a red blood cell (RBC) unit transfusion started. After septic symptoms were developed, the RBC transfusion was also interrupted. While the RBC unit tested negative for bacterial contamination, the PC and the patient samples were found to be contaminated with a S. aureus strain that exhibited the same phenotypic and genome sequencing profiles. The isolated S. aureus forms biofilms and produces the superantigen enterotoxin‐like U, which was detected in a sample of the transfused PCs. The patient received posttransfusion antibiotic treatment and had her original central line removed and replaced.

DISCUSSION

As the implicated PC had been tested for bacterial contamination during routine screening yielding negative results, this is a false‐negative transfusion sepsis case. Using a point‐of‐care test could have prevented the transfusion reaction. This report highlights the increasing incidence of S. aureus as a major PC contaminant with grave clinical implications. Importantly, S. aureus is able to interact with platelet components resulting in visible changes in PCs.

CONCLUSION

Visual inspection of blood components before transfusion is an essential safety practice to interdict the transfusion of bacterially contaminated units.
Fertiliser subsidy and agricultural productivity in Senegal
Authors: Seck Abdoulaye
Published: February 2017

This paper tackles one of the most complex and multifaceted agricultural policy decisions faced by African governments; that is, whether it makes sense to subsidise fertilisers. It combines a data envelopment analysis to compute efficiency scores and regression analyses that deal with self‐selectivity and endogeneity issues to examine the productive efficiency of farmers who benefited from the subsidy programme in the very atypical irrigated system of the Senegal River Valley. The results based on farm‐level data indicate that the subsidy programme seems to be working, as it appears to be associated with increased efficiency; hence, providing empirical support to the political will to revamp subsidy programmes. The results also suggest various ways to improve the effectiveness of the subsidy programme in conjunction with additional policy options to further unlock the agricultural potentials of the region.
Oxidative stress and immunosenescence in spleen of obese mice can be reversed by 2‐hydroxyoleic acid
Authors: Gheorghe Alina , Pérez de Heredia Fátima , Hunsche Caroline , Redondo Noemí , Díaz Ligia Esperanza , Hernández Oskarina , Marcos Ascensión , De la Fuente Mónica
Published: February 2017

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Evidence is growing for the link between obesity, immune dysfunction and oxidative stress, but it is still not known how the properties and functions of the spleen and splenic leucocytes are affected.

What is the main finding and its importance?

Obesity led to premature immunosenescence, manifested as oxidative stress and changes in leucocyte functions in mouse spleen. The oleic acid derivative 2‐hydroxyoleate and, to a lesser extent, a combination of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids could reverse most of the observed alterations, suggesting a potential therapeutic tool for obesity‐related immune dysfunction and redox imbalance.

We aimed to investigate the effects of obesity on oxidative stress and leucocyte function in the mouse spleen and to assess whether supplementation with 2‐hydroxyoleic acid (2‐OHOA) or n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) could reverse those effects. Female ICR/CD1 mice (8 weeks old, n = 24) received an obesogenic diet (22% fat for 4 weeks and 60% fat for 14 weeks). After 6 weeks, mice were divided into the following three groups (n = 8 per group): no supplementation; 2‐OHOA supplementation (1500 mg kg−1 of diet); and n‐3 PUFA supplementation (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, 1500 + 1500 mg kg−1 of diet). Eight mice were fed the standard diet for the whole duration of the study (control group). At the end of the experiment, the following variables were assessed in spleens: levels of reduced (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG), GSH/GSSG, xanthine oxidase activity, lipid peroxidation, lymphocyte chemotaxis, natural killer activity and mitogen (concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide)‐induced lymphocyte proliferation. Obese animals presented higher GSSG levels (P = 0.003), GSSG/GSH ratio (P = 0.013), lipid peroxidation (P = 0.004), xanthine oxidase activity (P = 0.015) and lymphocyte chemotaxis (P < 0.001), and lower natural killer activity (P = 0.003) and proliferation in response to concanavalin A (P < 0.001) than control mice. 2‐Hydroxyoleic acid totally or partly reversed most of the changes (body weight, fat content, GSSG levels, GSH/GSSG, lipid peroxidation, chemotaxis and proliferation, all P < 0.05), whereas n‐3 PUFAs reversed the increase in xanthine oxidase activity (P = 0.032). In conclusion, 2‐OHOA or, to a lesser extent, n‐3 PUFAs could ameliorate the oxidative stress and alteration of leucocyte function in the spleens of obese mice. Our findings support a link between obesity and immunosenescence and suggest a potential therapeutic tool for obesity‐related immune dysfunction.
A low-cost polarimeter for an undergraduate laboratory to study the polarization pattern of skylight
Authors: Abayaratne Chula P. , Bandara Vibodha
Published: February 2017

A simple, low-cost, fully automated polarimeter, which demonstrates fundamental properties of skylight scattering and polarization for undergraduate physics students, is described. The polarimeter includes a microprocessor-based control unit, a Sun tracker, an elevation-azimuth mount with two degrees of freedom, and a polarization sensor unit equipped with a light-dependent resistor for measuring light intensity. Results obtained in the principal plane of the Sun using the polarimeter on a relatively clear day, together with the theoretically expected results for a molecular atmosphere, are presented. A root-mean-square error comparison indicates fairly good agreement between theory and experiment. Construction and experimentation with the polarimeter will provide students with insight into important physical concepts involved in skylight scattering and polarization as well as improve their instrumentation capabilities.
Metamaterial hyperlens demonstration of propagation without diffraction
Authors: Fleming Simon
Published: February 2017

Metamaterials are a topic of much research interest because they have such extraordinary properties. Such materials are generally difficult and expensive to make and to characterize, and thus beyond the reach of undergraduate classes. This paper describes a metamaterial hyperlens, fabricated in about an hour from materials costing about one dollar, which permits an experimental demonstration of propagation without diffraction using common undergraduate laboratory microwave equipment.
Finding the location of the instantaneous center of rotation using a particle image velocimetry algorithm
Authors: Claessens Tom
Published: February 2017

This work is about planar rigid-body kinematics and, in particular, the principle of the instantaneous center of rotation (IC). Using a computer simulated approach, a workflow is presented that results in a visual representation of the locus of the IC, based on particle image velocimetry (PIV). Here, a small number of digital animations of textured objects are created with multibody dynamics software, and later imported in PIV software to extract the velocity field (magnitude and direction) of objects moving within a plane. We believe the workflow presented may help learners improve their understanding of the concept of the IC, thus enhancing their knowledge of rigid body kinematics.
Bathymetric diffraction of basin-scale hydroacoustic signals
Authors: Heaney Kevin D. , Prior Mark , Campbell Richard L.
Published: February 2017

The ocean is nearly transparent to low frequency sound permitting the observation of distant events such as earthquakes or explosions at fully basin scales. For very low frequency the ocean acts as a shallow-water waveguide and lateral variability in bathymetry can lead to out-of-plane effects. In this paper, data from the International Monitoring System of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) is used to present two cases where robustly localized seismic events in locations clearly within the two-dimensional (2-D) shadow of a continent or large island generate T-phase signals that are received on a hydro-acoustic station. A fully three- dimensional parabolic equation model is used to demonstrate that lateral variability of the bathymetry can lead to diffraction, explaining both observations. The implications of this are that the CTBTO network has greater coverage than predicted by 2-D models and that inclusion of diffraction in future processing can improve the automatic global association of hydroacoustic events.
Congress sharpens its regulatory ax
Authors: Science News Staff
Published: February 2017

Obscure Congressional Review Act puts Obama rules under threat.
A yellow light for embryo editing
Authors: Kaiser Jocelyn
Published: February 2017

Panel would allow modifying germline DNA.
Drop in foreign applicants worries engineering schools
Authors: Mervis Jeffrey
Published: February 2017

Graduate deans cite anti-immigrant rhetoric as applications from overseas students decline by up to 30%.
Easier cure for resistant TB
Authors: Cohen Jon
Published: February 2017

Pill-based regimen offers hope against HIV-linked disease.
CRISPR, surrogate licensing, and scientific discovery
Authors: Contreras Jorge L. , Sherkow Jacob S.
Published: February 2017

Have research universities abandoned their public focus?
The tie that binds
Convergence: The Idea at the Heart of Science
Peter Watson
Simon and Schuster, 2017. 573 pp.
Authors: Swift Joseph
Published: February 2017

A provocative history probes the connections that are helping to unify scientific disciplines
Building the future
Dream Big: Engineering Our World
MacGillivray Freeman Films
Opening 17 February 2017
Authors: Riley Donna
Published: February 2017

Emphasizing service to people and the planet, a new documentary seeks to inspire the next engineers
Illuminating amination
Authors: Buchanan Travis L. , Hull Kami L.
Published: February 2017

Formation of C–N bonds gets an energetic boost from photogenerated radical cations
Relief for retinal neurons under pressure
Authors: Crowston Jonathan , Trounce Ian
Published: February 2017

A dietary supplement may offer protection from loss of vision in glaucoma
The EpiQuant Framework for Computing Epidemiological Concordance of Microbial Subtyping Data
Authors: Hetman Benjamin M. , Mutschall Steven K. , Thomas James E. , Gannon Victor P. J. , Clark Clifford G. , Pollari Frank , Taboada Eduardo N.
Published: February 2017

A fundamental assumption in the use and interpretation of microbial subtyping results for public health investigations is that isolates that appear to be related based on molecular subtyping data are expected to share commonalities with respect to their origin, history, and distribution. Critically, there is currently no approach for systematically assessing the underlying epidemiology of subtyping results. Our aim was to develop a method for directly quantifying the similarity between bacterial isolates using basic sampling metadata and to develop a framework for computing the epidemiological concordance of microbial typing results. We have developed an analytical model that summarizes the similarity of bacterial isolates using basic parameters typically provided in sampling records, using a novel framework (EpiQuant) developed in the R environment for statistical computing. We have applied the EpiQuant framework to a data set comprising 654 isolates of the enteric pathogen
Campylobacter jejuni
from Canadian surveillance data in order to examine the epidemiological concordance of clusters obtained by using two leading
C. jejuni
subtyping methods. The EpiQuant framework can be used to directly quantify the similarity of bacterial isolates based on basic sample metadata. These results can then be used to assess the concordance between microbial epidemiological and molecular data, facilitating the objective assessment of subtyping method performance and paving the way for the improved application of molecular subtyping data in investigations of infectious disease.
Multilaboratory Survey To Evaluate Salmonella Prevalence in Diarrheic and Nondiarrheic Dogs and Cats in the United States between 2012 and 2014
Authors: Reimschuessel Renate , Grabenstein Michael , Guag Jake , Nemser Sarah M. , Song Kyunghee , Qiu Junshan , Clothier Kristin A. , Byrne Barbara A. , Marks Stanley L. , Cadmus Kyran , Pabilonia Kristy , Sanchez Susan , Rajeev Sreekumari , Ensley Steve , Frana Timothy S. , Jergens Albert E. , Chappell Kimberly H. , Thakur Siddhartha , Byrum Beverly , Cui Jing , Zhang Yan , Erdman Matthew M. , Rankin Shelley C. , Daly Russell , Das Seema , Ruesch Laura , Lawhon Sara D. , Zhang Shuping , Baszler Timothy , Diaz-Campos Dubraska , Hartmann Faye , Okwumabua Ogi
Published: February 2017

Eleven laboratories collaborated to determine the periodic prevalence ofSalmonellain a population of dogs and cats in the United States visiting veterinary clinics. Fecal samples (2,965) solicited from 11 geographically dispersed veterinary testing laboratories were collected in 36 states between January 2012 and April 2014 and tested using a harmonized method. The overall study prevalence ofSalmonellain cats (3 of 542) was <1%. The prevalence in dogs (60 of 2,422) was 2.5%. Diarrhea was present in only 55% of positive dogs; however, 3.8% of the all diarrheic dogs were positive, compared with 1.8% of the nondiarrheic dogs.Salmonella-positive dogs were significantly more likely to have consumed raw food (P= 0.01), to have consumed probiotics (P= 0.002), or to have been given antibiotics (P= 0.01). Rural dogs were also more likely to beSalmonellapositive than urban (P= 0.002) or suburban (P= 0.001) dogs. In the 67 isolates, 27 unique serovars were identified, with three dogs having two serovars present. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of 66 isolates revealed that only four of the isolates were resistant to one or more antibiotics. Additional characterization of the 66 isolates was done using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Sequence data compared well to resistance phenotypic data and were submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). This study suggests an overall decline in prevalence ofSalmonella-positive dogs and cats over the last decades and identifies consumption of raw food as a major risk factor forSalmonellainfection. Of note is that almost half of theSalmonella-positive animals were clinically nondiarrheic.
The New Aptima HBV Quant Real-Time TMA Assay Accurately Quantifies Hepatitis B Virus DNA from Genotypes A to F
Authors: Chevaliez Stéphane , Dauvillier Claude , Dubernet Fabienne , Poveda Jean-Dominique , Laperche Syria , Hézode Christophe , Pawlotsky Jean-Michel
Published: February 2017

Sensitive and accurate hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA detection and quantification are essential to diagnose HBV infection, establish the prognosis of HBV-related liver disease, and guide the decision to treat and monitor the virological response to antiviral treatment and the emergence of resistance. Currently available HBV DNA platforms and assays are generally designed for batching multiple specimens within an individual run and require at least one full day of work to complete the analyses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of the newly developed, fully automated, one-step Aptima HBV Quant assay to accurately detect and quantify HBV DNA in a large series of patients infected with different HBV genotypes. The limit of detection of the assay was estimated to be 4.5 IU/ml. The specificity of the assay was 100%. Intra-assay and interassay coefficients of variation ranged from 0.29% to 5.07% and 4.90% to 6.85%, respectively. HBV DNA levels from patients infected with HBV genotypes A to F measured with the Aptima HBV Quant assay strongly correlated with those measured by two commercial real-time PCR comparators (Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan HBV test, version 2.0, and Abbott RealTi
m
e HBV test). In conclusion, the Aptima HBV Quant assay is sensitive, specific, and reproducible and accurately quantifies HBV DNA in plasma samples from patients with chronic HBV infections of all genotypes, including patients on antiviral treatment with nucleoside or nucleotide analogues. The Aptima HBV Quant assay can thus confidently be used to detect and quantify HBV DNA in both clinical trials with new anti-HBV drugs and clinical practice.
Evaluation of Genotypic and Phenotypic Protease Virulence Tests for Dichelobacter nodosus Infection in Sheep
Authors: McPherson Andrew S. , Dhungyel Om P. , Whittington Richard J.
Published: February 2017

Dichelobacter nodosusis a fastidious, strictly anaerobic bacterium, an obligate parasite of the ruminant hoof, and the essential causative agent of virulent ovine footrot. The clinical disease results from a complex interplay between the pathogen, the environment, and the host. Sheep flocks diagnosed with virulent but not benign footrot in Australia may be quarantined and required to undergo a compulsory eradication program, with costs met by the farmer. Virulence ofD. nodosusat least partially depends on the elaboration of a protease encoded byaprV2and manifests as elastase activity. Laboratory virulence tests are used to assist diagnosis because clinical differentiation of virulent and benign footrot can be challenging during the early stages of disease or when the disease is not fully expressed due to unfavorable pasture conditions. Using samples collected from foot lesions from 960 sheep from 40 flocks in four different geographic regions, we evaluated the analytical characteristics of qPCR tests for the protease gene allelesaprV2andaprB2, and compared these with results from phenotypic protease (elastase and gelatin gel) tests. There was a low level of agreement between clinical diagnosis and quantitative PCR (qPCR) test outcomes at both the flock and sample levels and poor agreement between qPCR test outcomes and the results of phenotypic virulence tests. The diagnostic specificity of the qPCR test was low at both the flock and individual swab levels (31.3% and 18.8%, respectively). By contrast, agreement between the elastase test and clinical diagnosis was high at both the flock level (diagnostic sensitivity [DSe], 100%; diagnostic specificity [DSp], 78.6%) and the isolate level (DSe, 69.5%; DSp, 80.5%).
Careers in Virology: Working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Authors: Konopka-Anstadt Jennifer L. , Burns Cara C.
Published: February 2017

As nonacademic careers in science have become less and less “alternative,” one field that has consistently attracted early-career virologists is public health research. The desire to make tangible contributions to public health needs and better protect the public from infectious disease often motivates the transition. In this career-related Gem, two academically trained virologists offer insights into pursuing a research career in public health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Rete mirabile associated with pial arteriovenous fistula: imaging features with literature review
Authors: Mondel Prabath Kumar , Saraf Rashmi , Limaye Uday S
Published: February 2017

A rete mirabile is a vascular network of intercommunicating small arteries or arterioles that replace the definitive adult artery supplying the brain. It supplies the brain in lower mammals but is not seen in normal human embryological development. A 26-year-old man presented with worsening tinnitus that was interfering with his sleep. On CT and digital subtraction angiography he was found to have a temporal lobe pial arteriovenous fistula with bilateral carotid and vertebral rete mirabile. The patient was offered open surgical and endovascular treatment options for pial arteriovenous fistula but he refused both and opted for conservative medical management. At 6-month follow-up he continued to have pulsatile tinnitus but was otherwise neurologically normal. We present the first described association of rete mirabile with pial arteriovenous fistula and discuss its clinical presentation and imaging features, with a review of the literature for bilateral carotid and vertebral rete mirabile.
Narrative empathy and illness memoirs: Arthur Frank'sAt the Will of the Bodyand Kathlyn Conway'sOrdinary Life
Authors: Baena Rosalia
Published: February 2017

This article analyses the concept of narrative empathy in illness memoirs. These texts negotiate the narrative identity of an autobiographer as he or she recounts the disruptive experience of illness, an experience in which physical and emotional traces dramatically and definitively shape our sense of self. While narrative emotions are certainly deployed in these autobiographies in order to connect with the readers and promote social change, this empathic connection is not so much aimed at arousing compassion but rather more positive emotions on the experience of illness. I will explore the emotional representations of cancer in Arthur Frank'sAt the Will of the Body(1991) and Kathlyn Conway'sOrdinary Life: A Memoir of Illness(1997), focusing on the identity strategies these authors use in order to become affirmative models of disability and illness, showing the damaging effects not of disease or impairment but, rather, of the cultural mythologies that interpret those conditions in reductive or disparaging ways.
On mode-matching analysis of fluid-structure coupled wave scattering between two flexible waveguides
Authors: Shafique Sajid , Afzal Muhammad , Nawaz Rab
Published: February 2017

A mode-matching analysis articulates the coupled wave scattering in a 2D waveguide structure. An elastic plate is attached at the upper surface parallel to the axis of inlet–outlet ducts whereas a flanged junction is introduced between two flexible waveguides. The main intention is to see how choice of appropriate edge conditions and the incident forcing affect the scattered field for both structure-borne and fluid-borne vibrations. The graphical results illustrate that different physical conclusions should be drawn. Through apposite numerical results, we observe the power distributions in attenuated regions with abrupt changes of height. Such configurations are directly relevant to the models of fluid and structural interactions.
Determination of the multiple scattered fraction as a function of target thickness
Authors: Uzunoğlu Zeynep , Yılmaz Demet , Şahin Yusuf
Published: February 2017

In the present work, the multiple scattered fraction (MSF) was investigated experimentally for HgO and PbO targets of various thicknesses. The targets were excited by 59.54 keV gamma rays emitted from a 5 Ci 241Am annular radioactive source and the emitted photons were collected using a high-resolution HPGe semiconductor detector with a resolution of 182 eV at 5.9 keV placed at a scattering angle of 168°. Our results show that the number of multiple scattered photons exponentially increases with the increase of target thickness for scattering (Compton and coherent) and characteristic (Kα2 and Kα1) peaks and then saturates at a particular value of the target thickness called saturation thickness.
How to build a low-cost underwater camera housing for aquatic research
Authors: Bergshoeff Jonathan A. , Zargarpour Nicola , Legge George , Favaro Brett
Published: February 2017

Remote cameras are an increasingly important tool in field-based biological research. Terrestrial researchers can purchase inexpensive off-the-shelf cameras, but aquatic researchers face challenges in adopting similar systems for underwater science. Although technology allows researchers to deploy cameras in any aquatic environment, high procurement costs are often a barrier, particularly for studies that require the collection of lengthy videos. In this note, we provide a detailed guide explaining how to assemble an underwater camera system for less than $425 USD. We focus especially on the construction of the underwater housing, which is typically the most expensive component of an underwater camera system. As described, this system can record 13 h full high-definition videos in depths up to 100 m. It can be constructed and assembled with limited technical background using tools available in most workshops. The guide includes a general overview of the system, a full list of components, detailed instructions on constructing the camera housing, and suggestions on how to mount and use the camera in fieldwork. Our goal for this note is to promote the wider use of remote underwater cameras in aquatic research by making them accessible to those with limited financial means.
Canonical acoustic thin-shell wormholes
Authors: Jusufi Kimet , Övgün Ali
Published: February 2017

In this paper, we model a canonical acoustic thin-shell wormhole (CATSW) in the framework of analogue gravity systems. In this model, we apply cut and paste technique to join together two spherically symmetric, analogue canonical acoustic solutions, and compute the analogue surface density/surface pressure of the fluid using the Darmois–Israel formalism. We study the stability analyses by using a linear barotropic fluid (LBF), Chaplygin fluid (CF), logarithmic fluid (LogF), polytropic fluid (PF) and finally Van der Waals Quintessence (VDWQ). We show that a kind of analog acoustic fluid with negative energy is required at the throat to keep the wormhole stable. It is argued that CATSW can be a stabile thin-shell wormhole if we choose a suitable parameter values.
Calculations of alpha cluster preformation probability for the three even–even superheavy isotopes with atomic number Z = 108,110 and 112
Authors: Alsaif Norah A M , Radiman Shahidan , Ahmed Saad M Saleh
Published: February 2017

The accurate calculations of the cluster formation model (CFM) have been extended to determine the alpha cluster preformation probability for the three even–even superheavy isotopes (Hs, Ds and Cn) with atomic number [Formula: see text] and 112 and neutron numbers [Formula: see text] in the mass region from 252 to 300. According to the hypothesized CFM, the calculations of the formation energy and surface energy, which depended on differences of binding energies are crucial for determining the realistic values of the preformation probability. Our results showed reasonable agreement with the results of previous work for the heavy nuclei. In addition, realistic values of the preformation probability certified that CFM can successfully be used to calculate the alpha cluster preformation probability for other wide range of superheavy nuclei.
A Rare Type of Upper Extremity Injury: Penetrating Injuries Caused by Blunt-edged Items
Authors: Şirinoğlu Hakan , Certel Furkan , Yeşïloğlu Nebil , Temïz Gökhan , Kalafatlar Kübra Ece , Sarici Murat , Çelebïler Özhan
Published: February 2017

Background: Penetrating upper extremity injury is a common encountered cause of significant loss of labor force and it is generally caused by sharp items. This article presents five rare cases of penetrating hand and forearm injury caused by blunt-edged items in conjunction with a detailed discussion of the mechanism and management of the injury.

Methods: Five patients with a mean age of 37.6 were treated for upper extremity trauma caused by “blunt-edged items” such as corrugated iron fence, garden wires, iron stick or iron safety fence between 2009 to 2014. All patients were operated under general anesthesia after performing detailed physical examination and x-ray imaging.

Results: The explorative surgery of the affected limbs revealed no nervous or vascular injury. In two patients, partial tear of the muscles bellies of intrinsic hand muscles (opponens pollicis and adductor pollicis); in two patients, partial extensor digitorum communis tendon laceration and in the remaining patient, partial tear of the third annular pulley were the only encountered injuries. The physical examinations performed in the last visit of each patient revealed, complete healing of the affected limb without any functional, vascular or sensorial deficiency in a mean follow-up period of 19.2 months.

Conclusions: Despite their initial horrible appearance, injuries caused by “blunt-edged items” are quite harmless to the affected limb because they follow weak anatomic spaces of the extremity and cause minimal tissue damage leaving all vascular and nervous structures intact.
Arthrodesis of Little Finger Distal Interphalangeal Joint in Flexion to Regain Sporting Ability
Authors: Beecher S.M. , O’Briain D.E. , Ng J.P. , Murphy E. , O’Sullivan M.E.
Published: February 2017

Background: Finger injuries are common in the sport of hurling. Injury to the little finger distal interphalangeal joint (DIPJ) often occurs when a high dropping ball impacts on the outstretched finger. The little finger contributes to approximately 15% of grip strength. Injury therefore results in reduced grip strength and may impair the ability of players to grip or catch a ball.

Methods: Six elite hurlers with post-traumatic arthritis of their non-dominant little finger DIPJ underwent arthrodesis in 30 degrees of flexion. Kirchner wires were inserted for up to 8 weeks to achieve fusion of the joint. Patients were evaluated after recovery using a dynamometer to assess grip strength, the DASH questionnaire and a sport specific questionnaire.

Results: All arthrodeses achieved bony union without complication. All patients reported a resolution of their pain and recovery in their ability to catch & retain a ball. Measurements of grip strengths were comparable between hands. DASH scores improved by up to 47 points. All scores were less than 5 at final follow-up.

Conclusions: Grip strength decreases when fingers are immobilized in full extension. In sports that require catching or gripping a ball or a bat, arthrodesis of the DIP joint in flexion can improve grip strength and hand function. Fusion in 30 degrees of flexion for hurlers results in restoration of function and resolution of pain. Little finger DIPJ arthrodesis is a valid method of treating posttraumatic arthritis in ball and bat sports.
A Giant Deep-seated Lipoma in a Child’s Forearm
Authors: Slavchev Svetoslav A. , Georgiev Georgi P.
Published: February 2017

Deep-seated giant lipomas are rare relative to the overall incidence of the tumor and their occurrence grows more frequent with age. A case of an unusual deep-seated giant lipoma in the forearm of a four-year-old child is reported.
A Rare Case of Primary Tuberculous Tenosynovitis in a Young Patient with an Acute History
Authors: Reed Alistair J.M. , Rodrigues Jeremy N. , Al-Ghazal Sharif , Shariff Zakir
Published: February 2017

We present a rare case of primary tuberculous tenosynovitis in a young patient with an acute history of non-penetrating traumatic injury. The patient had recently visited Pakistan and presented with sudden onset pain at the base of their right fifth digit after trying to catch a cricket ball. A provisional diagnosis of haematoma was made; however, ultrasonography revealed a mass attached to the A2 pulley. Surgical excision followed by histological examination and culture identified Mycobacterium Tuberculosis infection. This case serves to raise clinical awareness of this rare condition and highlight the importance of obtaining a travel history.
A Novel Surgical Technique for Chronic Mallet Finger Injury: A Case Report
Authors: Suzuki Taku , Inaba Naoto , Sato Kazuki
Published: February 2017

A 39-year-old man injured his left little finger and was diagnosed with chronic tendon mallet with -50° of extension and 80° of flexion at the DIP joint. We performed an anatomical reconstruction of the terminal tendon and both lateral bands with divided palmaris longus tendon grafting. Postoperative range of motion at the DIP joint improved to -5° of extension with no flexion loss. We demonstrated a novel surgical technique for chronic tendon mallet injury that might represent a useful choice for the treatment of chronic mallet finger injury.
A Study of the Number of Roots of xk = g in a Finite Group via Its Frobenius-Schur Indicators
Authors: Prajapati S.K. , Sarma R.
Published: February 2017

Let G be finite group. For [Formula: see text], define [Formula: see text]. This is called the k-th Frobenius-Schur indicator of χ. In this article we study the Frobenius-Schur indicators for Frobenius groups, p-groups, semidihedral groups and modular p-groups. Further, we use this to study the function ζGk(g) which counts the number of roots of [Formula: see text] in a finite group G.
Terrain and geohazard challenges for remote region onshore pipelines: risk management, Geoteams and Ground Models
Authors: Sweeney Michael
Published: February 2017

Currently about two-thirds of oil and gas worldwide is produced from onshore fields and transported via pipelines. Many of these pipelines traverse remote regions and difficult terrains, and yet count among the major economic infrastructure corridors of the world, and therefore require a high level of integrity. Global energy supply depends on overcoming difficult terrains. Throughout much of the 20th century, traditional pipeline industry practice did not seriously address terrain risks in many remote onshore regions. Pipeline landslide rupture data are presented to illustrate the historical risks. Modern safety and environmental standards require a step change, and orders of magnitude of risk reduction. Construction costs for remote region pipelines are dominated by terrain, but often have little input from terrain specialists. The 15th Glossop Lecture addresses these challenges, and presents some experiences in building collaboration between the pipeliners and the various geotechnical professions. The historical landslide figures are updated to illustrate the risk reduction that has been achieved by modern geotechnical approaches. It is suggested that the main contributors are the working methods now used increasingly on major projects: risk management of geohazards; Geoteams and the emergence of subject specialists; and Ground Models and approaches to terrain evaluation. The themes are illustrated by examples from pipelining in the Andes, the Sahara and the Caucasus regions. Cost issues, and the importance of quantifying terrain-driven costs, are illustrated by a detailed case record of rock trench excavation.
Editorial
Authors: Hassan Nik Rushdi
Published: February 2017

Sociomateriality is gaining acceptance in the IS field as a way of taking technology more seriously, but not without its share of criticism. Technology itself is defined in many different ways. Coupled with the broader debates surrounding the complex issues and controversies around the relationship between the social and the material, discussions on how technology is tied to work and organizations will continue to develop. The goal of this special issue is to contribute towards clarifying what the tenets of sociomateriality mean for IS research. Beginning with this editorial that elaborates on material agency in IT, the articles in the special issue discuss post-humanism and notion of separability and inseparability, compare the tenets of sociomateriality with critical realism, propose a method for researching sociomateriality, and elaborate on how a view of ontological fusion provides a more holistic view of a digitally-infused society.
Strong versus Weak Sociomateriality
Authors: Kautz Karlheinz , Plumb Melinda
Published: February 2017

This rejoinder discusses the essay by Ramiller (2016) entitled "New Technology and the Post-human self: Rethinking Appropriation and Resistance" which aims at exploring the implications of a sociomaterial perspective for people's practical encounters with new information technologies. Our argument is based on our position within strong materiality, which in line with the essay acknowledges the materiality of the post-human self, but does not accept a dualist positon which separates the human and the technical, or as the author expresses it the 'user' and the 'system'. While we agree with the author that it is important to research how sociomaterial entanglements emerge and not just research those which exist, we maintain "strong" sociomateriality does not, as the author puts forward, represent an end point for the academic inquiry into IT appropriation, but indeed is a starting point.
Theorizing Society and Technology in Information Systems Research
Authors: Utesheva Anastasia , Boell Sebastian K.
Published: February 2017

The world around us is unpredictably changing at a dramatic pace and technology plays an increasingly important, yet ambiguous, role in these global social changes. Is should actively engage with the phenomena that society is changing with and through ICT. To date IS research is mostly interested in technological artifacts and behavioral aspects associated with ICT. We, as IS scholars, have to find theoretical approaches to help us to make sense of and better understand the broader societal and organizational changes related to ICT. We argue that Ou Yang outlines two relational approaches to sensemaking, extending our conceptual and analytical toolkits through the works of Martin Heidegger and Marshall McLuhan. This paper provides a discussion of her contribution in relation to the current debate on sociomateriality.
Treating the Storage Stack Like a Network
Authors: Stefanovici Ioan , Schroeder Bianca , O'Shea Greg , Thereska Eno
Published: February 2017

In a data center, an IO from an application to distributed storage traverses not only the network but also several software stages with diverse functionality. This set of ordered stages is known as the storage or IO stack. Stages include caches, hypervisors, IO schedulers, file systems, and device drivers. Indeed, in a typical data center, the number of these stages is often larger than the number of network hops to the destination. Yet, while packet routing is fundamental to networks, no notion of IO routing exists on the storage stack. The path of an IO to an endpoint is predetermined and hard coded. This forces IO with different needs (e.g., requiring different caching or replica selection) to flow through a one-size-fits-all IO stack structure, resulting in an ossified IO stack.

This article proposes sRoute, an architecture that provides a routing abstraction for the storage stack. sRoute comprises a centralized control plane and “sSwitches” on the data plane. The control plane sets the forwarding rules in each sSwitch to route IO requests at runtime based on application-specific policies. A key strength of our architecture is that it works with unmodified applications and Virtual Machines (VMs). This article shows significant benefits of customized IO routing to data center tenants: for example, a factor of 10 for tail IO latency, more than 60% better throughput for a customized replication protocol, a factor of 2 in throughput for customized caching, and enabling live performance debugging in a running system.
Report on NTCIR-12
Authors: Kato Makoto P. , Kishida Kazuaki , Kando Noriko , Saka Tetsuya , Sanderson Mark
Published: February 2017

This is a report on the NTCIR-12 conference held in June 2016, in Tokyo, Japan. NTCIR-12 is the twelfth sesquiannual research project for evaluating information access technologies that organizes a diverse set of tasks related to information retrieval, question answering, and natural language processing. The NTCIR-12 conference is a venue in which task organizers and task participants presented their effort on their participating tasks, and attracted 236 participants from 21 countries/regions in this round. This report introduces the highlights of the conference, describes the scope and task designs of nine tasks organized at NTCIR-12, and provides a brief introduction to NTCIR-13, which started from June 2016 and will be closed in December 2017.
ECIR 2016 Workshop on Modeling, Learning and Mining for Cross/Multilinguality (MultiLingMine '16)
Authors: Ienco Dino , Roche Mathieu , Romeo Salvatore , Rosso Paolo , Tagarelli Andrea
Published: February 2017

The First International Workshop on Modeling, Learning and Mining for Cross/Multilinguality (MultiLingMine) was held in conjunction with the 2016 European Conference on Information Retrieval (ECIR), in Padua, Italy. This report presents an overview of the motivations and objectives underlying the establishment of this workshop. It also provides a summary of the contributing papers and of the main research topics and trends discussed among the participants.
Report on the SIGIR 2016 Workshop on Neural Information Retrieval (Neu-IR)
Authors: Craswell Nick , Croft W. Bruce , Guo Jiafeng , Mitra Bhaskar , de Rijke Maarten
Published: February 2017

The SIGIR 2016 workshop on Neural Information Retrieval (Neu-IR) took place on 21 July, 2016 in Pisa. The goal of the Neu-IR (pronounced "New IR") workshop was to serve as a forum for academic and industrial researchers, working at the intersection of information retrieval (IR) and machine learning, to present new work and early results, compare notes on neural network toolkits, share best practices, and discuss the main challenges facing this line of research. In total, 19 papers were presented, including oral and poster presentations. The workshop program also included a session on invited "lightning talks" to encourage participants to share personal insights and negative results with the community. The workshop was well-attended with more than 120 registrations.
Developmental role of DSCAM in spinal locomotor circuits
Authors: Farah Carl
Published: February 2017

Studying the development of spinal circuitry is essential in understanding the motor behaviors that arise from them. In their study, Thiry et al. ( J Neurophysiol 115: 1338–1354, 2016) show that loss of Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (DSCAM) leads to locomotor impairments that may stem from specific changes in spinal connectivity altering the balance of central and peripheral excitatory drive onto spinal motoneurons. These findings as well as additional insights and future directions are discussed in the context of the recent literature.