bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endemic earthworms (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) of the Balkan Peninsula: a review
Authors: TRAKIĆ TANJA , VALCHOVSKI HRISTO , STOJANOVIĆ MIRJANA
Published: November 2016

A list of the endemic earthworms of the Balkan Peninsula is presented. Comprehensive information on the ecology, distribution on the Balkan Peninsula and zoogeographical type of all endemics is given. The list comprises 90 species and subspecies, belonging to 11 genera of the family Lumbricidae. The largest number of the Balkan endemic earthworms belongs to a narrow range group (63.3%). Broad range endemic species take part with 36.7%. Our study shows that the degree of endemism on the Balkan Peninsula is extremely high (about 40%) suggesting an important process of autochthonous speciation on the Balkan Peninsula. This appearance is attributable to relative isolation of the mountains compared to the lowlands within the context of paleoenvironmental changes.
A new species of Decomia Poppius from Laos and Thailand, with an annotated checklist and keys to genera and species of tribe Decomiini from Indochina (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae)
Authors: YASUNAGA TOMOHIDE , DUWAL RAM KESHARI , OH MINSUK , LEE SEUNGHWAN
Published: November 2016

The Indochinese phyline plant bugs, belonging to the recently established tribe Decomiini Schuh & Menard, are reviewed. Fourteen species in four genera, Decomia Poppius, Decomioides Schuh, Malaysiamiris Schuh and Rubrocuneocoris Schuh, are now recognized from Indochina, including a remarkable new species, Decomia ishikawai Yasunaga, Duwal & Lee n. sp., herein diagnosed, described and discussed. The male of Decomia nigrissima Yasunaga, described only on the holotype female, is for the first time reported. An annotated checklist and a key to genera and species are provided to facilitate identification of the Indochinese taxa of the Decomiini.
Comparing Standard to Feature-Based Meteorological Model Evaluation Techniques in Bogotá, Colombia
Authors: Nedbor-Gross Robert , Henderson Barron H. , Davis Justin R. , Pachón Jorge E. , Rincón Alexander , Guerrero Oscar J. , Grajales Freddy
Published: November 2016

Standard meteorological model performance evaluation (sMPE) can be insufficient in determining “fitness” for air quality modeling. An sMPE compares predictions of meteorological variables with community-based thresholds. Conceptually, these thresholds measure the model’s capability to represent mesoscale features that cause variability in air pollution. A method that instead examines features could provide a better estimate of fitness. This work compares measures of fitness from sMPE analysis with a feature-based MPE (fMPE). Meteorological simulations for Bogotá, Colombia, using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model provide an ideal case study that highlights the importance of fMPE. Bogotá is particularly interesting because the complex topography presents challenges for WRF in sMPE. A cluster analysis identified four dominant meteorological features associated with air quality driven by wind patterns. The model predictions are able to pass several sMPE thresholds but show poor performance for wind direction. The base simulation can be improved with alternative surface characterization datasets for terrain, soil classification, and land use. Despite doubling the number of days with acceptable specific humidity, overall acceptability was never more than 10%. By comparison, an fMPE showed that predictions were able to reproduce the air-quality-relevant features on 38.4% of the days. The fMPE is based on features derived from an observational cluster analysis that have clear relationships with air quality, which suggests that reproducing those features will indicate better air quality model performance. An fMPE may be particularly useful for high-resolution modeling (1 km or less) when finescale variability can cause poor sMPE performance even when the general pattern that drives air pollution is well reproduced.
On the Discrepancies in Tropical Belt Expansion between Reanalyses and Climate Models and among Tropical Belt Width Metrics
Authors: Davis Nicholas , Birner Thomas
Published: November 2016

The arid subtropics are situated at the edges of the tropical belt, where subsidence in the Hadley cells suppresses precipitation. Any meridional shift in these edge latitudes could have significant impacts on surface climate. Recent studies have investigated past and future changes in the tropical belt width and have found discrepancies in the rates of expansion estimated with different metrics and between climate models and reanalyses. Here, CMIP5 simulations and four modern reanalyses are analyzed using an ensemble of objective tropical belt width metrics to reexamine if such inconsistencies exist. The authors do not find sufficient evidence to demonstrate this discrepancy between models and reanalyses, as reanalysis trends in the tropical belt width fall within the range of model trends for any given metric. Furthermore, only metrics based on the Hadley cells are found to exhibit robust historical and future expansion. Metrics based on the subtropical jet and the tropopause show no robust response. This differentiation may be due to the strong correlation, on all time scales, between the Hadley cell edge latitudes and the latitudes of the eddy-driven jets, which consistently shift poleward in response to radiative forcings. In contrast, the subtropical jet and tropopause metrics appear to be decoupled from the Hadley cells and the eddy-driven jets and essentially measure a different tropical belt. The tropical belt width metrics are inconsistently correlated with surface climate indices based on precipitation and surface evaporation. This may make assessing the surface impacts of observed and future tropical expansion challenging.
The Sensitivity of the Terrestrial Surface Energy and Water Balance Estimates in the WRF Model to Lower Surface Boundary Representations: A South Norway Case Study
Authors: Erlandsen Helene B. , Haddeland Ingjerd , Tallaksen Lena M. , Kristiansen Jørn
Published: November 2016

A seasonal snow cover, expansive forests, a long coast line, and a mountainous terrain are features of Norway’s geography. Forests, ground snow, and sea surface temperature (SST) vary on time scales relevant for weather forecasting and climate projections. The mapping and model parameterization of these features vary in novelty, accuracy, and complexity. This paper investigates how increasing the influence of each of these features affects southern Norway’s surface energy and water balance in a regional climate model (WRF). High-resolution (3.7 km) experimental runs have been conducted over two consecutive hydrological years, including 1) heightening the boreal forest line (the Veg experiment), 2) increasing ground snow by altering the snow/rain criterion (the Snow experiment), or 3) increasing the SST (the SST experiment). The Veg experiment led to an increase in annual net radiation in the study area (by 3 W m−2), largely balanced out by an increase in latent heat flux. Moisture recycling increased, leaving only a negligible decrease in annual runoff. Surface temperature increased by 0.1°C, and its seasonal variability was dampened. Significant changes were also found outside the area of vegetation change. Snow decreased by 1.5 W m−2, despite slight increases in downward shortwave and longwave radiation. Both sensible heat flux and surface temperature decreased (by 1.3 W m−2 and 0.2°C, respectively), but the annual water balance remained mostly unchanged. The SST experiment led to increased downward and upward longwave radiation. Surface temperature was raised by 0.2°C. Advected oceanic moisture and thus both precipitation and runoff increased (by 2.5% and 2.8%, respectively).
Added Value of Alternative Information in Interpolated Precipitation Datasets for Hydrology
Authors: Bajamgnigni Gbambie Abdas Salam , Poulin Annie , Boucher Marie-Amélie , Arsenault Richard
Published: November 2016

Gridded climate datasets are produced in many parts of the world by applying various interpolation methods to weather observations, to which are sometimes added secondary information (in addition to geographic location) such as topography and radar or atmospheric model outputs. For a region of interest, the choice of a dataset for a given study can be a significant challenge given the lack of information on the similarities and differences that exist between datasets, or about the benefits that one dataset may present relative to another. This study aims to provide information on the spatial and temporal differences between gridded precipitation datasets and their implication for hydrological modeling. Three gridded datasets for the province of Quebec are considered: the Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) dataset, the Canadian Precipitation Analysis (CaPA) dataset, and the dataset from the Ministère du Développement Durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les Changements Climatiques du Québec (MDDELCC). Using statistical metrics and diagrams, these precipitation datasets are compared with each other. Hydrological responses of 181 Quebec watersheds with respect to each gridded precipitation dataset are also analyzed using the hydrological model HSAMI. The results indicate strong similarities in the southern parts and disparities in the central and northern parts of the province of Quebec. Analysis of hydrological simulations indicates that the CaPA dataset offers the best results, particularly for watersheds located in the central and northern parts of the province. MDDELCC shows the best performance in watersheds located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River and comes out as the overall second-best option.
Modeling the rheological properties of highly nano-filled polymers
Authors: Kourki Hajir , Mortezaei Mehrzad , Famili Mohammad Hossein Navid , Malekipirbazari Milad
Published: November 2016

Organic and inorganic materials are usually added to polymers in order to achieve some benefits such as reducing the product cost, as well as achieving higher modulus and strength. Addition of these materials would change polymers’ behavior. Adding nano-materials to polymers on the other hand is a new challenge in the field of polymer composites where previous studies were unable to achieve good correlation with nano-composites at higher particle volume fractions. In this research, Yamamoto network theory is developed to investigate the behavior of highly nano-filled systems. For this purpose, five different types of sub-chain and two types of junctions are considered and the effect of particle size, concentration, and the model parameters in association with the behavior of the junctions are studied. Moreover, some experiments are performed on polystyrene filled with nano-silica at different particle size and concentration values in frequency mod in the linear region. At last, we compared the results of our final model with the experiments in order to evaluate its accuracy, which confirmed a very good agreement.
Novel moisture management test of polyethylene terephthalate and nylon fabric under stretching and surface patterning
Authors: Huang Jingfeng , New Jackie , Tham Jingbin , Tok Alfred
Published: November 2016

This report presents a novel technique to assess the moisture management test on uniformly stretched compression fabrics using a clamping device, which represents behavior close to the actual behavior when worn, the effects of stretching on hydrophobic/hydrophilic and surface patterning on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and nylon fabrics. The wicking behaviors of stretching, coating and patterning are discussed. We report that (1) coated compression fabrics were found to enhance moisture management based on the bottom spreading speed, top absorption rate and one-way transport capability criteria, (2) stretching plays a significant role in moisture management and (3) the best moisture management performance was exhibited by the hydrophobic inner and hydrophilic outer-coated PET fabric, under stretched conditions.
High-throughput nanofiber produced by needleless electrospinning using a metal dish as the spinneret
Authors: Wei Liang , Yu Haonan , Jia Lin , Qin Xiaohong
Published: November 2016

In the research field of functional materials, electrospinning has become one of the most effective methods to produce nanofiber. The traditional electrospinning method often uses a hollow metal needle to prepare nanofiber with minimal throughput. In this paper, we used needleless electrospinning technology to produce high-throughput nanofiber by using a metal dish as the spinneret. A finite element method has been adopted to investigate electric potential and electric field strength of the spinneret under different applied voltages and collection distance. The effects of different process parameters, including solution concentration, applied voltage and collection distance, on the throughput and diameter of nanofiber have been investigated in the experiment. Narrow distribution nanofiber can be prepared successfully. This novel method of using a metal dish as the spinneret will make a contribution to the development of needleless electrospinning for the production of high-throughput nanofiber.
An investigation on the mechanical properties of friction stir welded polycarbonate/aluminium oxide nanocomposite sheets
Authors: Doniavi Ali , Babazadeh Saeedeh , Azdast Taher , Hasanzadeh Rezgar
Published: November 2016

Although considerable progress has been made in recent years in field of polymer welding, challenges still remain in using a friction stir welding method to join polycarbonate (PC) composites. This research provides an investigation on the effect of welding parameters (tool’s travel and rotational speeds) on mechanical properties of PC nanocomposite weld lines. PC nanocomposites were prepared with different percentages of Al2O3 nanofiller using a twin screw extruder and injection moulded as sheets in order to ease the welding. Considering various parameters and their levels, optimization of Taguchi experimental design was carried out, an L16 orthogonal standard array was selected and the effective parameter was calculated using analysis of variance of the results. The results indicated that nanoalumina percentage is the most effective parameter on the tensile strength of weld and tool’s travel speed and rotational speed are next effective parameters, respectively. According to signal-to-noise ratio, maximum weld tensile strength (89.5% of base material) is revealed when nanoalumina percentage, tool’s travel speed and tool’s rotational speed were chosen as 1 wt%, 12 mm/min and 1250 r/min, respectively.
PID controller design in the frequency domain for time-delay systems using direct method
Authors: Darwish Noha Medhat
Published: November 2016

In this paper, a proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller design method for stable and integrating time-delay systems with and without non-minimum phase zero (inverse response) using the direct method is proposed. The PID controller gains are obtained by matching the frequency response of the closed-loop control system to that of the reference model with a minimum weighted integral squared absolute error in the bandwidth region. The reference model is chosen to satisfy the desired maximum sensitivity Ms. As a result, three linear algebraic equations in three unknowns are obtained and the solution of them gives the PID controller gains. The proposed method can be applied to low- and high-order systems, and the Pade approximation of the time-delay term e−Ls is not required.
Adaptive tracking control for a class of uncertain switched nonlinear systems with time-delay
Authors: Li Hongmin , Wang Xinyong
Published: November 2016

This paper focuses on the problem of adaptive tracking control for switched nonlinear systems with time-delay and unknown functions under arbitrary switchings. Based on the adaptive backstepping technique and common Lyapunov function an approach to a class of adaptive fuzzy controllers is designed. The fuzzy logic system is used to approximate the unknown nonlinear functions. The proposed controller guarantees that the output can converge to a small neighbourhood of the reference signal and ensure all of the signals are bounded. A numerical example is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the paper.
Evaluating the Validity and Reliability of the Beliefs About Medicines Questionnaire in Low-Income, Spanish-Speaking Patients With Diabetes in the United States
Authors: Jimenez Krystal , Vargas Cristina , Garcia Karla , Guzman Herlinda , Angulo Marco , Billimek John
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of a Spanish version of the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) as a measure to evaluate beliefs about medications and to differentiate adherent from nonadherent patients among low-income Latino patients with diabetes in the United States.

Methods

Seventy-three patients were administered the BMQ and surveyed for evidence of medication nonadherence. Internal consistency of the BMQ was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha along with performing a confirmatory factor analysis. Criterion validity was assessed by comparing mean scores on 3 subscales of the BMQ (General Overuse, General Harm, and Specific Necessity–Concerns difference score) between adherent patients and patients reporting nonadherence for 3 different reasons (unintentional nonadherence, cost-related nonadherence, and nonadherence due to reasons other than cost) using independent samples t tests.

Results

The BMQ is a reliable instrument to examine beliefs about medications in this Spanish-speaking population. Construct validity testing shows nearly identical factor loading as the original construct map. General Overuse scores were significantly more negative for patients reporting each reason for nonadherence compared with their adherent counterparts. Necessity–Concerns difference scores were significantly more negative for patients reporting nonadherence for reasons other than cost compared with those who did not report this reason for nonadherence.

Conclusion

The Spanish version of the BMQ is appropriate to assess beliefs about medications in Latino patients with type 2 diabetes in the United States and may help identify patients who become nonadherent to medications for reasons other than out-of-pocket costs.
Taylorism, the European Science of Work, and the Quantified Self at Work
Authors: O’Neill Christopher
Published: November 2016

While the Quantified Self has often been described as a contemporary iteration of Taylorism, this article argues that a more accurate comparison is to be made with what Anson Rabinbach has termed the “European Science of Work.” The European Science of Work sought to modify Taylor’s rigid and schematic understanding of the laboring body through the incorporation of insights drawn from the rich European tradition of physiological studies. This “softening” of Taylorist methods had the effect of producing a greater “isorhythmia” or synchronicity between the bodily rhythms of workers and those of the mode of production itself and was embraced by employers as a way to dampen worker militancy. Through a discursive analysis of the promotion of sensor analytics by management consultants VoloMetrix and Humanyze, I argue that the contemporary quantification of the workplace represents a similar project of “soft domination,” as the intimate, bottom-up mode of surveillance it fosters seeks to more closely mold workers’ physiological and social rhythms to the structure of the workplace and the working day.
Alpha Angle Measurements in Healthy Adult Volunteers Vary Depending on the MRI Plane Acquisition Used
Authors: Golfam Mohammad , Di Primio Luigia A. , Beaulé Paul E. , Hack Kalesha , Schweitzer Mark E.
Published: November 2016

Background:

It has been shown that cam deformities are located at a more anterosuperior location than was previously described.

Purpose:

To establish, in a large group of asymptomatic participants, the normative range of the alpha angle in the anterosuperior location in both the oblique axial and radial views of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

In 197 asymptomatic participants (394 asymptomatic hips) with a mean age of 29.4 years (range, 21.4-50.6 years), T1-weighted MRI scans were studied. The anterosuperior alpha angle measurement was performed by 2 observers using a previously described methodology and also using the radial view. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was determined for interobserver and intraobserver reliability. Descriptive statistics, the Student t test, correlation studies, and the Bland-Altman technique were used for data analysis.

Results:

The ICC for interobserver and intraobserver reproducibility was 0.74 (good agreement) and 0.84 (very good agreement), respectively. Anterosuperiorly, the mean (±SD) alpha angles in the oblique axial and radial views were 45.11° ± 8.52° and 50.30° ± 7.91°, respectively ( P < .0001). The upper limits of the 95% reference interval for the oblique axial and radial views were 63° and 66°, respectively. In the oblique axial view, the mean (±SD) alpha angle for male participants was 48.3° ± 7.5° compared with 42.6° ± 6.2° for female participants ( P < .0001), and in the radial view, it was 53.0° ± 7.1° compared with 48.1° ± 5.6°, respectively ( P < .0001). Linear regression analysis demonstrated an insignificant relationship between age and alpha angle, regardless of the imaging plane ( r2 = 0.06).

Conclusion:

We suggest using a higher threshold of 63° (in the oblique axial view) and 66° (in the radial view) at the 1:30 clockface position for the diagnosis of a cam-type deformity. This is significantly higher than 50° to 55° at the 3-o’clock position traditionally used based on the oblique axial view that has been initially described.
Perfusion of the Rotator Cuff Tendon According to the Repair Configuration Using an Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Arthroscope: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Kim Sae Hoon , Cho Won-Sang , Joung Ho-Yun , Choi Young Eun , Jung Minwoong
Published: November 2016

Background:

The disturbance of rotator cuff tendon perfusion has been connected with the suture-bridge configuration repair (SBCR) technique; however, in vivo assessments of the tendon blood supply have been problematic with other modalities. An evaluation of tissue perfusion by an indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence arthroscope has been developed to counteract this difficulty.

Purpose:

To verify the hindrance of perfusion in SBCR, we used an ICG fluorescence camera to compare parallel-type transosseous repair (PTR) and SBCR in rabbits immediately and at 3 days after rotator cuff repair.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Acute rotator cuff repair was performed on the shoulders of 10 rabbits. Both shoulders were repaired using either PTR or SBCR. For PTR, simple repair was performed through 2 parallel transosseous tunnels created using a microdrill. For SBCR, 2 additional crisscross transosseous tunnels were added to mimic arthroscopic SBCR. Immediately after repair, ICG was injected through the ear vein, and images were recorded using an ICG fluorescence camera. Tendon perfusion was compared by measuring fluorescence intensity using ImageJ software in both methods. At 3 days after rotator cuff repair, a reassessment of ICG fluorescence was performed. In addition, as a subsidiary study, a comparison of each repair method and a healthy tendon was performed (PTR vs healthy tendon and SBCR vs healthy tendon). Six rabbits (3 for each comparison) were included.

Results:

Immediately after rotator cuff repair, the mean (±SD) grayscale intensity of ICG fluorescence was weaker in SBCR than PTR in 10 specimens (65.9 ± 47.6 vs 84.3 ± 53.4 per pixel, respectively; P = .003). At 3 days after repair, 8 specimens were included in the analysis because suture strands failed in 2 specimens in SBCR. The mean intensity of fluorescence was still weaker in SBCR compared with PTR (52.5 ± 13.7 vs 60.2 ± 22.7 per pixel, respectively; P = .077). The mean fluorescence intensity compared with a healthy tendon was 83.2% ± 9.5% in PTR and 63.2% ± 13.2% in SBCR.

Conclusion:

Our ICG fluorescence camera system was able to detect ICG fluorescence in an acute rabbit rotator cuff repair model. SBCR showed inferior tendon perfusion immediately after repair. At 3 days after repair, SBCR still showed inferior fluorescence intensity, although it did not reach statistical significance.

Clinical Relevance:

In this study, SBCR hindered perfusion at the tendon in the compressed area. This finding may affect rotator cuff tendon healing and failure mode.
Development of chronic hepatitis B infection in a hepatitis B vaccine responder
Authors: Sadlier Corinna , Madden Keeva , O’Gorman Sean , Crowley Brendan , Bergin Colm
Published: November 2016

The Hepatitis B vaccine is highly effective for the prevention of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. We report the development of chronic HBV infection (Genotype F) in a vaccinated immunocompetent individual with an anti-HBsAb of 35 mIU/mL post completion of vaccine series. HBV vaccine is based on recombinant proteins of genotype-A and D (predominant genotypes in Europe). It may not be as effective for the prevention of more genetically diverse viruses such as genotype F (predominant genotype in Central and South America). Healthcare providers and patients should be aware that the HB vaccine does not confer 100% protection against HBV infection, even in the setting of protective antibody levels. Partners of individuals infected with non-A or -D genotypes should be advised to consider additional precautions to prevent transmission even in the setting protective antibody levels. Surveillance of circulating HBV genotypes should be undertaken to inform public health policy in relation to prevention of HB in high-risk groups such as men who have sex with men.
Preschoolers Flexibly Adapt to Linguistic Input in a Noisy Channel
Authors: Yurovsky Daniel , Case Sarah , Frank Michael C.
Published: November 2016

Because linguistic communication is inherently noisy and uncertain, adult language comprehenders integrate bottom-up cues from speech perception with top-down expectations about what speakers are likely to say. Further, in line with the predictions of ideal-observer models, past results have shown that adult comprehenders flexibly adapt how much they rely on these two kinds of cues in proportion to their changing reliability. Do children also show evidence of flexible, expectation-based language comprehension? We presented preschoolers with ambiguous utterances that could be interpreted in two different ways, depending on whether the children privileged perceptual input or top-down expectations. Across three experiments, we manipulated the reliability of both their perceptual input and their expectations about the speaker’s intended meaning. As predicted by noisy-channel models of speech processing, results showed that 4- and 5-year-old—but perhaps not younger—children flexibly adjusted their interpretations as cues changed in reliability.
Flexural strength of delaminated composite plate – An experimental validation
Authors: Hirwani Chetan K , Panda Subrata K , Mahapatra Siba S , Mandal Sanjib K , Srivastava Lokesh , Buragohain Manoj K
Published: November 2016

In the present work, the flexural strength of delaminated composite plate has been analysed numerically and compared with experimental results. For the numerical investigation, a general mathematical model of the laminated composite plate with and without delamination has been developed using two higher-order kinematic models. The desired governing equation is obtained using variational approach and discretised with the help of the isoparametric finite element steps. The flexural responses of the delaminated structure computed numerically through a generic in-house computer code developed in MATLAB environment. The consistency of the developed numerical models is checked and validated by comparing the bending responses with the available published results. Now, the experimental bending responses of both intact and delaminated composites are evaluated using three-point bend test and compared with numerical responses of the presently developed higher-order models. Finally, the effect of different materials and geometrical parameters including the size, location and position of the delamination on the bending behaviour of the laminated composite plate have been analysed numerically and discussed in detail.
Strategies of Adolescent Girls and Boys for Coping With School-Related Stress
Authors: Wilhsson Marie , Svedberg Petra , Högdin Sara , Nygren Jens M.
Published: November 2016

Stress among adolescents in Western societies is becoming an issue of increasing concern of adolescent’s health. The aim of this study was to gain greater knowledge about how girls and boys perceive and cope with school-related stress. Participants were 14- to 15-year-old adolescents from a medium-sized municipality in southern Sweden. The data were collected from focus group interviews. The data were subjected to qualitative content analysis. The findings show that adolescents “prioritizing the future or the present by making choices, finding their own private sphere to relax, and recovering with family and friends.” There were gender differences in how these strategies were used. The findings could be used for initiating and planning health promotion interventions in school with focus on supporting girls’ and boys’ equal terms to cope with school-related stress in present and for the future and to give equal condition for future studies and opportunities in life.
Living Alone With Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Gibson Allison K. , Richardson Virginia E.
Published: November 2016

Although most individuals experiencing cognitive impairment (CI) reside with a caregiver, an estimated 800,000 live alone. Such individuals may have an increased risk for injury to self or others through self-neglect as a result of the CI symptoms. While persons living alone with CI have been identified as an important area for needed research, few studies have been able to examine this population due to the challenges of identifying and recruiting study participants. By using the National Health & Aging Trends Study data set, the researchers explored the characteristics to describe this population. The results of this study indicated that the majority of persons living with CI were older, widowed females who were not diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia but tested positive on cognitive screening measures. Further, the majority of persons living alone with CI relied on adult children and paid professionals as the primary care providers.
‘Interlocalization’: Can India be a party to the process?
Authors: Kumar Rajesh
Published: November 2016

‘Interlocalization’ has been witnessed as a new praxis in international communication which is all about horizontal flow of knowledge, culture, tradition, know-how and so on, among countries of the world, free from any form of hegemony and domination as against what has been observed in the case of ‘globalization’ and also in ‘glocalization’. This study is an attempt to understand and analyse this phenomenon in the Indian context, and it revolves around two possible broad catalysts of the interlocalization process: (1) India’s communication business alliances and (2) transnational networking among Indian diaspora communities. The article finds that India’s communication business alliances around the world have not yet reached a level to provide the desired impetus to the interlocalization process, although it is gaining momentum. But a highly encouraging scenario is presented in the case of Indian diaspora networking and its implications for the interlocalization process.
General practice and genomics
Authors: Rafi Imran , Hayward Judith , Alberg Corinna
Published: November 2016

Clinicians have always personalised patient management. There is a growing momentum to improve this further through the integration of genomic information into clinical care. This will incorporate powerful new tools, through which clinicians can further tailor healthcare, improving disease prevention, prediction, diagnosis and treatment. This article aims to suggest ways in which this revolution in healthcare will affect GPs.
The efficacy of lacosamide as monotherapy and adjunctive therapy in focal epilepsy and its use in status epilepticus: clinical trial evidence and experience
Authors: Bauer Sebastian , Willems Laurent M. , Paule Esther , Petschow Christine , Zöllner Johann Philipp , Rosenow Felix , Strzelczyk Adam
Published: November 2016

Lacosamide (LCM) is approved for anticonvulsive treatment in focal epilepsy and exhibits its function through the slow inactivation of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs). LCM shows comparable efficacy with other antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) licensed in the last decade: in three randomized placebo-controlled trials, significant median seizure reduction rates of 35.2% for 200 mg/day, 36.4–39% for 400 mg/day and 37.8–40% for 600 mg/day were reported. Likewise, 50% responder rates were 38.3–41.1% for 400 mg/day and 38.1–41.2% for 600 mg/day. Similar rates were reported in post-marketing studies. The main adverse events (AEs) are dizziness, abnormal vision, diplopia and ataxia. Overall, LCM is well tolerated and has no clinically-relevant drug–drug interactions. Due to the drug’s intravenous availability, its use in status epilepticus (SE) is increasing, and the available data are promising.
iNKT and memory B-cell alterations in HHV-8 multicentric Castleman disease
Authors: Sbihi Zineb , Dossier Antoine , Boutboul David , Galicier Lionel , Parizot Christophe , Emarre Amandine , Hoareau Bénédicte , Dupin Nicolas , Marcelin Anne-Geneviève , Oudin Anne , Fieschi Claire , Agbalika Félix , Autran Brigitte , Oksenhendler Eric , Carcelain Guislaine
Published: November 2016

Key Points

HHV-8 MCD is associated with a decrease of iNKT and memory B cells. iNKT decrease contributes to B-cell abnormalities in coculture experiments.
3D strength surfaces for ankle plantar‐ and dorsi‐flexion in healthy adults: an isometric and isokinetic dynamometry study
Authors: Hussain Sara J. , Frey‐Law Laura
Published: November 2016

Background

The ankle is an important component of the human kinetic chain, and deficits in ankle strength can negatively impact functional tasks such as balance and gait. While peak torque is influenced by joint angle and movement velocity, ankle strength is typically reported for a single angle or movement speed. To better identify deficits and track recovery of ankle strength after injury or surgical intervention, ankle strength across a range of movement velocities and joint angles in healthy adults is needed. Thus, the primary goals of this study were to generate a database of strength values and 3‐dimensional strength surface models for plantarflexion (PF) and dorsiflexion (DF) ankle strength in healthy men and women. Secondary goals were to develop a means to estimate ankle strength percentiles as well as examine predictors of maximal ankle strength in healthy adults.

Methods

Using an isokinetic dynamometer, we tested PF and DF peak torques at five joint angles (−10° [DF], 0° [neutral], 10° [PF], 20° [PF] and 30° [PF]) and six velocities (0°/s, 30°/s, 60°/s, 90°/s, 120°/s and 180°/s) in 53 healthy adults. These data were used to generate 3D plots, or “strength surfaces”, for males and females for each direction; surfaces were fit using a logistic equation. We also tested predictors of ankle strength, including height, weight, sex, and self‐reported physical activity levels.

Results

Torque‐velocity and torque‐angle relationships at the ankle interact, indicating that these relationships are interdependent and best modeled using 3D surfaces. Sex was the strongest predictor of ankle strength over height, weight, and self‐reported physical activity levels. 79 to 97 % of the variance in mean peak torque was explained by joint angle and movement velocity using logistic equations, for men and women and PF and DF directions separately.

Conclusions

The 3D strength data and surface models provide a more comprehensive dataset of ankle strength in healthy adults than previously reported. These models may allow researchers and clinicians to quantify ankle strength deficits and track recovery in patient populations, using angle‐ and velocity‐specific ankle strength values and/or strength percentiles from healthy adults.
Heterogeneity of proangiogenic features in mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow, adipose tissue, umbilical cord, and placenta
Authors: Du Wen Jing , Chi Ying , Yang Zhou Xin , Li Zong Jin , Cui Jun Jie , Song Bao Quan , Li Xue , Yang Shao Guang , Han Zhi Bo , Han Zhong Chao
Published: November 2016

Background

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely proven effective for therapeutic angiogenesis in ischemia animal models as well as clinical vascular diseases. Because of the invasive method, limited resources, and aging problems of adult tissue-derived MSCs, more perinatal tissue-derived MSCs have been isolated and studied as promising substitutable MSCs for cell transplantation. However, fewer studies have comparatively studied the angiogenic efficacy of MSCs derived from different tissues sources. Here, we evaluated whether the in-situ environment would affect the angiogenic potential of MSCs.

Methods

We harvested MSCs from adult bone marrow (BMSCs), adipose tissue (AMSCs), perinatal umbilical cord (UMSCs), and placental chorionic villi (PMSCs), and studied their “MSC identity” by flow cytometry and in-vitro trilineage differentiation assay. Then we comparatively studied their endothelial differentiation capabilities and paracrine actions side by side in vitro.

Results

Our data showed that UMSCs and PMSCs fitted well with the minimum standard of MSCs as well as BMSCs and AMSCs. Interestingly, we found that MSCs regardless of their tissue origins could develop similar endothelial-relevant functions in vitro, including producing eNOS and uptaking ac-LDL during endothelial differentiation in spite of their feeble expression of endothelial-related genes and proteins. Additionally, we surprisingly found that BMSCs and PMSCs could directly form tubular structures in vitro on Matrigel and their conditioned medium showed significant proangiogenic bioactivities on endothelial cells in vitro compared with those of AMSCs and UMSCs. Besides, several angiogenic genes were upregulated in BMSCs and PMSCs in comparison with AMSCs and UMSCs. Moreover, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay further confirmed that BMSCs secreted much more VEGF, and PMSCs secreted much more HGF and PGE2.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated the heterogeneous proangiogenic properties of MSCs derived from different tissue origins, and the in vivo isolated environment might contribute to these differences. Our study suggested that MSCs derived from bone marrow and placental chorionic villi might be preferred in clinical application for therapeutic angiogenesis.
Riddle-Character, Interpretation, and Dialectical Image: Adorno's Philosophy and the Case of Musical Performance
Authors: Paddison Max
Published: November 2016

This article proposes that it is the notion of the “image” that provides the key to how Adorno understands interpretation in both philosophy and art. It seeks to show that it is especially music, and musical interpretation as performance, that provides the model for Adorno's conception of philosophical interpretation. It argues that interpretation is a practice that also involves the making of something, as poesis, and that Adorno's ideal for this is interpretation as musical performance. Through a rereading of the concepts of riddle-character (Rätselcharakter), interpretation (Deutung), and image (Bild) in Adorno's philosophical and musical texts from the early 1930s to the late 1960s and material from the Nachlass, the case is made that his conception of interpretation involves not only the decipherment of the riddle-character of art but also the construction of further “interpretive” riddle figurations, as “dialectical images.”
Wounded Modernism: Adorno on Wagner
Authors: Gordon Peter E.
Published: November 2016

In his earlier writings and especially in his 1952 work Versuch über Wagner, Theodor W. Adorno developed a strongly critical perspective on Wagner's music, which he associated with the commodification of culture and the emergence of fascism. But in the 1956 program note to Parsifal, and in the 1963 lecture “Wagner's Actualität,” Adorno found in Wagner's music moments of critical possibility. Adorno's changing assessment reflects a larger constellation of themes about bourgeois strength and natural vulnerability. From a redemptive moment in Wagner's music, Adorno discerned an analogy between the wounded or broken character of musical modernism and the experience of creaturely suffering. The modernist artwork leaves behind any aesthetic of “heroism” and emerges, as if from a disaster, with bodily injuries that can never be healed.
α-Catenin stabilises Cadherin–Catenin complexes and modulates actomyosin dynamics to allow pulsatile apical contraction
Authors: Jurado Jaime , de Navascués Joaquín , Gorfinkiel Nicole
Published: November 2016

We have investigated how cell contractility and adhesion are functionally integrated during epithelial morphogenesis. To this end, we have analysed the role of α-Catenin, a key molecule linking E-Cadherin-based adhesion and the actomyosin cytoskeleton, during Drosophila embryonic dorsal closure, by studying a newly developed allelic series. We find that α-Catenin regulates pulsatile apical contraction in the amnioserosa, the main force-generating tissue driving closure of the embryonic epidermis. α-Catenin controls actomyosin dynamics by stabilising and promoting the formation of actomyosin foci, and also stabilises DE-Cadherin (Drosophila E-Cadherin, also known as Shotgun) at the cell membrane, suggesting that medioapical actomyosin contractility regulates junction stability. Furthermore, we uncover a genetic interaction between α-Catenin and Vinculin, and a tension-dependent recruitment of Vinculin to amniosersoa apical cell membranes, suggesting the existence of a mechano-sensitive module operating in this tissue.
Should hydrogen therapy be included in a musculoskeletal medicine routine?
Authors: Ostojic Sergej M.
Published: November 2016

Molecular hydrogen (H2) has recently been recognized as a potential novel therapeutic agent in biomedicine. Initially proposed to be a possible treatment for certain types of neuromuscular disorders, cardio-metabolic diseases and cancer, H2 improved clinical end-points and surrogate markers in several clinical trials, mainly acting as an anti-inflammatory agent and powerful antioxidant. In this paper, the medicinal properties of H2 in musculoskeletal medicine are discussed with the aim to provide an updated and practical overview for health professionals working in this field.
Comparing Apples and Oranges: Query Trade-off in Submodular Maximization
Authors: Buchbinder Niv , Feldman Moran , Schwartz Roy
Published: November 2016

Fast algorithms for submodular maximization problems have a vast potential use in applicative settings, such as machine learning, social networks, and economics. Though fast algorithms were known for some special cases, only recently such algorithms were considered in the general case of maximizing a monotone submodular function subject to a matroid independence constraint. The known fast algorithm matches the best possible approximation guarantee, while trying to reduce the number of value oracle queries the algorithm performs.

Our main result is a new algorithm for this general case that establishes a surprising trade-off between two seemingly unrelated quantities: the number of value oracle queries and the number of matroid independence queries performed by the algorithm. Specifically, one can decrease the former by increasing the latter, and vice versa, while maintaining the best possible approximation guarantee. Such a trade-off is very useful since various applications might incur significantly different costs in querying the value and matroid independence oracles. Furthermore, in case the rank of the matroid is O(nc), where n is the size of the ground set and c is an absolute constant smaller than 1, the total number of oracle queries our algorithm uses can be made to have a smaller magnitude compared to that needed by the current best known algorithm. We also provide even faster algorithms for the well-studied special cases of a cardinality constraint and a partition matroid independence constraint, both of which capture many real-world applications and have been widely studied both theoretically and in practice.
Increased sagittal vertical axis is associated with less effective control of acute pain following vertebroplasty
Authors: Kim Y-C. , Bok D. H. , Chang H-G. , Kim S. W. , Park M. S. , Oh J. K. , Kim J. , Kim T-H.
Published: November 2016

Objectives

Although vertebroplasty is very effective for relieving acute pain from an osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture, not all patients who undergo vertebroplasty receive the same degree of benefit from the procedure. In order to identify the ideal candidate for vertebroplasty, pre-operative prognostic demographic or clinico-radiological factors need to be identified. The objective of this study was to identify the pre-operative prognostic factors related to the effect of vertebroplasty on acute pain control using a cohort of surgically and non-surgically managed patients.

Patients and Methods

Patients with single-level acute osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture at thoracolumbar junction (T10 to L2) were followed. If the patients were not satisfied with acute pain reduction after a three-week conservative treatment, vertebroplasty was recommended. Pain assessment was carried out at the time of diagnosis, as well as three, four, six, and 12 weeks after the diagnosis. The effect of vertebroplasty, compared with conservative treatment, on back pain (visual analogue score, VAS) was analysed with the use of analysis-of-covariance models that adjusted for pre-operative VAS scores.

Results

A total of 342 patients finished the 12-week follow-up, and 120 patients underwent vertebroplasty (35.1%). The effect of vertebroplasty over conservative treatment was significant regardless of age, body mass index, medical comorbidity, previous fracture, pain duration, bone mineral density, degree of vertebral body compression, and canal encroachment. However, the effect of vertebroplasty was not significant at all time points in patients with increased sagittal vertical axis.

Conclusions

For single-level acute osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, the effect of vertebroplasty was less favourable in patients with increased sagittal vertical axis (> 5 cm) possible due to aggravation of kyphotic stress from walking imbalance. Cite this article: Y-C. Kim, D. H. Bok, H-G. Chang, S. W. Kim, M. S. Park, J. K. Oh, J. Kim, T-H. Kim. Increased sagittal vertical axis is associated with less effective control of acute pain following vertebroplasty. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:544–551. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.511.BJR-2016-0135.R1.