bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patients with problems after ACL reconstruction - what do help MRI and SPECT/CT?
Authors: Mathis Dominic T. , Hirschmann Michael T. , Rasch Helmut , Falkowski Anna , Hirschmann Anna
Published: March 2016

Aims and Objectives:

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and single-photon emission computed tomography/ computed tomography (SPECT/CT) are established diagnostic instruments for symptomatic patients after ACL reconstruction. The purpose of the study was to compare and correlate MRI and SPECT/CT findings of symptomatic patients after ACL reconstruction.

Materials and Methods:

In a retrospective study 30 knees of symptomatic patients complaining about pain and/or instability after ACL reconstruction were investigated using 99mTc-HDP SPECT/CT and MRI. In MRI signs of a graft tear (partial and complete) were noted. Graft signal intensity, bone bruise, cyst formation in proximal, medial and distal femoral and tibial tunnels, roof impingement, roof osteophytes, graft arthrofibrosis, knee joint effusion and synovial thickness were classified. Measurements were performed by two musculoskeletal radiologists. The agreement of the assessed MR signs were calculated using cohen’s kappa coefficient. These showed excellent (kappa >0.75) to good (kappa >0.40) reproducibility between the readings of the two observers. Quantitative grading of bone tracer uptake (BTU) for each anatomical area of a previously validated localisation scheme was done. Tunnel width was assessed in CT at three different levels for femoral and tibial tunnels. The findings in SPECT/CT and MRI were correlated (p<0.05).

Results:

Increased BTU in most femoral and tibial knee regions was found in patients with MR findings of knee joint effusion, synovial thickening and bone bruise in various knee regions. A reciprocal correlation was shown for cyst formation in the central and distal area of the femoral tunnel and BTU in the femoral tunnel. MR findings such as graft continuity, graft signal intensity in the femoral and tibial tunnel, roof impingement, roof osteophytes did not show a significant correlation. A reciprocal correlation was revealed for tunnel enlargement in the proximal and central femoral tunnel and MR signal intensity in the entire intra-articular graft. Cyst formation in the femoral tunnel significantly correlated with tunnel enlargement in the proximal and central part of the femoral tunnel. Proximal femoral cyst formation also correlated with tibial tunnel enlargement in the central and distal part. BTU did show a positive correlation with tibial tunnel enlargement and a negative correlation with femoral tunnel enlargement.

Conclusion:

Both imaging modalities play an important role in postoperative diagnostics of patients with problems after ACL reconstruction. The results of our study could help in clinical decision-making to accurately identify causes of painful ACL reconstructions. MRI will remain the primary imaging modality, but SPECT/CT could be helpful giving information on in-vivo loading of the knee.
Survival and Reoperation Rate Following Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation
Authors: Frank Rachel M. , Levy David , Scalise Pamela Nina , Smith Margaret Elizabeth , Cole Brian J.
Published: March 2016

Objectives:

The purpose of this study was to quantify survival for osteochondral allograft transplantation (OAT) and report findings at reoperation.

Methods:

A retrospective review of a prospectively collected database of patients who underwent OAT by a single surgeon with a minimum follow-up duration of 2-years was conducted. The reoperation rate, timing of reoperation, procedure performed at reoperation, and findings at surgery were reviewed. Failure was defined by revision OAT, conversion to knee arthroplasty, or gross appearance of graft failure at 2ndlook arthroscopy. Descriptive statistics, log-rank testing, cross-tabulation, and chi-square testing were performed, with P<0.05 set as significant.

Results:

100 patients (average age 32.7±10.2 years; 53 males, 47 females) who underwent OAT at an average follow-up of 4.9±2.5 years (range, 2.0 to 11.3) were included. Ninety-five patients (95%) underwent an average of 2.7±1.7 prior surgical procedures on the ipsilateral knee prior to OAT. The average defect size was 452.7±181.6 mm2 and was located on the medial femoral condyle in 63 patients (63%). Fifty-one percent of OATs were isolated, while 49% were performed with concomitant procedures including meniscus allograft transplantation (MAT) in 27 (27%). Fifty-three patients (53%) returned to the operating room at an average 2.8±2.7 years, with 26% of these patients (14/53) undergoing additional reoperations (range, 1-3 additional reoperations). Arthroscopic debridement was performed in 91% of the initial reoperations (48/53); 55% of reoperations (29/53) were performed within 2 years of the index OAT. Twenty patients (20%) were considered failures at an average 4.0±2.7 years following index OAT either due to revision OAT (N=6), conversion to arthroplasty (N=10), or appearance of poorly incorporated allograft at arthroscopy (N=4). Patients requiring multiple reoperations had an odds ratio of 7.25 (95% CI, 1.85 to 28.37) of OAT failure (P=0.004), while patients requiring secondary surgery within 2 years had an odds radio of 1.35 (95% CI, 0.48 to 3.82) for OAT failure (P>0.05). Patients with concomitant MAT and OAT were more likely to progress to failure (odds ratio 2.4, 95% CI 0.87 to 3.28). Excluding the failed patients, statistically and clinically significant improvements were found in all outcomes assessments at final follow-up, including Lysholm, IKDC, KOOS, and SF-12 (P<0.001 for all).

Conclusion:

In this series, there was a 53% reoperation rate for OAT, with arthroscopic debridement being the most common surgical treatment (91%), and an80% allograft survival rate at average of 5 years. Those requiring additional surgery still benefited, having a 70% allograft survival rate, but were at an increased risk of failure, with patients requiring multiple reoperations having an odds ratio of 7.25 for failure. This information can be used to counsel patients on the risks and implications of reoperation following OAT.
“Scar-cinoma”: viewing the fibrotic lung mesenchymal cell in the context of cancer biology
Authors: Horowitz Jeffrey C. , Osterholzer John J. , Marazioti Antonia , Stathopoulos Georgios T.
Published: March 2016

Lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis are common, yet distinct, pathological processes that represent urgent unmet medical needs. Striking clinical and mechanistic parallels exist between these distinct disease entities. The goal of this article is to examine lung fibrosis from the perspective of cancer-associated phenotypic hallmarks, to discuss areas of mechanistic overlap and distinction, and to highlight profibrotic mechanisms that contribute to carcinogenesis. Ultimately, we speculate that such comparisons might identify opportunities to leverage our current understanding of the pathobiology of each disease process in order to advance novel therapeutic approaches for both. We anticipate that such “outside the box” concepts could be translated to a more precise and individualised approach to fibrotic diseases of the lung.
Geophysical investigation of a Middle Holocene archaeological site along the Yukon River, Alaska
Authors: Urban Thomas M. , Rasic Jeffrey , Buvit Ian , Jacob Robert W. , Richie Jillian , Hackenberger Steven , Hanson Sydney , Ritz William , Wakeland Eric , Manning Sturt W.
Published: March 2016

A geophysical investigation of an archaeological site in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, Alaska, was conducted in 2014 by an interdisciplinary team consisting of researchers from Cornell University, Bucknell University, Central Washington University, and the U. S. National Park Service. The site is known for a historic cabin, Slaven's Roadhouse, which was constructed on a deep, stratified river terrace. This landform was previously found to contain archaeological materials that are at least 4000 years old. The geophysical study, which included a combination of ground-penetrating radar, magnetic, electromagnetic, and electrical methods, revealed details of the depositional context and potential archaeological features of likely Middle Holocene origin, the age of which is supported by radiocarbon dates of charcoal found in association with some of the detected anomalies.
CCDC141 Mutation Identified in Anosmic Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism (Kallmann Syndrome) Alters GnRH Neuronal Migration
Authors: Hutchins B. Ian , Kotan L. Damla , Taylor-Burds Carol , Ozkan Yusuf , Cheng Paul J. , Gurbuz Fatih , Tiong Jean D. R. , Mengen Eda , Yuksel Bilgin , Topaloglu A. Kemal , Wray Susan
Published: March 2016

The first mutation in a gene associated with a neuronal migration disorder was identified in patients with Kallmann Syndrome, characterized by hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and anosmia. This pathophysiological association results from a defect in the development of the GnRH and the olfactory system. A recent genetic screening of Kallmann Syndrome patients revealed a novel mutation in CCDC141. Little is known about CCDC141, which encodes a coiled-coil domain containing protein. Here, we show that Ccdc141 is expressed in GnRH neurons and olfactory fibers and that knockdown of Ccdc141 reduces GnRH neuronal migration. Our findings in human patients and mouse models predict that CCDC141 takes part in embryonic migration of GnRH neurons enabling them to form a hypothalamic neuronal network to initiate pulsatile GnRH secretion and reproductive function.
Obituary: Hans Meinhardt (1938-2016)
Authors: Müller Patrick , Nüsslein-Volhard Christiane
Published: March 2016

Patrick Müller and Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard reflect on the life and career of their colleague Hans Meinhardt.
Flapping wing aerodynamics: from insects to vertebrates
Authors: Chin Diana D. , Lentink David
Published: March 2016

More than a million insects and approximately 11,000 vertebrates utilize flapping wings to fly. However, flapping flight has only been studied in a few of these species, so many challenges remain in understanding this form of locomotion. Five key aerodynamic mechanisms have been identified for insect flight. Among these is the leading edge vortex, which is a convergent solution to avoid stall for insects, bats and birds. The roles of the other mechanisms – added mass, clap and fling, rotational circulation and wing–wake interactions – have not yet been thoroughly studied in the context of vertebrate flight. Further challenges to understanding bat and bird flight are posed by the complex, dynamic wing morphologies of these species and the more turbulent airflow generated by their wings compared with that observed during insect flight. Nevertheless, three dimensionless numbers that combine key flow, morphological and kinematic parameters – the Reynolds number, Rossby number and advance ratio – govern flapping wing aerodynamics for both insects and vertebrates. These numbers can thus be used to organize an integrative framework for studying and comparing animal flapping flight. Here, we provide a roadmap for developing such a framework, highlighting the aerodynamic mechanisms that remain to be quantified and compared across species. Ultimately, incorporating complex flight maneuvers, environmental effects and developmental stages into this framework will also be essential to advancing our understanding of the biomechanics, movement ecology and evolution of animal flight.
Phenotypic differences between the sexes in the sexually plastic mangrove rivulus fish (Kryptolebias marmoratus)
Authors: Garcia Mark J. , Ferro Jack M. , Mattox Tyler , Kopelic Sydney , Marson Kristine , Jones Ryan , Svendsen Jon C. , Earley Ryan L.
Published: March 2016

To maximize reproductive success, many animal species have evolved functional sex change. Theory predicts that transitions between sexes should occur when the fitness payoff of the current sex is exceeded by the fitness payoff of the opposite sex. We examined phenotypic differences between the sexes in a sex-changing vertebrate, the mangrove rivulus fish (Kryptolebias marmoratus), to elucidate potential factors that might drive the ‘decision’ to switch sex. Rivulus populations consist of self-fertilizing hermaphrodites and males. Hermaphrodites transition into males under certain environmental conditions, affording us the opportunity to generate 40 hermaphrodite–male pairs where, within a pair, individuals possessed identical genotypes despite being different sexes. We quantified steroid hormone levels, behavior (aggression and risk taking), metabolism and morphology (organ masses). We found that hermaphrodites were more aggressive and risk averse, and had higher maximum metabolic rates and larger gonadosomatic indices. Males had higher steroid hormone levels and showed correlations among hormones that hermaphrodites lacked. Males also had greater total mass and somatic body mass and possessed considerable fat stores. Our findings suggest that there are major differences between the sexes in energy allocation, with hermaphrodites exhibiting elevated maximum metabolic rates, and showing evidence of favoring investments in reproductive tissues over somatic growth. Our study serves as the foundation for future research investigating how environmental challenges affect both physiology and reproductive investment and, ultimately, how these changes dictate the transition between sexes.
Starvation stress during larval development facilitates an adaptive response in adult worker honey bees (Apis mellifera L.)
Authors: Wang Ying , Kaftanoglu Osman , Brent Colin S. , Page Robert E. , Amdam Gro V.
Published: March 2016

Most organisms are constantly faced with environmental changes and stressors. In diverse organisms, there is an anticipatory mechanism during development that can program adult phenotypes. The adult phenotype would be adapted to the predicted environment that occurred during organism maturation. However, whether this anticipatory mechanism is present in eusocial species is questionable because eusocial organisms are largely shielded from exogenous conditions by their stable nest environment. In this study, we tested whether food deprivation during development of the honey bee (Apis mellifera), a eusocial insect model, can shift adult phenotypes to better cope with nutritional stress. After subjecting fifth instar worker larvae to short-term starvation, we measured nutrition-related morphology, starvation resistance, physiology, endocrinology and behavior in the adults. We found that the larval starvation caused adult honey bees to become more resilient toward starvation. Moreover, the adult bees were characterized by reduced ovary size, elevated glycogen stores and juvenile hormone (JH) titers, and decreased sugar sensitivity. These changes, in general, can help adult insects survive and reproduce in food-poor environments. Overall, we found for the first time support for an anticipatory mechanism in a eusocial species, the honey bee. Our results suggest that this mechanism may play a role in honey bee queen–worker differentiation and worker division of labor, both of which are related to the responses to nutritional stress.
Broadband noise exposure does not affect hearing sensitivity in big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus)
Authors: Simmons Andrea Megela , Hom Kelsey N. , Warnecke Michaela , Simmons James A.
Published: March 2016

In many vertebrates, exposure to intense sounds under certain stimulus conditions can induce temporary threshold shifts that reduce hearing sensitivity. Susceptibility to these hearing losses may reflect the relatively quiet environments in which most of these species have evolved. Echolocating big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) live in extremely intense acoustic environments in which they navigate and forage successfully, both alone and in company with other bats. We hypothesized that bats may have evolved a mechanism to minimize noise-induced hearing losses that otherwise could impair natural echolocation behaviors. The hearing sensitivity of seven big brown bats was measured in active echolocation and passive hearing tasks, before and after exposure to broadband noise spanning their audiometric range (10–100 kHz, 116 dB SPL re. 20 µPa rms, 1 h duration; sound exposure level 152 dB). Detection thresholds measured 20 min, 2 h or 24 h after exposure did not vary significantly from pre-exposure thresholds or from thresholds in control (sham exposure) conditions. These results suggest that big brown bats may be less susceptible to temporary threshold shifts than are other terrestrial mammals after exposure to similarly intense broadband sounds. These experiments provide fertile ground for future research on possible mechanisms employed by echolocating bats to minimize hearing losses while orienting effectively in noisy biological soundscapes.
Detection of artificial water flows by the lateral line system of a benthic feeding cichlid fish
Authors: Schwalbe Margot A. B. , Sevey Benjamin J. , Webb Jacqueline F.
Published: March 2016

The mechanosensory lateral line system of fishes detects water motions within a few body lengths of the source. Several types of artificial stimuli have been used to probe lateral line function in the laboratory, but few studies have investigated the role of flow sensing in benthic feeding teleosts. In this study, we used artificial flows emerging from a sandy substrate to assess the contribution of flow sensing to prey detection in the peacock cichlid, Aulonocara stuartgranti, which feeds on benthic invertebrates in Lake Malawi. Using a positive reinforcement protocol, we trained fish to respond to flows lacking the visual and chemical cues generated by tethered prey in prior studies with A. stuartgranti. Fish successfully responded to artificial flows at all five rates presented (characterized using digital particle image velocimetry), and showed a range of flow-sensing behaviors, including an unconditioned bite response. Immediately after lateral line inactivation, fish rarely responded to flows and the loss of vital fluorescent staining of hair cells (with 4-di-2-ASP) verified lateral line inactivation. Within 2 days post-treatment, some aspects of flow-sensing behavior returned and after 7 days, flow-sensing behavior and hair cell fluorescence both returned to pre-treatment levels, which is consistent with the reported timing of hair cell regeneration in other vertebrates. The presentation of ecologically relevant water flows to assess flow-sensing behaviors and the use of a positive reinforcement protocol are methods that present new opportunities to study the role of flow sensing in the feeding ecology of benthic feeding fishes.
Technical advances in proteomics: new developments in data-independent acquisition
Authors: Hu Alex , Noble William S. , Wolf-Yadlin Alejandro
Published: March 2016

The ultimate aim of proteomics is to fully identify and quantify the entire complement of proteins and post-translational modifications in biological samples of interest. For the last 15 years, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in data-dependent acquisition (DDA) mode has been the standard for proteomics when sampling breadth and discovery were the main objectives; multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) LC-MS/MS has been the standard for targeted proteomics when precise quantification, reproducibility, and validation were the main objectives. Recently, improvements in mass spectrometer design and bioinformatics algorithms have resulted in the rediscovery and development of another sampling method: data-independent acquisition (DIA). DIA comprehensively and repeatedly samples every peptide in a protein digest, producing a complex set of mass spectra that is difficult to interpret without external spectral libraries. Currently, DIA approaches the identification breadth of DDA while achieving the reproducible quantification characteristic of MRM or its newest version, parallel reaction monitoring (PRM). In comparative de novo identification and quantification studies in human cell lysates, DIA identified up to 89% of the proteins detected in a comparable DDA experiment while providing reproducible quantification of over 85% of them. DIA analysis aided by spectral libraries derived from prior DIA experiments or auxiliary DDA data produces identification and quantification as reproducible and precise as that achieved by MRM/PRM, except on low‑abundance peptides that are obscured by stronger signals. DIA is still a work in progress toward the goal of sensitive, reproducible, and precise quantification without external spectral libraries. New software tools applied to DIA analysis have to deal with deconvolution of complex spectra as well as proper filtering of false positives and false negatives. However, the future outlook is positive, and various researchers are working on novel bioinformatics techniques to address these issues and increase the reproducibility, fidelity, and identification breadth of DIA.
Effect of Pulse Laser Bonding Conditions on Lap Weld Joint Strength
Authors: Пересторонин А. , Perestoronin A. , Букеткин Б. , Buketkin B. , Богданов А. , Bogdanov A. , Адамини Ф. , Adamini F.
Published: March 2016

The research results of a gap influence between welding parts upon geometry and strength properties of lap weld joints at pulse laser bonding of thin-sheet austenitic steel are cited. It is shown that gap covering takes place mainly at the expense of upper billet deplanation at the gap increase the dimensions and strength of joints drop, and also cold-hardening of a metal joint arises.
GENDER INEQUALITY INDEX: METHODS OF CALCULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION
Authors: Гостенина  , Gostenina Valentina , Кейзик  , Keyzik Anna
Published: March 2016

The article considers the methods of calculating of Gender Inequality Index proposed by the CET in 2009. The technology of calculation consists of eight phases. Detailed description of the methodology for the calculations allowed the authors to make the calculation of the Index in the Russian Federation for 15 years (from 2000 to 2014). The factors determining the value of the index are described. On the basis of the obtained results of this global problem of gender inequality the authors make conclusions about the situation in our country and offer the recommendations for achieving gender equality and the elimination of disparities between the sexes for equal rights and opportunities for men and women who are citizens of the Russian Federation. Based on these calculations, the schedule that reflects the dynamics of changes in the specified period is presented.
Organizational Debut on the Public Stage: Marketing Myopia and Initial Public Offerings
Authors: Saboo Alok R. , Chakravarty Anindita , Grewal Rajdeep
Published: March 2016

Successful initial public offerings (IPOs) provide firms with access to valuable resources, but also put pressure on firms to impress potential investors with evidence of their current well-being and prospects for future growth. To impress investors IPO firms might curtail their marketing budgets, which appears to inflate current earnings and provide evidence of current well-being. However, curtailing marketing budgets unexpectedly during an IPO may be a myopic practice, in that the immediate benefits of these budget cuts are offset by their longer-term adverse consequences on financial well-being. The extent of these adverse consequences in turn may be moderated by external firm factors, including strategic alliances and key customer relationships, and internal firm factors, such as the strategic emphasis on value creation versus value appropriation. A sample of 1,095 IPOs during 2000–2011 reveals evidence of myopic marketing practices in more than 37% of the sample. Investors seem misled during IPOs, but they correct their beliefs in the three years following the IPO and penalize these firms. The penalty for myopic marketing budgeting practices also increases with more strategic alliances and a strategic emphasis on value creation versus value appropriation, but it decreases in the presence (versus absence) of key customer relationships.

Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2015.0970 .
The Freight Train Routing Problem for Congested Railway Networks with Mixed Traffic
Authors: Borndörfer Ralf , Klug Torsten , Schlechte Thomas , Fügenschuh Armin , Schang Thilo , Schülldorf Hanno
Published: March 2016

We consider the following freight train routing problem (FTRP). Given is a transportation network with fixed routes for passenger trains and a set of freight trains (requests), each defined by an origin and destination station pair. The objective is to calculate a feasible route for each freight train such that the sum of all expected delays and all running times is minimal. Previous research concentrated on microscopic train routings for junctions or inside major stations. Only recently approaches were developed to tackle larger corridors or even networks. We investigate the routing problem from a strategic perspective, calculating the routes in a macroscopic transportation network of Deutsche Bahn AG. In this context, macroscopic refers to an aggregation of complex and large real-world structures into fewer network elements. Moreover, the departure and arrival times of freight trains are approximated. The problem has a strategic character since it asks only for a coarse routing through the network without the precise timings. We provide a mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) formulation for the FTRP, which is a multicommodity flow model on a time-expanded graph with additional routing constraints. The model’s nonlinearities originate from an algebraic approximation of the delays of the trains on the arcs of the network by capacity restraint functions. The MINLP is reduced to a mixed-integer linear model (MILP) by piecewise linear approximation. The latter is solved by a state-of-the art MILP solver for various real-world test instances.
Priapism: A Review of Children with Sickle Cell Disease in Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Authors: George I. O. , Gbobo I. , Aiyedun C. N.
Published: March 2016

Background: Priapism is a complication of sickle cell disease (SCD) that if left untreated results in irreversible fibrosis and impotency. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, pattern, steady state laboratory parameters of children with priapism and their treatment.
Methods: A retrospective study of children with sickle cell disease who were diagnosed with priapism at the Sickle Cell Clinic and the Emergency Ward of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Port Harcourt, Nigeria, from 1st August 2010 to 31st July 2015. Demographic as well as steady-state clinical data were extracted from the patients' medical records. Laboratory parameters were aged matched with children (HbSS) without priapism in steady state. Data analysed included age, sex, steady-state packed cell volume, leucocyte and platelet count; and treatment.
Results: A total of 345 folders of children with SCD (342, HbSS; 3HbSC) were retrieved during the period under review. Five children were found with diagnosis of priapism. The mean age was 8.0±4.6 (range 3-15years). The mean packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cell count (WBC) and platelet counts were 22±2.7; 8±2.9 and 179.4±25.7 respectively. The mean PCV of children with priapism was significantly (P<0.05) higher than the control. Fever 4(80%), dehydration 2(40%), rigorous physical exercise 1(20%) and emotional disturbances 1(20%) were associated risks factors. Stuttering pattern was the commonest 3(60%). Most 4(80%) of them were managed conservatively with irrigation of saline and adrenaline. None of them had exchange blood transfusion. Two(40%) of them had shunt after intumescence of 5 and10 days respectively. Only 1(20%) had recurrence. None had impotency.
Conclusion: The prevalence of priapism among patients with SCD is low (1.5%) in Port Harcourt. High steady state haematocrit values were significantly associated with priapism. Fever and dehydrated were the commonest pre-morbid conditions associated with priapism. The treatment options for all types of priapism were initially conservative but surgical therapy must be available when applicable to circumvent erectile dysfunction.
Software-Enabled Distributed Network Governance: The PopMedNet Experience
Authors: Davies Melanie , Erickson Kyle , Wyner Zachary , Malenfant Jessica M. , Rosen Rob , Brown Jeff
Published: March 2016

Introduction: The expanded availability of electronic health information has led
to increased interest in distributed health data research networks.Distributed Research
Network Model: The distributed research network model leaves data with and under the
control of the data holder. Data holders, network coordinating centers, and researchers
have distinct needs and challenges within this model.Software Enabled Governance:
PopMedNet: The concerns of network stakeholders are addressed in the design and
governance models of the PopMedNet software platform. PopMedNet features include
distributed querying, customizable workflows, and auditing and search capabilities. Its
flexible role-based access control system enables the enforcement of varying governance
policies.Selected Case Studies: Four case studies describe how PopMedNet is used to
enforce network governance models.Issues and Challenges: Trust is an essential component
of a distributed research network and must be built before data partners may be willing
to participate further. The complexity of the PopMedNet system must be managed as
networks grow and new data, analytic methods, and querying approaches are
developed.Conclusions: The PopMedNet software platform supports a variety of network
structures, governance models, and research activities through customizable features
designed to meet the needs of network stakeholders.
Awarding college credit for MOOCs: The role of the American Council on Education
Authors: Stone Jason E
Published: March 2016

Emerging alongside the open educational resources movement of the past decade, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have been widely heralded as advancing cause of providing increased access to higher education. The article explores the implications of the recommendation by the American Council on Education (ACE) to offer college credit for a select group of MOOC offerings, with regard to benchmarks of access and affordability, in light of recent developments in credentialing. In particular, the article examines the innovative partnership between Arizona State University’s Global Freshman Academy (GFA) and MOOC provider edX, with regard to its potential to both disrupt and transform higher education by contributing to the development of accessible, affordable, alternative credentialing pathways.
Guidelines for leveraging university didactics centers to support OER uptake in German-speaking Europe
Authors: Ebner Martin , Schön Sandra , Kumar Swapna
Published: March 2016

Although less well established than in other parts of the world, higher education institutions in German-speaking countries have seen a marked increase in the number of open educational resource (OER) initiatives and in government-supported OER funding in recent years. OER implementation, however, brings with it a unique set of challenges in German-speaking higher education contexts, stemming in part from copyright laws and use permissions that have made sharing and reuse of educational materials less prevalent. The article discusses how instructional development centers, including university didactics centers (hochschuldidaktische Zentren) and e-learning centers, can play a key role in faculty uptake and adoption of OER, and concludes by proposing a set of OER implementation guidelines that leverage the expertise and interfacing role of these centers in German-speaking countries.
Assessing the potential for openness: A framework for examining course-level OER implementation in higher education
Authors: Judith Kate , Bull David
Published: March 2016

The implementation of open educational resources (OER) at the course level in higher education poses numerous challenges to education practitioners—ranging from discoverability challenges to the lack of knowledge on how to best localize and utilize OER as courseware. Drawing on case studies of OER initiatives globally, the article discusses field-tested solutions to addressing those challenges at the faculty level, the programmatic level, and institutional level. The article concludes with an ontological framework that highlights the importance of weighing the efficiencies afforded by a higher level of institutional control in OER implementation efforts, with the need for individual freedom on behalf of faculty to creatively use and adapt OER.
The role of "open" in strategic library planning
Authors: Petrides Lisa , Goger Letha , Jimes Cynthia
Published: March 2016

Academic libraries are undergoing evolutionary change as emerging technologies and new philosophies about how information is created, distributed, and shared have disrupted traditional operations and services. Additionally, the population that the academic library serves is increasingly distributed due to distance learning opportunities and new models of teaching and learning.  This article, the first in this special issue, suggests that in today’s increasingly networked and distributed information environment, the strategic integration of open curation and collection development practices can serve as a useful means for organizing and providing structure to the diverse mass of available digital information, so that individual users of the library have access to coherent contexts for meaningful engagement with that information. Building on insights from extant research and practice, this article proposes that colleges and universities recognize a more inclusive open access environment, including the integration of resources outside of those owned or created by the institution, and a shift toward policies that consider open access research and open educational resources as part of the library’s formal curatorial workflow and collection building. At the conclusion on this article, authors Lisa Petrides and Cynthia Jimes offer a commentary on the six remaining articles that comprise this special issue on Models of Open Education in Higher Education, discussing the significant role that “open” policy and practice play in shaping teaching, learning, and scholarship in the global context of higher education.
Emissionshandel reloaded
Authors: Lerch Achim
Published: March 2016

Im September 2015 hat der Rat der Europäischen Union die neueste Reform des Europäischen Emissionshandels gebilligt. Ziel ist die Verknappung der Zertifikate, um den Preisverfall umzukehren. Dieses richtige Signal kommt jedoch zu spät und zu zögerlich.
Die Arbeitszeitfrage im Kontext von Wachstum, Ökologie und Wohlstand
Authors: Reuter Norbert
Published: March 2016

Wirtschaftliches Wachstum und wachsender Wohlstand galten lange Zeit als zwei Seiten einer Medaille. Doch geringes Wachstum verschärft die Situation am Arbeitsmarkt. Arbeitszeitverkürzung erscheint als Königsweg, den Wohlstand der Menschen weiter zu steigern, ohne die Umwelt weiter zu belasten.
Turkish students' computer self-efficacy from colleges of physical education and sports
Authors: Aktağ Işıl , Tuzcuoğlu Soner
Published: March 2016

The purpose of this research was to determine computer self-efficacy, performance outcome, personal outcome, affective outcome and anxiety level of physical education teacher candidates. Also influence of computer usage and taking computer course on computer self-efficacy level were determined too. The subjects of this study were physical education teacher candidates from 3 universities with a total of 452. Data were collected by survey which was developed by Compeau and Higgins in 1995 and translated to Turkish by researcher. The results of the study showed that there was no significant difference between male and female students in their computer self-efficacy, performance outcome, personal outcome and affective outcome but significant difference was found in their anxiety level with female students had lower anxiety level than male students. This study showed that as the duration and frequency of computer usage increases, students' computer self-efficacy increases too.
The deubiquitinase Usp27x stabilizes the BH3‐only protein Bim and enhances apoptosis
Authors: Weber Arnim , Heinlein Melanie , Dengjel Jörn , Alber Claudia , Singh Prafull Kumar , Häcker Georg
Published: March 2016

Bim is a pro‐apoptotic Bcl‐2 family member of the BH3‐only protein subgroup. Expression levels of Bim determine apoptosis susceptibility in non‐malignant and in tumour cells. Bim protein expression is downregulated by proteasomal degradation following ERK‐dependent phosphorylation and ubiquitination. Here, we report the identification of a deubiquitinase, Usp27x, that binds Bim upon its ERK‐dependent phosphorylation and can upregulate its expression levels. Overexpression of Usp27x reduces ERK‐dependent Bim ubiquitination, stabilizes phosphorylated Bim, and induces apoptosis in PMA‐stimulated cells, as well as in tumour cells with a constitutively active Raf/ERK pathway. Loss of endogenous Usp27x enhances the Bim‐degrading activity of oncogenic Raf. Overexpression of Usp27x induces low levels of apoptosis in melanoma and non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and substantially enhances apoptosis induced in these cells by the inhibition of ERK signalling. Finally, deletion of Usp27x reduces apoptosis in NSCLC cells treated with an EGFR inhibitor. Thus, Usp27x can trigger via its proteolytic activity the deubiquitination of Bim and enhance its levels, counteracting the anti‐apoptotic effects of ERK activity, and therefore acts as a tumour suppressor.
Triallelic Population Genomics for Inferring Correlated Fitness Effects of Same Site Nonsynonymous Mutations
Authors: Ragsdale Aaron P , Coffman Alec J , Hsieh PingHsun , Struck Travis J , Gutenkunst Ryan N
Published: March 2016

The distribution of mutational effects on fitness is central to evolutionary genetics. Typical univariate distributions, however, cannot model the effects of multiple mutations at the same site, so we introduce a model in which mutations at the same site have correlated fitness effects. To infer the strength of that correlation, we developed a diffusion approximation to the triallelic frequency spectrum, which we applied to data from Drosophila melanogaster. We found a moderate positive correlation between the fitness effects of nonsynonymous mutations at the same codon, suggesting that both mutation identity and location are important for determining fitness effects in proteins. We validated our approach by comparing it to biochemical mutational scanning experiments, finding strong quantitative agreement, even between different organisms. We also found that the correlation of mutational fitness effects was not affected by protein solvent exposure or structural disorder. Together, our results suggest that the correlation of fitness effects at the same site is a previously overlooked yet fundamental property of protein evolution.
Conserved Genetic Architecture Underlying Individual Recombination Rate Variation in a Wild Population of Soay Sheep (Ovis aries)
Authors: Johnston Susan E , Bérénos Camillo , Slate Jon , Pemberton Josephine M
Published: March 2016

Meiotic recombination breaks down linkage disequilibrium (LD) and forms new haplotypes, meaning that it is an important driver of diversity in eukaryotic genomes. Understanding the causes of variation in recombination rate is important in interpreting and predicting evolutionary phenomena and in understanding the potential of a population to respond to selection. However, despite attention in model systems, there remains little data on how recombination rate varies at the individual level in natural populations. Here we used extensive pedigree and high-density SNP information in a wild population of Soay sheep (Ovis aries) to investigate the genetic architecture of individual autosomal recombination rates. Individual rates were high relative to other mammal systems and were higher in males than in females (autosomal map lengths of 3748 and 2860 cM, respectively). The heritability of autosomal recombination rate was low but significant in both sexes (h2 = 0.16 and 0.12 in females and males, respectively). In females, 46.7% of the heritable variation was explained by a subtelomeric region on chromosome 6; a genome-wide association study showed the strongest associations at locus RNF212, with further associations observed at a nearby ∼374-kb region of complete LD containing three additional candidate loci, CPLX1, GAK, and PCGF3. A second region on chromosome 7 containing REC8 and RNF212B explained 26.2% of the heritable variation in recombination rate in both sexes. Comparative analyses with 40 other sheep breeds showed that haplotypes associated with recombination rates are both old and globally distributed. Both regions have been implicated in rate variation in mice, cattle, and humans, suggesting a common genetic architecture of recombination rate variation in mammals.
Penetrance of Congenital Heart Disease in a Mouse Model of Down Syndrome Depends on a Trisomic Potentiator of a Disomic Modifier
Authors: Li Huiqing , Edie Sarah , Klinedinst Donna , Jeong Jun Seop , Blackshaw Seth , Maslen Cheryl L , Reeves Roger H
Published: March 2016

Down syndrome (DS) is a significant risk factor for congenital heart disease (CHD), increasing the incidence 50 times over the general population. However, half of people with DS have a normal heart and thus trisomy 21 is not sufficient to cause CHD by itself. Ts65Dn mice are trisomic for orthologs of >100 Hsa21 genes, and their heart defect frequency is significantly higher than their euploid littermates. Introduction of a null allele of Creld1 into Ts65Dn increases the penetrance of heart defects significantly. However, this increase was not seen when the Creld1 null allele was introduced into Ts1Cje, a mouse that is trisomic for about two thirds of the Hsa21 orthologs that are triplicated in Ts65Dn. Among the 23 genes present in three copies in Ts65Dn but not Ts1Cje, we identified Jam2 as necessary for the increased penetrance of Creld1-mediated septal defects in Ts65Dn. Thus, overexpression of the trisomic gene, Jam2, is a necessary potentiator of the disomic genetic modifier, Creld1. No direct physical interaction between Jam2 and Creld1 was identified by several methods. Regions of Hsa21 containing genes that are risk factors of CHD have been identified, but Jam2 (and its environs) has not been linked to heart formation previously. The complexity of this interaction may be more representative of the clinical situation in people than consideration of simple single-gene models.
Tribotechnical Properties of Edible Vegetable Oils
Authors: Grigoriev A.YA. , Kavaliova I.N. , Padgurskas J. , Kreivaitis R.
Published: March 2016

The basic mechanical and tribotechnical properties of olive, corn, sunflower, rapeseed oils and mineral oil I-20 were determined. It is found that mechanical properties of oils are comparable or better to properties of I-20, as well as their load-carrying capacity meet or exceed up to 60 %, antiwear properties are more effective of 1.3-2.3 times, load wear index is higher by 2.3 times. According to tribological characteristics, the oils are ranked from best to worst as follows: olive, corn, rapeseed and sunflower.
BASE OILS BASES SYNTHESIZED USING TECHNOLOGIES OF RECYCLING WASTE PRODUCTS OF THERMOPLASTICS
Authors: Mandziuk I. , Prisyazhna K.
Published: March 2016

We offer the technology of synthesis of the basic foundations of lubricants from natural raw materials – animal and vegetable fats. The relevance and novelty of the research is to use the technology of recycling polymer waste. This allows adjusting the rheological, physical, mechanical properties of lubricants. We propose a method to estimating the propensity to oxidation of natural fats based rheometric measurements. We studied the efficiency of the various classes of industrial antioxidants.
Increasing Wear Resistance of 30x13 Stianless Steel by Electrospark Alloying
Authors: Agafii V. , Padgurskas J. , Mihailov V. , Andriušis A. , Kreivaitis R. , Ianachevici A.
Published: March 2016

In this work were studied the tribological properties of coatings of molybdenum, silver, chrome + molybdenum, molybdenum + BrOF6.5-0.15, obtained by electrospark alloying method on 30X13stainless steel. At the load of 200 N was established dependence between the coating wear and its hardness, the higher the hardness, the smaller is the wear of the coating and vice versa. The volumetric wear of the coatings at a load of 100 N increases in the direction of Мо=Cr + Mo → Steel 45 → Mo + BrОF6.5-0.15 → Ag, and at a load of 200 N increases in the direction of Мо→Cr + Mo → Steel 45 → Mo + BrОF6.5-0.15 → Ag. At all loads, the combination coatings made of chromium + molybdenum (f≈0.08) had the highest friction coefficient (f≈0.08), and the combination coatings made of Mo + BrОF6.5-0.15 had the lowest ones (f≈0.043-0.046).
Tribological Behaviour of Co-W Under Dry and Lubricanting Conditions
Authors: Tsyntsaru N.
Published: March 2016

The dry and lubricating wear was investigated for steel and Co-W samples in the view of revealing the best performance of tungsten alloys. The tribological behaviour was studied under bi-directional ball-on-flat sliding tests: 10 N and 50 000 cycles. The given research identified that Co-W coatings have superior wear resistance than those of uncoated samples (steel ST3) under dry and also under lubricating conditions. Thus, wear volume of Co-W samples is decreasing two times under dry conditions and ten times under lubricating conditions. The use of new type of solid lubricant (sugar film) is discussed.
Surface Integrity Achieved by Finishing Processes on Sverker 21 and Vanadis 6 Cold Working Tool Steels
Authors: Brostow W. , Czechowski K. , Kot M. , Rusek P. , Toboła D.
Published: March 2016

Control of surface integrity is an important factor for components like cold working tools exposed to wear and fatigue damage. We have performed a number of operations on Sverker 21 and Vanadis 6 steel surfaces: turned + burnished, turned + nitrided and turned + burnished + nitrided. The effects were followed by surface roughness and microstructure analysis, ball-on-disc tribology and impact testing. The sequence of turned + burnished + nitrided treatments has the most favorable effect on the surface integrity of the finished tools and their industrial performance. Results will be presented at the Conference.
The Effective Role Played by Graphene Fillers for Improving the Tribological Properties of Ceramics
Authors: Belmonte M. , Llorente J. , Osendi M. I. , Miranzo P.
Published: March 2016

Nowadays, new materials with enhanced tribological properties are required to fulfil the new demanding working conditions of more efficient and eco-friendly industrial processes. To achieve this goal, we propose the addition of graphene nanofillers, a very attractive self-lubricating solid, to ceramic materials for improving their tribological responses. As proof of concept, here we present the role of the graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) on the friction and wear resistance of two different graphene/ceramic nanocomposites, in particular, GNPs/silicon nitride and GNPs/silicon carbide materials. The tribological tests evidence that GNPs are ideal nanofillers to increase the wear resistance, especially under high contact pressures, because the nanoplatelets are exfoliated during the sliding motion and lead to the formation of a carbon-based protecting film; whereas the benefits on the friction depend on the tribo-testing conditions.
An efficient numerical procedure for calculating periodic vibrations of elastic mechanisms
Authors: Van Khang Nguyen , Phong Dien Nguyen , Sy Nam Nguyen
Published: March 2016

This paper proposes a numerical procedure based on the well-known Newmark integration method to determine initial conditions for the periodic solution of a system of linear differential equations with time-periodic coefficients. Based on this, steady-state periodic vibrations of mechanisms with elastic elements governed by linearized differential equations with time-periodic coefficients can be conveniently calculated. The proposed procedure is demonstrated by a dynamic model of a planar four-bar mechanism with the flexible coupler.