bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unearthing local forms of child protection: Positive deviance and abduction in Ethiopia
Authors: Lackovich-Van Gorp Ashley
Published: March 2017

This study uses Positive Deviance (PD) to understand and prevent child marriage by abduction in a community in the Southern Nations Nationalities and People’s Region of Ethiopia. Marriage by abduction entails the kidnapping of girls between the ages of 10 and 14 for forced genital circumcision, rape, and marriage. PD, as a form of participatory action research, is a problem-solving approach that mobilizes a community to uncover existing yet unrecognized solutions to solve the specific problem. In this study, the community discovered that some members practice behaviors and strategies that can prevent child marriage by abduction. The results support PD application to this specific form of child marriage as well as the practice as a whole, offering an alternative to traditional behavior change methodology for social transformation.
Benefits of Repeated Book Readings in Children With SLI
Authors: Rohlfing Katharina J. , Ceurremans Josefa , Horst Jessica S.
Published: March 2017

In this pilot study, we ask whether repeated storybook reading is also beneficial for word learning in children diagnosed with specific language impairment (SLI). We compared 3-year-old German learning children diagnosed with SLI to typically developing children matched on age and socioeconomic status (SES). One week later, children with SLI retained the target words from the stories just as well as their peers, although they did perform significantly worse on immediate recall.
Aortic Curvature Is a Predictor of Late Type Ia Endoleak and Migration After Endovascular Aneurysm Repair
Authors: Schuurmann Richte C. L. , van Noort Kim , Overeem Simon P. , Ouriel Kenneth , Jordan William D. , Muhs Bart E. , ‘t Mannetje Yannick , Reijnen Michel , Fioole Bram , Ünlü Çağdaş , Brummel Peter , de Vries Jean-Paul P. M.
Published: March 2017

Purpose: To evaluate the association between aortic curvature and other preoperative anatomical characteristics and late (>1 year) type Ia endoleak and endograft migration in endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) patients. Methods: Eight high-volume EVAR centers contributed 116 EVAR patients (mean age 81±7 years; 103 men) to the study: 36 patients (mean age 82±7 years; 31 men) with endograft migration and/or type Ia endoleak diagnosed >1 year after the initial EVAR and 80 controls without early or late complications. Aortic curvature was calculated from the preoperative computed tomography scan as the maximum and average curvature over 5 predefined aortic segments: the entire infrarenal aortic neck, aneurysm sac, and the suprarenal, juxtarenal, and infrarenal aorta. Other morphological characteristics included neck length, neck diameter, mural neck calcification and thrombus, suprarenal and infrarenal angulation, and largest aneurysm sac diameter. Independent risk factors were identified using backward stepwise logistic regression. Relevant cutoff values for each of the variables in the final regression model were determined with the receiver operator characteristic curve. Results: Logistic regression identified maximum curvature over the length of the aneurysm sac (>47 m−1; p=0.023), largest aneurysm sac diameter (>56 mm; p=0.028), and mural neck thrombus (>11° circumference; p<0.001) as independent predictors of late migration and type Ia endoleak. Conclusion: Aortic curvature is a predictor for late type Ia endoleak and endograft migration after EVAR. These findings suggest that aortic curvature is a better parameter than angulation to predict post-EVAR failure and should be included as a hostile neck parameter.
Cultural-Historical Activity Theory’s Relevance to HRD: A Review and Application
Authors: Tkachenko Oleksandr , Ardichvili Alexandre
Published: March 2017

In light of recent calls to embrace multilevel, nonlinear, and open systems perspectives for theorizing and practicing human resource development (HRD), this article reviews key tenets of cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) and its applications as relevant to HRD. Specifically, the article discusses the four areas where the usage of CHAT could inform HRD scholarship: (a) systems theory and thinking in HRD, (b) HRD and learning, (c) HRD as design science, and (d) the interplay between research and practice in HRD. Recommendations for further developing CHAT applications in HRD research and practice are provided.
Language Ability of Students With Emotional Disturbance: Discrepancies Between Teacher Ratings and Direct Assessment
Authors: Chow Jason C. , Hollo Alexandra
Published: March 2017

Language impairment often goes unidentified in students with behavioral disorders, perhaps in part because different forms of problem behavior deflect adult attention from more subtle language deficits. Therefore, attention to teachers’ perception of students’ language and behavioral performance is merited. The present study examines agreement between a norm-referenced adult rating scale of language proficiency and a standardized, comprehensive language assessment in a sample of 43 boys identified with emotional disturbance (ED). Results of this preliminary study showed low agreement between direct assessment and teacher ratings of language, and that measures of language varied relative to behavioral profiles.
Latina/o Transfer Students’ Selective Integration and Spatial Awareness of University Spaces
Authors: Andrade Luis M.
Published: March 2017

Using the framework of physical campus ecology and socio-academic integration moments theory, the researcher sought to identify physical university spaces that successful Latina/o transfer students turned to as sites of positive socio-academic integration. Findings revealed that students developed a keen spatial awareness of comfort spaces where they selectively engaged in moments of socio-academic, nonsocial, and nonacademic integration. This study is important to understand students’ perceptions about educational environments and whether universities can provide safe spaces for Latina/os.
Perceptions About Expert Teaching for Students With Severe Disabilities Among Teachers Identified as Experts
Authors: Ruppar Andrea L. , Roberts Carly A. , Olson Amy J.
Published: March 2017

Teaching students with severe disabilities is a complex endeavor, and the skills and qualities of expert teachers for students with severe disabilities are not well understood. A lack of understanding about the unique roles and expertise of teachers of students with severe disabilities can influence the quality of education students with severe disabilities receive and can also affect teacher preparation, development, and evaluation. In this qualitative study, the authors interviewed 11 teachers of students with severe disabilities identified as expert teachers about their perceptions of expertise in relationship to teaching students with severe disabilities. The findings suggest that expert teachers of students with severe disabilities were perceived to demonstrate four core skills and four core qualities that are evident in their actions inside and outside of their classrooms. The four skills identified are (a) advocacy, (b) systematic instruction and academics, (c) individualization and adaptation, and (d) collegial relationships. The four qualities identified are (a) high expectations, (b) positivity, (c) flexibility and creativity, and (d) continual improvement. Implications for research, practice, and teacher evaluation are discussed.
Technics and Polemics in the Project of Non-human Rights
Authors: Mussawir Edward
Published: March 2017

This article examines the use of technics and polemics within contemporary animal rights discourse. It focuses on the Nonhuman Rights Project, a group which is currently engaged in litigation in the United States aimed at having a non-human animal recognized by the courts as a person and subject of rights. Turning to the work of the late legal historian Yan Thomas, this article explores the degree to which the categories of person and thing have tended to become sacralized in the modern discourse of animal rights in order to refashion them at a polemical and metaphysical level. This is then contrasted with the work of Roman jurisprudence which, in Thomas’s account, was capable on the contrary of filing its metaphysical categories back within the narrow technical world of the civil law. The history of legal categories reveals in this sense some of the tensions which today beset the discourse of rights in relation to the non-human.
Studying how to build peace and deal with stereotypes and discrimination in a period of terror and despair: A case study from Israel
Authors: Gross Zehavit
Published: March 2017

This paper aims to explore how Palestinian Arab and Jewish university students in Israel, attending a course on conflict resolution, deal with their stereotypical views of the Other and their prejudices, as well as their complex emotions of fear, hate, anxiety, and love during a period of tension and violence. On the one hand, they have a natural desire for professional partnership and friendship with their fellow students. On the other hand, they are attending this class in a Jewish university, in the heart of the Middle East, where acts of terrorism occur almost daily. This violence changes the power structure and the dynamics of their mutual relationships. Through an analysis of a specific case study the paper aims to shed light on how bridging theory and practice can generate a better understanding of complex situations, enabling reflection and developing signposts to improve coping mechanisms within peace education frameworks in times of terror.
Civic/citizenship learning and the challenges for democracy in Thailand
Authors: Boontinand Vachararutai , Petcharamesree Sriprapha
Published: March 2017

After nearly a decade of political polarization and deepening conflicts, Thailand is embarking on yet another cycle of reform and democratization project. While one of the proposed reform and democratizing strategies is to strengthen civic education curriculum and value inculcation, there has been a limited critical understanding on how schools—as important sites for political and cultural socialization—play a role in contributing toward or hindering the construction of citizens for a democracy. This qualitative study examines citizenship learning that takes place through school routines, system, and structure in a ‘democratic’ and an alternative Thai school and the implications for the development of democratic citizens. Findings suggest that civic/citizenship education embedded in everyday’s school practices follows a traditional conception of good citizen and thus provides limited condition for participatory and thoughtful citizenship.
Two versions of nomadic employees: Opposing ways to employ the same discourse in talking about change
Authors: Näsänen Jaana
Published: March 2017

Organizations are altering their office settings to non-territorial workspaces, where employees do not have assigned desks but are supposed to choose freely where they sit. In this context, the metaphor of the nomad appears to be an understandable way to position the employees of organizations within non-territorial workspaces. Drawing on the empirical data of a study of organizational change in a Nordic media company, this study applied the discursive resources from the field of institutional interaction in the analysis. This article presents how the participants employed the same metaphor of the nomad as a rhetorical strategy to support and resist change, and suggests that the use of a particular discourse does not necessarily contribute to the desired outcomes. Furthermore, the study shows how constructing senses of legitimacy involves the use of the same metaphor to construct arguments and counter-arguments toward the change.
Women, wars and militarism in Svetlana Alexievich’s documentary prose
Authors: Novikau Aliaksandr
Published: March 2017

This work examines the war prose of Svetlana Alexievich, an author from Belarus who writes predominantly in the oral history genre about significant political and social events in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet states. Alexievich is the 14th woman who has won the Nobel Prize in Literature and is one of just a few nonfiction authors recognized by the Nobel Prize Committee. Although only one of Alexievich’s writings from her magnum opus – the grand cycle of books Voices of Utopia – is explicitly devoted to women in wartime, essentially many of her creations analyze war from gender perspectives. Her honest and raw books are based on carefully documented eyewitness accounts of the scariest things that can happen to people in horrific wartime situations. In each of her works, Alexievich emphasizes the discrepancy between the official Soviet discourse of glorious wars and the survivors’ true accounts of the horrors they experienced.
The potential role of comprehensive genomic profiling to guide targeted therapy for patients with biliary cancer
Authors: Lee Hwajeong , Ross Jeffrey S.
Published: March 2017

Remarkable advancements in techniques of genomic profiling and bioinformatics have led to the accumulation of vast amounts of knowledge on the genomic profiles of biliary tract cancer (BTC). Recent largescale molecular profiling studies have not only highlighted genomic differences characterizing tumors of the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts and gallbladder, but have also revealed differences in genomic profiles pertaining to associated risk factors. Novel genomic alterations such as FGFR2 fusions and IDH1/2 mutations in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and ERBB2 alterations in gallbladder cancer (GBCA) are emerging as targeted therapy options capable of advancing precision medicine for the care of these patients. Moreover, variable genomic alterations also appear to impact prognosis and overall disease outcome independent from their therapy selection value. High mutational burden and increased expression of immune checkpoint-related proteins observed in a subset of BTC also show a potential for guidance of immunotherapy. Thus, comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) is rapidly achieving status as an integral component of precision medicine and is starting to become invaluable in guiding the management of patients with BTC, a rare disease with dismal outcome.
COLIBRI: A hovering flapping twin-wing robot
Authors: Roshanbin A , Altartouri H , Karásek M , Preumont A
Published: March 2017

This paper describes the results of a six-year project aiming at designing and constructing a flapping twin-wing robot of the size of hummingbird ( Colibri in French) capable of hovering. Our prototype has a total mass of 22 g, a wing span of 21 cm and a flapping frequency of 22 Hz; it is actively stabilized in pitch and roll by changing the wing camber with a mechanism known as wing twist modulation. The proposed design of wing twist modulation effectively alters the mean lift vector with respect to the center of gravity by reorganization of the airflow. This mechanism is modulated by an onboard control board which calculates the corrective feedback control signals through a closed-loop PD controller in order to stabilize the robot. Currently, there is no control on the yaw axis which is passively stable, and the vertical position is controlled manually by tuning the flapping frequency. The paper describes the recent evolution of the various sub-systems: the wings, the flapping mechanism, the generation of control torques, the avionics and the PD control. The robot has demonstrated successful hovering flights with an on-board battery for the flight autonomy of 15–20 s.
Distance and velocity estimation using optical flow from a monocular camera
Authors: Ho Hann Woei , de Croon Guido CHE , Chu Qiping
Published: March 2017

Monocular vision is increasingly used in micro air vehicles for navigation. In particular, optical flow, inspired by flying insects, is used to perceive vehicle movement with respect to the surroundings or sense changes in the environment. However, optical flow does not directly provide us the distance to an object or velocity, but the ratio of them. Thus, using optical flow in control involves nonlinearity problems which add complexity to the controller. To deal with that, we propose an algorithm that estimates distance and velocity of the vehicle based on optical flow measured from a monocular camera and the knowledge of control inputs. This algorithm applies an extended Kalman filter to state estimation and uses the estimates for landing control. We implement and test our algorithm in computer simulation and on board a Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 to demonstrate its feasibility for micro air vehicles landings. Results of the simulation and multiple flight tests show that the algorithm is able to estimate height and velocity of the micro air vehicles accurately, and achieves smooth landings with these estimates, even in windy outdoor environments.
Hiding in a Cool Climatic Niche in the Tropics? An Assessment of the Ecological Biogeography of Hairy Long-Nosed Armadillos (Dasypus pilosus)
Authors: Feng Xiao , Castro Mariela C. , McBee Karen , Papeş Monica
Published: March 2017

The hairy long-nosed armadillo ( Dasypus pilosus) is endemic to the Andes in Peru and rarely studied, thus more investigations are needed. To gain a better understanding of this species’ distribution and to facilitate future surveys and conservation management, we compiled available information on specimens of D. pilosus, provided an ecological biogeography perspective of these specimens, and estimated suitable areas for D. pilosus using ecological niche modeling. We compiled 25 specimen records from six departments in Peru and extracted the climatic and elevation conditions for records with coordinates. We concluded that D. pilosus may occupy relatively high elevation sites, hiding in a relatively cool climatic niche at tropical latitude. We suggested possible upper and lower temperature limits for D. pilosus and lower precipitation limit for the genus Dasypus. The ecological niche model estimated that about half of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) range map was not suitable for D. pilosus and predicted additional suitable areas outside the IUCN range map in Amazonas and Cajamarca departments, Peru. We recommend that future field surveys or conservation management efforts prioritize regions associated with suitable areas predicted by our model and with species’ available records (e.g., Río Abiseo).
Achieving flexibility and legal certainty through procedural dismissal law reforms
Authors: de Vaate Vivian Bij
Published: March 2017

This paper deals with the changes that were introduced in dismissal law in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. The reforms in these countries all aimed at greater flexibility by reducing dismissal cost, making dismissal more predictable and shortening dismissal cases. In order to do so, the countries not only focused on changing the substantive dismissal rules, but also changed procedural rules. Moreover, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands shared the same objectives: the encouragement of early settlements between employer and employee and the introduction of a preliminary assessment procedure. This contribution compares and analyses these instruments in the countries of interest. It attempts to determine what adjustments are needed in the law to make the instruments successful and what drawbacks should be taken into account.
Targeting the programmed cell death 1 pathway in Hodgkin lymphoma: the place of nivolumab
Authors: Gay Nathan D. , Okada Craig Y. , Chen Andy I. , Scott Emma C.
Published: March 2017

Nivolumab is a humanized immunoglobulin gamma-4 kappa anti-programmed cell death 1 monoclonal antibody that is currently approved in the treatment of several solid tumors and recently gained accelerated approval in classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) that has relapsed or progressed following autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation and post-transplantation brentuximab vedotin. The purpose of this article is to review the immunophysiologic basis, clinical efficacy, and toxicity of nivolumab in the treatment of cHL. In addition, we will review ongoing clinical trials and potential future directions of checkpoint inhibition in the treatment of cHL.
Reflecting on regendering care at different scales
Authors: Longhurst Robyn
Published: March 2017

This commentary on Boyer et al.’s (2017) article reflects on producing knowledge on regendering care at different geographical scales. I begin with my own story about my partner being a stay at home father as a contrast to the authors’ focus on regendering care at the scale of the nation – United Kingdom. Different things are gained and lost by focusing on different scales and yet geographers, traditionally, have tended to pay more attention to broader scales constructing them as more rigorous and scientific than intimate scales. One of the things that can be gained by focusing on the intimate scales of bodies, home and community, however, is a deeper understanding of the emotions and affects that surround caregiving. The commentary also raises two additional points: First, that there is a need for conceptual and empirical work that dislodges the simplistic alignment of women with motherhood and men with fatherhood; and second, that there is a tendency for work from outside the Anglo-American centre to be marginalized, and it would be useful to know more about regendering care from places beyond those mentioned in the article.
Men at work? Debating shifting gender divisions of care
Authors: Boyer Kate , Dermott Esther , James Al , MacLeavy Julie
Published: March 2017

In response to four commentaries on our paper ‘Regendering care in the aftermath of recession?’, we extend our discussion of the ongoing knowledge gap that prevails around shifting patterns of male work/care. Recognizing the spatial limits of extant theories of male primary caregiving, we discuss first the need to attend to the variegated landscapes of male caregiving across the globe. Likewise, the theoretical stakes of expanding the focus of ‘mainstream’ analysis to take account of the situated experiences and knowledges of men and women in countries of the global South. We then consider the subjects of our research inquiry (the ‘who’ of contemporary fathering) and how different definitions of male primary caregivers may reveal or conceal patterns and shifts in male caregiving practices. Lastly we consider questions of scale and research methodology. Although our paper employs a national-level analysis, we fully endorse the use of alternative scalar lenses and underline the need to analyse male care within the context of multiscalar and interacting sites of normative change: from nation state, to community, to home, to the body.
It’s not just a Blue Economy moment…
Authors: Morrissey Karyn
Published: March 2017

Winder and Le Heron (2017) advocate for geographers to engage directly and critically with the Blue Economy and to remove the ‘disciplinary framings’ from which the notion of the Blue Economy has emerged. While endorsing Winder and Le Heron’s call for human geography to engage with debates about the Blue Economy, I argue that the lack of critical engagement within the geographical community with respect to the Blue Economy has not been imposed by disciplinary framings. Instead I ask Winder and Le Heron to clarify how a social and cultural critique of the Blue Economy will expand the current knowledge base of our oceans and seas. I also ask whether a critique of extensive literature within economics, planning and governance on the ocean resource have been the building blocks for the critical analysis of the Blue Economy provided by Winder and Le Heron.
Hair cortisol and lifetime discrimination: Moderation by subjective social status
Authors: O’Brien Kymberlee M , Meyer Jerrold , Tronick Edward , Moore Celia L
Published: March 2017

Discrimination has been associated with elevated cortisol as measured in saliva, blood, and urine. This study investigated the association between lifetime discrimination and hair cortisol concentrations, considered a measure of chronic stress. We recruited 180 young adults from diverse backgrounds. Participant responses to lifetime discrimination, home stress, and subjective status measures were recorded. Lifetime discrimination significantly predicted hair cortisol concentrations, supporting past research that discrimination experiences impact neuroendocrine systems. To our knowledge, these are the first findings associating hair cortisol concentrations with discrimination and supports prior evidence positing discrimination as a chronic stressor that serves as a risk factor for chronic disease.
Making sense with sensors: Self-tracking and the temporalities of wellbeing
Authors: Berg Martin
Published: March 2017

Self-tracking devices and apps often measure and provide interpretations of personal data in a rather straightforward way, for instance by visualising the speed and distance of a run or the quality of sleep during night. There is, however, a growing number of devices claiming to support increased wellbeing by extensive data analysis to provide insights and algorithmic advice about unseen and neglected dimensions of our lives, bodies, and experiences. This article engages with two devices of this kind, namely the Moodmetric and the ŌURA which are two recently released ‘smart’ rings with associated smartphone apps that claim to measure emotions and rest, promote happiness and help users to perform better. Focusing on how certain values, visions and ideas are used to frame and explain the potential functionality of these devices, this article approaches the discursive underpinnings of their design as deeply intertwined with the temporalities of late modernity. Empirically, the article is based on a discourse analysis of blog posts, marketing materials and user guides from the ŌURA and Moodmetric companies along with video recordings of the public appearances and sales pitches of company representatives.
Race, Gender, and Responses to the Police Among Ferguson Residents and Protesters
Authors: Cobbina Jennifer E. , Conteh Michael , Emrich Collin
Published: March 2017

A large body of research has examined police behavior toward citizens and shown that police practices are geographically patterned. Disadvantaged neighborhoods are more likely to receive punitive policing than more affluent communities. However, little is known about how citizens manage encounters with police when they occur and few studies have examined how gender intersects with race and neighborhood context in determining reactions to and outcomes of police encounters. Using Black feminist theory as an analytical framework, we draw from in-depth interviews with Black residents and protesters in Ferguson, Missouri to analyze men and women’s narrative accounts of involuntary police encounters to investigate how they respond to encounters with officers, how such tactics shaped police–citizen outcomes, and whether these patterns vary by gender. Our findings suggest that the strategies that citizens employed are common across both genders; however, the police–citizen outcome is demonstrably shaped by gender.
A Case of Severe Neutropenia From Short-Term Exposure to Moxifloxacin
Authors: Chen Weihan , Van Buren Peter Noel
Published: March 2017

Moxifloxacin is commonly prescribed in the inpatient and outpatient management of community-acquired pneumonia and other common infections. We report a case of a 76-year-old man who developed severe neutropenia after several days of treatment for community-acquired pneumonia. The patient had a history of alcohol abuse; however, there were no other offending medications prescribed, and a thorough laboratory workup for other possible causes of neutropenia was negative. The patient’s neutrophils and white blood count responded quickly to cessation of fluoroquinolones. This case highlights the importance of identifying patients that might be at high risk for neutropenia that may need closer monitoring on this commonly prescribed medication.
Outcomes After Arthroscopic Bankart Repair in Adolescent Athletes Participating in Collision and Contact Sports
Authors: Saper Michael G. , Milchteim Charles , Zondervan Robert L. , Andrews James R. , Ostrander Roger V.
Published: March 2017

Background:

Literature on arthroscopic stabilization in adolescent patients participating in collision and contact sports is limited, as most studies include adolescents within a larger sample group comprised primarily of adults.

Purpose:

To review the outcomes of arthroscopic Bankart repair for anterior shoulder instability in an adolescent population participating in collision and contact sports.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

This retrospective review included 39 shoulders in 37 adolescent (≤19 years) athletes who underwent primary arthroscopic Bankart repair using suture anchors with at least 2-year follow-up. All patients had a history of trauma to their shoulder resulting in an anterior dislocation. Outcome measures included patient satisfaction, the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, and Rowe score. Recurrence of dislocation and return to sporting activity were also assessed.

Results:

The mean age at the time of surgery was 16.9 years (range, 15-19 years), and the mean follow-up was 6.3 years (range, 4.3-10.0 years); 58.6% of patients participated in collision sports. Time to surgery after the initial dislocation episode was 9.2 months (range, 0.5-36.2 months). Four shoulders (10.3%) had dislocation events postoperatively. The majority (78.1%) of patients returned to sports at the same level of competition. Mean VAS was 0.49 ± 1.0, and the mean ASES and Rowe scores were 92.8 ± 12.6 and 85.0 ± 24.2, respectively. Univariate analyses demonstrated that subjective functional outcomes were negatively correlated with recurrence (ASES, P = .005; Rowe, P = .001) and failure to return to sport (ASES, P = .016; Rowe, P = .004). Independent variables shown to have no significant relationship to functional outcomes included age, follow-up, number of preoperative dislocations, time to surgery, sport classification, competition level, tear extent, number of anchors, concurrent Hill-Sachs lesion, and repair of a superior labral anterior-posterior (SLAP) lesion.

Conclusion:

Arthroscopic Bankart repair is an effective surgical option for traumatic shoulder instability in adolescents participating in collision and contact sports. At a minimum 4-year follow-up, arthroscopic Bankart repair effectively restored stability in 90% of cases; 80% returned to their preinjury level of sport.
Association Between Home Visit Programs and Emergency Preparedness Among Elderly Vulnerable People in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Tannous W. Kathy , Agho Kingsley , Williams Tetteh Vera
Published: March 2017

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the association between home visit programs and emergency preparedness among elderly vulnerable people in New South Wales, Australia. Method: The study used data acquired from an intervention program run by emergency agencies and consisted of 370 older people. Seven emergency outcome measures were examined by adjusting for key demographic factors, using a generalized estimating equation model, to examine the association between home visit programs and emergency preparedness. Results: The study revealed that knowledge demonstrated by participants during visits and post home visits showed significant improvements in the seven emergency outcome measures. The odds of finding out what emergencies might affect one’s area were significantly lower among older participants who were born outside Australia and those who were women. Discussion: The findings suggest that the intervention via home visits and periodic reminders post these visits may be a useful intervention in improving emergency preparedness among older people, especially among men and those who were born outside of Australia. In addition, other reminders such as safety messaging via mobile or landline telephone calls may also be a supplementary and useful intervention to improve emergency preparedness among older people.
Drug Therapy Problems Identified by Pharmacists Through Comprehensive Medication Management Following Hospital Discharge
Authors: Westberg Sarah M. , Derr Sarah K. , Weinhandl Eric D. , Adam Terrence J. , Brummel Amanda R. , Lahti Joseph , Reidt Shannon L. , Sick Brian T. , Skiermont Kyle F. , St. Peter Wendy L.
Published: March 2017

Background: Pharmacists influence health care outcomes through the identification and resolution of drug therapy problems (DTPs). Objective: The objectives of this study were to describe number, type, and severity of DTPs based on clinical significance and likelihood of harm in patients transitioning from hospital to home as assessed during a comprehensive medication management (CMM) visit with a pharmacist. Secondary objectives were to assess intrarater reliability in severity ratings and assess likelihood of harm for adverse drug reactions (ADR) by drug classes. Methods: Retrospective review of 408 patients having a face-to-face, telephonic, or virtual CMM visit within the Fairview Health System. Teams of 3 investigators reviewed each DTP from the electronic medical record for each of the 408 patients and assigned a severity score (0-10) for clinical significance and likelihood of harm. Main Results: The highest severity DTP classes were adherence and ADR. The lowest severity DTP class was unnecessary drug therapy. An average of 2.5 DTPs was found per patient at the index CMM visit following hospital discharge. The most common DTP classes were needs additional therapy and dose too low. There were statistically significant differences in DTP severity scoring between reviewer types, though differences were <5%. Drug classes with the highest severity ADR included diabetes, cardiovascular, and anticoagulant/antiplatelet agents. Conclusions: The DTP severity ratings indicated that reviewers found ADR and adherence DTPs were potentially the most severe. There were differences in DTP ratings between reviewer types, though clinical significance of these differences is unclear.
Mesaite, (V2O7)3·12H2O, a new vanadate mineral from the Packrat mine, near Gateway, Mesa County, Colorado, USA
Authors: Kampf Anthony R. , Nash Barbara P. , Marty Joe , Hughes John M.
Published: March 2017

Mesaite (IMA2015-069), ideally (V2O7)3·12H2O, is a new mineral from the Packrat mine, Gateway district, Mesa County, Colorado, USA. Crystals of mesaite occur as orangish red blades up to 0.1 mm long and ∼10 μm thick. The streak is light pinkish orange and the lustre is vitreous, transparent. Mesaite has a brittle tenacity, {010} perfect cleavage; fracture is irregular, and no parting was observed. The mineral has a Mohs hardness ≈ 2. The measured density of mesaite is 2.74(1) g cm–3. Mesaite is biaxial (–), α = 1.760(calc), β = 1.780(5), γ = 1.795(5) in white light; the measured 2V value = 81(2)°. Dispersion is strong, r < v, and pleochroism is present in shades of brownish orange. Mesaite is monoclinic, P2/n, with a = 9.146(2), b = 10.424(3), c = 15.532(4) Å, β = 102.653(7)° and V = 1444.7(6) Å3. The strongest four diffraction lines in the powder diffraction pattern are [(dobs in Å, (Iobs), (hkl)]: 10.47 (100) (010), 2.881 (25) (132, 3̄12, 033, 310), 3.568 (24) (1̄14, 1̄23, 2̄13), 3.067 (17) (1̄24, 1̄32, 2̄23). The composition of mesaite was determined by electron microprobe, and yielded an empirical formula of Mn5.32Ca0.56Zn0.31V5.96As0.04O33H23.61 on the basis of 33 O atoms per formula unit (apfu).

The atomic arrangement of mesaite was solved and refined to R1 = 0.0600. The structure is formed of zigzag octahedral chains of edge-sharing Mn2+O6 octahedra. Oxygen atoms of the octahedra are shared with V2O7 groups, which link with adjacent octahedral chains to form {010} heteropolyhedral layers. The interlayer region contains Ca atoms and H2O groups. Each Ca bonds to two O6 atoms in the heteropolyhedral layer and to two fully occupied and six partially occupied O (H2O) sites in the interlayer, resulting in an effective Ca coordination of approximately seven. Similar zigzag chains of edge-sharing MnO6 octahedra decorated with V2O7 groups are also found in the mineral fianelite. Mesaite has beenapproved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA2015-069). The name mesaite is conferred for Mesa County, Colorado, USA.
Presentation and outcome of patients with 2016 WHO diagnosis of prefibrotic and overt primary myelofibrosis
Authors: Guglielmelli Paola , Pacilli Annalisa , Rotunno Giada , Rumi Elisa , Rosti Vittorio , Delaini Federica , Maffioli Margherita , Fanelli Tiziana , Pancrazzi Alessandro , Pietra Daniela , Salmoiraghi Silvia , Mannarelli Carmela , Franci Annalisa , Paoli Chiara , Rambaldi Alessandro , Passamonti Francesco , Barosi Giovanni , Barbui Tiziano , Cazzola Mario , Vannucchi Alessandro M.
Published: March 2017

Key Points

Differential diagnosis of pre-PMF and overt PMF by 2016 WHO criteria underscores uniqueness in disease presentation and outcome. Patterns of driver and nondriver myeloid gene mutations contribute to prognosis in both pre-PMF and overt PMF.
Modeling the copper microstructure and elastic anisotropy and studying its impact on reliability in nanoscale interconnects
Authors: Basavalingappa Adarsh , Shen Ming Y. , Lloyd James R.
Published: March 2017

Background

Copper is the primary metal used in integrated circuit manufacturing of today. Even though copper is face centered cubic it has significant mechanical anisotropy depending on the crystallographic orientations. Copper metal lines in integrated circuits are polycrystalline and typically have lognormal grain size distribution. The polycrystalline microstructure is known to impact the reliability and must be considered in modeling for better understanding of the failure mechanisms.

Methods

In this work, we used Voronoi tessellation to model the polycrystalline microstructure with lognormal grainsize distribution for the copper metal lines in test structures. Each of the grains is then assigned an orientation with distinct probabilistic texture and corresponding anisotropic elastic constants based on the assigned orientation. The test structure is then subjected to a thermal stress.

Results

A significant variation in hydrostatic stresses at the grain boundaries is observed by subjecting the test structure to thermal stress due to the elastic anisotropy of copper. This introduces new weak points within the metal interconnects leading to failure.

Conclusions

Inclusion of microstructures and corresponding anisotropic properties for copper grains is crucial to conduct a realistic study of stress voiding, hillock formation, delamination, and electromigration phenomena, especially at smaller nodes where the anisotropic effects are significant.
WRN conditioned media is sufficient for in vitro propagation of intestinal organoids from large farm and small companion animals
Authors: Powell Robin H. , Behnke Michael S.
Published: March 2017

Recent years have seen significant developments in the ability to continuously propagate organoids derived from intestinal crypts. These advancements have been applied to mouse and human samples providing models for gastrointestinal tissue development and disease. We adapt these methods for the propagation of intestinal organoids (enteroids) from various large farm and small companion (LF/SC) animals, including cat, dog, cow, horse, pig, sheep, and chicken. We show that LF/SC enteroids propagate and expand in L-WRN conditioned media containing signaling factors Wnt3a, R-spondin-3, and Noggin (WRN). Multiple successful isolations were achieved for each species, and the growth of LF/SC enteroids was maintained to high passage number. LF/SC enteroids expressed crypt stem cell marker LGR5 and low levels of mesenchymal marker VIM. Labeling with EdU also showed distinct regions of cell proliferation within the enteroids marking crypt-like regions. The ability to grow and maintain LF/SC enteroid cell lines provides additional models for the study of gastrointestinal developmental biology as well as platforms for the study of host-pathogen interactions between intestinal cells and zoonotic enteric pathogens of medical importance.
Reduced β-catenin expression affects patterning of bone primordia, but not bone maturation
Authors: Pflug Tobias , Huynh-Do Uyen , Rudloff Stefan
Published: March 2017

Wnt/β-catenin signaling is involved in patterning of bone primordia, but also plays an important role in the differentiation of chondrocytes and osteoblasts. During these processes the level of β-catenin, must be tightly regulated. Excess β-catenin leads to conditions with increased bone mass, whereas loss of β-catenin is associated with osteoporosis or in extreme cases the absence of limbs. In this study, we examined skeletogenesis in mice, which retain only 25% of β-catenin. These embryos showed severe morphological abnormalities of which the lack of hindlimbs and misshaped front paws were the most striking. Surprisingly however, calcification of bone primordia occurred normally. Moreover, the Wnt-dependent regulatory network of transcription factors driving the differentiation of cartilage and bone, as well as the expression of extracellular matrix components were preserved. These findings show that 25% β-catenin is insufficient for the correct patterning of bone primordia, but sufficient for their mineralization. Our approach helps to identify bone morphogenetic processes that can proceed normally even at low β-catenin levels, in contrast to those that require high β-catenin dosages. This information could be exploited to improve the treatment of bone diseases by fine-tuning the individual β-catenin dosage requirements.
Spindle orientation: a question of complex positioning
Authors: Bergstralh Dan T. , Dawney Nicole S. , St Johnston Daniel
Published: March 2017

The direction in which a cell divides is determined by the orientation of its mitotic spindle at metaphase. Spindle orientation is therefore important for a wide range of developmental processes, ranging from germline stem cell division to epithelial tissue homeostasis and regeneration. In multiple cell types in multiple animals, spindle orientation is controlled by a conserved biological machine that mediates a pulling force on astral microtubules. Restricting the localization of this machine to only specific regions of the cortex can thus determine how the mitotic spindle is oriented. As we review here, recent findings based on studies in tunicate, worm, fly and vertebrate cells have revealed that the mechanisms for mediating this restriction are surprisingly diverse.
Shh promotes direct interactions between epidermal cells and osteoblast progenitors to shape regenerated zebrafish bone
Authors: Armstrong Benjamin E. , Henner Astra , Stewart Scott , Stankunas Kryn
Published: March 2017

Zebrafish innately regenerate amputated fins by mechanisms that expand and precisely position injury-induced progenitor cells to re-form tissue of the original size and pattern. For example, cell signaling networks direct osteoblast progenitors (pObs) to rebuild thin cylindrical bony rays with a stereotypical branched morphology. Hedgehog/Smoothened (Hh/Smo) signaling has been variably proposed to stimulate overall fin regenerative outgrowth or promote ray branching. Using a photoconvertible patched2 reporter, we resolve active Hh/Smo output to a narrow distal regenerate zone comprising pObs and adjacent motile basal epidermal cells. This Hh/Smo activity is driven by epidermal Sonic hedgehog a (Shha) rather than Ob-derived Indian hedgehog a (Ihha), which nevertheless functions atypically to support bone maturation. Using BMS-833923, a uniquely effective Smo inhibitor, and high-resolution imaging, we show that Shha/Smo is functionally dedicated to ray branching during fin regeneration. Hh/Smo activation enables transiently divided clusters of Shha-expressing epidermis to escort pObs into similarly split groups. This co-movement likely depends on epidermal cellular protrusions that directly contact pObs only where an otherwise occluding basement membrane remains incompletely assembled. Progressively separated pObs pools then continue regenerating independently to collectively re-form a now branched skeletal structure.
Wnts contribute to neuromuscular junction formation through distinct signaling pathways
Authors: Messéant Julien , Ezan Jérôme , Delers Perrine , Glebov Konstantin , Marchiol Carmen , Lager Franck , Renault Gilles , Tissir Fadel , Montcouquiol Mireille , Sans Nathalie , Legay Claire , Strochlic Laure
Published: March 2017

Understanding the developmental steps shaping the formation of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) connecting motoneurons to skeletal muscle fibers, is critical. Wnt morphogens are key players in the formation of this specialized peripheral synapse. Yet, the individual and collaborative functions of Wnts as well as their downstream pathways remain poorly understood at the NMJ. Here, we demonstrate through Wnt4 and Wnt11 gain of function studies in culture or in mice that Wnts enhance acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clustering and motor axon outgrowth. In contrast, loss of Wnt11 or Wnt-dependent signaling in vivo decreases AChR clustering and motor nerve terminal branching. Both Wnt4 and Wnt11 stimulate AChR clustering and mRNA downstream activation of the β-catenin pathway. Strikingly, Wnt4 and Wnt11 co-immunoprecipitate with Vangl2, a core component of the Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) pathway, which accumulates at embryonic NMJ. Moreover, mice bearing a Vangl2 loss of function mutation (looptail) exhibit a decreased number of AChR clusters and overgrowth of motor axons bypassing AChR clusters. Taken together, our results provide genetic and biochemical evidences that Wnt4 and Wnt11 cooperatively contribute to mammalian NMJ formation through activation of both the canonical and Vangl2-dependent core PCP pathways.
MCSF orchestrates branching morphogenesis in developing submandibular gland tissue
Authors: Sathi Gulsan Ara , Farahat Mahmoud , Hara Emilio Satoshi , Taketa Hiroaki , Nagatsuka Hitoshi , Kuboki Takuo , Matsumoto Takuya
Published: March 2017

The importance of macrophages in tissue development and regeneration has been strongly emphasized. However, the specific roles of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (MCSF), the key regulator of macrophage differentiation, in glandular tissue development have been unexplored. Here, we disclose new macrophage-independent roles of MCSF in tissue development. We initially found that MCSF is markedly upregulated at embryonic day (E)13.5, at a stage preceding the colonization of macrophages (at E15.5), in mouse submandibular gland (SMG) tissue. Surprisingly, MCSF-induced branching morphogenesis was based on a direct effect on epithelial cells, as well as indirectly, by modulating the expression of major growth factors of SMG growth, FGF7 and FGF10, via the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. Additionally, given the importance of neurons in SMG organogenesis, we found that MCSF-induced SMG growth was associated with regulation of neurturin expression and neuronal network development during early SMG development in an in vitro organogenesis model as well as in vivo. These results indicate that MCSF plays pleiotropic roles and is an important regulator of early SMG morphogenesis.