bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interplay of identities: A narrative study of self-perceptions among immigrants with severe mental illness from the former Soviet Union
Authors: Knaifel Evgeny , Mirsky Julia
Published: October 2014

This study explored the self-perceptions of individuals with mental illness who immigrated from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) to Israel. In particular, we examined the double stigma borne by these individuals as new immigrants and psychiatric patients, which may threaten their identity and render them at risk for social marginalization. We interviewed 12 FSU immigrants diagnosed with severe mental illness (SMI), who had been hospitalized in psychiatric facilities in the past and, at the time of the interview, were residing in community rehabilitation centers. Their narratives revealed that they constructed multiple identities for themselves: as bearers of Russian culture, as Soviet Jews, as normative immigrants, and only lastly as consumers of mental health services. In the case of FSU newcomers with mental illness immigration may serve as a normalizing and positive experience. Study findings suggest that stressing patients' identity as mentally ill may be counterproductive in their rehabilitation; instead, clinicians may consider working to mobilize patients' personal and cultural assets and helping them reinstate a more complex self-perception. Further research is needed to explore how immigration may affect self-perceptions of individuals with SMI from other cultural groups.
Reenactments in conversation: Gaze and recipiency
Authors: Thompson Sandra A , Suzuki Ryoko
Published: October 2014

In a reenactment, a speaker re-presents or depicts a previously occurring event, often dramatically. In this article we examine the role of gaze in reenactments in conversations from Japanese and American English. Following Goodwin in viewing a reenacted story as ‘a multi-modal, multi-party field of activity’, we show how tellers’ and recipients’ gaze during reenactments is deployed to achieve specific interactional ends. We argue that there are two layers of activities involved in doing reenacting – a) the habitat of the original event; b) the habitat of the reenacting event, including the dynamics of gaining appreciative recipiency – and show how they are interwoven in the joint production of a reenactment.
Cardiac, ventilatory, and metabolic adjustments in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients during the performance of Glittre activities of daily living test
Authors: Tufanin Andréa , Souza Gerson Fonseca , Tisi Guilherme Rocha , Tufik Sergio , de Mello Marco Túlio , Nascimento Oliver A , Jardim José R
Published: October 2014

Functional status and quality of life are measures of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patient’s health status and can demonstrate the impact of the disease on the patient’s ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). The Glittre-ADL test was developed to evaluate the functional status of COPD patients and their ability to perform activities of daily life.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the cardiac, respiratory, and metabolic adjustments and reproducibility of the Glittre ADL test performed by COPD patients.

Twenty-two mild to severe COPD patients (forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1): 56.6 ± 19.9% predicted; mean age: 66.3 ± 9.18 years old) were enrolled in this study. Metabolic (oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), pulmonary ventilation (VE)/VCO2, and VE/VO2), ventilatory (tidal volume, respiratory rate, and VE), and cardiovascular (pulse oxygen saturation, VO2/heart rate (HR), and HR) variables, lower limbs fatigue, and dyspnea (Borg score) after each lap of two Glittre ADL test were analyzed.

All metabolic, ventilatory, and cardiac variables increased their values up to the third lap and remained stable (plateau) until the end of the test (five laps; multivariate analysis); there was no difference among the time spent to complete each of the five laps in each test and between tests (total time of second test: 4 minutes and 3 seconds); the second test was 17.8 seconds (6.6%) shorter than the first one (NS). All variables were highly reproducible in the two tests (NS). At the end of the test, patients reached 87.7% of the VO2 max, 81% of VE peak, and 88.5% of the HR peak obtained from an incremental maximal test on a treadmill.

The Glittre ADL test is easy for COPD patients to perform and is a highly reproducible test in COPD patients with mild to severe stages of the disease. In addition, our results suggest that it is possible to demonstrate the patient’s functional capacity with a single test of only three laps, making it faster and easier to apply and less stressful for some patients.
Generics in Europe
Authors: Garella Rahul
Published: October 2014

The generics industry in Europe has been at the forefront along with the United States in pushing the envelope and garnering support from cash-strapped governments to utilize the savings potential of generics in curtailing the overall healthcare spend. However, as we look to the next decade, the cost argument will remain important but will not be the sole mechanism to drive growth and create sustainability that is critical for the industry’s health. This article talks about four fundamental shifts that are shaping the future of the generics industry in Europe and what companies are doing to stay on top.
Simulation-based constructivist approach for education leaders
Authors: Shapira-Lishchinsky Orly
Published: October 2014

The purpose of this study was to reflect the leadership strategies that may arise using a constructivist approach based on organizational learning. This approach involved the use of simulations that focused on ethical tensions in school principals’ daily experiences, and the development of codes of ethical conduct to reduce these tensions. The study included 50 teachers who served in school leadership roles in addition to their regular teaching jobs. The teachers participated in 50 simulation sessions. The data were analyzed with ATLAS.ti 5.0. Five dimensions of tensions between leadership strategies were found to be related to the central concept of “Leadership strategies derived from simulations:” Engaging versus Monitoring; Envisioning versus Implementing; Implementing versus Engaging; Monitoring versus Envisioning, and Articulating versus Envisioning—demonstrating the complexity of dialogue during the simulations, which include a multifaceted model of tension between values, and codes of ethical conduct. The study findings may encourage school principals and education leaders to use simulations to help unravel ongoing ethical dilemmas in school for the development of leadership strategies based on organizational and constructivist learning theories. These learning conditions may provide fertile ground for practicing difficult ethical decision-making and thus enhance the professional development of education leaders.
Behind the Scenes: A Study of Autodesk Maya
Authors: Wood Aylish
Published: October 2014

Automation lies at the centre of many debates surrounding computer-generated animation. Rarely used as a neutral term, it is frequently a marker of changing practices somehow outside the control of human users of technologies, often threatening the terms on which agency is founded. This understanding of automation and computer animation software can be complicated by insights from software studies. Accordingly, 3D animation software Autodesk Maya is explored through a methodology that places an analysis of the visual organization of the user interface alongside interviews with users of the software, in particular modellers and animators. Discussion of the interview material is framed through Noah Wardrip-Fruin’s ideas on expressive processing and Adrian Mackenzie’s account of software and agency. The argument put forward is that users experience the automation of software via their interactions with the user interface, and that inputs generated through human users and automation counterpoint rather eclipse each other.
Walt at War – Animation, Transformation and Indoctrination: The Hypothetical Image of Disney’s Animal Soldiers
Authors: Cooper Timothy PA
Published: October 2014

Taking as its theoretical framework Sergei Eisenstein’s writings on Walt Disney, as well as recent studies of corporeal transformation in moving image animation, this article explores the link between bodily and political transformation through the role of cartoon animals in the mass mobilized, machine war of World War II. The repercussions of the hypothetical images and scenarios that Walt Disney Productions employed reveal the absurdity and ease of transformation not only between life and death but also between seemingly disparate political ideologies. By approaching the contradictions at play in the visual and political ideology of World War II propaganda and wartime entertainment, and offering a pre-cinematic genealogy of animal caricature, the author explores the shifting manifestations of animality and humanity presented in the Disney brand’s wartime scenarios.
Usability and Training Differences Between Two Personal Insulin Pumps
Authors: Schaeffer Noel E. , Parks Linda J. , Verhoef Erik T. , Bailey Timothy S. , Schorr Alan B. , Davis Trent , Halford Jean , Sulik Becky
Published: October 2014

Background:

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were usability and training differences between the Medtronic MiniMed Paradigm Revel™ Insulin Pump and the Tandem Diabetes Care t:slim® Insulin Pump during use by representative users, performing representative tasks, in a simulated use environment.

Methods:

This study utilized a between-subjects experimental design with a total of 72 participants from 5 sites across the United States. Study participants were randomized to either the Revel pump group or the t:slim Pump group. Participants were 18 years of age or older and managed their diabetes using multiple daily insulin injections. Dependent variables included training time, training satisfaction, time on task, task failures, System Usability Scale (SUS) ratings, perceived task difficulty, and a pump survey that measured different aspects of the pumps and training sessions.

Results:

There was a statistically significant difference in training times and error rates between the t:slim and Revel groups. The training time difference represented a 27% reduction in time to train on the t:slim versus the Revel pump. There was a 65% reduction in participants’ use error rates between the t:slim and the Revel group. The t:slim Pump had statistically significant training and usability advantages over the Revel pump.

Conclusions:

The reduction in training time may have been a result of an optimized information architecture, an intuitive navigational layout, and an easy-to-read screen. The reduction in use errors with the t:slim may have been a result of dynamic error handling and active confirmation screens, which may have prevented programming errors.
Behavior Genetics and the Within-Person Variability of Daily Interpersonal Styles
Authors: Markey Patrick M. , Racine Sarah E. , Markey Charlotte N. , Hopwood Christopher J. , Keel Pamela K. , Burt S. Alexandra , Neale Michael C. , Sisk Cheryl L. , Boker Steven M. , Klump Kelly L.
Published: October 2014

A classical twin study was used to estimate the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on four measurements of within-person variability, namely dominance flux, warmth flux, spin, and pulse. Flux refers to the variability of an individual’s interpersonal dominance and warmth. Spin measures changes in the tone of interpersonal styles, and pulse measures changes in the intensity of interpersonal styles. Daily reports of interpersonal styles were collected from 494 same-sex female twins (142 monozygotic pairs and 105 dizygotic pairs) over 45 days. For dominance flux, warmth flux, and spin, genetic effects accounted for a larger proportion of variance (37%, 24%, and 30%, respectively) than shared environmental effects (14%, 13%, and 0%, respectively), with the remaining variance due to the nonshared environment (62%, 50%, and 70%, respectively). Pulse appeared to be primarily influenced by the nonshared environment, although conclusions about the contribution of familial influences were difficult to draw from this study.
Beijing and the Vatican
Authors: Lynch Andrew P.
Published: October 2014

As China exerts increasing influence on the world stage and particularly in the Asia Pacific region, the issue of religious freedom will become one of greater urgency. The struggle for religious freedom for China’s Catholic population provides a window into the impact that religious pluralism is having on the Chinese state, and the tensions between China’s leadership and the Vatican over freedom of religion for China’s Catholics provides an important test case for how China negotiates church/state relations within its own society. This article argues that the differing viewpoints on religious freedom found in the Catholic Church’s Vatican II documents, and China’s 1982 Constitution, are the origin of these tensions. The article then examines Huntington’s Third Wave theory of democratization, updated by Philpott, to examine how the tensions between the Chinese state and the Catholic Church, which has a successful history of challenging communist states, are being played out.
Speech Perception in Tones and Noise via Cochlear Implants Reveals Influence of Spectral Resolution on Temporal Processing
Authors: Oxenham Andrew J. , Kreft Heather A.
Published: October 2014

Under normal conditions, human speech is remarkably robust to degradation by noise and other distortions. However, people with hearing loss, including those with cochlear implants, often experience great difficulty in understanding speech in noisy environments. Recent work with normal-hearing listeners has shown that the amplitude fluctuations inherent in noise contribute strongly to the masking of speech. In contrast, this study shows that speech perception via a cochlear implant is unaffected by the inherent temporal fluctuations of noise. This qualitative difference between acoustic and electric auditory perception does not seem to be due to differences in underlying temporal acuity but can instead be explained by the poorer spectral resolution of cochlear implants, relative to the normally functioning ear, which leads to an effective smoothing of the inherent temporal-envelope fluctuations of noise. The outcome suggests an unexpected trade-off between the detrimental effects of poorer spectral resolution and the beneficial effects of a smoother noise temporal envelope. This trade-off provides an explanation for the long-standing puzzle of why strong correlations between speech understanding and spectral resolution have remained elusive. The results also provide a potential explanation for why cochlear-implant users and hearing-impaired listeners exhibit reduced or absent masking release when large and relatively slow temporal fluctuations are introduced in noise maskers. The multitone maskers used here may provide an effective new diagnostic tool for assessing functional hearing loss and reduced spectral resolution.
Effects of Noise Reduction on Speech Intelligibility, Perceived Listening Effort, and Personal Preference in Hearing-Impaired Listeners
Authors: Brons Inge , Houben Rolph , Dreschler Wouter A.
Published: October 2014

This study evaluates the perceptual effects of single-microphone noise reduction in hearing aids. Twenty subjects with moderate sensorineural hearing loss listened to speech in babble noise processed via noise reduction from three different linearly fitted hearing aids. Subjects performed (a) speech-intelligibility tests, (b) listening-effort ratings, and (c) paired-comparison ratings on noise annoyance, speech naturalness, and overall preference. The perceptual effects of noise reduction differ between hearing aids. The results agree well with those of normal-hearing listeners in a previous study. None of the noise-reduction algorithms improved speech intelligibility, but all reduced the annoyance of noise. The noise reduction that scored best with respect to noise annoyance and preference had the worst intelligibility scores. The trade-off between intelligibility and listening comfort shows that preference measurements might be useful in addition to intelligibility measurements in the selection of noise reduction. Additionally, this trade-off should be taken into consideration to create realistic expectations in hearing-aid users.
Three-dimensional analytical techniques for evaluation of osseointegrated titanium implants
Authors: Thorfve A. , Palmquist A. , Grandfield K.
Published: October 2014

Osseointegration, the direct bonding of titanium implant materials with bone, is critical for implant success where nanostructured surface features contribute to nano-osseointegration. However, we also know that features and processes on the microscale influence the biocompatibility of implant materials. We highlight the advantages of using mutlilength scale analyses, focusing on three-dimensional techniques, ranging from X-ray microcomputed tomography, to focused ion beam, to high resolution electron tomography to identify markers of osseointegration. A titanium implant with modified biomimetic coating studied in vitro and in vivo at various time points is used to exemplify the complementary information gained from three-dimensional analyses from the micro- to nanoscale.
Retrograde stapling of a free cervical jejunal interposition graft: a technical innovation and case report
Authors: Hackl Christina , Popp Felix C , Ehehalt Katharina , Dendl Lena-Marie , Benseler Volker , Renner Philipp , Loss Martin , Dolderer Jurgen , Prantl Lukas , Kühnel Thomas , Schlitt Hans J , Dahlke Marc H
Published: October 2014

Background

Free jejunal interposition is a useful technique for reconstruction of the cervical esophagus. However, the distal anastomosis between the graft and the remaining thoracic esophagus or a gastric conduit can be technically challenging when located very low in the thoracic aperture. We here describe a modified technique for retrograde stapling of a jejunal graft to a failed gastric conduit using a circular stapler on a delivery system.

Case presentation

A 56 year-old patient had been referred for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma at 20 cm from the incisors. On day 8 after thoracoabdominal esophagectomy with gastric pull-up, an anastomotic leakage was diagnosed. A proximal-release stent was successfully placed by gastroscopy and the patient was discharged. Two weeks later, an esophagotracheal fistula occurred proximal to the esophageal stent. Cervical esophagostomy was performed with cranial closure of the gastric conduit, which was left in situ within the right hemithorax. Three months later, reconstruction was performed using a free jejunal interposition. The anvil of a circular stapler (Orvil®, Covidien) was placed transabdominally through an endoscopic rendez-vous procedure into the gastric conduit. A free jejunal graft was retrogradely stapled to the proximal end of the conduit. Microvascular anastomoses were performed subsequently. The proximal anastomosis of the conduit was completed manually after reperfusion.

Conclusions

This modified technique allows stapling of a jejunal interposition graft located deep in the thoracic aperture and is therefore a useful method that may help to avoid reconstruction by colonic pull-up and thoracotomy.
Gastrointestinal comorbidities associated with atrial fibrillation
Authors: Laliberté François , Moore Yuliya , Dea Katherine , LaMori Joyce C , Mody Samir H , Jones JaCinda L , Arledge Michele D , Damaraju C V , Schein Jeff R , Lefebvre Patrick
Published: October 2014

This observational study was conducted to describe the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) events among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We analyzed Thomson Reuters MarketScan® data from 2005 to 2009. Subjects aged ≥18 years with ≥ 1 AF diagnosis were selected. GI events were identified from claims with a primary or secondary diagnosis code for any GI condition. The risk of GI events was assessed using cumulative incidence (new GI events/patients with AF without GI condition at baseline) and incidence rates (IRs), calculated as the number of patients with new GI events divided by patient-years of observation. In addition, the CHADS2 score was evaluated at baseline to determine the patient’s risk of stroke. A total of 557,123 AF patients were identified. The mean (median) AF patient age was 68.2 years (70); 45% were female. The cumulative incidences of any GI event and dyspepsia were 40% and 19%, respectively. The corresponding IRs were 38.8 and 14.7 events per 100 patient–years. IRs of any GI events for female and male patients were 43.6 and 35.5; for patients in the age groups <65, 65–74, 75–84, and ≥85 years, IRs were 32.3, 38.9, 44.6, and 52.7; for patients with a CHADS2 score of 0, 1–2, 3–4, and 5–6, IRs were 30.3, 41.6, 56.9, and 74.5, respectively. In this large claims database, 40% of AF patients experienced a GI event, predominantly dyspepsia. Physicians should take age and comorbidities into consideration when managing AF patients.
Biomarkers in biological fluids for dementia with Lewy bodies
Authors: Schade Sebastian , Mollenhauer Brit
Published: October 2014

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) has become the second most common neurodegenerative dementia due to demographic ageing. Differential diagnosis is still troublesome especially in early stages of the disease, since there is a great clinical and neuropathological overlap primarily with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Therefore, more specific biomarkers, not only for scientific reasons but also for clinical therapeutic decision-making, are urgently needed. In this review, we summarize the knowledge on fluid biomarkers for DLB, derived predominantly from cerebrospinal fluid. We discuss the value of well-defined markers (β-amyloid, (phosphorylated) tau, ±-synuclein) as well as some promising ‘upcoming' substances, which still have to be further evaluated.
Clinical outcome and cost of treatment and care for neonates less than 1000 grams admitted to Vali-e ASR Hospital
Authors: Dalili Hosein , Fallahi Mohaddese , Moradi Saeid , Nayeri Fatemeh , Shariat Mamak , Rashidian Arash
Published: October 2014

Background

The aim of this study is to estimate the cost of care and treatment for extremely low birth weight (ELBW) neonates admitted to a teaching and referral hospital. This cost estimation project can help health policy makers and planners make decisions and develop plans for perinatal service staging programs and better management of NICUs (Neonatal Intensive Care Units).

Methods

This cohort study performed on 50 extremely low birth weight neonates (w???1000gr) born in Vali-e Asr Hospital, Tehran-Iran in the period of March 2012 to September 2013. This teaching and referral hospital had 15 NICU beds as well as an active neonatal growth and development follow-up clinic with a pediatric neurodevelopment specialist during the period of the study. Cases would undergo initial developmental visits and preventative measures immediately after being admitted to the ward. Also after discharge, they were followed up monthly for six months and then every two months, during first year of life.

Results

Overalls, 23 newborns -46% of ELBW and 40% of total neonatal mortality rate (that amounted 55) died during hospital stay. Beside hospitalization, the major part of expenses was related to medication and medical supplies. All neonates needing rehabilitation underwent this type of intervention for one year. The mean cost of rehabilitation in neonates with no insurance coverage was 6700 US Dollars per year, which is reduced by half (3350 US Dollars) when covered by insurance.

Conclusion

Medication, medical supplies and equipment cost was significantly high. This is especially due to the fact that the present types of insurances do not cover such expenses very well, forcing parents to pay themselves. Insurance systems are expected to take this issue into immediate account.
Unconformity surface architecture of the northeast Thelon Basin, Nunavut, derived from integration of magnetic source depth estimates
Authors: Tschirhart Victoria , Morris William A. , Jefferson Charles W.
Published: October 2014

Exploration for unconformity-associated uranium deposits requires detailed 3D knowledge of the depth and morphology of the unconformity surface. Modifications of the unconformity surface by reactivated intersecting faults and favorable basement lithology are key parameters when attempting to vector toward potential deposits. In the absence of seismic reflection and closely spaced drill data, high-resolution aeromagnetic data can provide surprisingly detailed 3D constraints through the use of source depth routines. Such routines are applied to the northeastern part of the Thelon Basin, termed the Aberdeen Subbasin, in Nunavut. This region is considered prospective for unconformity-associated uranium deposits. Deposits have so far been discovered adjacent to the subbasin where they are hosted by structurally complex Neoarchean and early Paleoproterozoic supracrustal rocks. We determined the morphology of two unconformity surfaces by combining the outputs from multiple analyses of high-resolution aeromagnetic data: three semiautomated depth estimation routines (Werner deconvolution, Euler deconvolution, and source parameter imaging) and two potential field inversion procedures. Confidence in depth estimates was increased by combining the output of individual source depth algorithms. Results were integrated with previously mapped fault displacements, seismic refraction profiles, boreholes, and outcrop geology around the subbasin perimeter. An integrated pseudo-3D source depth estimate of the unconformity surface is presented as twenty-three north–south profiles. The revised model of the upper unconformity surface, the base of the Thelon Formation, shows a complex set of stepped blocks bounded by four major intersecting fault arrays with approximate offsets ranging from tens to hundreds of meters.
A 3D model of the Wathlingen salt dome in the Northwest German Basin from joint modeling of gravity, gravity gradient, and curvature
Authors: Dubey Chandra Prakash , Götze Hans-Jürgen , Schmidt Sabine , Tiwari Virendra Mani
Published: October 2014

In the past few decades, numerous attempts have been made on modeling of salt tectonics and deciphering the geometry of salt domes, which is a key challenge in petroleum exploration. We have derived a 3D density model of the Wathlingen salt dome, situated in the southern part of the Northwest German Basin from joint modeling of reprocessed torsion balance measurements. Gravity, gravity gradients [Formula: see text], curvature derived from horizontal gravity gradients [Formula: see text], and horizontal directive tendency are jointly modeled to decipher the geometric structure of the salt dome. The model was constrained by geologic and borehole information. We found that the Wathlingen salt dome is a mushroom-structured salt body, which is 14-km long, 4–8-km wide extending up to [Formula: see text] depth. The top mushroom structure of the salt is horizontally spread up to [Formula: see text]. It would not have been possible to derive the complex 3D structure from modeling of gravity data alone.
Detection of hydrocarbons using non-bright-spot seismic techniques
Authors: Brown Alistair R. , Abriel William L.
Published: October 2014

Interpretation technology for the direct detection of hydrocarbons with stacked seismic reflections is focused mainly on bright spot systems in which the acoustic impedance of the reservoir is lower than the overburden and underburden. Interpretation of polarity reversal and dim spot systems, in which the acoustic impedance of the reservoir is higher than the overburden or underburden, requires the interpreter to use a different and more complicated set of rules to validate these as direct hydrocarbon indicators.
Phosphorylation of threonine 3 on histone H3 by Haspin kinase is required for meiosis I in mouse oocytes
Authors: Nguyen Alexandra L. , Gentilello Amanda S. , Balboula Ahmed Z. , Shrivastava Vibha , Ohring Jacob , Schindler Karen
Published: October 2014

Meiosis I (MI), the division that generates haploids, is prone to errors that lead to aneuploidy in females. Haspin is a kinase that phosphorylates histone H3 on threonine 3 thereby recruiting Aurora kinase B (AURKB) and the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) to kinetochores to regulate mitosis. Haspin and AURKC, an AURKB homolog, are enriched in germ cells, yet their significance in regulating MI are not fully understood. Using inhibitors and overexpression approaches, we show a role for Haspin during MI in mouse oocytes. Haspin-perturbed oocytes display abnormalities in chromosome morphology and alignment, improper kinetochore-microtubule attachments at metaphase I, and aneuploidy at metaphase II. Unlike in mitosis, kinetochore localization remained intact while the distribution of the CPC along chromosomes was absent. The meiotic defects of Haspin inhibition were similar to oocytes where AURKC was inhibited, suggesting that correction of microtubule attachments during MI require AURKC along chromosome arms rather than at kinetochores. Our data implicate Haspin as a regulator of the CPC and chromosome segregation during MI while highlighting important differences in how chromosome segregation is regulated between MI and mitosis.
Impacts of extreme climatic events on the energetics of long-lived vertebrates: the case of the greater flamingo facing cold spells in the Camargue
Authors: Deville Anne-Sophie , Labaude Sophie , Robin Jean-Patrice , Béchet Arnaud , Gauthier-Clerc Michel , Porter Warren , Fitzpatrick Megan , Mathewson Paul , Grémillet David
Published: October 2014

Most studies analyzing the effects of global warming on wild populations focus on gradual temperature changes, yet it is also important to understand the impact of extreme climatic events. Here we studied the effect of two cold spells (January 1985 and February 2012) on the energetics of greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) in the Camargue (southern France). To understand the cause of observed flamingo mass mortalities, we first assessed the energy stores of flamingos found dead in February 2012, and compared them with those found in other bird species exposed to cold spells and/or fasting. Second, we evaluated the monthly energy requirements of flamingos across 1980–2012 using the mechanistic model Niche Mapper™. Our results show that the body lipids of flamingos found dead in 2012 corresponded to 2.6±0.3% of total body mass, which is close to results found in woodcocks (Scolopax rusticola) that died from starvation during a cold spell (1.7±0.1%), and much lower than in woodcocks which were fed throughout this same cold spell (13.0±2%). Further, Niche Mapper™ predicted that flamingo energy requirements were highest (+6–7%) during the 1985 and 2012 cold spells compared with ‘normal’ winters. This increase was primarily driven by cold air temperatures. Overall, our findings strongly suggest that flamingos starved to death during both cold spells. This study demonstrates the relevance of using mechanistic energetics modelling and body condition analyses to understand and predict the impact of extreme climatic events on animal energy balance and winter survival probabilities.
Reduce torques and stick the landing: limb posture during landing in toads
Authors: Azizi Emanuel , Larson Neil P. , Abbott Emily M. , Danos Nicole
Published: October 2014

A controlled landing, where an animal does not crash or topple, requires enough stability to allow muscles to effectively dissipate mechanical energy. Toads (Rhinella marina) are exemplary models for understanding the mechanics and motor control of landing given their ability to land consistently during bouts of continuous hopping. Previous studies in anurans have shown that ground reaction forces (GRFs) during landing are significantly higher compared with takeoff and can potentially impart large torques about the center of mass (COM), destabilizing the body at impact. We predict that in order to minimize such torques, toads will align their COM with the GRF vector during the aerial phase in anticipation of impact. We combined high-speed videography and force-plate ergometry to quantify torques at the COM and relate the magnitude of torques to limb posture at impact. We show that modulation of hindlimb posture can shift the position of the COM by about 20% of snout–vent length. Rapid hindlimb flexion during the aerial phase of a hop moved the COM anteriorly and reduced torque by aligning the COM with the GRF vector. We found that the addition of extrinsic loads did not significantly alter landing behavior but did change the torques experienced at impact. We conclude that anticipatory hindlimb flexion during the aerial phase of a hop is a critical feature of a mechanically stable landing that allows toads to quickly string together multiple, continuous hops.
The long noncoding RNA Neat1 is required for mammary gland development and lactation
Authors: Standaert Laura , Adriaens Carmen , Radaelli Enrico , Van Keymeulen Alexandra , Blanpain Cedric , Hirose Tetsuro , Nakagawa Shinichi , Marine Jean-Christophe
Published: October 2014

The lncRNA Neat1 is an essential architectural component of paraspeckle nuclear bodies. Although cell-based studies identified Neat1-paraspeckles as key regulators of gene expression through retention of hyperdited mRNAs and/or transcription factors, it is unclear under which specific physiological conditions paraspeckles are formed in vivo and whether they have any biological relevance. Herein, we show that paraspeckles are assembled in luminal epithelial cells during mammary gland development. Importantly, genetic ablation of Neat1 results in aberrant mammary gland morphogenesis and lactation defects. We provide evidence that the lactation defect is caused by a decreased ability of Neat1-mutant cells to sustain high rates of proliferation during lobular-alveolar development. This study is the first to assign an important biological function to the lncRNA Neat1 and to link it to the presence of paraspeckles nuclear bodies in vivo.
Ancient Topics in Napoleon’s Proclamations to the army
Authors: Fulińska Agnieszka
Published: October 2014

Ancient Topics in Napoleon’s Proclamations to the army

The present paper analyses the ancient topics and elements of rhetoric in Napoleon Bonaparte’s proclamations to the army, as they come down to our times in his correspondence and memoirs. The main focus is on the exhortations issued during the early campaigns in Italy and Egypt, since they employ this kind of imagery to the greatest extent. The aim of the paper is to show that the content of these short proclamations, which had obvious propagandistic meaning, was deeply rooted in the Classical education, as well as in the French republican imagery, and also art and literature of the period, all together which shaped the early years of the prospective Emperor.
Metaphorical Picture of Tiberius in Tacitus’s Annals
Authors: Migdał Justyna
Published: October 2014

Metaphorical Picture of Tiberius in Tacitus’s Annals

The paper discusses the way of presenting Tiberius in Tacitus’ Annals; it concentrates on the analysis of diction and metaphors (Tiberius as a snake, the metaphors of clothing, of siege and of fire). Possible analogies with Vergilian metaphors of the fall of Troy are also taken into account.
Ipsaque morte peior est mortis locus: The underworld in Seneca’s Hercules furens
Authors: Stróżyński Mateusz
Published: October 2014

Ipsaque morte peior est mortis locus: The underworld in Seneca’s Hercules furens

The present paper analyses the episode of Hercules’ journey to the underworld in Seneca’s Hercules furens. The starting point is the contemporary psychoanalysis school of object relations; the research method combines psychoanalytic interpretive methods with a philological text analysis. The underworld passage, showing Hercules’ weakness and superbia, can be treated as the key to understanding the entire play.
Fruit & Veg: I for Iceberg lettuce…
Authors: Hammond Paula , Lillie Stephen
Published: October 2014

This month, we continue our extended adventure around the alphabetical fruits and vegetables of the world, by taking a look at a popular member of the lettuce family.
Journal Scan
Authors: Welyczko Nikki
Published: October 2014

Nikki Welyczko, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead for Adult Nursing at the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, provides a brief overview of recently published nursing and health articles
Assessing fatigue in patients with inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Czuber-Dochan Wladyslawa , Norton Christine , Bredin Francesca , Forbes Alastair , Nathan Indira , Berliner Stuart , Darvell Marcia , Gay Martin , Terry Helen
Published: October 2014

Fatigue in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been reported to be a major issue in terms of its understanding, assessment, and management, for both patients and clinicians. This paper summarises the results of three separate but interlinked studies reporting on: health-care practitioners' perceptions of fatigue in IBD patients, an IBD fatigue patient self-assessment scale, and a checklist to assess the possible reversible factors contributing to fatigue. Health-care practitioners reported a lack of understanding of fatigue and a need for more information and education to help them to address fatigue in a constructive manner in clinical consultations. The IBD fatigue patient self-assessment questionnaire is a helpful tool to assess fatigue in a systematic manner, and provides a quantifiable score of the level of fatigue experienced by an individual. The screening checklist for IBD fatigue provides a valuable tool to identify the priorities for testing for clinically potentially reversible causes of fatigue.
Pre-intravitrael injection preparation: endophthalmitis prevention and the importance of povidone-iodine
Authors: McKenna Pauline , McCutcheon Karen
Published: October 2014

Despite adherence to strict standards of care in preparation for intravitreal injections, endophthalmitis can still occur. This article focuses on endophthalmitis and the importance of povidone-iodine in pre-procedure antisepsis. An overview of endophthalmitis and an examination of the benefits of povidone-iodine in ocular aseptic technique for the prevention of post-procedure endophthalmitis are provided. The misconceptions that patients and health practitioners may have in relation to povidone-iodine hypersensitivity are also explored.
The Australian 2014 federal budget and its impact on eye care
Authors: Machin Heather , Sachdev Nitin , Armstrong Pam , Finger Robert P , Kanagasingam Yogesan
Published: October 2014

In this editorial, four eye care professionals from diverse backgrounds and from across Australia come together to discuss if, and how, the hand down of the 2014 Australian federal government budget, announced in May of this year, has impacted on the eye care of Australians and their practice.
Myoid Gonadal Stromal Tumor
Authors: Kao Chia-Sui , Ulbright Thomas M.
Published: October 2014

Objectives:

To report three new cases of testicular myoid gonadal stromal tumor to better characterize its features.

Methods:

The clinicopathologic findings (including follow-up) were evaluated and a review of the literature was performed.

Results:

The patients were 38, 43, and 59 years old, and tumor sizes were 1.2, 1.3, and 3.2 cm. All were unilateral, well circumscribed, adjacent to the rete testis, and composed exclusively of spindled cells with elongated nuclei and occasional nuclear grooves arranged in fascicles with admixed variably ectatic blood vessels. Nucleoli were inconspicuous, and the cytoplasm was scant, ill-defined, and pale/lightly eosinophilic. No sex cord component was present. Mitotic figures ranged from zero to five per 10 high-power fields. Significant atypia, lymphovascular invasion, and necrosis were absent. All were consistently positive for smooth muscle actin, S100 protein, FOXL2, and steroidogenic factor 1 but negative for h-caldesmon, calretinin, and SOX9. Inhibin and calponin were focally positive. All patients were alive and well at 5, 31, and 58 months postorchiectomy. Combining our cases with those previously reported (n = 6) shows that this neoplasm occurs mostly in younger men (mean, 37 years), and all follow-up thus far (mean, 25 months) has been benign.

Conclusions:

Myoid gonadal stromal tumors are small (<4 cm) indolent testicular tumors distinctly different from other sex cord–stromal tumors and are adequately managed by orchiectomy.
Cardiac troponin assays: a review of quantitative point-of-care devices and their efficacy in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction
Authors: Amundson Beret E. , Apple Fred S.
Published: October 2014

Cardiac troponin (cTn) I and T are released from myocardial cells following necrosis, i.e., cell death. An accurate measure of cTn concentrations in a patient’s blood following ischemia/chest pain can enable providers to determine whether or not a myocardial infarction (MI) has occurred. Point-of-care (POC) devices that measure blood cTn concentrations in under 30 min may help to significantly reduce hospital costs by managing and triaging patients out of the emergency department as quickly as possible. The use of POC devices that measure cTnI and cTnT with a coefficient of variation (CV) ≤20% at the 99th percentile upper reference limit (URL) limits both false positive and negative results and provides clinically acceptable findings to assist in appropriate diagnoses. This article reviews nine POC devices that measure cTn in terms of their clinical sensitivity and specificity, analytical imprecision, sample type and preparation, and each assay’s principle of analysis.
Effects of cell wall ultrastructure on the transverse shrinkage anisotropy of Scots pine wood
Authors: Bonarski Jan T. , Kifetew Girma , Olek Wiesław
Published: October 2014

A hypothesis for explaining the differential anisotropic shrinkage behavior of wood has been proposed, and it was based on the differences in the cell wall ultrastructure. The starting point of the consideration is that wood shrinkage is governed by its chemical composition, ultrastructure, and gross anatomy. It is also well known that the transverse shrinkage anisotropy of earlywood (EW) is more pronounced than that of the latewood (LW). In the paper, the cell wall ultrastructure and shrinkage anisotropy has been related to each other, and to this purpose, a set of crystallographic texture descriptors was applied. The descriptors are based on X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments conducted on matched EW samples from different growth rings of Scots pine. The range of the microfibril angle (MFA) was identified. The ratio of the maxima of inverse pole figures (IPFs) of both the tangential (T) and radial (R) directions was determined. The ratios quantify the inhomogeneity of the spatial arrangement of the ordered areas. The results of the study clearly indicate that the transverse shrinkage of wood is governed mostly by a specific ultrastructural organization of moderately organized cell wall compounds.
Predicting the draft and career success of tight ends in the National Football League
Authors: Mulholland Jason , Jensen Shane T.
Published: October 2014

National Football League teams have complex drafting strategies based on college and combine performance that are intended to predict success in the NFL. In this paper, we focus on the tight end position, which is seeing growing importance as the NFL moves towards a more passing-oriented league. We create separate prediction models for 1. the NFL Draft and 2. NFL career performance based on data available prior to the NFL Draft: college performance, the NFL combine, and physical measures. We use linear regression and recursive partitioning decision trees to predict both NFL draft order and NFL career success based on this pre-draft data. With both modeling approaches, we find that the measures that are most predictive of NFL draft order are not necessarily the most predictive measures of NFL career success. This finding suggests that we can improve upon current drafting strategies for tight ends. After factoring the salary cost of drafted players into our analysis in order to predict tight ends with the highest value, we find that size measures (BMI, weight, height) are over-emphasized in the NFL draft.
Systematic Shifts in the Balance of Excitation and Inhibition Coordinate the Activity of Axial Motor Pools at Different Speeds of Locomotion
Authors: Kishore Sandeep , Bagnall Martha W. , McLean David L.
Published: October 2014

An emerging consensus from studies of axial and limb networks is that different premotor populations are required for different speeds of locomotion. An important but unresolved issue is why this occurs. Here, we perform voltage-clamp recordings from axial motoneurons in larval zebrafish during “fictive” swimming to test the idea that systematic differences in the biophysical properties of axial motoneurons are associated with differential tuning in the weight and timing of synaptic drive, which would help explain premotor population shifts. We find that increases in swimming speed are accompanied by increases in excitation preferentially to lower input resistance (Rin) motoneurons, whereas inhibition uniformly increases with speed to all motoneurons regardless of Rin. Additionally, while the timing of rhythmic excitatory drive sharpens within the pool as speed increases, there are shifts in the dominant source of inhibition related to Rin. At slow speeds, anti-phase inhibition is larger throughout the pool. However, as swimming speeds up, inhibition arriving in-phase with local motor activity increases, particularly in higher Rin motoneurons. Thus, in addition to systematic differences in the weight and timing of excitation related to Rin and speed, there are also speed-dependent shifts in the balance of different sources of inhibition, which is most obvious in more excitable motor pools. We conclude that synaptic drive is differentially tuned to the biophysical properties of motoneurons and argue that differences in premotor circuits exist to simplify the coordination of activity within spinal motor pools during changes in locomotor speed.
Dynamic Modulation of Amygdala–Hippocampal Connectivity by Emotional Arousal
Authors: Fastenrath Matthias , Coynel David , Spalek Klara , Milnik Annette , Gschwind Leo , Roozendaal Benno , Papassotiropoulos Andreas , de Quervain Dominique J.F.
Published: October 2014

Positive and negative emotional events are better remembered than neutral events. Studies in animals suggest that this phenomenon depends on the influence of the amygdala upon the hippocampus. In humans, however, it is largely unknown how these two brain structures functionally interact and whether these interactions are similar between positive and negative information. Using dynamic causal modeling of fMRI data in 586 healthy subjects, we show that the strength of the connection from the amygdala to the hippocampus was rapidly and robustly increased during the encoding of both positive and negative pictures in relation to neutral pictures. We also observed an increase in connection strength from the hippocampus to the amygdala, albeit at a smaller scale. These findings indicate that, during encoding, emotionally arousing information leads to a robust increase in effective connectivity from the amygdala to the hippocampus, regardless of its valence.