bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Imaging in carpal instability
Authors: Ramamurthy N. K. , Chojnowski A. J. , Toms A. P.
Published: December 2015

Carpal instability is a complex and heterogeneous clinical condition. Management requires accurate identification of structural injury with an understanding of the resultant movement (kinematic) and load transfer (kinetic) failure. Static imaging techniques, such as plain film radiography, stress views, ultrasound, magnetic resonance, MR arthrography and computerized tomography arthrography, may accurately depict major wrist ligamentous injury. Dynamic ultrasound and videofluoroscopy may demonstrate dynamic instability and kinematic dysfunction. There is a growing evidence base for the diagnostic accuracy of these techniques in detecting intrinsic ligament tears, but there are limitations. Evidence of their efficacy and relevance in detection of non-dissociative carpal instability and extrinsic ligament tears is weak. Further research into the accuracy of existing imaging modalities is still required. Novel techniques, including four-dimensional computerized tomography and magnetic resonance, can evaluate both cross-sectional and functional carpal anatomy. This is a narrative review of level-III studies evaluating the role of imaging in carpal instability.
Scapular dyskinesia: evolution towards a systems-based approach
Authors: Willmore Elaine G , Smith Michael J
Published: December 2015

Historically, scapular dyskinesia has been used to describe an isolated clinical entity whereby an abnormality in positioning, movement or function of the scapula is present. Based upon this, treatment approaches have focused on addressing local isolated muscle activity. Recently, however, there has been a progressive move towards viewing the scapula as being part of a wider system of movement that is regulated and controlled by multiple factors, including the wider kinetic chain and individual patient-centred requirements. We therefore propose a paradigm shift whereby scapular dyskinesia is seen not in isolation but is considered within the broader context of patient-centred care and an entire neuromuscular system.
Visualizing inequality: How graphical emphasis shapes public opinion
Authors: Hughes Adam G.
Published: December 2015

Graphical representations of political issues and economic trends are an increasingly popular means of conveying information to the public. However, graphs have the potential to shape public opinion by visually emphasizing or downplaying the information they convey. I randomly assign subjects to view graphs that represent the same underlying information but that differ in relative emphasis: one is consistent with a textual account of rising inequality, while the other de-emphasizes the same information by increasing the scale of the Y-axis. My results indicate that graphical frames provide powerful contextual cues: for Republicans and conservatives, exposure to the de-emphasizing graph results in a 40% decrease in expressed support for intervention against inequality relative to Republicans and conservatives in the control condition, despite the fact that both groups read the same textual information. My findings reveal how an increasingly important and unexamined form of political communication affects public opinion, also suggesting promising avenues for future research.
Nosocomial feline calicivirus-associated virulent systemic disease in a veterinary emergency and critical care unit in France
Authors: Deschamps Jack-Yves , Topie Emmanuel , Roux Françoise
Published: December 2015

Case series summary

In October 2011, an abnormally large morbidity and mortality event was noted in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a veterinary school hospital in Nantes, France. Cats, and cats only, transferred from the emergency room presented with fever, ulcers on the tongue and cutaneous lesions around venepuncture or surgical incision sites, leading to suspicion of a feline calicivirus-associated virulent systemic disease confirmed with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. A total of 14 cats were suspected. The clinical features and the origin of the contamination were described for each cat. The median length of incubation was 4.5 days. Fifty-seven percent of the cats were euthanased (8/14) and 21% died (3/14), with a combined mortality of 79% (11/14) – the highest ever reported. Median survival was 12 days. The recovery rate was 21% (3/14).

Relevance and novel information

Eight outbreaks have been reported, in veterinary clinics or in group-housed cats. The main unusual aspects of the present outbreak were: (1) the extreme flare-up of lesions at sites of skin breach, precluding any puncture/incision; (2) the suggested better survival rate at home than in hospital; and (3) the immediate control of the outbreak after recognition of the disease. Other striking but less unusual features of this outbreak were: (4) the increasing of the virulence of the calicivirus with the passage of time; and (5) the primary role that the caregivers’ hands played in the spread of the outbreak.
How I treat extramedullary myeloma
Authors: Touzeau Cyrille , Moreau Philippe
Published: December 2015

Extramedullary myeloma (EMM) is defined by the presence of plasma cells (PCs) outside the bone marrow in a patient with multiple myeloma (MM). Using sensitive imaging techniques including magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography/computed tomography, EMM may be found in up to 30% of MM patients across the overall disease course. The molecular mechanisms underlying the hematogenous spread of PCs outside the bone marrow are only partially known and involve hypoxia and an altered expression of adhesion molecules. Extramedullary disease is associated with adverse prognostic factors (ie, high lactate dehydrogenase level, 17p deletion, and high-risk gene expression profile). The prognosis of EMM is poor, and the median overall survival of patients who experience an extramedullary relapse is <6 months. The adverse prognosis is less pronounced in patients with bone-related plasmacytomas than in those with hematogenous EMM. EMM patients should be considered as having high-risk myeloma and treated accordingly. However, EMM clinical situations are extraordinarily heterogeneous, and their management is particularly challenging. In the present review, a case-and-comment format is used to describe our approach to the management of EMM.
Sensitivity of C-Tb: a novel RD-1-specific skin test for the diagnosis of tuberculosis infection
Authors: Hoff Soren T. , Peter Jonathan G. , Theron Grant , Pascoe Mellissa , Tingskov Pernille N. , Aggerbeck Henrik , Kolbus Daniel , Ruhwald Morten , Andersen Peter , Dheda Keertan
Published: December 2015

C-Tb, a novelMycobacterium tuberculosisand 6-kDa early secretory antigenic target/10-kDa culture filtrate protein (ESAT-6/CFP-10)-specific skin test, has high specificity in bacille Calmette–Guerin-vaccinated healthy controls. However, the sensitivity of C-Tb has hitherto not been determined. The objective was to determine the sensitivity of C-Tb in patients with active tuberculosis (TB) in comparison with the tuberculin skin test (TST) and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT).

C-Tb and TST were randomly administered in a double-blinded fashion to one or the other forearm in 253 patients with active TB with or without HIV co-infection. QFT-GIT testing was performed prior to skin testing.

Using a receiver operating characteristic curve-derived cut-point of 5 mm, C-Tb sensitivity was similar to QFT-GIT (73.9 (95% CI 67.8–79.3)versus75.1 (95% CI 69.3–80.2)), and similar in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected patients (76.7 (95% CI 69.0–83.3)versus69.5 (95% CI 59.2–78.5)). However, sensitivity was significantly diminished in HIV-infected patients with CD4 counts <100 cells·mm–3. C-Tb and QFT-GIT combined had significantly higher sensitivity than C-Tb alone (p<0.0001). C-Tb was safe with no significant adverse events. The 5 mm cut-point corresponded to that found in the previously published specificity study (TESEC-04).

C-Tb has similar sensitivity compared with QFT-GIT for the diagnosis ofM. tuberculosisinfection. Sensitivity was reduced only in HIV-infected patients with severe immunosuppression. Further studies in different settings are required to validate the proposed 5 mm cut-point.
Phylogenomic analyses reveal a molecular signature linked to subterranean adaptation in rodents
Authors: Du Kang , Yang Liandong , He Shunping
Published: December 2015

Background

Genome-wide signatures of convergent evolution are widely expected but rarely revealed in animals. Subterranean rodent genome and transcriptome data produced by next-generation sequencing facilitate the use of phylogenetic methods to infer non-synonymous and synonymous substitution rates within coding regions, which can reveal changes at the molecular level that are correlated with the dramatic shift from a terrestrial to subterranean habitat.

Results

Our study used previously sequenced genome or transcriptome data of two subterranean rodents, the blind mole rat and naked mole rat, and their terrestrial relatives, the mouse and guinea pig, to investigate the genetic basis of rodent subterranean adaptation. An analysis of 4996 orthologous genes revealed that the substitution pace of coding sequences was significantly slower in the blind mole rat than in the mouse, and slower in the naked mole rat than in the guinea pig. The dN/dS ratio was significantly higher in the blind mole rat than in the mouse and in the naked mole rat than in the guinea pig. These patterns are most likely related to the longer generation time and lower effective population size of subterranean rodents caused by subterranean ecological constraints. We also identified some genes and gene ontology (GO) categories that might be candidates for adaptation to subterranean life.

Conclusions

Our study reveals a case of subterranean convergent evolution in rodents that is correlated with change in the pace and mode of molecular evolution observed at the genome scale. We believe that this genomic signature could have also evolved in other cases of subterranean convergence. Additionally, the genes that displayed the most radical changes in their patterns of evolution and their associated GO categories provide a strong basis for further comparative and functional studies, and potentially reveal molecular signatures of adaptation to subterranean life.
High-frequency use of corrections, health, and social services, and association with mental illness and substance use
Authors: Somers Julian M. , Rezansoff Stefanie N. , Moniruzzaman Akm , Zabarauckas Carmen
Published: December 2015

Background

A subgroup of individuals becomes entrenched in a “revolving door” involving corrections, health, and social welfare services. Little research has investigated the numbers of people that are in frequent contact with multiple public agencies, the costs associated with these encounters, or the characteristics of the people concerned. The present study used linked administrative data to examine offenders who were also very frequent users of health and social services. We investigated the magnitude and distribution of costs attributable to different categories of service for those in the top 10 % of sentences to either community or custodial settings. We hypothesized that the members of these subgroups would be significantly more likely to have substance use and other mental disorders than other members of the offender population.

Methods

Data were linked across agencies responsible for services to the entire population of British Columbia spanning justice, health, and income assistance. Individuals were eligible for inclusion in the study if they were sentenced at least once in the Vancouver Provincial Court between 2003 and 2012. We examined the subset of participants who fell within the top 10 % of sentences and at least two of the following service categories: community physician services; hospital days; pharmaceutical costs; or income assistance between 2007 and 2012. We examined two groups of offenders separately (those in the top ten percent sentenced to community supervision or to custody) due to differences in time at risk and availability to receive community-based services.

Results

From more than 14,000 offenders sentenced in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, very High Frequency service users associated with community (n = 216) and custody (n = 107) sentences incurred average attributable public service costs of $168,000 and $247,000 respectively over a 5-year period of observation. Health-related costs for both groups were over $80,000 per person, primarily associated with hospital admissions. Across both groups, 99 % had been diagnosed with at least one mental disorder and over 80 % had co-occurring substance use and another mental disorder.

Conclusions

A subset of offenders with concurrent psychiatric disorders receives extremely high levels of service from health, social welfare, and justice sectors in close temporal succession. Members of this subpopulation require targeted supports in order to produce positive outcomes and prevent the perpetuation of a costly and ineffective revolving door.
Tibialis anterior analysis from functional and architectural perspective during isometric foot dorsiflexion: a cross‐sectional study of repeated measures
Authors: Ruiz Muñoz Maria , González‐Sánchez Manuel , Cuesta‐Vargas Antonio I.
Published: December 2015

Background

The purpose of the present study is to establish the relationship and degree of contribution between torque and sonomiography variables (pennation angle – muscle thickness), and electromyography variables (EMGAreaUnderCurve – EMGMaximalPeak) of the tibialis anterior muscle during (TA) maximal and relative isometric foot dorsiflexion (IFD). Secondary aim: To determine the measurement's reliability.

Methods

Cross‐sectional study. 31 participants (15 men; 16 women) performed IFD at different intensities (100, 75, 50, and 25 %) of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) (three times for each intensity). Outcome variables: To determine the torque, pennation angle, muscle thickness, EMGMaximalPeak, and EMGAreaUnderCurve. Statistical analysis: In order to test the measurement's reliability, Cronbach's alpha and standard error of the measurement were determined. An inferential analysis was carried out using Pearson correlations(r). For each contraction intensity, a multiple regression analysis was performed, where the dependent variable was torque and the independent variables were EMGAreaUnderCurve, EMGMaximalPeak, muscle thickness and pennation angle.

Results

All outcome variables show excellent reliability. The highest correlation value was 0.955 (thickness 100 % – thickness 25 %). R2 values ranged from 0.713 (100 % MVC) to 0.588 (25 % MVC).

Conclusion

The outcome variables demonstrated excellent reliability in terms of measuring IFD at different intensities. The correlations between all outcome variables were moderate‐to‐strong. TA functional and architectural variables have a significant impact on the torque variance during IFD at different intensities.
Regionally-derived cell populations and skeletal stem cells from human foetal femora exhibit specific osteochondral and multi-lineage differentiation capacity in vitro and ex vivo
Authors: Gothard David , Cheung Kelvin , Kanczler Janos M. , Wilson David I. , Oreffo Richard O. C.
Published: December 2015

Background

Adult skeletal stem cells (SSCs) often exhibit limited in vitro expansion with undesirable phenotypic changes and loss of differentiation capacity. Foetal tissues offer an alternative cell source, providing SSCs which exhibit desirable differentiation capacity over prolonged periods, ideal for extensive in vitro and ex vivo investigation of fundamental bone biology and skeletal development.

Methods

We have examined the derivation of distinct cell populations from human foetal femora. Regionally isolated populations including epiphyseal and diaphyseal cells were carefully dissected. Expression of the SSC marker Stro-1 was also found in human foetal femora over a range of developmental stages and subsequently utilised for immuno-selection.

Results

Regional populations exhibited chondrogenic (epiphyseal) and osteogenic (diaphyseal) phenotypes following in vitro and ex vivo characterisation and molecular analysis, indicative of native SSC maturation during skeletal development. However, each population exhibited potential for induced multi-lineage differentiation towards bone (bone nodule formation), cartilage (proteoglycan and mucopolysaccharide deposition) and fat (lipid deposition), suggesting the presence of a shared stem cell sub-population. This shared sub-population may be comprised of Stro-1+ cells, which were later identified and immuno-selected from whole foetal femora exhibiting multi-lineage differentiation capacity in vitro and ex vivo.

Conclusions

Distinct populations were isolated from human foetal femora expressing osteochondral differentiation capacity. Stro-1 immuno-selected SSCs were isolated from whole femora expressing desirable multi-lineage differentiation capacity over prolonged in vitro expansion, superior to their adult-derived counterparts, providing a valuable cell source with which to study bone biology and skeletal development.
Pope and Rapture
Authors: Erickson Robert A.
Published: December 2015

The essay examines Pope's entire poetic career under the aspect of rapture, in all its many connotations and contexts. Though Pope's early amatory poems and his later satire are usually considered in isolation from each other, this essay explores their common preoccupation with the formal erotic, affective, and spiritual experience of rapture and thus demonstrates their dynamic interconnectedness. The result is a new account of Pope's poetic career, and a new assessment of the relationships between writing and life. Pope came to concentrate on writing satire in the last third of his life, but he was also a translator, a textual scholar, a prodigious letter writer, and in the first major phase of his career, a love poet depicting young women in love, such as Sapho, Eloise, the Unfortunate Lady, and Belinda, often focusing on erotic rapture and death. From about 1728 until his death in 1744, he no longer wrote this kind of poetry, but instead turned his creative energies toward passionate social and political satire, fashioning a poetic persona of the satirist as powerful, wide-ranging, virtually sacred raptor. Hence, Pope's poetic career moves in a direction from portraying passive subjects, usually young women under the influence of erotic rapture, to exercising his own poetic power of depicting the active force of rapture as satiric predation. The transition from poet of rapturous, death-haunted female love to poet of avenging satirical rapture coincided significantly with his involvement with, and rejection by, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu sometime in the 1720s. Though Pope is largely remembered for his satire, this essay takes a more holistic view of Pope's life and work, drawing attention to the ways that his translation, scholarship, and especially love poetry contributed directly to his satiric practice later in life. This essay not only brings Pope's biography to bear on his poetic artistry, but also unites what has often been seen as disparate parts of Pope's career by seeing him first and foremost as a poet of rapture.
Healthcare Engineering Defined: A White Paper
Authors: Chyu Ming-Chien , Austin Tony , Calisir Fethi , Chanjaplammootil Samuel , Davis Mark J. , Favela Jesus , Gan Heng , Gefen Amit , Haddas Ram , Hahn-Goldberg Shoshana , Hornero Roberto , Huang Yu-Li , Jensen Øystein , Jiang Zhongwei , Katsanis J.S. , Lee Jeong-A , Lewis Gladius , Lovell Nigel H. , Luebbers Heinz-Theo , Morales George G. , Matis Timothy , Matthews Judith T. , Mazur Lukasz , Ng Eddie Yin-Kwee , Oommen K.J. , Ormand Kevin , Rohde Tarald , Sánchez-Morillo Daniel , Sanz-Calcedo Justo García , Sawan Mohamad , Shen Chwan-Li , Shieh Jiann-Shing , Su Chao-Ton , Sun Lilly , Sun Mingui , Sun Yi , Tewolde Senay N. , Williams Eric A. , Yan Chongjun , Zhang Jiajie , Zhang Yuan-Ting
Published: December 2015

Engineering has been playing an important role in serving and advancing healthcare. The term “Healthcare Engineering” has been used by professional societies, universities, scientific authors, and the healthcare industry for decades. However, the definition of “Healthcare Engineering” remains ambiguous. The purpose of this position paper is to present a definition of Healthcare Engineering as an academic discipline, an area of research, a field of specialty, and a profession. Healthcare Engineering is defined in terms of what it is, who performs it, where it is performed, and how it is performed, including its purpose, scope, topics, synergy, education/training, contributions, and prospects.
Predicting Neck Fluid Accumulation While Supine
Authors: Vena Daniel , Taati Babak , Yadollahi Azadeh
Published: December 2015

When lying supine, fluid shifts rostrally from the legs and accumulates in the neck, which is a risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea. The objective of this study was to model neck fluid accumulation using one‐time baseline measurements of body fluid, demographics, and anthropometrics. Using bioelectrical impedance, leg and neck fluid volumes (LFV and NFV) were measured continuously and simultaneously. Thirty non‐obese adults (13 men) stood quietly for 5 minutes, and then lay supine for 90 minutes while fluid volumes were measured. Neck circumference (NC) was measured before and after the supine period. Results demonstrated that, compared to women, men experienced a greater increase in NC after lying supine. Furthermore, baseline LFV at the onset of lying supine was significantly correlated with ΔLFV (r = 0.44, p = 0.014) and ΔNC (r = 0.51, p = 0.008) after 90 minutes supine. The findings identify that sex and baseline LFV predict both the fluid leaving the legs and increase in NC during recumbency.
Development of a General Component-Based Connection Element for Structural Fire Engineering Analysis
Authors: Dong Gang , Burgess Ian , Davison Buick , Sun Ruirui
Published: December 2015

This paper reports on the development of a general-purpose Eurocode-compliant component-based connection finite element for steel-to-steel joints in fire. The development begins by utilising the temperature-dependent connection component characteristics previously developed at the University of Sheffield to create a component-based connection finite element to model flush endplate connections. Subsequently the element was extended to a new connection type with high ductility, the reverse channel. The component models have been developed for the reverse channel under tension and compression. The element has been incorporated into the nonlinear global structural analysis program Vulcan, in which it has been used along with a static-dynamic formulation. The use of the element is illustrated by modelling a fire test at the University of Manchester in which reverse channel connections were used.
Balcony Effect on the External Fire Spread into Upper Floors
Authors: Morgado Humberto J. L. , Rodrigues João P. C.
Published: December 2015

This paper presents the results of an investigation on the balcony effect of the fire spread, via external windows, into upper floors. Several natural fire tests were carried out in a compartment that intended to represent a small office and the fire development inside and its spread to the upper floors was analysed. They were tested three configurations of balcony above the exterior window of the compartment; no balcony, a balcony of the same width of the window and a balcony one meter wider for each side of the window. These natural fire tests were also numerically simulated with the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) software and analytically simulated with the simplified calculation methods of annex A and B of EN1991-1.2. The results of the experimental, numerical and analytical tests were compared with each other. The constructive solution for limiting fire spread into upper floors that proved to be more effective was the one with the balcony one meter wider than the window.
Getting to the core of cadherin complex function in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Hardin Jeff
Published: December 2015

The classic cadherin-catenin complex (CCC) mediates cell-cell adhesion in metazoans. Although substantial insights have been gained by studying the CCC in vertebrate tissue culture, analyzing requirements for and regulation of the CCC in vertebrates remains challenging.Caenorhabditis elegansis a powerful system for connecting the molecular details of CCC function with functional requirements in a living organism. Recent data, using an “angstroms to embryos” approach, have elucidated functions for key residues, conserved across all metazoans, that mediate cadherin/β-catenin binding. Other recent work reveals a novel, potentially ancestral, role for theC. elegansp120ctn homologue in regulating polarization of blastomeres in the early embryo via Cdc42 and the partitioning-defective (PAR)/atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) complex. Finally, recent work suggests that the CCC is trafficked to the cell surface via the clathrin adaptor protein complex 1 (AP-1) in surprising ways. These studies continue to underscore the value ofC. elegansas a model system for identifying conserved molecular mechanisms involving the CCC.
The ELIXIR channel in F1000Research
Authors: Blomberg Niklas , Oliveira Arlindo , Mons Barend , Persson Bengt , Jonassen Inge
Published: December 2015

ELIXIR, the European life science infrastructure for biological information, is a unique initiative to consolidate Europe’s national centres, services, and core bioinformatics resources into a single, coordinated infrastructure. ELIXIR brings together Europe’s major life-science data archives and connects these with national bioinformatics infrastructures  - the ELIXIR Nodes. This editorial introduces the ELIXIR channel in F1000Research; the aim of the channel is to collect and present ELIXIR’s scientific and operational output, engage with the broad life science community and encourage discussion on proposed infrastructure solutions. Submissions will be assessed by the ELIXIR channel Editorial Board to ensure they are relevant to ELIXIR community, and subjected to F1000Research open peer review process.
Pick it up: a look at referential devices in Estonian child-directed speech
Authors: Vihman Virve-Anneli
Published: December 2015

This paper compares the forms of expression of core verbal arguments in Estonian child-directed speech (CDS) with those in Estonian speech between adults (ADS). The data, consisting of nearly 600 utterances, is taken from a mother speaking to her two-year-old child, and two adult women speaking to each other. The analysis confirms the observation that one-on-one conversation with toddlers includes a reduced number of declarative sentences (43% vs. 62.5% in the ADS sample), in favor of imperatives and interrogatives. Leaving out the unexpressed subjects of imperatives, we find that CDS contains 20% more overt arguments than ADS, and in the object argument role, nearly 30% more. Avoidance of ellipsis and a preference for lexical (rather than pronominal) noun phrases characterises the CDS in our sample; the data analysed support the principles of Preferred Argument Structure, aligning grammatical role, morphosyntactic form and pragmatic prominence, with some peculiarities accounting for the specific character of mother-child interaction.
Third person pronoun forms in Estonian in the light of centering theory
Authors: Hint Helen
Published: December 2015

This paper explains the distinctions between the Estonian 3rd person overt pronoun and the zero person marker in spoken narratives. As both forms express the most salient entities in discourse, the saliency criterion cannot distinguish them. The Centering Theory is used to explore if the overt pronoun and zero have different effects on discourse coherence, i.e. whether there is a difference between transition types relating to zero and those signaling the overt pronoun. Additionally, factors such as grammatical role, case and clause type affecting the choice of pronominal forms are studied to supplement results from the Centering analysis. It is hypothesized that the use of the zero form connects to the CONTINUE transition, while the overt pronoun combines with other Centering- based transition types as well. Furthermore, results show that the zero form is more restricted in its usage contexts and signals mainly nominative subjects in main clauses, while the overt form can appear more widely in different linguistic environments.
Americanization of Russian Geometric Education and Descriptive Geometry
Authors: Сальков  , Sal'kov Nikolay
Published: December 2015

70 years ago, the bloodiest of wars had ended. Literally,

the next day the USA started the ruthless Cold war against the

USSR. Goal – to destroy the USSR as political and military enemy.

Ironically, it was the Russian Empire (and the Soviet Union

– its successor) that first in the world recognized the USA as an

independent state. In 1991, the goal was achieved. Russia considered

the cold war over, and the USA a partner in all matters. In

vain. It is no secret the CIA felt home in Russian governmental

buildings. It is no secret that Department of State advisers sat in

every Russian Ministry. Unsurprisingly, imposed reforms have led

to destruction of industry, agriculture, and medicine. The country

was flooded with imports, and Russia has lost the basic security of

state.

Obviously, the same benefactors from the CIA forced the Ministry

of Education and Science to adopt the surrogate instead of the

Soviet system of education. Moreover, the well-wishers perfectly

knew that this surrogate was of very low quality. Introduction of

the American system of education instead of the Soviet one is the

manifestation of the cold war.

Artificial confrontation of computer graphics vs. descriptive

geometry arose. Enforced antagonism resulted in elimination of

teaching descriptive geometry in many areas. Known: computers

and computer graphics come from the USA. Note that geometry

experts do not oppose to the use of computer graphics. More obscure

is the position of some of our partners, when they advocate destruction

of science in favor of a drawing instrument. In this mortal

combat of geeks, the author sees a manifestation of the same cold

war that the United States maintains with Russia. Deduction: it is

so because computer graphics took all its geometric methods of

constructing from descriptive geometry.

Minimal program of overcoming this geometric crisis in higher

education is provided.
Responsible Sourcing in Supply Chains
Authors: Guo Ruixue , Lee Hau L. , Swinney Robert
Published: December 2015

We analyze the sourcing decision of a buyer choosing between two supplier types: responsible suppliers are costly but adhere to strict social and environmental responsibility standards, whereas risky suppliers are less expensive but may experience responsibility violations. A segment of the consumer population, called socially conscious, is willing to pay a higher price for a product sourced from a responsible supplier and may not purchase in the event of a responsibility violation from a risky supplier. We identify four possible sourcing strategies that a buyer might employ: low cost sourcing (sourcing from the risky supplier), dual sourcing, responsible niche sourcing (sourcing from a responsible supplier and selling only to socially conscious consumers), and responsible mass market sourcing (sourcing responsibly and selling to all consumers). We determine when each strategy is optimal and show that efforts to improve supply chain responsibility that focus on consumers (by increasing their willingness to pay for responsibility or increasing the number of consumers that are socially conscious) or increasing supply chain transparency may lead to unintended consequences, such as an increase in risky sourcing. Efforts that focus on enforcement and penalizing the buyer, however, never backfire and always lead to more responsible sourcing and less risky sourcing.

This paper was accepted by Yossi Aviv, operations management.
An Intraorganizational Ecology of Individual Attainment
Authors: Liu Christopher C. , Srivastava Sameer B. , Stuart Toby E.
Published: December 2015

This paper extends niche theory to develop an intraorganizational conceptualization of the niche that is grounded in the activities of organizational members. We construe niches as positions in a mapping of individuals to formal and informal activities within organizations. We posit that positional characteristics in this activity-based system are critical determinants of members’ access to information and relationships—two of the vital resources for advancement in organizations. Because activities are difficult to observe, we propose a novel empirical strategy to depict niches: we exploit a census of memberships in electronic mailing lists. We assess three niche dimensions—competitive crowding, status, and diversity—and show that these attributes affect the allocation of rewards to employees. Propositions are tested in two empirical settings: an information services firm and the R&D division of a biopharmaceutical company. Results indicate that people in competitively crowded niches had lower levels of attainment, whereas those in high status and diverse niches enjoyed higher attainment levels. We conclude with a discussion of email distribution lists as a tool for organizational research.
Between positive representation and camp performance: Three films from the Swedish lesbian and gay liberation movement
Authors: Ryberg Ingrid
Published: December 2015

This article discusses three unique films emanating from the lesbian and gay liberation movement in Sweden in the 1970s: Bögjävlar/Damned Queers, directed by a group of gay men who lived communally in Stockholm; Kvinnan i ditt liv är du/‘The Woman in Your Life Is You’, directed by Lesbisk Front/Lesbian Front, also based in Stockholm; and Eva & Maria, directed by three women in Göteborg. Based on archival research and interviews, I discuss how the three films’ different production and reception histories offer insight into the relationship between Swedish politics around sexuality and LGBTQ issues. These largely unknown films are crucial examples of self-presentation. They offer salient critiques of the ways that homosexuality was viewed and represented in 1970s Sweden. Formally, they range from parody to realism. By shedding light on these films, the article problematizes the standardized narrative of Swedish sexual freedom and progressiveness.
Female desire, Puzzy Power and women-directed Scandinavian sex films
Authors: Shriver-Rice Meryl
Published: December 2015

Sweden and Denmark have a history of explicit cinema. In the later 1990s Lars von Trier’s Zentropa became the first mainstream film company to produce female audience-centred explicit movies under the ‘Puzzy Power Manifesto’. Following Puzzy Power, Scandinavian women directors continue to avoid male-centred perspectives while probing the boundaries of explicit imagery that remains empowering for women.
Using Digital 3D Scanning to Create “Artifictions” of the Passenger Pigeon and Harelip Sucker, Two Extinct Species in Eastern North America: The Future Examines the Past
Authors: Manzano Bruce L. , Means Bernard K. , Begley Christopher T. , Zechini Mariana
Published: December 2015

The Virtual Curation Laboratory at Virginia Commonwealth University created 3D representations of digital morphological models, termed “artifictions,” of several bone elements from two extinct animals, the passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius Linnaeus Columbidae) and the harelip sucker (Moxostoma lacerum Jordan and Brayton Catostomidae). Procuring recent comparative reference skeletons these species is extremely difficult. The creation of artifictions, 3D printed replicas of skeletal remains, aims to help researchers become familiar with the bones of harelip sucker and passenger pigeon to facilitate morphological identification of remains of these species within archaeological assemblages. Here, we discuss the two species, the techniques used to create digital topological models of individual skeletal elements, and the obstacles encountered regarding 3D printed artifictions in zooarchaeology.
Begho: Life and Times
Authors: Posnansky Merrick
Published: December 2015

Begho was the largest town in the interior of what became the Gold Coast when the Portuguese arrived in 1471. Excavations were conducted from 1970 to 1979. Radiocarbon dates, tobacco pipe and ceramic sequencing, and imports provide its chronology. The town consisted of at least six quarters of which two were associated with the local Brong. There were two Kramo quarters, occupied by Mande-speaking Muslims. Iron was obtained locally and smelted some four kilometers from the town at Dapaa. Brass-working was undertaken at the Dwinfuor (artisans’ quarter). Ethnoarchaeological research conducted between 1970 and 1998 provided historical interpretations for the archaeological material. Cloth production was substantiated from numerous spindle whorls and dye pits; the ritual nature of the Brong chieftaincy was suggested from decorated ivory trumpets and the discovery of a shrine room with inverted offering cups. The presence of weights of stone, terracotta, and beads attested to the importance of the gold trade.
Kapitalistische Geister in der Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaft
Authors: Manske Alexandra
Published: December 2015

Künstlerisch-kreative Arbeit wird auf politischer Ebene gern als moderne und zeitgemäße Arbeits- und Wirtschaftsform beansprucht. Die Wissenschaft hingegen schreibt ihr vielfach eine paradigmatische Kulturbedeutung im neuen Kapitalismus zu. Doch sind Kreative überhaupt eine geeignete soziale Gruppe, um solche weitreichenden Schlüsse zu ziehen? Diese Studie betrachtet die bisher kaum untersuchten Arbeitsverhältnisse in der Modedesign- sowie in der Kommunikationsbranche und geht der Frage nach, ob sich die kapitalistischen Geister nicht eher in den sozialen Kämpfen der Akteure zeigen: im Spannungsfeld von künstlerischem Drang und wirtschaftlichem Zwang.
Mittlersubjekte der Migration
Authors: Querfurt Andrea
Published: December 2015

Was macht Menschen zu »Migranten«? Und: Wie machen sie sich selbst und andere dazu? Andrea Querfurts Praxeographie der Selbst-Bildung von Integrationslotsen zeigt, wie diese als Mittler zwischen Einheimischen und Migranten das Migrant-Sein in dynamischen Beziehungsgeflechten erlernen und immer wieder neu verkörpern müssen. Dabei werden konkrete Orte zu Begegnungsräumen der Migration gemacht, in denen sich ein migrantisches Subjekt inszenieren muss - und kann. In den Fokus rückt damit nicht nur die symbolische wie lokale Situiertheit von Subjektivierungsprozessen, sondern ebenso das spannungsvolle Wechselspiel zwischen einer notwendigen Selbstgestaltung und einer Gestaltung des Sozialen.
Initial experience with imaging of the lower extremity arteries in an open 1.0 Tesla MRI system using the triggered angiography non-contrast-enhanced sequence (TRANCE) compared to digital subtraction angiography (DSA)
Authors: Suttmeyer Britta , Teichgräber Ulf , Rathke Hendrik , Albrecht Liane , Güttler Felix , Schnackenburg Bernhard , Hamm Bernd , de Bucourt Maximilian
Published: December 2015

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and validity of arterial lower limb imaging with triggered angiography non-contrast enhanced (TRANCE) in an open MRI at 1.0 Tesla (T) compared to digital subtraction angiography (DSA).

Material and methods:

ECG-gated, non-contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) was performed in a 1.0-T high-field open magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system which generates a vertical magnetic field. Three acquisition levels were defined (abdominal and pelvic level, arterial segments above the knee and segments below the knee) and a total of 1782 vessel diameter measurements were taken on a total of 11 patients with suspected peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) (8 men, 3 women; average age 66 years). In each patient, 162 vessel segments (81 each with TRANCE and DSA) were defined and measured. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated.

Results:

At the abdominal/pelvic level, all mean values measured with DSA exceeded the mean values obtained with TRANCE. Above the knee, mean vessel diameters were measured smaller in DSA in six, equal in three, and larger in two vessel segments. Below the knee, all measured averages, except for the tibiofibular tract (TFT) measurements, were larger in TRANCE. In total, two small (≤0.3), two moderate (>0.3), 11 good (>0.5), 10 high (>0.7) and 13 very high (>0.8) correlations were obtained.

Conclusions:

Non-contrast-enhanced imaging of the lower limb arteries using a TRANCE-sequence in a 1.0 T open MRI system is feasible with the protocol presented; however, TRANCE tends to underestimate larger vessels and overestimate smaller vessels compared to DSA.
Adhesion and proliferation of cells and bacteria on microchip with different surfaces microstructures
Authors: Zhou Yi , Xiao Yu , Qiu Yulei , Yuan Huipin , van Blitterswijk Clemens A. , Zhou Xuedong , Xu Xiaoming , Bao Chongyun
Published: December 2015

Surface microstructure of implant materials is an essential factor for soft tissue healing around the implant. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of different microchip surface microstructures on the adhesion and proliferation of cells and bacteria. Hydroxyapatite (HA) microchips with different microstructures (linear, decussate, circular and triangular) and their polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) replica chips were prepared. Myoblast cells (C2C12),
Comparison of Freelite™ and N Latex serum free light chain assays in subjects with end stage kidney disease on haemodialysis
Authors: Kennard Alice , Hawley Carmel , Tate Jill , Klingberg Sandra , Pretorius Carel , Hutchison Colin , Mollee Peter
Published: December 2015

Quantification of serum free light chains (FLC) is important in the diagnosis of plasma cell diseases where an abnormal kappa:lambda ratio infers a population of monoclonal plasma cells. The Freelite™ and N Latex assays have been validated in populations without kidney disease but there is a paucity of data relating to the use of these assays in end stage kidney disease (ESKD). The aim of the study was to compare FLC assay performance in ESKD patients on haemodialysis.

Cross-sectional multi-centre study comparing the performance of the two assays on 112 haemodialysis patients without known paraproteinaemia. We quantified FLC pre- and post-dialysis using both the N Latex and the Freelite assays.

FLC levels were elevated by both assays. Lambda FLC levels were considerably higher by the N Latex assay. Using the proposed renal reference range for Freelite (0.37–3.1) all but one patient had normal kappa:lambda FLC ratios. In contrast, there were no abnormal FLC ratios pre-dialysis using the N Latex assay. This was due to lambda FLC reading significantly higher by the N Latex assay. Kappa and lambda FLC levels decreased with dialysis but remained elevated above the normal range. The excess of lambda FLC by N Latex persisted post-dialysis but was somewhat attenuated. Dialysis adequacy and dialysis modality predicted clearance of kappa and lambda FLC by both assays.

The N Latex assay reported significantly higher pre-dialysis lambda FLC concentrations compared with the Freelite assays. Clinicians should be aware of the need for a separate renal reference range for interpreting FLC ratio using the Freelite assay but not for the N Latex assay in ESKD patients.
Effect of intravaginal dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on the female sexual function in postmenopausal women: ERC-230 open-label study
Authors: Bouchard Céline , Labrie Fernand , Derogatis Leonard , Girard Ginette , Ayotte Normand , Gallagher John , Cusan Leonello , Archer David F. , Portman David , Lavoie Lyne , Beauregard Adam , Côté Isabelle , Martel Céline , Vaillancourt Mario , Balser John , Moyneur Erick , other participating Members of the VVA Prasterone Group
Published: December 2015

Objective: Intravaginal DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone, prasterone), the exclusive precursor of androgens and estrogens in postmenopausal women, has previously been shown to improve all the domains of sexual function by a strictly local action in the vagina. The well recognized female sexual function index (FSFI) questionnaire was used in the present study.

Design: The long-term effect of 52-week treatment with daily intravaginal 0.50% (6.5 mg) DHEA was evaluated on the various domains of female sexual function using the FSFI questionnaire at baseline, Week 26 and Week 52.

Subjects: One hundred and fifty-four postmenopausal women with at least one mild to severe symptom of vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) and who have completed the FSFI questionnaire at baseline and at least one post-baseline timepoint were included in the analysis.

Results: The FSFI domains desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain were increased by 28%, 49%, 115%, 51%, 41% and 108%, respectively (p<0.0001 for all parameters) at 52 weeks vs. baseline, while the total score was increased from 13.4±0.62 at baseline to 21.5±0.82 (+60%, p<0.0001) at 52 weeks.

Conclusion: As the serum levels of DHEA and all its metabolites, including estradiol and testosterone, show no meaningful change, the present clinical data indicate a stimulatory effect of intravaginal DHEA through a strictly local action in agreement with the preclinical data showing that the androgens made locally from DHEA in the vagina induce an increase in local nerve density.
Use of hydroxyprogesterone caproate to prevent preterm labour in uterine didelphys: a case report
Authors: Ng Keat Sim , Ng Beng Kwang , Lim Pei Shan , Shafiee Mohd Nasir , Abdul Karim Abdul Kadir , Omar Mohd Hashim
Published: December 2015

Congenital uterine anomalies have been associated with poor reproductive outcome, which include recurrent miscarriage, abruptio placenta, intra-uterine growth restriction and preterm delivery. Here, we report a case: 36 years old, G3P2, known case of uterine didelphys, with history of preterm birth, who successfully carried her pregnancy till term with weekly intramuscular injection of 250 mg hydroxyprogesterone caproate (®Proluton Depot, Zuellig Pharma).
Trees Outside Forest In Poland
Authors: Zajączkowski Jacek , Zajączkowski Kazimierz
Published: December 2015

Increasing environmental threats to agricultural production and the stability of ecosystems have been observed on the Polish lowlands since the 1970s. Several hundred million trees and shrubs have been planted on farmland, mostly along roads and with the involvement of public agencies, with a view to timber being produced, and soil erosion and the water deficit mitigated. On the basis of over 50 years of practical observations and scientific experiments, recommendations have been drawn up as regards the structural and spatial features of new tree planting outside forests that maximize environmental, production-related and social benefits. This paper gives a brief description of the history of the active establishment of woody vegetation across agricultural landscapes in Poland, along with best practices elaborated for this at several scientific centres.