bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of tourniquet number and exsanguination on amikacin concentrations in the radiocarpal and distal interphalangeal joints after low volume intravenous regional limb perfusion in horses
Authors: Schoonover Mike J. , Moser Darla K. , Young Jenna M. , Payton Mark E. , Holbrook Todd C.
Published: May 2017

Objective

To determine the influence of a dual tourniquet technique and limb exsanguination on amikacin concentrations in the synovial fluid of the radiocarpal joint (RCJ) and distal interphalangeal joint (DIPJ) after low volume, cephalic intravenous regional limb perfusion (IVRLP).

Study design

Randomized cross‐over design.

Animals

Six healthy adult horses.

Methods

One gram of amikacin in 6 mL of 0.9% NaCl was infused via cephalic IVRLP in 6 standing, sedated horses using 4 techniques: proximal pneumatic tourniquet (P), proximal pneumatic tourniquet with exsanguination (PE), proximal pneumatic and distal Esmarch tourniquet (PD), and proximal pneumatic with distal Esmarch tourniquet and exsanguination (PDE). Amikacin concentrations were measured in RCJ and DIPJ synovial fluid samples, collected just before perfusion (time 0), and at 15 and 30 minutes (before tourniquet release) after perfusion.

Results

Synovial fluid amikacin concentrations achieved in the RCJ were higher with techniques PD and PDE than those achieved with techniques P and PE 15 and 30 minutes after perfusion (P < .0001). Synovial fluid amikacin concentrations in the DIPJ were higher with techniques P and PE than those achieved with techniques PD and PDE at 15 minutes (P = .0002) and were higher than technique PDE at 30 minutes after perfusion (P < .0001).

Conclusion

Low volume (10 mL) cephalic IVRLP should be combined with the placement of 2 tourniquets (proximal and distal to the carpus) to achieve therapeutic amikacin concentrations in the RCJ. Exsanguination prior to low volume IVRLP does not alter synovial fluid amikacin concentrations.
Laparoscopic evaluation of the small intestine in the standing horse: Technique and effects*
Authors: Jones Andrew R. E. , Ragle Claude A. , Anderson Dusty , Scott Coryelle
Published: May 2017

Objective

To evaluate the feasibility and clinical outcomes after laparoscopic evaluation of the small intestines via laparoscopy.

Study Design

Prospective pilot study.

Animals

Healthy adult horses (n = 5).

Methods

Horses were restrained in standing stocks and received an infusion of detomidine. One port was placed in the left last intercostal space and 3 ports were placed in the right paralumbar fossa. The small intestine was run with atraumatic laparoscopic grasping forceps, from the duodenocolic plica to the ileocecal plica. Postoperative pain was scored every 4 hours for the first 48 hours. Horses were monitored via physical examinations for 2 weeks. Second look laparoscopy was repeated at 2 weeks, to run the small intestine and assess iatrogenic changes. An exploratory celiotomy was performed in 2 horses, 2 months later and long‐term follow‐up was recorded in 3 horses.

Results

Laparoscopic evaluation of the entire small intestine was successfully completed twice in every horse. This evaluation lasted 39 ± 21.2 minutes (mean ± SD), while total surgery time was 73 ± 34.1 minutes. Postoperative physical examinations remained normal in all horses, and pain scores were scored as mild. The only abnormalities at second look laparoscopy consisted of multifocal petechiae and ecchymoses in all horses, resolved by 2 months in the 2 horses explored via celiotomy. Three horses with long‐term follow‐up were healthy 8 months after the study.

Conclusion

Running the small intestine laparoscopically is a feasible procedure in standing normal horses, and does not cause significant discomfort nor complications.
Shaved margin histopathology and imprint cytology for assessment of excision in canine mast cell tumors and soft tissue sarcomas
Authors: Milovancev Milan , Townsend Kaitlin L. , Gorman Elena , Bracha Shay , Curran Katie , Russell Duncan S.
Published: May 2017

Objective

To determine the feasibility and agreement of margin assessment by imprint cytology, shaved margin histopathology, and radial section histopathology in canine cutaneous and subcutaneous mast cell tumors (MCT) and soft tissue sarcomas (STS).

Study design

Prospective clinical study.

Sample population

Three hundred and forty margins from 72 excised tumors (52 MCT and 20 STS) in 54 client‐owned dogs.

Methods

Imprint cytology samples were acquired by pressing glass slides to the cut surgical margin of the freshly excised surgical specimen. Shaved margin samples were obtained from the patient wound bed using a scalpel immediately prior to closure. Radial section histopathology was performed as part of routine histopathologic processing. All margins were assessed as either positive or negative for presence of tumor cells at the surgical margin. Agreement among methods was calculated using Fleiss Kappa coefficients and an association of method, margin direction, and tumor type with positive margin status was evaluated using a general linear mixed model.

Results

Positive margin detection rates differed for MCT (imprint cytology 21%, radial section histopathology 9%, and shaved margin histopathology 3%;P < .0001) but not for STS. Intermethod agreement was poor (Fleiss Kappa = 0.051 and 0.176 for MCT and STS, respectively). Margin direction did not influence margin status for either tumor type.

Conclusion

Imprint cytology and shaved margin histopathology are feasible, but their results are frequently disparate from routine radial section histopathology. Future studies are needed to evaluate the correlation of each method with local recurrence rates.
Author's Note, Acknowledgements
Authors: -- --
Published: May 2017

Fritz Hochewälder
Introduction: The Good and Evil Within
Authors: -- --
Published: May 2017

Fritz Hochwälder
2. Fear and Flight from Responsibility
Authors: -- --
Published: May 2017

Fritz Hochwälder
4. Bowing to a Higher Authority
Authors: -- --
Published: May 2017

Fritz Hochwällder
6. Vergangenheitsbewältigung: The Legacy of the Past
Authors: -- --
Published: May 2017

Fritz Hochwälder
8. Conclusion: "Ein Kern in der Frucht"
Authors: -- --
Published: May 2017

Fritz Hochwälder
1. Self-Interest in a Hostile World
Authors: -- --
Published: May 2017

Fritz Hocchwälder
Molecular processes in an electrochemical clozapine sensor
Authors: Winkler Thomas E. , Lederer Sarah L. , Kim Eunkyoung , Ben-Yoav Hadar , Kelly Deanna L. , Payne Gregory F. , Ghodssi Reza
Published: May 2017

Selectivity presents a crucial challenge in direct electrochemical sensing. One example is schizophrenia treatment monitoring of the redox-active antipsychotic clozapine. To accurately assess efficacy, differentiation from its metabolite norclozapine—similar in structure and redox potential—is critical. Here, the authors leverage biomaterials integration to study, and effect changes in, diffusion and electron transfer kinetics of these compounds. Specifically, the authors employ a catechol-modified chitosan film, which the authors have previously presented as the first electrochemical detection mechanism capable of quantifying clozapine directly in clinical serum. A key finding in our present work is differing dynamics between clozapine and norclozapine once the authors interface the electrodes with chitosan-based biomaterial films. These additional dimensions of redox information can thus enable selective sensing of largely analogous small molecules.
Positive Effects of Augmented Feedback to Reduce Time on Ground in Well-Trained Runners
Authors: Gilgen-Ammann Rahel , Wyss Thomas , Troesch Severin , Heyer Louis , Taube Wolfgang
Published: May 2017

Context:Successful elite sprint to long-distance runners are known to have shorter ground-contact time (GCT) than their less successful counterparts.Purpose:To investigate whether augmented feedback (aF) about GCT can reduce the time on ground (TOG) per minute in long-distance runners and, if so, whether this reduction improves running performance.Methods:Thirty well-trained runners were allocated to 3 groups. The intervention group (IG) received visual aF about their GCT during 8 high-intensity interval sessions in the 4-wk training period and were instructed to minimize GCT. The 1st control group (CG1) trained with the IG but was not given any feedback. The 2nd control group (CG2) followed their own training routine. Data were obtained pre- and postintervention for all 3 groups. The dependent variable was TOG per minute, computed from step frequency and GCT.Results:The IG significantly reduced TOG (P = .043, −1.7%, 90%CL −3.1;−0.3) and improved their mean 10 × 400-m performance time (P < .001, −1.5%, 90%CL −1.9;−1.1). In contrast, the 2 control groups revealed unchanged values, indicating that normal high-intensity training and an individualized routine without aF were not able to reduce TOG. The fact that CG1 received the same instructions and participated in the same training sessions as the IG underlined that aF was crucial to reduce TOG.Conclusions:The provision of aF about GCT seems to be a promising approach that should be considered during training practice of well-trained runners.
Is There an Optimal Speed for Economical Running?
Authors: Black Matthew I. , Handsaker Joseph C. , Allen Sam J. , Forrester Stephanie E. , Folland Jonathan P.
Published: May 2017

The influence of running speed and sex on running economy is unclear and may have been confounded by measurements of oxygen cost that do not account for known differences in substrate metabolism, across a limited range of speeds, and differences in performance standard. Therefore, this study assessed the energy cost of running over a wide range of speeds in high-level and recreational runners to investigate the effect of speed (in absolute and relative terms) and sex (men vs women of equivalent performance standard) on running economy. To determine the energy cost (kcal · kg−1 · km−1) of submaximal running, speed at lactate turn point (sLTP), and maximal rate of oxygen uptake, 92 healthy runners (high-level men, n = 14; high-level women, n = 10; recreational men, n = 35; recreational women, n = 33) completed a discontinuous incremental treadmill test. There were no sex-specific differences in the energy cost of running for the recreational or high-level runners when compared at absolute or relative running speeds (P > .05). The absolute and relative speed–energy cost relationships for the high-level runners demonstrated a curvilinear U shape with a nadir reflecting the most economical speed at 13 km/h or 70% sLTP. The high-level runners were more economical than the recreational runners at all absolute and relative running speeds (P < .05). These findings demonstrate that there is an optimal speed for economical running, there is no sex-specific difference, and high-level endurance runners exhibit better running economy than recreational endurance runners.
Injury Patterns, Physiological Profile, and Performance in University Rugby Union
Authors: Ball Shane , Halaki Mark , Sharp Tristan , Orr Rhonda
Published: May 2017

Context: Rugby union is a physically demanding collision sport with high injury rates. There is a common perception that higher training loads result in greater injury risk in field-based sports. Objectives: To determine injury, anthropometric, and physical-performance characteristics in junior rugby union players and investigate the interaction between training load and injury across a competitive season. Design: Prospective cohort study. Methods: Fifty-one players (age 19.2 ± 0.7 y) from an under-20 university rugby union team (forwards, n = 27; backs, n = 24) participated in a study conducted over a competition season. Training load, injury characteristics, anthropometry, physiological performance, and match time-loss injury incidence were observed. Results: Backs had significantly lower body mass (ES [95% CI] = 1.6 [0.9, 2.2]), skinfold thickness (ES = 1.1 [0.5, 1.7]), strength (squat ES = 0.6 [0.0, 1.2], deadlift ES = 0.6 [0.0, 1.1], bench press ES = 0.9 [0.4, 1.5]), lower-body power (ES = 0.4 [−0.2, 1.0]), and higher maximal aerobic capacity (ES = −0.3 [−0.8, 0.3]) than forwards. Match injury incidence was 107.3 injuries/1000 player hours (forwards 91.4/1000, backs 125.5/1000) during preseason and 110.7 injuries/1000 player hours (forwards 124.1/1000, backs 95.2/1000) during in-season. Forwards showed higher incidence of joint and ligament (P = .049) and upper-limb (P = .011) injuries than backs. No significant relationship between overall training load and match injury incidence was found. However, lower match injury incidence was associated with higher weekly training volume in backs (P = .007). Conclusions: Positional differences in body composition, performance, injury characteristics, and match injury patterns were identified in junior university rugby union players, indicating the need for position-specific training programs to reduce risk of injury.
Exogenous Policy Shock and Logic Centrality Shift: NBA Policy and NCAA Outcomes
Authors: Juravich Matthew , Mills Brian M.
Published: May 2017

This study integrates the literature on organizational fields and logics of action with the sport management and economics literature by investigating the impact of an exogenous shock on talent distribution in the field of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 men’s basketball. We examine data related to human resource entry and exit through the lens of the National Basketball Association’s one-and-done rule and its subsequent impact on competitive balance among National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 men’s basketball programs. Hypotheses are tested in relation to pre- and postshock talent dispersion and competitive balance employing an interdisciplinary econometric approach to evaluate management-driven outcomes. Broadly, we find improvements in balance and a broader distribution of player talent among schools comprising larger conferences, whereas smaller conferences experienced reductions or no changes in balance. Implications are discussed and future directions for integrated institutional theory and sport management research are suggested.
Preservice Physical Education Teachers’ Service Learning Experiences Related to Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programming
Authors: Webster Collin A. , Nesbitt Danielle , Lee Heesu , Egan Cate
Published: May 2017

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to examine preservice physical education teachers’ (PPET) service learning experiences planning and implementing course assignments aligned with comprehensive school physical activity program (CSPAP) recommendations.

Methods:

Based on service learning principles, PPETs (N = 18) enrolled in a physical education methods class planned, implemented, and reflected on physical activity promotion events before, during, and after school for youth, staff, and parents. Data sources included focus group interviews, written reflections, field notes, and artifacts. Constant comparison techniques and triangulation guided data analysis and interpretation to identify overarching themes describing the PPETs’ successes, challenges, and lessons learned.

Results:

Four themes were identified: (a) outcomes with youth, parents, and staff, (b) communication, (c) planning and preparation, and (d) priorities and possibilities.

Discussion/Conclusion:

This study provides insight into the feasibility and outcomes of CSPAP-related service learning for PPETs, and uncovers promising aspects as well as potential issues with CSPAP implementation.
To See or Not to See: Talent Identification in the Swedish Football Association
Authors: Lund Stefan , Söderström Tor
Published: May 2017

The purpose of this article is to explore whether context and coaching cultures influence coaches’ practical experience and their unarticulated and embodied knowledge, and thus their different ways of seeing and defining talent. Using a cultural sociological perspective, we challenge the commonly held assumption that talent identification is, or can be made into, a rational and objective process. Our interpretations and analyses are based upon interviews with 15 soccer coaches in four districts within the Swedish Football Association’s talent organization program. The results imply that coaches’ talent identification is guided by what feels “right in the heart and stomach”; but what feels right is greatly influenced by their experience of previous identifications, interpretations of what elite soccer entails, and the coaching culture in which they find themselves.
Goffman, Identity and Organizational Control: Elite Sports Academies and Social Theory
Authors: Parker Andrew , Manley Andrew
Published: May 2017

Traineeship within English professional football (soccer) has attracted much attention in recent years yet few studies have explored in any real depth the everyday workings of trainee footballing lives. This paper features the findings of two small-scale qualitative studies of football traineeship both of which were carried out at high profile English professional football clubs, one in 1993–94, the other in 2010–11. The paper uncovers the nuances of trainee experience in line with a series of theoretical assertions surrounding organizational discipline and control. It concludes by suggesting that while debate surrounding the design and delivery of traineeship within professional football has intensified over the past two decades, little appears to have changed with respect to the fundamental dynamics of organizational regimen.
Engaging Acrimony: Performing Lakota Basketball in South Dakota
Authors: Klein Alan
Published: May 2017

The Oglala Lakota basketball teams of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation are one of the most competitive programs in the state of South Dakota. They are, however, competing for state honors in one of the most racist climates in the country. My ethnographic study looks at how the Lakota navigate these perilous waters. Using Turner’s view of performance; and Scott’s theories of cultural resistance, I have characterized Lakota basketball as ‘engaged acrimony.’ Teams representing subaltern communities may use sport to carve out spheres of resistance that force those socially more power communities to grudgingly acknowledge the momentary reversal of the social order. Additionally, in these symbolic victories the Lakota craft narratives of victory that fuel cultural pride and further their resolve to withstand the racist climate they live in.
Chronic probiotic supplementation with or without glutamine does not influence the eHsp72 response to a multi-day ultra-endurance exercise event
Authors: Marshall Hannah , Chrismas Bryna Catherine Rose , Suckling Craig Anthony , Roberts Justin D. , Foster Josh , Taylor Lee
Published: May 2017

Probiotic and glutamine supplementation increases tissue Hsp72, but their influence on extracellular Hsp72 (eHsp72) has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of chronic probiotic supplementation, with or without glutamine, on eHsp72 concentration before and after an ultramarathon. Thirty-two participants were split into 3 independent groups, where they ingested probiotic capsules (PRO; n = 11), probiotic + glutamine powder (PGLn; n = 10), or no supplementation (CON; n = 11), over a 12-week period prior to commencement of the Marathon des Sables (MDS). eHsp72 concentration in the plasma was measured at baseline, 7 days pre-race, 6–8 h post-race, and 7 days post-race. The MDS increased eHsp72 concentrations by 124% (F[1,3] = 22.716, p < 0.001), but there was no difference in the response between groups. Additionally, PRO or PGLn supplementation did not modify pre- or post-MDS eHsp72 concentrations compared with CON (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the MDS caused a substantial increase in eHsp72 concentration, indicating high levels of systemic stress. However, chronic PRO or PGLn supplementation did not affect eHsp72 compared with control pre- or post-MDS. Given the role of eHsp72 in immune activation, the commercially available supplements used in this study are unlikely to influence this cascade.
cAMP attenuates angiotensin-II-induced Egr-1 expression via PKA-dependent signaling pathway in vascular smooth muscle cells
Authors: Simo-Cheyou Estelle R. , Youreva Viktoria , Srivastava Ashok K.
Published: May 2017

cAMP has been shown to inhibit vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and exerts a vasculoprotective effect. An upregulation of the early growth response protein-1 (Egr-1) expression has been linked with the development of atherosclerosis and intimal hyperplasia. We have recently demonstrated that angiotensin-II (Ang-II) stimulates Egr-1 expression via Ca2+/ERK-mediated cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) activation. However, whether Ang-II-induced signaling leading to Egr-1 expression is modulated by cAMP remains unexplored. Therefore, in the present studies, we have examined the effect of cAMP on Ang-II-induced expression of Egr-1 and associated signaling pathways. Isoproterenol (ISO) and forskolin (FSK) attenuated Ang-II-induced Egr-1 expression in a dose-dependent fashion. In addition, dibutyryl-cAMP and benzoyl-cAMP, as well as isobutylmethylxanthine, attenuated Ang-II-induced Egr-1 expression. Moreover, inhibition of Ang-II-induced Egr-1 expression was accompanied by an increase in the phosphorylation of the vasodilator-activated phosphoprotein (VASP), and this was associated with a concomitant decrease in ERK phosphorylation. Blockade of PKA using H89 decreased VASP phosphorylation, restored Ang-II-induced ERK phosphorylation, and abolished ISO- and FSK-mediated inhibition of Ang-II-induced Egr-1 expression. In summary, these results suggest that PKA-mediated suppression of Ang-II-induced Egr-1 expression and phosphorylation of ERK may be among the mechanisms by which cAMP exerts its vasculoprotective effects.
Conformal (2 + 4)-braneworld
Authors: Gogberashvili Merab
Published: May 2017

The 6D brane model is considered, where matter is trapped on the surface of a (2+4)-hyperboloid, as is suggested by the geometrical structure behind the 4D conformal group. The effective dimension of the bulk spacetime for matter fields is five, with the extra space-like and time-like domains. Using the embedding theory, the presence of the familiar factorizable 5D brane metrics in both domains is shown. These metrics with exponential warp factors are able to provide with the additional reduction of the effective spacetime dimensions down to four. It is demonstrated that the extra (1+1)-space is not simply connected and there is a gap in the range of the extra coordinates. This can explain the stability of the model in the domain with the time-like effective fifth dimension and the appearance of the cosmological constant due to the tachyon condensation. It is found that the model exhibits orbifold symmetry and thus is free from the fermion chirality problem.
Possible very anharmonic one- and two-phonon γ-vibrational bands in 103Mo
Authors: Fryman-Sinkhorn H. , Wang E. H. , Zachary C. J. , Hamilton J. H. , Ramayya A. V. , Bhat G. H. , Sheikh J. A. , Ali R. N. , Wani A. A. , Dai A. C. , Liang W. Y. , Xu F. R. , Hwang J. K. , Brewer N. T. , Luo Y. X. , Rasmussen J. O. , Zhu S. J. , Ter-Akopian G. M. , Oganessian Yu. Ts.
Published: May 2017

High-spin levels of [Formula: see text]Mo have been reinvestigated by analyzing the high statistics [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text] coincidence data from the spontaneous fission of [Formula: see text]Cf taken with the Gammasphere detector array. Two bands and 30 new transitions have been identified. A potential energy surface calculation has been performed. The calculation confirmed the 3/2[Formula: see text][411] configuration of the ground state band and 5/2[Formula: see text][532] for the 346[Formula: see text]keV excited band, as assigned in the previous work. The two newly established bands were proposed to be one- and two-phonon [Formula: see text] vibrational bands coupling to the 5/2[Formula: see text][532] Nilsson orbital, respectively. Triaxial projected shell model calculations have been applied to explain the level structure and are found in good agreement with experimental data.
On the Switch Markov Chain for Perfect Matchings
Authors: Dyer Martin , Jerrum Mark , Müller Haiko
Published: May 2017

We study a simple Markov chain, the switch chain, on the set of all perfect matchings in a bipartite graph. This Markov chain was proposed by Diaconis, Graham and Holmes as a possible approach to a sampling problem arising in Statistics. We ask: for which hereditary classes of graphs is the Markov chain ergodic and for which is it rapidly mixing? We provide a precise answer to the ergodicity question and close bounds on the mixing question. We show for the first time that the mixing time of the switch chain is polynomial in the case of monotone graphs, a class that includes examples of interest in the statistical setting.
Proteasomal and Autophagic Degradation Systems
Authors: Dikic Ivan
Published: May 2017

Autophagy and the ubiquitin–proteasome system are the two major quality control pathways responsible for cellular homeostasis. As such, they provide protection against age-associated changes and a plethora of human diseases. Ubiquitination is utilized as a degradation signal by both systems, albeit in different ways, to mark cargoes for proteasomal and lysosomal degradation. Both systems intersect and communicate at multiple points to coordinate their actions in proteostasis and organelle homeostasis. This review summarizes molecular details of how proteasome and autophagy pathways are functionally interconnected in cells and indicates common principles and nodes of communication that can be therapeutically exploited.
High-Throughput Automation in Chemical Process Development
Authors: Selekman Joshua A. , Qiu Jun , Tran Kristy , Stevens Jason , Rosso Victor , Simmons Eric , Xiao Yi , Janey Jacob
Published: May 2017

High-throughput (HT) techniques built upon laboratory automation technology and coupled to statistical experimental design and parallel experimentation have enabled the acceleration of chemical process development across multiple industries. HT technologies are often applied to interrogate wide, often multidimensional experimental spaces to inform the design and optimization of any number of unit operations that chemical engineers use in process development. In this review, we outline the evolution of HT technology and provide a comprehensive overview of how HT automation is used throughout different industries, with a particular focus on chemical and pharmaceutical process development. In addition, we highlight the common strategies of how HT automation is incorporated into routine development activities to maximize its impact in various academic and industrial settings.
Agricultural Insurance and Economic Development
Authors: Cole Shawn A. , Xiong Wentao
Published: May 2017

This article provides a review of recent research on agricultural insurance (AI) in developing countries. Agricultural producers face a variety of significant risks; historically, only government-subsidized products have achieved widespread adoption. A recent contractual innovation, which links insurance payouts to realized weather rather than farmer indemnity, has spurred substantial research in the past decade. This review begins by describing the experience in developed economies and then turns to developing countries, covering the following topics: farmers' adoption of AI, how AI affects their decision to invest in risky assets, and the extent to which AI helps farmers smooth income and consumption. We conclude with suggestions for future research and practice related to AI in developing countries.
Certification Mechanisms for Credence Attributes of Foods: Does It Matter Who Provides Diagnosis?
Authors: Sheldon Ian M.
Published: May 2017

Credence goods markets are subject to failure because consumers are unable to punish fraudulent experts who diagnose and supply treatment, and they lack the technical expertise with which to verify the quality of treatment actually offered. The focus of research in agricultural economics has been almost entirely on how labeling and certification of food products that contain credence attributes resolve the lemons problem. This ignores the crucial role that firms, nongovernmental organizations, or government regulatory agencies, acting either independently or jointly as experts, play in the process of diagnosis and treatment in credence goods markets. This is important if experts fail to act in good faith through their diagnosis and treatment.
Granzyme B PET Imaging as a Predictive Biomarker of Immunotherapy Response
Authors: Larimer Benjamin M. , Wehrenberg-Klee Eric , Dubois Frank , Mehta Anila , Kalomeris Taylor , Flaherty Keith , Boland Genevieve , Mahmood Umar
Published: May 2017

While cancer immunotherapy can produce dramatic responses, only a minority of patients respond to treatment. Reliable response biomarkers are needed to identify responders, and conventional imaging modalities have not proved adequate. Here, we provide a preclinical proof of concept for the use of granzyme B, a downstream effector of tumoral cytotoxic T cells, as an early biomarker for tumors responding to immunotherapy. We designed novel PET imaging probes for the murine and human granzyme B isoforms that specifically and quantitatively bind granzyme B. Immunotherapy-treated mice were imaged prior to therapy-induced tumor volume reduction. Imaging distinguished treated responders from nonresponders with excellent predictive ability. To assess the clinical value of a granzyme B imaging paradigm, biopsy specimens from melanoma patients on checkpoint inhibitor therapy were analyzed. A marked differential in granzyme B expression was observed between treated responders and nonresponders. Additionally, our human probe was able to specifically detect granzyme B expression in human samples, providing a clear candidate for clinical application. Overall, our results suggest granzyme B PET imaging can serve as a quantitatively useful predictive biomarker for efficacious responses to cancer immunotherapy. Cancer Res; 77(9); 2318–27. ©2017 AACR.
Favorable Cardiovascular Health, Compression of Morbidity, and Healthcare Costs
Authors: Allen Norrina B. , Zhao Lihui , Liu Lei , Daviglus Martha , Liu Kiang , Fries James , Shih Ya-Chen Tina , Garside Daniel , Vu Thanh-Huyen , Stamler Jeremiah , Lloyd-Jones Donald M.
Published: May 2017

Background:

We examined the association of cardiovascular health at younger ages with the proportion of life lived free of morbidity, the cumulative burden of morbidity, and average healthcare costs at older ages.

Methods:

The CHA study (Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry) is a longitudinal cohort of employed men and women 18 to 74 years of age at baseline examination in 1967 to 1973. Baseline measurements included blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, body mass index, and smoking. Individuals were classified into 1 of 4 strata of cardiovascular health: favorable levels of all factors, 0 factors high but ≥1 elevated risk factors, 1 high risk factor, and ≥2 high risk factors. Linked Medicare and National Death Index data from 1984 to 2010 were used to determine morbidity in older age. An individual’s all-cause morbidity score and cardiovascular morbidity score were calculated from
International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision
codes for each year of follow-up.

Results:

We included 25 804 participants who became ≥65 years of age by 2010, representing 65% of all original CHA participants (43% female; 90% white; mean age, 44 years at baseline); 6% had favorable levels of all factors, 19% had ≥1 risk factors at elevated levels, 40% had 1 high risk factor, and 35% had ≥2 high risk factors. Favorable cardiovascular health at younger ages extended survival by almost 4 years and postponed the onset of all-cause and cardiovascular morbidity by 4.5 and 7 years, respectively, resulting in compression of morbidity in both absolute and relative terms. This translated to lower cumulative and annual healthcare costs for those in favorable cardiovascular health (
P
<0.001) during Medicare eligibility.

Conclusions:

Individuals in favorable cardiovascular health in early middle age live a longer, healthier life free of all types of morbidity. These findings provide strong support for prevention efforts earlier in life aimed at preserving cardiovascular health and reducing the burden of disease in older ages.
Enslavement and Freedom in Transition
Authors: Toledano Ehud R.
Published: May 2017

This article explores the transition from enslavement to post-emancipation realities in the Muslim-majority societies of the Middle East and North Africa during the last stage of empire and the first phase of nation-building. The main argument is that within enslavement, there were gradations of bondage and servitude, not merely a dichotomy between free and enslaved. The various social positions occupied by the enslaved are best understood as points on a continuum of social, economic, and cultural realities. In turn, these were reproduced after emancipation in the successor states that emerged following the demise of the Ottoman and Qajar empires, the Sharifian state in Morocco, and the various principalities of the Arab/Persian Gulf. Hence, post-emancipation did not create equal citizenship for all freed persons, but rather the inequality within enslavement transitioned into the post-imperial societies of the Middle East and North Africa.
Analyzing Freedom from the Shadows of Slavery
Authors: Christman John
Published: May 2017

Philosophical treatments of core value concepts often abstract from the troubled history and fractured present of the societies to which those concepts are meant to apply. In the case of the political tradition of liberal democratic thought, stretching from the social contract theories of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries up through contemporary writers, the notion of individual freedom or liberty is central. However, often that idea, and the assumption of its foundational value for persons, is specified from the perspective of those who enjoy it rather than those struggling to attain it. Moreover, the social spaces that theories of justice that locate freedom as a central value have continue to bracket out of existence the patterns of enslavement, oppression and domination that mark all social spaces. This article attempts a reappraisal of certain dominant understandings of the idea of freedom in both historical and contemporary philosophical discourse in light of this alteration of perspective. Specifically, the current practices of coercive labor, trafficking, irregular labor migration, and other forms of “marginal” social lives are brought into focus in order to guide this reappraisal. The article argues that if we assess these conditions as modes of unfreedom then we must utilize an account of freedom that diverges significantly from those dominant notions. A sketch of this alternative, positive, conception of freedom is then offered.
Legacies of Slavery and Popular Traditions of Freedom in Southern Senegal (1860–1960)
Authors: Bellagamba Alice
Published: May 2017

This study examines the historical linkages that developed between experiences of enslavement, the legacies of slavery, and ideas of freedom before and after abolition in the early twentieth century in an area of southern Senegal known today as the Kolda region. In the Fulfulde language, spoken by the majority of the population, there are several terms and expressions to talk about freedom. The first is ndimaaku, which people tend to equate with nobility and dignity. This is the freedom of the olden days of slavery, when the capacities and qualities of the male or female freeborn stood in stark contrast to those of the slave, and being free meant not having been a slave in the first place. The second term is heɓtaare, i.e., freedom in the sense of tranquility, economic well-being, and a general ease in life and social relations. The expression jeyaal-hoore mun conveys a sense of independence, self-mastery and autonomy, while heɓtugol hoore mun literally means to retrieve one’s head, the center of individual thought and capacity for independent action. Politically, heɓtugol hoore mun stands for the end of colonial rule and the achievement of national independence. Socially, it refers to the emancipation of subordinated groups, like the youth and women, and it describes slaves who freed themselves from their masters. Drawing from archival sources and oral history, this essay attempts to reconstruct the discursive reconfigurations of local ideas of freedom within the context of the political and social changes that affected the Kolda region in the late nineteenth century, the early colonial period, and the years before decolonization. Each historical period had its own actors, dynamics and complexities in which slavery and then legacies of slavery played a role in the definition of freedom and the entitlement of people to its benefits. As demonstrated here, however, liberation paved the way for other forms of subjugation.
A new genus of Silvaninae (Coleoptera: Silvanidae) with two new species from the Malay Peninsula
Authors: YOSHIDA TAKAHIRO , HIROWATARI TOSHIYA , HASHIM ROSLI
Published: May 2017

A new silvanid genus Dentirotacorimus gen. nov. is described based on specimens collected from Ulu Gombak (Malay Peninsula), Malaysia. Two new species, D. reticulatus sp. nov. and D. zigzag sp. nov., are described herein. A key to species of this genus and a table listing states of diagnostic characters of Corimus-like genera, including this new genus, are provided.
Some epibiont suctorian ciliates from meiofaunal organisms of Maldivian archipelago with description of a new ciliate species
Authors: ANSARI KAPULI GANI MOHAMED THAMEEMUL , GUIDI LORETTA , DOVGAL IGOR , BALSAMO MARIA , SEMPRUCCI FEDERICA
Published: May 2017

Five species of suctorian ciliates belonging to four different genera attached to meiofaunal organisms of Maldivian archipelago (Suvadiva Atoll) were documented. Three rare species (Acineta sp., Thecacineta urceolata Liao & Dovgal, 2015 and Limnoricus ceter Jankowski, 1981) and one common suctorian ciliate Thecacineta calix (Schröder, 1907) are re-described from nematodes (Croconema cinctum Cobb, 1920, Desmodorella tenuispiculum Allgén, 1928 and Desmodora sp.) and harpacticoid copepod basibionts. In addition, Trophogemma colantonii n. sp. colonizing the abdomen and legs of the harpacticoid copepod Stenhelia sp. is described. The new species differs from the relative species for the less flattened cell body, the absence of both lateral bundles of tentacles and separate lateral tentacles as well as for the presence of longitudinal ribs along the cuticle. The data obtained in this survey give not only new important information on the taxonomy and distribution of Suctorea, but also new insights on their relationship with meiofaunal organisms in one of the most diverse and productive marine micro-habitat of carbonate sediments.
On the Seasonal Cycles of Tropical Cyclone Potential Intensity
Authors: Gilford Daniel M. , Solomon Susan , Emanuel Kerry A.
Published: May 2017

Recent studies have investigated trends and interannual variability in the potential intensity (PI) of tropical cyclones (TCs), but relatively few have examined TC PI seasonality or its controlling factors. Potential intensity is a function of environmental conditions that influence thermodynamic atmosphere–ocean disequilibrium and the TC thermodynamic efficiency—primarily sea surface temperatures and the TC outflow temperatures—and therefore varies spatially across ocean basins with different ambient conditions. This study analyzes the seasonal cycles of TC PI in each main development region using reanalysis data from 1980 to 2013. TC outflow in the western North Pacific (WNP) region is found above the tropopause throughout the seasonal cycle. Consequently, WNP TC PI is strongly influenced by the seasonal cycle of lower-stratospheric temperatures, which act to damp its seasonal variability and thereby permit powerful TCs any time during the year. In contrast, the other main development regions (such as the North Atlantic) exhibit outflow levels in the troposphere through much of the year, except during their peak seasons. Mathematical decomposition of the TC PI metric shows that outflow temperatures damp WNP TC PI seasonality through thermodynamic efficiency by a quarter to a third, whereas disequilibrium between SSTs and the troposphere drives 72%–85% of the seasonal amplitude in the other ocean basins. Strong linkages between disequilibrium and TC PI seasonality in these basins result in thermodynamic support for powerful TCs only during their peak seasons. Decomposition also shows that the stratospheric influence on outflow temperatures in the WNP delays the peak month of TC PI by a month.
Sea Surface Scanner (S3): A Catamaran for High-Resolution Measurements of Biogeochemical Properties of the Sea Surface Microlayer
Authors: Ribas-Ribas Mariana , Hamizah Mustaffa Nur Ili , Rahlff Janina , Stolle Christian , Wurl Oliver
Published: May 2017

This paper describes a state-of-the-art research catamaran to investigate processes such as air–sea gas exchange, heat exchange, surface blooms, and photochemistry at the sea surface microlayer (SML) with high-resolution measurements of 0.1-Hz frequency. As the boundary layer between the ocean and the atmosphere, the SML covers 70% of Earth. The remote-controlled Sea Surface Scanner is based on a glass disk sampler to automate the sampling of the thin SML, overcoming the disadvantages of techniques such as low volume sampling and ex situ measurement of the SML. A suite of in situ sensors for seven biogeochemical parameters (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, chromophoric dissolved organic matter, chlorophyll-a, and photosynthetic efficiency) was implemented to characterize the SML in reference to the mixed bulk water. The Sea Surface Scanner has the capability to collect 24 discrete water samples with a volume of 1 L each for further laboratory analysis. Meteorological parameters such as wind speed influence SML properties and are continuously monitored. This paper reports the use of the Sea Surface Scanner to identify and study (i) upwelling regions and associated fronts, (ii) rain events, and (iii) the occurrence of surface blooms. The high patchiness of the SML was detected during the observed sea surface phenomena, and high-resolution mapping of the biogeochemical parameters of the oceanic boundary layer to the atmosphere are presented for the first time. The Sea Surface Scanner is a new technology to map and understand sea surface processes and, ultimately, to fill the gaps in knowledge about ocean–atmosphere interactions relevant to ocean and climate science.
The Effects of Father Figure Involvement on Educational Outcomes in Black Adolescents
Authors: Curtis Christopher A. , Grinnell-Davis Claudette , Alleyne-Green Binta
Published: May 2017

This study aims to extend the existing literature by examining the influence of father figures on educational success in Black adolescents. It was hypothesized that adolescents who live with a biological or nonbiological father figure, have a positive relationship, and communicate with them regularly will have more favorable educational outcomes in the form of higher grades, fewer school suspensions, and more positive beliefs about postsecondary education. The results of this study only partially support the hypothesis in that adolescents’ perceived closeness to father figures was not significantly related to any of the observed outcome variables. Still, findings did indicate that father figures play an influential role in the educational outcomes of their child. The results of this study provide some support for promoting the increased involvement of fathers and father figures in the educational development of their children regardless of their biological or residential status.
Early Adhesion of Candida albicans onto Dental Acrylic Surfaces
Authors: Aguayo S. , Marshall H. , Pratten J. , Bradshaw D. , Brown J.S. , Porter S.R. , Spratt D. , Bozec L.
Published: May 2017

Denture-associated stomatitis is a common candidal infection that may give rise to painful oral symptoms, as well as be a reservoir for infection at other sites of the body. As poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) remains the main material employed in the fabrication of dentures, the aim of this research was to evaluate the adhesion of Candida albicans cells onto PMMA surfaces by employing an atomic force microscopy (AFM) single-cell force spectroscopy (SCFS) technique. For experiments, tipless AFM cantilevers were functionalized with PMMA microspheres and probed against C. albicans cells immobilized onto biopolymer-coated substrates. Both a laboratory strain and a clinical isolate of C. albicans were used for SCFS experiments. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and AFM imaging of C. albicans confirmed the polymorphic behavior of both strains, which was dependent on growth culture conditions. AFM force-spectroscopy results showed that the adhesion of C. albicans to PMMA is morphology dependent, as hyphal tubes had increased adhesion compared with yeast cells ( P < 0.05). C. albicans budding mother cells were found to be nonadherent, which contrasts with the increased adhesion observed in the tube region. Comparison between strains demonstrated increased adhesion forces for a clinical isolate compared with the lab strain. The clinical isolate also had increased survival in blood and reduced sensitivity to complement opsonization, providing additional evidence of strain-dependent differences in Candida-host interactions that may affect virulence. In conclusion, PMMA-modified AFM probes have shown to be a reliable technique to characterize the adhesion of C. albicans to acrylic surfaces.
Evaluating Prospective Teachers: Testing the Predictive Validity of the edTPA
Authors: Goldhaber Dan , Cowan James , Theobald Roddy
Published: May 2017

We use longitudinal data from Washington State to provide estimates of the extent to which performance on the edTPA, a performance-based, subject-specific assessment of teacher candidates, is predictive of the likelihood of employment in the teacher workforce and value-added measures of teacher effectiveness. While edTPA scores are highly predictive of employment in the state’s public teaching workforce, evidence on the relationship between edTPA scores and teaching effectiveness is more mixed. Specifically, continuous edTPA scores are a significant predictor of student mathematics achievement in some specifications, but when we consider that the edTPA is a binary screen of teaching effectiveness (i.e., pass/fail), we find that passing the edTPA is significantly predictive of teacher effectiveness in reading but not in mathematics. We also find that Hispanic candidates in Washington were more than 3 times more likely to fail the edTPA after it became consequential in the state than non-Hispanic White candidates.
Sticky schools
Authors: Podolsky Anne , Kini Tara , Bishop Joseph , Darling-Hammond Linda
Published: May 2017

To ensure that schools enjoy a steady supply of competent and committed teachers, federal, state, and local policymakers should look to the extensive research literature in this area, focusing on five strategies in particular: strengthening teacher preparation, improving hiring practices, increasing compensation, providing support for new teachers, and improving working conditions (with particular attention to school leadership, professional collaboration and shared decision making, and resources for teaching and learning).
Putting paraeducators on the path to teacher certification
Authors: Morrison Judith , Lightner Lindsay
Published: May 2017

In response to local districts’ needs for certified teachers with community roots who understand local schools and students, the authors developed an innovative alternative route for paraprofessionals based on a traditional bachelor’s program. Their goals were to provide a rigorous, research-based program that allows paraprofessionals to get a university degree and, in the process, to get course credit for skills and knowledge gained on the job. This article describes both the challenges involved in developing the program and its successes.