bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Objectively Differentiating Movement Patterns between Elite and Novice Athletes
Authors: ROSS GWYNETH B. , DOWLING BRITTANY , TROJE NIKOLAUS F. , FISCHER STEVEN L. , GRAHAM RYAN B.
Published: February 2018

Introduction

Movement screens are frequently used to identify abnormal movement patterns that may increase risk of injury or hinder performance. Abnormal patterns are often detected visually based on the observations of a coach or clinician. Quantitative or data-driven methods can increase objectivity, remove issues related to interrater reliability and offer the potential to detect new and important features that may not be observable by the human eye. Applying principal component analysis (PCA) to whole-body motion data may provide an objective data-driven method to identify unique and statistically important movement patterns, an important first step to objectively characterize optimal patterns or identify abnormalities. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to determine if PCA could detect meaningful differences in athletes’ movement patterns when performing a non-sport-specific movement screen. As a proof of concept, athlete skill level was selected a priori as a factor likely to affect movement performance.

Methods

Motion capture data from 542 athletes performing seven dynamic screening movements (i.e., bird-dog, drop-jump, T-balance, step-down, L-hop, hop-down, and lunge) were analyzed. A PCA-based pattern recognition technique and a linear discriminant analysis with cross-validation were used to determine if skill level could be predicted objectively using whole-body motion data.

Results

Depending on the movement, the validated linear discriminant analysis models accurately classified 70.66% to 82.91% of athletes as either elite or novice.

Conclusions

We have provided proof that an objective data-driven method can detect meaningful movement pattern differences during a movement screening battery based on a binary classifier (i.e., skill level in this case). Improving this method can enhance screening, assessment, and rehabilitation in sport, ergonomics, and medicine.
A retrospective study on atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery at The National Heart Institute, Kuala Lumpur
Authors: Farouk Musa Ahmad , Quan Chou Zhao , Xin Low Zheng , Soni Trived , Dillon Jeswant , Hay Yuen Kah , Nordin Rusli Bin
Published: February 2018

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common after cardiac surgery and has been associated with poor outcome and increased resource utilization. The main objective of this study is to determine the incidence of POAF in Malaysia and identify the predictors of developing POAF. The secondary outcome of this study would be to investigate the difference in mortality and morbidity rates and the duration of intensive care unit (ICU), high dependency unit (HDU) and hospital stay between the two.

Methods: This is a retrospective single-center, cross sectional study conducted at the National Heart Institute, Malaysia. Medical records of 637 who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery in 2015 were accrued. Pre-operative, operative and post-operative information were subsequently collected on a pre-formulated data collection sheet. Data were then analyzed using IBM SPSS v23.

Results: The incidence of POAF in our study stands at 28.7% with a mean onset of 45±33 hours post operatively. Variables with independent association with POAF include advancing age, Indian population, history of chronic kidney disease, left ventricular ejection fraction and beta-blocker treatment. The mortality rate is significantly higher statistically (p < 0.05), and similarly the incidence of stroke. The incidence of other post-operative complications was also significantly higher statistically. The duration of ICU, HDU and hospital stays were statistically longer (p < 0.001) with higher rates of ICU readmissions and reintubations seen.

Conclusion: We conclude that the incidence of POAF in Malaysia is comparable to the figures in Western countries, making POAF one of the most commonly encountered condition after CABG with similar higher rates of mortality, poor outcomes and longer duration of stay, and therefore increased cost of care. Strategies to reduce the incidence of AF after cardiac surgery should favorably affect surgical outcomes and reduce utilization of resources and thus lower cost of care.
The stock markets of the States of America
Authors: Куракин Роман , Kurakin Roman
Published: February 2018

The presented monograph describes the basic institutions of exchange law of the States of America, analyzes the main regulatory acts that make up the exchange legislation of the States of America, considers the procedure of state regulation of the order of economic activity on the stock market in the States of America, describes the features of self-regulation of economic activity on the stock market in the States of America.
Staffing to Stabilize the Tail Probability of Delay in Service Systems with Time-Varying Demand
Authors: Liu Yunan
Published: February 2018

Analytic formulas are developed to set the time-dependent number of servers to stabilize the tail probability of customer waiting times for the Gt/GI/st + GI queueing model, which has a nonstationary non-Poisson arrival process (the Gt), nonexponential service times (the first GI), and allows customer abandonment according to a nonexponential patience distribution (the +GI). Specifically, for any delay target w > 0 and probability target α ∈ (0, 1), we determine appropriate staffing levels (the st) so that the time-varying probability that the waiting time exceeds a maximum acceptable value w is stabilized at α at all times. In addition, effective approximating formulas are provided for other important performance functions such as the probabilities of delay and abandonment, and the means of delay and queue length. Many-server heavy-traffic limit theorems in the efficiency-driven regime are developed to show that (i) the proposed staffing function achieves the goal asymptotically as the scale increases, and (ii) the proposed approximating formulas for other performance measures are asymptotically accurate as the scale increases. Extensive simulations show that both the staffing functions and the performance approximations are effective, even for smaller systems having an average of three servers.

The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/opre.2017.1678 .
Meek micrografting history, indications, technique, physiology and experience: a review article
Authors: Quintero Eduardo Camacho , Machado Jesús Francisco Escrivá , Robles Roger Andres Damian
Published: February 2018

Aims:

Traumatic loss of skin, particularly in major burns, requires skin grafting to repair the tissue. For a large burn, where donor sites are limited, the skin graft may need to be expanded. In addition, rapid wound closure is a large factor in successful recovery and is usually achieved by debridement and skin grafting. Micrografting was introduced by Meek and involved dividing the skin into small pieces, allowing for up to a tenfold skin expansion.

Methods:

We conducted a review of the literature, searched via Medline, Pubmed and Embase (from 1958 to June 2017), searching to identify studies and reports of micrografting. We searched using the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) ‘micrograft’, ‘micrograft technique’, ‘Meek’, ‘Meek technique’, ‘Parker Cicero’, ‘major burn treatment’ and ‘mesh skin graft’.

Results:

We analysed 24 articles in which the description and modifications presented by the micrograft technique were presented, along with evidence that supports or rejects its use. The consensus was for the use of micrografting in burns of >30% total body surface area (TBSA). On poor wound beds, the evaluation of re-epithelialisation had greater success due to low metabolic demands and greater skin coverage compared with control groups (p<0.005). Comparing the ‘mesh’ with ‘Meek’ group, the micrograft group had fewer surgeries (10 versus 19.75), shorter average length of hospital stay (51 days versus 120.5 days; p<0.05).

Conclusions:

Micrografting can be used where there is poor bed vascularity (such as in patients with diabetes), with higher success due to low metabolic demand. This is recommended for major burns, >30% TBSA, with inadequate donor sites and comorbidities, such as diabetes. However, disadvantages include a ‘polka dot’ appearance on healing and the fact the initial surgeries, creating the micrograft squares, are labour-intensive.
A histological analysis of chronic wounds treated with negative pressure wound therapy to aid healing: a case series
Authors: Almeida Jorge E. , Suárez Rodolfo , Gibson Elaine
Published: February 2018

Objective:

Our aim was to examine histopathological changes in three chronic wounds, and to assess whether the application of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) changes the wound bed environment.

Method:

-

Results:

We recruited three patients were recruited who had a non-healing wounds in excess of eight weeks. Histopathological changes in the wound bed supported the evidence that NPWT changes the wound bed environment by reducing inflammatory damage and facilitating wound bed perfusion with angiogenesis.

Conclusion:

We suggest that NPWT is a valuable adjunct to aid chronic wound healing. In this case series, we observed histopathological changes and improvement in the wounds, following one week's treatment with NPWT. Further analysis should be done to demonstrate any interaction between the cells involved in the wound healing process is enhanced, growth factor performance is optimised and cell migration is achieved following NPWT, in order to facilitate the healing process.
New insights into the biomechanics of Legg-Calvé-Perthes’ disease
Authors: Pinheiro M. , Dobson C. A. , Perry D. , Fagan M. J.
Published: February 2018

Objectives

Legg–Calvé–Perthes’ disease (LCP) is an idiopathic osteonecrosis of the femoral head that is most common in children between four and eight years old. The factors that lead to the onset of LCP are still unclear; however, it is believed that interruption of the blood supply to the developing epiphysis is an important factor in the development of the condition.

Methods

Finite element analysis modelling of the blood supply to the juvenile epiphysis was investigated to understand under which circumstances the blood vessels supplying the femoral epiphysis could become obstructed. The identification of these conditions is likely to be important in understanding the biomechanics of LCP.

Results

The results support the hypothesis that vascular obstruction to the epiphysis may arise when there is delayed ossification and when articular cartilage has reduced stiffness under compression.

Conclusion

The findings support the theory of vascular occlusion as being important in the pathophysiology of Perthes disease. Cite this article: M. Pinheiro, C. A. Dobson, D. Perry, M. J. Fagan. New insights into the biomechanics of Legg-Calvé-Perthes’ disease: The Role of Epiphyseal Skeletal Immaturity in Vascular Obstruction. Bone Joint Res 2018;7:148–156. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.72.BJR-2017-0191.R1.
Ruptures in reformation: Embodiment revealed
Authors: Hamilton Mark James
Published: February 2018

This article reflects on the author’s practice of three South Indian disciplines (Bharatanatyam, astanga yoga and kalaripayattu). Their distinct methodologies modulate the rhythm, direction and force of the doer’s actions to evolve particular virtuosities. This article, however, focuses on moments of rupture during the author’s intercultural hybridization. It examines these incidents of trauma as moments revealing the friction generated when hereditary and localized pedagogies meet the contemporary mobilities afforded by immigration, emigration and international travel. These incidents also suddenly expose the subtle and gradual processes of radical human reformation secreted in these powerful pedagogies. Jo Riley, in her study of Chinese theatre, describes training as an emptying and dissection of the performer’s body to be replaced by a ‘role’ body. This ‘opening’ process is called kaiguang, which means ‘opening to let the light shine out’. This article proposes that ruptures in processes of embodiment can strand the practitioner betwixt the primed pre-expressive self (or Eugenio Barba’s ‘fictive body’) and Riley’s role body (extended here to consider the performer’s social as well as dramatic function).
Animating the intercultural: Revisiting Peter Brook’s practice and the somatics of performance
Authors: Yarrow Ralph
Published: February 2018

My aim in this article is to frame Brook more clearly against historical parameters that affected the understanding and practice of theatre from the 1960s and to reassess to what extent his multiculturalism looks different from a twenty-first-century perspective. Brook’s work up to and beyond The Mahabharata occurs in the context of post-1960 developments and attitudes to science, spirituality, aesthetics and society. During the same period, there are major developments in stage languages and embodied practices. These dimensions manifest pragmatically as a specific set of adaptations of what performers do, of the nature of the relationship between performers and receivers, and of the understanding of the nature and function of theatre and performance. The article looks at Brook’s focus on the reception of his work and on what he conceived as the role of theatre in providing ‘extended’ experience; and at aspects of the practice of Brook and Barba with actors, which work around reduction and interruption and aim to put them in contact with the initial phases of production. It suggests that this work specifically targets the zone ‘beyond’ acculturation and habitus, verbal and physical. The article also revisits concerns, largely articulated by Rustom Bharucha, about the sociopolitical and economic parameters of Brook’s work in India.
Ethnic minorities’ media experiences: From the transnational to the local: The example of the populations of Maghrebi origin in France
Authors: Mattelart Tristan
Published: February 2018

The literature on the uses of media or new media by diasporas has become a crucial locus for examining the elaboration, in an era of globalization, of transnational identities. However, by doing this, this literature has tended to emphasize these populations’ transnational mediated connections to the detriment of other kinds of mediated interactions. While being symbols of these transnational connections, these populations have, in a way, in this literature on media and diasporas, ceased to be ordinary media users. In contrast with this kind of perspective, we conducted, in 2012, a qualitative study among 40 families of Maghrebi origin living in the Paris region, aiming at analysing their ordinary media and new media uses. While taking into account the transnational dimensions of their practices, we tried to do it without giving to these an over-emphasis that would have been detrimental to an understanding of their broader banal media and new media experiences. In this article, we explain how we conceived our research, both in theoretical and in empirical terms, before discussing some of its main results. While underlining the significance for our interviewees of their mediated transnational interactions, we stress the need for being cautious, when considering these, of not obscuring the importance of mediated interactions operating at other scales, which we describe here.
An exploratory look at the representations of identity and otherness in blogs written by women of the Portuguese diaspora in the United Kingdom
Authors: Wichels Susana
Published: February 2018

With this article we explore the effects of new technologies in dispersed communities, focusing on the identity construction process and the representation of otherness in the female blogosphere of Portuguese diaspora in the United Kingdom. The theoretical framework interlinks reflections on diaspora and migration issues, the concept of nation, imagined communities, national imaginary and fictional traditions, identity representations and otherness. The methodological approach includes quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis (WebCA) of blogs from the Portuguese diasporic community in England and takes as reference the research by Manuel Cunha (2009). I attempted to identify the marks of Portugueseness, otherness and identity peculiarities and have reached diametrically opposite conclusions compared with Cunha’s study. I did not find an excessive display of classic symbolic resources of Portuguese identity in the blogs of migrants or the idealization of Portugal; on the contrary, I found an open wound, strong critics about society, economic problems, unemployment and corruption of the Portuguese government. If in Cunha’s study Portugal appears to be the ‘promised land’, here the host land takes that place. The United Kingdom is mainly described as a haven of economic, cultural and social opportunities that were denied to the migrants in their country of origin. Although the fascination for the host land is dominant, I also detected speeches that reveal loneliness, non-identification and misunderstanding of some practices in the English society, and otherness towards the English, and other migrants. This study also reveals signs of hybridization between the host culture and the culture of origin in the migrant’s daily life and changes in the consumption of ethnic media. In addition, this work shows how blogging practices enable a true interaction between current and future migrants that goes beyond the cyberspace, turning into relations of friendship, altruism and support.
Revisiting the discourses of the ‘Clash’ for the study of culture in a Muslim television production
Authors: Abd Karim Nur Kareelawati Binti
Published: February 2018

This article examines the power dynamics that shape the production culture of the Islam Channel, a Muslim television based in London. A study of production culture is critical as it stands to support our understanding of how religious television programming comes to take the form it does. This article adopts the discourses of the ‘clash’ drawn from culturalist Samuel Huntington and reformist Edward Said’s theses to identify the power dynamics facing the Channel. The study employs an ethnographic research design that forms a two-layer analysis that includes the sociocultural environment that the Channel exists and its institutional context. While the first layer of the research design discusses the discourses of the ‘clash’ that exist in the western society, the latter examines the missionary (da’wah) goals of the Channel. The results of the analysis point to the extent to which the missionary (da’wah) goals of the Channel manifest the ‘clash’ that shape its production culture and the ‘clash’ between the western and Muslim cultures. The Channel’s endeavour to seclude itself from ‘a suspect community’ (e.g., fundamentalists and extremists) has nurtured the ‘culture of caution’ among members of the production community at the Islam Channel. Such a ‘culture of caution’ has impacted the production quality and working life of employees involved in the production of magazine talk show Living the Life (2012 – present).
DESENVOLVIMENTO DE REQUEIJÃO CREMOSO SEM LACTOSE
Authors: Dal Castel Andréia Paula , Endres Creciana Maria , De Freitas Andressa Barella , Rodrigues Vera Maria
Published: February 2018

A intolerância a lactose é o nome dado a uma disfunção do organismo que apresenta uma deficiência ou ausência da produção da enzima lactase (β-galactosidase), responsável pela conversão da lactose em glicose e galactose. É comum em todas as faixas etárias e etnias, sua principal consequência é a impossibilidade de ingestão de produtos contendo lactose, como leite e seus derivados. Antecipando-se a isso, a indústria alimentícia hidrolisa a lactose a fim de obter um produto compatível aos portadores dessa doença, sem comprometer as características já encontradas em produtos sem esse tratamento. Sendo assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver um requeijão cremoso sem lactose. Utilizou-se leite desnatado como matéria-prima e β-galactosidase em concentrações de 0,07%, 0,1% e 0,2%. O tempo de hidrólise foi de 90 minutos a um pH de 6,55 e temperatura de 40 ºC. A cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência demonstrou que o grau de hidrólise das formulações foi satisfatório. O produto desenvolvido adequou-se aos padrões estabelecidos pela legislação brasileira quanto aos limites microbiológicos e físico-químicos. A análise sensorial foi realizada com escala hedônica de 9 pontos com painel de 100 julgadores não treinados, não mostrando diferença estatística significativa entre amostras de requeijão sem lactose e tradicional. Sendo assim, a formulação contendo 0,07% de enzima β-galactosidase pode ser considerada um requeijão com baixo teor de lactose e é uma ótima alternativa para intolerantes, pois possui sabor e custo similar ao tradicional.
Uniwersytet czterech początków i wielu tradycji
Authors: Harc Lucyna
Published: February 2018

University of Four Beginnings and Many Traditions

Between 2002 and 2015, the University of Wrocław (Breslau) had organised celebrations commemorating the anniversary of 300 years, 500 years, 200 years, and 75 years of its existence and activities. This range of anniversaries is the results of this university’s complicated history and the fact that it was established and re-established four times: in 1505, 1702, 1811, and 1945. The origins of particular traditions and identities of the academic community with reference to one or more beginnings is a process one can trace from the second half of the 19th century until the present day.

Eine Universität mit vier Anfängen und mehreren Traditionen

Im Laufe von nur 13 Jahren, zwischen den Jahren 2002 und 2015, organisierte die Universität Wrocław (Breslau) nach und nach Feierlichkeiten zu ihrem dreihundertsten, fünfhundertsten, zweihundertsten und siebzigjährigen Bestehen und Wirken. Die Spannweite dieser Jubiläen resultiert aus ihrer komplizierten Geschichte und ihren insgesamt vier Anfängen: der erfolglosen Gründung von 1505, der Entstehung der Jesuitenuniversität Universitas Leopoldina im Jahre 1702, ihrem Zusammenschluss mit der Universität in Frankfurt/Oder 1811 und schließlich ihrer Umwandlung in eine polnische staatliche Hochschule einschließlich der Bestallung ihres Lehrkörpers zu einem großen Teil aus ehemaligen Mitarbeitern der Jan-Kazimir-Universität in Lwow (Lemberg) im Jahre 1945. Der Verweis auf die eigene Tradition datiert in Breslau (Wrocław) in das Jahr 1861, als erstmals breit angelegte Jubiläumsfeiern organisiert wurden. Die Identitätsbildung der akademischen Gemeinde der Alma mater von Breslau/ Wrocław unter Berufung auf einen oder mehrere Anfänge kann man das ganze 20. Jahrhundert über und in den ersten Jahren des 21. Jahrhunderts verfolgen. Die Erinnerung an eines der Gründungsdaten und ihr feierliches Begehen ergab sich in der Vergangenheit aus einer Reihe von Umständen, die oft politischen Charakters waren. Die im Abstand von mehreren Jahren zu Beginn dieses Jahrhunderts begangenen Jubiläumsfeierlichkeiten sollten die multikulturelle und komplizierte Tradition der Universität von Wrocław demonstrieren. Die Gründe für die einzelnen Jubiläumsfeiern wurden freilich nicht klar und deutlich genug erklärt, was den Prozess der Identitätsbildung der akademischen Gemeinde störte, die seit 2002 von ihrer dreihundertjährigen, sich aus den Universitätsanfängen im 18. Jahrhundert ergebenden Tradition überzeugt wurde. Für die Einwohner Polens und Wrocławs war die anschließende Kürzung der eigenen Geschichte zunächst um 100 und später um 230 Jahre unbegreiflich.
Neobvyklý příspěvek Nakladatelství Karolinum k výkladu paragrafů nového Občanského zákoníku
Authors: Čornejová Ivana
Published: February 2018

Book review
Jan Harasimowicz, 2. Księga pamiątkowa jubileuszu 200-lecia utworzenia Państwowego Uniwersytetu we Wrocławiu. Universitas litterarum Wratislaviensis 1811–1945
Authors: Pešek Jiří
Published: February 2018

Book review: Jan Harasimowicz, 2. Księga pamiątkowa jubileuszu 200-lecia utworzenia Państwowego Uniwersytetu we Wrocławiu. Universitas litterarum Wratislaviensis 1811–1945. Wrocław 2013, 694 s., ISBN 978-83-229-3331-2
Roman Baron, Ambasadorowie wzajemnego zrozumienia. Niedocenieni twórcy pomostów między polską i czeską kulturą (XIX–XXI w.)
Authors: Ďurčanský Marek
Published: February 2018

Book review: Roman Baron, Ambasadorowie wzajemnego zrozumienia. Niedocenieni twórcy pomostów między polską i czeską kulturą (XIX–XXI w.). Toruń, Historický ústav AV ČR – Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek 2013, 372 s., ISBN 978-83-7780-789-7; ISBN 978-80-7286-217-7
The Davies method revisited for heat kernel upper bounds of regular Dirichlet forms on metric measure spaces
Authors: Hu Jiaxin , Li Xuliang
Published: February 2018

We apply the Davies method to prove that for any regular Dirichlet form on a
metric measure space, an off-diagonal stable-like upper bound of the heat
kernel is equivalent to the conjunction of the on-diagonal upper bound, a
cutoff inequality on any two concentric balls, and the jump kernel upper
bound, for any walk dimension. If in addition the jump kernel vanishes, that
is, if the Dirichlet form is strongly local, we obtain a
sub-Gaussian upper bound. This gives a unified approach to obtaining heat
kernel upper bounds for both the non-local and the local Dirichlet forms.
Dose-dependent effects of vitamin 1,25(OH)2D3 on oxidative stress and apoptosis
Authors: Cakici Cagri , Yigitbasi Turkan , Ayla Sule , Karimkhani Hadi , Bayramoglu Feyza , Yigit Pakize , Kilic Ertugrul , Emekli Nesrin
Published: February 2018

Background

The purpose of this study is to examine the dose-dependent effects of vitamin 1,25(OH)2D3 on apoptosis and oxidative stress.

Methods

In this study, 50 male Balb/c mice were used as control and experiment groups. The mice were divided into 5 groups each consisting of 10 mice. Calcitriol was intraperitoneally administered as low dose, medium dose, medium-high dose and high dose vitamin D groups (at 0.5, 1, 5 and 10 μg/kg, respectively), for three times a week during 14 days. At the end of the study, annexin V was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method, and total antioxidant capacity and total oxidant status values were measured by colorimetric method in serum. Hematoxylin eosin staining was performed in liver tissues and periodic acid schiff staining was performed in kidney tissues.

Results

While comparing the results of medium-high dose (5 μg/kg) and high dose (10 μg/kg) vitamin D administration to that of the control group, it was observed that serum antioxidant status and annexin V levels decreased and glomerular mesenchial matrix ratio increased in kidney (p<0.05). In addition to these findings, in the group receiving high dose vitamin D (10 μg/kg), it was observed that the damage to the liver increased together with the the oxidative stress index values (p<0.05).

Conclusions

As a result, this study was the first in the literature to report that use of high-dose vitamin D (10 μg/kg) results in oxidant effect, rather than being an antioxidant, and causes severe histopathological toxicity in the liver and kidney.
The self as a source. A peasant farmer’s letters from prison (1848–1852)
Authors: Voeste Anja
Published: February 2018

Based on letters from prison written by a peasant farmer, this tentative, exemplar study tries to show the interconnection of two sides of the same historical process: the striving for linguistic ‘expression’ and the development of the modern self. The analysis shows that the letters’ author, J. H. Friedrich, succeeded in the creative act of expressing his psychological self on paper when the circumstances pushed him to do so. He communicated complex facts by using a rather elaborate syntax (while his writings also reveal misspellings and an erroneous morphosyntax). However, Friedrich did not archive his pragmatic aim of maintaining his much needed social bonds to his wife, family, and friends. The paper discusses the possibility that this might have been the case because his written style contrasted starkly with the oral communication of his former communities of practice. The study contributes to the third-wave approach in historical sociolinguistics (Conde-Silvestre, J. C. 2016, A ‘third-wave’ historical sociolinguistic approach to late Middle English correspondence: Evidence from the Stonor Letters. In Cinzia Russi (ed.),Current trends in historical sociolinguistics, 46–66. Warsaw & Berlin: de Gruyter) that seeks to present in detail that historical ‘speakers’ are anything but stable carriers of a given language variety but ‘tailor’ their own linguistic styles.
Crystal structure of diethyl 3,9-diphenyl-6,12-bis(3-methoxyphenyl)-3,9-diazahexacyclo[6.4.0.02,7.04,11.05,10]dodecane-1,11-dicarboxylate, C42H42N2O6
Authors: Zhu Hao , Guo Ying-Ying , Liu Shan , Li Yi-Fan , Lan Han-Yang , Zhuang Peng-Yu , Zhong Qi-Di
Published: February 2018

C42H42N2O6, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 6.9848(14) Å, b = 20.816(4) Å, c = 11.543(2) Å, β = 99.745(5)°, V = 1654.1(6) Å3, Z = 2, R
gt(F) = 0.0377, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1019, T = 113(2) K.
Characterization of polymer electrolytes by dielectric response using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
Authors: Chan Chin Han , Kammer Hans-Werner
Published: February 2018

Authors present a phenomenological view on dielectric relaxation in polymer electrolytes, which is monitored by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Molecular interaction of polymer chains with salt molecules (or dipole-dipole interaction between segments and salt molecules) leads to dipolar molecular entities. Frequency-dependant impedance spectra are the key quantities of the interest for determination of electric properties of materials and their interfaces with conducting electrodes. Salt concentration serves as parameter. Bulk and interfacial properties of the samples are discussed in terms of impedance (Z
*) and modulus (M
*) spectra. We focus on two different classes of systems, i.e. high molar mass of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)+lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) (i.e. the inorganic salt) and epoxidized natural rubber (ENR-25) with 25 mol% of epoxide content+LiClO4. Impedance spectra with salt content as parameter tell us that we have interaction between dipolar entities leading to dispersion of relaxation times. However, as scaling relations show, dispersion of relaxation times does not depend on salt content in the PEO system. The relaxation peak for the imaginary part of electric modulus (M″) provides information on long-range motion of dipoles. Summarizing the results from imaginary part of impedance spectrum (Z″), tan δ (imaginary/real of permittivities) and M″ for the two systems under the discussion, PEO behaves like a mixture of chains with dipoles. There are interactions between the dipoles, but they are relaxing individually. Therefore, we see PEO-salt system as a polymer electrolyte where only a tiny fraction of added salt molecules becomes electrically active in promoting conductance. However, ENR-25-salt system behaves just as a macroscopic dipole and it can not display electrode polarization or electric relaxation because there is no mobility of individual dipoles. Hence, ENR-25-salt does not form a polymer electrolyte in the classic sense.
Local Elections as a Sphere for Forming Citizens’ Political Identity
Authors: Turska-Kawa Agnieszka , Haček Miro
Published: February 2018

The specificity of local elections supports the idea that there is significantly more chance of developing political identity at the local level. Given the social specificity of local elections, we propose three hypotheses with the aim of ascertaining whether (i) the greater significance of these elections, (ii) the specificity of their political programmes and/or (iii) the proximity of voters to candidates lead to a stronger sense of individual political identity. These hypotheses are verified from a comparative perspective by reference to local elections in Poland and Slovenia.
The roles of special proresolving mediators in pain relief
Authors: Zhang Lan-yu , Jia Ming-rui , Sun Tao
Published: February 2018

The resolution of acute inflammation, once thought to be a passive process, is now recognized as an active one. The productions of endogenous special proresolving mediators (SPMs) are involved in this process. SPMs, including lipoxins, resolvins, protectins, and maresins, are endogenous lipid mediators generated from ω-6 arachidonic acid or ω-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids during the resolution phase of acute inflammation. They have potent anti-inflammatory and proresolving actions in various inflammatory disorders. Due to the potent proresolving and anti-inflammatory effects, SPMs are also used for pain relief. This review focuses on the mechanisms by which SPMs act on their respective G-protein-coupled receptors in immune cells and nerve cells to normalize pain via regulating inflammatory mediators, transient receptor potential ion channels, and central sensitization. SPMs may offer novel therapeutic approaches for preventing and treating pain conditions associated with inflammation.
Inequalities via s−convexity and log −convexity
Authors: Akdemir Ahmet Ocak , Ardıç Merve Avcı , Özdemir M. Emin
Published: February 2018

In this paper, we obtain some new inequalities for functions whose second derivatives’ absolute value is s−convex and log −convex. Also, we give some applications for numerical integration.
Exact Solutions to Several Nonlinear Cases of Generalized Grad–Shafranov Equation for Ideal Magnetohydrodynamic Flows in Axisymmetric Domain
Authors: Adem Abdullahi Rashid , Moawad Salah M.
Published: February 2018

In this paper, the steady-state equations of ideal magnetohydrodynamic incompressible flows in axisymmetric domains are investigated. These flows are governed by a second-order elliptic partial differential equation as a type of generalized Grad–Shafranov equation. The problem of finding exact equilibria to the full governing equations in the presence of incompressible mass flows is considered. Two different types of constraints on position variables are presented to construct exact solution classes for several nonlinear cases of the governing equations. Some of the obtained results are checked for their applications to magnetic confinement plasma. Besides, they cover many previous configurations and include new considerations about the nonlinearity of magnetic flux stream variables.
Variability and Reliability of Punching Impact Kinetics in Untrained Participants and Experienced Boxers
Authors: Lenetsky Seth , Brughelli Matt , Nates Roy J. , Cross Matt R. , Lormier Anna V.
Published: February 2018

Lenetsky, S, Brughelli, M, Nates, RJ, Cross, MR, and Lormier, AV. Variability and reliability of punching impact kinetics in untrained participants and experienced boxers. J Strength Cond Res 32(7): 1838–1842, 2017—Striking impact kinetics are central to performance in combat sports. Despite a multitude of assessment, few in the literature have explored the variability and reliability of punching force assessment. Consequently, this study assessed the variability and reliability of measured punching impact kinetics in untrained and experienced boxers using a recently developed and validated method of striking dynamometry. Intrasession (both cohorts) and intersession (untrained only) measures of impulse, peak, and mean force were determined across 4 punch types (jabs, crosses, lead, and rear hand hooks) using coefficient of variation (CV), intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), and typical error of measurement (TEM). Moderate (ICC <0.67 or CV >10%) to small (ICC >0.67 and CV <10%) variability was found for intrasession results of both groups, the majority having small variability. Intersession findings of the untrained cohort had a similar spread of variability, but with the majority exhibiting moderate variability. All variables except for mean force of the cross in the experienced boxer cohort were found to exhibit a “moderated” magnitude of reliability determined by standardized TEM scores (TEM = 0.60–1.19) during intrasession testing. All variables had moderate reliability during intersession. This method was found to have acceptable variability and reliability when monitoring punching impact kinetics.
The Role of Strength Training for Lower Extremity Tendinopathy
Authors: Hartley David R. , McMahon John J.
Published: February 2018

TENDON INJURIES REPRESENT A COMMON PROBLEM FOR ATHLETES AND THE GENERAL POPULATION. SYMPTOMS CAN RESULT IN PROLONGED IMPAIRMENT OF PERFORMANCE. THIS REVIEW AIMED TO EXAMINE THE CURRENT RESEARCH UNDERPINNING COMMONLY USED STRENGTH TRAINING METHODS TO MANAGE LOWER LIMB TENDINOPATHY AND SUGGEST APPROPRIATE WAYS IN WHICH THESE METHODS CAN BE APPLIED BY STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PROFESSIONALS. ECCENTRIC TRAINING AND TRADITIONAL RESISTANCE TRAINING ARE OFTEN USED TO INCREASE A TENDON'S TOLERANCE TO LOAD, AND ISOMETRIC TRAINING IS EMERGING AS AN EFFECTIVE METHOD TO ACHIEVE SIMILAR OUTCOMES. THESE TRAINING MODALITIES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED WHEN MANAGING TENDINOPATHY.
Review of the Badminton Lunge and Specific Training Considerations
Authors: Maloney Sean J.
Published: February 2018

LUNGE PERFORMANCE IS INTEGRAL TO PERFORMANCE IN THE SPORT OF BADMINTON. FOR THE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH TO APPROPRIATELY CONDITION THE LUNGE PATTERN, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE UNIQUE DEMANDS OF THE BADMINTON LUNGE ARE WELL UNDERSTOOD. THIS ARTICLE WILL CONSIDER THE KINETICS, KINEMATICS, AND DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OF THE BADMINTON LUNGE, IDENTIFY THE POTENTIAL DETERMINANTS OF LUNGE PERFORMANCE, AND HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE KEY TRAINING CONSIDERATIONS. IT IS PROPOSED THAT PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP THE LUNGE SHOULD ULTIMATELY CONSIDER 4 COMPONENTS: STABILITY, STRENGTH, POWER, AND SPECIFIC ENDURANCE.
Impact of Social Anxiety on Behavioral Mimicry During a Social Interaction With a Confederate
Authors: Abbott Kayleigh A. , Kocovski Nancy L. , Obhi Sukhvinder S.
Published: February 2018

Behavioral mimicry, the unintentional alteration of one's behavior to match that of an interaction partner, leads to many positive outcomes such as increased rapport. The current study examined the influence of social anxiety on mimicry behavior during a social interaction. Participants (N = 84), pre-screened for low and high social anxiety, participated in a face-to-face interaction with a confederate. Individuals with high social anxiety were less likely to mimic the movements of the confederate than individuals with low social anxiety. However, reduced mimicry behavior was only found during the portion of the experiment in which the confederate's movements were not planned, and not during the portion of the experiment in which the confederate made planned movements. Further, individuals with increased self-focused attention were also less likely to mimic during the portion of the experiment where the confederate's movements were not planned. Overall, results provide partial evidence to support the notion of reduced mimicry among individuals with high social anxiety. Future research can further evaluate the contexts in which those with high levels of social anxiety may mimic less, as well as factors that may play a role (e.g., self-focused attention), to enhance the probability of a positive interpersonal interaction for these individuals.
The Evolution of American Airport Chapels: Local Negotiations in Religiously Pluralistic Contexts
Authors: Cadge Wendy
Published: February 2018

Religion and spirituality are present in many organizations in the contemporary United States. While religious studies scholars have traditionally focused on local congregations, some are branching out to explore religion in a broader range of public institutions. Between 1950, when many scholars conceptualized American religion in terms of Will Herberg's classic Protestant-Catholic-Jew and the present, chapels in public institutions including the military, healthcare centers, universities, prisons and airports have expanded and diversified. I focus on airports tracing the evolution of airport chapels from Catholic centered to more multi-faith to more religiously inclusive as unlikely, or perhaps just hidden, analytic mirrors for demographic and cultural changes in American religion. Theoretically, these chapels are case studies that show how the function and appropriate place for religion in public institutions has been improvised and negotiated locally. The clergy, airport personnel and airport chaplains who make decisions about these spaces lack consistent education about the topic and receive inconsistent guidance from laws and policies across city, state, and federal contexts. The chapel spaces that result are, therefore, much more varied than one might expect and shaped as much by fears about what could cause conflict as by responses to actual conflicts.
Echocardiographic assessment of left to right shunts: atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, atrioventricular septal defect, patent arterial duct
Authors: Deri Antigoni , English Kate
Published: February 2018

This review article will guide the reader through the basics of echocardiographic assessment of congenital left to right shunts in both paediatric and adult age groups. After reading this article, the reader will understand the pathology and clinical presentation of atrial septal defects (ASDs), ventricular septal defects (VSDs), atrioventricular septal defects (AVSDs) and patent arterial duct. Echocardiography is the mainstay in diagnosis and follow-up assessment of patients with congenital heart disease. This article will therefore describe the echocardiographic appearances of each lesion, and point the reader towards specific features to look for echocardiographically.
Layer-specific systolic and diastolic strain in hypertensive patients with and without mild diastolic dysfunction
Authors: Sharif Hisham , Ting Stephen , Forsythe Lynsey , McGregor Gordon , Banerjee Prithwish , O’Leary Deborah , Ditor David , George Keith , Zehnder Daniel , Oxborough David
Published: February 2018

This study sought to examine layer-specific longitudinal and circumferential systolic and diastolic strain, strain rate (SR) and diastolic time intervals in hypertensive patients with and without diastolic dysfunction. Fifty-eight treated hypertensive patients were assigned to normal diastolic function (NDF, N = 39) or mild diastolic dysfunction (DD, N = 19) group. Layer-specific systolic and diastolic longitudinal and circumferential strains and SR were assessed. Results showed no between-group difference in left ventricular mass index (DD: 92.1 ± 18.1 vs NDF: 88.4 ± 16.3; P = 0.44). Patients with DD had a proportional reduction in longitudinal strain across the myocardium (endocardial for DD −13 ± 4%; vs NDF −17 ± 3, P < 0.01; epicardial for DD −10 ± 3% vs NDF −13 ± 3%, P < 0.01; global for DD: −12 ± 3% vs NDF: −15 ± 3, P = 0.01), and longitudinal mechanical diastolic impairments as evidenced by reduced longitudinal strain rate of early diastole (DD 0.7 ± 0.2 L/s vs NDF 1.0 ± 0.3 L/s, P < 0.01) and absence of a transmural gradient in the duration of diastolic strain (DD endocardial: 547 ± 105 ms vs epicardial: 542 ± 113 ms, P = 0.24; NDF endocardial: 566 ± 86 ms vs epicardial: 553 ± 77 ms, P = 0.03). Patients with DD also demonstrate a longer duration of early circumferential diastolic strain (231 ± 71 ms vs 189 ± 58 ms, P = 0.02). In conclusion, hypertensive patients with mild DD demonstrate a proportional reduction in longitudinal strain across the myocardium, as well as longitudinal mechanical diastolic impairment, and prolonging duration of circumferential mechanical relaxation.
The C-X-C signalling system in the rodent vs primate testis: impact on germ cell niche interaction
Authors: Heckmann Laura , Pock Tim , Tröndle Ina , Neuhaus Nina
Published: February 2018

In zebrafish, action of the chemokine Cxcl12 is mediated through its G-protein-coupled seven-transmembrane domain receptor Cxcr4 and the atypical receptor Cxcr7. Employing this animal model, it was revealed that this Cxcl12 signalling system plays a crucial role for directed migration of primordial germ cells (PGC) during early testicular development. Importantly, subsequent studies indicated that this regulatory mechanism is evolutionarily conserved also in mice. What is more, the functional role of the CXCL12 system does not seem to be limited to early phases of testicular development. Data from mouse studies rather demonstrate that CXCL12 and its receptors are also involved in the homing process of gonocytes into their niches at the basal membrane of the seminiferous tubules. Intriguingly, even the spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) present in the adult mouse testis appear to maintain the ability to migrate towards a CXCL12 gradient as demonstrated by functional in vitro migration assays and in vivo germ cell transplantation assays. These findings not only indicate a role of the CXCL12 system throughout male germ cell development in mice but also suggest that this system may be evolutionarily conserved. In this review, we take into account the available literature focusing on the localization patterns of the CXCL12 system not only in rodents but also in primates, including the human. Based on these data, we discuss whether the CXCL12 system is also conserved between rodents and primates and discuss the known and potential functional consequences.
The Molecular and Genetic Characterization of Second Chromosome Balancers in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Miller Danny E , Cook Kevin R , Hemenway Elizabeth A , Fang Vivienne , Miller Angela L , Hales Karen G , Hawley R Scott
Published: February 2018

Balancer chromosomes are multiply inverted and rearranged chromosomes used in Drosophila melanogaster for many tasks, such as maintaining mutant alleles in stock and complex stock construction. Balancers were created before molecular characterization of their breakpoints was possible, so the precise locations of many of these breakpoints are unknown. Here, we report or confirm the positions of the 14 euchromatic breakpoints on the 2nd chromosome balancers SM1, SM5, CyO, and SM6a. This total includes three breakpoints involved in a complex rearrangement on SM5 that is associated with the duplication of two genomic regions. Unbiased sequencing of several balancers allowed us to identify stocks with incorrectly identified balancers as well as single and double crossover events that had occurred between 2nd chromosome balancers and their homologs. The confirmed crossover events that we recovered were at least 2 Mb from the closest inversion breakpoint, consistent with observations from other balancer chromosomes. Balancer chromosomes differ from one another both by large tracts of sequence diversity generated by recombination and by small differences, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Therefore, we also report loss-of-function mutations carried by these chromosomes and unique SNP and InDel polymorphisms present on only single balancers. These findings provide valuable information about the structure of commonly used 2nd chromosome balancers and extend recent work examining the structure of X and 3rd chromosome balancers. Finally, these observations provide new insights into how the sequences of individual balancers have diverged over time.