bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Selection towards larger body size in both herbivorous and carnivorous synapsids during the Carboniferous
Authors: Brocklehurst Neil , Brink Kirstin S.
Published: February 2017

Body size is one of the most important characteristics of an organism, impacting a great variety of ecological characteristics. The influence of diet on body size has received considerable attention, with previous studies suggesting a greater tendency towards increased body size in herbivores than macro-carnivores. The earliest known herbivorous and macro-carnivorous synapsids provide an ideal case study for examining body size evolution in different dietary regimes. Sphenacomorpha contains two lineages: Edaphosauridae (some of the most abundant terrestrial herbivores in the late Carboniferous and early Permian), and Sphenacodontia (the largest and most abundant carnivores of that time). Phylogenetic comparative analyses are used to compare trait evolution in sphenacomorphs, including a Bayesian method for identifying branches along which phenotypic selection occurred. Two branches show rapid increases in body size in the late Carboniferous. The first occurred in Edaphosauridae, along the branch leading to the herbivorous members. The later shift towards larger size occurred in Sphenacodontia, producing a clade of large carnivores. It is possible that the rapid appearance of large herbivorous synapsids in the Carboniferous provided the selective pressure for carnivores to increase their size. Following these two shifts, rates of evolution in edaphosaurids slowed significantly, but the carnivorous sphenacodontians showed further increases.
A 0.6V 19.5μW 80dB DR ΔΣ Modulator with SA-Quantizers and Digital Feedforward Path
Authors: Chen Hongmei , Wang Li , Li Ting , He Lin , Lin Fujiang
Published: February 2017

This paper presents a discrete-time multi-bit Delta–Sigma modulator employing successive approximation (SA)-quantizers for bio-signal acquisitions. In the proposed [Formula: see text] modulator, the input signal is separately quantized and the signal summation is performed in the digital domain to avoid the power hungry analog adder. Two SA-quantizers are used in this modulator. One is dedicated to quantize the input signal and the other is to quantize the summation of the integrators’ outputs. Dynamic Element Matching (DEM) technique is used to mitigate the mismatch among the digital-to-analog conversion (DAC) elements. To reduce the complexity of the DEM logic, the 7-bit summed quantizer output is truncated into a 5-bit code before it is fed to the DEM circuits. Double tailed inverter-based op-amp is used in the loop filter for low-voltage operation. Correlated-double-sampling is adopted to enhance the effective gain of the integrator. The proposed modulator is designed and fabricated in a 130-nm CMOS technology. The measurement result shows that the modulator achieves a dynamic range of 80[Formula: see text]dB, a peak SNDR of 77[Formula: see text]dB in a 25[Formula: see text]kHz signal bandwidth at sampling rate of 800[Formula: see text]kHz. The prototype modulator occupies 0.25[Formula: see text]mm2 and consumes only 19.5[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]W from a 0.6[Formula: see text]V supply. The proposed modulator achieves a figure of merit of 67 fJ per conversion step.
HEALING PATTERN OF THE INTERLOCKING INTRAMEDULLARY NAILED CLOSED TIBIAL SHAFT FRACTURES — EFFECT OF AGE, IM NAIL AND FIBULA ON CALLUS FORMATION
Authors: Moon Myung-Sang , Lee Sang-Yup , Kim Dong-Hyeon , Yoon Min-Geun
Published: February 2017

Objectives: To assess the healing pattern of the fractured tibial shaft with or without fibula fracture, fixated with locked intramedullary (IM) standard cannulated titanium nail in a group of patients in each decade; nonosteonal versus osteonal. Summary of background data: Up to now there have been many previous clinical studies on the nailed tibial shaft fractures. However, only a few animal experiments dealt with the callus type in healing, and a little human researches on the effect of the age and fixation device on callus formation in tibia at the two bone level of the lower limb were carried out. Material and Methods: 135 out of 168 patients with normally united closed tibial shaft fractures, fixated with titanium cannulated nail which showed good quality radiograms, were subjected to this study: 10 patients at minimum in each decade from late teens to 8th decade being regularly and radiographically followed were selected. Results: The nailed fractures united primarily by periosteal callus in the teenagers, while in the patients over third decade the fractures united by the intercortical uniting callus (osteonal). Conclusion: It was found that nail in tibia could not suppress the periosteal reparative reaction in the late teenagers which was suppressed in the adults. Union of the titanium nail-fixated adult tibial shaft fractures had to be depended primarily on osteonal healing because of the suppressed reparative periosteal reaction.
Mean First Passage Time and Stochastic Resonance in a Transcriptional Regulatory System with Non-Gaussian Noise
Authors: Kang Yan-Mei , Chen Xi , Lin Xu-Dong , Tan Ning
Published: February 2017

The mean first passage time (MFPT) in a phenomenological gene transcriptional regulatory model with non-Gaussian noise is analytically investigated based on the singular perturbation technique. The effect of the non-Gaussian noise on the phenomenon of stochastic resonance (SR) is then disclosed based on a new combination of adiabatic elimination and linear response approximation. Compared with the results in the Gaussian noise case, it is found that bounded non-Gaussian noise inhibits the transition between different concentrations of protein, while heavy-tailed non-Gaussian noise accelerates the transition. It is also found that the optimal noise intensity for SR in the heavy-tailed noise case is smaller, while the optimal noise intensity in the bounded noise case is larger. These observations can be explained by the heavy-tailed noise easing random transitions.
Unravelling the Trading Invariance Hypothesis
Authors: Benzaquen Michael , Donier Jonathan , Bouchaud Jean-Philippe
Published: February 2017

We confirm and substantially extend the recent empirical result of Andersen et al. (Andersen, T. G., O. Bondarenko, A. S. Kyle and A. A. Obizhaeva, 2015, Unpublished), where it is shown that the amount of risk [Formula: see text] exchanged in the E-mini S&P futures market (i.e., price times volume times volatility) scales like the 3/2 power of the number of trades [Formula: see text]. We show that this 3/2-law holds very precisely across 12 futures contracts and 300 single US stocks, and across a wide range of time scales. However, we find that the “trading invariant” [Formula: see text] proposed by Kyle and Obizhaeva is in fact quite different for different contracts, in particular, between futures and single stocks. Our analysis suggests [Formula: see text] as a more natural candidate, where [Formula: see text] is the average spread cost of a trade, defined as the average of the trade size times the bid–ask spread. We also establish two more complex scaling laws for the volatility [Formula: see text] and the traded volume [Formula: see text] as a function of [Formula: see text], that reveal the existence of a characteristic number of trades [Formula: see text] above which the expected behavior [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] hold, but below which strong deviations appear, induced by the size of the tick.
Chapter 7 Andaman–Nicobar Ophiolites, India: origin, evolution and emplacement
Authors: Ghosh Biswajit , Bandyopadhyay Debaditya , Morishita Tomoaki
Published: February 2017

Andaman–Nicobar Ophiolites (ANO) occur as discontinuous bodies along the eastern margin of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the exposed parts of the outer-arc ridge of the present Sunda subduction system. The lithospheric architecture starts with mantle rocks overlain by crustal rocks with a thin transition zone in between. The mantle peridotites and the volcanic rocks exhibit great variability all along the ridge and demonstrate influence of subduction-related magmatism in their origin. Like many Tethyan ophiolites, the ophiolitic rocks of Andaman–Nicobar had their origin in a supra-subduction zone that were juxtaposed tectonically with younger sediments, now exposed on the present outer-arc ridge. The final emplacement of this oceanic lithosphere was unlike typical Tethyan-type ophiolites because, before its final emplacement over the Indo-Burma-Andaman (IBA) microcontinent, the subduction margin was charged with huge sediments from the river delta systems to the north that accreted at the leading age of the overriding plate, similar to some extent to cordilleran-type ophiolites. We propose a two-stage subduction model that displays a sequence of events from birth to resurrection that explains the petrological, geochemical and architectural variations of ANO.

Supplementary material:
The geochemical tables are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3634331.v1
Vascular biology of hydrogen sulfide
Authors: Kanagy Nancy L. , Szabo Csaba , Papapetropoulos Andreas
Published: February 2017

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a ubiquitous signaling molecule with important functions in many mammalian organs and systems. Observations in the 1990s ascribed physiological actions to H2S in the nervous system, proposing that this gasotransmitter acts as a neuromodulator. Soon after that, the vasodilating properties of H2S were demonstrated. In the past decade, H2S was shown to exert a multitude of physiological effects in the vessel wall. H2S is produced by vascular cells and exhibits antioxidant, antiapoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and vasoactive properties. In this concise review, we have focused on the impact of H2S on vascular structure and function with an emphasis on angiogenesis, vascular tone, vascular permeability and atherosclerosis. H2S reduces arterial blood pressure, limits atheromatous plaque formation, and promotes vascularization of ischemic tissues. Although the beneficial properties of H2S are well established, mechanistic insights into the molecular pathways implicated in disease prevention and treatment remain largely unexplored. Unraveling the targets and downstream effectors of H2S in the vessel wall in the context of disease will aid in translation of preclinical observations. In addition, acute regulation of H2S production is still poorly understood and additional work delineating the pathways regulating the enzymes that produce H2S will allow pharmacological manipulation of this pathway. As the field continues to grow, we expect that H2S-related compounds will find their way into clinical trials for diseases affecting the blood vessels.
Nonlinear effects of hyperpolarizing shifts in activation of mutant Nav1.7 channels on resting membrane potential
Authors: Estacion Mark , Waxman Stephen G.
Published: February 2017

The Nav1.7 sodium channel is preferentially expressed within dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and sympathetic ganglion neurons. Gain-of-function mutations that cause the painful disorder inherited erythromelalgia (IEM) shift channel activation in a hyperpolarizing direction. When expressed within DRG neurons, these mutations produce a depolarization of resting membrane potential (RMP). The biophysical basis for the depolarized RMP has to date not been established. To explore the effect on RMP of the shift in activation associated with a prototypical IEM mutation (L858H), we used dynamic-clamp models that represent graded shifts that fractionate the effect of the mutation on activation voltage dependence. Dynamic-clamp recording from DRG neurons using a before-and-after protocol for each cell made it possible, even in the presence of cell-to-cell variation in starting RMP, to assess the effects of these graded mutant models. Our results demonstrate a nonlinear, progressively larger effect on RMP as the shift in activation voltage dependence becomes more hyperpolarized. The observed differences in RMP were predicted by the “late” current of each mutant model. Since the depolarization of RMP imposed by IEM mutant channels is known, in itself, to produce hyperexcitability of DRG neurons, the development of pharmacological agents that normalize or partially normalize activation voltage dependence of IEM mutant channels merits further study.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Inherited erythromelalgia (IEM), the first human pain disorder linked to a sodium channel, is widely regarded as a genetic model of neuropathic pain. IEM is produced by Nav1.7 mutations that hyperpolarize activation. These mutations produce a depolarization of resting membrane potential (RMP) in dorsal root ganglion neurons. Using dynamic clamp to explore the effect on RMP of the shift in activation, we demonstrate a nonlinear effect on RMP as the shift in activation voltage dependence becomes more hyperpolarized.
Vascular Adaptation to Exercise in Humans: Role of Hemodynamic Stimuli
Authors: Green Daniel J. , Hopman Maria T. E. , Padilla Jaume , Laughlin M. Harold , Thijssen Dick H. J.
Published: February 2017

On the 400th anniversary of Harvey's Lumleian lectures, this review focuses on “hemodynamic” forces associated with the movement of blood through arteries in humans and the functional and structural adaptations that result from repeated episodic exposure to such stimuli. The late 20th century discovery that endothelial cells modify arterial tone via paracrine transduction provoked studies exploring the direct mechanical effects of blood flow and pressure on vascular function and adaptation in vivo. In this review, we address the impact of distinct hemodynamic signals that occur in response to exercise, the interrelationships between these signals, the nature of the adaptive responses that manifest under different physiological conditions, and the implications for human health. Exercise modifies blood flow, luminal shear stress, arterial pressure, and tangential wall stress, all of which can transduce changes in arterial function, diameter, and wall thickness. There are important clinical implications of the adaptation that occurs as a consequence of repeated hemodynamic stimulation associated with exercise training in humans, including impacts on atherosclerotic risk in conduit arteries, the control of blood pressure in resistance vessels, oxygen delivery and diffusion, and microvascular health. Exercise training studies have demonstrated that direct hemodynamic impacts on the health of the artery wall contribute to the well-established decrease in cardiovascular risk attributed to physical activity.
Certification of Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility Activities in Differentiated Duopoly Market
Authors: Zhao Liuwei , Du JianGuo
Published: February 2017

In this paper, by environmental Nongovernmental Organizations certification we research corporate social responsibility in the impacts of competition structures on corporate incentives. The research explained that, to induce firms to adopt certified environmental corporate social responsibility, the certifier will set a standard lower than the optimal one. The environmental certification corporate social standard is equal to that in Cournot competition and Bertrand competition, but Bertrand competition structure will make the firm get more benefits than Cournot competition. In addition, the research also shows that firms and consumers all will get benefit from environmental corporate social responsibility.
Feasibility of Oil Slick Detection Using BeiDou‐R Coastal Simulation
Authors: Zhang Yun , Chen Shanshan , Hong Zhonghua , Han Yanling , Li Binbin , Yang Shuhu , Wang Jing
Published: February 2017

Oil spills, which can cause severe immediate and long‐term harm to marine ecological environments for decades after the initial accident, require rapid and accurate monitoring. Currently, optical and radar satellite images are used to monitor oil spills; however, remote sensing generally needs a long revisit period. Global Navigation Satellite System reflected signals (GNSS‐R) can provide all‐weather and all‐day ocean monitoring and is therefore more suitable for oil spill monitoring. To assess the feasibility of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System reflected signals (BeiDou‐R) in detecting oil slicks, a BeiDou‐R coastal simulated experiment is performed in this study on the oil slick distribution of an oil pipeline explosion accident. We set up an observation point and selected observation satellites, and a delay‐Doppler map (DDM) of an oil‐slicked sea surface under coastal scenarios was created by combining the mean‐square slope (MSS) model for oil‐slicked/clean surfaces and the Zavorotny–Voronovich (Z–V) scattering model. DDM simulation of the coastal scenarios effectively represents the scattering coefficient distribution of the presence of an oil slick. Theoretical analysis revealed that oil slicks can be detected within a radius of less than 5 km around the specular reflection point (SP) for BeiDou‐R coastal simulation.
Novel role of platelet reactivity in adverse left ventricular remodelling after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: The REMODELING Trial
Authors: Park Yongwhi , Tantry Udaya , Koh Jin-Sin , Ahn Jong-Hwa , Kang Min , Kim Kye , Jang Jeong , Park Hyun , Park Jeong-Rang , Hwang Seok-Jae , Park Ki-Soo , Kwak Choong , Hwang Jin-Yong , Gurbel Paul , Jeong Young-Hoon
Published: February 2017

The role of platelet-leukocyte interaction in the infarct myocardium still remains unveiled. We aimed to determine the linkage of platelet activation to post-infarct left ventricular remodelling (LVR) process. REMODELING was a prospective, observational, cohort trial including patients (n = 150) with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients were given aspirin plus clopidogrel therapy (600 mg loading and 75 mg daily). Platelet reactivity (PRU: P2Y12 Reaction Units) was assessed with VerifyNow P2Y12 assay on admission. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed on admission and at one-month follow-up. The primary endpoint was the incidence of LVR according to PRU-based quartile distribution. LVR was defined as a relative ≥ 20 % increase in LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) between measurements. Adverse LVR was observed in 36 patients (24.0 %). According to PRU quartile, LVR rate was 10.8 % in the first, 23.1 % in the second, 27.0 % in the third, and 35.1 % in the fourth (p = 0.015): the optimal cut-off of PRU was ≥ 248 (area under curve: 0.643; 95 % confidence interval: 0.543 to 0.744; p = 0.010). LVR rate also increased proportionally according to the level of high sensitivity-C reactive protein (hs-CRP) (p = 0.012). In multivariate analysis, the combination of PRU (≥ 248) and hs-CRP (≥ 1.4 mg/l) significantly increased the predictive value for LVR occurrence by about 21-fold. In conclusion, enhanced levels of platelet activation and inflammation determined the incidence of adverse LVR after STEMI. Combining the measurements of these risk factors increased risk discrimination of LVR. The role of intensified antiplatelet or anti-inflammatory therapy in post-infarct LVR process deserves further study.
Improving Cardiovascular Health in Diverse Populations
Authors: Patel Anushka , Rutherford John D.
Published: February 2017

Anushka Patel is the Chief Scientist, The George Institute for Global Health, Professor of Medicine, University of Sydney and a Cardiologist, at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, all based in Sydney, Australia. She obtained her MBBS from the University of Queensland, a Master of Science degree in Epidemiology from Harvard University, and her PhD from the University of Sydney.
The bidirectional nature of narrative scaffolding: Latino caregivers’ elaboration while creating stories from a picture book
Authors: Schick Adina R. , Melzi Gigliana , Obregón Javanna
Published: February 2017

Although caregiver narrative elaboration is seen as a critical dimension for children’s development of narrative skills, research has yet to show a predictive relation between caregiver elaboration and child outcomes for low-income Latino children. The present study explored whether specific types of narrative elaboration were predicted by and predictive of Latino children’s language and storytelling skills. Results showed that, whereas provision of new elaboration was negatively predictive of children’s language skills, provision of embellished elaboration predicted more advanced language skills six months later. Moreover, caregivers whose children had more developed language and storytelling skills included fewer new elaborations, but more embellished elaborations. The findings highlight Latino caregivers’ responsiveness and sensitivity to children’s abilities and further our understanding of the nuanced ways in which narrative elaboration is used by Latino caregivers.
Misallocation and the Distribution of Global Volatility
Authors: Eden Maya
Published: February 2017

Decreasing returns at the macro level are an outcome of efficiency at the micro level. When inputs are scarce, an efficient economy carries out only the most productive projects; when inputs are abundant, the economy implements less productive projects as well. This link between decreasing returns and efficiency suggests that misallocation can reduce the extent of aggregate decreasing returns. I formalize this connection and establish two main results: (i) misallocation amplifies the volatility of output with respect to fluctuations in inputs; and (ii) financial integration amplifies shocks in relatively distorted economies, but mitigates them in less distorted economies. (JEL D24, D82, E23, E32, E44, F41)
Unraveling Mg2+–RNA binding with atomistic molecular dynamics
Authors: Cunha Richard A. , Bussi Giovanni
Published: February 2017

Interaction with divalent cations is of paramount importance for RNA structural stability and function. We report here a detailed molecular dynamics study of all the possible binding sites for Mg2+ on an RNA duplex, including both direct (inner sphere) and indirect (outer sphere) binding. In order to tackle sampling issues, we develop a modified version of bias-exchange metadynamics, which allows us to simultaneously compute affinities with previously unreported statistical accuracy. Results correctly reproduce trends observed in crystallographic databases. Based on this, we simulate a carefully chosen set of models that allows us to quantify the effects of competition with monovalent cations, RNA flexibility, and RNA hybridization. Our simulations reproduce the decrease and increase of Mg2+ affinity due to ion competition and hybridization, respectively, and predict that RNA flexibility has a site-dependent effect. This suggests a nontrivial interplay between RNA conformational entropy and divalent cation binding.
Backscattering dynamics during intense geomagnetic storm as deduced from Yekaterinburg radar data: March 17–22, 2015
Authors: Золотухина Нина , Zolotukhina Nina , Куркин Владимир , Kurkin Vladimir , Полех Неля , Polekh Nelya , Романова Елена , Romanova Elena
Published: February 2017

This paper examines the spatio-temporal dynamics of backscattering signals during St. Patrick’s Day two-step intense geomagnetic storm from the Yekaterinburg Coherent Radar (YeKB radar) data. It is found that a number of ground backscattering signals increased during the initial phase of the storm and decreased during the second step of its main phase and the first two days of its recovery phase. Changes in ionospheric backscattering signals started at the beginning of the main phase. During the first step, there was a six-hour sequence of ionospheric backscattering signals (BSi signals) the range of which decreased while the storm was in progress. During the last 5 hours of the main phase and the first 3 hours of the recovery phase, the YeKB radar observed only signals scattering in the E region of the ionosphere. We conduct a complex analysis of data from the YeKB radar, ground-based ionospheric, riometric, and magnetic stations located within the radar field of view. The analysis shows that the observed backscattering dynamics was caused by the magnetosphere compression, expansion of convection cells, impact ionization, and changes in atmospheric composition during the initial storm phase, first and second steps of the main phase, and the recovery phase respectively.
Modeling nightglow in atomic oxygen red and green lines under moderate disturbed geomagnetic conditions at midlatitudes
Authors: Тащилин Анатолий , Tashchilin Anatoliy , Леонович Людмила , Leonovich Lyudmila
Published: February 2017

We present results of a study of mid-latitude auroras. The study is based on optical measurements and theoretical modeling. The modeling shows that precipitation can indirectly generate airglow in red and green lines of atomic oxygen by increasing rates of ion formation and heating of thermal electrons. This causes an increase in the rate of dissociative recombination and thermal-electron-collision excitation of the 1D and 1S levels.
Relationship between social support and breastfeeding self-efficacy among women in Tabriz, Iran
Authors: Faridvand Fatemeh , Mirghafourvand Mojgan , Malakouti Jamileh , Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi Sakineh
Published: February 2017

Background

Breastfeeding self-efficacy depends on various psychological, physiological, and social factors.

Aims

This study aimed to determine the relationship between social support and breastfeeding self-efficacy in women referred to health centers in Tabriz, Iran, during 2015.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out on 220 breastfeeding mothers with infants aged 4–6 months. Data were collected using social support (PRQ-85) and breastfeeding self-efficacy questionnaires. The general linear model was applied to control for confounding variables and determine the relationship between social support and breastfeeding self-efficacy.

Findings

The mean (standard deviation (SD)) breastfeeding self-efficacy was 138.7 (11.9) of a range of 33–165, about 90% of women had high breastfeeding self-efficacy. The mean (SD) social support score was 141.2 (19.6) of a range of 25–175. Social support was one of the predictors of breastfeeding self-efficacy (P = 0.004), after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics.

Conclusions

The women in this study had relatively high breastfeeding self-efficacy. Breastfeeding can be promoted by sensitising families and society to support women.
Non-pharmacological pain management strategies for labour: Maintaining a physiological outlook
Authors: Sanders Ruth Alexandra , Lamb Kathryn
Published: February 2017

Negotiating the pain and discomfort of labour can be challenging for women, their partners and the midwives attending their births. In current midwifery practice, there are a number of women who express a desire to experience the whole range of sensations accompanying physiological birth without the use of pharmacological agents while retaining a sense of control and dignity. Guidance is available around non-pharmalogical strategies for pain management in labour. Midwives can use the philosophy of normality to thoughtfully support and guide women and their partners, helping them to choose strategies that work with the underlying physiology of pain while enabling women to feel empowered in their birth experience.
Characterisation of osteophytes as an autologous bone graft source
Authors: Ishihara K. , Okazaki K. , Akiyama T. , Akasaki Y. , Nakashima Y.
Published: February 2017

Objectives

Osteophytes are products of active endochondral and intramembranous ossification, and therefore could theoretically provide significant efficacy as bone grafts. In this study, we compared the bone mineralisation effectiveness of osteophytes and cancellous bone, including their effects on secretion of growth factors and anabolic effects on osteoblasts.

Methods

Osteophytes and cancellous bone obtained from human patients were transplanted onto the calvaria of severe combined immunodeficient mice, with Calcein administered intra-peritoneally for fluorescent labelling of bone mineralisation. Conditioned media were prepared using osteophytes and cancellous bone, and growth factor concentration and effects of each graft on proliferation, differentiation and migration of osteoblastic cells were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, MTS ((3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium)) assays, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and migration assays.

Results

After six weeks, the area of mineralisation was significantly higher for the transplanted osteophytes than for the cancellous bone (43803 μm2, sd 14660 versus 9421 μm2, sd 5032, p = 0.0184, one-way analysis of variance). Compared with cancellous bone, the conditioned medium prepared using osteophytes contained a significantly higher amounts of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 (471 pg/ml versus 333 pg/ml, p = 0.0001, Wilcoxon rank sum test), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 (47.75 pg/ml versus 32 pg/ml, p = 0.0214, Wilcoxon rank sum test) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 (314.5 pg/ml versus 191 pg/ml, p = 0.0418, Wilcoxon rank sum test). The stronger effects of osteophytes towards osteoblasts in terms of a higher proliferation rate, upregulation of gene expression of differentiation markers such as alpha-1 type-1 collagen and alkaline phosphate, and higher migration, compared with cancellous bone, was confirmed.

Conclusion

We provide evidence of favourable features of osteophytes for bone mineralisation through a direct effect on osteoblasts. The acceleration in metabolic activity of the osteophyte provides justification for future studies evaluating the clinical use of osteophytes as autologous bone grafts. Cite this article: K. Ishihara, K. Okazaki, T. Akiyama, Y. Akasaki, Y. Nakashima. Characterisation of osteophytes as an autologous bone graft source: An experimental study in vivo and in vitro. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:73–81. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.62.BJR-2016-0199.R1.
(Post)-Soviet Diaspora in Cuba
Authors: Jenny Cruz Cabrera  , María Regina Cano Orúe  , Dmitri Prieto Samsónov
Published: February 2017

The Cuban (post)-Soviet diaspora is the human collective comprising the persons coming from the territories of the (former) Soviet Union, who immigrated to Cuba and nowadays live in this Archipelago – as well as their descendants. This migration occurred during the period of close ties between Cuba and the USSR, that is, 1960–91. Compared with the other overseas ethnic communities now living in Cuba, the (post)-Soviet diaspora is the largest one, surpassed only by the Spanish immigration, which – however – is not usually perceived by Cubans as a diaspora, because Spain is a major contributor to the ‘mainstream’ Cuban culture. So, the (post)-Soviet diaspora may legitimately be considered as the largest ‘clearly foreign’ human contribution to the Cuban population in recent times. The most important character of this collectivity is that its first generation (i.e., the immigrants from the [post]Soviet countries) is overwhelmingly female, constituted by women from the USSR who in the period between ca. 1961 and ca. 1991 married to Cuban students affiliated to Soviet government's scholarship programmes. This ‘romantic’ stance makes this diaspora very unusual when compared with the standard causes making people migrate. The numeric strength of the (post)-Soviet diaspora contrasts with its very low visibility in the Cuban cultural, media and academic discourse, especially comparing with that of the relatively minor – in the numeric sense – diasporic constituents of the Cuban population: the Chinese, Arab, Jewish, etc. We analyse the main demographic, gender, ethnographic, historical, cultural and political aspects of the (post)-Soviet diaspora in Cuba.
Methodological Considerations on the Experience of Undertaking Doctoral Research in the Agricultural Sector in Cuba During the Special Period (1998–2000)
Authors: Julia Wright
Published: February 2017

This article describes the methodological challenges encountered in attempting to undertake research into the agricultural sector in Cuba, and the often serendipitous ways in which these challenges may be overcome. The struggles of numerous Cuban researchers who were attempting to continue their work during the resource-poor Special Period are also described. The article examines the views of Cuban colleagues who have informally, and politely, contested interpretations of the ‘snapshot’ of the farming and food systems that the author documented, and discusses their differing perspectives of ‘the real situation’. The author ends with observations about the book that emerged as an adaptation of the doctoral thesis1 and how it has become a seminal text not only for students but also for civil society groups working for change toward more sustainable systems that are less dependent on fossil fuels.
Features of Chemical-Element Abundances in Open Star Clusters of the Galaxy
Authors: Marsakov V. A. , Koval’ V. V. , Gozha M. L. , Shpigel’ L. V.
Published: February 2017

On the basis of the authors’ compiled catalog containing spectroscopic abundances of 14 chemical elements for 90 open star clusters of the Galaxy, we show that in the young clusters not only barium but also three other studied elements of slow neutron-capture, Y, La, and Ce, reveal higher relative abundances than those in the field stars, with differences beyond the error limits. We also find that, at high metallicity ([Fe/H]> −0.1), the relative abundances of the r-process element Eu in the clusters with eccentric, high Z
max orbits are lower, and the relative abundances of primary α-elements O and Mg are higher, than the average values for the field giants. At the same time, at lower metallicity, the [Eu/Fe] ratios in the clusters are, on average, the same as in the field, but with a much larger dispersion, and the [O, Mg/Fe] ratios are lower than in the field giants. Taking into account that both α-elements and r-elements are ejected into the interstellar medium as a result of Type II supernova explosions, and that their yields are dependent on the pre-supernova mass, these properties naturally fit into the assumption that the clusters of different metallicity with eccentric, high Z
max orbits are formed by interaction of two types of high-velocity clouds with the interstellar medium of the Galactic disk. On the one hand, these are low-metallicity high-velocity clouds formed from the “primary” gas; on the other hand, there are more metal-rich intermediate-velocity clouds generated in the Galactic “fountain” process.
Determination of Abundances of Chemical Elements in Open Star Clusters of the Galaxy
Authors: Gozha M. L. , Koval’ V. V. , Marsakov V. A.
Published: February 2017

Spectroscopic determinations of the relative abundances of chemical elements produced in different nuclear-synthesis processes, [el/Fe], are collected for 90 open star clusters of the Galaxy using data from 109 papers published between 1991 and 2015. Information is gathered on the abundances of α-elements (O, Mg, Si, Ca, and Ti), iron-peak element (Fe), slow neutron capture elements (Y, Ba, La, Ce, Nd, and Zr), rapid neutron capture element (Eu), and elements with an odd number of protons (Na, Al). The weighted averages are calculated for the clusters with more than one determination of the abundances of each studied chemical element. Estimates of metallicities are found for 346 clusters. A compiled catalog of the open cluster parameters contains metallicities, positions, ages, velocities, elements of Galactic orbits, and relative abundances of fourteen chemical elements.
The Study of Radio Flux Density Variations of the Quasar OJ 287 by the Wavelet and the Singular Spectrum Methods
Authors: Donskykh Ganna
Published: February 2017

Flux density variations of the extragalactic radio source OJ 287 are studied by applying the wavelet and the singular spectrum methods to the long-term monitoring data at 14.5, 8.0 and 4.8 GHz acquired at the University of Michigan Radio Astronomy Observatory during 40 years. This monitoring significantly supplements the episodic VLBI data. The wavelet analysis at all three frequencies revealed the presence of quasiperiods within the intervals 6.0–7.4 and 1.2–1.8 years. The singular spectrum analysis revealed the presence of quasiperiods within the intervals 6–10 and 1.6–4.0 years. For each quasiperiod the time interval of its existence was determined.
Symbolic Dynamics, Mixing and Entropy in the Three-Body Problem
Authors: Mylläri A. , Orlov V. , Chernin A. , Martynova A. , Mylläri T.
Published: February 2017

We use symbolic dynamics in the classic equal-mass free-fall three-body problem. Different methods for constructing symbolic sequences (in the process of numerical integration of trajectories) allow one to demonstrate (and illustrate on the Agekian-Anosova map) sensitivity to initial conditions, estimate entropies (Shannon, Markov and others), plot binary collision curves, reveal systems with intensive triple interactions (interplay), etc.
Estimating the Vertical Disk Scale Height Using Young Galactic Objects
Authors: Bobylev V. V. , Bajkova A. T.
Published: February 2017

We compiled published data on young Galactic objects such as masers with VLBI-measured trigonometric parallaxes, OB associations, H II regions and Cepheids. We have recently established that the vertical disk scale height is strongly influenced by objects of the Local arm. In this study we use samples that do not contain objects in this arm and derive the following vertical disk scale heights in terms of the self-gravitating isothermal disk model for the density distribution: h = 46±5 pc for 69 masers with trigonometric parallaxes, h = 36 ± 3 pc for 59 OB associations, h = 35.6 ± 2.7 pc for 147 H II regions, h = 52.1 ± 1.9 pc for 195 young Cepheids, and h = 72.0 ± 2.3 pc for 192 old Cepheids.
Gravity-Antigravity Interplay in the Local Galaxy Flows
Authors: Chernin A. D.
Published: February 2017

The major physical features of the local expansion flows of galaxies are found to be due to antigravity domination in their dynamics.
Spectroscopic Studies of Early-type Stars with the Kourovka 1.2-m Telescope
Authors: Gorda S. Yu. , Sobolev A. M. , Bisyarina A. P. , Zakharova P. E. , Kuznetsov E. D.
Published: February 2017

We briey describe the characteristics of the 1.2-m telescope of Kourovka Observatory of the Ural Federal University, equipped with a fiber-optic echelle spectrometer, and report the results of spectroscopic studies of several early-type stars (CC Cas, HD37737, HD200775, ADS 2984A) obtained during the first five years of the operation of this instrument.
A Quasi-Stationary Twisted Disk Formed as a Result of a Tidal Disruption Event
Authors: Xiang-Gruess M. , Ivanov P. B. , Papaloizou J. C. B.
Published: February 2017

In this note we briefly review the main results of our recent study of the formation of misaligned accretion disks after the tidal disruption of stars by rotating supermassive black holes. Since the accretion rates in such disks initially exceed the Eddington limit they are initially advection dominated. Assuming the α model for the disk viscosity implies that the disk can become thermally unstable when the accretion rate is comparable to, or smaller than, the Eddington value, while still being radiation pressure dominated. It then undergoes cyclic transitions between high and low states. During these transitions the aspect ratio varies from ~1 to ~10−3, which is reflected in changes in the degree of disk misalignment at the stream impact location. For maximal black hole rotation and sufiociently large values of the viscosity parameter, α ≳ 0.01–0.1, the ratio of the disk inclination to that of the initial stellar orbit is estimated to be 0.1–0.2 in the advection dominated state, while reaching order unity in the low state. Misalignment decreases with decrease of α, but increases as the black hole rotation parameter decreases. Thus, it is always significant when the latter is small.
Orbits of Wide Binaries – New Possibilities
Authors: Kiyaeva Olga V.
Published: February 2017

We use the Apparent Motion Parameters (AMP) method for the determination of orbits of visual double stars (Kiselev & Kiyaeva 1980). The quality of AMP orbits is completely dependent on the precision of parameters of relative positions and motions at the same instant. They are calculated on the basis of a short arc of observations. To determine these parameters, we use recent high precision observations obtained with the best modern techniques. New orbits of three stars are presented.
Details of the Classification of Symbiotic Stars: The Case of the Symbiotic Nova AG Peg
Authors: Tatarnikova A. A. , Burlak M. A. , Popolitova D. V. , Tarasova T. N. , Tatarnikov A. M.
Published: February 2017

We analyze archival and modern spectroscopic and photometric observations of the oldest known symbiotic nova AG Peg. Its new outburst (which began in 2015 June) differs greatly from the first one (which occurred in the mid-1850s). Fast photometric evolution of the new outburst is similar to that of Z And-type outbursts. However, the SED of AG Peg during the 2015 outburst, as well as during the quiescence, can be fitted by a standard three-component model (cool component + hot component + nebula), which is not common for an Z And-type outburst.
Molecular Clouds and Star Formation Rate in Disk Galaxies
Authors: Vasiliev E. O. , Khoperskov S. A. , Khoperskov A. V.
Published: February 2017

We use N-body/hydrodynamic simulations of a Milky Way-like galaxy to study the physical properties of giant molecular clouds and star formation rate on different spatial scales. We confirm the previous estimates that the dark gas fraction in molecular clouds reaches about 30% by mass. We find that conversion factors for individual molecular clouds deviated by a factor of several times from the mean value for the Milky Way clouds, X
CO = 2 × 1020 cm−2 (K km s−1)−1, and hence a constant X
CO conversion factor cannot represent the physical properties of an individual molecular cloud or a small sample of clouds sufficiently well, but the conversion factor averaged over the whole ensemble of clouds is believed to be close to the MilkyWay value. The

∑
SFR
UV

−

∑
gas

$\Sigma _{{\rm{SFR}}}^{{\rm{UV}}} - \Sigma _{{\rm{gas}}}$

relation can be reproduced using UV calibration for smoothing scale compared to the size of individual star-forming complexes, ~ 0.3 − 1 kpc.
Developing Visual Perception as a Stimulator of Artistic Activities of Children
Authors: Szuścik Urszula
Published: February 2017

I would like to present research in the field of art – specifically, in the artistic education of younger school children. The natural pedagogical experiment consisted of carrying out an art education programme aimed at developing the visual perception of children with regard to visual qualities, i.e. colour, line and solid representations. In the first part of experiment the children learned about these basic visual qualities and produced free interpretations of them. In the second part of the experiment the artistic problem of contrast in the learned visual qualities appeared. During the third part of the experiment children perceived the familiar qualities in relative relations. As visual perception determines the character and quality of artistic activities in children in such a significant way, it seems worth trying to revise the system of developing their artistic activities that has been used so far in art education.
Overcoming Impasses in Conversations: A Creative Business
Authors: Torre Ilaria , Loesche Frank
Published: February 2017

The ability to communicate complex meanings is a specific human ability which plays a crucial role in social interactions. A habitual example of these interactions is conversation. However, we observe that spontaneous conversation often hits an impasse when none of the interlocutors immediately produces a follow-up utterance. The existence of impasses in conversations, and the way that interlocutors overcome them provide evidence for our argument that conversation is a sequence of creative problem solving. In this work we use techniques from Conversation Analysis (CA) on publicly available databases of naturally-occurring speech and we suggest a framework to understand how impasses are reached and overcome. As a result, we hope to reveal yet another instance of the bond between language and creativity.
The Role of Orbitofrontal–Amygdala Interactions in Updating Action–Outcome Valuations in Macaques
Authors: Fiuzat Emily C. , Rhodes Sarah E.V. , Murray Elisabeth A.
Published: February 2017

A previous study revealed that, although monkeys with bilateral lesions of either the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) or the amygdala could learn an action–outcome task, they could not adapt their choices in response to devalued outcomes. Specifically, they could not adjust their choice between two actions after the value of the outcome associated with one of the actions had decreased. Here, we investigated whether OFC needs to interact functionally with the amygdala in mediating such choices. Rhesus monkeys were trained to make two mutually exclusive actions on a touch-sensitive screen: “tap” and “hold.” Taps led to the availability of one kind of food outcome; holds produced a different food. On each trial, monkeys could choose either a tap or a hold to earn the corresponding food reward. After consuming one of the two foods to satiety, monkeys were then tested on their ability to adapt their choices in response to the updated relative valuation of the two predicted outcomes. Whereas intact (control) monkeys shifted their choices toward the action associated with the higher value (nonsated) food, monkeys with crossed surgical disconnection of the amygdala and OFC did not. These findings demonstrate that amygdala–OFC interactions are necessary for choices among actions based on the updated value of predicted outcomes and they also have a bearing on the idea that OFC specializes in stimulus- or object-based choices in contrast to action- or response-based choices.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTDysfunctional interactions between orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the amygdala underlie several mental health disorders, often related to value-based decision making. Understanding the underlying neural circuitry may help to develop therapies for those suffering from mood and anxiety disorders and provide insight into addiction. Here, we investigated whether the amygdala must interact with OFC to make adaptive choices. Monkeys learned to perform two different actions, “tap” for one kind of food reward and “hold” for another, and then one of the two foods was devalued temporarily. Intact monkeys shifted their choice to whichever action produced the higher-value food; monkeys with crossed surgical disconnection of OFC and the amygdala did not. Therefore, OFC and the amygdala must interact functionally to mediate adaptive choices.
The Fieldwork Encounter and the Colonized Voice of Indigeneity
Authors: Silverstein Michael
Published: February 2017

This essay follows the indexical (context-indicating) clues of linguistic form in spoken Kiksht (Wasco-Wishram Chinookan) and reconstructs the emerging poetic or metrical structures of a long-ago Kiksht-mediated encounter during anthropological linguistic fieldwork, memorialized in a published text. In this way we can hear something of the voice of a Native American speaker coming to grips with the impact of social and cultural change in the American settler state of the turn of the twentieth century.
“The Work…of a Thousand Different Hands” Holding a Thousand Cans of Spray Paint and Buckets of Glue
Authors: Hatcher Rachel
Published: February 2017

After the end of Guatemala’s thirty-six-year-long internal armed conflict, the country set about figuring out the history of this violent past. This article explores street artists’ contributions to historical knowledge, arguing, first, that they are public historians and, second, that these artist-historians work to expand responsibility for gross human rights violations beyond a traditional focus on the military to include the economic elite, whose role in the conflict must also be acknowledged if Guatemala is to work through past trauma.