bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Allies and Foes (I)
Authors: Sawada Noriko
Published: January 2019

Chapter 26 considers three Athenian prominent politicians and gifted orators in the period of Demosthenes’ activity: Aeschines, Hyperides, and Lycurgus. Scholars have often regarded Aeschines, Hyperides, and Lycurgus as leaders of factions or groups that collaborated with or opposed Demosthenes over policy towards Macedon: Aeschines has been seen as the leader of the pro-Macedonians, and Hyperides and Lycurgus as leaders of the radical and the conservative anti-Macedonians, respectively. Although it is now generally agreed that Athens had no political parties in the modern sense, scholars still tend to view Athenian politics in the period of Demosthenes primarily in the reductivist terms of pro- and anti-Macedonian division. The chapter discusses the political careers of Aeschines, Hyperides, and Lycurgus.
Literary Readings of Oratory
Authors: Mader Gottfried
Published: January 2019

Chapter 2 first maps some significant literary features in Demosthenes’ public speeches (such as êthos, pathos, logos, inter- and intra-textuality, and manufactured pseudo-objectivity) and then in four case studies demonstrates their application to support his political agenda: persuasion by êthos takes a satirical turn to galvanize visceral emotion and enforce self-recognition; an elaborate ‘language war’ reinforces the illusion of objective analysis; intra-textual self-validation produces luminous showpieces where identity is enacted; and virtuoso ekphrastic moments disclose the poetics of demegoric persuasion. Together these features create a sense of urgency and inevitability, engaging and persuading through powerful affective, cognitive, and aesthetic appeals.
Transmission of the Corpus Demosthenicum
Authors: Martin Gunther
Published: January 2019

Chapter 35 outlines the main stages and issues and introduces the main carriers of the transmission of the Corpus Demosthenicum. Demosthenes was a canonic writer from antiquity to the end of Byzantium. The wide reception of his works has led to the survival of a large number of copies, partly on ancient papyrus or parchment, partly on parchment or paper from the medieval period; moreover, quotations in other authors and paratexts offering snippets of text are plentiful. The heterogeneous process of transmission—starting with different editions in antiquity and later showing frequent contamination—thwarts any attempt at reconstructing a clear and simple stemma even of the main manuscripts.
The Place of Oratory in Fourth-Century Politics and Culture
Authors: Wojciech Katharina
Published: January 2019

Chapter 4 examines the role of oratory in political and cultural life during the fourth century, focusing on the practice of public speaking, the relationship between rhetoric and other literary forms, and the orators’ concerns about appearing professional. It begins with a discussion of the practice and significance of oratory, noting how the high level that rhetoric attained in Athens is primarily intertwined with its democratic form of government and its requirements. It then considers the interaction between oratory and other literary forms such as epic poetry and drama, historiography, and philosophy. It also analyses the reflexivity of oratory in speeches, describing the interaction between the elite and the dêmos as a kind of drama and suggesting that participation in this drama turned rhetoric display into a reflexive and discursive process.
Thought, Speech, and Language Disorders
Authors: Cutting John
Published: January 2019

This chapter covers descriptive, psychological, linguistic, and neuropsychological accounts of language. It then deals with extant phenomenological aspects of language. Finally the chapter tackles the contributions of the three fathers of phenomenology—Edmund Husserl, Max Scheler, and Martin Heidegger. The chief focus is on a set of facts about language disorder which undermine many of the philosophical formulations of language over the past century. What is most apparent is the fragility and perverseness of language under psychopathological conditions without much effect on the subject’s general behavior or even grasp of meaning. Subsidiary consideration is given to the relevance of linguistic analysis of the main language disorders in psychopathology, and to the importance of experimental results as opposed to over-arching theories of the nature of language and its breakdown.
State Formation in Precolonial Nigeria
Authors: Obikili Nonso
Published: January 2019

This chapter explores the history of state formation in Nigeria before the colonial era. It explores the various forms that statehood took and the many different factors which influenced how and when states emerged. The chapter examines the importance of geography and its role in decentralized states, the transition to agriculture and the emergence of the Nok culture, international trade and its role in the Kanem-Bornu empire, the importance of military technology in the rise and eventual fall of the Old Oyo empire, and the importance of the transatlantic slave trade. Using different examples, the chapter discusses the mosaic of states across precolonial Nigeria and explores how these factors could have led to their rise and eventual downfall.
The Legislatures in the First and Second Republics
Authors: Olayinka Fashagba Joseph
Published: January 2019

This study examines the Nigerian democratic experience and governance in the First and the Second Republics. The First Republic began in 1960 with a parliamentary constitution bequeathed to the country by Britain. Despite the euphoria of independence, the inability of the political elites to manage the inherited system and maintain inter- and intraparty harmony as well as interethnic understanding led to the democratic reversal of 1966. The military and the political elites reached a consensus between 1976 and 1979 on the need to adopt a presidential system which they considered to have the elements to achieve stability. However, the Second Republic which began with the presidential constitution of 1979 collapsed in 1983. This chapter discusses the legislative politics, executive-legislative relations, and the reasons for the collapse of the republics. It argues that the adversarial politics of the ruling elites undermined both the parliamentary and presidential constitutions of the republics respectively.
Legislative Development and Decadence in the Fourth Republic National Assembly
Authors: Suberu Rotimi
Published: January 2019

The performance of the Nigerian National Assembly in the Fourth Republic has been profoundly ambivalent and contradictory. On one hand, the assembly has passed significant constitutional amendments and electoral reforms, curbed executive abuses, and functioned as a veritable platform for interethnic negotiation and conciliation. On the other hand, the assembly has often abused or underperformed its core functions of legislation, oversight, representation, and constituency engagement, thereby attracting widespread opprobrium for its ineffectiveness, obstructiveness, venality, and impunity. This chapter discusses the assembly’s conflicted record in terms of a disjuncture between its robust empowerment under the 1999 Constitution and its undermining by the corrupt, prebendal undercurrents of Nigerian political economy. Despite the creativity and relevance of current constitutional debates for reforming and improving the legislature, the pervasive and entrenched nature of prebendal structures are likely to make legislative ambivalence a long-term feature of Nigerian governance and politics.
Progress and Setbacks in Nigeria’s Anticorruption Efforts
Authors: Smith Daniel Jordan
Published: January 2019

This chapter focuses on anticorruption efforts in post-independence Nigeria, and primarily on measures adopted since the return to civilian rule in 1999. Progress and setbacks are analyzed in relation to the politics of corruption. Historically, most initiatives by the Nigerian state to fight corruption have been judged to be ineffective and even disingenuous. During the civilian administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, however, many Nigerians perceived what they thought were serious anticorruption efforts. This perception was embodied in the work of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and in its ambitious inaugural chairman, Nuhu Ribadu. Because the Ribadu-led EFCC encapsulated the successes and failures of anticorruption efforts in Nigeria more generally, this chapter examines the EFCC in considerable detail. The final section of the chapter offers a brief overview of some other recent and proposed efforts to combat corruption. The chapter concludes by offering some lessons learned.
From Borno to Sokoto
Authors: Last Murray
Published: January 2019

Once Muslims took over from Copts the trade to the regions around Lake Chad c.1000 ad, the process of Islamization could begin in Kanem and Borno. The state of Borno by the sixteenth century had become dominant in the Lake Chad basin, and Borno’s ruler had been given the title of Caliph. To the west of Borno, under its suzerainty were the savanna trading cities of Hausaland, where the two main merchant networks, one from Birni Ngazargamu in Borno, the other (“Wangara”) from Jenne and Gao (on the River Niger), combined trade with scholarship. By the late eighteenth century, a shaikh of the Qadiriyya brotherhood, ‘Uthman dan Fodio, demanded local rulers be strictly Islamic; this gave rise to four years of jihad and its ultimate success in 1808 led to the establishment of the Sokoto Caliphate, the largest precolonial state in Africa (much larger than today’s northern Nigeria).
Civil Society in Nigeria
Authors: Kew Darren , Kwaja Chris
Published: January 2019

This chapter briefly reviews the development of Nigerian civil society. It demonstrates how its relationship to the state has been central in determining civil society’s structure and overall orientation toward its role in politics. The chapter discerns four “generations” of Nigerian civil society groups, each with its own distinctive character and approach to the state. Overall, the chapter finds strong evidence that civil society has played an important part in democratizing Nigeria, but that its plural character and funding needs have also imposed limits on its ability to have impact when predatory political elites work to undermine these groups.
In the Trenches with Fela
Authors: Osiebe Garhe
Published: January 2019

This chapter focuses on the protest political music works produced between Nigeria’s independence and her redemocratization in 1999. It is an intervention on the unconsciously held view that Fela was the only popular musician who confronted the military and tyrannous leaders of Nigeria between 1960 and his passing in 1997. Whereas Fela’s Afrobeat gained renown as a strong protest category, other forms such as reggae and highlife also provided avenues for popular music protest in the time Fela held the reins. In demonstrating that Fela provides only one piece of the cultural tapestry, the chapter discusses protest political music material outside of Fela’s repertoire, which enriched the sociopolitical space of pre-1999 postcolonial Nigeria.
Women’s Contemporary Struggles for Rights and Representation
Authors: O'Brien Cheryl
Published: January 2019

Although one may expect that democratic transitions lead to improvements in women’s rights based on citizens’ access to democratic policy processes, meaningful policy changes to improve Nigerian women’s daily lives and representation have not been forthcoming or adequate. Since Nigeria’s transition to democracy, an unfavorable interpretation of its “federal principle” has trumped women’s rights, despite a new constitution that prohibits discrimination based on sex. This chapter argues that women’s movements and feminist allies should target Nigeria’s thirty-seven subnational governments to deepen democracy. This decentralized approach should include the creation of effective “gender policy trifectas,” which fit with Nigeria’s national and international commitments to gender equality. An increased and strategic focus on the subnational level should improve women’s descriptive and substantive representation at the subnational and national levels and strengthen Nigeria’s women’s movements, which are critical to achieving meaningful policy changes for Nigerian women, men, and children.
Precolonial Christianity and Missionary Legacies
Authors: Shankar Shobana
Published: January 2019

Nigerian church history has transformed the way global missions and their legacies have been understood. This chapter relies on the work of scholars who view missions as more than tools of colonialism and Nigerian Christianity as more layered than a simple reaction to foreign influences. Nigerian Christianity grew as a challenge to and reassertion of authority. Some initiatives countered foreign missionary and government control, while others were outcomes of power struggles amongst Nigerians. Since 1960, when Nigeria became Africa’s most populous and arguably wealthiest nation, religious dynamics have shaped its major social, cultural, and political transformations. While Nigerians at home are navigating questions of religion in the public sphere, millions of diasporic Nigerians, often as missionaries themselves, are part of the tremendous religious changes occurring globally. Through the lenses of dissent, reform, and renewal, this chapter traces Nigerian Christianity’s unique vibrancy and relevance in the modern era.
Islamic Social Movements and Political Unrest in Nigerian History
Authors: Adesoji Abimbola
Published: January 2019

Islamic movements have emerged nationally and globally with diverse ideologies and strategies but with the seemingly common goal of purifying, promoting, defending, or entrenching the cause of Islam. While some appear to have taken root locally, others were inspired by foreign influence. However, the global nature of the movement and its pervasive influence have ensured that doctrinal teachings, cross-border movements, desire for religious affiliation have played a major role in their growth and impacts. This chapter explores the emergence, growth, and dynamics of Islamic social movement in Nigeria. A major thesis running through the chapter is the impact of earlier movements on latter ones with latter movements attaining higher levels of extremism depending on the available space within which they could operate. The impact of the movements are better seen in the general unrest accompanying their activities and the legacy of recurrent fundamentalism that they left behind.
The Nigerian Civil War and the Biafran Secessionist Revival
Authors: Nwakanma Obi
Published: January 2019

In July 1967, Igbos in the former Eastern Region declared the independent Republic of Biafra, leading to a brutal civil war that lasted until January 1970. The war’s conclusion papered over profound fissures within the nation and left unresolved many issues that led to war in the first place. This chapter examines the unique undercurrents of the Nigerian question and its Biafran unheimlich. What factors generate this new movement for a new Biafra? How have unresolved issues and subsequent political conditions helped revive the new quest for Biafra? Finally it examines the larger question of the fatality of nations that continue to grapple with the complexity and slipperiness of their colonial formations.
The Rise and Decline (and Rise) of the Niger Delta Rebellion
Authors: Adunbi Omolade
Published: January 2019

In the last two decades, the struggles to control the oil resources of the Niger Delta have continued to be defining moments of political organizing in Nigeria. Multinational corporations such as Chevron, Shell, and Mobil, as well as the Nigerian state, engage in practices that result in the production of centralized power to strengthen the state’s hold on oil resources. However, local-level citizens and groups increasingly challenge the marginalization of their oil-producing communities. As their human and environmental rights are suppressed, they adopt alternative means of negotiating survival and other forms of power to assert communal control of their land and resources. This chapter argues that an oil economy and practices associated with it have produced three interrelated moments for Nigeria and the Niger Delta that are rooted in an extractive practice that privileges the state and multinational oil corporations and puts communities where the oil is located at a disadvantage.
Land, Citizenship, and the Laws of Disenfranchisement
Authors: Adefemi Isumonah Victor
Published: January 2019

This chapter discusses the power of indigeneity in citizenship determination in Nigeria. It grants political economy a role but rejects the denial of culture an independent status in citizenship determination. It shows that cultural nationalism retains independence and supremacy over political economy in citizenship determination in Nigeria because the ethnic question is posed as the principal contradiction. Citizenship is cast as ethnic justice based on the equation of individual rights with group rights and in turn with social justice in, ironically, individual-focused distributive system. The power of culture in citizenship determination finds expression in partial and inclusive concepts of indigeneity. The partial concept disenfranchises on a small scale in local and smaller constituencies while the inclusive concept disenfranchises on a bigger scale by denying several groups access to presidential office, effectively watering down Nigeria’s constitutional status of republic.
Nigeria and the World
Authors: Coates Oliver
Published: January 2019

The years 1914–60 witnessed an acceleration and intensification of contacts between Nigerians and the wider world. While some impacts are familiar—global depression of the 1930s, two World Wars, and the emergence of anticolonial nationalism after 1945—other relationships remain obscure. This chapter outlines key developments in Nigerian politics during the colonial period and identifies key political actors. It demonstrates the recurrent importance of Nigerian connections overseas and elsewhere in Africa. Whether as soldiers, Islamic scholars, or nationalist politicians, these international links provided a vital conduit for new ideas, languages, and relationships. A burgeoning trade union movement (after the 1945 General Strike), the critical influence of African-American politics, and renewed contact with the wider Islamic world are key themes. The chapter concludes with a discussion of Northern Nigerians who traveled abroad for the hajj and as students of Islamic history, theology, and the Arabic language.
The Anticolonial Struggle in Nigeria
Authors: Ajayi Rotimi
Published: January 2019

This chapter examines the nationalist struggle in Nigeria. It takes a historical look at the movement and the various factors that facilitated its spread. It argues that while nationalism is often seen as agitation against the colonial order, in precolonial Nigeria the various reactions of its peoples and societies against the incursion of the British into their territories laid the foundation for the latter anticolonial struggle. This chapter further highlights the role of some key actors in the nationalist movement and how their ideological dispositions and personal preferences helped to define the nature of the struggle. It concludes with an assessment of the impact of the nationalist struggle on the post-independence Nigerian society, especially the unending attempts at building and sustaining a true nation out of the Nigerian state.
Impression Management and Self-Presentation Online
Authors: Fullwood Chris
Published: January 2019

The Internet and digital technologies present abundant opportunities for individuals to manage the impressions they make on others. The ubiquitous nature of the Internet means that for most, presenting the self to other individuals via the Internet is a common, usually daily activity. This chapter examines the nature of online impression management through the lens of Goffman’s (1959) self-presentation theory and Leary and Kowalski’s (1990) two-component model of impression management. It provides definitions of impression management and self-presentation and considers where they overlap. It deliberates on the general motivations and processes involved in managing the impressions of others. It reflects on the differences between managing impressions online and offline and the different factors permitting a more flexible approach to self-presentation. It discusses factors that predict people’s propensity to experiment with self-presentation online and concludes with consideration of how a more flexible approach to impression management impacts on the self.
The Christianization of Gaul
Authors: Lefebvre Bastien
Published: January 2019

Based on recent archaeological excavations, this chapter presents an overview of the Christianization of Gaul through buildings and topography. Over the last few decades, our knowledge of the organization of episcopal complexes in cities and funerary areas has been significantly advanced despite the small number of artifacts, many of which are poorly dated. The study of Christianization in the countryside is a more recent development, even though many Roman villas reused by churches in the Early Middle Ages have been excavated. New research shows the greater complexity of the situation, including settlement forms beyond villas and a variety of churches such as episcopal relays, funerary churches, and monasteries.
Armenia
Authors: Maranci Christina
Published: January 2019

The fourth to seventh centuries were formative in the art and culture of Armenia. This era witnessed the conversion of the land to Christianity, the invention of the Armenian alphabet and the consequent development of a literary tradition, the formulation of a specific understanding of the nature of Christ, and the emergence of a striking and robust visual tradition. The architecture, stone sculpture, and mosaic pavements produced during this era attest to the integration of Armenians within the broader Mediterranean and Iranian worlds, and to the development of distinctive artistic forms and practices. This material thus offers powerful testimony of contemporary beliefs, social structures, and political conditions of Armenians living both within the historical homeland and in communities abroad.
The Archaeology of Early Monastic Communities
Authors: Brooks Hedstrom Darlene L.
Published: January 2019

This chapter discusses new developments in the field of monastic archaeology and the archaeology of early monastic settlements. The presence of monastic communities in documentary and literary evidence has produced a wide array of studies of monasticism, but very few of these have considered the purpose-built environments or the remodeled natural environments for monastic habitation. This chapter therefore considers examples from Egypt, Gaza, Britain, and Ireland to illustrate the history of archaeological study of monastic life and the importance of integrating monastic archaeology into broader categories dealing with landscape, urbanization, and connectivity from the fourth century through the tenth century.
EpigramsandThe Forest
Authors: West Philip
Published: January 2019

Jonson’s first two collections of poetry, Epigrams and The Forest, were instrumental in creating a new and influential style of English poetry in the early seventeenth century. This chapter explores the exemplary and satirical functions of Epigrams, reading them in the light of Jonson’s relationships with the poems’ recipients and subjects, his epideictic poetics, and his opinions on ‘the old way and the true’ to write epigrammatically. Emphasizing their circulation first as manuscript texts and subsequently as part of Jonson’s printed Works (1616), the chapter examines the importance the poems attach to ‘naming’ the virtuous and praiseworthy, and to effecting moral reformation through satire. Comparing The Forest, a shorter but more generically diverse collection than Epigrams, it shows how the two works can be read as companion pieces exploring the nature of poetry, power, and relationships.
Minimalism in Morphological Theories
Authors: Fábregas Antonio
Published: January 2019

This chapter reviews the main theories and proposals that in current debates have received a substantial influence from the so-called Minimalist Program (Chomsky 1995). This research program has been reflected in different types of morphological theories through three main properties: (i) a change in focus from the internal rules of combination of heads to the interface properties of morphological structures and the influence that third factor considerations have on them; (ii) a trend to derive, rather than to postulate as a lexical property, as many properties of morphological objects as possible, and (iii) a trend to remove from the computational system some classical morphological properties, such as agreement, in order to associate them to the externalization component of grammar.
Conceptual Framework for an Episode of Rehabilitative Care After Surgical Repair of Hip Fracture
Authors: Sheehan Katie J , Smith Toby O , Martin Finbarr C , Johansen Antony , Drummond Avril , Beaupre Lauren , Magaziner Jay , Whitney Julie , Hommel Ami , Cameron Ian D , Price Iona , Sackley Catherine
Published: January 2019

Researchers face a challenge when evaluating the effectiveness of rehabilitation after a surgical procedure for hip fracture. Reported outcomes of rehabilitation will vary depending on the end point of the episode of care. Evaluation at an inappropriate end point might suggest a lack of effectiveness leading to the underuse of rehabilitation that could improve outcomes. The purpose of this article is to describe a conceptual framework for a continuum-care episode of rehabilitation after a surgical procedure for hip fracture. Definitions are proposed for the index event, end point, and service scope of the episode. Challenges in defining the episode of care and operationalizing the episode, and next steps for researchers are discussed. The episode described is intended to apply to all patients eligible for entry to rehabilitation after hip fracture and includes most functional recovery end points. This framework will provide a guide for rehabilitation researchers when designing and interpreting evaluations of the effectiveness of rehabilitation after hip fracture. Evaluation of all potential care episodes facilitates transparency in reporting of outcomes, enabling researchers to determine the true effectiveness of rehabilitation after a surgical procedure for hip fracture.
Focus on Activation, Regulation, and Evolution of MTI and ETI
Authors: McDowell John M.
Published: January 2019

Plants perceive a variety of molecules produced by microbes, insects, and nematodes. These pathogen-derived components include so-called microbe-associated molecular patterns, or MAMPs, as well as effector proteins that are secreted to the exterior or interior of plant cells and these molecules can be recognized by receptor protein complexes on the exterior or interior of plant cells, thereby activating MAMP- or effector-triggered immunity (MTI or ETI, respectively). Because these processes are key components of plant disease resistance, they have been studied intensively. We are now in a golden age of ETI and MTI research, in which mechanistic and evolutionary understanding of both processes is emerging rapidly. Accordingly, in this Focus issue , we explore diverse aspects of MTI and ETI, with a unifying theme of integration at multiple levels.

Additional content is available on the Focus on Activation, Regulation, and Evolution of MTI and ETI.

Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphatase 1 (MKP1) Negatively Regulates the Production of Reactive Oxygen Species During Arabidopsis Immune Responses

Development of a Pseudomonas syringae–Arabidopsis Suspension Cell Infection System for Investigating Host Metabolite-Dependent Regulation of Type III Secretion and Pattern-Triggered Immunity

Direct Regulation of the EFR-Dependent Immune Response by Arabidopsis TCP Transcription Factors

Convergent Evolution of Effector Protease Recognition by Arabidopsis and Barley
Effect of Cell-Free DNA Screening vs Direct Invasive Diagnosis on Miscarriage Rates in Women With Pregnancies at High Risk of Trisomy 21: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Malan Valérie , Bussières Laurence , Winer Norbert , Jais Jean-Philippe , Baptiste Amandine , Le Lorc'h Marc , Elie Caroline , O'Gorman Neil , Fries Nicolas , Houfflin-Debarge Véronique , Sentilhes Loic , Vekemans Michel , Ville Yves , Salomon Laurent J.
Published: January 2019

(Abstracted from JAMA 2018;320(6):557–565)

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) tests are increasingly offered to women at increased risk of trisomy 21 to decrease the number of required invasive fetal karyotyping procedures and their associated miscarriages. The effect of this strategy has not been evaluated prospectively when compared with invasive diagnostic testing.
Negative Effects of Long-duration Spaceflight on Paraspinal Muscle Morphology
Authors: Burkhart Katelyn , Allaire Brett , Bouxsein Mary L.
Published: January 2019

Study Design.

Prospective case series.

Objective.

Determine the extent of paraspinal muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and attenuation change after long-duration spaceflight and recovery on Earth. Determine association between in-flight exercise and muscle atrophy.

Summary of Background Data.

Long-duration spaceflight leads to marked muscle atrophy. However, another negative consequence of disuse is intramuscular fatty infiltration. Notably, few studies have investigated the effects of spaceflight on intramuscular fatty infiltration, or how muscle atrophy is associated with in-flight exercise.

Methods.

We analyzed computed tomography scans of the lumbar spine (L1/L2) from 17 long-duration astronauts and cosmonauts to determine paraspinal muscle CSA and attenuation. Computed tomography scans were collected preflight, postflight, 1-year postflight, and, in a subset, 2 to 4 years postflight. We measured CSA (mm2) and attenuation (Hounsfield Units) of the erector spinae (ES), multifidus (MF), psoas (PS), and quadratus lumborum (QL) muscles. We used paired t tests to compare muscle morphology at each postflight time point to preflight values and Pearson correlation coefficients to determine the association between muscle changes and in-flight exercise.

Results.

ES, MF, and QL CSA and attenuation were significantly decreased postflight compared with preflight (−4.6% to −8.4% and −5.9% to −8.8%, respectively, p < 0.05 for all). CSA of these muscles equaled or exceeded preflight values upon Earth recovery, however QL and PS attenuation remained below preflight values at 2 to 4 years postflight. More resistance exercise was associated with less decline in ES and MF CSA, but greater decline in PS CSA. Increased cycle ergometer exercise was associated with less decline of QL CSA. There were no associations between in-flight exercise and muscle attenuation.

Conclusion.

Both CSA and attenuation of paraspinal muscles decline after long-duration spaceflight, but while CSA returns to preflight values within 1 year of recovery, PS and QL muscle attenuation remain reduced even 2 to 4 years postflight. Spaceflight-induced changes in paraspinal muscle morphology may contribute to back pain commonly reported in astronauts.

Level of Evidence: 4
All-Arthroscopic Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Ligamentoplasty for Chronic DRUJ Instability
Authors: Carratalá Baixauli Vicente , Lucas García Francisco J. , Martínez Andrade Cristóbal , Carratalá Baixauli Rogelio , Guisasola Lerma Eva , Corella Montoya Fernando
Published: January 2019

Peripheral injuries of the triangular fibrocartilage complex can produce pain and instability of the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ). There are several techniques for the repair or reconstruction of these injuries, which vary depending on the location, healing capacity, and viability of the tissues, as described by the classification proposed by Atzei. In irreparable chronic injuries of the triangular fibrocartilage complex in which there are no associated chondral injuries of the DRUJ or in failures in previous repair techniques, ligament reconstruction plasty with tendon grafts, either by open surgery or assisted by arthroscopy, are the treatments of choice. We present a completely arthroscopic reconstruction technique of the triangular fibrocartilage complex by means of tendon graft to provide stability to the DRUJ. This reconstruction technique provides a more stable reconstruction after the integration of the tendon plasty in the bone tunnels, based on the anatomic insertions of the triangular fibrocartilage in the fovea and in the corners of the dorsal and volar sigmoid notch, along with the advantages offered by arthroscopy in terms of recovery time, esthetic result, less mobility loss, and pain.
Central Corneal Thickness Variances Among Different Asian Ethnicities in Glaucoma and Nonglaucoma Patients
Authors: Badr Mai , Masis Solano Marisse , Amoozgar Behzad , Nguyen Anwell , Porco Travis , Lin Shan
Published: January 2019

Objective:

To compare the central corneal thickness (CCT) between different ethnicities and particularly Asian subethnic groups that may contribute to the different glaucoma diagnoses using the optical low-coherence reflectometry technique.

Methods:

A retrospective study of 6 years including 1512 eyes of 929 patients of the Beckman vision center, University of California, San Francisco from 2011 to 2017 had their biometric parameters, including CCT, measured with the Lenstar. Patients were categorized into African Americans, Caucasians, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, and Asians. Asians were further subcategorized into Chinese, Vietnamese, Koreans, Filipinos, and Japanese.

Results:

Among 1356 patients who had their CCT measured by Lenstar from 2011 to 2017, 1512 eyes of 929 patients were included. The study population included 462 Caucasians (52.96%), 60 African Americans (6.46%), 92 Hispanics (9.9%), 32 Pacific Islanders (3.44%), 130 Chinese (13.99%), 52 Filipinos (5.6%), 37 Vietnamese (3.98%), 34 Koreans (3.66%), and 30 Japanese (3.23%). African Americans had the thinnest CCT with a mean of 518.62±40.3 followed by Asians with a mean of 539.29±34.1. Among the Asian study sample, the Chinese had the thinnest CCT with a mean of 537.66±32.5. CCT was adjusted for age, sex, glaucoma diagnosis, diabetes status, and prostaglandin analogs use for >12 months.

Conclusions:

Optical low-coherence reflectometry is a widely used technology, which can measure CCT. Our study confirms that African Americans have the thinnest corneas followed by Asians. In the latter group, relatively thin CCT may partly explain their high rates of normal-tension glaucoma.
The Impacts of the ACA Medicaid Expansions on Cancer Screening Use by Primary Care Provider Supply
Authors: Lyu Wei , Wehby George L.
Published: January 2019

Background:

Recent studies of the impacts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansions on cancer screening use have mostly found insignificant effects. We posit that these findings mask meaningful heterogeneity in impacts depending on availability of primary care providers.

Objective:

This study examined the impacts of the ACA Medicaid expansions on cancer screening use separately by state-level supply of primary care providers.

Research Design:

We used data from the 2012 and 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys to measure use of mammograms, Pap smear tests, blood stool tests, and sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy for age groups recommended receiving these tests. The main analytical sample included 24,878–31,890 individuals with household income below 138% Federal Poverty Line. We used a difference-in-differences design comparing pre-post expansion changes in cancer screening use between expanding and nonexpanding states separately for 2 state groups defined by the median proportion of the state population residing in primary health professional shortage areas: low primary care provider supply (above median) and high supply (below median).

Results:

Medicaid expansions were associated with significant increases in mammograms (11.4 percentage-points), Pap smear tests (6.9 percentage-points), and sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy use (8.3 percentage-points) in states with high supply of primary care providers. In contrast, effects were small and insignificant in low supply states.

Conclusions:

ACA Medicaid expansions were associated with increased cancer screening use only in states with high supply of primary care providers. Improving access for Medicaid beneficiaries in provider shortage areas may require coupling coverage expansions with supply-side interventions to increase provider availability.
Long-term Outcome of MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound Treatment and Laparoscopic Myomectomy for Symptomatic Uterine Fibroid Tumors
Authors: Mohr-Sasson Aya , Machtinger Ronit , Mashiach Roy , Nir Omer , Inbar Yael , Maliyanker Nirit , Goldenberg Motti , Rabinovici Jaron
Published: January 2019

(Abstracted from Am J Obstet Gynecol 2018;219:375.e1–375.e7)

Fibroid tumors occur in up to 25% of reproductive-age women and are the most common benign tumors in this age group. The majority of fibroid tumors are asymptomatic and are discovered incidentally during clinical examination or imaging.
Single-Cell Multi-omics Sequencing of Human Early Embryos
Authors: Li Lin , Guo Fan , Gao Yun , Ren Yixin , Yuan Peng , Yan Liying , Li Rong , Lian Ying , Li Jingyun , Hu Boqiang , Gao Junpeng , Wen Lu , Tang Fuchou , Qiao Jie
Published: January 2019

(Abstracted from Nat Cell Biol 2018;20:847–858)

DNA methylation and chromatin states are critical epigenetic indicators in embryogenesis that have been extensively studied during mouse preimplantation development. DNA methylation dynamics and parental allele-specific DNA methylation in human preimplantation embryos have been analyzed thoroughly; however, chromatin remodeling, parental allele-specific chromatin accessibility, and interrelationships between these omics are not well understood.
Speech Outcomes After LeFort I Advancement Among Cleft Lip and Palate Patients
Authors: Schultz Kelly P. , Braun Tara L. , Hernandez Cristina , Wilson Kristina D. , Moore Ellen E. , Wirthlin John O. , Dempsey Robert F. , Buchanan Edward P. , Monson Laura A.
Published: January 2019

Background

Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) results from incomplete closure of the velopharyngeal (VP) sphincter with oral pressure consonants during speech. Maxillary hypoplasia is common among cleft children and often requires LeFort I advancement. This results in anterior movement of the soft palate with the bony maxillary segment. Consequently, the size of the VP sphincter is increased and may result postoperative VPI or worsening of prior VPI. To better counsel our patients and their families of the risk of VPI after LeFort I advancement, we chose to evaluate our own cohort.

Methods

We conducted an institutional review board–approved prospective review of all cleft children presenting to Texas Children's Hospital who underwent LeFort I advancement after previous palatoplasty between 2013 and 2016 in a three-surgeon, consecutive patient series. Data collected included age, sex, ethnicity, cleft type, prior secondary speech surgery, presence of preoperative fistula, planned distance of advancement, orthognathic surgery performed, and any concurrent procedures performed. Primary outcomes measured included preoperative and postoperative VP function and hypernasality as measured by a certified speech pathologist.

Results

Velopharyngeal function was unchanged in 67% of our cohort after LeFort I advancement. Of those patients, 83% had evidence of VPI preoperatively, and 17% had normal speech preoperatively. Twenty-two percent of the patients displayed worsening VP function after surgery, and 6% displayed evidence of improvement. Velopharyngeal function was unable to be assessed in 6% of patients. Nasality ratings worsened in 39% of patients, were unchanged in 39%, and improved in 22%. Of the patients with incompetent VP function after surgery, 50% already received or are currently scheduled for secondary speech surgery, 25% declined secondary surgery, and 25% are pending scheduling.

Conclusions

Although VP function remains unchanged in a majority of patients after LeFort I advancement, VPI should be carefully screened for after surgery. If detected, secondary operations to correct speech should be strongly considered.
Quantitative Assessment of Blood Flow in the Gastric Conduit With Thermal Imaging for Esophageal Reconstruction
Authors: Nishikawa Katsunori , Fujita Tetsuji , Yuda Masami , Tanaka Yujiro , Matsumoto Akira , Tanishima Yuichiro , Hanyu Nobuyoshi , Yanaga Katsuhiko
Published: January 2019

Objective:

The study's primary aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of thermal imaging (TI) and its secondary aim was to compare TI and indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence angiography, with respect to the evaluation of the viability of the gastric conduit.

Summary Background Data:

The optimal method for evaluating perfusion in the gastric conduit for esophageal reconstruction has not been established.

Methods:

We reviewed the prospectively collected data of 263 patients who had undergone esophagectomy with gastric conduit reconstruction. TI was used in all patients. ICG fluorescence was concomitantly used in 24 patients to aid comparison with TI. A cut-off value of the anastomotic viability index (AVI) was calculated using the receiver operating characteristic curve in TI.

Results:

Anastomotic leak was significantly less common in patients with AVI > 0.61 compared with those with AVI ≤ 0.61 (2% vs 28%, P
< 0.001). Microvascular augmentation was performed in 20 patients with a low AVI score and/or preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Overall ability was comparable between TI and ICG fluorescence regarding the qualitative evaluation of the gastric conduit. However, TI was superior in the quantitative assessment of viability.

Conclusions:

TI could delineate the area of good perfusion in the gastric conduit for esophageal reconstruction, which can help identify patients at high risk of anastomotic leak.
Experiences of People With Type 2 Diabetes Using Flexible Intensive Insulin Therapy
Authors: Bisanz Kimberly J. , Lanningham-Foster Lorraine
Published: January 2019

Flexible intensive insulin therapy (FIIT) has demonstrated favorable results on quality of life and glycemic control for people with type 1 diabetes mellitus. People with type 2 diabetes mellitus using basal-bolus insulin may also benefit from FIIT, but little research exists on use of FIIT in this population. This pilot study explored the experiences of persons with type 2 diabetes who were new users of FIIT. Study outcomes suggest FIIT is safe and effective in this population. Dietitians are well-positioned to help select appropriate candidates for this diabetes self-management approach. In addition, dietitians can contribute to success rates with counseling and carbohydrate education.
Exploring the oxygen sensitivity of wetland soil carbon mineralization
Authors: Chapman Samantha K. , Hayes Matthew A. , Kelly Brendan , Langley J. Adam
Published: January 2019

Soil oxygen availability may influence blue carbon, which is carbon stored in coastal wetlands, by controlling the decomposition of soil organic matter. We are beginning to quantify soil oxygen availability in wetlands, but we lack a precise understanding of how oxygen controls soil carbon dynamics. In this paper, we synthesize existing data from oxic and anoxic wetland soil incubations to determine how oxygen controls carbon mineralization. We define the oxygen sensitivity of carbon mineralization as the ratio of carbon mineralization rate in oxic soil to this rate in anoxic soil, such that higher values of this ratio indicate greater sensitivity of carbon mineralization to oxygen. The estimates of oxygen sensitivity we derived from existing literature show a wide range of ratios, from 0.8 to 33, across wetlands. We then report oxygen sensitivities from an experimental mesocosm we developed to manipulate soil oxygen status in realistic soils. The variation in oxygen sensitivity we uncover from this systematic review and experiment indicates that Earth system models may misrepresent the oxygen sensitivity of carbon mineralization, and how it varies with context, in wetland soils. We suggest that altered soil oxygen availability could be an important driver of future blue carbon storage in coastal wetlands.
The effects of rainforest fragment area on the strength of plant–pathogen interactions
Authors: Viswanathan Ashwin , Ghazoul Jaboury , Honwad Ganesh , Kumar N. Arun , Bagchi Robert
Published: January 2019

Pathogenic interactions between fungi and plants facilitate plant species coexistence and tropical rainforest diversity. Such interactions, however, may be affected by forest fragmentation as fungi are susceptible to anthropogenic disturbance. To examine how fragmentation affects fungus-induced seed and seedling mortality, we sowed seeds of six plant species in soils collected from 21 forest fragments. We compared seedling establishment in unmanipulated soils to soils treated with fungicides. Fungicides increased germination of
Toona ciliata
seeds and decreased mortality of
Syzygium rubicundum
and
Olea dioica
seedlings. The fungus-induced mortality of one of these species,
S. rubicundum
, decreased with decreasing fragment size, indicating that its interactions with pathogenic fungi may weaken as fragments become smaller. We provide evidence that a potential diversity-maintaining plant–fungus interaction weakens in small forest fragments and suggest that such disruptions may have important long-term consequences for plant diversity. However, we emphasize the need for further research across rainforest plant communities to better understand the future of diversity in fragmented rainforest landscapes.
Response of insect swarms to dynamic illumination perturbations
Authors: Sinhuber Michael , van der Vaart Kasper , Ouellette Nicholas T.
Published: January 2019

Many animal species across taxa spontaneously form aggregations that exhibit collective behaviour. In the wild, these collective systems are unavoidably influenced by ubiquitous environmental perturbations such as wind gusts, acoustic and visual stimuli, or the presence of predators or other animals. The way these environmental perturbations influence the animals' collective behaviour, however, is poorly understood, in part because conducting controlled quantitative perturbation experiments in natural settings is challenging. To circumvent the need for controlling environmental conditions in the field, we study swarming midges in a laboratory experiment where we have full control over external perturbations. Here, we consider the effect of controlled variable light exposure on the swarming behaviour. We find that not only do individuals in the swarm respond to light changes by speeding up during brighter conditions but also the swarm as a whole responds to these perturbations by compressing and simultaneously increasing the attraction of individual midges to its centre of mass. The swarm-level response can be described by making an analogy to classical thermodynamics, with the state of the swarm moving along an isotherm in a thermodynamic phase plane.