bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An assessment of the relationship between private security companies and the police in crime prevention in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria
Authors: Chinwokwu Eke Chijioke
Published: March 2018

This study examined the relationship between private security companies (PSCs) and the police during crime prevention in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria. The study elicited data from 1500 randomly selected respondents to a self-administered survey. Data were further collected through purposive in-depth interviews. Descriptive statistics was used for data analysis. The results showed that operational collaboration and networking between PSCs and the police during crime-prevention strategies in Lagos Metropolis were imperative for achieving a crime-free society. The study shows that PSCs and the police are in a collaborative relationship that has had a positive impact on the reduction in crime; however, synergy between PSCs and the police is weak. The study further found that areas in which PSCs and the police collaborate include: escort duties, static guards, investigation, crowd control and patrol duties. The study also showed that most of the respondents identified areas of future collaboration and improvement between PSCs and the police, including: training, intelligence sharing, investigation and prosecution. The study findings show that both PSCs and the police see their relationship as cordial and complementary, although sometimes unequal and competitive. The study highlights a need to improve interagency collaboration and networking; strengthen collaboration between PSCs and the police; and pool technical resources to fight crime in Lagos Metropolis in particular, and Nigeria in general.
Symmetry and equality: Bringing Rancière into the classroom
Authors: Skarpenes Ove , Sæverot Ane Malene
Published: March 2018

Jacques Rancière’s sophisticated critique of critical theory is the first step in his call for a renewal of a theory of emancipation. In the first part of the article, the authors outline this critique. Rancière combines pedagogy, art and policy in his attempt to develop a new understanding of equality and emancipation. The authors try as conscientiously as possible to present this argument in the second part of the article. Social and cultural inequalities are increasing in Western societies and have become inconspicuous in schools, and it is against this backdrop that a theory of equality and emancipation is important in regard to early childhood. How can equality be unfolded and interpreted, and put to use for young children? The article advances a case for greater consideration of the emancipation aspects of Rancière’s theory.
The gender-related experience of frontline Israeli male social workers
Authors: Segev Einav , Lander Alvin
Published: March 2018

This article aims to further research on diversity within social work. It examines the gender-related experiences of frontline Israeli male social workers who practice within the context of a female-oriented profession. Eighteen in-depth interviews were conducted in order to explore gender-related experiences as social work practitioners, within the context of participants’ life stories.

Findings

Three themes were identified as central in the interface between social work and gender: (a) the struggle involved in choosing the social work profession; (b) social work as a home for their emotional life; and (c) the complexities of coping with a female-dominated profession. Findings are discussed within the context of masculinity, highlighting the continual process of adaptation and renewal of masculinity in the male social workers professional development.

Applications

Recommendations are provided for social work academic institutions and agencies to further assist males on this important journey.
From education segregation to inclusion: The policy ramifications on Chinese internal migrant children
Authors: Liu Ting , Laura Ronald S
Published: March 2018

The aim of this paper is to analyze a specific array of publicly accessible policy papers and literature necessary to provide a contextualized interpretation of segregation policies and their implications for the educational outcomes of migrant children in China. By teasing out its ramifications for education equity, this paper reveals the unanticipated current challenges resulting from educational inclusion for migrant children in urban China. The paper argues that although China’s new migration reform policies are well-intentioned and appear rationally apposite at the macro level, migrant children are presently experiencing institutional forms of acute marginality and discrimination in inclusive schools. It is to be hoped that the information provided will serve to advance governmental and institutional understanding of the subtleties of inequity that have arisen from the current policy of Chinese urbanization. Given the insights evinced in our paper, it should be evident that achieving equity for migrant children under the present policy reforms governing their admission into integrated public schools requires more philosophical reflection than has yet been given.
Toward an Intergenerational Model for Tobacco-Focused CBPR: Integrating Youth Perspectives via Photovoice
Authors: Petteway Ryan J. , Sheikhattari Payam , Wagner Fernando
Published: March 2018

The growing prominence of community-based participatory research (CBPR) presents as an opportunity to improve tobacco-related intervention efforts. CBPR collaborations for tobacco/health, however, typically engage only adults, thus affording only a partial understanding of community context as related to tobacco. This is problematic given evidence around age of tobacco use initiation and the influence of local tobacco environments on youth. The CEASE and Resist youth photovoice project was developed as part of the Communities Engaged and Advocating for a Smoke-free Environment (CEASE) CBPR collaboration in Southwest Baltimore. With the broader CEASE initiative focused on adult smoking cessation, CEASE and Resist had three aims: (1) elucidate how youth from a high-tobacco-burden community perceive/interact with their local tobacco environment, (2) train youth as active change agents for tobacco-related community health, and (3) improve intergenerational understandings of tobacco use/impacts within the community. Fourteen youth were recruited from three schools and trained in participatory research and photography ethics/guiding principles. Youth met at regular intervals to discuss and narrate their photos. This article provides an overview of what their work revealed/achieved and discusses how including participatory youth research within traditionally adult-focused work can facilitate intergenerational CBPR for sustainable local action on tobacco and community health.
An Integrative Review of Bullying and Lateral Violence Among Nurses in Magnet® Organizations
Authors: Pfeifer Lauren E. , Vessey Judith A.
Published: March 2018

Over the past several years, researchers have postulated that Magnet® organizations improve collegiality and potentially could mitigate workplace bullying and lateral violence (BLV). In order to synthesize and evaluate the existing literature on BLV in the Magnet® setting, an integrative review was conducted. The final analysis consisted of 11 articles (8 quantitative and 3 qualitative studies) and revealed that researchers still use a variety of terms to define and measure BLV. Several of the studies used blended samples of both Magnet® and non-Magnet nurses, making it difficult to evaluate for response differences. The existing studies suggest that BLV continues to exist and remain a large issue even in the Magnet® setting (Hickson, 2013; Latham, Ringl, & Hogan, 2013). Future studies should examine the prevalence of BLV in both Magnet® and non-Magnet organizations and also explore the organizational factors that reduce its occurrence.
“Public Service” and the Journalism Crisis: Is the BBC the Answer?
Authors: Freedman Des
Published: March 2018

Professional journalism is under extraordinary pressure: not only are its traditional business models under enormous strain but it is also regularly accused by the Right of peddling ‘fake news’ and criticized by the Left for failing to play a robust monitorial role. In this situation, there is a temptation to see public service media, and the BBC in particular, as beacons of light in an otherwise gloomy picture. This article attempts to provide a note of caution to those who see the public service model as the most effective means of holding power to account and as the most desirable alternative to the flawed news cultures of both commercial and authoritarian landscapes. It considers some of the structural and institutional factors that constrain the BBC’s journalism and suggests that its intimate relationship with elite power has long undermined its ability to act as a reliable and independent check on power.
Wheelchair Accessibility—Living the Experience: Function in the Community
Authors: McClain Linda , Cram Adele , Wood Jennifer , Taylor Michelle
Published: March 2018

In this study, we explored the perceptions of three people who use wheelchairs (an elderly person, a mid-life business owner, and a child) about the current architectural accessibility issues in their communities. Employing naturalistic inquiry design, we also explored the participants’ perceptions about the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) on their access to public goods and services. The data were generated from in-depth interviews. The data revealed that the participants were not well-informed about the ADA standards and, therefore, were uninformed of their civil rights, although they were knowledgeable about architectural accessibility problems and recent improvements. They also identified issues of social roles and relationships relative to accessibility and physical barriers. Understanding the perceptions of three individuals from different age ranges may have implications for the role of rehabilitation personnel, and occupational therapists in particular, in providing education and empowerment to bridge entry or re-entry into community settings for people who rely on wheelchairs for mobility.
Inertial measurement unit–aided dual-frequency radio frequency identification localization in line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight hybrid environment
Authors: Wu Jie , Zhu Minghua , Xiao Bo , He Wei
Published: March 2018

The mitigation of non-line-of-sight propagation conditions is one of main challenges in wireless signal–based indoor localization. When radio frequency identification localization technology is applied in applications, the received signal strength fluctuates frequently due to the shade and multipath effect of radio frequency signal, which could result in localization inaccuracy. In particular, when tag carriers are walking in line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight hybrid environment, great attenuation of received signal strength will happen, which would result in great positioning deviation. The article puts forward a dual-frequency radio frequency identification–based indoor localization approach in line-of-sight–non-line-of-sight hybrid environment with the help of inertial measurement unit. Dual-frequency radio frequency identification includes passive radio frequency identification and active radio frequency identification. Passive radio frequency identification is used to assist in determining the tag initial location with passive reader. Active radio frequency identification is used to locate the tag and send the sensor information to active radio frequency identification readers. The proposed method includes three improvements over previous received signal strength–based positioning methods: inertial measurement unit–aided received signal strength filtering, inertial measurement unit–aided line-of-sight/non-line-of-sight distinguishing, and inertial measurement unit–aided line-of-sight/non-line-of-sight environment switching. Also, Cramér–Rao low bound is calculated to prove theoretically that indoor positioning accuracy for the proposed method in line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight mixed environment is higher than position precision using only received signal strength information. Experiments are conducted to show that the proposed method can reduce the mean positioning error to around 3 m without site survey.
Cluster-based efficient information dissemination in dynamic networks
Authors: Yang Zhiwei , Wu Weigang , Li Yong , Chen Yishun
Published: March 2018

Dynamic network is an abstraction of networks with frequent topology changes arising from node mobility or other reasons. In this article, we first propose a dynamic network model, named ( T, L)-HiNet, to extend existing dynamic network models with clusters. ( T, L)-HiNet includes several properties defining the stability of cluster hierarchy in a dynamic network, including cluster head set, cluster member set and the connections among them. Based on ( T, L)-HiNet, we design several hierarchical information dissemination algorithms for different scenarios of dynamics. Furthermore, we extend the ( T, L)-HiNet model and corresponding algorithms in two directions, that is, stability of cluster head set and cluster size. The correctness of our algorithms is proved rigorously, and their performance is evaluated via both numerical analysis and simulations. The results show that compared with the algorithm recently proposed by Kuhn et al., our design can significantly reduce communication cost and also time cost.
Mackintosh lecture—: Association and cognition: Two processes, one system
Authors: McLaren IPL , McAndrew Amy , Angerer Katharina , McLaren Rossy , Forrest Charlotte , Bowditch Will , Monsell Stephen , Verbruggen Frederick
Published: March 2018

This article argues that the dual-process position can be a useful first approximation when studying human mental life, but it cannot be the whole truth. Instead, we argue that cognition is built on association, in that associative processes provide the fundamental building blocks that enable propositional thought. One consequence of this position is to suggest that humans are able to learn associatively in a similar fashion to a rat or a pigeon, but another is that we must typically suppress the expression of basic associative learning in favour of rule-based computation. This stance conceptualises us as capable of symbolic computation but acknowledges that, given certain circumstances, we will learn associatively and, more importantly, be seen to do so. We present three types of evidence that support this position: The first is data on human Pavlovian conditioning that directly support this view. The second is data taken from task-switching experiments that provide convergent evidence for at least two modes of processing, one of which is automatic and carried out “in the background.” And the last suggests that when the output of propositional processes is uncertain, the influence of associative processes on behaviour can manifest.
Generalisation decrement and not overshadowing by associative competition among pairs of landmarks in a navigation task with humans
Authors: Sansa Joan , Aznar-Casanova J Antonio , Rodríguez Clara A , Chamizo Victoria D
Published: March 2018

In three experiments, a virtual preparation for humans of the Morris water task (VMWT) was used. Experiment 1 established that four landmarks were of similar salience. Then, in Experiments 2 and 3, participants were trained to locate a hidden platform in the presence or either two or four of the previous landmarks. In Experiment 2, one pair of groups was trained with four visual landmarks spaced at equal intervals around the edge of the pool, while a second pair was trained with two landmarks only, either relatively close to or far from the hidden platform. After training, a reciprocal overshadowing effect was found: on a test without the platform with two landmarks only (either close to or far from the platform position), the participants trained with four landmarks spent less time in the platform quadrant than those trained with only two. Finally, Experiment 3 showed that at least participants trained with two landmarks relatively close to the platform and then tested with four also performed worse on test than those trained and tested with two close landmarks only. This result suggests that generalisation decrement, rather than associative competition, could provide a sufficient explanation for the overshadowing observed in Experiment 2 in the proximal groups. The present set of experiments extend, although only partially, the generalisation decrement results documented in rats to human participants.
Appraisal of the role of radical prostatectomy for rhabdomyosarcoma in children: oncological and urological outcome
Authors: Angelini Lorenzo , Bisogno Gianni , Esposito Ciro , Castagnetti Marco
Published: March 2018

The latest multimodal protocols for treatment of bladder/prostate rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) have shifted the goal of treatment from patient survival to bladder preservation. Consistently, partial resections, such as radical prostatectomy (RP), are favoured when surgery is deemed necessary. We sought to determine the oncological risks – that is, failure to achieve disease control – and the possible benefits in terms of urinary continence associated with RP in RMS patients based on a review of our experience and the data reported in the literature. We identified 18 children undergoing RP for RMS (3 at our institution, 15 in the literature). In five cases, a pubectomy/symphisiotomy was performed to improve surgical exposure. Two cases experienced local relapse, suggesting that this approach can be viable to achieve local control. No clear-cut indications could be extrapolated from the literature, however, to determine how to select the patients most suitable for this approach. We offered this treatment to patients with evidence of disease localized only within the prostate on radiological and endoscopic re-assessment after chemo-/radio-therapy. Eight of the 18 cases (44%) eventually required lower urinary tract reconstruction, suggesting that often this approach does not allow for the preservation of urinary continence with volitional voiding. Finally, data about additional interesting outcomes such as erectile function and fertility in RMS patients undergoing RP are extremely sparse.
Damage evaluation of ultra-high performance concrete columns after blast loads
Authors: Li Jun , Wu Chengqing
Published: March 2018

As emerging advanced construction material, ultra-high performance concretes have seen increasing field applications over the past two decades to take advantages of their ultra-high mechanical strength and durability; yet the systematic study on its dynamic behaviour under impact and blast loads is not commonly seen. This article presents an experimental and numerical study on the static and dynamic behaviour of an existing ultra-high performance concrete material. Experimental study on its flexural behaviour under static loads is conducted and an inverse study is carried out to derive its uniaxial tensile constitutive law. The derived relationship is used in the material model in hydro-code LS-DYNA together with dynamic material properties to study ultra-high performance concrete columns under blast loads. The residual loading capacity of the column is studied and pressure–impulse diagrams for assessing the ultra-high performance concrete column damage under blast loads are proposed. Parametric study on effects of ultra-high performance concrete strength, column height, cross-section size and reinforcement ratio is performed and analytical equations are proposed for generating pressure–impulse diagrams for generic ultra-high performance concrete columns.
Pre-stroke undiagnosed dysphagia lusoria as a rare cause of aspiration pneumonia with respiratory failure in a stroke patient
Authors: Spatenkova Vera , Krejzarova Pavlina , Jedlicka Jaroslav
Published: March 2018

Introduction:

Dysphagia is a risk factor for aspiration pneumonia and acute respiratory failure in acute stroke patients. Dysphagia lusoria is caused by compression on the esophagus from artery lusoria, when the aberrant right subclavian artery arises from the descending aortic arch. We present a rare case report of pre-stroke undiagnosed dysphagia lusoria as a cause of aspiration pneumonia with acute respiratory failure in a 67-year-old female patient admitted with a minor left intracerebral hemorrhage in the left basal ganglia. On admission to the stroke unit, she had Glasgow Coma Scale of 15, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale of 8, and a negative screening test for dysphagia, dysphasia, and right-sided hemiparesis. After 16 h of admission, dyspnea suddenly occurred with a decrease in SpO2 (72%). X-ray of the lungs showed less ventilated areas of the lung due to aspiration pneumonia and a broad disfigured shadow of the anterior mediastinum on the base of the lusoria artery. Dysphagia lusoria was confirmed by spiral computed tomography angiography.

Conclusion:

One aim of neurocritical care is the prevention of pneumonia from dysphagia due to risk of acute respiratory failure and secondary brain damage. Pre-stroke undiagnosed dysphagia lusoria could be one very rare cause. A broad disfigured shadow of the anterior mediastinum in X-ray of the lungs gives rise to the first suspicion of the possibility of dysphagia lusoria.
Development of benchmark quality criteria for assessing whole‐endoscopy Barrett's esophagus biopsy cases
Authors: van der Wel MJ , Duits LC , Klaver E , Pouw RE , Seldenrijk CA , Offerhaus GJA , Visser M , ten Kate FJW , Tijssen JG , Bergman JJGHM , Meijer SL
Published: March 2018

Background

Dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus (BE) biopsies is associated with low observer agreement among general pathologists. Therefore, expert review is advised. We are developing a web‐based, national expert review panel for histological review of BE biopsies.

Objective

The aim of this study was to create benchmark quality criteria for future members.

Methods

Five expert BE pathologists, with 10–30 years of BE experience, weekly handling 5–10 cases (25% dysplastic), assessed a case set of 60 digitalized cases, enriched for dysplasia. Each case contained all slides from one endoscopy (non‐dysplastic BE (NDBE), n = 21; low‐grade dysplasia (LGD), n = 20; high‐grade dysplasia (HGD), n = 19). All cases were randomized and assessed twice followed by group discussions to create a consensus diagnosis. Outcome measures: percentage of ‘indefinite for dysplasia’ (IND) diagnoses, intra‐observer agreement, and agreement with the consensus ‘gold standard’ diagnosis.

Results

Mean percentage of IND diagnoses was 8% (3–14%) and mean intra‐observer agreement was 0.84 (0.66–1.02). Mean agreement with the consensus diagnosis was 90% (95% prediction interval (PI) 82–98%).

Conclusion

Expert pathology review of BE requires the scoring of a limited number of IND cases, consistency of assessment and a high agreement with a consensus gold standard diagnosis. These benchmark quality criteria will be used to assess the performance of other pathologists joining our panel.
How does grazing relate to body mass index, self-compassion, mindfulness and mindful eating in a student population?
Authors: Mantzios Michail , Egan Helen , Bahia Henna , Hussain Misba , Keyte Rebecca
Published: March 2018

Contemporary research investigating obesity has focused on grazing (i.e. an uncontrolled and repetitive consumption of small amounts of food). Meanwhile, constructs such as mindfulness, mindful eating and self-compassion have received much attention in assisting individuals with eating behaviours and weight regulation. The association between those constructs and grazing, however, has not been explored. In a cross-sectional study, university students ( n = 261) were recruited to explore the relationship of mindfulness, mindful eating and self-compassion with current weight and grazing. Results indicated that all constructs were negatively related to grazing, but only mindful eating related negatively to current weight. In addition, mindful eating mediated the relationship between grazing and current weight. Possible explanations and future directions are discussed further with an emphasis on the need for more empirical work.
Prompting arm activity after stroke: A clinical proof of concept study of wrist-worn accelerometers with a vibrating alert function
Authors: Da-Silva Ruth H , van Wijck Frederike , Shaw Lisa , Rodgers Helen , Balaam Madeline , Brkic Lianne , Ploetz Thomas , Jackson Dan , Ladha Karim , Price Christopher I
Published: March 2018

Background

Frequent practice of functional movements after stroke may optimise motor recovery; however, it is challenging for patients to remember to integrate an impaired limb into daily activities. We report the activity responses of stroke patients receiving a vibrating alert delivered by a tri-axial accelerometer wristband to prompt movement of the impaired arm if hourly activity levels fell.

Methods

Adults with upper limb impairment ≤28 days post-stroke wore the device for four weeks. Therapists and patients reviewed movement activity data twice weekly to agree ongoing rehabilitation activities and programme the wristband with a personalised prompt threshold (median baseline activity + 5%, 25% or 50%). Results: Seven patients completed the programme (five males; mean ± standard deviation (age) 64 ± 5 years; days post-stroke 13 ± 7; baseline/four-week Action Research Arm Test median (Interquartile range (IQR)) 39 (8, 44)/56 (11, 57)). Wristbands were worn for 89% of programme duration. A total of 1,288 prompts were delivered, with a median of four (IQR 3,7) prompts per patient per day. Mean activity increases following a prompt ranged from 11% to 29%.

Conclusions

Feedback delivered by a programmable accelerometer increased impaired arm activity. Improvements are required in device reliability before conducting a pragmatic clinical trial to examine the impact upon recovery.
Media Use and Protest Mobilization: A Case Study of Umbrella Movement Within Hong Kong Schools
Authors: Chu Donna SC
Published: March 2018

This study aims to examine the roles of social media in protest mobilization through the case of Umbrella Movement. Instead of focusing in the occupied sites, the study chose to look at mobilization efforts and confrontations within Hong Kong secondary schools. In-depth interviews were conducted with 14 students, teachers and principals from four schools, with an aim to identify how members in schools used different media for information sharing, opinion expression and mobilization. It also reconstructed what actually occurred in the tactful negotiations between school authorities and student leaders during the movement. The findings of this study suggest that how different communication practices are mediated in particular social and cultural contexts remain to be relevant and important, as the stress on “harmony” in local education settings illustrate in this case study. The strong adherence to political neutrality and professionalism suggest that schools could hardly provide the kind of idealistic civic education stated in curriculum documents. The findings prompted for a critical reading of how apolitical civic education in Hong Kong schools constrained a social movement that was supposedly led by the youth.
Language, entanglement and the new Silk Roads
Authors: Fierke KM , Antonio-Alfonso Francisco
Published: March 2018

Observers have tended to place the Silk Road proposals in the context of ‘China’s rise’, and its increasing influence and interests in Central, South and South-East Asia. From a realist perspective, China, like any expanding state, poses a potential threat. From a liberal angle, it is expanding the space for cooperation. Both models rely on an individualist ontology that highlights the interests of individual states. The potential of the Silk Roads looks somewhat different if approached from the perspective of a more relational ontology and a concept of entanglement. We draw on a few claims from Alexander Wendt’s (2015) recent book as a framework for examining the emerging reality of the new ‘Silk Roads’. What are the implications of this ontological shift for thinking about the Chinese ‘Silk Road’ proposal? We develop three specific claims as part of a reflection on this context: first, language use is a form of measurement that shapes and transforms reality; second, language use is an expression of entanglement; and third, leaders have a large role in ‘collapsing wave functions’ around specific potentials. While some of the themes that arise in this discussion are compatible with other arguments about the role of language, the quantum angle provides a more explicit point of departure for discussing the ‘physical’ dimensions of language use, the multiple layers of meaning within which the OBOR is embedded and its relational ontology.
The protective effects of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid against inflammation microenvironment in gastric tumorigenesis targeting PGE2-EP2 receptor-mediated arachidonic acid pathway
Authors: Cao Donghui , Jiang Jing , Zhao Dan , Wu Menghui , Zhang Houjun , Zhou Tianyu , Tsukamoto Tetsuya , Oshima Masanobu , Wang Quan , Cao Xueyuan
Published: March 2018

Accumulating epidemiological and clinical evidence shows that inflammation is an important risk factor for gastrointestinal diseases. Glycyrrhiza glabra, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been shown to safely suppress gastric cancer; however, the anti-inflammatory mechanisms in gastric tumorigenesis have been poorly investigated. Therefore, this study is committed to demonstrate the in vivo anti-inflammatory effect of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (GRA), the main active component of G. glabra. The lymphocytes and macrophages were heavily infiltrated in the transgenic mice that highly expressed cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase (mPGES)-1; however, a significant reduction was observed after treatment with GRA. In addition, GRA downregulated the protein levels of COX-2, GαS, EP2, and β-catenin, which were involved in the arachidonic acid pathway. In conclusion, our study showed the potential protective effects of GRA against inflammatory environment that might be involved in gastric tumorigenesis in vivo through the PGE2-EP2 receptor-mediated arachidonic acid pathway.
Concussion Prevalence in Competitive Ultimate Frisbee Players
Authors: Lazar Damien J. , Lichtenstein Jonathan D. , Tybor David J.
Published: March 2018

Background:

Ultimate Frisbee (ultimate) is a fast-growing, popular sport played nationally by over 4 million athletes. While several studies have examined injury rates in ultimate, no work has investigated the prevalence of concussions specifically or players’ knowledge and management of those injuries.

Purpose:

To estimate the lifetime prevalence of concussions in ultimate and to assess players’ knowledge of concussions as well as their concussion management behaviors.

Study Design:

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods:

From June to November 2015, we collected ultimate-related concussion data via an anonymous web-based survey, the Concussion in Ultimate Frisbee Survey, from a convenience sample of 787 male and female ultimate players across the United States.

Results:

There were 553 male and 234 female respondents included in the analysis; 26.58% of men and 24.79% of women reported that they had sustained at least 1 concussion while playing ultimate, with 45.58% and 43.10% of those men and women, respectively, reporting multiple concussions. A total of 67.81% of men and 78.21% of women stated that they would remove themselves from play after sustaining a given concussion, although 45.99% of men and 37.62% of women indicated that they had returned to play in the same game or practice.

Conclusion:

Our preliminary data suggest that concussions do commonly occur in competitive ultimate and that better education and management of concussions in ultimate athletes are needed. This study is an important first step in deepening our understanding of these issues.
Identifying Successful Practices to Overcome Access to Care Challenges in Community Health Centers
Authors: Toscos Tammy , Carpenter Maria , Flanagan Mindy , Kunjan Kislaya , Doebbeling Bradley N.
Published: March 2018

Background:

Despite health care access challenges among underserved populations, patients, providers, and staff at community health clinics (CHCs) have developed practices to overcome limited access. These “positive deviant” practices translate into organizational policies to improve health care access and patient experience.

Objective:

To identify effective practices to improve access to health care for low-income, uninsured or underinsured, and minority adults and their families.

Participants:

Seven CHC systems, involving over 40 clinics, distributed across one midwestern state in the United States.

Methods:

Ninety-two key informants, comprised of CHC patients (42%) and clinic staff (53%), participated in semi-structured interviews. Interview transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis to identify patient-centered solutions for managing access challenges to primary care for underserved populations. Transcripts were coded using qualitative analytic software.

Results:

Practices to improve access to care included addressing illiteracy and low health literacy, identifying cost-effective resources, expanding care offerings, enhancing the patient–provider relationship, and cultivating a culture of teamwork and customer service. Helping patients find the least expensive options for transportation, insurance, and medication was the most compelling patient-centered strategy. Appointment reminders and confirmation of patient plans for transportation to appointments reduced no-show rates.

Conclusion:

We identified nearly 35 practices for improving health care access. These were all patient-centric, uncovered by both clinic staff and patients who had successfully navigated the health care system to improve access.
“Recovering” public space and race: Afro-Colombian street vendors in Bogotá, Colombia
Authors: Munoz Lorena
Published: March 2018

Bogotá, Colombia is one of the largest migrant-receiving cities in the Americas, and in the last two decades, the city has received an influx of over one million people displaced by internal violent political conflicts. Currently, the Afro-Colombian population constitutes approximately 10% of the total population, but continues to be highly concentrated in the lowest socioeconomic strata in the Pacific region of Colombia. Informal vending in Bogotá is comprised of primarily rural and/or internally displaced migrants, including Afro-Colombians and indigenous populations who journey to large urban centers in search of better education and income opportunities and a higher quality of life. In this paper, I argue that Afro-Colombians endure higher marginality and discrimination as street vendors than self-identified as mestizos. Thus, Black bodies are multiple marked by discourses of crime, displacement, and undesirability in public spaces. In addition, street vending in Bogotá is understood by urban scholars as well as the local state as a classed struggle, this understanding through class effectively deracializes the informal vending landscape, while also further reifying the invisibility of Black racialized bodies in Bogotá’s equality discourses. The failure to recognize the diverse racial makeup of informal vendors and understanding these struggles only through class obscure the social and economic realities encountered by racialized bodies in public space.
Establishment and long-term maintenance of primary intestinal epithelial cells cultured from the rainbow trout,Oncorhynchus mykiss
Authors: Langan Laura M. , Owen Stewart F. , Jha Awadhesh N.
Published: March 2018

A novel method for the establishment and long-term maintenance of ex vivo cultures from intestinal regions of the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), is reported. Adherence of cells was observed within hours, epithelial island formation recorded at 48 h and rapid proliferation with confluence achieved between 9-14 days. In addition to metabolic characterisation, basic morphology of growing cells was characterised using histology, immunofluorescence, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). Regional differences in intestinal ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) and 7-ethoxycoumarin-O-deethylation (ECOD) activities in these primary grown enterocytes were compared following exposure to model inducers [i.e. α-NF, β-NF, B(a)P] which demonstrated significant differences. Regional differences in dietary uptake and metabolism of contaminants can therefore be studied in this in vitro system to increase our understanding of fundamental processes, while concurrently providing a means to reduce the number of fish required for biological studies in line with the principles of the 3Rs (Reduce, Refine and Replace).

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Aquatic acidification: a mechanism underpinning maintained oxygen transport and performance in fish experiencing elevated carbon dioxide conditions
Authors: Hannan Kelly D. , Rummer Jodie L.
Published: March 2018

Aquatic acidification, caused by elevating levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), is increasing in both freshwater and marine ecosystems worldwide. However, few studies have examined how acidification will affect oxygen (O2) transport and, therefore, performance in fishes. Although data are generally lacking, the majority of fishes investigated in this meta-analysis exhibited no effect of elevated CO2 at the level of O2 uptake, suggesting that they are able to maintain metabolic performance during a period of acidosis. Notably, the mechanisms that fish employ to maintain performance and O2 uptake have yet to be verified. Here, we summarize current data related to one recently proposed mechanism underpinning the maintenance of O2 uptake during exposure to aquatic acidification, and reveal knowledge gaps that could be targeted for future research. Most studies have examined O2 uptake rates while fishes were resting and did not calculate aerobic scope, even though aerobic scope can aid in predicting changes to whole-animal metabolic performance. Furthermore, research is lacking on different age classes, freshwater species and elasmobranchs, all of which might be impacted by future acidification conditions. Finally, this Review further seeks to emphasize the importance of developing collaborative efforts between molecular, physiological and ecological approaches in order to provide more comprehensive predictions as to how future fish populations will be affected by climate change.
Nature's fat-burning machine: brown adipose tissue in a hibernating mammal
Authors: Ballinger Mallory A. , Andrews Matthew T.
Published: March 2018

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a unique thermogenic tissue in mammals that rapidly produces heat via nonshivering thermogenesis. Small mammalian hibernators have evolved the greatest capacity for BAT because they use it to rewarm from hypothermic torpor numerous times throughout the hibernation season. Although hibernator BAT physiology has been investigated for decades, recent efforts have been directed toward understanding the molecular underpinnings of BAT regulation and function using a variety of methods, from mitochondrial functional assays to ‘omics’ approaches. As a result, the inner-workings of hibernator BAT are now being illuminated. In this Review, we discuss recent research progress that has identified players and pathways involved in brown adipocyte differentiation and maturation, as well as those involved in metabolic regulation. The unique phenotype of hibernation, and its reliance on BAT to generate heat to arouse mammals from torpor, has uncovered new molecular mechanisms and potential strategies for biomedical applications.
Drosophilaas a model to study obesity and metabolic disease
Authors: Musselman Laura Palanker , Kühnlein Ronald P.
Published: March 2018

Excess adipose fat accumulation, or obesity, is a growing problem worldwide in terms of both the rate of incidence and the severity of obesity-associated metabolic disease. Adipose tissue evolved in animals as a specialized dynamic lipid storage depot: adipose cells synthesize fat (a process called lipogenesis) when energy is plentiful and mobilize stored fat (a process called lipolysis) when energy is needed. When a disruption of lipid homeostasis favors increased fat synthesis and storage with little turnover owing to genetic predisposition, overnutrition or sedentary living, complications such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease are more likely to arise. The vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is used as a model to better understand the mechanisms governing fat metabolism and distribution. Flies offer a wealth of paradigms with which to study the regulation and physiological effects of fat accumulation. Obese flies accumulate triacylglycerols in the fat body, an organ similar to mammalian adipose tissue, which specializes in lipid storage and catabolism. Discoveries in Drosophila have ranged from endocrine hormones that control obesity to subcellular mechanisms that regulate lipogenesis and lipolysis, many of which are evolutionarily conserved. Furthermore, obese flies exhibit pathophysiological complications, including hyperglycemia, reduced longevity and cardiovascular function – similar to those observed in obese humans. Here, we review some of the salient features of the fly that enable researchers to study the contributions of feeding, absorption, distribution and the metabolism of lipids to systemic physiology.
Non-adrenergic control of lipolysis and thermogenesis in adipose tissues
Authors: Braun Katharina , Oeckl Josef , Westermeier Julia , Li Yongguo , Klingenspor Martin
Published: March 2018

The enormous plasticity of adipose tissues, to rapidly adapt to altered physiological states of energy demand, is under neuronal and endocrine control. In energy balance, lipolysis of triacylglycerols and re-esterification of free fatty acids are opposing processes operating in parallel at identical rates, thus allowing a more dynamic transition from anabolism to catabolism, and vice versa. In response to alterations in the state of energy balance, one of the two processes predominates, enabling the efficient mobilization or storage of energy in a negative or positive energy balance, respectively. The release of noradrenaline from the sympathetic nervous system activates lipolysis in a depot-specific manner by initiating the canonical adrenergic receptor–Gs-protein–adenylyl cyclase–cyclic adenosine monophosphate–protein kinase A pathway, targeting proteins of the lipolytic machinery associated with the interface of the lipid droplets. In brown and brite adipocytes, lipolysis stimulated by this signaling pathway is a prerequisite for the activation of non-shivering thermogenesis. Free fatty acids released by lipolysis are direct activators of uncoupling protein 1-mediated leak respiration. Thus, pro- and anti-lipolytic mediators are bona fide modulators of thermogenesis in brown and brite adipocytes. In this Review, we discuss adrenergic and non-adrenergic mechanisms controlling lipolysis and thermogenesis and provide a comprehensive overview of pro- and anti-lipolytic mediators.
Obese super athletes: fat-fueled migration in birds and bats
Authors: Guglielmo Christopher G.
Published: March 2018

Migratory birds are physiologically specialized to accumulate massive fat stores (up to 50–60% of body mass), and to transport and oxidize fatty acids at very high rates to sustain flight for many hours or days. Target gene, protein and enzyme analyses and recent -omic studies of bird flight muscles confirm that high capacities for fatty acid uptake, cytosolic transport, and oxidation are consistent features that make fat-fueled migration possible. Augmented circulatory transport by lipoproteins is suggested by field data but has not been experimentally verified. Migratory bats have high aerobic capacity and fatty acid oxidation potential; however, endurance flight fueled by adipose-stored fat has not been demonstrated. Patterns of fattening and expression of muscle fatty acid transporters are inconsistent, and bats may partially fuel migratory flight with ingested nutrients. Changes in energy intake, digestive capacity, liver lipid metabolism and body temperature regulation may contribute to migratory fattening. Although control of appetite is similar in birds and mammals, neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating seasonal changes in fuel store set-points in migrants remain poorly understood. Triacylglycerol of birds and bats contains mostly 16 and 18 carbon fatty acids with variable amounts of 18:2n-6 and 18:3n-3 depending on diet. Unsaturation of fat converges near 70% during migration, and unsaturated fatty acids are preferentially mobilized and oxidized, making them good fuel. Twenty and 22 carbon n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) may affect membrane function and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling. However, evidence for dietary PUFA as doping agents in migratory birds is equivocal and requires further study.
The effect of diet and exercise on lipid droplet dynamics in human muscle tissue
Authors: Daemen Sabine , van Polanen Nynke , Hesselink Matthijs K. C.
Published: March 2018

The majority of fat in the human body is stored as triacylglycerols in white adipose tissue. In the obese state, adipose tissue mass expands and excess lipids are stored in non-adipose tissues, such as skeletal muscle. Lipids are stored in skeletal muscle in the form of small lipid droplets. Although originally viewed as dull organelles that simply store lipids as a consequence of lipid overflow from adipose tissue, lipid droplets are now recognized as key components in the cell that exert a variety of relevant functions in multiple tissues (including muscle). Here, we review the effect of diet and exercise interventions on myocellular lipid droplets and their putative role in insulin sensitivity from a human perspective. We also provide an overview of lipid droplet biology and identify gaps for future research.