bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pedicled iliac crest bone flap transfer for the treatment of upper femoral shaft fracture nonunion: An anatomic study and clinical applications
Authors: Zhao Dewei , Cao Meng , Wang Tienan , Wang Benjie , Liu Baoyi , Lineaweaver William C.
Published: December 2017

Purpose

We present the results of a study on the anatomy of the ascending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery (AB‐LCFA) and the use of the pedicled iliac bone flap transfer perfused by AB‐LCFA combined with external fixation for the treatment of the nonunion of upper femoral shaft fractures.

Methods

The orientation, diameter, length, and distribution of the AB‐LCFA from 40 lower limbs of adult cadavers were dissected and measured. From 2000 to 2012, 13 patients with nonunion of upper femoral shaft fractures underwent pedicled iliac bone flap transfer perfused by the AB‐LCFA combined with external fixation. The time of bone fracture union was recorded based on X‐ray examination. The functional results of the femoral shaft were evaluated by the Klemm classification.

Results

The lateral circumflex femoral artery (LCFA) divided into ascending, transverse, and descending branches in 32 specimens (80%). The diameter of the AB‐LCFA at the origin was 3.15 ± 0.9 mm and the length of the AB‐LCFA was 8.51 ± 3.06 cm. The postoperative course of the procedure was uneventful in all 13 patients. The average follow‐up was 15 months. Bone union was achieved in all patients and the average union time was 5.3 months. 12 patients achieved excellent or good functional results based on the Klemm classification.

Conclusion

The AB‐LCFA has a consistent orientation and abundant blood flow. The transfer of the iliac crest bone flap perfused by the AB‐LCFA while combined with external fixation could be an option for treating the nonunion of upper femoral shaft fractures.
31P T2s of phosphomonoesters, phosphodiesters, and inorganic phosphate in the human brain at 7T
Authors: van der Kemp Wybe J.M. , Klomp Dennis W.J. , Wijnen Jannie P.
Published: December 2017

Purpose

To determine the phosphorus‐31 T2s of phosphomonoesters, phosphodiesters, and inorganic phosphate in the healthy human brain at 7T.

Methods

A 3D chemical shift imaging multi‐echo sequence with composite block pulses for refocusing was used to measure one free induction decay (FID) and seven full echoes with an echo spacing of 45 ms on the brain of nine healthy volunteers (age range 22–45 years; average age 27 ± 8 years). Spectral fitting was used to determine the change in metabolic signal amplitude with echo time.

Results

The average apparent T2s with their standard deviation were 202 ± 6 ms, 129 ± 6 ms, 86 ± 2 ms, 214 ± 10 ms, and 213 ± 11 ms for phosphoethanolamine, phosphocholine, inorganic phosphate, glycerophosphoethanolamine, and glycerophosphocholine, respectively.

Conclusion

The determined apparent T2 for phosphoethanolamine, glycerophosphocholine, and glycerophosphoethanolamine is approximately 200 ms. The lower apparent T2 value for phosphocholine is attributed to the overlap of this resonance with the 3‐phosphorous resonance of 2,3‐diphosphoglycerate from blood, with an apparent shorter T2. Omitting the FID signal and the first echo of phosphocholine leads to a T2 of 182 ± 7 ms, whereas a biexponential analysis leads to 203 ± 4 ms. These values are more in line with phosphoethanolamine and the phosphodiesters. The short T2 of inorganic phosphate is subscribed to the fast reversible exchange with γ‐adenosine triphosphate, which is mediated by glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase and phosphoglycerate kinase within the glycolytic pathway. Magn Reson Med 80:29–35, 2018. © 2017 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.
Dual strategy for 2‐dimensional PDE optimal control problem in the reheating furnace
Authors: Luo Xiaochuan , Yang Zhi
Published: December 2017

In this paper, the dual strategy is used to solve the 2‐dimensional partial differential equation optimal control problem by introducing the adjoint problem approach to the optimization model. It is proved that the Fr
chet gradient of the cost functional could be written via the weak solution of the adjoint problem, and then, Lipschitz continuity of the gradient is derived. An improved conjugate gradient algorithm is used to solve this problem. Then, the proposed method is applied to obtain the reference values of the optimal furnace zone temperatures and achieve the desired temperature for steel slabs in the reheating furnace. Model validation and comparison between the mathematical model and the experiment results indicate that the present heat transfer model works well for the prediction of thermal behavior about the slab in the reheating furnace. Results of some computational experiments in the simulations of the A3 slab are illustrated, which verifies the effectiveness of the proposed method.
N‐Type Doped Silicon Thin Film on a Porous Cu Current Collector as the Negative Electrode for Li‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Mukanova Aliya , Nurpeissova Arailym , Kim Sung‐Soo , Myronov Maksym , Bakenov Zhumabay
Published: December 2017

This work reports the preparation of a three‐dimensional Si thin film negative electrode employing a porous Cu current collector. A previously reported copper etching procedure was modified to develop the porous structures inside a 9 μm thick copper foil. Magnetron sputtering was used for the deposition of an n‐type doped 400 nm thick amorphous Si thin film. Electrochemical cycling of the prepared anode confirmed the effectiveness of utilizing the approach. The designed Si thin film electrode retained a capacity of around 67 μAh cm−2 (1675 mAh g−1) in 100th cycle. The improved electrochemical performance resulted in an enhancement of both areal capacity and capacity retention in contrast with flat and rough current collectors that were prepared for comparison.
A mixed‐methods study of a social emotional curriculum for Black male success: A school‐based pilot study of the Brothers of Ujima
Authors: Graves Scott L. , Aston Candice
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of a social emotional learning curriculum, Brothers of Ujima, for children at risk for being referred for placement in emotional and behavioral support classrooms. The Brothers of Ujima is a strength‐based culturally relevant intervention for African American boys aged 10–14. The purpose of the 14‐week program is to strengthen positive self‐esteem, ethnic identity, and prosocial behaviors while reducing negative behaviors among boys. The curriculum objectives are for boys to critically assess myths and stereotypes of African Americans presented in the media, to help boys develop creative thinking and leadership skills, to increase appreciation of African and African American culture, and to learn adaptive coping skills when faced with discrimination. This study is the first to evaluate this curriculum in a school‐based setting. Fourteen 6th‐ and 7th‐grade students participated in the intervention. Results show that males demonstrated an increase in Afrocentric values, but not in racial identity or resiliency. Teacher interviews showed that the intervention was feasible for a school setting; however, modifications to format and lessons content should be undertaken for future studies.
Emotional safety culture: A new and key element of safety culture
Authors: Wang Bing , Wu Chao , Huang Lang
Published: December 2017

Fostering a positive safety culture is essential and important for preventing individual and large‐scale accidents. However, many accidents caused by people's unsafe behaviors occur because safety culture is poor, or some main elements of safety culture are missing. The two key objectives of this article are: (1) to propose people's emotional safety needs based on people's emotional needs and (2) to put forward emotional safety culture and analyze its role in behavior‐based safety (BBS) management. First, the connotation of people's emotional safety needs was explained, which includes the need “to love and to be loved,” the need for self‐perfection of safety humanity, and the need for realizing self‐value to safety. Second, the connotation of emotional safety culture was analyzed. Meanwhile, the role of emotional safety culture in BBS management was explored. At last, the basic patterns and strategies of developing emotional safety culture were briefly discussed. Overall, emotional safety culture is one of the new and key elements of safety culture and is a feasible and effective approach to BBS management and developing a strong safety culture. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 37: 134–139, 2018
Fatigue and photochromism S1 excited state reactivity of diarylethenes from QTAIM and the stress tensor
Authors: Yang Ping , Xu Tianlv , Momen Roya , Azizi Alireza , Kirk Steven R. , Jenkins Samantha
Published: December 2017

The realization of technologically relevant functional systems from idealized photochromic compounds remains elusive due to the double requirement that such switches must possess both highly efficient photo‐isomerization reactivity and extremely low fatigue over a large number of switching cycles. Nowadays, improvements of the switching properties in complex diarylethene structures are mainly attained on a “trial and error” basis through chemical substitutions aimed at tuning the chemical properties of the core of the diarylethene. Therefore, we present new guiding principles to analyze the first excited state reactivity of diarylethenes based on the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) including the stress tensor. This approach straightforwardly provides consistent theoretical justification to partner the already successful symmetric substitution patterns obtained from experiments. The guiding principles provided by QTAIM and stress tensor suggest more complex asymmetric patterns should be included for the systematic design of new technologically relevant functional compounds. The stress tensor trajectory Tσ(s) analysis is used to characterize the photochromism reaction as reusable and the fatigue reaction as irreversible and find candidate sites for alteration by future experiment.
Expression of the gonadotropin receptors during follicular development
Authors: Kishi Hiroshi , Kitahara Yoshikazu , Imai Fumiharu , Nakao Kohshiro , Suwa Hiroto
Published: December 2017

Background

Gonadotropins induce follicular development that leads to ovulation and luteinization. In women, the level of gonadotropins, along with the expression of their receptors, changes dynamically throughout the menstrual cycle. This study aimed to clarify the mechanisms underlying these phenomena.

Methods

The literature was reviewed, including that published by the authors.

Main findings (Results)

Follicle‐stimulating hormone receptor expression in the granulosa cells was induced by androgens that were derived from growth differentiation factor‐9‐stimulated theca cells. In the theca cells, luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) expression was noted from their appearance. In the granulosa cells, follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) stimulation was essential for LHR expression. However, FSH alone was not sufficient to respond to the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge for oocyte maturation, ovulation, and subsequent luteinization. To achieve these stages, various local factors that were derived from the granulosa and theca cells in response to FSH and LH stimulation had to work synergistically in an autocrine/paracrine manner to strongly induce LHR expression. Following the LH surge, the LHR expression decreased markedly; miRNAs were involved in this transient LHR downregulation. Following ovulation, LHR expression drastically increased again toward luteinization.

Conclusion

The expression of gonadotropin receptors is controlled by sophisticated and complicated systems; a breakdown of this system could lead to ovulation disorders.
Finite‐time tracking control of uncertain nonholonomic systems by state and output feedback
Authors: Shi Shang , Xu Shengyuan , Yu Xin , Li Yongmin , Zhang Zhengqiang
Published: December 2017

This paper studies the finite‐time tracking control of nonholonomic systems in chained form with parameter uncertainties, unknown output gains, and mismatched uncertainties. To achieve the finite‐time tracking control of uncertain nonholonomic systems, we propose 2 types of controllers by state and output feedback, respectively. Both of the proposed 2 types of controllers can achieve the finite‐time output tracking control of the nonholonomic systems even in the presence of mismatched uncertainties and/or unknown gains. The effectiveness of our proposed controllers are illustrated with simulation examples.
Observer‐based fault‐tolerant control of hypersonic scramjet vehicles in the presence of actuator faults and saturation
Authors: Mu Lingxia , Li Leyao , Yu Xiang , Zhang Youmin , Li Ping , Wang Xinmin
Published: December 2017

An adaptive sliding mode observer (SMO)–based fault‐tolerant control method taking into consideration of actuator saturation is proposed for a hypersonic scramjet vehicle (HSV) under a class of time‐varying actuator faults. The SMO is designed to robustly estimate the HSV states and reconstruct the fault signals. The adaptive technique is integrated into the SMO to approximate the unknown bounds of system uncertainties, actuator faults, and estimation errors. The robust SMO synthesis condition, which can be formulated as a set of linear matrix inequalities, is improved by relaxing structure constraints to the Lyapunov matrix. An anti‐windup feedback control law, which utilizes the estimated HSV states and the fault signals, is designed to counteract the negative effects of actuator saturation induced by actuator faults. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed approach can guarantee stability and maintain
performance of the closed‐loop system in the presence of HSV actuator faults and saturation.
Long‐Term Survival of Recurrent Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: The Impact and Selection of Repeat Surgery
Authors: Yoh Tomoaki , Hatano Etsuro , Seo Satoru , Okuda Yukihiro , Fuji Hiroaki , Ikeno Yoshinobu , Taura Kojiro , Yasuchika Kentaro , Okajima Hideaki , Kaido Toshimi , Uemoto Shinji
Published: December 2017

Background

Definitive guidelines for recurrent intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) do not exist. This study has focused on the repeat surgery when analyzing the survival outcomes of recurrent ICC. We evaluated the relationship between clinicopathological features of the primary tumor and implementation of the repeat surgery to identify its potential selection criteria.

Methods

A total of 108 patients with recurrent ICC between 1993 and 2015 were analyzed. Of these, 15 patients underwent repeat surgery and 93 did not.

Results

Seven out of 29 patients with intrahepatic recurrence and eight out of 44 patients with extrahepatic recurrence were amenable to the repeat surgery. Thirty‐five patients with simultaneous or consequent intrahepatic recurrence and extrahepatic recurrence were not amenable to the repeat surgery. Patients who underwent repeat surgery had a lower proportion of lymph node metastases (n = 0 [0%] vs. n = 47 [50.5%], p < 0.001), multiple tumors in the primary tumor (n = 1 [6.7%] vs. n = 31 [33.3%], p = 0.037), or early recurrence (≤ 1 year; n = 4 [26.7%] vs. n = 62 [66.7%], p = 0.003). Survival after recurrence (SAR) was better in patients who underwent repeat surgery than in those who did not (median SAR time: 91.6 vs. 10.4 months, and 3‐year survival: 86.7 vs. 8.7%, respectively, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Repeat surgery for recurrent ICC with an appropriate selection can be associated with prolonged survival. Regarding the feasibility, nodal status, number of tumors on the primary tumor, and time to recurrence may be considered as selection criteria.
Non-Self-Adjoint Toeplitz Matrices Whose Principal Submatrices Have Real Spectrum
Authors: Shapiro Boris , Štampach František
Published: December 2017

We introduce and investigate a class of complex semi-infinite banded Toeplitz matrices satisfying the condition that the spectra of their principal submatrices accumulate onto a real interval when the size of the submatrix grows to $$\infty $$
∞
. We prove that a banded Toeplitz matrix belongs to this class if and only if its symbol has real values on a Jordan curve located in $${{\mathbb {C}}}{\setminus }\{0\}$$

C
\
{
0
}

. Surprisingly, it turns out that, if such a Jordan curve is present, the spectra of all the principal submatrices have to be real. The latter claim is also proved for matrices given by a more general symbol. The special role of the Jordan curve is further demonstrated by a new formula for the limiting density of the asymptotic eigenvalue distribution for banded Toeplitz matrices from the studied class. Certain connections between the problem under investigation, Jacobi operators, and the Hamburger moment problem are also discussed. The main results are illustrated by several concrete examples; some of them allow an explicit analytic treatment, while some are only treated numerically.
The Incidence of Complications is Low Following Foot and Ankle Surgery for Which Peripheral Nerve Blocks Are Used for Postoperative Pain Management
Authors: Kahn Richard L. , Ellis Scott J. , Cheng Jennifer , Curren Jodie , Fields Kara G. , Roberts Matthew M. , YaDeau Jacques T.
Published: December 2017

Background

The incidence of neurologic complications from foot and ankle surgery utilizing regional anesthesia is not well established.

Questions/Purposes

The purpose of this study was to prospectively determine the incidence of neurologic and peripheral nerve block (PNB) site complications on a busy foot and ankle service that utilizes ankle blocks (ABs) and popliteal blocks (POPs).

Patients and Methods

This prospective observational study included patients undergoing foot and ankle surgery with ABs or POPs. Block choice was determined by surgeon's preference. Patients were assessed for complications during postoperative visits at 2, 6, and 12 weeks. The relation of each complication to the block was scored by a surgeon and anesthesiologist.

Results

From October 2012 to October 2014, 2516 patients underwent 2704 surgeries. There were 195 complications (7.2%) considered neurologic or at the PNB site. The incidence of serious complications was 0.7%. A higher complication rate was reported for POPs (8.8%) than for ABs (2.5%). However, when analysis was limited to forefoot surgery, this difference was not significant. Dexamethasone use was associated with increased complications for POPs. Only 5 of the 195 total complications, and 2 of 20 serious complications, were deemed to have been likely caused by the block by both the surgeon and anesthesiologist reviewer.

Conclusions

The incidences of neurologic or block-related complications and serious complications were 7.2 and 0.7%, respectively, most without a clear surgical vs. nerve block etiology. The higher complication rate for POPs using perineural dexamethasone should be interpreted cautiously in light of the lack of randomization and likely confounders.
Student‐teacher relationships and bullying: The role of student social status
Authors: Longobardi C. , Iotti N.O. , Jungert T. , Settanni M.
Published: December 2017

Student–teacher relationships have been shown to influence bullying‐related behaviors in students. This study considered the moderating role of students' social statuses in the classroom. The study sample included 435 students (48.7% females) taken from 18 Italian middle‐school classrooms (i.e., sixth to eighth grade). A multigroup path analysis approach was employed to examine whether the effects of the student‐teacher relationships on bullying‐related behaviors differed among social statuses. The results showed that perceived conflict with the teacher was shown to have a significant positive effect on students' engagement in active bullying for students from all the statuses, except for neglected students. In particular, this effect was more relevant for rejected students. The results showed that social status and student‐teacher relationships integrate and shed light on which roles are taken by young adolescents in school bullying, highlighting that it is important for the teachers to recognize these students.
Formulas of the Moral Law
Authors: Wood Allen
Published: December 2017

This Element defends a reading of Kant's formulas of the moral law in Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. It disputes a long tradition concerning what the first formula (Universal Law/Law of Nature) attempts to do. The Element also expounds the Formulas of Humanity, Autonomy and the Realm of Ends, arguing that it is only the Formula of Humanity from which Kant derives general duties, and that it is only the third formula (Autonomy/Realm of Ends) that represents a complete and definitive statement of the moral principle as Kant derives it in the Groundwork. The Element also disputes the claim that the various formulas are 'equivalent', arguing that this claim is either false or else nonsensical because it is grounded on a false premise about what Kant thinks a moral principle is for.
Innovation and the State
Authors: Ford Cristie
Published: December 2017

From social media to mortgage-backed securities, innovation carries both risk and opportunity. Groups of people win, and lose, when innovation changes the ground rules. Looking beyond formal politics, this new book by Cristie Ford argues that we need to recognize innovation, and financial innovation in particular, as a central challenge for regulation. Regulation is at the leading edge of politics and policy in ways that we have not yet fully grasped. Seemingly innocuous regulatory design choices have clear and profound practical ramifications for many of our most cherished social commitments. Innovation is a complex phenomenon that needs to be understood not only in technical terms, but also in human ones. Using financial regulation as her primary example, Ford argues for a fresh approach to regulation, which recognizes innovation for the regulatory challenge that it is, and which binds our cherished social values and our regulatory tools ever more tightly together.
Composite control system of hybrid-driven mid-altitude airship
Authors: Chen L. , Dong Q. , Zhang G. , Duan D.
Published: December 2017

In general, an airship is equipped with hybrid-heterogeneous actuators: the aerodynamic surfaces, the vectored propellers and the buoyant ballonets. The aerodynamic surfaces have high efficiency in attitude control at high speed. However, vectored propellers are also introduced here for attitude control under the special working condition of low airspeed. Due to the lower thrust-to-weight ratio, the composite control of hybrid-heterogeneous actuators is the primary object in controller design for an airship. In composite attitude control, first the attitude moment allocation between aerodynamic control surfaces and vectored propellers is designed according to different dynamic airspeed, to achieve the smooth motion transition from low to high airspeed, then the weighted generalised inverse (WGI) is used to design the reconfigurable actuator allocation among the homogeneous multi-actuators, where the authority of every actuator can be decided by setting the corresponding value of the weight matrix, thus the control law is unchanged under different actuator configurations. Taking the mid-altitude airship as an example, the simulations of position control, trace tracking and altitude control are provided. Simulation results demonstrate that the attitude moments allocation obtains moment distribution between the aerodynamic surfaces and the vectored propellers under different airspeeds; the reconfigurable actuator allocation achieves a good distribution and reconfiguration among homogeneous actuators, thereby enhancing the reliability of the control system.
The Quebec emergency department guide: A cross-sectional study to evaluate its use, perceived usefulness, and implementation in rural emergency departments
Authors: Fleet Richard , Hegg-Deloye Sandrine , Maltais-Giguère Julie , Légaré France , Ouimet Mathieu , Poitras Julien , Tanguay Alain , Archambault Patrick , Levesque Jean-Frédéric , Simard–Racine Geneviève , Dupuis Gilles
Published: December 2017

Objectives

The Quebec Emergency Department Management Guide (QEDMG) is a unique document with 78 recommendations designed to improve the organization of emergency departments (EDs) in the province of Quebec. However, no study has examined how this guide is perceived or used by rural health care management.

Methods

We invited all directors of professional services (DPS), directors of nursing services (DNS), head nurses (HN), and emergency department directors (EDD) working in Quebec’s rural hospitals to complete an online survey (144 questions). Simple frequency analyses (percentage [%] and 95% confidence interval) were conducted to establish general familiarity and use of the QEDMG, as well as perceived usefulness and implementation of its recommendations.

Results

Seventy-three percent (19/26) of Quebec’s rural EDs participated in the study. A total of 82% (62/76) of the targeted stakeholders participated. Sixty-one percent of respondents reported being “moderately or a lot” familiar with the QEDMG, whereas 77% reported “almost never or sometimes” refer to this guide. Physician management (DPS, EDD) were more likely than nursing management (DNS and especially HN) to report “not at all” or “little” familiarity on use of the guide. Finally, 98% of the QEDMG recommendations were considered useful.

Conclusions

Although the QEDMG is considered a useful guide for rural EDs, it is not optimally known or used in rural EDs, especially by physician management. Stakeholders should consider these findings before implementing the revised versions of the QEDMG.
Effects of low-fat compared with high-fat diet on cardiometabolic indicators in people with overweight and obesity without overt metabolic disturbance: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Lu Mengqing , Wan Yi , Yang Bo , Huggins Catherine E. , Li Duo
Published: December 2017

Randomised controlled trials comparing low- v. high-fat diets on cardiometabolic risk factors in people with overweight or obesity have shown inconsistent results, which may be due to the mixed metabolic status of people with excess adiposity. The role of dietary fat manipulation in modifying cardiometabolic indicators in people with overweight or obese without metabolic disturbance is unclear. Thus, meta-analysis was conducted to compare low- v. high-fat diets on cardiometabolic indicators in people who are overweight or obese without metabolic disturbance in the present study. Databases were searched until October 2016. The pooled effects of outcomes with heterogeneity were calculated with a random-effects model, heterogeneities were analysed by subgroup and meta-regression. As a result, twenty studies with 2106 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels were lower following low-fat diets compared with high-fat diets: weighted mean difference (WMD) was −7·05 mg/dl (−0·18 mmol/l; 95 % CI −11·30, −2·80; P=0·001) and −4·41 mg/dl (−0·11 mmol/l; 95 % CI −7·81, −1·00; P=0·011), respectively. Conversely, significant higher level of TAG (WMD: 11·68 mg/dl (0·13 mmol/l), 95 % CI 5·90, 17·45; P<0·001) and lower level of HDL-cholesterol (WMD: −2·57 mg/dl (−0·07 mmol/l); 95 % CI −3·85, −1·28; P<0·001) were found following low-fat diets compared with high-fat diets. In conclusion, dietary fat manipulation has a significant influence on blood lipid levels in people with overweight or obesity without metabolic disturbances.
Openness, transparency and public participation in the governance of uranium mining in Greenland: a legal and political track record
Authors: Pelaudeix Cécile , Basse Ellen Margrethe , Loukacheva Natalia
Published: December 2017

This article examines the implementation of the principles of openness, transparency and public participation in the decision-making regarding the conditions for uranium mining in Greenland from a legal and political perspective. The time frame covers the period from the exploration for minerals before World War II to 2016–2017 when the current Greenlandic authorities prepared a licence for a project of extraction of rare earth elements and uranium in Kvanefjeld. It is shown that the issue of openness, transparency and public participation in Greenland is a longstanding issue and that the current governance does not permit public access to a draft environmental impact assessment report, impairing public participation in decision-making, and preventing the environmental consequences of these activities from being considered as a public concern. It is argued that sovereignty–its consolidation and the accession to it–has impacted the design of governance in Greenland and that the constraints put on the full implementation of the legal principles of openness, transparency and public participation in the governance of uranium mining in Greenland, amongst other factors, point to a current hybrid political and legal order in the context of a political agenda of independence.
“Ballerinas on the Dole:” Dance and the U.S. Comprehensive Employment Training Act (CETA), 1974–1982
Authors: Hooper Colleen
Published: December 2017

The Comprehensive Employment Training Act (CETA) was a program of the US federal government that employed dancers, performers, and other artists to provide public service in municipalities across the country from 1974 to 1982. This article focuses on dancers who participated in the CETA program. It describes this important source of government funding for dance and the arts that has been largely overlooked in scholarship. Through an analysis of one New York City CETA dance community performance site, it reveals the tensions present in the construct of “dance as public service.” This case study is offered as an exemplar of how the largest CETA arts program in the United States served a wide range of artists and communities. Through an analysis of two CETA dance performances at the Arthur Kill Correctional Facility in New York City, the article questions who was served by dance as public service.
The Risk in Living Kidney Donation
Authors: GLANNON WALTER
Published: December 2017

This article examines two questions. (1) If prospective living kidney donors knew of the lifetime risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in their remaining kidney, then would they be as willing to give it up? and (2) What should transplant organizations and physicians be telling those who express an interest in donating a kidney about risk? Based on the principle that prospective donors must be fully informed of the risk, I raise the issue of a possible obstacle to closing the gap between the availability and need of transplantable kidneys. Some strategies are offered to address this problem.
Prisoners as Living Donors: A Vulnerabilities Analysis
Authors: ROSS LAINIE FRIEDMAN , THISTLETHWAITE J. RICHARD
Published: December 2017

Although national guidelines exist for evaluating the eligibility of potential living donors and for procuring their informed consent, no special protections or considerations exist for potential living donors who are incarcerated. Human research subject protections in the United States are codified in the Federal Regulations, 45 CFR 46, and special protections are given to prisoners. Living donor transplantation has parallels with human subject research in that both activities are performed with the primary goal of benefiting third parties. In this article, we describe what special considerations should be provided to prisoners as potential living donors using a vulnerabilities approach adapted from the human research subject protection literature.
Communicating Identifiability Risks to Biobank Donors
Authors: KASPERBAUER T.J. , GJERRIS MICKEY , WALDEMAR GUNHILD , SANDØE PETER
Published: December 2017

Recent highly publicized privacy breaches in healthcare and genomics research have led many to question whether current standards of data protection are adequate. Improvements in de-identification techniques, combined with pervasive data sharing, have increased the likelihood that external parties can track individuals across multiple databases. This article focuses on the communication of identifiability risks in the process of obtaining consent for donation and research. Most ethical discussions of identifiability risks have focused on the severity of the risk and how it might be mitigated, and what precisely is at stake in pervasive data sharing. However, there has been little discussion of whether and how to communicate the risk to potential donors. We review the ethical arguments behind favoring different types of risk communication in the consent process, and outline how identifiability concerns can be incorporated into either a detailed or a simplified method of communicating risks during the consent process.
The Therapeutic “Mis”conception: An Examination of its Normative Assumptions and a Call for its Revision
Authors: MATHEWS DEBRA J.H. , FINS JOSEPH J. , RACINE ERIC
Published: December 2017

Dissecting Bioethics, edited by Tuija Takala and Matti Hayry, welcomes contributions on the conceptual and theoretical dimensions of bioethics. The department is dedicated to the idea that words defined by bioethicists and others should not be allowed to imprison people’s actual concerns, emotions, and thoughts. Papers that expose the many meanings of a concept, describe the different readings of a moral doctrine, or provide an alternative angle to seemingly self-evident issues are particularly appreciated. To submit a paper or to discuss a suitable topic, contact Tuija Takala attuija.takala@helsinki.fi.
Pedaling Toward Revelation: My Summer with Flannery O’Connor
Authors: SAXTON BEN
Published: December 2017

This section features original work on pathographies—i.e., (auto)biographical accounts of disease, illness, and disability—that provide narrative inquiry relating to the personal, existential, psychological, social, cultural, spiritual, political, and moral meanings of individual experience. Editors are: Nathan Carlin and Therese Jones. For submissions, contact Nathan Carlin at: Nathan.Carlin@uth.tmc.edu.
Segmentation Approach Towards Phase-Contrast Microscopic Images of Activated Sludge to Monitor the Wastewater Treatment
Authors: Khan Muhammad Burhan , Nisar Humaira , Ng Choon Aun , Yeap Kim Ho , Lai Koon Chun
Published: December 2017

Image processing and analysis is an effective tool for monitoring and fault diagnosis of activated sludge (AS) wastewater treatment plants. The AS image comprise of flocs (microbial aggregates) and filamentous bacteria. In this paper, nine different approaches are proposed for image segmentation of phase-contrast microscopic (PCM) images of AS samples. The proposed strategies are assessed for their effectiveness from the perspective of microscopic artifacts associated with PCM. The first approach uses an algorithm that is based on the idea that different color space representation of images other than red-green-blue may have better contrast. The second uses an edge detection approach. The third strategy, employs a clustering algorithm for the segmentation and the fourth applies local adaptive thresholding. The fifth technique is based on texture-based segmentation and the sixth uses watershed algorithm. The seventh adopts a split-and-merge approach. The eighth employs Kittler’s thresholding. Finally, the ninth uses a top-hat and bottom-hat filtering-based technique. The approaches are assessed, and analyzed critically with reference to the artifacts of PCM. Gold approximations of ground truth images are prepared to assess the segmentations. Overall, the edge detection-based approach exhibits the best results in terms of accuracy, and the texture-based algorithm in terms of false negative ratio. The respective scenarios are explained for suitability of edge detection and texture-based algorithms.
Introduction: Implementing Disability Rights in National Contexts: Norms, Diffusion, and Conflicts
Authors: Aucante Yohann , Baudot Pierre-Yves
Published: December 2017

This introductory article offers an analytical framework to understand the limits of approaches that stress the diffusion and transfers of international norms within the field of disability policy over the last three decades. It also aims to provide alternative ways to frame some of the important changes that have occurred through the concept of layering, in order to better account for the intricate processes of national translation but also for the contradictions, conflicts, and obstacles that the promotion of disability rights have faced in different countries. Finally, this article serves to introduce the contributions that make up the themed section in this issue ofSocial Policy and Society.
Advancing Gender Equality through European Employment Policy: The Impact of the UK's EU Membership and the Risks of Brexit
Authors: Fagan Colette , Rubery Jill
Published: December 2017

This article examines the development of the EU's gender equality framework of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ law, including the incomplete gender mainstreaming of the European Employment Strategy. It highlights contradictions, rooted in political tensions between the social democratic principles which underpin the European Social Model, and the promotion of neo-liberal economic policies. It assesses the UK's role in shaping this European framework, and the framework's impact on the UK's employment policy. It concludes that Brexit will harm the pursuit of gender equality in the UK due to decoupling from the EU's equality framework and policy pathway. An additional risk is greater insularity in UK policy making through reduced exposure to the Open Method of Coordination. Brexit may, however, help progress gender equality in the rest of the EU if the outcome is greater unity focussed on an inclusive employment policy without the UK dragging its heels in favour of deregulated flexibility.
THE RECEDING HORIZON OF DEMOCRACY
Authors: KLOPPENBERG JAMES T.
Published: December 2017

When I began work on Toward Democracy more than twenty years ago, I planned to write a short book explaining how and why ideas about self-government developed in European and American thought from the middle of the eighteenth century to the present. Teaching courses and writing articles on republican, liberal, and democratic ideas, I found thinkers reflecting again and again on searing experiences of fratricidal violence, and as a result the theme of civil war became more prominent in my understanding of democracy. Had my analysis begun in the eighteenth century, I would have missed—as US historians often do—the shaping force of the devastating sixteenth-century wars of religion, the murderous mid-seventeenth-century English Civil War, and the less violent but no less crucial English revolution of 1688. Attempts to establish non-monarchical regimes, or even to modify monarchies to include elements of popular participation, foundered for multiple reasons, but among them were recollections of the carnage that ordinary people repeatedly inflicted on other ordinary people. Misgivings about democracy did not only arise from cultural conservatism or reverence for hierarchy. They also were forged in irrepressible memories of savagery.
Searching for Organic Carbon in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica
Authors: Underwood Emily
Published: December 2017

Researchers identify the first evidence of microbial respiration in desiccated Antarctic permafrost soils.
Novel PAX6 mutation reported in an aniridia patient
Authors: Winegarner Andrew , Oie Yoshinori , Kawasaki Satoshi , Nishida Nozomi , Nishida Kohji
Published: December 2017

An aniridia patient was found to have a novel PAX6 mutation. A genetic duplication within PAX6, which caused a frameshift mutation, ultimately created a nonsense stop codon and premature truncation of the protein. Consequently, the patient presented with a clouded cornea as a result of partial limbal stem cell deficiency, foveal hypoplasia, nystagmus and a pale, cupped optic disc caused by glaucoma.
Metasurface-assisted phase-matching-free second harmonic generation in lithium niobate waveguides
Authors: Wang Cheng , Li Zhaoyi , Kim Myoung-Hwan , Xiong Xiao , Ren Xi-Feng , Guo Guang-Can , Yu Nanfang , Lončar Marko
Published: December 2017

The phase-matching condition is a key aspect in nonlinear wavelength conversion processes, which requires the momenta of the photons involved in the processes to be conserved. Conventionally, nonlinear phase matching is achieved using either birefringent or periodically poled nonlinear crystals, which requires careful dispersion engineering and is usually narrowband. In recent years, metasurfaces consisting of densely packed arrays of optical antennas have been demonstrated to provide an effective optical momentum to bend light in arbitrary ways. Here, we demonstrate that gradient metasurface structures consisting of phased array antennas are able to circumvent the phase-matching requirement in on-chip nonlinear wavelength conversion. We experimentally demonstrate phase-matching-free second harmonic generation over many coherent lengths in thin film lithium niobate waveguides patterned with the gradient metasurfaces. Efficient second harmonic generation in the metasurface-based devices is observed over a wide range of pump wavelengths (λ = 1580–1650 nm).
Infection via mosquito bite alters Zika virus tissue tropism and replication kinetics in rhesus macaques
Authors: Dudley Dawn M. , Newman Christina M. , Lalli Joseph , Stewart Laurel M. , Koenig Michelle R. , Weiler Andrea M. , Semler Matthew R. , Barry Gabrielle L. , Zarbock Katie R. , Mohns Mariel S. , Breitbach Meghan E. , Schultz-Darken Nancy , Peterson Eric , Newton Wendy , Mohr Emma L. , Capuano III Saverio , Osorio Jorge E. , O’Connor Shelby L. , O’Connor David H. , Friedrich Thomas C. , Aliota Matthew T.
Published: December 2017

Mouse and nonhuman primate models now serve as useful platforms to study Zika virus (ZIKV) pathogenesis, candidate therapies, and vaccines, but they rely on needle inoculation of virus: the effects of mosquito-borne infection on disease outcome have not been explored in these models. Here we show that infection via mosquito bite delays ZIKV replication to peak viral loads in rhesus macaques. Importantly, in mosquito-infected animals ZIKV tissue distribution was limited to hemolymphatic tissues, female reproductive tract tissues, kidney, and liver, potentially emulating key features of human ZIKV infections, most of which are characterized by mild or asymptomatic disease. Furthermore, deep sequencing analysis reveals that ZIKV populations in mosquito-infected monkeys show greater sequence heterogeneity and lower overall diversity than in needle-inoculated animals. This newly developed system will be valuable for studying ZIKV disease because it more closely mimics human infection by mosquito bite than needle-based inoculations.
Structural insight into catalytic mechanism of PET hydrolase
Authors: Han Xu , Liu Weidong , Huang Jian-Wen , Ma Jiantao , Zheng Yingying , Ko Tzu-Ping , Xu Limin , Cheng Ya-Shan , Chen Chun-Chi , Guo Rey-Ting
Published: December 2017

PET hydrolase (PETase), which hydrolyzes polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into soluble building blocks, provides an attractive avenue for the bioconversion of plastics. Here we present the structures of a novel PETase from the PET-consuming microbe Ideonella sakaiensis in complex with substrate and product analogs. Through structural analyses, mutagenesis, and activity measurements, a substrate-binding mode is proposed, and several features critical for catalysis are elucidated.
Engineering cell signaling using tunable CRISPR–Cpf1-based transcription factors
Authors: Liu Yuchen , Han Jinghong , Chen Zhicong , Wu Hanwei , Dong Hongsong , Nie Guohui
Published: December 2017

The catalytically dead Cpf1 endonuclease from Acidaminococcus sp. BV3L6 (dAsCpf1) has been used to construct effective transcriptional repressors in bacteria and plants. However, it is still unclear if dAsCpf1 can function in human cells as a transcriptional regulator or a signal conductor. Here, we repurpose the dAsCpf1 system in human cells for a variety of functions, including the activation or repression of gene transcription. Moreover, we construct programmable ligand-controlled dAsCpf1 systems either by coupling crRNAs with engineered riboswitches or by fusing dAsCpf1 proteins with G protein-coupled receptors. These generalizable approaches allow us to regulate the transcription of endogenous genes in response to diverse classes of ligands, thus constructing artificial signaling pathways with rewired cellular input–output behaviors. The systems exhibit signal amplification, an important feature in cell signaling, when multiple crRNAs are processed from a single transcript. The results provide a robust and efficient platform for engineering customized cell signaling circuits.
Machine learning in materials informatics: recent applications and prospects
Authors: Ramprasad Rampi , Batra Rohit , Pilania Ghanshyam , Mannodi-Kanakkithodi Arun , Kim Chiho
Published: December 2017

Propelled partly by the Materials Genome Initiative, and partly by the algorithmic developments and the resounding successes of data-driven efforts in other domains, informatics strategies are beginning to take shape within materials science. These approaches lead to surrogate machine learning models that enable rapid predictions based purely on past data rather than by direct experimentation or by computations/simulations in which fundamental equations are explicitly solved. Data-centric informatics methods are becoming useful to determine material properties that are hard to measure or compute using traditional methods—due to the cost, time or effort involved—but for which reliable data either already exists or can be generated for at least a subset of the critical cases. Predictions are typically interpolative, involving fingerprinting a material numerically first, and then following a mapping (established via a learning algorithm) between the fingerprint and the property of interest. Fingerprints, also referred to as “descriptors”, may be of many types and scales, as dictated by the application domain and needs. Predictions may also be extrapolative—extending into new materials spaces—provided prediction uncertainties are properly taken into account. This article attempts to provide an overview of some of the recent successful data-driven “materials informatics” strategies undertaken in the last decade, with particular emphasis on the fingerprint or descriptor choices. The review also identifies some challenges the community is facing and those that should be overcome in the near future.