bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Growing and Evolving Soft Robots
Authors: Rieffel John , Knox Davis , Smith Schuyler , Trimmer Barry
Published: February 2013

Completely soft and flexible robots offer to revolutionize fields ranging from search and rescue to endoscopic surgery. One of the outstanding challenges in this burgeoning field is the chicken-and-egg problem of body-brain design: Development of locomotion requires the preexistence of a locomotion-capable body, and development of a location-capable body requires the preexistence of a locomotive gait. This problem is compounded by the high degree of coupling between the material properties of a soft body (such as stiffness or damping coefficients) and the effectiveness of a gait. This article synthesizes four years of research into soft robotics, in particular describing three approaches to the co-discovery of soft robot morphology and control. In the first, muscle placement and firing patterns are coevolved for a fixed body shape with fixed material properties. In the second, the material properties of a simulated soft body coevolve alongside locomotive gaits, with body shape and muscle placement fixed. In the third, a developmental encoding is used to scalably grow elaborate soft body shapes from a small seed structure. Considerations of the simulation time and the challenges of physically implementing soft robots in the real world are discussed.
“An Extension of Me”
Authors: Corkran Carol M.
Published: February 2013

Studies describe the human-canine relationship as a long and complex one in which both parties have developed complementary physical skills and communication techniques. Current extensive exploration of the human-canine bond commonly examines the objective value of dogs to people, whether as service or therapy dogs, or valued companions. Dogs have been found to enhance our mental and physical health, learning aptitude, and social confidence. Few studies have investigated the collaborative relationship between handler and working dog, an intersubjective relationship contingent upon mutual trust, communication, learning, and cooperative action between individual subjects. Interviewing bird-dog handlers provides an opportunity to understand how people experience this complex interspecies relationship. Study findings illustrate that the human-canine bond, with its rich history of coevolution stemming from a past of shared hunting efforts, contributes to human experience of the natural world, learning, behavior, and communication.
Sensitivity of Warm-Frontal Processes to Cloud-Nucleating Aerosol Concentrations
Authors: Igel Adele L. , van den Heever Susan C. , Naud Catherine M. , Saleeby Stephen M. , Posselt Derek J.
Published: February 2013

An extratropical cyclone that crossed the United States on 9–11 April 2009 was successfully simulated at high resolution (3-km horizontal grid spacing) using the Colorado State University Regional Atmospheric Modeling System. The sensitivity of the associated warm front to increasing pollution levels was then explored by conducting the same experiment with three different background profiles of cloud-nucleating aerosol concentration. To the authors’ knowledge, no study has examined the indirect effects of aerosols on warm fronts. The budgets of ice, cloud water, and rain in the simulation with the lowest aerosol concentrations were examined. The ice mass was found to be produced in equal amounts through vapor deposition and riming, and the melting of ice produced approximately 75% of the total rain. Conversion of cloud water to rain accounted for the other 25%. When cloud-nucleating aerosol concentrations were increased, significant changes were seen in the budget terms, but total precipitation remained relatively constant. Vapor deposition onto ice increased, but riming of cloud water decreased such that there was only a small change in the total ice production and hence there was no significant change in melting. These responses can be understood in terms of a buffering effect in which smaller cloud droplets in the mixed-phase region lead to both an enhanced vapor deposition and decreased riming efficiency with increasing aerosol concentrations. Overall, while large changes were seen in the microphysical structure of the frontal cloud, cloud-nucleating aerosols had little impact on the precipitation production of the warm front.
Delineating the Eddy–Zonal Flow Interaction in the Atmospheric Circulation Response to Climate Forcing: Uniform SST Warming in an Idealized Aquaplanet Model
Authors: Chen Gang , Lu Jian , Sun Lantao
Published: February 2013

The mechanisms of the atmospheric response to climate forcing are analyzed using an example of uniform SST warming in an idealized aquaplanet model. A 200-member ensemble of experiments is conducted with an instantaneous uniform SST warming. The zonal mean circulation changes display a rapid poleward shift in the midlatitude eddy-driven westerlies and the edge of the Hadley cell circulation and a slow equatorward contraction of the circulation in the deep tropics. The shift of the poleward edge of the Hadley cell is predominantly controlled by the eddy momentum flux. It also shifts the eddy-driven westerlies against the surface friction, at a rate much faster than the expectation from the natural variability of the eddy-driven jet (i.e., the e-folding time scale of the annular mode), with much less feedback between the eddies and zonal flow.

The transient eddy–zonal flow interactions are delineated using a newly developed finite-amplitude wave activity diagnostic of Nakamura. Applying it to the transient ensemble response to uniform SST warming reveals that the eddy-driven westerlies are shifted poleward by permitting more upward wave propagation in the middle and upper troposphere rather than reducing the lower-tropospheric baroclinicity. The increased upward wave propagation is attributed to a reduction in eddy dissipation of wave activity as a result of a weaker meridional potential vorticity (PV) gradient. The reduction allows more waves to propagate away from the latitudes of baroclinic generation, which, in turn, leads to more poleward momentum flux and a poleward shift of eddy-driven winds and Hadley cell edge.
Evaluation of Precipitation Simulated by Seven SCMs against the ARM Observations at the SGP Site*
Authors: Song Hua , Lin Wuyin , Lin Yanluan , Wolf Audrey B. , Neggers Roel , Donner Leo J. , Del Genio Anthony D. , Liu Yangang
Published: February 2013

This study evaluates the performances of seven single-column models (SCMs) by comparing simulated surface precipitation with observations at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program Southern Great Plains (SGP) site from January 1999 to December 2001. Results show that although most SCMs can reproduce the observed precipitation reasonably well, there are significant and interesting differences in their details. In the cold season, the model–observation differences in the frequency and mean intensity of rain events tend to compensate each other for most SCMs. In the warm season, most SCMs produce more rain events in daytime than in nighttime, whereas the observations have more rain events in nighttime. The mean intensities of rain events in these SCMs are much stronger in daytime, but weaker in nighttime, than the observations. The higher frequency of rain events during warm-season daytime in most SCMs is related to the fact that most SCMs produce a spurious precipitation peak around the regime of weak vertical motions but rich in moisture content. The models also show distinct biases between nighttime and daytime in simulating significant rain events. In nighttime, all the SCMs have a lower frequency of moderate-to-strong rain events than the observations for both seasons. In daytime, most SCMs have a higher frequency of moderate-to-strong rain events than the observations, especially in the warm season. Further analysis reveals distinct meteorological backgrounds for large underestimation and overestimation events. The former occur in the strong ascending regimes with negative low-level horizontal heat and moisture advection, whereas the latter occur in the weak or moderate ascending regimes with positive low-level horizontal heat and moisture advection.
Spatially Inhomogeneous Trends of Tropical Cyclone Intensity over the Western North Pacific for 1977–2010
Authors: Park Doo-Sun R. , Ho Chang-Hoi , Kim Joo-Hong , Kim Hyeong-Seog
Published: February 2013

The spatial distribution of trends in tropical cyclone (TC) intensity over the western North Pacific Ocean (WNP) during the period 1977–2010 was examined using five TC datasets. The spatial distribution of the TC intensity was expressed by seasonally averaged maximum wind speeds in 5° × 5° horizontal grids. The trends showed a spatial inhomogeneity, with a weakening in the tropical Philippine Sea (TP) and a strengthening in southern Japan and its southeastern ocean (SJ). This distribution could be described by TC intensification rate and genesis frequency, with the aid of the climatological direction of TC movement. The increasing intensification rate around the center of the WNP could mostly account for the increasing intensity over the SJ region, while the influence of both intensification rate and local genesis frequency mattered in the TP region because of the effect of the newly generated and less-developed weak TCs on the TC intensity. Thermodynamic variables (e.g., sea surface temperature, potential intensity, and 26°C isotherm depth) showed almost homogeneous changes in space, possibly favoring intensification rate and genesis frequency over the entire WNP. However, the decreasing intensification rate and genesis frequency in some tropical regions conflicted with the impact of thermodynamic variables; rather, they were in accord with the impact of dynamic variables (i.e., vorticity and wind shear). In conclusion, the spatially inhomogeneous trends in TC intensity could be explained by considering the thermodynamic and dynamic aspects in combination through intensification rate and genesis frequency.
On the Relationship between Winter Sea Ice and Summer Atmospheric Circulation over Eurasia
Authors: Wu Bingyi , Zhang Renhe , D'Arrigo Rosanne , Su Jingzhi
Published: February 2013

Using NCEP–NCAR reanalysis and Japanese 25-yr Reanalysis (JRA-25) data, this paper investigates the association between winter sea ice concentration (SIC) in Baffin Bay southward to the eastern coast of Newfoundland, and the ensuing summer atmospheric circulation over the mid- to high latitudes of Eurasia. It is found that winter SIC anomalies are significantly correlated with the ensuing summer 500-hPa height anomalies that dynamically correspond to the Eurasian pattern of 850-hPa wind variability and significantly influence summer rainfall variability over northern Eurasia. Spring atmospheric circulation anomalies south of Newfoundland, associated with persistent winter–spring SIC and a horseshoe-like pattern of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the North Atlantic, act as a bridge linking winter SIC and the ensuing summer atmospheric circulation anomalies over northern Eurasia. Indeed, this study only reveals the association based on observations and simple simulation experiments with SIC forcing. The more precise mechanism for this linkage needs to be addressed in future work using numerical simulations with SIC and SST as the external forcings. The results herein have the following implication: Winter SIC west of Greenland is a possible precursor for summer atmospheric circulation and rainfall anomalies over northern Eurasia.
Extracting the Dominant SST Modes Impacting North America's Observed Climate*
Authors: Wang Fuyao , Liu Zhengyu , Notaro Michael
Published: February 2013

The seasonal impacts of the dominant sea surface temperature (SST) modes to North American climate are assessed comprehensively in observations using the multivariate generalized equilibrium feedback assessment (GEFA) method. The GEFA method is first validated before applying it to observations. Impacts of each individual SST mode are quantified and the associated mechanisms are discussed. Four critical SST modes for North American climate are found: the ENSO mode, Indian Ocean Basin (IOB) mode, North Pacific first empirical orthogonal function (EOF) mode, and tropical Atlantic second EOF mode. The impacts of the ENSO mode are consistent with previous studies qualitatively, while the impact strength is further quantified here. The IOB mode has a strong influence on surface air temperature across North America, and it is demonstrated for the first time that its impact strength might even exceed that of ENSO during both winter and summer. The IOB mode also affects the year-round precipitation. A deeper understanding of the impact of North Pacific SSTs on wintertime surface air temperature is achieved: namely, positive SST anomalies in the Kuroshio Extension region correspond to colder (warmer) air in western (eastern) North America. The tropical Atlantic has a more significant influence on North American precipitation than does the extratropical Atlantic, with colder than normal tropical North Atlantic SSTs supporting wetter conditions across much of the United States, especially during autumn. Because of the linearity of GEFA, the total impacts of multiple SST modes can be obtained by the linear combination of each individual mode's impact. The GEFA method is a potentially powerful tool for seasonal climate prediction.
Evaluating the Implementation of Expert Committee Recommendations for Obesity Assessment
Authors: Sharifi Mona , Rifas-Shiman Sheryl L. , Marshall Richard , Simon Steven R. , Gillman Matthew W. , Finkelstein Jonathan A. , Taveras Elsie M.
Published: February 2013

The increasing prevalence of childhood overweight/obesity and their associated morbidities are well established, yet rates of diagnosis and screening for related conditions by clinicians are low. Expert Committee recommendations were released in 2007 to facilitate management of pediatric overweight/obesity. From well-child visits to a Massachusetts multisite group practice, we randomly selected 1 visit per child in 2006 (n = 56 374) and in 2008 (n = 69 681) and used electronic health record data to identify children with incident overweight or obesity (BMI ≥ 85th percentile) and ascertained whether clinicians assigned relevant ICD-9 ( International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision) codes and ordered laboratory tests recommended for children ≥10 years old. In the year following the release of recommendations, a large majority of children 2 to 17 years old with a BMI ≥85th percentile lack diagnosis codes for overweight/obesity and recommended laboratory orders for assessment of obesity-related comorbidities for children 10 years and older, suggesting the need to augment current approaches to increase uptake of guidelines.
An Evidence-Based Review of the Current Treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia
Authors: Haroon Junaid , Chamberlain Ronald S.
Published: February 2013

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia is a rare but severe condition affecting 1 in 2000 to 3000 newborns with a survival rate of 67%. Although regular antenatal screening allows prenatal diagnosis in many cases, traditionally treatment has been based on postnatal surgical repair. Recent literature has pointed out the survival benefits of initial stabilization and the use of gentle ventilation strategies prior to definitive treatment, shifting the trend from immediate to delayed surgical repair. Advances in fetal intervention have allowed the introduction of fetal endoscopic tracheal occlusion as a method to hasten lung development before birth in order to minimize postnatal morbidity. Despite appropriate treatment, the long-term outcomes of these patients are plagued with numerous complications, associated with the primary pathology and also aggressive therapeutic measures. International centers of excellence have recently come together in an effort to standardize the care of such patients in hopes of maximizing their outcomes.
Maternal Low- and High-Depressive Symptoms and Safety Concerns for Low-Income Preschool Children
Authors: Conners-Burrow Nicola A. , Fussell Jill J. , Johnson Danya L. , McKelvey Lorraine M. , Whiteside-Mansell Leanne , Bokony Patti , Kraleti Shashank
Published: February 2013

Objectives. Our objective was to examine the relationship between low- and high-level depressive symptoms in mothers’ and children’s risks in the areas of home and car safety, monitoring, and exposure to violence. Methods. Participants included 978 mothers of preschool-age children who were interviewed about their home environment and screened for maternal depression. Results. Whereas only 5.7% scored at high depressive levels on the screen, another 21.3% scored at low depressive levels. Logistic regression analyses controlling for demographics revealed that children were significantly more likely to experience home safety risks in 6 of 7 areas when mothers reported either low or high levels of depressive symptoms. Conclusions. Results suggest that children whose mothers experience even low-level depressive symptoms are at increased risk for safety problems in the home environment, pointing to the need for screening and interventions to reduce the risk of injury.
Identifying the Sources of Community Corrections Professionals’ Attitudes About Sex Offender Residence Restrictions
Authors: Payne Brian K. , Tewksbury Richard , Mustaine Elizabeth Erhardt
Published: February 2013

Over the past two decades, a number of different types of policies have been developed to govern sex offenders. Sex offender residence restriction policies have proliferated as part of this growth in sex offender policies. Several studies have focused on how different types of respondents perceive these policies. These studies show that individuals have mixed perceptions about the policies. Less attention has been given to the factors that influence professionals’ attitudes about sex offender residence restriction. In this study, 716 community corrections professionals were surveyed in an effort to identify how they framed their perceptions about residence restriction. Specific attention was given to the impact of demographic factors, education, and perceptions of the fairness and efficacy of sex offender policies. Results show that support for the policies is tied to gender, education, and perceptions of fairness and effectiveness. Implications are discussed.
Business Improvement Districts in Urban Governance
Authors: Morçöl Göktuğ , Vasavada Triparna , Kim Sohee
Published: February 2013

Using a longitudinal case study, we analyzed the centralities and roles of the actors in an urban governance network. The results of our network text analyses and social network analyses of newspaper articles show that the director of the business improvement district, the city council, and mayors were the most central actors in the governance network. Our thematic content analyses of the policy-related actions of these actors show that while the council and mayors played their prescribed roles, the director’s roles were more diversified than what his position requires. We discuss the implications of these findings for urban governance.
Give a Little or Lose a Lot? The Effects of Increased Transparency on Local Applications for Federal Grant Funds
Authors: Rauh Jonathan
Published: February 2013

In this article, I examine the effects of the increased transparency and reporting requirements on the decisions of local education agencies (LEAs) to draw down federal dollars allocated to state programs in nonmission areas. Data from LEAs and program expenditures are used to develop a model detailing how transparency impacts the decisions of LEAs in two states in drawing down funds from a federal grant program. Findings suggest that rather than the theoretical expectation that managers act in an anticipatory manner, managers are more concerned with immediate financial needs.
Building Social Cohesion
Authors: Roman Alexandru V. , Miller Hugh T.
Published: February 2013

While material gain continues to be a leading motivator for corrupt acts, this study shows that social status and kinship responsibilities should also be considered possible precursors to corruption. This finding has important implications for constructing an appropriate understanding of corruption, designing anticorruption policies, and achieving ethical governance in developing democracies.
Role of Neuroticism and Coping Strategies in Psychological Reactions to a Racist Incident Among African American University Students
Authors: Pearson Matthew R. , Derlega Valerian J. , Henson James M. , Holmes Karen Y. , Ferrer Rebecca A. , Harrison Scott B.
Published: February 2013

A total of 562 African American university students provided data on individual differences in neuroticism; coping with a recent experience being the target of prejudice, racism, and/or discrimination; and psychological reactions to the incident. Higher negative affect, lower positive affect, more intrusive thoughts about the incident, and lack of forgiveness for the perpetrator were used to index distress in response to the racist incident. Using factor analyses, we determined the factor structure of the Brief COPE in our sample. Using structural equation modeling, we then examined neuroticism and each coping factor as unique predictors of reactions to the race-related incident. We documented that there were direct and indirect associations (via the selection of coping strategies) between neuroticism and the outcome measures. Neuroticism also moderated the association between particular coping strategies and reactions to the racist incident. There was also evidence for direct associations between various coping strategies and the outcome measures. The research, though preliminary, suggests the importance of neuroticism and coping strategies in understanding psychological reactions to being the target of racism.
Collaborative Propensities Among Transnational NGOs Registered in the United States
Authors: Mitchell George E.
Published: February 2013

NGO collaborations and government–NGO relations have become popular subjects of inquiry in public administration. Building on contemporary trends in the field, this exploratory study adopts a transnational governance perspective to examine the collaborative propensities of transnational NGOs registered in the United States. Unlike prior scholarship focusing on subnational samples of domestic organizations operating within single sectors of activity, findings are based on a mixed-method analysis of in-depth, face-to-face interviews with top organizational leaders from a diverse sample of 152 transnational NGOs spanning all major sectors of NGO activity.  Analysis discovers that leaders’ organizations exhibit either an “independent” or an “interdependent” collaborative propensity. As members of global civil society, many transnational NGO leaders are reluctant, if not averse, in their attitudes toward collaboration with actors outside of civil society, particularly government agencies. Leaders of independent transnational NGOs evince concern over the implications of intersectoral collaboration for organizational legitimacy, whereas leaders of interdependent transnational NGOs appear to be attracted to the increased funding and recognition that intersectoral collaborations may provide. Further analysis of the perceived benefits and obstacles to collaboration reveals additional insights about the factors influencing leaders’ decisions to engage in or not to engage in intersectoral collaboration.
Parochialism – a defence
Authors: Tomaney John
Published: February 2013

I present a defence of parochialism against the claims of cosmopolitanism and in the context of debates about the relational accounts of place. Against normative claims that local attachments and territorial sense of belonging lead to exclusion and cultural atrophy, the paper suggests that the local, its cultures and its solidarities are a moral starting point and a locus of ecological concern in all human societies and at all moments of history. I explore this idea by reference to art and literature, especially poetry. This analysis suggests that local identities should be understood contextually; there is no necessary relation between local forms of identity and practices of exclusion. The paper shows how the virtue of parochialism is expressed in art with a universal appeal. I conclude, therefore, that we need more detailed studies of real local identities, which avoid a presumption of disdain.
Population geography I: Surplus populations
Authors: Tyner James A.
Published: February 2013

The subject of ‘population’ is undergoing a renaissance in geography; this is seen, for example, in the voluminous studies addressing ‘marginalized’ populations, including but not limited to refugees, internally displaced persons, and children. In short, scholarship has focused on those lives rendered ‘wasted’, ‘precarious’, or ‘superfluous’. Population geographers have made substantial contributions; however, more can be done. In this and the next two progress reports, I suggest that population geographers reflect more deeply on the spatiality and survivability of vulnerable populations. More specifically, population geographers should consider the politics of fertility, mortality, and mobility from the standpoint of a layered demographic question: within any given place, who lives, who dies, and who decides? In this first report, I resituate the concept ‘surplus population’ within the broader domain of population geography. In subsequent reports, I consider more closely population geography’s association with related subject areas (i.e. biopolitics and necropolitics). I maintain that, by addressing vulnerability and survivability, we join others in geography and allied fields who are writing about ‘populations’ not as biological, pre-given entities, but instead as political subjects at risk of premature death.
Augmented Feedback Supports Skill Transfer and Reduces High-Risk Injury Landing Mechanics
Authors: Myer Gregory D. , Stroube Benjamin W. , DiCesare Christopher A. , Brent Jensen L. , Ford Kevin R. , Heidt Robert S. , Hewett Timothy E.
Published: February 2013

Background:

There is a current need to produce a simple, yet effective method for screening and targeting possible deficiencies related to increased anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk.

Hypothesis:

Frontal plane knee angle (FPKA) during a drop vertical jump will decrease upon implementing augmented feedback into a standardized sport training program.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Thirty-seven female participants (mean ± SD: age, 14.7 ± 1.5 years; height, 160.9 ± 6.8 cm; weight, 54.5 ± 7.2 kg) were trained over 8 weeks. During each session, each participant received standardized training consisting of strength training, plyometrics, and conditioning. They were also videotaped running on a treadmill at a standardized speed and performing a repeated tuck jump for 10 seconds. Study participants were randomized into 2 groups and received augmented feedback on either their jumping (AF) or sprinting (CTRL) form. Average (mean of 3 trials) and most extreme (trial with greatest knee abduction) FPKA were calculated from 2-dimensional video captured during performance of the drop vertical jump.

Results:

After testing, a main effect of time was noted, with the AF group reducing their FPKA average by 37.9% over the 3 trials while the CTRL group demonstrated a 26.7% reduction average across the 3 trials ( P < .05). Conversely, in the most extreme drop vertical jump trial, a significant time-by-group interaction was noted ( P < .05). The AF group reduced their most extreme FPKA by 6.9° (pretest, 18.4° ± 12.3°; posttest, 11.4° ± 10.1°) on their right leg and 6.5° (pretest, 16.3° ± 14.5°; posttest, 9.8° ± 10.7°) on their left leg, which represented a 37.7% and 40.1% reduction in FPKA, respectively. In the CTRL group, no similar changes were noted in the right (pretest, 16.9° ± 14.3°; posttest, 14.0° ± 12.3°) or left leg (pretest, 9.8° ± 11.1°; posttest, 7.2° ± 9.2°) after training.

Conclusion:

Providing athletes with augmented feedback on deficits identified by the tuck jump assessment has a positive effect on their biomechanics during a different drop vertical jump task that is related to increased ACL injury risk. The ability of the augmented feedback to support the transfer of skills and injury risk factor reductions across different tasks provides exciting new evidence related to how neuromuscular training may ultimately cross over into retained biomechanics that reduce ACL injuries during sport.

Clinical Relevance:

The tuck jump assessment’s ease of use makes it a timely and economically favorable method to support ACL prevention strategies in young girls.
Isolation and Characterization of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived From Shoulder Tissues Involved in Rotator Cuff Tears
Authors: Utsunomiya Hajime , Uchida Soshi , Sekiya Ichiro , Sakai Akinori , Moridera Kuniaki , Nakamura Toshitaka
Published: February 2013

Background:

Recent studies report a relatively high failure rate for tendon-bone healing after rotator cuff repair. Several studies have investigated biologically augmented rotator cuff repair; however, none has shown the application of synovial mesenchymal stem cells for such repair.

Purpose:

To demonstrate whether cells derived from shoulder tissues have mesenchymal stem cell properties and to identify which tissue is the best source of the mesenchymal stem cells.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Forty-two patients with a diagnosed rotator cuff tear preoperatively were enrolled in this study. Human mesenchymal tissues were obtained during arthroscopic surgery for rotator cuff tears from 19 donors who met the inclusion criteria and had investigable amounts of tissue. Colony-forming units, yield obtained, expandability, differentiation potential, epitope profile, and gene expression were compared among the cells from 4 shoulder tissues: synovium of the glenohumeral joint, subacromial bursa, margin of the ruptured supraspinatus tendon, and residual tendon stump on the greater tuberosity (enthesis).

Results:

The number of live passage 0 cells from whole tissue was significantly higher in cells derived from the subacromial bursa ( P < .05). Subacromial bursa–derived cells retained their expandability even at passage 10. In adipogenesis experiments, the frequency of Oil Red O–positive colonies was significantly higher for synovium- and subacromial bursa–derived cells than for tendon- and enthesis-derived cells ( P < .0001). In studies of osteogenesis, the rate of von Kossa– and alkaline phosphatase–positive colonies was highest in subacromial bursa–derived cells ( P < .0001). The chondrogenic potential was highest in cells derived from the enthesis. For epitope profiling, 11 surface antigens were measured, and most had similar epitope profiles, irrespective of cell source.

Conclusion:

The findings indicate that the subacromial bursa is a good candidate for the source of mesenchymal stem cells in rotator cuff tears.

Clinical Relevance:

Synovial cells from the subacromial bursa in patients with rotator cuff tears are a superior cell source in vitro, suggesting that mesenchymal stem cells from this tissue could be good candidates for biological augmentation of rotator cuff repair.
Arthroscopically Assisted 2-Bundle Anatomic Reduction of Acute Acromioclavicular Joint Separations
Authors: Venjakob Arne J. , Salzmann Gian M. , Gabel Florian , Buchmann Stefan , Walz Lars , Spang Jeffrey T. , Vogt Stephan , Imhoff Andreas B.
Published: February 2013

Background:

Currently, no clinical midterm results have been reported on arthroscopically assisted reduction of the acutely dislocated acromioclavicular (AC) joint using suture-button devices for fixation.

Hypothesis:

Athroscopically assisted reduction of the acutely dislocated AC joint yields satisfactory clinical outcomes without loss of reduction, clavicle migration, or AC joint degeneration at midterm follow-up evaluation.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

The clinical and radiographic outcomes of 23 of 30 consecutive patients (21 men, 2 women) who underwent anatomic reduction for acute AC joint dislocation using 2 suture-button devices between 2006 and 2007 were reviewed. Radiographic evaluation was performed by measurement of coracoclavicular (CC) distance and AC displacement. Clinical evaluation included a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, the Constant score, the simple shoulder test, and the Short Form–36. Previously, this same patient collective was reviewed after 2 years of follow-up using similar methods.

Results:

All 23 patients were available for midterm follow-up examination 58 months postoperatively. There were 3 Rockwood type III, 3 type IV, and 17 type V acromioclavicular joint separations. Mean ± SD follow-up was 58 ± 5.6 months (range, 51-67 months). Most patients (96%) remained very satisfied or satisfied with the procedure outcome. The VAS and Constant score improved significantly when compared with baseline (0.3 ± 0.6 and 91.5 ± 4.7 at 58 months postoperatively vs 4.5 ± 1.9 and 34.5 ± 6.9 at baseline) and remained essentially unchanged when compared with the 2-year outcome scores (0.3 ± 0.6 and 91.5 ± 4.7 at 58 months postoperatively vs 0.25 ± 0.5 and 94.3 ± 3.2 at 2 years). Radiographs showed 8 radiographic failures (undercorrection, posterior displacement, or both) and 4 additional overcorrections of the CC distance. When comparing with 24-month data, 17 of 20 radiographs remained unchanged; 1 case of previous overcorrection drifted into normal AC alignment and 2 cases increased in posterior subluxation of the clavicle.

Conclusion:

Arthroscopically assisted reduction of the acutely dislocated AC joint provides satisfactory clinical results 58 months after surgery. Compared with the baseline, all patients improved significantly. Two of 23 patients revealed an increased posterior dislocation compared with evaluation 24 months after surgery. No further migration of the clavicle or AC joint degeneration was observed.
Effect of Meniscal and Focal Cartilage Lesions on Patient-Reported Outcome After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Røtterud Jan Harald , Sivertsen Einar A. , Forssblad Magnus , Engebretsen Lars , Årøen Asbjørn
Published: February 2013

Background:

The effect of concomitant intra-articular injury on patient-reported outcome after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is debated.

Purpose:

To evaluate the effect of meniscal and articular cartilage lesions on patient-reported outcome 2 years after ACL reconstruction.

Study Design:

Cohort study (prognosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

The study included all patients with primary, unilateral ACL reconstruction registered in the Norwegian and the Swedish National Knee Ligament Registry from 2005 through 2008 who had completed the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) Knee-Related Quality of Life subscale at a 2-year follow-up (mean ± SD, 2.1 ± 0.2 years) after surgery (n = 8476). Multiple linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the associations between each KOOS subscale (Pain, Other Symptoms, Activities of Daily Living, Sport and Recreation Function, Knee-Related Quality of Life) as the measure for patient-reported outcome and meniscal and cartilage lesions.

Results:

A total of 3674 (43%) patients had meniscal lesion(s), 1671 (20%) had partial-thickness (International Cartilage Repair Society [ICRS] grades 1-2) cartilage lesion(s), and 551 (7%) had full-thickness (ICRS grades 3-4) cartilage lesion(s). Multiple linear regression analyses detected no significant associations between meniscal lesions or partial-thickness cartilage lesions and the scores in any of the KOOS subscales at the 2-year follow-up. Full-thickness cartilage lesions were significantly associated with decreased scores in all of the KOOS subscales.

Conclusion:

Patients with concomitant full-thickness cartilage lesions reported worse outcome in all of the KOOS subscales compared with patients without cartilage lesions 2 years after ACL reconstruction. Meniscal lesions and partial-thickness cartilage lesions did not impair patient-reported outcome 2 years after ACL reconstruction.
Endoscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Children Using Living Donor Hamstring Tendon Allografts
Authors: Goddard Martin , Bowman Nicholas , Salmon Lucy J. , Waller Alison , Roe Justin P. , Pinczewski Leo A.
Published: February 2013

Background:

The incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in children is increasing, but ACL reconstruction with traditional autograft sources is associated with high rates of further ACL injury when compared with adult populations. The outcome of ACL reconstruction using an alternative graft source, the living donor hamstring tendon (HT) allograft, has not been reported.

Purpose:

To determine the outcome of endoscopic transphyseal single-tunnel ACL reconstruction using living donor HT allografts.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Between 2007 and 2008, 32 children underwent endoscopic transphyseal single-tunnel ACL reconstruction using living donor HT allografts. The HT allograft was harvested from a parent. At a minimum 2 years’ follow-up, full International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) knee ligament examination was performed on the children including instrumented testing using the KT-1000 arthrometer. Donors underwent subjective review at a minimum 2 years’ follow-up.

Results:

Thirty-one children (97%) were able to be contacted for review. Of these, 2 (6%) sustained an ACL graft rupture within 2 years after surgery. Twenty-nine children completed clinical and subjective review. The mean age at ACL reconstruction was 13 years (range, 8-16 years). The mean HT graft size was 7.2 mm (range, 6-8 mm). The mean IKDC subjective score was 97 (range, 84-100). Twenty-eight patients (97%) had a normal or nearly normal IKDC ligament grade. At 2 years after surgery, 27 patients (93%) reported regularly participating in very strenuous or strenuous activities. There were no cases of limb malalignment. Twenty eight (97%) of the donors reported that they would undergo the same procedure again under the same circumstances.

Conclusion:

Excellent clinical and subjective outcomes were achieved with high levels of return to desired activities. This technique allows a more predictable size of the HTs compared with an autograft from the child and maintains an intact neuromuscular hamstring structure in the child. Finally, the child’s own HTs are reserved for future use. Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using living donor allografts should be considered a viable choice in children.
An Epidemic Model of Violence and Public Support in Civil War
Authors: Zhukov Yuri M.
Published: February 2013

How do civilians respond to violence in civil war, and how do these responses shape combatants’ coercive strategies? Conventional wisdom expects civilian victimization to backfire, as a security-minded public “balances” against the side posing the greatest threat to its livelihood and survival. Yet combatants often expect a terrorized population to do the opposite, “bandwagoning” with those most willing and capable to inflict harm. Using an epidemic model of popular support dynamics, I explore the logic of balancing and bandwagoning in irregular civil war. I argue that when civilian strategy is clearly communicated to combatants, civilians are always better off balancing, and combatants are better off avoiding punishment. When civilian choice is not observed, the balancing equilibrium breaks down and patterns of violence depend on the local balance of power. The model’s results challenge the view that selective violence is most common in areas of incomplete control. Due to uncertainty over civilian behavior, violence in both divided and perfectly controlled areas can occur in equilibrium, inflicting great costs on civilians. I compare these predictions against the historical record of Soviet counterinsurgency in Western Ukraine, using new micro-level data from the declassified archives of the Soviet secret police.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Refugees, Humanitarian Aid, and Terrorism
Authors: Choi Seung-Whan , Salehyan Idean
Published: February 2013

We examine the consequences of hosting refugees for domestic and international terrorism. In line with the old saying, “no good deed goes unpunished”, we argue that the infusion of aid resources provides militant groups with opportunities for looting and for attacking foreign targets. A cross-national, time-series data analysis of 154 countries for the years 1970–2007 shows evidence that countries with many refugees are more likely to experience both domestic and international terrorism. This finding implies that while the international community should strive to reduce the number of refugees by preventing the eruption of major conflict events, individual countries should find a way of maintaining the balance between humanitarianism toward refugees and providing safe, secure environments for refugees and those that assist them.
Democratic Communities and Third-Party Conflict Management
Authors: Beardsley Kyle , Lo Nigel
Published: February 2013

We explore how the domestic political institutions of states in the neighborhood of international disputants affect the incentives for third-party conflict management. Existing scholarship has argued that as the number of democracies in the international system increases, disputants are more likely to want and find third-party conflict management. We propose two alternative explanations for the connection between democratization and changing patterns of conflict management that consider more localized mechanisms. We posit that neighboring democratic leaders, with stronger incentives to deliver public benefits, will be more willing to push for their involvement as third parties, particularly when the disputes are sufficiently salient to affect regional security dynamics yet not so difficult that protracted engagement is likely. We also posit that, since international organizations (IOs) tend to be more engaged in democratic communities, IOs will be more active peacemakers in disputes, especially intractable and violent ones, that occur in heavily democratic regions. Using event history analysis of the Issue Correlates of War (ICOW) data, we find support for these arguments. Disputants with many democratic neighbors are more likely to experience third-party conflict management by democracies—this effect is increasing in the salience and decreasing in the intractability of the dispute—and IOs—this effect is increasing in the intractability of the dispute. Counter to expectations based on a logic of norm diffusion, third-party conflict management is not more likely among democracies that are in dispute with each other nor when the proportion of democracies in the international system increases.
Reconsidering trade and conflict simultaneity: The risk of emphasizing technique over substance
Authors: Reuveny Rafael , Keshk Omar M. G.
Published: February 2013

Goenner ( Conflict Management and Peace Science, 28(5): 1–20, 2011) criticizes the simultaneous equations regression model (SEM) of bilateral trade flows (BT) and militarized interstate disputes (MID) developed by Keshk, Pollins and Reuveny ( Journal of Politics 66(4): 1155–1179, 2004) and extended by Keshk, Reuveny and Pollins ( Conflict Management and Peace Science, 27(1): 1–20, 2010). Like Hegre, Oneal and Russett ( Journal of Peace Research 47(6): 763–774, 2010), he does not agree with Keshk, Reuveny and Pollins that a larger BT has no effect on MID. Unlike Hegre et al. (2010), who focus on the role of distance between capital cities on MID in Keshk et al.’s (2004) SEM, Goenner finds faults in their econometrics. Once these faults are fixed, he says, a larger BT reduces the probability of MID. His analysis is unconvincing. We believe our essay is of interest beyond the trade and conflict research community, as it illustrates the risk of emphasizing technique over substance.
Mission accomplished: A reply to Reuveny and Keshk
Authors: Goenner Cullen F.
Published: February 2013

Reuveny and Keshk (“Reconsidering trade and conflict simultaneity: The risk of emphasizing technique over substance,” this issue, 2013) argue that the econometric techniques used by Goenner ( Conflict Management and Peace Science 28(5): 459–477, 2011) to test and control for endogeneity when estimating the relationship between trade and conflict lack substance. Both sets of authors propose the use of instrumental variable methods, which are known by econometricians to be the natural remedy for estimation with potentially endogenous regressors. Where Goenner (2011) and Reuveny and Keshk (2013) agree is that theory should guide variable selection and the model’s specification. Yet they differ in that, while econometric tests cannot replace theory, one should not trust the appropriateness of the model’s specification based on theory alone – one should also verify. Otherwise, as Goenner (2011) notes, attempts to control for endogeneity may fail.
Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Children With Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Valicenti-McDermott Maria , Burrows Bethany , Bernstein Leora , Hottinger Kathryn , Lawson Katharine , Seijo Rosa , Schechtman Merryl , Shulman Lisa , Shinnar Shlomo
Published: February 2013

The use of complementary and alternative medicine by children with autism and the association of its use with child comorbid symptoms and parental stress was studied in an ethnically diverse population, in a cross-sectional study with structured interviews. The sample included 50 families of children with autism and 50 families of children with other developmental disabilities, matched by age/gender. Interview included the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire, Gastrointestinal Questionnaire, Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire, Aberrant Behavior Checklist, and Parenting Stress Index. In this ethnically diverse sample, the use of complementary and alternative medicine was significantly higher for the autism group. In the autism group, use was significantly related to child’s irritability, hyperactivity, food allergies, and parental stress; in the developmental disabilities group, there was no association with child comorbid symptoms or parental stress. The results contribute information to health care providers about families of children with autism who are more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine.
Shifting “Tough on Crime” to Keeping Kids Out of Jail
Authors: Artello Kristine
Published: February 2013

The proliferation of zero tolerance policies and “tough on crime” laws has lead to 2.11 million youth arrested and 75% adjudicated through juvenile courts in 2008. Many arrested youth have mental illness diagnosis resulting in further barriers including fragmented services, institutions with conflicting missions and incompatible approaches, and a dearth of community resources (Shufelt & Cocozza, 2006). Yet, for the boom years of mass incarceration since 1990s, the Agency1 studied for this project shifted from institutionalization of these youth to community-based treatments by shifting from problem-based medical focus to a strengths-based approach. In this study, qualitative data collection occurred over a 6-month period for the purposes of analyzing how a community-based program has sustained itself in an era that emphasizes a tough approach to crime. This Agency’s success partially stems from shifting the conversation about juvenile justice away from punishment by effectively viewing the youth’s family as the expert and a valuable resource in treatment. This shift, enhanced by diversification of services and fiscal controls, also illustrates that a strengths-based approach to juvenile justice is also cost-effective.