bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Somatosensory and Biomechanical Abnormalities in Females With Patellofemoral Pain
Authors: Noehren Brian , Shuping Logan , Jones Aron , Akers David A. , Bush Heather M. , Sluka Kathleen A. 
Published: December 2015

Objectives:
Chronic patellofemoral pain (PFP) is a common orthopedic condition for which little is understood of the alterations in pain processing such as hyperalgesia, hypoesthesia, and the relationship of altered knee mechanics to hyperalgesia. We assessed pain, pressure pain thresholds (PPT), detection to light touch, and the relationship of pain and PPTs to knee abduction angle during a stair step down task between females with and without PFP.

Materials and Methods:
Twenty females diagnosed with PFP and 20 age-matched pain-free females participated in this study. Individuals underwent an instrumented assessment of knee mechanics during a stair step down task, PPT and detection of light touch over the center of the patella and lateral retinaculum, and PPT outside painful area over the right elbow.

Results:
The PFP group had significantly lower PPT values at the patella (P=0.02), lateral retinaculum (P=0.001), and at the elbow (P=0.03). There was an elevated threshold to detect light touch over the center of their patella (P=0.04). A significant relationship between both pain (r=−0.49, P=0.03) and PPT values (r=0.65, P=0.004) to the frontal plane knee angle existed in the PFP group which was not present in the control group (r=−0.17, P=0.49) or in the elbow (r=−0.009, P=0.972).

Discussion:
These results suggest that PFP is characterized by an increase in both localized and centralized pain sensitivity that is related to movement mechanics. Thus, PFP has both biomechanical, nociceptive components as well as inferred aspects of altered central sensitization.
Evolutionary dynamics of a quantitative trait in a finite asexual population
Authors: Débarre Florence , Otto Sarah P. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractIn finite populations, mutation limitation and genetic drift can hinder evolutionary diversification. We consider the evolution of a quantitative trait in an asexual population whose size can vary and depends explicitly on the trait. Previous work showed that evolutionary branching is certain (“deterministic branching”) above a threshold population size, but uncertain (“stochastic branching”) below it. Using the stationary distribution of the population’s trait variance, we identify three qualitatively different sub-domains of “stochastic branching” and illustrate our results using a model of social evolution. We find that in very small populations, branching will almost never be observed; in intermediate populations, branching is intermittent, arising and disappearing over time; in larger populations, finally, branching is expected to occur and persist for substantial periods of time. Our study provides a clearer picture of the ecological conditions that facilitate the appearance and persistence of novel evolutionary lineages in the face of genetic drift.
Place branding scholars and practitioners: “strangers in the night”?
Authors: Kavaratzis Mihalis 
Published: December 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to deal with the widely acknowledged gap between place branding theory and practice. It makes a direct attempt to address fundamental questions regarding the relationship between place branding scholars and practitioners. The article reports on the special session “Theory meets Practice” that was organised at the Institute of Place Management Conference in Poznan, Poland, in May 2015.

Design/methodology/approach
– The article raises and attempts to answer questions such as whether the two groups of place branding scholars and practitioners engage with each other’s work, whether they share an understanding of place branding and whether they set the same set of priorities for the advancement of the field. Both academic views and practitioners’ approaches are elaborated upon. Furthermore, the example of a project where both academics and practitioners worked together is used to illustrate the discussion.

Findings
– The article provides a series of answers regarding the current relationship between place branding theoreticians and practitioners. It also provides an assessment of the motivations and benefits of working more closely together. In this way, the article initiates a discussion that might help place branding theory and practice come closer together.

Originality/value
– Despite the importance of the issue raised in the article for the development of place branding as a discipline, this is one of the first attempts to directly handle this topic. Another novelty of the article is that it is written in cooperation with both academics and practitioners, thus being a direct result of the relationship discussed.
Rehabilitation of renders of old buildings in Portugal
Authors: Gonçalves de Carvalho Carmo , Flores-Colen Inês , Faria Paulina 
Published: December 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to present a proposal for a methodology to support the rehabilitation project of renders of old buildings.

Design/methodology/approach
– To achieve the objective it was considered essential to define the main types of participants and aspects to integrate the proposal. The research methodology consists in an inquiry presented to several professional participants in rehabilitation, a market study of materials and products available in Portugal, the design of a methodology proposal and its application to a case study. The inquiry sample totals 24 answers from the targeted professionals. A sequence of relevant supporting procedures consists in the proposal, which aims to provide a supporting methodology to decide and project in this context and also to be tested with its application to the building. This proposal was applied to an old building with load-bearing stone masonry walls and air-lime-based renders.

Findings
– It was concluded that the assessment of the building and ex+ternal renderings’ condition, its diagnosis and of the supporting walls, the definition of intervention, the specification of materials to be used and performance requirements to comply, and also plans for conservation and periodic maintenance, are crucial. From the inquiry, compatibility between materials and complementary roles and points of view of different types of participants in rehabilitation must be highlighted.

Originality/value
– A proposal for a methodology to support the project could provide useful guidance particularly for architects and construction engineers, and improve the understanding of direct participants on site, therefore contributing for the correct implementation of the intervention.
Double skin façade (DSF) technologies for UK office refurbishments
Authors: Pomponi Francesco , Piroozfar Poorang A. E. 
Published: December 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to establish how UK offices and double skin façade (DSF) technologies can be best matched for refurbishment purposes.

Design/methodology/approach
– This research uses a mixed methodology including primary and secondary data collection, analysis and interpolation through document analysis, comprehensive critical literature review, and case study approach.

Findings
– In total, 22 benchmarks have been developed to represent 75 per cent of the existing office stock in the UK. Through a comparison with 36 case studies of European buildings refurbished with DSFs, two benchmarks showed to be most suitable for a DSF refurbishment and most appropriate configurations for a successful DSF refurbishment have been identified. Findings have been also checked against a large sample of DSF buildings in the UK.

Research limitations/implications
– The benchmarks delivered in this study can be developed further into parametric models, where variations can be obtained by changing the parameters provided. A follow-up study can be designed to help define the exact share of existing stock represented by each benchmark and to foster research where a more typological or statistical approach might be intended.

Practical implications
– Findings from this research can be of practical use to academics and practitioners alike involved in research related to office refurbishments, DSFs, and the UK existing office stock. The design for this research can also be adapted to similar studies on its own or further developed to suit different contexts.

Social implications
– Improvements to existing buildings can preserve established communities, with a clear social advantage.

Originality/value
– This paper represents the first attempt to systemically shed light on how existing UK offices and DSF technologies can be best matched in refurbishments. The benchmarks developed, the DSF case studies, and guidelines for suitable DSF technologies in UK office refurbishments represent the original contribution of this research.
Persistent replication of a hepatitis C virus genotype 1b‐based chimeric clone carrying E1, E2 and p6 regions from GB virus B in a New World monkey
Authors: Suzuki Saori , Mori Ken‐ichi , Higashino Atsunori , Iwasaki Yuki , Yasutomi Yasuhiro , Maki Noboru , Akari Hirofumi 
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACTThe development of effective hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccines is essential for the prevention of further HCV dissemination, especially in developing countries. Therefore the aim of this study is to establish a feasible and immunocompetent surrogate animal model of HCV infection that will help in evaluation of the protective efficacy of newly developing HCV vaccine candidates. To circumvent the narrow host range of HCV, an HCV genotype 1b‐based chimeric clone carrying E1, E2 and p6 regions from GB virus B (GBV‐B), which is closely related to HCV, was generated. The chimera between HCV and GBV‐B, named HCV/G, replicated more efficiently as compared with the HCV clone in primary marmoset hepatocytes. Furthermore, it was found that the chimera persistently replicated in a tamarin for more than 2 years after intrahepatic inoculation of the chimeric RNA. Although relatively low (<200 copies/mL), the viral RNA loads in plasma were detectable intermittently during the observation period. Of note, the chimeric RNA was found in the pellet fraction obtained by ultracentrifugation of the plasma at 73 weeks, indicating production of the chimeric virus. Our results will help establish a novel non‐human primate model for HCV infection on the basis of the HCV/G chimera in the major framework of the HCV genome.
Multivariate Assessment of the Effect of Pump Design and Pump Gap Design Parameters on Blood Trauma
Authors: Graefe Roland , Henseler Andreas , Steinseifer Ulrich 
Published: December 2015

AbstractPump gaps are the most critical regions in a rotary blood pump when it comes to blood trauma in the form of hemolysis, protein destruction, and platelet activation. This study investigated six pump design parameters affecting the flow in a radial pump gap. A multivariate approach was employed to determine individual and quantitative parameter effects on blood trauma as well as parameter interactions. To consider the effect of shear stress and blood cell residence time, a validated numerical Lagrangian particle tracking approach was used. Based on the results, small‐diameter pumps can be as blood compatible, if not more blood compatible, as large‐diameter pumps as long as identical circumferential velocities and clearance gaps are maintained. Furthermore, the results indicate that an eccentric rotor position in the casing is not harmful and that a pressure difference generating washout flow and thereby reducing the cell residence time is of significant importance.
Identification of novel biomarkers in chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) by microarray‐based serum protein profiling
Authors: Bal Gürkan , Futschik Matthias E. , Hartl Daniela , Ringel Frauke , Kamhieh‐Milz Julian , Sterzer Viktor , Hoheisel Jörg D. , Alhamdani Mohamed S. S. , Salama Abdulgabar 
Published: December 2015

SummaryThe pathological mechanisms underlying the development of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) are unclear and its diagnosis remains a process of exclusion. Currently, there are no known specific biomarkers for ITP to support differential diagnosis and treatment decisions. Profiling of serum proteins may be valuable for identifying such biomarkers. Sera from 46 patients with primary chronic ITP and 34 healthy blood donors were analysed using a microarray of 755 antibodies. We identified 161 differentially expressed proteins. In addition to oncoproteins and tumour‐suppressor proteins, including apoptosis regulator BCL2, breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein (BRCA1), Fanconi anaemia complementation group C (FANCC) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), we detected six anti‐nuclear autoantibodies in a subset of ITP patients: anti‐PCNA, anti‐SmD, anti‐Ro/SSA60, anti‐Ro/SSA52, anti‐La/SSB and anti‐RNPC antibodies. This finding may provide a rational explanation for the association of ITP with malignancies and other autoimmune diseases. While RUNX1mRNA expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients was significantly downregulated, an accumulation of RUNX1 protein was observed in the platelets of ITP patients. This may indicate dysregulation of RUNX1 expression in PBMC and megakaryocytes and may lead to an imbalanced immune response and impaired thrombopoiesis. In conclusion, we provide novel insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of ITP that warrant further exploration.
Optimal heating condition of ethylene‐vinyl acetate co‐polymer mouthguard sheet in vacuum‐pressure formation
Authors: Takahashi Mutsumi , Koide Kaoru , Suzuki Hiroshi , Iwasaki Shin‐ichi 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBackgroundThe goal of the present study was to examine the thickness of mouthguards molded under a variety of heating conditions to clarify suitable conditions during vacuum‐pressure forming of ethylene vinyl acetate sheets.Materials and methodsMouthguards were fabricated using ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) sheets (thickness: 4.0 mm) using a vacuum‐pressure forming machine. The sheet was pressed against the working model, followed by vacuum forming for 10 s and compression molding for 2 min. Three heating conditions were investigated in which the sheet was molded when the center of the softened sheet sagged 10 mm, 15 mm, or 20 mm below the clamp (H‐10, H‐15, or H‐20 respectively). The temperature of the sheet surface was measured using a radiation thermometer under each heating condition. The thickness of the mouthguard sheets after fabrication was determined for the incisal portion (incisal edge and labial surface) and molar portion (cusp and buccal surface), and dimensional measurements were obtained using a measuring device. Differences in thickness due to the heating condition of the sheets were analyzed by one‐way analysis of variance and Bonferroni's multiple comparison tests.ResultsThe temperature difference between the heated and non‐heated surfaces was lowest under H‐15. The thickness differences at incisal edge, labial surface, and cusp were determined. The thicknesses for H‐10 and H‐15 were greater than that for H‐20, and the thicknesses for H‐10 and H‐15 were equivalent at all measurement points. No differences in thickness at the buccal surface were observed for the various heating conditions.ConclusionThe present study demonstrated that a sagging distance of 15 mm provided the most suitable forming process. The results of the present study provide a standard heating condition for EVA sheet forming.
Using Fourier coefficients in time series analysis for student performance prediction in blended learning environments
Authors: Gamulin Jasna , Gamulin Ozren , Kermek Dragutin 
Published: December 2015

AbstractIn this work, it is shown that student access time series generated from Moodle log files contain information sufficient for successful prediction of student final results in blended learning courses. It is also shown that if time series is transformed into frequency domain, using discrete Fourier transforms (DFT), the information contained in it will be preserved. Hence, resulting periodogram and its DFT coefficients can be used for generating student performance models with the algorithms commonly used for that purposes. The amount of data extracted from log files, especially for lengthy courses, can be huge. Nevertheless, by using DFT, drastic compression of data is possible. It is experimentally shown, by means of several commonly used modelling algorithms, that if in average all but 5–10% of most intensive and most frequently used DFT coefficients are removed from datasets, the modelling with the remained data will result with the increase of the model accuracy. Resulting accuracy of the calculated models is in accordance with results for student performance models calculated for different dataset types reported in literature. The advantage of this approach is its applicability because the data are automatically collected in Moodle logs.
Body sizes and diversification rates of lizards, snakes, amphisbaenians and the tuatara
Authors: Feldman Anat , Sabath Niv , Pyron R. Alexander , Mayrose Itay , Meiri Shai 
Published: December 2015

AbstractAimSize is one of the most important and obvious traits of an organism. Both small and large sizes have adaptive advantages and disadvantages. Body size–frequency distributions of most large clades are unimodal and right skewed. Species larger than the mean or range midpoint of body sizes are relatively scarce. Theoretical models suggest evolutionary rates are higher in small organisms with short generation times. Therefore diversification rates are usually thought to be maximal at relatively small body sizes. Empirical studies of the rates of molecular evolution and clade diversification, however, have usually indicated that both are unrelated to body size. Furthermore, it has been claimed that because snakes are longer than lizards, the size–frequency distribution of all squamate species is bimodal overall. We examined the shape of the size–frequency distribution of nearly all Squamata and Rhynchocephalia species, and investigated how size affected diversification rates.LocationGlobal.MethodsWe collected data on maximum body length for 9805 lepidosaur (squamates and the tuatara) species (99.7% of all species) and converted them to mass using clade‐specific allometric equations. Using methods that test for relationships between continuous traits and speciation and extinction rates on a large, dated phylogeny (4155 species), we investigated the relationship between diversification rates and body size.ResultsLiving squamates span six orders of magnitude in body size, eight when giant extinct snakes and mosasaurs are included. The body size–frequency distributions of snakes and lizards separately, and of all lepidosaur species combined, are unimodal and right skewed. Nonetheless, we find neither linear nor hump‐shaped relationships between size and diversification rates, except in snakes, where speciation and diversification are hump shaped.Main conclusions Despite a clear modality and skew in the body sizes of lepidosaurs, we find little evidence for faster diversification of modal‐sized taxa, perhaps implying that larger‐sized clades are relatively young.
Prevalence and correlates of abuse screening items among community‐dwelling Hong Kong Chinese older adults
Authors: Leung Doris YP , Lo Shirley KL , Leung Angela YM , Lou Vivian WQ , Chong Alice ML , Kwan Joseph SK , Chan Wallace CH , Chi Iris 
Published: December 2015

AimThe present study aims to describe the prevalence of potential elder abuse, and to examine correlates of abuse screening items among Chinese community‐dwelling older adults.MethodsWe analyzed the data of 3435 older persons aged ≥60 years who had first applied for the long‐term care services in Hong Kong and completed the screening tool (Minimum Data Set–Home Care) in 2006. For each of the five abuse screening items (“fearful of a family member/caregiver,” “unexplained injuries/broken bones/burns,” “physically restrained,” “unusually poor hygiene” and “neglected/abused/mistreated”), we examined its relationship with four types of factors: older person, perpetrator, relationship and environment.ResultsThe rates of individual abuse screening items ranged from 3.9% for physically restrained to 0.03% for unexplained injures/broken bones/burns. Physically restrained was positively associated with activities of daily living impairments, instrumental activities of daily living impairments, perceived poor health, physically abusive behavior and caregiver mental health. Unusually poor hygiene was positively associated with socially inappropriate behavior and actively resisted care. “Fearful of a family member/caregiver” was positively associated with perceived poor health, conflicting relationship and mental health, and negatively with care activities. Neglected/abused/mistreated was positively associated with age and informal care, and negatively with care activities.ConclusionsWe identified a number of associated factors of different abuse screening items among older adults. Our findings could inform healthcare practitioners in identifying those older persons who might be at higher risk of abuse, and provide a knowledge base on which to develop effective preventive measures in the Chinese population. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 150–160.
Factors associated with the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Kanao Kenro , Shiraishi Masashi , Higashimoto Yuji , Maeda Kazushige , Sugiya Ryuji , Okajima Satoshi , Chiba Yasutaka , Yamagata Toshiyuki , Terada Katsuhiko , Fukuda Kanji , Tohda Yuji 
Published: December 2015

AimAlthough the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) have been well defined for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), it remains controversial whether PR improves physical activity (PA). The purpose of the present study was to identify factors associated with the effect of PR on PA.MethodsThis was a prospective study of 29 patients with COPD. They underwent pulmonary rehabilitation twice weekly for 12 weeks, and were assessed using the hospital anxiety and depression score, 6‐min walk distance (6MWD), and the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) before and after they underwent PR. The PA of patients was measured by a three‐axis accelerometer. Physical activity level (PAL) was calculated by dividing each patient's total energy expenditure by basal metabolic rate. Correlations between changes in PAL after PR and 6MWD, St. George Respiratory Questionnaire, and hospital anxiety and depression score scores, and clinical parameters, including forced expiratory volume in 1 s were determined.Results6MWD was significantly increased, but PAL was unchanged after PR. PAL was positively correlated with 6MWD, but not with percent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s nor St. George Respiratory Questionnaire scores before PR. The increase in PAL was negatively correlated with changes in hospital anxiety and depression score anxiety and depression scores, but was not correlated with the change in 6MWD.ConclusionsA PR program for COPD patients improved results of the 6MWD, but not PAL. Increased PAL was associated with improvements in anxiety and depression, but not with increased exercise capacity. Treating the depression and anxiety of patients with COPD might not only reduce emotional distress, but also improve their PAL. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 17–23.