bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Screening Properties of the Diagnostic Criteria for Cancer-Related Fatigue
Authors: Kuhnt Susanne , Friedrich Michael , Schulte Thomas , Cella David , Hinz Andreas
Published: July 2019

Background: Within the theoretical framework of the ICD diagnostic criteria of cancer-related fatigue, we aim to investigate how those criteria can be used for screening purposes. Methods: Fatigue was assessed in a mixed sample of 1,225 cancer patients during their stay in a rehabilitation clinic using four different fatigue measures and the diagnostic criteria (Criterion A; DC-A). Psychometric evaluations (e.g., acceptance, reliability, validity, item analyses) were conducted for the sum score and for all items of the diagnostic criteria. Results: A total of 678 (57.1%) patients tested positive according to the DC-A. The sum score of the DC-A had good reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.87) and validity, corresponded closely with other fatigue scales, and, with less than 1% missing values, showed a high degree of patients’ acceptance. The highest accuracy (approx. 0.80) and Youden indices (>0.55) were found for the items “Difficulties completing daily tasks” (A9), “Struggle to overcome inactivity” (A7), “Decreased motivation or interests” (A4), and “Unrefreshing sleep” (A6). Conclusion: The DC-A proved to be a well-accepted, easy to use, and reliable tool for measuring the severity of fatigue. In this paper, we make suggestions for the use of single items of the DC-A as a short and economical screening tool.
Acute Pancreatitis Masquerading as Inferior Wall Myocardial Infarction: A Review
Authors: Yu Elliot S. , Lange Joel J. , Broor Apoorv , Kutty Kesavan
Published: July 2019

A rare presentation of acute pancreatitis is with electrocardiographic (ECG) changes that mimic myocardial ischemia. We present a report of a patient that presented with hemodynamic instability and new ECG changes of ST segment elevations in contiguous leads II, III, and aVF mimicking an inferior wall myocardial infarction. Emergent coronary angiography showed no significant coronary obstruction, but it was followed by a left-sided hemiplegia with radiographic evidence of diffuse embolic stroke. The patient was later found to have an underlying diagnosis of pancreatitis. Additional history that later became available indicated a history of severe acute pancreatitis treated elsewhere a few months prior to the current admission. We present the first comprehensive review of the literature comprising 36 total cases with pancreatitis masquerading as acute myocardial infarction, with inferior wall STEMI pattern being the most frequent. We present this case to highlight the diagnostic dilemma posed by this masquerade of a high acuity myocardial infarction and to highlight alternative diagnoses to be considered in such clinical circumstances.
Effect of Furosemide on Urinary Oxygenation in Patients with Septic Shock
Authors: Osawa Eduardo Atsushi , Cutuli Salvatore Lucio , Bitker Laurent , Canet Emmanuel , Cioccari Luca , Iguchi Naoya , Lankadeva Yugeesh R. , Eastwood Glenn M. , Evans Roger G. , May Clive N. , Bellomo Rinaldo
Published: July 2019

Background: Renal medullary hypoxia precedes the development of acute kidney injury in experimental sepsis and can now be assessed by continuous measurement of urinary oxygen tension (PuO2). Objectives: We aimed to test if PuO2 measurements in patients with septic shock would be similar to those shown in experimental sepsis and would detect changes induced by the administration of furosemide. Method: Pilot prospective observational cohort study in a tertiary intensive care unit (ICU). Seven adult patients with septic shock admitted to ICU had PuO2 measurements recorded minutely. There were 29 episodes of intravenous furosemide (20 mg n = 19; 40 mg n = 10). Results: The median pre-furosemide PuO2 was low at 21.2 mm Hg (interquartile range [IQR] 17.73–24.86) and increased to 26 mm Hg (IQR 20.27–29.95) at 20 min (p < 0.01), to 27.5 mm Hg (IQR 24.06–33.18) at 40 min (p < 0.01) and to 28.5 mm Hg (IQR 22.65–31.03) at 60 min (p < 0.01). The increase in PuO2 was greater in episodes with a diuretic response >2 mL/kg/h than during episodes without such a response (p < 0.01). Conclusions: PuO2 measurements in patients are reflective of the low values reported in experimental models of sepsis. PuO2 values increased following furosemide administration with a response independently associated with greater diuresis.
Diagnostic Accuracy of a Point-of-Care Test for Celiac Disease Antibody Screening among Infertile Patients
Authors: Grode Louise , Møller Jensen Thomas  , Parkner Tina , Agerholm Inge Errebo , Humaidan Peter , Hammer Bech Bodil , Ramlau-Hansen Cecilia
Published: July 2019

Background: Screening for celiac disease among infertile patients has been suggested. Several rapid point-of-care (POC) tests aimed at detecting celiac disease antibodies have been developed. It has been suggested that these POC tests can be implemented as a replacement for standard laboratory tests. Objective: To evaluatethe diagnostic accuracy of a POC test (Simtomax®) that detects celiac disease antibodies compared with standard laboratory tests when screening for celiac disease among patients referred for fertility treatment in 2 Danish fertility clinics. Methods: Serum samples were analyzed for IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase (TGA) as the reference standard test with a cutoff of ≥7 kU/L and by the index POC test based on IgA and IgG antibodies against deamidated gliadin peptides (DGP). In IgA deficiency, the reference standard test was IgG DGP with a cutoff of ≥7 kU/L. Participants answered a questionnaire on gluten intake, symptoms, and risk factors. Diagnostic confirmation was made by duodenal biopsies. IgA TGA/IgG DGP were used as the reference standard to calculate positive and negative predictive values. Results: A total of 622 men and women (51.6%) were enrolled during 2015. The reference standard IgA TGA/IgG DGP was positive in 7 participants (1.1% [95% CI 0.5–2.3]) and the POC test was positive in 84 participants (13.5% [95% CI 10.9–16.4]), 3 of whom also had positive reference standard tests. This yields a sensitivity of the index POC test of 42.9% (95% CI 9.9–81.6) and a specificity of 86.8% (95% CI 83.9–89.4). Positive and negative predictive values were 3.57% (95% CI 0.7–10.1) and 99.3% (95% CI 98.1–99.8). Conclusion: The sensitivity of the POC test was low; however, the specificity was moderately good. The POC test had a high negative predictive value in this low prevalent population but missed 1 patient with biopsy-confirmed celiac disease. However, because of many false-positive tests, it cannot be recommended as replacement for standard laboratory tests but rather as a triage test to decide if the standard serology tests should be performed.
EAAT2 as a Research Target in Bipolar Disorder and Unipolar Depression: A Systematic Review
Authors: Blacker Caren J. , Millischer Vincent , Webb Lauren M. , Ho Ada M.C. , Schalling Martin , Frye Mark A. , Veldic Marin
Published: July 2019

Glutamate is implicated in the neuropathology of both major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) is the major glutamate transporter in the mammalian brain, removing glutamate from the synaptic cleft and transporting it into glia for recycling. It is thereby the principal regulator of extracellular glutamate levels and prevents neuronal excitotoxicity. EAAT2 is a promising target for elucidating the mechanisms by which the glutamate-glutamine cycle interacts with neuronal systems in mood disorders. Forty EAAT2 studies (published January 1992–January 2018) were identified via a systematic literature search. The studies demonstrated that chronic stress/steroids were most commonly associated with decreased EAAT2. In rodents, EAAT2 inhibition worsened depressive behaviors. Human EAAT2 expression usually decreased in depression, with some regional brain differences. Fewer data have been collected regarding the roles and regulation of EAAT2 in bipolar disorder. Future directions for research include correlating EAAT2 and glutamate levelsin vivo, elucidating genetic variability and epigenetic regulation, clarifying intracellular protein and pharmacologic interactions, and examining EAAT2 in different bipolar mood states. As part of a macromolecular complex within glia, EAAT2 may contribute significantly to intracellular signaling, energy regulation, and cellular homeostasis. An enhanced understanding of this system is needed.
Early Pregnancy Cardiovascular Health and Subclinical Atherosclerosis
Authors: Benschop Laura , Schalekamp‐Timmermans Sarah , Schelling Sara J. C. , Steegers Eric A. P. , Roeters van Lennep Jeanine E.
Published: July 2019

Background

Assessing and optimizing cardiovascular health (
CVH
) early in life, such as in pregnancy, could lead to a longer lifetime spent in better
CVH
and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. This might especially benefit women with a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (
HDP
) who are more likely to develop atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that
CVH
in pregnancy is related to later life
CVH
and carotid intima‐media thickness (
CIMT
), and that these associations differ between women with a normotensive pregnancy and women with an
HDP
.

Methods and Results

This study was conducted within the prospective population‐based Generation R Study.
CVH
in pregnancy was based on 5 metrics (blood pressure, total‐cholesterol, glucose, smoking, and body mass index). Postpartum
CVH
additionally included physical activity and diet scores, according to the American Heart Association classification. Postpartum
CVH
and
CIMT
were measured 10 years after pregnancy. Results were analyzed for women with a normotensive pregnancy and those with an
HDP
. Women with a normotensive pregnancy (n=1786) and women with an
HDP
(n=138) were evaluated from early pregnancy until 10 years postpartum. Better
CVH
in early pregnancy was associated with a smaller
CIMT
and better postpartum
CVH
in all women, especially in those with an
HDP
(
CIMT
: −9.82 μm [95%
CI
: −17.98, −1.67]).

Conclusions

Already in pregnancy, better
CVH
is associated with a smaller
CIMT
and better
CVH
10 years postpartum, especially in women with an
HDP
. As pregnancy is an incentive for women to improve lifestyle, assessing
CVH
in pregnancy might help improve postpartum
CVH
and reduce cardiovascular disease risk.
Serum Chemerin as a Novel Prognostic Indicator in Chronic Heart Failure
Authors: Zhou Xiang , Tao Yifei , Chen Yuqi , Xu Weiting , Qian Zhiyuan , Lu Xiang
Published: July 2019

Background

It has been documented that circulating chemerin is associated with inflammation, metabolic syndrome, and coronary artery disease. The present study was aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of serum chemerin in patients with chronic heart failure.

Methods and Results

We included 834 patients with chronic heart failure in a prospective cohort study and investigated the association between serum chemerin and clinical outcomes using multivariate Cox regression analysis. Patients with higher chemerin levels tended to be older and women and were more likely to experience hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipemia. Cox regression analysis showed that chemerin was a significant predictor of major adverse cardiac events (hazard ratio, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.31–2.96) after adjustment for conventional risk factors. Net reclassification and integrated discrimination improvements for major adverse cardiac events were markedly improved by addition of chemerin to the reference model. In addition, chemerin was an independent predictor of all‐cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.21–2.73) after multivariable adjustment. Furthermore, the Kaplan–Meier survival analysis revealed that chemerin was a prognostic indicator of major adverse cardiac events in patients with chronic heart failure and NT‐proBNP (N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide) levels above and below the median.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that chemerin is a novel serum marker for predicting major adverse cardiac events in patients with chronic heart failure.
A New Nonlinear Sparse Component Analysis for a Biologically Plausible Model of Neurons
Authors: Heidarieh S. M. , Jahed M. , Ghazizadeh A.
Published: July 2019

It is known that brain can create a sparse representation of the environment in both sensory and mnemonic forms (Olshausen & Field, 2004 ). Such sparse representation can be combined in downstream areas to create rich multisensory responses to support various cognitive and motor functions. Determining the components present in neuronal responses in a given region is key to deciphering its functional role and connection with upstream areas. One approach for parsing out various sources of information in a single neuron is by using linear blind source separation (BSS) techniques. However, applying linear techniques to neuronal spiking activity is likely to be suboptimal due to inherent and unknown nonlinearity of neuronal responses to inputs. This letter proposes a nonlinear sparse component analysis (SCA) method to separate jointly sparse inputs to neurons with post summation nonlinearity, or SCA for post-nonlinear neurons (SCAPL). Specifically, a linear clustering approach followed by principal curve regression (PCR) and a nonlinear curve fitting are used to separate sources. Analysis using simulated data shows that SCAPL accuracy outperforms ones obtained by linear SCA, as well as other separating methods, including linear independent and principal component analyses. In SCAPL, the number of derived sparse components is not limited by the number of neurons, unlike most BSS methods. Furthermore, this method allows for a broad range of post-summation nonlinearities that could differ among neurons. The sensitivity of our method to noise, joint sparseness, degree, and shape of nonlinearity and mixing ill conditions is discussed and compared to existing methods. Our results show that the proposed method can successfully separate input components in a population of neurons provided that they are temporally sparse to some degree. Application of SCAPL should facilitate comparison of functional roles across regions by parsing various elements present in a region.
Sensitivity to Stimulus Irregularity Is Inherent in Neural Networks
Authors: van Gils Teun , Tiesinga Paul H. E. , Englitz Bernhard , Martens Marijn B.
Published: July 2019

Behavior is controlled by complex neural networks in which neurons process thousands of inputs. However, even short spike trains evoked in a single cortical neuron were demonstrated to be sufficient to influence behavior in vivo. Specifically, irregular sequences of interspike intervals (ISIs) had a more reliable influence on behavior despite their resemblance to stochastic activity. Similarly, irregular tactile stimulation led to higher rates of behavioral responses.

In this study, we identify the mechanisms enabling this sensitivity to stimulus irregularity (SSI) on the neuronal and network levels using simulated spiking neural networks. Matching in vivo experiments, we find that irregular stimulation elicits more detectable network events (bursts) than regular stimulation. Dissecting the stimuli, we identify short ISIs—occurring more frequently in irregular stimulations—as the main drivers of SSI rather than complex irregularity per se. In addition, we find that short-term plasticity modulates SSI.

We subsequently eliminate the different mechanisms in turn to assess their role in generating SSI. Removing inhibitory interneurons, we find that SSI is retained, suggesting that SSI is not dependent on inhibition. Removing recurrency, we find that SSI is retained due to the ability of individual neurons to integrate activity over short timescales (“cell memory”). Removing single-neuron dynamics, we find that SSI is retained based on the short-term retention of activity within the recurrent network structure (“network memory”). Finally, using a further simplified probabilistic model, we find that local network structure is not required for SSI.

Hence, SSI is identified as a general property that we hypothesize to be ubiquitous in neural networks with different structures and biophysical properties. Irregular sequences contain shorter ISIs, which are the main drivers underlying SSI. The experimentally observed SSI should thus generalize to other systems, suggesting a functional role for irregular activity in cortex.
Liberalism and Conservatism in Relation to Psychological Type among Church of England Clergy
Authors: Village Andrew
Published: July 2019

Liberalism and conservatism have been important stances that have shaped doctrinal, moral and ecclesial beliefs and practices in Christianity. In the Church of England, Anglo-catholics are generally more liberal, and evangelicals more conservative, than those from broad-church congregations. This paper tests the idea that psychological preference may also partly explain liberalism or conservatism in the Church of England. Data from 1,389 clergy, collected as part of the 2013 Church Growth Research Programme, were used to categorise individuals by church tradition (Anglo-catholic, broad church or evangelical), whether or not they had an Epimethean psychological temperament, and whether or not they preferred thinking over feeling in their psychological judging process. Epimetheans and those who preferred thinking were more likely to rate themselves as conservative rather than liberal. Conservatism was associated with being Epimethean among those who were Anglo-catholic or broad-church, but with preference for thinking over feeling among evangelicals.
End Time and Emotions: Emotion Regulation Functions of Eschatological Expectations among Jehovah’s Witnesses in Norway
Authors: Ringnes Hege Kristin , Demmrich Sarah , Hegstad Harald , Stålsett Gry , Danbolt Lars Johan
Published: July 2019

The aim of this qualitative interview study was to explore the specific expectations that N = 29 Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs) had of end times and paradise using an emotion regulation perspective. Beyond the general eschatological doctrine of JWs, the participants were encouraged to report their individual beliefs and connected emotions. Thematic analysis identified forecasting of life in paradise in the form of a continuation of physical life but with an overall positive emotional atmosphere. Emotionally, paradise was often contrasted with the present time, as negative emotions and the downregulation of strong positive emotions dominate the current end time. As an emotion regulation strategy between current end times and future paradise, emotional forecasting, i.e., predicting which emotions would arise in the future to regulate present-day emotions, is used. The results are discussed in the frame of positive and negative psychological implications of JWs’ eschatological beliefs and emotional forecasting.
Customary International Law and the General Principles of Law Recognized by Civilized Nations
Authors: Wood Michael
Published: July 2019

This article looks beyond customary international law and asks whether the source of international law listed in Article 38, paragraph 1(c) of the ICJ Statute (‘the general principles of law recognized by civilized nations’) might join the dance. Is there a risk that general principles of law may be too easily invoked where no applicable treaty or rule of customary international law can be identified? In emphasizing the distinction between customary international law and general principles of law, the article first recalls relevant recent work of the International Law Commission. It then addresses the term ‘general international law’ and certain problems related to it, and raises questions concerning the relationship between customary international law and general principles of law. Before drawing some conclusions, reference is also made to the place of general principles of law within the international legal system.
Revision of Pilosocereus (Cactaceae) in the Caribbean and northern Andean region
Authors: FRANCK ALAN R. , BARRIOS DUNIEL , CAMPBELL KERON C. ST. E. , LANGE JAMES , PEGUERO BRÍGIDO , SANTIAGO-VALENTÍN EUGENIO , RIGERSZKI ZOLTÁN , HAAKONSSON JANE , GANN GEORGE D. , CINEA WILLIAM , HOWE NATALIE M. M. , ST. JOHN JAMES , MORENO JUAN SEBASTIÁN , CLARK CYNTHIA A.
Published: July 2019

Taxonomic treatments of Pilosocereus in the Andean and Caribbean regions have varied widely. Recent authors often recognized three species only (P. lanuginosus, P. polygonus, and P. royenii), while Britton & Rose in 1920 (sub Cephalocereus) recognized 18 species in the same region. A revision of Pilosocereus is necessary, and it was carried out by the study of both herbarium specimens and living plants. Twelve species of Pilosocereus are recognized in the present paper for the Andean and Caribbean regions, including one new combination, i.e. P. curtisii, and one new species, i.e. P. jamaicensis. Typifications are provided for several names, including the Linnaean basionym Cactus royenii. Morphological descriptions, distributions, and an identification key of the recognized species are provided.
Schizorhynchia (Platyhelminthes, Rhabdocoela) from eastern Cuba, with the description of fifteen new species
Authors: DIEZ YANDER L. , REYGEL PATRICK , ARTOIS TOM
Published: July 2019

We report on the schizorhynch species collected in a survey in the eastern region of Cuba. Eighteen species were identified, of which only three are known to science: Cheliplana asica, C. terminalis, and Carcharodorhynchus flavidus. The 15 new species belong to three different genera: Cheliplana (five species), Carcharodorhynchus (four species), and Schizochilus (six species). The five new species of Cheliplana (C. gibarenha sp. n., C. santiaguera sp. n., C. spuriaseminalis sp. n., C. subproximalis sp. n. and C. verrucosa sp. n.) differ from their congeners in the detailed morphology of the proboscis hooks and the atrial organs. The proboscis hooks bear a distal small hook in C. verrucosa sp. n., a feature only shared with C. paradoxa. Two of the four new species of Carcharodorhynchus (C. smilodon sp. n. and C. papillaris sp. n. ) are very similar to C. flavidus in that the toothed belts of the proboscis are not continuous. However, they clearly differ from that species and from each other in the detailed construction of the teeth and copulatory organ. Carcharodorhynchus spiniformis sp. n. and C. nativus sp. n. can also be distinguished from the other species of Carcharodorhynchus by the detailed construction of the proboscis teeth and copulatory organ. The six new species of Schizochilus here described show a spiny cirrus around a central stylet. Two species lack the distal sclerotized cap of the copulatory bulb: S. favus sp. n. and S. bueycabonensis sp. n.. All new species of Schizochilus can be distinguished from each other and their congeners by the detailed construction of the hard parts (cirrus and stylet) of the copulatory organ.
The alpheid shrimp genus Nennalpheus Banner & Banner, 1981 in the tropical eastern Atlantic, with description of a new species from Gabon and new records of N. sibogae (De Man, 1910) in the Indo-West Pacific (Malacostraca: Decapoda: Caridea)
Authors: ANKER ARTHUR
Published: July 2019

The alpheid shrimp Nennalpheus Banner & Banner, 1981, hitherto known only from a few records in the tropical western Pacific, is recorded for the first time from the tropical eastern Atlantic, as well as from the Indian Ocean. Nennalpheus gabonensis sp. nov. is described based on a single but complete male specimen collected in mediocre visibility conditions at 11 m depth on a rocky reef north of Libreville, Gabon. The new species presents a substantial number of morphological differences from the two other species of Nennalpheus, especially in the armature of the cheliped fingers. The previously known distribution range of Nennalpheus sibogae (De Man, 1910), the type species of the genus, is extended significantly to include the Central Pacific (Hawaiian Archipelago) and the Indian Ocean (Glorioso Islands in the Scattered Islands group, and Mayotte Island in the Comoro Archipelago). In addition, new illustrations of N. sibogae are provided, including the previously not figured mouthparts and high-quality, contrasting background colour photographs. Field observations indicate that Nennalpheus is able to produce a weak snapping sound by rapidly closing one or both chelipeds, a previously suspected, but never observed behaviour.
Two new species of the bamboo-feeding subgenus Myittana (Benglebra) from China (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae)
Authors: LUO QIANG , YANG LIN , CHEN XIANG-SHENG
Published: July 2019

Two new leafhopper species of the bamboo-feeding subgenus Myittana (Benglebra), M. (Benglebra) biflaka sp. nov. and M. (Benglebra) curvata sp. nov. are described and illustrated from the southwest of China (Yunnan Province). A new combination, M. (Benglebra) ventrospina (Chen & Yang, 2007), comb. nov. is proposed. Female genitalia of four Chinese species are described and illustrated for the first time. A key to all known species is also provided.
3. Transforming Language to Script: Constructing Linguistic Authority through Language Contact in Schools in Nepal
Authors: Pradhan Uma
Published: July 2019

This chapter examines the power dynamics – conceptualized as ‘linguistic authority’, using Bourdieu’s theoretical framework – of language contact in education in contemporary Nepal. Nepal’s new policy of Multi-Lingual Education (MLE) is generating new sites and types of language contact; the author describes the adoption of multilingual textbooks in a school in the southern Tarai region. Through the creation of standardized, written scripts of minority languages to use in the textbooks, the legitimate authority of the languages is asserted, leading to recognition from the state and shifts in power relations.
The Role of Vertical Wind Shear in Modulating Maximum Supercell Updraft Velocities
Authors: Peters John M. , Nowotarski Christopher J. , Morrison Hugh
Published: July 2019

Observed supercell updrafts consistently produce the fastest mid- to upper-tropospheric vertical velocities among all modes of convection. Two hypotheses for this feature are investigated. In the dynamic hypothesis, upward, largely rotationally driven pressure gradient accelerations enhance supercell updrafts relative to other forms of convection. In the thermodynamic hypothesis, supercell updrafts have more low-level inflow than ordinary updrafts because of the large vertical wind shear in supercell environments. This large inflow makes supercell updrafts wider than that of ordinary convection and less susceptible to the deleterious effects of entrainment-driven updraft core dilution on buoyancy. These hypotheses are tested using a large suite of idealized supercell simulations, wherein vertical shear, CAPE, and moisture are systematically varied. Consistent with the thermodynamic hypothesis, storms with the largest storm-relative flow have larger inflow, are wider, have larger buoyancy, and have faster updrafts. Analyses of the vertical momentum forcing along trajectories shows that maximum vertical velocities are often enhanced by dynamic pressure accelerations, but this enhancement is accompanied by larger downward buoyant pressure accelerations than in ordinary convection. Integrated buoyancy along parcel paths is therefore a strong constraint on maximum updraft speeds. Thus, through a combination of processes consistent with the dynamic and thermodynamic hypotheses, supercell updrafts are able to realize a larger percentage of CAPE than ordinary updrafts.
Assessing the Influence of Convective Downdrafts and Surface Enthalpy Fluxes on Tropical Cyclone Intensity Change in Moderate Vertical Wind Shear
Authors: Nguyen Leon T. , Rogers Robert , Zawislak Jonathan , Zhang Jun A.
Published: July 2019

The thermodynamic impacts of downdraft-induced cooling/drying and downstream recovery via surface enthalpy fluxes within tropical cyclones (TCs) were investigated using dropsonde observations collected from 1996 to 2017. This study focused on relatively weak TCs (tropical depression, tropical storm, category 1 hurricane) that were subjected to moderate (4.5–11.0 m s−1) levels of environmental vertical wind shear. The dropsonde data were analyzed in a shear-relative framework and binned according to TC intensity change in the 24 h following the dropsonde observation time, allowing for comparison between storms that underwent different intensity changes. Moisture and temperature asymmetries in the lower troposphere yielded a relative maximum in lower-tropospheric conditional instability in the downshear quadrants and a relative minimum in instability in the upshear quadrants, regardless of intensity change. However, the instability increased as the intensification rate increased, particularly in the downshear quadrants. This was due to increased boundary layer moist entropy relative to the temperature profile above the boundary layer. Additionally, significantly larger surface enthalpy fluxes were observed as the intensification rate increased, particularly in the upshear quadrants. These results suggest that in intensifying storms, enhanced surface enthalpy fluxes in the upshear quadrants allow downdraft-modified boundary layer air to recover moisture and heat more effectively as it is advected cyclonically around the storm. By the time the air reaches the downshear quadrants, the lower-tropospheric conditional instability is enhanced, which is speculated to be more favorable for updraft growth and deep convection.
Solar powered smart irrigation system based on low cost wireless network: A senior design project experience
Authors: Bouzguenda Mounir , Rajamohamed S , Shwehdi M H , Aldalbahi Adel
Published: July 2019

This paper presents the design and the implementation of a smart irrigation system supplied from solar energy using off-shelf components as part of a senior design project. Introducing smart irrigation technology enhances the effectiveness of water utilization and will help farmers make their activities more beneficial. In addition, it is to increase the agriculture sustainability in common and considering the characteristics of irrigation in the rural areas. This paper brings forward new device based on wireless networks such as solar photovoltaic technology, Arduino-based controllers, transmitters, receivers, and sensor nodes are used to measure soil moisture, humidity, temperature, and the sensor readings are transmitted to a remote station. Experimental results indicated that the developed system could provide a sustainable solution to enhance the efficiency of water use and to preserve it in the agricultural fields while using solar photovoltaic energy as a renewable power supply.
Tuning cell structure and expansion ratio of thick-walled biodegradable poly(lactic acid) foams prepared using supercritical CO2
Authors: Xu Lin-Qiong , Huang Han-Xiong
Published: July 2019

Thick-walled poly(lactic acid) samples are foamed using supercritical carbon dioxide as physical foaming agent over a wide saturation time range using a constant-temperature mode and a wide foaming pressure range using the constant-temperature mode and a varying-temperature mode. Using the constant-temperature mode, three regions with no-celled core and two regions with cells of different diameters appear on the fractured surfaces of the foamed samples prepared at 5 and 10 min saturation times, respectively, whereas a relatively uniform cellular structure is obtained at 20–180 min saturation times. Raising the foaming pressure can improve the cellular structure uniformity. Moreover, prolonging saturation time or raising foaming pressure results in rupture of more cell walls and so formation of open-celled structure to a certain extent. Using the varying-temperature mode, a bimodal cellular structure with stamen-like cells and a trimodal cellular structure with an extraordinarily high expansion ratio (76.2) are successively achieved during raising the foaming pressure (18–22 MPa). The formation mechanisms for the bimodal and trimodal cellular structures are analyzed based on the result of the foaming pressure effect on the cellular structure in the foamed poly(lactic acid) samples prepared using the constant-temperature mode.
Nest-building performance in rats: impact of vendor, experience, and sex
Authors: Schwabe Kerstin , Boldt Lena , Bleich André , van Dijk Roelof Maarten , Helgers Simeon Oscar Arnulfo , Häger Christine , Nowakowska Marta , Riedesel Ann-Kristin , Schönhoff Katharina , Struve Birgitta , Wittek Jürgen , Potschka Heidrun
Published: July 2019

Nest building behavior has been intensely applied as a parameter for severity assessment in mice. In contrast, only a limited number of studies have reported nest building data from rats. Here, we assessed nest building in rats in two different facilities addressing the hypotheses that the vendor, previous experience with the nesting material as well as sex of the rats has an impact on the performance. Data from two study sites and three raters were compared to obtain information about the robustness of nest complexity scoring. The findings demonstrate a generally poor nest building performance in rats with a pronounced day-to-day fluctuation, and site-specific differences. Application of a newly developed scoring system resulted in an intermediate inter-rater reliability. Previous experience with the nesting material did not exert a consistent impact on nest complexity scores. Sex differences proved to depend on vendor and animal facility without consistent findings supporting a superior performance in female or male rats. In conclusion, our findings argue against a robust and consistent influence of sex and familiarity with the nesting material. The comparison between facilities suggests that local conditions need to be considered as influencing factors, which should be explored in more detail by future multicenter approaches. Considering the day-to-day fluctuation and the intermediate inter-rater reliability, we highly recommend to base nest complexity evaluation on means from several subsequent days analyzed by a group of experienced raters.
The Mysterious Cross-Country Dispersion in Mobile Phone Price Trends
Authors: Byrne David M.
Published: July 2019

Mobile phones have been central to ICT innovation since the introduction of the smartphone and constant-quality prices are a barometer of their economic impact. Official consumer price indices (CPIs) indicate that impact differs wildly across countries: for the 2008–18 period, average annual rates of mobile phone inflation range from no change to a 25 per cent decline among 12 key countries examined in this paper. Although evidence indicates certain fundamental factors are at play, mis-measurement may lead the spread in rates to be overstated. Examination of methods employed in CPI calculation, including quality adjustment and index formulas, illuminates but does not resolve the mystery.
Footwear Alters Lower Extremity Coordination Variability
Authors: Romer Braden H. , Weimar Wendi , Fox John
Published: July 2019

Footwear has been shown to have a significant effect on numerous kinematic and kinetic variables during walking and running. While footwear mass is an indisputably important influence on gait patterns, we suspected that the amount of outsole material on most footwear would likely diminish or delay the integration of tactile feedback in motor control strategies during gait. Thus, we designed this study to investigate the influence of footwear and augmented tactile feedback on lower extremity coordination patterns during walking. A secondary purpose of the study was to examine gender differences in response to altered footwear conditions. Forty-eight participants (24 male and 24 females) walked during four standardized footwear conditions (barefoot, shod, barefoot with augmented tactile feedback, and shod with augmented tactile feedback), and we collected three-dimensional kinematic data and calculated continuous relative phase values for two adjacent lower extremity joints to determine interjoint coordination patterns. We used deviation phase and the mean of the continuous relative phase to compare motor coordination patterns across conditions. We found significant footwear and gender effects for spatiotemporal variables but only significant footwear effects for motor coordination patterns. Females displayed a significantly higher cadence and shorter height-normalized stride length as compared to males. Participants displayed significantly greater thigh-shank coordination variability in the shod, as compared to the unshod, conditions. Thus, footwear results in a diminished or delayed tactile feedback that alters neuromuscular control strategies during walking.
Effects of Leader Motivating Language on Employee Task and Contextual Performance: The Mediating Role of Feedback Quality
Authors: Guo Yue , Ling Bin
Published: July 2019

This research examined the relationships between leader motivating language and employee task and contextual performance using the psychological mechanism of feedback quality. We obtained a sample of 237 supervisor–subordinate dyads. Our research findings showed that feedback quality had a positive mediating role in the relationship between leader motivating language and contextual performance. The relationship between leader motivating language and task performance was statistically significant; however, feedback quality had little effect in mediating the direct relationship between leader motivating language and task performance.
The world-class city comes by tramway: Reframing Casablanca’s urban peripheries through public transport
Authors: Beier Raffael
Published: July 2019

Although framed as projects targeting the improvement of public transport, the reduction of traffic congestion and the integration of urban peripheries, tramways are often inscribed to political ambitions of modernisation and urban renewal. As such, Morocco’s tramway projects constitute a distinct feature of national urban worlding ambitions promoting ‘world-class’ cities. Likewise, Casablanca’s tramway is closely entangled with political discourses on the urban integration of politically marginalised working-class neighbourhoods. However, this article sees the tramway as a symbol and driving force of a new distinction of the urban peripheries of Casablanca – separating it into ‘old’ and ‘new’, desired and undesired population groups. On the one hand, the tramway has fostered the incorporation of the traditional working-class neighbourhoods – the old peripheries – into Casablanca’s urban ‘world-class’ project. On the other hand, the tramway is the flagship of urban renaissance policies that have pushed stigmatised street vendors and shantytown dwellers from the working-class neighbourhoods to isolated new towns – the emerging ‘new’ peripheries. Here they are kept – spatially and discursively – outside the ‘world-class’ city, largely dependent on inadequate, costly and insecure urban public transport. These dynamics not only conflict with the tramway’s objectives to decrease traffic congestion and to promote socio-spatial integration, they also show the power of urban worlding projects to reframe urban marginality and to define who does (and who does not) have access to the ‘world-class’ city.
A Comparative Review of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in In Vivo and In Vitro Models
Authors: Eldridge Sandy , Guo Liang , Hamre John
Published: July 2019

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is an adverse effect caused by several classes of widely used anticancer therapeutics. Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy frequently leads to dose reduction or discontinuation of chemotherapy regimens, and CIPN symptoms can persist long after completion of chemotherapy and severely diminish the quality of life of patients. Differences in the clinical presentation of CIPN by widely diverse classifications of anticancer agents have spawned multiple mechanistic hypotheses that seek to explain the pathogenesis of CIPN. Despite its clinical relevance, common occurrence, and extensive investigation, the pathophysiology of CIPN remains unclear. Furthermore, there is no unequivocal gold standard for the prevention and treatment of CIPN. Herein, we review in vivo and in vitro models of CIPN with a focus on histopathological changes and morphological features aimed at understanding the pathophysiology of CIPN and identify gaps requiring deeper exploration. An elucidation of the underlying mechanisms of CIPN is imperative to identify potential targets and approaches for prevention and treatment.
Comparing Hematoma Incidence between Hemostatic Devices in Total Thyroidectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Authors: Hua Nadia , Quimby Alexandra Elizabeth , Johnson‐Obaseki Stephanie
Published: July 2019

Objective

Alternative energy devices have become a popular alternative to conventional hemostasis in thyroid surgery. These devices have been shown to reduce operative time and thermal nerve injury. As hemostasis is paramount in thyroid surgery, we sought to examine the relative efficacy of 2 alternate energy devices compared to conventional hemostasis in preventing postoperative hematoma following total thyroidectomy.

Data Sources

Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.

Review Methods

A systematic literature search was performed for all relevant English‐language studies published between 1946 and July 2018. Two authors independently extracted data and analyzed articles for quality using the National Institute of Health Quality Assessment Scale. Our primary outcome of interest was hematoma requiring reoperation.

Results

A total of 348 studies were screened, with 23 meeting the inclusion criteria. We found no significant difference in postoperative hematoma rates using alternate energy devices compared to conventional hemostasis (P =. 370,. 317). Network meta‐analysis echoed the results of conventional meta‐analysis, demonstrating no significant difference in hematoma rates.

Conclusions

We found no significant difference in postoperative hematoma rates following total thyroidectomy for any indication with the use of alternate energy devices compared to conventional hemostatic techniques. This suggests that hematoma occurrence does not necessarily need to be considered when choosing between these hemostatic devices. This information may help guide surgeons’ decisions regarding choice of hemostatic technique during thyroid surgery.
Surgical rescue of guidewire in-stent entrapment during coronary angioplasty
Authors: Santamaria Valeria , De Bellis Antonio , Landino Pietro , Biondi-Zoccai Giuseppe , Frati Giacomo , Greco Ernesto
Published: July 2019

During a percutaneous coronary procedure, the device may become stuck and break in the coronary circulation. This complication occurs in 0.1% of all procedures. Even with technological improvements, this event still happens because percutaneous coronary interventions are frequently used to treat complex lesions. We report a case of a patient undergoing a percutaneous stenting procedure in which the 0.014″ guidewire was caught in the right coronary artery. Removal of the guidewire was impossible, and it broke in the brachiocephalic artery. Emergency coronary artery bypass grafting was performed.
Immunohistochemical Features of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Feline Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Harris Krystal , Gelberg Howard B. , Kiupel Matti , Helfand Stuart C.
Published: July 2019

Feline oral squamous cell carcinoma (FOSCC) is an aggressive malignancy with invasive and metastatic behavior. It is poorly responsive to chemotherapy and radiation. Neoplastic epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) portends highly malignant behavior and enhances resistance to therapy. In transitioning to a more malignant phenotype, carcinoma stem cells undergo transformation mediated by expression of proteins, endowing them with mesenchymal properties advantageous to cell survival. The goal of the current study was to identify proteins associated with EMT in FOSCC. This study documents protein expression patterns in 10 FOSCC biopsies and 3 FOSCC cell lines (SCCF1, SCCF2, SCCF3), compatible with an EMT phenotype. As markers of EMT, P-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin, nuclear transcription factors Twist and Snail, hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), programmed death ligand 1, and vascular endothelial growth factor D, as well as E-cadherin, were examined using immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. P-cadherin, Twist, HIF-1α, and programmed death ligand 1 were commonly expressed in biopsies and cell lines. N-cadherin, classically associated with EMT, was not highly expressed, and E-cadherin was coexpressed along with proteins characteristic of EMT in all specimens. Production of vascular endothelial growth factor A by cell lines, a process regulated by HIF-1α expression, was suppressed by the small-molecule inhibitor dasatinib. These data are consistent with EMT in FOSCC and shed light on cellular changes that could contribute to the aggressive behavior of FOSCC.
Animal geographies I: Hearing the cry and extending beyond
Authors: Gibbs Leah M.
Published: July 2019

Research on animal geographies is burgeoning. This report identifies key themes emerging in the sub-discipline over the past two to three years. It begins with an overview of the growing empirical, conceptual and methodological diversity of the field. It then explores two themes, which seek, in turn, to look very closely at the animal and beyond it. The first theme incorporates efforts to attend to the lived experiences of animals and the nonhuman side of human-animal relations: to ‘hear the cry’ of the nonhuman. The second includes attempts to move beyond both the kinds of animals most commonly considered within the field of animal geographies, and beyond the animal itself.
Visco-Elastic Back-Calculation of Traffic Speed Deflectometer Measurements
Authors: Nielsen Christoffer P.
Published: July 2019

The traffic speed deflectometer (TSD) has proven a valuable tool for network level structural evaluation. At the project level, however, the use of TSD data is still quite limited. An obstacle to the use of TSD at the project level is that the standard approaches to back-calculation of pavement properties are based on the falling weight deflectometer (FWD). The FWD experiment is similar, but not equivalent, to the TSD experiment, and therefore it is not straightforward to apply the traditional FWD back-calculation procedures to TSD data. In this paper, a TSD-specific back-calculation procedure is presented. The procedure is based on a layered linear visco-elastic pavement model and takes the driving speed of the vehicle into account. This is in contrast to most existing back-calculation procedures, which treat the problem as static and the pavement as purely elastic. The developed back-calculation procedure is tested on both simulated and real TSD data. The real TSD measurements exhibit significant effects of damping and visco-elasticity. The back-calculation algorithm is able to capture these effects and yields model fits in excellent agreement with the measured values.