bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute Kidney Injury: Gateway to Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Heung Michael , Chawla Lakhmir S.
Published: September 2014

This review examines the evidence linking acute kidney injury (AKI) with the risk of subsequently developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). The discussion focuses on subjects that recover from an episode of AKI, most of whom do not receive follow-up nephrology care. Many recent studies have shown a strong association between AKI and the risk of developing CKD. Preclinical models provide evidence for a causal link between AKI and CKD while also proposing some of the potential mechanisms for this progression. Large observational studies have begun to quantify the risk for CKD following AKI recovery and identify risk factors for the development of CKD. In summary, there is an association between AKI with incomplete recovery or lack of recovery and CKD. Multiple studies now suggest that even AKI with apparent full recovery confers an independent risk for later development of CKD. Severity of AKI, baseline CKD, and multiple episodes of AKI remain consistent risk factors for CKD after AKI. The proposed risk prediction models that have been developed require further refinement and validation. The identification of patients with AKI recovery who are at high risk for later CKD development remains an important clinical and research goal.
Renal Recovery at Different Ages
Authors: Goldstein Stuart L.
Published: September 2014

While the field of acute kidney injury (AKI) research has undergone exponential growth over the past 15 years, the topic of renal recovery has only recently garnered much attention. Both lack of standardized renal recovery definitions and lack of systematic assessment of AKI survivors for chronic kidney disease development pose barriers to the complete understanding of the renal recovery epidemiology. In addition, evaluation of pediatric AKI renal recovery is further complicated by the potential AKI effects on renal development as well as a relatively greater renal reserve for younger children. The aims of this review are to review the current state of knowledge in pediatric AKI renal recovery.
Renal Functional Reserve and Renal Recovery after Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Sharma Aashish , Mucino Marìa Jimena , Ronco Claudio
Published: September 2014

Renal functional reserve (RFR) represents the capacity of the kidney to increase glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in response to certain physiological or pathological stimuli or conditions. Once baseline GFR is determined, RFR can be assessed clinically after an oral protein load or intravenous amino acid infusion. In clinical practice, baseline GFR displays variable levels due to diet or other factors. RFR is the difference between peak ‘stress' GFR induced by the test (p.o. or i.v.) and the baseline GFR. In clinical scenarios where hyperfiltration is present (high baseline GFR due to pregnancy, hypertension or diabetic nephropathy, in solitary kidney or kidney donors), RFR may be fully or partially used to achieve normal or supranormal renal function. Since commonly used renal function markers, such as GFR, may remain within normal ranges until 50% of nephrons are lost or in patients with a single remnant kidney, the RFR test may represent a sensitive and early way to assess the functional decline in the kidney. RFR assessment may become an important tool to evaluate the ability of the kidney to recover completely or partially after a kidney attack. In case of healing with a defect and progressive fibrosis, recovery may appear complete clinically, but a reduced RFR may be a sign of a maladaptive repair or subclinical loss of renal mass. Thus, a reduction in RFR may represent the equivalent of renal frailty or susceptibility to insults. The main aim of this article is to review the concept of RFR, its utility in different clinical scenarios, and future perspective for its use.
Clinical Trial Endpoints in Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Billings IV Frederic T. , Shaw Andrew D.
Published: September 2014

The development and use of consensus criteria for acute kidney injury (AKI) diagnosis and the inclusion of recently identified markers of renal parenchymal damage as endpoints in clinical trials have improved the ability of physicians to compare the incidence and severity of AKI across patient populations, provided targets for testing new treatments, and may increase insight into the mechanisms of AKI. To date, these markers have not consistently translated into important clinical outcomes. Is that because these markers of renal injury/dysfunction are measurements of process of care (and not indicative of persistently impaired renal function), or is it because patients do actually recover from AKI? Physicians currently have limited ability to measure renal function reserve, and the ultimate consequence of a case of AKI on long-term morbidity remains unclear. There is little doubt that groups of patients who develop AKI have worse outcomes than groups of patients who do not, but investigators are now realizing the value of measuring clinically meaningful renal endpoints in all subjects enrolled in AKI clinical trials. Important examples of these outcomes include persistently impaired renal function, new hemodialysis, and death. We propose that these major adverse kidney events (MAKE) be included in all effectiveness clinical trials. Adaptation of the MAKE composite assessed 30, 60, or 90 days following AKI (i.e., MAKE30 or MAKE90) will improve our capacity to understand and treat AKI and may also provide a consensus composite to allow comparison of different interventions. Primary endpoints for phase I and II clinical trials, on the other hand, should continue to use continuous markers of renal injury/dysfunction as well as ‘hard' clinical outcomes in order to generate meaningful data with limited subject exposure to untested treatments. By doing so, investigators may assess safety without requiring large sample sizes, demonstrate treatment effect of an unknown therapeutic, and power subsequent studies. In contrast, phase III trials should include consensus AKI criteria and more important subsequent clinical outcomes, such as MAKE90, as primary endpoints.
Progression from Acute Kidney Injury to Chronic Kidney Disease: Clinical and Experimental Insights and Queries
Authors: Zager Richard A.
Published: September 2014

There is an increasing number of clinical studies suggesting that acute kidney injury (AKI) can be complicated by the onset of progressive renal disease. Indeed, given the frequency of AKI in hospitalized patients, it could potentially be a leading cause of, or contributor to, end-stage renal disease. Insights into the natural history of AKI and potential mechanisms for disease progression can be gleaned from experimental studies. Although such studies underscore the principle that AKI can ‘heal with defects', whether ongoing renal disease develops remains a subject of debate. Indeed, in the aftermath of AKI, a variety of secondary renal protective pathways are activated, which may retard or prevent severe chronic kidney disease. Furthermore, the onset of acute uremia per se may exert surprisingly potent renal protective effects. The purpose of this brief report is to review some of the clinical and experimental data that deal with these complex issues.
Volumetric Fat Ratio and Not Body Mass Index Is Predictive of Ileocolectomy Outcomes in Crohn's Disease Patients
Authors: Connelly Tara M. , Juza Ryan M. , Sangster William , Sehgal Rishabh , Tappouni Rafel F. , Messaris Evangelos
Published: September 2014

Background: Crohn's disease (CD) patients are typically underweight; however, a growing cohort of overweight CD patients is emerging. The current study investigates whether body mass index (BMI) or volumetric fat parameters can be used to predict morbidity after ileocolectomy for CD. Methods: One hundred and forty-three CD patients who underwent elective ileocolectomy were identified from our Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Registry. Patient demographics and operative outcomes were recorded. Visceral (VA) and subcutaneous (SA) adiposity and abdominal circumference (AC) were analyzed on preoperative CT scans using Aquarius iNtuition software. A visceral/subcutaneous ratio (VSR) was calculated. Results: BMI correlated with SA (p = 0.0001), VA (p = 0.0001) and AC (p = 0.0001) but not VSR (p > 0.05). BMI, VA and AC did not predict surgical morbidity (p > 0.05). In multivariate regression analysis, family history of IBD (p = 0.009), high American Society of Anesthesiologists score (p = 0.02) and increased VSR (p = 0.03) were independent predictors of postoperative morbidity. Conclusions: The visceral/subcutaneous fat ratio is a more reliable predictor of postoperative outcomes in CD patients undergoing ileocolectomy than conventional adiposity markers such as BMI. Preoperative calculation of the visceral/subcutaneous fat ratio offers the opportunity to optimize high-risk surgical patients, thus improving outcomes.
Interferon-γ Inhibits Nonopsonized Phagocytosis of Macrophages via an mTORC1-c/EBPβ Pathway
Authors: Wang Zengfu , Zhou Shuping , Sun Chenming , Lei Tong , Peng Jianxia , Li Weiguo , Ding Pengbo , Lu Jun , Zhao Yong
Published: September 2014

Bacterial infection often follows virus infection due to pulmonary interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production during virus infection, which down-regulates macrophage phagocytosis. The molecular mechanisms for this process are still poorly understood. In the present study, IFN-γ treatment significantly inhibited the ability of mouse macrophages to phagocytize nonopsonized chicken red blood cells (cRBCs), bacteria and beads in vitro, while it enhanced IgG- and complement-opsonized phagocytosis. IFN-γ treatment decreased the expression of MARCO (macrophage receptor with collagenous structure) in macrophages. Macrophages showed lower binding to and phagocytic ability of cRBCs when MARCO was blocked with antibody. In addition, IFN-γ induced high activity of mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) and decreased the expression of c/EBPβ (CCAAT enhancer-binding protein β) in macrophages. Rapamycin, a specific mTOR inhibitor, significantly reversed the inhibitory effect of IFN-γ on nonopsonized phagocytosis of macrophages and restored c/EBPβ and MARCO expression. Biochemical assays showed that c/EBPβ directly bound to the MARCO gene promoter. Rapamycin significantly hampered the viral-bacterial synergy and protected influenza-infected mice from subsequent bacterial infection. Thus, IFN-γ inhibited the nonopsonized phagocytosis of macrophages through the mTOR-c/EBPβ-MARCO pathway. The present study offered evidence indicating that mTOR may be one of the key target molecules for the prevention of secondary bacterial infection caused by primary virus infection.
Pulmonary Fibrosis Secondary to FOLFOX Chemotherapy: A Case Report
Authors: Soon Wai Cheong , West Kate , Gibeon David , Bowen Elizabeth Frances
Published: September 2014

A 54-year-old female presented with a 2-week history of increasing shortness of breath and fever. She had a history of a poorly differentiated sigmoid adenocarcinoma for which she underwent an anterior resection 6 months prior to admission, followed by 12 cycles of adjuvant FOLFOX chemotherapy. The patient was treated for a severe community-acquired pneumonia; however, she remained hypoxic. A chest CT revealed extensive right-sided fibrotic changes, tractional dilatation of the airways and ground glass density, which had developed since a staging CT scan performed 2 months previously. Although her symptoms improved with steroid therapy, repeat imaging revealed that right hydropneumothorax had developed, and this required the insertion of a chest drain. Following its successful removal, the patient continues to improve clinically and radiographically. The rapid onset and nature of these changes is consistent with a drug-induced fibrotic lung disease secondary to FOLFOX chemotherapy. The phenomenon is underreported and yet, it is relatively common: it occurs in approximately 10% of patients who are treated with antineoplastic agents, although information specifically relating to FOLFOX-induced pulmonary toxicity is limited. It is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, but is often hard to differentiate from other lung conditions, making the diagnosis a challenge. Pulmonary toxicity is an important complication associated with antineoplastic agents. It should be considered in any patient on a chemotherapeutic regimen who presents with dyspnoea and hypoxia in order to try to reduce the associated morbidity and mortality.
Factors Associated With Periesophageal Vagal Nerve Injury After Pulmonary Vein Antrum Isolation
Authors: Miyazaki Shinsuke , Taniguchi Hiroshi , Kusa Shigeki , Komatsu Yuki , Ichihara Noboru , Takagi Takamitsu , Iwasawa Jin , Kuroi Akio , Nakamura Hiroaki , Hachiya Hitoshi , Hirao Kenzo , Iesaka Yoshito
Published: September 2014

Background

Periesophageal vagal nerve injury is recognized as a rare complication in atrial fibrillation ablation procedures. We investigated the factors associated with the occurrence of symptomatic p
eriesophageal vagal nerve injury
after pulmonary vein antrum isolation.

Methods and Results

Overall, 535 consecutive patients who underwent sole
pulmonary vein antrum isolation
were included. Point‐by‐point radiofrequency applications were applied using irrigated‐tip catheters under minimal sedation without esophageal temperature monitoring. In the initial 165 patients, the ablation settings for the posterior left atrium were a maximum energy of 25 to 30 W and a duration of 30 seconds. In the subsequent 370 patients, the power was additionally limited to 20 to 25 W at specific parts of the posterior
left atrium
where the ablation line transversed the esophagus. Symptomatic gastric hypomotility was found in 13 patients, and all were observed during the initial period (7.9%). No other collateral damage was observed. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the body mass index was the only independent predictor for identifying patients with gastric hypomotility (odds ratio 0.770; 95% confidence interval 0.643 to 0.922;
P
=0.0045) during the initial period. The prevalence of gastric hypomotility was significantly higher in the initial study period than subsequently (0 of 370, 0%;
P
<0.0001). All except for 1 patient recovered completely with conservative treatment within 4 months after the procedure.

Conclusions

P
eriesophageal vagal nerve injury
is more common collateral damage than direct esophageal injury in
pulmonary vein antrum isolation
procedures. Titrating the
radiofrequency
energy at specific areas where the ablation line transverses the esophagus and taking account of the body mass index might reduce occurrences not only of direct esophageal damage but also of
periesophageal vagal nerve injury
in
pulmonary vein antrum isolation
procedures.
Validation of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Versus Mini-Mental State Examination Against Hypertension and Hypertensive Arteriopathy After Transient Ischemic Attack or Minor Stroke
Authors: Webb Alastair J.S. , Pendlebury Sarah T. , Li Linxin , Simoni Michela , Lovett Nicola , Mehta Ziyah , Rothwell Peter M.
Published: September 2014

Background and Purpose—

Lack of reduced cognitive impairment with blood pressure (BP) lowering in trials may reflect use of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), which is insensitive to mild cognitive impairment after cerebrovascular events compared with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. We determined relationships between impairment on MMSE versus Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) with the major physiological determinant of vascular cognitive impairment: hypertension and hypertensive arteriopathy.

Methods—

Cognitive impairment in consecutive patients 6 months after transient ischemic attack or minor stroke was defined as significant, mild, or none (MMSE<23, 23–26, ≥27; MoCA<20, 20–24, ≥25) and related to 20 premorbid systolic BP readings, home BP measurement (3 measurements, 3×daily for 1 month), and hypertensive arteriopathy (creatinine, stroke versus transient ischemic attack, leukoaraiosis) by ordinal regression.

Results—

Of 463 patients, 45% versus 28% had at least mild cognitive impairment on the MoCA versus MMSE (
P
<0.001). Hypertensive arteriopathy was more strongly associated with cognitive impairment on the MoCA than MMSE (creatinine: odds ratio=3.99; 95% confidence interval, 2.06–7.73 versus 2.16, 1.08–4.33; event: 1.53, 1.06–2.19 versus 1.23, 0.81–1.85; leukoaraiosis: 2.09, 1.42–3.06 versus 1.34, 0.87–2.07). Premorbid and home BP measurement systolic BP were more strongly associated with impairment on vascular subdomains of the MoCA than MMSE (odds ratio/10 mm Hg: visuospatial 1.29 versus 1.05; attention 1.18 versus 1.07; language 1.22 versus 0.91; naming 1.07 versus 0.86).

Conclusions—

The stronger relationship between impairment on the MoCA with hypertensive arteriopathy, independent of age, indicates a greater sensitivity for vascular-origin cognitive impairment. Use of MoCA should improve sensitivity for cognitive impairment and treatment effects in future studies.
Effect of Peer Education on Stroke Prevention
Authors: Kronish Ian M. , Goldfinger Judith Z. , Negron Rennie , Fei Kezhen , Tuhrim Stanley , Arniella Guedy , Horowitz Carol R.
Published: September 2014

Background and Purpose—

Efforts to reduce disparities in recurrent stroke among Black and Latino stroke survivors have met with limited success. We aimed to determine the effect of peer education on secondary stroke prevention among predominantly minority stroke survivors.

Methods—

Between 2009 and 2012, we enrolled 600 stroke or transient ischemic attack survivors from diverse, low-income communities in New York City into a 2-arm randomized clinical trial that compared a 6 week (1 session/week), peer-led, community-based, stroke prevention self-management group workshop (N=301) to a wait-list control group (N=299). The primary outcome was the proportion with a composite of controlled blood pressure (<140/90 mm Hg), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol <100 mg/dL, and use of antithrombotic medications at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included control of the individual stroke risk factors. All analyses were by intent-to-treat.

Results—

There was no difference in the proportion of intervention and control group participants achieving the composite outcome (34% versus 34%;
P
=0.98). The proportion with controlled blood pressure at 6 months was greater in the intervention group than in the control group (76% versus 67%;
P
=0.02). This corresponded to a greater change in systolic blood pressure in the intervention versus control group (−3.63 SD, 19.81 mm Hg versus +0.34 SD, 23.76 mm Hg;
P
=0.04). There were no group differences in the control of cholesterol or use of antithrombotics.

Conclusions—

A low-cost peer education self-management workshop modestly improved blood pressure, but not low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or antithrombotic use, among stroke and transient ischemic attack survivors from vulnerable, predominantly minority urban communities.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT0102727
. Unique identifier: NCT01027273.
St Augustine and the Devil’s ‘Mousetrap’
Authors: Scott-Macnab David
Published: September 2014

Modern scholars and translators have in recent years increasingly emphasised the etymological sense of the word muscipula, particularly in the phrase muscipula diaboli, as used by St Augustine and other early Patristic writers. I consider the evidence from a range of Augustine’s writings, and from within the Vetus Latina scriptures themselves, to question whether translating muscipula as ‘mousetrap’ best serves our understanding of Augustine’s intended meaning.
The ‘Bible’ of Thomas Merton: A Biblical Reading of American Identity in Selected Writings of Thomas Merton, and Specifically Opening the Bible (1970)
Authors: Purvis Anthony
Published: September 2014

Opening the Bible(1970) is Thomas Merton’s major critical account of the Bible and biblical theology. Writing the book made him anxious; and the first version of the book forTime-LifeBooks in 1966 was never published. Yet he also knew he had to complete the book. For Merton, the Bible’s message is urgent. In times of great crisis, everything human culture holds sacred must come under scrutiny and judgement. Everything must be measured according to the Bible’s mandate to love God in neighbour. Yet there is a central paradox in Merton’s discussion, and it is this which makes what he says all the more compelling. On the one hand, Merton commends a book which he claims offers no explanations. It asks us to look to the future; and it asks us not to put faith in ourselves but in a truth which is not seen. On the other hand, the Bible is God’s word and it is authoritative. Its authority, however, is revealed in human history. The Bible’s over-arching historical narrative is one which asks those who hear its message to transform lives and human relationships. Using a range of critics and writers, including Barth, Bultmann and Faulkner, Merton contends that the ‘word of God’ is recognised in actual experience and in its power to fundamentally change how people see each other and the created world.
Mediating the Conflict in the Rasht Valley, Tajikistan
Authors: Lemon Edward
Published: September 2014

Between 2009 and 2011 Tajikistan experienced one of the worst bouts of political violence since the end of the country’s civil war. The fighting was concentrated in the Rasht Valley, an area traditionally associated with opposition to the regime. As a result, the government attempted to fix the meaning of the conflict around the signifiers “international terrorism” and “radical Islam.” This framing directly reproduced the regime’s hegemony through legitimating the removal of opponents and contrasting the Tajik “self” with the terrorist “other.” The hegemonic narrative was incomplete and contained inconsistencies. As a result, anti-hegemonic actors attempted to undermine its legitimacy. Although these critical articulations destabilized the narrative, due to their dispersed and divergent nature, it ultimately maintained its hegemonic position.
A new species of Andinobates (Amphibia: Anura: Dendrobatidae) from west central Panama
Authors: BATISTA ABEL , JARAMILLO CÉSAR A.  A. , PONCE MARCOS , CRAWFORD ANDREW J.
Published: September 2014

Dendrobatid frogs are among the best known anurans in the world, mainly due to their toxicity and associated bright colors. A recently described dendrobatid genus, Andinobates, comprises frogs distributed among the Colombian Andes and Panama. During field work in the Distrito de Donoso, Colón province, Panama, we found a poison frog that we here describe as a new species. The new species belongs to the A. minutus species group and is described herein as Andinobates geminisae sp. nov. This new species differs from all other members of the group by having uniformly orange smooth skin over the entire body and a distinctive male advertisement call. The new species is smaller than other colorful dendrobatids present in the area, such as Oophaga pumilio and O. vicentei. We also provide molecular phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences of dendrobatids and summarize genetic distances among Andinobates species. Andinobates geminisae occurs in Caribbean versant rainforest on the westernmost edge of the known distribution of A. minutus, and represents the fourth species within this genus in Panama. This is vulnerable to habitat loss and excessive harvesting and requires immediate conservation plans to preserve this species with a restricted geographic range.
Reconsidering the taxonomy of the Black-Faced Uacaris, Cacajao melanocephalus group (Mammalia: Pitheciidae), from the northern Amazon Basin
Authors: FERRARI STEPHEN F. , GUEDES PATRÍCIA G. , FIGUEIREDO-READY WILSEA M.B. , BARNETT ADRIAN A.
Published: September 2014

The black-faced uacaris are a poorly known group of platyrrhine monkeys from the Rio Negro basin in northwestern Amazonia. Originally described as two distinct species—Cacajao melanocephalus (Humboldt 1812) and Cacajao ouakary (Spix 1823)—from opposite banks of the Negro, they were treated as a single species until the end of the twentieth century, when molecular studies reconfirmed their status as true species. One of these studies not only nominated a third (northern) species, Cacajao ayresi Boubli et al. 2008, but also identified C. ouakary as a junior synonym of C. melanocephalus, resulting in the introduction of a new nomen, Cacajao hosomi Boubli et al. 2008. In the present study, additional evidence on morphological and zoogeographic variables is analyzed, which indicates that C. ouakary should be reinstated, and supports the nomination of a neotype of C. melanocephalus. The molecular and zoogeographic data on the species status of the ayresi form are also re-assessed, leading to the conclusion that, on the basis of the evidence available at the present time, this form should be considered a subspecies of C. melanocephalus. A new taxonomic arrangement is proposed, which recognizes two species, C. ouakary and C. melanocephalus, the latter with two subspecies, C. m. melanocephalus and C. m. ayresi.
New World Stephanocampta (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae)—descriptions of a new species from Argentina and of the male of S. masoni
Authors: AQUINO DANIEL A. , TRIAPITSYN SERGUEI V.
Published: September 2014

The genus Stephanocampta Mathot (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) includes only two previously described species, S. yaosekoensis Mathot from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Mathot 1966) and S. masoni (Yoshimoto) from Costa Rica and Panama (Yoshimoto 1990). Here we describe and illustrate a new species from Argentina based on a female, illustrate both sexes and newly describe the male of S. masoni, and provide a key to differentiate females of the three species.
Mesoscale Structure of Cape Farewell Tip Jets
Authors: Moore G. W. K.
Published: September 2014

Cape Farewell, Greenland’s southernmost point, is characterized by a number of low-level jets that are the result of topographic flow distortion associated with passing extratropical cyclones. The heavy seas associated with these wind events are a hazard to maritime traffic in the region. In addition, the air–sea heat flux associated with these weather systems plays an important role in the climate system by contributing to the forcing of the lower limb of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. In this paper, the North American Regional Reanalysis will be used to generate a higher-resolution climatology of these mesoscale jets as compared to previous studies. Through the use of a diagnostic that partitions the occurrence frequency of high-speed wind events by wind direction, the author shows that there are four different types of Cape Farewell tips jets that are characterized as having either northwesterly, southwesterly, northeasterly, or southeasterly wind direction. All four types have distinct regions in the vicinity of Cape Farewell where their respective occurrence frequencies and air–sea heat fluxes are at a maximum. The southwesterly and northeasterly jets closely resemble the wind systems previously identified as being westerly and easterly tip jets. There are also instances where one type evolves into another and so it is possible to view westerly tip jets as a continuum with the northwesterly and southwesterly events identified in this paper representing end members with a similar picture for easterly tip jets. The position of a particular event along these continua will determine its impact on local weather and the coupled climate system.
A Method for Retrieving the Ground Flash Fraction and Flash Type from Satellite Lightning Mapper Observations
Authors: Koshak William J. , Solakiewicz Richard J.
Published: September 2014

An analytic perturbation method is introduced for retrieving the lightning ground flash fraction in a set of N lightning flashes observed by a satellite lightning mapper. The value of N must be large, typically in the thousands, and the satellite lightning optical observations consist of the maximum group area (MGA) produced by each flash. Moreover, the method subsequently determines the flash type (ground or cloud) of each of the N flashes. Performance tests of the method were conducted using simulated observations that were based on Optical Transient Detector (OTD) and Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) data. It is found that the mean ground flash fraction retrieval errors are below 0.04 across the full range 0–1 under the nominal conditions defined. In general, it is demonstrated that the retrieval errors depend on many factors (i.e., the number N of satellite observations, the magnitude of random and systematic instrument measurement errors, the ground flash fraction itself, and the number of samples used to form certain climate distributions employed in the method). The fraction of flashes accurately flash typed by the method averaged better than 78%. Overall, the accuracy of ground flash fraction and flash-typing retrievals degrade as the simulated population ground and cloud flash MGA distributions become more identical. Finally, because the analytic perturbation method was found to be quite robust (i.e., it performed well for several arbitrary underlying MGA distributions), it is not restricted to the lightning problem studied here but can be applied to any inverse problem having a similar problem statement.
Analysis of the Ross Ice Shelf Airstream Forcing Mechanisms Using Self-Organizing Maps
Authors: Nigro Melissa A. , Cassano John J.
Published: September 2014

The Ross Ice Shelf airstream (RAS), a prominent transport mechanism of cold, continental air to the north, is the most common wind pattern over the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica. The forcing mechanisms of the RAS include katabatic drainage, mesoscale forcing, and synoptic forcing. This paper uses the 15-km output from the Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System (AMPS) and the method of self-organizing maps (SOM) to analyze how the combination of these forcing mechanisms impacts the strength and position of the RAS. It is found that the strength and position of the RAS is mainly driven by the thermal forcing in the region of the Transantarctic Mountains. This forcing includes the pressure gradient associated with cold air pooling at the base of the Transantarctic Mountains, as well as, the pressure gradient associated with the temperature contrast between the cold air located over the East Antarctic Plateau and the warm ambient air over the Ross Ice Shelf. These forcing mechanisms are analyzed in a region near the southern tip of the Ross Ice Shelf. In this region, the pressure gradient associated with the temperature contrast between the East Antarctic Plateau and the ambient air over the ice shelf is usually present during RAS events, while the pressure gradient associated with the cold air pooling varies between RAS events. The analysis shows that, in the region of the southern Ross Ice Shelf, RAS events can occur without the presence of cold air pooling.
Unequal Protection Under the Law
Authors: Bohon Stephanie A. , Conley Meghan , Brown Michelle
Published: September 2014

We interrogate the Georgia Supreme Court ruling in the 2002 capital murder trial of Brandon Smith to illustrate how “fair cross section” implementation in Georgia’s legal system was used to create case law that institutionalized discrimination against Hispanic participation in the jury process. By paying scrupulous attention to legal precedents specifically intended to widen inclusion under the equal protection clause, the Justices’ decision put into place one legal standard for Hispanic participation in the jury process and another standard for all other groups. Using critical race theory, we argue that legal precedents based on distorted perceptions of the composition of the Hispanic community in new destination states, common practices of jury forced balancing and sole reliance on decennial census numbers collided to create case law that unintentionally deprives Georgia’s Hispanics of equal protection under the law and may contribute to the disproportionate presence of racialized minorities and Hispanic youth in the criminal justice system.
Synthesis of Carboxylic Block Copolymers via Reversible Addition Fragmentation Transfer Polymerization for Tooth Erosion Prevention
Authors: Lei Y. , Wang T. , Mitchell J.W. , Qiu J. , Kilpatrick-Liverman L.
Published: September 2014

Dental professionals are seeing a growing population of patients with visible signs of dental erosion. The approach currently being used to address the problem typically leverages the enamel protection benefits of fluoride. In this report, an alternative new block copolymer with a hydrophilic polyacrylic acid (PAA) block and a hydrophobic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) block was developed to similarly reduce the mineral loss from enamel under acidic conditions. This series of PMMA- b-PAA block copolymers was synthesized by reversible addition fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Their structures were characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra. The molar fractions of acrylic acid (AA) in the final block copolymer were finely controlled from 0.25 to 0.94, and the molecular weight (Mn) of PMMA- b-PAA was controlled from 10 kDa to 90 kDa. The binding capability of the block copolymer with hydroxyapatite (HAP) was investigated by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. FTIR spectra confirmed that the PMMA- b-PAA block copolymer could bind to HAP via bridging bidentate bonds. Both UV-Vis and FTIR spectra additionally indicated that a high polymer concentration and low solution pH favored the polymer binding to HAP. The erosion-preventing efficacy of the PMMA- b-PAA block copolymer in inhibiting HAP mineral loss was quantitatively evaluated by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Based on the results, polymer treatment reduced the amount of calcium released by 27% to 30% in comparison with the unprotected samples. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations indicated that PMMA- b-PAA polymer treatment protected enamel from acid erosion. This new amphiphilic block copolymer has significant potential to be integrated into dentifrices or mouthrinses as an alternative non-fluoride ingredient to reduce tooth erosion.
Thio-urethanes Improve Properties of Dual-cured Composite Cements
Authors: Bacchi A. , Dobson A. , Ferracane J.L. , Consani R. , Pfeifer C.S.
Published: September 2014

This study aims at modifying dual-cure composite cements by adding thio-urethane oligomers to improve mechanical properties, especially fracture toughness, and reduce polymerization stress. Thiol-functionalized oligomers were synthesized by combining 1,3-bis(1-isocyanato-1-methylethyl)benzene with trimethylol-tris-3-mercaptopropionate, at 1:2 isocyanate:thiol. Oligomer was added at 0, 10 or 20 wt% to BisGMA-UDMA-TEGDMA (5:3:2, with 25 wt% silanated inorganic fillers) or to one commercial composite cement (Relyx Ultimate, 3M Espe). Near-IR was used to measure methacrylate conversion after photoactivation (700 mW/cm2 × 60s) and after 72 h. Flexural strength and modulus, toughness, and fracture toughness were evaluated in three-point bending. Polymerization stress was measured with the Bioman. The microtensile bond strength of an indirect composite and a glass ceramic to dentin was also evaluated. Results were analyzed with analysis of variance and Tukey’s test (α = 0.05). For BisGMA-UDMA-TEGDMA cements, conversion values were not affected by the addition of thio-urethanes. Flexural strength/modulus increased significantly for both oligomer concentrations, with a 3-fold increase in toughness at 20 wt%. Fracture toughness increased over 2-fold for the thio-urethane modified groups. Contraction stress was reduced by 40% to 50% with the addition of thio-urethanes. The addition of thio-urethane to the commercial cement led to similar flexural strength, toughness, and conversion at 72h compared to the control. Flexural modulus decreased for the 20 wt% group, due to the dilution of the overall filler volume, which also led to decreased stress. However, fracture toughness increased by up to 50%. The microtensile bond strength increased for the experimental composite cement with 20 wt% thio-urethane bonding for both an indirect composite and a glass ceramic. Novel dual-cured composite cements containing thio-urethanes showed increased toughness, fracture toughness and bond strength to dentin while demonstrating reduced contraction stress. All of these benefits are derived without compromising the methacrylate conversion of the resin component. The modification does not require changing the operatory technique.
Market potential for smart growth neighbourhoods in the USA: A latent class analysis on heterogeneous preference and choice
Authors: Lu Zhongming , Southworth Frank , Crittenden John , Dunhum-Jones Ellen
Published: September 2014

With data from a 2011 National Association of Realtors community preference survey, we examined individuals’ preferences and the resulting market potential for smart growth neighbourhoods in the USA. Using a latent class choice model, we discovered four classes of individuals that reveal distinctive behaviours when choosing smart growth neighbourhoods, based on the interplay between aspects of community design, socioeconomic characteristics and personal attitudes. Based on these results we estimated the demand for smart growth neighbourhoods given the way they are planned and built. By linking the results of the latent class choice to a market diffusion model we were able to evaluate the effectiveness of a proposed smart growth neighbourhood design in inducing less sprawling development.
Blood volumes in cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass
Authors: Hilberath JN , Smith T , Jara C , Thomas M , FitzGerald DJ , Muehlschlegel JD
Published: September 2014

Purpose:

Total blood volume (TBV) estimation potentially impacts various aspects of cardiac surgical care, including pharmacological and transfusion interventions, hemodynamic and volume management and perfusion equipment selection. TBV is commonly computed during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), using standardized formulae. We hypothesized that these equations fail to accurately predict individual blood volume variability. The aim of this study was to determine TBV with a dilution technique and compare the results to commonly utilized TBV calculations.

Methods:

After institutional review board approval, data was prospectively collected and analyzed for 101 patients undergoing open-heart surgery. Hematocrits (Hct) just prior to and immediately after the initiation of CPB were used to calculate the TBV. Results were compared to (1) the Allen formula and (2) weight-based standards (70 ml/kg for males (SM); 65 ml/kg for females (SF)).

Results:

The average dilution TBV (male: 4684 ± 1641 ml; female: 3027 ± 1067 ml; total: 4175 ± 1617 ml) was significantly smaller (p<0.05) than TBV estimated by Allen’s formula (male: 6328 ± 973 ml; female: 4167 ± 643 ml; total: 5665 ± 1134 ml) and weight-based standards (male: 6278 ± 1256 ml; female: 4924 ± 1064 ml; total: 5862 ± 1350 ml). Allen’s formula and the weight-based standards correlated strongly (R2 = 0.821, p<0.001), suggesting similar estimates of TBV when using these methods. In contrast, hemodilution correlated poorly with the estimates by Allen (R2 = 0.221, p<0.001) and weight-based formulae (R2 = 0.122, p<0.001), suggesting different TBV computation.

Conclusions:

The dilution method during CPB for TBV estimation is applicable and reproducible in the cardiac surgical arena and can be utilized to calculate TBV. Our results suggest that traditional TBV assessment in cardiac surgical patients by Allen’s and weight-based formulae lacks the desired accuracy in estimating true TBV.
Formation, Growth, and Adaptive Change in Marketing Systems
Authors: Layton Roger A.
Published: September 2014

The article outlines an integrated theoretical framework identifying the causal processes underlying formation, growth, and adaptive change in marketing systems. Beginning with the co-evolution of behaviors, beliefs, and social practices that initiate innovative change in marketing systems, it integrates three theoretical frameworks drawn from analytical sociology, organization and social movement theory, and from macromarketing to show how and why economic exchange in and between human communities leads to formation, growth, and adaptive change in marketing systems. The theory of social mechanisms identifies the means whereby actions taken by individuals and entities participating in a marketing system will regularly produce over time the collective outcomes that characterize a marketing system. The theory of strategic action fields explains how these actions, engendered by competition between participants for material and status rewards in the social action field associated with a marketing system, lead to internal and external change in a marketing system. The theory of marketing systems identifies the tangible and intangible elements of structure and function in marketing systems that emerge from the interaction of social mechanisms and action fields over time and that are found in every human community. As marketing systems form, grow, and change they become part of the immediate environment in turn influencing the actions of individuals, groups and entities, as well as adjacent marketing systems, shaping on-going co-evolution, the operation of social mechanisms, and the strategic choices made by actors in action fields. The Mechanism, Action, Structure (MAS) framework of theory is dynamic, explores causation, links micro choices and macro structures, focusses on processes rather than variables, and links macromarketing with cognate social sciences in an understanding of economic exchange in human communities.
Characterization of Spontaneous Malignant Lymphomas in Japanese Macaques (Macaca fuscata)
Authors: Hirata A. , Hashimoto K. , Katoh Y. , Sakai H. , Bruce A. G. , Rose T. M. , Kaneko A. , Suzuki J. , Nikami H. , Yanai T.
Published: September 2014

Lymphomas are common spontaneous tumors in nonhuman primates but remain poorly characterized in Japanese macaques ( Macaca fuscata). This study examined 5 cases of spontaneous malignant lymphoma in Japanese macaques, focusing on the immunophenotypes and presence of simian lymphocryptoviruses, which are Epstein-Barr virus-related herpesviruses in nonhuman primates. The macaques with lymphoma were 5 to 28 years old, indicating that lymphomas develop over a wide age range. The common macroscopic findings were splenomegaly and enlargement of lymph nodes. Histologic and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that all cases were non-Hodgkin type and exhibited a T-cell phenotype, positive for CD3 but negative for CD20 and CD79α. The lymphomas exhibited diverse cellular morphologies and were subdivided into 3 types according to the World Health Organization classification. These included 3 cases of peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified; 1 case of T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia; and 1 case of an unclassifiable T-cell lymphoma. Positive signals were detected by in situ hybridization in 2 of the 4 examined cases using probes for the Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNA (EBER). Furthermore, the presence of M. fuscata lymphocryptovirus 2, a macaque homolog of Epstein-Barr virus, was demonstrated in EBER-positive cases by polymerase chain reaction amplification followed by direct sequencing. Immunohistochemistry using antibody to the Epstein-Barr virus-encoded nuclear antigen 2 was negative, even in the EBER-positive cases. The present study suggests that T-cell lymphoma is more common than B-cell lymphoma in Japanese macaques and that M. fuscata lymphocryptovirus 2 is present in some cases.
Optimisation of material compositions for flammability characteristics in rice husk/polyethylene composites
Authors: Bilal Ahmad , Lin Richard JT , Jayaraman Krishnan
Published: September 2014

A parametric study on the flammability characteristics of rice husk-reinforced polyethylene composites with various material compositions was conducted to find the “best” composites’ formulation for fire retardancy. Composites were manufactured using rice husk, maleated anhydride polyethylene and linear medium density polyethylene. The blends for manufacturing of composites were selected using mixture design approach. The individual effects of each constituent material on the fire performance of composites by cone calorimeter were studied using trace and contour plots for the various thermal and flammability properties. Regression coefficients were also estimated for each measured response. The cone calorimetry results show that the addition of rice husk improved fire retardancy of composites. The addition of maleated anhydride polyethylene did not influence the flammability properties much, except for mass loss rate and specific extinction area. The optimum mixture of rice husk, maleated anhydride polyethylene and linear medium density polyethylene for overall “best” flammability properties of the composites was also determined by multiple response optimisation using the regression models in Design Expert software. The optimum mixture for overall “best” fire retardant properties was found to be 50 wt% of rice husk, 5.6 wt% of maleated anhydride polyethylene and 44.4 wt% of linear medium density polyethylene. The flammability properties measured from composites manufactured with this formulation closely matched the values predicted by the model.
Constitutional Property Rights and Elision of the Transnational
Authors: Schneiderman David
Published: September 2014

Neo-liberal thought has for some time been shaping policy outcomes in many parts of the world. According to the neo-liberal frame, the economy functions as an internal limit on government. Scholars of comparative constitutional law mostly are disinterested in seeking out evidence, both inside and outside of states, of neo-liberal values being channelled by constitutionally relevant actors and institutions. Recent work in comparative property rights, purporting to be attentive to culture and context, is taken up by way of example. Turning subsequently to Foucault’s lectures on biopolitics, neo-liberal thought is understood as productive of new forms of legality, like international investment law, and of new subjectivities, such as one that conjoins liberal rights with economic interests. Comparative property theorists, by contrast, rely on forms of juridical right disassociated from the global economic context, oddly failing to account for a critical part of contemporary debates over global property rights.
Equivalent damage-healing approach to residual fatigue life prediction for copper film by laser repair
Authors: Liu Xiao-Dong , Shang De-Guang , Zhang Li-Hong , Guo Yu-Bo , Sun Yu-Juan , Chen Tao , Guo YB , Barkey ME
Published: September 2014

A healing method for fatigue damage was investigated by laser shock peening and laser irradiation with excimer laser for polycrystalline copper film. It is found that the sum of the consumed fatigue ductility and the total fatigue ductility for the damaged specimen after both laser treatments is equal to the total fatigue ductility for the undamaged specimen after both laser treatments. The evolution of the damage healing can be replaced by that for the undamaged specimen after laser treatment. Based on the equivalent fatigue damage evolution, a residual fatigue life prediction method is proposed during the damage-healing process for the copper specimen. The predicted lives by the proposed method agree well with the experimental results.