bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in the Climatology, Structure, and Seasonality of Northeast Pacific Atmospheric Rivers in CMIP5 Climate Simulations
Authors: Warner Michael D. , Mass Clifford F.
Published: June 2017

This paper describes changes in the climatology, structure, and seasonality of cool-season atmospheric rivers influencing the U.S. West Coast by examining the climate simulations from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) that are forced by the representative concentration pathway (RCP) 8.5 scenario. There are only slight changes in atmospheric river (AR) frequency and seasonality between historical (1970–99) and future (2070–99) periods considering the most extreme days (99th percentile) in integrated water vapor transport (IVT) along the U.S. West Coast. Changes in the 99th percentile of precipitation are only significant over the southern portion of the coast. In contrast, using the number of future days exceeding the historical 99th percentile IVT threshold produces statistically significant increases in the frequency of extreme IVT events for all winter months. The peak in future AR days appears to occur approximately one month earlier. The 10-model mean historical and end-of-century composites of extreme IVT days reflect canonical AR conditions, with a plume of high IVT extending from the coast to the southwest. The similar structure and evolution associated with ARs in the historical and future periods suggest little change in large-scale structure of such events during the upcoming century. Increases in extreme IVT intensity are primarily associated with integrated water vapor increases accompanying a warming climate. Along the southern portion of the U.S. West Coast there is less model agreement regarding the structure and intensity of ARs than along the northern portions of the coast.
Isopycnal Mixing Suppression by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and the Southern Ocean Meridional Overturning Circulation
Authors: Chapman Christopher , Sallée Jean-Baptiste
Published: June 2017

The meridional overturning circulation (MOC) in the Southern Ocean is investigated using hydrographic observations combined with satellite measurements of sea surface height. A three-dimensional (spatial and vertical) estimate of the isopycnal eddy diffusivity in the Southern Ocean is obtained using the theory of Ferrari and Nikurashin that includes the influence of suppression of the diffusivity by the strong, time-mean flows. It is found that the eddy diffusivity is enhanced at depth, reaching a maximum at the critical layer near 1000 m. The estimate of diffusivity is used with a simple diffusive parameterization to estimate the meridional eddy volume flux. This estimate of eddy volume flux is combined with an estimate of the Ekman transport to reconstruct the time-mean overturning circulation. By comparing the reconstruction with, and without, suppression of the eddy diffusivity by the mean flow, the influence of the suppression on the overturning is illuminated. It is shown that the suppression of the eddy diffusivity results in a large reduction of interior eddy transports and a more realistic eddy-induced overturning circulation. Finally, a simple conceptual model is used to show that the MOC is influenced not only by the existence of enhanced diffusivity at depth but also by the details of the vertical structure of the eddy diffusivity, such as the depth of the critical layer.
Impact of Horizontal Resolution (1/12° to 1/50°) on Gulf Stream Separation, Penetration, and Variability
Authors: Chassignet Eric P. , Xu Xiaobiao
Published: June 2017

The impact of horizontal resolution (1/12° to 1/50°; 6 to 1.5 km at midlatitudes) on Gulf Stream separation, penetration, and variability is quantified in a series of identical North Atlantic experiments. The questions the authors seek to address are twofold: 1) Is the realism of the modeled solution increased as resolution is increased? 2) How robust is the modeled mesoscale and submesoscale eddy activity as a function of grid spacing and how representative is it of interior quasigeostrophic (QG) or surface quasigeostrophic (SQG) turbulence? This study shows that (i) the representation of Gulf Stream penetration and associated recirculating gyres shifts from unrealistic to realistic when the resolution is increased to 1/50° and when the nonlinear effects of the submesoscale eddies intensifies the midlatitude jet and increases its penetration eastward, (ii) the penetration into the deep ocean drastically increases with resolution and closely resembles the observations, and (iii) surface power spectra in the 70–250-km mesoscale range are independent of the horizontal resolution and of the latitude and are representative of 2D QG and SQG turbulence.
Inversion of Tidal Open Boundary Conditions of the M2 Constituent in the Bohai and Yellow Seas
Authors: Pan Haidong , Guo Zheng , Lv Xianqing
Published: June 2017

Open boundary conditions (OBCs) of the M2 tidal constituent in the Bohai and Yellow Seas (BYS) were inverted successfully through assimilation of TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) altimeter data. An improved independent points (IPs) scheme was employed in the inversion. Under the assumption that the OBC was spatially varying, values at a set of IPs along the open boundary were inverted using the adjoint method and those at other points were calculated by the spline interpolation. The OBC inverted with the improved scheme was closer to reality in terms of smoothness than that inverted with the Cressman interpolation. The scheme was calibrated in twin experiments. Practical experiments showed that the misfits between simulated results and observations were smaller when the spline interpolation was used.
Accounting for Model Error from Unresolved Scales in Ensemble Kalman Filters by Stochastic Parameterization
Authors: Lu Fei , Tu Xuemin , Chorin Alexandre J.
Published: June 2017

The use of discrete-time stochastic parameterization to account for model error due to unresolved scales in ensemble Kalman filters is investigated by numerical experiments. The parameterization quantifies the model error and produces an improved non-Markovian forecast model, which generates high quality forecast ensembles and improves filter performance. Results are compared with the methods of dealing with model error through covariance inflation and localization (IL), using as an example the two-layer Lorenz-96 system. The numerical results show that when the ensemble size is sufficiently large, the parameterization is more effective in accounting for the model error than IL; if the ensemble size is small, IL is needed to reduce sampling error, but the parameterization further improves the performance of the filter. This suggests that in real applications where the ensemble size is relatively small, the filter can achieve better performance than pure IL if stochastic parameterization methods are combined with IL.
Sample Stratification in Verification of Ensemble Forecasts of Continuous Scalar Variables: Potential Benefits and Pitfalls
Authors: Bellier Joseph , Zin Isabella , Bontron Guillaume
Published: June 2017

In the verification field, stratification is the process of dividing the sample of forecast–observation pairs into quasi-homogeneous subsets, in order to learn more on how forecasts behave under specific conditions. A general framework for stratification is presented for the case of ensemble forecasts of continuous scalar variables. Distinction is made between forecast-based, observation-based, and external-based stratification, depending on the criterion on which the sample is stratified. The formalism is applied to two widely used verification measures: the continuous ranked probability score (CRPS) and the rank histogram. For both, new graphical representations that synthesize the added information are proposed. Based on the definition of calibration, it is shown that the rank histogram should be used within a forecast-based stratification, while an observation-based stratification leads to significantly nonflat histograms for calibrated forecasts. Nevertheless, as previous studies have warned, statistical artifacts created by a forecast-based stratification may still occur, thus a graphical test to detect them is suggested. To illustrate potential insights about forecast behavior that can be gained from stratification, a numerical example with two different datasets of mean areal precipitation forecasts is presented.
An Analysis of Coordinated Observations from NOAA’s Ronald H. Brown Ship and G-IV Aircraft in a Landfalling Atmospheric River over the North Pacific during CalWater-2015
Authors: Neiman Paul J. , Gaggini Natalie , Fairall Christopher W. , Aikins Joshua , Spackman J. Ryan , Leung L. Ruby , Fan Jiwen , Hardin Joseph , Nalli Nicholas R. , White Allen B.
Published: June 2017

To gain a more complete observational understanding of atmospheric rivers (ARs) over the data-sparse open ocean, a diverse suite of mobile observing platforms deployed on NOAA’s R/V Ronald H. Brown (RHB) and G-IV research aircraft during the CalWater-2015 field campaign was used to describe the structure and evolution of a long-lived AR modulated by six frontal waves over the northeastern Pacific during 20–25 January 2015. Satellite observations and reanalysis diagnostics provided synoptic-scale context, illustrating the warm, moist southwesterly airstream within the quasi-stationary AR situated between an upper-level trough and ridge. The AR remained offshore of the U.S. West Coast but made landfall across British Columbia where heavy precipitation fell. A total of 47 rawinsondes launched from the RHB provided a comprehensive thermodynamic and kinematic depiction of the AR, including uniquely documenting an upward intrusion of strong water vapor transport in the low-level moist southwesterly flow during the passage of frontal waves 2–6. A collocated 1290-MHz wind profiler showed an abrupt frontal transition from southwesterly to northerly flow below 1 km MSL coinciding with the tail end of AR conditions. Shipborne radar and disdrometer observations in the AR uniquely captured key microphysical characteristics of shallow warm rain, convection, and deep mixed-phase precipitation. Novel observations of sea surface fluxes in a midlatitude AR documented persistent ocean surface evaporation and sensible heat transfer into the ocean. The G-IV aircraft flew directly over the ship, with dropsonde and radar spatial analyses complementing the temporal depictions of the AR from the RHB. The AR characteristics varied, depending on the location of the cross section relative to the frontal waves.
Self-Organizing Maps for the Investigation of Tornadic Near-Storm Environments
Authors: Anderson-Frey Alexandra K. , Richardson Yvette P. , Dean Andrew R. , Thompson Richard L. , Smith Bryan T.
Published: June 2017

In this work, self-organizing maps (SOMs) are used to investigate patterns of favorable near-storm environmental parameters in a 13-yr climatology of 14 814 tornado events and 44 961 tornado warnings across the continental United States. Establishing nine statistically distinct clusters of spatial distributions of the significant tornado parameter (STP) in the 480 km × 480 km region surrounding each tornado event or warning allows for the examination of each cluster in isolation. For tornado events, distinct patterns are associated more with particular times of day, geographical locations, and times of year. For example, the archetypal springtime dryline setup in the Great Plains emerges readily from the data. While high values of STP tend to correspond to relatively high probabilities of detection (PODs) and relatively low false alarm ratios (FARs), the majority of tornado events occur within a pattern of uniformly lower STP, with relatively high FAR and low POD. Overall, the two-dimensional plots produced by the SOM approach provide an intuitive way of creating nuanced climatologies of tornadic near-storm environments.
A Fluorescence Quenching Analysis of the Binding of Fluoroquinolones to Humic Acid
Authors: Ferrie Ryan P. , Hewitt Gregory E. , Anderson Bruce D.
Published: June 2017

Fluorescence quenching was used to investigate the interaction of six fluoroquinolones with humic acid. Static quenching was observed for the binding of ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, fleroxacin, levofloxacin, norfloxacin, and ofloxacin to humic acid. The equilibrium binding constants were found from Stern–Volmer plots of the data. The quenching experiments were repeated over a temperature range of 25–45 ℃ and van’t Hoff plots were generated. From these linear plots, thermodynamic values were calculated for Δ H, Δ G, and Δ S for each of the fluoroquinolones. The equilibrium binding constants were found to be <1 for all the antibiotics studied. The calculated ΔH values were all negative and ranged from −9.5 to −27.6 kJ/mol. The high water solubility of the antibiotics and low ΔH of binding suggests that the antibiotics will be transported easily through the environment. Finally, whether the fluoroquinolones are in a protonated, deprotonated, or partially protonated state is found to correlate to the strength of binding to humic acid.
Aversive eye gaze during a speech in virtual environment in patients with social anxiety disorder
Authors: Kim Haena , Shin Jung Eun , Hong Yeon-Ju , Shin Yu-Bin , Shin Young Seok , Han Kiwan , Kim Jae-Jin , Choi Soo-Hee
Published: June 2017

Objective:

One of the main characteristics of social anxiety disorder is excessive fear of social evaluation. In such situations, anxiety can influence gaze behaviour. Thus, the current study adopted virtual reality to examine eye gaze pattern of social anxiety disorder patients while presenting different types of speeches.

Methods:

A total of 79 social anxiety disorder patients and 51 healthy controls presented prepared speeches on general topics and impromptu speeches on self-related topics to a virtual audience while their eye gaze was recorded. Their presentation performance was also evaluated.

Results:

Overall, social anxiety disorder patients showed less eye gaze towards the audience than healthy controls. Types of speech did not influence social anxiety disorder patients’ gaze allocation towards the audience. However, patients with social anxiety disorder showed significant correlations between the amount of eye gaze towards the audience while presenting self-related speeches and social anxiety cognitions.

Conclusion:

The current study confirms that eye gaze behaviour of social anxiety disorder patients is aversive and that their anxiety symptoms are more dependent on the nature of topic.
Is Legal Mobilization for the Birds? Legal Opportunity Structures and Environmental Nongovernmental Organizations in the United Kingdom, France, Finland, and Italy
Authors: Vanhala Lisa
Published: June 2017

What explains the likelihood that a nongovernmental organization (NGO) will turn to the courts to pursue their policy goals? This article explores the factors that influence the mobilization of law by environmental NGOs in four Western European countries. It finds that explanations focused on legal opportunity structures are unable to account for the patterns of within-country variation in legal mobilization behavior. The research also shows that bird protection NGOs as well as home-grown national environmental NGOs are generally more likely to turn to law than transnational environmental groups. Although resources and legal opportunities clearly matter to some extent, the author suggests—drawing on sociological institutionalist theory—that explanations of NGO legal mobilization should (a) incorporate an understanding of how groups frame and interpret the idea of “the law” and (b) explore the role of “strategy entrepreneurs” who promote the use of particular tactics within an organization.
The South Asian Security Complex in a Decentring World Order: Reconsidering Regions and Powers Ten Years On
Authors: Buzan Barry
Published: June 2017

This article updates the arguments about the South Asian regional security complex (RSC) given in Buzan and Wæver’s (2003) Regions and Powers ( RaP). In terms of the South Asian RSC itself, there have been lots of events, but little in the way of structural change from the analysis in RaP. In terms of South Asia’s regional context, the picture is mixed. In relation to the Gulf, there has been a minimal structural change. However, in relation to East Asia, there are more signs of interaction between the South and East Asian regional security complexes, mainly hinging on the rise of China. This is not yet sufficient to talk of the two having merged, but a wider Asian supercomplex is clearly emergent and becoming stronger. In terms of South Asia’s position in the global system, India’s claim for great power status is now plausible, though the role of the United States in both East and South Asia remains similar. But, the global level itself is probably moving towards a scenario in which a system, containing several great powers and no superpowers, becomes more regionalized. This trend has deep roots, and the key question for India is what balance it wants to establish through its engagement with its own region, the wider East Asian region, and at the global level.
Security Sector Reform in Afghanistan, 2002–2011: An Overview of a Flawed Process
Authors: Murray Tonita
Published: June 2017

The security sector in Afghanistan has received intense international assistance and the investment of many billions of dollars in the nearly ten years since the fall of the Taliban regime, yet the country is still unable to maintain security and stability. While there are many obstacles to reform in the Afghan context itself, not the least being the present insurgency, the international community has made many mistakes that have prevented success. The police is perhaps more important than the military in peace-building, but it is the weakest of all the security forces. There have been three phases of police reform as the international community has tried to find the best approach, but the one factor that has not changed and is the greatest impediment to reform is the insistence on using a ‘military model’ for changing the police, and to use the police more than the army for fighting the insurgency. Now, there is another plan: to prepare the Afghan national security forces to assume leadership and responsibility for security in the country by 2014. Is this another international failure in the making?
Analysis of the compression behaviour of different composite lattice designs
Authors: Umer R , Barsoum Z , Jishi HZ , Ushijima K , Cantwell WJ
Published: June 2017

Four all-composite lattice designs were produced using a lost-mould procedure that involved inserting carbon fibre tows through holes in a core. Following resin infusion and curing, samples were heated to melt the core, leaving well-defined lattice structures based on what are termed BCC, BCCz, FCC and F2BCC designs. Analytical and numerical models for predicting the mechanical properties of the four designs are presented and these results are compared with the experimental data from the quasi-static compression tests. Compression tests on the four lattice structures indicated that the F2BCC lattice offered the highest compression strength, although when normalized by relative density, the BCCz lattice structure out-performed other structures. Similarly, the specific compression strengths were found to be superior to those of more traditional core materials. A number of failure mechanisms were also highlighted, including strut buckling, fracture at the strut-skin joints and debonding of reinforcing members at the central nodes. Finally, it is believed that the properties of these lattices can be further increased using higher fibre volume fractions.
Cancer at the Dinner Table: Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Cancer-Related Distress
Authors: Swift Thomas C. , Belser Alexander B. , Agin-Liebes Gabrielle , Devenot Neşe , Terrana Sara , Friedman Harris L. , Guss Jeffrey , Bossis Anthony P. , Ross Stephen
Published: June 2017

Recent randomized controlled trials of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for patients with cancer suggest that this treatment results in large-magnitude reductions in anxiety and depression as well as improvements in attitudes toward disease progression and death, quality of life, and spirituality. To better understand these findings, we sought to identify psychological mechanisms of action using qualitative methods to study patient experiences in psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 13 adult participants with clinically elevated anxiety associated with a cancer diagnosis who received a single dose of psilocybin under close clinical supervision. Transcribed interviews were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis, which resulted in 10 themes, focused specifically on cancer, death and dying, and healing narratives. Participants spoke to the anxiety and trauma related to cancer, and perceived lack of available emotional support. Participants described the immersive and distressing effects of the psilocybin session, which led to reconciliations with death, an acknowledgment of cancer’s place in life, and emotional uncoupling from cancer. Participants made spiritual or religious interpretations of their experience, and the psilocybin therapy helped facilitate a felt reconnection to life, a reclaiming of presence, and greater confidence in the face of cancer recurrence. Implications for theory and clinical treatment are discussed.
Teachers’ Approaches Toward Cultural Diversity Predict Diversity-Related Burnout and Self-Efficacy
Authors: Gutentag Tony , Horenczyk Gabriel , Tatar Moshe
Published: June 2017

We examine the ways in which, and the extent to which, DOPA (Diversity in Organizations: Perceptions and Approaches; that is, asset, problem, challenge, or nonissue) approaches predict teachers’ diversity-related burnout and immigration-related self-efficacy. One hundred thirty-six schoolteachers completed a self-report questionnaire measuring diversity-related burnout and self-efficacy, approaches toward cultural diversity, attitudes toward multiculturalism, and demographics. It was found that the teachers’ perception of the immigrant student as an asset and not as a problem was related to lower diversity-related burnout and to higher immigration-related self-efficacy. Future research should focus on possible interventions with teachers on the ways in which approaches to cultural diversity are developed, negotiated, and adopted.
Book Review: Swaraj Basu (Ed.), Readings on Dalit Identity: History, Literature and Religion
Authors: Kumar Arvind , Gurjar Vishesh Pratap
Published: June 2017

Swaraj Basu (Ed.), Readings on Dalit Identity: History, Literature and Religion. New Delhi: Orient BlackSwan, 2016, 403 pp., ₹895, ISBN: 978-8125060901.
Book Review: Ranabir Samaddar, Neoliberal Strategies of Governing India
Authors: Singh Ekta
Published: June 2017

Ranabir Samaddar, Neoliberal Strategies of Governing India. London and New York: Routledge, 2016, 352 pp., ₹853, ISBN: 978-1-138-67470-7 (Hardbound).
The Risk-Need-Responsivity Model Revisited: Using Biosocial Criminology to Enhance Offender Rehabilitation
Authors: Newsome Jamie , Cullen Francis T.
Published: June 2017

During the past four decades, researchers and practitioners working in corrections have shifted from a “nothing works” to a “what works” orientation. Emphasizing the importance of adopting evidence-based interventions, Andrews and Bonta have argued that efforts to rehabilitate offenders should adhere to a number of specified principles of effective intervention, three of which—risk, need, and responsivity—are considered the most critical. These principles were derived from Andrews and Bonta’s theory of the psychology of criminal conduct, which underscores the necessity to link correctional practice to empirically defensible theories of offending. The vast majority of research has provided evidence of the effectiveness of the risk-need-responsivity model; however, far less attention has been given to expanding its theoretical foundation. Given the wealth of evidence supporting biosocial explanations of criminal behavior, we consider potential avenues for enhancing the risk-need-responsivity model through the integration of key findings from biosocial research.
Commentary: Bridging student engagement research and practice
Authors: Lawson Michael A.
Published: June 2017

This commentary is derived from the five empirical articles that appeared in the April 2017 special issue on student engagement (Liem & Chong, 2017). Drawing on others’ critiques of engagement theory and research, and with full appreciation for theoretical and disciplinary diversity, I provide a high altitude, inclusive perspective of each article’s relationship to three vital types of engagement theory and research. I offer this typology in service of two purposes: (1) to assist readers’ ability to categorize, classify, synthesize, and integrate engagement research, theory, concepts, and definitions; (2) to highlight the practice implications that follow each study. I conclude the commentary by highlighting needs for engagement research to better attend to the day-to-day practice realities of school psychologists, educators, and other pupil support personnel. Improvement science is offered as a means of helping researchers and practitioners pursue this important bridge-building work.
Potential reciprocal relationship between motivation and achievement: A longitudinal study
Authors: Liu Yuan , Hou Shumeng
Published: June 2017

Among the non-cognitive factors that influence academic achievement, intrinsic motivation has been found to be a potential reciprocal factor. The present study aims to determine the causal relationship between other types of motivation and academic achievement. For this purpose, a large-scale data survey, the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS88), was used. The results revealed that test-taking motivation and achievement were bi-directional influences in that grade 10 mathematics scores greatly predicted grade 12 test-taking motivation and that test-taking motivation predicted subsequent mathematics scores with a smaller effect. Moreover, although intrinsic motivation was found to predict subsequent mathematics scores, no bi-directional influence was captured. The results indicate that intrinsic motivation greatly promotes academic achievement and that there is a potential reciprocal relationship between the extrinsic motivations and academic performance of students.
The “Wallpaper Effect” Revisited: Divergent Findings on the Effects of Intergroup Contact on Attitudes in Diverse Versus Nondiverse Contexts
Authors: Schmid Katharina , Wölfer Ralf , Swart Herman , Christ Oliver , Al Ramiah Ananthi , Vertovec Steven , Hewstone Miles
Published: June 2017

This article reexamines the so-called “wallpaper effect” of intergroup contact, which contends that for minority group members living in areas more densely populated by majority group members, intergroup contact fails to reduce prejudice. We tested this claim in five studies, using data from five countries, two types of contexts, a range of measures, and involving different minority versus majority groups. Using multilevel cross-level interaction models, we considered whether effects of contact on outgroup attitudes were moderated by relative outgroup size. Results failed to replicate the previously reported findings, revealing, by and large, nonsignificant cross-level moderation effects; instead, we witnessed consistent positive contact effects on attitudes. Findings are discussed against the backdrop of recent research on the consequences of diversity, as well as context-based considerations regarding minority versus majority constellations. We also discuss some exceptions to our findings that emerged for some respondent groups and contexts across the five studies.
Who Gets Social Support, Who Gives It, and How It’s Related to Recipient’s Mood
Authors: Williamson J. Austin , O’Hara Michael W.
Published: June 2017

We sought to identify personal characteristics associated with receiving and perceiving social support, and characteristics of support providers who give the most support and are perceived as the most available. In samples of students ( n = 755) and community adults ( n = 430), we found that people who were younger, female, more extraverted, more conscientious, and more open received and perceived more support. Female providers and romantic partners were associated with more support whereas coworkers were associated with less. In many cases, social support mediated associations between these characteristics and recipient mood. For instance, recipients reported they experience more positive mood and less negative mood when interacting with female providers. These associations were partly explained by increased received and perceived support from female providers. Notable differences emerged between received support and perceived support, and between the student and community samples. Implications for increasing support for poorly supported individuals are discussed.
Healthy Aging After Age 65: A Life-Span Health Production Function Approach
Authors: Ferdows Nasim B. , Jensen Gail A. , Tarraf Wassim
Published: June 2017

This article examines the determinants of healthy aging using Grossman’s framework of a health production function. Healthy aging, sometimes described as successful aging, is produced using a variety of inputs, determined in early life, young adulthood, midlife, and later life. A healthy aging production function is estimated using nationally representative data from the 2010 and 2012 Health and Retirement Study on 7,355 noninstitutionalized seniors. Using a simultaneous equation mediation model, we quantify how childhood factors contribute to healthy aging, both directly and indirectly through their effects on mediating adult outcomes. We find that favorable childhood conditions significantly improve healthy aging scores, both directly and indirectly, mediated through education, income, and wealth. We also find that good health habits have positive effects on healthy aging that are larger in magnitude than the effects of childhood factors. Our findings suggest that exercising, maintaining proper weight, and not smoking are likely to translate into healthier aging.
Government-driven Sharing Economy: Lessons from the Sharing City Initiative of the Seoul Metropolitan Government
Authors: Moon M. Jae
Published: June 2017

The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) has been presenting a series of public policies to promote its Sharing City Initiative (SCI) since 2012. The initiative promotes many sharing programs that are aimed at providing opportunities to those who are in need of cars and public facilities such as parking facilities, convention facilities, and public libraries. This study examines the potential contribution of information and communication technology (ICT) to sustainable development and investigates the government’s role in the sharing economy based on the SCI undertaken by the SMG. Based on selected cases, this study suggests that the sharing economy is not necessarily purely market driven but can often be promoted and utilized by governments as a policy instrument for both economic and social goals. The findings of this study demonstrate that the underprivileged could be a target beneficiary group of a sharing economy if a government specifically designs a sharing economy project like the SCI. It is also important for governments to use government funding such as subsidies to initially promote the sharing economy project as well as to establish a supportive legal framework to overcome existing laws which often constrain sharing economy activities. Governments need to establish partnerships with various stakeholders including private enterprises, social enterprises, and NGOs as well as other local governments to take advantage of the economy of scale of a sharing economy. Lastly, this study shows that a government-driven sharing economy project can help to make governments more transparent and accountable if governments actively open their data to promote a sharing economy.
Sounding Live
Authors: Giotta Gina
Published: June 2017

This article complicates popular and scholarly discourses that understand the television laugh track as a crutch for bad jokes or a means to routinize audience response. By exploring early institutional histories, I demonstrate that broadcasters adopted the maligned technology to “fix” what was widely understood during the 1950s as the problem of the live studio audience. In aurally overriding—and sometimes altogether replacing—the studio audience, the laugh track allowed the industry to exorcise the capricious human element from the production process while still conjuring the parasocial aura that helped to both differentiate television from film and ensure the new medium’s smooth entrance into the home. After tracing this counter-history, I turn briefly to the new breed of laugh track-free comedies to illustrate the movement of the laugh track’s basic logics of liveness and parasociability into a constellation of formal and aesthetic devices central to the emergent genre.
Pneumorachis associated with persistent tachycardia after blunt thoracic trauma
Authors: Kalogerakos Paris - Dimitrios , Lazopoulos George , Palioudakis Stefanos , Drositis Ioannis , Chionidou Kiriaki , Chalkiadakis George
Published: June 2017

Pneumorachis, or intraspinal air, can be a rare result of blunt thoracic trauma. We report the case of a 40-year-old man with multiple injuries and pneumorachis associated with persistent tachycardia. As factors that increase heart rate were gradually ruled out, intraspinal air was considered the potential culprit. Computed tomography revealed intraspinal air at the thoracic level, which possibly promoted cardiac arrhythmogenesis. Air may transiently compress the preganglionic cardiac sympathetic nerves and increase sympathetic output to the heart.
Low risk of seizures with slow flumazenil infusion and routine anticonvulsant prophylaxis for high-dose benzodiazepine dependence
Authors: Tamburin Stefano , Faccini Marco , Casari Rebecca , Federico Angela , Morbioli Laura , Franchini Enrica , Bongiovanni Luigi Giuseppe , Lugoboni Fabio
Published: June 2017

High-dose benzodiazepine (BZD) dependence represents an emerging and under-reported addiction phenomenon and is associated with reduced quality of life. To date there are no guidelines for the treatment of high-dose BZD withdrawal. Low-dose slow flumazenil infusion was reported to be effective for high-dose BZD detoxification, but there is concern about the risk of convulsions during this treatment. We evaluated the occurrence of seizures in 450 consecutive high-dose BZD dependence patients admitted to our unit from April 2012 to April 2016 for detoxification with low-dose slow subcutaneous infusion of flumazenil associated with routine anticonvulsant prophylaxis. In our sample, 22 patients (4.9%) reported history of convulsions when previously attempting BZD withdrawal. Only four patients (0.9%) had seizures during ( n = 2) or immediately after ( n = 2) flumazenil infusion. The two patients with seizures during flumazenil infusion were poly-drug misusers. The most common antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) used for anticonvulsant prophylaxis were either valproate 1000 mg or levetiracetam 1000 mg. Our data indicate that, when routinely associated with AEDs prophylaxis, low-dose slow subcutaneous flumazenil infusion represents a safe procedure, with low risk of seizure occurrence.
An endothelial link between the benefits of physical exercise in dementia
Authors: Trigiani Lianne J , Hamel Edith
Published: June 2017

The current absence of a disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) highlights the necessity for investigating the benefits of non-pharmacological approaches such as physical exercise (PE). Although evidence exists to support an association between regular PE and higher scores on cognitive function tests, and a slower rate of cognitive decline, there is no clear consensus on the underlying molecular mechanisms of the advantages of PE. This review seeks to summarize the positive effects of PE in human and animal studies while highlighting the vascular link between these benefits. Lifestyle factors such as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, and sleep apnea will be addressed in relation to the risk they pose in developing AD and VCID, as will molecular factors known to have an impact on either the initiation or the progression of AD and/or VCID. This will include amyloid-beta clearance, oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, neurogenesis, angiogenesis, glucose metabolism, and white matter integrity. Particularly, this review will address how engaging in PE can counter factors that contribute to disease pathogenesis, and how these alterations are linked to endothelial cell function.
The effect of regular listening to preferred music on pain, depression and anxiety in older care home residents
Authors: Costa Fiona , Ockelford Adam , Hargreaves David J.
Published: June 2017

This research assesses the effect of listening to preferred music on pain, depression and anxiety in older care home residents. One hundred and thirteen participants were randomly allocated to either an experimental or a control group. The former, in addition to their usual routine, listened to a daily 30-minute programme of preferred music over a three-week period. Weekly assessments, using validated measures with some adaptations, evaluated levels of pain, depression and anxiety, each a common disorder in this population. The two groups then crossed over, thus enabling all participants to receive the potential benefits of the music intervention. Results showed statistically significant decreases for each dependent variable with the size of the effect being greater for depression and anxiety than for pain. There were no significant improvements for those in the control group. Additional analysis identified variables that either facilitated or limited the benefits of the music. Those with severe pain were unable to benefit, but those who regarded music as important, listened frequently and whose preferences were accommodated benefited to a greater degree than others. It was concluded that listening to preferred music may benefit many members of the care home population although not all will benefit to the same degree.
Reoperation Rates After Combined Anterior Cruciate Ligament and Anterolateral Ligament Reconstruction: A Series of 548 Patients From the SANTI Study Group With a Minimum Follow-up of 2 Years
Authors: Thaunat Mathieu , Clowez Gilles , Saithna Adnan , Cavalier Maxime , Choudja Eric , Vieira Thais D. , Fayard Jean-Marie , Sonnery-Cottet Bertrand
Published: June 2017

Background:

Early clinical results of anterolateral ligament (ALL) reconstruction are promising, but concerns exist due to high rates of complications after other types of lateral extra-articular tenodesis. The rate of surgery after combined anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and ALL reconstruction is not known.

Purpose:

To determine the rate of reoperation after combined ACL and ALL reconstruction.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from the Scientific ACL Network International (SANTI) Study Group database was performed to include all patients who had undergone combined ACL and ALL reconstruction between January 2012 and June 2014. At the end of the study period, all patients were contacted by telephone, and the operative notes of those who stated that they had undergone reoperation were reviewed to determine the type and rates of the subsequent procedures performed. Descriptive data were analyzed for the entire patient cohort.

Results:

The study population comprised 548 quadruple hamstring graft (4HT)+ALL reconstructions. The mean age (±SD) was 24.3 ± 7.9 years (range, 11.9-55.7 years), and 70.3% of subjects were male. The mean duration of follow-up was 35.5 ± 8.0 months (range, 24-54 months). Seventy-two patients (13.1%) underwent ipsilateral reoperation. This comprised a total of 77 procedures. Graft revision occurred in 14 knees (2.6%) at a mean of 18.3 months (±7.4 months) after the index procedure. There were 63 reoperations for ipsilateral, non–graft rupture–related indications (meniscus, n = 30; arthrofibrosis, n = 22; removal of hardware, n = 4; deep infection, n = 3; arthroscopic lavage without infection, n = 4). The only specific complications related to the ALL procedure (n = 3) were all related to femoral hardware that required removal. In both univariate and multivariate analyses, only the presence of a medial meniscal lesion at the index procedure was significantly associated with ipsilateral reoperation (odds ratio, 2.58; 95% CI, 1.43-4.76; P = .002).

Conclusion:

The reoperation rate after combined ACL and ALL reconstruction in this series is broadly comparable to the reoperation rate after isolated ACL reconstruction as reported in previous studies. In addition, the high rates of knee stiffness and reoperation reported in historical series of nonanatomic, lateral extra-articular tenodesis were not observed in the current series.
Smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulation of dual-scale flow during resin transfer molding
Authors: Lu Gang , He Liping , Chen Dachuan , Li Wenjun
Published: June 2017

Smoothed particle hydrodynamics is a Lagrangian meshless particle method, which can be applied to the modelling of complex flow in molding simulation. In the present work, firstly, by comparing the results of smoothed particle hydrodynamics and volume-of-fluid simulation for micro-scale flow within the fiber tow, the feasibility of smoothed particle hydrodynamics to simulate the flow in porous media was demonstrated. Secondly, the dual-scale flow in the dual-scale fiber preform during resin transfer molding was investigated using smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulation. The resin melt was modeled as fluid particles, and the fiber preform was regarded as dual-scale porous media depicted by fixed boundary particles. The smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulation described the evolution of the flow and the formation of the void. The effects of several factors on the size of the void were also studied. The results showed that the void size increased with the increase of vertical inter-tow dimension while decreased with the increasing resin velocity and viscosity.
The potential of kaolin as a reinforcing filler for rubber composites with new sulfur cure systems
Authors: Sheikh Saad H , Yin Xuena , Ansarifar Ali , Yendall Keith
Published: June 2017

The effect of a large amount of kaolin (China clay) on the viscosity, cure, hardness, Young’s modulus, tensile strength, elongation at break, stored energy density at break, tear energy and compression set resistance of some sulfur-cured natural rubber, polybutadiene rubber and ethylene-propylene-diene rubber composites was investigated. The kaolin surface had been pre-treated with 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane to improve its dispersion in the rubbers. For natural rubber, the hardness and Young’s modulus improved, tensile strength and tear energy were unchanged and the remaining properties deteriorated when kaolin was added. The viscosity increased and the scorch and optimum cure times decreased whilst the cure rate rose with kaolin. For polybutadiene rubber and ethylene-propylene-diene rubber, with the exception of the compression set resistance, all the properties including the viscosity gained from the kaolin. The kaolin was found to be extending or non-reinforcing filler for natural rubber, and highly reinforcing for polybutadiene rubber and EPDM. In addition, the scorch and optimum cure times and cure rate of polybutadiene rubber benefitted, whereas with the exception of the scorch time, the optimum cure time and cure rate of ethylene-propylene-diene rubber were adversely affected by kaolin.
Resveratrol-loaded glycyrrhizic acid-conjugated human serum albumin nanoparticles wrapping resveratrol nanoparticles: Preparation, characterization, and targeting effect on liver tumors
Authors: Wu Mingfang , Lian Bolin , Deng Yiping , Feng Ziqi , Zhong Chen , Wu Weiwei , Huang Yannian , Wang Lingling , Zu Chang , Zhao Xiuhua
Published: June 2017

In this study, glycyrrhizic acid-conjugated human serum albumin nanoparticles wrapping resveratrol nanoparticles were prepared to establish a tumor targeting nano-sized drug delivery system. Glycyrrhizic acid was coupled to human serum albumin, and resveratrol was encapsulated in glycyrrhizic acid-conjugated human serum albumin by high-pressure homogenization emulsification. The average particle size of sample nanoparticles prepared under the optimal conditions was 108.1 ± 5.3 nm with a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.001, and the amount of glycyrrhizic acid coupled with human serum albumin was 112.56 µg/mg. The drug encapsulation efficiency and drug loading efficiency were 83.6 and 11.5%, respectively. The glycyrrhizic acid-conjugated human serum albumin nanoparticles wrapping resveratrol nanoparticles were characterized through laser light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analyses, and gas chromatography. The characterization results showed that resveratrol in glycyrrhizic acid-conjugated human serum albumin nanoparticles wrapping resveratrol nanoparticles existed in amorphous state and the residual amounts of chloroform and methanol in nanoparticles were separately less than the international conference on harmonization (ICH) limit. The in vitro drug-release study showed that the nanoparticles released the drug slowly and continuously. The inhibitory rate of glycyrrhizic acid-conjugated human serum albumin nanoparticles wrapping resveratrol nanoparticles was measured using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2 H-tetrazolium bromide method. The IC50 values of glycyrrhizic acid-conjugated human serum albumin nanoparticles wrapping resveratrol nanoparticles and resveratrol were 62.5 and 95.5 µg/ml, respectively. The target ability of glycyrrhizic acid-conjugated human serum albumin nanoparticles wrapping resveratrol nanoparticles for HepG2 cells was evaluated using fluorescence-modified albumin techniques. The uptake rate of glycyrrhizic acid-conjugated human serum albumin nanoparticles wrapping resveratrol nanoparticles was higher than that of pure resveratrol and increased with increased nanoparticles concentration. The in vivo body distribution of glycyrrhizic acid-conjugated human serum albumin nanoparticles wrapping resveratrol nanoparticles labeled with the near-infrared fluorophore Cy5 was monitored in H22 tumor-bearing mice through near-infrared fluorescence imaging systems. Glycyrrhizic acid-conjugated human serum albumin nanoparticles wrapping resveratrol nanoparticles exhibited effective target orientation to liver tumor and sustained-release property.