bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Observations on Onychaster Meek & Worthen, 1868 (Ophiuroidea: Onychasteridae) (Famennian – Visean age)*

Authors: HOTCHKISS FREDERICK H.C. , GLASS ALEXANDER
Published: August 2019

Onychaster is prominent in discussions on the ancestry of crown group ophiuroids because about half of researchers have classified Onychaster as a Palaeozoic representative of the living Order Euryalida. With this classification there is a Mis­sissippian to Cretaceous gap in the euryalid fossil record. Other researchers have classified Onychaster as non-euryalid, in which case there is no such gap. This undecided status is an important reason to review the classification of Onychaster using new observations. In Onychaster the lateral plates are strictly on the underside of the arm where they form a double row and nearly touch midventrally; there are no mid-ventral underarm plates. The undersurface-laterals bear a transverse row of spines that point proximally (in retro-direction). The disk in large specimens bulges interradially such that the arms insert subambitally. The morphology of Onychaster vertebrae is documented anew in SEM stereo-pair images. Distinc­tive features include: a median dorsal cleft or circular pit on the upper surface; an auluroid canal; paired epanapophyses; a zygosphene dorsal to the auluroid canal; exceptionally spacious fossae for the ventral longitudinal muscles; and an undersurface plastron that is dimensioned like a waist belt. These features are transformationally close to eospondylid/furcasterid vertebrae and progressively/increasingly distant from zygospondylous, transpondylous, and streptospondy­lous vertebrae. Classification of Onychaster as an euryalid is not supported. We reclassify the Onychasteridae next to the Furcasteridae.
Late Triassic (Rhaetian) ophiuroids from Winterswijk, the Netherlands; with comments on the systematic position of Aplocoma (Echinodermata, Ophiolepididae)*

Authors: THUY BEN , KLOMPMAKER ADIËL A. , JAGT JOHN W.M.
Published: August 2019

An ophiuroid assemblage from Rhaetian dark shales in a subrosion pipe (or sinkhole) penetrating middle Triassic (Muschel­kalk) strata, and, outside the subrosion pipe, disconcordantly overlying middle Triassic strata, east of Winterswijk, the Netherlands, is described, discussed and assessed taxonomically. The material consists of nearly intact and articulated as well as wholly disintegrated skeletons, almost all of which are pyritised, yet so well preserved that the diagnostic char­acters could be studied in detail. All specimens belong to Aplocoma agassizi (von Münster, 1839). Examination of the type material of Ophiolepis damesii Wright, 1874 (housed at the Roemer and Pelizäus Museum in Hildesheim, Germany, collection numbers NKP 7821 to NKP 7828) from Rhaetian strata at Hildesheim, Germany, comparable to those exposed at Winterswijk, has revealed that O. damesii is to be considered a nomen dubium due to the insufficient preservation of the type material. Based on the present lot, which documents the first Triassic echinoderms from the well-known Winterswijk quarry complex, we suggest that the genus Aplocoma is best reassigned to the family Ophiolepididae, in proximity to the extant Ophiozonella, and that the family Aplocomidae is to be suppressed. From a palaeoecological point of view, the Winterswijk assemblage illustrates preservation under the influence of storms in an otherwise very quiet environment; it is here interpreted as a monospecific assemblage amidst an oligospecific bivalve community in a near-coastal, shallow, muddy setting with fluctuating or low salinity levels and/or dysoxic bottom waters.
On Mesozoic laetmogonid sea cucumbers (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Elasipodida)*

Authors: REICH MIKE
Published: August 2019

A comparative systematic survey of fossil Mesozoic laetmogonid sea cucumbers (Elasipodida) and their relatives is presented. A re-examination of the fossil record shows that only 13 fossil taxa can be recognised as belonging to this group. Four further known ‘laetmogonid’ taxa can be regarded as incertae sedis. An analysis of the results supports the following taxonomic changes. Palaeocaudinidae Boczarowski, 2001 represents a junior synonym of the Laetmogonidae Ekman, 1926. The subfamily Staurocaudininae Boczarowski, 1997 is restricted to the type species of Staurocaudina. The new family Palaeolaetmogonidae comprises probable stem group members of the Laetmogonidae. Three new species (Palaeocaudina rugia, Priscolaetmogone oloughlini, Palaeolaetmogone frankwiesei) are described from Late Cretaceous sediments of Europe. Two new genera (Palaeolaetmogone, Priscolaetmogone) are erected. The geographic distribution and phylogenetic relationships of Mesozoic and Cenozoic laetmogonid holothurians are analysed and discussed.
Swimming deep-sea holothurians (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) on the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge*

Authors: ROGACHEVA ANTONINA , GEBRUK ANDREY , ALT CLAUDIA H.S.
Published: August 2019

The ability to swim was recorded in 17 of 32 species of deep-sea holothurians during the RRS James Cook ECOMAR cruise in 2010 to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Holothurians were observed, photographed, and video recorded using the ROV Isis at four sites around the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone at approximate depths of 2,200–2,800 m. For eleven species swimming is reported for the first time. A number of swimming species were observed on rocks, cliffs and steep slopes with taluses. These habitats are unusual for deep-sea holothurians, which are traditionally common on flat areas with soft sediment rich in detritus. Three species were found exclusively on cliffs. Swimming may provide an advantage in cliff habitats that are inaccessible to most epibenthic deposit-feeders.
Paracentrotus lividus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) attachment force and burrowing behavior in rocky shores of SW Portugal*

Authors: JACINTO DAVID , CRUZ TERESA
Published: August 2019

The rock burrowing sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus is a common wave-swept organism that inhabits intertidal rock pools and shallow subtidal temperate shores. Here we present field data on P. lividus attachment force, burrow shape and test diameter measured in different rocky habitats (intertidal pools, low shore intertidal channels and shallow subtidal shores) and in two study sites with different wave-exposure conditions. These data were then analyzed to look for a pos­sible relationship between the size of sea urchins and their attachment force and burrow shape as well as the influence of wave-exposure and habitat in the measured variables. P. lividus test diameter varied among habitats: urchins were smaller in mid-shore intertidal pools and bigger in shallow subtidal shores. We observed in all studied habitats that attachment force was not correlated with test size, while burrow shape index (BSI) was negatively correlated with test size. Results suggest that the attachment force of large and small urchins was similar, but smaller animals occurred in relatively deeper burrows (higher BSI values). Attachment force was positively correlated with BSI, which indicates that burrows may enhance attachment force of P. lividus living in rocky shores by allowing the use of spines as anchorage points and reducing the urchin area exposed to drag forces. Our results partially support the hypothesis that attachment force and BSI might be influenced by local variation in wave-exposure. Higher values for both attachment strength and BSI were measured in intertidal rock pools, the most wave-exposed habitat considered in this study, suggesting that urchins living in such habitat are more able to resist dislodgment by wave-induced forces since they occupy relatively deeper burrows and thusattach more firmly to the substrate. However, neither attachment force nor BSI were higher in the more exposed shore.
On the spelling of Antrechinus nordenskjoldi (Echinodermata: Echinoidea)*

Authors: KROH ANDREAS , MOOI RICH , STÖHR SABINE
Published: August 2019

The spelling of organism names seems to be a trivial matter. A brief glance at the scientific literature, however, shows that it is far from that. In some cases, delving into these seemingly minor or even unimportant issues of spelling can turn up historical information germane to our science. Apart from simple misspellings and printing errors, differing ideas about the formation of names and the late onset of regulations (ICZN, ICBN) covering the naming and use of names are sources for different spellings. It was not until 1905 that a first internationally accepted version of what we now know as “the Code” was published under the name “Règles internationales de la Nomenclature Zoologique adoptées par les Congrès Internationaux de Zoologie”. The Code kept being emended after this first attempt to provide a unified set of rules for the naming and treatment of names and today, for animals, the 4th edition of the Code is valid (ICZN 1999).
New insights into the mutable collagenous tissue of Paracentrotus lividus: preliminary results*

Authors: TRICARICO SERENA , BARBAGLIO ALICE , BURLINI NEDDA , GIACCO LUCA DEL , GHILARDI ANNA , SUGNI MICHELA , BENEDETTO CRISTIANO DI , BONASORO FRANCESCO , WILKIE IAIN C. , CARNEVALI MARIA DANIELA CANDIA
Published: August 2019

The mechanically adaptable connective tissue of echinoderms (Mutable Collagenous Tissue—MCT), which can undergo drastic nervously-mediated changes in mechanical properties, represents a promising model for biomaterial design and biomedical applications. MCT could be a source of, or an inspiration for, new composite materials whose molecular inter­actions and structural conformation can be changed in response to external stimuli. MCT is composed mostly of collagen fibrils, comparable to those of mammals, plus a variety of other components, including other fibrillar structures, proteo­glycans and glycoproteins. This contribution presents the preliminary results of a detailed analysis of MCT components in the sea-urchin Paracentrotus lividus, focusing on biochemical characterization of the fibrils and biomolecular analysis of the presumptive glycoproteins involved. The final aims will be to confirm the presence and the role of these glycoproteins in echinoids and to manipulate simpler components in order to produce a composite with mutable mechanical properties.
A reinterpretation of the solutan Plasiacystis mobilis (Echinodermata) from the Middle Ordovician of Bohemia*

Authors: LEFEBVRE BERTRAND , DERSTLER KRAIG , SUMRALL COLIN D.
Published: August 2019

Reexamination of the type material of the solutan Plasiacystis mobilis from the Šárka Formation (Darriwilian) of Bohe­mia (Czech Republic) shows that its original reconstruction is a composite, with a mixture of elements belonging to two different solutans, a rhenopyrgid edrioasteroid, and a mitrate stylophoran. The “beaver-tailed” solutan P. mobilis is redescribed, and probable affinities with both Castericystis and minervaecystids are suggested. A second solutan is also described, but left in open nomenclature (solutan indet., gen. et sp. nov.). Possible biological and ecological implications of the presence of an isorophid edrioasteroid (?Agelacrinites bohemicus) attached to the theca of this new solutan are discussed. Other fossil remains formerly assigned to P. mobilis are also described (rhenopyrgid indet. and Mitrocystites mitra). The name “homoiostele” is proposed for the stem-like appendage of solutans. Soluta is reaffirmed as a valid class name (instead of Homoiostelea).
Form, Function, Food and Feeding in Stellate Echinoderms*
Authors: LAWRENCE JOHN M.
Published: August 2019

The stellate echinoderms (crinoids, ophiuroids, asteroids) have arms that are involved in feeding. Arms are extensions from the central body and affect the form of the organism. The arms of crinoids, ophiuroids and asteroids differ in structure and have different characteristics. Crinoids are pentaradiate and primitively pentabrachiate, with an internal skeletal support that permits up and down movements. Although branching of the arms occurs, the basic structure remains unchanged. This, along with the mouth on the upper surface, i.e. directed away from the substrate, means that the food of crinoids has always been microplankton. The mouth of ophiuroids is directed towards the substrate. The internal skeletal support of their arms permits both up and down and lateral movements. Like crinoids, most ophiuroids are pentaradiate and pentabrachiate, with supernumerary arms being limited in number. Branching of ophiuroid arms occurs only in some euryalids. Ophiuroid arms also have spines, which do not occur in the arms of crinoids. With these characteristics, food of ophiuroids includes not only microplankton but also nekton, benthic particles and small prey. The major distinction of asteroids from crinoids and ophiuroids is that skeletal support of asteroid arms is external. Like ophiuroids, the mouth is directed toward the substrate. Unlike crinoids and ophiuroids, digestion in asteroids involves direct contact between the stomach and the prey and is extraoral in most asteroid taxa. Expansion of the oral surface increases the area over which the stomach can be extended and increases the capacity for feeding. This has occurred in two ways in stellate echinoderms: extension of the interradii in five-armed species and connection of the proximal parts of the rays in multiarmed species. Asteroid arms are not branched. Modified spines (pedicellariae) are used for feeding. The array of food is more extensive in asteroids because of these features including surface prey, particles, multiple small prey, macroprey and nekton. The form of the arm of each stellate group has constraints and potentials that determine food and feeding.
Broad application of non-invasive imaging techniques to echinoids and other echinoderm taxa*
Authors: ZIEGLER ALEXANDER
Published: August 2019

Tomographic imaging techniques such as micro-computed tomography (μCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) permit the gathering of digital anatomical data from whole animal specimens non-invasively. The resulting datasets can be used for direct observation of the two-dimensional tomographic image data as well as for manual and semi-automated three-dimensional modelling. Freshly fixed specimens as well as preserved museum material can be successfully ana­lyzed using this approach, giving the zoomorphologist a powerful tool for large-scale comparative studies. In order to demonstrate the principle suitability of non-invasive imaging in echinoderm research, μCT scans of 199 and MRI scans of 92 sea urchin (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) species were acquired, resulting in a total of 203 analyzed echinoid species. The taxa selected represent 50 of the currently recognized 60 extant sea urchin families. The present article lists all spe­cies that have been analyzed so far and provides information about the scanning parameters employed for each dataset. Furthermore, the workflow established to generate three-dimensional models of sea urchins is outlined. Using a number of examples from μCT as well as MRI scans performed on echinoids, the potential of the systematic approach described here is highlighted. Finally, the suitability of non-invasive imaging techniques for the study of other echinoderm taxa is assessed based on multimodal datasets of representative species.
New Oligaphorura species (Collembola: Onychiuridae) from the forests of East Asia
Authors: SUN XIN , SHVEENKOVA YU. B. , XIE ZHIJING , BABENKO A. B.
Published: August 2019

Three new species of the genus Oligaphorura are described from southwestern China (O. wanglangensis sp. nov.) and Russian Far East (O. ussurica sp. nov. and O. kedroviensis sp. nov.). The first species is most similar to O. inya (Weiner & Kaprus’, 2014) known from the Altai Mountains, and can be distinguished from the latter by larger body size and the number of ventral psx (00/000/121101m in O. wanglangensis sp. nov. vs 1/000/212101m in O. inya). The other two species, together with O. montana Weiner, 1994, O. pseudomontana Sun & Wu, 2012 and O. chankaensis Sun & Wu, 2012, form a distinct species-group characterized by the presence of 4+4 pso on antennal base and full-sized anal spines. Both these new species differ from the known congeners of this group by having only 2+2 posterior pso on the head. O. ussurica sp. nov. and O. kedroviensis sp. nov. can be separated due to different number of abdominal pso, i.e. 5(6)5554 in the former vs 44454 in the latter species.
2. Introduction to Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Wilson John , Primack Richard
Published: August 2019

Sub-Saharan Africa supports extremely diverse ecological communities across its eight terrestrial biomes (which include forests, savannahs, woodlands, grasslands, scrublands, deserts, and mangroves) as well as multiple freshwater and marine ecosystems. The region’s complex climate, geology, and history have contributed to the development of its exceptional biodiversity. Conservation in Africa has gone through major changes over the past few centuries including traditional relationships with nature; exploitation of wildlife and natural resources by European settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries; western practices of setting aside land shielded from human influences; and more recently integrated conservation and development practices. Despite this, Africa’s conservation biologists and the broader public have shown tremendous fortitude and initiative to overcome the various challenges facing biodiversity over the last few decades. This includes greatly expanding the protected areas network, passing laws protecting the environment, and establishing productive partnerships. By reaping the benefits from conservation activities in and around protected areas, many private individuals and local communities have been inspired to take the lead in protecting biodiversity on their own lands. However, there still remain challenges to conservation in Africa, namely, historical legacies, poverty, greed, weak governance, consumptive needs by an increasing human population, and competing interests. Many of these challenges lead to threats to the future persistence of many species and ecosystems, including environmental degradation and overharvesting.
5. The Scramble for Space
Authors: Wilson John , Primack Richard
Published: August 2019

One of the primary threats to biodiversity today are habitat loss and habitat fragmentation, both of which are rooted in expanding human populations and excessive consumption of natural resources. For instance, many species living in tropical forests, freshwater ecosystems, the marine environment, and seasonal drylands are at risk of extinction due to habitat loss. To predict the number of species that will go extinct due to this phenomena, the theory of island biogeography and the species-area relationship can be used. Both these theories predict that large habitat patches are better able to maintain wildlife populations because they accommodate populations better buffered against extinction. Habitat fragmentation describes the process when once large and widespread habitats (and hence wildlife populations) are divided into several increasingly smaller and isolated units. This process leads to extinctions because it impedes dispersal, colonisation, foraging, and reproduction. Edge effects also reduce the functional size of habitats because it alters microclimates and exposes habitat specialists to displacement by invasive species, predators, and other disturbances.
7. Pollution, Overharvesting, Invasive Species, and Disease
Authors: Wilson John , Primack Richard
Published: August 2019

Many threats to biodiversity do not lead to immediate and/or direct mortality, but instead have sublethal impacts that compromise organisms’ fitness over time. But responding to these silent, insidious, and easily-overlooked threats is often delayed, especially when the negative effects are felt only years after exposure. Environmental pollution leaves ecosystems uninhabitable for native wildlife, and cause sickness and death in wildlife and people. Common causes of this include pesticides, heavy metals, plastic, fossil fuels, fertilisers, light, heat, and noise, leading to pollution of water, groundwater, air, and soil. Furthermore, overharvesting is becoming an increasingly damaging threat to biodiversity because people have better access to previously unexploited areas and are adopting increasingly efficient methods for harvesting wildlife products. Persecution, which has its roots in human-wildlife conflict, is also becoming an important threat because a growing human population is increasingly encroaching on the shrinking remaining natural habitats. As a result, invasive species outcompete local species and change the structure and composition of their native ecosystems. Needless to say, human activity is responsible for these invasions, by accidentally or deliberately moving wildlife to new regions of the world. Disease transmission and spread increase when wildlife is confined to small areas and/or crowded conditions. Therefore, managing for diseases is also important in zoos and other ex situ facilities, because diseases spreading from one individual to another can prevent those individuals from being released into the wild. These diseases are not only transmitted between wildlife, domesticated species, but also humans.
10. Conserving Ecosystems
Authors: Wilson John , Primack Richard
Published: August 2019

Ecosystem conservation and management involves three different activities: (1) monitoring ecosystem components, (2) maintaining healthy ecosystems, and (3) restoring damaged ecosystems. An ecosystem in which all the chemical, physical, and biological components and processes are functioning normally is considered healthy. Those that remain healthy through disturbance are resistant, while ecosystems that rapidly recover after disturbance are resilient. Ecosystems can be monitored using direct observation, environmental or biochemical indicators, and remote sensing analysis. It is important that any monitoring method be consistent and repeatable across space and time. To maintain ecosystems that can support diverse ecological communities, conservationists are guided by three complementary management principles: (1) maintain critical ecosystem processes (water cycling, nutrient cycling, energy flow, community dynamics), (2) minimise external threats, and (3) be adaptive yet minimally intrusive. Ecological restoration, which is the practice of restoring damaged ecosystems to an agreed-upon benchmark, can be accomplished via rehabilitation, partial restoration, complete restoration, or taking no action. The strategy followed will depend on each project’s goals and resource availability.
11. Preventing Extinctions
Authors: Wilson John , Primack Richard
Published: August 2019

A species may be threatened by a combination of many factors, all of which must be addressed in a comprehensive conservation plan that considers its natural history. For instance, new populations of threatened species can be established in the wild using either captive-raised or wild-caught individuals. However, animals used in translocation projects sometimes require special care and behavioural training before release as well as care and monitoring after release. Maintaining and facilitating movement dynamics is very important for protecting wildlife in their natural ecosystems. To do this, connectivity must be preserved by ensuring that habitat linkages such as wildlife corridors and stepping stone habitats that are intact, functional, and free from human-made obstacles. Preventing biodiversity losses under climate change requires ecosystem preservation, maintaining and restoring climate corridors and refugia, and assisted colonisation for species unable to adapt their ranges quick enough. Some species that are in danger of going extinct in the wild can be maintained in zoos, aquaria, botanical gardens, and seed banks, a strategy known as ex situ conservation. This contributes to field conservation through research, skills development, public outreach, conservation education, fundraising, captive breeding, and head-starting.
12. Biodiversity and the Law
Authors: Wilson John , Primack Richard
Published: August 2019

Environmental laws and regulations are implemented at three different levels: international treaties, national laws, and local laws. Each of these levels is intricately connected: international treaties influence —but also depend on—national laws to succeed, while national laws are guided by local needs and customary laws that have been in place for generations. International treaties and conventions provide frameworks for countries to cooperate on protecting species, ecosystems, and other levels of biodiversity. They are important because: (1) many species migrate and disperse across borders, (2) ecosystems do not follow administrative boundaries, (3) pollution spreads by air and water across regions and around the globe, (4) many biological products are traded internationally, and (5) some environmental problems require global cooperation and coordination. Furthermore, national governments protect biodiversity by regulating natural resource use and preventing pollution. Subsidies and tax incentives can also be used to reward citizens and businesses that engage in environmentally-responsible behaviours. That said, there is a constant need to evaluate environmental laws and regulations to ensure that they are enforced, violators are prosecuted, and new laws and amendments are passed as and when needed. Law enforcement agencies and scientists are constantly looking for new ways to address enforcement shortcomings. When banning environmentally detrimental activities that are not compatible with conservation goals, it is critical to help the affected people to transition toward sustainable activities. Failing that, conservation activities may unintentionally force those people to resort to illegal activities such as poaching out of desperation to obtain food and income.
Vortex Spinup Process in the Extratropical Transition of Hurricane Sandy (2012)
Authors: Shin Jung Hoon
Published: August 2019

This study utilizes the quasi-Lagrangian azimuthal momentum equation (i.e., budget calculation) and 1.667-km-resolution numerical simulation data to study the intensity and structural changes in Hurricane Sandy’s extratropical transition. The results indicate that after the onset of extratropical transition, Sandy maintains an eyewall-like convection and warm core in the core region and has a frontal structure in the outer region. In the outer region, baroclinicity-driven frontal convection induces extensive planetary boundary layer (PBL) inflow, causing an inward advection of absolute angular momentum (AAM) per unit radius, which generates outer local wind maxima and expands Sandy’s outer wind field through a spinup process. Moreover, because the outer tangential wind velocity accelerates in a frontal convection, local wind maxima associated with fronts can expand to the outer sides of frontal regions. Frontal convection increases AAM in the outer region, providing the precondition for reintensification; however, the front itself cannot cause Sandy’s reintensification. The eyewall-like convection in the core region still plays an important role in Sandy’s reintensification. When the baroclinic zone, where a strong horizontal temperature gradient exists, approaches the core region, the eyewall-like convection is enhanced because the warm, moist air of the core region is lifted by the cold, dry air associated with the approaching baroclinic zone. Consequently, owing to the enhancement of eyewall-like convection, the PBL inflow, which extends from the outer region to the core region, develops. This inflow increases the inward transportation of the outer frontal region’s high-AAM air, thus leading to spinning up the core region’s wind and reintensification.
Breaking a Cycle of Dependence to Improve Neurology Education: A Qualitative Study Exploring Pediatric Residents’ Perspectives
Authors: Nguyen Thuy , Pavitt Sara , Wusthoff Courtney , Rassbach Caroline
Published: August 2019

Objective. To understand pediatric residents’ experiences and attitudes toward learning neurology; and to identify facilitators and barriers to learning neurology during residency. Study Design. Qualitative study using focus groups of pediatric residents at Stanford during November 2017. Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Investigators independently coded the transcripts and reconciled codes to develop themes using constant comparison associated with grounded theory. Results. Eighteen pediatric residents participated in 3 focus groups. Four themes emerged: (1) residents feel unprepared and uncomfortable; (2) intrinsic and extrinsic factors contribute to residents’ dependence on neurologists; (3) residents desire more teaching; and (4) residents are motivated to overcome their dependence on neurologists and optimize their learning. Conclusion. Pediatric residents are motivated to acquire more skills to assess and manage patients with neurological conditions. They recognize key factors that contribute to a cycle of dependence that impedes their learning and offer strategies to overcome these barriers.
Bottom-up modeling approach and mesoscopic simulations in traffic system dynamics models
Authors: Bureš V , Režný L , Zanker M
Published: August 2019

The application of system dynamics modeling in various domains enables its continuous development and improvement. Transportation systems are associated with a necessity to tame their complexity. Despite its potential, system dynamics as a specific methodological and modeling approach is implemented only occasionally and application to road transportation systems is sporadic. Existing studies focus mostly on a macroscopic level of modeling. Thus, this study demonstrates how system dynamics can develop and simulate models at the meso level. It is based on an unconventional bottom-up modeling approach grounded in the modeling of T-shaped, X-shaped, and roundabout crossroads as fundamental building blocks. Model modularity enables its extension to any type of road network with the required structure or complexity. Model applicability is verified by testing on a case study in real-life settings. Modeling issues associated with this modeling approach and application domain are explained and possible solutions proposed. By developing a bottom-up approach and mesoscopic simulations, this study brings uniqueness and a certain level of novelty into the realm of system dynamics and traffic transportation modeling and simulation.
Flame-retardant activity of modified boron nitride nanosheets to cotton
Authors: Liu Hong , Du Yang , Lei Shaohua , Liu Zhuoqun
Published: August 2019

Boron nitride nanosheets (BNN) were prepared by molten hydroxide-assisted liquid exfoliation from hexagonal boron nitride powder with an effectively high yield, and then modified with hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP) to obtain HCCP-BNN. The series of samples were applied to prepare flame-retardant cotton fabrics with the impregnation-drying method, and successful treatment was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The combustion performance of the as-prepared cotton fabrics was tested and evaluated. After coating with HCCP-BNN, the combustion rate of the fabric is reduced in vertical and horizontal combustion conditions and the limiting oxygen-index value of cotton fabric increases to 24.1, becoming less flammable than the blank cotton. The fibrous structure of the BNN and HCCP-BNN coated fabrics is relatively complete after combustion, which indicates that BNN have a certain protective effect on the fabric. The results demonstrate HCCP-BNN as an effective flame-retardant for cotton fabrics.
Sex Work and the Political Gaze
Authors: Agrawal Anuja
Published: August 2019

This brief comment seeks to extend an understanding of how sex work invites what has been called ‘an unusually interested political gaze’ in the context of legislative interventions. Using examples of public pronouncements on sex workers by state functionaries as well as in judicial discourse in public interest litigation around their situation, the concern with addressing an ‘imaginary audience’ is demonstrated. It is argued that such pronouncements should be understood as serving other covert purposes and cannot be seen only in terms of stated intentions.
Longitudinal Stress-Buffering Effects of Social Integration for Late-Life Functional Health
Authors: Toyama Masahiro , Fuller Heather R.
Published: August 2019

Stress can negatively affect multiple aspects of health, including functional health, among older adults, who are likely to face unique, age-related stressful experiences. Previous research has addressed the protective effects of social relations (i.e., social ties, social participation, and social integration) for physical and mental health outcomes, yet few studies have examined functional health. This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal stress-buffering effects of social integration on late-life functional health. Using three-wave data from 399 older adults (aged older than 60 years), two-level hierarchical linear modeling analysis was conducted and the results indicated that in addition to its main effect on functional (activity of daily living) limitations, social integration moderated the negative effect of stress on the longitudinal trajectory of functional limitations. The findings suggest important directions of future research to identify the mechanisms of such buffering effects over time and develop effective interventions to enhance late-life functional health while promoting social integration.
Statistical Software Output in the Classroom: A Comparison of R and SPSS
Authors: Rode Jacob B. , Ringel Megan M.
Published: August 2019

The current study examines whether R or SPSS output induces greater initial anxiety in students and whether anxiety toward one or both changes after being taught one type of software output throughout the course. The authors each taught an introductory statistics course, with the first course ( n = 43) teaching R output exclusively and the second course ( n = 39) teaching SPSS output exclusively. Students in both courses were given surveys assessing their anxiety and confidence toward R and SPSS output on the first and last days of class. Students initially reported greater anxiety and lower confidence when viewing R compared to SPSS output. However, the initial difference between R- and SPSS-related anxiety and confidence level disappeared when students were taught R and decreased substantially when students were taught SPSS. The results suggest that although R output may seem more intimidating initially, students adapt to it as well as they do to SPSS.
Subjective Social Status as a Predictor of Loneliness: The Moderating Effect of the Type of Long-Term Care Setting
Authors: Ayalon Liat
Published: August 2019

Much has been written about the important role that subjective social status plays in older adults’ well-being and subjective health. Less is known, however, about the potential role played by subjective social status in people’s sense of loneliness. In the present study, the author examined the role of subjective social status as a predictor of loneliness in adult day care centers (ADCCs) and continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) over a 1-year period. The main analyses consist of data from 245 respondents (141 ADCC participants and 104 CCRC residents) who completed the interviews in Waves 1 and 2. A significant interaction between subjective social status and type of long-term care setting was found. Higher levels of subjective social status were associated with lower levels of loneliness in CCRCs, but no such association was evident in ADCCs. These findings are interpreted in view of the characteristics of the CCRC as a total institution versus the ADCC as a setting that provides support for only several hours per day, several days per week.
Chronotopic dilemmas: Space–time in consumer movements of the Greek crisis
Authors: Chatzidakis Andreas
Published: August 2019

This paper explores the spatio-temporal dimensions of consumer activism during the Greek crisis. Existing work has provided valuable insights into the figure of the political consumer and the socio-spatial contexts in which consumer activism is enacted. The paper presents original six-year ethnographic work that extends current knowledge through exploring how the spatial and temporal dimensions of consumer activism are unsettled and reconfigured during an acute economic crisis. It builds on the concept of chronotopic dilemmas to illustrate the ideological tensions and contradictions between old and new spatio-temporal logics and practices. In doing so, the current study complements prior research focused on how distinct cultural and institutional settings mediate discourses and actions of consumer activism, by highlighting their inherently spatio-temporal (chronotopic) nature.
L2 Writing Task Representation in Test-Like and Non-Test-Like Situations
Authors: Khuder Baraa , Harwood Nigel
Published: August 2019

This mixed-methods study investigates writers’ task representation and the factors affecting it in test-like and non-test-like conditions. Five advanced-level L2 writers wrote two argumentative essays each, one in test-like conditions and the other in non-test-like conditions where the participants were allowed to use all the time and online materials they needed. The writing was done on computers, and we recorded the writing process and keystrokes using the Screen Capture Video and Inputlog programs. We audio recorded stimulated recall interviews after each writing session, with the writers reporting and commenting on their writing strategies and their reasons for following them. The findings of this study suggest that there are several factors that play a role in task representation, such as previous education, personal beliefs, and task conditions. Although these factors were present in all participants’ responses, the differences in the writers’ approaches to interpret and execute the writing were marked. The results highlight various pedagogical issues and options related to teaching writing in general and to the place of task representation on writing programs in particular.
Democracy and the Politics of Dress, Color and, Symbols: An Anthropological Study of Kerala Politics
Authors: Kannangara Nisar , Devarapalli Jesurathnam
Published: August 2019

Dhoti colors have apparent political meaning in contemporary Kerala. Communists have started wearing red dhoti in private and public life recently, to counter the rampant visibility of saffron dhoti, which signifies Hindu religious identity in a shared meaning that exist in villages across north Kerala, and the same dhoti has also turned as the symbol of right-wing Hindu political parties, the political rival of the Communist party in the state. Earlier, the saffron dhoti was very popular among Hindus in Kerala, without any political differences—liberal Hindus, right-wing political Hindus, secular Hindus, and communist Hindus used to wear the saffron dhoti in public life, and to an extent, the saffron dhoti had become a crucial part of the religious piety of Hindu men and a religious symbol of mobility among Hindus. Through understanding the process of making meaning and other apparatus for political mobilization, this article argues that the ideological differences between right-wing Hindu nationalist organizations and Communist party does not exist at microlevel village politics, where there is a crucial similarity between political parties in mobilizing people and other activities of politics in a social democratic system.
Making Language Real: Developing Communicative and Professional Competences Through Global Simulation
Authors: Perez Yuddy , Poole Paige
Published: August 2019

Background. Simulation is used in the classroom as an effective way of connecting students to real-life scenarios and tasks. In foreign language teaching, simulations are used to develop students’ communicative competences through authentic tasks and activities. In content classes, simulations generally work to develop students’ professional competences related to the area of study. In Global Simulation, an entire course is transformed into a simulated world in which students take on real-life roles and responsibilities. This type of simulation makes it possible for students to develop both communicative and professional competencies simultaneously in a meaningful learning environment.

Aim. This article focuses on presenting a Global Simulation carried out in an English for Health Sciences course that could be adapted to any English course for the Health Sciences area, especially those with students who will have contact with the community (e.g., Nursing, Medicine, Public Health, among others).

Method. Immersed in a simulation of a center for disease control and health promotion, English for Health Sciences students are organized in teams of 5-6 with each student assigned a specific role within the team and center. Each team receives a total of three cases they must address through the design and implementation of an educational health campaign which is carried out within an authentic community. A survey was used at the end of the simulation to evaluate students’ perceptions and experience.

Results and Conclusion. Overall, students’ perceptions were positive. Responses to the survey showed students find the simulation relevant and pertinent to their field of study and authentic in terms of the tasks and activities carried out. Likewise, they highlight development of professional competences and advantages to this type of English as a Foreign Language course as compared to a more traditional, teacher-centered approach, emphasizing improvement in their communicative competences, particularly in oral skills.
Combined Thoracic and Abdominal Organ Transplantation: Special Considerations
Authors: Yager Ashley , Khorsand Sarah , Chokshi Ripple , Cheruku Sreekanth
Published: August 2019

Combined thoracic-abdominal organ transplants are infrequently performed procedures indicated for patients with failure of two or more transplantable organs. In this review, we discuss recipient selection, surgical considerations, anesthetic management, and outcomes associated with common combinations of thoracic-abdominal transplant operations. General principles regarding the postoperative care of these patients are also discussed. These procedures present a unique challenge requiring specialized knowledge, technical expertise, and leadership from the anesthesiology team throughout the perioperative period.
Internationalization of cultural products: The influence of soft power
Authors: Rabêlo Neto Alexandre , Sousa-Filho José Milton de , Leocádio Áurio Lúcio , Nascimento João Carlos Hipolito Bernardes do
Published: August 2019

Internationalization seeks an understanding of the nature of the culture of the countries and is eventually influenced by affinity toward country and soft power (ideological and cultural influence). This research analyzed the influence of affinity toward country and soft power on the internationalization of cultural products. A survey was conducted with 478 Portuguese respondents of 22 cities about Brazilian cultural products, and data were analyzed by structural equations modeling. The results showed that soft power influenced positively the internationalization of cultural products and affinity toward country, and the latter also influenced positively internationalization. In addition to the methodological contribution due to the self-reporting approach used to analyze the internationalization of cultural products, this study contributes to identify the relationship between the constructs of internationalization of cultural products, affinity toward country, and soft power, in this way, the theoretical field related to international marketing and business, especially in a perspective focused on the consumption of cultural products.
The Outcomes of Induction Chemoradiotherapy Followed by Surgery for Clinical T3-4 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Kanzaki Ryu , Ose Naoko , Funaki Soichiro , Shintani Yasushi , Minami Masato , Suzuki Osamu , Kida Hiroshi , Ogawa Kazuhiko , Kumanogoh Atsushi , Okumura Meinoshin
Published: August 2019

Purpose:

Information on the short- and long-term outcomes of induction chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery for cT3-4 non-small cell lung cancer is limited. We analyzed the short- and long-term outcomes of induction chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery for cT3-4 non-small cell lung cancer.

Methods:

Patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent induction chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery for cT3-4 non-small cell lung cancer were retrospectively reviewed (initial treatment group, n = 31). Their results were compared to those patients who underwent surgery as an initial treatment during the same period (initial surgery group, n = 35).

Results:

Downstaging was achieved in 14 (45%) patients in the initial treatment group. R0 resection was achieved in 28 (90%) patients in the initial treatment group and 31 (88%) patients in the initial surgery group. The 90-day mortality rate was 3% in each group. Postoperative complications occurred in 16 (52%) patients in the initial treatment group and 13 (37%) patients in the initial surgery group. The 5-year overall survival rate of the initial treatment group was significantly higher than that of the initial surgery group (62.6% vs 43.5%, P = .04). The 5-year overall survival rates of the initial treatment N0-1 group and the initial surgery N0-1 group were 88.9% and 49.3%, respectively; the difference was statistically significant ( P = .02). Multivariate analysis using 4 factors (age [≤65 vs >65], cN [cN0-1 vs cN2], general condition [chemoradiotherapy fit vs chemoradiotherapy unfit], and treatment mode [induction chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery vs surgery as an initial treatment]) revealed that treatment mode (induction chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery) and cN status (cN0-1) were significantly associated with good overall survival and disease-free survival.

Conclusions:

Induction chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery for cT3-4 non-small cell lung cancer could be performed with an acceptable degree of surgical risk. At present, it is thought to be one of the reasonable treatment approaches for selected patients with cT3-4 disease, even those with a cN0-1 status.
Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Exhibit a More Mineralized Deep Cartilage Layer Compared with Nondiabetic Controls: A Pilot Study
Authors: Foreman Sarah C. , Ashmeik Walid , Baal Joe D. , Han Misung , Bahroos Emma , von Schacky Claudio E. , Carl Michael , Krug Roland , Joseph Gabby B. , Link Thomas M.
Published: August 2019

Objective

To assess differences in biochemical composition of the deep cartilage layer in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and nondiabetic controls using UTE (ultra-short echo time) T2* mapping and to investigate the association of vascular health and UTE T2* measurements.

Design

Ten subjects with T2DM matched for age, sex, and body mass index with 10 nondiabetic controls. A 3D UTE sequence with 6 echo times was acquired using 3T magnetic resonance imaging of the knee. For UTE T2* analysis, the deep cartilage layer was segmented and analyzed in 5 compartments (patella, medial, and lateral femur and tibia). The ankle brachial index (ABI) was obtained in all subjects. Linear regression analyses were used to assess associations of T2DM and UTE T2* relaxation times and the associations of ABI measurements and UTE measurements.

Results

Compared with nondiabetic controls, T2DM subjects had significantly lower mean T2*-UTE in the patella (mean difference 4.87 ms; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09-8.65; P = 0.015), the lateral tibia (mean difference 2.26 ms; 95% CI 0.06-4.45; P = 0.045), and the lateral femur (mean difference 4.96 ms; 95% CI 0.19-9.73; P = 0.043). Independent of diabetic status, subjects with higher ABI values, indicating better vascular health, had higher T2*-UTE of the patella (coefficient 15.2; 95% CI 3.3-21.4; P = 0.017), the medial tibia (coefficient 9.8; 95% CI 1.0-18.6; P = 0.031), and the lateral femur (coefficient 18.8; 95% CI 3.3-34.3; P = 0.021).

Conclusions

T2*-UTE measurements of the deep cartilage layer were consistently lower in subjects with T2DM and in subjects with impaired vascular health, likely indicating increased mineralization of this layer.