bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transcranial Laser Therapy in Acute Stroke Treatment
Authors: Hacke Werner , Schellinger Peter D. , Albers Gregory W. , Bornstein Natan M. , Dahlof Bjorn L. , Fulton Rachael , Kasner Scott E. , Shuaib Ashfaq , Richieri Steven P. , Dilly Stephen G. , Zivin Justin , Lees Kennedy R. , Broderick Joseph , Ivanova Anastasia , Johnston Karen , Norrving Bo , Alexandrov Andrei , Brown David , Capone Patrick , Chiu David , Clark Wayne , Cochran Jack , Deredyn Colin , Devlin Thomas , Hickling William , Howell George , Huang David , Hussain Shazam , Mallenbaum Sidney , Moonis Majaz , Nash Marshall , Rymer Marilyn , Taylor Reid , Tremwel Margaret , Buck Brian , Perez Julio , Gerloff Christian , Greiwing Bernd , Grond Martin , Hamman Gerhard , Haarmeiter Thomas , Jander Sebastian , Köhrmann Martin , Ritter Martin , Schneider Dietmar , Sobesky Jan , Steiner Thorsten , Steinmetz Helmuth , Veltkamp Roland , Weimar Christian , Gruber Franz , Andersson Bjorn , Welin Lennart , Leys Didier , Tatlisumak Turgut , Luft Andreas , Lyrer Philippe , Michel Patrik , Molina Carlos , Segura Tomas
Published: October 2014

Background and Purpose—

On the basis of phase II trials, we considered that transcranial laser therapy could have neuroprotective effects in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Methods—

We studied transcranial laser therapy in a double-blind, sham-controlled randomized clinical trial intended to enroll 1000 patients with acute ischemic stroke treated ≤24 hours after stroke onset and who did not undergo thrombolytic therapy. The primary efficacy measure was the 90-day functional outcome as assessed by the modified Rankin Scale, with hierarchical Bayesian analysis incorporating relevant previous data. Interim analyses were planned after 300 and 600 patients included.

Results—

The study was terminated on recommendation by the Data Monitoring Committee after a futility analysis of 566 completed patients found no difference in the primary end point (transcranial laser therapy 140/282 [49.6%] versus sham 140/284 [49.3%] for good functional outcome; modified Rankin Scale, 0–2). The results remained stable after inclusion of all 630 randomized patients (adjusted odds ratio, 1.024; 95% confidence interval, 0.705–1.488).

Conclusions—

Once the results of the interim futility analysis became available, all study support was immediately withdrawn by the capital firms behind PhotoThera, and the company was dissolved. Proper termination of the trial was difficult but was finally achieved through special efforts by former employees of PhotoThera, the CRO Parexel and members of the steering and the safety committees. We conclude that transcranial laser therapy does not have a measurable neuroprotective effect in patients with acute ischemic stroke when applied within 24 hours after stroke onset.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT01120301.
A new Hyphessobrycon (Ostariophysi: Characiformes: Characidae) from the middle Amazon basin, Brazil
Authors: LIMA FLÁVIO C.T. , COUTINHO DANIEL P. , WOSIACKI WOLMAR B.
Published: October 2014

Hyphessobrycon montagi, new species, is described from tributaries of the Rio Arapiuns, a left margin affluent of the lower Rio Tapajós, Amazon basin, Pará, Brazil. The new species can be diagnosed from all its congeners by the possession of a combination of two well-defined humeral blotches, connected by a narrow stripe, and a caudal peduncle blotch. A putatively monophyletic Hyphessobrycon heterorhabdus species-group, restricted to H. heterorhabdus, H. amapaensis, and H. eschwartzae, is herein proposed based on shared derived features of color pattern. Alternative proposals of a “Hyphessobrycon heterorhabdus group” presented in the recent literature are evaluated and criticized.
First Observations of Tracking Clouds Using Scanning ARM Cloud Radars
Authors: Borque Paloma , Kollias Pavlos , Giangrande Scott
Published: October 2014

Tracking clouds using scanning cloud radars can help to document the temporal evolution of cloud properties well before large-drop formation (weather radar “first echo”). These measurements also complement cloud and precipitation tracking using geostationary satellites and weather radars. Here, two-dimensional (2D) along-wind range–height indicator observations of a population of shallow cumuli (with and without precipitation) from the 35-GHz scanning Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) cloud radar (SACR) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)–ARM Southern Great Plains (SGP) site are presented. Observations from the ARM SGP network of scanning precipitation radars are used to provide the larger-scale context of the cloud field and to highlight the advantages of the SACR to detect the numerous small nonprecipitating cloud elements. A new cloud identification and tracking algorithm (CITA) is developed to track cloud elements. In CITA, a cloud element is identified as a region having a contiguous set of pixels exceeding a preset reflectivity and size threshold. The high temporal resolution of the SACR 2D observations (30 s) allows for an area superposition criteria algorithm to match cloud elements at consecutive times. Following CITA, the temporal evolution of cloud-element properties (number, size, and maximum reflectivity) is presented. The vast majority of the designated elements during this cumulus event were short-lived nonprecipitating clouds having an apparent life cycle shorter than 15 min. The advantages and disadvantages of cloud tracking using an SACR are discussed.
Study of a Sea-Breeze Case through Momentum, Temperature, and Turbulence Budgets
Authors: Cuxart J. , Jiménez M. A. , Telišman Prtenjak M. , Grisogono B.
Published: October 2014

A simulation with the Méso-NH model over the island of Mallorca, Spain, has been made in a case of synoptic high pressure (5 June 2010) that allowed the development of sea breezes (SB) in the three main basins of the island. The results compare well to the available observations and are qualitatively very close to a previous idealized study with no synoptic forcing made by Ramis and Romero in 1995. The temporal and spatial structure of the SB in the southeastern basin is analyzed with the use of the momentum, temperature, and turbulence kinetic energy budgets provided by the numerical model. Five stages of evolution from before dawn to after sunset are discussed, identifying the main physical mechanisms at play. The morning land heating warms the land and the air over it until an air temperature gradient is created and a marine flow accelerates inland, dragged by turbulence in the low layers. The upper part of the inland current and the layers just above are dominated by compensatory motions, which oppose the corresponding pressure gradient at these levels. These mechanisms last while the SB is active, with significant effects from the local topography, and they decrease in intensity as sunset approaches. This relatively simple case has been used to check the goodness of two analytical models of the SB that perform relatively well because they use turbulence as a surrogate for the missing advection terms in the layers above 200 m. These models are formulated here in a more consistent manner in the turbulence parameterization than were the original propositions.
Skill of Direct Solar Radiation Predicted by the ECMWF Global Atmospheric Model over Australia
Authors: Troccoli Alberto , Morcrette Jean-Jacques
Published: October 2014

Prediction of direct solar radiation is key in sectors such as solar power and agriculture; for instance, it can enable more efficient production of energy from concentrating solar power plants. An assessment of the quality of the direct solar radiation forecast by two versions of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) global numerical weather prediction model up to 5 days ahead is carried out here. The performance of the model is measured against observations from four solar monitoring stations over Australia, characterized by diverse geographic and climatic features, for the year 2006. As a reference, the performance of global radiation forecast is carried out as well. In terms of direct solar radiation, while the skill of the two model versions is very similar, and with relative mean absolute errors (rMAEs) ranging from 18% to 45% and correlations between 0.85 and 0.25 at around midday, their performance is substantially enhanced via a simple postprocessing bias-correction procedure. There is a marked dependency on cloudy conditions, with rMAEs 2–4 times as large for very cloudy-to-overcast conditions relative to clear-sky conditions. There is also a distinct dependency on the background climatic clear-sky conditions of the location considered. Tests made on a simulated operational setup targeting three quantiles show that direct radiation forecasts achieve potentially high scores. Overall, these analyses provide an indication of the potential practical use of direct irradiance forecast for applications such as solar power operations.
A Pathway Connecting the Monsoonal Heating to the Rapid Arctic Ice Melt*
Authors: Krishnamurti T. N. , Krishnamurti Ruby , Das Sweta , Kumar Vinay , Jayakumar A. , Simon Anu
Published: October 2014

This study provides a monsoonal link to the rapid Arctic ice melt. Each year the planetary-scale African–Asian monsoonal outflow near the tropopause carries a large anticyclonic gyre that has a longitudinal spread that occupies nearly half of the entire tropics. In recent years, the South Asian summer monsoon has experienced increased rainfall over northwestern India and Pakistan and it has also contributed to more intense local anticyclonic outflows from this region. The western lobes of these intense upper-high-pressure areas carry outflows with large heat fluxes from the monsoon belt toward central Asia and eventually to the region of the rapid ice melt of the Canadian Arctic. In this study this spectacular pathway has been defined from airflow trajectories, heat content, and heat flux anomalies. Most of these show slow increasing trends in the last 20 years. The monsoonal connection to the rapid Arctic ice melt is a new contribution of this study. This is shown from the passage of a vertical column of large positive values of the heat content anomaly that can be traced from the Asian monsoon belt to the Canadian Arctic. The heat flux along these episodic and intermittently active pathways is shown to be considerably larger than the atmospheric poleward flux across latitude circles and from the oceans. This study contrasts these thermodynamic wave trains (defining this pathway) for the more conventional dynamic wave trains.
The Climatology and Interannual Variability of East Asian Summer Monsoon in CMIP5 Coupled Models: Does Air–Sea Coupling Improve the Simulations?
Authors: Song Fengfei , Zhou Tianjun
Published: October 2014

The climatology and interannual variability of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) simulated by 34 coupled general circulation models (CGCMs) from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) are evaluated. To estimate the role of air–sea coupling, 17 CGCMs are compared to their corresponding atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs). The climatological low-level monsoon circulation and mei-yu/changma/baiu rainfall band are improved in CGCMs from AGCMs. The improvement is at the cost of the local cold sea surface temperature (SST) biases in CGCMs, since they decrease the surface evaporation and enhance the circulation. The interannual EASM pattern is evaluated by a skill formula and the highest/lowest eight models are selected to investigate the skill origins. The observed Indian Ocean (IO) warming, tropical eastern Indian Ocean (TEIO) rainfall anomalies, and Kelvin wave response are captured well in high-skill models, while these features are not present in low-skill models. Further, the differences in the IO warming between high-skill and low-skill models are rooted in the preceding ENSO simulation. Hence, the IO–western Pacific anticyclone (WPAC) teleconnection is important for CGCMs, similar to AGCMs. However, compared to AGCMs, the TEIO SST anomaly is warmer in CGCMs, since the easterly wind anomalies in the southern flank of the WPAC reduce the climatological monsoon westerlies and decrease the surface evaporation. The warmer TEIO induces the stronger precipitation anomaly and intensifies the teleconnection. Hence, the interannual EASM pattern is better simulated in CGCMs than that in AGCMs.
Modulation of Atlantic Basin Tropical Cyclone Activity by the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) from 1905 to 2011
Authors: Klotzbach Philip J. , Oliver Eric C. J.
Published: October 2014

The Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) has been demonstrated to play a role in tropical cyclone (TC) activity around the globe in a number of recent studies. While the impact of the MJO on TCs in the Atlantic basin since the mid-1970s has been well documented, a newly developed 107-yr-long index for the MJO allows for additional analysis of the impacts of the MJO on Atlantic TC activity. TC activity in the Atlantic increases when MJO-related convection is enhanced over Africa and the Indian Ocean, while TC activity in the Atlantic is suppressed when the MJO enhances convection over the western Pacific. This long-term record of the MJO also allows for the analysis of how the MJO’s impacts may be modulated by other climate modes, such as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) over interannual time scales and the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) over multidecadal time scales. When climatologically unfavorable conditions such as an El Niño event or a negative AMO phase are present, even TC-favorable MJO conditions are not enough to generate statistically significant increases in TC activity from the long-term average across the Atlantic basin. However, climatologically favorable conditions during a La Niña event or a warm AMO phase act to enhance the modulation of TC activity over the Atlantic basin by the MJO.
Distributed Hydrologic Modeling Using Satellite-Derived Potential Evapotranspiration
Authors: Spies Ryan R. , Franz Kristie J. , Hogue Terri S. , Bowman Angela L.
Published: October 2014

Satellite-derived potential evapotranspiration (PET) estimates computed from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations and the Priestley–Taylor formula (M-PET) are evaluated as input to the Hydrology Laboratory Research Distributed Hydrologic Model (HL-RDHM). The HL-RDHM is run at a 4-km spatial and 6-h temporal resolution for 13 watersheds in the upper Mississippi and Red River basins for 2003–10. Simulated discharge using inputs of daily M-PET is evaluated for all watersheds, and simulated evapotranspiration (ET) is evaluated at two watersheds using nearby latent heat flux observations. M-PET–derived model simulations are compared to output using the long-term average PET values (default-PET) provided as part of the HL-RDHM application. In addition, uncalibrated and calibrated simulations are evaluated for both PET data sources. Calibrating select model parameters is found to substantially improve simulated discharge for both datasets. Overall average percent bias (PBias) and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) values for simulated discharge are better from the default-PET than the M-PET for the calibrated models during the verification period, indicating that the time-varying M-PET input did not improve the discharge simulation in the HL-RDHM. M-PET tends to produce higher NSE values than the default-PET for the Wisconsin and Minnesota basins, but lower NSE values for the Iowa basins. M-PET–simulated ET matches the range and variability of observed ET better than the default-PET at two sites studied and may provide potential model improvements in that regard.
Submesoscale Instability and Generation of Mesoscale Anticyclones near a Separation of the California Undercurrent
Authors: Molemaker M. Jeroen , McWilliams James C. , Dewar William K.
Published: October 2014

The California Undercurrent (CUC) flows poleward mostly along the continental slope. It develops a narrow strip of large negative vertical vorticity through the turbulent boundary layer and bottom stress. In several downstream locations, the current separates, aided by topographic curvature and flow inertia, in particular near Point Sur Ridge, south of Monterey Bay. When this happens the high-vorticity strip undergoes rapid instability that appears to be mesoscale in “eddy-resolving” simulations but is substantially submesoscale with a finer computational grid. The negative relative vorticity in the CUC is larger than the background rotation f, and Ertel potential vorticity is negative. This instigates ageostrophic centrifugal instability. The submesoscale turbulence is partly unbalanced, has elevated local dissipation and mixing, and leads to dilution of the extreme vorticity values. Farther downstream, the submesoscale activity abates, and the remaining eddy motions exhibit an upscale organization into the mesoscale, resulting in long-lived coherent anticyclones in the depth range of 100–500 m (previously called Cuddies) that move into the gyre interior in a generally southwestward direction. In addition to the energy and mixing effects of the postseparation instability, there is are significant local topographic form stress and bottom torque that retard the CUC and steer the mean current pathway.
Enhancement of Alongshore Freshwater Transport in Surface-Advected River Plumes by Tides
Authors: Chen Shih-Nan
Published: October 2014

A recent numerical study by Isobe showed that imposing alongshore tidal forcing on buoyant coastal discharge enhances the net freshwater transport in the coastal currents. The mechanisms for this transport enhancement are studied using a three-dimensional, primitive equation ocean model [Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS)]. Lagrangian drifters are used to trace the freshwater transport paths. It is found that the river plume bulge circulation largely follows the rigid-body motion (i.e., constant vorticity). The buoyant fluid near the bulge’s outer edge is thinner and faster, behaving as a baroclinic jet. The bulge currents then split after impinging on the coast. The outer fluid feeds the downshelf-flowing coastal currents, while the inner fluid recirculates to form the bulge. The coastal current transport estimated from the present and prior studies corresponds well to a baroclinic jet theory, with the incident angle of bulge currents at the coast being a key parameter. Without tides, the bulge is approximately circular. The incident angle measured with respect to the cross-shore axis is small. With tides, the convergence of tidal momentum fluxes near the upshelf plume front leads to a positive pressure anomaly, which acts to compress the bulge shoreward. As a result, the incident angle increases, which in turn enhances the downshelf momentum input, thus increasing the freshwater transport in the coastal currents. Finally, the parameter space for coastal current transport in the presence of tidal forcing is explored with a conceptual model. A few observational examples are given.
Cloud-Resolving 4D-Var Assimilation of Doppler Wind Lidar Data on a Meso-Gamma-Scale Convective System
Authors: Kawabata Takuya , Iwai Hironori , Seko Hiromu , Shoji Yoshinori , Saito Kazuo , Ishii Shoken , Mizutani Kohei
Published: October 2014

The authors evaluated the effects of assimilating three-dimensional Doppler wind lidar (DWL) data on the forecast of the heavy rainfall event of 5 July 2010 in Japan, produced by an isolated mesoscale convective system (MCS) at a meso-gamma scale in a system consisting of only warm rain clouds. Several impact experiments using the nonhydrostatic four-dimensional variational data assimilation system (NHM-4DVAR) and the Japan Meteorological Agency nonhydrostatic model with a 2-km horizontal grid spacing were conducted in which 1) no observations were assimilated (NODA), 2) radar reflectivity and radial velocity determined by Doppler radar and precipitable water vapor determined by GPS satellite observations were assimilated (CTL), and 3) radial velocity determined by DWL were added to the CTL experiment (LDR) and five data denial and two observational error sensitivity experiments. Although both NODA and CTL simulated an MCS, only LDR captured the intensity, location, and horizontal scale of the observed MCS. Assimilating DWL data improved the wind direction and speed of low-level airflows, thus improving the accuracy of the simulated water vapor flux. The examination of the impacts of specific assimilations and assigned observation errors showed that assimilation of all data types is important for forecasting intense MCSs. The investigation of the MCS structure showed that large amounts of water vapor were supplied to the rainfall event by southerly flow. A midlevel inversion layer led to the production of exclusively liquid water particles in the MCS, and in combination with the humid airflow into the MCS, this inversion layer may be another important factor in its development.
Impacts of Frequent Assimilation of Surface Pressure Observations on Atmospheric Analyses
Authors: Lei Lili , Anderson Jeffrey L.
Published: October 2014

To investigate the impacts of frequently assimilating only surface pressure (PS) observations, the Data Assimilation Research Testbed and the Community Atmosphere Model (DART/CAM) are used for observing system simulation experiments with the ensemble Kalman filter. An empirical localization function (ELF) is used to effectively spread the information from PS in the vertical. The ELF minimizes the root-mean-square difference between the truth and the posterior ensemble mean for state variables. The temporal frequency of the observations is increased from 6 to 3 h, and then 1 h. By observing only PS, the uncertainty throughout the entire depth of the troposphere can be constrained. The analysis error over the entire depth of the troposphere, especially the middle troposphere, is reduced with increased assimilation frequency. The ELF is similar to the vertical localization function used in the Twentieth-Century Reanalysis (20CR); thus, it demonstrates that the current vertical localization in the 20CR is close to the optimal localization function.
Linking probation clients with mainstream health services
Authors: Lang Nicola , Hillas Andrew , Mensah Mervyn , Ryan Sigrid , Glass Leah
Published: October 2014

In 2011, Hounslow public health opened a dialogue with probation, asking what the obstacles were, in terms of access to healthcare. The first issue raised was a difficulty in clients registering with a GP practice. This formed the start of a robust partnership between probation, public health, the forensic mental health practitioner, GPs and community health services. The health and well-being initiatives have included GP registration, with 10 dedicated practices for probation and Drug Intervention Programme clients, in-house stop smoking support, and the start of a health trainer scheme. This work will help to reduce health inequalities in a marginalized and underserved group and also meet the goals for both public health and criminal justice agencies
Built on sound principles
Authors: Bradley Kevin
Published: October 2014

The Oral History and Folklore Collection at the National Library of Australia is a research archive; a substantial collection of unpublished audio recordings of varying length and levels of documentation created by and for researchers. These recordings are often extensive and difficult to navigate; even so they are a much appreciated resource for a wide variety of users, from family historians to professional writers. Following a long running preservation program, the majority of the collection has been digitized to archival standards and user copies made which preserve access to the primary document itself, that is, the voice. To allow users to discover and have access to the primary source sound recording, and to be able to locate specific content within those recordings, the National Library of Australia has developed a time-linked search and delivery system and a schema to enable it to be searched by its innovative aggregation platform, Trove ( http://trove.nla.gov.au ). The Library’s Audio Management and Delivery System currently makes nearly 7,000 hours or 13 percent of the Oral History and Folklore collection publicly available, and content continues to be added. This paper describes the development of that system and considers the nature of innovation within a library environment.
India’s Non-liberal Democracy and the Discourse of Democracy Promotion
Authors: Mishra Atul
Published: October 2014

Emphasis on democracy in Indian and international perspectives on India’s foreign policy has grown over the past decade. Claiming that India is a ‘successful’ example of a non-Western liberal democracy, these perspectives prescribe a role for India in international democratisation efforts. The keener among these suggests that India must participate in Western-style, or Western initiatives of, democracy promotion. This article offers a critique of these prescriptions. Recent theorisations of India’s democratic practices argue that India is a predominantly non-liberal democracy. Drawing upon these theorisations, this article outlines the non-liberal features inherent in the practices of Indian democracy. It also outlines the democratic processes that restrain India’s foreign policy from acquiring an other-regarding orientation. Contesting the characterisations of India as a liberal democracy, this article questions the basis on which the calls for India to participate in liberal democracy promotion projects are made.
Does Nominal Devaluation Improve Income Distribution? Evidence from Bangladesh
Authors: Shahbaz Muhammad , Rahman Mohammad Mafizur
Published: October 2014

The article aims to investigate the impact of nominal devaluation on income distribution in Bangladesh both in short and long runs. In doing so, Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing has been employed for cointegration, and Error Correction Model (ECM) has been used for short-run dynamics. The empirical psychology has confirmed the existence of long-run relationship between the variables. Furthermore our estimated results reveal that nominal devaluation tends to decrease income inequality. Though economic growth appears to improve income distribution, non-linear link between both the variables, however, depicts Kuznets’ inverted-U curve (1955). Financial development causes further deterioration in income distribution. Trade openness contributes to income inequality as discussed in Leontief Paradox.
Non-violent Resistance among the Toungsa Pahari of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh
Authors: Uddin Muhammad Ala
Published: October 2014

This article attempts an insight into the power of the powerless people which they employ for their survival where their lifeways have been threatened by the dominant cultures. Based on several ethnographic studies, it shows that the powerless people who do not take arms against the dominant cultures employ cultural resistance. In light of this view, the article focuses on the ethnographic work of the author, where the Toungsa Pahari, powerless indigenous people, employ several strategies for their survival. Juxtaposed with reluctant disposition, they employ cultural resistance in order to survive in the hard environment of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh, endangered by the outsiders (Bangali settlers).
Contours of Governance Reforms in India
Authors: Chattopadhyay Soumyadip , Chattopadhyay Seemantini
Published: October 2014

Good governance—which includes accountability, transparency, an effective bureaucracy, regulatory quality, electoral competition, political checks and balances and rule of law—is considered the single most important factor in eradicating poverty and promoting development. The article discusses changes that have taken place in India with regard to governance reforms, focusing on reforms related to decentralisation. A review of available evidence does not provide any definitive conclusion about the effectiveness of decentralisation in facilitating democratic deepening and improving the responsiveness of government. In most cases, decentralisation has failed to bring popular participation and accountability to local government, thereby making it less responsive to citizens’ desires and less effective in delivering services. Appropriate institutions, rules and incentive mechanisms are needed to link the citizens with government. Capacity development of the citizens and conscious and combined efforts by government and non-government organisations could potentially improve both the governance system as well as public service delivery.
Opioids, Exertion, and Dyspnea
Authors: Johnson Miriam J. , Hui David , Currow David C.
Published: October 2014

The aim of this paper is to review the evidence for a role for opioids as an intervention for exertion induced breathlessness with regard to exercise tolerance and breathlessness intensity. Current knowledge about exogenous opioids in exertion-induced breathlessness due to disease comes from a variety of phase 2 feasibility or pilot designs with differing duration, doses, drugs, exercise regimes, underlying aetiologies, and outcome measures. They provide interesting data but firm conclusions for either breathlessness severity or exercise endurance cannot be drawn. There are no adequately powered phase 3 trials of opioids which show improved exercise tolerance and/or exertion induced breathlessness. Low dose oral morphine seems well tolerated by most, and is beneficial for breathlessness intensity. Current work to investigate the effect on exercise tolerance is ongoing.
Detection and measurement of surface contamination by multiple antineoplastic drugs using multiplex bead assay
Authors: Smith Jerome P , Sammons Deborah L , Robertson Shirley A , Pretty Jack R , DeBord D Gayle , Connor Thomas H , Snawder John E
Published: October 2014

Objectives

Contamination of workplace surfaces by antineoplastic drugs presents an exposure risk for healthcare workers. Traditional instrumental methods to detect contamination such as liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) are sensitive and accurate but expensive. Since immunochemical methods may be cheaper and faster than instrumental methods, we wanted to explore their use for routine drug residue detection for preventing worker exposure.

Methods

In this study we examined the feasibility of using fluorescence covalent microbead immunosorbent assay (FCMIA) for simultaneous detection and semi-quantitative measurement of three antineoplastic drugs (5-fluorouracil, paclitaxel, and doxorubicin). The concentration ranges for the assay were 0–1000 ng/ml for 5-fluorouracil, 0–100 ng/ml for paclitaxel, and 0–2 ng/ml for doxorubicin. The surface sampling technique involved wiping a loaded surface with a swab wetted with wash buffer, extracting the swab in storage/blocking buffer, and measuring drugs in the extract using FCMIA.

Results

There was no significant cross-reactivity between these drugs at the ranges studied indicated by a lack of response in the assay to cross analytes. The limit of detection (LOD) for 5-fluorouracil on the surface studied was 0.93 ng/cm2 with a limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 2.8 ng/cm2, the LOD for paclitaxel was 0.57 ng/cm2 with an LOQ of 2.06 ng/cm2, and the LOD for doxorubicin was 0.0036 ng/cm2 with an LOQ of 0.013 ng/cm2.

Conclusion

The use of FCMIA with a simple sampling technique has potential for low cost simultaneous detection and semi-quantitative measurement of surface contamination from multiple antineoplastic drugs.
Wondering the World Directly – or, How Movement Outruns the Subject
Authors: Manning Erin
Published: October 2014

Turning to the moment when phenomenology (Maurice Merleau-Ponty) meets process philosophy (Alfred North Whitehead), this article turns around three questions: (a) How does movement produce a body? (b) What kind of subject is introduced in the thought of Merleau-Ponty and how does this subject engage with or interfere with the activity here considered as ‘body’? (c) What happens when phenomenology (Merleau-Ponty) meets process philosophy (Alfred North Whitehead)? and builds around three propositions (a) There is never a body as such: what we know are edgings and contourings, forces and intensities: a body is its movement (b) Movement is not to be reduced to displacement (c) A philosophy of the body never begins with the body: it bodies.
Rhythm and its Importance for Education
Authors: Bode Rudolf
Published: October 2014

Rudolf Bode’s text Rhythm and its Importance for Education (published by Eugen Diederich, Jena, 1920) has both a theoretical and a practical aim: to clarify the nature of the rhythm phenomenon in order to lay down the foundations of ‘Rhythmic Gymnastics’. Bode engages with the work of his contemporaries, such as Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, Karl Buecher and Ludwig Klages, and comes to identify rhythm with a continuum devoid of rationality. The text is unique in its ability to meaningfully connect such diverse fields as philosophy, gymnastics, anthropology and politics and shows, in this way, the potential of ‘rhythmanalysis’.
Wonder, Movement and Becoming: Response to Erin Manning
Authors: Portanova Stamatia
Published: October 2014

This response experiments with the practice of the interval, in order to performatively write in the little perceptual and cognitive gaps opening between the act of reading Erin Manning’s article ‘Wondering the world directly’, and the gesture of looking at the sky. The idea of the interval is in fact taken directly from Manning’s piece, together with Whiteheadian concepts such as ‘prehension’, ‘superject’, ‘nexus’, ‘eternal object’ and ‘society’. The aim is to respond to the way Manning’s writing amplifies the experience of cloud watching by proposing an elision of consciousness from the experience itself, and by replacing subjectivity with the more-than-human magic of ‘wondering the world’. It is, therefore, thanks to the reading of Manning's article, that the experience of looking can reveal itself as a ‘becoming-cloud’. This response tries to also give something in conceptual exchange.
Tense Shifting in Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners
Authors: Swasey Washington Patricia , Iglesias Aquiles
Published: October 2014

Young monolingual children typically demonstrate frequent tense shifting during narrative development, whereas older children maintain a consistent narration tense. Therefore, inconsistent tense usage in older children could be an indication of overall limited language skills. However, information regarding tense use in bilinguals has been lacking. This study examines the frequency of tense shifting in the English and Spanish of kindergarten- to third-grade Spanish-speaking English Language Learners (ELLs). In addition, it investigates whether the amount of shifting is dependent on children’s relative proficiency in each language, and whether the use of regular and irregular verbs affects tense shifting. The main results of the study are that tense shifting for ELLs occurs mainly in English, grade level does not affect tense shifting, and relative proficiency in first language (L1) and second language (L2) is the critical variable for tense shifting.
Correlation Between Testosterone and PSA Kinetics in Metastatic Prostate Cancer Patients Treated With Diverse Chemical Castrations
Authors: Reis Leonardo O. , Denardi Fernandes , Faria Eliney F. , Silva Elcio Dias
Published: October 2014

To assess total testosterone and prostatic-specific antigen (PSA) kinetics among diverse chemical castrations, advanced-stage prostate cancer patients were randomized into three groups of 20: Group 1, Leuprolide 3.75 mg; Group 2, Leuprolide 7.5 mg; and Group 3, Goserelin 3.6 mg. All groups were treated with monthly application of the respective drugs. The patients’ levels of serum total testosterone and PSA were evaluated at two time periods: before the treatment and 3 months after the treatment. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was utilized to verify the hypothesis of linear correlation between total testosterone and PSA levels. At the beginning the patients’ age, stage, grade, PSA, and total testosterone were similar within the three groups, with median age 72, 70, and 70 years in Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Three months after the treatment, patients who received Leuprolide 7.5 mg presented significantly lower median total testosterone levels compared with Goserelin 3.6 mg and Leuprolide 3.75 mg (9.5 ng/dL vs. 20.0 ng/dL vs. 30.0 ng/dL, respectively; p = .0072), while those who received Goserelin 3.6 mg presented significantly lower PSA levels compared with Leuprolide 7.5 mg and Leuprolide 3.75 mg (0.67 vs. 1.86 vs. 2.57, respectively; p = .0067). There was no linear correlation between total testosterone and PSA levels. Overall, regarding castration levels of total testosterone, 28.77% of patients did not obtain levels ≤50 ng/dL and 47.80% did not obtain levels ≤20 ng/dL. There was no correlation between total testosterone and PSA kinetics and no equivalence among different pharmacological castrations.
Determination of high-risk impact sites on a Hybrid III headform by finite element analysis
Authors: Post Andrew , Rousseau Philippe , Kendall Marshall , Walsh Evan S , Hoshizaki T Blaine
Published: October 2014

The current standards and methods to evaluate helmet performance remain focused on traumatic brain injuries and not concussive injuries. This is reflected in the methodologies currently used and the injury metrics employed to determine the pass/fail criteria for the helmets being tested. To address the problem surrounding concussion and helmets, a method reflecting high risk of concussive injury must be developed. The purpose of this research was to identify high risk of concussive injury impact sites on the Hybrid III headform using the Wayne State head injury finite element model. The Hybrid III headform was impacted using a linear impactor in five different sites with four angles per site at 5.5 m/s. The resulting acceleration loading curves were used as input for brain deformation analyses using the Wayne State University Brain Injury Model. The brain deformation results indicated that there are 12 impact conditions on the Hybrid III headform which reflect a risk of concussion above 80% when compared with the literature. The method used and impact sites discovered by this research differ significantly from the current standard method and may be used to guide future impact sites for the evaluation of helmet performance.
In-Service Teachers’ Learning Through Integrating Theory and Practice
Authors: Virkkula Esa , Nissilä Säde-Pirkko
Published: October 2014

Vocational education aims to prepare competent workforce for the needs of continuously changing work life. A competent employee does not only carry out routine tasks but is also required to have the ability to act in the communities of practice in his field and develop his way of working. The challenge of Finnish school-based vocational education has been in creating such learning environments that promote learning professional knowledge demanded by work life. The challenge has required vocational teachers to develop their competences in collaboration with employers. The research covers the role of Finnish vocational teachers’ authentic work placement periods in developing competences from the viewpoint of sociocultural learning. During the work placement period, a teacher furthers his or her competences by working in goal-oriented and planned ways in the work communities of enterprises or in the public sector of their fields. The purpose of the present qualitative case study is to increase the understanding of the role of authentic work placement periods in vocational teachers’ competence. Experiences of teachers representing different subjects were studied during their work placement periods. The results show that work placement period supports the development of teachers’ competences and provides prerequisites for work-based vocational education.
Anticorrosion of thermal sprayed Al–Zn–Si coating in simulated marine environments
Authors: Yang H. Q. , Yao Z. J. , Wei D. B. , Zhou W. B. , Yin G. X. , Feng L. X.
Published: October 2014

The Al–Zn–Si coating was deposited on Q235 steel by thermal spray technology. The corrosion behaviour of the coating in simulated marine environments has been investigated through neutral salt spray test (NSS) and electrochemical test. Furthermore, the microstructure and the morphologies of the coating were detected by means of scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results showed that the coating exhibited a dense homogeneous lamellar microstructure without obvious defects. There were different corrosion periods of the coating in the simulated marine environment, such as dissolution of Zn and Al particles, flocculent morphology, acicular crystals and self-sealing behaviour caused by corrosion products. Ultimately, a dynamic equilibrium was formed between the consumption of the coating and the generation of the corrosion product layer. Moreover, Tafel curves indicated that the Ecorr and Icorr of the coating after NSS were lower than the substrate that had a sufficient driving force of the cathodic protection.
BCR-ABL1 promotes leukemia by converting p27 into a cytoplasmic oncoprotein
Authors: Agarwal Anupriya , Mackenzie Ryan J. , Besson Arnaud , Jeng Sophia , Carey Alyssa , LaTocha Dorian H. , Fleischman Angela G. , Duquesnes Nicolas , Eide Christopher A. , Vasudevan Kavin B. , Loriaux Marc M. , Firpo Eduardo , Cortes Jorge E. , McWeeney Shannon , O’Hare Thomas , Roberts James M. , Druker Brian J. , Deininger Michael W.
Published: October 2014

Key Points

Coordinated BCR-ABL1 kinase-dependent and -independent mechanisms convert p27 from a nuclear tumor suppressor to a cytoplasmic oncogene. Oncogenic functions of p27 that persist despite effective BCR-ABL1 inhibition may contribute to resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
Common variants in the human platelet PAR4 thrombin receptor alter platelet function and differ by race
Authors: Edelstein Leonard C. , Simon Lukas M. , Lindsay Cory R. , Kong Xianguo , Teruel-Montoya Raúl , Tourdot Benjamin E. , Chen Edward S. , Ma Lin , Coughlin Shaun , Nieman Marvin , Holinstat Michael , Shaw Chad A. , Bray Paul F.
Published: October 2014

Key Points

White individuals have a high frequency of the common PAR4 gene (F2RL3) variant Ala120; blacks have a high frequency of Thr120. PAR4 Thr120 induces greater signaling and is associated with greater platelet aggregation and reduced inhibition by a PAR4 antagonist.
Water transport control in carbon nanotube arrays
Authors: Fasano Matteo , Chiavazzo Eliodoro , Asinari Pietro
Published: October 2014

Based on a recent scaling law of the water mobility under nanoconfined conditions, we envision novel strategies for precise modulation of water diffusion within membranes made of carbon nanotube arrays (CNAs). In a first approach, the water diffusion coefficient D may be tuned by finely controlling the size distribution of the pore size. In the second approach, D can be varied at will by means of externally induced electrostatic fields. Starting from the latter strategy, switchable molecular sieves are proposed, where membranes are properly designed with sieving and permeation features that can be dynamically activated/deactivated. Areas where a precise control of water transport properties is beneficial range from energy and environmental engineering up to nanomedicine.
A candidate factor that interacts with RF2, a restorer of fertility of Lead rice-type cytoplasmic male sterility in rice
Authors: Fujii Shinya , Kazama Tomohiko , Ito Yukihiro , Kojima Soichi , Toriyama Kinya
Published: October 2014

Background

The pollen function of cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) plants is often recovered by the Restorer of fertility (Rf) gene encoded by the nuclear genome. An Rf gene of Lead rice type CMS, Rf2, encodes a small mitochondrial glycine-rich protein. RF2 is expected to function by interacting with other proteins, because RF2 has no motifs except for glycine-rich domain.

Findings

To elucidate the protein that interacts with RF2, we performed yeast two-hybrid screening. We identified four genes and named RF2-interacting candidate factors (RIF1 to RIF4). A study of subcellular localization demonstrated that only RIF2 was targeted to mitochondria. A pull-down assay using E. coli-produced recombinant GST-tagged RF2 and His-tagged RIF2 confirmed that RF2 interacted with RIF2. RIF2 encodes ubiquitin domain-containing protein.

Conclusions

These results suggest that RIF2 is a candidate factor of a fertility restoration complex of RF2.
URTeC 2014 Denver draws 5000 attendees
Authors: Ray R. Randy
Published: October 2014

URTeC 2014, the Unconventional Resources Technology Conference, was held in Denver on 25–27 August and included both pre- and postconference activities. Now in its second year, the conference has expanded to include short courses, field trips, intersociety workshops, ePapers presented in the exhibit hall, and a core exhibit showing rock from 12 unconventional plays around North America. The meeting has seven concurrent technical sessions including nontraditional formats such as team presentations, expert panel discussions, and focused state-of-the-art presentations on the geology, geophysics, and engineering aspects of unconventional resources. The exhibition floor was packed every day, with attendees absorbing every bit of information possible. The meeting has become the “Disneyworld for Unconventionals.”
Phase and the Hilbert transform
Authors: Purves Steve
Published: October 2014

The concept of phase permeates seismic data processing and signal processing in general, but it can be awkward to understand, and manipulating it directly can lead to surprising results. It doesn't help that the word phase is used to mean a variety of things, depending on whether we refer to the propagating wavelet, the observed wavelet, poststack seismic attributes, or an entire seismic data set. Several publications have discussed the concepts and ambiguities (e.g., Roden and Sepúlveda, 1999 ; Liner, 2002 ; Simm and White, 2002 ).
Pancreatic Islet Neuropeptide Y Overexpression Has Minimal Effect on Islet Morphology and β-Cell Adaptation to High-Fat Diet
Authors: Machida Yui , Bruinsma Christine , Hallinger Daniel R. , Roper Stephen M. , Garcia Eden , Trevino Michelle B. , Nadler Joseph , Ahima Rexford , Imai Yumi
Published: October 2014

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is highly expressed in the hypothalamus, where it regulates feeding and energy homeostasis. Interestingly, NPY and its receptors are also expressed in peripheral tissues with roles in metabolism, including pancreatic islets. In islets, NPY is known to suppress insulin secretion acutely. In addition, the role of NPY in β-cell de-differentiation has been postulated recently. Therefore, we studied transgenic mice expressing NPY under rat insulin promoter (TG) to determine the effects of chronic up-regulation of NPY on islet morphology and function. NPY levels were 25 times higher in islets of TG mice compared with wild-type (WT) littermates, whereas no differences in NPY expression were noted in the brains of TG and WT mice. Islet NPY secretion was 2.3-fold higher in TG compared with WT mice. There were no significant changes in body weight, glucose tolerance, or insulin sensitivity in TG mice fed regular rodent diet or high-fat diet (HF). Islet β-cell area was comparable between TG and WT mice both on regular rodent and HF diets, indicating that NPY overexpression is insufficient to alter β-cell maturation or the compensatory increase of β-cell area on HF. One abnormality noted was that the glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in islets isolated from TG was reduced compared with those from WT mice on HF diet. Overall, an increase in islet NPY level has little impact on islet function and is insufficient to affect glucose homeostasis in mice.