bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Active Discriminative Dictionary Learning for Weather Recognition
Authors: Zheng Caixia , Zhang Fan , Hou Huirong , Bi Chao , Zhang Ming , Zhang Baoxue
Published: April 2016

Weather recognition based on outdoor images is a brand-new and challenging subject, which is widely required in many fields. This paper presents a novel framework for recognizing different weather conditions. Compared with other algorithms, the proposed method possesses the following advantages. Firstly, our method extracts both visual appearance features of the sky region and physical characteristics features of the nonsky region in images. Thus, the extracted features are more comprehensive than some of the existing methods in which only the features of sky region are considered. Secondly, unlike other methods which used the traditional classifiers (e.g., SVM andK-NN), we use discriminative dictionary learning as the classification model for weather, which could address the limitations of previous works. Moreover, the active learning procedure is introduced into dictionary learning to avoid requiring a large number of labeled samples to train the classification model for achieving good performance of weather recognition. Experiments and comparisons are performed on two datasets to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Heart Rate Variability as Early Biomarker for the Evaluation of Diabetes Mellitus Progress
Authors: Arroyo-Carmona Rosa Elena , López-Serrano Ana Laura , Albarado-Ibañez Alondra , Mendoza-Lucero Francisca María Fabiola , Medel-Cajica David , López-Mayorga Ruth Mery , Torres-Jácome Julián
Published: April 2016

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the side effects of diabetes mellitus have recently increased the global health expenditure each year. Of these, the early diagnostic can contribute to the decrease on renal, cardiovascular, and nervous systems complications. However, the diagnostic criteria, which are commonly used, do not suggest the diabetes progress in the patient. In this study, the streptozotocin model in mice (cDM) was used as early diagnostic criterion to reduce the side effects related to the illness. The results showed some clinical signs similarly to five-year diabetes progress without renal injury, neuropathies, and cardiac neuropathy autonomic in the cDM-model. On the other hand, the electrocardiogram was used to determine alterations in heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV), using the Poincaré plot to quantify the HRV decrease in the cDM-model. Additionally, the SD1/SD2 ratio and ventricular arrhythmias showed increase without side effects of diabetes. Therefore, the use of HRV as an early biomarker contributes to evaluating diabetes mellitus complications from the diagnostic.
Analytic Approximation of Energy Resolution in Cascaded Gaseous Detectors
Authors: Varga Dezső
Published: April 2016

An approximate formula has been derived for gain fluctuations in cascaded gaseous detectors such as Gas Electron Multipliers (GEMs), based on the assumption that the charge collection, avalanche formation, and extraction steps are independent cascaded processes. In order to test the approximation experimentally, a setup involving a standard GEM layer has been constructed to measure the energy resolution for 5.9 keV gamma particles. The formula reasonably traces both the charge collection and the extraction process dependence of the energy resolution. Such analytic approximation for gain fluctuations can be applied to multi-GEM detectors where it aids the interpretation of measurements as well as simulations.
A New Phase of GaN
Authors: Fan Qingyang , Chai Changchun , Wei Qun , Yang Jionghao , Zhou Peikun , Zhang Dongyun , Yang Yintang
Published: April 2016

The structural, mechanical, and electronic properties of the orthorhombic GaN (Pnma-GaN) are investigated at ambient pressure by using first-principles calculations method with the ultrasoft pseudopotential scheme. The elastic constants and phonon calculations reveal Pnma-GaN is mechanically and dynamically stable at ambient pressure. The calculated Young modulus of Pnma-GaN is 170 GPa, which is the three-fifths of wurtzite-GaN. Electronic structure study shows that Pnma-GaN is a direct semiconductor with band gap of 1.847 eV. The anisotropic calculation shows that wurtzite-GaN has a smaller elastic anisotropy than that of Pnma-GaN in Young’s modulus. In addition, when the composition of aluminum increases from 0 to 0.063 in the alloy, the band gap decreases initially and increases afterward for Pnma-Ga1−xAlxN, while, for wurtzite-Ga1−xAlxN, the band gap increases with the increasing compositionx. Due to the structural porous feature, Pnma-GaN can also be expected to be a good hydrogen storage material.
Whole-Brain Atrophy Rate in Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple System Atrophy, and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
Authors: Guevara C. , Bulatova K. , Barker G. J. , Gonzalez G. , Crossley N. , Kempton M. J.
Published: April 2016

In multiple system atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), the absence of surrogate endpoints makes clinical trials long and expensive. We aim to determine annualized whole-brain atrophy rates (a-WBAR) in idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (IPD), MSA, and PSP. Ten healthy controls, 20 IPD, 12 PSP, and 8 MSA patients were studied using a volumetric MRI technique (SIENA). In controls, the a-WBAR was0.37%±0.28(CI 95% 0.17–0.57), while in IPD a-WBAR was0.54%±0.38(CI 95% 0.32–0.68). The IPD patients did not differ from the controls. In PSP, the a-WBAR was1.26%±0.51(CI 95%: 0.95–1.58). In MSA, a-WBAR was1.65%±1.12(CI 95%: 0.71–2.59). MSA did not differ from PSP. The a-WBAR in PSP and MSA were significantly higher than in the IPD group (p=0.004andp<0.001, resp.). In PSP, the use of a-WBAR required one-half of the patients needed for clinical scales to detect a 50% reduction in their progression. In MSA, one-quarter of the patients would be needed to detect the same effect. a-WBAR is a reasonable candidate to consider as a surrogate endpoint in short clinical trials using smaller sample sizes. The confidence intervals for a-WBAR may add a potential retrospective application for a-WBAR to improve the diagnostic accuracy of MSA and PSP versus IPD.
Enhanced Tumor Control with Combination mTOR and PD-L1 Inhibition in Syngeneic Oral Cavity Cancers
Authors: Moore Ellen C. , Cash Harrison A. , Caruso Andria M. , Uppaluri Ravindra , Hodge James W. , Van Waes Carter , Allen Clint T.
Published: April 2016

Significant subsets of patients with oral cancer fail to respond to single-agent programmed death (PD) blockade. Syngeneic models of oral cancer were used to determine if blocking oncogenic signaling improved in vivo responses to PD-L1 monoclonal antibody (mAb). Anti–PD-L1 enhanced durable primary tumor control and survival when combined with mTOR (rapamycin), but not in combination with MEK inhibition (PD901) in immunogenic MOC1 tumors. Conversely, PD-L1 mAb did not enhance tumor control in poorly immunogenic MOC2 tumors. Rapamycin enhanced expansion of peripheral antigen-specific CD8 T cells and IFNγ production following ex vivo antigen stimulation. More CD8 T cells infiltrated and were activated after PD-L1 mAb treatment in mice with immunogenic MOC1 tumors, which were stable or increased by the addition of rapamycin, but suppressed when PD901 was added. Rapamycin increased IFNγ production capacity in peripheral and tumor-infiltrating CD8 T cells. In vivo antibody depletion revealed a CD8 T-cell–dependent, and not NK cell–dependent mechanism of tumor growth inhibition after treatment with rapamycin and PD-L1 mAb, ruling out significant effects from NK cell–mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Rapamycin also enhanced IFNγ or PD-L1 mAb treatment–associated induction of MHC class I expression on MOC1 tumor cells, an effect abrogated by depleting infiltrating CD8 T cells from the tumor microenvironment. These data conflict with traditional views of rapamycin as a universal immunosuppressant, and when combined with evidence of enhanced antitumor activity with the combination of rapamycin and PD-L1 mAb, suggest that this treatment combination deserves careful evaluation in the clinical setting. Cancer Immunol Res; 4(7); 611–20. ©2016 AACR.
Brain Perfusion in Corticobasal Syndrome with Progressive Aphasia
Authors: Abe Yoshitake , Kimura Noriyuki , Goto Megumi , Aso Yasuhiro , Matsubara Etsuro
Published: April 2016

Background: Brain perfusion may differ between patients with corticobasal syndrome (CBS) with and without aphasia. Methods: Twenty-six (9 males and 17 females; mean age 76 ± 5.3 years) patients with CBS were enrolled in the study. Brain MRI and single-photon emission computed tomography were performed in all subjects. Language was evaluated using the Standard Language Test of Aphasia. The patients were divided into two subgroups according to the presence or absence of progressive aphasia. Differences in the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) between the two groups were detected based on voxel-by-voxel group analysis using Statistical Parametric Mapping 8. Results: All patients exhibited asymmetric motor symptoms and signs, including limb apraxia, bradykinesia, and akinetic rigidity. Of 26 patients, 9 had a clinically obvious language disturbance, characterized as nonfluent aphasia. Almost all CBS patients with aphasia exhibited cortical atrophy predominantly in the left frontal and temporal lobes with widening of the Sylvian fissure on MRI. The rCBF in the left middle frontal gyrus differed significantly between CBS patients with and without aphasia. Conclusion: CBS patients with aphasia exhibit motor symptoms predominantly on the right side and cortical atrophy mainly in the left perisylvian cortices. In particular, left frontal dysfunction might be related to nonfluent aphasia in CBS.
Ocular Erythropoietin Penetration after Subconjunctival Administration in Glaucomatous Rats
Authors: Resende Ana Paula , São Braz Berta , Delgado Esmeralda
Published: April 2016

Purpose: The present study aimed to determine whether the subconjunctival administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) reached the retina in glaucoma conditions. After subconjunctival rHuEPO administration, in a rat glaucoma model, erythropoietin (EPO) distribution in the rat's retina was studied by immunohistochemistry. Methods: Female Wistar Hannover albino rats (n = 15) were divided into 2 groups, control (n = 3) and treated (n = 12). The animals' unilateral glaucoma was induced by coagulation of episcleral veins, under general anaesthesia. After vein coagulation, 1,000 IU of rHuEPO were administered by the subconjunctival route to the treated group (n = 12). The control group (n = 3) received only a subconjunctival saline injection. The contralateral eye of each animal remained untouched. Treated group animals were euthanized at different time points, i.e. days 1, 3, 7 and 14. Bilateral enucleation was performed, and EPO distribution in the rat's retina was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results: Glaucoma was confirmed by results of repeated intraocular pressure measurements over the experimental period. In the test group, EPO was identified in different neuroretinal cells, showing a stronger immunostaining signal during the first 2 time points in the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) layer. EPO protein was still present on day 14 after the subconjunctival injection. EPO was not detected in any of the control eyes or in any contralateral eye of the treated group. Conclusion: When administered subconjunctivally to glaucomatous eyes, rHuEPO reached the RGC layer and was still present at least 14 days after administration. The subconjunctival route was shown to be a promising alternative for ocular EPO delivery in glaucomatous conditions in a rat animal model.
Sound Source Localization by Normal-Hearing Listeners, Hearing-Impaired Listeners and Cochlear Implant Listeners
Authors: Dorman Michael F. , Loiselle Louise H. , Cook Sarah J. , Yost William A. , Gifford René H.
Published: April 2016

Objective: Our primary aim was to determine whether listeners in the following patient groups achieve localization accuracy within the 95th percentile of accuracy shown by younger or older normal-hearing (NH) listeners: (1) hearing impaired with bilateral hearing aids, (2) bimodal cochlear implant (CI), (3) bilateral CI, (4) hearing preservation CI, (5) single-sided deaf CI and (6) combined bilateral CI and bilateral hearing preservation. Design: The listeners included 57 young NH listeners, 12 older NH listeners, 17 listeners fit with hearing aids, 8 bimodal CI listeners, 32 bilateral CI listeners, 8 hearing preservation CI listeners, 13 single-sided deaf CI listeners and 3 listeners with bilateral CIs and bilateral hearing preservation. Sound source localization was assessed in a sound-deadened room with 13 loudspeakers arrayed in a 180-degree arc. Results: The root mean square (rms) error for the NH listeners was 6 degrees. The 95th percentile was 11 degrees. Nine of 16 listeners with bilateral hearing aids achieved scores within the 95th percentile of normal. Only 1 of 64 CI patients achieved a score within that range. Bimodal CI listeners scored at a level near chance, as did the listeners with a single CI or a single NH ear. Listeners with (1) bilateral CIs, (2) hearing preservation CIs, (3) single-sided deaf CIs and (4) both bilateral CIs and bilateral hearing preservation, all showed rms error scores within a similar range (mean scores between 20 and 30 degrees of error). Conclusion: Modern CIs do not restore a normal level of sound source localization for CI listeners with access to sound information from two ears.
Bardet-Biedl Syndrome
Authors: Suspitsin Evgeny N. , Imyanitov Evgeny N.
Published: April 2016

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder. It is characterized by heterogeneous clinical manifestations including primary features of the disease (rod-cone dystrophy, polydactyly, obesity, genital abnormalities, renal defects, and learning difficulties) and secondary BBS characteristics (developmental delay, speech deficit, brachydactyly or syndactyly, dental defects, ataxia or poor coordination, olfactory deficit, diabetes mellitus, congenital heart disease, etc.); most of these symptoms may not be present at birth but appear and progressively worsen during the first and second decades of life. At least 20 BBS genes have already been identified, and all of them are involved in primary cilia functioning. Genetic diagnosis of BBS is complicated due to lack of gene-specific disease symptoms; however, it is gradually becoming more accessible with the invention of multigene sequencing technologies. Clinical management of BBS is largely limited to a symptomatic treatment. Mouse experiments demonstrate that the most debilitating complication of BBS, blindness, can be rescued by topical gene therapy. There is a published case report describing the delay of BBS symptoms by nutritional compensation of the disease-related biochemical deficiencies. Progress in DNA testing technologies is likely to rapidly resolve all limitations in BBS diagnosis; however, much slower improvement is expected with regard to BBS treatment.
Recent Updates in the Endoscopic Diagnosis of Barrett's Oesophagus
Authors: Sharma Neel , Ho Khek Yu
Published: April 2016

Background: Barrett's oesophagus (BO) is a premalignant condition associated with the development of oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC). Despite the low risk of progression per annum, OAC is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, with an estimated 5-year survival of 10%. Furthermore, the incidence of OAC continues to rise globally. Therefore, it is imperative to detect the premalignant phase of BO and follow up such patients accordingly. Summary: The mainstay diagnosis of BO is endoscopy and biopsy sampling. However, limitations with white light endoscopy (WLE) and undertaking biopsies have shifted the current focus towards real-time image analysis. Utilization of additional tools such as chromoendoscopy, narrow-band imaging (NBI), confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE), and optical coherence tomography (OCT) are proving beneficial. Furthermore, it is also becoming more apparent that often these tools are utilized by experts in the field. Therefore, for the non-expert, training in these systems is key. Currently as yet, the methodologies used for training optimization require further inquiry. Key Message: (1) Real-time imaging can serve to minimize excess biopsies. (2) Tools such as chromoendoscopy, NBI, CLE, and OCT can help to compliment WLE. Practical Implications: WLE is associated with limited sensitivity. Biopsy sampling is cost-ineffective and associated with sampling error. Hence, from a practical perspective, endoscopists should aim to utilize additional tools to help in real-time image interpretation and minimize an overreliance on histology.
Simultaneous measurement of thrombin generation and fibrin formation in whole blood under flow conditions
Authors: Kelchtermans Hilde , Pelkmans Leonie , Bouwhuis Anne , Schurgers Evelien , Lindhout Theo , Huskens Dana , Miszta Adam , Hemker H. , Lancé Marcus , de Laat Bas
Published: April 2016

Assays based on the formation of thrombin and fibrin are frequently used, and results are considered exchangeable in research/clinical settings. However, thrombin generation and fibrin formation do not always go hand in hand and flow profoundly influences thrombus formation. We describe the technical/clinical evaluation of an assay to simultaneously measure thrombin generation and fibrin formation under conditions of flow. Introduction of a fluorometer into a ‘cone and base principle’-based rheometer allowed the measurement of thrombin generation (using a thrombin-sensitive substrate) and fibrin formation (changes in viscosity), while applying a linear shear flow. Increasing shear rates inversely related with thrombin generation and fibrin formation. Increasing fibrinogen concentrations in defibrinated plasma resulted in increased thrombin generation and fibrin formation. In pre-operative samples of 70 patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery, fibrin formation and thrombin generation parameters correlated with fibrinogen content, rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) and whole blood Calibrated Automated Thrombinography (CAT) parameters, respectively. Upon dividing patients into two groups based on the median clot strength, a significant difference in perioperative/total blood loss was established. In conclusion, we clinically evaluated a method capable of simultaneously measuring thrombin generation and fibrin formation in plasma/whole blood under continuous flow, rendering our method one step closer to physiology. Importantly, our test proved to be indicative for the amount of blood loss during/after cardiothoracic surgery.
Increased Epicardial Adipose Tissue Volume Correlates With Cardiac Sympathetic Denervation in Patients With Heart Failure
Authors: Parisi Valentina , Rengo Giuseppe , Perrone-Filardi Pasquale , Pagano Gennaro , Femminella Grazia Daniela , Paolillo Stefania , Petraglia Laura , Gambino Giuseppina , Caruso Aurelio , Grimaldi Maria Gabriella , Baldascino Francesco , Nolano Maria , Elia Andrea , Cannavo Alessandro , De Bellis Antonio , Coscioni Enrico , Pellegrino Teresa , Cuocolo Alberto , Ferrara Nicola , Leosco Dario
Published: April 2016

Rationale:

It has been reported that epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) may affect myocardial autonomic function.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between EAT and cardiac sympathetic nerve activity in patients with heart failure.

Methods and Results:

In 110 patients with systolic heart failure, we evaluated the correlation between echocardiographic EAT thickness and cardiac adrenergic nerve activity assessed by
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I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (
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I-MIBG). The predictive value of EAT thickness on cardiac sympathetic denervation (
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I-MIBG early and late heart:mediastinum ratio and single-photon emission computed tomography total defect score) was tested in a multivariate analysis. Furthermore, catecholamine levels, catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes, and sympathetic nerve fibers were measured in EAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies obtained from patients with heart failure who underwent cardiac surgery. EAT thickness correlated with
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I-MIBG early and late heart:mediastinum ratio and single-photon emission computed tomography total defect score, but not with left ventricular ejection fraction. Moreover, EAT resulted as an independent predictor of
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I-MIBG early and late heart:mediastinum ratio and single-photon emission computed tomography total defect score and showed a significant additive predictive value on
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I-MIBG planar and single-photon emission computed tomography results over demographic and clinical data. Although no differences were found in sympathetic innervation between EAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue, EAT showed an enhanced adrenergic activity demonstrated by the increased catecholamine levels and expression of catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes.

Conclusions:

This study provides the first evidence of a direct correlation between increased EAT thickness and cardiac sympathetic denervation in heart failure.
The Importance of Biological Sex and Estrogen in Rodent Models of Cardiovascular Health and Disease
Authors: Blenck Christa L. , Harvey Pamela A. , Reckelhoff Jane F. , Leinwand Leslie A.
Published: April 2016

Nearly one-third of deaths in the United States are caused by cardiovascular disease (CVD) each year. In the past, CVD was thought to mainly affect men, leading to the exclusion of women and female animals from clinical studies and preclinical research. In light of sexual dimorphisms in CVD, a need exists to examine baseline cardiac differences in humans and the animals used to model CVD. In humans, sex differences are apparent at every level of cardiovascular physiology from action potential duration and mitochondrial energetics to cardiac myocyte and whole-heart contractile function. Biological sex is an important modifier of the development of CVD with younger women generally being protected, but this cardioprotection is lost later in life, suggesting a role for estrogen. Although endogenous estrogen is most likely a mediator of the observed functional differences in both health and disease, the signaling mechanisms involved are complex and are not yet fully understood. To investigate how sex modulates CVD development, animal models are essential tools and should be useful in the development of therapeutics. This review will focus on describing the cardiovascular sexual dimorphisms that exist both physiologically and in common animal models of CVD.
Tolerance of Turkish Muslims in Dutch Society
Authors: Speelman Gé M.
Published: April 2016

The present-day public debate about Muslim migrants in the Netherlands is focusing on core values, and hence on tolerance. Can the majority tolerate (presumed) deviations in core values of minorities, and in reverse is there toleration of majority values by minorities? The article starts with a reflection on the different meanings of the word ‘tolerance’. It then goes on to analyze a recent debate on the role of Turkish religious organizations in the Netherlands vis à vis Dutch core values. Most Turkish Dutch citizens are for instance tolerant, but not affirmative of homosexuality, an attitude that may be related to their adherence to religious organizations. Should the Dutch government see their disapproval as intolerable in a modern society, and therefore supervise Turkish religious organizations on a permanent basis? The author argues for another preferable possibility: the acceptance of value plurality when it comes to ‘society’s operative public values’.
Transformative Existential Experiences and the Mental Growth Stages Illustrated by Case Reports
Authors: Borgen Berit
Published: April 2016

The article describes part of an on-going research on the processes of mental liberation and growth. The original research material is based on qualitative research methods and ethnographic in-depth interviews with drug-addicted persons undergoing treatment. The material is further analysed within a framework presented in Kazimierz Dabrowski's theory: mental growth through positive disintegration. This framework was found to be useful in the analysis of the participants’ mental growth processes particularly due to the integration of human's transcending ability. Participants contribute in describing how transformative existential experiences may promote the process of mental growth. Importance of activating the mental transcending ability is shown to be central in the recovery process. One profound transformative existential experience is described as the possibility to be who you are, an identity experience which elicited the genuine self. The study sheds light on human mental development when the therapy included activation of the spiritual/religious dimension.
Sexual morph of Seimatosporium cornii found on Cornus sanguinea in Italy
Authors: PERERA REKHANI H. , MAHARACHCHIKUMBURA SAJEEWA S. N. , BAHKALI ALI H. , CAMPORESI ERIO , JONES E.B.GARETH , PHILLIPS ALAN J. L. , HYDE KEVIN D.
Published: April 2016

The sexual morph of Seimatosporium cornii, collected from dead stems of Cornus sanguinea in Arezzo, Italy, is reported in this paper. It was linked to S. cornii based on analysis of combined LSU and ITS sequence data. The sexual morph is characterized by minutely stromatic ascomata, cylindrical to clavate asci, with a J+, apical apparatus and 1–3-septate, fusiform ascospores. Seimatosporium cornii can be distinguished from the closely related species, Discostroma fuscellum, by the structure of the peridium, shape and septation of the ascospores and also its asexual morph. The sexual morph of S. cornii is reported from the same host and location as its asexual morph. We also provide data of SSU, TEF1-α and β-TUB genes of our strain, deposited in GenBank.
New genera and species of the minute snakeflies (Raphidioptera: Mesoraphidiidae: Nanoraphidiini) from the mid Cretaceous of Myanmar
Authors: LIU XINGYUE , LU XIUMEI , ZHANG WEIWEI
Published: April 2016

The Mesozoic amber snakeflies are important for understanding the early evolution and phylogeny of Raphidioptera. Here we describe three new genera and four new species of the extinct family Mesoraphidiidae from the mid Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar, including Dolichoraphidia aspoecki gen. et sp. nov., Dolichoraphidia engeli gen. et sp. nov., Rhynchoraphidia burmana gen. et sp. nov., and Burmoraphidia reni gen. et sp. nov. All these species, together with the previously described species (i.e., Nanoraphidia electroburmica Engel, 2002) from Burmese amber, belong to the mesoraphidiid tribe Nanoraphidiini based on the minute body-size and the swollen tibiae. A key to all species of Nanoraphidiini is provided. A brief discussion on the genital morphology of Mesoraphidiidae is also given.
Identification of three morphologically indistinguishable Epicauta species (Coleoptera, Meloidae, Epicautini) through DNA barcodes and morphological comparisons
Authors: LIU SHAO-PAN , PAN ZHAO , REN GUO-DONG
Published: April 2016

Three species that belong to the genus Epicauta (Coleopera: Meloidae), E. chinensis, E. dubia, and E. sibirica, appear morphologically indistinguishable. The present study aims to resolve the taxonomic status and the relationships among these three species. Identifying adult morphological characters among the three species were compared and illustrated and partial fragments of the mitochondrial gene (COI) for 77 samples, representing seven meloid species, were obtained and analyzed. Analyses of nucleotide composition, genetic distances and phylogenetics were performed. The results of the morphological studies and molecular analyses showed concordance, indicating that the three species are closely related and indistinguishable from one another. Consequently, two new synonyms are proposed: E. chinensis (Laporte, 1840) syn. n. = E. sibirica (Pallas, 1773) and E. dubia (Fabricius, 1781) syn. n. = E. sibirica (Pallas, 1773).
Chilocoris serratus n. sp., the first burrower bug species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Cydnidae) recorded in Guinea-Bissau with an annotated checklist of the Afrotropical species of the genus Chilocoris Mayr, 1865
Authors: LIS JERZY A. , LIS Barbara
Published: April 2016

The first burrower bug species recorded in Guinea-Bissau, Chilocoris serratus n. sp., is described and compared with morphologically related species. Additionally, an annotated checklist of Afrotropical species of the genus Chilocoris is provided.
Would Nesotriatoma bruneri Usinger, 1944 be a valid species?
Authors: ALEVI KAIO C. C. , REIS YAGO V. , GUERRA ANA L. , IMPERADOR CARLOS H. L. , BANHO CECÍLIA A. , MOREIRA FELIPE F. F. , AZEREDO-OLIVEIRA MARIA T. V.
Published: April 2016

Variation in the size and morphological differences intraspecific of Nesotriatoma flavida led to the description of N. bruneri. However, two years later the same author proposed the synonymization N. bruneri with N. flavida. N. bruneri was revalidated through morphological analysis after 35 years. Thus, given the existing taxonomic questioning between these Cuban triatomines, we analyzed new parameters such as genetic distance from the mitochondrial 16S rDNA deposited in Genbank and cytogenetic characterization, through the constitutive heterochromatin pattern, in order to reassess the specific status of N. bruneri. The analysis of the disposition of constitutive heterochromatin in the genome of these triatomines allowed observing that only the sex chromosome Y is heterochromatic, and the autosomes and the sex chromosomes X are euchromatic. These characteristics are identical to those described for N. flavida. By means of analysis of genetic distance matrix, we found that the genetic distance between N. bruneri and N. flavida was only 0.04%. Thus, by means of extremely low genetic distance and identical cytogenetic characteristics, we suggest that N. bruneri should be back again synonymized with N. flavida. However, we recommend that experimental hybrid crosses and new molecular analysis should be conducted, focusing mainly in the genetic distance based on other genes, on the rate of fertility of eggs and viability of hybrids to confirm the proposed of synonymization.
High-Precision Measurements of the Copolar Correlation Coefficient: Non-Gaussian Errors and Retrieval of the Dispersion Parameter μ in Rainfall
Authors: Keat W. J. , Westbrook C. D. , Illingworth A. J.
Published: April 2016

The copolar correlation coefficient ρhv has many applications, including hydrometeor classification, ground clutter and melting-layer identification, interpretation of ice microphysics, and the retrieval of raindrop size distributions (DSDs). However, the quantitative error estimates that are necessary if these applications are to be fully exploited are currently lacking. Previous error estimates of ρhv rely on knowledge of the unknown “true” ρhv and implicitly assume a Gaussian probability distribution function of ρhv samples. Frequency distributions of ρhv estimates are in fact shown to be highly negatively skewed. A new variable, = log10(1 − ρhv), is defined that does have Gaussian error statistics and a standard deviation depending only on the number of independent radar pulses. This is verified using observations of spherical drizzle drops, allowing, for the first time, the construction of rigorous confidence intervals in estimates of ρhv. In addition, the manner in which the imperfect collocation of the horizontal and vertical polarization sample volumes may be accounted for is demonstrated. The possibility of using L to estimate the dispersion parameter μ in the gamma drop size distribution is investigated. Including drop oscillations is found to be essential for this application; otherwise, there could be biases in retrieved μ of up to approximately 8. Preliminary results in rainfall are presented. In a convective rain case study, the estimates presented herein show μ to be substantially larger than 0 (an exponential DSD). In this particular rain event, rain rate would be overestimated by up to 50% if a simple exponential DSD is assumed.
On the Gravity Wave Forcing during the Southern Stratospheric Final Warming in LMDZ
Authors: Cámara Alvaro de la , Lott François , Jewtoukoff Valérian , Plougonven Riwal , Hertzog Albert
Published: April 2016

The austral stratospheric final warming date is often predicted with substantial delay in several climate models. This systematic error is generally attributed to insufficient parameterized gravity wave (GW) drag in the stratosphere around 60°S. A simulation with a general circulation model [Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique zoom model (LMDZ)] with a much less pronounced bias is used to analyze the contribution of the different types of waves to the dynamics of the final warming. For this purpose, the resolved and unresolved wave forcing of the middle atmosphere during the austral spring are examined in LMDZ and reanalysis data, and a good agreement is found between the two datasets. The role of parameterized orographic and nonorographic GWs in LMDZ is further examined, and it is found that orographic and nonorographic GWs contribute evenly to the GW forcing in the stratosphere, unlike in other climate models, where orographic GWs are the main contributor. This result is shown to be in good agreement with GW-resolving operational analysis products. It is demonstrated that the significant contribution of the nonorographic GWs is due to highly intermittent momentum fluxes produced by the source-related parameterizations used in LMDZ, in qualitative agreement with recent observations. This yields sporadic high-amplitude GWs that break in the stratosphere and force the circulation at lower altitudes than more homogeneously distributed nonorographic GW parameterizations do.
Mean Structure of the North Atlantic Subtropical Permanent Pycnocline from In Situ Observations
Authors: Feucher Charlène , Maze Guillaume , Mercier Herlé
Published: April 2016

A new objective algorithm for the characterization of the permanent pycnocline (OAC-P) in subtropical gyres is proposed. OAC-P is based on a pragmatic analysis of vertical density gradient features to identify the permanent pycnocline: OAC-P identifies the permanent pycnocline as the stratified layer found below surface mode waters. OAC-P provides the permanent pycnocline depth, unequivocally associated with a local maximum in the stratification, and top and bottom thicknesses, associated with upward and downward decreases in stratification, respectively. OAC-P uses half Gaussian curves as asymmetric nonlinear analytical models of the stratification peak. It is the first time that an algorithm is proposed to characterize objectively the permanent pycnocline for a region where handling the stronger stratification peak of the seasonal pycnocline is complex. A guideline for how to implement the OAC-P is given, with application to the North Atlantic Ocean Argo data as an example. OAC-P provides a detailed description of the mean structure of the North Atlantic subtropical permanent pycnocline. OAC-P detects a permanent pycnocline throughout the subtropical gyre north of the North Equatorial Current. The large-scale description of the permanent pycnocline depth structure as a classic bowl shape is captured however with much more detail. New regional information is provided. In particular, (i) there is only one region—the southern recirculation gyre of the Gulf Stream extension—where the permanent pycnocline is along an isopycnal surface and (ii) vertical asymmetries clearly discriminate one region from another.
Occupational therapy in primary care: Results from a national survey
Authors: Donnelly Catherine A. , Leclair Leanne L. , Wener Pamela F. , Hand Carri L. , Letts Lori J.
Published: April 2016

Background.

To support integration of occupational therapy in primary care and research in this area, it is critical to document examples of occupational therapy in primary care.

Purpose.

This study describes occupational therapy roles and models of practice used in primary care.

Method.

An electronic survey was sent to occupational therapists across Canada. Participants were identified using purposive and snowball sampling strategies. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

Findings.

Respondents ( n = 52) were almost exclusively working on interprofessional teams. Intervention was provided most frequently to individual clients, and services were provided both within the home/community and in the clinic. Occupational therapists offered a range of health promotion and prevention services, predominantly to adults and older adults. A number of supports and barriers to the integration of occupational therapy were identified.

Implications.

A growing number of occupational therapists are working in primary care providing a broad range of services across the life span.
A Simplified Nonsurgical Method for the Correction of Neonatal Deformational Auricular Anomalies
Authors: Chang Catherine S. , Bartlett Scott P.
Published: April 2016

Despite reported success of early nonsurgical splinting of congenital ear deformities, the technique has not been widely utilized due to difficulty with application and positional maintenance of these devices. Delay in treatment can result in unnecessary surgery for the child later in life. In response to this need, we developed a simplified system consisting of Velcro, conformers, and polysiloxane gel that can be applied in 3 steps. Before and after photos after application of the device were graded by a plastic surgeon independent of the study. A total of 33 ear deformities were treated. In all, 92.3% of ears achieved significant improvement and normalization of their ears after therapy. This device allows for a more straightforward and individualized application than current products available. Our hope is that practitioners involved early in the infant’s care will utilize this technology resulting in improved outcomes and avoiding unnecessary surgery.
Framing the problem of rape in South Africa: Gender, race, class and state histories
Authors: Buiten Denise , Naidoo Kammila
Published: April 2016

With rates of rape in South Africa among the highest in the world, the significance of context has surfaced repeatedly in South African scholarship on rape. Most commonly, rape is understood as a symptom of deep and pervasive gender inequality, historical, social and economic legacies of apartheid as well as post-apartheid state discourses that have normalized rape and enabled it to be tolerated. In addition, the role of masculinities has received significant attention, linked to social and economic histories and contemporary political narratives. This article considers how scholarly discussions on rape in South Africa are evolving. Applying a critical sociological lens of enquiry to the ways in which the problem of rape is constructed, it outlines the significance of state histories in understandings of rape in South Africa today, the explicit and implicit ways in which research and writing on rape is racialized and classed, and considers the implications of this.
The lessons of history: The role of the nation-states and the EU in fighting violence against women in 10 European countries
Authors: Corradi Consuelo , Stöckl Heidi
Published: April 2016

The cross-national analysis of policies and services offers an innovative point of view to evaluate the role of the state, social movements, and supra-national bodies in fighting violence against women (VAW). By locating the starting point in time and grouping countries in temporal clusters, the article identifies the key actors of VAW policy-making in Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. After discussing features of single countries, the article identifies common trends in VAW policies. In conclusion, the article raises more ambitious comparative questions: By looking at history, can we detect VAW ‘policy regimes’? Are there patently exceptional cases? And what is the actual role of the state in fighting VAW? The article argues that the state is a powerful instrument, on condition that it acts under pressure from or in combination with both independent social movements and supra-national bodies.
Predicting Air Traffic Controller Workload
Authors: Corver Sifra Christina , Unger Dana , Grote Gudela
Published: April 2016

Objective:

Our study investigates whether trajectory uncertainty moderates the relationship between traffic conflict and workload. Furthermore, we examine if the indirect effect of traffic density on workload through traffic conflict is conditional on the presence of trajectory uncertainty.

Background:

Although it is widely accepted that uncertainty related to the future trajectory of an aircraft impacts air traffic controller decision making, little is known about how the presence of trajectory uncertainty impacts controller workload. A better understanding of the impact on controller workload can improve workload prediction models for en route air traffic control.

Method:

We collected data in a live operation environment, including workload ratings based on over-the-shoulder observations and real-time sector data. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze the data.

Results:

Trajectory uncertainty interacts with traffic conflict in such a way that the positive relationship between traffic conflict and workload is strongest in the presence of trajectory uncertainty. Furthermore, we found that the mediating effect of traffic density through traffic conflict is conditional on the presence of trajectory uncertainty.

Conclusion:

Our results indicate that workload prediction tools that do not incorporate trajectory uncertainty may underestimate workload under conditions of trajectory uncertainty, leading to possible overload situations of air traffic controllers.

Application:

Sources that generate trajectory uncertainty, as well as their interaction effects with dynamic complexity metrics, should be acknowledged in workload prediction models to increase the predictive power of these models. Implications for future air traffic management operations as envisioned by SESAR and NextGen are discussed.
Measuring Water Vapour in High-Purity Gas
Authors: Lord G. W.
Published: April 2016

The desired properties of magnetic alloys, semiconductor materials and similar products are usually developed by heat treatment in a stream off pure dry gas … the presence of even a few parts per million of water vapour in this gas can cause unwanted changes in such properties … to monitor the water-vapour content, a direct-reading dewpoint meter has been developed which is claimed to be more rapid and sensitive than similar meters
School Discipline as a Turning Point
Authors: Mowen Thomas , Brent John
Published: April 2016

Objectives:

To examine how school discipline may serve as a negative turning point for youth and contribute to increased odds of arrest over time and to assess whether suspensions received across multiple years may present a “cumulative” increase in odds of arrest.

Methods:

Using four waves of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, we use a longitudinal hierarchical generalized linear model (HGLM) to explore how school suspensions contribute to odds of arrest across time while controlling for a number of theoretically important dimensions such as race, age, delinquency, and gender among others.

Results:

Results show that youth who are suspended are at an increased risk of experiencing an arrest across time relative to youth who are not suspended and that this effect increases across time. Further, with each subsequent year the youth is suspended, there is a significant increase in odds of arrest.

Conclusion:

Supporting prior work, we find that youth who receive a suspension are at an increased odds of contact with the criminal justice system, and increases in the number of suspensions received contribute to significant increases in odds of arrest. Findings demonstrate that suspensions present a form of cumulative effect over time.
Immigration and the Ambivalence of the School: Between Inclusion and Exclusion of Migrant Youth
Authors: Ribeiro Norberto , Malafaia Carla , Neves Tiago , Menezes Isabel
Published: April 2016

This article examines the perceptions of young migrants (and non-migrants), their parents, and teachers to discuss whether the school is a device of inclusion or a device of exclusion that produces inequalities. It presents qualitative and quantitative data collected in the urban areas of Lisbon and Porto. First, we analyze data from 14 focus groups, involving 94 participants, and 12 interviews. Second, we consider survey data from a sample of 1,010 youngsters of Portuguese, Angolan, and Brazilian origin. Findings suggest the school plays an ambivalent role; however, participants emphasize mostly its discriminatory and segregating role.
Writing the Trenches
Authors: Baake Ken , Shelton Jen
Published: April 2016

We argue for a course in which students analyze writing about a common topic—in this case World War I—from multiple genres (e.g., poetry and technical manuals). We address the divide between instruction in pragmatic and literary writing and calls to bridge that gap. Students working in disparate areas of English learn the strengths and the limitations of their fields, and how text represents and promotes different interpretations of reality. Such written representations do not neatly line up along a utilitarian-literary binary but are more closely interwoven in the presence of a profound subject such as war.
Depression in primary care
Authors: Alson Amy R , Robinson Diana M , Ivanova Danielle , Azer John , Moreno Maria , Turk Marie Lyse , Nitturkar Abhishek , Blackman Karen S
Published: April 2016

More than an algorithm to guide primary care providers through treatment options, integrated care, also called collaborative care, is a validated, systematic, multidisciplinary approach to depression treatment in primary care. Historically, integrated care emerged in response to a mismatch between a growing demand for mental health treatment and scarce mental healthcare resources. Working together, psychiatrists and primary care providers have demonstrated that the principles and tools of chronic disease management improve depression outcomes in primary care. Currently, most antidepressants are prescribed by primary care providers, but with disappointing rates of full, sustained remission. Primary care patients may derive the greatest benefit from existing depression treatment guidelines when they are melded with an approach informed by integrated care principles. This paper will present established guidelines for pharmacologic management of depression as part of a broader framework for depression treatment in the primary care office.
Treatment options for the management of pervasive developmental disorders
Authors: Nash Kathryn , Carter K Jennifer
Published: April 2016

Autism spectrum disorder (previously known as pervasive developmental disorders) is characterized by social communication deficits, impaired functioning, and restrictive or repetitive behaviors and interests. Patients with autism spectrum disorder also commonly experience core maladaptive behaviors such as aggression and irritability, self-injurious behaviors, hyperactivity, and sleep abnormalities. These behaviors may be sources of stress for caregivers and patients alike and may require pharmacologic management. Risperidone and aripiprazole are frequently used to treat both irritability and self-injurious behavior related to autism spectrum disorder. The opioid antagonist naltrexone has also been studied for self-injurious behaviors, although long-term data are lacking when used in the autism spectrum disorder population. Methylphenidate, atomoxetine, clonidine, and guanfacine are all potential options for the treatment of hyperactivity or attention-deficient hyperactivity disorder-like symptoms in patients with autism spectrum disorder. Lastly, melatonin is the most widely researched medication strategy for the management of sleep disorders in autism spectrum disorder. Future studies reviewing new pharmacologic treatment approaches in combination with non-pharmacologic therapies are warranted to ensure that target behaviors of autism spectrum disorder are appropriately managed.