bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving the New Definition of Fascial System
Authors: Bordoni Bruno
Published: June 2019

Background/Aims: Bone tissue is defined as connective tissue with an embryological derivation that reflects the origin of the fascial system. The surface of the bone tissue makes the bone system the largest organ in the human body, whose most representative cells are the osteocytes. It is essential for the general health of the individual, influencing different organs and systems, through the hormonal paracrine production of the osteocytes. In the modern scientific panorama, bone tissue has been included in the definition of fascial continuum only in one of our articles. The intent of this article is to enrich the motivations that led to the introduction of the bone in the fascia description, illustrating its local and systemic properties. The final theme of the current text will be to give a definition of the fascial system more congruent with modern scientific notions. Methods: The article collects the embryological and anatomical information on bone and exposes the most recent information in a narrative review. Results: The results of the literature show that bone is specialized connective tissue. Conclusion: Bone tissue must be included in the definitions of what is considered fascial tissue, so as to have a better view of the fascial system.
Epigenetic Modification of Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Modulates the Activation of Dendritic Cells in Allergen Immunotherapy
Authors: Li Hang , Wen Yihui , Wu Shulian , Chen Dehua , Luo Xi , Xu Rui , Ma Renqiang , Wen Weiping
Published: June 2019

Background: Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is the only etiological and potentially curative therapy for allergic rhinitis (AR). Objectives: We sought to investigate the role of epigenetic regulator enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) in the activation of dendritic cells (DCs) in AIT. Method: In this study, EZH2 expression in circulating myeloid DCs (mDCs) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) were evaluated using flow cytometry. Clinical information from 56 AR patients receiving AIT was collected, including 30 subjects with subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) and 26 subjects with sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT). In vitro, the effect of EZH2 inhibitor, 3 Deazaneplanocin A (DZNep), on the phenotypic and functional activation of monocyte-derived DCs (moDCs) was evaluated. Results: EZH2 expression in circulating mDCs and pDCs were both negatively correlated to treatment time of AIT (r = –0.39, p = 0.003 and r = –0.47, p = 0.0002, respectively). Furthermore, there was a higher correlation between EZH2 expression and AIT treatment time in the SCIT group compared to that of the SLIT group in mDCs (r = –0.42, p = 0.02 vs. r = –0.23, p = 0.26)and pDCs (r = –0.52, p = 0.003 vs. r = –0.33, p = 0.10). In vitro, the co-stimulatory molecules on moDCs, such as CD80, CD86, and CD83, were significantly inhibited by DZNep in a dose-dependent manner. The ­DC-driven T-cell proliferation was suppressed by DZNep (MD = 22.88, 95% CI 7.809–37.96, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Our study shows that EZH2, which is required in the activation of DCs, mediates the epigenetic modification in AIT and stresses the importance of patient adherence during AIT.
Refining the World Health Organization Definition
Authors: Tseng Zian H. , Salazar James W. , Olgin Jeffrey E. , Ursell Philip C. , Kim Anthony S. , Bedigian Annie , Probert Joanne , Hart Amy P. , Moffatt Ellen , Vittinghoff Eric
Published: June 2019

Background:

Conventional definitions of sudden cardiac death (SCD) presume cardiac cause. We studied the World Health Organization–defined SCDs autopsied in the POST SCD study (Postmortem Systematic Investigation of SCD) to determine whether premortem characteristics could identify autopsy-defined sudden arrhythmic death (SAD) among presumed SCDs.

Methods:

Between January 2, 2011, and January 4, 2016, we prospectively identified all 615 World Health Organization–defined SCDs (144 witnessed) 18 to 90 years in San Francisco County for medical record review and autopsy via medical examiner surveillance. Autopsy-defined SADs had no extracardiac or acute heart failure cause of death. We used 2 nested sets of premortem predictors—an emergency medical system set and a comprehensive set adding medical record data—to develop Least Absolute Selection and Shrinkage Operator models of SAD among witnessed and unwitnessed cohorts.

Results:

Of 615 presumed SCDs, 348 (57%) were autopsy-defined SAD. For witnessed cases, the emergency medical system model (area under the receiver operator curve 0.75 [0.67–0.82]) included presenting rhythm of ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation and pulseless electrical activity, while the comprehensive (area under the receiver operator curve 0.78 [0.70–0.84]) added depression. If only ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation witnessed cases (n=48) were classified as SAD, sensitivity was 0.46 (0.36–0.57), and specificity was 0.90 (0.79–0.97). For unwitnessed cases, the emergency medical system model (area under the receiver operator curve 0.68 [0.64–0.73]) included black race, male sex, age, and time since last seen normal, while the comprehensive (area under the receiver operator curve 0.75 [0.71–0.79]) added use of β-blockers, antidepressants, QT-prolonging drugs, opiates, illicit drugs, and dyslipidemia. If only unwitnessed cases <1 hour (n=59) were classified as SAD, sensitivity was 0.18 (0.13–0.22) and specificity was 0.95 (0.90–0.97).

Conclusions:

Our models identify premortem characteristics that can better specify autopsy-defined SAD among presumed SCDs and suggest the World Health Organization definition can be improved by restricting witnessed SCDs to ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation or nonpulseless electrical activity rhythms and unwitnessed cases to <1 hour since last normal, at the cost of sensitivity.
Plasma Peptidylarginine Deiminase IV Promotes VWF-Platelet String Formation and Accelerates Thrombosis After Vessel Injury
Authors: Sorvillo Nicoletta , Mizurini Daniella M. , Coxon Carmen , Martinod Kimberly , Tilvawala Ronak , Cherpokova Deya , Salinger Ari J. , Seward Robert J. , Staudinger Caleb , Weerapana Eranthie , Shapiro Nathan I. , Costello Catherine E. , Thompson Paul R. , Wagner Denisa D.
Published: June 2019

Rationale:

PAD4 (peptidylarginine deiminase type IV), an enzyme essential for neutrophil extracellular trap formation (NETosis), is released together with neutrophil extracellular traps into the extracellular milieu. It citrullinates histones and holds the potential to citrullinate other protein targets. While NETosis is implicated in thrombosis, the impact of the released PAD4 is unknown.

Objective:

This study tests the hypothesis that extracellular PAD4, released during inflammatory responses, citrullinates plasma proteins, thus affecting thrombus formation.

Methods and Results:

Here, we show that injection of r-huPAD4 in vivo induces the formation of VWF (von Willebrand factor)-platelet strings in mesenteric venules and that this is dependent on PAD4 enzymatic activity. VWF-platelet strings are naturally cleaved by ADAMTS13 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type-1 motif-13). We detected a reduction of endogenous ADAMTS13 activity in the plasma of wild-type mice injected with r-huPAD4. Using mass spectrometry and in vitro studies, we found that r-huPAD4 citrullinates ADAMTS13 on specific arginine residues and that this modification dramatically inhibits ADAMTS13 enzymatic activity. Elevated citrullination of ADAMTS13 was observed in plasma samples of patients with sepsis or noninfected patients who were elderly (eg, age >65 years) and had underlying comorbidities (eg, diabetes mellitus and hypertension) as compared with healthy donors. This shows that ADAMTS13 is citrullinated in vivo. VWF-platelet strings that form on venules of
Adamts13
−/−
mice were immediately cleared after injection of r-huADAMTS13, while they persisted in vessels of mice injected with citrullinated r-huADAMTS13. Next, we assessed the effect of extracellular PAD4 on platelet-plug formation after ferric chloride-induced injury of mesenteric venules. Administration of r-huPAD4 decreased time to vessel occlusion and significantly reduced thrombus embolization.

Conclusions:

Our data indicate that PAD4 in circulation reduces VWF-platelet string clearance and accelerates the formation of a stable platelet plug after vessel injury. We propose that this effect is, at least in part, due to ADAMTS13 inhibition.
Membership without Social Citizenship? Deservingness & Redistribution as Grounds for Equality
Authors: Bloemraad Irene , Kymlicka Will , Lamont Michèle , Hing Leanne S. Son
Published: June 2019

Western societies have experienced a broadening of inclusive membership, whether we consider legal, interpersonal, or cultural membership. Concurrently, we have witnessed increased tensions around social citizenship, notably harsher judgments or boundaries over who “deserves” public assistance. Some have argued these phenomena are linked, with expanded, more diverse membership corroding solidarity and redistribution. We maintain that such a conclusion is premature and, especially, unsatisfactory: it fails to detail the processes–at multiple levels of analysis–behind tensions over membership and social citizenship. This essay draws on normative political theory, social psychology, cultural sociology, and political studies to build a layered explanatory framework that highlights the importance of individual feelings of group identity and threat for people's beliefs and actions; the significance of broader cultural repertoires and notions of national solidarity as a source and product of framing contests; and the diverse ways elites, power, and institutions affect notions of membership and deservingness.
The Difficulties of Combating Inequality in Time
Authors: Jenson Jane , Polletta Francesca , Raibmon Paige
Published: June 2019

Scholars have argued that disadvantaged groups face an impossible choice in their efforts to win policies capable of diminishing inequality: whether to emphasize their sameness to or difference from the advantaged group. We analyze three cases from the 1980s and 1990s in which reformers sought to avoid that dilemma and assert groups’ sameness and difference in novel ways: in U.S. policy on biomedical research, in the European Union's initiatives on gender equality, and in Canadian law on Indigenous rights. In each case, however, the reforms adopted ultimately reproduced the sameness/difference dilemma rather than transcended it. To explain why, we show how profound disagreements about both the histories of the groups included in the policy and the place of the policy in a longer historical trajectory of reform either went unrecognized or were actively obscured. Targeted groups came to be attributed a biological or timeless essence, not because this was inevitable, we argue, but because of these failures to historicize inequality.
New Angles on Inequality
Authors: Newman Katherine S.
Published: June 2019

The trenchant essays in this volume pose two critical questions with respect to inequality: First, what explains the eruption of nationalist, xenophobic, and far-right politics and the ability of extremists to gain a toehold in the political arena that is greater than at any time since World War ii? Second, how did the social distance between the haves and have-nots harden into geographic separation that makes it increasingly difficult for those attempting to secure jobs, housing, and mobility-ensuring schools to break through? The answers are insightful and unsettling, particularly when the conversation turns to an action agenda. Every move in the direction of alternatives is fraught because the histories that brought each group of victims to occupy their uncomfortable niche in the stratification order excludes some who should be included or ignores a difference that matters in favor of principles of equal treatment.
Process-Policy & Outcome-Policy: Rethinking How to Address Poverty & Inequality
Authors: Rao Vijayendra
Published: June 2019

Process matters not just for diagnosing the causes of inequality, but also for how policy is shaped. The dominant paradigms for policy-making – neoliberalism, neo-Keynesianism, and neopaternalism – largely address inequality via “outcome-policies” that manipulate the levers of government and, more recently, draw on randomized trials and “nudges” to change behavior, in a manner that is not only easy to measure, but also easy to reverse. This commentary draws on the essays in this special issue of Dædalus to make the case for “reflectivism,” which shifts structural inequalities in agency, power, social structure, empathy, and aspiration in an incremental manner that is more uncertain and difficult to measure, but that can result in more lasting change.
Separate Memory-Enhancing Effects of Reward and Strategic Encoding
Authors: Cohen Michael S. , Cheng Larry Y. , Paller Ken A. , Reber Paul J.
Published: June 2019

Memory encoding for important information can be enhanced both by reward anticipation and by intentional strategies. These effects are hypothesized to depend on distinct neural mechanisms, yet prior work has provided only limited evidence for their separability. We aimed to determine whether reward-driven and strategic mechanisms for prioritizing important information are separable, even if they may also interact. We examined the joint operation of both mechanisms using fMRI measures of brain activity. Participants learned abstract visual images in a value-directed recognition paradigm. On each trial, two novel images were presented simultaneously in different screen quadrants, one arbitrarily designated as high point value and one as low value. Immediately after each block of 16 study trials, the corresponding point rewards could be obtained in a test of item recognition and spatial location memory. During encoding trials leading to successful subsequent memory, especially of high-value images, increased activity was observed in dorsal frontoparietal and lateral occipitotemporal cortex. Furthermore, activity in a network associated with reward was higher during encoding when any image, of high or low value, was subsequently remembered. Functional connectivity between right medial temporal lobe and right ventral tegmental area, measured via psychophysiological interaction, was also greater during successful encoding regardless of value. Strategic control of memory, as indexed by successful prioritization of the high-value image, affected activity in dorsal posterior parietal cortex as well as connectivity between this area and right lateral temporal cortex. These results demonstrate that memory can be strengthened by separate neurocognitive mechanisms for strategic control versus reward-based enhancement of processing.
Neofavolus yunnanensis sp. nov. (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) from China: evidence from morphology and DNA sequence data
Authors: LUO KAI-YUE , MA XIANG , ZHAO CHANG-LIN
Published: June 2019

A new wood-inhabiting species, Neofavolus yunnanensis, is proposed based on a combination of morphological features and molecular evidence. The species is characterized by an annual growth, laterally stipitate basidiomata with reniform to semicircular pileus, dimitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae, IKI–, CB–, and cylindrical, hyaline, thin-walled, smooth, IKI–, CB– basidiospores. Sequences of ITS and LSU nrRNA gene regions of the studied samples were generated, and phylogenetic analyses were performed with maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference methods. The phylogenetic analyses showed that N. yunnanensis was nested into the genus Neofavolus and then was as a sister with N. mikawae and then grouped with N. alveolaris and N. cremeoalbidus.
Systematic study of the genus Rossimyiops Mesnil (Diptera: Tachinidae)
Authors: CERRETTI PIERFILIPPO , DE BIASE ALESSIO , Freidberg Amnon
Published: June 2019

The systematic position and generic limits of Rossimyiops Mesnil, 1953 (type species: R. whiteheadi Mesnil, 1953) are critically redefined. Examination of the male terminalia allowed us to demonstrate the unjustified placement of Rossimyiops within the subfamily Dexiinae, tribe Dufouriini and its probable affiliation with the subfamily Tachininae, tribe Minthoini. The following generic names are synonymised with Rossimyiops Mesnil, 1953: Mesnilomyia Kugler, 1972 (type species: M. magnifica Kugler, 1972) syn. nov., and Persedea Richter, 2001 (type species: P. exquisita Richter, 2001) syn. nov. The following new combinations are proposed: Rossimyiops achilleae (Kugler, 1972) comb. nov., R. exquisitus (Richter, 2001) comb. nov., R. longicornis (Kugler, 1972) comb. nov., R. magnificus (Kugler, 1972) comb. nov., and R. subapertus (Herting, 1983) comb. nov. Mesnilomyia rufipes Zeegers, 2007 is established as a synonym of Persedea exquisita Richter, 2001, syn. nov. Rossimyiops austrinus Cerretti sp. nov. from Namibia and Rossimyiops djerbaensis Cerretti sp. nov. from Tunisia are described, illustrated and compared with the other known species of the genus. Male terminalia and female external morphology of R. subapertus and R. whiteheadi are described for the first time. Finally, Mesnilomyia calyptrata Zeegers, 2007 is removed from this genus and placed as Tachinidae incertae sedis.
Six new cave-dwelling pholcid spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae) from Hainan Island, with two newly recorded genera from China
Authors: TONG YANFENG , LI SHUQIANG
Published: June 2019

Cave-dwelling pholcid spiders of Hainan Island, China are studied for the first time. Nine species, including six new species and one new recorded species from China, are reported, i.e. Belisana desciscens sp. nov., B. exian sp. nov., B. maogan sp. nov., B. yalong sp. nov., Holocneminus huangdi sp. nov., Modisimus culicinus (Simon, 1893) rec. nov., Pholcus exceptus sp. nov., Pholcus gui Zhu & Song, 1999, and Physocyclus globosus (Taczanowski, 1874). The genera Holocneminus and Modisimus both are newly recorded from China. All the six new species are diagnosed, described and illustrated. The newly recorded species Modisimus culicinus (Simon, 1893) is illustrated, too.
Description of tadpoles of five frog species in the subgenus Brygoomantis from Madagascar (Mantellidae: Mantidactylus)
Authors: SCHMIDT HEIKE , STRAUß AXEL , GLAW FRANK , TESCHKE MEIKE , VENCES MIGUEL
Published: June 2019

We describe the larval stages of five frog species classified in the Madagascan subgenus Brygoomantis of the genus Mantidactylus, which were identified by DNA barcoding: Mantidactylus alutus, Mantidactylus curtus, and three taxonomically undescribed species here named Mantidactylus sp. aff. biporus "Ranomafana", M. sp. aff. biporus "Marojejy", and M. sp. aff. curtus "Ankaratra". The larvae of M. alutus, and of M. sp. aff. curtus "Ankaratra", had been described before, and we confirm and complement the previous studies. Our data confirm that Brygoomantis tadpoles are benthic, of a rather generalized body shape and oral disc morphology. All species for which tadpoles are known so far have a large dorsal gap of marginal papillae, a labial tooth row formula of 3-5 rows on the anterior labium of which only the first is continuous and the others have distinct medial gaps, and three rows of labial teeth on the posterior labium of which the first usually has a very small medial gap which however can sometimes be undetectable. Total number of marginal and submarginal papillae ranges from 50 to 103 and density of labial teeth (on the second upper row) from 19 to 76 per mm.
Revision of the genus Pyrochlora Warren, 1895 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Geometrinae)
Authors: VIIDALEPP JAAN
Published: June 2019

The genus Pyrochlora Warren is revised and three new species are described: P. motilonia, sp. nov. from Costa Rica and Nicaragua, P. kuklase, sp. nov. from mountainous Ecuador, and P. vogli, sp. nov. from Northern Venezuela. Wings pattern and genitalic structures of all five species are described and illustrated.
Revision of the Progamotaenia festiva species complex (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) from Australasian marsupials, with the resurrection of P. fellicola (Nybelin, 1917) comb. nov.
Authors: BEVERIDGE I. , SHAMSI S.
Published: June 2019

Examination of all available specimens currently identified as Progamotaenia festiva from macropodid and vombatid marsupials together with comparison with published genetic data has allowed the recognition of seven new species based on morphological differences: P. adspersa sp. nov. from Macropus irma (Jourdan) from Western Australia, P. aemulans sp. nov. from Macropus dorsalis (Gray) from Queensland, P. corniculata sp. nov. from Lagorchestes conspicillatus Gould from Queensland, P. dilatata sp. nov. from Wallabia bicolor (Desmarest) from Victoria, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland, P. onychogale sp. nov. from Onychogalea unguifera (Gould) from Queensland, P. pulchella sp. nov. from Setonix brachyurus (Quoy & Gaimard) from Western Australia, and P. vombati sp. nov. from Vombatus ursinus (Shaw) from Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital territory. Progamotaenia fellicola (Nybelin, 1917) comb. nov. is resurrected and is reported from Macropus agilis (Gould) from Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland in Australia as well as from Papua New Guinea. Within the redefined taxon P. festiva (Rudolphi, 1819), three morphotypes were recognised: the first lacking a space between the testis fields and the osmoregulatory canals, found in M. giganteus Shaw (type host), M. rufus (Desmarest), M. robustus Gould and M. dorsalis, the second with a space between the testis fields and the osmoregulatory canals, found in M. parryi Bennett and M. robustus and the third, with a space between the testis fields and the osmoregulatory canals but with a greater number of testes per segment, found in M. antilopinus (Gould) and M. robustus. Because the morphotypes are not entirely concordant with the genetic groups identified within P. festiva, all have been retained provisionally within this taxon.
Identity of Euploea orontobates Fruhstorfer, 1910 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), a milkweed butterfly from Thailand and Vietnam
Authors: MONASTYRSKII A. L. , VANE-WRIGHT R. I.
Published: June 2019

Euploea orontobates Fruhstorfer, 1910, described from south-eastern Thailand (Si Racha district), is demonstrated to be a senior synonym of Euploea conbuom Saito & Inayoshi, 2006, from southern Central Vietnam. The relationships and biogeography of this rare butterfly are discussed, and presented together with comments on the principal mimicry complex among the Euploea species of Indochina.
A new bark-gnawing beetle (Coleoptera, Trogossitidae) from the middle Eocene of Europe, with a checklist of fossil Trogossitidae
Authors: SCHMIED HEIKO , WAPPLER TORSTEN , KOLIBÁČ JIŘÍ
Published: June 2019

A new fossil bark-gnawing beetle, Ancyrona eocenica Schmied, Wappler, Kolibáč, new species (Coleoptera: Cleroidea: Trogossitidae), is described and figured from a specimen preserved in Eocene limnic sediments of the Eckfeld Maar, Germany. Ancyrona eocenica sp. nov. (Peltinae: Ancyronini) is the first trogossitid described from the Eckfeld Maar as well as the first fossil ever of this genus. The species is distinguished from recent congeners which are distributed in Ethiopian and Oriental regions by the following: minute body (2.6 mm), anterior margin of pronotum weakly concave, body broadly oval. A taxonomic catalogue of previously described fossil bark-gnawing beetles has been complied and is given here.
A new species of Obtusitermes (Isoptera, Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae) from South America
Authors: CUEZZO CAROLINA , CANCELLO ELIANA M.
Published: June 2019

Obtusitermes Snyder is a genus endemic to the Neotropics, restricted to northern South America and southern Central America. Obtusitermes panamae Snyder was described from Quipo, Panama. Herein, we describe Obtusitermes formosulus, n. sp., from Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago, based on the dimorphic soldier and polymorphic worker. These descriptions provide strong evidence that Parvitermes bacchanalis Mathews should not be included in Obtusitermes.
Agromyzidae (Diptera: Schizophora) in the state of Pará: new species and new records in Brazil
Authors: MONTEIRO NILTON JUVENCIO SANTIAGO , BARBOSA RODRIGO RENDEIRO , ESPOSITO MARIA CRISTINA
Published: June 2019

We here report 35 Agromyzidae species and their associations with host-plants in the state of Pará. We describe the new species Ophiomyia falcifera sp. nov. and Phytomyza varronivora sp. nov. Eleven species, and the genera Phytomyza Fallén and Pseudonapomyza Hendel, are reported for the first time in Brazil.
Psilotris vantasselli, a new species of goby from the tropical western Atlantic (Teleostei: Gobiidae: Gobiosomatini: Nes subgroup)
Authors: TORNABENE LUKE , BALDWIN CAROLE C.
Published: June 2019

A new species of goby is described from submersible and scuba collections off Bonaire and New Providence Island, Bahamas. A molecular phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear genes confirms the placement of the new species within the genus Psilotris of the Nes subgroup of the Gobiosomatini. The new species is easily distinguished from congeners and morphologically similar species of Varicus by its unique coloration, which includes eight narrow, bright yellow bars on the trunk, each with a small orange spot centered on the lateral midline. In addition, the combination of the absence of scales on the head and body and the presence of modified ctenoid scales on the base of the caudal fin, branched pelvic-fin rays, and 15–16 pectoral-fin rays further differentiates the new species from other species of Psilotris and Varicus.
In-Orbit Performance of the Constellation of CYGNSS Hurricane Satellites
Authors: Ruf Christopher , Asharaf Shakeel , Balasubramaniam Rajeswari , Gleason Scott , Lang Timothy , McKague Darren , Twigg Dorina , Waliser Duane
Published: June 2019

The NASA Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) constellation of eight satellites was successfully launched into low Earth orbit on 15 December 2016. Each satellite carries a radar receiver that measures GPS signals scattered from the surface. Wind speed over the ocean is determined from distortions in the signal caused by wind-driven surface roughness. GPS operates at a sufficiently low frequency to allow for propagation through all precipitation, including the extreme rain rates present in the eyewall of tropical cyclones. The spacing and orbit of the satellites were chosen to optimize frequent sampling of tropical cyclones. In this study, we characterize the CYGNSS ocean surface wind speed measurements by their uncertainty, dynamic range, sensitivity to precipitation, spatial resolution, spatial and temporal sampling, and data latency. The current status of each of these properties is examined and potential future improvements are discussed. In addition, examples are given of current science investigations that make use of the data.
Regional Arctic Amplification by a Fast Atmospheric Response to Anthropogenic Sulfate Aerosol Forcing in China
Authors: Kim Minjoong J. , Yeh Sang-Wook , Park Rokjin J. , Son Seok-Woo , Moon Byung-Kwon , Kim Byung-Gon , Kim Jae-Jin , Kim Sang-Woo
Published: June 2019

It is known that an increase of water vapor over the Arctic is one of most plausible causes driving Arctic amplification. However, debate continues with regard to the explanation of the underlying mechanisms driving the increase of moisture over the Arctic region in the observations. Here, we used the Community Atmosphere Model with prescribed sea surface temperature along with reanalysis datasets to examine the role of fast atmospheric responses to the increase of anthropogenic sulfate aerosol concentrations in China. We found that it plays an additive role in moisture transport from the midlatitudes, resulting in warming of the Arctic region, especially around the Barents–Kara Seas. Specifically, sulfate aerosol forcing in China reduces the meridional temperature gradient and leads to the increase of moisture transport into the Arctic by altering atmospheric circulation. The resulting increase of moisture then leads to surface warming through the enhancement of the downwelling longwave radiation. This implies that Arctic warming around the Barents–Kara Seas has been accelerated, at least in part, by a fast atmospheric response to anthropogenic sulfate aerosol emissions in China in the recent past.
Equatorial Windows and Barriers for Stationary Rossby Wave Propagation
Authors: Li Yanjie , Feng Jin , Li Jianping , Hu Aixue
Published: June 2019

Rossby waves can cross the equator and connect the Northern Hemisphere (NH) and Southern Hemisphere (SH), or be blocked in the vicinity of the equator. This work explores the windows and barriers for the cross-equatorial waves (CEWs) by the wave ray ensemble method. The eastern Pacific and Atlantic regions are identified as common windows in both boreal winter and summer, while the Africa–Indian Ocean section exists as a window only in boreal summer. The western–central Pacific is found to be a barrier section. These results are consistent with correlation analysis of reanalysis data. Moreover, the dependence on the wavenumber of CEWs is investigated, revealing that they are restricted to long waves with zonal wavenumbers less than 6 and that their wavenumber vectors exhibit a northwest–southeast (southwest–northeast) tilt when they cross the equator from the NH to SH (from the SH to NH). This long-wave dominance of CEWs results from the spectral-selective filtering mechanism, which suggests that long waves have narrower equatorial barriers than short waves. Finally, the main wave duct associated with each window is obtained by the global passing CEW density distribution. The results indicate that the main CEW ducts roughly follow a great circle–like pathway, except for the Africa–Indian Ocean window in boreal summer, which may be modulated by the cross-equatorial monsoonal flow.
Service availability and capacity in rural mental health in Australia: Analysing gaps using an Integrated Mental Health Atlas
Authors: van Spijker Bregje A , Salinas-Perez Jose A , Mendoza John , Bell Tanya , Bagheri Nasser , Furst Mary Anne , Reynolds Julia , Rock Daniel , Harvey Andrew , Rosen Alan , Salvador-Carulla Luis
Published: June 2019

Objective:

Access to services and workforce shortages are major challenges in rural areas worldwide. In order to improve access to mental health care, it is imperative to understand what services are available, what their capacity is and where existing funds might be spent to increase availability and accessibility. The aim of this study is to investigate mental health service provision in a selection of rural and remote areas across Australia by analysing service availability, placement capacity and diversity.

Method:

This research studies the health regions of Western New South Wales and Country Western Australia and their nine health areas. Service provision was analysed using the DESDE-LTC system for long-term care service description and classification that allows international comparison. Rates per 100,000 inhabitants were calculated to compare the care availability and placement capacity for children and adolescents, adults and older adults.

Results:

The lowest diversity was found in northern Western Australia. Overall, Western New South Wales had a higher availability of non-acute outpatient services for adults, but hardly any acute outpatient services. In Country Western Australia, substantially fewer non-acute outpatient services were found, while acute services were much more common. Acute inpatient care services were more common in Western New South Wales, while sub-acute inpatient services and non-acute day care services were only found in Western New South Wales.

Conclusion:

The number and span of services in the two regions showed discrepancies both within and between regions, raising issues on the equity of access to mental health care in Australia. The standard description of the local pattern of rural mental health care and its comparison across jurisdictions is critical for evidence-informed policy planning and resource allocation.
A Finite Mixture Item Response Theory Model for Continuous Measurement Outcomes
Authors: Zopluoglu Cengiz
Published: June 2019

A mixture extension of Samejima’s continuous response model for continuous measurement outcomes and its estimation through a heuristic approach based on limited-information factor analysis is introduced. Using an empirical data set, it is shown that two groups of respondents that differ both qualitatively and quantitatively in their response behavior can be revealed. In addition to the real data application, the effectiveness of the heuristic estimation approach under real data analytic conditions was examined through a Monte Carlo simulation study. The results showed that the heuristic estimation approach provided reliable parameter estimates and the model successfully converged above 80% when the sample size was 250 and above 90% when the sample size was 500 or 1,000 for most conditions.
Unravelling US maternal mortality through critical discourse analysis
Authors: Allen Rebecca , Sovik Benedetti Mary
Published: June 2019

Objectives:

Given that pregnancy health information seeking is common and considered impactful on health outcomes, the potential lack of fair and clear information within media may be an impediment towards women developing their own agency and working towards the transformation and betterment of their own outcomes.

Setting:

The USA has the worst maternal mortality rate of any developed country. Women’s opinions are shaped and informed by public media and discourse; therefore, a critical look at how public media texts support women’s agency is of significance.

Method:

Reducing maternal mortality requires more than just effective health interventions. This paper uses critical discourse analysis to examine two samples of widely viewed public discourse around the issue of US maternal mortality and reveals the murky and polarised dialogue contained in each.

Results:

The two samples may be representative of a larger lack of clarity in US discourse about maternal mortality, a body of discourse which – to the detriment of women’s maternal morbidity and mortality outcomes – subtly but powerfully either declines to admit mistakes or uses polarising, overly simplified language.

Conclusion:

Recognising the polarised dialogue surrounding maternal mortality and working towards a more reasoned discussion of the issue at hand may promote women’s advocacy and provide potentially better outcomes.
Characterization of carbon fiber-reinforced poly(phenylene sulfide) composites prepared with various compatibilizers
Authors: Durmaz Bedriye U , Aytac Ayse
Published: June 2019

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different compatibilizers on the properties of polyamide-sized carbon fiber-reinforced poly(phenylene sulfide) composites. The composites were prepared by using melt blending and injection molding methods by using three different compatibilizers at various loading levels. The characterization of composites was performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, tensile test, dynamic mechanical analysis, differential scanning thermometer, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscope. According to tensile test results, the highest increment in tensile strength and strain at break values of composites was observed with the addition of Joncryl. According to scanning electron microscope and dynamic mechanical analysis results, the best interfacial adhesion between carbon fiber and poly(phenylene sulfide) was obtained by using Joncryl as the compatibilizer.
The Unintended Consequence of Price-Based Service Recovery Incentives
Authors: Kanuri Vamsi K. , Andrews Michelle
Published: June 2019

Subscription-based service providers (e.g., newspapers, internet services) often issue price-based incentives to recover from service failures. However, because considerable time may pass between when providers issue a recovery incentive and when service contracts are due for renewal, it is unclear whether recovery incentives can improve customer retention in the long run. The authors investigate this question by examining 6,919 contract renewal decisions of newspaper subscribers who received varying levels of recovery incentives after newspaper delivery failures. In contrast to conventional wisdom, they find that recovery incentives are associated with lower contract renewal likelihoods. They rationalize this finding using the economic theory of reference prices and further demonstrate that firms could mitigate the unintended consequence of recovery incentives by reminding subscribers of the original price at touch points following the recovery, discounting the renewal price, and prolonging the duration between the recovery and renewal. The authors also show that the intensity of promotions in the external environment at the time of administering recovery incentives, and that acquiring subscribers by communicating the value of the subscription service, can influence the long-term effectiveness of recovery incentives. For subscription-based service providers, the authors propose a decision support model to optimize recovery and renewal incentives and demonstrate its utility within this empirical context.
Tamoxifen administration in pregnant mice can be deleterious to both mother and embryo
Authors: Ved Nikita , Curran Angela , Ashcroft Frances Mary , Sparrow Duncan Burnaby
Published: June 2019

Since it was introduced 20 years ago, tamoxifen-inducible genetic recombination in vivo has become a standard tool in many fields. This technique has great utility, allowing precise temporal and spatial gene recombination mediated by expression of a Cre recombinase-oestrogen receptor hormone binding domain fusion protein. It is frequently used in developmental biology, either for accurate spatio-temporal gene deletion or for lineage-labelling. Administration of high doses of tamoxifen can rapidly induce abortion in pregnant mice but this can be partially overcome by progesterone co-administration. However, administration of tamoxifen to pregnant mice early in pregnancy may have potentially lethal effects on the mother independently of abortion, and can also severely perturb embryonic development. Despite this, only a few published studies mention this fact in passing, and standard parameters for successful or unsuccessful use of tamoxifen in pregnant mice have not been reported. Therefore, in the interests of providing a framework for more humane animal research, we describe our experiences of tamoxifen administration during early gestation in mice. These observations should assist the design of future studies in accordance with the principles of the three Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement of Animals in Research).
Fatal left coronary artery dissection due to blunt chest trauma: A case report and literature review
Authors: Violon Florian , Lardenois Emilie , Grafiadis Patrick , Martrille Laurent , Gauchotte Guillaume
Published: June 2019

Blunt chest traumas can cause cardiac injuries and contusions. However, post-traumatic coronary artery dissections are quite uncommon. Here, we report the case of a 58-year-old woman who died suddenly 14 hours after a car accident. The macroscopic anomalies observed during the autopsy could not explain the death. However, microscopic examination revealed an acute left anterior descending coronary dissection, with a cleavage of the external layers of the media. The infiltration of polymorphonuclear neutrophils in the adventitia was a sign of the pre-mortem occurrence of this lesion and was compatible with the chronology of the accident. It was the only pathological finding that could explain the death, which was probably caused by a cardiac rhythm disorder triggered by acute ischaemia. We did not observe specific histological signs of cardiac necrosis, and we observed no significant atheroma, vasculitis or dysplasia in the left anterior descending coronary artery. We concluded that the dissection was secondary to the blunt chest trauma. Eleven case reports of lethal post-traumatic coronary dissection have been reported in the literature. Most of them involved male subjects aged <60 years old following a traffic accident, and were localised to the left coronary artery or one of its branches. Histological specific signs of myocardial ischaemia were present in only 33% of the cases. In this case, only microscopic examination could identify the dissection. This pathology may be underdiagnosed, and it highlights the necessity to undertake rigorous examination of the heart and coronary arteries following blunt chest trauma.
Management of DNA evidence collected on adolescents in sexual assault investigations: A 10-year review from a large Italian rape centre
Authors: Piccinini Andrea , Vignali Giulia , Bailo Paolo , Barbara Giussy , Gennari Giuseppe , Di Candia Domenico , Albertini Valentina , Kustermann Alessandra
Published: June 2019

Little research is available on the actual forensic use of genetic analyses performed in sexual violence cases, despite their relevant role in legal processes. The present retrospective study aimed to contribute to filling this gap in research, evaluating the actual number of serological/DNA analyses that followed medical examination of female adolescent victims of sexual violence. The study was performed in a large rape centre in Milan (North Italy) by analysing all medical records of female victims of sexual violence aged 13–19 years in the period from January 2006 to December 2015. The total number of sexual assault victims examined aged 13–19 years was 599. In 473 of the cases, biological evidence had been collected. The gathering of biological evidence was accurately performed (double swab technique) in multiple anatomical regions on the victims’ bodies, and clothes were acquired when biological stains were present or could be present. Proper handling under chain of custody for all the items collected followed in every case. Despite all of this, serological/DNA analyses were requested in only 9/473 (1.9%) cases. Procedural issues possibly affecting the magistrates’ decisions not to use DNA extensively as an investigative tool are also discussed.
Recent Immigrants and Public Charge: Access to Coverage and New Legal Arrivals’ Employment, Self-Employment, and Health Insurance After Medicaid Expansions and the Marketplace
Authors: García-Pérez Mónica
Published: June 2019

This article uses data from the American Community Survey from 2009 to 2016 to identify the effect of Medicaid expansions and the creation of the ACA Insurance Market Exchange (Marketplace) on low-income recent immigrants’ employment, self-employment, and health coverage. There is increasing interest in the connection between public coverage and employment outcomes among low-income documented immigrants after the current administration proposed to include the use of Medicaid as a potential reason for denying green card and citizenship applications based on the public charge criteria. The article finds little evidence on reduction of employment among those who are eligible in nongenerous states. We find evidence of an increase in the likelihood of being self-employed in generous states that expanded Medicaid before the implementation of the Marketplace. The findings suggests that low-income immigrants are likely to be employed regardless of their years in the country and that access to public coverage only affects the likelihood of having public versus private coverage.
Women and Development in Ethiopia: A Sociohistorical Analysis
Authors: Semela Tesfaye , Bekele Hirut , Abraham Rahel
Published: June 2019

This article analyzes the role of women as both contributors to and beneficiaries of the socio-economic development of Ethiopia over the past century during three divergent political regimes. Employing the social constructivist and feminist notions of doing and undoing gender, and Bourdieu’s concept of “Habitus” as its theoretical lenses, this study examines how women were able to deal with the external pressures exerted by social and institutional structures and navigated through a predominantly masculine world to negotiate their changing roles in the Ethiopian society. Based on a review of the relevant literature, analysis of government policies and strategies, and official statistics, this study traces the historical trajectories of Ethiopian women since the early modern imperial era to the present. The study also identifies policy options that have helped to overcome the deep-sited inequalities between men and women in the Ethiopian context.
Achieving Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons from the Experience of Selected Countries
Authors: Moyo Theresa , Dhliwayo Rogers
Published: June 2019

Despite the progress that has been made towards achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), evidence shows that gender disparities remain persistent in most countries. The aim of the article is to identify lessons from the experiences of those countries which have made considerable progress in bridging the gender gap. More specifically, the article seeks to identify strategies that will enable SSA countries to achieve the gender equality goal in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Intraoperative changes in blood lactate levels are associated with worse short-term outcomes after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass
Authors: Duval Benoit , Besnard Thibaud , Mion Stefano , Leuillet Sébastien , Jecker Olivier , Labrousse Louis , Rémy Alain , Zaouter Cedrick , Ouattara Alexandre
Published: June 2019

Background:

A high perioperative blood lactate level has been reported to be associated with poor outcomes after cardiac surgery. More than isolated peaks of lactate values, it should be more interesting to take into account changes in intraoperative blood lactate level (∆Lact). This large-scale retrospective study evaluated the relationship between ∆Lact and overall intensive care unit morbidity and 30-day all-cause mortality.

Methods:

Perioperative data from consecutive patients undergoing on-pump cardiac surgery between September 2010 and June 2016 were retrospectively analysed through our institutional database including clinical, transfusion and laboratory test results implemented prospectively by physicians. Blood lactate levels were initially measured after induction of anaesthesia (baseline) and periodically during the surgery. The ∆Lact was defined as the difference between the highest intraoperative blood lactate and the baseline lactate level and offered the opportunity to stratify patients into four subgroups: ⩽0, 0.1-0.9, 1-1.9 and ⩾2 mmol L−1.

Results:

From the 7,795 patients found eligible during the study period, 7,447 patients were analysed. The median ∆Lact of our patients was 0.6 (0.3-1) mmol L−1. Most of the studied patients (65.9%) exhibited a ∆Lact between 0.1 and 0.9 mmol L−1. A concentration-dependent relationship was observed between ∆Lact and intensive care unit morbidity and 30-day mortality. After adjustment for co-variables, all ∆Lact > 0 was associated with an increase in overall intensive care unit morbidity. An independent relationship was also found between ∆Lact and 30-day mortality as of a 1 mmol L−1 increase.

Conclusion:

Our results suggest that ∆Lact is associated with poor short-term outcomes in adult cardiac surgical patients.