bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Snow disappearance timing is dominated by forest effects on snow accumulation in warm winter climates of the Pacific Northwest, United States
Authors: Dickerson‐Lange Susan E. , Gersonde Rolf F. , Hubbart Jason A. , Link Timothy E. , Nolin Anne W. , Perry Gwyneth H. , Roth Travis R. , Wayand Nicholas E. , Lundquist Jessica D.
Published: February 2017

Forests modify snow processes and affect snow water storage as well as snow disappearance timing. However, forest influences on snow accumulation and ablation vary with climate and topography and are therefore subject to temporal and spatial variability. We utilize multiple years of snow observations from across the Pacific Northwest, United States, to assess forest–snow interactions in the relatively warm winter conditions characteristic of maritime and transitional maritime–continental climates. We (a) quantify the difference in snow magnitude and disappearance timing between forests and open areas and (b) assess how forest modifications of snow accumulation and ablation combine to determine whether snow disappears later in the forest or in the open.

We find that snow disappearance timing at 12 (out of 14) sites ranges from synchronous in the forest and open to snow persisting up to 13 weeks longer in the open relative to a forested area. By analyzing accumulation and ablation rates up to the day when snow first disappears from the forest, we find that the difference between accumulation rates in the open and forest is larger than the difference between ablation rates. Thus, canopy snow interception and subsequent loss, rather than ablation, set up longer snow duration in the open. However, at two relatively windy sites (hourly average wind speeds up to 8 and 17 m/s), differential snow disappearance timing is reversed: Snow persists 2–5 weeks longer in the forest. At the windiest sites, accumulation rates in the forest and open are similar. Ablation rates are higher in the open, but the difference between ablation rates in the forest and open at these sites is approximately equivalent to the difference at less windy sites. Thus, longer snow retention in the forest at the windiest sites is controlled by depositional differences rather than by reduced ablation rates. These findings suggest that improved quantification of forest effects on snow accumulation processes is needed to accurately predict the effect of forest management or natural disturbance on snow water resources.
Annual runoff assessment in arid and semiarid Mediterranean watersheds under the Budyko's framework
Authors: Viola F. , Caracciolo D. , Forestieri A. , Pumo D. , Noto L.V.
Published: February 2017

The solution of many practical water problems is strictly connected to the availability of reliable and widespread information about runoff. The estimation of mean annual runoff and its interannual variability for any basin over a wide region, even if ungauged, would be fundamental for both water resources assessment and planning and for water quality analysis. Starting from these premises, the main aim of this work is to show a new approach, based on the Budyko's framework, for mapping the mean annual surface runoff and deriving the probability distribution of the annual runoff in arid and semiarid watersheds. As a case study, the entire island of Sicily, Italy, is here proposed. First, time series data of annual rainfall, runoff, and reconstructed series of potential evapotranspiration have been combined within the Budyko's curve framework to obtain regional rules for rainfall partitioning between evapotranspiration and runoff. Then this knowledge has been used to infer long‐term annual runoff at the point scale by means of interpolated rainfall and potential evapotranspiration. The long‐term annual runoff raster layer has been obtained at each pixel of the drainage network, averaging the upstream runoff using advanced spatial analysis techniques within a GIS environment.

Furthermore, 2 alternative methods are here proposed to derive the distribution of annual runoff, under the assumption of negligible interannual variations of basin water storage. The first method uses Monte Carlo simulations, combining rainfall and potential evapotranspiration randomly extracted from independent distributions. The second method is based on a simplification of the Budyko's curve and analytically provides the annual runoff distribution as the derived distribution of annual rainfall and potential evapotranspiration. Results are very encouraging: long‐term annual runoff and its distribution have been derived and compared with historical records at several gauged stations, obtaining satisfactory matching.
Influence of hypoxia on the stemness of umbilical cord matrix‐derived mesenchymal stem cells cultured on chitosan films
Authors: Taguchi Takashi , Cho Jane Y. , Hao Jijun , Nout‐Lomas Yvette S. , Kang Kyung‐Sun , Griffon Dominique J.
Published: February 2017

Chitosan is attractive as a substrate for stem cell expansion because it improves stemness through formation of spheroids. Hypoxia has also been proposed as a strategy to enhance stemness and survival of stem cells afterin vivoimplantation. This study was therefore designed to evaluate the influence of hypoxia on chitosan‐induced behavior of stem cells. Umbilical cord matrix‐derived stem cells were cultured on chitosan film or standard plate under normoxia and hypoxia, for 3 and 7 days. Based on immunophenotyping, chitosan strongly suppresses the expression of CD90 and CD105 cell surface markers, changes partially reversed by combined exposure to hypoxia. Hypoxia generally increased the volume and number of spheroids formed on chitosan, but the cellularity of cultures on chitosan films remained lower than that of standard plates. After 7 days of culture, the expression of stemness related genes (Oct4,Sox2, andNanog) was best stimulated by combined exposure to chitosan and hypoxia. Based on our results, conditioning stem cells for 7 days on chitosan films under hypoxic conditions is recommended to enhance the stemness of stem cells, and minimize cell loss due to lack of attachment on chitosan. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 501–511, 2018.
Association of expression of selenoprotein P in mRNA and protein levels with metabolic syndrome in subjects with cardiovascular disease: Results of the Selenegene study
Authors: Gharipour Mojgan , Sadeghi Masoumeh , Salehi Mansour , Behmanesh Mehrdad , Khosravi Elham , Dianatkhah Minoo , Haghjoo Javanmard Shaghayegh , Razavi Rouzbeh , Gharipour Amin
Published: February 2017

Background

Selenoprotein P (SeP) is involved in transporting selenium from the liver to target tissues. Because SeP confers protection against disease by reducing chronic oxidative stress, the present study aimed to assess the level of SeP in the serum of patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) with a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted in 63 and 71 subjects with and without MetS in the presence of documented CVD. All demographic, anthropometric and cardiometabolic variables (lipids, blood glucose, blood pressure) were assessed. Lifestyle‐related factors and personal history and familial CVD risk factors were recorded. The expression of SELP in mRNA and protein levels in the serum was measured, and MetS was determined using ATPIII criteria. Binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated MetS and SeP to be dependent and independent variables, respectively.

Results

Mean of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride, high‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol, fasting blood sugar, body mass index and waist circumference were higher among subjects with MetS (p = 0.05). The mean of selenium was higher among subjects with MetS, whereas the mean of SeP was lower among subjects with MetS (p < 0.001). In the unadjusted model, the SeP had decreased odds for MetS [odds ratio (OR) = 0.995; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.989–1.00] (p < 0.04). Furthermore, the association between MetS and SeP levels remained marginally significant even after adjusting for potential confounders such as age, gender, family history, smoking status and nutrition. SeP and waist circumference show a significant relationship (OR =0.995; 95% CI = 0.990–1.00) (p < 0.033).

Conclusions

We have demonstrated a significant decrease in circulating SeP levels according to MetS status in patients with documented cardiovascular disease.
The influence of plant protection by effective microorganisms on the content of bioactive phytochemicals in apples
Authors: Kusznierewicz Barbara , Lewandowska Anna , Martysiak‐Żurowska Dorota , Bartoszek Agnieszka
Published: February 2017

BACKGROUND

The phytochemicals of two apple cultivars (Yellow Transparent and Early Geneva) protected in two ways, conventionally with chemical pesticides or by effective microorganisms (EM), were compared. Two types of components were determined: lipids synthesised constitutively and generated via inducible pathways polyphenols along with antioxidant activity and profiles.

RESULTS

The antioxidant activities assessed with ABTS, DPPH and Folin–Ciocalteu reagents were about two‐fold higher in the case of microbiologically protected apples. The qualitative composition of phenolics determined by LC‐DAD‐MS varied between cultivars and the part of apples studied, while the method of protection caused mainly differences in concentration of some groups of polyphenols (hydroxycinnamates, flavanols, dihydrochalcones, flavonols, anthocyanins). The apples from biological cultivation contained about 34–54% more phenolics than these from a conventional orchard. In contrast, lipid composition did not differ significantly between apples originating from conventional and bio‐crops.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that the advantage of using the EM technology in agriculture may not only be the reduction of consumption of chemical fertilisers and synthetic pesticides, but also, at least in the case of apples, may lead to the production of crops with improved health quality due to the higher content of bioactive phytochemicals. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
The composition of cell walls from grape skin in Vitis vinifera intraspecific hybrids
Authors: Apolinar‐Valiente Rafael , Gómez‐Plaza Encarna , Terrier Nancy , Doco Thierry , Ros‐García José María
Published: February 2017

BACKGROUND

Monastrell is a red grape cultivar adapted to the dry environmental conditions of Murcia, SE Spain. Its berries seem to be characterized by a rigid cell wall structure, which could make difficult the winemaking process. Cabernet Sauvignon cultivar is used to complement Monastrell wines in this region owing to its high phenolic content with high extractability. This study explores the skin cell wall composition of grapes from plants resulting from intraspecific crosses of Vitis vinifera cultivars Monastrell × Cabernet Sauvignon. Moreover, the morphology of the cell wall material (CWM) from some representative samples was visualized by transmission optical microscopy.

RESULTS

The total sugar content of CWM from nine out of ten genotypes of the progeny was lower than that from Monastrell. Seven out of ten genotypes showed lower phenolic content than Cabernet Sauvignon. The CWM from nine out of ten hybrids presented lower protein content than that from Monastrell.

CONCLUSION

This study confirms that skin cell walls from Monastrell × Cabernet Sauvignon hybrid grapes presented major differences in composition compared with their parents. These data could help in the development of new cultivars adapted to the dry conditions of SE Spain and with a cell wall composition favouring extractability. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
“Seize the Deal, or Return It Losing Your Free Gift”: The Effect of a Gift‐With‐Purchase Promotion on Product Return Intention
Authors: Lee Shinhyoung , Yi Youjae
Published: February 2017

The current article sheds light on an important issue in marketing: how marketers can prevent consumers from returning previously purchased goods. This research examines the relationship between a gift‐with‐purchase promotion and consumer product returns, hypothesizing that consumers who purchase products that come with a free gift will be less likely to return the products. Evidence shows that a gift‐with‐purchase promotion reduces consumer product returns and that this relationship is mediated by perceived loss in returning a product. Then, the results indicate that the choice of free gifts reduces product return intention and that this relationship is serially mediated by perceived ownership and perceived loss. The findings further suggest that when consumers with high product involvement can select free gifts among alternatives, they tend to perceive more ownership and loss and thereby are less likely to return the promoted product. Overall, the current research proposes that consumers prefer to seize the deal rather than to return it when they get a gift‐with‐purchase, have a chance to select a free gift, and are highly involved with the product.
Foxa2, a novel protein partner of the tumour suppressor menin, is deregulated in mouse and human MEN1 glucagonomas
Authors: Bonnavion Rémy , Teinturier Romain , Gherardi Samuele , Leteurtre Emmanuelle , Yu Run , Cordier‐Bussat Martine , Du Rui , Pattou François , Vantyghem Marie‐Christine , Bertolino Philippe , Lu Jieli , Zhang Chang Xian
Published: February 2017

Foxa2, known as one of the pioneer factors, plays a crucial role in islet development and endocrine functions. Its expression and biological functions are regulated by various factors, including, in particular, insulin and glucagon. However, its expression and biological role in adult pancreatic α‐cells remain elusive. In the current study, we showed that Foxa2 was overexpressed in islets from α‐cell‐specific Men1 mutant mice, at both the transcriptional level and the protein level. More importantly, immunostaining analyses showed its prominent nuclear accumulation, specifically in α‐cells, at a very early stage after Men1 disruption. Similar nuclear FOXA2 expression was also detected in a substantial proportion (12/19) of human multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) glucagonomas. Interestingly, our data revealed an interaction between Foxa2 and menin encoded by the Men1 gene. Furthermore, using several approaches, we demonstrated the relevance of this interaction in the regulation of two tested Foxa2 target genes, including the autoregulation of the Foxa2 promoter by Foxa2 itself. The current study establishes menin, a novel protein partner of Foxa2, as a regulator of Foxa2, the biological functions of which extend beyond the pancreatic endocrine cells. Copyright © 2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
IL‐1β induces thymic stromal lymphopoietin and an atopic dermatitis‐like phenotype in reconstructed healthy human epidermis
Authors: Bernard Marine , Carrasco Cédric , Laoubi Léo , Guiraud Béatrice , Rozières Aurore , Goujon Catherine , Duplan Hélène , Bessou‐Touya Sandrine , Nicolas Jean‐François , Vocanson Marc , Galliano Marie‐Florence
Published: February 2017

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common skin inflammatory disease characterized by the production of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) and marked TH2 polarization. Recent studies suggest that IL‐1β contributes to the development of AD skin inflammation. Here, we have investigated the impact of IL‐1β signalling on the epidermal homeostasis of both healthy subjects and AD patients [with functional filaggrin (FLG) alleles], with particular attention to TSLP production and keratinocyte differentiation. In healthy reconstructed human epidermis (RHE), IL‐1β promoted (i) robust secretion of TSLP in an NF‐κB‐dependent manner and (ii) a significant decrease in the expression of filaggrin and other proteins of the epidermal differentiation complex. These effects were prevented by treatment of RHE with the anti‐IL‐1β mAb canakinumab and by the IL‐1 receptor antagonist anakinra. Interestingly, RHE generated from AD donors behaved like that of healthy individuals and showed comparable responses to IL‐1β signals. Collectively, our results suggest that IL‐1β may be an early key mediator for the acquisition of an AD phenotype through induction of TSLP and alteration of the epidermal homeostasis. Copyright © 2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Halloysite clay nanotubes as nano‐bazookas for drug delivery
Authors: Leporatti Stefano
Published: February 2017

Halloysite nanotubes are cheap, abundant in their deposits, natural green clays with cylindrical structure having a chemical composition similar to that of kaolin. Because of their lumens, high aspect length–diameter ratio and low hydroxyl density on their surface they are readily suitable for a number of interesting applications. In this review we focus only on their use as ‘nano‐bazooka’ drug carriers, able to shoot their cargo against major diseases. Their structure, controlled release and loading are described. We emphasize especially their possible use as novel drug delivery systems with applications in nanomedicine. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Characterisation of block copolymer self‐assemblies by thermal field‐flow fractionation
Authors: Greyling Guilaume , Pasch Harald
Published: February 2017

The ability of block copolymers to self‐assemble into various nanostructures (such as micelles) has attracted significant attention over the years as these block copolymers provide a versatile platform that can readily be modified for a wide range of applications. As such, the solution behaviour of block copolymers has been at the forefront of the modern nanotechnology revolution. However, these novel block copolymer‐based self‐assemblies lack suitable characterisation techniques to determine size, molar mass and compositional distributions simultaneously. This mini‐review gives a short background on the current techniques used to determine important micelle properties as well as their limitations for characterising complex samples. Current column‐based fractionation techniques used for determining property distributions are addressed. As a result of the limitations of column‐based fractionations, a multidetector thermal field‐flow fractionation (ThFFF) approach is put forward as a powerful alternative for determining not only size and molar mass distributions, but also other micelle properties as a function of temperature. More importantly, ThFFF is highlighted as the only current characterisation platform capable of addressing the analytical challenges associated with compositional distributions of polymer self‐assemblies. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
The Development of Prostate Adenocarcinoma in a Transgender Male to Female Patient: Could Estrogen Therapy Have Played a Role?
Authors: Sharif Asma , Malhotra Neha R. , Acosta Andres M. , Kajdacsy‐Balla Andre A. , Bosland Maarten , Guzman Grace , Prins Gail S. , Abern Michael R.
Published: February 2017

BACKGROUND

Prostate adenocarcinoma (PCa) is a rare diagnosis in the male to female transgender (MtFT) population with only a few case reports published in the current medical literature. Long standing beliefs of androgen suppression conferring a protective effect against prostate cancer development have been challenged by the literature citing adenocarcinoma development in the prostate of rodent models following combined estrogen and testosterone treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We herein present a MtFT patient who presented with high grade PCa following 20 years of exogenous estrogen therapy.

RESULTS

Immunohistochemical (IHC) localization of estrogen receptor alpha (ER‐α) and progesterone receptor (PR) demonstrated positive staining in stromal cells; while, androgen receptor (AR) demonstrated positive staining in malignant glands and weak scattered staining in adjacent stroma.

CONCLUSION

This pattern of staining raises concern for a possible contributing role of exogenous estrogen therapy in tumorigenesis. As awareness of gender dysphoria and acceptance of gender reassignment surgery has seen a recent increase, the unique needs of this population must be recognized. Prostate 77:824–828, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Migratory flight behaviour of the pollen beetle Meligethes aeneus
Authors: Mauchline Alice L , Cook Samantha M , Powell Wilf , Chapman Jason W , Osborne Juliet L
Published: February 2017

BACKGROUND

The field ecology of the pollen beetle Meligethes aeneus and its damaging effects on oilseed rape crops are well understood. However, the flight behaviour of M. aeneus, in particular the drivers for migratory movements across the landscape, is not well studied. We combined three established methodologies – suction traps, vertical‐looking radar and high‐altitude aerial netting – to demonstrate that M. aeneus flies at a range of altitudes at different points during its active season.

RESULTS

By linking evidence of high‐altitude mass migration with immigration of pollen beetles into oilseed rape fields, we were able to ‘ground‐truth’ the results to characterise the seasonal movements of this pest across the landscape.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrate that this novel combination of methodologies can advance our understanding of the population movements of pollen beetles and could provide an opportunity to develop predictive models to estimate the severity and timing of pest outbreaks. © 2017 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
From Graphite to Graphene Oxide and Graphene Oxide Quantum Dots
Authors: Liu Botong , Xie Juan , Ma Hui , Zhang Xi , Pan Yue , Lv Jiawei , Ge Huan , Ren Na , Su Haiquan , Xie Xiaoji , Huang Ling , Huang Wei
Published: February 2017

Many methods have been reported for synthesizing graphene oxide (GO) and graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) where a tedious operational procedure and long reaction time are generally required. Herein, a facile one‐pot solvothermal method that allows selective synthesis of pure GO and pure GOQDs, respectively is demonstrated. What is more, the final product of either GO or differently sized GOQDs can be easily controlled by adjusting the reaction temperatures or reactant ratios, which is also feasible when enlarged to gram scale. The 2.5 nm GOQDs show excellent photoluminescence that can be utilized for bioimaging or distinctive detection of Eu3+ and Tb3+ from their respective mixtures with other rare earth and/or transition metal ions, at sub‐ppm level.
The Long-Term Cognitive and Socioeconomic Consequences of Birth Intervals: A Within-Family Sibling Comparison Using Swedish Register Data
Authors: Barclay Kieron J. , Kolk Martin
Published: February 2017

We examine the relationship between birth-to-birth intervals and a variety of mid- and long-term cognitive and socioeconomic outcomes, including high school GPA, cognitive ability, educational attainment, earnings, unemployment status, and receiving government welfare support. Using contemporary Swedish population register data and a within-family sibling comparison design, we find that neither the birth interval preceding the index person nor the birth interval following the index person are associated with any substantively meaningful changes in mid- or long-term outcomes. This is true even for individuals born before or after birth-to-birth intervals of less than 12 months. We conclude that in a contemporary high-income welfare state, there appears to be no relationship between unusually short or long birth intervals and adverse long-term outcomes.
New diagnostic biomarker in acute diarrhea due to bacterial infection in children
Authors: Al-Asy Hassan M. , Gamal Rasha M. , Albaset Ahmed M. Abd , Elsanosy Mohammed G. , Mabrouk Maali M.
Published: February 2017

Background and objectives:

Diarrhea is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children, and diarrhea may be due to infection that is bacterial or non-bacterial. Differentiation between diarrhea from a bacterial or non-bacterial infection is not a simple task, and no single method is present to differentiate between these causes of diarrhea.

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM- 1) and procalcitonin (PCT) in the diagnosis of acute diarrhea due to bacterial infection.

Patients and methods:

Case control study of forty children with bacterial infection diarrhea diagnosed by stool culture and CRP, 40 children with acute non-bacterial infection diarrhea and 30 age- and sex- matched healthy controls. Stool cultures, serum CRP, PCT and serum sTREM-1 were measured in all children on admission.

Results:

Children with acute bacterial infection diarrhea had a significant increase in the serum sTREM-1 and PCT levels on admission compared to patients with nonbacterial infection diarrhea and controls (26.3667 ± 16.8184 ng/ml vs 7.2267 ± 6.4174 ng/ml vs 6.7367 ± 5.6479 ng/ml and 39.9933 ± 22.5260 ng/ ml vs 1.8533 ± 1.7123 vs 0.2840 ± 0.1208 ng/ml, respectively; P < 0.05). sTREM-1 demonstrated significantly higher sensitivity (93.7%) and specificity (94.3%) in the prediction of bacterial infection as a cause of acute diarrhea in children with an area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve (95% CI) of 0.94 (0.84-0.99) at a cutoff value of 12.4 ng/ml.

Conclusions:

Both serum PCT and sTREM-1 are valuable in the early diagnosis of acute bacterial infection- induced diarrhea in children, and there was markedly higher diagnostic discriminatory power for sTREM-1.
The Women's EMPOWER Survey: Women's Knowledge and Awareness of Treatment Options for Vulvar and Vaginal Atrophy Remains Inadequate
Authors: Krychman Michael , Graham Shelli , Bernick Brian , Mirkin Sebastian , Kingsberg Sheryl A.
Published: February 2017

Introduction

Postmenopausal women's knowledge about vulvar and vaginal atrophy (VVA) and available treatment options has historically been inadequate. Recent direct-to-consumer marketing and educational efforts would have been expected to increase awareness and treatment options.

Aim

To compare results of the Women's EMPOWER survey with other available VVA surveys to assess progress in women's understanding and approaches to treatment of VVA.

Methods

The Women's EMPOWER survey, an internet-based survey of US women with VVA symptoms, assessed women's awareness of VVA and their behaviors and attitudes associated with symptom treatment.

Main Outcome Measures

These survey results were compared with previously published results of the Revealing Vaginal Effects at Mid-Life (REVEAL), Women's Voices in Menopause (WVM), Vaginal Health: Insight, Views, & Attitudes (VIVA), Clarifying Vaginal Atrophy's Impact on Sex and Relationship (CLOSER), and Real Women's Views of Treatment Options for Menopausal Vaginal Changes (REVIVE) surveys.

Results

Results of the Women's EMPOWER survey were consistent with those of past VVA surveys and showed that postmenopausal women generally failed to recognize VVA and its chronic, progressive process and that they were reluctant to discuss vaginal or sexual symptoms with their health care professionals (HCPs). However, women indicated a strong desire for accurate medical information about VVA from their health care professionals and a willingness to learn if HCPs would initiate the conversation. Most women believed that vaginal symptoms are a normal part of aging and they just need to cope with the symptoms. In the United States, women were most concerned with safety-related issues, including increased risk of breast cancer, side effects, and systemic absorption.

Conclusion

The Women's EMPOWER survey demonstrates and reinforces that even with multimedia marketing and educational strategies in the years after other major VVA surveys, minimal progress has been made toward increasing women's awareness of, knowledge about, or understanding of VVA. Based on these data, a focus on initiating discussions and education with postmenopausal women so that they better comprehend VVA as a chronic progressive medical condition (not just aging), the symptoms associated with VVA, and the benefit-risk profile regarding treatment options is warranted.
Cumulative Adverse Childhood Experiences and Sexual Satisfaction in Sex Therapy Patients: What Role for Symptom Complexity?
Authors: Bigras Noémie , Godbout Natacha , Hébert Martine , Sabourin Stéphane
Published: February 2017

Introduction

Patients consulting for sexual difficulties frequently present additional personal or relational disorders and symptoms. This is especially the case when they have experienced cumulative adverse childhood experiences (CACEs), which are associated with symptom complexity. CACEs refer to the extent to which an individual has experienced an accumulation of different types of adverse childhood experiences including sexual, physical, and psychological abuse; neglect; exposure to inter-parental violence; and bullying. However, past studies have not examined how symptom complexity might relate to CACEs and sexual satisfaction and even less so in samples of adults consulting for sex therapy.

Aim

To document the presence of CACEs in a sample of individuals consulting for sexual difficulties and its potential association with sexual satisfaction through the development of symptom complexity operationalized through well-established clinically significant indicators of individual and relationship distress.

Methods

Men and women (n = 307) aged 18 years and older consulting for sexual difficulties completed a set of questionnaires during their initial assessment.

Main Outcome Measures

(i) Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction Scale, (ii) Dyadic Adjustment Scale–4, (iii) Experiences in Close Relationships–12, (iv) Beck Depression Inventory–13, (v) Trauma Symptom Inventory–2, and (vi) Psychiatric Symptom Inventory–14.

Results

Results showed that 58.1% of women and 51.9% of men reported at least four forms of childhood adversity. The average number of CACEs was 4.10 (SD = 2.23) in women and 3.71 (SD = 2.08) in men. Structural equation modeling showed that CACEs contribute directly and indirectly to sexual satisfaction in adults consulting for sex therapy through clinically significant individual and relational symptom complexities.

Conclusion

The findings underscore the relevance of addressing clinically significant psychological and relational symptoms that can stem from CACEs when treating sexual difficulties in adults seeking sex therapy.
Structure de l’ensemble des équilibres d’une économie productive
Authors: Jouini Elyes
Published: February 2017

In this paper we consider the equilibria set of a production economy in which the production sector may exhibit nonconvexities. We establish results on the structure (manifold, covering…) of this set which generalizes similar results on exchange economies.

Dans ce papier nous généralisons au cas d’économies comportant plusieurs ensembles de production, éventuellement non convexes, les résultats concernant la structure de l’ensemble des équilibres, connus dans le cas des économies d’échange (
i.e
., sans production). Nous montrons en particulier que cet ensemble est une variété et qu’il constitue un revêtement de l’espace des allocations initiales. Nous établissons, en outre, que l’ensemble des économies possédant un nombre infini d’équilibres est de mesure nulle, ainsi qu’une version asymptotique de ce dernier résultat.
Desperately Seeking Daddy: A Critique of Pratten v British Columbia (Attorney General)
Authors: Chambers Lori , Hillsburg Heather
Published: February 2017

Current Canadian law, by silence rather than explicit choice, does not prevent anonymous sperm donation. Anonymous sperm donation, however, may soon disappear. In the recent Pratten decision, the Supreme Court of British Columbia determined that anonymity violates the constitutional rights of children born of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs). While finding that children should have access to genetic knowledge, the court failed to consider the impact of the elimination of anonymity on other parties to ARTs, both sperm donors and ART families. The case was appealed by the Attorney General of British Columbia and heard by the British Columbia Court of Appeal in February 2012 and was overturned. While agreeing with the decision of the Court of Appeal, this article argues that the court failed to provide a fulsome analysis of issues related to privacy, genetic knowledge, alternative family formation, and the false assertion that sperm donation makes a man a father.
EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION
Authors: de la Croix David , Iyigun Murat
Published: February 2017

According to the United Nations World Population Prospects, Africa is expected to account for more than half of the population growth in the world in the next three decades. And by the turn of the 22nd century, the populations of the poorest 33 African countries will have likely tripled. These demographic developments present challenges and opportunities for sustained growth and economic development in Africa. On the one hand, for example, they make it harder for cities to grow harmoniously, and for governments to fight poverty and inequality, while expanding health and education services. On the other hand, the potential for a demographic transition opens the door to the possibility of reaping the fruits of a demographic dividend, which was so important in the take-off of Europe towards modern growth.
Paramilitary Provision of Adequate Disaster Response and Advancement of Public Health: The Case of the Texas State Guard and Operation Lone Star
Authors: Johnson Ralph Jay
Published: February 2017

Objective

This article reports on State Defense Forces (SDFs) as tools for providing coordinated, disciplined, trained, and uniformed volunteers to augment civilian disaster response and advance public health.

Methods

This report draws on and describes the example of the Texas State Guard’s Medical Brigade and its Operation Lone Star.

Results

Although SDFs have downsides, since they are largely self-sufficient, they are far less expensive and burdensome yet nonetheless effective alternatives.

Conclusions

Future avenues for further inquiry are suggested. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:412–416)
When Regulation Was Religious: College Philanthropy, Antislavery Politics, and Accreditation in the Mid-Nineteenth-Century West
Authors: Bell John Frederick
Published: February 2017

The college accreditation movement that arose at the turn of the twentieth century had an important antecedent in the Society for the Promotion of Collegiate and Theological Education at the West. Founded in 1843, this nondenominational philanthropy aspired to direct the development of higher education by dispersing eastern funds to Protestant colleges that met its standards for instruction, administration, and piety. For all its ambitions, the Society did not always offer dependable or disinterested supervision. Its relationships with Knox College and Iowa College (now Grinnell) exposed its shortcomings. Coinciding with the rising sectional conflict over slavery, the activities of these institutions forced the regulatory association to engage in the very brand of ecclesiastical politics it had vowed to transcend. This article shows how institutional resistance and church rivalry helped delay the growth of accreditation until the turn of the twentieth century, when secular organizations took up the reins of regulation.
Conference on the Teaching of African Languages
Authors: Cowan L. Gray
Published: February 2017

A small conference was held in New York on March 19 to 20, 1964, concerning the general position of the teaching of African Languages in the United States at the present moment.

The conference, called at the joint request of the National Defense Education Act Language and Area Centers and Columbia University's Institute of African Studies, was attended by the directors and teachers of African language of the major centers of African studies in the United States.

In the course of the two-day meeting the directors reported in some detail on the position of African language teaching in their respective universities and a number of clarifications of NDEA policy were presented by Mr. Donald Bigelow.

The question of a summer session on African languages was discussed at length and a variety of suggestions were offered for possible changes in the format of the existing summer session sponsored by NDEA. In this connection, a resolution was passed urging the establishment of a summer Institute of African Languages, to be located at a permanent site, and under the sponsorship of the African Studies Association.
Materials for African History in the Peabody Museum and Essex Institute
Authors: Bennett Norman R. , Brooks George E. , Booth Alan R.
Published: February 2017

The city of Salem, Massachusetts, was a major port for American commerce to Africa for much of the nineteenth century. Even in the latter years of the century, when trade had moved to larger centers, the Salem men still played an important role in some African areas.

Due to the efforts of the Peabody Museum and the Essex Institute, many of the papers relating to this American contact with Africa have been preserved. The collections include logbooks of vessels, merchants' account books, and letters to and from agents and captains.

The following pages briefly describe the materials relating to the history of Africa in the archives of the two Salem institutions. The list includes only those items of historical interest. (There are many logs of voyages to Africa of only nautical value.) It attempts to be complete, but no claim is made to having found every document of interest to the historian. Part of the contents of the archives remain uncatalogued and materials relating to Africa are occasionally uncovered under unlikely headings. Research for new sources is being continued.
The Activities of the African Section of the Library of Congress March 1960 to June 1962
Authors: Reining Conrad C.
Published: February 2017

The grant by the Carnegie Corporation of New York to the Library of Congress in December 1959 for the purpose of establishing and operating for five years an African studies unit resulted in the formation of the Africana (since changed to African) Section within the General Reference and Bibliography Division of the Reference Department of the Library. Activation of the unit came in March 1960 with the transfer of Miss Helen F. Conover to the African Section as area specialist. Dr. Conrad C. Reining was appointed head of the section in April of 1960. The position of editorial clerk was provided for by the initial grant and has had three incumbents. Mrs. Audrey A. Walker, of the Manuscript Division of the Library, was appointed to fill the position of bibliographer-reference librarian in June 1961.

The section has gradually built up a collection of reference works comprised of bibliographies, directories, atlases, guides, and surveys which is of prime importance for its work and invariably of interest to visitors. The current issues of fifty or so periodicals selected for display are also constantly used by both staff and visitors. About fifty boxes of ephemeral reference material have been assembled. The section maintains a card file of current publications on Africa, which is a continuation and refinement of one originated by Miss Conover some years ago. About twenty entries per week are made from Library of Congress preliminary catalog cards and from notices of new books. Most of the entries are for publications of the past three years. The file is consulted several times a day by the staff and research workers, and is currently forming the basis of Miss Conover's major task of revising the general bibliography Africa South of the Sahara. We have also started reference card files for addresses of organizations concerned with Africa, biographical materials, pertinent abbreviations, and special issues of periodicals on Africa.
Fellowship Opportunities and Research Grants in African Humanities
Authors: Rhodes Willard
Published: February 2017

This list of fellowship opportunities was originally compiled by Professor Rhodes to accompany the May issue of this Bulletin, which was devoted to African arts and humanities. It was not published at that time due to pressures of space. It may be noted that many of the fellowships listed are available to Africanists in other disciplines. Also, not all of these are tenable in Africa; many awards are for work in African studies in the United States or Europe.
Masks as Agents of Social Control
Authors: Sieber Roy
Published: February 2017

Traditional African art for the most part was more closely integrated with other aspects of life than those which might be described as purely esthetic. Art for art's sake — as a governing esthetic concept—seems not to have existed in Africa. Indeed, the more closely an art form is related to a major non-esthetic aspect of culture such as religion, the more distant it is from such separatist philosophical concepts.

In fact traditional Africati sculpture might best be described as based on a concept of art-for-life's sake. It was, in most cases, closely allied to those cultural mechanisms dedicated to the maintenance of order and well being. In short, sculpture was oriented to those social values upon which depended the sense of individual and tribal security.

These values were often formalized in exceedingly practical and commonsense terms, as is demonstrated in this Bambara prayer addressed to the ancestors:

I sacrifice this hen to you in the name of my children and myself. Protect us from all evil. Give us rain at the time the rains begin; give us a good harvest, a happy old age, women, children and the health to cultivate our fields. Do not be angry with us. We love you, we honor you. Be happy during your sojourn in Lehara, the realm of the invisible. (Kjersmeier 1935: 15).
Rare metals on shatter cone surfaces from the Steinheim Basin (SW Germany) – remnants of the impacting body?
Authors: BUCHNER E. , SCHMIEDER M.
Published: February 2017

The ~3.8 km Steinheim Basin in SW Germany is a well-preserved complex impact structure characterized by a prominent central uplift and well-developed shatter cones that occur in different shocked target lithologies. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron probe microanalysis have revealed, for the first time, the occurrence of rare metals on the Steinheim shatter cone surfaces. Shatter cones produced from the Middle Jurassic (Aalenian) Opalinus Claystone (‘Opalinuston’), temporarily exposed in the central uplift in spring 2010, and shatter cones in Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian) limestones from the southeastern crater rim domain are commonly covered by faint coatings. The Opalinus Claystone shatter cone surfaces carry coatings dominated by Fe, Ca, P, S and Al, and are covered by abundant small, finely dispersed microparticles and aggregates of native gold, as well as locally elevated concentrations of Pt. On several surfaces of the claystone shatter cones, additional Fe, Ni and Co was detected. The Ca–Mn-rich coatings on the limestone shatter cone surfaces locally include patches of Fe, Ni, Co, Cu and Au in variable amounts and proportions. The intriguing coatings on the Steinheim shatter cones could either stem from the impacted Lower Jurassic to Palaeogene sedimentary target rocks; from the crystalline-metamorphic Variscan crater basement; or, alternatively, these coatings might represent altered meteoritic matter from the Steinheim impactor, possibly an iron meteorite, which may have been remobilized during post-impact hydrothermal activity. We here discuss the most plausible source for the rare metals found adherent to the shatter cone surfaces.
TERRAQUEOUS HISTORIES
Authors: BASHFORD ALISON
Published: February 2017

In her Inaugural Lecture, Alison Bashford, Vere Harmsworth Professor of Imperial and Naval History, introduces the concept of ‘terraqueous histories’. Maritime historians often stake large claims on world history, and it is indeed the case that the connections and distinctions between land and sea are everywhere in the many traditions of world history-writing. Collapsing the land/sea couplet is useful and ‘terraqueous’ history serves world historians well. The term returns the ‘globe’ to global history, it signals sea as well as land as claimable territory, and in its compound construction foregrounds the history and historiography of meeting places. If the Vere Harmsworth Chair of Imperial and Naval History has recently turned from ‘imperial’ into ‘world’ history, so might its ‘naval’ element become terraqueous history in the twenty-first century.
The APETALA2/ethylene-responsive factor transcription factor OsDERF2 negatively modulates drought stress in rice by repressing abscisic acid responsive genes
Authors: GUO Y. , HUANG R. , DUAN L. , WANG J.
Published: February 2017

APETALA2/ethylene-responsive factor (AP2/ERF) family transcription factors play a vital role in plant growth and in response to hormones and abiotic stresses. In the current research, it is reported that OsDERF2, one of the drought-responsive ERF, is a member of the DREB sub-family. OsDERF2 is a nuclear-localized protein and has transcriptional activity in yeast. Expression of OsDERF2 was induced by drought and inhibited by abscisic acid (ABA). However, OsDERF2 RNA interference (RNAi) knock-down transgenic lines enhanced tolerance to drought stress at seedling stage and were much more sensitive to ABA treatment, which may result from the increased ABA level in vivo. The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor family plays an important role in the ABA signalling pathway of abiotic stress. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that the bZIP family gene OsbZIP20 and ABA-response gene OsABA45 were up-regulated 25 times and 120 times, respectively, in OsDERF2 RNAi knock-down lines under drought stress, which were up-regulated five and seven times in wild type under drought stress. The current data reveal that OsDERF2 negatively modulates drought stress response in an ABA-mediated pathway through regulating gene expression of other ABA-response transcription factors.
Campion in the Thames Valley, 1580
Authors: Hodgetts Michael
Published: February 2017

Between July and October 1580, Robert Persons and Edmund Campion, who had landed at Dover in June, ‘passed through the most part of the shires of England, preaching and administering the sacraments in almost every gentleman's and nobleman's house that we passed by, whether he was Catholic or not, provided he had any Catholics in his house to hear us’. Between Christmas 1580 and Whitsun 1581 Campion went on a similar journey to the North, the itinerary of which can be recovered in fair detail from entries in the Acts of the Privy Council and from a summary of the subsequent examinations which was annotated by Lord Burghley. The mission of Campion and Persons (and of the dozen or so others who accompanied them from Rome) has rightly been regarded as a pivotal event in the story of Elizabethan recusancy. But no serious attempt has ever been made to reconstruct their itineraries in 1580.