bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Twenty-Eight-Day Mortality of Blunt Traumatic Brain Injury and Co-Injuries Requiring Mechanical Ventilation
Authors: Jovanovic Bojan , Milan Zoka , Djuric Olivera , Markovic-Denic Ljiljana , Karamarkovic Aleksandar , Gregoric Pavle , Doklestic Krstina , Avramovic Jovana , Velickovic Jelena , Bumbasirevic Vesna
Published: July 2016

Objective: This paper aims to assess the impact of co-injuries and consequent emergency surgical interventions and nosocomial pneumonia on the 28-day mortality of patients with severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Subjects and Methods: One hundred and seventy-seven patients with TBI admitted to the emergency trauma intensive care unit at the Clinical Center of Serbia for more than 48 h were studied over a 1-year period. On admission, the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Injury Severity Score (ISS) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (APACHE II) were calculated. At admission, an isolated TBI was recorded in 45 of the patients, while 44 had three or more co-injuries. Results: Of the 177 patients, 78 (44.1%) died by the end of the 28-day follow-up period. They had a significantly higher ISS score (25 vs. 20; p = 0.024) and more severe head (p = 0.034) and chest (p = 0.013) injuries compared to those who survived. Nonsurvivors had spent more days on mechanical ventilation (9.5 vs. 8; p = 0.041) and had a significantly higher incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) than survivors (67.9 vs. 40.4%; p < 0.001). A high Rotterdam CT score (OR 2.062; p < 0.001) and a high APACHE II score (OR 1.219; p < 0.001) were identified as independent predictors of early TBI-related mortality. Conclusion: Patients who had TBI with a high Rotterdam score and a high APACHE II score were at higher risk of 28-day mortality. VAP was a very common complication of TBI and was associated with an early death and higher mortality in the subgroup of patients with a GCS ≤8.
Baseline Hemodynamics and Response to Contrast Media During Diagnostic Cardiac Catheterization Predict Adverse Events in Heart Failure Patients
Authors: Denardo Scott J. , Vock David M. , Schmalfuss Carsten M. , Young Gregory D. , Tcheng James E. , O’Connor Christopher M.
Published: July 2016

Background—

Contrast media administered during cardiac catheterization can affect hemodynamic variables. However, little is documented about the effects of contrast on hemodynamics in heart failure patients or the prognostic value of baseline and changes in hemodynamics for predicting subsequent adverse events.

Methods and Results—

In this prospective study of 150 heart failure patients, we measured hemodynamics at baseline and after administration of iodixanol or iopamidol contrast. One-year Kaplan–Meier estimates of adverse event–free survival (death, heart failure hospitalization, and rehospitalization) were generated, grouping patients by baseline measures of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) and cardiac index (CI), and by changes in those measures after contrast administration. We used Cox proportional hazards modeling to assess sequentially adding baseline PCWP and change in CI to 5 validated risk models (Seattle Heart Failure Score, ESCAPE [Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness], CHARM [Candesartan in Heart Failure: Assessment of Reduction in Mortality and Morbidity], CORONA [Controlled Rosuvastatin Multinational Trial in Heart Failure], and MAGGIC [Meta-Analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure]). Median contrast volume was 109 mL. Both contrast media caused similarly small but statistically significant changes in most hemodynamic variables. There were 39 adverse events (26.0%). Adverse event rates increased using the composite metric of baseline PCWP and change in CI (
P
<0.01); elevated baseline PCWP and decreased CI after contrast correlated with the poorest prognosis. Adding both baseline PCWP and change in CI to the 5 risk models universally improved their predictive value (
P
≤0.02).

Conclusions—

In heart failure patients, the administration of contrast causes small but significant changes in hemodynamics. Calculating baseline PCWP with change in CI after contrast predicts adverse events and increases the predictive value of existing models. Patients with elevated baseline PCWP and decreased CI after contrast merit greatest concern.
Lectotypification of Lagerstroemia tomentosa (Lythraceae) and a note on its distribution in India
Authors: SIVADAS DEEPU , GEETHAKUMARY M.P. , PANDURANGAN A.G.
Published: July 2016

During a study of distribution of Lagerstroemia Linnaeus (1759: 1068) in South India, we encountered a material from Neriyamangalam, Ernakulam District, Kerala, which was identified as Lagerstroemia tomentosa C. Presl. (1844: 142), a species not known to occur in the Western Ghats. On examining the protologue of the species and a later revision of the genus by Furtado and Srisuko (1969), along with specimens housed at various herbaria, we identified the need for lectotypification of the species.
Pinnularia wuyiensis sp. nov., a new diatom (Bacillariophyceae, Naviculales) from the north region of Wuyi Mountains, Jiangxi Province, China
Authors: ZAHNG WEI , PEREIRA ANDREIA CAVALCANTE , KOCIOLEK J. PATRICK , LIU CAIHONG , XU XIAOYING , Wang Liqing
Published: July 2016

One new species of the genus Pinnularia is described, Pinnularia wuyiensis sp. nov., from the Xinjiang River, Yingtan City, in the northern region of Wuyi Mountains, Southeast China. This new taxon is characterized by a narrowly linear-lanceolate valve, with slightly undulate margins and a gibbous center and rounded, capitate and broadly rounded apices, a very narrow axial area, and a central area generally forming asymmetric, rhombic fascia. The species is compared to Pinnularia gibbiformis, P. gibba, P. polyonca, P. polyonca var. stidolphii, P. polyonca var. sumatrana, P. amazonica and P. subboyeri, all of which closely resemble Pinnularia wuyiensis but differ from the new species in specific details of size, striae density and valve shape. In addition, the ecology of this new species is also described in this paper.
Passiflora metae, a new species of Passiflora series Laurifoliae (Passifloraceae) of the Andean piedmont in the Colombian Orinoquia
Authors: BONILLA MORALES MIGUEL MACGAYVER , AGUIRRE-MORALES ADRIANA CAROLINA , CAETANO CREUCÍ MARÍA
Published: July 2016

A new species, Passiflora metae of the supersection Laurifolia ser. Laurifoliae occurring in Andean Colombia, on the eastern piedmont of the Cordillera Oriental in the Meta Department, is described and illustrated. Passiflora metae differs from the most morphologically closely related species of this series, P. nitida and P. acuminata, by its elliptical leaves with cuspidate apex, ensiform bracts (15–20 × 4.5–5 mm) with prominent glands, lanceolate sepals, corona with 5 series of filaments, slender, outermost 2 series, banded red and white at base, purple and white towards the apex, ovary ellipsoid and glabrous. Information about its habitat, ecology, distribution and conservation is provided. Taxonomic comments on the related species are also included. A key to the Colombian species of Passiflora series Laurifoliae and an updated list of the species that belong to the series Laurifoliae for Meta Department is presented.
A new species and two new records of Stemonitidaceae from China
Authors: BO ZHANG , YU LI
Published: July 2016

A new species of Stemonitidaceae, Comatricha clavicolumella, collected in Jigong Mountain Scenic Area, Henan Province, China, is described. C. clavicolumella has a columella that usually ends in a clavate expansion at the apex of the sporocysts, and has smaller spores than usual for the genus (about 5–5.5 μm in diam.). Two newly recorded species from China, C. ellae and C. reticulospora, are also described. We present a scanning electron micrograph study of the species.
Lysimachia savranii (Primulaceae), a new species from the eastern Taurus in Turkey
Authors: BAŞKÖSE İSA , KESKİN ALİ , GURBANOV KAMAL
Published: July 2016

The genus Lysimachia Linnaeus (1753: 146) comprises about 180 species, distributed in temperate and subtropical parts of the northern hemisphere, as well as in some tropical mountain regions (Ray 1956). The majority of species grows in China, i.e. Yunnan, Southern Sichuan, Western Guizhou and Guangxi regions (Hu & Kelso 1996), which is also considered the centre of origin of this genus (Chen & Hu 1979). A limited number of species can be found in North America (20; Cholewa 2009), in Europe (13; Ferguson 1972), in Russia (11; Fedorov 1967), with 7 species occurring in Turkey (Coşkunçelebi 2012).
Quantifying Eddy Feedbacks and Forcings in the Tropospheric Response to Stratospheric Sudden Warmings
Authors: Hitchcock Peter , Simpson Isla R.
Published: July 2016

The equatorward shift of the zonal-mean midlatitude tropospheric jet following a stratospheric sudden warming in a comprehensive stratosphere-resolving model is found to be well quantified by the simple model of tropospheric eddy feedbacks proposed by Lorenz and Hartmann. This permits a decomposition of the shift into a component driven by the stratospheric anomalies and a component driven by tropospheric feedbacks.

This is done by extending the simple model to include three effective forcing mechanisms by which the stratosphere may influence the tropospheric jet. These include 1) the zonally symmetric adjustments associated with the mean meridional circulation and the direct influence of the stratospheric anomalies on 2) the tropospheric synoptic-scale or 3) the tropospheric planetary-scale eddies. Although the anomalous tropospheric winds are primarily maintained against surface friction by the synoptic-scale eddies, this response can be entirely attributed to the eddy feedback term. The response of the planetary-scale eddies, in contrast, can be directly attributed to the stratosphere. The zonally symmetric tropospheric circulation associated with downward control is found to play little role in driving the tropospheric response.

The prospects of applying this methodology to reanalysis data are also considered, but statistical limitations and the relatively weak projection of the vertically integrated composite wind anomalies onto the leading EOF preclude any conclusions from being drawn.
Ocean Processes Affecting the Twenty-First-Century Shift in ENSO SST Variability
Authors: Guan Cong , McPhaden Michael J.
Published: July 2016

Sea surface temperature (SST) variability associated with El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) slightly increased in the central Pacific Ocean but weakened significantly in the eastern Pacific at the beginning of twenty-first century relative to 1980–99. This decadal shift led to the greater prominence central Pacific (CP) El Niño events during the 2000s relative to the previous two decades, which were dominated by eastern Pacific (EP) events. To expand upon previous studies that have examined this shift in ENSO variability, temperature and temperature variance budgets are examined in the mixed layer of the Niño-3 (5°S–5°N, 150°–90°W) and Niño-4 (5°S–5°N, 160°E–150°W) regions from seven ocean model products spanning the period 1980–2010. This multimodel-product-based approach provides a robust assessment of dominant mechanisms that account for decadal changes in two key index regions. A temperature variance budget perspective on the role of thermocline feedbacks in the ENSO cycle based on recharge oscillator theory is also presented. As found in previous studies, thermocline and zonal advective feedbacks are the most important positive feedbacks for generating ENSO SST variance, and thermodynamic damping is the largest negative feedback for damping ENSO variance. Consistent with the shift toward more CP El Niños after 2000, thermocline feedbacks experienced a substantial reduction from 1980 to 1999 and into the 2000s, while zonal advective feedbacks were less affected. Negative feedbacks likewise weakened after 2000, particularly thermal damping in the Niño-3 region and the nonlinear sink of variance in both regions.
Evaluation of Atmosphere and Ocean Initial Condition Uncertainty and Stochastic Exchange Coefficients on Ensemble Tropical Cyclone Intensity Forecasts
Authors: Torn Ryan D.
Published: July 2016

Tropical cyclone (TC) intensity forecasts are impacted by errors in atmosphere and ocean initial conditions and the model formulation, which motivates using an ensemble approach. This study evaluates the impact of uncertainty in atmospheric and oceanic initial conditions, as well as stochastic representations of the drag Cd and enthalphy Ck exchange coefficients on ensemble Advanced Hurricane WRF (AHW) TC intensity forecasts of multiple Atlantic TCs from 2008 to 2011. Each ensemble experiment is characterized by different combinations of either deterministic or ensemble atmospheric and/or oceanic initial conditions, as well as fixed or stochastic representations of Cd or Ck. Among those experiments with a single uncertainty source, atmospheric uncertainty produces the largest standard deviation in TC intensity. While ocean uncertainty leads to continuous growth in ensemble standard deviation, the ensemble standard deviation in the experiments with Cd and Ck uncertainty levels off by 48 h. Combining atmospheric and oceanic uncertainty leads to larger intensity standard deviation than atmosphere or ocean uncertainty alone and preferentially adds variability outside of the TC core. By contrast, combining Cd or Ck uncertainty with any other source leads to negligible increases in standard deviation, which is mainly due to the lack of spatial correlation in the exchange coefficient perturbations. All of the ensemble experiments are deficient in ensemble standard deviation; however, the experiments with combinations of uncertainty sources generally have an ensemble standard deviation closer to the ensemble-mean errors.
Influence of Sampling Component on Determination of Soluble Solids Content of Fuji Apple Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Qi Shuye , Oshita Seiichi , Makino Yoshio , Han Donghai
Published: July 2016

Fuji apples from two production areas were separated into six batches by different experimenters. After applying light (500–1010 nm) on the surface of intact ones for their visible and near-infrared (NIR) spectra, destructive samples of three apple components were taken to determine the soluble solids content (SSC). Correlation and regression coefficients between the second Savitzky–Golay derivative of the spectra and SSC were analyzed to reveal that SSC values derived from the different apple components showed significantly different responses in the visible region. However, similar responses, particularly in the NIR section (730–932 nm), remained, including two sugar bands at 890 and 906 nm. On the basis of applying above characteristic bands to remove the interference signals, partial least square (PLS) and multiple linear regression (MLR) showed similar effective performances. According to the analysis of variance (ANOVA) method, sampling methods had significant effect on quantitative accuracy, and the model, using SSC values detected from the outer flesh cuboid (2.5 × 2.5 × 1.5 cm3), provided the best performance with lower root mean square error of prediction and higher correlation coefficient.
China’s Approach to Regional Cooperation
Authors: Kolmas Michal
Published: July 2016

China’s rise has inspired a variety of interpretations arguing for either its potentially disruptive or alternatively its benign impact on Asia–Pacific security. This article aims to contribute to this debate. It focuses on the upsurge in Beijing’s multilateral diplomacy since the beginning of the 1990s, which has been reflected in China’s willingness to take part in many regional institutions, such as Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Six Party Talks (6PT), East Asia Summit (EAS) or Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). But what are China’s motivations for participation in these institutions? Are they instrumental, driven by pragmatic self-interest, or moral, driven by normative values of peace? Or, has China merely accepted the need to play a socially ‘appropriate’ role within the region? The article offers a theoretically informed typology of the different kinds of motivation that can explain China’s multilateral diplomacy in the last three decades. It argues that whereas social motivation played a decisive part in the first phase of China’s multilateralism, instrumental motivation can be seen as defining the more recent phase.
Family fIRST, an Interactive Risk Screening Tool for Families in a School-Based Pediatric Clinic
Authors: Cohen-Silver Justine , Laher Nazeefah , Freeman Sloane , Mistry Niraj , Sgro Michael
Published: July 2016

The purpose of this study was to create a tablet-based, social history screening tool called Family fIRST and evaluate its feasibility and usability in a school-based medical clinic. A mixed methods study design was used to examine quantitative and qualitative outcomes of a survey and semi-structured interview completed by families and physicians. The majority (87%) found the survey easy to understand. Themes for improvement included more free-form space and increased sensitivity around question wording. Clinic physicians felt Family fIRST increased discussion around social history and suggested the tool should help link to suggested resources. Demographic results showed that 12 of 29 (43%) parents had income less than $15 000 and 19 of 29 (65%) were unemployed. Family fIRST was a well-received and feasible tool to implement at the school-based medical clinic. Preliminary results show that families attending the clinic have increased prevalence of negative determinants of health; social history should therefore represent a key area of focus at the medical visit in order to optimize clinic support of families.
Promoting Competition or Helping the Less Endowed? Distributional Preferences and Collective Institutional Choices under Intragroup Inequality
Authors: Kamei Kenju
Published: July 2016

Unequally distributed resources are ubiquitous. The decision of whether to promote competition or equality is often debated in societies and organizations. With heterogeneous endowments, we let subjects collectively choose between a public good that most benefits the less endowed and a lottery contest in which only one individual in a group receives a prize. Unlike standard theoretical predictions, the majority of subjects, including a substantial number of subjects who believe that their expected payoffs are better in the contest, vote for the public good. Our data suggest that people’s collective institutional choices may be driven by inequality-averse concerns. It also suggests that the collective decision to select the option for the public good depends on voting rules.
Preparing K-12 Teachers for ELLs: Improving Teachers’ L2 Knowledge and Strategies Through Innovative Professional Development
Authors: Li Nan , Peters Angela W.
Published: July 2016

English Language Learners (ELLs) are the fastest growing segment of school population, especially in urban schools. The teaching workforce has relatively unchanged to match this fast growth. Data found no measurable difference in the percentages of teachers’ ethnic backgrounds between 1999-2000 and 2007-2008. This mismatch creates the demand for preparing the K-12 teachers who can work effectively with ELLs. The study examines an innovative program that prepares K-12 teachers through research and service combined with traditional professional development. Findings reveal significant improvement in the teachers’ second language (L2) knowledge and strategies working with ELLs.
Perceptions of Successful Ageing Among Iranian Elders
Authors: Zanjari Nasibeh , Sharifian Sani Maryam , Hosseini Chavoshi Meimanat , Rafiey Hassan , Mohammadi Shahboulaghi Farahnaz
Published: July 2016

The aim of this article is to explore the perceptions of successful ageing among Iranian elderly. The data were collected in Tehran city on 60 older adults using a semistructured interview. The collected data were analyzed using directed content analysis. The findings revealed various dimensions of successful ageing among Iranian older adults. Social well-being is the most prevalent dimension of successful ageing, followed by psychological well-being, physical health, spirituality and transcendence, financial security, and an elder-friendly environmental and social context. Also, the findings from this study provide a new understanding of successful ageing in the context of Iran and contribute additional elements. This qualitative study highlights the importance of multidimensional and contextual viewpoints to successful ageing. In conclusion, to achieve multidimensional successful ageing, the interaction between all levels of successful ageing such as individual, family, and environment must be considered.
The Influence of Psychosocial Immaturity, Age, and Mental State Beliefs on Culpability Judgments About Juvenile Offenders
Authors: Hughes Jamie S. , Mcphetres Jonathon
Published: July 2016

Juvenile offenders are treated harshly in that they receive adult-like punishment and are incarcerated when alternatives to incarceration are possible. Research on adolescent offenders suggests that they are less mature than their adult counterparts and that they suffer psychosocial setbacks as a result of incarceration. We examined the effect of psychosocial immaturity information on culpability judgments about juvenile offenders. In Study 1, we provided information about limitations in adolescents’ abilities to control their impulses, weigh risks and benefits, and consider the future consequences of their behavior. Compared with a control condition, those in the immaturity conditions attributed less responsibility to the offender. In Study 2, we manipulated both immaturity information and an actor’s mental state beliefs about the consequences of his action. We found that mental beliefs weighed more heavily in judgments about responsibility and guilt than information about immaturity. Discussion focuses on implications of this research for juvenile justice.
Brain circulation, diaspora and scientific progress: A study of the international migration of Chinese scientists, 1998–2006
Authors: Fangmeng Tian
Published: July 2016

The issue of brain drain has resurged to become an important policy concern of developing countries against the background of global talent competition. Based on a global survey covering Chinese scientists at leading universities in English academia, this paper examined the major contribution of returnees and the diaspora on China’s scientific progress between 1998 and 2006. By combining biographical and bibliometric data, the paper found that differences in the research output between domestic scientists and overseas scientists had been reduced substantially. Returnees with domestic degrees, instead of those with foreign degrees, are actually the driving force of China’s research output growth. Scientists working in China benefited greatly from international collaboration in general and collaboration with overseas Chinese in particular. This empirical study enriches our understanding of international migration in the scientific community, and helps explain China’s strategy in achieving rapid scientific development.
Book Review: Kavita Datla, The Language of Secular Islam: Urdu Nationalism and Colonial India
Authors: Alam Asiya
Published: July 2016

Kavita Datla, The Language of Secular Islam: Urdu Nationalism and Colonial India, University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, 2013, 248 pp., ₹885.
Development and Examination of the Linguistic Category Model in a Computerized Text Analysis Method
Authors: Seih Yi-Tai , Beier Susanne , Pennebaker James W.
Published: July 2016

The linguistic category model (LCM) seeks to understand social psychological processes through the lens of language use. Its original development required human judges to analyze natural language to understand how people assess actions, states, and traits. The current project sought to computerize the LCM assessment based on an idea of language abstraction with a previously published data set. In the study, a computerized LCM analysis method was built using an LCM verb dictionary and a part-of-speech tagging program that identified relevant adjectives and nouns. This computerized method compared open-ended texts written in first-person and third-person perspectives from 130 college students. Consistent with construal-level theory, third-person writing resulted in higher levels of abstraction than first-person writing. Implications of relying on an automated LCM method are discussed.
Land acquisition, rural protests, and the local state in China and India
Authors: Ren Xuefei
Published: July 2016

As China and India urbanize, land acquisition by state and private actors has become highly contentious in both countries. This article compares two large-scale anti-land acquisition protests—the Wukan protest in China’s Guangdong province and the Singur protest in the Indian state of West Bengal—to examine how the subnational state partakes in land acquisition and how rural protesters engage with different levels of the state in their resistance. The comparative analysis finds that the different involvement of the subnational state in land speculation has produced different spatiality and dynamics of protests. In China, rural protesters target the bottom-level authority such as village councils, often taking on a cellular form of mobilization geographically confined to their particular villages. By comparison, in India rural protesters target the regional state governments and they engage in associational forms of mobilization by building ad hoc alliances with political parties and NGOs beyond the affected villages. Although the larger context of political regimes should be taken into account, this article shows that the scales at which the subnational state partakes in land acquisition have largely shaped the spatiality and strategies of rural protests.
Mobile responsive websites and local planning departments in the US: Opportunities for the future
Authors: Riggs William
Published: July 2016

As use of mobile technology grows rapidly, planning agencies experiment and adopt new policies to accommodate this increase. While a significant body of literature has extolled the growth and opportunity this technological change presents, little is looking about its use by local government and urban planning organizations. This research investigates whether planning departments are capable of responding to increased mobile users given their current web and information technology tools, applying a replicable method for benchmarking website capacity. Based on a 2014 survey of planning department websites (N = 523), this study evaluates whether or not web technology, in planning departments, is tracking growth in mobile technology finding that while 99% of planning agencies have a web presence, very few planning websites have mobile responsive frameworks. Additionally, few websites have online GIS or e-permitting capability. Of those with such capacity, many use a common content management system for data management. These findings offer key design lessons for cities that want to pursue responsive websites that better match the user profile of the trend toward accessing websites from smartphones and tablets—providing useful and timely information to citizens, and respond to changing user needs.
Quantitative longitudinal imaging of activated microglia as a marker of inflammation in the pilocarpine rat model of epilepsy using [11C]-(R)-PK11195 PET and MRI
Authors: Yankam Njiwa J , Costes N , Bouillot C , Bouvard S , Fieux S , Becker G , Levigoureux E , Kocevar G , Stamile C , Langlois JB , Bolbos R , Bonnet C , Bezin L , Zimmer L , Hammers A
Published: July 2016

Inflammation may play a role in the development of epilepsy after brain insults. [11C]-( R)-PK11195 binds to TSPO, expressed by activated microglia. We quantified [11C]-( R)-PK11195 binding during epileptogenesis after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE), a model of temporal lobe epilepsy.

Nine male rats were studied thrice (D0-1, D0 + 6, D0 + 35, D0 = SE induction). In the same session, 7T T2-weighted images and DTI for mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) maps were acquired, followed by dynamic PET/CT. On D0 + 35, femoral arterial blood was sampled for rat-specific metabolite-corrected arterial plasma input functions (AIFs). In multiple MR-derived ROIs, we assessed four kinetic models (two with AIFs; two using a reference region), standard uptake values (SUVs), and a model with a mean AIF.

All models showed large (up to two-fold) and significant TSPO binding increases in regions expected to be affected, and comparatively little change in the brainstem, at D0 + 6. Some individuals showed increases at D0 + 35. AIF models yielded more consistent increases at D0 + 6. FA values were decreased at D0 + 6 and had recovered by D0 + 35. MD was increased at D0 + 6 and more so at D0 + 35.

[11C]-( R)-PK11195 PET binding and MR biomarker changes could be detected with only nine rats, highlighting the potential of longitudinal imaging studies.
Spreading depolarization triggered by elevated potassium is weak or absent in the rodent lower brain
Authors: Andrew R David , Hsieh Yi-Ting , Brisson C Devin
Published: July 2016

We examined in live coronal slices from rat and mouse which brain regions generate potassium-triggered spreading depolarization (SDKt). This technique simulates cortical spreading depression, which underlies migraine aura in the intact brain. An SDKt episode was evoked by increasing bath [K+]o and recorded as a propagating front of elevated light transmittance representing transient neuronal swelling in gray matter of neocortex, hippocampus, striatum, and thalamus. In contrast, SDKt was not imaged in hypothalamic nuclei or brainstem with exception of those nuclei near the dorsal brainstem surface. In rat slices, single neurons were whole-cell current clamped during SDKt. “Higher” neurons depolarized to near zero millivolts indicating SDKt generation. In contrast, seven types of neurons in hypothalamus and brainstem only slowly depolarized without generating SDKt, supporting our imaging findings. Therefore, SDKt is not a default of CNS neurons but rather displays a region-specific susceptibility, similar to anoxic depolarization, which we have proposed is correlated with a region’s vulnerability to traumatic brain injury. In the higher brain, SDKt may be a vestigial spreading depolarization that originally evolved to shut down and vasoconstrict gray matter regions more exposed to impact and contusion.
Augmentation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-dependent neuronal cell death by acidosis
Authors: Zhang Jian , Li Xiaoling , Kwansa Herman , Kim Yun Tai , Yi Liye , Hong Gina , Andrabi Shaida A , Dawson Valina L , Dawson Ted M , Koehler Raymond C , Yang Zeng-Jin
Published: July 2016

Tissue acidosis is a key component of cerebral ischemic injury, but its influence on cell death signaling pathways is not well defined. One such pathway is parthanatos, in which oxidative damage to DNA results in activation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and generation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymers that trigger release of mitochondrial apoptosis-inducing factor. In primary neuronal cultures, we first investigated whether acidosis per sé is capable of augmenting parthanatos signaling initiated pharmacologically with the DNA alkylating agent, N-methyl- N′-nitro- N-nitrosoguanidine. Exposure of neurons to medium at pH 6.2 for 4 h after N-methyl- N′-nitro- N-nitrosoguanidine washout increased intracellular calcium and augmented the N-methyl- N′-nitro- N-nitrosoguanidine-evoked increase in poly(ADP-ribose) polymers, nuclear apoptosis-inducing factor , and cell death. The augmented nuclear apoptosis-inducing factor and cell death were blocked by the acid-sensitive ion channel-1a inhibitor, psalmotoxin. In vivo, acute hyperglycemia during transient focal cerebral ischemia augmented tissue acidosis, poly(ADP-ribose) polymers formation, and nuclear apoptosis-inducing factor , which was attenuated by a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor. Infarct volume from hyperglycemic ischemia was decreased in poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1-null mice. Collectively, these results demonstrate that acidosis can directly amplify neuronal parthanatos in the absence of ischemia through acid-sensitive ion channel-1a . The results further support parthanatos as one of the mechanisms by which ischemia-associated tissue acidosis augments cell death.
The Impact of Tax and Expenditure Limits on Municipal Credit Ratings
Authors: Maher Craig S. , Deller Steven C. , Stallmann Judith I. , Park Sungho
Published: July 2016

The research focuses on the impact of the restrictiveness of tax and expenditure limitations (TELs) on the credit ratings of 566 U.S. municipalities over the 2007-2010 time period. The credit ratings used are by Moody’s rating agency, and municipal fiscal data are drawn from the Government Financial Officers Association’s (GFOA) Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting program. Results suggest that more restrictive TELs imposed on municipalities by the states have a weak negative impact on credit ratings which will likely force municipalities to face higher interest costs.
Logics of Redistribution
Authors: Brown Hana E. , Best Rachel Kahn
Published: July 2016

Social policy scholars disagree about which factors best predict U.S. welfare state generosity. We argue that this disagreement is an artifact of study designs. Researchers usually study either the totality of a state’s social expenditures or one specific program. These approaches overlook the fact that individual social programs were born of different circumstances and serve different constituencies. Comparing state-level policies for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), our findings suggest that these programs are governed by distinct logics of redistribution. Racial characteristics drive TANF generosity. Economic forces best predict CHIP generosity. SNAP generosity is a function of political factors. Qualitative data from Congressional hearings confirm these findings. These results adjudicate between conflicting accounts of the contemporary welfare state and also highlight which aspects of a program’s design make it most susceptible to the effects of racial bias and to partisan politics.
Examining Subtypes of Behavioral/Emotional Risk Using Cluster Analysis
Authors: Dever Bridget V. , Gallagher Emily K. , Hochbein Craig D. , Loukas Austin , Dai Chenchen
Published: July 2016

Behavioral and emotional problems among children and adolescents can lead to numerous negative outcomes without intervention. From a prevention standpoint, screening for behavioral and emotional risk is an important step toward identifying such problems before the point of diagnosis or referral. The present study conducted a k-means cluster analysis to determine the subtypes of risk captured by one such screening instrument, the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS). The final solution produced four clusters: Well-Adapted, Internalizing/Adjustment Problems, Mild Externalizing Problems, and General Problems-Severe; these results were similar to those found with the full Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2), suggesting that the BESS assesses similar constructs. Predictive validity evidence suggested that cluster membership was associated with standard achievement scores and in-school disciplinary incidents.
Boozy Nights and Violent Fights: Perceptions of Environmental Cues to Violence and Crime in Licensed Venues
Authors: de Andrade Dominique , Homel Ross , Mazerolle Lorraine
Published: July 2016

This article examines perceptions of environmental cues to crime, violence, and injuries in barroom settings, and how they differ between bar fight participants and non-participants. Bouncer friendliness, patron sex composition, and room temperature were chosen as experimental variables based on three criteria: (a) emerged as a theme in bar user focus groups, (b) unclear effects in the literature, and (c) policy relevant and easy to modify. These experimental variables were manipulated in written vignettes set in a bar. A three-part online questionnaire recorded 681 male university students’ responses to questions on demographics, the experiment, drinking and clubbing habits, and the Snell Masculinity Scale. A 2 × 2 × 2 randomized independent groups factorial design with covariates was embedded in the questionnaire, measuring the effects of the experimental variables on bar users’ perceived fear of victimization, likelihood and frequency of crime, venue preference, and perceived severity of injuries after accounting for prior bar fight participation and masculinity. Participants generally rated perceived fear of victimization, likelihood and frequency of crime, and severity of injuries to be highest when the bouncer was unfriendly, the temperature was hot, and patrons were majority male. Only main effects were significant ( p < .01). Masculinity scale responses were not related to participant perceptions. While fight participants (9.8% of the sample) and non-participants had similar perceptions of the risk associated with certain environmental cues, fight participants were significantly (a) less fearful of victimization in settings they perceived as dangerous and (b) more willing to drink in any hypothetical venue.
A critical energy model for brittle–ductile transition in grinding considering wheel speed and chip thickness effects
Authors: Wu Chongjun , Li Beizhi , Liang Steven Y
Published: July 2016

The ability to predict the critical depth for ductile-mode grinding of brittle materials is important to grinding process optimization and quality control. The traditional models for predicting the critical depth are mainly concerned with the material properties without considering the operation parameters. This article presents a new critical energy model for brittle–ductile transition by considering the strain rate effect brought by the grinding wheel speed and chip thickness. The experiments will be conducted through a high-speed diamond grinder on reaction-sintered silicon carbide materials under different grinding speed and chip thickness. Through detailed analysis of the strain rate effect on the dynamic fracture toughness, a new fracture toughness model will be established based on the Johnson–Holmquist material model (JH-2) and calibrated through experiments based on the indentation fracture mechanics. Then, the new critical model for brittle–ductile transition will be established by introducing the dynamic facture toughness model considering the wheel speed and chip thickness. According to scanning electron microscope observations, the results show that ductile-mode grinding can be obtained through a combination of higher grinding speed and smaller chip thickness. Moreover, the critical value for ductile grinding of brittle materials can be improved through the elevation of the grinding speed or reduction in the chip thickness.
Hole design quality identification in laser aided additive manufacturing
Authors: Ahn Il Hyuk , Moon Seung Ki , Bi Guijun
Published: July 2016

According to the increasing needs of three-dimensional printing technologies to satisfy high-level requirements, customization, and complicity, the quality of three-dimensional printed part becomes an important issue due to the layer-wise nature of additive manufacturing process. The objective of this study is to propose a methodology to identify the quality of three-dimensional printed parts with circular holes in the laser aided additive manufacturing process. We utilize a response surface methodology to represent the relationship between input variables (chord height tolerance and diameter of a hole) and response (geometric error) for evaluating the geometric accuracy of the three-dimensional printed parts with the diameter of holes. From the calculated response surface methodology, we conclude that the proposed methodology can be utilized as a process design guide to guarantee the quality of a part printed from the laser aided additive manufacturing process. The efficiency and limitations of the proposed methodology are verified by conducting a case study.
On-site data cast doubts on the hypothesis of shifting cultivation in the late Neolithic (c. 4300–2400 cal. BC): Landscape management as an alternative paradigm
Authors: Jacomet Stefanie , Ebersbach Renate , Akeret Örni , Antolín Ferran , Baum Tilman , Bogaard Amy , Brombacher Christoph , Bleicher Niels K , Heitz-Weniger Annekäthi , Hüster-Plogmann Heide , Gross Eda , Kühn Marlu , Rentzel Philippe , Steiner Bigna L , Wick Lucia , Schibler Jörg M
Published: July 2016

This article brings together in a comprehensive way, and for the first time, on- and off-site palaeoenvironmental data from the area of the Central European lake dwellings (a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site since 2011). The types of data considered are as follows: high-resolution off-site pollen cores, including micro-charcoal counts, and on-site data, including botanical macro- and micro-remains, hand-collected animal bones, remains of microfauna, and data on woodland management (dendrotypology). The period considered is the late Neolithic (c. 4300–2400 cal. BC). For this period, especially for its earlier phases, discussions of land-use patterns are contradictory. Based on off-site data, slash-and-burn – as known from tropical regions – is thought to be the only possible way to cultivate the land. On-site data however show a completely different picture: all indications point to the permanent cultivation of cereals ( Triticum spp., Hordeum vulgare), pea ( Pisum sativum), flax ( Linum usitatissimum) and opium-poppy ( Papaver somniferum). Cycles of landscape use are traceable, including coppicing and moving around the landscape with animal herds. Archaeobiological studies further indicate also that hunting and gathering were an important component and that the landscape was manipulated accordingly. Late Neolithic land-use systems also included the use of fire as a tool for opening up the landscape. Here we argue that bringing together all the types of palaeoenvironmental proxies in an integrative way allows us to draw a more comprehensive and reliable picture of the land-use systems in the late Neolithic than had been reconstructed previously largely on the basis of off-site data.
Experiences of Disability Advocates and Self-Advocates in Texas
Authors: Landmark Leena J. , Zhang Dalun , Ju Song , McVey Timothy C. , Ji Melissa Y.
Published: July 2016

Legislative advocacy is a prime channel for disability advocates to affect civil rights and disability-related legislation and policy that leads to improved quality of life for individuals with disabilities. To highlight the current status of disability legislative advocacy, this study examined advocacy experiences based on recent data from one state that involved 113 disability advocates and self-advocates. Analyses were conducted to examine the characteristics of advocates, the causes advocated, leadership positions, level of engagement, and frequency of engagement in the legislative advocacy process. Relations among advocates’ characteristics and advocacy experiences were also examined. Results revealed that individuals with disabilities mostly relied on their peers in the advocacy process, and the type of disability was associated with the causes advocated. In addition, holding a leadership position was associated with engagement in the legislative advocacy process.
Development of a Spanish-Language Hospice Video
Authors: Chung Kyusuk , Augustin Frankline , Esparza Salvador
Published: July 2016

The nation faces a persistent issue of delayed access to hospice care. Even though hospice enrollment is considered to be one of the most difficult medical decisions, physician clinics and hospitals lack tools for helping patients/families faced with making decisions about enrollment. Health-care literature lacks discussion of development of decision-making aids in the context of hospice decisions for minority ethnic groups, even though those groups have decisional needs that may differ from those of non-Hispanic whites. To fill the gap, we developed a video of a Latino hospice patient with footages showing how the patient was being taken care of by her family with support from a hospice disciplinary team. A primary objective of this article is to describe how focus groups, existing decision aids, and individual interviews were used to develop and improve a Spanish-language hospice educational video targeting Latino subgroups with linguistic, cultural, and educational barriers. These steps may provide guidelines for developing and revising health-related videos targeting other minority ethnic groups.
Evaluating Patient-Level Medication Regimen Complexity Over Time in Heart Transplant Recipients
Authors: Bryant Brittney M. , Libby Anne M. , Metz Kelli R. , Page Robert L. , Ambardekar Amrut V. , Lindenfeld JoAnn , Aquilante Christina L.
Published: July 2016

Background: Medication regimen complexity describes multiple characteristics of a patient’s prescribed drug regimen. Heart transplant recipients must comply with a lifelong regimen that consists of numerous medications. However, a systematic assessment of medication regimen complexity over time has not been conducted in this, or any other, transplant population. Objective: The objective of this study was to quantify patient-level medication regimen complexity over time following primary heart transplantation and heart retransplantation, using the validated patient-level Medication Regimen Complexity Index (pMRCI) tool. Methods: Medication lists were reviewed at transplant discharge and years 1, 3, and 5 post–primary heart transplant, and at transplant discharge and years 1 and 3 post–heart retransplantation. Medications were categorized as transplant-specific, other prescription, and over-the-counter (OTC). Results: In primary heart transplant recipients (n = 60), mean total medication count was 14.3 ± 3.4 at transplant discharge and did not change significantly over time ( P = 0.64). Transplant-specific medication count decreased significantly from discharge (2.9 ± 0.4) to year 5 (2.3 ± 0.6); P = 0.02. However, 32% of patients were taking 16 or more total medications at year 5 posttransplant. More than 70% of the pMRCI score was attributed to other prescription and OTC medications, which was largely driven by dosing frequency in this cohort. Medication complexity did not differ significantly between heart retransplant recipients (n = 11) and matched primary heart transplant controls (n = 22). Conclusion: Together, these data highlight the substantial medication burden after heart transplantation and reveal opportunities to address medication regimen complexity in this, and other, transplant populations.
Do Health Systems Have Consistent Performance Across Locations and Is Consistency Associated With Higher Performance?
Authors: Crespin Daniel J. , Christianson Jon B. , McCullough Jeffrey S. , Finch Michael D.
Published: July 2016

This study addresses whether health systems have consistent diabetes care performance across their ambulatory clinics and whether increasing consistency is associated with improvements in clinic performance. Study data included 2007 to 2013 diabetes care intermediate outcome measures for 661 ambulatory clinics in Minnesota and bordering states. Health systems provided more consistent performance, as measured by the standard deviation of performance for clinics in a system, relative to propensity score-matched proxy systems created for comparison purposes. No evidence was found that improvements in consistency were associated with higher clinic performance. The combination of high performance and consistent care is likely to enhance a health system’s brand reputation, allowing it to better mitigate the financial risks of consumers seeking care outside the organization. These results suggest that larger health systems are most likely to deliver the combination of consistent and high-performance care. Future research should explore the mechanisms that drive consistent care within health systems.