bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamical Downscaling of the Climate for the Hawaiian Islands. Part I: Present Day
Authors: Zhang Chunxi , Wang Yuqing , Hamilton Kevin , Lauer Axel
Published: February 2016

Hawaii’s high and steep topography leads to pronounced small-scale variations in climate, and this makes comprehensive modeling of the weather and climate particularly challenging. This paper describes a regional model formulation designed for simulations of the microclimates in Hawaii and then documents and analyzes an extended retrospective simulation for near-present-day conditions. Part II will apply the model to projected climate conditions near the end of the present century.

A nested version of the Advanced Research version of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model with fine horizontal resolution and improved physics for the Hawaiian region has been configured. A 20-yr triply nested simulation of the atmospheric flow was undertaken with a 3-km-resolution mesh covering all main Hawaiian Islands and a 1-km mesh over Maui. Ocean surface temperatures are prescribed from observations, and meteorological fields at the boundaries of the outermost domain are taken from global reanalyses. The simulations are compared to surface, balloon, and satellite observations over the same period. The 3-km version of the model realistically simulates the frequency of trade wind inversions, time-mean rainfall, and other variables on relatively small scales over the island of Hawaii. There is a reasonable agreement between observed and simulated mean rainfall patterns over the other islands as well. However, the simulated distribution of mean rainfall over Kauai and (most particularly) Maui and Oahu reveals some significant deficiencies, which is attributed to inadequate resolution of the topography on these islands. The 1-km simulation over Maui shows clear improvement in the mean rainfall over the 3-km version.
Observed Soil Moisture–Precipitation Feedback in Illinois: A Systematic Analysis over Different Scales
Authors: Duerinck H. M. , van der Ent R. J. , van de Giesen N. C. , Schoups G. , Babovic V. , Yeh Pat J.-F.
Published: February 2016

The lack of understanding on the soil moisture–precipitation feedback mechanisms remains a large source of uncertainty for land–atmosphere coupled models. Previous observation-based studies on the soil moisture–precipitation feedback in Illinois have shown contradictory results. This paper extends earlier research by providing a more holistic analysis considering different scales based on an 11-yr (2003–13) hourly soil moisture dataset, which makes it possible to revisit the disputed hypothesis on the correlation between warm-season soil moisture and subsequent precipitation. This study finds a strong positive correlation between late spring/early summer state-average soil moisture at the root-zone depths and subsequent state-average summer precipitation. On the daily to weekly time scale, however, no relation is found. Moreover, regional analysis suggests that precipitation variability over central Illinois can be best explained by the soil moisture variability in northwest Illinois. Using a back-trajectory method [Water Accounting Model-2 layers (WAM-2layers)] from May to July, the evaporative sources of precipitation in Illinois are identified. The pattern of the source regions shows little interannual variability, while the strength of the sources changes significantly and the Gulf of Mexico contributes more during wet years. However, strong influences (teleconnections) of sea surface temperatures on the subsequent precipitation variability in Illinois are not found on a seasonal scale. The long time scale of the soil moisture–precipitation correlation and the weak influences of SSTs and climate indices may suggest that precipitation variability in spring/summer in Illinois is mostly related to continental-scale soil moisture–precipitation feedback.
Structure of the Airflow above Surface Waves
Authors: Buckley Marc P. , Veron Fabrice
Published: February 2016

In recent years, much progress has been made to quantify the momentum exchange between the atmosphere and the oceans. The role of surface waves on the airflow dynamics is known to be significant, but our physical understanding remains incomplete. The authors present detailed airflow measurements taken in the laboratory for 17 different wind wave conditions with wave ages [determined by the ratio of the speed of the peak waves Cp to the air friction velocity u* (Cp/u*)] ranging from 1.4 to 66.7. For these experiments, a combined particle image velocimetry (PIV) and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) technique was developed. Two-dimensional airflow velocity fields were obtained as low as 100 μm above the air–water interface. Temporal and spatial wave field characteristics were also obtained. When the wind stress is too weak to generate surface waves, the mean velocity profile follows the law of the wall. With waves present, turbulent structures are directly observed in the airflow, whereby low-horizontal-velocity air is ejected away from the surface and high-velocity fluid is swept downward. Quadrant analysis shows that such downward turbulent momentum flux events dominate the turbulent boundary layer. Airflow separation is observed above young wind waves (Cp/u*< 3.7), and the resulting spanwise vorticity layers detached from the surface produce intense wave-coherent turbulence. On average, the airflow over young waves (with Cp/u* = 3.7 and 6.5) is sheltered downwind of wave crests, above the height of the critical layer zc [defined by 〈u(zc)〉 = Cp]. Near the surface, the coupling of the airflow with the waves causes a reversed, upwind sheltering effect.
The Child of Adam and the future of the earth
Authors: Jones James
Published: February 2016

This article gives a first-hand account of the correspondence between Bishop James Jones, author of Jesus and the Earth, and Nariman Gasimoglu, a Muslim scholar in Azerbaijan, on the relevance of the Bible and the Qur’an to the ecological stability or human-induced destruction of the earth.
Systematic Review on Surgical Outcomes and Hearing Preservation for Cochlear Implantation in Children and Adults
Authors: Bruijnzeel Hanneke , Draaisma Kaspar , van Grootel Roderick , Stegeman Inge , Topsakal Vedat , Grolman Wilko
Published: February 2016

Objective

The mastoidectomy with facial recess approach (MFRA) is considered the reference standard for cochlear implantation. The suprameatal approach (SMA) was developed more recently and does not require mastoidectomy, which could influence postoperative outcomes. We aim to identify the optimal operative approach for cochlear implantation based on postoperative complications and hearing preservation in children and adults.

Data Sources

PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Google Scholar.

Review Methods

Studies comparing MFRA and SMA in children and adults were eligible for inclusion. Original reports with moderate relevance and validity were included. Relevance and validity were assessed with a self‐modified critical appraisal tool. This review was reported in accordance to PRISMA guidelines.

Results

We retrieved 294 citations. Only retrospective nonrandomized studies were identified (level III evidence). Six articles were selected for full‐text inclusion and 4 articles for data extraction. No article found a significant difference between MFRA and SMA with respect to postoperative complications in children and adults. One study found a significantly (P <. 023) higher pediatric MFRA mastoiditis rate; however, meta‐analysis did not indicate an overall effect. Hearing preservation was reported only in adults, and outcomes between techniques did not differ.

Conclusion

No evidence was noted for lower complication rates or improved hearing preservation between the MFRA and SMA for cochlear implantation in children and adults. Pediatric data were available for children implanted above the age of 24 months only. Level I evidence is needed to resolve the uncertainty regarding differences in postoperative outcomes of pediatric and adult MFRA and SMA.
Utility of Surgery/Radiotherapy in Distant Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Patel Tapan D. , Marchiano Emily , Chin Oliver Y. , Kilic Suat , Eloy Jean Anderson , Baredes Soly , Park Richard Chan Woo
Published: February 2016

Objectives

The aim of this study is to analyze the survival benefits of surgery and/or radiation therapy over no therapy in patients with metastatic (M1) squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region (HN‐SCC).

Study Design

Retrospective administrative database analysis.

Subjects and Methods

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was queried for M1 HN‐SCC cases from 1988 to 2012 (6663 patients). Patient demographics, initial treatment, and survival outcomes were analyzed. Survival was analyzed with the Kaplan‐Meier model.

Results

Of the 6663 patients identified with M1 HN‐SCC in the SEER database, 1669 patients received no therapy; 2459 patients, radiotherapy; 570 patients, surgery; and 1100 patients, surgery with adjuvant radiotherapy. The mean survival was 8.44 months for patients who did not undergo any therapy. In comparison, patients who underwent radiotherapy alone, surgery alone, or surgery with radiotherapy had mean survivals of 18.03 (P <. 0001), 31.07 (P <. 0001), and 39.93 (P <. 0001) months, respectively. The 5‐year disease‐specific survival rates were 6.35% for no therapy, 17.51% for radiotherapy alone, 30.50% for surgery alone, and 33.75% for surgery with radiotherapy (P <. 0001). Site‐specific analysis revealed that surgery and/or radiation provides disease‐specific survival benefit as compared with no therapy at all subsites within the head and neck region.

Conclusions

Surgery and/or radiation—which has been shown to improve quality of life in patients with advanced cancer—is associated with an increased survival when utilized in patients with distant metastatic disease.
Occult Nodal Disease Prevalence and Distribution in Recurrent Laryngeal Cancer Requiring Salvage Laryngectomy
Authors: Birkeland Andrew C. , Rosko Andrew J. , Issa Mohamad R. , Shuman Andrew G. , Prince Mark E. , Wolf Gregory T. , Bradford Carol R. , McHugh Jonathan B. , Brenner J. Chad , Spector Matthew E.
Published: February 2016

Objectives

The indications for neck dissection concurrent with salvage laryngectomy in the clinically N0 setting remain unclear. Our goals were to determine the prevalence of occult nodal disease, analyze nodal disease distribution patterns, and identify predictors of occult nodal disease in a salvage laryngectomy cohort.

Study Design

Case series with planned data collection.

Setting

Tertiary academic center.

Subjects

Patients with persistent or recurrent laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) after radiation/chemoradiation failure undergoing salvage laryngectomy with neck dissection.

Methods

We analyzed a single‐institution retrospective case series of patients between 1997 and 2014 and identified those who had clinically N0 (cN0) necks (n = 203). Clinical and pathologic data, including nodal prevalence and distribution, were collected and statistical analyses performed.

Results

Overall, cN0 necks had histologically positive occult nodes in 17% (n = 35) of cases. Univariate predictors of occult nodal positivity included recurrent T4 stage (34% T4 vs 12% non‐T4; P =. 0003) and supraglottic subsite (28% supraglottic vs 10% nonsupraglottic; P =. 0006). Histologically positive nodes associated with supraglottic primaries were most frequently positive in ipsilateral levels II and III (17% and 16%). Positive nodes for glottic LSCC were most frequently positive in the ipsilateral and contralateral paratracheal nodes (11% and 9%).

Conclusion

Histologically positive occult nodes are identified in 17% of cN0 patients undergoing salvage laryngectomy with neck dissection. Occult nodal disease varies in frequency and distribution based on tumor subsite. Predictors of high (>20%) occult nodal positivity include T4 tumors and supraglottic subsite. In glottic LSCC, the most frequent sites of occult nodal disease are the paratracheal nodal basins.
What’s Going On? Reflections on Kratochwil’s Concept of Law
Authors: Werner Wouter
Published: February 2016

This article focuses on two conceptual puzzles that arise out of Kratochwil’s concept of law. The first is the dual meaning of the questions ‘what is the law’ and ‘what is society’? I will argue that a sociological approach to these questions is unable to do justice to the specific position of the legal practitioner, for whom then these questions are first and foremost normative ones with possible far-reaching implications. The second is the relation between the validity and the binding force of law. In line with institutional approaches to law, I argue that legal language cannot be reduced to one form of linguistic practice, the production of binding decisions and norms of conduct. I will show how a broader conception of law as a form of linguistic activity opens up new research agendas in (international) law.
Contextualising the relationship between music, emotions and the well-being of young people: A critical interpretive synthesis
Authors: McFerran Katrina Skewes
Published: February 2016

A convergent parallel design was used to interrogate two sets of literature produced by researchers investigating music, emotions and well-being: the first being 16 quantitative music psychology studies, the second being seven qualitative music therapy studies. A series of critical analyses examined some of the main assumptions that had influenced the design of the studies, largely related to the nomothetic or idiographic approaches adopted by the researchers, as well as beliefs about how music is best used for either emotion regulation or emotional expression. The results of the critical analyses were then synthesised into a set of three theoretical propositions describing how uses of music may vary across a well-being continuum, particularly noting that the same music can have a different effect depending on the state of well-being of the individual. It is proposed that when people use music to engage with strong emotions while distressed, qualitatively different experiences result that may require a supportive, even therapeutic context. The value of contextualising rather than generalising about music and emotions is therefore argued, particularly for vulnerable young people who might rely on ways of using music to engage with emotions that do not sufficiently account for their current state of well-being.
Reshaping the public service bargain in Queensland 2009–2014: Responding to austerity?
Authors: Colley Linda
Published: February 2016

This is a study of the renegotiation of pay, employment security, and of the relationship between government and public sector unions, in an Australian state public service during and after the global financial crisis. It examines the extent to which this renegotiation of the ‘public service bargain’ was necessitated by austerity requirements, and the extent to which the crisis provided an opportunity for the deprivileging of public employment that has been an enduring feature of the neoliberal state. A case study of the different approaches of two Queensland governments to their relationships with public sector workers between 2009 and 2014, it tracks two key measures of wages and staff numbers, as well as the consequences of breaches of the trust relationships of the traditional public sector bargain. Given the moderate nature of Australia’s economic downturn, the implementation of public service austerity measures was less an economic necessity than an opportunity for a conservative government to alter employment policies and sever union relationships. This continuation of public sector employment relations favoured by previous conservative governments had electoral consequences.
A study on the effect of acceleration on slip velocity and lubrication performance in cylindrical roller bearings
Authors: Cao Wei , Wang Jiaxu , Pu Wei , Zhang Ying , Wu Jiqiang , Chu Kunming , Wu Huichao
Published: February 2016

Skidding may cause wear and incipient failure of rollers and races of cylindrical roller bearings when the roller is loaded. The previous skidding studies on bearings are mainly focused on steady state condition. However, bearings often operate under different accelerations. This paper proposes an analytical model to investigate skidding between the maximum loaded roller and the races taking account of contact force and friction force between the roller, the cage and the races, fluid pressure and centrifugal force of roller. This model consists of nonlinear first-order ordinary differential equations which can be solved using Euler method. The results of this model are compared to the results of Harris model (steady-state condition) to analyze the effect of acceleration on skidding. A mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication model which is capable of handling practical case with 3D machined roughness is used to study the lubricating performance between the maximum loaded roller and the inner race during acceleration. The results indicate that acceleration has a great impact on hydrodynamic pressure, friction coefficient, and contact stress, however, the acceleration can hardly affect oil film thickness and contact area ratio.
Latest Quaternary sedimentation in the northern Gulf of Mexico intraslope basin province: II — Stratigraphic analysis and relationship to glacioeustatic climate change
Authors: Olson Hilary Clement , Damuth John E. , Nelson C. Hans
Published: February 2016

Stratigraphic zonation of 139 piston cores from the intraslope basin province of the northern Gulf of Mexico based on the Globorotalia menardii complex and calcium carbonate fluctuations shows that the vast majority of the cores contain sediments only of Holocene (Z zone) and Late Wisconsin (Y zone, Last Glacial) age. Only 13 widely spaced cores penetrate sediments of Last Interglacial (X zone) age. Overall, sedimentation rates average approximately 13 cm for the Holocene, but they range up to 600 cm. Redeposited sediments (mass-transport deposits and/or turbidites) occur in cores from the Rio Grande Submarine Fan, the East Breaks Slide Complex, the Trinity-Brazos Turbidite System, and the Bryant Canyon Turbidite System. Stratigraphic zonation of suites of cores from these areas shows that nearly all of these deposits were emplaced during Late Wisconsin (Y zone, Last Glacial). Redeposited sediments in the Holocene (Z zone) are rare.
Incidence and Predictive Factors for Recovery of Ovarian Function in Amenorrheic Women in Their 40s Treated With Letrozole
Authors: Krekow Lea K. , Hellerstedt Beth A. , Collea Rufus P. , Papish Steven , Diggikar Shrinivas M. , Resta Regina , Vukelja Svetislava J. , Holmes Frankie Ann , Reddy Praveen K. , Asmar Lina , Wang Yunfei , Fox Patricia S. , Peck Susan R. , O’Shaughnessy Joyce
Published: February 2016

Purpose

This prospective study assessed the impact of 2 years of aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy on the incidence of ovarian function recovery (OFR) in women age 40 to 49 with estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer who were premenopausal at diagnosis and who underwent chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea during adjuvant treatment.

Patients and Methods

Women age 40 to 49 with estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer who had ceased menstruating with adjuvant cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapy, had postmenopausal serum estradiol (E2), and had received tamoxifen for ≥ 1 year were treated with letrozole (2.5 mg) daily for ≥ 2 years. Serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and E2 were measured at baseline and over 2 years. A general linear model was used to assess serial FSH by OFR. Logistic regression was used to assess baseline predictors and OFR.

Results

The study enrolled 177 women (145 women age 45 to 49 years and 32 women age 40 to 44 years). Of 173 evaluable patients, 67 (39%; 95% CI, 31% to 46%) regained ovarian function; 11 of these patients (6%; 95% CI, 3% to 10%) resumed menses, and 56 of these patients (32%; 95% CI, 25% to 39%) developed premenopausal E2 without menses. Among AI-naïve patients, serial FSH significantly increased over time (P < .001), did not vary significantly by OFR status (P = .55), but showed mild evidence of a decrease after month 12 for those who resumed menses (P = .0989). Age less than 45 years and inhibin B were significant multivariable baseline predictors of OFR.

Conclusion

These results emphasize the challenge in determining definitive menopause in women with chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea. The risk of OFR during treatment with AIs in amenorrheic women in their 40s is high, and AI therapy should be avoided in these patients.
Trends in Health-Related Quality of Life After a Diagnosis of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ
Authors: Hart Vicki , Sprague Brian L. , Lakoski Susan G. , Hampton John M. , Newcomb Polly A. , Gangnon Ronald E. , Trentham-Dietz Amy
Published: February 2016

Purpose

Studies of quality of life (QoL) are scarce among survivors of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The objective of this study was to assess long-term QoL in DCIS survivors in relation to age at diagnosis, time since diagnosis, and treatments received.

Methods

We assessed physical and mental measures of health-related QoL in 1,604 patients with DCIS diagnosed in 1997 to 2006 with up to four follow-up interviews. We further compared baseline QoL to 1,055 control patients without DCIS. QoL was measured using the validated Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 Health Status Survey questionnaire. Among patients with DCIS, we examined trends in QoL over time since diagnosis using generalized linear regression models, adjusting for confounders. We tested for effect modification by surgical treatment choice, post-treatment endocrine therapy use, and age at diagnosis.

Results

Both physical and mental measures of QoL among DCIS survivors at fewer than 2 years after diagnosis were comparable to controls. Mental measures of QoL among patients with DCIS declined at ≥ 10 years after diagnosis and were significantly lower than at less than 2 years after diagnosis (47.4 v 52.0; P < .01). In the first 5 years after a DCIS diagnosis, mental QoL was significantly higher among women diagnosed at ages 50 to 74 years compared with those diagnosed at ages 28 to 49 years, although this difference was not sustained in later time periods.

Conclusion

QoL after a DCIS diagnosis was generally comparable to that of women of similar age without a personal history of DCIS. Our findings suggest that DCIS survivors, and particularly those diagnosed at a younger age, may benefit from support for mental QoL.
Comparison of Treatment Effects Measured by the Hazard Ratio and by the Ratio of Restricted Mean Survival Times in Oncology Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Trinquart Ludovic , Jacot Justine , Conner Sarah C. , Porcher Raphaël
Published: February 2016

Purpose

We aimed to compare empirically the treatment effects measured by the hazard ratio (HR) and by the difference (and ratio) of restricted mean survival times (RMST) in oncology randomized trials.

Methods

We selected oncology randomized controlled trials from five leading journals during the last 6 months of 2014. We reconstructed individual patient data for one time-to-event outcome from each trial, preferably the primary outcome. We reanalyzed each trial and compared the treatment effect estimated by the HR with that by the difference (and ratio) of RMST. We estimated an average ratio of the HR to the ratio of RMST; an average ratio less than one indicates more optimistic assessments with HRs.

Results

We analyzed 54 randomized controlled trials totaling 33,212 patients. The selected outcome was overall survival in 21 (39%) trials. There was evidence of nonproportionality of hazards in 13 (24%) trials. The HR and RMST-based measures were in agreement regarding the statistical significance of the effect, except in one case. The median HR was 0.84 (Q1 to Q3 range, 0.67 to 0.97) and the median difference in RMST was 1.12 months (range, 0.22 to 2.75 months). The average ratio of the HR to the ratio of RMST was 1.11 (95% CI, 1.07 to 1.15), with substantial between-trial variability (I2 = 86%). Results were consistent by outcome type (overall survival v other outcomes) and whether the proportional hazard assumption held or not.

Conclusion

On average, the HR provided significantly larger treatment effect estimates than the ratio of RMST. The HR may seem large when the absolute effect is small. RMST-based measures should be routinely reported in randomized trials with time-to-event outcomes.
The Drosophila tricellular junction protein Gliotactin regulates its own mRNA levels through BMP-mediated induction of miR-184
Authors: Sharifkhodaei Zohreh , Padash-Barmchi Mojgan , Gilbert Mary M. , Samarasekera Gayathri , Fulga Tudor A. , Van Vactor David , Auld Vanessa J.
Published: February 2016

Epithelial bicellular and tricellular junctions are essential for establishing and maintaining permeability barriers. Tricellular junctions are formed by the convergence of three bicellular junctions at the corners of neighbouring epithelia. Gliotactin, a member of the Neuroligin family, is located at the Drosophila tricellular junction, and is crucial for the formation of tricellular and septate junctions, as well as permeability barrier function. Gliotactin protein levels are tightly controlled by phosphorylation at tyrosine residues and endocytosis. Blocking endocytosis or overexpressing Gliotactin results in the spread of Gliotactin from the tricellular junction, resulting in apoptosis, delamination and migration of epithelial cells. We show that Gliotactin levels are also regulated at the mRNA level by micro (mi)RNA-mediated degradation and that miRNAs are targeted to a short region in the 3′UTR that includes a conserved miR-184 target site. miR-184 also targets a suite of septate junction proteins, including NrxIV, coracle and Mcr. miR-184 expression is triggered when Gliotactin is overexpressed, leading to activation of the BMP signalling pathway. Gliotactin specifically interferes with Dad, an inhibitory SMAD, leading to activation of the Tkv type-I receptor and activation of Mad to elevate the biogenesis and expression of miR-184.
Analysis of Pigments in the Printing Inks of the First Japanese Postage Stamps, the Hand-Engraved Issues
Authors: Araki Shuki , Kondo Emi , Shibata Tomohiro , Yokota Takeshi , Suzuki Marena , Hirashita Tsunehisa , Yamaguchi Koichi , Matsumoto Hiroki , Murase Yoshiaki
Published: February 2016

Pigments in the printing inks employed for Japanese hand-engraved stamps, the first issues of Japanese postage stamps, were analyzed and characterized by means of FTIR, Raman, and XRF spectroscopy. This work has revealed, for the first time, the changes of the pigments used for all colors of the stamps issued during 1871–1876, and it has been recognized that a drastic change in the ink composition occurred in 1872, when the printing of the stamps was transferred from Matsuda to the Government.
Plant-based biofuels
Authors: Hood Elizabeth E.
Published: February 2016

This review is a short synopsis of some of the latest breakthroughs in the areas of lignocellulosic conversion to fuels and utilization of oils for biodiesel. Although four lignocellulosic ethanol factories have opened in the USA and hundreds of biodiesel installations are active worldwide, technological improvements are being discovered that will rapidly evolve the biofuels industry into a new paradigm. These discoveries involve the feedstocks as well as the technologies to process them.
Importance Sampling for Option Greeks with Discontinuous Payoffs
Authors: Tong Shaolong , Liu Guangwu
Published: February 2016

The Greeks are derivatives of option price with respect to market parameters and play an important role in financial risk management. Among various simulation methods for estimating the Greeks, the pathwise method typically has a low variance. However, when the option payoff is discontinuous, the pathwise method is not applicable and the Greek involves a conditional expectation taken over a hypersurface that is a probability-zero set. In this paper, we propose an importance sampling (IS) method to estimate this conditional expectation. More specifically, IS is applied in a way that all simulated observations fall into a set constructed by thickening the hypersurface. Allowing the thickness of the set to go to zero then leads to a new representation of the Greek as an ordinary expectation, thus leading to an unbiased estimator. The resulting estimator makes use of the pathwise derivatives and can be viewed as an extension of the pathwise method to cases with discontinuous payoffs. Numerical results show that the proposed IS method works well.
A Decision Support Tool for Adaptive Management of Native Prairie Ecosystems
Authors: Hunt Victoria M. , Jacobi Sarah K. , Gannon Jill J. , Zorn Jennifer E. , Moore Clinton T. , Lonsdorf Eric V.
Published: February 2016

The Native Prairie Adaptive Management initiative is a decision support framework that provides cooperators with management-action recommendations to help them conserve native species and suppress invasive species on prairie lands. We developed a Web-based decision support tool (DST) for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey initiative. The DST facilitates cross-organizational data sharing, performs analyses to improve conservation delivery, and requires no technical expertise to operate. Each year since 2012, the DST has used monitoring data to update ecological knowledge that it translates into situation-specific management-action recommendations (e.g., controlled burn or prescribed graze). The DST provides annual recommendations for more than 10,000 acres on 20 refuge complexes in four U.S. states. We describe how the DST promotes the long-term implementation of the program for which it was designed and may facilitate decision support and improve ecological outcomes of other conservation efforts.
The value of personal mentorship
Authors: Bigwood Pauline
Published: February 2016

Are you unclear about the direction of your professional journey? Passionate about making a difference, but not sure what the next step is? Consider a mentor, a guide for continuing professional development along your career path. It could be life-changing …
A public health commissioner's approach to 0–5 services
Authors: Pearson Virginia
Published: February 2016

Viriginia Pearson considers the importance of children's health and wellbeing in a public health context, and why health visitors should grasp the opportunities that present as a result of the transfer of commissioning responsibilities.
Newly qualified health visitor: Transition to practice
Authors: Forbes Lisa
Published: February 2016

Newly qualified health visitor and member of the JHV editorial board, Lisa Forbes, reflects on her journey from student to qualified practitioner, and looks ahead to the months and years in practice.
Keeping warm in winter: a dietitian's perspective
Authors: Brown Katrina
Published: February 2016

Food can play an important part in keeping warm during the winter months. Katrina Brown offers an insight into the challenges a 93-year-old woman faces and makes some recommendations for some easy, accessible, nutritious food options
Care Certificate: mental health, dementia and learning disabilities
Authors: Ashurst Adrian
Published: February 2016

In this article, Adrian Ashurst discusses Standard 9 of the Care Certificate—which aims to make staff aware of the experiences and causes of mental health conditions, dementia and learning disabilities
Increased risk of muscle tears below physiological temperature ranges
Authors: Scott E. E. F. , Hamilton D. F. , Wallace R. J. , Muir A. Y. , Simpson A. H. R. W.
Published: February 2016

Objectives

Temperature is known to influence muscle physiology, with the velocity of shortening, relaxation and propagation all increasing with temperature. Scant data are available, however, regarding thermal influences on energy required to induce muscle damage.

Methods

Gastrocnemius and soleus muscles were harvested from 36 male rat limbs and exposed to increasing impact energy in a mechanical test rig. Muscle temperature was varied in 5°C increments, from 17°C to 42°C (to encompass the in vivo range). The energy causing non-recoverable deformation was recorded for each temperature. A measure of tissue elasticity was determined via accelerometer data, smoothed by low-pass fifth order Butterworth filter (10 kHz). Data were analysed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and significance was accepted at p = 0.05.

Results

The energy required to induce muscle failure was significantly lower at muscle temperatures of 17°C to 32°C compared with muscle at core temperature, i.e., 37°C (p < 0.01). During low-energy impacts there were no differences in muscle elasticity between cold and warm muscles (p = 0.18). Differences in elasticity were, however, seen at higher impact energies (p < 0.02).

Conclusion

Our findings are of particular clinical relevance, as when muscle temperature drops below 32°C, less energy is required to cause muscle tears. Muscle temperatures of 32°C are reported in ambient conditions, suggesting that it would be beneficial, particularly in colder environments, to ensure that peripheral muscle temperature is raised close to core levels prior to high-velocity exercise. Thus, this work stresses the importance of not only ensuring that the muscle groups are well stretched, but also that all muscle groups are warmed to core temperature in pre-exercise routines. Cite this article: Professor A. H. R. W. Simpson. Increased risk of muscle tears below physiological temperature ranges. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:61–65. doi: 10.1302/2046-3758.52.2000484.
Early interventionist parenting support: the case study of Finland
Authors: Sihvonen Ella
Published: February 2016

This article demonstrates that parenting support represents a key feature of family policy in Finland with certain characteristics. The analysis focuses on 310 documented family projects representing the practical implementation of political programmes initiated in Finland between 2000 and 2010. This analysis revealed one significant parenting support approach in the form of early intervention. Early interventionist parenting support exclusively focuses on the parent–child relationship, which is strengthened by activating parents’ quiescent resources and inherent expertise. A central argument of this article is that the recent focus on parenting stems from changes in family support policies that encourage individualised interpretations of family problems. Moreover, this article highlights the specifics of the Finnish case, which emphasises parents’ own expertise, interpreted through the context of the post-welfare state.
Contextualising transformed intergenerational relationships in China: using adult daughters’ mate selection as an example
Authors: Zheng Jing , Ho Petula Sik Ying
Published: February 2016

Recent studies indicate that a shift from the notion of filial piety to a contract of reciprocal care characterises the changing intergenerational relationship in Asian societies. Using women’s experience of dealing with the parent–child relationship during their mate selection process as an example, this article seeks to further examine transformed intergenerational relationships in China. Findings of the study show that when contextualising the contract of reciprocal care in China, the aspect of intergenerational negotiation concerning adult children’s mate selection should not be underestimated. In outlining how Chinese individuals’ redefinition and experience of intergenerational relationships are shaped by intersectional factors such as parents’ economic wellbeing, residential proximity, parental material and emotional investment influenced by the one-child policy, and changes of daughters’ mating values due to their experience of social mobility, the study contributes to the ongoing exploration of how modern intimate relations are situationally shaped by local material, cultural and political circumstances.
Increased Remnant Cholesterol Explains Part of Residual Risk of All-Cause Mortality in 5414 Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease
Authors: Jepsen Anne-Marie K , Langsted Anne , Varbo Anette , Bang Lia E , Kamstrup Pia R , Nordestgaard Børge G
Published: February 2016

BACKGROUND

Increased concentrations of remnant cholesterol are causally associated with increased risk of ischemic heart disease. We tested the hypothesis that increased remnant cholesterol is a risk factor for all-cause mortality in patients with ischemic heart disease.

METHODS

We included 5414 Danish patients diagnosed with ischemic heart disease. Patients on statins were not excluded. Calculated remnant cholesterol was nonfasting total cholesterol minus LDL and HDL cholesterol. During 35836 person-years of follow-up, 1319 patients died.

RESULTS

We examined both calculated and directly measured remnant cholesterol; importantly, however, measured remnant cholesterol made up only 9% of calculated remnant cholesterol at nonfasting triglyceride concentrations <1 mmol/L (89 mg/dL) and only 43% at triglycerides >5 mmol/L (443 mg/dL). Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause mortality compared with patients with calculated remnant cholesterol concentrations in the 0 to 60th percentiles were 1.2 (95% CI, 1.1–1.4) for patients in the 61st to 80th percentiles, 1.3 (1.1–1.5) for the 81st to 90th percentiles, 1.5 (1.1–1.8) for the 91st to 95th percentiles, and 1.6 (1.2–2.0) for patients in the 96th to 100th percentiles (trend, P < 0.001). Corresponding values for measured remnant cholesterol were 1.0 (0.8–1.1), 1.2 (1.0–1.4), 1.1 (0.9–1.5), and 1.3 (1.1–1.7) (trend, P = 0.006), and for measured LDL cholesterol 1.0 (0.9–1.1), 1.0 (0.8–1.2), 1.0 (0.8–1.3), and 1.1 (0.8–1.4) (trend, P = 0.88). Cumulative survival was reduced in patients with calculated remnant cholesterol ≥1 mmol/L (39 mg/dL) vs <1 mmol/L [log-rank, P = 9 × 10−6; hazard ratio 1.3 (1.2–1.5)], but not in patients with measured LDL cholesterol ≥3 mmol/L (116 mg/dL) vs <3 mmol/L [P = 0.76; hazard ratio 1.0 (0.9–1.1)].

CONCLUSIONS

Increased concentrations of both calculated and measured remnant cholesterol were associated with increased all-cause mortality in patients with ischemic heart disease, which was not the case for increased concentrations of measured LDL cholesterol. This suggests that increased concentrations of remnant cholesterol explain part of the residual risk of all-cause mortality in patients with ischemic heart disease.
For necessity or pleasure? Towards a politics of artists’ mobilities
Authors: Duester Emma
Published: February 2016

There is a great deal of literature on east–west European migration that argues that push factors for moving West are discrepancies in economic situation and living standards. The British press similarly says that there is ‘a new wave of labour migration’ of those ‘seeking out better wages’. However, what is not asked is whether there are any other kinds of movement from Eastern Europe. This article will, instead, look at Eastern European migration through the lens of artists. However, artists are not normal migrators as they take part in a perpetual movement across Europe. Their particular type of short-term, multi-directional movement can be better described as mobility. In order to demonstrate this, I explore the mobility patterns of artists from the Baltic cities of Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius, where cross-border movement out of these emerging art cities is vital for survival and for getting onto the global art market. While these artists might be seen as an elite mobile class who can move at ease, I will dispel this myth by charting the underlying politics of their mobilities.
Between love and rejection: Hybrid identities and transcultural documentary film-making: Films by Sara Ishaq
Authors: De Jong Wilma
Published: February 2016

This article focuses on the transcultural, Oscar-nominated Scottish Yemini documentary film-maker Sara Ishaq, especially her films The Mulberry House and Karama has no Walls. I place Ishaq’s film in the context of a subgenre of non-fiction films, the increasingly important human rights documentaries, and I also align her work with the concept of ‘accented cinema’ and ways in which the hybrid identities of transcultural film-makers – operating in what Homi Bhabha describes as the ‘third space’ – translates into their films. The main argument is that the ‘politics of justice’ has inspired many minority and women’s groups in the world but that the simple epistemology of the human rights films is complicated by the hybrid identities of transcultural film-makers and the complexities of the domestic sphere where affect and politics are being played out.
Reinventing and multiplying ‘Comorian diaspora’ within popular culture: Marseilles as ‘diaspora space’
Authors: Englert Birgit , Fritsch Katharina
Published: February 2016

Popular culture is an important domain in which postcolonial notions of diaspora are being negotiated. In this article, we focus on Marseilles, France, and the Comorian diaspora that currently represents one of the city’s major migrant populations. More precisely, we focus on the talent show Étoiles Rasmi (2013) as well as the oeuvre by Franco-Comorian slam artist Ahamada Smis. While situated in different spheres of popular culture, Étoiles Rasmi as well as Ahamada Smis’ artistic work hinge on shared ‘diaspora spaces’. We will point out how both aim(ed) at inscribing notions of Comorian culture into a broader cultural market in Marseilles and argue that both contribute to a renegotiation of the postcolonial and intersectional power relations that have been shaping notions of Comorian diaspora in Marseilles. Two categories in particular come to be negotiated in this context: generation and ethnicity. In this article, we thus situate Étoiles Rasmi as well as Smis’ work within positionalities of ‘younger generations’ of a ‘Comorian diaspora’ in Marseilles. In this regard both can be understood as reinventing or re-performing ‘Comorian culture’, affirming the role of notions of ‘ethnicity’ with respect to constructions of ‘diaspora’.
Forms of capital in the Dhaka metal scene
Authors: Quader Shams Bin
Published: February 2016

This article examines the metal scene in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and attempts to explain how the resources crucial to its birth and continued existence can be understood through Bourdieu’s different forms of capital. This local metal scene, which is part of a larger alternative music,
is a youth-based male-dominated, non-commercial and non-professional music scene based on international genres of metal, located in the unique urban socio-historic milieu of this postcolonial developing country. For this research, a total of fourteen participants involved with this scene were
interviewed, supplemented by participant observation at local gigs and analysis of related texts. This local metal community revolves around the activities of primarily middleclass, part-time, male musicians who share particular economic, cultural and social resources that afford their participation
in it. Economic and cultural capital involves resources such as privileged upbringing, ability to invest time and money in such semi-professional activities like playing and being involved with metal music, covering costs of buying necessary gear like music instruments, amplifiers, multi-effect
processors, microphones, etc., and learning instruments like guitar, bass and drums from music schools or professional music teachers. Being involved with the local metal milieu also entails participating in shared spaces like jamming pads, recording studios and small venues, having access
to English-language education, which in turn enables the understanding of foreign music content as well as bringing together people with similar socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, and having access to foreign cultures and music through record stores, travels, cable TV channels and the
Internet. Of equal significance alongside such economic and cultural capital is social capital. This includes maintaining social networks with, and receiving the approval of, certain influential agents known as Murubbis or Boro Bhais.
Finally getting out of the maze: Understanding the narrative structure of extreme metal through a study of ‘Mad Architect’ by Septicflesh
Authors: St-Laurent Méi-Ra
Published: February 2016

Many academics assume that extreme metal music cannot be identified to an understandable narrative, because of the difficulty to perceive the lyrics and the poor harmonic and melodic structure. The author of this paper demonstrates the opposite, using a methodology called narratology,
derived from literary studies and musicology. She analyses the song ‘Mad Architect’ from symphonic death metal group Septicflesh (2011), which narrates the alienation felt by a protagonist who thinks that he is lost in a maze before he realizes that this maze is actually a construction
of his mind. The specific narrative of the song, which evokes the madness and the alienation felt by the protagonist, will be better understood by analysing jointly the lyrics (using narratological parameters being the time, the modality and the voice of the narrative) and the musical parameters
(namely harmony, melody, vocal timbre or sound technology).
Towards Tourism Sustainability: General Aspects and Empirical Evidence of the Italian Experience at Decentralized Level, with Specific Reference to Sicily
Authors: Cassar Silvana , Creaco Salvo
Published: February 2016

Even though the concepts and observations underlying sustainability are not a novelty, sustainable development was given impetus and made popular in 1987 by the Brundtland Report. This report introduced development policies and strategies that acknowledged the importance of resource and environmental constraints and the limitations imposed on growth patterns. Although sustainable development proved difficult to define and make operative, the concept was progressively applied to those economic sectors which had major detrimental effects on income, employment and wealth. Sustainable tourism was effectively one part of the effort to take full account of the current and future economic, social and environmental impacts of the sector, addressing the needs of visitors, industry, environment and host communities. After reviewing the main questions referring to the environmental, economic and social aspects of tourism development, this paper tries to identify a balanced indicator showing the impact of tourist accommodation facilities and related infrastructure in Sicily in terms of the three fundamental pillars of sustainability. Based on this indicator, the ranking of the nine Sicilian provinces is provided. In a wider perspective, the proposed approach is applied to make a comparison of tourism sustainability in Sicily and in other Italian regions.