bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Spirit of and Spirit in Craig S. Keener’s Spirit Hermeneutics
Authors: Grey Jacqueline N.
Published: May 2017

This essay provides a critical review of Craig Keener’s Spirit Hermeneutics: Reading Scripture in Light of Pentecost. It explores three key considerations for pentecostal hermeneutics that are drawn from Keener’s volume: the importance of engagement with the global, ecumenical community; the contribution of a distinct pentecostal pneumatology that informs the task of hermeneutics; and the role of analogous experience in the reading of the Old Testament. Scripture, including Old Testament texts, is not self-referential but points to God and God’s activity in creation. The essay concludes that the corrective to an invalid reading should not be prioritizing the original intention of the biblical author; instead, it suggests, the determiner of a valid reading could be found in the theological worldview to which the text points.
The Interpretation of Scripture
Authors: Spawn Kevin L.
Published: May 2017

This essay will offer, first, an overview of Craig Keener’s Spirit Hermeneutics, and then a response from a biblical specialist in the charismatic tradition. To explore the contributions of Keener’s volume further, some suggestions are made on the following subjects: the conceptualization of his proposed global readings, the role of canonical narratives in biblical hermeneutics, the construction of biblical theology, and the implications of his thesis for the development of future theological leaders in both the church and the academy.
Refining Spirit Hermeneutics
Authors: Keener Craig S.
Published: May 2017

In this article Craig S. Keener participates in the roundtable dialogue on his book: Spirit Hermeneutics: Reading Scripture in the Light of Pentecost. After responding individually to the reviews of L. William Oliverio, Jr., Kevin L. Spawn, Hannah R.K. Mather, Ben Aker, Jacqueline N. Grey, and Kenneth J. Archer, Keener responds more fully to some key issues in the reviews and articulates elements of his hermeneutical theory that complement the arguments in his book, including discussions on conventional hermeneutics, the role of subjectivity/objectivity in interpretation, and the relationship between pentecostal hermeneutics and evangelical hermeneutics.
Variability of breeding resource partitioning in a lacertid lizard at field scale
Authors: Biaggini Marta , Corti Claudia
Published: May 2017

Human activities cause increasingly deep alterations to natural environments. Yet, the effects on vertebrates with low dispersal capacity are still poorly investigated, especially at field scale. Life history variation represents one means by which species can adapt to a changing environment. Among vertebrates, lizards exhibit a high degree of variation in life-history traits, often associated with environmental variability. We examined the female breeding output ofPodarcissiculus(Lacertidae) inside agricultural habitats, to test whether different cultivation and management influence the life-history traits of this species. Interestingly, we recorded variability of female breeding output at a very fine scale, namely among adjacent vineyards and olive orchards under different management levels. Lizards displayed the lowest breeding effort in the almost unmanaged sites, while clutch mass, relative fecundity and mean egg mass slightly increased in more intensively managed sites. However, in the most intensive cultivations we detected a life-history trade-off, where eggs from larger clutches tended to be relatively smaller than eggs from smaller clutches. This pattern suggests that agriculture can influence lizard reproductive output, partly favouring it in the presence of medium intensity cultivation but causing, in the most intensively managed sites, some environmental constraints that require a peculiar partitioning of the breeding resources. Even though further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms driving the observed pattern, our results can be considered a starting point for evaluating the analysis of lizard breeding features as a tool to assess the impact of human activities, at least in agricultural environments.
A New High-Resolution Sea Surface Temperature Blended Analysis
Authors: Harris Andy , Mittaz Jonathan , Sapper John , Wick Gary , Zhu Xiaofang , Dash Prasanjit , Koner Prabhat
Published: May 2017

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) office of National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) now generates a daily 0.05° (∼5 km) global high-resolution satellite-based sea surface temperature (SST) analyses on an operational basis. The new analysis combines SST data from U.S., Japanese, and European geostationary infrared imagers, and low-Earth-orbiting infrared (United States and Europe) SST data, into a single high-resolution 5-km product. An earlier version produced a 0.1° (∼11 km) resolution, a resolution chosen to approximate the Nyquist sampling criterion for the midlatitude Rossby radius (∼20 km), in order to preserve mesoscale oceanographic features such as eddies and frontal meanders. Comparison between the two analyses illustrates that the higher-resolution grid spacing has more success in this regard. The analysis employs a rigorous multiscale optimum interpolation (OI) methodology that approximates the Kalman filter, together with a data-adaptive correlation length scale, to ensure a good balance between detail preservation and noise reduction. The product accuracy verified against globally distributed buoys is ∼0.02 K, with a robust standard deviation of ∼0.25 K. The new analysis has proven a significant success even when compared to other products that purport to have a similar resolution. This analysis forms the basis for other operational environmental products such as coral reef bleaching risk and ocean heat content for tropical cyclone prediction. Forthcoming enhancements include the incorporation of microwave SST products from low-Earth-orbiting platforms [e.g., Global Change Observation Mission for Water-1 (GCOM-W1)] in order to improve the resolution of SST features in areas of persistent cloud and correct for diurnal effects via a turbulence model of upper-ocean heating.
Detection and Attribution of Changes in Extreme Temperatures at Regional Scale
Authors: Wang Zhuo , Jiang Yujing , Wan Hui , Yan Jun , Zhang Xuebin
Published: May 2017

This paper improves an extreme-value-theory-based detection and attribution method and then applies it to four types of extreme temperatures, annual minimum daily minimum (TNn) and maximum (TXn) and annual maximum daily minimum (TNx) and maximum (TXx), using the HadEX2 observation and the CMIP5 multimodel simulation datasets of the period 1951–2010 at 17 subcontinent regions. The methodology is an analog of the fingerprinting method adapted to extremes using the generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution. The signals are estimated as the time-dependent location parameters of GEV distributions fitted to extremes simulated by multimodel ensembles under anthropogenic (ANT), natural (NAT), or combined anthropogenic and natural (ALL) external forcings. The observed extremes are modeled by GEV distributions whose location parameters incorporate the signals as covariates. A coordinate descent algorithm improves both computational efficiency and accuracy in comparison to the existing method, facilitating detection of multiple signals simultaneously. An overall goodness-of-fit test was performed at the regional level. The ANT signal was separated from the NAT signal in four to six regions. In these analyses, the waiting times of the 1951–55 20-yr return level in the 2006–10 climate for the temperature of the coldest night and day were found to have increased to over 20 yr; the corresponding waiting times for the warmest night and day were found to have dropped below 20 yr in a majority of the regions.
Simulating the Effects of Anthropogenic Aerosols on Terrestrial Aridity Using an Aerosol–Climate Coupled Model
Authors: Zhao Shuyun , Zhang Hua , Wang Zhili , Jing Xianwen
Published: May 2017

The comprehensive effects of anthropogenic aerosols (sulfate, black carbon, and organic carbon) on terrestrial aridity were simulated using an aerosol–climate coupled model system. The results showed that the increase in total anthropogenic aerosols in the atmosphere from 1850 to 2010 had caused global land annual mean precipitation to decrease by about 0.19 (0.18, 0.21) mm day−1, where the uncertainty range of the change (minimum, maximum) is given in parentheses following the mean change, and reference evapotranspiration ET0 (representing evapotranspiration ability) to decrease by about 0.33 (0.31, 0.35) mm day−1. The increase in anthropogenic aerosols in the atmosphere from 1850 to 2010 had caused land annual mean terrestrial aridity to decrease by about 3.0% (2.7%, 3.6%). The areal extent of global total arid and semiarid areas had reduced due to the increase in total anthropogenic aerosols in the atmosphere from preindustrial times. However, it was found that the increase in anthropogenic aerosols in the atmosphere had enhanced the terrestrial aridity and thus resulted in an expansion of arid and semiarid areas over East and South Asia. The projected decrease in anthropogenic aerosols in the atmosphere from 2010 to 2100 will increase global land annual mean precipitation by about 0.15 (0.13, 0.16) mm day−1 and ET0 by about 0.26 (0.25, 0.28) mm day−1, thereby producing a net increase in terrestrial aridity of about 2.8% (2.1%, 3.6%) and an expansion of global total arid and semiarid areas.
Uncertainties in Future Projections of Summer Droughts and Heat Waves over the Contiguous United States
Authors: Herrera-Estrada Julio E. , Sheffield Justin
Published: May 2017

Droughts and heat waves have important impacts on multiple sectors including water resources, agriculture, electricity generation, and public health, so it is important to understand how they will be affected by climate change. However, there is large uncertainty in the projected changes of these extreme events from climate models. In this study, historical biases in models are compared against their future projections to understand and attempt to constrain these uncertainties. Biases in precipitation, near-surface air temperature, evapotranspiration, and a land–atmospheric coupling metric are calculated for 24 models from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) against 2 models from phase 2 of the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS-2) as reference for 1979–2005. These biases are highly correlated across variables, with some models being hotter and drier and others wetter and cooler. Models that overestimate summer precipitation project larger increases in precipitation, evapotranspiration, and land–atmospheric coupling over important agricultural regions by the end of the twenty-first century (2070–99) under RCP8.5, although the percentage variance explained is low. Changes in the characteristics of droughts and heat waves are calculated and linked to historical biases in precipitation and temperature. A method to constrain uncertainty by ranking models based on historical performance is discussed but the rankings differ widely depending on the variable considered. Despite the large uncertainty that remains in the magnitude of the changes, there is consensus among models that droughts and heat waves will increase in multiple regions in the United States by the end of the twenty-first century unless climate mitigation actions are taken.
Comparison of the Analyses and Forecasts of a Tornadic Supercell Storm from Assimilating Phased-Array Radar and WSR-88D Observations
Authors: Supinie Timothy A. , Yussouf Nusrat , Jung Youngsun , Xue Ming , Cheng Jing , Wang Shizhang
Published: May 2017

NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory is actively developing phased-array radar (PAR) technology, a potential next-generation weather radar, to replace the current operational WSR-88D radars. One unique feature of PAR is its rapid scanning capability, which is at least 4–5 times faster than the scanning rate of WSR-88D. To explore the impact of such high-frequency PAR observations compared with traditional WSR-88D on severe weather forecasting, several storm-scale data assimilation and forecast experiments are conducted. Reflectivity and radial velocity observations from the 22 May 2011 Ada, Oklahoma, tornadic supercell storm are assimilated over a 45-min period using observations from the experimental PAR located in Norman, Oklahoma, and the operational WSR-88D radar at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The radar observations are assimilated into the ARPS model within a heterogeneous mesoscale environment and 1-h ensemble forecasts are generated from analyses every 15 min. With a 30-min assimilation period, the PAR experiment is able to analyze more realistic storm structures, resulting in higher skill scores and higher probabilities of low-level vorticity that align better with the locations of radar-derived rotation compared with the WSR-88D experiment. Assimilation of PAR observations for a longer 45-min time period generates similar forecasts compared to assimilating WSR-88D observations, indicating that the advantage of rapid-scan PAR is more noticeable over a shorter 30-min assimilation period. An additional experiment reveals that the improved accuracy from the PAR experiment over a shorter assimilation period is mainly due to its high-temporal-frequency sampling capability. These results highlight the benefit of PAR’s rapid-scan capability in storm-scale modeling that can potentially extend severe weather warning lead times.
Changes in the albumin glycation site, plasma pentosidine and esRAGE concentrations before and after intensive diabetic treatment in patients with abnormally high glycated albumin levels
Authors: Miyamoto Hiroyasu , Kohzuma Takuji , Ohnishi Akihiro
Published: May 2017

Background

We have reported that the blood glucose normalization treatment reduced the albumin glycation sites and the intensity of albumin AGE fluorescence in patients with abnormally high glycated albumin levels. To clarify the relationship between glycaemic control status and levels of glycated proteins and related markers, we studied the change of the markers of the DM patients with and without fatty liver, liver cirrhosis and dialysis before and after the intensive diabetic treatment.

Methods

Eight diabetic patients with abnormally high glycated albumin levels (no complications: 2, fatty liver: 3, liver cirrhosis: 2, dialysis: 1) were recruited. In the hypoglycaemic treatment for these patients, the HbA1c, glycated albumin, albumin AGE fluorescence, pentosidine, endogenous secretory receptors for AGE (esRAGE) and glycation sites of albumin were determined.

Results

Glycated albumin and HbA1c levels dropped after the treatment. Albumin glycation sites decreased in almost the same pattern, irrespective of the type of complications. The fluorescence intensity and pentosidine concentrations decreased significantly. However, post-treatment pentosidine concentrations were higher than the reference interval in all cases. Average esRAGE concentrations did not change and were lower than the reference interval.

Conclusions

Hypoglycaemic treatment reduced the glycated albumin levels, glycation sites of albumin and AGE concentrations but not esRAGE concentrations in diabetic patients with or without fatty liver, liver cirrhosis, and dialysis. Checking and maintaining low glycated albumin levels would prevent the formation of AGE and may be useful to prevent the onset or progression of diabetes complications.
Mind the gap: shortcomings of the osmotic gap and a possible solution
Authors: Wilgen Urs , Pretorius Carel J , Ungerer Jacobus PJ
Published: May 2017

Background

Measured (MO) and calculated osmotic concentrations (CO) and the osmotic gap (OG) are commonly used in the investigation of electrolyte and volume disturbances as well as in cases of suspected volatile ingestion.

Methods

We compared 38 published formulae for CO with MO on a large data-set ( n = 9466) and adjusted the CO with the result of a Passing-Bablok regression procedure. Validation of this adjustment was performed with a separate data-set ( n = 2082).

Results

All but one of the CO formulae underestimate MO due to a proportional bias (slope 0.67 to 0.95) and the OG limits were therefore not applicable throughout the observed range. Using Passing-Bablok regression to adjust the CO: CO#3 = (2 × Na+urea+glucose−14.54)/0.93. After adjustment, the mean OG was 0.3 mmol/L with a SD of 5.1 mmol/L across the measurement interval. The distribution of the OG could be fully explained by the analytical imprecision of the measured components.

Conclusions

Simple adjustment of the CO for the proportional underestimation of MO allows OG reference limits of approximately −10 to +10 mmol/L to be used, even in the upper ranges of CO in patients with suspected volatile ingestion.
Missing, Modified, and Large-p-small-nData in Nonparametric Curve Estimation
Authors: Efromovich Sam
Published: May 2017

Nonparametric curve estimation, which makes no assumptions about shape of estimated functions, is one of the main pillars of the modern statistical science. It is used when no adequate parametric or semi-parametric model is available. Asymptotic results on adaptive estimation of nonparametric curves, under both traditional and shrinking minimaxes, are presented. The latter approach allows us to explain the phenomenon of superefficiency when a function can be estimated with a rate faster than the minimax one. Resent results on sequential nonparametric estimation, which yields an assigned risk with minimal average stopping time, are also presented. Then it is explained how the theory can be used in practically important cases of missing data, modified data in survival analysis, and Big Data. Wavelet applications in the analysis of microarrays and fMRI illustrate feasibility of the proposed nonparametric estimation.
A Bayesian Approach for Detection of Isotropy Violation of a Random Field Over a Sphere
Authors: Souradeep Tarun , Das Santanu , Wandelt Benjamin D.
Published: May 2017

We present a general method for estimating the isotropy violation of random fields on a sphere using a Bayesian formalism. We use Bipolar Spherical Harmonic (BipoSH) representation of general covariance structure on the sphere. Our approach promises to provide a robust quantitative evaluation of the evidence for SI violation-related anomalies in the CMB sky by estimating the BipoSH spectra along with their complete posterior.
Bayes-based Non-Bayesian Inference on Finite Populations from Non-representative Samples: A Unified Approach*Based on S. N. Roy Memorial Lecture in the symposium.
Authors: Pfeffermann Danny
Published: May 2017

Classical inference on finite populations is based on probability samples drawn from the target population with predefined selection probabilities. The target population parameters are either descriptive statistics such as totals or proportions, or parameters of statistical models assumed to hold for the population values. Familiar examples of estimation of models include the estimation of income elasticities from household surveys, comparisons of pupils’ achievements from educational surveys, and the study of causal relationships between risk factors and disease prevalence from health surveys. Models are also routinely used to account for measurement errors and for small area estimation with small samples in at least some of the areas.

In practice, the samples selected are often not representative of the finite populations from which they are taken. This is so because the sample selection probabilities might be correlated with the model target values, known as informative sampling, or that observations are missing because of not missing at random (NMAR) nonresponse. Sometimes, the samples are subject to mode effects resulting from the use of different answering methods for different sample units, and in more extreme cases, the samples are drawn from sub-populations such as in web-based surveys or in observational studies.

The focus of this article is to discuss and illustrate how all these diverse scenarios can be handled in a unified manner by use of Bayes theorem. The use of Bayes theorem allows relating the model holding for the observed data with the model holding for the missing data and the model operating in the target population. I discuss different estimation procedures and review articles that illustrate their performance.
Performance Analysis of M/M(a,b)/1 Queuing Model with Balking and State-dependent Reneging and Service
Authors: Bakuli Kuntal , Pal Manisha
Published: May 2017

The article investigates a M/M[Formula: see text]/1 queuing model with impatient customers. The size of a batch taken up for service depends on the number of customers present in the waiting line. The server serves a minimum of “ a” and a maximum of “ b” customers at a time. The service time is assumed to be exponentially distributed with mean dependent on the batch size. Customers arrive to the system as a Poisson process, and may leave on finding a long queue or may renege after waiting in the queue for an exponentially distributed time. The model is analyzed to find different measures of effectiveness of the system. A new measure of performance is also discussed. The approach adopted for analysis of the model is based on embedded Markov chain.
Bayes Estimation of Augmenting Gamma Strength Reliability of a System under Non-informative Prior Distributions
Authors: Chandra N. , Rathaur V.K.
Published: May 2017

In this article, Bayes estimation of system’s augmented strength reliability is studied under squared-error loss function (SELF) and LINEX loss function (LLF) for the generalized case of augmentation strategy plan (ASP). ASP is helpful in enhancing the strength reliability of weaker system/equipment. It is assumed that the stress (usual) and augmented strength follow a gamma distribution with common shape [Formula: see text] and scale [Formula: see text] parameters. A simulation study is performed for the comparisons of Bayes estimators of augmented strength reliability for non-informative types of prior (uniform and Jeffrey’s priors) with maximum likelihood estimators on the basis of their mean square errors and the absolute biases by simulating 1,000 Monte Carlo samples. The proposed methods are compared by analysing real and simulated datasets for illustration purpose.
Antagonism, accommodation and agonism in Critical Management Studies: Alternative organizations as allies
Authors: Parker Simon , Parker Martin
Published: May 2017

Critical Management Studies has long been engaged in discussions about the purpose of critique and the possibilities of engagement. A recent expression calls for Critical Management Studies to moderate its ‘negative’ critique of management and instead use words like care, engagement and affirmation in order to enable ‘progressive’ engagement with managers. This ‘performative turn’ has been poorly received by some who see it as a dilution of radical intent. We argue for a middle ground between the antagonistic versions of Critical Management Studies that appear to want to oppose management, and ‘performative’ scholars who appear to accommodate with managerialism. We do this by planting the debate firmly within an empirical setting and a crisis that the first author experienced as a ‘critical scholar’ when conducting an ethnography at a sustainable financial services firm. In order to do this, we explore Chantal Mouffe’s concept of agonism to establish a particular mode of political engagement that acknowledges a space between being ‘for’ and being ‘against’. We conclude by suggesting that the exploration of alternative forms of organization and management, themselves already involved in struggle against a hegemonic present, should be the proper task of a discipline that wishes to engage with the present and remain ‘critical’.
Hearing music in service interactions: A theoretical and empirical analysis
Authors: Payne Jonathan , Korczynski Marek , Cluley Rob
Published: May 2017

There is an extensive literature concerned with the impact of music on customers. However, no study has examined its effects on service workers and their interactions with customers. Drawing together literatures on service work and music in everyday life, the article develops a theoretical framework for exploring the role of music in service exchanges. Two central factors are identified – first, how workers hear, and respond to, the music soundscape, and, second, their relations with customers, given these have the potential to be both alienating and positive to the point of meaningful social interaction. From these, a 2×2 matrix is constructed, comprising four potential scenarios. The authors argue for the likely importance of music’s role as a bridge for sociality between worker and customer. The article considers this theorizing by drawing upon interviews with 60 retail and café workers in UK chains and independents, and free text comments collected through a survey of workers in a large service retailer. The findings show broad support for music acting as a bridge for sociality. Service workers appropriate music for their own purposes and many use this to provide texture and substance to social interactions with customers.
Colonial Legacy of Gender Inequality: Christian Missionaries in German East Africa
Authors: Montgomery Max
Published: May 2017

Why does sub-Saharan Africa exhibit the highest rates of gender inequality in the world? This article evaluates the contributions of Christian missionary societies in German East Africa to current socioeconomic gender inequalities in Tanzania. Previous studies ascribe a comparatively benign long-term effect of missionary societies, in particular of the Protestant denomination, on economic, developmental, and political outcomes. This article contrasts that perception by focusing on the wider cultural impact of the civilizing mission in colonial Africa. The analysis rests on a novel georeferenced dataset on German East Africa—based on digitized colonial maps and extensive historical records available in the German colonial archives—and the most recently available DHS-surveys. The results highlight the formative role of Catholic missionary societies in German East Africa in shaping gender inequalities currently witnessed in Tanzania.
Constructing the State: Macro Strategies, Micro Incentives, and the Creation of Police Forces in Colonial Namibia
Authors: De Juan Alexander , Krautwald Fabian , Pierskalla Jan Henryk
Published: May 2017

How do states build a security apparatus after violent resistance against state rule? This article argues that in early periods of state building two main factors shape the process: the macro-strategic goals of the state and administrative challenges of personnel management. These dynamics are studied in the context of the establishment of police forces in the settler colony of German Southwest Africa, present-day Namibia. The empirical analysis relies on information about the location of police stations and a near full census of police forces, compiled from the German Federal Archives. A mismatch is found between the allocation of police presence and the allocation of police personnel. The first was driven by the strategic value of locations in terms of extractive potential, political importance, and the presence of critical infrastructure, whereas the allocation of individual officers was likely affected by adverse selection, which led to the assignment of low-quality recruits to strategically important locations.
Input-to-state stability for impulsive switched nonlinear systems with unstable subsystems
Authors: Zhang Meng , Gao Lijun
Published: May 2017

In this article, the input-to-state stability is investigated for impulsive switched systems. By means of the Lyapunov function and the average impulsive switched interval approach, the input-to-state stability properties are derived under the condition that all subsystems are stable, all subsystems are unstable and some subsystems are unstable. It is shown that if the continuous subsystems all have input-to-state stability and though the impulsive effects are destabilizing, the system has input-to-state stability with respect to a lower bound of the average impulsive switched interval. Moreover, if all the subsystems do not have input-to-state stability, the impulsive effects can still successfully stabilize the system but for an upper bound of the average impulsive switched interval. However, it is unveiled that if some continuous subsystems are not input-to-state stability, the impulsive effects can successfully stabilize the system for a lower bound of the average impulsive switched interval under specific conditions. It is worth noting that we introduce multiple jumps in this paper. Finally, three examples are illustrated with their simulations to manifest the validity of the main results.
Modified active disturbance rejection control for non-linear semi-active vehicle suspension with magneto-rheological damper
Authors: Cheng Mingxing , Jiao Xiaohong
Published: May 2017

This paper presents a novel idea processing the complex non-linear dynamics of a magneto-rheological (MR) damper and the external road disturbance based on the linear extended state observer (LESO) technology, and further verifies its reasonability by application of linear active disturbance rejection control (LADRC) in the quarter-car non-linear semi-active suspension system. In order to optimize the body acceleration and dynamic tyre load to improve the ride comfort and road-handling ability, a modified active disturbance rejection control, the double linear active disturbance rejection control (DLADRC), is further proposed based on the idea of the hybrid skyhook–groundhook control strategy. LESO is used to estimate the total disturbance including the external road disturbance and the internal non-linear dynamic of the MR damper. For effectiveness validation of the proposed control scheme, comparison results with the existing linear quadratic regulation (LQR) control, hybrid skyhook–groundhook control and adaptive control strategies are presented for the same quarter-car semi-active suspension. It is shown from the simulation comparisons among these several control strategies that the semi-active suspension system with DLADRC has a better control performance on the ride comfort and road-handling ability corresponding to the body acceleration and dynamic tyre load.
Open ends and means: Inquiry as a link between formal music concepts and informal music learning
Authors: Schmidt-Jones Catherine Anne
Published: May 2017

There is currently considerable interest in strengthening the connections between formal music education and informal, self-motivated music practices. Participants in this study were adults who were self-motivated to learn formal music concepts, but had encountered barriers to doing so independently. The study offered them individual online tutoring, with the goal of better understanding the barriers that may arise when adults try to use open online resources for independent learning. Nine out of 11 long-term participants attained or made appreciable progress toward their goals. Activities that reflected their immediate goals and employed familiar tools and concepts appeared to be crucial to participants’ development of useful connections between informal learning situations and the relevant formal concepts, with implications for music education as well as for open online education.
Recommendations to reduce inequalities for LGBT people facing advanced illness: ACCESSCare national qualitative interview study
Authors: Bristowe Katherine , Hodson Matthew , Wee Bee , Almack Kathryn , Johnson Katherine , Daveson Barbara A , Koffman Jonathan , McEnhill Linda , Harding Richard
Published: May 2017

Background:

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans (LGBT) people have higher risk of certain life-limiting illnesses and unmet needs in advanced illness and bereavement. ACCESSCare is the first national study to examine in depth the experiences of LGBT people facing advanced illness.

Aim:

To explore health-care experiences of LGBT people facing advanced illness to elicit views regarding sharing identity (sexual orientation/gender history), accessing services, discrimination/exclusion and best-practice examples.

Design:

Semi-structured in-depth qualitative interviews analysed using thematic analysis.

Setting/participants:

In total, 40 LGBT people from across the United Kingdom facing advanced illness: cancer ( n = 21), non-cancer ( n = 16) and both a cancer and a non-cancer conditions ( n = 3).

Results:

In total, five main themes emerged: (1) person-centred care needs that may require additional/different consideration for LGBT people (including different social support structures and additional legal concerns), (2) service level or interactional (created in the consultation) barriers/stressors (including heteronormative assumptions and homophobic/transphobic behaviours), (3) invisible barriers/stressors (including the historical context of pathology/criminalisation, fears and experiences of discrimination) and (4) service level or interactional facilitators (including acknowledging and including partners in critical discussions). These all shape (5) individuals’ preferences for disclosing identity. Prior experiences of discrimination or violence, in response to disclosure, were carried into future care interactions and heightened with the frailty of advanced illness.

Conclusion:

Despite recent legislative change, experiences of discrimination and exclusion in health care persist for LGBT people. Ten recommendations, for health-care professionals and services/institutions, are made from the data. These are simple, low cost and offer potential gains in access to, and outcomes of, care for LGBT people.
Quantitative assessment of brain glucose metabolic rates using in vivo deuterium magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Authors: Lu Ming , Zhu Xiao-Hong , Zhang Yi , Mateescu Gheorghe , Chen Wei
Published: May 2017

Quantitative assessment of cerebral glucose consumption rate (CMRglc) and tricarboxylic acid cycle flux (VTCA) is crucial for understanding neuroenergetics under physiopathological conditions. In this study, we report a novel in vivo Deuterium (2H) MRS (DMRS) approach for simultaneously measuring and quantifying CMRglc and VTCA in rat brains at 16.4 Tesla. Following a brief infusion of deuterated glucose, dynamic changes of isotope-labeled glucose, glutamate/glutamine (Glx) and water contents in the brain can be robustly monitored from their well-resolved 2H resonances. Dynamic DMRS glucose and Glx data were employed to determine CMRglc and VTCA concurrently. To test the sensitivity of this method in response to altered glucose metabolism, two brain conditions with different anesthetics were investigated. Increased CMRglc (0.46 vs. 0.28 µmol/g/min) and VTCA (0.96 vs. 0.6 µmol/g/min) were found in rats under morphine as compared to deeper anesthesia using 2% isoflurane. This study demonstrates the feasibility and new utility of the in vivo DMRS approach to assess cerebral glucose metabolic rates at high/ultrahigh field. It provides an alternative MRS tool for in vivo study of metabolic coupling relationship between aerobic and anaerobic glucose metabolisms in brain under physiopathological states.
The toxic effects of polychlorinated biphenyl (Aroclor 1242) on Tm3 Leydig cells
Authors: Aydin Yasemin , Erkan Melike
Published: May 2017

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous and persistent environmental contaminants that disrupt endocrine function in biological systems, especially in the male reproductive system. Previous studies on the reproductive toxicity of PCBs have focused on the impairment of spermatogenesis, disruption of steroidogenesis, decreased sperm number, and infertility. Aroclor 1242 is a commercial mixture with an average of 42% chlorine by weight. The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the hazardous effects of Aroclor 1242 on Leydig cells through an evaluation of cell viability, lipid peroxidation, hydroxyl radicals, H2O2 production, antioxidant enzymes, and steroidogenic enzymes. Leydig cells were exposed to Aroclor 1242 for 24 h under basal and luteinizing hormone-stimulated conditions at different concentrations (ranging from 10−16 M to 10−6 M). After incubation, Leydig cells were measured for cell viability, lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen species (hydroxyl radical and H2O2), antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione-S-transferase), and steroidogenic enzymes (3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase [HSD] and 17β-HSD). The results showed that cell viability was reduced only at Aroclor 1242 concentrations of 10−6 M and 10−8 M, whereas lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species increased relative to the concentration. Furthermore, antioxidant systems and steroidogenesis were interrupted to varying degrees, relative to the concentration. These findings suggest that exposure to Aroclor 1242 at high concentrations may result in detrimental effects to Leydig cell homeostasis. In addition, Aroclor 1242 may impair steroidogenesis, especially testosterone biosynthesis, by inhibiting two important steroidogenic enzymes.
Endoscopic Removal of Benign Forehead Tumors: Patient Satisfaction With Decision Making and Scar Outcomes
Authors: Gilde Jason E. , Landau Barcleigh P. , Tang Christopher G. , Shih Charles W.
Published: May 2017

The endoscopic approach is an alternative treatment to direct excision of benign forehead tumors. Prior publications describe the technique and outcomes. Our study assumes a quality improvement perspective, focusing on patient satisfaction with decision making and scar outcomes. This is a retrospective case series study of adult patients who underwent endoscopic removal of benign forehead tumors at Kaiser Permanente Oakland from 2006 to 2016. Data were collected pertaining to surgical outcomes, patient satisfaction using validated instruments. Thirty adult patients were included. Mean operating time was 60 minutes. Forehead tumors included osteomas and a variety of soft tissue lesions. Transient complications included hypoesthesia, seroma, and frontalis weakness. A recurrence of an epidermal inclusion cyst occurred. Patients reported nearly complete satisfaction with decision making and scar outcomes. Endoscopic removal of benign forehead tumors is a safe and effective treatment. Patient satisfaction with decision making and the scar is excellent. Further studies are needed to compare the endoscopic approach to direct excision. The surgeon should offer the endoscopic approach and appropriate counseling to the patient with a benign forehead tumor.
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Management of a First Unprovoked Seizure in Children and Adolescents With a Focus on the Revised Diagnostic Criteria for Epilepsy
Authors: Sansevere Arnold J. , Avalone Jennifer , Strauss Lauren Doyle , Patel Archana A. , Pinto Anna , Ramachandran Maya , Fernandez Ivan Sanchez , Bergin Ann M. , Kimia Amir , Pearl Phillip L. , Loddenkemper Tobias
Published: May 2017

By definition, unprovoked seizures are not precipitated by an identifiable factor, such as fever or trauma. A thorough history and physical examination are essential to caring for pediatric patients with a potential first unprovoked seizure. Differential diagnosis, EEG, neuroimaging, laboratory tests, and initiation of treatment will be reviewed. Treatment is typically initiated after 2 unprovoked seizures, or after 1 seizure in select patients with distinct epilepsy syndromes. Recent expansion of the definition of epilepsy by the ILAE allows for the diagnosis of epilepsy to be made after the first seizure if the clinical presentation and supporting diagnostic studies suggest a greater than 60% chance of a second seizure. This review summarizes the current literature on the diagnostic and therapeutic management of first unprovoked seizure in children and adolescents while taking into consideration the revised diagnostic criteria of epilepsy.
Nanoformulated water-soluble paclitaxel to enhance drug efficacy and reduce hemolysis side effect
Authors: Gu Weiting , Chen Jie , Patra Prabir , Yang Xiaoyan , Gu Quanrong , Wei Lingxuan , Acker Jason P , Kong Beihua
Published: May 2017

Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are the three top cancer treatment modalities. Paclitaxel (PTX) is one of the most widely used chemotherapy drugs. However, its clinical applications have been significantly limited due to: (i) serious hemolysis effect of currently available commercial paclitaxel formulations and (ii) its water insolubility. An easy way to deliver paclitaxel by a new nanocarrier system using pluronic copolymers of P123/F68 and Sorbitan monopalmitate (Span 40) was reported in our previous research article. The characterization of the formulation and analysis of drug release and cellular uptake were also presented. In this article, we reported discoveries of our follow-up in vivo antitumor and in vitro hemolytic study discoveries. The experimental results showed that the nanoformulated PTX achieved much better tumor suppression performance while reducing hemolysis side effects. This newly formulated drug can significantly improve patient outcomes in cancer chemotherapy.
Immobilization of native type I collagen on polypropylene fabrics as a substrate for HepG2 cell culture
Authors: Peng Gongze , Li Saina , Peng Qing , Li Yang , Weng Jun , Jia Zhidong , Kang Jiyao , Lei Xiongxin , Zhang Guifeng , Gao Yi
Published: May 2017

Background/aims

The critical part of a bio-artificial liver device is establishment of a bioreactor filled with liver cells. However, it is still unclear how to maintain benign cell function while achieving the sufficient cell quantity. In the current study, we aim to establish a novel carrier for the culture of HepG2 cells, a liver cell line, by modifying polypropylene nonwoven fabrics with native type I collagen.

Methods

“Piranha” solution, KH-550 and glutaraldehyde subsequently were used to bridge native type I collagen and polypropylene nonwoven fabrics. The type I collagen-coupled polypropylene nonwoven fabric was characterized by XPS, SEM, ATR-FTIR and water contact angle measurement. Furthermore, the biocompatibility between HepG2 cells and fiber film is evaluated by the ability of cell proliferation, albumin secretion, as well as urea synthesis.

Results

The coating of collagen onto polypropylene fabrics was more efficient using the chemical covalent binding method than direct immersion, which was validated by the presence of collagen-related elements and chemical bond. The adding of collagen in polypropylene fabrics promoted hydrophilicity and HepG2 cell adherence. Additionally, enhanced cell proliferation, increased albumin secretion and urea synthesis were observed in HepG2 cells growing on collagen-coated polypropylene fabrics.

Conclusions

The collagen coated polypropylene nonwoven fabrics, acting as a feasible substrate for HepG2 cell culture, may be used as a promising liver cell carrier for artificial liver reactor.
Women’s Views About Domestic Violence: A Qualitative Study in Iran
Authors: Shams Mohsen , Kianfard Leila , Parhizkar Saadat , Mousavizadeh Ali
Published: May 2017

Violence against women is an urgent health priority in Iran. Designing effective programs for preventing and controlling the problem necessitates a thorough understanding of Iranian women and their perspectives regarding domestic violence. This study was aimed at exploring the domestic violence–related views of married women who were referred to health care facilities in Ahvaz, Iran. In this qualitative research, data were collected through four focus group discussions with 30 married women. All the discussions were recorded and transcribed, after which the data were classified separately. The main themes and subthemes were then manually derived from the data and analyzed. The five main themes identified were domestic violence against women in Ahvaz, behavioral influencing factors, nonbehavioral influencing factors, the necessity to empower women to prevent domestic violence, and recommendations for developing special training programs for Ahvazi women. Most of the participants were aware that domestic violence against women is a common occurrence in Iran. They were well aware of the definition of violence and expressed a belief that behavioral factors exert an important effect on the occurrence of the problem. They recommended the development of appropriate training programs that empower women to prevent the problem, the use of mass media to educate citizens about domestic violence, and the involvement of opinion leaders in eliminating the taboo against considering such violence a crime against Iranian women. Considering the views and ideas of women as consumers of educational services is a principle used to develop effective programs for preventing and controlling domestic violence. As indicated by the findings, the participants believe that empowering women must be treated as a priority in the Iranian health care system. However, they recommended differing approaches and methods of empowerment on the basis of their individual views and concerns.
The Longitudinal Relation Between Community Violence Exposure and Academic Engagement During Adolescence: Exploring Families’ Protective Role
Authors: Elsaesser Caitlin , Gorman-Smith Deborah , Henry David , Schoeny Michael
Published: May 2017

Few published studies have examined the interaction between community violence exposure, academic engagement, and parental involvement, despite theory suggesting that these three domains of development are interrelated during adolescence. This study had two related objectives: (a) to assess the temporal ordering of the relation between community violence exposure and academic engagement over the course of mid-adolescence and (b) to examine whether the pattern of these relations varies by level of parental involvement. The study sample included 273 ethnic minority males (33.4% Latino and 65.6% African American) and their caregivers living in impoverished urban neighborhoods. The present study drew on data collected through in-home surveys on violence exposure, school experiences, and family functioning at three time points during mid-adolescence. Cross-lagged model results suggest that at Time 1 ( M age = 13.5), community violence exposure predicted lower academic engagement at Time 2 ( M age = 14.8). Between Time 2 and Time 3 ( M age = 15.8), it was academic engagement that predicted lower community violence. Parental involvement moderated these relations such that academic engagement at Time 2 only reduced the risk of violence exposure at Time 3 in the presence of families with high levels of involvement relative to others in the sample. Findings suggest that practitioners might seek to promote positive school experiences as youth move into high school to reduce risk of violence exposure. Results also indicate the importance of designing interventions that target both positive family and school functioning.