bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate on skeletal muscle mitochondrial content and dynamics, and lipids after 10 days of bed rest in older adults
Authors: Standley Robert A. , Distefano Giovanna , Pereira Suzette L. , Tian Min , Kelly Owen J. , Coen Paul M. , Deutz Nicolaas E. P. , Wolfe Robert R. , Goodpaster Bret H.
Published: July 2017

Loss of muscle mass during periods of disuse likely has negative health consequences for older adults. We have previously shown that β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation during 10 days of strict bed rest (BR) attenuates the loss of lean mass in older adults. To elucidate potential molecular mechanisms of HMB effects on muscle during BR and resistance training rehabilitation (RT), we examined mediators of skeletal muscle mitochondrial dynamics, autophagy and atrophy, and intramyocellular lipids. Nineteen older adults (60–76 yr) completed 10 days BR followed by 8-wk RT rehabilitation. Subjects were randomized to either HMB (3 g/day HMB; n = 11) or control (CON; n = 8) groups. Skeletal muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) was determined by histology from percutaneous vastus lateralis biopsies. We measured protein markers of mitochondrial content [oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)], fusion and fission (MFN2, OPA1, FIS1, and DRP1), autophagy (Beclin1, LC3B, and BNIP3), and atrophy [poly-ubiquinated proteins (poly-ub)] by Western blot. Fatty acid composition of several lipid classes in skeletal muscle was measured by infusion-MS analysis. Poly-ub proteins and OXPHOS complex I increased in both groups following BR ( P < 0.05, main effect for time), and muscle triglyceride content tended to increase following BR in the HMB group ( P = 0.055). RT rehabilitation increased OXPHOS complex II protein ( P < 0.05), and total OXPHOS content tended ( P = 0.0504) to be higher in HMB group. In addition, higher levels of DRP1 and MFN2 were maintained in the HMB group after RT ( P < 0.05). BNIP3 and poly-ub proteins were significantly reduced following rehabilitation in both groups ( P < 0.05). Collectively, these data suggest that HMB influences mitochondrial dynamics and lipid metabolism during disuse atrophy and rehabilitation.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Mitochondrial content and dynamics remained unchanged over 10 days of BR in older adults. HMB stimulated intramuscular lipid storage as triacylglycerol following 10 days of bed rest (BR) and maintained higher mitochondrial OXPHOS content and dynamics during the 8-wk resistance exercise rehabilitation program.
Acute Bacterial Meningitis in Qatar: A Hospital-Based Study from 2009 to 2013
Authors: Khan Fahmi Yousef , Abu-Khattab Mohammed , Almaslamani Eman Abdulrahman , Hassan Abubaker Ahmed , Mohamed Shehab Fareed , Elbuzdi Abdurrahman Ali , Elmaki Nada Yagoub , Anand Deshmukh , Sanjay Doiphode
Published: July 2017

Background and Objectives. Bacterial meningitis is a common medical condition in Qatar. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of bacterial meningitis, the frequency of each pathogen, and its sensitivity to antibiotics and risk factors for death.Patients and Methods. This retrospective study was conducted at Hamad General Hospital between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2013.Results. We identified 117 episodes of acute bacterial meningitis in 110 patients. Their mean age was26.4±22.3years (range: 2–74) and 81 (69.2%) of them were male patients. Fifty-nine episodes (50.4%) were community-acquired infection and fever was the most frequent symptom (94%), whereas neurosurgery is the most common underlying condition. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most common causative agent, of which 95% were oxacillin-resistant, while 63.3% ofAcinetobacterspp. showed resistance to meropenem. The in-hospital mortality was 14 (12%). Only the presence of underlying diseases, hypotension, and inappropriate treatment were found to be independent predictors of mortality.Conclusion. Acute bacterial meningitis predominantly affected adults and coagulase-negative staphylococci species were the common causative agent in Qatar with majority of infections occurring nosocomially. More than 90% of all implicated coagulase-negative staphylococci strains were oxacillin-resistant.
A Rare Clinical Case: Giant Splenic Artery Aneurysm and Its Successful Endovascular Treatment
Authors: Yasim Alptekin , Kara Hakan , Eroglu Erdinc
Published: July 2017

Objectives. The true giant splenic artery aneurysms are extremely rare and can be fatal. Although surgical approach has been the standard of care in the past, endovascular methods gained more importance in recent years. Background. We describe a case with true giant splenic artery aneurysm, treated with endovascular approach. Methods. A 68-year-old female patient with abdominal pain admitted to our clinic had true splenic artery aneurysm (14 × 10 × 9 cm). We decided on endovascular treatment using vascular plug and the treatment was performed successfully. Conclusions. Due to high mortality and morbidity in open surgery, endovascular treatment of giant splenic artery aneurysm is a better treatment option.
Misdiagnoses of Epilepsy as Ekbom Syndrome, Mood Instability, and Nocturnal Visual Hallucinations
Authors: Duarte Mangas M. , Martins Y. , Bravo L. , Matos Pires A.
Published: July 2017

Epileptic seizures may be misdiagnosed if they manifest as psychiatric symptoms. We report three female patients with no preexisting history of epilepsy that were unsuccessfully treated as primary psychiatric disorder: one patient was initially diagnosed with somatization and Ekbom syndrome; the second was referred to psychiatrist due to mood instability and visual hallucinations; and the third one was referred for anxiety and hallucinations related to sleep. A carefully taken medical history clarified diagnoses of epilepsy. None of the patients responded to medications aimed at treating psychiatric symptoms, and all the patients had favorable response to antiepileptic treatment. These cases illustrate that epileptic patients may experience nonconvulsive seizures that might be misdiagnosed as primary psychiatric disorder.
CYP2C19⁎2 Polymorphism in Chilean Patients with In-Stent Restenosis Development and Controls
Authors: Ruedlinger Jenny , Prado Yalena , Zambrano Tomás , Saavedra Nicolás , Bobadilla Braulio , Potthoff Marcelo , Pérez Luis , Lanas Fernando , Salazar Luis A.
Published: July 2017

Clopidogrel is an antiplatelet drug especially used in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Polymorphisms within CYP2C19 can result in important interindividual variations regarding therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the impact of the CYP2C19⁎2 variant (rs4244285) on in-stent restenosis occurrence in Chilean patients who underwent PCI and received clopidogrel. A total of 77 cases with stenosis >50% in the angioplasty site (62.75 ± 9.8 years, 80.5% males) and 86 controls (65.45 ± 9.8 years, 72.1% males) were studied. The polymorphism was genotyped using TaqMan® Drug Metabolism Genotyping Assays. Overall, CYP2C19⁎2 allele frequency was 8.3%. Diabetes, chronic lesions, and bare metal stents (BMS) were observed more often in cases than in controls (p = 0.05, p = 0.04, and p = 0.02, resp.). Genotypic frequencies did not differ significantly between the groups (p = 0.15). Nonetheless, the mutated allele was observed in a greater proportion in patients without in-stent restenosis (p = 0.055). There was no significant association between the rs4244285 variant and the occurrence of in-stent restenosis after PCI (OR = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.19 to 1.04; p = 0.06). In summary, no association was identified between the CYP2C19⁎2 variant and the development of coronary in-stent restenosis.
Contribution of Inhibitor of DNA Binding/Differentiation-3 and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals to Pathophysiological Aspects of Chronic Disease
Authors: Avecilla Vincent , Doke Mayur , Felty Quentin
Published: July 2017

The overwhelming increase in the global incidence of obesity and its associated complications such as insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, pulmonary disease, and degenerative disorders including dementia constitutes a serious public health problem. The Inhibitor of DNA Binding/Differentiation-3 (ID3), a member of the ID family of transcriptional regulators, has been shown to play a role in adipogenesis and therefore ID3 may influence obesity and metabolic health in response to environmental factors. This review will highlight the current understanding of how ID3 may contribute to complex chronic diseases via metabolic perturbations. Based on the increasing number of reports that suggest chronic exposure to and accumulation of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) within the human body are associated with metabolic disorders, we will also consider the impact of these chemicals on ID3. Improved understanding of the ID3 pathways by which exposure to EDCs can potentiate complex chronic diseases in populations with metabolic disorders (obesity, metabolic syndrome, and glucose intolerance) will likely provide useful knowledge in the prevention and control of complex chronic diseases associated with exposure to environmental pollutants.
On Boundedness of Entropy of Photon Gas in Noncommutative Spacetime
Authors: Alam Kazi Ashraful , Faruk Mir Mehedi
Published: July 2017

Entropy bound for the photon gas in a noncommutative (NC) spacetime where phase space is with compact spatial momentum space, previously studied by Nozari et al., has been reexamined with the correct distribution function. While Nozari et al. have employed Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution function to investigate thermodynamic properties of photon gas, we have employed the correct distribution function, that is, Bose-Einstein distribution function. No such entropy bound is observed if Bose-Einstein distribution is employed to solve the partition function. As a result, the reported analogy between thermodynamics of photon gas in such NC spacetime and Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of black holes should be disregarded.
Peripheral Ulcerative Keratitis Associated with Autoimmune Disease: Pathogenesis and Treatment
Authors: Cao Yan , Zhang Wensong , Wu Jie , Zhang Hong , Zhou Hongyan
Published: July 2017

Peripheral ulcerative keratitis (PUK) is type of crescent-shaped inflammatory damage that occurs in the limbal region of the cornea. PUK is always combined with an epithelial defect and the destruction of the peripheral corneal stroma. PUK may have a connection to systemic conditions, such as long-standing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Wegener granulomatosis (WG), relapsing polychondritis, classic polyarteritis nodosa and its variants, microscopic polyangiitis, and Churg-Strauss syndrome. However, the most common connection is with RA, which is also the focus of this review. The pathogenesis of PUK is still unclear. It is thought that circulating immune complexes and cytokines exert an important influence on the progression of this syndrome. Treatment is applied to inhibit certain aspects of PUK pathogenesis.
The Management of Cardiovascular Risk through Epigenetic Biomarkers
Authors: Metzinger Laurent , de Franciscis Stefano , Serra Raffaele
Published: July 2017

Epigenetic sciences study heritable changes in gene expression not related to changes in the genomic DNA sequence. The most important epigenetic mechanisms are DNA methylation, posttranslational histone modification, and gene regulation by noncoding RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are responsible for at least one-third of premature deaths worldwide and represent a heavy burden of healthcare expenditure. We will discuss in this review the most recent findings dealing with epigenetic alterations linked to cardiovascular physiopathology in patients. A particular focus will be put on the way these changes can be translated in the clinic, to develop innovative and groundbreaking biomarkers in CVD field.
NOxRemoval from Simulated Marine Exhaust Gas by Wet Scrubbing Using NaClO Solution
Authors: Han Zhitao , Liu Bojun , Yang Shaolong , Pan Xinxiang , Yan Zhijun
Published: July 2017

The experiments were performed in a lab-scale countercurrent spraying reactor to study the NOxremoval from simulated gas stream by cyclic scrubbing using NaClO solution. The effects of NaClO concentration, initial solution pH, coexisting gases (5% CO2and 13% O2), NOxconcentration, SO2concentration, and absorbent temperature on NOxremoval efficiency were investigated in regard to marine exhaust gas. When NaClO concentration was higher than 0.05 M and initial solution pH was below 8, NOxremoval efficiency was relatively stable and it was higher than 60%. The coexisting CO2(5%) had little effect on NOxremoval efficiency, but the outlet CO2concentration decreased slowly with the initial pH increasing from 6 to 8. A complete removal of SO2and NO could be achieved simultaneously at 293 K, initial pH of 6, and NaClO concentration of 0.05 M, while the outlet NO2concentration increased slightly with the increase of inlet SO2concentration. NOxremoval efficiency increased slightly with the increase of absorbent temperature. The relevant reaction mechanisms for the oxidation and absorption of NO with NaClO were also discussed. The results indicated that it was of great potential for NOxremoval from marine exhaust gas by wet scrubbing using NaClO solution.
Pain and Vertebral Dysfunction in Dry Immersion: A Model of Microgravity Simulation Different from Bed Rest Studies
Authors: Treffel L. , Massabuau N. , Zuj K. , Custaud M.-A. , Gauquelin-Koch G. , Blanc S. , Gharib C. , Millet C.
Published: July 2017

Background. Astronauts frequently experience back pain during and after spaceflight. The aim of this study was to utilize clinical methods to identify potential vertebral somatic dysfunction (VD) in subjects exposed to dry immersion (DI), a model of microgravity simulation. Method. The experiment was performed in a space research clinic, respecting all the ethical rules, with subjects completing three days of dry immersion (n=11). Assessments of VD, spine height, and back pain were made before and after simulated microgravity. Results. Back pain was present in DI with great global discomfort during the entire protocol. A low positive correlation was found (Pearson r=0.44; P<0.001) between VD before DI and pain developed in the DI experiment. Conclusions. There is a specific location of pain in both models of simulation. Our analysis leads to relativizing constraints on musculoskeletal system in function of simulation models. This study was the first to examine manual palpation of the spine in a space experience. Additionally, osteopathic view may be used to select those individuals who have less risk of developing back pain.
Acceleration of Augmented EFIE Using Multilevel Complex Source Beam Method
Authors: Song Lianning , Chen Yongpin , Jiang Ming , Hu Jun , Nie Zaiping
Published: July 2017

The computation of the augmented electric field integral equation (A-EFIE) is accelerated by using the multilevel complex source beam (MLCSB) method. As an effective solution of the low-frequency problem, A-EFIE includes both current and charge as unknowns to avoid the imbalance between the vector potentials and the scalar potentials in the conventional EFIE. However, dense impedance submatrices are involved in the A-EFIE system, and the computational cost becomes extremely high for problems with a large number of unknowns. As an exact solution to Maxwell’s equations, the complex source beam (CSB) method can be well tailored for A-EFIE to accelerate the matrix-vector products in an iterative solver. Different from the commonly used multilevel fast multipole algorithm (MLFMA), the CSB method is free from the problem of low-frequency breakdown. In our implementation, the expansion operators of CSB are first derived for the vector potentials and the scalar potentials. Consequently, the aggregation and disaggregation operators are introduced to form a multilevel algorithm to reduce the computational complexity. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method are discussed in detail through a variety of numerical examples. It is observed that the numerical error of the MLCSB-AEFIE keeps constant for a broad frequency range, indicating the good stability and scalability of the proposed method.
Dexamethasone Implants in Diabetic Macular Edema Patients with High Visual Acuity
Authors: Sacconi Riccardo , Battaglia Parodi Maurizio , Casati Stefano , Lattanzio Rosangela , Marchini Giorgio , Bandello Francesco
Published: July 2017

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of intravitreal dexamethasone (DEX) implants in patients affected by diabetic macular edema (DME) with high best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and contraindications to therapy with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor over a 12-month follow-up. Methods: In this interventional nonrandomized clinical study, 14 consecutive patients (14 eyes) affected by DME with a BCVA of 0.3 LogMAR or better were prospectively enrolled. All patients were treated with a sustained-release 700-μg DEX implant at baseline, revaluated every 6 weeks, and retreated on a pro re nata basis. Primary outcomes included changes in BCVA and central macular thickness (CMT). Secondary outcomes included number of implants, average period between injections, and incidence of side effects. Results: At the 12-month examination, a significant improvement in mean BCVA was noted compared to baseline (from 0.25 ± 0.05 to 0.10 ± 0.07 LogMAR; p < 0.001); CMT decreased from 484 ± 127 to 311 ± 51 μm (p < 0.001). No differences in BCVA and CMT improvements were found between treatment- naïve patients and previously treated patients (p = 0.768 and 0.119, respectively). The mean number of implants was 1.71 ± 0.61 (range, 1-3). The mean period between the first and the second implant was 6.1 ± 1.6 months. Conclusions: The DEX implant on a pro re nata basis can be considered a beneficial approach for DME patients with high BCVA over a 12-month follow-up; functional and anatomical outcome of the patients significantly improved with few injections and a good safety profile.
Enhanced Reactive Oxygen Species Production, Acidic Cytosolic pH and Upregulated Na+/H+ Exchanger (NHE) in Dicer Deficient CD4+ T Cells
Authors: Singh Yogesh , Zhou Yuetao , Zhang Shaqiu , Abdelazeem Khalid N.M. , Elvira Bernat , Salker Madhuri S. , Lang Florian
Published: July 2017

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) negatively regulate gene expression at a post-transcriptional level. Dicer, a cytoplasmic RNase III enzyme, is required for the maturation of miRNAs from precursor miRNAs. Dicer, therefore, is a critical enzyme involved in the biogenesis and processing of miRNAs. Several biological processes are controlled by miRNAs, including the regulation of T cell development and function. T cells generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) with parallel H+ extrusion accomplished by the Na+/H+-exchanger 1 (NHE1). The present study explored whether ROS production, as well as NHE1 expression and function are sensitive to the lack of Dicer (miRNAs deficient) and could be modified by individual miRNAs. Methods: CD4+ T cells were isolated from CD4 specific Dicer deficient (DicerΔ/Δ) mice and the respective control mice (Dicerfl/fl). Transcript and protein levels were quantified with RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. For determination of intracellular pH (pHi) cells were incubated with the pH sensitive dye bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF) and Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE) activity was calculated from re-alkalinization after an ammonium pulse. Changes in cell volume were measured using the forward scatter in flow cytometry, and ROS production utilizing 2',7' -dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFDA) fluorescence. Transfection of miRNA-control and mimics in T cells was performed using DharmaFECT3 reagent. Results: ROS production, cytosolic H+ concentration, NHE1 transcript and protein levels, NHE activity, and cell volume were all significantly higher in CD4+ T cells from DicerΔ/Δ mice than in CD4+ T cells from Dicerfl/fl mice. Furthermore, individual miR-200b and miR-15b modify pHi and NHE activity in Dicerfl/fl and DicerΔ/Δ CD4+ T cells, respectively. Conclusions: Lack of Dicer leads to oxidative stress, cytosolic acidification, upregulated NHE1 expression and activity as well as swelling of CD4+ T cells, functions all reversed by miR-15b or miR-200b.
Quando o cinema se faz vizinho
Authors: Lima Érico Oliveira de Araújo
Published: July 2017

A partir do filme A vizinhança do tigre (2014), de Affonso Uchoa, este artigo se pergunta sobre algumas formas de vizinhança nas quais pode se engajar o cinema na relação com os espaços e com os sujeitos filmados. De um lado, levantamos uma visada geográfica, que enfatiza os modos pelos quais a escritura fílmica constitui a contiguidade das vidas, das casas, das ruas, dos espaços em cena. De outro, estamos interessados em um gesto de avizinhamento, quando a geografia e os sujeitos filmados interagem com a máquina-cinema segundo um modo de hospitalidade. Como pano de fundo, há aqui uma indagação sobre a possibilidade de os recursos expressivos da arte criarem uma vida em comum.
O cinema latino-americano de Chris Marker
Authors: Souza Tainah Negreiros Oliveira de
Published: July 2017

Este texto aponta os principais aspectos trabalhados no recém lançado livro O cinema latinoamericano de Chris Marker, de Carolina Amaral de Aguiar, buscando explicitar a relevância de sua pesquisa e os caminhos percorridos pela autora para tratar da relação do cineasta francês Chris Marker com os movimentos sociais na América Latina nos anos 1960 e 1970; relação essa que contribuiu para a concepção de uma parte significativa da filmografia do cineasta e também para a concepção de filmes na América Latina.
ARHGAP18 Protects Against Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Formation by Mitigating the Synthetic and Proinflammatory Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype
Authors: Liu Renjing , Lo Lisa , Lay Angelina J. , Zhao Yang , Ting Ka Ka , Robertson Elizabeth N. , Sherrah Andrew G. , Jarrah Sorour , Li Haibo , Zhou Zhaoxiong , Hambly Brett D. , Richmond David R. , Jeremy Richmond W. , Bannon Paul G. , Vadas Mathew A. , Gamble Jennifer R.
Published: July 2017

Rationale:

Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is a potentially lethal condition, which can affect individuals of all ages. TAA may be complicated by the sudden onset of life-threatening dissection or rupture. The underlying mechanisms leading to TAA formation, particularly in the nonsyndromal idiopathic group of patients, are not well understood. Thus, identification of new genes and targets that are involved in TAA pathogenesis are required to help prevent and reverse the disease phenotype.

Objective:

Here we explore the role of ARHGAP18, a novel Rho GAP expressed by smooth muscle cells (SMCs), in the pathogenesis of TAA.

Methods and Results:

Using human and mouse aortic samples, we report that ARHGAP18 levels were significantly reduced in the SMC layer of aortic aneurysms.
Arhgap18
global knockout (
Arhgap18
−/
−
) mice exhibited a highly synthetic, proteolytic, and proinflammatory smooth muscle phenotype under basal conditions and when challenged with angiotensin II, developed TAA with increased frequency and severity compared with littermate controls. Chromatin immunoprecipitation studies revealed this phenotype is partly associated with strong enrichment of H3K4me3 and depletion of H3K27me3 at the
MMP2
and
TNF-α
promoters in
Arhgap18
-deficient SMC. We further show that TAA formation in the
Arhgap18
−/−
mice is associated with loss of Akt activation. The abnormal SMC phenotype observed in the
Arhgap18
−/−
mice can be partially rescued by pharmacological treatment with the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin, which reduces the synthetic and proinflammatory phenotype of
Arhgap18
-deficient SMC.

Conclusion:

We have identified
ARHGAP18
as a novel protective gene against TAA formation and define an additional target for the future development of treatments to limit TAA pathogenesis.
Circular RNA Expression Profiles Alter Significantly in Mouse Brain After Transient Focal Ischemia
Authors: Mehta Suresh L. , Pandi Gopal , Vemuganti Raghu
Published: July 2017

Background and Purpose—

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel class of noncoding RNAs formed from many protein-coding genes by backsplicing. Although their physiological functions are not yet completely defined, they are thought to control transcription, translation, and microRNA levels. We investigated whether stroke changes the circRNAs expression profile in the mouse brain.

Methods—

Male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion, and circRNA expression profile was evaluated in the penumbral cortex at 6, 12, and 24 hours of reperfusion using circRNA microarrays and real-time PCR. Bioinformatics analysis was conducted to identify microRNA binding sites, transcription factor binding, and gene ontology of circRNAs altered after ischemia.

Results—

One thousand three-hundred twenty circRNAs were expressed at detectable levels mostly from exonic (1064) regions of the genes in the cerebral cortex of sham animals. Of those, 283 were altered (>2-fold) at least at one of the reperfusion time points, whereas 16 were altered at all 3 time points of reperfusion after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion compared with sham. Postischemic changes in circRNAs identified by microarray analysis were confirmed by real-time PCR. Bioinformatics showed that these 16 circRNAs contain binding sites for many microRNAs. Promoter analysis showed that the circRNAs altered after stroke might be controlled by a set of transcription factors. The major biological and molecular functions controlled by circRNAs altered after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion are biological regulation, metabolic process, cell communication, and binding to proteins, ions, and nucleic acids.

Conclusions—

This is a first study that shows that stroke alters the expression of circRNAs with possible functional implication to poststroke pathophysiology.
The Art and Science of Recording the Environment
Authors: Barclay Leah , Gifford Toby
Published: July 2017

The recent emergence of the interdisciplinary fields of ecoacoustics and sound studies has resulted in a dramatic increase in both artists and scientists engaged in the practice of audio field recording for a diversity of purposes. The recording techniques used vary substantially reflecting differing loci of interest. We argue that both fields could benefit from greater cross-fertilization, and enhanced discussion of existing field recording practices. We suggest acoustic ecology as a field provides a natural home for such interdisciplinary exchanges, and discuss our application of Acoustic Ecology in the Biosphere Soundscapes project.
Atmo-Sphere: Art and Conscious Environmental Visualization
Authors: Biasuz Maria Cristina Villanova
Published: July 2017

It is presented a reflection on the possibilities that Art can have in engaging audiences across the world on activities that foster consciousness and responsibility concerning the future of the Earth. Through interactivity enabled by technology one can propose projects with young artists and observe the impact that Art can have in their lives and the way they face the ever-changing society, its processes/products and how these can affect the environment. A virtual object presented by our research group will be the focus of our theorization concerning: Data, Science and Eco Action looking at Art and Technology through interactive art objects.
Water Infrastructure and New Music as Agents of Environmental Awareness
Authors: Lubell Gabriel
Published: July 2017

Visually conspicuous sites of water infrastructure have historically served to publicly acknowledge water’s essential role in urban civilization and the feats necessary to maintain its supply. By bringing five disparate sites together in a new musical composition, this project seeks to create a space for the contemplation of solutions to issues of water availability. Doing so encourages audiences to reconsider their own relationships with water and the challenges associated with it.
Climate Change and Cultural Heritage in Western Mongolia
Authors: Post Jennifer C.
Published: July 2017

This report addresses the impact of climate change on cultural production among Kazakh mobile pastoral herders in the Altai Mountains of western Mongolia. It highlights the body of ecological knowledge that herders carry from generation to generation and express in their music, instruments, textiles, and heritage actions such as work patterns and social gatherings. Extreme weather events, loss of water sources, and desertification have deeply impacted herders and this is expressed in their cultural forms. The study engages with rangeland and climate science and draws on the author’s fieldwork with Kazakh herders in Mongolia.
„Wenn ein Mensch seinem Nächsten Gewalt antun will . . .“
Authors: Blumenthal Christian
Published: July 2017

The coptic sahidic version of the Fourth Book of Maccabees was discovered by Enzo Lucchesi in the nineteen eighties and published by Ivan Miroshnikov in 2014, who observed that the Coptic version is sometimes significantly different from the Greek one. This article examines the peculiarities of this translation and tries to show that the Sahidic version has an own paraenetic aim which is quite different from that one of the Greek text.
Do Justice and Peace Really Kiss Each Other?
Authors: Eder Sigrid
Published: July 2017

While Lady Wisdom, Zion and Jerusalem, for example, are well-known and frequently analyzed personifications in the Old Testament, the study of personifications in the book of psalms is a research desideratum. After presenting the theoretical background of the term personification with special focus on the function of the verb, I will present the results of verb personifications in the psalter followed by a textual analysis of the personified virtues of steadfast love, truth, justice and peace in Ps 85:11. One example of the encounter between justice and peace in the form of a kiss, from Christian reception history, forms the last part of the article. The paper aims to contribute to the broad and intense discussion of metaphor analysis in psalms research on the three levels of theory, of textual analysis of the whole book of psalms and of Ps 85,11 and the reception history of metaphors.
A new Prophaecasia species from Cambodia and the female characters of the genus (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Olethreutinae: Olethreutini)
Authors: HEPPNER JOHN B. , BAE YANG-SEOP
Published: July 2017

Prophaecasia lindae, n. sp., is described from Cambodia, along with notes on the female of the genus.
The Best of Both Worlds: A Decision-Making Framework for Combining Traditional and Contemporary Forecast Systems
Authors: Plotz Roan D. , Chambers Lynda E. , Finn Charlotte K.
Published: July 2017

In most countries, national meteorological services either generate or have access to seasonal climate forecasts. However, in a number of regions, the uptake of these forecasts by local communities can be limited, with the locals instead relying on traditional knowledge to make their climate forecasts. Both approaches to seasonal climate forecasting have benefits, and the incorporation of traditional forecast methods into contemporary forecast systems can lead to forecasts that are locally relevant and better trusted by the users. This in turn could significantly improve the communication and application of climate information, especially to remote communities. A number of different methodologies have been proposed for combining these forecasts. Through considering the benefits and limitations of each approach, practical recommendations are provided on selecting a method, in the form of a decision framework, that takes into consideration both user and provider needs. The framework comprises four main decision points: 1) consideration of the level of involvement of traditional-knowledge experts or the community that is required, 2) existing levels of traditional knowledge of climate forecasting and its level of cultural sensitivity, 3) the availability of long-term data—both traditional-knowledge and contemporary-forecast components, and 4) the level of resourcing available. No one method is suitable for everyone and every situation; however, the decision framework helps to select the most appropriate method for a given situation.
Scale Dependence of Midlatitude Air–Sea Interaction
Authors: Bishop Stuart P. , Small R. Justin , Bryan Frank O. , Tomas Robert A.
Published: July 2017

It has traditionally been thought that midlatitude sea surface temperature (SST) variability is predominantly driven by variations in air–sea surface heat fluxes (SHFs) associated with synoptic weather variability. Here it is shown that in regions marked by the highest climatological SST gradients and SHF loss to the atmosphere, the variability in SST and SHF at monthly and longer time scales is driven by internal ocean processes, termed here “oceanic weather.” This is shown within the context of an energy balance model of coupled air–sea interaction that includes both stochastic forcing for the atmosphere and ocean. The functional form of the lagged correlation between SST and SHF allows us to discriminate between variability that is driven by atmospheric versus oceanic weather. Observations show that the lagged functional relationship of SST–SHF and SST tendency–SHF correlation is indicative of ocean-driven SST variability in the western boundary currents (WBCs) and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). By applying spatial and temporal smoothing, thereby dampening the signature SST anomalies generated by eddy stirring, it is shown that the oceanic influence on SST variability increases with time scale but decreases with increasing spatial scale. The scale at which SST variability in the WBCs and the ACC transitions from ocean to atmosphere driven occurs at scales less than 500 km. This transition scale highlights the need to resolve mesoscale eddies in coupled climate models to adequately simulate the variability of air–sea interaction. Away from strong SST fronts the lagged functional relationships are indicative of the traditional paradigm of atmospherically driven SST variability.
Improving Overland Precipitation Retrieval with Brightness Temperature Temporal Variation
Authors: You Yalei , Peters-Lidard Christa , Turk Joseph , Ringerud Sarah , Yang Song
Published: July 2017

Current microwave precipitation retrieval algorithms utilize the instantaneous brightness temperature (TB) to estimate precipitation rate. This study presents a new idea that can be used to improve existing algorithms: using TB temporal variation from the microwave radiometer constellation. As a proof of concept, microwave observations from eight polar-orbiting satellites are utilized to derive . Results show that correlates more strongly with precipitation rate than the instantaneous TB. Particularly, the correlation with precipitation rate improved to −0.6 by using over the Rocky Mountains and north of 45°N, while the correlation is only −0.1 by using TB. The underlying reason is that largely eliminates the negative influence from snow-covered land, which frequently is misidentified as precipitation. Another reason is that is less affected by environmental variation (e.g., temperature, water vapor). Further analysis shows that the magnitude of the correlation between and precipitation rate is dependent on the satellite revisit frequency. Finally, it is shown that the retrieval results from are superior to that from TB, with the largest improvement in winter. Additionally, the retrieved precipitation rate over snow-covered regions by only using at 89 GHz agrees well with the ground radar observations, which opens new opportunities to retrieve precipitation in high latitudes for sensors with the highest frequency at ~89 GHz. This study implies that a geostationary microwave radiometer can significantly improve precipitation retrieval performance. It also highlights the importance of maintaining the current passive microwave satellite constellation.
Circulation Induced by Isolated Dense Water Formation over Closed Topographic Contours
Authors: Spall Michael A. , Pedlosky Joseph , Cenedese Claudia
Published: July 2017

The problem of localized dense water formation over a sloping bottom is considered for the general case in which the topography forms a closed contour. This class of problems is motivated by topography around islands or shallow shoals in which convection resulting from brine rejection or surface heat loss reaches the bottom. The focus of this study is on the large-scale circulation that is forced far from the region of surface forcing. The authors find that a cyclonic current is generated around the topography, in the opposite sense to the propagation of the dense water plume. In physical terms, this current results from the propagation of low sea surface height from the region of dense water formation anticyclonically along the topographic contours back to the formation region. This pressure gradient is then balanced by a cyclonic geostrophic flow. This basic structure is well predicted by a linear quasigeostrophic theory, a primitive equation model, and in rotating tank experiments. For sufficiently strong forcing, the anticyclonic circulation of the dense plume meets this cyclonic circulation to produce a sharp front and offshore advection of dense water at the bottom and buoyant water at the surface. This nonlinear limit is demonstrated in both the primitive equation model and in the tank experiments.
The 23–26 September 2012 U.K. Floods: Using PV Surgery to Quantify Sensitivity to Upper-Level Forcing
Authors: Hardy Sam , Schultz David M. , Vaughan Geraint
Published: July 2017

Major river flooding affected the United Kingdom in late September 2012 as a slow-moving extratropical cyclone brought over 150 mm of rain to parts of northern England and north Wales. The cyclone deepened over the United Kingdom on 24–26 September as a potential vorticity (PV) anomaly approached from the northwest, elongated into a PV streamer, and wrapped around the cyclone. The strength and position of the PV anomaly is modified in the initial conditions of Weather Research and Forecasting Model simulations, using PV surgery, to examine whether different upper-level forcing, or different phasing between the PV anomaly and cyclone, could have produced an even more extreme event. These simulations reveal that quasigeostrophic (QG) forcing for ascent ahead of the anomaly contributed to the persistence of the rainfall over the United Kingdom. Moreover, weakening the anomaly resulted in lower rainfall accumulations across the United Kingdom, suggesting that the impact of the event might be proportional to the strength of the upper-level QG forcing. However, when the anomaly was strengthened, it rotated cyclonically around a large-scale trough over Iceland rather than moving eastward as in the verifying analysis, with strongly reduced accumulated rainfall across the United Kingdom. A similar evolution developed when the anomaly was moved farther away from the cyclone. Conversely, moving the anomaly nearer to the cyclone produced a similar solution to the verifying analysis, with slightly increased rainfall totals. These counterintuitive results suggest that the verifying analysis represented almost the highest-impact scenario possible for this flooding event when accounting for sensitivity to the initial position and strength of the PV anomaly.
Subseasonal Dynamical Prediction of East Asian Cold Surges
Authors: Li Qiaoping , Yang Song , Wu Tongwen , Liu Xiangwen
Published: July 2017

Predictability of East Asian cold surges is studied using daily data from the hindcasts of 45-day integrations by the NCEP Climate Forecast System version 2 (CFSv2). Prediction skills of the CFSv2 in forecasting cold surges, their annual variation, and their physical links to large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns are examined. Results show that the climatological characteristics of the East Asian winter monsoon can be reasonably reproduced by the CFSv2. The model can well capture the frequency, intensity, and location of cold surges at a lead time of about two weeks. Obviously, fewer-than-observed cold surge days are found in the predictions when the lead time is above 14 days. The spatiotemporal evolutions of high-, mid-, and low-level circulation patterns during cold surge occurrences are all accurately indicated in the CFSv2 prediction. Except for precipitation, the other variables associated with cold surges, such as geopotential height, wind, sea level pressure, and surface air temperature, exhibit higher skills. The lead time of skillful prediction of precipitation is limited to around 1 week, with systematic wet biases over the South China Sea, the Philippine Islands, and the northwest Pacific, but dry biases over India, the Indo-China Peninsula, and most high-latitude regions. Wave train–like patterns of geopotential height and wind differ distinguishably when cold surges occur in northern and southern regions (using 35°N as the dividing line), and the CFSv2 gives a consistent prediction to these anomalous patterns. A weaker-than-observed Siberian high and weaker northerly winds over eastern China are found in the predictions especially at longer lead times.
Anthropology: From Bones to the Human Genome
Authors: Bowman James E.
Published: July 2017

Race is an interminable subject of controversy. Nevertheless, people do differ and once were classified on the basis of skin color. With the advent of genetic markers, and more recently DNA differences, with myriad intragroup variability, many geneticists view race as an anachronism. Unfortunately, prejudice permeates human classifications. In the United States, a black mother cannot have a white baby, but a white mother can have a black baby. An African American could be in one of 40 categories in Brazil; in South Africa be classified black, coloured, or white; but in the Middle East be perceived as a member of a local population. In the early 1970s, African Americans were selectively tested for sickle hemoglobin and discriminated against in sports, employment, and health and life insurance as a result of misinformation distributed by the federal government and African American community programs. The Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (supported by the U.S. Department of Energy) was recently sued for selectively testing African Americans for sickle hemoglobin and syphilis.
Anthropological Measurement: The Mismeasure of African Americans
Authors: Jackson Fatimah L.C.
Published: July 2017

W.E.B. Du Bois's prophetic century-old statements on America's unwillingness to fairly assess its citizens of African descent still provide important insights into the continuing philosophical and methodological problems of Western anthropology and biology. Too frequently, the bias of a "problem of the color line" mentality undermines the accurate measurement, analysis, and valid scientific interpretations of human variation. The history of biological anthropology is replete with instances of "virtual science" being used to camouflage a political and social agenda. Today, as the post-genome era approaches, arbitrary and often capricious evaluations of Africans and African Americans still abound, as Du Bois had predicted. New paradigms such as ethnogenetic layering are proposed to disentangle cultural identity from genetic identity and provide an alternative to static, stereotype-dependent racial models of traditional anthropology and biology. Ethnogenetic layering has been applied in ecological risk assessment studies and has already revealed significant regional biodiversity (genetic substructuring) among African Americans.
Reclaiming a Du Boisian Perspective on Racial Attitudes
Authors: Bobo Lawrence D.
Published: July 2017

This article asserts that Du Boisian sociology included a strong role for racial prejudice in analyzing the conditions and dynamics of African American social life. The article examines Du Bois's empirical social scientific legacy with a special focus on The Philadelphia Negro and how he treated racial prejudice in this seminal work. It then examines the turn away from a concern with racial prejudice in modern sociological analysis and identifies the necessity of returning to the theoretical holism exemplified by Du Bois if sociological theory on race and racism are to advance.
W.E.B. Du Bois and the Encyclopedia Africana, 1909-63
Authors: Gates Henry Louis
Published: July 2017

In 1901, W.E.B. Du Bois, the African American intellectual and activist, conceived the idea of an encyclopedia Africana. He envisioned a scientific and comprehensive work on Africa and peoples of African descent that would refute the Enlightenment notion of blacks as devoid of civilization and the hallmarks of humanity. Du Bois stood in a tradition of earlier black works seeking to vindicate the race, but World War I and his move from academia to the NAACP postponed his efforts. In 1931, however, Du Bois participated in an encyclopedia project initiated by the Phelps-Stokes Fund. His writing during this period reveals his thinking about the nature and form a pan-African encyclopedia would take. Beset by rivalries and, primarily, lack of support from the established philanthropies, the project died. In 1960, shortly before his death, Du Bois was invited to Ghana to launch an encyclopedia. If any of these attempts had succeeded, the evolution of African and African American studies in the academy would have been significantly different.
Du Bois's Humanistic Philosophy of Human Sciences
Authors: Gordon Lewis R.
Published: July 2017

One of the many challenges W.E.B. Du Bois faced in the study of African Americans was the pervasive racism that affected how social scientists acquired data on people of African descent. Moreover, the historical reality in which such data were gathered was one in which there were indications of genocidal aims on the part of the dominant population. Du Bois needed to show that African Americans should receive rigorous study and that rigorous study was a part of the struggle for African American upliftment. In his effort to address both challenges, Du Bois, in effect, developed several bases for rigorous human study that included the importance of recognizing the humanity of the subjects under study. He touched upon several central concerns in the philosophy of the human sciences including the viability of studying metastable subjects; the relationship between epistemological and ontological categories in the cultural sphere; and the lived reality of action in the face of behavioral imposition.
The Washington and Du Bois Leadership Paradigms Reconsidered
Authors: Kilson Martin
Published: July 2017

From the end of Reconstruction in the 1880s to the 1940s, the African American population confronted the complex issue of how to lead African Americans in an emergent industrial American nation-state system that applied rigid white supremacist practices in its interface with African Americans. One can hypothesize two generic types of modern ethnic group leadership: (1) the social organization type which focuses on the nuts and bolts of outfitting a group with agencies, mechanisms, networks, and institutions related to modern social development; and (2) the guidance type or mobilization type which focuses on the character of an ethnic group's status, citizenship rights, human rights, and honor in a modern nation-state society. This article revisits the classic leadership contest from the 1890s to the 1940s between the leadership paradigms of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois in terms of the two generic types of modern ethnic group leadership. It concludes with a critique of efforts by neoconservatives today to revive the Washington leadership paradigm, which historically has been a distorted variant of the generic social organization type leadership.