bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wood anatomy of Bischofia: notes on fossil woods referred to this genus
Authors: Oskolski Alexei A. , Stepanova Anna V. , Huang Luliang , Jin Jianhua
Published: August 2018

The taxonomic position of fossil woods suggested to be related to Bischofia is reassessed based on the examination of the wood anatomy of recently collected samples of its two modern species (B. javanica and B. polycarpa). Woods of B. palaeojavanica from the middle Pliocene of India, and B. javanoxyla from the early Miocene of northern Taiwan have features of extant B. javanica. In contrast, the Eocene Bischofia maomingensis (South China) differs from Bischofia in a number of features and we propose a new combination Chadronoxylon maomingensis (Feng et Jin) Oskolski, Stepanova, Huang et Jin. Bischofia palaeojavanica from the latest Cretaceous–earliest Paleocene Deccan Intertrappean Beds, India, and all other pre-Miocene woods assigned to Bischofia differ from extant Bischofia in vessel diameters, vessel element lengths, intervessel pit sizes, position of vessel-ray pits, and/or abundance of sheath cells in rays. Therefore, their generic position must be reconsidered, and there is no reliable record of Bischofia wood older than Miocene.
Taxonomic studiesin Moutabea (Polygalaceae) in Brazil
Authors: DA SILVEIRA JOÃO BARROS , SECCO RICARDO DE S.
Published: August 2018

A taxonomic study of the Neotropical genus Moutabea (Polygalaceae) in Brazil is presented, based on the analysis of herbarium material and field collections. Nine species are recognized: Moutabea aculeata, M. angustifolia, M. arianiae, M. chodatiana, M. excoriata, M. floribunda, M. gentryi, M. guianensis, and M. victoriana, a new species described here. The Brazilian Amazon is the diversity center of this genus. The following species were considered new occurrences: M. aculeata for the states of Amazonas, Pará and Rondônia; M. angustifolia for Amazonas, Amapá, Pará and Maranhão; M. arianiae for Amazonas, M. chodatiana for Roraima, Amazonas, Amapá and Pará; M. excoriata for Pará and Maranhão; and M. gentryi for Brazil (Amazonas and Rondônia). Moutabea dibotrya is considered synonymous with M. aculeata, and M. silvatica with M. excoriata. Lectotypes for M. dibotrya, M. excoriata and M. silvatica are proposed. An identification key, illustrations and maps of the geographic distributions of the species are presented.
Testing the monophyly of Heterosperma (Asteraceae, Coreopsideae)
Authors: LIZARAZU MABEL A. , SCATAGLINI M. AMALIA , FREIRE SUSANA E.
Published: August 2018

The genus Heterosperma (Asteraceae, Coreopsideae) currently comprises ten species distributed from Mexico to South America. Molecular phylogenies of the tribe Coreopsideae (including only two species of Heterosperma) pointed out that the genus would not be monophyletic. A molecular phylogenetic analysis including seven species of Heterosperma and related taxa, using plastid and nuclear sequences, was performed. The results indicated that Heterosperma is monophyletic if Coreopsis cyclocarpa is included. As a result, a new combination, Heterosperma mexicanum, is proposed. Morphological analysis of floral trichomes, pappi and cypselae, is presented. A key to related genera and distribution maps are also provided.
An unusual disjunction in Loasaceae: Central American Chichicaste grandis is nested in Brazilian Aosa
Authors: ACUÑA RAFAEL , CHINCHILLA ISLER F. , WEIGEND MAXIMILIAN
Published: August 2018

The highly distinctive genus Chichicaste is restricted to the Costa Rica-Chocó Biogeographic Hotspsot from Costa Rica to northwestern Colombia and comprises a single species, C. grandis. Relationships of this taxon have been doubtful in the absence of critical morphological analyses (particularly of living plants) and convincing molecular data. The present study aims at identifying the phylogenetic relationships of C. grandis using molecular and morphological data to establish its relationships. Our molecular data set includes four plastid markers (trnL–trnF, matK, trnS–trnG and rps16) and the nuclear marker ITS for 38 in-group taxa, including all of the currently recognized genera of the Loasoideae clade, and six out-group taxa from non Loasoideae Loasaceae and Hydrangeaceae. The dataset was analyzed using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference approaches. The plastid and nuclear trees were mostly congruent, with their respective ML best and BI strict consensus trees showing no significant differences in their topologies. Chichicaste is nested in Aosa series Parviflorae and sister to A. plumieri from Hispaniola, thus representing northern and western outliers of this otherwise strictly Brazilian genus. A critical morphological re-examination indicates that considering C. grandis as part of Aosa is plausible, in spite of the ecological and morphological differences between the two taxa. Based on these results the genus Chichicaste is synonymized with Aosa and the required new combination is provided. An amended key for an expanded Aosa, is also presented.
Description of five new rheophilic Orthochromis species (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from the Upper Congo drainage in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: SCHEDEL FREDERIC DIETER BENEDIKT , VREVEN EMMANUEL J.W.M.N. , MANDA BAUCHET KATEMO , ABWE EMMANUEL , MANDA BAUCHET KATEMO , SCHLIEWEN ULRICH KURT
Published: August 2018

Five new rheophilic haplochromine cichlid species are described from the Upper Congo drainage of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Orthochromis mporokoso sp. nov. and O. katumbii sp. nov. from the Bangwelu-Mweru ecoregion, O. kimpala sp. nov. and O. gecki sp. nov. from the Upper Lualaba ecoregion, and O. indermauri sp. nov. from the Lufubu River of the Lake Tanganyika ecoregion. Orthochromis kimpala sp. nov, O. gecki sp. nov., and O. indermauri sp. nov. are distinguished from all currently valid species of the genus Orthochromis Greenwood 1954, except for O. torrenticola (Thys van den Audenaerde 1963), by the presence of eggspots or eggspot-like maculae on the anal fin (vs. no eggspots). The three species can be easily distinguished from O. torrenticola by having three anal spines (vs. four anal spines). Moreover, all five new species can be individually distinguished from all currently known rheophilic taxa placed in the genera Orthochromis, Schwetzochromis Poll 1948 and the rheophilic species of the genus Haplochromis Hilgendorf 1888 (e.g. H. bakongo Thys van den Audenaerde 1964, H. snoeksi Wamuini Lunkayilako & Vreven 2010, H. vanheusdeni Schedel et al. 2014) either based on meristic values, morphometric distances and colouration patterns, or on a combination of them.
A new Antillobisium species (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones: Bochicidae) from Cuba, with biogeographical and ecological remarks on the genus
Authors: DÍAZ RENÉ BARBA , ZARAGOZA JUAN A. , IBORRA GERMÁN LÓPEZ
Published: August 2018

A new troglobitic species of the genus Antillobisium is described from Sancti Spiritus province, Cuba. Antillobisium tomasi n. sp. is the third known species of the genus and is well characterized by its large size and extremely slender appendages. Biogeographical and ecological considerations on the genus are given.
No more machismo in Callyntra (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae): Callyntra femina, a new species discovered based on female genitalia and genetic evidence
Authors: ZÚÑIGA-REINOSO ÁLVARO , PINTO PABLO , COLLADO GONZALO A.
Published: August 2018

Callyntra is a genus of tenebrionid beetles endemic to the Southern Cone region of South America, with 23 species occurring in Chile and one shared with Argentina. The recent descriptions of new species were commonly based on the male genitalia structure, underestimating the utility of the female genitalia for this purpose. Analysis of the ovipositor structure of a series of females assigned to Callyntra carbonaria from the Bío-Bío and Araucanía in Southern Chile, have resulted in the discovery of a new species, Callyntra femina sp. nov., which was corroborated through molecular analysis using COI and 16S gene fragments. The phylogenetic analysis recovered C. femina as sister to a clade composed of C. rossi, C. carbonaria and C. riverai, being genetically more similar to C. rossi.
Verification of Short-Range Weather Forecasts (A Survey of the Literature)† I.
Authors: Muller Robert Hans
Published: August 2018

In a survey of literature on short-range forecasting 69 items were found which contained discussions of verification. Of these only 55 seemed of sufficient importance to warrant summarization. The articles ranged in length from less than one page to nearly a hundred pages. Only 22 of the articles summarized were written in English; 26 were in German, 3 in French, 2 in Dutch, 1 in Russian, and 1 in Danish. The date of the earliest article was 1884, and that of the most recent one, 1943. Half of the articles were published before 1913, the other half after 1920.

The introductory part of this article is intended to provide a bird's eye view of the writings on verification of short-range forecasts and should serve as a guide to the more detailed summaries, which appear chronologically arranged in Section II. The summaries are numbered from 1 to 55, and these numbers are used whenever reference is made in the introduction to the summaries.

It should be understood that the sole purpose of the summaries is to spare future investigators the trouble of having to locate and consult every article. However, the summaries will merely serve to indicate whether or not a jriven article is relevant to the problem under investigation; they are not to be taken as complete abstracts of the contents.
A Direct-Reading Wind-Timer*
Authors: Ives Ronald L.
Published: August 2018

Measurements of wind speed may be accelerated, and field computations minimized, by use of a special stop watch employed in conjunction with an anemometer of any standard type. Construction and use of this timer are here described.
The Meteorological Research Program of the Office of Research and Inventions, Navy Department*
Authors: Rex Daniel F.
Published: August 2018

This paper outlines current and proposed meteorological research under consideration by the Planning Division, Office of Research and Inventions. The projects discussed include fundamental studies of atmospheric dynamics, atmospheric thermodynamics, high-altitude meteorological research, experimental meteorology, and Arctic meteorology.
Forecasting the Motion of Tropical Cyclones*
Authors: Moore, A.C. Richard L.
Published: August 2018

Application of theories of Bjerknes and Holmboe to the motion of tropical cyclones is attempted. The equation for east-west motion is presented and the equation for north-south motion is derived. Rules for motion of tropical cyclones are deduced from these equations, which involve the wind distribution and the geometry of the cyclone. Statistical evidence corroborates use of equations and rules.
The Variation With Height of the Non-Geostrophic Component of the Wind
Authors: Vederman Joseph
Published: August 2018

The general equation of motion for horizontal, frictionless motion is differentiated with respect to height. The total vertical wind shear is shown to be composed of five parts: the shear of (a) the geostrophic wind, (b) the local derivative, (c) the wind component due to the convergence or divergence of the streamlines, (d) the cyclostrophic component of the wind, and (e) the wind component associated with the vertical velocity. Except for the last term, which is smaller, these terms may be of the same order of magnitude.
Diurnal Variation of Cloudiness Over the Subtropical Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Riehl Herbert
Published: August 2018

Three-hourly means of the cloudiness through the day are formed for the subtropical Atlantic during summer. The periodic variation is then studied in relation to the aperiodic changes and two theories are tested that suggest explanations for the periodic variation of the cloudiness.
The Path of the Atlantic Hurricane of September 1947 in Relation to the Hemispheric Circulation
Authors: Klein William H. , Winston Jay S.
Published: August 2018

The movement of the Atlantic hurricane of September 11–20, 1947, into the Gulf of Mexico rather than up the Atlantic Coast, is attributed to dynamic anticyclogenesis over the eastern United States. An attempt is made to explain this anticyclogenesis by the transfer of energy downstream from the mid-Pacific at a rate considerably greater than the speed of individual air particles. The motion and change in intensity of 700 mb trough and ridge systems are discussed in terms of constant absolute vorticity, horizontal temperature advection, and the process of confluence. It is concluded that the large-scale features of the hemispheric circulation are of great importance for short-range, as well as for extended, weather forecasting.
Tracking Ocean Storms with the Seismograph*
Authors: Gilmore Marion H.
Published: August 2018

The Microseismic Research Project described in this paper was started by the U. S. Navy in 1943 in an effort to find a better and cheaper method of locating and tracking severe tropical disturbances when several hundred miles from land. The microseismic data prove that a storm causes the ocean bottom over which it passes to vibrate and these more or less regular oscillations are called microseisms. They travel outward from the storm center in concentric circles and can be recorded on a microseismic seismograph. The amplitude of the microseisms recorded for a particular storm appears to depend principally on the storm's intensity and distance from a recording seismograph and to a less degree on the depth of the water over which it passes and on the position of certain deep discontinuities of the earth's crust. The maximum effective distance a storm can be detected in the Caribbean is about 600 miles while in the Pacific it is at least 1000 miles.
A Rule for Forecasting the Eccentricity and Direction of Motion of Tropical Cyclones*
Authors: Mintz Yale
Published: August 2018

The rule is formulated that in regions with horizontal temperature gradients tropical cyclones are eccentric on the warm air side and move along the mean free air isotherms keeping the warmer air to the right of the direction of motion.
Over-Water Microwave-Propagation Forecasting
Authors: Gerhardt John R. , Gordon William E.
Published: August 2018

The propagation of radio waves above about 30 megacycles is seriously affected by certain weather phenomena. The meteorological aspects of this effect for a particular case are considered and a forecasting technique proposed.
Diurnal Variation of Moisture and Stability Aloft in the Vicinity of San Juan, Puerto Rico
Authors: Riehl Herbert
Published: August 2018

Average values of moisture and stability for the lower troposphere are computed at three-hourly intervals. Comparison of the diurnal moisture and stability variation with the diurnal rainfall variation does not yield a satisfactory explanation of the latter. Cloud observations, however, suggest an explanation of the precipitation curve, based on the effect of topography on the field of vertical motion.
Line-Powered Interval Timers*
Authors: Ives Ronald L.
Published: August 2018

Unsatisfactory operation of “issue” interval annunciators for extended use in meteorological theodolite observations led to a series of experiments from which a highly satisfactory time interval unit was developed.
An Airplane Psychrograph*
Authors: Katz Isadore
Published: August 2018

An airplane psychrograph has been designed to make measurements in the lowest several thousand feet of the atmosphere. These measurements are necessary in order to understand the phenomena causing anomalous propagation associated with the ultra-high frequency radio waves used for radar. The instrument employs ceramic resistors as wet and dry elements; they are rapid in response and sensitive enough for measuring sharp gradients of temperature and water vapor usually present close to the boundary between the air and the water or land. Detail of the construction and use of the airplane psychrograph are described.
Notes on the Origin and Structure of Philippine Typhoons
Authors: Deppermann, S.J. Charles E.
Published: August 2018

References to previous papers by the author show that his ideas on typhoon origin and structure contain the following main elements:(a) Strong surface convergence of two or more humid air streams.(b) Strong upward convection in a rather narrow ring near typhoon center, giving a warm inner core, and conditions favoring a modified Rankine vortex.(c) The formation of an upper front, roughly funnel-shaped.(d) Possible divergence aloft, especially a fast upper current to dispose of the rising core air and partially at least controlling the pressure gradient and size of the convection ring.

These ideas are subjected to approximate mathematical treatment, giving satisfactory magnitudes for pressure gradients and proper shape of pressure curve.

A short discussion is given of what are considered the most essential elements determining typhoon origin and structure.
Wind and Wave Extremes from Atmosphere and Wave Model Ensembles
Authors: Meucci Alberto , Young Ian R. , Breivik Øyvind
Published: August 2018

The present work develops an innovative approach to wind speed and significant wave height extreme value analysis. The approach is based on global atmosphere–wave model ensembles, the members of which are propagated in time from the best estimate of the initial state, with slight perturbations to the initial conditions, to estimate the uncertainties connected to model representations of reality. The low correlation of individual ensemble member forecasts at advanced lead times guarantees their independence and allows us to perform inference statistics. The advantage of ensemble probabilistic forecasts is that it is possible to synthesize an equivalent dataset of duration far longer than the simulation period. This allows the use of direct inference statistics to obtain extreme value estimates. A short time series of six years (from 2010 to 2016) of ensemble forecasts is selected to avoid major changes to the model physics and resolution and thus ensure stationarity. This time series is used to undertake extreme value analysis. The study estimates global wind speed and wave height return periods by selecting peaks from ensemble forecasts from +216- to +240-h lead time from the operational ensemble forecast dataset of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The results are compared with extreme value analyses performed on a commonly used reanalysis dataset, ERA-Interim, and buoy data. The comparison with traditional methods demonstrates the potential of this novel approach for statistical analysis of significant wave height and wind speed ocean extremes at the global scale.
Assessment of Numerical Weather Prediction Model Reforecasts of the Occurrence, Intensity, and Location of Atmospheric Rivers along the West Coast of North America
Authors: Nardi Kyle M. , Barnes Elizabeth A. , Ralph F. Martin
Published: August 2018

Atmospheric rivers (ARs)—narrow corridors of high atmospheric water vapor transport—occur globally and are associated with flooding and maintenance of the water supply. Therefore, it is important to improve forecasts of AR occurrence and characteristics. Although prior work has examined the skill of numerical weather prediction (NWP) models in forecasting atmospheric rivers, these studies only cover several years of reforecasts from a handful of models. Here, we expand this previous work and assess the performance of 10–30 years of wintertime (November–February) AR landfall reforecasts from the control runs of nine operational weather models, obtained from the International Subseasonal to Seasonal (S2S) Project database. Model errors along the west coast of North America at leads of 1–14 days are examined in terms of AR occurrence, intensity, and landfall location. Occurrence-based skill approaches that of climatology at 14 days, while models are, on average, more skillful at shorter leads in California, Oregon, and Washington compared to British Columbia and Alaska. We also find that the average magnitude of landfall integrated water vapor transport (IVT) error stays fairly constant across lead times, although overprediction of IVT is common at later lead times. Finally, we show that northward landfall location errors are favored in California, Oregon, and Washington, although southward errors occur more often than expected from climatology. These results highlight the need for model improvements, while helping to identify factors that cause model errors.
Further Improvements to the Statistical Hurricane Intensity Prediction Scheme Using Tropical Cyclone Rainfall and Structural Features
Authors: Shimada Udai , Owada Hiromi , Yamaguchi Munehiko , Iriguchi Takeshi , Sawada Masahiro , Aonashi Kazumasa , DeMaria Mark , Musgrave Kate D.
Published: August 2018

The Statistical Hurricane Intensity Prediction Scheme (SHIPS) is a multiple regression model for forecasting tropical cyclone (TC) intensity [both central pressure (Pmin) and maximum wind speed (Vmax)]. To further improve the accuracy of the Japan Meteorological Agency version of SHIPS, five new predictors associated with TC rainfall and structural features were incorporated into the scheme. Four of the five predictors were primarily derived from the hourly Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP) reanalysis product, which is a microwave satellite-derived rainfall dataset. The predictors include the axisymmetry of rainfall distribution around a TC multiplied by ocean heat content (OHC), rainfall areal coverage, the radius of maximum azimuthal mean rainfall, and total volumetric rain multiplied by OHC. The fifth predictor is the Rossby number. Among these predictors, the axisymmetry multiplied by OHC had the greatest impact on intensity change, particularly, at forecast times up to 42 h. The forecast results up to 5 days showed that the mean absolute error (MAE) of the Pmin forecast in SHIPS with the new predictors was improved by over 6% in the first half of the forecast period. The MAE of the Vmax forecast was also improved by nearly 4%. Regarding the Pmin forecast, the improvement was greatest (up to 13%) for steady-state TCs, including those initialized as tropical depressions, with slight improvement (2%–5%) for intensifying TCs. Finally, a real-time forecast experiment utilizing the hourly near-real-time GSMaP product demonstrated the improvement of the SHIPS forecasts, confirming feasibility for operational use.
Bildung or development? Rereading George Lamming and W. Arthur Lewis
Authors: Ribic Peter
Published: August 2018

This article revisits two “Third World classics” published by West Indians in the UK in the immediate postwar period, George Lamming’s 1953 novel In the Castle of My Skin and the Saint Lucian economist W. Arthur Lewis’s 1954 essay “Economic Development with Unlimited Supplies of Labour”. Reading these texts against the recent wave of research on the politics and aesthetics of the postcolonial bildungsroman, I argue that Lamming’s novel can be usefully interpreted as an allegory of national formation caught between two distinct models: Bildung, which uses the metaphor of the national body to figure an incipient postcolonial nation-state; and economic “development”, which refigures national growth in terms of liberal modernization. Placing an emphasis on the distinction in these two discourses between a “nation-people” and a national “population”, the article goes on to consider the mythologized figure of the Windrush “exile”, not, or not only, as a heroic individual in pursuit of upward social (and literary) mobility, but as a narrative response to developmentalist ideology in the 1950s.
Cultural Differences in “Saving the Best for Last”
Authors: Yip Abby P. W. , Löckenhoff Corinna E.
Published: August 2018

We examined cross-cultural differences in preferences for sequences of realistic stimuli. Prior research on predominantly European American (EA) samples has found that people typically show a preference for improving sequences (i.e., saving the most positive or least intense stimuli for last). Based on cultural differences in ideal affect, regulatory focus, and dialecticism, we predicted that East Asians/East Asian Americans (AA) would prefer more balanced sequences, and intersperse stimuli of different intensities. EA and AA students ( n = 170) were asked to select the order in which they wanted to experience a series of realistic stimuli (emotional pictures, aversive sounds, and physical effort) over the course of a short time interval. Compared with AAs, EAs showed a stronger preference for improving sequences and were more likely to group similar stimuli together. As hypothesized, sequence preferences were associated with affective goals, but we only found this effect among AAs and not among EAs. Regulatory focus and dialecticism were not associated with sequence preferences. Further research is required to examine the mechanisms behind cultural differences and their potential implications for time management and other real-life outcomes.
Non-aversive photographic measurement method for subcutaneous tumours in nude mice
Authors: Resasco Agustina , Carranza Martin Ana C , Ayala Miguel A , Diaz Silvina L , Carbone Cecilia
Published: August 2018

We have developed a new method for the measurement of subcutaneous tumour volume which consists in taking photographs of mice in their home cages, to refine the standard method of measurement with calipers. We consider this new method to be non-aversive, as it may be more compatible with mice behavioural preferences and, therefore, improve their welfare. Photographs are captured when mice voluntarily go into an acrylic tube containing graph paper that is later used as a scale. Tumour volumes measured with the caliper and the non-aversive photographic method were compared to those obtained by water displacement volume and weight. Behavioural and physiological changes were evaluated to assess animal welfare. Significant differences were found between measurements obtained with the caliper and the non-aversive photographic method, v. the reference volume acquired by water displacement ( P < 0.001). Nevertheless, there was good consistency for these measurements when tumours were measured repeatedly, with all Intra-Class Correlation Coefficients above 0.95. Mice on which the non-aversive photographic method was employed were significantly less reluctant to establish contact with the experimenter ( P < 0.001) and behaved less anxiously in a modified-Novelty Suppressed Feeding test. Particularly, statistically significant differences were found in connection with the latency to eat an almond piece ( P < 0.05), the frequency of grooming ( P < 0.001) and the frequency of defecation ( P < 0.001). Corticosterone concentration in faeces and blood glucose were determined and no significant changes were found. Therefore, we propose the non-aversive photographic method to measure subcutaneous tumours as a way to refine methodologies in the field of experimental oncology.
Maneuvering surface structures of polyvinylidene fluoride nanofibers by controlling solvent systems and polymer concentration
Authors: Zaarour Bilal , Zhang Wenxin , Zhu Lei , Jin Xiang Yu , Huang Chen
Published: August 2018

The surface evolution of fibers has been attracting great attention in many areas. In this work, we demonstrated the feasibility of directly electrospinning grooved and porous polyvinylidene fluoride fibers by varying polymer concentration and using both single/binary solvent systems. We discovered that grooved fibers can be generated from a variety of binary solvent systems, whereas porous fibers can be achieved using low boiling point solvent (LBPS) systems. The results indicated that the key factors for the formation of grooved fibers are the polymer concentration, the difference of evaporation rate (the difference of boiling points between each of the two studied solvents) between the two solvents, and the solvent ratio. While the polymer concentration, the presence of LBPS, and the solvent ratio are the decisive factors for the formation of porous structures. The formation mechanism of grooved fibers was attributed to void-based elongation, wrinkle-based elongation, and collapsed jet-based elongation. The mechanism for the formation of porous fibers was ascribed to the coexistence of both thermally induced phase separation and vapor induced phase separation. These structures can be used in different applications, such as harvesting energy and filtration. Importantly, we believe our work can serve as guidelines for the preparation of grooved and porous nanofibers through electrospinning.
Who I Am Is Not Who I Was: Temporal Comparisons Mediate the Effect of Listening to Nostalgic Music on Well-Being
Authors: Bonus James Alex
Published: August 2018

Although social comparison theory has long dominated communication research, no studies have applied its corollary premise, temporal comparison theory. An experiment examined how listening to nostalgic music influenced college students’ engagement in two types of temporal comparisons: downward (i.e., musings about how their lives have improved over time) and upward (i.e., musings about how their lives have worsened over time). Results indicated that listening to nostalgic music increased both types of comparisons, but the relative prevalence of each type varied by participants’ reported level of homesickness. Among participants low in homesickness, nostalgic music triggered more downward (relative to upward) temporal comparisons, which enhanced their subjective well-being. Conversely, participants high in homesickness reported equivalent levels of both types of comparisons, and they exhibited no changes in well-being. These findings highlight the value of integrating temporal comparison theory into communication research.
Picture This: Presenting Longitudinal Patient-Reported Outcome Research Study Results to Patients
Authors: Tolbert Elliott , Brundage Michael , Bantug Elissa , Blackford Amanda L. , Smith Katherine , Snyder Claire ,   PRO Data Presentation Stakeholder Advisory Board
Published: August 2018

Background. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) results from clinical trials and research studies can inform patient-clinician decision making. However, data presentation issues specific to PROs, such as scaling directionality (higher scores may represent better or worse outcomes) and scoring strategies (normed v. nonnormed scores), can make the interpretation of PRO scores uniquely challenging. Objective. To identify the association of PRO score directionality, score norming, and other factors on a) how accurately PRO scores are interpreted and b) how clearly they are rated by patients, clinicians, and PRO researchers. Methods. We electronically surveyed adult cancer patients/survivors, oncology clinicians, and PRO researchers and conducted one-on-one cognitive interviews with patients/survivors and clinicians. Participants were randomized to 1 of 3 line graph formats showing longitudinal change: higher scores indicating “better,” “more” (better for function, worse for symptoms), or “normed” to a population average. Quantitative data evaluated interpretation accuracy and clarity. Online survey comments and cognitive interviews were analyzed qualitatively. Results. The Internet sample included 629 patients, 139 clinicians, and 249 researchers; 10 patients and 5 clinicians completed cognitive interviews. “Normed” line graphs were less accurately interpreted than “more” (odds ratio [OR] = 0.76; P = 0.04). “Better” line graphs were more accurately interpreted than both “more” (OR = 1.43; P = 0.01) and “normed” (OR = 1.88; P = 0.04). “Better” line graphs were more likely to be rated clear than “more” (OR = 1.51; P = 0.05). Qualitative data informed interpretation of these findings. Limitations. The survey relied on the online platforms used for distribution and consequent snowball sampling. We do not have information regarding participants’ numeracy/graph literacy. Conclusions. For communicating PROs as line graphs in patient educational materials and decision aids, these results support using graphs, with higher scores consistently indicating better outcomes.
Delisting and ethics in the library
Authors: Kritikos Katie Chamberlain
Published: August 2018

Traditional librarian ethics protect privacy and promote information access. The right to be forgotten and delisting have the potential to create a new online information ecosystem that disrupts ethical norms and redefines the role of librarians. Along with Internet filtering, the right to be forgotten and delisting are the harbingers of coming changes to content regulation and information access online. Librarians should engage with right to be forgotten F and delisting issues now to prepare for possible future disruptions of information flow in the library and shifts in information policies and laws around the world. This paper articulates the legal and ethical issues associated with delisting, lays the foundation for an international dialogue on delisting, and signals the need for future research. The international librarianship community needs a larger discussion about the issues related to the right to be forgotten and delisting, particularly on laws and policies on free speech and privacy.
Privacy, obfuscation, and propertization
Authors: Doyle Tony
Published: August 2018

As our digital wake ripples out, big data is standing by to ride it, applying its analytics to make unnerving inferences about our characters, preferences, and future behavior. This paper addresses the challenge that big data presents to privacy. I examine what are perhaps the two most promising attempts to repel big data’s attack on privacy: obfuscation and the “propertization” of personal information. Obfuscation attempts to throw data collectors off our digital trail by confusing or misleading them. Propertization calls for treating personal information as intellectual property and would require that data holders compensate data subjects for any secondary use. I try to show that both defenses largely fail. I conclude that privacy is a lost cause and that we should call off the attempts to defend it from the moral point of view. I close with some thoughts about what this all means for libraries.
A critical review on the sources and instruments of marine microplastics and prospects on the relevant management in China
Authors: Wang Jiajia , Zheng Lixia , Li Jinhui
Published: August 2018

The world’s oceans are suffering a constant and unprecedented accumulation of emerging plastic contaminants known as microplastics with a particle diameter smaller than 5mm. Microplastics exhibit a widespread distribution in various habitats from land to the oceans, and even reach the most remote regions – the deep sea and the polar, receiving attention exponentially in the past few years. Owing to their small size, marine species risk getting ingested and entangled in microplastics, causing suffocation, starvation, physical trauma or damage from chemicals, which poses vast and growing threats to biodiversity and the food web. This review article focuses on the various sources attributed to marine microplastics, the latest international, regional and national countermeasures to combat marine litter, as well as the status quo of microplastics pollution, legislation and regulations in China, and furthermore provides improving proposals/solutions on key research gaps, governance and management for future environmental control and policymaking in China.
Operating room greening initiatives – the old, the new, and the way forward: A narrative review
Authors: Wyssusek Kerstin H. , Keys Maggie T. , van Zundert André A. J.
Published: August 2018

Healthcare waste is a rampant issue in Australian hospitals. The operating room (OR) contributes disproportionately to total hospital waste. There has been considerable research in the literature concentrating on strategies to improve OR and hospital waste accumulation, in an attempt to provide guidance and direction on how to reduce the healthcare ecological footprint. We reviewed the literature for leading greening initiatives currently utilised in the OR in Australia and internationally. This narrative literature review focuses on the trend of OR greening initiatives over the last 25 years, comparing different innovative approaches, the successes and setbacks, and the financial implications of initiatives. A variety of measures that hospital management, surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and other healthcare personnel can take to reduce the ecological footprint of their healthcare facility are outlined. Greening initiatives include reducing, recycling, reusing, rethinking and researching, as well as novel technology and smarter architectural design. We also evaluated the barriers to improving waste management, which include lack of leadership, misconceptions among staff, and an overall resistance to change. In conclusion, in a world where greenhouse gas emissions cause unprecedented climate change and landfill space is finite, it is incumbent upon hospitals to help reduce the environmental impact of their facility. Reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions would moderate the incidence of human disease, save money for the healthcare system and society as a whole, and contribute to a safer and healthier world we all would like to live in.
Measuring the impact of modern waste collection and processing service attributes on residents’ acceptance of waste separation policy using a randomised conjoint field experiment in Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia
Authors: Fukuda Katsufumi , Isdwiyani Rofiq , Kawata Keisuke , Yoshida Yuichiro
Published: August 2018

Indonesia is one of the countries that is facing serious solid waste problems. Although the issue has been addressed in the capital city of Jakarta, many secondary cities have been left behind. This research attempts to analyse the impact of relevant waste management policy components on respondents’ policy acceptance probabilities in Yogyakarta Province. Using a randomised conjoint field experiment based on the proposal of modern waste collection services, this article shows that a new waste management policy that includes waste separation with frequent organic waste collection will gain popular support, especially with the rich. Indeed, if the government introduces waste collection and processing services that consist of the most preferred levels of these attributes, including five-times-a-week organic waste collection, a majority of the residents will support this new waste management policy, which will reduce waste at its source.
Contributing causes to adverse events in home care and potential interventions to reduce their incidence
Authors: Baker G. Ross , Flintoft Virginia , Wojtak Anne , Blais Regis
Published: August 2018

The increasing complexity of home care services, pressures to discharge patients quicker, and the growing vulnerabilities of home care clients all contribute to adverse events in home care. In this article, home care staff in six programs analyzed 27 fall- and medication-related events. Classification of contributing causes indicates that patient and environmental factors were common in fall events, while organization and management factors along with patient, task, team, and individual factors were common in medication-related events. Home care settings create specific challenges in identifying and mitigating risks. Some factors, such as variations in home environments, are difficult to address. However, changing care coordination structures and communication methods could ameliorate other factors, including poor communications among staff and limited team and cross-sector communication and coordination. Ensuring that medication ordering and administration processes are optimized for home environments would also contribute to safer care.
Vasopressin Administration Is Associated With Rising Serum Lactate Levels in Patients With Sepsis
Authors: Severson Kristen A. , Ritter-Cox Laura , Raffa Jesse D. , Celi Leo Anthony , Gordon William J.
Published: August 2018

Background:

Vasopressin is used in conjunction with norepinephrine during treatment of patients with septic shock. Serum lactate is often used in monitoring of patients with sepsis; however, its importance as a therapeutic target is unclear. The objective of this study is to examine the relationship of vasopressin use on serum lactate levels in patients with sepsis.

Methods:

This study uses electronic heath records available via the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III. Patients were required to have a serum lactate monitoring during the intensive care unit (ICU) stay. The treatment was the administration of vasopressin between hours 3 and 18 of the ICU stay. Analysis was performed using a matched design.

Results:

Patients receiving vasopressin were more likely to have their serum lactate levels rise when compared to matched patients who did not receive vasopressin (odds ratio: 6.6; 95% confidence interval: 3.0-14.6, P < .001). Patients who received vasopressin had a median increase in serum lactate of 0.3 mmol/L, while patients who did not receive vasopressin had a median decrease in serum lactate of 0.7 mmol/L ( P < .001). There was no statistically significant difference between the control and treated groups’ lactate trajectories prior to possible administration of vasopressin ( P = .15). The results did not change significantly when norepinephrine initiation was used as the index time.

Conclusions:

In patients with sepsis, the administration of vasopressin was associated with a statistically significant difference in lactate change over the course of 24 hours when compared to matched patients who did not receive vasopressin.
Intergenerational Transmission of Corporal Punishment: The Independent and Interactive Moderating Role of Children’s Negative Affectivity and Effortful Control
Authors: Wang Meifang , Niu Hua , Liu Li
Published: August 2018

The present study examined the independent and interactive moderating effects of children’s negative affectivity (NA) and effortful control (EC) on the relations between parental childhood history of corporal punishment (CP) and their current use of CP. A total of 634 Chinese father–mother dyads with preschoolers ( M age = 4.69 years, 53.8% boys) reported on their experience of CP in childhood, their current use of CP toward children, and their children’s NA and EC. For both mothers and fathers, hierarchical regression analyses revealed that children’s NA and EC independently and interactively moderated the relations between parental childhood history of CP and their current use of CP. Specifically, high NA intensified but high EC weakened the relations between parental childhood history of CP and their current use of CP. Moreover, high EC also weakened the intensifying effect of NA, with the intergenerational stability of CP being weakest and even disrupted when children were at low NA and high EC meanwhile. Findings from the present study highlight the importance of considering how the child factor may influence the intergenerational transmission of CP.
Retrenchment Strategies and Family Involvement: The Role of Survival Risk
Authors: Casillas Jose C. , Moreno-Menéndez Ana M. , Barbero José L. , Clinton Eric
Published: August 2018

This article analyzes retrenchment strategies that family businesses adopt during periods of crisis. From a socioemotional wealth perspective, we propose that the influence of family board members and family CEOs on retrenchment depends on survival risk. We collected empirical data from companies on the Spanish Stock Exchange (2008-2012). Our findings reveal that family involvement intensifies retrenchment when performance is declining, and that retrenchment intensifies when survival is at risk. We also demonstrate that family firms are able to implement retrenchment measures when required to improve their performance.
Globalization of MBA studies and transnational educational institutions in the Caribbean
Authors: Allahar Haven , Sookram Ron
Published: August 2018

The globalization of higher business education supported by the growth of transnational educational institutions is now a feature of the developing countries of the Caribbean region. This article examines the situation of Guyana, where the recent discovery of hydrocarbon resources has created expectations of an economic transformation that will generate a demand for trained personnel to manage the transition: Master of Business Administration (MBA) graduates are expected to contribute significantly in this regard. In the higher education system in Guyana, MBA graduates are produced mainly by the regional university and an Australian transnational institution. This study gathered information on the guiding factors in the choice of MBA through a survey of current students and recent graduates of the two institutions. A comparative analysis of the competing programmes was also undertaken to provide greater insights into their capacities for generating the human resource output necessary for the contemplated transformation.
Corporate Performance during Business Cycles: Evidence from Indian Manufacturing Firms
Authors: Lagesh M. A. , Srikanth Maram , Acharya Debashis
Published: August 2018

The present study is an attempt to assess the ‘probability of incurring loss’ of manufacturing firms in India during different phases of business cycles. We use data on a sample of 87 manufacturing companies for the period from 2002 to 2014 (comprising 1131 firm years). We use the panel logit model with the dependent variable derived from the return on assets to empirically test the hypothesis. Besides, we use firm-specific variables and macroeconomic variables as independent variables in the model. Firm-specific variables, namely size of the firm and interest coverage ratio and macroeconomic variables namely exchange rate, bank credit, inflation, interest rate and index of industrial production are statistically significant in predicting the probability of incurring loss of the firms during the study period. The results are important for investors, corporate houses, managers, lenders, policymakers and the research community as business cycles have a visible impact on all functional areas of an organization. Our study assumes significance because of the importance of macroeconomic variables in the strategic decision-making of the corporate sector in general and manufacturing firms in particular.
Urban Climate-Proof Finance for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure
Authors: Sen Salil K. , Ongsakul Viput
Published: August 2018

Issues on competitiveness and sustainability frame the configuration of urbanization in Asia Pacific. The unpredictability and intermittency of extreme climate and weather events exacerbate the economic, societal and environmental sustainability of urban habitats. This exigency configures this article on the need to review the climate-proof finance for disaster-resilient infrastructure. Climate-change-triggered migration is rapidly growing, particularly in Asia. This article uses the complexity and sustainability viable systems model (VSM) to gauge the multiplicity of parameters on vulnerability of disaster-prone infrastructure. The assurance on sustainability while maintaining competitiveness is corroborated with the tenets of VSM utilizing the top-down–bottom-up alignment of disaster-proof financing. Outcomes of this article articulate the equilibrium between competitiveness and sustainability, as economic considerations outweigh the need for disaster-proof financing of infrastructure.