bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictability of Major Stratospheric Sudden Warmings of the Vortex Split Type: Case Study of the 2002 Southern Event and the 2009 and 1989 Northern Events
Authors: Taguchi Masakazu
Published: April 2014

This study investigates the predictability of three major stratospheric sudden warmings (MSSWs) of the vortex split type: the Southern Hemisphere case in September 2002 and two Northern Hemisphere cases in January 2009 and February 1989. The author examines changes in the predictability of the MSSWs with lead time, as well as the connection of the predictability to lower-atmospheric features for pre- and post-MSSW periods. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)’s 1-month ensemble hindcast (HC) experiment data are compared to the Japanese 25-year Reanalysis Project (JRA-25)/JMA Climate Data Assimilation System (JCDAS) data.

For the pre-MSSW period, a strong predictability connection is observed among all three cases. Unsuccessful predictions of the MSSWs are characterized by an underestimation (or lack) of the enhanced wave activity in the lower stratosphere, which is further related to the strength and persistence of the upper-tropospheric ridge and trough. The mean zonal wind profile in the upper troposphere is also important for the 2009 case. These results confirm the role of tropospheric wave forcing of the MSSWs in the context of predictability. The characteristic time scale for successful predictions is approximately 10 days–2 weeks, which roughly corresponds to the time scale of the tropospheric wave forcing. No ensemble member successfully predicts the MSSWs with lead times longer than the time scale.

The predictability connection between the stratospheric and tropospheric anomalies is more subtle for the post-MSSW period. In particular, the HC group initialized about 1 week before the MSSWs tends to reproduce the evolution of the stratosphere after the MSSWs well but not that of the troposphere in some cases.
ENSO Seasonal Synchronization Theory
Authors: Stein Karl , Timmermann Axel , Schneider Niklas , Jin Fei-Fei , Stuecker Malte F.
Published: April 2014

One of the key characteristics of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is its synchronization to the annual cycle, which manifests in the tendency of ENSO events to peak during boreal winter. Current theory offers two possible mechanisms to account the for ENSO synchronization: frequency locking of ENSO to periodic forcing by the annual cycle, or the effect of the seasonally varying background state of the equatorial Pacific on ENSO’s coupled stability. Using a parametric recharge oscillator (PRO) model of ENSO, the authors test which of these scenarios provides a better explanation of the observed ENSO synchronization.

Analytical solutions of the PRO model show that the annual modulation of the growth rate parameter results directly in ENSO’s seasonal variance, amplitude modulation, and 2:1 phase synchronization to the annual cycle. The solutions are shown to be applicable to the long-term behavior of the damped model excited by stochastic noise, which produces synchronization characteristics that agree with the observations and can account for the variety of ENSO synchronization behavior in state-of-the-art coupled general circulation models. The model also predicts spectral peaks at “combination tones” between ENSO and the annual cycle that exist in the observations and many coupled models. In contrast, the nonlinear frequency entrainment scenario predicts the existence of a spectral peak at the biennial frequency corresponding to the observed 2:1 phase synchronization. Such a peak does not exist in the observed ENSO spectrum. Hence, it can be concluded that the seasonal modulation of the coupled stability is responsible for the synchronization of ENSO events to the annual cycle.
Intraseasonal Variability in Coupled GCMs: The Roles of Ocean Feedbacks and Model Physics
Authors: DeMott Charlotte A. , Stan Cristiana , Randall David A. , Branson Mark D.
Published: April 2014

The interaction of ocean coupling and model physics in the simulation of the intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) is explored with three general circulation models: the Community Atmospheric Model, versions 3 and 4 (CAM3 and CAM4), and the superparameterized CAM3 (SPCAM3). Each is integrated coupled to an ocean model, and as an atmosphere-only model using sea surface temperatures (SSTs) from the coupled SPCAM3, which simulates a realistic ISO. For each model, the ISO is best simulated with coupling. For each SST boundary condition, the ISO is best simulated in SPCAM3.

Near-surface vertical gradients of specific humidity, [Formula: see text] (temperature, [Formula: see text]), explain ~20% (50%) of tropical Indian Ocean latent (sensible) heat flux variance, and somewhat less of west Pacific variance. In turn, local SST anomalies explain ~5% (25%) of [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] variance in coupled simulations, and less in uncoupled simulations. Ergo, latent and sensible heat fluxes are strongly controlled by wind speed fluctuations, which are largest in the coupled simulations, and represent a remote response to coupling. The moisture budget reveals that wind variability in coupled simulations increases east-of-convection midtropospheric moistening via horizontal moisture advection, which influences the direction and duration of ISO propagation.

These results motivate a new conceptual model for the role of ocean feedbacks on the ISO. Indian Ocean surface fluxes help developing convection attain a magnitude capable of inducing the circulation anomalies necessary for downstream moistening and propagation. The “processing” of surface fluxes by model physics strongly influences the moistening details, leading to model-dependent responses to coupling.
Evaluation of Real-Time Satellite Precipitation Data for Global Drought Monitoring
Authors: Zhou Tian , Nijssen Bart , Huffman George J. , Lettenmaier Dennis P.
Published: April 2014

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) near-real-time (RT) data are considered less accurate than the TMPA research quality (RP) data because of the simplified data processing algorithm and the lack of gauge adjustments. However, for near-real-time hydrological applications, such as drought nowcasting, the RT data must play a key role given latency considerations and consistency is essential with products like RP, which have a long-term climatology. The authors used a bivariate test to examine the consistency between the monthly RT and RP precipitation estimates for 12 yr (2000–12) and found that, for over 75% of land cells globally, RT and RP were statistically consistent at 0.05 significance level. The inconsistent grid cells are spatially clustered in western North America, northern South America, central Africa, and most of Australia. The authors also show that RT generally increases with time relative to RP in northern South America and western Australia, while in western North America and eastern Australia, RT decreases relative to RP. In other areas such as the eastern part of North America, Eurasia, and southern part of the South America, the RT data are statistically consistent with the RP data and are appropriate for global- or macroscale hydrological applications.
Comparison of Downscaled Precipitation Data over a Mountainous Watershed: A Case Study in the Heihe River Basin
Authors: Pan Xiaoduo , Li Xin , Yang Kun , He Jie , Zhang Yanlin , Han Xujun
Published: April 2014

Development of an accurate precipitation dataset is of primary importance for regional hydrological process studies and water resources management. Here, four regional precipitation products are evaluated for the Heihe River basin (HRB): 1) a spatially and temporally disaggregated Climate Prediction Center Merged Analysis of Precipitation (CMAP) at 0.25° spatial resolution (DCMAP); 2) a fusion product obtained by merging China Meteorological Administration station data and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission precipitation data at 0.1° spatial resolution supported by the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research (ITP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (ITP-F); 3) a disaggregated CMAP downscaled by a statistical meteorological model tool at 1-km spatial resolution (DCMAP–MicroMet); and 4) a Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model simulation with 5-km resolution (WRF-P). The validation metrics include spatial pattern, temporal pattern, error analysis with respect to observation data, and precipitation event verification indicators. The results indicate that 1) precipitation from the DCMAP product may not be suitable for water cycle studies at the watershed scale because of its coarser spatial resolution and 2) ITP-F, WRF-P, and DCMAP–MicroMet precipitation products generally show similar spatial–temporal patterns in HRB but have varying performances between different subbasins.
A Prototype Global Drought Information System Based on Multiple Land Surface Models
Authors: Nijssen Bart , Shukla Shraddhanand , Lin Chiyu , Gao Huilin , Zhou Tian , Ishottama  , Sheffield Justin , Wood Eric F. , Lettenmaier Dennis P.
Published: April 2014

The implementation of a multimodel drought monitoring system is described, which provides near-real-time estimates of surface moisture storage for the global land areas between 50°S and 50°N with a time lag of about 1 day. Near-real-time forcings are derived from satellite-based precipitation estimates and modeled air temperatures. The system distinguishes itself from other operational systems in that it uses multiple land surface models (Variable Infiltration Capacity, Noah, and Sacramento) to simulate surface moisture storage, which are then combined to derive a multimodel estimate of drought. A comparison of the results with other historic and current drought estimates demonstrates that near-real-time nowcasting of global drought conditions based on satellite and model forcings is entirely feasible. However, challenges remain because hydrological droughts are inherently defined in the context of a long-term climatology. Changes in observing platforms can be misinterpreted as droughts (or as excessively wet periods). This problem cannot simply be addressed through the addition of more observations or through the development of new observing platforms. Instead, it will require careful (re)construction of long-term records that are updated in near–real time in a consistent manner so that changes in surface meteorological forcings reflect actual conditions rather than changes in methods or sources.
Currents Associated with the Quasi-Stationary Jet Separated from the Kuroshio Extension
Authors: Wagawa Taku , Ito Shin-Ichi , Shimizu Yugo , Kakehi Shigeho , Ambe Daisuke
Published: April 2014

The hydrographic structure of a quasi-stationary jet separated from the Kuroshio Extension, a phenomenon that possibly leads to deepening of the winter mixed layer, is revealed via intensive observations using a conductivity–temperature–depth profiler and a ship-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) carried out in September 2009. Data collected from profiling floats set to drift isopycnal layers and time series of sea surface buoys and satellite altimeters were also analyzed to understand the continuity, water characteristics, and time variation of the jet. Although the flow field was complex due to disturbances such as energetic eddies, the jet transported subtropical water to the downstream (northeastern) observation region in a layer shallower than 400 dbar and its highest velocity was concentrated in the mid- and deep layers (≤0.30 m s−1 at the sea surface and ≥0.05 m s−1 at 800-m depth). The velocity axes of the jet detected from the satellite data corresponded to those detected through analysis of the ADCP data, and the intensity of the jet at the sea surface varies over interannual-to-decadal time scales. Part of the interannual-to-decadal variation in the velocity field of the jet is controlled by the dynamic state of the Kuroshio Extension and is correlated with that of the Kuroshio Extension latitude (linear correlation coefficient r ~ 0.67). The relationship between these variations can be interpreted qualitatively as being responsible for the inertial streamers that separate from the crests of meanders of the Kuroshio Extension to the jet region due to the large steering effect.
The comparability of oxalate excretion and oxalate:creatinine ratio in the investigation of primary hyperoxaluria: review of data from a referral centre
Authors: Clifford-Mobley Oliver , Tims Christopher , Rumsby Gill
Published: April 2014

Background

Urine oxalate measurement is an important investigation in the evaluation of renal stone disease. Primary hyperoxaluria (PH) is a rare inherited metabolic disease characterised by persistently elevated urine oxalate, but the diagnosis may be missed in adults until renal failure has developed. Urine oxalate results were reviewed to compare oxalate:creatinine ratio and oxalate excretion, and to estimate the potential numbers of undiagnosed PH.

Methods

Urine oxalate results from August 2011 to April 2013 were reviewed. Oxalate excretion and oxalate:creatinine ratio were evaluated for 24 h collections and ratio alone for spot urine samples.

Results

Oxalate:creatinine ratio and oxalate excretion were moderately correlated (R = 0.63) in 24-h urine collections from patients aged 18 years and above. Sex-related differences were found requiring implementation of male and female reference ranges for oxalate:creatinine ratio. Of samples with both ratio and excretion above the reference range, 7% came from patients with confirmed PH. There were 24 patients with grossly elevated urine oxalate who had not been evaluated for PH.

Conclusions

Oxalate:creatinine ratio and oxalate excretion were discordant in many patients, which is likely to be a result of intra-individual variation in creatinine output and imprecision in the collection itself. Some PH patients had urine oxalate within the reference range on occasion, and therefore it is not possible to exclude PH on the finding of a single normal result. A significant number of individuals had urine oxalate results well above the reference range who potentially have undiagnosed PH and are consequently at risk of renal failure.
The experience of urinary incontinence in stroke survivors: A follow-up qualitative study
Authors: White Jennifer H. , Patterson Kate , Jordan Louise-anne , Magin Parker , Attia John , Sturm Jonathan W.
Published: April 2014

Background.

No previous qualitative exploration of urinary incontinence (UI) or post-stroke urinary incontinence (PSUI) has been undertaken in an Australian population.

Purpose.

The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of community-dwelling stroke survivors who were living with UI/PSUI and understand how context shaped those experiences.

Methods.

A pragmatic approach using thematic analysis was employed for this study.

Findings.

Four themes emerged from the data: “I’ve got to go”: onset and daily experience of UI; “No one ever mentioned it”: lack of advice and information from the health system; “You can’t enjoy something if you’ve got to go the toilet”: experience of occupational restrictions; and “It’s just a matter of planning”: management strategies.

Implications.

UI continued well beyond discharge and was shaped by limited advice, distress, and role loss. Occupational therapists are encouraged to engage in assessment, management, and treatment of UI, including the provision of education that promotes continence, attenuates negative experiences, and enhances community participation.
The role of negative affectivity in the relationships between pay satisfaction, affective and continuance commitment and voluntary turnover: A moderated mediation model
Authors: Panaccio Alexandra , Vandenberghe Christian , Ben Ayed Ahmed K
Published: April 2014

This study examines the mediating role of affective and continuance commitment in the relationship between pay satisfaction and voluntary turnover, and the moderating role of negative affectivity. Drawing from data collected at two points in time from a sample of human resource management professionals ( N = 509), we found that affective and continuance commitment mediated the negative relationship of pay satisfaction to turnover. Moreover, pay satisfaction’s indirect negative relationship with turnover via affective commitment was weaker among respondents high in negative affectivity, while its indirect negative relationship with turnover via continuance commitment was stronger among those with high negative affectivity. Finally, the residual negative relationship of pay satisfaction to turnover was stronger at high levels of negative affectivity. We discuss the implications of this study for our understanding of the role of affective commitment, continuance commitment and negative affectivity in the pay satisfaction–turnover relationship.
Three-dimensional orientation of compression-molded high-density polyethylene/wood fibers using X-ray micro-tomography
Authors: Saeed U , Rizvi G
Published: April 2014

Use of compression molding with a natural fiber-reinforced thermoplastic matrix has been growing rapidly within the last few years in various applications. Wood-reinforced high-density polyethylene offers economic efficiency, a high process reproducibility, short cycle times, a stable and high component quality, and a good recycling ability. In the present study, the distribution of fiber orientation using micro-CT scanner for compression-molded product of varying fiber content was measured, and the effects of fiber content with respect to orientation states are discussed.
Genomewide Study of Salivary MicroRNAs for Detection of Oral Cancer
Authors: Momen-Heravi F. , Trachtenberg A.J. , Kuo W.P. , Cheng Y.S.
Published: April 2014

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in human saliva have recently demonstrated to be potential biomarkers for diagnosis purposes. However, lack of well-characterized/matched clinical groups and lack of suitable endogenous control (EC) for salivary extracellular miRNA detection and normalization are among the restrictions of applying salivary-based miRNA biomarker discovery. In the present study, we examined the differential expression pattern of miRNAs among 4 groups of subjects—including patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), patients with OSCC in remission (OSCC-R), patients with oral lichen planus, and healthy controls (HCs)—using a genomewide high-throughput miRNA microarray. First, we systematically screened 10 pooling samples and 34 individual samples of different groups to find a proper EC miRNA. We then investigated the genomewide expression patterns of differentially expressed miRNAs in saliva of different groups using NanoString nCounter miRNA expression assay and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, followed by construction of receiver operating characteristic curves to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the assay. We identified miRNA-191 as a suitable EC miRNA with minimal intergroup and intragroup variability, and we used it for normalization. Of more than 700 miRNAs tested, 13 were identified as being significantly deregulated in saliva of OSCC patients compared to HCs: 11 miRNAs were underexpressed (miRNA-136, miRNA-147, miRNA-1250, miRNA-148a, miRNA-632, miRNA-646, miRNA668, miRNA-877, miRNA-503, miRNA-220a, miRNA-323-5p), and 2 miRNAs were overexpressed (miRNA-24, miRNA-27b). MiRNA-136 was underexpressed in both OSCC vs. HCs and OSCC vs. OSCC-R. MiRNA-27b levels were significantly higher in OSCC patients compared to those found in HCs, patients with OSCC-R, and patients with oral lichen planus and served as a characteristic biomarker of OSCC. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses showed that miRNA-27b could be a valuable biomarker for distinguishing OSCC patients from the other groups. Our novel findings established a reliable EC miRNA for salivary-based diagnostic and indicate that the salivary miRNA profiles are discriminatory in OSCC patients.
Radiopaque Tagging Masks Caries Lesions following Incomplete Excavation in vitro
Authors: Schwendicke F. , Meyer-Lueckel H. , Schulz M. , Dörfer C.E. , Paris S.
Published: April 2014

One-step incomplete excavation seals caries-affected dentin under a restoration and appears to be advantageous in the treatment of deep lesions. However, it is impossible to discriminate radiographically between intentionally left, arrested lesions and overlooked or active lesions. This diagnostic uncertainty decreases the acceptance of minimally invasive excavation and might lead to unnecessary re-treatment of incompletely excavated teeth. Radiopaque tagging of sealed lesions might mask arrested lesions and assist in discrimination from progressing lesions. Therefore, we microradiographically screened 4 substances (SnCl2, AgNO3, CsF, CsCH3COO) for their effect on artificial lesions. Since water-dissolved tin chloride (SnCl2×Aq) was found to stably mask artificial lesions, we then investigated its radiographic effects on progressing lesions. Natural lesions were incompletely excavated and radiopaque tagging performed. Grey-value differences (△GV) between sound and carious dentin were determined and radiographs assessed by 20 dentists. While radiographic effects of SnCl2×Aq were stable for non-progressing lesions, they significantly decreased during a second demineralization ( p < .001, t test). For natural lesions, tagging with SnCl2×Aq significantly reduced △GV ( p < .001, Wilcoxon). Tagged lesions were detected significantly less often than untagged lesions ( p < .001). SnCl2×Aq was suitable to mask caries-affected dentin and discriminate between arrested and progressing lesions in vitro. Radiopaque tagging could resolve diagnostic uncertainties associated with incomplete excavation.
Teaching Area and Volume to Students With Mild Intellectual Disability
Authors: Hord Casey , Xin Yan Ping
Published: April 2014

In the current educational climate, teachers are required to find methods to give all students, including students with mild intellectual disability, access to the general education curriculum. The purpose of this study was to investigate the combined effects of the concrete−semiconcrete−abstract instructional sequence and model-based problem solving to teach area and volume to sixth-grade students with mild intellectual disability. The researchers in this study utilized a multiple probe design, a variation of the multiple baseline design, to establish the functional relationship between the intervention and students’ performance on area and volume problems. The participants solved a high percentage of the sixth-grade-level problems addressed on the criterion tests, but success with more complex problems will be necessary for proficiency at grade level with the Common Core Standards for Mathematics.
A Meta-Analysis of International Tourism Demand Elasticities
Authors: Peng Bo , Song Haiyan , Crouch Geoffrey I. , Witt Stephen F.
Published: April 2014

This study uses meta-analysis to examine the relationship between estimated international tourism demand elasticities and the data characteristics and study features that may affect such empirical estimates. By reviewing 195 studies published during the period 1961–2011, the meta-regression analysis shows that origin, destination, time period, modeling method, data frequency, the inclusion/omission of other explanatory variables and their measures, and sample size all significantly influence the estimates of the demand elasticities generated by a model. Moreover, the demand elasticities at both product and destination levels are generalized by statistically integrating previous empirical estimates. The findings of this meta-analysis will be useful wherever an understanding of the drivers of tourism demand is critically important.
Linearization of the product polar quantizer for A/D conversion of measurement signals
Authors: Dincic Milan R , Peric Zoran H , Denic Dragan B
Published: April 2014

In this paper, the linearization of product polar quantizers is presented. Product polar quantizers are very important in A/D (analogue-to-digital) conversion and compression of measurement signals with Gaussian distribution, as they have much better performances than scalar quantizers and can be widely used in many modern measurement systems such as telemetry, telemedicine, wireless sensor networks, distributed measurement systems and remote control systems. The key limiting factor in the realization of product polar quantizers is the fact that the companding function for the magnitude quantization is non-linear. To decrease complexity of realization of product polar quantizers, we suggest the linearization of the companding function. Two methods of linearization are proposed. Although both methods are good, we highlight the second method, which achieves high performances with a small number of linear segments, due to optimization of the last linear segment. The convergence of expressions for the distortion before and after linearization is proved. The analysis is developed in the general manner (for any companding function) and applied on a µ-law companding function. The influence of linearization on the robustness of product polar quantizers is analysed. The best solutions for the design of the linearized product polar quantizers, considering complexity and quality, are proposed. The linearization of product polar quantizers compatible with the widely used G.711 standard is performed. It is shown that linearized product polar quantizers, although much simpler, can achieve performances very close to those of the corresponding non-linearized quantizers. Theory is proved by the simulation and experiment.
Computer‐Based Malnutrition Risk Calculation May Enhance the Ability to Identify Pediatric Patients at Malnutrition‐Related Risk for Unfavorable Outcome
Authors: Karagiozoglou‐Lampoudi Thomais , Daskalou Efstratia , Lampoudis Dimitrios , Apostolou Aggeliki , Agakidis Charalampos
Published: April 2014

Background: The study aimed to test the hypothesis that computer‐based calculation of malnutrition risk may enhance the ability to identify pediatric patients at malnutrition‐related risk for an unfavorable outcome. The Pediatric Digital Scaled MAlnutrition Risk screening Tool (PeDiSMART), incorporating the World Health Organization (WHO) growth reference data and malnutrition‐related parameters, was used. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of 500 pediatric patients aged 1 month to 17 years. Upon admission, the PeDiSMART score was calculated and anthropometry was performed. Pediatric Yorkhill Malnutrition Score (PYMS), Screening Tool Risk on Nutritional Status and Growth (STRONGkids), and Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Pediatrics (STAMP) malnutrition screening tools were also applied. PeDiSMART's association with the clinical outcome measures (weight loss/nutrition support and hospitalization duration) was assessed and compared with the other screening tools. Results: The PeDiSMART score was inversely correlated with anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance phase angle (BIA PhA). The score's grading scale was based on BIA Pha quartiles. Weight loss/nutrition support during hospitalization was significantly independently associated with the malnutrition risk group allocation on admission, after controlling for anthropometric parameters and age. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 75% and a significant area under the curve, which differed significantly from that of STRONGkids and STAMP. In the subgroups of patients with PeDiSMART‐based risk allocation different from that based on the other tools, PeDiSMART allocation was more closely related to outcome measures. Conclusion: PeDiSMART, applicable to the full age range of patients hospitalized in pediatric departments, graded according to BIA PhA, and embeddable in medical electronic records, enhances efficacy and reproducibility in identifying pediatric patients at malnutrition‐related risk for an unfavorable outcome. Patient allocation according to the PeDiSMART score on admission is associated with clinical outcome measures.
Academics and Practitioners Are Alike and Unlike
Authors: Bartunek Jean Marie , Rynes Sara Lynn
Published: April 2014

In this essay we challenge standard approaches to the academic–practitioner gap that essentially pit sides against each other, treating them as dichotomous. Instead, we identify and suggest ways of working with such dichotomies to foster research and theory building. We delineate several tensions associated with the gap, including differing logics, time dimensions, communication styles, rigor and relevance, and interests and incentives, and show how such tensions are valuable themselves for research and theorizing. We show that the gap often reflects views of conflicting groups of academics, while practitioners’ voices are not always incorporated; thus we add a practitioner’s voice to the conversation. We describe the dialectical forces that foster the tensions associated with the gap, including initiatives of national governments, ranking systems, and special issues of journals. We then show how the tensions represent fundamental, unresolvable paradoxes that can be generative of new research and practice if appreciated as such. We suggest several implications for research that build on tensions, dialectics, and paradox. We conclude with a brief reflection about the tensions we experienced while writing this essay and what these might suggest about the importance of academic–practitioner relationships.
Mediated mobilities
Authors: Keightley Emily , Reading Anna
Published: April 2014

In this article we introduce the themed issue ‘Mediated Mobilities’. We begin by articulating some of the potential relationships between media and mobility critically addressing the key conceptual distinctions that underpin them and the methodological demands placed on media studies when exploring the complex ways in which mobility is embedded in contemporary media ecologies. In the first instance we consider precisely what is meant by mobility, and, more specifically, interrogate the dynamic relationship between mediated mobility and immobility. We then move on to develop a methodological framework or agenda for research on mediated mobilities. This framework traces how existing analytical trajectories in media studies research need to be developed and synthesized in order to be able to account for the multiple modes of mobility facilitated by media technologies, texts, institutions and audiences. In the last part of the article we examine the development of innovative methodologies and forms of analysis that give emphasis to movement and trajectory, but also human and algorithmic agency.
What is a research platform? Mapping methods, mobilities and subjectivities
Authors: Kanngieser Anja , Neilson Brett , Rossiter Ned
Published: April 2014

This article provides an account of the question of method as it relates to collective modes of research organised, conceived and produced through the interplay between digital technologies of communication and offline strategies of investigation. It does so by exploring the orchestration of research platforms, which are mediating devices that constitute the production of knowledge across a range of geocultural settings. In the context of a project entitled Transit Labour: Circuits, Regions, Borders, the article maintains that research methods must contend with the ideological, technological and economic instruments that condition knowledge production at the current conjuncture. The platform, we argue, operates as a medium through which research, labour, subjectivity and knowledge are shaped in ways specific to hardware settings, software dynamics and the materialities of labour and life.
Comparison between Male and Female Sprague-Dawley Rats in the Response of Urinary Biomarkers to Injury Induced by Gentamicin
Authors: Gautier Jean-Charles , Gury Thierry , Guffroy Magali , Masson Régis , Khan-Malek Richard , Hoffman David , Pettit Syril , Harpur Ernie
Published: April 2014

Differences were examined between male and female Sprague-Dawley rats in the response of 16 urinary biomarkers (measured using several assay platforms) to renal injury produced by gentamicin administered subcutaneously for 10 days at a dosage of 75 mg/kg. Urinary biomarkers expressed as fold difference from contemporaneous controls and renal histopathology were assessed after 3 and 10 doses. On day 4, minimal proximal tubular changes were observed microscopically in all males but no females; on day 11, more extensive and more severe injury was observed to a similar extent in all animals of both sexes. Modest increases (maximum 5-fold) in all urinary biomarkers (except epidermal growth factor [EGF], which was decreased) on day 4 and marked elevations (maximum 271-fold) on day 11 were seen consistently in both sexes. However, the magnitude of the increases differed between the sexes. On day 4, despite the lack of tubular injury, many biomarkers were more elevated in females than males but this rarely led to statistically significant sex differences; only 2 biomarkers (β2-microglobulin and total protein) showed a greater increase in males than females in line with the histopathology. On day 11, there were many more biomarkers that showed a statistically significant difference between the sexes in fold change with treatment; in line with the results on day 4, the majority of biomarkers were more increased in females than males. It remains unresolved if sex differences in the magnitude of biomarker response at injury threshold would lead to any difference in diagnostic interpretation between the sexes. These data highlight the need for publication of more studies using animals of both sexes to fully explore the influence of sex on the diagnostic performance of the novel biomarkers.
Psychometric Evaluation of the Nurse Spiritual Care Therapeutics Scale
Authors: Mamier Iris , Taylor Elizabeth Johnston
Published: April 2014

To measure nurse-provided spiritual care, robust instrumentation is needed. This study psychometrically evaluated an instrument that operationalizes frequency of nurse-provided spiritual care, the Nurse Spiritual Care Therapeutics Scale (NSCTS). The 17-item NSCTS, with an established content validity index of 0.88, was administered online to registered nurses (RNs) in four hospitals. Responses from 554 RNs (24% response rate), most who identified as Christian, provided evidence for the NSCTS’ reliability and validity. Internal reliability was supported by an alpha coefficient of .93. Validity was evidenced by item-total correlations ranging from .40 to .80, low to modest direct correlations between the NSCTS and Daily Spiritual Experience Scale and Duke University Religiosity Index, and strong loadings between 0.41 and 0.84 on one factor (explaining 49.5% of the variance) during exploratory factor analysis.
Coil embolization of traumatic pseudoaneurysm of right internal thoracic artery
Authors: Tourmousoglou Christos , Zambakis Peter , Koletsis Efstratios , Prokakis Christos , Charoulis Nikolaos , Dougenis Dimitrios
Published: April 2014

Traumatic injury to the chest and internal thoracic artery is a perplexing problem that is difficult to diagnose and open to different treatment options. Internal thoracic artery pseudoaneurysms are an extremely rare vascular abnormality. We report the case of a patient with a pseudoaneurysm of the musculophrenic artery, a branch of right internal thoracic artery, caused by a penetrating injury of the chest.
Congenital coronary artery anomaly simulating a ventricular septal defect
Authors: Azari Ali , Moravvej Zahra , Fazlinezhad Afsoon , Bigdelu Leila
Published: April 2014

Anomalous origin of the circumflex artery of the right sinus of Valsalva is a rare finding which may be present with other cardiac malformations. A 19-year-old man presented with syncope. A transthoracic echocardiogram revealed discrete subaortic stenosis with a small defect just below the aortic valve, suggesting a ventricular septal defect. Transesophageal echocardiography showed anomalous origin of the circumflex artery from the right sinus of Valsalva. This was confirmed by coronary angiography. The patient underwent successful web resection without concomitant coronary surgery. Failure to demonstrate a coronary artery anomaly can be misleading for surgeons and perilous for patients.
Thoracoscopic enucleation for intrapulmonary lipoma: Case report
Authors: Takahashi Yusuke , Shima Toshiyuki , Harada Masahiko , Horio Hirotoshi
Published: April 2014

A 67-year-old woman with a history of uterine body cancer was admitted because of a nodular shadow in the right lower lobe on chest computed tomography. We planned thoracoscopic resection for diagnosis. Thoracoscopically, the tumor was seen through the visceral pleura as a round yellow nodule close to the inferior pulmonary vein, and it was soft on palpation with surgical forceps, which was consistent with intrapulmonary lipoma. We therefore performed thoracoscopic enucleation. Histological examination confirmed an intrapulmonary lipoma. We report the first case of intrapulmonary lipoma which was enucleated thoracoscopically.
Symptomatic stenosis of left subclavian artery from Kommerell’s diverticulum
Authors: Batheeb Nabil A , Habbab Louay M , Qattan Nabil M
Published: April 2014

Patients with a right aortic arch frequently develop an aneurysm at the origin of the left subclavian artery, called Kommerell’s diverticulum; it is a remnant of the left fourth aortic arch. These variants may occur in combination with congenital heart defects or they may be isolated. We report an extremely rare case of symptomatic stenotic origin of an aberrant left subclavian artery arising from a Kommerell’s diverticulum in a 39-year-old man with right-sided aortic arch who had left upper limb pain and numbness on exercise. He was successfully treated by percutaneous angioplasty and primary stent implantation.
Analyzing unstructured Facebook social network data through web text mining
Authors: Kahya-Özyirmidokuz Esra
Published: April 2014

The large amounts of Facebook social network data which are generated and collected need to be analyzed for valuable decision making information about shopping firms in Turkey. In addition, analyzing social network data from outside the firms becomes a critical business need for the firms which actively use Facebook. To have a competitive advantage, firms must translate social media texts into something more quantitative to extract information. In this study, web text mining techniques are used to determine popular online shopping firms’ Facebook patterns. For this purpose, 200 popular Turkish companies’ web URLs are used. Web text mining through natural language processing techniques is examined. Similarity analysis and clustering are done. Consequently, the clusters of the Facebook websites and their relationships and similarities of the firms are obtained.
A Century of Municipal Reform in the United States
Authors: Wheeland Craig M. , Palus Christine Kelleher , Wood Curtis
Published: April 2014

In this article, we examine the legacy of four progressive reforms intended to secure “good” government—the model city charter, the council-manager plan, city management professionalism, and bureaucratic service delivery. Our analysis integrates research by historians, political scientists, sociologists, and public administration scholars, and provides a unique multidisciplinary perspective on the legacy of success and adaptation of the municipal reform movement. We use Hofstadter’s concept of a reform “impulse” in American political culture to frame our analysis. We conclude with four observations on the future of municipal reform, ultimately arguing that the impulse to “reform” continues to be a dominant driver across both local government management and institutions.
Lafite in China
Authors: Maguire Jennifer Smith , Lim Ming
Published: April 2014

Increased economic power has positioned China within the global elite, yet China’s legitimacy remains low with regard to hierarchies of taste. Drawing from Bourdieu and Elias, this article offers an account of the global dynamics of status contests, and the role played by cultural capital and notions of civility and vulgarity. Specifically, we examine how U.S., UK, and Chinese media represent Chinese consumption of fine wine, and particularly that of Château Lafite, in the 2000 to 2013 period. Our analysis reveals four major ways in which Chinese fine wine consumption is framed—as vulgar, popular, functional, and discerning—and highlights tensions between Western and Chinese terms of cultural legitimacy. The research uncovers nuanced dimensions to the “East/West” divide in terms of the grades of cultural capital, competing logics of valuation, and modes of civility at play. Macromarketing implications of fine wine consumption in a fragmented and complex market are discussed.
Comparison of short-term efficacy and safety of TIROX and DCF regimens for advanced gastric cancer
Authors: Dong Lei , Li Jing , Lou Xiao-Ping , Miao Jin-Hong , Lu Pei , Chang Zhi-Wei , Han Zhao-Feng
Published: April 2014

Objective

To compare the short-term efficacy and safety profile of the S-1 + irinotecan + oxaliplatin (TIROX) and docetaxel + cisplatin + flurouracil (DCF) anticancer regimens in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Methods

Patients with recurrent or metastatic gastric cancer diagnosed by pathology were randomly divided into two groups to receive six cycles of either the TIROX regimen (21-day cycle) or the DCF regimen (21-day cycle). After six chemotherapy cycles, the short-term efficacy was evaluated according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors guidelines and adverse reactions were recorded according to National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria 2.0 standards.

Results

A total of 60 patients were enrolled in the study. The response rate (complete response + partial response) was significantly higher in the TIROX group (18/30 patients; 60.0%) compared with the DCF group (10/30 patients; 33.3%). The rates of grade III–IV leucopenia and neurotoxicity were significantly higher in the TIROX group than the DCF group.

Conclusion

The TIROX regimen was effective for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer, but it was associated with leucopenia and neurotoxicity.
Clinical, Radiographic, and Histological Outcomes After Cartilage Repair With Particulated Juvenile Articular Cartilage
Authors: Farr Jack , Tabet Samuel K. , Margerrison Ed , Cole Brian J.
Published: April 2014

Background:

Biological repair of cartilage lesions remains a significant clinical challenge because of the lack of natural regeneration and limited treatment options.

Hypothesis:

Treatment of articular cartilage lesions in the knee with particulated juvenile articular cartilage (PJAC) will result in an improvement in patient symptoms of pain and function and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings at 2 years compared with baseline.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Patients with symptomatic articular cartilage lesions on the femoral condyles or trochlear groove of the knee were identified for treatment with PJAC. There were 25 patients with a mean age of 37.0 ± 11.1 years and a mean lesion size of 2.7 ± 0.8 cm2. All patients were assessed preoperatively (baseline) with a knee examination and surveys including the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective knee form, 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). Patients were followed at predetermined time points postoperatively through 2 years. Also, MRI was performed at baseline and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. At 2 years, patients were given the option of undergoing voluntary diagnostic arthroscopic surgery with cartilage biopsy to assess the histological appearance of the cartilage repair including safranin O staining for proteoglycans and immunostaining for type I and II collagen.

Results:

Clinical outcomes demonstrated statistically significant increases at 2 years after surgery compared with baseline, with improvements seen as early as 3 months. Over the 24-month follow-up period, the IKDC score increased from a mean of 45.7 to 73.6, KOOS-pain score from 64.1 to 83.7, KOOS-symptoms score from 64.6 to 81.4, KOOS–activities of daily living score from 73.8 to 91.5, KOOS–sports and recreation score from 44.6 to 68.3, and KOOS–quality of life score from 31.8 to 59.9. The MRI results suggested that T2-weighted scores were returning to a level approximating that of normal articular cartilage by 2 years. Histologically, the repair tissue in biopsy samples from 8 patients was composed of a mixture of hyaline and fibrocartilage; immunopositivity for type II collagen was generally higher than for type I collagen, and there appeared to be excellent integration of the transplanted tissue with the surrounding native articular cartilage. Other than elective biopsies, there were no reoperations, although 1 graft delamination was reported at 24 months.

Conclusion:

This study demonstrates a rapid, safe, and effective treatment for cartilage defects. For the patient population investigated, the clinical outcomes of the PJAC technique showed a significant improvement over baseline, with histologically favorable repair tissue 2 years postoperatively.
System dynamic modeling on construction waste management in Shenzhen, China
Authors: Tam Vivian WY , Li Jingru , Cai Hong
Published: April 2014

This article examines the complexity of construction waste management in Shenzhen, Mainland China. In-depth analysis of waste generation, transportation, recycling, landfill and illegal dumping of various inherent management phases is explored. A system dynamics modeling using Stella model is developed. Effects of landfill charges and also penalties from illegal dumping are also simulated. The results show that the implementation of comprehensive policy on both landfill charges and illegal dumping can effectively control the illegal dumping behavior, and achieve comprehensive construction waste minimization. This article provides important recommendations for effective policy implementation and explores new perspectives for Shenzhen policy makers.
Optimization of fuels from waste composition with application of genetic algorithm
Authors: Wzorek Małgorzata
Published: April 2014

The objective of this article is to elaborate a method to optimize the composition of the fuels from sewage sludge (PBS fuel – fuel based on sewage sludge and coal slime, PBM fuel – fuel based on sewage sludge and meat and bone meal, PBT fuel – fuel based on sewage sludge and sawdust). As a tool for an optimization procedure, the use of a genetic algorithm is proposed. The optimization task involves the maximization of mass fraction of sewage sludge in a fuel developed on the basis of quality-based criteria for the use as an alternative fuel used by the cement industry. The selection criteria of fuels composition concerned such parameters as: calorific value, content of chlorine, sulphur and heavy metals. Mathematical descriptions of fuel compositions and general forms of the genetic algorithm, as well as the obtained optimization results are presented. The results of this study indicate that the proposed genetic algorithm offers an optimization tool, which could be useful in the determination of the composition of fuels that are produced from waste.