bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transverse transport properties of a charged drop in an electric field
Authors: Bondarenko S. , Komoshvili K.
Published: May 2015

Transport properties of a charged droplet of weakly interacting particles in transverse electric field are investigated. Nonequilibrium, time-dependent distribution function which describes a process of the droplet transverse evolution with constant entropy in the field is calculated. With the help of this distribution function, shear viscosity coefficients in the transverse plane are calculated as well. They are found to be dependent on the ratio of the potential energy of the droplet in the electric field to the kinetic energy of the droplet; for weakly interacting particles, this parameter is small. Additionally, these coefficients are time-dependent and change during the hydrodynamical state of the droplet's expansion. Applicability of the results to the description of initial states of quark–gluon plasma (QGP) obtained in high-energy interactions of nuclei is also discussed.
MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS AMONG BANK OFFICE WORKERS: TWO YEARS FOLLOW-UP SURVEY
Authors: Mohammadi Ghorbanali
Published: May 2015

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) represent one of the leading causes of occupational injury and disability in the developed and industrially developing countries. The economic loss due to such disorders is high and affects not only the individual but also the organization and the society as a whole. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence rate of musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS) among employees of the bank office sectors and also identifying majors factors associated with symptoms in the study population in the city of Kerman, Iran. Between 2008 and 2009, 324 (224 male and 100 female) bank office workers was interviewed individually in a private one-on-one interview. A modified version of the nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire (NMQ) and cornell musculoskeletal discomfort questionnaire (CMDQ) translated into Farsi by the author was used in this study. The response rate of questionnaire was 68% (152 male and 61 female). The highest prevalence of symptoms were found for male and female upper back, female Hip/Buttocks and neck, and female lower back (62%). The highest prevalence of symptoms was found for female neck, upper back and lower back. Finding indicated that females have been experiencing more complaints than males. The prevalence of MSS among targeted population occurred in high rate.
MICROHARDNESS EVALUATION OF NON ENZYMATICALLY GLYCATED BOVINE FEMUR CORTICAL BONE
Authors: Findikoglu Gulin , Evis Z.
Published: May 2015

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate deterioration in mechanical integrity of the collagen network of bovine bone formed by non-enzymatic glycation (NEG), a process that mimics aging by microindentation technique. Methods: Young and old bovine cortical bone specimens were rested in solutions for four weeks for the process of NEG and were grouped as ribosylated and non-ribosylated. A series of indentations were made on bone specimens weekly for each of 3-masses of 50 g, 100 g and 200 g for 10 s to detect the effect of indentation load and for each of five durations of 5 s, 10 s, 20 s, 30 s for 100 g to study the effect of indentation duration. The applied load was increased to 300 g, 500 g, 1000 g and 2000 g for 10 s to be able to make microcracks. Specimens were tested in the wet and dry state to study the effects of hydration on microhardness measurement. Results: Loads of 50 g, 100 g and 200 g for 10 s were able to differ ribosylated bone from non-ribosylated bone for the young and old bovine bones. Microhardness values increased with increasing incubation period. Microhardness of dry specimens were found to be statistically higher than that of wet specimens. Presence of extrinsic toughening mechanisms including crack bridging due to uncracked ligaments and collagen fibers were directly observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Ribosylated bone was found to have lower number of collagen bridging compared to non-ribosylated bovine bone. Conclusion: Microhardness test by these are able to discriminate non-modified collagen structure from modified collagen. On the other hand, it is found that microindentation was not able to discriminate the degree of NEG.
Widening the scope of the corrole sulfonation
Authors: Naitana Mario Luigi , Nardis Sara , Lentini Sara , Cicero Daniel O. , Paolesse Roberto
Published: May 2015

The sulfonation reaction has been particularly useful to prepare amphiphilic derivatives of 5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole, but it has been limited to this corrole. We have studied the scope of this reaction, using 5,10,15-triphenylcorrole as the prototypical example of corrole structure. The reaction protocol has been modified to avoid the corrole aggregation, which limited its reactivity in the neat chlorosulfonic acid. Surprisingly, the reaction shows an unprecedented regioselectivity for corrole derivatives, affording 3 as the main product, but also corrole 5, which is the first example of monosubstituted corrole on pyrrole B. By modulating the corrole:chlorosulfonic acid reagent ratio, it has been possible to obtain the antipodal disubstituted product 6, demonstrating again a not usual regioselectivity for corrole substitution. These results allow the preparation of novel amphiphilic corrole derivatives, which open up their potential applications in different fields.
Metamorphic and age constraints on crustal reworking in the western H.U. Sverdrupfjella: implications for the evolution of western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica
Authors: Grosch Eugene G. , Frimmel Hartwig E. , Abu-Alam Tamer , Košler Jan
Published: May 2015

A petrological and metamorphic comparison of Mesoproterozoic metabasic rocks was conducted on the eastern margin of the Archaean Kaapvaal–Grunehogna Craton and the adjacent westernmost Maud Belt (western H.U. Sverdrupfjella), across a major structural discontinuity known as the Pencksökket–Jutulstraumen Discontinuity. Thermodynamic phase diagram modelling of the low- and high-grade metabasaltic assemblages on either side of the discontinuity revealed a difference in peak metamorphic conditions from
T
 = 340 ± 25 to 700 ± 30°C and
P
 = 0.29 ± 0.08 to 0.90 ± 0.10 GPa over an extrapolated orthogonal distance of 32 km across the strike of the discontinuity. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry U–Pb dating of titanite in a hornblende–plagioclase–quartz corona around garnet yielded a late Pan-African age of 491 ± 27 Ma for high-grade metamorphism in the western H.U. Sverdrupfjella of the Maud Belt. The new petrological and geochronological constraints indicate that peak upper amphibolite-facies conditions were achieved in the western H.U. Sverdrupfjella at
c
. 500 Ma; namely,
c
. 70–80 Ma after peak eclogite–high-pressure granulite-facies metamorphism in the eastern H.U. Sverdrupjella. The U–Pb age data argue against previous models that invoke only late Mesoproterozoic (
c
. 1060–1030 Ma) granulite-facies metamorphism in the western H.U. Sverdrupfjella and Kaapvaal–Grunehogna Craton margin, and support the concept of a major diachronous Pan-African orogenic episode. A new geodynamic model is presented for western Dronning Maud Land, involving earliest Pan-African eclogite–high-pressure granulite- and upper amphibolite-facies metamorphism in a separate eastern H.U. Sverdrupjella terrane between
c
. 565 and 540 Ma, followed by later diachronous tectonic accretion of the eastern H.U. Sverdrupjella arc segment onto the western H.U. Sverdrupfjella crustal segment (including the easternmost Kaapvaal–Grunehogna Craton margin) that involved only upper amphibolite-facies metamorphism at
c
. 500 Ma. The new petrological data indicate that the inferred sub-glacial boundary (Pencksökket–Jutulstraumen Discontinuity) between the Kaapvaal–Grunehogna Craton and the western H.U. Sverdrupfjella region represents a major cratonic Pan-African thrust, which was subsequently reactivated by normal faulting during Gondwana break-up.

Supplementary materials:

Analytical details, representative mineral compositions, and geothermometry and geobarometry results are available at
http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18832
.
Could stegosaurs swim? Suggestive evidence from the Middle Jurassic tracksite of the Cleveland Basin, Yorkshire, UK
Authors: Romano M. , Whyte M. A.
Published: May 2015

Ichnological evidence from the Ravenscar Group (Middle Jurassic) of Yorkshire reveals a distinctive type of swimming track associated with walking tracks of the ichnogenus
Deltapodus
. The morphology of the prints suggests that both track types were made by the same type of animal. Since
Deltapodus
is interpreted as having been made by a stegosaur, the associated footprints suggest that stegosaurs could swim. This has significant implications for their palaeobiology and dispersal. The swimming prints are assigned to the ichnotaxon
Characichnos
isp.
The temporal record of magmatism at Cerro Uturuncu, Bolivian Altiplano
Authors: Muir D. D. , Barfod D. N. , Blundy J. D. , Rust A. C. , Sparks R. S. J. , Clarke K. M.
Published: May 2015

Twenty-six new
40
Ar/
39
Ar plateau ages for 23 lavas and domes from the Uturuncu volcano in the Altiplano of SW Bolivia reveal a protracted eruptive history from 1050±5 to 250±5 ka. Eruptions have been exclusively effusive, producing some 50 km
3
of high-K dacites and silicic andesites. Bimodal mineral compositions, complex mineral textures, the presence of andesitic magmatic enclaves within dacites and linear chemical trends on binary element plots all indicate that magma mixing is an important petrogenetic process at Uturuncu. Post-458 ka, distinct high and low MgO–Cr magmas are resolved. These magmas erupt during similar times, suggesting that eruptions are tapping different parts of the magma system, albeit from the same vent system. Volcanic and petrological features are consistent with the existence of a vertically extensive magma mush column beneath Uturuncu, and calculated buoyancy forces are sufficient to drive effusive eruptions. Eruptive activity is episodic, with six eruptive periods separated by hiatuses of >50 kyr. Cumulative volume curves demonstrate that the majority of the edifice formed between 595 and 505 ka. The episodicity of eruptions is most likely to be related to fluctuations in the magma supply to the underlying Altiplano–Puno Magma Body.

Supplementary material:

Detailed
40
Ar/
39
Ar data, and lava flow and dome areas, volumes and stratigraphic ages where absolute ages are lacking are available at
www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18815
Palaeomagnetic and geochronological data from Late Mesoproterozoic redbed sedimentary rocks on the western margin of Kalahari craton
Authors: Kasbohm Jennifer , Evans David A. D. , Panzik Joseph E. , Hofmann Mandy , Linnemann Ulf
Published: May 2015

Redbeds of the Aubures Formation constitute the uppermost stratigraphic unit in the Mesoproterozoic Sinclair succession of southern Namibia. Aubures palaeomagnetic remanence vectors, held almost exclusively by hematite, document at least one geomagnetic polarity reversal in the stratigraphy, a positive intraformational conglomerate test indicating primary magnetization and greatest concentration of characteristic directions at 50–60% untilting, indicating that deformation was coincident with sedimentation. The new Aubures palaeomagnetic pole, at 56.4°N and 018.0°E with
A
95
=11.3°, is located on the apparent polar wander path of the Kalahari craton, between poles of the 1110 Ma Umkondo igneous event and the
c.
1090 Ma Kalkpunt redbeds of the Koras Group near Upington, South Africa. This distinctive concordance suggests that Aubures sediments have an age of approximately 1100 Ma, that the Sinclair region was probably part of Kalahari at that time and that the Aubures and Kalkpunt redbeds are broadly correlative. New laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry detrital zircon results from the Aubures Formation, including a youngest age component (1108±9 Ma) that is coincident with the Kalahari-wide Umkondo large igneous province, conform to this interpretation. Palaeomagnetism and geochronology of the Sinclair succession can provide kinematic constraints on the tectonic evolution of Kalahari as it approached other cratons in the growing Rodinia supercontinent.
Thermal monitoring of volcanic effusive activity: the uncertainties and outlier detection
Authors: Zakšek Klemen , Pick Leonie , Shirzaei Manoochehr , Hort Matthias
Published: May 2015

Thermal observations of volcanic activity when the volcano is partially covered by clouds or observed under a wide-scan angle are often removed from further analyses. In the event of a volcanic crisis, such a reduced set of data is not adequate. Even when the observation conditions are favourable, the full observation set is still required to provide decision-makers with quality information about the data. Automatic quality estimation and outlier detection was not estimated in the past. We propose to analytically define the uncertainty for individual observations based on the measurement circumstances. To additionally reduce the temporal noise of the radiant power (
RP
) time series we apply a Kalman Filter (KF). The KF is able to recursively analyse an unevenly sampled time series. Based on some proposed rules, it can also detect outliers. We apply the proposed methodology to the 2008–09 Etna eruption monitored by MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). The analysis of the results shows that the topography has a greater influence on
RP
than previously considered.
Short Stature in Chronic Kidney Disease Treated with Growth Hormone and an Aromatase Inhibitor
Authors: Mendley Susan R. , Spyropoulos Fotios , Counts Debra R.
Published: May 2015

We describe an alternative strategy for management of severe growth failure in a 14-year-old child who presented with advanced chronic kidney disease close to puberty. The patient was initially treated with growth hormone for a year until kidney transplantation, followed immediately by a year-long course of an aromatase inhibitor, anastrozole, to prevent epiphyseal fusion and prolong the period of linear growth. Outcome was excellent, with successful transplant and anticipated complete correction of height deficit. This strategy may be appropriate for children with chronic kidney disease and short stature who are in puberty.
Multidisciplinary Proactive Psychiatric Consultation Service: Impact on Length of Stay for Medical Inpatients
Authors: Sledge William H. , Gueorguieva Ralitza , Desan Paul , Bozzo Janis E. , Dorset Julianne , Lee Hochang Benjamin
Published: May 2015

Background: Mental illness correlates with an increased length of stay (LOS) for patients hospitalized for medical conditions. While psychiatric consultations help manage mental illness among those hospitalized for medical conditions, consultations initiated by nonpsychiatric mental disease may lack maximum effectiveness. Methods: In a before-and-after design, in 2 contiguous years LOS for internist-initiated, conventional consultation (CC) as usual treatment was compared to LOS of a proactive, mental health professional-initiated, multidisciplinary intervention delivered by the behavioral intervention team (BIT) on the same units. The patient populations included general medical patients with a variety of illnesses. Patients were treated in 3 different inpatient settings with a total capacity of 92 beds serving 15,858 patient visits over 3 comparison years. BIT comprised a psychiatrist, a nurse, and a social worker, each of whom performed the specific tasks of their professional discipline, while collaborating among themselves and their health-care colleagues. BIT provided timely, appropriate, and effective patient care alongside consultative advice and education to their corresponding professional peers. BIT was compared to CC on the outcome of LOS. Results: There was a statistically significant reduction of LOS favoring BIT over CC for patients with an LOS of <31 days which persisted while controlling for multiple co-morbid factors. Also, a statistically significant spillover effect was suggested by the overall improvement of LOS on units implementing BIT. Conclusion: BIT is a promising means of lowering LOS on general medical units while providing a high level of care and staff support.
High T3, Low T4 Serum Levels in Mct8 Deficiency Are Not Caused by Increased Hepatic Conversion through Type I Deiodinase
Authors: Wirth Eva K. , Rijntjes Eddy , Meyer Franziska , Köhrle Josef , Schweizer Ulrich
Published: May 2015

Background: The Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome is a severe psychomotor retardation accompanied by specific changes in circulating thyroid hormone levels (high T3, low T4). These are caused by mutations in the thyroid hormone transmembrane transport protein monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8). Objective: To test the hypothesis that circulating low T4 and high T3 levels are caused by enhanced conversion of T4 via increased activity of hepatic type I deiodinase (Dio1). Methods: We crossed mice deficient in Mct8 with mice lacking Dio1 activity in hepatocytes. Translation of the selenoenzyme Dio1 was abrogated by hepatocyte-specific inactivation of selenoprotein biosynthesis. Results: Inactivation of Dio1 activity in the livers of global Mct8-deficient mice does not restore normal circulating thyroid hormone levels. Conclusions: Our data suggest that although hepatic Dio1 activity is increased in Mct8-deficient mice, it does not cause the observed abnormal circulating thyroid hormone levels. Since global inactivation of Dio1 in Mct8-deficient mice does normalize circulating thyroid hormone levels, the underlying mechanism and relevant tissues involved remain to be elucidated.
Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate Regional Citrate Anticoagulation Plus Low-Dose of Dalteparin in Continuous Veno-Venous Hemofiltration
Authors: Wu Buyun , Zhang Kaiyue , Xu Bin , Ji Daxi , Liu Zhihong , Gong Dehua
Published: May 2015

Background/Aims: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) plus low-dose dalteparin in patients receiving continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH). Methods: Patients requiring pre-dilution CVVH at 4 l/h were randomly assigned to group A (RCA only), group B (normal-dose dalteparin anticoagulation only) or group C (RCA plus low-dose dalteparin). The primary endpoint was filter runtime and the secondary endpoints were premature clotting of the filter and anticoagulation-related side effects. Results: Fifty-three patients completed the study. The mean filter runtime was significantly longer in group C (40.4 ± 30.9 h) than those in group A (21.2 ± 13.5 h, p = 0.006) and group B (25.1 ± 24.0 h, p = 0.040). The rate of premature clotting, new onset of bleeding, hypocalcemia and metabolic acidosis did not differ significantly in three groups. Conclusions: RCA plus low-dose dalteparin prolonged filter runtime compared with RCA only or normal-dose dalteparin only without increasing the incidence of anticoagulation-related complications.
In vivo Monitoring of Cerebral Hemodynamics in the Immature Rat: Effects of Hypoxia-Ischemia and Hypothermia
Authors: Buckley Erin M. , Patel Shyama D. , Miller Benjamin F. , Franceschini Maria Angela , Vannucci Susan J.
Published: May 2015

Background: Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) encephalopathy occurs in 1-4 per 1,000 live term births and can cause devastating neurodevelopmental disabilities. Currently, therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is the only treatment with proven efficacy. Since TH is associated with decreased cerebral metabolism and cerebral blood flow (CBF), it is important to assess CBF at the bedside. Diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) has emerged as a promising optical modality to noninvasively assess an index of CBF (CBFi) in both humans and animals. In this initial descriptive study, we employ DCS to monitor the evolution of CBFi following HI with or without TH in immature rats. We investigate potential relationships between CBF and subsequent cerebral damage. Methods: HI was induced on postnatal day 10 or 11 rat pups by right common carotid artery ligation followed by 60-70 min hypoxia (8% oxygen). After HI, the pups recovered for 4 h under hypothermia (HI-TH group, n = 23) or normothermia (HI-N group, n = 23). Bilateral measurements of hemispheric CBFi were made with DCS in unanesthetized animals at baseline, before HI, and 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 24 h after HI. The animals were sacrificed at either 1 or 4 weeks, and brain injury was scored on an ordinal scale of 0-5 (0 = no injury). Results: Carotid ligation caused moderate bilateral decreases in CBFi. Following HI, an initial hyperemia was observed that was more prominent in the contralateral hemisphere. After initiation of TH, CBFi dropped significantly below baseline levels and remained reduced for the duration of TH. In contrast, CBFi in the HI-N group was not significantly decreased from baseline levels. Reductions in CBFi after 4 h of TH were not associated with reduced damage at 1 or 4 weeks. However, elevated ipsilateral CBFi and ipsilateral-to-contralateral CBFi ratios at 24 h were associated with worse outcome at 1 week after HI. Conclusions: Both HI and TH alter CBFi, with significant differences in CBFi between hypothermic and normothermic groups after HI. CBFi may be a useful biomarker of subsequent cerebral damage.
Comparing Bleeding Complications of Double and Single Access Totally Tubeless PCNL: Is It Safe to Obtain More Accesses?
Authors: Aghamir Seyed Mohammad Kazem , Elmimehr Reza , Modaresi Seyed Saeed , Salavati Alborz
Published: May 2015

Purpose: To assess bleeding complications in totally tubeless double-access percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and compare it with the single-access method. Methods: One hundred and seven patients with large or scattered renal stones were enrolled in this cohort study. Totally tubeless PCNL with one access (group A, 70 cases) or two accesses (group B, 37 cases) was done and bleeding was assessed by measuring the hemoglobin drop of the patients, blood transfusion rate and need for performing angioembolization. Results: The mean (SD) hemoglobin drops in groups A and B were 1.97 (1.24) and 2.31 (1.24), respectively; p = 0.176. Blood transfusion rates in two groups were 7.1 and 10.8% (p = 0.716), respectively. None of our patients required angioembolization. The average hemoglobin drop and blood transfusion rate with double tracts were approximately near to those in single tract group and in acceptable ranges. The average hospital stay in groups A and B were 3.1 and 3.2 days (p = 0.074), respectively. There was no leakage from puncture site/s and stone free rates in the two groups were 85.7 and 97.3% (p = 0.093). Conclusion: Totally tubeless double-access PCNL is feasible and bleeding complications are comparable to single access totally tubeless PCNL making it an effective strategy to achieve more stone free rates.
Autonomic Dysfunction Determines Stress‐Induced Cardiovascular and Immune Complications in Mice
Authors: Batchu Sri N. , Smolock Elaine M. , Dyachenko Igor A. , Murashev Arkady N. , Korshunov Vyacheslav A.
Published: May 2015

Background

Clinical studies suggest that acute inflammation in patients with elevated heart rate (
HR
) increases morbidity and mortality. The
SJL
/J (
SJL
) inbred mouse strain is a unique genetic model that has higher
HR
and systemic and vascular inflammation compared with C3HeB/FeJ (C3HeB) mice. The goal of this study was to investigate the role of stress on cardiac and vascular complications between 2 strains.

Methods and Results

Radiotelemetry was used for continuous recordings of
HR
and blood pressure in mice. Hemodynamic differences between mouse strains were very small without stress; however, tail‐cuff training generated mild stress and significantly increased
HR
(≈2‐fold) in
SJL
compared with C3HeB mice. Circulating proinflammatory monocytes (
CD
11b
+
Ly6

C
H

i
) significantly increased in
SJL
mice but not in C3HeB mice after stress. Presence of Ly6C
+
cells in injured carotids was elevated only in
SJL
mice after stress; however, a transfer of bone marrow cells from
SJL
/C3HeB to C3HeB/
SJL
chimeras had no effect on
HR
or vascular inflammation following stress. Arterial inflammation (
VCAM
‐1
+
) was greater in
SJL
inbred mice or
SJL
recipient chimeras, even without stress or injury.
HR
variability was reduced in
SJL
mice compared with C3HeB mice.

Conclusions

We found that impaired parasympathetic activity is central for stress‐induced elevation of
HR
and systemic and vascular inflammation; however, immune cells from stress‐susceptible mice had no effect on
HR
or vascular inflammation in stress‐protected mice.
Does Stroke Contribute to Racial Differences in Cognitive Decline?
Authors: Levine Deborah A. , Kabeto Mohammed , Langa Kenneth M. , Lisabeth Lynda D. , Rogers Mary A.M. , Galecki Andrzej T.
Published: May 2015

Background and Purpose—

It is unknown whether blacks’ elevated risk of dementia is because of racial differences in acute stroke, the impact of stroke on cognitive health, or other factors. We investigated whether racial differences in cognitive decline are explained by differences in the frequency or impact of incident stroke between blacks and whites, controlling for baseline cognition.

Methods—

Among 4908 black and white participants aged ≥65 years free of stroke and cognitive impairment in the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study with linked Medicare data (1998–2010), we examined longitudinal changes in global cognition (modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status) by race, before and after adjusting for time-dependent incident stroke followed by a race-by-incident stroke interaction term, using linear mixed-effects models that included fixed effects of participant demographics, clinical factors, and cognition, and random effects for intercept and slope for time.

Results—

We identified 34 of 453 (7.5%) blacks and 300 of 4455 (6.7%) whites with incident stroke over a mean (SD) of 4.1 (1.9) years of follow-up (
P
=0.53). Blacks had greater cognitive decline than whites (adjusted difference in modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status score, 1.47 points; 95% confidence interval, 1.21 to 1.73 points). With further adjustment for cumulative incidence of stroke, the black–white difference in cognitive decline persisted. Incident stroke was associated with a decrease in global cognition (1.21 points;
P
<0.001) corresponding to ≈7.9 years of cognitive aging. The effect of incident stroke on cognition did not statistically differ by race (
P
=0.52).

Conclusions—

In this population-based cohort of older adults, incident stroke did not explain black–white differences in cognitive decline or impact cognition differently by race.
Stroke Is the Leading Cause of Death in Rural Gadchiroli, India
Authors: Kalkonde Yogeshwar V. , Deshmukh Mahesh D. , Sahane Vikram , Puthran Jyoti , Kakarmath Sujay , Agavane Vaibhav , Bang Abhay
Published: May 2015

Background and Purpose—

Stroke is an important cause of death and disability worldwide. However, information on stroke deaths in rural India is scarce. To measure the mortality burden of stroke, we conducted a community-based study in a rural area of Gadchiroli, one of the most backward districts of India.

Methods—

We prospectively collected information on all deaths from April 2011 to March 2013 and assigned causes of death using a well-validated verbal autopsy tool in a rural population of 94 154 individuals residing in 86 villages. Two trained physicians independently assigned the cause of death, and the disagreements were resolved by a third physician.

Results—

Of 1599 deaths during the study period, 229 (14.3%) deaths were caused by stroke. Stroke was the most frequent cause of death. For those who died because of stroke, the mean age was 67.47±11.8 years and 48.47% were women. Crude stroke mortality rate was 121.6 (95% confidence interval, 106.4–138.4), and age-standardized stroke mortality rate was 191.9 (95% confidence interval, 165.8–221.1) per 100 000 population. Of total stroke deaths, 87.3% stroke deaths occurred at home and 46.3% occurred within the first month from the onset of symptoms.

Conclusions—

Stroke is the leading cause of death and accounted for 1 in 7 deaths in this rural community in Gadchiroli. There was high early mortality, and the mortality rate because of stroke was higher than that reported from previous studies from India. Stroke is emerging as a public health priority in rural India.
Meaning-Making Practices, Copyrights, and Architecture in the Indonesian Archipelago
Authors: Bauman Whitney A.
Published: May 2015

This article examines the connections between meaning-making practices and how those practices are codified into institutions and structures that shape individual identities. The theoretical and geographical locus of this article is Indonesia where one can be Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Catholic, Protestant, or Confucian, but not outwardly an atheist. In practice, there are a lot of hybrid religious identities, and this is echoed in Indonesia’s economic and legal institutions, and even its architecture. In other words, what Tom Boellstorff identifies as an “archipelagic” understanding of the self in Indonesia is supported by multiple meaning-making practices and is reinforced through such technologies as copyright laws and architecture. Whereas the monotheistic traditions of the West, and even the Middle East, take place over large uninterrupted geographical spaces, the Muslim monotheism that spreads throughout the Indonesian archipelago takes on different forms depending on the context of the Island. With the rise of Indonesian nationalism, these various contexts are drawn together into a hybrid-monotheism. Such pastiche is reinforced in legal, economic, and architectural technologies. The pluralistic and hybrid beliefs and identities of the archipelago, can provide fertile grounds for articulating a planetary environmental ethic.
On the Leading Patterns of Northern Hemisphere Sea Level Pressure Variability*
Authors: Smoliak Brian V. , Wallace John M.
Published: May 2015

The leading patterns of variability of the monthly mean Northern Hemisphere (NH) sea level pressure (SLP) field, as derived from empirical orthogonal teleconnection (EOT) analysis of a 93-yr (1920–2012) record of NOAA–CIRES 20th Century Reanalyses, are presented and discussed, with emphasis on wintertime patterns. The analysis yields nine or more highly reproducible wintertime hemispheric EOTs, the first six of which closely resemble EOF1 or EOF2 in their respective sectors of the hemisphere. Collectively, the first nine wintertime patterns account for 70% of the variance of NH SLP, 40% of the variance of NH surface air temperature (SAT), and 52% of the variance of the time series of NH-mean SAT poleward of 20°N. Wintertime EOT1 corresponds to the NH annular mode (NAM) and EOT2 corresponds to the SLP expression of the Pacific–North America pattern. The remaining wintertime EOT patterns are monopoles arranged like the links of a chain wrapped around the primary center of action of the annular mode. The NH summertime and Southern Hemisphere patterns are arranged in a similar manner. The continental NH wintertime patterns exhibit strong temperature anomalies of reversed polarity to their respective SLP monopoles. The interannual variability of wintertime EOTs 3–9 and summertime EOTs 2–9 is dominated by sampling fluctuations. Over the 93-yr record, the more prominent continental wintertime patterns exhibit weak trends toward falling SLP and rising SAT, particularly over Russia and Alaska. The interpretation of shorter-term trends is more ambiguous.
Mesoscale Convection and Bimodal Cyclogenesis over the Bay of Bengal
Authors: Akter Nasreen
Published: May 2015

Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) are an essential component of cyclogenesis, and their structure and characteristics determine the intensity and severity of associated cyclones. Case studies were performed by simulating tropical cyclones that formed during the pre- and postmonsoon periods in 2007 and 2010 over the Bay of Bengal (BoB). The pre- (post) monsoon environment was characterized by the coupling of northwesterly (southwesterly) wind to the early advance southwesterly (northeasterly) monsoonal wind in the BoB. The surges of low-level warm southwesterlies with clockwise-rotating vertical shear in the premonsoon period and moderately cool northeasterlies with anticlockwise-rotating vertical shear in the postmonsoon period transported moisture and triggered MCSs within preexisting disturbances near the monsoon trough over the BoB. Mature MCSs associated with bimodal cyclone formations were quasi linear, and they featured leading-edge deep convection and a trailing stratiform precipitation region, which was very narrow in the postmonsoon cases.

In the premonsoon cases, the MCSs became severe bow echoes when intense and moist southwesterlies were imposed along the dryline convergence zone in the northern and northwestern BoB. However, the development formed a nonsevere and nonorganized linear system when the convergence zone was farther south of the dryline. In the postmonsoon cases, cyclogenesis was favored by squall-line MCSs with a north–south orientation over the BoB. All convective systems moved quickly, persisted for a long time, and contained suitable environments for developing low-level cyclonic mesovortices at their leading edges, which played an additional role in forming mesoscale convective vortices during cyclogenesis in the BoB.
Evaluation of Nonhydrostatic Simulations of Northeast Pacific Atmospheric Rivers and Comparison to in Situ Observations
Authors: Swain Daniel L. , Lebassi-Habtezion Bereket , Diffenbaugh Noah S.
Published: May 2015

Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow bands of concentrated atmospheric water vapor transport that provide an important atmospheric linkage between the subtropics and the midlatitudes, facilitating over 90% of meridional water vapor flux and often resulting in extreme precipitation events in regions of enhanced coastal orography. In this investigation, the authors conduct continuous (3 month), large-domain (3600 km × 3200 km), high-resolution (4 km), nonhydrostatic simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model and compare the observations to previously reported dropsonde observations from the California Land-Falling Jets Experiment (CALJET) and the Pacific Land-Falling Jets Experiment (PACJET) in order to address an existing gap in knowledge regarding the ability of atmospheric models to simulate the finescale vertical and horizontal structure of atmospheric rivers. The WRF simulations reproduce key structural and thermodynamic characteristics of atmospheric rivers—including well-defined corridors of strong water vapor transport, moist-neutral stability in the lower troposphere, and strong low-level jet/water vapor transport maxima near ~1 km MSL. While WRF does generally capture the extreme values of instantaneous vertically integrated water transport—a defining feature of real-world atmospheric rivers—constituent variables exhibit biases relative to observations, including −11.2% for integrated vapor transport, +5.9% for integrated water vapor, and −17.7% for 1 km MSL wind speed. Findings suggest that high-resolution nonhydrostatic atmospheric simulations are an appropriate tool for investigating atmospheric rivers in contexts where finescale spatial structure and realistic water vapor transport maxima are important.
Efficacy of Peer Networks to Increase Social Connections Among High School Students With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Hochman Julia M. , Carter Erik W. , Bottema-Beutel Kristen , Harvey Michelle N. , Gustafson Jenny R.
Published: May 2015

Although peer interaction takes on increased salience during adolescence, such social connections remain elusive for many high school students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This social isolation can be particularly prevalent within unstructured school contexts. In this study, we examined the effects of a lunchtime peer network intervention on the social engagement and peer interactions of four adolescent students with ASD. Upon introduction of the peer networks, we observed substantial increases in the percentage of intervals containing peer interactions and social engagement across all participants. Further, students with ASD, peer partners, and school personnel all considered the intervention to be acceptable and feasible. We offer recommendations for research and practice aimed at enhancing the efficacy and social validity of peer-mediated interventions at the secondary school level.
Social Relationships Among Adolescents With Disabilities: Unique and Cumulative Associations With Adjustment
Authors: Pham Yen K. , Murray Christopher
Published: May 2015

This exploratory study investigated linkages between parent, peer, teacher, and mentor relationships and adjustment among adolescents with disabilities. The sample included 228 high school students with disabilities (65% male, 50% White) across four states. Overall findings indicate that students’ social relationships were significantly associated with life satisfaction, problem behaviors, and school bonding and that teacher–student relationships contributed significant unique variance to these outcomes over and above influences of parents and peers. An analysis of specific dimensions of relationships indicated that trust and alienation in teacher–student relationships were particularly strong predictors of adjustment. Mentors also contributed significantly to the life satisfaction of youth. Collectively, our findings indicate that nonfamilial adults significantly contributed to the overall well-being of youth with disabilities.
Book Review: Gunell Cederlöf, Founding an Empire on India’s North-Eastern Frontiers 1790–1840: Climate, Commerce, Polity
Authors: Zou David Vumlallian
Published: May 2015

Gunell Cederlöf, Founding an Empire on India’s North-Eastern Frontiers 1790–1840: Climate, Commerce, Polity, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2014, pp. 272.
Can We Predict Long-term Community Crime Problems? The Estimation of Ecological Continuity to Model Risk Heterogeneity
Authors: Taylor Ralph B. , Ratcliffe Jerry H. , Perenzin Amber
Published: May 2015

Objectives:

In small-scale, intra-urban communities, do fundamental demographic correlates of crime, proven important in community criminology, link to next year’s crime levels, even after controlling for this year’s crime levels? If they do, it would imply that shifting ecologies of crime apparent after a year are driven in part by dynamics emerging from structural differentials. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this question has not yet been addressed.

Methods:

For Philadelphia (PA) census block groups, 2005 to 2009 data from the American Community Survey and 2009 crime counts were used to predict spatially smoothed 2010 crime counts in three different models: crime only, demographics only, and crime plus demographics. Models are tested for major personal (murder, rape-aggravated assault, and robbery) and property (burglary and motor vehicle theft) crimes.

Results:

For all crime types investigated except rape and homicide, crime plus demographics resulted in the best combination of prediction/simplicity based on the Bayesian Information Criterion. Socioeconomic status (SES) and racial composition linked as expected theoretically to crime changes.

Conclusions:

Intercommunity structural differences in power relationships, as reflected in SES and racial composition, link to later crime shifts at the same time that ongoing crime continuities link current and future crime levels. The main practical implication is that crime analysts tasked with long-term, one-year-look-ahead forecasting may benefit by considering demographic structure as well as current crime.
Relationship Between Suicidality and Disability When Accounting for Depressive Symptomology
Authors: Lund Emily M. , Nadorff Michael R. , Seader Kathleen
Published: May 2015

We examined suicidality and disability status in 485 U.S. adults. Compared with participants without disabilities, participants with disabilities ( n = 92) had significantly higher suicidality scores even when accounting for depressive symptoms. Participants with psychiatric disabilities had significantly higher suicidality scores than participants with other disabilities even when controlling for depressive symptoms.
The evolutionary dynamics of entrepreneurial ecosystems
Authors: Mack Elizabeth , Mayer Heike
Published: May 2015

Entrepreneurial ecosystems (EE) consist of interacting components, which foster new firm formation and associated regional entrepreneurial activities. Current work on EE, however, focuses on documenting the presence of system components, which means there is little understanding of interdependencies between EE components and their evolutionary dynamics. To address these issues, the objective of the present study is to develop an evolutionary framework of EE development that integrates important components from prior work and describes how critical elements of an entrepreneurial system interact and evolve over time. The value of this framework in understanding the evolutionary dynamics of EE will be demonstrated by profiling the EE of Phoenix, Arizona. The evolutionary perspective developed is valuable because it provides a sense of how history, culture and the institutional setting impact EE. It also provides stakeholders with action points to help maintain or propel an EE to the next level. This is a distinct improvement over static approaches that provide a list of EE ingredients with no sense of their relative importance over time. The proposed framework may also be used in a comparative context to compare and contrast the evolutionary trajectory of EE to better understand why particular places remain trapped in a specific phase of growth or continue to evolve over time.
Destination dumping ground: The convergence of ‘unwanted’ populations in disadvantaged city areas
Authors: Cheshire Lynda , Zappia Gina
Published: May 2015

Academic and lay discourses around disadvantaged urban areas often draw on the language of ‘dumping grounds’ to encapsulate the poverty, marginalisation and social problems often found there. Yet the concept of a dumping ground remains insufficiently theorised. This paper addresses this issue by identifying five constituent features of the dumping ground: the perception of people as waste whose fate is to be discarded; the need to accommodate this human ‘waste’ and the logic by which places are selected for this purpose; the mechanisms through which this spatial sorting occurs as problem populations are moved to their ‘rightful’ place; the relations of power which enforce or encourage this mobility; and finally, the reactions of incumbent residents in neighbourhoods that are compelled to host unwanted social groups. In the second part of this paper, these themes are illustrated via a case study of the Australian city of Logan where residents complain that their city has been treated as a dumping ground in order to explain its poor reputation.
Limits to Liberal Government: An Alternative History of Governmentality
Authors: Esmark Anders
Published: May 2015

In contrast to the widely voiced notion about a current neoliberal hegemony, the article seeks to demonstrate that the distinctly liberal form of governmental rationality and practice is neither neoliberal, at least not in the conventional sense of the word, nor hegemonic. Rather than a minimal government pursuing laissez-faire politics, liberal government is an ‘omnipresent’ form of government aiming to widen and deepen a particular regulatory game of freedom and security. Important as this form of omnipresent government may currently be, however, it is also limited by the persistence and pervasiveness of the key historical alternatives to liberal government: domination, democracy, and discipline.
The Effect of Upper and Lower Asymptotes of IRT Models on Computerized Adaptive Testing
Authors: Cheng Ying , Liu Cheng
Published: May 2015

In this article, the effect of the upper and lower asymptotes in item response theory models on computerized adaptive testing is shown analytically. This is done by deriving the step size between adjacent latent trait estimates under the four-parameter logistic model (4PLM) and two models it subsumes, the usual three-parameter logistic model (3PLM) and the 3PLM with upper asymptote (3PLMU). The authors show analytically that the large effect of the discrimination parameter on the step size holds true for the 4PLM and the two models it subsumes under both the maximum information method and the b-matching method for item selection. Furthermore, the lower asymptote helps reduce the positive bias of ability estimates associated with early guessing, and the upper asymptote helps reduce the negative bias induced by early slipping. Relative step size between modeling versus not modeling the upper or lower asymptote under the maximum Fisher information method (MI) and the b-matching method is also derived. It is also shown analytically why the gain from early guessing is smaller than the loss from early slipping when the lower asymptote is modeled, and vice versa when the upper asymptote is modeled. The benefit to loss ratio is quantified under both the MI and the b-matching method. Implications of the analytical results are discussed.
Paliperidone palmitate in non-acute patients with schizophrenia previously unsuccessfully treated with risperidone long-acting therapy or frequently used conventional depot antipsychotics
Authors: Schreiner A , Bergmans P , Cherubin P , Keim S , Llorca P-M , Cosar B , Petralia A , Corrivetti G , Hargarter L
Published: May 2015

PALMFlexS, a prospective multicentre, open-label, 6-month, phase IIIb interventional study, explored tolerability, safety and treatment response in adults ( n = 231) with non-acute but symptomatic schizophrenia switching to flexibly dosed paliperidone palmitate (PP) after unsuccessful treatment with risperidone long-acting injectable therapy (RLAT) or conventional depot antipsychotics (APs). Treatment response was measured by change in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score from baseline (BL) to last-observation-carried-forward (LOCF) endpoint (EP). Safety and tolerability assessments included Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale (ESRS) total score and treatment-emergent adverse events. Significant reductions in mean PANSS total score were observed for all groups (−7.5 to −10.6; p ⩽ 0.01 [BL to LOCF EP]). After switching to PP, more than 50% of all patients achieved ⩾20% and one-third of RLAT-treated patients even achieved ⩾50% improvement in PANSS total score. Across groups, there were significant improvements ( p < 0.05) in symptom severity as measured by Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S; trend for improvement with RLAT; p = 0.0568), subjective well-being, medication satisfaction, and patient functioning with PP. PP was generally well tolerated. Clinically relevant benefits were observed in non-acute patients with schizophrenia switched from RLAT or conventional depot APs to PP.