bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conifer Green Needle Complex in Patients with Precancerous Gastric Lesions: An Observational Pilot Study
Authors: Bespalov Vladimir , Sherbakov Alexander , Novik Viktor , Kalinovsky Valentin , Shamsi Kamran , Soultanov Vagif
Published: November 2016

Objectives. Helicobacter pylori infection is common and can lead to precancerous gastric lesions. Standard antibiotic therapy has a failure rate of more than 25% from antibiotic resistance. The primary aim of this observational pilot study was to test the feasibility of a large‐scale clinical trial of Conifer Green Needle Complex (CGNC) to treat precancerous gastric lesions. Secondary aims were to investigate H. pylori infection, stomach function, and histopathology of the gastric mucosa. Methods. A tablet form of CGNC (extracted from Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies (L) Karst) was prescribed to 26 patients with precancerous gastric lesions (two tablets, 100 mg CGNC/tablet, three times per day for six months). Another 24 patients received no treatment. Results. Compared with control patients, CGNC‐treated patients showed total or partial regression (using the quantitative Rome III diagnostic criteria) of dyspeptic symptoms (92.3%, p < 0.0001), eradication of H. pylori infection (57.1%, p < 0.03), a reduction in endoscopic signs of gastritis (92.3%, p < 0.001), an increase of pepsinogen‐pepsin in the gastric juice (57.7%, p < 0.05), and total regression or reduction in the degree of intestinal metaplasia (46.2%, p < 0.05) and lymphoplasmacytic infiltration (53.8%, p < 0.05). Conclusions. This study justifies a randomised‐controlled trial with CGNC in patients with atrophic gastritis.
Anterior Hypopituitarism and Treatment Response in Hunter Syndrome: A Comparison of Two Patients
Authors: Nour Munier A. , Luca Paola , Stephure David , Wei Xing-Chang , Khan Aneal
Published: November 2016

Hypopituitarism is a clinically important diagnosis and has not previously been reported in Hunter syndrome. We contrast two cases with anatomic pituitary anomalies: one with anterior panhypopituitarism and the other with intact pituitary function. Patient 1, a 10-year-old boy with Hunter syndrome, was evaluated for poor growth and an ectopic posterior pituitary gland. Endocrine testing revealed growth hormone (GH) deficiency, secondary adrenal insufficiency, and tertiary hypothyroidism. An improvement in growth velocity with hormone replacement (GH, thyroxine, and corticosteroid) was seen; however, final adult height remained compromised. Patient 2, a 13-year-old male with Hunter syndrome, was evaluated for growth failure. He had a large empty sella turcica with posteriorly displaced pituitary. Functional endocrine testing was normal and a trial of GH-treatment yielded no significant effect. Panhypopituitarism associated with pituitary anomalies has not been previously reported in Hunter syndrome and was an incidental finding of significant clinical importance. In the setting of documented anterior hypopituitarism, while hormone replacement improved growth velocity, final height remained impaired. In patient 2 with equivocal GH-testing results, treatment had no effect on linear growth. These cases highlight the importance of careful clinical assessment in Hunter syndrome and that judicious hormone replacement may be indicated in individual cases.
Cerebral Targeting of Acupuncture at Combined Acupoints in Treating Essential Hypertension: An Rs‐fMRI Study and Curative Effect Evidence
Authors: Wang Yanjie , Zheng Yu , Qu Shanshan , Zhang Jiping , Zhong Zheng , Zhang Jialing , Huang Huanlin , Li Miaokeng , Xu Yiwen , Chen Junqi , Wang Lei , Steiner Genevieve Zara , Tang Chunzhi , Huang Yong
Published: November 2016

The study attempted to explore that the synergistic effect of acupoints combination is not a simple superposition of single acupoint’s effect by comparing and analyzing the changes of blood pressure (BP), SF‐36, and brain regions after acupuncture treatment. 47 patients were randomly divided into LR3+KI3 group, LR3 group, and KI3 group. Subjects received Rs‐fMRI scan, BP measurement, and SF‐36 questionnaires before and after treatment and short‐term acupuncture treatment. After treatment, there were no significant differences in BP and SF‐36 among 3 groups, compared to the case before treatment, SBP of 3 groups decreased, and DBP significantly decreased while vitality and mental health significantly increased in LR3+KI3 group. Both number and scopes of changes of brain regions in LR3+KI3 group were the largest, which mainly included BAs 3, 4, 8, 19, 21, 24, 32, 44, and 45. In conclusion, acupuncture at LR3+KI3 may auxiliarily reduce BP and improve the vitality and mental health of patients, and the changes of brain regions were related to somatesthesia, movement, vision, audition, emotion and mood, language, memory, etc. BAs 4, 9, 10, 24, 31, 32, and 46 may be the targeting brain areas of acupuncture in assisting hypotension. It is suggested that acupoints combination of LR3+KI3 maybe generates a synergistic effect, and it is not simple sum of single acupoint effect.
Stability of the Stochastic Model for Power Markets with Interval Parameters
Authors: Lu Zhanhui , Ji Mengfan , Wang Weijuan , Li Gengyin
Published: November 2016

Pertaining to the random nature of demand sides and the range of demand elasticity with suppliers and consumers, a stochastic model for power markets with interval parameters is described to illustrate uncertain external disturbances, which is a generalization of the Alvarado dynamic model, stochastic model, and interval model. The interval stochastic stability criteria of the provided model are investigated by the theory of economics, interval dynamical system, and the theory stability of stochastic differential equations. The conclusions indicate that the demand elasticity stable interval can be calculated and the random excitation intensity does not impact the system stability. Some numerical examples are given to show the applicability and validity of the obtained results from a statistical perspective.
Smooth Sliding Mode Control and Its Application in Ship Boiler Drum Water Level
Authors: Liu Sheng , Zhao Shiquan , Wang Yuchao
Published: November 2016

In process control, most of the control variables are position quantity which needs to be smooth, such as the opening of valve. In order to get smooth control, a smooth full-order sliding mode controller is proposed. Since the switching term in the proposed method is put into the second derivative of controlu, the controluis smooth and its derivative is continuous. The proposed method is tested in drum water level control of the ship boiler, and the results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Increased Serum Levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha, Resistin, and Visfatin in the Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Ghaffari Mohammad Ali , Mousavinejad Elham , Riahi Forough , Mousavinejad Masoumeh , Afsharmanesh Mohammad Reza
Published: November 2016

Background. Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are complex disorders where the pathogenesis is not fully understood. Several proinflammatory and immunoinflammatory disturbances have been observed in the etiology of ASD. There is, however, limited knowledge on variations of adipokines in ASD. The present study aimed to analyze the serum levels of resistin, visfatin, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in children with ASD in relation to body weight, gender, and ASD severity level. Method. In total, 30 children with ASD (mean age: 7.72±2.65 y; range; 4–12 y) and 30 healthy children (mean age: 8.4±2.66 y; range: 4–12 y), including males and females, were matched for age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). Serum samples were collected, and visfatin, resistin, and TNF-α serum levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Result. Serum visfatin, resistin, and TNF-α levels in children with ASD were significantly higher than that in the healthy patients (p<0.05). Two significant correlations were found: a correlation between resistin and visfatin with TNF-α in children with ASD (R = 0.8 and R = 0.62, resp.) and a correlation between resistin and visfatin in children with ASD (R = 0.66). Conclusion. Higher TNF-α, resistin, and visfatin levels were found in children with ASD in comparison with controls, suggesting that elevated levels of serum proinflammatory agents may be implicated in the pathophysiology of ASD.
Stabilization for Damping Multimachine Power System with Time-Varying Delays and Sector Saturating Actuator
Authors: Ma Linlin , Liang Yanping , Chen Jian
Published: November 2016

This paper studies the stabilization problem for damping multimachine power system with time-varying delays and sector saturating actuator. The multivariable proportional plus derivative (PD) type stabilizer is designed by transforming the problem of PD controller design to that of state feedback stabilizer design for a system in descriptor form. A new sufficient condition of closed-loop multimachine power system asymptomatic stability is derived based on the Lyapunov theory. Computer simulation of a two-machine power system has verified the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach.
End-of-Life Care and Survival without Major Brain Damage in Newborns at the Limit of Viability
Authors: García-Muñoz Rodrigo Fermín , Urquía Martí Lourdes , García Hernández José Ángel , Figueras Aloy Josep , García-Alix Pérez Alfredo ,   the SEN1500 Network of the Spanish Neonatal Society
Published: November 2016

Background: The probabilities of survival and survival without major brain damage (MBD) are low in newborns at the limit of viability. Survival without MBD constitutes a major concern for parents and professionals. Objectives: To know the probabilities of survival without MBD in newborns ≤26 weeks' gestational age (GA) relative to the total number of survivors, whether these probabilities vary with GA, and how end-of-life (EoL) decisions influence these results. Methods: We included all live-inborn patients of 22-26 weeks' GA, without major congenital anomalies, born in collaborating centers of the Spanish SEN1500 Network (2004-2010). MBD was defined as the presence of severe intraventricular hemorrhage and/or periventricular leukomalacia. Results: A total of 3,371 patients were born alive, 3,236 of whom were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Survival without MBD was 44.4% among patients admitted to the NICU, increasing from 12.5% at 22 weeks to 57.9% at 26 weeks' GA. The proportion of survivors without MBD relative to the total number of survivors was 81.1%, and it was independent of GA. EoL decisions preceded one-third of all deaths and were more frequent among the most immature patients. Conclusions: The proportion of survivors without MBD, when referred to the total number of survivors, is relatively high and is independent of GA. EoL decisions after the occurrence of MBD seem to play an important role in this respect. These results support the attitude of “giving an opportunity” even to the most immature patients, if this is in accordance with the parents' wishes.
Effect of Gonadal Hormones on Neurotransmitters Implicated in the Pathophysiology of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Critical Review
Authors: Karpinski Marta , Mattina Gabriella Francesca , Steiner Meir
Published: November 2016

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a relatively common neuropsychiatric disorder affecting between 1.6 and 3.2% of the population. A number of studies have previously reported increased incidence of OCD, or exacerbation of preexisting symptoms in females during reproductive events. Since these periods are known to involve fluctuating levels of gonadal hormones, these steroids have been suggested to be involved in modulating the course of the disorder. However, to date, only a few studies have measured hormone levels and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms concurrently; thus, direct evidence for this relationship is limited. In turn, investigations into neurotransmission in OC individuals have been more extensive, and have implicated the serotonergic, dopaminergic, and glutamatergic neurotransmitter systems in OCD pathology. There is evidence suggesting that reproductive hormones estrogens and progesterone can modulate neurotransmission in the aforementioned signaling pathways by regulating the expression of receptors and channels, as well as the synthesis and release of the neurotransmitter itself. Overall, estrogen and progesterone appear to enhance serotonin signaling, which has been associated with improved OC symptoms. The effect of the gonadal hormones in dopaminergic and glutamatergic signaling is much more variable, highlighting the need for further research in this field. The existing evidence shows that gonadal hormones can have profound impacts on neurotransmission in the brain, leading to the conclusion that the hormonal fluctuations during reproductive events are a plausible factor contributing to the change in OCD course during these times.
СВОЄЧАСНІСТЬ ДОСТАВКИ ХВОРИХ ІЗ ТРАВМАМИ ВНУТРІШНІХ ОРГАНІВ ГРУДНОЇ ТА ЧЕРЕВНОЇ ПОРОЖНИНИ І ТАЗА ТА ГОСТРИМИ ЗАХВОРЮВАННЯМИ ОРГАНІВ ЧЕРЕВНОЇ ПОРОЖНИНИ У ЛІКАРНЯНІ ЗАКЛАДИ ЯК ПРОБЛЕМА ПЕРВИННОЇ МЕДИКО-САНІТАРНОЇ ДОПОМОГИ
Authors: Dziuba O. M. , Burdym Yu. V. , Slabkiy V. G.
Published: November 2016

Мета: вивчити та проаналізувати рівні доставки хворих з травмами внутрішніх органів грудної та черевної порожнини і таза та гострими захворюваннями органів черевної порожнини пізніше 24 годин у лікарняні заклади системи охорони здоров’я в аспекті проблем первинної медико-санітарної допомоги.Матеріали і методи. Матеріалами дослідження стали дані галузевої статистичної звітності за 2010–2014 рр. щодо рівнів звернення хворих у лікарняні заклади системи охорони здоров’я України. Основним методом дослідження був статистичний метод.Результати. Встановлені високі показники звернення хворих з травмами внутрішніх органів грудної та черевної порожнини і таза та гострими захворюваннями органів черевної порожнини за медичною допомогою в терміни пізніше 24 годин після травми (початку захворювання). Дані показники мають достовірні відмінності за регіонами.Висновки. Високі показники несвоєчасного звернення за медичною допомогою хворих із травмами внутрішніх органів грудної та черевної порожнини і таза та гострими захворюваннями органів черевної порожнини вказують на низьку ефективність диспансеризації хворих та недостатній рівень санітарно-просвітницької роботи сімейних лікарів.
ОРГАНІЗАЦІЯ ВІДНОВНОГО ЛІКУВАННЯ ХВОРИХ З ПАТОЛОГІЄЮ ШКІРИ ТА ПІДШКІРНОЇ КЛІТКОВИНИ В САНАТОРНИХ УМОВАХ
Authors: Komar V. S.
Published: November 2016

Мета: проаналізувати стан організації відновного лікування хворих із патологією шкіри та підшкірної клітковини в санаторних умовах.Матеріали і методи. Вивчалися статистичні дані про кількість і контингент хворих, які перебували на лікуванні в ДП «Санаторій «Немирів» у 2006–2014 рр., у т.ч. за класом «Хвороби органів шкіри та підшкірної клітковини». Методи: бібліосемантичний, системного підходу, структурно-логічного аналізу, медичної статистики, інформаційний.Результати. Протягом 2006–2014 рр. у санаторії пролікувалися 17858 пацієнтів, з них 18,79% – хворі із захворюваннями шкіри та підшкірної клітковини; найчастішою патологією був псоріаз (49,87%). У результаті проведеного лікування у всіх хворих, в т.ч. з патологією шкіри та підшкірної клітковини, відмічалося покращання стану, зменшилась кількість хворих з обмеженим самообслуговуванням, зросла здатність самостійно пересуватися.Висновки. Відновне лікування на санаторному етапі сприяє підвищенню ефективності лікування та зниженню втрати працездатності. Відновне лікування в умовах санаторію дає можливість через прискорення процесу відновлення основних функцій шкіри покращити імунний захист організму, нормалізувати стан нервової системи, очистити організм, поліпшити загальний стан пацієнта, сприяти зросту його функцій життєдіяльності.
АНТИАЛКОГОЛЬНА РОБОТА ЛІКАРЯ ЗАГАЛЬНОЇ ПРАКТИКИ-СІМЕЙНОГО ЛІКАРЯ
Authors: Kruchanytsia V. V.
Published: November 2016

Мета: визначити основні напрямки антиалкогольної діяльності лікаря загальної практики – сімейного лікаря (ЛЗПСЛ) в умовах реформування галузі охорони здоров’я. Матеріали і методи. Матеріалами дослідження стали результати попередніх досліджень автора з вивчення детермінант зловживання населенням алкогольними напоями та аналіз наукових публікацій за темою. Основні методи дослідження – бібліосемантичний, структурно-логічного аналізу, описового моделювання, експертних оцінок та системного підходу. Запропоновані напрямки антиалкогольної діяльності ЛЗПСЛ були оцінені 50 експертами. Результати. Експертами найбільше підтримано наступні види антиалкогольної діяльності ЛЗПСЛ: усі види інформаційно-просвітницької роботи, включаючи створення школи здоров’я «Тверезе життя»; створення психореабілітаційних амбулаторних центрів за місцем роботи або на базі сімейних амбулаторій; міжсекторальний підхід до антиалкогольної діяльності на рівні громади, включаючи залучення до такої роботи церкви. Найменше підтримано наступні види антиалкогольної діяльності ЛЗПСЛ: лікування та диспансерний нагляд осіб, що зловживають алкоголем, за розробленою спільно з лікарем-наркологом програмою.Висновки. Запропоновано підходи до організації антиалкогольної роботи ЛЗПСЛ, використання яких має забезпечити ефективність профілактичних та лікувальних заходів.
Whose Public? Which Theology? Signposts on the Way to a 21st Century Public Theology
Authors: Paeth Scott
Published: November 2016

This article examines the way that public theology addresses the contemporary challenges represented by pluralism, secularization, and globalization. In analyzing how these challenges represent the context in which a 21st century public theory must be done, it attempts to demonstrate how public theology must craft a response that emerges out of a self-consciously theological and moral engagement with them. The question of “whose public” is being addressed necessarily raises the complementary question of with “which theology” we should engage it. Several options, confessional, apologetic, and synthetic, are considered. In the final analysis, each of these options offers promising possibilities, but also carries attendant risks, of which the two most pressing are ossification and dissolution.
The Effect of the Judgments of the ECtHR before the National Courts – A Nordic Approach?
Authors: Björgvinsson David Thor
Published: November 2016

The article examines the status of the principle of res interpretata in Denmark, Norway and Iceland and whether a common approach can be identified. Common to these countries is the dualist approach under which a binding erga omnes effect of the judgments is rejected. The right to autonomous interpretation of the echr is reserved, as well as autonomous interpretation of human rights provisions of the national constitutions, regardless of ECtHR case law. The echr has been incorporated in all countries as statutory law and does not take primacy over national constitutions. Moreover, in order to override a national law, the reservation is made that the Convention and the case law of the ECtHR must be clear and consistent. Despite these reservations, national courts in all three countries regularly (although inconsistently) consult ECtHR case law, not as binding per se, but within the framework of res interpretata and the rule of presumption.
Nordic Judges of the Permanent Court of International Justice and the International Court of Justice
Authors: Kjeldgaard-Pedersen Astrid
Published: November 2016

This article was presented at the conference “A Nordic Approach to International Law?” held in Oslo in August 2015 as a part of a panel on “Nordic Judges of International Courts”. It studies the Nordic judges of the Permanent Court of International Justice and its successor the International Court of Justice with a view to assessing whether common traits in their voting practice exist that might support the idea of ‘a Nordic approach to international law’. In light of the relatively limited available material, however, the article has no grander aspiration than to describe the engagement of Nordic judges with the World Court and to provide examples of their respective approaches to treaty interpretation.
Nostalghia: A Nordic International Law
Authors: Noll Gregor
Published: November 2016

Is there a Nordic approach to international law? I argue that a substantive Nordic approach to international law is absent today, and explore why the question of a Nordic international law would emerge today and how the craving for Nordic identity might be overcome. I look into select evidence relating to the use of force, to international recognition and to international humanitarian law to show the material vacuity of contemporary Nordic cooperation in key areas. The epoch of Nordic legal entrepreneurialism taking off during 19th century, Nordic international law is now ending, and non-alignment with it. This brings me to ask how the melancholic longing for a ‘Nordic international law’ might be transgressed. Here, Andrei Tarkovsky’s Nostalghia of 1983 comes in. It confronts us with the question of what imperatives – legal or other – grow from our melancholia for homelands and persons no longer with us.
Remarks at the Maastricht Seminar for the List of Counsel before the International Criminal Court
Authors: von Hebel Herman
Published: November 2016

These preliminary remarks present a vision for the future of the victims and defence functions in the International Criminal Court (icc). They purport to provoke an inspiring and constructive discussion about the ReVision project presented by the icc Registrar, and they are made on the basis of some of the fundamental principles that apply to the role of counsel equally regardless of whom they represent in the proceedings – defence, victims, witnesses, or States.
Open Access for International Criminal Lawyers
Authors: van Laer Conrad J.P.
Published: November 2016

This study investigates to what extent Open Access is useful for international criminal lawyers. Free reuse and distribution may be particularly advantageous for the audience in less resourceful countries. And individual authors need visibility to promote their academic reputation. However, many publishers share commercial interests that are not fully consistent with Open Access. This study also explores the extended coverage of Open Access sources pertaining to international criminal law. The inventory of various publishing channels noted in this study shows the great potential of Open Access to users with different interests. In particular, through the availability of a couple of first-rate Open Access journals and free databases supported by international organisations, evidence is found that Open Access is significant in the field of international criminal law.
Disclosure of Evidence in the Law and Practice of the icc
Authors: Keïta Xavier-Jean
Published: November 2016

The disclosure of evidence in proceedings before the International Criminal Court (icc) usually raises vigorous debates in the courtroom. The Defence may claim a breach of the rights of the accused if the prosecution does not comply with its obligations relating to disclosure, while the prosecution may contend that it is doing its best to comply with such obligations.
Lovers in Paratexts
Authors: Oosterhoff Richard J.
Published: November 2016

In the 1520s, Oronce Fine addressed a “republic of mathematics.” The term captured Fine’s goals for an emerging discipline. Fine, the first professor of mathematics of the Collège Royal in Paris (est. 1530), turned to the language of amicitia and scholarly love to make space in the Republic of Letters for mathematics. Such language drew on an ethics of scholarly love which animated his predecessors in Paris, the circle of Jacques Lefèvre d’ Étaples. This article considers Fine and his colleagues’ efforts to imagine a public – and so reimagine a discipline – using the language of love in the letters, poems, and other paratexts that layered the technical books he authored. The vantage point of mathematical studies shows how practitioners could use the notion of amateur to garner support for their discipline while levelling social distinctions.
Lovers, Gentlemen and Farmers
Authors: Valeriani Simona
Published: November 2016

This article takes as a starting point amateur architects in 17th-century England. It considers architectural writings including Henry Wotton’s Elements of Architecture (1624), Sir Balthasar Gerbier’s Councel and Advice to All Builders (1663) as well as Sir Roger Pratt’s and Sir Roger North’s notes on architecture and several building manuals. It enquires into the different kinds of knowledge and professional figures associated with architecture in the period. The paper scrutinizes how being a lover of architecture influenced the actors’ approach to other branches of knowledge such as garden design and agriculture. Did being an amateur shape the way in which one went about apparently more trivial aspects of life such as managing one’s estate? Comparing Roger Pratt’s unpublished notes with other contemporary sources on agriculture and estate management, it provides an insight into distinctive ways in which “amateurs” approached the subject.
Instruments, Tools and Materials
Authors: Brenni Paolo
Published: November 2016

The Minutier central des notaires de Paris, which is preserved in the Archives nationales in Paris, is a huge archive group with several millions of documents recording all the official deeds written by the Parisian notaries. In it, it is possible to find very interesting documents concerning the activities of 19th century Parisian scientific instrument makers. I publish here the inventories of the instruments and tools which were in the workshop of two important makers: Jules Duboscq (1817–1886) and Heinrich Daniel Ruhmkorff (1803–1877). The first was compiled in 1859 after the death of Duboscq’s wife, the second when Ruhmkorff workshop was sold in 1878. These documents contain precious and original information concerning the organisation of the workshop, the instruments, the activities, and the trade of these renown instrument makers.
Art Lovers and Scientific Virtuosi?
Authors: Keller Vera
Published: November 2016

Since Walter Houghton’s influential 1942 article, the English virtuoso has played a large role in the early modern histories of art, of science, and of relationships between them. This emphasis has obscured alternatives, such as the “lover.” This essay challenges the historiographical predominance of the Royal Society virtuoso through a brief survey of the relative uses of virtuoso and “lover” (also liefhebber, Liebhaber and amator) in England in the first half of the seventeenth century. It then offers the counterpoint of the socially and disciplinarily inclusive concept of philomathia developed by Jena Professor Erhard Weigel (1625–1699) in his school of “Art and Virtue” and his proposed College of Art Advisors, a model which raises challenging questions for the Restoration virtuoso.
The Impact of Vertical Wind Shear on Hail Growth in Simulated Supercells
Authors: Dennis Eli J. , Kumjian Matthew R.
Published: November 2016

Severe hailstorms produce over $1 billion in insured losses annually in the United States, yet details of a given storm’s hail threat (e.g., maximum hailstone size and total hailfall) remain challenging to forecast. Previous research suggests that, in addition to maximum updraft speed, the storm-relative airflow could be equally important for hail formation and growth. This study is a first step toward determining how changes in environmental wind shear and subsequent changes in simulated supercell storm structure affect hail growth. Using Cloud Model 1 (CM1) with 500-m horizontal and 250-m vertical grid spacing, 20 idealized simulations are performed in which the thermodynamic profile remains fixed but the environmental hodograph is systematically altered. Hail growth is quantified using the hail mass mixing ratio from composites of storms over the last hour of simulation time. Hailstone growth “pseudotrajectories” are computed from these storm composites to determine favorable embryo source regions.

Results indicate that increased deep-layer east–west shear elongates the storm’s updraft in that direction, providing 1) increased volumes over which microphysically relevant hail processes can act, 2) increased hailstone residence times within the updraft, and 3) a larger potential embryo source region; together, these lead to increased hail mass. Increased low-level north–south shear, which results in hodographs with increased 0–3-km storm-relative helicity, also elongates the updraft in the north–south direction. However, hail mass is reduced owing to a separation of favorable embryo source regions (which shift southward) and available hydrometeors to serve as embryos (which shift northward).
Energy Exchange between the Mesoscale Oceanic Eddies and Wind-Forced Near-Inertial Oscillations
Authors: Jing Zhao , Wu Lixin , Ma Xiaohui
Published: November 2016

In this study, the energy exchange between mesoscale eddies and wind-forced near-inertial oscillations (NIOs) is theoretically analyzed using a slab mixed layer model modified by including the geostrophic flow. In the presence of strain, there is a permanent energy transfer from mesoscale eddies to NIOs forced by isotropic wind stress. The energy transfer efficiency, that is, the ratio of the energy transfer rate to the near-inertial wind work, is proportional to , where S2 is the total strain variance, is the effective Coriolis frequency, and ζ is the relative vorticity. The theories derived from the modified slab mixed layer model are verified by the realistic numerical simulation obtained from a coupled regional climate model (CRCM) configured over the North Pacific. Pronounced energy transfer from mesoscale eddies to wind-forced NIOs is localized in the Kuroshio Extension region associated with both strong near-inertial wind work and strain variance. The energy transfer efficiency in anticyclonic eddies is about twice the value in cyclonic eddies in the Kuroshio Extension region because of the influence of ζ on feff, which may contribute to shaping the dominance of cyclonic eddies than anticyclonic eddies in that region.
Assimilation of High-Resolution Satellite-Derived Atmospheric Motion Vectors: Impact on HWRF Forecasts of Tropical Cyclone Track and Intensity
Authors: Velden Christopher , Lewis William E. , Bresky Wayne , Stettner David , Daniels Jaime , Wanzong Steven
Published: November 2016

It is well known that global numerical model analyses and forecasts benefit from the routine assimilation of atmospheric motion vectors (AMVs) derived from meteorological satellites. Recent studies have also shown that the assimilation of enhanced (spatial and temporal) AMVs can benefit research-mode regional model forecasts of tropical cyclone track and intensity. In this study, the impact of direct assimilation of enhanced (higher resolution) AMV datasets in the NCEP operational Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting Model (HWRF) system is investigated. Forecasts of Atlantic tropical cyclone track and intensity are examined for impact by inclusion of enhanced AMVs via direct data assimilation. Experiments are conducted for AMVs derived using two methodologies (“HERITAGE” and “GOES-R”), and also for varying levels of quality control in order to assess and inform the optimization of the AMV assimilation process. Results are presented for three selected Atlantic tropical cyclone events and compared to Control forecasts without the enhanced AMVs as well as the corresponding operational HWRF forecasts. The findings indicate that the direct assimilation of high-resolution AMVs has an overall modest positive impact on HWRF forecasts, but the impact magnitudes are dependent on the 1) availability of rapid scan imagery used to produce the AMVs, 2) AMV derivation approach, 3) level of quality control employed in the assimilation, and 4) vortex initialization procedure (including the degree to which unbalanced states are allowed to enter the model analyses).
Effect of Principal Component Analysis Centering and Scaling on Classification of Mycobacteria from Raman Spectra
Authors: Hanson Cynthia , Sieverts Michael , Vargis Elizabeth
Published: November 2016

Raman spectroscopy has been used for decades to detect and identify biological substances as it provides specific molecular information. Spectra collected from biological samples are often complex, requiring the aid of data truncation techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA) and multivariate classification methods. Classification results depend on the proper selection of principal components (PCs) and how PCA is performed (scaling and/or centering). There are also guidelines for choosing the optimal number of PCs such as a scree plot, Kaiser criterion, or cumulative percent variance. The goal of this research is to evaluate these methods for best implementation of PCA and PC selection to classify Raman spectra of bacteria. Raman spectra of three different isolates of mycobacteria ( Mycobacterium sp. JLS, Mycobacterium sp. KMS, Mycobacterium sp. MCS) were collected and then passed through PCA and linear discriminant analysis for classification. Principal component analysis implementation as well as PC selection was evaluated by comparing the highest possible classification accuracies against accuracies determined by PC selection methods for each centering and scaling option. Centered and unscaled data provided the best results when selecting PCs based on cumulative percent variance.
Can Homicide Detectives Improve Homicide Clearance Rates?
Authors: Braga Anthony A. , Dusseault Desiree
Published: November 2016

The available scientific evidence on the value of detectives in clearing crimes generally suggests that most crimes are solved through the random circumstances of crime scenes rather than special follow-up investigation. Other research, however, suggests that the work of criminal investigators can increase the likelihood that crimes might be cleared through arrest. After years of homicide clearance rates that were lower than the national average, the Boston Police Department engaged a problem-oriented policing approach to improve their post-homicide criminal investigation processes and practices. Our quasi-experimental statistical analyses suggest that the intervention significantly increased key investigative activities and improved Boston homicide clearance rates relative to existing homicide clearance trends in other Massachusetts and U.S. jurisdictions.
India–Bangladesh Border Issues
Authors: Rather Zahoor A.
Published: November 2016

South Asia, the southern region of the Asian continent, comprises the sub-Himalayan countries including adjoining countries on the east and the west. South Asian borders are illogical, arbitrary, ill defined and physically varied. They are at the same time rigid and porous with regard to movement of people and goods. Bangladesh and India share a common border of 4096 km running through five states, namely, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. Managing such a diverse border is a complex task but vital from the point of view of national security. There are 162 enclaves between Bangladesh and India. The enclaves provide an important site for scrutinizing the connections between bordering practices and sovereignty claims. Uncertain borders not only raise bilateral tensions but also facilitate cross-border infiltration, illegal migration, smuggling and crime. Illegal migration has emerged as one of the major national security challenges. In pursuing this notion, it might be useful to consider soft border policies and efficient management of borders to make the movement of goods and people easier and more humane.
India–Nepal Open Border
Authors: Kumar Rajeev
Published: November 2016

India and Nepal have shared intense people-to-people relations for a very long time. Geographical factors have been reinforced by religious, cultural and ethnic affinities between the inhabitants of the Terai region and their counterparts across the border. The 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship between India and Nepal further reinforced the need for an open border for encouraging free movement of people and commodities across the borders. The open border has contributed significantly towards a shared feeling of belongingness, especially at the border. As India and Nepal share many commonalities, the open border can always be harnessed as a springboard for opportunities which are aplenty on both sides of the border. This article delves into the mutual needs of the people across the open border, a lifeline for inhabitants of the border regions and the steps taken at the people-to-people and the government level for the continuance of the ‘benefit-factor’ between each other in times of well-being and distress.
Application of Taguchi method in the optimization of geometric parameters for double pin joint configurations made from glass–epoxy nanoclay laminates
Authors: Singh Manjeet , Saini J S , Bhunia H , Singh Paramdeep
Published: November 2016

In the present work, Taguchi method was used for the optimization of geometric parameters for double pin joint configurations. The orthogonal array, the signal-to-noise ratio, and analysis of variance were employed to study the effect of geometric parameters on the bearing strength of the joints. Geometric parameters, i.e. the distance from the free edge of the specimen to the diameter of the first hole (E/D) ratio, width of the specimen to the diameter of the hole (W/D) ratio, the distance between the two holes to the diameter of the hole (P/D) ratio and side width to the diameter of the hole (K/D) ratio were investigated for the serial and parallel hole configurations. The results demonstrate that the E/D ratio is the most significant parameter to increase the bearing strength in both serial and parallel pin joint configurations. Its percentage contribution is about 84.5% and 64.23% in serial and parallel pin joint configurations, respectively. Characteristic curve with Tsai–Wu failure criterion was used for the prediction of the bearing strength in the joints numerically. A good agreement was obtained between experimental results and numerical predictions.
Effect of interface properties on transverse tensile response of fiber-reinforced composites: Three-dimensional micromechanical modeling
Authors: Naderi M , Apetre N , Iyyer N
Published: November 2016

This paper presents a micromechanical analysis of the influence of fiber–matrix interface fracture properties on the transverse tensile response of fiber-reinforced composite. The method combines three-dimensional (3D) computational micromechanics and augmented finite element method to provide high-fidelity results of damage initiation and propagation. Random arrangement of fibers and normal distribution of interface toughness and strength are considered in representative volume elements to capture the stochastic behavior of the composite under loading. Sensitivity analysis with respect to the interface properties distribution, and shape and size of fibers on the representative volume element’s strength are performed. The effect of fiber volume fractions on the strength and elastic modulus of the composite is investigated. Failure path in different representative volume elements are compared. The results show that the response of a representative volume element with identical interface properties overestimates the composite’s transverse strength. It is also shown that the damage initiation and propagation locations are affected by the distributions of fracture properties, and the shape and size of fibers within the representative volume element.
Search for an animal model to investigate selective pulmonary vasodilation
Authors: Petersen Bodil , Busch Thilo , Noreikat Katharina , Homeister Lorenz , Regenthal Ralf , Kaisers Udo X
Published: November 2016

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a life-threatening disease with a poor prognosis. Oral treatment with vasodilators is often limited by systemic hypotension. Inhalation of vasodilators offers the opportunity for selective pulmonary vasodilation. Testing selective pulmonary vasodilation by inhaled nitric oxide or alternative substances in animal models requires an increased pulmonary vascular tone. The aim of this study was to identify animal models that are suitable for investigating selective pulmonary vasodilation. To do so, a haemodynamic stable pulmonary hypertension was initiated, with a 30 min duration deemed to be a sufficient time interval before and after a possible intervention. In anaesthetized and mechanically-ventilated Sprague–Dawley rats pulmonary hypertension was induced either by acute hypoxia due to reduction of the inspired oxygen fraction from 0.21 to 0.1 ( n = 6), a fixed infusion rate of the thromboxane analogue U46619 (240 ng/min; n = 6) or a monocrotaline injection (MCT; 60 mg/kg applied 23 days before the investigation; n = 7). The animals were instrumented to measure right ventricular and systemic arterial pressures. Acute hypoxia caused a short, and only transient, increase of pulmonary artery pressure as well as profound systemic hypotension which suggested haemodynamic instability. U46619 infusion induced variable changes in the pulmonary and systemic vascular tone without sufficient stabilization within 30 min. MCT provoked sustained pulmonary hypertension with normal systemic pressure values and inhalation of nitric oxide caused selective pulmonary vasodilation. In conclusion, out of the three examined rat animal models only MCT-induced pulmonary hypertension is a solid and reliable model for investigating selective pulmonary vasodilation.
Buyer — Be informed
Authors: Noll Brandi
Published: November 2016

On the basis of her experience with buying new curricular materials — specifically, for reading instruction and intervention — the author shares valuable lessons about how to make the most of such purchases. A program can be beneficial for some students but detrimental for others; programs should be presented to employees as tools to critique and adjust as needed, recognizing they may or may not contribute to success; and both teachers and students need to know exactly why they’re using the program in the first place.
Leadership
Authors: Starr Joshua P.
Published: November 2016

Every school and district express their values through the content that students learn; leaders make it possible for a system to deliver on those values by ensuring that policies, contracts, and regulations are aligned to the same goals. The author uses his experience with detracking middle school and high school courses in Stamford, Conn., as an example of how having the right policies and practices in place enable coherent changes in content.
Under the Law
Authors: Underwood Julie
Published: November 2016

The nearly 50-year-old decision in Tinker v. Des Moines ensured that students would have a right to free speech in their school lives. In the words of the Tinker decision, students do not “shed their rights to freedom of speech and expression at the schoolhouse gate.” In terms of student speech on campus, schools clearly have the authority to limit speech that is disruptive, lewd or vulgar, or encourages the use of illegal drugs. But when the speech is off-campus, a school’s authority is not so clear. As schools have grappled with issues of electronic speech which occurs off campus, they have applied the Tinker standard in deciding the appropriateness of discipline for students who created the speech. Most often, the courts are concluding that schools may sanction misbehavior where the off-campus electronic conduct was directed somehow at the school with the intent or likelihood that the communications would result in a substantial disruption within the school.
The Impact of Greater Centralization on the Relevance of Performance Information in European Governments During the Fiscal Crisis
Authors: Douglas James W. , Raudla Ringa , Randma-Liiv Tiina , Savi Riin
Published: November 2016

The Great Recession resulted in fiscal crises for governments across the Western world. Our article explores whether, as a result of the crisis, the relevance of performance information in organizational decision-making increased. Furthermore, we examine how centralizing shifts in governmental decision-making processes influenced the shifts in the relevance of performance information for public sector organizations. Using a survey of senior government officials in 19 European countries, we find that, in line with the predictions of rationalistic decision-making and principal–agent models, the increase in the relevance of performance information in organizational decision-making was positively associated with our measures of greater centralization.
De-standardisation and differentiation of retirement trajectories in the context of extended working lives in the Netherlands
Authors: Riekhoff Aart-Jan
Published: November 2016

During recent decades, labour market participation among older workers in the Netherlands has increased significantly. Postponing workers’ labour market withdrawal potentially makes their retirement patterns more uncertain and less predictable. This article uses Dutch register data to analyse de-standardisation and differentiation of retirement trajectories of men and women born between 1940 and 1946 for the age bracket of 59–65 ( N = 12,843). The results indicate that retirement trajectories of men have become more homogeneous, whereas those of women somewhat more heterogeneous. Simultaneously, retirement patterns of both men and women became more complex from one birth year to another.
The influence of task challenge on skill utilization, affective wellbeing and intrapreneurial behaviour
Authors: Preenen Paul TY , Dorenbosch Luc , Plantinga Edo , Dhondt Steven
Published: November 2016

This study examines and theorizes the effects of task challenge on skill utilization, affective wellbeing and intrapreneurial behaviour among civil servants through a real-life challenging assignment, which was part of a unique Dutch and Flemish bottom-up organized event called ‘Train Your Colleague’. Results of a short-term longitudinal study indicate that, as expected, task challenge is positively related to skill utilization and intrapreneurial behaviour but, unexpectedly, not to affective wellbeing. These results suggest that challenging assignments may be important tools to enhance employees’ skill utilization and intrapreneurial behaviour at the workplace. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Light hydrocarbon geochemical characteristics and their application in Upper Paleozoic, Shenmu gas field, Ordos Basin
Authors: Han Wenxue , Tao Shizhen , Hu Guoyi , Ma Weijiao , Liu Dan , Feng Ziqi , Peng Weilong
Published: November 2016

Light hydrocarbon has abundant geochemical information, but there are few studies on it in Shenmu gas field. Taking Upper Paleozoic in Shenmu gas field as an example, authors use gas chromatography technology to study light hydrocarbon systematically. The results show that (1) The Shenmu gas field is mainly coal-derived gas, which is mixed by partial oil-derived gas due to the experiment data. (2) Based on K1, K2 parameter and Halpern star chart, the Upper Paleozoic gas in Shenmu gas field belongs to the same petroleum system and the depositional environment of natural gas source rocks should be homologous. (3) The source rocks are mainly from terrestrial higher plant origins and belong to swamp facies humic due to methyl cyclohexane index and Mango parameter intersection chart, which excluded the possibility of the Upper Paleozoic limestone as source rocks. (4) The isoheptane ranges from 1.45 to 2.69 with an average of 2.32, and n-heptane ranges from 9.48 to 17.68% with an average of 11.71%, which is below 20%. The maturity of Upper Paleozoic gas in Shenmu gas field is low-normal stage, which is consistent with Ro data. (5) The Upper Paleozoic natural gas in the Shenmu gas field did not experience prolonged migration or secondary changes, thus can be analyzed by light hydrocarbon index precisely.