bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Activation of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ (PPARγ) Through NF-κB/Brg1 and TGF-ß1 Pathways Attenuates Cardiac Remodeling in Pressure-Overloaded Rat Hearts
Authors: Qi Han-Ping , Wang Ye , Zhang Qian-Hui , Guo Jing , Li Lei , Cao Yong-Gang , Li Shu-Zhi , Li Xiao-Lei , Shi Mu-Mu , Xu Wang , Li Bai-Yan , Sun Hong-Li
Published: January 2015

Background/Aims: Cardiac remodeling is a common pathophysiological change along with chronic hypertension and myocardial infarction. Recent evidence indicated that cardiac tissue expressed peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ). However, the functional role of PPARγ in cardiac remodeling remained unclear. The present study was designed to investigate the relationship between PPARγ activation and pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling. Methods: Cardiac remodeling model was successfully established by abdominal aorta ligation. Cardiac fibrosis and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy were simulated by 100 nM angiotensin II (Ang II) in vitro. Haemodynamic parameters, the expressions of Brg1, a-MHC, ß-MHC, transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-ß1), collagen-I, collagen-III and NF-γB were examined. Results: Morphological and haemodynamic measurements showed that the activation of PPARγ improved the impaired cardiac function and decreased interstitial fibrosis in cardiac remodeling rats. Further results also showed that the activation of PPARγ inhibited the expressions of Brg1 and TGF-ß1 in the cardiac remodeling hearts. The activation of PPARγ also inhibited the proliferation and collagen production of cardiac fibroblasts, and down-regulated the activity of Brg1 and the expression of TGF-ß1 induced by Ang II in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts, respectively, through NF-γB pathway. Conclusions: These results suggested that PPARγ activation effectively inhibited cardiac remodeling processes by suppression of Brg1 and TGF-ß1 expressions through NF-γB pathway in the pressure-overloaded hearts induced by abdominal aorta ligation in rats.
Exercise Training Reverses Alterations in Kv and BKCa Channel Molecular Expression in Thoracic Aorta Smooth Muscle Cells from Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Li Zhencheng , Lu Ni , Shi Lijun
Published: January 2015

Previous studies have shown that exercise training influences potassium channel protein expression in arteries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of exercise training on alterations in voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv) and large-conductance, calcium-activated potassium channels (BKCa) in thoracic aorta smooth muscle cells from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Male SHRs were randomly assigned to a sedentary group (SHR-SED) and exercise training group (SHR-EX). Age-matched Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKYs) were used as controls. After 8 weeks of aerobic exercise training, blood pressure was significantly lower in the SHR-EX group than in the SHR-SED group. Exercise training increased the contribution of the Kv1.2 and Kv1.5 channels and decreased the contribution of BKCa channel to resting tone in the SHR-EX group compared to the SHR-SED group as indicated by vessel contractility experiments. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting showed that Kv1.2 and Kv1.5 channel expression was significantly lower in the SHR-SED group than in the WKY group and exercise training attenuated this reduction. BKCa α-subunit expression was statistically unchanged between the groups; however, β1-subunit expression was reduced significantly by exercise training in the SHR-EX group compared to the SHR-SED group. These data suggest that exercise training reverses the pathological expression of the Kv1.2, Kv1.5, and BKCa channels in aortic myocytes from SHRs. This is one of the favorable effects of exercise training on large conduit arteries.
Exacerbating Factors Induce Different Gene Expression Profiles in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Asthmatics, Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Healthy Subjects
Authors: Pniewska Ewa , Sokolowska Milena , Kupryś-Lipińska Izabela , Kacprzak Dorota , Kuna Piotr , Pawliczak Rafal
Published: January 2015

Background: Despite several common phenotypic features, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and severe asthma differ with regard to their causative factors and pathophysiology. Both diseases may be exacerbated by environmental factors, however, the molecular profiles of disease episodes have not been comprehensively studied. We identified differences in gene and protein expression profiles expressed by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of COPD patients, patients with atopic asthma and healthy subjects when challenged with exacerbating factors in vitro: lipopolysaccharide (LPS), house dust mite (HDM) and cat allergen. Methods: PBMC isolated from patients with severe atopic asthma and COPD, as well as healthy subjects were stimulated with rDer p 1 DG, rFel d 1 DG and LPS. The changes in the expression of 47 genes belonging to five groups (phospholipase A2, eicosanoids, transcription factors, cytokines and airway remodeling) were studied using TaqMan low density array cards. Immunoblotting was used to study relative protein expression. Results: rDer p 1 significantly up-regulated the expression of PLA2G4A, PLA2G6, PLA2G15, CYSLTR1, LB4R2, PTGS1, PTGS2, FOXP1, GATA3, HDAC2, IREB2, PPARG, STAT4, TSLP and CHI3L1 genes in asthmatics in comparison to healthy subjects. LPS induced significant expression of ANXA1 and LTA4H in asthmatics when compared to COPD patients and healthy subjects. SOX6,STAT4 and IL1RL1 were induced in COPD after LPS stimulation. Analysis of protein expression revealed a pattern similar to mRNA expression. Conclusions: LPS-induced exacerbation of asthma and COPD is characterized by differential expression of selected genes in PBMC. HDM allergen changed the expression profile of inflammatory genes between patients with asthma of atopic origin and healthy controls.
Patients' Perspective on Day Case Breast Surgery
Authors: Athwal Ruvinder , Dakka Mahmood , Appleton Donna , Harries Simon , Clarke Dayalan , Jones Lucie
Published: January 2015

Background: This study assessed the views of patients undergoing breast surgery for breast cancer with a planned overnight stay, asking whether they would be happy to be discharged home on the same day of surgery. Methods: A structured questionnaire sent out in the 6 weeks following surgery was used to ascertain the patients' views. Results: The majority of patients undergoing mastectomy and axillary node clearance preferred an overnight stay, primarily for psychological reasons. Conclusions: Patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery were more prepared to go home on the day of surgery.
A Glutamine Repeat Variant of the RUNX2 Gene Causes Cleidocranial Dysplasia
Authors: Mastushita Masaki , Kitoh Hiroshi , Subasioglu Asli , Kurt Colak Fatma , Dundar Munis , Mishima Kenichi , Nishida Yoshihiro , Ishiguro Naoki
Published: January 2015

Cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD), an autosomal dominant skeletal dysplasia characterized by hypoplastic clavicles and delayed closure of the cranial sutures, is caused by mutations of the runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) gene. The RUNX2 gene consists of a glutamine and alanine repeat domain (Q/A domain, 23Q/17A), a DNA-binding Runt domain and a proline/serine/threonine-rich domain. We report on a familial case of CCD with a novel mutation within the Q/A domain of the RUNX2 gene, which is an insertion in exon 1 (p.Q71_E72insQQQQ) representing the Q-repeat variant (27Q/17A). Functional analysis of the 27Q variant revealed abolished transactivation capacity of the mutated RUNX2 protein. This is the first case report that demonstrated a glutamine repeat variant of the RUNX2 gene causes CCD.
Intravitreal Ranibizumab for Predominantly Hemorrhagic Choroidal Neovascularization in Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Lazzeri Stefano , Figus Michele , Sartini Maria Sole , Scarinci Fabio , Casini Giamberto , Guidi Gianluca , Cupo Gaetano , Cacciamani Andrea , Fasanella Vincenzo , Agnifili Luca , Piaggi Paolo , Varano Monica , Ripandelli Guido , Nardi Marco , Parravano Mariacristina
Published: January 2015

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of intravitreal ranibizumab monotherapy on predominantly hemorrhagic choroidal neovascularization with foveal involvement associated with age-related macular degeneration. Materials and Methods: Twenty-two consecutive eyes with hemorrhagic neovascularization were treated with 3 monthly intravitreal ranibizumab injections. Additional injections were administered according to retreatment criteria during 12 months of follow-up. Results: A mean of 6.64 ± 1.36 injections was administered. Overall, the mean visual acuity increased from 10.90 ± 6.02 to 12.81 ± 8.34 ETDRS letters (p > 0.05) at 12 months. The ‘early treatment group' gained a mean of 2.83 ± 2.24 ETDRS letters (p < 0.05), while the ‘late treatment group' gained a mean of 0.30 ± 1.25 ETDRS letters (p > 0.05) with significant differences between the groups (p < 0.05). A progressive resolution of macular bleeding was registered in 20 patients (mean time: 5.3 ± 1.6 months). Conclusions: Ranibizumab injections can be considered a beneficial approach for the management of predominantly hemorrhagic choroidal neovascularization with foveal involvement associated with age-related macular degeneration. Furthermore, the time interval between hemorrhage and the first injection seems to be an important predicting factor of final visual acuity.
ISSFAL 2014 Debate: It Is Time to Update Saturated Fat Recommendations
Authors: Nettleton Joyce A. , Legrand Philippe , Mensink Ronald P.
Published: January 2015

This paper summarizes a debate on whether to update recommendations for the consumption of saturated fatty acids (SFA); this debate was held at the 11th congress of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids in Stockholm, Sweden, June 28-July 2, 2014. Recommendations to reduce SFA intakes are based largely on the premise that high intakes of SFA raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol levels, which in turn increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Several systematic reviews question whether reducing SFA intakes lowers CHD risk. Arguing to revise SFA recommendations, Philippe Legrand noted that SFA are heterogeneous in structure and function, are synthesized de novo by humans and only certain SFA in excess have been linked to CHD risk. We cannot consider all SFA as a block. The effects of reducing SFA intakes depend on which nutrients replace them and on which biomarkers or endpoints are assessed, Ronald Mensink observed. The effects of reducing SFA on CHD risk vary with the nutrient of comparison, whether carbohydrates, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids. Substitution of SFA with polyunsaturated fatty acids was associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease, while the effects of substitution with monounsaturated fatty acids or high-glycemic index carbohydrates are less clear.
Global Obesity Study on Drivers for Weight Reduction Strategies
Authors: Grebitus Carola , Hartmann Monika , Reynolds Nikolai
Published: January 2015

Objective: To assess factors determining the reaction of individuals to the threats of overweight and obesity and to examine the interdependencies between weight-reducing strategies. Methods: Cross-country survey covering 19 countries and 13,155 interviews. Data were analysed using a bivariate probit model that allows simultaneously analysing two weight-reducing strategies. Results: Results show that weight-reducing strategies chosen are not independent from each other. Findings also reveal that different strategies are chosen by different population segments. Women are more likely to change their dietary patterns and less likely to become physically active after surpassing a weight threshold. In addition, the probability of a dietary change in case of overweight differs considerably between countries. The study also reveals that attitudes are an important factor for the strategy choice. Conclusions: It is vital for public health policies to understand determinants of citizens' engagement in weight reduction strategies once a certain threshold is reached. Thus, results can support the design of public health campaigns and programmes that aim to change community or national health behaviour trends taking into account, e.g., national differences.
Treatment Factors That Influence Mortality in Acromegaly
Authors: McCabe John , Ayuk John , Sherlock Mark
Published: January 2015

Acromegaly is a rare condition characterized by excessive secretion of growth hormone (GH), which is almost always due to a pituitary adenoma. Acromegaly is associated with significant morbidity such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiomyopathy, obstructive sleep apnoea, malignancy and musculoskeletal abnormalities. Acromegaly has also been associated with increased mortality in several retrospective studies. This review will focus on the epidemiological data relating to mortality rates in acromegaly, the relationship between acromegaly and malignancy, the role of GH and insulin-like growth factor-I in assessing the risk of future mortality, and the impact of radiotherapy and hypopituitarism on mortality.
G-Protein–Coupled Receptors Signaling Pathways in New Antiplatelet Drug Development
Authors: Gurbel Paul A. , Kuliopulos Athan , Tantry Udaya S.
Published: January 2015

Platelet G-protein–coupled receptors influence platelet function by mediating the response to various agonists, including ADP, thromboxane A
2
, and thrombin. Blockade of the ADP receptor, P2Y
12
, in combination with cyclooxygenase-1 inhibition by aspirin has been among the most widely used pharmacological strategies to reduce cardiovascular event occurrence in high-risk patients. The latter dual pathway blockade strategy is one of the greatest advances in the field of cardiovascular medicine. In addition to P2Y
12
, the platelet thrombin receptor, protease activated receptor-1, has also been recently targeted for inhibition. Blockade of protease activated receptor-1 has been associated with reduced thrombotic event occurrence when added to a strategy using P2Y
12
and cyclooxygenase-1 inhibition. At this time, the relative contributions of these G-protein–coupled receptor signaling pathways to in vivo thrombosis remain incompletely defined. The observation of treatment failure in ≈10% of high-risk patients treated with aspirin and potent P2Y
12
inhibitors provides the rationale for targeting novel pathways mediating platelet function. Targeting intracellular signaling downstream from G-protein–coupled receptor receptors with phosphotidylionisitol 3-kinase and Gq inhibitors are among the novel strategies under investigation to prevent arterial ischemic event occurrence. Greater understanding of the mechanisms of G-protein–coupled receptor–mediated signaling may allow the tailoring of antiplatelet therapy.
Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein Inhibition Enhances Endothelial Repair and Improves Endothelial Function in the Rabbit
Authors: Wu Ben J. , Shrestha Sudichhya , Ong Kwok L. , Johns Douglas , Hou Liming , Barter Philip J. , Rye Kerry-Anne
Published: January 2015

Objective—

High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) can potentially protect against atherosclerosis by multiple mechanisms, including enhancement of endothelial repair and improvement of endothelial function. This study asks if increasing HDL levels by inhibiting cholesteryl ester transfer protein activity with the anacetrapib analog, des-fluoro-anacetrapib, enhances endothelial repair and improves endothelial function in New Zealand White rabbits with balloon injury of the abdominal aorta.

Approach and Results—

New Zealand White rabbits received chow or chow supplemented with 0.07% or 0.14% (wt/wt) des-fluoro-anacetrapib for 8 weeks. Endothelial denudation of the abdominal aorta was carried out after 2 weeks. The animals were euthanized 6 weeks postinjury. Treatment with 0.07% and 0.14% des-fluoro-anacetrapib reduced cholesteryl ester transfer protein activity by 81±4.9% and 92±12%, increased plasma apolipoprotein A–I levels by 1.4±0.1-fold and 1.5±0.1-fold, increased plasma HDL-cholesterol levels by 1.8±0.2-fold and 1.9±0.1-fold, reduced intimal hyperplasia by 37±11% and 51±10%, and inhibited vascular cell proliferation by 25±6.1% and 35±6.7%, respectively. Re-endothelialization of the injured aorta increased from 43±6.7% (control) to 69±6.6% and 76±7.7% in the 0.07% and 0.14% des-fluoro-anacetrapib-treated animals, respectively. Aortic ring relaxation and guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate production in response to acetylcholine were also improved. Incubation of HDLs from the des-fluoro-anacetrapib-treated animals with human coronary artery endothelial cells increased cell proliferation and migration relative to control. These effects were abolished by knockdown of scavenger receptor-B1 and PDZ domain-containing protein 1 and by pharmacological inhibition of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase/Akt.

Conclusions—

Increasing HDL levels by inhibiting cholesteryl ester transfer protein reduces intimal thickening and regenerates functional endothelium in damaged New Zealand White rabbit aortas in an scavenger receptor-B1-dependent and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase/Akt-dependent manner.
Untangling Autophagy Measurements
Authors: Gottlieb Roberta A. , Andres Allen M. , Sin Jon , Taylor David P.J.
Published: January 2015

Autophagy is an important physiological process in the heart, and alterations in autophagic activity can exacerbate or mitigate injury during various pathological processes. Methods to assess autophagy have changed rapidly because the field of research has expanded. As with any new field, methods and standards for data analysis and interpretation evolve as investigators acquire experience and insight. The purpose of this review is to summarize current methods to measure autophagy, selective mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy), and autophagic flux. We will examine several published studies where confusion arose in data interpretation, to illustrate the challenges. Finally, we will discuss methods to assess autophagy in vivo and in patients.
Visual Number Beats Abstract Numerical Magnitude: Format-dependent Representation of Arabic Digits and Dot Patterns in Human Parietal Cortex
Authors: Bulthé Jessica , De Smedt Bert , Op de Beeck Hans P.
Published: January 2015

In numerical cognition, there is a well-known but contested hypothesis that proposes an abstract representation of numerical magnitude in human intraparietal sulcus (IPS). On the other hand, researchers of object cognition have suggested another hypothesis for brain activity in IPS during the processing of number, namely that this activity simply correlates with the number of visual objects or units that are perceived. We contrasted these two accounts by analyzing multivoxel activity patterns elicited by dot patterns and Arabic digits of different magnitudes while participants were explicitly processing the represented numerical magnitude. The activity pattern elicited by the digit “8” was more similar to the activity pattern elicited by one dot (with which the digit shares the number of visual units but not the magnitude) compared to the activity pattern elicited by eight dots, with which the digit shares the represented abstract numerical magnitude. A multivoxel pattern classifier trained to differentiate one dot from eight dots classified all Arabic digits in the one-dot pattern category, irrespective of the numerical magnitude symbolized by the digit. These results were consistently obtained for different digits in IPS, its subregions, and many other brain regions. As predicted from object cognition theories, the number of presented visual units forms the link between the parietal activation elicited by symbolic and nonsymbolic numbers. The current study is difficult to reconcile with the hypothesis that parietal activation elicited by numbers would reflect a format-independent representation of number.
The Exegesis of Jeremiah in and beyond Ezra 9-10
Authors: Leuchter Mark
Published: January 2015

It is generally recognized that the prohibition against marriage with “foreign” women in Ezra 9-10 reflects a view among the repatriated gola community in Persian Yehud that non-repatriated Jewish groups should be viewed as ethnic outsiders; the chapters draw from Pentateuchal legal traditions (especially Deuteronomy) to justify this position. Several scholars have noted that this partisan/sectarian ideology has roots in the Ezekiel tradition, which informs much of Ezra 7-Nehemiah 13. Nevertheless, a direct antecedent for identifying the homeland women as “foreign” may be found in the book of Jeremiah, which served as the hermeneutical key for the exegetical goals of Ezra 9-10. This connection was recognized by the later Aaronide authors of Ezra 1-6, who amplified and redirected the implications of this relationship by inaugurating their addition to the corpus with a reference to Jeremiah’s oracles. By so doing, they extended Aaronide hegemony over Ezra 7-Nehemiah 13, incorporating it and its exegetical engagement of prophetic material into their own priestly-scribal curriculum.
Communicating the Homeland’s Relationship with its Diaspora Community: The Cases of El Salvador and Colombia
Authors: Bravo Vanessa , De Moya María
Published: January 2015

This article explores the official communication of the governments of El Salvador and Colombia to, and about, their diaspora communities. Through a qualitative content analysis of news releases, speeches, factsheets and other public information material, the themes used to ‘construct’ the image of the diaspora are explored, as well as the issues that these governments traditionally associate with their expatriates. The study also analyses the type of relationship described (that is, communal versus exchange), with its findings suggesting a typology of government-to-diaspora communication and a new category of relationship (‘hybrid’ relationships), which is detailed herein.
New species and record of Zygophiala (Capnodiales, Mycosphaerellaceae) on apple from Montenegro
Authors: Zhang Mian , Gao Liu , Shang ShengPing , Han XiaoLu , Zhang Rong , Latinović Jelena , Latinović Nedeljko , Batzer Jean Carlson , Gleason Mark L. , Sun GuangYu
Published: January 2015

Species of Zygophiala are components of the sooty blotch and flyspeck complex that blemish the cuticle of fruits reducing their economic value. In our study, six strains were isolated from apple fruit collected in orchards in Montenegro. Zygophiala montenegroensis is a newly described species based on its unique morphological characteristics and the analysis of multiple sequences including the internal transcribed spacer of the rDNA, the partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha and the actin genes. Zygophiala cylindrica is described as a new record in Montenegro and Europe.
New basal hadrosauroid (Dinosauria: Ornithopoda) from the Lower Cretaceous Kitadani Formation, Fukui, central Japan
Authors: SHIBATA MASATERU , AZUMA YOICHI
Published: January 2015

A new basal hadrosauroid, Koshisaurus katsuyama, from the Lower Cretaceous Kitadani Formation in Fukui, central Japan, is reported. The new taxon is distinguished by an autapomorphy and a unique combination of maxillary, vertebral, pubic and femoral characters. A phylogenetic analysis indicates that Koshisaurus is positioned as a basal member of Hadrosauroidea and is more derived than the contemporaneous Fukuisaurus, which is a non-hadrosauroid hadrosauriform. The presence of the antorbital fossa on the maxilla and at least three subsidiary ridges on the labial side of maxillary tooth crown implies that Koshisaurus was among the most basal hadrosauroids. This discovery indicates a higher diversity of hadrosauroids along the eastern margin of the Asian continent in the Early Cretaceous.
Cobitis avicennae, a new species of spined loach from the Tigris River drainage (Teleostei: Cobitidae)
Authors: MOUSAVI-SABET HAMED , VATANDOUST SABER , ESMAEILI HAMID REZA , GEIGER MATTHIAS F. , FREYHOF JÖRG
Published: January 2015

Cobitis avicennae, new species, from the Karkheh and Karun sub-drainages in the Tigris catchment is distinguished from other Cobitis species in the Persian Gulf, Kor and the southern Caspian Sea basins by having a single lamina circularis in males, a small comma-shaped black spot on the upper caudal-fin base, 5½ branched anal-fin rays, 5–6 rows of dark spots on the dorsal and caudal fins, scales below the dorsal-fin base with a small focal zone and pigmentation zone Z4 with 12–17 large, partly fused blotches. It is also distinguished from other Cobitis species in the comparison group by six fixed, diagnostic nucleotide substitutions in the mtDNA COI barcode region.
First record of cricket genus Caconemobius (Grylloidea: Nemobiinae) from China with description of a new species
Authors: MA LIBIN , ZHANG TAO , QI TAO
Published: January 2015

Caconemobius are distributed on widely separated islands in the Pacific area. Wings are absent in these species. They live among the rocks along the seashore, including the Hawaii, Japan and Korea. This genus is presently represented by 14 species worldwide. We found the first species of Caconemobius from China on the coast of Guangzhou. One new species, Caconemobius dibrachiatus Ma and Zhang, sp. nov., is described and illustrated.
The genus Anelytra (Orthoptera: Conocephalinae: Agraeciini: Liarina), with one new species from Hainan, China
Authors: SHI FU-MING , XIE GUANG-LIN
Published: January 2015

The paper deals with two species, one is new, Anelytra hainanensis Shi sp. nov. We provide the description and figures of taxonomic characters of the new species and Anelytra compressa Shi & Qiu, 2009. The type material is deposited in the Museum of Hebei University.
Validation of Upper-Tropospheric Humidity from SAPHIR on board Megha-Tropiques Using Tropical Soundings
Authors: Brogniez Hélène , Clain Gaëlle , Roca Rémy
Published: January 2015

This paper describes the upper-tropospheric humidity (UTH) product derived from brightness temperature measurements of the Sondeur Atmosphérique du Profil d’Humidité Intertropicale par Radiométrie (SAPHIR) radiometer on board the Megha-Tropiques satellite. Under nonscattering conditions, the observations from three channels of SAPHIR—located at ±0.2, ±1.1, and ±2.8 GHz, respectively, around the 183.31-GHz strong water vapor absorption band—are interpreted into three different UTHs following a well-established method and thus describing the humidity content of the upper to midtroposphere. The evaluation of the UTHs is performed using reference UTHs defined from relative humidity (RH) profiles from radiosoundings of two field campaigns: the Cooperative Indian Ocean Experiment on Intraseasonal Variability in the Year 2011/Dynamics of the Madden–Julian Oscillation/Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program Madden–Julian Oscillation Investigation Experiment (CINDY/DYNAMO/AMIE) and a Megha-Tropiques dedicated campaign in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, during the summer of 2012. A budget of the various uncertainties associated with each component of the evaluation method (such as the radiometric sensitivity and the radiative transfer computations) was created to achieve a more robust comparison between the two UTH estimates. The comparison between the reference UTHs and the SAPHIR UTHs reveals small global biases of lower than 2% RH on average, with correlation coefficients between 0.86 and 0.89. Taking into account the individual uncertainties gives root-mean-square errors of regressions that range between 0.92% and 4.71%. These three UTHs provide a vertical distribution of the RH that is suitable for studying various temporal and spatial scales of the tropical variability. The signature of a mesoscale convective system on its environment is briefly presented to illustrate the capability of this new dataset.
Estimation of the Heat and Water Budgets of the Persian (Arabian) Gulf Using a Regional Climate Model*,+
Authors: Xue Pengfei , Eltahir Elfatih A. B.
Published: January 2015

Because of the scarcity of observational data, existing estimates of the heat and water budgets of the Persian Gulf are rather uncertain. This uncertainty leaves open the fundamental question of whether this water body is a net heat source or a net heat sink to the atmosphere. Previous regional modeling studies either used specified surface fluxes to simulate the hydrodynamics of the Gulf or prescribed SST in simulating the regional atmospheric climate; neither of these two approaches is suitable for addressing the above question or for projecting the future climate in this region. For the first time, a high-resolution, two-way, coupled Gulf–atmosphere regional model (GARM) is developed, forced by solar radiation and constrained by observed lateral boundary conditions, suited for the study of current and future climates of the Persian Gulf. Here, this study demonstrates the unique capability of this model in consistently predicting surface heat and water fluxes and lateral heat and water exchanges with the Arabian Sea, as well as the variability of water temperature and water mass. Although these variables are strongly coupled, only SST has been directly and sufficiently observed. The coupled model succeeds in simulating the water and heat budgets of the Persian Gulf without any artificial flux adjustment, as demonstrated in the close agreement of model simulation with satellite and in situ observations.

The coupled regional climate model simulates a net surface heat flux of +3 W m−2, suggesting a small net heat flux from the atmosphere into the Persian Gulf. The annual evaporation from the Persian Gulf is 1.84 m yr−1, and the annual influx and outflux of water through the Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea are equivalent to Persian Gulf–averaged precipitation and evaporation rates of 33.7 and 32.1 m yr−1, with a net influx of water equivalent to a Persian Gulf–averaged precipitation rate of 1.6 m yr−1. The average depth of the Persian Gulf water is ~38 m. Hence, it suggests that the mean residency time scale for the entire Persian Gulf is ~14 months.
Chances of Short-Term Cooling Estimated from a Selection of CMIP5-Based Climate Scenarios during 2006–35 over Canada
Authors: Grenier Patrick , de Elía Ramón , Chaumont Diane
Published: January 2015

The path toward a warmer global climate is not smooth, but, rather, is made up of a succession of positive and negative temperature trends, with cooling having more chance to occur the shorter the time scale considered. In this paper, estimates of the probabilities of short-term cooling (Pcool) during the period 2006–35 are performed for 5146 locations across Canada. Probabilities of cooling over durations from 5 to 25 yr come from an ensemble of 60 climate scenarios, based on three different methods using a gridded observational product and CMIP5 climate simulations. These methods treat interannual variability differently, and an analysis in hindcast mode suggests they are relatively reliable. Unsurprisingly, longer durations imply smaller Pcool values; in the case of annual temperatures, the interdecile range of Pcool values across Canada is, for example, ~2%–18% for 25 yr and ~40%–46% for 5 yr. Results vary slightly with the scenario design method, with similar geographical patterns emerging. With regards to seasonal influence, spring and winter are generally associated with higher Pcool values. Geographical Pcool patterns and their seasonality are explained in terms of the interannual variability over background trend ratio. This study emphasizes the importance of natural variability superimposed on anthropogenically forced long-term trends and the fact that regional and local short-term cooling trends are to be expected with nonnegligible probabilities.
Attributing Observed SST Trends and Subcontinental Land Warming to Anthropogenic Forcing during 1979–2005
Authors: Chan Duo , Wu Qigang
Published: January 2015

Attribution studies conclude that it is extremely likely that most observed global- and continental-scale surface air temperature (SAT) warming since 1950 was caused by anthropogenic forcing, but some difficulties and uncertainties remain in attribution of warming in subcontinental regions and at time scales less than 50 years. This study uses global observations and CMIP5 simulations with various forcings, covering 1979–2005, and control runs to develop confidence intervals, to attribute regional trends of SAT and sea surface temperature (SST) to natural and anthropogenic causes.

Observations show warming, significantly different from natural variations at the 95% confidence level, over one-third of all grid boxes, and averaged over 15 of 21 subcontinental regions and 6 of 10 ocean basins. Coupled simulations forced with all forcing factors, or greenhouse gases only, reproduce observed SST and SAT patterns. Uncoupled AMIP-like atmosphere-only (prescribed SST and atmospheric radiative forcing) simulations reproduce observed SAT patterns. All of these simulations produce consistent net downward longwave radiation patterns. Simulations with natural-only forcing simulate weak warming. Anthropogenic forcing effects are clearly detectable at the 5% significance level at global, hemispheric, and tropical scales and in nine ocean basins and 15 of 21 subcontinental land regions. Attribution results indicate that ocean warming during 1979–2005 for the globe and individual basins is well represented in the CMIP5 multimodel ensemble mean historical simulations. While land warming may occur as an indirect response to oceanic warming, increasing greenhouse gas concentrations tend to be the ultimate source of land warming in most subcontinental regions during 1979–2005.
Improved Historical Analysis of Oceanic Total Precipitable Water
Authors: Smith Thomas M. , Arkin Phillip A.
Published: January 2015

The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, total precipitable water (TPW), is an important part of the global water cycle, and a clearer understanding of ocean-area TPW is critical for understanding climate variations. This study uses satellite-period statistics and historical data to analyze monthly oceanic TPW beginning in the nineteenth century. Input data for analyzing the historical TPW includes outputs from an extended dynamic reanalysis and estimates of TPW based on historical sea surface temperature (SST). Methods are developed to optimally use the various inputs to produce an improved analysis. Cross-validation testing is used to guide analysis development. Some evaluation of the resulting analysis indicates several strong climate modes. A global mode indicates multidecadal increases in TPW since the nineteenth century, with strongest increases in the tropics and adjacent to land monsoon regions. Strongest multidecadal changes in the global mode are 1910–40 and since 1980. An ENSO mode for the extended period indicates a trend since the 1980s, opposite to the tendency in the global mode. There is no apparent multidecadal variation in the ENSO mode before 1980, suggesting that its multidecadal relationship with the global mode can change. Analysis of SST over the same period shows climate modes consistent with the TPW modes, and for the satellite period there are consistent variations in the satellite data, showing the strong link between SST and oceanic TPW.
Creating and Sustaining Evidence for “Failed Multiculturalism”
Authors: Ercan Selen A.
Published: January 2015

In recent years, so-called “honor killings” came onto the political agenda of many migrant-receiving societies including Germany. There were heated debates over the meanings of these murders in courts, parliaments, media, and the broader public sphere. These debates centered mainly on the question of whether “honor killing” is a culturally specific type of violence that occurs only in certain cultural communities, or a form of violence against women that cuts across all cultures. In Germany, “honor killing” acquired a particular and relatively well-entrenched meaning when it first came to fore in 2005 after the murder of Hatun Sürücü; it has since been understood as a culturally specific form of violence illustrating the irreconcilable differences between minority and majority cultures. As such, it has been associated with the “failed multiculturalism” diagnosis, indicating the inability of traditional migrant communities to integrate into mainstream society. This article seeks to problematize the discursive link between “honor killing” and failed multiculturalism and to explore the factors that help establish and sustain this link in Germany. The article identifies the dominant and competing frames of “honor killing” as articulated in the course of parliamentary debates and the broader public sphere and seeks to understand the reasons for the dominance of culture-based frames. It explains the presumed linkage between “honor killing” and failed multiculturalism by drawing attention to the institutional and discursive context within which these murders were debated. This analysis reveals the significance of the broader context in shaping the way multiculturalism is understood and practiced in culturally plural societies.
Traditional, Modern, and Post-Secular Perspectives on Science and Religion in the United States
Authors: O’Brien Timothy L. , Noy Shiri
Published: January 2015

Using General Social Survey data, we examine perspectives on science and religion in the United States. Latent class analysis reveals three groups based on knowledge and attitudes about science, religiosity, and preferences for certain religious interpretations of the world. The traditional perspective (43 percent) is marked by a preference for religion compared to science; the modern perspective (36 percent) holds the opposite view. A third perspective, which we call post-secular (21 percent), views both science and religion favorably. However, when faced with competing accounts of events such as creation and evolution, post-seculars root their views in religion rather than in mainstream science. Regression models indicate that perspectives on science and religion do not simply mirror other denominational or ideological differences. Furthermore, religio-scientific perspectives shape attitudes about political issues where scientific and some religious communities diverge, including on abortion rights and stem cell research. Overall, most individuals favor either scientific or religious ways of understanding, but many scientifically inclined individuals prefer certain religious accounts. This suggests that public divisions related to science and religion are cultural and epistemological. This article underscores the complexity of the boundary between reason and faith and highlights the roots of political conflict in perspectives on science and religion in the United States.
The Price of Protection
Authors: Hughes Melanie M. , Brush Lisa D.
Published: January 2015

We know men’s violence against women is costly. Yet, we know little about the costs—or benefits—of women’s efforts to end it. This study investigates the temporal dynamics of women’s earnings and petitioning for a Protection from Abuse (PFA) civil restraining order. Women’s earnings might rise or fall at the time of petitioning but quickly return to pre-petitioning levels, a short-term boost or shock; or, petitioning might precipitate a longer-term stall or upward shift in women’s earnings. To test for these effects, we use latent growth curve analysis and evaluate women’s earnings trajectories over six years. We find overwhelming evidence that the period around petitioning is one of exceptional earnings instability for petitioners, many of whom experience both shocks and stalls. Virtually no one experiences a boost in the quarter of petitioning or an upward shift in earnings growth in the year after petitioning for a PFA. Welfare, however, buffers negative effects of petitioning on women’s earnings growth. We also calculate lost earnings as the difference between women’s counterfactual projected and estimated earnings. Our findings inform theoretical and policy debates about interventions intended to address poverty and violence against women.
Cultural Knowledge and Social Inequality
Authors: Lareau Annette
Published: January 2015

Using both qualitative longitudinal data collected 20 years after the original Unequal Childhoods study and interview data from a study of upwardly mobile adults, this address demonstrates how cultural knowledge matters when white and African American young adults of differing class backgrounds navigate key institutions. I find that middle-class young adults had more knowledge than their working-class or poor counterparts of the “rules of the game” regarding how institutions worked. They also displayed more of a sense of entitlement to ask for help. When faced with a problem related to an institution, middle-class young adults frequently succeeded in getting their needs accommodated by the institution; working-class and poor young adults were less knowledgeable about and more frustrated by bureaucracies. This address also shows the crucial role of “cultural guides” who help upwardly mobile adults navigate institutions. While many studies of class reproduction have looked at key turning points, this address argues that “small moments” may be critical in setting the direction of life paths.
Integrating Criminal Careers and Ecological Research
Authors: Allard Troy , Chrzanowski April , Stewart Anna
Published: January 2015

This study explored whether chronic and costly offenders were more likely to be from disadvantaged communities and whether the most disadvantaged communities accounted for higher proportions of chronic and costly offenders. The Semi-Parametric Group-Based Method was used and costs applied to the five offending trajectories. Moderate and chronic offenders represented 15.8% of the cohort but 70% of total costs. The Index of Relative Disadvantage was assigned based on the first recorded residential postcode and an ANOVA indicated that moderate and chronic offenders resided in communities that had more disadvantage. The 5% most disadvantaged communities were compared with other communities and were found to have higher concentrations of chronic and costly offenders. Implications for the efficient targeting of crime prevention programs and interventions are discussed.
Cochin Creole and the perils of casteist cosmopolitanism: Reading Requiem for the Living
Authors: Devika J
Published: January 2015

This article takes issue with prominent ways of interpreting the cosmopolitanism often attributed to Kerala State, India. By virtue of its geographical location, from medieval times Kerala developed deep historical connections with European, Arabian, and South-East Asian societies. However in contemporary evocations of Kerala’s cosmopolitanism, the historical connections to South-East Asian societies are conspicuous by their absence. Caste Hindu legacies have been privileged implicitly in these and, as a result, hybrid communities can only be perceived as “miscegenated”. They are, therefore, excluded from the legacies of national culture. Johny Miranda’s recent novella Requiem for the Living (2013), tries to end this invisibility by articulating the present of one such community, the Parankis of Cochin. On the one hand, it both challenges and complicates existing identities such as the “Anglo-Indian” and the “Luso-Indian”, revealing their elite moorings and dualistic conception of hybridity. On the other hand, it departs from the long history of the implications of novel-writing in projects of caste-community identity construction in Malayali society. In doing so, it directs our attention towards the possibilities of unearthing “subaltern cosmopolitanism”, which may indeed be more appropriate for contemporary challenges in the specific postcolonial context that is contemporary Kerala.
“Oil above Water”
Authors: Bove Vincenzo , Gleditsch Kristian Skrede , Sekeris Petros G.
Published: January 2015

We explore economic incentives for third parties to intervene in ongoing internal wars. We develop a three-party model of the decision to intervene in conflict that highlights the role of the economic benefits accruing from the intervention and the potential costs. We present novel empirical results on the role of oil in motivating third-party military intervention. We find that the likelihood of a third-party intervention increases when (a) the country at war has large reserves of oil, (b) the relative competition in the sector is limited, and (c) the potential intervener has a higher demand for oil.
Upregulation of Gingival Tissue miR-200b in Obese Periodontitis Subjects
Authors: Kalea A.Z. , Hoteit R. , Suvan J. , Lovering R.C. , Palmen J. , Cooper J.A. , Khodiyar V.K. , Harrington Z. , Humphries S.E. , D’Aiuto F.
Published: January 2015

Increased local immune and inflammatory responses in obese individuals with periodontitis may explain the aggressive clinical presentation and altered treatment response when compared to that of normal weight subjects. Our goal was to identify any differences in microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles of gingival tissue in periodontitis when obesity is present, which may suggest novel molecular pathways that this miRNA network may affect. Total RNA was extracted from gingival tissue biopsies collected from normal weight and obese individuals with periodontitis; miRNA expression profiling was performed with Affymetrix GeneChip miRNA 3.0 arrays; and results were validated with quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). In silico identification of previously confirmed miRNA gene targets was conducted through miRTarBase and miRWalk databases, and pathway enrichment analysis identified enriched miRNA gene sets. Expression of selected genes in the same biopsy samples was tested with qRT-PCR. The gingival tissue miRNA profile of obese patients, compared to that of normal weight patients, showed 13 upregulated and 22 downregulated miRNAs, among which miR-200b was validated by qRT-PCR to be significantly increased in obesity. Functional analysis of 51 experimentally validated miR-200b gene targets identified enrichment of genes involved in cell motility, differentiation, DNA binding, response to stimulus, and vasculature development pathways not previously identified in the obesity-specific disease profile. Furthermore, the expression of the miR-200b gene targets ZEB1/2, GATA2, and KDR was confirmed by qRT-PCR as being lower in obese patients with periodontitis versus normal weight patients, suggesting a role of miR-200b in regulation of a set of gene targets and biological pathways relevant to wound healing and angiogenesis. Functional studies to explore the role of miR-200b in the above processes may offer new insights on putative therapeutic targets for this group of patients.
‘Good’ Parenting Practices: How Important are Poverty, Education and Time Pressure?
Authors: Dermott Esther , Pomati Marco
Published: January 2015

This article examines how parenting practices popularly classed as ‘good’ are related to poverty, education and time pressure. Using the 2012 UK Poverty and Social Exclusion (PSE) survey we argue that parenting practices such as reading, playing games and eating meals together are not absent among those who are less well educated, have lower incomes or are more deprived of socially accepted necessities: therefore, political claims of widespread ‘poor parenting’ are misplaced. Further, we suggest that the dominant trope of poor people being poor at parenting may arise because the activities of the most educationally advantaged parents – who do look different to the majority – are accepted as the benchmark against whom others are assessed. This leads us to suggest that the renewed interest in sociological research on elites should be extended to family life in order that the exceptionality of the most privileged is recognised and analysed.