bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, photophysical studies and 1O2 generation of ruthenium phthalocyanine dendrimers
Authors: Setaro Francesca , Ruiz-González Rubén , Nonell Santi , Hahn Uwe , Torres Tomás
Published: April 2016

A series of ruthenium phthalocyanine centered dendrimers has been prepared with up to 32 ethyl ester end groups. The photophysical properties have been assessed in THF to reveal a correlation between the degree of dendritic environment and the ability to generate singlet oxygen. In the attempt to prepare the correponding highly water-soluble polyelectrolyte dendrimers upon saponification we observed the cleavage of the central esters moieties adjacent to the pyridine unit in all cases. However, despite the lack of shielding by a growing branched shell surrounding the photoactive center, the obtained tetracarboxylate-terminated ruthenium phthalocyanine derivative was still able to generate singlet oxygen in aqueous medium.
Hong Kong's Modest Economic Growth: Sustained by Domestic Consumption
Authors: ZHANG Yang , TONG Sarah Y
Published: April 2016

Hong Kong's economy grew by 2.4% in 2015, sustained largely by a strong expansion in household consumption. The government took supporting measures, including stronger public spending and tax reduction. The economy has become increasingly interwoven with that of the Mainland and a new bilateral agreement was signed to enhance trade in services. As Hong Kong's economy is likely to face even gloomier climate in 2016, improved physical connections with the Mainland and tighter cooperation are key.
Taiwan's Politics: Fraying at the Dawn of a New Era
Authors: Katherine TSENG Hui-Yi
Published: April 2016

Taiwanese politics in 2015 was overshadowed by party infighting within the ruling Kuomintang, restive social atmosphere due to the Sunflower Movement in 2014 and the uncertainties of a Democrative Progressive Party (DPP) government in May 2016. Cross-strait relations experienced a downturn after China pushed for the 92 consensus to frame future cross-strait policies. The Ma government leaves behind thorny issues in political, economic and legal fields, creating huge challenges for the coming DPP government.
Taiwan's Economy: An Economic Recession in the Making
Authors: CHEN Chien-Hsun
Published: April 2016

Taiwan experienced a sharp deceleration in economic growth in the second quarter of 2015. If Taiwan's exports continue to deteriorate, Taiwan would have to struggle to maintain a one per cent growth rate. Taiwan's economic conundrums mainly lie with its deteriorating industrial structure. Without deepening industrial structural upgrades and reforms in the information and communications technology sector in particular, Taiwan will lose its international competitive advantage.
South Korea's Economy: Moderate Expansion Fuelled by Stimulus Policies
Authors: CHIANG Min-Hua
Published: April 2016

South Korea's gross domestic product expanded 2.6% in 2015, from 3.3% in 2014. The feeble private consumption following the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak and slumping exports held down growth. The unclear export prospect has led Korean policymakers to remain dependent on extra government spending for maintaining growth in 2016. In the long run, its growth will depend on its shift from exporting intermediate goods to high technology intensive products and high value-added services.
Tumor Cell Invasion—Not All Barriers Are Created Equal
Authors: Welch Danny R.
Published: April 2016

The importance of invasion in the complex process of metastasis, although now well established, has been studied with increasing molecular detail due to the development of robust in vitro experimental assays. In this issue of Cancer Research, we highlight a paper published by George Poste and colleagues that compared and contrasted several different invasion assays. The authors concluded that various barriers impose different selective pressures and that simply enriching for invasive ability did not necessarily translate into greater metastasis efficiency. Although perhaps obvious now, these findings were surprising when they were published. Certainly, the data highlight the importance of tumor cell–microenvironment interactions and the necessity to interpret experiments taking the context into consideration. Cancer Res; 76(7); 1675–6. ©2016 AACR.

See related article by Poste et al., Cancer Res 1980;40:1636–44.
Results of a Multilevel Intervention Trial to Increase Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Uptake among Adolescent Girls
Authors: Paskett Electra D. , Krok-Schoen Jessica L. , Pennell Michael L. , Tatum Cathy M. , Reiter Paul L. , Peng Juan , Bernardo Brittany M. , Weier Rory C. , Richardson Morgan S. , Katz Mira L.
Published: April 2016

Background: Uptake of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is low in Appalachian Ohio and areas with high cervical cancer rates.

Methods: We conducted a group-randomized trial among 12 counties in Appalachian Ohio randomized to receive either an HPV vaccine (intervention counties) or influenza vaccine (comparison counties) multilevel intervention (MLI). Parents (n = 337) who had a daughter aged 9 to 17 years who had not received the HPV vaccine were recruited from commercial lists. Clinics (N = 24) and 119 providers from these clinics were also recruited. The primary outcome was medical record–confirmed receipt of the first shot of the HPV vaccine 3 months after receiving the intervention among daughters of parents enrolled in the study. Secondary outcomes included receipt of the first HPV vaccine shot by 6 months and changes in provider knowledge.

Results: According to medical records, 10 (7.7%) daughters of intervention participants received the first shot of the HPV vaccine within 3 months of being sent the intervention materials compared with 4 (3.2%) daughters of comparison group participants (P = 0.061). By 6 months, 17 (13.1%) daughters of intervention participants received the first HPV vaccine shot compared with eight (6.5%) daughters of comparison group participants (P = 0.002). Provider knowledge about HPV increased (P < 0.001, from baseline to after education).

Conclusions: The MLI increased uptake of the HPV vaccine among girls aged 9 to 17 years; however, uptake was low.

Impact: To improve HPV vaccine uptake, attention to additional levels of influence (e.g., policy, community) and more elements within levels (e.g., reminders, automated prompts) may be needed. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(4); 593–602. ©2016 AACR.

See all articles in this CEBP Focus section, “Multilevel Approaches to Addressing Cancer Health Disparities.”
Simulated Microgravity Modulates Differentiation Processes of Embryonic Stem Cells
Authors: Shinde Vaibhav , Brungs Sonja , Henry Margit , Wegener Lucia , Nemade Harshal , Rotshteyn Tamara , Acharya Aviseka , Baumstark-Khan Christa , Hellweg Christine E. , Hescheler Jürgen , Hemmersbach Ruth , Sachinidis Agapios
Published: April 2016

Background/Aims: Embryonic developmental studies under microgravity conditions in space are very limited. To study the effects of altered gravity on the embryonic development processes we established an in vitro methodology allowing differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) under simulated microgravity within a fast-rotating clinostat (clinorotation) and capture of microarray-based gene signatures. Methods: The differentiating mESCs were cultured in a 2D pipette clinostat. The microarray and bioinformatics tools were used to capture genes that are deregulated by simulated microgravity and their impact on developmental biological processes. Results: The data analysis demonstrated that differentiation of mESCs in pipettes for 3 days resultet to early germ layer differentiation and then to the different somatic cell types after further 7 days of differentiation in the Petri dishes. Clinorotation influences differentiation as well as non-differentiation related biological processes like cytoskeleton related 19 genes were modulated. Notably, simulated microgravity deregulated genes Cyr61, Thbs1, Parva, Dhrs3, Jun, Tpm1, Fzd2 and Dll1 are involved in heart morphogenesis as an acute response on day 3. If the stem cells were further cultivated under normal gravity conditions (1 g) after clinorotation, the expression of cardiomyocytes specific genes such as Tnnt2, Rbp4, Tnni1, Csrp3, Nppb and Mybpc3 on day 10 was inhibited. This correlated well with a decreasing beating activity of the 10-days old embryoid bodies (EBs). Finally, we captured Gadd45g, Jun, Thbs1, Cyr61and Dll1 genes whose expressions were modulated by simulated microgravity and by real microgravity in various reported studies. Simulated microgravity also deregulated genes belonging to the MAP kinase and focal dhesion signal transduction pathways. Conclusion: One of the most prominent biological processes affected by simulated microgravity was the process of cardiomyogenesis. The most significant simulated microgravity-affected genes, signal transduction pathways, and biological processes which are relevant for mESCs differentiation have been identified and discussed below.
Behaviour of the Biological Adhesives TachoSil®, GelitaSpon®, and a New Elastic Cyanoacrylate (Adhflex®) in Experimental Renal Trauma and Wound Healing
Authors: Lloris-Carsí José Miguel , García-Cerdá David , Prieto-Moure Beatriz , Barrios Carlos , Martín-Ballester Antonio B. , Cejalvo-Lapeña Dolores
Published: April 2016

Background: Renal injuries are relatively frequent in abdominal trauma. In some cases, adhesives and sealants can be used to repair and preserve injured organs. This paper describes the behaviour of three biomaterials - TachoSil®, GelitaSpon®, and a new elastic cyanoacrylate (CyA), Adhflex® - in standardized experimental renal injuries. Methods: Ninety male Wistar rats (300-350 g) were used. A Stiefel Biopsy Punch (8 mm diameter, 3 mm depth) was used to create injuries to the anterior kidney to evaluate wound healing. The animals were divided into five groups: (1) sham (n = 3); (2) control (n = 6), untreated, standard punch injury created on the anterior left kidney; (3) TachoSil® (n = 27), punch injury treated with TachoSil®; (4) GelitaSpon® (n = 27), punch injury treated with GelitaSpon®, and (5) Adhflex® (n = 27), punch injury treated with the new elastic CyA adhesive. The parameters studied were bleeding time, peritoneal adhesions, and histopathological evaluation of wound healing on days 2, 6, and 18, including measurements of the gap between wound edges, inflammatory reaction (CD68), and vascular neoformation (CD31). Results: The bleeding time was significantly shorter (27.7 ± 12.9 s) in the Adhflex® group than in the control (135.8 ± 11.6 s; p < 0.01), TachoSil® (77.5 ± 7.4 s; p < 0.05), and GelitaSpon® (82.5 ± 14.4 s; p < 0.05) groups. The incidence of intraperitoneal adhesions in the animals treated with Adhflex® was 3.6 times higher than in the non-treated group. It was also higher (p < 0.04) than in the groups treated with TachoSil® and GelitaSpon®. The time point with the largest gap between the wound edges and most abundant granulation tissue was at day 6. The largest gap after 18 days was reported for the Adhflex® adhesive. With regard to the markers CD31 and CD68, Adhflex® showed the largest areas 2 days after surgery, but no differences were found after 6 and 18 days versus the other treatments. The expression of the immunomarkers on the renal samples treated with Adhflex® was consistent with a normal healing process. Conclusions: In this experimental model of renal injuries, the new elastic CyA (Adhflex®) resulted in the shortest bleeding time. It offers rapid sealing of the bleeding produced by renal injuries, fixation to adjacent tissues, and reduced occurrences of relapse. The evolution of the scarring is similar to other procedures. Given that traumatic renal injuries are always an emergency due to haemorrhage, Adhflex® might offer additional benefits over conventional treatment methods in human clinical practice.
Ephrin-B/EphB Signaling Is Required for Normal Innervation of Lingual Gustatory Papillae
Authors: Treffy Randall William , Collins David , Hoshino Natalia , Ton Son , Katsevman Gennadiy Aleksandrovich , Oleksiak Michael , Runge Elizabeth Marie , Cho David , Russo Matthew , Spec Andrej , Gomulka Jennifer , Henkemeyer Mark , Rochlin Michael William
Published: April 2016

The innervation of taste buds is an excellent model system for studying the guidance of axons during targeting because of their discrete nature and the high fidelity of innervation. The pregustatory epithelium of fungiform papillae is known to secrete diffusible axon guidance cues such as BDNF and Sema3A that attract and repel, respectively, geniculate ganglion axons during targeting, but diffusible factors alone are unlikely to explain how taste axon terminals are restricted to their territories within the taste bud. Nondiffusible cell surface proteins such as Ephs and ephrins can act as receptors and/or ligands for one another and are known to control axon terminal positioning in several parts of the nervous system, but they have not been studied in the gustatory system. We report that ephrin-B2 linked β-galactosidase staining and immunostaining was present along the dorsal epithelium of the mouse tongue as early as embryonic day 15.5 (E15.5), but was not detected at E14.5, when axons first enter the epithelium. Ephrin-B1 immunolabeling was barely detected in the epithelium and found at a somewhat higher concentration in the mesenchyme subjacent to the epithelium. EphB1 and EphB2 were detected in lingual sensory afferents in vivo and geniculate neurites in vitro. Ephrin-B1 and ephrin-B2 were similarly effective in repelling or suppressing outgrowth by geniculate neurites in vitro. These in vitro effects were independent of the neurotrophin used to promote outgrowth, but were reduced by elevated levels of laminin. In vivo, mice null for EphB1 and EphB2 exhibited decreased gustatory innervation of fungiform papillae. These data provide evidence that ephrin-B forward signaling is necessary for normal gustatory innervation of the mammalian tongue.
Secondary Hyperparathyroidism in End-Stage Renal Disease: No Longer a Matter for Surgeons?
Authors: Cozzolino Mario , Elli Francesca , Carugo Stefano , Ciceri Paola
Published: April 2016

Hyperphosphatemia, hypocalcemia and vitamin D deficiency are the main factors involved in the pathogenesis of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). Moreover, the skeletal resistance to parathyroid hormone is not only a high-turnover bone accompanying SHPT, but may also play a crucial role in the onset of low-turnover bone disease in uremia. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that other hormones play a key role in this disease, such as fibroblast growth factor 23, Klotho and sclerostin. SHPT causes both bone-associated and non-skeletal consequences, including cardiovascular calcifications. Furthermore, vitamin D and calcium (Ca)-containing phosphate binders may increase Ca load. Anyway, the rate of parathyroidectomy in end-stage renal disease has greatly decreased during the last decade. Is there any room left for surgeons?
Primary Ewing's Sarcoma/Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor of Kidney with Caval Involvement in a Pregnant Woman
Authors: Ding Yinghui , Huang Zhenlin , Ding Yafei , Jia Zhankui , Gu Chaohui , Xue Rui , Yang Jinjian
Published: April 2016

In this article, we report the case of a woman in whom was found an abdominal mass during pregnancy and who underwent nephrectomy and extraction of the emboli after delivery. The kidney had a volume of 15 × 10 × 8 cm and pathological diagnosis was primary Ewing's sarcoma. The patient was treated with conventional chemotherapy for 1 year after surgery, at which time multiple metastases were found. From this case, we surmise that hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy may accelerate the growth of Ewing's sarcoma of the kidney, suggesting that renal tumors in pregnant women demand serious attention and that anti-cancer treatment should begin as soon as possible.
Relationship Between Low Relative Muscle Mass and Coronary Artery Calcification in Healthy Adults
Authors: Ko Byung-Joon , Chang Yoosoo , Jung Hyun-Suk , Yun Kyung Eun , Kim Chan-Won , Park Hye Soon , Chung Eun Chul , Shin Hocheol , Ryu Seungho
Published: April 2016

Objective—

Sarcopenia or low muscle mass is related to cardiovascular risk factors; however, the association between low muscle mass and subclinical atherosclerosis has been largely unexplored. We investigated whether muscle mass is related to coronary artery calcification (CAC) in a large sample of middle-aged asymptomatic adults.

Approach and Results—

We performed a cross-sectional study of 31 108 asymptomatic adults without cancer, diabetes mellitus, or known cardiovascular disease who underwent a health checkup examination including cardiac tomography estimation of CAC scores between 2012 and 2013. Skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) [SMI (%)=total skeletal muscle mass (kg)/body weight (kg)×100] was estimated using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer. We assessed the relationship between SMI and CAC scores using both multivariate-adjusted Tobit models and multinomial logistic regression models. Of the 31 108 subjects, 3374 subjects (10.9%) had a CAC score 1 to 100, and 628 subjects (2.0%) had a CAC score >100. SMI was inversely associated with CAC score ratios. Specifically, in a multivariable-adjusted model adjusting for potential confounders, CAC score ratios (95% confidence intervals) of SMI for quartiles 1, 2, and 3 compared with quartile 4 were 2.27 (1.70–3.05), 1.46 (1.15–1.85), and 1.24 (0.98–1.55), respectively (
P
for trend <0.001). Adjusting for insulin resistance reduced the magnitude of the associations, but they remained statistically significant.

Conclusions—

Relative muscle mass was negatively associated with the prevalence of coronary calcification, supporting low muscle mass as an independent risk factor of coronary heart disease.
Efficacy of Alteplase in a Mouse Model of Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Orset Cyrille , Haelewyn Benoit , Allan Stuart M. , Ansar Saema , Campos Francesco , Cho Tae Hee , Durand Anne , El Amki Mohamad , Fatar Marc , Garcia-Yébenes Isaac , Gauberti Maxime , Grudzenski Saskia , Lizasoain Ignacio , Lo Eng , Macrez Richard , Margaill Isabelle , Maysami Samaneh , Meairs Stephen , Nighoghossian Norbert , Orbe Josune , Paramo Jose Antonio , Parienti Jean-Jacques , Rothwell Nancy J. , Rubio Marina , Waeber Christian , Young Alan R. , Touzé Emmanuel , Vivien Denis
Published: April 2016

Background and Purpose—

The debate over the fact that experimental drugs proposed for the treatment of stroke fail in the translation to the clinical situation has attracted considerable attention in the literature. In this context, we present a retrospective pooled analysis of a large data set from preclinical studies, to examine the effects of early versus late administration of intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator.

Methods—

We collected data from 26 individual studies from 9 international centers (13 researchers; 716 animals) that compared recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator with controls, in a unique mouse model of thromboembolic stroke induced by an in situ injection of thrombin into the middle cerebral artery. Studies were classified into early (<3 hours) versus late (≥3 hours) drug administration. Final infarct volumes, assessed by histology or magnetic resonance imaging, were compared in each study, and the absolute differences were pooled in a random-effect meta-analysis. The influence of time of administration was tested.

Results—

When compared with saline controls, early recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator administration was associated with a significant benefit (absolute difference, −6.63 mm
3
; 95% confidence interval, −9.08 to −4.17;
I
2
=76%), whereas late recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator treatment showed a deleterious effect (+5.06 mm
3
; 95% confidence interval, +2.78 to +7.34;
I
2
=42%;
P
int
<0.00001). Results remained unchanged after subgroup analyses.

Conclusions—

Our results provide the basis needed for the design of future preclinical studies on recanalization therapies using this model of thromboembolic stroke in mice. The power analysis reveals that a multicenter trial would require 123 animals per group instead of 40 for a single-center trial.
Access to Endovascular Treatment in Remote Areas
Authors: Pérez de la Ossa Natalia , Abilleira Sònia , Dorado Laura , Urra Xabier , Ribó Marc , Cardona Pere , Giralt Eva , Martí-Fàbregas Joan , Purroy Francisco , Serena Joaquín , Cánovas David , Garcés Moisés , Krupinski Jurek , Pellisé Anna , Saura Júlia , Molina Carlos , Dávalos Antoni , Gallofré Miquel , Delgado Mederos R , Martínez Domeño A , Marín Bueno R , Roquer J , Rodríguez-Campello A , Ois Á , Jiménez-Conde J , Cuadrado-Godia E , Guimaraens L , Chamorro A , Obach V , Amaro S , Macho JM , Blasco J , San Roman Manzanera L , López A , Martínez-Yélamos A , Quesada H , Lara B , Cayuela N , Aja L , de Miquel MA , Mora P , Rubiera M , Pagola J , Rodríguez-Luna D , Muchada M , Tomasello A , Coscojuela P , Millán M , Gomis M , López-Cancio E , Castaño C , Remollo S , Del Carmen Garcia M , Estela J , Perendreu J , Huertas S , Nicolás MC , Gómez-Choco M , García S , Martínez R , Sanahuja J , Castellanos M , Silva Y , van Eendenburg C , Marés R , Ustrell X , Baiges J , Soler Insa JM , Aragonés JM , Cocho Calderón L , Otermin P , Palomeras E
Published: April 2016

Background and Purpose—

Since demonstration of the benefit of endovascular treatment (EVT) in acute ischemic stroke patients with proximal arterial occlusion, stroke care systems need to be reorganized to deliver EVT in a timely and equitable way. We analyzed differences in the access to EVT by geographical areas in Catalonia, a territory with a highly decentralized stroke model.

Methods—

We studied 965 patients treated with EVT from a prospective multicenter population-based registry of stroke patients treated with reperfusion therapies in Catalonia, Spain (SONIIA). Three different areas were defined: (A) health areas primarily covered by Comprehensive Stroke Centers, (B) areas primarily covered by local stroke centers located less than hour away from a Comprehensive Stroke Center, and (C) areas primarily covered by local stroke centers located more than hour away from a Comprehensive Stroke Center. We compared the number of EVT×100 000 inhabitants/year and time from stroke onset to groin puncture between groups.

Results—

Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. Throughout the study period, there were significant differences in the population rates of EVT across geographical areas. EVT rates by 100 000 in 2015 were 10.5 in A area, 3.7 in B, and 2.7 in C. Time from symptom onset to groin puncture was 82 minutes longer in group B (312 minutes [245–435]) and 120 minutes longer in group C (350 minutes [284–408]) compared with group A (230 minutes [160–407];
P
<0.001).

Conclusions—

Accessibility to EVT from remote areas is hampered by lower rate and longer time to treatment compared with areas covered directly by Comprehensive Stroke Centers.
Colonial Laws: Sources, Strategies and Lessons?
Authors: Koskenniemi Martti
Published: April 2016

The essay enquires into the nature of the ‘colonial laws’ that colonial powers (Spain, France, Britain, Germany, Italy) enacted to govern the populations of their overseas territories. The focus is on the hybrid character of that law between (public) international law and domestic (administrative) law. Hybridity served to protect colonial rule from being critiqued by international criteria while enabling treating colonial populations by standards different from those applied to citizens. The essay asks the question to what extent today’s new laws in Europe that seek to deal with aliens might seek a similar hybridity.
A Hybrid Index for Characterizing Drought Based on a Nonparametric Kernel Estimator
Authors: Huang Shengzhi , Huang Qiang , Leng Guoyong , Chang Jianxia
Published: April 2016

This study develops a nonparametric multivariate drought index, namely, the nonparametric multivariate standardized drought index (NMSDI), by considering the variations of both precipitation and streamflow. Building upon previous efforts in constructing nonparametric multivariate drought index, the nonparametric kernel estimator is used to derive the joint distribution of precipitation and streamflow, thus providing additional insights into drought-index development. The proposed NMSDI is applied in the Wei River basin (WRB), on the basis of which the drought-evolution characteristics are investigated. Three main results were found: 1) In general, NMSDI captures drought onset in a way that is similar to that of the standardized precipitation index and captures drought termination and persistence in a way that is similar to that of the standardized streamflow index. The drought events identified by NMSDI match well with historical drought records in the WRB. Performance is also consistent with that of an existing multivariate standardized drought index at various time scales, confirming the validity of the newly constructed NMSDI in drought detections. 2) An increasing risk of drought has been detected for past decades and will persist to a certain extent in the future in most areas of the WRB. 3) The identified changepoints of annual NMSDI are mainly concentrated in the early 1970s and mid-1990s, coincident with extensive water use and soil conservation practices. In summary, this study highlights a nonparametric multivariable drought index that can efficiently and comprehensively be used for drought detections and predictions.
Observed Signatures of the Barotropic and Baroclinic Annular Modes in Cloud Vertical Structure and Cloud Radiative Effects
Authors: Li Ying , Thompson David W. J.
Published: April 2016

The signatures of large-scale annular variability on the vertical structure of clouds and cloud radiative effects are examined in vertically resolved CloudSat and other satellite and reanalysis data products. The northern and southern “barotropic” annular modes (the NAM and SAM) have a complex vertical structure. Both are associated with a meridional dipole in clouds between subpolar and middle latitudes, but the sign of the anomalies changes between upper, middle, and lower tropospheric levels. In contrast, the northern and southern baroclinic annular modes have a much simpler vertical structure. Both are linked to same-signed anomalies in clouds extending throughout the troposphere at middle to high latitudes. The changes in cloud incidence associated with both the barotropic and baroclinic annular modes are consistent with dynamical forcing by the attendant changes in static stability and/or vertical motion. The results also provide the first observational estimates of the vertically resolved atmospheric cloud radiative effects associated with hemispheric-scale extratropical variability. In general, the anomalies in atmospheric cloud radiative effects associated with the annular modes peak in the middle to upper troposphere, and are consistent with the anomalous trapping of longwave radiation by variations in upper tropospheric clouds. The southern baroclinic annular mode gives rise to periodic behavior in longwave cloud radiative effects at the top of the atmosphere averaged over Southern Hemisphere midlatitudes.
Separation of Short Time Series of Currents into “Fluctuations,” “Tides,” and “Mean” Flow
Authors: Gargett Ann E. , Savidge Dana K.
Published: April 2016

With standard low-frequency velocity data from current meter moorings, pressure gradient–driven mean flow is determined by low-pass filtering, while tides are estimated by fitting tidal constituents, with accuracy and numbers of constituents determined by record length. With the advent of higher-frequency measurements from cabled coastal ocean observatories, current data also include supertidal variability (fluctuation) associated with a variety of turbulent and internal wave processes. To examine the relationships of such fluctuations to variability of the tides and/or potentially time-variable mean flows within which they are embedded, it is highly desirable to find a method whereby these flow components can be separated over relatively short periods of intensified event-scale forcing. A method is presented that first isolates “fluctuations” and then separates the remaining longer time-scale variability into “tides” and a remaining “mean,” without recourse to extraction of a fitted tide with the error inherent in such a fit over short data records.
Evaluating Tropical Cyclone Forecasts from the NCEP Global Ensemble Forecasting System (GEFS) Reforecast Version 2
Authors: Li Weiwei , Wang Zhuo , Peng Melinda S.
Published: April 2016

Tropical cyclone (TC) forecasts from the NCEP Global Ensemble Forecasting System (GEFS) Reforecast version 2 (1985–2012) were evaluated from the climate perspective, with a focus on tropical cyclogenesis. Although the GEFS captures the climatological seasonality of tropical cyclogenesis over different ocean basins reasonably well, large errors exist on the regional scale. As different genesis pathways are dominant over different ocean basins, genesis biases are related to biases in different aspects of the large-scale or synoptic-scale circulations over different basins. The negative genesis biases over the western North Pacific are associated with a weaker-than-observed monsoon trough in the GEFS, the erroneous genesis pattern over the eastern North Pacific is related to a southward displacement of the ITCZ, and the positive genesis biases near the Cape Verde islands and negative biases farther downstream over the Atlantic can be attributed to the hyperactive Africa easterly waves in the GEFS. The interannual and subseasonal variability of TC activity in the reforecasts was also examined to evaluate the potential skill of the GEFS in providing subseasonal and seasonal predictions. The GEFS skillfully captures the interannual variability of TC activity over the North Pacific and the North Atlantic, which can be attributed to the modulation of TCs by the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Atlantic meridional mode (AMM). The GEFS shows promising skill in predicting the active and inactive periods of TC activity over the Atlantic. The skill, however, has large fluctuations from year to year. The analysis presented herein suggests possible impacts of ENSO, the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), and the AMM on the TC subseasonal predictability.
Expressed emotion in panic disorder: Relationship with demographic and clinical variables and quality of life
Authors: Demir Meral Oran , Yıldız Mesut , Batmaz Sedat , Semiz Murat , Songur Emrah , Çakmak Selcen , Demir Osman
Published: April 2016

Objective:

Expressed emotion (EE) predicts the outcome of treatment in patients with anxiety disorders. We aimed to investigate the relationship between EE and demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with panic disorder (PD), to determine whether there is a difference between PD, major depressive disorder (MDD) patients and healthy controls (HC) in terms of EE and to investigate the effect of EE on quality of life (QOL) in patients with PD.

Methods:

Our study involved a total of 150 participants (50 patients in each group). All participants were given the Level of Expressed Emotion (LEE) scale and the short-form health survey (SF)-36 . Furthermore, the EE scale was completed by the participant’s key relatives.

Results:

EE was associated with some sociodemographic and clinical variables in patients with PD. There was no significant difference between PD and MDD and between PD and HC in terms of the LEE and the EE and their subscale scores. It was also demonstrated that EE had no effect on the QOL in patients with PD.

Conclusion:

EE was not different in PD compared to MDD and HC. Additionally, EE was not related to QOL in PD.
After Dodd-Frank
Authors: Ziegler J. Nicholas , Woolley John T.
Published: April 2016

The financial crisis of 2008 raised the politics of regulation to a new level of practical and scholarly attention. We find that recent reforms in U.S. financial markets hinge on intellectual resources and new organizational actors that are missing from existing concepts of regulatory capture or business power. In particular, small advocacy groups have proven significantly more successful in opposing the financial services industry than existing theories predict. By maintaining the salience of reform goals, elaborating new analytic frameworks, and deploying specialized expertise in post-enactment debates, smaller organizations have contributed to a diffuse but often decisive network of pro-reform actors. Through the rule-writing process for macroprudential supervision and derivatives trading, these small organizations coalesced with other groups to form a new stability alliance that has so far prevented industry groups from dominating financial regulation to the degree that occurred in earlier cases of regulatory reform.
Adaptive time-delay control with a supervising switching technique for robot manipulators
Authors: Cho Seung-Jae , Lee Jin S , Kim Jinwook , Kuc Tae-Yong , Chang Pyung-Hun , Jin Maolin
Published: April 2016

This paper presents adaptive time-delay control (TDC) with a supervising switching technique (SST) for controlling robot manipulators. Two adaptive techniques are used to enhance the TDC. The control gain of TDC is adaptively tuned using a class of Nussbaum functions. With Nussbaum functions, compared with conventional TDC using a constant gain, the proposed control using Nussbaum functions can deal with inertia parameter variations due to the movement of a robot manipulator. The SST is used to deal with discontinuous disturbances. The proposed control is model-free, highly accurate, robust and adaptive.
The Association Between Relational Aggression and Perceived Popularity in Early Adolescence: A Test of Competing Hypotheses
Authors: Gangel Meghan J. , Keane Susan P. , Calkins Susan D. , Shanahan Lilly , O’Brien Marion
Published: April 2016

This study examined two competing hypotheses regarding the moderators of the association between relational aggression and peer status in early adolescence. The mitigation relational aggression hypothesis examined whether positive social behaviors reduced the negative effects of relational aggression, thus amplifying the association between relational aggression and perceived popularity. The effective use of relational aggression hypothesis examined whether leadership skills facilitated the proficient use of relational aggression, thus amplifying the association between relational aggression and perceived popularity. Participants were 158 fifth graders (52% female). Post hoc analyses indicated that for girls, leadership significantly moderated the association between relational aggression and perceived popularity after controlling for positive social behaviors. Positive social behaviors did not similarly moderate the association between relational aggression and perceived popularity for boys or girls. Our results demonstrated that in the context of greater leadership, female early adolescents who used more relational aggression were perceived as more popular.
Pathology and Epidemiology of Stillbirth in New Zealand Sea Lions (Phocarctos hookeri) From Enderby Island, Auckland Islands, 1998–2012
Authors: Michael S. A. , Chilvers B. L. , Hunter S. A. , Duignan P. , Roe W.
Published: April 2016

Stillbirth is a small and often cryptic fraction of neonatal mortality in mammals including pinnipeds. As part of an investigation into the poor reproductive success of the endangered New Zealand sea lion ( Phocarctos hookeri), archived tissues from 37 stillborn pups born on Enderby Island between 1998 and 2012 were examined using histopathological techniques. Apart from bronchopneumonia with neutrophilic infiltration in 4 cases, few inflammatory conditions were identified in stillborn pups. However, 27/32 (84%) stillborn pups had aspirated squames present in the respiratory tract, without meconium. It is unclear if this finding represents fetal distress during parturition or whether it is a normal finding for this species. Three pups lacked histological evidence of hepatic glycogen storage, which may indicate placental defects or maternal undernutrition. No evidence of infectious disease was found on histopathological analysis, consistent with the low seroprevalence in New Zealand of infections known to cause reproductive failure in other pinniped species. This study forms an important baseline for further examination of stillborn New Zealand sea lion pups, as pup mortality is investigated as a contributor to the species’ decline.
Strengthening engineering design skills of first-year university students under resources constraints
Authors: Kojmane Jihane , Aboutajeddine Ahmed
Published: April 2016

The 21st century global competition has emphasized design of innovative products and solutions as the core competency requested today in the job market for engineers. To produce good design thinkers, design activities must be implemented in engineering curriculums, and have to start at early years. In this prospect, many leading universities have launched many interesting initiatives. These initiatives are, however, arduous for implementation in the context of universities in the developing countries due to deep-rooted local constraints, like shortage of financial and skilled human resources. Therefore, some tailored design learning initiatives, taking into account these constraints, have to be developed. In this context, a cost-effective project has been designed and implemented, in our faculty, to early introduce mechanical engineering students, in their first years, to engineering design. The proposed project was designed with respect to a proposed framework of desired engineering design competencies in conjunction with concerns for overcoming constraints and barriers of implementation context. The project encompasses two successive activities for the first and second years. The first activity plunges the students in a design thinking approach to create robotic applications using only cost-effective robotic kits. The second activity is dedicated to the design, analysis, and building of mechanical systems using only commonly used materials and cheap open hardware devices. Through this project, the students significantly improved some targeted skills as creative problem solving, communication, and teamwork. Finally, the project is thought to be valuable for all universities with similar context of limited resources.
The Colonial State and Resource Frontiers
Authors: Majumdar Aparajita
Published: April 2016

The article, through an investigation of a plethora of colonial reports, correspondences and petitions, attempts to build a history of frontier spaces invested in resource appropriation. Discovered in the forests of the northeastern tracts of British India in the early nineteenth century, rubber entailed the culmination of a resource frontier whose effects simultaneously produced the disruptive as well as the dialogical in a multiplicity of extractive as well as non-extractive activities. As the material intricacies of appropriating rubber located beyond the assumed political boundary of the colonial state littered the frontier geography with strange institutions and legal apparatus, there circulated at the same time certain ideas and perceptions that wove the region and its people within an ideological geography that increasingly rationalised the operative intentionality of the resource frontier. The effects noted, sometimes through the violent outbursts of military combat and sometimes through the discursive politics of petition writing, bring forth the complexities that the project of rubber appropriation unfolded for the region.
Accumulation by Dispossession: A Marxist History of the Formation of the English Premier League
Authors: Karak Anirban
Published: April 2016

The decade of the 1980s witnessed massive changes in the internal structure and functioning of English football.1 Several rules, instituted during the infancy of the professional game to limit profit-making, were overturned with remarkable rapidity within the space of a few years, culminating in the formation of the English Premier League (EPL) in 1992. In this paper, I engage with two questions. One, why and how was the century-old structure of English football so rapidly transformed and what were the consequences? Two, what sort of Marxian theoretical framework can we use to understand the historical trajectory of English football? With respect to the former, I follow David Harvey’s analysis of neoliberal strategies used to restore upper-class dominance to argue that the formation of the EPL can be interpreted as another instance of accumulation by dispossession, one among myriad attempts to solve the profitability crisis of the 1970s by creating an avenue for financial speculation in football clubs. Together with the deregulation of television, it converted football from a domain formerly regarded as “off-limits to the calculus of profitability” into a “business proper.” In terms of a theoretical framework, I propose that it is useful to think of football as serving global capitalism in a dual manner: as an avenue for accumulation (the accumulation function) and as a tool for legitimizing capitalist rule by producing alienated consciousness in society (the legitimation function).
Novel De Novo Mutations in KIF1A as a Cause of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia With Progressive Central Nervous System Involvement
Authors: Hotchkiss Leslie , Donkervoort Sandra , Leach Meganne E. , Mohassel Payam , Bharucha-Goebel Diana X. , Bradley Nathaniel , Nguyen David , Hu Ying , Gurgel-Giannetti Juliana , Bönnemann Carsten G.
Published: April 2016

Hereditary spastic paraplegias are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by lower extremity spasticity and weakness. Recently, the first de novo mutations in KIF1A were identified in patients with an early-onset severe form of complicated hereditary spastic paraplegia. We report two additional patients with novel de novo mutations in KIF1A, hereby expanding the genetic spectrum of KIF1A-related hereditary spastic paraplegia. Both children presented with spastic paraplegia and additional findings of optic nerve atrophy, structural brain abnormalities, peripheral neuropathy, cognitive/language impairment, and never achieved ambulation. In particular, we highlight the progressive nature of cerebellar involvement as captured on sequential magnetic resonance images (MRIs), thus linking the neurodegenerative and spastic paraplegia phenotypes. Exome sequencing in patient 1 and patient 2 identified novel heterozygous missense mutations in KIF1A at c.902G>A (p.R307Q) and c.595G>A (p.G199 R), respectively. Therefore, our report contributes to expanding the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of hereditary spastic paraplegia caused by mutations in KIF1A.
Relationships Between Deprivation and the Self-Reported Health of Older People in Northern Ireland
Authors: Doebler Stefanie , Glasgow Nina
Published: April 2016

Objective: There are few studies on relationships between deprivation and the self-reported health of people aged above 64 years, and no studies fully representative of Northern Ireland’s older population. This article addresses this gap. Method: Deprivation of older people as reported in the 2001 and 2011 Censuses and the relationship with self-reported health are analyzed over a 10-year span using multilevel modeling. The data are from the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study (NILS) linked to 2001-2011 Census returns. Deprivation measures include housing tenure; property value; access to a car; and educational, employment, and area-level income deprivation. Results: Older people suffering deprivation face a significant health disadvantage over a 10-year time span. Discussion: This health disadvantage is stronger in men than in women, likely due to conservative gender roles that are prevalent among Northern Ireland’s older population, leading to psychological distress especially among deprived men. The analysis found strongly significant area-level effects, aggravating the health impact of deprivation.
Conflict in the intensive care unit: Nursing advocacy and surgical agency
Authors: Pecanac Kristen E , Schwarze Margaret L
Published: April 2016

Background:

Nurses and surgeons may experience intra-team conflict during decision making about the use of postoperative life-sustaining treatment in the intensive care unit due to their perceptions of professional roles and responsibilities. Nurses have a sense of advocacy—a responsibility to support the patient’s best interest; surgeons have a sense of agency—a responsibility to keep the patient alive.

Objectives:

The objectives were to (1) describe the discourse surrounding the responsibilities of nurses and surgeons, as “advocates” and “agents,” and (2) apply these findings to determine how differences in role responsibilities could foster conflict during decision making about postoperative life-sustaining treatment in the intensive care unit.

Research design:

Articles, books, and professional documents were explored to obtain descriptions of nurses’ and surgeons’ responsibilities to their patients. Using discourse analysis, responsibilities were grouped into themes and then compared for potential for conflict.

Ethical considerations:

No data were collected from human participants and ethical review was not required. The texts were analyzed by a surgeon and a nurse to minimize profession-centric biases.

Findings:

Four themes in nursing discourse were identified: responsibility to support patient autonomy regarding treatment decisions, responsibility to protect the patient from the physician, responsibility to act as an intermediary between the physician and the patient, and the responsibility to support the well-being of the patient. Three themes in surgery discourse were identified personal responsibility for the patient’s outcome, commitment to patient survival, and the responsibility to prevent harm to the patient from surgery.

Discussion:

These responsibilities may contribute to conflict because each profession is working toward different goals and each believes they know what is best for the patient. It is not clear from the existing literature that either profession understands each other’s responsibilities.

Conclusion:

Interventions that improve understanding of each profession’s responsibilities may be helpful to reduce intra-team conflict in the intensive care unit.
Finding the back of the net: Networks and migrant recruitment in Norwegian football
Authors: Elliott Richard , Gusterud Erik
Published: April 2016

The intention of this paper is to analyse the role that networks play in enabling the recruitment of a group of male migrant professional footballers employed by clubs based in Norway’s top professional football league – the Tippeligaen. Based upon a series of semi-structured interviews conducted with migrants and recruiters, and synthesising concepts derived from the sociology of sport and the broader study of migration, the analysis identifies that the recruitment of migrant workers to Tippeligaen clubs reflects a mix of both formal and informal processes. Whilst agents operate as key actors in the mobilisation of foreign labour, the analysis shows how recruitments in this particular athletic context are also dependent on processes of human mediation facilitated by a series of informal interdependent networks of relationships.