bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hirsutism Caused by Pregnancy Luteoma in a Low-Resource Setting: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Mvunta David Hamisi , Amiji Fatemazahra , Suleiman Mubina , Baraka Francisco , Abdallah Ikrah , Kazabula Mabula , Wangwe Peter J. T. , August Furaha
Published: March 2021

Background. Pregnancy luteomas are rare, benign, ovarian neoplasms resulting from increased androgenic activity during pregnancy. Often, they occur asymptomatically and are only diagnosed incidentally during imaging or surgery: cesarean section or postpartum tubal ligation. Most common symptoms associated with pregnancy luteoma include acne, deepening of voice, hirsutism, and clitoromegaly. Most pregnancy luteomas regress spontaneously postpartum. Thus, the management of pregnancy luteomas depends on the clinical situation. Case. We report a case of 28-year-old gravida 2, para 1 who presented at

39
+
1

weeks of gestation with prolonged labor and delivered by emergency cesarean. Intraoperatively, a huge left ovarian mass was identified and resected, and tissue was sent for histopathology and a diagnosis of pregnancy luteoma was made after the pathological report. Conclusion. The present report emphasizes that pregnancy luteoma is a benign neoplasm and imprudent surgical intervention should be reserved. Proper imaging techniques, preferably MRI or ultrasonography that visualize the size of the ovary and reproductive hormonal profiles, would suffice for the diagnosis and management of pregnancy luteoma.
Robust Switching Gain‐Based Fractional‐Order Sliding Mode Control for Wind‐Powered Microgrids
Authors: Zhou Minghao , Cheng Siwei , Xu Long , Wang Likun , Guo Qingbo , Cai William
Published: March 2021

This study proposes a novel fractional‐order sliding‐mode control strategy with robust switching gain to achieve reliable and high quality of wind‐powered microgrid systems. Three fractional‐order sliding mode controllers are designed to generate continuous control signals and regulate the outer DC‐link voltage loop and inner current loop in the grid‐side inverters. High robustness and stability of the grid‐side inverter can be guaranteed even in the presence of parameter variations and external disturbances. Owing to the fractional‐order sliding manifold and fractional‐order integral control law, the chattering is attenuated. The fractional‐order robust adaptive switching gain is designed to avoid overestimating the upper bound of matched/unmatched uncertainties, save the control energy, and guarantee the rapidity and robustness of the convergence. Simulations validate the proposed method.
The Landscape of Alterations in DNA Damage Response Pathways in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Arai Hiroyuki , Elliott Andrew , Xiu Joanne , Wang Jingyuan , Battaglin Francesca , Kawanishi Natsuko , Soni Shivani , Zhang Wu , Millstein Joshua , Sohal Davendra , Goldberg Richard M. , Hall Michael J. , Scott Aaron J. , Khushman Moh'd , Hwang Jimmy J. , Lou Emil , Weinberg Benjamin A. , Marshall John L. , Lockhart Albert C. , Stafford Phillip , Zhang Jian , Moretto Roberto , Cremolini Chiara , Korn W. Michael , Lenz Heinz-Josef
Published: March 2021

Purpose:

Defective DNA damage response (DDR) is a hallmark of cancer leading to genomic instability and is associated with chemosensitivity. Although the mismatch repair system has been extensively studied, the clinical implications of other mechanisms associated with DDR alterations in patients with colorectal cancer remain unclear. This study aimed to understand DDR pathways alterations and their association with common clinical features in patients with colorectal cancer.

Experimental Design:

Next-generation sequencing and whole-transcriptome sequencing were conducted using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples submitted to a commercial Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments–certified laboratory. Samples with pathogenic or presumed pathogenic mutations in 29 specific DDR-related genes were considered as DDR-mutant (DDR-MT) and the remaining samples as DDR-wild type (DDR-WT).

Results:

Of 9,321 patients with colorectal cancer, 1,290 (13.8%) were DDR-MT. The frequency of DDR-MT was significantly higher in microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) cases than in microsatellite stable cases (76.4% vs. 9.5%). The DDR-MT genotype was higher in the right-sided, RAS-wild, BRAF-mutant, and CMS1 subgroups. However, these associations were primarily confounded by the distribution of MSI status. Compared with the DDR-WT tumors, the DDR-MT tumors had a higher mutational burden and gene expression levels in the immune-related pathway, which were independent of MSI status.

Conclusions:

We characterized a distinct subgroup of patients with colorectal cancer with tumors harboring mutations in the DDR-related genes. These patients more commonly had MSI-H tumors and exhibited an activated immune signature regardless of their tumor's MSI status. These findings warrant further investigations to develop personalized treatment strategies in this significant subgroup of patients with colorectal cancer.
Interim Analysis of the Phase II Study: Noninferiority Study of Doxorubicin with Upfront Dexrazoxane plus Olaratumab for Advanced or Metastatic Soft-Tissue Sarcoma
Authors: Van Tine Brian A. , Hirbe Angela C. , Oppelt Peter , Frith Ashley E. , Rathore Richa , Mitchell Joshua D. , Wan Fei , Berry Shellie , Landeau Michele , Heberton George A. , Gorcsan John , Huntjens Peter R. , Soyama Yoku , Vader Justin M. , Alvarez-Cardona Jose A. , Zhang Kathleen W. , Lenihan Daniel J. , Krone Ronald J.
Published: March 2021

Purpose:

To report the interim analysis of the phase II single-arm noninferiority trial, testing the upfront use of dexrazoxane with doxorubicin on progression-free survival (PFS) and cardiac function in soft-tissue sarcoma (STS).

Patients and Methods:

Patients with metastatic or unresectable STS who were candidates for first-line treatment with doxorubicin were deemed eligible. An interim analysis was initiated after 33 of 65 patients were enrolled. Using the historical control of 4.6 months PFS for doxorubicin in the front-line setting, we tested whether the addition of dexrazoxane affected the efficacy of doxorubicin in STS. The study was powered so that a decrease of PFS to 3.7 months would be considered noninferior. Secondary aims included cardiac-related mortality, incidence of heart failure/cardiomyopathy, and expansion of cardiac monitoring parameters including three-dimensional echocardiography. Patients were allowed to continue on doxorubicin beyond 600 mg/m2 if they were deriving benefit and were not demonstrating evidence of symptomatic cardiac dysfunction.

Results:

At interim analysis, upfront use of dexrazoxane with doxorubicin demonstrated a PFS of 8.4 months (95% confidence interval: 5.1–11.2 months). Only 3 patients were removed from study for cardiotoxicity, all on > 600 mg/m2 doxorubicin. No patients required cardiac hospitalization or had new, persistent cardiac dysfunction with left ventricular ejection fraction remaining below 50%. The median administered doxorubicin dose was 450 mg/m2 (interquartile range, 300–750 mg/m2).

Conclusions:

At interim analysis, dexrazoxane did not reduce PFS in patients with STS treated with doxorubicin. Involvement of cardio-oncologists is beneficial for the monitoring and safe use of high-dose anthracyclines in STS.

See related commentary by Benjamin and Minotti, p. 3809
A Comparison of Patients with Central Precocious Puberty Who Have a Pubertal versus Prepubertal Ultrasensitive LH at Presentation
Authors: Logan Lauren A. , Eugster Erica A.
Published: March 2021

Background: A random ultrasensitive luteinizing hormone (LH) (LH-ICMA) ≥0.3 mIU/L is highly accurate in confirming a diagnosis of central precocious puberty (CPP). However, a prepubertal value does not exclude the diagnosis. The clinical differences between patients with CPP who have a pubertal versus prepubertal LH-ICMA have not been clearly defined. Furthermore, there is minimal information regarding the utility of this test in boys with CPP. The objective of this study was to analyze differences between patients diagnosed with CPP who had a pubertal versus prepubertal LH-ICMA, including a cohort of boys. Methods: A retrospective chart review of children diagnosed with CPP within the last 10 years who had a baseline LH-ICMA obtained was performed. Variables analyzed included sex, age, ethnicity, bone age, BMI, etiology, Tanner stage (TS), testicular volume, and menarchal status. Results: Of 27 boys and 126 girls who qualified for the study, the LH-ICMA was pubertal in 87% and prepubertal in 13%. Girls with a pubertal LH-ICMA had higher baseline estradiol concentrations (p < 0.001) and more advanced breast development (p = 0.015) compared to girls with a prepubertal LH-ICMA. Of girls with a prepubertal LH-ICMA, 74% had at least TS 3 breast development and 1 was post-menarchal. The LH-ICMA was pubertal in 96% of the boys with CPP in this study. Conclusions: The LH-ICMA can be prepubertal even in girls with advanced development. To our knowledge, ours is the largest cohort of boys in whom the accuracy of a random LH-ICMA has been reported.
Estimating Long-Term Health Utility Scores and Expenditures for Cardiovascular Disease From the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
Authors: Morey Jacob R. , Jiang Shangqing , Klein Sharon , Max Wendy , Masharani Umesh , Fleischmann Kirsten E. , Hunink M.G. Myriam , Ferket Bart S.
Published: March 2021

Background:

Long-term health utility scores and costs used in cost-effectiveness analyses of cardiovascular disease prevention and management can be inconsistent, outdated, or invalid for the diverse population of the United States. Our aim was to develop a user friendly, standardized, publicly available code and catalog to derive more valid long-term values for health utility and expenditures following cardiovascular disease events.

Methods:

Individual-level Short Form-12 version 2 health-related quality of life and expenditure data were obtained from the pooled 2011 to 2016 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys. We developed code using the R programming language to estimate preference-weighted Short Form-6D utility scores from the Short Form-12 for quality-adjusted life year calculations and predict annual health care expenditures. Result predictors included cardiovascular disease diagnosis (myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, heart failure, cardiac dysrhythmias, angina pectoris, and peripheral artery disease), sociodemographic factors, and comorbidity variables.

Results:

The cardiovascular disease diagnoses with the lowest utility scores were heart failure (0.635 [95% CI, 0.615–0.655]), angina pectoris (0.649 [95% CI, 0.630–0.667]), and ischemic stroke (0.649 [95% CI, 0.635–0.663]). The highest annual expenditures were for heart failure ($20 764 [95% CI, $17 500–$24 027]), angina pectoris ($18 428 [95% CI, $16 102–$20 754]), and ischemic stroke ($16 925 [95% CI, $15 672–$20 616]).

Conclusions:

The developed code and catalog may improve the quality and comparability of cost-effectiveness analyses by providing standardized methods for extracting long-term health utility scores and expenditures from Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data, which are more current and representative of the US population than previous sources.
ALDH1A3 Coordinates Metabolism With Gene Regulation in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Li Dan , Shao Ning-Yi , Moonen Jan-Renier , Zhao Zhixin , Shi Minyi , Otsuki Shoichiro , Wang Lingli , Nguyen Tiffany , Yan Elaine , Marciano David P. , Contrepois Kévin , Li Caiyun G. , Wu Joseph C. , Snyder Michael P. , Rabinovitch Marlene
Published: March 2021

Background:

Metabolic alterations provide substrates that influence chromatin structure to regulate gene expression that determines cell function in health and disease. Heightened proliferation of smooth muscle cells (SMC) leading to the formation of a neointima is a feature of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and systemic vascular disease. Increased glycolysis is linked to the proliferative phenotype of these SMC.

Methods:

RNA sequencing was applied to pulmonary arterial SMC (PASMC) from PAH patients with and without a BMPR2 (bone morphogenetic receptor 2) mutation versus control PASMC to uncover genes required for their heightened proliferation and glycolytic metabolism. Assessment of differentially expressed genes established metabolism as a major pathway, and the most highly upregulated metabolic gene in PAH PASMC was aldehyde dehydrogenase family 1 member 3 (
ALDH1A3)
, an enzyme previously linked to glycolysis and proliferation in cancer cells and systemic vascular SMC. We determined if these functions are ALDH1A3-dependent in PAH PASMC, and if ALDH1A3 is required for the development of pulmonary hypertension in a transgenic mouse. Nuclear localization of ALDH1A3 in PAH PASMC led us to determine whether and how this enzyme coordinately regulates gene expression and metabolism in PAH PASMC.

Results:

ALDH1A3
mRNA and protein were increased in PAH versus control PASMC, and ALDH1A3 was required for their highly proliferative and glycolytic properties. Mice with
Aldh1a3
deleted in SMC did not develop hypoxia-induced pulmonary arterial muscularization or pulmonary hypertension. Nuclear ALDH1A3 converted acetaldehyde to acetate to produce acetyl coenzyme A to acetylate H3K27, marking active enhancers. This allowed for chromatin modification at NFYA (nuclear transcription factor Y subunit α) binding sites via the acetyltransferase KAT2B (lysine acetyltransferase 2B) and permitted NFY-mediated transcription of cell cycle and metabolic genes that is required for ALDH1A3-dependent proliferation and glycolysis. Loss of BMPR2 in PAH SMC with or without a mutation upregulated ALDH1A3, and transcription of
NFYA
and
ALDH1A3
in PAH PASMC was β-catenin dependent.

Conclusions:

Our studies have uncovered a metabolic-transcriptional axis explaining how dividing cells use ALDH1A3 to coordinate their energy needs with the epigenetic and transcriptional regulation of genes required for SMC proliferation. They suggest that selectively disrupting the pivotal role of ALDH1A3 in PAH SMC, but not endothelial cells, is an important therapeutic consideration.
Creation and Validation of a Novel Sex‐Specific Mortality Risk Score in LVAD Recipients
Authors: Nayak Aditi , Hu Yingtian , Ko Yi‐An , Steinberg Rebecca , Das Subrat , Mehta Anurag , Liu Chang , Pennington John , Xie Rongbing , Kirklin James K. , Kormos Robert L. , Cowger Jennifer , Simon Marc A. , Morris Alanna A.
Published: March 2021

Background

Prior studies have shown that women have worse 3‐month survival after receiving a left ventricular assist device compared with men. Currently used prognostic scores, including the Heartmate II Risk Score, do not account for the increased residual risk in women. We used the IMACS (International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support) registry to create and validate a sex‐specific risk score for early mortality in left ventricular assist device recipients.

Methods and Results

Adult patients with a continuous‐flow LVAD from the IMACS registry were randomly divided into a derivation cohort (DC; n=9113; 21% female) and a validation cohort (VC; n=6074; 21% female). The IMACS Risk Score was developed in the DC to predict 3‐month mortality, from preoperative candidate predictors selected using the Akaike information criterion, or significant sex × variable interaction. In the DC, age, cardiogenic shock at implantation, body mass index, blood urea nitrogen, bilirubin, hemoglobin, albumin, platelet count, left ventricular end‐diastolic diameter, tricuspid regurgitation, dialysis, and major infection before implantation were retained as significant predictors of 3‐month mortality. There was significant ischemic heart failure × sex and platelet count × sex interaction. For each quartile increase in IMACS risk score, men (odds ratio [OR], 1.86; 95% CI, 1.74–2.00;
P
<0.0001), and women (OR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.47–2.59;
P
<0.0001) had higher odds of 3‐month mortality. The IMACS risk score represented a significant improvement over Heartmate II Risk Score (IMACS risk score area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: men: DC, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.69–0.73; VC, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.66–0.72; women: DC, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.70–0.77; VC, 0.71 [95% CI, 0.66–0.76;
P
<0.01 for improvement in receiver operating characteristic) and provided excellent risk calibration in both sexes. Removal of sex‐specific interaction terms resulted in significant loss of model fit.

Conclusions

A sex‐specific risk score provides excellent risk prediction in LVAD recipients.
Do male Boana goiana (Lutz, 1968) (Anura: Hylidae) discriminate between the calls of neighbours and strangers?
Authors: Morais Alessandro R. , Siqueira Mariana N. , Márquez Rafael , Bastos Rogério P.
Published: March 2021

Neighbour-stranger discrimination is an important mechanism in social behaviour, as it allows the individual to avoid the high energetic costs of repeated agonistic interactions with neighbours. In some anuran species, the owners of territories respond more aggressively towards strangers than neighbours. Here, we investigated whether gladiator frog, Boana goiana, males discriminate between neighbours and strangers. This is a lek-breeding species; therefore, it does not defend fixed territories which are associated with a specific resource. We conducted a playback field experiment with a repeated-measures design, based on three treatments: (i) neighbour’s call in initial position, (ii) stranger’s call in initial position, and (iii) neighbour’s call in new position. We did not observe any systematic modification in the acoustic properties (call duration, dominant frequency, repetition rate) of the advertisement and short aggressive calls of B. goiana males given in response to our playback treatments. Our results indicate that B. goiana males do not exhibit vocally mediated ‘dear enemy’ relationships. We discuss the possible ecological and social factors that may have impeded the evolution of ‘dear enemy’ relationships in this species.
A Bumpy Ride: China’s Search to Be a Responsible Power
Authors: Jia Qingguo
Published: March 2021

Recent years have seen China trying to play the role of a responsible power. It has made great efforts in this regard, including actively participating in international peacekeeping operations, collaborating with other countries to deal with the climate change and trying to help in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. However, China’s efforts have met with stiff resistance from the West, especially from the Donald Trump-led United States. How does one explain this turn of events? This essay argues that the speed of China’s rise; the Western perception of China’s domestic development; the failure to address domestic problems on the part of some major Western countries, especially the United States; and the role that the Trump administration played provide important clues to such a development.
Missives from the Frontier (130-152/747-769): Al-Awzāʿī and the Abbasids
Authors: Mikati Rana
Published: March 2021

This article examines and proposes a chronology for the extant correspondence of the Syrian legal scholar al-Awzāʿī (d. 157/773-4), arguing that the majority of the letters belong to the Abbasid phase of the scholar’s career. The letters are then used to highlight the network in which al-Awzāʿī operated and the role he played for the frontier communities. Finally, these letters shed light on the conditions of life of the Syrian frontier communities and their interaction with the Abbasid authorities.
The Risk of Birth
Authors: Barker Hannah
Published: March 2021

Why did fifteenth-century Genoese slaveholders insure the lives of enslaved pregnant women? I argue that their assessment of the risks associated with childbirth reflected their views on the connection between slavery, property, and lineage. Genoese slaveholders saw the reproductive labor of enslaved women as a potential contribution to their lineage as well as their property. Because their children by enslaved women might become their heirs, Genoese slaveholders were inclined to worry about and seek protection against the risk of maternal mortality. In the context of the commercial revolution and the rise of third-party insurance, they developed life insurance for enslaved pregnant women to complement the fines already required of those who illegally impregnated enslaved women and thereby endangered their lives.
A new species of the genus Fernandezina Birabén, 1951 (Araneae: Palpimanidae: Otiothopinae) from Colombia
Authors: MARTÍNEZ LEONEL , GUTIERREZ LUIS CARLOS
Published: March 2021

Specimens of the palpimanid spider subfamily Otiothopinae Platnick are commonly collected in soil and leaf litter in tropical and subtropical environments (Platnick 1975; Cala-Riquelme et al. 2018). However, otiothopines are generally poorly represented in biological collections and usually collected in low numbers during field campaigns, with many species represented by only a single sex (Cala-Riquelme et al. 2018). These difficulties, combined with our scarce knowledge of the biology and natural history of these spiders, mean that there are regional gaps in our systematic understanding of the group. Thus, taxonomic additions and notes about natural history are essential in order to increase our knowledge of the group and gradually close those gaps.
Description of a new species of the genus Maua Distant (Hemiptera, Cicadidae) from China
Authors: WANG JIALI , DUFFELS JOANNES P. , WEI CONG
Published: March 2021

A new species, Maua squeala sp. nov., is described from China. This species is similar to M. affinis Distant, 1905 and M. palawanensis Duffels, 2009, but can be distinguished by the shorter and more slender body of the new species, the lateral fasciae on the mesonotum and the shape of the male genitalia. The intraspecific variation of this species is discussed based on morphological observation combined with sequences of partial mitochondrial COI gene (DNA barcoding) of individuals exhibiting different morphological characters.
Taxonomic notes on Malaconothridae (Acari, Oribatida) associated with water hyacinth in Egypt
Authors: ERMILOV SERGEY G.
Published: March 2021

Three Egyptian species of the oribatid mite family Malaconothridae, all found on roots of the floating aquatic plant Eichhornia crassipes in the River Nile, are analyzed. Trimalaconothrus crassipes Ramadan, Ismail & Mustafa, 2017 is recombined to Tyrphonothrus crassipes (Ramadan, Ismail & Mustafa, 2017) (comb. nov.). Malaconothrus ramadani Ramadan, Ismail & Mustafa, 2018 and M. transversus Ramadan, Ismail & Mustafa, 2018 are both considered to be tritonymphs of Ty. crassipes (=M. ramadani syn. nov.; =M. transversus syn. nov.).
1. Diversity in the Ancient Synagogue of Roman-Byzantine Palestine
Authors: Levine Lee I.
Published: March 2021

Lee I. Levine’s ‘Diversity in the Ancient Synagogue of Roman-Byzantine Palestine: Historical Implications’ addresses the variety of synagogues in Late Antiquity. Levine criticizes the hypothesis of a linear development of synagogue types and shows that there was a great deal of diversity in synagogue art, architecture, and even liturgy throughout Late Antiquity. Furthermore, the number and size of synagogues suggests a thriving Jewish community even after the Christianization of the Roman Empire, a time that has been normally viewed as one of steady decline for the Jews.
4. In Search of Non-Rabbinic Judaism in Sasanian Babylonia
Authors: Herman Geoffrey
Published: March 2021

Geoffrey Herman assesses the problem of Babylonian Jewry in his article ‘In Search of Non-Rabbinic Judaism in Sasanian Babylonia’. If Jewish diversity in the Roman Empire is broadly acknowledged, it has taken more time for scholars to acknowledge diversity among Babylonian Jews. One reason for this is a dearth of archeological evidence in context. For example, vestiges of Late Antique synagogues in the regions around Babylonia are wanting. Herman provides a survey of scholars who dealt with the question, from Jacob Neusner’s Aphrahat and Judaism (1971) to the more recent works of Richard Kalmin Catherine Hezser, Moulie Vidas, and the Jewish Babylonian Aramaic magic bowls published by Shaul Shaked and others.
14. Seder Eliyahu Rabbah
Authors: Stemberger Günter
Published: March 2021

Günter Stemberger investigates the raison d’être of a late rabbinic text in ‘Seder Eliyahu Rabbah: Rabbinic Tradition for a Non-Rabbinic Society’. Although Seder Eliyahu cites the Mishnah and other classical rabbinic texts, it does not demand a level of learning greater than knowledge of the Hebrew Bible. A couple of the interlocutors with the narrator are not even Jewish. According to Stemberger, the text advocates a “minimal Judaism” bordering on universalism, where respect for the Law is equal to or greater than academic achievement.
Streamflow simulation in data-scarce basins using Bayesian and physics-informed machine learning models
Authors: Lu Dan , Konapala Goutam , Painter Scott L. , Kao Shih-Chieh , Gangrade Sudershan
Published: March 2021

Hydrologic predictions at rural watersheds are important but also challenging due to data shortage. Long Short-TermMemory (LSTM) networks are a promising machine learning approach and have demonstrated good performance in streamflow predictions. However, due to its data-hungry nature, most of LSTM applications focused on well-monitored catchments with abundant and high quality observations. In this work, we investigate predictive capabilities of LSTM in poorly monitored watersheds with short observation records. To address three main challenges of LSTM applications in data-scarce locations, i.e., overfitting, uncertainty quantification (UQ), and out-of-distribution prediction, we evaluate different regularization techniques to prevent overfitting, apply a Bayesian LSTM for UQ, and introduce a physics-informed hybrid LSTM to enhance out-of-distribution prediction. Through case studies in two diverse sets of catchments with and without snow influence, we demonstrate that: (1) when hydrologic variability in the prediction period is similar to the calibration period, LSTM models can reasonably predict daily streamflow with Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency above 0.8, even with only two years of calibration data. (2) When the hydrologic variability in the prediction and calibration periods is dramatically different, LSTM alone does not predict well, but the hybrid model can improve the out-of-distribution prediction with acceptable generalization accuracy. (3) L2 norm penalty and dropout can mitigate overfitting, and Bayesian and hybrid LSTM have no overfitting. (4) Bayesian LSTM provides useful uncertainty information to improve prediction understanding and credibility. These insights have vital implications for streamflow simulation in watersheds where data quality and availability are a critical issue.
A Diurnal Predictability Barrier for Weather Forecasts
Authors: Wang Peng , Jin Yishuai , Liu Zhengyu
Published: March 2021

In this study, we investigate a diurnal predictability barrier (DPB) for weather predictions using an idealized model and observations. This DPB is referred to a maximum drop of predictability (e.g., autocorrelation) at a particular time of the day, regardless of the initial time. Previous studies demonstrated that a strong seasonal cycle of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) growth rate is responsible for the seasonal predictability barrier of the ENSO in spring. This led us to investigate whether or not a strong diurnal cycle may generate a DPB. We study the DPB using an idealized model, the Lorenz 1963 model (Lorenz63), with the addition of a diurnal cycle. We find that diurnal growth rate can generate a DPB in this chaotic system, regardless of the initial error. Finally, by calculating the autocorrelation function using the hourly data of surface temperature, we explore the DPB at two stations in Wisconsin, USA and Beijing, China. A clear DPB feature is found at both stations. The dramatic drop of predictability at a specific time of the day is likely due to the diurnal variation of the system. This is a new feature that needs further study for short-term weather predictions.
Uncertainty in the “New Normal”: Understanding the Role of Climate Change Beliefs and Risk Perceptions in Michigan Tree Fruit Growers’ Adaptation Behaviors
Authors: Linder Julia , Campbell-Arvai Victoria
Published: March 2021

In the midwestern United States, intensifying impacts from climate change necessitate adaptation by the agricultural sector. Tree fruit agriculture is uniquely vulnerable to climate change due to the long-lived nature of perennial systems, yet very few studies have addressed how fruit growers perceive climate change and are responding to climate risks. For this study, 16 semistructured interviews were conducted with Michigan tree fruit growers to understand how their climate change beliefs, beliefs about adaptive actions, and climate-related risk perceptions influence adaptation behaviors. While there was a great deal of uncertainty about the anthropogenic nature of climate change, growers generally agreed that unprecedented changes in climate and weather patterns were occurring. Because of a perception of little control over future climate impacts, most growers reactively adapted to climate risks that negatively impacted their orchards by implementing measures such as frost protection, irrigation, pesticides, and crop insurance. This study highlighted that while proactive adaptations such as crop diversification, planting new varieties, and improving soil health will be necessary to increase farm resilience in the future, growers were unable to justify making these changes due to their uncertainty about future climate changes. The findings from this study highlight the need for future outreach efforts by university extension agents, private agricultural advisors, and federal and state agency advisors to provide educational information on the long-term impacts of climate change in order to help growers increase the resilience of their farm in the face of future climate impacts.
Participation in Community Gardening: Sowing the Seeds of Well-Being: Participation au jardinage communautaire : pour semer les graines du bien-être
Authors: Suto Melinda J. , Smith Shelagh , Damiano Natasha , Channe Shurli
Published: March 2021

Background.

Sustaining well-being challenges people with serious mental health issues. Community gardening is an occupation used to promote clients’ well-being, yet there is limited evidence to support this intervention.

Purpose.

This paper examines how facilitated community gardening programs changed the subjective well-being and social connectedness of people living with mental health issues.

Method.

A community-based participatory research approach and qualitative methods were used with 23 adults living in supported housing and participating in supported community gardening programs. A constructivist approach guided inductive data analysis.

Findings.

Participation in community gardening programs enhanced well-being through welcoming places, a sense of belonging, and developing positive feelings through doing. The connection to living things and responsibility for plants grounded participants in the present and offered a unique venue for learning about gardening and themselves.

Implications.

Practitioners and service-users should collaborate to develop leadership, programs, places, and processes within community gardens to enhance well-being.
Experimental and numerical investigations on the effects of radius of curvature and longitudinal slope on the responses of curved bridges subject to seismic pounding
Authors: Jiao Chiyu , Lu Junrui , Wang Chuang , Long Peiheng , Sun Zhe
Published: March 2021

Because of the irregular geometries, earthquake-induced adjacent curved bridge pounding may lead to more complex local damage or even collapse. The relevant research is mainly concentrated on the numerical analysis which lack experimental verification and discussion by changing of structural parameters. In this paper, a scaled three-dimensional numerical model of a curved bridge is established based on 3D contact friction theory for investigating the uneven distribution of pounding forces at the expansion joint of the bridge. Shaking table tests were carried out at first on a curved bridge to validate the numerical model. A series of parametric studies were then conducted to examine the impacts of the radius of curvature and longitudinal slope of the superstructure of the curved bridge on its seismic pounding response. The results show that the maximum pounding force first increases and then decreases as the radius of curvature increases, but that it decreases monotonically with the growth of the longitudinal slope. These results suggest that controlling the radius of curvature and the longitudinal slope of the superstructure of the bridge can reduce the localized high stress that is induced by seismic pounding. Also, the unevenly distributed pounding forces can significantly increase the relative radial displacement of the bridge’s deck corners, although the relative tangential displacement may decrease. It is thus necessary to adopt effective anti-pounding measures to prevent the superstructure of the bridge from being unseated.
Reducing educational inequality through research-practice partnerships
Authors: Potter Daniel , Baumgartner Erin , Turley Ruth N. López
Published: March 2021

Although researchers have done effective work at describing the inequities that plague schools, they have been less successful at making headway in addressing them, largely because their work remains disconnected from the schools that have to try to use the research. Through research-practice partnerships, researchers are able to stay in touch with the educators on the ground, craft research questions with their actual problems in mind, and help them take action in response to the research. Daniel Potter, Erin Baumgartner, and Ruth N. López Turley describe how, through the Houston Education Research Consortium, researchers from Rice University launched an equity project to uncover inequities within Houston-area schools and track their progress in addressing them. And, because of the ongoing relationship, they were able to launch a research project looking into how the COVID-19 pandemic affected students and produce results while schools where they were still relevant.
The effects of COVID-19 on teacher preparation
Authors: Choate Kathryn , Goldhaber Dan , Theobald Roddy
Published: March 2021

COVID-19 profoundly affected teacher preparation during the 2019-20 school year. Based on survey responses from nearly all Washington state teacher education programs (TEPs), Kathryn Choate, Dan Goldhaber, and Roddy Theobald find that the pandemic had predictable but concerning effects on teacher preparation. Most notably, student-teaching requirements were greatly reduced or waived completely for many candidates. Survey responses do not suggest that the pandemic has had an immediate impact on TEP applications or enrollment, but there is still considerable ambiguity about how TEPs will operate going forward and what long-term effects the pandemic will have on the front end of the teacher pipeline.
Bookshelf: Kappan authors on their favorite reads
Authors: Goodman Joan
Published: March 2021

In this monthly column, Kappan authors discuss books and articles that have informed their views on education. Joan Goodman recommends Punished By Rewards by Alfie Kohn. Carrie Conaway recommends a Policy Analysis article by Carol Weiss. Joseph Bishop recommends A Federal Right to Education, edited by Kimberly Jenkins Robinson.
A New Montgomery® Salivary Bypass Tube Placement Technique: Report of Procedures Performed on Patients With Tracheoesophageal Fistula or Pharyngoesophageal Stenosis
Authors: Gilardi Antonio , Colizza Andrea , Minni Antonio , de Vincentiis Marco
Published: March 2021

Salivary Bypass Tube is an important tool to prevent or treat some complications of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal surgery and its placement may prove difficult. In this article, we propose a new technique to simplify its management by using an Oral/Nasal Tracheal Tube Cuffed-Reinforced that allowed us to reduce operating times, complications related to prolonged general anesthesia, and the traumas on the tissues incurred during the forced positioning of the device with standard techniques.
Caught in Limbo: Mapping Social Spaces for First-Generation Students in Graduate School
Authors: Miner Michael A.
Published: March 2021

The share of college students who are first-generation has grown rapidly in recent decades. Less attention has been paid to the educational experiences of graduate students. This article asks: How do first-generation students in graduate school differ from one another in their experiences with the socialization process? Based on data from in-depth interviews with 41 graduate students at a large research university, this article examines student narratives of experiences and circumstances to characterize multiple social spaces in graduate school. Contrary to notions suggesting that first-generation students share a similar group experience, these data reveal that first-generation students have divergent experiences and circumstances that characterize four distinct regions. Drawing on social capital and socialization theories, I find that students occupy social spaces that (1) modify, (2) adapt or (3) defy the socialization processes of graduate school. Findings also show barriers for those that are (4) excluded.
“Permission to Touch”: Nurses’ Perspectives of Interpersonal Contact during Patient Care
Authors: De Luca Enrico , Wilson Marian , Shaw Michele R. , Landis Tullamora T.
Published: March 2021

The purpose of this study was to describe nurses’ perceptions about the use of interpersonal touch in their clinical practice. A qualitative descriptive approach with content analysis method was used to identify common themes. Registered nurses (N = 22) participated in focus groups and individual interviews. Three themes emerged from the analysis: (a) touch and massage as a resource, (b) individualized boundaries, and (c) professional role conflict. While the approach to touch varied, stories about the positive impacts that touch can have on patient care were consistently evident throughout the data. Implications for practice include incorporating areas from the themes into the development of educational programs focusing on how to integrate touch into practice as a comforting resource, while keeping individual’s preferences in mind.
Meddling friends and family: Dark Tetrad traits predict interference in disliked couples’ romantic relationships
Authors: Collisson Brian , Howell Jennifer L. , Monleon Jasmine
Published: March 2021

Certain disapproving friends and family may interfere in others’ romantic relationships by undermining commitment processes. In the current study, we assessed whether friends and family members’ scores on the Dark Tetrad, a constellation of socially aversive personality traits including narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism, predict relationship interference. In Study 1, 206 people selected a friend who was currently in a romantic relationship they disliked or disapproved of. They then indicated how often they interfered in the disliked couple’s relationship, completed measures of the Dark Tetrad, and additional measures of interest (e.g., gender, closeness to the target of interference). In Study 2, 180 people selected a family member who was currently or formerly in a disliked relationship, before completing the same measures. In both studies, overall dark personality and closeness to the friend or family member positively correlated with relationship interference. Additionally, when controlling for overall dark personality and the other Dark Tetrad traits, sadism specifically predicted interference with friends’ relationships; high narcissism and, surprisingly, low Machiavellianism predicted interference with family members’ relationships. Implications for dark personality traits and relationships are discussed.
Conflicting Goals Influence Physicians’ Expressed Beliefs to Patients and Colleagues
Authors: Yin Siyuan , Arkes Hal R. , McCoy John P. , Cohen Margot E. , Mellers Barbara A.
Published: March 2021

Background

Physicians who communicate their prognostic beliefs to patients must balance candor against other competing goals, such as preserving hope, acknowledging the uncertainty of medicine, or motivating patients to follow their treatment regimes.

Objective

To explore possible differences between the beliefs physicians report as their own and those they express to patients and colleagues.

Design

An online panel of 398 specialists in internal medicine who completed their medical degrees and practiced in the United States provided their estimated diagnostic accuracy and prognostic assessments for a randomly assigned case. In addition, they reported the diagnostic and prognostic assessments they would report to patients and colleagues more generally. Physicians answered questions about how and why their own beliefs differed from their expressed beliefs to patients and colleagues in the specific case and more generally in their practice.

Results

When discussing beliefs about prognoses to patients and colleagues, most physicians expressed beliefs that differed from their own beliefs. Physicians were more likely to express greater optimism when talking to patients about poor prognoses than good prognoses. Physicians were also more likely to express greater uncertainty to patients when prognoses were poor than when they were good. The most common reasons for the differences between physicians’ own beliefs and their expressed beliefs were preserving hope and acknowledging the inherent uncertainty of medicine.

Conclusion

To balance candor against other communicative goals, physicians tended to express beliefs that were more optimistic and contained greater uncertainty than the beliefs they said were their own, especially in discussions with patients whose prognoses were poor.
Multidisciplinary team management of 46,XY 17α-hydroxylase deficiency: a case report and literature review
Authors: Zhou Yang , Xue Xue , Shi Panpan , Lu Qinrui , Lv Shulan
Published: March 2021

Background

We report here a case study of 17α-hydroxylase deficiency in a phenotypic girl with male karyotype (46,XY). We also review the relevant literature to deepen our understanding of the disease, reduce the rate of missed diagnosis, and emphasize that holistic management of this disease requires collaborative multidisciplinary teamwork.

Case presentation

A 14-year-old patient with a female phenotype visited the endocrinology department because of hypertension. The patient had primary amenorrhea and lacked secondary sexual characteristics. Initial laboratory evaluation revealed normal levels of electrolytes, a hypergonadotropic hypogonadal state with high progesterone and low testosterone levels, and a 46,XY karyotype. She was referred to the urology department for gonadectomy and transferred to the gynecological endocrine clinic. On the basis of the patient’s medical history and genetic testing results, a diagnosis of 46,XY 17α-hydroxylase deficiency was made. The patient was provided with glucocorticoids, estrogens, metformin, and psychological support.

Conclusions

Patients with 17α-hydroxylase deficiency, a rare cause of congenital adrenal hyperplasia, should be treated by a multidisciplinary team. Relevant experts from different disciplines should set up a systematic and comprehensive individualized management plan to optimize the physical and mental health and quality of life of affected patients.
Linking musical metaphors and emotions evoked by the sound of classical music
Authors: Schaerlaeken Simon , Glowinski Donald , Grandjean Didier
Published: March 2021

Musical meaning is often described in terms of emotions and metaphors. While many theories encapsulate one or the other, very little empirical data is available to test a possible link between the two. In this article, we examined the metaphorical and emotional contents of Western classical music using the answers of 162 participants. We calculated generalized linear mixed-effects models, correlations, and multidimensional scaling to connect emotions and metaphors. It resulted in each metaphor being associated with different specific emotions, subjective levels of entrainment, and acoustic and perceptual characteristics. How these constructs relate to one another could be based on the embodied knowledge and the perception of movement in space. For instance, metaphors that rely on movement are related to emotions associated with movement. In addition, measures in this study could also be represented by underlying dimensions such as valence and arousal. Musical writing and music education could benefit greatly from these results. Finally, we suggest that music researchers consider musical metaphors in their work as we provide an empirical method for it.
Social media use and information-sharing behaviour of university students
Authors: Bashir Iqra , Malik Amara , Mahmood Khalid
Published: March 2021

Social media has evolved over the last decade as a key driver for sharing and acquiring information in various domains of life. The increasing popularity of social media raises a number of questions regarding the extent of its use and the types of information shared. This study is designed to answer these questions by investigating university students’ use of social media in terms of commonly used social media platforms, frequency of use and the types of information shared. It also looks at differences of opinion based on gender, academic discipline and programme of study. The study is based on a cross-sectional survey; a structured questionnaire was developed and data was collected from 400 students at four universities in Faisalabad, Pakistan. The findings indicate that the majority of the students were frequent users of social media and visited platforms daily or several times a day. WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube were the most widely used social media platforms. Male students tended to use social media more frequently than their female counterparts. This study will serve as a guideline for further research as it addresses an untouched area from a local perspective and reports original research.
Waste collection routing problem: A mini-review of recent heuristic approaches and applications
Authors: Liang Yun-Chia , Minanda Vanny , Gunawan Aldy
Published: March 2021

The waste collection routing problem (WCRP) can be defined as a problem of designing a route to serve all of the customers (represented as nodes) with the least total traveling time or distance, served by the least number of vehicles under specific constraints, such as vehicle capacity. The relevance of WCRP is rising due to its increased waste generation and all the challenges involved in its efficient disposal. This research provides a mini-review of the latest approaches and its application in the collection and routing of waste. Several metaheuristic algorithms are reviewed, such as ant colony optimization, simulated annealing, genetic algorithm, large neighborhood search, greedy randomized adaptive search procedures, and others. Some other approaches to solve WCRP like GIS is also introduced. Finally, a performance comparison of a real-world benchmark is presented as well as future research opportunities in WCRP field.