bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bivariate spatial analysis of temperature and precipitation from general circulation models and observation proxies
Authors: Philbin R. , Jun M.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. This study validates the near-surface temperature and precipitation output from decadal runs of eight atmospheric ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs) against observational proxy data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis temperatures and Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) precipitation data. We model the joint distribution of these two fields with a parsimonious bivariate Matérn spatial covariance model, accounting for the two fields' spatial cross-correlation as well as their own smoothnesses. We fit output from each AOGCM (30-year seasonal averages from 1981 to 2010) to a statistical model on each of 21 land regions. Both variance and smoothness values agree for both fields over all latitude bands except southern mid-latitudes. Our results imply that temperature fields have smaller smoothness coefficients than precipitation fields, while both have decreasing smoothness coefficients with increasing latitude. Models predict fields with smaller smoothness coefficients than observational proxy data for the tropics. The estimated spatial cross-correlations of these two fields, however, are quite different for most GCMs in mid-latitudes. Model correlation estimates agree well with those for observational proxy data for Australia, at high northern latitudes across North America, Europe and Asia, as well as across the Sahara, India, and Southeast Asia, but elsewhere, little consistent agreement exists.
Age depth-model for the past 630 ka in Lake Ohrid (Macedonia/Albania) based on cyclostratigraphic analysis of downhole gamma ray data
Authors: Baumgarten H. , Wonik T. , Tanner D. C. , Francke A. , Wagner B. , Zanchetta G. , Sulpizio R. , Giaccio B. , Nomade S.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. We report the gamma ray fluctuations from downhole logging data obtained in the sediments of Lake Ohrid from 0 to 240 m below lake floor. These variations in gamma ray and potassium values strongly correlate with fluctuations in global δ18O values and can be thus considered a reliable proxy to depict glacial–interglacial cycles, with high clastic input during cold and/or drier periods and high carbonate precipitation during the warm and/or humid periods in Lake Ohrid. Spectral analysis (sliding window) was applied to investigate the climate signal and their evolution over the length of the borehole. Linking the downhole logging data with orbital cycles was used to estimate sedimentation rates, which shift from 45 cm ka−1 between 0 to 110 m to 30 cm ka−1 from 110 to 240 m below lake floor. The effect of compaction was compensated for. Sedimentation rates increase on average by 14% after decompaction of the sediment layers. Tuning of minima and maxima in gamma ray and potassium values vs. LR04 minima and maxima, in combination with eight independent tephrostratigraphical tie points, allows the establishment of a robust age model for the downhole logging data over the past 630 ka in Lake Ohrid.
Comment on "Radiative forcings for 28 potential Archean greenhouse gases" by Byrne and Goldblatt (2014)
Authors: Kochanov R. V. , Gordon I. E. , Rothman L. S. , Sharpe S. W. , Johnson T. J. , Sams R. L.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. In the recent article by Byrne and Goldblatt, "Radiative forcing for 28 potential Archean greenhouse gases," Clim. Past. 10, 1779–1801 (2014), the authors employ the HITRAN2012 spectroscopic database to evaluate the radiative forcing of 28 Archean gases. As part of the evaluation of the status of the spectroscopy of these gases in the selected spectral region (50–1800 cm−1), the cross sections generated from the HITRAN line-by-line parameters were compared with those of the PNNL database of experimental cross sections recorded at moderate resolution. The authors claimed that for NO2, HNO3, H2CO, H2O2, HCOOH, C2H4, CH3OH and CH3Br there exist large or sometimes severe disagreements between the databases. In this work we show that for only three of these eight gases does a modest discrepancy exist between the two databases and we explain the origin of the differences. For the other five gases, the disagreements are not nearly at the scale suggested by the authors, while we explain some of the differences that do exist. In summary, the agreement between the HITRAN and PNNL databases is very good, although not perfect. Typically differences do not exceed 10%, provided that HITRAN data exist for the bands/wavelengths of interest. It appears that a molecule-dependent combination of errors have affected the conclusions of the authors. In at least one case it appears that they did not take the correct file from PNNL (N2O4 + NO2 dimer was used in place of the monomer). Finally, cross sections of HO2 from HITRAN (which do not have a PNNL counterpart) were not calculated correctly.
Socio-environmental cooperation and conflict? A discursive understanding and its application to the case of Israel/Palestine
Authors: Ide T. , Fröhlich C.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. The existing literature faces difficulties when accounting for the simultaneity of socio-environmental conflict and cooperation. We suggest that this puzzle can be solved by more recent constructivist works, which argue that conflictive or cooperative behavior is driven by discursively constructed interests, identities and situation assessments. Based on a literature review and field interviews, we analyze and compare the dominant national water discourses in Israel and Palestine with the discourse of a transnational water cooperation project between communities from Israel and the West Bank. Our main result is that discourses are indeed crucial for understanding water-related conflict and cooperation. This finding highlights the relevance of constructivist approaches in the study of socio-environmental conflict and cooperation as well as of practices of discursive conflict transformation.
Integrated water system simulation by considering hydrological and biogeochemical processes: model development, parameter sensitivity and autocalibration
Authors: Zhang Y. Y. , Shao Q. X. , Ye A. Z. , Xing H. T. , Xia J.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Integrated water system modeling is a reasonable approach to provide scientific understanding of severe water crisis faced all over the world and to promote the implementation of integrated river basin management. Time Variant Gain Model (TVGM), which is a classic hydrological model, is based on the complex Volterra nonlinear formulation and has gotten good performance of runoff simulation in numerous basins. However, TVGM is disadvantageous to predict other water-related components. In this study, TVGM was extended to an integrated water system model by coupling multiple water-related processes in hydrology, biogeochemistry, water quality and ecology, and considering the interference of human activities. The parameter sensitivity and autocalibration modules were also developed to improve the simulation efficiency. The Shaying River Catchment, which is the largest, highly regulated and heavily polluted tributary in the Huai River Basin of China, was selected as the study area. The key water related components (e.g., runoff, water quality, nonpoint source pollutant load and crop yield) were simulated. The results showed that the extended model produced good simulation performance of most components. The simulated daily runoff series at most regulated and less-regulated stations matched well with the observations. The average values of correlation coefficient and coefficient of efficiency between the simulated and observed runoffs were 0.85 and 0.70, respectively. The simulations of both low and high flow events were improved when the dam regulation was considered except the low flow simulation at Zhoukou and Huaidian stations. The daily ammonia-nitrogen (NH4-N) concentration, as a key index to assess water quality in China, was well captured with the average correlation coefficient of 0.67. Furthermore, the nonpoint source NH4-N load and corn yield were simulated for each administrative region and the results were reasonable in comparison with the data from the official report and the statistical yearbooks, respectively. This study is expected to provide a scientific support for the implementation of such a modeling practice for integrated river basin management.
Sunda Shelf Seas: flushing rates and residence times
Authors: Mayer B. , Stacke T. , Stottmeister I. , Pohlmann T.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. The region of the Sunda Shelf has an average depth of approx. 48 m and is subject to many physical and biogeochemical processes with a strong impact from human activities. For the investigation of marine environmental water properties and quality, it is helpful to have an idea about exchange rates of water masses in the different parts of this region. Four numerical models, the global hydrodynamical model MPI-OM, the global hydrological model MPI-HM, the regional hydrodynamical model HAMSOM and a Lagrangian tracer model have been utilized to estimate the flushing rates and residence times in different seas on the Sunda Shelf. Using decadal averaged monthly transports, the commonly used flushing rate formula gives rates for the different months of approximately 40 to 70 days for the entire Sunda Shelf. For most parts of it (Malacca Strait, southern South China Sea, Java Sea), the results are similar, while for the Gulf of Thailand, the flushing rates amount to 80 to 170 days. The tracer model provides quite different but very detailed 3-D pictures with residence times of below 30 days to more than two years, depending on the location within the region, on the starting layer and on the season.
Slowing Down Medicine: The Plural Worlds of Hospice Care
Authors: Lerer Lilly
Published: May 2015

This ethnography reflects on a non-profit hospice care organization in the Midwestern US where caregivers “slow down” medical care by acknowledging the plurality of forces that constitute the illness experience, philosophically departing from their biomedical, non-hospice counterparts. It demonstrates the ontological effect of “slowing down” and attending to a set of patient problems that extends beyond the biological, or any distinct, domain. The result is a medical world that privileges the embodied, lived expression of disease—rather than the statistical, clinical expression—resulting in medical care that is enmeshed in the variables of everyday life. I therefore situate hospice care in a historical moment witnessing the emergence of a sophisticated and “non-modern” (Latour 1991) form of medical care.
Neglect of Older People in Humanitarian Response
Authors: Karunakara Unni
Published: May 2015

Adapted from Keynote Address at the Association for Anthropology and Gerontology conference, Florida International University, Miami. February 7, 2015. An earlier version of this paper titled “Humanitarian assistance for older people: does it matter?” (June 2012) was presented to Doctors Without Borders for discussion, and later published in PLoS Medicine (December 2012; 9(12):e1001357) as “Ending Neglect of Older People in the Response to Humanitarian Emergencies.”1
Review: With a Little Help from our Friends: Creating Community as we Grow Older
Authors: Zimmer Richard
Published: May 2015

Beth Baker. With a Little Help from our friends: Creating Community As We Grow Older. Vanderbilt University Press. Nashville, Tennessee: 2014.
Recent George Eliot—George Henry Lewes Studies in Japan
Authors: Amano Miyuki
Published: May 2015

The George Eliot Fellowship of Japan (hereafter referred to as GEFJ) has played an important role in developing the studies on George Eliot and George Henry Lewes in Japan. This fellowship was established in 1997 with the aim of both promoting academic research and making Eliot's works and the results of research more widely known. GEFJ holds an annual convention and publishes a journal, The George Eliot Review of Japan, which includes a list of publications on Eliot and Lewes in Japan, and newsletters every year.
Emerson and the Democratization of Plato's “True Rhetoric”
Authors: Thompson Roger
Published: May 2015

Ralph Waldo Emerson's theory of rhetoric has been the subject of ongoing inquiry that has moved Emerson further and further outside a line of Platonic thinkers in order to make his discussion of rhetoric applicable to contemporary discussions about civic discourse and the public sphere. Such accounts, however, subtly undermine the complexity of Emerson's attempts to reconcile transcendentalism with democracy. Understanding Emerson as involved in a project to not only democratize language and rhetorical theory but also Plato, the representative of truth seeking and idealism, clarifies precisely how Emerson understands the power of rhetoric and philosophy to shape and enact democracy. Emerson was trying to find a place for Platonic idealism in the shaping of a young country, and in doing so, he reconfigured what might seem today to be irreconcilable dualities. For Emerson the split between the spiritual and the material world does not implicitly prioritize one domain over the other. Instead, Emerson negotiates the terrain between the worlds and suggests ultimately that language and action are means of straddling them and realizing real change in society. If ideals are in some way external in Emerson's metaphysics, they are no less accessible by every person who attends to his or her own experience in the world. Rhetoric, for Emerson, brings those poles together.
Rhetoric Renouncing Rhetoric:
Authors: Asay Timothy M.
Published: May 2015

The problem St. Augustine confronts in the Confessions is fundamentally one of rhetoric: God should be singularly desirable, yet rhetoric seems necessary to motivate our pursuit of him. Religion participates in the relative marketplace of rhetoric, where ideals need to be authorized because they lack a self-sufficient rationale. In his early encounters with Cicero and the Platonists, Augustine struggles to renounce all such partial ideals in order to pursue philosophical truth unequivocally. Yet the refusal of rhetoric is, paradoxically, another willed ideal authorized by its own rhetoric. Augustine ultimately escapes rhetoric in the conversion scene by demonstrating his inescapable subjection to it; in doing so, he surrenders his will in such a way as to permit God's grace to operate through him. His conversion ultimately results from this inverted humiliation, which forces Augustine to abdicate his ascetic efforts and pretensions.
Relative Contribution of Obesity, Sedentary Behaviors and Dietary Habits to Sleep Duration Among Kuwaiti Adolescents
Authors: Al-Haifi Ahmad A. , Al-Majed Hana Th , Al-Hazzaa Hazzaa M. , Musaiger Abdulrahman O. , Arab Mariam A. , Hasan Rasha A.
Published: May 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate whether body mass index (BMI), eating habits and sedentary behaviours were associated with sleep duration among Kuwaiti adolescents. The study is part of the Arab Teens Lifestyle Study (ATLS), which is a school-based cross-sectional multi-center collaborative study. A sample of 906 adolescents (boys and girls) aged 14-19 years was randomly selected from 6 Kuwaiti Governances using a multistage stratified cluster sampling technique. The findings revealed that the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 50.5% in boys and 46.5% in girls. The majority of boys (76%) and of girls (74%) fell into the short sleep duration category (6 hours/day or less). Sleep duration were found to be negatively associated with BMI (girls only). Watching television (boys and girls) and working on computers (boys only) were also negatively associated with sleep duration. While the consumption of breakfast (both genders) and milk (boys only) was positively associated with sleep duration (p<0.05). In contrast, the consumption of fast foods (both genders), sugar-sweetened drinks and sweets (boys only) potatoes (girls only) were negatively associated with sleep duration (p<0.05). It can be concluded that the majority of Kuwaiti adolescents exhibit insufficient sleep duration which was associated with obesity measure, a combination of poor eating habits and more sedentary behaviors. The findings also suggest gender differences in these associations. Therefore, adequate sleep is an important modifiable risk factor to prevent obesity and was positively associated with some unhealthy lifestyle habits.
Multiple Imputation to Correct for Nonresponse Bias: Application in Non-communicable Disease Risk Factors Survey
Authors: Heidarian Miri Hamid , Hassanzadeh Jafar , Rajaeefard Abdolreza , Mirmohammadkhani Majid , Ahmadi Angali Kambiz
Published: May 2015

BACKGROUND: This study was carried out to use multiple imputation (MI) in order to correct for the potential nonresponse bias in measurements related to variable fasting blood glucose (FBS) in non-communicable disease risk factors survey conducted in Iran in 2007.

METHODS: Five multiple imputation methods as bootstrap expectation maximization, multivariate normal regression, univariate linear regression, MI by chained equation, and predictive mean matching were applied to impute variable fasting blood sugar. To make FBS consistent with normality assumption natural logarithm (Ln) and Box-Cox (BC) transformations were used prior to imputation. Measurements from which we intended to remove nonresponse bias included mean of FBS and percentage of those with high FBS.

RESULTS: For mean of FBS results didn’t considerably change after applying MI methods. Regarding the prevalence of high blood sugar all methods on original scale tended to increase the estimates except for predictive mean matching that along with all methods on BC or Ln transformed data didn’t change the results.

CONCLUSIONS: FBS-related measurements didn’t change after applying different MI methods. It seems that nonresponse bias was not an important challenge regarding these measurements. However use of MI methods resulted in more efficient estimations. Further studies are encouraged on accuracy of MI methods in these settings.
Measuring and Analyzing Waiting Time Indicators of Patients’ Admitted in Emergency Department: A Case Study
Authors: Amina Saeed , Barrati Ahmad , Sadeghifar Jamil , Sharifi Marzeyh , Toulideh Zahra , Gorji Hasan Abolghasem , Feazbakhsh Negar
Published: May 2015

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Measuring and analyzing of provided services times in Emergency Department is the way to improves quality of hospital services. The present study was conducted with aim measuring and analyzing patients waiting time indicators in Emergency Department in a general hospital in Iran.

MATERIAL & METHODS: This cross-sectional, observational study was conducted during April to September 2012. The study population consisted of 72 patients admitted to the Emergency Department at Baharlo hospital. Data collection was carried out by workflow forms. Data were analyzed by t. test and ANOVA.

RESULTS: The average waiting time for patients from admission to enter the triage 5 minutes, the average time from triage to physician visit 6 minute and the average time between examinations to leave ED was estimated 180 minutes. The total waiting time in the emergency department was estimated at about 210 minutes. The significant correlation between marital status of patients (P=0.03), way of arrive to ED (P=0.02) and type of shift work (P=0.01) with studied time indicators were observed.

CONCLUSION: According to results and comparing with similar studies, the average waiting time of patients admitted to the studied hospital is appropriate. Factors such as: Utilizing clinical governance system and attendance of resident Emergency Medicine Specialist have performed an important role in reducing of waiting times in ED.
Emotion Risk-Factor in Patients with Cardiac Diseases: The Role of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies, Positive Affect and Negative Affect (A Case-Control Study)
Authors: Bahremand Mostafa , Alikhani Mostafa , Zakiei Ali , Janjani Parisa , Aghei Abbas
Published: May 2015

Application of psychological interventions is essential in classic treatments for patient with cardiac diseases. The present study compared cognitive emotion regulation strategies, positive affect, and negative affect for cardiac patients with healthy subjects. This study was a case-control study. Fifty subjects were selected using convenient sampling method from cardiac (coronary artery disease) patients presenting in Imam Ali medical center of Kermanshah, Iran in the spring 2013. Fifty subjects accompanied the patients to the medical center, selected as control group, did not have any history of cardiac diseases. For collecting data, the cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire and positive and negative affect scales were used. For data analysis, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) Was applied using the SPSS statistical software (ver. 19.0). In all cognitive emotion regulation strategies, there was a significant difference between the two groups. A significant difference was also detected regarding positive affect between the two groups, but no significant difference was found regarding negative affect. We found as a result that, Having poor emotion regulation strategies is a risk factor for developing heart diseases.

Keywords: cognitive emotion regulation, positive affect, negative affect, cardiac disease

 
Indigenous Knowledge of Herbal Medicines among Adolescents in Amassoma, Bayelsa State, Nigeria
Authors: Alade Gideon O. , Okpako Ese , Ajibesin Kola K. , Omobuwajo Olanrewaju R.
Published: May 2015

BACKGROUND: The use of herbal medicines in Nigeria is on the increase. Documented Population based data on the use of herbal medicinal products and indigenous knowledge among the younger generations are lacking in Nigeria and Africa at large.

AIM: The aim of this study is to investigate the extent of use and general knowledge of herbal medicines among adolescents in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria.

METHODS: The study covered a total of Two hundred and twenty-eight adolescents randomly selected in Senior Secondary Schools (SSS 1-3) in Amassoma using a semi structured questionnaire/Interview and informal conversation on the respondents.

FINDINGS: Nearly all (97%) the respondents have had contact with herbs. Less than 1% had contact with herbs through formal education (teachers/literatures). Stimulation of interest was majorly through parents (53%). Grandparents were the highest (46%) of custodian of indigenous knowledge. Parents were the next (39.7%). Only 39% of the respondents would prefer the use of herbal medicine to modern medicine. Fever was the main ailment mentioned followed by eye ailment and stomach ache. Vernonia amygdalina was the main plant for the treatment of fever.

CONCLUSION: The study revealed that parents are the major custodians of knowledge being transferred to the younger generation and little or none is learnt from Schools. There is therefore the need to include the study of herbal medicines in School’s curricula especially at SS 2 and SS 3 since they are matured enough to appreciate the importance of Herbal medicine so as to prepare them for the promotion of herbal medicine in future and to preserve our indigenous knowledge.
A “Healthy” Color: Information About Healthy Eating Attenuates the “Red Effect”
Authors: Gilston Alyssa , Privitera Gregory J.
Published: May 2015

The influence of the color red on our evaluative processes and psychological, emotional, and cognitive decision making is known as the “red effect.” The present study tested the hypothesis that this “red effect” could be attenuated by information about the healthfulness of an individual’s diet. To test this hypothesis 122 participants rated the attractiveness and healthfulness of a picture of the same female wearing a red or white (neutral color) shirt who was described as eating a healthy or unhealthy food.  Results showed that participants did rate the female wearing the red shirt as more attractive (evidence of the “red effect”). However, when the female was described as eating an unhealthy food, the red effect was not significant. These findings suggest that the red effect is robust, but can be attenuated by manipulating the perceptions of health.
EU-bestuurlijke regelgeving in de praktijk: het IORP II Richtlijn-voorstel als voorbeeld
Authors: van den Brink T. , van Meerten H.
Published: May 2015

EU-bestuurlijke regelgeving in de praktijk: het IORP II Richtlijn-voorstel als voorbeeld

Het onderscheid tussen wetgeving en bestuurlijke regelgeving en tussen delegatie en uitvoering uit het EU-Verdrag bepaalt het wetgevingssysteem van de Europese Unie. Aan de hand van de herziening van de IORP-Richtlijn wordt de uitwerking van dit systeem in de praktijk geanalyseerd. Niet alleen geven beide onderscheiden aanleiding tot conflicten tussen vooral nationale en EU-wetgevers, maar ook worden geschillen over de inhoud van EU-regelgeving uitgevochten. Ook biedt het artikel nader inzicht in de rol van EIOPA, het EU-agentschap op het terrein van pensioenen. Richtlijn 2003/41/EG van het Europees Parlement en de Raad van 3 juni 2003 betreffende de werkzaamheden van en het toezicht op instellingen voor bedrijfspensioenvoorziening
Recorrido por el patrimonio geológico y minero de la comarca del Aranda: desde Brea de Aragón, a Illueca, Gotor, Jarque y Aranda del Moncayo
Authors: Mata Perelló Josep Maria , Pocoví Juan Andrés , Sanz Balagué Joaquim , Vilaltella Jaume
Published: May 2015

En esta ocasión se realizará un itinerario localizado en un área totalmente situada dentro la comarca aragonesa y zaragozana del Aranda, desde principio a fin, entre las localidades de Brea de Aragón y Aranda del Moncayo, pasando además por los municipios de de Illueca, Gotor y Jarque. Por otra parte, el recorrido se centrará en su totalidad en el Sistema Ibérico. Encontrándose diferentes afloramientos de los materiales paleozoicos y también de los mesozoicos, en diferentes tramos del recorrido. En el primer caso, nos encontraremos fundamentalmente con afloramientos de los materiales mesozoicos del Triásico, del Jurásico y del Cretácico, que encontraremos fundamentalmente entre Brea, Illueca, Gotor y Jarque. Más adelante, entorno a a Aranda del Moncayo encontraremos afloramientos de los materiales paleozoicos del Ordoviciense. No obstante, a lo largo del recorrido nos centraremos fundamentalmente en el conocimiento del Patrimonio Geológico y Minero. Sin duda alguna, la conservación, valorización y utilización de este patrimonio es un importante factor económico a tener en cuenta.
Epimuscular Fat in the Human Rotator Cuff Is a Novel Beige Depot
Authors: Meyer Gretchen A. , Gibbons Michael C. , Sato Eugene , Lane John G. , Ward Samuel R. , Engler Adam J.
Published: May 2015

Chronic rotator cuff (RC) tears are a common and debilitating injury, characterized by dramatic expansion of adipose tissue, muscle atrophy, and limited functional recovery. The role of adipose expansion in RC pathology is unknown; however, given the identified paracrine/endocrine regulation by other adipose depots, it likely affects tissue function outside its boundaries. Therefore, we characterized the epimuscular (EM) fat depot of the human rotator cuff, defined its response to RC tears, and evaluated its influence on myogenesis in vitro. EM fat biopsies exhibited morphological and functional features of human beige fat compared with patient-matched s.c. biopsies, which appeared whiter. The transcriptional profile of EM fat and isolated EM adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) shifted as a function of the tear state; EM fat from intact cuffs had significantly elevated expression of the genes associated with uncoupled respiration, and the EM fat from torn cuffs had increased expression of beige-selective genes. EM ASC cocultures with human- and mouse-derived myogenic cells exhibited increased levels of myogenesis compared with s.c. cultures. Increased fusion and decreased proliferation of myogenic cells, rather than changes to the ASCs, were found to underlie this effect. Taken together, these data suggest that EM fat in the human rotator cuff is a novel beige adipose depot influenced by cuff state with therapeutic potential for promoting myogenesis in neighboring musculature.

Significance

Rotator cuff tears affect millions of people in the U.S.; however, current interventions are hindered by persistent muscle degeneration. This study identifies the therapeutic potential for muscle recovery in the epimuscular fat in the rotator cuff, previously considered a negative feature of the pathology, and finds that this fat is beige, rather than white. This is important for two reasons. First, the stem cells that were isolated from this beige fat are more myogenic than those from white fat, which have been the focus of stem cell-based therapies to date, suggesting epimuscular fat could be a better stem cell source to augment rotator cuff repair. Second, these beige stem cells promote myogenesis in neighboring cells in culture, suggesting the potential for this fat to be manipulated therapeutically to promote muscle recovery through secreted signals.
The kinase DYRK1A reciprocally regulates the differentiation of Th17 and regulatory T cells
Authors: Khor Bernard , Gagnon John D , Goel Gautam , Roche Marly I , Conway Kara L , Tran Khoa , Aldrich Leslie N , Sundberg Thomas B , Paterson Alison M , Mordecai Scott , Dombkowski David , Schirmer Melanie , Tan Pauline H , Bhan Atul K , Roychoudhuri Rahul , Restifo Nicholas P , O'Shea John J , Medoff Benjamin D , Shamji Alykhan F , Schreiber Stuart L , Sharpe Arlene H , Shaw Stanley Y , Xavier Ramnik J
Published: May 2015

The balance between Th17 and T regulatory (Treg) cells critically modulates immune homeostasis, with an inadequate Treg response contributing to inflammatory disease. Using an unbiased chemical biology approach, we identified a novel role for the dual specificity tyrosine-phosphorylation-regulated kinase DYRK1A in regulating this balance. Inhibition of DYRK1A enhances Treg differentiation and impairs Th17 differentiation without affecting known pathways of Treg/Th17 differentiation. Thus, DYRK1A represents a novel mechanistic node at the branch point between commitment to either Treg or Th17 lineages. Importantly, both Treg cells generated using the DYRK1A inhibitor harmine and direct administration of harmine itself potently attenuate inflammation in multiple experimental models of systemic autoimmunity and mucosal inflammation. Our results identify DYRK1A as a physiologically relevant regulator of Treg cell differentiation and suggest a broader role for other DYRK family members in immune homeostasis. These results are discussed in the context of human diseases associated with dysregulated DYRK activity.
Registered report: Coadministration of a tumor-penetrating peptide enhances the efficacy of cancer drugs
Authors: Kandela Irawati , Chou James , Chow Kartoa ,   Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology
Published: May 2015

The Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology seeks to address growing concerns about reproducibility in scientific research by conducting replications of 50 papers in the field of cancer biology published between 2010 and 2012. This Registered report describes the proposed replication plan of key experiments from ‘Coadministration of a tumor-penetrating peptide enhances the efficacy of cancer drugs’ by Sugahara and colleagues, published in Science in 2010 (Sugahara et al., 2010). The key experiments being replicated include Figure 2 and Supplemental Figure 9A. In Figure 2, Sugahara and colleagues presented data on the tumor penetrance of doxorubicin (DOX) when co-administered with the peptide iRGD, as well as the effect of co-treatment of DOX and iRGD on tumor weight and cell death. In Supplemental Figure 9A, they tracked body weight of mice treated with DOX and iRGD to provide evidence that iRGD does not increase known DOX toxicity. The Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology is a collaboration between the Center for Open Science and Science Exchange, and the results of the replications will be published by eLife.
A HISTÓRIA INDÍGENA A SER ENSINADA NOS CURRÍCULOS OFICIAIS BRASILEIROS
Authors: Almeida Neto Antonio Simplicio
Published: May 2015

O presente artigo discute a desdobramento da Lei 11.645/2008, que institui o ensino de história e cultura indígena, nos currículos oficiais de alguns estados brasileiros, entendendo que a legislação federal deve balizar políticas públicas no âmbito da educação estadual quanto à história indígena a ser ensinada. Analisamos a proposta curricular em vigência de três estados: a) Parâmetros Curriculares de História – Ensino Fundamental e Médio (Pernambuco, 2013), b) Currículo do Estado de São Paulo – Ciências Humanas e suas Tecnologias. Ensino Fundamental, ciclo II e Ensino Médio/Programa São Paulo Faz Escola (São Paulo, 2011) e c) Lições do Rio Grande – Referencial Curricular Ciências Humanas e Suas Tecnologias (Rio Grande do Sul, 2009). Tais propostas representam formas paradigmáticas, diferentes entre si, de pensar o currículo escolar, guiando-se por competências e habilidades ou expectativas de aprendizagem, indicando temas ou prescrevendo conteúdos, sugerindo possíveis abordagens ou determinando atividades apostiladas. Considerando que esses documentos deveriam orientar as práticas dos professores de História, discutimos não só o espaço dedicado à história indígena, mas também a abordagem proposta a essa questão.
POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS DA EDUCAÇÃO NO BRASIL: frestas e brechas do(s) discurso(s) de (des)igualdade
Authors: Silveira Ederson Luís , Dering Renato De Oliveira
Published: May 2015

O presente artigo tem como principal finalidade analisar e debater a evolução das práticas da intervenção do Estado na educação no quadro das transformações que ocorrem no Brasil, na regulação das políticas e da ação públicas, sobretudo no que diz respeito às iniciativas que promovem a inclusão social referente à educação como requisito para exercer a cidadania enquanto sujeitos constituintes da comunidade. Aqui cabe destacar uma discussão acerca do papel do Estado na defesa e promoção da escola pública, ressaltando as evoluções que foram detectadas nos modos que os discursos sobre inclusão imperam sobre a sociedade a partir da coordenação das políticas e das ações públicas em/na educação.
O SILENCIAMENTO DOS ÓRGÃOS OFICIAIS SOBRE A PEDAGOGIA HOSPITALAR NO PARANÁ: necessidade de políticas públicas efetivas
Authors: Ono Regiane Hissayo , De Paula Ercília Maria Angeli Teixeira
Published: May 2015

O atendimento pedagógico hospitalar é um direito das crianças, adolescentes, jovens e adultos em fase de escolarização e está previsto em lei. Porém, as políticas públicas para a realização e acompanhamento desses trabalhos são insuficientes em nosso país.  Assim, o objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar como os órgãos oficiais do Estado do Paraná divulgam os atendimentos pedagógicos hospitalares nas cinco maiores cidades desse estado: Curitiba, Londrina, Maringá, Ponta Grossa e Cascavel. O referencial teórico foi a partir da legislação que abordam o direito dos cidadãos ao atendimento pedagógico hospitalar. A metodologia deste trabalho foi a revisão bibliográfica e a pesquisa online, que foi realizada por meio dos sites de órgãos oficiais das prefeituras, das Secretarias Municipais da Educação e da Saúde dessas cidades citadas. Na revisão bibliográfica, os resultados obtidos mostraram que existem diversas legislações que apontam e defendem o atendimento pedagógico para crianças, adolescentes, jovens e adultos hospitalizados no Brasil e no Paraná. Com relação à pesquisa online, foram encontradas poucas referências sobre esses atendimentos nos sites buscados. Todavia, embora os órgãos públicos não divulguem esses trabalhos através dos sites oficiais, foi possível encontrar referências desses atendimentos em artigos que apresentam a atuação de professores em hospitais destas cidades.
POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS, FORMAÇÃO SUPERIOR E ATUAÇÃO PROFISSIONAL: opções morais e éticas de surdos
Authors: Andrade Alline Nunes , Moulin de Alencar Heloisa
Published: May 2015

Investigamos as opções morais e éticas de pessoas surdas quanto aos cursos de graduação no presente e à atividade profissional, mediante entrevistas baseadas no método clínico piagetiano em língua de sinais. Dos 16 entrevistados, 13 atuavam, principalmente, como ‘instrutor(a) de Libras’ e ‘professor de Libras’. Houve matrícula em mais de um curso, prevalecendo as áreas de ‘linguística e letras’ e ‘ciências humanas’, baseados principalmente na conexão com a comunidade surda e a si próprios. Verificou-se que a formação acadêmica e a atuação profissional dos participantes está vinculada à constituição de políticas públicas inclusivas no âmbito educacional e social a pessoas surdas, sendo que o reconhecimento legal da Libras como língua oficial da comunidade surda representa uma das principais conquistas dessa parcela da população, a qual foi fortalecida com a implantação de cursos de graduação na perspectiva bilíngue, por meio do “Programa Viver sem Limite”. Sugere-se a realização de novas pesquisas, com enfoque nos projetos de vida de pessoas surdas em uma perspectiva ética, nas condições de acesso de surdos à educação superior e na sua atuação efetiva no mercado de trabalho em outras esferas profissionais. O presente estudo pode, ainda, contribuir com a avaliação do impacto das políticas públicas na perspectiva de seus beneficiários, contribuindo para consolidar as que forem favoráveis ao propósito da inclusão.
PROGRAMAS DE MATERIAIS DIDÁTICOS PARA A EJA NO BRASIL (1996-2014): trajetória e contradições
Authors: Dias de Mello Paulo Eduardo
Published: May 2015

A Educação de Jovens e Adultos (EJA) no Brasil tornou-se modalidade específica da Educação Básica com a Lei de Diretrizes e Bases da Educação Nacional, em 1996, reafirmando o direito público subjetivo dos jovens e adultos à educação. Desde então várias lutas têm sido travadas para efetivar este direito por meio dos instrumentos da política educacional destinados à manutenção e funcionamento da EJA nos sistemas públicos de ensino. Dentre eles destacam-se os programas de assistência ao estudante que visam prover condições de acesso e permanência na escola, tais como os programas de transporte escolar, alimentação e materiais didáticos. Neste artigo apresentamos e analisamos a trajetória e contradições da constituição dos programas de materiais didáticos destinados à EJA desenvolvidos no âmbito da União, desde 1996 até nossos dias. Constata-se ao longo destes anos distintas formas de condução das políticas para EJA, e que apesar dos avanços obtidos em termos de recursos financeiros e suporte pedagógico, observados especialmente nos últimos anos, ainda persistem contradições que contribuem para uma descaracterização da EJA como espaço de propostas plurais de oferta e organização de cursos atentos à diversidade característica de seu público.
Non-opiate pharmacotherapy options for the management of pain in older adults
Authors: Duncan Nakia A. , Mahan Rebecca J. , Turner Sarah J.
Published: May 2015

Pain is highly prevalent, costly, and disabling in later life, especially when undertreated. In this article, we aim to describe the risks and benefits of non-opioid medication options for the management of pain in adults aged 65 years and older in order to provide additional options in a practitioner's tool box when designing a pain management regimen for an older adult. Non-opiate pharmacologic therapies, such as acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, topicals, and antidepressants have an important role in pain management of older adults. When designing a pain regimen, taking an individualized approach that considers the patient's functional status, comorbidities, and treatment goals will maximize pain management.
Alternative methods of pain management for the older adult population: Review of topical pain medications
Authors: Tavares Candice
Published: May 2015

The older adult population is one of the fastest growing age groups in the United States. As this population continues to expand, determining the safest way to provide pain management has become increasingly important. More than 50% of community-dwelling older adults experience pain on a daily basis, and up to 83% of those in assisted living facilities experience persistent pain. Pain is exceedingly challenging to treat safely and effectively in the elderly because of the physiologic changes that occur as people age. In addition, many nonnarcotic medications with analgesic properties are listed in both the 2012 American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults and the Pharmacy Quality Alliance high-risk medications lists. An approach to the growing challenge of managing pain in the elderly that is gaining popularity among community-dwelling patients is the use of topical pain medications. The goal of this article is to review some of the available literature regarding the use of various topical analgesics alone or in combination, and to discuss their known or theoretical mechanisms of peripheral pain modulation. Commercially available or compounded topical pain medications may be used to replace or augment doses of oral medications in an effort to decrease the risk of adverse drug events for older adult patients. When prescribing topical pain medications physicians should consider the nature of the pain targeted, the type of analgesia expected from each ingredient, the potential for systemic absorption, and related side effects.
Known unknowns: A review of opioid-induced hyperalgesia
Authors: McGraw Dan
Published: May 2015

Opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH) is a relatively new paradigm that has added to the already growing uncertainty surrounding long-term opioid treatment. OIH is the oversensitization to stimuli in the nervous system resulting from opioid exposure and subsequent neuroplastic changes. Because of its novelty and difficulty in identification, the true prevalence of OIH is unknown. Several mechanisms have been proposed for its development. These include changes in the N-methyl-D-aspartate system, descending pathway modulation, dynorphin activity, inflammatory changes mediated by cyclooxygenase, and increased sensitivity to excitatory neurochemicals. The clinical controversy regarding the management of OIH is due largely to the lack of guidance in diagnosis and lack of quality evidence to direct treatment. As a diagnosis of exclusion, several alternative causes of antianalgesia must be ruled out before OIH can be declared. Pharmacodynamic phenomena such as opioid tolerance share overlapping mechanisms with OIH and may present similarly. Pharmacokinetic changes such as drug-induced or disease-induced alterations to the cytochrome P450 or P-glycoprotein systems should also be excluded as causes of increased opioid demand that may be seen as OIH. Certain pharmacologic agents, such as N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists, alpha2 receptor agonists, and cyclooxygenase inhibitors, have been identified as possible treatments to reverse the effects of OIH. Opioid rotation and dose reductions have also been used with some degree of success. Pharmacist involvement in the identification and management of OIH will be central to success because of the unique expertise they offer. The quality of these studies is limited by study design, small sample sizes, and lack of generalizability to chronic pain patients with long-standing opioid use.
Analysis of the horizontal two‐dimensional near‐surface structure of a winter tornadic vortex using high‐resolution in situ wind and pressure measurements
Authors: Kato Ryohei , Kusunoki Kenichi , Sato Eiichi , Mashiko Wataru , Inoue Hanako Y. , Fujiwara Chusei , Arai Ken‐ichiro , Nishihashi Masahide , Saito Sadao , Hayashi Syugo , Suzuki Hiroto
Published: May 2015

The horizontal two‐dimensional near‐surface structure of a tornadic vortex within a winter storm was analyzed. The tornadic vortex was observed on 10 December 2012 by the high‐resolution in situ observational linear array of wind and pressure sensors (LAWPS) system in conjunction with a high‐resolution Doppler radar. The 0.1 s maximum wind speed and pressure deficit near the ground were recorded as 35.3 m s−1 and −3.8 hPa, respectively. The horizontal two‐dimensional distributions of the tornadic vortex wind and pressure were retrieved by the LAWPS data, which provided unprecedented observational detail on the following important features of the near‐surface structure of the tornadic vortex. Asymmetric convergent inflow toward the vortex center existed. Total wind speed was strong to the right and rear side of the translational direction of the vortex and weak in the forward part of the vortex possibly because of the strong convergent inflow in that region. The tangential wind speed profile of the vortex was better approximated using a modified Rankine vortex rather than the Rankine vortex both at 5 m above ground level (agl) and 100 m agl, and other vortex models (Burgers‐Rott vortex and Wood‐White vortex) were also compared. The cyclostrophic wind balance was violated in the core radius R0 and outside the core radius in the forward sector; however, it was held with a relatively high accuracy of approximately 14% outside the core of the vortex in the rearward sector (from 2 R0 to 5 R0) near the ground.
Numerical investigation of methane and formation fluid leakage along the casing of a decommissioned shale gas well
Authors: Nowamooz A. , Lemieux J.‐M. , Molson J. , Therrien R.
Published: May 2015

Methane and brine leakage rates and associated time scales along the cemented casing of a hypothetical decommissioned shale gas well have been assessed with a multiphase flow and multicomponent numerical model. The conceptual model used for the simulations assumes that the target shale formation is 200 m thick, overlain by a 750 m thick caprock, which is in turn overlain by a 50 m thick surficial sand aquifer, the 1000 m geological sequence being intersected by a fully penetrating borehole. This succession of geological units is representative of the region targeted for shale gas exploration in the St. Lawrence Lowlands (Québec, Canada). The simulations aimed at assessing the impact of well casing cementation quality on methane and brine leakage at the base of a surficial aquifer. The leakage of fluids can subsequently lead to the contamination of groundwater resources and/or, in the case of methane migration to ground surface, to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. The minimum reported surface casing vent flow (measured at ground level) for shale gas wells in Quebec (0.01 m3/d) is used as a reference to evaluate the impact of well casing cementation quality on methane and brine migration. The simulations suggest that an adequately cemented borehole (with a casing annulus permeability kc
1 mD) can prevent methane and brine leakage over a time scale of up to 100 years. However, a poorly cemented borehole (kc
10 mD) could yield methane leakage rates at the base of an aquifer ranging from 0.04 m3/d to more than 100 m3/d, depending on the permeability of the target shale gas formation after abandonment and on the quantity of mobile gas in the formation. These values are compatible with surface casing vent flows reported for shale gas wells in the St. Lawrence Lowlands (Quebec, Canada). The simulated travel time of methane from the target shale formation to the surficial aquifer is between a few months and 30 years, depending on cementation quality and hydrodynamic properties of the casing annulus. Simulated long‐term brine leakage rates after 100 years for poorly cemented boreholes are on the order of 10−5 m3/d (10 mL/d) to 10−3 m3/d (1 L/d). Based on scoping calculations with a well‐mixed aquifer model, these rates are unlikely to have a major impact on groundwater quality in a confined aquifer since they would only increase the chloride concentration in a pristine aquifer to 1 mg/L, which is significantly below the commonly recommended aesthetic objective of 250 mg/L for chloride.