bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abstract P487: Network Stressors, Personal Stressors, And Sustained Hypertension In African American Women
Authors: Spikes Telisa , Scully Letryce , Bromfield Samantha , Van Dyke Miriam , Moore Renee , McKinnon Izraelle , Booker Bianca , Rahbari-Oskoui Frederic , Quyyumi Arshed , Vaccarino Viola , Lewis Tené
Published: March 2020

Introduction:
Stressful life events (SLE) have been associated with poor cardiovascular health but most studies have focused on stressors that directly impact the individuals under study, or personal stressors. Research suggests that women, particularly African-American women, may actually be more vulnerable to network stressors (e.g. SLE that impact important others, such as children, spouses and friends). However, few studies have examined this phenomenon.

Hypothesis:
We tested the hypothesis that greater exposure to network, versus personal stressors, would be associated with elevated clinic blood pressure (BP) as well as BP in daily life, assessed via 48-hour ambulatory monitoring.

Methods:
Participants were 395 African-American women aged 30-45 (Mean= 39.5 ±4.6 yrs) from a range of educational backgrounds recruited from a large southeastern metropolitan area. SLE were assessed using a 22-item Stressful Life Events checklist and further classified into personal (e.g. “major accident/assault/robbery happened to you”) or network (e.g. “serious physical illness, injury or drug/alcohol problem in someone family member/friend”) stressors and summed. Clinic and 48-hr ambulatory BP measurements were assessed and sustained hypertension (HTN) was defined as both clinic (≥130/80mmHg) and ambulatory HTN (≥130/80mmHg), using 2017 AHA/ACC guidelines. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between types of stressors and sustained HTN after adjusting for age, education, body mass index, and BP meds.

Results:
Approximately 51.2% (N=211) of women had clinic HTN and 29.9% (N=123) of women had sustained HTN (elevated in both clinic and in daily life). In unadjusted multivariable logistic regression analyses, each additional network stressor was associated with a greater likelihood of having elevated clinic (OR-1.21 [1.04-1.40]) and sustained HTN (OR- OR-1.22 [1.04-1.43]). Findings for clinic (OR-1.25, [1.06-1.48]) and sustained HTN (OR-1.23, [1.04-1.46]) remained significant after adjustment for covariates. There were no significant associations between reports of personal stressors and either clinic, or sustained HTN in unadjusted or adjusted analyses.

Discussion:
Network, but not personal stressors, were associated with elevated rates of HTN, both in clinic and daily life for African-American women. Future research is needed to determine whether interventions targeting stress management for network stressors specifically might impact BP in this high-risk population.
Abstract P490: Subclinical Thyroid Disorders and Triglyceride-rich Lipoprotein Particles Concentration. ELSA-Brasil Cohort
Authors: Janovsky Carolina , Bittencourt Marcio S , Goulart Alessandra C , Santos Raul , Blaha Michael J , Jones Steven R , Toth Peter P , Bensenor Isabela M , LOTUFO Paulo A
Published: March 2020

Background:
Subclinical thyroid disorders have been associated with atherosclerosis and increased cardiovascular risk. Subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with higher levels of total cholesterol and Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol as well as high levels of triglycerides and low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Triglyceride-rich Lipoprotein Particles concentration (TRLP) have recently emerged as a causal factor for atherogenesis.

Aim:
To evaluate the relationship between Subclinical Hypothyroidism and Subclinical Hyperthyroidism and Triglyceride-rich Lipoprotein Particles.

Methods:
Participants from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) were classified according to the baseline thyroid function as Subclinical Hypothyroidism, Euthyroidism, and Subclinical Hyperthyroidism. Conventional lipid concentrations (total, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides were determined by a nonprecipitated colorimetric method. The TRLP subfractions were analyzed through Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy. To examine the association between TRLP subfractions and thyroid function, we conducted a multivariate linear regression model adjusted for demographic characteristics (race, gender, and educational level), body-mass index, diabetes, smoking status, and alcoholic beverages intake.

Results:
Of 3,550 individuals free of cardiovascular or thyroid diseases (54%, women; median age 51 years; 51% White, and 53% with at least college education) 92%of them were euthyroid, 6.8% had subclinical hypothyroidism, and 1.2% had subclinical hyperthyroidism. No differences were observed concern the levels of total, HDL, and LDL-cholesterol, but triglycerides were higher for people with Subclinical Hypothyroidism. After adjustment by the covariates described above and using subjects with normal thyroid function as the reference group, for people with Subclinical hypothyroidism a difference of means ( and 95% Confidence Interval) for Total TRLP levels (in ng/L) obtained was 0.06 (-0.00 to 0.13), and for the TRLP subfractions elevated for Very-Small [0.16 (0.02 to 0.28)] and Very-Large [0.21 (0.05 to 0.36)], and similar values for Small [-0.01 (-0.13 to 0.12)]; Medium [0.05 (-0.08 to 0.17)] and Large [0.16 (-0.06 to 0.38)] subfractions. In Subclinical Hyperthyroidism, there was a reduction in Total TRLP (-0.24 (-0.40 - -0.08)), seemingly driven by reduced Very Small-TRLP (0.23 (-0.11 - 0.57).

Conclusion:
This study suggests that subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with high levels of Very-Small and Very-Large TRLP, which are related to an unfavorable atherogenic profile. Subclinical Hyperthyroidism is associated with low concentrations of Very-Small TRLP.
Abstract P496: The Development of Anthropometric Measures Over Time and Predictors for Overweight and Obesity
Authors: Atalla Hawazen , Daka Bledar , Lindblad Ulf , Hellgren Margareta I
Published: March 2020

Background:
Today, more people die because of obesity and it′s comorbidities than due to malnutrition and actions to prevent the development of overweight and obesity is urgently needed. Different measurements, such as body mass index and waist circumference (WC) may develop differently with age and play different roles in the development of cardiovascular and metabolic disease.

Objective:
The purpose of this study was to examine the development of anthropometric measures in men and women and to identify possible biochemical predictors for at least five percent weight increase over ten years, considering the modifying effect of physical activity.

Methods:
In the Vara Skövde Cohort, a longitudinal, prospective study, 1327 randomly selected individuals (35-75 years) participated in two examinations, 2002-2005 and 2012-2014. All participants (657 men, 670 women) were carefully examined with body weight and height, WC and fasting venous blood samples. Validated questionnaires about socioeconomic factors and lifestyle were completed. Physical activity was reported on a 4-graded scale and dichotomized into a high and low level of physical activity. Data are analyzed with T-Test and logistic regression and adjusted for age, sex, weight at baseline, smoking, education, physical activity, plasma glucose and triglycerides.

Results:
Mean age at baseline was 48.8 years. Mean body weight increased till the age of 55 years, 2.4 kg (SD 6.0, P ≤ 0.0001), and decreased significantly thereafter, -1.1 kg (SD 6.3, P= 0.001) without any difference between men and women. Contrary, WC increased continuously over the years in all age-groups, 4 cm (SD 7.4, P ≤ 0.001). Further, no normal weight person became obese at follow- up. Individuals who maintained or increased their level of physical activity to high had a significantly lower risk for weight increase as compared to those who remained or decreased their level of physical activity to a low level (OR 0.7, CI 0.7 - 0.9, P= 0.008). Serum concentration of LDL (low density lipoprotein) was inversely associated with 5% weight increase after ten years (OR 0.7, CI 0.6-0.7, P ≤ 0.001). We did not find that education level, psychological stress or sleep quality at baseline predicted body weight change.

Conclusion:
While body weight peaked at the age of 55 years, abdominal obesity increased continuously during the follow-up time. Maintained physical activity seems to limit this increase and emphasizes the importance of a high level of physical activity over the years. The risk of a low concentration of LDL for weight gain needs to be further examined.
Abstract P505: Real-world Data Validation Of A Novel P-wave Based Automatic Atrial Fibrillation Detection Algorithm
Authors: Olsson Åke , Samulesson Magnus
Published: March 2020

Background:
Automatic ECG algorithms using only RR-variability in ECG to detect AF have shown high false positive rates. By including P-wave presence in the algorithm, research has shown that it can increase detection accuracy for AF.

Methods:
A novel RR- and P-wave based automatic detection algorithm implemented in the Coala Heart Monitor ("Coala", Coala Life AB, Sweden) was evaluated for detection accuracy by the comparison to blinded manual ECG interpretation based on real-world data. Evaluation was conducted on 100 consecutive anonymous printouts of chest- and thumb-ECG waveforms, where the algorithm had detected both irregular RR-rhythms and strong P-waves in either chest or thumb recording (non-AF episodes classified by algorithm as Category 12).The recordings, without exclusions, were generated from 5,512 real-world data recordings from actual Coala users in Sweden (both OTC and Rx users) during the period of March 5 to March 22, 2019, with no control or influence by the researchers or any other organization or individual. The prevalence of cardiac conditions in the user population was unknown.The blinded recordings were each manually interpreted by a trained cardiologist. The manual interpretation was compared with the automatic analysis performed by the detection algorithm to determine the number of additional false negative indications for AF as presented to the user.

Results:
The trained cardiologist manually interpreted 0 of the 100 recordings as AF. Manual interpretation showed that the novel automatic AF algorithm yielded 0 % False Negative error and 100 % Negative Predictive Value (NPV) for detection of AF. Irregular RR-rhythms were detected in 569 recordings (10 % of a total of 5,512 recordings). The 100 non-AF recordings containing both irregular RR-rhythms and strong P-waves constituted 18% of all recordings with irregular RR-rhythms. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia was the single most prevalent condition and was found in 47% of irregular RR-rhythms with strong P-waves.

Conclusion:
The novel, P-wave based automatic ECG algorithm used in the Coala, showed a zero percent False Negative error rate for AF detection in ECG recordings with RR-variability but presence of P-waves, as compared to manual interpretation by a cardiologist.
Abstract P526: Bariatric Surgery is Associated With Slower Decline in Kidney Function, Estimated by Multiple Filtration Markers
Authors: CHANG Alex R , Wood G. C , Cook Adam , Chu Xin , Grams Morgan
Published: March 2020

Background:
Persons with morbid obesity are at increased risk for end-stage kidney disease, and prior studies have shown an association between bariatric surgery and improvements in creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR
cr
). However, eGFR
cr
could be biased by loss of muscle mass after surgery, and creatinine-cystatin C estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR
cr-cyc
) has been shown to be more accurate in this setting.

Methods:
We matched 144 patients who underwent bariatric surgery on pre-surgery age, sex, race, body mass index (BMI), and eGFR
cr
with 144 morbidly obese non-surgery patients at Geisinger with serial biobanked serum samples. We measured filtration markers (creatinine, cystatin C, beta-2 microglobulin [B2M] and beta-trace protein [BTP], and calculated eGFR
cr-cyc
using the CKD-EPI combined equation. Using mixed effects models with random intercepts, we compared changes in filtration markers and eGFR
cr-cyc
between surgery and non-surgery groups.

Results:
Mean (SD) values for age, BMI, and eGFR
cr
were 48.2 (10.4) years, 45.2 (6.3) kg/m
2
, and 91.7 (17.5) ml/min/1.73m
2
; 87.5% were female, 0.7% were black, 50.3% had hypertension, and 41.0% had type 2 diabetes. Mean eGFR
cr-cyc
slope in the surgery group was -0.41 ml/min/1.73m
2
/yr (95% CI: -0.74, -0.08) over a mean follow-up of 9.2 (1.4) years, compared to -1.43 ml/min/1.73m
2
/yr in the non-surgery group over a mean follow-up of 8.2 (1.1) years. Bariatric surgery was associated with a 1.02 ml/min/1.73m
2
/yr slower decline in eGFR
cr-cyc
, and smaller increase in all 4 filtration markers (p< 0.02 for all comparisons).

Conclusions:
Bariatric surgery is associated with slower decline in kidney function, as assessed by eGFR
cr-cyc
, B2M and BTP.
Circulating Fatty Acids and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke: Individual Participant Data Meta‐Analysis in Up to 16 126 Participants
Authors: Borges Maria Carolina , Schmidt Amand Floriaan , Jefferis Barbara , Wannamethee S. Goya , Lawlor Debbie A. , Kivimaki Mika , Kumari Meena , Gaunt Tom R. , Ben‐Shlomo Yoav , Tillin Therese , Menon Usha , Providencia Rui , Dale Caroline , Gentry‐Maharaj Aleksandra , Hughes Alun , Chaturvedi Nish , Casas Juan Pablo , Hingorani Aroon D. ,   the UCLEB Consortium**
Published: March 2020

Background

We aimed at investigating the association of circulating fatty acids with coronary heart disease (
CHD
) and stroke risk.

Methods and Results

We conducted an individual‐participant data meta‐analysis of 5
UK
‐based cohorts and 1 matched case‐control study. Fatty acids (ie, omega‐3 docosahexaenoic acid, omega‐6 linoleic acid, monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids) were measured at baseline using an automated high‐throughput serum nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics platform. Data from 3022 incident
CHD
cases (13 104 controls) and 1606 incident stroke cases (13 369 controls) were included. Logistic regression was used to model the relation between fatty acids and odds of
CHD
and stroke, adjusting for demographic and lifestyle variables only (ie, minimally adjusted model) or with further adjustment for other fatty acids (ie, fully adjusted model). Although circulating docosahexaenoic acid, but not linoleic acid, was related to lower
CHD
risk in the fully adjusted model (odds ratio, 0.85; 95%
CI
, 0.76–0.95 per standard unit of docosahexaenoic acid), there was evidence of high between‐study heterogeneity and effect modification by study design. Stroke risk was consistently lower with increasing circulating linoleic acid (odds ratio for fully adjusted model, 0.82; 95%
CI
, 0.75–0.90). Circulating monounsaturated fatty acids were associated with higher
CHD
risk across all models and with stroke risk in the fully adjusted model (odds ratio, 1.22; 95%
CI
, 1.03–1.44). Saturated fatty acids were not related to increased
CHD
risk in the fully adjusted model (odds ratio, 0.94; 95%
CI
, 0.82–1.09), or stroke risk.

Conclusions

We found consistent evidence that linoleic acid was associated with decreased risk of stroke and that monounsaturated fatty acids were associated with increased risk of
CHD
. The different pattern between
CHD
and stroke in terms of fatty acids risk profile suggests future studies should be cautious about using composite events. Different study designs are needed to assess which, if any, of the associations observed is causal.
Effect of Evolocumab on Non‐High‐Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, Apolipoprotein B, and Lipoprotein(a): A Pooled Analysis of Phase 2 and Phase 3 Studies
Authors: Toth Peter P. , Jones Steven R. , Monsalvo Maria Laura , Elliott‐Davey Mary , López J. Antonio G. , Banach Maciej
Published: March 2020

Background

Dyslipidemia guidelines recommend non‐high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (non‐
HDL
‐C) and apolipoprotein B (ApoB) as additional targets of therapy and consider lipoprotein(a) a significant cardiovascular risk marker. The current analysis evaluates the effects of evolocumab on these parameters in various patient populations over time.

Methods and Results

Data from 7690 patients, 4943 of whom received at least 1 dose of evolocumab, in 15 phase 2 and phase 3 studies with a duration ranging from 12 weeks to 5 years were pooled based on study length, patient population, and ezetimibe or placebo comparator groups. Patients could receive intensive statin therapy but not in the statin intolerance and monotherapy studies. The effects of evolocumab on percent change from baseline for non‐
HDL
‐C, ApoB, and lipoprotein(a) and achievement of treatment goals for non‐
HDL
‐C and ApoB were examined. Compared with placebo, evolocumab at both approved dosing regimens substantially reduced mean non‐
HDL
‐C (Q2W dose: −49% to −56%, monthly dose: −48% to −52%), mean ApoB (Q2W dose: −46% to −52%, monthly dose: −40% to −48%), and median lipoprotein(a) (Q2W dose: −22% to −38%, monthly dose: −20% to −33%) at 12 weeks. Effects on all 3 parameters persisted over 5 years. Lipid‐lowering effects were consistent among the patient populations examined (hypercholesterolemia/mixed dyslipidemia, statin intolerance, heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus).

Conclusions

In this pooled analysis, evolocumab substantially reduced non‐
HDL
‐C, ApoB, and lipoprotein(a) compared with placebo. The effect was consistent and maintained in various patient populations over 5 years.
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy: Characterization of Left Ventricular Phenotype and Differential Diagnosis With Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Cipriani Alberto , Bauce Barbara , De Lazzari Manuel , Rigato Ilaria , Bariani Riccardo , Meneghin Samuele , Pilichou Kalliopi , Motta Raffaella , Aliberti Camillo , Thiene Gaetano , McKenna William J. , Zorzi Alessandro , Iliceto Sabino , Basso Cristina , Perazzolo Marra Martina , Corrado Domenico
Published: March 2020

Background

This study assessed the prevalence of left ventricular (
LV
) involvement and characterized the clinical, electrocardiographic, and imaging features of
LV
phenotype in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (
ARVC
). Differential diagnosis between
ARVC
‐
LV
phenotype and dilated cardiomyopathy (
DCM
) was evaluated.

Methods and Results

The study population included 87
ARVC
patients (median age 34 years) and 153
DCM
patients (median age 51 years). All underwent cardiac magnetic resonance with quantitative tissue characterization. Fifty‐eight
ARVC
patients (67%) had
LV
involvement, with both
LV
systolic dysfunction and
LV
late gadolinium enhancement (
LGE
) in 41/58 (71%) and
LV
‐
LGE
in isolation in 17 (29%). Compared with
DCM
, the
ARVC
‐
LV
phenotype was statistically significantly more often characterized by low
QRS
voltages in limb leads, T‐wave inversion in the inferolateral leads and major ventricular arrhythmias.
LV
‐
LGE
was found in all
ARVC
patients with
LV
systolic dysfunction and in 69/153 (45%) of
DCM
patients. Patients with
ARVC
and
LV
systolic dysfunction had a greater amount of
LV
‐
LGE
(25% versus 13% of
LV
mass;
P
<0.01), mostly localized in the subepicardial
LV
wall layers. An
LV
‐
LGE
≥20% had a 100% specificity for diagnosis of
ARVC
‐
LV
phenotype. An inverse correlation between
LV
ejection fraction and
LV
‐
LGE
extent was found in the
ARVC
‐
LV
phenotype (
r
=−0.63;
P
<0.01), but not in
DCM
(
r
=−0.01;
P
=0.94).

Conclusions

LV
involvement in
ARVC
is common and characterized by clinical and cardiac magnetic resonance features which differ from those seen in
DCM
. The most distinctive feature of
ARVC
‐
LV
phenotype is the large amount of
LV
‐
LGE
/fibrosis, which impacts directly and negatively on the
LV
systolic function.
Socioeconomic Factors, Secondary Prevention Medication, and Long‐Term Survival After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Population‐Based Cohort Study From the SWEDEHEART Registry
Authors: Nielsen Susanne J. , Karlsson Martin , Björklund Erik , Martinsson Andreas , Hansson Emma C. , Malm Carl Johan , Pivodic Aldina , Jeppsson Anders
Published: March 2020

Background

Low income and short education have been found to be independently associated with inferior survival after coronary artery bypass grafting (
CABG
), whereas the use of secondary prevention medications is associated with improved survival. We investigated whether underusage of secondary prevention medications contributes to the inferior long‐term survival in
CABG
patients with a low income and short education.

Methods and Results

Patients who underwent
CABG
in Sweden between 2006 to 2015 and survived at least 6 months after discharge (n=28 448) were included in a population‐based cohort study. Individual patient data from 5 national registries, including the SWEDEHEART (Swedish Web System for Enhancement and Development of Evidence‐Based Care in Heart Disease Evaluated According to Recommended Therapies) registry, covering dispensing of secondary prevention medications (statins, platelet inhibitors, β‐blockers, and RAAS inhibitors), socioeconomic factors, patient characteristics, comorbidity, and long‐term mortaity were merged. All‐cause mortality risk was estimated using multivariable Cox regression models adjusted for patient characteristics, baseline comorbidities, time‐updated secondary prevention medications, and socioeconomic status. Long‐term mortality was higher in patients with a low income and short education. Statins and platelet inhibitors were dispensed less often to patients with a low income, both at baseline and after 8 years. The decline in dispensing over time was steeper for low‐income patients. Short education was not associated with reduced dispensing of any secondary prevention medication. Use of statins (adjusted hazard ratio=0.57 [95%
CI
, 0.53–0.61]),
RAAS
inhibitors (adjusted hazard ratio=0.78 [0.73–0.84]), and platelet inhibitors (adjusted hazard ratio=0.74 [0.68–0.80]) were associated with reduced long‐term mortality irrespective of socioeconomic status.

Conclusions

Secondary prevention medications are dispensed less often after
CABG
to patients with low income. Underusage of secondary prevention medications after
CABG
is associated with increased mortality risk independently of income and extent of education.
Casting Off Egyptian Ḥanafism: Sharīʿa, Divorce, and Legal Reform in 20th-Century Egypt
Authors: Ayoub Samy
Published: March 2020

This article explores an important debate on divorce law in early 20th-century Egypt between the sharīʿa judge Aḥmad Muḥammad Shākir (d. 1958) and the adjunct to the last Shaykh al-Islām of the Ottoman Empire, Muḥammad Zāhid al-Kawtharī (d. 1952). The debate is centred on Shākir’s argument that triple divorce (three pronouncements of the divorce oath in one utterance, deemed irrevocable according to the Ḥanafī school) should be treated as a single revocable divorce, a position that the Ḥanafī school rejects. The Egyptian divorce law was changed on 10 March 1929 to embrace the revised position, supported by the government, that a triple divorce counts as a single divorce, thereby making it revocable. Shākir argued that the official adherence of the sharīʿa courts to the preponderant opinions (al-rājiḥ) of the Ḥanafī school was one of the key obstacles to meaningful legal reform in this case. Despite his declared following of the Ḥanafī school, Shākir dismissed Ḥanafī legal norms and authorities, and advocated an urgent break with the control of the Ḥanafī legal school on the process of judicial reasoning in the Egyptian sharīʿa courts. To further demonstrate this dynamic, I take up a close reading of a court decision on whether custody payments (ujrat al-ḥaḍāna) include housing support (sakan), or if the latter is a separate calculated expense. Shākir not only ruled in opposition to the Ḥanafī preponderant position but also rejected the late Ḥanafī authority Muḥammad Amīn ʿĀbidīn’s (Ibn ʿĀbidīn, d. 1836) effort to harmonize the school’s position on this matter. I propose that Shākir was an iconoclastic Ḥanafī.
Spatial Representativeness Analysis for Snow Depth Measurements of Meteorological Stations in Northeast China
Authors: Wang Yuanyuan , Zheng Zhaojun
Published: March 2020

Triple collocation (TC) is a popular technique for determining the data quality of three products that estimate the same geophysical variable using mutually independent methods. When TC is applied to a triplet of one point-scale in situ and two coarse-scale datasets that have the similar spatial resolution, the TC-derived performance metric for the point-scale dataset can be used to assess its spatial representativeness. In this study, the spatial representativeness of in situ snow depth measurements from the meteorological stations in northeast China was assessed using an unbiased correlation metric estimated with TC. Stations are considered representative if ; that is, in situ measurements explain no less than 50% of the variations in the “ground truth” of the snow depth averaged at the coarse scale (0.25°). The results confirmed that TC can be used to reliably exploit existing sparse snow depth networks. The main findings are as follows. 1) Among all the 98 stations in the study region, 86 stations have valid values, of which 57 stations are representative for the entire snow season (October–December, January–April). 2) Seasonal variations in are large: 63 stations are representative during the snow accumulation period (December–February), whereas only 25 stations are representative during the snow ablation period (October–November, March–April). 3) The is positively correlated with mean snow depth, which largely determines the global decreasing trend in from north to south. After removing this trend, residuals in can be explained by heterogeneity features concerning elevation and conditional probability of snow presence near the stations.
The Optimal Multimodel Ensemble of Bias-Corrected CMIP5 Climate Models over China
Authors: Yang Xiaoli , Yu Xiaohan , Wang Yuqian , He Xiaogang , Pan Ming , Zhang Mengru , Liu Yi , Ren Liliang , Sheffield Justin
Published: March 2020

A multimodel ensemble of general circulation models (GCM) is a popular approach to assess hydrological impacts of climate change at local, regional, and global scales. The traditional multimodel ensemble approach has not considered different uncertainties across GCMs, which can be evaluated from the comparisons of simulations against observations. This study developed a comprehensive index to generate an optimal ensemble for two main climate fields (precipitation and temperature) for the studies of hydrological impacts of climate change over China. The index is established on the skill score of each bias-corrected model and different multimodel combinations using the outputs from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). Results show that the optimal ensemble of the nine selected models accurately captures the characteristics of spatial–temporal variabilities of precipitation and temperature over China. We discussed the uncertainty of subset ensembles of ranking models and optimal ensemble based on historical performance. We found that the optimal subset ensemble of nine models has relative smaller uncertainties compared with other subsets. Our proposed framework to postprocess the multimodel ensemble data has a wide range of applications for climate change assessment and impact studies.
Characterizing Surface Albedo of Shallow Fresh Snow and Its Importance for Snow Ablation on the Interior of the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Wang Wenli , Yang Kun , Zhao Long , Zheng Ziyan , Lu Hui , Mamtimin Ali , Ding Baohong , Li Xin , Zhao Lin , Li Hongyi , Che Tao , Moore John C.
Published: March 2020

Snow depth on the interior of Tibetan Plateau (TP) in state-of-the-art reanalysis products is almost an order of magnitude higher than observed. This huge bias stems primarily from excessive snowfall, but inappropriate process representation of shallow snow also causes excessive snow depth and snow cover. This study investigated the issue with respect to the parameterization of fresh snow albedo. The characteristics of TP snowfall were investigated using ground truth data. Snow in the interior of the TP is usually only some centimeters in depth. The albedo of fresh snow depends on snow depth, and is frequently less than 0.4. Such low albedo values contrast with the high values (~0.8) used in the existing snow schemes of land surface models. The SNICAR radiative transfer model can reproduce the observations that fresh shallow snow has a low albedo value, based on which a fresh snow albedo scheme was derived in this study. Finally, the impact of the fresh snow albedo on snow ablation was examined at 45 meteorological stations on TP using the land surface model Noah-MP which incorporated the new scheme. Allowing albedo to change with snow depth can produce quite realistic snow depths compared with observations. In contrast, the typically assumed fresh snow albedo of 0.82 leads to too large snow depths in the snow ablation period averaged across 45 stations. The shallow snow transparency impact on snow ablation is therefore particularly important in the TP interior, where snow is rather thin and radiation is strong.
Time-Resolved Temperature-Jump Infrared Spectroscopy at a High Repetition Rate
Authors: Greetham Gregory M. , Clark Ian P. , Young Benjamin , Fritsch Robby , Minnes Lucy , Hunt Neil T. , Towrie Mike
Published: March 2020

Time-resolved temperature-jump infrared absorption spectroscopy at a 0.5 to 1 kHz repetition rate is presented. A 1 kHz neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser pumping an optical parametric oscillator provided >70 µJ, 3.75 µm pump pulses, which delivered a temperature jump via excitation of the O–D stretch of a D2O solution. A 10 kHz train of mid-infrared probe pulses was used to monitor spectral changes following the temperature jump. Calibration with trifluoroacetic acid solution showed that a temperature jump of 10 K lasting for tens of microseconds was achieved, sufficient to observe fast processes in functionally relevant biomolecular mechanisms. Modeling of heating profiles across ≤10 µm path length cells and subsequent cooling dynamics are used to describe the initial <100 ns cooling at the window surface and subsequent, >10 µs cooling dynamics of the bulk solution.
Who Can Read Wisdom? The Implied Virtues of the Readers of Wisdom’s Narratives
Authors: Briggs Richard S.
Published: March 2020

This article contributes to the attempt to reformulate hermeneutical questions about ‘how to read the Bible’ in terms of theological characterisations of the kind of reader best placed to read the Bible well. It is thus situated amidst renewed interest in the intersection of character ethics and biblical interpretation. It addresses two related issues, before pointing in the direction of a substantive third concern. First, it explores what is at stake in reading wisdom texts as narratives, finding it persuasive to construe wisdom in narrative terms. Secondly, it considers what virtues are presupposed in these narrative constructions. The reading of Job draws us to consider patience; from Proverbs we consider the virtue of perceptiveness; and from Ecclesiastes a virtue of honesty. Thirdly, the larger question of how one might begin to characterise the implied reader of these texts is considered, building on a canonically constructed portrait of the reader informed by the virtues considered.
Does Trade Liberalisation Policy Enhance Performance of Non-Oil Export Trade in Nigeria?
Authors: Ikpe Marius , Ojike Richard Okey , Ahamba Kenneth Onyeanuna
Published: March 2020

Decades after the trade liberalisation policy shift, poor performance problem of non-oil export in Nigeria (a net-oil exporting economy) persists. Against this backdrop, and given the lack of analytical depth among Nigerian-specific studies, this study empirically provided answer to the question of whether trade liberalisation policy enhances non-oil export trade in Nigeria. The study adopted an Autoregressive Distributed Lag model approach to the analysis of the impact of trade liberalisation policy on non-oil export trade. Evidence provided support for trade liberalisation policy as the growth driver for non-oil export, a sector that exports more but earns little in terms of revenue. As a result, the study recommends a well thought-out public–private partnership arrangement for the efficiency of the private sector (a major player in non-oil export trade), to optimally harness the benefits of liberalisation in Nigeria’s non-oil trade sub-sector.

JEL Codes: F14, F17, F41, F62
Preface to the Special Issue on Human Factors and Advanced Vehicle Automation: Of Benefits, Barriers, and Bridges to Safe and Effective Implementation
Authors: Horrey William J. , Lee John D.
Published: March 2020

Objective

The aim of this special issue is to bring together the latest research related to driver interaction with various types of vehicle automation.

Background

Vehicle technology has undergone significant progress over the past decade, bringing new support features that can assist the driver and take on more and more of the driving responsibilities.

Method

This issue is comprised of eight articles from international research teams, focusing on different types of automation and different user populations, including driver support features through to highly automated driving systems.

Results

The papers comprising this special issue are clustered into three categories: (a) experimental studies of driver interactions with advanced vehicle technologies; (b) analysis of existing data sources; and (c) emerging human factors issues. Studies of currently available and pending systems highlight some of the human factors challenges associated with the driver–system interaction that are likely to become more prominent in the near future. Moreover, studies of more nascent concepts (i.e., those that are still a long way from production vehicles) underscore many attitudes, perceptions, and concerns that will need to be considered as these technologies progress.

Conclusions

Collectively, the papers comprising this special issue help fill some gaps in our knowledge. More importantly, they continue to help us identify and articulate some of the important and potential human factors barriers, design considerations, and research needs as these technologies become more ubiquitous.
A Strategic Core Role Perspective on Team Coordination: Benefits of Centralized Leadership for Managing Task Complexity in the Operating Room
Authors: Pasarakonda Surabhi , Grote Gudela , Schmutz Jan B. , Bogdanovic Jasmina , Guggenheim Merlin , Manser Tanja
Published: March 2020

Objective

We examine whether surgical teams can handle changes in task requirements better when their formal leader and strategic core role holder—that is, the main surgeon—is central to team coordination.

Background

Evidence regarding the benefits of shared leadership for managing complex tasks is divided. We tested whether a strategic core role holder’s centrality in team coordination helps teams to handle different types of task complexity.

Method

We observed coordination as specific leadership behavior in 30 surgical teams during real-life operations. To assess the strategic core role holder’s coordination centrality, we conducted social network analyses. Task complexity (i.e., surgical difficulty and unexpected events) and surgical goal attainment were rated in a questionnaire.

Results

In the critical operation phase, surgical difficulty impaired goal attainment when the strategic core role holder’s coordination centrality was low, while this effect was nonsignificant when his/her coordination centrality was high. Unexpected events had a negative effect on surgical goal attainment. However, coordination centrality of the strategic core role holder could not help manage unexpected events.

Conclusion

The results indicate that shared leadership is not beneficial when teams face surgical difficulty during the critical operation phase. In this situation, team coordination should rather be centralized around the strategic core role holder. Contrarily, when unexpected events occur, centralizing team coordination around a single leader does not seem to be beneficial for goal attainment.

Application

Leaders and team members should be aware of the importance of distributing leadership differently when it comes to managing different types of task complexity.
Anti-Impunity Norm of the International Criminal Court: A Curse or Blessing for Africa?
Authors: Okpe Samuel Okpe
Published: March 2020

In recent years, the position of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Africa has become an issue of contention. Through the African Union (AU), African leaders have expressed their concern in relation to the principle of impunity and self-sovereignty of African nations. The AU asserts fiercely that the influence of the ICC is overwhelming on the African continent; therefore, African leaders clamor for an amendment to the court or even a total withdrawal. I argue that the change of relationship initiated by the AU is not only selfish but also unequivocally harmful to the tenets of justice, law and order. By way of a vast exploration of data (internet sources, official government records, print sources and online interviews), this study reiterates the importance of the anti-impunity norm of the ICC as an instrument of equity, especially when African leaders are involved.
A Virtuous Appraisal of Heritable Genome Editing
Authors: Reilly Christopher M.
Published: March 2020

The ethics of heritable genome editing (HGE), or germline engineering, are currently being debated vigorously among scientists and bioethicists, and the Catholic Church has declared the procedure to be morally illicit. While these judgments are based mostly on the justice and consequences of the act, a fruitful approach is to consider HGE from the perspective of the virtuous Christian. This article examines participation in HGE according to the virtues of charity, justice, hope, faith, fortitude, temperance, and prudence. HGE does not appear to be consonant with the virtuous life of a Christian person.

The article evaluates heritable genome editing (HGE or genetic engineering of embryos) according to the Christian virtues of charity, justice, hope, faith, fortitude, temperance, and prudence. HGE does not seem to be consonant with the virtuous life of a Christian person.
Genetic engineering at the heart of agroecology
Authors: Lotz Lambertus AP , van de Wiel Clemens CM , Smulders Marinus JM
Published: March 2020

We discuss whether genetic engineering and agroecology are compatible. For this, we investigated three cases of genetically engineered crops and considered agroecology as scientific discipline as well as a social movement. One case was the use of cisgenic modifications to make potato durably resistant to late blight, the second was the use of CRISPR/Cas to make rice resistant to bacterial blight and as a third case, we evaluated experiences with cultivating transgenic Bt crops. These cases demonstrated that genetic engineering offers opportunities to grow crops in novel integrated pest management (IPM) systems with, as direct benefit, a decrease in the use of chemical crop protection agents, and as indirect effect that the role of predators and biological control agents can become more important than in present conventional systems based on pesticides. We used a framework based on four concerns (both cons and pros) that were gathered from an extensive societal interaction organized around the Dutch research project DuRPh, which produced a proof-of-concept of a cisgenic late blight-resistant potato. We concluded that genetic engineering and agroecology certainly have synergy in the context of agroecology as science, when applied to making crops less vulnerable to pests and diseases and when combined with cultivation using IPM. By contrast, within the movement context, genetically engineered varieties may be welcomed if they include traits that contribute to successful IPM schemes and are socially benign. Whether they would actually be deemed desirable or acceptable will, however, vary depending on the norms and values of the social movements. We propose that some concerns may be reconcilable in a dialogue. Deontological arguments such as naturalness are more difficult to reconcile, as they relate to deeply felt ethical or cultural values. A step forward would be when also for these arguments everyone can make an informed choice and when these choices can coexist in a respectful manner.
Loyalists, Localists, and Legibility: The Calibrated Control of Provincial Leadership Teams in China
Authors: Bulman David J. , Jaros Kyle A.
Published: March 2020

Selecting provincial leaders is a fraught task for authoritarian regimes. Although central authorities more readily trust provincial leaders with close ties to the center, such loyalists may lack the local knowledge and connections necessary to govern adeptly. Using an original data set on the tenures and backgrounds of China’s provincial party standing committee members, this article explores how Beijing fine-tunes provincial leadership teams to resolve this dilemma. The analysis challenges the conventional wisdom that Beijing exerts its tightest personnel control in strategically important provinces. It shows that Beijing tolerates significant embeddedness of local leadership in provinces with complex governance challenges even when these provinces are important. Moreover, it finds that when the center reasserts control through appointments of loyalist personnel during times of crisis, it does so in a balanced manner. These calibrated personnel strategies highlight the extent to which authoritarian systems rely on local expertise and experience as well as top-down control.
The search for significance: meaning making in elderly South Africans following the emigration of their adult children
Authors: Jithoo Vinitha , Marchetti-Mercer Maria , Swartz Leslie
Published: March 2020

Globalization and the mobility of people across domestic and international boundaries have become part of the rhythm and tempo of the modern world, and increasingly the elderly remaining behind comprise a sizable and integral part of contemporary society. Their successful adaptation has become an important consideration not only for them, but for their families and society. This article explores the coping strategies used in finding coherence when confronting this disruptive life event. As part of a larger study exploring the impact of South African emigration on the elderly, we interviewed 25 elderly parents of skilled emigrants. Using thematic analysis, we show how these parents coped with ambiguous loss of emigration, making use of technology and alternative configurations of identity and care to conceptualize their lives and current contexts. More research is needed to understand migration and aging, an issue likely to become more prominent.
“There’s Always Going to Be Uncertainty”: Exploring Undergraduate Student Parents’ Sources of Uncertainty and Related Management Practices
Authors: Scharp Kristina M. , Cooper R. Amanda , Worwood Jared V. , Dorrance Hall Elizabeth
Published: March 2020

Framed by uncertainty management theory, the present study explores the uncertainty issues and management practices of undergraduate student parents. Results from 40 narrative interviews reveal seven sources of uncertainty, eight management practices, and two uncertainty trade-offs. Findings reveal that having two interrelated identities (student and parent) not only exacerbate some uncertainties but create completely new ones. This intersectionality also holds implications for management practices. Theoretical implications and practical applications are discussed.
Get up! Be Opened!: Code-switching and Loanwords in the Gospel of Mark
Authors: Gómez Alfredo Delgado
Published: March 2020

This article explores the social and literary functions of the loanwords and cases of code-switching in the Gospel of Mark from a sociolinguistic perspective, as a means of understanding better the author and the discursive community for which he writes. Sociolinguistic concepts and definitions that affect the understanding of the different varieties of language will be discussed. These tools will then be applied to the Gospel of Mark to analyze significant aspects of its idiolect, especially those related to Mark’s use of multilingualism. From this analysis conclusions are drawn that illuminate its idiolect from another angle, as well as the social actions that could be carried out by its author through the linguistic strategies that can be recognized from the study of its idiolect.
Did the Johannine Community Exist?
Authors: Méndez Hugo
Published: March 2020

This article challenges the historical existence of the ‘Johannine community’ – a hypothesized group of ancient churches sharing a distinctive theological outlook. Scholars posit such a community to explain the similarities of John to 1, 2 and 3 John as well as the epistles’ witness to a network of churches. Against this view, this article calls attention to evidence of literary contact between the four texts and the presence of dubious authorial claims in each. Taken together, these features cast John, 1 John, 2 John and 3 John as unreliable bases for historical reconstruction, whose implied audiences and situations are probably fabrications. The article proceeds to develop a new history of the Johannine texts. Those texts represent a chain of literary forgeries, in which authors of different extractions cast and recast a single invented character – an eyewitness to Jesus’ life – as the mouthpiece of different theological viewpoints.
Bultmann in Retrospect
Authors: Morgan Robert
Published: March 2020

This article reviews a large and stimulating monograph on Bultmann (Congdon 2015a), an impressive collection of articles on his Theology of the New Testament (Longenecker and Parsons 2014) and a valuable German resource for studying his oeuvre (Landmesser 2017). It sets these major contributions against a selection of important German research, notable English-language monographs, and takes notice of the material that has become available since Bultmann’s death in 1976, especially his correspondence. Renewed attention to this giant of theology and biblical scholarship is proving fruitful in new contexts.
Seeing Divine Speech: Sensory Intersections in Luke’s Birth Narrative and Beyond
Authors: Wilson Brittany E.
Published: March 2020

This article explores how divine discourse in Luke–Acts intersects with the sense of sight. Divine discourse is never simply heard, for speech crosses sensory lines and blurs any clear demarcation between the verbal and the visual. In exploring these sensory intersections, I begin with Luke’s arguably most logocentric section – the birth narrative – and discuss the divine–human encounters that occur there. After this analysis of the epiphanies in Lk. 1–2, I then trace how the patterns concerning sight and its overlaps with divine speech are amplified later in Luke–Acts. Beyond the birth narrative, Luke increases the importance of the visual in divine–human encounters, mainly with respect to (1) the role of sight in epiphanies, (2) the function of signs in facilitating faith and (3) the motif of revelation and hiddenness. Indeed, we shall see that, for Luke, there is something important to ‘seeing’ divine speech.