bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Biopsychosocial Model of Interferon-Alpha-Induced Depression in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Infection
Authors: Baranyi Andreas , Meinitzer Andreas , Stepan Alexandra , Putz-Bankuti Csilla , Breitenecker Robert J. , Stauber Rudolf , Kapfhammer Hans-Peter , Rothenhäusler Hans-Bernd
Published: August 2013

Background: The aim of this prospective study was to gain a more comprehensive picture of the biopsychosocial effects of interferon-α (IFN-α) treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C (HCV). The predictors of depressive development and changes in health-related quality of life, life satisfaction and cognitive ability were measured with the inclusion of the social context. Furthermore, the effects of IFN-α treatment on indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, the level of tryptophan supply in the brain, the development of neurotoxic kynurenine metabolites and the thyroid glands were investigated. Therefore, for the first time the conditions for the development of depressive episodes in HCV patients treated with IFN-α were examined over the entire period of treatment as well as 3 months later, applying a holistic biopsychosocial model. Method: Psychiatric and biological assessments were carried out at 6 different times: before, during (at 1, 3, 6 and 9 months) and after the end of IFN-α treatment. Results: During IFN-α treatment 22 (53.7%) of 41 patients fulfilled the criteria for a treatment-related depressive disorder at least once during treatment. Contributing factors are tryptophan depletion (tryptophan to competing amino acids quotient), increased neurotoxic challenge (kynurenine to kynurenic acid quotient), less social support, female gender, preexisting psychiatric vulnerability, means of transmission, low financial security, impaired sexual satisfaction, small circle of friends, impaired physical role, strong body pain, low general health and vitality, reduced social functioning, impaired mental health and impaired emotional role. Conclusions: The awareness of relevant risk factors of IFN-α treatment-induced depression is essential to develop preventative treatment strategies.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Patients with Medically Unexplained Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: van Ravesteijn Hiske , Lucassen Peter , Bor Hans , van Weel Chris , Speckens Anne
Published: August 2013

Background: Patients with medically unexplained symptoms make heavy demands on the health care system. An offer for psychological treatment is often declined. There is a need for acceptable and effective treatments. We assessed the acceptability and effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for patients with persistent medically unexplained symptoms. Method: A randomized controlled trial comparing MBCT (n = 64) to enhanced usual care (EUC; n = 61). Participants were the 10% most frequently attending patients in primary care. The primary outcome measure was general health status at the end of treatment. Secondary outcome measures were mental and physical functioning. Assessments took place at the end of treatment and at the 9-month follow-up. Results: Health status and physical functioning did not significantly differ between groups. However, participants in the MBCT group reported a significantly greater improvement in mental functioning at the end of treatment (adjusted mean difference, 3.9; 95% CI, 0.24-7.6), in particular with regard to vitality and social functioning. In addition, at 9 months of follow-up, the mindfulness skills ‘observing' and ‘describing' were significantly higher in the MBCT group. Within the MBCT group, almost half of the outcome measures had significantly improved at the end of treatment, whereas in the EUC group none had. Conclusions: MBCT was feasible for frequently attending patients with persistent medically unexplained symptoms in primary care. Although MBCT did not lead to a significant difference in general health status between the two groups, it did result in a significant improvement in mental functioning.
Melanoma and Rituximab: An Incidental Association?
Authors: Peuvrel L. , Chiffoleau A. , Quéreux G. , Brocard A. , Saint-Jean M. , Batz A. , Jolliet P. , Dréno B.
Published: August 2013

Rituximab is an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody increasingly used in haematology and rheumatology, but also in internal medicine and dermatology. It has a good tolerance profile without known increased risk of cancer. We report a case of nodular melanoma with a 4.8 mm Breslow thickness that appeared after 2 years of rituximab in a 45-year-old patient with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Fifteen additional rituximab-associated melanoma cases in 13 patients have been identified in the literature and in the EudraVigilance database. These patients were treated for various indications and had melanomas, often aggressive, initially diagnosed at a metastatic stage in 31% of cases. Our work raises the question of rituximab accountability in melanoma onset in these immunosuppressed patients. A dermatological monitoring seems necessary in patients treated with rituximab, especially in case of risk factors for melanoma. In case of individual melanoma history, the benefit/risk ratio of initiating rituximab therapy should be carefully assessed.
Does Low Birth Weight Predict Hypertension and Obesity in Schoolchildren?
Authors: Zarrati Mitra , Shidfar Farzad , Razmpoosh Elham , Nezhad Farinaz Nasir , Keivani Hosein , Hemami Mohsen Rezaei , Asemi Zatollah
Published: August 2013

Background: Birth weight appears to play a role in determining high blood pressure (BP) and obesity during childhood. The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between birth weight and later obesity and hypertension among 10- to 13-year-old schoolchildren. Methods: A total of 1,184 primary school students were selected from 20 randomized schools between 2011 and 2012 in Iran. Height, weight, waist circumference and BP were measured using standard instruments. Data were analyzed using stepwise regression and logistic regression models. Results: 13.5% of children had a history of low birth weight. First-degree family history of obesity, excessive gestational weight gain and birth weight were significantly correlated with overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity (p = 0.001), whereas only birth weight was associated with high BP (p = 0.001). An inverse correlation was found between waist circumference and systolic/diastolic BP. The duration of breastfeeding in children with low birth weight was inversely correlated with obesity/overweight, abdominal obesity and hypertension. Conclusion: The results suggests that birth weight is inversely associated with BP and more so with obesity and abdominal obesity. The duration of having been breastfed could have an influence on later hypertension, obesity and abdominal obesity. Further results are needed to test these correlations as well as diagnosing early life factors to prevent young adult overweight/obesity or hypertension.
Screening for Cronobacter Species in Powdered and Reconstituted Infant Formulas and from Equipment Used in Formula Preparation in Maternity Hospitals
Authors: Siqueira Santos Rosana Francisco , da Silva Neusely , Amstalden Junqueira Valéria C. , Kajsik Michal , Forsythe Stephen , Pereira José Luiz
Published: August 2013

Background/Aims:Cronobacter spp. have been identified as being of considerable risk to neonates. The occurrence of organisms in infant formulas is therefore of considerable interest. Methods: The occurrence of Cronobacter spp. in infant feeds (formulas and fortified cow's milk) was determined using most probable number (MPN) analysis, and from formula preparation utensils. Ninety-nine samples were analyzed, of which 42 were unopened cans of powdered infant formula (PIF), 25 reconstituted infant formulas in feeding bottles, 27 utensils used in the preparation of infant formula and 5 samples of fortified cow's milk. Presumptive Cronobacter spp. isolates were identified using the 7 allele multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme. Results: C. sakazakii, C. malonaticus and C. muytjensii were recovered from PIF. Although the incidence of Cronobacter in PIF was 29% (12/42), the level was low with an average of 0.54 MPN/100 g. According to MLST profiling, C. sakazakii was the most frequently isolated Cronobacter species, and C. sakazakii ST4 (associated with neonatal meningitis) was recovered from 2/42 PIF samples at 0.51 and 0.92 MPN/100 g. Conclusions:Cronobacter spp. can be isolated from PIF and therefore strict hygienic practices during PIF preparation are important to minimize neonate exposure and reduce the risk of severe infections.
Association of Gastric Mucosal Injury Severity with Platelet Function and Gastric pH during Low-Dose Aspirin Treatment
Authors: Nishino Masafumi , Sugimoto Mitsushige , Uotani Takahiro , Yamade Mihoko , Sahara Shu , Ichikawa Hitomi , Sugimoto Ken , Umemura Kazuo , Watanabe Hiroshi , Miyajima Hiroaki , Furuta Takahisa
Published: August 2013

Introduction: The antiplatelet effects of low-dose aspirin (LDA) vary between individuals. Here, we investigated the relationship between the incidence of LDA-induced mucosal injury, antiplatelet effects of LDA, and intragastric pH. Methods: We evaluated gastric injury severity and platelet function using the VerifyNow® System before and after administration of 100 mg aspirin for 7 days to 18 young healthy subjects (study 1). We investigated whether injury was correlated with platelet function and gastric juice pH in 45 patients with cardiovascular disease administered LDA daily (study 2). Results: In study 1, platelet aggregation was attenuated by LDA to different degrees. Although 55.6% of subjects (10/18) developed gastric injury of modified Lanza score (MLS) ≥3, no significant difference in platelet function was detected between the mild (n = 8, MLS: 0-2) and severe injury groups (n = 10, MLS: 3-5). In study 2, the severity of LDA-induced injury was associated with gastric juice pH, but not with antiplatelet effects of LDA. Discussion: In contrast to gastric juice pH, the antiplatelet effect had no correlation with the severity of gastric mucosal injury. Monitoring gastric acidity, rather than platelet function, may be useful for predicting the risk of gastric injury during LDA treatment.
Is Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection an Appropriate Standard of Care for Low-Stage Endometrial Cancers? A Review of the Literature
Authors: Levinson Kimberly L. , Escobar Pedro F.
Published: August 2013

Background/Aims: To review the literature and compare detection rates, false negative (FN) rates, and negative predictive values (NPVs) of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in endometrial cancer to those in breast and vulvar cancer. Secondary objectives were to evaluate techniques of SLN biopsy in endometrial cancer. Methods: The PubMed database was searched for applicable scientific articles. Detection rates, FN rates, and NPVs were calculated for all studies. Studies were stratified by techniques and compared. Results: Nineteen articles met criteria for this review. The overall detection rates ranged from 62 to 100%, the FN rate ranged from 0 to 50%, and the NPVs ranged from 95 to 100%. There is no technique that is definitively superior to any other with regard to surgical modality, injectant used, injection site, or pathologic techniques. Conclusions: Studies on SLN biopsy in endometrial cancer have a large range of detection rates and FN rates, and larger studies including more patients with metastatic disease are needed for comparison with breast and vulvar cancers. While no techniques are definitively superior to others, minimally invasive surgery, cervical injection, and pathologic analysis utilizing HE staining, immunohistochemistry, and ultrastaging may be clinically advantageous.
Aspergillosis in a Patient Receiving Temozolomide for the Treatment of Glioblastoma
Authors: Munhoz Rodrigo Ramella , Picarelli Andrea Arvai Pereira , Mitteldorf Cristina Aparecida Troques , Feher Olavo
Published: August 2013

Leukopenia and selective CD4+ lymphopenia represent major adverse events associated with the use of temozolomide (TMZ), an oral alkylating agent incorporated in the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM). The increased risk of opportunistic infections, including those caused by Pneumocystis jiroveci and cytomegalovirus, has been previously described in the literature. Here we report the case, the first to our knowledge, of a patient with pulmonary invasive aspergillosis immediately after the completion of chemoradiation with TMZ for GBM. Diagnosis was confirmed through a CT-guided lung biopsy, and the patient had excellent response to systemic voriconazole. This case illustrates that TMZ can be associated with severe opportunistic infections, presumably associated with T lymphocyte immune dysfunction, and patients exposed to this agent should be carefully monitored.
Prosthesis-Patient Mismatch in Bovine Pericardial Aortic Valves
Authors: Chacko Satish Jacob , Ansari Asimul H. , McCarthy Patrick M. , Malaisrie S. Chris , Andrei Adin-Cristian , Li Zhi , Lee Richard , McGee Edwin , Bonow Robert O. , Puthumana Jyothy J.
Published: August 2013

Background—

The prevalence of prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) and its impact on survival after aortic valve replacement have not been clearly defined. Historically, the presence of PPM was identified from postoperative echocardiograms or preoperative manufacturer-provided charts, resulting in wide discrepancies. The 2009 American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) guidelines proposed an algorithmic approach to calculate PPM. This study compared PPM prevalence and its impact on survival using 3 modalities: (1) the ASE guidelines–suggested algorithm (ASE PPM); (2) the manufacturer-provided charts (M PPM); and (3) the echocardiographically measured, body surface area–indexed, effective orifice area (EOAi PPM) measurement.

Methods and Results—

A total of 614 patients underwent aortic valve replacement with bovine pericardial valves from 2004 to 2009 and had normal preoperative systolic function. EOAi PPM was severe if EOAi was ≤0.60 cm
2
/m
2
, moderate if EOAi was 0.60 to 0.85 cm
2
/m
2
, and absent (none) if EOAi was ≥0.85 cm
2
/m
2
. ASE PPM was severe in 22 (3.6%), moderate in 6 (1%), and absent (none) in 586 (95.4%). ASE PPM was similar to manufacturer-provided PPM (
P
=1.00). ASE PPM differed significantly from EOAi PPM (
P
<0.001), which identified severe mismatch in 170 (29.7%), moderate in 191 (33.4%), and absent (none) in 211 patients (36.9%). Irrespective of the PPM classification method, PPM did not adversely affect midterm survival (average follow-up, 4.1±1.8 years; median, 3.9 years; range, 0.01–8 years). There were no reoperations for PPM.

Conclusions—

In patients with normal systolic function undergoing bovine pericardial aortic valve replacement, the prevalence of PPM using the algorithmic-ASE approach was low and correlated well with manufacturer-provided PPM. Independent of the method of PPM assessment, PPM was not associated with medium-term mortality.
Quantification of Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance
Authors: Coelho-Filho Otavio R. , Shah Ravi V. , Mitchell Richard , Neilan Tomas G. , Moreno Heitor , Simonson Bridget , Kwong Raymond , Rosenzweig Anthony , Das Saumya , Jerosch-Herold Michael
Published: August 2013

Background—

Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy is a critical precursor to the development of heart failure. Methods to phenotype cellular hypertrophy noninvasively are limited. The goal was to validate a cardiac magnetic resonance–based approach for the combined assessment of extracellular matrix expansion and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.

Methods and Results—

Two murine models of hypertension (n=18, with n=15 controls) induced by
l
-
N
G
-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and pressure overload (n=11) from transaortic constriction (TAC) were imaged by cardiac magnetic resonance at baseline and 7 weeks after L-NAME treatment or up to 7 weeks after TAC. T1 relaxation times were measured before and after gadolinium contrast. The intracellular lifetime of water (
τ

ic

), a cell size–dependent parameter, and extracellular volume fraction, a marker of interstitial fibrosis, were determined with a model for transcytolemmal water exchange. Cardiomyocyte diameter and length were measured on FITC–wheat germ agglutinin–stained sections. The τ
ic
correlated strongly with histological cardiomyocyte volume-to-surface ratio (
r
=0.78,
P
<0.001) and cell volume (
r
=0.75,
P
<0.001). Histological cardiomyocyte diameters and cell volumes were higher in mice treated with L-NAME compared with controls (
P
<0.001). In the TAC model, cardiac magnetic resonance and histology showed cell hypertrophy at 2 weeks after TAC without significant fibrosis at this early time point. Mice exposed to TAC demonstrated a significant, longitudinal, and parallel increase in histological cell volume, volume-to-surface ratio, and τ
ic
between 2 and 7 weeks after TAC.

Conclusion—

The τ
ic
measured by contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance provides a noninvasive measure of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Extracellular volume fraction and τ
ic
can track myocardial tissue remodeling from pressure overload.
Natural History and Prognostic Value of Corticospinal Tract Wallerian Degeneration in Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Venkatasubramanian Chitra , Kleinman Jonathan T. , Fischbein Nancy J. , Olivot Jean‐Marc , Gean Alisa D. , Eyngorn Irina , Snider Ryan W. , Mlynash Michael , Wijman Christine A. C.
Published: August 2013

Background

The purpose of this study was to define the incidence, imaging characteristics, natural history, and prognostic implication of corticospinal tract Wallerian degeneration (
CST
‐
WD
) in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (
ICH
) using serial
MR
imaging.

Methods and Results

Consecutive
ICH
patients with supratentorial
ICH
prospectively underwent serial
MRI
s at 2, 7, 14, and 21 days.
MRI
s were analyzed by independent raters for the presence and topographical distribution of
CST
‐
WD
on diffusion‐weighted imaging (
DWI
). Baseline demographics, hematoma characteristics,
ICH
score, and admission National Institute of Health Stroke Score (
NIHSS
) were systematically recorded. Functional outcome at 3 months was assessed by the modified Rankin Scale (
mRS
) and the motor‐
NIHSS
. Twenty‐seven patients underwent 93
MRI
s; 88 of these were serially obtained in the first month. In 13 patients (48%), all with deep
ICH
,
CST
‐
WD
changes were observed after a median of 7 days (interquartile range, 7 to 8) as reduced diffusion on
DWI
and progressed rostrocaudally along the
CST
.
CST
‐
WD
changes evolved into T
2
‐hyperintense areas after a median of 11 days (interquartile range, 6 to 14) and became atrophic on
MRI
s obtained after 3 months. In univariate analyses, the presence of
CST
‐
WD
was associated with poor functional outcome (ie,
mRS
4 to 6;
P
=0.046) and worse motor‐
NIHSS
(5 versus 1,
P
=0.001) at 3 months.

Conclusions

Wallerian degeneration along the
CST
is common in spontaneous supratentorial
ICH
, particularly in deep
ICH
. It can be detected 1 week after
ICH
on
DWI
and progresses rostrocaudally along the
CST
over time. The presence of
CST
‐
WD
is associated with poor motor and functional recovery after
ICH
.
Phosphoproteomics Study Based on In Vivo Inhibition Reveals Sites of Calmodulin‐Dependent Protein Kinase II Regulation in the Heart
Authors: Scholten Arjen , Preisinger Christian , Corradini Eleonora , Bourgonje Vincent J. , Hennrich Marco L. , van Veen Toon A. B. , Swaminathan Paari D. , Joiner Mei‐Ling , Vos Marc A. , Anderson Mark E. , Heck Albert J. R.
Published: August 2013

Background

The multifunctional Ca
2+
‐ and calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase
II
(Ca
MKII
) is a crucial mediator of cardiac physiology and pathology. Increased expression and activation of Ca
MKII
has been linked to elevated risk for arrhythmic events and is a hallmark of human heart failure. A useful approach to determining Ca
MKII
's role therein is large‐scale analysis of phosphorylation events by mass spectrometry. However, current large‐scale phosphoproteomics approaches have proved inadequate for high‐fidelity identification of kinase‐specific roles. The purpose of this study was to develop a phosphoproteomics approach to specifically identify Ca
MKII
's downstream effects in cardiac tissue.

Methods and Results

To identify putative downstream Ca
MKII
targets in cardiac tissue, animals with myocardial‐delimited expression of the specific peptide inhibitor of Ca
MKII
(
AC
3‐I) or an inactive control (
AC
3‐C) were compared using quantitative phosphoproteomics. The hearts were isolated after isoproterenol injection to induce Ca
MKII
activation downstream of β‐adrenergic receptor agonist stimulation. Enriched phosphopeptides from
AC
3‐I and
AC
3‐C mice were differentially quantified using stable isotope dimethyl labeling, strong cation exchange chromatography and high‐resolution
LC
‐
MS
/
MS
. Phosphorylation levels of several hundred sites could be profiled, including 39 phosphoproteins noticeably affected by
AC
3‐I‐mediated Ca
MKII
inhibition.

Conclusions

Our data set included known Ca
MKII
substrates, as well as several new candidate proteins involved in functions not previously implicated in Ca
MKII
signaling.
An Evaluation of Jürgen Moltmann’s Concept of Time and Space in the New Creation
Authors: Hausoul Raymond R.
Published: August 2013

Abstract

This article concentrates on Jürgen Moltmann’s elaboration of time and space, which constitute a hermeneutical key when talking about the new creation. It presents a general survey of Moltmann’s concept of time and space, and critically evaluates the doctrine of zimzum, the dialectic of time and eternity, and the view on limited and omnipresent space which influences Moltmann’s view on the new creation. In my approach I argue extensively that the time and space of creation will not change into the infinite free time and space of God, but they will border on it, and thereby be connected and separated by it.
Do Consumers Have the Right to Drink Healthy Wine?An Appraisal of the Deutsches Weintor Case
Authors: Inglese Marco
Published: August 2013

Abstract

This article seeks to appraise the development that the Deutsches Weintor case will bring to EU law concerning health protection. The analysis will be carried out by highlighting the structure and the aims of Regulation no. 1924/2006/EC in order to assess its role in the construction of health as a fundamental right. Furthermore, attention will be devoted to how this judgment could affect the general theory behind fundamental rights and how it is placed in relation to the settled case law of the Court.
Beyond Universality and Particularity: The Problem of the Human Rights Language in Liberation Theology
Authors: Adiprasetya Joas
Published: August 2013

Abstract

This comment demonstrates the changes of attitude among liberation theologians toward human rights language, from avoidance, through critical confrontation, to appropriation. The reluctance appears as a natural consequence of the idea of partiality and preferentiality held by liberationists, which has always been critical of any claim of universality such as human right. The comment also argues that the latest phase of appropriation is made possible after liberationists employ the ecclesial idea of the ‘preferential option for the poor.’ However, the acceptance of human rights language can only be possible if we see the poor as concrete universal and understand the idea of the ‘preferential option for the poor’ as a middle axiom.
Universal Rights versus Sharia? Reflections on the Moral and Legal Dimensions of Human Rights Law and Sharia
Authors: Namli Elena
Published: August 2013

Abstract

This article develops a critique of the monopoly of liberal ideology in the field of human rights by considering how law, morality and politics are related to each other. The author argues that the constructive potential of international human rights law does not lie in its being understood and practiced as a positive law. On the contrary, to focus on human rights law as positive law is to conceal the political nature of human rights and to prevent effective development of its moral and political potential. Further, the author considers the case of Sharia law and argues that Sharia, for it to be implemented concretely in the social, political, and legal spheres, must be understood as a moral and religious ‘way’. These interpretations of human rights law and Sharia are used as the basis for a critique of the idea that human rights law and Sharia contradict each other.
After the Missionaries: Churches and Human Rights NGOs in Canadian relations with China
Authors: Webster David
Published: August 2013

Canadian relations with China, historically, have been driven by missionary work and the search for expanded trade. Missionary work drew on the search for souls to save, but morphed into development (building schools and hospitals). Trade promotion, meanwhile, drew on age-old tropes of “Oriental riches” and “the China market.” The missionary and merchant impulses have intertwined in Sino-Canadian relations. This article examines the post-missionary engagement of Canadian churches and human rights advocacy of Canadian non-governmental organizations with China since the 1970s. The focus is on two ecumenical coalitions the Canadian churches sponsored: the Canada China Programme and the Canada Asia Working Group. The former emphasized themes of partnership with Chinese Christian networks as the People’s Republic of China began to open up to the world; the latter stressed advocacy for human rights and economic justice. The tensions within these coalitions illustrate the larger tension between engagement and trade on the one hand, and rights advocacy on the other, in Sino-Canadian relations. These case studies also show the importance of non-state actors in trans-Pacific relations.
Imagined, Transcultural, and Colonial Spaces in Print: Newspaper Serialization of Translated Novels in Colonial Korea
Authors: Cho Heekyoung
Published: August 2013

Abstract

This essay analyzes the Korean ‘relay translation’ of a Japanese adaptation of an English popular novel, entitled Chŏngbuwŏn (A virtuous woman’s resentment) in Korean, which was serialized in a daily newspaper in the mid-1910s. In tandem with the English source text and the Japanese translation, the meaning of the Korean translation was overdetermined by advertisements for the translation, the translator’s preface and footnotes, the readers’ responses, and the serialized novel’s physical coexistence with news carried in the same visual space. Using the prism of space (both tangible and imagined) as a pivot, I argue that the publication of serialized translations of novels in newspapers was situated on the cultural front-line that confronted and negotiated the diverse constructive forces that shaped modern Korean literature. This form of publication thus highlights the characteristics of literature as process, a view that reinstates such seemingly incomplete writings and translations as authentic and legitimate cultural (literary) constituents in modern Korea.
A revision of the ant genus Octostruma Forel 1912 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)
Authors: LONGINO JOHN T.
Published: August 2013

The ant genus Octostruma is restricted to the Neotropics, where it is an inhabitant of forest leaf litter and soil. The genus is reviewed, with an emphasis on the fauna of the MesoAmerican corridor. A total of 34 species are recognized, of which 19 are described as new. A key to species is provided, and the following new species are described: O. ascrobicula Longino, sp. nov., O. ascrobis Longino, sp. nov., O. convallis Longino, sp. nov., O. convallisur Longino, sp. nov., O. cyrtinotum Longino, sp. nov., O. excertirugis Longino, sp. nov., O. gymnogon Longino, sp. nov., O. gymnosoma Longino, sp. nov., O. leptoceps Longino, sp. nov., O. limbifrons Longino, sp. nov., O. megabalzani Longino, sp. nov., O. montanis Longino, sp. nov., O. obtusidens Longino, sp. nov., O. pexidorsum Longino, sp. nov., O. planities Longino, sp. nov., O. schusteri Longino, sp. nov., O. triquetrilabrum Longino, sp. nov., O. triangulabrum Longino, sp. nov., and O. trithrix Longino, sp. nov. Octostruma lutzi (Wheeler) and O. amrishi (Makhan) are removed from synonymy with O. balzani (Emery). Queens are newly associated with workers for O. amrishi (Makhan), O. rugiferoides Brown & Kempf, and O. wheeleri (Mann).
Topological Entropy: A Lagrangian Measure of the State of the Free Atmosphere
Authors: Haszpra Tímea , Tél Tamás
Published: August 2013

Topological entropy is shown to be a useful characteristic of the state of the free atmosphere. It can be determined as the stretching rate of a line segment of tracer particles in the atmosphere over a time span of about 10 days. Besides case studies, the seasonal distribution of the average topological entropy is determined in several geographical locations. The largest topological entropies appear in the mid- and high latitudes, especially in winter, owing to the greater temperature gradient between the pole and the equator and the more intense stirring and shearing effects of cyclones. The smallest values can be found in the trade wind belt. The local value of the topological entropy is a measure of the chaoticity of the state of the atmosphere and of how rapidly pollutants and contaminants spread from a given location.
Improving Antarctic Total Ozone Projections by a Process-Oriented Multiple Diagnostic Ensemble Regression
Authors: Karpechko Alexey Yu. , Maraun Douglas , Eyring Veronika
Published: August 2013

Accurate projections of stratospheric ozone are required because ozone changes affect exposure to ultraviolet radiation and tropospheric climate. Unweighted multimodel ensemble-mean (uMMM) projections from chemistry–climate models (CCMs) are commonly used to project ozone in the twenty-first century, when ozone-depleting substances are expected to decline and greenhouse gases are expected to rise. Here, the authors address the question of whether Antarctic total column ozone projections in October given by the uMMM of CCM simulations can be improved by using a process-oriented multiple diagnostic ensemble regression (MDER) method. This method is based on the correlation between simulated future ozone and selected key processes relevant for stratospheric ozone under present-day conditions. The regression model is built using an algorithm that selects those process-oriented diagnostics that explain a significant fraction of the spread in the projected ozone among the CCMs. The regression model with observed diagnostics is then used to predict future ozone and associated uncertainty. The precision of the authors’ method is tested in a pseudoreality; that is, the prediction is validated against an independent CCM projection used to replace unavailable future observations. The tests show that MDER has higher precision than uMMM, suggesting an improvement in the estimate of future Antarctic ozone. The authors’ method projects that Antarctic total ozone will return to 1980 values at around 2055 with the 95% prediction interval ranging from 2035 to 2080. This reduces the range of return dates across the ensemble of CCMs by about a decade and suggests that the earliest simulated return dates are unlikely.
Improvement of High-Resolution Satellite Rainfall Product for Typhoon Morakot (2009) over Taiwan
Authors: Taniguchi Aina , Shige Shoichi , Yamamoto Munehisa K. , Mega Tomoaki , Kida Satoshi , Kubota Takuji , Kachi Misako , Ushio Tomoo , Aonashi Kazumasa
Published: August 2013

The authors improve the high-resolution Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP) product for Typhoon Morakot (2009) over Taiwan by using an orographic/nonorographic rainfall classification scheme. For the estimation of the orographically forced upward motion used in the orographic/nonorographic rainfall classification scheme, the optimal horizontal length scale for averaging the elevation data is examined and found to be about 50 km. It is inferred that as the air ascends en masse on the horizontal scale, it becomes unstable and convection develops. The orographic/nonorographic rainfall classification scheme is extended to the GSMaP algorithm for all passive microwave radiometers in orbit, including not just microwave imagers but also microwave sounders. The retrieved rainfall rates, together with infrared images, are used for the high-resolution rainfall products, which leads to much better agreement with rain gauge observations.
Forecasting the New York City Urban Heat Island and Sea Breeze during Extreme Heat Events
Authors: Meir Talmor , Orton Philip M. , Pullen Julie , Holt Teddy , Thompson William T. , Arend Mark F.
Published: August 2013

Two extreme heat events impacting the New York City (NYC), New York, metropolitan region during 7–10 June and 21–24 July 2011 are examined in detail using a combination of models and observations. The U.S. Navy's Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) produces real-time forecasts across the region on a 1-km resolution grid and employs an urban canopy parameterization to account for the influence of the city on the atmosphere. Forecasts from the National Weather Service's 12-km resolution North American Mesoscale (NAM) implementation of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model are also examined. The accuracy of the forecasts is evaluated using a land- and coastline-based observation network. Observed temperatures reached 39°C or more at central urban sites over several days and remained high overnight due to urban heat island (UHI) effects, with a typical nighttime urban–rural temperature difference of 4°–5°C. Examining model performance broadly over both heat events and 27 sites, COAMPS has temperature RMS errors averaging 1.9°C, while NAM has RMSEs of 2.5°C. COAMPS high-resolution wind and temperature predictions captured key features of the observations. For example, during the early summer June heat event, the Long Island south shore coastline experienced a more pronounced sea breeze than was observed for the July heat wave.
Book Review: Imagining the Urban: Sanskrit and the City in Early India
Authors: Ali Daud
Published: August 2013

Shonaleeka Kaul, Imagining the Urban: Sanskrit and the City in Early India, Delhi: Permanent Black, 2010, pp. 278.
Initiation of kink bands from regions of higher misalignment in carbon fiber-reinforced polymers
Authors: Romanowicz Marek
Published: August 2013

A new micromechanical approach for predicting the compressive response of long fiber composites based on a periodic unit cell model with a centrally located imperfection is presented. A detailed comparative analysis between the proposed model and the existing models was performed at the macro and micro level. The results show that the periodic unit cell model with non-uniform fiber waviness is able to reproduce the mechanisms that govern the failure of fiber-reinforced polymers under compression and provide accurate characteristics of microbuckling.
Financial Exit Routes from the ‘Poverty Trap’: A Study of Four UK Cities
Authors: Lenton Pamela , Mosley Paul
Published: August 2013

Potentially, community development finance institutions (CDFIs) represent a promising complement to the welfare system in its attempts to reduce poverty, since they provide finance to the financially excluded and potentially remove a barrier to their acquisition of assets. Drawing on a new survey of around 360 households in four UK cities, surveyed both before and after the 2008/09 recession, it is found that a major factor determining whether low-income households receiving CDFI loans are able to exit from poverty is their ability to save. This is found to be determined by a variety of attitudinal and institutional factors, including the ‘rationality’ of their coping strategies, the nature and extent of social networks and the extent of their access to money advice. It is argued that some of these causal factors are amenable to policy.
Zipf’s Law and Canadian Urban Growth
Authors: Lalanne Aurélie
Published: August 2013

The purpose of this paper is to study the hierarchical structure of the Canadian urban system and to determine the growth processes. Zipf’s law is rejected for the whole country for all periods because of a clear size-domination by a few big cities such as Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. It appears that the dynamics of growth follow a deterministic process related to existing urban size, previous growth and spatial structure. Splitting the Canadian urban system into two—east and west—permits the identification of differences that were not observable when studying the country as a whole. While size and previous growth are still important explanatory variables of growth patterns, these two systems may be distinguished one from the other from the point of view of spatial patterns of distribution of growth rates.
The Half-life of Missiological Facts
Authors: Nehrbass Kenneth
Published: August 2013

An obscure field called scientometrics—the study of how rapidly academic research is produced and how quickly it becomes outdated—has recently been popularized by Stephen Arbesman’s (2012) book, The Half-life of Facts. This article employs the methods of scientometrics to measure the rate at which new missiological information is being published, and the rate at which this research is going out of date. Mission leaders can use this data to obtain a clearer picture of how the discipline of missiology is reacting to a changing world. This will allow us to concentrate on trends that matter, and on theories and strategies that will have maximum staying power.
Mission as Prophetic Dialogue: A Case Study from Colombia
Authors: Lamberty Kim Marie
Published: August 2013

Over the last 100 years we have seen dramatic changes in the ways that Christian churches have approached mission. In the United States, mission is now dominated by activities such as short-term immersion trips, church-to-church global partnerships, young adult volunteer programs, or lay mission programs that send individuals or families for temporary assignments. In this context of rapid change, Steve Bevans and Roger Schroeder published their groundbreaking work, Constants in Context, which provides guidelines for mission—summarized by the term prophetic dialogue—that acknowledge that Christianity is by its nature mission-oriented, and that the nature of our mission must take into account centuries of wisdom and at the same time modify itself with changing times. Based on a case study in Colombia, this article proposes that the practice of international accompaniment in zones of violent conflict is an example of prophetic dialogue in practice, and thus can serve as a model for other twenty-first-century mission activities.
Youla parameterized adaptive regulation against unknown multiple narrow-band disturbances
Authors: Wu Zhizheng , Liu Mei , Amara Foued Ben
Published: August 2013

An adaptive regulation approach in linear systems against exogenous inputs consisting of a linear combination of sinusoids with unknown amplitudes, frequencies and phases is proposed within the framework of Youla parameterized stabilizing controllers. The goal of the developed adaptation algorithm is to search, within the set of weighted Ritz-type Youla parameters, for a controller that yields regulation in the closed-loop system. The proposed approach is applied to an active vibration control problem, and the performance of the developed regulator is illustrated by considering the vibration cancellation against exogenous inputs represented as a linear combination of unknown stationary as well as time-varying sinusoidal disturbances.
Improved robust model predictive control with guaranteed H2/H∞ performance for polytopic systems
Authors: Li Jiwei , Li Dewei , Xi Yugeng , Lu Jianbo
Published: August 2013

This paper is concerned with model predictive control for polytopic systems subject to exogenous disturbance and [Formula: see text]/[Formula: see text] performance constraints. It is shown that a better characterization of [Formula: see text]/[Formula: see text] performance can be provided by introducing additional free parameters. Meanwhile, input constraints are ensured by using a dilated linear matrix inequality technique, so the utilization of actuator capability is improved. These two aspects bring extra degrees of freedom in optimizing control performance. Recursive feasibility and stability of the controller are proved. Numerical examples verify these properties.
Finite-time soft landing on asteroids using nonsingular terminal sliding mode control
Authors: Lan Qixun , Li Shihua , Yang Jun , Guo Lei
Published: August 2013

Successful future asteroid landing missions require that the control method provides advanced disturbance rejection performance and strong robustness against parameter uncertainties to give higher accuracy and reliability in the complex space environment. Motivated by the requirement for safe and precise soft landing on asteroids, the finite-time soft-landing problem of an asteroid probe is addressed in this paper via a nonsingular terminal sliding mode (NTSM) control technique. The problem is formulated as a two-point boundary-value constraints control problem, where the initial and terminal requirements of the soft-landing problem are all included in the problem formulations. Then, according to the specific characteristics of the problem, an NTSM control law for soft landing on an asteroid is proposed. Simulation results demonstrate that, compared to the widely used traditional sling mode control method, the proposed method provides a much faster convergence rate, higher accuracies, better disturbance rejection properties and stronger robustness against parameter uncertainties.
Estimating Return on Investment in Translational Research
Authors: Grazier Kyle L. , Trochim William M. , Dilts David M. , Kirk Rosalind
Published: August 2013

Assessing the value of clinical and translational research funding on accelerating the translation of scientific knowledge is a fundamental issue faced by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its Clinical and Translational Awards (CTSAs). To address this issue, the authors propose a model for measuring the return on investment (ROI) of one key CTSA program, the clinical research unit (CRU). By estimating the economic and social inputs and outputs of this program, this model produces multiple levels of ROI: investigator, program, and institutional estimates. A methodology, or evaluation protocol, is proposed to assess the value of this CTSA function, with specific objectives, methods, descriptions of the data to be collected, and how data are to be filtered, analyzed, and evaluated. This article provides an approach CTSAs could use to assess the economic and social returns on NIH and institutional investments in these critical activities.
Success Case Studies Contribute to Evaluation of Complex Research Infrastructure
Authors: Hogle Janice A. , Moberg D. Paul
Published: August 2013

The success case studies approach examines in depth what works well in a program by describing cases and examining factors leading to successful outcomes. In this article, we describe the use of success case studies as part of an evaluation of the transformation of a health sciences research support infrastructure. Using project-specific descriptions and the researchers’ perceptions of the impact of improved research infrastructure, we added depth of understanding to the quantitative data required by funding agencies. Each case study included an interview with the lead researcher, along with review of documents about the research, the investigator, and their collaborators. Our analyses elucidated themes regarding contributions of the Clinical and Translational Science Awards program of the National Institutes of Health to scientific achievements and career advancement of investigators in one academic institution.
Can Sociological Paradigms Still Inform Organizational Analysis? A Paradigm Model for Post-Paradigm Times
Authors: Hassard John , Wolfram Cox Julie
Published: August 2013

The Burrell and Morgan model for classifying organization theory is revisited through meta-theoretical analysis of the major intellectual movement to emerge in recent decades, post-structuralism and more broadly postmodernism. Proposing a retrospective paradigm for this movement, we suggest that its research can be characterized as ontologically relativist, epistemologically relationist and methodologically reflexive; this also represents research that can be termed deconstructionist in its view of human nature. When this paradigm is explored further, in terms of Burrell and Morgan’s assumptions for the ‘nature of society’, two analytical domains emerge – normative post-structural and critical post-structural. Assessing the types of research developed within them, and focusing on actor-network theory in particular, we describe how post-structural and postmodern thinking can be classified within, rather than outside, or after, the Burrell and Morgan model. Consequently we demonstrate not only that organizational knowledge stands on meta-theoretical grounds, but also how recent intellectual developments rest on a qualitatively different set of meta-theoretical assumptions than established traditions of agency and structure.
Pilot testing of a parent-directed intervention (Project ASPIRE) for underserved children who are deaf or hard of hearing
Authors: Sacks Chana , Shay Sophie , Repplinger Lyra , Leffel Kristin R , Sapolich Shannon G , Suskind Elizabeth , Tannenbaum Sally , Suskind Dana
Published: August 2013

This pilot study explored the potential for Project ASPIRE to effect behavior change in a sample of 11 parents of children with hearing loss who were from typically underserved populations, such as families from backgrounds of low socioeconomic status or families who speak English as a second language. The study consisted of one education session, five 16-hour home audio environment recordings, and four linguistic feedback reviews. The educational session focused on child language development and early language environment enrichment strategies. Parents received ‘quantitative linguistic feedback’ on the home audio recordings to further support behavior change through increased awareness of linguistic behaviors. The audio recordings were completed with the Language ENvironment Analysis system. This system measured parental linguistic behavior (adult word count or AWC), child linguistic behavior (child vocalization count or CVC), and child–parent interactive linguistic behavior (conversational turn count or CTC). Post-intervention both CTC and CVC had increased significantly compared to pre-intervention recording counts ( p < 0.01; p < 0.05). Increase in AWC trended towards significance between pre- and post-intervention recordings ( p < 0.1). These preliminary findings support ‘quantitative linguistic feedback’ as a viable behavior change strategy for enriching children’s early language environments through parental linguistic behaviors.
At the sharp end of the credit crisis: A profile of Valleys Credit Union
Authors: Cato Molly Scott , Myers Jan , Howlett Steven
Published: August 2013

The near-collapse of the country’s largest financial institutions and the forced nationalisation of two major high-street banks raise concerns about the ability of smaller financial institutions to survive. In this article we assess the performance of a credit union in the South Wales Valleys in the context of the financial crisis. We offer a profile of Valleys Credit Union and provide statistics to assess its financial health and viability. We conclude that, while the credit union has ridden out the storm with considerable skill, it and other credit unions require continued political support, especially in terms of intervention in the market for instant loans with excessive rates of interest.