bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prenatal ABO/RHD Genotyping: A New Paradigm to Allow for Fresh Whole Blood for Cardiopulmonary Bypass in the Immediate Newborn Period
Authors: Bishop Juliet Chhay , Blakemore Karin , Vricella Luca , Sekar Priya , Sagaser Katelynn , Crino Jude , Ness Paul , Kogutt Benjamin K. , Boyd Joan , Aucott Susan , Jelin Angie C. , Chiu Joanne , Gehrie Eric , McMillan Kristen Nelson
Published: March 2018

Compared to standard component therapy, fresh whole blood (FWB) offers potential benefits to neonates undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in the context of open cardiac surgery: decreased blood loss and subsequent risk of volume overload, improved coagulation status, higher platelet counts during and following CPB, circumvention of limited vascular access, and significantly reduced donor exposures. Obtaining FWB, however, entails 2–5 days of preparation, which often precludes its availability for neonates requiring CPB in the immediate newborn period. Using a multidisciplinary approach and molecular ABO/RHD genotyping on amniotic fluid, we developed a protocol to allow procurement of FWB for timed delivery followed by open cardiac surgery. Eligible subjects include patients undergoing genetic amniocentesis following the diagnosis of a fetal cardiac anomaly likely to require open surgical repair in the initial days after birth. This protocol has been successfully implemented following prenatal diagnosis of severe fetal cardiac anomalies. Taking advantage of the prenatal time period and the ability to perform fetal blood typing prenatally using molecular genotyping makes possible a new paradigm for the availability of FWB for CPB to improve perioperative, short-term, and long-term outcomes in a population comprised of some of the smallest and sickest patients who will undergo CPB.
Frontal Phonological Agraphia and Acalculia with Impaired Verbal Short-Term Memory due to Left Inferior Precentral Gyrus Lesion
Authors: Sakurai Yasuhisa , Furukawa Emi , Kurihara Masanori , Sugimoto Izumi
Published: March 2018

We report a patient with phonological agraphia (selective impairment of kana [Japanese phonetic writing] nonwords) and acalculia (mental arithmetic difficulties) with impaired verbal short-term memory after a cerebral hemorrhage in the opercular part of the left precentral gyrus (Brodmann area 6) and the adjacent postcentral gyrus. The patient showed phonemic paragraphia in five-character kana nonword writing, minimal acalculia, and reduced digit and letter span. Mental arithmetic normalized after 8 months and agraphia recovered to the normal range at 1 year after onset, in parallel with an improvement of the auditory letter span score from 4 to 6 over a period of 14 months and in the digit span score from 6 to 7 over 24 months. These results suggest a close relationship between the recovery of agraphia and acalculia and the improvement of verbal short-term memory. The present case also suggests that the opercular part of the precentral gyrus constitutes the phonological route in writing that conveys phonological information of syllable sequences, and its damage causes phonological agraphia and acalculia with reduced verbal short-term memory.
Incidence and Clinical Significance of New-Onset Device-Detected Atrial Tachyarrhythmia
Authors: Belkin Mark N. , Soria Cesar E. , Waldo Albert L. , Borleffs C. Jan Willem , Hayes David L. , Tung Roderick , Singh Jagmeet P. , Upadhyay Gaurav A.
Published: March 2018

Background:

Despite the clear association between atrial fibrillation and risk for thromboembolic events (TEs), the clinical significance of new-onset device-detected atrial tachyarrhythmia (DDAT) and TE remains disputed. We aimed to determine the risk of TE in patients with new-onset DDAT.

Methods and Results:

The OVID Medline, Cochrane, and Scopus databases (inception to November 2016) were searched. Randomized controlled trials, prospective, or retrospective studies of pacemaker or defibrillator patients reporting incidence of DDAT were selected. Summary statistics were used for analysis. Of 4893 reports identified, 28 studies following 24 984 patients were included: average age 69.9 years, 34.7% women, mean study duration 21.8±18.6 months. New-onset DDAT was observed in 23% of patients. Among 9 studies (n=8181) reporting TE, the absolute incidence was 2.1%. TE risk was significantly greater among patients with new-onset DDAT (relative risk [RR], 2.88; 95% CI, 1.79–4.64;
P
<0.001). TE risk was correlated with DDAT duration, with an increased risk associated with DDAT ≥5 minutes (RR, 3.86; 95% CI, 2.04–7.30;
P
<0.001) compared with <1 minute (RR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.15–2.74;
P
=0.01). Notably, the risk of TE was also increased in patients with adjudicated atrial electrograms (RR, 3.60; 95% CI, 2.06–6.30;
P
<0.001) compared with nonadjudicated electrograms (RR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.06–3.97;
P
=0.03), even when lower mean thresholds for detection were used.

Conclusions:

New-onset DDAT is common, affecting close to one quarter of all patients with implanted pacemakers or defibrillators. Adjudication of atrial electrograms further identifies at-risk patients, even when relatively short detection thresholds are used.
Atrial Infarction-Induced Spontaneous Focal Discharges and Atrial Fibrillation in Sheep
Authors: Avula Uma Mahesh R. , Hernandez Jonathan J. , Yamazaki Masatoshi , Valdivia Carmen R. , Chu Antony , Rojas-Pena Alvaro , Kaur Kuljeet , Ramos-Mondragón Roberto , Anumonwo Justus M. , Nattel Stanley , Valdivia Héctor H. , Kalifa Jérôme
Published: March 2018

Background:

The mechanisms underlying spontaneous atrial fibrillation (AF) associated with atrial ischemia/infarction are incompletely elucidated. Here, we investigate the mechanisms underlying spontaneous AF in an ovine model of left atrial myocardial infarction (LAMI).

Methods and Results:

LAMI was created by ligating the atrial branch of the left anterior descending coronary artery. ECG loop recorders were implanted to monitor AF episodes. In 7 sheep, dantrolene—a ryanodine receptor blocker—was administered in vivo during the 8-day observation period (LAMI-D, 2.5 mg/kg, IV, BID). LAMI animals experienced numerous spontaneous AF episodes during the 8-day monitoring period that were suppressed by dantrolene (LAMI, 26.1±5.1; sham, 4.3±1.1; LAMI-D, 2.8±0.8; mean±SEM episodes per sheep,
P
<0.01). Optical mapping showed spontaneous focal discharges (SFDs) originating from the ischemic/normal-zone border. SFDs were calcium driven, rate dependent, and enhanced by isoproterenol (0.03 µmol/L, from 210±87 to 3816±1450, SFDs per sheep) but suppressed by dantrolene (to 55.8±32.8, SFDs per sheep, mean±SEM). SFDs initiated AF-maintaining reentrant rotors anchored by marked conduction delays at the ischemic/normal-zone border. NOS1 (NO synthase-1) protein expression decreased in ischemic zone myocytes, whereas NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, reduced form) oxidase and xanthine oxidase enzyme activities and reactive oxygen species (DCF [6-carboxy-2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate]-fluorescence) increased. CaM (calmodulin) aberrantly increased [
3
H]ryanodine binding to cardiac RyR2 (ryanodine receptors) in the ischemic zone. Dantrolene restored the physiological binding of CaM to RyR2.

Conclusions:

Atrial ischemia causes spontaneous AF episodes in sheep, caused by SFDs that initiate reentry. Nitroso–redox imbalance in the ischemic zone is associated with intense reactive oxygen species production and altered RyR2 responses to CaM. Dantrolene administration normalizes the CaM response, prevents LAMI-related SFDs, and AF initiation. These findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying ischemia-related atrial arrhythmias.
Hypertrophy Regression With N-Acetylcysteine in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HALT-HCM)
Authors: Marian Ali J. , Tan Yanli , Li Lili , Chang Jeffrey , Syrris Petros , Hessabi Manouchehr , Rahbar Mohammad H. , Willerson James T. , Cheong Benjamin Y. , Liu Chia-Ying , Kleiman Neal S. , Bluemke David A. , Nagueh Sherif F.
Published: March 2018

Rationale:

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic paradigm of cardiac hypertrophy. Cardiac hypertrophy and interstitial fibrosis are important risk factors for sudden death and morbidity in HCM. Oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. Treatment with antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) reverses cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in animal models of HCM.

Objective:

To determine effect sizes of NAC on indices of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in patients with established HCM.

Methods and Results:

HALT-HCM (Hypertrophy Regression With N-Acetylcysteine in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy) is a double-blind, randomized, sex-matched, placebo-controlled single-center pilot study in patients with HCM. Patients with HCM, who had a left ventricular wall thickness of ≥15 mm, were randomized either to a placebo or to NAC (1:2 ratio, respectively). NAC was titrated ≤2.4 g per day. Clinical evaluation, blood chemistry, and 6-minute walk test were performed every 3 months, and electrocardiography, echocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, the latter whenever not contraindicated, before and after 12 months of treatment. Eighty-five of 232 screened patients met the eligibility criteria, 42 agreed to participate; 29 were randomized to NAC and 13 to placebo groups. Demographic, echocardiographic, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging phenotypes at the baseline between the 2 groups were similar. WSE in 38 patients identified a spectrum of 42 pathogenic variants in genes implicated in HCM in 26 participants. Twenty-four patients in the NAC group and 11 in the placebo group completed the study. Six severe adverse events occurred in the NAC group but were considered unrelated to NAC. The effect sizes of NAC on the clinical phenotype, echocardiographic, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging indices of cardiac hypertrophy, function, and extent of late gadolinium enhancement—a surrogate for fibrosis—were small.

Conclusions:

Treatment with NAC for 12 months had small effect sizes on indices of cardiac hypertrophy or fibrosis. The small sample size of the HALT-HCM study hinders from making firm conclusions about efficacy of NAC in HCM.

Clinical Trial Registration:

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT01537926.
Risk and Prognosis of Cancer After Lower Limb Arterial Thrombosis
Authors: Sundbøll Jens , Veres Katalin , Horváth-Puhó Erzsébet , Adelborg Kasper , Sørensen Henrik Toft
Published: March 2018

Background:

Venous thromboembolism can be a presenting symptom of cancer, but the association between lower limb arterial thrombosis and cancer is unknown. We therefore examined cancer risk and prognosis of cancer in patients with lower limb arterial thrombosis.

Methods:

Using nationwide population-based Danish medical registries, we identified all patients diagnosed with first-time lower limb arterial thrombosis (1994−2013) and followed them until the occurrence of any subsequent cancer diagnosis, emigration, death, or November 30, 2013, whichever came first. We computed standardized incidence ratios with 95% confidence intervals as the observed number of cancers relative to the expected number based on national incidence rates by sex, age, and calendar year. To examine the prognostic impact of lower limb arterial thrombosis on all-cause mortality after cancer, we constructed a matched comparison cohort of patients who had cancer without lower limb arterial thrombosis.

Results:

Among 6600 patients with lower limb arterial thrombosis, we observed 772 subsequent cancers. The risk of any cancer was 2.5% after 6 months of follow-up, increasing to 17.9% after 20 years. During the first 6 months of follow-up, the standardized incidence ratio of any cancer was 3.28 (95% confidence interval, 2.79–3.82). The standardized incidence ratio remained elevated during 7 to 12 months (1.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.09–1.83) and beyond 12 months (1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.05–1.24). The strongest associations were found for lung cancer and other smoking-related cancers. Lower limb arterial thrombosis also was associated with increased all-cause mortality after colon, lung, urinary bladder, and breast cancer, but not after prostate cancer.

Conclusions:

Lower limb arterial thrombosis was a marker of occult cancer, especially lung cancer, and was an adverse prognostic factor for mortality in common cancers.
Preoperative Short‐Term Calorie Restriction for Prevention of Acute Kidney Injury After Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized, Controlled, Open‐Label, Pilot Trial
Authors: Grundmann Franziska , Müller Roman‐Ulrich , Reppenhorst Annika , Hülswitt Lennart , Späth Martin R. , Kubacki Torsten , Scherner Maximilian , Faust Michael , Becker Ingrid , Wahlers Thorsten , Schermer Bernhard , Benzing Thomas , Burst Volker
Published: March 2018

Background

Acute kidney injury is a frequent complication after cardiac surgery and is associated with adverse outcomes. Although short‐term calorie restriction (CR) has proven protective in rodent models of acute kidney injury, similar effects have not yet been demonstrated in humans.

Methods and Results

CR
_KCH (Effect of a Preoperative Calorie Restriction on Renal Function After Cardiac Surgery) is a randomized controlled trial in patients scheduled for cardiac surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either a formula diet containing 60% of the daily energy requirement (CR group) or ad libitum food (control group) for 7 days before surgery. In total, 82 patients were enrolled between April 16, 2012, and February 5, 2015. There was no between‐group difference in the primary end point of median serum creatinine increment after 24 hours (control group: 0.0 mg/dL [−0.1 – (+0.2) mg/dL];
CR
group: 0.0 mg/dL [−0.2 – (+0.2) mg/dL];
P
=0.39). CR prevented a rise in median creatinine at 48 hours (control group: +0.1 mg/dL [0.0 – 0.3 mg/dL];
CR
group: −0.1 mg/dL [−0.2 – (+0.1) mg/dL];
P
=0.03), with most pronounced effects observed in male patients and patients with a body mass index >25. This benefit persisted until discharge: Median creatinine decreased by 0.1 mg/dL (−0.2 – 0.0 mg/dL) in the
CR
group, whereas it increased by 0.1 mg/dL (0.0 – 0.3 mg/dL;
P
=0.0006) in the control group. Incidence of acute kidney injury was reduced by 5.8% (41.7% in the
CR
group compared with 47.5% in the control group). Safety‐related events did not differ between groups.

Conclusions

Despite disappointing results with respect to creatinine rise within the first 24 hours, the benefits observed at later time points and the subgroup analyses suggest the protective potential of short‐term CR in patients at risk for acute kidney injury, warranting further investigation.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL
:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier:
NCT
01534364.
Boosted Tree Model Reforms Multimodal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Infarct Prediction in Acute Stroke
Authors: Livne Michelle , Boldsen Jens K. , Mikkelsen Irene K. , Fiebach Jochen B. , Sobesky Jan , Mouridsen Kim
Published: March 2018

Background and Purpose—

Stroke imaging is pivotal for diagnosis and stratification of patients with acute ischemic stroke to treatment. The potential of combining multimodal information into reliable estimates of outcome learning calls for robust machine learning techniques with high flexibility and accuracy. We applied the novel extreme gradient boosting algorithm for multimodal magnetic resonance imaging–based infarct prediction.

Methods—

In a retrospective analysis of 195 patients with acute ischemic stroke, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery, diffusion-weighted imaging, and 10 perfusion parameters were derived from acute magnetic resonance imaging scans. They were integrated to predict final infarct as seen on follow-up T2-fluid-attenuated inversion recovery using the extreme gradient boosting and compared with a standard generalized linear model approach using cross-validation. Submodels for recanalization and persistent occlusion were calculated and were used to identify the important imaging markers. Performance in infarct prediction was analyzed with receiver operating characteristics. Resulting areas under the curve and accuracy rates were compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

Results—

The extreme gradient boosting model demonstrated significantly higher performance in infarct prediction compared with generalized linear model in both cross-validation approaches: 5-folds (
P
<10e-16) and leave-one-out (
P
<0.015). The imaging parameters time-to-peak, mean transit time, time-to-maximum, and diffusion-weighted imaging were indicated as most valuable for infarct prediction by the systematic algorithm rating. Notably, the performance improvement was higher with 5-folds cross-validation approach than leave-one-out.

Conclusions—

We demonstrate extreme gradient boosting as a state-of-the-art method for clinically applicable multimodal magnetic resonance imaging infarct prediction in acute ischemic stroke. Our findings emphasize the role of perfusion parameters as important biomarkers for infarct prediction. The effect of cross-validation techniques on performance indicates that the intrapatient variability is expressed in nonlinear dynamics of the imaging modalities.
Plasma Aβ (Amyloid-β) Levels and Severity and Progression of Small Vessel Disease
Authors: van Leijsen Esther M.C. , Kuiperij H. Bea , Kersten Iris , Bergkamp Mayra I. , van Uden Ingeborg W.M. , Vanderstichele Hugo , Stoops Erik , Claassen Jurgen A.H.R. , van Dijk Ewoud J. , de Leeuw Frank-Erik , Verbeek Marcel M.
Published: March 2018

Background and Purpose—

Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is a frequent pathology in aging and contributor to the development of dementia. Plasma Aβ (amyloid β) levels may be useful as early biomarker, but the role of plasma Aβ in SVD remains to be elucidated. We investigated the association of plasma Aβ levels with severity and progression of SVD markers.

Methods—

We studied 487 participants from the RUN DMC study (Radboud University Nijmegen Diffusion Tensor and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Cohort) of whom 258 participants underwent 3 MRI assessments during 9 years. We determined baseline plasma Aβ38, Aβ40, and Aβ42 levels using ELISAs. We longitudinally assessed volume of white matter hyperintensities semiautomatically and manually rated lacunes and microbleeds. We analyzed associations between plasma Aβ and SVD markers by ANCOVA adjusted for age, sex, and hypertension.

Results—

Cross-sectionally, plasma Aβ40 levels were elevated in participants with microbleeds (mean, 205.4 versus 186.4 pg/mL;
P
<0.01) and lacunes (mean, 194.8 versus 181.2 pg/mL;
P
<0.05). Both Aβ38 and Aβ40 were elevated in participants with severe white matter hyperintensities (Aβ38, 25.3 versus 22.7 pg/mL;
P
<0.01; Aβ40, 201.8 versus 183.3 pg/mL;
P
<0.05). Longitudinally, plasma Aβ40 levels were elevated in participants with white matter hyperintensity progression (mean, 194.6 versus 182.9 pg/mL;
P
<0.05). Both Aβ38 and Aβ40 were elevated in participants with incident lacunes (Aβ38, 24.5 versus 22.5 pg/mL;
P
<0.05; Aβ40, 194.9 versus 181.2 pg/mL;
P
<0.01) and Aβ42 in participants with incident microbleeds (62.8 versus 60.4 pg/mL;
P
<0.05).

Conclusions—

Plasma Aβ levels are associated with both presence and progression of SVD markers, suggesting that Aβ pathology might contribute to the development and progression of SVD. Plasma Aβ levels might thereby serve as inexpensive and noninvasive measure for identifying individuals with increased risk for progression of SVD.
Women, Art, and Power After Linda Nochlin
Authors: Nixon Mignon
Published: March 2018

A brief remembrance of art-historian Linda Nochlin that celebrates her creative vigilance in attending to the nexus of women, art, and power in an era of ongoing political regression.
Climate Change and Energy in the Arctic—The Role of the European Union
Authors: Dobson Natalie , Trevisanut Seline
Published: March 2018

The effects of global warming in the Arctic region present a particular challenge for the European Union (EU), which seeks to profile itself as a leader in responding to climate change. Although the EU strives to prioritize climate protection, the Arctic region remains one of the EU’s major suppliers of energy, particularly oil and gas. The EU must thus strike a balance between climate change mitigation and adaptation, and energy security. The present article analyses the developments of the EU position in this field, particularly in light of the COP 21 negotiations, and the more recent 2016 Integrated European Union Policy for the Arctic. In doing so it seeks to explore to what extent the EU truly is fulfilling its own leadership aspirations in the field of climate change and energy in the Arctic.
Who Made You a Judge over Us?
Authors: Quayesi-Amakye Joseph
Published: March 2018

This paper examines the Ghanaian church’s political involvement amidst political diatribe in search of a meaningful and sanitized political life for citizens. It focuses on the church’s actions in the Fourth Republic, and what it can do to help ensure that all citizens are granted meaningful existence in the Ghanaian republic. The paper recognizes the often touted claim by a section of the Ghanaian society that the country is Christian, while at the same time the church’s political attempts are perceived as suspect. There are many things the church and its leadership can do to prepare its Christians to fulfill their mandate as missionaries of salt and light to the nation. This means it can no longer be apolitical since like all others the Christian’s life is wrapped in social-political robes. To resolve the tension of being Christian and political is a task of the church.
Queering Asian Canada: Troubling Family, Generation, and Community
Authors: Coloma Roland Sintos
Published: March 2018

This article argues that a queer perspective on Asian Canadian studies can open new inquiries and simultaneously trouble the centrality of family, generation, and community in documenting and examining racialized minority and diasporic groups. By rethinking these analytical concepts through queer possibilities and interventions, research into Asian Canada can become more inclusive and transgressive, and can foreground alternative queer kinships which exceed heteropatriarchal bloodlines, filial relations, and co-ethnic singularities. Putting forth counter-histories of racialized and diasporic sexualities, this article builds upon and complements archival research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Asian Canadians, and turns to artists and cultural workers who offer rich historical and contemporary representations of queer Asian Canada. In particular, it examines the 2015 filmIt Runs in the Familyby Joella Cabalu, the 2016 filmRe:Orientationsby Richard Fung, and the 2016 exhibitionNot a Place on a Map: The Desh Pardesh Projectcurated by Anna Malla.
The Ruse of Respectability: Familial Attachments and Queer Filipino Canadian Critique
Authors: Diaz Robert
Published: March 2018

This article focuses on queer Filipino artists who deploy familial memories to produce important knowledge around what it means to be queer, racialized, and diasporic in Canada. Through Patrick Salvani’s drag show Sarap (2017) and Casey Mecija’s short film My Father, Francis (2013), the author tracks how familial memories expose the contradictions inherent in being sexually and racially marginalized within this multicultural, settler colonial space. Sarap and My Father, Francis activate various scenes of domesticity to disturb the teleological tropes with which the private and the public have been institutionally compartmentalized. Both also offer examples of Filipino Canadian critique that resist the assimilationary ruse of respectability through economic value and ideological worth. These works reorganize the meaning of “finding happiness,” not by drawing from overwrought narratives of familial “inclusion,” but by mining the complex affects that often emanate from the histories, burdens, and pains of family members.
Scirtothrips genus-group in Iran with an unusual new species of Scirtothrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)
Authors: MINAEI KAMBIZ , MOUND LAURENCE
Published: March 2018

A new species of Scirtothrips Shull from leaves of Tamarix sp. is described and illustrated from southern Iran. Among Scirtothrips species, it is unusual in having two pairs of long pronotal posteroangular setae, and ocellar setae III unusually long. A key is provided to distinguish members of the Scirtothrips genus-group in Iran: Drepanothrips reuteri Uzel, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood, S. hafezi sp. n. and S. mangiferae Priesner.
First records of Cyclorhipidion fukiense (Eggers) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Xyleborini), an ambrosia beetle native to Asia, in North America
Authors: HOEBEKE E. RICHARD , RABAGLIA ROBERT J. , KNÍŽEK MILOŠ , WEAVER JOHN S.
Published: March 2018

The Asian ambrosia beetle, Cyclorhipidion fukiense (Eggers) was detected for the first time in North America based on three specimens trapped in 2012 from three localities in South Carolina and two other specimens intercepted at the port of Savannah, Georgia, in 2010. The species is characterized, illustrated with high-resolution images, and compared with two other congeneric, adventive species (C. bodoanum and C. pelliculosum) presently established in eastern North America. Morphometric measurements are provided and a provisional key is presented to the species of Cyclorhipidion occurring in North America.
Review of Iranian Chalcididae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) with nomenclatural notes
Authors: FALAHATPISHEH ALI , FALLAHZADEH MAJID , DOUSTI ABU FAZEL , DELVARE GÉRARD
Published: March 2018

The current paper presents new data on the nomenclature and distribution of Chalcididae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) collected in various regions of Iran. The following new synonymies are proposed: Brachymeria argenteopilosa (Radoszkowski, 1876) = Chalcis persica Masi, 1824 syn. nov., Brachymeria albicrus (Klug, 1834) = Chalcis rufigaster Masi, 1924 syn. nov. and Bucekia differens (Bouček, 1949) = B. Boučeki Nikol'skaya, 1960 syn. nov. The status of Lasiochalcidia [described under Euchalcis] igiliensis (Masi, 1916) is resurrected and is removed from synonymy with L. pubescens (Klug). Lectotypes are designated for Chalcis kassalensis Kirby, 1886, Halticella subelongata Kohl, 1906 and Chalcis pubescens Klug, 1834. Two genera, Bucekia Steffan, 1951 and Euchalcis Dufour, 1861, as well as eight species, Brachymeria kassalensis (Kirby, 1886), Dirhinus anthracia Walker, 1846, Antrocephalus subelongatus (Kohl, 1906), Bucekia differens (Bouček, 1949), Euchalcis unicolor (Lucas, 1871), L. rubripes (Kieffer, 1899), Psilochalcis dentata (Steffan, 1951) and P. subdola (Nikol'skaya, 1960), are new records for the Iranian insect fauna. A new host is recorded for E. unicolor. A list of 68 species in 18 genera of Chalcididae known from Iran is also included and some previous erroneous records are discussed.
Sensitivity of Tropical Cyclone Track to the Vertical Structure of a Nearby Monsoon Gyre
Authors: Ge Xuyang , Yan Ziyu , Peng Melinda , Bi Mingyu , Li Tim
Published: March 2018

The impact of different vertical structures of a nearby monsoon gyre (MG) on a tropical cyclone (TC) track is investigated using idealized numerical simulations. In the experiment with a relatively deeper MG, the TC experiences a sharp northward turn at a critical point when its zonal westward-moving speed slows down to zero. At the same time, the total vorticity tendency for the TC wavenumber-1 component nearly vanishes as the vorticity advection by the MG cancels the vorticity advection by the TC. At this point, the TC motion is dominated by the beta effect, as in a no-mean-flow environment, and takes a sharp northward turn. In contrast, the TC does not exhibit a sharp northward turn with a shallower MG nearby. In the case with a deeper MG, a greater relative vorticity gradient of the MG promotes a quicker attraction between the TC and MG through the vorticity segregation process. In addition, a larger outer size of the TC also favors a faster westward propagation from its initial position, thus having more potential to collocate with the MG. Once the coalescence is in place, the Rossby wave energy dispersion associated with the TC and MG together is enhanced and rapidly strengthens the southwesterly flow on the eastern flank of both systems. The steering flow from both the beta gyre and the Rossby wave dispersion leads the TC to take a sharp northward track when the total vorticity tendency is at its minimum. This study indicates the importance of good representations of the TC structure and its nearby environmental flows in order to accurately predict TC motions.
The Relationship between Tropical Cyclone Rainfall Area and Environmental Conditions over the Subtropical Oceans
Authors: Kim Dasol , Ho Chang-Hoi , Park Doo-Sun R. , Chan Johnny C. L. , Jung Youngsun
Published: March 2018

In this study, the variation of tropical cyclone (TC) rainfall area over the subtropical oceans is investigated using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission precipitation data collected from 1998 to 2014, with a focus on its relationship with environmental conditions. In the subtropics, higher moving speed and larger vertical wind shear significantly contribute to an increase in TC rainfall area by making horizontal rainfall distribution more asymmetric, while sea surface temperature rarely affects the fluctuation of TC rainfall area. This relationship between TC rainfall area and environmental conditions in the subtropics is almost opposite to that in the tropics. It is suggested that, in the subtropics, unlike the tropics, dynamic environmental conditions are likely more crucial to varying TC rainfall area than thermodynamic environmental ones.
Winds near the Surface of Waves: Observations and Modeling
Authors: Babanin Alexander V. , McConochie Jason , Chalikov Dmitry
Published: March 2018

The concept of a constant-flux layer is usually employed for vertical profiling of the wind measured at some elevation near the ocean surface. The surface waves, however, modify the balance of turbulent stresses very near the surface, and therefore such extrapolations can introduce significant biases. This is particularly true for buoy measurements in extreme conditions, when the anemometer mast is within the wave boundary layer (WBL) or even below the wave crests. In this paper, field data and a WBL model are used to investigate such biases. It is shown that near the surface the turbulent stresses are less than those obtained by extrapolation using the logarithmic-layer assumption, and the mean wind speeds very near the surface, based on Lake George field observations, are up to 5% larger. The behavior is then simulated by means of a WBL model coupled with nonlinear waves, which confirmed the observations and revealed further details of complex behaviors at the wind-wave boundary layer.
How Misconduct Spreads: Auditors’ Role in the Diffusion of Stock-option Backdating
Authors: Mohliver Aharon
Published: March 2018

I study the role of external auditors in the diffusion of stock-option backdating in the U.S. to explore the role of professional experts in the diffusion of innovative practices that subvert stakeholders’ interests. Practices that are eventually accepted as misconduct may emerge as liminal practices—ethically and legally questionable but not clearly illegitimate or outlawed—and not be categorized as misconduct until social control agents notice, scrutinize, and react to them. I examine how the role of external auditors in the diffusion of stock-option backdating changed as the practice shifted from liminality to being illegal and illegitimate. The findings suggest that professional experts’ involvement in the diffusion of liminal practices is highly responsive to the institutional environment. Initially, professional experts diffuse these practices via local networks, but when the legal environment becomes more stringent, implying that the practice will become illegitimate, experts reverse their role and extinguish the practice. The larger network remains largely uninvolved in both diffusing and extinguishing the liminal practice until the practice is publicly exposed and labeled as illegal and illegitimate. The findings further show that the diffusion and then extinguishing of backdating before it was outlawed depended on the adopter’s geographic proximity to a local office of a complacent expert and on the absence of traceable communication about backdating between these offices. This combination set the stage for each office to develop independent views about backdating, leading some offices to view backdating favorably and diffuse it, and others to view it unfavorably and curtail it—even at the same time and within the same audit firm. This study contributes to research on the diffusion of misconduct by providing insight into the role of professional experts and the mechanisms and boundary conditions governing that role.
A review of recent research on materials used in polymer–matrix composites for body armor application
Authors: Benzait Zineb , Trabzon Levent
Published: March 2018

The development of personal protection systems with improved ballistic performance and reduced weight has received a great interest in the last decade with the unfortunate ever-increasing threats and conflicts. In this review, the ordinarily polymeric fibers used in body armors manufacturing were first reported, then some nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes and graphene with advanced structural and mechanical properties, as well as their potential reinforcement of armor composites were investigated through some recent studies available in the literature. Additionally, natural fibers integrated into multilayered armor systems, and ballistic tests which endorse their future importance were also cited. This short review which sheds light on novel materials used in personal armor systems, a specific and an important topic that was not previously reviewed, aims to provide to the new researchers, engineers and manufactures in this field some guidelines about what are the promising materials that can be used in order to construct the ultimate body armors of the future.
“Why Seek the Living Among the Dead?” African American Pedagogical Excellence: Exemplar Practice for Teacher Education
Authors: Acosta Melanie M. , Foster Michele , Houchen Diedre F.
Published: March 2018

Although teacher diversity, teacher preparation, and student achievement are contemporary and overlapping issues, they have suffered from the absence of African American educational principles and traditions. African Americans cultivated a sophisticated system of developing and supporting numbers of African American teachers; however, U.S. sociopolitical tactics have suppressed this method, which presently, has obscured the potential of this approach to effectively respond to contemporary issues in teacher education. The authors of this article seek to address current dilemmas in recruiting and preparing a diverse teaching force by reorienting teacher education toward an underutilized resource—African American pedagogical excellence. This article outlines the core attributes of African American pedagogical excellence, including its historical genesis, and reveals ways public school desegregation has jeopardized the transcendence of African American pedagogical excellence within teacher education. The article concludes with possibilities and recommendations for moving African American pedagogical excellence from margin to center in teacher education.
Social Networks and Subjective Wellbeing in Australia: New Evidence from a National Survey
Authors: Huang Xianbi , Western Mark , Bian Yanjie , Li Yaojun , Côté Rochelle , Huang Yangtao
Published: March 2018

The article draws on data from a national survey in Australia in 2014 to examine how social networks affect life satisfaction and happiness. Findings show that social network composition, social attachment, perceived social support and the volume of social resources are significantly positively associated with life satisfaction and happiness. Stress about social commitments, feeling restricted by social demands and being excluded by a social group are negatively associated with life satisfaction and happiness. These results indicate that social networks have both ‘bright side’ and ‘dark side’ effects on subjective wellbeing.
Breaking the barriers: How urban housing ownership has changed migrants’ settlement intentions in China
Authors: Yang Sisi , Guo Fei
Published: March 2018

Since the abolition in China of unequal regulations and controls related to the urban labour market and rural–urban migration in recent years, attention has been paid to migrants’ settlement intentions and their integration into host cities. Settlement channels have become more diverse and more accessible to migrants, because of relaxed institutional constraints and the advanced market mechanism, which are essential to the pace and process of urbanisation, and welfare and service provisions in host cities. Using data from a survey conducted by the Institute of Population and Labor Economic of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Ningbo in 2014, this study examines migrants’ various settlement intention patterns, including traditional permanent settlement intention involving the transfer of one’s household registration ( hukou) status; de facto permanent settlement intention through purchasing urban housing; and long-term temporary settlement intention and short-term temporary settlement intention not involving the transfer of one’s hukou. This paper finds that hukou status has a limited impact on permanent settlement intention, and rural migrants tend to achieve permanent settlement through more flexible channels, such as purchasing urban housing in their host cities, thereby avoiding the institutional hurdle of obtaining a local urban hukou. The paper contributes to the study of migration in China by introducing a new concept of settlement intention, de facto permanent settlement intention, which has not yet been investigated empirically in the existing literature.
Cross-Validation of the Discrimination and Calibration Properties of the VRAG-R in a Treated Sexual Offender Sample
Authors: Olver Mark E. , Sewall Lindsay A.
Published: March 2018

The present study featured an examination of the predictive properties of the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide–Revised (VRAG-R) in a treated sample of sexual offenders, using modern risk metrics. The Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide (SORAG) and the original Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG) were examined for comparison purposes. The three measures were rated archivally on 296 treated sexual offenders followed up 17.6 years. VRAG-R scores demonstrated good discrimination of recidivists from nonrecidivists for sexual (area under the curve [AUC] = .60-.67) and violent (AUC = .70-.78) recidivism, and were incremental in the prediction of violent, but not sexual, recidivism after controlling for baseline sexual violence risk and treatment change. The VRAG-R bin structure demonstrated good calibration, although the present sample generated lower 5-year estimates of general violence compared with the normative sample. Application of the VRAG-R in the assessment and management of violence risk, via integration with dynamic risk assessment information, is discussed.
Single-dose hydrocortisone administration does not enhance motor sequence learning or reward learning in humans
Authors: Günthner Jan , Scholl Jacqueline , Kiefer Falk , Reinecke Andrea
Published: March 2018

Despite its physiological and clinical relevance, the influence of hydrocortisone on specific kinds of learning remains relatively unexplored. We measured the effect of hydrocortisone on motor sequence and reward learning under non-stress conditions. For the study, 54 healthy young volunteers were randomly assigned to a dose of 20 mg hydrocortisone versus placebo. Participants performed two well-defined learning tasks. Hydrocortisone did not affect motor sequence or reward learning.
Dealing with the Gap between Type-Approval and In-Use Light Duty Vehicles Fuel Consumption and CO2 Emissions: Present Situation and Future Perspective
Authors: Pavlovic Jelica , Anagnostopoulos Konstantinos , Clairotte Michael , Arcidiacono Vincenzo , Fontaras Georgios , Rujas Iker Prado , Morales Victor Valverde , Ciuffo Biagio
Published: March 2018

There is increasing evidence suggesting that real-world fuel consumption and CO2 improvements in the last decade have been much less than those measured during type-approval tests. Scientific studies have found that the offset between officially reported values and real-world vehicle CO2 emissions in Europe has constantly increased over the last years. The difference between officially reported and actual CO2 emissions of vehicles has three main implications: (i) it undermines the effectiveness of CO2 regulations in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Europe; (ii) it distorts competition between vehicle manufacturers; (iii) it undermines innovation. As a fundamental step to deal with this issue, the European Commission has already replaced the old and outdated test procedure used so far in the emission type-approval of vehicles with the worldwide harmonized light vehicles test procedure (WLTP). Being a lab-based test procedure, the WLTP, by its nature, can only cover part of the CO2 gap. There is therefore increasing pressure to integrate the current type-approval system with additional measures based on real-world measurements. One of the options under discussion is to use the CO2 emissions measured during the real driving emission test. The objective of the present paper is to assess the validity of this proposal and to propose other possible ways to deal with the CO2/fuel consumption gap. In particular, the paper presents experimental evidence on the variability of the CO2/fuel consumption of a vehicle, questioning the idea that a single central estimate of these quantities may be sufficient.
Rheological investigation of high-acyl gellan gum hydrogel and its mixtures with simulated body fluids
Authors: Osmałek Tomasz Zbigniew , Froelich Anna , Jadach Barbara , Krakowski Marek
Published: March 2018

Purpose

Most of the studies concerning gellan have been focused on its application as a food ingredient, however, gellan is often considered as a candidate for the development of novel pharmaceutical formulations. Taking into account that gellan is ion-sensitive, it can be assumed that its initial mechanical properties can change upon contact with body secretions. Therefore, the aim of the work was to investigate the rheological properties of pure high-acyl gellan gum hydrogel (0.4%) and its mixtures with selected simulated body fluids.

Methods

The rheological investigations were performed on rotational rheometer and included oscillatory temperature, amplitude, and frequency sweeping. The results enabled estimation of the linear viscoelastic regime, calculation of the cross-over points, and percentage of structure recovery.

Results

In the case of pure hydrogel no evidence of thermosensitivity was observed in the range of 20–40°C. In pH = 1.2 (NaCl/HCl) the hydrogel structure was almost entirely destroyed. Mixing with phosphate buffer (pH = 4.5) resulted in higher gel strength than after dilution with deionized water. The opposite effect was observed in the case of pH = 7.4. The studies performed for the mixture of GG hydrogel and mucin indicated interaction between the components. The hydrogel elasticity increased in the presence of simulated tear, but decreased in simulated saliva and vaginal fluid.

Conclusions

In this study, it was shown that the stability of a three-dimensional gellan structure may be affected by pH and the presence of mucin which most probably competed with gellan gum in divalent cations binding. The observations presented in this study may be important in terms of potential application of gellan gum as a potential carrier in drug delivery systems.
Prevalence and Risk of Violent Ideation and Behavior in Serious Mental Illnesses: An Analysis of 63,572 Patient Records
Authors: Roché Matthew W. , Boyle Douglas J. , Cheng Chia-Cherng , Del Pozzo Jill , Cherneski Lindsay , Pascarella Joe , Lukachko Alicia , Silverstein Steven M.
Published: March 2018

Research has consistently demonstrated that people diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI) are at increased risk for violent ideation and behavior (VIB) and that this is especially the case for SMI patients with comorbid substance use disorders (SUD). Despite this, what is still largely unknown is the relative prevalence of VIB across diagnostic categories, whether the rates of VIB in SMI groups exceed the rates observed in people with SUD only, and which demographic factors increase the likelihood of VIB under different circumstances for people with SMI. To address these questions, we analyzed the intake records of 63,572 patients diagnosed with SMIs (i.e., schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and unipolar depression), substance use disorders, and non-SMI psychiatric disorders. Raw prevalence rates for a combined metric of VIB were established and compared for each group, and a series of logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate how various demographic factors influenced the likelihood of VIB endorsement in each study group. Our results revealed that (a) patients with SMI conditions had higher rates of VIB than both patients with non-SMI psychopathology and those with substance use disorders only; (b) patients with SMI and comorbid substance use pathology were responsible for the majority of VIB within each SMI condition; and (c) men with SMI conditions had higher prevalence rates of VIB than females. In addition, we found that for every SMI diagnosis, comorbid substance use disorders and younger age were related to greater risk for VIB, and where race and gender were found to significantly alter the likelihood of VIB endorsement, African American status and female gender were independently related to greater risk. The implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.
A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Lottery-Based Financial Incentives to Increase Physical Activity Among Overweight and Obese Adults
Authors: Patel Mitesh S. , Volpp Kevin G. , Rosin Roy , Bellamy Scarlett L. , Small Dylan S. , Heuer Jack , Sproat Susan , Hyson Chris , Haff Nancy , Lee Samantha M. , Wesby Lisa , Hoffer Karen , Shuttleworth David , Taylor Devon H. , Hilbert Victoria , Zhu Jingsan , Yang Lin , Wang Xingmei , Asch David A.
Published: March 2018

Purpose:

To evaluate the effect of lottery-based financial incentives in increasing physical activity.

Design:

Randomized, controlled trial.

Setting:

University of Pennsylvania Employees.

Participants:

A total of 209 adults with body mass index ≥27.

Interventions:

All participants used smartphones to track activity, were given a goal of 7000 steps per day, and received daily feedback on performance for 26 weeks. Participants randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 intervention arms received a financial incentive for 13 weeks and then were followed for 13 weeks without incentives. Daily lottery incentives were designed as a “higher frequency, smaller reward” (1 in 4 chance of winning $5), “jackpot” (1 in 400 chance of winning $500), or “combined lottery” (18% chance of $5 and 1% chance of $50).

Measures:

Mean proportion of participant days step goals were achieved.

Analysis:

Multivariate regression.

Results:

During the intervention, the unadjusted mean proportion of participant days that goal was achieved was 0.26 in the control arm, 0.32 in the higher frequency, smaller reward lottery arm, 0.29 in the jackpot arm, and 0.38 in the combined lottery arm. In adjusted models, only the combined lottery arm was significantly greater than control ( P = .01). The jackpot arm had a significant decline of 0.13 ( P < .001) compared to control. There were no significant differences during follow-up.

Conclusions:

Combined lottery incentives were most effective in increasing physical activity.