bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combined CDK4/6 and Pan-mTOR Inhibition Is Synergistic Against Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Song Xinhua , Liu Xianqiong , Wang Haichuan , Wang Jingxiao , Qiao Yu , Cigliano Antonio , Utpatel Kirsten , Ribback Silvia , Pilo Maria G. , Serra Marina , Gordan John D. , Che Li , Zhang Shanshan , Cossu Antonio , Porcu Alberto , Pascale Rosa M. , Dombrowski Frank , Hu Hongbo , Calvisi Diego F. , Evert Matthias , Chen Xin
Published: July 2018

Purpose:

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is an aggressive cancer type, lacking effective therapies and associated with a dismal prognosis. Palbociclib is a selective CDK4/6 inhibitor, which has been shown to suppress cell proliferation in many experimental cancer models. Recently, we demonstrated that pan-mTOR inhibitors, such as MLN0128, effectively induce apoptosis, although have limited efficacy in restraining proliferation of ICC cells. Here, we tested the hypothesis that palbociclib, due to its antproliferative properties in many cancer types, might synergize with MLN0128 to impair ICC growth.

Experimental Design:

Human ICC cell lines and the AKT/YapS127A ICC mouse model were used to test the therapeutic efficacy of palbociclib and MLN0128, either alone or in combination.

Results:

Administration of palbociclib suppressed in vitro ICC cell growth by inhibiting cell-cycle progression. Concomitant administration of palbociclib and MLN0128 led to a pronounced, synergistic growth constraint of ICC cell lines. Furthermore, while treatment with palbociclib or MLN0128 alone resulted in tumor growth reduction in AKT/YapS127A mice, a remarkable tumor regression was achieved when the two drugs were administered simultaneously. Mechanistically, palbociclib was found to potentiate MLN0128 mTOR inhibition activity, whereas MLN0128 prevented the upregulation of cyclin D1 induced by palbociclib treatment.

Conclusions:

Our study indicates the synergistic activity of palbociclib and MLN0128 in inhibiting ICC cell proliferation. Thus, combination of CDK4/6 and mTOR inhibitors might represent a novel, promising, and effective therapeutic approach against human ICC.

See related commentary by Malumbres, p. 6
A Chemosensitivity Study of Colorectal Cancer Using Xenografts of Patient-Derived Tumor-Initiating Cells
Authors: Maekawa Hisatsugu , Miyoshi Hiroyuki , Yamaura Tadayoshi , Itatani Yoshiro , Kawada Kenji , Sakai Yoshiharu , Taketo M. Mark
Published: July 2018

Current genomic and gene expression analyses provide versatile tools to improve cancer chemotherapy. However, it is still difficult to predict whether each patient responds to a particular regimen or not. To predict chemosensitivity in each patient with colorectal cancer, we developed an evaluation method using the primary tumor-initiating cells (TIC, aka cancer stem cells) xenografted in nude mice subcutaneously (patient-derived spheroid xenografts; PDSX). Simultaneously, we also prepared the conventional patient-derived xenografts (PDX) from the same patients' tumors and compared the dosing results with those of PDSXs. We further compared the chemosensitivities of PDSXs with those of 7 patients who had been given regimens such as FOLFOX and FOLFIRI to treat their metastatic lesions. As per the results, the PDSX method provided much more precise and predictable tumor growth with less variance than conventional PDX, although both retained the epithelial characteristics of the primary tumors. Likewise, drug-dosing tests showed essentially the same results in PDXs and PDSXs, with stronger statistical power in PDSXs. Notably, the cancer chemosensitivity in each patient was precisely reflected in that of the PDSX mice along the clinical course until the resistance emerged at the terminal stage. This “paraclinical” xenograft trials using PDSXs may help selection of chemotherapy regimens efficacious for each patient, and, more importantly, avoiding inefficient ones by which the patient can lose precious time and QOL. Furthermore, the PDSX method may be employed for evaluations of off-label uses of cancer chemotherapeutics and compassionate uses of yet-unapproved new drugs in personalized therapies. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(10); 2187–96. ©2018 AACR.
Nail Apparatus Melanoma: Experience of 10 Years in a Single Institution
Authors: Lee Desiree Ji Re , Arbache Samia Trigo , Quaresma Maria Victória , Nico Marcello Menta Simonsen , Gabbi Tatiana Villas Boas
Published: July 2018

Background: Nail apparatus melanoma (NAM) is rare. The higher mortality reported in the literature is most likely due to advanced disease associated with delayed diagnosis and treatment. Objective: All patients diagnosed with NAM were followed at a single reference center during a period of 10 years, with emphasis on dermatological and histological findings. Clinical outcomes were included. Methods: A retrospective review of medical records, photographs, and histopathological examination. Results: 73.7% of the patients were female and their mean age was 47 years. Caucasian and African-American patients had a similar incidence (47.4%). There was only 1 Asian patient in this study (5.3%). All patients presented with nail plate pigmentation. The mean prediagnosis duration was 33 months. A total of 63.2% patients had in situ melanoma and an average Breslow index of 2.18 mm in invasive cases. Fifteen patients underwent conservative surgery and 3 underwent phalanx amputation. All patients survived, and 4 have had more than a 5-year follow-up. Conclusion: In situ lesions showed longitudinal bands or total melanonychia with no nail dystrophy. Invasive cases presented with dystrophic lesions (longitudinal splitting of the nail). Conservative surgery provides a good option without worsening the prognosis. All dermatologists should be aware of early signs of NAM, since prognosis depends on early treatment.
Maternal Folate Intake and Risk of Childhood Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Chiavarini Manuela , Naldini Giulia , Fabiani Roberto
Published: July 2018

Background: Many epidemiological studies have investigated the effect of maternal diet and prenatal multivitamin supplementation on pediatric cancer risk. Childhood brain and spinal cord tumors (CBSCT) have been attributed to different possible risk factors. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on maternal folate intake before and during pregnancy and the risk of CBSCT. We systematically reviewed publications obtained by searching the Insitute for Scientific Information Web of Knowledge and PubMed literature databases. We extracted the risk estimate of the highest and the lowest reported categories of intake from each study and conducted a meta-analysis using a random-effects model. Results: The results of the pooled analysis of all 10 studies, 1 cohort and 9 case-control studies, indicated that maternal folate intake was inversely associated with CBSCT risk (OR 0.77; 95% CI 0.67–0.88, p < 0.001; I2 = 51.22%, p = 0.001). Separate analyses on the basis of the source of folate (folic acid supplementation, dietary folate) and in relation to the timing of exposure (before pregnancy, during pregnancy) found that folic acid supplementation was associated with an approximately 23% reduction in ­CBSCT risk (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.66–0.90, p = 0.001; I2 = 53.18%, p = 0.001) and consumption during pregnancy was associated with an approximately 20% reduction in CBSCT risk (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.67–0.97, p = 0.020; I2 = 62.48%, p < 0·001). Conclusions: Maternal consumption of folic acid is associated with a reduced risk of CBSCT. Further investigations are necessary to increase the reliability of the results and estimate the relationship between dose-response and the best outcome.
MMP (Matrix Metalloprotease)-9–Producing Monocytes Enable T Cells to Invade the Vessel Wall and Cause Vasculitis
Authors: Watanabe Ryu , Maeda Toshihisa , Zhang Hui , Berry Gerald J. , Zeisbrich Markus , Brockett Robert , Greenstein Andrew E. , Tian Lu , Goronzy Jörg J. , Weyand Cornelia M.
Published: July 2018

Rationale:

Giant cell arteritis (GCA)—a primary vasculitis of medium and large arteries—is associated with vessel wall damage, elastic membrane fragmentation, and vascular remodeling. Proteinases are believed to contribute to pathogenesis by degrading extracellular matrix and causing tissue injury.

Objective:

The MMP (matrix metalloproteinase)-9—a type IV collagenase—is produced in the vasculitic lesions of GCA. It is unknown which pathogenic processes are MMP-9 dependent.

Methods and Results:

The tissue transcriptome of GCA-affected temporal arteries contained high amounts of MMP-9 transcripts, and immunostaining for pro-MMP-9 localized the enzyme to wall-infiltrating macrophages. MMP-2 and MMP-9 transcripts were also abundant in monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages from patients with GCA. Patient-derived monocytes outperformed healthy monocytes in passing through engineered basement membranes. GCA CD (cluster of differentiation) 4
+
T cells required MMP-9–producing monocytes to penetrate through matrix built from type IV collagen. In vivo functions of MMP-9 were tested in a human artery-SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency) chimera model by blocking enzyme activity with a highly specific monoclonal antibody or by injecting rMMP-9 (recombinant MMP-9). Inhibiting MMP-9 activity profoundly suppressed vascular injury, decreased the density of inflammatory infiltrates (
P
<0.001), reduced intramural neoangiogenesis (
P
<0.001), and prevented intimal layer hyperplasia (
P
<0.001). rMMP-9 amplified all domains of vasculitic activity, promoted assembly of T-cell infiltrates (
P
<0.05), intensified formation of new microvessels (
P
<0.001), and worsened intimal thickening (
P
<0.001). Systemic delivery of N-acetyl-proline-glycine-proline—a matrikine produced by MMP-9–mediated gelatinolysis—had limited vasculitogenic effects.

Conclusions:

In large vessel vasculitis, MMP-9 controls the access of monocytes and T cells to the vascular wall. T cells depend on MMP-9–producing monocytes to pass through collagen IV-containing basement membrane. Invasion of vasculitogenic T cells and monocytes, formation of neoangiogenic networks, and neointimal growth all require the enzymatic activity of MMP-9, identifying this protease as a potential therapeutic target to restore the immunoprivilege of the arterial wall in large vessel vasculitis.
Design Discourse for Organization Design: Foundations in Human-Centered Design
Authors: Magalhaes Rodrigo
Published: July 2018

The present paper is a contribution towards a new discourse for organization design, based on the human-centred approach to design (HCD). This adaptation of HCD to organization design is defined as a “language,” presented in the form of organization design concerns that can be absorbed and exchanged among practitioners. The design concerns-Identity & Identification, Service, Interactivity, Effectuation & Heuristics and Normative-are meant as the cognitive scaffolding that underpins and works in tandem with the “hard” elements of organization design (i.e., structures, products, policies and systems). It is suggested that this approach will help narrow the gap between the theory and the practice of organization design.
Basel to Boston: An Itinerary for Modernist Typography in America
Authors: Wiesenberger Robert , Resnick Elizabeth
Published: July 2018

Starting in the 1960s, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) became one of the most visible points of entry in America for the so-called “Swiss-style,” a distinctive, modernist approach to graphic design. Three women were largely responsible for its success: Therese Moll, Jacqueline Casey, and Muriel Cooper. While Casey and Cooper have begun to get their due, Moll—a visiting designer from Basel—remains almost unknown. This article examines why MIT provided such fertile ground for this style, before it became the lingua franca of corporate modernism, and how, by the 1980s, it traveled from print to screens.
How to Neutralize a Finite Clause Boundary: Phase Theory and the Grammar of Bound Pronouns
Authors: Grano Thomas , Lasnik Howard
Published: July 2018

A bound pronoun in the subject position of a finite embedded clause renders the clause boundary relatively transparent to relations ordinarily confined to monoclausal, control, and raising configurations. For example, too/ enough-movement structures involving a finite clause boundary are degraded in sentences like * This book is too long [for John to claim [that Bill read ___ in a day]] but improved when the finite clause has a bound pronominal subject as in ? This book is too long [for John1to claim [that he1read ___ in a day]]. This bound pronoun effect holds across a wide range of phenomena including too/ enough-movement, tough-movement, gapping, comparative deletion, antecedent-contained deletion, quantifier scope interaction, multiple questions, pseudogapping, reciprocal binding, and multiple sluicing; we confirm the effect via a sentence acceptability experiment targeting some of these phenomena. Our account has two crucial ingredients: (a) bound pronouns optionally enter the derivation with unvalued ϕ-features and (b) phases are defined in part by convergence, so that under certain conditions, unvalued features void the phasal status of CP and extend the locality domain for syntactic operations.
Output-Drivenness and Partial Phonological Features
Authors: Magri Giorgio
Published: July 2018

Tesar (2014) develops the notion of output-drivenness, provides guarantees that Optimality Theory grammars satisfy it, and demonstrates its learnability implications. This article discusses the extension of Tesar’s theory to a representational framework with partial phonological features. It considers a hierarchy of notions of output-drivenness of increasing strength that can be defined within this extended framework. It determines the strongest notion of output-drivenness that holds in the case of partial features. And it shows that the learnability implications discussed by Tesar carry over to a framework with partial features only if feature undefinedness is effectively treated by identity faithfulness constraints as an additional feature value.
Impacts of Ice Particle Shape and Density Evolution on the Distribution of Orographic Precipitation
Authors: Jensen Anders A. , Harrington Jerry Y. , Morrison Hugh
Published: July 2018

An IMPROVE-2 orographic precipitation case is simulated using the Ice-Spheroids Habit Model with Aspect-Ratio Evolution (ISHMAEL) microphysics. In ISHMAEL, the evolution of ice particle properties such as mass, shape, size, density, and fall speed are predicted. These ice particle properties along with the ice size distributions from ISHMAEL and model-derived spatial distribution of accumulated precipitation are compared to observations. ISHMAEL predicts planar and columnar particles at spatial locations that agree with observations. Sensitivity simulations are used to explore the impact of predicting ice particle shape evolution on orographic cloud properties and precipitation compared to the traditional approach of representing snow and graupel using separate categories with conversion from snow to graupel during riming. High biases in both IWCs aloft and surface precipitation accumulation occur in the Umpqua River valley using separate snow and graupel categories because snow that does not convert to graupel is advected over the Coast Range and precipitates out in the valley. Improvements in IWCs aloft and surface precipitation using ISHMAEL occur from both predicting various vapor-grown habits and predicting the impact of partial riming on ice particle properties. Compared to traditional microphysics schemes, ISHMAEL also produces less spatial variability in accumulated precipitation.
Influence of Turbulent Fluctuations on Cloud Droplet Size Dispersion and Aerosol Indirect Effects
Authors: Chandrakar K. K. , Cantrell W. , Shaw R. A.
Published: July 2018

Cloud droplet relative dispersion, defined as the standard deviation over the mean cloud droplet size, is of central importance in determining and understanding aerosol indirect effects. In recent work, it was found that cloud droplet size distributions become broader as a result of supersaturation variability and that the sensitivity of this effect is inversely related to cloud droplet number density. The subject is investigated in further detail using an extensive dataset from a laboratory cloud chamber capable of producing steady-state turbulence. An extended stochastic theory is found to successfully describe properties of the droplet size distribution, including an analytical expression for the relative dispersion. The latter is found to depend on the cloud droplet removal time, which in turn increases with the cloud droplet number density. The results show that relative dispersion decreases monotonically with increasing droplet number density, consistent with some recent atmospheric observations. Experiments spanning fast to slow microphysics regimes are reported. The observed dispersion is used to estimate time scales for autoconversion, demonstrating the important role of the turbulence-induced broadening effect on precipitation development. An initial effort is made to extend the stochastic theory to an atmospheric context with a steady updraft, for which autoconversion time is the controlling factor for droplet lifetime. As in the cloud chamber, relative dispersion is found to increase with decreasing cloud droplet number density.
Multitechnique Assessment of the Interannual to Multidecadal Variability in Steric Sea Levels: A Comparative Analysis of Climate Mode Fingerprints
Authors: Pfeffer Julia , Tregoning Paul , Purcell Anthony , Sambridge Malcolm
Published: July 2018

Because of increased emissions of greenhouse gases oceans are warming, causing sea level to rise as the density of seawater falls. Predicting the rates of steric expansion is challenging because of the natural variability of the ocean and because observations are insufficient to adequately cover the ocean basins. Here, we investigate the ability of one ocean reanalysis, two objective analyses, and one combination of satellite geodetic measurements to accommodate data gaps and to reconstruct typical patterns of the steric sea level variability at interannual and multidecadal time scales. Six climate indices are used to identify robust features of the internal variability, using a Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression to select significant predictors of the steric variability. Spatially consistent fingerprints are revealed for all climate indices in the ocean reanalysis dataset, allowing the recovery of most of the steric variability observed in the tropical and North Pacific, as well as large fractions of the Atlantic and Indian Ocean signals. Robust climate mode fingerprints are also identified with high spatial resolution but limited temporal coverage in the geodetic observations. The objective analyses fail to detect many of the patterns expected from climate modes, especially before the Argo era. Climate indices constitute valuable yet underexploited tools to assess the performance of different techniques to reconstruct steric sea levels at interannual and multidecadal scales. Such progress will increase confidence in the historical reconstructions of steric sea levels, which is necessary to improve the closure of regional and global sea level budgets and to validate the predictions of climate models.
Interannual Variation of the Spring and Summer Precipitation over the Three River Source Region in China and the Associated Regimes
Authors: Sun Bo , Wang Huijun
Published: July 2018

This study analyzes the interannual and interdecadal variability of spring and summer precipitation over the Three River Source (TRS) region in China using four datasets. A general consistency is revealed among the four datasets with regard to the interannual and interdecadal variability of TRS precipitation during 1979–2015, demonstrating a confidence of the four datasets in representing the precipitation variability over the TRS region. The TRS spring and summer precipitation shows distinct interannual and interdecadal variability, with an overall increasing trend in the spring precipitation and an interdecadal oscillation in the summer precipitation. The regimes associated with the interannual variability of TRS spring and summer precipitation are further investigated. The interannual variability of TRS spring precipitation is essentially modulated by an anomalous easterly water vapor transport (WVT) branch associated with the leading mode of Eurasian spring circulation. El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) may affect the interannual variability of TRS spring precipitation by causing southerly WVT anomalies toward the TRS region. The interannual variability of TRS summer precipitation is essentially modulated by an anomalous southwesterly WVT branch over the TRS region, which is mainly associated with a Eurasian wave train connected with the summer North Atlantic Oscillation. A strong East Asian summer monsoon and an El Niño–decaying summer may also contribute to the southwesterly WVT anomalies over the TRS region.
Variability of the Cold Season Climate in Central Asia. Part I: Weather Types and Their Tropical and Extratropical Drivers
Authors: Gerlitz Lars , Steirou Eva , Schneider Christoph , Moron Vincent , Vorogushyn Sergiy , Merz Bruno
Published: July 2018

To understand the atmospheric mechanisms resulting in a pronounced cold season climate variability in central Asia, an objective weather-type classification is conducted, utilizing ak-means-based clustering approach applied to 500-hPa geopotential height (GPH) fields. Eight weather types (WT) are identified and analyzed with regard to characteristic pressure patterns and moisture fluxes over Eurasia and specific near-surface climate conditions over central Asia. To identify remote drivers of the central Asian climate, WT frequencies are analyzed for their relationships with tropical and extratropical teleconnection modes. The results indicate an influence of Northern Hemispheric planetary wave tracks on westerly moisture fluxes with positive anomalies of precipitation associated with the formation of a Rossby trough over central Asia. Particularly the propagation of the east Atlantic–western Russia and the Scandinavian patterns is shown to modulate regional climate conditions. Variations of ENSO are shown to affect the frequency of particular WTs because of the formation of an anticyclonic anomaly over the Indian Ocean and an increase of tropical fluxes of moisture and heat into central Asia during El Niño events. Further a WT internal influence of ENSO is distinctly defined, with enhanced moisture supply during the ENSO warm phase. The analysis of climatic trends shows that 50% of observed temperature changes can be assigned to variations of the WT composition, indicating that most likely changing regional circulation characteristics account for the enhanced warming rates in central Asia. Trends of precipitation sums are likewise shown to be associated with changing WT frequencies, although the WT–precipitation relationships include large uncertainties.
Revisiting the Relationship among Metrics of Tropical Expansion
Authors: Waugh D. W. , Grise K. M. , Seviour W. J. M. , Davis S. M. , Davis N. , Adam O. , Son S.-W. , Simpson I. R. , Staten P. W. , Maycock A. C. , Ummenhofer C. C. , Birner T. , Ming A.
Published: July 2018

There is mounting evidence that the width of the tropics has increased over the last few decades, but there are large differences in reported expansion rates. This is, likely, in part due to the wide variety of metrics that have been used to define the tropical width. Here we perform a systematic investigation into the relationship among nine metrics of the zonal-mean tropical width using preindustrial control and abrupt quadrupling of CO2 simulations from a suite of coupled climate models. It is shown that the latitudes of the edge of the Hadley cell, the midlatitude eddy-driven jet, the edge of the subtropical dry zones, and the Southern Hemisphere subtropical high covary interannually and exhibit similar long-term responses to a quadrupling of CO2. However, metrics based on the outgoing longwave radiation, the position of the subtropical jet, the break in the tropopause, and the Northern Hemisphere subtropical high have very weak covariations with the above metrics and/or respond differently to increases in CO2 and thus are not good indicators of the expansion of the Hadley cell or subtropical dry zone. The differing variability and responses to increases in CO2 among metrics highlights that care is needed when choosing metrics for studies of the width of the tropics and that it is important to make sure the metric used is appropriate for the specific phenomena and impacts being examined.
Marginal Ice Zone Thickness and Extent due to Wave Radiation Stress
Authors: Sutherland Peter , Dumont Dany
Published: July 2018

Ocean surface wave radiation stress represents the flux of momentum due to the waves. When waves are dissipated or reflected by sea ice, that momentum is absorbed or reflected, resulting in a horizontal forcing that frequently compresses the ice. In this work, wave radiation stress is used to estimate the compressive force applied by waves to the marginal ice zone (MIZ). It is balanced by an ice internal compressive stress based on Mohr–Coulomb granular materials theory. The ice internal stress can be related to ice thickness, allowing this force balance to be used as a model for the estimation of MIZ ice thickness. The model was validated and tested using data collected during two field campaigns in the St. Lawrence estuary in 2016 and 2017. Modeled ice thickness was found to be consistent with the mean measured ice thickness over the conditions available. The range of validity of the model is discussed, and a definition of MIZ extent, based on the relative strength of wind and wave forcing, is proposed.
A Quality Control Procedure Based on Bending Angle Measurement Uncertainty for Radio Occultation Data Assimilation in the Tropical Lower Troposphere
Authors: Liu Hui , Kuo Ying-Hwa , Sokolovskiy Sergey , Zou Xiaolei , Zeng Zhen , Hsiao Ling-Feng , Ruston Benjamin C.
Published: July 2018

The fluctuation of radio occultation (RO) signals in the presence of refractivity irregularities in the moist lower troposphere results in uncertainties of retrieved bending angle and refractivity profiles. In this study the local spectral width (LSW) of RO signals, transformed to impact parameter representation, is used for the characterization of the uncertainty (random error) of retrieved bending angle and refractivity profiles. A large LSW has some correlation with the large mean difference (bias) of retrieved refractivity and bending angle from radiosondes and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts analyses based on data from 2008 to 2014. An LSW-based quality control (QC) procedure is developed to eliminate low-quality (large random errors and biases) profiles from data assimilation. The LSW-based QC procedure is tested and evaluated in the assimilation of Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate RO data using the NCAR Data Assimilation Research Testbed and the Weather Research and Forecasting Model. Preliminary results, based on a 2-week data assimilation cycle, show that the LSW-based QC procedure improves water vapor analyses in the moist lower troposphere.
What Is the Added Value of a Convection-Permitting Model for Forecasting Extreme Rainfall over Tropical East Africa?
Authors: Woodhams Beth J. , Birch Cathryn E. , Marsham John H. , Bain Caroline L. , Roberts Nigel M. , Boyd Douglas F. A.
Published: July 2018

Forecasting convective rainfall in the tropics is a major challenge for numerical weather prediction. The use of convection-permitting (CP) forecast models in the tropics has lagged behind the midlatitudes, despite the great potential of such models in this region. In the scientific literature, there is very little evaluation of CP models in the tropics, especially over an extended time period. This paper evaluates the prediction of convective storms for a period of 2 years in the Met Office operational CP model over East Africa and the global operational forecast model. A novel localized form of the fractions skill score is introduced, which shows variation in model skill across the spatial domain. Overall, the CP model and the global model both outperform a 24-h persistence forecast. The CP model shows greater skill than the global model, in particular on subdaily time scales and for storms over land. Forecasts over Lake Victoria are also improved in the CP model, with an increase in hit rate of up to 20%. Contrary to studies in the midlatitudes, the skill of both models shows a large dependence on the time of day and comparatively little dependence on the forecast lead time within a 48-h forecast. Although these results provide more motivation for forecasters to use the CP model to produce subdaily forecasts with increased detail, there is a clear need for more in situ observations for data assimilation into the models and for verification. A move toward ensemble forecasting could have further benefits.
Is There a “Tipping Point” between Simulated Nontornadic and Tornadic Supercells in VORTEX2 Environments?
Authors: Coffer Brice E. , Parker Matthew D.
Published: July 2018

Previous work has suggested that the lower-tropospheric wind profile may partly determine whether supercells become tornadic. If tornadogenesis within the VORTEX2 composite environments is more sensitive to the lower-tropospheric winds than to either the upper-tropospheric winds or the thermodynamic profile, then systematically varying the lower-tropospheric wind profile might reveal a “tipping point” between nontornadic and tornadic supercells. As a test, simulated supercells are initiated in environments that have been gradually interpolated between the low-level wind profiles of the nontornadic and tornadic VORTEX2 supercell composites while also interchanging the upper-tropospheric winds and thermodynamic profile. Simulated supercells become tornadic when the low-level wind profile incorporates at least 40% of the structure from the tornadic VORTEX2 composite environment. Both the nontornadic and tornadic storms have similar outflow temperatures and availability of surface vertical vorticity near their updrafts. Most distinctly, a robust low-level mesocyclone and updraft immediately overlie the intensifying near-surface circulation in each of the tornadic supercells. The nontornadic supercells have low-level updrafts that are disorganized, with pockets of descent throughout the region where surface vertical vorticity resides. The lower-tropospheric wind profile drives these distinct configurations of the low-level mesocyclone and updraft, regardless of the VORTEX2 composite upper-tropospheric wind profile or thermodynamic profile. This study therefore supports a potentially useful, robust link between the probability of supercell tornadogenesis and the lower-tropospheric wind profile, with tornadogenesis more (less) likely when the orientation of horizontal vorticity in the lowest few hundred meters is streamwise (crosswise).
Permanency and the Educational and Economic Attainment of Former Foster Children in Early Adulthood
Authors: Font Sarah A. , Berger Lawrence M. , Cancian Maria , Noyes Jennifer L.
Published: July 2018

Foster children are at disproportionate risk of adverse outcomes throughout the life course. Public policy prioritizes permanency (exiting foster care through reunification with birth parents, adoption, or legal guardianship) to promote foster youths’ healthy development and well-being, but little empirical evidence indicates that permanency, including its most preferred form—reunification—promotes positive outcomes. Using multi-system, statewide longitudinal administrative data, we employed logistic and mixed-effects regression to examine educational attainment and earnings among former foster youth in early adulthood. We found that youth who aged out of care had significantly higher odds of graduating high school and enrolling in college than did reunified youth and youth who exited to guardianship, and they had similar odds as adopted youth. Earnings were similar across groups. Among aged-out (but not reunified) youth, odds of high school graduation and average earnings were higher for youth who spent more time in foster care prior to age 18. Overall, results suggest that permanency alone is insufficient to promote foster youths’ educational and economic attainment.
The NEW adventures of the digital vigilante! Facebook users’ views on online naming and shaming
Authors: Dunsby Ruth M , Howes Loene M
Published: July 2018

Increasingly, digital vigilante activity occurs via social media and can have negative consequences in the broader social world, a phenomenon that can be examined productively through a cultural criminological lens. One example of digital vigilantism is the online naming and shaming of people who are convicted or suspected of crime and subjecting them to embarrassment, harassment, and/or condemnation. To contribute to the prevention of negative impacts of online naming and shaming, this study aimed to better understand Australian Facebook users’ views about – and experiences of participating in – online naming and shaming. Participants ( n = 122) were primarily young Tasmanian adults who completed an online qualitative survey. Over one-quarter (26%) of participants reported having liked posts that name and shame a person suspected or convicted of crime, with smaller proportions engaging with these posts by sharing or commenting on them. Whilst Facebook users recognised the potential for online naming and shaming to impede justice, they perceived the practice as appropriate if it would foster community awareness and maintain community welfare. The findings are discussed in light of the roles of Facebook users’ emotions, the social media as a cultural product, and the mediascape in constructing versions of reality. Practical implications of the study include the need for policing and media organisations to consider ways to meet their information needs without inadvertently encouraging acts of digital vigilantism. Overall, this study contributes to increased understanding of digital vigilantism and highlights the integral role of social media as a cultural product.
Causes of Challenging Behavior in Primary Schools: The Perspectives of Students in Phoenix, South Africa
Authors: Rubbi Nunan Julie Shantone , Ntombela Sithabile
Published: July 2018

Students’ challenging behavior has become a serious problem internationally. In South Africa, there are reports highlighting that even primary schools experience serious forms of challenging behavior by students. This article emanates from a case study that utilized the social cognitive theory to understand how primary schools address this phenomenon. To get students’ perspectives of what causes them to exhibit challenging behavior, a purposive sample of nine students ( N = 9) from three primary schools was identified. Data were generated through face-to-face and focus group interviews. Findings show that there are more school than home factors impacting primary school students’ lives and influencing behavior. The article concludes that primary school teachers need to understand the causative factors of challenging behaviors and consider changing school cultures as a possible solution to school improvement efforts. Further research should include a larger sample of schools and multicultural students to shed more light on this phenomenon.
Impact of oil recession on community mental health service utilization in an oil sands mining region in Canada
Authors: Ritchie Amanda , Hrabok Marianne , Igwe Ogechi , Omeje Joy , Ogunsina Olurotimi , Ambrosano Lorella , Corbett Sandra , Juhás Michal , Agyapong Vincent IO
Published: July 2018

Objectives:

This retrospective clinical audit compared changes in community mental health service utilization before and during an economic recession in an oil sands region in Canada which was characterized by a doubling of unemployment rates and poor economic outlook.

Methods:

Sociodemographic descriptors, psychiatric antecedents, clinical characteristics and follow-up care were compared before and during the recession for newly assessed patients in community mental health clinics located across a Northern Alberta oil mining region. Data were collected retrospectively as part of a clinical audit process and then analysed with descriptive statistics, cross-tabular univariate analyses with chi-square tests using SPSS version 20.

Results:

A total of 1,465 patients were included. Sociodemographic factors disproportionately elevated during the recession included male sex, Caucasian ethnicity, own home ownership, higher levels of education and unemployment. More patients seeking mental health care were already taking psychotropic medications (e.g. antipsychotics, benzodiazepines and stimulants). At the same time, disproportionately fewer patients engaged in substance abuse or had a prior formal history of mental health problems. The referral reasons during recession were less likely to be associated with substance abuse or mood concerns and more likely for ‘other’ reasons. The patients seeking psychiatric help during a recession were disproportionately likely to be diagnosed with personality disorders and ‘other’ less common diagnostic categories and less likely to suffer from mood or trauma-related diagnoses. Referrals for counselling and social services were also disproportionately more common during the recession.

Conclusion:

This study provides a comprehensive description of longitudinal patterns of mental health service utilization before and during a recession. The findings provide important evidence for policy and planning decisions to encourage resource allocation to help promote accessibility of the most needed community mental health resources.
Synthesis of exfoliated graphene–montmorillonite hybrids as the fillers for epoxy composites
Authors: Li Shengjuan , Yang Zhihong , Xu Jianmei , Xie Jing , Sun Jian
Published: July 2018

Graphene was prepared by microwave reduction of graphite oxide and organic montmorillonite was obtained by the intercalation modification of montmorillonite. The hybrids with various mass ratios of organic montmorillonite/graphene (mOMMT:mGNS = 1:1, 5:1, 10:1, 20:1 and 30:1) were primarily prepared, following which the epoxy matrix composites incorporated with organic montmorillonite–graphene hybrids were synthesized. The results indicate that graphene sheets are further exfoliated to fewer-layer structure and organic montmorillonite interlayer has been intercalated by graphene flakes after the combination of graphene and organic montmorillonite, suggesting the synergistic dispersion of these two components. Organic montmorillonite shows completely exfoliated structure at low ratios (1:1 and 5:1) and intercalated structure at high ratios (10:1, 20:1 and 30:1). Among all the hybrids with various organic montmorillonite/graphene ratios, the hybrids at the ratio of 5:1 present better dispersion and are more beneficial to enhancing the mechanical properties of the epoxy matrix composites. Moreover, compared with graphene and organic montmorillonite fillers, the introduction of organic montmorillonite–graphene hybrids into epoxy increases the mechanical strength more efficiently, especially increasing the impact strength of epoxy by 140.8%, indicating the synergistic reinforcement of these two components. The composite filled with organic montmorillonite–graphene hybrids exhibits better thermal stability than pure epoxy, but slightly poorer than the composites incorporated with graphene, which may be attributed to the low volume fraction of the hybrids in epoxy composites.
The effect of thickness on vacuum infusion processing of aramid/epoxy composites for ballistic application
Authors: Nunes Stephanie Gonçalves , de Amorim Wanderley Ferreira , Manes Andrea , Amico Sandro Campos
Published: July 2018

This work addresses the effect of thickness on the vacuum infusion processing of thick aramid/epoxy composites for impact applications. Composites were produced with 5, 8, 13, 18, and 23 plain-weave fiber layers and characterized using ultrasonic C-scan inspections, optical microscopy, density and constituent content analyses, as well as mechanical tests (flexural and short beam). All composite plates presented good reinforcement-matrix homogeneity, with an overall fiber content of about 60%. A reasonable void content was identified by optical microscopy and density analysis, and they were homogeneously distributed. The composites presented high short beam strength values compared with typical aramid/epoxy laminates for impact applications, and ballistic characteristics comparable to those of composites manufactured by compression or autoclave molding. In summary, optimized vacuum infusion processing was shown to be a suitable alternative to produce thick aramid/epoxy plate composites (up to 12 mm), substituting more costly processing routes.
Study of composite-based natural fibers and renewable polymers, using bacteria to ameliorate the fiber/matrix interface
Authors: Noureddine Mahmoudi
Published: July 2018

In this paper, bacteria belonging to the species Acetobacter xylinum were used to modify the surface of natural fibers by depositing nanosized bacterial cellulose around natural fibers which enhances their adhesion to renewable polymers. Single fiber tensile test was used in order to determine their mechanical properties and surface. The practical adhesion between the modified fibers and the renewable polymers cellulose acetate butyrate is quantified using the single fiber pullout test. Simple weight gain measurements before and after the modification show that about 4 and 6% bacterial cellulose adheres to the fibers as a result of the bacterial modification procedure. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs confirm the presence of attached bacterial cellulose on the surfaces of natural fibers.
Spatial arrangement of stainless steel fibers within hybrid yarns designed for electromagnetic shielding
Authors: Tunák Maroš , Tunáková Veronika , Schindler Martin , Procházka Jiří
Published: July 2018

Yarns containing textile fibers and fine metal fibers in their structure are often used to produce electrically conductive fabrics. The blending quality of the fiber components in a yarn significantly affects the properties of the yarn and the produced fabric. Therefore, the arrangement of metal fibers in yarn structures needs to be analyzed, which can be done using image analysis and spatial statistics methods. One of the aims of this paper is to introduce a suitable methodology for obtaining adequate cross-sections of a yarn containing metal fibers that would allow the usage of objective image analysis methods to identify the component fibers for subsequent evaluation of spatial arrangement. In this paper, an algorithm for the objective segmentation of the component fibers in a yarn cross-section is proposed, and a methodology for evaluating the spatial arrangement of fibers using spatial statistics data is presented. The second aim is to study the specific arrangement of the fibers in hybrid yarns containing 20 wt% of a conductive component, more precisely extremely thin discrete stainless steel fibers, by the proposed methodology. Based on the results, it is concluded that the metal fibers in the cross-sections of this hybrid yarn are randomly arranged.
When Good Intentions Only Go So Far: White Principals Leading Discussions About Race
Authors: Swanson Jason , Welton Anjalé
Published: July 2018

This cross-case case study explores how two White principals took the first steps to engage in racial conversations. Using the constructs of race consciousness and antiracism, race neutrality, and resistance to racial dialogue to frame our findings, we illustrate how both principals broached the topic of race with staff members. We demonstrate how the structures of whiteness hindered the principals’ progress toward addressing systemic racial inequities within their respective schools. Our article concludes with recommendations and strategies for principal preparation programs and practicing school leaders.
Adult Children’s Relationship to Parent Influences Their Views on Aging and Attitude Toward Own Aging
Authors: Jung Seojung , Jopp Daniela S.
Published: July 2018

The goal of this study was to examine how the quality of relationship between parent and adult children influences adult children’s views on aging and attitude toward their own aging and whether the effects of relationship qualities depend on parents’ health and adult children’s perceptions of how well their parents were aging. The sample included 217 adult children aged 18 to 73. Findings revealed that different parent–child relationship quality dimensions (i.e., support, conflict, depth, ambivalence) differentially influenced adult children’s view on aging (positive and negative) and attitude toward own aging, and some of these effects depended on levels of parental health and the way adult children view how successfully their parents were aging. The quality of the relationship to one’s parents has an important role in shaping adults’ views on aging and experience of their own aging, highlighting the importance of incorporating the role of family context to further enhance our understanding of how individuals develop perceptions of aging.
Statistical Guidance for Reviewers of Toxicologic Pathology
Authors: Shockley Keith R. , Kissling Grace E.
Published: July 2018

Study design, statistical analysis, interpretation of results, and conclusions should be a part of all research papers. Statistics are integral to each of these components and are therefore necessary to evaluate during manuscript peer review. Research published in Toxicological Pathology is often focused on animal studies that may seek to compare defined treatment groups in randomized controlled experiments or focus on the reliability of measurements and diagnostic accuracy of observed lesions from preexisting studies. Reviewers should distinguish scientific research goals that aim to test sufficient effect size differences (i.e., minimizing false positive rates) from common toxicologic goals of detecting a harmful effect (i.e., minimizing false negative rates). This journal comprises a wide range of study designs that require different kinds of statistical assessments. Therefore, statistical methods should be described in enough detail so that the experiment can be repeated by other research groups. The misuse of statistics will impede reproducibility.