bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Second Language Experience Can Hinder the Discrimination of Nonnative Phonological Contrasts
Authors: Holliday Jeffrey J.
Published: February 2016

Background/Aims: Many studies have shown that experienced second language (L2) learners are more skilled than novice L2 learners at a variety of L2 tasks, including auditory discrimination between members of L2 phonological contrasts. In this paper we argued that while L2 experience is typically beneficial when comparing the effects of more versus less experience, it is not necessarily beneficial when comparing the effects of some experience versus none. Methods: We compared the perceptual assimilation and discrimination of the Korean sibilant fricatives /sh/ and /s*/ by 3 native Mandarin populations: naïve listeners, novice L2 learners (4-6 weeks of experience), and advanced L2 learners (over 2 years of experience). Results: The perceptual assimilation of /sh/ changed as a result of L2 experience, but only in the /a/ context. It is also shown that novice L2 learners were less accurate than the naïve listeners at discriminating between /sh/ and /s*/ but, crucially, only in the /a/ context. Conclusion: The perception of /sh/ by L2 learners may be affected by knowledge of the L2 unavailable to naïve listeners, and some aspects of this knowledge may result in a decline in discrimination accuracy after even a very short period of L2 experience.
Estrogenic Compounds Have Divergent Effects on Human Endothelial Progenitor Cell Migration according to Sex of the Donor
Authors: Campesi Ilaria , Capobianco Giampiero , Dessole Salvatore , Occhioni Stefano , Montella Andrea , Franconi Flavia
Published: February 2016

Background: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are key elements in vascular homeostasis. Their function is regulated by estrogens and estrogen receptors (ERs), but the effect of estrogenic compounds such as bisphenol A (BPA; an agonist of ER-β and agonist and antagonist of ER-α) and (R,R)-5,11-diethyl-5,6,11,12-tetrahydro-2,8-chrysenediol (THC; an agonist of ER-α and antagonist of ER-β) on human EPCs is unknown. We analyzed whether BPA and THC influence the migration of human EPCs, an essential process in endothelial regeneration, in both male and female EPCs. Methods: EPCs isolated from healthy adult men and women were assayed for ER expression by Western blotting and chemotaxis assay. Results: Male and female EPCs similarly expressed ERs and did not differ in basal migration. Interestingly, 17-β-estradiol (10-9 and 10-10M) significantly inhibited migration in female EPCs but not in males. Moreover, both 10-5M THC and 10-8M BPA blocked migration in female EPCs, allowing us to hypothesize that the effect is mediated by ER-α. Conclusions: Estrogenic compounds have a sex divergent effect which could help in understanding differences in the pathophysiology of endothelial function observed between men and women.
Cardiovascular and Cognitive Health Study in Middle-Aged and Elderly Residents of Beijing(CCHS-Beijing): Design and Rationale
Authors: Fang Xianghua , Wang Zhengwu , Wang Chunxiu , Wu Jian , Yang Ya , Li Fang , Hua Yang , Liu Dachuan , Cai Yanning , Wang Rong , Guan Shaochen
Published: February 2016

The Cardiovascular and Cognitive Health Study (CCHS-Beijing) is a population-based study of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cognitive impairment in adults aged 55 and older in Beijing. The main aims of the study are to investigate the prevalence rates of CVD, asymptomatic atherosclerosis, and cognitive impairment, as well as validate the risk factors related to the onset and development of CVD, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The study was designed to detect the traditional and new risk factors in this age group. Participants were recruited randomly from residential regions in the greater Beijing municipality area based on the average levels of development in Beijing, China in 2012 (based on socioeconomic, demographic, and geographical characteristics). Thorough physical and laboratory examination were performed at baseline (also the cross-sectional survey) to identify the risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, as well as newly defined risk factors like elevated homocysteine, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, and urine micro-albumin. Subclinical disease of the cerebral vasculature included atherosclerosis of carotid arteries, intracranial arteries, and retinal vessels. Subclinical cardiac diseases included left ventricular enlargement, arrhythmias, chamber hypertrophy and myocardial ischemia. Blood pressure was documented using the ankle-arm method. In addition, neuropsychological assessments were performed for all subjects aged 65 and above. Baseline evaluation began during the period August 2013 to December 2014. Follow-up examination will occur in 5 years. The initial and recurrent CVD, AD and MCI events will be verified and validated during the follow-up period.
Large Size Hemicraniectomy Reduces Early Herniation in Malignant Middle Cerebral Artery Infarction
Authors: Neugebauer Hermann , Fiss Ingo , Pinczolits Alexandra , Hecht Nils , Witsch Jens , Dengler Nora F. , Vajkoczy Peter , Jüttler Eric , Woitzik Johannes
Published: February 2016

Background: Decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) reduces mortality and improves outcome after malignant middle cerebral artery infarction (MMI) but early in-hospital mortality remains high between 22 and 33%. Possibly, this circumstance is driven by cerebral herniation due to space-occupying brain swelling despite decompressive surgery. As the size of the removed bone flap may vary considerably between surgeons, a size too small could foster herniation. Here, we investigated the effect of the additional volume created by an extended DHC (eDHC) on early in-hospital mortality in patients suffering from MMI. Methods: We performed a retrospective single-center cohort study of 97 patients with MMI that were treated either with eDHC (n = 40) or standard DHC (sDHC; n = 57) between January 2006 and June 2012. The primary study end point was defined as in-hospital mortality due to transtentorial herniation. Results: In-hospital mortality due to transtentorial herniation was significantly lower after eDHC (0 vs. 11%; p = 0.04), which was paralleled by a significantly larger volume of the craniectomy (p < 0.001) and less cerebral swelling (eDHC 21% vs. sDHC 25%; p = 0.03). No statistically significant differences were found in surgical or non-surgical complications and postoperative intensive care treatment. Conclusion: Despite a more aggressive surgical approach, eDHC may reduce early in-hospital mortality and limit transtentorial herniation. Prospective studies are warranted to confirm our results and assess general safety of eDHC.
Proposal for a Pancreatic Configuration Index for Determining Patients at High Risk of Pancreatic Fistula Following Pancreatoduodenectomy
Authors: Yokoyama Yukihiro , Ebata Tomoki , Igami Tsuyoshi , Sugawara Gen , Ando Masahiko , Nagino Masato
Published: February 2016

Background/Aims: The pancreatic configuration is one of the most important factors that have an impact on the incidence of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). This study sought to propose a new index, called the pancreatic configuration index (PCI), to categorize patients at a high risk for POPF. Methods: Two hundred and thirty-one patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomies were subjected to the analysis. The pancreatic parenchymal thickness and the main pancreatic duct (MPD) diameter at the pancreatic neck were measured using axial computed tomography scan images. The PCI was calculated by dividing the axial thickness by the MPD diameter. Results: Sixty-two of the patients (26.8%) developed clinically significant POPF. Using a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the cut-off value of the PCI in predicting POPF was 5.3. The incidence of POFP increased depending on the PCI level. Using a multivariate analysis that included the various risk factors of POPF, a high PIC (≥5) was identified as an independent risk factor of POPF, with the highest OR at 6.50. Conclusion: The PCI is useful for stratifying patients at a high risk for POPFs. This index may be used to classify the patient population when evaluating other risk factors for POPF.
Introduction to the Analysis of Survival Data in the Presence of Competing Risks
Authors: Austin Peter C. , Lee Douglas S. , Fine Jason P.
Published: February 2016

Competing risks occur frequently in the analysis of survival data. A competing risk is an event whose occurrence precludes the occurrence of the primary event of interest. In a study examining time to death attributable to cardiovascular causes, death attributable to noncardiovascular causes is a competing risk. When estimating the crude incidence of outcomes, analysts should use the cumulative incidence function, rather than the complement of the Kaplan-Meier survival function. The use of the Kaplan-Meier survival function results in estimates of incidence that are biased upward, regardless of whether the competing events are independent of one another. When fitting regression models in the presence of competing risks, researchers can choose from 2 different families of models: modeling the effect of covariates on the cause-specific hazard of the outcome or modeling the effect of covariates on the cumulative incidence function. The former allows one to estimate the effect of the covariates on the rate of occurrence of the outcome in those subjects who are currently event free. The latter allows one to estimate the effect of covariates on the absolute risk of the outcome over time. The former family of models may be better suited for addressing etiologic questions, whereas the latter model may be better suited for estimating a patient’s clinical prognosis. We illustrate the application of these methods by examining cause-specific mortality in patients hospitalized with heart failure. Statistical software code in both R and SAS is provided.
Global WASF-GA: An Evolutionary Algorithm in Multiobjective Optimization to Approximate the Whole Pareto Optimal Front
Authors: Saborido Rubén , Ruiz Ana B. , Luque Mariano
Published: February 2016

In this article, we propose a new evolutionary algorithm for multiobjective optimization called Global WASF-GA ( global weighting achievement scalarizing function genetic algorithm), which falls within the aggregation-based evolutionary algorithms. The main purpose of Global WASF-GA is to approximate the whole Pareto optimal front. Its fitness function is defined by an achievement scalarizing function (ASF) based on the Tchebychev distance, in which two reference points are considered (both utopian and nadir objective vectors) and the weight vector used is taken from a set of weight vectors whose inverses are well-distributed. At each iteration, all individuals are classified into different fronts. Each front is formed by the solutions with the lowest values of the ASF for the different weight vectors in the set, using the utopian vector and the nadir vector as reference points simultaneously. Varying the weight vector in the ASF while considering the utopian and the nadir vectors at the same time enables the algorithm to obtain a final set of nondominated solutions that approximate the whole Pareto optimal front. We compared Global WASF-GA to MOEA/D (different versions) and NSGA-II in two-, three-, and five-objective problems. The computational results obtained permit us to conclude that Global WASF-GA gets better performance, regarding the hypervolume metric and the epsilon indicator, than the other two algorithms in many cases, especially in three- and five-objective problems.
Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Cloud Cover and Fog Inundation in Coastal California: Ecological Implications
Authors: Rastogi Bharat , Williams A. Park , Fischer Douglas T. , Iacobellis Sam F. , McEachern Kathryn , Carvalho Leila , Jones Charles , Baguskas Sara A. , Still Christopher J.
Published: February 2016

The presence of low-lying stratocumulus clouds and fog has been known to modify biophysical and ecological properties in coastal California where forests are frequently shaded by low-lying clouds or immersed in fog during otherwise warm and dry summer months. Summer fog and stratus can ameliorate summer drought stress and enhance soil water budgets and often have different spatial and temporal patterns. Here, this study uses remote sensing datasets to characterize the spatial and temporal patterns of cloud cover over California’s northern Channel Islands. The authors found marine stratus to be persistent from May to September across the years 2001–12. Stratus clouds were both most frequent and had the greatest spatial extent in July. Clouds typically formed in the evening and dissipated by the following early afternoon. This study presents a novel method to downscale satellite imagery using atmospheric observations and discriminate patterns of fog from those of stratus and help explain patterns of fog deposition previously studied on the islands. The outcomes of this study contribute significantly to the ability to quantify the occurrence of coastal fog at biologically meaningful spatial and temporal scales that can improve the understanding of cloud–ecosystem interactions, species distributions, and coastal ecohydrology.
Fast Playback Framework for Analysis of Ground-Based Doppler Radar Observations Using MapReduce Technology
Authors: Tang Jingyin , Matyas Corene J.
Published: February 2016

The creation of a 3D mosaic is often the first step when using the high-spatial- and temporal-resolution data produced by ground-based radars. Efficient yet accurate methods are needed to mosaic data from dozens of radar to better understand the precipitation processes in synoptic-scale systems such as tropical cyclones. Research-grade radar mosaic methods of analyzing historical weather events should utilize data from both sides of a moving temporal window and process them in a flexible data architecture that is not available in most stand-alone software tools or real-time systems. Thus, these historical analyses require a different strategy for optimizing flexibility and scalability by removing time constraints from the design. This paper presents a MapReduce-based playback framework using Apache Spark’s computational engine to interpolate large volumes of radar reflectivity and velocity data onto 3D grids. Designed as being friendly to use on a high-performance computing cluster, these methods may also be executed on a low-end configured machine. A protocol is designed to enable interoperability with GIS and spatial analysis functions in this framework. Open-source software is utilized to enhance radar usability in the nonspecialist community. Case studies during a tropical cyclone landfall shows this framework’s capability of efficiently creating a large-scale high-resolution 3D radar mosaic with the integration of GIS functions for spatial analysis.
Design of two experimental setups for programmable logic controller (PLC) laboratory
Authors: Özerdem Özgür Cemal
Published: February 2016

As programmable logic controllers (PLC) technology, programming languages and communication capabilities have advanced, PLCs offer many control devices to be attached directly to the PLC. For this reason PLC education became an important issue in many interdisciplinary engineering departments of the Universities. In this paper an automation set for the laboratory of PLC is developed which can be operated in various ways by programming a PLC as desired. The designed set also enables the students to understand the operation principle of an elevator. This developed educational laboratory set can be used as a practice for sensors and actuators, control systems and industrial automation courses. The laboratory tool also provides a method to improve learning outcomes, skills and the real-time experiences in engineering education such as electrical, electronics, mechatronics and control engineering.
The spatial reproduction number in a cellular automaton model for vector-borne diseases applied to the transmission of Chagas disease
Authors: Cissé Baki , El Yacoubi Samira , Gourbière Sébastien
Published: February 2016

This work aims at developing a general methodology to determine the spatial changes in the basic reproduction number for vector-borne diseases. This requires a spatially explicit modeling system which will be based on a cellular automata (CA) approach and applied to the Chagas disease for both homogeneous and heterogeneous landscapes. Using an extension of the so-called next-generation matrix, we obtained an expression for the basic reproduction number [Formula: see text] that characterizes the spatial heterogeneity of the risk of emergence of an outbreak. The performed simulation with the built CA model shows the effect of local vector dispersal in a heterogeneous landscape for Chagas disease transmission.
Local Governments, Democracy, and Inequality
Authors: Meza Oliver D.
Published: February 2016

This study reviews the relationship between democracy, development, and inequality, particularly the link between electoral competition and the provision of inequality-reducing policies at different stages of development. I argue that local government tools that help reduce income inequality may be underprovided due to the electoral risks faced by the local incumbents. The literature on clientelism and patronage together with the literature on the political budget cycle offers theoretical insights that explain why the opportunistic behavior of the incumbents depends on the development level of the polity. And while it is commonly assumed that specific types of expenditure are prone to manipulation, I challenge this view by showing how the socioeconomic characteristics of the locality influence the incumbents’ decision to strategically provide inequality-reducing policies.
Migraine is related to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease: A population-based, propensity score-matched, longitudinal follow-up study
Authors: Wang Hsin-I , Ho Yu-Chun , Huang Ya-Ping , Pan Shin-Liang
Published: February 2016

Background

The association between migraine and Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains controversial. The purpose of the present population-based, propensity score-matched follow-up study was to investigate whether migraineurs are at a higher risk of developing PD.

Methods

A total of 41,019 subjects aged between 40 and 90 years with at least two ambulatory visits with a diagnosis of migraine in 2001 were enrolled in the migraine group. A logistic regression model that included age, sex, pre-existing comorbidities and socioeconomic status as covariates was used to compute the propensity score. The non-migraine group consisted of 41,019 propensity score-matched, randomly sampled subjects without migraine. The PD-free survival rate were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Stratified Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate the effect of migraine on the risk of developing PD.

Results

During follow-up, 148 subjects in the migraine group and 101 in the non-migraine group developed PD. Compared to the non-migraine group, the hazard ratio of PD for the migraine group was 1.64 (95% confidence interval: 1.25–2.14, p = 0.0004). The PD-free survival rate for the migraine group was significantly lower than that for the non-migraine group ( p = 0.0041).

Conclusions

This study showed an increased risk of developing PD in patients with migraine.
Decreased levels of aquaporin-4 in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension
Authors: Doppler Kathrin , Schütt Morten , Sommer Claudia
Published: February 2016

Background

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is characterized by increased intracranial pressure. Its pathogenesis is largely unknown. Aquaporins may play a role in the homeostasis of cerebrospinal fluid.

Methods

We aimed to elucidate the role of aquaporins in idiopathic intracranial hypertension by measuring the level of aquaporin-1 and aquaporin-4 in the cerebrospinal fluid and plasma of 28 patients and 29 controls by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The adipokines leptin and retinol-binding protein 4 were also measured.

Results

We found a reduction in aquaporin-4 in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients. Leptin levels were increased in the cerebrospinal fluid and plasma of patients and were correlated with weight, body mass index and body fat. There was no difference between patients and controls in the levels of aquaporin-4 and retinol-binding protein 4.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that an imbalance of aquaporin-4 in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension may contribute to the pathogenesis of this disorder.
Gray matter changes related to medication overuse in patients with chronic migraine
Authors: Lai Tzu-Hsien , Chou Kung-Hsien , Fuh Jong-Ling , Lee Pei-Lin , Kung Yi-Chia , Lin Ching-Po , Wang Shuu-Jiun
Published: February 2016

Objective

The objective of this article is to investigate the neurological substrates associated with medication overuse (MO) in patients with chronic migraine (CM).

Methods

We recruited age- and sex-matched CM patients with MO (CMwMO), CM patients without MO (CMwoMO), and healthy controls (HCs). Magnetic resonance T1-weighted images were processed by voxel-based morphometry, and the findings were correlated with clinical variables and treatment responses.

Results

A total of 66 patients with CM (half with MO) and 33 HCs completed the study. Patients with CMwMO compared to the patients with CMwoMO showed gray matter volume (GMV) decrease in the orbitofrontal cortex and left middle occipital gyrus as well as GMV increase in the left temporal pole/parahippocampus. The GMV changes explained 31.1% variance of the analgesics use frequency. The patients who responded to treatment had greater GMV in the orbitofrontal cortex ( p = 0.028). Patients with CM (with and without MO), compared with HCs, had decreased GMV at multiple brain areas including the frontal, temporal and occipital lobes, precuneus and cerebellum.

Conclusions

Our study showed GMV changes in CMwMO patients compared to the CMwoMO patients. These three cerebral regions accounted for significant variance in analgesics use frequency. Moreover, the GMV of the orbitofrontal cortex was predictive of the response to MO treatments.
‘Now you see them, now you don’t’. Sexual deviants and sexological expertise in communist Czechoslovakia
Authors: Lišková Kateřina
Published: February 2016

Despite its historical focus on aberrant behavior, sexology barely dealt with sexual deviants in 1950s Czechoslovakia. Rather, sexologists treated only isolated instances of deviance. The rare cases that went to court appeared mostly because they hindered work or harmed the national economy. Two decades later, however, the situation was markedly different. Hundreds of men were labeled as sexual delinquents and sentenced for treatment in special sexological wards at psychiatric hospitals. They endangered society, so it was claimed, by being unwilling or unable to conform to the family norm. The mode of subjection shifted from work to family. I analyse this change by using the tools of Gil Eyal’s sociology of expertise (2013), which focuses on shifts in institutional matrices that bring forth new groups of agents creating new expert networks. I argue that sexology became profoundly institutionalized in the early 1970s, which brought the discipline closer to psychiatry and forensic science. New inpatient facilities were opened that could admit sentenced sexual deviants. Also, demographic changes accelerated in the 1960s, especially skyrocketing divorce rates and plummeting birth rates, which made it imperative for the government to focus on cementing the family. After the failed attempts of the Prague Spring in 1968, the new pro-Soviet government of communist Czechoslovakia did just that. During the time dubbed as ‘normalization’ by the new elites, anyone who strayed from the family norm was suspected of deviance.
Lichenometric and Radiocarbon Dating of Holocene Glaciation, Cordillera Blanca, Perú
Authors: Rodbell Donald T.
Published: February 2016

Measurements of Rhizocarpon subgenus Rhizocarpon thalli on moraines the ages of which are constrained by six radiocarbon dates, two pre-Colombian structures, and one historically-dated flood deposit indicate that lichenometry can be used to estimate the age of stabilization of glacial deposits that date to the last c. 7 ka on the west side of the Cordillera Blanca, Perú (8°40′-9°40'S; 77°00′-77°40'W). The preliminary growth curve for subgenus Rhizocarpon resembles those derived for alpine areas in Alaska and Colorado, and can be subdivided into an initial, rapid phase of growth (c. 0.4 mm yr-1) that lasts c. 100 years, a c. 500-to 1000-year-long phase of decelerating growth, and a period of slow linear growth (0.016 mm yr-1) that commences after c. 1000 years.

Size clustering of subgenus Rhizocarpon thalli supports a four-fold subdivision of cirque moraines at altitudes between 4200 and 4650 m. The oldest moraines stabilized between c. 7000 and 6000 BP, and the three younger groups between c. 3350 and 1800 BP, between c. 1250 and 400 BP. and within the last 100 years. This subdivision is supported by limiting radiocarbon dates from the Cordillera Blanca and from several cordilleras in southern Perú, and indicates that the Holocene glacial chronology of the Cordillera Blanca is the most complete heretofore recognized in the tropical Andes.
Incremental Growth Structures in Nile Fish and Molluscs from Archaeological Sites as Indicators of Holocene Environmental Change in Egypt
Authors: Brewer Douglas J.
Published: February 2016

Incremental growth structures of fish and molluscs have been used as palaeoenvironmental indicators for nearly two decades, but the validity of the method's underlying assumptions has not been fully explored, particularly with regard to the use of fish remains. Towards this goal, the basic assumption-that annulus width is correlated with changing temperature-is reviewed and a test on two species of Nile fish ( Lates niloticus and Clarias spp.) is conducted to investigate the validity and limits of the method. Using the geological record of Holocene environments in Egypt as a standard for comparison, results suggest that incremental growth of the tested species is a reasonable measure of local environmental conditions over periods of time represented by the collective life span of the studied individuals. The environmental changes inferred by this study, in turn, appear to be correlated with changes in human subsistence and settlement patterns in the western desert of Egypt and the Nile valley.
Age, Extent and Climatic Significance of the c. 3400 BP Aniakchak Tephra, Western Alaska, USA
Authors: Begét James , Mason Owen , Anderson Patricia
Published: February 2016

Tephra deposits at Whitefish Lake and Cape Espenberg on the northernmost Seward Peninsula of western Alaska were derived from the Aniakchak Caldera on the Alaska Peninsula more than 1500 km to the south. Radiocarbon dates on the climactic, caldera-forming Aniakchak eruption and on proximal and distal tephra indicate the Aniakchak tephra was deposited about 3435 ± 40 BP (3614-3815 cal. BP), and forms an isochronous marker horizon across much of western Alaska. The Aniakchak tephra eruption and several other targe eruptions during the seventeenth century BC may have had widespread effects on climate.
The Late Holocene Evolution of Denge Marsh, Southeast England: a Stratigraphic, Sedimentological and Micropalaeontological Approach
Authors: Plater Andrew J.
Published: February 2016

Stratigraphic, granulometric and micropalaeontological investigations of the sedimentary interface between the Dungeness shingle complex and Denge Marsh have been carried out to establish the late Holocene sedimentary evolution of the Romney Marsh region. The arenaceous and argillaceous sediments overlying the buried shingle topography are of intertidal origin and indicate the gradual infilling of an initially deep tidal environment following an extensive period of peat deposition which affected the majority of the area. The cause of this rather sudden marine inundation is considered to be storm breaching of the shingle complex, although the timing of this event is difficult to determine without further chronological investigations.
Stomatal Density as an Indicator of Atmospheric CO2 Concentration
Authors: Beerling David J. , Chaloner William G.
Published: February 2016

Examining the response of stomatal densities to changing atmospheric CO2 concentrations is an important element in understanding whole plant responses because it effects both water use efficiency and rate of carbon uptake. These two physiological processes have a major influence on the productivity of vegetation. Methods and sources of material that may be used for making stomatal counts are reviewed. The response of stomatal density to changing concentrations of atmospheric CO2 are considered from four types of investigation: 1) field studies on living plants growing at different altitudes; 2) studies on plants grown in controlled environments; 3) historical trends detected from herbarium material and 4) comparisons of historical records with modern material. The results suggest conflicting responses which could, to some extent, be due to methodological differences between workers. The more fundamental questions about the variability of stomatal density within and between species, the action of CO2 in controlling stomatal development, and whether observed responses represent acclimation or genetic adaptation are also discussed.
River Bank Erosion and the Decline of the Sisatchanalai Ceramics Industry of North Central Thailand
Authors: Bishop Paul , Hein Don , Maloney Bernard , Fried Alan
Published: February 2016

The famous SiSatchanalai ceramics industry of north central Thailand operated from the tenth or eleventh century AD until the sixteenth century. The reasons for the decline of the industry have not yet been fully clarified and have focused on social and economic factors. Evidence is presented from Ban Ko Noi, based on stratigraphy, radiocarbon dating, pollen, and the character of the kilns and associated ceramics. This evidence demonstrates that a possible reason for the decline—riverine erosion of the land on which the industry was sited-clearly postdated the decline, which cannot therefore be attributed to these physical factors.
Global Surface Air Temperature Variations During the Twentieth Century: Part 1, Spatial, Temporal and Seasonal Details
Authors: Jones P. D. , Briffa K. R.
Published: February 2016

This paper is an up-to-date review of instrumentally-recorded, seasonal, surface temperature change across the land and marine regions of the world during the twentieth century. This is the first part of a two part series. The second part will deal with the interpretation of proxy-climate data in terms of large-scale hemispheric or global-scale temperature averages for the Holocene.

In Part 1, we review the uncertainties associated with combining land and marine instrumental records to produce regional-average series. The surface air temperature of the world has warmed 0.5°C since the middle of the nineteenth century. The warming in the Northern Hemisphere only occurred in winter, spring and autumn. Summers are now no warmer than in the 1860s and 1870s. The same half-degree warming is seen in all seasons in the Southern Hemisphere.

Spatial patterns of temperature anomalies during two warm decades, the 1930s and 1980s, all vary from season to season. Temperatures during the 1980s were by far the warmest in the last 140 years. Though most areas of the world experienced above normal temperatures, the variability from season to season was notable in the Northern Hemisphere where much of the warmth was in winter and spring over northern and central Asia and northwestern North America. Almost all of the Southern Hemisphere was warmer during these years.
The Source of Fine-Grained ‘Magnetite’ in Sediments
Authors: Oldfield Frank
Published: February 2016

Extensive study of the magnetic properties of soils and sediments by both earth scientists and biomagnetists has failed to establish the extent to which fine-grained magnetic components in the sediments' are dominated by detrital or by authigenic bacterial contributions. The question is of considerable importance to workers in a wide range of research fields. This article aims to encourage a balanced and explicit debate between biomagnetists and ‘environmental’ magnetists since, at present, they are tending to interpret their results within mutually exclusive frames of reference.
Three cases of spondyloenchondrodysplasia (SPENCD) with systemic lupus erythematosus: a case series and review of the literature
Authors: Bilginer Y , Düzova A , Topaloğlu R , Batu E D , Boduroğlu K , Güçer Ş , Bodur İ , Alanay Y
Published: February 2016

Spondyloenchondrodysplasia (SPENCD) is a rare autosomal recessive skeletal dysplasia caused by recessive mutations in the ACP5 gene, and it is characterized by the persistence of chondroid tissue islands within the bone. The clinical spectrum of SPENCD includes neurological involvement and immune dysfunction, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To date, there are only 12 reported cases of SPENCD associated with SLE in the literature; however, detailed clinical follow-up data is absent for this comorbidity. This report presents clinical and laboratory data of three patients diagnosed with SPENCD-associated SLE. All three patients had short stature, arthralgia/arthritis, lupus nephritis, hypocomplementemia, and positive autoantibodies, including anti-nuclear and anti-dsDNA antibodies. Two patients exhibited class IV and one patient exhibited class V lupus nephritis. The early recognition of SPENCD is imperative, and this condition should be considered in patients with SLE, particularly in individuals with short stature and skeletal abnormalities. The cases presented here demonstrate that timely diagnosis and follow-up are key factors for the successful management of these conditions.
Book Review: Ian Shapiro and Kahreen Tebeau (Eds), After Apartheid: Reinventing South Africa?
Authors: Haokip Paokholal
Published: February 2016

Ian Shapiro and Kahreen Tebeau (Eds), After Apartheid: Reinventing South Africa? University of Virginia Press, Charlottesville, 2011, 376 pp., ISBN 9780813930978, ₹ 2,994.
Response of aluminum corrugated sandwich panels under foam projectile impact – Experiment and numerical simulation
Authors: Li Xin , Li Shiqiang , Wang Zhihua , Yang Jinglei , Wu Guiying
Published: February 2016

The paper studied the dynamic response of square aluminum corrugated sandwich panels under projectile impact. The aluminum foam projectile was utilized to apply the impulse on the sandwich panels. In order to increase the applied impulse under controlled impact velocity ( V < 200 m/s), a cylindrical Nylon mass was adhered to the back of foam projectile. Corrugated sandwich panels with two different configurations were tested and their typical deformation modes were obtained in the experiment. Based on the experiment, corresponding numerical simulations were presented. The energy absorption and deformation mechanism of corrugated sandwich panels were studied through the simulation. The influence of impact velocity, thickness of face sheet and wall thickness of corrugated core were discussed. The results indicated that the corrugated sandwich panels with smaller core height produce larger deformation than the panels with larger core height. The face sheets of corrugated sandwich panel absorbed comparable amount of energy with the corrugated core. The velocity histories show that under the combined action of aluminum foam projectile and nylon back mass, a second peak velocity of front face sheet can be produced during the impact process, which is defined as “accelerating impact stage” in current study. The influence of “accelerating impact stage” to the response of structures is sensitive to the impact velocity.
Telemedicine to support coping resources in home-living patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Patients’ experiences
Authors: Vatnøy Torunn K , Thygesen Elin , Dale Bjørg
Published: February 2016

Introduction

The way in which telemedicine contributes to promote coping and independence might be undervalued in the development of telemedicine solutions and the implementation of telemedicine interventions. This study explored how home-living patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experienced follow-up using telemedicine, and the extent to which the implemented technology was able to support and improve the patients’ coping resources and independence.

Methods

A qualitative approach with individual semi-structured interviews was used. Ten patients diagnosed with COPD participated. The data were transcribed verbatim and a qualitative content analysis method was used, including analyses of the manifest and latent content of the texts.

Results

The participants’ positive attitude to handling and understanding the technology and the positive and negative feelings related to use the technology derived the theme: “The telemedicine solution is experienced as comprehensible and manageable and provides meaning in daily life”. The importance of telemedicine services that provided trust and confidence, the intervention’s impact on independence and self-management and the intervention’s ability to support integrity and meaning in life, derived the theme: “The telemedicine intervention contributes to stress reduction caused by illness burden and facilitates living as normally as possible”.

Discussion

The impact of a telemedicine intervention might be influenced by the experience of a technological solution that requires little effort to deal with, while it must also provide meaning in life. Furthermore, the telenurses’ expertise and the intervention’s flexibility, i.e. possibilities for individual adaption, might promote coping to facilitate living as normally as possible despite illness.
Teaching qualitative research and participatory practices in neoliberal times
Authors: Newman Andrea , McNamara Yvonne
Published: February 2016

Dialogue between those interested or engaged in qualitative research and practitioners is essential if practice is to respond effectively to the increasing needs of service users. However, this statement is underpinned by two linked assumptions – that the world of the practitioner and that of the researcher are separate, and that there is a policy audience receptive to qualitatively informed professional practice. This paper begins by questioning these assumptions, recognising that neoliberal managerialism remains dominant and is resistant to qualitatively inspired practice, determined that practitioners are ‘siloed’ into skills or competence-based approaches in the name of accountability, value for money and ‘outcomes’ consistent with neoliberal ideology. We emphasise the shared values and commitments between social work practice and social work research which include the recognition that people may be encouraged to understand and transform their world through the constant interaction of theory and practice, a view we promote through our teaching. For example, social justice and other social work values are highlighted through participatory, anti-oppressive and feminist research and emphasised though critical, emancipatory approaches to research questions. We include recent vignettes, demonstrating this approach, in which students have used innovative research approaches, which have provided the possibility of fully integrating research into on-going practice. Feedback from students and practitioners concludes that this becomes possible if research teaching encourages partnership between students, practitioners, service users and organisations.
More Is Less
Authors: Ahern Lee , Formentin Melanie
Published: February 2016

Past research supports the notion that Fox News Channel (FNC) is more dismissive of global warming than other news outlets. In addition, FNC covers the issue much more often. A qualitative–quantitative content analysis indicates that—for the leading U.S. broadcast and cable news networks overall—coverage of global warming relies on traditional news values such as political-elite cues and event magnitude. FNC, however, exhibited a news agenda favoring more coverage of global warming and climate change (relative to the other leading news outlets). Additional analysis indicates that FNC often co-opts the issue as an exemplar of “political correctness” and of the excess of political progressivism. Other networks, conversely, are more likely than FNC to cover the actual causes and impacts of global warming. Findings are situated in the context of gatekeeping theory; implications of observed network differences are discussed.
Increased CSF tau level is correlated with decreased lamina cribrosa thickness
Authors: Lee Eun Ji , Kim Tae-Woo , Lee Dae Seung , Kim Hyunjoong , Park Young Ho , Kim Jungeun , Lee Joon Woo , Kim SangYun
Published: February 2016

Background

This study was to investigate whether the previously proposed link between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and decreased retinal nerve fiber layer thickness could be explained by the relationship between abnormal CSF profiles and optic nerve head characteristics, focusing on the influence of CSF tau protein on the lamina cribrosa (LC) thickness (LCT).

Methods

A total of 44 eyes from 18 patients with AD and 26 healthy subjects were subjected to enhanced-depth-imaging volume scanning of the optic nerve using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. The B-scan images were constructed three-dimensionally using maximum intensity projection (MIP), and the LCT was measured at three locations (superior midperipheral, midhorizontal, and inferior midperipheral) using the thin-slab MIP images. CSF levels of amyloid β 1-42 peptide, (Aβ1–42), total tau (T-tau) and tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (P-tau181P) were measured from CSF samples of each subject. The relationship between the level of CSF proteins and the LCT was determined using linear regression and fractional polynomial analyses.

Results

Univariate regression analysis revealed that higher CSF levels of T-tau (P = 0.004) and P-tau181P (P = 0.027), as well as a smaller central corneal thickness (P = 0.032), were significantly associated with a smaller LCT. Multivariate analysis indicated that only CSF T-tau (P = 0.041) was significantly associated with the LCT. The relationship was well explained by both linear regression (R2 = 0.179, P = 0.004) and fractional polynomial analysis (R2 = 0.275, P = 0.001). When we performed an assessment by linear regression with an indicator, the relationship was significant both in the healthy and AD groups, with a stronger correlation found in the healthy group (regression coefficients = -1.098 vs. -0.280, P = 0.018).

Conclusions

An increased CSF level of T-tau was significantly associated with a thinner LCT in both the healthy and AD groups. This result suggests that LCT could serve as a potential non-invasive indicator for increased CSF tau. The clinical meaning of the higher level of CSF T-tau in axonal degeneration of the optic nerve remains to be determined.
Advances in Understanding Hair Growth
Authors: Bernard Bruno A.
Published: February 2016

In this short review, I introduce an integrated vision of human hair follicle behavior and describe opposing influences that control hair follicle homeostasis, from morphogenesis to hair cycling. The interdependence and complementary roles of these influences allow us to propose that the hair follicle is a true paradigm of a “Yin Yang” type, that is a cold/slow-hot/fast duality. Moreover, a new promising field is emerging, suggesting that glycans are key elements of hair follicle growth control.
ELECTORAL DISTRICTS FORMATION AND REDISTRICTING EXPERIENCE OF CANADA REGIONS
Authors: Ирхин Игорь , Irkhin Igor
Published: February 2016

On the basis of the analysis of federal and regional level legislations, as well as judicial practice this article studies the issues of constitution-legal regulation of the order of formation and redistricting of electoral districts in the regions of the Canadian federation from a perspective of ensuring the implementation of the provisions of the Supreme Court of Canada to ensure an effective national representation (Reference re Prov. Electoral Boundaries (Sask.)). The article outlines proposals on mainstreaming the multifaceted approach of Canadian legislators and the expansion of the list of conditions that affect the ability to make decisions on formation and adjustment of electoral districts in the Russian Federation. The author uses general scientific methodology (analysis, synthesis, analogy, comparison), as well as other methods (historical, legal, historical, comparative law). For the first time the constitution-legal analysis of the Canadian Constitution provisions was carried out, as well as that of the acts of judicial practices and regional legislation regulating the procedure of the electoral districts’ formation and redistricting in the constituent entities of the Canadian federation from a perspective of ensuring the implementation of the provisions of the Supreme Court of Canada to ensure an effective national representation.
CONSTITUTIONAL-LEGAL REGULATION OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION: REGIONAL ASPECT
Authors: Никитина Елена , Nikitina Elena
Published: February 2016

The article is devoted to the analysis of the legislation of federal subjects of the Russian Federation in the sphere of regulation of non-governmental organizations’ activities. This study was carried out on the basis of the comparative law method as a way to protect the human right to association. The article examines the problems of regional legislation quality, completeness and effectiveness of its regulatory impact on civil society in federal subjects of the Russian Federation. The author tries to answer the question what the purposes are for the existence of regional legislation on human rights. The emphasis is on the regional regulation of support for nongovernmental organizations on the part of the authorities of federal subjects of the Russian Federation. The article touches upon the problems of regulation through regional laws of the activities of religious organizations as a form of non-governmental organizations. The author concludes that regional legislation in the sphere of regulation of non-governmental organizations’ activities in most regions is fragmented and unsystematic, and the purposes of its existence for the protection and creation of additional guarantees of constitutional human rights in the territory of federal subjects of the Russian Federation are performed only partially.