bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Barriers to Sonographer Screening for Fetal Heart Defects: A U.S. National Survey
Authors: Pinto Nelangi M. , Henry Kevin A. , Wei Guo , Sheng Xiaoming , Green Tom , Puchalski Michael D. , Byrne Janice L.B. , Kinney Anita Y.
Published: August 2019

Objective: We surveyed obstetric sonographers, who are at the forefront of the screening process to determine how barriers to prenatal cardiac screening impacted screening abilities. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional national survey of obstetric sonographers in the United States using a sampling frame from American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography mailing lists. The web survey measured the ability to obtain and interpret fetal heart images. Several cognitive, sociodemographic, and system-level factors were measured, including intention to perform cardiac imaging. Regression and mediation analyses determined factors associated with intention to perform and ability to obtain and interpret cardiac images. Subgroup analyses of sonographers in tertiary versus nontertiary centers were also performed. Results: Survey response rate either due to noncontact or nonresponse was 40%. Of 480 eligible sonographers, ~30% practiced in tertiary settings. Sonographers had lower intention to perform outflow views compared to 4 chambers. Higher self-efficacy and professional expectations predicted higher odds of intention to perform outflow views (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.9–4.2 and 1.9, 95% CI 1.1–3.0, respectively). Overall accuracy of image interpretation was 65% (±14%). For the overall cohort and nontertiary subgroup, higher intention to perform outflows was associated with increased accuracy in overall image interpretation. For the tertiary subgroup, self-efficacy and feedback were strongly associated with accuracy. Conclusions: We identified several modifiable (some heretofore unrecognized) targets to improve prenatal cardiac screening. Priorities identified by sonographers that are associated with screening success should guide future interventions.
Atherosclerosis in Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Valdivielso José M. , Rodríguez-Puyol Diego , Pascual Julio , Barrios Clara , Bermúdez-López Marcelino , Sánchez-Niño Maria Dolores , Pérez-Fernández María , Ortiz Alberto
Published: August 2019

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at an increased risk of premature mortality, mainly from cardiovascular causes. The association between CKD on hemodialysis and accelerated atherosclerosis was described >40 years ago. However, more recently, it has been suggested that the increase in atherosclerosis risk is actually observed in early CKD stages, remaining stable thereafter. In this regard, interventions targeting the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, such as statins, successful in the general population, have failed to benefit patients with very advanced CKD. This raises the issue of the relative contribution of atherosclerosis versus other forms of cardiovascular injury such as arteriosclerosis or myocardial injury to the increased cardiovascular risk in CKD. In this review, the pathophysiogical contributors to atherosclerosis in CKD that are shared with the general population, or specific to CKD, are discussed. The NEFRONA study (Observatorio Nacional de Atherosclerosis en NEFrologia) prospectively assessed the prevalence and progression of subclinical atherosclerosis (plaque in vascular ultrasound), confirming an increased prevalence of atherosclerosis in patients with moderate CKD. However, the adjusted odds ratio for subclinical atherosclerosis increased with CKD stage, suggesting a contribution of CKD itself to subclinical atherosclerosis. Progression of atherosclerosis was closely related to CKD progression as well as to the baseline presence of atheroma plaque, and to higher phosphate, uric acid, and ferritin and lower 25(OH) vitamin D levels. These insights may help design future clinical trials of stratified personalized medicine targeting atherosclerosis in patients with CKD. Future primary prevention trials should enroll patients with evidence of subclinical atherosclerosis and should provide a comprehensive control of all known risk factors in addition to testing any additional intervention or placebo.
Nuclear
S
-Nitrosylation Defines an Optimal Zone for Inducing Pluripotency
Authors: Chanda Palas K. , Meng Shu , Lee Jieun , Leung Honchiu E. , Chen Kaifu , Cooke John P.
Published: August 2019

Background:

We found that cell-autonomous innate immune signaling causes global changes in the expression of epigenetic modifiers to facilitate nuclear reprogramming to pluripotency. A role of
S
-nitrosylation by inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase, an important effector of innate immunity, has been previously described in the transdifferentiation of fibroblasts to endothelial cells. Accordingly, we hypothesized that
S
-nitrosylation might also have a role in nuclear reprogramming to pluripotency.

Methods:

We used murine embryonic fibroblasts containing a doxycycline-inducible cassette encoding the Yamanaka factors (
Oct4
,
Sox2
,
Klf4
, and c-
Myc
), and genetic or pharmacological inhibition of inducible NO synthase together with the Tandem Mass Tag approach, chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, site-directed mutagenesis, and micrococcal nuclease assay to determine the role of
S
-nitrosylation during nuclear reprogramming to pluripotency.

Results:

We show that an optimal zone of innate immune activation, as defined by maximal yield of induced pluripotent stem cells, is determined by the degree of activation of nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells; NO generation;
S
-nitrosylation of nuclear proteins; and DNA accessibility as reflected by histone markings and increased mononucleosome generation in a micrococcal nuclease assay. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of inducible NO synthase reduces DNA accessibility and suppresses induced pluripotent stem cell generation. The effect of NO on DNA accessibility is mediated in part by
S
-nitrosylation of nuclear proteins, including MTA3 (Metastasis Associated 1 Family Member 3), a subunit of NuRD (Nucleosome Remodeling Deacetylase) complex.
S
-Nitrosylation of MTA3 is associated with decreased NuRD activity. Overexpression of mutant MTA3, in which the 2 cysteine residues are replaced by alanine residues, impairs the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells.

Conclusions:

This is the first report showing that DNA accessibility and induced pluripotent stem cell yield depend on the extent of cell-autonomous innate immune activation and NO generation. This “Goldilocks zone” for inflammatory signaling and epigenetic plasticity may have broader implications for cell fate and phenotypic fluidity.
Does Sex Modify the Effect of Endovascular Treatment for Ischemic Stroke?
Authors: Chalos Vicky , de Ridder Inger R. , Lingsma Hester F. , Brown Scott , van Oostenbrugge Robert J. , Goyal Mayank , Campbell Bruce C.V. , Muir Keith W. , Guillemin Francis , Bracard Serge , White Philip , Dávalos Antoni , Jovin Tudor G. , Hill Michael D. , Mitchell Peter J. , Demchuk Andrew M. , Saver Jeffrey L. , van Zwam Wim H. , Dippel Diederik W.J. ,   on behalf of the HERMES Collaborators
Published: August 2019

Background and Purpose—

Previous studies have reported less favorable outcome and less effect of endovascular treatment (EVT) after ischemic stroke in women than in men. Our aim was to study the influence of sex on outcome and on the effect of EVT for ischemic stroke in recent randomized trials on EVT.

Methods—

We used data from 7 randomized controlled trials on EVT within the HERMES collaboration. The primary outcome was 90-day functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale). We compared baseline characteristics and outcomes between men and women. With ordinal logistic regression, we evaluated the association between EVT and 90-day functional outcome for men and women separately, adjusted for potential confounders. We tested for interaction between sex and EVT.

Results—

We included 1762 patients in the analyses, of whom 833 (47%) were women. Women were older (median, 70 versus 66 years;
P
<0.001), were smoking less often (30% versus 44%;
P
<0.001), and had higher collateral grades (grade 3: 46% versus 35%;
P
<0.001) than men. Functional independence (modified Rankin Scale score, 0–2) at 90 days was reached by 318 women (39%) and 364 men (39%). The effect of EVT on the ordinal modified Rankin Scale was similar in women (adjusted common odds ratio [acOR], 2.13; 95% CI, 1.47–3.07) and men (acOR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.59–2.96), with a
P
for interaction of 0.926.

Conclusions—

Sex does not influence clinical outcome after EVT and does not modify treatment effect of EVT. Therefore, sex should not be a consideration in the selection of patients for EVT.
β-Estradiol Protects Against Acidosis-Mediated and Ischemic Neuronal Injury by Promoting ASIC1a (Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 1a) Protein Degradation
Authors: Zhou Renpeng , Leng Tiandong , Yang Tao , Chen Feihu , Hu Wei , Xiong Zhi-Gang
Published: August 2019

Background and Purpose—

Sex differences in the incidence and outcome of stroke have been well documented. The severity of stroke in women is, in general, significantly lower than that in men, which is mediated, at least in part, by the protective effects of β-estradiol. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying the neuroprotection by β-estradiol are still elusive. Recent studies have demonstrated that activation of ASIC1a (acid-sensing ion channel 1a) by tissue acidosis, a common feature of brain ischemia, plays an important role in ischemic brain injury. In the present study, we assessed the effects of β-estradiol on acidosis-mediated and ischemic neuronal injury both in vitro and in vivo and explored the involvement of ASIC1a and underlying mechanism.

Methods—

Cultured neurons and NS20Y cells were subjected to acidosis-mediated injury in vitro. Cell viability and cytotoxicity were measured by methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide and lactate dehydrogenase assays, respectively. Transient (60 minutes) focal ischemia in mice was induced by suture occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in vivo. ASIC currents were recorded using whole-cell patch-clamp technique while intracellular Ca
2+
concentration was measured with fluorescence imaging using Fura-2. ASIC1a expression was detected by Western blotting and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Results—

Treatment of neuronal cells with β-estradiol decreased acidosis-induced cytotoxicity. ASIC currents and acid-induced elevation of intracellular Ca
2+
were all attenuated by β-estradiol treatment. In addition, we showed that β-estradiol treatment reduced ASIC1a protein expression, which was mediated by increased protein degradation, and that estrogen receptor α was involved. Finally, we showed that the level of ASIC1a protein expression in brain tissues and the degree of neuroprotection by ASIC1a blockade were lower in female mice, which could be attenuated by ovariectomy.

Conclusions—

β-estradiol can protect neurons against acidosis-mediated neurotoxicity and ischemic brain injury by suppressing ASIC1a protein expression and channel function.

Visual Overview—

An online
visual overview
is available for this article.
The Making of Sci-Art
Authors: Trickett Terry
Published: August 2019

Sci-Art was an idea whose time had come; it helped to kickstart a new way of discovery that has had a lasting impact on scientific method and art practice. The fortuitous set of circumstances that secured the Wellcome Trust's longterm sponsorship of the idea (1997–2006) is related here by Terry Trickett. In responding to a leading question from New York's Cynthia Pannucci, he describes the early years of sci-art, when artists succeeded in penetrating the realm of science and scientists discovered a new creative impetus through art.
Knowledge Discovery and the Aesthetics of Big Data: Simulating the Herschel Observatory
Authors: Mulligan John , Carvalho Adolfo
Published: August 2019

The authors, an astrophysics student and a humanities researcher, developed a simulation of William Herschel's visual experience during his observational runs, bringing to life archival data produced by William and his sister Caroline Herschel, who are credited with having invented modern cosmology. From a media studies perspective, the use of intensive computational resources to produce boring, accurate, realtime simulations of William Herschel's observations helps us to confront our conflation of visual complexity with reality in the era of big data. At the intersection of data science, the history of science and media studies, the project proposes the aesthetics of boredom as a means of dwelling with the sense of big data as “big” relative to modes of knowledge production.
Chance in Art and Biology
Authors: Adelman Clement
Published: August 2019

Chance events interrupt the probabilities of reproduction, sometimes leading to extinction, sometimes to novel variations; this is exemplified in both biology and art. Reproduction takes place in the ambit of certainty or accident or chance.
Exploring the Everyday Lives of Children in Winnipeg, Canada
Authors: Huynh Elizabeth , Stewart-Tufescu Ashley
Published: August 2019

Over the past decade there has been a call to action for researchers to explore children’s subjectivities in the context of well-being. How children understand and experience well-being in a Canadian context was examined in this study. Twenty-one children between 8 and 12 years of age participated in semi-structured interviews facilitated by the Life Story Board™. Three main themes emerged: (1) freedom and control, (2) child rights and social supports, and (3) children’s participation as social actors. Results from this study highlighted the importance of children needing to feel heard by parents and teachers; children being recognised as rights-holders with opportunities to actualise their rights; and children having meaningful opportunities to participate in matters which concerns them in everyday life as important components of subjective well-being. Results may serve to inform child-serving professionals, policymakers, and parents and guardians about how school-aged children from this Canadian context conceptualize and experience well-being.
An Outward and Visible Sign of an Inward and Spiritual Grace
Authors: Miller Renberg Lynneth J.
Published: August 2019

Drawing on Headlam’s sermons, pamphlets, and letters, this article explores his theology of the ballet, a theology made possible by his conception of sacrament and sacramental bodies. Headlam’s incarnational sacramentalism not only enabled a support of the stage as divinely created and a sacrosanct space, but created an approach to dancers, particularly women, that was distinct in its treatment of all bodies as the same in potentiality before God. His sacramentalism defied the standard conflation of dance with female transgression and male danger. Accordingly, Headlam’s vision of the earthly kingdom of God was one in which there was truly neither male nor female, and in which the stage and its ballerinas could act as models of the grace of Christ rather than as reflections of fallen humanity.
βαπτίζω “Signifies to Dip or to Wash, but Never to Sprinkle”
Authors: Roldán-Figueroa Rady
Published: August 2019

The article argues that Baptists, General and Particular, linked the practice of immersion or dipping with a lay and anti-clerical conception of Christian ministry. Moreover, it claims that Baptist leaders who were involved in the introduction of dipping saw the practice as a sign of lay supremacy. The argument traces the Baptist laical and anti-clerical conception of Christian ministry by examining relevant texts by Baptists leaders such as Thomas Helwys (1556–1616), John Murton (1585–c. 1626), and Edmund Chillenden (fl. 1631–1678). Drawing on Rosemary O’Day’s “professionalization thesis,” the contention is made that Particular Baptists moved away from the strong anti-clericalism of the movement in the direction of the adoption of professional standards of ministry. Moreover, the article examines the strong correlation between the themes of laical authority and dipping in tracts that were published between 1641 and 1645 by Edward Barber (d. 1663), A.R. (fl. 1642), Benjamin Cox (1595–1663?), Hanserd Knollys (1598–1691), and William Kiffin (1616–1701).
Dort Outwitted by the Remonstrants
Authors: van Vlastuin Willem
Published: August 2019

The Canons of Dort had not only defenders, moderate accepters, and offenders, but also critical accepters. One of these was Herman Friedrich Kohlbrugge (1803–1875). In the first part of this article this agreement with the doctrine of Dort is investigated. It appears that he accepted the reformed tradition, including the doctrine of predestination, and disagreed with the Arminian interpretation of grace. In the second part of this article, Kohlbrugge’s criticism of Dort is highlighted and placed in context; an analysis which leads one to a deeper understanding of the way in which Kohlbrugge accepted the theological and spiritual content of Dort. The article concludes that Kohlbrugge remained faithful to the Canons of Dort throughout his life, that he understood the Canons to be an interpretative explanation of the Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism, and that he interpreted the Canons of Dort in a dynamic Christ-centred way.
Arme Waise mit reichem Erbe
Authors: Seebold Elmar
Published: August 2019

Gmc. and oir. *orbho- ‘inheritance’ can be derived from the preliminary stage of oir. erbaid ‘entrust’; gr., lt. and arm. *orbho- ‘orphan’ could be derived from a word with prothetic vowel o- and reflect a root *rebh-. From these possibilities can be deduced that the two orbo’s are different words from beginning.
The War in the Donbas in Historical Perspective
Authors: Kuromiya Hiroaki
Published: August 2019

Does the Donbas represent the stronghold of Russian separatism? Since Russia’s military intervention in the Donbas (following its occupation of the Crimea), this view of the Donbas as un-Ukrainian or anti-Ukrainian has gained wide circulation in and outside Ukraine. Yet it is patently wrong. In the Donbas, there have never been ethnic, linguistic, or religious (sectarian) conflicts to speak of, nor did its population consistently manifest strong pro-Russian or pro-Union sentiments. True, such sentiments existed in the Donbas, like elsewhere in much of Dnieper Ukraine, but they never dominated the political scene of the Donbas. Instead, until the twenty-first century this region always tended to be anti-imperialist and anti-metropolitan. What is remarkable is that in 1991 the Donbas overwhelmingly supported the independence of Ukraine. What followed in the wake of Ukraine’s independence was an attempt by the Donbas power holders, in particular Viktor Yanukovych, to take over all of Ukraine. Moscow helped this attempt, which failed ultimately. The “free steppe” of the Donbas undeniably attracted, among others, radical Russian nationalists from outside and provided them with space for action. It is this historical characteristic of the Donbas as the “free steppe” that has colored the popular view of this region as a stronghold of Russian separatism. In the rest of Ukraine, a strong prejudice against the Donbas as a culturally dark region has only helped to boost this popular misconception.
Kharkiv: The Past Lives On
Authors: Kravchenko Volodymyr
Published: August 2019

Why was Kharkiv assigned the role of an alternative political capital of Ukraine during the Euromaidan revolution of 2014? Why did this plan fail? In this article the author tries to answer these questions by exploring Kharkiv’s role and place in the regional context of ongoing Ukrainian nation-state building in the historical perspective, focusing on the period after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Issues of regional geopolitics on the Ukrainian-Russian border as well as the changing symbolic landscape of the city are explored. The proactive role of the central authorities as well as specific local traditions and identity played their roles in keeping Kharkiv on the sidelines of the “hybrid war” that engulfed the Donbas. The modernization matrix that promoted Kharkiv’s growth from a provincial town into a regional leader prevailed over the rhetoric of Russian nationalism employed by Putin’s regime during the annexation of the Crimea. At the same time, social apathy and national ambivalence, so typical of a borderland zone, also prevented the local population from falling into political extremes. Kharkiv’s cultural space continues to be a battlefield of competing discourses, each of which has been projected into the past and the future.
Metalinguistic comments as a tool for bottom-up language policy
Authors: Dorleijn Margreet
Published: August 2019

This article demonstrates that analyzing evaluative metalinguistic comments on linguistic features can be a valuable diagnostic tool in understanding how emergent varieties develop and conventionalize. The paper provides a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of metalinguistic activity as part of the diverse sociolinguistic research disciplines. It then discusses what constitutes an evaluative metalinguistic comment, and classifies metalinguistic comments. Subsequently, the paper discusses data of a developing variety (Turkish-Dutch mixed speech). These data suggest that insiders monitor implicit norms, and reprimand transgressors, and/or deliberately transgress these norms (mostly in a humorous way), which amounts to the same thing: a keen awareness of these norms. Outsiders notice linguistic elements which contrast with their own variety.
Motivation in pidgin and creole genesis
Authors: Parkvall Mikael
Published: August 2019

Almost all creolists see creole formation as a case of (failed) second language acquisition. I argue that there are good reasons to distinguish between second language acquisition and pidginisation/creolisation, and that little is gained by equating the two. While learners have an extant language as their target, pidginisers typically aim to communicate (in any which way) rather than to acquire a specific language. In this sense, pidginisation represents, if not “conscious language change”, at least “conscious language creation”.
Myrciaria alta (Myrtaceae), a new species from Espírito Santo, Brazil

Authors: FLORES THIAGO BEVILACQUA , SOBRAL MARCOS , VALDEMARIN KARINNE SAMPAIO , SOUZA VINICIUS CASTRO
Published: August 2019

Myrciaria (Myrtaceae) species are distributed exclusively in the New World and the genus presents its highest diversity in Brazil, particularly in the Atlantic Forest domain. Myrciaria alta, from the montane region of southeastern Brazil, is herein described, illustrated, and compared to its closest related species, Myrciaria glomerata. Moreover, data on its distribution, habitat, phenology, and conservation are provided.
A new species of Astragalus section Laguropsis (Fabaceae: Galegeae) from a cross-border highland region of Altai Mountains in Russia and Mongolia

Authors: PYAK ANDREI I. , PYAK ELIZAVETA A.
Published: August 2019

Astragalus admirabilus Pyak & E.Pyak (Fabaceae: Galegeae), a new species from a cross-border highland region of Altai Mountains in Russia and Mongolia, is described and illustrated. This species belongs to section Laguropsis. Diagnostic morphological characters for discriminating this new species from closely similar A. zaissanensis and A. dilutus are tabulated. It differs from A. zaissanensis by the colour of the corolla (yellowish-white with purple keel and purple upper part of the standard vs. yellow) and its longer pods (13–14 vs. 10 mm). It differs from A. dilutus by its larger flowers (23–25 vs. 17–20 mm), its shorter peduncles (shorter than leaves vs. equal or longer than leaves) and number of flowers per inflorescence (5–8(–9) vs. 15–20). Notes are presented on the distribution, ecology and conservation status of the new taxon.
Acricotopus indet. morphotype incurvatus: Description and genetics of a new Orthocladiinae (Diptera: Chironomidae) larval morphotype from the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: LAUG ANDREAS , HAMERLÍK LADISLAV , ANSLAN STEN , ENGELS STEFAN , TURNER FALKO , WANG JUNBO , SCHWALB ANTJE
Published: August 2019

High mountain ranges such as the Tibetan Plateau with an average altitude above 4500 m are topographically complex formations. Elevational gradients, physiographic diversity and climatic heterogeneity have led to highly biodiverse ecosystems in these regions. Mountain ranges can be seen as cradles of evolution and harbour, due to their unique characteristics, a high number of highly adapted species. At the same time these areas are hard to access and therefore taxonomic information is limited. Here we describe a new Acricotopus (Diptera: Chironomidae: Orthocladiinae) larval morphotype occurring in lakes and ponds of differing salinity and water depths located on the Southern and Central Tibetan Plateau. The description is based on larvae and their genetics (ribosomal 18S, 28S and mitochondrial COI sequences) collected from a shallow pond in close proximity to the large saline lake Selin Co. Larvae of Acricotopus indet. morphotype incurvatus are characterized by a mentum with a cluster of lateral teeth, partially folded inwards, a mandible with a toothed lobe in addition to four inner teeth and a sclerotized plate positioned behind the mentum. Up to now, these morphological features have only been found in early instars of other Acricotopus species. The proposed morphotype name is inspired by the peculiar form of the mentum.
Improving Wind Energy Forecasting through Numerical Weather Prediction Model Development
Authors: Olson Joseph B. , Kenyon Jaymes S. , Djalalova Irina , Bianco Laura , Turner David D. , Pichugina Yelena , Choukulkar Aditya , Toy Michael D. , Brown John M. , Angevine Wayne M. , Akish Elena , Bao Jian-Wen , Jimenez Pedro , Kosovic Branko , Lundquist Katherine A. , Draxl Caroline , Lundquist Julie K. , McCaa Jim , McCaffrey Katherine , Lantz Kathy , Long Chuck , Wilczak Jim , Banta Robert , Marquis Melinda , Redfern Stephanie , Berg Larry K. , Shaw Will , Cline Joel
Published: August 2019

The primary goal of the Second Wind Forecast Improvement Project (WFIP2) is to advance the state-of-the-art of wind energy forecasting in complex terrain. To achieve this goal, a comprehensive 18-month field measurement campaign was conducted in the region of the Columbia River basin. The observations were used to diagnose and quantify systematic forecast errors in the operational High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model during weather events of particular concern to wind energy forecasting. Examples of such events are cold pools, gap flows, thermal troughs/marine pushes, mountain waves, and topographic wakes. WFIP2 model development has focused on the boundary layer and surface-layer schemes, cloud–radiation interaction, the representation of drag associated with subgrid-scale topography, and the representation of wind farms in the HRRR. Additionally, refinements to numerical methods have helped to improve some of the common forecast error modes, especially the high wind speed biases associated with early erosion of mountain–valley cold pools. This study describes the model development and testing undertaken during WFIP2 and demonstrates forecast improvements. Specifically, WFIP2 found that mean absolute errors in rotor-layer wind speed forecasts could be reduced by 5%–20% in winter by improving the turbulent mixing lengths, horizontal diffusion, and gravity wave drag. The model improvements made in WFIP2 are also shown to be applicable to regions outside of complex terrain. Ongoing and future challenges in model development will also be discussed.
Global Monsoon Responses to Decadal Sea Surface Temperature Variations during the Twentieth Century: Evidence from AGCM Simulations
Authors: Jiang Jie , Zhou Tianjun
Published: August 2019

Multidecadal variations in the global land monsoon were observed during the twentieth century, with an overall increasing trend from 1901 to 1955 that was followed by a decreasing trend up to 1990, but the mechanisms governing the above changes remain inconclusive. Based on the outputs of two atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs) forced by historical sea surface temperature (SST) covering the twentieth century, supplemented with AGCM simulations forced by idealized SST anomalies representing different conditions of the North Atlantic and tropical Pacific, evidence shows that the observed changes can be partly reproduced, particularly over the Northern Hemisphere summer monsoon (NHSM) domain, demonstrating the modulation of decadal SST changes on the long-term variations in monsoon precipitation. Moisture budget analysis is performed to understand the interdecadal changes in monsoon precipitation, and the dynamic term associated with atmospheric circulation changes is found to be prominent, while the contribution of the thermodynamic term associated with humidity changes can lead to coincident wetting over the NHSM domain. The increase (decrease) in NHSM land precipitation during 1901–55 (1956–90) is associated with the strengthening (weakening) of NHSM circulation and Walker circulation. The multidecadal scale changes in atmospheric circulation are driven by SST anomalies over the North Atlantic and the Pacific. A warmer North Atlantic together with a colder eastern tropical Pacific and a warmer western subtropical Pacific can lead to a strengthened meridional gradient in mid-to-upper-tropospheric thickness and strengthened trade winds, which transport more water vapor into monsoon regions, leading to an increase in monsoon precipitation.
The Role of Extratropical Air–Sea Interaction in the Autumn Subseasonal Variability of the North Atlantic Oscillation
Authors: Nie Yu , Ren Hong-Li , Zhang Yang
Published: August 2019

Considerable progress has been made in understanding the internal eddy–mean flow feedback in the subseasonal variability of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) during winter. Using daily atmospheric and oceanic reanalysis data, this study highlights the role of extratropical air–sea interaction in the NAO variability during autumn when the daily sea surface temperature (SST) variability is more active and eddy–mean flow interactions are still relevant. Our analysis shows that a horseshoe-like SST tripolar pattern in the North Atlantic Ocean, marked by a cold anomaly in the Gulf Stream and two warm anomalies to the south of the Gulf Stream and off the western coast of northern Europe, can induce a quasi-barotropic NAO-like atmospheric response through eddy-mediated processes. An initial southwest–northeast tripolar geopotential anomaly in the North Atlantic forces this horseshoe-like SST anomaly tripole. Then the SST anomalies, through surface heat flux exchange, alter the spatial patterns of the lower-tropospheric temperature and thus baroclinicity anomalies, which are manifested as the midlatitude baroclinicity shifted poleward and reduced baroclinicity poleward of 70°N. In response to such changes of the lower-level baroclinicity, anomalous synoptic eddy generation, eddy kinetic energy, and eddy momentum forcing in the midlatitudes all shift poleward. Meanwhile, the 10–30-day low-frequency anticyclonic wave activities in the high latitudes decrease significantly. We illustrate that both the latitudinal displacement of midlatitude synoptic eddy activities and intensity variation of high-latitude low-frequency wave activities contribute to inducing the NAO-like anomalies.
An Observational Analysis of Three Extreme Rainfall Episodes of 19–20 July 2016 along the Taihang Mountains in North China
Authors: Xia Rudi , Zhang Da-Lin
Published: August 2019

This study examines the synoptic- and mesoscale processes leading to the generation of three extreme rainfall episodes with hourly rates of greater than 100 mm h−1 over the southern, middle, and northern portions of the eastern foothills of Mt. Taihang in North China on 19–20 July 2016. The extreme rainfall episodes took place over the 200–600-m elevation zones in the southern and northern portions but also over the lower elevations in the middle portion of the target region, sequentially during late morning, early evening, and midnight hours. Echo training accounted for the development of a linear convective system in the southern region after the warm and moist air carried by a southeasterly low-level jet (LLJ) was lifted to condensation as moving across Mt. Yuntai. In contrast, two isolated circular-shaped convective clusters, with more robust convective cores in its leading segment, developed in the northern region through steep topographical lifting of moist northeasterly airflow, albeit conditionally less unstable. Extreme rainfall in the middle region developed from the convergence of a moist easterly LLJ with a northerly colder airflow associated with an extratropical cyclogenesis. Results reveal that the LLJs and associated moisture transport, the intensifying cyclone interacting with a southwest vortex and its subsequent northeastward movement, and the slope and orientation of local topography with respect to and the stability of the approaching airflows played different roles in determining the timing and location, the extreme rainfall rates, and convective organizations along the eastern foothills of Mt. Taihang.
Revisiting Sensitivity to Horizontal Grid Spacing in Convection-Allowing Models over the Central and Eastern United States
Authors: Schwartz Craig S. , Sobash Ryan A.
Published: August 2019

Hourly accumulated precipitation forecasts from deterministic convection-allowing numerical weather prediction models with 3- and 1-km horizontal grid spacing were evaluated over 497 forecasts between 2010 and 2017 over the central and eastern conterminous United States (CONUS). While precipitation biases varied geographically and seasonally, 1-km model climatologies of precipitation generally aligned better with those observed than 3-km climatologies. Additionally, during the cool season and spring, when large-scale forcing was strong and precipitation entities were large, 1-km forecasts were more skillful than 3-km forecasts, particularly over southern portions of the CONUS where instability was greatest. Conversely, during summertime, when synoptic-scale forcing was weak and precipitation entities were small, 3- and 1-km forecasts had similar skill. These collective results differ substantially from previous work finding 4-km forecasts had comparable springtime precipitation forecast skill as 1- or 2-km forecasts over the central–eastern CONUS. Additional analyses and experiments suggest the greater benefits of 1-km forecasts documented here could be related to higher-quality initial conditions than in prior studies. However, further research is needed to confirm this hypothesis.
Prediction of Asian Dust Days over Northern China Using the KMA-ADAM2 Model
Authors: Hong Seungkyu K. , Ryoo Sang-Boom , Kim Jinwon , Lee Sang-Sam
Published: August 2019

This study evaluates the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) Asian Dust Aerosol Model 2 (ADAM2) for Asian dust events over the dust source regions in northern China during the first half of 2017. Using the observed hourly particulate matter (PM) concentration from the China Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) and station weather reports, we find that a threshold value of PM10–PM2.5 = 400 μg m−3 works well in defining an Asian dust event for both the MEP-observed and the ADAM2-simulated data. In northwestern China, ADAM2 underestimates the observed dust days mainly due to underestimation of dust emissions; ADAM2 overestimates the observed Asian dust days over Manchuria due to overestimation of dust emissions. Performance of ADAM2 in estimating Asian dust emissions varies quite systematically according to dominant soil types within each region. The current formulation works well for the Gobi and sand soil types, but substantially overestimates dust emissions for the loess-type soils. This suggests that the ADAM2 model errors are likely to originate from the soil-type-dependent dust emissions formulation and that the formulation for the mixed and loess-type soils needs to be recalibrated. In addition, inability to account for the concentration of fine PMs from anthropogenic sources results in large false-alarm rates over heavily industrialized regions. Direct calculation of PM2.5 in the upcoming ADAM3 model is expected to alleviate the problems related to anthropogenic PMs in identifying Asian dust events.
Fastening composite structures using braided thermoplastic composite rivets
Authors: Fortier Vincent , Brunel Jean-E , L Lebel Louis
Published: August 2019

Aerospace composite material components are currently joined using heavy titanium bolts. This joining method is not ideal when considering its weight, thermal expansion, electrical conductivity, and risk of unbalanced load distribution. We propose here an innovative fastening technology using thermoplastic composite rivets. A rivet blank is heated above its melting temperature using Joule heating and is formed directly in the composite laminates by an automated process. Carbon fiber and polyamide blanks were used with two fiber architecture: 2D braid and unidirectional. The braided architecture showed superior manufacturing performance and repeatability. Joints were riveted in less than 40 s per rivet. The temperature measured in the riveted composite laminate in the vicinity of formed rivet reached only 136℃ during riveting. Double fastener lap shear testing showed breaking load of 6146 N per fastener. This joint strength is higher than comparable aluminum-riveted joints, and the specific joint strength is higher than titanium-bolted joints. With these advantages, the technology could be developed and used in the next generations of lighter, cleaner, and safer aircraft.
Sudden death and Takayasu’s arteritis: The role of histopathological investigation
Authors: Aquila Isabella , Ricci Pietrantonio , Galassi Andrea , Sacco Matteo Antonio , Malfa Orazio , Gratteri Santo
Published: August 2019

When death is sudden and unexpected, autopsy may not provide sufficient information to be sure of the cause of death. Some causes can only be identified by microscopy. We report a case of sudden death in a woman who suffered from vertigo and hypertension. The autopsy only showed sclerosis of the thoracic aorta, abdominal aorta and coronary arteries, and the toxicological results were negative and did not explain the cause of death. A microscopic and immunohistochemical analysis of samples from various organs was carried out. The histopathological examination revealed eosinophilia in the aortic wall, consistent with a vasculitis such as Takayasu’s arteritis. This case emphasises the association between systemic vasculitis and sudden death, as well as the role of histopathological investigation and the importance of post-mortem diagnosis to prevent similar fatal events among family members.
Rhetoric and Reality: Augustine and Pope Francis on Preaching Christ and the Poor
Authors: Grove Kevin
Published: August 2019

In an age when rhetoric about alleviating conditions of poverty is rightly suspect, this study offers a reassessment of the power of non-modern, christological rhetoric through parallel examples of the preaching of Augustine and Pope Francis. Demonstrating how both practice a version of prosopopeia, this study shows how Augustine’s “exchange” and Francis’s “encounter” function as performative Christologies by which rhetoric is meant to effect reality concerning the poor. The study suggests revision of binary formulations of the relation of rhetoric to reality and proposes a non-binary, incarnational method.
Beyond Scandal and Shame? Ecclesiology and the Longing for a Transformed Church
Authors: Lennan Richard
Published: August 2019

The need for reform of the Catholic Church’s structures features prominently in discussion of the clerical sexual abuse scandal. Less common has been reflection on the challenge that the crisis presents to ecclesiology, to considering the church theologically. This article addresses that challenge. It engages three tasks—facing the church’s brokenness; understanding the church in terms of grace and human freedom; and facilitating the participation of all the church’s members—that are necessary for an ecclesiology able to be both realistic and hopeful in the current circumstances.
Adult ADHD in the South African workplace: the usefulness of a self-report screening measure and preliminary prevalence estimates
Authors: Van Wijk Charles H
Published: August 2019

In the South African context, resource constraints often preclude the comprehensive assessment of large numbers of people for the likelihood of Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Primary screening through a self-report measure may be useful to stream at-risk individuals towards diagnostic assessment services, as well as being useful in population and workplace based research. The present study set out, first, to investigate the usefulness of a self-report ADHD scale to identify at-risk individuals, and, second, to provide preliminary prevalence estimates for Adult ADHD, guided by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5) criteria, in a South African workplace sample. Workers in full-time skilled employment ( N = 1,917), aged 18–44, completed a self-report Adult ADHD scale, and participated in an interview with a psychologist. Their scale data, using three different scoring and interpretation systems, were subjected to statistical analysis. Favourable internal reliability and positive predictive validity were found. Different interpretation systems provided different prevalence estimations: using DSM-5 criteria, a total prevalence estimate of 3.3 % was calculated (attention deficit subtype = 0.9%, hyperactivity-impulsivity subtype = 1.0%, and combined subtype = 1.4%). The positive predictive validity found with this sample suggests that this scale can be used constructively in research or screening contexts to identify at-risk individuals. Furthermore, preliminary prevalence estimates for Adult ADHD, guided by DSM-5 criteria, are now available for a South African workplace sample.
Food insecurity and school performance among the left-behind children in rural China: Depression and educational expectation as mediators
Authors: Zhang Lufa , Yang Fan
Published: August 2019

The present study aims to explore the associations between food insecurity and school performance, and the serial mediation of depression and educational expectation on the focal association, among Chinese rural left-behind children. This study conducted a cross-sectional survey on 2128 students (Grades 5–9, mean age = 13.21 years) who reported one or both parents had migrated into the urban sector. They responded to questions on school performance, educational expectation, The Food Insecurity Experience Scale, and The Birleson Depression Self-Rating Scale. Serial mediation modelling was used to test the mediating role of depression and educational expectation. It is found that food insecurity was significantly associated with school performance. Moreover, depression and educational expectation functioned as serial mediators and were fully mediating the association between food insecurity and school performance. The findings as with the severity of childhood food insecurity in rural China as well as its association with the negative consequences in children's education provide empirical support for contentions that food insecurity problem should be taken into account in designing and implementing school-based intervention programs for left-behind children. Moreover, schools shall pay special attention to the mental health risks of food insecurity among rural left-behind children.
Thoracic complications in bariatric surgery patients
Authors: Abu Arab Walid S , Alqannas Mashhour H
Published: August 2019

Obesity is a health issue that can lead to medical and psychological problems. Recently, bariatric surgery has become the best choice for treatment of selected candidates. As the number of bariatric surgeries increases, various related postoperative complications are being encountered. Most studies have been concerned with abdominal complications and thoracic complications were beyond their scope. The aim of this report was to review thoracic complications following bariatric surgery, in terms of incidence, management, and outcome. A literature search of English language published data concerning thoracic complications related to or following bariatric surgery was performed in November 2018. A total of 10,145 results were found. After screening titles and abstracts, 10,060 noneligible publications were excluded. Eighty-five publications were potentially eligible and their full texts were analyzed. After excluding overlapping series of patients, 44 studies were selected. These included 934 patients. Females accounted for 87.9% of the included patients. Ages ranged between 21 and 64 years (mean 43.86 ± 4.4 years). Most frequently encountered complications were esophageal (80.84%) followed by pulmonary (17.45%). The majority of esophageal complications were functional (82.38%) in contrast to the pulmonary type that were mostly organic (87.73%). There were 5 documented deaths. We concluded that thoracic complications are not infrequent after bariatric surgery. Esophageal and pulmonary are the most common thoracic complications reported. The outcome is usually favorable. Mortality may be avoided when complications are detected early and well-managed.
Effect of train speed and track geometry on the ride comfort in high-speed railways based on ISO 2631-1
Authors: Liu Chi , Thompson David , Griffin Michael J , Entezami Mani
Published: August 2019

The operational speeds of passenger trains have been increasing and now often exceed 300 km/h. Higher speeds can lead to increased vibration and reduced ride comfort for railway passengers. This study investigates the combined effect of speed and track geometry on vibration discomfort in high-speed trains. Railway vehicle dynamic models with various levels of complexity are used, with the measured geometry of a section of a high-speed track as an input. The models have been calibrated with vibration measurements carried out in a train running over this section of the track and then applied to predict the vibration discomfort at increased speeds. To evaluate the vibration discomfort at speeds up to 400 km/h, information on track geometry should include wavelengths up to at least 150 m. Vertical irregularities have the greatest effect at all speeds but lateral irregularities are also important. Both the vertical and lateral irregularities of a high-speed track should be controlled at wavelengths of 50–100 m that excite rigid modes of the car body, corresponding to frequencies of typically 1–2 Hz. Additionally, vertical irregularities with wavelengths of 5–12 m that excite the fundamental flexible mode of the car body, typically around 10–15 Hz, should also be controlled. The effects of cant, the rates of change of cant, and the radius of vertical curves are also evaluated although they only have a small effect on vibration discomfort.