bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Description of the mature larva of Pseudopyrochroa depressa (Pic) (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae: Pyrochroinae), with comparison to other Taiwanese Pseudopyrochroa
Authors: YOUNG DANIEL K. , HSIAO YUN
Published: October 2016

Field collections and rearing has established an association between the larva and adult of the Taiwanese Pseudopyrochroa depressa. Larvae were collected from beneath bark of the exposed portions of a dead, decaying log in a mesic montane forest and successfully reared to the adult stage. The mature larva is described and salient features are illustrated and compared to other known pyrochroid larvae from Taiwan. Notes on larval habitats and natural history are also provided.
NASA’s Remotely Sensed Precipitation: A Reservoir for Applications Users
Authors: Kirschbaum Dalia B. , Huffman George J. , Adler Robert F. , Braun Scott , Garrett Kevin , Jones Erin , McNally Amy , Skofronick-Jackson Gail , Stocker Erich , Wu Huan , Zaitchik Benjamin F.
Published: October 2016

Precipitation is the fundamental source of freshwater in the water cycle. It is critical for everyone, from subsistence farmers in Africa to weather forecasters around the world, to know when, where, and how much rain and snow is falling. The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory spacecraft, launched in February 2014, has the most advanced instruments to measure precipitation from space and, together with other satellite information, provides high-quality merged data on rain and snow worldwide every 30 min. Data from GPM and the predecessor Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) have been fundamental to a broad range of applications and end-user groups and are among the most widely downloaded Earth science data products across NASA. End-user applications have rapidly become an integral component in translating satellite data into actionable information and knowledge used to inform policy and enhance decision-making at local to global scales. In this article, we present NASA precipitation data, capabilities, and opportunities from the perspective of end users. We outline some key examples of how TRMM and GPM data are being applied across a broad range of sectors, including numerical weather prediction, disaster modeling, agricultural monitoring, and public health research. This work provides a discussion of some of the current needs of the community as well as future plans to better support end-user communities across the globe to utilize this data for their own applications.
Reassessing Model Uncertainty for Regional Projections of Precipitation with an Ensemble of Statistical Downscaling Methods
Authors: San-Martín D. , Manzanas R. , Brands S. , Herrera S. , Gutiérrez J. M.
Published: October 2016

This is the second in a pair of papers in which the performance of statistical downscaling methods (SDMs) is critically reassessed with respect to their robust applicability in climate change studies. Whereas the companion paper focused on temperatures, the present manuscript deals with precipitation and considers an ensemble of 12 SDMs from the analog, weather typing, and regression families. First, the performance of the methods is cross-validated considering reanalysis predictors, screening different geographical domains and predictor sets. Standard accuracy and distributional similarity scores and a test for extrapolation capability are considered. The results are highly dependent on the predictor sets, with optimum configurations including information from midtropospheric humidity. Second, a reduced ensemble of well-performing SDMs is applied to four GCMs to properly assess the uncertainty of downscaled future climate projections. The results are compared with an ensemble of regional climate models (RCMs) produced in the ENSEMBLES project. Generally, the mean signal is similar with both methodologies (with the exception of summer, which is drier for the RCMs) but the uncertainty (spread) is larger for the SDM ensemble. Finally, the spread contribution of the GCM- and SDM-derived components is assessed using a simple analysis of variance previously applied to the RCMs, obtaining larger interaction terms. Results show that the main contributor to the spread is the choice of the GCM, although the SDM dominates the uncertainty in some cases during autumn and summer due to the diverging projections from different families.
Zonal Propagation of Near-Surface Zonal Currents in Relation to Surface Wind Forcing in the Equatorial Indian Ocean
Authors: Nagura Motoki , McPhaden Michael J.
Published: October 2016

Zonal propagation of zonal velocity along the equator in the Indian Ocean and its relationship with wind forcing are investigated with a focus on seasonal time scales using in situ observations from four acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) and an ocean reanalysis dataset. The results show that the zonal phase speed of zonal currents varies depending on season and depth in a very complicated way in relation to surface wind forcing. Surface layer zonal velocity propagates to the west in northern spring but to the east in fall in response to zonally propagating surface zonal winds, while in the pycnocline zonal phase speed is related to wind-forced ocean wave dynamics. In the western half of the analysis domain (78°–83°E), zonal phase speed in the pycnocline is eastward all year, which is attributed to the radiation of Kelvin waves forced in the western basin. In the eastern half of the domain (80°–90°E), zonal phase speed is westward at 50- to 100-m depths in northern fall, but eastward above and below, most likely due to Rossby waves generated at the eastern boundary.
A Severe Weather Quick Observing System Simulation Experiment (QuickOSSE) of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Radio Occultation (RO) Superconstellations
Authors: Leidner S. Mark , Nehrkorn Thomas , Henderson John , Mountain Marikate , Yunck Tom , Hoffman Ross N.
Published: October 2016

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio occultations (RO) over the last 10 years have proved to be a valuable and essentially unbiased data source for operational global numerical weather prediction. However, the existing sampling coverage is too sparse in both space and time to support forecasting of severe mesoscale weather. In this study, the case study or quick observing system simulation experiment (QuickOSSE) framework is used to quantify the impact of vastly increased numbers of GNSS RO profiles on mesoscale weather analysis and forecasting. The current study focuses on a severe convective weather event that produced both a tornado and flash flooding in Oklahoma on 31 May 2013. The WRF Model is used to compute a realistic and faithful depiction of reality. This 2-km “nature run” (NR) serves as the “truth” in this study. The NR is sampled by two proposed constellations of GNSS RO receivers that would produce 250 thousand and 2.5 million profiles per day globally. These data are then assimilated using WRF and a 24-member, 18-km-resolution, physics-based ensemble Kalman filter. The data assimilation is cycled hourly and makes use of a nonlocal, excess phase observation operator for RO data. The assimilation of greatly increased numbers of RO profiles produces improved analyses, particularly of the lower-tropospheric moisture fields. The forecast results suggest positive impacts on convective initiation. Additional experiments should be conducted for different weather scenarios and with improved OSSE systems.
Simulated Supercells in Nontornadic and Tornadic VORTEX2 Environments
Authors: Coffer Brice E. , Parker Matthew D.
Published: October 2016

The composite near-storm environments of nontornadic and tornadic supercells sampled during the second Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (VORTEX2) both appear to be generally favorable for supercells and tornadoes. It has not been clear whether small differences between the two environments (e.g., more streamwise horizontal vorticity in the lowest few hundred meters above the ground in the tornadic composite) are actually determinative of storms’ tornadic potential. From the VORTEX2 composite environments, simulations of a nontornadic and a tornadic supercell are used to investigate storm-scale differences that ultimately favor tornadogenesis or tornadogenesis failure. Both environments produce strong supercells with robust midlevel mesocyclones and hook echoes, though the tornadic supercell has a more intense low-level updraft and develops a tornado-like vortex exceeding the EF3 wind speed threshold. In contrast, the nontornadic supercell only produces shallow vortices, which never reach the EF0 wind speed threshold. Even though the nontornadic supercell readily produces subtornadic surface vortices, these vortices fail to be stretched by the low-level updraft. This is due to a disorganized low-level mesocyclone caused by predominately crosswise vorticity in the lowest few hundred meters above ground level within the nontornadic environment. In contrast, the tornadic supercell ingests predominately streamwise horizontal vorticity, which promotes a strong low-level mesocyclone with enhanced dynamic lifting and stretching of surface vertical vorticity. These results support the idea that larger streamwise vorticity leads to a more intense low-level mesocyclone, whereas predominately crosswise vorticity yields a less favorable configuration of the low-level mesocyclone for tornadogenesis.
Gandhi’s Response to Religious Conflict
Authors: Lamba Rinku
Published: October 2016

In this essay, I reflect upon Gandhi’s approach to inter-religious conflict in India in an effort to draw out his distinctive response to some of the challenges posed by religious pluralism. His perspectives on these challenges not only offer interesting moral and political insights into the Indian political and social context, but may enrich the analyses of those interested in religious diversity in Europe, North America, and China.
Writing Characteristics of Students With Learning Disabilities and Typically Achieving Peers
Authors: Graham Steve , Collins Alyson A. , Rigby-Wills Hope
Published: October 2016

There is a general consensus that writing is a challenging task for students with learning disabilities (LD). To identify more precisely the extent and depth of the challenges that these students experience with writing, the authors conducted a meta-analysis comparing the writing performance of students with LD to their typically achieving peers. From 53 studies that yielded 138 effect sizes, the authors calculated average weighted effect sizes, showing that students with LD obtained lower scores than their peers on the following writing outcomes: writing quality (–1.06); organization (–1.04); vocabulary (–0.89); sentence fluency (–0.81); conventions of spelling, grammar, and handwriting (–1.14); genre elements (–0.82); output (–0.87); and motivation (–0.42). Implications for research and practice are provided based on these findings.
Finite-time output feedback control for a pneumatic servo system
Authors: Wang Xiangyu , Li Guipu , Li Shihua , Song Aiguo
Published: October 2016

In this paper, the position tracking control problem of pneumatic servo systems is investigated. These systems usually have high nonlinearities and unmeasurable piston velocities. Firstly, by using adding a power integrator technique, a global finite-time state feedback controller is proposed. Secondly, based on homogeneous theory, a nonlinear observer is developed to estimate the piston velocity. Finally, the corresponding output feedback controller is derived, which local finite-time stabilizes the position tracking error system. Compared with the conventional backstepping output feedback control scheme, the developed nonsmooth output feedback control scheme offers a faster convergence rate and a better disturbance rejection property. Numerical simulations illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.
Simple estimation of effective elastic constants for thin plates with regular perforations and an application to the vibration of distillation column trays
Authors: Zhang Wensong , Taylor Paul H , Darton Richard C
Published: October 2016

The horizontal perforated sheet metal plates are commonly used in the process industries as trays in distillation columns, important internal parts for fractionating the input liquid mixture. Normally, the operating performance of such trays is satisfactory. However, cases have been reported of abnormally high levels of tray vibration during operation at particular conditions. The trays then experienced fatigue cracking accompanied by the loosening of bolts and fixings, which led to expensive failures. The excitation of structural resonance was suspected as a component in flow-induced vibration. Using linear stress superposition, a simple but robust analytical method is developed to provide high-quality predictions for the stress and strain distributions for in-plane loaded thin perforated plates with periodic hole arrangements. This approach is built on the classical solution for the elastic stress field around a single circular hole in a large plate. The perforated plates with square penetration patterns are investigated in this article, although the same approach is applicable to any regular penetration pattern. Stress concentration factors as well as the effective elastic constants, which can be used to describe the bending properties of the perforated plates, are then verified against both the established theoretical solutions and the results from finite element simulations. Excellent agreement to both previously published physical experiments and complex modelling is observed in all cases, with small-to-medium (up to 40%) hole-area fraction. The proposed analytical method is much simpler and computationally efficient than finite element analysis. The computed effective elastic constants are used in a finite element modal analysis to estimate the free vibration frequencies of a stiffened distillation column tray example; the first 30 vibration modes are found to be almost uniformly distributed between 25 and 70 Hz, which matches the vibration frequency range reported from plant operations.
Suicide and Suicide Prevention among Inuit in Canada
Authors: Kral Michael J.
Published: October 2016

Inuit in Canada have among the highest suicide rates in the world, and it is primarily among their youth. Risk factors include known ones such as depression, substance use, a history of abuse, and knowing others who have made attempts or have killed themselves, however of importance are the negative effects of colonialism. This took place for Inuit primarily during the government era starting in the 1950s, when Inuit were moved from their family-based land camps to crowded settlements run by white men, and children were removed from their parents and placed into residential or day schools. This caused more disorganization than reorganization. The most negative effect of this colonialism/imperialism for Inuit has been on their family and sexual relationships. Many Inuit youth feel alone and rejected. Suicide prevention has been taking place, the most successful being community-driven programs developed and run by Inuit. Mental health factors for Indigenous peoples are often cultural. It is recommended that practitioners work with the community and with Inuit organizations. Empowered communities can be healing.
The Digital Divide Among Twitter Users and Its Implications for Social Research
Authors: Blank Grant
Published: October 2016

Hundreds of papers have been published using Twitter data, but few previous papers report the digital divide among Twitter users. British Twitter users are younger, wealthier, and better educated than other Internet users, who in turn are younger, wealthier, and better educated than the off-line British population. American Twitter users are also younger and wealthier than the rest of the population, but they are not better educated. Twitter users are disproportionately members of elites in both countries. Twitter users also differ from other groups in their online activities and their attitudes. These biases and differences have important implications for research based on Twitter data. The unrepresentative characteristics of Twitter users suggest that Twitter data are not suitable for research where representativeness is important, such as forecasting elections or gaining insight into attitudes, sentiments, or activities of large populations. In general, Twitter data seem to be more suitable for corporate use than for social science research.
Housing First: permanent supported accommodation for people with psychosis who have experienced chronic homelessness
Authors: Holmes Alex , Carlisle Trevor , Vale Zoe , Hatvani George , Heagney Camillie , Jones Simon
Published: October 2016

Objectives:

The objective of this study was to determine whether a ‘housing first’ permanent supported accommodation was effective in improving housing stability, continuity of care and reducing mental health admissions for persons experiencing chronic homelessness with psychosis.

Methods:

A quasi prospective cohort study of 42 chronic homeless persons with psychosis accommodated in a new purpose built facility in central Melbourne. Accommodation stability, mental health service contacts and psychiatric admissions were compared across the 2 years prior, the first 2 years of placement and the 2 years after leaving.

Results:

The mean number of mental health admissions in the first 2 years of accommodation was less (0.56, SD = 1.0) when compared with in the 2 years prior to accommodation (1.0, SD = 1.4, p = 0.05). There was an increase in the mean total number of days admitted in the 2 years after having left the supported accommodation, (33.3 days, SD = 86.7, p = 0.043)

Conclusions:

The accommodation of chronic homeless persons with psychosis in a ‘housing first’ permanent supported accommodation lead to increased housing stability and optimism, improved continuity of care and reduced psychiatric admissions.
Gender and Capital Punishment Views Among Japanese and U.S. College Students
Authors: Lambert Eric G. , Jiang Shanhe , Williamson Lorri C. , Elechi O. Oko , Khondaker Mahfuzul I. , Baker David N. , Saito Toyoji
Published: October 2016

Gender is a strong predictor of death penalty support and views in the United States, with men being more supportive and punitive than women. This exploratory study was undertaken to determine whether these same differences would be present in Japan, a nation that also imposes the death penalty. Students at a Japanese university and a U.S. university were surveyed. While the proportion of students supporting the death penalty in the United States and Japan were similar, U.S. women were less supportive and less punitive than U.S. men, while Japanese women were more likely to support the death penalty and hold more punitive views than Japanese men.
The Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence on Health: A Further Disaggregation of Psychological Violence—Evidence From Spain
Authors: Domenech del Rio Ines , Sirvent Garcia del Valle Elena
Published: October 2016

Using a nationally representative sample of 10,171 women, this study examines the association between current and previous intimate partner violence and current health status. Current physical or sexual violence was associated with the highest likelihood of reporting health outcomes, followed by current emotional or economic abuse. Current controlling behavior increased the odds of reporting poor health whereas previous controlling behavior has less effect on current health. Controlling behavior alone often is the first expression of mistreatment. If health professionals could identify violence at this early stage, long-term effects on women’s health could be minimized. The implications for health of the cumulative effects of violence and of its timing are discussed.
Life imprisonment in Uganda
Authors: Mujuzi Jamil Ddamulira
Published: October 2016

In Uganda, legislation does not define ‘life imprisonment’. However, the 2006 Prisons Act provides that, for the purpose of remission, life imprisonment means 20 years’ imprisonment. In 2011, the Supreme Court, the highest court in the country, held that life imprisonment should mean imprisonment for the remainder of an offender’s natural life. However, since then there have been cases from the Court of Appeal, the second highest court in Uganda, questioning the Supreme Court’s ruling. In a common law country where legal precedent is revered, this is unheard of. In this paper the author argues that although the Court of Appeal may not be impressed with the Supreme Court’s judgement, the principle of legal precedent obliges it to follow that judgement. The author submits that the sentence of life imprisonment remains imprisonment for the remainder of the offender’s life as interpreted by the Supreme Court and that the legislature may have to intervene to amend the law to expressly state what life imprisonment means.
Exploring mediator liability in negligence
Authors: Koo AKC
Published: October 2016

Over the past three decades, governments and judiciaries in the common law world promoted mediation as an adjunct to litigation in the reformed civil justice system. Accompanying this trend, people of diverse background jumped on the bandwagon to practise as mediators. Contrary to popular belief, existing legislation specific to mediation does not require practitioners to be accredited. Nor does it articulate the minimum practice standards. It is left in the hands of the industry to regulate the knowledge, skills and behaviour of mediators. The article discusses the prospects for English law to impose a duty and standard of care on mediators based on the principles of tort law. It highlights the problems of negligence-based claims by reference to reported cases in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. It then considers the current tortious response in England and Wales, which is contrasted with the legal position and codes of conduct for mediators presently adopted in America and Australasia, the jurisdictions that have obvious historical links with English law and provide an excellent basis from which to explore its way forward. Finally, it examines the extent of appropriate limits on mediator liability in negligence in terms of causation of damage and quasi-judicial immunity.
A Slow Reading [of] Notes and Some Possibilities of Liberated, Open, Becoming Universities
Authors: Koro-Ljungberg Mirka , Löytönen Teija
Published: October 2016

University similar to church is one of the oldest institutions passing and preserving cultural heritage. In addition, universities are active societal contributors and influential communal contingences in our contemporary societies. However, recently increasing numbers of these traditional and historical functions of universities have become hijacked by neoliberal practices and values. Oftentimes, alternatives to the restructured and liberated universities are considered as unwanted exceptions. Potential higher education anomalies cannot be fully materialized or practiced due to the limited resources, paralyzing normative practices, market-driven beliefs, and capitalistic values of dominant higher education systems and structures. Rather than continuing these discourses, in this article, we will take a step forward, discuss, dream, and image diverse possibilities or universities to come. Thus, we will focus on imagining, pondering alternatives, and writing notes (to be read slowly) about fragile futures of liberated, open, and becoming universities.
Generalizability of Frequency Weighting Curve for Extraction of Spectral Drowsy Component From the EEG Signals Recorded in Eyes-Closed Condition
Authors: Putilov Arcady A. , Donskaya Olga G. , Verevkin Evgeniy G.
Published: October 2016

One of the critical barriers to reducing the threats of sleep loss to public health, safety, and productivity is a lack of practical tools for quick identification of objective level of sleepiness. We examined a novel sleepiness measure named “spectral drowsy component score” to provide evidence for generalizability of a frequency weighting curve required for calculation of this measure. Each spectral drowsy component score is a sum of 16 weighted ln-transformed single-Hz power densities (1-16 Hz) obtained by the fast Fourier transformation of an electroencephalographic signal recorded during the first minute after closing the eyes. A set of 16 weights (frequency weighting curve) is derived empirically. One type of such curve is a correlation spectrum. It consists of 16 coefficients of correlation of a group-averaged experimental time course of sleepiness with16 time courses of single-Hz power densities. Sleepiness is determined either subjectively (by self-scoring on the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale) or objectively (as sleep latency). Another type is a differential spectrum reflecting difference between 2 sets of 16 power densities obtained for either distant phases of sleep deprivation experiment or distinct alertness-sleepiness substates. Analysis of 3 datasets collected in sleep deprivation experiments with, in total, 160 participants showed that, despite differences in the protocols of these experiments and ages of their participants, the forms of frequency weighting curves always resembled one another. Such resemblance led to practical identity of scoring results. We concluded that spectral drowsy component scoring might be implemented into quick, simple, direct, transparent, and objective test of sleepiness.
Effect of shaft manufacturing bending deviation on dynamic response of geared rotor system
Authors: Guo Dong , Shi Xiaohui , Wang Yawen , Sun Guohua
Published: October 2016

The shaft manufacturing bending deviation occurs frequently in many types of shaft applications, such as crank shaft and roller shaft, and this issue will eventually affect the overall dynamic performance of the rotor–shaft-bearing system. In this study, a systematic modeling approach is developed to analyze the effect of shaft manufacturing bending deviation on the dynamic behavior of the geared rotor system. To validate the proposed approach, a practical example of spur geared rotor system was used and the shaft manufacturing bending deviation data were measured by a shaft testing bench. The whole system was modeled using a finite element method and the dynamic characteristics of meshing gear pair were represented by a coupled torsional–lateral gear dynamic model. Then, the effects of the dynamic gear mesh force, magnitude of deviation, position of deviation, and rotating speed on the dynamic responses of the geared rotor system were evaluated. The calculation results show that these parameters have different effects on the systematic vibration response of the geared rotor system, indicating that the geared rotor system has different dynamic sensitivities to those different excitations. This study helps to get a better understanding of the dynamic behavior of the geared rotor system with shaft bending deviation and can provide guidance for quality control of shaft manufacturing process in view of system dynamics.
New method for medical devices design and manufacture: Case study—scapholunate implant
Authors: Ferrer Inés , Grabalosa Jordi , Salvador Antoni , Elias Alex , Ciurana Joaquim
Published: October 2016

The scapholunate interosseous ligament is located between the scaphoid and lunate bones and if it torns causes instability, leading to weakness in the hand, chronic pain, and lack of motion. While many treatment options are available, based on the type of instability, all of them present side effects including stiffness in the wrist, long recovery times, and widespread scarring. As such, wrist prostheses have been introduced as an alternative treatment. As suitable scapholunate prostheses implanted using arthroscopy are a promising option in reducing complications associated with conservative treatments, this work proposes a new implant designed to replace the scapholunate ligament. The implant is a completely new design, which was manufactured to determine its workability. Medical experts and engineers approved and validated the new design process, and the prototype obtained will be used to evaluate performance and to propose possible future improvements.
Automated three-dimensional design of the chuck of core drilling rigs
Authors: Wang Yu-Dan , Yang Ming-Jun , Wen Guo-Jun , Chen Han
Published: October 2016

Numerous construction projects have caused the rapid development of the drilling industry in China. Various types of drilling equipment are widely used in the projects and have to be designed quickly to meet the increasing demand. Based on the initial modeling, macro recording, program compilation, and interface development in the SolidWorks and Visual Basic environment, this article introduces a new method of automated design using specialty automated design software for the chuck of core drilling rigs. This secondary developed software can quickly perform design for the parts and assembly of the chuck after inputting only several parameters of the work requirements. This software simplifies and automates the design process to a great extent by embedding the laborious computing tasks into the computer program and eliminating manual drafting work. This makes the designer focus more on the work requirements, instead of modeling, drafting, calculating, and so on. This can decrease the repetitive work of mechanical designers and increase their working efficiency.
Opioid Usage During Admission in Hip Fracture Patients—The Effect of the Continuous Femoral Nerve Block
Authors: Helsø Ida , Jantzen Christopher , Lauritzen Jes Bruun , Jørgensen Henrik Løvendahl
Published: October 2016

Introduction:

The aim of this study was to investigate whether there was a difference in opioid usage during admission for hip fracture patients with continuous femoral nerve block (cFNB) when compared to patients nonfemoral nerve block (nFNB).

Methods and Materials:

Patients were identified from the local database on all hip fracture patients admitted to Bispebjerg University Hospital, Denmark. Four hundred fifty-six hip fracture patients were included during the period September 2008 to October 2010.

Results:

Three hundred sixty-six hip fracture patients had cFNB. The mean time with cFNB was 3.4 days. There were no significant differences in gender, length of stay, time to surgery, mortality rate, in-hospital falls, or resurgery rates during admission between the 2 groups. The nFNB group had an insignificant higher use of morphine as needed during the first 5 days of admission (nFNB: 53.1 mg, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 34.4-71.7; cFNB: 47.7 mg, 95% CI: 40.7-64.3; P = .54) and during the whole admission (cFNB: 34.3 mg, 95% CI: 23.2-45.5; cFNB: 30.3 mg, 95% CI: 26.6-33.0; P = .4). Some 8.47% of the total morphine consumption during admission was morphine as needed for the nFNB group and 9.89% for the cFNB group.

Conclusion:

Patients with cFNB did only have a marginally lower opioid usage during admission when compared to patients without the block, with no significance between the 2 groups. This could indicate that the cFNB is an ineffective analgesic strategy, especially in the postoperative period, but larger randomized studies are needed in order to clarify this.
Term Neonate With Liver Laceration, Obstructive Uropathy, and Ascites—Secondary to Extravasation of Total Parenteral Nutrition
Authors: Adesanya Olubukunola , Naqvi Mubariz
Published: October 2016

We report a rare, but serious, complication of a malpositioned umbilical venous catheter in a term male infant who developed laceration, hematoma, and necrosis of liver, ascites, and left-sided obstructive uropathy secondary to extravasation of total parenteral nutrition. Abdominal paracentesis confirmed the presence of parenteral nutrition in the peritoneal cavity. Although, the umbilical venous catheterization is a common intravenous access used in neonatal intensive care units, judicious continued monitoring of its use should be practiced to avoid serious complications.
Pharmacological restoration and therapeutic targeting of the B-cell phenotype in classical Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Du Jing , Neuenschwander Martin , Yu Yong , Däbritz J. Henry M. , Neuendorff Nina-Rosa , Schleich Kolja , Bittner Aitomi , Milanovic Maja , Beuster Gregor , Radetzki Silke , Specker Edgar , Reimann Maurice , Rosenbauer Frank , Mathas Stephan , Lohneis Philipp , Hummel Michael , Dörken Bernd , von Kries Jens Peter , Lee Soyoung , Schmitt Clemens A.
Published: October 2016

Key Points

A pharmacological screening identified compounds that reactivate B-cell–specific gene expression in cHL cell lines. B-cell phenotype-restoring drug combinations render cHL cell lines susceptible to B-NHL–reminiscent targeted therapies.
Roles of WNT, NOTCH, and Hedgehog signaling in the differentiation and function of innate and innate-like lymphocytes
Authors: Kling Jessica C , Blumenthal Antje
Published: October 2016

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and innate-like lymphocytes have important roles in immune responses in the context of infection, cancer, and autoimmunity. The factors involved in driving the differentiation and function of these cell types remain to be clearly defined. There are several cellular signaling pathways involved in embryogenesis, which continue to function in adult tissue. In particular, the WNT, NOTCH, and Hedgehog signaling pathways are emerging as regulators of hematopoietic cell development and differentiation. This review discusses the currently known roles of WNT, NOTCH, and Hedgehog signaling in the differentiation and function of ILCs and innate-like lymphocytes.
Decreased Survival With Mastectomy Vis-à-Vis Breast-Conserving Surgery in Stage II and III Breast Cancers: A Comparative Treatment Effectiveness Study
Authors: Nandakumar Ambakumar , Rath Goura Kishor , Kataki Amal Chandra , Bapsy P. Poonamalle , Gupta Prakash C. , Gangadharan Paleth , Mahajan Ramesh C. , Bandyopadhyay Manas Nath , Swamy Kumara , Vallikad Elizabeth , Visweswara Rudrapatna N. , Roselind Francis Selvaraj , Sathishkumar Krishnan , Kumar Dampilla Daniel Vijay , Jain Ankush , Sudarshan Kondalli Lakshminarayana
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The primary purpose of hospital-based cancer registries is assessing patient care. Clinical stage–based survival and treatment-based survival are some of the key parameters for such assessment. Because of the challenges in obtaining follow-up parameters, a separate study on patterns of care and survival was undertaken by the Indian National Cancer Registry Program. The results for cancer of the female breast are presented here.

Patients and Methods

Data abstracted in a standardized patient information form were transmitted online to a central repository. Treatment patterns were assessed for 9,903 patients diagnosed between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2008, from 13 institutions. Survival analysis was restricted to 7,609 patients from nine institutions wherein follow-up details (as of December 31, 2012) were available for at least 60% of patients.

Results

The overall 5-year survival rates with breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and mastectomy (MS) were 94.0% and 85.8%, respectively, for stage II disease (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.8 to 3.2) and 87.1% and 69.0%, respectively, for stage III disease (hazard ratio, 2.82; 95% CI, 2.2 to 3.7). Patients who had MS did better with systemic therapy (chemotherapy and/or hormone therapy), whereas patients with BCS required just local radiation therapy to achieve best survival.

Conclusion

This observational study in the natural setting of care of patients with cancer in India showed significantly decreased survival with MS when compared with BCS. The reasons for lower survival with MS and the biologic or scientific rationale of the necessity of systemic therapy to achieve optimal survival in patients undergoing MS but not in those with BCS need further investigation.
Secondary Prevention of Cervical Cancer: ASCO Resource-Stratified Clinical Practice Guideline
Authors: Jeronimo Jose , Castle Philip E. , Temin Sarah , Denny Lynette , Gupta Vandana , Kim Jane J. , Luciani Silvana , Murokora Daniel , Ngoma Twalib , Qiao Youlin , Quinn Michael , Sankaranarayanan Rengaswamy , Sasieni Peter , Schmeler Kathleen M. , Shastri Surendra S.
Published: October 2016

Purpose

To provide resource-stratified, evidence-based recommendations on the secondary prevention of cervical cancer globally.

Methods

ASCO convened a multidisciplinary, multinational panel of oncology, primary care, epidemiology, health economic, cancer control, public health, and patient advocacy experts to produce recommendations reflecting four resource-tiered settings. A review of existing guidelines, a formal consensus-based process, and a modified ADAPTE process to adapt existing guidelines were conducted. Other experts participated in formal consensus.

Results

Seven existing guidelines were identified and reviewed, and adapted recommendations form the evidence base. Four systematic reviews plus cost-effectiveness analyses provided indirect evidence to inform consensus, which resulted in ≥ 75% agreement.

Recommendations

Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing is recommended in all resource settings; visual inspection with acetic acid may be used in basic settings. Recommended age ranges and frequencies by setting are as follows: maximal: ages 25 to 65, every 5 years; enhanced: ages 30 to 65, if two consecutive negative tests at 5-year intervals, then every 10 years; limited: ages 30 to 49, every 10 years; and basic: ages 30 to 49, one to three times per lifetime. For basic settings, visual assessment is recommended as triage; in other settings, genotyping and/or cytology are recommended. For basic settings, treatment is recommended if abnormal triage results are present; in other settings, colposcopy is recommended for abnormal triage results. For basic settings, treatment options are cryotherapy or loop electrosurgical excision procedure; for other settings, loop electrosurgical excision procedure (or ablation) is recommended. Twelve-month post-treatment follow-up is recommended in all settings. Women who are HIV positive should be screened with HPV testing after diagnosis and screened twice as many times per lifetime as the general population. Screening is recommended at 6 weeks postpartum in basic settings; in other settings, screening is recommended at 6 months. In basic settings without mass screening, infrastructure for HPV testing, diagnosis, and treatment should be developed. Additional information can be found at www.asco.org/rs-cervical-cancer-secondary-prev-guideline and www.asco.org/guidelineswiki . It is the view of of ASCO that health care providers and health care system decision makers should be guided by the recommendations for the highest stratum of resources available. The guideline is intended to complement, but not replace, local guidelines.
Relationship Between Preoperative Evaluation Blood Pressure and Preinduction Blood Pressure: A Cohort Study in Patients Undergoing General Anesthesia
Authors: van Klei Wilton A. , van Waes Judith A. R. , Pasma Wietze , Kappen Teus H. , van Wolfswinkel Leo , Peelen Linda M. , Kalkman Cor J.
Published: October 2016

BACKGROUND:

For outcomes research where changes in intraoperative blood pressure are a possible causative factor, it is important to determine an appropriate source for a reference value. We studied to what extent preinduction blood pressure values in the operating room differ from those obtained during preoperative evaluation outside the operating room.

METHODS:

Cohort study including 4408 patients aged 60 years or older undergoing noncardiac surgery. The outcome was the difference between the preinduction mean blood pressure (MBP) and the MBP obtained during preoperative evaluation. A difference of ≥10 mm Hg was considered clinically relevant. A paired samples t test was used to estimate the difference. Linear regression was used to obtain estimates adjusted for patient characteristics, comorbidity, medications, type of surgery, and preoperative blood pressure.

RESULTS:

Complete data were available for 3660 (83%) patients. There were 2228 (61%) patients with a difference of ≥10 mm Hg between the preinduction and preoperative MBP. The overall mean difference between both MBPs was 11 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, 10–11) with important variability among individuals. Patients with higher preoperative MBP values had smaller differences. After adjusting for patient characteristics, comorbidity, medications, type of surgery, and preoperative blood pressure, the difference decreased an estimated 5.0 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, 4.7–5.4) for every increase of 10 mm Hg in preoperative MBP. Patient characteristics, comorbidity, type of surgery, or medication were not strongly associated with the difference.

CONCLUSIONS:

The average preinduction blood pressure was higher than the preoperative blood pressure. This difference between the measurements can be explained by stress-induced effects and regression to the mean. To define an optimal reference value for research purposes or to arrive at a clinical perioperative blood pressure target, one should consider that there is important variability both within and between patients.
A Good Friend Will Help You Move a Body: Friendship and the Problem of Moral Disagreement
Authors: Koltonski Daniel
Published: October 2016

On the shared-ends account of close friendship, proper care for a friend as an agent requires seeing yourself as having important reasons to accommodate and promote the friend's valuable ends for the friend's own sake. However, that friends share ends doesn't inoculate them against disagreements about how to pursue those ends. This essay defends the claim that, in certain circumstances of reasonable disagreement, proper care for a friend as a practical and moral agent requires allowing your friend's judgment to decide what you are to do, even when you disagree with that judgment (and even when the judgment is in fact mistaken). In these instances, your friendship can make it the case that you may not act on your own practical and even moral judgments because, at those times, you have a duty as their close friend to defer to their judgments. As a result, treating your friend properly as a responsible agent can require that you assist them in committing what may in fact be serious moral wrongs.
Should We Wish Well to All?
Authors: Hare Caspar
Published: October 2016

Some moral theories (for example, standard, “ex post” forms of egalitarianism, prioritarianism, and constraint-based deontology) tell you, in some situations in which you are interacting with a group of people, to avoid acting in the way that is expectedly best for everybody. This essay argues that such theories are mistaken. Go ahead and do what is expectedly best for everybody. The argument is based on the thought that when interacting with an individual it is fine for you to act in the expected interests of the individual and that many interactions with individuals may compose an interaction with a group.
DNA Garden: A Simple Method for Producing Arrays of Stretchable DNA for Single-Molecule Fluorescence Imaging of DNA-Binding Proteins
Authors: Igarashi Chihiro , Murata Agato , Itoh Yuji , Subekti Dwiky Rendra Graha , Takahashi Satoshi , Kamagata Kiyoto
Published: October 2016

We developed a simple method for producing arrays of stretchable DNAs, called DNA garden, for single-molecule fluorescence measurements. The method is based on microcontact printing of biotinylated bovine serum albumin (biotin-BSA) on a coverslip coated by 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymer and on the subsequent tethering of neutravidin and biotinylated DNA. Without the need for a microfabricated substrate used for DNA tethering, it facilitates single-molecule investigations of DNA and DNA-binding proteins based on fluorescence microscopic imaging. The salient advantage of DNA garden is continuous observation of DNA in the repeated cycles of extension and relaxation by flow control, enabling the characterization of processes occurring in and on the relaxed DNA. The DNA garden was applied to the detection of cleavage sites of restriction enzymes and for the observation of the sliding dynamics of a tumor suppressor, p53, along extended DNA at the single-molecule level. Furthermore, experiments based on the repetitive extension and relaxation of DNA demonstrated that p53 causes looping of DNA, probably by connecting multiple regions of the relaxed DNA. The DNA garden is expected to be a powerful tool for the single-molecule imaging assay of DNA and DNA-binding proteins.
Synthesis of Type-I CdTe Core and Type-II CdTe/CdS Core/Shell Quantum Dots by a Hydrothermal Method and Their Optical Properties
Authors: Watanabe Taichi , Takahashi Kohji , Shimura Kunio , Bu Hang-Beom , Hyeon-Deuk Kim , Kim DaeGwi
Published: October 2016

CdTe and CdTe/CdS quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized via hydrothermal method in one-step processes just by controlling reaction time. A gradual thermal decomposition of thiol ligand N-acetyl-l-cysteine results in formation of a CdS shell on a CdTe core. The experimental results of X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy indicated that growth of the CdS shell started in a longer reaction time than 30 minutes and that the thickness of the CdS shell increased with increasing the reaction time. The CdTe/CdS QD exhibited a longer photoluminescence-decay time than the CdTe core QD due to the type-II band alignment, and the decay time in the CdTe/CdS QDs increased with an increase in the reaction time. The increase in the decay time in the CdTe/CdS QDs was qualitatively reproduced by a decrease in an overlap integral of electron and hole wave functions caused by an increase of the CdS shell thickness.
The Arrangement of Two N-Heterocyclic Carbene Moieties in Palladium Pincer Complexes Affects Their Catalytic Activity towards Suzuki–Miyaura Cross-Coupling Reactions in Water
Authors: Imanaka Yosuke , Shiomoto Naotoshi , Tamaki Mako , Maeda Yuri , Nakajima Hiroshi , Nishioka Takanori
Published: October 2016

Palladium complexes with pincer ligands containing one pyridine and two N-heterocyclic carbene units with acetyl-protected d-glucopyranosyl groups in C-C-N and C-N-C arrangements were synthesized. The complexes form diastereomers due to the twisted pincer ligands and chiral d-glucopyranosyl units. The diastereomers of the C-C-N complex are in equilibrium in solution, whereas only one of the diastereomers of the C-N-C complex forms kinetically. Deprotection of the acetyl groups in the ligands afforded water-soluble complexes with one of the hydroxide groups in the d-glucopyranosyl groups coordinated to the metal ion. In CD3OD, the deprotected complex with the C-N-C ligand gradually decomposed, whereas that with the C-C-N ligand was stable at room temperature. The complexes catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reactions in water with turnover numbers of 75,000 for the C-C-N and 8,900 for C-N-C complexes. The C-C-N complex was not deactivated by the addition of metallic Hg meaning that the active species is the complex itself or its derivatives having the pincer ligand. On the other hand, the C-N-C complex exhibited no catalytic activity for the coupling reaction in the presence of metallic Hg, meaning that the active species are heterogeneous catalysts, such as Pd nanoparticles.
Ecological Momentary Assessment in Physical Activity Research
Authors: Dunton Genevieve Fridlund
Published: October 2016

Theories explaining why individuals participate in physical activity often do not take into account within-person variation or dynamic patterns of change. Time-intensive methods such as Ecological Momentary Assessment are more conducive to capturing time- and spatially-varying explanatory factors and intraindividual fluctuations than traditional methods and thus may yield new insights into the prediction and modeling of physical activity behavior.
The Intriguing Role of Histamine in Exercise Responses
Authors: Luttrell Meredith J. , Halliwill John R.
Published: October 2016

In humans, histamine is a molecular transducer of physical activity responses, and antihistamines modify more than 25% of the genes responding to exercise. Although the upstream signal that results in release of histamine within exercising skeletal muscle remains to be identified, it is likely a fundamental exercise response and not an allergic reaction.