bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Broken Health Information Technology Innovation Pipeline: A Perspective from the NODE Health Consortium
Authors: Makhni Sonya , Atreja Ashish , Sheon Amy , Van Winkle Brian , Sharp John , Carpenter Neil
Published: August 2017

Background: The Network of Digital Evidence (NODE) was formed to further advance the field of health information technology (HIT) and evidence-based digital medicine at different healthcare institutions nationwide. As the NODE network reviewed the state of the field, it was noted that despite substantial financial and human capital investments, the processes and results of HIT innovation seem chaotic and subpar, especially in comparison to the more well-established drug and device industries. During the course of this white paper, we will explore the causes for this observed phenomenon as well as propose possible solutions to improve the state of HIT. Methods: We compared the entire process of discovery, proof of concept, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review, and postmarket monitoring and distribution/implementation of HIT innovations to the equivalent processes for drugs and devices. Whereas drug and device innovations are subject to a standardized pipeline of production, HIT innovations are not held to equivalent standards. Conclusions: As a result, HIT lags behind the more mature drug and device industries in producing effective and reliable products. This leads to an inefficient use of already scarce healthcare resources. The authors believe that the HIT industry must adopt many of the mechanisms implemented by the drug and device industries as dictated by their innovation pipelines of discovery, proof of concept, FDA review, and postmarket monitoring and distribution/implementation. We propose an eight-point plan to fundamentally evolve the HIT lifecycle, including reforms for institutions such as neutral government agencies, new health system boards and management systems, modified incentive structures, improved relationships with financial investors and start-ups, patient engagement, and enhanced mechanisms to improve HIT adoption.
Induction of the Vitamin D Receptor Attenuates Autophagy Dysfunction-Mediated Cell Death Following Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Cui Changmeng , Cui Jianzhong , Jin Feng , Cui Ying , Li Ran , Jiang Xiaohua , Tian Yanxia , Wang Kaijie , Jiang Pei , Gao Junling
Published: August 2017

Background/Aims: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major public health problem in the world and causes high rates of mortality and disability. Recent evidence suggests that vitamin D (VD) has neuroprotective actions and can promote function recovery after TBI. In vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that autophagy could be enhanced following supplementation with an active metabolite of VD (calcitriol). However, it is unclear whether autophagy participates in the protective effects of calcitriol after TBI. To test this hypothesis, we examined the protective effects of calcitriol on TBI-induced neurological impairment and further investigated whether calcitriol could modulate autophagy dysfunction-mediated cell death in the cortex region of rat brain. Methods: Eighty-five male rats (250-280 g) were randomly assigned to sham (n=15), TBI model (TBI, n=35) and calcitriol treatment (calcitriol, n=35) groups. Rats were injected intraperitoneally with calcitriol (1 µg/kg) at 30 min, 24 h and 48 h post-TBI in the calcitriol group. The lysosomal inhibitor, chloroquine (CQ), was used to evaluate autophagic flux in the TBI and calcitriol groups. Neurological functions were evaluated via the modified neurological severity score test at 1-7 days after TBI or sham operation, and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated FITC-dUTP nick-end labeling method was used to evaluate the ability of calcitriol to inhibit apoptosis. The expression of VDR, LC3 and p62 proteins was measured by western blot analysis at 1, 3 and 7 days post-injury Results: Calcitriol treatment attenuated mNSS at 2-7 days post-TBI (P < 0.05 versus TBI group). Calcitriol dramatically increased VDR protein expression compared with the untreated counterparts at 1, 3 and 7 days post-TBI (P < 0.05). The rate of apoptotic cells in calcitriol-treated rats was significantly reduced compared to that observed in the TBI group (P < 0.05). The LC3II/LC3I ratio was decreased in the cortex region at 1, 3 and 7 days post-TBI in rats treated with calcitriol (p < 0.05 versus TBI group), and the p62 expression was also attenuated (p < 0.05 versus TBI group). The LC3II/LC3I ratio in the calcitriol group was significantly increased when pretreated with CQ (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Calcitriol treatment activated VDR protein expression and attenuated neurological deficits in this rat TBI model. The protective effects might be associated with the restoration of autophagy flux and the decrease in apoptosis in the cortex region of rat brain.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid Alleviates High-Glucose Suppressed Osteogenic Differentiation of MC3T3-E1 Cells via Antioxidant Effect and PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway
Authors: Dong Kai , Hao Pengjie , Xu Sheng , Liu Shutai , Zhou Wenjuan , Yue Xilong , Rausch-FAN Xiaohui , Liu Zhonghao
Published: August 2017

Background/Aims: Patients with diabetes mellitus have a higher risk of dental implant failure. One major cause is high-glucose induced oxidative stress. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), a naturally occurring compound and dietary supplement, has been established as a potent antioxidant that is a strong scavenger of free radicals. However, few studies have yet investigated the effect of ALA on osteogenic differentiation of osteoblasts cultured with high glucose medium. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of ALA on the osteoblastic differentiation in MC3T3-E1 cells under high glucose condition. Methods: MC3T3-E1 cells were divided into 4 groups including normal glucose (5.5 mM) group (control), high glucose (25.5 mM) group, high glucose + 0.1 mM ALA group, and high glucose + 0.2 mM ALA group. The proliferation, osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of cells were evaluated by MTT assay, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay, alizarin red staining and real time-polymerase chain reaction. High-glucose induced oxidative damage was also assessed by the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Western blots were performed to examine the role of PI3K/Akt pathway. Results: The proliferation, osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells were significantly decreased by the ROS induced by high-glucose. All observed oxidative damage and osteogenic dysfunction induced were inhibited by ALA. Moreover, the PI3K/Akt pathway was activated by ALA. Conclusions: We demonstrate that ALA may attenuate high-glucose mediated MC3T3-E1 cells dysfunction through antioxidant effect and modulation of PI3K/Akt pathway.
Latency transition of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 is evolutionarily conserved
Authors: Jendroszek Agnieszka , Sønnichsen Malene S. , Muñoz Andrés C. , Leyman Kato , Christensen Anni , Petersen Steen , Wang Tobias , Bendixen Christian , Panitz Frank , Andreasen Peter A. , Jensen Jan K.
Published: August 2017

Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) is a central regulator of fibrinolysis and tissue remodelling. PAI-1 belongs to the serpin super-family and unlike other inhibitory serpins undergoes a spontaneous inactivation process under physiological conditions, termed latency transition. During latency transition the solvent exposed reactive centre loop is inserted into the central β–sheet A of the molecule, and is no longer accessible to reaction with the protease. More than three decades of research on mammalian PAI-1 has not been able to clarify the evolutionary advantage and physiological relevance of latency transition. In order to study the origin of PAI-1 latency transition, we produced PAI-1 from Spiny dogfish shark (Squalus acanthias) and African lungfish (Protopterus sp.), which represent central species in the evolution of vertebrates. Although human PAI-1 and the non-mammalian PAI-1 variants share only approximately 50 % sequence identity, our results showed that all tested PAI–1 variants undergo latency transition with a similar rate. Since the functional stability of PAI–1 can be greatly increased by substitution of few amino acid residues, we conclude that the ability to undergo latency transition must have been a specific selection criterion for the evolution of PAI-1. It appears that all PAI-1 molecules must harbour latency transition to fulfil their physiological function, stressing the importance to further pursue a complete understanding of this molecular phenomenon with possible implication to pharmacological intervention. Our results provide the next step in understanding how the complete role of this important protease inhibitor evolved along with the fibrinolytic system.

Supplementary Material to this article is available online at www.thrombosis-online.com.
Superoxide Dismutase 2 is dispensable for platelet function
Authors: Fidler Trevor P. , Rowley Jesse W. , Araujo Claudia , Boudreau Luc H. , Marti Alex , Souvenir Rhonda , Dale Kali , Boilard Eric , Weyrich Andrew S. , Abel E. Dale
Published: August 2017

Increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) promote platelet activation. The sources of platelet-derived ROS are diverse and whether or not mitochondrial derived ROS, modulates platelet function is incompletely understood. Studies of platelets from patients with sickle cell disease, and diabetes suggest a correlation between mitochondrial ROS and platelet dysfunction. Therefore, we generated mice with a platelet specific knockout of superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2-KO) to determine if increased mitochondrial ROS increases platelet activation. SOD2-KO platelets demonstrated decreased SOD2 activity and increased mitochondrial ROS, however total platelet ROS was unchanged. Mitochondrial function and content were maintained in non-stimulated platelets. However SOD2-KO platelets demonstrated decreased mitochondrial function following thrombin stimulation. In vitro platelet activation and spreading was normal and in vivo, deletion of SOD2 did not change tail-bleeding or arterial thrombosis indices. In pathophysiological models mediated by platelet-dependent immune mechanisms such as sepsis and autoimmune inflammatory arthritis, SOD2-KO mice were phenotypically identical to wildtype controls. These data demonstrate that increased mitochondrial ROS does not result in platelet dysfunction.
PCSK9
Loss-of-Function Variants, Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke
Authors: Kent Shia T. , Rosenson Robert S. , Avery Christy L. , Chen Yii-Der I. , Correa Adolfo , Cummings Steven R. , Cupples L. Adrienne , Cushman Mary , Evans Daniel S. , Gudnason Vilmundur , Harris Tamara B. , Howard George , Irvin Marguerite R. , Judd Suzanne E. , Jukema J. Wouter , Lange Leslie , Levitan Emily B. , Li Xiaohui , Liu Yongmei , Post Wendy S. , Postmus Iris , Psaty Bruce M. , Rotter Jerome I. , Safford Monika M. , Sitlani Colleen M. , Smith Albert V. , Stewart James D. , Trompet Stella , Sun Fangui , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Woolley J. Michael , Whitsel Eric A. , Wiggins Kerri L. , Wilson James G. , Muntner Paul
Published: August 2017

Background—

PCSK9
loss-of-function (LOF) variants allow for the examination of the effects of lifetime reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) on cardiovascular events. We examined the association of
PCSK9
LOF variants with LDL-C and incident coronary heart disease and stroke through a meta-analysis of data from 8 observational cohorts and 1 randomized trial of statin therapy.

Methods and Results—

These 9 studies together included 17 459 blacks with 403 (2.3%) having at least 1 Y142X or C679X variant and 31 306 whites with 955 (3.1%) having at least 1 R46L variant. Unadjusted odds ratios for associations between
PCSK9
LOF variants and incident coronary heart disease (851 events in blacks and 2662 events in whites) and stroke (523 events in blacks and 1660 events in whites) were calculated using pooled Mantel–Haenszel estimates with continuity correction factors. Pooling results across studies using fixed-effects inverse-variance-weighted models,
PCSK9
LOF variants were associated with 35 mg/dL (95% confidence interval [CI], 32–39) lower LDL-C in blacks and 13 mg/dL (95% CI, 11–16) lower LDL-C in whites.
PCSK9
LOF variants were associated with a pooled odds ratio for coronary heart disease of 0.51 (95% CI, 0.28–0.92) in blacks and 0.82 (95% CI, 0.63–1.06) in whites.
PCSK9
LOF variants were not associated with incident stroke (odds ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.48–1.47 in blacks and odds ratio, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.80–1.41 in whites).

Conclusions—

PCSK9
LOF variants were associated with lower LDL-C and coronary heart disease incidence.
PCSK9
LOF variants were not associated with stroke risk.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease: An Updated Meta‐Analysis of Cohort Studies
Authors: Feng Wan , Chen Guangxia , Cai Dawei , Zhao Song , Cheng Jiafei , Shen Hong
Published: August 2017

Background

Several immune‐mediated diseases have been shown to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, studies evaluating the association between inflammatory bowel disease and risk of cardiovascular disease reported inconsistent results. We assessed the association between inflammatory bowel disease and risk of ischemic heart disease in a meta‐analysis of cohort studies.

Methods and Results

We conducted a literature search of PubMed and Embase up to October 2016 to identify relevant studies. The summary relative risks were calculated using the random‐effects models. To explore the source of heterogeneity, we performed subgroup and sensitivity analysis. We included 10 cohort studies that satisfied our inclusion criteria
.
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease were associated with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease (relative risk: 1.244; 95%
CI
, 1.142–1.355). Considerable heterogeneity was observed. Crohn's disease showed a significantly increased risk of ischemic heart disease (relative risk=1.243; 95%
CI
, 1.042–1.482) and a positive association was also observed in ulcerative colitis (relative risk=1.206; 95%
CI
, 1.170–1.242).

Conclusions

Based on meta‐analysis of cohort studies, we found an increased risk of ischemic heart disease in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Large long‐term prospective studies are warranted to confirm our results.
Land Grab, Property Rights and Gender Equality in Pluralistic Legal Orders: A Nigerian Perspective
Authors: Nwapi Chilenye
Published: August 2017

This article considers the impact of land grab on the promotion of gender inequality within the Nigerian pluralistic legal order. It examines the interface between customary law and statute law in the determination of land ownership and access in Nigeria. It makes two key arguments. (1) While legal pluralism presents opportunities for curtailing the excesses of customary law, it has often resulted in the dominant legal system – statute law – fostering gender inequality in a manner that is beyond the capacity of the so-called barbaric customary laws. (2) The capacity of law to effectively address the problem of gender inequality within the context of land grab is very limited, because the nature of most land grab-related activities that promote gender inequality are appropriately legal and it is their unintended consequences that undermine women’s rights. The article argues for an effective use of the political process to complement legal interventions.
For Wagrassero’s Wife’s Son: Colonialism and the Structure of Indigenous Women’s Social Connections, 1690–1730
Authors: Kane Maeve
Published: August 2017

This article utilizes digital humanities social network analysis to examine Native women’s roles in overlapping familial and economic social ties revealed in two early Dutch account books. Taken individually these records are difficult to fit into broader analyses; many of the individual Native people who appear in early account books are recorded only once or at most a handful of times and rarely appear in other documentary sources. The contrasting structures of two contemporary Iroquois and Munsee social networks reconstructed from these account books illustrates the extent of colonial views into indigenous social life and colonial perceptions of indigenous women within their communities. Where Iroquois women were visible in these networks as bridges between indigenous kin groups, Munsee women were perceived as pushed to the margins of their own kinship networks, illustrating the process of erasure in the settler colonial archive.
Readers and Retailed Literature: Findings from a UK public high street survey of purchasers’ expectations from books
Authors: Frost Simon
Published: August 2017

Critical literature studies tend not to think about readers as customers and consumers or, in economic terms, end-users. From the Frankfurt School to World Literature, those critical studies have little to say about fiction from the viewpoint of readers as commercial actors aware of their participation in and construction of the market. But book retail, both online and off, remains the frame in which book-purchasing choices are made. To understand the hopes and desires of readers, would it not make sense to ask them? Using the high street bookshop as a metonymic site for reading within commodity culture, this article will present findings from a national survey with a corpus of 530 responses about expectations from purchased books. To ask what is expected from a book just purchased is simple, banal even, but collectively the answers to this question may provide the first tentative steps towards a political theory of reading, not from without, but from within our dominant economic frame.
In situ Lecythidaceae wood from the Oligocene of Makum Coalfield, Northeast India
Authors: Mehrotra R.C. , Srivastava Gaurav
Published: August 2017

Fossil wood was collected from an in situ upright tree encased in the late Oligocene mudstone sediments exposed in the Tirap Mine, Makum Coalfield, Tinsukia district, Assam. The wood belongs to Careya of the Lecythidaceae. This genus is reported for the first time from Paleogene sediments. Its presence supports the occurrence of tropical evergreen to deciduous forests in the region during the depositional period.
Detection and mapping of resin canals by image analysis in transverse sections of mechanically perturbed, young Pinus radiata trees
Authors: Thomas Jimmy , Collings David A.
Published: August 2017

We describe a novel, semi-automatic method for the detection, visualisation and quantification of axially oriented resin canals in transverse sections of Pinus radiata D. Don (radiata pine) trees. Sections were imaged with a flatbed scanner using circularly polarised transmitted light, with the resin canals that contained only primary cell walls appearing dark against a bright background of highly-birefringent tracheids. These images were analysed using ImageJ software and allowed for a non-biased, automated detection of resin canals and their spatial distribution across the entire stem. We analysed 8-month-old trees that had been subjected to tilting to induce compression wood and rocking to simulate the effects of wind. These experiments showed that both rocking and tilting promoted the formation of wood and confirmed that resin canals were most common adjacent to the pith. Both the rocking and tilting treatments caused a decrease in the number of resin canals per unit area when compared to vertical controls, but this change was due to the increased formation of wood by these treatments. In tilted samples, however, analysis of resin canal distribution showed that canals were more common on the lower sides of stems but these canals were excluded from regions that formed compression wood.
An integrative description of Ramazzottius subanomalus (Biserov, 1985 (Tardigrada) from Poland
Authors: STEC DANIEL , ZAWIERUCHA KRZYSZTOF , MICHALCZYK ŁUKASZ
Published: August 2017

A population of Ramazzottius subanomalus (Biserov, 1985) was found in a moss sample collected from concrete wall in Poznań, western Poland. Animals were prepared for light and scanning electron microscopy and for DNA sequencing to provide an integrative description of the species that was originally described only by means of classical alpha taxonomy. As a result of our studies, we provide the first ever SEM photomicrographs of Ramazzottius subanomalus individuals and their buccal apparatuses. Additionally, we present new DNA sequences as well as new morphometric data for R. subanomalus. The molecular data comprise sequences for three DNA fragments, one mitochondrial (COI) and two nuclear (18S rRNA and 28S rRNA). As a result of being able to analyse a considerable number of animals and eggs, our study has expanded some of R. subanomalus morphometric traits ranges; compared with those provided in the original description. The spine-shaped egg processes  as well as qualitative and quantitative characters of adults show R. subanomalus is most similar to Ramazzottius anomalus (Ramazzotti, 1962). However, our study has shown that R. subanomalus differs from R. anomalus by the lack of fine granulation on eggshell surface as well as by three other morphometric characters: longer buccal tube and two aspects of the placoids. We also discuss the validity of the R. anomalus record in Poland in the light of our findings. Finally, we show that the extreme eggshell variability in this species is observed both in natural and laboratory environments.
Species diversity of Rhinebothrium Linton, 1890 (Eucestoda: Rhinebothriidea) from Styracura (Myliobatiformes: Potamotrygonidae), including the description of a new species
Authors: TREVISAN BRUNA , MARQUES FERNANDO P. L.
Published: August 2017

The present study contributes to the knowledge of the cestode fauna of species of Styracura de Carvalho, Loboda & da Silva, which is the putative sister taxon of freshwater potamotrygonids—a unique group of batoids restricted to Neotropical freshwater systems. We document species of Rhinebothrium Linton, 1890 as a result of the examination of newly collected specimens of Styracura from five different localities representing the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Overall, we examined 33 spiral intestines, 11 from the eastern Pacific species Styracura pacifica (Beebe & Tee-Van) and 22 from the Caribbean species S. schmardae (Werner). However, only samples from the Caribbean were infected with members of Rhinebothrium. Rhinebothrium tetralobatum Brooks, 1977, originally described from S. schmardae—as Himantura schmardae (Werner)—off the Caribbean coast of Colombia based on six specimens is redescribed. This redescription provides the first data on the microthriches pattern, more details of internal anatomy (i.e., inclusion of histological sections) and expands the ranges for the counts and measurements of several features. We describe a new species of Rhinebothrium from S. schmardae collected off the Caribbean coast of Panama. Rhinebothrium reydai n. sp. is diagnosed by possessing four testes per proglottid, acraspedote proglottids, single anterior-most and porterior-most loculi, and bothridia divided into 34–44 loculi. Collectively, these features distinguish the new species from all 41 species of Rhinebothrium currently recognized as valid, with the exception of R. chollaensis Friggens & Duszynski, 2005. The latter species, a parasite of Urobatis halleri (Cooper) from the eastern Pacific Ocean, has a similar morphology in comparison to R. reydai n. sp., but can be distinguished by being apolytic instead of euapolytic and by the morphology of the aporal lobe of the ovary, which reaches the mid-lateral margin of the cirrus sac, whereas in R. reydai n. sp. the aporal lobe only reaches the posterior margin, since the cirrus sac takes approximately ¾ of the proglottid in width. Also, in R. reydai n. sp., the first square proglottid occurs within the anterior third of the strobila (13–30%), whereas in R. chollaensis it occurs near the middle of the strobila (42–62%). Further, we discuss the patterns of infection and biogeographical distribution for species of Rhinebothrium in species of Styracura. The apparent disjunctive distribution of R. tetralobatum and R. reydai n. sp. in the Caribbean Sea throughout their host distribution, S. schmardae, and the absence of species of Rhinebothrium in the eastern Pacific sister-host, S. pacifica, reveal the importance of sample size and biogeographical representation for documenting the parasite fauna of host lineages.
Temperature and Precipitation Variance in CMIP5 Simulations and Paleoclimate Records of the Last Millennium
Authors: Parsons Luke A. , Loope Garrison R. , Overpeck Jonathan T. , Ault Toby R. , Stouffer Ronald , Cole Julia E.
Published: August 2017

Accurate assessments of future climate impacts require realistic simulation of interannual–century-scale temperature and precipitation variability. Here, well-constrained paleoclimate data and the latest generation of Earth system model data are used to evaluate the magnitude and spatial consistency of climate variance distributions across interannual to centennial frequencies. It is found that temperature variance generally increases with time scale in patterns that are spatially consistent among models, especially over the mid- and high-latitude oceans. However, precipitation is similar to white noise across much of the globe. When Earth system model variance is compared to variance generated by simple autocorrelation, it is found that tropical temperature variability in Earth system models is difficult to distinguish from variability generated by simple autocorrelation. By contrast, both forced and unforced Earth system models produce variability distinct from a simple autoregressive process over most high-latitude oceans. This new analysis of tropical paleoclimate records suggests that low-frequency variance dominates the temperature spectrum across the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans, but in many Earth system models, interannual variance dominates the simulated central and eastern tropical Pacific temperature spectrum, regardless of forcing. Tropical Pacific model spectra are compared to spectra from the instrumental record, but the short instrumental record likely cannot provide accurate multidecadal–centennial-scale variance estimates. In the coming decades, both forced and natural patterns of decade–century-scale variability will determine climate-related risks. Underestimating low-frequency temperature and precipitation variability may significantly alter our understanding of the projections of these climate impacts.
Changes in Extratropical Cyclone Precipitation and Associated Processes during the Twenty-First Century over Eastern North America and the Western Atlantic Using a Cyclone-Relative Approach
Authors: Zhang Zhenhai , Colle Brian A.
Published: August 2017

This study investigates the future change in precipitation associated with extratropical cyclones over eastern North America and the western Atlantic during the cool season (November–March) through the twenty-first century. A cyclone-relative approach is applied to 10 models from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) in order to isolate precipitation changes for different cyclone intensities and storm life cycle, as well as determine the relevant physical processes associated with these changes. The historical analysis suggests that models with better performance in predicting extratropical cyclones tend to have smaller precipitation errors, and the ensemble mean has a smaller mean absolute error than the individual models. By the late-twenty-first century, the precipitation amount associated with cyclones increases by 5%–25% over the U.S. East Coast, with about 90% of the increase from the relatively strong (<990 hPa) and moderate (990–1005 hPa) cyclones. Meanwhile, the precipitation rate increases by 15%–25% over the U.S. East Coast for the strong cyclone centers, which is larger than the moderate and weak cyclones. The relatively strong cyclones just inland of the U.S. East Coast have the largest increase (~30%) in precipitation rate, since these centers over land have the largest increase in low-level temperature (and moisture), a decrease (5%–13%) in the static stability, and an increase (~5%) in upward motion during the late-twenty-first century. This east coast region also has an increase in cyclone intensity in the future even though there is a decrease in low-level baroclinicity, which suggests that the latent heat release from heavier precipitation contributes to this storm deepening.
Optimization of Sea Surface Current Retrieval Using a Maximum Cross-Correlation Technique on Modeled Sea Surface Temperature
Authors: Heuzé Céline , Carvajal Gisela K. , Eriksson Leif E. B.
Published: August 2017

Using sea surface temperature from satellite images to retrieve sea surface currents is not a new idea, but so far its operational near-real-time implementation has not been possible. Validation studies are too region specific or uncertain, sometimes because of the satellite images themselves. Moreover, the sensitivity of the most common retrieval method, the maximum cross correlation, to the parameters that have to be set is unknown. Using model outputs instead of satellite images, biases induced by this method are assessed here, for four different seas of western Europe, and the best of nine settings and eight temporal resolutions are determined. The regions with strong currents return the most accurate results when tracking a 20-km pattern between two images separated by 6–9 h. The regions with weak currents favor a smaller pattern and a shorter time interval, although their main problem is not inaccurate results but missing results: where the velocity is too low to be picked by the retrieval. The results are not impaired by the restrictions imposed by ocean surface current dynamics and available satellite technology, indicating that automated sea surface current retrieval from sea surface temperature images is feasible, for pollution confinement, search and rescue, and even for more energy-efficient and comfortable ship navigation.
Multiscale Aspects of the Storm Producing the June 2013 Flooding in Uttarakhand, India
Authors: Houze R. A. , McMurdie L. A. , Rasmussen K. L. , Kumar A. , Chaplin M. M.
Published: August 2017

Conditions producing disastrous flooding in Uttarakhand, India, in June 2013 differed from conditions that produced other notorious floods in the Himalayan region in recent years. During the week preceding the Uttarakhand flood, deep convection moistened the mountainsides, making them vulnerable to flooding. However, the precipitation producing the flood was not associated with a deep convective event. Rather, an eastward-propagating upper-level trough in the westerlies extended abnormally far southward, with the jet reaching the Himalayas. The south end of the trough merged with a monsoon low moving westward across India. The merged system produced persistent moist low-level flow oriented normal to the Himalayas that advected large amounts of water vapor into the Uttarakhand region. The flow was moist neutral when it passed over the Himalayan barrier, and orographic lifting produced heavy continuous rain over the region for 2–3 days. The precipitation was largely stratiform in nature although embedded convection of moderate depth occurred along the foothills, where some mild instability was being released. The Uttarakhand flood had characteristics in common with major 2013 floods in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Alberta, Canada.
In Situ Raman Spectral Characteristics of Carbon Dioxide in a Deep-Sea Simulator of Extreme Environments Reaching 300 ℃ and 30 MPa
Authors: Li Lianfu , Du Zengfeng , Zhang Xin , Xi Shichuan , Wang Bing , Luan Zhendong , Lian Chao , Yan Jun
Published: August 2017

Deep-sea carbon dioxide (CO2) plays a significant role in the global carbon cycle and directly affects the living environment of marine organisms. In situ Raman detection technology is an effective approach to study the behavior of deep-sea CO2. However, the Raman spectral characteristics of CO2 can be affected by the environment, thus restricting the phase identification and quantitative analysis of CO2. In order to study the Raman spectral characteristics of CO2 in extreme environments (up to 300 ℃ and 30 MPa), which cover most regions of hydrothermal vents and cold seeps around the world, a deep-sea extreme environment simulator was developed. The Raman spectra of CO2 in different phases were obtained with Raman insertion probe (RiP) system, which was also used in in situ Raman detection in the deep sea carried by remotely operated vehicle (ROV) “Faxian”. The Raman frequency shifts and bandwidths of gaseous, liquid, solid, and supercritical CO2 and the CO2–H2O system were determined with the simulator. In our experiments (0–300 ℃ and 0–30 MPa), the peak positions of the symmetric stretching modes of gaseous CO2, liquid CO2, and supercritical CO2 shift approximately 0.6 cm–1 (1387.8–1388.4 cm–1), 0.7 cm–1 (1385.5–1386.2 cm–1), and 2.5 cm–1 (1385.7–1388.2 cm–1), and those of the bending modes shift about 1.0 cm–1 (1284.7–1285.7 cm–1), 1.9 cm–1 (1280.1–1282.0 cm–1), and 4.4 cm–1 (1281.0–1285.4 cm–1), respectively. The Raman spectral characteristics of the CO2–H2O system were also studied under the same conditions. The peak positions of dissolved CO2 varied approximately 4.5 cm–1 (1282.5–1287.0 cm–1) and 2.4 cm–1 (1274.4–1276.8 cm–1) for each peak. In comparison with our experiment results, the phases of CO2 in extreme conditions (0–3000 m and 0–300 ℃) can be identified with the Raman spectra collected in situ. This qualitative research on CO2 can also support the further quantitative analysis of dissolved CO2 in extreme conditions.
Using Economic Instruments for Urban Environment Management in Vietnam
Authors: Ngoc Nguyen Thi
Published: August 2017

The environment and the economy are basic and inseparable elements. The environment is the locus and support for the activities of human life. These activities are related to the creation and supply of resources necessary for the economy. They generate large amounts of waste, while the load capacity of the environment is limited. When economic operations go beyond certain limits, then the environment cannot sustain them. This could lead to economic crisis on a global scale. The problem is how to protect the environment, maintain economic operations and improve the lives of human beings, or in other words, find the ways to harmonise environmental factors with the needs of the economy. Vietnam and other developing nations are facing serious problems of environmental degradation, especially in urban areas. Many solutions have been tried, of which the use of economic instruments has received much attention on the part of the government and leaders of Vietnam. This article focuses on the use of economic instruments in urban environment management in Vietnam. The objectives of this article are to explore how economic instruments are being used for urban environment management and to point out the issues and difficulties emerging in the process of using this tool to control environmental pollution and to improve the quality of the environment.
Prospective Assessment of Pill-Swallowing Ability in Pediatric Patients
Authors: Jones Denise F. , McRea Abigail R. , Jairath Meera K. , Jones Michael S. , Bradford Kathleen K. , Jhaveri Ravi
Published: August 2017

Difficulty with pill-swallowing ability (PSA) is common in children, yet formal evaluation is rare. The objective of this study was to prospectively evaluate and compare PSA of inpatient and outpatient children using the Pediatric Oral Medications Screener. We identified children aged 3 to 17 years admitted to a general or subspecialty pediatric service at a university hospital or outpatient clinic. Using the Pediatric Oral Medications Screener, patients were observed swallowing 3 different-sized placebo pills (5 mm tablet, 10 mm tablet, and 22 mm capsule), and subjective measures were assessed from parents and children. We analyzed 47 inpatients and 62 outpatients. Sixteen percent of patients could not swallow any pill, 11% only swallowed the small pill, 14% swallowed up to the medium pill, and 60% swallowed all formulations. After controlling for multiple factors, inpatients had superior PSA compared with outpatients ( P = .004). These results suggest targeted inpatient screening and widespread outpatient screening would likely identify children with reduced PSA.
Refusing Relevance: School Administrator Resistance to Offering Professional Development Addressing LGBTQ Issues in Schools
Authors: Payne Elizabethe C. , Smith Melissa J.
Published: August 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to provide insight to the multiple ways that school leaders resist, avoid, or block LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, queer, and questioning) professional development for their staff and, thus, resist the conversations around school responsibility to these students and families. Research Method: The data presented in this article include interviews and field notes drawn from evaluation studies of the Reduction of Stigma in Schools© professional development program and are related to a single emergent theme. Findings: School leaders who resisted LGBTQ professional development claimed such training was not relevant to their school contexts, the training would attract community backlash, the school board would not approve the training, or school personnel would not be interested in learning about LGBTQ students. Implications: The authors conclude that increasing LGBTQ content in educational leadership training is a necessary step for convincing school leadership that LGBTQ-competence is necessary for creating a positive school climate for all.
A progressive analysis of matrix cracking-induced delamination in composite laminates using an advanced phantom node method
Authors: Reiner Johannes , Veidt Martin , Dargusch Matthew , Gross Lutz
Published: August 2017

Matrix cracking-induced delamination in composite laminates is qualitatively and quantitatively investigated in a finite element framework. The phantom node method is extended to incorporate breakable interfaces at transverse matrix crack tips. New user-defined element types in Abaqus improve the numerical stability in a geometrically nonlinear analysis. The new formulation allows for accurate prediction of matrix crack density and stiffness reduction in a number of composite laminates. Furthermore, the advanced phantom node method is able to simulate progressive matrix cracking-induced delamination with good accuracy.
Prediction of mode II delamination propagation life under a standard spectrum loading in a carbon fiber composite
Authors: Anilchandra AR , Bojja Ramesh , Jagannathan N , Manjunatha CM
Published: August 2017

Mode II constant amplitude fatigue delamination propagation tests were conducted at three different stress ratios, viz. R = 0.0, 0.5, and −1.0 using modified three-point bend test fixture and end notched flexure (ENF) test specimens of unidirectional IMA/M21 carbon fiber composite. Delamination length was measured by compliance technique. The delamination propagation rate (da/dN) plots were constructed for various stress ratios. Using an equivalent energy release rate concept, Geq, all the curves were merged into a single curve in the form of Paris equation, da/dN = C(Geq)k. The Paris constants, C and k, determined from the experimental results were subsequently used in predicting the delamination propagation life under a standard mini FALSTAFF spectrum load sequence. Experiments were also conducted under the same spectrum load sequence with various reference loads to determine the propagation lives. A reasonably good correlation was observed between the predicted and experimental mode II delamination propagation life under spectrum loads.
Vax1 Plays an Indirect Role in the Etiology of Murine Cleft Palate
Authors: Geoghegan F. , Xavier G.M. , Birjandi A.A. , Seppala M. , Cobourne M.T.
Published: August 2017

Cleft lip with or without palate (CLP) and isolated cleft palate (CP) are common human developmental malformations with a complex etiology that reflects a failure of normal facial development. VAX1 encodes a homeobox-containing transcription factor identified as a candidate gene for CLP in human populations, with targeted deletion in mice associated with multiple anomalies, including disruption of the visual apparatus and basal forebrain, lobar holoprosencephaly, and CP. We have investigated Vax1 function during murine palatogenesis but found no evidence for a direct role in this process. Vax1 is not expressed in the developing palate and mutant palatal shelves elevate above the tongue, demonstrating morphology and proliferation indices indistinguishable from wild type. However, mutant mice did have a large midline cavity originating from the embryonic forebrain situated beneath the floor of the hypothalamus and extending through the nasal cavity to expand this region and prevent approximation of the palatal shelves. Interestingly, despite strong expression of Vax1 in ectoderm of the medial nasal processes, the upper lip remained intact in mutant mice. We found further evidence of disrupted craniofacial morphology in Vax1 mutants, including truncation of the midface associated with reduced cell proliferation in forebrain neuroectoderm and frontonasal mesenchyme. Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signal transduction was downregulated in the mutant forebrain, consistent with a role for Vax1 in mediating transduction of this pathway. However, Shh was also reduced in this region, suggestive of a Shh-Vax1 feedback loop during early development of the forebrain and a likely mechanism for the underlying lobar holoprosencephaly. Despite significant associations between VAX1 and human forms of CLP, we find no evidence of a direct role for this transcription factor in development of this region in a mutant mouse model.
Comment on “The Influence of Risk Assessment Instrument Scores on Evaluators’ Risk Opinions and Sexual Offender Containment Recommendations”
Authors: Lobanov-Rostovsky Christopher
Published: August 2017

The work of the Colorado Sex Offender Management Board (SOMB) has been called into question as a result of the manuscript “The Influence of Risk Assessment Instrument Scores on the Evaluators’ Risk Opinions and Sexual Offender Containment Recommendations” published in Criminal Justice and Behavior (2017). This response covers the following areas: significant nomenclature problems used to describe the Adult Standards and Guidelines, the dated nature of the SOMB citations in the manuscript, the flaws in the interpretation of the use of the 17 SOMB risk factors and the SOMB policy related to risk assessment, a potential confounding variable that may explain the results obtained, and finally the work of the SOMB to foster the use of validated risk assessment instruments and evidence-based policies and practices. The SOMB takes pride in providing up-to-date, research-supported practices for its providers and would never intentionally do otherwise, as suggested by the article.
A Developmental, Evolutionary Perspective on Gifts and Talents
Authors: Feldman David Henry
Published: August 2017

Acknowledging that the terms gifts and talents are at the center of the field's efforts to serve able children, an alternative to Professor Françoys Gagné's psychometric, quantitative perspective is offered that sees gifts as broad, general analytic capabilities, and talents as specific, content-bound capabilities. This alternative perspective is evolutionary, developmental, and historical; and it assumes that both gifts and talents are natural, interact with each other over the life course, and represent two ways for human beings to survive and perhaps fulfill their potential.
The Influence of Prototypical Communication in Dark Online Organizations: How to Speak Like a Monger
Authors: Pilny Andrew , Proulx Jeffrey
Published: August 2017

A key obstacle for dark organizations is negotiating who is and is not a member. Following the social identity approach, this study explores the impact of prototypical communication, through code word use, on the structure of two dark online organizations. We use two-mode exponential random graph modeling to demonstrate the interdependence between code word use and network structure. Findings are discussed in light of social identity approaches and online groups.
Recommendation Systems as Technologies of the Self: Algorithmic Control and the Formation of Music Taste
Authors: Karakayali Nedim , Kostem Burc , Galip Idil
Published: August 2017

The article brings to light the use of recommender systems as technologies of the self, complementing the observations in current literature regarding their employment as technologies of ‘soft’ power. User practices on the music recommendation website last.fm reveal that many users do not only utilize the website to receive guidance about music products but also to examine and transform an aspect of their self, i.e. their ‘music taste’. The capacity of assisting users in self-cultivation practices, however, is not unique to last.fm but stems from certain properties shared by all recommendation systems. Furthermore, unlike other oft-studied digital/web technologies of the self which facilitate ‘self-publishing’ vis-à-vis virtual companions in social media, recommender algorithms themselves can act as ‘intimate experts’, accompanying users in their self-care practices. Thus, recommendation systems can facilitate both algorithmic control and creative self-transformation, which calls for a theorization of this new cultural medium as a space of tension.
Ochratoxin a and Citrinin Induced Nephrosis in Beagle Dogs III. Terminal Renal Ultrastructural Alterations
Authors: Kitchen D. N. , Carlton W. W. , Hinsman E. J.
Published: August 2017

The extent and type of renal ultrastructural changes in Beagle dogs varied with the administration of ochratoxin A and citrinin alone and in the two dosage combinations. The three predominant changes were cytoplasmic vacuolation, myelin figure formation and lesions designated as cytoplasmic disarray. These changes were mainly of the endomembrane system of the tubular epithelial cells. Cytoplasmic vacuoles were within proximal and distal tubules and collecting ducts and were most numerous in dogs given 10 mg/kg citrinin. Vacuolation of similar distribution, but less severe, was seen in renal tubular cells of dogs given the higher dose of the combined mycotoxins (0.2 mg/kg ochratoxin A + 10 mg/kg citrinin). This damage was limited to the proximal tubular cells in dogs given only ochratoxin A (0.1 or 0.2 mg/kg). Myelin figures were in proximal epithelial cells of dogs given ochratoxin A alone or combined with citrinin. There was cytoplasmic disarray in dogs of all groups except for dogs given 5 mg/kg citrinin. This lesion was usually limited to the proximal tubules. The lesion, however, was found in cells of the distal tubules of dogs given 10 mg/kg citrinin alone.