bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differential regulation of mTORC1 activation by leucine and β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate in skeletal muscle of neonatal pigs
Authors: Suryawan Agus , Rudar Marko , Fiorotto Marta L. , Davis Teresa A.
Published: January 2020

Leucine (Leu) and its metabolite β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) stimulate mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 (mTORC1)-dependent protein synthesis in the skeletal muscle of neonatal pigs. This study aimed to determine whether HMB and Leu utilize common nutrient-sensing mechanisms to activate mTORC1. In study 1, neonatal pigs were fed one of five diets for 24 h: low protein (LP), high protein (HP), or LP supplemented with 4 (LP+HMB4), 40 (LP+HMB40), or 80 (LP+HMB80) μmol HMB·kg body wt−1·day−1. In study 2, neonatal pigs were fed for 24 h: LP, LP supplemented with Leu (LP+Leu), or HP diets delivering 9, 18, and 18 mmol Leu·kg body wt−1·day−1, respectively. The upstream signaling molecules that regulate mTORC1 activity were analyzed. mTOR phosphorylation on Ser2448 and Ser2481 was greater in LP+HMB40, LP+HMB80, and LP+Leu than in LP and greater in HP than in HMB-supplemented groups ( P < 0.05), whereas HP and LP+Leu were similar. Rheb-mTOR complex formation was lower in LP than in HP ( P < 0.05), with no enhancement by HMB or Leu supplementation. The Sestrin2-GATOR2 complex was more abundant in LP than in HP and was reduced by Leu ( P < 0.05) but not HMB supplementation. RagA-mTOR and RagC-mTOR complexes were higher in LP+Leu and HP than in LP and HMB groups ( P < 0.05). There were no treatment differences in RagB-SH3BP4, Vps34-LRS, and RagD-LRS complex abundances. Phosphorylation of Erk1/2 and TSC2, but not AMPK, was lower in LP than HP ( P < 0.05) and unaffected by HMB or Leu supplementation. Our results demonstrate that HMB stimulates mTORC1 activation in neonatal muscle independent of the leucine-sensing pathway mediated by Sestrin2 and the Rag proteins.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Dietary supplementation with either leucine or its metabolite β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) stimulates protein synthesis in skeletal muscle of the neonatal pig. Our results demonstrate that both leucine and HMB stimulate mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 (mTORC1) phosphorylation in neonatal muscle. This leucine-stimulated process involves dissociation of the Sestrin2-GATOR2 complex and increased binding of Rag A/C to mTOR. However, HMB’s activation of mTORC1 is independent of this leucine-sensing pathway.
Exercise effects on γ3-AMPK activity, phosphorylation of Akt2 and AS160, and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in insulin-resistant rat skeletal muscle
Authors: Pataky Mark W. , Arias Edward B. , Wang Haiyan , Zheng Xiaohua , Cartee Gregory D.
Published: January 2020

One exercise session can increase subsequent insulin-stimulated glucose uptake (ISGU) by skeletal muscle. Prior research on healthy muscle suggests that enhanced postexercise ISGU depends on elevated γ3-AMPK activity leading to greater phosphorylation of Akt substrate of 160 kDa (pAS160) on an AMPK-phosphomotif (Ser704). Phosphorylation of AS160Ser704, in turn, may favor greater insulin-stimulated pAS160 on an Akt-phosphomotif (Thr642) that regulates ISGU. Accordingly, we tested if exercise-induced increases in γ3-AMPK activity and pAS160 on key regulatory sites accompany improved ISGU at 3 h postexercise (3hPEX) in insulin-resistant muscle. Rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD; 2-wk) that induces insulin resistance either performed acute swim-exercise (2 h) or were sedentary (SED). SED rats fed a low-fat diet (LFD; 2 wk) served as healthy controls. Isolated epitrochlearis muscles from 3hPEX and SED rats were analyzed for ISGU, pAS160, pAkt2 (Akt-isoform that phosphorylates pAS160Thr642), and γ1-AMPK and γ3-AMPK activity. ISGU was lower in HFD-SED muscles versus LFD-SED, but this decrement was eliminated in the HFD-3hPEX group. γ3-AMPK activity, but not γ1-AMPK activity, was elevated in HFD-3hPEX muscles versus both SED controls. Furthermore, insulin-stimulated pAS160Thr642, pAS160Ser704, and pAkt2Ser474 in HFD-3hPEX muscles were elevated above HFD-SED and equal to values in LFD-SED muscles, but insulin-independent pAS160Ser704 was unaltered at 3hPEX. These results demonstrated, for the first time in an insulin-resistant model, that the postexercise increase in ISGU was accompanied by sustained enhancement of γ3-AMPK activation and greater pAkt2Ser474. Our working hypothesis is that these changes along with enhanced insulin-stimulated pAS160 increase ISGU of insulin-resistant muscles to values equaling insulin-sensitive sedentary controls.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Earlier research focusing on signaling events linked to increased insulin sensitivity in muscle has rarely evaluated insulin resistant muscle after exercise. We assessed insulin resistant muscle after an exercise protocol that improved insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. Prior exercise also amplified several signaling steps expected to favor enhanced insulin-stimulated glucose uptake: increased γ3-AMP-activated protein kinase activity, greater insulin-stimulated Akt2 phosphorylation on Ser474, and elevated insulin-stimulated Akt substrate of 160 kDa phosphorylation on Ser588, Thr642, and Ser704.
Absence of dynamic hyperinflation during exhaustive exercise in severe COPD reflects submaximal IC maneuvers rather than a nonhyperinflator phenotype
Authors: Luo Yuan-Ming , Qiu Zhi-Hui , Wang Yuan , He Bai-Ting , Qin Hua , Xiao Si-chang , Luo Ying-mei , Steier Joerg , Moxham John , Polkey Michael I
Published: January 2020

Approximately 20% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients have been considered to have a “nonhyperinflator phenotype.” However, this judgment depends on patients making a fully maximal inspiratory capacity (IC) maneuver at rest, since the IC during exercise is compared with this baseline measurement. We hypothesized that IC maneuvers at rest are sometimes submaximal and tested this hypothesis by measuring IC and associated neural respiratory drive at rest and during inhalation of CO2 and exercise in patients with COPD. Twenty-six COPD patients [age 66 ± 6 yr, mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) 40 ± 11% predicted] and 39 healthy subjects (age 39 ± 14 yr, FEV1 98 ± 12% predicted) were studied. IC and the diaphragm electromyogram (EMGdi) associated with it (EMGdi-IC) and forced inspiratory vital capacity (FIVC) and its corresponding EMGdi (EMGdi-FIVC) were measured during inhalation of 8% CO2 (8% CO2-92% O2) and room air. Incremental exhaustive cycle ergometer exercise was also performed in both patients with COPD and healthy subjects. IC, EMGdi-IC, FIVC, and EMGdi-FIVC during breathing 8% CO2 were significantly greater than those during breathing room air in both patients with COPD and healthy subjects (all P < 0.001). EMGdi-IC in patients with COPD constantly increased during exercise from 145 ± 40 µV at rest to 185 ± 52 µV at the end of exercise but change in IC was variable. Neural respiratory drive and its relevant IC increased during hypercapnia. Exercise-related hypercapnia in patients with COPD raises neural respiratory drives, which compensate for IC reduction, leading to underestimation of dynamic hyperinflation measured by IC at rest breathing room air.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Inspiratory capacity measured during hypercapnia is higher than that during eucapnia. Thus total lung capacity is not always be achieved by a standard inspiratory capacity maneuver, leading to risk of underestimation of dynamic hyperinflation in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease after exhaustive exercise.
Plasma MicroRNA Expression Profiles in Psoriasis
Authors: Xiao Shiju , Liu Xin , Wang Xiaoxu , Lv Hongpeng , Zhao Junbo , Guo Xinwei , Xian Fuyang , Ji Yunrun , Zhang Guangzhong
Published: January 2020

Background. Psoriasis is an immune-mediated inflammatory chronic skin disease characterized by chronic inflammation in the dermis, parakeratosis, and excessive epidermal growth. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of immune responses. Although differential expression of miRNAs has been reported in certain inflammatory autoimmune diseases, their role in psoriasis has not been fully illuminated. Our aims were to confirm plasma miRNA expression signatures in psoriasis and to examine their potential influence on psoriasis pathogenesis. Methods. A miRNome PCR array was used to analyse the plasma of psoriasis patients and healthy donors. We performed miRNA pathway enrichment and target gene network analyses on psoriasis plasma samples. Results. We found several specific plasma miRNA signatures relevant to psoriasis. The miRNAs targeted pathways associated with psoriasis, such as the VEGF, MAPK, and WNT signaling pathways. Network analysis revealed pivotal deregulated plasma miRNAs and their relevant target genes and pathways regulating psoriasis pathogenesis. Conclusions. This study analysed the expression of plasma miRNAs and their target pathways, elucidating the pathogenesis of psoriasis; these results may be used to design novel therapeutic strategies and to identify diagnostic biomarkers for psoriasis.
An Improved NSGA-II Algorithm for Transit Network Design and Frequency Setting Problem
Authors: Chai Shushan , Liang Qinghuai
Published: January 2020

The transit network design and frequency setting problem is related to the generation of transit routes with corresponding frequency schedule. Considering not only the influence of transfers but also the delay caused by congestion on passengers’ travel time, a multi-objective transit network design model is developed. The model aims to minimize the travel time of passengers and minimize the number of vehicles used in the network. To solve the model belongs to a NP-Hard problem and is intractable due to the high complexity and strict constraints. In order to obtain the better network schemes, a multi-population genetic algorithm is proposed based on NSGA-II framework. With the algorithm, network generation, mode choice, demand assignment, and frequency setting are all integrated to be solved. The effectiveness of the algorithm which includes the high global convergence and the applicability for the problem is verified by comparison with previous works and calculation of a real-size case. The model and algorithm can be used to provide candidates for the sustainable policy formulation of urban transit network scheme.
A New Left-Right Symmetry Model
Authors: Adam Apriadi Salim , Ferdiyan Akmal , Satriawan Mirza
Published: January 2020

We propose a new L-R symmetry model where the L-R symmetry transformation reverses both the L-R chirality and the local quantum number. We add to the model a global quantum number F whose value is one for fermions (minus one for antifermion) and vanishes for bosons. For each standard model (SM) particle, we have the corresponding L-R dual particle whose mass is very large and which should have decayed at the current low energy level. Due to the global quantum number F, there is no Majorana neutrino in the model but a Dirac seesaw mechanism can still occur and the usual three active neutrino oscillation can still be realized. We add two leptoquarks and their L-R duals, for generating the baryon number asymmetry and for facilitating the decay of the L-R dual particles. The decay of the L-R dual particles will produce a large entropy to the SM sector and give a mechanism for avoiding the big bang nucleosynthesis constraint.
Shear Bearing Capacity of Framework Joints of Steel‐Reinforced Concrete‐Filled Circular Steel Tube
Authors: Lin Yongjun , Liu Kaiqi , Xiao Tianxu , Zhou Chang
Published: January 2020

In this paper, in order to investigate the shear mechanism and shear capacity of framework joints of steel‐reinforced concrete‐filled circular steel tube (SRCFCST), a numerical finite element model reflecting the mechanical behavior of framework joints of SRCFCST column‐reinforced concrete beam is established through simulating concrete by the damage plastic constitutive model and simulating steel by the ideal elastic‐plastic material, and its effectiveness is verified by experimental data. On account of uniform distribution of circular steel reinforced around the section and without definite flange and web, the shear mechanism of the framework joints of SRCFCST is analyzed on the basis of equivalent circular steel tube (CST) to the rectangular steel tube. The method for calculating the superposed shear bearing capacities of the joint core area is proposed, which is composed of four parts, i.e., concrete inside tube, concrete outside tube, hooping and steel‐reinforced web; and the corresponding formulas for calculating shear bearing capacity are established. The comparative analysis of joints’ shear bearing capacity indicates that the results of numerical simulation and shear bearing capacity formulas coincide well with the experimental values, which can provide reference for the nonlinear analysis and engineering design of similar joints.
Salvaging the Lost Pink Triangle: A Case Series of Papilla Reconstruction
Authors: Shenoy B Santhosh , Punj Anahita , Ramesh Amitha , Talwar Avaneendra
Published: January 2020

Introduction. The interdental papilla may be lost or reduced in height, forming black triangles due to various reasons, which gives an unaesthetic appearance when the patient smiles. Various noninvasive and invasive techniques have been used to augment/reconstruct the interdental papilla, to reclaim the pink triangle. The most satisfactory and natural appearance can be obtained by augmenting or reconstructing the lost papilla as the pink esthetics is as important as the white esthetics.Cases. Two female patients and 1 male patient reported to the dental department with the complaint of a small black gap in the gum area between their upper front teeth since 6 months and 1 year, respectively. On examination, the interdental papillae in all three cases were classified as class 1 (Nordland and Tarnow’s). The interdental papilla was augmented surgically by using three different approaches in each case.Result and Conclusion. Postoperatively and after 1-month follow-up, there was a complete fill of the interdental area by the interdental papilla normal (Nordland and Tarnow’s). As a result, the black triangle was successfully converted into a natural pink triangle in all three cases.
Linking Transcriptomic and Imaging Data Defines Features of a Favorable Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Identifies a Combination Biomarker for Primary Melanoma
Authors: Gartrell-Corrado Robyn D. , Chen Andrew X. , Rizk Emanuelle M. , Marks Douglas K. , Bogardus Margaret H. , Hart Thomas D. , Silverman Andrew M. , Bayan Claire-Audrey Y. , Finkel Grace G. , Barker Luke W. , Komatsubara Kimberly M. , Carvajal Richard D. , Horst Basil A. , Chang Rui , Monod Anthea , Rabadan Raul , Saenger Yvonne M.
Published: January 2020

Patients with resected stage II-III melanoma have approximately a 35% chance of death from their disease. A deeper understanding of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is required to stratify patients and identify factors leading to therapy resistance. We previously identified that the melanoma immune profile (MIP), an IFN-based gene signature, and the ratio of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) to CD68+ macrophages both predict disease-specific survival (DSS). Here, we compared primary with metastatic tumors and found that the nuclei of tumor cells were significantly larger in metastases. The CTL/macrophage ratio was significantly different between primary tumors without distant metastatic recurrence (DMR) and metastases. Patients without DMR had higher degrees of clustering between tumor cells and CTLs, and between tumor cells and HLA-DR+ macrophages, but not HLA-DR− macrophages. The HLA-DR− subset coexpressed CD163+CSF1R+ at higher levels than CD68+HLA-DR+ macrophages, consistent with an M2 phenotype. Finally, combined transcriptomic and multiplex data revealed that densities of CD8 and M1 macrophages correlated with their respective cell phenotype signatures. Combination of the MIP signature with the CTL/macrophage ratio stratified patients into three risk groups that were predictive of DSS, highlighting the potential use of combination biomarkers for adjuvant therapy.

Significance:

These findings provide a deeper understanding of the tumor immune microenvironment by combining multiple modalities to stratify patients into risk groups, a critical step to improving the management of patients with melanoma.
Dynamic Change of T-Helper Cell Cytokines in Nasal Secretions and Serum after Endoscopic Sinus Surgery in Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps
Authors: Du Kun , Huang Zhenxiao , Si Weifeng , Huang Qian , Li Cheng , Wang Mingjie , Li Yunxia , Wu Yubin , Qu Jing , Zhou Bing
Published: January 2020

Background/Aims: This study aimed to determine the dynamic change of postoperative T-helper cell cytokines in nasal secretions and serum in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Methods: Nasal secretions and serum samples of 30 CRSwNP patients and 10 healthy subjects were collected. Among CRSwNP patients, samples of 30 patients were collected 1 day before endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and that of 18 patients (12 asthmatic and 6 non-asthmatic) were collected 4, 8, and 12 weeks after ESS. Concentrations of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-17, and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) were determined by Cytometric Beads Array. The Sino-Nasal Outcomes Test 22 and Lund-Kennedy endoscopic scoring (LKES) system were collected for all patients. Results: The levels of IL-2 and IL-5 in secretions of CRSwNP were significantly higher than that of healthy control at the baseline. At the 4th and 8th week after ESS, the IL-4 levels in nasal secretions of the asthmatic group were significantly higher than their baseline controls (preoperatively). From the 4th to 12th week after ESS, the IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-17 levels in nasal secretions of the non-asthmatic group were significantly increased as compared to their baseline controls. Postoperative IL-5 levels in serum of the asthmatic group decreased significantly as compared to their baseline controls. There was no significant association between LKES and levels of cytokines in postoperative secretions and serum. Conclusions: Our results indicate that postoperative endoscopic findings may not directly reflect the underlying mucosal inflammation, and surgery could not change the systemic immunity status. Despite endoscopic resolution of mucosal abnormalities, it may not avert the need for subsequent postoperative medical intervention to treat the underlying mucosal inflammation.
Suporte nutricional no recém-nascido doente ou prematuro
Authors: Falcão Mário Cícero
Published: January 2020

Ao nascimento, o recém-nascido tem que se adaptar a uma nova maneira de nutrição, passando de um afluxo constante de praticamente todos os nutrientes, para uma alimentação intermitente, tendo que utilizar suas funções digestórias. Recém-nascidos de termo normais rapidamente superam essas barreiras. No entanto, recém-nascidos pré-termo ou mesmo recém-nascidos de temo doentes normalmenteapresentam condições adversas que dificultam a sua nutrição plena. Nestes casos, um suporte nutricional deve ser instituído para que se possa promover uma nutrição adequada. Este suporte normalmente consiste na avaliação nutricional, no cálculo das necessidades nutricionais e na monitorização da terapia nutricional individualizada.
High Brown Fat Activity Correlates With Cardiovascular Risk Factor Levels Cross-Sectionally and Subclinical Atherosclerosis at 5-Year Follow-Up
Authors: Raiko Juho , Orava Janne , Savisto Nina , Virtanen Kirsi A.
Published: January 2020

Objective:

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity correlates negatively with obesity and insulin resistance, and BAT has been suggested to act as a protective factor against atherogenesis. We aimed to examine subclinical atherosclerosis and risk factor levels in a group of individuals who had 5 years earlier participated in positron-emission tomography studies with measurements of BAT activity.

Approach and Results:

Study cohort (males/females=5/26, baseline age 41.4±7.9 years; body mass index, 26.8±6.3 kg/m
2
) underwent positron-emission tomography imaging at baseline with [
18
F] FDG (glucose uptake) and [
15
O] H
2
O (perfusion) to measure BAT activity during cold exposure. At 5-year follow-up, ultrasound was performed to measure carotid intima-media thickness, carotid distensibility (a marker of arterial elasticity), and brachial flow-mediated dilation (an estimate of endothelial function). Fasting plasma lipids and hemoglobin A1c were measured from venous samples at baseline and at follow-up. Median values were used as cut points for high cold-induced BAT activity (BAT glucose uptake >2.40 μmoL/100 g per minute and perfusion >8.4 mL/100 g per minute). Baseline cold-induced BAT glucose uptake and perfusion correlated directly with carotid distensibility and inversely with mean bulbus intima-media thickness and maximum intima-media thickness (
P
always ≤0.02). Baseline body mass index, plasma triglycerides, and HbA1c correlated negatively with BAT glucose uptake and perfusion in cold (
P
always ≤0.048). Correlations between cold-induced BAT activity, cardiovascular risk factors, and atherosclerosis were attenuated with corrections for multiple comparisons.

Conclusions:

Cold-induced BAT activity at baseline seems to correlate with lower levels of conventional cardiovascular risk factors at baseline and with lower carotid intima-media thickness and higher carotid elasticity at 5-year follow-up.
Importance of Diastolic Function for the Prediction of Arrhythmic Death
Authors: Pezawas Thomas , Burger Achim Leo , Binder Thomas , Diedrich André
Published: January 2020

Background:

Patients with ischemic or dilated cardiomyopathy and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) face a high risk for ventricular arrhythmias. Exact grading of diastolic function might improve risk stratification for arrhythmic death.

Methods:

We prospectively enrolled 120 patients with ischemic, 60 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, and 30 patients with normal LVEF. Diastolic function was graded normal (N) or dysfunction grade I to III. Primary outcome parameter was arrhythmic death (AD) or resuscitated cardiac arrest (RCA).

Results:

Normal diastolic function was found in 23 (11%) patients, dysfunction grade I in 107 (51%), grade II in 31 (14.8%), and grade III in 49 (23.3%) patients, respectively. After an average follow-up of 7.0±2.6 years, AD or RCA was observed in 28 (13.3%) and 33 (15.7%) patients, respectively. Nonarrhythmic death was found in 41 (19.5%) patients. On Kaplan-Meier analysis, patients with dysfunction grade III had the highest risk for AD or RCA (
P
<0.001). This finding was independent from the degree of LVEF dysfunction and was observed in patients with LVEF≤35% (
P
=0.001) and with LVEF>35% (
P
=0.014). Nonarrhythmic mortality was the highest in patients with dysfunction grade III. This was true for patients with LVEF≤35% (
P
=0.009) or >35% (
P
<0.001). In an adjusted model for relevant confounding factors, grade III dysfunction was associated with a 3.5-fold increased risk for AD or RCA in the overall study population (hazard ratio=3.52;
P
<0.001).

Conclusions:

Diastolic dysfunction is associated with a high risk for AD or RCA regardless if LVEF is ≤35% or >35%. Diastolic function grading might improve risk stratification for AD.
Microtubules Increase Diastolic Stiffness in Failing Human Cardiomyocytes and Myocardium
Authors: Caporizzo Matthew A. , Chen Christina Yingxian , Bedi Ken , Margulies Kenneth B. , Prosser Benjamin L.
Published: January 2020

Background:

Diastolic dysfunction is a prevalent and therapeutically intractable feature of heart failure (HF). Increasing ventricular compliance can improve diastolic performance, but the viscoelastic forces that resist diastolic filling and become elevated in human HF are poorly defined. Having recently identified posttranslationally detyrosinated microtubules as a source of viscoelasticity in cardiomyocytes, we sought to test whether microtubules contribute meaningful viscoelastic resistance to diastolic stretch in human myocardium.

Methods:

Experiments were conducted in isolated human cardiomyocytes and trabeculae. First, slow and rapid (diastolic) stretch was applied to intact cardiomyocytes from nonfailing and HF hearts and viscoelasticity was characterized after interventions targeting microtubules. Next, intact left ventricular trabeculae from HF patient hearts were incubated with colchicine or vehicle and subject to pre- and posttreatment mechanical testing, which consisted of a staircase protocol and rapid stretches from slack length to increasing strains.

Results:

Viscoelasticity was increased during diastolic stretch of HF cardiomyocytes compared with nonfailing counterparts. Reducing either microtubule density or detyrosination reduced myocyte stiffness, particularly at diastolic strain rates, indicating reduced viscous forces. In myocardial tissue, we found microtubule depolymerization reduced myocardial viscoelasticity, with an effect that decreased with increasing strain. Colchicine reduced viscoelasticity at strains below, but not above, 15%, with a 2-fold reduction in energy dissipation upon microtubule depolymerization. Post hoc subgroup analysis revealed that myocardium from patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction were more fibrotic and elastic than myocardium from patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction, which were relatively more viscous. Colchicine reduced viscoelasticity in both HF with preserved ejection fraction and HF with reduced ejection fraction myocardium.

Conclusions:

Failing cardiomyocytes exhibit elevated viscosity and reducing microtubule density or detyrosination lowers viscoelastic resistance to diastolic stretch in human myocytes and myocardium. In failing myocardium, microtubules elevate stiffness over the typical working range of strains and strain rates, but exhibited diminishing effects with increasing length, consistent with an increasing contribution of the extracellular matrix or myofilament proteins at larger excursions. These studies indicate that a stabilized microtubule network provides a viscous impediment to diastolic stretch, particularly in HF.
Going the Extra Mile: Effects of Discourse Context on Two Late Positivities During Language Comprehension
Authors: Brothers Trevor , Wlotko Eddie W. , Warnke Lena , Kuperberg Gina R.
Published: January 2020

During language comprehension, online neural processing is strongly influenced by the constraints of the prior context. Although the N400 event-related potential (ERP) response (300–500 ms) is known to be sensitive to a word’s semantic predictability, less is known about a set of late positive-going ERP responses (600–1,000 ms) that can be elicited when an incoming word violates strong predictions about upcoming content (late frontal positivity) or about what is possible given the prior context (late posterior positivity/P600). Across three experiments, we systematically manipulated the length of the prior context and the source of lexical constraint to determine their influence on comprehenders’ online neural responses to these two types of prediction violations. In Experiment 1, within minimal contexts, both lexical prediction violations and semantically anomalous words produced a larger N400 than expected continuations ( James unlocked the door/laptop/gardener), but no late positive effects were observed. Critically, the late posterior positivity/P600 to semantic anomalies appeared when these same sentences were embedded within longer discourse contexts (Experiment 2a), and the late frontal positivity appeared to lexical prediction violations when the preceding context was rich and globally constraining (Experiment 2b). We interpret these findings within a hierarchical generative framework of language comprehension. This framework highlights the role of comprehension goals and broader linguistic context, and how these factors influence both top-down prediction and the decision to update or reanalyze the prior context when these predictions are violated.
Who Received the Most Rain Today?: An Analysis of Daily Precipitation Extremes in the Contiguous United States Using CoCoRaHS and COOP Reports
Authors: Goble Peter E. , Doesken Nolan J. , Durre Imke , Schumacher Russ S. , Stewart Abigail , Turner Julian
Published: January 2020

Every day, thousands of volunteers across the United States report the amount of precipitation they have received in the past 24 hours. This study focuses on the largest of these volunteer-submitted reports for each day, using precipitation measurements from the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) from January 2010 to December 2017 as well as observations from the U.S. Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) network from January 1981 through December 2017. Results provide clarity on spatial variability, temporal variability, and seasonal cycle of contiguous U.S daily precipitation extremes (DPEs). During 2010–17, the DPEs ranged from 11 mm on 28 March 2013 in Oregon to 635 mm on 27 August 2017 in Texas during Hurricane Harvey. Coastal states are most prone to high daily precipitation totals, especially those bordering the Gulf of Mexico or Atlantic Gulf Stream. The average DPE value varies with season; it is greater than 175 mm in late August and less than 100 mm through meteorological winter. These observations also show that location of the DPE varies with season as well. For example, 28.5% of February extremes fall in Pacific states, whereas all August extremes occur east of that region. Perhaps most importantly, these findings demonstrate strength in numbers. The large daily sample size of CoCoRaHS and COOP networks forms a basis for monitoring, mapping, and categorizing DPEs, and other aspects of extreme precipitation, with considerable spatial detail.
Passwords, pistols, and power plants: An assessment of physical and digital threats targeting Canada’s energy sector
Authors: Babb Casey , Wilner Alex
Published: January 2020

The study of energy sector security is in flux. A traditional focus on exploring the nexus between terrorism and physical energy infrastructure has given way to a new and specific emphasis on cyber attacks targeting electrical power grids. A noticeable gap in the literature exists in terms of presenting a more comprehensive assessment of the general threat environment. Our paper, and the larger project from which it stems, intends to fill this void and prompt more nuanced and empirically driven research on the topic that informs Canadian security policy. Our findings are informed by interviews conducted with American and Canadian energy sector officials, and a questionnaire carried out with energy sector companies. By examining a broader suite of disruptive threats to the energy sector, we paint a more inclusive picture of the many gateways through which the energy sector could be targeted.
Mass support for free trade agreements and factor endowment
Authors: Tuxhorn Kim-Lee
Published: January 2020

Does the factor endowment (FE) of trade partners influence mass support for free trade agreements (FTAs), and if so, how? Preference models based on factor endowment expect that individual attitudes toward trade partners should systematically vary by factors of endowment and respondents’ skill level. This paper provides the first systematic examination of the effect of trade partner’s FE on mass support for FTAs. Using a conjoint analysis design on a sample of respondents from developed and developing economies (the US and India), the findings show that respondents consistently favour trade partners with a highly educated workforce and a higher level of gross domestic product per capita. Moreover, preferences for these country attributes hold regardless of respondents’ skill level or their country’s FE. Data from a nationally representative survey on Canadian trade preferences offer additional corroborating evidence. Together, the findings offer limited support for economic preferences derived from factor endowment trade models, indicating that individuals, within and across countries, may share a common bias against trade with lesser-developed states.
From virtual space to public space: The role of online political activism in protest participation during the Arab Spring
Authors: Kim Harris Hyun-soo , Lim Chaeyoon
Published: January 2020

This study examines the relationship between online social media use and protest participation during the Arab Spring, pro-democracy movements that swept across vast parts of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). What role did online communication media play in individual decisions to participate in these high-risk political activities? We address this question by drawing on microdata from the Arab Barometer Wave III (2012–2014), a large cross-national survey of citizens nested in administrative divisions across a dozen Muslim-majority countries. Using hierarchical linear modeling, we investigate the multilevel associations between online activities and the likelihood of getting involved in anti-government protests. Adjusting for individual- and regional-level confounders, as well as country fixed effects, we find that online political activism specifically, rather than Internet and social media use in general, is associated with higher odds of protest involvement during the Arab uprisings. In addition, we find that the positive linkage between individual online activism and protest is weaker in communities with a higher proportion of politically cyberactive residents.
Renewable Energy in Algeria: Desire and Possibilities
Authors: Boukli Hacene Mohammed el Amine , Lucache Dorin , Rozale Habib , Chahed Abbes
Published: January 2020

Algeria, like other developing countries, has been committed to promoting the transition to renewable energy for several years. The national government established several laws and attractive subsidies that encouraged various socio-economic entities to use renewable energies and engage in more sustainable practices. Despite these efforts, industrial and private entities have not responded as hoped. To identify the factors that impede government efforts toward sustainable practices, this paper focuses on the two most energy-consuming sectors: building and transport. The analysis reveals that both financial and socio-cultural issues constitute the two main obstructive elements to energy transition in Algeria. This is the first study to be carried out in Algeria on technico-economic difficulties in the application of energy transition towards renewable sources.
Rethinking High-Leverage Practices in Justice-Oriented Ways
Authors: Calabrese Barton Angela , Tan Edna , Birmingham Daniel J.
Published: January 2020

Justice-oriented teaching must address how classroom-based disciplinary learning is shaped by interactions among local practice and systems of privilege and oppression. Our work advances current scholarship on high-leverage practices [HLPs] by emphasizing the need for teaching practices that restructure power relations in classrooms and their intersections with historicized injustice in local practice as a part of disciplinary learning. Drawing upon a critical justice stance, and long-term collaborative work with middle school teachers and youth, we report on empirically driven insights into patterns-in-practice in teaching which yield insight into both what justice-oriented high-leverage practices may be, and the cross-cutting ideals which undergird them. We discuss the patterns-in-practice and their implications for teaching and learning across subject areas: HLPs that work toward equitable and consequential ends need to be understood in terms of the practice itself and its individual and collective impact on classroom life.
Associations Among Trauma Exposure, Callous-Unemotionality, Race or Ethnicity, and Gang Involvement in Justice-Involved Youth
Authors: Mendez Lucybel , Mozley Michaela M. , Kerig Patricia K.
Published: January 2020

The current study examined the association between trauma exposure and gang involvement and whether these interrelations were explained by callous-unemotionality (CU). In addition, the current study examined whether the associations among these variables differed based on race or ethnicity. A sample of 829 justice-involved youth (74% boys, 45% participants of color) recruited from a detention center completed self-report measures of trauma exposure, CU, and gang involvement. A moderated mediation analysis indicated that CU helped explain the association between trauma exposure and gang involvement for non-Hispanic White participants only. In contrast, the direct association between trauma exposure and gang involvement was significant across racial or ethnic groups. These findings highlight the importance of a trauma-informed perspective on intervening and preventing gang involvement among youth.
Fuzzy control design for nonlinear impulsive switched systems using a nonlinear Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model
Authors: Ghalehnoie Mohsen , Akbarzadeh-Tootoonchi Mohammad-Reza , Pariz Naser
Published: January 2020

This paper deals with the fuzzy control design for nonlinear impulsive switched systems modeled by a novel nonlinear Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy structure. To model, this structure only uses some of the nonlinearities as premise variables. So, the derived model has fewer rules compared with the traditional T-S fuzzy models that utilize standard local sector nonlinearity; and accordingly, the number of stability/stabilization conditions is sharply reduced. In our structure, considering only a part of nonlinearities as premise variables causes that some of the local models in the consequent part of the fuzzy rules be nonlinear but with less complexity than the original nonlinear system. As a result, the feasibility of our model’s stability criteria is more than those that one can directly establish for the original nonlinear system. Besides, unlike the existing methods in the literature of impulsive switched systems that aim to permanently reduce the value of Lyapunov function candidates, this paper takes into account this process until trajectories reach a sufficient small region containing the origin. Then, within this region, the size of Lyapunov functions is just controlled at impulse instants. This strategy is useful when there are non-vanishing impulses and/or uncertainties, and it is more relaxed when the goal is ultimate bound stability. Finally, to achieve the stabilizing control signal that ensures practical control issues along with smallest ultimate bound and widest region of attraction, this paper also proposes an optimization problem with linear and bilinear constraints. The simulation results represent the performance of the proposed method.
Hybrid modelling and predictive control of utility-scale variable-speed variable-pitch wind turbines
Authors: Moness Mohammed , Moustafa Ahmed Mahmoud
Published: January 2020

Wind energy has proven to be the highest reliable source of renewables due to the maturity of the technology. Wind turbine (WT) systems are complex systems with undergoing development process that requires innovative methods of design and control. In this paper, WTs are studied through hybrid systems framework. Hybrid models of WT are extracted with representable dynamics from nonlinear complex design code. The WT model is formulated into a mixed-logical dynamical model (MLD) and a piecewise affine (PWA) model. Then, a receding horizon control strategy is applied to WT hybrid model resulting in a hybrid model predictive control (HMPC) with mixed-integer programming (MIP) problem. The performance of the proposed controller is compared against the baseline controller within a simulation environment for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 5MW benchmark WT as a case study. The analysis and investigation of HMPC highlight its capability as a potential tool for exploiting the control objectives of WT systems.
Verbal short-term memory and sentence comprehension in German children and adolescents with Down syndrome: Beware of the task
Authors: Penke Martina , Wimmer Eva
Published: January 2020

In individuals with Down syndrome (DS) deficits in verbal short-term memory (VSTM) and deficits in sentence comprehension co-occur, suggesting that deficits in VSTM might be causal for the deficits in sentence comprehension. The present study aims to explore the presumed relationship between VSTM and sentence comprehension in individuals with DS by specifically targeting the influence of task demands. The authors assessed VSTM skills in 18 German-speaking children/adolescents with DS by a nonword repetition (NWR) test and elicited data from three different tasks on the comprehension of complex sentence structures: two sentence-picture-matching tasks (TROG-D and a passive test) and one picture-pointing task on object wh-questions. Whereas performance in NWR yielded a significant degree of prediction for scores obtained in the TROG-D and in passive comprehension, no significant degree of prediction was found for NWR and object wh-question comprehension. Moreover, implicational scaling analyses indicated that mental-age adequate performance in sentence comprehension did not imply adequate performance in NWR. Research is needed that specifies the relation between memory systems and sentence comprehension while considering the influence of task demands.
The Identity Regulation of Disabled Employees: Unveiling the ‘varieties of ableism’ in employers’ socio-ideological control
Authors: Jammaers Eline , Zanoni Patrizia
Published: January 2020

Conceptualizing organizational representations of disabled workers as a form of socio-ideological control, this study investigates the identity regulation of disabled employees. The comparative analysis of a bank, a labour market intermediary organization and a local public administration unveils distinct ways in which the able-bodied/disabled dichotomy is used to regulate disabled workers’ identity in function of organizational goals and the organization of work: by subsuming them into the ideal employee, by constructing them as the negation of the ideal employee, and by constructing the disabled and the able-bodied employee as distinct and mutually dependent ideal workers. These ‘varieties of ableism’ produce specific understandings of disabled employees that give them differential access to an ideal worker identity, and are resisted in multiple and surprising ways, including reclaiming the ideal worker’s identity and the promised rewards associated with it, and disclosing or hiding one’s embodiment and disability. The study advances the extant knowledge by showing how ableism variously functions as a principle of organizing shaping whom disabled workers are (not) allowed to be in specific organizational settings.
Time Matters! How hybrid organizations use time to respond to divergent stakeholder demands
Authors: Ramus Tommaso , Vaccaro Antonino , Berrone Pascual
Published: January 2020

Researchers have endeavoured to explore how hybrid organizations navigate conflicting institutional demands. Yet, the role of time has often been neglected. We address this oversight through a longitudinal comparative case study, where we investigate how time and stakeholder engagement shape hybrid organizations’ capacity to secure support from stakeholders adhering to different logics. Grounding our insights in the literatures on hybrid organizations and stakeholder management, we reveal how stakeholder demands that appear to be incompatible when analysed from a short-term perspective can be seen as paradoxical when addressed with a long-term perspective. We also find that the development of this paradoxical perspective is facilitated by stakeholder engagement. Finally, we show that a long-term perspective helps hybrid organizations manage symbolic and substantive actions with the appropriate sequence and timing. Together, this evidence contributes to research by providing a better understanding of temporality and how it influences the effectiveness of organizations in responding to divergent stakeholder demands.
Stability and Change in Motherhood Status and Fertility Problem Identification: Implications for Changes in Self-Esteem
Authors: Greil Arthur L. , McQuillan Julia , Richardson Elizabeth , Lowry Michele H. , Slauson-Blevins Kathleen S. , Tiemeyer Stacy M. , Burch Andrea R.
Published: January 2020

Because motherhood is a valued status, the life course perspective and the theory of conjunctural action suggest the following hypotheses: for women in the United States, gaining the valued identity “mother” should lead to an increase in self-esteem, while identification with a fertility problem identity should lead to a decrease in self-esteem. Using the nationally representative two-wave National Survey of Fertility Barriers (NSFB), we conducted change-score analysis with chained multiple imputation (MICE) to model attrition. We compared changes in self-esteem by change and stability in motherhood and self-identified fertility problem status among women who initially had no children. Results provide support for the hypotheses. All but one group—those who no longer identified a problem and who had a baby—had declines in self-esteem. Women who persisted with a fertility problem identity and did not have a baby had the steepest decline in self-esteem.
“Finally Something for Us”: Black Girls Run! and Racialized Space-Making in Recreational Running
Authors: Smith-Tran Alicia
Published: January 2020

This study uses life story interviews to understand the utility of Black Girls Run!—a predominantly Black organization for women who engage in recreational distance running. Drawing from Neckerman, Carter, and Lee’s conceptual framework of the minority culture of mobility, the author suggests that Black Girls Run! serves the purpose of helping its members confront the challenges and repercussions associated with being a racial minority in a majority White space, particularly as they are experienced by middle-class Black women. The author focuses on how the organization (a) allows its members to run with others who look like them, (b) cultivates social connection and community, and (c) facilitates challenging health statistics and shifting dominant narratives about Black women. This study provides a more nuanced understanding of the latent functions of recreational sporting organizations catered to middle-class people of color.
Parental Support and Children’s Body Weight: Mediating Effects of Health Behaviors
Authors: Park So Hyun , Park Hanjong
Published: January 2020

This study examined the indirect effect of parental support for physical activity on children’s body weight through physical activity and screen time. We also compared the results between children with correct body weight perception and those with incorrect body weight perception. A secondary data analysis was performed using the 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey of 11,458 U.S. high school students. Data analyses were conducted using Mplus 8.3 and AMOS 26.0. One third of children were overweight or obese. Physical activity and screen time significantly mediated the relationship between parental support for physical activity and children’s body weight regardless of body weight perception. Parental support for physical activity had a direct effect on children’s body weight only among children who incorrectly estimate their body weight. Developers of childhood obesity programs can use the direct and indirect pathways between parental support and children’s health-related behaviors associated with childhood obesity.