bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Joint Mobility and Physical Function of Danish Hemophilia Patients: A Three-Wave Panel Study Spanning 24 Years
Authors: Schnohr Christina , Bacher Theis , Andersen Terkel , Lehrmann Lars , Funding Eva , Poulsen Lone Hvitfeldt , Holm Karen Binger , Bjorner Jakob B.
Published: November 2018

Background: The positive effects of factor treatment of hemophilia are well established, but the long-term outcomes are not well documented. This panel study evaluated changes in bleeding frequency, joint mobility, physical function, and symptoms in Danish patients with moderate to severe hemophilia A or B over 24 years. Methods: Three anonymous surveys were conducted in 1988, 2001, and 2012 targeting Danish patients with moderate to severe hemophilia, and the study participants, respectively, were 128, 156, and 164 male patients with hemophilia (PWH). The number of bleeding episodes, the use of factor concentrate, comorbidities, joint mobility, physical function, and symptoms were evaluated by means of self-reporting. Trends over time were analyzed using ordinal and multinomial logistic-regression models controlling for age group. Results: The proportion of PWH in the oldest age group (55–88 years) increased from 4% in 1988 to 18% in 2012. In 1988, a high risk of bleeding episodes was primarily found in the age group of 16–34 years. In 2012, a high risk was primarily found in the age group of 35–54 years. Joint mobility and physical function increased significantly from 1988 to 2012 but showed a noticeable decrement in the older age groups, even in 2012. Pain in the extremities, anxiety, and depression decreased significantly, but back pain increased. No significant changes were found for 7 other symptoms. Conclusions: Significant improvements in joint mobility and physical function have occurred over the last 24 years, but PWH > 35 years still experience a decline in these areas with age. This decline underscores the importance of life-long treatment and continuous rehabilitation of PWH.
MiR-202-5p Promotes M2 Polarization in Allergic Rhinitis by Targeting MATN2
Authors: Wang Li , Liu Xueyan , Song Xicheng , Dong Lei , Liu Dawei
Published: November 2018

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of MiR-202-5p on macrophages involved in allergic rhinitis. Methods: Thirty allergic rhinitis patients and 10 healthy controls were recruited. Nasal lavage was utilized to collect mucosal tissues and mucus-derived macrophages. Flow cytometry was used to detect and sort type 2 macrophages, and qRT-PCR and Western blot were adopted to determine the expression of miR-202-5p and MATN2. Luciferase reporter assay and biotin-RNA pulldown were performed to testify the direct binding of miR-202-5p with MATN2. MATN2 was further overexpressed to test its effect on M2 polarization. Results: miR-202-5p, which can promote M2 polarization, was highly expressed in allergic rhinitis mucosal tissues and macrophages compared with the healthy controls. MATN2 could be directly targeted by miR-202-5p and can reverse miR-202-5p-mediated M2 phenotype polarization in allergic rhinitis. Conclusions: miR-202-5p could target MATN2 to induce M2 polarization involved in allergic rhinitis.
Hospital Volume and Mortality following Diagnostic Bronchoscopy in Lung Cancer Patients: Data from a National Inpatient Database in Japan
Authors: Hiraishi Yoshihisa , Jo Taisuke , Michihata Nobuaki , Hasegawa Wakae , Sakamoto Yukiyo , Urushiyama Hirokazu , Matsui Hiroki , Fushimi Kiyohide , Nagase Takahide , Yasunaga Hideo , Yamauchi Yasuhiro
Published: November 2018

Background: Recent advances in bronchoscopy utilizing endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) as well as lung cancer therapy may have driven physicians to perform diagnostic bronchoscopy (DB) for high-risk patients. Objectives: The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between hospital volume (HV) and outcomes of DB. Methods: We collected data on inpatients with lung cancer who underwent DB from July 2010 to March 31, 2014. The annual HV of DB was classified as “very low” (≤50 cases/year), “low” (51–100 cases/year), “high” (101–300 cases/year), or “very high” (> 300 cases/year). The primary outcome was all-cause 7-day mortality after DB. Multivariable logistic regression fitted with a generalized estimation equation was performed to evaluate the association between HV and all-cause 7-day mortality after DB, adjusted for patient background factors. Results: We identified a total of 77,755 eligible patients in 954 hospitals. All-cause 7-day mortality was 0.5%. Compared with the low-volume group, 7-day mortality was significantly lower in the high-volume group (odds ratio [OR] = 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52–0.92, p = 0.010), and a similar trend was shown in the very-high-volume group (OR = 0.67; 95% CI: 0.43–1.05, p = 0.080). Radial EBUS with the guide sheath method and EBUS-guided transbronchial needle aspiration showed a significantly lower 7-day mortality. Conclusions: All-cause 7-day mortality was inversely associated with HV. The risk of DB in patients with lung cancer should be recognized, and the exploitation of EBUS may help reduce mortality after DB.
Optimal Biopsy Protocol to Evaluate Histological Effectiveness of Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy in Patients with Eosinophilic Esophagitis
Authors: Fujiwara Yasuhiro , Hashimoto Atsushi , Uemura Risa , Sawada Akinari  , Otani Koji , Tanaka Fumio , Yamagami Hirokazu , Tanigawa Tetsuya , Watanabe Toshio , Kabata Daijiro , Kuwae Yuko , Shintani Ayumi , Ohsawa Masahiko
Published: November 2018

Objective: Recent guidelines propose that both proton pump inhibitor (PPI) responders and nonresponders are included in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Although multiple biopsies should be required to diagnose EoE because of patchy distribution of esophageal eosinophils, it is unclear whether multiple biopsies are required to evaluate histological effectiveness of PPI therapy. This study aimed to determine the optimal biopsy protocol after PPI therapy in patients with EoE. Methods: Of 110 EoE patients, 22 PPI nonresponders were enrolled. Intraepithelial eosinophils were counted in areas of high density in multiple biopsy specimens after PPI therapy. The prevalence of esophageal eosinophilia and peak eosinophil counts after PPI therapy was analyzed according to the biopsy sites and endoscopic findings. Positive predictive value (PPV) was calculated according to the number of biopsies. Results: Of 124 biopsies, 59 (47.6%) specimens showed esophageal eosinophilia (≥15 per high-power field). Eosinophil counts were significantly higher in specimens from the lower esophagus than in those from the upper esophagus but not in those from the middle esophagus. Prevalence of esophageal eosinophilia was 76.2, 40.9, and 24.3% in the lower, middle, and upper esophagus respectively. PPI nonresponders were diagnosed in all cases with 4 biopsy specimens obtained from the lower and middle esophagus, showing that PPV for non-effectiveness of PPI therapy was 0.910 (95% CI 0.773–1.000). The prevalence of esophageal eosinophilia and peak eosinophil counts was higher in cases with white plaques and linear furrows. Conclusion: Multiple biopsies should be required to evaluate histological effectiveness of PPI therapy in patients with EoE. Four biopsies from the lower and middle esophagus may be sufficient.
The Impact of Cerebral Atherosclerosis According to Location on Prognosis after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Authors: Lee Eun-Jae , Chung Cheol-Hyun , Choi Kyoung-Hyo , Lee Jae-Won , Choo Suk-Jung , Jung Sung-Ho , Kang Dong-Wha , Kim Jong S. , Kwon Sun U.
Published: November 2018

Background: In the previous prospective observational study, we found that cerebral atherosclerosis is an independent predictor of acute stroke after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, it is unknown whether intracranial cerebral atherosclerosis (ICAS) is important as much as extracranial cerebral atherosclerosis (ECAS) in estimating the risk of post-CABG adverse events. Extending the previous study, we aimed to investigate the immediate and long-term prognostic value of the location of cerebral atherosclerosis in CABG patients. Methods: This follow-up study of previously reported prospective cohort included 1,367 consecutive patients who received CABG between 2004 and 2007. All patients underwent preoperative magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) to assess intracranial and ECAS, both defined by significant steno-occlusion (≥50%). Participants were classified into 4 groups according to the location of cerebral atherosclerosis: no cerebral atherosclerosis, ECAS only, ICAS only, and ECAS + ICAS. Post-CABG stroke within 14 days (immediate outcome) and mortality (long-term outcome) following CABG were compared between the groups. Survival data for all participants through June 2016 were obtained from the Korean National Registry of Vital Statistics. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of post-CABG stroke and mortality; patients lacking cerebral atherosclerosis were defined as the reference group. Results: The median follow-up duration after CABG was 9.2 years (interquartile range 8.4–10.2 years). Of the participants, 278 (20.3%) patients had ICAS only, while 269 (19.7%) and 347 (25.4%) showed ECAS only and ECAS + ICAS, respectively, in their preoperative MRA. Having ICAS only (HR 5.07; 95% CI 1.37–18.75; p = 0.015) and having ECAS + ICAS (HR 8.43; 95% CI, 2.48–28.61; p = 0.001) independently predicted the immediate stroke, whereas being with ECAS only did not (HR 1.71; 95% CI 0.35–8.50; p = 0.509). Conversely, ICAS-only status was not independently associated with long-term mortality (HR 1.22; 95% CI 0.90–1.65; p = 0.207), whereas ECAS-only status (HR 1.42; 95% CI 1.05–1.90; p = 0.021) and ECAS + ICAS status (HR 1.58; 95% CI 1.20–2.07; p = 0.001) showed independent associations. Conclusions: Over 10 years of follow-up, cerebral atherosclerosis significantly associated with the development of adverse outcomes after CABG. The prognostic value of ICAS might be different from that of ECAS; immediate post-CABG stroke was more closely associated with ICAS, whereas there was a closer association between long-term post-CABG mortality and ECAS.
Genistein Modifies Hamster Behavior and Expression of Inflammatory Factors following Subchronic Unpredictable Mild Stress
Authors: Alò Raffaella , Zizza Merylin , Fazzari Gilda , Facciolo Rosa Maria , Canonaco Marcello
Published: November 2018

Background: Previous studies have pointed to the protective role of genistein against stress adaptations although neuromolecular mechanisms are not yet fully known. With this work, we evaluated the influence of such a phytoestrogen on hamster behavioral and molecular activities following exposure to subchronic unpredictable mild stress. Methods: The motor behaviors of hamsters (n = 28) were analyzed using elevated plus maze (EPM) test, hole board (HB) test, and forced swim test (FST). In addition, neurodegeneration events were assessed with amino cupric silver stain, while expression variations of tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB), nuclear factor kappa-B1 (NF-κB1), and heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) mRNAs were highlighted in limbic neuronal fields via in situ hybridization. Results: Genistein accounted for increased motor performances in EPM and HB tests but reduced immobility during FST, which were correlated with diminished argyrophilic signals in some limbic neuronal fields. Contextually, upregulated Hsp70 and TrkB mRNAs occurred in hippocampal (HIP) and hypothalamic neuronal fields. Conversely, diminished NF-κB1 levels were mainly obtained in HIP. Conclusion: Hormonal neuroprotective properties of genistein corroborating anxiolytic and antidepressant role(s) through elevated expression levels of stress proteins and trophic factors may constitute novel therapeutic measures against emotional and stress-related motor performances.
Glucocorticoids, Noradrenergic Arousal, and the Control of Memory Retrieval
Authors: Zerbes Gundula , Kausche Franziska Magdalena , Müller Jana Christina , Wiedemann Klaus , Schwabe Lars
Published: November 2018

Glucocorticoids and noradrenaline can enhance memory consolidation but impair memory retrieval. Beyond their effects on quantitative memory performance, these major stress mediators bias the engagement of multiple memory systems toward “habitual” control during learning. However, if and how glucocorticoids and noradrenaline may also affect which memory system is recruited during recall, thereby affecting the control of retrieval, remain largely unknown. To address these questions, we trained healthy participants in a probabilistic classification learning task, which can be supported both by cognitive and habitual strategies. Approximately 24 hr later, participants received a placebo, hydrocortisone, yohimbine (an α2-adrenoceptor antagonist increasing noradrenergic stimulation), or both drugs before they completed a recall test for the probabilistic classification learning task. During training, all groups showed a practice-dependent shift toward more habitual strategies, reflecting an “automatization” of behavior. In the recall test, after a night of sleep, this automatization was even more pronounced in the placebo group, most likely due to offline consolidation processes and with beneficial effects on recall performance. Hydrocortisone or yohimbine intake abolished this further automatization, preventing the shift to a more efficient memory system and leading, in particular in the hydrocortisone group, to impaired recall performance. Our results suggest that glucocorticoids and noradrenergic stimulation may modulate the engagement of different strategies at recall and link the well-known stress hormone-induced retrieval deficit to a change in the system controlling memory retrieval.
The First Successful Climate Negligence Case: A Comment on Urgenda Foundation v. The State of the Netherlands (Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment)
Authors: Lin Jolene
Published: November 2018

On 24 June 2015, the Hague District Court issued a long-awaited judgment in the case of Urgenda Foundation v. The State of the Netherlands. The decision has been heralded as a historical landmark ruling. It marks the first time that a court has ordered a government to curb a state’s greenhouse gas emissions. It is also the first case in which the tort of negligence has been successfully used to hold a state liable for failing to adequately mitigate climate change. This case commentary analyses key aspects of the decision and makes some observations about its significance for climate law and policy.
The Paris Agreement and the Gradual Development of a Law on Climate Finance
Authors: Zahar Alexander
Published: November 2018

The article discusses the changes to the field of climate finance law contained in the Paris Outcome, consisting of the Paris Agreement treaty text and the cop Decision adopting the treaty. The changes are mainly of a procedural kind and relate to reporting and review of climate finance supplied or received, and to mechanisms that raise climate finance. The substantive part (i.e. the obligations on the amount to be supplied, which rest with developed countries only) is left largely unchanged by the Paris Outcome, although for the first time in a climate treaty, state obligations relating to climate finance are linked to avoidance of the 2°C warming threshold.
Reading Between the Red Lines: Loss and Damage and the Paris Outcome
Authors: Burkett Maxine
Published: November 2018

For the least-developed countries and small-island states, excluding a standalone provision for loss and damage in the Paris Agreement constituted a red line, one that the negotiating groups refused to cross. For the developed world—and the United States in particular—any possible pathway to liability and compensation that a loss-and-damage provision might introduce was an equally bright and impassable red line. In the end, negotiators remained steadfast. Both lines remained more or less unbreached, and compromise language emerged in the Paris Outcome.1 This article describes the process leading up to the Outcome, the language included in the loss-and-damage provision and its implications, and identifies questions that remain. In particular, the absence of a clear funding stream, the treatment of climate-related displacement, and questions regarding compensation for climate impacts are not completely resolved. These are, perhaps, the most compelling, confounding, and impactful elements of the loss-and-damage debate thus far. Based on the conclusion of the Paris cop, they are likely continue to animate the loss-and-damage discussion for the foreseeable future.
Contrasting Emission Trading in the eu and China: An Exploration of the Role of the Courts
Authors: Peeters Marjan , Chen Huizhen , Li Zhiping
Published: November 2018

China and the eu have both engaged in formulating climate laws in order to contribute to a global reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The focus of both is on emission trading. This instrument is designed and implemented according to very different political and legal systems in China and the eu. The rule of law in the eu is understood to mean that access to the judicial system for those affected by the emission-trading scheme is crucial. This can be illustrated by the emergence of a large body of case law on the issue. China, by contrast, is still in the process of building a governance system based on the rule of law, and thereby faces the challenge of setting up a court system that will act independently of a powerful government. While in the eu industries may launch a legal action in order to acquire a more profitable position on the allocation of emission allowances, in China it is still an open question whether industries covered by the emission-trading scheme will be permitted to take their case to court. How does this difference affect the functioning of the instrument in the two jurisdictions? In the eu, so far, the environmental effectiveness of the emission-trading scheme does not appear to have been negatively impacted by court proceedings initiated by industry. While the powerful role of the government in environmental protection in China could be valuable for the achievement of environmental aims, weak judicial control of governmental action could mean either a strict implementation of emission reductions or a lenient approach that tolerates a flexible, less ambitious, implementation.
Public Procurement and Biofuel Sustainability Criteria: Is There a Link?
Authors: Jansson Max Salomon
Published: November 2018

eu member states promote renewable energy in accordance with the provisions of the Renewable Energy Directive (red). The directive includes fully harmonized sustainability criteria for biofuels. These criteria apply, however, only when biofuel production and consumption are incentivized through financial support or schemes with renewable-energy obligations. The objective of this article is to explore the potential relevance of the sustainability criteria in the context of public procurement, e.g. when a public authority prioritizes the use of biofuels in transport services it purchases and wishes to include certain sustainability criteria. I conclude that red’s sustainability criteria would not apply to most models of sustainable public procurement. With this comes the risk that biofuels are promoted in public procurement in contradiction to the ideals reflected in red. Hence, changes to eu biofuel law should be considered, perhaps even drawing from life-cycle models developed in procurement law.
The Contribution of State-Owned Enterprises to Climate Change Mitigation in China
Authors: Mayer Benoit , Rajavuori Mikko , Fang Mandy Meng
Published: November 2018

China plans the implementation of a nationwide market-based mechanism for greenhouse gas mitigation, appearing thus to replicate the method used most notably in the European Union to price greenhouse gas emissions. However, China’s new mechanism represents only be the tip of the mitigation iceberg. Banking on the unique characteristics of a socialist market economy, China’s government has largely relied on State-Owned Enterprises as a tool for implementing rapid change. In this article, we discuss the role played by Chinese soes to advance the country’s ambitious mitigation objectives. After a general description of the incentives created for emission limitation and energy saving through soe supervision, we highlight the corresponding efforts made in the fossil-fuel, power-generation, and other key mitigation sectors.
An Analysis of China’s Legal and Policy Framework for the Sustainability of Foreign Forest Carbon Projects
Authors: Xu Yixin
Published: November 2018

China’s policymakers regard forest carbon sequestration as one of the most cost-effective ways to combat climate change. Yet, scholars argue that foreign forest carbon projects in developing countries are environmentally and socially unsustainable. This paper explores China’s policy and legal framework for the sustainability of forest carbon projects that utilize international carbon-certification schemes. It finds that while China’s government has set ambitious climate goals for the forest sector, the applicable regulations are not comprehensively developed, and risks of unsustainability exist in practice. The government should undertake comprehensive institutional reform, including reform to establish implementation regulations for redd projects, adjust laws on forest and land to address climate risks, set up regulatory social-impact assessments, and create a greater demand for private forest sustainability assessments.
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Progress and Obstacles in Environmental Public-Interest Litigation under China’s New Environmental Law: An Analysis of Cases Accepted and Heard in 2015
Authors: Gong Gu , An Ran
Published: November 2018

Article 58 of China’s Environmental Protection Law 2014 (epl) makes up for the earlier inadequacy of China’s environmental public-interest litigation (envpil), but its actual efficacy needs to be tested in practice. An analysis of the 38 cases accepted and heard in 2015 shows that envpil has indeed experienced some development since the epl came into force. Significant progress has been made in terms of the number and scope of cases accepted, range of plaintiffs and defendants, completion rates, the trial mechanism, and jurisdiction. However, there are still many problems relating to the acceptance and hearing of cases, the role of environmental protection tribunals, the selection criteria for cases, the identification of plaintiffs’ qualifications, and the determination of legal liability. Institutional factors, rather than legal texts, determine the future of China’s envpil. Overall, however, the developments are positive. This is important for all areas of environmental law in China, including the country’s still nascent climate change law.
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Current Legal Developments Climate Change and the Constitutional Obligation to Protect Natural Resources: The Pennsylvania Atmospheric Trust Litigation
Authors: Varvaštian Samvel
Published: November 2018

When it comes to climate litigation, environmental plaintiffs in the United States have demonstrated a remarkable ingenuity in terms of utilizing various legal avenues to compensate for the persisting regulatory gaps. In the last few years, the public trust doctrine and constitutional law have been present among these, in an attempt to put the risks associated with climate change on the map of human rights in relation to the environment and natural resources. However, despite a nationwide occurrence of such lawsuits, courts have been cautious in their approach to them. Similar lawsuits have emerged outside the United States, in Europe and Asia, demonstrating some viability. This analysis addresses the recent litigation in Pennsylvania, where petitioners asked the court to order the state government to take action on climate change and to declare such action a constitutional obligation under the state’s Constitution.
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Reimagining Relocation in a Regulatory Void: The Inadequacy of Existing us Federal and State Regulatory Responses to Kivalina’s Climate Displacement in the Alaskan Arctic
Authors: Marlow Jennifer J. , Sancken Lauren E.
Published: November 2018

Relocation requires reimagining the role of law and policy in assisting community relocation planning in predisaster contexts. For decades, the 467-person Inupiaq whaling village of Kivalina, Alaska, has navigated agency-led relocation processes and sought legal remedies to pursue relocation as a comprehensive means of addressing overcrowding, inadequate water and sanitation services, and the impacts of climate change on permafrost and coastline stability. Despite Kivalina’s highly successful efforts to create media and public awareness of its situation, no actionable relocation plans have emerged out of Kivalina’s formal engagement with traditional legal and policy avenues. This article examines three issues: (1) Kivalina’s current efforts to relocate within the context of its colonial past; (2) the limited us federal and state regulatory mechanisms available to Kivalina and other displaced Arctic tribal communities; and (3) ad hoc models that embrace the complexity of self-reliant relocation in predisaster contexts.
Towards an Effective Mechanism to Facilitate Implementation and Promote Compliance under the Paris Agreement
Authors: Oberthür Sebastian , Northrop Eliza
Published: November 2018

The article explores key aspects of the modalities and procedures of the Committee to facilitate implementation and promote compliance under Article 15 of the Paris Agreement. It focuses on five main issues under discussion in the international negotiations: overarching guidance to the Committee; the Committee’s functions; the scope of its mandate; the way in which matters may be referred to the Committee and proceedings initiated; and the outputs and measures available to the Committee. While recognizing the particular context and unique features of the Paris Agreement, our analysis draws on the experience available from several existing committees under other meas. In identifying design options for ensuring the Committee’s effective operation, we emphasize the importance of a balance of three main elements: the inclusion of an administrative non-party referral option based on information generated through the transparency framework under Article 13 of the Agreement or collected by the Secretariat; a full-range portfolio of facilitative measures; and several elements of overarching operational guidance to provide boundaries to the Committee’s discretion.
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The continuing importance of climate change litigation
Authors: Osofsky Hari M.
Published: November 2018

This article analyses the ongoing role of climate change litigation as part of transnational efforts to address the problem. The article begins by examining the impacts of the litigation thus far, and mapping its ongoing role. It considers the litigation’s effect on governmental regulatory decision-making, corporate behavior, and public understanding of the problem. The article then builds upon this examination by exploring climate litigation’s influence upon particular actors at different levels of government over time. It argues that climate change litigation provides a valuable complement to other law and policy efforts because it fosters needed interaction across levels of government and different time periods. The article next engages these scalar dynamics more deeply through a diagonal federalism approach, which focuses on the disputes’ simultaneous vertical and horizontal elements. It applies a taxonomy of diagonal regulatory approaches to two examples of climate change litigation stemming from the US Clean Air Act, and considers the implications of that analysis for understanding the cases’ regulatory role. The article concludes by reflecting upon the continuing importance of this litigation in influencing the behavior of key public and private actors.
Verifying greenhouse gas emissions of Annex I parties: Methods we have and methods we want
Authors: Zahar Alexander
Published: November 2018

Despite the hopeful prediction in the New York Times story, we are very far from being able to use satellites to verify compliance with the Kyoto Protocol’s caps on greenhouse gas emissions of Annex I states. The problem is not only one of insufficiently developed or installed technology. “Satellite verification” would also mean changing the current system of reporting-and-review of state emissions, opening it up to independent scrutiny, and making it less forgiving of state evasiveness and ambiguity about emissions than it is now. Some states will be interested in this proposal and others will not. In any event, the current MRV system, built on bottom-up state reporting, will remain the dominant framework of international GHG emissions knowledge for the foreseeable future. To safeguard its own credibility, it must progressively be strengthened. In this article I outline the existing verification regime’s main shortcomings and argue that the most efficient way around them is to incorporate into the current MRV system top-down (satellite and surface) measurements, resolved by modeling software at the state level, and produced by independent scientific experts in cooperation with the UNFCCC.
Assessing adaptive capacity of institutions to climate change: A comparative case study of the Dutch Wadden Sea and the Venice Lagoon
Authors: Munaretto Stefania , Klostermann Judith E. M.
Published: November 2018

In this study we assess the adaptive capacity of relevant institutions for ecosystems and environmental management in two complex systems: the Dutch Wadden Sea and the Venice Lagoon. A new tool called the Adaptive Capacity Wheel (ACW) is used to diagnose strengths and weaknesses in the institutional systems in these two areas. An overview of both strengths and weaknesses leads to a better understanding of the system of governance and enhances the discussion of how it can be improved. The ACW identifies six dimensions that are relevant for the adaptive capacity of a society, according to the literature on climate adaptation and governance. They are variety, learning capacity, room for autonomous change, leadership, availability of resources, and fair governance. Then, we compare the two cases drawing attention to the physical and institutional similarities and differences that could explain the level of adaptive capacity we found. In this study, the physical and economic characteristics of the two regions proved to be quite similar, while the institutional system was very different. These two different governance systems, however, lead to a similarly low level of adaptive capacity. In theWadden, decision processes are slowed down because of a lack of authority and leadership. On the dimension of learning, the Wadden case scores positively. In Venice, lack of cooperation and accountability limit learning. Venice scores well on the autonomous ability to change. We conclude that in both cases there is a lot to be improved and that the two regions can learn from each other. Venice could, for example, improve learning with structures similar to those in theWadden, such as theWadden Academy. TheWadden area could learn from Venice about how to inform the larger public on potential flooding.
Mainstreaming climate adaptation in Kenya
Authors: Oulu Martin O.
Published: November 2018

Mainstreaming climate change adaptation into policies and development planning processes is widely acknowledged and advocated as an important means of addressing the myriad impacts of climate change.Kenya, like many developing countries, is very vulnerable to climate change and urgently needs to adapt. However, the country’s adaptation mainstreaming efforts are still nascent and largely insufficient. Through a literature review and key informant interviews, this paper identifies Kenya’s potential climateadaptation mainstreaming entry-points and investigates the normative, organizational, and procedural mainstreaming strategies employed. This is done from a horizontal Climate Policy Integration perspective. Three potential mainstreaming entry-points, among them Kenya Vision 2030, the current development blueprint, are identified. The results indicate that while political commitment to, and strategic vision on, climate adaptation is present as exemplified by high-profile champions and the development of the National Climate Change Response Strategy, institutional set-ups remain fragmented and inadequate. Of particular importance is the need to anchor coordination efforts for climate change adaptation in a highlevel and cross-sectoral office. Ex-ante assessment procedures, such as Strategic Environment Assessment and Environment Impact Assessment, should incorporate robust climate vulnerability assessments and adaptation requirements.
Carbon capture and storage in the CDM: Finding its place among climate mitigation options?
Authors: Doelle Meinhard , Lukaweski Emily
Published: November 2018

The climate negotiations in Durban, South Africa, concluded seven years of international negotiations on the role of carbon capture and storage in the Clean Development Mechanism. This article considers the resulting Durban CCS rules in light of the state of CCS technologies, their place among the range of climate mitigation options, and the resulting challenges, opportunities, and uncertainties surrounding the role of CCS. Eight principles that should guide the use of CCS in the CDM are proposed, and the Durban rules are assessed against them.
A very real and practical contribution? Lessons from the Kalimantan Forests and Climate Partnership
Authors: Olbrei Erik , Howes Stephen
Published: November 2018

On 9 September 2007, Australian government ministers and the Indonesian president announced a A$100 million Kalimantan Forests and Climate Partnership (KFCP). This would involve protecting 70,000 hectares of peat forests, reflooding 200,000 hectares of dried peatland, and planting 100 million trees in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Since then, the ambitions of the KFCP have been quietly but drastically scaled back. The area expected to be reflooded by the project is now just over 10 per cent of the original target. And little progress has been made on the ground. Four years on, blocking of the large canals required for reflooding has yet to commence, and only 50,000 trees have been planted. What has happened to what was labelled at its launch as “a very real and very practical contribution”, one that would yield “immediate and tangible results”? We analyse the KFCP both as an aid “announceable” and as a REDD project, and reach two main conclusions. First, the KFCP illustrates the damage that an emphasis on “announcing” new projects, and a lack of attention to reporting on project progress, can cause to aid. Not enough has been done to publicly reposition the KFCP as a much smaller, demonstration project.
Balancing climate change mitigation and environmental protection interests in the EU Directive on carbon capture and storage
Authors: Montini Massimiliano , Orlando Emanuela
Published: November 2018

The EU Climate and Energy Package highlights the potential contradictions between the climate change imperative of reducing GHGs emissions and the importance to maintain environmental integrity. While the package supports climate change mainstreaming, it remains to be seen to what extent it succeeds in achieving internal environmental integration between climate change mitigation and other environmentprotection objectives. Directive 2009/31/EC on the capture and geological storage of carbon dioxide (hereinafter the CCS Directive) offers a paradigmatic example of this potential conflict. One of the main regulatory challenges arising from the CCS Directive relates to finding the proper balance between the different interests involved and the not-fully-consistent objectives of environmental protection, climate change mitigation, and energy security. The present article will discuss this regulatory challenge and examine how the CCS Directive’s regulatory framework for CCS permits a combination of the various interests at stake and the giving of proper weight to concerns about environmental protection. The role that the precautionary principle in conjunction with the proportionality principle may have in balancing climate change mitigation and environment-protection interests will be considered.
A new species of Plaubelia Bridel (Pottiaceae, Bryophyta) from India
Authors: ASTHANA A.K. , SRIVASTAVA ANKITA
Published: November 2018

The genus Plaubelia Bridel has been identified at Shillong (Meghalaya) for the first time in India. Interestingly the plants are distinctly different from hitherto known species of the genus hence described here as P. khasiana sp. nov. It is characterized by rosulate habit of plants, leaves appressed falcate when moist, upper leaves larger than the lower leaves, broad at middle, leaf margin crenulate, involute up to middle, apex subacute to apiculate, costa ending below the apex and the presence of oval or round gemmae.
Taxonomic note of Parnassia (Celastraceae) in China: the identity of P. wightiana
Authors: WANG YI-PING , CHEN SHAN , SHU YU-MIN , LI BO , WU DING
Published: November 2018

Based on examination of both herbarium specimens (including the types) and living plants, and analysis of protologues and distributions, Parnassia chengkouensis and P. dilatata are found to be conspecific with P. wightiana, a species widespread from North India to South China and North Thailand. Therefore, the two names are reduced to the synonymy of P. wightiana.
Eremocaulon triramis (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae: Guaduinae): a new species from the Atlantic rainforest of the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil
Authors: JESUS-COSTA CRISTIELLE DE , CLARK LYNN G. , SANTOS-GONÇALVES ANA PAULA , LONDOÑO XIMENA
Published: November 2018

An unusual new species of Eremocaulon, a Neotropical woody bamboo genus, is here described and illustrated. Eremocaulon triramis occurs in dense ombrophilous forest and is apparently endemic to Espírito Santo state, Brazil. The diameter and indument of the culms, number of branches in the branch complement, and occurrence of two different forms of fimbriae on the foliage leaves allow this taxon to be recognized as distinct from its congeners, even in the vegetative condition. Reproductively, E. triramis differs from its congeners in having laminiferous subtending bracts in the pseudospikelets and four stamens. Illustrations, photos, a detailed description, comments on morphology, habitat, distribution, and conservation status are provided, as well as a key to all species of Eremocaulon.
Second species of unusual leafhopper genus Univagris (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from India
Authors: RAJGOPAL N. N. , MESHRAM NARESH M.
Published: November 2018

A new leafhopper species, Univagris tenebra sp. nov., is described and illustrated from India (Himachal Pradesh: Banjar). Detailed photographic illustrations, an annotated checklist and key to the species along with photographic illustrations for Univagris pallida Virakthamath & Murthy are provided.
Local Toxicity of Topically Administrated Thermoresponsive Systems: In Vitro Studies with In Vivo Correlation
Authors: Yogev Sivan , Shabtay-Orbach Ayelet , Nyska Abraham , Mizrahi Boaz
Published: November 2018

Thermoresponsive materials have the ability to respond to a small change in temperature—a property that makes them useful in a wide range of applications and medical devices. Although very promising, there is only little conclusive data about the cytotoxicity and tissue toxicity of these materials. This work studied the biocompatibility of three Food and Drug Administration approved thermoresponsive polymers: poly( N-isopropyl acrylamide), poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(propylene glycol)-poly(ethylene glycol) tri-block copolymer, and poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) and poly(ethylene glycol) tri-block copolymer. Fibroblast NIH 3T3 and HaCaT keratinocyte cells were used for the cytotoxicity testing and a mouse model for the in vivo evaluation. In vivo results generally showed similar trends as the results seen in vitro, with all tested materials presenting a satisfactory biocompatibility in vivo. pNIPAM, however, showed the highest toxicity both in vitro and in vivo, which was explained by the release of harmful monomers and impurities. More data focusing on the biocompatibility of novel thermoresponsive biomaterials will facilitate the use of existing and future medical devices.
Relationship Between Sleep Quality, Depression Symptoms, and Blood Glucose in Pregnant Women
Authors: Ahmed Azza H. , Hui Sun , Crodian Jennifer , Plaut Karen , Haas David , Zhang Lingsong , Casey Theresa
Published: November 2018

Sleep quality during pregnancy affects maternal/child health. We aimed to assess changes in sleep quality during pregnancy and determine its relationship to maternal mood, blood glucose, and work schedule among primiparous women. We conducted a prospective/longitudinal/observational study. Ninety-two pregnant women were recruited from Midwestern hospital. Mood and sleep quality data were collected using Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale/Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index at Gestational Weeks 22 and 32. Forty-three women completed the study. Twenty-six women (63%) were African American and the mean age was 23.64 ( SD = 3.82) years. Rate of poor sleep quality increased during pregnancy with 25% of women had scores indicative of depression symptoms. Poor sleep quality score was related to mood scores ( p < .05) and work schedule. Blood glucose was not significantly related to sleep duration. In conclusion, poor sleep quality during pregnancy was associated with poor mood and work schedule, suggesting that interventions targeting mental health and lifestyles are needed.
Being on the same wavelength: Behavioral synchrony between partners and its influence on the experience of intimacy
Authors: Sharon-David Hilla , Mizrahi Moran , Rinott Michal , Golland Yulia , Birnbaum Gurit E.
Published: November 2018

Although coordination between partners has been considered in the clinical literature as an indication of intimate relationships, the influence of simple motor synchrony on the experience of intimacy has not been established yet. Four studies examined whether synchrony, temporal alignment of simple motor periodic behaviors between partners, instilled a sense of intimacy. In Study 1, same-sex strangers discussed positive or neutral events while their motion synchrony and experiences of intimacy were measured. In Study 2, same-sex strangers pedaled bicycles in either synchronous or asynchronous rhythms while discussing personal events and then rated how intimate they felt. Studies 3 and 4 examined whether the effect of synchronization would generalize to perceptions of intimacy and desire among romantically involved heterosexual participants. Results showed that key aspects of intimacy were associated with synchrony or were higher following synchronized versus unsynchronized interactions, suggesting that synchrony serves as a nonverbal mechanism that promotes closeness in intimate situations.
Integrating strategies from three predominant theories regarding romantic partner support of weight loss
Authors: Dailey René M.
Published: November 2018

Three theories are predominantly used to assess romantic partner support of individuals’ weight loss: self-determination, social control, and confirmation. Because all theories highlight partner strategies as a primary theoretical element and involve strategies that appear to overlap, the current study sought to create an overarching measure of partner support strategies. Study 1 assessed the items from scales across all three theories, and three overarching strategies emerged: encouragement (e.g., reassurances, understanding, praises), instrumental influence (e.g., requests, reminders, modeling), and coercion (e.g., affection withdrawal, judgment). Study 2 assessed the measurement, predictive, and concurrent validity of this three-strategy scale. Results suggested the three overarching strategies and their combinations explained more variance in weight management variables than the strategies of the individual theories. The goal of this research is not to critique the individual theories or measures but to channel research in this area, thereby expediting progress in combatting obesity.
Switch-associated adverse events: focus on olanzapine
Authors: Xu Lily , Krishnaswamy Saroja
Published: November 2018

Objectives:

Switching between different antipsychotic therapies is a frequent occurrence in the management of patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. This paper provides a review of the principles of antipsychotic switching and discusses pharmacological principles underlying adverse events that occur while switching olanzapine to another antipsychotic medication. It offers suggestions for management of switch-associated adverse events in clinical settings.

Conclusions:

Few publications explore olanzapine switch-related adverse events, the underlying pharmacological principles and appropriate switching strategies to minimise the risk of adverse events. There is still a need for further studies to verify existing knowledge and assist in the development of ‘gold standard’ guidelines that outline appropriate switching strategies and duration of the switching process to reduce and avoid adverse events.
Recent Updates in the Pharmacological Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock: A Systematic Review Focused on Fluid Resuscitation, Vasopressors, and Corticosteroids
Authors: Allen John M. , Feild Carinda , Shoulders Bethany R. , Voils Stacy A.
Published: November 2018

Objective: Describe recent developments in the pharmacological management of sepsis and septic shock, focusing on fluid resuscitation, vasopressors, and corticosteroids.

Data Sources: A literature search limited to randomized controlled trials written in the English language reporting mortality and other clinically relevant outcomes that were published from July 1, 2016, to August 31, 2018, in patients aged ≥ 18 years. Titles and abstracts were reviewed for relevance. References for pertinent review articles were also reviewed.

Study Selection and Data Extraction: Relevant randomized controlled trials conducted in patients meeting the pre-defined inclusion criteria were considered for inclusion.

Data Synthesis: From an initial search that identified 147 studies, 14 original research studies met inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Risk of bias (ROB) was assessed using the Revised Cochrane ROB assessment tool, with most included studies having a low ROB.

Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice: Sepsis and septic shock pose a significant burden on public health. Despite advances in our understanding of sepsis, mortality remains unacceptably high. Recent developments in the pharmacological management of septic shock have focused on determining optimal composition and dosage of fluid resuscitation, enhanced use of vasopressor therapy, and clarifying the role of corticosteroids. This systematic review will provide recommendations for application to practice focusing on recent research on these topics.

Conclusions: Although recent developments in the pharmacological management of sepsis are encouraging, clinicians must be keen to utilize patient-specific factors to guide therapy and continue to strive to address the remaining unanswered questions.