bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
OCT Angiography: Measurement of Retinal Macular Microvasculature with Spectralis II OCT Angiography – Reliability and Reproducibility
Authors: Hosari Sami , Hohberger Bettina , Theelke Luisa , Sari Hasan , Lucio Marianna , Mardin Christian Y.
Published: September 2019

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the reliability of macular microvasculature measurements in normal subjects by Heidelberg Spectralis II optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) in combination with a newly made software. Subjects and Methods: This prospective study included 23 eyes of 23 persons from the Erlangen Glaucoma Registry (ISSN 2191–5008, CS-2011; NTC00494923). The subjects underwent a complete clinical, standardized ophthalmologic examination to rule out any eye disease. En face OCT-A imaging was done using Heidelberg Spectralis II OCT (Heidelberg, Germany). Images were recorded with a 15 × 15° angle and a lateral resolution of 5.7 µm/pixel, resulting in a retinal section of 2.9 × 2.9 mm. The Erlangen-Angio-Tool (EA-Tool) OCT-A application performed multiple segmentations, allowing analysis of the vessel density in 12 segments. The software was coded in MATLAB. Macular data on the superficial vascular plexus (SVP), intermediate capillary plexus (ICP), and deep capillary plexus (DCP) were exported into the application and analyzed separately. The EA-Tool calculated the percentage of “white area” in the “total area” of the region of interest, called vessel density. Foveolar avascular zones (FAZs) of the SVP, ICP, and DCP were calculated manually. To investigate the reproducibility of the new software, individual scans (SVP, ICP, and DCP) were analyzed twice with the EA-Tool and intraclass coefficients (ICCs) of the vessel density values were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS version 21.0. Results: The mean vessel density of the SVP ranged between 30.4 and 33.5, that of the ICP between 20.9 and 24.7, and that of the DCP between 23.5 and 27.6. Bland-Altman plots showed a good reliability of two consecutive scans of each sector (S1–S12) in the SVP, ICP, and DCP. Testing reproducibility, no statistically significantly different sectorial coefficients of variation of the SVP, ICP, and DCP were observed (p > 0.05). The mean FAZ area of the SVP was 0.43 ± 0.16 mm2, that of the ICP 0.28 ± 0.1 mm2, and that of the DCP 0.44 ± 0.12 mm2. Conclusions: Spectralis OCT II, in combination with the semiautomated vessel density software EA-Tool, showed good or even excellent ICCs in 75% of all segments of the SVP, ICP, and DCP. The ICCs for the FAZ area in the SVP, ICP, and DCP were excellent.
Efficacy of Calcipotriol-Betamethasone Ointment in Patients with Mild to Moderate Plaque Psoriasis: Subgroup Analyses
Authors: Habjanič Nina , Lužar-Stiffler Vesna , Kerec-Kos Mojca , Grabnar Peklar Darja
Published: September 2019

Background: Several factors have been shown to affect psoriasis pathogenesis, clinical presentation and treatment response. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential relationship between patients’ baseline characteristics and the efficacy of calcipotriol-betamethasone ointment in patients with mild to moderate plaque psoriasis and to evaluate whether the efficacy is consistent across subgroups. Method: Using data from the therapeutic equivalence study on patients with plaque psoriasis, post hoc analyses were performed to evaluate the impact of baseline demographic and disease characteristics, habits and comorbidities on the response to treatment with calcipotriol-betamethasone ointment. Results: Body mass index (BMI) and obesity were each independently associated (univariate analysis, p < 0.05) with reduction in modified Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (mPASI) and PASI75 (≥75% improvement in mPASI from baseline). Increased body weight is more common in patients with late-onset psoriasis. There was a significant trend for lower response rates with increasing BMI (p = 0.007) and obesity (p = 0.003). The odds of achieving PASI75 is 2.3 times lower for obese compared to normal-weight subjects.If patients with obesity or hypertension were treated with calcipotriol-betamethasone, they were still more likely to achieve PASI75 after 4-week treatment compared to vehicle (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Increased BMI and obesity present risk factors for reduced treatment effectiveness. Importantly, the efficacy of calcipotriol-betamethasone ointment was consistent in all subgroups.
Histologic Response and Toxicity following Interval-Compressed Four-Drug Therapy Given Preoperatively in Children and Young Adults with Osteosarcoma: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Kang Ji-Man , Ju Hee Young , Joo Jungnam , Sung Jee Young , Park Seog Yun , Kim June Hyuk , Kang Hyun Guy , Kwon Mimi , Park Meerim , Park Hyeon Jin , Park Byung-Kiu
Published: September 2019

Objectives: The histologic response to chemotherapy is an important prognostic factor in osteosarcoma. Thus, we attempted to develop an effective neoadjuvant regimen to achieve an improvement in histologic response. Methods: Twenty-nine patients with a high-grade osteosarcoma received 2 courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy non-randomly with either the MAP regimen (methotrexate 12 g/m2, cisplatin 120 mg/m2, and doxorubicin 75 mg/m2) or MAPI regimen (MAP plus ifosfamide 9 g/m2). We applied interval compression to MAPI by shortening the preoperative period to be aligned with that of MAP. Adjuvant chemotherapy was tailored according to the necrosis rate of resected tumor specimens. Necrosis rate, toxicity, and survival outcome were compared retrospectively between the 2 groups. Results: The median interval between the beginning of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery was 97.0 days in the MAPI group (17 patients) and 90.5 days in the MAP group (12 patients; p = 0.19). The good histologic response (>90% of necrosis) was observed in 71% of MAPI and in 42% of MAP (p = 0.12). Major toxicities of grade 3 or worse were not different between the 2 groups. The probability of 5-year progression-free survival and overall survival of the MAPI group were 74 and 83%, and those in the MAP group were 50 and 75%, showing no difference. Conclusions: Interval-compressed MAPI therapy given in a similar duration of the preoperative phase to that of conventional MAP therapy showed a marginal trend toward a better histologic response without a significant increase in major toxicities. Regarding the proportion of good histologic response, 71% is one of the highest values ever reported in the literature. The results warrant further testing in a prospective way in a larger cohort.
Current Insights into the Role of the Growth Hormone-Insulin-Like Growth Factor System in Short Children Born Small for Gestational Age
Authors: Renes Judith S. , van Doorn Jaap , Hokken-Koelega Anita C.S.
Published: September 2019

Background: The reason for the insufficient catch-up growth seen in 10% of children born small for gestational age (SGA) is poorly understood. Disturbances in the growth hormone (GH) – insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis might underlie this failure to show sufficient catch-up growth. Conclusion: This review summarizes insights gained in the molecular and (epi) genetic mechanisms of the GH-IGF axis in short children born SGA. The most notable anomalies of the IGF system are the lowered IGF-I levels in both cord blood and the placenta, and the increased expression of IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP)-1 and IGFBP-2, which inhibit IGF-I, in the placenta of SGA neonates. These observations suggest a decreased bioactivity of IGF-I in utero. IGF-I levels remain reduced in SGA children with short stature, as well as IGFBP-3 and acid-labile subunit levels. Proteolysis of IGFBP-3 appears to be increased.
Factors Associated with Insulin Nonadherence in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Patients in Mexico
Authors: Almeda-Valdes Paloma , Palacio Ríofrio Josefa , Zamudio Coronado K. Walkiria , Rivera de la Parra David , Bermeo Cabrera Janneth , Gómez-Pérez Francisco J. , Aguilar-Salinas Carlos A. , Mehta Roopa
Published: September 2019

Background: Lack of adherence to insulin therapy is common among patients with type 1 diabetes. Factors associated with insulin omission in adult persons with type 1 diabetes in Latin America have not been studied in detail. Objectives: To investigate factors associated with insulin nonadherence including the presence of psychological disorders (disordered eating behaviors and depression) in adult patients with type 1 diabetes. Methods: Cross-sectional study including 104 consecutive adults (≥18 years old) attending a tertiary care center in Mexico City. Adherence to insulin therapy was measured with a specific item in a questionnaire. Sociodemographic data and factors related to insulin omission, including validated questionnaires to evaluate disordered eating behavior and depression, were collected and compared between the nonadherent and adherent groups with parametric or nonparametric statistical tests, as appropriate. Results: We classified 51 (49.1%) patients as nonadherent and 53 (50.9%) as adherent. Adherent subjects reported that they planned their activities around insulin application more often than the nonadherent subjects did (43.4 vs. 23.5%, p = 0.032). In a logistic regression model, fear of hypoglycemia (OR = 11.39) and economic reasons (OR = 6.02) were independently associated with insulin adherence. Presence of disordered eating behavior was identified in 14.4% of subjects, the majority belonging to the nonadherent group. Conclusions: Only 50% of the patients with type 1 diabetes were adherent. The principal factors associated with nonadherence were economic reasons and fear of hypoglycemia.
História e textualização
Authors: Correia Milton Marcial Meque
Published: September 2019

Este artigo versa sobre a luta armada de independência nacional de Moçambique na Frente do Niassa, setor militar cuja importância reside na sua localização na região de fronteira com a Tanzânia e Malawi e no seu desempenho geoestratégico no desenvolvimento da luta. O mesmo aborda a evolução da historiografia sobre esta frente, analisada como processo de textualização e intrinsecamente dialógico entre história vivida, memória coletiva e política. A cronologia da luta armada é respaldada em fontes do arquivo colonial e em depoimentos de antigos guerrilheiros. Ao salientar a devida importância da Frente do Niassa, dirigida pela Frente de Libertação de Moçambique (Frelimo) – organização nacionalista –, o mesmo situa a sua contribuição no âmbito da descolonização da África Austral nas décadas de 1960 e 1970.
Política e História Contemporânea em Moçambique
Authors: Borges Coelho João Paulo
Published: September 2019

O artigo procura refletir sobre as condições de escrita da história contemporânea na sua relação com o poder político em Moçambique desde a independência em 1975. Argumenta que o Partido-Estado construiu a sua própria narrativa do passado recente – aqui designada de Roteiro da Libertação – e operacionalizou-a como instrumento político e ideológico de exercício do poder, para tal procurando legitimá-la, ou seja, transformá-la de memória política em memória pública. Ao mesmo tempo em que se debruça sobre a natureza do Roteiro da Libertação e a sua evolução para responder às exigências sempre novas do presente, o texto argumenta que a produção de narrativas acadêmicas autônomas e soberanas não pode, neste contexto, senão entrar em competição com o Roteiro da Libertação; uma competição que só em ambiente democrático pode ser desdramatizada e deixar de ser encarada politicamente como ameaça.
Políticas de reabilitação do patrimônio cultural urbano: avaliação da experiência dos órgãos de proteção histórica paulistanos
Authors: Nobre Eduardo Alberto Cusce
Published: September 2019

Atualmente, um dos temas que mais se destaca na atuação prática e nas discussões teóricas entre arquitetos e urbanistas é o das políticas urbanas de reabilitação do patrimônio cultural. Este artigo procura analisar o resultado da implementação dessas políticas na cidade de São Paulo, a partir da análise da experiência prática dos seus órgãos de proteção, principalmente no que tange ao patrimônio arquitetônico-urbano. Para tanto, em primeiro lugar, busca definir o conceito de patrimônio cultural a partir da revisão teórica sobre o tema. Num segundo momento, analisa a evolução dessas políticas de sua reabilitação em alguns países do mundo e seus principais resultados, para depois aprofundar-se no estudo de caso. A partir da análise da atuação dos principais órgãos de proteção ao patrimônio cultural do município, o Departamento do Patrimônio Histórico e o Conselho Municipal de Preservação do Patrimônio Histórico, Cultural e Ambiental Urbano de São Paulo, busca compreender os limites e as potencialidades da implementação dessa política no contexto paulistano.
Vitalidade urbana nos espaços públicos: um estudo na cidade do Porto, Portugal
Authors: Santana Trícia Caroline , Ragazzi Graça Correia
Published: September 2019

Este artigo se propôs a analisar a relação entre a morfologia espacial e a percepção dos usuários. O intuito foi o de compreender, que aspectos indicados pela literatura são percebidos pelos usuários e como isso influencia a vitalidade de um espaço público. O estudo de caso, contou com o uso de mapeamentos comportamentais centrados no lugar, levantamentos físicos in loco, além de registros fotográficos. Os resultados mostraram que espaços para sentar, o estado de conservação e manutenção, a presença de arborização e paisagismo, a estética do lugar, além das características de uso do solo do entorno, são percebidos pelos usuários e se refletem nas maneiras de utilização do lugar. Considera-se que, embora os elementos projetuais e a combinação desses seja um potencializador nos usos, a percepção que as pessoas têm do espaço e do entorno em que ele se encontra deve ser tomado como um referencial na proposição dos espaços públicos.
Enabling Robust Grammatical Error Correction in New Domains: Data Sets, Metrics, and Analyses
Authors: Napoles Courtney , Nădejde Maria , Tetreault Joel
Published: September 2019

Until now, grammatical error correction (GEC) has been primarily evaluated on text written by non-native English speakers, with a focus on student essays. This paper enables GEC development on text written by native speakers by providing a new data set and metric. We present a multiple-reference test corpus for GEC that includes 4,000 sentences in two new domains ( formal and informal writing by native English speakers) and 2,000 sentences from a diverse set of non-native student writing. We also collect human judgments of several GEC systems on this new test set and perform a meta-evaluation, assessing how reliable automatic metrics are across these domains. We find that commonly used GEC metrics have inconsistent performance across domains, and therefore we propose a new ensemble metric that is robust on all three domains of text.
Diversity and incidence of plant-parasitic nematodes associated with saffron (Crocus sativus L.) in Morocco and their relationship with soil physicochemical properties
Authors: Mokrini Fouad , Laasli Salah-Eddine , Karra Youssef , El Aissami Aicha , Dababat Abdelfattah A.
Published: September 2019

Saffron (Crocus sativus) fields in Morocco’s Taliouine and Taznakht regions were surveyed between January and April 2018 to study the diversity and incidence of plant-parasitic nematodes and assess the effects of soil physicochemical properties on the nematodes. Fourteen nematode genera were identified in soil and root samples collected from 66 saffron fields. The most common plant-parasitic nematodes in the Taliouine region were Pratylenchus spp. and Helicotylenchus spp. In the Taznakht region, the most common nematodes were Pratylenchus spp., Tylenchorhynchus spp. and Ditylenchus dipsaci. Nematodes, particularly Pratylenchus spp. and Ditylenchus spp., were abundant and frequent throughout the region. Several nematode genera were significantly associated with soil texture and mineral content, indicating that soil properties play an important role in plant-parasitic nematode communities. This description of plant-parasitic nematode assemblages associated with saffron fields in Morocco and their relationship with soil physicochemical properties provides a starting point from which appropriate nematode management strategies can be implemented.
Samaritans, Galileans, and Judeans in Josephus and the Gospel of John
Authors: Pummer Reinhard
Published: September 2019

The paper seeks to shed light on the ministry and reception of Jesus of Nazareth as perceived through the lens of the Gospel of John in the light of Samaritan, Galilean, and Judean perspectives. Flavius Josephus and the Samaritan tradition help us to gain a better understanding of certain details expressed or alluded to in the gospels. In particular, on the basis of these two sources the paper puts into context the gospel passage that is best informed about the relations between Samaritans and Jews, viz. John 4:1–42. It thus aims at elucidating the Samaritan references in the Gospel of John by current research on Samaritanism.
New Evidence on Erasmus’ Youth
Authors: Goudriaan Koen
Published: September 2019

A series of accounts in the archive of St Saviour’s Collegiate Church in Utrecht, kept in the Utrecht Record Office, contains information on Gerardus Helye, Erasmus’ father, showing that he functioned as vice-pastor in the small town of Woerden from 1471 onwards and then from 1476 onwards fulfilled this same function for a couple of years in Gouda. This article presents and analyses these new data and considers their implications for the reconstruction of Erasmus’ early life until his departure from Steyn monastery.
The Mediatized Conditions of Contemporary Religion: Critical Status and Future Directions
Authors: Lövheim Mia , Hjarvard Stig
Published: September 2019

During the last decade the framework of mediatization theory has been introduced in the field of media, religion and culture as a parallel perspective to the “mediation of religion” approach, allowing new questions to be posed that align with religious change within Europe. This article provides a critical review of existing research applying mediatization of religion theory, focusing on key issues raised by its critics as well as how the theory have moved the research field forward. These issues concern the concept of religion, institution and social change, religious authority, and the application of mediatization theory outside the North-Western European context where it originated. The article argues that an institutional approach to mediatization is a relevant tool for analyzing change as a dynamic process in which the logics of particular forms of media influence practices, values and relations within particular manifestations of religion across various levels of analysis.
The Pope, Politics, and Climate Change: An Experimental Test of the Influence of News about Pope Francis on American Climate Change Attitudes and Intentions
Authors: Myrick Jessica Gall , Comfort Suzannah Evans
Published: September 2019

News coverage of climate change has expanded beyond a focus on science to include stories relating the topic to religion, particularly following Pope Francis’ 2015 call for Catholics to address climate change as a moral responsibility. We tested how effective Pope Francis is as a messenger on the topic of climate change. A 2 (Pope: present or absent in the story) X 2 (news story topic: climate change or poverty) between-subjects experiment (N = 415) revealed that politically Independent participants reported more negative attitudes and lower behavioral intentions when the Pope was featured in a story than when he was not. Also, Catholic Democrats reported stronger climate change policy support when the Pope was featured in a story than when he was not, but Catholic Independents were more supportive when the Pope was not featured, regardless of topic. Results suggest religion and politics intersect to shape responses to climate messengers.
Narrative Framing of the Syrian Refugee Crisis in British Religious News
Authors: Perreault Gregory , Paul Newly
Published: September 2019

This paper examines how religious news organizations in the UK covered the Syrian refugee crisis in Europe. Using narrative framing theory, this paper examines all coverage from 2015 and 2016 published in bbc Religion (a part of
bbc News), The Muslim News, and Christian Today to examine shared and disparate narratives regarding Syrian refugees migrating to the UK. Four major frames emerged from our analysis of the media coverage in religious and mainstream publications: a humanizing frame, saviour frame, dehumanizing frame, and, redemption frame. The publications differed in their use of these frames as well as the use of sources, news values, and tone of coverage. We discuss each of these frames as well as the implications of the differing coverage.
Description of a new species of the Lissochlora albociliaria species group (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Geometrinae)
Authors: VIIDALEPP JAAN , LINDT AARE
Published: September 2019

The genus Lissochlora was described by Warren (1900) and revised by Pitkin (1993) with respect to the fauna of Costa Rica. Lissochlora has a small spur or kink to its aedeagus and is distinguished from related genera by the absence of basal costal process of the valva in the male genitalia, which is present in Nemoria Hübner, Rhodochlora Warren and Paromphacodes Warren (Pitkin 1993, 1996). Paromphacodes, Lissochlora and Nemoria cluster together, sharing a bilobed eighth sternite and the presence of a costal sclerite or ornamentation on the valva (Viidalepp 2017). Usually species of Lissochlora have a shorter uncus in the male genitalia than that of related genera, and the last abdominal sternite of the male is usually shorter than the corresponding tergite (Viidalepp 2017).
Some Cheilostomata (Bryozoa) from the Java Sea, central Indonesian Archipelago, with a description of Pleurocodonellina jeparaensis n. sp. (Smittinidae)
Authors: ASAGABALDAN M.A. , BOURGOUGNON N. , BEDOUX G. , KRISTIANA R. , AYUNINGRUM D. , WIDYANANTO P.A. , MUCHLISSIN S.I. , MAGUERESSE A. , SABDONO A. , TRIANTO A. , RADJASA O.K.
Published: September 2019

The Java Sea region has a high diversity of marine organisms of interest to scientists and tourists alike. Neglected among this diversity are intertidal bryozoans, relatively few of which have been reported from this area. Here we describe six species, one of which is new to science. These were collected from three shallow-water localities—Karimunjawa Marine National Park, Awur Bay and Panjang Island—in the south-central part of the sea. The five known species belong to the families Candidae, Poricellariidae, Onychocellidae, Lepraliellidae, and Phidoloporidae. The new species, Pleurocodonellina jeparaensis n. sp. (Smittinidae), is found at Awur Bay, attached to a bivalve shell fragment. Biogeographically, the suite of species is predominantly tropical Indo-West Pacific in distribution, representing a small fraction of the additional hundreds of species that are anticipated for the Java Sea region.
Monsoon Mission: A Targeted Activity to Improve Monsoon Prediction across Scales
Authors: Rao Suryachandra A. , Goswami B. N. , Sahai A. K. , Rajagopal E. N. , Mukhopadhyay P. , Rajeevan M. , Nayak S. , Rathore L. S. , Shenoi S. S. C. , Ramesh K. J. , Nanjundiah R. S. , Ravichandran M. , Mitra A. K. , Pai D. S. , Bhowmik S. K. R. , Hazra A. , Mahapatra S. , Saha S. K. , Chaudhari H. S. , Joseph S. , Sreenivas P. , Pokhrel S. , Pillai P. A. , Chattopadhyay R. , Deshpande M. , Krishna R. P. M. , Das Renu S. , Prasad V. S. , Abhilash S. , Panickal S. , Krishnan R. , Kumar S. , Ramu D. A. , Reddy S. S. , Arora A. , Goswami T. , Rai A. , Srivastava A. , Pradhan M. , Tirkey S. , Ganai M. , Mandal R. , Dey A. , Sarkar S. , Malviya S. , Dhakate A. , Salunke K. , Maini Parvinder
Published: September 2019

In spite of the summer monsoon’s importance in determining the life and economy of an agriculture-dependent country like India, committed efforts toward improving its prediction and simulation have been limited. Hence, a focused mission mode program Monsoon Mission (MM) was founded in 2012 to spur progress in this direction. This article explains the efforts made by the Earth System Science Organization (ESSO), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India, in implementing MM to develop a dynamical prediction framework to improve monsoon prediction. Climate Forecast System, version 2 (CFSv2), and the Met Office Unified Model (UM) were chosen as the base models. The efforts in this program have resulted in 1) unparalleled skill of 0.63 for seasonal prediction of the Indian monsoon (for the period 1981–2010) in a high-resolution (∼38 km) seasonal prediction system, relative to present-generation seasonal prediction models; 2) extended-range predictions by a CFS-based grand multimodel ensemble (MME) prediction system; and 3) a gain of 2-day lead time from very high-resolution (12.5 km) Global Forecast System (GFS)-based short-range predictions up to 10 days. These prediction skills are on par with other global leading weather and climate centers, and are better in some areas. Several developmental activities like coupled data assimilation, changes in convective parameterization, cloud microphysics schemes, and parameterization of land surface processes (including snow and sea ice) led to the improvements such as reducing the strong model biases in the Indian summer monsoon simulation and elsewhere in the tropics.
Entrainment in Resolved, Dry Thermals
Authors: Lecoanet Daniel , Jeevanjee Nadir
Published: September 2019

Entrainment in cumulus convection remains ill understood and difficult to quantify. For instance, entrainment is widely believed to be a fundamentally turbulent process, even though Turner pointed out in 1957 that dry thermals entrain primarily because of buoyancy (via a dynamical constraint requiring an increase in radius r). Furthermore, entrainment has been postulated to obey a 1/r scaling, but this scaling has not been firmly established. Here, we study the classic case of dry thermals in a neutrally stratified environment using fully resolved direct numerical simulation. We combine this with a thermal tracking algorithm that defines a control volume for the thermal at each time, allowing us to directly measure entrainment. We vary the Reynolds number (Re) of our thermals between laminar (Re ≈ 600) and turbulent (Re ≈ 6000) regimes, finding only a 20% variation in entrainment rate ε, supporting the claim that turbulence is not necessary for entrainment. We also directly verify the postulated ε ~ 1/r scaling law.
Coastally Generated Near-Inertial Waves
Authors: Kelly Samuel M.
Published: September 2019

Wind directly forces inertial oscillations in the mixed layer. Where these currents hit the coast, the no-normal-flow boundary condition leads to vertical velocities that pump both the base of the mixed layer and the free surface, producing offshore-propagating near-inertial internal and surface waves, respectively. The internal waves directly transport wind work downward into the ocean’s stratified interior, where it may provide mechanical mixing. The surface waves propagate offshore where they can scatter over rough topography in a process analogous to internal-tide generation. Here, we estimate mixed layer currents from observed winds using a damped slab model. Then, we estimate the pressure, velocity, and energy flux associated with coastally generated near-inertial waves at a vertical coastline. These results are extended to coasts with arbitrary across-shore topography and examined using numerical simulations. At the New Jersey shelfbreak, comparisons between the slab model, numerical simulations, and moored observations are ambiguous. Extrapolation of the theoretical results suggests that (10%) of global wind work (i.e., 0.03 of 0.31 TW) is transferred to coastally generated barotropic near-inertial waves.
Dynamics of Downwelling in an Eddying Marginal Sea: Contrasting the Eulerian and the Isopycnal Perspective
Authors: Brüggemann Nils , Katsman Caroline A.
Published: September 2019

In this study, we explore the downward branch of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) from a perspective in depth space (Eulerian downwelling) as well as from a perspective in density space (diapycnal downwelling). Using an idealized model, we focus on the role of eddying marginal seas, where dense water is formed by deep convection due to an intense surface heat loss. We assess where diapycnal mass fluxes take place, investigate the pathways of dense water masses, and elucidate the role of eddies. We find that there are fundamental differences between the Eulerian and diapycnal downwelling: the strong Eulerian near-boundary downwelling is not associated with substantial diapycnal downwelling; the latter takes place in the interior and elsewhere in the boundary current. We show that the diapycnal downwelling appears to be more appropriate to describe the pathways of water masses. In our model, dense water masses are exported along two routes: those formed in the upper part of the boundary current are exported directly; those formed in the interior move toward the boundary along isopycnals due to eddy stirring and are then exported. This study thus reveals a complex three-dimensional view of the overturning in a marginal sea, with possible implications for our understanding of the AMOC.
Use of Oceanic Reanalysis to Improve Estimates of Extreme Storm Surge
Authors: Zhai Li , Greenan Blair , Thomson Richard , Tinis Scott
Published: September 2019

A storm surge hindcast for the west coast of Canada was generated for the period 1980–2016 using a 2D nonlinear barotropic Princeton Ocean Model forced by hourly Climate Forecast System Reanalysis wind and sea level pressure. Validation of the modeled storm surges using tide gauge records has indicated that there are extensive areas of the British Columbia coast where the model does not capture the processes that determine the sea level variability on intraseasonal and interannual time scales. Some of the discrepancies are linked to large-scale fluctuations, such as those arising from major El Niño and La Niña events. By applying an adjustment to the hindcast using an ocean reanalysis product that incorporates large-scale sea level variability and steric effects, the variance of the error of the adjusted surges is significantly reduced (by up to 50%) compared to that of surges from the barotropic model. The importance of baroclinic dynamics and steric effects to accurate storm surge forecasting in this coastal region is demonstrated, as is the need to incorporate decadal-scale, basin-specific oceanic variability into the estimation of extreme coastal sea levels. The results improve long-term extreme water level estimates and allowances for the west coast of Canada in the absence of long-term tide gauge records data.
Predictability of Deep Convection in Idealized and Operational Forecasts: Effects of Radar Data Assimilation, Orography, and Synoptic Weather Regime
Authors: Bachmann Kevin , Keil Christian , Craig George C. , Weissmann Martin , Welzbacher Christian A.
Published: September 2019

We investigate the practical predictability limits of deep convection in a state-of-the-art, high-resolution, limited-area ensemble prediction system. A combination of sophisticated predictability measures, namely, believable and decorrelation scale, are applied to determine the predictable scales of short-term forecasts in a hierarchy of model configurations. First, we consider an idealized perfect model setup that includes both small-scale and synoptic-scale perturbations. We find increased predictability in the presence of orography and a strongly beneficial impact of radar data assimilation, which extends the forecast horizon by up to 6 h. Second, we examine realistic COSMO-KENDA simulations, including assimilation of radar and conventional data and a representation of model errors, for a convectively active two-week summer period over Germany. The results confirm increased predictability in orographic regions. We find that both latent heat nudging and ensemble Kalman filter assimilation of radar data lead to increased forecast skill, but the impact is smaller than in the idealized experiments. This highlights the need to assimilate spatially and temporally dense data, but also indicates room for further improvement. Finally, the examination of operational COSMO-DE-EPS ensemble forecasts for three summer periods confirms the beneficial impact of orography in a statistical sense and also reveals increased predictability in weather regimes controlled by synoptic forcing, as defined by the convective adjustment time scale.
Valuing Seasonal Climate Forecasts in the Northern Australia Beef Industry
Authors: Cobon D. H. , Darbyshire R. , Crean J. , Kodur S. , Simpson M. , Jarvis C.
Published: September 2019

Seasonal climate forecasts (SCFs) provide opportunities for pastoralists to align production decisions to climatic conditions, as SCFs offer economic value by increasing certainty about future climatic states at decision-making time. Insufficient evidence about the economic value of SCFs was identified as a major factor limiting adoption of SCFs in Australia and abroad. This study examines the value of SCFs to beef production system management in northern Australia by adopting a theoretical probabilistic climate forecast system. Stocking rate decisions in October, before the onset of the wet season, were identified by industry as a key climate sensitive decision. The analysis considered SCF value across economic drivers (steer price in October) and environmental drivers (October pasture availability). A range in forecast value was found ($0–$14 per head) dependent on pasture availability, beef price, and SCF skill. Skillful forecasts of future climate conditions offered little value with medium or high pasture availability, as in these circumstances pastures were rarely overutilized. In contrast, low pasture availability provided conditions for alternative optimal stocking rates and for SCFs to be valuable. Optimal stocking rates under low pasture availability varied the most with climate state (i.e., wet or dry), indicating that producers have more to gain from a skillful SCF at these times. Although the level of pasture availability in October was the major determinant of stocking rate decisions, beef price settings were also found to be important. This analysis provides insights into the potential value of SCFs to extensive beef enterprises and can be used by pastoralists to evaluate the cost benefit of using a SCF in annual management.
Bus Robberies in Belo Horizonte, Brazil: Solutions for Safe Travel
Authors: Oliveira Elenice , Natarajan Mangai , da Silva Bráulio
Published: September 2019

This study examines the spatial patterns and other situational determinants leading to the high number of bus robberies in Belo Horizonte. Main research questions include patterns of robberies, spatial concentration, locations prone to robberies, and environmental characteristics therein. This study also provides a variety of safety measures based on the Situational Crime Prevention approach. The Rapid Assessment Methodology (RAM) was employed using both quantitative and qualitative data. It involves spatial analysis, direct observation of hot spots using a safety audit protocol, and focus group discussions with key participants. Bus robberies involve minimum risk and low detection and arrest. The “hottest products” to be stolen include electronic devices and cash. The robberies occur at specific times and locations depending on opportunity. As many crimes go unreported, police data have inaccuracies. Therefore, it is impossible to verify the exact location of the robberies. This study concludes that for safe travel preventive measure should focus on reducing crime opportunities. A collaborative effort is needed from agencies and individuals alike. Further research should focus on examining why the majority of bus robberies are concentrated in only two main bus routes. Are these hot spots just recent spikes or are they chronic?
Genetic Polymorphisms in FGFR2 Underlie Skeletal Malocclusion
Authors: Jiang Q. , Mei L. , Zou Y. , Ding Q. , Cannon R.D. , Chen H. , Li H.
Published: September 2019

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 ( FGFR2) in craniofacial bones mediates osteoprogenitor proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The distortion of proper craniofacial bone growth may cause class II and class III skeletal malocclusion and result in compromised function and aesthetics. Here, we investigated the association between variations in FGFR2 and skeletal malocclusions. First, 895 subjects were included in a 2-stage case-control study with independent populations (stage 1: n = 138 class I, 111 class II, and 81 class III; stage 2: n = 279 class I, 187 class II, and 99 class III). Eight candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FGFR2 were screened and validated. Five SNPs (rs2162540, rs2981578, rs1078806, rs11200014, and rs10736303) were found to be associated with skeletal malocclusions (all P < 0.05). That is, rs2162540 was significantly associated with skeletal class II malocclusion, while others were associated with skeletal class III malocclusion. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that the common genotypes of rs2981578 and rs10736303 contained the binding sites of RUNX2 and SMAD4. Compared with the common genotypes, the minor genotypes at these 2 SNPs decreased the binding affinity and enhancer effect of RUNX2 and SMAD4, as well the levels of FGFR2 expression. In addition, FGFR2 expression contributed positively to osteogenic differentiation in vitro. Thus, we identified FGFR2 as a skeletal malocclusion risk gene, and FGFR2 polymorphisms regulated its transcriptional expression and then osteogenic differentiation.
Selling to Barricaded Buyers
Authors: Chase Kevin S. , Murtha Brian
Published: September 2019

In business-to-government and business-to-business transactions, suppliers often have limited access to buyers during the buying process. The authors term these buyers “barricaded buyers.” Despite the prevalence of barricaded buyers in practice, research has remained largely silent on the topic. Therefore, the authors combine insights from eight organizational purchasing case studies and individual interviews with signaling theory to advance a conceptual framework that highlights ways a supplier can increase its competitiveness (and, correspondingly, its selection likelihood) when selling to barricaded buyers. The framework reflects three distinct ways in which signaling occurs or influences the barricaded buying process: the seller signals to buyers (e.g., through novel solutions, explicit responding), the seller signals to competing sellers (e.g., through peacocking), and the buyer signals to sellers whose meaning is jammed (e.g., through supplier-specific capabilities and language). The framework invokes barricade restrictiveness as an important contingency variable that lends nuance to when the signaling activities are most likely to affect suppliers’ competitiveness.
An efficient attribute reduction algorithm using MapReduce
Authors: Yin Linzi , Li Jing , Jiang Zhaohui , Ding Jiafeng , Xu Xuemei
Published: September 2019

Classical attribute reduction algorithms based on attribute significance initiate too many jobs ( O(| C|2)) when they run in MapReduce. To improve the efficiencies of these algorithms, we proposed a novel reduction algorithm. Instead of focusing on attribute significance, the notion of a core attribute was applied to construct a new heuristic reduction algorithm, and only | C| jobs were considered to obtain a reduct. The algorithm only included two basic operations: compare and sort. The latter was optimised using the shuffle mechanism in MapReduce, which provided an efficient sorting ability for big data. In particular, we connected jobs in an iterative form to transfer the processing result of the former job to the latter job. Finally, experimental results demonstrated that the proposed attribute reduction algorithm was efficient and significantly improved upon the classical algorithms in runtime and number of jobs.
Hip abductor strength–based exercise therapy in treating women with moderate-to-severe knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Wang Jianxiong , Xie Yujie , Wang Li , Lei Lei , Liao Peng , Wang ShiQi , Gao YaQian , Chen Yu , Xu Fangyuan , Zhang Chi
Published: September 2019

Objective:

To investigate whether hip abductor strength–based exercise therapy could result in further function improvement and more pain relief in women with knee osteoarthritis.

Design:

Randomized controlled trial.

Settings:

Rehabilitation department of Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from years 2016 to 2018.

Subjects:

In total, 82 women aged 50–70 years, with knee osteoarthritis grade II–IV on the Kellgren–Lawrence scale.

Intervention:

The experimental group engaged in hip abductor strength–based exercises under the supervision of physical therapists (once a day for six weeks), while the control group engaged in quadriceps femoris strength–based exercises.

Main measures:

Osteoarthritis severity measured by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, pain on a visual analogue scale and three objective functional tests were assessed at the sixth and 12th week. Repeated measures analysis of variance and multivariable analysis were applied.

Results:

Finally, 72 participants completed the study: 35 in the experimental group and 37 in the control group. The self-reported functional difficulties score in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group both at the sixth week and at the 12th week ( P < 0.001). There were significant differences between groups in the stair ascent/descent task and Figure of 8 Walk test, but not in the Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test. The pain in the experimental group decreased compared with that in the control group at the sixth week ( P < 0.05), but not at the 12th week ( P > 0.05).

Conclusion:

Hip abductor strength–based exercises could result in better performance and higher self-reported function in women with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.
Urinary ketone body loss leads to degeneration of brain white matter in elderly SLC5A8-deficient mice
Authors: Suissa Laurent , Flachon Virginie , Guigonis Jean-Marie , Olivieri Charles-Vivien , Burel-Vandenbos Fanny , Guglielmi Julien , Ambrosetti Damien , Gérard Matthieu , Franken Philippe , Darcourt Jacques , Pellerin Luc , Pourcher Thierry , Lindenthal Sabine
Published: September 2019

SLC5A8 is a sodium-coupled monocarboxylate and ketone transporter expressed in various epithelial cells. A putative role of SLC5A8 in neuroenergetics has been also hypothesized. To clarify this issue, we studied the cerebral phenotype of SLC5A8-deficient mice during aging. Elderly SLC5A8-deficient mice presented diffuse leukoencephalopathy characterized by intramyelinic oedema without demyelination suggesting chronic energetic crisis. Hypo-metabolism in the white matter of elderly SLC5A8-deficient mice was found using 99mTc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) single-photon emission CT (SPECT). Since the SLC5A8 protein could not be detected in the mouse brain, it was hypothesized that the leukoencephalopathy of aging SLC5A8-deficient mice was caused by the absence of slc5a8 expression in a peripheral organ, i.e. the kidney, where SLC5A8 is strongly expressed. A hyper-excretion of the ketone β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in the urine of SLC5A8-deficient mice was observed and showed that SLC5A8-deficient mice suffered a cerebral BHB insufficiency. Elderly SLC5A8-deficient mice also presented altered glucose metabolism. We propose that the continuous renal loss of BHB leads to a chronic energetic deficiency in the brain of elderly SLC5A8-deficient mice who are unable to counterbalance their glucose deficit. This study highlights the importance of alternative energetic substrates in neuroenergetics especially under conditions of restricted glucose availability.
Vasomotor influences on glymphatic-lymphatic coupling and solute trafficking in the central nervous system
Authors: Goodman James R , Iliff Jeffrey J
Published: September 2019

Despite the recent description of meningeal lymphatic vessels draining solutes from the brain interstitium and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the physiological factors governing cranial lymphatic efflux remain largely unexplored. In agreement with recent findings, cervical lymphatic drainage of 70 kD and 2000 kD fluorescent tracers injected into the adult mouse cortex was significantly impaired in the anesthetized compared to waking animals (tracer distribution across 2.1 ± 4.5% and 23.7 ± 15.8% of deep cervical lymph nodes, respectively); however, free-breathing anesthetized mice were markedly hypercapnic and acidemic (paCO2 = 64 ± 8 mmHg; pH = 7.22 ± 0.05). Mechanical ventilation normalized arterial blood gases in anesthetized animals, and rescued lymphatic efflux of interstitial solutes in anesthetized mice. Experimental hypercapnia blocked cervical lymphatic efflux of intraparenchymal tracers. When tracers were injected into the subarachnoid CSF compartment, glymphatic influx into brain tissue was virtually abolished by hypercapnia, while lymphatic drainage was not appreciably altered. These findings demonstrate that cervical lymphatic drainage of interstitial solutes is, in part, regulated by upstream changes in glymphatic CSF-interstitial fluid exchange. Further, they suggest that maintaining physiological blood gas values in studies of glymphatic exchange and meningeal lymphatic drainage may be critical to defining the physiological regulation of these processes.
New strain energy-based critical plane approach for multiaxial fatigue life prediction
Authors: Hao Meng-Fei , Zhu Shun-Peng , Liao Ding
Published: September 2019

Based on critical plane approach, this article develops a new damage parameter through combing the equivalent strain energy aspect for multiaxial fatigue analysis, which includes no additional fitted parameters and overcomes the deficiency of using only equivalent stress/strain criterion separately under multiaxial loadings. Then, experimental data of GH4169, TC4, Al 7050-T7451 alloys under different loading conditions are applied for model validation and comparison with other four models. Results indicate that the proposed damage parameter yields better multiaxial fatigue life predictions than others.
Determining the impact of knowledge sharing initiatives in international organizations: Case studies
Authors: Stoddart Linda
Published: September 2019

No one disputes that knowledge is the lifeblood of international organizations and especially specialized agencies of the United Nations. However, there has been little consensus on the best methods to share knowledge, leverage the extensive international expertise and make it available to the constituents and partners of these organizations. What is their strategy for managing knowledge? Do they have one? What impact does it have? What is the role of senior management in championing knowledge sharing in these international organizations? These are the questions this paper addresses through the lenses of the evaluations of current knowledge sharing practices in two institutions located in Geneva, Switzerland, both part of the United Nations system.
Artificial intelligence in healthcare: A Canadian context
Authors: Kassam Adam , Kassam Naila
Published: September 2019

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionize the way in which medicine is practiced and thereby transform how healthcare is delivered. While in its nascence in terms of medical applications, it is imperative that the healthcare community plays an active role in helping co-design platforms for the future. This article outlines the Canadian context of AI development by touching on its history and current utility. It also outlines the importance of capital investment, sustainable design, and how Canada has a unique opportunity to be a global leader in AI infrastructure development.