bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Black Hole Entropy from Indistinguishable Quantum Geometric Excitations
Authors: Majhi Abhishek
Published: November 2016

In loop quantum gravity the quantum geometry of a black hole horizon consists of discrete nonperturbative quantum geometric excitations (or punctures) labeled by spins, which are responsible for the quantum area of the horizon. If these punctures are compared to a gas of particles, then the spins associated with the punctures can be viewed as single puncture area levels analogous to single particle energy levels. Consequently, if we assume these punctures to be indistinguishable, the microstate count for the horizon resembles that of Bose-Einstein counting formula for gas of particles. For the Bekenstein-Hawking area law to follow from the entropy calculation in the large area limit, the Barbero-Immirzi parameter (γ) approximately takes a constant value. As a by-product, we are able to speculate the state counting formula for the SU(2) quantum Chern-Simons theory coupled to indistinguishable sources in the weak coupling limit.
Determinants of Patient Delay in Seeking Diagnosis and Treatment among Moroccan Women with Cervical Cancer
Authors: Ouasmani Fatima , Hanchi Zaki , Haddou Rahou Bouchra , Bekkali Rachid , Ahid Samir , Mesfioui Abdelhalem
Published: November 2016

Introduction. This study sought to investigate potential determinants of patient delay among Moroccan women with cervical cancer. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2014 to June 2015 at the National Institute of Oncology in Rabat. Data were collected using questionnaire among patients with cervical cancer locally advanced or metastatic (stages IIA–IVB). Medical records were abstracted to complete clinical information. An interval longer than 90 days between discovery of initial symptoms and presentation to a provider was defined as a patient delay. Results. Four hundred and one patients with cervical cancer enrolled in this study. The mean age was 52.4 years (SD = 11.5). 53.6% were illiterate. Abnormal vaginal bleeding was identified for 65.8% of patients. 60.1% were diagnosed at stages IIA-IIB. 55.4% were found having patient delay. The regression analyses showed the association between literacy (p<0.001), distance of the place of the first consultation (p=0.031), abnormal vaginal bleeding as an earlier symptom (p<0.001), stage at diagnosis (p<0.03), knowledge of symptoms (p<0.001), knowledge of causes (p=0.008), and practice of gynecological exam during the last three years (p=0.018) and the patient delay. Conclusion. Educational messages should aim at increasing awareness of cervical cancer, assisting women in symptom recognition, and encouraging earlier presentation.
Dirichlet Boundary Value Problem for the Second Order Asymptotically Linear System
Authors: Gritsans A. , Sadyrbaev F. , Yermachenko I.
Published: November 2016

We consider the second order system x′′=f(x) with the Dirichlet boundary conditions x(0)=0=x(1), where the vector field f∈C1(Rn,Rn) is asymptotically linear and f(0)=0. We provide the existence and multiplicity results using the vector field rotation theory.
Formulation and Evaluation of Antibacterial Creams and Gels Containing Metal Ions for Topical Application
Authors: Chen Mei X. , Alexander Kenneth S. , Baki Gabriella
Published: November 2016

Background. Skin infections occur commonly and often present therapeutic challenges to practitioners due to the growing concerns regarding multidrug-resistant bacterial, viral, and fungal strains. The antimicrobial properties of zinc sulfate and copper sulfate are well known and have been investigated for many years. However, the synergistic activity between these two metal ions as antimicrobial ingredients has not been evaluated in topical formulations. Objective. The aims of the present study were to (1) formulate topical creams and gels containing zinc and copper alone or in combination and (2) evaluate the in vitro antibacterial activity of these metal ions in the formulations. Method. Formulation of the gels and creams was followed by evaluating their organoleptic characteristics, physicochemical properties, and in vitro antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Results. Zinc sulfate and copper sulfate had a strong synergistic antibacterial activity in the creams and gels. The minimum effective concentration was found to be 3 w/w% for both active ingredients against the two tested microorganisms. Conclusions. This study evaluated and confirmed the synergistic in vitro antibacterial effect of copper sulfate and zinc sulfate in a cream and two gels.
Various Fixed Point Theorems in Complex Valued b-Metric Spaces
Authors: Dubey Anil Kumar , Tripathi Manjula , Dubey Ravi Prakash
Published: November 2016

We prove some common fixed point results for a pair of mappings which satisfy generalized contractive conditions with rational expressions having point-dependent control functions as coefficients in complex valued b-metric spaces. The results of this paper generalize and extend the several known results in complex valued b-metric spaces. Finally, examples are provided to verify the effectiveness and to usability of our main results.
Economic Analysis for Setting Appropriate Repair Cycles on the Fixed Materials and Facilities in the Public Rental Housing
Authors: Choi Sung-Min , Lee Yeon-Sil
Published: November 2016

Currently, repair and maintenance cycles that follow the completion of construction facilities lead to the necessitation of subsequent data on the analysis of study and plan for maintenance. As such, an index of evaluation was drafted and a plan of maintenance cycle was computed using the investigation data derived from surveying target housing units in permanent rental environmental conditions, with a minimum age of 20 years, and their maintenance history. Optimal maintenance and replacement methods were proposed based on this data. Economic analysis was conducted through the Risk-Weighted Life Cycle Cost (RWLCC) method in order to determine the cost analysis of maintenance life cycle methods used for repair. Current maintenance cycle methods that have been used for 20 years were also compared with alternative maintenance cycles.
Current Role of Minimally Invasive Radical Cholecystectomy for Gallbladder Cancer
Authors: Zimmitti Giuseppe , Manzoni Alberto , Guerini Francesca , Ramera Marco , Bertocchi Paola , Aroldi Francesca , Zaniboni Alberto , Rosso Edoardo
Published: November 2016

Background. For Tis and T1a gallbladder cancer (GbC), laparoscopic cholecystectomy can provide similar survival outcomes compared to open cholecystectomy. However, for patients affected by resectable T1b or more advanced GbC, open approach radical cholecystectomy (RC), consisting in gallbladder liver bed resection or segment 4b-5 bisegmentectomy, with locoregional lymphadenectomy, is considered the gold standard while minimally invasive RC (MiRC) is skeptically considered.Aim. To analyze current literature on perioperative and oncologic outcomes of MiRC for patients affected by GbC.Methods. A Medline review of published articles until June 2016 concerning MiRC for GbC was performed.Results. Data relevant for this review were presented in 13 articles, including 152 patients undergoing an attempt of MiRC for GbC. No randomized clinical trial was found. The approach was laparoscopic in 147 patients and robotic in five. Conversion was required in 15 (10%) patients. Postoperative complications rate was 10% with no mortality. Long-term survival outcomes were reported by 11 studies, two of them showing similar oncologic results when comparing MiRC with matched open RC.Conclusions. Although randomized clinical trials are still lacking and only descriptive studies reporting on limited number of patients are available, current literature seems suggesting that when performed at highly specialized centers, MiRC for GbC is safe and feasible and has oncologic outcomes comparable to open RC.
Argument Properties for a Class of Analytic Functions Involving Libera Transform
Authors: Alkahtani Badr S. , Bulboacă Teodor , Kumar Rakesh , Alqahtani Rubayyi
Published: November 2016

The purpose of this paper is to find sufficient argument properties, such that the images of some subclasses of functions by the Libera transform have bounded arguments.
A Case of Dermatomyositis and Anti-EJ Autoantibody with Chronic Intestinal Pseudoobstruction Successfully Treated with Octreotide
Authors: Yamada Chiho , Sato Shinji , Sasaki Noriko , Kurabayashi Takayoshi , Sasaki Sho , Koyama Yasushi , Chinen Naofumi , Wakabayashi Takayuki , Suzuki Yasuo
Published: November 2016

Chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction (CIPO) is a serious complication in patients with connective tissue disease (CTD) and is sometimes life-threatening or fatal despite intensive medical treatment. Here, we report a patient with dermatomyositis (DM) and anti-EJ autoantibody who developed CIPO that was improved by octreotide. Because her abdominal pain and bloatedness were so severe and persistent, we introduced octreotide to relieve symptoms. In this case, continuous intravenous administration as well as long-acting subcutaneous injection of octreotide was effective for treating CIPO.
Rapid Positive Influence of Cochlear Implantation on the Quality of Life in Adults 70 Years and Older
Authors: Olze Heidi , Knopke Steffen , Gräbel Stefan , Szczepek Agnieszka J.
Published: November 2016

The deteriorating ability to communicate has a negative impact on quality of life in the aging population. Cochlear implantation is increasingly used to treat hearing impairment and to restore the ability to communicate. Here, in a sample of 79 adults (70 years and older), we explored the effect of cochlear implantation on the health-related quality of life via the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire, auditory performance for speech recognition comparing scores on the Freiburg Monosyllabic Test and Oldenburg Inventory and tinnitus-related distress using the German version of the Tinnitus Questionnaire. We observed that the health-related quality of life and auditory performance increased significantly after cochlear implantation for the study cohort. After implantation, tinnitus-related distress declined significantly for the group. Our results support the concept of cochlear implantation treatment positively influencing the quality of life, restoring the auditory performance in older adults and reducing stress related to tinnitus. Importantly, positive effects were seen as early as 6 months after cochlear implantation, corroborating the rationale for cochlear implantation in adults 70 years and older.
Quality Predictors of Abdominal Fetal Electrocardiography Recording in Antenatal Ambulatory and Bedside Settings
Authors: Huhn Evelyn A. , Müller Maren I. , Meyer Andrea H. , Manegold-Brauer Gwendolin , Holzgreve Wolfgang , Hoesli Irene , Wilhelm Frank H.
Published: November 2016

Background: Fetal electrocardiography using an abdominal monitor (Monica AN24™) could increase the diagnostic use of fetal heart rate (fHR) variability measurements. However, signal quality may depend on factors such as maternal physical activity, posture, and bedside versus ambulatory setting. Methods: Sixty-three healthy women wore the monitor at home and 42 women during a hospital stay. All women underwent a posture experiment, and all home and 13 hospital participants wore the monitor during daytime and nighttime. The success rate (SR) of fHR detection was analyzed in relation to maternal physical activity, posture, daytime versus nighttime, and other maternal and fetal predictors. Results: Ambulatorily, the SR was 86.8% for nighttime and 40.2% for daytime. The low daytime SR was largely due to effects of maternal physical activity and posture. The in-hospital SR was lower during nighttime (71.1%) and similar during daytime (43.3%). SR was related to gestational age, but not affected by pre-pregnancy and current body mass index or fetal growth restriction. Conclusions: The success of beat-to-beat fHR detection strongly depends on the home/hospital setting and predictors such as time of recording, activity levels, and maternal posture. Its clinical utility may be limited in periods of unsupervised recording with physical activity or posture shifts.
Contrasting Nav1.8 Activity in
Scn10a

−/−

Ventricular Myocytes and the Intact Heart
Authors: Stroud Dina Myers , Yang Tao , Bersell Kevin , Kryshtal Dymtro O. , Nagao Satomi , Shaffer Christian , Short Laura , Hall Lynn , Atack Thomas C. , Zhang Wei , Knollmann Bjorn C. , Baudenbacher Franz , Roden Dan M.
Published: November 2016

Background

Genome‐wide association studies have implicated variants in

SCN
10A

, which encodes Nav1.8, as modulators of cardiac conduction. Follow‐up work has indicated the

SCN
10A

sequence includes an intronic enhancer for

SCN
5A

. Yet the role of the Nav1.8 protein in the myocardium itself is still unclear. To investigate this
,
we use homozygous knockout mice (
Scn10a

−/−

) generated by disruption of exons 4 and 5, leaving the
Scn5a
enhancer intact.

Methods and Results

We previously reported that pharmacologic blockade of Nav1.8 in wild‐type animals blunts action potential prolongation by
ATX
‐
II
at slow drive rates (≤1 Hz). Here we present evidence of the same blunting in
Scn10a

−/−

compared to wild‐type ventricular myocytes, supporting the conclusion that Nav1.8 contributes to late sodium current at slow rates. In contrast to earlier studies, we found no differences in electrocardiographic parameters between genotypes. Low‐dose
ATX
‐
II
exposure in lightly anesthetized animals and Langendorff‐perfused hearts prolonged
QT
c and generated arrhythmias to the same extent in wild‐type and
Scn10a

−/−

.
RNA
sequencing failed to identify full‐length
Scn10a
transcripts in wild‐type or knockout isolated ventricular myocytes. However, loss of late current in
Scn10a

−/−

myocytes was replicated independently in a blinded set of experiments.

Conclusions

While
Scn10a
transcripts are not detectible in ventricular cardiomyocytes, gene deletion results in reproducible loss of late sodium current under extreme experimental conditions. However, there are no identifiable consequences of this
Scn10a
deletion in the intact mouse heart at usual rates. These findings argue that common variants in

SCN
10A

that affect ventricular conduction do so by modulating

SCN
5A

.
Neuronal Na
v
1.8 Channels as a Novel Therapeutic Target of Acute Atrial Fibrillation Prevention
Authors: Chen XiaoMeng , Yu LiLei , Shi ShaoBo , Jiang Hong , Huang CongXin , Desai Mayurika , Li YiGang , Barajas‐Martinez Hector , Hu Dan
Published: November 2016

Background

Ganglionated plexus have been developed as additional ablation targets to improve the outcome of atrial fibrillation (
AF
) besides pulmonary vein isolation. Recent studies implicated an intimate relationship between neuronal sodium channel Na
v
1.8 (encoded by

SCN
10A

) and
AF
. The underlying mechanism between Na
v
1.8 and
AF
remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the role of Na
v
1.8 in cardiac electrophysiology in an acute
AF
model and explore possible therapeutic targets.

Methods and Results

Immunohistochemical study was used on canine cardiac ganglionated plexus. Both Na
v
1.5 and Na
v
1.8 were expressed in ganglionated plexus with canonical neuronal markers. Sixteen canines were randomly administered either saline or the Na
v
1.8 blocker A‐803467. Electrophysiological study was compared between the 2 groups before and after 6‐hour rapid atrial pacing. Compared with the control group, administration of A‐803467 decreased the incidence of
AF
(87.5% versus 25.0%,
P
<0.05), shortened
AF
duration, and prolonged
AF
cycle length. A‐803467 also significantly suppressed the decrease in the effective refractory period and the increase in effective refractory period dispersion and cumulative window of vulnerability caused by rapid atrial pacing in all recording sites. Patch clamp study was performed under 100 nmol/L A‐803467 in
TSA
201 cells cotransfected with

SCN
10A

‐
WT
,

SCN
5A

‐
WT
, and

SCN
3B

‐
WT
.

I
N

a,P
was reduced by 45.34% at −35 mV, and

I
N

a,L
by 68.57% at −20 mV. Evident fast inactivation, slow recovery, and use‐dependent block were also discovered after applying the drug.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that Na
v
1.8 could exert its effect on electrophysiological characteristics through cardiac ganglionated plexus. It indicates that Na
v
1.8 is a novel target in understanding cardiac electrophysiology and

SCN
10A

‐related arrhythmias.
“This is the Soul of Aruba Speaking”
Authors: Schields Chelsea
Published: November 2016

In 1951, at the onset of major decolonization initiatives in the Netherlands Antilles, thousands of residents on Aruba successfully joined in protest to defeat Campo Alegre, a proposed brothel near the Aruban oil-refining city of San Nicolas. This article considers the protest movement within the context of Antillean decolonization and argues that debates over sexual politics played an important role in popularizing an Aruban identity separate from neighboring Curaçao—then seat of the government of the Netherlands Antilles and site of the first Campo Alegre brothel. Through analysis of Aruban archival sources, this article examines how the protest movement exploited decolonization policy while also drawing on the rhetoric of leading local political parties who claimed racial and cultural superiority to Curaçao.
The Ties that Bind
Authors: Veenendaal Wouter
Published: November 2016

Whereas small island territories are known to face a variety of obstacles to democracy and good governance, it is largely unclear if a nonsovereign relationship with a larger metropolitan country can alleviate these challenges, and which constitutional status provides the best results in this regard. This article aims to address these questions by providing an in-depth case study of St. Eustatius, a Dutch Caribbean island that in 2010 was politically integrated into the Netherlands as a public entity or special municipality. Based on two weeks of field research consisting of nineteen in-depth interviews with a variety of respondents on the island, the article finds that the changes of 2010 have not been able to function as a remedy to the profuse governance problems on the island, while the increased Dutch involvement and dominance have resulted in widespread frustration and resentment.
Studies in Schoenoplectiella (Cyperaceae) in tropical West Africa
Authors: VERLOOVE FILIP , MESTERHÁZY ATTILA , BROWNING JANE
Published: November 2016

Schoenoplectiella patentiglumis, a species described from Natal (South Africa) and previously known from Mozambique and Zimbabwe only, is reported for the first time from tropical West Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso and Nigeria) where it has been confused with S. articulata. Schoenoplectiella raynaliana, a rare species only known from the type locality in Togo, is shown to be morphologically conspecific with the widespread African species S. proxima. These findings are the result of examining, measuring, photographing, making notes and illustrations from numerous collections of S. patentiglumis and S. proxima in several different herbaria.
First record of the thread-legged assassin bug genus Proguithera from Japan, with description of a new species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae)
Authors: ISHIKAWA TADASHI , NAKA TAKERU
Published: November 2016

The thread-legged assassin bug genus Proguithera Wygodzinsky, 1966 of the emesine tribe Leistarchini (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) is recorded from Japan for the first time, and a new species P. kiinugama sp. nov., the third representative of this genus, is described based on specimens from Ishigaki-jima Island in the Ryukyu Islands. This new species can be distinguished from its congeners primarily by the absence of a median longitudinal sulcus on the anterior pronotal lobe, forewing with an incomplete cross vein connecting the M+Cu vein and a submarginal vein basad of the discal cell, and the anteroventral series of the profemur consisting of about 30 spine-like setae.
A new shallow water species of Artemisina Vosmaer, 1885 (Microcionidae, Demospongiae; Porifera) from Northeastern Brazil
Authors: CAVALCANTI THAYNÃ , SANTOS GEORGE GARCIA , HAJDU EDUARDO , PINHEIRO ULISSES
Published: November 2016

Artemisina is a microcionid characterized by lacking a distinctive choanosomal skeleton or definite spongin fibres, lacking also echinating spicules, and with a nearly radial ectosomal skeleton (Hooper 2002). The genus currently has 19 valid species, six of which are recorded from the Atlantic Ocean (Van Soest et al. 2016): A. erecta Topsent, 1904, A. incrustans van Soest et al., 2013, A. melana van Soest, 1984, A. melanoides van Soest et al., 2013, A. transiens Topsent, 1890 and A. vulcani Lévi, 1963. The present study describes a new species of Artemisina from Northeastern Brazil. Four specimens of Artemisina brasili sp. nov. were collected by snorkelling at Pernambuco State. All specimens were preserved in 80% ethanol and deposited in the Porifera Collections at the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPEPOR) and Museu Nacional of Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ).
Limnebius (Limnebius) agnieszkae sp. n. from the Crimean Peninsula (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae)
Authors: PRZEWOŹNY MAREK , GREŃ CZESŁAW , JÄCH MANFRED A.
Published: November 2016

Limnebius (s.str.) agnieszkae sp. n. from the Crimean Peninsula (Ukraine) is described. It is a member of the Limnebius furcatus subgroup of the L. parvulus species group. The new species is very similar to L. stagnalis Guillebeau, 1890, from which it can be distinguished by the aedeagus only. Information about its habitat and a list of other water beetles found together with the new species are provided. Limnebius myrmidon Rey, 1883 is recorded for the first time from the Ukraine.
Cylapofulvidius Chérot & Gorczyca, 2000—a synonym of Fulvidius Poppius, 1909 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Cylapinae)
Authors: WOLSKI ANDRZEJ , GORCZYCA JACEK , CHÉROT FRÉDÉRIC , GAWLAK MAGDALENA
Published: November 2016

The genus Cylapofulvidius Chérot & Gorczyca, 2000 is proposed as a junior subjective synonym of Fulvidius Poppius, 1909 syn. nov. and all members of Cylapofulvidius are transferred to the genus Fulvidius. The genus Fulvidius and its type species F. punctatus Poppius, 1909 are redescribed, and diagnoses of each Fulvidius species, habitus picture of the adult and illustration of male genital structures of most of the treated species are provided. Scanning electron micrographs of selected structures of Fulvidius webbi (Chérot & Gorczyca, 2000) are presented for the first time. A key to species of Fulvidius is provided.
Large-Scale Gravity Current over the Middle Hills of the Nepal Himalaya: Implications for Aircraft Accidents
Authors: Regmi Ram P. , Kitada Toshihiro , Dudhia Jimy , Maharjan Sangeeta
Published: November 2016

Nepal has been the location of a series of fatal aircraft accidents, raising serious concerns about civil aviation security and the safety of passengers. However, significant studies on weather patterns associated with the airports and air routes of the Himalayan complex terrain and their implications for aviation activities are yet to be carried out. The present study numerically reconstructs the prevailing weather conditions and puts forward some possible causes behind the most recent fatal aircraft accident in the foothills of the western Nepal Himalaya at 0730 UTC (1315 LST) 16 February 2014. The weather patterns have been numerically simulated at 1-km2 horizontal grid resolution using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) modeling system. The reconstructed weather situation shows the existence of a low-level cloud ceiling, supercooled cloud water and hail, trapped mountain waves, supercritical descent of a strong tail wind, and the development of turbulence at the altitude of the flight path followed by the aircraft. The aircraft might have gone through a series of weather hazards including visibility obstruction, moderate turbulence, abnormal loss in altitude, and icing. It is concluded that the weather situation over the region was adverse enough to affect small aircraft and therefore that it might have played an important role leading to the fatal accident. The development of hazardous weather over the region may be attributed to a previously unanticipated large-scale easterly gravity current over the middle hills of the Nepal Himalaya. The gravity current originated from the central high Himalayan mountainous region located northeast of the Kathmandu valley and traveled more than 200 km, reaching the foothills of the western Nepal Himalaya.
Simulating ENSO SSTAs from TAO/TRITON Winds: The Impacts of 20 Years of Buoy Observations in the Pacific Waveguide and Comparison with Reanalysis Products
Authors: Chiodi Andrew M. , Harrison D. E.
Published: November 2016

The fundamental importance of near-equatorial zonal wind stress in the evolution of the tropical Pacific Ocean’s seasonal cycle and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events is well known. It has been two decades since the TAO/TRITON buoy array was deployed, in part to provide accurate surface wind observations across the Pacific waveguide. It is timely to revisit the impact of TAO/TRITON winds on our ability to simulate and thereby understand the evolution of sea surface temperature (SST) in this region. This work shows that forced ocean model simulations of SST anomalies (SSTAs) during the periods with a reasonably high buoy data return rate can reproduce the major elements of SSTA variability during ENSO events using a wind stress field computed from TAO/TRITON observations only. This demonstrates that the buoy array usefully fulfills its waveguide-wind-measurement purpose. Comparison of several reanalysis wind fields commonly used in recent ENSO studies with the TAO/TRITON observations reveals substantial biases in the reanalyses that cause substantial errors in the variability and trends of the reanalysis-forced SST simulations. In particular, the negative trend in ERA-Interim is much larger and the NCEP–NCAR Reanalysis-1 and NCEP–DOE Reanalysis-2 variability much less than seen in the TAO/TRITON wind observations. There are also mean biases. Thus, even with the TAO/TRITON observations available for assimilation into these wind products, there remain oceanically important differences. The reanalyses would be much more useful for ENSO and tropical Pacific climate change study if they would more effectively assimilate the TAO/TRITON observations.
Impacts of Spatiotemporal Anomalies of Tibetan Plateau Snow Cover on Summer Precipitation in Eastern China
Authors: Wang Chenghai , Yang Kai , Li Yiling , Wu Di , Bo Yue
Published: November 2016

Tibetan Plateau (TP) snow cover undergoes significant temporal and spatial variations during the winter and spring months. This study investigates the relationship between the spatiotemporal distribution of winter–spring snow cover (SC) over the TP and summer precipitation in eastern China (EC) using the singular value decomposition (SVD) method. Four simulation experiments are designed to validate the results of SVD analysis. Both observations and simulations show that heavier snow cover in the southern TP leads to more rainfall in the Yangtze River basin and northeastern China, and less precipitation in southern China, whereas heavier snow cover in the northern TP results in enhanced rainfall in southeastern and northern China and weakened precipitation in the Yangtze River basin. The linkage is attributed to anomalous westerly winds in the upper troposphere at around 200 hPa and to changes of the southern branch of westerlies at 500 hPa on the south side of the TP, which are caused by lasting diabatic heat anomalies over the TP. The shifts in position of the westerly jet at the exit region and negative anomalies of geopotential height at 500 hPa further result in anomalous anticyclone over the East China Sea and the corresponding 850-hPa water vapor convergence and influence the anomalous summer precipitation belt in EC.
Multidecadal Trends and Interannual Variability of Rainfall as Observed from Five Lowland Stations at Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Authors: Otte Insa , Detsch Florian , Mwangomo Ephraim , Hemp Andreas , Appelhans Tim , Nauss Thomas
Published: November 2016

Future rainfall dynamics in the Kilimanjaro region will mainly be influenced by both global climate and local land-cover change. An increase in rainfall is expected, but rising temperatures are also predicted for the ecosystem. In situ rainfall of five stations is analyzed to determine seasonal variability and multidecadal trends in the lowlands and lower elevations of the Kilimanjaro region. Monthly rainfall totals are obtained from the Tanzanian Meteorological Agency, from two mission stations, and from a sugar cane plantation. The datasets of the two mission stations cover time spans of 64 and 62 years, starting in 1940 and 1942, while rainfall data obtained from the Tanzanian Meteorological Agency and from the sugar cane plantation start in 1973 and 1974 and thus cover 40–41 years. In one out of five stations, a significant weak negative linear long-term trend in rainfall is observable, which is also evident in the other locations but is not significant. However, humid and dry decades are evident and seasonality has changed, especially during the long rains between March and May. El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in combination with positive Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) leads to enhanced rainfall during the year of ENSO onset and the following year. During La Niña years, rainfall increases in the following year, while during the onset year rainfall patterns are more diverse. Positive IOD leads to enhanced rainfall amounts.
Women’s disadvantage in holding supervisory positions. Variations among European countries and the role of horizontal gender segregation
Authors: Dämmrich Johanna , Blossfeld Hans-Peter
Published: November 2016

Using the Labour Force Survey 2013, this paper examines gender differences in holding supervisory positions in 26 European countries and relates these differences to horizontal gender segregation, i.e. women and men working in different jobs. First, we confirm the findings of previous studies that women are still disadvantaged in holding supervisory positions in almost all countries. Second, by examining how women’s disadvantage varies when working in male-dominated, gender-mixed, and female-dominated occupations, we observe women’s lowest disadvantage in male-dominated occupations in most countries. Third, applying a two-stage multilevel analysis, we explore at the macro level how the country variation in women’s disadvantage in holding supervisory positions is related to horizontal gender segregation, selection of women in the labour market, and conditions facilitating the combination of work and family, and whether women’s disadvantage significantly differs among welfare regimes. We provide evidence that differences among welfare regimes capture much better country variation than single macro indicators.
Why do stimulants not work in typical depression?
Authors: Hegerl Ulrich , Hensch Tilman
Published: November 2016

Stimulants have been suggested as therapeutics in depression for 80 years now, but there is still no evidence from randomized controlled trials that stimulants, in general, possess specific antidepressant effects. Also, several recent large randomized controlled trials which tried to establish an indication for stimulants as add-on in depression failed, and the companies no longer proceed with regulatory filings. One reason why the common belief of an antidepressant effect has survived over decades is a lack of clarity in psychopathology. Tiredness in the sense of sleepiness (downregulation of arousal) and lack of drive are mixed up with tiredness in the sense of exhaustion with high inner tension (upregulation of arousal) and inhibition of drive. The latter is found in typical depression, and according to the recently introduced arousal regulation model of affective disorders, upregulation of arousal is considered to be an important pathogenetic factor. Psychostimulants are unlikely to have beneficial effects in those patients with upregulated arousal. However, there might be subgroups of depressed patients, such as atypical depression, which suffer from sleepiness and lack of drive and might respond to stimulants. Arousal, a dimension included in the Research Domain Criteria project of the National Institute of Mental Health, can be assessed with an electroencephalography-based algorithm (the Vigilance Algorithm Leipzig) and is a promising biomarker to identify subgroups of patients, which might respond to stimulants.
Dietary magnesium and calcium intake and risk of depression in the general population: A meta-analysis
Authors: Li Bingrong , Lv Jing , Wang Weijing , Zhang Dongfeng
Published: November 2016

Objective:

Several epidemiological studies have evaluated the associations between dietary magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) intake and the risk of depression. However, the results of these studies remain controversial. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis to explore these associations and to investigate the possible dose–response relationship between dietary Mg intake and risk of depression.

Methods:

MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL database, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan fang databases and Databases of Chinese Scientific and Technical Periodicals were searched for eligible publications up to September 2016. Pooled relative risks with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using random-effects model. Publication bias was estimated using Egger’s test and the funnel plot. Dose–response relationship was assessed by restricted cubic spline functions.

Results:

A total of 17 epidemiological studies from 12 articles were included in the present meta-analysis. Among these studies, 11 studies evaluated the association between dietary Mg intake and risk of depression and 6 studies evaluated the association between dietary Ca intake and risk of depression. When comparing the highest with the lowest intake, the pooled relative risks of depression were 0.81 (95% confidence interval = [0.70, 0.92]) for Mg and 0.66 (95% confidence interval = [0.42, 1.02]) for Ca. Dietary Mg intake was significantly associated with a reduced risk of depression among studies conducted in Asia (relative risk  = 0.57; 95% confidence interval = [0.44, 0.74]) and in studies adjusting for energy intake (relative risk  = 0.73; 95% confidence interval = [0.58, 0.92]). For dose–response analysis, evidence of a nonlinear relationship was found between dietary Mg intake and risk of depression, and the largest risk reductions were observed for 320 mg/day.

Conclusion:

This meta-analysis indicated that moderate Mg intake may be inversely associated with the risk of depression, which still needs to be confirmed by larger prospective cohort studies.
Hard or Soft? The Politics of Brexit
Authors: Menon Anand , Fowler Brigid
Published: November 2016

The British people voted for Brexit for a variety of reasons. A literature is emerging that seeks to explain the outcome using the increasing amount of aggregate and individual data being generated. Less often considered is the impact those factors that shaped the referendum outcome might continue to exert on the debate about the UK's future relationship with the EU. We argue that they will continue to weigh on political debates. The continued resonance of the Leave message militates against anything but what has come to be known as a ‘hard Brexit’.
The Effects of Positive and Negative Feedback on Maximal Voluntary Contraction Level of the Biceps Brachii Muscle
Authors: Sarıkabak Murat , Yaman Çetin , Tok Serdar , Binboga Erdal
Published: November 2016

We investigated the effect of positive and negative feedback on maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the biceps brachii muscle and explored the mediating effects of gender and conscientiousness. During elbow flexion, MVCs were measured in positive, negative, and no-feedback conditions. Participants were divided into high- and low-conscientiousness groups based on the median split of their scores on Tatar's five-factor personality inventory. Considering all participants 46 college student athletes (21 female, 28 male), positive feedback led to a greater MVC percentage change (−5.76%) than did negative feedback (2.2%). MVC percentage change in the positive feedback condition differed significantly by gender, but the negative feedback condition did not. Thus, positive feedback increased female athletes’ MVC level by 3.49%, but decreased male athletes’ MVC level by 15.6%. For conscientiousness, MVC percentage change in the positive feedback condition did not differ according to high and low conscientiousness. However, conscientiousness interacted with gender in the positive feedback condition, increasing MVC in high-conscientiousness female athletes and decreasing MVC in low-conscientiousness female athletes. Positive feedback decreased MVC in both high- and low-conscientiousness male athletes.
Comprehension of verb number morphemes in Czech children: Singular and plural show different relations to age and vocabulary
Authors: Smolík Filip , Bláhová Veronika
Published: November 2016

Two experiments examined Czech children’s comprehension of grammatical number marking in verbs. Children were presented with picture pairs involving one or multiple participants in the same action, and were asked to point to the picture described by a recorded sentence. Experiment 1 ( N = 72, age 3;0–4;7) tested four types of sentences, some of which marked the number of participants on the verb only. There was a marked increase in comprehension scores with age and receptive vocabulary scores in singular, but not in plural sentences. This pattern was present regardless of how number was marked. Experiment 2 ( N = 45, age 3;4–4;9) replicated the key findings of Experiment 1. The results suggest that comprehension of morphological number markers remains difficult even when children routinely produce such markers. However, when compared with results from other languages and experimental paradigms, it appears that the effect is due mainly to children’s comprehension of the task and not limitations in their grammatical knowledge.
Qualitative monitoring of information infrastructures: A case study of INSPIRE
Authors: Masser Ian , Crompvoets Joep
Published: November 2016

This paper considers the experience of the implementation of the Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 2007 establishing an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE) as a case study of qualitative monitoring in building information infrastructures. It considers the nature of information infrastructures and possible approaches to qualitative monitoring in situations of this kind and describes the outcomes of two rounds of qualitative country reports prepared by the European Union national Member States in 2010 and 2013. The findings of the analysis highlight the great diversity of approaches developed by the participating countries and the complexity of the tasks involved as well as pointing to a number of areas of potential research on the implementation of information infrastructures.
On the hardness of unlabeled multi-robot motion planning
Authors: Solovey Kiril , Halperin Dan
Published: November 2016

In unlabeled multi-robot motion planning, several interchangeable robots operate in a common workspace. The goal is to move the robots to a set of target positions such that each position will be occupied by some robot. In this paper, we study this problem for the specific case of unit-square robots moving amidst polygonal obstacles and show that it is PSPACE-hard. We also consider three additional variants of this problem and show that they are all PSPACE-hard as well. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first hardness proof for the unlabeled case. Furthermore, our proofs can be used to show that the labeled variant (where each robot is assigned a specific target position), again, for unit-square robots, is PSPACE-hard as well, which sets another precedent, as previous hardness results require the robots to be of different shapes (or at least in different orientations). Lastly, we settle an open problem regarding the complexity of the well-known Rush-Hour puzzle for unit-square cars in environments with polygonal obstacles.
Opposition to Irish Travellers’ halting sites in the Republic of Ireland: Realistic group conflict or symbolic politics?
Authors: Fetzer Joel S.
Published: November 2016

Widely reviled by even well-educated citizens of the Republic of Ireland, Travellers rank at the very bottom of today’s multiracial Irish society according to most any attitudinal measure. This research note uses multivariate ordinary least-squares regression of the 2007 Irish National Election Study to test two prominent explanations of such prejudice. Overall, data analysis confirms the theories of realistic group conflict and symbolic politics about equally. In particular, unemployment, occupation, and perceptions of crime support the first interpretation, while results for conservatism and multiculturalism lend credence to the second.
Hope as a Mediator of the Link Between Intimate Partner Violence and Suicidal Risk in Turkish Women: Further Evidence for the Role of Hope Agency
Authors: Muyan Mine , Chang Edward C.
Published: November 2016

The present study examined hope as a potential mediator of the association between intimate partner violence (IPV) and suicidal risk, namely, depression and suicide ideation, in a sample of 149 Turkish female college students. Results from conducting bootstrapped mediation analyses indicated that hope agency, but not hope pathways, mediated the link between IPV and suicidal risk in Turkish women. Importantly, the associations of IPV with both depression and suicide ideation became nonsignificant once hope was included in the prediction model. Some implications of the present findings for hope theory and practice in the context of IPV victimization among Turkish women are discussed.
An Empirical Examination of the Victim-Search Methods Utilized by Serial Stranger Sexual Offenders: A Classification Approach
Authors: Hewitt Ashley N. , Beauregard Eric , Davies Garth
Published: November 2016

Past research on the spatial mobility of serial offenders has generally found that these individuals make calculated decisions about the ways in which they come into contact with suitable victims. Within the geographic profiling literature, four victim-search methods have been theorized that describe how serial predatory offenders hunt for their victims: hunter, poacher, troller, and trapper. Using latent class analysis, the aim of this study is to test whether this theoretical typology can be empirically derived using data that were collected from both police files and semi-structured interviews with 72 serial sex offenders who committed 361 stranger sexual assaults. Empirical support is found for each of the aforementioned victim-search methods, in addition to two others: indiscriminate opportunist and walking prowler. Chi-square analyses are also conducted to test for associations between this typology and characteristics of the offense such as victim information, environmental factors, and the offender’s modus operandi strategies. Findings from these analyses suggest that the types of victims and environments targeted by the offender, as well as the behaviors that take place both before and during the offense, are dependent upon the offender’s victim-search strategy. Although the theoretical hunter, poacher, troller, and trapper were intended to describe the victim-search methods of serial violent predators more generally, the finding that these strategies exist along with two others in this sample of sexual offenders may indicate that search behavior is specific to certain crime types. Furthermore, these findings may be of assistance in the investigation of stranger sexual assaults by providing law-enforcement officials with possible clues as to the characteristics of the unknown suspect, the times and places likely targeted in any past or future events, and possibly even his base of operations.
Influence of Intimate Partner Violence Severity on the Help-Seeking Strategies of Female Victims and the Influence of Social Reactions to Violence Disclosure on the Process of Leaving a Violent Relationship
Authors: Domenech del Rio Ines , Sirvent Garcia del Valle Elena
Published: November 2016

This article uses data from the 2015 Spanish Survey on Violence Against Women, a nationally representative survey of 10,171 women aged 16 or above, to analyze the relationship between the severity of intimate partner violence and formal and informal help-seeking strategies, the link between the severity of abuse and the reasons for not seeking formal help, and the influence of social reactions to violence disclosure on the process of leaving a violent relationship. The results show that in Spain, many abused women disclose violence and seek help. However, the severity of the violence strongly determines their help-seeking strategies, especially the search for formal help. Women who experienced less severe incidents tended to minimize their importance and did not seek formal help. For informal help, the differences were smaller, and a high proportion of women talked about the abuse with someone within their social environment, regardless of the severity of the suffered violence. A supportive reaction to violence disclosure had a strong and positive influence on the process of leaving the abusive relationship. The implications of these findings for the design of public policies, education, and awareness-raising campaigns are discussed.
The Poetics of Christian Engagement: Living Compassionately in a Sexual Politics of Meat World
Authors: Adams Carol J.
Published: November 2016

One of the central features of Western existence is the objectification and use of other beings in creating the subjectification of human beings. My argument is for a Christian veganism that rejects the dependence of the subject on the object status of other beings. The roadblocks to recognizing the necessity for Christian veganism I call the pedagogy of the oppressor. I propose that one way to change the subject-object relationship is a poetics of Christian engagement. Christian veganism may seem a radical position theoretically and pragmatically, but I will offer suggestions for expanding Christian engagement with other animals and for the food and environmental justice movements of which veganism is a part.
Integrating genomic signatures for treatment selection with Bayesian predictive failure time models
Authors: Ma Junsheng , Hobbs Brian P , Stingo Francesco C
Published: November 2016

Over the past decade, a tremendous amount of resources have been dedicated to the pursuit of developing genomic signatures that effectively match patients with targeted therapies. Although dozens of therapies that target DNA mutations have been developed, the practice of studying single candidate genes has limited our understanding of cancer. Moreover, many studies of multiple-gene signatures have been conducted for the purpose of identifying prognostic risk cohorts, and thus are limited for selecting personalized treatments. Existing statistical methods for treatment selection often model treatment-by-covariate interactions that are difficult to specify, and require prohibitively large patient cohorts. In this article, we describe a Bayesian predictive failure time model for treatment selection that integrates multiple-gene signatures. Our approach relies on a heuristic measure of similarity that determines the extent to which historically treated patients contribute to the outcome prediction of new patients. The similarity measure, which can be obtained from existing clustering methods, imparts robustness to the underlying stochastic data structure, which enhances feasibility in the presence of small samples. Performance of the proposed method is evaluated in simulation studies, and its application is demonstrated through a study of lung squamous cell carcinoma. Our Bayesian predictive failure time approach is shown to effectively leverage genomic signatures to match patients to the therapies that are most beneficial for prolonging their survival.