bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Megacystis Microcolon Intestinal Hypoperistalsis Syndrome: Case Reports and Discussion of the Literature
Authors: De Sousa Joana , Upadhyay Vipul , Stone Peter
Published: December 2015

Megacystis microcolon intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome (MMIHS) is a rare intestinal dysmotility condition that also involves a dilated urinary bladder. It was believed to be an autosomal recessive condition, but genetic studies have suggested possibly an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. Prenatal diagnosis can be challenging, but MRI and amniotic fluid/digestive fluid studies may be complementary investigations to improve diagnostic accuracy. Prognosis of MMIHS is generally poor and treatment is mostly supportive. To date, bowel transplantation remains the only viable treatment to restore bowel motility. Here we present two additional cases to contribute towards the scant literature on this condition.
Effects of a Supervised versus an Unsupervised Combined Balance and Strength Training Program on Balance and Muscle Power in Healthy Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Lacroix André , Kressig Reto W. , Muehlbauer Thomas , Gschwind Yves J. , Pfenninger Barbara , Bruegger Othmar , Granacher Urs
Published: December 2015

Background: Losses in lower extremity muscle strength/power, muscle mass and deficits in static and particularly dynamic balance due to aging are associated with impaired functional performance and an increased fall risk. It has been shown that the combination of balance and strength training (BST) mitigates these age-related deficits. However, it is unresolved whether supervised versus unsupervised BST is equally effective in improving muscle power and balance in older adults. Objective: This study examined the impact of a 12-week BST program followed by 12 weeks of detraining on measures of balance and muscle power in healthy older adults enrolled in supervised (SUP) or unsupervised (UNSUP) training. Methods: Sixty-six older adults (men: 25, women: 41; age 73 ± 4 years) were randomly assigned to a SUP group (2/week supervised training, 1/week unsupervised training; n = 22), an UNSUP group (3/week unsupervised training; n = 22) or a passive control group (CON; n = 22). Static (i.e., Romberg Test) and dynamic (i.e., 10-meter walk test) steady-state, proactive (i.e., Timed Up and Go Test, Functional Reach Test), and reactive balance (e.g., Push and Release Test), as well as lower extremity muscle power (i.e., Chair Stand Test; Stair Ascent and Descent Test) were tested before and after the active training phase as well as after detraining. Results: Adherence rates to training were 92% for SUP and 97% for UNSUP. BST resulted in significant group × time interactions. Post hoc analyses showed, among others, significant training-related improvements for the Romberg Test, stride velocity, Timed Up and Go Test, and Chair Stand Test in favor of the SUP group. Following detraining, significantly enhanced performances (compared to baseline) were still present in 13 variables for the SUP group and in 10 variables for the UNSUP group. Conclusion: Twelve weeks of BST proved to be safe (no training-related injuries) and feasible (high attendance rates of >90%). Deficits of balance and lower extremity muscle power can be mitigated by BST in healthy older adults. Additionally, supervised as compared to unsupervised BST was more effective. Thus, it is recommended to counteract intrinsic fall risk factors by applying supervised BST programs for older adults.
Therapy with a Selective Cannabinoid Receptor Type 2 Agonist Limits Albuminuria and Renal Injury in Mice with Type 2 Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Zoja Carlamaria , Locatelli Monica , Corna Daniela , Villa Sebastian , Rottoli Daniela , Nava Valeria , Verde Roberta , Piscitelli Fabiana , Di Marzo Vincenzo , Fingerle Juergen , Adam Jean-Michel , Rothenhaeusler Benno , Ottaviani Giorgio , Bénardeau Agnes , Abbate Mauro , Remuzzi Giuseppe , Benigni Ariela
Published: December 2015

Background/Aims: A critical involvement of the endocannabinoid/cannabinoid receptor system in diabetes and its complications has been recognized. Experimental evidence suggested that activation of the cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2), which is expressed in the kidney by podocytes and inflammatory cells, had a protective role in early streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes in mice. No experimental evidence is so far available on the effects of CB2 agonists in type 2 diabetes. In this study, we investigated the effects of a CB2 agonist given at a phase of overt disease on renal functional and structural changes in BTBR ob/ob mice, a model of type 2 diabetic nephropathy. Methods: BTBR ob/ob mice received, from 10 to 21 weeks of age, vehicle, the selective CB2 agonist HU910, or lisinopril used as standard therapy for comparison. BTBR wild-type mice served as controls. Results: Treatment with CB2 agonist reduced progressive albuminuria of BTBR ob/ob mice to a similar extent as ACE inhibitor. The antiproteinuric effect of CB2 agonist was associated with the amelioration of the defective nephrin expression in podocytes of diabetic mice. CB2 agonist limited mesangial matrix expansion, fibronectin accumulation and sclerosis. Glomerular infiltration of Mac-2-positive monocytes/machrophages was attenuated by CB2 agonist, at least in part due to the drug's ability to reduce MCP-1 chemotactic signals. Renoprotective effects of CB2 were similar to those achieved by ACE inhibitor. Conclusion: These results suggest that CB2 agonism is a potential option to be added to the available therapeutic armamentarium for type 2 diabetic nephropathy.
Long-Term Clinical Outcomes of Fractional Flow Reserve–Guided Versus Routine Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation in Patients With Intermediate Coronary Stenosis
Authors: Park Sang Hyun , Jeon Ki-Hyun , Lee Joo Myung , Nam Chang-Wook , Doh Joon-Hyung , Lee Bong-Ki , Rha Seung-Woon , Yoo Ki-dong , Jung Kyung Tae , Cho Young-Seok , Lee Hae-Young , Youn Tae-Jin , Chung Woo-Young , Koo Bon-Kwon
Published: December 2015

Background—

We aimed to compare the long-term clinical outcomes between fractional flow reserve (FFR)–guided and routine drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in patients with an intermediate coronary stenosis.

Methods and Results—

A total of 229 patients with an angiographically intermediate coronary stenosis were randomly assigned to FFR-guided or Routine-DES implantation group. For FFR-guided group (n=114), treatment strategy was determined according to the target vessel FFR (FFR<0.75: DES implantation [FFR-DES group]; FFR≥0.75: deferral of stenting [FFR-Defer group]). Routine-DES group underwent DES implantation without FFR measurement (n=115). The primary end point was the incidence of major adverse cardiac events, a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization. Of lesions assigned to FFR-guided strategy, only one quarter had functional significance (FFR<0.75). At 2-year follow-up, the cumulative incidence of major adverse cardiac events was 7.9±2.5% in the FFR-guided group and 8.8±2.7% in Routine-DES group (
P
=0.80). At 5-year follow-up, the cumulative incidence of major adverse cardiac events was 11.6±3.0% and 14.2±3.3% for the FFR-guided group and the Routine-DES group (
P
=0.55). There was no difference in major adverse cardiac events rates between the 2 groups ≤5-year follow-up (hazard ratio, 1.25; 95% confidence interval, 0.60–2.60).

Conclusions—

In lesions with angiographically intermediate stenosis, FFR guidance provides a tailored approach, which is at least as good as an angiography-guided routine-DES implantation strategy and avoids unnecessary DES-stenting in a considerable part of the patients.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00592228.
Association of MicroRNAs and YRNAs With Platelet Function
Authors: Kaudewitz Dorothee , Skroblin Philipp , Bender Lukas H. , Barwari Temo , Willeit Peter , Pechlaner Raimund , Sunderland Nicholas P. , Willeit Karin , Morton Allison C. , Armstrong Paul C. , Chan Melissa V. , Lu Ruifang , Yin Xiaoke , Gracio Filipe , Dudek Katarzyna , Langley Sarah R. , Zampetaki Anna , de Rinaldis Emanuele , Ye Shu , Warner Timothy D. , Saxena Alka , Kiechl Stefan , Storey Robert F. , Mayr Manuel
Published: December 2015

Rationale:

Platelets shed microRNAs (miRNAs). Plasma miRNAs change on platelet inhibition. It is unclear whether plasma miRNA levels correlate with platelet function.

Objective:

To link small RNAs to platelet reactivity.

Methods and Results:

Next-generation sequencing of small RNAs in plasma revealed 2 peaks at 22 to 23 and 32 to 33 nucleotides corresponding to miRNAs and YRNAs, respectively. Among YRNAs, predominantly, fragments of RNY4 and RNY5 were detected. Plasma miRNAs and YRNAs were measured in 125 patients with a history of acute coronary syndrome who had undergone detailed assessment of platelet function 30 days after the acute event. Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions, 92 miRNAs were assessed in patients with acute coronary syndrome on different antiplatelet therapies. Key platelet-related miRNAs and YRNAs were correlated with platelet function tests. MiR-223 (
r
p
=0.28; n=121;
P
=0.002), miR-126 (
r
p
=0.22; n=121;
P
=0.016), and other abundant platelet miRNAs and YRNAs showed significant positive correlations with the vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein phosphorylation assay. YRNAs, miR-126, and miR-223 were also among the small RNAs showing the greatest dependency on platelets and strongly correlated with plasma levels of P-selectin, platelet factor 4, and platelet basic protein in the population-based Bruneck study (n=669). A single-nucleotide polymorphism that facilitates processing of pri-miR-126 to mature miR-126 accounted for a rise in circulating platelet activation markers. Inhibition of miR-126 in mice reduced platelet aggregation. MiR-126 directly and indirectly affects ADAM9 and P2Y
12
receptor expression.

Conclusions:

Levels of platelet-related plasma miRNAs and YRNAs correlate with platelet function tests in patients with acute coronary syndrome and platelet activation markers in the general population. Alterations in miR-126 affect platelet reactivity.
Evidence of the Importance of Nox4 in Production of Hypertension in Dahl Salt-Sensitive Rats
Authors: Cowley Allen W. , Yang Chun , Zheleznova Nadezhda N. , Staruschenko Alexander , Kurth Theresa , Rein Lisa , Kumar Vikash , Sadovnikov Katherine , Dayton Alex , Hoffman Matthew , Ryan Robert P. , Skelton Meredith M. , Salehpour Fahimeh , Ranji Mahsa , Geurts Aron
Published: December 2015

This study reports the consequences of knocking out NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) oxidase 4 (
Nox4
) on the development of hypertension and kidney injury in the Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rat. Zinc finger nuclease injection of single-cell SS embryos was used to create an 8 base-pair frame-shift deletion of
Nox4
, resulting in a loss of the ≈68 kDa band in Western blot analysis of renal cortical tissue of the knock out of
Nox4
in the SS rat (SS
Nox4−/−
) rats. SS
Nox4−/−
rats exhibited a significant reduction of salt-induced hypertension compared with SS rats after 21 days of 4.0% NaCl diet (134±5 versus 151±3 mm Hg in SS) and a significant reduction of albuminuria, tubular casts, and glomerular injury. Optical fluorescence 3-dimensional cryoimaging revealed significantly higher redox ratios (NADH/FAD [reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide/flavin adenine dinucleotide]) in the kidneys of SS
Nox4−/−
rats even when fed the 0.4% NaCl diet, indicating greater levels of mitochondrial electron transport chain metabolic activity and reduced oxidative stress compared with SS rats. Before the development of hypertension, RNA expression levels of Nox subunits Nox2, p67
phox
, and p22
phox
were found to be significantly lower (
P
<0.05) in SS
Nox4−/−
compared with SS rats in the renal cortex. Thus, the mutation of Nox4 seems to modify transcription of several genes in ways that contribute to the protective effects observed in the SS
Nox4−/−
rats. We conclude that the reduced renal injury and attenuated blood pressure response to high salt in the SS
Nox4−/−
rat could be the result of multiple pathways, including gene transcription, mitochondrial energetics, oxidative stress, and protein matrix production impacted by the knock out of Nox4.
Significance of the Hemorrhagic Site for Recurrent Bleeding
Authors: Takahashi Jun C. , Funaki Takeshi , Houkin Kiyohiro , Inoue Tooru , Ogasawara Kuniaki , Nakagawara Jyoji , Kuroda Satoshi , Yamada Keisuke , Miyamoto Susumu ,   the JAM Trial Investigators, Yoshimoto Takashi , Hashimoto Nobuo , Tsuji Ichiro , Tomata Yasutake , Fukui Tsuguya , Okada Yasushi , Matsumoto Masayasu , Fukui Tsuguya , Tsuji Ichiro , Fukuuchi Yasuo , Ohmoto Takashi , Kuwabara Yasuo , Nagata Izumi , Ono Junichi , Machida Toshio , Sakakibara Ryuji , Yamane Kanji , Okita Shinji , Kumano Kiyoshi , Iwama Toru , Kaku Yasuhiko , Saito Nobuhito , Fukuyama Hidenao , Yabe Ichiro , Moriwaka Fumio , Ogawa Akira , Yoshida Kenji , Fujii Kiyotaka , Yamada Masaru , Sato Kimitoshi , Akutsu Tsugio , Yamagata Sen , Takeuchi Shigekazu , Nagata Izumi , Hayashi Kentaro , Horie Nobutaka , Yamada Kazuo , Katano Hiroyuki , Masago Atsuo , Osato Toshiaki , Watanabe Toshiichi , Honjo Kaori , Sako Kazuya , Nakase Hiroyuki , Kawaguchi Shoichiro , Nishimura Fumihiko , Yamao Junichi , Naritomi Hiroaki , Okada Yasushi , Abe Hiroshi , Suzuki Akifumi , Ishikawa Tatsuya , Akiyama Yoshinori , Suenaga Toshihiko , Tominaga Teiji , Fujimura Miki , Nagahiro Shinji , Uno Masaaki , Nishi Kyoko , Satomi Junichiro , Okada Yoshikazu , Kawashima Akitsugu , Yamaguchi Koji , Ishikawa Tatsuya , Kawamata Takakazu , Tsutsumi Yukiko
Published: December 2015

Background and Purpose—

The primary results of the Japan Adult Moyamoya Trial revealed the statistically marginal superiority of bypass surgery over medical treatment alone in preventing rebleeding in moyamoya disease. The purpose of this analysis is to test the prespecified subgroup hypothesis that the natural course and surgical effects vary depending on the hemorrhagic site at onset.

Methods—

The hemorrhagic site, classified as either anterior or posterior, was the only stratifying variable for randomization. Statistical analyses were focused on the assessment of effect modification according to the hemorrhagic site and were based on tests of interaction.

Results—

Of 42 surgically treated patients, 24 were classified as anterior hemorrhage and 18 as posterior hemorrhage; of 38 medically treated patients, 21 were classified as anterior and 17 as posterior. The hazard ratio of the primary end points (all adverse events) for the surgical group relative to the nonsurgical group was 0.07 (95% confidence interval, 0.01–0.55) for the posterior group, as compared with 1.62 (95% confidence interval, 0.39–6.79) for the anterior group (
P
=0.013 for interaction). Analysis within the nonsurgical group revealed that the incidence of the primary end point was significantly higher in the posterior group than in the anterior group (17.1% per year versus 3.0% per year; hazard ratio, 5.83; 95% confidence interval, 1.60–21.27).

Conclusions—

Careful interpretation of the results suggests that patients with posterior hemorrhage are at higher risk of rebleeding and accrue greater benefit from surgery, subject to verification in further studies.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index.htm
. Unique identifier: C000000166.
The “Masters” in the Shiji
Authors: Kern Martin
Published: December 2015

The intellectual history of the ancient philosophical “Masters” depends to a large extent on accounts in early historiography, most importantly Sima Qian’s Shiji which provides a range of longer and shorter biographies of Warring States thinkers. Yet the ways in which personal life experiences, ideas, and the creation of texts are interwoven in these accounts are diverse and uneven and do not add up to a reliable guide to early Chinese thought and its protagonists. In its selective approach to different thinkers, the Shiji under-represents significant parts of the textual heritage while developing several distinctive models of authorship, from anonymous compilations of textual repertoires to the experience of personal hardship and political frustration as the precondition for turning into a writer. 

L’histoire intellectuelle des “maîtres” de la philosophie chinoise ancienne dépend pour une large part de ce qui est dit d’eux dans l’historiographie ancienne, tout particulièrement le Shiji de Sima Qian, qui offre une série de biographies plus ou moins étendues de penseurs de l’époque des Royaumes Combattants. Cependant leur vie, leurs idées et les conditions de création de leurs textes se combinent dans ces biographies de façon très inégale, si bien que l’ensemble ne saurait être considéré comme l’équivalent d’un guide de la pensée chinoise ancienne et de ses auteurs sur lequel on pourrait s’appuyer en toute confiance. Dans sa façon d’approcher sélectivement les différents penseurs, le Shiji tend à sous-représenter des secteurs significatifs de l’héritage textuel; en même temps il développe plusieurs modèles distinctifs de rapport entre texte et auteur, depuis la compilation anonyme de répertoires textuels jusqu’à l’expérience du malheur et à la frustration politique posées comme conditions pour devenir écrivain.
Writing on Pigments in Natural History and Art Technology in Sixteenth-Century Germany and Switzerland
Authors: Oltrogge Doris
Published: December 2015

Renaissance painters used a number of inorganic color materials. The development of mineralogy as a discipline opened a new discourse on mineral pigments. Agricola and other naturalists were familiar with the contemporary writings on art technology, but their focus was different. Therefore, the exchange of knowledge between these two color worlds remained selective. One possible meeting point was the Kunstkammer where the study of natural objects and materials was combined with an interest in the manual execution of a painting.
‘Siben Farben unnd Künsten frey’: The Place of Color in Martin Schaffner’s Universe Tabletop of 1533
Authors: Morrall Andrew
Published: December 2015

This article investigates the place of colors within an encyclopedic scheme painted as a tabletop by the Ulm artist Martin Schaffner in 1533 for a member of the Strassburg goldsmith family Stedelin. The painting depicts a model of the Ptolemaic Universe, structured in sequences of sevens – of planets, metals, virtues and liberal arts, days of the week, as well as colors. The essay situates the seven colors within the traditions of medieval color symbolism, arguing for their particular relation with the liberal arts following an earlier manuscript and print tradition. In this tradition, colors served as attributes, their qualities derived from a wide set of allegorical and symbolic meanings, so as literally to color the liberal arts with qualities appropriate to them. This association, it is argued, reinforces the work’s implicit theme, namely the claim to painting as a liberal art and to the learned status of the artist, one underlined by Schaffner’s inclusion of a self-portrait as Ptolemy himself.
Understandings of Colors: Varieties of Theories in the Color Worlds of the Early Seventeenth Century
Authors: Dijksterhuis Fokko Jan
Published: December 2015

In the early seventeenth century, there existed a myriad of theories to account for color phenomena. The status, goal, and content of such accounts differed as well as the range of phenomena they explained. Starting with the journal of Isaac Beeckman (1588–1637), this essay inquires into the features and functions of conceptual reflections upon color experiences. Beeckman played a crucial role in the intellectual development of René Descartes (1596–1650), while at the same time their ideas differed crucially. Early corpuscular conceptions of colors cannot be reduced to the mechanistic variety of Descartes. Moreover, the optical rather than corpuscular features of Descartes’s understanding of colors were essential. A stratification of conceptualizations is proposed that is grounded in various problem contexts rather than philosophical doctrines, thus opening a way to interpret the philosophical parts of color worlds in a more diverse way.
Analysing the Power of the European Union’s Diplomatic Service: Do the eu Member States Control the European External Action Service?
Authors: Kostanyan Hrant
Published: December 2015

By applying the rational choice principal–agent model, this article examines the European Union member states’ principal control of the European External Action Service (eeas) agent. More specifically, the article applies mechanisms of agency monitoring, control and sanctions that are inherent in the principal–agent model to analyse the establishment and functioning of the eeas. These mechanisms aim to ensure the eeas’s compliance with its mandate, thereby curtailing its ability to pursue own objectives that are independent from the principal. The findings reveal that the eeas is tightly controlled by the eu member states. Moreover the European Commission has tools to exercise horizontal checks vis-à-vis the eeas. The application of the principal–agent model to control the eeas is not without its limits. The model falls short of conceptualizing the role of the European Parliament, which remains an outlier to this model.
The genus Tremella (Tremellales, Basidiomycota) in Russia with description of two new species and proposal of one nomenclatural combination
Authors: Malysheva Vera F. , Malysheva Ekaterina F. , Bulakh Eugenia M.
Published: December 2015

Twenty-two non-lichenicolous species of Tremella are reported from Russia. Detailed descriptions, photographs, illustrations and a dichotomous key for the identification of taxa are provided. Two species, Tremella subalpina and T. griseola, are described as new. One new combination is proposed, and an epitype for Tremella yokohamensis is designated. Molecular phylogenetic reconstructions are presented based on nrITS and nrLSU regions in Bayesian and likelihood analyses. Phylogenetic data were strongly correlated with morphological data and were useful to delimit closely related species.
A new species of Stenodiplosis (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) on Spartina grasses (Poaceae) with notes on its biology and its parasitoid Tetrastichus bromi (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)
Authors: Perilla LÓpez J. Manuel , Johnson PAUL J. , GAGNÉ RAYMOND J. , BOE ARVID
Published: December 2015

Stenodiplosis spartinae Gagné new species (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) is described from eastern South Dakota and coastal North Carolina, and compared with other American congeners. The known host plants are Spartina alterniflora and S. pectinata. The larva is a seed predator of the ovule and immature caryopsis of the host plant. Adult activity is from the early emergence of the host inflorescence through anthesis. Oviposition occurs in the floret with eggs laid under the edges of the palea and lemma. The larva apparently overwinters in dehisced spikelets in the soil among rhizomes of S. pectinata, with pupation in late spring. Laboratory emergence and field activity of the adults suggest a potentialsecond or third generation developing on late emerging inflorescences. Larval feeding does not induce external color or shape changes in the spikelet. Apparently all three instars are ectoparasitized by Tetrastichus bromi Kostyukov (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) that was probably introduced to North America in the late 1800’s and is inculcated into parasitoid guilds of several Stenodiplosis species. Resource partitioning appears to occur between the gall midge and early instars of Aethes spartinana Barnes and McDunnough (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) that feed on maturing caryopses. The feeding of this gall midge and the moth probably account for most of the reduced seed production in both natural and agronomic populations of S. pectinata.
Acanthagrion viridescens (Odonata: Coenagrionidae): description of the final larval stadium and biological notes
Authors: GUTIÉRREZ YEISSON , FREITAS HEMERSON L. , OLIVEIRA EUGÊNIO E.
Published: December 2015

The development of the nymphal stages of Acanthagrion viridescens Leonard was examined under laboratory conditions. Based on specimens collected in Minas Gerais state (Brazilian Southeastern Region), we described and illustrated the last-instar nymph and illustrated the egg and other nymphal stages. The nymphs of A. viridescens went through 11 instars, each of them with an average duration of approximately 13 days. The combinations of the following characteristics distinguish the last-instar nymph of A. viridescens from congeners: prementum with 2+1 setae in each side; labial palp with six apical denticles; mandibular formula L 1+2 3 4 5 y a, R 1+2 3 4 5 y- a b; presence of trifid spine in the ventral distal region of the tibia and in the tarsi; format of the male and female gonapophyses; and the distinctive pattern of the tracheae in the caudal gills. This also represents the first record of this species from southeastern Brazil.
Taxonomy of Colophon Gray (Coleoptera: Lucanidae): new species and a status change
Authors: JACOBS CARMEN T. , SCHOLTZ CLARKE H. , STRÜMPHER WERNER P.
Published: December 2015

Three new species of the Cape high-mountain stag beetle genus, Colophon Gray (Coleoptera: Lucanidae), from South Africa are described. They are C. deschodti new species, C. switalae new species, and C. struempheri new species. The new taxa fall within a species complex of geographically disjunct entities related to Colophon stokoei Barnard. Furthermore, the mitochondrial COI gene shows a high degree of sequence divergence, with pairwise genetic distances between the species ranging between 7.4–10.7%. The new species are illustrated by photographs. Colophon eastmani nagaii Mizukami is raised to species level on the basis of geographic range and molecular differences between it and the nominate subspecies. This brings the total number of described species in the genus to 21. An updated checklist of the South African species of Colophon is also provided.
Stratocumulus Cloud Clearings and Notable Thermodynamic and Aerosol Contrasts across the Clear–Cloudy Interface
Authors: Crosbie Ewan , Wang Zhen , Sorooshian Armin , Chuang Patrick Y. , Craven Jill S. , Coggon Matthew M. , Brunke Michael , Zeng Xubin , Jonsson Haflidi , Woods Roy K. , Flagan Richard C. , Seinfeld John H.
Published: December 2015

Data from three research flights, conducted over water near the California coast, are used to investigate the boundary between stratocumulus cloud decks and clearings of different sizes. Large clearings exhibit a diurnal cycle with growth during the day and contraction overnight and a multiday life cycle that can include oscillations between growth and decay, whereas a small coastal clearing was observed to be locally confined with a subdiurnal lifetime. Subcloud aerosol characteristics are similar on both sides of the clear–cloudy boundary in the three cases, while meteorological properties exhibit subtle, yet important, gradients, implying that dynamics, and not microphysics, is the primary driver for the clearing characteristics. Transects, made at multiple levels across the cloud boundary during one flight, highlight the importance of microscale (~1 km) structure in thermodynamic properties near the cloud edge, suggesting that dynamic forcing at length scales comparable to the convective eddy scale may be influential to the larger-scale characteristics of the clearing. These results have implications for modeling and observational studies of marine boundary layer clouds, especially in relation to aerosol–cloud interactions and scales of variability responsible for the evolution of stratocumulus clearings.
California Central Valley Summer Heat Waves Form Two Ways*
Authors: Lee Yun-Young , Grotjahn Richard
Published: December 2015

California Central Valley (CCV) heat waves are grouped into two types based on the temporal and spatial evolution of the large-scale meteorological patterns (LSMPs) prior to onset. The k-means clustering of key features in the anomalous temperature and zonal wind identifies the two groups. Composite analyses show different evolution prior to developing a similar ridge–trough–ridge pattern spanning the North Pacific at the onset of CCV hot spells. Backward trajectories show adiabatic heating of air enhanced by anomalous sinking plus horizontal advection as the main mechanisms to create hot lower-tropospheric air just off the Northern California coast, although the paths differ between clusters.

The first cluster develops the ridge at the west coast on the day before onset, consistent with wave activity flux traveling across the North Pacific. Air parcels that arrive at the maximum temperature anomaly (just off the Northern California coast) tend to travel a long distance across the Pacific from the west. The second cluster has the ridge in place for several days prior to extreme CCV heat, but this ridge is located farther north, with heat anomaly over the northwestern United States. This ridge expands south as air parcels at midtropospheric levels descend from the northwest while lower-level parcels over land tend to bring hot air from directions ranging from the hot area to the northeast to the desert areas to the southeast. These two types reveal unexpected dynamical complexity, hint at different remote associations, and expand the assessment needed of climate models’ simulations of these heat waves.
Satellite-Derived Ocean Thermal Structure for the North Atlantic Hurricane Season
Authors: Pun Iam-Fei , Price James F. , Jayne Steven R.
Published: December 2015

This paper describes a new model (method) called Satellite-derived North Atlantic Profiles (SNAP) that seeks to provide a high-resolution, near-real-time ocean thermal field to aid tropical cyclone (TC) forecasting. Using about 139 000 observed temperature profiles, a spatially dependent regression model is developed for the North Atlantic Ocean during hurricane season. A new step introduced in this work is that the daily mixed layer depth is derived from the output of a one-dimensional Price–Weller–Pinkel ocean mixed layer model with time-dependent surface forcing.

The accuracy of SNAP is assessed by comparison to 19 076 independent Argo profiles from the hurricane seasons of 2011 and 2013. The rms differences of the SNAP-estimated isotherm depths are found to be 10–25 m for upper thermocline isotherms (29°–19°C), 35–55 m for middle isotherms (18°–7°C), and 60–100 m for lower isotherms (6°–4°C). The primary error sources include uncertainty of sea surface height anomaly (SSHA), high-frequency fluctuations of isotherm depths, salinity effects, and the barotropic component of SSHA. These account for roughly 29%, 25%, 19%, and 10% of the estimation error, respectively. The rms differences of TC-related ocean parameters, upper-ocean heat content, and averaged temperature of the upper 100 m, are ~10 kJ cm−2 and ~0.8°C, respectively, over the North Atlantic basin. These errors are typical also of the open ocean underlying the majority of TC tracks. Errors are somewhat larger over regions of greatest mesoscale variability (i.e., the Gulf Stream and the Loop Current within the Gulf of Mexico).
Estimation of Vulnerability and Risk to Meteorological Drought in Mexico
Authors: Neri Carolina , Magaña Víctor
Published: December 2015

Prolonged droughts severely affect the economic, social, and environmental sectors in Mexico. The interest in reducing the costs of drought is now focused on prevention by means of vulnerability reduction. The present study proposes a methodology to estimate vulnerability and risk to drought, considering the physical, economical, and social factors that make regions of Mexico prone to experiencing hydrological and agricultural droughts. Recognizing that there is no universally accepted way to describe vulnerability, the proposed method defines the object under study, the natural hazard, and vulnerability factors by means of indicators. The vulnerability factors are related to water infrastructure, the condition of aquifers or water reservoirs, the levels of wastewater treatment, water productivity in agriculture, hydraulic infrastructure, and water tariffs. A drought vulnerability model for each Hydrological Administrative Region (RHA) in Mexico is obtained by combining the vulnerability indicators. The product of vulnerability and hazard results in risk estimates that are compared with impact data to validate the approach. Information on agricultural or hydrological drought is used as impact data. The validation process is an important step in the methodology, since it allows examination of the causes of disasters by the vulnerability factors and leads to risk management strategies. It is found that although vulnerability to meteorological drought in the agricultural and hydrological sectors in Mexico has decreased in recent years, the drought risk is still high and results in severe economic losses, such as those registered in central and northern Mexico during the 2011–12 prolonged drought.
Violent death, public problems and changes in Argentina
Authors: Gayol Sandra , Kessler Gabriel
Published: December 2015

This article makes connections between violent deaths, public problems and changes seen in the past 30 years in Argentina. The authors argue that the ways in which people were killed, the ways in which their dead bodies were handled and the ways in which the dead and their behaviours were described in terms of morality play a key role in determining social reaction and the challenging of public authorities. It is suggested that shock and outrage in the face of the violent death of a defenceless, innocent person trigger political, social and cultural changes in highly complex ways. Where contemporaries tend to establish almost immediate causal relationships, a retrospective analysis shows that the ruptures and continuities following each death result from a variety of temporal and causal chains. A death’s ability to pose public problems can help us think about democratic processes in Latin America, indicating that democracies in the region are judged in terms of their capacity to solve the public problems embodied by deaths like those analysed here.
Embodying of the self during interviews: An agential realist account of the non-verbal embodying processes of elderly people
Authors: Höppner Grit
Published: December 2015

This article investigates from an agential realist perspective the way the embodying of the self is constituted during interviews. Since the aim is to analyze how, in Karen Barad’s words, ‘matter comes to matter,’ the approach presented here takes into account not only how discursive but also how material practices produce ‘embodying processes’ that differ according to situational references. The approach considers the influence of the agency of human and non-human bodies in terms of non-verbal body language. Using the case of Viennese elderly people, this article presents three sets of material-discursive practices that have formed and transformed the way in which they embody their selves during the interviews: through their reference to absent non-human materiality, to non-human materiality present in the interview, and to human materiality present in the interview the elderly people non-verbally materialized their ideas on gender, age, health, and illness. In analyzing embodying processes, the article shows the kind of contribution that an agential realist account can make to sociological interview research. It particularly highlights the need to rethink both the constitution of the self and the popular procedure of focusing almost exclusively on discursive practices and human bodies in empirical analyses.
Variable Lifting Index (VLI)
Authors: Waters Thomas , Occhipinti Enrico , Colombini Daniela , Alvarez-Casado Enrique , Fox Robert
Published: December 2015

Objective:

We seek to develop a new approach for analyzing the physical demands of highly variable lifting tasks through an adaptation of the Revised NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) Lifting Equation (RNLE) into a Variable Lifting Index (VLI).

Background:

There are many jobs that contain individual lifts that vary from lift to lift due to the task requirements. The NIOSH Lifting Equation is not suitable in its present form to analyze variable lifting tasks.

Method:

In extending the prior work on the VLI, two procedures are presented to allow users to analyze variable lifting tasks. One approach involves the sampling of lifting tasks performed by a worker over a shift and the calculation of the Frequency Independent Lift Index (FILI) for each sampled lift and the aggregation of the FILI values into six categories. The Composite Lift Index (CLI) equation is used with lifting index (LI) category frequency data to calculate the VLI. The second approach employs a detailed systematic collection of lifting task data from production and/or organizational sources. The data are organized into simplified task parameter categories and further aggregated into six FILI categories, which also use the CLI equation to calculate the VLI.

Results:

The two procedures will allow practitioners to systematically employ the VLI method to a variety of work situations where highly variable lifting tasks are performed.

Conclusions:

The scientific basis for the VLI procedure is similar to that for the CLI originally presented by NIOSH; however, the VLI method remains to be validated.

Application:

The VLI method allows an analyst to assess highly variable manual lifting jobs in which the task characteristics vary from lift to lift during a shift.
Which Factors Can Protect Against Range Stress in Everyday Usage of Battery Electric Vehicles? Toward Enhancing Sustainability of Electric Mobility Systems
Authors: Franke Thomas , Rauh Nadine , Günther Madlen , Trantow Maria , Krems Josef F.
Published: December 2015

Objective:

The objective of the present research was to advance understanding of factors that can protect against range anxiety, specifically range stress in everyday usage of battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

Background:

Range anxiety is a major barrier to the broad adoption of sustainable electric mobility systems. To develop strategies aimed at overcoming range anxiety, a clear understanding of this phenomenon and influencing factors is needed.

Method:

We examined range anxiety in the form of everyday range stress (ERS) in a field study setting. Seventy-two customers leased a BEV for 3 months. The field study was specifically designed to enable examination of factors that can contribute to lower ERS. In particular, study design and sample recruitment were targeted at generating vehicle usage profiles that would lead to relatively frequent experience of situations requiring active management of range resources and thereby potentially leading to experienced range stress.

Results:

Less frequent encounter with critical range situations, higher practical experience, subjective range competence, tolerance of low range, and experienced trustworthiness of the range estimation system were related to lower ERS. Moreover, range stress was found to be related to range satisfaction and BEV acceptance.

Conclusion:

The results underline the importance of the human factors perspective to overcome range anxiety and enhance sustainability of electric mobility systems.

Application:

Trustworthiness should be employed as a key benchmark variable in the design of range estimation systems, and assistance systems should target increasing drivers’ adaptive capacity (i.e., resilience) to cope with critical range situations.
Predicting Dental Caries Outcomes in Children
Authors: Divaris K.
Published: December 2015

In recent years, unprecedented gains in the understanding of the biology and mechanisms underlying human health and disease have been made. In the domain of oral health, although much remains to be learned, the complex interactions between different systems in play have begun to unravel: host genome, oral microbiome with its transcriptome, proteome and metabolome, and more distal influences, including relevant behaviors and environmental exposures. A reasonable expectation is that this emerging body of knowledge can help improve the oral health and optimize care for individuals and populations. These goals are articulated by the National Institutes of Health as “precision medicine” and the elimination of health disparities. Key processes in these efforts are the discovery of causal factors or mechanistic pathways and the identification of individuals or population segments that are most likely to develop (any or severe forms of) oral disease. This article critically reviews the fundamental concepts of risk assessment and outcome prediction, as they relate to early childhood caries (ECC)—a common complex disease with significant negative impacts on children, their families, and the health system. The article highlights recent work and advances in methods available to estimate caries risk and derive person-level caries propensities. It further discusses the reasons for their limited utility in predicting individual ECC outcomes and informing clinical decision making. Critical issues identified include the misconception of defining dental caries as a tooth or surface-level condition versus a person-level disease; the fallacy of applying population-level parameters to individuals, termed privatization of risk; and the inadequacy of using frequentist versus Bayesian modeling approaches to derive individual disease propensity estimates. The article concludes with the notion that accurate caries risk assessment at the population level and “precision dentistry” at the person level are both desirable and achievable but must be based on high-quality longitudinal data and rigorous methodology.
Does Social Participation Predict Better Health? A Longitudinal Study in Rural Malawi
Authors: Myroniuk Tyler W. , Anglewicz Philip
Published: December 2015

Research on the relationship between social capital and individual health often suffers from important limitations. Most research relies on cross-sectional data, which precludes identifying whether participation predicts health and/or vice versa. Some important conceptualizations of social capital, like social participation, have seldom been examined. Little is known about participation and health in sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, both physical and mental health have seldom been tested together, and variation by age has rarely been examined. We use longitudinal survey data for 2,328 men and women from the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health, containing (1) several measures of social participation, (2) measures of physical and mental health, and (3) an age range of 15 to 80+ years. Our results differ by gender and age and for mental and physical health. We find that social participation is associated with better physical health but can predict worse mental health for Malawians.
A new non-craniotomy model of subarachnoid hemorrhage in the pig: a pilot study
Authors: Backer-Grøndahl Anders , Lindal Sigurd , Lorentzen Merethe Andberg , Eldevik Petter , Vorren Torgrim , Kristiansen Bente , Vangberg Torgil , Ytrebø Lars Marius
Published: December 2015

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) from rupture of an intracranial arterial aneurysm is a devastating disease affecting young people, with serious lifelong disability or death as a frequent outcome. Large animal models that exhibit all the cardinal clinical features of human SAH are highly warranted. In this pilot study we aimed to develop a non-craniotomy model of SAH in pigs suitable for acute intervention studies. Six Norwegian Landrace pigs received advanced invasive hemodynamic and intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring. The subarachnoid space, confirmed by a clear cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tap, was reached by advancing a needle below the ocular bulb through the superior orbital fissure and into the interpeduncular cistern. SAH was induced by injecting 15 mL of autologous arterial blood into the subarachnoid space. Macro- and microanatomical investigations of the pig brain showed a typical blood distribution consistent with human aneurysmal SAH (aSAH) autopsy data. Immediately after SAH induction ICP sharply increased with a concomitant reduction in cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP). ICP returned to near normal values after 30 min, but increased subsequently during the experimental period. Signs of brain edema were confirmed by light microscopy post-mortem. None of the animals died during the experimental period. This new transorbital injection model of SAH in the pig mimics human aSAH and may be suitable for acute intervention studies. However, the model is technically challenging and needs further validation.
Brush-painting and photonical sintering of copper and silver inks on cotton fabric to form antennas for wearable ultra-high-frequency radio-frequency identification tags
Authors: Wang Jianhua , Liu Jun , Virkki Johanna , Björninen Toni , Sydänheimo Lauri , Cheng Lianglun , Ukkonen Leena
Published: December 2015

Additive deposition of inks with metallic inclusions provides compelling means to embed electronics into clothing in a seamless way. We present a simple single-step brush-painting method for depositing copper and silver inks directly on ordinary cotton fabric and discuss the optimization of the photonical sintering of both materials. For the first time, we demonstrate the deposition and sintering of copper oxide ink on fabric achieving high electrical conductivity suitable for radio-frequency electronics. The results from wireless testing confirmed that the radio-frequency identification tags based on the copper and silver ink antennas were readable from 6 and 10 m, respectively.
Waterborne polyurethane modified with silicone macromer and the nylon airbag coated with it
Authors: Go Cheol Wan , Yang Jeong Han , Kwak Dong-sup , Kim Gi-Woong , Jeong Han Mo
Published: December 2015

A waterborne polyurethane (WPU) with a double bond in the main chain was modified with a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) macromer having a terminal methacrylate group (PDMS methacrylate macromer) by using a radical mechanism, and the changes in various physical properties were examined. Although the crystallinity of the soft segment domain increased, the cohesion of the hard segments was weakened as a result of the modification with the PDMS methacrylate macromer. The adhesion between the WPU and nylon decreased due to the hydrophobic/low polarity of the PDMS component, and this improved the flexibility and the tear strength of the nylon-6,6 textile coated with WPU. The air permeability of the coated textile also increased as a result of the modification.
Warp-knitted fabric defect segmentation based on the non-subsampled wavelet-packet-based Contourlet transform
Authors: Xia Dong , Jiang Gaoming , Ma Pibo
Published: December 2015

In the work, the Contourlet transform is modified for a more complex situation in order to obtain a subtler decomposition of the warp-knitted fabric image. The new Contourlet transform is named the non-subsampled wavelet-packet-based Contourlet transform (NWPCT) and it consists of wavelet-packet transform and a non-subsampled directional filter bank. Firstly, the fabric image is processed by means of wavelet-packet transform with segmented threshold de-noising to acquire the subtle frequency coefficients. Secondly, the more elaborate directional coefficients will be obtained by decomposing the wavelet-packet coefficients with non-subsampled directional filter bank. Then the directional coefficients with higher energy are chosen to reconstruct the wavelet-packet coefficients. Finally, the iterative threshold method and object operation based on morphology are applied to segment the defect profile. The final experimental result demonstrates that NWPCT has excellent properties to segment out the defects (broken wrap, oil and width barrier). The defect profile is distinct enough for the further work concerning warp-knitted fabric defect recognition.