bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abstract 725: Effect of Intraluminal Thrombus on the Transcriptome of the Tunica Media and Adventitia in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms
Authors: Lindquist Liljeqvist Moritz , Hultgren Rebecka , Villard Christina , Kronqvist Malin , Eriksson Per , Roy Joy
Published: March 2019

Objective:
Most clinically significant abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) contain an intraluminal thrombus (ILT), the role of which in the AAAs progression to rupture remains unclear. Our objective was to describe the tunica-specific coding and non-coding transcriptome of ILT-covered and -free AAA vessel wall.

Methods:
Aortic tissue samples from 76 patients with AAA and 13 transplant donors (controls) were collected from our biobank and analyzed with Affymetrix HTA 2.0 microarrays. For 34 patients, a comparison between ILT-covered and -free vessel wall could be made. All samples were divided into intimal/medial and adventitial wall layers. Differential expression and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were performed with R. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed for annotated transcripts against the Molecular Signatures Database hallmark gene sets.

Results:
4691 and 164 genes, before and after correction for multiple comparisons, respectively, were differentially expressed in the ILT-covered vs ILT-free media of AAAs with TGFB2 being the most downregulated and IL3RA the most upregulated gene. The corresponding numbers for adventitia were 926 and 0. Epithelial mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, hypoxia and notch signalling gene sets were upregulated, whereas TNF-alpha signalling was downregulated, in the ILT-covered compared with ILT-free tunica media. In the AAA vs Ctrl comparisons, both ILT-covered and -free AAA media showed a strong upregulation of apoptosis and inflammatory pathways, such as allograft rejection. Using OPLS-DA, significant separation could be made between ILT-covered and -free AAA media, but not adventitia.

Conclusions:
The presence of an ILT is associated with the expression of genes related to epithelial mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis and hypoxia in the underlying tunica media of AAAs.
Abstract 728: The Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte Ratio is Associated With Amputation Free Survival in Critical Limb Ischemia
Authors: van Rhijn-Brouwer Femke C , Gremmels Hendrik , van Koeverden Ian D , Teraa Martin , Pasterkamp Gerard , de Borst Gert J , Fledderus Joost O , Verhaar Marianne C
Published: March 2019

Introduction:
Inflammation plays a key role in ischemic cardiovascular disease. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an inexpensive marker for inflammation and correlates with outcomes in critical limb ischemia (CLI). Previous studies have suffered from low power due to low event rates, and show only limited adjustment for confounders. We examined in a prospective cohort whether the peripheral blood (PB) NLR predicts amputation-free-survival (AFS) and has additional predictive power over established risk factors. We also studied bone-marrow (BM) composition and plasma cytokines to elucidate the etiology of NLR alterations.

Methods and Results:
Data from CLI patients in the JUVENTAS Trial and ATHERO-EXPRESS registry were pooled (N=351). Median follow-up was 3.16 years during which 128 events (amputation or death) occurred. In patients that experienced an event, the PB NLR was elevated (Event: 4.2 (SD 2.8) vs No event: 3.0 (SD 1.9) p=<0.001), the neutrophil count was higher (6.3 (SD 2.5) vs 5.5 (SD2.3) p=0.0003), and the lymphocyte count was lower (1.7 (SD 0.8) vs 2.1 (SD 0.8) p<0.001). Cox regression showed that the hazard ratio (HR) for AFS was 1.6 (CI: 1.4-1.9), p=2*10
-8
. In a model adjusting for age, sex, diabetes mellitus, BMI, smoking, and GFR the NLR significantly predicted AFS, HR 1.4 (CI 1.2-1.7) p=0.0003. In a sub study in the JUVENTAS cohort, the PB NLR correlated with the BM NLR, but the BM NLR did not correlate with AFS. Additionally, the NLR correlated strongly with the inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, and CRP.

Discussion and Conclusion:
These results show that the NLR is an independent predictor of AFS in CLI. While most studies analyzed the NLR as a binary value, here we show a continuous correlation between the NLR and AFS, even when corrected for major confounders. We show that blood NLR is reflected in BM and correlates with inflammatory cytokines, indicating that our incidental measurements may reflect chronic inflammation-driven alterations in BM.
Disability-Adjusted Life Years Following Adult Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in the United States
Authors: Coute Ryan A. , Nathanson Brian H. , Panchal Ashish R. , Kurz Michael C. , Haas Nathan L. , McNally Bryan , Neumar Robert W. , Mader Timothy J. ,   for the CARES Surveillance Group
Published: March 2019

Background

Disability-adjusted life years (DALY) are a common public health metric used to consistently estimate and compare health loss because of both fatal and nonfatal disease burden. The annual number of DALY because of adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in the United States is unknown. Our objective was to estimate the DALY after adult nontraumatic, emergency medical services–treated OHCA, and to compare OHCA DALY to other leading causes of death and disability in the US.

Methods and Results

The DALY were calculated as the sum of years of life lost and years lived with disability. The years of life lost were calculated using all adult nontraumatic emergency medical services–treated OHCA with complete data from the national Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival database for 2016, and actuarial data for remaining life expectancy at the age of death. Cerebral performance category scores from the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival database and previously established disability weights were used to estimate years lived with disability. The cohort’s calculated DALY were extrapolated to a national level to estimate total US DALY. Data were reported as total, mean, and DALY per 100 000 individuals. A total of 59 752 OHCA met study inclusion criteria. The DALY for the study population were 1 194 993 (years of life lost, 1 194 069; years lived with disability, 924) in 2016. The estimated total DALY following adult nontraumatic emergency medical services–treated OHCA in the US were 4 354  192 (years of life lost, 4 350  825; years lived with disability, 3365) for the index year 2016. The rate of OHCA DALY were 1347 per 100 000 population, which ranked third in the US behind ischemic heart disease (2447) and low back and neck pain (1565). Sensitivity analyses yielded similar findings.

Conclusions

Adult nontraumatic OHCA is a leading cause of annual DALY in the US and should be a focus of public health policy and resources.
Detecting Anomalies Among Practice Sites Within Multicenter Trials
Authors: Berkowitz Seth A. , Rudolph Kara E. , Basu Sanjay
Published: March 2019

Background:

Recent multisite trials reveal striking heterogeneities in results between trial sites. These may be because of population differences indicating different treatment benefits among different types of participants or site anomalies, such as failures to adhere to study protocols that could negatively affect study validity. We sought to determine whether a new data analysis strategy—transportability methods—could suggest site anomalies not readily identified through standard methods.

Methods and Results:

We applied transportability methods to 2 large, multicenter cardiovascular disease treatment trials: the TOPCAT trial (Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure With an Aldosterone Antagonist; n=3445) comparing spironolactone to placebo for heart failure (for which site anomalies were suspected) and the ACCORD BP trial (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes–Blood Pressure; n=4733) comparing intensive-to-standard blood pressure treatment (for which site anomalies were not suspected). The transportability methods give expected results by standardizing from one site to another using data on participant covariates. The difference between the expected and observed results was assessed using calibration tests to identify whether treatment-effect differences between sites could be explained by participant population characteristics. Standard regression methods did not detect heterogeneities in TOPCAT between Russia/Georgia study sites suspected of study protocol violations and sites in the Americas (
P
=0.12 for difference in primary cardiovascular outcome;
P
=0.20 for difference in total mortality). The transportability methods, however, detected the difference between Russia/Georgia sites and sites in the Americas (
P
<0.001) and found that measured participant characteristics did not explain the between-site discrepancies. The transport methods found no such discrepancies between sites in ACCORD BP, suggesting participant characteristics explained between-site differences.

Conclusions:

Transportability methods may be superior to standard approaches for detecting anomalies within multicenter randomized trials and assist data monitoring boards to determine whether important treatment-effect heterogeneities can be attributed to participant differences or potentially to site performance differences requiring further investigation.
Interrelationships Between American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7, ECG Silent Myocardial Infarction, and Cardiovascular Mortality
Authors: Ahmad Muhammad Imtiaz , Chevli Parag Anilkumar , Barot Harsh , Soliman Elsayed Z.
Published: March 2019

Background

We examined the interrelationships among cardiovascular health (CVH), assessed by the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 (LS7) health metrics, silent myocardial infarction (SMI), and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.

Methods and Results

This analysis included 6766 participants without a history of coronary heart disease from the Third Report of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Poor, intermediate, and ideal CVH were defined as an LS7 score of 0 to 4, 5 to 9, and 10 to 14, respectively. SMI was defined as ECG evidence of myocardial infarction without a clinical diagnosis of myocardial infarction. Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to examine the association of baseline CVH with CVD death stratified by SMI status on follow‐up. In multivariable logistic regression models, ideal CVH was associated with 69% lower odds of SMI compared with poor CVH. During a median follow‐up of 14 years, 907 CVD deaths occurred. In patients without SMI, intermediate CVH (hazard ratio, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.14–1.74) and poor CVH (hazard ratio, 2.77; 95% CI, 2.10–3.66) were associated with increased risk of CVD mortality, compared with ideal CVH. However, in the presence of SMI, the magnitude of these associations almost doubled (hazard ratio, 2.17 [95% CI, 1.42–3.32] for intermediate CVH and hazard ratio, 6.28 [95% CI, 3.02–13.07] for poor CVH). SMI predicted a significant increased risk of CVD mortality in the intermediate and poor CVH subgroups but a nonsignificant increased risk in the ideal CVH subgroup.

Conclusions

Ideal CVH is associated with a lower risk of SMI, and concomitant presence of SMI and poor CVH is associated with a worse prognosis. These novel findings underscore the potential role of maintaining ideal CVH in preventing future CVD outcomes.
Two new taxa of Festuca (Poaceae) from the southeastern Iberian Peninsula
Authors: MARTÍNEZ-SAGARRA GLORIA , DEVESA JUAN A.
Published: March 2019

A new species, Festuca greuteri, from the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain) is described. The new taxon is recognised with two patterns of variation with the rank of subspecies: subsp. greuteri, widely distributed throughout the Baetic Mountains (Almería, Granada, Jaén and Málaga provinces, southern Spain), and subsp. camarolensis, located in the westernmost area of distribution, in the Sierra de Camarolos and Sierra del Jobo (Málaga province, southern Spain). This species belongs to Festuca sect. Festuca, and it had been overlooked or misidentified as F. segimonensis and F. longiauriculata, two species that are partially sympatric with it. Herbarium specimens and living plants were analysed, and noteworthy morphological and anatomical differences support their separation. A complete description is presented for the new species, and iconography and identification keys are provided together with information on leaf anatomy, ecology, phenology, and distribution. The new species is compared with the related species occurring in the southeastern Iberian Peninsula, and differential characters are discussed.
Phylogeny and morphology of Phillipsia hydei sp. nov. (Sarcoscyphaceae) from Thailand
Authors: ZENG MING , EKANAYAKA ANUSHA H. , ZHAO QI
Published: March 2019

Phillipsia hydei is introduced and illustrated as a new species from Thailand. This species is characterized by its sessile reddish apothecia, reddish hymenium, paraphyses with red contents and gelatinous sheath surrounded ascospores. Another species, Phillipsia carnicolor, is also recorded and described. Detailed macro- and microscopic characters are described and illustrated in photographic plates. Morphology and molecular analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and the large subunit rRNA (LSU) regions sequences clearly distinguishes P. hydei as a distinct species in the genus Phillipsia.
Cousinia sharifii, a new species of Cousinia sect. Cynaroideae (Asteraceae) from NW Iran
Authors: ATTAR FARIDEH , RAD MOHAMMAD AMINI
Published: March 2019

A new species of Cousinia (sect. Cynaroideae Bunge) is described and illustrated. Cousinia sharifii was found in mountain steppes near the border between Iran (W Azarbaijan) and Turkey. It is related to the complex of C. canescens s.l., in which it can be distinguished by the shape of involucre and phyllaries, and by the number of flowers and phyllaries. A distribution map, a line drawing and a scanned image of the type specimen of the new species are provided.
A revision of the genus Anepholcia Prout, 1924 with description of three new species from South East Asia (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). Revision of Pantheinae, Contribution IV
Authors: BEHOUNEK GOTTFRIED , KONONENKO VLADIMIR
Published: March 2019

The genus Anepholcia Prout, 1924 of the subfamily Pantheinae is revised. Three new species (Anepholcia kobesi sp. n., A. brechlini sp. n. and A. philippina sp. n) from Sumatra and Phlippines are described. The misidentification of A. talboti Prout, 1924 by Kobes is corrected. A key for identification of Anepholcia species based on external characters and male genitalia characters is provided.
Review of Empoasca (Okubasca) Dworakowska (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae: Empoascini), first record from China and description of two new species
Authors: LIU YANG , QIN DAO-ZHENG , FLETCHER MURRAY J. , ZHANG YA-LIN
Published: March 2019

The subgenus Okubasca Dworakowska of the genus Empoasca Walsh (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae: Empoascini) is recorded for the first time from China, and revised with two new species described and illustrated from southern China: E. (O.) dianella Qin & Zhang sp. nov., E. (O.) calvata Qin & Liu sp. nov. Habitus photos and illustrations of male genitalia of these new species are given. A key to males of all three species of the subgenus is also provided.
Nomenclatural emendations of the family-group names Cylindrolepadinae, Stomatolepadinae, Chelolepadinae, Cryptolepadinae, and Tubicinellinae of Ross & Frick, 2007—including current definitions of family-groups within the Coronuloidea (Cirripedia: Balanomorpha)
Authors: ROSS ARNOLD , FRICK MICHAEL F.
Published: March 2019

The coronuloid barnacle family-group names Cylindrolepadinae, Stomatolepadinae, Chelolepadinae, Cryptolepadinae and Tubicinellinae of Ross & Frick, 2007 are considered nomen nudum according to Article 8.6 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, but appear in several subsequent published works and internet taxonomic databases. It is the purpose of this communication to rectify this situation. These five subfamilial names are proposed and defined herein anew, as Cylindrolepadinae subfam. nov., Stomatolepadinae subfam. nov., Chelolepadinae subfam. nov., Cryptolepadinae subfam. nov. and Tubicinellinae subfam. nov. The remaining valid family-group names within the Coronuloidea are also listed and defined herein.
A distinctive new species of wood lizard (Hoplocercinae, Enyalioides) from the Yanachaga Chemillen National Park in central Peru
Authors: VENEGAS PABLO J. , DURAN VILMA , LANDAURO CAROLL Z. , LUJAN LESLY
Published: March 2019

We describe a new species of Enyalioides from a mid-elevation premontane forest in central Peru. This represents the seventh species of Enyalioides known to occur east of the Andes in South America; the other six species are E. cofanorum, E. laticeps, E. microlepis, E. palpebralis, E. praestabilis, and E. rubrigularis. Among other characters, the new species is distinguished from other Enyalioides by the combination of an orange blotch on the antehumeral region (in adult males), 30 or fewer longitudinal rows of dorsals in a transverse line between dorsolateral crests at midbody, ventral scales strongly keeled, and caudal scales heterogeneous in size on each autotomic segment. The new species is most similar morphologically to E. cofanorum and E. microlepis.
New species and new records of freshwater Chaetonotida (Gastrotricha) from Sweden
Authors: KÅNNEBY TOBIAS
Published: March 2019

Gastrotricha is a small phylum of acoelomatic aquatic invertebrates common in both marine and freshwater environments. The freshwater gastrotrich fauna of Sweden is poorly known and so far only 20 species have been reported. In this study two species, Heterolepidoderma joermungandri n. sp. and H. trapezoidum n. sp., are described as new to science. Moreover, 9 species are presented as new to the Swedish fauna. Additional taxonomic information is also given for 4 species previously reported from the country. In total 7 genera of two families, Chaetonotidae and Dasydytidae, are presented and the number of reported freshwater gastrotrichs from the country is increased to 31.
Ichneumonid wasps from Madagascar. V. Ichneumonidae Cremastinae
Authors: ROUSSE PASCAL , VILLEMANT CLAIRE , SEYRIG ANDRE
Published: March 2019

Four species of Cremastinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) species were previously known from Madagascar. The subfamily Cremastinae occurring in Madagascar is revised, it includes 21 species in seven genera (Cremastus Gravenhorst, 1829, Eurygenys Townes, 1971, Fafana gen. nov., Pimplomorpha Cameron, 1906, Pristomerus Curtis, 1836, Temelucha Förster, 1869 and Trathala Cameron, 1899). One new genus (Fafana gen. nov.), and 12 new species are described (Eury- genys bilbo sp. nov., E. gamour sp. nov., E. kerlioretensis sp. nov., Fafana timhoti sp. nov., Pimplomorpha mahafaty sp. nov., P. quilicii sp. nov., Temelucha talibarti sp. nov., T. teloloko sp. nov., Trathala agnielae sp. nov., T. lachaisae sp. nov., T. mimouna sp. nov. and T. orchestotrichias sp. nov.). The nine remaining species are redescribed. A key to all genera and species in Madagascar is provided.
Nomenclatural notes on some taxa of Bidessus Sharp and designation of a neotype (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae: Bidessini)
Authors: FERY HANS
Published: March 2019

The nomenclature of some taxa of the tribe Bidessini is dealt with. Currently, the names of these taxa are mostly interpreted as synonyms of Bidessus unistriatus (Goeze, 1777). The four oldest names for this species are shown to be nomina dubia due to insufficient descriptions and lack of name-bearing types. These names are in their original combinations Dyticus parvulus O.F. Müller, 1776, Dytiscus unistriatus Goeze, 1777, Dytiscus unistriatus Schrank, 1781, and Dyticus monostriatus Geoffroy in Fourcroy, 1785. The uncertainties of these species-level names also affect the identity of the genus-level names Bidessus Sharp, 1882, and Hydroglyphus Motschulsky, 1853a, meaning that the stability of nomenclature in the tribe Bidessini is considerably threatened. To eliminate this threat by clarifying the taxonomic status and the type locality of each of these nominal taxa, one and the same male specimen is designated as neotype for unistriatus Goeze, unistriatus Schrank and monostriatus Geoffroy in Fourcroy, and thus these three names become objective synonyms. The neotype is selected from modern material collected near Paris (France) because the type localities of all three taxa include "Paris environs". This is the locality from which Geoffroy (1762) described the non-binominal "ditique à une seule strie" and to which is referred in the descriptions of the latter three taxa. To prevent the threat of the stability by the name parvulus O.F. Müller it is intended to make an application to the ICZN in order to suppress this name for the purpose of priority.
The genus Conocephalus (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae) from Guangdong and Nanling region, China with description of two new species
Authors: LI YAN-QING , ZHANG TAO , XIN YA-RUI , SHI FU-MING
Published: March 2019

This paper reports ten species of the genus Conocephalus Thunberg, 1815 from Guangdong and Nanling region, China, including two new species, i.e. Conocephalus (Anisoptera) dorsalidentatus Li, Zhang & Shi, sp. nov. and Conocephalus (Anisoptera) nanlingensis Li, Xin & Shi sp. nov. The characteristic photographs and habitus of several species are provided.
Dominant Interannual Covariations of the East Asian–Australian Land Precipitation during Boreal Winter
Authors: Liu Lin , Guo Jianping , Chen Wen , Wu Renguang , Wang Lin , Gong Hainan , Liu Bo , Chen Dandan , Li Jian
Published: March 2019

The present study applies the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) method to investigate the interannual covariations of East Asian–Australian land precipitation (EAALP) during boreal winter based on observational and reanalysis datasets. The first mode of EAALP variations is characterized by opposite-sign anomalies between East Asia (EA) and Australia (AUS). The second mode features an anomaly pattern over EA similar to the first mode, but with a southwest–northeast dipole structure over AUS. El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is found to be a primary factor in modulating the interannual variations of land precipitation over EA and western AUS. By comparison, the Indian Ocean subtropical dipole mode (IOSD) plays an important role in the formation of precipitation anomalies over northeastern AUS, mainly through a zonal vertical circulation spanning from the southern Indian Ocean (SIO) to northern AUS. In addition, the ENSO-independent cold sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the western North Pacific (WNP) impact the formation of the second mode. Using the atmospheric general circulation model ECHAM5, three 40-yr numerical simulation experiments differing in specified SST forcings verify the impacts of the IOSD and WNP SST anomalies. Further composite analyses indicate that the dominant patterns of EAALP variability are largely determined by the out-of-phase and in-phase combinations of ENSO and IOSD. These results suggest that in addition to ENSO, IOSD should be considered as another crucial factor influencing the EAALP variability during the boreal winter, which has large implications for improved prediction of EAALP land precipitation on the interannual time scale.
Enhancing the Structure of the WRF-Hydro Hydrologic Model for Semiarid Environments
Authors: Lahmers Timothy M. , Gupta Hoshin , Castro Christopher L. , Gochis David J. , Yates David , Dugger Aubrey , Goodrich David , Hazenberg Pieter
Published: March 2019

In August 2016, the National Weather Service Office of Water Prediction (NWS/OWP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) implemented the operational National Water Model (NWM) to simulate and forecast streamflow, soil moisture, and other model states throughout the contiguous United States. Based on the architecture of the WRF-Hydro hydrologic model, the NWM does not currently resolve channel infiltration, an important component of the water balance of the semiarid western United States. Here, we demonstrate the benefit of implementing a conceptual channel infiltration function (from the KINEROS2 semidistributed hydrologic model) into the WRF-Hydro model architecture, configured as NWM v1.1. After calibration, the updated WRF-Hydro model exhibits reduced streamflow errors for the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW) and the Babocomari River in southeast Arizona. Model calibration was performed using NLDAS-2 atmospheric forcing, available from the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), paired with precipitation forcing from NLDAS-2, NCEP Stage IV, or local gauge precipitation. Including channel infiltration within WRF-Hydro results in a physically realistic hydrologic response in the WGEW, when the model is forced with high-resolution, gauge-based precipitation in lieu of a national product. The value of accounting for channel loss is also demonstrated in the Babocomari basin, where the drainage area is greater and the cumulative effect of channel infiltration is more important. Accounting for channel infiltration loss thus improves the streamflow behavior simulated by the calibrated model and reduces evapotranspiration bias when gauge precipitation is used as forcing. However, calibration also results in increased high soil moisture bias, which is likely due to underlying limitations of the NWM structure and calibration methodology.
A Methodology for Flash Drought Identification: Application of Flash Drought Frequency across the United States
Authors: Christian Jordan I. , Basara Jeffrey B. , Otkin Jason A. , Hunt Eric D. , Wakefield Ryann A. , Flanagan Paul X. , Xiao Xiangming
Published: March 2019

With the increasing use of the term “flash drought” within the scientific community, Otkin et al. provide a general definition that identifies flash droughts based on their unusually rapid rate of intensification. This study presents an objective percentile-based methodology that builds upon that work by identifying flash droughts using standardized evaporative stress ratio (SESR) values and changes in SESR over some period of time. Four criteria are specified to identify flash droughts: two that emphasize the vegetative impacts of flash drought and two that focus on the rapid rate of intensification. The methodology was applied to the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) to develop a 38-yr flash drought climatology (1979–2016) across the United States. It was found that SESR derived from NARR data compared well with the satellite-based evaporative stress index for four previously identified flash drought events. Furthermore, four additional flash drought cases were compared with the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), and SESR rapidly declined 1–2 weeks before a response was evident with the USDM. From the climatological analysis, a hot spot of flash drought occurrence was revealed over the Great Plains, the Corn Belt, and the western Great Lakes region. Relatively few flash drought events occurred over mountainous and arid regions. Flash droughts were categorized based on their rate of intensification, and it was found that the most intense flash droughts occurred over the central Great Plains, Corn Belt, and western Great Lakes region.
Decadal Sea Level Variability in the Pacific Ocean: Origins and Climate Mode Contributions
Authors: Meng Lingsheng , Zhuang Wei , Zhang Weiwei , Ditri Angela , Yan Xiao-Hai
Published: March 2019

Sea level changes within wide temporal–spatial scales have great influence on oceanic and atmospheric circulations. Efforts have been made to identify long-term sea level trend and regional sea level variations on different time scales. A nonuniform sea level rise in the tropical Pacific and the strengthening of the easterly trade winds from 1993 to 2012 have been widely reported. It is well documented that sea level in the tropical Pacific is associated with the typical climate modes. However, sea level change on interannual and decadal time scales still requires more research. In this study, the Pacific sea level anomaly (SLA) was decomposed into interannual and decadal time scales via an ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) method. The temporal–spatial features of the SLA variability in the Pacific were examined and were closely associated with climate variability modes. Moreover, decadal SLA oscillations in the Pacific Ocean were identified during 1993–2016, with the phase reversals around 2000, 2004, and 2012. In the tropical Pacific, large sea level variations in the western and central basin were a result of changes in the equatorial wind stress. Moreover, coherent decadal changes could also be seen in wind stress, sea surface temperature (SST), subtropical cells (STCs), and thermocline depth. Our work provided a new way to illustrate the interannual and decadal sea level variations in the Pacific Ocean and suggested a coupled atmosphere–ocean variability on a decadal time scale in the tropical region with two cycles from 1993 to 2016.
The Mechanism and Predictability of an Elevated Convection Initiation Event in a Weak-Lifting Environment in Central-Eastern China
Authors: Zhang Murong , Meng Zhiyong , Huang Yipeng , Wang Dongyong
Published: March 2019

An elevated convection initiation (CI) of a quasi-linear mesoscale convective system (MCS) that occurred in a weak-lifting environment in the early morning on 23 June 2016 in central-eastern China was investigated using observational analysis and convection-permitting numerical simulations. This MCS gradually developed into a surface-based MCS and eventually produced a strong supercell that spawned an EF4 tornado in Yancheng City of Jiangsu Province and killed 98 people. This elevated MCS was initiated ahead of a surface front without identifiable boundaries at the surface. An elevated moist absolutely unstable layer (MAUL) was found to be conducive to the CI. The MAUL provided negligible convective inhibition and contributed to CI without strong-lifting mechanisms. Numerical simulation results showed that the formation of the elevated MAUL was mainly attributed to adiabatic cooling by weak vertical ascent and sufficient horizontal moisture transport near the terminus of a low-level jet. The weak vertical ascent before the CI was sloping and was likely to be relevant to the layer-lifting process associated with the realization of potential instability. The results showed that the MAUL in this weak-lifting environment was characterized by a shallower depth, a weaker lapse rate, and a longer sustaining period than the conditions in a strong-lifting environment. The predictability of this elevated CI case was examined using a 10-member ensemble forecast. A total of 80% of the ensemble members captured the CI. Rather than a difference in lifting, whether having an elevated MAUL or not was the major difference between CI and non-CI members in the present case.
Measuring Automatic Cognition: Advancing Dual-Process Research in Sociology
Authors: Miles Andrew , Charron-Chénier Raphaël , Schleifer Cyrus
Published: March 2019

Dual-process models are increasingly popular in sociology as a framework for theorizing the role of automatic cognition in shaping social behavior. However, empirical studies using dual-process models often rely on ad hoc measures such as forced-choice surveys, observation, and interviews whose relationships to underlying cognitive processes are not fully established. In this article, we advance dual-process research in sociology by (1) proposing criteria for measuring automatic cognition, and (2) assessing the empirical performance of two popular measures of automatic cognition developed by psychologists. We compare the ability of the Brief Implicit Association Test (BIAT), the Affect Misattribution Procedure (AMP), and traditional forced-choice measures to predict process-pure estimates of automatic influences on individuals’ behavior during a survey task. Results from three studies focusing on politics, morality, and racial attitudes suggest the AMP provides the most valid and consistent measure of automatic cognitive processes. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for sociological practice.
The Influence of Tonal and Atonal Bilingualism on Children’s Lexical and Non-Lexical Tone Perception
Authors: Morett Laura M.
Published: March 2019

This study examined how bilingualism in an atonal language, in addition to a tonal language, influences lexical and non-lexical tone perception and word learning during childhood. Forty children aged 5;3–7;2, bilingual either in English and Mandarin or English and another atonal language, were tested on Mandarin lexical tone discrimination, level-pitch sine-wave tone discrimination, and learning of novel words differing minimally in Mandarin lexical tone. Mandarin–English bilingual children discriminated between and learned novel words differing minimally in Mandarin lexical tone more accurately than their atonal–English bilingual peers. However, Mandarin–English and atonal–English bilingual children discriminated between level-pitch sine-wave tones with similar accuracy. Moreover, atonal–English bilingual children showed a tendency to perceive differing Mandarin lexical and level-pitch sine-wave tones as identical, whereas their Mandarin–English peers showed no such tendency. These results indicate that bilingualism in a tonal language in addition to an atonal language—but not bilingualism in two atonal languages—allows for continued sensitivity to lexical tone beyond infancy. Moreover, they suggest that although tonal–atonal bilingualism does not enhance sensitivity to differences in pitch between sine-wave tones beyond infancy any more effectively than atonal–atonal bilingualism, it protects against the development of biases to perceive differing lexical and non-lexical tones as identical. Together, the results indicate that, beyond infancy, tonal–atonal bilinguals process lexical tones using different cognitive mechanisms than atonal–atonal bilinguals, but that both groups process level-pitch non-lexical tone using the same cognitive mechanisms.
Predictability of sub-bandage pressure in compression therapy based on material properties
Authors: Tamoue Ferdinand , Ehrmann Andrea , Blachowicz Tomasz
Published: March 2019

The pressure developed beneath any compression system is governed by the tension in the compression fabric. Depending on the type of material – cotton or elastomer – compression systems may react differently under the same stress. The previous work of our group and experience related to compression systems showed that classification of bandage materials is required for manufacturers who want to create products with specific compression levels. One of the mathematical descriptions of the expected pressure due to a tensile force in the fabric is the modified Young–Laplace equation. However, the pressure achieved by real compression systems hardly matches with the estimated values. Two groups of elastic bandages – short stretch and long stretch – were selected and investigated within this work. The tensile forces were measured using a dynamometer, and the pressures deduced at a given maximal load (3 N/cm) were compared with the pressures measured beneath the bandage on living subjects. The results show that the interface pressure can be predicted from the tensile force at the inflexion point of the hysteresis curves. Calculated pressures were in a therapeutic range but were significantly different from practically applied pressures, indicating large differences between calculated and real pressures on the leg.
Cumulative risk and problem behaviors among Chinese left-behind children: A moderated mediation model
Authors: Lei Huijie , Zhang Qinghua , Li Xiying , Yang Hang , Du Weiping , Shao Jingjin
Published: March 2019

The problem behaviors exhibited by left-behind children occur within multiple contexts, and are influenced by cumulative risk, including family, peer, and school characteristics; however, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying the relationship between such problem behaviors and cumulative risk. A total of 1,313 Chinese left-behind children were recruited to complete anonymous questionnaires measuring cumulative risk, deviant peer affiliation, effortful control, and delinquent behavior. After controlling demographic covariates, cumulative risk is positively associated with problem behaviors. Furthermore, deviant peer affiliation was found to partially mediate the association between cumulative risk and problem behaviors. Both the direct association between cumulative risk and delinquent behaviors and the indirect effect of deviant peer affiliation were moderated by effortful control, specifically; the effects were stronger for left-behind children with low levels of effortful control. These results highlight the significance of the cumulative ecological model for understanding and developing intervention programs to reduce left-behind children's problem behaviors.
Environmental Regulation, Directed Technical Change, and Economic Growth: Theoretic Model and Evidence from China
Authors: Tang Juan , Zhong Shihu , Xiang Guocheng
Published: March 2019

Can environmental regulation be used to promote directed technical change and economic growth simultaneously? We construct an endogenous economic growth model that includes environmental regulation, the extent of environmental pollution, and economic performance in a general equilibrium framework. We show that in the absence of government intervention, environmental pollution will not automatically disappear as economic growth increases. Furthermore, “threshold constraints” result from “path dependence” in the type of innovation; only when the rate of carbon tax and carbon reduction subsidy reaches a certain extent will individuals (or producers) redirect technical change toward “clean” energy production technologies innovation and away from “dirty” energy production technologies. Our article also discloses the intrinsic principle and micromechanism of environmental regulation to promote economic growth and finds that strict environmental regulation will both significantly promote the evolving labor division in clean energy production technologies innovation and achieve the benefits of improved average labor productivity in the production sector and the market size of goods, so that the benefit exceeds the switching cost.
Postoperative Venous Thromboembolism after Extracranial Otologic Surgery
Authors: Song Yohan , Alyono Jennifer C. , Ali Noor‐E‐Seher , Blevins Nikolas H.
Published: March 2019

Objective

To determine the incidence of postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) in adults undergoing otologic surgery.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional retrospective study.

Setting

Single tertiary academic center.

Subjects and Methods

Adults undergoing nononcologic, extracranial otologic surgery from August 2009 to December 2016. Patients with postoperative diagnosis VTE codes were identified. Imaging and clinical documents were searched for VTE evidence within the first 30 postoperative days. Methods of thromboprophylaxis were documented, and Caprini risk scores were calculated.

Results

In total, 1213 otologic surgeries were evaluated. No postoperative VTE events were identified (0/1268). Mean age was 51.0 ± 17.3 years (range, 18.1‐93.4 years). Average length of surgery was 136.0 ± 79.0 minutes (range, 5‐768 minutes). The average Caprini score in all patients was 4.0 ± 1.7 (range, 1‐15). Eighty‐five percent of patients had a Caprini score ≥3, the threshold at which chemoprophylaxis has been recommended in general surgery patients by the American College of Chest Physicians 2012 guidelines. Six patients had documented preoperative chemoprophylaxis and a Caprini score of 4.8 ± 1.7. This was not significantly different from that of patients who did not receive preoperative chemoprophylaxis (t test, P =. 3). The literature would estimate a rate of 3.7% VTE in adults with similar Caprini scores undergoing general surgery procedures with no VTE prophylaxis.

Conclusion

The Caprini risk assessment model may overestimate VTE risk in patients undergoing extracranial otologic surgery. Postoperative VTE following otologic surgery is rare, even in patients traditionally considered moderate or high risk. Chemoprophylaxis guidelines in this group should be balanced against the potential risk of increased intraoperative bleeding and its associated effects on surgical visualization and morbidity.
A risk score for predicting respiratory complications after thoracic surgery
Authors: Pipanmekaporn Tanyong , Bunchungmongkol Nutchanart , Punjasawadwong Yodying , Lapisatepun Worawut , Tantraworasin Apichat , Saokaew Surasak
Published: March 2019

Background

Respiratory complications are some of the most common complications following thoracic surgery and can lead to higher perioperative morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to develop a simple clinical score for prediction of respiratory complications after thoracic surgery, and determine the internal validity.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, all consecutive patients were aged 18 years and over and undergoing non-cardiac thoracic surgery at a tertiary-care university hospital. Respiratory complications included bronchospasm, atelectasis, pneumonia, respiratory failure, and adult respiratory distress syndrome within 30 days of surgery or before discharge.

Results

A total of 1488 patients were included over a 7-year period, and 15.8% (235 of 1488 patients) developed respiratory complications. The significant predictors of respiratory complications were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, American Society of Anesthesiologist physical status ≥ 3, right-sided surgery, duration of surgery longer than 180 min, preoperative arterial oxygen saturation on room air < 96%, and open thoracotomy. The area under receiving operating characteristic curve was 0.78 (95% confidence interval: 0.75–0.82) and 0.76 (95% confidence interval: 0.70–0.83) for the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. The model was well calibrated with a Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit of 7.32 ( p = 0.293).

Conclusions

This study developed and internally validated a simple clinical risk score for prediction of respiratory complications following thoracic surgery. This score can be used to stratify high-risk patients, address modifiable risk factors for respiratory complications, and provide preventive strategies for improving postoperative outcomes.
‘So isolation comes in, discrimination and you find many people dying quietly without any family support’: Accessing palliative care for key populations – an in-depth qualitative study
Authors: Hunt Jenny , Bristowe Katherine , Chidyamatare Sybille , Harding Richard
Published: March 2019

Background:

Ensuring palliative care for all under a new global health policy must include key populations, that is, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people, and sex workers. Accessibility and quality of care have not been investigated in lower and middle-income countries where civil rights are the weakest.

Aim:

To examine the accessibility to, and experiences of, palliative care for key populations in Zimbabwe.

Design:

Qualitative study using thematic analysis of in-depth interviews and focus groups.

Setting/participants:

A total of 60 key population adults and 12 healthcare providers and representatives of palliative care and key population support organisations were interviewed in four sites (Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare and Masvingo/Beitbridge).

Results:

Participants described unmet needs and barriers to accessing even basic elements of palliative care. Discrimination by healthcare providers was common, exacerbated by the politico-legal-economic environment. Two dominant themes emerged: (a) minimal understanding of, and negligible access to, palliative care significantly increased the risk of painful, undignified deaths and (b) discriminatory beliefs and practices from healthcare providers, family members and the community negatively affected those living with life-limiting illness, and their wishes at the end of life. Enacted stigma from healthcare providers was a potent obstacle to quality care.

Conclusion:

Discrimination from healthcare providers and lack of referrals to palliative care services increase the risk of morbidity, mortality and transmission of infectious diseases. Untreated conditions, exclusion from services, and minimal family and social support create unnecessary suffering. Public health programmes addressing other sexually taboo subjects may provide guidance.
The Role of Style Versus Fashion Orientation on Sustainable Apparel Consumption
Authors: Gupta Shipra , Gwozdz Wencke , Gentry James
Published: March 2019

The fashion industry is responsible for bringing some of the worst consumption practices out of individuals by reinforcing tendencies for overconsumption throughout society. Consuming too much has led to negative economic, societal, and environmental consequences. The purpose of this paper is to understand whether promoting a style orientation among consumers (rather than a fashion orientation) will lead to more sustainable apparel consumption. Data collected from 6,386 consumers across five countries that are considered to be leaders in sustainable development (Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, the U.K., and the U.S.) suggest that promoting style can be a potential solution to attain slow fashion and, thus, improve sustainable apparel consumption. We further examine the role of hedonism and materialism in influencing sustainable practices in the industry. Based on the findings, the paper emphasizes the need for the collective effort of different actors, especially the role of government, in creating a more sustainable fashion system.
Deformed Wing Virus Infection in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.)
Authors: Koziy Roman V. , Wood Sarah C. , Kozii Ivanna V. , van Rensburg Claire Janse , Moshynskyy Igor , Dvylyuk Ihor , Simko Elemir
Published: March 2019

Deformed wing virus (DWV) is a single-stranded RNA virus of honey bees ( Apis mellifera L.) transmitted by the parasitic mite Varroa destructor. Although DWV represents a major threat to honey bee health worldwide, the pathological basis of DWV infection is not well documented. The objective of this study was to investigate clinicopathological and histological aspects of natural DWV infection in honey bee workers. Emergence of worker honey bees was observed in 5 colonies that were clinically affected with DWV and the newly emerged bees were collected for histopathology. DWV-affected bees were 2 times slower to emerge and had 30% higher mortality compared to clinically normal bees. Hypopharyngeal glands in bees with DWV were hypoplastic, with fewer intracytoplasmic secretory vesicles; cells affected by apoptosis were observed more frequently. Mandibular glands were hypoplastic and were lined by cuboidal epithelium in severely affected bees compared to tall columnar epithelium in nonaffected bees. The DWV load was on average 1.7 × 106 times higher ( P < .001) in the severely affected workers compared to aged-matched sister honey bee workers that were not affected by deformed wing disease based on gross examination. Thus, DWV infection is associated with prolonged emergence, increased mortality during emergence, and hypoplasia of hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands in newly emerged worker honey bees in addition to previously reported deformed wing abnormalities.