bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Frequency of Anemia and Iron Deficiency among Children Starting First Year of School Life and Their Association with Weight and Height
Authors: Ahmad Mirza Sultan , Farooq Hadia , Maham Sumaira Noor , Qayyum Zonaira , Waheed Abdul , Nasir Waqar
Published: April 2018

The objectives of the study were to ascertain frequency of anemia and iron deficiency among children starting first year of school life and test association with height and weight. One in four children starting first year of school life in five schools of Rabwah, Pakistan, was included. Full blood counts and ferritin levels of the children included in the study were checked. Status of their height and weight was determined according toZ-score charts. Chi-square test was used to test association. Two hundred and ninety-five children with median age of 67 months were included in the study. Out of 295, 240 (81.4%) had normal Hb and 55 (18.6%) had anemia. Ferritin levels were found to be below normal level in 242 (82%) children. There was no significant difference between hemoglobin and ferritin levels of children belonging to different categories of height and weight. Spearman test showed that there was very weak correlation between ferritin and hemoglobin levels(rs=.163). Our conclusions were that iron deficiency without anemia is very frequent among children starting first year of school. Regression models show that ferritin levels cannot be predicted by independent variables like status of height and weight onZ-score charts, age, gender, and anemia.
A Study on Copolymer Systems of Styrene with Diethanolamine Side Group and Methyl Methacrylate
Authors: Acikses Aslisah , Taskan Gokce , Barim Gamze
Published: April 2018

4-Diethanolaminomethyl styrene (DEAMSt) monomer was prepared by the modification of 4-chloromethyl styrene with diethanolamine. The copolymers in different combinations (0.11, 0.19, and 0.30 by mole) of DEAMSt and methyl methacrylate (MMA) were prepared by free radical polymerization method at 60°C in the presence of 1,4-dioxane and AIBN as initiator. The structures of DEAMSt and DEAMSt-MMA copolymer were characterized by FT-IR and 1H-NMR. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the copolymers was measured by DSC. Thermal decomposition behavior of the copolymers was investigated by TGA. The average molecular weights of the copolymers were determined by GPC. The dye uptaking properties of the copolymers were investigated using bromocresol green. Then, the dielectric constant, dielectric loss factor, and conductivity of copolymers were investigated as a function of temperature and frequency. The activation energies (Ea) of the copolymers were determined by impedance analyzer.
Resveratrol Improves Tube Formation in AGE‐Induced Late Endothelial Progenitor Cells by Suppressing Syndecan‐4 Shedding
Authors: Wu Han , Chen Zheng , Chen Jian-Zhou , Xie Jun , Xu Biao
Published: April 2018

Dysfunction of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) contributes to cardiovascular complications in diabetes, and resveratrol has been shown to improve EPC functions. Syndecan‐4 (Synd4), a cell surface heparin sulfate proteoglycan, has been shown to promote neovascularization. Thus, the present study was performed to determine whether resveratrol promoted angiogenesis of EPCs by regulating Synd4. Late EPCs were isolated from human peripheral blood and stimulated with AGEs. Western blot showed that AGEs induced Synd4 shedding in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. AGE‐induced Synd4 shedding was partly reversed by NAC or resveratrol, along with normalized ROS production. Overexpression of Synd4 or pretreatment of resveratrol reversed AGE‐impaired tube formation of EPCs and regulated the Akt/eNOS pathway. Furthermore, resveratrol suppressed Synd4 shedding via the inhibition of oxidative stress and improved tube formation of late EPCs via the regulation of the Synd4/Akt/eNOS pathway.
Enhanced Lymphodepletion Is Insufficient to Replace Exogenous IL2 or IL15 Therapy in Augmenting the Efficacy of Adoptively Transferred Effector CD8+ T Cells
Authors: Johnson C. Bryce , May Bennett R. , Riesenberg Brian P. , Suriano Samantha , Mehrotra Shikhar , Garrett-Mayer Elizabeth , Salem Mohamed L. , Jeng Emily K. , Wong Hing C. , Paulos Chrystal M. , Wrangle John M. , Cole David J. , Rubinstein Mark P.
Published: April 2018

Effector CD8+ T cells conditioned with IL12 during activation mediate enhanced antitumor efficacy after adoptive transfer into lymphodepleted hosts; this is due in part to improved IL7 responsiveness. Therefore, we hypothesized that increasing the intensity or type of lymphodepletion would deplete more IL7-consuming host cells and improve the persistence and antitumor activity of IL12-conditioned CD8+ T cells. Using cyclophosphamide, fludarabine, and total body irradiation (TBI, 6 Gy) either individually or in combination, we found that combined lymphodepletion best enhanced T-cell engraftment in mice. This improvement was strongly related to the extent of leukopenia, as posttransfer levels of donor T cells inversely correlated to host cell counts after lymphodepletion. Despite the improvement in engraftment seen with combination lymphodepletion, dual-agent lymphodepletion did not augment the antitumor efficacy of donor T cells compared with TBI alone. Similarly, IL7 supplementation after TBI and transfer of tumor-reactive T cells failed to improve persistence or antitumor immunity. However, IL15 or IL2 supplementation greatly augmented the persistence and antitumor efficacy of donor tumor-reactive T cells. Our results indicate that the amount of host IL7 induced after single agent lymphodepletion is sufficient to potentiate the expansion and antitumor activity of donor T cells, and that the efficacy of future regimens may be improved by providing posttransfer support with IL2 or IL15.

Significance: The relationship between lymphodepletion and cytokine support plays a critical role in determining donor T-cell engraftment and antitumor efficacy. Cancer Res; 78(11); 3067–74. ©2018 AACR.
Complete and Durable Responses in Primary Central Nervous System Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder with Zidovudine, Ganciclovir, Rituximab, and Dexamethasone
Authors: Dugan James P. , Haverkos Bradley M. , Villagomez Lynda , Martin Ludmila K. , Lustberg Mark , Patton John , Martin Marisa , Huang Ying , Nuovo Gerard , Yan Fengting , Cavaliere Robert , Fingeroth Joyce , Kenney Shannon C. , Ambinder Richard F. , Lozanski Gerard , Porcu Pierluigi , Caligiuri Michael A. , Baiocchi Robert A.
Published: April 2018

Purpose: Primary central nervous system posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PCNS-PTLD) is a complication of solid organ transplantation with a poor prognosis and typically associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). We hypothesized EBV lytic-phase protein expression would allow successful treatment with antiviral therapy.

Patients and Methods: Thirteen patients were treated with zidovudine (AZT), ganciclovir (GCV), dexamethasone, and rituximab in EBV+ PCNS-PTLD. Twice-daily, intravenous AZT 1,500 mg, GCV 5 mg/kg, and dexamethasone 10 mg were given for 14 days. Weekly rituximab 375 mg/m2 was delivered for the first 4 weeks. Twice-daily valganciclovir 450 mg and AZT 300 mg started day 15. Lytic and latent protein expression was assessed using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Immunoblot assay assessed lytic gene activation. Cells transfected with lytic kinase vectors were assessed for sensitivity to our therapy using MTS tetrazolium and flow cytometry.

Results: The median time to response was 2 months. Median therapy duration was 26.5 months. Median follow-up was 52 months. The estimated 2-year overall survival (OS) was 76.9% (95% CI, 44.2%–91.9%). Overall response rate (ORR) was 92% (95% CI, 64%–100%). BXLF1/vTK and BGLF4 expression was found in the seven tumor biopsies evaluated. Lytic gene expression was induced in vitro using the four-drug regimen. Transfection with viral kinase cDNA increased cellular sensitivity to antiviral therapy.

Conclusions: EBV+ PCNS-PTLD expressed lytic kinases and therapy with AZT, GCV, rituximab and dexamethasone provided durable responses. Induction of the lytic protein expression and increased cellular sensitivity to antiviral therapy after transfection with viral kinase cDNA provides a mechanistic rationale for our approach. Clin Cancer Res; 24(14); 3273–81. ©2018 AACR.
Discovery of a Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR) Activity Signature Using Selective GR Antagonism in ER-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: West Diana C. , Kocherginsky Masha , Tonsing-Carter Eva Y. , Dolcen D. Nesli , Hosfield David J. , Lastra Ricardo R. , Sinnwell Jason P. , Thompson Kevin J. , Bowie Kathleen R. , Harkless Ryan V. , Skor Maxwell N. , Pierce Charles F. , Styke Sarah C. , Kim Caroline R. , de Wet Larischa , Greene Geoffrey L. , Boughey Judy C. , Goetz Matthew P. , Kalari Krishna R. , Wang Liewei , Fleming Gini F. , Györffy Balázs , Conzen Suzanne D.
Published: April 2018

Purpose: Although high glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression in early-stage estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer is associated with shortened relapse-free survival (RFS), how associated GR transcriptional activity contributes to aggressive breast cancer behavior is not well understood. Using potent GR antagonists and primary tumor gene expression data, we sought to identify a tumor-relevant gene signature based on GR activity that would be more predictive than GR expression alone.

Experimental Design: Global gene expression and GR ChIP-sequencing were performed to identify GR-regulated genes inhibited by two chemically distinct GR antagonists, mifepristone and CORT108297. Differentially expressed genes from MDA-MB-231 cells were cross-evaluated with significantly expressed genes in GR-high versus GR-low ER-negative primary breast cancers. The resulting subset of GR-targeted genes was analyzed in two independent ER-negative breast cancer cohorts to derive and then validate the GR activity signature (GRsig).

Results: Gene expression pathway analysis of glucocorticoid-regulated genes (inhibited by GR antagonism) revealed cell survival and invasion functions. GR ChIP-seq analysis demonstrated that GR antagonists decreased GR chromatin association for a subset of genes. A GRsig that comprised n = 74 GR activation-associated genes (also reversed by GR antagonists) was derived from an adjuvant chemotherapy-treated Discovery cohort and found to predict probability of relapse in a separate Validation cohort (HR = 1.9; P = 0.012).

Conclusions: The GRsig discovered herein identifies high-risk ER-negative/GR-positive breast cancers most likely to relapse despite administration of adjuvant chemotherapy. Because GR antagonism can reverse expression of these genes, we propose that addition of a GR antagonist to chemotherapy may improve outcome for these high-risk patients. Clin Cancer Res; 24(14); 3433–46. ©2018 AACR.
Exon Array Biomarkers for the Differential Diagnosis of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder
Authors: Vawter Marquis Philip , Philibert Robert , Rollins Brandi , Ruppel Patricia L. , Osborn Terry W.
Published: April 2018

This study developed potential blood-based biomarker tests for diagnosing and differentiating schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder type I (BD), and normal control (NC) subjects using mRNA gene expression signatures. A total of 90 subjects (n = 30 each for the three groups of subjects) provided blood samples at two visits. The Affymetrix exon microarray was used to profile the expression of over 1.4 million probesets. We selected potential biomarker panels using the temporal stability of the probesets and also back-tested them at two different visits for each subject. The 18-gene biomarker panels, using logistic regression modeling, correctly differentiated the three groups of subjects with high accuracy across the two different clinical visits (83–88% accuracy). The results are also consistent with the actual data and the “leave-one-out” analyses, indicating that the models should be predictive when applied to independent data cohorts. Many of the SZ and BD subjects were taking antipsychotic and mood stabilizer medications at the time of blood draw, raising the possibility that these drugs could have affected some of the differential transcription signatures. Using an independent Illumina data set of gene expression data from antipsychotic medication-free SZ subjects, the 18-gene biomarker panels produced a receiver operating characteristic curve accuracy greater than 0.866 in patients that were less than 30 years of age and medication free. We confirmed select transcripts by quantitative PCR and the nCounter® System. The episodic nature of psychiatric disorders might lead to highly variable results depending on when blood is collected in relation to the severity of the disease/symptoms. We have found stable trait gene panel markers for lifelong psychiatric disorders that may have diagnostic utility in younger undiagnosed subjects where there is a critical unmet need. The study requires replication in subjects for ultimate proof of the utility of the differential diagnosis.
Lifetime Self-Harm Behaviors Are Not More Prevalent in Bariatric Surgery Candidates than in Community Controls with Obesity
Authors: Müller Astrid , Claes Laurence , Smits Dirk , Schag Kathrin , de Zwaan Martina
Published: April 2018

Objective: The study aimed at investigating the lifetime prevalence of 22 self-harm behaviors in bariatric surgery candidates (pre-bariatric surgery group; PSG) compared to community controls with obesity (obese community group; OCG). Methods: The Self-Harm Inventory (SHI) was administered to the PSG (n = 139, BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2) and to the OCG (n = 122, BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2). Results: Group comparison of cumulative SHI scores indicated a trend towards less endorsed SHI items in the PSG compared to the OCG (medianPSG = 1.00, IQRPSG = 2.00, medianOCG = 1.00, IQROCG = 2.25, U = 7.241, p = 0.033, η2 = 0.02). No significant group differences were found with regard to the rate of suicide attempts (12.4% vs. 9.4% for OCG vs. PSG). At least one type of lifetime self-harm behavior was admitted by 51.8% of the PSG and 63.9% of the OCG (χ2(1) = 3.91, p = 0.048). The results of logistic regressions using Firth's bias reduction method with at least one SHI item endorsed as dependent variable, group as categorical predictor (PSG as baseline), and age or BMI or PHQ-4 as continuous control variable indicated that only PHQ-4 had a positive effect on the odds ratio. Conclusion: The results suggest that self-harm (including suicidal attempts) is not more prevalent in bariatric surgery candidates than in community control participants with obesity. Further studies are needed to investigate self-harm in bariatric surgery patients, prior and following surgery, compared to non-operated patients with obesity.
Associations of Personality with Body Mass Index and Obesity in a Large Late Midlife Community Sample
Authors: Wimmelmann Cathrine Lawaetz , Lund Rikke , Flensborg-Madsen Trine , Christensen Ulla , Osler Merete , Lykke Mortensen Erik
Published: April 2018

Objective: The study examined cross-sectional associations of personality with BMI and obesity among men and women in a large late midlife community sample. Methods: The sample comprised 5,286 Danish individuals aged 49-63 years from the Copenhagen Ageing and Midlife Biobank (CAMB) with complete information on measured BMI, personality assessed by the NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO FFI), and sociodemographic factors including sex, age and educational length. Analysis of variance and logistic regression models were used to investigate associations between personality and BMI as well as obesity. Personality traits were analyzed separately and combined in the same model. Results: All personality traits except for neuroticism were significantly associated with BMI, with extraversion (p value ranged from <0.001 to 0.012) and agreeableness (p value ranged from 0.001 to 0.002) being the most consistent predictors of BMI among men and women, respectively. Furthermore, extraversion among men (high scores) (p = 0.016) and agreeableness among women (low scores) (p = 0.026) were the only personality traits significantly associated with obesity when adjusting for duration of education. Conclusion: Personality was significantly associated with BMI and to a lesser extent with obesity, and these associations differed between men and women. Also, it was suggested that the interrelations of the five personality traits should be considered in future research of personality and health outcomes.
Cranial Irradiation Induces Hypothalamic Injury and Late-Onset Metabolic Disturbances in Juvenile Female Rats
Authors: Xu Yiran , Sun Yanyan , Zhou Kai , Li Tao , Xie Cuicui , Zhang Yaodong , Rodriguez Juan , Wu Yanling , Hu Min , Shao Linus R. , Wang Xiaoyang , Zhu Changlian
Published: April 2018

Cranial radiotherapy is one of the most effective tools for treating children with brain tumors. However, radiotherapy-induced late-onset side effects have a significant impact on patients’ quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of irradiation on metabolism and the possible molecular and cellular mechanisms behind such effects. Female Wistar rats were subjected to a single dose of 6-Gy whole-brain irradiation on postnatal day 11. The animals were sacrificed 6 h or 20 weeks after irradiation. Cell death and proliferation, microglial activation, and inflammation were analyzed and RNA sequencing was performed. We found that irradiation led to a significantly increased body weight from 15 weeks (p < 0.05) along with white adipose tissue accumulation and adipocyte hypertrophy at 20 weeks, and these changes were accompanied by glucose and lipid metabolic disturbances as indicated by reduced glucose tolerance, increased insulin resistance, increased serum triglycerides, and an increased leptin/adiponectin ratio. Furthermore, irradiation induced cell death, microglial activation, inflammation, and persistent astrocyte reactivity in the hypothalamus. Hypothalamic transcriptome analysis showed that 865 genes were downregulated and 290 genes were upregulated in the irradiated group 20 weeks after irradiation, and further pathway analysis showed that the insulin resistance-related PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and the energy expenditure-related adipocytokine signaling pathway were downregulated. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis showed that the expression of fatty acid metabolism-related proteins and effector proteins was significantly different in the irradiation group. This study demonstrates that ionizing radiation to the juvenile female brain induces hypothalamic damage that is likely to be associated with delayed metabolic abnormalities, and this critical vulnerability of the hypothalamus to irradiation should be taken into consideration in the development of future protective strategies for radiotherapy.
Physical Activity, Exercise and Breast Cancer - What Is the Evidence for Rehabilitation, Aftercare, and Survival A Review
Authors: Wirtz Petra , Baumann Freerk T.
Published: April 2018

The current scientific field of exercise interventions in breast cancer is very large. Rehabilitation focuses on restoring or improving quality of life and thus on independence and participation in life. Hence, it is important to investigate exercise interventions in the setting of rehabilitation and aftercare. It is also necessary to determine the influence of physical activity or exercise therapy on the prevention of recurrence and mortality as well as on certain side effects of the disease and its medical treatment in rehabilitation. Physical activity in rehabilitation and aftercare is feasible and safe and can be used for various purposes. Against the background of reduced fatigue, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, cancer-related cognitive impairment, arthralgia, lymphedema, recurrence, and mortality, as well as improved quality of life, different methodological approaches and evidence can be seen. Although the overall data availability has increased, there are gaps in study documentation as well as inadequate verification of scientific approaches in rehabilitation clinics and in everyday life.
Cardiac c-Kit Biology Revealed by Inducible Transgenesis
Authors: Gude Natalie A. , Firouzi Fareheh , Broughton Kathleen M. , Ilves Kelli , Nguyen Kristine P. , Payne Christina R. , Sacchi Veronica , Monsanto Megan M. , Casillas Alexandria R. , Khalafalla Farid G. , Wang Bingyan J. , Ebeid David E. , Alvarez Roberto , Dembitsky Walter P. , Bailey Barbara A. , van Berlo Jop , Sussman Mark A.
Published: April 2018

Rationale:

Biological significance of c-Kit as a cardiac stem cell marker and role(s) of c-Kit+ cells in myocardial development or response to pathological injury remain unresolved because of varied and discrepant findings. Alternative experimental models are required to contextualize and reconcile discordant published observations of cardiac c-Kit myocardial biology and provide meaningful insights regarding clinical relevance of c-Kit signaling for translational cell therapy.

Objective:

The main objectives of this study are as follows: demonstrating c-Kit myocardial biology through combined studies of both human and murine cardiac cells; advancing understanding of c-Kit myocardial biology through creation and characterization of a novel, inducible transgenic c-Kit reporter mouse model that overcomes limitations inherent to knock-in reporter models; and providing perspective to reconcile disparate viewpoints on c-Kit biology in the myocardium.

Methods and Results:

In vitro studies confirm a critical role for c-Kit signaling in both cardiomyocytes and cardiac stem cells. Activation of c-Kit receptor promotes cell survival and proliferation in stem cells and cardiomyocytes of either human or murine origin. For creation of the mouse model, the cloned mouse c-Kit promoter drives Histone2B-EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein; H2BEGFP) expression in a doxycycline-inducible transgenic reporter line. The combination of c-Kit transgenesis coupled to H2BEGFP readout provides sensitive, specific, inducible, and persistent tracking of c-Kit promoter activation. Tagging efficiency for EGFP+/c-Kit+ cells is similar between our transgenic versus a c-Kit knock-in mouse line, but frequency of c-Kit+ cells in cardiac tissue from the knock-in model is 55% lower than that from our transgenic line. The c-Kit transgenic reporter model reveals intimate association of c-Kit expression with adult myocardial biology. Both cardiac stem cells and a subpopulation of cardiomyocytes express c-Kit in uninjured adult heart, upregulating c-Kit expression in response to pathological stress.

Conclusions:

c-Kit myocardial biology is more complex and varied than previously appreciated or documented, demonstrating validity in multiple points of coexisting yet heretofore seemingly irreconcilable published findings.
Coverage in Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA): A New Fuzzy Proposition for Describing Empirical Relevance
Authors: Veri Francesco
Published: April 2018

The parameter of fits in fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), which includes consistency and coverage, evaluate the strength of the empirical support for theoretical arguments describing set relations. Social scientist Charles Ragin proposed a formula for coverage intended to calculate how much of the variation in an outcome can be explained by causal conditions. However, this formula fails to determine empirical relevance from the analysis of sufficiency because it does not consider the set-theoretic information contained in each fuzzy value. The inaccuracies are primarily due to the inability of the coverage formula to fully grasp the quantifiable and qualitative dimensions of the concept of coverage. In this article, the author proposes a new calculation of coverage able to aggregate the quantifiable and qualitative analytical dimension of coverage in fuzzy terms.
Wittgenstein’s Argument for the Context Principle in the Tractatus
Authors: Liptow Jasper
Published: April 2018

The “Context Principle”, as the author understands it in this paper, is the claim that sub-sentential linguistic expressions (roughly speaking, words) have meaning only in the context of complete meaningful sentences. The author reconstructs the version of the Context Principle that Wittgenstein holds in the Tractatus, shows that it has intuitive plausibility and can be defended against alleged counterexamples, and develops an argument for its truth that can be found in the Tractatus. In short, the author argues that the “fit” between the meanings of sentences and the meanings of the expressions they contain can only be adequately explained if one acknowledges that for a sub-sentential expression to have meaning is for it to make a contribution to the meaning of a sentence.
A new pygmy sundew, Drosera albonotata (Droseraceae), from the western Wheatbelt and an updated diagnostic key to the orange-flowered pygmy Drosera of Western Australia
Authors: ROBINSON ALASTAIR S. , CROSS ADAM T. , MEISTERL MANFRED E. , FLEISCHMANN ANDREAS
Published: April 2018

A new species of Drosera—Drosera albonotata—from the western Wheatbelt (Western Australia) is described and illustrated. The taxon, which is largely restricted to sandy clay loam soils in Wandoo woodland and shrubland, is morphologically similar to D. miniata and D. coomallo but can be distinguished by its distinct floral features and ecology. A distribution map of the new species and its allies and a revised and updated diagnostic key to the twelve recognised orange-flowered pygmy Drosera in Western Australia are provided.
Bulbochaete thanguensis (Oedogoniaceae), a new species from Sikkim Himalaya, India
Authors: MANDAL MANASI , MAITY DEBABRATA
Published: April 2018

Bulbochaete thanguensis Manasi Mandal & D. Maity (Oedogoniaceae) sp. nov. is described and illustrated from Sikkim Himalaya. The specimens were collected during a floristic survey in the high mountains of North Sikkim, part of Eastern Himalaya. It is morphologically superficially resembles with B. pygmaea Pringsheim ex Hirn, in having longitudinally costate oospore ornamentation with transverse lines between costae but differs in having straight, larger, dichotomously branched, elongated plant body, narrower and longer vegetative cells with wider upper end and supreme suffultory cell division. Moreover, narrower and longer oospore makes it distinct from B. pygmaea. The new species is also compared with its other two close relatives, B. pygmaea var. erecta Jao and B. tenuis Hirn var. haimensis Jao.
Lectotypification of the name Carex accrescens (Cyperaceae)
Authors: SON DONG CHAN , PARK YU CHUL , RYU CHA HYUN , PARK SOO HYUN , CHANG KAE SUN
Published: April 2018

Carex accrescens Ohwi (1931: 255) is a sedge found in northeastern China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia and Russia (Govaerts et al. 2007, Dai et al. 2010, Park et al. 2016, Govaerts et al. 2018+). This species has been classified either as sect. Ammoglochin Dumortier (1827: 146) (Rotreklová et al. 2011) or sect. Holarrhenae (Döll) Pax (1888: 124) (Hoshino & Masaki 2011, Park et al. 2016). However, both sections have been determined as non-monophyletic, and the latest phylogenetic reconstructions (Global Carex Group 2016) recover it in a clade with members of sect. Holarrhenae s.s. and some North American species usually classified in sect. Phaestoglochin Dumortier (1827: 146).
Referencing Practices in Cloud Physics
Authors: Battan Louis J.
Published: April 2018

A review of the referencing practices in selected journals published in the United States, the Soviet Union, and England shows that cloud physicists rely to a great extent on material published in the native languages of the authors. This practice has persisted for more than two decades and demonstrates a degree of chauvinism not appropriate in a scientific discipline.
On the Observed Relationships between Wintertime Variability in Kuroshio–Oyashio Extension Sea Surface Temperatures and the Atmospheric Circulation over the North Pacific
Authors: Wills Samantha M. , Thompson David W. J.
Published: April 2018

Observational analyses reveal that wintertime variations in sea surface temperatures (SST) in the Kuroshio–Oyashio Extension (KOE) region of the North Pacific are associated with two distinct and robust patterns of atmospheric variability: 1) a pattern that peaks in amplitude approximately 2–3 weeks prior to large KOE SST anomalies and is consistent with atmospheric forcing of the SST field and 2) a very different pattern that lags SST anomalies in the KOE region by approximately a month. The latter pattern is dominated by low sea level pressure anomalies and turbulent heat fluxes directed into the atmosphere over warm SST anomalies and is interpreted as the transient atmospheric response to SST anomalies over the KOE region. The results contribute to a growing body of evidence that suggests variations in SSTs in the midlatitude oceans are capable of significantly influencing the large-scale atmospheric circulation, especially near western boundary currents.
Preconditioning of Arctic Stratospheric Polar Vortex Shift Events
Authors: Huang Jinlong , Tian Wenshou , Gray Lesley J. , Zhang Jiankai , Li Yan , Luo Jiali , Tian Hongying
Published: April 2018

This study examines the preconditioning of events in which the Arctic stratospheric polar vortex shifts toward Eurasia (EUR events), North America (NA events), and the Atlantic (ATL events) using composite analysis. An increase in blocking days over northern Europe and a decrease in blocking days over the Bering Strait favor the movement of the vortex toward Eurasia, while the opposite changes in blocking days over those regions favor the movement of the vortex toward North America. An increase in blocking days over the eastern North Atlantic and a decrease in blocking days over the Bering Strait are conducive to movement of the stratospheric polar vortex toward the Atlantic. These anomalous precursor blocking patterns are interpreted in terms of the anomalous zonal wave-1 or wave-2 planetary wave fluxes into the stratosphere that are known to influence the vortex position and strength. In addition, the polar vortex shift events are further classified into events with small and large polar vortex deformation, since the two types of events are likely to have a different impact at the surface. A significant difference in the zonal wave-2 heat flux into the lower stratosphere exists prior to the two types of events and this is linked to anomalous blocking patterns. This study further defines three types of tropospheric blocking events in which the spatial patterns of blocking frequency anomalies are similar to the blocking patterns prior to EUR, NA, and ATL events, respectively, and our reanalysis reveals that the polar vortex is indeed more likely to shift toward Eurasia, North America, and the Atlantic in the presence of the above three defined tropospheric blocking events. These shifts of the polar vortex toward Eurasia, North America, and the Atlantic lead to statistically significant negative height anomalies near the tropopause and corresponding surface cooling anomalies over these three regions.
Probabilistic Prediction of Tropical Cyclone Intensity with an Analog Ensemble
Authors: Alessandrini Stefano , Delle Monache Luca , Rozoff Christopher M. , Lewis William E.
Published: April 2018

An analog ensemble (AnEn) technique is applied to the prediction of tropical cyclone (TC) intensity (i.e., maximum 1-min averaged 10-m wind speed). The AnEn is an inexpensive, naturally calibrated ensemble prediction of TC intensity derived from a training dataset of deterministic Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting (HWRF; 2015 version) Model forecasts. In this implementation of the AnEn, a set of analog forecasts is generated by searching an HWRF archive for forecasts sharing key features with the current HWRF forecast. The forecast training period spans 2011–15. The similarity of a current forecast with past forecasts is estimated using predictors derived from the HWRF reforecasts that capture thermodynamic and kinematic properties of a TC’s environment and its inner core. Additionally, the value of adding a multimodel intensity consensus forecast as an AnEn predictor is examined. Once analogs are identified, the verifying intensity observations corresponding to each analog HWRF forecast are used to produce the AnEn intensity prediction. In this work, the AnEn is developed for both the eastern Pacific and Atlantic Ocean basins. The AnEn’s performance with respect to mean absolute error (MAE) is compared with the raw HWRF output, the official National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast, and other top-performing NHC models. Also, probabilistic intensity forecasts are compared with a quantile mapping model based on the HWRF’s intensity forecast. In terms of MAE, the AnEn outperforms HWRF in the eastern Pacific at all lead times examined and up to 24-h lead time in the Atlantic. Also, unlike traditional dynamical ensembles, the AnEn produces an excellent spread–skill relationship.
Combination of Mean Platelet Volume and Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio Predicts Long-Term Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Choi Dong-Hyun , Kobayashi Yuhei , Nishi Takeshi , Kim Hyun Kuk , Ki Young-Jae , Kim Sung Soo , Park Keun-Ho , Song Heesang , Fearon William F.
Published: April 2018

We hypothesized that the combination of a high neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and mean platelet volume (MPV) would be a stronger predictor of future cardiovascular events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Both NLR and MPV were measured in 364 consecutive patients undergoing PCI. The primary end point was the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and stent thrombosis. The median values of NLR and MPV were 2.8 and 8.2 fL, respectively. There were 26 MACEs during a median follow-up duration of 29.3 months. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the higher NLR group had a significantly higher MACE rate than the lower NLR group and that the higher MPV group had a significantly higher MACE rate than the lower MPV group (log-rank: P = .0064 and P = .0004, respectively). The cumulative MACE-free survival can be further stratified by the combination of NLR and MPV. This value was especially useful in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). By multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, the combination of high NLR and high MPV was independently associated with MACE ( P = .026). The combination of a high NLR and high MPV is an independent predictor of MACE after PCI, especially in patients with ACS.
Does Criminal Specialization Predict Case Processing?
Authors: Yan Shi
Published: April 2018

Theories of sentencing have pointed out the association between the sentence and the courtroom workgroup’s joint assessment of defendants’ risk and culpability. One of the most important indicators of risk and culpability is prior criminal records. Types of crimes and pattern of prior criminal events are an important part of the legal discourse around sentencing. This discussion is conceptually similar to the criminal career concept of criminal specialization. In the present study, latent class analysis (LCA) is used to measure criminal specialization. The cumulative disadvantage perspective is incorporated into the article to model how specialization predicts a series of case processing outcomes—dismissal, charge reduction, incarceration, and length of incarceration. The analysis found specialists of the current crime—robbery defendants who specialized in robbery and larceny defendants who specialized in larceny—generally received less favorable outcomes.
Racial Inequalities in Oral Health
Authors: Bastos J.L. , Celeste R.K. , Paradies Y.C.
Published: April 2018

Together with other social categories, race has been at the core of much scholarly work in the area of humanities and social sciences, as well as a host of applied disciplines. In dentistry, debates have ranged from the use of race as a criterion for the recommendation of specific dental procedures to a means of assessing inequalities in a variety of outcomes. What is missing in these previous discussions, though, is a broader understanding of race that transcends relations with genetic makeup and other individual-level characteristics. In this review, we provide readers with a critique of the existing knowledge on race and oral health by answering the following 3 guiding questions: (1) What concepts and ideas are connected with race in the field of dentistry? (2) What can be learned and what is absent from the existing literature on the topic? (3) How can we enhance research and policy on racial inequalities in oral health? Taken together, the reviewed studies rely either on biological distinctions between racial categories or on other individual characteristics that may underlie racial disparities in oral health. Amidst a range of individual-level factors, racial inequalities have often been attributed to lower socioeconomic status and “health-damaging” cultural traits, for instance, patterns of and reasons for dental visits, dietary habits, and oral hygiene behaviors. While this literature has been useful in documenting large and persistent racial gaps in oral health, wider sociohistorical processes, such as systemic racism, as well as their relationships with economic exploitation, social stigmatization, and political marginalization, have yet to be operationalized among studies on the topic. A nascent body of research has recently begun to address some of these factors, but limited attention to structural theories of racism means that many more studies are needed to effectively mitigate racial health differentials.
Brazilian Portuguese Version of the Amputee Body Image Scale: Cultural Adaptation and a Psychometric Analysis
Authors: Ferreira Lucilene , Meregui Alinne G. M. , Mainenti Miriam R. M. , Vigário Patrícia S. , Neves Angela N.
Published: April 2018

Body image adjustments after a limb loss are essential to rehabilitation. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Amputee Body Image Scale (ABIS). We analyzed data from a nonprobability sample of 100 participants (71% men, mean age 48.26 ± 18.35 years) by using a confirmatory factor analysis with partial least square path modeling. We evaluated the structural model by using Pearson’s coefficient of determination, path coefficients, indicator of Stone-Geisser, and Cohen’s indicator. We evaluated item factor loadings and average variance extracted for model measurement. We tested the internal consistency with Cronbach’s α test and composite reliability and evaluated the discriminant validity by adopting Fornell and Larcker (1981) criteria. We tested the original and a new three-factor model and performed correlational and variance analyses as additional tests. The new three-factor theoretical model had stronger structural support and better discriminant and convergent validities than the original three-factor model. The ABIS total score was inversely correlated with body appreciation. There were significant body image score differences between the groups of sedentary and physically active amputees and among those with differences in years since amputation, but there were no differences between those with different causes of amputation nor for those with different amputated limbs.
Co-Constructing Knowledge Spheres in the Academy: Developing Frameworks and Tools for Advancing Publicly Engaged Scholarship
Authors: Eatman Timothy K. , Ivory Gaelle , Saltmarsh John , Middleton Michael , Wittman Amanda , Dolgon Corey
Published: April 2018

Publicly engaged scholarship (PES) has emerged as a powerful force, yet institutional policies and cultures have often inhibited its acceptance in the academy. This article considers the benefits of PES for higher education as well as the obstacles to its enactment. It identifies the college level as a critical site for change and offers a rubric for institutional change agents to use to assess support for community engagement at the college level and identify avenues for further progress. The authors also grapple with tensions inherent in promoting PES at institutions that have historically served as agents of domination and oppression.
Reducing Transactional Distance in Online and Blended Courses Through the Use of a Closed Social Media Platform
Authors: Quong Jennifer , Snider Sharla L. , Early Jody
Published: April 2018

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a closed social media platform as an online tool to facilitate interactions among students and faculty participating in online and hybrid courses at a public university in North Texas ( n = 330). Survey methods were used to measure undergraduate and graduate students’ perceptions of the platform. Variables included demographic information as well as perceptions of a social media platform, Ning’s 13 tools of interaction. Descriptive as well as regression and factor analyses were used to analyze relationships and group differences among the variables. Qualitative measures explored participants’ perceptions of the social media platform and how platform organization, participant autonomy, and dialogue influence participant interactions and dialogue. The results provide evidence to support the use of closed social networks as tools to enhance students’ engagement, interaction, and social presence as well as to reduce transactional distance in online and blended learning environments.
Validation and Application of the LS/CMI in Nebraska Probation
Authors: Jimenez Alisha Caldwell , Delgado R. Hazel , Vardsveen Trace C. , Wiener Richard L.
Published: April 2018

This study examined the validity of the Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI), as probation officers in the state of Nebraska use the tool. Study 1 evaluated the predictive validity of the LS/CMI by examining 19,344 probationer records over a 5.5-year period (January 2007-July 2013), and found that the LS/CMI total risk score demonstrated moderate predictive validity. Consistent with past findings, logistic regression showed that the total risk score predicted recidivism (return to probation) differently for nonminorities than for minorities. Furthermore, minorities scored higher than nonminorities on seven of the eight criminogenic factors. Study 2, a true randomized experiment, explored probation officer bias as an explanation for these findings, and found that training increased officers’ ratings of scores in some LS/CMI domains and decreased ratings in others. Most importantly, there was no evidence that officers demonstrated racial bias in administering the LS/CMI survey when scoring Black versus White target clients.
Least square estimation-based adaptive complimentary filter for attitude estimation
Authors: Narkhede Parag , Joseph Raj Alex Noel , Kumar Vipan , Karar Vinod , Poddar Shashi
Published: April 2018

Attitude estimation is one of the core fundamentals for navigation of unmanned vehicles and other robotic systems. With the advent of low cost and low accuracy micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) based inertial sensors, these devices are used ubiquitously for all such commercial grade systems that need motion information. However, these sensors suffer from time-varying bias and noise parameters, which need to be compensated during system state estimation. Complementary filtering is one of such techniques that is used here for estimating attitude of a moving vehicle. However, the complementary filter structure is dependent on user fed gain parameters, KP and KI and needs a mechanism by which they can be obtained automatically. In this paper, an attempt has been made towards addressing this issue by applying least square estimation technique on the error obtained between estimated and measured attitude angles. The proposed algorithm simplifies the design of nonlinear complementary filter by computing the filter gains automatically. The experimental investigation has been carried out over several datasets, confirming the advantage of obtaining gain parameters automatically for the complementary filtering structure.
Latent Class Analysis of Recurrent Events in Problem-Solving Items
Authors: Xu Haochen , Fang Guanhua , Chen Yunxiao , Liu Jingchen , Ying Zhiliang
Published: April 2018

Computer-based assessment of complex problem-solving abilities is becoming more and more popular. In such an assessment, the entire problem-solving process of an examinee is recorded, providing detailed information about the individual, such as behavioral patterns, speed, and learning trajectory. The problem-solving processes are recorded in a computer log file which is a time-stamped documentation of events related to task completion. As opposed to cross-sectional response data from traditional tests, process data in log files are massive and irregularly structured, calling for effective exploratory data analysis methods. Motivated by a specific complex problem-solving item “Climate Control” in the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment, the authors propose a latent class analysis approach to analyzing the events occurred in the problem-solving processes. The exploratory latent class analysis yields meaningful latent classes. Simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the proposed approach.
Desperate Fortunes: Latina Warehouse Workers in the “Matrix of Domination”
Authors: Lindemann Danielle J. , Boyer Teresa M.
Published: April 2018

Much recent labor research has highlighted the increasing reliance on contingent employment. We apply intersectionality theory and Collins’s concept of the “matrix of domination” to data from focus groups with immigrant Latina “perma-temp” warehouse workers ( n = 40), finding that the structural (dis-)organization of perma-temping serves as an instrument of domination and is crucial to our respondents’ experiences of work. However, the instability of these women’s contingent jobs entwines complexly with, and is compounded by, the subordination and decreased agency attached to their other minority statuses. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for theory, future scholarship, and policy.
Harsh parenting practices mediate the association between parent affective profiles and child adjustment outcomes: Differential associations for mothers and fathers
Authors: Orri Massimiliano , Girard Lisa-Christine , Pingault Jean-Baptiste , Rouquette Alexandra , Herba Catherine , Falissard Bruno , Côté Sylvana M. , Berthoz Sylvie
Published: April 2018

Children’s early emotional environment strongly influences their later behavioural development. Yet, besides maternal depression, limited knowledge exists about the effect of other emotions and the role of fathers. Using 290 triads (mother/father/child), we investigated how positive (SEEKING, CARING, PLAYFULNESS) and negative (FEAR, ANGER, SADNESS) dimensions of mothers’ and fathers’ affectivity relate to their offspring’s externalizing and internalizing behaviours directly as well as indirectly via parenting practices. Parental variables were measured when children were 4 years old and children’s behaviours were measured at 8 years of age. Latent Profile Analysis identified three parental affective profiles: low negative emotions, balanced, and high emotional. Structural equation models showed that, for boys, mothers’ low negative emotions and high emotional profiles predicted later internalizing behaviours (direct effect; β = −0.21 and β = 0.23), while fathers’ low negative emotions profile predicted externalizing behaviours indirectly (β = −0.10). For girls, mothers’ profiles ( low negative emotions and high emotional) predicted both internalizing (β = −0.04 and β = 0.07) and externalizing (β = −0.05 and β = 0.09) behaviours indirectly, but no effects of fathers’ profiles were found. Mothers’ and fathers’ affective profiles contributed to the behavioural development of their offspring in different ways, according to the type of behaviour (internalizing or externalizing) and the child’s sex. These findings may help in tailoring existing parenting interventions on affective profiles, thus enhancing their efficacy.