bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and Long-Term Safety of Everolimus in Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Associated with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type I: Case Report
Authors: Maia Manuel C.D.F. , Muniz Lourenço Jr. Delmar , Riechelmann Rachel
Published: September 2016

Background: Approximately 10% of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are associated with familial syndromes, with the most common type being multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN-1). However, the available evidence on how to treat NET comes from studies in sporadic NET. Case Report: Here we report the case of a 51-year-old male patient with a metastatic MEN-1-associated pancreatic NET and hypercalcemia related to primary hyperparathyroidism and tumor-secreted parathyroid-related protein. The patient was treated with everolimus, and showed complete resolution of hypercalcemia and tumor control for 3 years when he presented with pulmonary cryptococcosis and disease progression. Conclusion: This case report describes the activity of everolimus in a patient with MEN-1-associated pancreatic NET, its efficacy in treating malignant hypercalcemia associated with NET and the risk of opportunistic infections with prolonged use of this agent.
Pflanzliche Sekundärstoffe: Ethnobotanische Überlegungen zu ihrer Bedeutung für die menschliche Ernährung und die Medizin - Teil 3: Gemüse, Gewürze und Arzneipflanzen als Quelle wertvoller Sekundärstoffe
Authors: Nowack Rainer
Published: September 2016

Die Ernährung durch wenige domestizierte Nahrungspflanzen stellt die Zufuhr biologisch wichtiger pflanzlicher Sekundärstoffe nicht sicher. Mangelerkrankungen wie Skorbut oder Pellagra können auftreten. Mit einer gemüsereichen Kost wie rund um das Mittelmeer werden Sekundärstoffe automatisch aufgenommen. Produkte wie Knoblauch und Olivenöl emanzipieren sich aus diesem Ernährungskontext und werden separat zur Stärkung der Gesundheit eingesetzt. Eine noch weitergehende Unabhängigkeit von Speisen haben Gewürze und Arzneipflanzen. Letztere werden ohne Ernährungsbezug zur Prophylaxe und Therapie von Krankheiten eingesetzt. Gewürze und Arzneipflanzen stammen häufiger als Nahrungspflanzen aus Wildbeständen oder stehen mit diesen im genetischen Austausch. Ihre vielfach regional beschränkte Nutzung erklärt einen Trend zur Substitution wirkverwandter Pflanzen in anderen Regionen.
Polydeoxyribonucleotide Treatment in Genital Lichen Sclerosus in Males
Authors: Arena Salvatore , Romeo Carmelo
Published: September 2016

It has been reported that treatment with polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) in males affected by lichen sclerosus significantly improves the overall conditions of treated patients. It confirms that PDRN has a potent cytoprotective action as in other pathological conditions. We believe that multicentric randomized clinical trials are necessary for testing the benefits of this promising agent.
Malignant Transformation of Vaginal Endometriosis - A Review of Literature
Authors: Cozzolino Mauro , Nasioudis Dimitrios , Sisti Giovanni , Coccia Maria Elisabetta
Published: September 2016

Background: The study aimed to examine all available evidence regarding primary vaginal cancer arising from endometriosis from an evidence-based perspective. Methods: A literature search in Medline and EMBASE databases was conducted. The following key words were employed: ‘vaginal cancer' AND ‘endometriosis malignant transformation' OR ‘endometriosis'. Results: A total of 23 eligible studies were identified and included in the present review providing information for 37 patients. Endometrioid adenocarcinoma (17 cases) was the most common histological subtype followed by endometrial stromal sarcoma (6 cases). The majority of patients received cancer-directed surgery while adjuvant treatment was commonly employed for patients with sarcomas. Conclusion: Vaginal cancer arising from endometriosis is exceedingly rare. The mainstay of treatment is surgical excision. Mean follow-up of patients was relative short. Tumor recurrence was often observed, and the outcome was less favorable for patients with non-epithelial tumors.
Performance Evaluation of AIC Technique for Single and Multiple Primary Bands in OFDM based Cognitive Radios
Authors: Begh Gh. Rasool , Mir Ajaz Hissain
Published: September 2016

Cognitive radio has emerged as an efficient approach to address the problem of spectrum under-utilization. OFDM has been proposed as a potential candidate for the physical layer of cognitive radios due to its inherent characteristics of spectrum shaping, spectrum analysis and robustness to frequency selective fading. One of the major problems of OFDM is high Out Of Band Radiation (OOBR). This is an undesired phenomenon especially if the nearby band is occupied by primary (or licensed) user. Among the proposed techniques to overcome this problem, Active Interference Cancellation (AIC) is considered to be one of the efficient techniques. In this paper, we evaluate the performance of this technique for single and multiple primary bands in OFDM based cognitive radios. For the case of single primary band, it is shown through simulations that narrower primary bands and use of more number of cancellation carriers increases the OOBR reduction in the desired band. For the case of multiple primary bands, the AIC technique is shown to provide better OOBR reduction for larger inter primary band spacing, lesser number of primary bands and more number of cancellation carriers. We also evaluate the bandwidth efficiency for single and multiple primary bands. The bandwidth efficiency shows a linear decrease with the increase in number of cancellation carriers. Multiple primary band system has more bandwidth efficiency degradation than the single primary band system.
Modeling of the Contact Center Agent‘s Work
Authors: Chromy Erik , Kavacky Matej
Published: September 2016

The paper deals with the optimal sizing of the contact center. The most important part of the contact centers are their agents, therefore the modeling of their working time is also important.  In the case of parameter which describes the number of handled calls during the peak hour also the other factors should be taken into account, such as time for hygienic break and time for other activities after serving of the customer. Such modified parameter can be used in Erlang C equation for calculation of optimal number of the contact center agents.
Hierarchical Cluster Analysis of Tourism for Mexico and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Countries
Authors: Navarro Chávez José César , Zamora Torres América Ivonne , Cano Torres Montserrat
Published: September 2016

Tourism has become an important industry for most of the economies, especially for non industrialized countries where it represent the main source of income. This paper focuses on the analysis of 14 competitiveness tourism factors for 20 country members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, which represents the most dynamic region in the world according to its participation on the global GDP and international trade, highlighting the performance of Mexico and doing a benchmark with the rest of APEC countries. The authors analyze secondary data from the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index to create clusters and then multidimensional scaling techniques were employed for detecting the more or less effective determinants of destination competitiveness.
Suppression of Aldosterone Secretion After Recumbent Saline Infusion Does Not Exclude Lateralized Primary Aldosteronism
Authors: Cornu Erika , Steichen Olivier , Nogueira-Silva Luis , Küpers Elselien , Pagny Jean-Yves , Grataloup Christine , Baron Stéphanie , Zinzindohoue Franck , Plouin Pierre-François , Amar Laurence
Published: September 2016

Guidelines recommend suppression tests such as the saline infusion test (SIT) to ascertain the diagnosis of primary aldosteronism (PA) in patients with a high aldosterone:renin ratio. However, suppression tests have only been evaluated in small retrospective series, and some experts consider that they are not helpful for the diagnosis of PA. In this study, we evaluated whether low post-SIT aldosterone concentrations do exclude lateralized PA. Between February 2009 and December 2013, 199 patients diagnosed with PA on the basis of 2 elevated aldosterone:renin ratio results and a high basal plasma or urinary aldosterone level or high post-SIT aldosterone level had a selective adrenal venous sampling. We used a selectivity index of 2 and a lateralization index of 4 to interpret the adrenal venous sampling results. Baseline characteristics of the patients were the following (percent or median): men 63%, 48 years old, office blood pressure 142/88 mm Hg, serum potassium 3.4 mmol/L, aldosterone:renin ratio 113 pmol/mU, plasma aldosterone concentration 588 pmol/L. The proportion of patients with lateralized adrenal venous sampling was 12 of 41 (29%) among those with post-SIT aldosterone <139 pmol/L (5 ng/dL) and 38 of 104 (37%) among those with post-SIT aldosterone <277 pmol/L (10 ng/dL). Post-SIT aldosterone levels were not associated with the blood pressure outcome of adrenalectomy. A low post-SIT aldosterone level cannot rule out lateralized PA, even with a low threshold (139 pmol/L). Adrenal venous sampling should be considered for patients who are eligible for surgery with elevated basal aldosterone levels even if they have low aldosterone concentrations after recumbent saline suppression testing.
Differentiating Childhood Stroke From Mimics in the Emergency Department
Authors: Mackay Mark T. , Yock-Corrales Adriana , Churilov Leonid , Monagle Paul , Donnan Geoffrey A. , Babl Franz E.
Published: September 2016

Background and Purpose—

Clinical identification of stroke in the pediatric emergency department is critical for improving access to hyperacute therapies. We identified key clinical features associated with childhood stroke or transient ischemic attack compared with mimics.

Methods—

Two hundred and eighty consecutive children presenting to the emergency department with mimics, prospectively recruited over 18 months from 2009 to 2010, were compared with 102 children with stroke or transient ischemic attack, prospectively/retrospectively recruited from 2003 to 2010.

Results—

Cerebrovascular diagnoses included arterial ischemic stroke (55), hemorrhagic stroke (37), and transient ischemic attack (10). Mimic diagnoses included migraine (84), seizures (46), Bell’s palsy (29), and conversion disorders (18). Being well in the week before presentation (odds ratio [OR] 5.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.25–14.79), face weakness (OR 2.94, 95% CI 1.19–7.28), arm weakness (OR 8.66, 95% CI, 2.50–30.02), and inability to walk (OR 3.38, 95% CI 1.54–7.42) were independently associated with increased odds of stroke diagnosis. Other symptoms were independently associated with decreased odds of stroke diagnosis (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.10–0.77). Associations were not observed between seizures or loss of consciousness. Factors associated with stroke differed by arterial and hemorrhagic subtypes.

Conclusions—

Being well in the week before presentation, inability to walk, face and arm weakness are associated with increased odds of stroke. The lack of positive or negative association between stroke and seizures or loss of consciousness is an important difference to adults. Pediatric stroke pathways and bedside tools need to factor in differences between children and adults and between stroke subtypes.
Population Aging and Potential Growth in Asia
Authors: Otsu Keisuke , Shibayama Katsuyuki
Published: September 2016

We study the effects of projected population aging on potential growth in Asian economies over the period 2015–2050. We find that an increase in the share of the population over 64 years of age will significantly lower output growth through decreased labor participation. Population aging can also reduce economic growth through increased labor income taxes and dampened productivity growth.
The Body after Cubism
Authors: Baker George
Published: September 2016

While the relationship of the body and Cubism has often been posed as one of opposition, one in which the return of the body is described as a lapse back into figuration and realism that takes place after Cubism, George Baker argues that Francis Picabia's Cubist works, those like Dances at the Spring from 1912, are evidence of the intense coupling—as opposed to dissolution—of the terms. Baker asserts that the bodily intensity of Picabia's Orphism represents a long overlooked countermodel for post-Cubist painting, with the physical movement and spatial disorientation of these works extending to their phenomenological interaction with the viewer, and it requires a revision of our understanding of Cubism itself.
Arendt and Benjamin: Tradition, Progress and Break with the Past
Authors: Demiryol Gaye İlhan
Published: September 2016

This essay explores the influence of Benjamin’s fragmentary historiography on Arendt’s understanding of narrative. I argue that Arendt and Benjamin shared a common understanding of the problems of modernity. For both thinkers contemporary conditions of existence were defined on the one hand, by a similar conception of history, and on the other hand, a break with the tradition of philosophy. I demonstrate that Benjamin’s fragmented history, adopted by Arendt in response to this contemporary politico-philosophical crisis, allowed her to redeem the past as a basis of a future-oriented philosophy by creating a space for arresting the continuum of history and asserting the importance of human agency.
Was Emily Brown American Empress in Korea?
Authors: Yoon Jong-pil
Published: September 2016

This paper investigates the limits and meaning of historical inquiry in light of inferential contextualism that holds as its central tenet that the epistemic status of a proposition depends on the context of the subject. Historical inquiry, the discussion will show, is an epistemic practice that operates under the reliabilist presupposition that beliefs formed through the processes, whose pragmatic utility has been already proven in problem solving situations, may be taken to be rationally justified.

As for the limits of historical inquiry, it will be pointed out that the practice is unable to achieve independent criteria for determining if the belief it produces correctly reflects the thing in reality it purports to be about and thus correspondence between the former and the latter cannot be established. Furthermore, beliefs formed by historical inquiry cannot be rendered verifiable even through a future-oriented pragmatic theory of truth because it inquires into what happened in the past, not what is to happen in the future.

Despite the fact that we cannot tell the truth about the past in any certain and direct way, it is, the paper will conclude, still epistemically meaningful to distinguish justified from unjustified beliefs in history because historical inquiry is so closely connected with everyday epistemic practice through sharing pragmatically sustained processes that the former cannot be discarded without giving up the principles of the latter. There lies the meaning of historical inquiry.
Taxonomic changes in Cleveaceae (Marchantiidae, Marchantiophyta)—a correction
Authors: LONG DAVID G. , CRANDALL-STOTLER BARBARA J.
Published: September 2016

The recently published combination Clevea nana (Lindenb.) Crand.-Stotl. & D.G.Long, which was intended to replace the name Clevea hyalina (Sommerf.) Lindb. on the basis of nomenclatural priority, is a later homonym of Clevea nana (Shimizu & S.Hatt.) Borovichev & Bakalin published in 2013 for a different taxon.  Consequently, the name Clevea hyalina is the correct name for the widespread dioicous member of the genus. The heterotypic name Clevea nana (Shimizu & S.Hatt.) Borovichev & Bakalin refers to a different monoicous species of the genus that had previously been placed in synonymy of Clevea pusilla (Steph.) Rubasinghe & D.G.Long.
The tadpole of Odontophrynus monachus Caramaschi & Napoli, 2012 (Amphibia, Anura: Odontophrynidae)
Authors: MENEGUCCI RAFAEL C. , SANTOS MARCUS THADEU T. , MAGALHÃES RAFAEL F. DE , MACHADO IBERE F. , GARCIA PAULO C. A. , PEZZUTI TIAGO L.
Published: September 2016

The genus Odontophrynus Reinhardt & Lütken comprises 11 species distributed throughout South and East of South America (Frost 2016) clustered in three phenetic groups: O. americanus, O. cultripes, and O. occidentalis (Savage & Cei 1965; Cei 1987; Caramaschi & Napoli 2012). Only the O. occidentalis group is recovered as monophyletic in the most recent phylogenetic hypotheses (Pyron & Wiens 2011; Pyron 2014). In these analyses, the O. cultripes group is not recovered and the monophyly of O. americanus group was not tested, since only one species of the group was included (Pyron & Wiens 2011; Pyron 2014). Therefore, the relationships within the genus are still inconclusive due to low support values and limited taxon sampling.
Anagrus turpanicus sp. n. (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) from China, an egg parasitoid of Arboridia kakogowana (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)
Authors: HU HONG-YING , TRIAPITSYN SERGUEI V.
Published: September 2016

A new Palaearctic species of Anagrus Haliday (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), A. turpanicus Triapitsyn & Hu sp. n., is described and illustrated from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. It was reared from parasitized eggs of the leafhopper Arboridia kakogowana (Matsumura) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) (Fig. 10) on cultivated table grapes from Turpan, which had been previously misidentified there as Erythroneura apicalis (Nawa) (e.g., Wang et al. 2004, 2011; Luan et al. 2006). This leafhopper has been an important economic pest in Turpan area since 1998, causing serious damage to the cultivated grapevines (Wang et al. 2004; Luan et al. 2006). Wang et al. (2011) reported that the mite Leptus sp. (Erythraeidae) and several unidentified spider species were the main natural enemies of Erythroneura apicalis in and around Turpan. This is the first record of A. kakogowana from China; it was not included in the key to the Chinese species of the genus Arboridia Zachvatkin by Song & Li (2015). Arboridia kakogowana is native to the eastern Palaearctic region (Japan, Korea, and Far East of Russia), and has been recently recorded as an invasive pest of cultivated grapes in southern Russia (Gnezdilov et al. 2008).
A new genus of predatory katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Listroscelidinae) from the Amazonian Rainforest
Authors: MENDES DIEGO MATHEUS DE MELLO , CHAMORRO-RENGIFO JULIANA , RAFAEL JOSÉ ALBERTINO
Published: September 2016

Most of the predatory katydids Listroscelidini species known were described from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Here a new genus and species from the Amazonian Rainforest is described. Based on its morphological characteristics, this new genus represents an intermediate form between two closely related genera, Listroscelis Serville and Monocerophora Walker.
Taxonomic note on the oil-collecting bee Centris dimidiata (Olivier, 1789 (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Centridini)
Authors: VIVALLO FELIPE
Published: September 2016

Centris dimidiata (Olivier) is currently considered an easily recognizable species widely distributed throughout the Amazon basin, mainly in Brazil. For much of its taxonomic history, C. atriventris Mocsáry and C. furcata (Fabricius) have been considered its junior subjective synonymies. Such interpretation was apparently due to the lack of a detailed study of the type specimens, misinterpretation of the original descriptions, and inability to study the apparently lost type specimen of C. dimidiata. In this paper, a neotype for C. dimidiata is designated, the species is placed in Centris (Ptilotopus), and C. denudans rubida Gribodo is proposed as its new junior synonymy. Simultaneously, as a result of a detailed study of the type material of C. atriventris and C. furcata, both species are revalidated and their placement in Centris (Melacentris) is confirmed. For all species, the female is redescribed and the male is described for the first time. A lectotype for C. atriventris is designated and new distribution records and a distribution map are provided.
Statistical Weather-Impact Models: An Application of Neural Networks and Mixed Effects for Corn Production over the United States
Authors: Mathieu Jordane A. , Aires Filipe
Published: September 2016

Statistical meteorological impact models are intended to represent the impact of weather on socioeconomic activities, using a statistical approach. The calibration of such models is difficult because relationships are complex and historical records are limited. Often, such models succeed in reproducing past data but perform poorly on unseen new data (a problem known as overfitting). This difficulty emphasizes the need for regularization techniques and reliable assessment of the model quality. This study illustrates, in a general way, how to extract pertinent information from weather data and exploit it in impact models that are designed to help decision-making. For a given socioeconomic activity, this type of impact model can be used to 1) study its sensitivity to weather anomalies (e.g., corn sensitivity to water stress), 2) perform seasonal forecasting (yield forecasting) for it, and 3) quantify the longer-term (several decades) impact of weather on it. The size of the training database can be increased by pooling data from various locations, but this requires statistical models that are able to use the localization information—for example, mixed-effect (ME) models. Linear, neural-network, and ME models are compared, using a real-world application: corn-yield forecasting over the United States. Many challenges faced in this paper may be encountered in many weather-impact analyses: these results show that much care is required when using space–time data because they are often highly spatially correlated. In addition, the forecast quality is strongly influenced by the training spatial scale. For the application that is described herein, learning at the state scale is a good trade-off: it is specific to local conditions while keeping enough data for the calibration.
Future Changes in Mean and Extreme Monsoon Precipitation in the Middle and Lower Yangtze River Basin, China, in the CMIP5 Models
Authors: Wu Yanjuan , Wu Shuang-Ye , Wen Jiahong , Tagle Felipe , Xu Ming , Tan Jianguo
Published: September 2016

In this study, the potential future changes of mean and extreme precipitation in the middle and lower Yangtze River basin (MLYRB), eastern China, are assessed using the models of phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). Historical model simulations are first compared with observations in order to evaluate model performance. In general, the models simulate the precipitation mean and frequency better than the precipitation intensity and extremes, but still have difficulty capturing precipitation patterns over complex terrains. They tend to overestimate precipitation mean, frequency, and intensity while underestimating the extremes. After correcting for model biases, the spatial variation of mean precipitation projected by the multimodel ensemble mean (MME) is improved, so the MME after the bias correction is used to project changes for the years 2021–50 and 2071–2100 relative to 1971–2000 under two emission scenarios: RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. Results show that with global warming, precipitation will become less frequent but more intense over the MLYRB. Relative changes in extremes generally exceed those in mean precipitation. Moreover, increased precipitation extremes are also expected even in places where mean precipitation is projected to decrease in 2021–50. The overall increase in extreme precipitation could potentially lead to more frequent floods in this already flood-prone region.
Impact of a Localized Source of Subglacial Discharge on the Heat Flux and Submarine Melting of a Tidewater Glacier: A Laboratory Study
Authors: Cenedese Claudia , Gatto V. Marco
Published: September 2016

Idealized laboratory experiments have been conducted in a two-layer stratified fluid to investigate the leading-order dynamics that control submarine melting and meltwater export near a vertical ice–ocean interface as a function of subglacial discharge. In summer, the discharge of surface runoff at the base of a glacier (subglacial discharge) generates strong buoyant plumes that rise along the glacier front entraining ambient water along the way. The entrainment enhances the heat transport toward the glacier front and hence the submarine melt rate increases with the subglacial discharge rate. In the laboratory, the effect of subglacial discharge is simulated by introducing freshwater at freezing temperature from a point source at the base of an ice block representing the glacier. The circulation pattern observed both with and without subglacial discharge resembles those observed in previous observational and numerical studies. Buoyant plumes rise vertically until they find either their neutrally buoyant level or the free surface. Hence, the meltwater can deposit within the interior of the water column and not entirely at the free surface, as confirmed by field observations. The heat budget in the tank, calculated following a new framework, gives estimates of submarine melt rate that increase with the subglacial discharge and are in agreement with the directly measured submarine melting. This laboratory study provides the first direct measurements of submarine melt rates for different subglacial discharges, and the results are consistent with the predictions of previous theoretical and numerical studies.
Multisensor Characterization of Mammatus
Authors: Trömel Silke , Ryzhkov Alexander V. , Diederich Malte , Mühlbauer Kai , Kneifel Stefan , Snyder Jeffrey , Simmer Clemens
Published: September 2016

Multisensor observations of anvil mammatus are analyzed in order to gain a more detailed understanding of their spatiotemporal structure and microphysical characterization. Remarkable polarimetric radar signatures are detected for the Pentecost 2014 supercell in Northrhine Westfalia, Germany, and severe storms in Oklahoma along their mammatus-bearing anvil bases. Radar reflectivity at horizontal polarization ZH and cross-correlation coefficient ρHV decrease downward toward the bottom of the anvil while differential reflectivity ZDR rapidly increases, consistent with the signature of crystal depositional growth. The differential reflectivity ZDR within mammatus exceeds 2 dB in the Pentecost storm and in several Oklahoma severe convective storms examined for this paper. Observations from a zenith-pointing Ka-band cloud radar and a Doppler wind lidar during the Pentecost storm indicate the presence of a supercooled liquid layer of at least 200–300-m depth near the anvil base at temperatures between −15° and −30°C. These liquid drops, which are presumably generated in localized areas of vertical velocities of up to 1.5 m s−1, coexist with ice particles identified by cloud radar. The authors hypothesize that pristine crystals grow rapidly within these layers of supercooled water, and that oriented planar ice crystals falling from the liquid layers lead to high ZDR at precipitation radar frequencies. A mammatus detection strategy using precipitation radar observations is presented, based on a methodology so far mainly used for the detection of updrafts in convective storms. Owing to the presence of a supercooled liquid layer detected above the mammatus lobes, the new detection strategy might also be relevant for aviation safety.
Performance and fouling characterization of a five-bore hollow fiber membrane in a membrane bioreactor for the treatment of printing and dyeing wastewater
Authors: Ma Chunyan , Wu Xiaoqian , Liu Zhenhong
Published: September 2016

Filtration performance and fouling behavior of a five-bore hollow fiber membrane was investigated in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating printing and dyeing wastewater. A normal single-bore hollow fiber membrane module was used in the same bioreactor for comparison. During an operation over 30 days, the results of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and color removals demonstrated that the five-bore membrane was favorable for this wastewater treatment. The critical flux ( Jc) of the five-bore membrane and the single-bore membrane was determined at 21 and 15 L/(m2·h), respectively, using a flux-step method. During a steady running at sub-critical flux of 10 L/(m2·h) without cleaning for 50 days, the average increasing rates of trans-membrane pressure (TMP) for five-bore and single-bore membranes were 0.356 kPa/d and 0.444 kPa/d, respectively, indicating that the five-bore membrane had better fouling resistance. The total resistance values of five-bore membrane and single-bore membrane were 8.68 and 14.1 m−1, respectively. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) results confirmed the cake layer resistance for five-bore membrane was much lower than single-bore membrane. It was expected that the membrane structure, especially the membrane diameter, influenced the anti-fouling property of five-bore membrane.
Did US regions with manufacturing design generate more production jobs in the 2000s? New evidence on innovation and regional development
Authors: Doussard Marc , Schrock Greg , Lester T William
Published: September 2016

US manufacturing policies increasingly steer resources toward the act of innovation. Emerging case-study evidence suggests that this innovation leads to manufacturing job growth. However, the case-study evidence from which this claim is assembled is incomplete and selective. Using regional-level industry-occupation data for US manufacturing sectors, we test the contribution of manufacturing innovation activities to production employment growth within US regions, for the 2000–2006 and 2006–2010 periods. While production employment continued to disperse from sites of historical manufacturing concentration over both time periods, innovation activities provided some advantages. From 2000 to 2006, regions with higher innovation concentrations in high-tech and medium–low technology industries, experienced slower rates of production employment decline. From 2006 to 2010, a period spanning the Great Recession, innovation activities were associated with reduced production job losses for industries of all technology levels. These results indicate that innovation has benefits beyond high-technology industries, but that those benefits are limited and selective.
Evidence-Based Change in Public Job Security Policy
Authors: Hur Hyunkang , Perry James L.
Published: September 2016

For most of the 20th century, public employers granted their employees high levels of job security. The 21st century has brought a reversal of fortunes, with emphasis increasingly on at-will employment systems. Both distant and recent policy choices about job security have been based largely on normative and ideological considerations rather than behavioral science evidence. This article synthesizes public- and private-sector job security research to provide a more evidence-based footing for future public job security policy. Although changes related to job security are global, our attention is primarily on the United States. The article reviews job security research with origins in organizational behavior research, at-will employment research, and institutionalization and public trust research across sectors. Based on the review of the literature, we develop an integrative model of job security. We highlight practical implications that flow from the model and discuss future research needs.
Paternal involvement and child sleep
Authors: Bernier Annie , Tétreault Émilie , Bélanger Marie-Ève , Carrier Julie
Published: September 2016

While maternal influences on young children’s sleep are increasingly documented, the study of paternal contributions to this important sphere of child functioning is only just beginning. In addition, much of this emerging research has focused on infancy only or has relied on parental reports of child sleep. The current study aimed to examine the associations between paternal involvement and child sleep during toddlerhood, a period that witnesses both increased paternal involvement in child care and marked developments in child sleep. Fathers ( N = 85) reported on their involvement when their toddlers were aged 2 years, and sleep was assessed objectively with actigraphy at age 3. Results indicated that above and beyond several key covariates, fathers who reported engaging more frequently in emotional support with their 2-year-old child, and those who reported evoking the child more often, had children who slept longer at night 1 year later. These results are among the first to suggest potential paternal influences on children’s sleep after the infancy period. They raise the possibility that interventions seeking to enhance paternal involvement may carry benefits for toddlers’ sleep and consequently, for aspects of cognition, behavior, and emotion that depend on adequate sleep regulation.
The duality of children’s political agency in deportability
Authors: Lind Jacob
Published: September 2016

Drawing on in-depth ethnographic observations among irregularised migrant families in Birmingham, UK, this article discusses how children’s political agency manifests in everyday life. It shows how children who become aware of their legal status as ‘deportable’ reject this subject position and offer their own definitions of who they are and where they belong. Simultaneously, it is argued that children with varying degrees of knowledge about their legal status also express political agency through their struggle to sustain the inclusion they experience. Such expressions highlight the duality of children’s political agency in irregular situations.
Serotonergic neurotransmission in emotional processing: New evidence from long-term recreational poly-drug ecstasy use
Authors: Laursen Helle Ruff , Henningsson Susanne , Macoveanu Julian , Jernigan Terry L , Siebner Hartwig R , Holst Klaus K , Skimminge Arnold , Knudsen Gitte M , Ramsoy Thomas Z , Erritzoe David
Published: September 2016

The brain’s serotonergic system plays a crucial role in the processing of emotional stimuli, and several studies have shown that a reduced serotonergic neurotransmission is associated with an increase in amygdala activity during emotional face processing. Prolonged recreational use of ecstasy (3,4-methylene-dioxymethamphetamine [MDMA]) induces alterations in serotonergic neurotransmission that are comparable to those observed in a depleted state. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we investigated the responsiveness of the amygdala to emotional face stimuli in recreational ecstasy users as a model of long-term serotonin depletion. Fourteen ecstasy users and 12 non-using controls underwent fMRI to measure the regional neural activity elicited in the amygdala by male or female faces expressing anger, disgust, fear, sadness, or no emotion. During fMRI, participants made a sex judgement on each face stimulus. Positron emission tomography with 11C-DASB was additionally performed to assess serotonin transporter (SERT) binding in the brain. In the ecstasy users, SERT binding correlated negatively with amygdala activity, and accumulated lifetime intake of ecstasy tablets was associated with an increase in amygdala activity during angry face processing. Conversely, time since the last ecstasy intake was associated with a trend toward a decrease in amygdala activity during angry and sad face processing. These results indicate that the effects of long-term serotonin depletion resulting from ecstasy use are dose-dependent, affecting the functional neural basis of emotional face processing.
Research on data fusion technology of the online monitoring system for optics bonnet polishing
Authors: Zhang Dongxu , Guo Yinbiao , Hong Yongqiang , Hou Zengguang , Pan Ri
Published: September 2016

Bonnet polishing has been successfully used for ultra-precision machining of the large-aperture aspheric optics. To accomplish online monitoring of executive condition of the removing function and state of the polishing machine, key technological parameters and processing condition factors need to be acquired in real time and coupled back. A novel data fusion method which combines hardware synchronous signal and correcting algorithm based on the principle of linear extrapolation is proposed in allusion to data acquisition distortion caused by asynchronous sampling frequency and communication delay between different systems. The estimate values are obtained by dynamically correcting original acquired data, and the upper bound of the error is deduced with the speed and the acceleration of the signal. The simulation results showed that the data fusion method can significantly reduce the error of data acquisition. The experimental results confirmed that the data fusion method can be effectively applied to monitor the optics bonnet polishing process online.
Citations for the Human Rights and Nursing Awards 2016
Authors: Tschudin Verena
Published: September 2016

The International Care Ethics Observatory is pleased to announce that on 14 September 2016 the Human Rights and Nursing Awards will be given at a short ceremony at the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. The awards will be presented at the 17th annual Nursing Ethics and 2nd Ethics in Care conference, organised in conjunction with the PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing Research Development, the College of Nursing at the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto, and Nursing Ethics.
Predictors of severity and functional outcome in natalizumab-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
Authors: Hoepner Robert , Kolb Eva M , Dahlhaus Stefanie , Hellwig Kerstin , Adams Ortwin , Kleiter Ingo , Salmen Anke , Schneider Ruth , Lukas Carsten , Chan Andrew , Berger Joseph R , Gold Ralf
Published: September 2016

Objective:

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is an emerging complication of immunosuppressive therapies, especially natalizumab in multiple sclerosis (MS). Factors associated with functional outcome of natalizumab-associated PML (natalizumab-PML) have not been sufficiently described.

Methods:

We retrospectively analyzed medical records of all patients with natalizumab-PML ( n = 32) treated in our hospital since 2009. Disability measured by Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) at two different time points (highest available EDSS during PML and last available EDSS after PML diagnosis) served as functional outcome parameters. Clinical, laboratory, and imaging data were analyzed for association with functional outcome by applying Spearman’s rho and multivariate regression analysis.

Results:

In all, 31/32 patients survived PML. A poor functional outcome was associated with higher age, higher initial John Cunningham virus (JCV) copy number in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and more extensive PML lesions on initial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). No association between functional outcome and the duration of natalizumab therapy or a delayed PML diagnosis was observed.

Conclusion:

This study will be useful for neurological practice to estimate functional outcome or disease severity of natalizumab-PML in primary care settings.
Ethnic minority media and the public sphere: The case of African-Australian media producers
Authors: Budarick John
Published: September 2016

This article analyses the work of ethnic minority media producers through a series of 13 in-depth interviews with African-Australian broadcasters, writers and producers. Focusing on the aims and motivations of participants, the article demonstrates a more expansive role for African-Australian media, one that brings niche media products into dialogue with mainstream Australian public life and challenges common understandings of ethnic media as appealing to a small, linguistically and culturally defined audience. Such a role also raises questions around wider conceptual understandings of the public sphere, particularly as it is employed to interrogate minority–majority relations. The article concludes by engaging with previous literature focused on the changing contours of the public sphere ideal in multi-ethnic and multicultural societies.
Performance evaluation of a urea-selective catalytic reduction system in a marine diesel engine
Authors: Lee Changhee
Published: September 2016

A numerical simulation of the droplet distribution at the exhaust duct for a static mixer and injection location was performed for marine selective catalyst reduction. Through experiments with this auxiliary marine urea-selective catalyst reduction system, the ammonia slip, selective catalyst reduction system pressure drop, and NOx reduction rate in accordance with the space velocity (i.e. engine load) were investigated. Under incremental and random experimental conditions, the ammonia slip of this urea-selective catalyst reduction system is below 3 ppm, which satisfies International Maritime Organization Tier III regulations.
Internet of Vehicles: From intelligent grid to autonomous cars and vehicular fogs
Authors: Lee Eun-Kyu , Gerla Mario , Pau Giovanni , Lee Uichin , Lim Jae-Han
Published: September 2016

Recent advances in communications, controls, and embedded systems have changed the perception of a car. A vehicle has been the extension of the man’s ambulatory system, docile to the driver’s commands. It is now a formidable sensor platform, absorbing information from the environment (and from other cars) and feeding it to drivers and infrastructure to assist in safe navigation, pollution control, and traffic management. The next step in this evolution is just around the corner: the Internet of Autonomous Vehicles. Pioneered by the Google car, the Internet of Vehicles will be a distributed transport fabric capable of making its own decisions about driving customers to their destinations. Like other important instantiations of the Internet of Things (e.g. the smart building), the Internet of Vehicles will have communications, storage, intelligence, and learning capabilities to anticipate the customers’ intentions. The concept that will help transition to the Internet of Vehicles is the vehicular fog, the equivalent of instantaneous Internet cloud for vehicles, providing all the services required by the autonomous vehicles. In this article, we discuss the evolution from intelligent vehicle grid to autonomous, Internet-connected vehicles, and vehicular fog.
Remembered preoperative Quick disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (QuickDASH) scores
Authors: Wormdal A. H. , Tallaksen S. H. , Hagen Ø. , Foss O. A. , Finsen V.
Published: September 2016

The Quick disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (QuickDASH) patient-reported outcome measure is frequently used to assess disabilities and symptoms of the upper extremity. This study compares real preoperative QuickDASH scores and remembered preoperative QuickDASH scores. Remembered preoperative QuickDASH scores were obtained 45 months (39–67) after surgery. Patient material consisted of 160 patients operated for Dupuytren’s contracture, carpal tunnel syndrome, thumb basal joint arthrosis, and shoulder pain. All patients had completed QuickDASH questionnaires before surgery. Paired T-tests, linear mixed models, and limits of agreement were used for analyses. There was a significant difference between remembered and real preoperative scores (mean 7.6, SD 15.6; SEM 1.2). Neither diagnosis, age, gender, nor time between surgery and review influenced the difference significantly. A linear mixed model was constructed to investigate the ability to retrospectively predict preoperative QuickDASH scores. Remembered preoperative QuickDASH cannot be used in individual patients because of the high inaccuracy.

Level of evidence: III
A Distinctly American Opportunity
Authors: Smith Patriann
Published: September 2016

National policies on language and literacy curricula reinforce standardized language approaches. These not only fail to meet the needs of non-standardized English speakers but also place our monolingual speakers at risk. When national policy does not address language in helpful, effective ways, the United States compromises citizens’ literacies for effective communication, and the country becomes less competitive globally. Non-standardized English speakers’ needs have not been met in literacy instruction, due to privileging only Standardized American English. This approach not only places linguistically diverse speakers as deficient and in need of fixing but also positions their monolingual counterparts (who lack this diversity) as necessarily privileged and proficient. As a way forward, national policy should move from an approach to multilingualism that is dichotomous, based only on standardized monolingual language norms, and instead adopt a translingual language approach that bridges gaps between the monolingual and the multilingual population.
Preliminary cross-sectional reliability and validity of the Skull Base Inventory (SBI) quality of life questionnaire
Authors: Larjani Soroush , Monteiro Eric , Witterick Ian , Vescan Allan , Zadeh Gelareh , Gentili Fred , Goldstein David P. , de Almeida John R.
Published: September 2016

Background

The Skull Base Inventory (SBI) was developed to assess the quality of life of patients undergoing endoscopic or open approaches for anterior and central skull base pathologies. In this study, we sought to establish the discriminative and evaluative properties for this instrument.

Methods

The SBI was administered in a cross-sectional fashion to patients who previously had skull base surgery after treatment and then again 2 weeks after completing the instrument. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity were determined. Four constructs were evaluated with the following a priori hypotheses: lower scores will be seen in patients with 1.malignant versus benign histology, 2.a history of radiation versus none, and those with 3.recurrences versus no recurrence, and 4.items deemed relevant versus irrelevant by respondents.

Results

Fifty-two patients completed the questionnaire; 32 had endoscopic and 20 open surgeries. Internal consistency was good (>0.7 and <0.95) for all domains except one. Test-retest reliability was good (>0.70) for 38 of 41 items. Four constructs were evaluated and three were consistent with a priori hypotheses ( p < 0.05). The instrument failed to confirm the hypothesis that malignant tumours are associated with poorer scores than benign.

Conclusions

The SBI demonstrated preliminary reliability and validity for discriminative use.
Draft genome sequence of Enterococcus faecium strain LMG 8148
Authors: Michiels Joran E. , Van den Bergh Bram , Fauvart Maarten , Michiels Jan
Published: September 2016

Enterococcus faecium, traditionally considered a harmless gut commensal, is emerging as an important nosocomial pathogen showing increasing rates of multidrug resistance. We report the draft genome sequence of E. faecium strain LMG 8148, isolated in 1968 from a human in Gothenburg, Sweden. The draft genome has a total length of 2,697,490 bp, a GC-content of 38.3 %, and 2,402 predicted protein-coding sequences. The isolation of this strain predates the emergence of E. faecium as a nosocomial pathogen. Consequently, its genome can be useful in comparative genomic studies investigating the evolution of E. faecium as a pathogen.