bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Musa balbisiana Fruit Rich in Polyphenols Attenuates Isoproterenol-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy in Rats via Inhibition of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress
Authors: Kumari Sima , Katare Parmeshwar B. , Elancheran R. , Nizami Hina L. , Paramesha Bugga , Arava Sudheer , Sarma Partha Pratim , Kumar Roshan , Mahajan Dinesh , Kumar Yashwant , Devi Rajlakshmi , Banerjee Sanjay K.
Published: January 2020

Musa balbisiana Colla (Family: Musaceae), commonly known as banana and native to India and other parts of Asia, is very rich in nutritional value and has strong antioxidant potential. In the present study, we have developed Musa balbisiana (MB) fruit pulp powder and evaluated its cardioprotective effect in cardiac hypertrophy, which is often associated with inflammation and oxidative stress. An ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS/MS) has been used for the detection and systematic characterization of the phenolic compounds present in Musa balbisiana fruit pulp. The cardioprotective effect of MB was evaluated in a rat model of isoproterenol- (ISO-) induced cardiac hypertrophy by subcutaneous administration of isoproterenol (5 mg/kg-1/day-1), delivered through an alzet minipump for 14 days. Oral administration of MB fruit pulp powder (200 mg/kg/day) significantly (p<0.001) decreased heart weight/tail length ratio and cardiac hypertrophy markers like ANP, BNP, β-MHC, and collagen-1 gene expression. MB also attenuated ISO-induced cardiac inflammation and oxidative stress. The in vivo data were further confirmed in vitro in H9c2 cells where the antihypertrophic and anti-inflammatory effect of the aqueous extract of MB was observed in the presence of ISO and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), respectively. This study strongly suggests that supplementation of dried Musa balbisiana fruit powder can be useful for the prevention of cardiac hypertrophy via the inhibition of inflammation and oxidative stress.
Inverse Eigenvalue Theory-Based Rigid Multibody Modeling Method of Complex Flexible Structures in Large-Scale Mechanical Systems
Authors: Wu Jiulin , Zeng Lizhan , Han Bin , Luo Xin , Chen Xuedong , Jiang Wei
Published: January 2020

Increasing attention is paid to modeling flexibility of individual components in the multibody simulation of large-scale mechanical systems. Nevertheless, the high model order of common methods such as FEA restricts efficient explorations, especially in dynamic design and iterative optimization. In this paper, a rigid multibody modeling strategy (RMMS) with low DOFs and explicit physical meaning is proposed, which directly discretizes a continuous structure into a number of rigid finite elements (RFEs) connected by spring-damping elements (SDEs). In the RMMS, a new identification method from the perspective of the inverse vibration problem is particularly put forward to resolve the parameters of SDEs, which is crucial to the implementation of RMMS in complex flexible structures. With decoupling and linearization, this nonlinear problem is transformed into solving the incompatible linear equations in Rn2 vector space based on vectorization operator and Kronecker product, and optimal parameters are obtained by calculating the Moore–Penrose generalized inverse. Finally, the comparison of the experimental results with the simulated ones by the RMMS strongly validates the feasibility and correctness of the RMMS in predicting the dynamic behaviors while with few DOFs and explicit physical meaning; the application in a lithography system exhibits the applicability of the RMMS for dynamic modeling of large-scale mechanical systems.
The Psychometric Properties of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) in Patients with Life-Threatening Illnesses
Authors: Naghiyaee Maede , Bahmani Bahman , Asgari Ali
Published: January 2020

Background. Meaning in life is one of the psychological domains that is most severely affected in patients with life-threatening illnesses. The importance of meaning-making mandates the development of reliable tools to assess this construct. Steger’s Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) is one of the most valid and reliable instruments that determines the search for and presence of meaning in life. The present study was conducted to provide psychometric data on the MLQ in a sample of patients with life-threatening illnesses. Methods. The MLQ was completed by 301 patients (aged 20–80 years) diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses (cancer and multiple sclerosis) and referred to hospitals. Confirmatory factor analysis and Pearson’s correlation test were used to determine the construct validity of the questionnaire. Results. The confirmatory factor analysis supported the original two-factor model of the MLQ, comprised of the presence of meaning (five items) and search for meaning (five items). The responses to the MLQ did not differ by sociodemographic factors. Most importantly, contrary to previous findings, the correlation between the two subscales, i.e., search for meaning and presence of meaning, was significant and positive. Conclusion. The results showed that the MLQ is a valid and reliable measure for assessing meaning in life that can be applied in research on meaning in life among other patient populations.
Privacy Preserving for Multiple Sensitive Attributes against Fingerprint Correlation Attack Satisfying c-Diversity
Authors: Khan Razaullah , Tao Xiaofeng , Anjum Adeel , Sajjad Haider , Malik Saif ur Rehman , Khan Abid , Amiri Fatemeh
Published: January 2020

Privacy preserving data publishing (PPDP) refers to the releasing of anonymized data for the purpose of research and analysis. A considerable amount of research work exists for the publication of data, having a single sensitive attribute. The practical scenarios in PPDP with multiple sensitive attributes (MSAs) have not yet attracted much attention of researchers. Although a recently proposed technique (p, k)-Angelization provided a novel solution, in this regard, where one-to-one correspondence between the buckets in the generalized table (GT) and the sensitive table (ST) has been used. However, we have investigated a possibility of privacy leakage through MSA correlation among linkable sensitive buckets and named it as “fingerprint correlation fcorr attack.” Mitigating that in this paper, we propose an improved solution “c,k-anonymization” algorithm. The proposed solution thwarts the fcorr attack using some privacy measures and improves the one-to-one correspondence to one-to-many correspondence between the buckets in GT and ST which further reduces the privacy risk with increased utility in GT. We have formally modelled and analysed the attack and the proposed solution. Experiments on the real-world datasets prove the outperformance of the proposed solution as compared to its counterpart.
Absent Ureteral Efflux after Hysterectomy Leads to Diagnosis of Ureteral Atresia with Renal Atrophy
Authors: Mutter Olga , Grebenyuk Ekaterina , Ayala-Crespo Arleen , Yang Kevin
Published: January 2020

Iatrogenic injury to the urinary system is a known complication of gynecologic surgery; therefore, intraoperative cystoscopy is frequently performed to assess for such injuries. However, if an abnormality is seen, the differential diagnosis extends beyond iatrogenic causes. A 42-year-old patient underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy and had absent efflux from the right ureteral orifice on cystoscopy. While iatrogenic injury was initially suspected, the intraoperative workup (including intravenous pyelography (IVP)) that ensued led to an empiric diagnosis of right ureteral atresia with ipsilateral renal atrophy that was then confirmed on postoperative imaging. When an abnormality is seen on cystoscopy following gynecologic surgery, it is important to maintain a broad differential diagnosis and to pursue an intraoperative workup with early involvement and close collaboration with urology.
Effects of Coconut Water on Retina in Diabetic Rats
Authors: Zhang Xiaohua , Peng Li , Dai Yanan , Sheng Xia , Chen Shaomei , Xie Qing
Published: January 2020

Coconut water (CW) is a natural aseptic nutritious beverage, containing several biologically active compounds. This study aimed to determine the antiretinopathy effects of CW on diabetic Sprague Dawley (SD) rats using streptozotocin (STZ) and explore its potential mechanism. After allowing the rats to acclimatize for 7 days, 48 healthy adult male SD rats were selected and randomly divided into 4 groups, involving control (Ctrl), diabetic rats (DM), diabetic rats treated with CW (DM‐CW), and diabetic rats treated with glibenclamide (DM‐Gli). The diabetic models were established by an intraperitoneal injection of STZ (60 mg/kg). The Ctrl group was injected with an equal volume of sodium citrate solution. The experiment was totally conducted during 20 weeks, and then, all rats were sacrificed. The serum levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) were measured; additionally, the activities of interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) in the retina were investigated using biochemical assays. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was performed to observe pathological changes of retinal tissues. In presence of treatment with CW, serum level of MDA was decreased, while serum levels of SOD and GSH‐Px were increased; besides, the activities of IL‐6 and ICAM‐1 in the retina were reduced compared with the DM group. The antiretinopathy feature of CW was confirmed by the increased number of neurons in the ganglion cell layer (GCL), total retina thickness (TRT), and thickness of the retinal nuclear layer (RNL) in diabetic rats. CW can be protective against diabetic retinopathy (DR), and its effects are comparable to Gli. The possible underlying mechanism may be partly explained by decreasing oxidative stress and anti‐inflammatory activities in the retina. However, further research should be conducted to reveal the exact mechanism.
Role of Caveolin-1 in Diabetes and Its Complications
Authors: Haddad Dania , Al Madhoun Ashraf , Nizam Rasheeba , Al-Mulla Fahd
Published: January 2020

It is estimated that in 2017 there were 451 million people with diabetes worldwide. These figures are expected to increase to 693 million by 2045; thus, innovative preventative programs and treatments are a necessity to fight this escalating pandemic disorder. Caveolin-1 (CAV1), an integral membrane protein, is the principal component of caveolae in membranes and is involved in multiple cellular functions such as endocytosis, cholesterol homeostasis, signal transduction, and mechanoprotection. Previous studies demonstrated that CAV1 is critical for insulin receptor-mediated signaling, insulin secretion, and potentially the development of insulin resistance. Here, we summarize the recent progress on the role of CAV1 in diabetes and diabetic complications.
Comparison of Partial Hepatectomy and Transarterial Chemoembolization in Intermediate-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Labgaa Ismail , Taffé Patrick , Martin David , Clerc Daniel , Schwartz Myron , Kokudo Norihiro , Denys Alban , Halkic Nermin , Demartines Nicolas , Melloul Emmanuel
Published: January 2020

Introduction: According to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) algorithm, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is recommended in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of intermediate stage (BCLC-B), whereas partial hepatectomy (PH) is restricted to early stage A. Expanding the indication for PH to intermediate stage remains debated. Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to analyze short- and long-term outcomes of PH compared to TACE in patients with intermediate-stage HCC. Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Trials comparing PH with TACE in patients with intermediate-stage HCC were selected. Only patients of BCLC-B stage were included in the analyses. Primary endpoint was overall survival (OS) and secondary endpoint was 90-day postprocedural mortality. Random-effects models were used to analyze time ratios (TRs). Results: Seven eligible trials were analyzed, including 1,730 BCLC-B patients undergoing PH (n = 750) or TACE (n = 980). Comparison of OS between PH and TACE determined a pooled TR of 1.91 (95% CI 1.24–2.94; p < 0.001). Survival rates at 1-, 3-, and 5-year were 85, 60, and 42% after PH, compared to 73, 60, and 20% after TACE (p < 0.001). There was no difference in postprocedural mortality between PH and TACE with rates of 3.7 and 3.4%, respectively (TR 0.95; 95% CI 0.17–5.50; p = 0.879). Conclusions: In patients with intermediate HCC, PH was associated with increased long-term survival compared to TACE, with comparable postprocedural mortality. These results suggest considering PH as treatment option in intermediate HCC and highlight the urgent need to refine the selection of patients with BCLC-B stage who may benefit from PH.
White Matter Brain Development after Exposure to Circulating Cell-Free Hemoglobin and Hyperoxia in a Rat Pup Model
Authors: Jungner Åsa , Vallius Kvist Suvi , Romantsik Olga , Bruschettini Matteo , Ekström Claes , Bendix Ivo , Herz Josephine , Felderhoff-Mueser Ursula , Bibic Adnan , In’T Zandt René , Gram Magnus , Ley David
Published: January 2020

Neonates born with critical congenital heart defects are at risk of diffuse white matter injuries and neurodevelopmental impairments. This study aimed to determine the impact of circulating cell-free hemoglobin and hyperoxia, both present during cardiopulmonary bypass circulation, on white matter brain development. Postnatal day 6 rat pups were injected intraperitoneally with cell-free Hb or vehicle and exposed to hyperoxia (fiO2 = 0.8) or normoxia (fiO2 = 0.21) for 24 h. We evaluated apoptosis, myelination, and oligodendrocyte maturation with immunohistochemistry, gene and protein analyses, and in vivo diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Consistent with previous studies, we found an increase in apoptosis of oligodendrocytes as determined by TUNEL+ staining in Olig2+ cells in white matter, cortex, thalamus, and hippocampus following exposure to hyperoxia with no additional effect of cell-free Hb. A transient increase in the mRNA expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 at 6 h was observed following combined exposure to cell-free Hb and hyperoxia. No indications of oligodendrocyte maturational delay or hypomyelination were observed after either insult, delivered separately or combined, as determined by immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and diffusion tensor MRI. In our model, exposure to circulatory cell-free Hb, with or without concomitant hyperoxia, did not significantly alter brain white matter development.
Uma arqueologia da sociologia?
Authors: Lacerda Marcos
Published: January 2020

O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar as relações entre a reflexão de Foucault a respeito da "episteme moderna das ciências humanas" dos discursos das "sujeições antropológicas" e da emersão de "dispositivos estratégicos” com a sociologia, especialmente com os temas relacionados ao conceito de sociedade e à polarização entre agência e estrutura. A sociologia seria uma derivação da episteme moderna das ciências humanas, cuja principal característica é o processo moderno de "antropologização" do pensamento, constituindo-se, assim, como um dos discursos das "sujeições antropológicas" e forjando dispositivos estratégicos de poder.
Há ainda alguma relevância à arqueologia?
Authors: Nalli Marcos
Published: January 2020

Procuro ensaiar uma interpretação do papel da caracterização da história feita pela arqueologia foucaultiana, nos termos de uma história das práticas discursivas regradas por suas formações discursivas. Minha hipótese é que, em L’archéologie du savoir, Foucault introduz um conceito – “prática discursiva” – cujo uso pragmático durante o livro permite a um só tempo sua análise arqueológica em termos históricos quanto sua leitura em termos críticos, de tal modo que forma um todo único às investigações foucaultianas.
Arqueologia e Magia
Authors: Perencini Tiago Brentam
Published: January 2020

A natureza não deixa nada sem assinar. Parece haver, no gesto da emissão de sinais, um propósito ético que pouco pode ser compreendido à luz das ciências humanas. Pensando diferente do registro científico, o objetivo geral deste artigo será descrever o jogo de penumbra pela qual a arqueologia de Michel Foucault aproxima-se do paradigma da magia. A magia é uma prática espiritual consigo, com o outro e com o mundo, que não se pode reduzir à representação e à significação. A hipótese que levanto busca averiguar em que medida o paradigma da magia é presente nos escritos arqueológicos de Michel Foucault, ainda que o pensador francês pouco se refira diretamente a ele, tarefa que implica uma escavação sobre os rastros deixados nas entrelinhas de seu pensamento, como fez seu contemporâneo Giorgio Agamben. Para tanto, enfocarei a ressonância existente entre os conceitos de (a) enunciado e assinatura e (b) a priori histórico e mana. Sabemos que enunciado e a priori histórico são dois operadores centrais ao pensamento arqueológico. Minha tarefa será mostrar que eles são íntimos à assinatura e à mana, ambas noções provenientes do campo da magia. Não será difícil percebermos que a arqueologia bebe no paradigma da magia ao ponto de se embriagar, o que permite pensar com saberes e práticas que foram eclipsados desde o pensamento secularizado e o iluminismo. Dessa maneira, a Arqueologia se inscreve como um ethos ainda a ser desvendado, espécie de anticiência das assinaturas.
Resenha de ÁRNASON, Garðar. Foucault and the Human Subject of Science. Cham: Springer, 2018
Authors: Backendorf Jonas Muriel
Published: January 2020

Resenha de ÁRNASON, Gardar. Foucault and the Human Subject of Science. Cham: Springer, 2018
Sobre o descentramento do sujeito
Authors: Santana Izabela Loner , Piza Suze De Oliveira
Published: January 2020

O artigo que segue indica a presença de uma obra filosófica no interior de uma tarefa histórica compartilhada por grande parte da filosofia contemporânea, a saber, o descentramento da categoria de sujeito. Tal tarefa (im)posta pela filosofia moderna, em especial a partir de Kant, será realizada por Foucault em A Arqueologia do saber lançando mão dos próprios recursos kantianos em uma nova versão do projeto crítico e é base para a criação de uma nova imagem de nós mesmos delineada por diversos pensadores não só da filosofia, mas também da psicanálise.
O panoptismo eletrônico virtual e sua ameaça ao exercício da atitude crítica
Authors: Candiotto César , Neto Sílvio Couto
Published: January 2020

Inspirado nas ideias de Michel Foucault, especialmente em sua exposição quanto ao modelo de operacionalidade do panóptico na sociedade disciplinar, o texto pretende analisar até que ponto grupos com posições estratégicas privilegiadas no exercício do poder e definidos por suas posições econômicas utilizam-se de ferramentas eletrônicas, tais como as redes sociais, para obter uma enorme quantidade de informações privilegiadas dos indivíduos usuários dessas redes. Esses dados obtidos são tratados através do uso dos mais diversos e avançados ramos do saber. Assim, transformam-se tais informações em saber específico e, por meio da utilização desse saber desenvolvido, parece ser possível exercer um enorme poder de normalização sobre as condutas humanas. Entende-se que essa atuação normalizadora pode representar um risco à possibilidade do exercício da atitude crítica.
Machine Learning Approach to Identify Stroke Within 4.5 Hours
Authors: Lee Hyunna , Lee Eun-Jae , Ham Sungwon , Lee Han-Bin , Lee Ji Sung , Kwon Sun U. , Kim Jong S. , Kim Namkug , Kang Dong-Wha
Published: January 2020

Background and Purpose—

We aimed to investigate the ability of machine learning (ML) techniques analyzing diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) magnetic resonance imaging to identify patients within the recommended time window for thrombolysis.

Methods—

We analyzed DWI and FLAIR images of consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke within 24 hours of clear symptom onset by applying automatic image processing approaches. These processes included infarct segmentation, DWI, and FLAIR imaging registration and image feature extraction. A total of 89 vector features from each image sequence were captured and used in the ML. Three ML models were developed to estimate stroke onset time for binary classification (≤4.5 hours): logistic regression, support vector machine, and random forest. To evaluate the performance of ML models, the sensitivity and specificity for identifying patients within 4.5 hours were compared with the sensitivity and specificity of human readings of DWI-FLAIR mismatch.

Results—

Data from a total of 355 patients were analyzed. DWI-FLAIR mismatch from human readings identified patients within 4.5 hours of symptom onset with 48.5% sensitivity and 91.3% specificity. ML algorithms had significantly greater sensitivities than human readers (75.8% for logistic regression,
P
=0.020; 72.7% for support vector machine,
P
=0.033; 75.8% for random forest,
P
=0.013) in detecting patients within 4.5 hours, but their specificities were comparable (82.6% for logistic regression,
P
=0.157; 82.6% for support vector machine,
P
=0.157; 82.6% for random forest,
P
=0.157).

Conclusions—

ML algorithms using multiple magnetic resonance imaging features were feasible even more sensitive than human readings in identifying patients with stroke within the time window for acute thrombolysis.
New data on the fauna of China, part I: the taxonomy of the millipede family Julidae (Diplopoda)
Authors: MIKHALJOVA ELENA V.
Published: January 2020

Seven new species of the millipede genus Nepalmatoiulus Mauriès, 1983 (Julidae) are described from China: N. sichuanensis sp. nov., N. chinensis sp. nov., N. muli sp. nov., N. tianbaoshanensis sp. nov., N. pallidus sp. nov., N. weixi sp. nov., N. immaturus sp. nov. One species of the genus Anaulaciulus Pocock, 1895 is new for the Chinese fauna: A. inaequipes Enghoff, 1986.
On the “Plesionika martia” (A. Milne-Edwards, 1883) species group in Indian waters
Authors: CHAN TIN-YAM , HSU CHIA-YU , KUMAR APPUKUTTANNAIR BIJU , CHANG SU-CHING
Published: January 2020

Material of the “Plesionika martia” (A. Milne-Edwards, 1883) species group from India had been reported as either P. martia or P. semilaevis Bate, 1888. Recent collection, however, revealed that both P .martia and P. semilaevis occur in Indian waters. COI barcoding gene sequence comparisons of the Indian and topotypic material of the four known species of the “P. martia” group showed that the Andaman Sea specimen is most similar to the topotypic specimens of P. martia even though there is high genetic divergence between them. For P. semilaevis, large sequence divergence is found in the topotypic material from the Philippines while the Indian specimens are genetically similar to one of the topotypic specimens. The characteristics of the Indian material of both species are described and illustrated.
Climate Sensitivity and the Direct Effect of Carbon Dioxide in a Limited-Area Cloud-Resolving Model
Authors: Romps David M.
Published: January 2020

Even in a small domain, it can be prohibitively expensive to run cloud-resolving greenhouse gas warming experiments due to the long equilibration time. Here, a technique is introduced that reduces the computational cost of these experiments by an order of magnitude: instead of fixing the carbon dioxide concentration and equilibrating the sea surface temperature (SST), this technique fixes the SST and equilibrates the carbon dioxide concentration. Using this approach in a cloud-resolving model of radiative–convective equilibrium (RCE), the equilibrated SST is obtained as a continuous function of carbon dioxide concentrations spanning 1 ppmv to nearly 10 000 ppmv, revealing a dramatic increase in equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) at higher temperatures. This increase in ECS is due to both an increase in forcing and a decrease in the feedback parameter. In addition, the technique is used to obtain the direct effects of carbon dioxide (i.e., the rapid adjustments) over a wide range of SSTs. Overall, the direct effect of carbon dioxide offsets a quarter of the increase in precipitation from warming, reduces the shallow cloud fraction by a small amount, and has no impact on convective available potential energy (CAPE).
Exploring Wind-Driven Subsurface Water Flow with an Acoustic Doppler Velocity Profiler
Authors: Chemin Rémi , Luneau Christopher , Caulliez Guillemette
Published: January 2020

In this study, we report on experiments carried out in a large wind-wave tank to investigate the potential of the acoustic Doppler velocity profiler for determining the structure of the subsurface water boundary layer. This flow located just beneath the air–water interface forms whenever wind blows. The profiler is first tested for a steady flow generated by pumps beneath a flat water surface. Measurements of the velocity field at different stages of development of the wind-induced shear flow, from laminar to fully turbulent, are then analyzed. The best way to obtain reliable data under these flow conditions is thoroughly examined. Despite the inherent difficulty of seeding acoustic tracers homogeneously in such a boundary layer, the profiler has the major advantage of providing records of the instantaneous profiles of the subsurface velocity field referenced to surface elevation. This feature makes it possible to estimate statistical properties of the water motions at various scales in a wave-following coordinate system, and thus greatly increases the physical significance of the measured quantities. The variation with fetch of the main characteristics of the mean drift current, orbital wave motions, and turbulent flow disturbances estimated in this coordinate system is then presented and discussed in detail.
Improving Hurricane Analyses and Predictions with TCI, IFEX Field Campaign Observations, and CIMSS AMVs Using the Advanced Hybrid Data Assimilation System for HWRF. Part II: Observation Impacts on the Analysis and Prediction of Patricia (2015)
Authors: Lu Xu , Wang Xuguang
Published: January 2020

Diverse observations, such as the High Definition Sounding System (HDSS) dropsonde observations from the Tropical Cyclone Intensity (TCI) program, the Tail Doppler Radar (TDR), Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR), and flight-level observations from the Intensity Forecasting Experiment (IFEX) program, and the atmospheric motion vectors (AMVs) from the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) simultaneously depicted the three-dimensional (3D) structure of Hurricane Patricia (2015). Experiments are conducted to understand the relative impacts of each of these observation types on Patricia’s analysis and prediction using the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI)-based ensemble-variational data assimilation system for the Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting (HWRF) Model. In comparing the impacts of assimilating each dataset individually, results suggest that 1) the assimilation of 3D observations produces better TC structure analysis than the assimilation of two-dimensional (2D) observations; 2) the analysis from assimilating observations collected from platforms that only sample momentum fields produces a less improved forecast with either short-lived impacts or slower intensity spinup as compared to the forecast produced after assimilating observations collected from platforms that sample both momentum and thermal fields; and 3) the structure forecast tends to benefit more from the assimilation of inner-core observations than the corresponding intensity forecast, which implies better verification metrics are needed for future TC forecast evaluation.
A Dynamical-Statistical-Analog Ensemble Forecast Model: Theory and an Application to Heavy Rainfall Forecasts of Landfalling Tropical Cyclones
Authors: Ren Fumin , Ding Chenchen , Zhang Da-Lin , Chen Deliang , Ren Hong-li , Qiu Wenyu
Published: January 2020

Combining dynamical models with statistical algorithms is an important way to improve weather and climate prediction. In this study, a concept of a perfect model, whose solutions are from observations, is introduced, and a dynamical-statistical-analog ensemble forecast (DSAEF) model is developed as an initial-value problem of the perfect model. This new analog-based forecast model consists of the following three steps: (i) construct generalized initial value (GIV), (ii) identify analogs from historical observations, and (iii) produce an ensemble of predictands. The first step includes all appropriate variables, not only at an instant state but also during their temporal evolution, that play an important role in determining the accuracy of each predictand. An application of the DSAEF model is illustrated through the prediction of accumulated rainfall associated with 21 landfalling typhoons occurring over South China during the years of 2012–16. Assuming a reliable forecast of landfalling typhoon track, two different experiments are conducted, in which the GIV is constructed by including (i) typhoon track only; and (ii) both typhoon track and landfall season. Results show overall better performance of the second experiment than the first one in predicting heavy accumulated rainfall in the training sample tests. In addition, the forecast performance of both experiments is comparable to the operational numerical weather prediction models currently used in China, the United States, and Europe. Some limitations and future improvements as well as comparisons with some existing analog ensemble models are also discussed.
Mental health during and after protests, riots and revolutions: A systematic review
Authors: Ni Michael Y , Kim Yoona , McDowell Ian , Wong Suki , Qiu Hong , Wong Irene OL , Galea Sandro , Leung Gabriel M
Published: January 2020

Objectives:

Protests, riots and revolutions have long been a part of human history and are increasing globally, yet their impact on mental health remains largely unknown. We therefore systematically reviewed studies on collective actions and mental health.

Method:

We searched PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO and CINAHL Plus for published studies from their inception until 1 January 2018. Study quality was rated using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale.

Results:

We identified 52 studies ( n = 57,487 participants) from 20 countries/regions. The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder ranged from 4% to 41% in riot-affected areas. Following a major protest, the prevalence of probable major depression increased by 7%, regardless of personal involvement in the protests, suggestive of community spillover effects. Risk factors for poorer mental health included female sex, lower socioeconomic status, exposure to violence, interpersonal conflicts, frequent social media use and lower resilience and social support. Nevertheless, two studies suggested that collective actions may reduce depression and suicide, possibly due to a collective cathartic experience and greater social cohesion within subpopulations.

Conclusion:

We present the first systematic review of collective actions and mental health, showing compelling evidence that protests even when nonviolent can be associated with adverse mental health outcomes. Health care professionals therefore need to be vigilant to the mental and psychological sequelae of protests, riots and revolutions. Further research on this emerging sociopolitical determinant of mental health is warranted.
Absence of DOA Effect but No Proper Test of the Lumberjack Effect: A Reply to Jamieson and Skraaning (2019)
Authors: Wickens Christopher D. , Onnasch Linda , Sebok Angelina , Manzey Dietrich
Published: January 2020

Objective

The aim was to evaluate the relevance of the critique offered by Jamieson and Skraaning (2019) regarding the applicability of the lumberjack effect of human–automation interaction to complex real-world settings.

Background

The lumberjack effect, based upon a meta-analysis, identifies the consequences of a higher degree of automation—to improve performance and reduce workload—when automation functions as intended, but to degrade performance more, as mediated by a loss of situation awareness (SA) when automation fails. Jamieson and Skraaning provide data from a process control scenario that they assert contradicts the effect.

Approach

We analyzed key aspects of their simulation, measures, and results which we argue limit the strength of their conclusion that the lumberjack effect is not applicable to complex real-world systems.

Results

Our analysis revealed limits in their inappropriate choice of automation, the lack of a routine performance measure, support for the lumberjack effect that was actually provided by subjective measures of the operators, an inappropriate assessment of SA, and a possible limitation of statistical power.

Conclusion

We regard these limitations as reasons to temper the strong conclusions drawn by the authors, of no applicability of the lumberjack effect to complex environments. Their findings should be used as an impetus for conducting further research on human–automation interaction in these domains.

Applications

The collective findings of both Jamieson and Skraaning and our study are applicable to system designers and users in deciding upon the appropriate level of automation to deploy.
Adopting microblogging solutions for interaction with government: survey results from Hunan province, China
Authors: Homburg Vincent , Moody Rebecca , Yang Qiaomei , Bekkers Victor
Published: January 2020

Authorities in the People’s Republic of China communicate with citizens using an estimated 600,000 Sina Weibo microblogs. This study reports on a study of Chinese citizens’ adoption of microblogs to interact with the government. Adoption results from trust and peer pressure in smaller-network ties (densely knit, pervasive social networks surrounding individual citizens). Larger-network ties (trust in institutions at large, such as the Chinese Communist Party, executive organizations, the judicial system, the media, etc.) are not associated with the adoption of microblogging. Furthermore, higher levels of anxiety are correlated with lower levels of use intention, and this finding underlines the impact of the Chinese authority’s surveillance and control activities on the lives of individual Chinese citizens. Based on these findings, we outline a theory of why citizens use microblogs to interact with the government and suggest avenues for further research into microblogs, state–citizen communication patterns and technology adoption.

Points for practitioners

Our research identifies trust in individual civil servants, citizens’ anxiety and peer pressure as drivers of Chinese citizens’ intentions to use the Weibo microblogging platform to interact with the Chinese government. This insight allows practitioners to better understand citizens’ drivers and obstacles in the use of social media in state–citizen relations in China.
Experimental investigation of failure mechanisms and evaluation of physical/mechanical properties of unidirectional flax–epoxy composites
Authors: Saadati Yousef , Lebrun Gilbert , Chatelain Jean-Francois , Beauchamp Yves
Published: January 2020

Using natural fibers as reinforcement in polymer matrix composites necessitates evaluating the latter under different modes of solicitation. This allows extracting its material properties for engineering design and research purposes. The main objective of the study is preparing a consistent set of material properties for unidirectional flax fiber-reinforced epoxy composite with defined composition and basic configuration. These data are prerequisites for growing researches on flax fiber-reinforced epoxy composites, especially for numerical analysis purposes using the finite element method. In this work, partially green unidirectional-flax fiber-reinforced epoxy composites are tested for physical and mechanical properties and studied for their failure modes. Tension, compression, flexion, and shear properties, as well as physical properties like density, specific heat capacity and thermal diffusivity, are evaluated according to ASTM standard test methods. Flax fibers, which are composites by themselves, come in bundles in the composites and demonstrate a complex behavior. Therefore, a fractographic analysis has been conducted to understand the macro and microscale failure mechanisms to correlate them with the material properties. The results are in good agreement with those of the literature, when available, but they mainly show the specific behavior of unidirectional-flax composites subject to different solicitation modes, especially compression and direct shear modes evaluated this way for the first time for unidirectional-flax fiber-reinforced epoxy composite. They cover most of the data required for engineering design and numerical analysis by methods like finite element method, particularly for simulating the machining process of flax fiber-reinforced epoxy composite in the ongoing works.
The Editor’s Note: A love-hate affair with language
Authors: Heller Rafael
Published: January 2020

Debates about children’s language development, bilingual instruction, and foreign language instruction have swung back and forth, with many of the same arguments being made across the decades. Yet new research continues to inform our understandings of language and how best to use it and instruct students in its use. Rafael Heller encourages Kappan readers to consider how they and others use language.
Teachers’ beliefs about English learners: Adding linguistic support to enhance academic rigor
Authors: Torff Bruce , Murphy Audrey Figueroa
Published: January 2020

A persistent achievement gap for English learners (ELs) has prompted educators to search for contributing factors and pedagogical solutions. Research by Bruce Torff and Audrey Figueroa Murphy shows teachers’ beliefs about rigor of curriculum may contribute to the problem; teachers supported less rigorous curriculum for ELs, evincing a “rigor gap” likely to exacerbate the EL achievement gap. They suggest that systematic analysis of the linguistic demands of classroom tasks can facilitate the design of appropriate linguistic supports, allowing ELs to engage in academically rigorous instruction comparable to that afforded English-proficient students. Counteracting the rigor gap as such has promise to ameliorate the EL achievement gap.
Academic language learning: A conversation with Emily Phillips Galloway
Authors: Heller Rafael
Published: January 2020

In an interview with Kappan, Emily Phillips Galloway explains why it is important to provide specific instruction in academic language to help students better understand the texts they are likely to encounter in 4th grade and beyond. To understand these texts, students need a set of core skills, such as the ability to discern an author’s viewpoint or to keep track of people and ideas. Helping students to notice and talk about the features of academic language will enable them to better understand and use such language.
In Indiana, school choice means segregation
Authors: Shaffer Michael B. , Dincher Bridget
Published: January 2020

Following Brown v. Board of Education, schools known as “segregation academies” that were created for the purpose of allowing White students to be educated without contact with Black students proliferated in the southern United States. While the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited such segregation, these schools remained in existence for decades. In this case study, Michael Shaffer and Bridget Dincher contend that the Choice Scholarship Program in Indiana, a school voucher program, re-creates the segregation academies. Data demonstrate that while White student percentages have climbed since the inception of the program, Black student percentages have declined sharply, creating a large number of schools that meet the definition of a segregated school. And because these schools are private, despite receiving government funds through the voucher program, students do not receive the same federal protections from discrimination that they do in traditional public schools.
Professional development that improves STEM outcomes
Authors: Hill Heather C. , Lynch Kathleen , Gonzalez Kathryn E. , Pollard Cynthia
Published: January 2020

How should teachers spend their STEM-focused professional learning time? To answer this question, Heather Hill, Kathleen Lynch, Kathryn Gonzalez, and Cynthia Pollard analyzed a recent wave of rigorous new studies of STEM instructional improvement programs. They found that programs work best when focused on building knowledge teachers can use during instruction. This includes knowledge of the curriculum materials they will use, knowledge of content, and knowledge of how students learn that content. They argue that such learning opportunities improve teachers’ professional knowledge and skill, potentially by supporting teachers in making more informed in-the-moment instructional decisions.
First Person: Why my learning disabilities make me a better teacher
Authors: Ball Kara
Published: January 2020

When Kara Ball was in 10th grade, her math teacher humiliated her for struggling to solve a problem on the board. That experience led her to become a special education teacher and to create a classroom where students feel supported. Her learning disabilities have enabled her to understand what her students need in order to achieve their full potential. Here, she enumerates some of the ways other teachers can do the same.
Washington View: What the NAEP reveals
Authors: Ferguson Maria
Published: January 2020

The National Assessment of Educational Progress for 2019 brought with it sobering news about literacy and the stubborn persistence of achievement gaps, says Maria Ferguson. A look at long-term data shows that student progress has slowed since 2009, and the gaps between low-achieving and high-achieving students are growing. However, some bright spots appeared in Massachusetts and Mississippi. Massachusetts retained its status as a top performer, while Mississippi made large strides.
Backtalk: School leaders should say what they mean
Authors: Sonbert Michael
Published: January 2020

When visiting schools, author Michael Sonbert often observes school leaders using vague and inconsistent language to define their goals, manage staff, and provide feedback and direction to teachers. But there’s already far too much ambiguity and confusion in K-12 education, he argues. Leaders should take better care to choose their words and communicate clearly.
Memory, Ethnography and the Method of Memory
Authors: Haripriya Soibam
Published: January 2020

The fieldwork experience of social anthropology is mediated by memory. The memories of the informants and the researchers own memory recuperate the field partially for the audience—academic or otherwise. This article through disparate sections elaborates the method of memory in doing research. With a brief introduction to collective memory in the sociological tradition this work introduces memory ethnography. External memory—from the act of writing to mnemonic aids that accompany us in the field is ubiquitous to the extent that it has become almost an extension of oneself. The imbrications of memory-technology though reveal the fear of technology taking over the task of memory. The explosion of memory studies triggered through the study of violence is analysed through new forms of commemoration. In placing the seemingly disparate sections I attempt to look at new forms of memory practices contextualising it in and through the various artefacts that it produces.
Age-Related Differences in Intentional Forgetting of Prospective Memory
Authors: Bozdemir Meral , Cinan Sevtap
Published: January 2020

This study investigated age-related differences in intentional forgetting (IF) of prospective memory (memory for actions to be performed in the future) in young (19–30 years) and late-midlife adults (LMA; 57–75 years). Prospective memory (PM) performance was examined by using the Virtual Week (VW) Task. An IF procedure was embedded into the VW task and the participants were instructed to forget some of the PM tasks that they were to remember and execute later on a virtual day. The study compared performances of the young and the LMA participants in the context of event- or time-based regular and irregular tasks. The results confirmed previous findings in showing that LMA participants exhibited worse PM than younger participants in lab-based tasks. In addition, although PM and IF performances separately have been shown to be affected by cognitive aging, larger age-related differences were not found in PM performance under IF conditions.
Peer-Mentored Community Reentry Reduces Recidivism
Authors: Sells Dave , Curtis Anderson , Abdur-Raheem Jehan , Klimczak Michele , Barber Charles , Meaden Cathleen , Hasson Jacob , Fallon Patrick , Emigh-Guy Meredith
Published: January 2020

Most people released from incarceration in the criminal justice system return to prison within 3 years. To improve community reentry, national initiatives have promoted new and revitalized programming, including peer mentorship, though this approach remains largely unstudied. Fifty-five men participated within a pilot randomized controlled trial investigating the effect of peer mentorship upon recidivism. Hierarchical binary logistic regression including recidivism risk, as well as group assignment to either a standard services for community reentry condition or standard services plus peer mentorship condition, showed that those receiving mentorship had significantly lower recidivism. It appears that peer mentorship with a model focus upon early intervention, relationship quality, criminal desistance, social navigation, and gainful citizenship may promote the complex task of early community reentry. Given this pilot’s small sample, future research should confirm this association on a larger scale, enabling longitudinal and treatment component analyses examining the relative contributions of mentorship model factors.
A Middleman’s Process: Booking and Managing Musical Theater Venues in Montreal from the 1880s to the First World War
Authors: Dietze Antje
Published: January 2020

This article focuses on the way musical theater venues in Montreal were booked and managed during the continental integration of North American theater industries from the 1880s to the First World War. It investigates how local theater owners and managers cooperated with representatives of U.S.-American circuits and booking agencies that provided the shows. They had to find ways to reconcile the fragmented audiences in the bilingual city with the increasingly standardized theatrical offers available. A closer look at different kinds of mediating actors and organizations and at the range and mechanisms of the supply networks explains why those relations often did not remain anchored in a particular venue over a longer period. The profiles of theaters in Montreal shifted frequently when an especially dynamic phase of social and cultural specialization in the urban sphere overlapped with growing trans-regional rivalries between competing theatrical circuits.
Impulsive finite-time observer design for uncertain positive linear systems with L2-gain analysis
Authors: Motahhari Morteza , Shafiei Mohammad Hossein
Published: January 2020

This paper is concerned with the design of a finite-time positive observer (FTPO) for continuous-time positive linear systems, which is robust regarding the L2-gain performance. In positive observers, the estimation of the state variables is always nonnegative. In contrast to previous positive observers with asymptotic convergence, an FTPO estimates positive state variables in a finite time. The proposed FTPO observer, using two Identity Luenberger observers and based on the impulsive framework, estimates exactly the state variables of positive systems in a predetermined time interval. Furthermore, sufficient conditions are given in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) to guarantee the L2-gain performance of the estimation error. Finally, the performance and robustness of the proposed FTPO are validated using numerical simulations.