bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Observations of the 14 July 2011 Fort Collins Hailstorm: Implications for WSR-88D-Based Hail Detection and Warnings
Authors: Kennedy Patrick C. , Rutledge Steven A. , Dolan Brenda , Thaler Eric
Published: March 2014

The issuance of timely warnings for the occurrence of severe-class hail (hailstone diameters of 2.5 cm or larger) remains an ongoing challenge for operational forecasters. This study examines the application of two remotely sensed data sources between 0100 and 0400 UTC 14 July 2011 when pulse-type severe thunderstorms occurred in the jurisdiction of the Denver/Boulder National Weather Service (NWS) Forecast Office in Colorado. First, a developing hailstorm was jointly observed by the dual-polarization Colorado State University–University of Chicago–Illinois State Water Survey (CSU–CHILL) research radar and by the operational, single-polarization NWS radar at Denver/Front Range (KFTG). During the time period leading up to the issuance of the initial severe thunderstorm warning, the dual-polarization radar data near the 0 °C altitude contained a positive differential reflectivity ZDR column (indicating a strong updraft lofting supercooled raindrops above the freezing level). Correlation coefficient ρHV reductions to ~0.93, probably due to the presence of growing hailstones, were observed above the freezing level in portions of the developing >55-dBZ echo core. Second, data from the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN), including the locations and polarity of cloud-to-ground (CG) discharges produced by several of the evening’s storms, were processed. Some association was found between the prevalence of positive CGs and storms that produced severe hail. The analyses indicate that the use of the dual-polarization data provided by the upgraded Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D), in combination with the NLDN data stream, can assist operational forecasters in the real-time identification of thunderstorms that pose a severe hail threat.
The Implicit Legacy of American Protestantism
Authors: Uhlmann Eric Luis , Sanchez-Burks Jeffrey
Published: March 2014

The heritage of a nation founded by devout Puritan Protestants has had wide-ranging effects on U.S. culture and, as experimental evidence suggests, continues to exert an implicit influence on the feelings, judgments, and behaviors of contemporary Americans. The United States is distinguished by a faith in individual merit and traditional values uncommon among economically developed democracies, both of which have been traced, in part, to the moral ideals of the founding Protestant communities. Calvinist Protestantism has further profoundly shaped American workways, including the moralization of work and the manifestation of professional norms that prescribe impersonal and unemotional workplace interactions. The implicit influence of traditional Protestant beliefs extends not only to devout American Protestants, but even to non-Protestant and less-religious Americans.
Dental Anomalies Associated with Craniometaphyseal Dysplasia
Authors: Chen I.-P. , Tadinada A. , Dutra E.H. , Utreja A. , Uribe F. , Reichenberger E.J.
Published: March 2014

Craniometaphyseal dysplasia (CMD) is a rare genetic disorder encompassing hyperostosis of craniofacial bones and metaphyseal widening of tubular bones. Dental abnormalities are features of CMD that have been little discussed in the literature. We performed dentofacial examination of patients with CMD and evaluated consequences of orthodontic movement in a mouse model carrying a CMD knock-in (KI) mutation (Phe377del) in the Ank gene. All patients have a history of delayed eruption of permanent teeth. Analysis of data obtained by cone-beam computed tomography showed significant bucco-lingual expansion of jawbones, more pronounced in mandibles than in maxillae. There was no measurable increase in bone density compared with that in unaffected individuals. Orthodontic cephalometric analysis showed that patients with CMD tend to have a short anterior cranial base, short upper facial height, and short maxillary length. Microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) analysis in homozygous AnkKI/KI mice, a model for CMD, showed that molars can be moved by orthodontic force without ankylosis, however, at a slower rate compared with those in wild-type Ank+/+ mice ( p < .05). Histological analysis of molars in AnkKI/KI mice revealed decreased numbers of TRAP+ osteoclasts on the bone surface of pressure sides. Based on these findings, recommendations for the dental treatment of patients with CMD are provided.
“Unbind Him and Let Him Go” (JN 11:44): Ethical Issues in the Determination of Proportionate and Disproportionate Treatment
Authors: Shannon Thomas A.
Published: March 2014

The article (1) reviews a variety of magisterial documents and essays concerning the terms “morally ordinary” and “extraordinary” treatment in relation to the provision of assisted nutrition and hydration, particularly for patients in a “permanent vegetative state”; (2) considers how the terms “ordinary” and “extraordinary” are used in both the moral and medical contexts, the process by which they are defined, and how economic issues relate to moral analysis; and (3) argues that the content of the terms is changing as well as the method to determine whether a treatment is ordinary or extraordinary.
The Holy Spirit and The Physical Universe: The Impact of Scientific Paradigm Shifts on Contemporary Pneumatology
Authors: Vondey Wolfgang
Published: March 2014

A methodological shift occurred in the sciences in the 20th century that has irreversible repercussions for a contemporary theology of the Holy Spirit. Newton and Einstein followed fundamentally different trajectories that provide radically dissimilar frameworks for the pneumatological endeavor. Pneumatology after Einstein is located in a different cosmological framework constituted by the notions of order, rationality, relationality, symmetry, and movement. These notions provide the immediate challenges to a contemporary understanding of the Spirit in the physical universe.
Religious Pluralism and the Coincidence of Opposites
Authors: Delio Ilia
Published: March 2014

The author discusses a theology of religious pluralism in light of the Trinity-Christ relationship. As the Trinity is the paradigm for interpreting religious diversity from a Christian perspective, so the significance of Christ as mediating center of a relational God is explored. Bonaventure's coincidence of opposites helps break open the Christ mystery as one that engages plurality and difference. Based on this paradigm Christian life is to be lived as a center of unity and from a new depth of love.
Proclamation as Dialogue: Transition in the Church—World Relationship
Authors: McEvoy James Gerard
Published: March 2014

Vatican Il's Gaudium et spes sees the church-world relationship in dialogical terms. This article argues that conceiving the church-world relationship as a dialogue is an important element in the council's recognition of what Charles Taylor calls the “modern social imaginary.” The article defends the council's view of dialogue against the argument that contemporary Western views of dialogue are inherently relativist. It concludes by investigating the rich implications of this dialogical view for the church's primary task of proclamation.
Vatican II on Revelation—From behind the Scenes
Authors: Wicks Jared
Published: March 2014

The article presents interventions by certain expert-consultants (periti) just before and during Vatican II's opening weeks in 1962. Discovering mediocrity in passages of the prepared schemas on God's revelation, Joseph Ratzinger, Pieter Smulders, Karl Rahner, and Jean Daniélou formulated criticisms and framed alternatives that this article reviews. In time, several key conceptions of their alternative texts, such as the soteriological centering of revelation, found a place in Dei Verbum nos. 1–6.
The Council in Trullo Revisited: Ecumenism and the Canon of the Councils
Authors: Nedungatt George
Published: March 2014

Although the much-postponed subject of papal primacy in the ecumenical dialogue between the Catholic and the Orthodox Churches finally got to a formal start in 2007, it was set in a wider framework of synodality or conciliarity. Thus the Roman primacy is theologically twinned with the ecumenical councils. In this context the article draws attention to the Council in Trullo (692). Neglected in the post-Tridentine West, in the East it had long been regarded as an ecumenical council. This council is of interest not only for canon law but for theology, liturgy, sacred art, and church history as well.
What's the Use of Exclusivism?
Authors: Brecht Mara
Published: March 2014

The author examines the unique contributions of exclusivism to the Christian theological discussion of religious diversity. Exclusivist theologians develop epistemologically oriented approaches while inclusivist and pluralist theologians tend to work from soteriological orientations. The epistemological orientation leads exclusivists to regard religions as foundational for truth claims and believers as their agents. As such, exclusivists are more able to address how ordinary believers encounter and understand religious diversity, whereas inclusivists and pluralists are less able to do this.
• Notes on Moral Theology •
Authors: Keenan James F.
Published: March 2014

At the 2009 convention of the Catholic Theological Society of America, the author advocated for a more rhetorically robust and closer-to-the-truth style in theological ethics. In this note, he examines those works that embody that style by capturing the urgency and immediacy of moral truth as lived in the lives of contemporary Christians. In particular, he finds that the closer we come to the truth, the more we inevitably recognize that conflict, tension, ambiguity, and even bewilderment are necessary, integral components of the true human moral narrative.
Peter as Witness to Easter
Authors: O'Collins Gerald
Published: March 2014

The article shows how the role of Peter as the official witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ continues to be neglected by such scholars as Martin Hengel, Christian Grappe, and Rudolf Pesch. Paul, Mark, Luke (in both his Gospel and Acts), and John offer historical and theological grounds for interpreting Peter's primary (but not exclusive) role in emerging Christianity as that of spreading and gathering the community through the power of his Easter message. The article concludes by suggesting how the Petrine witness to Easter expresses itself in the ministry of the bishop of Rome.
Karl Rahner Repeated in Jean-Luc Marion?
Authors: Fritz Peter Joseph
Published: March 2014

The author traces an interesting development in Jean-Luc Marion's thought, from explicit rejection of Karl Rahner's thought to strong affinities with it. Marion's early theology aligns itself with Hans Urs von Balthasar's, making a later turn to Rahner seem impossible. But in his phenomenological trilogy and newer theological reflections, Marion opens to a Rahnerian perspective, particularly with respect to the mutual collaboration of faith and reason. Marion thus provides one more example of Rahner's enduring significance.
“Reversing the Secularist Drift”: John Courtney Murray and the Telos of Catholic Higher Education
Authors: Garcia Kenneth N.
Published: March 2014

The author explores John Courtney Murray's thought on the telos of Catholic higher education. Although best known for his political writings on church and state and for his advocacy of religious freedom within a pluralistic society, Murray has also written extensively on Catholic higher education. After reviewing some of the core principles that guided his thinking on the nature of Catholic education and the relation of theology to other academic disciplines, the article offers some practical suggestions for realizing Murray's vision in today's context.
Bonaventure Contra Mundum? The Catholic Theological Tradition Revisited
Authors: Hughes Kevin L.
Published: March 2014

Conventional Catholic interpretations of Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure often pose them as dialectical opposites representing two distinct theological traditions. This article calls these interpretations into question, and, after offering an alternative sketch of each thinker's theological accomplishment, argues for a Catholic theology of history and tradition that can admit plurality without resorting to binary opposition.
Visualising the future of work: myth, media and mobilities
Authors: Humphry Justine
Published: March 2014

Microsoft’s Future Vision, Googleplex, Apple’s ‘spaceship’ campus: predictions of the imminent demise of the office workplace coincide with a proliferation of media images of the ‘office of the future’. This article argues these visions function as powerful cultural myths for bringing about and stabilising new mobile and flexible work forms and identities. Cultural myths perform a range of ideological and mediating functions. They are a symbolic form for naturalising the cultural production of meaning and a map or charter for the way that society is ordered in the present. While visions of mobile work forms and arrangements promise a revolutionary break from the past, they also mask the re-inscription of a rational economy of time and gendered relations of labour. These visions maintain their currency because they work with contemporary processes of commodification and mediate the very mobilities they help to bring about.
Normalizing Transantiago: On the challenges (and limits) of repairing infrastructures
Authors: Ureta Sebastián
Published: March 2014

This article looks to propose a new way to understand the repair of failing large sociotechnical systems. Leaving aside romantic valuations, repair always involves a certain degree of normalization. Derived from conceptualizations by Foucault, repair as normalization is understood as a particular form of power that, first, recognizes a certain normal state to which the failing system should evolve and, second, develops different strategies to reach it, usually involving the deployment of particular disciplinary devices. The ultimate aim of such practices is usually not only the improvement of the system but centrally the maintenance of a certain kind of power. In order to show the empirical usability of such conceptualization, the article analyzes the case of Transantiago, a thoroughgoing reform of the public transport system of Santiago, Chile. The start of Transantiago in February 2007 was marred by multiple failures, becoming one of the biggest public controversies in the country in recent decades. Given this, several different strategies were developed to repair such failures, understanding them explicitly as normalization. The article analyzes two particular strategies: attempts to change the negative ‘public perception’ about Transantiago through the use of quantitative indicators and the introduction of an unexpected type of infrastructure to increase the overall speed of the system. Finally, the conclusion analyzes how the conception of repair as normalization can help us better understand the complexities involved in dealing with failing large sociotechnical systems such as Transantiago, pointing to the need to sometimes move beyond repair.
Cardiovascular and hemodynamic parameters in women following prolonged CGRP inhibition using LBR-101, a monoclonal antibody against CGRP
Authors: Bigal Marcelo E , Walter Sarah , Bronson Michele , Alibhoy Abbas , Escandon Rafael
Published: March 2014

Background

The vascular effects of acute calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibition are well described, but the effects of sustained inhibition warrant further exploration in humans.

Objectives

The objective of this article is to assess the effects of sustained CGRP inhibition on blood pressure, heart rate, and ECGs in healthy women ≥40 years of age.

Methods

In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 31 women (mean age = 56) were randomized to receive placebo or an anti-CGRP monoclonal antibody at doses up to 2000 mg. Participants were confined for seven days and followed for 168 days. Cardiac telemetry was conducted for eight hours after infusion completion. Hemodynamic assessments and ECGs were conducted six times during Day 1 and periodically for three months.

Results

No clinically relevant changes in systolic or diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, or ECG parameters (RR, PR, QRS, or QTcF) were observed when comparing baseline vs. post-dose time-points or in-between groups. No significant changes were seen for adjusted QTcF (baseline subtracted and placebo and baseline subtracted). No significant differences or relevant abnormalities were seen when comparing parameters obtained at Tmax vs. any other time-point.

Conclusion

Sustained CGRP inhibition was not associated with hemodynamic or ECG changes in a population at an increased age risk for cardiovascular events.
Is Length of Shelter Stay and Receipt of a Protection Order Associated With Less Violence and Better Functioning for Abused Women? Outcome Data 4 Months After Receiving Services
Authors: McFarlane Judith , Symes Lene , Maddoux John , Gilroy Heidi , Koci Anne
Published: March 2014

To provide differential effectiveness on length of stay at a shelter and receipt versus non-receipt of a protection order (PO), and outcomes of violence, functioning, and resiliency, in 300 abused women (150 first-time users of a shelter and 150 first-time applicants for a PO) who participate in a 7-year study with outcomes measured every 4 months. Four months after a shelter stay or application for a PO, abused women staying 21 days or less at a shelter reported similar outcomes compared with women staying longer than 21 days. Similarly, women receiving and not receiving a PO reported overall equivalent outcomes. Seeking shelter or justice services results in similar improved outcomes for abused women 4 months later, regardless of length of stay at the shelter or receipt or no receipt of the PO. Contact with shelter and justice services results in positive outcomes for abused women and indicates the urgent need to increase availability, accessibility, and acceptability of shelter and justice services.
Playing by the rules? The professional values of head teachers tested by the changing policy context
Authors: Rayner Stephen
Published: March 2014

School leaders face potential conflicts between the demands of national and local education policy and the values and ethics that brought them into teaching and subsequently into school leadership. This article asks whether head teachers’ values are changed by the policy context, and looks at incidents in head teachers’ professional lives that have put their values to the test. It draws on case study work undertaken with one primary school and two secondary school head teachers in an English urban local authority. The article concludes that, for all the opportunities and limitations of educational policy, the greatest influence on the agency of school leaders is the personal history that has shaped their values and given direction to their moral compass.
Nelarabine neurotoxicity with concurrent intrathecal chemotherapy: Case report and review of literature
Authors: Ngo Dat , Patel Samit , Kim Eun Jeong , Brar Rondeep , Koontz Michael Z
Published: March 2014

Severe nelarabine neurotoxicity in a patient who received concurrent intrathecal (IT) chemotherapy is reported. A 37-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma was admitted for relapsed disease. She was originally treated with induction chemotherapy followed by an autologous transplant. She developed relapsed disease 10 months later with leukemic involvement. She was re-induced with nelarabine 1500 mg/m2 on days 1, 3, and 5 with 1 dose of IT cytarabine 100 mg on day 2 as central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis. At the time of treatment, she was on continuous renal replacement therapy due to sequelae of tumor lysis syndrome (TLS). She tolerated therapy well, entered a complete remission, and recovered her renal function. She received a second cycle of nelarabine without additional IT prophylaxis one month later. A week after this second cycle, she noted numbness in her lower extremities. Predominantly sensory, though also motor and autonomic, peripheral neuropathy started in her feet, ascended proximally to the mid-thoracic region, and eventually included her distal upper extremities. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of her spine demonstrated changes from C2 to C6 consistent with subacute combined degeneration. Nelarabine was felt to be the cause of her symptoms. Her neuropathy stabilized and showed slight improvement and ultimately received an unrelated, reduced-intensity allogeneic transplant while in complete remission, but relapsed disease 10 weeks later. She is currently being treated with best supportive care. To our knowledge, this is the first published case report of severe neurotoxicity caused by nelarabine in a patient who received concurrent IT chemotherapy.
Re-Conceptualizing “Cooling-Off Periods” in Serial Homicide
Authors: Osborne Jeffery R. , Salfati C. Gabrielle
Published: March 2014

Cooling-off periods have been described as the state of returning to the offender’s usual way of life between homicides (Burgess, 2006) and are a crucial factor in defining serial homicide (Douglas, Ressler, Burgess, & Hartman, 1986). If the clinical aspect referring to the offender’s emotional and motivational state is removed, these episodes can be aptly termed time intervals between homicides. Factors such as geography, victim selection, and the offender’s level of social involvement may instead serve as more appropriate starting points for studying this concept. In the present study, these factors were examined using 16 series containing 90 time intervals with a reported median interval length between events of 34.5 days.
Delirium in trauma
Authors: Griffiths S Eliza , Tandon U , Treml J , Jackson TA
Published: March 2014

Delirium is a common, severe and acute neuropsychiatric syndrome that affects mainly older patients. Delirium is a well-recognised complication of trauma and is important as it is associated with an increase in mortality as well as cognitive and functional decline, increased length of hospital stay and increased risk of institutionalisation on discharge. Recognition and management is challenging and the psychological impact for patients and relatives devastating. This review discusses the current understanding of delirium with specific reference to trauma patients.
Appreciative Inquiry as a Method for Participatory Change in Secondary Schools in Lebanon
Authors: Shuayb Maha
Published: March 2014

Appreciative inquiry is a strategy which takes a positive approach to organizational development. It aims to identify good practice, design effective development plans, and ensure implementation. This article examines the potentials and limitations of using the appreciative inquiry in a mixed methods research design for developing school effectiveness and care in three secondary schools in Lebanon.
Acknowledging power: The application of Kaupapa Māori principles and processes to developing a new approach to organisation–public engagement
Authors: Love Tyron , Tilley Elspeth
Published: March 2014

This article argues for recognition of the value and relevance of Indigenous knowledges about principles and practices of engagement to theory building and praxis in organisation–public engagement. Specifically, in this article, the Kaupapa Māori body of knowledge and practice that has developed around Indigenous/non-Indigenous engagement in Aotearoa New Zealand is identified as a valid source of insight for the analogous situation of organisation–public engagement where power imbalance is inherent. Selected Kaupapa Māori principles are proposed for their ability to provide pertinent alternatives to mechanistic approaches at each stage of the engagement process.
Systematic Review of Biological Modulation of Healing in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Fu Sai-Chuen , Cheuk Yau-Chuk , Yung Shu-Hang , Rolf Christer Gustav , Chan Kai-Ming
Published: March 2014

Background:

Whether biological modulation is effective to promote healing in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction remains unclear.

Purpose:

To perform a systematic review of both clinical and experimental evidence of preclinical animal studies on biological modulation to promote healing in ACL reconstruction.

Study Design:

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

A systematic search was performed using the PubMed, Ovid, and Scopus search engines. Inclusion criteria were clinical and animal studies involving subjects with ACL injury with the use of biological modulation to promote healing outcomes. Methodological quality of clinical studies was evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Skill Programme (CASP) appraisal tool, and animal studies were evaluated by a scoring system based on a published checklist of good animal studies.

Results:

Ten clinical studies and 50 animal studies were included. Twenty-five included studies were regarded as good quality, with a methodological score ≥5. These studies suggested that transforming growth factor–beta (TGF-β), mesenchymal stem cells, osteogenic factors, and modalities that reduce local inflammation may be beneficial to promote graft healing in ACL reconstruction.

Conclusion:

This systematic review suggests that biological modulation is able to promote healing on top of surgical treatment for ACL injuries. This treatment strategy chiefly works through promotion of healing at the tunnel-graft interface, but the integrity of the intra-articular midsubstance of the graft would be another target for biological modulation.
A Case of Thyroid Storm Induced by Iodine-Containing Dietary Supplements and Homeopathic Remedies
Authors: Karkowski Katie , Carroll James L.
Published: March 2014

Objective: We report the case of a patient who presented to the hospital in thyroid storm following the use of several iodine-containing dietary supplements (DS) and homeopathic remedies (HR). Case Summary: The patient was a 76-year-old woman with no personal or family history of thyroid or autoimmune disease. On laboratory assessment, a thyroid panel showed that her total T3 and T4 were elevated at 334 ng/dL and 14.6 µg/dL, respectively; thyroid stimulating hormone was undetectable; and thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin was positive at 7.4. The patient had been consuming 170 µg of iodine daily for the past 2 months via her DS and HR. An objective causality assessment using the Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale revealed that an adverse effect was probable. The patient likely suffered from iodine-induced thyrotoxicosis secondary to the consumption of numerous DS and HR. Discussion: Dietary supplements and homeopathic remedies can pose significant health risks. The safety of these products is not assured as they are incompletely monitored by the Food and Drug Administration. Individuals who take these compounds do so at their own risk and should pay close attention to product contents. Conclusions: The labeling of DS and HR products may be misleading. Pharmacists and clinicians are advised to inquire about the use of DS and HR products. When use is identified, the products should be subject to a thorough review.
Electrically facilitated translocation of protein through solid nanopore
Authors: Wu Lingzhi , Liu Hang , Zhao Wenyuan , Wang Lei , Hou Chuanrong , Liu Quanjun , Lu Zuhong
Published: March 2014

Nanopores have been proven as versatile single-molecule sensors for individual unlabeled biopolymer detection and characterization. In the present work, a relative large nanopore with a diameter of about 60 nm has been used to detect protein translocation driven by a series of applied voltages. Compared with previous studied small nanopores, a distinct profile of protein translocation through a larger nanopore has been characterized. First, a higher threshold voltage is required to drive proteins into the large nanopore. With the increase of voltages, the capture frequency of protein into the nanopore has been markedly enhanced. And the distribution of current blockage events is characterized as a function of biased voltages. Due to the large dimension of the nanopore, the adsorption and desorption phenomenon of proteins observed with a prolonged dwell time has been weakened in our work. Nevertheless, the protein can still be stretched into an unfolded state by increased electric forces at high voltages. In consideration of the high throughput of the large nanopore, a couple of proteins passing through the nanopore simultaneously occur at high voltage. As a new feature, the feasibility and specificity of a nanopore with distinct geometry have been demonstrated for sensing protein translocation, which broadly expand the application of nanopore devices.
Expanded three-channel mid/side coding for three-dimensional multichannel audio systems
Authors: Dong Shi , Hu Ruimin , Wang Xiaochen , Yang Yuhong , Tu Weiping
Published: March 2014

Three-dimensional (3D) audio technologies are booming with the success of 3D video technology. The surge in audio channels makes its huge data unacceptable for transmitting bandwidth and storage media, and the signal compression algorithm for 3D audio systems becomes an important task. This paper investigates the conventional mid/side (M/S) coding method and discusses the signal correlation property of three-dimensional multichannel systems. Then based on the channel triple, a three-channel dependent M/S coding (3D-M/S) method is proposed to reduce interchannel redundancy and corresponding transform matrices are presented. Furthermore, a framework is proposed to enable 3D-M/S compress any number of audio channels. Finally, the masking threshold of the perceptual audio core codec is modified, which guarantees the final coding noise to meet the perceptual threshold constraint of the original channel signals. Objective and subjective tests with panning signals indicate an increase in coding efficiency compared to Independent channel coding and a moderate complexity increase compared to a PCA method.
Systematic changes in position sense accompany normal aging across adulthood
Authors: Herter Troy M , Scott Stephen H , Dukelow Sean P
Published: March 2014

Background

Development of clinical neurological assessments aimed at separating normal from abnormal capabilities requires a comprehensive understanding of how basic neurological functions change (or do not change) with increasing age across adulthood. In the case of proprioception, the research literature has failed to conclusively determine whether or not position sense in the upper limb deteriorates in elderly individuals. The present study was conducted a) to quantify whether upper limb position sense deteriorates with increasing age, and b) to generate a set of normative data that can be used for future comparisons with clinical populations.

Methods

We examined position sense in 209 healthy males and females between the ages of 18 and 90 using a robotic arm position-matching task that is both objective and reliable. In this task, the robot moved an arm to one of nine positions and subjects attempted to mirror-match that position with the opposite limb. Measures of position sense were recorded by the robotic apparatus in hand-and joint-based coordinates, and linear regressions were used to quantify age-related changes and percentile boundaries of normal behaviour. For clinical comparisons, we also examined influences of sex (male versus female) and test-hand (dominant versus non-dominant) on all measures of position sense.

Results

Analyses of hand-based parameters identified several measures of position sense (Variability, Shift, Spatial Contraction, Absolute Error) with significant effects of age, sex, and test-hand. Joint-based parameters at the shoulder (Absolute Error) and elbow (Variability, Shift, Absolute Error) also exhibited significant effects of age and test-hand.

Conclusions

The present study provides strong evidence that several measures of upper extremity position sense exhibit declines with age. Furthermore, this data provides a basis for quantifying when changes in position sense are related to normal aging or alternatively, pathology.
Half-molar sodium lactate infusion improves cardiac performance in acute heart failure: a pilot randomised controlled clinical trial
Authors: Nalos Marek , Leverve Xavier Maurice , Huang Stephen Joseph , Weisbrodt Leonie , Parkin Ray , Seppelt Ian Mark , Ting Iris , Mclean Anthony Stuart
Published: March 2014

Introduction

Acute heart failure (AHF) is characterized by inadequate cardiac output (CO), congestive symptoms, poor peripheral perfusion and end-organ dysfunction. Treatment often includes a combination of diuretics, oxygen, positive pressure ventilation, inotropes and vasodilators or vasopressors. Lactate is a marker of illness severity but is also an important metabolic substrate for the myocardium at rest and during stress. We tested the effects of half-molar sodium lactate infusion on cardiac performance in AHF.

Methods

We conducted a prospective, randomised, controlled, open-label, pilot clinical trial in 40 patients fulfilling two of the following three criteria for AHF: (1) left ventricular ejection fraction <40%, (2) acute pulmonary oedema or respiratory failure of predominantly cardiac origin requiring mechanical ventilation and (3) currently receiving vasopressor and/or inotropic support. Patients in the intervention group received a 3 ml/kg bolus of half-molar sodium lactate over the course of 15 minutes followed by 1 ml/kg/h continuous infusion for 24 hours. The control group received only a 3 ml/kg bolus of Hartmann’s solution without continuous infusion. The primary outcome was CO assessed by transthoracic echocardiography 24 hours after randomisation. Secondary outcomes included a measure of right ventricular systolic function (tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE)), acid-base balance, electrolyte and organ function parameters, along with length of stay and mortality.

Results

The infusion of half-molar sodium lactate increased (mean ± SD) CO from 4.05 ± 1.37 L/min to 5.49 ± 1.9 L/min (P < 0.01) and TAPSE from 14.7 ± 5.5 mm to 18.3 ± 7 mm (P = 0.02). Plasma sodium and pH increased (136 ± 4 to 146 ± 6 and 7.40 ± 0.06 to 7.53 ± 0.03, respectively; both P < 0.01), but potassium, chloride and phosphate levels decreased. There were no significant differences in the need for vasoactive therapy, respiratory support, renal or liver function tests, duration of ICU and hospital stay or 28- and 90-day mortality.

Conclusions

Infusion of half-molar sodium lactate improved cardiac performance and led to metabolic alkalosis in AHF patients without any detrimental effects on organ function.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01981655. Registered 13 August 2013.
Shear stress-induced mechanotransduction protein deregulation and vasculopathy in a mouse model of progeria
Authors: Song Minjung , San Hong , Anderson Stasia A , Cannon III Richard O , Orlic Donald
Published: March 2014

Introduction

A mouse model of progeria derived by insertion of the human mutant LMNA gene (mLMNA), producing mutant lamin A, shows loss of smooth muscle cells in the media of the ascending aorta. We hypothesized that high shear stress, in the presence of mutant lamin A, induces this vasculopathy and tried to define the molecular and cellular basis for aortic vasculopathy.

Methods

Ascending and descending aortas from wild type (WT) and mLMNA+ mice were compared using proteomics, Western blots, PCR and immunostaining. To determine whether high fluidic shear stress, known to occur in the ascending aorta, contributed to the vasculopathy, we exposed descending aortas of mLMNA+ mice, with no apparent vasculopathy, to 75 dynes/cm2 shear stress for 30 minutes using a microfluidic system.

Results

When the mice were one year of age, expression of several mechanotransduction proteins in the ascending aorta, including vimentin, decreased in mLMNA+ mice but no decrease occurred in the descending aorta. High fluidic shear stress produced a significant reduction in vimentin of mLMNA+ mice but not in similarly treated WT mice.

Conclusions

The occurrence of mutant lamin A and high shear stress correlate with a reduction in the level of mechanotransduction proteins in smooth muscle cells of the media. Reduction of these proteins may contribute over time to development of vasculopathy in the ascending aorta in progeria syndrome.
HIF-1α- and hypoxia-dependent immune responses in human CD4+CD25high T cells and T helper 17 cells
Authors: Bollinger Thomas , Gies Sydney , Naujoks Julius , Feldhoff Lea , Bollinger Annalena , Solbach Werner , Rupp Jan
Published: March 2014

The central oxygen sensitive transcription factor HIF-1α has been implicated in the differentiation of nTreg and Th17 cells and to orchestrate metabolic changes of activated T cells. However, data on the functional relevance of HIF-1α and Hox, in general, for nTreg-suppressive activity and T cell function in primary human cells are still missing. Therefore, we analyzed the effect of Hox and HIF-1α on human Tres, nTreg, and Th17 cells. Under Hox, nTreg-mediated suppression of Tres proliferation, CD25 expression, and secretion of IFN-γ were significantly reduced, whereas expression levels of VEGF, TNF-α, and IL-10 were significantly increased. In contrast to observations in mice, Th17 lineage commitment, as determined by RORγt expression, was not affected by activation or inhibition of HIF-1α expression using DMOG or YC-1 treatment, respectively. Nevertheless, the secretion of IL-17A was increased by DMOG and reduced by YC-1 under Th17-skewing conditions in a dose- dependent manner. In conclusion, Hox and HIF-1α substantially influence human T cell-mediated immune responses by modulation of nTreg-suppressive function and IL-17A secretion by Th17 cells.
Physicians' Attitudes About Multiplex Tumor Genomic Testing
Authors: Gray Stacy W. , Hicks-Courant Katherine , Cronin Angel , Rollins Barrett J. , Weeks Jane C.
Published: March 2014

Purpose

Although predictive multiplex somatic genomic tests hold the potential to transform care by identifying targetable alterations in multiple cancer genes, little is known about how physicians will use such tests in practice.

Participants and Methods

Before the initiation of enterprise-wide multiplex testing at a major cancer center, we surveyed all clinically active adult cancer physicians to assess their current use of somatic testing, their attitudes about multiplex testing, and their genomic confidence.

Results

A total of 160 physicians participated (response rate, 61%): 57% were medical oncologists; 29%, surgeons; 14% radiation oncologists; 37%, women; and 83%, research principal investigators. Twenty-two percent of physicians reported low confidence in their genomic knowledge. Eighteen percent of physicians anticipated testing patients infrequently (≤ 10%), whereas 25% anticipate testing most patients (≥ 90%). Higher genomic confidence was associated with wanting to test a majority of patients (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 6.09; 95% CI, 2.1 to 17.5) and anticipating using actionable (adjusted OR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.2 to 5.2) or potentially actionable (adjusted OR, 2.89; 95% CI, 1.1 to 7.9) test results to inform treatment recommendations. Forty-two percent of physicians endorsed disclosure of uncertain genomic findings to patients.

Conclusion

Physicians at a tertiary-care National Cancer Institute–designated comprehensive cancer center varied considerably in how they planned to incorporate predictive multiplex somatic genomic tests into practice and in their attitudes about the disclosure of genomic information of uncertain significance. Given that many physicians reported low genomic confidence, evidence-based guidelines and enhanced physician genomic education efforts may be needed to ensure that genomically guided cancer care is adequately delivered.
A Wavelet-Based Almost-Sure Uniform Approximation of Fractional Brownian Motion with a Parallel Algorithm
Authors: Hong Dawei , Man Shushuang , Birget Jean-Camille , Lun Desmond S.
Published: March 2014

We construct a wavelet-based almost-sure uniform approximation of fractional Brownian motion (FBM) (Bt(H))_t∈[0,1] of Hurst index H ∈ (0, 1). Our results show that, by Haar wavelets which merely have one vanishing moment, an almost-sure uniform expansion of FBM for H ∈ (0, 1) can be established. The convergence rate of our approximation is derived. We also describe a parallel algorithm that generates sample paths of an FBM efficiently.
On the Deterioration of Nonrepairable Multistate Strongly Coherent Systems
Authors: Natvig Bent
Published: March 2014

In the present paper, results given in Natvig (1990) are generalized to a multistate, strongly coherent, nonrepairable system of independent components by considering the reduction in remaining system time above a certain state due to a jump downwards of a component. This reduction also equals the increase in remaining system time above a certain state due to a minimal repair of the component at its time of jump downwards. The expected value of the sum of such reductions/increases for the different possible jumps downwards of the component is the building block of the Natvig measure of the importance of the component in the multistate case. Hence, the whole distributions of these reductions/increases are arrived at, not only the expectations, throwing more light on the consequences for the system of the deterioration of the components.
On Exceedance Times for Some Processes with Dependent Increments
Authors: Asmussen Søren , Foss Sergey
Published: March 2014

Let {Zn}n≥0 be a random walk with a negative drift and independent and identically distributed increments with heavy-tailed distribution, and let M = supn≥0Zn be its supremum. Asmussen and Klüppelberg (1996) considered the behavior of the random walk given that M > x for large x, and obtained a limit theorem, as x → ∞, for the distribution of the quadruple that includes the time τ = τ(x) to exceed level x, position Zτ at this time, position Zτ-1 at the prior time, and the trajectory up to it (similar results were obtained for the Cramér-Lundberg insurance risk process). We obtain here several extensions of this result to various regenerative-type models and, in particular, to the case of a random walk with dependent increments. Particular attention is given to describing the limiting conditional behavior of τ. The class of models includes Markov-modulated models as particular cases. We also study fluid models, the Björk-Grandell risk process, give examples where the order of τ is genuinely different from the random walk case, and discuss which growth rates are possible. Our proofs are purely probabilistic and are based on results and ideas from Asmussen, Schmidli and Schmidt (1999), Foss and Zachary (2002), and Foss, Konstantopoulos and Zachary (2007).
The Maximum of a Symmetric Next Neighbor Walk on the Nonnegative Integers
Authors: Percus Ora E. , Percus Jerome K.
Published: March 2014

We consider a one-dimensional discrete symmetric random walk with a reflecting boundary at the origin. Generating functions are found for the two-dimensional probability distribution P{Sn = x, max1≤j≤nSn = a} of being at position x after n steps, while the maximal location that the walker has achieved during these n steps is a. We also obtain the familiar (marginal) one-dimensional distribution for Sn = x, but more importantly that for max1≤j≤nSj = a asymptotically at fixed a2 / n. We are able to compute and compare the expectations and variances of the two one-dimensional distributions, finding that they have qualitatively similar forms, but differ quantitatively in the anticipated fashion.
Undiscounted Markov Chain BSDEs to Stopping Times
Authors: Cohen Samuel N.
Published: March 2014

We consider backward stochastic differential equations in a setting where noise is generated by a countable state, continuous time Markov chain, and the terminal value is prescribed at a stopping time. We show that, given sufficient integrability of the stopping time and a growth bound on the terminal value and BSDE driver, these equations admit unique solutions satisfying the same growth bound (up to multiplication by a constant). This holds without assuming that the driver is monotone in y, that is, our results do not require that the terminal value be discounted at some uniform rate. We show that the conditions are satisfied for hitting times of states of the chain, and hence present some novel applications of the theory of these BSDEs.
Pairs Trading with Opportunity Cost
Authors: Lindberg Carl
Published: March 2014

Pairs trading is a trading strategy which is used very frequently in the financial industry. An investment opportunity arises when the spread between two assets, which historically have exhibited autoregressive behavior, deviates from its recent history. In this case, the investor takes a long position in the asset which is expected to outperform going forward and finances this by taking a short position in the other one. If the spread converges, the investor can close both positions to generate a profit. We model the spread between two assets as an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process and assume a constant opportunity cost. We then study the optimal liquidation strategy for an investor who wants to optimize profit in excess of the opportunity cost. Including this cost is important from an applied perspective, as the performance of any investment is always evaluated relative to the performance of the opportunity set.
One-dimensional Anisotropic Metal–Organic Module Containing a Pt6 Chain Terminated with Redox Active Ferrocenyl Units
Authors: Tanase Tomoaki , Yamamoto Chie , Kure Bunsho , Nakajima Takayuki
Published: March 2014

A 1D anisotropic hexaplatinum chain with redox-active terminal ligands, [Pt6(µ-H)(µ-dpmp)4(FcDipNC)2](PF6)3 (7) (dpmp: bis(diphenylphosphinomethyl)phenylphosphine, FcDipNC: 2,6-diisopropyl-4-(ferrocenylethynylene)phenyl isocyanide), was synthesized, its structure and electrochemical behavior were elucidated in comparison with those of [Pt6(µ-H)(µ-dpmp)4(DipNC)2](PF6)3 (6) (DipNC: 2,6-diisopropylphenyl isocyanide), and the module was found to undergo two stepwise two-electron oxidations.
Computational Study of Energy Disposition in Domino Reaction
Authors: Itoh Shuhei
Published: March 2014

The domino reaction of (10-oxotricyclo[4.2.1.12,5]deca-3,7-dien-9-yl)methyl nitrite (1) with the hydroxide ion was analyzed by DFT calculations and molecular dynamics simulations to study the effect of kinetic energy produced as the reaction proceeds on the reaction mechanism. Energy disposition in the reactive intermediates was observed. The kinetic energy was found to act as a driving force for the second step of the domino reaction.
Bioelectrocatalytic Oxidation of Glucose on MgO-templated Mesoporous Carbon-modified Electrode
Authors: Murata Kazuki , Akatsuka Wataru , Tsujimura Seiya
Published: March 2014

MgO-templated mesoporous carbon (MgOC) with an average pore diameter of 38 nm was used as electrode material for a glucose-oxidizing anode. Anodic catalysts composed of a redox polymer, glucose oxidase, and crosslinkers were applied to MgOC-modified electrodes. The glucose oxidation current density on MgOC was 11.3 mA cm−2 at 0.5 V, which was 5.3-fold higher than that on glassy carbon.