bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic Testing in a Population-Based Sample of Breast and Ovarian Cancer Survivors from the REACH Randomized Trial: Cost Barriers and Moderators of Counseling Mode
Authors: Steffen Laurie E. , Du Ruofei , Gammon Amanda , Mandelblatt Jeanne S. , Kohlmann Wendy K. , Lee Ji-Hyun , Buys Saundra S. , Stroup Antoinette M. , Campo Rebecca A. , Flores Kristina G. , Vicuña Belinda , Schwartz Marc D. , Kinney Anita Y.
Published: October 2017

Background: This study evaluates predictors of BRCA1/2 testing among breast and ovarian cancer survivors who received genetic counseling as part of a randomized trial and evaluates moderators of counseling mode on testing uptake.

Methods: Predictors of BRCA1/2 testing within one year postcounseling were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression in a population-based sample of breast and ovarian cancer survivors at increased hereditary risk randomly assigned to in-person counseling (IPC; n = 379) versus telephone counseling (TC; n = 402). Variables that moderated the association between counseling mode and testing were identified by subgroup analysis.

Results: Testing uptake was associated with higher perceived comparative mutation risk [OR = 1.32; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.11–1.57] in the adjusted analysis. Those without cost barriers had higher testing uptake (OR = 18.73; 95% CI, 7.09–49.46). Psychologic distress and perceived comparative mutation risk moderated the effect of counseling and testing. Uptake between IPC versus TC did not differ at low levels of distress and risk, but differed at high distress (26.3% TC vs. 44.3% IPC) and high perceived comparative risk (33.9% TC vs. 50.5% IPC).

Conclusions: Cost concerns are a strong determinant of testing. Differences in testing uptake by counseling mode may depend on precounseling distress and risk perceptions.

Impact: Cost concerns may contribute to low testing in population-based samples of at-risk cancer survivors. Precounseling psychosocial characteristics should be considered when offering in-person versus telephone counseling. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(12); 1772–80. ©2017 AACR.
A Randomized Phase II Trial of Adjuvant Galinpepimut-S, WT-1 Analogue Peptide Vaccine, After Multimodality Therapy for Patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Authors: Zauderer Marjorie G. , Tsao Anne S. , Dao Tao , Panageas Katherine , Lai W. Victoria , Rimner Andreas , Rusch Valerie W. , Adusumilli Prasad S. , Ginsberg Michelle S. , Gomez Daniel , Rice David , Mehran Reza , Scheinberg David A. , Krug Lee M.
Published: October 2017

Purpose: Determine the 1-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate among patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) receiving the WT1 peptide vaccine galinpepimut-S after multimodality therapy versus those receiving control adjuvants.

Experimental Design: This double-blind, controlled, two center phase II trial randomized MPM patients after surgery and another treatment modality to galinpepimut-S with GM-CSF and Montanide or GM-CSF and Montanide alone. An improvement in 1-year PFS from 50% to 70% was the predefined efficacy threshold, and 78 patients total were planned. The study was not powered for comparison between the two arms.

Results: Forty-one patients were randomized. Treatment-related adverse events were mild, self-limited, and not clinically significant. On the basis of a stringent prespecified futility analysis (futility = ≥10 of 20 patients on one arm experiencing progression < 1 year), the control arm closed early. The treatment arm was subsequently closed because of the resultant unblinding. The PFS rate at 1 year from beginning study treatment was 33% and 45% in the control and vaccine arms, respectively. Median PFS was 7.4 months versus 10.1 months and median OS was 18.3 months versus 22.8 months in the control and vaccine arms, respectively.

Conclusions: The favorable safety profile was confirmed. PFS and OS were greater in those who received vaccine, but the trial was neither designed nor powered for comparison between the arms. On the basis of these promising results, the investigators are planning a larger randomized trial with greater statistical power to define the optimal use and benefit of galinpepimut-S in the treatment of MPM. Clin Cancer Res; 23(24); 7483–9. ©2017 AACR.
Heat Shock Protein 70 (Hsp70) Suppresses RIP1-Dependent Apoptotic and Necroptotic Cascades
Authors: Srinivasan Sharan R. , Cesa Laura C. , Li Xiaokai , Julien Olivier , Zhuang Min , Shao Hao , Chung Jooho , Maillard Ivan , Wells James A. , Duckett Colin S. , Gestwicki Jason E.
Published: October 2017

Hsp70 is a molecular chaperone that binds to “client” proteins and protects them from protein degradation. Hsp70 is essential for the survival of many cancer cells, but it is not yet clear which of its clients are involved. Using structurally distinct chemical inhibitors, we found that many of the well-known clients of the related chaperone, Hsp90, are not strikingly responsive to Hsp70 inhibition. Rather, Hsp70 appeared to be important for the stability of the RIP1 (RIPK1) regulators: cIAP1/2 (BIRC1 and BIRC3), XIAP, and cFLIPS/L (CFLAR). These results suggest that Hsp70 limits apoptosis and necroptosis pathways downstream of RIP1. Consistent with this model, MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells treated with Hsp70 inhibitors underwent apoptosis, while cotreatment with z-VAD.fmk switched the cell death pathway to necroptosis. In addition, cell death in response to Hsp70 inhibitors was strongly suppressed by RIP1 knockdown or inhibitors. Thus, these data indicate that Hsp70 plays a previously unrecognized and important role in suppressing RIP1 activity.

Implications: These findings clarify the role of Hsp70 in prosurvival signaling and suggest IAPs as potential new biomarkers for Hsp70 inhibition. Mol Cancer Res; 16(1); 58–68. ©2017 AACR.
Objeto ou referente dos signos estéticos: reflexões e discussões a partir da lógica de C. S. Peirce
Authors: Ming André
Published: October 2017

Não parece existir consenso a respeito da temática dos objetos ou referentes dos signos estéticos, entre teóricos das semióticas e da teoria da literatura. Autores como Neuhaus (2014) consideram que o signo estético não possui o objeto ou referente, e que esta seja uma de suas características mais próprias. Outros autores, como Johansen (1987), consideram que esse tipo de signo possui objetos ou referentes com características especiais. Neste artigo, pretende-se analisar a posição desses autores tendo como ponto de apoio a semiótica ou lógica de Charles Sanders Peirce e seus desdobramentos a respeito do objeto, o segundo correlato de sua estrutura sígnica triádica. Para tal, e apoiado em Santaella (2000), retomarei as principais considerações peirceanas a respeito do segundo correlato do signo, destacando os dois tipos principais de objetos nessa teoria, a saber, o dinâmico e o imediato, e a relação entre objeto, percepção, realidade e ficção. Considerando a observação peirceana de que um signo pode possuir qualquer número de objetos, procuro argumentar que não apenas os signos estéticos possuem objetos, como também podem ser encarados como possuindo ao menos dois: um objeto ficcional e criado mas que, por aludir à realidade ou a aspectos dela, termina por referir-se, principalmente por iconicidade ou simbologia, também a aspectos do mundo fenomênico consensual, da realidade física ou social. Serão utilizados exemplos da literatura alemã, da literatura infantil brasileira e uma obra de Escher.
Aproximações teóricas em “Is the man who is tall happy?: An animated conversation with Noam Chomsky”: sistemas input e output e o conceito greimasiano de enunciação
Authors: Tomasi Carolina , Barbosa Julio William Curvelo
Published: October 2017

Este artigo apresenta uma discussão em torno do enunciador Michel Gondry, observando o interesse do cineasta francês pela teoria do linguista americano Noam Chomsky. Nosso objetivo, sem pretender exaustão, é refletir sobre algumas questões sobre o conhecimento de Gondry sobre a teoria linguística de Chomsky e como seu processo criativo apresenta esse conhecimento no filme “Is the man who is tall happy?: an animated conversation with Noam Chomsky”. Assim, nossa intenção é conduzir um breve diálogo que permite uma análise em semiótica francesa, trazendo uma aproximação entre conceitos desta teoria e uma interpretação conceitual do gerativismo chomskyano expressa no filme de Gondry. Para essa discussão, levamos em conta os conceitos de merge (Chomsky 1992, 1995) e sistemas de input/output (Chomsky [2012] 2014) e como eles são apresentados na obra de Gondry por meio do conceito de enunciação, constante no Dicionário de Semiótica, de Greimas e Courtés (1983).
Calcium-Dependent Arrhythmogenic Foci Created by Weakly Coupled Myocytes in the Failing Heart
Authors: Lang Di , Sato Daisuke , Jiang Yanyan , Ginsburg Kenneth S. , Ripplinger Crystal M. , Bers Donald M.
Published: October 2017

Rationale:

Intercellular uncoupling and Ca
2+
(Ca) mishandling can initiate triggered ventricular arrhythmias. Spontaneous Ca release activates inward current which depolarizes membrane potential (V
m
) and can trigger action potentials in isolated myocytes. However, cell-cell coupling in intact hearts limits local depolarization and may protect hearts from this arrhythmogenic mechanism. Traditional optical mapping lacks the spatial resolution to assess coupling of individual myocytes.

Objective:

We investigate local intercellular coupling in Ca-induced depolarization in intact hearts, using confocal microscopy to measure local V
m
and intracellular [Ca] simultaneously.

Methods and Results:

We used isolated Langendorff-perfused hearts from control (CTL) and heart failure (HF) mice (HF induced by transaortic constriction). In CTL hearts, 1.4% of myocytes were poorly synchronized with neighboring cells and exhibited asynchronous (AS) Ca transients. These AS myocytes were much more frequent in HF (10.8% of myocytes,
P
<0.05 versus CTL). Local Ca waves depolarized V
m
in HF but not CTL hearts, suggesting weaker gap junction coupling in HF-AS versus CTL-AS myocytes. Cell-cell coupling was assessed by calcein fluorescence recovery after photobleach during intracellular [Ca] recording. All regions in CTL hearts exhibited faster calcein diffusion than in HF, with HF-AS myocyte being slowest. In HF-AS, enhancing gap junction conductance (with rotigaptide) increased coupling and suppressed V
m
depolarization during Ca waves. Conversely, in CTL hearts, gap junction inhibition (carbenoxolone) decreased coupling and allowed Ca wave-induced depolarizations. Synchronization of Ca wave initiation and triggered action potentials were observed in HF hearts and computational models.

Conclusions:

Well-coupled CTL myocytes are effectively voltage-clamped during Ca waves, protecting the heart from triggered arrhythmias. Spontaneous Ca waves are much more common in HF myocytes and these AS myocytes are also poorly coupled, enabling local Ca-induced inward current of sufficient source strength to overcome a weakened current sink to depolarize V
m
and trigger action potentials.
Systematic Review and Network Meta‐Analysis on the Efficacy of Evolocumab and Other Therapies for the Management of Lipid Levels in Hyperlipidemia
Authors: Toth Peter P. , Worthy Gillian , Gandra Shravanthi R. , Sattar Naveed , Bray Sarah , Cheng Lung‐I. , Bridges Ian , Worth Gavin M. , Dent Ricardo , Forbes Carol A. , Deshpande Sohan , Ross Janine , Kleijnen Jos , Stroes Erik S. G.
Published: October 2017

Background

The proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (
PCSK
9) inhibitors evolocumab and alirocumab substantially reduce low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (
LDL
‐C) when added to statin therapy in patients who need additional
LDL
‐C reduction.

Methods and Results

We conducted a systematic review and network meta‐analysis of randomized trials of lipid‐lowering therapies from database inception through August 2016 (45 058 records retrieved). We found 69 trials of lipid‐lowering therapies that enrolled patients requiring further
LDL
‐C reduction while on maximally tolerated medium‐ or high‐intensity statin, of which 15 could be relevant for inclusion in
LDL
‐C reduction networks with evolocumab, alirocumab, ezetimibe, and placebo as treatment arms.
PCSK
9 inhibitors significantly reduced
LDL
‐C by 54% to 74% versus placebo and 26% to 46% versus ezetimibe. There were significant treatment differences for evolocumab 140 mg every 2 weeks at the mean of weeks 10 and 12 versus placebo (−74.1%; 95% credible interval −79.81% to −68.58%), alirocumab 75 mg (−20.03%; 95% credible interval −27.32% to −12.96%), and alirocumab 150 mg (−13.63%; 95% credible interval −22.43% to −5.33%) at ≥12 weeks. Treatment differences were similar in direction and magnitude for
PCSK
9 inhibitor monthly dosing. Adverse events were similar between
PCSK
9 inhibitors and control. Rates of adverse events were similar between
PCSK
9 inhibitors versus placebo or ezetimibe.

Conclusions

PCSK
9 inhibitors added to medium‐ to high‐intensity statin therapy significantly reduce
LDL
‐C in patients requiring further
LDL
‐C reduction. The network meta‐analysis showed a significant treatment difference in
LDL
‐C reduction for evolocumab versus alirocumab.
DBZ (Danshensu Bingpian Zhi), a Novel Natural Compound Derivative, Attenuates Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E–Deficient Mice
Authors: Wang Jing , Xu Pengfei , Xie Xinni , Li Jiao , Zhang Jun , Wang Jialin , Hong Fan , Li Jian , Zhang Youyi , Song Yao , Zheng Xiaohui , Zhai Yonggong
Published: October 2017

Background

DBZ (Danshensu Bingpian Zhi), a synthetic derivative of a natural compound found in traditional Chinese medicine, has been reported to suppress lipopolysaccharide‐induced macrophage activation and lipid accumulation in vitro. The aim of this study was to assess whether
DBZ
could attenuate atherosclerosis at early and advanced stages.

Methods and Results

The effects of
DBZ
on the development of atherosclerosis were studied using apolipoprotein E–deficient (apoE
−/−
) mice. For early treatment, 5‐week‐old apoE
−/−
mice were fed a Western diet and treated daily by oral gavage with or without
DBZ
or atorvastatin for 10 weeks. For advanced treatment, 5‐week‐old apoE
−/−
mice were fed a Western diet for 10 weeks to induce atherosclerosis, and then they were randomly divided into 4 groups and subjected to the treatment of vehicle, 20 mg/kg per day
DBZ
, 40 mg/kg per day
DBZ
, or 10 mg/kg per day atorvastatin for the subsequent 10 weeks. We showed that early treatment of apoE
−/−
mice with
DBZ
markedly reduced atherosclerotic lesion formation by inhibiting inflammation and decreasing macrophage infiltration into the vessel wall. Treatment with
DBZ
also attenuated the progression of preestablished diet‐induced atherosclerotic plaques in apoE
−/−
mice. In addition, we showed that
DBZ
may affect LXR (liver X receptor) function and that treatment of macrophages with
DBZ
suppressed lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated cell migration and oxidized low‐density lipoprotein–induced foam cell formation.

Conclusions

DBZ
potentially has antiatherosclerotic effects that involve the inhibition of inflammation, macrophage migration, leukocyte adhesion, and foam cell formation. These results suggest that
DBZ
may be used as a therapeutic agent for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.
National Trends in Patients Hospitalized for Stroke and Stroke Mortality in France, 2008 to 2014
Authors: Lecoffre Camille , de Peretti Christine , Gabet Amélie , Grimaud Olivier , Woimant France , Giroud Maurice , Béjot Yannick , Olié Valérie
Published: October 2017

Background and Purpose—

Stroke is the leading cause of death in women and the third leading cause in men in France. In young adults (ie, <65 years old), an increase in the incidence of ischemic stroke was observed at a local scale between 1985 and 2011. After the implementation of the 2010 to 2014 National Stroke Action Plan, this study investigates national trends in patients hospitalized by stroke subtypes, in-hospital mortality, and stroke mortality between 2008 and 2014.

Methods—

Hospitalization data were extracted from the French national hospital discharge databases and mortality data from the French national medical causes of death database. Time trends were tested using a Poisson regression model.

Results—

From 2008 to 2014, the age-standardized rates of patients hospitalized for ischemic stroke increased by 14.3% in patients <65 years old and decreased by 1.5% in those aged ≥65 years. The rate of patients hospitalized for hemorrhagic stroke was stable (+2.0%), irrespective of age and sex. The proportion of patients hospitalized in stroke units substantially increased. In-hospital mortality decreased by 17.1% in patients with ischemic stroke. From 2008 to 2013, stroke mortality decreased, except for women between 45 and 64 years old and for people aged ≥85 years.

Conclusions—

An increase in cardiovascular risk factors and improved stroke management may explain the increase in the rates of patients hospitalized for ischemic stroke. The decrease observed for in-hospital stroke mortality may be because of recent improvements in acute-phase management.
Poem without Language: When a Writing Becomes Traceless
Authors: Ho I-Lien
Published: October 2017

What happens when a writing cannot perform its function of documentation and indication? In the installation performance Poem without Language, developed from the action score writing Chinese calligraphy on the surface of water, the multiple closed-circuit videos raise the question of “who” can occupy the position of the observer, challenging tunnel-vision perspectivism. Such an orchestra of gazes resonates with the spatial organization in Chinese ink landscape painting, which challenges the anthropocentric ordering of things; responds to Nam June Paik’s approach to media, which disrupts the habitual way of perceiving conditioned by the mass media; and resonates with the concept of Kongwu (空無, emptiness, nothingness) from Daoism and Buddhism.
Auguste Rodin Draws Blind: An Art and Psychology Study
Authors: Tchalenko John , Miall R. Chris
Published: October 2017

Late in his life Rodin produced many thousand “instant drawings.” He asked models to make natural energetic movements, and he would draw them at high speed without looking at his hand or paper. To help understand his “blind drawing” process, the authors tracked the eye and hand movements of art students while they drew blind, copying complex lines presented to them as static images. The study found that line shape was correctly reproduced, but scaling could show major deficiencies not seen in Rodin's sketches. The authors propose that Rodin's direct vision-to-motor strategy, coupled with his high expertise, allowed him to accurately depict in one sweep the entire model, without “thoughts arresting the flow of sensations.”
The Music of Human Hormones
Authors: Ivanova Tsvetana , Litov Leandar , Marinova Rositza , Ivanov Todor , Iossifov Mihail , Deynovitch Agnieshka
Published: October 2017

In this study, the authors take on the challenge to translate biological form (science) into musical form (art). Through scientifically developed methodology, the authors link two aspects of human experience that influence human emotions: hormones, from the inside, and music, from the outside. The authors develop an original algorithm, which they use to represent the properties and the effects of the human hormone oxytocin in a musical composition. The authors performed a neurological test to verify the accuracy of the musical interpretation and investigated the parallel neurological impacts of the hormone’s biological and musical form. This article describes the preliminary results of the study.
Erratum: SO, J.H. & Lee, N.S. (2017) The Origin of New Natural hybrid, Goodyera × maximo-velutina (Orchidaceae) from Jeju Island, Korea. Phytotaxa 317 (1): 61–68.
Authors: SO JI-HYEON , LEE NAM-SOOK
Published: October 2017

N/A
Periconia thailandica (Periconiaceae), a new species from Thailand
Authors: LIU NINGGUO , HONGSANAN SINANG , YANG JING , BHAT D. JAYARAMA , LIU JIANKUI , JUMPATHONG JUANGJUN , LIU ZUOYI
Published: October 2017

Periconia thailandica is a new hyphomycetous species found on bamboo culms collected in Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand. We herein introduce P. thailandica based on morphological characters and molecular analysis. Phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS, LSU and SSU sequence data place the new species in Periconia (Pleosporales) where it forms a distinct clade in the genus. The new species is characterized by brown, 4−7-septate conidiophores with terminal, polyblastic, acropetally proliferating, globose conidiogenous cells, and light to dark brown, globose, verrucose conidia. The morphological comparisons between P. thailandica and other known Periconia species are discussed. The new species is introduced to accommodate this taxon with a detailed description and morphological illustrations.
Nomenclatural notes and typifications in Campanula versicolor (Campanulaceae) and related names
Authors: JANKOVIĆ IVANA , LAKUŠIĆ DMITAR , DI PIETRO ROMEO , KUZMANOVIĆ NEVENA
Published: October 2017

Campanula versicolor is a member of the Campanula pyramidalis complex. It is distributed in the southern Balkan Peninsula, with a small disjunct range in SE Italy (Puglia and Basilicata administrative regions). Due to its high morphological variability, 17 taxa have been described (at specific and infraspecific level). However, the taxonomic status of these taxa is not clear. In modern floristic literature and checklists they are considered as synonyms within broadly defined C. versicolor. Considering the fact that misinterpretations of their taxonomy in floras and checklists might be caused by unresolved nomenclatural issues, after studying the original material from relevant herbarium collections, we designated lectotypes or epitypes for the following names: C. corymbosa, C. planiflora, C. plasonii, C. rosanii, C. tenorei, C. versicolor, C. versicolor f. mrkvickana, C. versicolor subsp. thessala subvar. lancifolia, C. versicolor var. rosanii, C. versicolor var. thessala, C. versicolor var. thessala f. tomentella, C. versicolor var. tomentella and C. willdenowiana. Note on the already typified C. mrkvickana is also provided.
Cremospermopsis galaxias (Gesneriaceae), a new species from northwestern Colombia
Authors: CLARK JOHN L. , CLAVIJO LAURA
Published: October 2017

Cremospermopsis galaxias, a new species from the eastern slopes of the Central Cordillera in the department of Antioquia, Colombia, is described and illustrated. Morphological affinities with its congeners are discussed, and a dichotomous key is provided to identify the three species of Cremospermopsis. The new species is distinguished by the presence of obovate bullate leaves with large white spots on the bullae, tomentulose inflorescence bracts, and calyx lobes with scattered short glandular trichomes.
Formation of Two-Dimensional Circulation in Response to Unsteady Wave Forcing in the Middle Atmosphere
Authors: Hayashi Yuki , Sato Kaoru
Published: October 2017

In previous studies, a steady-state assumption has been frequently used for the analysis of wave-induced meridional circulation. In general, however, the wave forcing is not constant and thus induced circulation can vary in time. Thus, to understand such transient behaviors, time evolutions of a slow variable describing balanced flows and two fast variables describing gravity waves and flows that are slaved to balanced flows are investigated. A Boussinesq equation system is used to examine zonal-mean flow responses to unsteady zonally uniform forcing. Green’s function is used to analytically obtain the evolution of meridional circulation. Responses to zonal wave forcing are mainly examined although responses to a diabatic heating and to wave forcing are discussed in brief. For forcing with a step function shape in time, gravity waves are radiated as a transient response. The time needed to form the circulation depends on the aspect ratio (i.e., latitudinal to vertical lengths) of wave forcing, which determines the group velocity of gravity waves. When the forcing time scale is longer than the inertial period, the response does not include gravity wave radiation and mainly involves a meridional circulation, which is similar to the solution for steady forcing. The two-celled meridional circulation describes the early stage response to the forcing and can be used to examine how the wave forcing is distributed to zonal wind acceleration and Coriolis torque. It is shown that the distribution depends on the aspect ratio of the forcing.
CMIP5 Diversity in Southern Westerly Jet Projections Related to Historical Sea Ice Area: Strong Link to Strengthening and Weak Link to Shift
Authors: Bracegirdle Thomas J. , Hyder Patrick , Holmes Caroline R.
Published: October 2017

A major feature of projected changes in Southern Hemisphere climate under future scenarios of increased greenhouse gas concentrations is the poleward shift and strengthening of the main eddy-driven belt of midlatitude, near-surface westerly winds (the westerly jet). However, there is large uncertainty in projected twenty-first-century westerly jet changes across different climate models. Here models from the World Climate Research Programme’s phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) were evaluated to assess linkages between diversity in simulated sea ice area (SIA), Antarctic amplification, and diversity in projected twenty-first-century changes in the westerly jet following the representative concentration pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) scenario. To help disentangle cause and effect in the coupled model analysis, uncoupled atmosphere-only fixed sea surface experiments from CMIP5 were also evaluated. It is shown that across all seasons, approximately half of the variance in projected RCP8.5 jet strengthening is explained statistically by intermodel differences in simulated historical SIA, whereby CMIP5 models with larger baseline SIA exhibit more ice retreat and less jet strengthening in the future. However, links to jet shift are much weaker and are only statistically significant in austral autumn and winter. It is suggested that a significant cross-model correlation between historical jet strength and projected strength change (r = −0.58) is, at least in part, a result of atmospherically driven historical SIA biases, which then feed back into the atmosphere in future projections. The results emphasize that SIA appears to act in concert with proximal changes in sea surface temperature gradients in relation to model diversity in westerly jet projections.
Ensemble Kalman Filter Data Assimilation for the Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS)
Authors: Ha Soyoung , Snyder Chris , Skamarock William C. , Anderson Jeffrey , Collins Nancy
Published: October 2017

A global atmospheric analysis and forecast system is constructed based on the atmospheric component of the Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS-A) and the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART) ensemble Kalman filter. The system is constructed using the unstructured MPAS-A Voronoi (nominally hexagonal) mesh and thus facilitates multiscale analysis and forecasting without the need for developing new covariance models at different scales. Cycling experiments with the assimilation of real observations show that the global ensemble system is robust and reliable throughout a one-month period for both quasi-uniform and variable-resolution meshes. The variable-mesh assimilation system consistently provides higher-quality analyses than those from the coarse uniform mesh, in addition to the benefits of the higher-resolution forecasts, which leads to substantial improvements in 5-day forecasts. Using the fractions skill score, the spatial scale for skillful precipitation forecasts is evaluated over the high-resolution area of the variable-resolution mesh. Skill decreases more rapidly at smaller scales, but the variable mesh consistently outperforms the coarse uniform mesh in precipitation forecasts at all times and thresholds. Use of incremental analysis updates (IAU) greatly decreases high-frequency noise overall and improves the quality of EnKF analyses, particularly in the tropics. Important aspects of the system design related to the unstructured Voronoi mesh are also investigated, including algorithms for handling the C-grid staggered horizontal velocities.
Experiences of Inner-City Fathers of Children With Chronic Illness
Authors: Kobylianskii Anna , Jegathesan Thivia , Young Elizabeth , Fung Kimmy , Huber Joelene , Minhas Ripudaman S.
Published: October 2017

We aim to explore the experiences of fathers from inner-city families caring for children affected by chronic health conditions or disabilities. A systematic scoping review was conducted using the Arskey and O’Malley framework. Fourteen of the 5114 articles were included in the full review and were qualitatively evaluated in terms of stressors, resources, perception, coping, and adaptation according to the Double ABCX model. Stressors included financial strain and health care access barriers. Resources ranging from immediate to extended family members depended on ethnicity. Fathers’ perceptions of their primary caregiver roles depended on ethnicity in the context of cultural gender norms. While inner-city fathers desired information about their children’s health, some were uncomfortable asking physicians. They had a higher risk for coping difficulties and maladaptation, including depression. We highlight a need for pediatricians to advocate for additional resources to provide comprehensive care for inner-city fathers caring for their children with chronic health conditions or disabilities.
Cumulative Mass and NIOSH Variable Lifting Index Method for Risk Assessment: Possible Relations
Authors: Stucchi Giulia , Battevi Natale , Pandolfi Monica , Galinotti Luca , Iodice Simona , Favero Chiara
Published: October 2017

Objective

The aim of this study was to explore whether the Variable Lifting Index (VLI) can be corrected for cumulative mass and thus test its efficacy in predicting the risk of low-back pain (LBP).

Background

A validation study of the VLI method was published in this journal reporting promising results. Although several studies highlighted a positive correlation between cumulative load and LBP, cumulative mass has never been considered in any of the studies investigating the relationship between manual material handling and LBP.

Method

Both VLI and cumulative mass were calculated for 2,374 exposed subjects using a systematic approach. Due to high variability of cumulative mass values, a stratification within VLI categories was employed. Dummy variables (1–4) were assigned to each class and used as a multiplier factor for the VLI, resulting in a new index (VLI_CMM). Data on LBP were collected by occupational physicians at the study sites. Logistic regression was used to estimate the risk of acute LBP within levels of risk exposure when compared with a control group formed by 1,028 unexposed subjects.

Results

Data showed greatly variable values of cumulative mass across all VLI classes. The potential effect of cumulative mass on damage emerged as not significant ( p value = .6526).

Conclusion

When comparing VLI_CMM with raw VLI, the former failed to prove itself as a better predictor of LBP risk.

Application

To recognize cumulative mass as a modifier, especially for lumbar degenerative spine diseases, authors of future studies should investigate potential association between the VLI and other damage variables.
Using Temporal Sensitivity to Predict Performance Under Latency in Teleoperation
Authors: Scholcover Federico , Gillan Douglas J.
Published: October 2017

Objective

This article establishes a relationship between temporal sensitivity and task performance under one-way latency between input and response.

Background

As the latency between human input and telerobot response increases, performance (e.g., speed to complete task and accuracy) declines. Tools, such as predictive displays, have been developed to ameliorate performance costs. However, more work is needed to understand the relationship between individual differences and task performance. Temporal sensitivity in particular was the focus of this research.

Method

Participants completed two tasks. In the time estimation task, participants estimated the duration of a series of visual stimuli. In the second task, participants drove a remote-controlled (RC) car through a track. On each trial, there was a latency between the participant’s input into the controller and the response by the RC car, with latencies ranging from 400 to 1,000 milliseconds between trials. Completion time and the number of errors made were recorded.

Results

Temporal sensitivity predicted the total number of errors made during a trial but was not found to be a predictor of completion time. It was however predictive of error rate (i.e., errors per minute), suggesting a possible speed/accuracy trade-off.

Conclusion

This was an initial step in establishing a link between temporal sensitivity and performance with latency.

Application

The study has applications toward training teleoperators who may experience latency, such as astronauts and surgeons.
The Bulgarian Factor in Russia’s Revolutionary Era, 1917–23
Authors: Neuburger Mary
Published: October 2017

In this article, I delve into the multifaceted roles and remarkable significance of the Bulgarian left in the Russian Revolutions of 1917 and the tumultuous period that followed. In particular, I look at the ‘special relationship’ of the Bulgarian and Russian left and the concrete ways in which people, materials, and ideas were exchanged via various channels, in particular across the Black Sea. The loyalties, ties, and contributions of the Bulgarian left to the Russian (and global) revolutionary project were considerable and in many respects out of proportion to Bulgaria’s size and international significance. Here I offer a window onto the different ways in which Bulgarians participated in and read the revolution through their own lens, but also reveal the story of the importance of the Bulgarian or, perhaps more accurately, Balkan factor in the series of events in which the Bolsheviks established, consolidated, and spread their power.
The Russian Revolution and Spanish Communists, 1931–5
Authors: Kirschenbaum Lisa A.
Published: October 2017

The article examines connections between Spanish communists and the Russian Revolution of 1917. Focusing on the period beginning with the founding of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931, it analyzes how ‘revolutionary’ Spain not only borrowed from the Soviet experience but also became an emotional core of the international communist project. To examine these exchanges, the article investigates two topics that are often treated separately: the revolutionary ‘brotherhood’ of Soviet and Spanish writers (focusing on Rafael Alberti and María Teresa León) and the lessons learned by ordinary communists at the Comintern’s International Lenin School. It argues that these varied interactions were part of a single, multifaceted phenomenon: the creation of complex revolutionary networks in the years before the Spanish civil war. From this perspective, ‘world revolution’ can be understood not only as a ‘faith’ that came from Russia but also as a lived reality shaped by multidirectional – if also Soviet-dominated – institutional and personal exchanges.
Celebrating (or Not) The Russian Revolution
Authors: Fitzpatrick Sheila
Published: October 2017

The Russian Revolution has long been a subject of controversy among Russian/Soviet historians, both in the West and Russia/the Soviet Union. Now that the centenary has arrived, conferences are being held widely in Europe and the Americas, but less widely in the Russian Federation. For Putin’s regime, with its ambiguous relationship to the Soviet past, the centenary of the Russian Revolution is something of an embarrassment. An attempt to celebrate under the slogan of ‘reconciliation’ may or may not succeed.
The Russian Revolution in New York, 1917–19
Authors: Michels Tony
Published: October 2017

The events of 1917 exerted strong influences on immigrant Jews in the United States of America, who, over the previous three decades, had cultivated ties with various Russian-Jewish and Russian political parties. With the lives of friends, relatives, and comrades hanging in the balance, immigrant Jews felt a deep investment in a successful outcome of the Russian Revolution. This article seeks to uncover the broad climate of opinion – the mix of perceptions, emotions, and ideas – toward Bolshevism as it coalesced among immigrant Jews in New York City and found extreme political manifestation in the Communist movement.
Schwann Cell Phenotype Changes in Aging Human Dental Pulp
Authors: Couve E. , Lovera M. , Suzuki K. , Schmachtenberg O.
Published: October 2017

Schwann cells are glial cells that support axonal development, maintenance, defense, and regeneration in the peripheral nervous system. There is limited knowledge regarding the organization, plasticity, and aging of Schwann cells within the dental pulp in adult permanent teeth. The present study sought to relate changes in the pattern of Schwann cell phenotypes between young and old adult teeth with neuronal, immune, and vascular components of the dental pulp. Schwann cells are shown to form a prominent glial network at the dentin-pulp interface, consisting of nonmyelinating and myelinating phenotypes, forming a multicellular neuroimmune interface in association with nerve fibers and dendritic cells. Schwann cell phenotypes are recognized by the expression of S100, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), myelin basic protein (MBP), Sox10, GAP43, and p75NTR markers. In young adult teeth, a dense population of nonmyelinating Schwann cells projects processes in close association with sensory nerve terminals through the odontoblast layer, reaching the adjacent predentin/dentin domain. While GAP43 and p75NTR are highly expressed in nonmyelinating Schwann cells from young adult teeth, the presence of these markers declines significantly in old adult teeth. Myelinated axons, identified by MBP expression, are mainly present at the Raschkow plexus and within nerve bundles in the dental pulp, but their density is significantly reduced in old adult versus young adult teeth. These data reveal age-related changes within the glial network of the dental pulp, in association with a reduction of coronal dental pulp innervation in old adult versus young adult teeth. The prominence of Schwann cells as a cellular component at the dentin-pulp interface supports the notion that their association with sensory nerve terminals and immune system components forms part of an integrated multicellular barrier for defense against pathogens and dentin repair.
The networked peace
Authors: Lupu Yonatan , Greenhill Brian
Published: October 2017

Existing work has shown that membership in intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) can, among other outcomes, reduce conflict, promote democratization, and shape crisis bargaining. The traditional approach to studying how IGOs can reduce conflict has focused on the effects of dyads’ direct ties to IGOs. In doing so, these analyses use fairly simple counts of the number of IGOs to which the states in each dyad share membership. We argue that this approach is too narrow; we instead consider the effects of higher-order groupings within the IGO network, which we call IGO clusters. Within these IGO clusters, states share relatively many IGO connections with each other, both directly and through indirect links through third parties, fourth parties, and so on. The effects of indirect IGO ties are especially important within such structures. We use a modularity maximization approach to detect clusters within the IGO network. We find robust empirical support for our hypothesis that the pacifying effect of IGO membership stems from the extent to which pairs of states are more deeply embedded within the wider IGO network. Indeed, we find that once we account for states’ shared membership in clusters of IGOs, the simpler dyadic measure of shared IGO membership no longer shows evidence of a conflict-inhibiting effect.
Deliberative Bureaucracy: Reconciling Democracy’s Trade-off Between Inclusion and Economy
Authors: Boswell John , Corbett Jack
Published: October 2017

Deliberative democrats have long considered the trade-off between norms of inclusion and efficiency. The latest attempt at reconciliation is the deliberative systems model, which situates and links individual sites of deliberation in their macro context. Yet, critics argue that this move to scale up leaves inclusive practices of citizen deliberation vulnerable. Here, we seek to mitigate these concerns via an unlikely source: bureaucracy. Drawing on the notion of policy feedback, with its attendant focus on how policies (re)make democratic politics, we envision a deliberative bureaucracy where implementation and service delivery are imbued with norms of justification, publicity and, most radically, inclusion. Looking at promising contemporary governance practices, we argue that a deliberative bureaucracy, with the rich public encounters it might foster, can reconcile the desire to scale up deliberative democracy to whole systems with the desire to hold on to the benefits of scaled-down citizen deliberation.
Digital Capitalism and the End of Politics: The Case of the Italian Five Star Movement
Authors: Caruso Loris
Published: October 2017

In the Italian national elections in 2013, the Movimento Cinque Stelle (Five Star Movement, M5S), founded just four years earlier, gained 25 percent of votes, more than any other party. Analyses and interpretations are divided between those who consider M5S a member of the family of European populism and those who see M5S’s propositions as akin to the values of the left and social movements. The debate on M5S fits into the context of important ongoing trends in European politics: the growth of populist political movements; the emergence of outsider parties able to challenge stable political systems; changing relationships between parties and social movements; changes in the forms of political organizing. This article investigates the political and cultural nature of this party by (1) analyzing its discourse on democracy, its organizational choices and its main issues; (2) comparing these elements with populism and the left; and (3) linking its fundamental characteristics to contemporary economic processes usually termed “digital capitalism.”
Job Scarcity and Voluntary Turnover in the U.S. Federal Bureaucracy
Authors: Lee Shinwoo , Fernandez Sergio , Chang Chaeyoung
Published: October 2017

Research suggests that job scarcity affects voluntary turnover in an organization, but there is no consensus on the exact role of job scarcity in the voluntary turnover process. We develop an integrative model that treats job scarcity as a direct antecedent of voluntary turnover as well as a moderator of other antecedents. Based on a panel of 185 federal agencies from 2006 to 2011, we consider leaving to another federal agency (employee transfers) and seeking work outside the federal government (quits) as distinct forms of voluntary turnover. The results confirm the significance of job scarcity as a key moderator in the voluntary turnover process. We find that job satisfaction lowers actual quits and that this effect weakens as jobs become increasingly scarce. Regarding employee transfers, however, job scarcity does not have any significant effects: Rather, the findings suggest that intention to transfer is the critical antecedent of actual transfers.
Derogating Innocent Victims: The Effects of Relative Versus Absolute Character Judgments
Authors: Dawtry Rael J. , Callan Mitchell J. , Harvey Annelie J. , Olson James M.
Published: October 2017

Drawing on just-world theory and research into the suppression and justification of prejudice, we propose that the use of relative compared with absolute measures of an innocent victim’s character enables observers to derogate the victim without transparently violating social norms or values proscribing derogation. In Study 1, we found that positive feelings expressed toward victims mirrored social norms proscribing negative reactions toward them. In Studies 2a, 2b, and 3, innocent victims were evaluated more negatively when ratings were made using relative (i.e., compared with evaluations of the average student or the self) versus absolute scales. In Study 4, this effect of scale type on derogation was stronger for people higher in the motivation to avoid prejudiced reactions to victims. Relative judgments seem to allow individuals to enact their counternormative motivation to derogate the victim under the cover of ambiguity and ostensibly rationally motivated social comparison processes.
Domesticating pathogenies, evaluating change: the Eurozone crisis as a ‘hot moment’ in Greek television fiction
Authors: Aitaki Georgia
Published: October 2017

This article investigates how the Eurozone crisis is thematically negotiated in a popular Greek television comedy. Inspired by the increasing interest in the ideological role of news media during the Eurozone crisis of the late 2000s, it turns the spotlight on the sphere of entertainment in an attempt to address the importance of fictional mediations and meaning-making processes. To that end, it proposes an understanding of television fiction as an accommodator and shaper of ‘hot moments’, instigating processes of self-assessment and evaluation of change. More specifically, the study examines the ways in which the family comedy Piso sto Spiti (MEGA Channel, 2011–2013) provides culturally based understandings of the Eurozone crisis by depicting it as associated with inherent flaws of the modern Greek and by assessing the possibility of change through a juxtaposition with national ‘others’. At the same time, it identifies ways that ideology leaks from television fiction in its interaction with other media discourses simultaneously circulating within a society.
What Do Patients Want from Otolaryngologists? A Discrete Choice Experiment
Authors: Naunheim Matthew R. , Rathi Vinay K. , Naunheim Margaret L. , Alkire Blake C. , Lam Allen C. , Song Phillip C. , Shrime Mark G.
Published: October 2017

Objectives

Patient preferences are crucial for the delivery of patient‐centered care. Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) are an emerging quantitative methodology used for understanding these preferences. In this study, we employed DCE techniques to understand the preferences of patients presenting for an ear, nose, and throat clinic visit.

Study Design

DCE.

Setting

Decision science laboratory.

Methods

A DCE survey of 5 attributes—wait time, physician experience, physician personality, utilization of visit time, and cost/copayment—was constructed with structured qualitative interviews with patients. The DCE was administered to participants from the general population, who chose among hypothetical scenarios that varied across these attributes. A conditional logit model was used to determine relative attribute importance, with a separate logit model for determining subject effects.

Results

A total of 161 participants were included. Cost/copayment had the greatest impact on decision making (importance, 32.2%), followed by wait time and physician experience (26.5% and 24.7%, respectively). Physician personality mattered least (4.7%), although all attributes were significantly correlated to decision making. Participants preferred doctors who spent more time performing physical examination than listening or explaining. Participants were willing to pay $52 extra to avoid a 4‐week delay in appointment time; $87 extra for a physician with 10 years of experience (vs 0 years); and $9 extra for a caring, friendly, and compassionate doctor (vs formal, efficient, and business‐like).

Conclusion

DCEs allow for powerful economic analyses that may help physicians understand patient preferences. Our model showed that cost is an important factor to patients and that patients are willing to pay extra for timely appointments, experience, and thorough physical examination.