bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Response and Instability of Cross-Rope Suspension Towers Under Harmonic Excitation
Authors: Yan Zhitao , Zhu Yu , You Yi , Wang Jing
Published: March 2017

The galloping or vortex-induced vibration of transmission lines will lead to a periodic excitations to the masts of the cross-rope suspension tower (CRST). The mast of the CRST is modeled as a straight beam with an elastic support subjected to a pulsating axial force on the top, which will change the stiffness of the mast, thereby resulting in produce harmonic excitation and instability. The dynamic characteristics of the system are investigated, which show that the bending frequency of the CRST decreases linearly with increase in axial static load, while it increases nonlinearly with the increase in boundary stiffness. Then, the method of multiple scales is adopted to analyze the vibration. It is found that the wind load on the mast brings primary resonance, but has no effects on instability. In addition, the steady state solution of the primary resonance is obtained by the polar form of the reduced amplitude modulation equations (RAMEs), with the effects of the following parameters on the vibration amplitude of the mast studied: the prestressing load in the guy, magnitude of the dynamic force, detuning parameter and wind load. Finally, the instability regions of two cases ([Formula: see text] near [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] near [Formula: see text]) are studied by the Cartesian form of the RAMEs, with focus on the influence of the axial harmonic load produced by the galloping of the transmission lines on the instability area. It is observed that the magnitude of excitation frequency of the dynamic force in the range of instability region becomes larger until the spring stiffness is increased up to a certain value.
A New Method for Deblurring of Fluid Lens-Captured Endoscopic Images Using Optimized Contourlet Transformation
Authors: Bagheri Hamed , Shahbakhti Mohammad , Maghsoudi Arash , Farzaneh Farhad , Shekarchi Babak , Dormanesh Banafsheh , Reiazi Reza
Published: March 2017

The fluid lens cameras are ideal candidates for medical imaging. Since no moving part is needed to change the focal length for focusing, the size of these generation of cameras are considerably smaller than the traditional glass lens cameras. The major drawback is that only one color channel can be in total focus, leaving the other two channels blurry, causing loss of edges and high frequency data of the two channels. In this paper, we use directional filters and contourlet transformation to retrieve the high frequency data to enhance the quality of the other two color channels. It is shown that it is important to choose the optimum number of contourlet decomposition level and also we will try to find a criteria to find the optimal number of levels. Using the proposed method on general and endoscopic images shows that the proposed algorithm yields to average PSNR improvement of 6.3[Formula: see text]db for endoscopic images which is 5.7[Formula: see text]db more than the previous proposed algorithm.
WeDoCWT: A New Method for Web Document Clustering Using Discrete Wavelet Transforms
Authors: Al-Mofareji Hanan , Kamel Mahmoud , Dahab Mohamed Y.
Published: March 2017

Organizing web information is an important aspect of finding information in the easiest and most efficient way. We present a new method for web document clustering called WeDoCWT, which exploits the discrete wavelet transform and term signal, to improve the document representation. We studied different methods for document segmentation to construct the term signals. We used two datasets, UW-CAN and WebKB, to evaluate the proposed method. The experimental results indicated that dividing the documents into fixed segments is preferable to dividing them into logical segments based on HTML features because the web pages do not have the same structure. Mean TF–IDF reduction technique gives the best results in most cases. WeDoCWT gives [Formula: see text]-measure better than most of the previous approaches described in the literature. We used Munkres assignment algorithm to assign each produced cluster to the original class in order to evaluate the clustering results.
Japan in 2016: Domestic Political Stability, Greater External Uncertainty
Authors: LAM Peng Er
Published: March 2017

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and his allies have unprecedentedly secured a twothirds majority in both houses of parliament, which allows Abe to revise the country’s post-war pacifist constitution and paves the way for Japan to become a “normal” state playing a larger security role in international affairs. Donald Trump’s surprise presidential victory caused great uncertainty in Japan about its alliance with the United States in the midst of a rising China and power transition in East Asia.
Japan 2016: Slow Economic Growth but an Affluent Society
Authors: XING Yuqing
Published: March 2017

Japanese economy grew steadily in 2016. However, household consumption remained weak and inflation was far below the 2% target. The Japanese government substantially adjusted both monetary and fiscal policies to support economic growth. Despite a tight labour market, the meagre increase in base salary could not stimulate consumption. However, Japan remains an affluent society, with a large amount of liquid assets and relatively low debts. Japanese overseas assets have risen significantly and is a major source of national income.
South Korea’s Economy in 2016 Overshadowed by Chaebols’ Crisis
Authors: CHIANG Min-Hua
Published: March 2017

South Korea’s economy continued to be impacted by its waning exports in 2016. With moderate expansion in domestic consumption and services, economic growth rate rose to 2.7% in 2016, 0.1% more than in 2015. The impact of President Park Geun-hye’s political scandal on the domestic economy has been constrained so far. It remains to be seen whether strong opposition from society to some chaebols’ involvement in Park-Choi corruption cases will lead to weaker government-chaebols ties in developing the economy in the future.
Sensitivities under G2++ model of the yield curve
Authors: Jaffal H. , Rakotondratsimba Y. , Yassine A.
Published: March 2017

The two-additive-factor Gaussian model G2[Formula: see text] is a famous stochastic model for the instantaneous short rate. It has functional qualities required in various practical purposes, as in Asset Liability Management and in Trading of interest rate derivatives. Though closed formulas for the prices of various main interest-rate instruments are known and used under the G2[Formula: see text] model, it seems that references for the corresponding sensitivities are not clearly presented over the financial literature. To fill this gap is one of our purposes in the present work. We derive here analytic expressions for the sensitivities of zero-coupon bond, coupon-bearing bonds, portfolio of coupon bearing bonds. The sensitivities under consideration here are those with respect to the shocks linked to the unobservable two-uncertainty shock risk/opportunity factors underlying the G2[Formula: see text] model. As a such, the hedging of a position sensitive to the interest rate by means of a portfolio (in accordance with the market participants practice) becomes easily transparent as just resulting from the balance between the various involved sensitivities.
Can We Predict a Riot? Disruptive Event Detection Using Twitter
Authors: Alsaedi Nasser , Burnap Pete , Rana Omer
Published: March 2017

In recent years, there has been increased interest in real-world event detection using publicly accessible data made available through Internet technology such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. In these highly interactive systems, the general public are able to post real-time reactions to “real world” events, thereby acting as social sensors of terrestrial activity. Automatically detecting and categorizing events, particularly small-scale incidents, using streamed data is a non-trivial task but would be of high value to public safety organisations such as local police, who need to respond accordingly. To address this challenge, we present an end-to-end integrated event detection framework that comprises five main components: data collection, pre-processing, classification, online clustering, and summarization. The integration between classification and clustering enables events to be detected, as well as related smaller-scale “disruptive events,” smaller incidents that threaten social safety and security or could disrupt social order. We present an evaluation of the effectiveness of detecting events using a variety of features derived from Twitter posts, namely temporal, spatial, and textual content. We evaluate our framework on a large-scale, real-world dataset from Twitter. Furthermore, we apply our event detection system to a large corpus of tweets posted during the August 2011 riots in England. We use ground-truth data based on intelligence gathered by the London Metropolitan Police Service, which provides a record of actual terrestrial events and incidents during the riots, and show that our system can perform as well as terrestrial sources, and even better in some cases.
Eliciting Structured Knowledge from Situated Crowd Markets
Authors: Goncalves Jorge , Hosio Simo , Kostakos Vassilis
Published: March 2017

We present a crowdsourcing methodology to elicit highly structured knowledge for arbitrary questions. The method elicits potential answers (“options”), criteria against which those options should be evaluated, and a ranking of the top “options.” Our study shows that situated crowdsourcing markets can reliably elicit/moderate knowledge to generate a ranking of options based on different criteria that correlate with established online platforms. Our evaluation also shows that local crowds can generate knowledge that is missing from online platforms and on how a local crowd perceives a certain issue. Finally, we discuss the benefits and challenges of eliciting structured knowledge from local crowds.
Dual Structure Constrained Multimodal Feature Coding for Social Event Detection from Flickr Data
Authors: Yang Zhenguo , Li Qing , Lu Zheng , Ma Yun , Gong Zhiguo , Liu Wenyin
Published: March 2017

In this work, a three-stage social event detection (SED) framework is proposed to discover events from Flickr-like data. First, multiple bipartite graphs are constructed for the heterogeneous feature modalities to achieve fused features. Furthermore, considering the geometrical structures of dictionary and data, a dual structure constrained multimodal feature coding model is designed to learn discriminative feature codes by incorporating corresponding regularization terms into the objective. Finally, clustering models utilizing density or label knowledge and data recovery residual models are devised to discover real-world events. The proposed SED approach achieves the highest performance on the MediaEval 2014 SED dataset.
Spatial Prediction for Multivariate Non-Gaussian Data
Authors: Liu Xutong , Chen Feng , Lu Yen-Cheng , Lu Chang-Tien
Published: March 2017

With the ever increasing volume of geo-referenced datasets, there is a real need for better statistical estimation and prediction techniques for spatial analysis. Most existing approaches focus on predicting multivariate Gaussian spatial processes, but as the data may consist of non-Gaussian (or mixed type) variables, this creates two challenges: (1) how to accurately capture the dependencies among different data types, both Gaussian and non-Gaussian; and (2) how to efficiently predict multivariate non-Gaussian spatial processes. In this article, we propose a generic approach for predicting multiple response variables of mixed types. The proposed approach accurately captures cross-spatial dependencies among response variables and reduces the computational burden by projecting the spatial process to a lower dimensional space with knot-based techniques. Efficient approximations are provided to estimate posterior marginals of latent variables for the predictive process, and extensive experimental evaluations based on both simulation and real-life datasets are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of this new approach.
S
pinel
Authors: Billet Benjamin , Issarny Valérie
Published: March 2017

Nowadays, various static wireless sensor networks (WSN) are deployed in the environment for many purposes: traffic control, pollution monitoring, and so on. The willingness to open these legacy WSNs to the users is emerging, by integrating them to the Internet network as part of the future Internet of Things (IoT), for example, in the context of smart cities and open data policies. While legacy sensors cannot be directly connected to the Internet in general, emerging standards such as 6LoWPAN are aimed at solving this issue but require us to update or replace the existing devices. As a solution to connect legacy sensors to the IoT, we propose to take advantage of the multi-modal connectivity as well as the mobility of smartphones to use phones as
opportunistic proxies
, that is, mobile proxies that opportunistically discover closeby static sensors and act as intermediaries with the IoT, with the additional benefit of bringing fresh information about the environment to the smartphones’ owners. However, this requires us to monitor the smartphone’s mobility and further infer when to discover and register the sensors to guarantee the efficiency and reliability of opportunistic proxies. To that end, we introduce and evaluate an approach based on mobility analysis that uses a novel path prediction technique to predict when and where the user is not moving, and thereby serves to anticipate the registration of sensors within communication range. We show that this technique enables the deployment of low-cost resource-efficient mobile proxies to connect legacy WSNs with the IoT.
A Survey on Ensemble Learning for Data Stream Classification
Authors: Gomes Heitor Murilo , Barddal Jean Paul , Enembreck Fabrício , Bifet Albert
Published: March 2017

Ensemble-based methods are among the most widely used techniques for data stream classification. Their popularity is attributable to their good performance in comparison to strong single learners while being relatively easy to deploy in real-world applications. Ensemble algorithms are especially useful for data stream learning as they can be integrated with drift detection algorithms and incorporate dynamic updates, such as selective removal or addition of classifiers. This work proposes a taxonomy for data stream ensemble learning as derived from reviewing over 60 algorithms. Important aspects such as combination, diversity, and dynamic updates, are thoroughly discussed. Additional contributions include a listing of popular open-source tools and a discussion about current data stream research challenges and how they relate to ensemble learning (big data streams, concept evolution, feature drifts, temporal dependencies, and others).
An Algorithm for the Optimization of Finite Element Integration Loops
Authors: Luporini Fabio , Ham David A. , Kelly Paul H. J.
Published: March 2017

We present an algorithm for the optimization of a class of finite-element integration loop nests. This algorithm, which exploits fundamental mathematical properties of finite-element operators, is proven to achieve a locally optimal operation count. In specified circumstances the optimum achieved is global. Extensive numerical experiments demonstrate significant performance improvements over the state of the art in finite-element code generation in almost all cases. This validates the effectiveness of the algorithm presented here and illustrates its limitations.
Fabric Appearance Control System for Example-Based Interactive Texture and Color Design
Authors: Katsunuma Takafumi , Hirai Keita , Horiuchi Takahiko
Published: March 2017

Texture and color are important factors of fabric appearance. A system that could intuitively manipulate and design fabric texture and color would be a very powerful tool. This article presents an interactive fabric appearance design system that modulates the texture patterns of input fabric example images and transfers the color patterns from other input images onto them. For this purpose, we propose a method to synthesize a natural texture image based on our findings from subjective experiments: (1) intensity and its deviation of two input images are significantly related to the realistic appearance of synthesized textures and (2) the spatial-frequency and edge intensity of two different input images significantly influence the natural appearance of synthesized texture perception. In our procedure, first, the texture pattern of an input fabric image is modulated in terms of undulation, thickness, and roughness. Next, we transfer the color pattern of an original color image onto the modulated texture pattern in the YIQ color space. To perform this color transfer, we use the IQ component of the color image. To reduce the unnatural appearance of the output color-transfer image, we remove the high-frequency components of the original color image. In addition, the Y component of the color-transfer image is obtained by adding the deviation of the texture pattern Y component to the texture pattern of the color image. These algorithms for reducing unnaturalness and synthesizing images were developed based on our findings from several subjective experiments on natural appearance. Finally, we implemented our algorithm on a smart device. Our system allows us to interactively design the texture and color of fabric by using images.
Watershed Infarct in Beta-Thalassemia Major Patient
Authors: Ansari Behnaz , Saadatnia Mohammad , Asghar Okhovat Ali
Published: March 2017

Background. The mechanism of stroke in beta-thalassemia was reported previously as cardioembolic and hypercoagulable state. However, there is no report of watershed infarct in beta-thalassemia anemia.Method. We present an adultβ-thalassemia major patient with manifest asymptomatic chronic left carotid occlusion who suffered watershed infarct.Result. In the presence of asymptomatic chronic left internal carotid occlusion, we assumed that severe anemia (hemoglobin = 3) at admission leads to watershed infarct.Conclusion. Watershed infarct seems to be the cause of stroke in cases ofβ-thalassemia major with severe anemia. Blood transfusion can be applied in the setting of acute brain ischemia in such high risk patients.
The Protective Role of Hyaluronic Acid in Cr(VI)-Induced Oxidative Damage in Corneal Epithelial Cells
Authors: Wu Wei , Jiang Hua , Guo Xinnian , Wang Yu , Ying Shibo , Feng Lingfang , Li Tao , Xia Hailing , Zhang Yixiao , Chen Riping , Chen Tianhui , Lou Jianlin
Published: March 2017

Cr(VI) exposure could produce kinds of intermediates and reactive oxygen species, both of which were related to DNA damage. Hyaluronan (HA) has impressive biological functions and was reported to protect corneal epithelial cells against oxidative damage induced by ultraviolet B, benzalkonium chloride, and sodium lauryl sulfate. So the aim of our study was to investigate HA protection on human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells against Cr(VI)-induced toxic effects. The HCE cell lines were exposed to different concentrations of K2Cr2O7(1.875, 3.75, 7.5, 15.0, and 30 μM) or a combination of K2Cr2O7and 0.2% HA and incubated with different times (15 min, 30 min, and 60 min). Our data showed that Cr(VI) exposure could cause decreased cell viability, increased DNA damage, and ROS generation to the HCE cell lines. But incubation of HA increased HCE cell survival rates and decreased DNA damage and ROS generation induced by Cr(VI) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. We report for the first time that HA can protect HCE cells against the toxicity of Cr(VI), indicating that it will be a promising therapeutic agent to corneal injuries caused by Cr(VI).
Identification of Multiple‐Mode Linear Models Based on Particle Swarm Optimizer with Cyclic Network Mechanism
Authors: Kim Tae-Hyoung , Maruta Ichiro , Sugie Toshiharu , Chun Semin , Chae Minji
Published: March 2017

This paper studies the metaheuristic optimizer‐based direct identification of a multiple‐mode system consisting of a finite set of linear regression representations of subsystems. To this end, the concept of a multiple‐mode linear regression model is first introduced, and its identification issues are established. A method for reducing the identification problem for multiple‐mode models to an optimization problem is also described in detail. Then, to overcome the difficulties that arise because the formulated optimization problem is inherently ill‐conditioned and nonconvex, the cyclic‐network‐topology‐based constrained particle swarm optimizer (CNT‐CPSO) is introduced, and a concrete procedure for the CNT‐CPSO‐based identification methodology is developed. This scheme requires no prior knowledge of the mode transitions between subsystems and, unlike some conventional methods, can handle a large amount of data without difficulty during the identification process. This is one of the distinguishing features of the proposed method. The paper also considers an extension of the CNT‐CPSO‐based identification scheme that makes it possible to simultaneously obtain both the optimal parameters of the multiple submodels and a certain decision parameter involved in the mode transition criteria. Finally, an experimental setup using a DC motor system is established to demonstrate the practical usability of the proposed metaheuristic optimizer‐based identification scheme for developing a multiple‐mode linear regression model.
Microcystic/Reticular Schwannoma of the Frontal Lobe: An Unusual Occurrence
Authors: Pearson Lauren , Akture Erinc , Wonderlick Julien , Fuller Gregory , Zenali Maryam
Published: March 2017

Schwannoma is a benign peripheral nerve sheath tumor that typically involves cranial nerves of the head and neck region. Intraparenchymal occurrence of this tumor is uncommon. Even rarer in this site is the microcystic/reticular pattern of schwannoma. This histologic variant, first described in 2008, has a predilection for visceral organs. Herein, we report the first case of microcystic/reticular schwannoma of the frontal lobe.
Suppression of Retinal Neovascularization by Inhibition of Galectin-1 in a Murine Model of Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy
Authors: Yang Ning , Zhang Wenxi , He Tao , Xing Yiqiao
Published: March 2017

Galectin-1 (Gal-1) has been proved to be an important factor in the process of tumor angiogenesis recently. As a small molecule, OTX008 serves as a selective inhibitor of Gal-1. In this study, the role of Gal-1 and the antiangiogenic effect of OTX008 on retinal neovascularization (RNV) were investigated using a mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy. The outcome indicated that Gal-1 was overexpressed and closely related to retinal neovessels in OIR. After intravitreal injection of OTX008 at P12, the RNV was significantly reduced at P17, measuring by cross-sectional H&E staining and whole-mount fluorescence. Our results demonstrate the inhibitory function of OTX008 on RNV, which provides a promising strategy of treating retinal angiogenic diseases such as retinopathy of prematurity and proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Identification and Real Time Speed Control of a Series DC Motor
Authors: Liceaga-Castro Jesús U. , Siller-Alcalá Irma I. , Jaimes-Ponce Jorge , Alcántara-Ramírez Roberto A. , Arévalo Zamudio Enrique
Published: March 2017

The identification and real time speed control, without reverse motion, for a series DC motor is presented. The identification is performed using the transient response analysis of the mechanical and electrical subsystems of a series DC motor. A linearized model which does not include the magnetic saturation around the operating conditions is considered. Based on this model, a PI speed controller is designed. A well‐known problem arising in this type of electrical motors is the singularity at zero speed. It is shown that, in spite of this inconvenience, the PI controller, together with an antiwindup scheme, presents adequate regulation and tracking performance. It is also shown that the control system can compensate for varying loads and the counter‐electromotive force with acceptable levels of current consumption.
Exponential Antisynchronization Control of Stochastic Memristive Neural Networks with Mixed Time‐Varying Delays Based on Novel Delay‐Dependent or Delay‐Independent Adaptive Controller
Authors: Yu Minghui , Wang Weiping , Luo Xiong , Liu Linlin , Yuan Manman
Published: March 2017

The global exponential antisynchronization in mean square of memristive neural networks with stochastic perturbation and mixed time‐varying delays is studied in this paper. Then, two kinds of novel delay‐dependent and delay‐independent adaptive controllers are designed. With the ability of adapting to environment changes, the proposed controllers can modify their behaviors to achieve the best performance. In particular, on the basis of the differential inclusions theory, inequality theory, and stochastic analysis techniques, several sufficient conditions are obtained to guarantee the exponential antisynchronization between the drive system and response system. Furthermore, two numerical simulation examples are provided to the validity of the derived criteria.
Increased Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation in Uremia Is Associated with Chronic Inflammation and Prevalent Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Kim Jwa-Kyung , Hong Chang-won , Park Mi Jin , Song Young Rim , Kim Hyung Jik , Kim Sung Gyun
Published: March 2017

Background.Neutrophils are involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis by neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation. We hypothesized that the NET formation of neutrophils might be changed in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, explaining their higher incidence of coronary artery diseases (CAD).Method.A cross-sectional study was performed in 60 maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients, 30 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals (HV, negative control), and 30 patients with acute infection (positive control). Neutrophil activation and function were measured with reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity, degranulation, NET formation, and phenotypical changes.Result.Compared with HV, neutrophils extracted from MHD patients displayed significantly increased levels of basal NET formation, ROS production, and degranulation, suggesting spontaneous activation in uremia. Also, an increase in citrullinated histone H3 was detected in this group compared to the HV. And neutrophils from HV were normal CD16bright/CD62Lbrightcells; however, neutrophils from MHD were CD16bright/CD62Ldim, similar to those from patients with acute infections. Interestingly, multivariate analyses identified the prevalent CAD and neutrophil counts as independent determinants of baseline NET formation (β=0.323,p=0.016andβ=0.369,p=0.006, resp.).Conclusions.Uremia-associated-increased NET formation may be a sign of increased burden of atherosclerosis.
Room Temperature Ferromagnetic and Optical Properties of Chrome Doped ZnS Nanorods Prepared by Hydrothermal Method
Authors: Zhao Wenhua , Wei Zhiqiang , Zhang Li , Wu Xiaojuan , Wang Xuan , Jiang Jinlong
Published: March 2017

Cr doped Zn1-xCrxS nanorods with different concentration ratio (x=0, 0.01, 0.03, and 0.05) were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method. The crystal microstructure, morphology, chemical composition, and optical and magnetic properties of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry (XEDS), diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), photoluminescence (PL) spectra, and the vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). All the samples synthesized by this method exhibited single-phase wurtzite structure with good crystallization as demonstrated by XRD studies, which indicated that all Cr ions successfully substituted for the lattice site of Zn2+ and generated single-phase Zn1-xCrxS. DRS revealed the band gap of doped Zn1-xCrxS underwent blue shift compared to that of the bulk ZnS. PL spectra showed obvious ultraviolet emission peak at 375 nm and two blue emissions appear about 500 and 580 nm. The blue emissions intensity of doped samples improved with the increase of Cr concentration, comparing to pure ZnS. Magnetic measurements indicated that the undoped and doped ZnS nanorods exhibited well-defined ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature. The saturation magnetization weakened significantly with increasing Cr concentration comparing to pure ZnS and reached minimum for 3% Cr.
PD-1/PD-L1 Pathway in Breast Cancer
Authors: Schütz Florian , Stefanovic Stefan , Mayer Luisa , von Au Alexandra , Domschke Christoph , Sohn Christof
Published: March 2017

The programmed cell death-1 receptor (PD-1) is an immune checkpoint inhibitor which is expressed on the surface of immune effector cells. It is activated mainly by PD-L1 which can be expressed by all human cells. The PD-1/PD-L1 pathway plays a subtle role in maintaining peripheral T-lymphocyte tolerance and regulating inflammation. In cancer, the expression of PD-L1 seems to be one of the major immune escape mechanisms. Many studies have shown efficacy of blocking PD-1 or PD-L1 with specific antibodies like pembrolizumab or atezulizumab. In breast cancer, potential response was demonstrated in metastatic triple-negative breast cancers.
The Development of Cardiac Arrhythmia Ablation
Authors: Scheinman Melvin A. , Rutherford John D.
Published: March 2017

Dr Melvin A. Scheinman is Professor of Medicine and holds the Walter H. Shorenstein Endowed Chair in Cardiology at the University of California, San Francisco. He has received awards including the Paul Dudley White Award for Excellence in Teaching by the American Heart Association and the Distinguished Science Award of the American College of Cardiology. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and took his undergraduate degree at Johns Hopkins University, where he graduated first in his class. Postgraduate medical education included the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, residency training at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), and cardiology training at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center.
The Next Mr. Putin? The Question of Succession
Authors: Hill Fiona
Published: March 2017

Vladimir Putin, the person and the president, is the wild card in Russian politics. After what could be a quarter of a century in power by 2024 (either as president or prime minister), Putin's departure could prove utterly destabilizing. Russia's principal political problem is determining who or what replaces Putin as the fulcrum of the state system in the decade ahead. This essay considers the question of whether “Putin's Russia” – a hyperpersonalized presidency supported by informal elite networks – can transform into a depersonalized system that is rooted in formal institutions with clear, predictable mechanisms to mitigate the risks of a wrenching presidential succession.
Putin-Style “Rule of Law” & the Prospects for Change
Authors: Popova Maria
Published: March 2017

In Putin's Russia, the regime uses the law and legal institutions to fulfill political goals, to communicate them to society, and to manage the authoritarian coalition that helps the president govern. As a result, the law is highly consequential and important, but its use tends to be arbitrary, expedient, and instrumental, rather than predictable and principled. Can we expect any major shifts in the role of law and the courts over the next ten years? Russia's legal regime is unlikely to undergo major evolutionary change and may outlive Putin's tenure: both foreign and domestic pressures for change toward constitutionalism are limited. If a positive shift were to take place, Russia would inch toward authoritarian constitutionalism. But negative change is also possible. If Putin's regime weakens, the politicized use of the courts against both dissidents and political competitors within the authoritarian coalition will increase.
Is Nationalism a Force for Change in Russia?
Authors: Laruelle Marlene
Published: March 2017

This essay defines three categories of Russian nationalist actors: nonstate actors, whose agenda is anti-Putin; parastate actors, who have their own ideological niche, not always in tune with the presidential administration's narrative, but who operate under the state umbrella; and state actors, in particular, the presidential administration. In the future, the Russian ethnonationalism embodied by nonstate actors is the main trend that could pose a serious threat to the regime. However, the Kremlin is not “frozen” in terms of ideology, and its flexibility allows it to adapt to evolving situations. One of the most plausible scenarios is the rise of a figure inside the establishment who would be able to prevent the polarization of Russian nationalism into an antiregime narrative and could co-opt some of its slogans and leaders, in order to gradually channel the official narrative toward a more state-controlled nationalism.
Exclusion and Embrace: A Theology of Breaking Boundaries and Building Bridges Between Christianity and Buddhism in Myanmar
Authors: Moe David Thang
Published: March 2017

Theravada Buddhism is a national religion of the Burman majorities, whereas Christianity is an alienated religion of the ethnic minorities in Myanmar. Failing to embrace one another, ethnic Christians and Burman Buddhists built boundaries of mutual exclusion and hostility. This paper will argue that wrongs are on both sides — for instance, Buddhism becomes an ‘analogy’1 of Judaism in terms of its nationalistic imperialism, whereas Christianity as an analogy of Hellenism in terms of its religious supersessionism. I will employ the idea of embrace as a theological response to the problem of exclusion. In particular, I will explore the boundary breaking of Jesus and the bridge building of Paul in a Greco-Roman context as the contextual models for Myanmar.
The Necessities and Limitations of Inter-Religious Dialogue
Authors: Nweke Kizito Chinedu
Published: March 2017

Inter-religious dialogue has been conceived as an antidote to all the problems of religious tensions, attracting resources and expectations.1 However, it has come short of these expectations. In fact, religious tensions are on the increase, despite increased inter-religious encounters.2 Hence, the research question: what exactly are our expectations of inter-religious dialogue and what are its limits? This work distilled out in two areas the necessities and limitations of inter-religious dialogue: liberalism in religion, and concatenation or practicalisation of inter-religious dialogue. It argues for caution on issues of religious truth, relativistic pluralism, equality / sameness of religions, etc. Inter-religious dialogue would perhaps have more success if not for the problems of inner strife and contradictions of theological perspectives. It proffered a solution in the ‘model of mutual enrichment’. This model checks our expectations of interreligious dialogue.
The Russian Orthodox Church and Interreligious Dialogue
Authors: Vukic Neven
Published: March 2017

This article reflects on the practice of inter-religious dialogue within the Russian Orthodox Church. The Russian Orthodox Church, or the Russian Patriarchate, as it is otherwise called, is currently the largest (with respect to the number of faithful) autocephalous church within the Orthodox world. Within the Russian Federation, the Orthodox faithful form a majority. However, the Muslim population has increased steadily in recent years and now forms a significant minority. Indeed, in certain regions the Muslim population has, in fact, become the demographic majority. Therefore, inter-religious contact is a lived reality within the Russian context. This article examines Russian Orthodox attempts to come to terms with this reality. It does so by examining official statements (i.e., theory), and by reflecting on the Church’s approach to the issues (i.e., practice) which arise from the attempt to implement the official approach within the Russian Federation (e.g., ‘orthodoxization’, lackluster education, proselytism). Furthermore, this article reflects on the repercussions for the entire Orthodox World which result from the events unfolding in the Russian Church.
On the role of grammaticalization (recategorization) in the origin of Manchu motion verbs
Authors: de la Fuente José Andrés Alonso
Published: March 2017

Manchu has a set of spatials (adverbs) containing the derivational suffix+siwhich via grammaticalization (recategorization) evolved into motion verbs, e.g. †do ‘inside’ >dosi‘to the inside, into’ >dosi-‘to go into, enter’. Ikegami’s suggestion concerning the origin of one of them, namelytuci-‘to come out, exit’ < *tulĕ/ĭ-si-, fromtule‘outside’, involves unnecessary phonetic complications: fortition of *-ls- to *-lc- and cluster simplification of *-lc- to-c-are two atypical sound changes in the history of Manchu. An alternative solution is presented instead:tuci-goes back to Proto-Tungusic *turki- ‘to go out’ (unambiguous cognates in South Ewenki), showing regular-c-< *-rk-, and has no suffix whatsoever. The same alternative solution allows us to dispense with the longstanding fallacy that in Manchu the derivational suffix+sihas a variant in+ci.
The Impediment of the Passions: The Testimony of Truth (nhc ix,3) as Deliberative Rhetoric Against the Teaching that the Confession of Faith and Baptism are Salvific without Celibacy
Authors: van Os Bas
Published: March 2017

The fragmented nature of the Nag Hammadi treatise known as The Testimony of Truth (nhc ix,3) has seriously impeded our interpretation of this remarkable text, the only Nag Hammadi text in which opposing Gnostic Christian groups are identified by name. Nevertheless, in the past decade, this treatise has become an important reference to the early Christian debate about martyrdom. The question should be asked, however, whether the passages cited by scholars have been interpreted correctly, if we have not first understood the rhetorical strategy of the author and the Sitz im Leben of the text. As the speaker advises an audience seeking after the truth, this text is best read as deliberative speech, despite its many lacunae. Viewing the text rhetorically allows us to reconstruct the message of the text, and interpret its arguments accordingly. When this is done, it becomes clear that the author does not try to persuade his audience with respect to martyrdom, but rather with respect to the passions of the soul that could prevent the soul’s salvation. The Sitz im Leben of the text is the shared discussion among Christians in general and Gnostic Christians about the efficacy of testimony and baptism for salvation, and the acceptability of sex and procreation.
A new asterocherid genus (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida) associated with Callyspongia Duchassaing & Michelotti and reassessment of six species of Asterocheres Boeck
Authors: CANÁRIO ROBERTA , ROCHA CARLOS EDUARDO FALAVIGNA DA , NEVES ELIZABETH , JOHNSSON RODRIGO
Published: March 2017

The family Asterocheridae Giesbrecht has several genera associated with sponges including Asterocheres Boeck, 1859. The type genus is commonly found in sponges but it is also recorded in echinoderms, bryozoans, and corals. A revision of the diagnosis of Asterocheres conducted in 2010 was the beginning of a reorganization process, culminating in the present status of 63 valid species. This study describes a new species and genus of the Asterocheridae. Neoasterocheres gen. nov. shares many characteristics with Asterocheres sensu stricto, except for the antennule segmentation which shows ancestral segments IX–XII fused to segment XIII. The new species of Neoasterocheres gen. nov. was found in association with the sponge Callyspongia sp. sampled at the Yatch Club Bay, located in Todos-os-Santos Bay, Salvador city, Bahia State, Brazil. A revision of the Asterocheres sensu stricto indicates that A. enewetakensis Humes, 1997, A. dysideae Humes, 1996b, A. humesi Varela, 2012, A. rotundus Malt, 1991, A. scutatus Stock, 1966, and A. serrulatus (Humes, 1996a) share this fusion and therefore should be transferred to the new genus. A redescription of Neoasterocheres serrulatus n. comb. is also provided, based on the examination of type specimens.
Two new species of freshwater, cave-dwelling crabs of the genus Neostrengeria Pretzmann, 1965, from Colombia (Crustacea: Decapoda: Pseudothelphusidae)
Authors: CAMPOS MARTHA R.
Published: March 2017

Two new species of freshwater crabs of the pseudothelphusid genus Neostrengeria Pretzmann, 1965, N. fernandezi n. sp., and N. lassoi n. sp., are described. The genus is endemic to the eastern Andes of Colombia. Neostrengeria fernandezi was collected in Las Cacas cave, Pauna, Boyacá Department and N. lassoi in a stream within Los Aviones cave, La Guadalupe, Santander Department, within the cave as well as in a waterfall outside the cave. With the addition of N. fernandezi and N. lassoi the total number of species of the genus Neostrengeria increases to 27. Like all others species of Neostrengeria, the new species are distinguished primarily by the morphology of the first male gonopod, particularly by the form of lateral, accessory and mesial lobes, outline of the apex, and the mesio-caudal projection of the spermatic channel.
Using Artificial Intelligence to Improve Real-Time Decision-Making for High-Impact Weather
Authors: McGovern Amy , Elmore Kimberly L. , Gagne David John , Haupt Sue Ellen , Karstens Christopher D. , Lagerquist Ryan , Smith Travis , Williams John K.
Published: March 2017

High-impact weather events, such as severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes, cause significant disruptions to infrastructure, property loss, and even fatalities. High-impact events can also positively impact society, such as the impact on savings through renewable energy. Prediction of these events has improved substantially with greater observational capabilities, increased computing power, and better model physics, but there is still significant room for improvement. Artificial intelligence (AI) and data science technologies, specifically machine learning and data mining, bridge the gap between numerical model prediction and real-time guidance by improving accuracy. AI techniques also extract otherwise unavailable information from forecast models by fusing model output with observations to provide additional decision support for forecasters and users. In this work, we demonstrate that applying AI techniques along with a physical understanding of the environment can significantly improve the prediction skill for multiple types of high-impact weather. The AI approach is also a contribution to the growing field of computational sustainability. The authors specifically discuss the prediction of storm duration, severe wind, severe hail, precipitation classification, forecasting for renewable energy, and aviation turbulence. They also discuss how AI techniques can process “big data,” provide insights into high-impact weather phenomena, and improve our understanding of high-impact weather.
Electrification and Lightning in Idealized Simulations of a Hurricane-Like Vortex Subject to Wind Shear and Sea Surface Temperature Cooling
Authors: Fierro Alexandre O. , Mansell Edward R.
Published: March 2017

Relationships between intensity fluctuations, cloud microphysics, lightning variations, and electrical structures within idealized tropical cyclones are investigated with the cloud-resolving Collaborative Model for Multiscale Atmospheric Simulation (COMMAS). An initial strong tropical cyclone is subjected to either steady-state control conditions (CTRL), increased wind shear (SHEAR), or a reduction in sea surface temperature (SST).

In CTRL, nearly all the lightning (>95%) occurred in the outer region (100 < r ≤ 300 km) and was overall very episodic in the inner core (r ≤ 100 km), consistent with observations. The inner-core updrafts were weaker and experienced greater depletion of cloud water by warm rain processes, which, in contrast to the deeper updrafts in the rainband convection, reduced the mixed-phase cloud depth and confined the bulk of the charging and lightning initiations to lower levels.

Notably, larger flash rates were produced in the asymmetric inner core of the SHEAR case, with the majority of the flashes located in the downshear left quadrant, consistent with prior observational works. In contrast to CTRL, the more vigorous inner-core convection in SHEAR resulted in the formation of a prominent negative charge region and enhanced production of negative ground flashes.

With a nearly identical filling rate as SHEAR, the introduction of cooler sea surface temperature in the SST case caused lightning activity to fade rapidly in both the inner core and rainbands.
Defining Sudden Stratospheric Warming in Climate Models: Accounting for Biases in Model Climatologies
Authors: Kim Junsu , Son Seok-Woo , Gerber Edwin P. , Park Hyo-Seok
Published: March 2017

A sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) is often defined as zonal-mean zonal wind reversal at 10 hPa and 60°N. This simple definition has been applied not only to the reanalysis data but also to climate model output. In the present study, it is shown that the application of this definition to models can be significantly influenced by model mean biases (i.e., more frequent SSWs appear to occur in models with a weaker climatological polar vortex). To overcome this deficiency, a tendency-based definition is proposed and applied to the multimodel datasets archived for phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). In this definition, SSW-like events are defined by sufficiently strong vortex deceleration. This approach removes a linear relationship between SSW frequency and intensity of the climatological polar vortex in the CMIP5 models. The models’ SSW frequency instead becomes significantly correlated with the climatological upward wave flux at 100 hPa, a measure of interaction between the troposphere and stratosphere. Lower stratospheric wave activity and downward propagation of stratospheric anomalies to the troposphere are also reasonably well captured. However, in both definitions, the high-top models generally exhibit more frequent SSWs than the low-top models. Moreover, a hint of more frequent SSWs in a warm climate is found in both definitions.
Sea Ice Loss and Arctic Cyclone Activity from 1979 to 2014
Authors: Koyama Tomoko , Stroeve Julienne , Cassano John , Crawford Alex
Published: March 2017

Extensive summer sea ice loss has occurred within the Beaufort, Chukchi, East Siberian, and Laptev Seas over the last decade. Associated anomalies in sensible and latent heat fluxes in autumn have increased Arctic atmospheric precipitable water and air temperatures, with the potential to impact autumn and winter cyclone activity. To examine if a connection exists between recent Arctic sea ice loss and cyclone activity, several cyclone metrics from 60° to 90°N are analyzed. Results show that following years with less September sea ice, there is a subsequent increase in moisture availability, regional baroclinicity, and changes in vertical stability that favor cyclogenesis. However, tracking of individual cyclones indicates no coherent increase in cyclone frequency or intensity associated with sea ice loss. Furthermore, no robust northward progression of extreme cyclones is observed.