bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rotational Thromboelastometry Helps to Reduce Blood Product Consumption in Critically Ill Patients during Small Surgical Procedures at the Intensive Care Unit - a Retrospective Clinical Analysis and Literature Search
Authors: Vymazal Tomas , Astraverkhava Marta , Durila Miroslav
Published: May 2018

Background: Patients at intensive care units (ICUs) are often transfused to correct increased coagulation parameters (prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastine time) and/or low platelet count. Thromboelastometry using whole blood is considered to be superior to these tests. In clinical praxis, prolonged standard tests are seen but thromboelastometry values are normal. The objective was to compare the blood product consumptions before and after the introduction of thromboelastometry assays into the treatment protocol during small surgical procedures at our mixed ICU. Methods: We analyzed 1,879 patients treated at our ICU who underwent small interventions. We compared the fresh frozen plasma and platelet consumption before and after the introduction of rotational thromboelastometry into the routine use. The obtained data were compared to relevant research results from the PubMed database, the MeSH index in the Medline database, and Google Scholar using key words ‘tromboelastometry', ‘fresh frozen plasma' and ‘platelets'. Results: Annual fresh frozen plasma and platelet consumptions were significantly decreased following thromboelastometry introduction. The number of patients and procedures did not differ significantly during the periods analyzed. Conclusion: Routine thromboelastometry assays can enable significant reduction of blood product consumption in critically ill patients undergoing small surgery without any bleeding complications.
Completion Thyroidectomy: Safer than Thought
Authors: Gulcelik Mehmet A. , Dogan Lutfi , Akgul Gokhan G. , Güven Erhan H. , Ersöz Gulcelik Neşe
Published: May 2018

Background: The aim of this study was to find out whether a substantial difference in terms of complication rates exists between primary and completion thyroidectomies following initial bilateral subtotal thyroidectomy in the light of current literature and our series. Patients and Methods: Total number of 696 patients who received completion thyroidectomy (Group 1, n = 289) and total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid cancer (Group 2, n = 407) and their data were reviewed and postoperative complications were compared between the groups and with the literature. Results: Transient and permanent hypocalcaemia rates were 20% and 5.8% in Group 1 and 10.5% and 5.1% for Group 2 respectively. Unilateral transient, bilateral transient and unilateral permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy rates were 6.2%, 1.3% and 4.4% for patients in Group 1 whereas same complications were seen in 4.6%, 0.7% and 3.6% of patients in Group 2. When groups were compared for complications; temporary hypocalcaemia, unilateral temporary nerve palsy, and minor wound infection rates were statistically higher in Group 1, with no significant difference in permanent complications. Conclusion: When complication rates of re-operation after bilateral subtotal thyroidectomy and primary total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid cancer were compared in an unbiased fashion, completion thyroidectomy was shown to be as safe as a primary operation with regard to permanent complications.
Sex-Typed Social Development in Lemur catta
Authors: Meredith Stephanie L.
Published: May 2018

Strong chemical control of strepsirrhine mating behaviour when compared to haplorhines might suggest that strepsirrhine behavioural development, generally, is under stronger somatic control. A comparative lack of reported behavioural sex differences in immature strepsirrhines would seem to support this hypothesis, but the recent discovery of sex differences in juvenile foraging behaviour in Lemur catta suggests that this difference might be an artefact of undersampling in strepsirrhines. Here, I document in wild L. catta the temporal development of a wider repertoire of social behaviours than have been studied in captivity over a longer developmental duration than has been studied in the wild to identify which behaviours might be and which cannot be linked to puberty. Sex differences in proximity and agonism did not appear before 2 years, consistent with previous reports and suggestions that they are linked to somatic or social changes at puberty. Immature females exhibited adult female-typical interest in infants; immature males demonstrated elements of adult male scent-marking behaviour, and immature males demonstrated marked attraction to adult males – sex differences that cannot be dependent on gonadal maturation. Immature L. catta exhibited some sex differences common in immature haplorhines, which are thought to be strategic choices by immatures to increase their later reproductive success.
Dominant-Negative DISC1 Alters the Dopaminergic Modulation of Inhibitory Interneurons in the Mouse Prefrontal Cortex
Authors: Cardarelli Ross A. , Martin Rolicia , Jaaro-Peled Hanna , Sawa Akira , Powell Elizabeth M. , O’Donnell Patricio
Published: May 2018

A truncated disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (Disc1) gene increases the risk of psychiatric disorders, probably affecting cortical interneurons. Here, we sought to determine whether this cell population is affected in mice carrying a truncated (Disc1) allele (DN-DISC1). We utilized whole cell recordings to assess electrophysiological properties and modulation by dopamine (DA) in two classes of interneurons: fast-spiking (FS) and low threshold-spiking (LTS) interneurons in wild-type and DN-DISC1 mice. In DN-DISC1 mice, FS interneurons, but not LTS interneurons, exhibited altered action potentials. Further, the perineuronal nets that surround FS interneurons exhibited abnormal morphology in DN-DISC1 mice, and the DA modulation of this cell type was altered in DN-DISC1 mice. We conclude that early-life manipulation of a gene associated with risk of psychiatric disease can result in dysfunction, but not loss, of specific GABAergic interneurons. The resulting alteration of excitatory-inhibitory balance is a critical element in DISC1 pathophysiology.
The Role of Autologous Platelet Concentrates in Alveolar Socket Preservation: A Systematic Review
Authors: Annunziata Marco , Guida Luigi , Nastri Livia , Piccirillo Angelantonio , Sommese Linda , Napoli Claudio
Published: May 2018

Prevention of alveolar bone resorption after tooth extraction may be useful for implant rehabilitation of the edentulous site minimizing the future need for bone augmentation procedures. A number of studies have investigated the efficacy of autologous platelet concentrates for the preservation of the alveolar bone volume after tooth extraction. Although encouraging results have been published, the available data are still controversial. The aim of the present systematic review was to assess the effect of platelet concentrates on alveolar socket preservation after tooth extraction. A literature search was carried out up to September 2017 for prospective controlled trials in which a test group using exclusively a platelet concentrate was compared with a control group in which extraction sockets were left to heal spontaneously. Seven controlled clinical trials published between 2010 and 2016 were included. A total of 320 extractions (170 tests and 150 controls) in 190 patients was considered. A great heterogeneity was found in terms of study design, methodological aspects, and outcome evaluation. For this reason, a quantitative analysis followed by meta-analysis was not possible, and only a descriptive analysis on the role of platelet concentrates in alveolar socket preservation was carried out. There is growing evidence that platelet concentrates may be advantageously used in postextraction sites, mainly to improve soft tissue healing and to reduce postoperative symptoms. Data about their potential in preserving the alveolar bone volume are still scarce and controversial, although recently encouraging results have been presented using more reliable and accurate evaluation technologies, such as the computed tomography. Further, well-designed and methodologically standardized investigations are strongly demanded to reach a higher level of evidence on this topic.
Innervation of the Human Incisive Papilla: Comparison with Other Oral Regions
Authors: Endo Chiaki , Sato Tadasu , Yajima Takehiro , Igarashi Kaoru , Ichikawa Hiroyuki
Published: May 2018

Immunohistochemistry for several neurochemical substances was performed on the human incisive papilla and other oral structures. Sodium channel alpha subunit 7 (SCN7A) protein-immunoreactive (IR) Schwann cells and protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5)-IR nerve fibers made nerve plexuses beneath the epithelium of the palate, including the incisive papilla, tongue, and lip. SCN7A immunoreactivity could also be detected in lamellated and nonlamellated capsules of corpuscle endings. Lamellated SCN7A-IR corpuscle endings were mostly restricted to the mucous and cutaneous lips. These endings had thick and spiral-shaped PGP 9.5-IR axons without ramification. Nonlamellated SCN7A-IR corpuscle endings were most numerous in the incisive papilla among the oral regions. On the basis of axonal morphology, the nonlamellated endings were divided into simple and complex types. PGP 9.5-IR terminal axons in the simple type ran straight or meandered with slight ramification, whereas those in the complex type were densely entangled with abundant ramification. Substance P (SP)-, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-, and transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 2 (TRPV2)-IR varicose fibers were rarely seen beneath the epithelium of oral structures. The present study indicates that the human incisive papilla has many low-threshold mechanoreceptors with nonlamellated capsules. SP-, CGRP-, and TRPV2-containing nociceptors may be infrequent in the incisive papilla and other oral regions.
Long-Term Neurodevelopmental and Respiratory Outcome after Intrauterine Therapy for Fetal Thoracic Abnormalities
Authors: Witlox Ruben S.G.M. , Lopriore Enrico , Rijken Monique , Klumper Frans J.C.M. , Oepkes Dick , van Klink Jeanine M.M.
Published: May 2018

Introduction: The aim of this study is to evaluate long-term neurodevelopmental and respiratory outcome after fetal therapy for fetal pleural effusion, congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation, and bronchopulmonary sequestration. Methods: Children ≥18 months of age underwent an assessment of neurologic, motor, and cognitive development. Medical records were reviewed to determine respiratory outcome. Behavioral outcome was assessed using the Child Behavioral Checklist. Results: Between 2001 and 2016, 63 fetuses with fetal hydrops secondary to thoracic abnormalities were treated at our center. Overall perinatal survival was 64% (40/63). Twenty-six children were included for follow-up (median age 55 months). Severe neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) was detected in 15% (4/26). Three out of 4 children with severe NDI had associated causes contributing to the impairment. Overall adverse outcome, including perinatal mortality or NDI, was 55% (27/49). Fifteen percent (4/26) had severe respiratory sequelae. Parents did not report more behavioral problems than Dutch norms. Discussion: Our results suggest that severe NDI in this specific high-risk cohort occurs in 15%, which is above the range of the incidence of NDI reported in case series treated with other fetal therapies (5–10%). Large multicenter studies and an international web-based registry are warranted to prospectively gather outcome data at fixed time points.
UroVysion Multi-Target Fluorescence in situ Hybridization Assay for the Detection of Malignant Bile Duct Brushing Specimens: A Comparison with Routine Cytology
Authors: Zhai Jing
Published: May 2018

Objective: Routine bile duct brushing cytology is an important diagnostic tool in the evaluation of bile duct stricture. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of the UroVysion fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay for the detection of malignant bile duct brushing specimens. Study Design: Thirty-five bile duct brushing specimens were included in the study. The FISH assay utilized the commercially available UroVysion probes. The indeterminate cytology results were considered as negative for statistical analysis. Results: Twenty-two of 35 patients were diagnosed as having malignancy based on tissue diagnosis or clinical progression of disease by image assessment. The sensitivity of routine cytology and FISH for the detection of malignancy was 14% (3/22) and 55% (12/22), respectively (p = 0.003). The specificity of routine cytology and FISH was 100% (13/13) and 62% (8/13), respectively (p = 0.025). The false-positive rate for routine cytology and FISH was 0% (0/13) and 38% (5/13), respectively. Conclusions: Our study shows that FISH is significantly more sensitive than routine cytology for the detection of malignancy in bile duct brushing specimens. However, in our study, the specificity of FISH was poor compared to the excellent specificity of routine cytology. The compromised specificity of FISH may limit its utility in the detection of malignant bile duct brushing specimens.
Multiparametric Magnetic-Resonance to Confirm Eligibility to an Active Surveillance Program for Low-Risk Prostate Cancer: Intermediate Time Results of a Third Referral High Volume Centre Active Surveillance Protocol
Authors: Luzzago Stefano , Musi Gennaro , Catellani Michele , Russo Andrea , Di Trapani Ettore , Mistretta Francesco Alessandro , Bianchi Roberto , Cozzi Gabriele , Conti Andrea , Pricolo Paola , Ferro Matteo , Matei Deliu-Victor , Mirone Vincenzo , Petralia Giuseppe , de Cobelli Ottavio
Published: May 2018

Background: To evaluate the role of confirmatory multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) of the prostate at the time of Active Surveillance (AS) enrollment to reduce disease misclassification. Materials: From 2012 to 2016, 383 patients with low-risk disease respecting Prostate Cancer Research International AS criteria underwent confirmatory 1.5-T mpMRI. AS was proposed to patients with Prostate Imaging and Report and Data System (PI-RADS) score ≤3 and no extraprostatic extension (EPE), whereas patients with PI-RADS score ≥4 and/or EPE were treated actively. Kaplan-Meier analyses quantified progression-free survival (PFS) in patients enrolled in the AS program. Logistic regression analyses tested the association between confirmatory mpMRI and clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) at radical prostatectomy (RP). Diagnostic performance of mpMRI was calculated in patients submitted to immediate RP. Results: PFS rate was 99, 90 and 86% at 1, 2 and 3 years respectively. At multivariable analysis, PI-RADS 3, PI-RADS 4, PI-RADS 5 and EPE increased the probability of having csPCa at immediate RP (PI-RADS 3 [OR] 1.2, p = 0.26; PI-RADS 4 [OR] 5.1, p = 0.02; PI-RADS 5 [OR] 6.7; p = 0.009; EPE [OR] 11.8, p < 0.001). Confirmatory mpMRI showed sensibility, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 85, 55, 68 and 76% respectively. Conclusions: MpMRI at the time of AS enrollment reduces the misclassification rate of csPCa. We suggest to perform target biopsies in patients with PI-RADS score 3 and 4 lesions.
Long Non-Coding RNA SH3PXD2A-AS1 Promotes Cell Progression Partly Through Epigenetic Silencing P57 and KLF2 in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Ma Zhonghua , Peng Peng , Zhou Jing , Hui Bingqing , Ji Hao , Wang Juan , Wang Keming
Published: May 2018

Background/Aims: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies worldwide. Current evidence has revealed the key roles of long non-coding RNAs (IncRNAs) in multiple cancers, including CRC. In this study we identified the lncRNA SH3PXD2A-AS1 as a novel molecule associated with CRC progression by analyzing the publicly available data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays were performed to examine the expression levels of SH3PXD2A-AS1 in CRC tissue samples and CRC cell lines. Cell viability examination, colony-formation experiments, ethynyl deoxyuridine (Edu) assays and flow cytometry were performed to investigate the roles of SH3PXD2A-AS1 in CRC proliferation, cell cycle regulation, and apoptosis. Transwell assays were used to explore the effects of SH3PXD2A-AS1 on CRC cells migration and invasion. A nude mice model was used to assess the effects of SH3PXD2A-AS1 on tumorigenesis in vivo. Subcellular fractionation, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were conducted to detect the molecular mechanisms of SH3PXD2A-ASl-mediated gene expression. Rescue assays were used to determine whether P57 and Kruppel-like factor 2 (KLF2) were involved in SH3PXD2A-ASl-dependent CRC proliferation. Results: We firstly found that SH3PXD2A-AS1 was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues and cell lines, and overexpression of SH3PXD2A-AS1 was correlated with tumor size, TNM stage, and lymph node metastasis in patients with CRC. Furthermore, SH3PXD2A-AS1 knockdown inhibited CRC cells proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro, and suppressed tumorigenesis in vivo. Mechanistic studies indicated that SH3PXD2A-AS1 could epiqenetically repress P57 and KLF2 expression through interaction with EZH2. Rescue experiments suggested that SH3PXD2A-ASl-mediated oncogenesis was impaired by overexpression of P57 or KLF2. Interestingly, the expression of SH3PXD2A-AS1 was inversely correlated with the expression of P57 and KLF2 in CRC tissue samples. Conclusion: Our research presents the first evidence that SH3PXD2A-AS1 acts as an oncogene in CRC, and may be a promising diagnostic or therapeutic target in patients with CRC.
The Alchemist’s Nightmare
Authors: Packer Milton
Published: May 2018

The injection of mesenchymal stem cells into the injured myocardium to induce cardiac regeneration has yielded disappointing results, conceivably because cells with cardioreparative potential must be supplied for long periods of time to produce a salutary effect. Accordingly, investigators have devised ways of directing such cells to the heart on an ongoing basis: by enhancing the action of endogenous peptides that function as cardiac homing signals (eg, stromal cell–derived factor—1). Stromal cell–derived factor—1 is released during acute cardiac injury and heart failure, but it has a short half-life because of degradation by dipeptidyl peptidase–4. Inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase–4 potentiates the actions of stromal cell–derived factor—1 and, theoretically, could enhance cardiac recovery. However, in large-scale trials in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, dipeptidyl peptidase–4 inhibitors have not reduced the risk of atherosclerotic ischemic events, and they have unexpectedly increased the risk of heart failure, most probably heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction. Such an outcome might be explained if the channeling of mesenchymal stem cells to the heart by the actions of stromal cell–derived factor—1 (especially from nearby adipose tissue) were followed by the transformation of these cells into fibroblasts rather than cardiomyocytes. This concern has been supported by experimental studies; the resulting fibrosis would be expected to exacerbate the pathophysiological derangements that lead to heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction. Given the widespread use of dipeptidyl peptidase–4 inhibitors, the possibility that these drugs potentiate the cardiac homing of mesenchymal stem cells that cause myocardial fibrosis (rather than repair) warrants further study.
Longitudinal Associations of Smoke-Free Policies and Incident Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Mayne Stephanie L. , Widome Rachel , Carroll Allison J. , Schreiner Pamela J. , Gordon-Larsen Penny , Jacobs David R. , Kershaw Kiarri N.
Published: May 2018

Background:

Smoke-free legislation has been associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease hospital admissions in ecological studies. However, prior studies lacked detailed information on individual-level factors (eg, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics) that could potentially confound associations. Our objective was to estimate associations of smoke-free policies with incident cardiovascular disease in a longitudinal cohort after controlling for sociodemographics, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and policy covariates.

Methods:

Longitudinal data from 3783 black and white adults in the CARDIA study (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults; 1995–2015) were linked to state, county, and local 100% smoke-free policies in bars, restaurants, and nonhospitality workplaces by Census tract. Extended Cox regression estimated hazard ratios (HRs) of incident cardiovascular disease associated with time-dependent smoke-free policy exposures. Models were adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, cardiovascular disease risk factors, state cigarette tax, participant-reported presence of a smoking ban at their workplace, field center, and metropolitan statistical area poverty.

Results:

During a median follow-up of 20 years (68 332 total person-years), 172 participants had an incident cardiovascular disease event (2.5 per 1000 person-years). Over the follow-up period, 80% of participants lived in areas with smoke-free policies in restaurants, 67% in bars, and 65% in nonhospitality workplaces. In fully adjusted models, participants living in an area with a restaurant, bar, or workplace smoke-free policy had a lower risk of incident cardiovascular disease compared with those in areas without smoke-free policies (HR, 0.75, 95% confidence interval, 0.49–1.15; HR, 0.76, 95% confidence interval, 0.47–1.24; HR, 0.54, 95% confidence interval, 0.34–0.86, respectively; HR, 0.58, 95% confidence interval, 0.33–1.00 for living in an area with all 3 types of policies compared with none). The estimated preventive fraction was 25% for restaurant policies, 24% for bar policies, and 46% for workplace policies.

Conclusions:

Consistent with prior ecological studies, these individual-based data add to the evidence that 100% smoke-free policies are associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease among middle-aged adults.
Potential Protective Mechanism in the Cardiac Microvascular Injury
Authors: Li Xiuchuan , Hou Juanni , Du Jin , Feng Jian , Yang Yi , Shen Yang , Chen Sha , Feng Juan , Yang Dachun , Li De , Pei Haifeng , Yang Yongjian
Published: May 2018

Cardiac microvascular injury often occurs in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who develop hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. However, besides reported contradictory roles in cardiac diseases, the function of TRPV1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid 1) in cardiac microvessels is not well defined. This study was performed to determine the detailed role of TRPV1 in cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) in T2DM. T2DM mice were established by multiple injections of low-dose streptozotocin and high-fat feeding. CMECs were cultured separately in mediums of normal glucose, high glucose (HG), high fatty acid (HF), and HG plus HF (HG-HF). HG-HF inhibited TRPV1 expression in CMECs, reducing cellular Ca
2+
content ([Ca
2+
]
i
). T2DM impaired cardiac function, disturbed glucose uptake, and damaged microvascular barrier, which were further aggravated by TRPV1
−/−
. Exposure to HG-HF, particularly in TRPV1
−/−
CMECs, led to a higher level of apoptosis and a lower level of nitric oxide production in viable CMECs. HG-HF markedly enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species and nitrotyrosine, especially in the absence of TRPV1. H
2
O
2
administration reduced TRPV1 expression in CMECs. HG-HF significantly depressed expression of PGC-1α (peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α) and OPA1 (optic atrophy 1) by reducing [Ca
2+
]
i
, whereas OPA1 supplementation partly reversed those detrimental effects induced by TRPV1
−/−
. Furthermore, capsaicin treatment not only attenuated CMECs injury induced by HG-HF but also mitigated cardiac microvascular injury induced by T2DM. Collectively, T2DM leads to cardiac microvascular injury by exacerbating the vicious circle of TRPV1 blockage and reactive oxygen species overload. Long-term capsaicin can protect cardiac microvessels against T2DM via suppressing oxidative/nitrative stress mediated by TRPV1/Ca
2+
/PGC-1α/OPA1 pathway in CMECs.
Generational Restoration: Oleg Igorevich Zhurin, Petr Dmitrievich Baranovskii and a resurrection on Red Square
Authors: Farley Brigit
Published: May 2018

This paper examines a remarkable episode in Russian cultural history: the intergenerational collaboration of Petr Dmitrievich Baranovskii, the most accomplished restorer in the annals of Russian cultural preservation, and Oleg Igorevich Zhurin, a prominent Moscow architect and Baranovskii mentee. In the 1920s, Baranovskii began a restoration of the storied Kazan’ Mother of God Cathedral on Red Square, a memorial to Russians’ great victory over foreign invaders in the Time of Troubles, hoping to reveal and restore its 17th century essence. Stalinist city planners halted his work and razed the cathedral, the nearby Resurrection Gates and Iverskaia Mother of God chapel. Through the difficult succeeding decades, Baranovskii kept alive the hope that the Kazan’ Cathedral might be brought back in some fashion. A young colleague, Oleg Igorevich Zhurin, picked up Baranovskii’s fallen standard just a few months before Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev came to power. He and like-minded cultural preservationists took advantage of rapidly changing attitudes towards history and culture in the late 1980s to bring about a remarkable resurrection of the 17th century on Red Square. Working from Baranovskii’s 1920s research, Zhurin brought both the Kazan’ Cathedral and the neighboring Resurrection Gates back to life. This was a true “generational restoration.”
Audiovisual Integration Varies With Target and Environment Richness in Immersive Virtual Reality
Authors: Bailey Hudson Diggs , Mullaney Aidan B. , Gibney Kyla D. , Kwakye Leslie Dowell
Published: May 2018

We are continually bombarded by information arriving to each of our senses; however, the brain seems to effortlessly integrate this separate information into a unified percept. Although multisensory integration has been researched extensively using simple computer tasks and stimuli, much less is known about how multisensory integration functions in real-world contexts. Additionally, several recent studies have demonstrated that multisensory integration varies tremendously across naturalistic stimuli. Virtual reality can be used to study multisensory integration in realistic settings because it combines realism with precise control over the environment and stimulus presentation. In the current study, we investigated whether multisensory integration as measured by the redundant signals effects (RSE) is observable in naturalistic environments using virtual reality and whether it differs as a function of target and/or environment cue-richness. Participants detected auditory, visual, and audiovisual targets which varied in cue-richness within three distinct virtual worlds that also varied in cue-richness. We demonstrated integrative effects in each environment-by-target pairing and further showed a modest effect on multisensory integration as a function of target cue-richness but only in the cue-rich environment. Our study is the first to definitively show that minimal and more naturalistic tasks elicit comparable redundant signals effects. Our results also suggest that multisensory integration may function differently depending on the features of the environment. The results of this study have important implications in the design of virtual multisensory environments that are currently being used for training, educational, and entertainment purposes.
Lemyra elena, a new species from Sichuan, south-western China (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae)
Authors: SALDAITIS AIDAS , VOLYNKIN ANTON V. , DÛDA JUOZAS
Published: May 2018

The genus Lemyra Walker, 1856 belongs to the tribe Arctiini of the subfamily Arctiinae Leach, 1815 (family Erebidae Leach, 1815). The genus was revised by Thomas (1990). At present it is subdivided into two subgenera, Lemyra and Thyrgorina Walker, [1865] and includes more than 100 valid species, many of which were described during last three decades (Fang 1993; Inoue 1993; Tshistjakov & Kishida 1994; Kirti & Gill 2008; Černý 2011; 2014; Černy & Pinratana 2009; Dubatolov 2007; 2010; Kirti & Singh 2016).
Regional Climatology of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean: High-Resolution Mapping of Ocean Structure and Change
Authors: Seidov Dan , Mishonov Alexey , Reagan James , Baranova Olga , Cross Scott , Parsons Rost
Published: May 2018

The vision of ocean circulation as highly variable and unstable flows generating and reintegrating mesoscale ocean eddies within their surroundings has come into focus over the past several decades based on satellite images and results from eddy-resolving ocean circulation models. Until recently, global ocean climatologies, built as in situ observations mapped onto regular spatial grids, did not reflect this image of ocean circulation because of relatively sparse data coverage. However, in a few key regions of the World Ocean, which are exceptionally data-rich, high-resolution data mapping, as high as 1/10°, has become feasible as a result of the increased volume of available ocean profile data. These new high-resolution ocean data mappings are now matching the details of thermohaline fields generated in eddy-resolving ocean models and, at the near-surface depths, satellite imagery of the ocean surface. The Northwest Atlantic Regional Ocean Climatology—the most advanced example of these new high-resolution regional ocean data mappings—and some of its applications are discussed in this review to provide insights on the advantages of high-resolution regional ocean climatologies for climate studies.
Influences of Orography and Coastal Geometry on a Transverse-Mode Sea-Effect Snowstorm over Hokkaido Island, Japan
Authors: Campbell Leah S. , Steenburgh W. James , Yamada Yoshinori , Kawashima Masayuki , Fujiyoshi Yasushi
Published: May 2018

Sea-effect snowstorms generated over the Sea of Japan produce consistent and often heavy snowfall throughout the winter season, impacting downstream communities in northern and central Japan. Here, we use observations and Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model simulations to examine the precipitation distribution produced by transverse-mode sea-effect snowbands that interacted with the mountainous terrain circumscribing Ishikari Bay, Hokkaido Island, Japan, on 12 January 2014. The bands observed here were horizontal convective rolls aligned normal to the mean flow and were ~10 km wide and up to ~100 km long. The bands approached Ishikari Bay at intervals of ~10–16 min, intensifying as they progressed through a quasi-stationary, elongated enhancement region that paralleled the Shakotan Peninsula and extended into the Ishikari plain. Hydrometeor advection, through an ascent region over the northeast slope of the Shakotan Peninsula, and along clockwise-turning trajectories steered by the boundary layer directional shear, contributed to sustained precipitation enhancement along a curve in the elongated enhancement region near the entrance to Ishikari Bay. Downstream, orographic flow deflection by the coastal mountains, likely accentuated by thermal and roughness gradients along the Shakotan Peninsula’s shoreline, produced convergence and ascent along the elongated enhancement region. This study demonstrates the impact of downstream topography on sea-effect snowstorms and has implications for improving the prediction of snowfall in this and other lake- and sea-effect regions.
Computed tomography informed composite damage state model generation
Authors: Ellison Andrew , Kim Hyonny
Published: May 2018

X-ray computed tomography has recently become an increasingly popular non-destructive imaging method in composites research. However, due to the complexity of 3D computed tomography data sets, it can be difficult to accurately and quantitatively assess the damage state of a composite structure without additional post-processing. A new segmentation procedure has been developed that takes a 3D computed tomography data set of an impacted composite laminate and separates internal damage into information about intraply and interlaminar damage within each ply and at each interface. Impacted flat T800/3900-2 unidirectional carbon/epoxy composite panels were scanned and then segmented to create comprehensible maps of internal damage states. Based on the types of data extracted by the developed computed tomography segmentation, techniques to input these datasets into numerical modeling have been developed. Additionally, various damage visualization and interpretation techniques made possible by the computed tomography segmentation have been explored.
Rape as a Practice of War: Toward a Typology of Political Violence
Authors: Wood Elisabeth Jean
Published: May 2018

When rape by an armed organization occurs frequently, it is often said to be a strategy of war. But some cases of conflict-related rape are better understood as a practice, violence that has not been explicitly adopted as organization policy but is nonetheless tolerated by commanders. The typology of conflict-related rape in this article emphasizes not only vertical relationships between commanders (principals) and combatants (agents) but also the horizontal social interactions among combatants. It analyzes when rape is likely to be prevalent as a practice, emphasizing not only gendered norms and beliefs of the society from which combatants come but also how those might be transformed by the organization’s socialization processes. In the conclusion, I suggest that the typology is relevant for analysts of all forms of of political violence and also for prosecutors, policy advocates, and policymakers concerned with conflict-related rape.
Tourism and the Output Gap
Authors: Carmignani Fabrizio , Moyle Char-lee
Published: May 2018

This article investigates the impact of tourism arrivals on a host country’s output gap, defined as the difference between actual gross domestic product (GDP) and trend GDP. Using panel data methods that account for the potential endogeneity of tourism and the business cycle, and the possible nonstationarity of tourism arrivals, the results show that an increase in tourism arrivals significantly improves the output gap of the host country. Quantitatively, a 10% increase in arrivals in a given year improves the output gap in that year by approximately 0.2% of actual GDP. There is, however, no evidence of a lagged effect of tourism. Based on this empirical evidence, the article concludes that tourism is a mechanism through which the domestic economy can take advantage of positive shocks happening elsewhere in the world. In this sense, tourism can contribute to the synchronization of business cycles between destination and origin countries.
Figure It Out!
Authors: Silver Daniel
Published: May 2018

This article pushes forward a critical dialogue about the value of visualization as a method of sociological theorizing. Building on a nascent literature, I argue theory diagrams may operate not only conjunctively but also disjunctively, independent from empirics; that their theoretical value lies not only in capturing sociological problems but also in the inferential procedures they embody; that their creative use spans not only deduction and abduction but also induction; that abduction may be pursued with diagrams not only in conjunction with deduction or in the production of visual sketches but also in visual exercises in theoretical play geared primarily toward getting new ideas; and that theory visuals often feature metaphorical aspects that, like their linguistic cousins, transfer thought patterns from one domain to another, thereby providing a major avenue for visual theoretical creativity. Taken together, pursuing these lines of thought helps to build a better understanding of how visualization contributes to the creative intellectual practice of sociological theorizing.
The Making of the Neoliberal Subject: Response to Whyte
Authors: Son Kyong-Min
Published: May 2018

In her recent essay, Jessica Whyte has challenged the tendency to repurpose Friedrich Hayek’s thought for a progressive and participatory politics. Objecting to such thinkers as Michel Foucault and William Connolly who find inspiration in Hayek’s critique of the monolithic political sovereign and his defense of spontaneous order, Whyte contends that his neoliberalism is actually predicated on the cultivation of politically submissive subjectivity and the curtailment of democratic politics. While agreeing with her substantive conclusions, I suggest that her conceptual frame centered on the themes of invisibility and providentialism is limited in explaining Hayek’s ideas and, more generally, the operation of neoliberalism. Pace Whyte, I argue that Hayek’s neoliberalism does not simply stave off political challenges by obfuscation, but wages an active and highly visible campaign to recruit and interpellate individuals as market subjects.
Between Academia and Civil Society: The Origins of Latin American Studies in the Netherlands
Authors: Baud Michiel
Published: May 2018

Dutch Latin American studies as a field of academic teaching and research emerged in the late 1960s and became consolidated in the 1970s and 1980s. It began as a purely academic endeavor, but in a changing Dutch and global society in the 1970s it rapidly became connected to and influenced by social and political processes in Latin America. The strong Christian and social-democratic traditions in the Netherlands allowed for strong links between academic researchers and civil society organizations. This resulted in the productive coexistence of academic and more political objectives and activities and allowed Dutch Latin American studies to grow into a dynamic field. A review of this experience calls attention to the importance of local conditions for understanding the consequences of the Cold War for academic research.

Los estudios holandeses sobre Latinoamérica emergieron como un campo de investigación y enseñanza académica a finales de la década de 1960, consolidándose durante los setenta y ochenta. Comenzaron como una actividad puramente académica, pero en la cambiante sociedad holandesa y global de los años setenta, rápidamente se vincularon a y fueron influenciados por los procesos políticos y sociales de América Latina. La fuerte tradición cristiana y social-democrática de Holanda dio lugar a poderosos vínculos entre investigadores académicos y organizaciones civiles. Esto llevó a la coexistencia de metas y actividades académicas al igual que aquellas de índole más política, transformando a los estudios holandeses sobre Latinoamérica en un campo dinámico. Un vistazo a esta experiencia resalta la importancia de las condiciones locales para una debida comprensión de las consecuencias de la Guerra Fría en la investigación académica.
The Effect of Option Homogeneity in Multiple-Choice Items
Authors: Applegate Gregory M. , Sutherland Karen A. , Becker Kirk A. , Luo Xiao
Published: May 2018

Previous research has found that option homogeneity in multiple-choice items affects item difficulty when items with homogeneous options are compared to the same items with heterogeneous options. This study conducted an empirical test of the effect of option homogeneity in multiple-choice items on a professional licensure examination to determine the predictability and magnitude of the change. Similarity of options to the key was determined by using subject matter experts and a natural language processing algorithm. Contrary to current research, data analysis revealed no consistent effect on item difficulty, discrimination, fit to the measurement model, or response time associated with the absence or presence of option homogeneity. While the results are negative, they call into question established guidelines in item development. A hypothesis is proposed to explain why this effect is found in some studies but not others.
Motives Driving the Choice of a Business Concentration: A Four-Country Study of Marketing, Accounting and Finance, and Management Undergraduates
Authors: Davies Mark A. P. , Tikoo Surinder
Published: May 2018

This four-country study compares business students concentrating in marketing, accounting and finance (AF), and management with respect to five motives: lifestyle aspirations, reputational effects, relative ease of completion, career outcomes, and developmental skills. We find that, except for the developmental skills motive, the importance of different motives varies with concentration choice. Lifestyle aspirations and relative ease of completion motives tend to be generally more important to marketing than AF and management concentrators, while career outcomes are more important to AF concentrators compared with marketing and management concentrators. Comparing marketing students in the United States to their counterparts elsewhere, those in China are significantly less attracted to lifestyle aspirations, reputation, and career outcomes, while those in the United Arab Emirates show no significant differences in career outcomes or reputation compared with those from the United States. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of variations in cognitive styles of concentrations, cultural norms, and market forces between tight and loose societies, with implications for managers of educational institutions.
Repulsive Serial Effects in Visual Numerosity Judgments
Authors: Valsecchi Matteo , Stucchi Natale , Scocchia Lisa
Published: May 2018

We investigated how the approximate perceived numerosity of ensembles of visual elements is modulated by the numerosity of previously viewed ensembles depending on whether the first ensemble is held in visual working memory or not. We show that the numerosity of the previously seen ensemble has a repulsive effect, that is, a stimulus with high numerosity induces an underestimation of the following one and vice versa. This repulsive effect is present regardless of whether the first stimulus is memorized or not. While subtle changes of the experimental paradigm can have major consequences for the nature of interstimulus dependencies in perception, generally speaking the fact that we found such effects in a visual numerosity estimation task confirms that the process by which human observers produce estimates of the number of elements bears analogies to the processes that lead to the perception of visual dimensions such as orientation.
Meaningful occupation with iPads: Experiences of residents and staff in an older person’s mental health setting
Authors: Swan Jodie , Hitch Danielle , Pattison Ruth , Mazur Angela , Loi Samantha , Westphal Alissa , Bolton Kate
Published: May 2018

Introduction

This study aimed to explore the experience of staff and residents of mental health residential care facilities, using iPads as a medium to engage in meaningful occupation.

Method

A mixed method was used, which combined descriptive quantitative and thematic qualitative analysis. The Pan Occupational Paradigm was used as a theoretical framework, to maintain an occupational perspective. Residents participated in semi-structured interviews, and staff completed surveys and participated in a focus group or individual interview. The responses were then coded and analysed for their description of ‘doing’, ‘being’, ‘becoming’ and ‘belonging’ experiences.

Findings

Analysis found that residents engaged in personally meaningful occupations with the iPads, often with staff facilitation. The study also found that staff and residents responded positively to the iPads, particularly regarding developing positive connections and opportunities for growth and mastery. However, barriers associated with resource availability (particularly hardware and infrastructure) were also identified.

Conclusion

The use of iPads in these facilities provided opportunities for residents to engage in meaningful occupation, and overcome the occupational limitations inherent in the service setting. iPad use also enabled residents to engage in the community outside the facility.
An oral history of occupational therapy education in the Republic of Ireland
Authors: Dunne Bríd D , Pettigrew Judith , Robinson Katie
Published: May 2018

Introduction

Historical research contributes to the critical perspectives called for in occupational therapy. Despite this, research on the history of occupational therapy education is limited. The only occupational therapy programme in the Republic of Ireland from 1963 to 1986 was the diploma at St Joseph's College of Occupational Therapy, Dublin, which followed the curriculum first of the Association of Occupational Therapists and from 1974 the British Association of Occupational Therapists. This study explores oral histories of pioneering students from that programme.

Method

Oral history interviews were conducted with 19 former students of the programme who studied between 1963 and 1970. Interviews were thematically analysed.

Findings

Participants described a curriculum with two subject foci: academic and activity-based subjects. Despite a focus on activity-based subjects in the curriculum, participants were ambivalent about their use in practice. They described a need to manage tensions arising from working alongside craft workers designated as occupational therapists. Throughout the interviews, claims for the professional status of occupational therapy were identified.

Conclusion

The oral histories reveal a multitude of professionalisation strategies used to establish the profession in 1960s and 1970s Ireland. These findings have relevance for present day debates about professionalisation, occupation-focused curricula and interprofessional practice and education.
Network Level Clearance Assessment using LiDAR to Improve the Reliability and Efficiency of Issuing Over-Height Permits on Highways
Authors: Gargoum Suliman , Karsten Lloyd , El-Basyouny Karim
Published: May 2018

Commercial vehicles on highway networks are only permitted to use routes that are designed to accommodate their sizes and weights. When issuing an over-height permit, agencies consider vertical clearances on all route options on a highway network before directing a vehicle to the optimal route. Inefficient routing of commercial vehicles could cause excessive delays, which would result in undesirable economic impacts. Moreover, inaccurate assignment of vehicles to routes where the road infrastructure cannot handle the vehicle’s size could cause significant damage to the roadway, resulting in potential safety risks. Although routing programs and permit-issuing agencies try to avoid inaccurate assignments, this is not always possible since they rely on a database of information prone to human error and one which is not always up to date. To create a more reliable database of information, Departments of Transport need more efficient methods to collect information on highways. This paper aims to increase the efficiency of collecting data required to issue over-height permits by utilizing LiDAR data to automatically assess vertical clearance on highways. The method used involves detecting all overhead objects on a highway corridor and estimating the clearance at each object before mapping the data on a GIS map. The method was tested on three different highway corridors in Alberta, Canada ranging in length from 130 to 400 km. Testing revealed that the proposed method is effective in performing network-level assessment of vertical clearance, which has significant impacts on the efficiency of routing over-height vehicles on a network.