bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Environmental, Spatial, and Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Nonfatal Injuries in Indonesia
Authors: Irianti Sri , Prasetyoputra Puguh
Published: April 2017

Background. The determinants of injuries and their reoccurrence in Indonesia are not well understood, despite their importance in the prevention of injuries. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate the environmental, spatial, and sociodemographic factors associated with the reoccurrence of injuries among Indonesian people.Methods. Data from the 2013 round of the Indonesia Baseline Health Research (IBHR 2013) were analysed using a two-part hurdle regression model. A logit regression model was chosen for thezero-hurdle part, while a zero-truncated negative binomial regression model was selected for thecounts part. Odds ratio (OR) and incidence rate ratio (IRR) were the measures of association, respectively.Results. The results suggest that living in a household with distant drinking water source, residing in slum areas, residing in Eastern Indonesia, having low educational attainment, being men, and being poorer are positively related to the likelihood of experiencing injury. Moreover, being a farmer or fishermen, having low educational attainment, and being men are positively associated with the frequency of injuries.Conclusion. This study would be useful to prioritise injury prevention programs in Indonesia based on the environmental, spatial, and sociodemographic characteristics.
The Noninvasive Treatment for Sentinel Lymph Node Metastasis by Photodynamic Therapy Using Phospholipid Polymer as a Nanotransporter of Verteporfin
Authors: Shimada Kyosuke , Matsuda Sachiko , Jinno Hiromitsu , Kameyama Noriaki , Konno Tomohiro , Arai Tsunenori , Ishihara Kazuhiko , Kitagawa Yuko
Published: April 2017

Aim. The usefulness of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for treating sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastasis was evaluated.Materials and Methods. Verteporfin, a hydrophobic photosensitizer, forms a soluble aggregate with poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine-co-n-butyl methacrylate) (PMB). The concentrations of verteporfin were determined by measuring the fluorescence emitted at 700 nm. Seven days after the inoculation of A431 cells at the forearm of BALB/c nude mice, PMB-verteporfin was injected at dorsum manus and 75 J of light energy was delivered for 1 minute. Fifty-three mice were randomly assigned to the combination of PMB-verteporfin injection and light exposure, light exposure alone, PMB-verteporfin injection alone, and no treatment groups. Ten days after PDT, brachial lymph nodes, which were considered as SLNs, were harvested and evaluated.Results. The concentration of verteporfin in SLN was significantly higher than other organs. The combination of PMB-verteporfin injection and light exposure group significantly reduced the SLN metastasis (13%) comparing with no treatment group (52%), light exposure alone group (57%), and PMB-verteporfin injection alone group (46%).Conclusions. These data suggested that PDT using PMB as a nanotransporter of verteporfin could be a minimally invasive treatment of SLN metastasis in breast cancer and represent a potential alternative procedure to SLNB.
Abstract A20: Synthetic lethality induced by pharmacological inhibition of ATM and PARP1
Authors: Mak Joyce Pui Ying , Poon Randy Yat Choi
Published: April 2017

DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs) are highly deleterious and need to be repaired for maintaining genomic stability and viability. Cells resolve DSBs via non-homologous end-joining or homologous recombination repair (HRR). The simultaneous downregulation of both repair mechanisms induces synthetic lethality. Accordingly, PARP1 inhibitors (PARPi) are being used to target cancers with defective HRR such as cancers with BRCA1/2 mutations. Similar to BRCA1/2, ATM is involved in HRR; and ATM deficiency enhances sensitivity towards PARPi. But unlike BRCA1/2, ATM can be targeted using various small-molecule inhibitors (ATMi) in cancers containing wild type ATM. Using nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines as models, we found that the combined treatment of PARPi and ATMi led to the accumulation of DSBs, activation of the G2 DNA damage checkpoint, reduced mitotic entry, and diminished cell proliferation. Co-inhibition of ATM and PARP1 induced robust DNA damage responses without triggering mitotic catastrophe. In agreement with this, PARPi induced more DNA damage in ATM-knockout cells than wild type cells. Conversely, ATMi promoted more DNA damage when PARP1 was ablated. Although it is believed that PARPi exerts its effects by both inhibiting PARP1 catalytic activities and trapping PARP1 at DNA breaks, we found that the synergism between ATMi and PARPi did not require PARP1 trapping. These results provide insights on developing combined treatment of PARPi and ATMi into anti-cancer therapies for cancers without HRR or NHEJ deficiencies.

Citation Format: Joyce Pui Ying Mak, Randy Yat Choi Poon. Synthetic lethality induced by pharmacological inhibition of ATM and PARP1 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on DNA Repair: Tumor Development and Therapeutic Response; 2016 Nov 2-5; Montreal, QC, Canada. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2017;15(4_Suppl):Abstract nr A20.
Abstract B07: Learning from human tumors: Modeling of Mre11 complex patient mutations in yeast
Authors: Hohl Marcel , Inagaki Akiko , Petrini John H.J.
Published: April 2017

The Mre11 complex plays a central role in the eukaryotic DNA damage response (DDR) in which it acts as a sensor of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), and thereby governs DNA damage signaling as well as DSB repair. The complex is comprised of Mre11, Rad50, and Nbs1 (or Xrs2 in budding yeast), with dimers of Rad50 and Mre11 forming its core and a Nbs1/Xrs2 protomer binding to each Mre11. The Mre11 complex globular domain harbors all enzymatic and DNA binding functions of the Mre11 complex and is a very dynamic domain regulated by conformational changes induced by Rad50 ATP binding and hydrolysis cycles. It was suggested that the ATP-bound closed form of the complex promotes Mre11 complex role in ATM/Te1l signaling, whereas ATP hydrolysis opens the globular domain, and renders the Mre11 nuclease domain accessible to the DNA substrate to promote its role in DSB repair. We have recently shown that Mre11 complex role in ATM/Te1l signaling and DSB repair are genetically separable. The curative response of a patient with metastatic small cell cancer to combined checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) inhibition and DNA damaging chemotherapy was promoted in part by the simultaneous inhibition of both the ATR and the ATM axes of the DDR, as the tumor harbored a missense mutation within the Rad50 ATPase D-loop domain attenuating ATM signaling. To date, targeted tumor sequencing identified more than 800 missense mutations within Mre11 complex genes spanning various types of tumors, with some mutations occurring in highly conserved residues in several patients. Modeling of these alleles in yeast revealed a strong bias towards attenuating Mre11 complex's role in Tel1/ATM signaling, while leaving its DSB repair function intact. Using a combination of yeast and mouse genetic studies along with biochemical analysis, we aim to get mechanistic insights into Mre11 complex-ATM/Tel1 signaling. Learning from tumor samples deficient in Mre11 complex ATM signaling could not only be valuable for guiding treatment decisions in a synthetic lethal approach with ATR inhibitors, but also potentiate the design of drugs that specifically block Mre11 complex ATM signaling.

Citation Format: Marcel Hohl, Akiko Inagaki, John H.J. Petrini. Learning from human tumors: Modeling of Mre11 complex patient mutations in yeast [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on DNA Repair: Tumor Development and Therapeutic Response; 2016 Nov 2-5; Montreal, QC, Canada. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2017;15(4_Suppl):Abstract nr B07.
Abstract B27: Co-inhibition of ATM and TDP1 as a novel chemosensitization strategy against malignant brain tumors
Authors: Packer Matthew , Saleh Ali , Katyal Sachin
Published: April 2017

Purpose: Current methods to treat glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are highly invasive, lead to poor quality-of-life and an abysmal patient survival rate thus making GBMs one of the most difficult-to-treat and deadliest form of all primary CNS malignancies. The targeted use of Topoisomerase-1 (Top1) poisons/inhibitors to sensitize or augment tumor cell killing is a long-standing and powerful tool in cancer therapy. A number of trials utilizing Top1 inhibitors to manage GBM have shown promise.

We have uncovered a novel functional requirement for ATM (Mutated in Ataxia Telangiectasia) in resolving oxidative DNA breaks and Topoisomerase 1-DNA covalent complexes (Top1cc), a DNA-protein intermediate that can generate DNA breaks upon collision with the transcriptional machinery or DNA replication forks. These data have identified Top1cc as the first specific endogenous pathogenic neural DNA lesion associated with loss of ATM and heritable pediatric neurodegenerative disease. Furthermore, biochemical and genetic studies identified collaboration of ATM and TDP1 (Tyrosyl-DNA Phosphodiesterase 1) in the resolution of Top1cc during neurodevelopment.

We hypothesize that co-inhibition of ATM and TDP1 will sensitize brain tumors to Top1-dependent chemotherapy by augmenting Top1cc levels and anti-tumor success.

Methods: Genetic and biochemical methods to co-inhibit ATM and TDP1 and improve the efficacy of Top1 poisons include novel high-throughput cell-based DNA damage repair and viability assays and in vivo brain tumor regression assays using mouse xenograft models.

Results: We have found that brain tumor cell killing via Top1-dependent inhibition is greatly enhanced through an ATM and TDP1 co-inhibition strategy. Induced genotoxic cell death occurs at lower chemotherapeutic drug doses as a result of sensitization to Top1cc. We are presently validating these results and performing in vivo studies.

Conclusions: ATM and TDP1 co-inhibition represents an effective two-pronged approach to chemoradiosensitize CNS tumors. As TDP1 antagonizes Top1cc formation and efficacy of Top1 poisons such as the camptothecin (CPT) cohort of drugs, our findings will improve existing Top1-mediated anti-cancer strategies by enhancing tumor cell killing while reducing clinical doses and patient side-effects. Furthermore, these findings also suggest an alternative avenue in the clinical management of GBM.

Citation Format: Matthew Packer, Ali Saleh, Sachin Katyal. Co-inhibition of ATM and TDP1 as a novel chemosensitization strategy against malignant brain tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on DNA Repair: Tumor Development and Therapeutic Response; 2016 Nov 2-5; Montreal, QC, Canada. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2017;15(4_Suppl):Abstract nr B27.
Abstract IA17: Non-canonical aspects of ATM and p53 signaling pathways
Authors: Kastan Michael B. , Scarbrough Peter , Chen Jing , Brown Adam , Crutchley John , Fleenor Donald
Published: April 2017

The ATM protein kinase and p53 protein are both central mediators of many aspects of DNA damage and cellular stress signaling. While there is a clear, direct relationship between ATM and p53, ATM has numerous substrates in addition to p53 and, conversely, p53 can be activated by selected stresses without ATM. We have identified novel aspects of stress response signaling independently involving either ATM or p53. Though ATM plays a central role in mediating cellular responses to DNA breakage, some of the clinical abnormalities in the cancer-prone disorder, Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T), are difficult to attribute directly to alterations in DNA damage signaling, such as neurodegeneration (primarily cerebellar), immunodeficiency, insulin resistance, progressive lung disease, and telangiectasia development. Our recent data demonstrate that, in addition to its DNA damage signaling functions, the ATM protein kinase has critical, p53-independent, non-canonical roles in modulating mitochondrial function and affecting metabolic stress signaling. It is intriguing that one gene product seems to be at a nexus of DNA damage signaling and metabolic signaling, but perhaps it should not be surprising that these pathways would be linked and that a protein with a PI-3K domain and a protein in the mTOR kinase family would provide such a link. These insights suggest that Ataxia-telangiectasia should be considered, at least in part, as a mitochondrial dysfunction disease and provide links between cancer-related DNA damage signaling, general metabolic signaling pathways, and cancer development. We have also identified novel aspects of p53 regulation by DNA damage involving ATM-independent regulation of RNA splicing, a process which affects splicing of p53 and other gene products and modulates cellular outcome after DNA damage. This DNA damage-induced alternative splicing pathway expands the repertoire of gene products that modulate cellular stress responses.

Citation Format: Michael B. Kastan, Peter Scarbrough, Jing Chen, Adam Brown, John Crutchley, Donald Fleenor. Non-canonical aspects of ATM and p53 signaling pathways [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on DNA Repair: Tumor Development and Therapeutic Response; 2016 Nov 2-5; Montreal, QC, Canada. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2017;15(4_Suppl):Abstract nr IA17.
It Takes a Village to Unmask HSTL
Authors: Yoshida Noriaki , Weinstock David M.
Published: April 2017

Summary: In this issue of Cancer Discovery, McKinney and colleagues describe the genetics of hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma, a rare subtype of T-cell lymphoma with unique clinical characteristics. The findings, specifically frequent mutations of STAT5B, PIK3CD, and the histone methyltransferase SETD2, may help guide translational efforts to target this deadly disease. Cancer Discov; 7(4); 352–3. ©2017 AACR.

See related article by McKinney et al., p. 369.
The Impact of Self-Criticism and Self-Reassurance on Weight-Related Affect and Well-Being in Participants of a Commercial Weight Management Programme
Authors: Duarte Cristiana , Stubbs James , Pinto-Gouveia José , Matos Marcela , Gale Corinne , Morris Liam , Gilbert Paul
Published: April 2017

Objective: Certain psychological and emotional factors can undermine attempts at weight management. Previously we have found that shame and self-criticism were significantly associated with disinhibition and perceived hunger in 2,236 participants of a weight management programme. This effect was fully mediated through weight-related negative affect. The present study examined the impact of self-criticism and self-reassurance on well-being and whether it was mediated by weight-related affect in the same population. Methods: Participants completed an online survey of measures of self-criticism and self-reassurance, and negative and positive affect associated with weight and well-being. Results: Path analysis suggested that self-criticism was significantly associated with decreased well-being, both directly and indirectly, mediated by increased negative and decreased positive weight-related affect. Self-reassurance had a stronger association with increased well-being by predicting lower negative and increased positive weight-related affect. All effects were significant at p < 0.001. Conclusion: Self-criticism and self-reassurance were related to well-being in participants attempting to manage their weight, both directly and through their impact on weight-related affect. The positive association between self-reassurance and well-being was stronger than the negative association between self-criticism and well-being. Supporting the development of self-reassuring competencies in weight management programmes may improve weight-related affect and well-being.
Addressing Common Questions Encountered in the Diagnosis and Management of Cardiac Amyloidosis
Authors: Maurer Mathew S. , Elliott Perry , Comenzo Raymond , Semigran Marc , Rapezzi Claudio
Published: April 2017

Advances in cardiac imaging have resulted in greater recognition of cardiac amyloidosis in everyday clinical practice, but the diagnosis continues to be made in patients with late-stage disease, suggesting that more needs to be done to improve awareness of its clinical manifestations and the potential of therapeutic intervention to improve prognosis. Light chain cardiac amyloidosis, in particular, if recognized early and treated with targeted plasma cell therapy, can be managed very effectively. For patients with transthyretin amyloidosis, there are numerous therapies that are currently in late-phase clinical trials. In this review, we address common questions encountered in clinical practice regarding etiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of cardiac amyloidosis, focusing on recent important developments in cardiac imaging and biochemical diagnosis. The aim is to show how a systematic approach to the evaluation of suspected cardiac amyloidosis can impact the prognosis of patients in the modern era.
Time in Old Japan: In Search of a Paradigm
Authors: Steineck Raji C.
Published: April 2017

Various attempts have been made to systematize fundamental patterns of temporal organization and to establish links between these patterns and natural and cultural evolution. This paper compares three pertinent theories of time in the light of evidence from Japanese cultural history: the hierarchical theory of time by J. T. Fraser, the fourfold paradigm of time imageries by Y. Maki, and the social learning theory of time by G. Dux. It demonstrates that the “canonical forms of time” established by these authors can be brought into meaningful conversation with each other and that they suggest helpful methodologies for the analysis of temporal perspectives in Japanese history. At the same time, comparative analysis reveals reasons for caution against simplified evolutionary accounts of cultural history. From very early on, Japanese literary sources evince an acute consciousness of conflicting temporalities. At the same time, there is no unified “Japanese concept of time”—neither trans-historically nor at any given period.
Tripylella australis sp. nov. and Tripyla setifera Bütschli 1873 (Nematoda: Triplonchida: Tripylidae) from Australia
Authors: XU YU MEI , ZHAO ZENG QI , DAVIES KERRIE A. , WANG JIAN MING
Published: April 2017

This paper describes a new species of Tripylella and gives a new record of Tripyla (family Tripylidae) in Australia, and provides a key to species in the genus Tripylella. Tripylella australis sp. nov. is characterized by having females with a long body (1804–1832 μm), a=41–42, b= 4.4–4.5, c=10.3–11.3, c’=5.4–6.4 and V=51–54%, outer labial setae 13–14 μm long and cephalic setae 3.7–4.5 μm long in one whorl, dorsal tooth posterior to two subventral teeth, tail tapering uniformly, and four single caudal setae on the dorsal part of the tail. Males are similar to females, and have a long body (1870–2014 μm), a=50–55, b= 4.7–4.9, c=11.3–11.4, c’=5.8–6.0 and T=53–56%, horn-shaped spicules, 36–38 μm long, a straight gubernaculum 14–16 μm in length, tail tapering almost uniformly, and four caudal setae on the dorsal part of the tail. A key for identification of Tripylella species is presented. Tripyla setifera Bütschli 1873 is recorded for the first time in Australia, and is re-described.
Secondary Eyewall Formation in Tropical Cyclones by Outflow–Jet Interaction
Authors: Dai Yi , Majumdar Sharanya J. , Nolan David S.
Published: April 2017

This study uses idealized numerical simulations to show that the interaction between tropical cyclones and a midlatitude jet can result in secondary eyewall formation. It is argued that the eddy activity by the outflow–jet interaction can enhance the upper-level outflow, thereby creating an asymmetric stratiform region outside of the primary eyewall. Numerous long-lasting deep convective cells are able to form in the stratiform cloud, creating forcing necessary for the secondary eyewall. The low-level inflow and the TC’s primary circulation advect the deep convective cells inward and cyclonically. The secondary eyewall forms after the deep convection has surrounded the TC. In contrast, numerical simulations without the jet do not show secondary eyewall formation. For moderately strong jets of wind speed 15–30 m s−1, there is little sensitivity to the jet strength. There is sensitivity to the distance between the jet and the TC, with secondary eyewall formation evident when their separation is 15° latitude but not when the separation exceeds 20°.
The Seasonality and Interannual Variability of Arctic Sea Ice Reemergence
Authors: Bushuk Mitchell , Giannakis Dimitrios
Published: April 2017

There is a significant gap between the potential predictability of Arctic sea ice area and the current forecast skill of operational prediction systems. One route to closing this gap is improving understanding of the physical mechanisms, such as sea ice reemergence, which underlie this inherent predictability. Sea ice reemergence refers to the tendency of melt-season sea ice area anomalies to recur the following growth season and growth-season anomalies to recur the following melt season. This study builds on earlier work, providing a mode-based analysis of the seasonality and interannual variability of three distinct reemergence mechanisms. These mechanisms are studied using a common set of coupled modes of variability obtained via coupled nonlinear Laplacian spectral analysis, a data analysis technique for high-dimensional multivariate datasets. The coupled modes capture the covariability of sea ice concentration (SIC), sea surface temperature (SST), sea level pressure (SLP), and sea ice thickness (SIT) in a control integration of a global climate model. Using a parsimonious reemergence mode family, the spatial characteristics of growth-to-melt reemergence are studied, and an SIT–SIC reemergence mechanism is examined. A set of reemergence metrics to quantify the amplitude and phase of growth-to-melt reemergence are introduced. Metrics quantifying SST–SIC and SLP–SIC mechanisms for melt-to-growth reemergence are also computed. A simultaneous comparison of the three reemergence mechanisms, with focus on their seasonality and interannual variability, is performed. Finally, the conclusions are tested in a model hierarchy, consisting of models that share the same sea ice component but differ in their atmospheric and oceanic formulation.
Investigating Nonlinear Dependence between Climate Fields
Authors: Fischer Matt J.
Published: April 2017

The Earth’s ice–ocean–atmosphere system exhibits nonlinear responses, such as the difference in the magnitude of the atmospheric response to positive or negative ocean or sea ice anomalies. Two classes of methods that have previously been used to investigate the nonlinear dependence between climate fields are kernel methods and neural network methods. In this paper, a third methodology is introduced: gradient-based kernel dimension reduction. Gradient-based kernel methods are an extension of conventional kernel methods, but gradient-based methods focus on the directional derivatives of the regression surface between two fields. Specifically, a new gradient-based method is developed here: gradient kernel canonical correlation analysis (gKCCA). In gKCCA, the canonical directions maximize the directional derivatives between the predictor field and the response field, while the canonical components of the response field maximize the correlation with a nonlinear augmentation of the predictor canonical components. Gradient-based kernel methods have several advantages: their components can be directly related to the original fields (unlike in conventional kernel methods), and the projection vectors are determined by analytical solution (unlike in neural networks). Here gKCCA is applied to the question of nonlinear coupling between high-frequency (2–3 years) and low-frequency (4–6 years) modes in the Pacific Ocean. The leading gKCCA subspace shows a significant nonlinear coupling between the low-pass and high-pass fields. The paper also shows that the results of gKCCA are robust to different levels of noise and different kernel functions.
Upper-Ocean Contribution to Short-Term Regional Coastal Sea Level Variability along the United States
Authors: Nieves Veronica , Marcos Marta , Willis Josh K.
Published: April 2017

The upper ocean thermal structure is largely influenced by natural internal variability, and it modulates global surface temperature as well as regional sea level anomalies over decadal time scales. The internal variability of some important oceanographic processes, such as the Pacific decadal oscillation, can cause differences of 10 to 20 cm relative to the global mean in many coastal locations. These differences are sufficient to alter decisions between soft and/or large protective measures on every coast. Yet, current indicators of sea level changes are based on either surface variables or subsurface ocean measurements through the entire water column. There is also a lack of focus on short-term predictions of sea level change and concrete applications of these predictions at regional scale, which clouds local decision-making. The results herein confirm that the information contained within the top 300 m of the ocean is essential to capture decadal, regional relative sea level variability, whereas depths well below the thermocline do not appear to be closely tied to these large oscillations. Hence, the authors propose a regionally scoped indicator based on upper-ocean temperature as a first step toward identifying trend changes in short-term sea level rise over large coastal regions of the United States. The proposed indicator is a promising new tool that could help close the gaps mentioned above and improve the utility of existing local sea level records.
Improved Detection of the First-Order Region for Direction-Finding HF Radars Using Image Processing Techniques
Authors: Kirincich Anthony
Published: April 2017

For direction-finding high-frequency (HF) radar systems, the correct separation of backscattered spectral energy due to Bragg resonant waves from that due to more complex double-scattering represents a critical first step toward attaining accurate estimates of surface currents from the range-dependent radar backscatter. Existing methods to identify this “first order” region of the spectra, generally sufficient for lower-frequency radars and low-velocity or low-surface gravity wave conditions, are more likely to fail in higher-frequency systems or locations with more variable current, wave, or noise regimes, leading to elevated velocity errors. An alternative methodology is presented that uses a single and globally relevant smoothing length scale, careful pretreatment of the spectra, and marker-controlled watershed segmentation, an image processing technique, to separate areas of spectral energy due to surface currents from areas of spectral energy due to more complex scattering by the wave field or background noise present. Applied to a number of HF radar datasets with a range of operating frequencies and characteristic issues, the new methodology attains a higher percentage of successful first-order identification, particularly during complex current and wave conditions. As operational radar systems continue to expand to more systematically cover areas of high marine traffic, close approaches to ports and harbors, or offshore energy installations, use of this type of updated methodology will become increasingly important to attain accurate current estimates that serve both research and operational interests.
Simple Statistical Probabilistic Forecasts of the Winter NAO
Authors: Hall Richard J. , Scaife Adam A. , Hanna Edward , Jones Julie M. , Erdélyi Robert
Published: April 2017

The variability of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is a key aspect of Northern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation and has a profound impact upon the weather of the surrounding landmasses. Recent success with dynamical forecasts predicting the winter NAO at lead times of a few months has the potential to deliver great socioeconomic impacts. Here, a linear regression model is found to provide skillful predictions of the winter NAO based on a limited number of statistical predictors. Identified predictors include El Niño, Arctic sea ice, Atlantic SSTs, and tropical rainfall. These statistical models can show significant skill when used to make out-of-sample forecasts, and the method is extended to produce probabilistic predictions of the winter NAO. The statistical hindcasts can achieve similar levels of skill to state-of-the-art dynamical forecast models, although out-of-sample predictions are less skillful, albeit over a small period. Forecasts over a longer out-of-sample period suggest there is true skill in the statistical models, comparable with that of dynamical forecasting models. They can be used both to help evaluate and to offer insight into the sources of predictability and limitations of dynamical models.
International organization at war: NATO practices in the Afghan campaign
Authors: Schmitt Olivier
Published: April 2017

This article investigates the NATO campaign in Afghanistan through a practice-based approach. The structural distribution of power within NATO, which is obviously in favor of the US, does not automatically lead to Washington’s desired outcomes, and US delegates must competently perform a certain number of practices for their power advantage to take its full effect. The article also illustrates how looking at practices helps to explain policy decisions, such as NATO’s decision to engage in Afghanistan, the establishment of an International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) strategy and the wording of policy papers. By studying a case of military diplomacy, the article contributes to the emerging scholarship aimed at bridging the gap between diplomatic studies and practice-based approaches to International Relations.
The Czechoslovak automotive industry and the launch of a new model: The Škoda factory in Mladá Boleslav, in the 1970s and 1980s
Authors: Vilímek Tomáš , Fava Valentina
Published: April 2017

From 1945 to 1989, the Automobilové závody, n.p. (Automotive Plant, a national enterprise), in Mladá Boleslav, manufactured one of the best-known brands of motor car in the Eastern Bloc, the Škoda. This article focuses on the process of planning and manufacturing a change in models in the Czechoslovak automotive industry between 1968 and 1990. It is widely known how the launch of a new model of car represents a key step for every car manufacturer in most parts of the globe. In Czechoslovakia under Communist rule, however, passing from one model to another entailed grotesque, almost insuperable, difficulties, and it can therefore be seen as a textbook example of the complications of the innovation process in a centrally planned economy. The article draws not only on documentation available in company archives but also on the records of the Czechoslovak secret police, the State Security services.
Fertile Connections: Thinking across Assisted Reproductive Technologies and Parenting Culture Studies
Authors: Faircloth Charlotte , Gürtin Zeynep B
Published: April 2017

While studies of ‘parenting culture’ and ‘assisted reproductive technologies’ are now well-established areas of social science scholarship, so far, the potential connections between the two fields have not been significantly explored. Responding to calls for a more ‘processual’ approach to studying reproduction in order to make clearer contributions to sociological theory more broadly, we begin a dialogue between these mutually relevant bodies of literature, highlighting connections and crosscutting findings. We focus on four interlinked themes – Reflexivity, Gender, Expertise and Stratification – and promote a more holistic approach to understanding how children are conceived and cared for within the current ‘Euro-American’ reproductive landscape. By way of conclusion, we draw attention to the contemporary context of ‘anxious reproduction’ and propose directions for future research.
Fairness at the Organizational Level: Examining the Effect of Organizational Justice Climate on Collective Turnover Rates and Organizational Performance
Authors: Moon Kuk-Kyoung
Published: April 2017

In the continuing quest to understand public employees’ reactions to fair (or unfair) treatment in the workplace, perceived organizational justice has been conceptualized primarily as an individual-level phenomenon. Although individuals create collective perceptions of the fair treatment of their work unit as a whole, little attention has been paid to consequences of justice climate at the organizational level. Using panel data from the U.S. federal government, this study seeks to fill this gap by examining the effect of four dimensions of organizational justice climate—distributive, procedural, informational, and interpersonal—on collective turnover rates and organizational performance. The findings show the negative association of distributive and interpersonal justice climates with turnover rates and the positive association of distributive, procedural, and interpersonal justice climates with organizational performance. Moreover, further analysis confirms that each dimension of justice climate has relative influence on both outcomes. Implications and contributions of these results for public administration theory and practice are discussed.
Factors That Contributed to Gifted Students’ Success on STEM Pathways: The Role of Race, Personal Interests, and Aspects of High School Experience
Authors: Steenbergen-Hu Saiying , Olszewski-Kubilius Paula
Published: April 2017

In this study, we conducted binary logistic regression on survey data collected from 244 past participants of a Talent Search program who attended regular high schools but supplemented their regular high school education with enriched or accelerated math and science learning activities. The participants completed an online survey 4 to 6 years after high school. This study examined how their demographics, high school experiences, and timing of and reasons for pursuing a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pathway related to the probability of earning STEM college degrees. This study revealed two factors that were positively and significantly associated with the outcome of earning STEM college degrees: Asian or White ethnicity and students’ personal interest in STEM. Findings suggest that students’ success in earning STEM degrees may not be fully attributable to their high achievements or abilities, and that their experiences in the Talent Search and supplemental outside-of-school gifted programs helped students intensify their interests in STEM.
Reflections: The Value of Patient Support Groups
Authors: Hu Amanda
Published: April 2017

A patient support group is defined as “a group of people with common experiences and concerns who provide emotional and moral support for one another.” Support groups fulfill many functions: educating patients/family, sharing the illness experience, providing strength to its members, raising public awareness, and fundraising. Some research has shown an improvement in quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer who have participated in support groups. A wide variety of support groups are available for otolaryngology patients, ranging from head and neck oncology to tinnitus and spasmodic dysphonia. Some support groups are face‐to‐face, while others use social media and the Internet. Surprisingly, engagement in patient support groups is low—about 10%. Some barriers to accessing support groups are awareness, time constraints, and confrontation of negative aspects of the disease. As otolaryngologists, we can help our patients access support groups so that they can benefit from these resources.
Motion tomography: Mapping flow fields using autonomous underwater vehicles
Authors: Chang Dongsik , Wu Wencen , Edwards Catherine R , Zhang Fumin
Published: April 2017

Since the motion of autonomous underwater vehicles is affected by ambient flow, knowledge of an environmental flow field can be used to improve the navigation of autonomous underwater vehicles. Due to imperfect knowledge of flow, the actual trajectory of an autonomous underwater vehicle deviates from the predicted trajectory. The difference between the actual and predicted trajectories is referred to as the motion-integration error, providing information of flow along the vehicle trajectory. Inspired by computerized tomography, this paper proposes motion tomography, a tomographic method for creating a fine-grid spatial map of flow based on the motion-integration error. While typical computerized tomography is a linear problem, motion tomography is a nonlinear problem because of unknown nonlinear trajectories of autonomous underwater vehicles and the dependency of the trajectories on the flow field. Therefore, motion tomography employs an iterative process consisting of two alternating steps: Trajectory tracing and flow field estimation. Starting from an initial guess of the flow field, in the trajectory tracing step, unknown nonlinear vehicle trajectories are estimated. Then, using the estimated vehicle trajectories, a spatial map of flow is constructed through either the non-parametric or parametric flow field estimation. The error bound for trajectory tracing is computed and the convergence of both the non-parametric and parametric flow field estimation algorithms is proved. Simulation and experimental data are analyzed to evaluate the performance of motion tomography when subject to changing vehicle speed and flow variability.
Vehicle optimal road departure prevention via model predictive control
Authors: Yuan Hongliang , Gao Yangyan , Gordon Timothy J
Published: April 2017

This article addresses the problem of road departure prevention using integrated brake control. The scenario considered is when a high-speed vehicle leaves the highway on a curve and enters the shoulder or another lane, owing to excessive speed or a reduction in the friction of the road due to adverse weather conditions. In such a scenario, the vehicle speed is too high for the available tyre–road friction and road departure is inevitable; however, its effect can be minimized with an optimal braking strategy. To achieve online implementation, the task is formulated as a receding horizon optimization problem and solved in a linear model predictive control (MPC) framework. In this formulation, a nonlinear tyre model is adopted in order to work properly at the friction limits. The optimization results are close to those obtained previously using a particle model optimization, parabolic path reference (PPR), coupled to a control algorithm, the modified Hamiltonian algorithm (MHA), specifically designed to operate at the vehicle friction limits. This shows that the MPC formulation may be equally effective for vehicle control at the friction limits. The major difference here, compared with the earlier PPR/MHA control formulation, is that the proposed MPC strategy directly generates an optimal brake sequence, while PPR provides an optimal reference first, then MHA responds to the reference to give closed-loop actuator control. The presented MPC approach has the potential for use in future vehicle systems as part of the overall active safety control to improve overall vehicle agility and safety.
Care, Control, and the Electroconvulsive Therapy Ritual: Making Sense of Polarized Patient Narratives
Authors: Knight Fauzia , Ridge Damien , McShane Rupert , Ryan Sara , Griffith Laura
Published: April 2017

Despite evidence of short-term effectiveness of ECT (electroconvulsive therapy), both positive and negative patient reports are common. However, research examining these polarized accounts has not adequately elucidated why such divergences occur. We thus sought to examine opposing patient narratives to better understand underlying meanings. Eighteen interviews were conducted with U.K.-based people who had experienced the treatment. Our analysis revealed that the quality of relations with staff, ECT artifacts (e.g., the ECT suite), and perceived outcomes all play a role in divergent accounts. Positive reflections on ECT emerged alongside narratives of trust in staff, comfort with ECT, and perception of sufficient personal control. Conversely, where negative evaluations of ECT predominated, there was anger associated with a lack of control, a belief that ECT made little sense, and was linked to past abuses and/or the unacceptability of side effects. We discuss the implications of our findings for professionals.
A Comparison of Self-Reported Emotional Regulation Skills in Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder
Authors: Cavelti Marialuisa , Corbisiero Salvatore , Bitto Hannes , Moerstedt Beatrice , Newark Patricia , Faschina Sylvia , Chanen Andrew , Moggi Franz , Stieglitz Rolf-Dieter
Published: April 2017

Objective: Emotion dysregulation has been described as a central feature of both borderline personality disorder (BPD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The current study aims to compare emotion regulation among ADHD, BPD, and healthy controls (HC). Method: Eighty adults with ADHD, 55 with BPD, and 55 HC completed self-report assessments of ADHD and BPD symptoms, psychosocial functioning, and emotion regulation skills. Principal components analysis (PCA) was conducted on the emotion regulation items, followed by multivariate analyses of group differences in emotion regulation. Results: PCA yielded four components: “Being Aware of Emotions,” “Making Sense of Emotions,” “Modifying and Accepting Emotions,” and “Confronting Emotions With Self-Encouragement.” The last component best distinguished the two patient groups from the HC. No differences were found between adults with ADHD and BPD. Conclusion: Adults with ADHD and BPD report comparable difficulties in encouraging oneself to attend inner aversive experiences, without engaging in impulsive behavior.
Feline urine metabolomic signature: characterization of low-molecular-weight substances in urine from domestic cats
Authors: Rivera-Vélez Sol-Maiam , Villarino Nicolas F
Published: April 2017

Objectives

This aim of this study was to characterize the composition and content of the feline urine metabolome.

Methods

Eight healthy domestic cats were acclimated at least 10 days before starting the study. Urine samples (~2 ml) were collected by ultrasound-guided cystocentesis. Samples were centrifuged at 1000 × g for 8 mins, and the supernatant was analyzed by gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometery. The urine metabolome was characterized using an untargeted metabolomics approach.

Results

Three hundred and eighteen metabolites were detected in the urine of the eight cats. These molecules are key components of at least 100 metabolic pathways. Feline urine appears to be dominated by carbohydrates, carbohydrate conjugates, organic acid and derivatives, and amino acids and analogs. The five most abundant molecules were phenaceturic acid, hippuric acid, pseudouridine phosphate and 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propionic acid.

Conclusions and relevance

This study is the first to characterize the feline urine metabolome. The results of this study revealed the presence of multiple low-molecular-weight substances that were not known to be present in feline urine. As expected, the origin of the metabolites detected in urine was diverse, including endogenous compounds and molecules biosynthesized by microbes. Also, the diet seemed to have had a relevant role on the urine metabolome. Further exploration of the urine metabolic phenotype will open a window for discovering unknown, or poorly understood, metabolic pathways. In turn, this will advance our understanding of feline biology and lead to new insights in feline physiology, nutrition and medicine.
Beijing ’89: The Duration of the Event
Authors: Emerton Robert H.
Published: April 2017

This article examines the duration of resistance through the framework of the event. It argues that duration is a function of the ways in which the evental encounter grounds a faithful subject. It uses the specific example of the 1989 protests by students and workers in Beijing and their legacies. Performative and petitionary student protest in Tiananmen Square that follows a logic of “communication” is contrasted against unstaged resistance by Chinese workers that operates according to a logic of “rupture” and “surprise,” both spatially and temporally. It is argued that the latter has proved the more enduring form, as grassroots resistance by Chinese workers continues to grow year-on-year. 1989 was seminal to this mode of resistance, marking the point of rupture with an established mode of party politics.
A school excursion to a museum can promote physical activity in children by integrating movement into curricular activities
Authors: Mygind Lærke , Kryger Tine , Sidenius Gry , Schipperijn Jasper , Bentsen Peter
Published: April 2017

Since children spend a large proportion of their time in institutional settings such as schools, health promotion researchers have identified this as an important setting to promote physical activity (PA). Apart from physical education, PA could be integrated into the school curriculum in other ways. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine whether a school excursion to a museum can increase primary school students’ PA and reduce sedentary time. One hundred and ten primary school students aged 12–13, from three Danish schools, wore accelerometers for four consecutive days, of which one consisted of an excursion day to a museum. While an increase in light physical activity and reduction in the amount of sedentary time was observed, students did not spend more time in moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) during the visit to the museum than on a regular school day. However, over the full excursion day, the students accumulated more MVPA. One school used active transportation to and from the museum, which contributed to significantly more MVPA compared to the other schools. An excursion to a museum significantly reduced sedentary time, but was in itself not sufficient to increase MVPA.
Stumbling on the rehabilitation gold? Foucault vs. Foucault in San Quentin and beyond
Authors: Paulle Bowen
Published: April 2017

This article examines GRIP, a rehabilitation program currently spreading through California’s state prison system. While most ‘violent offenders’ come to GRIP hoping to increase chances of parole, this yearlong program with four main components – stopping violence, mindfulness, emotional intelligence, understanding victim impact – is meant to create conditions in which inmates can ‘do the work’ leading to genuine transformation. A central claim is that due in part to the trauma-treatment model GRIP follows, inmates end up ‘stumbling on the gold’ and going through changes (involving recovery of an ‘authentic self ’ rooted in childhood) that helps enable skillful responses even to ‘moments of imminent danger’. Understandably, researchers of such programs may seek theoretical inspiration from the ‘dominant’ version of Foucault. Yet this paper sets out to change the conversation about prisons and rehabilitation in part by demonstrating the utility of the ‘other’ Foucault’s pragmatic recovery of body-based self-disciplining practices and regimes.