bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Business Models and Sustainability in Nature Tourism: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Sahebalzamani Samira , Bertella Giovanna
Published: September 2018

This study explores the business model literature within nature tourism, focuses on its sustainability-related aspects, and adopts some of the results of the literature review by Reinhold et al. The research questions concern how scholars use and operationalize the business model concept in the context of nature tourism, and to what extent sustainability-related aspects are included and discussed. A literature review was conducted including a total of 18 scientific articles from various disciplines. The findings suggest that scientific literature about business models in nature tourism is very limited, both in relation to the number of articles and their content. With regard to the latter, the business model concept is sometimes adopted without any clear definition, sustainability-related aspects—especially those relative to the environmental dimension—are scarcely discussed, the perspective adopted is usually static, and innovation for sustainability is only marginally included. This indicates a clear gap in the literature and a considerable potential for future studies.
Relevance Analysis on the Variety Characteristics of PM2.5 Concentrations in Beijing, China
Authors: Zhai Binxu , Chen Jianguo , Yin Wenwen , Huang Zhongliang
Published: September 2018

Air pollution has become one of the most serious environmental problems in the world. Considering Beijing and six surrounding cities as main research areas, this study takes the daily average pollutant concentrations and meteorological factors from 2 December 2013 to 30 June 2017 into account and studies the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics and the relevant relationship of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) concentrations in Beijing. Based on correlation analysis and geo-statistics techniques, the inter-annual, seasonal, and diurnal variation trends and temporal spatial distribution characteristics of PM2.5 concentration in Beijing are studied. The study results demonstrate that the pollutant concentrations in Beijing exhibit obvious seasonal and cyclical fluctuation patterns. Air pollution is more serious in winter and spring and slightly better in summer and autumn, with the spatial distribution of pollutants fluctuating dramatically in different seasons. The pollution in southern Beijing areas is more serious and the air quality in northern areas is better in general. The diurnal variation of air quality shows a typical seasonal difference and the daily variation of PM2.5 concentrations present a “W” type of mode with twin peaks. Besides emission and accumulation of local pollutants, air quality is easily affected by the transport effect from the southwest. The PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations measured from the city of Langfang are taken as the most important factors of surrounding pollution factors to PM2.5 in Beijing. The concentrations of PM10 and carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations in Beijing are the most significant local influencing factors to PM2.5 in Beijing. Extreme wind speeds and maximal wind speeds are considered to be the most significant meteorological factors affecting the transport of pollutants across the region. When the wind direction is weak southwest wind, the probability of air pollution is greater and when the wind direction is north, the air quality is generally better.
Precondition Cloud and Maximum Entropy Principle Coupling Model-Based Approach for the Comprehensive Assessment of Drought Risk
Authors: Bai Xia , Wang Yimin , Jin Juliang , Qi Xiaoming , Wu Chengguo
Published: September 2018

As a frequently occurring natural disaster, drought will cause great damage to agricultural production and the sustainable development of a social economy, and it is vital to reasonably evaluate the comprehensive risk level of drought for constructing regional drought-resistant strategies. Therefore, to objectively expound the uncertainty of a drought risk system, the precondition cloud and maximum entropy principle coupling model (PCMEP) for drought risk assessment is proposed, which utilizes the principle of maximum entropy to estimate the probability distribution of cloud drops, and the two-dimensional precondition cloud algorithm to determine the certainty degree of drought risk. Moreover, the established PCMEP model is further applied in a drought risk assessment study in Kunming city covering 1956–2011, and the results indicate that (1) the probability of drought events for different levels exhibits a slight increasing trend among the 56 historical years; and (2) both the integrated certainty degree and its component of drought risk are more evident, which will be more beneficial to determine the drought risk level. In general, the proposed PCMEP model provides a new reliable idea to evaluate the comprehensive risk level of drought from a more objective and systematic perspective.
Social Risk Dissociates Social Network Structure across Lateralized Behaviors in Spider Monkeys
Authors: Boeving Emily R. , Nelson Eliza L.
Published: September 2018

Reports of lateralized behavior are widespread, although the majority of findings have focused on the visual or motor domains. Less is known about laterality with regards to the social domain. We previously observed a left-side bias in two social affiliative behaviors—embrace and face-embrace—in captive Colombian spider monkeys (Ateles fusciceps rufiventris). Here we applied social network analysis to laterality for the first time. Our findings suggest that laterality influences social structure in spider monkeys with structural differences between networks based on direction of behavioral bias and social interaction type. We attribute these network differences to a graded spectrum of social risk comprised of three dimensions.
Autotransplantation in mdx Mice of mdx Myoblasts Genetically Corrected by an HSV-1 Amplicon Vector
Authors: Bujold Mathieu , Caron Nicolas , Camiran Goeffrey , Mukherjee Santwana , Allen Paul. D. , Tremblay Jacques P. , Wang Yaming
Published: September 2018

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder, characterized by a lack of dystrophin. To eliminate the need for immunosuppressive drugs, transplantation of genetically modified autologous myoblasts has been proposed as a possible therapy for this myopathy. An HSV-1 amplicon vector (HSVDGN), containing a 17.3-kb full-length MCK-driven mouse dystrophin cDNA, an eGFP gene, and a neomycin resistance gene driven by CMV or SV40 promoters, respectively, was constructed and used to transduce mdx primary myoblasts. The presence of the eGFP and neomycin resistance genes facilitated the evaluation of the initial transduction efficiency and the permanent transduction frequency. At low multiplicities of infection (MOI 1–5), the majority of myoblasts (60–90%) expressed GFP. The GFP-positive mdx myoblasts were sorted by FACS and selected with neomycin (300 μg/ml) for 2 weeks. Up to 2% of initially infected mdx myoblasts stably expressed the three transgenes without further selection at that time. These altered cells were grafted into the tibialis anterior muscles of 18 mdx mice. Some of the mice were immunosuppressed with FK506 due to the anticipation that eGFP and the product of neomycin resistance gene might be immunogenic. One month after transplantation, numerous muscle fibers expressing mouse dystrophin were detected by immunohistochemistry, in both immunosuppressed (10–50%) and nonimmunosuppressed (5–25%) mdx mice. Our results demonstrated the capability of permanently expressing a full-length dystrophin in dystrophic myoblasts with HSV-1 amplicon vector and raised the possibility of an eventual treatment of DMD based on the transplantation of genetically modified autologous myoblasts.
Comparison of Size, Viability, and Function of Fetal Pig Islet-Like Cell Clusters after Digestion Using Collagenase or Liberase
Authors: Georges Pauline , Muirhead Roslyn P. , Williams Lindy , Holman Sara , Tabiin Muhammad Tani , Dean Sophia K. , Tuch Bernard E.
Published: September 2018

Liberase is a highly purified blend of collagenases that has been specifically developed to eliminate the numerous problems associated with the conventional use of crude collagenase when isolating islet-like cell clusters (ICCs) from pancreases of different species. The influence of Liberase on yield, size, viability, and function of ICCs has been documented when this enzyme was used to digest adult but not fetal pancreases. In this study, we compared the effects of collagenase and Liberase on fetal pig ICCs. A total of eight fetal pig pancreas digestions were analyzed. Fetuses were obtained from Large White Landrace pigs of gestational age 80 ± 2.1 days. The pancreases were digested with either 3 mg/ml collagenase P or 1.2 mg/ml Liberase HI. The time taken to digest the pancreas was shorter for collagenase when compared with Liberase (22 ± 2 vs. 31 ± 2 min). The size of ICCs was similar for both collagenase (83 ± 0.5 μm) and Liberase (79 ± 0.4 μm) as was the number of ICCs produced per pancreas (7653 ± 1297 vs. 8101 ± 1177). Viability, as assessed using fluorescent markers, was slightly greater for Liberase (79 ± 1% vs. 76 ± 1%, p < 0.05). Responsiveness to β-cell stimulus (20 mM KCl) was similar for both methods of isolation, as was the insulin content of the ICCs, both in vitro and at 1 month after transplantation of 1500 ICCs beneath the renal capsule of immunoincompetent mice. Despite the high content of endotoxins in collagenase, the above results show that this enzyme was equally as efficient as Liberase in isolating functional ICCs from fetal pig pancreas.
Successful Single Donor Islet Allotransplantation in the Streptozotocin Diabetes Rat Model
Authors: Jahr Henning , Hußmann Birte , Eckhardt Torsten , Bretzel Reinhard G.
Published: September 2018

The objective of this study was to define pretransplant islet culture conditions for optimum tissue engraftment in the rat islet allotransplantation model. Lewis rat islets were cultured in TCM 199/5% fetal calf serum for 1 day at 37°C, followed by 1 day of culture at 22°C. When islets from single donors were allotransplanted intraportally into single streptozotocin-diabetic Wistar-Furth rats, complete normoglycemia was restored within 1 day after transplantation in seven out of seven rats, and persisted up to immunological rejection about 1 week later. In five out of six rats receiving a posttransplant injection of antilymphocyte serum, plasma glucose was normalized for >100 days. These data demonstrate, for the first time, successful single-donor-to-single-recipient transplantation of allogeneic rat pancreatic islets. Because islet engraftment may still be regarded as a main problem for clinical islet transplantation, the pretransplant islet culture regimen outlined in this article may lead to a more efficient use of donor pancreatic islet tissue in the clinical setting, as well.
Development of an Immunoprivileged Site to Prolong Islet Allograft Survival
Authors: Kin Tatsuya , Rajotte Ray V. , Dufour Jannette M. , Korbutt Gregory S.
Published: September 2018

Sertoli cells (SC) play a critical role in the maintenance of the immunoprivileged environment of the testis. We hypothesized that preengrafting SC would allow one to develop a vascularized immunoprivileged ectopic site that provides protection for mouse islet allografts. SC, prepared from 9-day Balb/c mice, were transplanted under the kidney capsule in adult Balb/c mice. After SC engraftment (~30 days), mice were rendered diabetic and subsequently implanted with Balb/c or CBA/J islets directly adjacent to the established SC grafts. Preengrafted SC (5.7 ± 0.2 × 106) had no adverse effect on syngeneic islet graft function. When allogeneic islets were transplanted into the immunoprivileged ectopic site created by preengrafting 6.4 ± 0.3 × 106 SC, mean graft survival was slightly prolonged (32.4 ± 6.0 days) compared with control mice that received allogeneic islets alone (16.3 ± 1.5 days; p = 0.329). In contrast, when 4.8 ± 0.4 × 106 SC were preengrafted, islet allograft survival was significantly prolonged (66.1 ± 9.8 days; p = 0.001). Four of eight mice, preimplanted with 4.8 ± 0.4 × 106 SC, remained normoglycemic throughout the follow-up period (83.8 ± 8.6 days) and returned to a diabetic state only when the kidneys bearing the composite grafts were removed. Transplantation of islets into an immunoprivileged ectopic site created by preengrafting SC did not affect islet function and, moreover, provided a means of developing an immunopriveliged ectopic site that permits prolonged islet allograft survival without systemic immunosuppression.
Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork
Authors: Kennedy, LMT, BCTMB, DrPH Ann Blair
Published: September 2018

From an informal conversation to a peer reviewed, open-access, indexed journal, we are now celebrating the 10th anniversary of the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork: Research, Education, and Practice. We celebrate the uniqueness of the Journal as the only fully open-access journal that addresses massage therapy and bodywork. Scholarly open-access journals have changed the face of scientific publishing in recent years: providing wider dissemination, allowing findings from taxpayer supported research to be available for free, and providing an avenue for researchers in the developing world to connect with researchers in developed countries. The editors of the Journal are regularly looking and soliciting articles from massage therapy researchers. This editorial describes the progress of the last ten years— from an article and readership standpoint—including changes in partnerships and increased visibility through social media.
Improving Gaia Parallax Precision with a Data-driven Model of Stars
Authors: Anderson Lauren , Hogg David W. , Leistedt Boris , Price-Whelan Adrian M. , Bovy Jo
Published: September 2018

Converting a noisy parallax measurement into a posterior belief over distance requires inference with a prior. Usually, this prior represents beliefs about the stellar density distribution of the Milky Way. However, multiband photometry exists for a large fraction of the Gaia-TGAS Catalog and is incredibly informative about stellar distances. Here, we use 2MASS colors for 1.4 million TGAS stars to build a noise-deconvolved empirical prior distribution for stars in color–magnitude space. This model contains no knowledge of stellar astrophysics or the Milky Way but is precise because it accurately generates a large number of noisy parallax measurements under an assumption of stationarity; that is, it is capable of combining the information from many stars. We use the Extreme Deconvolution (XD) algorithm—which is an empirical-Bayes approximation to a full-hierarchical model of the true parallax and photometry of every star—to construct this prior. The prior is combined with a TGAS likelihood to infer a precise photometric-parallax estimate and uncertainty (and full posterior) for every star. Our parallax estimates are more precise than the TGAS catalog entries by a median factor of 1.2 (14% are more precise by a factor >2) and they are more precise than the previous Bayesian distance estimates that use spatial priors. We validate our parallax inferences using members of the Milky Way star cluster M67, which is not visible as a cluster in the TGAS parallax estimates but appears as a cluster in our posterior parallax estimates. Our results, including a parallax posterior probability distribution function for each of 1.4 million TGAS stars, are available in companion electronic tables.
Statistical Analysis of Torus and Kink Instabilities in Solar Eruptions
Authors: Jing Ju , Liu Chang , Lee Jeongwoo , Ji Hantao , Liu Nian , Xu Yan , Wang Haimin
Published: September 2018

A recent laboratory experiment of ideal magnetohydrodynamic instabilities revealed four distinct eruption regimes readily distinguished by the torus instability (TI) and helical kink instability (KI) parameters. To establish its observational counterpart, we collected 38 solar flares (stronger than GOES-class M5 in general) that took place within 45° of disk center during 2011–2017, 26 of which are associated with a halo or partial halo coronal mass ejection (CME; i.e., ejective events), while the others are CME-less (i.e., confined events). This is a complete sample of solar events satisfying our selection criteria detailed in the paper. For each event, we calculate a decay index n of the potential strapping field above the magnetic flux rope (MFR) in and around the flaring magnetic polarity inversion line (a TI parameter) and the unsigned twist number T

w
of the nonlinear force-free field lines forming the same MFR (a KI parameter). We then construct an n–T

w
diagram to investigate how the eruptiveness depends on these parameters. We find that (1) T

w
appears to play little role in discriminating between confined and ejective events; (2) the events with n ≳ 0.8 are all ejective, and all confined events have n ≲ 0.8. However, n ≳ 0.8 is not a necessary condition for eruption because some events with n ≲ 0.8 also erupted. In addition, we investigate the MFR’s geometrical parameters, apex height, and distance between footpoints, as a possible factors for the eruptiveness. We briefly discuss the difference of the present result for solar eruptions with that of the laboratory result in terms of the role played by magnetic reconnection.
The Enigmatic Spin Evolution of PSR J0537–6910: r-modes, Gravitational Waves, and the Case for Continued Timing
Authors: Andersson N. , Antonopoulou D. , Espinoza C. M. , Haskell B. , Ho W. C. G.
Published: September 2018

We discuss the unique spin evolution of the young X-ray pulsar PSR J0537–6910, a system in which the regular spin down is interrupted by glitches every few months. Drawing on the complete timing data from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (from 1999 to 2011), we argue that a trend in the interglitch behavior points to an effective braking index close to n = 7, which is much larger than expected. This value is interesting because it would accord with the neutron star spinning down due to gravitational waves from an unstable r-mode. We discuss to what extent this, admittedly speculative, scenario may be consistent and if the associated gravitational-wave signal would be within reach of ground-based detectors. Our estimates suggest that one may, indeed, be able to use future observations to test the idea. Further precision timing would help to enhance the achievable sensitivity, and we advocate a joint observing campaign between the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer and the LIGO-Virgo network.
Improved 21 cm Epoch of Reionization Power Spectrum Measurements with a Hybrid Foreground Subtraction and Avoidance Technique
Authors: Kerrigan Joshua R. , Pober Jonathan C. , Ali Zaki S. , Cheng Carina , Beardsley Adam P. , Parsons Aaron R. , Aguirre James E. , Barry Nichole , Bradley Richard F. , Bernardi Gianni , Carilli Chris L. , DeBoer David R. , Dillon Joshua S. , Jacobs Daniel C. , Kohn Saul A. , Kolopanis Matthew , Lanman Adam , Li Wenyang , Liu Adrian , Sullivan Ian
Published: September 2018

Observations of the 21 cm Epoch of Reionization signal are dominated by Galactic and extragalactic foregrounds. The need for foreground removal has led to the development of two main techniques, often referred to as “foreground avoidance” and “foreground subtraction.” Avoidance is associated with filtering foregrounds in Fourier space, while subtraction uses an explicit foreground model that is removed. Using 1088 hr of data from the 64-element PAPER array, we demonstrate that subtraction of a foreground model prior to delay-space foreground filtering results in a modest but measurable improvement of the performance of the filter. This proof-of-concept result shows that improvement stems from the reduced dynamic range requirements needed for the foreground filter: subtraction of a foreground model reduces the total foreground power, so for a fixed dynamic range, the filter can push toward fainter limits. We also find that the choice of window function used in the foreground filter can have an appreciable affect on the performance near the edges of the observing band. We demonstrate these effects using a smaller 3 hr sampling of data from the MWA, and find that the hybrid filtering and subtraction removal approach provides similar improvements across the band as seen in the case with PAPER-64.
The beneficial effect of probiotics as a supplementary treatment in drug-resistant epilepsy: a pilot study
Authors: Gómez-Eguílaz M. , Ramón-Trapero J.L. , Pérez-Martínez L. , Blanco J.R.
Published: September 2018

Epilepsy is a neurological disease with high global prevalence. Despite the range of drug-based treatments currently available to control the condition, one in 3 patients experiences epileptic seizures. Therapeutic alternatives for these patients include the ketogenic diet, surgery or the cerebral implantation of neurostimulators; however these are benefits with limits. The target of this study is to find a new complementary treatment for these patients, studying the effectiveness of probiotics for controlling epileptic seizures in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. A prospective study was designed in which a group of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy was administered a probiotic mixture for 4 months. Patients were assessed before and after taking the probiotics; among other variables, number of seizures and patients’ quality of life (QOLIE-10) were monitored. Levels of cD-14, interleukin 6, and γ-aminobutyric acid were also analysed throughout the study. 45 patients were included in the study. In an intention-to-treat analysis, 28.9% of all patients displayed a greater than 50% reduction in the number of seizures (the parameter required in clinical trials). A significant improvement was also observed in patients’ quality of life. We found that probiotics may be an option for supplementary therapy. Since the use of probiotics is safe, they may contribute to improving seizure control, and therefore quality of life, in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. The study has been registered in https://clinicaltrials.gov with number NCT03403907.
Vision-Related Quality of Life and Perception of Military Readiness and Capabilities Following Refractive Surgery Among Active Duty U.S. Military Service Members
Authors: Sia Rose K. , Ryan Denise S. , Rivers Bruce A. , Logan Lorie A. , Eaddy Jennifer B. , Peppers Lamarr , Rodgers Samantha B.
Published: September 2018

PURPOSE:

To assess vision-related quality of life and military readiness and capabilities among active duty U.S. military service members undergoing refractive surgery.

METHODS:

In this prospective, single-center, observational study, active duty U.S. military service members electing to undergo refractive surgery were asked to complete a military performance questionnaire and the National Eye Institute Refractive Error Quality of Life Instrument (NEI RQL-42) preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively. On the military performance questionnaire, participants rated (1 = very bad to 5 = very good) how they felt their vision affected their military readiness and capabilities after refractive surgery.

RESULTS:

Among 360 participants at 6 months postoperatively, the overall mean military performance score increased from 3.6 ± 0.8 to 4.8 ± 0.3, a change of 1.2, with 91.7% of the participants indicating an overall improvement in readiness and capability (
P
< .001). Scores measuring overall individual readiness, contribution to unit's mission, use of night vision goggles, function at night, weapons sighting ability, employment of personal masks, weather extreme environmental conditions, and optical support were significantly higher postoperatively (
P
< .001). For the NEI RQL-42, scores were significantly higher postoperatively for the subscales clarity of vision, expectations, near vision, far vision, diurnal fluctuations, activity limit, glare, dependence on correction, worry, appearance, and satisfaction with correction (all
P
< .001), but not for symptoms after refractive surgery (
P
= .403).

CONCLUSIONS:

Refractive surgery significantly improves military readiness and capabilities and vision-related quality of life of active duty U.S. military service members with refractive error.

[
J Refract Surg.
2018;34(9):597–603.]
Evaluación de riesgo de incendio urbano en el centro histórico de la ciudad de Guimarães
Authors: Ferreira T. M. , Baquedano P. , Graus S. , Nochebuena E. , Socarrás T.
Published: September 2018

El principal objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el riesgo de incendio urbano en el Centro Histórico de Guimaraes, Portugal, declarado Patrimonio Cultural de la Humanidad en 2001 por la UNESCO. A partir del estudio de las caráctertísticas urbanas, arquitectónicas y constructivas del Centro Histórico de Guimarães, la presente investigación se centró en el análisis de un amplio conjunto de información recogida in situ y en su posterior utilización para la aplicación de una metodología simplificada de evaluación de riesgo de incendio urbano. Los datos obtenidos fueron procesados con la herramienta GIS (Geographic Information System), preparándose planos donde se muestra el nivel de vulnerabilidad del Centro Histórico de Guimarães, además de detectar las zonas de mayor riesgo en función de los cuatro factores globales de riesgo asociado al inicio, propagación, evacuación y combate al incendio.
Confirmed Observation: A North American Green Sturgeon Acipenser medirostris Recorded in the Stanislaus River, California
Authors: Anderson Jesse T. , Schumer Gregg , Anders Paul J. , Horvath Kyle , Merz Joseph E.
Published: September 2018

Two sturgeon species are native to the San Francisco Estuary watershed in California: White Sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus and North American Green Sturgeon Acipenser medirostris. The San Francisco Estuary has two main tributaries, the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. Recent studies have shown that the San Joaquin River is used by Green and White Sturgeon and that at least a small number of White Sturgeon spawn there when environmental conditions allow. However, records of Green Sturgeon in the San Joaquin River and its tributaries are rare and limited to information from angler report cards. In 2006, the National Marine Fisheries Service listed the southern distinct population segment of North American Green Sturgeon as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Federally designated critical habitat for the southern distinct population segment of Green Sturgeon does not extend upstream of the San Joaquin River's confluence with the Stanislaus River. We recently confirmed an adult Green Sturgeon holding in a deep pool near Knights Ferry, California in the Stanislaus River. We observed and recorded the fish using a GoPro® video camera and used environmental deoxyribonucleic acid sampling techniques to confirm species identification. This paper provides the first confirmed record of Green Sturgeon in any tributary of the San Joaquin River, which is beyond the designated critical habitat area. Future well-designed research focused on the San Joaquin River and its tributaries is expected to improve our understanding regarding the importance of these rivers for the various life stages of North American Green Sturgeon.
Oxidant Signaling Mediated by Nox2 in Neutrophils Promotes Regenerative Myelopoiesis and Tissue Recovery following Ischemic Damage
Authors: Fang Milie M. , Barman Pijus K. , Thiruppathi Muthusamy , Mirza Rita E. , McKinney Ronald D. , Deng Jing , Christman John W. , Du Xiaoping , Fukai Tohru , Ennis William J. , Koh Timothy J. , Ushio-Fukai Masuko , Urao Norifumi
Published: September 2018

Ischemic tissue damage activates hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) in the bone marrow (BM)-generating myeloid cells, and persistent HSPC activity may drive chronic inflammation and impair tissue recovery. Although increased reactive oxygen species in the BM regulate HSPC functions, their roles in myelopoiesis of activated HSPCs and subsequent tissue recovery during ischemic damage are not well understood. In this paper, we report that deletion of Nox2 NADPH oxidase in mice results in persistent elevations in BM HSPC activity and levels of inflammatory monocytes/macrophages in BM and ischemic tissue in a model of hindlimb ischemia. Ischemic tissue damage induces oxidants in BM such as elevations of hydrogen peroxide and oxidized phospholipids, which activate redox-sensitive Lyn kinase in a Nox2-dependent manner. Moreover, during tissue recovery after ischemic injury, this Nox2-ROS–Lyn kinase axis is induced by Nox2 in neutrophils that home to the BM, which inhibits HSPC activity and inflammatory monocyte generation and promotes tissue regeneration after ischemic damage. Thus, oxidant signaling in the BM mediated by Nox2 in neutrophils regulates myelopoiesis of HSPCs to promote regeneration of damaged tissue.
My experience of laryngectomies and oesophageal speech
Authors: Osborne Alison
Published: September 2018

No abstract available.
Recent research in dyslalias
Authors: Stern Erica
Published: September 2018

No abstract available.
Intermittent turbulence contributes to vertical dispersion of PM2.5 in the North China Plain: cases from Tianjin
Authors: Wei Wei , Zhang Hongsheng , Wu Bingui , Huang Yongxiang , Cai Xuhui , Song Yu , Li Jianduo
Published: September 2018

Abstract. Heavy particulate pollution events have frequently occurred in the North China Plain over the past decades. Due to high emissions and poor dispersion conditions, issues are becoming increasingly serious during cold seasons. Although early studies have explored some potential reasons for air pollution, there are few works focusing on the effects of intermittent turbulence. This paper draws upon two typical PM2.5 (particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 mm) pollution cases from the winter of 2016–2017. After several days of gradual accumulation, the concentration of PM2.5 near the surface reached the maximum as a combined result of strong inversion layer, stagnant wind, and high ambient humidity and then sharply decreased to a very low level within a few hours. In order to identify the strength of turbulent intermittency, an effective index, called the intermittency factor (IF), was proposed by this work. The results show that the turbulence is very weak during the cumulative stage due to the suppression by strongly stratified layers, while for the stage of dispersion, the turbulence is highly intermittent and not locally generated. The vertical structure of turbulence and wind profiles confirms the generation and downward transport of intermittent turbulence associated with low-level jets. The intermittent turbulent fluxes contribute positively to the vertical transport of particulate matter and improve the air quality near the surface. This work has demonstrated a possible mechanism of how intermittent turbulence affects the dispersion of particulate matter.
Mixed Phase Orographic Cloud Microphysics during StormVEx
and IFRACS
Authors: Lowenthal Douglas H. , Hallar A. Gannet , David Robert O. , McCubbin Ian B. , Borys Randolph D. , Mace Gerald G.
Published: September 2018

Abstract. Wintertime mixed phase orographic cloud (MPC) measurements were conducted at the Storm Peak Laboratory (SPL) during the StormVEx and IFRACS programs in 2011 and 2014, respectively. The data include 92 hours of simultaneous measurements of supercooled liquid cloud droplet and ice particle size distributions (PSD). Average cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC), droplet size (NMD) and liquid water content (LWC) were similar in both years while ice particle concentration (Ni) and ice water content (IWC) were higher during IFRACS. The consistency of the liquid cloud suggests that SPL is essentially a cloud chamber that produces a consistent cloud under moist, westerly flow during the winter. A variable Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) related inverse relationship between CDNC and NMD strengthened when the data were stratified by LWC. Some of this variation is due to changes in cloud base height below SPL. While there was a weak inverse correlation between LWC and IWC in the data as a whole, a stronger relationship was demonstrated for a case study on February 9, 2014 during IFRACS. A minimum LWC of 0.05 g m−3 showed that the cloud was not completely glaciated on this day. Erosion of the droplet distribution at high IWC was attributed to the Wegener-Bergeron-Findeisen process although the high IWC was caused by a 10 fold increase in Ni. A relationship found between large cloud droplet concentration (25–35 µm) and small ice particles (75–200 µm) under cold (−8 °C) conditions suggests ice particle production by contact or immersion freezing. Such a relationship under warm conditions could be indicative of biological ice nuclei. There was no direct evidence of secondary ice production. The effect of blowing snow was evaluated by comparing the relative (percent) ice particle PSDs at high and low wind speeds. These were similar, contrary to expectation for blowing snow. However, correlation between wind speed and ice crystal concentration may support this explanation for high crystal concentrations at the surface. Further experimental work is needed to resolve this issue.
Rapid ice aggregation process revealed through triple-wavelength Doppler spectra radar analysis
Authors: Barrett Andrew I. , Westbrook Christopher D. , Nicol John C. , Stein Thorwald H. M.
Published: September 2018

Abstract. Rapid aggregation of ice particles has been identified by combining data from three co-located, vertically-pointing radars operating at different frequencies. A new technique has been developed that uses the Doppler spectra from these radars to retrieve the vertical profile of ice particle size distributions. The ice particles grow rapidly from a maximum size of 0.75 mm to 5 mm while falling less than 500 m and in under 10 minutes. This rapid growth is shown to agree well with theoretical estimates of aggregation, with aggregation efficiency close to 1, and is inconsistent with other growth processes, e.g. growth by deposition, riming. The aggregation occurs in the middle of the cloud, and is not present throughout the entire lifetime of the cloud. However, the layer of rapid aggregation is very well defined, at a constant height, where the temperature is −15 °C, and lasts for at least 20 minutes (approximate horizontal distance: 24 km). Immediately above this layer, the radar Doppler spectra is bi-modal, which signals the formation of new small ice particles at that height. We suggest that these newly formed particles, at approximately −15 °C, grow dendritic arms, enabling them to easily interlock and accelerate the aggregation process. The estimated aggregation efficiency in the studied cloud is between 0.7 and 1, consistent with recent laboratory studies for dendrites at this temperature. A newly developed method for retrieving the ice particle size distribution using the Doppler spectra allows these retrievals in a much larger fraction of the cloud than existing DWR methods. Through quantitative comparison of the Doppler spectra from the three radars we are able to estimate the ice particle size distribution at different heights in the cloud. Comparison of these size distributions with those calculated with more basic radar-derived values and more restrictive assumptions agree very well; however, the newly developed method allows size distribution retrieval in a larger fraction of the cloud because it allows us to isolate the signal from the larger (non-Rayleigh scattering) particles in the distribution and allows for deviation from the assumed shape of the distribution.
Heterogeneous Ice Nucleation Properties of Natural Desert Dust
Particles Coated with a Surrogate of Secondary Organic Aerosol
Authors: Kanji Zamin A. , Sullivan Ryan C. , Niemand Monika , DeMott Paul J. , Prenni Anthony J. , Chou Cedric , Saathoff Harald , Möhler Ottmar
Published: September 2018

Abstract. Ice nucleation abilities of surface collected mineral dust particles from the Sahara (SD) and Asia (AD) are investigated for the temperature range 253–233 K and for supersaturated humidity conditions in the immersion-freezing regime. The dust particles were also coated with a proxy of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from the dark ozonolysis of α-pinene to better understand the influence of atmospheric coatings on the immersion freezing ability of mineral dust particles. The measurements are conducted on poly-disperse particles in the size range 0.01–3 µm with three different ice nucleation chambers. Two of the chambers follow the continuous flow diffusion chamber (CFDC) principle (Portable Ice Nucleation Chamber, PINC) and the Colorado State University CFDC (CSU-CFDC), whereas the third was the Aerosol Interactions and Dynamics in the Atmosphere (AIDA) cloud expansion chamber. From observed activated fractions (AF) and ice nucleation active site (INAS) densities, it is concluded within experimental uncertainties that there is no significant difference between the ice nucleation ability of the particular SD and AD samples examined. A small bias towards higher INAS densities for uncoated versus SOA coated dusts is found but this is well within the 1σ (66 % prediction bands) region of the average fit to the data, which captures 75 % of the INAS densities observed in this study. Furthermore, no systematic differences are observed between SOA coated and uncoated dusts in both SD and AD cases, regardless of coating thickness (3–60 nm). The results suggest that differences observed are mostly within the uncertainty of the measurements or differences in cloud chamber parameters such as size fraction of particles sampled, and residence time, as well as assumptions in using INAS densities to compare poly-disperse aerosol measurements which may show variable composition with particle size. In the atmosphere, coatings with similar properties to that of the SOA tested here for a thickness up to 60 nm, the maximum thickness tested here, is not expected to impede or enhance the ice nucleation ability by immersion mode of mineral dust in the mixed-phase cloud regime.
Fast plasma sheet flows and X line motion in the Earth's magnetotail: results from a global hybrid-Vlasov simulation
Authors: Juusola Liisa , Hoilijoki Sanni , Pfau-Kempf Yann , Ganse Urs , Jarvinen Riku , Battarbee Markus , Kilpua Emilia , Turc Lucile , Palmroth Minna
Published: September 2018

Abstract. Fast plasma flows produced as outflow jets from reconnection sites or X lines
are a key feature of the dynamics in the Earth's magnetosphere. We have used
a polar plane simulation of the hybrid-Vlasov model Vlasiator, driven by
steady southward interplanetary magnetic field and fast solar wind, to study
fast plasma sheet ion flows and related magnetic field structures in the
Earth's magnetotail. In the simulation, lobe reconnection starts to produce
fast flows after the increasing pressure in the lobes has caused the plasma
sheet to thin sufficiently. The characteristics of the earthward and tailward
fast flows and embedded magnetic field structures produced by multi-point
tail reconnection are in general agreement with spacecraft measurements
reported in the literature. The structuring of the flows is caused by
internal processes: interactions between major X points determine the
earthward or tailward direction of the flow, while interactions between minor
X points, associated with leading edges of magnetic islands carried by the
flow, induce local minima and maxima in the flow speed. Earthward moving
flows are stopped and diverted duskward in an oscillatory (bouncing) manner
at the transition region between tail-like and dipolar magnetic fields.
Increasing and decreasing dynamic pressure of the flows causes the transition
region to shift earthward and tailward, respectively. The leading edge of the
train of earthward flow bursts is associated with an earthward propagating
dipolarization front, while the leading edge of the train of tailward flow
bursts is associated with a tailward propagating plasmoid. The impact of the
dipolarization front with the dipole field causes magnetic field variations
in the Pi2 range. Major X points can move either earthward or tailward,
although tailward motion is more common. They are generally not advected by
the ambient flow. Instead, their velocity is better described by local
parameters, such that an X point moves in the direction of increasing
reconnection electric field strength. Our results indicate that ion kinetics
might be sufficient to describe the behavior of plasma sheet bulk ion flows
produced by tail reconnection in global near-Earth simulations. Keywords. Magnetospheric physics (magnetospheric configuration and dynamics; plasma sheet) – space plasma physics (numerical simulation studies)
Influencia del Compromiso Organizacional sobre el Aprendizaje Organizacional de los docentes de la Universidad Pedagógica Nacional “Francisco Morazán”
Authors: Santos Flores Elizabeth , Ochoa Cervantez Dani Oved
Published: September 2018

Este documento muestra los resultados de la investigación realizada en la Universidad Pedagógica Nacional “Francisco Morazán” para determinar la influencia del Compromiso Organizacional sobre el Aprendizaje Organizacional. La muestra fue de 118 docentes de la sede de Tegucigalpa. Para medir las variables se utilizaron el cuestionario diseñado por Watkins y Marsick y la escala propuesta por Allen y Meyer. La confiabilidad del instrumento se determinó con el coeficiente Alfa de Cronbach, obteniendo 0.912 para la variable Aprendizaje Organizacional y 0.832 para Compromiso Organizacional. Se estableció el coeficiente de determinación de Pearson para medir el efecto de la variable independiente sobre la  ependiente, encontrando: r= 0.718y R2 de 0.516 a un valor p =000<α: 0.05. Los hallazgos sugieren que los docentes comprometidos con la institución contribuyen con los procesos de transformación de la misma y les conduce a aprender y mejorar su capacidad para hacer cosas nuevas.
Elementos emergentes en la nueva configuración de las funciones sustantivas de la universidad
Authors: Perdomo Interiano Claudio Roberto
Published: September 2018

En este artículo se presentan una serie de reflexiones sobre la resignificación de las funciones sustanciales de la universidad: docencia, investigación y vinculación con la sociedad, tomando en cuenta algunas de las tendencias y características de la sociedad en el siglo XXI; lo cual, lleva a concebir la actividad universitaria como un quehacer multicontextualizado y cambiante. En tal sentido, se plantea que las distintas formas de trabajo que se desarrollan en los escenarios de su competencia, deben establecerse sobre la base de criterios tales como la pluralidad, flexibilidad, integración e innovación permanente.Asimismo, se sostiene que los enmarcamientos aúlicos y la autodeterminación de los recintos académicos que en el pasado constituyeron fuentes y mecanismos para la difusión de normas de autoridad a través de las cuales se ejercía el monopolio del conocimiento, han entrado en la inevitable decadencia, conformándose como esa nueva banalidad que sucumbe ante la fuerza transformadora de la cognición postmoderna y de la irreverente actividad de la investigación científica.En las líneas finales del artículo, se presentan tres propuestas para la nueva configuración de las funciones sustanciales de la universidad: el fomento del trabajo interdisciplinario en las distintas dimensiones del desarrollo y transformación de la cultura académica, la bioética como espacio de trabajo transdisciplinario y el fortalecimiento de la relación heurística entre la docencia, la investigación y la vinculación con la sociedad.
Nursing students’ learning experiences in clinical placements or simulation–A qualitative study
Authors: Nielsen Kirsten , Norlyk Annelise , Henriksen Jette
Published: September 2018

This paper reports on a qualitative study whose aim was to investigate nursing students' learning experiences in two arenas. It is common practice all first-year nursing students to practise in a skills lab. In this study, students practised in either clinical settings or a skills lab. In the design, a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach was used. The setting was Course 2, a ten-week course including either two weeks on clinical placements or two weeks in a skills lab. The participants were six first-year students. Data were generated by participant observations and interviews and were interpreted according to Ricoeur’s theory of interpretation. The findings indicated that students learned nursing skills in both arenas. However, on clinical placements, students and preceptors began nursing the patients after 20 minutes and students subsequently reflected on practice. In the skills lab, preceptors guided the students for up to an hour before they were ready to begin performing nursing. Students with previous nursing experience and activist learning style preferred to learn on clinical placements. Students with other learning styles – even one student with previous nursing experience – seemed to prefer learning in the lab, where they felt safe, as there was no risk of harm to patients. The conclusion was that, rather than all first-year students practising in the lab, it could be valuable to consider the students’ prior experience and preferred learning style in discussions of where to begin the learning trajectory in the nursing programme.
Perceptions of Mothers and Caregivers Regarding the Factors Affecting Low Uptake of Measles Immunisation Among Children Under 5 Years in Nyangana District, Namibia
Authors: Lifalaza Alice , Stern Ruth , Ashipala Daniel Opotamutale
Published: September 2018

Immunisation is considered to be amongst the most successful and cost-effective disease prevention interventions available. The aim of this study was, to investigate the perceptions of mothers/caregivers on the factors that impact on the uptake of measles immunisation in the Nyangana Health District, with a view to improving measles immunisation coverage. A qualitative exploratory study design was used to collect data from the study participants by the use of interviews. Data was audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. The recorded interviews were translated from the Gciriku language to English. Data was analysed through the use of the Thematic Content Analysis approach. Mothers whose children were vaccinated and those whose children were not vaccinated had both positive perceptions about immunisation. The findings indicates that, despite awareness and willingness for some mothers to bring their children for subsequent follow-up vaccinations, barriers such as inability to pay for transport, lack of support for single mothers and absence of support structures was hindering factors to immunisation uptake. Additionally, health system factors such as health care provider attitudes, staff shortages, inconvenient immunisation services, time constraints, inadequate outreach services and lack of tracking services for children who missed their measles immunisation were found to have an influence on the immunisation uptake. The children who missed their immunisation doses were mostly for single mothers and for those mothers who stayed far away from the clinic. The study concludes that the relationship between health care providers and mothers/caregivers and support from other social structures, should be good, in order to motivate mothers to use immunisation services. The study recommends that the following aspects be addressed, as they have the potential to improve the low uptake of measles immunisation: patient/provider relationship, information sharing, and supervision in the health facility, access to services, availability of outreach services, improved data tracking and active involvement of all stakeholders. These children should be targeted through improved outreach services and the use of health extension workers for contact tracing of children who missed their immunisation.