bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Calculation Method of Specific Surface Area of Foam Metal Based on an Ideal Tetradecahedron Model for Lithium Ion Battery
Authors: Chen Jian , Zhang Xiao , Li Cong , Zhang Xinyuan , Ren Yanjie , He Jianjun , Chen Jianlin
Published: January 2020

A novel calculation method of specific surface area of tetrahedral foam metal is established. The expressions of the two basic parameters of the foam metal with respect to porosity and pore size are derived by using the geometrical relationship of this model; consequently, the specific surface area of the metal foam is easily calculated. The theoretical calculation data are compared with the experimental results; it shows that the specific surface area of various porous metals, such as nickel foam and copper foam prepared by electrodeposition and aluminum foam produced by high-pressure infiltration casting, can be well calculated by the formula proposed in this paper. Compared with other similar equations, the calculation results of this method possess lower deviation and greater practicability.
In Vitro Toxic Effect of Biomaterials Coated with Silver Tungstate or Silver Molybdate Microcrystals
Authors: Pellissari Claudia Viviane Guimarães , Vergani Carlos Eduardo , Longo Elson , Pavarina Ana Claudia , Sanitá Paula Volpato , Siqueira Walter Luiz , Jorge Janaina Habib
Published: January 2020

Purpose. This study evaluated the cytotoxicity of antimicrobial silver tungstate (Ag2WO4) or silver molybdate (Ag2MoO4) microcrystals coating biomaterials. Materials and Methods. The coating procedure was performed onto titanium, zirconia, and acrylic resin specimens. Eluates of the coated specimens were obtained, which were used for cytotoxicity analyses, including Alamar Blue, MTT, and CytoTox-ONE tests. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA, followed by the Tukey test (α = 0.05). The results of each experimental group were also compared to those of the control of living cells, taken as 100% cell viability. Results. In general, it was observed that the percentage of living cells from all biomaterials coated with both microcrystals was statistically different compared to the ones from the uncoated sample groups, except for the results from MTT of specimens of Ti coated with α-Ag2MoO4. All uncoated biomaterials were classified as noncytotoxic by the three assays used in the present study. It was observed that the microcrystals in solution were strongly cytotoxic, with death of almost 100% of cells, from the analysis of the results of the Alamar Blue assay. Conclusion. The most biomaterials coated with both microcrystals showed some degree of cytotoxicity in the different assays. The results described herein should be seen as an alert to the use of microcrystals, which can expose patients to health risks.
Active Compound Identification in Extracts of N. lappaceum Peel and Evaluation of Antioxidant Capacity
Authors: Monrroy Mariel , Araúz Onix , García José Renán
Published: January 2020

Nephelium lappaceum and its by-products have great potential in the agricultural, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Some studies have shown that N. lappaceum by-products exhibit antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties. However, studies focused on identifying these compounds are rare. The availability of polyphenolic compounds can vary according to environmental conditions, soil, plant variety, and agronomic management. Therefore, in this study, the active compounds in extracts of the N. lappaceum peel were identified, and their antioxidant properties were evaluated using various extraction solvents and both ultrasonic and boiling extraction techniques. The chemical characterization of the N. lappaceum peel exhibited carbohydrate and reducing sugar contents of 12 and 2%, respectively. Phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of flavonoids, tannins, terpenes, and steroids. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents and total antioxidant capacity were the highest in the hydroethanolic extract obtained by ultrasound, with values of 340 mg gallic acid equivalents g−1, 76 mg quercetin equivalents g−1, and 2.9 mmol of Trolox equivalents g−1, respectively. Contrarily, the total anthocyanin content was higher in the acid extract obtained by ultrasound, with a value of 0.7 mg cyanidin-3-O-glucoside equivalents g−1. A total of 18 compounds—including hydroxybenzene, phenolic acid, flavonoids, fatty acids (saturated, unsaturated, and ester), vitamin, arenecarbaldehyde, and phthalate—were identified for the first time in the N. lappaceum peel using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The identified compounds have been previously isolated from other plants and reportedly exhibit anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities. Thus, the N. lappaceum peel was shown to be a potential source of bioactive compounds of immense importance in the pharmacological and food industries.
BE-FNet: 3D Bounding Box Estimation Feature Pyramid Network for Accurate and Efficient Maxillary Sinus Segmentation
Authors: Deng Zhuofu , Wang Binbin , Zhu Zhiliang
Published: January 2020

Maxillary sinus segmentation plays an important role in the choice of therapeutic strategies for nasal disease and treatment monitoring. Difficulties in traditional approaches deal with extremely heterogeneous intensity caused by lesions, abnormal anatomy structures, and blurring boundaries of cavity. 2D and 3D deep convolutional neural networks have grown popular in medical image segmentation due to utilization of large labeled datasets to learn discriminative features. However, for 3D segmentation in medical images, 2D networks are not competent in extracting more significant spacial features, and 3D ones suffer from unbearable burden of computation, which results in great challenges to maxillary sinus segmentation. In this paper, we propose a deep neural network with an end-to-end manner to generalize a fully automatic 3D segmentation. At first, our proposed model serves a symmetrical encoder-decoder architecture for multitask of bounding box estimation and in-region 3D segmentation, which cannot reduce excessive computation requirements but eliminate false positives remarkably, promoting 3D segmentation applied in 3D convolutional neural networks. In addition, an overestimation strategy is presented to avoid overfitting phenomena in conventional multitask networks. Meanwhile, we introduce residual dense blocks to increase the depth of the proposed network and attention excitation mechanism to improve the performance of bounding box estimation, both of which bring little influence to computation cost. Especially, the structure of multilevel feature fusion in the pyramid network strengthens the ability of identification to global and local discriminative features in foreground and background achieving more advanced segmentation results. At last, to address problems of blurring boundary and class imbalance in medical images, a hybrid loss function is designed for multiple tasks. To illustrate the strength of our proposed model, we evaluated it against the state-of-the-art methods. Our model performed better significantly with an average Dice 0.947±0.031, VOE 10.23±5.29, and ASD 2.86±2.11, respectively, which denotes a promising technique with strong robust in practice.
Existence and Uniqueness Theorems for a Fractional Differential Equation with Impulsive Effect under Band-Like Integral Boundary Conditions
Authors: Gao Zihan , Hu Tianlin , Pang Huihui
Published: January 2020

In this paper, we consider a class of nonlinear Caputo fractional differential equations with impulsive effect under multiple band-like integral boundary conditions. By constructing an available completely continuous operator, we establish some criteria for judging the existence and uniqueness of solutions. Finally, an example is presented to demonstrate our main results.
A Green-IKE Inference System Based on Grey Neural Network Model for Humanized Sustainable Feeling Assessment about Products
Authors: Wu Long , Gao Hao , Wang Kun-Chieh , Yang Chi-Hsin
Published: January 2020

Due to extraordinary concerns about the issue of environmental protection from time to time, so far, sustainable development draws much attention. In developing sustainable products, the studies on methodologies of how to precisely grasp the sustainable feeling about products and translate it into desired constructed elements are scarce. This study aims to propose a novel sustainable feeling assessment system about products, called green-initiative Kansei engineering (GIKE). The Kansei engineering scheme is a distinguished customer-oriented technology for dealing with peoples’ affection about concerning matters. In this study, we extend Kansei engineering to initiatively include the designated sustainable image other than statistically obtained high-ranking images. Then, through survey and analysis of concerning matters, we precisely build a GIKE inference system via the grey-model-based backpropagation neural network scheme, in which it provides a precise relationship between affective (including sustainable) images of products and their constructive elements. A computer mouse is selected as the target in experiments to verify the proposed methodology, and the result is satisfying. Through our study, we may know the way to acquire a human’s sustainable feeling about concerning matters. And, most importantly, the proposed GIKE methodology firstly and innovatively expands the application filed of Kansei engineering to the field of sustainability evaluation and translation for concerning matters.
Pediatric Infectious Prepatellar Bursitis with Kingella kingae
Authors: Pitts Charles C. , Smith Walter R. , Conklin Michael J.
Published: January 2020

We present the first reported case of septic prepatellar bursitis with Kingella kingae in a 2-year-old female. Although it is a well-established cause of osteoarticular infections in the pediatric population, K. kingae has never been reported as the etiology for septic bursitis. A high index of suspicion is required for the diagnosis given that this organism is difficult to culture and isolate using standard laboratory methods. Our diagnosis was established through bursal fluid analysis, though oropharyngeal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) may be also be considered. Our case also builds upon prior literature suggesting that the pathophysiology of septic bursitis in children differs from that of the adult and may be more comparable to that of pediatric osteomyelitis. As an organism of increasing prevalence, K. kingae should remain high on the differential for osteoarticular or periarticular infections when cultures fail to isolate a distinct pathogen. Early diagnosis and a formal irrigation and debridement, if warranted, are crucial in preventing devastating complications of untreated septic bursitis.
Single-Cell Proteomic Profiling Identifies Combined AXL and JAK1 Inhibition as a Novel Therapeutic Strategy for Lung Cancer
Authors: Taverna Josephine A. , Hung Chia-Nung , DeArmond Daniel T. , Chen Meizhen , Lin Chun-Lin , Osmulski Pawel A. , Gaczynska Maria E. , Wang Chiou-Miin , Lucio Nicholas D. , Chou Chih-Wei , Chen Chun-Liang , Nazarullah Alia , Lampkin Shellye R. , Qiu Lianqun , Bearss David J. , Warner Steven , Whatcott Clifford J. , Mouritsen Lars , Wade Mark , Weitman Steven , Mesa Ruben A. , Kirma Nameer B. , Chao Wei-Ting , Huang Tim H.-M.
Published: January 2020

Cytometry by time-of-flight (CyTOF) simultaneously measures multiple cellular proteins at the single-cell level and is used to assess intertumor and intratumor heterogeneity. This approach may be used to investigate the variability of individual tumor responses to treatments. Herein, we stratified lung tumor subpopulations based on AXL signaling as a potential targeting strategy. Integrative transcriptome analyses were used to investigate how TP-0903, an AXL kinase inhibitor, influences redundant oncogenic pathways in metastatic lung cancer cells. CyTOF profiling revealed that AXL inhibition suppressed SMAD4/TGFβ signaling and induced JAK1–STAT3 signaling to compensate for the loss of AXL. Interestingly, high JAK1–STAT3 was associated with increased levels of AXL in treatment-naïve tumors. Tumors with high AXL, TGFβ, and JAK1 signaling concomitantly displayed CD133-mediated cancer stemness and hybrid epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition features in advanced-stage patients, suggesting greater potential for distant dissemination. Diffusion pseudotime analysis revealed cell-fate trajectories among four different categories that were linked to clinicopathologic features for each patient. Patient-derived organoids (PDO) obtained from tumors with high AXL and JAK1 were sensitive to TP-0903 and ruxolitinib (JAK inhibitor) treatments, supporting the CyTOF findings. This study shows that single-cell proteomic profiling of treatment-naïve lung tumors, coupled with ex vivo testing of PDOs, identifies continuous AXL, TGFβ, and JAK1–STAT3 signal activation in select tumors that may be targeted by combined AXL–JAK1 inhibition.

Significance:

Single-cell proteomic profiling of clinical samples may facilitate the optimal selection of novel drug targets, interpretation of early-phase clinical trial data, and development of predictive biomarkers valuable for patient stratification.
Histopathological and Molecular Features of a Conjunctival Caruncular Deep Penetrating Nevus
Authors: van Ipenburg Jolique A. , Damman Jeffrey , Paridaens Dion , Verdijk Robert M.
Published: January 2020

We describe the first presentation of a deep penetrating nevus (DPN) on the lacrimal caruncle. This lesion was seen in an 18-year-old woman presenting with hemorrhage of a long-standing pigmented mass on the caruncle. Histology showed a combined melanocytic neoplasm that consisted of two different melanocytic components. The differential diagnosis, based on histological examination, was a conventional melanocytic nevus, a Spitz nevus, or a combined melanocytic nevus. On the molecular level, one of the components revealed a mutation in the CTNNB1 gene encoding the β-catenin protein, while both components harbored a BRAF V600E mutation, without molecular features of a malignant melanocytic lesion. This presentation of a DPN of the lacrimal caruncle emphasizes the similarities of the caruncle with the skin.
Changes in Plasma Amyloid and Tau in a Longitudinal Study of Normal Aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Chen Ting-Bin , Lai Yu-Hua , Ke Ting-Ling , Chen Jun-Peng , Lee Yi-Jung , Lin Szu-Ying , Lin Po-Chen , Wang Pei-Ning , Cheng Irene H.
Published: January 2020

Background: Changes in cerebrospinal fluid, neuroimaging, and cognitive functions have been used as diagnostic biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study aimed to investigate the temporal trajectories of plasma biomarkers in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and patients with AD relative to healthy controls (HCs). Methods: In this longitudinal study, 82 participants (31 HCs, 33 MCI patients, and 18 AD patients) were enrolled. After 3 years, 7 HCs had transitioned to MCI and 10 subjects with MCI had converted to AD. We analyzed plasma amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau proteins at baseline and annually to correlate with biochemical data and neuropsychological scores. Results: Longitudinal data analysis showed an evolution of Aβ-related biomarkers over time within patients, whereas tau-related biomarkers differed primarily across diagnostic classifications. An initial steady increase in Aβ42 in the MCI stage was followed by a decrease just prior to clinical AD onset. Hyperphosphorylated tau protein levels correlated with cognitive decline in the MCI stage, but not in the AD stage. Conclusion: Plasma Aβ and tau levels change in a dynamic, nonlinear, nonparallel manner over the AD continuum. Changes in plasma Aβ concentration are time-dependent, whereas changes in hyperphosphorylated tau protein levels paralleled the clinical progression of MCI. It remains to be clarified whether diagnostic efficiency can be improved by combining multiple plasma markers or combining plasma markers with other diagnostic biomarkers.
Efficacy of HA330 Hemoperfusion Adsorbent in Patients Followed in the Intensive Care Unit for Septic Shock and Acute Kidney Injury and Treated with Continuous Venovenous Hemodiafiltration as Renal Replacement Therapy
Authors: Kaçar Cem Kıvılcım , Uzundere Osman , Kandemir Deniz , Yektaş Abdulkadir
Published: January 2020

Introduction: Blood purification is an option for treatment of the source of sepsis when correcting patients’ septic shock-induced clinical status. We investigated the efficacy of HA330 hemoperfusion adsorbent application with renal replacement therapy in patients with septic shock and acute kidney injury. Methods: This prospective observational study involved 23 patients diagnosed with sepsis who underwent continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration and HA330 hemoperfusion for 2 h once daily for 3 days. The patients’ demographic data, comorbidities, lengths of intensive care unit and hospital stays, blood cell counts, blood biochemistry values, coagulation values, blood gas values, inflammatory markers, hemodynamic parameters, and inotropic medication use before and after each application of HA330 hemoperfusion were recorded. The effectiveness of HA330 hemoperfusion was evaluated by comparing the parameters on days 0 and 1, 1 and 2, and 2 and 3. Results: The pH increased significantly following the first application of HA330 hemoperfusion (p = 0.001), the C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin levels decreased significantly after the second application (p = 0.002 and 0.018, respectively), and the CRP level decreased significantly following the third application (p = 0.046). Conclusions: The application of HA330 hemoperfusion 2 h daily for 3 consecutive days improved level of CRP and heart rate, but had no effect on others or on the prognosis.
Clinical Evidence of Nasal High-Flow Therapy in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients
Authors: Elshof Judith , Duiverman Marieke L.
Published: January 2020

Nasal high-flow therapy (NHFT) is an upcoming treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. It supplies heated, humidified, and, desirably, oxygen-enriched air through a nasal cannula at flow rates up to 60 L/min. Several studies examined the effect of NHFT in COPD patients, but a clear overview is lacking. The present review aimed to give an overview of the clinical evidence of NHFT in 3 aspects of COPD care: long-term use in stable COPD patients, use for treatment of COPD exacerbations, and use during exercise therapy in COPD. For each topic, a specific literature search was performed up to December 9, 2019. Studies show promising results, with most evidence for its long-term use in hypoxemic COPD patients that frequently exacerbate, and very limited evidence for its use during COPD exacerbations or as a worthwhile adjunct to exercise training. More evidence is therefore needed to know how to incorporate NHFT in standard clinical practice.
Targeting Galectin-1 by Aflibercept Strongly Enhances Its Antitumor Effect in Neuroendocrine Carcinomas
Authors: Rodríguez-Remírez María , del Puerto-Nevado Laura , Fernández-Aceñero María Jesús , Cruz-Ramos Marlid , García-García Laura , Solanes Sonia , Molina-Roldán Elena , García-Foncillas Jesús , Cebrián  Arancha
Published: January 2020

Background: Galectin-1 (Gal-1) plays major roles in cancer by modulating different processes leading to tumor development and progression. In the last years, it has been suggested as a promising target for anticancer therapy. Recently, aflibercept has shown high affinity for Gal-1. Here, we investigated how aflibercept could exert its antitumor activity via Gal-1-driven pathways in neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs). Methods and Results: NEC tumor xenografts were used to assess the effect of aflibercept on Gal-1 functions. Aflibercept induced a significant reduction of Gal-1 at epithelial, stromal, and extracellular localizations in lung NEC, whereas this was not observed in colon NECs, which displayed low expression of Gal-1. Additionally, aflibercept significantly reduced p-VEGFR2 protein, extracellular matrix remodeling, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and activation of cancer-associated fibroblast hampering cell invasion in lung NEC but not in colon NEC. Gal-1 screening in human NECs confirmed that pulmonary and pancreatic tumors displayed higher levels of Gal-1 than colon NECs, becoming good candidates to benefit from aflibercept treatment. Conclusions: The lack of validated predictive markers of aflibercept is a weakness for guaranteeing the best treatment management with this drug. This work provides new mechanistic insight of aflibercept depending on Gal-1. Thus, in tumors overexpressing Gal-1, aflibercept has not only an antiangiogenic effect but also prevents Gal-1-mediated tumor-stroma cross talk. The stronger aflibercept effect in tumors with high levels of Gal-1 points out this protein as a molecular marker to predict the efficacy of this agent not only for NECs but also for other tumors with high levels of this protein.
Left Atrial Volume, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Diastolic Function in Healthy Individuals: The HUNT Study, Norway
Authors: Letnes Jon Magne , Nes Bjarne , Vaardal‐Lunde Kristina , Slette Martine Bratt , Mølmen‐Hansen Harald Edvard , Aspenes Stian Thoresen , Støylen Asbjørn , Wisløff Ulrik , Dalen Håvard
Published: January 2020

Background

Left atrial (
LA
) size and cardiorespiratory fitness (
CRF
) are predictors of future cardiovascular events in high‐risk populations.
LA
dilatation is a diagnostic criterion for left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. However,
LA
is dilated in endurance athletes with high
CRF
, but little is known about the association between
CRF
and
LA
size in healthy, free‐living individuals. We hypothesized that in a healthy population,
LA
size was associated with
CRF
and leisure‐time physical activity, but not with echocardiographic indexes of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction.

Methods and Results

In this cross‐sectional study from HUNT (Nord‐Trøndelag Health Study), 107 men and 138 women, aged 20 to 82 years, without hypertension, cardiovascular, pulmonary, or malignant disease participated.
LA
volume was assessed by echocardiography and indexed to body surface area LAVI (left atrial volume index).
CRF
was measured as peak oxygen uptake (
VO
2peak
) using ergospirometry, and percent of age‐ and‐sex‐predicted
VO
2peak
was calculated. Indexes of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction were assessed in accordance with latest recommendations.
LAVI
was >34 mL/m
2
in 39% of participants, and
LAVI
was positively associated with
VO
2peak
and percentage of age‐ and‐sex‐predicted
VO
2peak
(β (95% CI) 0.18 (0.09‐0.28) and 0.10 (0.05‐0.15)), respectively) weighted minutes of physical activity per week (β [95%
CI
], 0.01 [0.003–0.015]).
LAVI
was not associated with other indexes of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. There was an effect modification between age and
VO
2peak
/percentage of age‐ and‐sex‐predicted
VO
2peak
showing higher
LAVI
with advanced age and higher
VO
2peak
/percentage of age‐ and‐sex‐predicted
VO
2peak
as presented in prediction diagrams.

Conclusions

Interpretation of
LAVI
as a marker of diastolic dysfunction should be done in relation to age‐relative
CRF
. Studies on the prognostic value of
LAVI
in fit subpopulations are needed.
COMPARATIVE MORPHOLOGICAL AND TAXONOMICAL STUDIES ON SOME PSEPHELLUS TAXA (ASTERACEAE) IN TURKEY

Authors: BOZKURT MERYEM , UYSAL TUNA , ERTUĞRUL KUDDİSİ
Published: January 2020

Three close endemic species of Psephellus section Odontolophoidei were compared with regard to their micro- and macromorphological characters to explore their taxonomic circumscription and relationships. In the scope of detailed morphologic studies, the deficiences found in the species descriptions in Flora of Turkey were corrected. Detailed descriptions and a useful key were prepared in light of newly obtained morphologic data. During the numerical studies, 96 qualitative and quantitative characters were converted into numerical values. The obtained data and their matrices were used in the phenetic analyses. Following this process, a phenogram was created based on the similarity index, and the spatial distributions of the taxa were assessed using nMDS (non-metric multidimensional scaling). The findings indicated that the microstructural features of the achenes observed using scanning electron and light microscopy are very important for the classification of Psephellus, and they can be used as effective taxonomical tools to determine the relationships of closely related taxa. As a result of these studies, Psephellus aucherianus could be characterized as the most variable and relatively common species when compared to the remaining relatives within the section. Psephellus yusufeliensis was found near Ps. aucherianus and it had a fairly local and narrow distribution. In light of the micromorphological data and phenetic analyses, Psephellus sintenisii is accepted at species rank as a new combination for Flora of Turkey. Morphological descriptions and nomenclatural types are indicated for all accepted taxa, including designation of a lectotype for Ps. sintenisii. Data on phenology, ecology, and distribution are also reported.
A new highly dimorphic genus of Sminthuridae (Collembola: Symphypleona) from Brazil
Authors: ZEPPELINI DOUGLAS , BRITO RONIERE A. , ZAMPAULO ROBSON , LIMA ESTEVAM C.A.
Published: January 2020

A new genus and two new species of Sminthurinae are described. Keratosminthurus tapigu gen. nov. sp. nov. and K. calamitosus sp. nov. show a combination of features that redefines the subfamily Sminthurinae, such as a pair of sminthuroid chaetae, unguis without cavity, nine apical chaetae on tibiotarsus, 11 or more anterior dental chaetae, fourth antennal segment clearly subdivided into many (18 or more) subsegments, and asymmetric apex of mucro. The new genus also presents a striking sexual dimorphism, with modifications on male apical organ of antennal segment III, spines on the clypeus and special organs on the interocular area.
The Role of Cloud Size and Environmental Moisture in Shallow Cumulus Precipitation
Authors: Smalley Kevin M. , Rapp Anita D.
Published: January 2020

Cloud models show that precipitation is more likely to occur in larger shallow clouds and/or in an environment with more moisture, in part as a result of decreasing the impacts of entrainment mixing on the updrafts. However, the role of cloud size in shallow cloud precipitation onset from global satellite observations has mostly been examined with precipitation proxies from imagers and has not been systematically examined in active sensors, primarily because of sensitivity limitations of previous spaceborne active instruments. Here we use the more sensitiveCloudSat/CALIPSOobservations to identify and characterize the properties of individual contiguous shallow cumulus cloud objects. The objects are conditionally sampled by cloud-top height to determine the changes in precipitation likelihood with increasing cloud size and column water vapor. On average, raining shallow cumulus clouds are typically taller by a factor of 2 and have a greater horizontal extent than their nonraining counterparts. Results show that for a fixed cloud-top height the likelihood of precipitation increases with increasing cloud size and generally follows a double power-law distribution. This suggests that the smallest cloud objects are able to grow freely within the boundary layer but the largest cloud objects are limited by environmental moisture. This is supported by our results showing that, for a fixed cloud-top height and cloud size, the precipitation likelihood also increases as environmental moisture increases. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that larger clouds occurring in a wetter environment may be better able to protect their updrafts from entrainment effects, increasing their chances of raining.
Using Co-Behavior Analysis to Interrogate the Performance of CMIP5 GCMs over Southern Africa
Authors: Quagraine Kwesi A. , Hewitson Bruce , Jack Christopher , Wolski Piotr , Pinto Izidine , Lennard Christopher
Published: January 2020

As established in earlier research, analysis of the combined roles (co-behavior) of multiple climate processes provides useful insights into the drivers of regional climate variability, especially for regions with no singular large-scale circulation control. Here, we extend the previous study in order to examine the performance of eight models from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) in representing co-behavior influence on surface expressions over southern Africa. We find that although models broadly simulate observed precipitation responses over southern Africa, they fail to produce statistically strong response signals for an important drought pattern (El Niño co-behaving with positive Antarctic Oscillation during summer) for the region. We also demonstrate that the models show statistically strong temperature response signals to co-behavior that agree well with observed responses over the region. The multimodel ensemble mean although consistent with observations shows a larger spread. By elucidating the performance of models in representing observed co-behavior of climate processes, we are able to evaluate models while establishing important information for understanding of climate variability.
Mixing Rates and Bottom Drag in Bering Strait
Authors: Couto Nicole , Alford Matthew H. , MacKinnon Jennifer , Mickett John B.
Published: January 2020

Three shipboard survey lines were occupied in Bering Strait during autumn of 2015, where high-resolution measurements of temperature, salinity, velocity, and turbulent dissipation rates were collected. These first-reported turbulence measurements in Bering Strait show that dissipation rates here are high even during calm winds. High turbulence in the strait has important implications for the modification of water properties during transit from the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean. Measured diffusivities averaging 2 × 10−2 m2 s−1 are capable of causing watermass property changes of 0.1°C and 0.1 psu during the ~1–2-day transit through the narrowest part of the strait. We estimate friction velocity using both the dissipation and profile methods and find a bottom drag coefficient of 2.3 (±0.4) × 10−3. This result is smaller than values typically used to estimate bottom stress in the region and may improve predictions of transport variability through Bering Strait.
Horizontal Transport of Buoyant Material by Turbulent Jets in the Upper Ocean
Authors: Kukulka Tobias
Published: January 2020

Currents in the ocean surface boundary layer (OSBL) determine the horizontal transport of submerged buoyant material, such as pollutants, plankton, and bubbles. Commonly, the mean horizontal transport, that is, the transport that changes the horizontal position of the material’s center of mass, is assumed to be accomplished by horizontal mean currents. However, surface convergence zones due to OSBL turbulence organize both wind-driven horizontal currents and near-surface concentrated buoyant material. In such surface convergence zones, concentrations of buoyant material are enhanced (e.g., apparent as windrows) and collocate with increased horizontal turbulent currents, here referred to as turbulent jets. In turn, the correlation of turbulent jet flow and material concentrations leads to a net mean horizontal transport due to turbulent motion. To examine this turbulent jet transport, an idealized model is devised for a wind-driven flow that is perturbed by prescribed cellular flow structures with crosswind surface convergence zones. Model solutions of the jet flow and material concentrations reveal that turbulent jet transport is comparable to the transport by horizontal mean currents for sufficiently strong cellular flow and material buoyancy. To test this model, we also perform more realistic turbulence-resolving large-eddy simulations (LESs) of wind and wave-driven OSBL turbulence. LES results are consistent with many features of the idealized model and suggest that the commonly overlooked turbulent jet transport is about 20%–50% of the traditional transport by horizontal mean currents. Thus, turbulent jet transport should be taken into account for accurate transport models of buoyant material in the OSBL.
Business-to-Business E-Negotiations and Influence Tactics
Authors: Singh Sunil K. , Marinova Detelina , Singh Jagdip
Published: January 2020

E-negotiations, or sales negotiations over email, are increasingly common in business-to-business (B2B) sales, but little is known about selling effectiveness in this medium. This research investigates salespeople’s use of influence tactics as textual cues to manage buyers’ attention during B2B e-negotiations to win sales contract award. Drawing on studies of attention as a selection heuristic, the authors advance the literature on mechanisms of sales influence by theorizing buyer attention as a key mediating variable between the use of influence tactics and contract award. They use a unique, longitudinal panel spanning more than two years of email communications between buyers and salespeople during B2B sales negotiations to develop a validated corpus of textual cues that are diagnostic of salespeople’s influence tactics in e-negotiations. These e-communications data are augmented by salesperson in-depth interviews and survey, archival performance data, and a controlled experimental study with professional salespeople. The obtained results indicate that the concurrent use of compliance or internalization-based tactics as textual cues bolsters buyers’ attention and is associated with greater likelihood of contract award. In contrast, concurrent use of compliance and internalization-based tactics is prone to degrade buyer attention and likely to put the salesperson at a disadvantage in closing the contract award.
Branding in a Hyperconnected World: Refocusing Theories and Rethinking Boundaries
Authors: Swaminathan Vanitha , Sorescu Alina , Steenkamp Jan-Benedict E.M. , O’Guinn Thomas Clayton Gibson , Schmitt Bernd
Published: January 2020

Technological advances have resulted in a hyperconnected world, requiring a reassessment of branding research from the perspectives of firms, consumers, and society. Brands are shifting away from single ownership to shared ownership, as heightened access to information and people is allowing more stakeholders to cocreate brand meanings and experiences alongside traditional brand owners and managers. Moreover, hyperconnectivity has allowed existing brands to expand their geographic reach and societal roles, while new types of branded entities (ideas, people, places, and organizational brands) are further stretching the branding space. To help establish a new branding paradigm that accounts for these changes, the authors address the following questions: (1) What are the roles and functions of brands?, (2) How is brand value (co)created?, and (3) How should brands be managed? Throughout the article, the authors also identify future research issues that require scholarly attention, with the aim of aligning branding theory and practice with the realities of a hyperconnected world.
A Look Back: The U.S. foreign language problem, as covered in Kappan
Authors: Preston Teresa
Published: January 2020

In this monthly Kappan column, Teresa Preston shares a sampling of what past Kappan authors have written about foreign language instruction U.S. schools. Although it is not a topic that has appeared frequently in Kappan, concern about a lack of such instruction goes back at least as far as the 1930s. Although authors have generally agreed about the need for more foreign language study, disputes have emerged about which languages to study and what methods are most effective for teaching foreign languages. Authors have, however, agreed that language study should start earlier than it generally does.
Crossroads: Integration and segregation in suburban school districts
Authors: Rotberg Iris C.
Published: January 2020

As U.S. suburbs become more racially and ethnically diverse, they have the opportunity to make their schools similarly diverse. But integration is not assured, even in districts with significant demographic diversity. Iris Rotberg draws on Montgomery County Public Schools, a suburban Maryland district, to illustrate the opportunities and risks present in many other suburban districts. While large numbers of Montgomery County students attend diverse schools, segregation is a growing problem in the higher-poverty schools, and Black and Latinx students attending these schools have become more segregated in recent years. At the same time, White and Asian students attending low-poverty schools are in more diverse environments. Rotberg considers how policies related to school boundaries, housing, charter schools, and district secession have affected the integration of suburban schools.
Assessing the Relative Influence of Individual Attitudes, Social Supports, and Neighborhood Context on Reentry Outcomes: What Changes Matter Most?
Authors: Alward Lucas M. , Caudy Michael S. , Viglione Jill
Published: January 2020

Using the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI) data set, the current study examined the relationship between internal change factors, including agency, readiness for change, and legal cynicism, and four reentry outcomes (recidivism, reincarceration, drug use, and treatment participation). The study also assessed the impact of external change factors, such as family support and perceived neighborhood quality on reentry outcomes. Using a hybrid model approach, we found that within-individual changes in agency and family emotional support were significantly related to decreased self-reported recidivism and reincarceration over time. Within-individual changes in family emotional support were also significantly related to reductions in self-reported drug use and within-individual changes in readiness for change were positively associated with treatment participation across the postrelease waves of the SVORI data. Between-individual results further demonstrate the salience of change factors on reentry outcomes. Study findings inform desistance models and identify some promising targets for reentry programming.
A Multiorganizational Cooperation Framework for Neighborhood Disaster Resilience
Authors: Andrew Simon A. , Bacot Hunter , Craw Michael
Published: January 2020

Climate change and growth in coastal population make many American communities increasingly vulnerable to coastal disasters such as hurricanes, winter storms, and tsunamis. This research argues that neighborhood-level organizations can and should play a significant role in preparation for and response to such events. In particular, neighborhood and homeowner associations routinely play key roles in mobilizing community response to safety, physical decay, and infrastructure problems, all central concerns in preparation for and recovery from natural disaster. Neighborhood organizations then can act as lynchpin actors in a multiorganizational cooperation framework for disaster preparation, recovery, and resilience.
Broadcasting the Bieber Republic: A Critical Analysis of “#thatPOWER”
Authors: Berman Naomi , Platania-Phung Chris
Published: January 2020

This article provides a critical analysis of “#thatPOWER”—a music video featuring will.i.am and Justin Bieber. This analysis focuses on the tensions and binary oppositions depicted in the video that pertain to social and geographic placement (e.g., “race,” gender, religion). Social science scholarship on youth and Wendy Brown’s account of neoliberalism are drawn on to argue that while “#thatPOWER” emphasizes individual agency and social advancement via will.i.am’s own achievements and aspirations, what is unintentionally promoted is an ironic vision of what we call the "Bieber Republic,” where agency via participatory democracy is erased. “#thatPOWER” neatly serves neoliberalism by tacitly “teaching” that social problems can be solved by individual achievement and mobility secured by inner energy and grit, backgrounded by market competition, consumerism, and technology. In this way “#thatPOWER” is complicit with what Brown calls the “stealth revolution” of neoliberalism.
Association between right heart diastolic function and clinical presentation of chronic venous disease and primary varicose veins of lower extremities
Authors: Rusinovich Yury , Rusinovich Volha
Published: January 2020

Aim

This study examines the association between right heart diastolic function and clinical presentation of chronic venous disease and primary varicose veins of lower extremities.

Material and methods

We performed retrospective analysis of clinical, peripheral venous Duplex and tricuspid Doppler (early diastolic inflow E-wave, late diastolic inflow A-wave, ratios of E to A waves, early diastolic annular e′-wave, late diastolic annular a′-wave and systolic annular s′- wave) data of 85 patients, 133 legs with primary varicose veins.

Results

We found following significant (p-value < 0.05) associations between tricuspid Doppler and clinical presentation of chronic venous disease and primary varicose veins: Clinical Etiological Anatomical Pathophysiological clinical class influenced late diastolic inflow velocities (C6 class A-wave +11.2 cm/s or +27% in comparison with C2), late diastolic annular velocities (C6 class a′-wave +3.3 cm/s or +22% in comparison with C2), systolic annular velocities (C6 class s′-wave +3.7 cm/s or +27% in comparison with C2) and E/A ratios (C6 class E/A ratio −0.22 or −21% in comparison with C2). Recurrent varices in comparison with previously untreated are associated with significantly lower late diastolic inflow velocities (A-wave −4.4 cm/s or −9%) and preserved E/A ratios. Age significantly influenced tricuspid Doppler (E-, A-, e′-, a′-waves and E/A ratios) in patients with chronic venous disease.

Conclusion

Clinical presentation of primary varicose veins and chronic venous disease can be associated with the right heart diastolic function: C6 Clinical Etiological Anatomical Pathophysiological class in comparison with C2 is associated with increased right ventricular filling and impaired ventricular relaxation – right heart diastolic dysfunction; recurrent varices in comparison with previously untreated are associated with reduced right ventricular filling and preserved right heart diastolic function. Older age is the most important risk factor for varicose veins and chronic venous disease possible due to significant changes in right ventricular filling and in right heart diastolic function with age.
Health consequences and help-seeking among victims of crime: An examination of sex differences
Authors: Campagna Lena , Zaykowski Heather
Published: January 2020

This study examines whether sex differences in level of distress and help-seeking for physical and emotional problems as a result of criminal victimization can be explained by injury, type of crime, and the victim–offender relationship. The study uses data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) from 2008–2014. Analyses utilize multivariate logistic regression and interaction terms to address possible differences between males and females. Consistent with the existing literature, females reported elevated distress and were more likely to seek help for emotional and physical problems. However, being a victim of intimate and family violence contributed to heightened distress and increased help-seeking for both males and females. Male distress was elevated when the offender was a friend or acquaintance and when the attack was a robbery. Victims services should address crimes males are more likely to experience, including robbery and victimizations by known, but not necessarily intimate, relationships.
In vivo characterization of spontaneous microhemorrhage formation in mice with cerebral amyloid angiopathy
Authors: van Veluw Susanne J , Frosch Matthew P , Scherlek Ashley A , Lee Daniel , Greenberg Steven M , Bacskai Brian J
Published: January 2020

The pathophysiology of microhemorrhages in the context of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) remains poorly understood. Here we used in vivo two-photon microscopy in aged APP/PS1 mice with mild-to-moderate CAA to assess the formation of microhemorrhages and their spatial relationship with vascular Aβ depositions in the surrounding microvascular network. Mice with chronic cranial windows were intravenously injected with fluorescent dextran to visualize the vessels and a fluorescently labeled anti-fibrin antibody to visualize microhemorrhages. Focal vessel irradiations resulted in extravascular fibrin-positive clots at individual rupture sites that remained visible for weeks. Spontaneous extravascular fibrin-positive clots were more often observed in 19-month-old transgenic APP/PS1 mice compared to their wild-type littermate controls ( p = 0.039), after heparin administration. In the transgenic mice, these spontaneous leakage sites frequently occurred at arteriolar segments without CAA at bifurcations or vessel bends. These findings suggest that the presence of vascular Aβ per se does not directly predispose vessels to leak, but that complex flow dynamics within CAA-affected vascular networks likely play a role. Our in vivo approach for the detection of individual spontaneous leakage sites may be used in longitudinal studies aimed to assess structural and functional alterations at the single-vessel level leading up to microhemorrhage formation.
Targeted tPA overexpression in denervated spinal motor neurons promotes stroke recovery in mice
Authors: Gan Xinling , Chopp Michael , Xin Hongqi , Wang Fengjie , Golembieski William , Lu Mei , He Li , Liu Zhongwu
Published: January 2020

Our previous studies demonstrated that axonal remodeling of the corticospinal tract (CST) contributes to neurological recovery after stroke in rodents. The present study employed a novel non-invasive peripheral approach, to over-express tPA in denervated spinal motor neurons via recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) intramuscular injection in transgenic mice subjected to permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo), in which the CST axons are specifically and completely labeled with yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). One day after surgery, mice were randomly selected to receive saline, AAV5-RFP, or tPA (1 × 1010 viral particles) injected into the stroke-impaired forelimb muscles ( n = 10/group). Functional deficits and recovery were monitored with foot-fault and single pellet reaching tests. At day 28 after MCAo, mice received intramuscular injection of PRV-614-mRFP (1.52 × 107 pfu) as above, and were euthanized four days later. Compared with saline or AAV-RFP-treated mice, AAV-tPA significantly enhanced behavioral recovery ( p < 0.01, both tests), as well as increased CST axonal density in the denervated gray matter of the cervical cord ( p < 0.001), and RFP-positive pyramidal neurons in both ipsilesional and contralesional cortices ( p < 0.001). Behavioral outcomes were significantly correlated to neural remodeling ( p < 0.05). Our results provide a fundamental basis for the development of therapeutic approaches aimed at promoting corticospinal innervation for stroke treatment.