bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Substance Abusers in an Acute Psychiatric Facility: A Diagnostic and Logistic Challenge
Authors: Berg John E. , Restan Asbjørn
Published: March 2013

Acute resident psychiatric facilities in Norway usually get their patients after referral from a medical doctor. Acute psychiatric wards are the only places accepting persons in need of emergency hospitalisation when emergency units in somatic hospitals do not accept the patient. Resident patients at one random chosen day were scrutinized in an acute psychiatric facility with 36 beds serving a catchment area of 165 000. Twenty-five patients were resident in the facility at that particular day. Eight of 25 resident patients (32.0%) in the acute wards were referred for a substance-induced psychosis (SIP). Another patient may also have had a SIP, but the differential diagnostic work was not finished. A main primary diagnosis of substance use was given in the medical reports in only 12.9% of patients during the last year. Given that the chosen day was representative of the year, a majority of patients with substance abuse problems were given other diagnoses. There seems to be a reluctance to declare the primary reason for an acute stay in a third of resident stays. Lack of specialized emergency detoxification facilities may have contributed to the results.
The Order Completion Method for Systems of Nonlinear PDEs: Solutions of Initial Value Problems
Authors: van der Walt Jan Harm
Published: March 2013

We present an existence result for generalized solutions of initial value problems obtained through the order completion method. The solutions we obtain satisfy the initial condition in a suitable extended sense, and each such solution may be represented in a canonical way through its generalized partial derivatives as nearly finite normal lower semicontinuous function.
Combined EUS-Guided Abdominal Cavity Drainage and Cystogastrostomy for the Ruptured Pancreatic Pseudocyst
Authors: Nan Ge , Siyu Sun , Xiang Liu , Sheng Wang , Guoxin Wang
Published: March 2013

Background. Endoscopic-Ultrasonography- (EUS-) guided puncture and drainage of pancreatic pseudocyst is currently one of the most widely accepted nonsurgical treatments. To date, this technique has only been used for pancreatic pseudocysts adhesive to the gastric wall. This study introduces the technique of EUS-guided pseudocyst drainage and additional EUS-guided peritoneal drainage for the ruptured pseudocyst.Methods. Transmural puncture and drainage of the cyst were performed with a 19 G needle, cystotome, and 10 Fr endoprosthesis. Intraperitoneal drainage was performed with a nasobiliary catheter when rupture of pseudocyst occurred. The entire procedure was guided by the echoendoscope.Results. A total of 21 patients, 8 men and 13 women, with a mean age of 36 years, were included in this prospective study. All of the pseudocysts were successfully drained by EUS. Peritoneal drainage was uneventfully performed in 4 patients. There were no severe complications. Complete pseudocyst resolution was established in all patients.Conclusion. The technique of EUS-guided transmural puncture and drainage, when combined with abdominal cavity drainage by a nasobiliary catheter, allows successful endoscopic management of pancreatic pseudocysts without adherence to gastric wall.
A Rare Metastasis to the Bladder
Authors: Modh Rishi A. , Corbyons Katherine A. , Yeung Lawrence L.
Published: March 2013

Primary bladder cancer is the fifth most common malignancy but secondary malignancies of the bladder are rare. Distinguishing primary adenocarcinomas of the bladder from secondary adenocarcinomas is difficult and relies on immunohistochemical staining. Prostate, colorectal, breast, and lung all can produce metastatic adenocarcinomas to the bladder. Further management of the malignancy varies depending on the source, thus making proper diagnosis critical. We present only the fifth documented case of metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung to bladder and performed a review of the literature.
An Energy-Efficient Broadcast MAC Protocol for Hybrid Vehicular Networks
Authors: Yoo DaeHun , Choi WoongChul
Published: March 2013

In vehicular networks, sparse roadside vehicular communication (RVC) systems on highways are difficult to provide full coverage of existing roadways because the distance between the roadside units (RSUs) is farther than the RSU's transmission range. In sparse RVC, collision-free communication is required because the time available for communication is very short. In addition, the collision-free communication has an energy-efficient feature. Therefore, we propose an energy-efficient broadcast MAC protocol in order to expand the service coverage in RVC systems and collision-free communication. The proposed protocol performs a hybrid vehicular communication (HVC). It has a rebroadcast mechanism using a vehicle's velocity, distance, and angle from nearby vehicle for collision-free communication. Then, we show our protocol's performance evaluation using ns-2.
Anorectal Injuries due to Foreign Bodies: Case Reports and Review of the Management Options
Authors: Karateke Faruk , Das Koray , Ozyazici Sefa , Menekse Ebru , Koseoglu Zikret , Karcioglu Ozgur
Published: March 2013

Anorectal injuries due to autoerotic activity with rectal foreign bodies were identified in four male patients. The objects were bottle in one patient, glasses in two patients, and showerhead in one patient. Foreign bodies were extracted within lithotomy position after anal dilatation, under general anesthesia in 3 patients. One patient presented with peritoneal irritation and had a diagnosis of rectal perforation. He underwent transanal rectal repair with proximal fecal diversion. In this paper we described 4 patients who had anorectal injuries due to autoerotic activity with foreign bodies and reviewed the management options in literature.
The Relationship between Serum Osteocalcin Concentration and Glucose Metabolism in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Wang Qingqing , Zhang Beibei , Xu Yulan , Xu Hongdi , Zhang Nan
Published: March 2013

To study the correlations between serum osteocalcin and glucose metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes, 66 cases were collected to determine total osteocalcin, undercarboxylated osteocalcin, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, and HbA1c. Osteocalcin concentrations were compared between groups of different levels of HbA1c, and parameters of glucose metabolism were compared between groups of different levels of total osteocalcin and undercarboxylated osteocalcin. The relationship between osteocalcin and parameters of glucose metabolism was also analyzed. We found that the total osteocalcin concentration of high-HbA1c group was significantly lower than that of low-HbA1c group. The fasting blood glucose of low-total-osteocalcin group was significantly higher than that of high-total-osteocalcin group in male participants, while the fasting blood glucose of low-undercarboxylated-osteocalcin group was significantly higher than that of high-undercarboxylated-osteocalcin group in all participants and in male participants. Total osteocalcin was inversely correlated with HbA1c, and undercarboxylated osteocalcin was inversely correlated with fasting blood glucose. However, no significant correlation was found between osteocalcin and HOMA-IR. Total osteocalcin was an independent related factor of HbA1c level. In summary, decreased serum total osteocalcin and undercarboxylated osteocalcin are closely related to the exacerbation of glucose metabolism disorder but have no relations with insulin resistance.
The Application of Response Surface Methodology for Lead Ion Removal from Aqueous Solution Using Intercalated Tartrate-Mg-Al Layered Double Hydroxides
Authors: Yasin Yamin , Mohamad Maszlin , Ahmad Faujan B. H.
Published: March 2013

Layered double hydroxide intercalated with tartrate (tartrate-Mg-Al) was used as an adsorbent to remove lead ions from aqueous solutions. The effects of various optimization parameters such as contact time, solution pH, lead ion concentrations, and adsorbent dosage were investigated by the use of Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on a four-level four-variable Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) was employed to evaluate the interactive effects of the various optimization parameters. The parameters were contact time (6–10 h), solution pH (1–3), adsorbent dosage (0.06–0.1 g), and lead ion concentrations (10–30 mg/L). The percentage of lead ions removal for each of the parameters studied was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrophotometer. Simultaneously by increasing contact time and amount of dosage of tartrate-Mg-Al used the percentage of lead ions removal from aqueous solution will increase; however, the percentage removal decreases with an increase in pH and concentrations of lead ions. The experimental percentage removal recorded under optimum conditions was compared well with the maximum predicted value from the RSM, which suggest that Central Composite Rotatable Design of RSM can be used to study the removal of lead from aqueous solution by the use of tartrate-Mg-Al as an adsorbent.
Gene Therapy with HSV1‐sr39TK/GCV Exhibits a Stronger Therapeutic Efficacy Than HSV1‐TK/GCV in Rat C6 Glioma Cells
Authors: Li Lei-qing , Shen Fang , Xu Xiao-yan , Zhang Hong , Yang Xiao-feng , Liu Wei-guo
Published: March 2013

Although the combination of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1) thymidine kinase (TK) with ganciclovir (GCV) has been shown as a promising suicide gene treatment strategy for glioma, the almost immunodepressive dose of GCV required for its adequate in vivo efficacy has hampered its further clinical application. Therefore, In order to reduce the GCV dose required, we aim to compare the therapeutic efficacy of HSV1‐sr39TK, an HSV1‐TK mutant with increased GCV prodrug catalytic activity, with wildtype TK in C6 glioma cells. Accordingly, rat C6 glioma cells were first transfected with pCDNA‐TK and pCDNA‐sr39TK, respectively, and the gene transfection efficacy was verified by immunocytochemistry and western blot analysis. Then the in vivo sensitivity of these transfected C6‐TK and C6‐sr39TK cells to GCV was determined by 3‐(4,5)‐dimethylthiahiazo‐(‐z‐y1)‐3,5‐di‐phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) colorimetric assay and Hoechst‐propidium iodide (PI) staining. Finally, a subcutaneously C6 xenograft tumor model was established in the nude mice to test the in vitro efficacy of TK/GCV gene therapy. Our results showed that, as compared with wildtype TK, HSV1‐sr39TK/GCV demonstrated a stronger therapeutic efficacy against C6 glioma both in vitro and in vivo, which, by reducing the required GCV dose, might warrant its future use in the treatment of glioma under clinical setting.
Topological Soliton Solution and Bifurcation Analysis of the Klein-Gordon-Zakharov Equation in(1+1)-Dimensions with Power Law Nonlinearity
Authors: Song Ming , Ahmed Bouthina S. , Biswas Anjan
Published: March 2013

This paper addresses the Klein-Gordon-Zakharov equation with power law nonlinearity in (1+1)-dimensions. The integrability aspect as well as the bifurcation analysis is studied in this paper. The numerical simulations are also given where the finite difference approach was utilized. There are a few constraint conditions that naturally evolve during the course of derivation of the soliton solutions. These constraint conditions must remain valid in order for the soliton solution to exist. For the bifurcation analysis, the phase portraits are also given.
Time-Dependent Effect of Oral Morphine Consumption on the Development of Cytotrophoblast and Syncytiotrophoblast Cells of the Placental Layers during the Three Different Periods of Pregnancy in Wistar Rats
Authors: Dehghani Leila , Sahraei Hedayat , Meamar Rokhsareh , Kazemi Masoomeh
Published: March 2013

Previous studies have shown that morphine abuse during pregnancy cancause a delay in the development of the placenta and embryo and also bring about birth defects. The present study investigates the effect of the duration of maternal morphine consumption during pregnancy, as well as the impacts of morphine abuse on the development of placental layers during the three different periods of pregnancy in Wistar rats.Materials and Methodology. Female Wistar rats have been used in the present study. Experimental groups received morphine (0.05 mg/mL of drinking water) after one night of coupling with male rats for mating. On 9th, 10th, and 14th days of pregnancy, pregnant animals were killed, and placentas were removed and fixed. The cells of the placentas layers were calculated by light microscope and MOTIC and SPSS software.Results. The maternal surface thickness of the placenta was significantly increased, whereasthe fetal surface thickness of placenta was significantly decreased with morphine consumption with a time-dependent manner in experimental groups, compared to control groups. Moreover, the number of trophoblast cells increased in both maternal and fetal surfaces of placenta with respect to the duration of morphine consumption which was overt in the experimental groups compared to the control groups.Conclusion. In general, the time-dependent effects of oral morphine consumption can inhibit the development and natural functioning of cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast cells of the placental layers.
Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy: The Learning Curve of a Low Volume Surgeon
Authors: Mitre Anuar I. , Chammas Mario F. , Rocha José Eugênio A. , Duarte Ricardo Jordão , Ebaid Gustavo Xavier , Rocha Flavio Trigo
Published: March 2013

Objective. Analyze the learning curve for laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in a low volume program. Materials and Methods. A single surgeon operated on 165 patients. Patients were consecutively divided in 3 groups of 55 patients (groups A, B, and C). An enhancement of estimated blood loss, surgery length, and presence of a positive surgical margin were all considered as a function of surgeon’s experience. Results. Operative time was 267 minutes for group A, 230 minutes for group B, and 159 minutes for group C, and the operative time decreased over time, but a significant difference was present only between groups A and C (P < 0.001). Mean estimated blood loss was 328 mL, 254 mL, and 206 mL (P = 0.24). A conversion to open surgery was necessary in 4 patients in group A. Positive surgical margin rates were 29.1%, 21.8%, and 5.5% (P = 0.02). Eight patients in group A, 4 patients in group B, and one in group C had biochemical recurrence. Conclusion. Significantly less intraoperative complications were evident after the first 51 cases. All other parameters (blood loss, operative time, and positive surgical margins) significantly decreased and stabilized after 110 cases. Those outcomes were somehow similar to previous published series by high‐volume centers.
Agonist Antibodies to TNFR Molecules That Costimulate T and NK Cells
Authors: Melero Ignacio , Hirschhorn-Cymerman Daniel , Morales-Kastresana Aizea , Sanmamed Miguel F. , Wolchok Jedd D.
Published: March 2013

Therapy for cancer can be achieved by artificially stimulating antitumor T and natural killer (NK) lymphocytes with agonist monoclonal antibodies (mAb). T and NK cells express several members of the TNF receptor (TNFR) family specialized in delivering a costimulatory signal on their surface. Engagement of these receptors is typically associated with proliferation, elevated effector functions, resistance to apoptosis, and differentiation into memory cells. These receptors lack any intrinsic enzymatic activity and their signal transduction relies on associations with TNFR-associated factor (TRAF) adaptor proteins. Stimulation of CD137 (4-1BB), CD134 (OX40), and glucocorticoid-induced TNFR (GITR; CD357) promotes impressive tumor-rejecting immunity in a variety of murine tumor models. The mechanisms of action depend on a complex interplay of CTL, T-helper cells, regulatory T cells, dendritic cells, and vascular endothelium in tumors. Agonist mAbs specific for CD137 have shown signs of objective clinical activity in patients with metastatic melanoma, whereas anti-OX40 and anti-GITR mAbs have entered clinical trials. Preclinical evidence suggests that engaging TNFR members would be particularly active with conventional cancer therapies and additional immunotherapeutic approaches. Indeed, T-cell responses elicited to tumor antigens by means of immunogenic tumor cell death are amplified by these immunostimulatory agonist mAbs. Furthermore, anti-CD137 mAbs have been shown to enhance NK-mediated cytotoxicity elicited by rituximab and trastuzumab. Combinations with other immunomodulatory mAb that block T-cell checkpoint blockade receptors such as CTLA-4 and PD-1 are also promising. Clin Cancer Res; 19(5); 1044–53. ©2013 AACR.
Clinical Development of Immunostimulatory Monoclonal Antibodies and Opportunities for Combination
Authors: Melero Ignacio , Grimaldi Antonio M. , Perez-Gracia Jose L. , Ascierto Paolo A.
Published: March 2013

Immune system responses are under the control of extracellular biomolecules, which express functions in receptors present on the surface of cells of the immune system, and thus are amenable to be functionally modulated by monoclonal antibodies. Some of these mechanisms are activating and dictate whether the response ensues, while others play the role of powerful repressors. Antagonist antibodies acting on such repressors result in enhanced immune responses, a goal that is also achieved with agonist antibodies acting on the activating receptors. With these simple logics, a series of therapeutic agents are under clinical development and one of them directed at the CTL-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) inhibitory receptor (ipilimumab) has been approved for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. The list of antagonist agents acting on repressors under development includes anti–CTLA-4, anti–PD-1, anti–PD-L1 (B7-H1), anti-KIR, and anti–TGF-β. Agonist antibodies currently being investigated in clinical trials target CD40, CD137 (4-1BB), CD134 (OX40), and glucocorticoid-induced TNF receptor (GITR). A blossoming preclinical pipeline suggests that other active targets will also be tested in patients in the near future. All of these antibodies are being developed as conventional monoclonal immunoglobulins, but other engineered antibody formats or RNA aptamers are under preclinical scrutiny. The “dark side” of these immune interventions is that they elicit autoimmune/inflammatory reactions that can be severe in some patients. A critical and, largely, pending subject is to identify reliable predictive biomarkers both for efficacy and immune toxicity. Preclinical and early clinical studies indicate a tremendous potential to further improve efficacy, using combinations from among these new agents that frequently act in a synergistic fashion. Combinations with other more conventional means of treatment such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or cancer vaccines also hold much promise. Clin Cancer Res; 19(5); 997–1008. ©2013 AACR.
Biomarkers for Immunostimulatory Monoclonal Antibodies in Combination Strategies for Melanoma and Other Tumor Types
Authors: Ascierto Paolo A. , Kalos Michael , Schaer David A. , Callahan Margaret K. , Wolchok Jedd D.
Published: March 2013

Modulation of the immune system by targeting coinhibitory and costimulatory receptors has become a promising new approach of immunotherapy for cancer. The recent approval of the CTLA-4–blocking antibody ipilimumab for the treatment of melanoma was a watershed event, opening up a new era in the field of immunotherapy. Ipilimumab was the first treatment to ever show enhanced overall survival (OS) for patients with stage IV melanoma. However, measuring response rates using standard Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) or modified World Health Organization criteria or progression-free survival does not accurately capture the potential for clinical benefit for ipilimumab-treated patients. As immunotherapy approaches are translated into more tumor types, it is important to study biomarkers, which may be more predictive of OS to identify the patients most likely to have clinical benefit. Ipilimumab is the first-in-class of a series of immunomodulating antibodies that are in clinical development. Anti-PD1 (nivolumab and MK-3475), anti-PD-L1 (BMS-936 559, RG7446, and MEDI4736), anti-CD137 (urelumab), anti-OX40, anti-GITR, and anti-CD40 monoclonal antibodies are just some of the agents that are being actively investigated in clinical trials, each having the potential for combination with the ipilimumab to enhance its effectiveness. Development of rational combinations of immunomodulatory antibodies with small-molecule pathway inhibitor therapies such as vemurafenib makes the discovery of predictive biomarkers even more important. Identifying reliable biomarkers is a necessary step in personalizing the treatment of each patient's cancer through a baseline assessment of tumor gene expression and/or immune profile to optimize therapy for the best chance of therapeutic success. Clin Cancer Res; 19(5); 1009–20. ©2013 AACR.
Neutrophil Transmigration: Emergence of an Adhesive Cascade within Venular Walls
Authors: Voisin Mathieu-Benoit , Nourshargh Sussan
Published: March 2013

Recruitment of neutrophils from the blood circulation to sites of infection or injury is a key innate immune response against invading pathogens and tissue injury. However, if inappropriately triggered, excessive and/or prolonged, this host defence response can also lead to severe pathological disorders. The migration of all leucocytes out of the vasculature is classically described by the leucocyte adhesion cascade that depicts a well-characterised sequence of cellular and molecular events within the vascular lumen. Recent findings have now illustrated that beyond the vascular lumen, the breaching of the venular wall can also involve an analogous cascade of adhesive events. For neutrophils this involves a tightly regulated and sequential series of responses within venular walls, initiating with adhesive steps that guide neutrophils through endothelial cells lining the venular wall, followed by responses that mediate and regulate their migration through the pericyte sheath and the venular basement membrane. The present review aims to provide a brief summary of novel additions to the classical adhesion cascade within the vascular lumen and then to discuss the emergence of a second adhesion cascade for neutrophils within venular walls, the latter illustrating the intricacies and complexities of neutrophil transmigration.
Are Anti-Stigma Films a Useful Strategy for Reducing Weight Bias Among Trainee Healthcare Professionals? Results of a Pilot Randomized Control Trial
Authors: Swift Judy Anne , Tischler Victoria , Markham Sophie , Gunning Ingrid , Glazebrook Cris , Beer Charlotte , Puhl Rebecca
Published: March 2013

Background: Weight bias is an important clinical issue that the educators of tomorrow's healthcare professionals cannot afford to ignore. This study, therefore, aimed to pilot a randomized controlled trial of the effects of educational films designed to reduce weight stigmatization toward obese patients on trainee dietitians' and doctors' attitudes. Methods: A pre-post experimental design with a 6-week follow-up, which consisted of an intervention group (n = 22) and a control group (n = 21), was conducted to assess the efficacy of brief anti-stigma films in reducing weight bias, and to test whether future, larger-scale studies among trainee healthcare professionals are feasible. Results: Participants at baseline demonstrated weight bias, on both implicit and explicit attitude measures, as well as strong beliefs that obesity is under a person's control. The intervention films significantly improved explicit attitudes and beliefs toward obese people, and participant evaluation was very positive. The intervention did not significantly improve implicit anti-fat bias. Conclusion: The current study suggests both that it is possible to conduct a substantive trial of the effects of educational films designed to reduce weight stigma on a larger cohort of trainee healthcare professionals, and that brief educational interventions may be effective in reducing stigmatizing attitudes in this population.
Insulin Administration Acutely Decreases Vaspin Serum Concentrations in Humans
Authors: Kovacs Peter , Miehle Konstanze , Sandner Benjamin , Stumvoll Michael , Blüher Matthias
Published: March 2013

It has been hypothesized that insulin might mediate meal-related diurnal variation in vaspin serum concentrations. We therefore investigated whether insulin affects serum vaspin levels in humans. Vaspin serum concentrations were determined by ELISA in 10 healthy individuals, who underwent an insulin tolerance test (ITT) for the evaluation of pituitary ACTH and growth hormone reserve. The ITTs were started 08:00 am after an overnight fast with a bolus i.v. insulin dose of 0.15 IU/kg body weight (Actrapid™). Blood samples were taken at -15, 0, 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min after insulin administration. 15 min after insulin administration, vaspin serum concentrations decreased by 19 ± 6%, continued to decrease by 42 ± 12% at 60 min and returned to 88 ± 7% of initial values 120 min after insulin administration. Our data suggest that meal-related changes in serum vaspin concentrations might be mediated by insulin.
Does Regular Breakfast Cereal Consumption Help Children and Adolescents Stay Slimmer? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: de la Hunty Anne , Gibson Sigrid , Ashwell Margaret
Published: March 2013

Objective: To review systematically the evidence on breakfast cereal consumption and obesity in children and adolescents and assess whether the regular consumption of breakfast cereals could help to prevent excessive weight gain. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies relating breakfast cereal consumption to BMI, BMI z-scores and prevalence of obesity as the outcomes. Results: 14 papers met the inclusion criteria. The computed effect size for mean BMI between high consumers and low or non-consumers over all 25 study subgroups was -1.13 kg/m2 (95% CI -0.81, -1.46, p < 0.0001) in the random effects model, which is equivalent to a standardised mean difference of 0.24. Adjustment for age and publication bias attenuated the effect sizes somewhat but they remained statistically significant. The prevalence and risk of overweight was lower in children and adolescents who consume breakfast cereals regularly compared to those who consume them infrequently. Energy intakes tended to be higher in regular breakfast cereal consumers. Conclusion: Overall, the evidence reviewed is suggestive that regular consumption of breakfast cereals results in a lower BMI and a reduced likelihood of being overweight in children and adolescents. However, more evidence from long-term trials and investigations into mechanisms is needed to eliminate possible confounding factors and determine causality.
Normal Immunostaining Pattern for Aquaporin-5 in the Lesions of Palmoplantar Hyperhidrosis
Authors: Nakahigashi Kyoko , Nomura Takashi , Miyachi Yoshiki , Kabashima Kenji
Published: March 2013

Aquaporin-5 (AQP-5) is a water-transporting protein expressed in mammal sweat glands. It has been reported that the expression of AQP-5 is involved in sweating of mice, rats, and horses. However, the physiological function of human AQP-5 is still uncertain. In this report, we examined the expression pattern of AQP-5 in the skin lesions of palmoplantar hyperhidrosis in patients with Nagashima-type palmoplantar hyperkeratosis (PPK). We found that there was no significant difference in AQP-5 expression in the palmoplantar skin of healthy subjects and patients with palmoplantar hyperhidrosis. Our findings suggest that a mechanism other than AQP-5 may be involved in the pathogenesis of hyperhidrosis in PPK.
Direct Numerical Simulation of Evaporative Cooling at the Lateral Boundary of Shallow Cumulus Clouds
Authors: Abma Dick , Heus Thijs , Mellado Juan Pedro
Published: March 2013

This study investigates the dynamics of the subsiding shell at the lateral boundary of cumulus clouds, focusing on the role of evaporative cooling. Since the size of this shell is well below what large-eddy simulations can resolve, the authors have performed direct numerical simulations of an idealized subsiding shell. The system develops a self-similar, Reynolds number–independent flow that allows for the determination of explicit scaling laws relating the characteristic length, time, and velocity scales of the shell. It is found that the shell width grows quadratically in time, linearly with the traveled distance. The magnitude of these growth rates shows that evaporative cooling, in its most idealized form, is capable of producing a fast-growing shell with numbers that are consistent with observations of the subsiding shell around real shallow cumulus clouds: for typical thermodynamic conditions in cumulus clouds, a velocity on the order of 1 m s−1 and a thickness on the order of 10 m are established in about 2 min. This fits well within the typical cloud lifetime, suggesting that this idealization is an adequate framework for the analysis of relevant aspects in the subsiding shell associated with buoyancy reversal. It also indicates that the scaling laws derived here can be used to estimate the potential strength of a subsiding shell and the mean lateral entrainment associated with it, once an estimate of the local thermodynamical state of the cloud boundary is provided. It is shown that the dominant parameter of this system is the saturation buoyancy, whereas the effect of the saturation mixing fraction is minor.
The Key Role of Heavy Precipitation Events in Climate Model Disagreements of Future Annual Precipitation Changes in California
Authors: Pierce David W. , Cayan Daniel R. , Das Tapash , Maurer Edwin P. , Miller Norman L. , Bao Yan , Kanamitsu M. , Yoshimura Kei , Snyder Mark A. , Sloan Lisa C. , Franco Guido , Tyree Mary
Published: March 2013

Climate model simulations disagree on whether future precipitation will increase or decrease over California, which has impeded efforts to anticipate and adapt to human-induced climate change. This disagreement is explored in terms of daily precipitation frequency and intensity. It is found that divergent model projections of changes in the incidence of rare heavy (>60 mm day−1) daily precipitation events explain much of the model disagreement on annual time scales, yet represent only 0.3% of precipitating days and 9% of annual precipitation volume. Of the 25 downscaled model projections examined here, 21 agree that precipitation frequency will decrease by the 2060s, with a mean reduction of 6–14 days yr−1. This reduces California's mean annual precipitation by about 5.7%. Partly offsetting this, 16 of the 25 projections agree that daily precipitation intensity will increase, which accounts for a model average 5.3% increase in annual precipitation. Between these conflicting tendencies, 12 projections show drier annual conditions by the 2060s and 13 show wetter. These results are obtained from 16 global general circulation models downscaled with different combinations of dynamical methods [Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF), Regional Spectral Model (RSM), and version 3 of the Regional Climate Model (RegCM3)] and statistical methods [bias correction with spatial disaggregation (BCSD) and bias correction with constructed analogs (BCCA)], although not all downscaling methods were applied to each global model. Model disagreements in the projected change in occurrence of the heaviest precipitation days (>60 mm day−1) account for the majority of disagreement in the projected change in annual precipitation, and occur preferentially over the Sierra Nevada and Northern California. When such events are excluded, nearly twice as many projections show drier future conditions.
Seasonal Tropical Cyclone Rain Volumes over Australia
Authors: Dare Richard A.
Published: March 2013

For a continent as dry as Australia, where water is a valuable resource, it is important to understand the sources of rainfall. The volume of water contributed by tropical cyclones (TCs) during the November–April season is investigated using 42 seasons of TC and rainfall data. The seasonal total TC rain volume (SRV) ranges from a minimum of 34.2 km3 in 1987/88 to a maximum of 564.4 km3 in 2000/01, with a long-term mean of 198.6 ± 107.4 km3. In terms of mean percentage, TCs contribute 7.6% to the seasonal total rain volume over Australia. The number of landfalling TCs and the number of TCs that individually produce more than the mean individual TC rain volume (25.7 km3) during a season are significant influences on the SRV. The TCs passing near the coast without landfalling have little impact on the SRV. The two parameters that correlate best with SRV are the total time spent over land by TCs during a season and the total land area covered by TCs during a season (correlation coefficients of 0.79 and 0.84, respectively). Although the highest SRVs occur almost exclusively during La Niña and neutral seasons, there is a mixture of ENSO seasons corresponding to the lowest SRVs. In general, the large interannual variability, even within a particular ENSO class, indicates that caution should be used when attempting to relate SRV to the phase of ENSO.
Antarctic Bottom Water Warming and Freshening: Contributions to Sea Level Rise, Ocean Freshwater Budgets, and Global Heat Gain*
Authors: Purkey Sarah G. , Johnson Gregory C.
Published: March 2013

Freshening and warming of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) between the 1980s and 2000s are quantified, assessing the relative contributions of water-mass changes and isotherm heave. The analysis uses highly accurate, full-depth, ship-based, conductivity–temperature–depth measurements taken along repeated oceanographic sections around the Southern Ocean. Fresher varieties of AABW are present within the South Pacific and south Indian Oceans in the 2000s compared to the 1990s, with the strongest freshening in the newest waters adjacent to the Antarctic continental slope and rise indicating a recent shift in the salinity of AABW produced in this region. Bottom waters in the Weddell Sea exhibit significantly less water-mass freshening than those in the other two southern basins. However, a decrease in the volume of the coldest, deepest waters is observed throughout the entire Southern Ocean. This isotherm heave causes a salinification and warming on isobaths from the bottom up to the shallow potential temperature maximum. The water-mass freshening of AABW in the Indian and Pacific Ocean sectors is equivalent to a freshwater flux of 73 ± 26 Gt yr−1, roughly half of the estimated recent mass loss of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Isotherm heave integrated below 2000 m and south of 30°S equates to a net heat uptake of 34 ± 14 TW of excess energy entering the deep ocean from deep volume loss of AABW and 0.37 ± 0.15 mm yr−1 of sea level rise from associated thermal expansion.
Using Evolutionary Programming to Generate Skillful Extreme Value Probabilistic Forecasts
Authors: Roebber Paul J.
Published: March 2013

A new method for producing large member ensemble forecasts, using a variation of evolutionary programming (EP), is presented. A series of increasingly complex datasets are used to demonstrate the method and its potential utility. First, EP performance is considered using training and test “atmospheric” data derived from the Lorenz low-order dynamical system. Next, a modified form of the intermediate-order Lorenz model representing 500-hPa height is used. Finally, EP performance is evaluated using real 500-hPa data and day-3 forecasts of the reforecast model. As expected, short observational records limit the potential of the EP method by preventing proper training. A kind of perfect-prog approach, in which the EP ensemble is trained using a large “observational” sample constructed from the imperfect model, is shown to be a potentially viable means of counteracting limits to the observed record. The EP ensembles are shown to outperform dynamical model ensembles at the extremes, and to be competitive with dynamical models across a wide range of values of the variables of interest. In particular, the EP ensembles improve resolution compared to dynamical model ensembles, which suggests that further skill might be obtainable by also improving reliability using additional postprocessing. Future applications of the ensemble EP method are briefly discussed.
The Economic Legacy of Civil War
Authors: Collier Paul , Duponchel Marguerite
Published: March 2013

This article positions itself among the very rare microeconomic analyses on the consequences of civil war. Up to now, most analyses on this topic are based on household surveys. The originality of the present study is that it investigates for the first time the likely predominant route by which civil conflict affects the economy, specifically through firms. The context of the study is Sierra Leone, a country that was ravaged by violent conflict from 1991 to 2002. The approach is to use geographical variations in the intensity of conflict to estimate the impact of violence on firms, on which we have data from the World Bank 2007 Employers’ Survey. The proposed theory is that during conflict, violence affects production through a form of technical regress and demand through a reduction in income. The persistent post-conflict effects are less obvious. We assume that war forces a prolonged contraction in output skills, which slows the pace of recovery. We termed this phenomenon “forgetting by not doing”. The results confirm our theory: the size of firms in 2006 is negatively affected by the intensity of the war in the area it operates. The analysis of training needs clearly corroborates the long-lasting lack of skills experienced as a result of the war in areas where the conflict was more intense. Yet, the analysis cannot identify robust recovery patterns.
A Model of Destructive Entrepreneurship
Authors: Desai Sameeksha , Acs Zoltan J. , Weitzel Utz
Published: March 2013

The research on entrepreneurship as an economic phenomenon often assumes its desirability as a driver of economic development and growth. However, entrepreneurial talent can be allocated among productive, unproductive and destructive activities. This allocation has important implications in the developing world, particularly for countries hosting conflict or recovering from conflict. The allocation of entrepreneurship is theorized as driven by institutions. Although the trade-off between productive and unproductive entrepreneurship has been examined, destructive entrepreneurship has been largely ignored. We build from existing theory and define destructive entrepreneurship as wealth destroying. We propose three assumptions to develop a model of destructive entrepreneurship that presents the mechanisms through which entrepreneurial talent behaves in this manner. We present four key propositions on the nature and behavior of destructive entrepreneurship. We conclude by identifying research agendas and policy streams, with a focus on relevance to conflict and postconflict recovery.
The “Hazards” of Extrapolating Survival Curves
Authors: Davies Charlotte , Briggs Andrew , Lorgelly Paula , Garellick Göran , Malchau Henrik
Published: March 2013

Background. It is widely recommended that health technology appraisals adopt a lifetime horizon to assess the relative costs and benefits of an intervention. However, most trials or clinical studies have relatively short follow-up periods, with the event of interest not occurring before the end of the study for many subjects. In such cases, survival analysis using parametric models can be used to extrapolate into the future. Objective. To assess the accuracy of survival analysis in projecting future events beyond the sample estimation period. Design. Using a previously published comparison of 2 alternative hip replacement prostheses based on 8 years of data as a case study, we extend the data set to include 8 years more data. Using the new data, the parametric assumptions of the previous study and its success in predicting the outcomes are assessed. Results. The extended data set casts doubt on the previous study’s findings. The failure curves of the 2 prostheses now cross, and the proportional hazards assumption no longer holds. Extrapolations from the original data set yielded very good predictions for one prosthesis for the full 16 years but were much poorer for the other, even when the proportionality assumption was relaxed. Conclusions. Care should be taken when extrapolating treatment benefits for new technologies early in their life cycle based on observational or randomized controlled trial data sources. This case study reveals that predictions of prosthesis failure based on a short follow-up period were inaccurate compared with those after a longer period of follow-up.
‘Of course we’re supposed to move on, but then you still got people who are not over those historical wounds’: Cultural memory and US youth’s race talk
Authors: Anagnostopoulos Dorothea , Everett Sakeena , Carey Carleen
Published: March 2013

Polls indicate that US youth are more racially diverse, and more tolerant of diversity, than were previous generations. Yet recent research documents the rise of a ‘new racism’ discourse among white US youth. The present study extends this research by examining the discursive strategies US youth employ as they talk about race in a multi-racial high school classroom. Using discourse historical analysis, the authors argue that US youth’s race talk is bound up in the construction and contestation of the nation’s cultural memory of race and racism. In particular, the authors examine how the students use the topos of unknowability and the topos of implicature to suppress or confront, respectively, the relationship between past racial injustice and present-day inequalities, and the questions of responsibility and redress it raises.
A discursive construction of teasing in football fandom: The context of the South-Western Nigerian viewing center
Authors: Adetunji Akinbiyi
Published: March 2013

Previous research on the linguistics of football fandom has said little on the value of teasing in this popular public space. This qualitative study, however, highlights the discourse of teasing as realized by Nigerian fans of the English Premier League (EPL), from a pragmatic perspective. In all, 12 teases or teasing expressions, ascribed three judgmental values – positive, neutral, and negative – as assigned by both the teaser and the teased are identified and analyzed. It is discovered that when other-directed, the tease is usually either neutral or negative, but when self-directed, the tease is either neutral or positive. First, I observe that fans often use a tease when their team is in a position of advantage. Second, the teaser–target relationship is ever-fluid: the teasers could become the targets at any time during the course of a match, depending on the in situ performance of the teams playing the game. I argue that despite the face threats expressed by most of the teases, the performance of teasing in this fandom is essentially face-supportive, since the fans, on the whole, enjoyed the teases, and forgot about or discountenanced them almost as soon as the game was over. I also submit that the context of football fandom in the viewing center is mainly a macro-level instantiation of ‘jocular mockery’, more of relational connectedness than separateness, since the fans usually remain friends/acquaintances after each game and would return, sooner or later, to watch and tease one another during another game.
The Organ Transplantation Act and Recent Trends in Korea
Authors: Joo Ho No
Published: March 2013

The Organ Transplantation Act, including transplantation of organs from brain-dead donors, entered into force in Korea on February 9, 2000. This article introduces the Organ Transplantation Act, focusing on scope of the Act, determination of brain death, removal of organs from brain-dead or deceased donors, removal from living donors, organ allocation, and prohibition of trade in human organs. Especially, some primary ethical dilemmas surrounding organ allocation arise from the shortage of available organs. The primary ethical problems surrounding organ allocation are as follows. A key purpose of the organ donation incentive system is to increase the number of organ transplants from brain-dead donors. In particular, the priority for kidney patient was allowed in consideration of doctor’s strong desire to increase the brain-dead donors. Also, the organ allocation criteria based on the organ donation incentive system appear unfair, especially for the kidney patient, because the criteria do not fit the principles of distributive justice. In the future, the organ donation incentive system itself may need to be reexamined.
Design of, and first data from, PATRO Children, a multicentre, noninterventional study of the long-term efficacy and safety of Omnitrope® in children requiring growth hormone treatment
Authors: Pfäffle Roland , Schwab Karl Otfried , Marginean Otilia , Walczak Mieczyslaw , Szalecki Mieczyslaw , Schuck Ellen , Zabransky Markus , Zucchini Stefano
Published: March 2013

Objective:

To describe the rationale, design and first data from PATRO Children, a postmarketing surveillance of the long-term efficacy and safety of somatropin (Omnitrope®) for the treatment of children requiring growth hormone treatment.

Methods:

PATRO Children is a multicentre, open, longitudinal, noninterventional study being conducted in children’s hospitals and specialised endocrinology clinics. The primary objective is to assess the long-term safety of Omnitrope® in routine clinical practice. Eligible patients are infants, children and adolescents (male or female) who are receiving treatment with Omnitrope® and who have provided informed consent. Patients who have been treated with another recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) product before starting Omnitrope® are eligible for inclusion. All adverse events (AEs) are monitored and recorded, with particular emphasis on: long-term safety; the recording of malignancies; the occurrence and clinical impact of anti-hGH antibodies; the development of diabetes during Omnitrope® treatment in children short for gestational age (SGA); safety issues in patients with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS). Efficacy assessments include auxological parameters, plus insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3.

Results:

As of September 2012, 1837 patients were enrolled in the study from 184 sites in 10 European countries. To date, efficacy data are reassuring and consistent with previous studies. In addition, there have been no confirmed cases of diabetes occurring under Omnitrope® treatment, no reports of malignancy and no safety issues in PWS patients.

Conclusions:

The efficacy and safety profile of Omnitrope® in the PATRO Children study so far are as expected. The ongoing study will extend the safety database for Omnitrope®, and rhGH products more generally, in paediatric indications. Of particular interest, PATRO Children will add important information on the diabetogenic potential of rhGH in children born SGA, the risk of malignancies in children receiving rhGH, and AEs with a possible causal relationship to rhGH treatment in children with PWS.