bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distinct effects of novel naphtoquinone-based triazoles in human leukaemic cell lines
Authors: Coulidiati Tangbadioa H. , Dantas Bruna B. , Faheina-Martins Glaucia V. , Gonçalves Juan C. R. , do Nascimento Wilson S. , de Oliveira Ronaldo N. , Camara Celso A. , Oliveira Eduardo J. , Lara Aline , Gomes Eneas R. , Araújo Demetrius A. M.
Published: August 2015

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic effect of new 1,4-naphthoquinone- 1,2,3-triazoles, named C2 to C8 triazole derivatives, towards human cancer cell lines.

Methods

The effect on cell viability was assessed by MTT and propidium iodide assays. The cytotoxic effect of C2 and C3 in K562 and HL-60 cells were analyzed by flow cytometry, DNA fragmentation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Western blot and q-PCR procedures were also performed.

Key findings

C2 and C3 inhibited both K562 and HL-60 cells growth in a concentration-dependent manner. C2 presented the highest cytotoxic activity with an IC50 of approximately 14 μm and 41 μm for HL-60 and K562 cells, respectively, while being less toxic to normal peripheral blood monocyte cells. Both derivatives induced cellular changes in HL-60 cells, characteristic of apoptosis, such as mitochondrial membrane depolarization, phosphatidylserine externalization, increasing sub-G1 phase, DNA fragmentation, downregulating Bcl-2 protein and upregulating Bax protein. In K562 cells, C2 and C3 induced S-phase arrest of cell cycle, which was associated with upregulation of p21. The effect of these derivatives in HL-60 cells can be related to the ROS intracellular level.

Conclusion

Taken together our results showed that C2 and C3 triazole derivatives presented the best potential for drug design.
An Experimental and Numerical Assessment of Airfoil Polars for Use in Darrieus Wind Turbines—Part I: Flow Curvature Effects
Authors: Bianchini Alessandro , Balduzzi Francesco , Rainbird John M. , Peiro Joaquim , Graham J. Michael R. , Ferrara Giovanni , Ferrari Lorenzo
Published: August 2015

A better comprehension of the aerodynamic behavior of rotating airfoils in Darrieus vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) is crucial both for the further development of these machines and for improvement of conventional design tools based on zero- or one-dimensional models (e.g., blade element momentum (BEM) models). When smaller rotors are designed with high chord-to-radius (c/R) ratios so as not to limit the blade Reynolds number, the performance of turbine blades has been suggested to be heavily impacted by a virtual camber effect imparted on the blades by the curvilinear flow they experience. To assess the impact of this virtual camber effect on blade and turbine performance, a standard NACA 0018 airfoil and a NACA 0018 conformally transformed such that the airfoil's chord line follows the arc of a circle, where the ratio of the airfoil's chord to the circle's radius is 0.25 were considered. For both airfoils, wind tunnel tests were carried out to assess their aerodynamic lift and drag coefficients for Reynolds numbers of interest for Darrieus VAWTs. Unsteady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations have been then carried out to obtain curvilinear flow performance data for the same airfoils mounted on a Darrieus rotor with a c/R of 0.25. The blade incidence and lift and drag forces were extracted from the CFD output using a novel incidence angle deduction technique. According to virtual camber theory, the transformed airfoil in this curvilinear flow should be equivalent to the NACA 0018 in rectilinear flow, while the NACA0018 should be equivalent to the inverted transformed airfoil in rectilinear flow. Comparisons were made between these airfoil pairings using the CFD output and the rectilinear performance data obtained from the wind tunnel tests and xfoil output in the form of pressure distributions and lift and drag polars. Blade torque coefficients and turbine power coefficient are also presented for the CFD VAWT using both blade profiles.
Heart-Rate Changes After an Ultraendurance Swim From Italy to Albania: A Case Report
Authors: Valenzano Anna , Moscatelli Fiorenzo , Triggiani Antonio Ivano , Capranica Laura , De Ioannon Giulia , Piacentini Maria Francesca , Mignardi Sergio , Messina Giovanni , Villani Stefano , Cibelli Giuseppe
Published: August 2015

Purpose:

To evaluate the effect of a solo ultraendurance open-water swim on autonomic and nonautonomic control of heart rate (HR).

Methods:

A male athlete (age 48 y, height 172 cm, body mass 68 kg, BMI 23 kg/m2) underwent HR-variability (HRV) and circulating catecholamine evaluations at different times before and after an ultraendurance swim crossing the Adriatic Sea from Italy to Albania. HRV was measured in 5-min segments and quantified by time and frequency domain. Circulating catecholamines were estimated by salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) assay.

Results:

The athlete completed 78.1 km in 23:44 h:min. After arrival, sAA levels had increased by 102.6%. Time- and frequency-domain HRV indexes decreased, as well (mean RR interval, −29,7%; standard deviation of normal mean RR interval, −63,1%; square root of mean squared successive differences between normal-to-normal RR intervals, −49.3%; total power, −74.3%; low frequency, −78.0%; high frequency, −76.4%), while HR increased by 41.8%. At 16-h recovery, sAA had returned to preevent values, while a stable tachycardia was accompanied by reduced HRV measures.

Conclusion:

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study reporting cardiac autonomic adjustments to an extreme and challenging ultraendurance open-water swim. The findings confirmed that the autonomic drives depend on exercise efforts. Since HRV changes did not mirror the catecholamine response 16 h postevent, the authors assume that the ultraendurance swim differently influenced cardiac function by both adaptive autonomic and nonautonomic patterns.
In vitro probiotic characterization ofLactobacillusstrains from fermented radish and their anti-adherence activity against enteric pathogens
Authors: Damodharan Karthiyaini , Palaniyandi Sasikumar Arunachalam , Yang Seung Hwan , Suh Joo-Won
Published: August 2015

In this study, we evaluated the probiotic properties of Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus pentosus, and Lactobacillus fermentum strains isolated from fermented radish. All the strains survived the simulated oro-gastrointestinal transit condition and showed significantly higher adherence to Caco-2 cells compared with the probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. The strains showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, autoaggregation, and coaggregation capacity with pathogens. Furthermore, the Lactobacillus strains inhibited the adherence of Yersinia enterocolitica subsp. enterocolitica, Shigella boydii, and Salmonella choleraesuis to the Caco-2 cell line. The strains possessed bile salt hydrolase activity and their cholesterol-lowering activity in vitro was above 50% in the presence of bile. Strains of L. plantarum and L. pentosus possessed the plantaricin-encoding plnEF gene. In addition, the Lactobacillus strains maintained about 80% cell viability after freeze–drying in the presence of a combination of 5% skim milk and 5% maltodextrin as cryoprotectant, and 70% recovery of cell viability was observed in the absence of any cryoprotectant.
Estimation of Saturation Flow Rate and Start-Up Lost Time for Signal Timing Based on Headway Distribution
Authors: Zhao Yi , Zhang Wenbo , Lu Jian , Zhang Wenjun , Ma Yongfeng
Published: August 2015

This study aimed to calibrate saturation flow rate (SFR) and start-up lost time (SLT) when developing signal timing. In current commonly used methods, SFR for one given lane is usually calibrated from many subjective adjustment factors and a fixed result. SLT is calculated based on the fixed SFR, which prevents local applications in China. Considering the importance of traffic behavior (headway) in determining SFR and SLT, this study started from headway distribution and attempted to specify the relationships between headway and vehicle position directly. A common intersection in Nanjing, China, was selected to implement field study and data from 920 queues was collected. Headway distribution was explored and the 78th percentile of headway at each position was selected to build model. Based on the developed relationships, SFR and SLT were calibrated. The results showed that SFR and SLT were correlated with queue length. Moreover, the results showed that it was difficult to reach saturated state even with a long queue length. This paper provides a new perspective on calibrating important parameters in signal timing, which will be useful for traffic agencies to complete signal timing by making the process simpler.
Correction of Length Discrepancy of Radius and Ulna with Distraction Osteogenesis: Three Cases
Authors: Koca Kenan , Akpancar Serkan , Yıldız Cemil
Published: August 2015

Objectives. The aim of the study was to investigate the results of patients with isolated length discrepancy between ulna and radius who underwent distraction osteogenesis with unilateral external fixator.Material and Methods. A patient with ulna shortening due to multiple enchondromatosis, a patient with ulna shortening due to ulnar club hand, and a patient with radial shortening due to radial club hand were included in the study. The patients underwent ulna and radial distraction osteogenesis with unilateral external fixator. Range of wrist and forearm motion, deformities, and length discrepancy of ulna and radius were compared at preoperative and postoperative.Results. Duration of external fixation and followup were 2.6 and 23.3 months, respectively. Mean distraction osteogenesis was 1.66 cm. No patient reached the length of normal side. Range of rotation of forearm was increased by 15°. Range of ulnar-radial deviation was increased by 21.6°. Deformity of 15° at patient with multiple enchondromatosis was corrected.Conclusion. Isolated ulna or radius shortening may reduce with distraction osteogenesis by unilateral external fixator to prevent serious deformity.
A new species of the genus Odorrana (Amphibia: Ranidae) and the first record of Odorrana bacboensis from China
Authors: WANG YING-YONG , LAU MICHAEL WAI-NENG , YANG JIAN-HUAN , CHEN GUO-LING , LIU ZU-YAO , PANG HONG , LIU YANG
Published: August 2015

The genus Odorrana currently contains at least 56 recognized species that inhabits montane streams in subtropical and tropical Asia. Twenty new species have been described in the last decade, indicating the potential cryptic species diversity of this genus. We collected several specimens of Odorrana species from Southern China from 2007 to 2014, and on the basis of a combined morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis, we described the new species Odorrana fengkaiensis sp. nov. herein. The new species is very similar to O. hainanensis and O. bacboensis, but can be consistently separated by morphology, and allopatric distribution. It is further reciprocally monophyletic to O. hainanensis in a mitochondrial gene trees with an average genetic divergence of 2.1% (1.9%–2.4%). The new species inhabits in lowland broad streams, rivers, pools and near the riparian areas, but its general ecology remains poorly known. The new species is characterized by its body length of adult females approximately twice as long as adult males (SVL 77.8–111.9 mm in females, 37.4–51.8 mm in males); eye large in males, eye diameter 1.01–1.16 times as long as snout length; tympanum of males large and distinct, extremely close to the eye, 0.7–1.4 mm in tympanum-eye distance; dorsolateral folds absent; dorsal skin shagreened, with several large tubercles in males; flanks with tubercles and scattered larger pustules, 8–10 of which usually arranged in a dorsolateral row; ventral skin smooth, with spines in adult males during the breeding season; the tibio-tarsal articulation stretched forward beyond the tip of snout; relative finger lengths: II < I < IV < III; dorsum brown with irregularly reticulated green markings in males and young females, uniformly brown in some old adult females; males with velvety nuptial pad on thumb, paired gular pouches; mature oocytes almost purely black in life, showed dark grey animal pole and olive vegetative pole in preservative. In addition, we found O. bacboensis, a new country record from China, indicating a range extension from north-central Vietnam to southeast Yunnan and adjacent area in Guangxi.
Plasma DPP4 Activities Are Associated With Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women With Normal Glucose Tolerance
Authors: Zheng Tianpeng , Yang Liuxue , Liu Yihong , Liu Hongbo , Yu Jian , Zhang Xiaoxi , Qin Shenghua
Published: August 2015

Context:

Inflammation, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) are risk factors for osteoporosis. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) is a newly identified adipokine related to these risk factors.

Objective:

To investigate the association between plasma DPP4 activities and osteoporosis.

Design, Setting, and Patients:

This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Guilin, China. A total of 744 postmenopausal women with normal glucose tolerance were studied.

Main Outcome Measures:

Plasma DPP4 activity, inflammatory markers, blood lipids, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), active GLP-1, bone turnover markers, and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured in all participants.

Results:

Participants in the highest quartile of DPP4 activity had higher triglyceride, total cholesterol, HOMA-IR, IL-6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen, and osteocalcin and lower BMD (lumbar spine and femoral neck) and active GLP-1 compared with participants in the lowest quartile (P < .05). DPP4 activities were associated positively with triglyceride, total cholesterol, HOMA-IR, IL-6, hs-CRP, C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen, and osteocalcin and negatively with active GLP-1 and BMD (P < .05). In the highest DPP4 quartile, osteoporosis risk was significantly higher (odds ratio, 3.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.66–5.43) than in the lowest quartile after adjustment for potential confounders. The risk for osteoporosis increased more with higher levels of DPP4 activity, HOMA-IR, IL-6, and hs-CRP (P < .05), but not with higher levels of triglyceride and total cholesterol or lower levels of active GLP-1.

Conclusions:

This study shows that increased DPP4 activities are independently associated with osteoporosis. The mechanisms may be partly explained by the effect of DPP4 on inflammation and insulin resistance.
Panorama do gerenciamento de áreas contaminadas no Brasil após a resolução CONAMA 420/09
Authors: Araújo Moura Antônia Angélica Correia de , Caffaro Filho Roberto Augusto
Published: August 2015

Nos países industrializados, a descoberta da dimensão do problema da contaminação dos solos e das águas subterrâneas levou à sistematização do gerenciamento de áreas contaminadas. Cerca de cinco anos após a publicação da Resolução CONAMA 420/09, que estabeleceu diretrizes para o gerenciamento de áreas contaminadas no Brasil, foi levantado neste estudo o panorama do país em relacão ao tema. Foram obtidas informações junto aos órgãos ambientais de cada Estado através de consultas aos seus sítios eletrônicos, contatos telefônicos e aplicação de um questionário. Os Estados das regiões sudeste e sul avançaram significativamente no gerenciamento da contaminação do solo. Por outro lado, nas demais regiões do Brasil o gerenciamento de áreas contaminadas ainda é incipiente, e a Resolução CONAMA 420/09 ainda está por ser atendida. Foi realizada uma análise qualitativa do risco causado pela contaminação de solo e água subterrânea em cada unidade da federação, que levou em consideração o nível de gerenciamento praticado e o potencial poluidor existente. Foi encontrado nível de risco alto no Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Espírito Santo, Distrito Federal, Ceará, Pernambuco e Bahia. Os Estados da região nordeste em acelerado processo de industrialização encontram-se em situação mais crítica, sendo preciso avançar rapidamente no gerenciamento de áreas contaminadas, sob pena de repetirem-se os injustificáveis danos ao meio ambiente e à saúde pública ocorridos nas regiões industrializadas do país em décadas passadas. O avanço do gerenciamento nos Estados brasileiros pode ser alcançado com a criação de leis estaduais específicas e com a evolução do nível técnico dos profissionais que atuam nessa área.
Usability Integration in Agile Development Processes: A Practice-Oriented Best Practice Approach
Authors: Schmitt Hartmut , Magin Dominik , Maier Andreas , Wacker Richard , Wang Josh
Published: August 2015

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increasingly rely on agile software development. However, the majority of established usability methods have been developed with traditional software engineering principles in mind. So, one might assume that these methods and tools might not be applicable to agile development projects. In this paper, a possible approach to systematically adapting traditional usability methods to application in agile projects is introduced and documented as best practices. These best practices can be quickly and dynamically employed by agile development team members and can thus contribute to higher quality of software development outputs. The approach described in this paper was developed in the context of a German research project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and conducted by one research institute and three software-developing enterprises and will be evaluated throughout the further course of the project. For this purpose, a number of best practices have been adapted to the context of agile software development and described in detail in order to allow inexperienced software developers of small and medium-sized enterprises to successfully apply these best practices. As two examples of these best practices, we illustrate the best practices ‘Contextual Inquiry’ and ‘Template-Based UI Design’ in this paper.
Orientation-dependent plasma etch rates of single crystal silicon for dry etcher parts
Authors: Choi WangKi , Lee KyuMann
Published: August 2015

We have evaluated the orientation dependence of plasma etch rates for single crystal silicon using SF6/Ar and CF4/Ar/O2 chemical gases in an inductively coupled plasma dry etcher. Etch rates for different crystal orientations having various surface conditions were measured. The results indicate that the <111> crystal lattice orientation is etched at a lower rate than the <100> orientation. The dependence of the silicon etch rate on the crystal orientation is derived from differences in the local neighborhood of the exposed surface atoms, such as number of neighbors, dangling bond, and surface bond. Finishing the silicon parts with mirror-finish polishing results in surfaces with a very thin subsurface damage layer that exhibits a lower plasma etch rate. This compares to the much thicker damage layer caused by abrasive machining of the surface during grinding steps, and to the portion of this that remains after polishing.
Development and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci for Saxifraga egregia (Saxifragaceae)
Authors: Zhang Faqi , Li Yinhu , Gao Qingbo , Lei Shuyun , Khan Gulzar , Yang Huiling , Chen Shilong
Published: August 2015

Premise of the study:

Saxifraga egregia (Saxifragaceae) is a perennial herb that is endemic to the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. We developed 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci for S. egregia to investigate its population genetics.

Methods and Results:

Forty‐eight pairs of microsatellite primers (including 36 monomorphic loci) were isolated and characterized by magnetic bead enrichment. Twelve of these markers showed polymorphism, and the number of alleles per locus ranged from four to 14 across 50 individuals from three populations of S. egregia. No linkage disequilibrium was detected in any pair of loci.

Conclusions:

These polymorphic markers are expected to be helpful in further studies on the systematics and phylogeography of S. egregia in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau.
„Kūrybinių industrijų“ strategija sovietmečio Lietuvoje: masinio vartojimo produktų pakuotės
Authors: Jaškūnienė Eglė
Published: August 2015

The article explores the Soviet mechanism of including the creative potentials into formation of economical and ideological policy strategies. Research aims to examine, how mass media and culture theories of Walter Benjamin, Frankfurt school and British Culture studies reflect the situation of mass culture in Soviet system. Case study is based on Lithuanian package design of 1960–1970s.
Ar galimas buvimas ir ką reiškia būti už komunikacinio galios diskurso?
Authors: Aurylaitė Ieva
Published: August 2015

This article analyses Michel Foucault’s and Jürgen Habermas’ debate, it examines in more detail the interpretation of the theory of communicative action and genealogy methods and their applicability. Although this debate has already been widely analyzed and discussed in the public academic community, the uniqueness of this paper is in going deep into the motifs of the deconstruction and reconstruction, revealed from the transgression perspective. It is important to find out, whether the destabilization of social forms has some influence on the occurrence of deconstruction, if reconstruction does not constitute the hierarchy of causative relationship, leading to the one – way (one – sidedness) granted claims to universality. Basing on the notion of the transgression concept which indicates the precondition of the motif of the irreversibility of events and the motif of the possibility of the repeatedness of similar events, it can be stated that reconstruction and deconstruction play an important role in the originating of emergentisms in social sciences. The aims of the article are to enrich the standard overlying classification requirements, raised by the classical social methodology, with the new opportunities of style recognition, providing the artistic style with equal alignment pretensions to the priorities of social research theory requirements.
Study, Design and Preliminary Tests of an Automatic Device for Elbow Rehabilitation
Authors: Fausti Davide , Petrogalli Gianluigi , Villafañe Jorge Hugo , Faglia Rodolfo
Published: August 2015

The robotic rehabilitation therapy is being used more and more together with conventional rehabilitation because it allows a rapid improvement of the functional abilities of patients. This fact is due, especially in CPM (Continuous Passive Motion), both at a more constant repeatability of the movements performed and to the possibility of using machines for many hours, thanks to their "tireless". The study presented in this article shows the development of elbow rehabilitation device, from design and prototype realization until preliminary tests on patients.
Effects of zilpaterol hydrochloride and zinc methionine on growth performance and carcass characteristics of beef bulls
Authors: Rodríguez-Gaxiola Miguel A. , Domínguez-Vara Ignacio A. , Barajas-Cruz Rubén , Mariezcurrema-Berasain María A. , Bórquez-Gastelum José L. , Cervantes-Pacheco Billy J.
Published: August 2015

Rodríguez-Gaxiola, M. A., Domínguez-Vara, I. A., Barajas-Cruz, R., Mariezcurrema-Berasain, M. A., Bórquez-Gastelum, J. L. and Cervantes-Pacheco, B. J. 2015. Effects of zilpaterol hydrochloride and zinc methionine on growth performance and carcass characteristics of beef bulls. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 95: 609–615. Sixty beef bulls with a body weight (BW) of 314.7±16.2 kg were used to evaluate the effects of zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) and zinc methionine (ZM) on growth performance and carcass characteristics. The experimental design was a randomized complete block, with a factorial 2×2 arrangement of treatments (ZH: 0 and 0.15 mg kg−1BW; ZM: 0 and 80 mg kg−1dry matter). The ZH increased (P<0.05) the final BW, average daily gain, feed conversion, carcass yield and longissimus dorsi area. Bulls fed ZH plus ZM had less (P<0.01) backfat thickness and intramuscular fat (IMF) compared with those fed ZH or ZM alone. The ZH increased (P<0.02) the meat crude protein content and cooking loss. It is therefore concluded that ZH increases growth performance, carcass yield, longissimus dorsi area, and meat crude protein. The interaction of ZM and ZH did not present additional advantages. The reason for the reduction in backfat thickness and IMF by ZH plus ZM is unclear, and implies that our knowledge of β-agonistic adrenergic substances and their interactions with minerals is incomplete.
EST-PCR, EST-SSR and ISSR markers to identify a set of wild cranberries and evaluate their relationships
Authors: An Dong , Bykova Natalia V. , Debnath Samir C.
Published: August 2015

An, D., Bykova, N. V. and Debnath, S. C. 2015. EST-PCR, EST-SSR and ISSR markers to identify a set of wild cranberries and evaluate their relationships. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 1155–1165. The cranberry (Vaccinium marcrocarpon Ait.) is a woody, evergreen, perennial vine with great potential for economic and health benefits. Selection and use of genetically diverse genotypes are key factors in any crop breeding program to develop cultivars with a broad genetic base. Molecular markers play a major role in selecting diverse genotypes. One hundred and two wild cranberry clones collected from four Canadian provinces and five cultivars were screened with inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR), expressed sequence tag–simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) and EST–polymerase chain reaction (PCR) markers to validate the genetic diversity and relationships among them. EST-PCRs (0.54) and EST-SSRs (0.35) generated higher frequency of major alleles than ISSRs (0.08), but ISSRs presented a higher level of polymorphism and greater polymorphic information content and expected heterozygosity than EST-SSRs and EST-PCRs. Combined cluster analysis by the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) separated the wild clones and cultivars into four main clusters, which was in agreement with the principal coordinate (PCo) analysis. Analysis of molecular variation detected sufficient variations among genotypes within communities and among communities within provinces with ISSR (66 and 36%, respectively), EST-PCR (72 and 34%, respectively) and EST-SSR (72 and 34%, respectively) markers. These values were 71 and 35%, respectively, for combined analysis. Combined use of three types of molecular markers, for the first time in Vaccinium species, detected a sufficient degree of variation among cranberry genotypes, allowing for differentiation and rendering these technologies valuable for genotype identification in a diverse cranberry germplasm and for more efficient parental choice in the current cranberry breeding program.
The tropopause inversion layer in baroclinic life cycles experiments: the role of diabatic and mixing processes
Authors: Kunkel D. , Hoor P. , Wirth V.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Recent studies on the formation of a quasi-permanent layer of enhanced static stability above the thermal tropopause revealed the contributions of dynamical and radiative processes. Dry dynamics lead to the evolution of a tropopause inversion layer (TIL) which is, however, too weak compared to observations and thus diabatic contributions are required. In this study we aim to assess the importance of diabatic as well as mixing processes in the understanding of TIL formation at midlatitudes. The non-hydrostatic model COSMO is applied in an idealized mid-latitude channel configuration to simulate baroclinic life cycles. The effect of individual diabatic, i.e. related to humidity and radiation, and turbulent processes is studied first to estimate the additional contribution of these processes to dry dynamics. In a second step these processes are stepwise included in the model to increase the complexity and finally estimate the relative importance of each process. The results suggest that including turbulence leads to a weaker TIL than in a dry reference simulation. In contrast, the TIL evolves stronger when radiation is included but the temporal occurrence is still comparable to the reference. Using various cloud schemes in the model shows that latent heat release and consecutive increased vertical motions foster an earlier and stronger appearance of the TIL than in all other life cycles. Furthermore, updrafts moisten the upper troposphere and as such increase the radiative effect from water vapor. Particularly, this process becomes more relevant for maintaining the TIL during later stages of the life cycles. Increased convergence of the vertical wind induced by updrafts and by propagating and potentially dissipating inertia-gravity waves further contributes to the enhanced stability of the lower stratosphere. Furthermore, radiative feedback of ice clouds reaching up to the tropopause is identified to potentially further affect the strength of the TIL in the region of the cloud.
A global scale mechanistic model of the photosynthetic capacity
Authors: Ali A. A. , Xu C. , Rogers A. , Fisher R. A. , Wullschleger S. D. , McDowell N. G. , Massoud E. C. , Vrugt J. A. , Muss J. D. , Fisher J. B. , Reich P. B. , Wilson C. J.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Although plant photosynthetic capacity as determined by the maximum carboxylation rate (i.e., Vc, max25) and the maximum electron transport rate (i.e., Jmax25) at a reference temperature (generally 25 °C) is known to vary substantially in space and time in response to environmental conditions, it is typically parameterized in Earth system models (ESMs) with tabulated values associated to plant functional types. In this study, we developed a mechanistic model of leaf utilization of nitrogen for assimilation (LUNA V1.0) to predict the photosynthetic capacity at the global scale under different environmental conditions, based on the optimization of nitrogen allocated among light capture, electron transport, carboxylation, and respiration. The LUNA model was able to reasonably well capture the observed patterns of photosynthetic capacity in view that it explained approximately 55 % of the variation in observed Vc, max25 and 65 % of the variation in observed Jmax25 across the globe. Our model simulations under current and future climate conditions indicated that Vc, max25 could be most affected in high-latitude regions under a warming climate and that ESMs using a fixed Vc, max25 or Jmax25 by plant functional types were likely to substantially overestimate future global photosynthesis.
Does drought alter hydrological functions in forest soils? An infiltration experiment
Authors: Gimbel K. F. , Puhlmann H. , Weiler M.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. The water cycle is expected to change in future and severely affect precipitation patterns across central Europe and in other parts of the world, leading to more frequent and severe droughts. Usually, it is assumed that system properties, like soil properties, remain stable and will not be affected by drought events. To study if this assumption is appropriate, we address the effects of drought on the infiltration behavior of forest soils using dye tracer experiments on six sites in three regions across Germany, which were forced into drought conditions. The sites cover clayey, loamy and sandy textured soils. In each region, we compared a deciduous and a coniferous forest stand to address differences between the main tree species. The results of the dye tracer experiments show clear evidence for changes in infiltration behavior at the sites. The infiltration changed at the clayey plots from regular and homogeneous flow to fast preferential flow. Similar behavior was observed at the loamy plots, where large areas in the upper layers remained dry, displaying signs of strong water repellency. This was confirmed by WDPT tests, which revealed, in all except one plot, moderate to severe water repellency. Water repellency was also accountable for the change of regular infiltration to fingered flow in the sandy soils. The results of this study suggest that the "drought-history" or generally the climatic conditions in the past of a soil are more important than the actual antecedent soil moisture status regarding hydrophobicity and infiltration behavior; and also, that drought effects on infiltration need to be considered in hydrological models to obtain realistic predictions concerning water quality and quantity in runoff and groundwater recharge.
Uncertainties in calculating precipitation climatology in East Asia
Authors: Kim J. , Park S. K.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. This study examines the uncertainty in calculating the fundamental climatological characteristics of precipitation in the East Asia region from multiple fine-resolution gridded analysis datasets based on in-situ rain gauge observations. Five observation-based gridded precipitation datasets are used to derive the long-term means, standard deviations in lieu of interannual variability and linear trends over the 28-year period from 1980 to 2007. Both the annual and summer (June–July–August) mean precipitation is examined. The agreement amongst these precipitation datasets are examined using multiple metrics including the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) defined as the ratio between long-term means and the corresponding standard deviations, and Taylor diagrams which allows examinations of the pattern correlation, the standard deviation, and the centered root mean square error. It is found that the five gauge-based precipitation analysis datasets agree well in the long-term mean and interannual variability in most of the East Asia region including eastern China, Manchuria, South Korea, and Japan, which are densely populated and have fairly high density observation networks. The regions of large inter-dataset variations include Tibetan Plateau, Mongolia, northern Indo-China, and North Korea. The regions of large uncertainties are typically lightly populated and are characterized by severe terrain and/or extreme high elevations. Unlike the long-term mean and interannual variability, agreements between datasets in the linear trend is weak, both for the annual and summer mean values. In most of the East Asia region, the SNR for the linear trend is below 0.5, i.e., the inter-dataset variability exceeds the multi-data ensemble mean. The uncertainty in the spatial distribution of long-term means among these datasets occurs both in the spatial pattern and variability, but the uncertainty for the interannual variability and time trend is much larger in the variability than in the pattern correlation. Thus, care must be taken in using long-term trends calculated from gridded precipitation analysis data for climate studies over the East Asia region.
De politieke theologie van John Rawls
Authors: Steenvoorde Richard
Published: August 2015

The political theology of John Rawls

The philosophy of John Rawls (1921-2002) has had a profound influence on political and legal thinking. From the beginning people have wrestled with the place of religion in his works. Rawls own religious ideas remained hidden territory until 2009, when two documents by Rawls on religion were posthumously published. This article explores how Rawls’ early theological ideas can be recognised in his later works, specifically with regard to faith and reason, the meaning of community, and the question of merit in justice. It concludes that, despite his loss of faith, Rawls remained deeply influenced by the neo-orthodox Christianity of his student days.
De toekomst van het begrip ‘richting’ in de onderwijswetgeving
Authors: Guldenmund René
Published: August 2015

The future of the concept ‘denomination’ in the Dutch education act

The Netherlands has a unique educational system, based on freedom of education, that provides for public and denominational education both financed on equal terms by the state. Only schools belonging to formally recognized denominations are qualified for public finance. School education is one of the few policy fields in The Netherlands where a formal recognition of faith actually occurs.

A denomination is qualified for recognition when four formal conditions are met: (1) it is a fundamental orientation well founded on a specific faith or philosophy of life, (2) that is apparently entrenched in Dutch society, (3) distinguishable from other recognized denominations, and (4) implemented in the bye-laws that must safeguard the religious or philosophical character of the school. In the Roman Catholic denomination only the bishop is competent to recognize a school as Roman Catholic. This system is now under discussion in the political arena, where two alternatives are presented: extension as opposed to abolition of the concept of denomination. The present article concludes that denominational school education is rooted in the concept of civil society and argues the extension of the concept of denomination to include also pedagogical visions. But also in its extended application a connection with a shared contemplation of man should be put first and foremost.
Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Rose Tracy L. , Kim William Y.
Published: August 2024

Importance

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a common malignancy, with an estimated 434 840 incident cases worldwide in 2022. In the US, it is the sixth most common cancer among males and ninth among females.

Observations

Clear cell RCC is the most common histologic subtype (75%-80% of cases) and is characterized by inactivation of the von Hippel Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene. Many patients (37%-61%) are diagnosed with RCC incidentally on an abdominal imaging study such as ultrasound or computed tomographic scan, and 70% of patients have stage I RCC at diagnosis. Although its incidence has increased approximately 1% per year from 2015 through 2019, the mortality rate of RCC has declined about 2% per year in the US from 2016 through 2020. Patients with a solid renal mass or complex cystic renal mass should be referred to urology. Treatment options for RCC confined to the kidney include surgical resection with partial or radical nephrectomy, ablative techniques (eg, cryoablation, radiofrequency ablation, radiation), or active surveillance for some patients (especially those with renal masses <2 cm). For patients with renal masses less than 4 cm in size (48% of patients), partial nephrectomy can result in a 5-year cancer-specific survival of more than 94%. For advanced or metastatic RCC, combinations of immune checkpoint inhibitors or the combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors with tyrosine kinase inhibitors are associated with tumor response of 42% to 71%, with a median overall survival of 46 to 56 months.

Conclusions and Relevance

RCC is a common malignancy that is often diagnosed incidentally on an abdominal imaging study. Seventy percent of patients are diagnosed with stage I RCC and 11% of patients with stage IV. First-line treatments for early-stage RCC are partial or radical nephrectomy, which can result in 5-year cancer-specific survival of more than 94%, ablative techniques, or active surveillance. New treatment options for patients with metastatic RCC include immune checkpoint inhibitors and tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
Latent Profiles of Childhood Adversity, Adolescent Mental Health, and Neural Network Connectivity
Authors: Hardi Felicia A. , Beltz Adriene M. , McLoyd Vonnie , Brooks-Gunn Jeanne , Huntley Edward , Mitchell Colter , Hyde Luke W. , Monk Christopher S.
Published: August 2024

Importance

Adverse childhood experiences are pervasive and heterogeneous, with potential lifelong consequences for psychiatric morbidity and brain health. Existing research does not capture the complex interplay of multiple adversities, resulting in a lack of precision in understanding their associations with neural function and mental health.

Objectives

To identify distinct childhood adversity profiles and examine their associations with adolescent mental health and brain connectivity.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This population-based birth cohort used data for children who were born in 20 large US cities between 1998 and 2000 and participated in the Future Families and Child Well-Being Study. Families were interviewed when children were born and at ages 1, 3, 5, 9, and 15 years. At age 15 years, neuroimaging data were collected from a subset of these youths. Data were collected from February 1998 to April 2017. Analyses were conducted from March to December 2023.

Exposures

Latent profiles of childhood adversity, defined by family and neighborhood risks across ages 0 to 9 years.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Internalizing and externalizing symptoms at age 15 years using parent- and youth-reported measures. Profile-specific functional magnetic resonance imaging connectivity across the default mode network (DMN), salience network (SN), and frontoparietal network (FPN).

Results

Data from 4210 individuals (2211 [52.5%] male; 1959 [46.5%] Black, 1169 [27.7%] Hispanic, and 786 [18.7%] White) revealed 4 childhood adversity profiles: low-adversity (1230 individuals [29.2%]), medium-adversity (1973 [46.9%]), high-adversity (457 [10.9%]), and high maternal depression (MD; 550 [13.1%]). High-adversity, followed by MD, profiles had the highest symptoms. Notably, internalizing symptoms did not differ between these 2 profiles (mean difference, 0.11; 95% CI, −0.03 to 0.26), despite the MD profile showing adversity levels most similar to the medium-adversity profile. In the neuroimaging subsample of 167 individuals (91 [54.5%] female; 128 [76.6%] Black, 11 [6.6%] Hispanic, and 20 [12.0%] White; mean [SD] age, 15.9 [0.5] years), high-adversity and MD profiles had the highest DMN density relative to other profiles (F(3,163) = 11.14; P < .001). The high-adversity profile had lower SN density relative to the low-adversity profile (mean difference, −0.02; 95% CI, −0.04 to −0.003) and the highest FPN density among all profiles (F(3,163) = 18.96; P < .001). These differences were specific to brain connectivity during an emotion task, but not at rest.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study, children who experienced multiple adversities, or only elevated MD, had worse mental health and different neural connectivity in adolescence. Interventions targeting multiple risk factors, with a focus on maternal mental health, could produce the greatest benefits.
Transfusion and Anemia in Patients Undergoing Vascular Surgery
Authors: Manesh Michelle N. , DiBartolomeo Alexander D. , Potter Helen A. , Weaver Fred A. , Ding Li , Magee Gregory A.
Published: August 2024

This cohort study examines the association between blood transfusion and major adverse cardiovascular events and mortality among people undergoing elective open vascular operations.
Outcomes of Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury Transferred to Trauma Centers
Authors: Bhogadi Sai Krishna , Stewart Collin , Hosseinpour Hamidreza , Nelson Adam , Ditillo Michael , Matthews Marc R. , Magnotti Louis J. , Joseph Bellal
Published: August 2024

Importance

Wide variations exist in traumatic brain injury (TBI) management strategies and transfer guidelines across the country.

Objective

To assess the outcomes of patients with TBI transferred to the American College of Surgeons (ACS) level I (LI) or level II (LII) trauma centers (TCs) on a nationwide scale.

Design, Setting, and Participants

In this secondary analysis of the ACS Trauma Quality Improvement Program database (2017 to 2020), adult patients with isolated TBI (nonhead abbreviated injury scale = 0) with intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) who were transferred to LI/LII TCs we re included. Data were analyzed from January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2020.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Outcomes were rates of head computed tomography scans, neurosurgical interventions (cerebral monitors, craniotomy/craniectomy), hospital length of stay, and mortality. Descriptive statistics and hierarchical mixed-model regression analyses were performed.

Results

Of 117 651 patients with TBI with ICH managed at LI/LII TCs 53 108; (45.1%; 95% CI, 44.8%-45.4%) transferred from other centers were identified. The mean (SD) age was 61 (22) years and 30 692 were male (58%). The median (IQR) Glasgow Coma Scale score on arrival was 15 (14-15); 5272 patients had a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8 or less on arrival at the receiving trauma center (10%). A total of 30 973 patients underwent head CT scans (58%) and 2144 underwent repeat head CT scans at the receiving TC (4%). There were 2124 patients who received cerebral monitors (4%), 6862 underwent craniotomy/craniectomy (13%), and 7487 received mechanical ventilation (14%). The median (IQR) hospital length of stay was 2 (1-5) days and the mortality rate was 6.5%. There were 9005 patients (17%) who were discharged within 24 hours and 19 421 (37%) who were discharged within 48 hours of admission without undergoing any neurosurgical intervention. Wide variations between and within trauma centers in terms of outcomes were observed in mixed-model analysis.

Conclusions

In this study, nearly half of the patients with TBI managed at LI/LII TCs were transferred from lower-level hospitals. Over one-third of these transferred patients were discharged within 48 hours without any interventions. These findings indicate the need for systemwide guidelines to improve health care resource use and guide triage of patients with TBI.
On the dual‐purpose buildings constructed by the Incorporated Church Building Society (Part 1) from the mid‐19th to the early 20th century
Authors: Ebara Sumiko
Published: August 2024

The Incorporated Church Building Society, established in 1818, was initially unable to subsidize secular‐use buildings from the general fund. However, in 1858, it established the mission building fund and began to construct hamlet chapels, school churches, mission halls, and mission rooms. In the early years, there were some examples of dual‐purpose buildings without a strict distinction between sacred and secular spaces, but a type of building with a church on the upper floor and secular rooms on the lower floor emerged. However, the distinction between sacred and secular spaces was insufficient, and a stage for secular use had not yet emerged.
Mechanical properties of wall soils for predicting damage to the substrate of Hiten wall paintings in the Horyu‐ji Temple main hall caused by humidity fluctuation: Measurements with mock‐up materials
Authors: Ishikawa Kazuki , Ogura Daisuke , Iba Chiemi , Takatori Nobumitsu , Wakiya Soichiro
Published: August 2024

Safe and efficient conservation of cultural artifacts requires preventing artifacts deterioration and energy‐saving environmental control. To achieve this, predicting deterioration caused by environmental conditions is necessary. Predicting the mechanical damage caused by humidity fluctuations necessitates knowledge of the mechanical properties of cultural artifacts materials. Although the mechanical properties of several artifacts have been extensively studied, no investigations have focused on the soils underlying wall paintings. This study aims to clarify some mechanical properties of the upper‐ and middle‐coat soils serving as the substrates for Hiten wall paintings at Horyu‐ji Temple. Mock‐up materials were prepared, and splitting tensile and uniaxial compressive tests were performed. Simultaneously, specimens with various equilibrium humidities were tested to clarify their humidity dependency. The tensile and compressive strengths, Young's modulus, proportional limit, and Poisson's ratio of the upper‐coat soil were 0.103–0.239 MPa, 1.16–2.55 MPa, 0.115–0.209 GPa, and 1.10–2.49 MPa, and 0.152, respectively. Moreover, the humidity‐induced strains for the upper‐ and middle‐coat soils were measured, and the moisture expansion coefficients were approximately 1240 and 2337 μST/−, respectively. The results of this study provide vital data for the conservation of the wall paintings and contribute to a deeper understanding of wall soil properties.