bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Students' Understanding of Climate Change: Insights for Scientists and Educators
Authors: Rajeev Gowda M. V. , Fox Jeffrey C. , Magelky Robin D.
Published: February 2018

Teachers and meteorologists are among the most respected purveyors of scientific information to the public. As such, they can play an influential role in educating the public about basic atmosphere-related phenomena. To better fulfill this educational role, it is necessary to (i) identify and (ii) correct people's major misconceptions about climatic and atmospheric issues, including global climate change. This paper reports the results of a survey of high school students' knowledge and attitudes about climate change. The authors use open-ended survey questions to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the range of “mistakes” that are made. The results show misconceptions including inflated estimates of temperature change, confusion between ozone depletion and global warming, the perception of warmer weather and a belief that all environmentally harmful acts cause climate change. Also discussed is the origin of these mistakes from the perspective of current social scientific literature. It is suggested that these misconceptions arise from low levels of information, reliance on the televised news media, use of judgmental heuristics, confusion between weather and climate, and “fuzzy environmentalism,” wherein students perceive disparate environmental harms as significantly interrelated. The study also reveals that students have a very high level of trust in scientists and teachers. This suggests a role for scientists and educators through which they help correct misconceptions about climate change and ensure that people adopt effective environmentally protective measures.
Meteorology's Educational Dilemma
Authors: Croft Paul J. , Binkley Mark S.
Published: February 2018

Meteorology has seen unparalleled growth and change during the past 50 years. Rapid advances in theory, applications, and technology have demanded constant revision and updating of basic meteorology course material. This continued growth and expansion of basic knowledge and applications requires that older materials be replaced with new, that depth be replaced by breadth, or that fundamental pedagogical changes be made in instruction and curricular content. These choices are symptomatic of meteorology's current and future educational dilemma: How do we adequately prepare future meteorologists for their careers as the wealth of meteorological information, theory, and applications change?

Answering this question requires a brief consideration of the history and effectiveness of undergraduate meteorological education. Perhaps more importantly, it points to the need for a consensus within the field as to what constitutes appropriate undergraduate meteorological preparation. Only then may possible solutions be outlined and their merits, cost-effectiveness, and efficacy reviewed. Based on this assessment, a plan of action can be developed to ensure the field's growth and its ability to produce viable meteorologists. Seven options are outlined in this paper as possible solutions to the dilemma. Of these, we believe that a revision of the pedagogy of meteorology with regard to curriculum requirements, course content, certification, and methods of instruction may be the most appropriate.
Climatology of Hail Frequency and Size in China, 1980–2015
Authors: Li Xiaofei , Zhang Qinghong , Zou Tian , Lin Jipei , Kong Hoiio , Ren Zhihua
Published: February 2018

The hail day climatology from 1961 to 2005 was previously studied based on hundreds of surface stations in China. Recently, both hail occurrence and maximum hail diameter (MHD) data from more than 2000 surface stations were released by the National Meteorological Information Center of China. These data enable hail climatology to be explored using both hail frequency (HF), which is defined as annual mean hail occurrence, and MHD records from more stations over the entire country. Following quality control, hail data from 2254 stations were selected for the period of 1980–2015. In general, HF increased with station topography height, with a maximum of more than 30 events per year in the Tibetan Plateau and a minimum of less than 1 event per year in southern China, whereas the station mean MHD decreased with topography height. The highest peak of the 80th-percentile cumulative distribution function of the annual MHD cycle in southern China occurred in May but was delayed to July in the north. Severe hail (MHD ≥ 20 mm; 5.32% of all cases) mainly occurred along the edge of the plain, near the mountainsides, and was most likely to develop in the afternoon.
Estimation of Consistent Global Microwave Land Surface Emissivity from AMSR-E and AMSR2 Observations
Authors: Prakash Satya , Norouzi Hamid , Azarderakhsh Marzi , Blake Reginald , Prigent Catherine , Khanbilvardi Reza
Published: February 2018

Accurate estimation of passive microwave land surface emissivity (LSE) is crucial for numerical weather prediction model data assimilation, for microwave retrievals of land precipitation and atmospheric profiles, and for a better understanding of land surface and subsurface characteristics. In this study, global instantaneous LSE is estimated for a 9-yr period from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) and for a 5-yr period from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) sensors. Estimates of LSE from both sensors were obtained by using an updated algorithm that minimizes the discrepancy between the differences in penetration depths from microwave and infrared remote sensing observations. Concurrent ancillary datasets such as skin temperature from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and profiles of air temperature and humidity from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder are used. The latest collection 6 of MODIS skin temperature is used for the LSE estimation, and the differences between collections 6 and 5 are also comprehensively assessed. Analyses reveal that the differences between these two versions of infrared-based skin temperatures could lead to approximately a 0.015 difference in passive microwave LSE values, especially in arid regions. The comparison of global mean LSE features from the combined use of AMSR-E and AMSR2 with an independent product—Tool to Estimate Land Surface Emissivity from Microwave to Submillimeter Waves (TELSEM2)—shows spatial pattern correlations of order 0.92 at all frequencies. However, there are considerable differences in magnitude between these two LSE estimates, possibly because of differences in incidence angles, frequencies, observation times, and ancillary datasets.
Reducing TC Position Uncertainty in an Ensemble Data Assimilation and Prediction System: A Case Study of Typhoon Fanapi (2010)
Authors: Lin Kuan-Jen , Yang Shu-Chih , Chen Shuyi S.
Published: February 2018

Ensemble-based data assimilation (EDA) has been used for tropical cyclone (TC) analysis and prediction with some success. However, the TC position spread determines the structure of the TC-related background error covariance and affects the performance of EDA. With an idealized experiment and a real TC case study, it is demonstrated that observations in the core region cannot be optimally assimilated when the TC position spread is large. To minimize the negative impact from large position uncertainty, a TC-centered EDA approach is implemented in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model–local ensemble transform Kalman filter (WRF-LETKF) assimilation system. The impact of TC-centered EDA on TC analysis and prediction of Typhoon Fanapi (2010) is evaluated. Using WRF Model nested grids with 4-km grid spacing in the innermost domain, the focus is on EDA using dropsonde data from the Impact of Typhoons on the Ocean in the Pacific field campaign. The results show that the TC structure in the background mean state is improved and that unrealistically large ensemble spread can be alleviated. The characteristic horizontal scale in the background error covariance is smaller and narrower compared to those derived from the conventional EDA approach. Storm-scale corrections are improved using dropsonde data, which is more favorable for TC development. The analysis using the TC-centered EDA is in better agreement with independent observations. The improved analysis ameliorates model shock and improves the track forecast during the first 12 h and landfall at 72 h. The impact on intensity prediction is mixed with a better minimum sea level pressure and overestimated peak winds.
A Financial Evaluation of the Centralized Repackaging of Intracameral Moxifloxacin for Cataract Surgery and Its Impact on Cost Reduction
Authors: Radish Alexander J. , Smith Chad , Parks Ann M. , LaDisa Anne Graff
Published: February 2018

Background: Extensive evidence-based literature supports the use of intracameral (IC) moxifloxacin for the prevention of postoperative endophthalmitis after cataract surgery. The Aurora Pharmacy Packaging Center (APPC) has developed a process for centrally preparing IC moxifloxacin. Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the centralized preparation of IC moxifloxacin production for quality assurance and to quantify a potential reduction in costs. Methods: The APPC’s compounding procedure of IC moxifloxacin was evaluated using United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Convention 797 standard and compared with practices described in evidence-based literature. Patients who received IC moxifloxacin intraoperatively from one of 3 ophthalmologists during cataract surgery performed between February 15, 2016, and August 15, 2016, were identified using electronic health records. Cost savings were calculated by reviewing costs associated with drug supplies used by the APPC. Results: The APPC process for the centralized preparation of IC moxifloxacin was deemed compliant with USP 797’s sterile compounding standards. USP 797 validation criteria included proper sterile technique, equipment, room sterility and pressure, beyond use dating, and storage. Implementation of the centralized production of moxifloxacin reduced the direct product cost per surgery from $140 to $20 (a cost savings of $120 per surgery). There were 459 cataract surgeries analyzed during the study period, resulting in a savings of $55 080 over 6 months. Conclusion: The APPC’s centralized compounding procedure was found to be compliant with pharmacy compounding standards and to yield significant cost savings.
Mission accomplished? Organizational identity work in response to mission success
Authors: Cannon Sheila M , Kreutzer Karin
Published: February 2018

How do nonprofit organizations reinvent their identities after they have accomplished all or part of their missions? This comparative case study of two Irish peacebuilding organizations explores what happens when their raison d’etre is fundamentally challenged. A successful peace process in Northern Ireland resulted in reduced support for peacebuilding organizations and a perception of mission accomplished. Conventional literature on nonprofit organizations portrays mission success as positive. We show that mission success paradoxically threatens the very existence of the organization as it may lead to member and donor dissociation. We find that mission success leads to identity ambiguity, which catalyses organizational identity work including different rhetorical strategies of self–other talk. We develop a process model illustrating competitive versus integrative approaches to organizational identity work to understand nonprofits adapting to mission success. We draw out lessons for practitioners. Focusing on a renewed mission that is consistent with the organization’s history is more important than finding a quick financial fix. Social purpose organizations can efficiently and effectively be redeployed to address new challenges, rather than recreating new organizations each time.
Research on the relationship between supervisor and social work interns in China: A Shanghai case study
Authors: An QiuLing , Szto Peter
Published: February 2018

This study examines the supervisor–intern relationship within social work practices in Shanghai. Recorded conversations between interns and field supervisors were analyzed using qualitative research methods to determine the key characteristics of the supervisory relationship and the factors that shape them. In a supervisory relationship, both parties co-establish a ‘win-win’, ‘casual’, and ‘tactful’ connection that not only has profound cultural effects, but is also affected by the current professional development of social work in China. Since social work supervision is a newly emerging practice in China, the findings of this analysis are pioneering and are discussed in relation to the future development of supervision in China.
Perception and attitudes to end of life planning and implications for social work practice in Enugu State, Nigeria
Authors: Agbawodikeizu Patricia O , Agwu Prince C , Okoye Uzoma O , Oyeoku Eke K
Published: February 2018

This study examined perceptions of end of life planning by 80 adults selected using a multistage sampling technique. Eight focus group discussions (FGDs) of 10 discussants each were used to collect data, while analysis was done thematically. Participants are not ready to engage in end of life planning because doing so seems like beckoning death. When participants saw the need to plan for end of life it was because of the negative consequences that occur after the death of a principal family member. Therefore, social workers are encouraged to utilize various measures to address the consequences linked to lack of end of life planning.
Death caused by appendicular knotting and small-bowel strangulation in a child: A case report and review
Authors: Rodriguez Zorro Andres , Vivas Diaz Jairo Hernando
Published: February 2018

Acute appendicitis is one of the most common surgical emergencies in paediatrics. However, acute appendicitis in early infancy is an uncommon condition. Furthermore, strangulation of the small intestine through appendicular knotting is described as very unusual in the literature and is generally not well-diagnosed in the clinical context. This article reports the case of a 23-month-old girl who entered the emergency department with a three-day history of abdominal symptoms and who died in less than 24 hours without receiving surgical intervention. The case turned judicial at the request of the parents who claimed lack of clarity in the diagnosis. A medico-legal autopsy was ordered to clarify the cause and manner of death. The autopsy documented herniation, strangulation and torsion of a 70 cm segment of the jejunum/ileum through an appendicular knot caused by the attachment of the distal end of the inflamed appendage to the ileum. The case is relevant because it is the first case of death by appendicular knot and strangulation of small bowel in an infant reported in the literature. The importance of autopsy to clarify the clinical diagnosis is noted.
Self-Reported Perceptions of Sleep Quality and Resilience Among Dance Students
Authors: Arbinaga F.
Published: February 2018

This study examined relationships between self-perceived sleep quality and resilience among 116 dance students (Mean age = 21.6 years; SD = 4.348). who self-reported sleep quality with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and personal resilience with the Resilience Scale (RS). Most participants (59.5%) reported poor sleep quality on the PSQI, with 62.9% of the women and 42.1% of the men ( p = .092) scoring higher than five points on this instrument. On the RS, a large majority of the participants (75%) obtained scores less than 147, indicating low resilience, with no significant gender differences observed. Those reporting poor sleep quality (PSQI scores > 5) obtained lower resilience scores (RS < 147) than those reporting good sleep quality (PSQI scores ≤ 5; p = .025), and participants with poorer sleep quality were at higher risk of low resilience (Odds Ratio = 3.273) relative to those with good sleep quality ( p = .006). Those with shorter duration sleep (claiming they slept <7 hours/night) were also at higher risk for low resilience (Odds Ratio = 3.266), relative to those with longer duration sleep (>7 hours/night). These findings can help students and dance professionals improve their performance and face pressures inherent in dance practice. Follow-up research should verify these findings in varied populations with objective sleep measures and observational data from multiple respondents.
Examining the Association Between Executive Functions and Developmental Domains of Low-Income Children in the United States and Turkey
Authors: Gonen Mubeccel , Guler-Yildiz Tulin , Ulker-Erdem Ayca , Garcia Aileen , Raikes Helen , Acar Ibrahim H. , Ozkan-Yildiz Feyza , Karlidag Ipek , Ucus Sukran , Davis Dawn L.
Published: February 2018

This study examined the relations between executive functions and developmental domains of preschool children from low-income families through an intercultural perspective in the U.S. and Turkey. A total of 471 children and their primary caregivers participated in the Turkey part of the study, while 286 children and their parents engaged in U.S. sample. Regression analyses revealed that fine motor, problem solving, and executive functions of children between two contexts were significantly different from each other. In the U.S., executive functions predicted communication, problem solving, and fine motor development, whereas in the Turkish sample, executive functions did not predict domain scores. Child gender predicted four of five developmental outcomes in the U.S., whereas maternal education predicted two of five outcomes in Turkey. In addition, invariance testing demonstrated that predictors to outcomes were not significantly different between the two countries. Country differences from the first set of outcomes were explained in the context of the research sites, children’s socialization, and cultural expectations surrounding child development. This study raises questions about relations between executive functions and developmental domains for future research.
Interdisciplinary Dissertation Research Among Public Health Doctoral Trainees, 2003-2015
Authors: Golembiewski Elizabeth H. , Holmes Ann M. , Jackson Joanna R. , Brown-Podgorski Brittany L. , Menachemi Nir
Published: February 2018

Objectives:

Given the call for more interdisciplinary research in public health, the objectives of this study were to (1) examine the correlates of interdisciplinary dissertation completion and (2) identify secondary fields most common among interdisciplinary public health graduates.

Methods:

We analyzed pooled cross-sectional data from 11 120 doctoral graduates in the Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2003-2015. The primary outcome was interdisciplinary dissertation completion. Covariates included primary public health field, sociodemographic characteristics, and institutional attributes.

Results:

From 2003 to 2015, a total of 4005 of 11 120 (36.0%) doctoral graduates in public health reported interdisciplinary dissertations, with significant increases observed in recent years. Compared with general public health graduates, graduates of environmental health (odds ratio [OR] = 1.74; P < .001) and health services administration (OR = 1.38; P < .001) doctoral programs were significantly more likely to report completing interdisciplinary dissertation work, whereas graduates from biostatistics (OR = 0.51; P < .001) and epidemiology (OR = 0.76; P < .001) were less likely to do so. Completing an interdisciplinary dissertation was associated with being male, a non-US citizen, a graduate of a private institution, and a graduate of an institution with high but not the highest level of research activity. Many secondary dissertation fields reported by interdisciplinary graduates included other public health fields.

Conclusion:

Although interdisciplinary dissertation research among doctoral graduates in public health has increased in recent years, such work is bounded in certain fields of public health and certain types of graduates and institutions. Academic administrators and other stakeholders may use these results to inform greater interdisciplinary activity during doctoral training and to evaluate current and future collaborations across departments or schools.
Rethinking Urban Studies Today
Authors: Patel Sujata
Published: February 2018

The article engages with the literature that has emerged since the 1990s in urban studies in India and in this context, discusses the nature of India’s urban modernity. It suggests that scholars in India participate and engage with the global discussion on urban studies by removing themselves from the epistemic confusions of colonial episteme and of methodological nationalism that has bound sociology in India. It suggests that contemporary processes of capitalism have enveloped the entire territory of the country into an urban space with the mobile upper classes termed ‘middle classes’ and the state policies linking unevenly the so-called rural and urban areas through new forms of capitalist accumulation. These organise specific patterns of spatial inequalities and exclusions and in turn fuel contradictory processes of politics relating to gender, caste, ethnicity and religiosities. The focus of the urban studies should be to analyse the way the global intersects with regions and localities as these are being spatially constituted in the context of uneven urbanisation.
Converging Precincts: Sociology and Sherlock Holmes
Authors: Dwivedi Ketaki
Published: February 2018

The article using literary texts attempts to draw similarities in the trajectories of emergences and concerns of the 19th-century sociology and crime/detection fiction represented in particular by Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. It attempts to contextualise the conditions of emergences, common intellectual moorings and their negotiations with similar themes in the domain of modern rational science discourse and tenet, where everything was to be open to query and testing. The article proposes that the shared intellectual inspirations in science and reason, the engagements with positivism-empiricism and redressal of the disorder and anxiety that European society experienced at the time show that there are multi-level connections between the detective stories and science of society.
Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teaching Critical Language Awareness: The Importance of Valuing Student Knowledge
Authors: Metz Mike
Published: February 2018

Approaches to teaching critical language awareness are gaining traction in urban schools with culturally and linguistically complex student populations; however, what teachers need to know to enact these pedagogies is not well understood. Using a lens of pedagogical content knowledge for critical language teaching, this study examines what happens when a teacher implements a critical language pedagogy without attention to student understandings of language variation. The findings suggest that when student knowledge is not valued, students may be resistant to linguistic terms and concepts, despite teachers’ linguistic content knowledge and pedagogical approach.
Designing a Programmatic Digital Learning Environment: Lessons From Prototyping
Authors: Gal Diane , Lewis Mark
Published: February 2018

Promoted as a way to enhance learning and improve efficiencies, the steady rise of technology adoption across higher education has created both new opportunities and new challenges. Borrowing principles of design thinking and related user- or learner-centered design practices, this descriptive case study offers an example of how institutions of higher education might rethink their overreliance on learning management systems and consider an online environment for program-level learning from students’ perspectives.
A comparison of natural rubber latex and polyethylene glycol as fiber carriers in melt-compounded polylactic acid/cellulose microfibril composites
Authors: Sirisinha Kalyanee , Kamphunthong Walailuck , Srisawat Kornrawee
Published: February 2018

This article relates to the melt-processing and properties of polylactic acid (PLA) reinforced with cellulose microfibrils (CMFs). The CMFs with diameters of 20–80 nm and lengths in the order of microns were isolated from wood sawdust. The purpose of the present study was to find a simple method to overcome the problems associated with feeding and aggregation of the nanoscale fibers in PLA melt. Two fiber carriers were compared, that is, natural rubber (NR) latex and polyethylene glycol (PEG) with a molecular weight of 4000 g mol−1. The results showed that with the aid of carrier, CMFs were successfully dispersed in the composites, enabling the strong reinforcing action of the fibrils to be realized. The type of carriers used had significant effects on the final properties of the PLA composites. Dynamic mechanical analysis results showed an eightfold improvement in modulus at elevated temperature (90°C) for the composite with 3 wt% CMFs using PEG as carrier. This enhancement was attributed to the combined effects of fiber reinforcement and cold crystallization induced in the PLA. With NR latex as carrier, the composite of high tensile strength was achieved by introducing the epoxidized rubber (ENR) in a ratio of 2:3 (ENR:NR) as a compatibilizer to improve adhesion between phases in the composites.
Effect of nanosilver on the thermal stability and thermal decomposition kinetics of poly(acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate–styrene)
Authors: Gao Shengtao , Xing Honglong
Published: February 2018

Nanosilver/poly(acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate–styrene) (nano-Ag/P(AAEM-St)) composites were synthesized via emulsifier-free emulsion with silver nitrate solution, AAEM, and St monomer copolymerization by ultrasonic. The morphology and structure of the composites were characterized by ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometer, and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The results show that Ag nanoparticles with face-centered cubic structure are homogeneously dispersed in the P(AAEM-St) matrix. The thermal stability and the thermal degradation kinetics of P(AAEM-St) were investigated using the thermogravimetric analysis and Kissinger and Flynn–Wall–Ozawa method, respectively. The results prove that the thermal stability of the pure P(AAEM-St) is better than that of the nano-Ag/P(AAEM-St) composites.
Countering Boko Haram’s Violence: A Deterrence–Backlash Perspective
Authors: Dulin Adam , Patiño Jairo
Published: February 2018

This article examines efforts to counter Boko Haram’s campaign of terrorism in Northern Nigeria from a deterrence–backlash perspective. Drawing from previous research, the authors develop hypothetical expectations for deterrence and backlash effects when counterterrorism policies are conducted at governmental and community levels. Using parametric survival analysis, the authors conclude that government policies designed to curb Boko Haram attacks resulted in backlash. Conversely, community-based efforts resulted in deterrence.
Utility of the Modified Surgical Apgar Score in a Head and Neck Cancer Population
Authors: Day Kristine E. , Prince Andrew C. , Lin Chee Paul , Greene Benjamin J. , Carroll William R.
Published: February 2018

Objective

The Surgical Apgar Score (SAS) is a validated postoperative complication prediction model. The purpose of this study was to investigate the utility of the SAS in a diverse head and neck cancer population and to compare it with a recently developed modified SAS (mSAS) that accounts for intraoperative transfusion.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Academic tertiary care medical center.

Subjects and Methods

This study comprised 713 patients undergoing surgery for head and neck cancer from April 2012 to March 2015. SAS values were calculated according to intraoperative data obtained from anesthesia records. The mSAS was computed by assigning an estimated blood loss score of zero for patients receiving intraoperative transfusions. Primary outcome was 30‐day postoperative morbidity.

Results

Mean SAS and mSAS were 6.3 ± 1.5 and 6.2 ± 1.7, respectively. SAS and mSAS were significantly associated with 30‐day postoperative morbidity, length of stay, operative time, American Society of Anesthesiologists status, race, and body mass index (P <. 05); however, no significant association was detected for age, sex, and smoking status. Multivariable analysis identified SAS and mSAS as independent predictors of postoperative morbidity, with the mSAS (P =. 03) being a more robust predictor than the SAS (P =. 15). Strong inverse relationships were demonstrated for the SAS and mSAS with length of stay and operative time (P <. 0001).

Conclusion

The SAS serves as a useful metric for risk stratification of patients with head and neck cancer. With the inclusion of intraoperative transfusion, the mSAS demonstrates superior utility in predicting those at risk for postoperative complications.
Ménière's Disease Pathophysiology: Endolymphatic Sac Immunohistochemical Study of Aquaporin‐2, V2R Vasopressin Receptor, NKCC2, and TRPV4
Authors: Asmar Marc‐Henri , Gaboury Louis , Saliba Issam
Published: February 2018

Objectives

Endolymphatic sac (ELS) pathophysiology in Ménière's disease (MD) remains poorly understood. We identified from the literature a group of proteins expressed on the ELS and involved in endolymph volume regulation: aquaporin‐2 (AQP2), vasopressin receptor V2R, sodium potassium chloride cotransporter 2 (NKCC2), and transient receptor potential cation channel V4 (TRPV4). Our objective was to determine whether their ELS expression was altered in MD, to better understand the pathophysiology of endolymphatic hydrops.

Study Design

Prospective case‐control study.

Setting

Tertiary care center.

Subjects

Twenty‐four patients with definite MD undergoing endolymphatic duct blockage surgery were recruited, as well as 23 controls with no history of MD undergoing surgery for vestibular schwannoma (VS).

Methods

ELS biopsies and blood samples for plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) were obtained. Immunohistochemistry for AQP2, V2R, NKCC2, and TRPV4 was performed. Slides were scanned digitally for highly sensitive pixel density analysis by specialized software (VIS; Visiopharm).

Results

Global scores generated by the software represent total and relative protein expression density of 3 staining intensity levels, exclusively on ELS epithelium. AQP2 expression density was significantly elevated in MD compared to VS (P =. 003). There was no significant difference in plasma AVP, V2R, NKCC2, and TRPV4 expression.

Conclusion

This original study evaluates simultaneous in situ expression of AQP2, V2R, NKCC2, and TRPV4 on the human ELS in MD, with a control group. Our results show only AQP2 upregulation on the ELS of patients with MD. We suggest a constitutively increased expression of AQP2 in MD, independent of its regulatory axis (AVP‐V2R). Acquired regulator sequence mutations could support this model.
Oscillating-gradient diffusion magnetic resonance imaging detects acute subcellular structural changes in the mouse forebrain after neonatal hypoxia-ischemia
Authors: Wu Dan , Martin Lee J , Northington Frances J , Zhang Jiangyang
Published: February 2018

The recently developed oscillating-gradient diffusion MRI (OG-dMRI) technique extends our ability to examine brain structures at different spatial scales. In this study, we investigated the sensitivity of OG-dMRI in detecting cellular and subcellular structural changes in a mouse model of neonatal hypoxia ischemia (HI). Neonatal mice received unilateral HI injury or sham injury at postnatal day 10, followed by in vivo T2-weighted and diffusion MRI of the brains at 3–6 h and 24 h after HI. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were acquired using conventional pulsed-gradient dMRI (PG-dMRI) and OG-dMRI with oscillating frequencies from 50 to 200 Hz. Pathology at cellular and subcellular levels was evaluated using neuronal, glial, and mitochondrial markers. We found significantly higher rates of ADC increase with oscillating frequencies (Δ fADC) in the ipsilateral edema region, compared to the contralateral side, starting as early as 3 h after HI. Even in injured regions that showed no apparent change in PG-ADC or pseudo-normalized PG-ADC measurements, Δ fADC remained significantly elevated. Histopathology showed swelling of sub-cellular structures in these regions with no apparent whole-cell level change. These results suggest that OG-dMRI is sensitive to subcellular structural changes in the brain after HI and is less susceptible to pseudo-normalization than PG-dMRI.
Are Perceived Prevalences of Infection also Biased and How? Lessons from Large Epidemics of Mosquito-Borne Diseases in Tropical Regions
Authors: Raude Jocelyn , Peretti-Watel Patrick , Ward Jeremy , Flamand Claude , Verger Pierre
Published: February 2018

Background. Although people are likely to underestimate the frequencies of risks to health from common diseases and overestimate those from rare diseases, we still do not know much about reasons for this systematic bias, which is also referred to as “primary bias” in the literature. In this study, we take advantage of a series of large epidemics of mosquito-borne diseases to examine the accuracy of judgments of risk frequencies. In this aim, we assessed the perceived v. observed prevalence of infection by Zika, chikungunya or dengue fever during these outbreaks, as well as their variations among different subpopulations and epidemiological settings. Methods. We used data drawn from 4 telephone surveys, conducted between 2006 and 2016, among representative samples of the adult population in tropical regions (Reunion, Martinique, and French Guiana). The participants were asked to estimate the prevalence of these infections by using a natural frequency scale. Results. The surveys showed that 1) most people greatly overestimated the prevalence of infection by arbovirus, 2) these risk overestimations fell considerably as the actual prevalence of these diseases increased, 3) the better-educated and male participants consistently yielded less inaccurate risk estimates across epidemics, and 4) these biases in the perception of prevalence of these infectious diseases are relatively well predicted by the probability weighting function developed in the field of behavioral decision making. Conclusions. These findings suggest that the primary bias, which has been found in laboratory experiments to characterize a variety of probabilistic judgments, equally affects perception of prevalence of acute infectious diseases in epidemic settings. They also indicate that numeracy may play a considerable role in people’s ability to transform epidemiological observations from their social environment to more accurate risk estimates.
Coronary tortuosity is associated with an elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein concentration and increased risk of ischemic stroke in hypertensive patients
Authors: Li Yang , Qadir Nawabi Abdul , Feng Yi , Ma Genshan , Tong Jiayi , Shen Chengxing , Liu Naifeng
Published: February 2018

Objective

The clinical implication of coronary tortuosity is unclear. The present study was conducted to determine the relationships between coronary tortuosity and the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentration and between coronary tortuosity and cerebrovascular accident in hypertensive patients without coronary artery disease.

Methods

In total, 236 patients with normal coronary angiography findings were categorized into 3 different groups: control participants (n = 58), who had neither hypertension nor coronary tortuosity; patients with hypertension but no coronary tortuosity (H-NCT group, n = 93); and patients with both hypertension and coronary tortuosity (H-CT group, n = 85). The hs-CRP concentration was measured in every patient, and 168 hypertensive patients were followed up for at least 2 years to check for the development of cerebrovascular accident.

Results

The hs-CRP concentration was significantly higher in the H-CT group than in the control and H-NCT groups (4.33 ± 3.15 vs. 1.52 ± 1.31 and 2.31 ± 2.09 mg/L, respectively). The incidence of lacunar infarction was higher in the H-CT than H-NCT group during the follow-up.

Conclusions

Hypertensive patients with coronary tortuosity have a higher serum hs-CRP level concentration and have a higher incidence of lacunar infarction than hypertensive patients without coronary tortuosity.
Rare symptomatic bladder leiomyoma: case report and literature review
Authors: He Liang , Li Shengxian , Zheng Chao , Wang Chunxi
Published: February 2018

Bladder leiomyoma is a rare, benign tumour of the bladder. We present a clinical case of a 47-year-old asymptomatic woman with symptomatic bladder leiomyoma. Computed tomography showed well-defined bladder leiomyoma in the right posterior bladder wall. After partial cystectomy, pathology findings confirmed leiomyoma of bladder, and the patient achieved clinical recovery in 8 months. We discuss the relevant recent literature of bladder leiomyoma.
The impact of using three-dimensional printed liver models for patient education
Authors: Yang Tianyou , Tan Tianbao , Yang Jiliang , Pan Jing , Hu Chao , Li Jiahao , Zou Yan
Published: February 2018

Objective

To investigate the impact of using a three-dimensional (3D) printed liver model for patient education.

Methods

Children with hepatic tumours who were scheduled for hepatectomy were enrolled, and patient-specific 3D liver models were printed with photosensitive resin, based on computed tomography (CT) images. Before surgery, their parents received information regarding liver anatomy, physiology, tumour characteristics, planned surgery, and surgical risks using these CT images. Then, parents completed questionnaires regarding this information. Thereafter, 3D printed models of each patient were presented along with an explanation of the general printing process, and the same questionnaire was completed. The median number of correct responses in each category before and after the 3D printed model presentation was compared.

Results

Seven children and their 14 parents were enrolled in the study. After the presentation of 3D printed models, parental understanding of basic liver anatomy and physiology, tumour characteristics, the planned surgical procedure, and surgical risks significantly improved. Parents demonstrated improvements in their understanding of basic liver anatomy by 26.4%, basic liver physiology by 23.6%, tumour characteristics by 21.4%, the planned surgical procedure by 31.4%, and surgical risks by 27.9%.

Conclusions

Using 3D printed liver models improved parental education regarding the understanding of liver anatomy and physiology, tumour characteristics, surgical procedure, and associated surgical risks.
Effects of preconditioned plasma collected during the late phase of remote ischaemic preconditioning on ventricular arrhythmias caused by myocardial ischaemia reperfusion in rats
Authors: Zhao Yang , Zheng Zhi-Nan , Liu Xiang , Dai Gang , Jin San-Qing
Published: February 2018

Objective

The administration of preconditioned plasma collected during the late phase of preconditioning has been shown to reduce myocardial infarct size. This study aimed to investigate if preconditioned plasma could attenuate ventricular arrhythmias in a rat model in vivo.

Methods

Eighty rats were randomized to eight groups (10 rats/group). Two groups provided preconditioned or non-preconditioned plasma 48 h after transient limb ischaemia or the control protocol. Six groups of ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) rats received normal saline, non-preconditioned plasma, or preconditioned plasma, respectively, 1 h (groups A1, A2, A3) or 24 h (groups B1, B2, B3) before undergoing myocardial IR. Electrocardiograms were monitored using a BIOPAC system, and the incidence and duration of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) were analysed.

Results

No significant differences existed in the incidence and duration of VT or VF among groups A1–A3 or in the incidence and duration of VT among groups B1–B3. However, there was a significantly lower incidence and shorter duration of VF in group B3 rats than in group B1 rats.

Conclusion

Preconditioned plasma collected during the late phase of preconditioning can reduce the incidence and duration of VF compared with normal saline, suggesting its anti-arrhythmic potential.
Roles for Autophagy Proteins in Immunity and Host Defense
Authors: Kinsella Rachel L. , Nehls Eric M. , Stallings Christina L.
Published: February 2018

There is a clear link between defects in autophagy and the development of autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases, raising interest in better understanding the roles of autophagy within the immune system. In addition, autophagy has been implicated in the immune response to infection by pathogenic microbes. As such, there are efforts currently underway to develop modulators of autophagy as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of the autoimmune, inflammatory, and infectious diseases. In this review, we discuss the numerous roles for autophagy in immunity and how these activities are linked to disease. We highlight how autophagy affects pathogen clearance, phagocytosis, pattern recognition receptor signaling, inflammation, antigen presentation, cell death, and immune cell development and maintenance. With these diverse and extensive immune-related functions for autophagy in mind, we finish by considering the possible implications of targeting autophagy as a therapeutic strategy.
Amdoparvovirus Infection in Red Pandas (Ailurus fulgens)
Authors: Alex Charles E. , Kubiski Steven V. , Li Linlin , Sadeghi Mohammadreza , Wack Raymund F. , McCarthy Megan A. , Pesavento Joseph B. , Delwart Eric , Pesavento Patricia A.
Published: February 2018

Aleutian mink disease virus is the type species in the genus Amdoparvovirus, and in mink and other Mustelidae can cause either subclinical disease or fatal chronic immune stimulation and immune complex disease. The authors describe a novel amdoparvovirus in the endangered red panda ( Ailurus fulgens), discovered using viral metagenomics. The authors analyzed the prevalence, tissue distribution, and disease association by PCR, in situ hybridization, electron microscopy, and histology in a group of 6 red pandas from a single zoological collection. The study incorporates a fecal shedding survey and analysis of tissues from 4 necropsied animals over a 12-year span. The tentatively named red panda amdoparvovirus (RpAPV) was detected in the feces and/or tissues of all animals tested. At necropsy of 1 geriatric animal, infection was associated with pyogranulomatous peritonitis, pancreatitis, and myocarditis. Other animals had detectable low-level viral nucleic acid in lymph nodes and both oral and intestinal epithelium at the time of necropsy. Full-length genome sequences of RpAPV strains from 2 animals had 12% sequence divergence, demonstrating genetic diversity even among in-contact animals. RpAPV is a persistent infection in this cohort of red pandas, and has variable clinical expression.
Twenty-Year Follow-up Study Comparing Operative Versus Nonoperative Treatment of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Ruptures in High-Level Athletes
Authors: van Yperen Daan T. , Reijman Max , van Es Eline M. , Bierma-Zeinstra Sita M.A. , Meuffels Duncan E.
Published: February 2018

Background:

An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture has major consequences at midterm follow-up, with an increasing chance of developing an old knee in a young patient. The long-term (≥20 years) effects of the operative and nonoperative treatment of ACL ruptures are still unclear.

Purpose:

To compare the long-term treatment outcomes of operative versus nonoperative treatment of ACL ruptures in high-level athletes.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

Fifty patients with an ACL rupture were eligible for participation, and they were treated either nonoperatively (n = 25) in 1992, consisting of structured rehabilitation and lifestyle adjustments, or operatively (n = 25) between 1994 and 1996 with an arthroscopic transtibial bone–patellar tendon–bone technique. The patients in the nonoperative group were drawn from those who responded well to 3 months of nonoperative treatment, whereas the patients in the operative group were drawn from those who had persistent instability after 3 months of nonoperative treatment. Both groups were pair-matched and assessed at 10- and 20-year follow-up regarding radiological knee osteoarthritis, functional outcomes (Lysholm, International Knee Documentation Committee [IKDC], Tegner, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score), meniscal status, and knee stability (KT-1000 arthrometer, pivot-shift test, Lachman test, 1-legged hop test).

Results:

All 50 patients (100%) were included in the current study for follow-up. After 20 years, we found knee osteoarthritis in 80% of the operative group compared with 68% of the nonoperative group ( P = .508). There was no difference between groups regarding functional outcomes and meniscectomy performed. The median IKDC subjective score was 81.6 (interquartile range [IQR], 59.8-89.1) for the operative group and 78.2 (IQR, 61.5-92.0) for the nonoperative group ( P = .679). Regarding the IKDC objective score, 21 patients (84%) in the operative group had a normal or near normal score (A and B) compared with 5 patients (20%) in the nonoperative group ( P < .001). The pivot-shift test finding was negative in 17 patients (68%) versus 3 patients (13%) for the operative and nonoperative groups, respectively ( P < .001), and the Lachman test finding was negative in 12 patients (48%) versus 1 patient (4%), respectively ( P = .002).

Conclusion:

In this retrospective pair-matched follow-up study, we found that after 20-year follow-up, there was no difference in knee osteoarthritis between operative versus nonoperative treatment when treatment was allocated on the basis of a patient’s response to 3 months of nonoperative treatment. Although knee stability was better in the operative group, it did not result in better subjective and objective functional outcomes.
Changes in Tactile Function During Intensive Bimanual Training in Children With Unilateral Spastic Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Saussez Geoffroy , Van Laethem Marie , Bleyenheuft Yannick
Published: February 2018

Recently, an intensive bimanual intervention using sensory enriched materials resulted in improved tactile function in children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (USCP), raising the question of whether the observed tactile function improvement was due to the sensory enriched environment or the bimanual intervention per se. The present study investigates whether a bimanual intensive intervention improves tactile function. Nineteen children with USCP received 90 hours of bimanual training without enriched environment. Primary outcomes: Manual Form Perception Test/MFPT, Grating Orientation Task/GOT. Children were assessed before, after the training, and at the 4-month follow-up. Significant improvements were observed in MFPT for the more affected hand ( P = .015). Larger stereognosis/MFPT improvements correlated with poorer baseline motor function. Intensive bimanual training alone was sufficient to improve stereognosis, though no improvement in GOT was observed. Present and previously published findings suggest that environmental tactile enrichment incorporated into a bimanual motor training may be needed to improve spatial discrimination/GOT in children with USCP.