bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The metalloproteinase ADAM8 promotes leukocyte recruitment in vitro and in acute lung inflammation
Authors: Dreymueller Daniela , Pruessmeyer Jessica , Schumacher Julian , Fellendorf Sandra , Hess Franz Martin , Seifert Anke , Babendreyer Aaron , Bartsch Jörg W. , Ludwig Andreas
Published: June 2017

Alveolar leukocyte recruitment is a hallmark of acute lung inflammation and involves transmigration of leukocytes through endothelial and epithelial layers. The disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM) 8 is expressed on human isolated leukocytic cells and can be further upregulated on cultured endothelial and epithelial cells by proinflammatory cytokines. By shRNA-mediated knockdown we show that leukocytic ADAM8 is required on monocytic THP-1 cells for chemokine-induced chemotaxis as well as transendothelial and transepithelial migration. Furthermore, ADAM8 promotes αL-integrin upregulation and THP-1 cell adhesion to endothelial cells. On endothelial cells ADAM8 enhances transendothelial migration and increases cytokine-induced permeability. On epithelial cells the protease facilitates migration in a wound closure assay but does not affect transepithelial leukocyte migration. Blood leukocytes and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) from ADAM8-deficient mice show suppressed chemotactic response. Intranasal application of LPS to mice is accompanied with ADAM8 upregulation in the lung. In this model of acute lung inflammation ADAM8-deficient mice are protected against leukocyte infiltration. Finally, transfer experiments of BMDM in mice indicate that ADAM8 exerts a promigratory function predominantly on leukocytes. Our study provides in vitro and in vivo evidence that ADAM8 on leukocytes holds a proinflammatory function in acute lung inflammation by promoting alveolar leukocyte recruitment.
Genetic variance is associated with susceptibility for cigarette smoke-induced DAMP release in mice
Authors: Pouwels Simon D. , Faiz Alen , den Boef Lisette E. , Gras Reneé , van den Berge Maarten , Boezen H. Marike , Korstanje Ron , ten Hacken Nick H. T. , van Oosterhout Antoon J. M. , Heijink Irene H. , Nawijn Martijn C.
Published: June 2017

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by unresolved neutrophilic airway inflammation and is caused by chronic exposure to toxic gases, such as cigarette smoke (CS), in genetically susceptible individuals. Recent data indicate a role for damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) in COPD. Here, we investigated the genetics of CS-induced DAMP release in 28 inbred mouse strains. Subsequently, in lung tissue from a subset of strains, the expression of the identified candidate genes was analyzed. We tested whether small interfering RNA-dependent knockdown of candidate genes altered the susceptibility of the human A549 cell line to CS-induced cell death and DAMP release. Furthermore, we tested whether these genes were differentially regulated by CS exposure in bronchial brushings obtained from individuals with a family history indicative of either the presence or absence of susceptibility for COPD. We observed that, of the four DAMPs tested, double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) showed the highest correlation with neutrophilic airway inflammation. Genetic analyses identified 11 candidate genes governing either CS-induced or basal dsDNA release in mice. Two candidate genes ( Elac2 and Ppt1) showed differential expression in lung tissue on CS exposure between susceptible and nonsusceptible mouse strains. Knockdown of ELAC2 and PPT1 in A549 cells altered susceptibility to CS extract-induced cell death and DAMP release. In bronchial brushings, CS-induced expression of ENOX1 and ARGHGEF11 was significantly different between individuals susceptible or nonsusceptible for COPD. Our study shows that genetic variance in a mouse model is associated with CS-induced DAMP release, and that this might contribute to susceptibility for COPD.
Localized and systemic variations in central motor drive at different local skin and muscle temperatures
Authors: Lloyd Alex , Picton Lewis , Raccuglia Margherita , Hodder Simon , Havenith George
Published: June 2017

This study investigated the ability to sustain quadriceps central motor drive while subjected to localized heat and metaboreceptive feedback from the contralateral leg. Eight active males each completed two counter-balanced trials, in which muscle temperature (Tm) of a single-leg (TEMP-LEG) was altered to 29.4°C (COOL) or 37.6°C (WARM), while the contralateral leg (CL-LEG) remained thermoneutral: 35.3°C and 35.2°C Tmin COOL and WARM, respectively. To activate metaboreceptive feedback, participants first performed one 120-s isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the knee extensors in the TEMP-LEG, immediately followed by postexercise muscle ischemia (PEMI) via femoral blood flow occlusion. To assess central motor drive of a remote muscle group immediately following PEMI, another 120-s MVC was subsequently performed in the CL-LEG. Voluntary muscle activation (VA) was assessed using the twitch interpolation method. Perceived mental effort and limb discomfort were also recorded. In a cooled muscle, a significant increase in mean force output and mean VA (force, P < 0.001; VA, P < 0.05), as well as a significant decrease in limb discomfort ( P < 0.05) occurred during the sustained MVC in the TEMP-LEG. However, no differences between Tmwere observed in mean force output, mean VA, or limb discomfort during the sustained MVC in the CL-LEG (force, P = 0.33; VA, P > 0.68; and limb discomfort, P = 0.73). The present findings suggest that elevated local skin temperature and Tmcan increase limb discomfort and decrease central motor drive, but this does not limit systemic motor activation of a thermoneutral muscle group.
Influence of Cleats-Surface Interaction on the Performance and Risk of Injury in Soccer: A Systematic Review
Authors: Silva Diogo C. F. , Santos Rubim , Vilas-Boas João Paulo , Macedo Rui , Montes António Mesquita , Sousa Andreia S. P.
Published: June 2017

Objective. To review the influence of cleats-surface interaction on the performance and risk of injury in soccer athletes. Design. Systematic review. Data Sources. Scopus, Web of science, PubMed, and B-on. Eligibility Criteria. Full experimental and original papers, written in English that studied the influence of soccer cleats on sports performance and injury risk in artificial or natural grass. Results. Twenty-three articles were included in this review: nine related to performance and fourteen to injury risk. On artificial grass, the soft ground model on dry and wet conditions and the turf model in wet conditions are related to worse performance. Compared to rounded studs, bladed ones improve performance during changes of directions in both natural and synthetic grass. Cleat models presenting better traction on the stance leg improve ball velocity while those presenting a homogeneous pressure across the foot promote better kicking accuracy. Bladed studs can be considered less secure by increasing plantar pressure on lateral border. The turf model decrease peak plantar pressure compared to other studded models. Conclusion. The soft ground model provides lower performance especially on artificial grass, while the turf model provides a high protective effect in both fields.
The Intrinsic Structure and Properties of Laplace‐Typed Integral Transforms
Authors: Kim Hwajoon
Published: June 2017

We would like to establish the intrinsic structure and properties of Laplace‐typed integral transforms. The methodology of this article is done by a consideration with respect to the common structure of kernels of Laplace‐typed integral transform, and G‐transform, the generalized Laplace‐typed integral transform, is proposed with the feature of inclusiveness. The proposed G‐transform can provide an adequate transform in a number of engineering problems.
Pinning Synchronization for Complex Networks with Interval Coupling Delay by Variable Subintervals Method and Finsler’s Lemma
Authors: Gong Dawei , Lewis Frank L. , Wang Liping , Dai Dong , Zhang Shuang
Published: June 2017

The pinning synchronous problem for complex networks with interval delays is studied in this paper. First, by using an inequality which is introduced from Newton-Leibniz formula, a new synchronization criterion is derived. Second, combining Finsler’s Lemma with homogenous matrix, convergent linear matrix inequality (LMI) relaxations for synchronization analysis are proposed with matrix-valued coefficients. Third, a new variable subintervals method is applied to expand the obtained results. Different from previous results, the interval delays are divided into some subdelays, which can introduce more free weighting matrices. Fourth, the results are shown as LMI, which can be easily analyzed or tested. Finally, the stability of the networks is proved via Lyapunov’s stability theorem, and the simulation of the trajectory claims the practicality of the proposed pinning control.
Eg5 Overexpression Is Predictive of Poor Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients
Authors: Liu Can , Zhou Nan , Li Jieying , Kong Jun , Guan Xi , Wang Xudong
Published: June 2017

Eg5 (kinesin spindle protein) plays an essential role in mitosis. Inhibition of Eg5 function results in cell cycle arrest at mitosis, which leads to cell death. To date, Eg5 expression and its prognostic significance have not been studied in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, 26 freshly frozen HCC tissue samples and matched peritumoral tissue samples were evaluated with a one-step qPCR test and immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis was conducted on 156 HCC samples to investigate the relationships among Eg5 expression, clinicopathological factors, and prognosis. Eg5 mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly higher in HCC tissues relative to matched noncancerous tissues (p<0.05). High Eg5 protein expression was significantly related to liver cirrhosis (p=0.038) and TNM stage (p=0.008). Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analyses revealed that Eg5 overexpression (p=0.001), liver cirrhosis (p=0.009), and TNM stage (p=0.025) were independent prognostic factors for overall survival. These findings indicate that Eg5 expression can be used as a biomarker of poor prognosis and as a novel therapeutic target for HCC.
Association between Virulence Factors and Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase ProducingKlebsiella pneumoniaeCompared to Nonproducing Isolates
Authors: Gharrah Mustafa Muhammad , Mostafa El-Mahdy Areej , Barwa Rasha Fathy
Published: June 2017

Klebsiella pneumoniaeis considered an important opportunistic multidrug-resistant pathogen. Extended spectrumβ-lactamases (ESBLs) and expression of a multitude of virulence factors may work in a harmony resulting in treatment failure. This study was undertaken to compare the virulence characteristics and genetic relatedness between ESBL and non-ESBL producingK. pneumoniae. Methods. Antibiotic sensitivity test of all isolates was determined by disc diffusion assay. Phenotypic and genotypic detection of ESBL were done. Various virulence factors and some virulence factor-associated genes were screened. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was employed to investigate the genetic fingerprints of ESBL from non-ESBL producingK. pneumoniae.Results. 50% of isolates were ESBL producers. A significant association was observed between ESBL production and biofilm (strong and moderate), serum resistance, andissgene. Moreover, significant association between non-ESBL producers and hypermucoviscosity was identified. Dendogram analysis of RAPD profile classifiedK. pneumoniaeisolates into four clusters (a, b, c, and d). Seventy-six percent of ESBL producers belonged to cluster a. In conclusion, this study suggests a correlation between ESBL production and some virulence factors. Therefore, success of treatment depends mainly on increased clinicians awareness and enhanced testing by laboratories to reduce the spread of these isolates.
Factors Associated with Dental Pain in Mexican Schoolchildren Aged 6 to 12 Years
Authors: Escoffié-Ramirez Mauricio , Ávila-Burgos Leticia , Baena-Santillan Elena Saraí , Aguilar-Ayala Fernando , Lara-Carrillo Edith , Minaya-Sánchez Mirna , Mendoza-Rodríguez Martha , Márquez-Corona María de Lourdes , Medina-Solís Carlo Eduardo
Published: June 2017

Objective.To identify dental pain prevalence and associated factors in Mexican schoolchildren.Methods.This cross-sectional study included 1,404 schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years from public schools in the city of Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo, Mexico. Data were collected through a questionnaire that addressed sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors, eating and dental hygiene habits, and behavior variables. The dependent variable was self-reported dental pain in the 12 months prior to the survey. Data were analyzed using nonparametric statistics and a binary logistical regression model.Results.Dental pain prevalence among the studied children was 49.9%. The variables associated in the final model (p<0.05) were younger mother’s age, higher socioeconomic level, absence of an automobile in the home, fried food, fruit intake, lower tooth brushing frequency, never having used mouthwash or not knowing about it, and parents/guardians with regular to high levels of knowledge about oral health and a regular or good/very good perception of their child’s oral health.Conclusions.One in two children in the study had experienced dental pain in the twelve months prior to the survey. The association of socioeconomic variables with dental pain suggested inequalities among the children in terms of oral health.
Autism-Like Behaviours and Memory Deficits Result from a Western Diet in Mice
Authors: Veniaminova Ekaterina , Cespuglio Raymond , Cheung Chi Wai , Umriukhin Alexei , Markova Nataliia , Shevtsova Elena , Lesch Klaus-Peter , Anthony Daniel C. , Strekalova Tatyana
Published: June 2017

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, induced by a Western diet (WD), evokes central and peripheral inflammation that is accompanied by altered emotionality. These changes can be associated with abnormalities in social behaviour, hippocampus-dependent cognitive functions, and metabolism. Female C57BL/6J mice were fed with a regular chow or with a WD containing 0.2% of cholesterol and 21% of saturated fat for three weeks. WD-treated mice exhibited increased social avoidance, crawl-over and digging behaviours, decreased body-body contacts, and hyperlocomotion. The WD-fed group also displayed deficits in hippocampal-dependent performance such as contextual memory in a fear conditioning and pellet displacement paradigms. A reduction in glucose tolerance and elevated levels of serum cholesterol and leptin were also associated with the WD. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PPARGC1a) mRNA, a marker of mitochondrial activity, was decreased in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and dorsal raphe, suggesting suppressed brain mitochondrial functions, but not in the liver. This is the first report to show that a WD can profoundly suppress social interactions and induce dominant-like behaviours in naïve adult mice. The spectrum of behaviours that were found to be induced are reminiscent of symptoms associated with autism, and, if paralleled in humans, suggest that a WD might exacerbate autism spectrum disorder.
Genetic Mutations and Epigenetic Modifications: Driving Cancer and Informing Precision Medicine
Authors: Coyle Krysta Mila , Boudreau Jeanette E. , Marcato Paola
Published: June 2017

Cancer treatment is undergoing a significant revolution from “one-size-fits-all” cytotoxic therapies to tailored approaches that precisely target molecular alterations. Precision strategies for drug development and patient stratification, based on the molecular features of tumors, are the next logical step in a long history of approaches to cancer therapy. In this review, we discuss the history of cancer treatment from generic natural extracts and radical surgical procedures to site-specific and combinatorial treatment regimens, which have incrementally improved patient outcomes. We discuss the related contributions of genetics and epigenetics to cancer progression and the response to targeted therapies and identify challenges and opportunities for the success of precision medicine. The identification of patients who will benefit from targeted therapies is more complex than simply identifying patients whose tumors harbour the targeted aberration, and intratumoral heterogeneity makes it difficult to determine if a precision therapy is successful during treatment. This heterogeneity enables tumors to develop resistance to targeted approaches; therefore, the rational combination of therapeutic agents will limit the threat of acquired resistance to therapeutic success. By incorporating the view of malignant transformation modulated by networks of genetic and epigenetic interactions, molecular strategies will enable precision medicine for effective treatment across cancer subtypes.
Cancer Precision Medicine: Why More Is More and DNA Is Not Enough
Authors: Schütte Moritz , Ogilvie Lesley A. , Rieke Damian T. , Lange Bodo M.H. , Yaspo Marie-Laure , Lehrach Hans
Published: June 2017

Every tumour is different. They arise in patients with different genomes, from cells with different epigenetic modifications, and by random processes affecting the genome and/or epigenome of a somatic cell, allowing it to escape the usual controls on its growth. Tumours and patients therefore often respond very differently to the drugs they receive. Cancer precision medicine aims to characterise the tumour (and often also the patient) to be able to predict, with high accuracy, its response to different treatments, with options ranging from the selective characterisation of a few genomic variants considered particularly important to predict the response of the tumour to specific drugs, to deep genome analysis of both tumour and patient, combined with deep transcriptome analysis of the tumour. Here, we compare the expected results of carrying out such analyses at different levels, from different size panels to a comprehensive analysis incorporating both patient and tumour at the DNA and RNA levels. In doing so, we illustrate the additional power gained by this unusually deep analysis strategy, a potential basis for a future precision medicine first strategy in cancer drug therapy. However, this is only a step along the way of increasingly detailed molecular characterisation, which in our view will, in the future, introduce additional molecular characterisation techniques, including systematic analysis of proteins and protein modification states and different types of metabolites in the tumour, systematic analysis of circulating tumour cells and nucleic acids, the use of spatially resolved analysis techniques to address the problem of tumour heterogeneity as well as the deep analyses of the immune system of the patient to, e.g., predict the response of the patient to different types of immunotherapy. Such analyses will generate data sets of even greater complexity, requiring mechanistic modelling approaches to capture enough of the complex situation in the real patient to be able to accurately predict his/her responses to all available therapies.
Serum Irisin Predicts Mortality Risk in Acute Heart Failure Patients
Authors: Shen Shutong , Gao Rongrong , Bei Yihua , Li Jin , Zhang Haifeng , Zhou Yanli , Yao Wenming , Xu Dongjie , Zhou Fang , Jin Mengchao , Wei Siqi , Wang Kai , Xu Xuejuan , Li Yongqin , Xiao Junjie , Li Xinli
Published: June 2017

Background/Aims: Irisin is a peptide hormone cleaved from a plasma membrane protein fibronectin type III domain containing protein 5 (FNDC5). Emerging studies have indicated association between serum irisin and many major chronic diseases including cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of serum irisin as a predictor for mortality risk in acute heart failure (AHF) patients is not clear. Methods: AHF patients were enrolled and serum was collected at the admission and all patients were followed up for 1 year. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure serum irisin levels. To explore predictors for AHF mortality, the univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, and receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were used. To determine the role of serum irisin levels in predicting survival, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used. Results: In this study, 161 AHF patients were enrolled and serum irisin level was found to be significantly higher in patients deceased in 1-year follow-up. The univariate logistic regression analysis identified 18 variables associated with all-cause mortality in AHF patients, while the multivariate logistic regression analysis identified 2 variables namely blood urea nitrogen and serum irisin. ROC curve analysis indicated that blood urea nitrogen and the most commonly used biomarker, NT-pro-BNP, displayed poor prognostic value for AHF (AUCs ≤ 0.700) compared to serum irisin (AUC = 0.753). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that AHF patients with higher serum irisin had significantly higher mortality (P<0.001). Conclusion: Collectively, our study identified serum irisin as a predictive biomarker for 1-year all-cause mortality in AHF patients though large multicenter studies are highly needed.
Age-Related Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein-4 Overexpression Inhibits Osteogenic Differentiation of Rat Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Wu Jinhui , Wang Chao , Miao Xiong , Wu Yungang , Yuan Jiabin , Ding Muchen , Li Jingfeng , Shi Zhicai
Published: June 2017

Background/Aims: Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBP) play important roles in bone metabolism. IGFBP4 is involved in senescent-associated phenomena in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The goal of the present study was to determine whether age-related IGFBP4 overexpression is associated with the impaired osteogenic differentiation potential of aged bone marrow derived MSCs. Methods: MSCs were isolated from Sprague-Dawley rats aged 3–26 months. The bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2-induced osteogenic differentiation of rat MSCs was assessed by analyzing the expression levels of osteoblast marker genes [runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and osteocalcin (OC)], ALP activity and calcification. Results: Our study showed that IGFBP4 mRNA and protein expression increased with age in parallel with impaired osteogenic differentiation of MSCs cultured in BMP2-containing osteogenic medium, as evidenced by the downregulation of osteoblast marker genes, and decreased ALP activity and calcium deposits. IGFBP4 overexpression impaired BMP2-induced osteogenic differentiation potential of young MSCs, whereas IGFBP4 knockdown restored the osteogenic potency of aged MSCs. Moreover, IGFBP4 knockdown stimulated the activation of Erk and Smad by increasing phosphorylation. Conclusion: Collectively, our results demonstrate that IGFBP4 overexpression plays a role in the impairment of MSC differentiation potential via the Erk and Smad pathways, suggesting potential targets to improve MSC function for cell therapy applications.
Coagulation factor and protease pathways in thrombosis and cardiovascular disease
Authors: ten Cate Hugo , Hackeng Tilman M. , de Frutos Pablo García
Published: June 2017

The biochemical characterisation of the proteolytic pathways that constitute blood coagulation was one of the most relevant achievements in biomedical research during the second half of the 20th century. Understanding these pathways was of crucial importance for improving global health through application in haemostasis and thrombosis pathologies. Immediately after the cloning of the genes corresponding to these proteins, mutations were discovered in them that were associated with imbalances in haemostasis. Later, the importance of coagulation pathways in other pathological processes was demonstrated, such as in atherosclerosis and inflammation, both essential processes involved in vascular disease. In the present review we evaluate the concepts that have allowed us to reach the integrated vision on coagulation that we have today. The thrombo-inflammation model encompassing these aspects includes a pivotal role for the proteases of the coagulation pathway as well as the regulatory proteins thereof. These concepts illustrate the importance of the coagulation cascade in cardiovascular pathology, not only in thrombotic processes, but also in atherosclerotic processes and in the response to ischaemia-reperfusion injury, making it a central mechanism in cardiovascular disease.
Quase impublicável: obras divergentes, relevantes e, sobretudo, simpáticas à pichação em São Paulo
Authors: Zibordi Marcos Antônio
Published: June 2017

A retomada do debate sobre grafites e pichações na capital paulista em 2017 abre a oportunidade de resenhar obras fundamentais da bibliografia pertinente segundo as quais o ato de pichar não é mero vandalismo, pois reverbera, por exemplo, procedimentos de construção da mensagem poética ao modo dos concretistas paulistanos e guarda íntima relação com a arquitetura da metrópole, como as dimensões similares das letras e a altura dos andares dos prédios.
Atividades com Comunicação & Educação — Ano XXI — n. 2
Authors: Itacarambi Ruth Ribas
Published: June 2017

Atividades com Comunicação & Educação — Ano XXI — n. 2.
Educação para a comunicação e redes sociais: proposta de trabalho com a linguagem cinematográfica
Authors: Cerigatto Mariana Pícaro , De Almeida Lígia Beatriz Carvalho
Published: June 2017

As ferramentas digitais da Web 2.0 mudaram significativamente a nossa relação com a informação, como nos comunicamos com os outros e nossa experiência on-line. Diante disso, novas possibilidades de aprendizagem surgem. Paralelamente ao avanço das tecnologias em rede, podemos também citar a importância da educação para os meios de comunicação, a chamada educomunicação ou educação para a mídia, que se torna essencial para uma formação cidadã e autônoma. O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar uma proposta de atividades com a mídia-educação que utiliza as redes sociais, e mostrar que é possível trabalhar, através das redes, com conteúdos que visem à mídia-educação, sob uma ótica de aprendizagem colaborativa e interativa.
As periferias digitais: mobilização para além da resistência
Authors: Bin Marco Antonio
Published: June 2017

Tendo como referência as periferias urbanas, torna-se importante averiguar os avanços dos processos comunicacionais, naquilo que Henry Jenkins cunhou como cultura participativa, descrevendo a produção cultural e as interações sociais comunitárias, e, assim, identificar a vontade própria de experiência dos jovens como sujeitos empíricos. Ao recuperar os sentidos da segregação urbana que definem a desigualdade social e econômica na região metropolitana de São Paulo, o texto propõe discutir a realidade das periferias a partir da incorporação da tecnologia digital. Para além das transformações nos comportamentos cotidianos, as distintas plataformas de comunicação mobilizam a produção de conteúdo dos sujeitos de discurso, ao tempo que inscrevem na comunidade práticas culturais e demandas políticas em sintonia com os processos de consumo simbólico e material da contemporaneidade.
Por uma alternativa crítica para a comunicação educativa na América Latina
Authors: Fígaro Roseli , Marques Ana Fávia
Published: June 2017

Comunicação & Educação entrevista Francisco Sierra Caballero, diretor geral do Ciespal — Centro Internacional de Estudos Superiores para América Latina, em Quito, Equador. Francisco Sierra Caballero é licenciado em jornalismo e doutor em Ciências da Informação, pela Universidade Complutense de Madrid. Decano da Faculdade de Comunicação da Universidade de Sevilha. Desde 2014, dirige a equipe do Ciespal e, desde 2015, preside a União Latina de Economia Política da Informação, da Comunicação e da Cultura, ULEPICC. Entre suas inúmeras obras, destacamos as coautorias e obras organizadas entre 2016 e 2017: “Capitalismo Cognitivo y Economía Social del Conocimiento. La lucha por el código”; “Golpes Mediáticos. Teoría y análisis de casos en América Latina”; “Capitalismo Financiero y Comunicación”, todos de 2016; “Derecho a la comunicación. Procesos regulatorios y democracia en América Latina y Ecuador”, 2017.
The Modulation of Stationary Waves, and Their Response to Climate Change, by Parameterized Orographic Drag
Authors: van Niekerk Annelize , Scinocca John F. , Shepherd Theodore G.
Published: June 2017

The parameterization of orographic drag processes in atmospheric models remains uncertain because of a lack of observational and theoretical constraints on their formulation and free parameters. While previous studies have demonstrated that parameterized orographic drag acting near the surface has a significant impact on the atmospheric circulation, this work follows a more systematic approach to investigate its impacts on the large-scale circulation and the circulation response to climate change. A set of experiments with a comprehensive atmospheric general circulation model is used to ascertain the range of climatological circulations that may arise from parameter uncertainty. It is found that the Northern Hemisphere (NH) wintertime stationary wave field is strongly damped over the North Pacific (NP) and amplified over the North Atlantic (NA) as a result of increased low-level parameterized orographic drag, both of which are shown to be conducive to higher-latitude westerlies. A comparison with the stationary wave field presented in other studies suggests that the too-zonal NA jet and equatorward NP jet biases that are prevalent in climate models may be at least partly due to their representation of orographic drag. The amplitude of the stationary wave response to climate change across the experiments is shown to scale with the magnitude of low-level parameterized orographic drag through its influence on the present-day climatological stationary wave amplitudes over different sectors of the NH, which is consistent with linear stationary wave theory. This work highlights the importance of fidelity in a model’s basic state for regional climate change projections.
Future Changes in the Ozone Quasi-Biennial Oscillation with Increasing GHGs and Ozone Recovery in CCMI Simulations
Authors: Naoe Hiroaki , Deushi Makoto , Yoshida Kohei , Shibata Kiyotaka
Published: June 2017

The future quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in ozone in the equatorial stratosphere is examined by analyzing transient climate simulations due to increasing greenhouse gases (GHGs) and decreasing ozone-depleting substances under the auspices of the Chemistry–Climate Model Initiative. The future (1960–2100) and historical (1979–2010) simulations are conducted with the Meteorological Research Institute Earth System Model. Three climate periods, 1960–85 (past), 1990–2020 (present), and 2040–70 (future) are selected, corresponding to the periods before, during, and after ozone depletion. The future ozone QBO is characterized by increases in amplitude by 15%–30% at 5–10 hPa and decreases by 20%–30% at 40 hPa, compared with the past and present climates; the future and present ozone QBOs increase in amplitude by up to 60% at 70 hPa, compared with the past climate. The increased amplitude at 5–10 hPa suggests that the temperature-dependent photochemistry plays an important role in the enhanced future ozone QBO. The weakening of vertical shear in the zonal wind QBO is responsible for the decreased amplitude at 40 hPa in the future ozone QBO. An interesting finding is that the weakened zonal wind QBO in the lowermost tropical stratosphere is accompanied by amplified QBOs in ozone, vertical velocity, and temperature. Further study is needed to elucidate the causality of amplification about the ozone and temperature QBOs under climate change in conditions of zonal wind QBO weakening.
Dust Storms in Northern China: Long-Term Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Climate Controls
Authors: Guan Qingyu , Sun Xiazhong , Yang Jing , Pan Baotian , Zhao Shilei , Wang Lei
Published: June 2017

Airborne dust derived from desertification in northern China can be transported to East Asia and other regions, impairing human health and affecting the global climate. This study of northern China dust provides an understanding of the mechanism of dust generation and transportation. The authors used dust storm and climatological data from 129 sites and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) datasets in northern China to analyze spatiotemporal characteristics and determine the main factors controlling dust storms occurring during 1960–2007. Dust storm–prone areas are consistent with the spatial distribution of northern China deserts where the average wind speed (AWS) is more than 2 m s−1, the mean annual temperature (MAT) ranges from 5° to 10°C, and the mean annual precipitation (MAP) is less than 450 mm. Dust storms commonly occur on spring afternoons in a 3- to 6-h pattern. The three predominant factors that can affect DSF are the maximum wind speed, AWS, and MAT. During 1960–2007, dust storm frequency (DSF) in most regions of northern China fluctuated but had a decreasing trend; this was mainly caused by a gradual reduction in wind speed. The effect of temperature on DSF is complex, as positive and negative correlations exist simultaneously. Temperatures can affect source material (dust, sand, etc.), cyclone activity, and vegetation growth status, which influence the generation of dust storms. NDVI and precipitation are negatively correlated with DSF, but the effect is weak. Vegetation can protect the topsoil environment and prevent dust storm creation but is affected by the primary decisive influence of precipitation.
Derivation of Wind Vectors from AVHRR/MetOp at EUMETSAT
Authors: Hautecoeur Olivier , Borde Régis
Published: June 2017

Atmospheric motion vectors (AMVs) are derived operationally at EUMETSAT from the AVHRR/3 instrument on the Polar System satellite MetOp-A since 2011. The launch of MetOp-B in 2012 allowed for doubling of the production of AMVs over the polar regions using both MetOp-A and MetOp-B satellite data. In addition to the single AVHRR polar wind product, in 2014 EUMETSAT developed a new global AVHRR wind product extracted from a pair of MetOp-A and MetOp-B images. This new product is extracted using the large overlap in the imagery data obtained from the tandem configuration of the two satellites on the same orbital plane but with a phase difference of about 50 min. The tandem configuration also provides the possibility to derive wind vectors over polar areas using a triplet of AVHRR images, keeping the same time period necessary to derive the single MetOp polar wind product but allowing for a temporal consistency check in the calculation of the AMV quality index. Three different AMV products are currently extracted from AVHRR imagery at EUMETSAT, using two or three images taken by one or two satellites having different coverage and time integration.

This paper describes the scientific concept of the AVHRR wind extraction algorithm developed at EUMETSAT and presents the performances of the various AVHRR wind products. Intercomparisons of these different products highlight the role of the temporal gap between the images used to extract the wind and the impact of the consistency check on the calculation of the quality index.
Impact of Storm Size on Prediction of Storm Track and Intensity Using the 2016 Operational GFDL Hurricane Model
Authors: Bender Morris A. , Marchok Timothy P. , Sampson Charles R. , Knaff John A. , Morin Matthew J.
Published: June 2017

The impact of storm size on the forecast of tropical cyclone storm track and intensity is investigated using the 2016 version of the operational GFDL hurricane model. Evaluation was made for 1529 forecasts in the Atlantic, eastern Pacific, and western North Pacific basins, during the 2014 and 2015 seasons. The track and intensity errors were computed from forecasts in which the 34-kt (where 1 kt = 0.514 m s−1) wind radii obtained from the operational TC vitals that are used to initialize TCs in the GFDL model were replaced with wind radii estimates derived using an equally weighted average of six objective estimates. It was found that modifying the radius of 34-kt winds had a significant positive impact on the intensity forecasts in the 1–2 day lead times. For example, at 48 h, the intensity error was reduced 10%, 5%, and 4% in the Atlantic, eastern Pacific, and western North Pacific, respectively. The largest improvements in intensity forecasts were for those tropical cyclones undergoing rapid intensification, with a maximum error reduction in the 1–2 day forecast lead time of 14% and 17% in the eastern and western North Pacific, respectively. The large negative intensity biases in the eastern and western North Pacific were also reduced 25% and 75% in the 12–72-h forecast lead times. Although the overall impact on the average track error was neutral, forecasts of recurving storms were improved and tracks of nonrecurving storms degraded. Results also suggest that objective specification of storm size may impact intensity forecasts in other high-resolution numerical models, particularly for tropical cyclones entering a rapid intensification phase.
Concept-Based Arts Integration: Lessons Learned from an Application in Music and Biology
Authors: Wolkowicz Terry
Published: June 2017

Arts integration has been a mixed blessing, with both the potential for developing deeper understandings amid concerns that it diminishes the integrity and authenticity of learning in the arts. This article describes concept-based arts integration as a model of arts integration where curriculum is designed around shared concepts that connect across the arts and other academic subjects. The benefits of using concept-based arts integration curriculum are explored within the scope of an educational outreach program led by a professional symphony orchestra that partnered in a multiphase arts integrated program with forty surrounding elementary schools. Several strategies and criteria are included to help music educators identify shared concepts and design concept-based arts integrated projects in their schools.
Internet activism transforming street politics: South Korea’s 2008 ‘Mad Cow’ protests and new democratic sensibilities
Authors: Kang Jiyeon
Published: June 2017

This article examines South Korea’s Internet-born ‘candlelight festivals’ of 2008, with a focus on online movement transforming protesters’ communicative patterns and sensibilities in the street. When the government resumed importation of US beef despite widespread concern about mad cow disease, Korea’s young Internet users criticized the government and mobilized for street protests. In the resulting protests, the festive crowd directly spoke back to authority with irreverent humor and carnivalesque defiance. This novel mode of political participation indicates new democratic sensibilities liberated from authoritarian preconceptions and limits that had dominated Korean politics. The transformation of protest modalities observed in Korea – a nation that has experienced the maturation of Internet activism – suggests that scholars should pay attention to how Internet users traverse online and offline spaces, and to how online politics reshapes local actors’ broader political experiences and expectations.
The aesthetics of ritual – contested identities and conflicting performances in the Iraqi Shi’a diaspora: Ritual, performance and identity change
Authors: Degli Esposti Emanuelle
Published: June 2017

What are the processes through which identity change takes place at the individual and collective level? How might a focus on embodied religious performance and ritual contribute to understandings of such identity change? Through an ethnographic analysis of the Muharram rituals of Iraqi Shi’is in London, I take religious rites as a starting point from which to theorise a performative theory of identity change to highlight the role of ritual and performance in shaping changing notions of identity at both the individual and collective level. Such a project necessarily engages both with processes of identity change and with the paradox of identity/difference, particularly the ways in which articulations of subjective identity are ontologically dependent on an external ‘other’. Ultimately, I argue that paying close critical attention to the performative and (re)iterative processes of micro-level identificatory practices allows a more nuanced understanding of the mechanisms through which identity change comes to take effect, both at the level of individual subjectivity and that of collective social belonging.
How does a settler state secure the circuitry of capital?
Authors: Pasternak Shiri , Dafnos Tia
Published: June 2017

Indigenous peoples interrupt commodity flows by asserting jurisdiction and sovereignty over their lands and resources in places that form choke points to the circulation of capital. In today’s economy, the state has begun to redefine its “resilience” in terms of its relative success in the protection and expansion of critical infrastructure. We find that there has been a political re-organization of governing authority over Indigenous peoples in Canada as a result, which is driven by greater integration of the private sector as national security “partners.” The securitization of “critical infrastructure”—essentially, supply chains of capital, such as private pipelines and public transport routes—has become the priority in mitigating the potential threat of Indigenous jurisdiction. New political and socio-temporal imperatives have led to shifts in risk evaluation, management, and mitigation practices of state administration, in cooperation with the private sector, to neutralize Indigenous disruption to supply chain infrastructure. In this paper, we examine two forms of risk mitigation: first, the configuration of Indigenous jurisdiction as a “legal risk” by the Department of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada; and second, the configuration of Indigenous jurisdiction as a source of potential “emergency.” Built on the literal ground of historical patterns of land grabs and migration, logistical space configures new networks of infrastructure into circuitries of production that cast into vivid relief the imperfections of settler sovereignty and the vital systems of Indigenous law.
Setting the parameters of ‘digital (criminal) justice’ in Scotland
Authors: Nellis Mike
Published: June 2017

The term ‘digital justice’ has been used by the Scottish Government to delineate the potential of information and communication technology (ICT) in its civil, administrative and criminal justice systems. This paper concentrates on the latter area, outlining the content of the original 2014 digital justice strategy document and the subsequent Holyrood conferences used to promote it (Scottish Government, 2014). It notes gaps in the strategy, not least a failure to specify what human beings could and should be doing in digitized justice systems, and ambiguity about the endpoint of ‘full digitization’, which could be very threatening to existing forms of professional practice. It sets the policy debate in the broader context of increasing automation and the more critical literature on digitization, concluding with recommendations for a revised policy document, ideas which may be of interest outside Scotland.
Surface modification of chitosan film via polydopamine coating to promote biomineralization in bone tissue engineering
Authors: Liu Yang , Zhang Zhongxun , Lv Huilin , Qin Yong , Deng Linhong
Published: June 2017

Chitosan-based material has been widely used as bone substitute due to its good biocompatibility and biodegradability. However, the hydrophobic surface of chitosan film constrains the osteogenesis mineralization in the process of bone regeneration. For this reason, we develop a novel polydopamine-modified chitosan film suitable for bone tissue engineering applications by a simple and feasible route in this study. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirm the process of surface modification. For comparison, surface wettability, the capacity of mineralization in vitro, and biocompatibility of the chitosan film and the polydopamine-modified chitosan film were assessed. Research results indicate that the polydopamine-modified chitosan film has good hydrophilicity. It is very evident that the polydopamine treatment significantly influences the biomineralization capacity of the chitosan-based substrates, which enhance the growth rate of apatite on the modified chitosan film. Besides, MC3T3-E1 osteoblast experiments demonstrate that the cells can adhere and grow well on the polydopamine-modified chitosan film. It is anticipated that this polydopamine-modified chitosan film, which can be prepared in large quantities simply, should have potential applications in bone tissue engineering.
Free vibration analysis of functionally graded double-tapered beam rotating in thermal environment considering geometric nonlinearity, shear deformability, and Coriolis effect
Authors: Pal Suman , Das Debabrata
Published: June 2017

The present work investigates the free vibration behavior of double-tapered functionally graded beams rotating in thermal environment, using an improved mathematical model. The functional gradation for ceramic–metal compositions, following power-law, is considered to be symmetric with respect to the mid-plane, leading to metal-rich core and ceramic-rich outer surfaces of the beam. The temperature dependence of the material properties are considered using Touloukian model. The nonlinearity in strain–displacement relationships for both the axial and transverse shear strains are considered. Firstly, the governing equations for deformed beam configuration under time-independent centrifugal loading are obtained using minimum total potential energy principle, and the solution is obtained following Ritz method. Then the free vibration problem of the centrifugally deformed beam is formulated employing Lagrange’s principle and considering tangent stiffness of the deformed beam configuration. Coriolis effect is considered in the mathematical model, and the governing equations are transformed to the state-space for obtaining an eigenvalue problem. The results for the first two modes of both chord-wise and flap-wise vibrations are presented in nondimensional plane to show the effects of taperness parameter, root-offset parameter, volume fraction exponent, operating temperature, and functionally graded material composition. The results in comparative form are presented for both temperature-dependent and temperature-independent material properties.
Why Meta-Organizations Matter: A Response to Lawton et al. and Spillman
Authors: Berkowitz Héloïse , Bor Sanne
Published: June 2017

In a recent issue in this journal, Lawton et al. and Spillman argue for the importance of studying trade associations, also referred to with the broader term meta-organization. They discuss why meta-organizations matter and why more research is needed on the topic. We fully concur with the authors that meta-organizations constitute an inflating, diverse, and undeniable phenomenon of collective action among organizations and that collective scholarly efforts are necessary to improve our understanding of meta-organizations in their multiplicity. In this article, we shed some light on a body of work already investigating the matter. They constitute what we call the “European School” of meta-organization. We show the relevance of this recent European work for the US–UK-oriented trade association research and aim to bridge the gap between these research traditions by proposing a common research agenda on key topics of resources, forms’ differentiation, coopetition, and their role in sustainability governance.