bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nonmotor-Related Quality of Life in Parkinson’s Patients with Subjective Memory Complaints: Comparison with PDQ-39
Authors: Jenny Alexis Lionel , Meyer Antonia , Handabaka Ivana , Calabrese Pasquale , Fuhr Peter , Gschwandtner Ute
Published: April 2020

Background. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with cognitive decline, progressing from subjective memory complaints (SMC) via mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia. SMC are only measurable by an interview and thus rely on individuals reporting a subjectively perceived worsening of cognitive functioning. Cognitive decline is accompanied by a reduction in quality of life (QoL); however, the extent to which SMC manifest a reduction of QoL remains unclear. Objective. To determine the association between SMC and deterioration of QoL in patients suffering from PD. Methods. A total of 46 cognitively unimpaired PD patients (29 men and 17 women) completed PDQ-39, two assessments to measure SMC (Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE) and a Self-Assessment questionnaire), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Multiple regression modelling was conducted to investigate the confounding effect of depression and anxiety. Results. The PDQ-39 domain cognitions, but not the PDQ-39 sum score, correlated significantly with the SMC Self-Assessment questionnaire (r = 0.57; p<0.001). The conducted regression model indicates a significant confounding effect of depression and anxiety (p<0.001, R2 = 0.55). Conclusion. In our study, SMC is significantly related to a reduction of cognitive QoL. In addition, we observed significant relation to anxiety and depression levels. In contrast to our main hypothesis, we found no association with overall QoL; this lack of association could be due to unstandardized questionnaires and emphasizes the need of validated tools for evaluating SMC.
Coccidioidomycosis of the Vocal Cords Presenting in Sepsis: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Converse Curtis , Dey Atish , Decker Samuel , Arabian Sarkis , Neeki Michael
Published: April 2020

Coccidioidomycosis is a predominantly pulmonary disease caused by species of Coccidioides, a fungus endemic to the American Southwest. Most cases involve exclusively pulmonary manifestations while less than one percent present with disseminated infection, usually with meningeal or skin involvement. In this case, a patient with a history of odynophagia, sore throat, productive cough, weight loss, and abnormalities on chest radiograph presented with sepsis and diabetic ketoacidosis. During admission, the patient underwent bronchoscopy with resulting tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage samples positive for Coccidioides immitis, later supported by confirmatory serum studies. This case illustrates a rare presentation of vocal fold involvement without direct invasion from a continuous site and highlights the importance of a high index of suspicion for disseminated coccidioidomycosis with prompt antifungal treatment in order to avoid the very high morbidity and mortality in such cases.
Metformin Treatment Is Associated with a Decreased Risk of Nonproliferative Diabetic Retinopathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Fan Yu-Pei , Wu Chien-Tung , Lin Jiun-Lu , Hsiung Chao A. , Liu Hsiao Yu , Lai Jung-Nien , Yang Chen-Chang
Published: April 2020

Purpose. To assess the relationship between metformin use and the severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to investigate the effect of metformin dosage on reducing the incidence of DR. Methods. The study population included patients with newly diagnosed T2DM, who were aged ≥20 years and prescribed with antidiabetic drug therapy lasting ≥90 days, as identified using the National Health Insurance Research Database between 2000 and 2012. We matched metformin users and nonusers by a propensity score. Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were used to compute and compare the risk of developing nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) in metformin users and nonusers. Results. Overall, 10,044 T2DM patients were enrolled. Metformin treatment was associated with a lower risk of NPDR (aHR 0.76, 95% CI 0.68–0.87) and sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy (STDR, aHR 0.29, 95% CI 0.19–0.45); however, the reduction in risk was borderline significant for STDR progression among NPDR patients (aHR 0.54, 95% CI 0.28–1.01). Combination therapy of metformin and DPP-4i exhibited a stronger but inverse relationship with NPDR development (aHR 0.32, 95% CI 0.25–0.41), especially at early (<3 months) stages of metformin prescription. These inverse relationships were also evident at different metformin doses and in adapted Diabetes Complications Severity Index scores (aDCSI). Moreover, combination therapy of metformin with sulfonylureas was associated with an increased risk of NPDR. Conclusion. Metformin treatment in patients with T2DM was associated with a reduced risk of NPDR, and a potential trend was found for a reduced STDR risk in patients who had previously been diagnosed with NPDR. Combining metformin with DPP-4i seemingly had a significantly beneficial effect against NPDR risk, particularly when aDCSI scores were low, and when metformin was prescribed early after T2DM diagnosis. These results may recommend metformin for early treatment of T2DM.
Exercise and Coronary Atherosclerosis
Authors: Aengevaeren Vincent L. , Mosterd Arend , Sharma Sanjay , Prakken Niek H.J. , Möhlenkamp Stefan , Thompson Paul D. , Velthuis Birgitta K. , Eijsvogels Thijs M.H.
Published: April 2020

Physical activity and exercise training are effective strategies for reducing the risk of cardiovascular events, but multiple studies have reported an increased prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis, usually measured as coronary artery calcification, among athletes who are middle-aged and older. Our review of the medical literature demonstrates that the prevalence of coronary artery calcification and atherosclerotic plaques, which are strong predictors for future cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, was higher in athletes compared with controls, and was higher in the most active athletes compared with less active athletes. However, analysis of plaque morphology revealed fewer mixed plaques and more often only calcified plaques among athletes, suggesting a more benign composition of atherosclerotic plaques. This review describes the effects of physical activity and exercise training on coronary atherosclerosis in athletes who are middle-aged and older and aims to contribute to the understanding of the potential adverse effects of the highest doses of exercise training on the coronary arteries. For this purpose, we will review the association between exercise and coronary atherosclerosis measured using computed tomography, discuss the potential underlying mechanisms for exercise-induced coronary atherosclerosis, determine the clinical relevance of coronary atherosclerosis in middle-aged athletes and describe strategies for the clinical management of athletes with coronary atherosclerosis to guide physicians in clinical decision making and treatment of athletes with elevated coronary artery calcification scores.
Acute Effects of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement on Central Aortic Hemodynamics in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Michail Michael , Hughes Alun D. , Comella Andrea , Cameron James N. , Gooley Robert P. , McCormick Liam M. , Mathur Anthony , Parker Kim H. , Brown Adam J. , Cameron James D.
Published: April 2020

Severe aortic stenosis induces abnormalities in central aortic pressure, with consequent impaired organ and tissue perfusion. Relief of aortic stenosis by transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is associated with both a short- and long-term hypertensive response. Counterintuitively, patients who are long-term normotensive post-TAVR have a worsened prognosis compared with patients with hypertension, yet the underlying mechanisms are not understood. We investigated immediate changes in invasively measured left ventricular and central aortic pressure post-TAVR in patients with severe aortic stenosis using aortic reservoir pressure, wave intensity analysis, and indices of aortic function. Fifty-four patients (mean age 83.6±6.2 years, 50.0% female) undergoing TAVR were included. We performed reservoir pressure and wave intensity analysis on invasively acquired pressure waveforms from the ascending aorta and left ventricle immediately pre- and post-TAVR. Following TAVR, there were increases in systolic, diastolic, mean, and pulse aortic pressures (all
P
<0.05). Post-TAVR reservoir pressure was unchanged (54.5±12.4 versus 56.6±14.0 mm Hg,
P
=0.30) whereas excess pressure increased 47% (29.0±10.9 versus 42.6±15.5 mm Hg,
P
<0.001). Wave intensity analysis (arbitrary units, au) demonstrated increased forward compression wave (64.9±35.5 versus 124.4±58.9, ×10
3
au,
P
<0.001), backward compression wave (11.6±5.5 versus 14.4±6.9, ×10
3
au,
P
=0.01) and forward expansion wave energies (43.2±27.3 versus 82.8±53.1, ×10
3
au,
P
<0.001). Subendocardial viability ratio improved with aortic function effectively unchanged post-TAVR. Increased central aortic pressure following TAVR relates to increased transmitted power and energy to the proximal aorta with increased excess pressure but unchanged reservoir pressure. These changes provide a potential mechanism for the improved prognosis associated with relative hypertension post-TAVR.
Multidisciplinary Heart Team Approach for Complex Coronary Artery Disease: Single Center Clinical Presentation
Authors: Young Michael N. , Kolte Dhaval , Cadigan Mary E. , Laikhter Elizabeth , Sinclair Kevin , Pomerantsev Eugene , Fifer Michael A. , Sundt Thoralf M. , Yeh Robert W. , Jaffer Farouc A.
Published: April 2020

Background

The Heart Team approach is ascribed a Class I recommendation in contemporary guidelines for revascularization of complex coronary artery disease. However, limited data are available regarding the decision‐making and outcomes of patients based on this strategy.

Methods and Results

One hundred sixty‐six high‐risk coronary artery disease patients underwent Heart Team evaluation at a single institution between January 2015 and November 2018. We prospectively collected data on demographics, symptoms, Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality/Synergy Between PCI with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (
STS
‐
PROM
/
SYNTAX
) scores, mode of revascularization, and outcomes. Mean age was 70.0 years; 122 (73.5%) patients were male. Prevalent comorbidities included diabetes mellitus (51.8%), peripheral artery disease (38.6%), atrial fibrillation (27.1%), end‐stage renal disease on dialysis (13.3%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (21.7%). Eighty‐seven (52.4%) patients had New York Heart Association
III
‐
IV
and 112 (67.5%) had Canadian Cardiovascular Society
III
‐
IV
symptomatology. Sixty‐seven (40.4%) patients had left main and 118 (71.1%) had 3‐vessel coronary artery disease. The median
STS
‐
PROM
was 3.6% (interquartile range 1.9, 8.0) and
SYNTAX
score was 26 (interquartile range 20, 34). The median number of physicians per Heart Team meeting was 6 (interquartile range 5, 8). Seventy‐nine (47.6%) and 49 (29.5%) patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting, respectively. With increasing
STS
‐
PROM
(low, intermediate, high operative risk), coronary artery bypass graft was performed less often (47.9%, 18.5%, 15.2%) and optimal medical therapy was recommended more often (11.3%, 18.5%, 30.3%). There were no trends in recommendation for coronary artery bypass graft, percutaneous coronary intervention, or optimal medical therapy by
SYNTAX
score tertiles. In‐hospital and 30‐day mortality was 3.9% and 4.8%, respectively.

Conclusions

Integrating a multidisciplinary Heart Team into institutional practice is feasible and provides a formalized approach to evaluating complex coronary artery disease patients. The comprehensive assessment of surgical, anatomical, and other risk scores using a decision aid may guide appropriate, evidence‐based management within this team‐based construct.
Whole‐Genome Approach Discovers Novel Genetic and Nongenetic Variance Components Modulated by Lifestyle for Cardiovascular Health
Authors: Zhou Xuan , van der Werf Julius , Carson‐Chahhoud Kristin , Ni Guiyan , McGrath John , Hyppönen Elina , Lee S. Hong
Published: April 2020

Background

Both genetic and nongenetic factors can predispose individuals to cardiovascular risk. Finding ways to alter these predispositions is important for cardiovascular disease prevention.

Methods and Results

We used a novel whole‐genome approach to estimate the genetic and nongenetic effects on—and hence their predispositions to—cardiovascular risk and determined whether they vary with respect to lifestyle factors such as physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and dietary intake. We performed analyses on the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) Study (N=6896–7180) and validated findings using the UKBB (UK Biobank, N=14 076–34 538). Lifestyle modulation was evident for many cardiovascular traits such as body mass index and resting heart rate. For example, alcohol consumption modulated both genetic and nongenetic effects on body mass index, whereas smoking modulated nongenetic effects on heart rate, pulse pressure, and white blood cell count. We also stratified individuals according to estimated genetic and nongenetic effects that are modulated by lifestyle factors and showed distinct phenotype–lifestyle relationships across the stratified groups. Finally, we showed that neglecting lifestyle modulations of cardiovascular traits would on average reduce single nucleotide polymorphism heritability estimates of these traits by a small yet significant amount, primarily owing to the overestimation of residual variance.

Conclusions

Lifestyle changes are relevant to cardiovascular disease prevention. Individual differences in the genetic and nongenetic effects that are modulated by lifestyle factors, as shown by the stratified group analyses, implies a need for personalized lifestyle interventions. In addition, single nucleotide polymorphism–based heritability of cardiovascular traits without accounting for lifestyle modulations could be underestimated.
Nutritive and Sentient Soul in Aristotle’s Generation of Animals 2.5
Authors: Connell Sophia M.
Published: April 2020

This paper argues that focusing on Aristotle’s theory of generation as primarily ‘hylomorphic’ can lead to difficulties. This is especially evident when interpreting the association between the male and sentient soul at GA 2.5. If the focus is on the male’s contribution as form and the female’s as matter, then soul becomes divided into nutritive from female and sentient from male which makes little sense in Aristotle’s biological ontology. In contrast, by seeing Aristotle’s theory as ‘archēkinētic’, a process initiated by the male, the development of nutritive and sentient capacities emerges as intertwined, neither capacity originating in only one sex.
From the frying pan: an unusual dwarf shrub from Namibia turns out to be a new brassicalean family
Authors: SWANEPOEL WESSEL , CHASE MARK W. , CHRISTENHUSZ MAARTEN J.M. , MAURIN OLIVIER , FOREST FÉLIX , VAN WYK ABRAHAM E.
Published: April 2020

Tiganophyton karasense, an evergreen dwarf shrub, is described as a new species. A new genus and family are also proposed for it in the order Brassicales. Phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequence data indicate that Tiganophyton is sister to Bataceae/Salvadoraceae, and all three sister to Koeberliniaceae. First realized to be undescribed in 2010, T. karasense is a rare species known only from three localities in the arid Karas Region, southern Namibia. These small shrubs grow near the edges of seasonal pans on calcareous substrate underlaid by shales and mudstones of the Prince Albert Formation of the Karoo Supergroup. Morphological characters diagnostic of the new family include: a marked differentiation into long and short shoots; dimorphic, spirally arranged leaves; glucosinolate production; bisexual laterally flattened flowers borne singly in bract axils on short shoots only; tetramerous calyx, corolla and androecium with fused sepals and free, non-clawed petals; a staminal disc, but no nectary glands; deeply bilobed ovary with a gynobasic style; S-shaped gynophore supporting a bilocular, horizontally orientated or inverted ovary; two ovules per locule; and a dry, persistent fruit, provisionally interpreted as a one-seeded nutlet. Based on IUCN Red List categories and criteria, a conservation assessment of Vulnerable (VU D1) is recommended for Tiganophyton karasense.
Begonia caramoanensis (sect. Baryandra, Begoniaceae) a new species from Camarines Sur, Philippines

Authors: RUBITE ROSARIO R. , IRABAGON MADELEINE L. , PALACIO DIANE JOY E. , ANG YU PIN , BUSTAMANTE RENE ALFRED ANTON
Published: April 2020

Begonia caramoanensis from Caramoan, Camarines Sur, Luzon Island is described as a new species endemic to the Philippines. This is the latest addition to the species rich Begonia section Baryandra. It resembles Begonia madulidii but is distinguished by the dark green almost orbicular leaves; extensive inflorescence branching five times; and the glandular hairs of the bracts, peduncle, pedicels and ovary. More than 500 individuals, were observed in each of the four barangays of Caramoan, thus according to to the IUCN red list categories and criteria, B. caramoanensis is hereby proposed to be placed under Least Concern (LC) category.
Chrysolaena glandulosa (Vernonieae, Asteraceae): A new species from Brazil

Authors: SOARES POLYANA NORONHA , GONÇALVES-ESTEVES VÂNIA , SEMIR JOÃO , NAKAJIMA JIMI NAOKI
Published: April 2020

Chrysolaena glandulosa is a new species of Vernonieae (Asteraceae), endemic to the “campos rupestres” of Serra da Canastra National Park and adjacent areas of southwestern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Chrysolaena glandulosa is characterized by its laxly disposed leaves and lower surface with glandular dots, corolla lobes papillose with glandular dots, and strigose achenes with glandular dots. It is morphologically similar to C. campestris but differs from the latter by presence of glandular dots on the lower surface of the leaves, the ratio between the size of the bracts of the inflorescence and the involucre, and the number of heads and flowers per head. Pollen study confirms that this species belongs to Chrysolaena. A diagnostic key is presented to all Minas Gerais species.
Middle Permian (Roadian) gastropods from the Khao Khad Formation, Central Thailand: Implications for palaeogeography of the Indochina Terrane
Authors: KETWETSURIYA CHATCHALERM , KARAPUNAR BARAN , CHAROENTITIRAT THASINEE , NÜTZEL ALEXANDER
Published: April 2020

A new Permian gastropod assemblage from the Roadian (Middle Permian) Khao Khad Formation, Saraburi Group (Lopburi Province, Central Thailand) which is part of the Indochina Terrane, has yielded one of the most diverse Permian gastropod faunas known from Thailand. A total of 44 gastropod species belonging to 30 genera are described herein, including thirteen new species and one new genus. The new genus is Altotomaria. The new species are Bellerophon erawanensis, Biarmeaspira mazaevi, Apachella thailandensis, Gosseletina microstriata, Worthenia humiligrada, Altotomaria reticulata, Yunnania inflata, Trachydomia suwanneeae, Trachyspira eleganta, Heterosubulites longusapertura, Platyzona gradata, Trypanocochlea lopburiensis and Streptacis? khaokhadensis. Most of the species in the studied assemblage represent vetigastropods  (35.6%) and caenogastropods (26.7%) and most of the species belong to Late Palaeozoic cosmopolitan genera. The studied faunas come from shallow water carbonates that are rich in fusulinids, followed by gastropods, ostracods, bivalves and brachiopods. The gastropod assemblage from the Khao Khad Formation shares no species with the gastropod assemblages from other Permian formations in Thailand, the Tak Fa Limestone and the Ratburi Limestone. However, it is similar to the Late Permian gastropod faunas from South China of the Palaeo-Tethys, therefore it suggests that the Indochina Terrane was not located far from South China.
Extraordinary majoid crabs: the genus Esopus A. Milne-Edwards, 1875 in the new subfamily Esopinae subfam. nov., and erection of Paulitinae subfam. nov. (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura, Majoidea, Inachoididae Dana, 1851)
Authors: GUINOT DaniÈle , VAN BAKEL BARRY
Published: April 2020

A rare small species, Esopus crassus A. Milne-Edwards, 1875, recently collected by KARUBENTHOS Expedition 2015 in Guadeloupe, is re-examined. The genus Esopus A. Milne-Edwards, 1875, currently included in the Epialtidae MacLeay, 1838, must be assigned to the Inachoididae Dana, 1851, a rather basal family within the Majoidea Samouelle, 1819, but deviates from the morphotype that is being traditionally associated to this group. It deserves its own subfamily, Esopinae subfam. nov., besides other inachoidid subfamilies, for which a description is here provided (Collodinae Stimpson, 1871; Dasygyiinae Holmes, 1900; Inachoidinae Dana, 1851; Salaciinae Dana, 1851; Stenorhynchinae Dana, 1851). Another inachoidid subfamily is erected here, Paulitinae subfam. nov., for the genus Paulita Guinot, 2012, monotypic with P. tuberculata (Lemos de Castro, 1949, as Dasygyius tuberculatus). A reliable fossil member is recorded from the lower Miocene onwards.
Three new species of Acanthobothrium Blanchard, 1848 (Cestoda:
Onchoproteocephalidea) in Stingrays (Dasyatidae) from the Pacific coast in Mexico
Authors: ZARAGOZA-TAPIA FRANCISCO , PULIDO-FLORES GRISELDA , MONKS SCOTT
Published: April 2020

Three new species of Acanthobothrium Blanchard, 1848 (Onchoproteocephalidea: Onchobothriidae) are described from Pacific coastal waters of Mexico. Based on four criteria for categorization of species of Acanthobothrium, the three new species belong to Category 2 species, characterized by their total length (< 15 mm), number of proglottids (< 50) and testes (<80), and with asymmetrical ovary. Acanthobothrium ppdeleoni n. sp. from diamond stingray Hypanus dipterurus (Jordan & Gilbert) is differentiated from congeners by a combination of characters including total length of the whole worms, size of the scolex and bothridia, length of the bases of the hooks and abaxial prongs, and the size of the cirrus sacs in mature proglottids. Acanthobothrium hypanus n. sp. and A. sinaloaensis n. sp. are described from longtail stingray Hypanus longus (Garman). Acanthobothrium hypanus n. sp. is differentiated by a combination of characters including size of the scolex and bothridia, diameter of the accessory sucker, length of the abaxial prongs, size of the cirrus sacs and testes in mature proglottids. Acanthobothrium sinaloaensis n. sp. is differentiated by a combination of characters including size of the scolex and bothridia, diameter of the accessory sucker, size of the cirrus sacs in mature proglottids, number of immature proglottids, number of testes, the length of the lobes of the ovary and the absence of velum between medial margin of bothridia. Thirteen species of Acanthobothrium have been reported previously from elasmobranchs from the Pacific coast of Mexico. In the present study, the number of species is elevated to 16.
New species, occurrence records and observations of predation by deep-sea Asteroidea (Echinodermata) from the North Atlantic by NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer
Authors: MAH CHRISTOPHER L.
Published: April 2020

Exploratory cruises by the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer have resulted in a substantial contribution in our understanding of deep-sea echinoderm biodiversity, biology, and ecology in the North Atlantic. This includes the description and in situ feeding observations of two, new corallivorous goniasterid species, Evoplosoma nizinskiae n. sp. and Sibogaster bathyheuretor n. sp. Significant in situ observations include a synchronous feeding event including multiple goniasterid asteroids and a cidaroid urchin on a large demosponge, providing new data for understanding echinoderm feeding behavior, including agonistic behavior, in deep-sea settings and new, in situ feeding observations for 28 deep-sea species including the myxasterid Pythonaster atlantidis, the korethrasterid Remaster palmatus and the poorly understood hippasterine goniasterids, Gilbertaster caribaea and Sthenaster emmae.
Amphibians from Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais, Brasil. VI: A New Species of the Physalemus deimaticus Group (Anura, Leptodactylidae)
Authors: LEAL FERNANDO , LEITE FELIPE S. F. , COSTA WILLIAM P. DA , NASCIMENTO LUCIANA B. , LOURENÇO LUCIANA B. , GARCIA PAULO C. A.
Published: April 2020

We describe a new species of Physalaemus assigned to the Physalaemus signifer Clade, and it is morphologically similar to P. rupestris, from the highlands of the Serra do Cipó in the southern Espinhaço Range, State of Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil. The new species is diagnosed by using the following combination of character states: presence of an arrow-shaped blotch on the dorsum of body; presence of a median longitudinal light stripe over urostyle region; belly and ventral surface of thigh marbled with dark gray irregularly shaped blotches on a bluish background; absence of reddish coloration over axillary and inguinal regions in live individuals; bright orange dots scattered over head, upper lip, and dorsum of body in live individuals; ventral surface of hand and foot red in live individuals; small size (adult male SVL=16.2–18.2 mm); presence of brown, not divided, nuptial pad in males; END/ED in males ranging from 0.85–0.93; supernumerary tubercles on foot absent; tarsal fold absent; tarsal tubercle absent; texture of posterior region of belly and ventral surface of thigh smooth; advertisement call composed of two note types (note A + B); advertisement call duration of 0.80–1.28 s; note A with ascending amplitude until mid-note then descending towards the end of the note; note B with pulses arranged in 5–7 groups; and dominant frequency of note A from 1734.4–2765.6 Hz and of note B from 1507.3–2859.4 Hz. A phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial DNA sequences recovered the new species nested within the Physalaemus deimaticus species group. Additionally, we redescribe the call of Physalaemus rupestris and provide a review of the geographic distribution and conservation status of the species belonging to the P. deimaticus species group.
Aerosol Direct Radiative Effect Sensitivity Analysis
Authors: Thorsen Tyler J. , Ferrare Richard A. , Kato Seiji , Winker David M.
Published: April 2020

Both to reconcile the large range in satellite-based estimates of the aerosol direct radiative effect (DRE) and to optimize the design of future observing systems, this study builds a framework for assessing aerosol DRE uncertainty. Shortwave aerosol DRE radiative kernels (Jacobians) were derived using the MERRA-2 reanalysis data. These radiative kernels give the differential response of the aerosol DRE to perturbations in the aerosol extinction coefficient, aerosol single-scattering albedo, aerosol asymmetry factor, surface albedo, cloud fraction, and cloud optical depth. This comprehensive set of kernels provides a convenient way to consistently and accurately assess the aerosol DRE uncertainties that result from observational or model-based uncertainties. The aerosol DRE kernels were used to test the effect of simplifying the full vertical profile of aerosol scattering properties into column-integrated quantities. This analysis showed that, although the clear-sky aerosol DRE can be had fairly accurately, more significant errors occur for the all-sky DRE. The sensitivity in determining the broadband spectral dependencies of the aerosol scattering properties directly from a limited set of wavelengths was quantified. These spectral dependencies can be reasonably constrained using column-integrated aerosol scattering properties in the midvisible and near-infrared wavelengths. Separating the aerosol DRE and its kernels by scene type shows that accurate aerosol properties in the clear sky are the most crucial component of the global aerosol DRE. In cloudy skies, determining aerosol properties in the presence of optically thin cloud is more radiatively important than doing so when optically thick cloud is present.
Estimation of Initial Abstraction for Hydrological Modeling Based on Global Land Data Assimilation System–Simulated Datasets
Authors: Zheng Yanchen , Li Jianzhu , Dong Lixin , Rong Youtong , Kang Aiqing , Feng Ping
Published: April 2020

Initial abstraction (Ia) is a sensitive parameter in hydrological models, and its value directly determines the amount of runoff. Ia, which is influenced by many factors related to antecedent watershed condition (AWC), is difficult to estimate due to lack of observed data. In the Soil Conservation Service curve number (SCS-CN) method, it is often assumed that Ia is 0.2 times the potential maximum retention S. Yet this assumption has frequently been questioned. In this paper, Ia/S and factors potentially influencing Ia were collected from rainfall–runoff events. Soil moisture and evaporation data were extracted from GLDAS-Noah datasets to represent AWC. Based on the driving factors of Ia, identified using the Pearson correlation coefficient and maximal information coefficient, artificial neural network (ANN)-estimated Ia was applied to simulate the selected flood events in the Hydrologic Engineering Center Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) model. The results indicated that Ia/S varies over different events and different watersheds. Over 75% of the Ia/S values are less than 0.2 in the two study areas. The driving factors affecting Ia vary over different watersheds, and the antecedent precipitation index appears to be the most influential factor. Flood simulation by the HEC-HMS model using statistical Ia gives the best fitness, whereas applying ANN-estimated Ia outperforms the simulation with median Ia/S. For over 60% of the flood events, ANN-estimated Ia provided better fitness in flood peak and depth, with an average Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient of 0.76 compared to 0.71 for median Ia/S. The proposed ANN-estimated Ia is physically based and can be applied without calibration, saving time in constructing hydrological models.
Job Instability and Fertility Intentions of Young Adults in Europe: Does Labor Market Legislation Matter?
Authors: Karabchuk Tatiana
Published: April 2020

Total birth rates have fallen dramatically in many European countries during the last 40 years. Job and income instability caused by labor market polarization are significant drivers of declining birth rates because employment certainty and stability are crucial to childbirth planning among young adults. This article investigates the impact of job instability on the fertility intentions of young adults in Europe, focusing on employment protection legislation (EPL) in European countries. I use data from twenty-seven countries that participated in the European Social Survey in 2004 and 2010 to show that job instability measured as temporary employment, informal work, and unemployment decreases fertility intentions among European youth regardless of the EPL in the country. Unemployed young adults tend to plan less for having their first child in the countries with high EPL. Contrary to the hypotheses, multilevel modeling showed that young people in temporary or informal employment in countries with low EPL show decreases in their fertility intentions.
Heterogeneity among Young People Neither in Employment Nor in Education in Brazil
Authors: Dias Tamille Sales , Vasconcelos Ana Maria Nogales
Published: April 2020

We examined the diverse composition of young people aged 15–29 in Brazil who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET). The analysis shows the Brazilian NEET population’s main characteristics by analyzing data from the 2014 National Household Sample Survey. The findings confirm significant socioeconomic heterogeneity in group composition, which allows identification of subgroups with different levels of social vulnerability. A considerable proportion of these young people are in this status due to structural issues and social inequality, and for another significant portion of cases, NEET status is not a problem in itself. Therefore, especially in Latin America where demographic transitions have resulted in large economically active populations, investigations of youth inactivity and risk of social exclusion among this group are warranted.
Labor Market Uncertainties and Youth Labor Force Experiences: Lessons Learned
Authors: Kalleberg Arne L.
Published: April 2020

Labor market uncertainties have plagued all countries in recent years, but young workers have borne the brunt of these uncertainties. Liberalization of labor markets has transformed work, creating a variety of nonstandard employment relations as well as increasing the number of people who do not have traditional employers. Macro social, political, and economic forces have also made it harder for young adults to gain solid footholds in the labor market. The articles in this issue of The ANNALS present empirical evidence about labor market uncertainties and youth labor force experiences from diverse regions of the world, both in the Global North and Global South: Asia (China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Caucasus and Central Asia); Latin/South America (Mexico, Brazil); Eastern Europe (Lithuania); Western Europe; and the United States. In this epilogue, I summarize the main insights from the articles and draw some broader conclusions about the future of labor market policies to address concerns related to workers’ insecurities and uncertainties.
Methodological Issues When Interpreting Changes in Social Phenomena Over Time: Perceptions of Relative Difference, Absolute Difference, and Time Distance
Authors: Prevodnik Katja , Vehovar Vasja
Published: April 2020

When comparing social science phenomena through a time perspective, absolute and relative difference (RD) are the two typical presentation formats used to communicate interpretations to the audience, while time distance (TD) is the least frequently used of such formats. This article argues that the chosen presentation format is extremely important because the various formats suggest different substantive interpretations. To elaborate upon this issue, researchers from the National Statistical Office, National Health Institute, and general academia were invited to participate in an experiment with alternative presentation formats that describe changes in certain social science phenomena over time. The results revealed a prevailing tendency of respondents to rely on interpretations related to absolute differences, which was additionally reinforced with graphical presentation formats. Therefore, whenever RD or TD is more proper for substantive interpretations, the corresponding presentation format must be designed with special attention.
Clergy Well-being: The Role of Lived Values and Values Fit
Authors: Rosales Aaron , Fung Joey , Lee Cameron
Published: April 2020

This study examined the role of both valued living and person–organization values-fit in clergy well-being utilizing an archival sample of 845 Wesleyan clergy in a cross-sectional survey design. Linear regression analysis indicated that clergy successfully living out their values in ministry work was associated with higher ratings of flourishing and lower ratings of burnout. Furthermore, mediation analyses indicated that job engagement is one of the mechanisms for both these main effects. Additionally, moderation analyses indicated that the degree of values fit between clergy and their congregation moderated the association between valued living and flourishing such that valued living was most important in environments of poor fit. Overall, this exploratory study offers important insights into the multiple roles of values in clergy well-being and provides the foundation for further investigation. Implications of the findings, as well as clinical considerations for promoting valued living with clergy, are discussed.
We are more than one story: Embracing creativity and compassion through Learning Together
Authors: MacLennan Sarah , Gosling Helena
Published: April 2020

People’s experiences of the criminal justice system and, indeed, higher education are dominated by stories. We encourage service user input across the criminal justice system, and endeavour to understand the student experience in higher education, but we rarely think about how politically driven agendas reduce everything, and indeed everyone, to one experience, one identity, and ultimately, one story. Drawing upon our experience of Learning Together, we utilise the concept of storytelling to illustrate how pedagogical creativity and compassion can recast long-standing narratives about ‘service users’ and students so that new, informed stories can emerge.
The ‘psychological turn’ in self-help services for sexual abuse victims: Drivers and dilemmas
Authors: Stefansen Kari , Smette Ingrid , Dullum Jane
Published: April 2020

This article describes an ongoing process of transformation in sexual abuse counselling centres in Norway that involves a new classification of groups of victims. These centres have traditionally operated at the grassroots level and outside the statutory system of services for victims and with an open-door policy for all victims. Drawing on field visits and interviews with staff, we explore how the centres are now working to secure their place within the expanding organisational field of services engaged in victim support and anti-violence work – and the dilemmas this produces related to some victims. Theoretically, our analysis departs from a Bourdieusian approach to organisational fields as well as Abbott’s concept of professional regression. We find that the centres have adopted ways of thinking and working that stem from the discipline of psychology and the powerful trauma-discourse that has permeated the organisational field they are part of. This ‘psychological turn’ manifests in different ways in the centres, including an increasing problematisation and marginalisation of the centres’ original user group – women who are severely affected by childhood sexual abuse – who no longer are seen as benefitting from the services offered. Hence, it involves a regression from what used to be the centres’ purpose and niche, to care for the most vulnerable and marginalised victims.
Ischemic lesion water homeostasis after thrombectomy for large vessel occlusion stroke within the anterior circulation: The impact of age
Authors: Meyer Lukas , Schönfeld Michael , Bechstein Matthias , Hanning Uta , Cheng Bastian , Thomalla Götz , Schön Gerhard , Kemmling Andre , Fiehler Jens , Broocks Gabriel
Published: April 2020

The effect of age on lesion pathophysiology in the context of thrombectomy has been poorly investigated. We aimed to investigate the impact of age on ischemic lesion water homeostasis measured with net water uptake (NWU) within a multicenter cohort of patients receiving thrombectomy for anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke. Lesion-NWU was quantified in multimodal CT on admission and 24 h for calculating Δ-NWU as their difference. The impact of age and procedural parameters on Δ-NWU was analyzed. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to identify significant predictors for Δ-NWU. Two hundred and four patients with anterior circulation stroke were included in the retrospective analysis. Comparison of younger and elderly patients showed no significant differences in NWU on admission but significantly higher Δ-NWU ( p = 0.005) on follow-up CT in younger patients. In multivariable regression analysis, higher age was independently associated with lowered Δ-NWU (95% confidence interval: −0.59 to −0.16, p < 0.001). Although successful recanalization (TICI ≥ 2b) significantly reduced Δ-NWU progression by 6.4% ( p < 0.001), younger age was still independently associated with higher Δ-NWU ( p < 0.001). Younger age is significantly associated with increased brain edema formation after thrombectomy for LVO stroke. Younger patients might be particularly receptive targets for future adjuvant neuroprotective drugs that influence ischemic edema formation.
Ignorance Is Not Bliss: A U.K. Study of Sexual and Domestic Abuse Awareness on Campus, and Correlations With Confidence and Positive Action in a Bystander Program
Authors: Bovill Helen , White Paul
Published: April 2020

This article reports on a U.K. research study encompassing two surveys which used evidence-based scales of awareness, confidence to intervene, and intervention opportunities and action regarding sexual and domestic abuse on campus. They were sent to all first-year incoming undergraduates (> n = 7,000) at one post-1992 U.K. university and received n = 1,604 responses. The study finds that survey respondents demonstrated low awareness of sexual and domestic abuse as a problem on campus. In the analysis of Survey 2, respondents were divided into three groups, those receiving active intervention, passive intervention, and no intervention from a university social norms marketing campaign challenging abuse on campus. The study drives the field forward by considering how confidence to act mediates the relationship between awareness and positive action. It finds associations between active intervention and raised awareness that is not noted in passive or no intervention. Active intervention potentially brings together the mediating variable of confidence where awareness + confidence = positive action. This article makes recommendations for first-year incoming undergraduates to receive awareness raising information about sexual and domestic abuse, prior to coming to university. Universities may also consider working with schools to counter a lack of awareness, which may emanate from normalization discourses learnt prior to coming to university and perpetuated once there. Managing low awareness of sexual and domestic abuse should be a priority of bystander programs and some form of active intervention is potentially beneficial as early as possible in university student journeys.
“It’s Not a Great Boulder, It’s Just a Piece of Baggage”: Older Women’s Reflections on Healing from Childhood Sexual Abuse
Authors: Graham Katie , Patterson Tess , Justice Tonya , Rapsey Charlene
Published: April 2020

In this study, we explored older women’s reflections on processes of healing related to childhood sexual abuse (CSA). We aimed to answer questions about how childhood trauma was integrated into the life story and to identify factors or coping strategies that aided, or hindered, healing. Participants within this study included 12 women who were aged 60 or older and had reported CSA as adults at the beginning of the research project, 25 years prior. Qualitative interviews were conducted exploring women’s reflections on the place of CSA in their lives over time and factors the participants thought were helpful or unhelpful in being able to come to terms with the abuse. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, which resulted in three themes related to processes of healing. The themes identified were need for resolution, thinking about it differently, and developing agency over disclosure. The findings show that some form of resolution was needed for the women to recover and move on from their experiences of CSA. The two key strategies used to reach this resolution were reframing their experience or drawing upon positive life philosophies. Decisions around disclosure were also an important part of the healing process, with the women developing an agency over if, and how, they talked to people about their experience. Those women who were not able to make sense of their experience continued to be influenced by the negative feelings and memories associated with the experience. Our findings have implications for health professionals working with those who have experienced trauma. They demonstrate that there are a number of ways that people heal from trauma and find personal resolution across their lifespan.
Rape Myth Acceptance of Police Officers in Portugal
Authors: Fávero Marisalva , Del Campo Amaia , Faria Sandra , Moreira Diana , Ribeiro Filipe , Sousa-Gomes Valéria
Published: April 2020

This study intended to examine rape myth acceptance (RMA) among police officers and its relationship with sociodemographic data, length of service, specific training in the field, and professional experience with victims of rape. To this end, we applied the Sexual Violence Beliefs Scale (ECVS) and controlled for sociodemographic data, as well as professional experience and specific training in the field, through a self-report questionnaire. The sample was composed of 400 police officers from a city in the north of Portugal, aged between 29 and 54 years, and most were men (94.3%). We found that tolerance to overall sexual violence exhibits positive correlations with age and length of service, as well as negative correlations with education levels. Differences were also found regarding gender, with men exhibiting greater tolerance/acceptance of overall sexual violence. It was also found that officers who exhibit higher tolerance/acceptance for sexual violence, overall, are those who do not consider it relevant to receive specific training in the field of sexual violence to perform their duties, who report not having any professional experience with cases of sexual violence and also do not consider it necessary to have specific abilities for these types of cases. Implications for decision-making in legal proceedings are discussed, stressing the need for specific specialization in intervention with victims of sexual assault, with a strong practical component.
‘The schizophrenic basic mood (self-disorder)’, by Hans W Gruhle (1929)
Authors: Jansson Lennart , Parnas Josef
Published: April 2020

During the first half of the twentieth century, German psychiatry came to consider ‘ Ich-Störungen’, best translated as self-disorders, to be important features of schizophrenia. The present text is a translation of a chapter by the German psychiatrist Hans Gruhle, which is extraordinarily clear and emblematic for this research line. Published in 1929, it was part of a book co-written with Josef Berze, The Psychology of Schizophrenia (concerning its subjectivity). Gruhle claims that the essential core of schizophrenia is of an affective nature, a ‘mood’ manifesting itself as self-disorder, an unstable, incomplete pre-reflective self-awareness. His impact on contemporary psychiatry was probably limited due to his confrontational style, but this text has great significance for the modern revival of phenomenological research in schizophrenia.
‘Embedded into the core’: The discursive construction of ‘policy’ in higher education learning and teaching documents and its recontextualisation in practices
Authors: Horrod Sarah
Published: April 2020

With increasing competition and metrics focusing on teaching quality (e.g. the teaching excellence framework or TEF), there is a spotlight on learning and teaching (L&T) in policies and practices within universities. Bodies at national and institutional levels focus on disseminating policy ideas on L&T which are oriented to government priorities. This article focuses on how policy itself is discursively constructed in selected L&T policy documents and explores the means of the recontextualisation of policy discourses. I discuss the following three findings: (1) the construction of policy as ‘embedded within processes and practices’, (2) shifts in genre and discursive strategies as policy ideas become short guidelines and (3) the role of ‘discursive mechanisms’ in forcing engagement with policy ideas. Through an analysis of discursive strategies and recontextualisation, I demonstrate the seeming insecurity around policy compliance and show how constructions of L&T are never value-free.