bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A literature review and meta‐analysis of outcomes in microsurgical reconstruction using vasopressors
Authors: Knackstedt Rebecca , Gatherwright James , Gurunluoglu Raffi
Published: July 2018

Introduction

There is a hesitancy to utilize vasopressors in microsurgical reconstruction due to fear of vessel spasm and subsequent flap compromise. Although there are large literature reviews analyzing vasopressor usage in head and neck reconstruction, this has not been extrapolated to all regions of the body. The goal of this study was to perform a meta‐analysis examining vasopressor usage and risk of complications in microsurgical reconstruction for all recipient sites.

Materials and Methods

A meta‐analysis was conducted for articles discussing the utilization of vasopressors in microsurgical reconstruction. The primary endpoint was total flap failure. Secondary endpoints were necessity for operative take‐back and hematoma requiring intervention. Odds ratios were calculated for each complication and for each study.

Results

Four prospective and six retrospective studies were analyzed yielding 6321 patients and 7526 flaps. 67.4% (966/1433) of patients received vasopressors and 80.8% (6080/7526) of flaps received vasopressors. There were 100 failures in the vasopressor group (100/6080 = 15.9%) and 39 failures in the non‐vasopressor group (39/1456 = 26.8%) (O.R. 0.73; p = 0.12). There were 177 take‐backs in the vasopressor group (177/5916 = 29.9%) and 64 take‐backs in the non‐vasopressor group (64/1404 = 4.6%) (O.R. 0.65; p < 0.05). There were 73 hematomas in the vasopressor group (73/5099 = 14/3%) and 14 hematomas in the non‐vasopressor group (14/979 = 14.3%) (O.R. 1; p = 0.89). The odds ratio for total flaps failures in the breast and head/neck cohorts were 0.788 (p = 0.76) and 1.2761 (p = 0.77), respectively, with neither significantly increased in flaps receiving vasopressors.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that vasopressor utilization does not directly result in increased complications. Flaps that received vasopressors had a statistically lower rate of take‐back and failure. Due to the paucity of data available for analysis and limited reporting relating flap characteristics to outcomes, prospective, well‐designed studies are necessary to verify the safety of vasopressor use in microsurgical reconstruction.
Translation, cross‐cultural adaptation, and validation of the chinese version of the 15‐item myasthenia gravis quality of life questionnaire
Authors: Miao Xiaohui , Lian Zhiyun , Liu Ju , Chen Hongxi , Shi Ziyan , Li Mier , Zhou Hongyu , Hu Xiuying , Yang Rong
Published: July 2018

Introduction: We sought to translate, cross‐culturally adapt, and evaluate the internal consistency and validity of the Chinese version of the 15‐Item Myasthenia Gravis Quality of Life (MG‐QOL15). Methods: Translation and cross‐cultural adaptation of the MG‐QOL15 were performed. We used Cronbach's α to test internal consistency, one‐way analysis of variance to test construct validity, and Pearson or Spearman correlations to test discriminant and concurrent validity. Results: We enrolled 168 outpatients. Internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach's α = 0.928). The MG‐QOL15 discriminated MG severity as stratified by the MG Composite (MGC; P < 0.001) and Osserman class (P = 0.01). Concurrent validity was low to moderate with the subscales of the 36‐item Short Form (−0.31 to ∼−0.59), MGC (r = 0.46), and Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living profile (r = 0.54). Discussion: The Chinese MG‐QOL15 showed comparable construct, discriminant and concurrent validity, and internal consistency with to the original version. Muscle Nerve 59:95–99, 2019
Tyrosine substitution of a conserved active‐site histidine residue activates Plasmodium falciparum peroxiredoxin 6
Authors: Feld Kristina , Geissel Fabian , Liedgens Linda , Schumann Robin , Specht Sandra , Deponte Marcel
Published: July 2018

Peroxiredoxins efficiently remove hydroperoxides and peroxynitrite in pro‐ and eukaryotes. However, isoforms of one subfamily of peroxiredoxins, the so‐called Prx6‐type enzymes, usually have very low activities in standard peroxidase assays in vitro. In contrast to other peroxiredoxins, Prx6 homologues share a conserved histidyl residue at the bottom of the active site. Here we addressed the role of this histidyl residue for redox catalysis using the Plasmodium falciparum homologue PfPrx6 as a model enzyme. Steady‐state kinetics with tert‐butyl hydroperoxide (tBuOOH) revealed that the histidyl residue is nonessential for Prx6 catalysis and that a replacement with tyrosine can even increase the enzyme activity four‐ to six‐fold in vitro. Stopped‐flow kinetics with reduced PfPrx6WT, PfPrx6C128A, and PfPrx6H39Y revealed a preference for H2O2 as an oxidant with second order rate constants for H2O2 and tBuOOH around 2.5 × 107 M−1 s−1 and 3 × 106 M−1 s−1, respectively. Differences between the oxidation kinetics of PfPrx6WT, PfPrx6C128A, and PfPrx6H39Y were observed during a slower second‐reaction phase. Our kinetic data support the interpretation that the reductive half‐reaction is the rate‐limiting step for PfPrx6 catalysis in steady‐state measurements. Whether the increased activity of PfPrx6H39Y is caused by a facilitated enzyme reduction because of a destabilization of the fully folded enzyme conformation remains to be analyzed. In summary, the conserved histidyl residue of Prx6‐type enzymes is non‐essential for catalysis, PfPrx6 is rapidly oxidized by hydroperoxides, and the gain‐of‐function mutant PfPrx6H39Y might provide a valuable tool to address the influence of conformational changes on the reactivity of Prx6 homologues.
The “speed limit” for macromolecular crystal growth
Authors: Arias Renee J. , Kaiser Jens T. , Rees Douglas C.
Published: July 2018

A simple “diffusion‐to‐capture” model is used to estimate the upper limit to the growth rate of macromolecular crystals under conditions when the rate limiting process is the mass transfer of sample from solution to the crystal. Under diffusion‐limited crystal growth conditions, this model predicts that the cross‐sectional area of a crystal will increase linearly with time; this prediction is validated by monitoring the growth rate of lysozyme crystals. A consequence of this analysis is that when crystal growth is diffusion‐limited, micron‐sized crystals can be produced in ~1 s, which would be compatible with the turnover time of many enzymes. Consequently, the ability to record diffraction patterns from sub‐micron sized crystals by X‐ray Free Electron Lasers and micro‐electron diffraction technologies opens the possibility of trapping intermediate enzyme states by crystallization.
Computational study on the interaction of nucleobases with boron‐rich boron nitride nanotubes
Authors: Wang Chong , Guo Chen
Published: July 2018

In this work, using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we have systematically explored the NBs (NBs = A, T, C, G, and U) adsorption on boron‐rich BNNTs with antisite boron atom compared with pristine BNNTs. It is found that the excess boron atom of boron‐rich BNNTs greatly enhances the strength of BN system to adsorb NBs, and the NBs are favor to covalently bond to boron atom of BN system. Especially, the interaction between BN system and NBs is not only derived from the covalent BN or BO bond, but also partly due to the generated NH···N hydrogen bond. The charge transfer from NBs to BN system and the changes of energy gap demonstrate that the electronic structure of BN system is altered by NBs adsorption. The results indicate that the boron‐rich BNNTs are a superior candidate compared to the pristine BNNTs to adsorb NBs. It is expected that this results will provide a useful guide to develop novel boron nitride nanomaterials for adsorption and application of NBs.
Corn Starch Hydrolysis by Alumina and Silica‐Alumina Oxides Solid Acid Catalysts
Authors: Gordillo‐Cruz Elizabeth , Gómez‐Luría Daniel , Valdés‐Martínez Omar U. , De los Reyes‐Heredia José A. , Alvarez‐Ramirez Jose , Vernon‐Carter Eduardo J.
Published: July 2018

Starch is an abundant renewable resource and is the raw material for the production of a wide range of products, many of which are obtained by hydrolysis. While the hydrolysis of starch by enzymes and acids has been extensively investigated, there are scant studies with respect to the use of solid acid catalysts for this purpose. In this work, the features of corn starch hydrolysis by alumina (Al) and mixed silica‐alumina (SiAl) oxides solid catalysts have been explored, as they are widely used due to their low cost and ease of synthesis. To this end, native corn starch (CS) aqueous dispersion (0.02 g g−1) is used as such or added with the Al or SiAl (1 g g−1 starch), and gelatinized/hydrolyzed at 90 °C for 180 min. The effect of hydrolysis time on morphology (optical and SEM microscopy), hydrolysis progression (based on total sugar production), apparent amylose content, and starch crystalline structural changes (FTIR) is monitored. It is found that the acidity of the solid acid catalyst is a key factor that affected all of the above‐mentioned parameters. The higher acidity (355.0 mmol NH3 · g−1) of SiAl produces higher maximum hydrolysis progression (90%) and apparent amylose contents (0.60 g g−1 residual starch) than Al (70% and 0.40 g g−1 residual starch, respectively), which exhibit lower acidity (84.0 mmol NH3 · g−1).
Preparation of an In Vitro Low‐Digestible Rice Starch by Addition of Grass Carp Protein Hydrolysates and Its Possible Mechanisms
Authors: Xiao Jianhui , Niu Liya , Wu Leiyan , Li Dongming , He Haohua
Published: July 2018

Starch‐containing foods with a high glycemic index and deficiency protein cannot meet the consumers’ proactive demand. Thus, the objective of this work is to test the effect of the presence of grass carp protein hydrolysates (GCPHs) on the digestive and structural properties of pristine rice starch (PRS) during the treatment of high pressure homogenization in combination with spray‐drying (HPH‐SP), and its possible mechanisms. The results show that, when the mass ratio of PRS: GCPHs increases from 100:0 to 100:15 during HPH‐SP treatment, the presence of GCPHs significantly increases the contents of slowly digestible starch (SDS) from 7.8 to 23.0%, and resistant starch (RS) from 10.7 to 25.3% in PRS‐GCPHs complexes after gelatinization, respectively. Structures based on SEM, XRD, ATR‐FTIR, and SAXS show that, compared to HPH‐SP treatment alone, HPH‐SP treatment in the presence of GCPHs can remarkably destroy crystallinity, shorten branch chain content, lower the IR ratio of 1045/1022 cm−1, bragg spacing and lamellar peak intensity of PRS, and strengthen rigidity of PRS‐GCPHs complexes granules, which can play a significant role in increasing the contents of SDS and RS. Moreover, gelatinized PRS‐GCPHs rapidly assembles and aggregates to form more space hindrance and inhibit amylase close to leaching amylose, chained, or even branched amylopectin, which can be also attributed to the increased contents of SDS and RS authenticated by the observations of RVA, AFM, and representative images. These findings suggest that the presence of GCPHs during HPH‐SP treatment can be potently employed for preparing in vitro low digestible starch.
Reporting in Experimental Philosophy: Current Standards and Recommendations for Future Practice
Authors: Polonioli Andrea , Vega-Mendoza Mariana , Blankinship Brittany , Carmel David
Published: July 2018

Recent replication crises in psychology and other fields have led to intense reflection about the validity of common research practices. Much of this reflection has focussed on reporting standards, and how they may be related to the questionable research practices that could underlie a high proportion of irreproducible findings in the published record. As a developing field, it is particularly important for Experimental Philosophy to avoid some of the pitfalls that have beset other disciplines. To this end, here we provide a detailed, comprehensive assessment of current reporting practices in Experimental Philosophy. We focus on the quality of statistical reporting and the disclosure of information about study methodology. We assess all the articles using quantitative methods (n = 134) that were published over the years 2013–2016 in 29 leading philosophy journals. We find that null hypothesis significance testing is the prevalent statistical practice in Experimental Philosophy, although relying solely on this approach has been criticised in the psychological literature. To augment this approach, various additional measures have become commonplace in other fields, but we find that Experimental Philosophy has adopted these only partially: 53% of the papers report an effect size, 28% confidence intervals, 1% examined prospective statistical power and 5% report observed statistical power. Importantly, we find no direct relation between an article’s reporting quality and its impact (numbers of citations). We conclude with recommendations for authors, reviewers and editors in Experimental Philosophy, to facilitate making research statistically-transparent and reproducible.
A Case of Coumarin Embryopathy After in Utero Exposure to Acenocoumarol
Authors: Singh Ankur , Panghal Astha , Prasad Rajniti , Mishra Om Prakash
Published: July 2018

Coumarins (warfarin, acenocoumarol, phenprocuomon) are well known agents that are prescribed for prevention of thromboembolic episodes in pregnant women who are on mechanical heart valves prosthesis. It acts as double edge sword as fetus is unnecessarily exposed to teratogenic effect of drug. Warfarin is well studied drug in terms of its tetratogenic dose, period of exposure, fetopathic effects. Acenocoumarol is well known teratogen but its effect and lethal dose on fetus is less reported. We report a neonate who was exposed to acenocoumarol throughout intra uterine life. Neonate showed all features of coumarin embryopathy (flat facial profile, depressed nasal bridge, short columella, skeletal stippling, short distal phalanges in hand) and cephalhaematoma in addition. We also summarised the clinical findings of all the cases reported so far of acenocoumarol embryopathy. Acenocoumarol has same teratogenic potential as of warfarin. Doses causing embryopathy remained unexplored field. Clinicians need to document properly so that scientific data can be generated as ethical issues arises in head to head trial of these drugs.
Idiosyncratic information and the cost of equity capital: A meta-analytic review of the literature
Authors: Schreder Max
Published: July 2018

This paper provides a quantitative review of the literature on the repercussions of idiosyncratic information on firms’ cost of equity (CoE) capital. In total, I review the results of 113 unique studies examining the CoE effects of informationQuantity, PrecisionandAsymmetry. My results suggest that the association between firm-specific information and CoE is subject to moderate effects. First, the link betweenQuantityand CoE is moderated by disclosure types and country-level factors in that firms in comparatively weakly regulated countries tend to enjoy up to four times greater CoE benefits from more expansive disclosure—depending on the type of disclosure—than firms in strongly regulated markets. Second, a negative relationship betweenPrecisionand CoE is only significant in studies using non-accrual quality proxies forPrecisionand risk factor-based (RFB)/valuation model-based (VMB) proxies for CoE. Third, almost all VMB studies confirm the positive association betweenAsymmetryand CoE, but there is notable variation in the conclusions reached when ex post CoE measurers are used.
Sleep it off: Bullying and sleep disturbances in adolescents
Authors: Donoghue Christopher , Meltzer Lisa J.
Published: July 2018

Introduction

Involvement in bullying is associated with negative health outcomes for adolescents. Recent studies suggest that bullying is related to sleep disturbances. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in sleep disturbances (bedtime fears, insomnia, parasomnias) between victims, bullies, and youth not involved in bullying, as well as to explore differences across various types of bullying behavior (verbal, physical, social, cyber).

Methods

High school students ages 14–17 years (mean = 16.0) in the United States (n = 885; 57.3% female; 87.5% White) completed The Children's Report of Sleep Patterns and questions about involvement in verbal, physical, social and cyberbullying.

Results

Differences in all three sleep disturbances were found across groups, with victims and bully‐victims reporting more sleep disturbances than bullies and youth not involved. A similar pattern was found across all bullying types, with more sleep disturbances for victims and bullyvictims.

Conclusions

The results of this cross‐sectional study highlight the importance of screening youth for sleep disturbances that may indicate daytime issues with bullying or victimization, as well as the need for longitudinal studies to elucidate potential pathways between sleep and bullying/victimization.
Kidney dysfunction after hematopoietic cell transplantation-Etiology, management, and perspectives
Authors: Jaguś Dorota , Lis Karol , Niemczyk Longin , Basak Grzegorz W.
Published: July 2018

Kidney dysfunction is a common complication of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) with proven negative impact on early and long-term mortality. Causes of this complication are diverse, usually overlapping, and poorly understood. Therefore, management implicates multidirectional investigations and simultaneous treatment of suspected causes. The etiology is frequently unconfirmed due to a lack of specific markers and prevalence of contraindications to renal biopsy among HCT recipients. Herein, we provide a summary of etiology and propose an algorithm for evaluation of kidney injury after HCT. We also map out the most urgent areas for research that aim to identify patients at risk of severe renal injury and develop nephroprotective strategies.
Sex‐specific effects of CB1 receptor antagonism and stress in adolescence on anxiety, corticosterone concentrations, and contextual fear in adulthood in rats
Authors: Simone Jonathan J. , Baumbach Jennet L. , McCormick Cheryl M.
Published: July 2018

There is a paucity of research regarding the role of endogenous cannabinoid signalling in adolescence on brain and behaviour development. We previously demonstrated effects of repeated CB1 receptor antagonism in adolescence on socioemotional behaviours and neural protein expression 24–48 h after the last drug administration in female rats, with no effect in males. Here we investigate whether greater effects would be manifested after a lengthier delay. In Experiment 1, male and female rats were administered either 1 mg / kg of the CB1 receptor‐selective antagonist AM251, vehicle (VEH), or did not receive injections (NoINJ) daily on postnatal days (PND) 30–44 either alone (no adolescent confinement stress; noACS), or in tandem with 1 h ACS. On PND 70, adolescent AM251 exposure reduced anxiety in an elevated plus maze in males, irrespective of ACS, with no effects in females. On PND 73, there were no group differences in either sex in plasma corticosterone concentrations before or after 30 min of restraint stress, although injection stress resulted in higher baseline concentrations in males. Brains were collected on PND 74, with negligible effects of either AM251 or ACS on protein markers of synaptic plasticity and of the endocannabinoid system in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex. In Experiment 2, rats from both sexes were treated with vehicle or AM251 on PND 30–44 and were tested for contextual fear conditioning and extinction in adulthood. AM251 females had greater fear recall than VEH females 24 h after conditioning, with no group differences in within‐ or between‐session fear extinction. There were no group differences in long‐term extinction memory, although AM251 females froze more during a reconditioning trial compared with VEH females. There were no group differences on any of the fear conditioning measures in males. Together, these findings indicate a modest, sex‐specific role of CB1 receptor signalling in adolescence on anxiety‐like behaviour in males and conditioned fear behaviour in females.
A case report of minimal access approach to a giant parapharyngeal space tumor
Authors: Le Quang V. , Ngo Duy Q. , Ngo Quy X.
Published: July 2018

ABSTRACT

Tumors of the parapharyngeal space (PPS) are rare, accounting for less than 1% of all head and neck neoplasms, of which 70–80% are benign and 20–30% are malignant. The main treatment for this condition is surgical excision of the mass via a transcervical or transparotid-transcervical approach, or via a mandibilotomy in the case of large extensive tumors.

We report the case of a 57-year-old male with a very large PPS tumor, 102 × 85 × 80 mm in size, and with a 14-month history of breathing difficulty and dysphagia. The clinical manifestations included a mass in the oropharynx, a neck mass and Eustachian tube obstruction. Endoscopy showed a bulging, in the left parapharyngeal space, extending into the oropharynx, and causing a noticeable obstruction of the respiratory tract. The patient was operated on with a minimal invasive transcervical approach, and not via mandibulotomy, which was a challenging technique. This approach allowed us to avoid the complications and significant side effects such as infection, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, non-union of tissues, plate extrusion, and tooth loss that is often associated to mandibulotomy. Histological examination revealed a pleomorphic adenoma from a deep lobe of the parotid.

In conclusion, surgery is the mainstay of treatment for tumors of the parapharyngeal space. Here, we describe the removal of a large parapharyngeal pleomorphic adenoma transcervically with a minimally invasive approach without mandibulotomy.

Highlights:
Activation energy and binary chemical reaction effects in mixed convective nanofluid flow with convective boundary conditions
Authors: Dhlamini Mlamuli , Kameswaran Peri K. , Sibanda Precious , Motsa Sandile , Mondal Hiranmoy
Published: July 2018

In this paper, we present a theoretical study of the combined effects of activation energy and binary chemical reaction in an unsteady mixed convective flow over a boundary of infinite length. The current study incorporates the influence of the Brownian motion, thermophoresis and viscous dissipation on the velocity of the fluid, temperature of the fluid and concentration of chemical species. The equations are solved numerically to a high degree of accuracy using the spectral quasilinearization method. Brownian motion was noted as the main process by which the mass is transported out of the boundary layer. The effect of thermophoretic parameter seems to be contrary to the expected norm. We expect the thermophoretic force to ‘push’ the mass away from the surface thereby reducing the concentration in the boundary layer, however, concentration of chemical species is seen to increase in the boundary layer with an increase in the thermophoretic parameter. The use of a heated plate of infinite length increased the concentration of chemical species in the boundary layer. The Biot number which increases and exceeds a value of one for large heated solids immersed in fluids increases the concentration of chemical species for its increasing values.

Highlights Combined effects of activation energy and binary chemical reaction are proposed. Spectral quasi-linearization method (SQLM) is used for computer simulations. Use Arrhenius activation energy in the chemical species concentration. Validate the accuracy and convergence using residual error analysis.
Frequency and Characteristics of Recommendations from Interdisciplinary Outpatient Cancer Rehabilitation Monthly Team Meetings
Authors: Tennison Jegy M. , Ngo‐Huang An , Fu Jack B. , Hill Anissa E. , Dibaj Seyedeh S. , Bruera Eduardo
Published: July 2018

Background

Ambulatory cancer rehabilitation programs vary widely in the types of services offered, and there is a lack of consistency with respect to the coordination of rehabilitation with oncologic treatment plans. There are no guidelines for outpatient interdisciplinary rehabilitation team meetings, and the types and characteristics of recommendations that a physiatrist can provide during these meetings have not been reported.

Objective

To identify the frequency and characteristics of different types of recommendations that were derived through monthly interdisciplinary outpatient rehabilitation team meetings involving physiatrists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists.

Design

Case series—descriptive study.

Setting

Quaternary cancer center.

Participants

Outpatient rehabilitation cancer patients discussed during consecutive monthly team meetings.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Frequency and characteristics of recommendations.

Results

Over a 7‐month period, there were 57 potential patients to be discussed, and 42 patients were discussed. Among the 42 patients, 30 received recommendations, which yields 71% of patients receiving at least 1 recommendation. Some patients required repeated discussions in different months; thus, a total of 71 discussions occurred and resulted in 51 recommendations. Out of the 71 discussions, 41 (58%) discussions resulted in recommendations such as coordination of care in 19 (37%) cases, physiatry clinic follow‐up in 9 cases (18%), oncology clinic follow‐up in 7 cases (14%), and orders for referrals to other health professionals were placed in 5 cases (10%). Thirty discussions (42%) did not result in any recommendations, with the most common reason being stable or having improved functional status.

Conclusions

In contrast to acute inpatient rehabilitation interdisciplinary weekly team meetings required by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, there are no guidelines for outpatient interdisciplinary rehabilitation team meetings. Thus, the types and characteristics of recommendations that a physiatrist can provide during these meetings have not been previously reported. Regularly scheduled outpatient interdisciplinary cancer rehabilitation team meetings increase communication among rehabilitation specialists to identify outpatients experiencing barriers to therapy progress, provide recommendations to address those barriers, and reassess rehabilitation goals previously established.

Level of Evidence

IV
Legal change in post-communist states: Contradictions and explanations. Introduction
Authors: Solomon Peter H. , Gadowska Kaja
Published: July 2018

Reformers had high hopes that the end of communism in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union would lead to significant improvements in legal institutions and the role of law in public administration. However, the cumulative experience of 25 years of legal change since communism has been mixed, marked by achievements and failures, advances and moves backward. This special issue of the journal Communist and Post-Communist Studies documents the nuances of this process and starts the process of explaining them. This introductory essay draws on the findings of the articles in this issue to explore the impact of three potential explanatory factors: regime type, international influences, and legal (or political) culture. Regime type matters, but allows for considerable variation within authoritarian and democratic states alike and the possibility of reversals. The influence of international organizations (like the European Union) is also far from predictable, especially once states have joined the organization. Finally, legal cultures and political traditions play a large role in explaining developments in individual countries, but there is nothing inevitable about their impact.
Judges: Selection, Competence, Collegiality
Authors: Fernández de Gurmendi Silvia
Published: July 2018

On March 9, 2018, the highest officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and representatives of the international community assembled at the seat of the Court to welcome six newly elected judges and to bid farewell to the six who had concluded their term of office, including myself. In my then-capacity as President, I presided over their swearing-in ceremony, which, in accordance with the Rome Statute, must take place in open court. In my opening remarks, I emphasized that this ceremony, which takes place every three years, was an important moment for the institution. Six new judges were solemnly undertaking to exercise their respective functions impartially and conscientiously, something that embodies both individual and collective responsibilities. “Through renewal,” I said, “the institution ensures its continuity.”
The Pace of Progress: Addressing Crimes of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the Generation After Rome
Authors: McIntyre Gabrielle Louise
Published: July 2018

When it was adopted in 1998, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) represented a significant breakthrough regarding sexual and gender-based crimes—crimes that, for centuries, had proliferated in armed conflicts but had been disregarded, mischaracterized, or misunderstood as the inevitable by-products of war or a legitimate part of its spoils. Not only did the Rome Statute explicitly treat a broad range of sexual acts as crimes against humanity and war crimes, but it also recognized gender-based violence as a crime and incorporated a number of provisions aimed at ensuring greater institutional attention to sexual and gender-based crimes. However, abstract possibilities do not always translate into concrete results, and the ICC has been slow to effectuate its innovative statutory provisions. This essay will explore some of the obstacles encountered and opportunities missed by the Court over the last twenty years, as well as highlighting welcome strides made in recent years to fulfill, at least in part, the promise of Rome.
Transformation of Customary Law Through ICC Practice
Authors: Pocar Fausto
Published: July 2018

Article 21 of the Rome Statute, in defining the applicable sources of law for the International Criminal Court (ICC), breaks with the practice of the ad hoc tribunals by treating customary international law as only a secondary authority. Nonetheless, customary international law still has an acknowledged role in ICC jurisprudence in filling lacunae in the Rome Statute and aiding in its interpretation. One can also predict other instances in which the application of customary international law will be required. It remains to be seen, however, whether the ICC's use of customary law will lead to that law's further fragmentation or whether that use will instead modify customary law to reflect the ICC Statute.
China's Involvement in Africa's Security: The Case of China's Participation in the UN Mission to Stabilize Mali
Authors: Cabestan Jean-Pierre
Published: July 2018

China has been much more involved in Africa's economy and trade than in its security. However, over the past decade or so, China has increased its participation in the United Nation's Peacekeeping Operations (UN PKOs), particularly in Africa. It has also taken steps to better protect its overseas nationals and, in 2017, established a naval base in Djibouti. This article focuses on the participation of China's People's Liberation Army in the United Nation's Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) since 2013. It aims to unpack the diplomatic process that led China to take part in this mission and to analyse the form of this participation. Mali was the second time (the first being in South Sudan in 2012) that China opted to deploy combat troops under the UN banner, underscoring a deepening involvement in PKOs and an increasing readiness to face risks. Finally, this article explores the implications of China's participation in the MINUSMA for its foreign and security posture as a whole. Often perceived as a realist rising power, by more actively participating in UN PKOs China is trying to demonstrate that it is a responsible and “integrationist” great power, ready to play the game according to the commonly approved international norms. Is this really the case?
From Hull-House to Herland: Engaged and Extended Care in Jane Addams and Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Authors: McCrary Lorraine Krall
Published: August 2018

Engaged care in the family and small organizations can and should be leveraged in order to develop extended care, which is a crucial element of social and political life. However, care in politics can also be dangerous in its partiality and its propensity to control. A critical engagement with the writings and activism of Jane Addams and Charlotte Perkins Gilman, contemporaries negotiating the relationship between women's familial roles and their social and political citizenship, reveals the ways in which care can be deployed to strengthen democratic commitments as well as the drawbacks of care in politics.
Ranking CMIP5 GCMs for Model Ensemble Selection on Regional Scale: Case Study of the Indochina Region
Authors: Chhin Rattana , Yoden Shigeo
Published: July 2018

We propose a framework that enables the evaluation of a large number of climate models by numerous performance metrics, which can be customized toward a specific impact assessment perspective under climate change (e.g., agriculture, flood control, or else). The customization is performed by weighting the performance metrics. Three criteria are applied to combine a set of diagnostics for creating a single performance index, namely, summation of rank (SR), Euclidean distance of the cluster analysis (CA), and that of Empirical Orthogonal Function analysis (EOF). These indices are then used to objectively select optimal ensemble subsets by applying a culling method. The model evaluation and multimodel ensemble selection in the Indochina Region as a study area are performed on precipitation for two cases: a nonweighted case applying equal weights for all 36 metrics, and a weighted case focusing on the evaluation for agricultural drought monitoring, as an example, with and without model independence and skill weights. We demonstrate that the optimal ensemble subsets of this framework improve significantly the distribution of monthly precipitation data compared to those of the best single model or the full model ensemble during the historical period. The optimal ensemble subsets of CA and EOF criteria are improved more than those of the SR criterion. The performance of the optimal ensemble subsets is also confirmed in the future projection for the RCP8.5 scenario by implementing model‐as‐truth experiments. A simple and user‐friendly decision graph of all model members for the ensemble selection is developed, and its usefulness is demonstrated.
Reproducibility of Thermal History Reconstruction From Apatite Fission‐Track and (U‐Th)/He Data
Authors: Ketcham Richard A. , van der Beek Peter , Barbarand Jocelyn , Bernet Matthias , Gautheron Cécile
Published: July 2018

We report a new interlaboratory exercise to evaluate the reproducibility of apatite fission‐track (AFT) and (U‐Th)/He (AHe) data and thermal history analysis. Twelve laboratory groups participated, analyzing apatite separates from two previously studied localities. Ten groups returned AFT data from 13 analysts, five groups returned AHe data, one contributed apatite U/Pb data, and nine contributed thermal history models. Submitted AFT age data were generally consistent with the original studies and each other to within uncertainties, although there were departures, particularly among results obtained using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for uranium determination. AFT‐confined track‐length data showed more variation, which correlated between samples, suggesting that they may reflect analyst‐specific factors. Accounting for anisotropy using c axis projection reduced the variation and correlation. AHe ages showed more dispersion than observed in the previous studies, with one sample showing many ages consistent with prior work but also many significantly older ages, and the other roughly matching prior work but showing symmetrical scatter suggesting a 1SE uncertainty of 17–21%. Thermal history models generally agreed in their major features but showed considerable variation in detail, due to differences in data and data entry, model setup, and modeling software approach. Addressing pitfalls in data entry and model setup improved congruence, as would greater emphasis on AFT length and etch figure calibration. Because of scatter, AHe data had to be entered selectively into the models to achieve reasonable results. Although cautionary in several respects, study results point to promising avenues for improving the reproducibility of thermal history modeling.
Persistence and Corresponding Time Scales of Soil Moisture Dynamics During Summer in the Babao River Basin, Northwest China
Authors: shen Shi , Ye Sijing , Cheng Changxiu , Song Changqing , Gao Jianbo , Yang Jing , Ning Lixin , Su Kai , Zhang Ting
Published: July 2018

Soil moisture (SM) is an essential Earth surface and climate system variable. Insights into its persistence and corresponding time scales can improve numerical modeling and climate system prediction. In this study, SM from 17 observation stations within the Babao River Basin, Northwest China, between 1 June and 31 August 2014 were used to investigate persistence and corresponding time scales via adaptive fractal analysis. By conducting an adaptive fractal analysis of net radiation and by estimating the complementary cumulative distribution function of precipitation intervals, the relation between meteorological factors and the persistence and time scales of SM are determined and discussed. Results show that persistence and corresponding time scales of SM could be described using a three‐phase concept diagram. (1) At short time scales (approximately 0–14 hr [4 cm], 0–15 hr [10 cm], or 0–19 hr [20 cm]), the persistence of SM at most observation stations shows a strong long‐range correlation or nonstationarity. This phenomenon is essentially due to evaporation influenced by net radiation processes and the effects of rain. (2) At moderate time scales (approximately 14–159 hr [4 cm], 15–161 hr [10 cm], or 19–143 hr [20 cm]), the persistence of SM mostly exhibits a weak long‐range correlation or antipersistence due to net radiation process uncertainty and the probability of precipitation. (3) At long time scales (approximately greater than 159 hr [4 cm], 161 hr [10 cm], and 143 hr [20 cm]), the persistence of SM dynamics exhibits antipersistence because a high probability of precipitation reverses changes in the SM persistence.
Impacts of Snow Darkening by Deposition of Light‐Absorbing Aerosols on Hydroclimate of Eurasia During Boreal Spring and Summer
Authors: Lau William K. M. , Sang Jeong , Kim M. K. , Kim K. M. , Koster R. D. , Yasunari T. J.
Published: July 2018

In this study, we used the NASA GEOS‐5 climate model to investigate the impact of snow darkening by deposition of light‐absorbing aerosols on the hydroclimate of Eurasia during boreal spring and summer. Two sets of 10‐member ensemble model integrations with prescribed sea surface temperature were carried out for 10 simulated years (2002–2011); one includes snow‐darkening effects (SDE) by light‐absorbing aerosols and one does not (NSDE). Differences between the two experiments in the hydroclimates over Eurasia were evaluated. Results show that SDE warming is most pronounced during the melting season due to strong snow‐albedo feedback in the vicinity of the retreating seasonal snowline. SDE spurs a wet‐first‐dry‐later modulation of the surface energy and water balances, characterized by an accelerated (days‐to‐weeks) snowmelt, accompanied by excessive runoff and a warming and wetting of the land (relative to NSDE) during the early melting season. The snowmelt is followed by a fast desiccation of the land during the late melting, and early warming season, and then a prolonged warmer and drier land, through the boreal summer. The prolonged warming is sustained by atmospheric conditions favorable for the development of atmospheric blocking, that is, higher middle‐to‐upper‐tropospheric geopotential height, lower relative humidity, reduced cloudiness, and enhanced atmospheric subsidence. Overall, SDE by light‐absorbing aerosols leads to a warmer and drier boreal summer hydroclimate, increasing the frequency of the top 5 and 1% extreme hot days (as defined by NSDE statistics) over western and northern Eurasia by approximately threefold and tenfold, respectively.
A Lagrangian Model Diagnosis of Stratospheric Contributions to Tropical Midtropospheric Air
Authors: Tao M. , Pan L. L. , Konopka P. , Honomichl S. B. , Kinnison D. E. , Apel E. C.
Published: July 2018

Airborne in situ observations during the Convective Transport of Active Species in the Tropics campaign in January–February 2014 revealed a large region over the tropical western Pacific where the midtroposphere had a layered structure with a distinct chemical signature of high ozone and low water vapor (HOLW). The observed anticorrelation between ozone and water vapor is a strong indication of transport from the midlatitude upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. This work presents a diagnosis of stratospheric air in the tropical western Pacific midtroposphere through isentropic transport and mixing. Using the Chemical Lagrangian Model of the Stratosphere, we characterize and quantify the contribution of transported stratospheric air to the observed HOLW layers. The result indicates that the isentropic transport is an effective process for stratospheric air to mix into the tropical midtroposphere. Using the modeled stratospheric tracer and 3‐D back trajectories, we identified that 60% of the observed HOLW air masses contain significant stratospheric influence. We have also examined possible contribution to the HOLW layer from ozone production related to biomass burning emissions. Clear chemical signature of this process is found in ∼8% of the HOLW air masses, identified by positive correlations among O3, HCN, and CO. This analysis provides the first quantitative diagnosis of the contribution from the stratosphere‐to‐troposphere transport, highlights the importance of mixing in chemical transport, and demonstrates the limitations of pure Lagrangian trajectory calculations in quantifying transport.
Future Projections of the Large‐Scale Meteorology Associated with California Heat Waves in CMIP5 Models
Authors: Palipane Erool , Grotjahn Richard
Published: July 2018

Previous work showed that climate models capture historical large‐scale meteorological patterns (LSMPs) associated with California Central Valley heat waves including both ways these heat waves form. This work examines what models predict under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. Model performance varies, so a multimodel average weights each model based on its historical performance in four parameters. An LSMP index (LSMPi) defined using upper atmosphere variables captures dates of past extreme surface temperature maxima. LSMPi correlates well with all values of California Central Valley‐average surface maximum temperature. LSMPi distributions in future simulations shift ~0.6 standard deviations higher between 1961–2000 and 2061–2100 for RCP8.5 data. Based on the historical climatology, future scenarios show a large increase in the frequency and duration of heat waves in every model. Four times as many heat waves occur and their median duration doubles, using historical thresholds. Of the two ways heat waves form, Type 1 has similar frequency in the future. But, Type 2 becomes much more common because Type 2 has a preexisting hot anomaly in Southwestern Canada, much like the historical to future climatological change in that region (a “global warming” signal). The 20‐year return value anomaly increases by 30–40%. The average of the 50 hottest temperatures increases 3.5–6 K depending on the scenario. When extreme values are defined using the future climatology, the models and their average have no consistent increase or decrease of distribution properties such as shape, scale, and return values of the extremes compared to historical values.
Coralline Algae Archive Fjord Surface Water Temperatures in Southwest Greenland
Authors: Williams Siobhan , Halfar Jochen , Zack Thomas , Hetzinger Steffen , Blicher Martin , Juul‐Pedersen Thomas , Kronz Andreas , Noël Brice , van den Broeke Michiel , van de Berg Willem Jan
Published: July 2018

One of the most dramatic signs of ongoing global change is the mass loss of the Greenland Ice Sheet and the resulting rise in sea level, whereby most of the recent ice sheet mass loss can be attributed to an increase in meltwater runoff. The retreat and thinning of Greenland glaciers has been caused by rising air and ocean temperatures over the past decades. Despite the global scale impact of the changing ice sheet balance, estimates of glacial runoff in Greenland rarely extend past several decades, thus limiting our understanding of long‐term glacial response to temperature. Here we present a 42‐year long annually resolved red coralline algal Mg/Ca proxy temperature record from a southwestern Greenland fjord, with temperature ranging from 1.5 to 4 °C (standard error = 1.06 °C). This temperature time series in turn tracks the general trend of glacial runoff from four West Greenland glaciers discharging freshwater into the fjord (all p < 0.001). The algal time series further exhibits significant correlations to Irminger Sea temperature patterns, which are transmitted to western Greenland fjords via the West Greenland Current. The 42‐year long record demonstrates the potential of annual increment forming coralline algae, which are known to live up to 650 years and which are abundant along the Greenland coastline, for reconstructing time series of sea surface temperature.
Organic Carbon Processing During Transport Through Boreal Inland Waters: Particles as Important Sites
Authors: Attermeyer Katrin , Catalán Núria , Einarsdottir Karolina , Freixa Anna , Groeneveld Marloes , Hawkes Jeffrey A. , Bergquist Jonas , Tranvik Lars J.
Published: July 2018

The degradation and transformation of organic carbon (C) in inland waters result in significant CO2 emissions from inland waters. Even though most of the C in inland waters occurs as dissolved organic carbon (DOC), studies on particulate organic carbon (POC) and how it influences the overall reactivity of organic C in transport are still scarce. We sampled 30 aquatic ecosystems following an aquatic continuum including peat surface waters, streams, rivers, and lakes. We report DOC and POC degradation rates, relate degradation patterns to environmental data across these systems, and present qualitative changes in dissolved organic matter and particulate organic matter during degradation. Microbial degradation rates of POC were approximately 15 times higher compared to degradation of DOC, with POC half‐lives of only 17 ± 3 (mean ± SE) days across all sampled aquatic ecosystems. Rapid POC decay was accompanied by a shift in particulate C:N ratios, whereas dissolved organic matter composition did not change at the time scale of incubations. The faster degradation of the POC implies a constant replenishment to sustain natural POC concentrations. We suggest that degradation of organic matter transported through the inland water continuum might occur to a large extent via transition of DOC into more rapidly cycling POC in nature, for example, triggered by light. In this way, particles would be a dominant pool of organic C processing across the boreal aquatic continuum, partially sustained by replenishment via flocculation of DOC.