bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictors of Outcomes Following Fasciectomy for Dupuytren’s Disease in Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Patients
Authors: Melamed Eitan , Beutel Bryan G. , Goldstein Shaul , Angel David
Published: August 2017

Background: The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcomes, and identify predictors thereof, after fasciectomy for Dupuytren’s disease in a series of diabetic patients compared with non-diabetic patients.

Methods: Thirty-eight patients were examined following partial palmar and/or digital fasciectomy for Dupuytren’s disease (11 diabetics, 27 non-diabetics). Each patient was assessed for degree of pre- and post-operative flexion contractures at the MCP and PIP joints, post-operative Patient Evaluation Measure (PEM) total score, post-operative grip strength, limited joint mobility (LJM), recurrence, extension, and a composite outcomes score based upon grip strength and the degree of joint contractures. All measurements in the diabetic cohort were compared to those in the non-diabetic group, and a logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictive value of several variables on outcomes.

Results: Complication rates between the two groups were statistically similar (p = 0.67). There were no significant differences in pre-operative MCP (p = 0.69), post-operative MCP (p = 0.39), pre-operative PIP (p = 0.40), or post-operative PIP (p = 0.13) joint flexion contractures between the two groups. Additionally, there was no significant difference in extension (p = 0.35) or recurrence (p~1) rates, post-operative grip strengths (p = 0.64), or PEM total scores (p = 0.32). However, the rate of LJM was significantly higher in the diabetic population (p = 0.02). Both female gender (p = 0.01) and a non-smoking status (p = 0.04) were found to be predictive of better outcomes following fasciectomy. Diabetes was not found to be an independent predictor of outcome (p = 0.73).

Conclusions: Clinical results after fasciectomy for Dupuytren’s disease in diabetic patients are not different from results obtained in non-diabetic patients. Diabetes is not independently predictive of surgical outcomes. Female gender and non-smoking status are independent predictors of a better outcome following fasciectomy.
Acute Traumatic Swan Neck Deformity: A Case Report of the Oblique Retinacular Ligament Lesion
Authors: Checcucci Giuseppe , Biondi Marco , Faccio Marina , Zampetti Piergiuseppe , Galeano Mariarosaria , Ceruso Massimo
Published: August 2017

Swan neck deformity (SND) can be the manifestation of an acute trauma. We present a case report of a young basketball player with an acute traumatic SND determined by the single ulnar oblique retinacular ligament rupture. The patient caught a ball directly upon the tip of his right’s hand middle finger into extension. He immediately presented a SND with impossibility to actively flex the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ), while preserving active flexion and extension of the distal interphalangeal joint (DIPJ). Hyperextension of PIPJ was reducible with passive mobilization, thus allowing full passive range of motion. The SND was seen to be caused by the lesion of the ulnar oblique retinacular ligament (ORL) on its distal insertion, with consequent dorsomedial migration of the ulnar lateral band. The early surgical distal reinsertion of the ORL allowed the restoration of the original kinematics of the finger flexion-extension.
Impact of electrical defibrillation on infarct size and no-reflow in pigs subjected to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion without and with ischemic conditioning
Authors: Skyschally Andreas , Amanakis Georgios , Neuhäuser Markus , Kleinbongard Petra , Heusch Gerd
Published: August 2017

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) occurs frequently during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) and must then be terminated by electrical defibrillation. We have investigated the impact of VF/defibrillation on infarct size (IS) or area of no reflow (NR) without and with ischemic conditioning interventions. Anesthetized pigs were subjected to 60/180 min of coronary occlusion/reperfusion. VF, as identified from the ECG, was terminated by intrathoracic defibrillation. The area at risk (AAR), IS, and NR were determined by staining techniques (patent blue, triphenyltetrazolium chloride, and thioflavin-S). Four experimental protocols were analyzed: I/R ( n = 49), I/R with ischemic preconditioning (IPC; n = 22), I/R with ischemic postconditioning (POCO; n = 22), or I/R with remote IPC (RIPC; n = 34). The incidence of VF was not different between I/R (44%), IPC (45%), POCO (50%), and RIPC (33%). IS was reduced by IPC (23 ± 12% of AAR), POCO (31 ± 16%), and RIPC (22 ± 13%, all P < 0.05 vs. I/R: 41 ± 12%). NR was not different between protocols (I/R: 17 ± 15% of AAR, IPC: 15 ± 18%, POCO: 25 ± 16%, and RIPC: 18 ± 17%). In pigs with defibrillation, IS was 50% larger than in pigs without defibrillation but independent of the number of defibrillations. Analysis of covariance confirmed the established determinants of IS, i.e., AAR, residual blood flow during ischemia (RMBFi), and a conditioning protocol, and revealed VF/defibrillation as a novel covariate. VF/defibrillation in turn was associated with larger AAR and lower RMBFi. Lack of dose-response relation between IS and the number of defibrillations excluded direct electrical injury as the cause of increased IS. Obviously, AAR size and RMBFi account for both IS and the incidence of VF. IS and NR are mechanistically distinct phenomena.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Ventricular fibrillation/defibrillation is associated with increased infarct size. Electrical injury is unlikely the cause of such association, since there is no dose-response relation between infarct size and number of defibrillations. Ventricular fibrillation, in turn, is associated with a larger area at risk and lower residual blood flow.
Modulation of mesenteric collecting lymphatic contractions by σ1-receptor activation and nitric oxide production
Authors: Trujillo Andrea N. , Katnik Christopher , Cuevas Javier , Cha Byeong Jake , Taylor-Clark Thomas E. , Breslin Jerome W.
Published: August 2017

Recently, it has been reported that a σ-receptor antagonist could reduce inflammation-induced edema. Lymphatic vessels play an essential role in removing excess interstitial fluid. We tested the hypothesis that activation of σ-receptors would reduce or weaken collecting lymphatic contractions. We used isolated, cannulated rat mesenteric collecting lymphatic vessels to study contractions in response to the σ-receptor agonist afobazole in the absence and presence of different σ-receptor antagonists. We used RT-PCR and Western blot analysis to investigate whether these vessels express the σ1-receptor and immunofluorescence confocal microscopy to examine localization of the σ1-receptor in the collecting lymphatic wall. Using N-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) pretreatment before afobazole in isolated lymphatics, we tested the role of nitric oxide (NO) signaling. Finally, we used 4-amino-5-methylamino-2′,7′-difluorofluorescein diacetate fluorescence as an indicator to test whether afobazole increases NO release in cultured lymphatic endothelial cells. Our results show that afobazole (50–150 µM) elevated end-systolic diameter and generally reduced pump efficiency and that this response could be partially blocked by the σ1-receptor antagonists BD 1047 and BD 1063 but not by the σ2-receptor antagonist SM-21. σ1-Receptor mRNA and protein were detected in lysates from isolated rat mesenteric collecting lymphatics. Confocal images with anti-σ1-receptor antibody labeling suggested localization in the lymphatic endothelium. Blockade of NO synthases with l-NAME inhibited the effects of afobazole. Finally, afobazole elicited increases in NO production from cultured lymphatic endothelial cells. Our findings suggest that the σ1-receptor limits collecting lymphatic pumping through a NO-dependent mechanism.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Relatively little is known about the mechanisms that govern contractions of lymphatic vessels. σ1-Receptor activation has been shown to reduce the fractional pump flow of isolated rat mesenteric collecting lymphatics. The σ1-receptor was localized mainly in the endothelium, and blockade of nitric oxide synthase inhibited the effects of afobazole.
Loss of Igf2 Gene Imprinting in Murine Prostate Promotes Widespread Neoplastic Growth
Authors: Damaschke Nathan A. , Yang Bing , Bhusari Sachin , Avilla Mele , Zhong Weixiong , Blute Michael L. , Huang Wei , Jarrard David F.
Published: August 2017

Loss of imprinting (LOI) is an epigenetic event that relaxes an allele-specific restriction on gene expression. One gene that experiences LOI is the paracrine insulin-like growth factor IGF2, which occurs commonly in human prostate tissues during aging and tumorigenesis. However, the relationship between IGF2 LOI and prostate tumorigenesis has not been established functionally. In this study, we created a mouse model with CTCF-binding site mutations at the Igf2-H19 imprint control region that abolishes CTCF insulator activity, resulting in biallelic Igf2 expression that mimics increased levels seen with aging-induced LOI. We found that Igf2 LOI increased the prevalence and severity of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), a premalignant lesion. Engineering Nkx3.1 deficiency into our model increased the frequency of PIN lesions in an additive fashion. Prostates harboring LOI displayed increased MAPK signaling and epithelial proliferation. In human prostate tissue arrays, we documented a positive correlation in benign tissues of IGF2 levels with phospho-ERK and phospho-AKT levels. Overall, our results establish that Igf2 LOI is sufficient on its own to increase rates of neoplastic development in the prostate by upregulating critical cancer-associated signaling pathways. Cancer Res; 77(19); 5236–47. ©2017 AACR.
JCAD Promotes Progression of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis to Liver Cancer by Inhibiting LATS2 Kinase Activity
Authors: Ye Juan , Li Tian-Sheng , Xu Gang , Zhao Yi-Ming , Zhang Ning-Ping , Fan Jia , Wu Jian
Published: August 2017

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (NASH-HCC) is a malignancy whose incidents are rapidly increasing. However, the mechanisms that drive development of HCC in a steatotic microenvironment remain unknown. Here we report that the obesity-associated protein JCAD is expressed at significantly higher levels in human NASH-HCC specimens compared with pericarcinoma specimens. High JCAD expression was verified in multiple hepatoma cell lines. Forced overexpression of JCAD in hepatoma cells promoted tumor growth and proliferation, whereas JCAD silencing yielded opposite effects. JCAD interacted with the kinase domain of the tumor suppressor kinase LATS2, a core component of the Hippo signaling pathway. JCAD overexpression inhibited the ability of LATS2 to phosphorylate YAP in this pathway, in turn upregulating CCND1 and GLI2 to promote hepatoma cell proliferation. JCAD was induced by fatty acid overload in hepatic cells and was highly expressed in a mouse model of NASH-precarcinoma lesions, where the ratio of phospho-YAP to YAP was decreased. In human NASH-HCC specimens, JCAD expression and YAP phosphorylation patterns paralleled with the mouse model. Our findings illuminate a new role for JCAD and its critical interplay in the Hippo signaling cascade during the transition of NASH to HCC, with potential implications for therapeutic development in this setting. Cancer Res; 77(19); 5287–300. ©2017 AACR.
Combination Therapy with c-Met and Src Inhibitors Induces Caspase-Dependent Apoptosis of Merlin-Deficient Schwann Cells and Suppresses Growth of Schwannoma Cells
Authors: Fuse Marisa A. , Plati Stephani Klingeman , Burns Sarah S. , Dinh Christine T. , Bracho Olena , Yan Denise , Mittal Rahul , Shen Rulong , Soulakova Julia N. , Copik Alicja J. , Liu Xue Zhong , Telischi Fred F. , Chang Long-Sheng , Franco Maria Clara , Fernandez-Valle Cristina
Published: August 2017

Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is a nervous system tumor disorder caused by inactivation of the merlin tumor suppressor encoded by the NF2 gene. Bilateral vestibular schwannomas are a diagnostic hallmark of NF2. Mainstream treatment options for NF2-associated tumors have been limited to surgery and radiotherapy; however, off-label uses of targeted molecular therapies are becoming increasingly common. Here, we investigated drugs targeting two kinases activated in NF2-associated schwannomas, c-Met and Src. We demonstrated that merlin-deficient mouse Schwann cells (MD-MSC) treated with the c-Met inhibitor, cabozantinib, or the Src kinase inhibitors, dasatinib and saracatinib, underwent a G1 cell-cycle arrest. However, when MD-MSCs were treated with a combination of cabozantinib and saracatinib, they exhibited caspase-dependent apoptosis. The combination therapy also significantly reduced growth of MD-MSCs in an orthotopic allograft mouse model by greater than 80% of vehicle. Moreover, human vestibular schwannoma cells with NF2 mutations had a 40% decrease in cell viability when treated with cabozantinib and saracatinib together compared with the vehicle control. This study demonstrates that simultaneous inhibition of c-Met and Src signaling in MD-MSCs triggers apoptosis and reveals vulnerable pathways that could be exploited to develop NF2 therapies. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(11); 2387–98. ©2017 AACR.
Tumor Heterogeneity in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Cros Jerome , Raffenne Jerome , Couvelard Anne , Poté Nicolas
Published: August 2017

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is one of the deadliest malignancies worldwide, mainly due to frequent diagnosis at an advanced stage and its strong chemoresistance. Tumor heterogeneity is evident at the histological level, both between tumors and even within a tumor. Recent high-throughput analyses have confirmed that intertumor heterogeneity is greater than intratumor heterogeneity that is mostly driven by successive catastrophic genetic events in the early stage and by epigenetic modifications in the metastatic stage. While this heterogeneity may complicate the search for a universal cure, these analyses have distinguished several subtypes at the genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic levels that offer, for some, new therapeutic opportunities.
Safety and Efficacy of Immunoadsorption as an Add-On to Medical Treatment in Patients with Severe Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Nagel Christian , Ewert Ralf , Egenlauf Benjamin , Lehmkuhl Hans B. , Rosenkranz Stephan , Benjamin Nicola , Schwenger Vedat , Herth Felix J.F. , Grünig Ekkehard
Published: August 2017

Background: Despite optimized medical therapy, severe idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) is a devastating disease with a poor outcome. Autoantibodies have been detected in IPAH that can contribute to worsening of the disease. Objectives: The objective of this prospective, open-label, single-arm, multicenter trial was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of immunoadsorption (IA) as an add-on to optimized medical treatment for patients with IPAH. Methods: A total of 10 IPAH patients received IA over 5 days. Their clinical parameters, including hemodynamics measured by right heart catheter, were assessed at baseline and after 3 and 6 months. The primary endpoint was the change in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). Secondary endpoints included the change in 6-min walking distance, quality of life, safety, and plasma levels of IgG and autoantibodies. Results: The evaluation of the 10 IPAH patients (75% female; 51 ± 12 years; 166 ± 10 cm; WHO functional class III; 53% on combination therapy) revealed that IA was a safe procedure that efficiently removed IgG and autoantibodies from the circulation. After 3 months, the mean PVR improved significantly by 13.2% (p = 0.03) and the cardiac index improved by 13.1%, but no significant changes were found in 6-min walking distance. The quality of life physical functioning subscale score significantly improved after 6 months. The serious adverse events in 3 patients were possibly related to IA and included pneumonia, temporary disturbance in attention, and thrombocytopenia. Conclusions: IA as an add-on to targeted medical treatment for IPAH is a safe procedure with beneficial effects on hemodynamics, especially in patients with high levels of autoantibodies. Larger-scale controlled studies are needed to assess its efficacy in IPAH and to identify responders.
Lmo2 (LIM-Domain-Only 2) Modulates Sphk1 (Sphingosine Kinase) and Promotes Endothelial Cell Migration
Authors: Matrone Gianfranco , Meng Shu , Gu Qilin , Lv Jie , Fang Longhou , Chen Kaifu , Cooke John P.
Published: August 2017

Objective—

Lmo
(LIM-domain-only)2 transcription factor is involved in hematopoiesis and vascular remodeling.
Sphk
(sphingosine kinase)1 phosphorylates sphingosine to S1P (sphingosine-1-phosphate). We hypothesized that
Lmo2
regulates
Sphk1
to promote endothelial cell (EC) migration and vascular development.

Approach and Results—

Lmo2
and
Sphk1
knockdown (KD) were performed in
Tg(fli1:EGFP
)

y1

zebrafish and in human umbilical vein EC. Rescue of phenotypes or overexpression of these factors were achieved using mRNA encoding
Lmo2
or
Sphk1
. EC proliferation in vivo was assessed by BrdU (bromodeoxyuridine) immunostaining and fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis of dissociated
Tg(fli1:EGFP
)

y1

embryos. Cell migration was assessed by scratch assay in human umbilical vein EC and mouse aortic rings.
Lmo2
interactions with
Sphk1
promoter were assessed by ChIP-PCR (chromatin immunoprecipitation-polymerase chain reaction).
Lmo2
or
Sphk1
KD reduced number and length of intersegmental vessels. There was no reduction in the numbers of GFP
+
(green fluorescent protein) ECs after
Lmo2
KD. However, reduced numbers of BrdU
+
GFP
+
nuclei were observed along the dysmorphic intersegmental vessels, accumulating instead at the sprouting origin of the intersegmental vessels. This anomaly was likely because of impaired EC migration, which was confirmed in migration assays using
Lmo2
KD human umbilical vein ECs and mouse aortic rings. Both in vivo and in vitro,
Lmo2
KD reduced
Sphk1
gene expression, associated with less
Lmo2
binding to the
Sphk1
promoter as assessed by ChIP-PCR.
Sphk1
mRNA rescued the
Lmo2
KD phenotype.

Conclusions—

Our data showed that
Lmo2
is necessary for
Sphk1
gene expression in ECs.
Lmo2
KD reduced
Lmo2
–
Sphk1
gene interaction, impaired intersegmental vessels formation, and reduced cell migration. We identified for the first time
Sphk1
as downstream effector of
Lmo2
.
Clots Are Potent Triggers of Inflammatory Cell Gene Expression
Authors: Campbell Robert A. , Vieira-de-Abreu Adriana , Rowley Jesse W. , Franks Zechariah G. , Manne Bhanu Kanth , Rondina Matthew T. , Kraiss Larry W. , Majersik Jennifer J. , Zimmerman Guy A. , Weyrich Andrew S.
Published: August 2017

Objective—

Blood vessel wall damage often results in the formation of a fibrin clot that traps inflammatory cells, including monocytes. The effect of clot formation and subsequent lysis on the expression of monocyte-derived genes involved in the development and progression of ischemic stroke and other vascular diseases, however, is unknown. Determine whether clot formation and lysis regulates the expression of human monocyte-derived genes that modulate vascular diseases.

Approach and Results—

We performed next-generation RNA sequencing on monocytes extracted from whole blood clots and using a purified plasma clot system. Numerous mRNAs were differentially expressed by monocytes embedded in clots compared with unclotted controls, and IL-8 (interleukin 8) and MCP-1 (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1) were among the upregulated transcripts in both models. Clotted plasma also increased expression of IL-8 and MCP-1, which far exceeded responses observed in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated monocytes. Upregulation of IL-8 and MCP-1 occurred in a thrombin-independent but fibrin-dependent manner. Fibrinolysis initiated shortly after plasma clot formation (ie, 1–2 hours) reduced the synthesis of IL-8 and MCP-1, whereas delayed fibrinolysis was far less effective. Consistent with these in vitro models, monocytes embedded in unresolved thrombi from patients undergoing thrombectomy stained positively for IL-8 and MCP-1.

Conclusions—

These findings demonstrate that clots are potent inducers of monocyte gene expression and that timely fibrinolysis attenuates inflammatory responses, specifically IL-8 and MCP-1. Dampening of inflammatory gene expression by timely clot lysis may contribute to the clinically proven efficacy of fibrinolytic drug treatment within hours of stroke onset.
Stasis Promotes Erythrocyte Adhesion to von Willebrand Factor
Authors: Smeets Michel W.J. , Mourik Marjon J. , Niessen Hans W.M. , Hordijk Peter L.
Published: August 2017

Objective—

Venous thromboembolism is a major contributor to global disease burden. Leukocytes and platelets initiate thrombogenesis on blood stasis and initiate the formation of a fibrin, VWF (von Willebrand factor), and neutrophil extracellular trap scaffold for erythrocytes. However, there is little knowledge on how erythrocytes become stably incorporated into this scaffold. Recently, we described the adhesion of calcium-loaded erythrocytes to endothelial-derived VWF strings. Because VWF is part of the scaffold of venous thrombi, we questioned whether reduced flow or stasis promotes the adhesion of normal erythrocytes to VWF and whether venous thrombi show evidence of erythrocyte–VWF interactions.

Approach and Results—

In the present work, we perfused, under controlled shear conditions, washed, normal erythrocytes over surface-immobilized plasma and extracellular matrix proteins and showed that normal erythrocytes specifically bind to VWF. The interaction between erythrocytes and VWF significantly increased when the wall shear stress was reduced. Next, we investigated whether erythrocyte–VWF interactions support the structure of venous thrombi. High-resolution immunofluorescence imaging of human venous thrombi showed a striking pattern between erythrocytes, VWF, and fibrin, which suggests that VWF plays a supporting role, linking erythrocytes to fibrin in the thrombus.

Conclusions—

Our data suggest that erythrocyte retention in venous thrombi is mediated by erythrocyte–VWF or erythrocyte–VWF–fibrin interactions. Targeting erythrocyte retention could be a new strategy in the treatment or prevention of venous thrombosis.
The Nature of Task Set Representations in Working Memory
Authors: Kikumoto Atsushi , Mayr Ulrich
Published: August 2017

Selection and preparation of action plans (task sets) is often assumed to occur in working memory (WM). Yet, the absence of consistent evidence that WM capacity and task selection efficiency is correlated raises questions about the functional relationship between these two aspects of executive control. We used the EEG-derived contralateral delay activity (CDA) to index the WM load of task sets. In Experiment 1, we found a CDA set size effect (2 vs. 4 stimulus–response [S-R] rules) for high-WM, but not for low-WM, individuals when S-R sets were novel. In contrast, when only four task sets were presented throughout the experiment, we observed a sustained yet set size-independent use of WM for high-WM participants. Moreover, Experiment 2 showed an increase of the CDA in situations with task conflict, and this effect was larger the more that participants experienced RT conflict effects. Combined, these results indicate that even highly familiar S-R settings are maintained in WM, albeit in a compressed manner, presumably through cues to long-term memory representations. Finally, participants with low-WM capacity represented even familiar tasks in a load-dependent manner, suggesting that the establishment of effective retrieval structures itself is a capacity-limited process.
Toward an Open-Ended BCI: A User-Centered Coadaptive Design
Authors: Dhindsa Kiret , Carcone Dean , Becker Suzanna
Published: August 2017

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) allow users to control a device by interpreting their brain activity. For simplicity, these devices are designed to be operated by purposefully modulating specific predetermined neurophysiological signals, such as the sensorimotor rhythm. However, the ability to modulate a given neurophysiological signal is highly variable across individuals, contributing to the inconsistent performance of BCIs for different users. These differences suggest that individuals who experience poor BCI performance with one class of brain signals might have good results with another. In order to take advantage of individual abilities as they relate to BCI control, we need to move beyond the current approaches. In this letter, we explore a new BCI design aimed at a more individualized and user-focused experience, which we call open-ended BCI. Individual users were given the freedom to discover their own mental strategies as opposed to being trained to modulate a given brain signal. They then underwent multiple coadaptive training sessions with the BCI. Our first open-ended BCI performed similarly to comparable BCIs while accommodating a wider variety of mental strategies without a priori knowledge of the specific brain signals any individual might use. Post hoc analysis revealed individual differences in terms of which sensory modality yielded optimal performance. We found a large and significant effect of individual differences in background training and expertise, such as in musical training, on BCI performance. Future research should be focused on finding more generalized solutions to user training and brain state decoding methods to fully utilize the abilities of different individuals in an open-ended BCI. Accounting for each individual's areas of expertise could have important implications on BCI training and BCI application design.
Differential Covariance: A New Class of Methods to Estimate Sparse Connectivity from Neural Recordings
Authors: Lin Tiger W. , Das Anup , Krishnan Giri P. , Bazhenov Maxim , Sejnowski Terrence J.
Published: August 2017

With our ability to record more neurons simultaneously, making sense of these data is a challenge. Functional connectivity is one popular way to study the relationship of multiple neural signals. Correlation-based methods are a set of currently well-used techniques for functional connectivity estimation. However, due to explaining away and unobserved common inputs (Stevenson, Rebesco, Miller, & Körding, 2008 ), they produce spurious connections. The general linear model (GLM), which models spike trains as Poisson processes (Okatan, Wilson, & Brown, 2005 ; Truccolo, Eden, Fellows, Donoghue, & Brown, 2005 ; Pillow et al., 2008 ), avoids these confounds. We develop here a new class of methods by using differential signals based on simulated intracellular voltage recordings. It is equivalent to a regularized AR(2) model. We also expand the method to simulated local field potential recordings and calcium imaging. In all of our simulated data, the differential covariance-based methods achieved performance better than or similar to the GLM method and required fewer data samples. This new class of methods provides alternative ways to analyze neural signals.
Delay Differential Analysis of Seizures in Multichannel Electrocorticography Data
Authors: Lainscsek Claudia , Weyhenmeyer Jonathan , Cash Sydney S. , Sejnowski Terrence J.
Published: August 2017

High-density electrocorticogram (ECoG) electrodes are capable of recording neurophysiological data with high temporal resolution with wide spatial coverage. These recordings are a window to understanding how the human brain processes information and subsequently behaves in healthy and pathologic states. Here, we describe and implement delay differential analysis (DDA) for the characterization of ECoG data obtained from human patients with intractable epilepsy. DDA is a time-domain analysis framework based on embedding theory in nonlinear dynamics that reveals the nonlinear invariant properties of an unknown dynamical system. The DDA embedding serves as a low-dimensional nonlinear dynamical basis onto which the data are mapped. This greatly reduces the risk of overfitting and improves the method's ability to fit classes of data. Since the basis is built on the dynamical structure of the data, preprocessing of the data (e.g., filtering) is not necessary. We performed a large-scale search for a DDA model that best fit ECoG recordings using a genetic algorithm to qualitatively discriminate between different cortical states and epileptic events for a set of 13 patients. A single DDA model with only three polynomial terms was identified. Singular value decomposition across the feature space of the model revealed both global and local dynamics that could differentiate electrographic and electroclinical seizures and provided insights into highly localized seizure onsets and diffuse seizure terminations. Other common ECoG features such as interictal periods, artifacts, and exogenous stimuli were also analyzed with DDA. This novel framework for signal processing of seizure information demonstrates an ability to reveal unique characteristics of the underlying dynamics of the seizure and may be useful in better understanding, detecting, and maybe even predicting seizures.
Unveiling a surprising diversity of the genus Diopatra Audouin & Milne Edwards, 1833 (Annelida: Onuphidae) in the Macaronesian region (eastern North Atlantic) with the description of four new species
Authors: PAXTON HANNELORE , ARIAS ANDRES
Published: August 2017

This study reviews previous records and reports on newly sampled species of the genus Diopatra from Macaronesia, a region comprising five volcanic archipelagos in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean. Of the three species previously known from the eastern North Atlantic and the Mediterranean, D. marocensis and D. micrura are newly reported from the Canary Islands, and the record of D. neapolitana from Madeira is confirmed. The earliest descriptions of Diopatra from Madeira are D. brevicirrus and D. madeirensis; the former is here considered as a nomen dubium, whilst the latter is redescribed, based on new collections from Madeira and the Canary Islands. Diopatra gallardoi, recently described from Namibia, is reported from the Canary Islands. Four new species are described: D. mariae sp. nov. and D. mellea sp. nov. with peristomial cirri (typical Diopatra), and D. budaevae sp. nov. and D. hektoeni sp. nov. (lacking peristomial cirri, previously considered as Epidiopatra); the former three species are from the Canary Islands and the fourth is from Cape Verde Islands. This brings the Diopatra fauna from the Macaronesian region to nine species. Diagnoses and full descriptions are presented for new and redescribed species and extended diagnoses for others, accompanied by detailed illustrations, including scanning electron micrographs and drawings. A dichotomous key to all recognized species is included plus a table summarizing specific diagnostic characters.
Methods for Estimating 2D Cloud Size Distributions from 1D Observations
Authors: Romps David M. , Vogelmann Andrew M.
Published: August 2017

The two-dimensional (2D) size distribution of clouds in the horizontal plane plays a central role in the calculation of cloud cover, cloud radiative forcing, convective entrainment rates, and the likelihood of precipitation. Here, a simple method is proposed for calculating the area-weighted mean cloud size and for approximating the 2D size distribution from the 1D cloud-chord lengths measured by aircraft and vertically pointing lidar and radar. This simple method (which is exact for square clouds) compares favorably against the inverse Abel transform (which is exact for circular clouds) in the context of theoretical size distributions. Both methods also perform well when used to predict the size distribution of real clouds from a Landsat scene. When applied to a large number of Landsat scenes, the simple method is able to accurately estimate the mean cloud size. As a demonstration, the methods are applied to aircraft measurements of shallow cumuli during the Routine ARM Aerial Facility (AAF) Clouds with Low Optical Water Depths (CLOWD) Optical Radiative Observations (RACORO) campaign, which then allow for an estimate of the true area-weighted mean cloud size.
Near-Future Prediction of Tropical Cyclone Activity over the North Atlantic
Authors: Choi Woosuk , Ho Chang-Hoi , Park Doo-Sun R. , Kim Jinwon , Chan Johnny C. L.
Published: August 2017

Prediction of tropical cyclone (TC) activity is essential to better prepare for and mitigate TC-induced disasters. Although many studies have attempted to predict TC activity on various time scales, very few have focused on near-future predictions. Here a decrease in seasonal TC activity over the North Atlantic (NA) for 2016–30 is shown using a track-pattern-based TC prediction model. The TC model is forced by long-term coupled simulations initialized using reanalysis data. Unfavorable conditions for TC development including strengthened vertical wind shear, enhanced low-level anticyclonic flow, and cooled sea surface temperature (SST) over the tropical NA are found in the simulations. Most of the environmental changes are attributable to cooling of the NA basinwide SST (NASST) and more frequent El Niño episodes in the near future. The consistent NASST warming trend in the projections from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) suggests that natural variability is more dominant than anthropogenic forcing over the NA in the near-future period.
Nowcast Guidance of Afternoon Convection Initiation for Taiwan
Authors: Chang Hui-Ling , Brown Barbara G. , Chu Pao-Shin , Liou Yu-Chieng , Wang Wen-Ho
Published: August 2017

Focusing on afternoon thunderstorms in Taiwan during the warm season (May–October) under weak synoptic forcing, this study applied the Taiwan Auto-NowCaster (TANC) to produce 1-h likelihood nowcasts of afternoon convection initiation (ACI) using a fuzzy logic approach. The primary objective is to design more useful forecast products with uncertainty regions of predicted thunderstorms to provide nowcast guidance of ACI for forecasters. Four sensitivity tests on forecast performance were conducted to improve the usefulness of nowcasts for forecasters. The optimal likelihood threshold (Lt) for ACIs, which is the likelihood value that best corresponds to the observed ACIs, was determined to be 0.6. Because of the high uncertainty on the exact location or timing of ACIs in nowcasts, location displacement and temporal shifting of ACIs should be considered in operational applications. When a spatial window of 5 km and a temporal window of 18 min are applied, the TANC displays moderate accuracy and satisfactory discrimination with an acceptable degree of overforecasting. The nonparametric Mann–Whitney test indicated that the performance of the TANC substantially surpasses the competing Space and Time Multiscale Analysis System–Weather Research and Forecasting Model, which serves as a pertinent reference for short-range (0–6 h) forecasts at the Central Weather Bureau in Taiwan.
An Assessment of the ECMWF Extreme Forecast Index for Water Vapor Transport during Boreal Winter
Authors: Lavers David A. , Zsoter Ervin , Richardson David S. , Pappenberger Florian
Published: August 2017

Early awareness of extreme precipitation can provide the time necessary to make adequate event preparations. At the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), one tool that condenses the forecast information from the Integrated Forecasting System ensemble (ENS) is the extreme forecast index (EFI), an index that highlights regions that are forecast to have potentially anomalous weather conditions compared to the local climate. This paper builds on previous findings by undertaking a global verification throughout the medium-range forecast horizon (out to 15 days) on the ability of the EFI for water vapor transport [integrated vapor transport (IVT)] and precipitation to capture extreme observed precipitation. Using the ECMWF ENS for winters 2015/16 and 2016/17 and daily surface precipitation observations, the relative operating characteristic is used to show that the IVT EFI is more skillful than the precipitation EFI in forecast week 2 over Europe and western North America. It is the large-scale nature of the IVT, its higher predictability, and its relationship with extreme precipitation that result in its potential usefulness in these regions, which, in turn, could provide earlier awareness of extreme precipitation. Conversely, at shorter lead times the precipitation EFI is more useful, although the IVT EFI can provide synoptic-scale understanding. For the whole globe, the extratropical Northern Hemisphere, the tropics, and North America, the precipitation EFI is more useful throughout the medium range, suggesting that precipitation processes not captured in the IVT are important (e.g., tropical convection). Following these results, the operational implementation of the IVT EFI is currently being planned.
Dealing With Unexpected Events on the Flight Deck: A Conceptual Model of Startle and Surprise
Authors: Landman Annemarie , Groen Eric L. , van Paassen M. M. (René) , Bronkhorst Adelbert W. , Mulder Max
Published: August 2017

Objective:

A conceptual model is proposed in order to explain pilot performance in surprising and startling situations.

Background:

Today’s debate around loss of control following in-flight events and the implementation of upset prevention and recovery training has highlighted the importance of pilots’ ability to deal with unexpected events. Unexpected events, such as technical malfunctions or automation surprises, potentially induce a “startle factor” that may significantly impair performance.

Method:

Literature on surprise, startle, resilience, and decision making is reviewed, and findings are combined into a conceptual model. A number of recent flight incident and accident cases are then used to illustrate elements of the model.

Results:

Pilot perception and actions are conceptualized as being guided by “frames,” or mental knowledge structures that were previously learned. Performance issues in unexpected situations can often be traced back to insufficient adaptation of one’s frame to the situation. It is argued that such sensemaking or reframing processes are especially vulnerable to issues caused by startle or acute stress.

Conclusion:

Interventions should focus on (a) increasing the supply and quality of pilot frames (e.g., though practicing a variety of situations), (b) increasing pilot reframing skills (e.g., through the use of unpredictability in training scenarios), and (c) improving pilot metacognitive skills, so that inappropriate automatic responses to startle and surprise can be avoided.

Application:

The model can be used to explain pilot behavior in accident cases, to design experiments and training simulations, to teach pilots metacognitive skills, and to identify intervention methods.
Effect of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy on Negative Career Thoughts of Students in Technical Colleges in Nigeria
Authors: Ogbuanya Theresa Chinyere , Eseadi Chiedu , Orji Chibueze Tobias , Anyanwu Joy I. , Ede Moses Onyemaechi , Bakare Jimoh
Published: August 2017

Negative career thoughts are cognitive barriers that interfere with an individual’s career decision-making and successful career development. The current study examined the effect of rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT) on negative career thoughts of students in technical colleges in Nigeria. The study utilized a pretest–posttest control group design. One hundred and seventy-three participants from technical colleges in the Southeast zone of the country completed a measure of career thoughts at pretest, posttreatment, and follow-up: the College Students’ Career Thoughts Scale. An REBT career program manual guided the intervention for 12 weeks. Data collected were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance, chi-square, and t-test. Results show that the negative career thoughts of the REBT group participants were significantly reduced relative to a waitlist control group at the end of the intervention. Follow-up tests conducted after three months and six months revealed that the significant decrease in negative career thoughts of the REBT group participants was sustained. The outcomes of the current study suggest that REBT is an invaluable group therapy for assisting college students in overcoming negative thoughts associated with career choice and decision. It would be helpful if further longitudinal evaluation were implemented in Nigeria and in other countries to evaluate whether and how an REBT-based program can improve vocational maturity and vocational identity of technical college students.
Shear deformation of fold structures in coal measure strata and coal-gas outbursts: Constraint and mechanism
Authors: Jia Tianrang , Feng Zhendong , Wei Guoying , Ju Yiwen
Published: August 2017

The coal measure strata formed in the late Paleozoic era underwent tectonic movements on several occasions, leading to the development of a range of fold structures in the strata as a result of highly interlayered gliding and shearing deformation. In addition, brittle ductile tectonic coals were widely distributed in the reservoir, constituting one of the primary causes of coal-gas outbursts in Chinese mines. This indicates a strong connection between shear deformation and such outbursts. In this study, structural geology, gas geology, and rock mechanics are all taken into consideration to investigate the controlling effects of the fold structure formation process on coal thickness and tectonic coal formation. Numerical simulation, based on the stress test data, was deployed to identify the stress distribution law adjacent to fold structures under the modern stress field. Additionally, the mechanical mechanism underpinning coal-gas outbursts near the fold structure was determined by making a comparison with the distribution law relating to such outbursts. The results demonstrate that the formation and evolution of the fold structure not only form the material basis of outbursts but also control their power source. During the fold formation process, interbed sliding and shearing between strong and weak rock strata were caused by differences in the mechanical properties of the coal bed and rock layer, resulting not only in a change to the local thickness of the coal seam but also in its deformation and structural alteration. Interbed shearing and local stress concentration, caused by the coal gangue, led to coal damage and the development of layered tectonic coal of consistent thickness, simultaneously improving its ability to adsorb gas and providing the material basis for coal-gas outbursts. This reduced the seam’s capacity to resist such events. The conditions for these outbursts are created by the sudden desorption of excess gas as a result of formation pressure release during coal mining and the widespread distribution of tectonic coal. Under the modern tectonic stress field, the stress distribution characteristic is controlled by the fold structure shape; and because of the aforementioned differences in the mechanical properties of the coal bed and rock layer, the interlayer deformation is asynchronous. This causes shear stress concentration within a specific range of the anticline’s two wings. This concentration zone happens to be exactly aligned with that of coal-gas outbursts, meaning that shear stress concentration is considered to be both the power source for and main cause of the region’s outbursts.
Social Equity in the Trump Era
Authors: Pynes Joan E. , Rissler Grant E.
Published: August 2017

While not yet certain, Trump administration proposals to cut federal programs, including support for low-income housing, economic development in distressed rural communities, and workforce training programs, significantly threatens resources that local administrators have depended on to pursue greater social equity. As with the “new normal” following the Great Recession, administrators will be asked to innovate complex structural changes, including searching for new ways to generate needed revenues. These areas have both profound social equity implications and yet have received less attention from public administration researchers concerned with social equity. By necessity, if not by choice, local public administrators will be at the leading edge of innovation in these areas. By sharing ideas and innovations, administrators can support each other and advance our collective understanding of best practices in guiding structural change and financial equity administration. Most importantly, administrators can partner with their communities to defend, maintain, and expand social equity and social justice gains.
Feeling the Reel of the Real: Framing the Play of Critically Affective Organizational Research between Art and the Everyday
Authors: Linstead Stephen A.
Published: August 2017

This article considers a number of issues hampering the application of arts-based ‘playful’ methods in organization studies once the close relationships between ethnography and aesthetic research, and the connections between art and everyday experience, are recognized. Drawing particularly from the creative ethnographies of Kathleen Stewart, Dwight Conquergood and H. L. Goodall, Jr. it suggests that the performative nature of artistic cultural texts lies in their intention to move their audience towards new sensitivities, awareness, and even learning. Critique is not oppositional to such development, being essential for fully creative movement. The article therefore suggests that what is needed are critically affective performative texts. For such texts to be socially, politically and epistemologically defensible, and thus a viable form for researchers to consider adopting, it is necessary to understand how they work to generate critical momentum, and what possible lines are available for justifying and evaluating creative approaches that challenge orthodox organizational research in being neither objective, representational nor expressive. The article outlines four ‘moments’ of critical leverage – aesthetic, poetic, ethical and political – that work in play with each other to create powerful artistic texts, and illustrates them by drawing on work-related literature, music, poetry and art, including workplace ethnographies. This framework enables the location of artistic and ‘playful’ methods epistemologically and ontologically relative to other modes of research and offers a robust justification for their further use in the field of organization studies.
“You Know What You Gotta Do”: African American Fathers and Sons Perspectives’ on Parent–Child Sexual Risk Communication and HIV Intervention Development Needs
Authors: Baker Jillian Lucas , Lanier Yzette , James George , Fletcher Janel , Delish Madonna , Opara Onumara , Sampson Carrie , Jemmott Loretta , Stewart Jennifer
Published: August 2017

Context: Although parents can be influential toward the sexual attitudes and behaviors of adolescents, fathers are significantly underrepresented in studies of parental influences on adolescent sexual practices and behaviors. Method: This mixed method study assessed the feasibility of implementing a HIV/STI (human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted infection) risk reduction program for African American fathers and sons. Focus groups were conducted with 30 father–son pairs at a local barbershop. Adolescents ranged between 11 and 19 years old with a mean age of 14.71 years ( SD = 2.14). Results: Fathers and sons were not in agreement about frequency of communication about sexual health issues. However, the majority of fathers and sons indicated they would attend a father–son HIV/STI risk reduction program together. Conclusion: This study supports the development of a HIV/STI risk reduction program for that can enhance sexual risk communication practices among African American fathers and sons.