bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A New Case of a Rare Combination of Temple Syndrome and Mosaic Trisomy 14 and a Literature Review
Authors: Yakoreva Maria , Kahre Tiina , Pajusalu Sander , Ilisson Piret , Žilina Olga , Tillmann Vallo , Reimand Tiia , Õunap Katrin
Published: May 2018

Temple syndrome (TS14) is a relatively recently discovered imprinting disorder caused by abnormal expression of genes at the locus 14q32. The underlying cause of this syndrome is maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 14 (UPD(14)mat). Trisomy of chromosome 14 is one of the autosomal trisomies; in humans, it is only compatible with live birth in mosaic form. Although UPD(14)mat and mosaic trisomy 14 can arise from the same cellular mechanism, a combination of both has been currently reported only in 8 live-born cases. Hereby, we describe a patient in whom only UPD(14)mat-associated TS14 was primarily diagnosed. Due to the patient's atypical features (for TS14), additional analyses were performed and low-percent mosaic trisomy 14 was detected. It can be expected that the described combination of 2 etiologically related conditions is actually more prevalent. Additional chromosomal and molecular investigations are indicated for every patient with UPD(14)mat-associated TS14 with atypical clinical presentation.
Wake-Up Stroke versus Stroke with Known Onset Time: Clinical and Multimodality CT Imaging Characteristics
Authors: Dankbaar Jan W. , Bienfait Henri P. , van den Berg Coen , Bennink Edwin , Horsch Alexander D. , van Seeters Tom , van der Schaaf Irene C. , Kappelle L. Jaap , Velthuis Birgitta K. ,   on behalf of the DUST investigators
Published: May 2018

Background: Current guidelines for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke are mainly based on the time between symptom onset and initiation of treatment. This time is unknown in patients with wake-up stroke (WUS). We investigated clinical and multimodality CT imaging characteristics on admission in patients with WUS and in patients with a stroke with a known onset time. Methods: All patients were selected from a large prospective cohort study (Dutch acute stroke study). WUS patients last seen well > 4.5 and ≤4.5 h were separately compared to patients with a known onset time ≤4.5 h. In addition, WUS patients with a proximal occlusion of the anterior circulation last seen well > 6 and ≤6 h were separately compared to patients with a known onset time ≤6 h and a proximal occlusion. National Institute of Health Stroke Score, age, gender, history of atrial fibrillation, non-contrast CT (NCCT) Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS), CT-perfusion abnormalities, proximal occlusions, and collateral filling on CT angiography were compared between groups using the Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher’s exact test. Results: WUS occurred in 149/1,393 (10.7%) patients. Admission clinical and imaging characteristics of WUS patients last seen well > 4.5 h (n = 81) were not different from WUS patients last seen well ≤4.5 h (n = 68). Although WUS patients last seen well > 4.5 h had a significantly lower NCCT ASPECTS than patients with a known time of stroke symptom onset of ≤4.5 h (n = 1,026), 85.2% had an NCCT ASPECTS > 7 and 75% had a combination of favorable ASPECTS > 7 and good collateral filling. There were no statistically significant differences between the admission clinical and imaging characteristics of WUS patients with proximal occlusions last seen well > 6 h (n = 23), last seen well ≤6 h (n = 40), and patients with a known time to stroke symptom onset ≤6 h (n = 399). Of all WUS patients with proximal occlusions last seen well > 6 h, only 4.3% had severe ischemia (ASPECTS < 5), 13 (56.5%) had ASPECTS > 7 and good collateral filling. Conclusions: There are only minor differences between clinical and imaging characteristics of WUS patients and patients who arrive in the hospital within the time criteria for intravenous or endovascular treatment. Therefore, CT imaging may help to identify WUS patients who would benefit from treatment and rule out those patients with severe ischemia and poor collaterals.
Safety of Iohexol Administration to Measure Glomerular Filtration Rate in Different Patient Populations: A 25-Year Experience
Authors: Gaspari Flavio , Thakar Surabhi , Carrara Fabiola , Perna Annalisa , Trillini Matias , Aparicio Maria Carolina , Diadei Olimpia , Ferrari Silvia , Cannata Antonio , Stucchi Nadia , Ruggenenti Piero , Remuzzi Giuseppe , Perico Norberto
Published: May 2018

Background/Aim: In clinical research setting, accurate and precise measurement of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is essential to overcome the limitations of GFR estimation with equations, which are often unreliable. In recent decades, a method for measuring GFR by plasma clearance of iohexol, a non-ionic radiocontrast agent, was developed. To evaluate the safety of the procedure, we aimed to review all immediate adverse reactions that could be related to iohexol administration in our group’s 25 years worth of experience. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all GFR investigations in 2,891 patients, between 1992 and 2016, as part of 37 clinical trials coordinated by our group. Subjects with disparate renal diseases, kidney transplant recipients, and living donors – all with different renal function categories – were included in the surveyed clinical trials. Results: During 15,147 GFR measurements, only one treatment-related event of moderate intensity was identified. Flushing, urticaria, and itching were observed in a diabetic patient a few minutes after iohexol administration during the first GFR measurement. The event recovered without sequelae after intravenous injection of methylprednisolone sodium succinate. The patient was not hospitalized and the event was categorized as non-serious. Eight additional non-serious events observed closely following iohexol injection were considered as not related to treatment. Thus, independent of disease conditions and GFR categories, the overall rate of treatment-related events was 0.0066%. Conclusion: Iohexol administration for GFR measurement is a safe procedure, even in repeated investigations in the same subject, that should be adopted in clinical research and, when needed, also in clinical practice.
Concomitant Radioembolization and Immune Checkpoint Inhibition in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Adashek Jacob J. , Salgia Meghan , Dizman Nazli , Kessler Jonathan , Pal Sumanta K.
Published: May 2018

This case represents the challenge and creativity necessary when treating patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who have been exposed to multiple lines of therapy. At present, treatment with immune checkpoint inhibition has stabilized and improved the metastatic disease of this patient with the exception of hepatic lesions. This isolated progression within the liver led the employment of radioembolization, which successfully treated those metastases. This is the first documented case of metastatic renal cell carcinoma controlled with concurrent use of immune checkpoint inhibition and radioembolization for both extrahepatic and hepatic metastases, respectively. This case can be construed as a potential example of the abscopal effect and may provide the basis for understanding this type of response in select patients.
Relationship Between Glycated Hemoglobin and Stroke Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Mitsios John Peter , Ekinci Elif Ilhan , Mitsios Gregory Peter , Churilov Leonid , Thijs Vincent
Published: May 2018

Background

Diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for ischemic stroke. Rising hemoglobin A
1c
(HbA
1c
) levels are associated with microvascular diabetes mellitus complication development; however, this relationship has not been established for stroke risk, a macrovascular complication.

Methods and Results

We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of observational cohort and nested case‐control cohort studies assessing the association between rising HbA
1c
levels and stroke risk in adults (≥18 years old) with and without type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus. Random‐effects model meta‐analyses were used to calculate pooled adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and their precision. The systematic review yielded 36 articles, of which 29 articles (comprising n=532 779 participants) were included in our meta‐analysis. Compared to non–diabetes mellitus range HbA
1c
(<5.7%), diabetes mellitus range HbA
1c
(≥6.5%) was associated with an increased risk of first‐ever stroke with average HR (95% confidence interval) of 2.15 (1.76, 2.63), whereas pre–diabetes mellitus range HbA
1c
(5.7–6.5%) was not (average HR [95% confidence interval], 1.19 [0.87, 1.62]). For every 1% HbA
1c
increment (or equivalent), the average HR (95% confidence interval) for first‐ever stroke was 1.12 (0.91, 1.39) in non–diabetes mellitus cohorts and 1.17 (1.09, 1.25) in diabetes mellitus cohorts. For every 1% HbA
1c
increment, both non–diabetes mellitus and diabetes mellitus cohorts had a higher associated risk of first‐ever ischemic stroke with average HR (95% confidence interval) of 1.49 (1.32, 1.69) and 1.24 (1.11, 1.39), respectively.

Conclusions

A rising HbA
1c
level is associated with increased first‐ever stroke risk in cohorts with a diabetes mellitus diagnosis and increased risk of first‐ever ischemic stroke in non–diabetes mellitus cohorts. These findings suggest that more intensive HbA
1c
glycemic control targets may be required for optimal ischemic stroke prevention.
Twenty‐Year Trends in the American Heart Association Cardiovascular Health Score and Impact on Subclinical and Clinical Cardiovascular Disease: The Framingham Offspring Study
Authors: Enserro Danielle M. , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Xanthakis Vanessa
Published: May 2018

Background

Data on the temporal trends in ideal cardiovascular health (
CVH
) as well as on their association with subclinical/overt cardiovascular disease (
CVD
) and death are limited.

Methods and Results

This study included 3460 participants attending ≥1 of 4 consecutive exams of the Framingham Heart Study (1991–2008, mean age 55.4 years,
CVH
score ranged 0–14). We created 4 groups describing changes in
CVH
score between examination cycles 5 and 8, using first and last exams attended (high‐high: starting
CVH
score ≥8, last score of ≥8, referent; high‐low: ≥8 start and ≤7 last; low‐high: ≤7 start and ≥8 last; and low‐low: ≤7 start and ≤7 last) and related them to subclinical
CVD
cross‐sectionally, and incident
CVD
and death. Fewer people have ideal
CVH
scores over the past 20 years (8.5% for 1991–1995, 5.9% for 2005–2008,
P
=0.002), because of decreases in those with ideal status of body mass index, blood glucose, and serum cholesterol levels (
P
<0.05 for all). The odds of subclinical disease and risk of
CVD
and death were higher for all compared with the high‐high group (428
CVD
and 367 death events, median follow‐up 5.1 years, hazard ratios for
CVD
: 1.39, 1.73, 1.9 and death: 1.12, 1.57, 1.4 and odds ratios for subclinical disease: 1.61, 1.98, 2.86 for high‐low, low‐high, and low‐low, respectively).

Conclusions

The decreased presence of ideal
CVH
scores over the past 20 years resulted in increasing odds of subclinical disease and risk of
CVD
and death, emphasizing the importance of maintaining ideal
CVH
over the life course.
Westerners in Vakıfs: Endowments and Infidels in the Ottoman Empire (Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries)
Authors: van den Boogert Maurits
Published: May 2018

The Ottoman authorities explicitly allowed Westerners residing in the Ottoman empire to produce and consume wine in their own homes. But what if these foreigners lived in a pious endowment (vakıf) established by Muslims? And could Christian religious services be conducted in Muslim foundations without offending Islamic sensitivities? Islamic court records from Istanbul and Aleppo, as well as European records from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries will be examined here to answer these questions. The outcome sheds light on the business side of Ottoman vakıfs.
Achnatherum pilosum (Stipeae, Poaceae), a new species from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Authors: ZHANG ZHONG-SHUAI , JIANG SHAN-WEN , CHEN WEN-LI
Published: May 2018

A new species of Achnatherum from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is described and illustrated. It is distinguished from other species of the genus by attributes of ligules, panicles, glumes, lemmas, awns and anthers. Evidence from lemma epidermal pattern, cytology and morphology confirm its systematic position in Achnatherum s.s.
Neohygrocybe griseonigra (Hygrophoraceae, Agaricales), a new species from subtropical China
Authors: WANG CHAO-QUN , ZHANG MING , LI TAI-HUI
Published: May 2018

A new species in genus Neohygrocybe sect. Neohygrocybe, N. griseonigra, is described from the Chebaling National Nature Reserve in Guangdong province, China. It is characterized by its dark brown dry fibrillose pileus, whitish to grayish white lamellae that stain red then dark gray or blackish when bruised, smooth basidiospores, long sterigmata of basidia, and lanceolate pseudocystidia. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on the ITS rDNA sequences also confirm the taxonomic status of the new species as the morphological characters indicated. A key to all known members of Neohygrocybe is provided in this study.
Revisiting the taxonomy of Justicia beddomei (Acanthaceae)
Authors: PRABHUKUMAR KONICKAL MAMBETTA , BEEGAM FARSANA , GEORGE SATHEESH , BALACHANDRAN INDIRA
Published: May 2018

Taxonomic history and occurrence of Justicia beddomei in India is discussed. Detailed description, photographs, conservation assessment, ecology and distributional notes are provided along with a comparison of the closely allied species J. adhatoda. The paper also discusses the identity of the raw drug ‘Vasa’ in Indian Systems of Medicine-Ayurveda.
Description of Tottonophyes enigmatica gen. nov., sp. nov. (Hydrozoa, Siphonophora, Calycophorae), with a reappraisal of the function and homology of nectophoral canals
Authors: PUGH P. R. , DUNN C.W. , HADDOCK S.H.D.
Published: May 2018

A new species of calycophoran siphonophore, Tottonophyes enigmatica gen. nov, sp. nov., is described. It has a unique combination of traits, some shared with prayomorphs (including two rounded nectophores) and some with clausophyid diphyomorphs (the nectophores are dissimilar, with one slightly larger and slightly to the anterior of the other, and both possess a somatocyst). Molecular phylogenetic analyses indicate that the new species is the sister group to all other diphyomorphs. A new family, Tottonophyidae, is established for it. Its phylogenetic position and distinct morphology help clarify diphyomorph evolution. The function and homology of the nectophoral canals and somatocyst is also re-examined and further clarification is given to their nomenclature.
A new species of cascade frog (Amphibia: Ranidae) in the Amolops monticola group from China
Authors: YUAN ZHIYONG , JIN JIEQIONG , LI JIANNAN , STUART BRYAN L. , WU JUN
Published: May 2018

A new species, Amolops wenshanensis sp. nov., is described from Guangxi and Yunnan Provinces, China. The new species is a member of the A. monticola group, and is distinguished from its congeners using morphological and molecular data. The new species is diagnosed by having glandular dorsolateral folds; smooth skin; side of head dark with a light-colored upper lip stripe extending to axilla; green dorsal coloration in life; immaculate venter; indistinct transverse bands on dorsal surfaces of limbs; tympanum distinct; pineal body absent; all fingertips expanded with circummarginal grooves; two oblique vomerine teeth; vocal sac and white nuptial pad present in males; supratympanic fold absent; outer metatarsal tubercle absent; glandular gold-white flank spot absent; and skin on venter not translucent. A molecular phylogenetic analysis is performed using the mitochondrial (mt) NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) gene and parts of flanking tRNA genes for nine of the 15 members of the A. monticola group with available homologous sequences. The new species is sister to a clade containing A. cucae and A. compotrix, two species known from adjacent parts of Vietnam and Laos. The new species differs from its congeners by having an uncorrected p-distance of > 6.7% in the mt DNA fragment examined. At present, the new species is known from small, montane streams near Wenshan, Yunnan Province, and Jingxi, Guangxi Province, China.
Three new genera and ten new species of the subfamily Lecithocerinae (Lepidoptera, Lecithoceridae) from Cameroon, Africa, based on material collected in 1913–18
Authors: PARK KYU-TEK
Published: May 2018

Based on material collected in Cameroon, Africa in 1913–18 and deposited in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, USA, three new genera and 10 new species of Lecithocerinae (Lecithoderidae) are described and illustrated. The new genera are Paniculata gen. nov., Furcalis gen. nov., and Notioseus gen. nov. The new species are Homaloxestis rawlinsi sp. nov., Lecithocera afrotella sp. nov., L. dysmica sp. nov., L. cyclisca sp. nov., Paniculata weberi sp. nov., Notioseus cupripennis sp. nov., N. acidodes sp. nov., Furcalis efulenica sp. nov., F. triodonta sp. nov., and Lacuniola noda sp. nov. Adults and their labels, and the genitalia of all the species treated herein are illustrated.
Phasmarhabditis safricana n. sp. (Nematoda: Rhabditidae), a parasite of the slug Deroceras reticulatum from South Africa
Authors: ROSS JENNA L. , PIETERSE ANNIKA , MALAN ANTOINETTE P. , IVANOVA ELENA
Published: May 2018

During a survey for mollusc-associated nematodes in South Africa, a new Phasmarhabditis species was isolated from the invasive slug, Deroceras reticulatum, collected from a nursery near George in the Western Cape province. The nematode was identified using a combination of morphological, morphometric, molecular, and phylogenetic techniques. The new species, P. safricana n. sp., is characterised by the cupola-shaped tail of the female with a spike, small, non-protruding phasmids, a fingerprint-like pattern of the cuticle covering the female tail, toothlike cephalic structures of the infective juveniles, and the distinct molecular characteristics of the species. The molecular phylogeny of the new species, as inferred from its SSU and LSU rRNA gene, places P. safricana n. sp. in close proximity to P. papillosa. Virulence tests were conducted, which demonstrated that P. safricana n. sp. caused significant mortality to the European invasive slug, D. reticulatum. The new species brings the total complement of the genus to eleven species.
Neotype designation and redescription of Inostemma indicum (Platygastroidea: Platygastridae) parasitizing ivy gourd gall midge
Authors: KAMALANATHAN VEENAKUMARI , SHYLESHA A. N. , MOHANRAJ PRASHANTH
Published: May 2018

Inostemma indicum Mani, a parasitoid of Neolasioptera cephalandrae Mani (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), collected from stem galls of ivy gourd (Coccinia grandis (L.) Voigt (Cucurbitaceae)) was described by Mani in 1941. The original description is scanty and ambiguous, with little diagnostic value. The holotype, a dissected female mounted on a slide, is lost. It is redescribed with illustrations and a neotype is designated. The previously unknown male is also described.
Interpreting Results from the NARCCAP and NA-CORDEX Ensembles in the Context of Uncertainty in Regional Climate Change Projections
Authors: Karmalkar Ambarish V.
Published: May 2018

Two ensembles of dynamically downscaled climate simulations for North America—the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP) and the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) featuring simulations for North America (NA-CORDEX)—are analyzed to assess the impact of using a small set of global general circulation models (GCMs) and regional climate models (RCMs) on representing uncertainty in regional projections. Selecting GCMs for downscaling based on their equilibrium climate sensitivities is a reasonable strategy, but there are regions where the uncertainty is not fully captured. For instance, the six NA-CORDEX GCMs fail to span the full ranges produced by models in phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) in summer temperature projections in the western and winter precipitation projections in the eastern United States. Similarly, the four NARCCAP GCMs are overall poor at spanning the full CMIP3 ranges in seasonal temperatures. For the Southeast, the NA-CORDEX GCMs capture the uncertainty in summer but not in winter projections, highlighting one consequence of downscaling a subset of GCMs. Ranges produced by the RCMs are often wider than their driving GCMs but are sensitive to the experimental design. For example, the downscaled projections of summer precipitation are of opposite polarity in two RCM ensembles in some regions. Additionally, the ability of the RCMs to simulate observed temperature trends is affected by the internal variability characteristics of both the RCMs and driving GCMs, and is not systematically related to their historical performance. This has implications for adequately sampling the impact of internal variability on regional trends and for using model performance to identify credible projections. These findings suggest that a multimodel perspective on uncertainties in regional projections is integral to the interpretation of RCM results.
A Role for the Equatorial Undercurrent in the Ocean Dynamical Thermostat
Authors: Coats S. , Karnauskas K. B.
Published: May 2018

Reconstructions of sea surface temperature (SST) based on instrumental observations suggest that the equatorial Pacific zonal SST gradient has increased over the twentieth century. While this increase is suggestive of the ocean dynamical thermostat mechanism of Clement et al., observations of a concurrent weakening of the zonal atmospheric (Walker) circulation are not. Here we show, using heat and momentum budget calculations on an ocean reanalysis dataset, that a seasonal weakening of the zonal atmospheric circulation is in fact consistent with cooling in the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) and thus an increase in the zonal SST gradient. This cooling is driven by a strengthening Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) in response to decreased upper-ocean westward momentum associated with weakening equatorial zonal wind stress. This process can help to reconcile the seemingly contradictory twentieth-century trends in the tropical Pacific atmosphere and ocean. Moreover, it is shown that coupled general circulation models (CGCMs) do not correctly simulate this process; we identify a systematic bias in the relationship between changes in equatorial surface zonal wind stress in the EEP and EUC strength that may help to explain why observations and CGCMs have opposing trends in the zonal SST gradient over the twentieth century.
El Niño–Southern Oscillation and Associated Climatic Conditions around the World during the Latter Half of the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Power Scott B. , Delage François P. D.
Published: May 2018

Increases in greenhouse gas emissions are expected to cause changes both in climatic variability in the Pacific linked to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and in long-term average climate. While mean state and variability changes have been studied separately, much less is known about their combined impact or relative importance. Additionally, studies of projected changes in ENSO have tended to focus on changes in, or adjacent to, the Pacific. Here we examine projected changes in climatic conditions during El Niño years and in ENSO-driven precipitation variability in 36 CMIP5 models. The models are forced according to the RCP8.5 scenario in which there are large, unmitigated increases in greenhouse gas concentrations during the twenty-first century. We examine changes over much of the globe, including 25 widely spread regions defined in the IPCC special report Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX). We confirm that precipitation variability associated with ENSO is projected to increase in the tropical Pacific, consistent with earlier research. We also find that the enhanced tropical Pacific variability drives ENSO-related variability increases in 19 SREX regions during DJF and in 18 during JJA. This externally forced increase in ENSO-driven precipitation variability around the world is on the order of 15%–20%. An increase of this size, although substantial, is easily masked at the regional level by internally generated multidecadal variability in individual runs. The projected changes in El Niño–driven precipitation variability are typically much smaller than projected changes in both mean state and ENSO neutral conditions in nearly all regions.
Inverse Cascades of Kinetic Energy as a Source of Intrinsic Variability: A Global OGCM Study
Authors: Sérazin Guillaume , Penduff Thierry , Barnier Bernard , Molines Jean-Marc , Arbic Brian K. , Müller Malte , Terray Laurent
Published: May 2018

A seasonally forced 1/12° global ocean/sea ice simulation is used to characterize the spatiotemporal inverse cascade of kinetic energy (KE). Nonlinear scale interactions associated with relative vorticity advection are evaluated using cross-spectral analysis in the frequency–wavenumber domain from sea level anomaly (SLA) time series. This analysis is applied within four eddy-active midlatitude regions having large intrinsic variability spread over a wide range of scales. Over these four regions, mesoscale surface KE is shown to spontaneously cascade toward larger spatial scales—between the deformation scale and the Rhines scale—and longer time scales (possibly exceeding 10 years). Other nonlinear processes might have to be invoked to explain the longer time scales of intrinsic variability, which have a substantial surface imprint at midlatitudes. The analysis of a fully forced 1/12° hindcast shows that low-frequency and synoptic atmospheric forcing barely affects this inverse KE cascade. The inverse cascade is also at work in a 1/4° simulation, albeit with a weaker intensity, consistent with the weaker intrinsic variability found at this coarser resolution. In the midlatitude North Pacific, the spatiotemporal cascade transfers KE from high-frequency frontal Rossby waves (FRWs), probably generated by baroclinic instability, toward the lower-frequency, westward-propagating mesoscale eddy (WME) field. The WMEs provide local gradients of potential vorticity that support these short Doppler-shifted FRWs. FRWs have periods shorter than 2 months and might be subsampled by altimetric observations, perhaps explaining why the temporal inverse cascade deduced from high-resolution models and mapped altimeter products can be quite different. The nature of the nonlinear interactions between FRWs and WMEs remains unclear but might involve wave turbulence processes.
A Simple and Effective Method for Separating Meteorological from Nonmeteorological Targets Using Dual-Polarization Data
Authors: Kilambi Alamelu , Fabry Frédéric , Meunier Véronique
Published: May 2018

To satisfy the needs of the meteorological and aeroecological communities wanting a simple but effective way of flagging each other’s unwanted echo for a variety of different operational radar systems, we evaluated the ability of an estimate of depolarization ratio (DR) based on differential reflectivity (ZDR) and copolar correlation coefficient (ρHV) measurements to separate both types of echoes. The method was tested with data collected by S- and C-band radars used in the United States and Canada. The DR-based method that does not require training achieved 96% separation between weather and biological echoes. Since the misclassifications are typically caused by isolated pixels in the melting layer or at the edge of echo patterns, the addition of a despeckling algorithm considerably reduces further these false alarms, resulting in an increase in correct identification approaching 99% on test cases.
Application of Multivariate Sensitivity Analysis Techniques to AGCM-Simulated Tropical Cyclones
Authors: He Fei , Posselt Derek J. , Narisetty Naveen N. , Zarzycki Colin M. , Nair Vijayan N.
Published: May 2018

This work demonstrates the use of Sobol’s sensitivity analysis framework to examine multivariate input–output relationships in dynamical systems. The methodology allows simultaneous exploration of the effect of changes in multiple inputs, and accommodates nonlinear interaction effects among parameters in a computationally affordable way. The concept is illustrated via computation of the sensitivities of atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM)-simulated tropical cyclones to changes in model initial conditions. Specifically, Sobol’s variance-based sensitivity analysis is used to examine the response of cyclone intensity, cloud radiative forcing, cloud content, and precipitation rate to changes in initial conditions in an idealized AGCM-simulated tropical cyclone (TC). Control factors of interest include the following: initial vortex size and intensity, environmental sea surface temperature, vertical lapse rate, and midlevel relative humidity. The sensitivity analysis demonstrates systematic increases in TC intensity with increasing sea surface temperature and atmospheric temperature lapse rates, consistent with many previous studies. However, there are nonlinear interactions among control factors that affect the response of the precipitation rate, cloud content, and radiative forcing. In addition, sensitivities to control factors differ significantly when the model is run at different resolution, and coarse-resolution simulations are unable to produce a realistic TC. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of a quantitative sensitivity analysis framework for the exploration of dynamic system responses to perturbations, and have implications for the generation of ensembles.
Emerging Insights into Wnt/β-catenin Signaling in Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Alamoud K.A. , Kukuruzinska M.A.
Published: May 2018

Head and neck cancer presents primarily as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), a debilitating malignancy fraught with high morbidity, poor survival rates, and limited treatment options. Mounting evidence indicates that the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays important roles in the pathobiology of HNSCC. Wnt/β-catenin signaling affects multiple cellular processes that endow cancer cells with the ability to maintain and expand immature stem-like phenotypes, proliferate, extend survival, and acquire aggressive characteristics by adopting mesenchymal traits. A central component of canonical Wnt signaling is β-catenin, which balances its role as a structural component of E-cadherin junctions with its function as a transcriptional coactivator of numerous target genes. Recent genomic characterization of head and neck cancer revealed that while β-catenin is not frequently mutated in HNSCC, its activity is unchecked by more common mutations in genes encoding upstream regulators of β-catenin, NOTCH1, FAT1, and AJUBA. Wnt/β-catenin signaling affects a wide range epigenetic and transcriptional activities, mediated by the interaction of β-catenin with different transcription factors and transcriptional coactivators and corepressors. Furthermore, Wnt/β-catenin functions in a network with many signaling and metabolic pathways that modulate its activity. In addition to its effects on tumor epithelia, β-catenin activity regulates the tumor microenvironment by regulating extracellular matrix remodeling, fibrotic processes, and immune response. These multifunctional oncogenic effects of β-catenin make it an attractive bona fide target for HNSCC therapy.
Comparison of Intraoral Bone Regeneration with Iliac and Alveolar BMSCs
Authors: Wang F. , Zhou Y. , Zhou J. , Xu M. , Zheng W. , Huang W. , Zhou W. , Shen Y. , Zhao K. , Wu Y. , Zou D.
Published: May 2018

This study compared the osteogenic potential of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) of iliac and alveolar origins (I-BMSCs and Al-BMSCs, respectively), which were transplanted in combination with β tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) in peri-implant bone defects to investigate the osseointegration between dental implants and tissue-engineered bone in dogs. Specifically, I-BMSCs and Al-BMSCs were cultured, characterized, and seeded on β-TCP and subjected to immunoblotting analyses and alkaline phosphatase activity assays. Subsequently, these cell-seeded scaffolds were implanted into defects that were freshly generated in the mandibular premolar areas of 4 dogs. The defects were covered with β-TCP + Al-BMSCs ( n = 6), β-TCP + I-BMSCs ( n = 6), or β-TCP ( n = 6) or served as the blank control ( n = 6). After healing for 12 wk, the formation and mineralization of new bones were assessed through micro–computed tomographic, histologic, and histomorphometric analyses, and bone-to-implant contacts were measured in the specimens. It was evident that in this large animal model, I-BMSCs and Al-BMSCs manifested similarly strong osteogenic potential, as significantly more new bone was formed in the Al-BMSC and I-BMSC groups than otherwise ( P < 0.01). Therefore, Al-BMSCs are emerging as an efficient alternative for autologous mesenchymal stem cells in regenerative dental and maxillofacial therapies. I-BMSCs, if not restricted in their bioavailability, can also be of great utility in bone tissue–engineering applications.
Can the Relationship Between Rapid Automatized Naming and Word Reading Be Explained by a Catastrophe? Empirical Evidence From Students With and Without Reading Difficulties
Authors: Sideridis Georgios D. , Simos Panagiotis , Mouzaki Angeliki , Stamovlasis Dimitrios , Georgiou George K.
Published: May 2018

The purpose of the present study was to explain the moderating role of rapid automatized naming (RAN) in word reading with a cusp catastrophe model. We hypothesized that increases in RAN performance speed beyond a critical point would be associated with the disruption in word reading, consistent with a “generic shutdown” hypothesis. Participants were 587 elementary schoolchildren (Grades 2–4), among whom 87 had reading comprehension difficulties per the IQ-achievement discrepancy criterion. Data were analyzed via a cusp catastrophe model derived from the nonlinear dynamics systems theory. Results indicated that for children with reading comprehension difficulties, as naming speed falls below a critical level, the association between core reading processes (word recognition and decoding) becomes chaotic and unpredictable. However, after the significant common variance attributed to motivation, emotional, and internalizing symptoms measures from RAN scores was partialed out, its role as a bifurcation variable was no longer evident. Taken together, these findings suggest that RAN represents a salient cognitive measure that may be associated with psychoemotional processes that are, at least in part, responsible for unpredictable and chaotic word reading behavior among children with reading comprehension deficits.
Replication of an Experimental Study Investigating the Efficacy of a Multisyllabic Word Reading Intervention With and Without Motivational Beliefs Training for Struggling Readers
Authors: Toste Jessica R. , Capin Philip , Williams Kelly J. , Cho Eunsoo , Vaughn Sharon
Published: May 2018

This randomized control trial examined the efficacy of an intervention aimed at improving multisyllabic word reading (MWR) skills among fourth- and fifth-grade struggling readers ( n = 109, 48.6% male), as well as the relative effects of an embedded motivational beliefs training component. This study was a closely aligned replication of our earlier work. The intervention was replicated with a three-condition design: MWR only, MWR with a motivational beliefs component, and business-as-usual control. Students were tutored in small groups for 40 lessons (four 40-min lessons each week). When we combined performance of students in both MWR conditions, intervention students significantly outperformed controls on proximal measures of affix reading and MWR, as well as standardized measures of decoding, spelling, and text comprehension. Furthermore, there was a noted interaction between English learner status and treatment on spelling performance. There were no statistically significant main effects between the MWR groups on proximal or standardized measures of interest. Findings are discussed in terms of their relevance to MWR instruction for students with persistent reading difficulties and considerations for future research related to the malleability of motivation.
Baseline performance of the ischaemic button model for induction of adhesions in laboratory rats
Authors: Mommers Elwin HH , Hong Liu , Jongen Audrey , Bouvy Nicole D
Published: May 2018

The ischaemic button model is frequently used for the induction of adhesions in laboratory rats. Male rats are often used because of the common belief that the peritesticular (intra-abdominal) fat in males facilitates adhesion formation, although this theory is not evidence based. Comparing the model’s performance in both sexes is an important aspect of refining animal experiments. The aim of this study is to compare baseline performance of the modified ischaemic button model in both male and female rats. Follow-up was 1 week and noted endpoints were intra-abdominal adhesion formation and differences in welfare assessment. A total of 192 ischaemic buttons (96 male/96 female) were created in 24 Wistar Han rats (12 male/12 female). After 1 week of follow-up, 93 buttons survived in the male group (96.9%) compared with 91 in the female group (94.8%) (p = 0.409). In the male group, 85 out of 93 (91.4%) buttons induced adhesions compared with 84 out of 91 (92.3%) in the female group (p = 0.881). All but one animal had a Zühlke score of 3. There were no clinically relevant differences in welfare scores. Male animals increased in weight significantly faster compared to females (p < 0.001), after correcting for physiological growth. The ischaemic button model resulted in equal quality and quantity of intra-abdominal adhesions in both male and female Wistar Han rats. Both male and female Wistar Han rats are suitable for the induction of experimental adhesions in the ischaemic button model.
Mood Effects of Blood Flow Restriction Resistance Exercise Among Basketball Players
Authors: Silva Júlio C. G. , Aniceto Rodrigo R. , Oliota-Ribeiro Leandro S. , Neto Gabriel R. , Leandro Leonardo S. , Cirilo-Sousa Maria S.
Published: May 2018

This study compared the acute effects of resistance exercise with and without blood flow restriction (BFR) on basketball players’ mood states. A total of 11 male basketball players (M age = 19.9, SD = 2.8 years; M height = 180.8, SD = 7.8 cm; M weight = 71.1, SD = 9.1 kg; M body mass index = 22.1, SD = 1.9 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to two experimental conditions: (a) low-load resistance exercise with BFR (LLRE + BFR) and high-load resistance exercise (HLRE) without BFR. We measured mood state with the Brunel Mood Scale before and after each session. There was a significant interaction effect such that there was increased fatigue over time with LLRE + BFR ( p = .001, Δ% = 169.2). Regarding total mood disorder, there were significant pre and postexercise differences between athletes exposed to both the LLRE + BFR and HLRE conditions ( p = .048) and a decharacterization of the iceberg mood profile in the post-training LLRE + BFR condition. LLRE + BFR, compared to HLRE, promoted an acute negative effect on mood state, decharacterization of the iceberg profile, total mood disturbance, and increased participant fatigue, suggesting that this method of strength training should be avoided before sports competitions.
Sexual Satisfaction, Marital Intimacy, and Depression in Married Iranian Nurses With and Without Symptoms of Secondary Traumatic Stress
Authors: Ariapooran Saeed , Raziani Sheno
Published: May 2018

Nurses tend to experience a lot of stress and psychological pressure in their workplace. Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) is a condition that can cause marital and psychological problems in married nurses. The present study was conducted to compare sexual satisfaction, marital intimacy, and depression in married nurses with and without severe symptoms of STS. The statistical population consisted of 303 married nurses selected through cluster sampling from three hospitals in Kermanshah, Iran, including Imam Reza (86 nurses), Imam Ali (110 nurses), and Taleghani (107 nurses) hospitals. Data were collected using the STS Scale, the Sexual Satisfaction Scale, the Marital Intimacy Questionnaire, and Beck's Depression Inventory (short-form) or BDI-13. The results obtained showed that 22.4% of all the nurses, 22.9% of the female nurses, and 21.8% of the male nurses had symptoms of STS and the mean score of the symptoms was higher in the female compared with the male nurses (P < .01). The results of the two-way multivariate analysis of covariance showed higher mean scores of sexual satisfaction and marital intimacy in the group without STS symptoms and a higher mean score of depression in the group with STS symptoms (P < .01). Psychologists and hospital authorities should pay more attention to the psychological problems faced by nurses, such as STS and its effects on sexual satisfaction, marital intimacy, and depression.
Design and optimization of a novel chitosan coating system for acupoint catgut embedding materials
Authors: Fu Shaoju , Zhang Peihua
Published: May 2018

Chitosan coating on acupoint catgut embedding therapy (ACET) is a critical issue in improving the comprehensive performances of embedding materials. However, the existing coating technologies have struggled to keep pace with both the academic study and industrial production. This work proposed a novel chitosan coating system consisted of pretreatment, spray-coating and rolling and drying parts. To evaluate the feasibility of this system, four types of monofilaments, namely polypropylene (PP), polylactic acid (PLA), polydioxanone (PDO) and polyglycolide acid (PGA), were adopted and their properties, such as swelling, compression and hydrophilicity, were also measured. Meanwhile, several numerical calculations and analyses were conducted to select and optimize the testing variables. The results showed that the coating concentration of 3% (v/v) was selected as the most suitable parameter; samples with the rotational speed of 2.12 m/min were demonstrated to have regular swelling behavior: PP (weight changes = 3.876 ± 0.312 g/cm, diameter changes = 1.354 ± 0.153 mm) < PLA (weight changes = 5.246 ± 0.215 g/cm, diameter changes = 3.251 ± 0.136 mm)< PDO (weight changes = 7.315 ± 0.315 g/cm, diameter changes = 5.426 ± 0.128 mm) < PGA (weight changes =9.845 ± 0.251 g/cm, diameter changes = 7.652 ± 0.248 mm); testing properties of samples were closer to the expected results regarding the decrease of contact force, so 0.1 cN was selected as the optimum parameter. In summary, the coating system was successfully developed and has a potential application for fabricating ideal embedding materials to satisfy clinical needs.
Optimization of spacer filament parameters by compressive property variation
Authors: Chen Mei-yu , Wang Hong-Hong , Zhou Ying-ying , Run-jun Sun , Liu Xian-feng
Published: May 2018

The mechanical property of a warp-knitted spacer fabric during compression results mainly from the contribution of the spacer filaments in the fabric. So, the mechanical property of a spacer filament during compression can predict that of the designed spacer fabric during compression, and then provides a scientific basis for the designers. In this work, a new method for measuring the mechanical properties of a spacer filament during compression was proposed to simulate the compression situation of a filament in a warp-knitted spacer fabric. The paper focuses on the mechanical property variation of a spacer filament with different parameters during compression. In particular, we investigated the effect of different parameters of the spacer filament on the supporting and restful properties of the corresponding spacer fabric, which is closely related to consumer concerns. Furthermore, based on the analysis of the mechanical property variation of a spacer filament with different parameters during compression, the scheme of the spacer filament parameters designed in this work was optimized.
Inbound Tourism as a Driving Force for Regional Innovation: A Spatial Impact Study on China
Authors: Liu Jingjing , Nijkamp Peter
Published: May 2018

Cross-border flows of people, capital, and information along with inbound tourism flows can act as an important vehicle that benefits the innovation system in tourism destination areas. This study addresses the unintended but far-reaching impact of international tourism by focusing on the influence of inbound tourism on regional innovation in China. Data from 30 Chinese provinces for the years 2003–2012 are used for the empirical analysis, employing a spatial panel data model. The results show that inbound tourism may be a new and powerful driving force for regional innovation, while the effect of inbound tourism on technological innovation appears to be weaker than that on social innovation. Our findings also show that a higher market percentage of domestic tourism may weaken the impact of inbound tourism. Furthermore, the impact of inbound tourism on innovation tends to be relatively stronger in the richer and more internationally oriented provinces of China.
Disentangling the Relationship Between Social Ties, Prison Visitation, and Recidivism
Authors: Atkin-Plunk Cassandra A. , Armstrong Gaylene S.
Published: May 2018

Studies find inmates who receive visits while incarcerated are less likely to recidivate upon release, especially when visits are from spouses and occur frequently throughout incarceration. Absent from these studies is measurement of the quality of an inmate’s relationships prior to incarceration, which may play a more significant role in criminal desistance than visitation itself. Longitudinal data from 205 incarcerated male and female adult offenders were used to test the mediating effects of visitation for offenders with varying levels of preincarceration relationships on recidivism. Findings indicate that quality of an inmate’s preincarceration relationships is more important in reducing the odds of recidivism than visitation. When quality of relationships was taken into account, visitation became nonsignificant in predicting the odds of recidivism. Most critical, a strong maternal relationship prior to incarceration was associated with a reduction in recidivism subsequent to a period of incarceration.
Use of computer assistive technologies by older people with sight impairment: Perceived state of access and considerations for adoption
Authors: Okonji Patrick Emeka
Published: May 2018

This study explored the perceptions of sight-impaired older people about the use of specialist equipment designed for computer users with sight loss – whether it was meeting their needs and their views on the opportunities for equality in access to computer technologies. The study employed case study research methodology: conducting observations in an Internet café specifically established for people with sight loss and semi-structured interviews with 20 participants who had sight impairments between the ages of 60 and 87 years. A thematic analysis was carried out on transcribed qualitative interview data. Qualitative analysis employed the use of NVivo version 10 for both open and axial coding. Related coded categories were eventually merged into four themes. Findings suggest that stereotyping associated with the use of assistive technologies such as screen readers and concerns about access to mainstream technologies are important factors for understanding acceptance, willingness to adopt assistive technology, or continued use of assistive technologies by sight-impaired older people. Participants perceived advancements in technology as not fully considering their needs. In conclusion, the study highlights important points for technology developers to consider for inclusive designs or cost-effective assistive technologies as social stigma remains a neglected construct for understanding acceptance, willingness to adopt assistive technology, or continued use of assistive technologies among sight-imapired older people.