bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oceanic Stochastic Parameterizations in a Seasonal Forecast System
Authors: Andrejczuk M. , Cooper F. C. , Juricke S. , Palmer T. N. , Weisheimer A. , Zanna L.
Published: February 2016

Stochastic parameterization provides a methodology for representing model uncertainty in ensemble forecasts. Here the impact on forecast reliability over seasonal time scales of three existing stochastic parameterizations in the ocean component of a coupled model is studied. The relative impacts of these schemes upon the ocean mean state and ensemble spread are analyzed. The oceanic variability induced by the atmospheric forcing of the coupled system is, in most regions, the major source of ensemble spread. The largest impact on spread and bias came from the stochastically perturbed parameterization tendency (SPPT) scheme, which has proven particularly effective in the atmosphere. The key regions affected are eddy-active regions, namely, the western boundary currents and the Southern Ocean where ensemble spread is increased. However, unlike its impact in the atmosphere, SPPT in the ocean did not result in a significant decrease in forecast error on seasonal time scales. While there are good grounds for implementing stochastic schemes in ocean models, the results suggest that they will have to be more sophisticated. Some suggestions for next-generation stochastic schemes are made.
Climate Variability and Rural Livelihoods: How Households Perceive and Adapt to Climatic Shocks in the Okavango Delta, Botswana
Authors: Kolawole Oluwatoyin Dare , Motsholapheko Moseki Ronald , Ngwenya Barbara Ntombi , Thakadu Olekae , Mmopelwa Gagoitseope , Kgathi Donald Letsholo
Published: February 2016

Climate variability and change have adverse effects on agricultural production and other livelihood strategies of the rural households. The paper hypothesizes that rural households naturally devise means of overcoming the challenges currently posed by climate variability. The research article addresses the question of how rural households apply local knowledge of weather forecasting in adapting to climate variability in the Okavango Delta. It specifically probes, among others, the extent to which climate variability has affected agricultural production over the last 10 years in the area. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select a total of 592 households from eight rural communities. Key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and a stakeholder workshop were used to obtain demographic, socioeconomic, psychosocial, and climatic information. Households used both natural animate and inanimate indicators to predict the weather. To enhance household adaptation to climatic events, indigenous knowledge weather forecasters (ethnometeorologists) engaged in discussions with community members on their observation and interpretation of local weather conditions. Households devised adaptation strategies including the selection and preservation of drought-resistant, early maturing seeds, and shift in farming calendars to overcome the vagaries of weather patterns. Local and farming communities had a favorable perception about the accuracy of indigenous knowledge in weather forecasting (ethnometeorology) and therefore continue to utilize this knowledge system in weather forecasting. Most households perceived that change in weather patterns had a direct relationship with the decline in agricultural outputs over the last 10 years. Households’ experiential knowledge and ability to quantify their losses in farm yields as a result of climate-related problems provide an important insight for policy makers on how to address the impact of climate variability in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, and in similar social ecological contexts.
The Missed Opportunity and Challenge of Capital Regulation
Authors: Admati Anat R.
Published: February 2016

Capital regulation is critical to address distortions and externalities from intense conflicts of interest in banking and from the failure of markets to counter incentives for recklessness. The approaches to capital regulation in Basel III and related proposals are based on flawed analyses of the relevant tradeoffs. The flaws in the regulations include dangerously low equity levels, a complex and problematic system of risk weights that exacerbates systemic risk and adds distortions, and unnecessary reliance on poor equity substitutes. The underlying problem is a breakdown of governance and lack of accountability to the public throughout the system, including policymakers and economists.
Too Big to Fail and Too Big to Save: Dilemmas for Banking Reform
Authors: Barth James R. , Wihlborg Clas
Published: February 2016

‘Too big to fail’ traditionally refers to a bank that is perceived to generate unacceptable risk to the banking system and indirectly to the economy as a whole if it were to default and be unable to fulfill its obligations. Such a bank generally has substantial liabilities to other banks through the payment system and other financial links, which can be sources of ‘contagion’ if a bank fails. The main objectives in this paper are to identify the different dimensions of too big to fail and evaluate various proposed reforms for dealing with this problem. In addition, we document the various dimensions of size and complexity, which may contribute to or reduce a bank's systemic risk. Furthermore, we provide an assessment of economic and political factors shaping the future of too big to fail.
Deindustrialisation and the Historical Sociological Imagination: Making Sense of Work and Industrial Change
Authors: Strangleman Tim
Published: February 2016

Following recent calls for a more self-aware and historically sensitive sociology this article reflects on the concept of deindustrialisation and industrial change in this spirit. Using EP Thompson’s classic The Making of the English Working Class and his examination of industrialising culture with its stress on experience, the article asks how these insights might be of value in understanding contemporary processes of deindustrialisation and work. Drawing on a range of sociological, cultural and literary studies it conceptualises the differences and similarities between two historic moments of industrial change and loss. In particular it draws on the literary concept of the ‘half-life of deindustrialisation’ to explore these periods. The article has important implications for how we think about contemporary and historical industrial decline.
Association Between Malnutrition and Clinical Outcomes in the Intensive Care Unit: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lew Charles Chin Han , Yandell Rosalie , Fraser Robert J. L. , Chua Ai Ping , Chong Mary Foong Fong , Miller Michelle
Published: February 2016

Malnutrition is associated with poor clinical outcomes among hospitalized patients. However, studies linking malnutrition with poor clinical outcomes in the intensive care unit (ICU) often have conflicting findings due in part to the inappropriate diagnosis of malnutrition. We primarily aimed to determine whether malnutrition diagnosed by validated nutrition assessment tools such as the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) or Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) is independently associated with poorer clinical outcomes in the ICU and if the use of nutrition screening tools demonstrate a similar association. PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched for eligible studies. Search terms included were synonyms of malnutrition, nutritional status, screening, assessment, and intensive care unit. Eligible studies were case‐control or cohort studies that recruited adults in the ICU; conducted the SGA, MNA, or used nutrition screening tools before or within 48 hours of ICU admission; and reported the prevalence of malnutrition and relevant clinical outcomes including mortality, length of stay (LOS), and incidence of infection (IOI). Twenty of 1168 studies were eligible. The prevalence of malnutrition ranged from 38% to 78%. Malnutrition diagnosed by nutrition assessments was independently associated with increased ICU LOS, ICU readmission, IOI, and the risk of hospital mortality. The SGA clearly had better predictive validity than the MNA. The association between malnutrition risk determined by nutrition screening was less consistent. Malnutrition is independently associated with poorer clinical outcomes in the ICU. Compared with nutrition assessment tools, the predictive validity of nutrition screening tools were less consistent.
Preventing the Progression of Intestinal Failure–Associated Liver Disease in Infants Using a Composite Lipid Emulsion: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of SMOFlipid
Authors: Diamond Ivan R. , Grant Robert C. , Pencharz Paul B. , de Silva Nicole , Feldman Brian M. , Fitzgerald Peter , Sigalet David , Dicken Bryan , Turner Justine , Marchand Valerie , Ling Simon C. , Moore Aideen M. , Avitzur Yaron , Wales Paul W.
Published: February 2016

Background: To examine whether SMOFlipid prevents progression of intestinal failure–associated liver disease (IFALD) in parenteral nutrition (PN)–dependent infants with early IFALD (conjugated bilirubin 17–50 µmol/L, 1‐3 mg/dL). Study Design: Pilot multicenter blinded randomized controlled trial comparing SMOFlipid with Intralipid. Patients received the trial lipid for up to 12 weeks, unless they achieved full enteral tolerance sooner. The primary clinical outcome was the serum conjugated bilirubin. Results: Twenty‐four infants (mean age, 6 weeks) participated in the trial (13 Intralipid and 11 SMOFlipid). At the time of trial enrollment, patients in both groups were receiving 90% of their calories by PN. Mean duration on trial was 8 weeks and did not differ according to treatment (P = .99). At trial conclusion, patients who received SMOFlipid had a lower conjugated bilirubin than those who received Intralipid (mean difference, –59 µmol/L; P = .03). Patients receiving SMOFlipid were also more likely to have a decrease in serum conjugated bilirubin to 0 µmol/L than those in the Intralipid group over the entire observation period (hazard ratio, 10.6; 95%; P = .03). The time to achievement of full enteral tolerance did not differ statistically (hazard ratio, 1.3; P = .59) between the groups. There was no significant difference in safety outcomes between the groups. Conclusions: Compared with Intralipid, SMOFlipid reduces the risk of progressive IFALD in children with intestinal failure. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00793195.
Regulatory Forum Opinion Piece*
Authors: Ramaiah Shashi K. , Walker Dana B.
Published: February 2016

This article highlights emerging roles for veterinary pathologists outside of traditional functions and in line with the translational research (TR) approach. Veterinary pathologists offer unique and valuable expertise toward addressing particular TR and associated translational pharmacology questions, identifying gaps and risks in biomarker and pathology strategies, and advancing TR team decision making. Veterinary pathologists’ attributes that are integral to the TR approach include (i) well-developed understanding of comparative physiology, pathology, and disease; (ii) extensive experience in interpretation and integration of complex data sets on whole-body responses and utilizing this for deciphering pathogenesis and translating events between laboratory species and man; (iii) proficiency in recognizing differences in disease end points among individuals, animal species and strains, and assessing correlations between these differences and other investigative (including biomarker) findings; and (iv) strong background in a wide spectrum of research technologies that can address pathomechanistic questions and biomarker needs. Some of the more evident roles in which veterinary pathologists can offer their greatest contributions to address questions and strategies of TR and biomarker integration will be emphasized.
An Analysis of Prototypical Emotions, Religious Affiliation, and Politics in a Presidential Primary Campaign Commercial
Authors: Rold Michael F. , Honeycutt James
Published: February 2016

The authors examine a prominent political advertisement from the 2012 Republican primaries in two studies. In the first study, we frame the advertisement using Witte’s definition of a fear appeal to find out if respondents report truly feeling fear after viewing the advertisement. Results of the first study show respondents rate fear rather low on the list of emotions they experience after viewing the advertisement, while respondents rate disgust and anger much higher. In the second study, we focus on the emotion of disgust as it relates to the same political advertisement and the demographic variables of political party identification and religious affiliation to determine if either or both of these variables play a role in types and levels of disgust respondents report. Findings indicate both political party identification and religious affiliation influence reported levels of disgust. Limitations of the study and areas for future research are discussed.
‘God grant it may do good two all’: the madhouse practice of Joseph Mason, 1738–79
Authors: Smith Leonard
Published: February 2016

Private madhouses made a significant contribution to the development of psychiatric practices in eighteenth-century England. Joseph Mason of Bristol, proprietor of a madhouse at Stapleton and then at nearby Fishponds, was part of a dynasty of successful and respected mad-doctors. A deeply religious man, his Christian ethics constituted the guiding force in his work with patients and interactions with their relatives. He was also an astute man of business, who recognized that comfortable domestic surroundings and the achievement of recoveries would enhance his reputation and attract lucrative middle-class custom. His treatment approaches, illustrated in a 1763 diary, were eclectic and pragmatic, comprising various medicines, dietary regulation, graded social interactions, and the cultivation of individualized therapeutic relationships with his patients.
Designing an optimized model-free controller for improved motion tracking by rugged electrohydraulic system
Authors: Mandal Pranibesh , Sarkar Bikash K , Saha Rana , Mookherjee Saikat , Sanyal Dipankar
Published: February 2016

Electrohydraulic actuation systems with proportional valves and industry-grade cylinders have widespread use due to their low cost and ease of maintenance. Achieving good tracking of output position of the piston in such a system by a proper controller design is the objective of this study. Due to various parameter uncertainties and complex nonlinearities like piston friction, valve deadband and flow characteristics, the variation of oil property with working temperature and air entrapment volume, the implementation of a model-based control becomes quite difficult for such systems. A notable contribution of this work is to couple a model-free fuzzy controller with a feedforward controller with all the parameters estimated by a real-coded genetic algorithm. Also, the optimizer has been used for identifying an appropriate fuzzy structure that is easy to implement in real time. A comprehensive experimental study has revealed the best fuzzy structure to be achieved through a Gaussian fuzzification of linear combination of the position and velocity errors as the input and singleton membership function for the output voltage actuating the proportional valve. Excellent responses with good disturbance rejection capability and energy efficiency have been achieved. These responses have emerged superior to those achieved in a similar system with different controller structures and in systems with much costlier components.
Normative ADHD-RS-Preschool Data in a Community Sample in Spain
Authors: Marín-Méndez Juan-Jesús , Borra-Ruiz María-Cristina , Álvarez-Gómez María-José , McGoey Kara E. , Soutullo César
Published: February 2016

Objective: The objective was to obtain normalized data from the ADHD Rating Scale–IV–Preschool Version (ADHD-RS-IV-P) in a Spanish sample. Method: We translated and adapted the ADHD-RS-IV to our culture to obtain normalized data from a random representative sample of 1,426 Spanish preschool children (3 to <7 years old; 49.7% males). To analyze differences between evaluators, we used MANOVA. Internal consistency was assessed via Cronbach’s alpha. Results: The mean age was 4.7 years old. There was a significant sex effect. The questionnaire had an internal consistency between .86 and .96 according to subscale and evaluator. Conclusion: To evaluate ADHD in preschool children, it is necessary to use scores standardized by sex. Using a validated scale in schools and primary care centers may be useful for early detection of ADHD.
Public perceptions of personalised nutrition through the lens of Social Cognitive Theory
Authors: Rankin Audrey , Kuznesof Sharron , Frewer Lynn J , Orr Karen , Davison Jenny , de Almeida Maria DV , Stewart-Knox Barbara
Published: February 2016

Social Cognitive Theory has been used to explain findings derived from focus group discussions ( N = 4) held in the United Kingdom with the aim of informing best practice in personalised nutrition. Positive expectancies included weight loss and negative expectancies surrounded on-line security. Monitoring and feedback were crucial to goal setting and progress. Coaching by the service provider, family and friends was deemed important for self-efficacy. Paying for personalised nutrition symbolised commitment to behaviour change. The social context of eating, however, was perceived a problem and should be considered when designing personalised diets. Social Cognitive Theory could provide an effective framework through which to deliver personalised nutrition.
Susceptibility, vulnerability, and averaged risk analysis for resilience enhancement of urban areas
Authors: Fischer Kai , Häring Ivo , Riedel Werner , Vogelbacher Georg , Hiermaier Stefan
Published: February 2016

The dynamic growth and evolution of urban areas generate new challenges for safety and security driving societal, economic, and ecological developments at local and worldwide levels. Cities comprise a high degree of critical infrastructure with an increasing complexity and interdependency. In addition, modified and new threats ranging from natural to man-made and malicious hazards ask for more robust and sustainable cities. This work combines and extends existing empirical, engineering, and simulative methods to define and determine quantities for resilience assessment of urban areas in a comprehensive approach. Based on a multitude of possible events in a city quarter with a larger number of infrastructures, susceptibilities, vulnerabilities, and averaged risks are analyzed in a systematic and quantitative way. The use of an established empirical-historical database gives first insights to identify susceptible elements or endangered areas in the considered urban environments. It is coupled to an approach for consequences where state-of-the-art physical-engineering hazard and damage propagation and quantification models are integrated for vulnerability assessment. The consideration of multiple threats and multiple possible locations cumulates in an object- and location-dependent quantification of averaged risks to visualize the most critical regions and infrastructure aspects in densely populated areas. In this article, the approach is exemplarily applied to terroristic threats. The integration of the three-dimensional visualized approach into existing risk assessment and management processes will help to create cities that are more resilient.
Planning the Millennium City: The politics of place-making in Gurgaon, India
Authors: Goldstein Shoshana R.
Published: February 2016

Since India’s economic liberalization, rising costs in urban centers have pushed growth to the peripheries of cities. The territory on which new towns emerge often bears a long history of village life and land tenure, even as the political-economy of real estate asserts alternative identities on such places. This paper explores the phenomenon of place-making, using the case of Gurgaon, Delhi’s burgeoning satellite. Gurgaon’s growth has taken place largely in the absence of municipal city planning. Its boosters have branded it the “millennium city.”

Gurgaon is the sum of hundreds of private land deals, with a pixelated built environment of affluent gated enclaves, villages, and pockets of underdevelopment. Many former farmers have become landlords, enriched and active in the real estate game, while others have been less fortunate, yet little scholarship has focused on the interactions between residents of different communities, and the process of social and cultural capital formation that under girds place-making and attempts to resolve planning issues. What possibilities exist in the post-liberalization Indian city for residents to forge a coherent sense of place or plan within the piecemeal?

Drawing on interviews with residents, urban villagers, domestic staff, planners and developers, the paper argues that place-making in Gurgaon constitutes a form of planning in its own right, as actors at various levels of agency attempt to solidify claims of residency and take up many of the responsibilities of planning.
Measure transcript integrity using RNA-seq data
Authors: Wang Liguo , Nie Jinfu , Sicotte Hugues , Li Ying , Eckel-Passow Jeanette E. , Dasari Surendra , Vedell Peter T. , Barman Poulami , Wang Liewei , Weinshiboum Richard , Jen Jin , Huang Haojie , Kohli Manish , Kocher Jean-Pierre A.
Published: February 2016

Background

Stored biological samples with pathology information and medical records are invaluable resources for translational medical research. However, RNAs extracted from the archived clinical tissues are often substantially degraded. RNA degradation distorts the RNA-seq read coverage in a gene-specific manner, and has profound influences on whole-genome gene expression profiling.

Result

We developed the transcript integrity number (TIN) to measure RNA degradation. When applied to 3 independent RNA-seq datasets, we demonstrated TIN is a reliable and sensitive measure of the RNA degradation at both transcript and sample level. Through comparing 10 prostate cancer clinical samples with lower RNA integrity to 10 samples with higher RNA quality, we demonstrated that calibrating gene expression counts with TIN scores could effectively neutralize RNA degradation effects by reducing false positives and recovering biologically meaningful pathways. When further evaluating the performance of TIN correction using spike-in transcripts in RNA-seq data generated from the Sequencing Quality Control consortium, we found TIN adjustment had better control of false positives and false negatives (sensitivity = 0.89, specificity = 0.91, accuracy = 0.90), as compared to gene expression analysis results without TIN correction (sensitivity = 0.98, specificity = 0.50, accuracy = 0.86).

Conclusion

TIN is a reliable measurement of RNA integrity and a valuable approach used to neutralize in vitro RNA degradation effect and improve differential gene expression analysis.
Early and persistent high level of PS 100β is associated with increased poor neurological outcome in patients with SAH: is there a PS 100β threshold for SAH prognosis?
Authors: Quintard Hervé , Leduc Sébastien , Ferrari Patricia , Petit Isabelle , Ichai Carole
Published: February 2016

Background

Protein S100β (PS100 β) and neuron specific enolase (NSE) have been described as biological markers of neuronal damage. The purpose of our study was to assess the prognosis thresholds of these biomarkers in subarachnoid aneurysmal hemorrhage (SAH).

Methods

Forty eight patients admitted following SAH were treated by endovascular coiling. Initial neurologic severity was assessed using the World Federation Neurologic Surgeons (WFNS), Fisher grades, initial Glasgow coma scale (GCS) and SAPS II. PS100β and NSE plasma concentration were measured daily within the first week. The primary endpoint of the study was the 6-month Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS) dichotomized as poor (GOS 1–3) or good (GOS 4–5).

Results

A poor outcome at 6-months was associated with significant higher levels of S100β value from day 1 to day 7, whereas NSE values were significantly higher from day 5 to day 7. Best threshold value, for prognosis, was obtained at day 5 for PS100β >0.13 μg/L (specificity 0.95 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.74–1; sensitivity 0.83 95 % CI 0.65–0.93) and day 7 for NSE >14.5 μg/L (specificity 0.90 95 % CI 0.67–0.98); sensitivity (0.69 95 % CI 0.51–0.83)). After multivariate logistic analysis, only PS100β at day 5 and SAPS II enabled to predict neurological outcome at 6 months (p <0.05).

Conclusion

PS100β >0.13 μg/L at day 5 is an independent predicting factor of poor neurological outcome at 6 months following SAH. This result could support the use of this biomarker at the acute phase of SAH to help physician determine the prognosis.
CD146+ mesenchymal stem cells display greater therapeutic potential than CD146– cells for treating collagen-induced arthritis in mice
Authors: Wu Cheng-Chi , Liu Fei-Lan , Sytwu Huey-Kang , Tsai Chang-Youh , Chang Deh-Ming
Published: February 2016

Background

The characteristics and therapeutic potential of subtypes of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are largely unknown. In this study, CD146+and CD146–MSCs were separated from human umbilical cords, and their effects on regulatory T cells (Tregs), Th17 cells, chondrogenesis, and osteogenesis were investigated.

Methods

Flow cytometry was used to quantify IL-6 and TGF-β1 expressed on CD146+and CD146–MSCs. The therapeutic potential of both subpopulations was determined by measuring the clinical score and joint histology after intra-articular (IA) transfer of the cells into mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA).

Results

Compared with CD146–MSCs, CD146+MSCs expressed less IL-6 and had a significantly greater effect on chondrogenesis. After T lymphocyte activation, Th17 cells were activated when exposed to CD146–cells but not when exposed to CD146+cells bothin vitro and in vivo. IA injection of CD146+MSCs attenuated the progression of CIA. Immunohistochemistry showed that only HLA-A+CD146+cells were detected in the cartilage of CIA mice. These cells may help preserve proteoglycan expression.

Conclusions

This study suggests that CD146+cells have greater potency than CD146–cells for cartilage protection and can suppress Th17 cell activation. These data suggest a potential therapeutic application for CD146+cells in treating inflammatory arthritis.
Sentiment analysis and the complex natural language
Authors: Khan Muhammad Taimoor , Durrani Mehr , Ali Armughan , Inayat Irum , Khalid Shehzad , Khan Kamran Habib
Published: February 2016

There is huge amount of content produced online by amateur authors, covering a large variety of topics. Sentiment analysis (SA) extracts and aggregates users’ sentiments towards a target entity. Machine learning (ML) techniques are frequently used as the natural language data is in abundance and has definite patterns. ML techniques adapt to domain specific solution at high accuracy depending upon the feature set used. The lexicon-based techniques, using external dictionary, are independent of data to prevent overfitting but they miss context too in specialized domains. Corpus-based statistical techniques require large data to stabilize. Complex network based techniques are highly resourceful, preserving order, proximity, context and relationships. Recent applications developed incorporate the platform specific structural information i.e. meta-data. New sub-domains are introduced as influence analysis, bias analysis, and data leakage analysis. The nature of data is also evolving where transcribed customer-agent phone conversation are also used for sentiment analysis. This paper reviews sentiment analysis techniques and highlight the need to address natural language processing (NLP) specific open challenges. Without resolving the complex NLP challenges, ML techniques cannot make considerable advancements. The open issues and challenges in the area are discussed, stressing on the need of standard datasets and evaluation methodology. It also emphasized on the need of better language models that could capture context and proximity.
Endothelial cell specification in the somite is compromised in Pax3-positive progenitors of Foxc1/2 conditional mutants, with loss of forelimb myogenesis
Authors: Mayeuf-Louchart Alicia , Montarras Didier , Bodin Catherine , Kume Tsutomu , Vincent Stéphane D. , Buckingham Margaret
Published: February 2016

Pax3 and Foxc2 have been shown genetically to mutually repress each other in the mouse somite. Perturbation of this balance in multipotent cells of the dermomyotome, with up-regulation of Foxc2 favours a vascular fate, whereas higher levels of Pax3 lead to myogenesis. Foxc1 has overlapping functions with Foxc2. In Foxc1/2 double mutant embryos somitogenesis is severely affected, precluding analysis of somite derivatives. We have adopted a conditional approach where mutations in Foxc1 and Foxc2 genes were targeted to Pax3-expressing cells. Inclusion of a conditional reporter allele in the crosses made it possible to follow cells that had expressed Pax3. At forelimb level, endothelial and myogenic cells migrate from adjacent somites into the limb bud. This population of endothelial cells is compromised in the double mutant, whereas excessive production of myogenic cells is observed in the trunk. However, strikingly, myogenic progenitors fail to enter the limbs leading to the absence of skeletal muscle. Pax3-positive migratory myogenic progenitors, marked by expression of Lbx1, are specified in the somite at forelimb level, whereas endothelial progenitors are absent. The myogenic progenitors do not die, but differentiate prematurely adjacent to the somite. We conclude that the small proportion of somite derived endothelial cells in the limb is required for migration of myogenic limb progenitors.
Rab8 directs furrow ingression and membrane addition during epithelial formation in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Mavor Lauren M. , Miao Hui , Zuo Zhongyuan , Holly Ryan M. , Xie Yi , Loerke Dinah , Blankenship J. Todd
Published: February 2016

One of the most fundamental changes in cell morphology is the ingression of a plasma membrane furrow. The Drosophila embryo undergoes several cycles of rapid furrow ingression during early development that culminates in the formation of an epithelial sheet. Previous studies have demonstrated the requirement for intracellular trafficking pathways in furrow ingression; however, the pathways that link compartmental behaviors with cortical furrow ingression events have remained unclear. Here, we show that Rab8 has striking dynamic behaviors in vivo. As furrows ingress, cytoplasmic Rab8 puncta are depleted and Rab8 accumulates at the plasma membrane in a location that coincides with known regions of directed membrane addition. We additionally use CRISPR/Cas9 technology to N-terminally tag Rab8, which is then used to address both endogenous localization and function. Endogenous Rab8 displays partial coincidence with Rab11 and the Golgi, and this colocalization is enriched during the fast phase of cellularization. When Rab8 function is disrupted, furrow formation in the early embryo is completely abolished. We also demonstrate that Rab8 behaviors require the function of the exocyst complex subunit Sec5 as well as the recycling endosome Rab11. Active, GTP-locked Rab8 is primarily associated with dynamic membrane compartments and the plasma membrane, while GDP-locked Rab8 forms large cytoplasmic aggregates. These studies suggest a model in which active Rab8 populations direct furrow ingression by guiding the targeted delivery of cytoplasmic membrane stores to the cell surface through exocyst tethering complex interactions.
Using Natural Resources for Development: Why Has It Proven So Difficult?
Authors: Venables Anthony J.
Published: February 2016

Developing economies have found it hard to use natural resource wealth to improve their economic performance. Utilizing resource endowments is a multistage economic and political problem that requires private investment to discover and extract the resource, fiscal regimes to capture revenue, judicious spending and investment decisions, and policies to manage volatility and mitigate adverse impacts on the rest of the economy. Experience is mixed, with some successes (such as Botswana and Malaysia) and more failures. This paper reviews the challenges that are faced in successfully managing resource wealth, the evidence on country performance, and the reasons for disappointing results.
The World Bank: Why It Is Still Needed and Why It Still Disappoints
Authors: Ravallion Martin
Published: February 2016

Does the World Bank still have an important role to play? How might it fulfill that role? The paper begins with a brief account of how the Bank works. It then argues that, while the Bank is no longer the primary conduit for capital from high-income to low-income countries, it still has an important role in supplying the public good of development knowledge—a role that is no less pressing today than ever. This argument is not a new one. In 1996, the Bank’s President at the time, James D. Wolfensohn, laid out a vision for the “knowledge bank,” an implicit counterpoint to what can be called the “lending bank.” The paper argues that the past rhetoric of the “knowledge bank” has not matched the reality. An institution such as the World Bank—explicitly committed to global poverty reduction—should be more heavily invested in knowing what is needed in its client countries as well as in international coordination. It should be consistently arguing for well-informed pro-poor policies in its member countries, tailored to the needs of each country, even when such policies are unpopular with the powers-that-be. It should also be using its financial weight, combined with its analytic and convening powers, to support global public goods. In all this, there is a continuing role for lending, but it must be driven by knowledge—both in terms of what gets done and how it is geared to learning. The paper argues that the Bank disappoints in these tasks but that it could perform better.
The World Trade Organization and the Future of Multilateralism
Authors: Baldwin Richard
Published: February 2016

When the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was signed by 23 nations in 1947, the goal was to establish a rules-based world trading system and to facilitate mutually advantageous trade liberalization. As the GATT evolved over time and morphed into the World Trade Organization in 1993, both goals have largely been achieved. The WTO presides over a rule-based trading system based on norms that are almost universally accepted and respected by its 163 members. Tariffs today are below 5 percent on most trade, and zero for a very large share of imports. Despite its manifest success, the WTO is widely regarded as suffering from a deep malaise. The main reason is that the latest WTO negotiation, the Doha Round, has staggered between failures, flops, and false dawns since it was launched in 2001. But the Doha logjam has not inhibited tariff liberalization—far from it. During the last 15 years, most WTO members have massively lowered barriers to trade, investment, and services bilaterally, regionally, and unilaterally—indeed, everywhere except through the WTO. For today's offshoring-linked international commerce, the trade rules that matter are less about tariffs and more about protection of investments and intellectual property, along with legal and regulatory steps to assure that the two-way flows of goods, services, investment, and people will not be impeded. It’s possible to imagine a hypothetical WTO that would incorporate these rules. But the most likely outcome for the future governance of international trade is a two-pillar structure in which the WTO continues to govern with its 1994-era rules while the new rules for international production networks are set by a decentralized process of sometimes overlapping and inconsistent mega-regional agreements.
Recent advances in understanding hepatitis C
Authors: Douam Florian , Ding Qiang , Ploss Alexander
Published: February 2016

The past decade has seen tremendous progress in understanding hepatitis C virus (HCV) biology and its related disease, hepatitis C. Major advances in characterizing viral replication have led to the development of direct-acting anti-viral therapies that have considerably improved patient treatment outcome and can even cure chronic infection. However, the high cost of these treatments, their low barrier to viral resistance, and their inability to prevent HCV-induced liver cancer, along with the absence of an effective HCV vaccine, all underscore the need for continued efforts to understand the biology of this virus. Moreover, beyond informing therapies, enhanced knowledge of HCV biology is itself extremely valuable for understanding the biology of related viruses, such as dengue virus, which is becoming a growing global health concern. Major advances have been realized over the last few years in HCV biology and pathogenesis, such as the discovery of the envelope glycoprotein E2 core structure, the generation of the first mouse model with inheritable susceptibility to HCV, and the characterization of virus-host interactions that regulate viral replication or innate immunity. Here, we review the recent findings that have significantly advanced our understanding of HCV and highlight the major challenges that remain.
Normalizing sleep quality disturbed by psychiatric polypharmacy and sleep apnea: a comprehensive patient-centered N-of-1 study
Authors: Magnuson Victoria , Wang Yanpin , Schork Nicholas
Published: February 2016

There is a growing interest in personalized and preventive medicine initiatives that leverage serious patient engagement, such as those initiated and pursued among participants in the quantified-self movement. However, many of the self-assessments that result are not rooted in good scientific practices, such as exploiting controls, dose escalation strategies, multiple endpoint monitoring, etc. Areas where individual monitoring and health assessments have great potential involve sleep and behavior, as there are a number of very problematic sleep and behavior-related conditions that are hard to treat without personalization. For example, winter depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a serious, recurrent, atypical depressive disorder impacting millions each year. In order to prevent yearly recurrence antidepressant drugs are used to prophylactically treat SAD. In turn, these antidepressant drugs can affect sleep patterns, further exacerbating the condition. Because of this, possibly unique combinatorial or ‘polypharmaceutical’ interventions involving sleep aids may be prescribed. However, little research into the effects of such polypharmacy on the long-term sleep quality of treated individuals has been pursued. Employing wireless monitoring in a patient-centered study we sought to gain insight into the influence of polypharmacy on sleep patterns and the optimal course of therapy for an individual being treated for SAD with duloxetine (Cymbalta) and temazepam. We analyzed continuous-time sleep data while dosages and combinations of these agents were varied. We found that the administration of Cymbalta led to an exacerbation of the subject’s symptoms in a statistically significant way. Further, we unmasked and monitored treatment effects on a latent obstructive sleep apnea condition. We argue that such analyses may be necessary to effectively treat individuals with similar overall clinical manifestations and diagnosis, despite their having a unique set of symptoms, genetic profiles and exposure histories. We also consider the limitations of our study and areas for further research.
Toward a digital resilience
Authors: Wright Dawn J.
Published: February 2016

As we contend with human impacts on the biosphere, there is rightfully a great emphasis now on community adaptation and resilience to climate change. Recent innovations in information technologies and analyses are helping communities to become more resilient. However, not often discussed in this vein is a path toward digital resilience. If mapping and information tools are to help communities, it stands to reason that they must be resilient themselves, as well as the data that they are based on. In other words, digital tools can help make communities resilient by providing data, evidence-based advice on community decisions, etc., but the resilience of the tools themselves can also be an issue. Digital resilience means that to the greatest extent possible, data and tools should be freely accessible, interchangeable, operational, of high quality, and up-to-date so that they can help give rise to the resilience of communities or other entities using them. Given the speed at which humans are altering the biosphere, the usefulness and effectiveness of these technologies must keep pace. This article reviews and recommends three fundamental digital practices, particularly from the standpoint of geospatial data and for community resilience and policy-making. These are: (1) create and implement a culture that consistently shares not only data, but workflows and use cases with the data, especially within maps and geographic information systems or GIS; (2) use maps and other visuals to tell compelling stories that many different kinds of audiences will understand and remember; and (3) be more open to different kinds of partnerships to reduce project costs, yield better results, and foster public awareness and behavioral change.
Peta batimetri Danau Sentani Papua
Authors: Indrayani Ervina , Handoyo Nitimulyo Kamiso , Hadisusanto Suwarno , . Rustadi
Published: February 2016

Abstract. Lake Sentani is located in Jayapura Regency, Papua Province with an area 9,360 ha and 70-90 meters above sea level. The lake directly adjacent to Cycloops Mountains Nature Reserve, obtaining supplies of about 34 springs.  The aim of the research was to describes the lake bathymetry as a basic information for the utilization. The function are as habitat place for many species, water resources, fisheries, transport and tourism. Morphometry and bathymetry of the lake is very important for the sustainable management of the lake functions as a topography and relief lakes that have different extreme depths. Making the bathymetry of the lake is done with the acoustic method. Recording data using Garmin GPSmap 76CSx and Garmin Echo 100 Fishfinder. The result of the research showed that the depth of Lake Sentani with 9 variation at the different location, in generally range 15-23 m. Meanwhile, the waters of the deepest lake located in the eastern part of the lake is more than 70 m and the lowest depths of 0-7 m are in the middle of the Sentani area.Keywords: bathymetry; morphometry; acoustic method; Garmin Echo 100 Fishfinder; Lake SentaniAbstrak. Danau Sentani terletak di Kabupaten Jayapura, Provinsi Papua dengan luas 9.360 ha dan ketinggian   70–90 m dpl. Danau ini berbatasan langsung dengan Cagar Alam Pegunungan Cycloops dan memperoleh suplai dari sekitar 34 sumber mata air. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah menggambarkan batimetri danau sebagai informasi dasar pemanfaatan danau. Fungsi danau adalah sebagai habitat makhluk hidup, sumber air masyarakat sekitar, perikanan, transportasi dan pariwisata. Mengetahui morfometri dan batimetri danau sangat penting untuk pengelolaan fungsi danau yang berkelanjutan karena kondisi topografi dan relief danau yang memiliki perbedaan kedalaman ekstrim. Pembuatan batimetri danau dilakukan dengan metode akustik. Perekaman data menggunakan Garmin GPSmap 76CSx dan Garmin Echo 100 Fishfinder. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kedalaman perairan Danau Sentani terdiri dari 9 variasi yang umumnya berkisar 15–23 m. Perairan danau terdalam berada di wilayah timur danau yaitu lebih dari 70 m dan kedalaman terendah antara 0–7 m berada di wilayah Sentani tengah.Kata kunci: batimetri; morfometri; metode akustik; Garmin Echo 100 Fishfinder; Danau Sentani
Struktur komunitas ekosistem mangrove di kawasan pesisir Sidangoli Kabupaten Halmahera Barat, Maluku Utara
Authors: Akbar Nebuchadnezzar , Baksir Abdurrachman , Tahir Irmalita
Published: February 2016

Abstract. Mangroves is important ecosystem in coastal. However, multiple  destructive activities to cause reduced mangrove area. The information about area and criteria of mangrove in Sidangoli coastal area, had been doing, however information ecology mangrove unexplored. This information is required to plan better conservation strategy of mangrove. The study was conducted to infer the ecology of mangrove in the Sidangoli coastal of west halmahera regency, North Mollucas. A total of location diveded by four and perform in November 2014. Mangrove sampling, done by the "spot check". The results showed that mangrove of thickness ranging from 145-750 meters and founded 11 specieses from 5 families of mangroves. The ecology analysis showed that frequency and density of mangrove founded station three. Whereas persent cover contained station four and value sicnificant analysis in all station. The mangrove vegetation analysis contained the high frequency, density and value sicnificant is Rhizopora stylosa and high persent cover Sonneratia alba.the overall observation of mangrove explaided that mangrove ecosystem enter in low/damage criteria.Keywords:  Mangroves;  Rhizopora stylosa; spot check; Sonneratia alba Abstrak. Mangrove merupakan ekosistem penting di kawasan pesisir. Tetapi, berbagai macam aktivitas yang bersifat destruktif telah menurunkan luas penyebaran lahan mangrove. Informasi tentang luas dan kriteria mangrove di kawasan pesisir Sidangoli, Kabupaten Halmahera Barat telah dilakukan. Akan tetapi informasi tentang nilai ekologi mangrove belum dilaporkan, sehingga perlu adanya kajian tentang anailsis ekologi mangrove. Informasi nilai ekologi dapat dijadikan sebagai data untuk dijadikan sebagi acuan dalam merencanakan strategi konservasi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui nilai ekologi mangrove dikawasan pesisir Sidangoli Kabupaten Halmahera Barat, Maluku Utara. Lokasi penelitian dibagi menjadi empat dan penelitian dilaksanakan pada November 2014. Pengambilan contoh mangrove, di lakukan dengan menggunakan metode “spot chek”. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan ketebalan mangrove berkisar 145-750 meter dan diperoleh sebanyak 11 jenis dari 5 famili mangrove. Analisis ekologi memperlihatkan bahwa nilai total kerapatan dan frekuensi tertinggi ditemukan pada stasiun  tiga. Sedangkan tutupan tertinggi pada stasiun empat serta nilai penting pada setiap stasiun adalah 300. Analisis vegetasi mangrove disetiap stasiun diperoleh kerapatan, frekuensi dan nilai penting jenis tertinggi adalah Rhizopora stylosa serta tutupan jenis tertinggi adalah Sonneratia alba. Total pangamatan jenis mangrove dan jumlah yang tersedia, menggambarkan kondisi ekosistem mangrove di pesisir Sidangoli masuk dalam kategori rendah/rusak.