bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification and characterization of Photorhabdus temperata mutants altered in hemolysis and virulence
Authors: Chapman Christine , Tisa Louis S.
Published: April 2016

Photorhabdus temperata is a symbiont of the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and an insect pathogen. This bacterium produces a wide variety of virulence factors and hemolytic activity. The goal of this study was to identify hemolysin-defective mutants and test their virulence. A genetic approach was used to identify mutants with altered hemolytic activity by screening a library of 10 000 P. temperata transposon mutants. Three classes of mutants were identified: (i) defective (no hemolytic activity), (ii) delayed (delayed initiation of hemolytic activity), and (iii) early (early initiation of hemolytic activity). The transposon insertion sites for these mutants were identified and used to investigate other physiological properties, including insect pathogenesis and motility. The hemolysin-defective mutants, P10A-C11, P10A-H12, and P79-B5, had inserts in genes involved in RNA turnover (RNase II and 5′-pentaphospho-5′-adenosine pyrophosphohydrolase) and showed reduced virulence and production of extracellular factors. These data support the role of RNA turnover in insect pathogenesis and other physiological functions.
Comparison of soil-to-water suspension ratios for determining electrical conductivity of oil-production-water-contaminated soils
Authors: Klaustermeier Aaron , Tomlinson Hannah , Daigh Aaron L.M. , Limb Ryan , DeSutter Thomas , Sedivec Kevin
Published: April 2016

Soil salinity caused by oil-production-water (brine) contamination is a major issue in regions of oil and gas development. However, rapid site assessment tools such as soil-to-water suspension electrical conductivity (EC) methods and conversion equations have not been previously calibrated and validated for brine-contaminated soils. Our objective was to compare three soil EC methods and derive conversion equations for EC values commonly observed at brine-spill sites. Brine-contaminated soils from western North Dakota were assessed for salinity. Electrical conductivity was determined using 1:1 and 1:5 soil-to-water suspensions (EC1:1, EC1:5) and saturated paste extracts (ECe). Soil EC equilibration times for soil-to-water suspensions were also assessed. Significant relationships (r2 = 0.91 to 0.97, P < 0.0001) existed among all methods for EC values ranging between 0 and 126 dS m−1. Conversion equations were developed based on these relationships and then validated with an independent data set. These new equations reduced ECe prediction errors by 2 to 4.5 times when compare with 14 predictive equations reported in the literature. The conversion equations developed here are recommended for use in remediation efforts when converting EC1:1 and EC1:5 data to ECe on brine-contaminated and noncontaminated soils where ECe is highly correlated to Na concentrations.
Environmental contamination by arsenic and lead in some rural villages in India
Authors: Noda Jun , Hakamada Reika , Suzuki Kazuyki , Miura Teruo , Sera Koichiro
Published: April 2016

This investigation focuses on the arsenic contamination problems in tube well groundwater systems and the different forms of arsenic and other toxic elements accumulated in human hair samples taken in a rural area of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. The local residents at the study site depend on groundwater as their major source of household water. The oxidation reduction potential (ORP) and pH of groundwater samples were measured directly after the sampling of groundwater. Arsenic concentrations were measured directly in water samples by a colorimetric arsenic analysis kit after the water was pumped from a tube well and/or at a nearby laboratory. Human hair samples from the residents of the villages in the study site were analyzed by PIXE to measure a wide range of elements. An atomic absorption spectrometer was also used to measure arsenic concentrations. The results indicated that the concentrations of arsenic in groundwater and human hair were significantly higher in the village of Bada Kanjasa than in the villages of Kanua and Chota Kanjasa (P< 0.05), clearly indicating that the higher arsenic concentration in groundwater reflected the accumulation of arsenic in human hair in the residents of Bada Kanjasa. The PIXE analysis also revealed an unusually high concentration of lead in human hair samples from Chota Kanjasa. Although the actual health effects and the detailed exposure mechanisms remain to be investigated, lead pollution is suspected to be the source of the exposure.
Statistical investigation of the random variations in PIXE hair analysis
Authors: Yamada T. , Kataoka K. , Saunders T. , Sera K. , Takatsuji T. , Nakamura T. , Nose Y.
Published: April 2016

Many studies have been performed to determine the associations between the amounts of minerals present in hair and the health status, toward developing new approaches for disease prevention and prediction. Unfortunately, because of the highly variable results, which can be caused by many factors, there is no definitive consensus on the validity of these values in disease management. A previous proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) study of mothers and infants examined the association between hair minerals and the onset of atopic dermatitis in infants. For many of the minerals identified and analyzed, highly variable intra-individual variations proved problematic, and may have obscured any connections between disease states and the mineral levels. We feel that better statistical modeling of these intra-individual variations might lead to a better understanding of the associations between the hair mineral levels and the patient health status. This report examines the statistical nature of the intra-individual variations due to locations of hair strands and those due to the physical errors of the PIXE experiments. The results for Cu, Fe, Sr and Se are presented.
PIXE analysis of trace elements included in oral lichen planus-affected mucosa
Authors: Iijima S. , Sugiyama Y. , Matsumoto N. , Kumagai A. , Ishibashi S. , Sera K.
Published: April 2016

The purpose of our research is to identify causative metals by using particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) method to directly analyze trace elements in the oral mucosa with oral lichen planus (OLP). Subjects were 72 patients with OLP, and the patients are 25 men and 47 women, with a mean age of 60.1 years (OLP group). The control is elemental analysis data by PIXE method of 100 cases of the oral mucosa of healthy persons (control group). Seventeen essential elements and 12 contaminating elements were detected from the oral mucosa of the OLP and control groups. As to appearance ratio of elements in oral mucosa, among the contaminating elements, levels of Al, Ga, Sb, Hg and Pb were significantly lower, whereas Au and Y were significantly higher in the OLP group than in the control group. About concentration of elements in oral mucosa, the contaminating elements in the oral mucosa of the OLP group had a lower appearance ratio than in the control but each of the contaminating elements was more abundant. Among 25 subjects in the OLP group and seven in the control group, serum, oral mucosa and saliva were collected from the same individual. Abundance in serum and saliva varied depending on the element, but in general, a tendency was seen for contaminating elements to be more abundant in saliva than in serum and for essential elements to be more abundant in serum than in saliva.
Experimental and numerical study of dose distribution around a syringe needle-type proton-induced X-ray source for radiotherapy
Authors: Hu Y. , Kondo K. , Ploykrachang K. , Oguri Y. , Fukuda H.
Published: April 2016

A syringe needle-type proton-induced monochromatic X-ray source was proposed to solve the issue that could occur in practical brachytherapy, such as loss of seed sources and radiation exposure to surgical staff. This paper discusses comparison between experimental results and a Monte Carlo numerical simulation of the dose distribution around the needle. Some simulation results for different source designs are presented as a first step of the design optimization.
Selective internal radiotherapy using proton-induced monochromatic X-rays and cancer-targeting nanoparticle sensitizers
Authors: Oguri Y. , Hu Y. , Ploykrachang K. , Mizushiro Y. , Kondo K. , Fukuda H.
Published: April 2016

In this paper, we propose a highly-selective radiotherapy based on monochromatic X-rays and cancer-targeting gold nanoparticle (GNP) sensitizer. In order to deliver the low-energy monochromatic X-rays which selectively ionize the Au L-shell into the cancerous tissue deep inside the patient’s body, we employ a syringe-needle type X-ray source driven by an MeV proton beam. From a simple numerical evaluation, we found that optimization of the primary X-ray energy was essential to enhance the dose around the nanoparticle. In order to confirm the above idea qualitatively, we performed a simulation experiment in the atmosphere, where 100 nm Au foils were used instead of the GNPs. The experimental result showed that the dose around the Au foils was much higher than that at positions away from the foils, owing to short-range secondary electrons from the foils.
Single and double diffractive dissociation and the problem of extraction of the proton–Pomeron cross-section
Authors: Petrov V. A. , Ryutin R. A.
Published: April 2016

Diffractive dissociation processes are analyzed in the framework of covariant reggeization. We have considered the general form of hadronic tensor and its asymptotic behavior for [Formula: see text] in the case of conserved tensor currents before reggeization. Resulting expressions for differential cross-sections of single dissociation (SD) process [Formula: see text], double dissociation (DD) [Formula: see text] and for the proton–Pomeron cross-section are given in detail, and corresponding problems of the approach are discussed.
Gauge dependence in QED amplitudes in expanding de Sitter space
Authors: Nicolaevici Nistor
Published: April 2016

We consider first-order transition amplitudes in external fields in QED in the expanding de Sitter space and point out that they are gauge dependent quantities. We examine the gauge variations of the amplitudes assuming a decoupling of the interaction at large times, which allows to conclude that the source of the problem lies in the fact that the frequencies of the modes in the infinite future become independent of the comoving momenta. We show that a possibility to assure the gauge invariance of the external field amplitudes is to restrict to potentials which vanish sufficiently fast at infinite times, and briefly discuss a number of options in the face of the possible gauge invariance violation in the full interacting theory.
Doubly and singly charged Higgs pair production at high-energy e+e− linear colliders
Authors: Cao Jun , Tian Xi-Yan
Published: April 2016

The Higgs triplet model predicts the existence of the doubly and singly charged Higgs bosons ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]), whose decay modes are relevant to the vacuum expectation value of the triplet [Formula: see text] and the mass spectrum of these scalars. In this paper, we study the pair production of [Formula: see text] via the processes in [Formula: see text] collisions: [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The numerical results show that the production rates can reach the level of several fb with a center of energy at the TeV scale. The characteristic signals and relevant SM backgrounds are also discussed in both the degenerate and nondegenerate cases. In most of the parameter spaces, their possible signals might be detected via these processes in the future high-energy linear collider experiments with [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text].
On Essential Fixed Points of Compact Mappings on Arbitrary Absolute Neighborhood Retracts and Their Application to Multivalued Fractals
Authors: Andres Jan , Górniewicz Lech
Published: April 2016

The existence of essential fixed points is proved for compact self-maps of arbitrary absolute neighborhood retracts, provided the generalized Lefschetz number is nontrivial and the topological dimension of a fixed point set is equal to zero. Furthermore, continuous self-maps of some special compact absolute neighborhood retracts, whose Lefschetz number is nontrivial, are shown to possess pseudo-essential fixed points even without the zero dimensionality assumption. Both results are applied to the existence of essential and pseudo-essential multivalued fractals. An illustrative example of this application is supplied.
Quadratic and Cubic Nonlinear Oscillators with Damping and Their Applications
Authors: Li Jibin , Feng Zhaosheng
Published: April 2016

We apply the qualitative theory of dynamical systems to study exact solutions and the dynamics of quadratic and cubic nonlinear oscillators with damping. Under certain parametric conditions, we also consider the van der Waals normal form, Chaffee–Infante equation, compound Burgers–KdV equation and Burgers–KdV equation for explicit representations of kink-profile wave solutions and unbounded traveling wave solutions.
Neobenedenia melleniParasite of Red Snapper,Lutjanus erythropterus, with Regression Statistical Analysis between Fish Length, Temperature, and Parasitic Intensity in Infected Fish, Cultured at Jerejak Island, Penang, Malaysia
Authors: Ravi Rajiv , Yahaya Zary Shariman
Published: April 2016

The fish parasites collected fromLutjanus erythropterusfish species showed a correlation with parasitic intensity, fish size, and temperature, and statistical model summary was produced using SPSS version 20, statistical software. Statistical model summary concluded that among the variables which significantly predict the prevalence ofNeobenedenia melleniparasites are fish length and water temperature, both significant at 1% and 5%. Furthermore, the increase in one unit of fish length, holding other variables constant, increases the prevalence of parasite by approximately 1 (0.7≈1) unit. Also, increasing the temperature from 32°C to 33°C will positively increase the number of parasites by approximately 0.32 units, holding other variables constant. The model can be summarized as estimated number ofNeobenedenia melleniparasites = 8.2 + 0.7⁎(fish length) + 0.32⁎(water temperature). Next, this study has also shown the DNA sequence and parasitic morphology ofNeobenedenia melleni. Nucleotide sequence for 18s ribosomal gene RNA in this study showed 99% similarity withN. melleniEU707804.1 from GenBank. Finally, all the sequence ofNeobenedenia melleniin this study was deposited in GenBank with accession numbers of KU843501, KU843502, KU843503, and KU843504.
Breath Figure-Assisted Fabrication of Nanostructured Coating on Silicon Surface and Evaluation of Its Antireflection Power
Authors: Galeotti Francesco , Trespidi Franco , Pasini Mariacecilia
Published: April 2016

We report our recent results on the fabrication of nanostructured polymer layers aimed at developing efficient antireflection coating on silicon. The proposed manufacturing approach is based on self-assembly and relies on breath figure formation. By simple and straightforward operations, we are able to produce different nanostructured coatings: densely packed nanodomes, randomly distributed nanopores, and multilayered close-packed nanopores. By optical reflectivity measurements on coated silicon wafers, we show that the latter type of nanostructure is able to reduce the reflectivity of standard silicon surface (≈40% at 450 nm) to about 10%.
Power Consumption Based Android Malware Detection
Authors: Yang Hongyu , Tang Ruiwen
Published: April 2016

In order to solve the problem that Android platform’s sand-box mechanism prevents security protection software from accessing effective information to detect malware, this paper proposes a malicious software detection method based on power consumption. Firstly, the mobile battery consumption status information was obtained, and the Gaussian mixture model (GMM) was built by using Mel frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC). Then, the GMM was used to analyze power consumption; malicious software can be classified and detected through classification processing. Experiment results demonstrate that the function of an application and its power consumption have a close relationship, and our method can detect some typical malicious application software accurately.
A Case of Sublingual Ranula That Responded Successfully to Localized Injection Treatment with OK-432 after Healing from Drug Induced Hypersensitivity Syndrome
Authors: Yoshizawa Kunio , Moroi Akinori , Kawashiri Shuichi , Ueki Koichiro
Published: April 2016

A ranula is a mucus retention cyst or pseudocyst caused by leakage of mucus from the sublingual gland and generally occurs in the oral floor. In addition, drug induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS) is a rare but well-recognized serious adverse effect characterized by fever, skin rashes, generalized lymphadenopathy, hepatitis, and hepatosplenomegaly and oral stomatitis. This paper presents the first case of successfully treated sublingual ranula with localized injection of OK-432 after healing from drug induced hypersensitivity syndrome, which has previously been unreported in the literature. We present the case of a 38-year-old Japanese woman with sublingual ranula that responded successfully to localized injection treatment with OK-432 after healing from drug induced hypersensitivity syndrome. She was affected with cutaneous myositis and interstitial lung disease when she was 26 years old. At the age 34 years, she received additional oral treatment of diaminodiphenyl-sulfone due to deterioration of the cutaneous myositis, which resulted in drug induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS) with severe oral stomatitis. Local injection of OK-432 to the ranula may be a very safe and useful treatment method even if the patient has a history of drug allergy and has connective tissue disease such as cutaneous myositis.
Inherent and Tumor-Driven Immune Tolerance in the Prostate Microenvironment Impairs Natural Killer Cell Antitumor Activity
Authors: Pasero Christine , Gravis Gwenaëlle , Guerin Mathilde , Granjeaud Samuel , Thomassin-Piana Jeanne , Rocchi Palma , Paciencia-Gros Maria , Poizat Flora , Bentobji Mélanie , Azario-Cheillan Francine , Walz Jochen , Salem Naji , Brunelle Serge , Moretta Alessandro , Olive Daniel
Published: April 2016

The field of immunotherapy for solid tumors, such as prostate cancer, has been recently focusing on therapies that can counter tumor-mediated immunosuppression. Precise quantification and characterization of the immune infiltrates in tumors is crucial to improve treatment efficacy. Natural killer (NK) cells, major components of the antitumor immune system, have never been isolated from prostate tumors, despite their suspected role in disease progression. Here, we examined the frequency, phenotype, and functions of NK cells infiltrating control and tumor prostate tissues. NK cell infiltrates in prostate tissues were mainly CD56 (NCAM1)-positive and displayed an unexpected immature, but activated, phenotype with low or no cytotoxic potential. Furthermore, we show that TGFβ1 (TGFB1) is highly secreted into the prostate environment and partly mediates the immunosuppressive effects on NK cells. In addition to this basal level of immunotolerance to NK cells, the prostate environment became further resistant to NK cell–mediated immunity upon cancer cell infiltration. Coculture experiments revealed that prostate cancer cells induced the expression of inhibitory receptor (ILT2/LILRB1) and downregulated the expression of activating receptors NKp46 (NCR1), NKG2D (KLRK1), and CD16 (FCGR3) by NK cells, thus preventing their recognition of tumor cells. Notably, blood levels of NKp46 were also decreased in prostate cancer patients and were inversely correlated with levels of prostate-specific antigen, the main prognostic factor in prostate cancer. Our study shows that a strong immunosuppressive environment impairs NK cell function at multiple levels in prostate cancer and provides a rationale for the design of therapies that restore NK cell efficiency in the prostate tumor microenvironment. Cancer Res; 76(8); 2153–65. ©2016 AACR.
c-Myb Enhances Breast Cancer Invasion and Metastasis through the Wnt/β-Catenin/Axin2 Pathway
Authors: Li Yihao , Jin Ke , van Pelt Gabi W. , van Dam Hans , Yu Xiao , Mesker Wilma E. , ten Dijke Peter , Zhou Fangfang , Zhang Long
Published: April 2016

The molecular underpinnings of aggressive breast cancers remain mainly obscure. Here we demonstrate that activation of the transcription factor c-Myb is required for the prometastatic character of basal breast cancers. An analysis of breast cancer patients led us to identify c-Myb as an activator of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. c-Myb interacted with the intracellular Wnt effector β-catenin and coactivated the Wnt/β-catenin target genes Cyclin D1 and Axin2. Moreover, c-Myb controlled metastasis in an Axin2-dependent manner. Expression microarray analyses revealed a positive association between Axin2 and c-Myb, a target of the proinflammatory cytokine IL1β that was found to be required for IL1β-induced breast cancer cell invasion. Overall, our results identified c-Myb as a promoter of breast cancer invasion and metastasis through its ability to activate Wnt/β-catenin/Axin2 signaling. Cancer Res; 76(11); 3364–75. ©2016 AACR.
Plasma Metabolomic Changes following PI3K Inhibition as Pharmacodynamic Biomarkers: Preclinical Discovery to Phase I Trial Evaluation
Authors: Ang Joo Ern , Pandher Rupinder , Ang Joo Chew , Asad Yasmin J. , Henley Alan T. , Valenti Melanie , Box Gary , de Haven Brandon Alexis , Baird Richard D. , Friedman Lori , Derynck Mika , Vanhaesebroeck Bart , Eccles Suzanne A. , Kaye Stan B. , Workman Paul , de Bono Johann S. , Raynaud Florence I.
Published: April 2016

PI3K plays a key role in cellular metabolism and cancer. Using a mass spectrometry–based metabolomics platform, we discovered that plasma concentrations of 26 metabolites, including amino acids, acylcarnitines, and phosphatidylcholines, were decreased in mice bearing PTEN-deficient tumors compared with non–tumor-bearing controls and in addition were increased following dosing with class I PI3K inhibitor pictilisib (GDC-0941). These candidate metabolomics biomarkers were evaluated in a phase I dose-escalation clinical trial of pictilisib. Time- and dose-dependent effects were observed in patients for 22 plasma metabolites. The changes exceeded baseline variability, resolved after drug washout, and were recapitulated on continuous dosing. Our study provides a link between modulation of the PI3K pathway and changes in the plasma metabolome and demonstrates that plasma metabolomics is a feasible and promising strategy for biomarker evaluation. Also, our findings provide additional support for an association between insulin resistance, branched-chain amino acids, and related metabolites following PI3K inhibition. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(6); 1412–24. ©2016 AACR.
BRAF
V600E Mutations in High-Grade Colorectal Neuroendocrine Tumors May Predict Responsiveness to BRAF–MEK Combination Therapy
Authors: Klempner Samuel J. , Gershenhorn Bruce , Tran Phu , Lee Thomas K. , Erlander Mark G. , Gowen Kyle , Schrock Alexa B. , Morosini Deborah , Ross Jeffrey S. , Miller Vincent A. , Stephens Philip J. , Ou Sai-Hong Ignatius , Ali Siraj M.
Published: April 2016

Neuroendocrine tumors comprise a heterogeneous group of malignancies with a broad spectrum of clinical behavior. Poorly differentiated tumors follow an aggressive course with limited treatment options, and new approaches are needed. Oncogenic BRAF V600E (BRAFV600E) substitutions are observed primarily in melanoma, colon cancer, and non–small cell lung cancer, but have been identified in multiple tumor types. Here, we describe the first reported recurrent BRAFV600E mutations in advanced high-grade colorectal neuroendocrine tumors and identify a BRAF alteration frequency of 9% in 108 cases. Among these BRAF alterations, 80% were BRAFV600E. Dramatic response to BRAF–MEK combination therapy occurred in two cases of metastatic high-grade rectal neuroendocrine carcinoma refractory to standard therapy. Urinary BRAFV600E circulating tumor DNA monitoring paralleled disease response. Our series represents the largest study of genomic profiling in colorectal neuroendocrine tumors and provides strong evidence that BRAFV600E is an oncogenic driver responsive to BRAF–MEK combination therapy in this molecular subset.

Significance: BRAFV600E is an established oncogenic driver, but significant disparities in response exist among tumor types. Two patients with treatment-refractory high-grade colorectal neuroendocrine tumors harboring BRAFV600E exhibited rapid and durable response to combined BRAF–MEK inhibition, providing the first clinical evidence of efficacy in this aggressive tumor type. Cancer Discov; 6(6); 594–600. ©2016 AACR.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 561
Liver Failure due to Acute Viral Hepatitis (A-E)
Authors: Manka Paul , Verheyen Jens , Gerken Guido , Canbay Ali
Published: April 2016

Background: Viral hepatitis is still one of the key causes of acute liver failure (ALF) in the world. Methods: A selective literature search of the PubMed database was conducted, including current studies, reviews, meta-analyses, and guidelines. We obtained an overview of ALF due to viral hepatitis in terms of epidemiology, course, and treatment options. Results: Most fulminant viral courses are reported after infection with hepatitis A, B, and B/D, but not with hepatitis C. Hepatitis E is also known to cause ALF but has not gained much attention in recent years. However, more and more autochthonous hepatitis E virus infections have been recently observed in Europe. Reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) under immunosuppressive conditions, such as after intensive chemotherapy, is also an increasing problem. For most viral-induced cases of ALF, liver transplantation represented the only therapeutic option in the past. Today, immediate treatment of HBV-induced ALF with nucleotide or nucleoside analogs is well tolerated and beneficially affects the course of the disease. Conclusion: Although numbers in Western European countries are decreasing rapidly, reliable diagnostic screening for hepatitis A-E is necessary to identify the etiology and to determine those most at risk of developing ALF.
Microbubble-Mediated Sonothrombolysis Improves Outcome After Thrombotic Microembolism-Induced Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Lu Yongkang , Wang Junfen , Huang Ruizhu , Chen Gangbin , Zhong Lintao , Shen Shuxin , Zhang Chuanxi , Li Xinzhong , Cao Shiping , Liao Wangjun , Liao Yulin , Bin Jianping
Published: April 2016

Background and Purpose—

Microthrombi originating from disintegrated clots or formed in situ may account for the poor clinical improvement of acute ischemic stroke after recanalization therapy. We attempted to determine whether microbubble-mediated sonothrombolysis could dissolve platelet-rich and erythrocyte-rich microthrombi, thereby reducing their brain injury-causing potential.

Methods—

Platelet- and erythrocyte-rich microthrombosis were induced by periadventitial application of 5% ferric chloride or thrombin to mesenteric microvessels in 75 Sprague–Dawley rats. Acute ischemic stroke was induced by intracarotid injection of platelet- or erythrocyte-rich microthrombi in another 50 rats. Rats were randomly divided into control (CON), ultrasound (US), ultrasound and microbubble (US+MB), recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (r-tPA), and US+MB+r-tPA groups. The post-treatment mesenteric microvessel recanalization rates, cerebral infarct volumes, and neurological scores were determined.

Results—

The recanalization rates of platelet- and erythrocyte-rich microthrombi in mesenteric microvessels were higher (
P
<0.05), and the cerebral infarct volumes and neurological scores of rats with either microthrombi were lower in the US+MB group than in the CON group (
P
<0.01). The infarct volumes and neurological scores were greater in the r-tPA group than in the US+MB and US+MB+r-tPA groups after treatment of rats with platelet-rich microthrombi (
P
<0.05). In contrast, after treatment of rats with erythrocyte-rich microthrombi, the infarct volumes and neurological scores were similar in the r-tPA and US+MB groups, but smaller in the US+MB+r-tPA group (
P
<0.05).

Conclusions—

Microbubble-mediated sonothrombolysis improved the outcomes of microthrombi-induced acute ischemic stroke. Thus, this method may serve as an attractive adjunct to recanalization therapy for acute ischemic stroke.
National Analysis of 2454 Pediatric Moyamoya Admissions and the Effect of Hospital Volume on Outcomes
Authors: Titsworth W. Lee , Scott R. Michael , Smith Edward R.
Published: April 2016

Background and Purpose—

Comprehensive multicenter data on treatment of pediatric moyamoya in the United States is lacking. We sought to identify national trends in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

Methods—

A total of 2454 moyamoya admissions from 1997 to 2012 were identified from the Kids Inpatient Database. Demographics, inpatient costs, interventions, and discharge status were analyzed. Admissions with and without surgical revascularization were reviewed separately. The effect of hospital moyamoya volume on outcomes was analyzed by multivariate regression analysis.

Results—

Care of moyamoya patients has been concentrating at high-volume centers during the past 12 years. Among moyamoya admission without surgical revascularization, high-volume hospitals show no difference in length of stay, cost, or complications compared with low-volume centers. However, low-volume hospitals have more nonroutine discharges (odds ratio, 2.32;
P
=0.0005) and inpatient deaths (odds ratio, 12.7;
P
=0.02) when no revascularization was performed. In contrast, among admissions with surgical revascularization, high-volume centers had decreased length of stay (4.7 versus 6.2 days;
P
=0.004), reduced cost ($88 000 versus $138 000;
P
<0.0001), and no increase in complications (
P
=0.29) compared with low-volume centers. Admissions with revascularization to low-volume hospitals also had increased likelihood of nonroutine discharge (odds ratio, 8.23;
P
=0.02) compared with high-volume centers.

Conclusions—

This is the largest study of US pediatric moyamoya admissions to date. These data demonstrate that volume correlates with outcome, indicating high-volume centers provide significantly improved care and reduced mortality in pediatric moyamoya patients, with the most marked benefit observed in admissions for surgical revascularization.
THE ANGELOMORPHIC SPIRIT IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY: REVELATION, THE SHEPHERD OF HERMAS, CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA
Authors: Bucur Bogdan G.
Published: April 2016

Building on John R. Levison’s study on «The Angelic Spirit in Early Judaism», which documented the widespread use of the term «spirit» as a designation for an angelic presence, this essay argues the presence of an «angelomorphic Pneumatology» in three early Christian sources: the book of Revelation, the Shepherd of Hermas, and Clement of Alexandria. It is argued that angelomorphic Pneumatology occurs in tandem with Spirit Christology, within a binitarian theological framework. This larger theological articulation results in a quasi-Trinitarian structure of the divine world, featuring the Father, the Son/Spirit, and the angelomorphic Spirit. The final section of the essay proposes a theological interpretation of these data.
THE BODY OF CHRIST: SAINT SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN ON SPIRITUAL LIFE AND THE HIERARCHICAL CHURCH
Authors: Alexander Hieromonk
Published: April 2016

The article deals with the analysis of Simeon the New Theologian's thoughts on the Church which was profoundly influenced by the ideas of Dionysius the Areopagite. The study concludes with a discussion of Symeon's fourteenth Ethical Discourse where the impress of Dionysius' treatises on the hierarchies is per-haps at its clearest
THE IMAGE AND GLORY OF GOD IN JACOB OF SERUG'S HOMILY, «ON THAT CHARIOT THAT EZEKIEL THE PROPHET SAW»
Authors: Alexander Hieromonk
Published: April 2016

Jacob of Serug († 521) is, after Ephrem of Nisibis, the most beloved of theologian poets among the Syriac-speaking Christians of the East. Until recently, though, he was not well known in Western Christian circles and, when discussed at all, was usually associated with Severus of Antioch and Philoxenus of Mabbug as part of a triad of the most important, early sixth-century «Monophysites» theologians. This article seeks rather to examine one of Jacob's works, the long verse homily on Ezekiel's chariot vision, against the background of those traditions common in particular to Eastern Christianity and looking to their origins in the Judaism of the Second Temple. The homily conjoins three biblical texts: Genesis 1:26; Ezekiel 1:26, 28; and Phillipians 2:6. Its point is simple and fully in accord with, especially, pre-Nicene Christianity: the one who appeared to Moses and the prophets is the same one who was born of Mary Theotokos. While making this point, however, Jacob draws on — and occasionally opposes and criticizes — originally Second Temple Jewish traditions around the figure of Adam, mystical ascent to the divine throne, and the object of that ascent, the vision of the glorious form of God. He is thus a witness to the currency of these traditions in Christian circles, perhaps especially among the monks. His answer is the Eucharist. In the divine liturgy, he argues, everything that the prophet saw is present, and the one whom the ancients longed to go up to heaven to see, the one who rides on the throne of the cherubim, is present to the Christian in the bread and wine of communio
TOO VAST TO FIT IN THE WORLD: MOSES, ADAM, AND IN THE TESTAMENT OF MOSES 11:8
Authors: Bunta Silviu N.
Published: April 2016

As part of an incessantly growing literature on Moses, the portrayal of Moses in Testament of Moses has received extensive attention in modern scholarship. While the peculiarity of 11:8, in which Moses' sepulcher is described as covering the whole world, from one extremity to another, has been long noted, the paragraph has not yet been analyzed in any thorough study. This article analyzes 11:8 in its textual and contextual aspects. It argues that the peculiar words about Moses' burial constitute an expression of a Second Temple tradition that portrays Moses as a physically enormous being. Aetas, which is a translation for the Greek hltKta, meaning both stature and age, is part of the language of speculations about God's enormous corporeality as early as the first century C.E. Augustine's polemics attest that the term is still part of the language of Christian anthropomorphite circles in the fifth century. The four directions in 11:8 appear in similar contemporary (first century C.E.) speculations about Adam's enormous size. The connection, often competitive, between Adam and Moses is attested in an early Jewish lore that considers Moses the heir of Adam's corporeality, of his . This lore provides the theological context in which expressions used in descriptions of Adam's enormous corporeality become elements of the portrayal of Moses' body.
CELESTIAL CHOIRMASTER: THE LITURGICAL ROLE OF ENOCH-METATRON IN 2 ENOCH AND THE MERKABAH TRADITION
Authors: Orlov Andrei A.
Published: April 2016

Enoch-Metatron's liturgical office plays a prominent role in the Merkabah lore, yet this tradition appears to be absent in early Enochic texts, including the compositions collected in 1 Enoch, Jubilees, Genesis Apocryphon and the Book of Giants. Despite this apparent absence, this study argues that the roots of Enoch-Metatron's liturgical imagery can be traced to the Second Temple Enochic lore, namely, to 2 Enoch, the Jewish apocalypse, apparently written in the first century CE. Some traditions found in this text appear to serve as the initial background for the developments of the future liturgical role of Enoch-Metatron as the celestial choirmaster. Scholars have previously noted that Enoch's figure portrayed in the various sections of 2 Enoch appears to be more complex than in the early Enochic tractates of 1 Enoch. For the first time, the Enochic tradition seeks to depict Enoch, not simply as a human taken to heaven and transformed into an angel, but as a celestial being exalted above the angelic world. In this attempt, one may find the origins of another image of Enoch, very different from the early Enochic literature, which was developed much later in Merkabah mysticism — the concept of the supreme angel Metatron, the «Prince of the Presence». The attestation of the seventh antediluvian patriarch as the celestial liturgical director in 2 Enoch gives additional weight to this hypothesis about the transitionary nature of the Slavonic account which guides the old pseudepigraphical traditions into the new mystical dimension. In this respect the tradition found in 2 Enoch represents an important step towards defining and shaping Enoch-Metatron's liturgical office in its transition to his new role as the celestial choirmaster. It is also significant that the beginning of Enoch's liturgical functions in 2 Enoch is conflat¬ed there with the development of his new titles-offices as the Youth and the Servant of the Divine Presence which will later play a prominent role in the Merkabah passages pertaining to Metatron's liturgical actions.
The Warm-Core Structure of Hurricane Earl (2010)
Authors: Stern Daniel P. , Zhang Fuqing
Published: April 2016

The warm-core structure of Hurricane Earl (2010) is examined on four different days, spanning periods of both rapid intensification (RI) and weakening, using high-altitude dropsondes from both the inner core and the environment, as well as a convection-permitting numerical forecast. During RI, strong warming occurred at all heights, while during rapid weakening, little temperature change was observed, implying the likelihood of substantial (unobserved) cooling above flight level (12 km). Using a local environmental reference state yields a perturbation temperature profile with two distinct maxima of approximately equal magnitude: one at 4–6-km and the other at 9–12-km height. However, using a climatological-mean sounding instead results in the upper-level maximum being substantially stronger than the midlevel maximum. This difference results from the fact that the local environment of Earl was warmer than the climatological mean and that this relative warmth increased with height. There is no obvious systematic relationship between the height of the warm core and either intensity or intensity change for either reference state.

The structure of the warm core simulated by the convection-permitting forecast compares well with the observations for the periods encompassing RI. Later, an eyewall replacement cycle went unforecast, and increased errors in the warm-core structure are likely related to errors in the forecast wind structure. At most times, the simulated radius of maximum winds (RMW) had too great of an outward slope (the upper-level RMW was too large), and this is likely also associated with structural biases in the warm core.
A Robust but Spurious Pattern of Climate Change in Model Projections over the Tropical Indian Ocean
Authors: Li Gen , Xie Shang-Ping , Du Yan
Published: April 2016

Climate models consistently project reduced surface warming over the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean (IO) under increased greenhouse gas (GHG) forcing. This IO dipole (IOD)-like warming pattern, regarded as robust based on consistency among models by the new Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, results in a large increase in the frequency of extreme positive IOD (pIOD) events, elevating the risk of climate and weather disasters in the future over IO rim countries. These projections, however, do not consider large model biases in both the mean state and interannual IOD variance. In particular, a “present–future relationship” is identified between the historical simulations and representative concentration pathway (RCP) 8.5 experiments from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) multimodel ensemble: models with an excessive IOD amplitude bias tend to project a strong IOD-like warming pattern in the mean and a large increase in extreme pIOD occurrences under increased GHG forcing. This relationship links the present simulation errors to future climate projections, and is also consistent with our understanding of Bjerknes ocean–atmosphere feedback. This study calibrates regional climate projections by using this present–future relationship and observed IOD amplitude. The results show that the projected IOD-like pattern of mean changes and frequency increase of extreme pIOD events are largely artifacts of model errors and unlikely to emerge in the future. These results illustrate that a robust projection may still be biased and it is important to consider the model bias effect.
Annual Sea Level Changes on the North American Northeast Coast: Influence of Local Winds and Barotropic Motions
Authors: Piecuch Christopher G. , Dangendorf Sönke , Ponte Rui M. , Marcos Marta
Published: April 2016

Understanding the relationship between coastal sea level and the variable ocean circulation is crucial for interpreting tide gauge records and projecting sea level rise. In this study, annual sea level records (adjusted for the inverted barometer effect) from tide gauges along the North American northeast coast over 1980–2010 are compared to a set of data-assimilating ocean reanalysis products as well as a global barotropic model solution forced with wind stress and barometric pressure. Correspondence between models and data depends strongly on model and location. At sites north of Cape Hatteras, the barotropic model shows as much (if not more) skill than ocean reanalyses, explaining about 50% of the variance in the adjusted annual tide gauge sea level records. Additional numerical experiments show that annual sea level changes along this coast from the barotropic model are driven by local wind stress over the continental shelf and slope. This result is interpreted in the light of a simple dynamic framework, wherein bottom friction balances surface wind stress in the alongshore direction and geostrophy holds in the across-shore direction. Results highlight the importance of barotropic dynamics on coastal sea level changes on interannual and decadal time scales; they also have implications for diagnosing the uncertainties in current ocean reanalyses, using tide gauge records to infer past changes in ocean circulation, and identifying the physical mechanisms responsible for projected future regional sea level rise.
Calibration Method of Low-Light Sensor Based on Bridge Lights
Authors: Ma Shuo , Yan Wei , Huang Yunxian , Jiang Jun , Hu Shensen , Wang Yingqiang
Published: April 2016

Many quantitative uses of the nighttime imagery provided by low-light sensors, such as the day–night band (DNB) on board the Suomi–National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (SNPP), have emerged recently. Owing to the low nighttime radiance, low-light calibration at night must be investigated in detail. Traditional vicarious calibration methods are based on some targets with nearly invariant surface properties under lunar illumination. However, the relatively stable light emissions may also be used to realize the radiometric calibration under low light. This paper presents a low-light calibration method based on bridge lights, and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) DNB data are used to assess the proposed method. A comparison of DNB high-gain-stage (HGS) radiances over a 2-yr period from August 2012 to July 2014 demonstrates that the predictions are consistent with the observations, and the agreement between the predictions and the observations is on the order of −2.9% with an uncertainty of 9.3% (1σ) for the Hangzhou Bay Bridge and −3.9% with an uncertainty of 7.2% (1σ) for the Donghai Bridge. Such a calibration method based on stable light emissions has a wide application prospect for the calibration of low-light sensors at night.
Development and Application of a Simplified Coplane Wind Retrieval Algorithm Using Dual-Beam Airborne Doppler Radar Observations for Tropical Cyclone Prediction
Authors: Melhauser Christopher , Zhang Fuqing
Published: April 2016

Based on established coplane methodology, a simplified three-dimensional wind retrieval algorithm is proposed to derive two-dimensional wind vectors from radial velocity observations by the tail Doppler radars on board the NOAA P3 hurricane reconnaissance aircraft. Validated against independent in situ flight-level and dropsonde observations before and after genesis of Hurricane Karl (2010), each component of the retrieved wind vectors near the aircraft track has an average error of approximately 1.5 m s−1, which increases with the scanning angle and distance away from the aircraft track. Simulated radial velocities derived from a convection-permitting simulation of Karl are further used to systematically quantify errors of the simplified coplane algorithm. The accuracy of the algorithm is strongly dependent on the time between forward and backward radar scans and to a lesser extent, the zero vertical velocity assumption at large angles relative to a plane parallel with the aircraft wings. A proof-of-concept experiment assimilating the retrieved wind vectors with an ensemble Kalman filter shows improvements in track and intensity forecasts similar to assimilating radial velocity super observations or the horizontal wind vectors from the analysis retrievals provided by the Hurricane Research Division of NOAA. Future work is needed to systematically evaluate this simplified coplane algorithm with proper error characteristics for TC initialization and prediction through a large number of events to establish statistical significance.
A Diagnostic Case Study of Mei-Yu Frontal Retreat and Associated Low Development near Taiwan
Authors: Wang Chung-Chieh , Tai-Jen Chen George , Ho Kuok-Hou
Published: April 2016

After advancing southward across Taiwan and becoming quasi stationary, a mei-yu front moved north again and led to a second period of significant rainfall during 13–14 June 2012. Associated with this frontal retreat, a meso-α-scale low pressure developed to the southwest of Taiwan, in the proximity of organized mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) along and south of the front over the northern South China Sea. In this study, using mainly the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts gridded analyses, the physical mechanisms of this frontal retreat are investigated and diagnosed, with a focus on the initial retreat and the role played by the deepening frontal low.

The diagnoses employing the vorticity equation and frontogenetical function both indicate that the appearance of southerly winds, and thus the retrogression of cold air north of the front was the cause of the initial frontal retreat, consistent with earlier studies. The potential vorticity diagnosis using the piecewise inversion technique further confirms that the deepening low over the southern Taiwan Strait provided the southerly winds east of Taiwan where the retreat started, while the low itself intensified in response to the persistent latent heating by the active and organized MCSs. Thus, the northerly winds on the cold side of the front near Taiwan were replaced by southerly winds, and the mei-yu front in the present case retreated and essentially became a warm front. While mei-yu frontal retreats near Taiwan are more frequent than previously recognized, the present case was the most significant event in three seasons during 2012–14.