bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of Patched-1 Prevents Injury-Induced Neointimal Hyperplasia
Authors: Redmond Eileen M. , Hamm Katie , Cullen John P. , Hatch Ekaterina , Cahill Paul A. , Morrow David 
Published: June 2013

Objective—
To determine the role of patched receptor (Ptc)-1 in mediating pulsatile flow-induced changes in vascular smooth muscle cell growth and vascular remodeling.

Approach and Results—
In vitro, human coronary arterial smooth muscle cells were exposed to normal or pathological low pulsatile flow conditions for 24 hours using a perfused transcapillary flow system. Low pulsatile flow increased vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation when compared with normal flow conditions. Inhibition of Ptc-1 by cyclopamine attenuated low flow-induced increases in Notch expression while concomitantly decreasing human coronary arterial smooth muscle cell growth to that similar under normal flow conditions. In vivo, ligation injury–induced low flow increased vascular smooth muscle cell growth and vascular remodeling, while increasing Ptc-1/Notch expression. Perivascular delivery of Ptc-1 small interfering RNA by pluronic gel inhibited the pathological low flow–induced increases in Ptc-1/Notch expression and markedly reduced the subsequent vascular remodeling.

Conclusions—
These results suggest that pathological low flow stimulates smooth muscle cell growth in vitro and vascular remodeling in vivo via Ptc-1 regulation of Notch signaling.
Mechanically Unloading the Left Ventricle Before Coronary Reperfusion Reduces Left Ventricular Wall Stress and Myocardial Infarct Size
Authors: Kapur Navin K. , Paruchuri Vikram , Urbano-Morales Jose Angel , Mackey Emily E. , Daly Gerard H. , Qiao Xiaoying , Pandian Natesa , Perides George , Karas Richard H. 
Published: June 2013

Background—
Ischemia/reperfusion injury worsens infarct size, a major determinant of morbidity and mortality after acute myocardial infarction (MI). We tested the hypothesis that reducing left ventricular wall stress with a percutaneous left atrial-to-femoral artery centrifugal bypass system while delaying coronary reperfusion limits myocardial injury in a model of acute MI.

Methods and Results—

MI was induced by balloon occlusion of the left anterior descending artery in adult male swine. In the MI group (n=4), 120 minutes of left anterior descending artery occlusion was followed by 120 minutes of reperfusion without mechanical support. In the mechanically supported group (MI+unload; n=4), percutaneous left atrial–to–femoral artery bypass was initiated after 120 minutes of ischemia, and left anterior descending artery occlusion was prolonged for an additional 30 minutes, followed by 120 minutes of reperfusion with device support. All animals were euthanized after reperfusion, and infarct size was quantified by triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Compared with baseline, mean left ventricular wall stress and stroke work were not changed at any point in the MI group but were decreased after reperfusion in the MI+unload group (mean left ventricular wall stress, 44 658 versus 22 963 dynes/cm
2
; stroke work, 2823 versus 655 mm Hg·mL, MI versus MI+unload). Phosphorylation of reperfusion injury salvage kinase pathway proteins from noninfarcted left ventricular tissue was unchanged in the MI group but was increased in the MI+unload group. Compared with the MI group, total infarct size was reduced in the MI+unload group (49% versus 28%, MI versus MI+unload).

Conclusions—
These data support that first unloading the left ventricle despite delaying coronary reperfusion during an acute MI reduces myocardial injury.
Effect of B Vitamins and Lowering Homocysteine on Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Previous Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack
Authors: Hankey Graeme J. , Ford Andrew H. , Yi Qilong , Eikelboom John W. , Lees Kennedy R. , Chen Christopher , Xavier Denis , Navarro Jose C. , Ranawaka Udaya K. , Uddin Wasim , Ricci Stefano , Gommans John , Schmidt Reinhold , Almeida Osvaldo P. , van Bockxmeer Frank M. 
Published: June 2013

Background and Purpose—
High plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) has been associated with cognitive impairment but lowering tHcy with B-vitamins has produced equivocal results. We aimed to determine whether B-vitamin supplementation would reduce tHcy and the incidence of new cognitive impairment among individuals with stroke or transient ischemic attack ≥6 months previously.

Methods—
A total of 8164 patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack were randomly allocated to double-blind treatment with one tablet daily of B-vitamins (folic acid, 2 mg; vitamin B6, 25 mg; vitamin B12, 500 μg) or placebo and followed up for 3.4 years (median) in the VITAmins TO Prevent Stroke (VITATOPS) trial. For this prespecified secondary analysis of VITATOPS, the primary outcome was a new diagnosis of cognitive impairment, defined as a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score <24 on ≥2 follow-up visits. Secondary outcomes were cognitive decline, and the mean tHcy and MMSE at final follow-up.

Results—

A total of 3089 participants (38%) voluntarily undertook the MMSE >6 months after the qualifying stroke; 2608 participants were cognitively unimpaired (MMSE ≥24), of whom 2214 participants (1110 B-vitamins versus 1104 placebo) had follow-up MMSEs during 2.8 years (median). At final follow-up, allocation to B-vitamins, compared with placebo, was associated with a reduction in mean tHcy (10.2 μmol/L versus 14.2 μmol/L;
P
<0.001) but no change from baseline in the mean MMSE score (−0.22 points versus −0.25 points; difference, 0.03; 95% confidence interval, −0.13 to 0.19;
P
=0.726) and no difference in the incidence of cognitive impairment (5.51% versus 5.47%; risk ratio, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 0.69–1.48;
P
=0.976), cognitive decline (9.1% versus 10.3%; risk ratio, 0.89; 0.67–1.18;
P
=0.414), or cognitive impairment or decline (11.0% versus 11.3%; risk ratio, 0.98; 0.75–1.27;
P
=0.855).

Conclusions—
Daily supplementation with folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 to a self-selected clinical trial cohort of cognitively unimpaired patients with previous stroke or transient ischemic attack lowered mean tHcy but had no effect on the incidence of cognitive impairment or cognitive decline, as measured by the MMSE, during a median of 2.8 years.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.controlled-trials.com
. Unique identifier: ISRCTN74743444; URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00097669.
A Robust C-Band Hydrometeor Identification Algorithm and Application to a Long-Term Polarimetric Radar Dataset
Authors: Dolan Brenda , Rutledge Steven A. , Lim S. , Chandrasekar V. , Thurai M. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractA new 10-category, polarimetric-based hydrometeor identification algorithm (HID) for C band is developed from theoretical scattering simulations including wet snow, hail, and big drops/melting hail. The HID is applied to data from seven wet seasons in Darwin, Australia, using the polarimetric C-band (C-POL) radar, to investigate microphysical differences between monsoon and break periods. Scattering simulations reveal significant Mie effects with large hail (diameter > 1.5 cm), with reduced reflectivity and enhanced differential reflectivity Zdr and specific differential phase Kdp relative to those associated with S band. Wet snow is found to be associated with greatly depreciated correlation coefficient ρhv and moderate values of Zdr. It is noted that large oblate liquid drops can produce the same electromagnetic signatures at C band as melting hail falling quasi stably, resulting in some ambiguity in the HID retrievals. Application of the new HID to seven seasons of C-POL data reveals that hail and big drops/melting hail occur much more frequently during break periods than during monsoon periods. Break periods have a high frequency of vertically aligned ice above 12 km, suggesting the presence of strong electric fields. Reflectivity and mean drop diameter D0 statistics demonstrate that convective areas in both monsoon and break periods may have robust coalescence or melting precipitation ice processes, leading to enhanced reflectivity and broader distributions of D0. Conversely, for stratiform regions in both regimes, mean reflectivity decreases below the melting level, indicative of evaporative processes. Break periods also have larger ice water path fractions, indicating substantial mixed-phase precipitation generation as compared with monsoonal periods. In monsoon periods, a larger percentage of precipitation is produced through warm-rain processes.
Evolution of Severe and Nonsevere Convection Inferred from GOES-Derived Cloud Properties
Authors: Cintineo John L. , Pavolonis Michael J. , Sieglaff Justin M. , Heidinger Andrew K. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractGeostationary satellites [e.g., the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)] provide high temporal resolution of cloud development and motion, which is essential to the study of many mesoscale phenomena, including thunderstorms. Initial research on thunderstorm growth with geostationary imagery focused on the mature stages of storm evolution, whereas more recent research on satellite-observed storm growth has concentrated on convective initiation, often defined arbitrarily as the presence of a given radar echo threshold. This paper seeks to link the temporal trends in robust GOES-derived cloud properties with the future occurrence of severe-weather radar signatures during the development phase of thunderstorm evolution, which includes convective initiation. Two classes of storms (severe and nonsevere) are identified and tracked over time in satellite imagery, providing distributions of satellite growth rates for each class. The relationship between the temporal trends in satellite-derived cloud properties and Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD)-derived storm attributes is used to show that this satellite-based approach can potentially be used to extend severe-weather-warning lead times (with respect to radar-derived signatures), without a substantial increase in false alarms. In addition, the effect of varying temporal sampling is investigated on several storms during a period of GOES super-rapid-scan operations (SRSOR). It is found that, from a satellite perspective, storms evolve significantly on time scales shorter than the current GOES operational scan strategies.
The Statistical Predictability of Surface Winds over Western and Central Canada
Authors: Culver Aaron M. R. , Monahan Adam H. 
Published: June 2013

Abstract
Multivariate linear regression is used to downscale reanalysis-based midtropospheric predictors (wind components and speed, temperature, and geopotential height) to historical wind observations at 44 surface weather stations during the four calendar seasons. The model performance is assessed as a function of statistical feature of the wind, averaging time scale of the wind statistics, and wind regime (as defined by how variable the vector wind is relative to its mean amplitude).
Despite large differences in predictability characteristics between sites, several systematic results are observed: consistent with recent studies, a strong anisotropy of predictability for vector quantities is often observed, although no obvious relation is found between large-scale topographic features and the anisotropy orientation or magnitude. The predictability of time-averaged quantities increases with decreasing averaging time scale. In general, the predictability of mean vector wind components is superior to that of mean wind speeds or subaveraging time scale vector wind variability.
These results are interpreted through empirically and theoretically based analyses of the sensitivity of mean wind speed to changes in the vector wind statistics. On longer averaging time scales, the statistical features of the wind speed are found to be highly sensitive to subaveraging time-scale vector wind variability, which is poorly predicted. On shorter averaging time scales, the mean wind speed is found to be highly sensitive to the magnitude of the mean vector wind, a quantity whose predictability can be much lower than the individual mean vector wind components. These results demonstrate limitations to the statistical downscaling of wind speed and suggest that deterministic models that resolve the short-time-scale variability may be necessary for successful predictions.
An Intercomparison of Drought Indicators Based on Thermal Remote Sensing and NLDAS-2 Simulations with U.S. Drought Monitor Classifications
Authors: Anderson Martha C. , Hain Christopher , Otkin Jason , Zhan Xiwu , Mo Kingtse , Svoboda Mark , Wardlow Brian , Pimstein Agustin 
Published: June 2013

Abstract
Comparison of multiple hydrologic indicators, derived from independent data sources and modeling approaches, may improve confidence in signals of emerging drought, particularly during periods of rapid onset. This paper compares the evaporative stress index (ESI)—a diagnostic fast-response indicator describing evapotranspiration (ET) deficits derived within a thermal remote sensing energy balance framework—with prognostic estimates of soil moisture (SM), ET, and runoff anomalies generated with the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS). Widely used empirical indices based on thermal remote sensing [vegetation health index (VHI)] and precipitation percentiles [standardized precipitation index (SPI)] were also included to assess relative performance. Spatial and temporal correlations computed between indices over the contiguous United States were compared with historical drought classifications recorded in the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM). Based on correlation results, improved forms for the ESI were identified, incorporating a Penman–Monteith reference ET scaling flux and implementing a temporal smoothing algorithm at the pixel level. Of all indices evaluated, anomalies in the NLDAS ensemble-averaged SM provided the highest correlations with USDM drought classes, while the ESI yielded the best performance of the remote sensing indices. The VHI provided reasonable correlations, except under conditions of energy-limited vegetation growth during the cold season and at high latitudes. Change indices computed from ESI and SM time series agree well, and in combination offer a good indicator of change in drought severity class in the USDM, often preceding USDM class deterioration by several weeks. Results suggest that a merged ESI–SM change indicator may provide valuable early warning of rapidly evolving “flash drought” conditions.
Comparison of Precipitation Derived from the ECMWF Operational Forecast Model and Satellite Precipitation Datasets
Authors: Kidd Chris , Dawkins Erin , Huffman George 
Published: June 2013

AbstractPrecipitation is an important component of the climate system, and the accurate representation of the diurnal rainfall cycle is a key test of model performance. Although the modeling of precipitation in the cooler midlatitudes has improved, in the tropics substantial errors still occur. Precipitation from the operational ECMWF forecast model is compared with satellite-derived products from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) and TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR) to assess the mean annual and seasonal diurnal rainfall cycles. The analysis encompasses the global tropics and subtropics (40°N–40°S) over a 7-yr period from 2004 to 2011. The primary aim of the paper is to evaluate the ability of an operational numerical model and satellite products to retrieve subdaily rainfall. It was found that during the first half of the analysis period the ECMWF model overestimated precipitation by up to 15% in the tropics, although after the implementation of a new convective parameterization in November 2007 this bias fell to about 4%. The ECMWF model poorly represented the diurnal cycle, simulating rainfall too early compared to the TMPA and TRMM PR products; the model simulation of precipitation was particularly poor over Indonesia. In addition, the model did not appear to simulate mountain-slope breezes well or adequately capture many of the characteristics of mesoscale convective systems. The work highlights areas for further study to improve the representation of subgrid-scale processes in parameterization schemes and improvements in model resolution. In particular, the proper representation of subdaily precipitation in models is critical for hydrological modeling and flow forecasting.
Track and Intensity Forecasting of Hurricanes: Impact of Convection-Permitting Resolution and Global Ensemble Kalman Filter Analysis on 2010 Atlantic Season Forecasts
Authors: Xue Ming , Schleif Jordan , Kong Fanyou , Thomas Kevin W. , Wang Yunheng , Zhu Kefeng 
Published: June 2013

Abstract
Twice-daily 48-h tropical cyclone (TC) forecasts were produced for the fall 2010 Atlantic hurricane season using the Advanced Research core of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model on a large 4-km grid covering much of the northern Atlantic. WRF forecasts initialized from operational Global Forecast System (GFS) analyses based on the gridpoint statistical interpolation (GSI) three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVAR) system and from experimental global ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) analyses, and corresponding global GFS forecasts were intercompared. For the track, WRF forecasts show improvement over GFS forecasts using either set of initial conditions (ICs). The EnKF-initialized GFS and WRF are also better than the corresponding GSI-initialized forecasts, but the difference is not always statistically significant. At all lead times, the WRF track errors are comparable to or smaller than the National Hurricane Center (NHC) official track forecast error, with those of the EnKF WRF being smallest. For weaker TCs, more improvement comes from the model (resolution) than from the ICs. For hurricane intensity TCs, EnKF ICs produce better track forecasts than GSI ICs, with the best forecast coming from WRF at most lead times. For intensity, EnKF ICs consistently outperform GSI ICs in both models for weaker TCs. For hurricane-strength TCs, EnKF ICs produce forecasts statistically indistinguishable from GSI ICs in either model. For all TCs combined, WRF produces about half the error of the corresponding GFS simulation beyond 24 h, and at 36 and 48 h, the errors are smaller than those from NHC official forecasts. The improvement is even greater for hurricane-strength TCs. Overall, the WRF forecasts initialized with EnKF ICs have the smallest intensity error, and the difference is statistically significant compared to the GFS forecasts.
Protecting a Woman’s Honor or Protecting Her Sexual Freedom?
Authors: England Sarah 
Published: June 2013

The coming of peace in Central America after several decades of civil war and military dictatorships has not resulted in an end to violence. Murder rates have risen to such a degree that these countries are among the most violent in the world. One form of violence that has received a great deal of attention is the murder of women, but many argue that this is only one of many forms of violence that women face on a daily basis. The women’s organizations that have emerged in Guatemala since the end of the civil war have focused on demanding greater political and economic rights for women and laws that recognize violence against women as a crime and improve the mechanisms for investigating and prosecuting it. Two recent laws redefine sex crimes in such a way as to suggest that they should be seen as heinous acts regardless of the woman’s sexual history, character, or age. Though these discursive changes are a triumph, problems with the legal system and the persistence of sexist ideologies have so far limited the effectiveness of these new laws. La llegada de la paz a Centroamérica tras varias décadas de guerra civil y dictaduras militares no ha puesto fin a la violencia. El índice de asesinatos ha aumentado a tal grado que estos países se encuentran entre los más violentos del mundo. Una forma de violencia que ha recibido mucha atención es el femicidio, pero muchos argumentan que esta es sólo una entre muchas formas de violencia que las mujeres enfrentan a diario. Las organizaciones de mujeres que han surgido en Guatemala desde el fin de la guerra civil se han centrado en demandar mayores derechos políticos y económicos para las mujeres y leyes que reconozcan como delito la violencia contra la mujer, mejorando los mecanismos de investigación y justicia. Dos leyes recientes redefinen los delitos sexuales de tal forma que sugieren que pueden considerarse actos atroces sin importar la edad, carácter o historia sexual de la mujer. Aunque estos cambios discursivos representan un triunfo, los problemas con el sistema legal y la persistencia de ideologías machistas han limitado, hasta ahora, la eficacia de estas nuevas leyes.
“Together We Have Power”
Authors: Talcott Molly 
Published: June 2013

Activist Oaxacan women’s lived experiences of trauma and violence have shaped their participation in indigenous-led anti-neoliberal organizing. The multifaceted dimensions of violence they experience–which are at once deeply structural and personal—have produced an intimate, embodied form of oppositional consciousness among them. The traumas of daily life are simultaneously racialized, gendered, and classed, and these embodied experiences can, and sometimes do, produce political responses among women. As they engage in activism that challenges capitalist incursions in the countryside, they are able to link the various traumas they face and, in so doing, become more effective protagonists in their interconnected journeys toward personal and structural emancipation. Experiencias vividas por mujeres militantes de Oaxaca del trauma y la violencia han dado forma a su participación en la organización anti-neoliberal liderada por las indígenas. Las dimensiones multifacéticas de violencia que sufren, que son a la vez estructurales y profundamente personal, han producido una forma íntima y encarnada de conciencia de oposición entre ellas. Los traumas de la vida cotidiana son al mismo tiempo racializados, de género, y de clase, y estas experiencias encarnadas pueden, y a veces lo hacen, producir respuestas políticas entre las mujeres. Al participar en el activismo que desafía las incursiones capitalistas en el campo, ellas son capaces de vincular los diversos traumas que enfrentan y, al hacerlo, se convierten en protagonistas más efectivas en sus pasos interconectados hacia la emancipación personal y estructural.