bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular genetic markers for thyroid FNAB
Authors: Musholt P. B. , Musholt T. J.
Published: October 2018

Aim: Thyroid nodules > 1 cm are observed in about 12% of unselected adult employees aged 18–65 years screened by ultrasound scan (40). While intensive ultrasound screening leads to early detection of thyroid diseases, the determination of benign or malignant behaviour remains uncertain and may trigger anxieties in many patients and their physicians. A considerable number of thyroid resections are consecutively performed due to suspicion of malignancy in the detected nodes. Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) has been recommended for the assessment of thyroid nodules to facilitate detection of thyroid carcinomas but also to rule out malignancy and thereby avoid unnecessary thyroid resections. However, cytology results are dependent on experience of the respective cytologist and unfortunately inconclusive in many cases. Methods: Molecular genetic markers are already used nowadays to enhance sensitivity and specificity of FNAB cytology in some centers in Germany. The most clinically relevant molecular genetic markers as pre-operative diagnostic tools and the clinical implications for the intraoperative and postoperative management were reviewed. Results: Molecular genetic markers predominantly focus on the preoperative detection of thyroid malignancies rather than the exclusion of thyroid carcinomas. While some centers routinely assess FNABs, other centers concentrate on FNABs with cytology results of follicular neoplasia or suspicion of thyroid carcinoma. Predominantly mutations of BRAF, RET/PTC, RAS, and PAX8/PPARγ or expression of miRNAs are analyzed. However, only the detection of BRAF mutations predicts the presence of (papillary) thyroid malignancy with almost 98% probability, indicating necessity of oncologic thyroid resections irrespective of the cytology result. Other genetic alterations are associated with thyroid malignancy with varying frequency and achieve less impact on the clinical management. Conclusion: Molecular genetic analysis of FNABs is increasingly performed in Germany. Standardization, quality controls, and validation of various methods need to be implemented in the near future to be able to compare the results. With increasing knowledge about the impact of genetic alterations on the prognosis of thyroid carcinomas, recommendations have to be defined that may lead to individually optimized treatment strategies.
Combination of Pulmonary Embolism Rule-out Criteria and YEARS Algorithm in a European Cohort of Patients with Suspected Pulmonary Embolism
Authors: van der Pol L. , van der Hulle T. , Mairuhu A. , Huisman M. , Klok F.
Published: October 2018

Background Both the YEARS algorithm and the pulmonary embolism (PE) rule-out criteria (PERC) were created to exclude PE with limited diagnostic tests. A diagnostic strategy combining both scores might save additional computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) scans, but they have never been evaluated in conjunction.

Aim The aim of this study was to determine the safety and efficiency of combining YEARS and PERC in a single diagnostic strategy for suspected PE.

Methods The PERC rule was assessed in 1,316 consecutive patients with suspected PE who were managed according to YEARS. We calculated the absolute difference (with 95% confidence interval [CI]) in failure rate and the number of ‘saved’ CTPAs for the scenario that PE would have been ruled out without CTPA in the absence of all PERC items.

Results Using the YEARS algorithm, PE was diagnosed in 189 patients (14%), 680 patients (52%) were managed without CTPA and the 3-month rate of venous thromboembolism in patients in whom PE was ruled out was 0.44% (95% CI: 0.19–1.0). Only 6 of 154 patients (3.9%; 95% CI: 1.4–8.2) with no YEARS items who were referred for CTPA would have been PERC negative, of whom none were diagnosed with PE at baseline or during follow-up (0%; 95% CI: 0–64). Applying PERC before YEARS in all patients would have led to a failure rate of 1.42% (95% CI: 0.87–2.3%), 0.98% (95% CI: 0.17–1.9) more than shown in patients managed by YEARS.

Conclusion Combining YEARS with PERC would have yielded only a modest improvement of efficiency in patients without a YEARS item and an unacceptable failure rate in patients with ≥ 1 YEARS item.
Failure to Provide Clinicians Useful IT Systems: Opportunities to Leapfrog Current Technologies
Authors: Silva J. S. , Bierstock S. , Douglas J. V. , Norcio A. F. , Chakraborty J. , Srini J. , Ball M. J.
Published: October 2018

Objective:
To discuss why clinical information systems are failing.

Method:
Subjectively analyzing the development of clinical IT systems during the last decades.

Results and Conclusions:
The challenge is to anticipate what information clinicians need and then deliver it in a way that is tailored for their unique views. Clinicians need workstations that offer the highest level possible of user-determined flexibility and customization. We envision and outline a so-called point of care work station, automatically scaling to the display, hardware capacity, operating system, applications (local or distributed) the user needs and across diverse health IT systems.
Pervasive Healthcare
Authors: Wactlar H. , Saranummi N.
Published: October 2018

Objective:
Introducing the Special Topic of Methods of Information in Medicine on pervasive healthcare, with selected papers from the Pervasive Healthcare Conference at Tampere, Finland, January 30 to February 1, 2008.

Methods:
Describing pervasive healthcare as field. Reporting about the content of the selected papers in this Special Topic. Developing and evaluating physiological measurement techniques, assistive care ambient notification and reminding systems, ambulatory monitoring, architectures and platforms for personalized home-health tele-monitoring, means of privacyprotecting health-sensitive information, and estab - lishing a clinical proof-of-concept methodology.

Results and Conclusions:
Pervasive healthcare is an emerging field with considerable technological breadth and expected strong impact for the quality and efficiency of healthcare in an aging society. However, this field is still a nascent one, with a good deal of exploratory research. There is also hypothesis-based and empirical research, which tests the assumptions or feasibility of a solution using clinical evidence, but most such trials at this time are preliminary and small. The emergence of a truly evidence-based outcomes assessment will take some time, but is in the making.
Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom: Transition towards Implementation of the IMIA Strategic Plan
Authors: Murray P. , Haux R. , Lorenzi N.
Published: October 2018

Objective
: IMIA, the International Medical Informatics Association, has adopted the IMIA Strategic Plan, “Towards IMIA 2015”. In order to turn the vision into reality, we invite all members of IMIA, and others with an interest in our work, to engage in activities designed to achieve the key strategic goals of the plan.

Methods
: IMIA members and others are invited to study the IMIA Strategic Plan, and consider developing, or contributing to, proposals that can support the implementation of one or more parts of the Strategic Plan. IMIA has allocated a proportion of reserve funds for projectssupporting the implementation of the plan, and proposals can be submitted to the Interim Vice President for Strategic Planning Implementation.

Results and Conclusions
: Several projects are already being undertaken to support implementation of the IMIA Strategic Plan. IMIA looks forward to its members undertaking further projects, targeted at achieving its strategic goals and making the vision a reality by 2015.
Intelligent Data Analysis for Knowl edge Discovery, Patient Monitoring and Quality Assessment
Authors: Swift S. , Peek N.
Published: October 2018

Objective: To introduce the focus theme of Methods of Information in Medicine on Intelligent Data Analysis for Knowledge Discovery, Patient Monitoring and Quality Assessment.

Methods: Based on two workshops on Intelligent Data Analysis in bioMedicine (IDAMAP) held in Washington, DC, USA (2010) and Bled, Slovenia (2011), six authors were invited to write full papers for the focus theme. Each paper was throughly reviewed by anonymous referees and revised one or more times by the authors.

Results: The selected papers cover four ongoing and emerging topics in Intelligent Data Analysis (IDA), being i) systems biology and metabolic pathway modelling; ii) gene expression data modelling; iii) signal processing from in-home monitoring systems; and iv) quality of care assessment. Each of these topics is discussed in detail to introduce the papers to the reader.

Conclusion: The development and application of IDA methods in biomedicine is an active area of research which continues to blend with other subfields of medical informatics. As data become increasingly ubiquitous in the biomedical domain, the demand for fast, smart and flexible data analysis methods is undiminished.
More than Four Decades of Medical Informatics Education for Medical Students in Germany
Authors: Hilgers R.-D. , Hofestädt R. , Knaup-Gregori P. , Ose C. , Timmer A. , Winter A.
Published: October 2018

The publication of German competency-based learning objectives “Medical Informatics” for undergraduate medical education gives reason to report on more publications of the German journal GMS Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology ( MIBE ) in Methods. The publications in focus deal with support of medical education by health and biomedical informatics, hospital information systems and their relation to medical devices, transinstitutional health information systems and the need of national eHealth strategies, epidemiological research on predicting high consumption of resources, and with the interaction of epidemiologists and medical statisticians in examining mortality risks in diabetes, in genome wide association studies and in dealing with limits and thresholds. This report is the beginning of an annual series intending to support better international cooperation to achieve good information as a basis for good medicine and good healthcare.
Introducing Kuhn et al.’s Paper“Informatics and Medicine: From Molecules to Populations” and Invited Papers on this Special Topic
Authors: Kulikowski C. A.
Published: October 2018

Objective:
To introduce the paper by Kuhn et al. “Informatics and Medicine: From Molecules to Populations” and the papers that follow on this special topic in this issue of Methods of Information in Medicine, which opens a debate on the Kuhn et al. paper’s assertions by an international panel of invited researchers in biomedical informatics.

Method:
An introductory summary and comparative review of the Kuhn et al. paper and the debate papers, with some personal observations.

Results:
The Kuhn et al. paper makes a strong case for interdisciplinary education in biomedical informatics across institutions at the graduate level, which could be strengthened by analysis of previous relevant interdisciplinary experiences elsewhere, and the challenges they have faced, which point to more pervasive and earlier-stage needs for both education and practice bridging the research and healthcare communities.

Conclusions:
The experts debating the Kuhn et al. paper strongly and broadly support the key recommendation of developing graduate education in biomedical informatics in a more comprehensive way, yet at the same time make some incisive comments about the limitations of the “positivistic” and excessively technological orientation of the paper, which could benefit from greater attention to the narrative and care-giving aspects of health practice, with more emphasis on its human and social aspects.
Fibrinogen and Neopterin Is Associated with Future Myocardial Infarction and Total Mortality in Patients with Stable Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Svingen Gard , Pedersen Eva , Seifert Reinhard , Kvaløy Jan , Midttun Øivind , Ueland Per , Nordrehaug Jan , Nygård Ottar , Nilsen Dennis , Mjelva Øistein
Published: October 2018

Systemic fibrinogen and neopterin are related to inflammation. We investigated the prognostic utility and possible interactions of these biomarkers in stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) patients undergoing coronary angiography. We included 3,545 patients with suspected stable angina with a median follow-up of 7.3 and 10.2 years for incident acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and all-cause mortality, respectively. Prospective associations were explored by Cox regression. Potential effect modifications were investigated according to strata of fibrinogen, neopterin or high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) below and above the median, as well as gender and smoking habits. During follow-up, 543 patients experienced an AMI and 769 patients died. In a multivariable model, the hazard ratios (HRs; 95% confidence interval [CI]) per 1 SD increase for fibrinogen in relation to these endpoints were 1.30 (1.20, 1.42; p < 0.001) and 1.22 (1.13, 1.31; p < 0.001), respectively. For neopterin, the HRs (95% CI) were 1.31 (1.23, 1.40; p < 0.001) and 1.24 (1.15, 1.34; p < 0.001), respectively. No significant interaction between fibrinogen and neopterin was observed. The prognostic utility of neopterin for incident AMI was improved in patients with an hsTnT above the median, for total mortality in non-smokers, and for both total mortality and AMI in females. In conclusion, both fibrinogen and neopterin were associated with future AMI and total mortality, but had low discriminatory impact. No interaction was observed between these two biomarkers. The prognostic utility of neopterin was improved in patients with hsTnT levels above the median, and in females and non-smokers.
Angiopoietin-2 and Survival in Peripheral Artery Disease Patients
Authors: Höbaus Clemens , Pesau Gerfried , Herz Carsten , Wrba Thomas , Koppensteiner Renate , Schernthaner Gerit-Holger
Published: October 2018

Survival of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) patients increased over the last decade due to increased use of secondary preventive medication and rapid revascularization of PAD patients. Angiogenetic markers such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and its receptor Tie-2 might be useful markers to assess the residual risk for mortality in PAD patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate angiogenetic markers for the prediction of mortality in a PAD cohort. For this purpose, 366 patients (mean age: 69 ± 10 years) with PAD Fontaine stage I or II were included and followed up over a 5-year study period. Serum Ang-2, Tie-2 and VEGF levels were measured by bead-based multiplex assay. All-cause mortality and major cardiovascular events (MACE) including all-cause death, non-fatal stroke and non-fatal myocardial infarction were analysed by Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses after 5 years. Ang-2 was associated with Tie-2 (R = 0.151, p = 0.006) and VEGF levels (R = 0.160, p = 0.002). However, only Ang-2 was linked to all all-cause mortality in PAD patients (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.55 [1.23–2.15], p = 0.008) even after adjustment for age and gender, haemoglobin A1c, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic blood pressure and glomerular filtration rate (HR: 1.44 [1.03–2.00], p = 0.032). Furthermore, an association of Ang-2 and MACE in PAD patients (HR: 1.36 (1.03–1.78), p = 0.028) was found. This result implies that Ang-2 might be used as an additional marker to stratify PAD patients to predict poor mid-term life expectancy.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism in Challenging Populations
Authors: Werth Sebastian , Beyer-Westendorf Jan
Published: October 2018

Although the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to pulmonary embolism (PE) has been considerably improved and standardized in recent years, special populations such as pregnant patients and those with impaired renal function or cancer still represent a clinical challenge and a detailed knowledge about the available diagnostic and therapeutic alternatives is mandatory to provide best evidence-based care for these difficult-to-treat patients. Although this review aimed to summarize the most important aspects in this field, the reader is referred to the original studies cited here and dedicated guideline and guidance documents for more detailed information.
Initial and Long-Term Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism: Current Approach and Future Perspectives
Authors: Ageno Walter , Donadini Marco
Published: October 2018

Pulmonary embolism is associated with variable risk of early mortality, ranging from less than 1% to more than 15%. Risk stratification, based on clinical variables and signs of right ventricular dysfunction, is crucial to decide the best management and treatment strategy. Home therapy may be an option for low-risk patients, whereas patients at intermediate risk need to be hospitalized and some of them, at intermediate high risk, may require more intensive monitoring to early detect signs of haemodynamic decompensation. The initial treatment is based on anticoagulants with rapid onset of action, either parenteral (heparin/fondaparinux) or oral (direct oral anticoagulants, DOACs). Thereafter, DOACs (or, if contraindicated, vitamin K antagonists) needs to be continued for at least 3 months. Beyond this period, an individual re-evaluation of the risk-to-benefit ratio of anticoagulation should be performed, based on several factors, including the type of index event, age, sex, D-dimer and residual venous obstruction. Possibly safer strategies can be offered to higher risk patients requiring extended duration of treatment, including the DOACs apixaban and rivaroxaban at reduced dose.
DOAC use in patients with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Kücükköylü S. , Rump L. C.
Published: October 2018

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are increasingly prescribed substances in patients with indication for effective anticoagulation. Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a high burden of cardiovascular risk and are more likely to develop atrial fibrillation (AF) than patients without CKD. Patients with mild to moderate CKD benefit from DOACs, especially when having intolerance to vitamin K-antagonists (VKA). DOACs may in some cases be considered in patients with rare renal disease and hypercoagulabilic state. DOACs are to a large extent eliminated by renal excretion. Since prospective randomised data in CKD patients are sparse, the decision for anticoagulative therapy is challenging especially in patients with severe renal impairment. The direct factor Xa-inhibitors are approved for use even in patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) between 15 and 30 ml/min. Careful monitoring of renal function on a regular basis is essential before initiation and after start of DOAC, especially for patients at risk for acute renal failure (elderly, diabetics, patients with preexisting kidney disease). None of the DOACs is approved in CKD patients with end-stage-renal-disease (ESRD) with or without dialysis. DOACs are not recommended for kidney transplant patients under immunosuppression with calcineurin inhibitors. In these patients conventional therapy with VKA is the only option, which has to be monitored closely since it has potential adverse effects.

Nachdruck aus und zu zitieren als: Hämostaseologie 2017; 37: 286–294 https://doi.org/10.5482/HAMO-17-01-1657857
Management of Oral Anti-Coagulation in Patients with Heart Failure—Insights from the ThrombEVAL Study
Authors: Göbel Sebastian , Prochaska Jürgen , Eggebrecht Lisa , Schmitz Ronja , Jünger Claus , Lamparter Heidrun , Nagler Markus , Keller Karsten , Coldewey Meike , Tröbs Sven-Oliver , Diestelmeier Simon , Schwuchow-Thonke Sören , Bickel Christoph , Lauterbach Michael , Lackner Karl , Cate Hugo , Münzel Thomas , Hardt Roland , Wild Philipp
Published: October 2018

Patients with heart failure (HF) are frequently anti-coagulated with vitamin K-antagonists (VKAs). The use of long-acting VKA may be preferable for HF patients due to higher stability of plasma concentrations. However, evidence on phenprocoumon-based oral anti-coagulation (OAC) therapy in HF is scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the presence of HF on quality of phenprocoumon-based OAC and the subsequent clinical outcome. Quality of OAC therapy and the incidence of adverse events were analysed in a cohort of regular care (n = 2,011) from the multi-centre thrombEVAL study program (NCT01809015) stratified by the presence of HF. To assess the modifiability of outcome, results were compared with data from individuals receiving specialized care for anti-coagulation (n = 760). Overall, the sample comprised of 813 individuals with HF and 1,160 subjects without HF in the regular care cohort. Quality of OAC assessed by time in therapeutic range (TTR) was 66.1% (47.8%/82.8%) for patients with HF and 70.6% (52.1%/85.9%) for those without HF (p = 0.0046). Stratification for New York Heart Classification (NYHA)-class demonstrated a lower TTR with higher NYHA classes: TTRNYHA-I 69.6% (49.4%/85.6%), TTRNYHA-II 66.5% (50.1%/82.9%) and TTRNYHA-≥III 61.8% (43.1%/79.9%). This translated into a worse net clinical benefit outcome for HF (hazard ratio [HR] 1.63 [1.31/2.02]; p < 0.0001) and an increased risk of bleeding (HR 1.40 [1.04/1.89]; p = 0.028). Management in a specialized coagulation service resulted in an improvement of all, TTR (∆+12.5% points), anti-coagulation-specific and non-specific outcome of HF individuals. In conclusion, HF is an independent risk factor for low quality of OAC therapy translating into an increased risk for adverse events, which can be mitigated by specialized care.
Pediatric Insomnia: Update and Future Directions
Authors: Medalie Lisa , Gozal David
Published: October 2018

Throughout their childhood, pediatric insomnia impacts approximately 25% of all children in the general population. Although it can occur as an isolated condition, it commonly associates with other comorbidities, such as autism, developmental delay, and psychiatric disorders. Careful and detailed history is essential, and sleep logs and actigraphy are useful tools in the assessment and diagnosis of pediatric insomnia. However, polysomnography is usually not warranted in the assessment of pediatric insomnia unless underlying medically-based sleep symptoms are concurrently identified and justify such test. In the majority of cases, behavioral interventions are the recommended approach for treatment. Despite the fact that many pharmacological approaches are used for child insomnia off-label, there are currently no FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved medications for the management of pediatric insomnia. The high prevalence of pediatric insomnia, coupled with the low number of providers, who are formally trained in behavioral treatment for this prevalent condition, highlights the urgent need for improving primary care practitioner awareness, while expanding alternative routes to access to care, such as interactive virtual technology-based treatments, parent education and manuals, along with ongoing efforts to increase professional training opportunities.
Estimate of the average timing for strong El Niño events using the recharge oscillator model with a multiplicative perturbation
Authors: Bianucci Marco , Capotondi Antonietta , Merlino Silvia , Mannella Riccardo
Published: October 2018

El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the leading mode of tropical Pacific variability at interannual timescales. Through atmospheric teleconnections, ENSO exerts large influences worldwide, so that improved understanding of this phenomenon can be of critical societal relevance. Extreme ENSO events, in particular, have been associated with devastating weather events in many parts of the world, so that the ability to assess their frequency and probability of occurrence is extremely important. In this study, we describe the ENSO phenomenon in terms of the Recharge Oscillator Model perturbed by multiplicative deterministic chaotic forcing, and use methodologies from the field of Statistical Mechanics to determine the average time between El Niño events of given strengths. This is achieved by describing the system in terms of its probability density function, which is governed by a Fokker Planck equation, and then using the Mean First Passage Time technique for the determination of the mean time between extreme events. The ability to obtain analytical solutions to the problem allows a clear identification of the most relevant model parameters for controlling the frequency of extreme events. The key parameter is the strength of the multiplicative component of the stochastic perturbation, but the decorrelation timescale of the stochastic forcing is also very influential. Results obtained with this approach suggest an average waiting time between extreme events of only some tens of years.
Power grid stability under perturbation of single nodes: Effects of heterogeneity and internal nodes
Authors: Wolff Matthias F. , Lind Pedro G. , Maass Philipp
Published: October 2018

Power flow dynamics in electricity grids can be described by equations resembling a Kuramoto model of non-linearly coupled oscillators with inertia. The coupling of the oscillators or nodes in a power grid generally exhibits pronounced heterogeneities due to varying features of transmission lines, generators, and loads. In studies aiming at uncovering mechanisms related to failures or malfunction of power systems, these grid heterogeneities are often neglected. However, over-simplification can lead to different results away from reality. We investigate the influence of heterogeneities in power grids on stable grid functioning and show their impact on estimating grid stability. Our conclusions are drawn by comparing the stability of an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers test grid with a homogenized version of this grid.
Transport equations in magnetized plasmas for non-Maxwellian distribution functions
Authors: Oliveira D. S. , Galvão R. M. O.
Published: October 2018

Non-Maxwellian distribution functions are frequently observed in space and laboratory plasmas in (quasi-) stationary states, usually resulting from long-range nonlinear wave-particle interactions [P. H. Yoon, Phys. Plasmas 19, 012304 (2012)]. Since the collisional transport described by the Boltzmann equation with the standard collisional operator implies that the plasma distribution function evolves inexorably towards a Maxwellian, the description of the transport for stationary states outside of equilibrium requires a different formulation. In this work, we approach this problem through the non-extensive statistics formalism based on the Tsallis entropy. The basic framework of the kinetic model and the required generalized form of the collision operator are self-consistently derived. The fluid equations and the relevant transport coefficients for electrons are then found employing the method of Braginskii. As an illustrative application of the model, we employ this formalism to analyze the heat flux in solar winds.
Exhaled gas detection by Ir-doped CNT for primary diagnosis of lung cancer
Authors: Wan Qianqian , Xu Yancheng , Xiao Hanyan
Published: October 2018

Given the serious threat of lung cancer due to the strong concealment at early stage, primary diagnosis becomes quite essential to guarantee human health. The adsorption behaviors of introduced Ir-CNT upon two categories of typical gases of lung cancer (aniline and o-toluidine) have been investigated based on DFT method. At the same time, the sensing characteristics towards these two gases were conducted as well by our prepared sensors prepared by drying the Ir deposited CNT aqueous solution onto the interdigital electrode substrate. Results indicate that Ir-CNT based material can be desirable and promising for sensing upon exhaled gas of lung cancer patient, because of the excellent adsorptions upon two kinds of main typical gases. Such strong interactions of Ir-CNT towards typical gas adsorbed leads to the significant electronic redistributions of the modified surface, thereby causing apparent reduction in conductivity after adsorptions. This could be detected by a practical prepared resistivity-type sensor. Our theoretical calculations are in good accordance with the experimental results, which demonstrate the feasibility of Ir-CNT for potential application in the near future in the field of lung cancer diagnosis.
Stabilization of thin-shell implosions using a high-foot adiabat-shaped drive at the National Ignition Facility
Authors: Lafon Marion , Bonnefille Max
Published: October 2018

The thin-shell adiabat-shaped implosions proposed in this paper are designed to combine the ablation front stability benefits of the High Foot (HF) pulses with the demonstrated high fuel compressibility of the low foot implosions to reach the alpha-heating regime. This is accomplished by both lowering the drive between the first and second shocks and tailoring the rise-to-peak drive. Two-dimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations show that while weakening the growth of low-mode number perturbations at the ablation front, this approach also introduces negative lobes to the growth factor spectrum at high mode numbers. A very-high foot picketless drive, characterized by an intermediate fuel adiabat level, is proposed to suppress negative perturbation growth. Moreover, the picketless feature of this design and the shorter duration of the through reduce the hohlraum wall motion allowing us to keep the capsule implosion symmetry under control. Introducing an accurately tuned dopant fraction in the outer ablator suggests that the stabilization of the ablation front may be even further improved. This study has shown that the smaller oscillation amplitude and the frequency of ablative Richtmyer-Meshkov instability reduce the initial perturbation seed at the beginning of the acceleration phase. The combination of a thin-shell design and a very high-foot picketless radiation drive has enlightened the calculated benefits of this intermediate fuel adiabat design: high implosion performance, more predictive low-mode implosion symmetry, and a similar stability at the ablation front than that of HF designs.
Delicate interactions of PTCDI molecules on Ag/Si(111)-3×3
Authors: Emanuelsson C. , Johansson L. S. O. , Zhang H. M.
Published: October 2018

PTCDI molecules were evaporated onto a Ag/Si(111)3×3 surface and studied using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and angular resolved ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (ARUPS). High resolution STM images are used to identify the delicate molecule/molecule and molecule/substrate interactions and the shapes of the molecular orbitals. The results show that the substrate/molecule interaction strongly modifies the electronic configuration of the molecules as their orbital shapes are quite different at 1 and 2 monolayer (ML) coverage. Simple models of molecular HOMO/LUMO levels and intermolecular hydrogen-bondings have been made for 1 and 2 ML PTCDI coverages to explain the STM images. Changes due to the interaction with the substrate are also found in ARUPS as extra states above the regular HOMO level at 1 ML PTCDI coverage. The ARUPS data also show that the electronic structure of the substrate remains unchanged after the deposition of molecules as the dispersion of the substrate related bands is unchanged. The changes in electronic structure of the molecules are discussed based on a HOMO/LUMO split.
Dissipative solitons for bistable delayed-feedback systems
Authors: Semenov Vladimir V. , Maistrenko Yuri L.
Published: October 2018

We study how nonlinear delayed-feedback in the Ikeda model can induce solitary impulses, i.e., dissipative solitons. The states are clearly identified in a virtual space-time representation of the equations with delay, and we find that conditions for their appearance are bistability of a nonlinear function and negative character of the delayed feedback. Both dark and bright solitons are identified in numerical simulations and physical electronic experiment, showing an excellent qualitative correspondence and proving thereby the robustness of the phenomenon. Along with single spiking solitons, a variety of compound soliton-based structures is obtained in a wide parameter region on the route from the regular dynamics (two quiescent states) to developed spatiotemporal chaos. The number of coexisting soliton-based states is fast growing with delay, which can open new perspectives in the context of information storage.
Evolution and expression analysis of the sorghum ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme family
Authors: Jia Liqiang , Zhao QiuFang , Chen Shu
Published: October 2018

Ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (UBCs), which catalyse the transfer of ubiquitin to substrate or E3 ligases, are key enzymes in ubiquitination modifications of target proteins. Current knowledge regarding the sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (SbUBC) family remains very limited. We identified 53 UBC-encoding genes in the sorghum genome and divided these into 18 groups according to their phylogenetic relationship with Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh., which was further supported by conserved motif and gene structure analyses. Different expression levels under a variety of abiotic stresses suggested that these might participate in distinct signalling pathways and that they underwent functional divergence during evolution. Furthermore, several SbUBC genes responded to single treatments, and individual SbUBC genes responded to multiple treatments, suggesting that sorghum UBCs may mediate crosstalk among different signalling pathways. Overall, the results provide valuable information for better understanding the classification and putative functions of sorghum UBC-encoding genes.
Phospholipid flippases enable precursor B cells to flee engulfment by macrophages
Authors: Segawa Katsumori , Yanagihashi Yuichi , Yamada Kyoko , Suzuki Chigure , Uchiyama Yasuo , Nagata Shigekazu
Published: October 2018

Significance

ATP11A and ATP11C are P4-type ATPases that function redundantly as phospholipid flippases at the plasma membrane, and a deficiency in ATP11C causes B-cell lymphopenia. Here we show that flippases at the plasma membrane are important for quickly internalizing phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) that is exposed by Ca
2+
-dependent scramblase in activated cells. During development, B-cell progenitors in the bone marrow stop expressing ATP11A, and
ATP11C
-null B-cell progenitors expose PtdSer. The PtdSer is recognized as an “eat me” signal by bone marrow macrophages for entosis, which is the engulfment of live cells, explaining why the lack of a flippase causes B-cell lymphopenia.
Alternative black coatings prepared on aluminium alloy 1050
Authors: Casademont Christophe , Roche Jérome , Arurault Laurent
Published: October 2018

The present study investigated the preparation and characterisation of alternative black anodic films on aluminium alloy 1050 using three different inorganic colouring processes. The colouring process was performed via the standard chemical reaction and two alternative mechanisms, i.e. electrochemical reaction or a combination of electrochemical and chemical reactions. Black anodic films with high thermo-optical properties ( αs ≥ 0.90 and εn ≥ 0.90) were successfully obtained using all three processes. Differences in chemical content and location of the Co-based pigments in the coatings were highlighted and explained according to the colouring reaction mechanisms.
A novel method of producing the pharmaceutical intermediate (R)-2-chloromandelic acid by bioconversion
Authors: Yamamura Ei-Tora , Kita Shinji
Published: October 2018

(R)-2-Chloromandelic acid (R­CM) is one of the chiral building blocks used in the pharmaceutical industry. As a result of screening for microorganisms that asymmetrically hydrolyze racemic 2­chloromandelic acid methyl ester (CMM), Exophiala dermatitidis NBRC6857 was found to produce R­CM at optical purity of 97% ee. The esterase that produces R­CM, EstE, was purified from E. dermatitidis NBRC6857, and the optimal temperature and pH of EstE were 30°C and 7.0, respectively. The estE gene that encodes EstE was isolated and overexpressed in Escherichia coli JM109. The activity of recombinant E. coli JM109 cells overexpressing estE was 553 times higher than that of E. dermatitidis NBRC6857. R­CM was produced at conversion rate of 49% and at optical purity of 97% ee from 10% CMM with 0.45 mg-dry-cell/L recombinant E. coli JM109 cells. Based on these findings, R­CM production by bioconversion of CMM may be of interest for future industrial applications.
Nup2 performs diverse interphase functions inAspergillus nidulans
Authors: Suresh Subbulakshmi , Markossian Sarine , Osmani Aysha H. , Osmani Stephen A.
Published: October 2018

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) protein Nup2 plays interphase nuclear transport roles and in Aspergillus nidulans also functions to bridge NPCs at mitotic chromatin for their faithful coinheritance to daughter G1 nuclei. In this study, we further investigate the interphase functions of Nup2 in A. nidulans. Although Nup2 is not required for nuclear import of all nuclear proteins after mitosis, it is required for normal G1 nuclear accumulation of the NPC nuclear basket–associated components Mad2 and Mlp1 as well as the THO complex protein Tho2. Targeting of Mlp1 to nuclei partially rescues the interphase delay seen in nup2 mutants indicating that some of the interphase defects in Nup2-deleted cells are due to Mlp1 mislocalization. Among the inner nuclear membrane proteins, Nup2 affects the localization of Ima1, orthologues of which are involved in nuclear movement. Interestingly, nup2 mutant G1 nuclei also exhibit an abnormally long period of extensive to-and-fro movement immediately after mitosis in a manner dependent on the microtubule cytoskeleton. This indicates that Nup2 is required to limit the transient postmitotic nuclear migration typical of many filamentous fungi. The findings reveal that Nup2 is a multifunctional protein that performs diverse functions during both interphase and mitosis in A. nidulans.
The Cold War and Asian American Literature
Authors: Kim Heidi
Published: October 2018

The Cold War (defined here by the popular, though much-questioned, time frame of 1947–1991) coincides initially with a post-World War II wave of literature by Asian Americans as well as reforms affecting immigration numbers and national origins. Post-1965, further immigration reform and refugee admission led to a different wave of authors, which coincides in its turn with geopolitical shifts, including the ongoing massive conflicts and regime changes in Asia, that would ultimately lead to rapprochement and the generally accepted end of the Cold War around the late 1980s. Furthermore, these years coincide with the birth of pan-Asian American consciousness and political movements in the late 1960s and 1970s. Thus, there is an unsurprising plethora of literature from this era, as well as an increasing volume of literary criticism on it, though neither usually treats the geopolitical or domestic US concerns most commonly identified with the Cold War. Asian American literature and authors importantly fit the logic of the early Cold War by illustrating, as proto-model minorities, the blessings of life in America as a contrast to an increasingly Communist-identified Asia after the “loss” of China to Communism in 1949. Their identification with Confucian or other traditional ideals also made them role models for the domestic social containment that constrained middle-class America to conformity in the 1950s (though, of course, there were less mainstream narratives that combated this trend). However, both of these narratives shifted in the 1970s. From exemplary immigrants, Asian American literary depictions turned toward much more ambivalent and traumatized refugees, chiefly from Southeast Asia. Likewise, a generation of authors rebelling against the model minority image protested racial inequities in both a domestic and international framework. Linking nation and globe via Third World solidarity, later Cold War works and post-Cold War reflections on the period heavily critiqued the US military presence in Asia and reflected on the enduring traumas and difficulties of racialization for Asian Americans inextricably identified as foreign or Other. Calling for civil rights out of a re-narrated history of exclusion, incarceration, and discrimination, rather than appealing to the vague pluralism of the early Cold War, Asian American literature illustrates this era’s conflict through exemplars of containment and a more explicitly revolutionary and diverse set of works.
Japanese Department Stores
Authors: Fujioka Rika
Published: October 2018

Dry goods stores, the predecessors of Japanese department stores, were forced to modernize and change their business format after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, which led to the demise of their main customers. The largest dry goods store, Mitsukoshi, was the first to learn about modern retailing in the West, and it broke out of the mold of the traditional Japanese retailer in around 1900 in an effort to catch up with Western department stores. Other large dry goods stores were quick to follow its lead: they transformed into department stores and created their own “cathedrals of consumption” in the 1920s, to match those in the West. This new retail format strongly contributed to Japan’s economic growth and to the Westernization of the Japanese lifestyle.

Despite numerous publications on the history of department stores, there has been little research on this transfer of Western department stores into a very different world: Japan. Although there are many studies on Japanese department stores in Japanese, focusing on how they were influenced by Western department stores, they are mostly subdivided on the basis of specific topics, such as levels of consumption in the interwar period or their economic impact during Japan’s period of high economic growth. The focus here is on the whole development process of department stores, bridging the gap between Western and Japanese studies on department stores.

The first stage in the development of Japanese department stores was in the early 20th century, when Japanese retailers raced to catch up with Western department stores to become modern Western-style retailers themselves; the second stage was in the late 20th century, when these new Japanese stores continued developing along their own unique path in order to target the domestic market during the growth of the Japanese economy, introducing ready-to-wear clothing, luxury brands, and gift products. In this way, Japanese department stores succeeded in increasing their efficiency and establishing a more upmarket image. However, in exchange for this prosperity, department stores also gave up control of their sales floors to the wholesalers and reduced their own merchandising skills. After the economic bubble burst in 1991, Japanese department stores began to suffer from decreased sales and lack of control over the points of sale in their stores.
Uncertainty Quantification in Multi-Model Ensembles
Authors: Sanderson Benjamin Mark
Published: October 2018

Long-term planning for many sectors of society—including infrastructure, human health, agriculture, food security, water supply, insurance, conflict, and migration—requires an assessment of the range of possible futures which the planet might experience. Unlike short-term forecasts for which validation data exists for comparing forecast to observation, long-term forecasts have almost no validation data. As a result, researchers must rely on supporting evidence to make their projections. A review of methods for quantifying the uncertainty of climate predictions is given. The primary tool for quantifying these uncertainties are climate models, which attempt to model all the relevant processes that are important in climate change. However, neither the construction nor calibration of climate models is perfect, and therefore the uncertainties due to model errors must also be taken into account in the uncertainty quantification.

Typically, prediction uncertainty is quantified by generating ensembles of solutions from climate models to span possible futures. For instance, initial condition uncertainty is quantified by generating an ensemble of initial states that are consistent with available observations and then integrating the climate model starting from each initial condition. A climate model is itself subject to uncertain choices in modeling certain physical processes. Some of these choices can be sampled using so-called perturbed physics ensembles, whereby uncertain parameters or structural switches are perturbed within a single climate model framework. For a variety of reasons, there is a strong reliance on so-called ensembles of opportunity, which are multi-model ensembles (MMEs) formed by collecting predictions from different climate modeling centers, each using a potentially different framework to represent relevant processes for climate change. The most extensive collection of these MMEs is associated with the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP). However, the component models have biases, simplifications, and interdependencies that must be taken into account when making formal risk assessments. Techniques and concepts for integrating model projections in MMEs are reviewed, including differing paradigms of ensembles and how they relate to observations and reality. Aspects of these conceptual issues then inform the more practical matters of how to combine and weight model projections to best represent the uncertainties associated with projected climate change.
The Catholic Hierarchy's Political Role: A Structural Analysis
Authors: Byrnes Timothy A.
Published: October 2018

The key to understanding the political role of the Catholic hierarchy is acknowledging that the leadership of the Catholic Church is remarkably well suited to participate at all levels of political contestation. Individual diocesan bishops often play active political roles in their specific contexts, generally framed around protecting the institutional interests of local churches, schools, and social service providers, as well as representing the social interests of Catholic communities in local political discourse and conflict. For their part, national conferences of bishops serve in many countries as vehicles for advancing the church’s positions within nationally defined policy debates and political contestation. These conferences have limited formal teaching authority according to Catholic ecclesiology. But in many contexts, these coneferences have come to play important roles as policy issues of interest to the Catholic hierarchy get played out on national rather than local political stages. Finally, the Pope, as leader not only of the transnational church but also of the sovereign entity of the Holy See is able to participate in world politics in ways that would be unthinkable for virtually any other religious leader. Enjoying formal diplomatic relations with over 180 countries and occupying a seat as Permanent Observer at the UN, the Holy See is deeply engaged in international diplomacy and firmly entrenched as a prominent element of global civil society.

In sum, it is precisely this institutional complexity and multileveled breadth that renders the Catholic hierarchy uniquely well positioned to play meaningful roles at all levels of politics: local, national, and global. Moreover, the multifaceted ways in which these levels of the church’s leadership structure interact with and intersect with each other also grant complexity, nuance, and pervasiveness to the hierarchy’s political role. The first requirement for scholars seeking to conceptualize and explicate this role, therefore, is to be careful about what we mean when we use the term “the Catholic hierarchy,” and to be cognizant of the many different “levels of analysis” at which the Catholic Church operates as a universal institution.