bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CRISPR correction of a homozygous low‐density lipoprotein receptor mutation in familial hypercholesterolemia induced pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Omer Linda , Hudson Elizabeth A. , Zheng Shirong , Hoying James B. , Shan Yuan , Boyd Nolan L.
Published: October 2017

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a hereditary disease primarily due to mutations in the low‐density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) that lead to elevated cholesterol and premature development of cardiovascular disease. Homozygous FH patients (HoFH) with two dysfunctional LDLR alleles are not as successfully treated with standard hypercholesterol therapies, and more aggressive therapeutic approaches to control cholesterol levels must be considered. Liver transplant can resolve HoFH, and hepatocyte transplantation has shown promising results in animals and humans. However, demand for donated livers and high‐quality hepatocytes overwhelm the supply. Human pluripotent stem cells can differentiate to hepatocyte‐like cells (HLCs) with the potential for experimental and clinical use. To be of future clinical use as autologous cells, LDLR genetic mutations in derived FH‐HLCs need to be corrected. Genome editing technology clustered‐regularly‐interspaced‐short‐palindromic‐repeats/CRISPR‐associated 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) can repair pathologic genetic mutations in human induced pluripotent stem cells. Conclusion: We used CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to permanently correct a 3‐base pair homozygous deletion in LDLR exon 4 of patient‐derived HoFH induced pluripotent stem cells. The genetic correction restored LDLR‐mediated endocytosis in FH‐HLCs and demonstrates the proof‐of‐principle that CRISPR‐mediated genetic modification can be successfully used to normalize HoFH cholesterol metabolism deficiency at the cellular level. (Hepatology Communications 2017;1:886–898)
Biochemical characterization of argininosuccinate lyase from M. tuberculosis: significance of a c‐terminal cysteine in catalysis and thermal stability
Authors: Mishra Archita , Surolia Avadhesha
Published: October 2017

Arginine biosynthesis pathway is crucial to the survival and pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Arginine is a critical amino acid that contributes to the inflection of cellular immune responses during pathogenesis. Argininosuccinate lyase from Mtb (MtArgH), the last enzyme in the pathway, catalyzes the production of arginine from argininosuccinic acid. MtArgH is an essential enzyme for the growth and survival of M. tuberculosis. We biochemically characterized MtArgH and deciphered the role of a previously unexplored cysteine (Cys441) residue at the C‐terminal region of the protein. Chemical modification of Cys441 completely abrogated the enzymatic activity suggesting its involvement in the catalytic mechanism. Replacement of Cys441 to alanine showed a striking decrease in the enzymatic activity, while retaining the overall secondary to quaternary structure of the protein, hence corroborating the involvement of Cys441 in the process of catalysis. Interestingly, replacement of Cys441 to serine, showed significant increase in activity, as compared to the wild‐type MtArgH. Inactivity of C441A and elevated activity of its conservative mutant (C441S) confirmed the participation of Cys441 in the MtArgH activity. We also, observed that C441S mutant has higher thermal stability and maintains significant activity at high temperatures. This is in concordance with our observation that Cys441 in Mtb is replaced by a serine in the ArgH from thermophilic microorganisms. Furthermore, we also propose a potential feedback mechanism, wherein the Cys441 is covalently modified to S‐(2‐succinyl) cysteine (succination) by one of the products, fumarate, thereby inactivating MtArgH. These insights into the mechanism of MtArgH activity unravel novel regulations of arginine biosynthetic pathway in Mtb. © 2017 IUBMB Life, 69(11):896–907, 2017
Native T1 mapping for characterization of acute and chronic myocardial infarction in swine: Comparison with contrast‐enhanced MRI
Authors: Liu Xi , Hou Jiang‐long , Yang Zhi‐gang , Xia Chun‐chao , Xie Lin‐jun , Ye Peng‐fei , Peng Wan‐lin , Li Lei , Yang Meng‐xi , Guo Ying‐kun
Published: October 2017

Background

Both acute and chronic myocardial infarction (AMI and CMI, respectively) exhibit delayed enhancement; however, clinical decision‐making processes frequently require the differentiation of these two types of myocardial injury.

Purpose

To investigate the reliability of AMI and CMI characterization using native T1 mapping and its feasibility for discriminating AMI from CMI.

Study Type

Case–control.

Animal Model

The study cohort comprised 12 AMI (mean post‐MI, 3.75 ± 1.29 days) and 15 CMI (mean post‐MI, 39.53 ± 6.10 days) Bama mini‐pigs.

Field Strength/Sequence

Balanced steady‐state free precession (bSSFP), segmented‐turbo‐FLASH‐PSIR, and modified Look–Locker inversion recovery (MOLLI) sequences at 3.0T.

Assessment

The infarct sizes were compared on matching short‐axis slices of late‐gadolinium‐enhanced (LGE) images and T1 maps by two experienced radiologists.

Statistical Tests

The infarct sizes were compared on matching short‐axis slices of LGE images and T1 maps, and agreement was determined using linear regression and Bland–Altman analyses. The native T1 values were compared between AMI and CMI models (independent sample t‐test). The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to assess inter‐ and intraobserver variability.

Results

Measured infarct sizes did not differ between native T1 mapping and LGE images (AMI: P = 0.913; CMI: P = 0.233), and good agreement was observed between the two techniques (AMI: bias, –3.38 ± 19.38%; R2 = 0.96; CMI: bias, –10.55 ± 10.90%; R2 = 0.90). However, the native infarction myocardium T1 values and the T1 signal intensity ratio of infarct and remote myocardium (T1 SI ratio) did not differ significantly between AMI and CMI (P = 0.173).

Data Conclusion

Noncontrast native T1 mapping can accurately determine acute and chronic infarct areas as well as conventional LGE imaging; however, it cannot distinguish acute from chronic MI.

Level of Evidence: 1

Technical Efficacy: Stage 2

J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;47:1406–1414.
Clinical Impact of the Microembolic Signal Burden During Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: Just a Lot of Noise?
Authors: von Bary Christian , Deneke Thomas , Arentz Thomas , Schade Anja , Lehrmann Heiko , Schwab‐Malek Susanne , Fredersdorf Sabine , Baldaranov Dobri , Maier Lars , Schlachetzki Felix
Published: October 2017

Objectives

Microembolic signal detection by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography may be considered a surrogate for cerebral events during invasive cardiac procedures. However, the impact of the microembolic signal count during pulmonary vein isolation on the clinical outcome is not well evaluated. We investigated the effect of the microembolic signal count on the occurrence of new silent cerebral embolism measured by diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI)‐magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), changes in neuropsychological testing, and the occurrence of clinical events during long‐term follow‐up after pulmonary vein isolation.

Methods

Pulmonary vein isolation was performed in 41 patients. The total microembolic signal burden (classified into “solid,” “gaseous,” and “equivocal”) and sustained thromboembolic showers of greater than 30 seconds were recorded. Diffusion‐weighted imaging‐MRI and neuropsychological testing were performed before and after pulmonary vein isolation to assess for silent cerebral embolism and neuropsychological sequelae. Long‐term follow‐up was performed by telephone to assess for stroke/transient ischemic attack.

Results

A total of 68,729 microembolic signals (14,893 solid, 11,909 gaseous, and 41,927 equivocal) with an average of 1676 signals per patient and 42 thromboembolic showers were recorded. No correlation between the microembolic signal/thromboembolic shower count and the occurrence of new DWI lesions or neuropsychological capability was found. After a mean follow‐up ± SD of 49 ± 4 months, 1 patient had an overt transient ischemic event, which was not associated with a high microembolic signal count.

Conclusions

In this multicenter study, we found no impact of the intraprocedural microembolic symbol/thromboembolic shower count on the occurrence of new DWI lesions, neuropsychological capability, or overt neurologic deficits after pulmonary vein isolation. Thus, not only the microembolic signal count but also procedural/individual factors may contribute to commensurable clinical damage, which may challenge this method as a valid biomarker during pulmonary vein isolation.
Development of a spectral‐pattern‐analysis‐based method for automated water body extraction using Landsat image data: A case study in central Vietnam and southern Laos
Authors: Duong Nguyen Dinh , Hang Le Minh , Tuan Tran Anh , Ouyang Zutao
Published: October 2017

Water body mapping is an important application of optical remote sensing. Methods for classifying water bodies using multispectral image data have been successfully developed for water resource monitoring and management. However, in most cases, these traditional methods provide only partial automation capabilities. In this study, we propose a new spectral‐pattern‐analysis‐based (SPAB) method for water body extraction using simplified spectral patterns (SSPs). Simplified spectral patterns are a generalized transformation of spectral patterns from analogue to digital format, realized by nonrepetitive pairwise comparison of reflectance values between two bands. Simplified spectral patterns allow for the direct incorporation of spectral patterns into the recognition process. The advantage of this method compared to traditional methods is that the SPAB method allows automation of water body classification using an SSP database. In this study, we selected a mountainous region in central Vietnam and southern Laos as a study site. Four Landsat 8 OLI scenes from 2015 and four Landsat 7 ETM+ scenes from 2001 and 2002 were used. The results of our proposed method were compared with visual interpretation, normalized differential water index (NDWI) thresholding, and the Global Inland Water (GIW) dataset provided by the Global Land Cover Facility of the University of Maryland. It is concluded that the classification results of the SPAB method agree by more than 98.0% with NDWI results for Landsat 8 OLI images, and by more than 95.0% with the GIW dataset for Landsat 7 ETM+ images.
Analyzing the shape of observed trait distributions enables a data‐based moment closure of aggregate models
Authors: Gaedke Ursula , Klauschies Toni
Published: October 2017

The shape of trait distributions may inform about the selective forces that structure ecological communities. Here, we present a new moment‐based approach to classify the shape of observed biomass‐weighted trait distributions into normal, peaked, skewed, or bimodal that facilitates spatio‐temporal and cross‐system comparisons. Our observed phytoplankton trait distributions exhibited substantial variance and were mostly skewed or bimodal rather than normal. Additionally, mean, variance, skewness und kurtosis were strongly correlated. This is in conflict with trait‐based aggregate models that often assume normally distributed trait values and small variances. Given these discrepancies between our data and general model assumptions we used the observed trait distributions to test how well different aggregate models with first‐ or second‐order approximations and different types of moment closure predict the biomass, mean trait, and trait variance dynamics using weakly or moderately nonlinear fitness functions. For weakly non‐linear fitness functions aggregate models with a second‐order approximation and a data‐based moment closure that relied on the observed correlations between skewness and mean, and kurtosis and variance predicted biomass and often also mean trait changes fairly well and better than models with first‐order approximations or a normal‐based moment closure. In contrast, none of the models reflected the changes of the trait variances reliably. Aggregate model performance was often also poor for moderately nonlinear fitness functions. This questions a general applicability of the normal‐based approach, in particular for predicting variance dynamics determining the speed of trait changes and maintenance of biodiversity. We evaluate in detail how and why better approximations can be obtained.
Measurement of Murine Single‐Kidney Glomerular Filtration Rate Using Dynamic Contrast‐Enhanced MRI
Authors: Jiang Kai , Tang Hui , Mishra Prasanna K. , Macura Slobodan I. , Lerman Lilach O.
Published: October 2017

Purpose

To develop and validate a method for measuring murine single‐kidney glomerular filtration rate (GFR) using dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI (DCE‐MRI).

Methods

This prospective study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. A fast longitudinal relaxation time (T1) measurement method was implemented to capture gadolinium dynamics (1 s/scan), and a modified two‐compartment model was developed to quantify GFR as well as renal perfusion using 16.4T MRI in mice 2 weeks after unilateral renal artery stenosis (RAS, n = 6) or sham (n = 8) surgeries. This approach was validated by comparing model‐derived GFR and perfusion to those obtained by fluorescein isothiocyanante (FITC)‐inulin clearance and arterial spin labeling (ASL), respectively, using the Pearson's and Spearman's rank correlations and Bland‐Altman analysis.

Results

The compartmental model provided a good fitting to measured gadolinium dynamics in both normal and RAS kidneys. The proposed DCE‐MRI method offered assessment of single‐kidney GFR and perfusion, comparable to the FITC‐inulin clearance (Pearson's correlation coefficient r = 0.95 and Spearman's correlation coefficient ρ = 0.94, P < 0.0001, and mean difference −7.0 ± 11.0 μL/min) and ASL (r = 0.92 and ρ = 0.84, P < 0.0001, and mean difference 4.4 ± 66.1 mL/100 g/min) methods.

Conclusion

The proposed DCE‐MRI method may be useful for reliable noninvasive measurements of single‐kidney GFR and perfusion in mice. Magn Reson Med 79:2935–2943, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Ghost reduction in echo‐planar imaging by joint reconstruction of images and line‐to‐line delays and phase errors
Authors: Ianni Julianna D. , Welch E. Brian , Grissom William A.
Published: October 2017

Purpose

To correct line‐to‐line delays and phase errors in echo‐planar imaging (EPI).

Theory and Methods

EPI‐trajectory auto‐corrected image reconstruction (EPI‐TrACR) is an iterative maximum‐likelihood technique that exploits data redundancy provided by multiple receive coils between nearby lines of k‐space to determine and correct line‐to‐line trajectory delays and phase errors that cause ghosting artifacts. EPI‐TrACR was efficiently implemented using a segmented FFT and was applied to in vivo brain data acquired at 7 T across acceleration (1×–4×) and multishot factors (1–4 shots), and in a time series.

Results

EPI‐TrACR reduced ghosting across all acceleration factors and multishot factors, compared to conventional calibrated reconstructions and the PAGE method. It also achieved consistently lower ghosting in the time series. Averaged over all cases, EPI‐TrACR reduced root‐mean‐square ghosted signal outside the brain by 27% compared to calibrated reconstruction, and by 40% compared to PAGE.

Conclusion

EPI‐TrACR automatically corrects line‐to‐line delays and phase errors in multishot, accelerated, and dynamic EPI. While the method benefits from additional calibration data for initialization, it was not a requirement for most reconstructions. Magn Reson Med 79:3114–3121, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Don't get lost in the noise: Craft emails students will read
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: October 2017

MINNEAPOLIS — “How do we know students aren't reading our emails? Because they're not doing what we ask them to!” Stuart Boyd, student engagement coordinator at Arapahoe Community College in Colorado, said during his session at the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers annual meeting. Boyd shared strategies for increasing student open‐and‐read rates for emails as well as ways to craft emails that grab students' attention and help them understand the importance of professional communication via email for their lives even beyond your institution.
Students Speak/Resources
Authors: Novis David
Published: October 2017

Students Speak

Stage right: Where an ideal major inspires student to stay in school

Resources

Working adults see education as stepping stone

Campuses align experiences with career placement

Free community colleges score higher overall
Macroeconomics of Post‐reform India
Authors: Fernandez Cledwyn
Published: October 2017

This book has very precisely covered the journey of the Indian economy from the period of pre‐reform to post‐reform era. The economic reforms which took place in the year 1991 are very significant for India. It brought about a lot of socio‐economic changes which changed India's economy completely.

This book has been divided into two sections. The first section deals with the theoretical framework and approaches (a brief understanding of the Indian macro economy), and the second section deals with the behaviour of the Indian economy. The second section is a more comprehensive section as it discusses about topics like—inflation, service‐led growth, balance of payment crisis, and some macroeconomic puzzles.

The author concisely explained the different phases of the Indian economy, right from pre‐reform to post reform, from manufacturing to service, and from food to oil inflation. The book is a thorough revision of the Indian economy at hand, and it gives the readers a clear overview of the country.
Copper Sulfide Dendrites Prepared by Sulfur Gas Heat Treatment of Copper
Authors: Gotoh Tamihiro
Published: October 2017

The structural and optical properties of copper sulfide dendrites are investigated. Copper sulfide dendrites are prepared by a simple heat treatment of copper. Dendrite growth is remarkable under the condition of copper plate 84.8 mg and sulfur 9.3 mg, and growth temperature at 400 °C. High density tree‐like dendritic structures are observed by optical microscope and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). X‐ray diffraction (XRD) revealed the product to be a mixture of CuxS (x = 1.8–2). The band gap of copper sulfide dendrites is estimated using photothermal spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy at room temperature. Both methods lead to comparable values of ≈1.2 eV. This value is reasonable for the band gap of Cu2S.
Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy of Blue and Green InGaN Quantum Wells by Scanning Near‐Field Optical Microscopy
Authors: Kurai Satoshi , Mihara Renma , Nobata Genki , Okawa Kohei , Okada Narihito , Tadatomo Kazuyuki , Yano Yoshiki , Tabuchi Toshiya , Matsumoto Koh , Yamada Yoichi
Published: October 2017

We investigated nanoscopic spectroscopy of blue and green InGaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) by scanning near‐field optical microscopy (SNOM). The photoluminescence (PL) spectra showed emission peaks related to GaN and a main InGaN peak both in the blue and green MQWs. In addition, local emission peaks appeared on the higher‐energy side of the main InGaN peak (high‐E emission) in only the green InGaN MQW. The PL intensity map acquired from the high‐E emission in the green MQW was compared with the GaN emission intensity map, and there was no clear correlation between the high‐E emission regions and the dark spots in the GaN emission intensity map at room temperature (RT). The high‐E emissions are not due to potential barriers, but to other defects in the quantum wells. This may be because there is no high‐E emission related to the potential barrier at RT owing to the small V‐pit size, which reduces the suppression of carrier diffusion into dislocations especially at RT. Thus, the SNOM‐PL is measured for the green MQW at low temperature. In contrast to RT, there was a clear correlation between the high‐E emission regions and the dark spots in the GaN emission intensity map at 40 K, indicating that potential barriers formed around threading dislocations. The potential barrier height estimated from the SNOM‐PL spectra of the green MQW was sufficient to suppress carrier diffusion into threading dislocations.
Single‐dose pharmacokinetic study comparing the pharmacokinetics of recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin in healthy Japanese and Caucasian women and recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin and urinary human chorionic gonadotropin in healthy Japanese women
Authors: Bagchus Wilhelmina , Wolna Peter , Uhl Wolfgang
Published: October 2017

Purpose

Recombinant hCG (r‐hCG) was approved in Japan in 2016. As a prerequisite for a Phase III study in Japan related to this approval, the pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of r‐hCG was investigated.

Methods

An open‐label, partly randomized, single‐center, single‐dose, group‐comparison, Phase I PK‐bridging study was done that compared a single 250 μg dose of r‐hCG with a single 5000 IU dose of urinary hCG (u‐hCG) in healthy Japanese women, as well as comparing a single 250 μg dose of r‐hCG in Japanese and Caucasian women. The Japanese participants were randomized 1:1 to receive either r‐hCG or u‐hCG, while the Caucasian participants were weight‐matched to the Japanese participants who were receiving r‐hCG in a 1:1 fashion. The primary PK parameters were the area under the serum concentration–time curve from time 0 extrapolated to infinity (AUC0–∞) and the maximum serum concentration (Cmax).

Results

The mean serum hCG concentration–time profiles of r‐hCG in the Japanese and Caucasian participants were a similar shape, but the level of overall exposure was ~20% lower in the Japanese participants. For the Japanese participants, r‐hCG resulted in an 11% lower Cmax but a 19% higher AUC0–∞ compared with u‐hCG. No new safety signal was identified.

Conclusion

This study cannot exclude a potential difference in the PK profile of r‐hCG between Japanese and Caucasian participants. However, this study does not indicate that there are clinically relevant differences in the serum PK of r‐hCG and u‐hCG in the Japanese participants.
Sharp thresholds for Ramsey properties of strictly balanced nearly bipartite graphs
Authors: Schacht Mathias , Schulenburg Fabian
Published: October 2017

For a given graph F we consider the family of (finite) graphs G with the Ramsey property for F, that is the set of such graphs G with the property that every two‐coloring of the edges of G yields a monochromatic copy of F. For F being a triangle Friedgut, Rödl, Ruciński, and Tetali (2004) established the sharp threshold for the Ramsey property in random graphs. We present a simpler proof of this result which extends to a more general class of graphs F including all cycles.

The proof is based on Friedgut's criteria (1999) for sharp thresholds and on the recently developed container method for independent sets in hypergraphs by Saxton and Thomason and by Balogh, Morris and Samotij. The proof builds on some recent work of Friedgut et al. who established a similar result for van der Waerden's theorem.
Becoming Disciplined About Disciplinary Literacy Through Guided Retelling
Authors: Parenti Melissa A.
Published: October 2017

Becoming more disciplined about teaching disciplinary literacy in our classrooms can be a challenge. Encouraging student production of the academic language and the demands and styles of thinking associated with each discipline requires an additional push that was often overlooked in content area instruction of the past. As this new journey in disciplinary literacy begins, supportive strategies become a necessity. In this article, the author presents guided retelling as a simple solution to the complex task of promoting disciplinary literacy in the elementary classroom. Through the use of verbal and visual prompts, guided retelling continues to be a highly implementable and adaptable tool for learners of all ages and abilities across all disciplines.
Using the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist to Direct Perioperative Quality Improvement at a Surgical Hospital in Cambodia: The Importance of Objective Confirmation of Process Completion
Authors: Garland Naomi Y. , Kheng Sokhavatey , De Leon Michael , Eap Hourt , Forrester Jared A. , Hay Janice , Oum Palritha , Sam Ath Socheat , Stock Simon , Yem Samprathna , Lucas Gerlinda , Weiser Thomas G.
Published: October 2017

Background

The WHO surgical safety checklist (SSC) is known to prevent postoperative complications; however, strategies for effective implementation are unclear. In addition to cultural and organizational barriers faced by high‐income countries, resource‐constrained settings face scarcity of durable and consumable goods. We used the SSC to better understand barriers to improvement at a trauma hospital in Battambang, Cambodia.

Methods

We introduced the SSC and trained data collectors to observe surgical staff performing the checklist. Members of the research team observed cases and data collection. After 3 months, we modified the data collection tool to focus on infection prevention and elicit more accurate responses.

Results

Over 16 months we recorded data on 695 operations (304 cases using the first tool and 391 cases with the modified tool). The first tool identified five items as being in high compliance, which were then excluded from further assessment. Two items—instrument sterility confirmation and sponge counting—were identified as being misinterpreted by the data collectors’ tool. These items were reworded to capture objective assessment of task completion. Confirmation of instrument sterility was initially never performed but rectified to >95% compliance; sponge counting and prophylactic antibiotic administration were consistently underperformed.

Conclusions

Staff complied with communication elements of the SSC and quickly adopted process improvements. The wording of our data collection tool affected interpretation of compliance with standards. Material resources are not the primary barrier to checklist implementation in this setting, and future work should focus on clarification of protocols and objective confirmation of tasks.
Negative regulation of daptomycin production by DepR2, an ArsR-family transcriptional factor
Authors: Mao Xu-Ming , Luo Shuai , Li Yong-Quan
Published: October 2017

Daptomycin, a lipopeptide antibiotic potently active against Gram-positive bacterial pathogens, is produced by Streptomyces roseosporus, but the transcriptional regulation on its biosynthesis is not fully understood. Here, we report that DepR2, an ArsR-family transcriptional regulator isolated previously by DNA-affinity purification, interacts directly with dptEp, the major promoter of the daptomycin gene cluster. DepR2 binds to an imperfect palindromic sequence at the very upstream of dptEp. Meanwhile, higher dptEp activities were consistently observed in the ΔdepR2 mutant, correlating with a nearly 2.5-fold increased production of daptomycin and three structurally related secondary metabolites A21978C1–3. Thus, our data suggest that the ArsR-family transcriptional regulator DepR2 negatively regulates production of daptomycin by directly repressing the expression of its gene cluster in S. roseosporus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to show the involvement of an ArsR-family regulator in the direct regulation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis in Streptomyces.
Bürgerschaftliches Engagement, Koproduktion und das Leitbild gleichwertiger Lebensbedingungen
Authors: Butzin Anna , Gärtner Stefan
Published: October 2017

Support of civic engagement and co-production aiming at the delivery of public services implies a spatial dilemma. The majority of people engaged are located in prosperous regions that further benefit from public support of civic engagement, while this is less frequent the case for structurally weak regions. The paper empirically confirms the spatial dilemma by analyzing civic initiatives engaged in delivering public services according to their location. The interdependency of engagement and public support can have negative effects for the German model of equal living conditions. However, commitment and co-production can also be stimulated in structurally weak regions. Based on in-depth case study research we discuss activation and success factors of civic initiatives. We conclude that valuation of civic engagement as part of regional development is important, since both prosperous and weak regions benefit from it. Therefore, civic engagement should be supported in weaker regions in particular.
Exploring patient experiences of a pain management centre: A qualitative study
Authors: Mittinty Manasi M. , Lee John , Williams Amanda C. de C. , Curran Natasha
Published: October 2017

Background and aims

To improve care and management of patients with chronic pain it is important to understand patients’ experiences of treatment, and of the people and the environment involved. As chronic pain patients often have long relationships with medical clinics and pain management centres, the team and team interactions with the patients could impact the treatment outcome. The aim of this study was to elicit as honest as possible an account of chronic pain patients’ experiences associated with their care and feed this information back to the clinical team as motivation for improvement.

Methods

The research was conducted at a large hospital-based pain management centre. One hundred consecutive patients aged 18 years and above, who had visited the centre at least once before, were invited to participate. Seventy patients agreed and were asked to write a letter, as if to a friend, describing the centre. On completion of the study, all letters were transcribed into NVivo software and a thematic analysis performed.

Results

Six key themes were identified: (i) staff attitude and behaviour; (ii) interactions with the physician; (iii) importance of a dedicated pain management centre; (iv) personalized care; (v) benefits beyond pain control; (vi) recommending the pain management centre.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that the main reasons that patients recommended the centre were: (i) support and validation provided by the staff; (ii) provision of detailed information about the treatment choices available; (iii) personalized management plan and strategies to improve overall quality of life alongside pain control. None of the letters criticized the care provided, but eight of seventy reported long waiting times for the first appointment as a problem.

Implications

Patient views are central to improving care. However, satisfaction questionnaires or checklists can be intimidating, and restrictive in their content, not allowing patients to offer spontaneous feedback. We used a novel approach of writing a letter to a friend, which encouraged reporting of uncensored views. The results of the study have encouraged the clinical team to pursue their patient management strategies and work to reduce the waiting time for a first appointment.
Improvements in long-term output energy performance of Nd:glass regenerative amplifiers
Authors: Zhang Peng , Jiang Youen , Wang Jiangfeng , Fan Wei , Li Xuechun , Zhu Jianqiang
Published: October 2017

Optical damages, which severely degrade the output energy performance of Nd:glass regenerative amplifiers, are discussed in detail in this paper. By a series of experiments, it has been confirmed that these damages result from laser-induced contamination. Based on this work, several improvements are made to boost output energy performance of the regenerative amplifier. The output energy of the regenerative amplifier after improvements declines 4% after 1000 h of operation, much less than it used to, 60% after 560 h of operation.
Further characterisations of tangential quadrilaterals
Authors: Josefsson Martin
Published: October 2017

Tangential quadrilaterals are defined to be quadrilaterals in which a circle can be inscribed that is tangent to all four sides. It is well known and easy to prove that a convex quadrilateral is tangential if, and only if, the angle bisectors of all four vertex angles are concurrent at a point, which is the centre of the inscribed circle (incircle). The most well-known and in problem solving useful characterisation of tangential quadrilaterals is Pitot's theorem, which states that a convex quadrilateral is tangential if and only if its consecutive sides a, b, c, d satisfy the relation a + c = b + d [1, pp. 64-67]. If you want to have more background information about characterisations of tangential quadrilaterals, then we recommend you to check out the lovely papers [2, 3, 4], as well as our previous contributions on the subject [5, 6, 7]. These six papers together include about 30 characterisations that are either proved or reviewed there with references.
Solving multivariate optimisation problems using inequalities
Authors: Kaczkowski Stephen
Published: October 2017

Optimisation problems are among the most practical applications of calculus to everyday life, and a survey of exercises in various calculus textbooks will provide a teacher with many interesting scenarios for framing intriguing questions on this topic. Whether it is finding a container's dimensions that yield the least surface area for a given volume, or finding that ideal movie ticket price which will maximise a theatre's revenue, students can usually relate to these problems. Pólya in his book Plausible reasoning makes the following remarks about the attraction of extrema problems:

Problems concerned with greatest and least values, or maximum and minimum problems, are more attractive, perhaps, than other mathematical problems of comparable difficulty, and this may be due to a quite primitive reason. Every one of us has his personal problems. We may observe that these problems are very often maximum or minimum problems of a sort. We wish to obtain a certain object at the lowest possible price, or the greatest possible effect with a certain effort, or the maximum work done within a given time and, of course, we wish to run the minimum risk. Mathematical problems on maxima and minima appeal to us, I think, because they idealize our everyday problems. We are even inclined to imagine that Nature acts as we would like to act, obtaining the greatest effect with the least effort [1, p. 121].
Radiation Driven Instability of Rapidly Rotating Relativistic Stars: Criterion and Evolution Equations Via Multipolar Expansion of Gravitational Waves
Authors: Chugunov A. I.
Published: October 2017

I suggest a novel approach for deriving evolution equations for rapidly rotating relativistic stars affected by radiation-driven Chandrasekhar–Friedman–Schutz instability. This approach is based on the multipolar expansion of gravitational wave emission and appeals to the global physical properties of the star (energy, angular momentum, and thermal state), but not to canonical energy and angular momentum, which is traditional. It leads to simple derivation of the Chandrasekhar–Friedman–Schutz instability criterion for normal modes and the evolution equations for a star, affected by this instability. The approach also gives a precise form to simple explanation of the Chandrasekhar–Friedman–Schutz instability; it occurs when two conditions are met: (a) gravitational wave emission removes angular momentum from the rotating star (thus releasing the rotation energy) and (b) gravitational waves carry less energy, than the released amount of the rotation energy. To illustrate the results, I take the r-mode instability in slowly rotating Newtonian stellar models as an example. It leads to evolution equations, where the emission of gravitational waves directly affects the spin frequency, being in apparent contradiction with widely accepted equations. According to the latter, effective spin frequency decrease is coupled with dissipation of unstable mode, but not with the instability as it is. This problem is shown to be superficial, and arises as a result of specific definition of the effective spin frequency applied previously. Namely, it is shown, that if this definition is taken into account properly, the evolution equations coincide with obtained here in the leading order in mode amplitude. I also argue that the next-to-leading order terms in evolution equations were not yet derived accurately and thus it would be more self-consistent to omit them.
Unmixing grain-size distributions in lake sediments: a new method of endmember modeling using hierarchical clustering
Authors: Zhang Xiaonan , Zhou Aifeng , Wang Xin , Song Mu , Zhao Yongtao , Xie Haichao , Russell James M. , Chen Fahu
Published: October 2017

The grain-size distribution (GSD) of sediments provides information on sediment provenance, transport processes, and the sedimentary environment. Although a wide range of statistical parameters have been applied to summarize GSDs, most are directed at only parts of the distribution, which limits the amount of environmental information that can be retrieved. Endmember modeling provides a flexible method for unmixing GSDs; however, the calculation of the exact number of endmembers and geologically meaningful endmember spectra remain unresolved using existing modeling methods. Here we present the methodology hierarchical clustering endmember modeling analysis (CEMMA) for unmixing the GSDs of sediments. Within the CEMMA framework, the number of endmembers can be inferred from agglomeration coefficients, and the grain-size spectra of endmembers are defined on the basis of the average distance between the samples in the clusters. After objectively defining grain-size endmembers, we use a least squares algorithm to calculate the fractions of each GSD endmember that contributes to individual samples. To test the CEMMA method, we use a grain-size data set from a sediment core from Wulungu Lake in the Junggar Basin in China, and find that application of the CEMMA methodology yields geologically and mathematically meaningful results. We conclude that CEMMA is a rapid and flexible approach for analyzing the GSDs of sediments.
FABIUS AND MINUCIUS IN TACITUS: INTERTEXTUALITY AND ALLUSION IN ANNALS BOOK 15
Authors: Pomeroy Arthur J.
Published: October 2017

Roman conflict with Parthia in the mid first century for control of Armenia and Domitius Corbulo's exploits in the East, culminating in the Parthian candidate for the throne, Tiridates, receiving his diadem from the hands of the Emperor Nero in Rome, have frequently been studied for what they reveal about military and diplomatic manoeuvres under the later Julio-Claudians. The historiographical investigation of our main source, Tacitus, particularly through comparison with the fragments of Cassius Dio, is also important for the light this sheds on the Roman senator's methods. The intention of this paper is to draw attention to the complexity of Tacitus’ account by indicating his use of multiple and sometimes contradictory viewpoints in his narration of Caesennius Paetus’ unsuccessful Armenian campaign of a.d. 62–63 (Ann. 15.1–17) and to highlight an unrecognized echoing of his predecessor Livy by the historian. The examination of a text that is as elusive as it is allusive will require a careful study of what must have been a debated incident, but, as I hope to show, will give a broader insight into the historian's methods and, perhaps, wider intentions. I begin with an outline of historical events and the sources available to the historian. Next, I present a narratological examination of the text to show how differing viewpoints are highlighted within a contested storyline. I then show how this confusion may appear to be dispelled by a strong plot-line that borrows heavily from Livy, wherein the actions of an older, experienced general are contrasted with those of his subordinate. However, aspects of this account suggest that the tensions within the narrative are not resolved and that this has wider implications for our understanding of the historian and his work.
SPECIAL ISSUE INTRODUCTION
Authors: Chatty Dawn
Published: October 2017

Academic interest in the study of forced migration as a specific field developed only in the late 20th century. But its conceptual tools had a much earlier incarnation in the United States. In the early 20th century historical linguistic and ethnographic research was being conducted with Native American peoples who had been subjected to massive ethnic cleansings in the preceding two centuries. Much of that early work was with tribes who had been displaced, dispossessed, and involuntarily marched into resource-poor reservations. The scientists working with them thought they were engaging in a kind of salvage operation to record ways of life before they disappeared. These researchers largely ignored or failed to recognize the impacts of displacement—destroyed settlements, land occupation, nonviable reservations, inadequate welfare, and hostile administrations and lack of legal rights—and focused instead on trying to reconstruct memory culture of “what life was like in the old days.” Nevertheless, these studies gave us many of our basic concepts to describe and analyze the experience of uprootedness and dispossession. These fundamental concepts have become important in the discipline of forced migration studies. They include understandings of: role and identity, hierarchy, social networks, conflict mechanisms, reciprocity and trust, boundary creation, rites of passage, liminality, and the role of myths.
Identity, Modernity, and the Destruction of Heritage
Authors: Rabbat Nasser
Published: October 2017

Cultural heritage in the Middle East is under attack. Brutal civil wars and foreign interventions have inflicted tremendous direct and collateral damage on historic sites, monuments, and museums. The chaos has also facilitated the emergence of new identitarian politics wielded by groups operating outside the framework of the nation-state. Consequently, history and geography are being contested and reconfigured, while cultural heritage itself is being divided and reappropriated, and its ill-fated fragments captured by groups that do not recognize them as their own heritage, or as heritage at all, destroyed.
THE AMERICAN WAR FOR THE GREATER MIDDLE EAST: FROM DIPLOMACY TO MILITARY INTERVENTION
Authors: Daigle Craig
Published: October 2017

Emblazoned across the front page of The New York Times on Sunday, 15 November 1981 was a large photograph of hundreds of US soldiers from the army's 82nd Airborne Division parachuting into the vast western desert of the Sinai Peninsula. The photo was eerily reminiscent of the images from October 1956 when Israeli soldiers dropped into the same desert as part of their effort, along with British and French forces, to topple the government of Egyptian President Jamal ʿAbd al-Nasir. But the American soldiers were on a much different mission. Rather than attempting to bring down Egypt's government, they were there to participate, alongside Egyptian forces, in “Operation Bright Star,” the largest American military exercise in the Middle East since World War II. During the next ten days, more than 6,000 US soldiers participated in the “war games,” which stretched from Egypt to Sudan, Somalia, and Oman, at an estimated cost of more than 50 million dollars (157 million dollars in current figures). On 25 November, the penultimate day of the operation, a half dozen American B-52s flying from North Dakota dropped a cluster of bombs over the Egyptian desert and then returned home on a thirty-two-hour journey without stopping, demonstrating the vast reach of the American military.
A Mystery No Longer?Opinio Jurisand Other Theoretical Controversies Associated with Customary International Law
Authors: Sender Omri , Wood Michael
Published: October 2017

Offering a current reflection on Raphael Walden's 1977 article, ‘The Subjective Element in the Formation of Customary International Law’, this contribution seeks to illustrate that considerable clarity has been achieved over the decades with regard to several long-standing questions associated with customary international law, not least those surroundingopinio juris. Accumulated practice and constructive scholarship have supplied insights into, and indeed answers to several of the controversies that have bedevilled the theory of this central source of international law. While it may inherently defy exact formulations, and some theoretical questions remain, customary international law is thus today not only as present in the international legal system as it has always been but is also better understood.
Courts, Legitimacy and the Rule of Law
Authors: Fatima Shaheed
Published: October 2017

The role of courts as lawmakers has been scrutinised, partly because of the questions it raises regarding legitimacy. This scrutiny has sometimes assumed that courts are safe from legitimacy-based criticism in their role as appliers of law. However, recent events in the United Kingdom show that, regrettably, this is not so: the media reaction to the judgments in the Brexit case of Miller went far beyond criticism of the courts’ reasoning or conclusions. It was an attack on legitimacy. Insofar as such attacks arise out of misunderstandings about the nature of adjudication (including, for example, the existence and scope of judicial discretion), one way of countering them is for the legal community (scholars, judges, practitioners) to continue to increase public awareness about these issues. However, it is incumbent upon other parts of the state – the executive and the legislature – to respond promptly to such attacks in order to uphold the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law.
All You Need Is Time? Discrepancies between the European Court of Human Rights Case Law and Liberal Normative Theory on Long-Term Migrants
Authors: Çalı Başak
Published: October 2017

This article, departing from Gila Stopler's ‘Rights in Immigration: The Veil as a Test Case’, published in theIsraeli Law Reviewin 2010, reviews how the time spent by a long-term migrant, irrespective of legal status, normatively figures in liberal theories of migration and in the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The article detects that in contemporary liberal theories, assigning an independent normative value to time spent by the migrant in the receiving country is a key move in balancing the competing interests of migrants and of the migrant-receiving country, where the right of the country to regulate migration is taken as given: the longer a migrant is present in a country, the stronger her interests become in receiving citizenship status or treatment akin to citizens. The article then surveys the case law of the ECtHR relating to long-term migrants. It finds that time is often one of multiple normative considerations in the balancing exercise, in conjunction with whether a migrant has achieved social integration in the migrant-receiving country and whether the right of the receiving community to regulate migration for reasons of affording citizenship, national security or distributive justice is paramount. The article argues that the lack of an independent normative weight afforded to time in the case law of the ECtHR is not merely a tension between the translation of liberal normative theory to legal policy. It also shows a deeper tension in liberal theories of migration between national liberalism and cosmopolitan liberalism.