bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thickness Optimisation of Sealed Seams in Respect of Insulating Properties
Authors: Korycki Ryszard , Szafrańska Halina
Published: September 2017

The main goal is to determine the optimal thickness of material layers in seams in respect of their insulating properties. The impact of structure on heat insulation and moisture resistance is also described. The insulation was analysed for different types of sealed seams which are typically used to connect the different parts of clothing. The coupled heat and mass transport problem is defined by the transport equations and a set of boundary and initial conditions. Based on the variational approach, we introduce the typical objective functionals and the optimality conditions. The problem was solved using the finite element method at the analysis stage and sensitivity approach at the synthesis stage.
Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Johnson Kurt L. , Hertz Deborah , Stobbe Gary , Alschuler Kevin , Kalb Rosalind , Alexander Katharine S. , Kraft George H. , Scott John D.
Published: September 2017

Background:

A pilot program using the Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) model was conducted for multiple sclerosis (MS) clinicians in the Pacific Northwest. The pilot was a collaboration between the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and faculty at the University of Washington. The goal was to determine the feasibility of using this telehealth model to increase the capacity and capability of clinicians in rural areas to treat people with MS.

Methods:

Thirteen practice sites with 24 clinicians were recruited to participate. Videoconferencing was used to conduct weekly sessions consisting of brief didactics followed by case consultations.

Results:

Most participants completing the outcome survey (10 of 15) indicated that they were more confident in treating patients with MS. They were satisfied with the training, felt better able to care for their patients, and had made changes in their treatment based on the case consultations and didactic content. They valued the case studies and case-based didactics and learned from each other as well as from the team.

Conclusions:

The pilot MS Project ECHO warrants further investigation regarding its potential effect on access to MS care delivery for underserved populations.
Upper Limb Intention Tremor in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: McCreary J. Keiko , Rogers James A. , Forwell Susan J.
Published: September 2017

Background:

To present the current knowledge on the characteristics, assessment, and treatment of upper limb intention tremor to inform and improve future intervention studies in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), we conducted a literature review for articles on upper limb intention tremor in patients with MS.

Methods:

Two reviewers conducted searches in PubMed, Web of Science, and MEDLINE (Ovid). Relevant articles, sorted on inclusion criteria, were examined for descriptions and assessments of upper limb intention tremor, and intervention studies were evaluated based on treatment type.

Results:

Eight descriptive studies were found reporting on the incidence and severity of tremor, impairments, and lesion load. Ten studies focused on measurement of tremor using various assessments. Intervention studies included eight articles using a diverse set of noninvasive techniques mainly showing transient reduction in tremor amplitude and temporary increase in function. Eighteen studies on pharmacologic interventions were found, with most displaying positive outcomes and mediation of tremor; others showed little to no benefit. Surgical interventions included 17 studies on thalamotomy and 20 on deep brain stimulation. Most studies showed tremor improvement after surgery; however, most sample sizes were small, and interventions were highly invasive, with potential adverse effects resulting from surgery.

Conclusions:

The literature on upper limb intention tremor in MS is relatively sparse. More studies are required to determine mechanism of action and to provide more suitable and sustainable interventions to decrease upper limb intention tremor and improve quality of life of individuals with MS.
Understanding Syntactic and Semantic Errors in the Composition Writing of Jordanian EFL Learners
Authors: Shaker Almahameed Yazan , Al-Shaikhli May
Published: September 2017

The current study aimed at investigating the salient syntactic and semantic errors made by Jordanian English foreign language learners as writing in English. Writing poses a great challenge for both native and non-native speakers of English, since writing involves employing most language sub-systems such as grammar, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation. A total of 30 Jordanian English foreign language learners participated in the study. The participants were instructed to write a composition of no more than one hundred and fifty words on a selected topic. Essays were collected and analyzed statistically to obtain the needed results. The results of the study displayed that syntactic errors produced by the participants were varied, in that eleven types of syntactic errors were committed as follows; verb-tense, agreement, auxiliary, conjunctions, word order, resumptive pronouns, null-subject, double-subject, superlative, comparative and possessive pronouns. Amongst syntactic errors, verb tense errors were the most frequent with 33%. The results additionally revealed that two types of semantic errors were made; errors at sentence level and errors at word level. Errors at word level outstripped by far errors at sentence level, scoring respectively 82% and 18%. It can be concluded that the syntactic and semantic knowledge of Jordanian learners of English is still insufficient.
Dylan Thomas’s “Fern Hill”: The Poets’s Passion for Auden’s Greatness
Authors: Bharadwaj S.
Published: September 2017

The poem “Fern Hill” is interpreted as autobiographical and reminiscent of Dylan Thomas’s boyhood holidays. A reading of the figurative language of the poem, the process of playing with its tropes can be the basis of right interpretation independent of the poet’s life or an historical context. As the poem seeks to be persuasive and objective, it relies more on rhetorics suggesting the sufferings of the fallen poets of the thirties and the war poet of the forties owing to their wild love of the transcendental art of W.H.Auden’s Poems (1930) considered as touchstone of great poetry and a hope for self-advancement in life. However, it is the paradoxical poems of Thomas and his vicarious poetical character that have rehabilitated and revamped the depressed poets. “Fern Hill” reaffirms and reassures the continuation of the same sceptic poetic tradition and culture which Thomas has cherished in all the preceeding and the succeeding poems. What this paper, keeping the contemporary poets’s passion for Auden’s greatness and glory, their dreams and destinations as focal point, strives to convey is the liberating power of Thomas’s moral disinterestedness, his vicarious comic vision and his poetic process of life-in-death contrasted with  the amoral aesthetic disinterestedness of Auden, his historic tradition and his poetic process of death-in-life.
The Impact of Presenting Semantically Related Clusters of New Words on Iranian Intermediate EFL learners' Vocabulary Acquisition
Authors: Shiri Saiede , Rezvani Ehsan
Published: September 2017

Teaching vocabulary in semantically related sets use as a common practice by EFL teachers. The present study tests the effectiveness of this techniques by comparing it with semantically unrelated clusters as the other technique on Iranian intermediate EFL learners. In the study three intact classes of participants studying at Isfahan were presented with a set of unrelated words through “ 504 Absolutely Essential words”, a set of related words through “The Oxford Picture Dictionary “, and the control group were presented some new words through six texts from “Reading Through Interaction”. Comparing of the results indicated that, while both techniques help the learners to acquire new sets of the words, presenting words in semantically unrelated sets seems to be more effective.
Qur’an-related Intertextuality: Textual Potentiation in Translation
Authors: Al-Kharabsheh Aladdin
Published: September 2017

Qur’an-related intertextuality, envisaged as an enriching communicative act both monolingually and interlingually, represents a case of semantic complexity that is wired to present inconceivable translation challenges. Drawing on Derrida’s (1977) dichotomy iterability/citationality, Kristeva’s (1980) vertical intertextuality, Fairclough’s (1992a; 1992b; 1995 & 2011) manifest intertextuality, and Bakhtin’s (1986) double voicing or re-accentuation, the study argues that Qur’an-related intertextuality is conducive of conceptual densities, the ‘harnessing’ of which requires ‘mobilizing’ those translation strategies that should exceed the lexicographical equivalence (Venuti 2009) to establish intertextual relations relevant to the form and theme of the foreign text. To resolve the arising translation problems, the study basically proposes two synthetic approaches: the gist-paratextual and the gist-exegetical. Translation skopos has been found to be central to the production and reception of intertextuality and to determining which of the two proposed synthetic approaches to operationalize. Finally, analysis shows that Qur’an proved to be a virtual breeding ground for textual dynamism and potentiation.
Motivation and Attitude of Islamic Azad University’s Faculty Members toward Learning English
Authors: Gholami Hamid
Published: September 2017

The study aimed at evaluating the Islamic Azad University's faculty members' attitude toward learning English, their motivation and its types and also some perceived barriers toward the goal of getting proficient in English as well as some possible suggestion to make them more motivated. To achieve the aim, some questionnaires were employed and the results revealed the high interest and motivation of faculty members to learn English. The results also indicated that the participants highly valued English as the international academic language.   Regarding the inhibitory factors, they mentioned being busy as one of the most important factors. Improper need analysis and consequently lack of appropriate courses were also reported to be of primary significance.  As far as suggestions are concerned, matching the course content with the needs of different departments was of a significant importance.
The Impact of Immediate and Delayed Corrective Feedback on Iranian EFL Learners’ Willingness to Communicate
Authors: Zadkhast Mahtab , Farahian Majid
Published: September 2017

The present study investigated the impact of immediate and delayed corrective feedback on Iranian EFL learners’ willingness to communicate. To attain the purpose of the study, 45 females intermediate students that were roughly selected according to their previous grades and their assigned  level in language school were chosen to participate in this study. Then they were divided to three equal groups: Experimental group 1(immediate feedback), Experimental group 2 (delayed feedback) and control group. In the first session, WTC questionnaire (MacIntyre ,2001 modified by Pourya Baghaei and Ali Dourakhshan) was administered to all groups as pretests. In group 1 the students’ errors were corrected by the teacher immediately after committing but in the second group, the students’ errors were written by the teacher and her comments were given to them when they finished their tasks. For the control group, the routine procedure of New Headway intermediate was followed. After about 12 sessions WTC was repeated as posttests. The findings revealed that immediate and delayed corrective feedback have a significant effect on EFL students’ level of WTC. The results, also demonstrated that experimental group 1 (immediate feedback) outweighed the other two groups in relation to their WTC. The findings have implication for pedagogy as well as further research.
The Realizations of Point of Departure of Message in General English Texts
Authors: Ebrahimi Seyed Foad
Published: September 2017

This study aimed to investigate the realization of marked and unmarked theme types as point of departure of message in general English texts. The corpus of this study was 15 general English texts extracted from English general textbooks for university students published in Iran and taught at universities in Iran. The corpus was analyzed based on Halliday’s (1985) framework of thematic organization. Findings suggested the unmarked theme was predominant compared to marked theme. This is due to that writers prefer to use simple structure that help readers to get a better comprehension. Findings also showed that different types of marked theme were used to help in text organization and contribute to better comprehension. In such cases, the writers felt the need to mention some elements in the thematic position other than grammatical subject. The findings highlighted that general English instructors and developers need to take on board the notion of theme and its importance in teaching and developing general English texts.
The Savage Within
Authors: Yang Yu-Miao
Published: September 2017

Heart of Darkness is often viewed as an allegory that relates the tragic demise of the colonists and the annihilation of the noble ideas they hold. In Heart of Darkness, the colonial theme is best examined through the fate of Kurtz, the protagonist of the novel who emerges from the surface of conventional European values as a man of varied talents and high culture. Equipped with moral ideas, Kurtz travelled to the Congo to campaign for noble ideals, yet having arrived in a primeval place, the uncivilised wilderness awakened his “brutal instincts” and “monstrous passion”. He submitted himself utterly to the temptation to “go native”, descending into a moral and physical state of degeneration. He is to become a savage man, consumed by the tangled and unforgiving jungle. The life and death of Kurtz in the wilderness helps to demonstrate that the treat of barbarism comes from indeed within civilisation itself. This paper thus seeks to examine the savage humanity by scrutinising Kurtz’s Mephistophelian transformation in the heart of darkness.
Orwell's Satirical View of Romantic Love in the Terrorized World of Nineteen Eighty-Four
Authors: Besharati Mohammad Hossein , Mazdayasna Golnar , Anoosheh Sayed Mohammad
Published: September 2017

The beginning of twentieth century was accompanied with the prevailing current of technology in different aspects of human life. At first, it incited a positive stimulus which could build a utopian world on the advancement of technology. However, the bloody World Wars averted this view and the technological utopia was replaced by Orwellian dystopia. Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four is a satirical work which moves against Wells' utopian toward the reflection of a distorted technological society. Undoubtedly, satire is the best literary mode for dystopic depiction of the world specifically the one portrayed in Nineteen Eighty-Four. Winston Smith, the central character of this novel, is lower from his society in terms of intelligence and power of action. Therefore, he is put under rigid controls and brainwashing. And at last, he awfully rejects his love in favor the principles of the Party. Thus, in this study, we try to investigate Winston's romantic life in a satiric manner with respect to Northrop Frye's theme of romance which includes the three phase of agon, pathos and anagnorisis.
Stress Assignment in N+N Combinations in Arabic
Authors: Mitib Altakhaineh Abdel Rahman
Published: September 2017

The validity of stress as a criterion to distinguish between compounds and phrases has been investigated in many languages, including English (see e.g. Lieber 2005: 376; Booij 2012: 84). However, the possibility of using stress as a criterion in this way has not been investigated for Arabic. Siloni (1997: 21) claims that in N+N combinations in Semitic languages, stress always falls on the second element. However, the results of a study using PRAAT reveal that, in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and Jordanian Arabic (JA), stress plays no role in distinguishing between various N+N combinations, i.e. compounds and phrases, e.g.ˈmuʕallim lfiizyaaʔ ‘the physics teacher’ vs.ˈbayt lwalad ‘the boy’s house’, respectively. Analysis shows that the default position of stress in N+N combinations in MSA and JA is on the first element. There is only one systematic exception, which is phonetically conditioned: in N+N combinations with assimilated geminates on the word boundary, a secondary stress or perhaps double stress is assigned.
Brexpiprazole: A review of a new treatment option for schizophrenia and major depressive disorder
Authors: Diefenderfer Lauren A. , Iuppa Courtney
Published: September 2017

Brexpiprazole is an atypical antipsychotic that works as a partial agonist at serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine1A and dopamine D2 receptors and an antagonist at serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine2A. It has US Food and Drug Administration approval for monotherapy treatment of schizophrenia and adjunctive treatment to antidepressants for major depressive disorder. Two phase-3 clinical trials demonstrated efficacy and relatively fair tolerability with regard to adverse effects for each indication. Akathisia was frequently reported in the major depressive disorder trials but less so in the schizophrenia trials. Significant increases in body weight and triglycerides were seen across all studies. Brexpiprazole appears to be a viable option for treating an acute exacerbation of schizophrenia requiring hospitalization or adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder in patients who showed an inadequate response to 1 to 3 antidepressants. Further clinical trials are warranted to determine the long-term efficacy of brexpiprazole, and comparison trials would be beneficial to establish its place in therapy.
What's new in multiple sclerosis?
Authors: Tillery Erika E. , Clements Jennifer N. , Howard Zach
Published: September 2017

Introduction:

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease state that affects and disables many people each year. The most common clinical presentation is relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). In the past 7 years, new medications have been approved for the treatment of RRMS, thereby providing more treatment options for patients and providers. The purpose of this article is to provide an update on medications for the treatment of MS that have been approved since January 2010.

Methods:

A review was performed utilizing CenterWatch to search for medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of RRMS between January 2010 and April 2017. The package inserts of medications indicated for RRMS were analyzed, and key points were summarized. PubMed and EBSCOhost were utilized to identify articles relevant to RRMS background and treatment.

Results:

Seven medications with varying mechanisms of action have been approved to treat RRMS since 2010. Pharmacotherapy options include oral and injectable formulations. Efficacy across the agents is comparable, and each agent has safety data from clinical trials. The safety profile varies between oral and injectable agents, but potential adverse effects are important to consider before initiation. Therapeutic selection is based on patient preference, dosing (frequency and route), and safety considerations.

Discussion:

Multiple therapeutic options are available for the treatment of RRMS. Health care practitioners should be cognizant of the adverse effects, dosing route, and frequency in order to optimally tailor therapy to meet individual patient needs.
Fanon, Frantz (1925–1961)
Authors: Jooste Rhayn Garrick
Published: September 2017

Frantz Fanon was a radical psychologist and revolutionary writer whose books exposed European imperialism, elucidated the psychopathology of colonization, and influenced radical social movements throughout the world from the 1960s on. He advocated for decolonization, Pan‐African unity, and revolutionary transformation of colonial societies. In his most popular and influential book,
The Wretched of the Earth
, Fanon famously argued that “Violence is a cleansing force. It frees the native from his inferiority complex and from his despair and inaction; it makes him fearless and restores his self‐respect.”
Farga Pellicer, Rafael (1844–1890)
Authors: Roldan‐Figueroa Rady
Published: September 2017

Farga Pellicer was a well‐regarded printer who contributed to the development of an independent press in Barcelona. He also played a role in the introduction of the First International and the International Alliance of Socialist Democracy to Catalonia.
French Revolution, Women and
Authors: Marik Soma
Published: September 2017

The French Revolution is often cited as a defining moment of modernity. Apart from a number of specialized studies, much of the general work on the revolution has ignored the questions raised by feminist scholarship, but it is necessary to look at the complex ways in which women took part in this revolution, and the ideological positions that developed. Landes (1988) describes the period as one in which women actually lost status. Referring to the salons like those of Madame Du Deffand and Madame Geoffrin, the patroness of the Encyclopedia, she suggests that women had a greater degree of freedom in the last decades of the
ancien régime
. Noblewomen and nuns even had some political space, as shown by the elections to the Estates General, where some of them could be represented, even though by men. The revolution and its consciously masculinist discourse, however, excluded them from the public sphere and, as Landes shows, the republic was not just constructed without women, but against them. This reading of the revolution suggests that women, as a category, did not have a revolution.
Garibaldi, Giuseppe (1807–1882)
Authors: Baer James
Published: September 2017

Giuseppe Garibaldi was born in Nice and gained renown as the “Hero of Two Worlds” for his exploits in the Risorgimento (Resurgence) movement that brought about the unification of Italy and in South America in defense of liberty. Best known as the leader of the Red Shirts, an army of Italian patriots that defended the shortlived Roman Republic in 1849 and successfully brought down the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in 1860, Garibaldi's prior achievements in South America are significant for two reasons. First, Garibaldi gained his skills as a guerrilla fighter in South America. Second, Garibaldi came to lead the Italian Legion in Montevideo, Uruguay, which formed the original band of Red Shirts. With these skills and an armed force of Italian patriots Garibaldi became one of the best‐known revolutionary leaders in the nineteenth century.
German Revolution, 1918–1923
Authors: Zukas Alex
Published: September 2017

The German Revolution of 1918–1923 was one of a number of popular insurgencies that had roots in class‐based inequalities and grievances before World War I, the unprecedented carnage of the war itself, severe deprivation on the home fronts, war‐weariness, and anti‐war organizing by revolutionaries. The greatest wave of collective revolts in Europe since the revolutions of 1848, they began with the Russian revolutions of 1917 and continued with a flood of revolutions and class‐based civil wars that ebbed and flowed across Europe from 1918 to 1923.
Integration of Graphene, Nano Sulfur, and Conducting Polymer into Compact, Flexible Lithium–Sulfur Battery Cathodes with Ultrahigh Volumetric Capacity and Superior Cycling Stability for Foldable Devices
Authors: Xiao Peitao , Bu Fanxing , Yang Guanhui , Zhang Yu , Xu Yuxi
Published: August 2017

Lithium–sulfur batteries, as one of the most promising next‐generation batteries, attract tremendous attentions due to their high energy density and low cost. However, their practical application is hindered by their short cycling life and low volumetric capacity. Herein, compact, flexible, and free‐standing films with a sandwich structure are designed simply by vacuum filtration, in which nanosulfur is homogenously coated by graphene and poly(3,4‐ethylene‐dioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). This unique hierarchical structure not only provides a highly conductive network and intimate contacts between nanosulfur and graphene/PEDOT:PSS for effective charge transportation, but also offers synergistic physical restriction and chemical confinement of dissoluble intermediate lithium polysulfides during electrochemical processes. Therefore, these conductive compact films, used directly as cathodes, show the highest reversible volumetric capacity of 1432 Ah L−1 at 0.1 C and 1038 Ah L−1 at 1 C, and excellent cycling stability with a minimal decay rate of 0.04% per cycle over 500 cycles at 1 C. Meanwhile, remarkable rate performance with a high capacity of 701 mAh g−1 at 4 C is also achieved. Soft‐packaged batteries based on this flexible cathode are further fabricated and demonstrate excellent mechanical and electrochemical properties with little capacity decay under folded state, highlighting the practical application of our deliberately designed electrode in a flexible power system.
Highly Concentrated, Ultrathin Nickel Hydroxide Nanosheet Ink for Wearable Energy Storage Devices
Authors: Shi Peipei , Chen Rong , Hua Li , Li Li , Chen Ruyi , Gong Yujiao , Yu Chenyang , Zhou Jinyuan , Liu Bin , Sun Gengzhi , Huang Wei
Published: September 2017

Solution‐based techniques are considered as a promising strategy for scalable fabrication of flexible electronics owing to their low‐cost and high processing speed. The key to the success of these techniques is dominated by the ink formulation of active nanomaterials. This work successfully prepares a highly concentrated two dimensional (2D) crystal ink comprised of ultrathin nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH)2) nanosheets with an average lateral size of 34 nm. The maximum concentration of Ni(OH)2 nanosheets in water without adding any additives reaches as high as 50 mg mL−1, which can be printed on arbitrary substrates to form Ni(OH)2 thin films. As a proof‐of‐concept application, Ni(OH)2 nanosheet ink is coated on commercialized carbon fiber yarns to fabricate wearable energy storage devices. The thus‐fabricated hybrid supercapacitors exhibit excellent flexibility with a capacitance retention of 96% after 5000 bending–unbending cycles, and good weavability with a high volumetric capacitance of 36.3 F cm−3 at a current density of 0.4 A cm−3, and an energy density of 11.3 mWh cm−3 at a power density of 0.3 W cm−3. As a demonstration of practical application, a red light emitting diode can be lighted up by three hybrid devices connected in series.
Highly Efficient Nondoped Near‐Ultraviolet Electroluminescence with an External Quantum Efficiency Greater Than 6.5% Based on a Carbazole–Triazole Hybrid Molecule with High and Balanced Charge Mobility
Authors: Xue Shanfeng , Qiu Xu , Ying Shian , Lu Yuansheng , Pan Yuyu , Sun Qikun , Gu Cheng , Yang Wenjun
Published: August 2017

Low charge injection and unbalanced carrier transport are unfavorable factors for highly efficient near‐ultraviolet (NUV) electroluminescence (EL) emitters. The construction of weak donor‐ and acceptor‐containing fluorophores has been utilized as a common solution to these issues. Few fluorescent emitters simultaneously exhibiting NUV emission and high/balanced charge‐transport properties have been reported. Herein, a new 1D donor–π–acceptor molecule 9‐(4′‐(4,5‐diphenyl‐4H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐3‐yl)‐[1,1′‐biphenyl]‐4‐yl)‐9H‐carbazole named PCZTZ consisting of 9‐phenylcarbazole as a donor and 2,3,4‐triphenyl‐1,2,4‐triazole as an acceptor with a biphenyl π‐bridge is constructed. The backbone‐twisted PCZTZ exhibits not only strong solid‐state NUV fluorescence but also high and balanced hole and electron mobilities (both up to 10−4 cm2 V−1 s−1), benefiting from the 3D supramolecular H‐bonding network containing strong CH⋯N interactions. Remarkably, a fabricated nondoped light‐emitting diode (OLED) emits 408 nm bright NUV light with a maximal external quantum efficiency of 6.57% and Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage coordinates of (0.17, 0.07). Thus, this OLED is the most efficient NUV OLED reported thus far. These results provide a valuable strategy for the design of highly efficient NUV EL emitters by modulating the linking positions of carbazole and triazole on a biphenyl bridge.
Critical Appraisal of Emergency Medicine Educational Research: The Best Publications of 2015
Authors: Heitz Corey R. , Coates Wendy , Farrell Susan E. , Fisher Jonathan , Juve Amy Miller , Yarris Lalena M.
Published: August 2017

Objective

The objectives were to critically appraise the medical education research literature of 2015 and review the highest‐quality quantitative and qualitative examples.

Methods

A total of 434 emergency medicine (EM)‐related articles were discovered upon a search of ERIC, PsychINFO, PubMED, and SCOPUS. These were both quantitative and qualitative in nature. All were screened by two of the authors using previously published exclusion criteria, and the remaining were appraised by all authors using a previously published scoring system. The highest scoring articles were then reviewed.

Results

Sixty‐one manuscripts were scored, and 10 quantitative and two qualitative papers were the highest scoring and are reviewed and summarized in this article.

Conclusions

This installment in this critical appraisal series reviews 12 of the highest‐quality EM‐related medical education research manuscripts published in 2015.
Confinement of a polymer chain: An entropic study by Monte Carlo method
Authors: Ruggiero Flavia , Aruta Rosaria , Netti Paolo Antonio , Torino Enza
Published: September 2017

The properties of macromolecules in presence of an interface could be considerably modified due to confinement effects. When phase separations are performed in nanoconfined domains, the concurrent presence of high‐energy interfaces and conformational entropy constraints of the macromolecules causes profound differences in polymer aggregation behavior. Here, thermodynamics of a polymer chain in solution, confined by a three‐dimensional cubic interface, is studied by means of Monte Carlo method, focusing on the chain conformational entropy penalty arising from the excluded volume effects. The presented method might become a general tool for a preliminary evaluation of the thermodynamic effects due to the confinement of a polymer system. Further, the interface effects on Thermally Induced Phase Separation (TIPS) of polymer solutions, confined by High‐Pressure Homogenization, are experimentally studied, regarding final morphologies. It is confirmed how peculiar polymer morphologies are obtained only when the TIPS develops under nanoconfinement degrees above a threshold one. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 416–426, 2018
Dynamic thiol disulphide homeostasis in operating theater personnel exposed to anesthetic gases
Authors: Kozanhan Betul , Inanlı Ikbal , Deniz Cigdem Damla , Iyisoy Mehmet Sinan , Neselioğlu Salim , Sahin Osman , Akin Fatma , Tutar Mahmut Sami , Eren Ibrahim , Erel Ozcan
Published: August 2017

Background

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis and occupational exposure to volatile anesthetic gases in operating theater personnel. Decreased blood thiol levels and raised blood disulphide levels serve as biomarkers of oxidative stress.

Methods

We included 65 subjects occupationally exposed and 55 unexposed healthy medical professionals into the study. A novel method enabled separate measurements of components involved in dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis (native thiol, disulphide, and total thiol). To control for the potential confounding effect on oxidative stress of psychological symptoms potentially caused by occupational stress, we used scores obtained from four different anxiety and depression inventories.

Results

Mean ± standard deviation native thiol was found to be 433.35 ± 30.68 in the exposed group, lower than among controls, 446.61 ± 27.8 (P = 0.02). Disulphide in the exposed group was 15.78 ± 5.12, higher than among controls, 12.14 ± 5.33 (P < 0.001). After adjusting for anxiety and depression scores, age and gender, native thiol remained lower and disulphide higher in the exposed group (P = 0.008 and P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis in workers exposed to anesthetic gases was found to be disturbed after adjusting for the possible contribution of anxiety. We infer that this is due to the oxidative effect of exposure to anesthetic gases.
Fetal growth and premature delivery in pregnant women on antiepileptic drugs
Authors: Hernández‐Díaz Sonia , McElrath Thomas F. , Pennell Page B. , Hauser W. Allen , Yerby Mark , Holmes Lewis B. ,   for the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry
Published: August 2017

Objective

To evaluate the effects of epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) used during pregnancy on fetal growth and preterm delivery.

Methods

This study included singleton liveborn infants born to women enrolled in the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry between 1997 and 2016. Data were collected prospectively through telephone interviews. The prevalence of preterm birth (<37 weeks) and small for gestational age status (SGA) among infants exposed prenatally to AEDs when used by women with epilepsy (WWE) or women without epilepsy (WWOE) was compared with that among infants unexposed to AEDs and born to WWOE. Multivariate log‐binomial regression models were used to estimate relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

The study population included infants born to 6,777 AED‐WWE, 696 AED‐WWOE, and 486 no‐AED‐WWOE. The risk of prematurity was 6.2% for no‐AED‐WWOE, 9.3% for AED‐WWE (RR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.0–2.1), and 10.5% for AED‐WWOE (RR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.0–2.4). Prenatal exposure to AEDs in WWE and WWOE was associated with a mean lower birth weight of 110 and 136g, respectively, as compared to no‐AED‐WWOE. The prevalence of SGA was 5.0% for no‐AED‐WWOE, 10.9% for AED‐WWE (RR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.3–3.0), and 11.0% for AED‐WWOE (RR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.2–2.9). Within users of AEDs in monotherapy, the prevalence of SGA ranged from 7.3% for lamotrigine to 18.5% for topiramate.

Interpretation

Women on AEDs during pregnancy, whether for epilepsy or for other neuropsychiatric indications, are at a higher risk of delivering prematurely and giving birth to SGA newborns. The risk may vary by drug. Ann Neurol 2017;82:457–465
Synergistic Effects between Atomically Dispersed Fe−N−C and C−S−C for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Acidic Media
Authors: Shen Hangjia , Gracia‐Espino Eduardo , Ma Jingyuan , Zang Ketao , Luo Jun , Wang Le , Gao Sanshuang , Mamat Xamxikamar , Hu Guangzhi , Wagberg Thomas , Guo Shaojun
Published: August 2017

Various advanced catalysts based on sulfur‐doped Fe/N/C materials have recently been designed for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR); however, the enhanced activity is still controversial and usually attributed to differences in the surface area, improved conductivity, or uncertain synergistic effects. Herein, a sulfur‐doped Fe/N/C catalyst (denoted as Fe/SNC) was obtained by a template‐sacrificing method. The incorporated sulfur gives a thiophene‐like structure (C−S−C), reduces the electron localization around the Fe centers, improves the interaction with oxygenated species, and therefore facilitates the complete 4 e− ORR in acidic solution. Owing to these synergistic effects, the Fe/SNC catalyst exhibits much better ORR activity than the sulfur‐free variant (Fe/NC) in 0.5 m H2SO4.
Buchwald–Hartwig Amination of Nitroarenes
Authors: Inoue Fumiyoshi , Kashihara Myuto , Yadav M. Ramu , Nakao Yoshiaki
Published: August 2017

The Buchwald–Hartwig amination of nitroarenes was achieved for the first time by using palladium catalysts bearing dialkyl(biaryl)phosphine ligands. These cross‐coupling reactions of nitroarenes with diarylamines, arylamines, and alkylamines afforded the corresponding substituted arylamines. A catalytic cycle involving the oxidative addition of the Ar−NO2 bond to palladium(0) followed by nitrite/amine exchange is proposed based on a stoichiometric reaction.
Flexible Viologen‐Based Porous Framework Showing X‐ray Induced Photochromism with Single‐Crystal‐to‐Single‐Crystal Transformation
Authors: Chen Cheng , Sun Jian‐Ke , Zhang Ya‐Jun , Yang Xiao‐Dong , Zhang Jie
Published: August 2017

A viologen‐based Borromean entangled porous framework was found to be sensitive to both CuKα and MoKα X‐ray sources, showing rapid photochromic response and recovery within one minute. The X‐ray‐induced photochromic process is accompanied by a reversible single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal (SC‐SC) structural transformation, an unprecedented phenomenon for X‐ray sensitive materials. The complex can be further processed into portable thin films for detecting the dose of the X‐ray exposure. Moreover, the photochromism can occur over a broad temperature range of 100–333 K, both in the form of single crystals and thin films, making it a potential candidate for practical indoor and outdoor applications.
CIT‐9: A Fault‐Free Gmelinite Zeolite
Authors: Dusselier Michiel , Kang Jong Hun , Xie Dan , Davis Mark E.
Published: August 2017

A synthetic, fault‐free gmelinite (GME) zeolite is prepared using a specific organic structure‐directing agent (OSDA), cis‐3,5‐dimethylpiperidinium. The cis‐isomers align in the main 12‐membered ring (MR) channel of GME. Trans‐isomer OSDA leads to the small‐pore zeolite SSZ‐39 with the OSDA in its cages. Data from N2‐physisorption and rotation electron diffraction provide evidence for the openness of the 12 MR channel in the GME 12×8×8 pore architecture and the absence of stacking faults, respectively. CIT‐9 is hydrothermally stable when K+‐exchanged, while in the absence of exchange, the material transforms into an aluminous AFI‐zeolite. The process of this phase‐change was followed by in situ variable temperature powder X‐ray diffraction. CIT‐9 has the highest Si/Al ratio reported for GME, and along with its good porosity, opens the possibility of using GME in a variety of applications including catalysis.
The Rolling‐Up of Oligophenylenes to Nanographenes by a HF‐Zipping Approach
Authors: Steiner Ann‐Kristin , Amsharov Konstantin Y.
Published: August 2017

Intramolecular aryl–aryl coupling is the key transformation in the rational synthesis of nanographenes and nanoribbons. In this respect the C−F bond activation was shown to be a versatile alternative enabling the synthesis of several unique carbon‐based nanostructures. Herein we describe an unprecedentedly challenging transformation showing that the C−F bond activation by aluminum oxide allows highly effective domino‐like C−C bond formation. Despite the flexible nature of oligophenylene‐based precursors efficient regioselective zipping to the target nanostructures was achieved. We show that fluorine positions in the precursor structure unambiguously dictate the “running of the zipping‐program” which results in rolling‐up of linear oligophenylene chains around phenyl moieties yielding target nanographenes. The high efficiency of zipping makes this approach attractive for the synthesis of unsubstituted nanographenes which are difficult to obtain in pure form by other methods.
Bioinspired Total Synthesis of (−)‐Vescalin: A Nonahydroxytriphenoylated C‐Glucosidic Ellagitannin
Authors: Richieu Antoine , Peixoto Philippe A. , Pouységu Laurent , Deffieux Denis , Quideau Stéphane
Published: August 2017

The first total synthesis of the 2,3,5‐O‐(S,R)‐nonahydroxytriphenoylated (NHTP) C‐glucosidic ellagitannin (−)‐vescalin was accomplished through a series of transformations mimicking the sequence of events leading to its biogenesis. The key steps of this synthesis encompass a Wittig‐mediated ring opening of a glucopyranosic hemiacetal, a C‐glucosidation event through a phenolic aldol‐type reaction, and a Wynberg–Feringa–Yamada‐type oxidative phenolic coupling, which forged the NHTP unit of (−)‐vescalin.
Generalized Extended State Observer Based Control for Networked Interconnected Systems with Delays
Authors: Wang Yao‐Wei , Zhang Wen‐An , Dong Hui , Zhu Jun‐Wei
Published: August 2017

This paper is concerned with the generalized extended state observer based control for a class of networked interconnected systems with short time‐varying delays. First, the uncertainties induced by the delays are modeled as an additive bounded disturbance. Then, a novel state feedback stabilizing controller is designed based on generalized extended state observers (GESOs). The GESO is used to estimate the system state and the disturbance simultaneously, and the effect of the uncertainty induced by the delay is eliminated by the GESO based controller. Finally, an illustrative example is provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Backstepping and Sliding‐Mode Techniques Applied to Distributed Secondary Control of Islanded Microgrids
Authors: Li Jian , Zhang Dezhen
Published: August 2017

In this paper, secondary voltage control scheme for a droop‐controlled inverter‐based islanded microgrid is addressed. Motivated by the cooperative control theory of multi‐agent systems, the proposed secondary voltage control is a distributed scheme which uses a simple communication network. Two nonlinear control algorithms are applied to restore the voltage of each distribution generation (DG) to the reference value. The simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed secondary voltage control for a prototype microgrid system.
Energetics of wave propagation leading to frost events in South America: extratropical latitudes
Authors: Müller Gabriela V. , Gan Manoel Alonso , Dal Piva Everson
Published: August 2017

The dynamics of wave propagation and energy associated with frosts in extratropical versus tropical South American latitudes is studied. A double wave train propagates through the southern hemisphere following the polar and subtropical jets. If, in the previous day, both trains coincide in phase over the southeast Pacific (southwest Atlantic) Oceans, it will contribute to generate generalized frosts (strong frosts) at extratropical (tropical) latitudes, not affecting tropical (extratropical) latitudes given the wave train zonal propagation. The vertically averaged eddy kinetic energy composites show three maxima associated with those trains over the South Pacific Ocean and South American region.
The financial feasibility of microalgae biodiesel in an integrated, multi‐output production system
Authors: Doshi Amar , Pascoe Sean , Coglan Louisa , Rainey Thomas
Published: August 2017

The stagnant development of microalgae‐based industries suggests a need for a broader assessment of its commercial potential, particularly given its ability to utilize industrial waste effluents in cultivation and produce multiple outputs from the biomass, including an environmentally superior biofuel. This study assessed the financial feasibility of producing microalgae biodiesel from transesterification, together with feed and fertilizer in a multi‐output production system, integrated with a complementary waste‐producing industry. The multi‐output system allowed for the price of biodiesel to be sold at the competitive market price of US$1.50/L rather than US$24.18/L, if it were produced as the only primary output. The high‐value feed and fertilizer offset the low revenues of biodiesel to ensure the financial feasibility of the production system. Sensitivity analyses of these estimates indicated where improvements could further increase the financial appeal of this multi‐output microalgae production system. In particular, a 20% improvement in the cost‐efficiency of lipid extraction and transesterification processes was found to have a 17‐fold increase in the net present value. The results suggest that multi‐output systems have several benefits for the potential of a microalgae‐based industry, namely the synergistic benefits of integrating microalgae production with complementary industries and the investment appeal of microalgae‐based biofuels that can be priced competitively while still being financial feasible. Although alternative conversion processes (e.g. fermentation and thermochemical routes) would be key to the increased cost‐efficiency of biofuel production, the development of integrated multi‐output microalgae industries could prompt private and more importantly, policy‐led investment in development of the industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Biosynthesis of 2‐Hydroxyacid‐Containing Polyhydroxyalkanoates by Employing butyryl‐CoA Transferases in Metabolically Engineered Escherichia coli
Authors: David Yokimiko , Joo Jeong Chan , Yang Jung Eun , Oh Young Hoon , Lee Sang Yup , Park Si Jae
Published: September 2017

The authors previously reported the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) containing 2‐hydroxyacid monomers by expressing evolved Pseudomonas sp. 6‐19 PHA synthase and Clostridium propionicum propionyl‐CoA transferase in engineered microorganisms. Here, the authors examined four butyryl‐CoA transferases from Roseburia sp., Eubacterium hallii, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Anaerostipes caccae as potential CoA‐transferases to support synthesis of polymers having 2HA monomer. In vitro activity analyses of the four butyryl‐CoA transferases suggested that each butyryl‐CoA transferase has different activities towards 2‐hydroxybutyrate (2HB), 3‐hydroxybutyrate (3HB), and lactate (LA). When Escherichia coli XL1‐Blue expressing Pseudomonas sp. 6‐19 PhaC1437 along with one butyryl‐CoA transferase is cultured in chemically defined MR medium containing 20 g L−1 of glucose, 2 g L−1 of sodium 3‐hydroxybutyrate, and various concentrations of sodium 2‐hydroxybutyrate, PHAs consisting of 3HB, 2HB, and LA are produced. The monomer composition of PHAs agreed well with the substrate specificities of butyryl‐CoA transferases from E. hallii, F. prausnitzii, and A. caccae, but not Roseburia sp. When E. coli XL1‐Blue expressing PhaC1437 and E. hallii butyryl‐CoA transferase is cultured in MR medium containing 20 g L−1 of glucose and 2 g L−1 of sodium 2‐hydroxybutyrate, P(65.7 mol% 2HB‐co‐34.3 mol% LA) is produced with the highest PHA content of 30 wt%. Butyryl‐CoA transferases also supported the production of P(3HB‐co‐2HB‐co‐LA) from glucose as the sole carbon source in E. coli XL1‐Blue strains when one of these bct genes is expressed with phaC1437, cimA3.7, leuBCD, panE, and phaAB genes. Butyryl‐CoA transferases characterized in this study can be used for engineering of microorganisms that produce PHAs containing novel 2‐hydroxyacid monomers.