bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fabrication of Li4Ti5O12-TiO2 Nanosheets with Structural Defects as High-Rate and Long-Life Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Xu Hui , Chen Jian , Li Yanhuai , Guo Xinli , Shen Yuanfang , Wang Dan , Zhang Yao , Wang Zengmei
Published: June 2017

Development of high-power lithium-ion batteries with high safety and durability has become a key challenge for practical applications of large-scale energy storage devices. Accordingly, we report here on a promising strategy to synthesize a high-rate and long-life Li4Ti5O12-TiO2anode material. The novel material exhibits remarkable rate capability and long-term cycle stability. The specific capacities at 20 and 30 C (1 C = 175 mA g−1) reach 170.3 and 168.2 mA h g−1, respectively. Moreover, a capacity of up to 161.3 mA h g−1is retained after 1000 cycles at 20 C, and the capacity retention ratio reaches up to 94.2%. The extraordinary rate performance of the Li4Ti5O12-TiO2composite is attributed to the existence of oxygen vacancies and grain boundaries, significantly enhancing electrical conductivity and lithium insertion/extraction kinetics. Meanwhile, the pseudocapacitive effect is induced owing to the presence of abundant interfaces in the composite, which is beneficial to enhancing specific capacity and rate capability. Additionally, the ultrahigh capacity at low rates, greater than the theoretical value of spinel Li4Ti5O12, may be correlated to the lithium vacancies in 8a sites, increasing the extra docking sites of lithium ions.
The influence of cation ordering, oxygen vacancy distribution and proton siting on observed properties in ceramic electrolytes: the case of scandium substituted barium titanate
Authors: Torino Nico , Henry Paul F. , Knee Christopher S. , Bjørheim Tor Svendsen , Rahman Seikh M. H. , Suard Emma , Giacobbe Carlotta , Eriksson Sten G.
Published: June 2017

Revealing the structural origin of the two order of magnitude difference in conductivity in hydrated scandium doped barium titanates.
Correction: Introducing dip pen nanolithography as a tool for controlling stem cell behaviour: unlocking the potential of the next generation of smart materials in regenerative medicine
Authors: Curran Judith M. , Stokes Robert , Irvine Eleanore , Graham Duncan , Amro N. A. , Sanedrin R. G. , Jamil H. , Hunt John A.
Published: June 2017

Correction for ‘Introducing dip pen nanolithography as a tool for controlling stem cell behaviour: unlocking the potential of the next generation of smart materials in regenerative medicine’ by Judith M. Curran et al., Lab Chip, 2010, 10, 1662–1670.
Total synthesis of agalloside, isolated from Aquilaria agallocha, by the 5-O-glycosylation of flavan
Authors: Arai Midori A. , Yamaguchi Yumi , Ishibashi Masami
Published: June 2017

The total synthesis of agalloside (1), a neural stem cell differentiation activator isolated from Aquilaria agallocha, was accomplished via the 5-O-glycosylation of flavan using glycosyl fluoride.
Investigations towards the Synthesis of 5-Amino-l-lyxofuranosides and 4-Amino-lyxopyranosides and NMR Analysis
Authors: Diez-Martinez Alba , Krishnamurthy Ramanarayanan
Published: June 2017

The reactivity of trifluoromethanesulfonyl esters derived from l-lyxofuranosides and l-lyxopyranosides was investigated with various 5-aminopyrimidines as nucleophiles with the expectation to synthesize N-substituted 5-amino-ribosugars. The lyxopyranoside forms were found to be unreactive, while the lyxofuranoside forms were found to be reactive with 5-aminopyrimidines, yielding novel N-substituted 5-amino-lyxofuranosides. We report on the synthesis of these novel N-substituted lyxofuranosides and the systematic analyses of NMR data that demonstrate trends within each series: furano-, pyrano-, β- and α- anomers of l-lyxose and β-d-ribopyranoside forms. The data call for caution when identifying these monosaccharides in isomeric mixtures.
leserbrief: „Wir sind gesprächsbereit“
Authors: Neumann Mark
Published: June 2017

Zum Artikel „Wenn der Herzinfarktpatient Antibiotika bekommt“ von Norbert Neumann in der kma 04/2017
Spitzenpositionen in der Medizin: Frauen an die Macht
Authors: Rößing Sabine
Published: June 2017

In den Top-Positionen der deutschen Medizin kommt der Vormarsch der Frauen nicht an. Obwohl seit Jahren mehr als die Hälfte der Studienanfänger im Fach Humanmedizin Frauen sind und das Geschlechterverhältnis auch in den ersten klinischen Weiterbildungsjahren relativ ausgeglichen ist. Warum ist das so?
Gesundheits-IT: AOK Nordost entwickelt elektronische Akte
Authors: Klose Christian
Published: June 2017

Die AOK Nordost möchte eine elektronische Patientenakte anbieten, auf die Leistungserbringer nach Zustimmung des Patienten zugreifen können. Ein Konsortium arbeitet derzeit an der Ausgestaltung der Akte.
Social Media: Keine Angst vor Facebook!
Authors: Waschow Benjamin
Published: June 2017

Social Media-Guidelines, Redaktionsgruppen, umständliche Konzepte: Viele Kliniken machen sich den Umgang mit sozialen Medien unnötig schwer. Dabei genügt in erster Linie der gesunde Menschenverstand, erklärt Benjamin Waschow, Leiter der Unternehmenskommunikation der Uniklinik Freiburg.
Interventional Oncology Service Development
Authors: Baker Jennifer , Brown Daniel , Mouli Samdeep
Published: June 2017

Interventional oncology is rapidly expanding its suite of oncologic therapies, providing unique proven therapeutic benefits. To grow a practice alongside other oncology specialties, knowledge of cancer fundamentals is required. Areas of interest include methods to assess disease stage, treatment toxicity, and response. Additionally, techniques to leverage opportunities and resources available at one's institution toward practice development and efficiency will be reviewed.
Yttrium-90 Radioembolization for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Outcomes by Number of Lines of Therapy
Authors: Marsala Andrew , Lee Edward , Padia Siddharth
Published: June 2017

Metastatic colorectal cancer represents the most common liver malignancy, and imparts a very poor prognosis for those who develop this disease. Unlike primary liver tumors such as hepatocellular carcinoma, which largely develops in patients with underlying cirrhosis, most metastatic liver tumor patients have normal underlying liver function. Owing to this, most will succumb to tumoral replacement of the liver rather than from underlying liver dysfunction. Radioembolization represents a treatment modality that can be used in multiple fashions to treat one or both lobes of the liver. Techniques depend on whether the procedure is used as first-line, second/third-line, or as salvage therapy. Outcomes and complications of radioembolization are presented in this article, as well as background information on colorectal cancer and systemic therapies.
The Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System Facelift: A Prudent Balance of Risks and Benefits
Authors: McCollough E.
Published: June 2017

Over the decades, facelifting has not escaped the natural history of trends and fads. And, as a profession, facial plastic surgery has not avoided falling into the trap of following corporate initiated technology, rather than leading common-sense methodologies to rejuvenating the aging face. The author is often reminded of a truism to which he was introduced in the 1980s. “When there are many ways of doing things, all of them work; or none of them work.” Undeniably, any procedure that lifts and removes excessive skin of the face and neck “works.” However, the questions that must be answered by leading teachers of facelifting surgery are: How well does a given technique work? How long-lasting are the results? Where does the risk–benefit curve cross over from optimal benefits to unacceptable risks? At what stage in a given patient's aging process are more aggressive techniques called for? At what stage in a surgeon's career should more invasive techniques be attempted, if ever? This article addresses the preceding questions as they relate to the contribution made by the superficial musculoaponeurotic fascia in repositioning sagging tissues of the face and neck.
Antiplatelet Therapy, Platelet Function Testing, and Bleeding Complications in Cardiac Surgery Patients
Authors: Jeppsson Anders , Hansson Emma
Published: June 2017

Antiplatelet therapy with acetylsalicylic acid, alone or in combination with a P2Y12 inhibitor, reduces thromboembolic events in patients with coronary artery disease but increases the risk for spontaneous and perioperative bleeding complications. Both the antiplatelet effect and the risk for bleeding complications are larger with the new generation P2Y12 inhibitors prasugrel and ticagrelor than with clopidogrel. In this review, the perioperative handling of acetylsalicylic acid and the P2Y12 inhibitors clopidogrel, prasugrel, and ticagrelor will be discussed. In addition, the concept of platelet function testing in the surgical setting will be covered.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis
Authors: Koppe Sean , Arshad Hafiz
Published: June 2017

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common cause of chronic liver disease in the United States. Approximately 10 to 20% of patients with NAFLD progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NASH can progress to cirrhosis, which, in turn, can lead to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, evidence also supports that HCC can develop in patients with NASH who do not have cirrhosis or advanced fibrosis. Obesity, diabetes mellitus, hepatic iron deposition, and insulin resistance are potential risk factors for HCC in NASH. Mechanisms proposed include a role for tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, insulinlike growth factor, and nuclear factor κβ activation in progression of NASH to HCC. Polymorphisms in patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 also support a genetic influence in NASH-related HCC. Surgical resection, liver directed therapy, and liver transplant remain the mainstay of therapy. Ultrasound has reduced sensitivity for surveillance of HCC in obese patients and alpha fetoprotein may have more value for HCC surveillance in the NASH patient as compared with the HCV patient. Although HCC can develop in noncirrhotic NASH, currently there are no guidelines to recommend surveillance in noncirrhotic NASH patients.
Mehr Licht ins Dunkle bringen!
Authors: Kemper Claudia , Sauer Kristin
Published: June 2017

Transparenz der Versorgungssituation ist eine wesentliche Voraussetzung, um mit gezielten Steuerungsmechanismen eine bedarfsgerechte Versorgung sicherzustellen. Die Heilmittelversorgung und darunter die Physiotherapie gehörten lange Zeit zu den Leistungsbereichen, in denen kaum Informationen verfügbar waren. So war die Einführung des GKV-Heilmittel-Informations-Systems 2004 ein erster Schritt, um Einblicke in das ärztliche Verordnungsverhalten zu bekommen. Diese Daten bilden die methodische Grundlage für einen Artikel, der -nach eigenen Angaben- „erstmals“ eine Analyse der physiotherapeutischen Versorgung darstellen soll, aber dabei mit viel Redundanz und mit fachlich-inhaltlichen Ungereimtheiten eher aufzeigt, dass die Versorgungsforschung im Heilmittelbereich in Sachen Qualität sehr in den „Kinderschuhen“ steckt.
Interior spaces as traces in Balzac’s La Comédie humaine
Authors: Bauer Dominique
Published: June 2017

This article focuses on how Balzacian interiors and their dwellers signal a new experience and understanding of the past and the present that emerged during the Revolution and its aftermath. In this context, two interiors are analyzed: the interior of the Hôtel d’Esgrignon inLe Cabinet des Antiquesand the antique shop passage inLa Peau de chagrin.Both literary interiors in different ways embody traces of an “absent present” and constitute a solipsist mimesis of reciprocity between dweller and dwelling. These literary interiors signal fundamental aspects of a century that was marked by the loss of the past to history and by the experience of present time as but an elusive, fragile trace. Like the two sides of the same coin, this was also the time of vivification of absent images that are simulated, imitated in interiors of presentification, like the stereographic cabinet or the panoramic theatre. These interiors radicalize the traditional cabinet and its imagery, like Walter Benjamin’s typification of the window shop and the panoramic theatre would show. The Hôtel d’Esgrignon substantiates an absence-less presence with reality. Balzac conceives the mimetic relationship between thecénacle des antiquesand its Hôtel as a sophisticated subtext that reveals the illusionary nature of the ambition to establish such an absolute present. Those who reside in the Hôtel constitute the object-like and lifeless parody of a dynamics of representation played out and that reveals the fundamental absence they stand for. InLa Peau de chagrin,isolated objects are fragmented, eclectic bits and pieces of representations that are vivified, and not imitated, by imagination. The cabinet as a place thatisthe objects it arranges and shows, is internalized as a mental space of imagination, of hyperbolic possibilities of representational assemblage. The hybridity of its visitor is that of imagination itself being represented. Here, Balzac points forward to a literary development in which spatial settings, par excellence that of a vast, fantastic, endless space, will become an image of (literary) representation itself. This paper is published as part of a collection on interiorities.
Drug absorption related nephrotoxicity assessment on an intestine-kidney chip
Authors: Li Zhongyu , Su Wentao , Zhu Yujuan , Tao Tingting , Li Dong , Peng Xiaojun , Qin Jianhua
Published: June 2017

Drug absorption in the intestine is tightly related to drug-induced nephrotoxicity, which is a relatively common side effect in clinical practice. It highlights a great need to develop predictive models with high accuracy in the early stage during new drug discovery and development. Herein, we presented a novel intestine-kidney chip, which recapitulated drug absorption in the intestine and its resultant drug toxicity on the kidney. This work aims to provide an integrated tool for accurate assessment of drug absorption-related nephrotoxicity in vitro. A microfluidic device with multi-interfaces was designed, which facilitated the co-culture of the intestinal and glomerular endothelial cells in compartmentalized micro-chambers. Thus, drug absorption and following nephrotoxicity could be explored in a single assay based on the formation of the intact intestine function on the chip. Specifically, we adopt digoxin (DIG) as a model drug combined with colestyramine (COL) or Verapamil (VER), which significantly influence DIG absorption in the intestine. Different degrees of nephrotoxicity under drug combinations were further observed on the chip, including cell apoptosis, cell viability, and lactate dehydrogenase leakage. These features were consistent with the variance of DIG absorption by the intestinal cells. In agreement with clinical observations, our data demonstrated that DIG-induced nephrotoxicity was enhanced combined with VER but weakened with COL. All of these findings suggest that the established microdevice might provide a useful and cost-effective platform in vitro for testing drug absorption and nephrotoxicity in preclinical trials during new drug development.
Biological tissue can behave like a liquid crystal
Authors: Wilson R. Mark
Published: June 2017

Topological defects trigger the death and removal of cells.
Breakthrough battery hinged on funding from program in Trump’s crosshairs
Authors: Kramer David
Published: June 2017

Novel nickel–zinc cells overcome long-standing limits on recharging, says industry–government development team.
The secret search for uranium in Cold War Morocco
Authors: Adamson Matthew
Published: June 2017

In the 1950s, as Cold War tensions rose, France and the US entered a secret alliance to search for uranium in the French protectorate of Morocco.
Reframing the victims of WWII through translation
Authors: Kim Kyung Hye
Published: June 2017

This study examines the ways and extent to which narrative voices encoded in a source text are reframed and mediated through translation. So Far from the Bamboo Grove (Watkins 1986), the personal narrative of an eleven-year-old Japanese girl during the final days of WWII, was used as an educational text for primary and middle school pupils in the US until it became the target of heavy criticism from Korean-American parents who boycotted the book, arguing that it misguided young American students by constructing a ‘good Japanese–bad Korean’ binary. The Korean translation was distributed by a reputable publishing house in South Korea until 2007, when its distribution became controversial. Although the book – and its translation – has been the target of much criticism, it has been neglected by scholars of translation studies. Adopting the model of analysis elaborated by Baker (2006) and drawing on the concept of framing by Goffman (1974) and the work of Genette (1997), this study analyses So Far from the Bamboo Grove and its Korean translation, Yoko Iyagi (Watkins 2005, trans. Yoon), and investigates the framing strategies used by mediators to reframe the narrative in a new setting.
Effects of colonization of a bacterial endophyte, Azospirillum sp. B510, on disease resistance in tomato
Authors: Fujita Moeka , Kusajima Miyuki , Okumura Yasuko , Nakajima Masami , Minamisawa Kiwamu , Nakashita Hideo
Published: June 2017

A plant growth-promoting bacteria, Azospirillum sp. B510, isolated from rice, can enhance growth and yield and induce disease resistance against various types of diseases in rice. Because little is known about the interaction between other plant species and this strain, we have investigated the effect of its colonization on disease resistance in tomato plants. Treatment with this strain by soil-drenching method established endophytic colonization in root tissues in tomato plant. The endophytic colonization with this strain-induced disease resistance in tomato plant against bacterial leaf spot caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato and gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea. In Azospirillum-treated plants, neither the accumulation of SA nor the expression of defense-related genes was observed. These indicate that endophytic colonization with Azospirillum sp. B510 is able to activate the innate immune system also in tomato, which does not seem to be systemic acquired resistance.
Daylight strategies for architectural studio facilities: the literature review
Authors: Anas Bin Othman Muhammad , Ahmad Nur Azfahani , Md Ajis Azizah
Published: June 2017

The implementation of daylighting strategies in buildings is a common aspect in architecture. However, due to the availability of inexpensive electricity, natural lighting strategies became insignificant, and been overlooked by designers. With the current concern over rapid increment on electricity cost, many designers now try to revitalized daylighting strategies in buildings. This includes educational buildings. In Malaysian cases, it is a norm that universities; especially during lecture and studio sessions, used artificial lighting throughout the day. Definitely, this is not parallel with the “green” aim made by the Government in the Malaysian Plan. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the impact of daylight strategies for educational studios in universities, by maximising the penetration of natural daylight into the space towards creating a more green-conducive studio. The paper review literature about the types, criteria and benefits of daylight strategies. This paper also presented a pilot study that has been performed in one university in Perak, Malaysia, by selecting architectural studios as the main subject.
Distribution and Fungicide Sensitivity of Colletotrichum Species Complexes from Rubber Tree in Hainan, China
Authors: Cao Xueren , Xu Xiangming , Che Haiyan , West Jonathan S. , Luo Daquan
Published: June 2017

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and C. acutatum species complexes are causal agents of Colletotrichum leaf disease (CLD) of rubber trees worldwide. To determine the geographic distribution of Colletotrichum species complexes associated with CLD of rubber trees in Hainan, China, and their sensitivity to fungicides used in the region, a total of 275 Colletotrichum isolates were collected from 52 rubber tree plantations in 11 counties. These isolates were identified based jointly on morphological characteristics and PCR-based methodology. Of these isolates, 78 and 22% belonged to the C. gloeosporioides species complex (CGSC) and the C. acutatum complex (CASC), respectively. The incidence of CGSC isolates was greater than the CASC in all counties sampled. The incidence of CASC isolates appeared to be lower in the western and central south of Hainan than in other regions. There was no association in their presence at a given plantation between the two species complexes. The in vitro sensitivity of these two species complexes to carbendazim, chlorothalonil, and four demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicides (difenoconazole, propiconazole, myclobutanil, and prochloraz) was determined. Carbendazim was effective against CGSC but not against CASC with mean ED50 values of 0.176 and 2.182 µg/ml, respectively. CASC isolates were more sensitive to difenoconazole, propiconazole, and myclobutanil (mean ED50 values of 0.177, 0.129, and 1.424 µg/ml, respectively) than CGSC isolates (mean ED50 values of 0.710, 0.348, and 3.496 µg/ml, respectively). Mean ED50 values of CGSC against chlorothalonil and prochloraz were 173.341 and 0.035 µg/ml, respectively; corresponding values for CASC were 151.441 and 0.040 µg/ml. These results suggest that prochloraz, propiconazole, and difenoconazole are effective against both species complexes.
Construction, Growth, and Harvesting of Fission Yeast Stable Isotope Labeling by Amino Acids in Cell Culture (SILAC) Strains
Authors: Koch André , Bicho Claudia C. , Borek Weronika E. , Carpy Alejandro , Maček Boris , Hauf Silke , Sawin Kenneth E.
Published: June 2017

Stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) enables the relative quantification of protein amounts and posttranslational modifications in complex biological samples through the use of stable heavy isotope–labeled amino acids. Here we describe methods for the application of SILAC to fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe using either labeled lysine or a combination of labeled lysine and labeled arginine. The latter approach is more complicated than the use of labeled lysine alone but may yield a more comprehensive (phospho)proteomic analysis. The protocol includes methods for construction of SILAC-compatible strains, growth of cultures in labeled medium, cell harvesting, and protein extraction.
Library Quantification: Fluorometric Quantitation of Double-Stranded or Single-Stranded DNA Samples Using the Qubit System
Authors: Mardis Elaine , McCombie W. Richard
Published: June 2017

Qubit is an accurate and highly sensitive fluorescence-based quantitation system. Several assay kits have been optimized for the Qubit fluorometer, but also function efficiently with other fluorometers. The high-sensitivity dsDNA Qubit Kit has a detection range of 0.2–100 ng. The ssDNA Kit has a detection range of 1–200 ng.
Genetic Analysis of Complex Traits in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Ehrenreich Ian M. , Magwene Paul M.
Published: June 2017

Defining the relationship between genotype and phenotype is a central challenge in biology. A powerful approach to this problem is to determine the genetic architecture and molecular basis of phenotypic differences among genetically diverse individuals. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an important model system for such work. Current genetic mapping approaches for this species exploit high-throughput phenotyping and sequencing to facilitate the detection of a large fraction of the genomic loci that underlie trait variation among isolates. Once identified, several methods exist to determine the specific genes and genetic variants that underlie these loci and cause phenotypic variations. In this introduction, we provide a brief overview of research on complex traits in yeast and discuss different genetic mapping approaches applied to yeast studies.
The ribosome and its role in protein folding: looking through a magnifying glass
Authors: Javed Abid , Christodoulou John , Cabrita Lisa D. , Orlova Elena V.
Published: June 2017

Protein folding, a process that underpins cellular activity, begins co-translationally on the ribosome. During translation, a newly synthesized polypeptide chain enters the ribosomal exit tunnel and actively interacts with the ribosome elements – the r-proteins and rRNA that line the tunnel – prior to emerging into the cellular milieu. While understanding of the structure and function of the ribosome has advanced significantly, little is known about the process of folding of the emerging nascent chain (NC). Advances in cryo-electron microscopy are enabling visualization of NCs within the exit tunnel, allowing early glimpses of the interplay between the NC and the ribosome. Once it has emerged from the exit tunnel into the cytosol, the NC (still attached to its parent ribosome) can acquire a range of conformations, which can be characterized by NMR spectroscopy. Using experimental restraints within molecular-dynamics simulations, the ensemble of NC structures can be described. In order to delineate the process of co-translational protein folding, a hybrid structural biology approach is foreseeable, potentially offering a complete atomic description of protein folding as it occurs on the ribosome.
Dependence of the separative power of an optimised Iguassu gas centrifuge on the velocity of rotor
Authors: Bogovalov Sergey Vladimirovich , Borman Vladimir Dmitrievich , Borisevich Valentin Dmitrievich , Tronin Vladimir Nikolaevich , Tronin Ivan Vladimirovich
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this work is to determine dependence of the separative power of the Iguassu gas centrifuge (GC) on the velocity of the rotor.

Design/methodology/approach

The dependence is determined by means of computer simulation of the gas flow in the GC and numerical solution of the diffusion equation for the light component of the binary mixture of uranium isotopes. 2D axisymmetric model with the sources/sinks of the mass, angular momentum and energy reproducing the scoops was explored for the computer simulation. Parameters of the model correspond to the parameters of the so-called Iguassu centrifuge. The separative power has been optimised in relation to the pressure of the gas, temperature of the gas, the temperature drop along the rotor, power of the source of angular momentum and energy, feed flow and geometry of the lower baffle.

Findings

In the result, the optimised separative power depends only on the velocity, length and diameter of the rotor. The dependence on the velocity is described by the power law function with the power law index 2.6 which demonstrate stronger dependence on the velocity than it follows from experimental data. However, the separative power obtained with limitation on the pressure growth with the velocity depends on the velocity on the power ∼ 2 which well agree with the experiments.

Originality/value

For the first time, the optimised separative power of the GCs have been calculated via numerical simulation of the gas flow and diffusion of the binary mixture of isotope.
Unsteady MHD rear stagnation-point flow over off-centred deformable surfaces
Authors: Turkyilmazoglu Mustafa , Naganthran Kohilavani , Pop Ioan
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present both an analytical and a numerical analysis of the unsteady magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) rear stagnation-point flow over off-centred deformable surfaces.

Design/methodology/approach

The numerical MATLAB solver bvp4c suitable for routine boundary value problem is used for the set of ordinary differential equations reduced from the governing partial differential equations.

Findings

Multiple solutions are found for particular eigenvalues. The physical solution is computed by the help of a linear stability analysis. The authors have succeeded in discovering the second solutions, and it is suggested that these solutions are unstable and not physically realisable in practice. The current findings add to a growing body of literature on MHD stagnation-point flow problems. It is also found that the governing parameters have different effects on the flow characteristics.

Practical implications

Even though problems of steady MHD flows have been extensively studied for stagnation-point flows, limited findings can be found on the unsteady MHD rear stagnation-point flow over off-centred deformable surfaces.

Originality/value

The originality of this work is the application of a magnetic field on a time-dependent MHD rear stagnation-point flow over off-centred deformable surfaces.
Jesus and Augustine: The God of Terror and the Origins of European Doubt
Authors: Erdozain Dominic
Published: June 2017

This article explores a central current of religious doubt in the West, from Sebastian Castellio in the sixteenth century to Ludwig Feuerbach in the nineteenth. It argues that theologies of arbitrary judgment — chiefly Augustinian — have served as a major stimulus to scepticism and doubt in the modern era. The claim is that philosophical suspicion that the God of orthodoxy is an invention rests on a set of ethical intuitions, mostly Christian, leading to the apparent paradox that many of the fiercest critics of Christianity have listed Jesus Christ among their intellectual sources. Such an alignment, it is argued, cannot be regarded as purely tactical, even in Enlightenment figures such as Baruch Spinoza and Voltaire. If, as can be shown, religious reasoning was so central to the psychology of radical criticism and doubt, it may be time to drop the terminology of “secularisation” altogether.
Macrophage inhibitory cytokine‐1/growth differentiation factor‐15 as a predictor of colonic neoplasia
Authors: Danta M. , Barber D. A. , Zhang H. P. , Lee‐Ng M. , Baumgart S. W. L. , Tsai V. W. W. , Husaini Y. , Saxena M. , Marquis C. P. , Errington W. , Kerr S. , Breit S. N. , Brown D. A.
Published: June 2017

Background

Serum macrophage inhibitory cytokine‐1 (MIC‐1/GDF15) concentration has been associated with colonic adenomas and carcinoma.

Aims

To determine whether circulating MIC‐1/GDF15 serum concentrations are higher in the presence of adenomas and whether the level decreases after excision.

Methods

Patients were recruited prospectively from a single centre and stratified into five groups: no polyps (NP); hyperplastic polyps (HP); sessile serrated ademona (SSA); adenomas (AP); and colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Blood samples were collected immediately before and 4 weeks after colonoscopy. MIC‐1/GDF15 serum levels were quantified using ELISA.

Results

Participants (n=301) were stratified as: NP; n=116 (52%), HP; n=37 (12%), SSA; n=19 (7%), AP; n=68 (23%); and CRC; n=3 (1%). Patients were excluded from the study due to nondiagnostic pathology (n=9, 3%) and exclusion criteria (n=20, 6%). In the 272 remaining subjects (M=149; F=123), age (P=.005), history of colonic polyps (P=.003) and family history of colonic polyps (P=.002) were associated with presence of adenomas. Baseline median MIC‐1/GDF15 serum levels increased significantly from NP 609 (460‐797) pg/mL, HP 582 (466‐852) pg/mL, SSA 561 (446‐837) pg/mL to AP 723 (602‐1122) pg/mL and CRC 1107 (897‐1107) pg/mL; (P<.001). In the pre‐ and postpolypectomy paired adenoma samples median MIC‐1/GDF15 reduced significantly from 722 (603‐1164) pg/mL to 685 (561‐944) pg/mL (P=.002). A ROC analysis for serum MIC‐1/GDF15 to identify adenomatous polyps indicated an area under the curve of 0.71.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that serum MIC‐1/GDF15 has the diagnostic characteristics to increase the detection of colonic neoplasia and improve screening.
Randomised non‐inferiority trial: 1600 mg versus 400 mg tablets of mesalazine for the treatment of mild‐to‐moderate ulcerative colitis
Authors: D'Haens G. R. , Sandborn W. J. , Zou G. , Stitt L. W. , Rutgeerts P. J. , Gilgen D. , Jairath V. , Hindryckx P. , Shackelton L. M. , Vandervoort M. K. , Parker C. E. , Muller C. , Pai R. K. , Levchenko O. , Marakhouski Y. , Horynski M. , Mikhailova E. , Kharchenko N. , Pimanov S. , Feagan B. G.
Published: June 2017

Background

High concentration mesalazine formulations are more convenient than conventional low concentration formulations for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC).

Aim

To compare the efficacy and safety of 1600 mg and 400 mg tablet mesalazine formulations.

Methods

Patients with mild‐to‐moderate active UC (Mayo Clinic Score >5; N=817) were randomised to 3.2 g of oral mesalazine, administered as two 1600 mg tablets once, or four 400 mg tablets twice daily. We hypothesised that treatment with the 1600 mg tablet was non‐inferior (within a 10% margin) to the 400 mg tablet for induction of clinical and endoscopic remission at week 8. Open‐label treatment with the 1600 mg tablet continued for 26‐30 weeks based on induction response. Predictors of treatment response were also explored.

Results

At week 8, remission occurred in 22.4% and 24.6% of patients receiving the 1600 mg and 400 mg tablets, respectively (absolute difference −2.2%, 95% CI: −8.1% to 3.8%, non‐inferiority P=.005). Endoscopic and histopathologic disease activity, leucocyte concentration and age were significantly associated with clinical remission (P=.022, .042, .014 and .023, respectively). At week 38, 43.9% (296/675) of patients who continued treatment with the 1600 mg formulation were in remission, including 70.3% (142/202) of patients who received a reduced dose of mesalazine (1.6 g/d). The overall incidence of serious adverse events was low.

Conclusions

Induction therapy with 3.2 mg mesalazine using two 1600 mg tablets once‐daily was statistically and clinically non‐inferior to a twice‐daily regimen using four 400 mg tablets (NCT01903252).
DOES NEAR‐RATIONALITY MATTER IN FIRST‐ORDER APPROXIMATE SOLUTIONS? A PERTURBATION APPROACH
Authors: Hespeler Frank , Sorge Marco M.
Published: June 2017

This paper studies first‐order approximate solutions to near‐rational dynamic equilibrium models. Under near‐rationality, agents' subjective beliefs are distorted away from rational expectations via a change of measure process which fulfills some regularity conditions. In most applications, the beliefs distortion process is also directly observed by (a subset of) the decision‐makers – e.g., ambiguity‐averse households or policy‐makers with a concern for robustness – and therefore included into their optimization problems. We investigate conditions for existence and local uniqueness of solutions under endogenous distortions, as well as the relation with their rational expectations counterparts. We show that linearly perturbed solutions may well be affected by the presence of distorted beliefs, depending on the underlying model economy. In particular, while directly affecting first‐order decision rules, near‐rationality may also induce failure of the certainty equivalence principle. Moreover, the martingale representation of distorted beliefs might prove non‐unique, pointing to a subtle form of equilibrium indeterminacy.
South–South? Culture Talk and Labour Relations at a Chinese‐owned Factory in Hungary
Authors: Nyíri Pál , Xu Xiuli
Published: June 2017

In 2011, a large Hungarian chemical factory was acquired by a Chinese competitor. The resulting encounter between Chinese managers and Hungarian staff — which took place in the context of a harsh retrenchment that has curtailed the powers of organized labour in Hungary — highlights the inadequacy of dichotomies such as North/South, East/West and socialist/capitalist. As with other corporate acquisitions in Europe, Chinese managers expected to ‘learn’ from ‘advanced Western management practices’; instead, they found what they interpreted as a backward, ‘socialist’ work culture in need of modernization. For their part, Hungarian staff feared the imposition of a culturally inappropriate ‘Asian labour discipline’, but have come to see at least some of the changes as part of a necessary modernization. ‘Asian’, ‘European’, ‘Western’ and ‘socialist’ are floating signifiers used by both Chinese and Hungarian staff at the factory in various, often contradictory ways to justify management choices, staff resistance or individual preferences. As a result of their analysis, the authors suggest that discussions about the impact of Chinese investment on labour practices should recognize a wider range of contexts, including the presence of precarious socioeconomic environments within the so‐called ‘advanced economies’.
Single‐incision percutaneous pericardial ICD lead placement in a piglet model
Authors: Clark Bradley C. , Opfermann Justin D. , Davis Tanya D. , Krieger Axel , Berul Charles I.
Published: June 2017

Introduction

Our group has demonstrated the feasibility of percutaneous pericardial ICD lead placement in a piglet model utilizing direct visualization from a lateral thoracoscopic approach. Development of a novel delivery tool that incorporates visualization allows for the procedure to be performed with a 1 cm subxiphoid incision.

Methods and results

A 1 cm incision is made in the subxiphoid area and a novel self‐anchoring delivery tool is inserted. A rigid thoracoscope and needle are inserted into two crossed working channels of the tool. After needle visualization, pericardial needle access, followed by sheath access is obtained. A modified side‐biting ICD lead is inserted and fixated to the ventricular epicardial surface. The lead is connected to an ICD generator and lead testing followed by defibrillation threshold testing (DFT) is performed. Single‐incision ICD lead placement was performed in 6 piglets without acute complications. Median time from subxiphoid incision to DFT testing was 64 minutes; median time from thoracoscope insertion to lead fixation was 16.5 minutes (range 9–30). All had adequate ventricular sensing and pacing at implant and underwent successful defibrillation (range 3–5 J). Survival period ranged from 1 to 16 weeks. Two piglets had survival periods of 12 and 16 weeks with mean weight gain of 7 kg; both had successful repeat DFT at 10 J. All survival animals had stable lead impedances and R‐wave amplitudes throughout the survival period.

Conclusion

Percutaneous pericardial placement of an ICD lead using our novel access tool can be safely performed through a 1 cm incision without complications.
Slow antegrade excitation and delayed retrograde activation through an “inexcitable zone”: A basis for arrhythmia formation in infarcted myocardium ex vivo
Authors: Patterson Eugene , Scherlag Benjamin J.
Published: June 2017

Introduction

The electrophysiologic mechanism for rate‐dependent PVBs associated with double potentials (DPs) was investigated in infarcted canine hearts using bipolar and intracellular microelectrode recordings.

Methods and results

Dogs exhibiting rate‐related ventricular ectopic beats (coupling interval, 390 ± 54 milliseconds) during sinus rhythm or atrial pacing were studied 4–5 days (N = 63) or 25 days (N = 16) following anterior descending coronary artery ligation. Sites of DP and rate‐dependent arrhythmia formation were identified in vivo using bipolar recordings for subsequent ex vivo studies. Rate‐dependent conduction delays with increasing duration isoelectric intervals representing very slow conduction were observed at sites of DP formation, frequently provoking both manifest and concealed reentry (non‐stimulated beats) over a narrow range of paced cycle lengths. Both slow antegrade and retrograde activation across an inexcitable gap (reflection) were integral components of extrasystole formation. Retrograde reflection to a region of very slow conduction (mid‐potential) during antegrade activation was routinely observed at 4–5 days (42 of 63 preparations, 67%) and 25 days (22 of 26 preparations, 85%) postcoronary artery ligation. Reflection and premature re‐activation of the proximal site was then observed in 6 of 63 (9%), and 3 of 26 preparations (12%).

Conclusion

The present experiments demonstrate DP formation and rate‐dependent constant‐coupled late epicardial premature beats in infarcted dog hearts. Microelectrode recordings at DP sites demonstrating prolonged isoelectric intervals display very slow conduction preceding distal activation and “reentrant” re‐activation of more proximal sites, representing reflection as an arrhythmia mechanism in ischemically injured epicardium during subacute myocardial infarction.
A Personal Social History of a Typology of Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Johnson Michael P.
Published: June 2017

This article is a personal social narrative of the development of my control‐based typology of intimate partner violence (IPV). The influence of friends and colleagues in all aspects of this process was so central and so pervasive that it just did not make sense to me to make this a story only about myself. After I tell the social story of the development of the first version and then later versions of my thinking about types of IPV, I leave the personal realm and lay out the implications of the typology for the question of the relationship between gender and intimate partner violence. Finally, I briefly tie the gender question to the general issues of inequality that have driven me throughout my career.
Long‐term clinical results of bioresorbable absorb scaffolds using the PSP‐technique in patients with and without diabetes
Authors: Markovic Sinisa , Kugler Christine , Rottbauer Wolfgang , Wöhrle Jochen
Published: June 2017

Objectives

We evaluated clinical results up to 36 months after implantation of Absorb BVS using PSP‐technique and compared the outcome of patients with and without diabetes mellitus.

Background

Absorb II demonstrated that interventional treatment of coronary artery disease with bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) without proper PSP‐technique (pre‐dilation, proper sizing, and post‐dilation) is associated with an increased thrombotic risk, even in simple lesions.

Methods

In this prospective study 319 patients with 420 lesions were enrolled and treated with the Absorb BVS. Pre‐dilation was mandatory and post‐dilation with a high‐pressure balloon was performed in patients with a scaffold length >12 mm. Patients were clinically followed up to 3 years. Primary outcome measure was the device‐oriented endpoint (DoCE) defined as cardiac death, myocardial infarction not clearly related to a non‐target vessel and target lesion revascularization.

Results

DoCE was 5.0%, 7.1%, and 10.0% after 12, 24, and 36 months for the total population. Rate of scaffold thrombosis was 0.5%, 0.8%, and 1.4% after 12, 24, and 36 months. Rate of DoCE was higher in the diabetic subgroup with 9.1%, 12.6%, and 12.9% after 12, 24, and 36 months compared with 4.0% (P = 0.13), 5.6% (P = 0.05), and 9.9% (P = 0.20) in patients without diabetes mellitus.

Conclusions

Patients treated with the Absorb BVS using the PSP‐technique show good results up to 3 years with a low rate of scaffold thrombosis. Patients suffering from diabetes mellitus have an increased rate of DoCE compared with non‐diabetic patients.

Clinical Trial Registration

clinicaltrials.gov_NCT02162056.
The Vexed Question of Market Stewardship in the Public Sector: Examining Equity and the Social Contract through the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme
Authors: Carey Gemma , Dickinson Helen , Malbon Eleanor , Reeders Daniel
Published: June 2017

Personalized care and market‐based approaches to public service provision have gained prominence in a range of Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development countries. Australia has recently joined this trend, launching a complex and expansive programme of individualized care funding for disability through the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Public sector markets (i.e. where governments either directly fund a market by way of competitive tendering, or through personal budgets) have been embraced by actors at different points of the political spectrum and for a range of reasons, including efficacy and efficiency gains, empowerment of citizens and efforts to cater for diversity. Despite the growing dominance of public sector markets and individualized funding, many questions about the role and responsibility of governments in managing and regulating these markets remain unanswered. In this article we outline different roles governments might assume in the creation and management of public sector markets, based on the types of risks governments are willing to take responsibility for. We argue that to fulfil the social contract between government and citizens, governments need to ensure that markets are properly stewarded and embedded in broader social safety nets. This, we contend, can ensure citizens receive the gains of market models while being protected from market failures or market‐produced inequities.
Damage Detection in Grid Structures Using Limited Modal Test Data
Authors: Ding Bei-dou , Feng Da-shuai , Lv Heng-lin , Li Xian
Published: June 2017

The detection of potentially damaged elements in grid structures is a challenging topic. By using limited measured test data, damage detection for grid structures is developed by the modal strain energy (MSE) method. Two critical problems are considered in this paper in developing the MSE method to detect potential damage to the grid structure by using limited modal test data. First, an updated mode shape expansion method based on the modal assurance criterion is adopted to ensure that the modal shape obtained from the reference baseline model is reliable and has explicit physical meanings. Second, after identifying the location of the element damage by the element MSE method with expanded mode shapes, multivariable parameters denoting element damage severity are simultaneously determined. These parameters are included in the column vector and matched with the corresponding element stiffness matrix while the error tolerance value of the Frobenius norm of the column vector is undercontrolled. Finally, a three‐dimension numerical model of the grid structure is used to represent different damage cases and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the present method. The application of the three‐dimension physical model to a full‐scale grid structure is also verified. Analysis results demonstrate that the presented damage detection method effectively locates and quantifies single‐ and multimember damage in grid structures and can be applied in engineering practice.
Study on the Thermal Properties of Hollow Shale Blocks as Self-Insulating Wall Materials
Authors: Bai Guo-liang , Du Ning-jun , Xu Ya-zhou , Qin Chao-gang
Published: June 2017

To reduce energy consumption and protect the environment, a type of hollow shale block with 29 rows of holes was designed and produced. This paper investigated the thermal properties of hollow shale blocks and walls. First, the guarding heat-box method was used to obtain the heat transfer coefficient of the hollow shale block walls. The experimental heat transfer coefficient is 0.726 W/m2·K, which would save energy compared to traditional wall materials. Then, the theoretical value of the heat transfer coefficient was calculated to be 0.546 W/m2·K. Furthermore, the one-dimensional steady heat conduction process for the block and walls was simulated using the finite element analysis software ANSYS. The predicted heat transfer coefficient for the walls was 0.671 W/m2·K, which was in good agreement with the test results. With the outstanding self-insulation properties, this type of hollow shale block could be used as a wall material without any additional insulation measures in masonry structures.