bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design of an arc-based thrust-optimized nozzle contour
Authors: Schomberg K. , Olsen J. , Neely A. , Doig G.
Published: February 2019

A total of ten arc-based nozzle contours have been numerically compared to an existing thrust-optimized design. Verification and validation of the numerical model was achieved using published experimental data and the resulting numerical uncertainty of the model relative to thrust was less than 0.10%. Analysis of the arc-based nozzles indicated that the contour angles had the greatest effect on thrust. Optimization of the contour angles suggested that an increase in thrust coefficient of 0.25% could be achieved compared to the existing thrust-optimized nozzle. The result shows that an arc-based design method may be used to produce an equivalent thrust-optimized nozzle.
Shallow water experiments to verify a numerical analysis on an aerodynamically thrust-vectored aerospike nozzle
Authors: Sieder J. , Propst M. , Bach C. , Tajmar M.
Published: February 2019

Shallow water experiments are predestined for fast and inexpensive experimental examination of two-dimensional (2D) flow phenomena. In this study, the shallow water analogy is used for the verification of a previous numerical analysis of an aerodynamically thrust-vectored aerospike nozzle. Experiments in a shallow water channel were conducted, using a model of an isentropic spike with a 25 percent truncation and two secondary injection sites. A comparison of the flow phenomena, e. g., shock patterns, shows a wide correspondence of experimental and simulation results, thus verifying the simulation approach and encouraging to continue its improvement. Furthermore, it can be shown that secondary fluid injection is a promising method for active thrust vectoring on aerospike thrusters and gives an objective for future applications.
Experimental study of water hammer pressure surge
Authors: Bombardieri C. , Traudt T. , Manfletti C.
Published: February 2019

During the start-up of the propulsion system of a satellite or spacecraft, the opening of the tank isolation valve will cause the propellant to flow into an evacuated feedline and slam against a closed thruster valve. This filling process, called priming, can cause severe pressure peaks that could lead to structural failure. In the case of monopropellants such as hydrazine, also, the risk of adiabatic compression detonation must be taken into account in the design of the feedline subsystem. The phenomenon of priming involves complex two-phase flow: the liquid entering the evacuated pipe undergoes flash evaporation creating a vapor cushion in front of the liquid that mixes with the residual inert gas in the line. Moreover, the dissolved pressurizing gas in the liquid will desorb making the priming process difficult to model. In order to study this phenomenon, a new test-bench has been built at DLR Lampoldshausen which allows fluid transient experiments in the same conditions as the operating space system. Tests are performed with water and ethanol at different conditions (tank pressure, vacuum level, pressurizing gas helium vs. nitrogen, etc.). The effect of the geometry is also investigated, comparing different test-elements such as straight, tees, and elbow pipes. The pressure profile is found to be dependent on the geometry and on the downstream conditions. The acoustic wave reflection caused by the pipe geometry and fluid dynamic effects such as the aforementioned desorption and flash evaporation induce a complex pressure profile of the first pressure peak. Finally, numerical simulations of the priming process are performed by means of EcosimPro software in conjunction with European Space Propulsion System Simulation (ESPSS) libraries and results are compared with experiments.
Numerical simulation of a backward-facing step combustor using reynolds-averaged navier–stokes / extended partially stirred reactor model
Authors: Petrova N. , Sabelnikov V. , Bertier N.
Published: February 2019

The authors adapt recently developed a large eddy simulation / extended partially stirred reactor (LES/EPaSR) model by Sabelnikov and Fureby for simulation of turbulent combustion to Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations. The proposed RANS/EPaSR model is validated against experimental database created at ONERA for an air–methane premixed flame stabilized by a backward-facing step combustor. The RANS/EPaSR model is compared also with the following RANSbased combustion models: (i) quasi-laminar model with reduced chemical mechanism (QL RCM); (ii) premixed flamelet tabulated chemistry (PFTC) without taking into account the turbulence–chemistry interaction (TCI); and (iii) a PFTC with a presumed β probability density function (PDF) for a progress combustion variable.
A comprehensive study on synthesis behavior of nanostructured Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy powder with and without 3 wt.% Al2O3 particles during mechanical alloying
Authors: Hajizamani Mohsen , Alizadeh Ali , Alizadeh Mostafa
Published: February 2019

The mechanical alloying (MA) process was applied to synthesize nanostructured Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy powder and its composite with 3 wt.% Al2O3 particles. Both the alloy and the composite powders were produced by simultaneous milling of the constituents for different milling times (0–50 hours), with fixed milling technical parameters. The produced powders were characterized by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis to detect the generated phases. Also, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a transmission electron microscope (TEM) were used to observe the morphologies and measure the crystallite size of the powders, respectively. It was found that during the production of the composite powder, the size of Al2O3 particle changed which led to unexpected outcomes. In the alloy state, the average particle size and the crystallite size were lower and the microhardness values were higher than those in the composite powder. Also, the steady state was achieved after a shorter MA time in the alloy state compared to the composite state. The major reason for these results was the changes of alumina particle size in the composite powders at the first stages of the MA process due to consuming a noticeable amount of energy, which made them ineffective. In addition, the compressibility in the composite powders was lower than that of the alloy powders due to the presence of alumina particles. Moreover, in both powders, the compressibility decreased with increasing the MA time because of the increased work hardening and the reduced flow properties.
Assoziation von allergischer Rhinitis und Hypertonie
untersucht
Authors: Reichenstein Marek
Published: February 2019

Sakallioglu O et al. Allergic rhinitis and arterial blood pressure: a
population-based study. J Laryngol Otol 2018; 132: 418–422

Gibt es einen Zusammenhang von allergischer Rhinitis und arteriellem Blutdruck
sowie Bluthochdruck? In einer bevölkerungsbasierten Untersuchung wollten
türkische Ärzte diese Frage klären.
Blind im Altenheim? Versorgungsforschung in stationären Pflegeheimen
Authors: Zolotar Oksana , Schrage Norbert
Published: February 2019

Der demografische Wandel in Deutschland führt zu einer zunehmenden Zahl alter und pflegebedürftiger Personen, die stationär in Pflegeeinrichtungen betreut werden. Zusammen mit der Vergütungspraxis der Krankenkassen für Hausbesuche, auch von Fachärzten, sorgt dies für deutliche Defizite in der augenärztlichen Versorgung. Zur Entlastung des Systems wurde im Rahmen unserer Studie der ACTO-Sehtest getestet. Dieser kann nach einer kurzen Einführung auch von Laien durchgeführt werden. Für unsere Studie haben wir den Lesevisus von 218 Probanden in 4 Altenheimen in Deutschland beurteilt. Das Alter der Probanden lag bei mindestens 60 Jahren. Für die Studie wurden beide Augen einzeln untersucht, wobei eine eventuell vorhandene Lesebrille verwendet werden sollte. Das Pflegepersonal nutzte zur Bestimmung des Lesevisus den ACTO-Sehtest. Dieser stuft ab von 1 – 10, wobei 2 einem Dezimalvisus von 0,8 und 10 einem Dezimalvisus von 0,05 entspricht. Drei Wochen später ermittelte ein Augenarzt mithilfe der Birkhäuser-Lesetafeln ebenfalls den Lesevisus. Der Augenarzt erstellte eine allgemeine Anamnese und eine Anamnese der Augenerkrankungen, weiterhin erfolgte eine Untersuchung mittels Handspaltlampe und eine Funduskopie. Zwei Drittel der Heimbewohner gaben zu Beginn der Studie an, nicht unter Augenerkrankungen zu leiden. Die Untersuchung durch den Augenarzt zeigte jedoch, dass fast die Hälfte der Probanden dringend behandlungsbedürftig war. Der Vergleich der unterschiedlichen Sehtests zeigte, dass die Ergebnisse des ACTO-Lesetests mit den Werten der Birkhäuser-Lesetafel mit einem Korrelationskoeffizienten von r2 = 0,8443 korrelierten. Über den ACTO-Test wurde bei 40% der Probanden ein fehlender Lesevisus (> 7) ermittelt, über die Birkhäuser-Tafeln bei 35% (< 0,4). Die Studie zeigte deutlich die augenärztliche Unterversorgung der Bewohner von Alten- und Pflegeheimen. Weder ihnen noch der Heimleitung waren Sehschwächen bewusst. Mithilfe eines einfachen Lesetests und entsprechend geschultem Personal kann ohne großen Aufwand regelmäßig etwa alle 3 Monate die Lesefähigkeit überprüft werden. Nimmt diese ab, sollte der Betroffene rasch dem Facharzt vorgestellt werden, um eine Verschlechterung zu verhindern oder ein degeneratives Augenleiden zu diagnostizieren. Damit können gezielt die Heimbewohner erkannt werden, die behandlungsbedürftig sind.
Retinovaskuläre Zeichen des Susac-Syndroms
Authors: Dutescu R. M. , Dörr J. M. , Bergholz R.
Published: February 2019

Hintergrund Das Susac-Syndrom ist eine Vaskulopathie mit Manifestationen
am zentralen Nervensystem, an der Retina und am Innenohr und ist gekennzeichnet
durch die klinische Trias aus Enzephalopathie und/oder fokalen neurologischen
Symptomen, Hörminderung und retinalen Arterienastverschlüssen. Bisher wurden nur
etwa 300 Fälle in der medizinischen Literatur beschrieben.

Patienten/Methoden Drei Patienten mit gesichertem Susac-Syndrom wurden
retrospektiv auf das Vorhandensein krankheitstypischer retinaler Veränderungen
untersucht. Ergänzend wurde der Krankheitsverlauf analysiert mit der
Zielsetzung, ein besseres Krankheitsverständnis zu erreichen.

Ergebnisse In allen 3 beschriebenen Fällen besteht eine okklusive retinale
Mikroangiopathie mit einhergehenden Arterienastverschlüssen. In der cMRT zeigen
sich bei 2 von 3 Fällen krankheitstypische, umschriebene „snowball“-artige
Läsionen des Corpus callosum, die gemeinsam mit dem Netzhautbefund die
diagnostische Zuordnung ermöglichten. Die klassische Trias aus
Innenohrschwerhörigkeit, retinalen Arterienastverschlüssen und ZNS-Symptomatik
war allerdings in keinem der Fälle bei ärztlichem Erstkontakt vollständig
ausgeprägt.

Schlussfolgerung Die Diagnosesicherung setzt eine enge interdisziplinäre
Zusammenarbeit zwischen Neurologen, Psychiatern, HNO- und Augenärzten voraus.
Die typischen okulären Zeichen einer segmentalen Mikrovaskulopathie mit
Okklusion kleiner Arterien sollten auch bei isoliertem Auftreten Anlass dazu
geben, das Krankheitsbild in die Differenzialdiagnose einer okklusiven retinalen
Vaskulopathie mit einzubeziehen.
Sucht und Essstörungen
Authors: Reimer Jens
Published: February 2019

Liebe Leserinnen und Leser,

wann und was haben Sie zuletzt gegessen? Und, hatten Sie Hunger, war es im Rahmen eines gesellschaftlichen Rituals oder haben Sie der kurzen Vergnügung wegen gar ein Stück Schokolade genascht? Mit der Nahrungsaufnahme sind unterschiedliche Kontexte und Funktionen verbunden. Im Vorgenannten existenzielle, soziale und hedonistische. Unser Gehirn ist primär darauf ausgelegt, die existenziellen Bedürfnisse zu befriedigen.
Ultrastruktureller und klinischer Vergleich des Ergebnisses bei PDR-Patienten, behandelt mit Ranibizumab oder Aflibercept – von Grundlagenforschungen zu den klinischen Therapien
Authors: Vidinova Christina Nicolaeva , Gouguchkova Pravoslava Tz , Dimitrov Tzvetomir , Vidinov Kalin Nicolaev , Nocheva Hristina
Published: February 2019

Hintergrund Die proliferative diabetische Retinopathie (PDR) ist eine der häufigsten Erblindungsursachen weltweit, in deren Verlauf sich sehr oft eine Glaskörperblutung als Komplikation entwickelt. Ziel unserer Untersuchung ist es, die ultrastrukturellen und klinischen Unterschiede bei entweder mit Ranibizumab oder mit Aflibercept behandelten PDR-Patienten zu vergleichen.

Methoden In diese prospektive Untersuchung wurden 27 PDR-Patienten eingeschlossen. Bei 14 Patienten wurde Ranibizumab verwendet und mit Aflibercept wurden 13 Patienten behandelt. Bei 12 PDR-Patienten (6 von jeder Gruppe) wurde eine Vitrektomie durchgeführt und die entnommenen Membranen wurden ultrastrukturell im Transmissions- und Rasterelektronenmikroskop weiter analysiert.

Ergebnisse In beiden Gruppen war die Größe von neu gebildeten Blutgefäßen nach Applikation von Anti-VEGF-Medikamenten deutlich vermindert. Bei mit Eylea behandelten Patienten war das deutlicher bis zu 7 mm2 Größe. Die Sehschärfe war 2 Zeilen verbessert und diese Ergebnisse wurden für 12 Wochen gehalten. Im Unterschied zu Lucentis hat Eylea sehr starken Einfluss bei schweren Formen von PDR. Das proliferative Gewebe bei PDR-Patienten bestand meistens aus verschiedenen Typen von neu gebildeten Blutgefäßen, die sich durch eine Schicht fenestrierter Endothelzellen auszeichneten. Diese Fenestrierung ist nach der Anwendung von Lucentis oder Eylea deutlich reduziert. Die Fenestrierung der Endothelzellen in den mit Eylea behandelten Patienten war signifikant vermindert. Elektronenmikroskopisch wurden durch thrombotisches Material verschlossene Gefäße gefunden.

Schlussfolgerung Unsere Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass beide Medikamente Lucentis und Eylea eine gute Wirkung auf PDR-Patienten haben. Sie verursachen eine Verminderung der endothelialen Fenestrierung und eine starke thrombotische Mikroangiopathie, die eine positive Auswirkung auf die Makulaödeme und Neovaskularisationen sowie die ganze Pathophysiologie von diabetischer Retinopathie haben.
Kehlkopf-Karzinom: Wundbettbiopsien nach TLM-Behandlung
sinnvoll
Authors: Jecker Peter
Published: February 2019

Hendriksma M et al. Evaluation of surgical margin status in patients with early
glottic cancer (Tis-T2) treated with transoral CO2 laser microsurgery, on local
control. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2018; 275: 2333–2340

Bei Patienten mit primärem Kehlkopf-Plattenepithelkarzinom (Tis-T2)
beurteilten niederländische Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgen den Effekt des
Resektionsrand-Status auf die lokale Kontrollrate nach Behandlung mit
transoraler CO2-Laser-Mikrochirurgie (TLM). Darüber hinaus
überprüften die Bedeutung zusätzlicher Wundbettbiopsien.
Homeopathy in Public Health in India
Authors: Kaur Harleen , Chalia Deepti , Manchanda Raj
Published: February 2019

Background Based on a pluralistic approach to health care, India offers a range of medical treatment modalities to its population. In that context, the government of India aims at providing its people with wider access to homeopathy. This article provides insight into the infrastructural support put in place by the government to meet that aim.

Data and Methods A literature review was carried out of recent surveys and articles to assess the morbidity trends in India and the treatment modalities being sought by patients. Extensive attempts were made to identify and access all data sources that could contribute to understanding the situation of homeopathy in public health in India. These efforts included analysis of secondary data about government wellness centres, as also a case study of one such centre.

Results In India, homeopathy is well represented in public health, being a close second among the AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) services. Homeopathy wellness centres comprise 31% of the total for AYUSH. Seven out of 10 diseases recognised as a national health burden are in the category of most commonly reported diseases at the homeopathy wellness centres. Academic homeopathy institutes comprise 35.8% of AYUSH colleges, the total student intakes of which are 13,658 and 32,256 respectively. Homeopathy practitioners are 37% of the AYUSH total. Homeopathy units comprise 1/19th of the number of allopathy units, yet the annual patient footfall in the former is 1/5th of the latter.

Conclusion Homeopathy services, wherever available, are being used fully and thus sharing the patient load in the government-run wellness centres. There is the potential for more homeopathic practitioners to contribute importantly to health care delivery in India.
The Effect of Implant Design on Sagittal Plane Stability: A Randomized Trial of Medial- versus Posterior-Stabilized Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Edelstein Adam I. , Bhatt Surabhi , Wright-Chisem Josh , Sullivan Ryan , Beal Matt , Manning David W.
Published: February 2019

Up to 20% of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients report dissatisfaction with their outcome, especially with weight-bearing in flexion (WBiF) activities. Sagittal plane instability may contribute to dissatisfaction following TKA. We assessed the impact of implant design on TKA sagittal plane stability and clinical satisfaction. We randomized patients to receive one of two TKA implant designs: medial-stabilized (MS) or posterior-stabilized (PS). Sagittal stability was assessed using a KT-1000 arthrometer. Patient-reported outcome measures, including a custom bank of questions targeting patient satisfaction (0–100%) with WBiF activities, were administered to patients 2 years following surgery. The final analysis included 50 patients (25 MS, 25 PS). The MS group had greater sagittal plane stability than the PS group at 30-degree flexion (5.6 ± 1.9 vs. 10.2 ± 2.7 mm; p < 0.0001) but not at 90-degree flexion (4.1 ± 2 vs. 5.3 ± 3 mm; p = 0.14). Range of motion was not different (111.3 ± 10.4 vs. 114.7 ± 10.7 degrees; p = 0.31). There were no differences in the PROMIS (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) score, Oxford Knee Score, Knee Society Score, Forgotten Joint Score, or Veterans Rand. The MS group had no difference in satisfaction for WBiF activities versus non-WBiF activities (80.5 ± 18 vs. 88.3% ± 16.4%; p = 0.13), whereas the PS group had significantly worse satisfaction for WBiF versus non-WBiF activities (71.6 ± 24.6 vs. 87.8% ± 16.6%; p = 0.019). An MS prosthetic design was more stable in the sagittal plane in midflexion compared with a PS design. There was no difference in patient-reported outcomes, although custom survey data suggest improved satisfaction with MS design during WBiF activities.
18.6.12 Acyclic and Cyclic Carbamic Acids and Esters, and Their Sulfur, Selenium, Tellurium, and Phosphorus Analogues (Update 2018)
Authors: Podlech J.
Published: February 2019

This chapter is an update to the earlier Science of Synthesis contribution on the preparation of acyclic and cyclic carbamates, thiocarbamates, selenocarbamates, tellurocarbamates, and phosphinecarboxylates, as well on their applications in organic synthesis. It focuses on the literature published in the period 2013–2017.
33.1.2.2 Alk-1-enyl Sulfones (Update 2018)
Authors: Kawęcki R.
Published: February 2019

This chapter is an update to the earlier Science of Synthesis contribution describing methods for the preparation of alk-1-enyl sulfones. This update focuses on methods published since 2004.
Divide and rule: ten lessons about Russian political influence activities in Europe
Authors: Karlsen Geir Hågen
Published: February 2019

The purpose of this study is to improve understanding of how Russia is conducting political influence activities against Europe. It examines current thinking and perceptions on this topic among Western secret services and is based on an analysis of approximately 40 annual reports from 15 secret services in 11 Western countries, covering the period 2014–2018. This activity is by nature covert, and the analysis given in these reports from Western secret services complements other research and shows the broad range of tools and techniques employed for political influence, and much detail on the execution of these activities. According to these secret services, Russia is the foreign state that tries to influence European politics and decision-making most, and more so than China and other states. These influence activities support three main Russian strategic objectives: regime security, predominance in Russia’s near abroad, and world-power status for Russia. The long-term objective of Russian influence activities is to weaken NATO and the EU. In the shorter term, it is to lift the sanctions imposed after the Russian intervention in Ukraine in 2014. Russia also has more specific objectives related to each individual country. Russia is targeting the West through a divide and rule approach, using multiple tools of influence. The population is mainly reached through media and social media, exploiting divisive issues. Minorities, refugees, and extremists are used to further this divide and rule approach. Human intelligence and cyber operations are important covert tools of influence. Russia also uses the energy sector, business, and corruption as venues for influence. It has an extensive network of allies and front organizations, and reconstructs reality and rewrites history to legitimize itself and undermine others. Finally, military force is Russia’s ultimate tool of influence. These influence activities are of large-scale, and the threat should be taken seriously, but the reports studied also indicate that the effects of these activities are limited.
A straightforward 2ω technique for the measurement of the Thomson effect
Authors: Haïk Dunn Isaac , Daou Ramzy , Atkinson Colin
Published: February 2019

We present a simplified, rapid, and accurate method for the measurement of the thermoelectric Thomson coefficient by the dynamical heating of a suspended wire by an alternating current. By applying a temperature gradient across the wire, we find that the response at the second harmonic of the excitation frequency is directly proportional to the Thomson coefficient. The absolute thermoelectric coefficient of a single material can therefore be extracted with high precision by using a phase sensitive detector. We test our method on platinum and nickel wires and develop both analytical and numerical models to determine the leading sources of error.
Tunable synthetic extracellular matrices to investigate breast cancer response to biophysical and biochemical cues
Authors: Sawicki Lisa A. , Ovadia Elisa M. , Pradhan Lina , Cowart Julie E. , Ross Karen E. , Wu Cathy H. , Kloxin April M.
Published: February 2019

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is thought to play a critical role in the progression of breast cancer. In this work, we have designed a photopolymerizable, biomimetic synthetic matrix for the controlled, 3D culture of breast cancer cells and, in combination with imaging and bioinformatics tools, utilized this system to investigate the breast cancer cell response to different matrix cues. Specifically, hydrogel-based matrices of different densities and modified with receptor-binding peptides derived from ECM proteins [fibronectin/vitronectin (RGDS), collagen (GFOGER), and laminin (IKVAV)] were synthesized to mimic key aspects of the ECM of different soft tissue sites. To assess the breast cancer cell response, the morphology and growth of breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 and T47D) were monitored in three dimensions over time, and differences in their transcriptome were assayed using next generation sequencing. We observed increased growth in response to GFOGER and RGDS, whether individually or in combination with IKVAV, where binding of integrin β1 was key. Importantly, in matrices with GFOGER, increased growth was observed with increasing matrix density for MDA-MB-231s. Further, transcriptomic analyses revealed increased gene expression and enrichment of biological processes associated with cell-matrix interactions, proliferation, and motility in matrices rich in GFOGER relative to IKVAV. In sum, a new approach for investigating breast cancer cell-matrix interactions was established with insights into how microenvironments rich in collagen promote breast cancer growth, a hallmark of disease progression in vivo, with opportunities for future investigations that harness the multidimensional property control afforded by this photopolymerizable system.
How does temperature modulate the structural properties of aggregated melamine in aqueous solution—An answer from classical molecular dynamics simulation
Authors: Chattaraj Krishna Gopal , Paul Sandip
Published: February 2019

In this study, classical molecular dynamics simulation of eight melamine molecules is carried out in water over a temperature range of 300 K to 380 K at an ambient pressure to examine the molecular details of melamine aggregation along with the impact of temperature on the aggregated state of melamine in water. It is found that the hydrogen bonds formed between sp3 N-sp2 N of melamine, which is mainly responsible for the aggregation over the sp3 N-sp3 N, are disturbed mainly by the rise in temperature. These outcomes are complemented by the consideration of an average number of hydrogen bonds per melamine and preferential interaction parameter calculations. The impact of temperature is negligible on the orientational probability between the two triazine cores. The π–π stacking interaction between the two triazine rings plays a less significant role on melamine aggregation. Dynamical calculations, by considering cluster structure analyses and dimer existence autocorrelation function, strengthen the fact of destabilization of aggregated melamine in water with the rise in temperature. With free energy of solvation, association constant along with the binding free energy between a melamine pair gives the thermodynamic point of view of the impact of elevated temperature on melamine aggregation. Interestingly, the potential of mean force calculation using an umbrella sampling technique explains the reasons, in depth, of how do sp3 N-sp2 N interactions confirm the decrease in the initial probability of growth of higher order clusters with the increase in temperature.
Jitter mitigation in low density discharge plasma cells for wakefield accelerators
Authors: Loisch G. , Engel J. , Gross M. , Hochberg M. , Huck H. , Koss G. , Lishilin O. , Oppelt A. , Philipp S. , Richter D. , Stephan F. , Weidemann P.
Published: February 2019

In the field of beam driven acceleration of particles in plasma wakefields (PWFA), the source of the plasma medium is a crucial part of the accelerator setup. Gas discharges have proven to be a reliable and simple type of a plasma source in past experiments. Nevertheless, especially in plasma cells that aim for peak density in the range of 1015 cm−3, physical apertures around 10 mm, and lengths of up to several meters, the stability of the discharge ignition and the pulse current waveform is limiting the applicability. We show successful mitigation of these jitters in a 0.1 m argon gas discharge cell, operating at maximum densities of ≤1016 cm−3 by optimisation of the cell design and the discharge current pulse circuit.
Strain and plasmonic field induced modifications of material excitation response in monolayer MoS2
Authors: Sharma Geeta , Singh Astha , Sharma Rahul , Singh Bhanu Pratap , Vasa Parinda
Published: February 2019

We report Raman and photoluminescence (PL) emission spectroscopy studies on monolayer MoS2/gold micro-disc hybrid structures. The observed frequency shift and broadening of phonon modes of the monolayer MoS2 are mainly the manifestations of the mechanical strain rather than the plasmonic field induced electron doping. We also observe considerable enhancement of the phonon mode intensities as a consequence of the surface enhanced Raman scattering caused by the plasmonic fields. The interaction of localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) excited near the edge of the micro-discs with excitons in the monolayer MoS2 enhances A exciton emission, while suppressing that from B excitons and the trions. The changes in the PL emission near the edge are attributed to the modification of the emission rate via the Purcell effect, whereas the PL quenching on a relatively flat disc surface is due to lower density and the non-radiative nature of LSPRs.
Cavity emergence and the increase in drag following the entry of solid spheres into a stratified, two-layer system of immiscible liquids
Authors: Tan Benedict C.-W.
Published: February 2019

A new phenomenon associated with the entry of solid spheres into a stratified, two-layer, highly viscous silicone oil-water system had been observed. Following the passage of solid spheres through the oil-water interface, the emergence of an air cavity from within the highly viscous oil thread connecting the spheres to the interface was observed. In addition, the data analysis show that a relatively thin layer of highly viscous upper-layer liquid could absorb significant impact while also significantly increase the drag experienced by relatively larger spheres moving in the less viscous lower-layer liquid.
Untangling the Echiniscus Gordian knot: Stellariscus gen. nov. (Heterotardigrada : Echiniscidae) from Far East Asia
Authors: Gąsiorek Piotr , Suzuki Atsushi C. , Kristensen Reinhardt M. , Lachowska-Cierlik Dorota , Michalczyk Łukasz
Published: February 2019

Species constituting the family Echiniscidae are highly derived, armoured and inhabit terrestrial habitats, in contrast to other heterotardigrades that are predominantly marine. The genus Echiniscus C.A.S. Schultze, 1840, nominal for the family Echiniscidae, is currently the most speciose tardigrade genus. However, the great morphological variability, in comparison with other heterotardigrade genera, suggests the polyphyletic character of the genus. Here, we analyse new specimens of Echiniscus pseudelegans Séméria, 1994 collected in Japan and conclude that the species as well as two other related taxa, E. elegans Richters, 1907 and E. latifasciatus Dudichev and Biserov, 2000, represent a new genus, Stellariscus, gen. nov. The new genus is characterised by a mixture of peculiar morphological apomorphies: black eyes, star-like dorsal plate sculpturing, no trunk appendages (only cephalic cirri present), two types of ventral plates, and striking sexual dimorphism in both qualitative and quantitative traits. Morphological phylogeny of the family Echiniscidae suggests a close affinity between Stellariscus, Hypechiniscus Thulin, 1928 and Pseudechiniscus Thulin, 1911. The polyphyletic status of both Echiniscus and Testechiniscus Kristensen, 1987 is also inferred. The taxonomic significance of ventral armature in echiniscid phylogeny and taxonomy is discussed.
Best practice and sacred site management: the case of Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Authors: Olsen D. H.
Published: February 2019

The purpose of this chapter is to highlight best management practice related to the ways in which leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints deal with the people who visit the Church headquarters, locally referred to as the 'Church Campus', in Salt Lake City, Utah. Before discussing tourism at the Church Campus, a brief history of the founding and expansion of the Church Campus is presented to provide context to the rationale behind interpretation methods, hospitality and organization of the Church Campus to visitors. Then, attention is given to the ways in which church leaders organize, manage, market and interpret the Church Campus to both maintain a 'sense of place' and to 'save souls'. Specific best practices related to visitor experience and the management of internal and external tourism management issues are then presented.
Strategic project Manresa 2022: using religious tourism as a keystone for the revitalization of a non-touristic and non-religious city.
Authors: Canal R. , Holgado E. , Puyol S.
Published: February 2019

This chapter relates the use of religious tourism to revitalize Manresa in Spain. It tries to answer the question of how it has been possible, on the basis of a historic religious event, to build and manage a strategic project for the economic, social and cultural revitalization of Manresa, a city with relatively low levels of touristic attractiveness and religious faith. The chapter explores the project in all its facets, justifications, aims and operationalization, in order to understand how problems were addressed from a public management perspective.
Toolkit: managing relationship marketing with sacred and secular consumers.
Authors: Wiltshier P. , Griffiths M. , Clarke A.
Published: February 2019

Through customer relationship management modelling, this chapter explores options for, and barriers to, the creation of a repository of information to support a variety of key stakeholders including the tourism sector and the clergy, who wish to demonstrate, maintain and develop religious and pilgrimage sites. Suggestions are made regarding the toolkit available for site guardians who have to manage the complex and diverse sacred and secular needs of visitors to religious sites.
Mechanisms of beneficial effects of exercise training on non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): Roles of oxidative stress and inflammation
Authors: Farzanegi Parvin , Dana Amir , Ebrahimpoor Zeynab , Asadi Mahdieh , Azarbayjani Mohammad Ali
Published: February 2019

Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common chronic liver disorder which is associated with accumulation of fats in the liver. It causes a wide variety of pathological effects such as non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis, insulin resistance, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The molecular mechanisms that cause the initiation and progression of NAFLD are not fully understood. Oxidative stress (OS) induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammation are likely a significant mechanism which can lead to hepatic cell death and tissue injury. Mitochondrial abnormalities, down‐regulation of several antioxidant enzymes, glutathione (GSH) depletion and decreased activity of GSH‐dependent antioxidants, accumulation of leukocytes and hepatic inflammation are the major sources of ROS overproduction in NAFLD. Excessive production of ROS suppresses the capacity of other antioxidant defence systems in NAFLD and causes further oxidative damage. Regular exercise can be considered as an effective strategy for treatment of NAFLD. It improves NAFLD by reducing intrahepatic fat content, increasing β‐oxidation of fatty acids, inducing hepato‐protective autophagy, overexpressing peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐ γ (PPAR‐γ), as well as attenuating hepatocyte apoptosis and increasing insulin sensitivity. Exercise training also suppresses ROS overproduction and OS in NAFLD via up‐regulation of several antioxidant enzymes and anti‐inflammatory mediators. Therefore, an understanding of these molecules and signalling pathways gives us valuable information about NAFLD progression and a method for developing a suitable clinical treatment. This review aimed to evaluate sources of ROS and OS in NAFLD and the molecular mechanisms involved in the beneficial effects of exercises on NAFLD.
On the skein module of the product of a surface and a circle
Authors: Gilmer Patrick , Masbaum Gregor
Published: February 2019

Let

Σ
\Sigma

be a closed oriented surface of genus

g
g

. We show that the Kauffman bracket skein module of

Σ
×

S
1

\Sigma \times S^1

over the field of rational functions in

A
A

has dimension at least

2

2
g
+
1

+
2
g
−
1.

2^{2g+1}+2g-1.
An application of blocks to torsion units in group rings
Authors: Bächle Andreas , Margolis Leo
Published: February 2019

We use the theory of blocks of cyclic defect to prove that under a certain condition on the principal

p
p

-block of a finite group

G
G

, the normalized unit group of the integral group ring of

G
G

contains an element of order

p
q

pq

if and only if so does

G
G

for

q
q

a prime different from

p
p

. Using this we verify the Prime Graph Question for all alternating and symmetric groups and also for two sporadic simple groups.
Central American-American Identity and Politics
Authors: Cárdenas Maritza E.
Published: February 2019

The use of the term “Central American” as an identity category is neither new nor restricted to the US diaspora. However, it is within the last forty years and in the geopolitical setting of the United States that a thriving identity politics has developed. It is during this time period that the use of the term Central American has emerged to denote a tactical American pan-ethnic social identity. This act of consciously employing the term “Central American” as a unification strategy for peoples from the isthmus in the United States echoes other US-based ethnoracial identity politics. Such movements often utilize a pan-ethnic term not only to advocate on the behalf of a racialized minoritarian community but also seeking to provide them a space of belonging by focusing on sociopolitical, cultural, and ethnic commonalities. As other identity markers in the United States such as “Asian American” and “African American” illustrate, Central Americans are not the first population to utilize a region as a strategic unifying term of self-identification. Yet, unlike these other US ethnoracial categories, for those who identify as “Central American” the term “Central America” often connotes not simply a geographic space but also a historical formation that advances the notion that individuals from the isthmus comprise a distinct but common culture. Another key difference from other US ethnoracial identities is that use of the term “Central American” in US cultural politics emerged during a historical era where the broader collective terms “Hispanic” or “Latino” were already in place. The creation and deployment of “Central American” is therefore an alternative to this other supra-ethnic identity category, as subjects view this isthmian-based term as being able to simultaneously create a broader collective while still invoking a type of geographic and cultural specificity that is usually associated with national identities.
The Vietnam War in Film
Authors: Chong Sylvia Shin Huey
Published: February 2019

As a war that was not supposed to be a war—the United States never formally declared it as such—and yet was already the second in a series of wars—the first being the anticolonial war against the French that won Vietnam its independence—the Vietnam War is just as hard to pin down cinematically as it is historically. Although it is now recognized as a major film genre in US cinema, the category of the Vietnam War film can also include representations of Southeast Asia during French colonialism, the brief decades of independence before the entrance of US troops, and the long legacy of the war in terms of refugee crisis, political unrest, genocide, PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder), and protest. Not only Vietnamese but all of the peoples formerly grouped under the banner of French Indochina—including Cambodians and Laotians—were dragged into the war as willing or unwitting participants, and their experiences of combat and its aftermath are as integral to the Vietnam War film as those of the American soldiers that typically dominate the genre. The region of Southeast Asia beyond French Indochina—Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong—is also significant, both to the history of the war (as political allies, or hosts of military bases or refugee camps) and to the history of the film genre (as locations for filming, or sources for extras or actors or technical support). Outside of Southeast Asia, other nations such as the former USSR, Canada, Australia, France, and South Korea also played a part in the war, sending soldiers to the war or taking in Vietnamese, Cambodian, or Laotian refugees after the war, and these links also yielded further contributions to the Vietnam War film genre from these national cinema industries. The Vietnam War fueled many protest movements and forms of activism, becoming part of a larger, global post-1968 debate about imperialism, racism, capitalism, and militarism in many countries, and so the vigorous protests against the war also became a visible part of the film genre, especially in documentary filmmaking. As the direct survivors of the Vietnam War era begin to be supplanted by a second and even third generation for whom the war is a historical footnote, the legacy of the Vietnam War genre becomes dispersed into the larger genealogies of national cinemas and cultural memory industries, as the children of war veterans and refugees and protestors return to Southeast Asia armed with cameras and capital. Their attention is directed not only backward in time—excavating family or national histories—but also forward, forging new Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, French, Australian, and American cinemas that are indelibly marked by the Vietnam War but no longer obsessed with representing it as such.
Eugenics, Reproduction, and Asian American Literature
Authors: Nadkarni Asha
Published: February 2019

Asian American literature has capaciously explored the issues of gender, sexuality, and reproduction that have been so foundational to Asian American racial formation. It has likewise engaged, directly or indirectly, with “eugenics,” a pseudoscience by which nation states sought to improve their populations through managing reproduction. Eugenics, a term coined by Charles Darwin’s cousin Sir Francis Galton in 1883, spans the late 19th to the early 21st centuries, where it continues in the form of population control and the “new” eugenics of genetic and reproductive technologies. In some national sites eugenics was aligned with feminist movements for birth control, whereas in others, such as the United States, they were largely opposed. Nonetheless, eugenic feminists argued that women’s right reproduction was the necessary mechanism by which women should gain rights within the state; as a formation, moreover, eugenic feminism specifically targeted Asian American women as standing in the way of US feminist advance. As such, one of the key ways eugenics was practiced in the United States in relationship to Asian populations was through immigration policy. The history of Asian exclusion in the United States therefore speaks to a larger eugenic project predicated on the notion that Asian immigrants embodied a public health threat in terms of diseases and deviant sexualities of various sorts. The 1965 Immigration and Naturalization Act opened up Asian immigration to the United States and also gave rise to a new set of stereotypes, gendered and otherwise, about Asian Americans as model minorities. Asian American literature has critically mined these issues, with some Asian American literature acceding to eugenics by stressing an assimilationist politics and with other works challenging it by critiquing eugenics’ reproductive logic of purity.
Reading South Asian American Literature
Authors: Srikanth Rajini
Published: February 2019

“South Asia” is the term used to refer to that part of Asia that comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. South Asian American literary studies emerged from the ethnic studies movements in the United States during the late 1960s. Asian American literary studies has analyzed poetry, fiction, memoir, and drama by writers of South Asian descent living in the United States, first by looking at the principal thematic impulses found in the writings and the literary techniques employed by authors from the early 1900s into the 21st century. Scholars have also argued that the worldviews and representations of South Asian American writers, sometimes considered within the category of “postcolonial” literature rather than multiethnic literature, gesture beyond the narrow confines of genre, nation, religion, ethnicity, and culture. South Asian American literary studies illuminates these texts’ unexpected connectivities, global vision, and entwined histories and highlights how those who read them have the opportunity to enlarge their consciousness.
Parody, Pastiche, and Intertextuality in Asian American Novels
Authors: Tang Amy C.
Published: February 2019

The repetition and reframing of styles, forms, and texts variously known as pastiche, parody, intertextuality, appropriation, or sampling is a pervasive practice in Asian American literature. Since the emergence of Asian American literary studies in the 1970s, such strategies have formed a key site for negotiating the terms of Asian American identity, politics, and culture. While pastiche has been recognized as a signature style of postmodern culture at large, it has held particular significance for Asian American literary and cultural studies because of its resonance with Asian American identity. Because Asian Americans have long been stereotyped as mimics of Western culture, and because the category Asian American refers to a coalition of multiple and diverse ethnic groups, Asian American identity itself seems constituted by the formal operations of imitation and recombination central to parody and pastiche. The close alignment between Asian American identity and these formal practices has made shifting critical attitudes toward parody, pastiche, and intertextuality into a telling register of evolving conceptions of Asian American identity. In the cultural nationalist era of the 1970s, pastiche was seen as the formal expression of Asian Americans’ tendency to repeat and reproduce dominant ideologies, a sign of complicity with white racism, and a lack of cultural integrity. By contrast, a second wave of Asian American criticism in the 1990s embraced strategies of textual repetition as subversive parody rather than complicit pastiche, reinterpreting them as articulations of a politically oppositional, hybrid and heterogeneous Asian American subject. Since the turn of the millennium, the use of parody, pastiche, and intertextuality in Viet Nguyen’s prize-winning 2015 novel The Sympathizer intimates yet another iteration of Asian American identity centered on the war refugee, a model of Asian American subjectivity which shifts attention from traditional topics of immigration and assimilation to urgent questions of imperialism and militarism. Taken together, these examples demonstrate how the formal strategies of parody, pastiche, and intertextuality have served as crucial sites for the invention and reinvention of Asian American identity, politics, and aesthetics.
Comparative Analysis in African Politics
Authors: Hyden Goran
Published: February 2019

Comparison in the social sciences is a principal tool for sharpening our ability to describe reality. It is helpful in understanding the politics of African countries. Different comparative methods help to trace the origin and links to what has transpired in the field of comparative politics at large and with respect to the African continent. Recognizing that the politics–development nexus has served as the dominant context for comparison, scholars have addressed and created knowledge as it pertains to an account of the contemporary state of comparative analysis in the study of African politics.
A Sociocultural–Constructionist Epistemology for the Psychology of Aging
Authors: Peterson Roger L. , Lambos Katherine A.
Published: February 2019

A sociocultural-constructionist epistemology stands alongside more traditional psychology epistemologies for the study of aging. These positions are not commensurable. Based on Donald Peterson’s classic position on how science and practice differ in fundamental ways, on his view of “disciplined inquiry,” and Trierweiler’s view of the “local clinical scientist,” this epistemological position is more-directly relevant to practice. Within the constructionist context, it emphasizes the importance of “local” as a key level of description, along with particular levels of local knowledge. All of this is consistent with Knight’s Contextual Adult Lifespan Theory. Bruner’s ideas on cultural psychology and how culture is embedded in narrative take these ideas further. They are consistent with Bruner’s metacomments on epistemology.