bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Near-field transport by a bent multi-wire endoscope
Authors: Latioui Hafssaa , Silveirinha Mário G.
Published: August 2016

In this paper, we investigate the impact of bending a multi-wire endoscope in the context of subwavelength imaging and near-field transport. To this end, we study the reflection and transmission by a “bent” wire medium in different configurations and demonstrate that the structure can be quite robust to the effect of bending provided the total length of the bent wires satisfies the Fabry-Pérot condition. The study is carried out relying on an analytical homogenization theory and using two additional boundary conditions obtained with physical arguments. It is proven that a structure formed by two connected sets of tilted metallic wires can allow for the near field transport with a deeply subwavelength resolution. To illustrate the applications and potentials of the results, the performance of bent multi-wire endoscopes is characterized using full wave numerical simulations.
Design and implementation of wireless dose logger network for radiological emergency decision support system
Authors: Gopalakrishnan V. , Baskaran R. , Venkatraman B.
Published: August 2016

A decision support system (DSS) is implemented in Radiological Safety Division, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research for providing guidance for emergency decision making in case of an inadvertent nuclear accident. Real time gamma dose rate measurement around the stack is used for estimating the radioactive release rate (source term) by using inverse calculation. Wireless gamma dose logging network is designed, implemented, and installed around the Madras Atomic Power Station reactor stack to continuously acquire the environmental gamma dose rate and the details are presented in the paper. The network uses XBee–Pro wireless modules and PSoC controller for wireless interfacing, and the data are logged at the base station. A LabView based program is developed to receive the data, display it on the Google Map, plot the data over the time scale, and register the data in a file to share with DSS software. The DSS at the base station evaluates the real time source term to assess radiation impact.
How to model the interaction of charged Janus particles
Authors: Hieronimus Reint , Raschke Simon , Heuer Andreas
Published: August 2016

We analyze the interaction of charged Janus particles including screening effects. The explicit interaction is mapped via a least square method on a variable number n of systematically generated tensors that reflect the angular dependence of the potential. For n = 2 we show that the interaction is equivalent to a model previously described by Erdmann, Kröger, and Hess (EKH). Interestingly, this mapping is for n = 2 not able to capture the subtleties of the interaction for small screening lengths. Rather, a larger number of tensors has to be used. We find that the characteristics of the Janus type interaction plays an important role for the aggregation behavior. We obtained cluster structures up to the size of 13 particles for n = 2 and 36 and screening lengths κ−1 = 0.1 and 1.0 via Monte Carlo simulations. The influence of the screening length is analyzed and the structures are compared to results for an electrostatic-type potential and for the multipole-expanded Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory. We find that a dipole-like potential (EKH or dipole DLVO approximation) is not able to sufficiently reproduce the anisotropy effects of the potential. Instead, a higher order expansion has to be used to obtain cluster structures that are compatible with experimental observations. The resulting minimum-energy clusters are compared to those of sticky hard sphere systems. Janus particles with a short-range screened interaction resemble sticky hard sphere clusters for all considered particle numbers, whereas for long-range screening even very small clusters are structurally different.
Verification of antiferromagnetic exchange coupling at room temperature using polar magneto-optic Kerr effect in thin EuS/Co multilayers with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy
Authors: Goschew A. , Scott M. , Fumagalli P.
Published: August 2016

We report on magneto-optic Kerr measurements in polar geometry carried out on a series of thin Co/EuS multilayers on suitable Co/Pd-multilayer substrates. Thin Co/EuS multilayers of a few nanometers individual layer thickness usually have their magnetization in plane. Co/Pd multilayers introduce a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in the Co/EuS layers deposited on top, thus making it possible to measure magneto-optic signals in the polar geometry in remanence in order to study exchange coupling. Magneto-optic Kerr-effect spectra and hysteresis loops were recorded in the visible and ultraviolet photon-energy range at room temperature. The EuS contribution to the magneto-optic signal is extracted at 4.1 eV by combining hysteresis loops measured at different photon energies with polar magneto-optic Kerr-effect spectra recorded in remanence and in an applied magnetic field of 2.2 T. The extracted EuS signal shows clear signs of antiferromagnetic coupling of the Eu magnetic moments to the Co layers. This implies that the ordering temperature of at least a fraction of the EuS layers is above room temperature proving that magneto-optic Kerr-effect spectroscopy can be used here as a quasi-element-specific method.
Ultralow switching current in HfOx/ZnO bilayer with tunable switching power enabled by plasma treatment
Authors: Lai Yunfeng , Zeng Zecun , Liao Chenghao , Cheng Shuying , Yu Jinling , Zheng Qiao , Lin Peijie
Published: August 2016

Decreasing switching power of a memory cell to meet demands of further downsizing is feasible with several methods. However, effects of plasma treatment on switching current and power are scarcely investigated. We therefore replaced traditional single storage layer with a HfOx/ZnO bilayer and also treated its interface with argon plasma. The switching current could be suppressed to μA due to a Schottky barrier at the HfOx/ZnO interface. Additionally, argon plasma treatment on the interface enables tunability of switching power and current, which is attributed to the tunable barrier height with the absorbed oxygen species introduced by plasma treatment.
Effect of interstitial impurities on the field dependent microwave surface resistance of niobium
Authors: Martinello M. , Grassellino A. , Checchin M. , Romanenko A. , Melnychuk O. , Sergatskov D. A. , Posen S. , Zasadzinski J. F.
Published: August 2016

Previous work has demonstrated that the radio frequency surface resistance of niobium resonators is dramatically reduced when nitrogen impurities are dissolved as interstitial in the material. This effect is attributed to the lowering of the Mattis-Bardeen surface resistance with increasing accelerating field; however, the microscopic origin of this phenomenon is poorly understood. Meanwhile, an enhancement of the sensitivity to trapped magnetic field is typically observed for such cavities. In this paper, we conduct a systematic study on these different components contributing to the total surface resistance as a function of different levels of dissolved nitrogen, in comparison with standard surface treatments for niobium resonators. Adding these results together, we are able to show which is the optimum surface treatment that maximizes the Q-factor of superconducting niobium resonators as a function of expected trapped magnetic field in the cavity walls. These results also provide insights on the physics behind the change in the field dependence of the Mattis-Bardeen surface resistance, and of the trapped magnetic vortex induced losses in superconducting niobium resonators.
Effect of humoral immunity on HIV-1 dynamics with virus-to-target and infected-to-target infections
Authors: Elaiw A. M. , Raezah A. A. , Alofi A. S.
Published: August 2016

We consider an HIV-1 dynamics model by incorporating (i) two routes of infection via, respectively, binding of a virus to a receptor on the surface of a target cell to start genetic reactions (virus-to-target infection), and the direct transmission from infected cells to uninfected cells through the concept of virological synapse in vivo (infected-to-target infection); (ii) two types of distributed-time delays to describe the time between the virus or infected cell contacts an uninfected CD4+ T cell and the emission of new active viruses; (iii) humoral immune response, where the HIV-1 particles are attacked by the antibodies that are produced from the B lymphocytes. The existence and stability of all steady states are completely established by two bifurcation parameters, R0 (the basic reproduction number) and R1 (the viral reproduction number at the chronic-infection steady state without humoral immune response). By constructing Lyapunov functionals and using LaSalle’s invariance principle, we have proven that, if R0≤1, then the infection-free steady state is globally asymptotically stable, if R1≤11, then the chronic-infection steady state with humoral immune response is globally asymptotically stable. We have performed numerical simulations to confirm our theoretical results.
Effects of land-use change and management on soil carbon and nitrogen in the Brigalow Belt, Australia: I. Overview and inventory
Authors: Allen D. E. , Pringle M. J. , Butler D. W. , Henry B. K. , Bishop T. F. A. , Bray S. G. , Orton T. G. , Dalal R. C.
Published: August 2016

Soil and land-management interactions in Australian native-forest regrowth remain a major source of uncertainty in the context of the global carbon economy. We sampled soil total organic C (TOC) and soil total N (TN) stocks at 45 sites within the Brigalow ecological community of the Brigalow Belt bioregion, Queensland, Australia. The sites were matched as triplets representing three land uses, specifically: uncleared native brigalow forest (‘Remnant’); grassland pasture (‘Pasture’), derived by clearing native vegetation and maintained as pasture for a minimum of 10 years, and; regrowing native brigalow forest (‘Regrowth’, stand ages ranging from 10 to 58 years) that had developed spontaneously after past vegetation clearing for pasture establishment. Soil TOC fractions and natural abundance of soil C and N isotopes were examined to obtain insight into C and N dynamics. An updated above- and belowground carbon budget for the bioregions was generated. Average soil TOC stocks at 0–0.3-m depth ranged from 19 to 79 Mg ha–1 and soil TN stocks from 1.8 to 7.1 Mg ha–1 (2.5th and 97.5th percentiles, respectively). A trend in stocks was apparent with land use: Remnant > Regrowth ≅ Pasture sites. Soil δ13C ranged from –14 to –27‰, and soil δ15N ranged from 4‰ to 17‰, in general reflecting the difference between Pasture (C4-dominated) land use and N2-fixing (C3-dominated) Remnant and Regrowth. Mid-infrared spectroscopy predicted C fractions as a percentage of soil TOC stock, which ranged from 5% to 60% (particulate), 20–80% (humus) and 9–30% (resistant/inert). The geo-referenced soil and management information we collected is important for the calibration of C models, for the estimation of national C accounts, and to inform policy developments in relation to land-resource management undertaken within the Brigalow Belt bioregions of Australia.
Sickle cell anemia mice develop a unique cardiomyopathy with restrictive physiology
Authors: Bakeer Nihal , James Jeanne , Roy Swarnava , Wansapura Janaka , Shanmukhappa Shiva Kumar , Lorenz John N. , Osinska Hanna , Backer Kurt , Huby Anne-Cecile , Shrestha Archana , Niss Omar , Fleck Robert , Quinn Charles T. , Taylor Michael D. , Purevjav Enkhsaikhan , Aronow Bruce J. , Towbin Jeffrey A. , Malik Punam
Published: August 2016

Significance

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a common monogenic disorder associated with significant morbidity and mortality and a high incidence of unexplained sudden death in young adults. With the prevention of infections, there is an increasing appreciation for cardiopulmonary complications and a cardiac phenotype that cannot be solely attributed to chronic anemia. We used mouse models of SCA and iron-deficient anemia to show distinct functional, pathological, ultrastructural, and molecular cardiac features causing a unique restrictive cardiomyopathy in SCA that predisposed the myocardium to electrophysiological abnormalities and sudden death. This is a comprehensive longitudinal analysis in preclinical mouse models that unifies the previously reported diverse cardiac phenotypes in SCA, and opens new avenues for early diagnostics and targeted therapies for human SCA-related cardiac disease.
Derepression of
hTERT
gene expression promotes escape from oncogene-induced cellular senescence
Authors: Patel Priyanka L. , Suram Anitha , Mirani Neena , Bischof Oliver , Herbig Utz
Published: August 2016

Significance

Normal cells respond to oncogenic signals by activating cellular senescence, a state of irreversible/permanent growth arrest that prevents cells from undergoing further cell divisions. Although this oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) is considered a critical tumor-suppressive mechanism, the irreversible nature of OIS remains controversial. In this study, we demonstrate that OIS is not always stable. After a prolonged period in senescence, cells can re-enter the cell-division cycle with epigenetic changes that facilitate cell transformation. Escape from OIS was promoted by derepression of
hTERT
gene expression, an enzyme that provides cellular immortality and is activated in >90% of human cancers.
Human striatal recordings reveal abnormal discharge of projection neurons in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Singh Arun , Mewes Klaus , Gross Robert E. , DeLong Mahlon R. , Obeso José A. , Papa Stella M.
Published: August 2016

Significance

This study is important because it provides the first account of the electrophysiological activity in the human striatum, and it demonstrates major and distinctive abnormalities of neuronal firing in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Up until now, circuit models of PD were based on striatal changes that were never demonstrated in patients. We compared striatal recordings across patients with PD and other neurological disorders [dystonia and essential tremor (ET)], and correlative findings in nonhuman primates. Therefore, the data provided by the present study significantly contribute to understand the role of striatal mechanisms in basal ganglia circuits and in the pathophysiology of PD. Additionally, the study originally reports altered striatal activity in dystonia and activity compatible with unchanged striatal function in ET.
DNA damage checkpoint kinase ATM regulates germination and maintains genome stability in seeds
Authors: Waterworth Wanda M. , Footitt Steven , Bray Clifford M. , Finch-Savage William E. , West Christopher E.
Published: August 2016

Significance

The DNA checkpoint kinases ATAXIA TELANGIECTASIA MUTATED (ATM) and ATM AND RAD3-RELATED play crucial roles in the maintenance of genome stability, safeguarding cellular survival and the faithful transmission of genetic information. Here we show that ATM is an important factor that influences seed quality by linking progression through germination with genome integrity. Our findings provide insight into the roles of DNA damage responses, identifying their importance in regulating germination, a process critical for plant survival in the natural environment and crop production.
Adultery on a grand scale
Authors: Froeliger Nicolas
Published: August 2016

This paper is the second in a series dealing with adaptations of Bob Dylan songs in French. The first one was about the merits and perils of being faithful. This one deals with various strategies that somehow take more liberties with the original material. Four non mutually-exclusive strategies are envisioned: twisting the message, turning ones adaptation into an answer song, disregarding the original lyrics altogether, or tactful shape-shifting. All strategies are supported by examples taken from a vast corpus of songs spanning five decades. The paper end with a discussion of the lessons that can be learned from such exercise for translation studies and for the translation profession as a whole.
On the passage of transcendent messages
Authors: Pym Anthony
Published: August 2016

Translation is one way texts are accorded transcendence, understood as material transfer from a site of utterance. Although frequently construed as a quality of texts or auctorial virtue, transcendence is enacted by receivers (including translators) pulling texts across time and space, transforming them accordingly. Study of a war-commemoration text attributed to Atatürk shows this happening in its transfer to Australia. The historical authorship of the text has been contested, and analysis of its various translations and interpretations reveals competing interests, strategic omissions, distributed intercultural agency, and inscriptions. However, the historians involved in the debate, in both Turkey and Australia, have not sufficiently considered translation analysis, which can find some justification for the questioned text. Further, an ethics of cross-cultural communication might question the translation as an appeal to resolution based not just on the commonness of human suffering but also the shared concealment of guilt.
The causes of the problems in CI in a case of Japanese EFL university students and pedagogical suggestions
Authors: Takahashi Kinuko
Published: August 2016

In the previous study (Takahashi 2010), the omission of rendition was identified as one of the student problems. In the present study, ten undergraduate students interpretation and those of two professional interpreters were compared. It was found that decreasing accuracy of interpretation of the following sentence was identified as one of the student problems. Also, it was examined that there was an interpreting unit where the participants who used natural Japanese expressions in the proceeding sentence but with fillers, resulting in omitting or substituting interpretations in the following sentence. It is suggested that some of the student participants were not able to de-verbalize the English word in the source speech, and resulting eventually in the omission and substitution. Therefore, it is recommended that students should be taught a de-verbalization process (Selescovith,1989) as part of interpreting theory.
Sensitivity study for N-NB-driven modes in JT-60U: boundary, diffusion, gyroaverage, compressibility
Authors: Bierwage A. , Todo Y. , Aiba N. , Shinohara K.
Published: August 2016

The sensitivity of the growth and nonlinear evolution of fast-ion-driven modes is examined with respect to the choice of particle boundary conditions, diffusion coefficients, fast ion gyroradii and bulk compressibility. The primary purpose of this work is to justify the choice of parameters to be used in the self-consistent long-time simulations of fast ion dynamics using global MHD-kinetic hybrid codes that include fast ion sources and collisions. The present study is conducted for a scenario based on the N-NB-driven JT-60U shot E039672, which is subject to abrupt large events (ALE). We use realistic geometry, a realistic fast ion distribution, and focus on experimentally observed harmonics with low toroidal mode numbers n  =  1, 2, 3. The use of realistic boundary conditions and finite Larmor radii for the fast ions is shown to be essential. The usual values

μ

0

η
=
ν
=
χ
∼

10

−
6

v

A
0

R
0

used for resistivity, viscosity and thermal diffusivity, and

Γ
=
5

/

3

used for the specific heat ratio (controlling the effect of compressibility) are shown to be reasonable choices. Our method for performing the parameter scans around the threshold for the onset of convective amplification is proposed as a strategy for nonlinear benchmark studies.
Asymmetric toroidal eddy currents (ATEC) to explain sideways forces at JET
Authors: Roccella R. , Roccella M. , Riccardo V. , Chiocchio S.
Published: August 2016

During some JET vertical displacement events (VDEs) plasma current and position are found to be toroidally asymmetric. When asymmetries lock, the vessel has been observed to move horizontally, consequently strong horizontal forces are expected following plasma asymmetries, whether locked or rotating. The cause of horizontal forces is, as already identified in previous works, the asymmetric circulation of current in the structures. The physics mechanism responsible for these asymmetric currents is instead an open issue and it is the object of the present analysis. In particular it will be shown that the asymmetry is not due to a direct exchange of current between plasma and structure (as in the case of halo currents) but to asymmetric conductive paths which arise, in the structures, when the plasma column asymmetrically wets the wall. Simulations of this phenomenon using finite element (FE) models have been conducted to reproduce the JET observation during locked and rotating asymmetric VDEs. Estimated sideways force, asymmetry (

I

p

asym

) and normalized asymmetry (

A

p

asym

) of plasma current, vertical position at different toroidal locations during the disruption and halo current asymmetry have been compared with measurements done at JET during upward AVDEs. The substantial match between experiments and simulations confirms the soundness of the assumptions. Furthermore, the same physical model applied to downward VDEs shows that divertor support and coils, together with the geometry of the limiting surfaces, considerably lessen asymmetric loads as experienced at JET after installing those components.
Public Service Broadcasting, Hard News, and Citizens’ Knowledge of Current Affairs
Authors: Aalberg Toril , Cushion Stephen
Published: August 2016

Public service broadcasters are a central part of national news media environments in most advanced democracies. Although their market positions can vary considerably between countries, they are generally seen to enhance democratic culture, pursuing a more serious and harder news agenda compared to commercial media . . . But to what extent is this perspective supported by empirical evidence? How far can we generalize that all public service news media equally pursue a harder news agenda than commercial broadcasters? And what impact does public service broadcasting have on public knowledge? Does exposure to public service broadcasting increase citizens’ knowledge of current affairs, or are they only regularly viewed by citizens with an above average interest in politics and hard news?

The overview of the evidence provided by empirical research suggests that citizens are more likely to be exposed to hard news, and be more knowledgeable about current affairs, when they watch public service news—or rather news in media systems where public service is well funded and widely watched. The research evidence also suggests there are considerable variations between public broadcasters, just as there are between more market-driven and commercial media. An important limitation of previous research is related to the question of causality. Therefore, a main challenge for future research is to determine not only if public service broadcasting is the preferred news provider of most knowledgeable citizens, but also whether it more widely improves and increases citizens’ knowledge about public affairs.
The Book of Isaiah
Authors: Couey J. Blake
Published: August 2016

The book of Isaiah is a compilation of prophetic poetry and narratives, named for an 8th-century bce Judahite prophet. As depicted in chapters 1–39, Isaiah declared that Yhwh intended to punish Judah for social and cultic infractions; at the same time, he expressed support for the Davidic monarchy and proclaimed that Jerusalem would not be conquered by the Assyrians. Chapters 40–55 are addressed to a later audience following the conquest of Jerusalem by Babylon in 587 bce. These texts offer reassurance that Jerusalem will be restored and its exiled citizens will return. The final chapters, 56–66, reflect growing disillusionment and conflict in Judah under Persian rule, and the book ends by describing Yhwh’s eschatological destruction of the wicked and vindication of a righteous remnant. The book grew and developed over a period of four to five centuries. Despite its sometimes conflicting perspectives, it is broadly unified by its focus on the fate of Jerusalem, and later editors worked to impose some coherence upon its varied content, as seen by the repeated thematic echoes in Isaiah 1 and 65–66.

Isaiah is a sophisticated work of biblical Hebrew poetry, characterized by intricate combinations of imagery and wordplay. It features a high view of divine sovereignty, emphasizing Yhwh’s control over world nations and superiority over all human and divine powers; these ideas contributed to the emergence of monotheism in ancient Judah. The book also articulates diverse responses to imperial domination, even as it chronicles the ebb and flow of Judah’s own imperial aspirations. Striking portrayals of women and gender appear throughout Isaiah, including the extensive personification of Jerusalem as a woman and the comparison of Yhwh to a mother. Isaiah is also notable for its discourse about disability, which serves a variety of rhetorical functions in the book.

The impact of Isaiah was felt immediately, as evidenced by the number of copies of the book among the Dead Sea scrolls and citations of it in the New Testament. It greatly impacted the development of important religious ideas, including apocalypticism and belief in resurrection. In Christianity, Isaiah played an important role in reflection upon the nature of Jesus and the inclusion of Gentiles, even as it informed Christian anti-Judaism. The book has had a more complicated reception in Judaism, where it significantly influenced the growth of Zionism. Scholarly study of Isaiah continues to clarify the shape of its final form and history of composition. Current research on the book is increasingly interdisciplinary, engaging metaphor theory, disability studies, and postcolonial thought. The history of the book’s interpretation and reception is another area of growing interest.
Dzogchen
Authors: van Schaik Sam
Published: August 2016

Dzogchen, often translated as “the great perfection,” is a tradition of meditation practice and poetic literary expression in Tibetan Buddhism. Though its origins lie in Indic Buddhism, Dzogchen developed a distinct form of practice and literary expression only in Tibet. In general, Dzogchen texts evoke and discuss a state of awareness present in all living beings that transcends dualities and conceptual elaboration.

Common terms for this state of awareness are “mind itself” (sems nyid) and “awareness” (rig pa). Dzogchen literature often states that in the presence of this awareness, religious practice oriented toward enlightenment is dualistic and, therefore, not only unnecessary, but also obstructive. Nevertheless, Dzogchen is usually integrated with other forms of Buddhist practice.

The Dzogchen tradition encompasses a variety of literature and practice; the most common way of categorizing this is a division into three classes, the mind series, the space series, and the instruction series. The mind series contains most of the early Dzogchen literature, and more recent material in the same style. The space series enjoyed only limited popularity, and little is known of it today. The instruction series, by contrast, increased in popularity from its appearance in the 11th century and in time supplanted the mind series and the space series, ultimately becoming the predominant form of Dzogchen.

The practice of Dzogchen requires an authorized teacher and the ritual transmission of key texts, as well as an “introduction” to the nature of the mind given by the teacher to the student. The main scriptural sources of Dzogchen practice are texts held to be translations collected in semicanonical compendia, treatises by Tibetan scholars, and revealed texts known as terma, usually said to have been concealed in the 8th century by the tantric master Padmasambhava.

Dzogchen is a living tradition, taught within all of the main Tibetan Buddhist schools, though it remains closely associated with the Nyingma school. Within the latter, Dzogchen is considered to be the most advanced of Buddhist meditation practices, placed at the top of a ninefold categorization of Buddhist practice, the “nine vehicles.” Known in this context as atiyoga, “the utmost yoga,” it is the highest of the three “inner yogas,” the other two being mahāyoga and anuyoga. Dzogchen is also at the pinnacle of the teachings of Tibet’s Bonpo religion, which shares much of its doctrine with the Nyingma school and has in recent years been formally identified as one of the Buddhist schools of Tibet.
God in Martin Luther
Authors: Henriksen Jan-Olav
Published: August 2016

Luther’s understanding of God saturates his oeuvre, and in turn, this understanding is saturated by his doctrine of the justification of the sinner. God is the sovereign source and origin of all that is, and Luther develops his understanding of God in a manner that tries to safeguard this position in such a way that the personal relationship to God becomes the focus point for all he says. The doctrine of God as creator and as savior is modeled in a parallel way in Luther, as he sees God as the source of everything positively in both contexts. God is the sole giver of the gifts that human life requires. As creator, God is omnipresent, omniscient, and sovereign. Nothing can determine God. God is accordingly also the only instance in reality that has free will. Everything else is dependent on God, God’s foreknowledge, and God’s predestination. It is possible to see Luther’s position as an attempt to offer the human being a reliable and trustworthy notion of God, someone he or she can cling to in times of despair and desolation. The only God who deserves to be God, who is trustworthy with regard to being able to provide a safe and reliable basis for human life, is the God who justifies the sinner because of God’s own righteousness. In contrast, a human who puts her trust in herself and her own works or merits makes herself a god and will not be able to stand justified coram deo in the last judgment.

Luther develops the idea about God’s hiddenness in different ways, most notably in his ideas about the hidden God in De servo arbitrio. But also in his notion of the theology of the Cross in the Heidelberg Disputation, and in other places where he writes about the masks of God, behind which God hides in order to do God’s work, we can see related or similar ideas. Thus, Luther develops an ambiguous element in his understanding of God.
Natural Theology and Natural Law in Martin Luther
Authors: Alfsvåg Knut
Published: August 2016

For Luther, the understanding of the world is determined by his theology of creation, according to which the world is created as an expression of the creative love of the eternal God. Natural theology, then, is the ability to interpret all created phenomena as gifts of the Creator, and natural law is the ability to align one’s life with this principle of lovingly serving everything created.

However, in a sinful world afflictions and anxiety makes it impossible to maintain an attitude of unconditional trust toward God based on natural reason. In spite of the possibility of reaching a fairly correct understanding of God as the giver of gifts, one will therefore never learn through natural reason alone to trust God as one’s savior.

The re-creation of a trusting attitude toward God is only possible through God’s presence in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The creative power of the gospel message thus entails the rediscovery of the significance of the natural knowledge of God and morality. A full appreciation of the natural is therefore dependent on having one’s trust in God re-established by an action of unconditional divine love. From within this perspective, natural law retains its traditional and positive significance.

In this way, Luther integrates aspects of late medieval theology without being fully aligned with any of its prevailing schools of thought. Like the nominalists, he understands God as activity, not as substance, but not in the sense that God can be seen as arbitrary. For Luther, the trustworthiness of God’s promises is what anchors Christian theology. Luther’s understanding of the hidden God is therefore quite different from the nominalist idea of God’s absolute power.

For Luther, theology’s dialogue with philosophy is important. He maintains, however, that rationality that is not explicitly grounded in a theology of creation will never develop an adequate worldview. Following his emphasis on the theology of creation, in his evaluation of the natural Luther was always looking for thought structures that would let the discontinuity of grace be fully appreciated.
Old Media, New Media, and the Complex Story of Disasters
Authors: Greenberg Josh , Scanlon T. Joseph
Published: August 2016

Media have always played an important role in times of emergency and disaster. Undersea cables, international news agencies, the press, radio and television, and, most recently, digital and mobile technologies—all have played myriad and complex roles in supporting emergency response and notification, and in helping constitute a shared experience that can be important to social mobilization and community formation. The geographical location of disasters and the identities of victims, the increasingly visual nature of disaster events, and the ubiquitous nature of media in our lives, all shape and influence which kinds of emergencies attract global media and public attention, and how we come to understand them.

Globalization has compressed time and space such that a whole range of disasters—from natural events (cyclones, earthquakes, and hurricanes) to industrial accidents and terrorist attacks—appear on our television and mobile screens with almost daily frequency. There is nothing inherent about these events that give them meaning—they occur in a real, material world; but for many of us, our experience of these events is shaped and determined in large part by our interactions with media industries, institutions, and technologies. Understanding the media’s construction of these events as disasters provides important insight into the nature of disaster mitigation, response and recovery.
White, Michael
Authors: Peterman Phylis J.
Published: August 2016

Michael White (1948–2008), academic, researcher, adventurer, and athlete, is known as a leading developer of narrative family therapy. Narrative family therapy focuses on empowerment, strengths, and collaboration and positions people as the experts in their own lives. The theory has application in problem solving and conflict resolution with diverse groups.
shinyGEO: a web-based application for analyzing gene expression omnibus datasets
Authors: Dumas Jasmine , Gargano Michael A. , Dancik Garrett M.
Published: August 2016

Summary: The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) is a public repository of gene expression data. Although GEO has its own tool, GEO2R, for data analysis, evaluation of single genes is not straightforward and survival analysis in specific GEO datasets is not possible without bioinformatics expertise. We describe a web application, shinyGEO, that allows a user to download gene expression data sets directly from GEO in order to perform differential expression and survival analysis for a gene of interest. In addition, shinyGEO supports customized graphics, sample selection, data export and R code generation so that all analyses are reproducible. The availability of shinyGEO makes GEO datasets more accessible to non-bioinformaticians, promising to lead to better understanding of biological processes and genetic diseases such as cancer.

Availability and Implementation: Web application and source code are available from http://gdancik.github.io/shinyGEO/.

Contact:  dancikg@easternct.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Radiogenomics to characterize regional genetic heterogeneity in glioblastoma
Authors: Hu Leland S. , Ning Shuluo , Eschbacher Jennifer M. , Baxter Leslie C. , Gaw Nathan , Ranjbar Sara , Plasencia Jonathan , Dueck Amylou C. , Peng Sen , Smith Kris A. , Nakaji Peter , Karis John P. , Quarles C. Chad , Wu Teresa , Loftus Joseph C. , Jenkins Robert B. , Sicotte Hugues , Kollmeyer Thomas M. , O'Neill Brian P. , Elmquist William , Hoxworth Joseph M. , Frakes David , Sarkaria Jann , Swanson Kristin R. , Tran Nhan L. , Li Jing , Mitchell J. Ross
Published: August 2016

Background

Glioblastoma (GBM) exhibits profound intratumoral genetic heterogeneity. Each tumor comprises multiple genetically distinct clonal populations with different therapeutic sensitivities. This has implications for targeted therapy and genetically informed paradigms. Contrast-enhanced (CE)-MRI and conventional sampling techniques have failed to resolve this heterogeneity, particularly for nonenhancing tumor populations. This study explores the feasibility of using multiparametric MRI and texture analysis to characterize regional genetic heterogeneity throughout MRI-enhancing and nonenhancing tumor segments.

Methods

We collected multiple image-guided biopsies from primary GBM patients throughout regions of enhancement (ENH) and nonenhancing parenchyma (so called brain-around-tumor, [BAT]). For each biopsy, we analyzed DNA copy number variants for core GBM driver genes reported by The Cancer Genome Atlas. We co-registered biopsy locations with MRI and texture maps to correlate regional genetic status with spatially matched imaging measurements. We also built multivariate predictive decision-tree models for each GBM driver gene and validated accuracies using leave-one-out-cross-validation (LOOCV).

Results

We collected 48 biopsies (13 tumors) and identified significant imaging correlations (univariate analysis) for 6 driver genes: EGFR, PDGFRA, PTEN, CDKN2A, RB1, and TP53. Predictive model accuracies (on LOOCV) varied by driver gene of interest. Highest accuracies were observed for PDGFRA (77.1%), EGFR (75%), CDKN2A (87.5%), and RB1 (87.5%), while lowest accuracy was observed in TP53 (37.5%). Models for 4 driver genes (EGFR, RB1, CDKN2A, and PTEN) showed higher accuracy in BAT samples (n = 16) compared with those from ENH segments (n = 32).

Conclusion

MRI and texture analysis can help characterize regional genetic heterogeneity, which offers potential diagnostic value under the paradigm of individualized oncology.
Resistance to Increasing Chemical Classes of Fungicides by Virtue of “Selection by Association” in Botrytis cinerea
Authors: Hu Meng-Jun , Cox Kerik D. , Schnabel Guido
Published: August 2016

Previous research has shown that Botrytis cinerea isolates with resistance to multiple chemical classes of fungicides exist in eastern strawberry fields. In this study, the fungicide resistance profiles of 2,130 isolates from flowers of commercial strawberry fields located in multiple states was determined over four consecutive strawberry production seasons. Producers were asked to alternate single-site fungicides that were considered low risk in their specific location based on resistance monitoring results in their fields. This recommendation led to an increase of chemical class diversity used in the spray programs. Results indicated that simultaneous resistance in individual isolates to two, three, four, five, six, and seven classes of fungicides increased over time. The increase in chemical class resistances within isolates was likely due to a process we termed “selection by association”, where fungicide resistance traits were often linked to the trait being selected rather than the selectable trait itself. Data analysis also indicated that the odds were highest for isolates resistant to one chemical class (1CCR) to be resistant to thiophanate-methyl; for 2CCR isolates to be resistant to thiophanate-methyl and pyraclostrobin; and for 3CCR isolates to be resistant to thiophanate-methyl, pyraclostrobin, and either cyprodinil or fenhexamid. We hypothesize that the more chemical classes are used in a spray program, the faster isolates will be selected with increasing numbers of chemical class resistances by virtue of selection by association if such isolates preexist in the population.
Pediatric temporal bone rhabdomyosarcoma
Authors: Goldberg Monica J.
Published: August 2016

Rhabdomyosarcoma is one of the most common soft-tissue sarcomas in children. Prompt diagnosis and treatment significantly improve survival; however, misdiagnosis is common because of this aggressive temporal bone lesion's similarity to more common benign diseases. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for rhabdomyosarcoma in patients with a presumed otologic infection not responsive to medical therapy.
An update on ocular allergy
Authors: Shaker Marcus , Salcone Erin
Published: August 2016

Purpose of review

The update reviews prevalence, classification, cause, and treatment options for allergic eye disease.

Recent findings

The incidence of allergic eye disease is underreported but may affect almost all patients with allergic rhinitis. Increased rates of oculonasal symptoms have been reported in the United States resulting in significant economic expenditures. The spectrum of allergic conjunctivitis and its differential considerations include seasonal and perennial conjunctivitis, vernal and atopic keratoconjunctivitis, and giant papillary conjunctivitis. Patients with allergic conjunctivitis have classic immunoglobulin E-mediated pathophysiology and treatments directed at allergen avoidance, traditional pharmacotherapy with oral antihistamines, topical dual-acting antihistamine/mast cell stabilizer agents, and treatment of tear film dysfunction are first-line management strategies. Immunotherapy is an effective treatment option and refractory cases may require ophthalmology comanagement for consideration of topical ester-based corticosteroid therapy and consideration of topical immunomodulators.

Ocular allergy involving specific modifiable and treatable environmental sensitizations is common and often underrecognized. It can impair quality of life to varying degrees. Some cases are quite refractory to management and may require multidisciplinary coordination of care between allergy and ophthalmology specialists. Understanding classification, triggers, and treatment options is important in designing the most appropriate patient-tailored management plans.
The Impact of Project ECHO on Participant and Patient Outcomes: A Systematic Review
Authors: Zhou Carrol , Crawford Allison , Serhal Eva , Kurdyak Paul , Sockalingam Sanjeev
Published: August 2016

Purpose

Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) uses tele-education to bridge knowledge gaps between specialists at academic health centers and primary care providers from remote areas. It has been implemented to address multiple medical conditions. The authors examined evidence of the impact of all Project ECHO programs on participant and patient outcomes.

Method

The authors searched PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and ProQuest from January 2000 to August 2015 and the reference lists of identified reviews. Included studies were limited to those published in English, peer-reviewed articles or indexed abstracts, and those that primarily focused on Project ECHO. Editorials, commentaries, gray literature, and non-peer-reviewed articles were excluded. The authors used Moore’s evaluation framework to organize study outcomes for quality assessment.

Results

The authors identified 39 studies describing Project ECHO’s involvement in addressing 17 medical conditions. Evaluations of Project ECHO programs generally were limited to outcomes from Levels 1 (number of participants) to 4 (providers’ competence) of Moore’s framework (n = 22 studies, with some containing data from multiple levels). Studies also suggested that Project ECHO changed provider behavior (n = 1), changed patient outcomes (n = 6), and can be cost-effective (n = 2).

Conclusions

Project ECHO is an effective and potentially cost-saving model that increases participant knowledge and patient access to health care in remote locations, but further research examining its efficacy is needed. Identifying and addressing potential barriers to Project ECHO’s implementation will support the dissemination of this model as an education and practice improvement initiative.
Sedation with Dexmedetomidine or Propofol Impairs Hypoxic Control of Breathing in Healthy Male Volunteers
Authors: Lodenius Åse , Ebberyd Anette , Hårdemark Cedborg Anna , Hagel Eva , Mkrtchian Souren , Christensson Eva , Ullman Johan , Scheinin Mika , Eriksson Lars I. , Jonsson Fagerlund Malin
Published: August 2016

Background

In contrast to general anesthetics such as propofol, dexmedetomidine when used for sedation has been put forward as a drug with minimal effects on respiration. To obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the regulation of breathing during sedation with dexmedetomidine, the authors compared ventilatory responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia during sedation with dexmedetomidine and propofol.

Methods

Eleven healthy male volunteers entered this randomized crossover study. Sedation was administered as an intravenous bolus followed by an infusion and monitored by Observer’s Assessment of Alertness/Sedation (OAA/S) scale, Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale, and Bispectral Index Score. Hypoxic and hypercapnic ventilatory responses were measured at rest, during sedation (OAA/S 2 to 4), and after recovery. Drug exposure was verified with concentration analysis in plasma.

Results

Ten subjects completed the study. The OAA/S at the sedation goal was 3 (3 to 4) (median [minimum to maximum]) for both drugs. Bispectral Index Score was 82 ± 8 and 75 ± 3, and the drug concentrations in plasma at the sedation target were 0.66 ± 0.14 ng/ml and 1.26 ± 0.36 μg/ml for dexmedetomidine and propofol, respectively. Compared with baseline, sedation reduced hypoxic ventilation to 59 and 53% and the hypercapnic ventilation to 82 and 86% for dexmedetomidine and propofol, respectively. In addition, some volunteers displayed upper airway obstruction and episodes of apnea during sedation.

Conclusions

Dexmedetomidine-induced sedation reduces ventilatory responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia to a similar extent as sedation with propofol. This finding implies that sedation with dexmedetomidine interacts with both peripheral and central control of breathing.