bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reduced platelet count, but no major platelet function abnormalities, are associated with loss-of-function ATP-binding cassette-1 gene mutations
Authors: Minuz Pietro , Meneguzzi Alessandra , Femia Eti Alessandra , Fava Cristiano , Calabria Stefano , Scavone Mariangela , Benati Donatella , Poli Giovanni , Zancanaro Carlo , Calandra Sebastiano , Lucchi Tiziano , Cattaneo Marco
Published: June 2017

Loss-of-function mutations of the the ATP-binding cassette-1 (ABCA1) gene are the cause of Tangier disease (TD) in homozygous subjects and familial HDL deficiency (FHD) in heterozygous subjects. These disorders are characterized by reduced plasma HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) and altered efflux of cholesterol from cells. Previous studies in TD patients and ABCA1−/− murine models reported defects in platelet count, morphology, and function, but the issue is still controversial. We analyzed three subjects with low to very low HDL-C levels due to the loss-of-function mutations of the ABCA1 gene. Two related patients with FHD were heterozygous carriers of two mutations on the same ABCA1 allele; one, with TD, was homozygous for a different mutation. Mild to moderate thrombocytopenia was observed in all the patients. No morphological platelet abnormalities were detected under optical or EM. History of moderate bleeding tendency was recorded only in one of the FHD patients. Only limited alterations in platelet aggregation and activation of the integrin αIIbβ3 were observed in one FHD patient. While α-granule secretion (P-selectin), content, and secretion of platelet δ-granules (serotonin, ATP, and ADP) and thromboxane (TX) A2 synthesis were normal in all the patients, the expression of lysosomal CD63, in response to some agonists, was reduced in TD patients. In conclusion, three patients carrying ABCA1 genetic variants had low platelet count, with the lowest values observed in TD, not associated with major alterations in platelet morphology and response to agonists or bleeding.
Spike propagation path planning on IBM TrueNorth neurosynaptic system
Authors: Fischl K.D. , Fair K. , Tsai W.‐Y. , Sampson J. , Andreou A.G.
Published: June 2017

The authors report on the implementation of a path planning algorithm on the TrueNorth neurosynaptic system. Their implementation exploits processing in the temporal domain within the architectural constraints of the TrueNorth chip to deduce the optimal path. The optimal path is computed on the TrueNorth chip for grid maps with dimensions as large as 173 × 168 nodes consuming ∼70 mW at an operating voltage of 0.8 V.
Direct flux control – sensorless control method of PMSM for all speeds – basics and constraints
Authors: Müller T. , See C. , Ghani A. , Bati A. , Thiemann P.
Published: June 2017

The limitations of sensorless control of permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs) are discussed and a viable solution is proposed. The main concept of sensorless control of drives relies on additional information given by the machine during its normal operation. This information provided by the machine is essentially the back‐electro motive force and the variance of the stator inductivity, which are dependent on the rotor position. Several approaches and methods have discussed these problems, and in most cases they are not avoidable and that some methods work better on certain speeds of the drives. The direct flux control (DFC) method to combat the above problems at all speeds is presented. The flux linkage signal which contains the necessary information about the rotor position can be measured between the neutral point of a PMSM and an artificial one. The mathematical derivation and the observations from the experiments show that this signal contains a second and a fourth harmonic, which can be used to calculate the rotor position. Furthermore, the limitations of implementing DFC are also addressed.
Eradication of pilot contamination and zero forcing precoding in the multi‐cell TDD massive MIMO systems
Authors: Ali Sajjad , Chen Zhe , Yin Fuliang
Published: June 2017

In massive multiple‐input multiple‐output (M‐MIMO) systems, the base station (BS) estimates the downlink and uplink channels using the uplink pilot training in conjunction with channel reciprocity property of time division duplex (TDD) operation. However, this channel estimation is contaminated due to the use of non‐orthogonal pilot sequences for the uplink training in neighbouring cells that results in inter‐cell interference. This study proposes an effective pilot contamination elimination scheme along with zero forcing precoding for multi‐cell TDD M‐MIMO systems. In the proposed scheme, each BS is assigned with a specific orthogonal variable spreading factor (OVSF) code row and a set of Zadoff–Chu (ZC) sequences are used for uplink pilot training. Then, the set of ZC sequences is multiplied element‐wise at each BS with its OVSF code row to generate the orthogonality among the pilot sequences across the neighbouring cells. The proposed method can promise uncontaminated channel estimation and interference free downlink transmission without requiring the knowledge of the channels’ second‐order statistics and without increasing the training overhead by a factor equal to the number of interfering cells. The simulation results authenticate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed scheme over other schemes.
Performance analysis of packet layer FEC codes and interleaving in FSO channels
Authors: Liu Junnan , Zhang Xingjun , Blow Keith , Fowler Scott
Published: June 2017

The combination of forward error correction (FEC) and interleaving can be used to improve free‐space optical communication systems. Recent research has optimised the codeword length and interleaving depth under the assumption of a fixed buffering size; however, how the buffering size influences the system performance remains unsolved. This study models the system performance as a function of buffering size and FEC recovery threshold, which allows system designers to determine optimum parameters in consideration of the overhead. The modelling is based on statistics of temporal features of correct data reception and burst error length through the measurement of the channel good time and outage time. The experimental results show good coherence with the theoretical values. This method can also be applied in other channels if a continuous‐time‐Markov‐chain model of the channel can be derived.
Localisation algorithm with node selection under power constraint in software‐defined sensor networks
Authors: Zhu Yaping , Xing Song , Zhang Yueyue , Yan Feng , Shen Lianfeng
Published: June 2017

In this study, the authors propose an improved localisation algorithm in the software‐defined sensor networks (SDSNs). This algorithm includes a node‐selection strategy under the whole network power constraint, based on the software‐defined networking (SDN) technique for providing the centralised control of the network. The analogous Cramer‐Rao lower bound (A‐CRLB) value is derived for each participating node, which represents a fundamental bound on the variance of the position estimator and is used to evaluate the contribution of each node to localisation accuracy. On the basis of A‐CRLB values, the most helpful nodes for localisation are selected to maximise the sum of the nodes' contributory values to the localisation accuracy. With the global network knowledge provided by the SDN controller in the SDSN, the node‐selection strategy is formulated into a 0‐1 programming problem on the premise of power satisfaction of each node. Furthermore, the proposed node‐selection ‐based localisation algorithm is applied to both noncooperative and cooperative localisation scenarios. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithms provide efficient and effective localisation schemes in SDSNs, and can improve the performance in terms of both the selection convergence speed and the localisation accuracy.
Alternative approach to calculate the structure matrix of Boolean network with semi‐tensor product
Authors: Zhang Xiao Hua , Han Hua Xiang , Sun Zhi Jian , Zhang Wei Dong
Published: June 2017

The structure matrix with semi‐tensor product provides a basic tool for analysing the characteristics of Boolean networks (BNs). Directly calculating the structure matrix of BNs is very complex and requires considerable computational work. To overcome the drawbacks of the conventional method, this study gives an alternative way to obtain the network structure matrix through a series of matrix transformations. The key of the proposed new method is applying the superposition and expansion techniques to the initial matrix and the target matrix, which dramatically reduces computational complexity. An example is given to analyse the structure of the BN, and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Disturbance location determination based on electromechanical wave propagation in FNET/GridEye: a distribution‐level wide‐area measurement system
Authors: You Shutang , Liu Yong , Till Micah J. , Zhao Jiecheng , Yao Wenxuan , Zhou Dao , Wu Ling , Su Yu , Zhang Xuemeng , Liu Yilu
Published: June 2017

This study presents a method to locate power system disturbances using wide‐area synchropahsor measurements. The merits of the proposed method include robustness and ease of visualisation. In addition, the proposed method facilitates the calculation of electromechanical wave propagation speed distribution. Examples of locating the disturbance and generating the propagation speed distribution are demonstrated using the FNET/GridEye system, a distribution‐level wide‐area measurement system. Without losing generality, the proposed method can be implemented in any other wide‐area measurement system.
A New grid synchronisation scheme for a three‐phase PV system using self‐tuning filtering approach
Authors: Swain Sudarshan , Subudhi Bidyadhar
Published: June 2017

This study presents a new control scheme for synchronisation of a photovoltaic (PV) system to a three‐phase grid employing self‐tuning concept. The proposed synchronisation approach is developed to mitigate load current harmonics, to extract maximum PV power and inject it into the grid. Maximum PV power is extracted using an incremental conductance‐based algorithm for estimating the reference DC‐link voltage of a voltage source inverter and a proportional–integral controller for regulating the actual DC‐link voltage. In the proposed self‐tuning filter (STF) algorithm, only a single module of STF is required to extract the fundamental components of load current and grid voltage thus reducing system size, complexity and overall response time. Simulation of the proposed system is carried out using MATLAB/Simulink followed by experimentation on a prototype of grid connected PV system developed in the authors' laboratory. The efficacy of the proposed STF control scheme is compared with a recently reported algorithm called improved linear sinusoidal tracer (ILST) and dual second‐order generalised integrator (DSOGI). From the comparison with DSOGI and ILST, it is observed that the STF‐based control scheme provides faster response and reduces total harmonic distortion of the grid current despite the distorted and unbalanced grid condition.
Effects of correlated photovoltaic power and load uncertainties on grid‐connected microgrid day‐ahead scheduling
Authors: Liu Shichao , Liu Peter Xiaoping , Wang Xiaoyu , Wang Zhijun , Meng Wenchao
Published: June 2017

Due to the increasing integration of photovoltaic‐based distributed generators (PV‐DGs), uncertainties resulted from both PV‐DG power and loads have posed a serious challenge in microgrid day‐ahead scheduling and operation. In this study, the effect of uncertainties in both PV‐DG power and loads on the microgrid day‐ahead scheduling is assessed. Specifically, the correlation between the PV‐DG power and load uncertainties is taken into account as this is closer to the reality. The probabilistic optimal power flow (P‐OPF) model is formulated to analyse the impact of the correlated PV‐DG power and load uncertainties. A modified Harr's two‐point estimation method (MH‐2PEM) is introduced to provide computation‐efficient estimation of the P‐OPF solution. Results obtained by using the MH‐2PEM and Monte Carlo simulation are compared in an equivalent 44 kV distribution feeder system and the accuracy and efficiency of the MH‐2PEM are verified. The variation ranges of the microgrid day‐ahead scheduling solution resulted from uncertainties in PV power and load are obtained with various confidence levels.
Extending high‐efficiency power range of symmetrical Doherty power amplifiers by taking advantage of peaking stage
Authors: Shi Weimin , He Songbai , Gideon Naah
Published: June 2017

In this study, a methodology is proposed for extending the high‐efficiency power range (HEPR) of symmetrical Doherty power amplifiers (DPAs). This method takes advantage of the output impedance of peaking stage. Traditional symmetrical DPAs maintain high efficiency over a 6 dB power range with an assumption of the output impedance of peaking stage being infinity. This study reveals that the HEPR can be further enhanced by tuning the output impedance of peaking stage away from infinity and changing the phase delay of the impedance inverter after carrier power amplifier. A 2.2–2.3 GHz symmetrical DPA with an HEPR of 9 dB is fabricated to validate our theory. The experimental results possess drain efficiencies of 45.3–49.5% at 9 dB output power back‐off level and 62.9–71% at peaking power level over 2.2–2.3 GHz. The maximum output power of the fabricated DPA is 45 dBm with a gain of 11.6–13.5 dB across 2.2–2.3 GHz.
Direct positioning maximum likelihood estimator using TDOA and FDOA for coherent short‐pulse radar
Authors: Zhou Longjian , Zhu Weiqiang , Luo Jingqing , Kong Hui
Published: June 2017

The intra‐pulse phase change caused by frequency difference of arrival (FDOA) is very little and even omitted due to extremely short duration of emitter pulses that the joint location using time difference of arrival (TDOA) and FDOA cannot be realised. To solve this problem, a multi‐pulse coherent accumulation algorithm of direct position determination (DPD) using the TDOA and FDOA is proposed in this study. Through establishing coherent signal model of short pulses which is deterministic but unknown, the maximum likelihood estimator for localisation of a stationary emitter using multiple moving receivers is derived by taking the DPD approach under additive Gaussian white noise environment. This study also derives a signal‐specific Cramer–Rao lower bound (CRLB) of DPD, modelling the signal as a deterministic unknown. The CRLB is more applicable to some specific (non‐stationary, non‐Gaussian) signals, especially electromagnetic signals. Simulation results show that the proposed method achieves a significant performance improvement in locating accuracy over the existing methods and its accuracy is close to the CRLB in normal signal‐to‐noise ratio.
Human motion correction and representation method from motion camera
Authors: Zhang Hong‐Bo , Guo Feng , Zhang Miaohui , Lin Ying , Hsiao Tsung‐Chih
Published: June 2017

Motion estimation is a basic issue for many computer vision tasks, such as human–computer interaction, motion objection detection and intelligent robot. In many practical scenes, the object movement goes with camera motion. Generally, motion descriptors directly based on optical flow are inaccurate and have low discrimination power. To this end, a novel motion correction method is proposed and a novel motion feature descriptor called the motion difference histogram (MDH) for recognising human action is proposed in this study. Motion estimation results are corrected by background motion estimation and MDH encodes the motion difference between the background and the objects. Experimental results on video shot with camera motion show that the proposed motion correction method is effective and the recognition accuracy of MDH is better than that of the state‐of‐the‐art motion descriptor.
Accurate torque‐sensorless control approach for interior permanent‐magnet synchronous machine based on cascaded sliding mode observer
Authors: Zhao Kai‐Hui , Zhang Chang‐Fan , He Jing , Li Xiang‐Fei , Feng Jiang‐Hua , Liu Jian‐Hua , Li Tao
Published: June 2017

To improve the accuracy of torque control for vector control of interior permanent‐magnet synchronous machine (IPMSM), this study proposes a torque‐sensorless control method based on cascaded sliding mode observer (SMO). First, the active flux model is discussed, which converts the model of IPMSM into the equivalent model of surface‐mounted permanent‐magnet synchronous machine. Second, to reduce chattering caused by system parameters variations and external disturbances, the cascaded observer is designed, which is composed of a variable gain adaptive SMO and an active flux SMO. The variable gain adaptive SMO is designed to estimate the speed, rotor position and stator resistance in the d –q reference frame. The active flux SMO is designed to estimate the active flux and torque in the α –β reference frame. Global asymptotic stability of the observers is guaranteed by the Lyapunov stability analysis. Finally, simulations and experiments are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.
Softening effect of ultrasonic vibration on micro‐blanking deformation behaviour of titanium foil
Authors: Liu Yang , Wang Chunju , Guo Bin , Shan Debin , Zhang Manman
Published: June 2017

Owing to the advantage of softening effect, ultrasonic vibration has been widely applied in forming processes for many materials such as copper and aluminium. However, related study for hard‐to‐deform materials, e.g. titanium, is less reported. In the investigation, ultrasonic vibration assisted micro‐blanking tests were carried out to improve surface quality of cross section for titanium foil (TA2) with a thickness of 0.2 mm. TA2 foil samples were annealed at different temperature to investigate the effect of ultrasonic vibration on deformation behaviour of materials with different grain sizes. The cross‐sectional profiles of square parts blanked with and without ultrasonic vibration were analysed and compared using scanning electron microscopes. Experimental results show that the ratio of smooth zone decreases with the increase of grain size. When ultrasonic vibration is applied, the ratio of smooth zone is increased by the softening effect of ultrasonic vibration. For small grain size, the softening effect of ultrasonic vibration is more remarkable. It can be attributed to that TA2 foil with small grain size has more defects and could absorb more acoustic energy. The plasticity of the material is found to be improved from the morphology at the fracture zone. This finding can provide new insights for micro‐blanking of titanium and expand the application of ultrasonic vibration.
Design and simulation‐based performance evaluation of a miniaturised implantable antenna for biomedical applications
Authors: Aleef Tajwar Abrar , Hagos Yeman Brhane , Minh Vu Hoang , Khawaldeh Saed , Pervaiz Usama
Published: June 2017

Biomedical telemetry is an emerging field of research which enables the formation of a transmission link from inside a living body to an external device. Implantable medical devices are now one of such valuable advancement in the field of biomedical telemetry. Implantable patch antennas are gaining attention and are becoming more of a choice for implantable medical devices that uses mostly RF telemetry. In this work, a state‐of‐the‐art design for a rectangular implantable flexible patch antenna is proposed. The operation band for the antenna is chosen in the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band (2.4–2.4835 GHz). The tiny dimension of the antenna, including the 9.45 μm thickness of the patch itself allows the antenna to be highly flexible and provides excellent results even at extreme bent conditions. For simulation environment, a three‐layer human tissue model was used, where the antenna was encapsulated between the fat and skin layer. CST Microwave Studio was chosen to design and simulate the antenna. Several performance parameters were simulated, such as the operating resonant frequency, the return loss, radiation pattern, specific absorption rate and also sensitivity of the antenna when introduced to bending.
Low-temperature MIR to submillimeter mass absorption coefficient of interstellar dust analogues
Authors: Demyk K. , Meny C. , Leroux H. , Depecker C. , Brubach J.-B. , Roy P. , Nayral C. , Ojo W.-S. , Delpech F.
Published: June 2017

Context. To model the cold dust emission observed in the diffuse interstellar medium, in dense molecular clouds or in cold clumps that could eventually form new stars, it is mandatory to know the physical and spectroscopic properties of this dust and to understand its emission.

Aims. This work is a continuation of previous studies aiming at providing astronomers with spectroscopic data of realistic cosmic dust analogues for the interpretation of observations. The aim of the present work is to extend the range of studied analogues to iron-rich silicate dust analogues.

Methods. Ferromagnesium amorphous silicate dust analogues were produced by a sol-gel method with a mean composition close to Mg1−xFexSiO3 with x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4. Part of each sample was annealed at 500 °C for two hours in a reducing atmosphere to modify the oxidation state of iron. We have measured the mass absorption coefficient (MAC) of these eight ferromagnesium amorphous silicate dust analogues in the spectral domain 30−1000 μm for grain temperature in the range 10−300 K and at room temperature in the 5−40 μm range.

Results. The MAC of ferromagnesium samples behaves in the same way as the MAC of pure Mg-rich amorphous silicate samples. In the 30−300 K range, the MAC increases with increasing grain temperature whereas in the range 10−30 K, we do not see any change of the MAC. The MAC cannot be described by a single power law in λ− β. The MAC of the samples does not show any clear trend with the iron content. However the annealing process has, on average, an effect on the MAC that we explain by the evolution of the structure of the samples induced by the processing. The MAC of all the samples is much higher than the MAC calculated by dust models.

Conclusions. The complex behavior of the MAC of amorphous silicates with wavelength and temperature is observed whatever the exact silicate composition (Mg vs. Fe amount). It is a universal characteristic of amorphous materials, and therefore of amorphous cosmic silicates, that should be taken into account in astronomical modeling. The enhanced MAC of the measured samples compared to the MAC calculated for cosmic dust model implies that dust masses are overestimated by the models.
Traumatic Suprascapular Nerve Injury at the Notch—A Reason for the Posterior Approach in Brachial Plexus Reconstruction
Authors: Seifman Marc , Ferris Scott
Published: June 2017

Background Optimal dynamic reconstruction of shoulder function requires a functional suprascapular nerve (SSN). Nerve transfer of the distal spinal accessory nerve (dSAN) to the SSN will in many cases restore very good supraspinatus and infraspinatus function. One potential cause of failure of this nerve transfer is an unrecognized more distal injury of the SSN. An anterior approach to this transfer does not allow for visualization of the nerve at the scapular notch which is a disadvantage when compared with a posterior approach to the SSN.

Methods All patients of the senior author (S.F.) with traumatic brachial plexus injuries undergoing spinal accessory nerve to SSN transfer via the posterior approach were analyzed.

Results Of the 58 patients, 11 (19.0%) demonstrated abnormal findings at the notch. In two of these 11 patients (18.2%), reconstruction was abandoned due to severe injury of the nerve. There was a higher rate of clavicular fractures in patients with SSN injuries at the notch, compared with no SSN injury at the notch (63.6 vs. 12.8%).

Conclusion The dSAN to SSN transfer is a reliable reconstruction for restoration of shoulder external rotation and abduction. There is a high proportion of injuries to the nerve at the notch, which can be best appreciated from a posterior approach. The authors, therefore, advocate a posterior approach for this nerve transfer.
Ernährung bei Krebs: geeignet zur Vorbeugung und Therapie?
Authors: Arends Jann
Published: June 2017

Nutritional effects on cancer occurrence and on treatment outcome in cancer patients may depend on food preferences and on the quantity of foods supplied. However, it has been difficult to reliably show beneficial effects of specific dietary concepts on cancer incidence. On the other hand, obesity as a result of chronic overfeeding has been linked firmly to an increased risk of a number of cancers as well as on cancer recurrence after treatment. Metabolic consequences of obesity and other components of the metabolic syndrome may be responsible for inducing and/or promoting cancer growth and should be antagonized by regular moderate physical activity in healthy subjects and in cancer survivors. During cancer treatment and in patients with advanced disease, inadequate food intake and physical inactivity may lead to malnutrition, while recurrent and chronic systemic inflammatory reactions induce chronic catabolism with a preferential loss of muscle and cell mass, condition referred to as cachexia.
Klinischer Verlauf einer Granulomatose mit Polyangiitis mit frühem Beginn in der Kindheit
Authors: Krasselt Marco , Pierer Matthias , Amann Kerstin , Bachmann Anette , Lindner Tom
Published: June 2017

Anamnese Ein 26-jähriger Patient stellte sich mit seit etwa 8 Wochen bestehenden Allgemeinsymptomen wie Fieber und Gewichtsverlust, aber auch frischblutigen Hämoptysen, Husten und Arthralgien vor. Bei ihm war bereits seit dem 12. Lebensjahr eine Granulomatose mit Polyangiitis (GPA, ehemals Morbus Wegener) bekannt, die im Alter von 20 Jahren eine Nierentransplantation erforderlich machte. Nur 4 Jahre nach Transplantation versagte das Transplantat irreversibel.

Untersuchungen Klinisch bestand der Verdacht auf ein Rezidiv der Erkrankung, der sich CT-morphologisch im Sinne bilateraler pulmonaler Manifestationen bestätigte. Zusätzlich fanden sich hochpositive Proteinase-3-Antikörper.

Therapie und Verlauf Nach einer Induktionstherapie mit Glukokortikoiden und Rituximab, begleitet von einem therapeutischen Plasmaaustausch, kam es zu einer deutlichen Besserung der Symptomatik, sodass der Patient in die ambulante Weiterbehandlung entlassen werden konnte.

Folgerung Eine GPA mit einem Beginn in der Kindheit ist eine lebensbedrohende Erkrankung, deren Verlauf nicht selten durch wiederholte Rezidive und eine deutlich eingeschränkte Lebensqualität für den Patienten gekennzeichnet ist.
Structure of Neurological Departments in Germany: Results of the 12th Survey by the German Neurological Society
Authors: Schroeter Michael , Erbguth Frank , Kiefer Reinhard , Neumann-Haefelin Tobias , Redecker Christoph , Steinmetz Helmuth , Riedel Rainer , Fink GereonR. ,   On behalf of the committee „Benchmarking & Quality Management“, German Neurological Society (Deutsche
Gesellschaft für Neurologie)
Published: June 2017

The German Neurological Society has conducted a survey of the structure of neurological in-patient care every other year. The present survey covers the year 2015. With a response rate of 62% in mind, the questionnaire allowed meaningful comparisons to former surveys covering the years 2013 and 2011.

Only a minority of departments maintains intensive care units of their own. In contrast, 24/7 presence of neurological physicians has become standard in interdisciplinary emergency rooms. Stroke management has made neurology increasingly involved in emergency care. Since 2015, thrombectomy has been recognized as state-of-the-art therapy for a subgroup of stroke patients, raising special demands for the availability of CT and MRI on a 24/7 basis. However, infrastructure did not improve as compared to former surveys.

Number of beds, total procedures and average procedures per case proceeds (case mix, case mix index) has remained roughly unchanged. However, case numbers increased, and average length of stay robustly decreased within 2 years by 17% to 5.4 days.

Staff structures were heterogeneous and were involved in various duties apart from inpatient care covered by the German Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRG) system. Departments did not succeed in differentiating expenditures related to the DRG system from other procedures. Shortage of nursing staff forced 22% of departments to temporally reduce services, 6% of departments did so because of a shortage of physicians, and in 2% of departments, both occurred. Departments were confident of certifications as means of quality management, and a few suggestions were provided for more meaningful parameters for outcome-oriented quality management in the future.
Der interessante Fall: Staphisagria bei Tic - Ein "Ana-Fall"
Authors: Kempel A.Kammrad
Published: June 2017

Der neurologisch und psychiatrisch vergeblich behandelte Tic eines 12jährigen Jungen konnte durch Staphisagria D 30 nach kurzer Zeit behoben werden, nachdem die Auslösung des Tics durch eine Polypen-Operation erkannt und für die Arzneimittelwahl verwertet worden war.
Ein Ehepaar, das Aurum braucht
Authors: Braun Artur
Published: June 2017

Es wird über ein seit 35 Jahren verheiratetes Ehepaar berichtet, wobei das Konstitutionsmittel für beide Partner Aurum ist. Beide leiden an Depressionen und zeigen ein reizbares Temperament. Pathologische Leberbefunde und gelenkrheumatische Affektionen verschiedener Ausprägung liegen ebenfalls in beiden Fällen vor. Bei der Frau findet sich eine luetische Infektion in der Vorgeschichte. Der männliche Partner leidet an einer mittelschweren Trunksucht.
Der interessante Fall: Zwanghafte Persönlichkeitsstruktur und Depression - Eine ungewöhnliche Arznei mittelwahl
Authors: Müller H.V.
Published: June 2017

Es wird über einen Fall von zwanghafter Persönlichkeitsstruktur mit depressiver Entwicklung berichtet, der mit Natrium sulfuricum geheilt wurde. Die Mittelwahl war nur möglich aufgrund der Auswertung der Handschrift in Verbindung mit der Vorliebe für die Farbe "Blau". Die nachträglich erhobene Anamnese erlaubte eine Repertorisation, welche das Simillimum bestätigte.
Magnetic-field induced phase transitions in intermetallic rare-earth ferrimagnets with a compensation point
Authors: Sabdenov Ch. K. , Davydova M. D. , Zvezdin K. A. , Gorbunov D. I. , Tereshina I. S. , Andreev A. V. , Zvezdin A. K.
Published: June 2017

The behavior of highly anisotropic f-d ferrimagnets in strong magnetic fields is studied. HoFexAl12-x (x = 5,6) compounds, which have compensation temperatures Tcomp > 0 for x = 5 and Tcomp ≈ 0 K for x = 6, are used as examples. Magnetic phase diagrams for these substances in a two-sublattice (f-d) ferrimagnet with a compensation point are constructed and analyzed with exchange interactions and anisotropy taken into account. Special attention is devoted to the influence of the rare-earth anisotropy on the form and properties of the phase diagram.
Time evolution of laser-ablation plumes and induced shock waves in low-pressure gas
Authors: Chiba Rimpei , Ishikawa Yuta , Hasegawa Jun , Horioka Kazuhiko
Published: June 2017

We investigated correlations between the temporal evolutions of shock waves and plasma plumes generated by pulsed laser ablation of an aluminum target under various background gas pressures. Using a probe-beam deflection technique with a high-gain amplifier, we succeeded in detecting relatively weak shock waves in a thin gas with a pressure down to 200 Pa, which is considered to be a suitable condition for cluster formation. The behavior of the expanding plume was also observed using a high-speed framing camera and compared with that of the shock wave. The result shows that the shock front forms just ahead of the plume in the early expansion stages. The plume expansion rapidly attenuates with time and finally ceases, whereas the shock wave continues to propagate and gradually converts into a sound wave. The point-explosion blast wave model is able to estimate the transition of the temperature behind the shock front at low background pressures, giving valuable information for investigating the growth of clusters in the boundary region between the plume and background gas.
Crystal and band structures of ZnS, MgS, and ZnS-MgS alloys
Authors: Zhao Changming , Duan Yifeng , Gao Jie , Dong Huafeng
Published: June 2017

ZnS-MgS alloys have great potential applications in ultraviolet optoelectronic devices due to their large bandgaps. The structures of ZnS, MgS, and ZnS-MgS alloys are systematically investigated for different compositions and pressures, using first-principles evolutionary simulations. We successfully found the experimentally known structures (B1, B3, and Cmcm for ZnS and B1 for MgS) and the novel stable structures (P4/nmm for ZnS and P213 and R3¯ for MgS). The phase-transition pressures are in good agreement with the experimental results. We also predicted the existence of thermodynamically stable ZnS-MgS alloys at high pressures (P4/nmm-MgZnS2, P21/m-MgZn3S4, Pmm2-MgZn7S8, and R3-Mg8ZnS9) with unusual bonding and electronic properties. Furthermore, we revealed that the structures of Zn-rich alloys are constructed by the supercells of metal P4/nmm-ZnS, leading to the abrupt band-gap increase with the increase in Mg concentration, whereas the structures of Mg-rich alloys are based on those of R3¯-MgS and the bandgap decreases as the Mg concentration further increases.
Metal uptake and organic acid exudation of native Acacia species in mine tailings
Authors: Kabas Sebla , Saavedra-Mella Felipe , Huynh Trang , Kopittke Peter M. , Carter Steve , Huang Longbin
Published: June 2017

Phytostabilisation with native plant species has been advocated as a cost-effective approach to rehabilitate mine tailings containing phytotoxic metal-bearing minerals. For this purpose, five Acacia species (natural colonisers) native to north-west Queensland region of Australia were investigated for metal uptake and root exudation characteristics in response to growth for 3 weeks in three different mine tailings (Cu and Cu-Pb-Zn) differing in their degree of weathering. Root tissues of the plant species grown in the three types of tailings accumulated up to 0.9 mg Cd kg–1, 10 mg Co kg–1, 177 mg Cu kg–1, 38 mg Pb kg–1 and 4800 mg Zn kg–1 (DW basis) – being suitable for phytostabilisation purposes. However, elevated levels of root exudates in rhizosphere tailings enhanced the bioavailability of metals, leading to the accumulation of high levels of some metals in Acacia shoots (e.g. shoot concentrations of 140 mg Zn kg–1 in Acacia acradenia F.Muell. and 230 mg Zn kg–1 in Acacia hilliana Maiden). Positive correlations (P < 0.05) between citric acid levels and metal root uptakes suggested that citric acid production in these plant species may be the main driver for metal mobilisation. The results suggest that the native acacia species have the potential to mobilise metals (albeit in mineral forms) in the tailings, when used for phytostabilisation.
Structural characterization of the Rabphilin-3A–SNAP25 interaction
Authors: Ferrer-Orta Cristina , Pérez-Sánchez María Dolores , Coronado-Parra Teresa , Silva Cristina , López-Martínez David , Baltanás-Copado Jesús , Gómez-Fernández Juan Carmelo , Corbalán-García Senena , Verdaguer Núria
Published: June 2017

Significance

Membrane fusion is essential in multiple cell processes, including neuronal communication. Numerous proteins are recruited to the presynaptic space to execute a highly controlled process, resulting in the liberation of neurotransmitters. Many of these proteins share C2 domains as common structural motifs, regulated by their ability to bind Ca
2+
, phospholipids, and other proteins, endowing them with properties to fine-tune a wide variety of vesicle release modes. Here, by solving the structures of Rabphilin-3A (Rph3A) C2B–SNAP25 and Rph3A C2B–PIP
2
complexes, we revealed a membrane-binding mode in which the Rph3A-C2 domains operate in cooperation with PIP
2
/Ca
2+
and SNAP25, adopting a conformation able to promote membrane bending, suggesting a model to explain how Rph3A regulates various steps of the vesicle fusion process.
Column performance of carbon nanotube packed bed for methylene blue and orange red dye removal from waste water
Authors: Gill G K , Mubarak N M , Nizamuddin S , Al-Salim H S , Sahu J N
Published: June 2017

Environmental issues have always been a major issue among human kind for the past decades. As the time passes by, the technology field has grown and has helped a lot in order to reduce these environmental issues. Industries such as metal plating facilities, mining operations and batteries production are a few examples that involves in the environmental issues. Carbon nanotube is proven to possess excellent adsorption capacity for the removal of methylene blue and orange red dyes. The effect of process parameters such as pH and contact time was investigated The results revealed that optimized conditions for the highest removal for methylene blue (MB) (97%) and orange red (94%) are at pH 10, CNTs dosage of 1 grams, and 15 minutes for each dyes removal respectively. The equilibrium adsorption data obtained was best fit to Freundlich model, while kinetic data can be characterized by the pseudo second-order rate kinetics.
Algebraic matroids are almost entropic
Authors: Matúš František
Published: June 2017

Algebraic matroids capture properties of the algebraic dependence among elements of extension fields. Almost entropic matroids have the rank functions arbitrarily well approximated by the entropies of subvectors of random vectors. The former class of matroids is included in the latter. A key argument in the proof is the Lang-Weil bound on the number of points in algebraic varieties.
The Risk of Cardiac Device-Related Infection in Bacteremic Patients Is Species Specific: Results of a 12-Year Prospective Cohort
Authors: Maskarinec Stacey A , Thaden Joshua T , Cyr Derek D , Ruffin Felicia , Souli Maria , Fowler Vance G
Published: June 2017

Background

The species-specific risk of cardiac device-related infection (CDRI) among bacteremic patients is incompletely understood.

Methods

We conducted a prospective cohort study of hospitalized patients from October 2002 to December 2014 with a cardiac device (CD) and either Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) or Gram-negative bacteremia (GNB). Cardiac devices were defined as either prosthetic heart valves (PHVs), including valvular support rings, permanent pacemakers (PPMs)/automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators (AICDs), or left ventricular assist devices (LVADs).

Results

During the study period, a total of 284 patients with ≥1 CD developed either SAB (n = 152 patients) or GNB (n = 132 patients). Among the 284 patients, 150 (52.8%) had PPMs/AICDs, 72 (25.4%) had PHVs, 4 (1.4%) had LVADs, and 58 (20.4%) had >1 device present. Overall, 54.6% of patients with SAB and 16.7% of patients with GNB met criteria for definite CDRI (P < .0001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that 3 bacterial species were associated with an increased risk for CDRI: Staphylococcus aureus (odds ratio [OR] = 5.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.16–14.36), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (OR = 50.28; 95% CI, 4.16–606.93), and Serratia marcescens (OR = 7.75; 95% CI, 1.48–40.48).

Conclusions

Risk of CDRI among patients with bacteremia varies by species. Cardiac device-related infection risk is highest in patients with bacteremia due to S aureus, P aeruginosa, or S marcescens. By contrast, it is lower in patients with bacteremia due to other species of Gram-negative bacilli. Patients with a CD who develop bacteremia due to either P aeruginosa or S marcescens should be considered for diagnostic imaging to evaluate for the presence of CDRI.
Meta-Analysis of a Web-Based Disease Forecast System for Control of Anthracnose and Botrytis Fruit Rots of Strawberry in Southeastern United States
Authors: Cordova Leandro G. , Madden Laurence V. , Amiri Achour , Schnabel Guido , Peres Natalia A.
Published: June 2017

Strawberry production in Florida and South Carolina is affected by two major diseases, anthracnose fruit rot (AFR) and Botrytis fruit rot (BFR), caused by Colletotrichum acutatum and Botrytis cinerea, respectively. The effective management of both diseases traditionally relied on weekly fungicide applications. However, to improve timing and reduce the number of fungicide sprays, many growers follow the Strawberry Advisory System (StAS), a decision support system for forecasting fungicide applications based on environmental conditions and previously developed models. The objective of this study was to perform a meta-analysis to determine the effectiveness of the StAS for AFR and BFR management compared with a calendar-based spray program. Thirty-nine trials were conducted from 2009 to 2014 in Florida and South Carolina commercial strawberry fields. Meta-analysis was conducted to quantify the treatment effects on four effect sizes, all based on the difference in response variables for StAS and the calendar-based treatments in each trial. The mean difference in BFR incidence, AFR incidence, yield, and number of marketable fruit between the two treatments was not significantly different from 0 (P < 0.05). However, the number of fungicide applications per season was reduced by a median of seven when using the StAS, a 50% reduction in sprays compared with the calendar-based approach. Effect sizes were not influenced by location or the favorability of the environment for disease development. These findings indicate that use of StAS in commercial fields is effective in controlling fruit rot diseases with no reduction in yield while substantially reducing fungicide applications.
Phenotyping Sunflower Genetic Resources for Sclerotinia Head Rot Response: Assessing Variability for Disease Resistance Breeding
Authors: Filippi C. V. , Zubrzycki J. E. , Di Rienzo J. A. , Quiroz F. , Fusari C. M. , Alvarez D. , Maringolo C. A. , Cordes D. , Escande A. , Hopp H. E. , Heinz R. A. , Lia V. V. , Paniego N. B.
Published: June 2017

Sclerotinia head rot (SHR) is one of the most serious constraints to sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. var. macrocarpus) production worldwide. Here, we evaluated the response to SHR in a sunflower inbred panel from a large INTA germplasm collection, consisting of 137 inbred lines (ILs). Field trials were performed over five consecutive seasons using a twice-replicated randomized complete-block design. Disease incidence, disease severity, incubation period, and area under disease progress curve for disease incidence and severity were determined after controlled inoculation with the pathogen. Statistical analysis using mixed-effect models detected significant differences among ILs for all variables (P < 0.001). In addition, principal component analysis (PCA) and distance-based methods were used to classify the ILs according to their response to SHR, with ILs ALB2/5261 and 5383 emerging as the most resistant. Broad-sense heritability estimates ranged from 20.64% for disease severity to 10.58% for incubation period. The ample phenotypic variability of our collection, along with the moderate heritability estimates, highlight the importance of molecular breeding approaches to gain new insights into the genetic basis of sunflower resistance to SHR. The exhaustive phenotypic characterization presented here provides a reliable set of variables to comprehensively evaluate the disease and identifies two new sources of resistance to SHR.
Flipped Classrooms in Graduate Medical Education: A National Survey of Residency Program Directors
Authors: Wittich Christopher M. , Agrawal Anoop , Wang Amy T. , Halvorsen Andrew J. , Mandrekar Jayawant N. , Chaudhry Saima , Dupras Denise M. , Oxentenko Amy S. , Beckman Thomas J.
Published: June 2017

Purpose

To begin to quantify and understand the use of the flipped classroom (FC)—a progressive, effective, curricular model—in internal medicine (IM) education in relation to residency program and program director (PD) characteristics.

Method

The authors conducted a survey that included the Flipped Classroom Perception Instrument (FCPI) in 2015 regarding programs’ use and PDs’ perceptions of the FC model.

Results

Among the 368 IM residency programs, PDs at 227 (61.7%) responded to the survey and 206 (56.0%) completed the FCPI. Regarding how often programs used the FC model, 34 of the 206 PDs (16.5%) reported “never”; 44 (21.4%) reported “very rarely”; another 44 (21.4%) reported “somewhat rarely”; 59 (28.6%) reported “sometimes”; 16 (7.8%) reported “somewhat often”; and 9 (4.4%) reported “very often.” The mean FCPI score (standard deviation [SD]) for the in-class application factor (4.11 [0.68]) was higher (i.e., more favorable) than for the preclass activity factor (3.94 [0.65]) (P < .001). FC perceptions (mean [SD]) were higher among younger PDs (≤ 50 years, 4.12 [0.62]; > 50 years, 3.94 [0.61]; P = .04) and women compared with men (4.28 [0.56] vs. 3.91 [0.62]; P < .001). PDs with better perceptions of FCs had higher odds of using FCs (odds ratio, 4.768; P < .001).

Conclusions

Most IM programs use the FC model at least to some extent, and PDs prefer the interactive in-class components over the independent preclass activities. PDs who are women and younger perceived the model more favorably.
Timing of first childbirth and age-related cataract
Authors: Park Sangshin , Choi Nam-Kyong
Published: June 2017

Objective:

No studies investigated the effects of age at first childbirth on cataract formation. This study was performed to determine the relationships of age at first childbirth to age-related cataract in postmenopausal women.

Methods:

Study population included 7,021 postmenopausal women in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2008 to 2012. Participants were subdivided in quartiles according to the age at first childbirth as follows: 13 to 21, 22 to 23, 24 to 25, and 26 to 44 years. We used odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to address the relationships between age at first childbirth and age-related cataract with adjustments for confounders.

Results:

Mean participants’ age and age at first childbirth were 64.4 and 23.6 years, respectively. The prevalence of any subtype of age-related cataract was 64.9%. Nuclear cataract prevalence was significantly higher in postmenopausal women with later age at first childbirth (24-25 and 26-44 years) compared with those with the earliest age at first childbirth (13-21 years): ORs (95% CIs) were 1.23 (1.05-1.45) and 1.24 (1.05-1.46), respectively. A significant linear trend across quintile was observed (P = 0.006). Age at first childbirth linearly 4% (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.06) and 2% (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.04) increased risk for nuclear and cortical cataract formation, respectively. The population-attributable fraction of nuclear cataract caused by the first childbirth at 24 years or later was 4.9% (95% CI 1.20%-8.59%, P 
= 0.009).

Conclusions:

Later age of first childbirth was independently associated with higher risks of nuclear and cortical cataract in postmenopausal women. Further prospective studies are needed to elucidate the role of age at first childbirth in developing age-related cataract.