bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Affinity extraction of emerging contaminants from water based on bovine serum albumin as a binding agent
Authors: Papastavros Efthimia , Remmers Rachael A. , Snow Daniel D. , Cassada David A. , Hage David S.
Published: December 2017

Affinity sorbents using bovine serum albumin as a binding agent were developed and tested for the extraction of environmental contaminants from water. Computer simulations based on a countercurrent distribution model were also used to study the behavior of these sorbents. Several model drugs, pesticides, and hormones of interest as emerging contaminants were considered in this work, with carbamazepine being used as a representative analyte when coupling the albumin column on‐line with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The albumin column was found to be capable of extracting carbamazepine from aqueous solutions that contained trace levels of this analyte. Further studies of the bovine serum albumin sorbent indicated that it had higher retention under aqueous conditions than a traditional C18 support for most of the tested emerging contaminants. Potential advantages of using these protein‐based sorbents included the low cost of bovine serum albumin and its ability to bind to a relatively wide range of drugs and related compounds. It was also shown how simulations could be used to describe the elution behavior of the model compounds on the bovine serum albumin sorbents as an aid in optimizing the retention and selectivity of these supports for use with liquid chromatography or methods such as liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.
The effect of emulsifier type on the formation and stability of nanoemulsion gels
Authors: Patel Aakash , Kadiya Kunal , Ghosh Supratim
Published: December 2017

Liquid nanoemulsions are shown to transform into viscoelastic gels by reducing droplet size, increasing interfacial repulsive barrier between the nanodroplets and therefore increasing the effective oil volume fraction. The repulsive gelation in nanoemulsions can be achieved at a significantly lower oil volume fraction compared to conventional emulsion gels, making the nanoemulsion gel an attractive material for various low‐fat food applications. Gelation in nanoemulsions stabilized by anionic small molecule emulsifier and polymeric protein are compared in terms of gel strength, average droplet size, effective oil volume fraction, and long‐term gel stability. It is expected that higher stability and large surface area of nanoscale droplet size can further extend the application of nanoemulsion gels in the field of functional foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
Novel 3D Neuron Regeneration Scaffolds Based on Synthetic Polypeptide Containing Neuron Cue
Authors: Wang Zhen‐Hua , Chang Yen‐Yu , Wu Jhih‐Guang , Lin Chia‐Yu , An Hsiao‐Lung , Luo Shyh‐Chyang , Tang Tang K. , Su Wei‐Fang
Published: December 2017

Neural tissue engineering has become a potential technology to restore the functionality of damaged neural tissue with the hope to cure the patients with neural disorder and to improve their quality of life. This paper reports the design and synthesis of polypeptides containing neuron stimulate, glutamic acid, for the fabrication of biomimetic 3D scaffold in neural tissue engineering application. The polypeptides are synthesized by efficient chemical reactions. Monomer γ‐benzyl glutamate‐N‐carboxyanhydride undergoes ring‐opening polymerization to form poly(γ‐benzyl‐l‐glutamate), then hydrolyzes into poly(γ‐benzyl‐l‐glutamate)‐r‐poly(glutamic acid) random copolymer. The glutamic acid amount is controlled by hydrolysis time. The obtained polymer molecular weight is in the range of 200 kDa for good quality of fibers. The fibrous 3D scaffolds of polypeptides are fabricated using electrospinning techniques. The scaffolds are biodegradable and biocompatible. The biocompatibility and length of neurite growth are improved with increasing amount of glutamic acid in scaffold. The 3D scaffold fabricated from aligned fibers can guide anisotropic growth of neurite along the fiber and into 3D domain. Furthermore, the length of neurite outgrowth is longer for scaffold made from aligned fibers as compared with that of isotropic fibers. This new polypeptide has potential for the application in the tissue engineering for neural regeneration.
A “Cell‐Friendly” Window for the Interaction of Cells with Hyaluronic Acid/Poly‐l‐Lysine Multilayers
Authors: Madaboosi Narayanan , Uhlig Katja , Schmidt Stephan , Vikulina Anna S. , Möhwald Helmuth , Duschl Claus , Volodkin Dmitry
Published: December 2017

Polyelectrolyte multilayers assembled from hyaluronic acid (HA) and poly‐l‐lysine (PLL) are most widely studied showing excellent reservoir characteristics to host molecules of diverse nature; however, thick (HA/PLL)n films are often found cell repellent. By a systematic study of the adhesion and proliferation of various cells as a function of bilayer number “n” a correlation with the mechanical and chemical properties of films is developed. The following cell lines have been studied: mouse 3T3 and L929 fibroblasts, human foreskin primary fibroblasts VH‐Fib, human embryonic kidney HEK‐293, human bone cell line U‐2‐OS, Chinese hamster ovary CHO‐K and mouse embryonic stem cells. All cells adhere and spread well in a narrow “cell‐friendly” window identify in the range of n = 12–15. At n < 12, the film is inhomogeneous and at n > 15, the film is cell repellent for all cell lines. Cellular adhesion correlates with the mechanical properties of the films showing that softer films at higher “n” number exhibiting a significant decrease of the Young's modulus below 100 kPa are weakly adherent to cells. This trend cannot be reversed even by coating a strong cell‐adhesive protein fibronectin onto the film. This indicates that mechanical cues plays a major role for cell behavior, also in respect to biochemical ones.
Microvascular replantation of a composite facial avulsion in a 24‐month‐old child after dog bite
Authors: Macias David , Kwon Daniel I. , Walker Paul C. , Peterson Nathaniel R.
Published: December 2017

Dog bite injuries are common sources of morbidity with an estimated incidence of 4.5 million bites per year with over 350,000 requiring treatment in the emergency room. Children under the age of 14 are most likely to be affected with a peak age of 5–9 years old. We report a case of a 24‐month‐old female who sustained a large composite facial avulsion injury from a pit bull dog bite. The avulsed tissue involved a substantial portion of the patient's mid‐face, including the entire soft tissue of the nose, upper lip, part of the left cheek, and left oral commissure. Artery‐only microvascular replantation was performed because no recipient vein could be identified from the facial defect. Medicinal leech therapy was used for eight days postoperatively to prevent venous congestion. The patient experienced significant blood loss due to leech therapy and required nearly 29 L of blood product replacement. At the last follow up of 8 months postoperatively, the patient was recovering well with significant improvement in function and cosmesis of the mid‐face. This case describes a successful artery‐only replantation of an avulsive bite injury to the face of a young child. Despite the technical difficulty of cases such as this one, microvascular replantation should be attempted because when successful it provides a superior cosmetic and functional result to other reconstructive techniques.
Solutions of time‐fractional Tricomi and Keldysh equations of Dirichlet functions types in Hilbert space
Authors: Abu Arqub Omar
Published: December 2017

The subject of the fractional calculus theory has gained considerable popularity and importance due to their attractive applications in widespread fields of physics and engineering. The purpose of this research article is to present results on the numerical simulation for time‐fractional Tricomi and Keldysh equations of Dirichlet functions types in Hilbert space that were found in the transonic flows. Those resulting mathematical models are solved using the reproducing kernel algorithm which provide appropriate solutions in term of infinite series formula. Convergence analysis, error estimations, and error bounds under some hypotheses which provide the theoretical basis of the proposed algorithm are also discussed. The dynamical properties of these numerical solutions are discussed and the profiles of several representative numerical solutions are illustrated. Finally, the prospects of the gained results and the algorithm are discussed through academic validations.
Impact of a shift in nuchal translucency measurements on the detection rate of first‐trimester Down syndrome screening: A population‐based study
Authors: Fries Nicolas , Salomon Laurent J. , Muller Françoise , Dreux Sophie , Houfflin‐Debarge Véronique , Coquel Philippe , Kleinfinger Pascale , Dommergues Marc ,   for the BioNuQual User Club, Paris
Published: December 2017

Objective

To assess the distribution of nuchal translucency (NT) measurements following a national policy without credentialing and its impact on first‐trimester Down syndrome screening (DSS) detection rate.

Method

All first‐trimester DSS data recorded in France (2010‐2014) were collected by the laboratories in charge via an Internet database (https://www.bionuqual.org/echo.php). There was no minimal requirement for image quality to allow sonographers to enter the screening process. A subgroup of DSS with complete DS follow‐up corresponded to 1614 sonographers. Based on the distribution of maternal age, DS detection rate was calculated and split as a function of the distribution of NT multiple of the median (MoM).

Results

Four thousand nine hundred forty‐three sonographers performed 2,337,372 NT measurements. Median NT expressed in MoM was 0.83. Screenings with complete follow‐up consisted of 197,417 screenings, in which DSS detection rates were respectively 70.4%, 70.9%, 79.4%, 87.7%, and 79.5% for the following median NT MoM ranges: <0.7, 0.70 to 0.79, 0.80 to 0.89, 0.90 to 0.99, and >0.99 (trend χ = 12.21; P = .0158).

Conclusion

In France, following a policy of quality assessment without standardized credentialing, the distribution of NT measurements did not fit the expected distribution. Down syndrome detection rate was 10% lower in screenings by sonographers with a median NT < 0.80 MoM.
Two‐step selenization using nozzle free Se shower for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film solar cell
Authors: Song Yu Jin , Kang Jeong‐Yoon , Baek Gun Yeol , Bae Jin A , Yang So Hyun , Jeon Chan‐Wook
Published: December 2017

The production of commercialized Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 (CIGS) photovoltaic absorber layers uses expensive H2Se gas with a high utility cost. To reduce the manufacturing cost of CIGS photovoltaic modules, a process technology capable of supplying Se vapor uniformly over a large area is required to replace H2Se. In this study, a nozzle‐free Se shower was implemented using a porous material to pass Se vapor while confining liquid Se, and the highly effective selenization of the CuInGa precursor was performed. The nozzle‐free Se‐shower vehicle could be mounted in a commercial rapid thermal process chamber. The chamber pressure and the temperatures of the shower module and substrate, which were controlled independently by the upper and lower heaters, respectively, were varied to control the amount of Se supplied during the entire selenization reaction in real time. In particular, the precursor should be soaked with a sufficient amount of Se at a relatively low substrate temperature of 300°C or less to obtain a good quality absorber. In addition, at a chamber pressure of 100 Torr during the soaking stage, the Ga content in the surface region of the absorber increased considerably with a concomitant improvement in the open‐circuit voltage. The highest performance obtained using this method was an open‐circuit voltage of 0.638 V, short‐circuit current density of 34 mA/cm2, fill factor of 67.2%, and an active area efficiency of 14.57%. This performance is very high compared with other CIGS solar cells manufactured by a 2‐step process using Se vapor.
Public Policy in the Platform Society
Authors: Nash Victoria , Bright Jonathan , Margetts Helen , Lehdonvirta Vili
Published: December 2017

This editorial introduces the articles in our Special Issue (9:3–4) of Policy & Internet on “The Platform Society,” arising from the journal's IPP2016 conference held at the University of Oxford on September 22–23, 2016. The editorial provides an outline of existing academic research on online platforms; discusses platform labor, platform governance, and platform politics as three key research themes; and discusses the implications for public policy and future research directions.
Dynamical Strain‐Induced Charge Pumping in Monolayer Graphene
Authors: Farajollahpour Tohid , Phirouznia Arash
Published: December 2017

Emergence of high pseudo‐magnetic field as a result of mechanical deformations is one of the intriguing characteristics of the graphene honeycomb structure. For a time‐dependent nonuniform strain and in the context of Berry curvature approach, the topological charge pumping is studied theoretically. Calculations have been performed in time–momentum parametric space. Within the Berry curvature approach, it has been revealed that time‐dependent deformations result in nonzero valley‐dependent charge pumping in the gapped graphene when there is a population imbalance between the valleys. This indicates that the valley polarization can be measured by the amount of topological charge pumping in the system. Results also show that the strain can remove the valley degeneracy at nonzero Fermi energies. Therefore, population imbalance or valley polarization can be realized as a result of the external strain. Strain has been considered as gauge field that couples oppositely with two valleys of the Brillouin zone.
Data‐generating models of dichotomous outcomes: Heterogeneity in simulation studies for a random‐effects meta‐analysis
Authors: Pateras Konstantinos , Nikolakopoulos Stavros , Roes Kit
Published: December 2017

Simulation studies to evaluate performance of statistical methods require a well‐specified data‐generating model. Details of these models are essential to interpret the results and arrive at proper conclusions. A case in point is random‐effects meta‐analysis of dichotomous outcomes. We reviewed a number of simulation studies that evaluated approximate normal models for meta‐analysis of dichotomous outcomes, and we assessed the data‐generating models that were used to generate events for a series of (heterogeneous) trials. We demonstrate that the performance of the statistical methods, as assessed by simulation, differs between these 3 alternative data‐generating models, with larger differences apparent in the small population setting. Our findings are relevant to multilevel binomial models in general.
Synthesis, Photoluminescence and Effect of Lanthanide Contraction on Structures of 3D Lanthanide‐Organic Frameworks from 1,4‐Benzenedicarboxylic Acid and Oxalic Acid
Authors: Yue Qing , Zhang Lijuan , Zhou Yunshan , Nadeem Muhammad , Zhang Huixian , Ren Xiaoyu
Published: December 2017

Six new 3D lanthanide‐based organic frameworks with the formula of [Ln2(1,4‐BDC)2(ox)(H2O)4]⋅2H2O (Ln=Tb1, Dy2, Gd3) and [Ln2(1,4‐BDC)2(ox)(H2O)2] (Ln=Ho4, Er5, Yb6; 1,4‐H2BDC=1,4‐benzenedicarboxylate; H2ox=oxalate acid) were synthesized by hydrothermal method and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra, UV–vis spectra, powder X‐ray diffraction, and TG‐DTA method, wherein compounds1and4were structurally characterized. Compounds1–3had been found to be isostructural and crystallized in the monoclinic crystal system with space group ofP21/c possessing quasi‐square 1D channels wherein lattice water molecules were encapsulated, while the isostructural compounds4–6crystallized in triclinic system withP‐1 space group, while their triangular 1D channels are too small to encapsulate any solvent molecules. The significant lanthanide contraction effect is evident from the observed resulting structures of compounds1–6which were synthesized under the same reaction conditions. Compounds1and2exhibited characteristic emissions of Tb(III) and Dy(III) ions and the luminescent lifetime of compound1was found to be 0.54 ms.
An Aza‐12‐crown‐4 Ether‐Substituted Naphthalene Diimide Chemosensor for the Detection of Lithium Ion
Authors: Hangarge Rahul V. , La Duong Duc , Boguslavsky Miron , Jones Lathe A. , Kim Yong Shin , Bhosale Sheshanath V.
Published: December 2017

We synthesised aza‐12‐crown‐4 ether‐substituted naphthalene diimide (NDI‐12‐C‐4) and demonstrated its properties as an fluorescent and colorimetric sensor. The NDI‐12‐C‐4 uses the aza‐12‐crown‐4 moiety to bind Li+ ion selectively over larger monovalent cation such as Cs+, Na+ and K+. The sensor is chemically stable due to the crown‐ether, and the appended NDI fluorophore allows leads to optical changes exclusively for the monovalent Li+ ion. UV–vis absorption, fluorescence, cyclic voltammetry (CV), 1H NMR and naked eye‐detection clearly demonstrate selective, sensitive binding of Li+ ion with a detection limit of 5.0 μM. Importantly, reversible binding of Li+ by NDI‐12‐C‐4 was also observed upon addition of EDTA, after which the sensor could be recovered via simple centrifugation, indicating suitability for use in a biological sensor device.
3D Porous Mixed‐Valent Manganese Oxide Nanosheets Electrodeposited onto Flexible Ag‐CNT Textiles for Highly Improved Capacitive Performances
Authors: Ko Wen‐Yin , Chung Chia‐Ching , Lin Kuan‐Jiuh
Published: December 2017

A simple yet efficient one‐pot ultrasonication process for the green preparation of a silver–carbon nanotube (Ag‐CNT) ink, which was then used to fabricate conductive flexible thin films by a simple immersion process, is reported. A novel three‐dimensional (3D) porous, hierarchical Ag–MnOx–CNT nanocomposite was synthesized by electrodeposition of manganese oxide (MnOx) nanosheets composed of MnO2 and Mn3O4 onto the Ag–CNT films. The unique Ag–MnOx–CNT electrode showed a specific capacitance of 842 F/g at 1 A/g and excellent charge–discharge cycling stability, with a capacitance retention of 148% at 10 A/g and a Coulombic efficiency of ∼90% after 5000 cycles. The greatly enhanced capacitive performance is ascribed to the facile redox reactions, 3D porous framework, and use of Ag NPs. These impressive results suggest that this nanocomposite is a promising candidate for use in high‐performance flexible energy storage applications.
Characterization of Local Aromaticity in Polycyclic Conjugated Hydrocarbons Based on Anisotropy of π‐Electron Density
Authors: Firouzi Rohoullah , Shafie Hoda , Tohidnia Hassan
Published: December 2017

In recent contributions, it was demonstrated that the anisotropy of π‐electron density could be considered as a reliable descriptor to probe the aromaticity in a wide range of annulene and hetero‐monocyclic compounds. The electron density anisotropy on a plane can be simply measured by the ratio of two in‐plane Hessian eigenvalues associated with the eigenvectors lying in the plane. This descriptor is undirected and has a circular symmetry for aromatic rings, whereas it is directed and has an elliptical shape in antiaromatic cycles. This research takes a step forward towards the extension of this approach to polycyclic conjugated hydrocarbons. The obtained results show that the anisotropy of the π‐electron density works nicely for the assessment of local aromaticity in polycyclic compounds. This finding provides clear evidence to have a universally successful aromaticity descriptor based on the topological properties of one‐electron density distribution.
Performance feedback and middle managers’ divergent strategic behavior: The roles of social comparisons and organizational identification
Authors: Tarakci Murat , Ateş Nüfer Yasin , Floyd Steven W. , Ahn Yoojung , Wooldridge Bill
Published: December 2017

Research Summary: What drives middle managers to search for new strategic initiatives and champion them to top management? This behavior—labeled divergent strategic behavior—spawns emergent strategies and thereby provides one of the essential ingredients of strategic renewal. We conceptualize divergent strategic behavior as a response to performance feedback. Data from 123 senior middle managers overseeing 21 multi‐country organizations (MCOs) of a Fortune 500 firm point to social performance comparisons rather than historical comparisons in driving divergent strategic behavior. Moreover, managers’ organizational identification affects whether they attend to organizational‐ or individual‐level feedback. These results contribute to research on performance aspirations and strategy process by providing a multilevel, multidimensional framework of performance aspirations in middle management driven strategic renewal.

Managerial Summary: Middle managers are essential actors in strategic renewal. Their unique positions offer insights into operations alongside knowledge of strategy. In contrast to typical assessments of managerial performance with reference to a prior year, this research shows that performance comparisons relative to peers and other organizational units better motivate managers’ divergent strategic behavior. Our results also show that managers who identify with the firm are more attentive to organizational rather than individual performance discrepancies. Thus, our study unveils an important approach for organizations aiming to spark strategic renewal.
Evolving efficacy of managerial capital, contesting managerial practices, and the process of strategic renewal
Authors: Pratap Sankalp , Saha Biswatosh
Published: December 2017

Research Summary: This article examines the adaptation process of a large manufacturer in the Indian steel industry faced with radical sociopolitical shifts in the external ecosystem. It uses the Bower‐Burgelman process model in combination with Bourdieu's praxis theory to explain the emergence of competing managerial initiatives and associated contests in the company's internal ecology of strategy‐making in terms of socially acquired dispositions. It illuminates process–practice pathways through which top management's resource allocation supported changes in the efficacy of the different forms of capital of the contesting managerial classes, thereby legitimizing the daily “doings” of the rising class and institutionalizing a (re)defined adaptive rule structure.

Managerial Summary: How do managers’ early influences, including family upbringing and schooling, bear upon organization's renewal strategy? Our study finds that during discontinuities imposed by socioeconomic upheavals, when organizational performance flounders, managerial initiatives are driven by deepest dispositions derived from early age socialization. Competing managerial fractions jostle to impose practices favorable to their longstanding preferences by putting their weight behind preferred product‐market choices and seeking appropriate changes in the ineffective internal rule structure. Administration's challenge lies in leveraging internal contests to iteratively allocate resources in search of winning dispositions and configurations aligned with evolving social relations in the external environment. Internal availability of managerial groups from diverse social origins is crucial for the administration to reclaim organizational advantage by arbitrating between contesting practices and practitioner fortunes.
Energy forecasting tools and services
Authors: González Ordiano Jorge Á. , Waczowicz Simon , Hagenmeyer Veit , Mikut Ralf
Published: December 2017

The increasing complexity of the power grid and the continuous integration of volatile renewable energy systems on all aspects of it have made more precise forecasts of both energy supply and demand necessary for the future Smart Grid. Yet, the ever increasing volume of tools and services makes it difficult for users (e.g., energy utility companies) and researchers to obtain even a general sense of what each tool or service offers. The present contribution provides an overview and categorization of several energy‐related forecasting tools and services (specifically for load and volatile renewable power), as well as general information regarding principles of time series, load, and volatile renewable power forecasting. WIREs Data Mining Knowl Discov 2018, 8:e1235. doi: 10.1002/widm.1235

This article is categorized under:

Application Areas > Business and Industry

Application Areas > Data Mining Software Tools

Technologies > Prediction
The Assessment of Risk Factors for Difficult Intubation in Thyroid Patients
Authors: Tutuncu Ayse Cigdem , Erbabacan Emre , Teksoz Serkan , Ekici Birsel , Koksal Guniz , Altintas Fatis , Kaya Guner , Ozcan Murat
Published: December 2017

Objectives

We aimed to assess possible risk factors related to difficult intubation in patients undergoing thyroid surgery.

Methods

We prospectively collected data of 200 patients scheduled for thyroid surgery. Clinical risk factors were defined as: Mallampati score, interincisor gap, thyromental distance, sternomental distance, range of neck motion, body mass index, neck circumference, goiter, the presence of radiological findings suggesting compression and thyroid weight. All evaluations were performed with Macintosh assessed for Cormack and Lehane (CL) classification and modified intubation difficulty scale (MIDS).

Results

It was observed that the proportion of patients with a thyroid weight ≥40 g, goiter, a Macintosh CL score = 3–4 and the mean neck circumference were significantly higher in the group with a MIDS score >5 (p = 0.018, p = 0.011, p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

The presence of a palpable goiter, thyroid weight ≥40 g and thyromental distance <6.5 cm were risk factors associated with difficult intubation in the multivariate regression model.
Long-term adaptation of Escherichia coli to methanogenic co-culture enhanced succinate production from crude glycerol
Authors: Kim Nam Yeun , Kim Su Nyung , Kim Ok Bin
Published: December 2017

Escherichia coli can hardly grow anaerobically on glycerol without exogenous electron acceptor. The formate-consuming methanogen Methanobacterium formicicum plays a role as a living electron acceptor in glycerol fermentation of E. coli. Wild-type and mutant E. coli strains were screened for succinate production using glycerol in a co-culture with M. formicicum. Subsequently, E. coli was adapted to glycerol fermentation over 39 rounds (273 days) by successive co-culture with M. formicicum. The adapted E. coli (19.9 mM) produced twice as much succinate as non-adapted E. coli (9.7 mM) and 62% more methane. This study demonstrated improved succinate production from waste glycerol using an adapted wild-type strain of E. coli with wild-type M. formicicum, which is more useful than genetically modified strains. Crude glycerol, an economical feedstock, was used for the cultivation. Furthermore, the increase in methane production by M. formicicum during co-culture with adapted E. coli illustrated the possibility of energy-saving effects for the fermentation process.
Current progress and outcomes of clinical trials on using epidermal growth factor receptor‐tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in non‐small cell lung cancer patients with brain metastases
Authors: Kong Ling‐Ling , Wang Lin‐Lin , Xing Li‐Gang , Yu Jin‐Ming
Published: December 2017

Non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) continues to be one of the major causes of cancer‐related deaths worldwide, and brain metastases are the major cause of death in NSCLC patients. With recent advances in understanding the underlying molecular mechanism of NSCLC development and progression, mutations in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have been recognized as a key predictor of therapeutic sensitivity to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Using EGFR‐TKI alone or in combination with standard treatments such as whole‐brain radiotherapy and surgery has been an effective strategy for the management of brain metastasis. Particularly, a newer generation of EGFR‐TKIs, including osimertinib and AZD3759, has been developed. These new EGFR‐TKIs can cross the blood–brain barrier and potentially treat EGFR‐TKI resistance and improve prognosis. In this article, current progress and outcomes of clinical trials on the use of EGFR‐TKIs for treating NSCLC patients with brain metastasis will be reviewed.
Slave Theater in the Roman Republic
Authors: Richlin Amy
Published: December 2017

Roman comedy evolved early in the war-torn 200s BCE. Troupes of lower-class and slave actors traveled through a militarized landscape full of displaced persons and the newly enslaved; together, the actors made comedy to address mixed-class, hybrid, multilingual audiences. Surveying the whole of the Plautine corpus, where slaves are central figures, and the extant fragments of early comedy, this book is grounded in the history of slavery and integrates theories of resistant speech, humor, and performance. Part I shows how actors joked about what people feared - natal alienation, beatings, sexual abuse, hard labor, hunger, poverty - and how street-theater forms confronted debt, violence, and war loss. Part II catalogues the onstage expression of what people desired: revenge, honor, free will, legal personhood, family, marriage, sex, food, free speech; a way home, through memory; and manumission, or escape - all complicated by the actors' maleness. Comedy starts with anger.
Legal Consciousness of the Leftover Woman: Law and Qing in Chinese Family Relations
Authors: LIU Qian
Published: December 2017

This paper analyses how the interaction of law andqing(情) shapes ordinary Chinese people’s legal consciousness. Ordinary Chinese people rely onqing, or the normal feelings, or attitudes of the public, to judge whether a particular law is just and how they should react to the law. By investigating Chinese leftover women’s legal consciousness regarding marriage and childbearing, this article has developed a theory to discuss Chinese people’s different forms of legal consciousness either when the law is in opposition toqingor when it is in alliance withqing.I argue that these variations of legal consciousness result from the dynamic relationship betweenqingand different types and levels of legality, including state law.
Reasons behind current gender imbalances in senior global health roles and the practice and policy changes that can catalyze organizational change
Authors: Newman C. , Chama P.K. , Mugisha M. , Matsiko C.W. , Oketcho V.
Published: December 2017

The paper distils results from a review of relevant literature and two gender analyses to highlight reasons for gender imbalances in senior roles in global health and ways to address them. Organizations, leadership, violence and discrimination, research and human resource management are all gendered. Supplementary materials from gender analyses in two African health organizations demonstrate how processes such as hiring, deployment and promotion, and interpersonal relations, are not ‘gender-neutral’ and that gendering processes shape privilege, status and opportunity in these health organizations. Organizational gender analysis, naming stereotypes, substantive equality principles, special measures and enabling conditions to dismantle gendered disadvantage can catalyze changes to improve women's ability to play senior global health roles in gendered organizations. Political strategies and synergies with autonomous feminist movements can increase women's full and effective participation and equal opportunities. The paper also presents organizational development actions to bring about more gender egalitarian global health organizations.
Non-equilibrium pair interactions in colloidal dispersions
Authors: Dolata Benjamin E. , Zia Roseanna N.
Published: December 2017

We study non-equilibrium pair interactions between microscopic particles moving through a model shear-thinning fluid. Prior efforts to model pair interactions in non-Newtonian fluids have largely focused on constitutive models derived from polymer-chain kinetic theories focusing on conformational degrees of freedom, but neglecting the details of microstructural evolution beyond a single polymer length scale. To elucidate the role of strong structural distortion in mediating pair interactions in Brownian suspensions, we formulate and solve a Smoluchowski equation describing the detailed evolution of the particle configuration between and around a pair of microscopic probes driven at fixed velocity by an external force through a colloidal dispersion. To facilitate analysis, we choose a model system of Brownian hard spheres that do not interact hydrodynamically; while simple, this ‘freely draining’ model permits insight into connections between microstructure and rheology. The flow induces a non-equilibrium particle density gradient that gives rise to both viscous drag and an interactive force between the probes. The drag force acts to slow the centre-of-mass velocity of the pair, while the interactive force arising from osmotic pressure gradients can lead to attraction or repulsion, as well as deterministic reorientation of the probes relative to the external force. The degree to which the microstructure is distorted, and the shape of that distortion, depend on the arrangement of the probes relative to one another and their orientation to the driving force. It also depends on the magnitude of probe velocity relative to the Brownian velocity of the suspension. When only thermal fluctuations set probe velocity, the equilibrium depletion attraction is recovered. For weak forcing, long-ranged interactions mediated via the bath-particle flux give rise to entropic forces on the probes. The linear response is a viscous drag that slows forward motion; only the weakly nonlinear response can produce relative motion–attraction, repulsion or reorientation of the probes. We derive entropic coupling tensors, similar in ethos to pair hydrodynamic tensors, to describe this behaviour. The structural symmetry that permits this analogy is lost when forcing becomes strong, revealing instabilities in system behaviour. Far from equilibrium, the interactive force depends explicitly on the initial probe separation, orientation and strength of forcing; widely spaced probes interact through the distorted microstructure, whereas the behaviour of closely spaced probes is largely set by excluded-volume effects. In this regime, a pair of closely spaced probes sedimenting side-by-side tend to attract and reorient to permit alignment of their line-of-centres with the flow, while widely spaced probes fall without reorienting. Our results show qualitative agreement with experimental observations and provide a potential connection to the observed column instability in shear-thinning fluids.
Intestinal helminths of stray dogs from Tunisia with special reference to zoonotic infections
Authors: Lahmar Samia , Arfa Ines , Ben Othmen Siddik , Jguirim Walid , Saïd Yousra , Dhibi Aïda , Boufana Belgees
Published: December 2017

Sixteen intestinal helminth species were recovered from 271 necropsied stray dogs during a survey undertaken in Raoued and Soukra, two northeastern rural regions of Tunisia. Recorded parasites included trematodes (Brachylaemus sp., Phagicola italica, Heterophyes heterophyes), cestodes (Echinococcus granulosus, Dipylidium caninum, Diplopylidium noelleri, Mesocestoides lineatus, Mesocestoides litteratus, Taenia hydatigena, Taenia pisiformis, Taenia multiceps), nematodes (Toxocara canis, Ancylostoma caninum, Uncinaria stenocephala, Trichuris vulpis) and one acanthocephalan Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus. This is the first record of Brachylaemus sp., P. italica, H. heterophyes, D. noelleri and M. hirudinaceus in dogs from Tunisia. Echinococcus granulosus was found in 5·16% of dogs with a higher intensity of infection recorded in younger animals (303 worms/infected dog). Molecular analysis confirmed E. granulosus sensu stricto as the cause of canine echinococcosis. This epidemiological study investigating the status of intestinal helminths of dogs recorded a prevalence of 98·89% and a mean intensity of 87·62 worms per infected dog and confirmed the infection of 95·14% of dogs with helminths of potential zoonotic concern. Results of this study emphasize the need to interrupt parasite transmission using preventive approaches in zoonoses control programmes mainly against cystic echinococcosis, as well as reducing transmission to other animals by regular dog dosing treatments and proper management of dog populations.
Whither Parties? Hume on Partisanship and Political Legitimacy
Authors: LANDIS JOEL E.
Published: December 2017

Recent work by party scholars reveals a widening gap between the normative ideals we set out for political parties and the empirical evidence that reveals their deep and perhaps insurmountable shortcomings in realizing these ideals. This disjunction invites us to consider the perspective of David Hume, who offers a theory of the value and proper function of parties that is resilient to the pessimistic findings of recent empirical scholarship. I analyze Hume's writings to show that the psychological experience of party informs the opinions by which governments can be considered legitimate. Hume thus invites us to consider the essential role parties might play in securing legitimacy as that ideal is practiced or understood by citizens, independent of the ideal understandings of legitimacy currently being articulated by theorists. My analysis contributes to both recent party scholarship and to our understanding of the role of parties in Hume's theory of allegiance.
Transnational Indian Business in the Twentieth Century
Authors: Tumbe Chinmay
Published: December 2017

This article argues that migration and investment from India moved in tandem to chart the evolution of transnational Indian business in the twentieth century, first toward Southeast Asia and Africa and later toward the United States, Europe, and West Asia. With a focus on the banking and diamond sectors, the overseas investment project of the Aditya Birla Group, and the transnational linkages of India's one hundred richest business leaders, the article locates important events, policies, and actors before economic liberalization in 1991 that laid the foundation for subsequent globalization of Indian firms.
Quality of reporting and risk of bias in therapeutic otolaryngology publications
Authors: Kaper N M , Swart K M A , Grolman W , Van Der Heijden G J M G
Published: December 2017

Background:

High-quality trials have the potential to influence clinical practice.

Methods:

Ten otolaryngology journals with the highest 2011 impact factors were selected and publications from 2010 were extracted. From all medical journals, the 20 highest impact factor journals were selected, and publications related to otolaryngology for 2010 and 2011 were extracted. For all publications, the reporting quality and risk of bias were assessed.

Results:

The impact factor was 1.8–2.8 for otolaryngology journals and 6.0–101.8 for medical journals. Of 1500 otolaryngology journal articles, 262 were therapeutic studies; 94 had a high reporting quality and 5 a low risk of bias. Of 10 967 medical journal articles, 76 were therapeutic studies; 57 had a high reporting quality and 8 a low risk of bias.

Conclusion:

Reporting quality was high for 45 per cent of otolaryngology-related publications and 9 per cent met quality standards. General journals had higher impact factors than otolaryngology journals. Reporting quality was higher and risk of bias lower in general journals than in otolaryngology journals. Nevertheless, 76 per cent of articles in high impact factor journals carried a high risk of bias. Better reported and designed studies are the goal, with less risk of bias, especially in otolaryngology journals.
The socio-cultural benefits and costs of the traditional hunting of dugongsDugong dugonand green turtlesChelonia mydasin Torres Strait, Australia
Authors: Delisle Aurélie , Kiatkoski Kim Milena , Stoeckl Natalie , Watkin Lui Felecia , Marsh Helene
Published: December 2017

Signatory states of the Convention on Biological Diversity must ‘protect and encourage the customary use of biological resources in accordance with traditional cultural practices that are compatible with conservation or sustainable use requirements’. Thus the management of traditional hunting of wildlife must balance the sustainability of target species with the benefits of hunting to traditional communities. Conservation policies usually define the values associated with wild meats in terms of income and nutrition, neglecting a wide range of social and cultural values that are important to traditional hunting communities. We elicited the community-defined benefits and costs associated with the traditional hunting of dugongsDugong dugonand green turtlesChelonia mydasfrom communities on two islands in Torres Strait, Australia. We then used cognitive mapping and multidimensional scaling to identify separable groups of benefits (cultural services, provisioning services, and individual benefits) and demonstrate that traditional owners consider the cultural services associated with traditional hunting to be significantly more important than the provisioning services. Understanding these cultural values can inform management actions in accordance with the Convention on Biological Diversity. If communities are unable to hunt, important cultural benefits are foregone. Based on our results, we question the appropriateness of conservation actions focused on prohibiting hunting and providing monetary compensation for the loss of provisioning services only.
De novo synthesis of thiamine (vitamin B1) is the ancestral state in Plasmodium parasites – evidence from avian haemosporidians
Authors: Hellgren Olof , Bensch Staffan , Videvall Elin
Published: December 2017

Parasites often have reduced genomes as their own genes become redundant when utilizing their host as a source of metabolites, thus losing their own de novo production of metabolites. Primate malaria parasites can synthesize vitamin B1 (thiamine) de novo but rodent malaria and other genome-sequenced apicomplexans cannot, as the three essential genes responsible for this pathway are absent in their genomes. The unique presence of functional thiamine synthesis genes in primate malaria parasites and their sequence similarities to bacterial orthologues, have led to speculations that this pathway was horizontally acquired from bacteria. Here we show that the genes essential for the de novo synthesis of thiamine are found also in avian Plasmodium species. Importantly, they are also present in species phylogenetically basal to all mammalian and avian Plasmodium parasites, i.e. Haemoproteus. Furthermore, we found that these genes are expressed during the blood stage of the avian malaria infection, indicating that this metabolic pathway is actively transcribed. We conclude that the ability to synthesize thiamine is widespread among haemosporidians, with a recent loss in the rodent malaria species.
Generational (dis)agreements – family support, national law and older immigrants in extended households
Authors: LIVERSAGE ANIKA
Published: December 2017

As detailed knowledge on multigenerational migrant families is sparse, this paper draws on quantitative and qualitative data to investigate intergenerational co-residence for older Turkish immigrants in Denmark. Registry data show that 23 per cent of Turkish immigrants in the 65–74 years age group live in intergenerational households – a level halfway between levels in Denmark and Turkey. These extended households are predominantly of the ‘culturally ideal’ type – formed by sons, sons’ wives and often the couple's children. One in five extended households, however, includes unwed sons and hence do not provide access to the labour power of daughters-in-law. Many factors seem to contribute to the observed pattern, including variable meanings of intergenerational co-habitation, high levels of poverty and limited housing options for extended families. Interviews with older Turkish immigrants point to another contributing factor, namely men's difficulties finding wives willing to live with parents-in-law. The sons’ hardships in this regard can be tied to a Danish immigration regime that bars marriage migrants from entering into extended households. While Turkish women raised in Denmark do not face such legal restrictions, such young women may reject marriage proposals entailing in-law co-habitation. The study thus adds new nuances to our understanding of how the dynamics of age, gender and immigration experience may shape the ways in which older immigrants live in Europe today.
Military Migrants: Luxembourgers in the Colonial Army of the Dutch East Indies
Authors: Bosma Ulbe , Kolnberger Thomas
Published: December 2017

Among the roughly 150,000 soldiers sent to the Dutch East Indies between 1815 and 1914, the Luxembourg contingent made up a tiny minority of just 1,075 men. Based upon extensive research into their careers, data on these soldiers provide further clues to understanding what drove Europe’s young men to become colonial soldiers. The results of this national case study will be compared with earlier investigations by Bossenbroek and Bosma on recruits for the Dutch colonial army. Similar to the Dutch soldiers, their Luxembourg counterparts had a predominantly urban provenance. However, in contrast to the Dutch, they did not have a strong military background, and it appears that fewer Luxembourgers stayed behind in the Dutch East Indies after their tour of duty. They were more attracted by the payments that the recruiters doled out in advance, particularly at a time of economic crisis, than in a career in the tropics.
The unwelcome houseguest: secondary household transmission of norovirus
Authors: MARSH Z. A. , GRYTDAL S. P. , BEGGS J. C. , LESHEM E. , GASTAÑADUY P. A. , RHA B. , NYAKU M. , LOPMAN B. A. , HALL A. J.
Published: December 2017

Norovirus is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in the USA. Although secondary household transmission of norovirus is frequently reported in outbreaks, little is known about specific risk factors for susceptibility and infectiousness in the household. Three norovirus outbreaks were investigated and data were collected on individuals exposed in the primary outbreak setting and their household members. Potential individual- and household-level risk factors for susceptibility and infectiousness were assessed using univariate and multivariate generalised linear mixed models. In the univariate models, the secondary attack rate (SAR) was significantly higher when living in a household with two or more primary cases (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 2·1; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·37–3·29), more than one primary case with vomiting (IRR = 1·9; CI 1·11–3·37), and at least one primary case with diarrhoea (IRR = 3·0; CI 1·46–6·01). After controlling for other risk factors in the multivariate models, the SAR was significantly higher among those living in a household with two or more primary cases (adjusted IRR = 2·0; CI 1·17–3·47) and at least one primary case with diarrhoea (adjusted IRR = 2·8; CI 1·35–5·93). These findings underscore the importance of maintaining proper hygiene and isolating ill household members to prevent norovirus transmission in the household.
Self-Depersonalization and Ingroup Favoritism in Minimal Group Hierarchies
Authors: Iacoviello Vincenzo , Lorenzi-Cioldi Fabio
Published: December 2017

Abstract. Research suggests that members of low-status groups are more likely than members of high-status groups to show self-depersonalization and to favor ingroup members over outgroup members. The present research tests two alternative explanations of this status asymmetry: One explanation is based on the motive for achieving a positive social identity, and the other explanation is based on the willingness to cope with a social identity threat. Three minimal group experiments examine these two explanations. Supporting the identity motive explanation, the findings show that self-depersonalization (Studies 1–3) and ingroup favoritism (Study 3) are less prominent in the high-status group than in the low-status and the status-unspecified groups. Moreover, the results do not support the identity threat explanation because self-depersonalization and ingroup favoritism were not weaker in the low-status group than in the status-unspecified group.