bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimization of Quantum Dot Thin Films using Electrohydrodynamic Jet Spraying for Solution-Processed Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes
Authors: Nguyen Tuan Canh , Can Thi Thu Thuy , Choi Woon-Seop
Published: September 2019

The electrohydrodynamic (EHD) jet spraying process is a good method for making quantum dot (QD) layers in light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, controlling the morphology and large-scale fabrication of the QD layers are critical for realizing all-solution-processed QD-LEDs with high performance. Three spraying techniques were used with the EHD jet spraying technique: a big circular film method, a spiral-line method, and a straight-line method. These techniques were used to obtain QD films with good uniformity. The straight-line spray showed the most promise to obtain a uniform QD layer with large area, and QD-LEDs made with this method showed better performance with a low turn-on voltage of 3.0 V, a luminance of 7801 cd/m2, and a maximum current efficiency of 2.93 cd/A.
Electrochemical live monitoring of tumor cell migration out of micro-tumors on an innovative multiwell high-dense microelectrode array
Authors: Jahnke Heinz-Georg , Mewes Agneta , Zitzmann Franziska D. , Schmidt Sabine , Azendorf Ronny , Robitzki Andrea A.
Published: September 2019

Understanding of cell migration and spreading out of tumor tissue is of great interest concerning the mechanism and causes of tumor malignancy and metastases. Although there are methods available for studying cell migration on monolayer cell cultures like transwell assays, novel techniques for monitoring cell spreading out of 3D organoids or tumor tissue samples are highly required. In this context, we developed an innovative high-dense microelectrode array for impedimetric monitoring of cell migration from 3D tumor cultures. For a proof of concept, a strongly migrating breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231) and two malignant melanoma cell lines (T30.6.9, T12.8.10ZII) were used for generating viable micro-tumor models. The migration propensity was determined by impedimetric monitoring over 144 hours, correlated by microscopy and validated by transwell assays. The impedimetric analysis of covered electrodes and the relative impedance maximum values revealed extended information regarding the contribution of proliferative effects. More strikingly, using reference populations of mitomycin C treated spheroids where proliferation was suppressed, distinction of proliferation and migration was possible. Therefore, our high-dense microelectrode array based impedimetric migration monitoring has the capability for an automated quantitative analysis system that can be easily scaled up as well as integrated in lab on chip devices.
First flush of non-point source pollution and hydrological effects of LID in a Guangzhou community
Authors: Zeng Jiajun , Huang Guoru , Luo Haiwan , Mai Yepeng , Wu Haichun
Published: September 2019

To study the first flush effect of nonpoint source pollution in the Guangzhou community unit, runoff from roads, roofs, and green spaces during three rainfall events was collected and analyzed for pollutants. Nine runoff pollution indices were considered. The dimensionless cumulative curve of pollutant mass vs. volume, the first flush coefficient (b) and the mass first flush ratio (MFFn) were used to assess the first flush effect of different underlying surfaces. The assessment results pointed out that the roof was most prone to first flush effect. And ammonia nitrogen and phosphorus were the main pollutants in the first flush in the study area. For a quantitative analysis of the first flush, the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) was used to simulate the hydrological effect of low impact development (LID) implementation in the community. The results showed that the first flush strength was reduced after setting LID. And LID measures, such as green roofs and sunken green spaces, contribute to flood control and rainwater purification. This research can be relevant regarding for constructing sponge cities and reducing the pollution caused by the first flush.
Application of quantitative spectral deconvolution 1H NMR (qsd-NMR) in the simultaneous quantitative determination of creatinine and metformin in human urine
Authors: Maulidiani Maulidiani , Abas Faridah , Rudiyanto Rudiyanto , Hafiz Abdullah Nik Mohd , Azlan Azrina , Lajis Nordin H.
Published: September 2019

Quantitative spectral deconvolution 1H NMR (qsd-NMR) has been used to determine residual creatinine and metformin in human urine.
Application of a novel endocrine disruptor bisphenol A electrochemical sensor based on analogous heterostructure characteristics of La-doped Yb2O3 nanomaterials
Authors: Wang Xiaojiao , Li Yang , Zhou Yuanzhen , He Yijia
Published: September 2019

The defect-abundant and smaller size of 3 wt% La–Yb2O3 nanocrystal increased the density of electron transport tunnels and exhibited a stronger electrochemical response for BPA.
Hyperspectral images: a qualitative approach to evaluate the chemical profile distribution of Ca, K, Mg, Na and P in edible seeds employing laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy
Authors: Gamela Raimundo R. , Sperança Marco A. , Andrade Daniel F. , Pereira-Filho Edenir R.
Published: September 2019

Hyperspectral images obtained using LIBS for edible seeds evaluation of chemical profile.
Correction: Thermodynamics, kinetics and electronic properties of point defects in β-FeSi2
Authors: Chai Jun , Ming Chen , Du Xiaolong , Qiu Pengfei , Sun Yi-Yang , Chen Lidong
Published: September 2019

Correction for ‘Thermodynamics, kinetics and electronic properties of point defects in β-FeSi2’ by Jun Chai et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2019, 21, 10497–10504.
A zinc bromine “supercapattery” system combining triple functions of capacitive, pseudocapacitive and battery-type charge storage
Authors: Yu Feng , Zhang Chunmei , Wang Faxing , Gu Yangyang , Zhang Panpan , Waclawik Eric. R. , Du Aijun , Ostrikov Kostya (Ken) , Wang Hongxia
Published: September 2019

A dual-redox-additive-enhanced Zn–Br2 “supercapattery” is demonstrated with battery-level energy density and capacitor-level power density.
Effect of the number of arms on the mechanical properties of a star-shaped cyclic olefin copolymer
Authors: Kida Takumitsu , Tanaka Ryo , Nitta Koh-hei , Shiono Takeshi
Published: September 2019

The increase of aggregation number in a star-shaped cyclic olefin copolymer was succeeded by using a triazine-based secondary amine, which caused a drastic change in physical properties without changing the thermal properties.
Enzyme-mediated dynamic combinatorial chemistry allows out-of-equilibrium template-directed synthesis of macrocyclic oligosaccharides
Authors: Larsen Dennis , Beeren Sophie R.
Published: September 2019

Artificial templates can control out-of-equilibrium self-assembly in an enzyme-mediated dynamic system of cyclodextrins, even allowing access to products not selected in Nature.
Improved virtual synchronous generator with transient damping link and its seamless transfer control for cascaded H‐bridge multilevel converter‐based energy storage system
Authors: Li Xin , Chen Guozhu , Saqib Ali Muhammad
Published: September 2019

To improve the efficiency, power quality and reliability for large‐scale renewable energy sources (RESs), a transformerless energy storage system (ESS) based on cascaded H‐bridge converter (CHB) is presented in this study. Furthermore, the virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control is investigated to make ESS integrated to grid friendly. This study points out and discusses that the primary frequency regulation (PFR) of ESS will be deteriorated by the damping link in VSG due to the coupling problem, and to this end, the proposed virtual transient damping link (TDL) is introduced to simulate the transient and steady‐state characteristics of synchronous generators (SGs) accurately without affecting the frequency regulation of ESS. In addition, the small‐signal dynamic model of VSG with TDL is established, besides, the influence of VSG control parameters on system stability is analysed by the generalised root locus method and the parameters are quantitatively designed. Furthermore, a direct voltage‐phase discrimination‐based pre‐synchronising control strategy is proposed to realise the seamless transfer between islanded and grid‐connected modes for ESS. The simulation and 10 kW prototype experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategies and the theoretical analysis.
Characterizing the properties of daily precipitation concentration in Amur River Basin of northeast China
Authors: Wang Yousheng , Guan Jianzhao , Zhang Xiaoming , Du Pengfei , Zhang Lei , Luo Min
Published: September 2019

The Amur River Basin is one of the most sensitive areas to the effects of climate change. In this study, spatial and temporal analysis of concentration index over the Amur River Basin in northeast China was presented. Precipitation data from 71 meteorological stations for the time series 1980-2018 on daily scale was employed in the study. The results indicated that precipitation events of low-intensity accounted for 28.59 % of rainy days, however, the proportion of rain amount was 1.33 %. On the contrary, high-and very high-intensity events accounted for 40.34 % of rainy days and as high as 90.53 % of annual precipitation amount. Precipitation concentration explain the cause of why some regions are prone to be influenced by high intensity precipitation events, spatial distribution of different intensities can be partly interpreted by daily rainfall heterogeneity and regional geomorphology. Furthermore, a significant change toward a stronger precipitation concentration was demonstrated over some regions, and this need concern from the administration.
Electrocoagulation treatment of swine slaughterhouse wastewater: effect of electrode material
Authors: Cruz Kathlia D. , Francisco Janine Therese J. , Mellendrez Kristine Jhalene M. , Pineda Jermaine Marianne F.
Published: September 2019

A slaughterhouse is one of the main sources of wastes in meat establishments where animals are killed for consumption as food products. Slaughtering animal processing industries generate a large volume of wastewaters containing very high concentrations of organic matter. In this study, the effect of various electrode materials on the electrocoagulation efficiency was investigated for the treatment of swine slaughterhouse wastewater. These electrodes include pure aluminum (Al), pure iron (Fe) and combination of aluminum – iron (Al – Fe). The performance of these electrodes was investigated in terms of electrocoagulation time, COD removal, electrode consumption, and current density. Additional parameters were also checked before and after treatment such as conductivity, turbidity, BOD, oil and grease, TSS and settleable solids. All electrodes gave more than 90% COD removal however, the pure aluminum electrode is the most efficient (97% removal). It also gave the least electrode consumption. Furthermore, the most efficient current density and time were found to be 25mA/cm2 and 100 minutes respectively. Overall the electrocoagulation treatment of swine slaughterhouse wastewater was successful in terms of reduction of all the parameters considered.
Silicon Photo-Multipliers
Authors: Klanner Robert
Published: September 2019

The measurement of single or few photons with a time resolution of 1 ns or below is an experimental technique with many applications in research, medicine and industry. Until recently, vacuum photo-multipliers (PMTs) dominated this field. In the 1990s avalanche photo-diodes came into use, and in the last decade solid-state photo-multipliers (SSPMs) have replaced PMTs in many applications. In most cases early samples, not yet optimised for the specific application, have been used. In the meantime industry and research institutes have significantly improved the performance of SSPMs.
A Tribute to Lise Meitner (1878-1968)
Authors: Kubbinga Henk
Published: September 2019

Physics is irresistible. Though prepared to become a teacher of French at an Austrian highschool, Lise Meitner, daughter of a lawyer, could not help coming under the spell of physics. By lucky coincidence she followed courses dispensed by no one less than Ludwig Boltzmann, whose wit and humour proved contagious. After her PhD, under Franz Exner, she moved on, not to Paris to work with Marie Curie, but to Berlin, to consult with Max Planck on future contingencies. Before leaving for Berlin, however, she was introduced to ‘radioactivity’ by Stefan Meyer.
Power Generation with Biomass from Coffee: A Literature Review, Current Trend and Scope for Future Research
Authors: Rivera Josepth A. , Ortega-Jimenez Cesar H
Published: September 2019

This paper takes on the current R&D on the use of biomass from coffee for electric power. This comprehensive literature review aims to synthesize, organize and structure on topics related to the use of solid waste, such as coffee pulp and husk for boilers for power plants. Initial available literature shows new technologies being implemented to transform and improve processes to obtain and generate this type of renewable energy. Using a systematic review, such coffee solid waste is presented as a bioenergy alternative to the sustainability of coffee processing plants. The results show the strengths and weaknesses of its use for energy, which may have significant impact on coffee producing countries, as it is one of the most booming industries of the countries from the equatorial tropics. Despite a wide range of applications of such coffee waste, we have identified few studies on the application of pyrolysis from such biomass power generation. This first review of literature on the subject has both practical implications about the current trend of coffee biomass as a means for generating energy, as well as it can be a basis for the scope for future research on the implementation and sustainability in coffee producing regions.
Neuroendokrine Neoplasien im deutschen NET-Register
Authors: Maasberg Sebastian , Pape Ulrich-Frank , Fottner Christian , Goretzki Peter E. , Anlauf Martin , Hörsch Dieter , Cremer Birgit , Schulte Dominik M. , Quietzsch Detlef , Scheerer Frank , Pöpperl Gabriele , Poeppel Thorsten D. , Begum Nehara , Grohé Christian , Rinke Anja , Plöckinger Ursula , Wiedenmann Betram , Arnold Rudolf , Neuhaus Peter , Knapp Wolfram H. , Lehnert Hendrick , Auernhammer Christoph , Pavel Marianne , Weikersthal Ludwig Fischer von , Schmidt Bernd , Klein Harald H. , Essler Markus , Neumann Jörg-Dietrich , Hamann Susanne , Steffens Frank , Demtröder Frank , Kröcher Anke , Zoicas Flavius , Lahner Harald , Weber Frank , Geißler Michael , Raffel Andreas , Krausch Markus , Zimmermann Patrick , Lerch Markus M. , Wirth Thomas , Lang Matthias , Ezziddin Samer , Lammert Frank , Bischoff Marina , Altendorf-Hofmann Annelore , Müller Lothar , Hoffmeister Albrecht , Klose Silke , Musholt Thomas J. , Post Stefan , Gertler Ralf , Scheuerlein Hubert , Bergmann Tanja , Bisping Guido , Knauerhase Andreas , Rendenbach Bernhard , Groß Volker , Scheurlen Michael , Mönig Heiner , Kudlich Theodor , Grabowski Patricia , Musholt Thomas J. , Watza Felix , Scheidhauer Klemens , Möbius Elke
Published: September 2019

Neuroendokrine Neoplasien (NEN) umfassen eine seltene Tumorentität mit heterogener Biologie, Prognose und therapeutischen Optionen. In Zusammenhang mit der kürzlichen Publikation der ersten deutschen Leitlinie zur Diagnostik und Therapie von NEN erfolgte die Analyse der Kohorte des Deutschen NET-Registers der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Endokrinologie (DGE). Hierzu wurden 2686 Fälle extrahiert und ihre Patientencharakteristika wie Alter, Geschlecht, Primärtumorlokalisation, Grading und Staging dargestellt sowie das Gesamtüberleben berechnet. Zusätzlich wurden die systemischen Behandlungsstrategien in den beiden größten Untergruppen, NEN des Dünndarms und Pankreas, im Stadium der Metastasierung analysiert.

Die Verteilung der Primärtumoren, die histopathologische Charakterisierung, das Tumorstadium sowie das Gesamtüberleben waren vergleichbar mit den Ergebnissen internationaler Registerstudien. Somatostatinanaloga (SSA) und die Peptid-Rezeptor-Radionuklid-Therapie (PRRT) waren die häufigsten systemischen Therapieverfahren bei Dünndarm-NEN. Hingegen wurde eine Chemotherapie – in Übereinstimmung mit der neuen Leitlinie – vor allem bei pankreatischen NEN eingesetzt und kam in der Erstlinie in ähnlicher Frequenz wie die SSA-Therapie bzw. in der Zweitlinie ähnlich häufig wie eine PRRT zum Einsatz. Prognostisch relevante Parameter waren die WHO-Klassifikation 2010 und das TNM-Staging.

Die aktuelle Analyse des deutschen NET-Registers charakterisiert damit eine multizentrische, interdisziplinäre, deutschlandweite Kohorte von NEN-Patienten und beschreibt die angewendeten systemischen Therapieverfahren, das Gesamtüberleben und die prognostische Bedeutung der WHO-Klassifikation 2010 sowie des TNM-Stadiums.
Malignes Melanom
Authors: Krome Susanne
Published: September 2019

Die Pathogenese kutaner Melanome am Körperstamm und im Kopf-Hals-Bereich ist unterschiedlich. Bei Frauen treten maligne Melanome am häufigsten an den Unterschenkeln auf.
Wie Gemütssymptome entstehen
Authors: Frei Heiner
Published: September 2019

Die Neurowissenschaften haben lange versucht, das Gehirn im Hinblick darauf zu kartieren, bestimmte Gemütssymptome einer spezifischen anatomischen Region zuzuordnen. Das ist nicht gelungen. Stattdessen zeigen funktionelle MRI-Untersuchungen, dass identisch benannte Gemütssymptome in jeder Testperson unterschiedliche Teile des Gehirns aktivieren. Erklärt wird der Befund damit, dass nicht nur der Auslöser die Reaktion bestimmt, sondern spezifische Eigenheiten des Menschen, wie seine affektive Realität, konstruierte Konzepte und sein sozialer Hintergrund. – Für die Homöopathie bedeutet dies, dass es schwierig ist, eine Übereinstimmung zu erreichen zwischen den Gemütssymptomen eines Patienten und denjenigen, die ein Prüfer mit zeitlichem, oft auch geografischem und kulturellem Abstand in die Materia medica einbrachte. Hahnemanns und Bönninghausens Umgang mit Gemütssymptomen werden besprochen, und anhand eines Fallbeispiels wird gezeigt, wie deren Empfehlungen in der Polaritätsanalyse umgesetzt werden.
Scaffolding for cognitive and linguistic challenges in CLIL science assessments
Authors: Lo Yuen Yi , Lui Wai-mei , Wong Mona
Published: September 2019

In Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) programmes, students learn some non-language content subjects through a second/foreign language (L2), and their content knowledge is often assessed in their L2. It follows that students are likely to face challenges in both cognitive and linguistic aspects in assessments. Yet, there has been limited research exploring whether and how CLIL teachers help their students cope with those challenges. This multi-case study seeks to address this issue by investigating the instructional and assessment practices of two science teachers in Hong Kong secondary schools. The two teachers presented an interesting contrast – one teacher incorporated both implicit and explicit language instruction in her lessons, so her students were well prepared for the assessment tasks; the other teacher’s instructional and assessment practices were heavily content-oriented, and it is not sure whether students mastered both content and L2. These findings illuminate CLIL pedagogy and teacher education.
Exploring register variation on Reddit
Authors: Liimatta Aatu
Published: September 2019

While the language of the internet has been an increasingly popular research topic, there remain many understudied areas and topics which deserve more attention. This study explores register variation within the social media website Reddit using the multi-dimensional approach developed by Douglas Biber. Reddit, the third most popular English-language social media website after the giants Facebook and Twitter, is made up of thousands of user-created ‘subreddits’, subcommunities centered around different topics, where users make posts and comment on them. Many different communities and topic areas under one roof makes Reddit a particularly fruitful source of research material. In this paper, three register dimensions are extracted from data collected over one month from a group of thirty-seven subreddits: ‘On-line Subjective Production’, ‘Informational Style’ and ‘Instructional Focus’. These dimensions describe register variation within Reddit in meaningful ways. They are also in line with suggested register universals (Biber 2014).
Relationship of tongue coating microbiome on volatile sulfur compounds in healthy and halitosis adults
Authors: Ye Wei , Zhang Yu , He Mei , Zhu Ce , Feng Xi-Ping
Published: September 2019

Aim: This study aims to assess the microbiome variations related to intraoral halitosis and its relationship with volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) among periodontally healthy Chinese adults. Material and methods: Tongue coating samples were collected from 28 periodontally healthy subjects (16 subjects with halitosis and 12 subjects without halitosis) who fulfilled the selection criteria. The organoleptic score (OS) was used to evaluate the halitosis status. The characterization of associated microbial communities was performed using 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing and metagenomics methods. Results: A wide range of microbial communities, including 13 phyla, 23 classes, 37 orders, 134 genera, 266 species and 349 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), were detected. The Shannon index values were significantly higher in the halitosis group. Genera, such as Prevotella, Alloprevotella, Leptotrichia, Peptostreptococcus and Stomatobaculum, exhibited significantly higher relative percentages in halitosis samples, when compared to healthy samples. Peptostreptococcus, Alloprevotella, Eubacterium nodatum and Stomatobaculum exhibited significantly positive correlations with the total number of VSCs. Prevotella, Peptostreptococcus, Eubacterium nodatum and Alloprevotella were correlated with increased H2S and CH3SH concentration values. Bergeyella was correlated with decreased total VSC, H2S and CH3SH concentration values. Conclusion: Microbial diversity was higher in the halitosis group than in the control group, and several bacteria were significantly correlated to halitosis. Furthermore, there were correlations between tongue bacterial composition structure and VSC gases. Tongue coating microbiota can offer important clues in the investigation of the pathogenesis and treatment of halitosis.
A gene regulatory network for Müllerian duct regression
Authors: Moses Malcolm M , Behringer Richard R
Published: September 2019

Mammalian embryos initially develop progenitor tissues for both male and female reproductive tract organs, known as the Wolffian ducts and the Müllerian ducts, respectively. Ultimately, each individual develops a single set of male or female reproductive tract organs. Therefore, an essential step for sex differentiation is the regression of one duct and growth and differentiation of the other duct. In males, this requires Müllerian duct regression and Wolffian duct growth and differentiation. Müllerian duct regression is induced by the expression of Amh, encoding anti-Müllerian hormone, from the fetal testes. Subsequently, receptor-mediated signal transduction in mesenchymal cells surrounding the Müllerian duct epithelium leads to duct elimination. The genes that induce Amh transcription and the downstream signaling that results from Amh activity form a pathway. However, the molecular details of this pathway are currently unknown. A set of essential genes for AMH pathway function has been identified. More recently, transcriptome analysis of male and female Müllerian duct mesenchyme at an initial stage of regression has identified new genes that may mediate elimination of the Müllerian system. The evidence taken together can be used to generate an initial gene regulatory network describing the Amh pathway for Müllerian duct regression. An Amh gene regulatory network will be a useful tool to study Müllerian duct regression, sex differentiation, and its relationship to environmental influences.
Angevin Dynasty
Authors: Turner Ralph V.
Published: September 2019

The Angevin dynasty in England followed the Anglo-Norman kings, who had ruled since the Norman Conquest in 1066. Henry II, the first Angevin king (r. 1154–1189), was the son of Matilda, daughter and heir of Henry I, and her second husband, Geoffrey le Bel or Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou. Henry II was the first Plantagenet king of England, although he and his two sons, Richard I, the Lionhearted (r. 1189–1199), and John (r. 1199–1216) are often termed the Angevin dynasty. The term Plantagenet is usually limited to Edward I (r. 1272–1307) and his successors down to 1485. Henry II assumed the English crown after a civil war that followed the 1135 death of Henry I, who left his daughter, Matilda, as heir. Stephen of Blois, Henry I’s nephew, challenged her right and seized power. In 1139 she came to England to fight for her inheritance until her son Henry was old enough to take charge; and her husband, Geoffrey le Bel, Count of Anjou, invaded Normandy. Henry reached agreement in 1153 with King Stephen, who recognized him as his heir; and on Stephen’s death, Henry was crowned king. He was already Count of Anjou, Maine, and Touraine, and Duke of Normandy, conquered by his father. On Henry’s marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1152, he became Duke of Aquitaine, extending Angevin control over all southwestern France. Henry’s collection of lands on both sides of the English Channel had no name, but they are often termed the “Angevin Empire.” His and his sons’ rule over their French lands was complicated by the French monarch’s position as their lord. French efforts to weaken and divide the Angevins’ continental lands dominated politics, and by the time of Philip II, France was a greater threat, as his power rose to equal Angevin power. Henry’s “empire” was in many ways simply an expansion of the Anglo-Norman realm. England continued to experience close ties to the continent, and to French culture and a strengthening of its central government. England and Normandy were the most strongly governed and the richest of all the Angevin rulers’ territories, and they needed its revenues for wars to maintain control their other possessions, resulting in innovations to strengthen royal money-raising. Fiscal demands on the baronage reached a high point with Richard Lionheart’s crusade and wars with the French king that continued under King John, when such policies led to rebellion and Magna Carta in 1215.
Female Slave Owners
Authors: Walker Christine
Published: September 2019

While scholarship on female slave ownership in the Atlantic world pales in comparison with the extensive literature on men’s activities as slaveholders, recent work on the topic has transformed our understanding of who the “typical” slaveholder was, and in turn, how European imperial regimes perpetuated chattel slavery throughout the Americas. Rather than being marginalized or passive, women acted as key agents of colonialism and chattel slavery. They actively participated as buyers and sellers of human beings in local and Atlantic markets; they managed, coerced, and abused enslaved people; and they derived material wealth and social capital from their participation in slavery. The women who acted as slave owners comprised a remarkably diverse group. Christian and Jewish women who migrated to the Americas readily participated in slavery. Women of African, Euro-African, and Amerindian descent living throughout the Atlantic basin were slave owners. Even women who had spent part of their own lives in bondage acquired captives. There were, of course, regional and chronological variations which shaped a woman’s ability to procure slaves, and more work needs to be done which investigates these differences. We still know relatively little about how status, ethnicity, race, and religion shaped female slaveholding patterns in various parts of the Atlantic world. This bibliography has been organized geographically rather than thematically or chronologically, which is a reflection of the relative paucity of literature on the subject. However, geographic boundaries themselves were porous and contested during the era of Atlantic slavery, and female slave owners moved within and between imperial zones—another subject which is in need of further study. The formal abolition of the slave trade with Africa by European empires and the United States in the early 19th century forms the rough chronological end point for this bibliography (Britain, 1807; United States, 1808; Portugal, 1810; Sweden, 1813; France, 1814; Netherlands, 1814; Spain, 1820). The abolition of the slave trade, of course, did not end slavery in the Americas, nor did it limit women’s engagement in slaveholding. However, the abolition of the slave trade officially constricted the Atlantic dimensions of the trade, and hence, the transportation of African captives to the Americas. Female slave owners continued to benefit from unfree labor until, and even after, the abolition of slavery, which occurred at various points in time in different nations and colonies. Female slave owners living in the British empire, for instance, received monetary compensation in return for emancipating their captives. More regional needs to be done which investigates both the differences and similarities in patterns of female slaveholding across imperial and national boundaries. Likewise, we need to understand how the abolition of the slave trade and then the abolition of slavery influenced the lives and the fortunes of female slave owners living throughout the Atlantic world.
William Gibson
Authors: Nilges Mathias
Published: September 2019

Canadian-American author William Gibson was born on 17 March 1948, in Conway, South Carolina. In 1968, Gibson moved to Toronto, Canada, to join the emerging counter-cultural scene in Toronto’s Yorkville neighborhood. In 1977, Gibson graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in English literature. In the same year, Gibson published his first work of fiction, the short story “Fragments of a Hologram Rose.” In the early 1980s, Gibson published a series of short stories, including “The Gernsback Continuum” (1981) and “Burning Chrome” (1982). These and other stories, which were integral to Gibson’s development of a cyberpunk aesthetic, were collected in the volume Burning Chrome (1986). Gibson is most well-known for his debut novel, Neuromancer (1984), which achieved global success and established him as one of the pioneers of the cyberpunk genre. Gibson followed Neuromancer with two sequels, Count Zero (1986) and Mona Lisa Overdrive (1988). Together, these novels form the first of Gibson’s three trilogies, the Sprawl Trilogy. In 1992, in collaboration with Bruce Sterling, Gibson published the novel The Difference Engine, a central work of the steampunk genre. Throughout the 1990s, Gibson published his second cyberpunk trilogy, the Bridge Trilogy, which is comprised of the novels Virtual Light (1993), Idoru (1996), and All Tomorrow’s Parties (1999). The 1990s were a decade of notable artistic activity for Gibson. In addition to his novels, Gibson wrote screenplays and teleplays, published a wide range of nonfiction essays, and collaborated with artists and publishers. The early 2000s marked a turning point of sorts in Gibson’s work and saw a new stage in the engagement with the relation between genre and history in Gibson’s oeuvre that culminates in his most recent works, the 2014 novel The Peripheral and the 2016–2017 comic book run Archangel. His 2003 novel Pattern Recognition sparked a wave of critical and public discussions of Gibson’s work. Gibson’s turn to literary realism raised the question of his continued connection to cyberpunk: Had he abandoned the genre that he helped establish, or did Gibson’s novel show that cyberpunk no longer designates a near future but rather the globalized present? Gibson’s third trilogy, the Blue Ant Trilogy, consisting of Pattern Recognition, Spook Country (2007), and Zero History (2010), traces the logic of the globalized, branded, digital world in which we live, deploying some of the trademark strategies of cyberpunk to examine the present.
Evolutionarily Stable Strategies
Authors: Breed Michael D.
Published: September 2019

Evolutionarily stable strategies (ESS) are phenotypes that persist in populations over evolutionary time and cannot be replaced by invading strategies. Cases in which alternative strategies coexist stand as being of particular interest. Evolutionary biologists were introduced to the concept of ESS through the efforts of John Maynard Smith and George R. Price, whose work remains the keystone expression of this concept. Maynard Smith and Price dealt with animal conflicts, in which combatants may have differing strategies and physical abilities. The stability of evolutionary strategies is often analyzed using the tools of game theory, which allows determination of the persistence of strategies when played against one another. Game theory also opens the door to assessing the potential success of novel strategies upon introduction into a population. ESS often coincide with the Nash equilibrium, a game theory concept that describes conditions under which cognitively aware players in a game cannot gain by changing their individual strategy. In addition to animal conflict, analyses of ESS have been applied in a wide variety of evolutionary contexts and indeed are applicable whenever alternative heritable phenotypes are present. One possibility is that ESS occur as alternative genotypes within populations and thus should be analyzed using population-genetic approaches. ESS can also be conditionally expressed by individuals, depending on environmental and social context. This second option also requires a genotypic basis for strategies but allows for more strategical complexity through responses that may shift over developmental time or with experience. Interspecific interactions are an additional context for ESS, in which ESS drive evolutionary arms races between predators and prey or hosts and diseases or parasites. Maynard Smith and Price built on a conceptual framework in evolutionary ecology developed by William D. Hamilton in studies of kin selection, sex ratios, and herding behavior, and by Geoff Parker, working on sperm competition. ESS offer convenient latticework for thinking about many ecological and evolutionary trade-offs in which organisms balance costs and benefits of potential strategic choices in development and behavior, either in within-generation decision-making or between-generation evolution.
Responses of Leaf Cuticles to Rice Blast: Detection and Identification Using Depth-Profiling Fourier Transform Mid-Infrared Photoacoustic Spectroscopy
Authors: Gaoqiang Lv , Changwen Du , Fei Ma , Yazhen Shen , Jianmin Zhou
Published: September 2019

Cuticle is the first barrier for rice to resist blast fungus on the surface of the leaf. Studies on how the rice leaf cuticle responds to rice blast and attempts to perform early detection of rice blast are limited, and these two issues were explored in this study via depth-profiling Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS). Rice leaves with four different scales of injury (healthy leaves as CK, asymptomatic leaves from mildly diseased seedlings as S1, infected leaves with fewer than five lesions as S2, and infected leaves with more than 10 lesions as S3) were scanned by three moving mirror velocities 0.32, 0.47, and 0.63 cm/s for the depth profiling of the rice leaf surface. The response patterns were acquired via chemometrics to analyze the variations of the chemical group absorptions in the different layers of a sample and in the same layer between different samples. Results showed that the leaf cuticle tended to be thicker and the relative content of fatty alcohols and cutin, unsaturated compounds, and aromatics in the cuticle increased when rice seedlings were infected by blast fungus. Together with the principal component analysis, the probabilistic neural network was applied to identify the samples in early stages (CK and S1), which reached an accuracy of 90% for the samples in the greenhouse and 82% for the samples in the field. Thus, depth-profiling FTIR-PAS was good at analyzing the variation in cuticle layers and showed great potential in the early detection of rice blast or other diseases in different species.
African Basil (Ocimum gratissimum) Is a Reservoir of Divergent Begomoviruses in Uganda
Authors: Mollel Happyness G. , Ndunguru Joseph , Sseruwagi Peter , Alicai Titus , Colvin John , Navas-Castillo Jesús , Fiallo-Olivé Elvira
Published: September 2019

Begomoviruses are plant viruses that cause major losses to many economically important crops. Although they are poorly understood, begomoviruses infecting wild plants may have an important role as reservoirs in the epidemiology of viral diseases. This study reports the discovery and genomic characterization of three novel bipartite begomoviruses from wild and cultivated African basil (Ocimum gratissimum) plants collected in Uganda, East Africa. Based on the symptoms shown by the infected plants, the names proposed for these viruses are Ocimum yellow vein virus (OcYVV), Ocimum mosaic virus (OcMV), and Ocimum golden mosaic virus (OcGMV). Genome and phylogenetic analyses suggest that DNA-A of OcGMV is mostly related to begomoviruses infecting tomato in Africa, whereas those of OcYVV and OcMV are closely related to one another and highly divergent within the Old World begomoviruses. The DNA-A of all characterized begomovirus isolates are of a recombinant nature, revealing the role of recombination in the evolution of these begomoviruses. The viruses characterized here are the first identified in O. gratissimum and the first in Ocimum spp. in the African continent and could have important epidemiological consequences for cultivated basils and other important crops.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license .
Improved Accuracy of Cervical Spinal Surgery With Robot-Assisted Screw Insertion
Authors: Fan Mingxing , Liu Yajun , He Da , Han Xiaoguang , Zhao Jingwei , Duan Fangfang , Liu Bo , Tian Wei
Published: September 2019

Study Design.

Prospective, randomized, controlled trial.

Objective.

To compare robot-assisted and conventional implantation techniques by evaluating the accuracy and safety of implanting screws in cervical vertebrae.

Summary of Background Data.

Cervical spinal surgery is difficult and dangerous as screw misplacement might lead not only to decreased stability but also neurological, vascular, and visceral injuries. A new robot-assisted surgical procedure has been introduced to improve the accuracy of implant screw positioning.

Methods.

We randomly assigned 135 patients with newly diagnosed cervical spinal disease and who required screw fixation using either robot-assisted or conventional fluoroscopy-assisted cervical spinal surgery. The primary outcomes were the discrepancies between the planned trajectories and the actual screw positions.

Results.

Altogether, 127 patients underwent the assigned intervention (61 robot-assisted and 66 conventional fluoroscopy-assisted). The baseline characteristics including the screw types, were similar in the two groups. Altogether, 390 screws were planed and placed in the cervical vertebrae, and 94.9% were acceptable. The robot-assisted group had a better screw placement accuracy than the conventional fluoroscopy-assisted group with associated P values <0.001 (0.83 [0.44, 1.29] vs. 1.79 [1.41, 2.50] mm). The Gertzbein and Robbins scales also showed a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the robot-assisted group experienced significantly less blood loss during surgery than the conventional fluoroscopy-assisted group (200 [50, 375] vs. 350 [100, 500] mL; P = 0.002) and shorter length of stay after surgery (P = 0.021). These two groups did not differ significantly regarding the duration of the operation (P = 0.525). Neurological injury occurred in one case in the conventional fluoroscopy-assisted group.

Conclusion.

The accuracy and clinical outcomes of cervical spinal surgery using the robot-assisted technique tended to be superior to those with the conventional fluoroscopy-assisted technique in this prospective, randomized, controlled trial.

Level of Evidence: 2
Applicability of Routine Targeted Next-generation Sequencing to Estimate Tumor Mutational Burden (TMB) in Patients Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy
Authors: Pinato David J. , Urus Heather , Newsom-Davis Thomas , Du Parcq Persephone , Belessiotis Katherine , Mapara Leah , Gupta Nandita , Power Danielle , Weir Justin , Wong Ching Ngar , Ratnakumaran Ragu P. , Dominy Kathy , Khorashad Jamshid , Bower Mark
Published: September 2019

It remains unclear whether targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) conveys a reliable estimate of tumor mutational burden (TMB). We sequenced 79 archival samples of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) recipients (57% lung cancer, 43% melanoma) using Ion Ampliseq Cancer Hotspot Panel. Employing multiple cutoff values, we verified that TMB by tNGS did not correlate with response or survival following ICPI. We found enrichment of ATM mutations in ICPI-refractory tumors (P=0.01) to correlate with worse survival (4.2 vs. 10 mo, P=0.03). Limited-coverage tNGS delivers an imprecise estimate of patients’ TMB but may aid identification of candidate somatic variants of predictive/prognostic significance.
The ambiguity of sciatica as a clinical diagnosis: A case series
Authors: Troutner Alyssa M. , Battaglia Patrick J.
Published: September 2019

Sciatica as a clinical diagnosis is nonspecific. A diagnosis of sciatica is typically used as a synonym for lumbosacral radiculopathy. However, the differential for combined low back and leg pain is broad, and the etiology can be one several different conditions. The lifetime prevalence of sciatica ranges from 12.2% to 43%, and nonsuccessful outcomes of treatment are prevalent. Nurse practitioners and other primary care clinicians often have minimal training in differential diagnosis of the complex causes of lower back and leg pain, and many lack adequate time per patient encounter to work up these conditions. Differentiating causes of low back and leg pain proves challenging, and inadequate or incomplete diagnoses result in suboptimal outcomes. Chiropractic care availability may lessen demands of primary care with respect to spinal complaints, while simultaneously improving patient outcomes. The authors describe three patients referred from primary care with a clinical diagnosis of sciatica despite differing underlying pathologies. More precise clinical terminology should be used when diagnosing patients with combined low back and leg pain. Nurse practitioners and other clinicians' triage, treat, and determine appropriate referrals for low back and leg pain. Multidisciplinary care including chiropractic may add value in settings where patients with lower back and leg pain are treated.
Developing advanced practice nurse writing competencies as a corequisite for evidence-based practice
Authors: Rohan Annie , Fullerton Judith
Published: September 2019

Writing competency is increasingly recognized as imperative for advanced practice nurses (APNs) who are engaged in evidence-based practice (EBP). Writing skills are an implied expectation inherent in many APN evidence-based practice competencies, such as “formulating evidence based policies and procedures,” and “communicates best evidence ….” A quality improvement project was implemented for APN's within a post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice program, to create a novel set of low-cost, high-impact strategies that could be embedded into a program of study to improve APN writing skills. Prior work has indicated that mentorship and peer support are useful strategies that can contribute to the enhancement of APN writing skills. This study builds on prior work to develop a quantitative evaluation of a peer-supported writing intervention for APNs. Read Aloud innovation was one of two strategies chosen from among many writing improvement strategies identified in the literature because of easy implementation, even by faculty who lacked confidence in providing traditional writing instruction. If explicit development of writing competencies is not elevated to a higher priority in APN education, suboptimal writing confidence is likely to continue across the professional lifetime and will present as a recurring challenge for APNs who pursue higher educational degrees, transition into faculty roles, or seek to fully develop APN EBP competencies. Findings from this study indicate that feedback received from peers during the structured Read Aloud innovation, with emphasis on hierarchy of paragraph sentences (i.e., explicit examination for overarching quality of the leading sentence), is effective in improving clarity and brevity of writing among APNs.
Higher anti-tumor necrosis factor levels are associated with perianal fistula healing and fistula closure in Crohn’s disease
Authors: Plevris Nikolas , Jenkinson Philip W. , Arnott Ian D. , Jones Gareth R. , Lees Charlie W.
Published: September 2019

Objective

Limited data are available regarding the relationship between anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) drug/antibody levels and perianal fistula outcomes in Crohn’s disease. The aims of this study were to assess the relationship between maintenance anti-TNF levels and perianal fistula outcomes.

Methods

This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of patients receiving maintenance adalimumab or infliximab therapy (minimum 24 weeks) for the treatment of Crohn’s disease with associated perianal fistulas, who had anti-TNF drug/antibody levels (trough for infliximab) measured within 4 weeks of clinical assessment. The primary outcome was the association of anti-TNF levels with perianal fistula healing defined as the absence of drainage. The secondary outcome was the association of anti-TNF levels with complete perianal fistula closure.

Results

A total of 64 patients (adalimumab, n = 35; infliximab, n = 29) were included. Patients with fistula healing had higher levels of anti-TNF vs. those without fistula healing (adalimumab: 12.6 vs. 2.7 μg/mL, P < 0.01; infliximab: 8.1 vs. 3.2 μg/mL, P < 0.01). Patients with fistula closure also had significantly higher anti-TNF levels vs. those without fistula closure (adalimumab: 14.8 vs. 5.7 μg/mL, P < 0.01; infliximab: 8.2 vs. 3.2 μg/mL, P < 0.01). For adalimumab, receiver operator characteristic analysis identified an optimum level of >6.8 μg/mL and >9.8 μg/mL for fistula healing and closure, respectively. For infliximab, receiver operator characteristic analysis identified an optimum trough level of >7.1 μg/mL for both fistula healing and closure.

Conclusion

Higher maintenance anti-TNF levels are associated with perianal fistula healing and closure in Crohn’s disease.