bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical and molecular insights into adenoid cystic carcinoma: Neural crest‐like stemness as a target
Authors: Yarbrough Wendell G. , Panaccione Alexander , Chang Michael T. , Ivanov Sergey V.
Published: August 2016

Objectives

This review surveys trialed therapies and molecular defects in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), with an emphasis on neural crest‐like stemness characteristics of newly discovered cancer stem cells (CSCs) and therapies that may target these CSCs.

Data Sources

Articles available on Pubmed or OVID MEDLINE databases and unpublished data.

Review Methods

Systematic review of articles pertaining to ACC and neural crest‐like stem cells.

Results

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary gland is a slowly growing but relentless cancer that is prone to nerve invasion and metastases. A lack of understanding of molecular etiology and absence of targetable drivers has limited therapy for patients with ACC to surgery and radiation. Currently, no curative treatments are available for patients with metastatic disease, which highlights the need for effective new therapies. Research in this area has been inhibited by the lack of validated cell lines and a paucity of clinically useful markers. The ACC research environment has recently improved, thanks to the introduction of novel tools, technologies, approaches, and models. Improved understanding of ACC suggests that neural crest‐like stemness is a major target in this rare tumor. New cell culture techniques and patient‐derived xenografts provide tools for preclinical testing.

Conclusion

Preclinical research has not identified effective targets in ACC, as confirmed by the large number of failed clinical trials. New molecular data suggest that drivers of neural crest‐like stemness may be required for maintenance of ACC; as such, CSCs are a target for therapy of ACC.
Quantum dot materials for terahertz generation applications
Authors: Leyman Ross R. , Gorodetsky Andrei , Bazieva Natalia , Molis Gediminas , Krotkus Arūnas , Clarke Edmund , Rafailov Edik U.
Published: August 2016

Compact and tunable semiconductor terahertz sources providing direct electrical control, efficient operation at room temperatures and device integration opportunities are of great interest at the present time. One of the most well‐established techniques for terahertz generation utilises photoconductive antennas driven by ultrafast pulsed or dual‐wavelength continuous wave laser systems, though some limitations, such as confined optical wavelength pumping range and thermal breakdown, still exist. The use of quantum dot‐based semiconductor materials, having unique carrier dynamics and material properties, can help to overcome limitations and enable efficient optical‐to‐terahertz signal conversion at room temperatures. Here we discuss the construction of novel and versatile terahertz transceiver systems based on quantum dot semiconductor devices. Configurable, energy‐dependent optical and electronic characteristics of quantum‐dot‐based semiconductors are described, and the resonant response to optical pump wavelength is revealed. Terahertz signal generation and detection at energies that resonantly excite only the implanted quantum dots opens the potential for using compact quantum dot‐based semiconductor lasers as pump sources. Proof‐of‐concept experiments are demonstrated here that show quantum dot‐based samples to have higher optical pump damage thresholds and reduced carrier lifetime with increasing pump power.

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Identification of design related distortion of gear base bodies by finite element computations
Authors: Surm H. , Hunkel M. , Lübben T.
Published: August 2016

The effect of design related distortion of gear base bodies was investigated by finite element analysis. Local size and shape alterations due to a case hardening process were compared with corresponding experimental results. Possible reasons for the deviations between experiment and calculation were identified by exemplary sensitivity analysis of material and process parameters. Future measures were discussed for improvement of the calculation results. According to the current level of computation the identification of design related distortion of gear base bodies by finite element analysis is associated with a certain degree of uncertainty.
Analysis of the distortion and compensation potential in grind‐hardening of linear guides
Authors: Sölter J. , Eckebrecht J. , Kolkwitz B. , Heinzel C.
Published: August 2016

In grind‐hardening the heat generated by a grinding process is utilized for a surface layer hardening of steel workpieces. In the present work the causes of distortion and its possible compensation were analyzed for single‐side and double‐sided grind‐hardened prismatic workpieces made of 90MnCrV8 (AISI O2). The results show that an increase of the feed speed reduces the resulting martensitic surface layer thickness whereas the influence of the residual tensile stresses on the workpiece distortion increases. Also, shape changes caused in single‐side grind‐hardening significantly depend on the shape deviations prior to grind‐hardening. Moreover, it was not possible to compensate workpiece distortion by a subsequent grind‐hardening of opposite sides of the workpiece although the same grinding parameters were used. It is assumed that the stresses state of the clamped workpieces supports the generation of residual tensile stresses and/or reduces the generation of residual compressive stresses in the martensitic surface layer.
Multiplicity of positive solutions to boundary blow‐up problem with variable exponent and sign‐changing weights
Authors: Ji Juping , Li Bo , Zhang Guanghui
Published: August 2016

In this paper, we consider the elliptic boundary blow‐up problem

urn:x-wiley:mma:media:mma4119:mma4119-math-0001
where Ω is a bounded smooth domain of
are positive continuous functions supported in disjoint subdomains Ω+,Ω− of Ω, respectively, a+ vanishes on the boundary of
satisfies p(x)≥1 in Ω,p(x) > 1 on ∂Ω and
, and ε is a parameter. We show that there exists ε∗>0 such that no positive solutions exist when ε > ε∗, while a minimal positive solution uε exists for every ε∈(0,ε∗). Under the additional hypotheses that
is a smooth N − 1‐dimensional manifold and that a+,a− have a convenient decay near Γ, we show that a second positive solution vε exists for every ε∈(0,ε∗) if
, where N∗=(N + 2)/(N − 2) if N > 2 and
if N = 2. Our results extend that of Jorge Garcá‐Melián in 2011, where the case that p > 1 is a constant and a+>0 on ∂Ω is considered. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Subject‐level reliability analysis of fast fMRI with application to epilepsy
Authors: Hao Yongfu , Khoo Hui Ming , von Ellenrieder Nicolas , Gotman Jean
Published: August 2016

Purpose

Recent studies have applied the new magnetic resonance encephalography (MREG) sequence to the study of interictal epileptic discharges (IEDs) in the electroencephalogram (EEG) of epileptic patients. However, there are no criteria to quantitatively evaluate different processing methods, to properly use the new sequence.

Methods

We evaluated different processing steps of this new sequence under the common generalized linear model (GLM) framework by assessing the reliability of results. A bootstrap sampling technique was first used to generate multiple replicated data sets; a GLM with different processing steps was then applied to obtain activation maps, and the reliability of these maps was assessed.

Results

We applied our analysis in an event‐related GLM related to IEDs. A higher reliability was achieved by using a GLM with head motion confound regressor with 24 components rather than the usual 6, with an autoregressive model of order 5 and with a canonical hemodynamic response function (HRF) rather than variable latency or patient‐specific HRFs. Comparison of activation with IED field also favored the canonical HRF, consistent with the reliability analysis.

Conclusion

The reliability analysis helps to optimize the processing methods for this fast fMRI sequence, in a context in which we do not know the ground truth of activation areas. Magn Reson Med 78:370–382, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
New laparoscopic approach to the pudendal nerve for neuromodulation based on an anatomic study
Authors: Konschake Marko , Brenner Erich , Moriggl Bernhard , Hörmann Romed , Bauer Sophina , Foditsch Esra , Janetschek Günther , Künzel Karl‐Heinz , Sievert Karl‐Dietrich , Zimmermann Reinhold
Published: August 2016

AIMS

The aim was to develop a new laparoscopic technique for placement of a pudendal lead.

METHODS

Development of a direct, feasible and reliable minimal‐invasive laparoscopic approach to the pudendal nerve (PN). Thirty‐one embalmed human specimens were dissected for the relevant anatomic structures of the pelvis. Step‐by‐step documentation and analysis of the laparoscopic approach in order to locate the PN directly in its course around the medial part of the sacrospinous ligament and test this approach for feasibility. Landmarks for intraoperative navigation towards the PN as well as the possible position of an lead were selected and demonstrated.

RESULTS

The visible medial umbilical fold, the intrapelvine part of the internal pudendal artery, the coccygeus muscle and the sacrospinous ligament are the main landmarks. The PN traverses the medial part of the sacrospinous ligament dorsally, medially to the internal pudendal artery. The medial part of the sacrospinous ligament has to be exposed in order to display the nerve. An lead can be placed ventrally on the nerve or around it, depending on the lead type or shape.

CONCLUSIONS

A precise and reliable identification of the PN by means of laparoscopy is feasible with an easy four‐step approach: (1) identification of the medial umbilical fold; (2) identification of the internal iliac artery; (3) identification of the internal pudendal artery and incision of the coccygeus muscle (‘white line’, arcuated line); and (4) exposition of the medial part of the sacrospinous ligament to display the PN.
Finite volume analysis of laminated composite plates
Authors: Golubović Adnan , Demirdžić Ismet , Muzaferija Samir
Published: August 2016

A numerical procedure for analysis of general laminated plates under transverse load is developed utilizing the Mindlin plate theory, the finite volume discretization, and a segregated solution algorithm. The force and moment balance equations with the laminate constitutive relations are written in the form of a generic transport equation. In order to obtain discrete counterparts of the governing equations, the plate is subdivided into N control volumes by a Cartesian numerical mesh. As a result, five sets of N linear equations with N unknowns are obtained and solved using the conjugate gradient method with preconditioning.

For the method validation, a number of test cases are designed to cover thick and thin laminated plates with aspect ratio (width to thickness) from 4 to 100. Simply supported orthotropic, symmetric cross‐ply, and angle‐ply laminated plates under uniform and sinusoidal pressure loads are solved, and results are compared with available analytical solutions. The shear correction factor of 5/6 is utilized throughout the procedure, which is consistent with test cases used in the reviewed literature. Comparisons of the finite volume method results for maximum deflections at the center of the plate and the Navier solutions obtained for aspect ratios 10, 20, and 100 shows a very good agreement. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Amylin/leptin synergy is absent in extreme obesity and not restored by calorie restriction‐induced weight loss in rats
Authors: Trevaskis J. L. , Wittmer C. , Athanacio J. , Griffin P. S. , Parkes D. G. , Roth J. D.
Published: August 2016

Objective

Co‐administration of amylin and leptin induces synergistic and clinically meaningful (>10%) weight loss that is attenuated as the degree of obesity increases. We explored whether calorie restriction (CR) could restore amylin/leptin synergy in very obese rats.

Methods

Sprague Dawley rats on high‐fat diet (696 ± 8 g, n = 72) were randomized to three cohorts (C1–C3). Rats in C1 were administered vehicle, rat amylin (50 µg kg−1 d−1), murine leptin (125 µg kg−1 d−1) or amylin and leptin for 28 days (n = 6 per group) via subcutaneous minipump. Simultaneously, C2 and C3 rats initiated CR. After moderate (12.4 ± 0.3%, 86.7 ± 2.8 g; C2) or severe (24.9 ± 0.3%, 172.7 ± 4.7 g; C3) weight loss, amylin and/or leptin was administered as described.

Results

In C1, leptin did not alter weight, and amylin induced 40.2 ± 6.1 g weight loss (−6.0 ± 0.9%), which was not enhanced by leptin (44.4 ± 4.9 g, −6.1 ± 0.8%). In C2, vehicle‐treated (75.1 ± 7.8 g weight change from start of treatment, 1.1 ± 0.8% difference from start of pre‐CR phase) and leptin‐treated rats (68.6 ± 9.2 g, −1.3 ± 1.0%) rebounded to pre‐restriction weight that was attenuated by amylin (29.2 ± 11.4 g, −6.2 ± 0.7%). Leptin did not enhance the effect of amylin (22.8 ± 11.7 g, −8.3 ± 1.5%). In C3, vehicle‐treated and leptin‐treated rats regained most of their weight (161.9 ± 11.8, −2.3 ± 0.8% and 144.6 ± 9.5 g, −2.3 ± 0.9%, respectively), which was attenuated by amylin (91.1 ± 16.8 g, −11.2 ± 0.7%), but not enhanced by leptin (83.0 ± 7.6 g, −10.7 ± 0.8%).

Conclusions

Extreme obesity associated with leptin resistance perturbs amylin/leptin weight loss synergy in rats, which cannot be restored by pre‐treatment weight loss.
Fatigue behavior of FRP composites and CNT‐Embedded FRP composites: A review
Authors: Gaurav Anand , Singh Kalyan K.
Published: August 2016

Composite materials have emerged as an effective substitute for conventional materials in various fields of engineering and structural science. For replacement of regular metals, composites, especially fiber‐reinforced polymer composites, have proved to be a suitable alternative. One of the important tests that conventional and composite materials have to undergo is fatigue test. It refers to the testing of materials for their cyclic behavior. In fatigue testing, depending on the choice of the researchers, materials are loaded till reaching their failure or till reaching a fraction of the total stiffness loss. Composite materials are different from metals and they show a distinct behavior under fatigue loading. In metals, failure occurs from the commencement of a single crack and then its propagation. In composite materials, conversely, it is a complex process as these materials possess crack‐arresting properties. This review paper highlights various aspects of the cyclic or fatigue behavior in composite materials. Factors triggering such behavior in composite materials include reinforcing substance, matrix material, fiber orientation or stacking sequence, fiber content, testing environment and so on, together with the damage development process at the microscopic level. Loading condition parameters pertain to stress ratio, mean stress, loading condition, multiaxial stress, and testing frequency. This article also includes the effect of carbon nanotubes on the fatigue life of the polymer composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:1785–1808, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
Politicians and the Policy Agenda: Does Use of Twitter by the U.S. Congress DirectNew York TimesContent?
Authors: Shapiro Matthew A. , Hemphill Libby
Published: August 2016

The conventional understanding of how elected officials affect the policy agenda is based on the argument that they use symbols and rhetoric to propagate a policy problem, primarily through the traditional media. The arguments presented in this article are largely consistent with this claim but account for the function of social media. More specifically, and framed by indexing theory, we argue that social media enhances opportunities for policy agenda builders in the U.S. Congress to share information with journalists. Across the key policy issues of 2013, tests for congruence between politicians’ Twitter posts and New York Times articles confirm a connection, particularly for the policy issue areas of the economy, immigration, health care, and marginalized groups. Simultaneous discussion and debate between Democrats and Republicans about a particular policy issue area, however, negatively impact how the New York Times indexes a particular issue.
Do Citizens Trust Electronic Participatory Budgeting? Public Expression in Online Forums as an Evaluation Method in Belo Horizonte
Authors: Barros Samuel A. R. , Sampaio Rafael C.
Published: August 2016

This article provides a comparative study of citizen comments on the Electronic Participatory Budgeting (e‐PB) online forums in Belo Horizonte (Brazil) in 2008 and 2011. The forums allow citizens to deliberate on public projects suggested by the city hall and to vote on which ones they think should be carried out. We analyzed all messages sent to the forums (N = 2,370) in order to investigate citizen feelings toward the initiative, use of narratives and testimonies, perception of e‐PB political effectiveness and representation and whether uses changed from one edition to the next. The results indicate a significant change, from an environment of positive citizen evaluation in 2008 to a negative one in 2011, suggesting a loss of trust in the process. In 2011, participants expressed frustration over the lack of options, dissatisfaction that work promised in 2008 was not carried out, and lack of city hall responses in general. These findings demonstrate the importance of analyzing citizen perceptions and feelings when evaluating online channels and e‐participation initiatives set up by local governments, and the necessity for governments to ensure interaction and feedback, in order to sustain citizen engagement and trust.
Effect of Ginkgo Biloba Extract on the Pharmacokinetics and Metabolism of Clopidogrel in Rats
Authors: Deng Ying , Mo Yu‐fei , Chen Xin‐meng , Zhang Lv‐zhao , Liao Chao‐feng , Song Yu , Xu Chenshu
Published: August 2016

Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE), a traditional herbal product used worldwide as both medicine and supplement, is often supplied with clopidogrel for the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases. The aim of the current study was to explore the effect of GBE on the metabolism and pharmacokinetics of clopidogrel. The in vitro study using rat liver microsomes revealed that GBE significantly induced the conversion of clopidogrel into its active metabolite. The effect of GBE on the pharmacokinetics of clopidogrel was also investigated in vivo. Compared to rats without GBE pretreatment, administration of 4 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg, and 100 mg/kg of GBE significantly decreased the Cmax and the AUC0–∞ of clopidogrel in a dose‐dependent manner. As expected, pretreatment of high dose GBE significantly increased the Cmax and AUC0–∞ of the clopidogrel active metabolite. However, no marked change was observed following medium and low dose of GBE, suggesting that the biotransformation of clopidogrel was altered differently by high dose of GBE. Our study suggested that the awareness of the potential herb–drug interactions between GBE and clopidogrel should be increased in clinical practice. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards human‐controlled, real‐time shape sensing based flexible needle steering for MRI‐guided percutaneous therapies
Authors: Li Meng , Li Gang , Gonenc Berk , Duan Xingguang , Iordachita Iulian
Published: August 2016

Background

Accurate needle placement into soft tissue is essential to percutaneous prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment procedures.

Methods

This paper discusses the steering of a 20 gauge (G) FBG‐integrated needle with three sets of Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors. A fourth‐order polynomial shape reconstruction method is introduced and compared with previous approaches. To control the needle, a bicycle model based navigation method is developed to provide visual guidance lines for clinicians. A real‐time model updating method is proposed for needle steering inside inhomogeneous tissue. A series of experiments were performed to evaluate the proposed needle shape reconstruction, visual guidance and real‐time model updating methods.

Results

Targeting experiments were performed in soft plastic phantoms and in vitro tissues with insertion depths ranging between 90 and 120 mm. Average targeting errors calculated based upon the acquired camera images were 0.40 ± 0.35 mm in homogeneous plastic phantoms, 0.61 ± 0.45 mm in multilayer plastic phantoms and 0.69 ± 0.25 mm in ex vivo tissue.

Conclusions

Results endorse the feasibility and accuracy of the needle shape reconstruction and visual guidance methods developed in this work. The approach implemented for the multilayer phantom study could facilitate accurate needle placement efforts in real inhomogeneous tissues. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tutorial in biostatistics: data‐driven subgroup identification and analysis in clinical trials
Authors: Lipkovich Ilya , Dmitrienko Alex , B. Ralph
Published: August 2016

It is well known that both the direction and magnitude of the treatment effect in clinical trials are often affected by baseline patient characteristics (generally referred to as biomarkers). Characterization of treatment effect heterogeneity plays a central role in the field of personalized medicine and facilitates the development of tailored therapies. This tutorial focuses on a general class of problems arising in data‐driven subgroup analysis, namely, identification of biomarkers with strong predictive properties and patient subgroups with desirable characteristics such as improved benefit and/or safety. Limitations of ad‐hoc approaches to biomarker exploration and subgroup identification in clinical trials are discussed, and the ad‐hoc approaches are contrasted with principled approaches to exploratory subgroup analysis based on recent advances in machine learning and data mining. A general framework for evaluating predictive biomarkers and identification of associated subgroups is introduced. The tutorial provides a review of a broad class of statistical methods used in subgroup discovery, including global outcome modeling methods, global treatment effect modeling methods, optimal treatment regimes, and local modeling methods. Commonly used subgroup identification methods are illustrated using two case studies based on clinical trials with binary and survival endpoints. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Robotic Enucleation for Benign or Borderline Tumours of the Pancreas: A Retrospective Analysis and Comparison from a High‐Volume Centre in Asia
Authors: Jin Jia‐Bin , Qin Kai , Li Hua , Wu Zhi‐Chong , Zhan Qian , Deng Xia‐Xing , Chen Hao , Shen Bai‐Yong , Peng Cheng‐hong , Li Hong‐Wei
Published: August 2016

Background

Enucleation is increasingly performed for benign or borderline tumours of the pancreas because it is a parenchyma‐sparing and less invasive procedure compared to conventional pancreatectomy, which reduces the risk of exocrine and endocrine insufficiency. This study retrospectively evaluated and compared the pre‐, intra‐, and post‐operative clinical characteristics after open and robotic approaches for pancreatic enucleation.

Methods

Fifty‐six cases of enucleation for benign or borderline tumours of the pancreas treated from March 2010 to July 2015 were identified by a retrospective search. These included 25 patients who underwent an open approach and 31 patients who underwent a robotic approach. The clinical characteristics were extracted and compared.

Results

The two groups had a similar location and pathology of the tumour. The robotic group had a significantly shorter operation time and significantly less blood loss than the open group. The rates of clinical pancreatic fistula (PF) formation and major complications were similar. The robotic approach could be applied for a tumour on the right side of the pancreas without increasing the incidence of clinical PF or other major complications. The patients with clinical PF had a significantly shorter distance between the lesion and the main pancreatic duct (MPD).

Conclusion

Robotic enucleation appears to be a feasible and safe approach for benign or borderline tumours of the pancreas and was associated with similarly favourable surgical outcomes as the open approach. Identifying and avoiding the MPD is an important step during enucleation.
Predictors of professional placement outcome: cultural background, English speaking and international student status
Authors: Attrill Stacie , McAllister Sue , Lincoln Michelle
Published: August 2016

Placements provide opportunities for students to develop practice skills in professional settings. Learning in placements may be challenging for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students, international students, or those without sufficient English proficiency for professional practice. This study investigated whether these factors, which are hypothesized to influence acculturation, predict poor placement outcome. Placement outcome data were collected for 854 students who completed 2747 placements. Placement outcome was categorized into ‘Pass’ or ‘At risk’ categories. Multilevel binomial regression analysis was used to determine whether being CALD, an international student, speaking ‘English as an additional language’, or a ‘Language other than English at home’ predicted placement outcome. In multiple multilevel analysis speaking English as an additional language and being an international student were significant predictors of ‘at risk’ placements, but other variables tested were not. Effect sizes were small indicating untested factors also influenced placement outcome. These results suggest that students’ English as an additional language or international student status influences success in placements. The extent of acculturation may explain the differences in placement outcome for the groups tested. This suggests that learning needs for placement may differ for students undertaking more acculturative adjustments. Further research is needed to understand this and to identify placement support strategies.
Basic science in integrated curricula: A medical student experience
Authors: Sivapragasam Milani
Published: August 2016

None
The importance of mentoring during educational supervision
Authors: Passi Vimmi
Published: August 2016

None
Risk Factors for Priapism Readmission
Authors: Sui Wilson , Onyeji Ifeanyi C. , James Maxwell B. , Stahl Peter J. , RoyChoudhury Arindam , Anderson Christopher B.
Published: August 2016

Introduction

Priapism is a urologic emergency with a tendency to recur in some patients. The frequency of, time to, and risk factors for priapism recurrence have not been well characterized.

Aim

To identify predictors of priapism readmission.

Methods

We used the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database to identify patients presenting to emergency departments with priapism from 2005 through 2014. Patients were tracked up to 12 months after initial presentation. Proportional hazards regression was used to identify risk factors for priapism readmission.

Main Outcome Measures

Readmissions for priapism.

Results

The analytic cohort included 3,372 men with a diagnosis of priapism. The average age at first presentation was 39 ± 18 years and 40% were black. Within 1 year, 24% of patients were readmitted for recurrent priapism, 68% of whom were readmitted within 60 days. On multivariate analysis, sickle cell disease (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.5, 95% CI = 2.0–3.0), drug abuse or psychiatric disease (HR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.6–2.2), erectile dysfunction history (HR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.5–2.3), other than commercial medical insurance (HR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.0–1.4), and inpatient admission for initial priapism event (HR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.4–0.6) were significant risk factors for readmission.

Conclusion

Nearly one fourth of patients with priapism were readmitted for recurrent priapism within 1 year of initial presentation. Most readmissions were within 60 days. Future research should focus on strategies to decrease recurrences in high-risk patients.
Characteristics of gas accumulation in a less efficient tight-gas reservoir, He 8 interval, Sulige gas field, Ordos Basin, China
Authors: Ding Xiaoqi , Yang Peng , Han Meimei , Chen Yang , Zhang Siyang , Zhang Shaonan , Liu Xuan , Gong Yiming , Nechval A.M.
Published: August 2016

Because of the lack of gas supply from source rocks and gas loss, inefficient tight-gas fields represent a high share of all gas reservoirs in China. These gas fields are characterized by low abundance and large gas reserves. Here, the He 8 tight-gas reservoirs in the western region of the Sulige gas field are used as an example to characterize gas distribution under conditions of less efficient charging. Results show the following characteristics. First, the sandstone densification process has a relatively large impact on the charging of gas. Litharenite was already subjected to densification at the time of large-scale gas charging, and this was not conducive to gas charging. On the contrary, for sublitharenite, although strong compaction has already occurred during gas generation, quartz overgrowth that leads to further densification of the gas reservoirs occurs simultaneously with large-scale gas charging. This facilitates gas charging and is characterized by concomitant densification and reservoir formation. Second, structure traps can control the accumulation of gas to a certain extent. In particular, when physical properties of sandstones within the structure traps are appropriate, gas saturation during gas charging can be increased by approximately 7%. Third, less efficient charging is the main cause of the complex gas and water distribution in the He 8 gas reservoirs. The strong heterogeneity of the reservoirs and the decline in the gas reservoir pressure caused by tectonic uplift in the Yanshan period further exacerbate the complexity of gas and water distribution. These factors ultimately caused the He 8 gas reservoirs to become a multireservoir gas field with several gas–water interfaces. The He 8 gas reservoirs are neither conventional gas nor continuous gas reservoirs. Rather, they are quasi-continuous gas reservoirs, and the accumulation of gas is controlled by both the top surface of sandstone and the physical properties of the reservoirs. Traps and high-quality reservoirs within the regional traps are beneficial for the gas accumulation.
Oxidative Stress and Environmental Exposures are Associated with Multiple System Atrophy in Chinese Patients
Authors: Zhou Linli , Jiang Ying , Zhu Cansheng , Ma Lili , Huang Qiling , Chen Xiaohong
Published: August 2016

Objective:Oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of multiple system atrophy (MSA). The aim of this study is to examine oxidant biomarkers including homocysteine (Hcys), bilirubin, uric acid, lipids, and potential environmental risk factors and to ascertain whether these data correlate with MSA in a Chinese population.Methods:In this study, serum levels of Hcys, bilirubin, uric acid, and lipids were studied in 55 MSA patients and 76 healthy controls (HCs). Education, anti-parkinsonian agent usage, smoking, drinking, farming, and living area of the subjects also were analyzed. The Unified MSA Rating Scale (UMSARS), Hoehn & Yahr stage, International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale, and Mini-Mental State Examination were used to assess the disease severity, the parkinsonism, ataxia, and the cognitive ability of MSA, respectively.Results:The levels of Hcys were higher (p<0.001) and those of total bilirubin (p=0.007), indirect bilirubin (p=0.011), and total cholesterol (p=0.046) were lower in MSA patients than in healthy controls, whereas uric acid levels did not differ significantly between MSA and healthy controls. Moreover, Hcys levels in MSA patients had positive correlations with illness duration (rs=0.422, p=0.001) and UMSARS-I (rs=0.555, p<0.001), respectively. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were negatively correlated with UMSARS-I (rs=−0.325, p=0.015). Farming was more frequent in MSA patients (1-20 years: odds ratio, 6.36; p<0.001; >20 years: odds ratio, 10.26; p=0.001), whereas current smoking was less frequent (odds ratio, 0.13, p=0.002).Conclusions:Elevated Hcys and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol may be associated with the disease severity of MSA. Environmental exposures such as farming and smoking may contribute to the occurrence but not the progression of MSA.
Evolution of detonation formation initiated by a spatially distributed, transient energy source
Authors: Regele Jonathan D. , Kassoy David R. , Aslani Mohamad , Vasilyev Oleg V.
Published: August 2016

Detonations usually form through either direct initiation or deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT). In this work, a detonation initiation process is introduced that shows attributes from each of these two processes. Energy is deposited into a finite volume of fluid in an amount of time that is similar to the acoustic time scale of the heated fluid volume. Two-dimensional simulations of the reactive Euler equations are used to solve for the evolving detonation initiation process. The results show behaviour similar to both direct initiation and DDT. Localized reaction transients are shown to be intimately related to the appearance of a detonation. Thermomechanical concepts are used to provide physical interpretations of the computational results in terms of the interaction between compressibility phenomena on the acoustic time scale and localized, spatially resolved, chemical energy addition on a heat-addition time scale.
A time-lagged study on the moderating role of overall satisfaction in perceived politics: Job outcomes relationships
Authors: Jam Farooq Ahmed , Donia Magda B L , Raja Usman , Ling Chong Hui
Published: August 2016

In a time-lagged study with independent measures (N=115, paired responses), we examined the interactive effects of perceived organizational politics and overall satisfaction on job stress, interpersonal conflict, job performance, and creativity. The data were collected from a diverse sample of employees from various workplaces in Pakistan. The findings showed that perceived politics had a positive effect on job stress, while overall satisfaction had a negative effect on interpersonal conflict and a positive effect on creative performance. The results also revealed that in the face of high politics, highly satisfied individuals demonstrated higher levels of creativity and job performance. However, in this context of high politics negative effects were also observed, namely that highly satisfied individuals participated in interpersonal conflict and experienced high stress.
Introduction: African (Black) Diaspora History, Latin American History
Authors: Vinson Ben
Published: August 2016

Inspired in part by Paul Gilroy’s Black Atlantic paradigm, the past several years have witnessed a reinvigoration of Black Studies, with careful attention being paid to the approaches and methods of writing black history. The terms “African Diaspora” and “Black Diaspora” have become almost commonplace in scholarly discourse, emerging out of relative obscurity from their roots in the politically inspired Pan-Africanist and Civil Rights discourses of the 1950s and ’60s. Critiques of the Black Atlantic model and its overly narrow concentration on the English-speaking world have fueled new and important discussions that have touched fields and subfields well beyond the traditional boundaries of Black Studies.
Viceroy Francisco de Toledo and the Just Titles of Spain to the Inca Empire
Authors: Hanke Lewis
Published: August 2016

The best example of the effect produced by Fray Bartolomé de las Casas’ theoretical writings concerning the just title Spain held to America occurred in Peru during the rule of Viceroy Francisco de Toledo, wise law-giver, energetic administrator, and greatest viceroy Spain ever sent to Peru, who laid the basis for Spanish rule there during the years 1569–1582. Before his coming, Peru had had a most turbulent and bloody history, and Toledo arrived with one great aim—to establish without question in this territory the position of the King of Spain. One of his earliest acts was to execute the Inca, Lord Tupac Amaru, the Indian leader who refused to accept Spanish rule. Presently, with a view to establishing Spain’s juridical title to Peru, he undertook an extensive historical investigation which attempted to demonstrate the unjust nature of the Inca regime and thus demolish the doctrines of Las Casas.
Requena and the Japurá: Some Eighteenth Century Watercolors of the Amazon and Other Rivers
Authors: Smith Robert C.
Published: August 2016

Spain and Portugal during the eighteenth century made two attempts to establish official boundaries between their possessions in America. Through the treaties of 1750 and 1777 joint commissions were appointed by these powers to procede with the task of determining lines of demarcation, in the Amazon region as well as in other parts of the South American domain. Neither of these two undertakings was successful. In spite of the preliminary treaties, the expeditions, the explorations, the reports, and the maps that had been made, the commissioners of Spain and Portugal could never agree upon a common boundary satisfactory to their conflicting claims. At the close of the century, therefore, the problem of the Amazon boundaries, which had so long remained a point of contention between the two Iberian nations, was still unsolved.
Resveratrol primes the effects of physical activity in old mice
Authors: Rodríguez-Bies Elizabeth , Tung Bui Thanh , Navas Plácido , López-Lluch Guillermo
Published: August 2016

Decrease in muscle mass and performance with ageing is one of the main factors of frailty in the elderly. Maintenance of muscle performance by involving in physical activities is essential to increase independence and quality of life among elderly. The use of natural compounds with ergogenic activity in old people would increase the effect of moderate exercises in the maintenance of physiological muscle capacity. Resveratrol (RSV), a polyphenol found in walnuts, berries and grapes, shows this ergogenic activity. By using young, mature and old mice as models, we have found that RSV improves muscle performance in mature and old animals but not in young animals. Without showing significant effect by itself, RSV primed the effect of exercise by increasing endurance, coordination and strength in old animals. This effect was accompanied by a higher protection against oxidative damage and an increase in mitochondrial mass. RSV increased catalase and superoxide dismutase protein levels in muscle and primed exercise to reverse the decrease in their activities during ageing. Furthermore, RSV increased the level of mitochondrial mass markers such as cytochrome C, mitochondrial transcription factor A and nuclear respiratory factor-1 in muscle in exercised animals. Our results indicate that RSV can be considered an ergogenic compound that helps maintain muscle performance during ageing and subsequently reduces frailty and increases muscle performance in old individuals practising moderate exercise.
Elementary Notes on Life Assurance Book-Keeping.
Authors: Macnaghten Steuart
Published: August 2016

The principle of book-keeping by double entry is the complete recording of every transaction as it occurs in a. System which is composed of a number of accounts. An Account is simply a statement of a set of monetary transactions, classified in a convenient form to show the effect of each transaction, and of the transactions as a whole, on the business. The usual form of Account is as follows:–The left-hand side is called the Debit side, and the right-hand side the Credit side. All monetary transactions, involving as they do an exchange of one kind of property for another, can only be completely recorded by two entries in the Accounts, the one debiting the Account which receives the benefit, and the other crediting the Account which imparts the benefit.
Valuation of Return of Pension Fund Contributions on Death.
Authors: Fowler R. W. A.
Published: August 2016

The values of the returns of past and future contributions on death before retirement, such contributions being accumulated to the date of death at ratej, are given respectively by

(TPC)xPCFxand (AC)xFCFx

where (TPC)x=total past contributions at agexaccumulated with (compound) interest at ratejto the valuation date,

(AC)x= actual annual contributions payable at valuation agex.
Computing methods.
Authors: Sadler D. H.
Published: August 2016

The title of this lecture was chosen over a year ago before I had formed a clear picture of its scope. It is, however, adequately descriptive of my purpose which is to develop consistent general principles, as opposed to detailed methods, which can serve as a guide to the individual computer—primarily one working alone with an ordinary calculating machine. I shall endeavour to illustrate the principles by actual examples, but it will be outside my present compass to concentrate upon those methods which rely upon brilliance of technique rather than on soundness of principle.

It is clearly desirable to say precisely what ‘computation’ embraces, and I therefore put forward the following definitions of ‘calculation’ and ‘computation’—in each case it being understood that the word is prefixed by ‘numerical’:

Calculationis the application of the four rules of arithmetic to the numerical evaluation of an algebraic expression.
Some notes on probability.
Authors: Bizley M. T. L.
Published: August 2016

‘Scientific method is systematic doubt.’

Dr Stuart Chase

We may approach our subject by considering how we are to define probability. This at once raises a number of questions which may be classified under a few broad headings in the following way. First, is the definition to be subjective? By a subjective definition we shall mean in this paper one that admits the possibility that two persons in the same state of relevant knowledge may reasonably hold different views as to the probability of a given event. Secondly, is probability to be only a theoretical concept, or must our definition be such that a probability can be determined by practical experiments and applied to practical problems? Thirdly, are we to embrace all types of event or only a restricted class, e.g. those that occur or can be imagined to occur on a large number of occasions? Fourthly, shall we define probability as a number or are we to admit the existence of a non-numerical probability? And if we stipulate that it is a number, must it be a rational one?
Alterations of policies
Authors: Whitehead D.
Published: August 2016

This paper is an attempt to give an account of the various considerations which must be borne in mind in fixing the terms which can be quoted for the alteration of a policy. It is divided into various sections as follows:

A. The formulae which are theoretically suitable.

B. The modifications which can be made to the formulae for use in practice.

C. The points to be considered in choosing the actual basis used.

D. The various types of policies and of alterations not dealt with in the preceding sections.

E. Points of procedure and the method of dealing with altered policies for valuation, etc.

Only ordinary life business will be considered: Industrial Assurance is outside the scope of the paper.

For the purpose of sections A and B only non-profit policies are considered, and the formulae apply to an alteration from a whole of life policy to an endowment policy. With suitable changes they can be used for other alterations.
Taxation of Life Assurance and Annuity Business in the United Kingdom.
Authors: Puckridge C. E.
Published: August 2016

In this paper the taxation position is described as it applied in the fiscal year 1959–60. The detailed provisions of the various enactments which govern taxation in Great Britain are subject to revision from time to time and it must therefore be made clear that minor variations must be expected in the future. Major changes in the basis of taxation of retirement benefit schemes having been effected by the Finance Act 1956, it is not expected that the broad pattern will be greatly changed in the foreseeable future.
Non-life Insurance and the Statistician
Authors: Harding V.
Published: August 2016

At the present time the non-life side of the insurance industry is faced with many difficult problems. The poor results often shown by motor insurance accounts are bringing many insurance men to the conclusion that it is virtually impossible to conduct the business on a sound basis and that they must regard it as an onerous public service. Fire insurance business, for so long the backbone of many general insurance accounts, has caused increasing concern in recent years as the national level of fire wastage and the proportion of large fires have continued to increase. It seems worth while therefore, to ask whether the statistician can help to solve some of the problems of transacting non-life insurance in these circumstances. In this paper the author draws on three years' experience of research into the statistical aspects of general insurance to paint a broad picture of a scene unfamiliar to most actuaries. It is hoped that attention is thereby drawn to the potential value in this context of the techniques of probability and mathematical statistics.
Early Nineteenth-Century Shipowning—A Chapter in Business Enterprise
Authors: Albion Robert G.
Published: August 2016

Until the close of the Civil War, shipowning was one of the principal forms of capital investment along our northern seaboard. Gradually, investors found other outlets for their surplus wealth in government funds, in bank and insurance stocks; in railroads, and in factories. Although its relative importance had declined, shipowning reached its peak on the eve of the Civil War. After that, it declined sharply.
Mill to Marshall: The Conversion of the Economists
Authors: Bladen V. W.
Published: August 2016

In this paper I intend to confine myself to one aspect of the manysided changes which came over English political economy between the publication of John Stuart Mill's Principles of Political Economy (1848) and of Alfred Marshall's Principles of Economics (1890). During this period great theoretical advances were made by W. S. Jevons and Alfred Marshall, advances which were paralleled in Lausanne and Vienna, and pushed further on the American continent by Professors J. B. Clark and Irving Fisher. I shall not attempt to summarize these contributions to pure theory, nor to estimate how wide was the gulf between the theory of Mill and the theory of Marshall (but in parenthesis I cannot refrain from suggesting that the real change in the theory of value was relatively small, while the change in the theory of distribution which derived from it was revolutionary). It is more appropriate at this first annual meeting of the Economic History Association to discuss the change in the status of economic theory in the corpus of economics as a result, mainly, of the influence of the historical school. Emphasis will be placed on the terms of peace rather than on the war of the methods, for it is my purpose to emphasize the possibilities of cooperation rather than to revive old antagonisms. I want to discuss the influence of some economic historians on economics. I shall make frequent reference to William Ashley, first professor of political economy in the University of Toronto and first professor of economic history in Harvard University and, I think, on the American continent. If I give him undue prominence this can surely be forgiven a Toronto man on this occasion.