bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Successful Use of Ceftolozane‐Tazobactam to Treat a Pulmonary Exacerbation of Cystic Fibrosis Caused by Multidrug‐Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Vickery Stephen B. , McClain David , Wargo Kurt A.
Published: August 2016

Ceftolozane‐tazobactam, a novel β‐lactam/β‐lactamase inhibitor, was recently approved for the treatment of complicated urinary tract and intraabdominal infections, as monotherapy and in combination with metronidazole, respectively. Ceftolozane‐tazobactam exhibits a wide spectrum of activity against both gram‐positive bacteria, gram‐negative bacteria including multidrug‐resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and some anaerobic bacteria. Although not currently approved for any pulmonary indication, studies have demonstrated excellent distribution to epithelial lining fluid, indicating that it may be an alternative agent to use in the treatment of respiratory tract infections caused by MDRP. aeruginosa. Unfortunately, data are lacking regarding the use of ceftolozane‐tazobactam in the treatment of respiratory tract infections including patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). We describe the first case report, to our knowledge, of a 25‐year‐old white man successfully treated with ceftolozane‐tazobactam for a pulmonary exacerbation of his CF caused by MDRP. aeruginosa. He was admitted for his fourth hospitalization in 7 months for a pulmonary exacerbation of his CF. After blood and sputum were cultured, prednisone, cefepime, inhaled tobramycin, and intravenous ciprofloxacin were started. On day 4, after no signs of clinical improvement, respiratory cultures revealed nonmucoid MDRP. aeruginosa, susceptible only to colistin. β‐Lactam therapy was subsequently changed to ceftolozane‐tazobactam 3 g intravenously every 8 hours while continuing ciprofloxacin and inhaled tobramycin. Ceftolozane‐tazobactam susceptibility was determined by the Etest method (minimum inhibitory concentration 1.5 μg/ml). By day 3 of therapy, the patient showed signs of clinical improvement and was discharged after completion of a 12‐day course of antibiotics. Until additional research is available, we hope this evidence will provide consideration of ceftolozane‐tazobactam for this novel off‐label indication.
How cooperative are protein folding and unfolding transitions?
Authors: Malhotra Pooja , Udgaonkar Jayant B.
Published: August 2016

A thermodynamically and kinetically simple picture of protein folding envisages only two states, native (N) and unfolded (U), separated by a single activation free energy barrier, and interconverting by cooperative two‐state transitions. The folding/unfolding transitions of many proteins occur, however, in multiple discrete steps associated with the formation of intermediates, which is indicative of reduced cooperativity. Furthermore, much advancement in experimental and computational approaches has demonstrated entirely non‐cooperative (gradual) transitions via a continuum of states and a multitude of small energetic barriers between the N and U states of some proteins. These findings have been instrumental towards providing a structural rationale for cooperative versus noncooperative transitions, based on the coupling between interaction networks in proteins. The cooperativity inherent in a folding/unfolding reaction appears to be context dependent, and can be tuned via experimental conditions which change the stabilities of N and U. The evolution of cooperativity in protein folding transitions is linked closely to the evolution of function as well as the aggregation propensity of the protein. A large activation energy barrier in a fully cooperative transition can provide the kinetic control required to prevent the accumulation of partially unfolded forms, which may promote aggregation. Nevertheless, increasing evidence for barrier‐less “downhill” folding, as well as for continuous “uphill” unfolding transitions, indicate that gradual non‐cooperative processes may be ubiquitous features on the free energy landscape of protein folding.
Tetragonal Ce‐based Ce‐Sm(Fe, Co, Ti)12 alloys for permanent magnets
Authors: Martín‐Cid Andrés , Gabay Aleksandr M. , Salazar Daniel , Barandiaran José Manuel , Hadjipanayis George C.
Published: August 2016

Abundance and relatively low cost of Ce provide a great incentive for its use in rare‐earth permanent magnets. It has been recently reported that the tetragonal Ce(Fe,Co,Ti)12 compounds may exhibit application‐worthy intrinsic magnetic properties. In this work the effect of the α‐Fe phase formation due to the evaporation of Sm during alloy fabrication has been studied, as a previous step in the attempt to convert the intrinsic magnetic properties into functional properties of a permanent magnet. Ce0.5Sm0.5Fe9Co2Ti alloys based on the ThMn12‐type crystal structure have been synthesized via melt‐spinning with different Sm content. Coercive fields between 2.8 and 1.4 kOe have been found for α‐Fe phase contents between 8 and 46% in volume, showing the influence of the α‐Fe phase on the coercivity and exchange coupling between the hard and soft phase. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Correlation and coherence of mesoscale wind speeds over the sea
Authors: Mehrens Anna R. , Hahmann Andrea N. , Larsén Xiaoli G. , von Bremen Lueder
Published: August 2016

A large offshore observational dataset from stations across the North and Baltic Seas is used to investigate the planetary boundary‐layer wind characteristics and their coherence, correlation and power spectra. The data from thirteen sites, with pairs of sites at horizontal distances of 4 to 848 km, are analyzed for typical wind turbine nacelle heights. Mean wind characteristics, correlation and coherence are also calculated for analogous wind data from simulations with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model.

Results indicate a general good agreement for the coherence calculated based on measurements and the WRF‐derived time series. By normalizing the frequency axes with the distance and mean wind speed, it can be demonstrated that, even for data with a wide range of distances, the coherence is a function of the frequency, mean wind and distance, which is consistent with earlier studies. However the correlation coefficient as a function of distance calculated from WRF is higher than observed in the measurements. For the power spectra, wind speed and wind speed step change distribution, the results for all sites are quite similar. The land masses strongly influence the individual wind direction distribution at each site. The ability of the WRF model to reproduce the coherence of the measurements demonstrates that its output can be used to estimate the coherence of fluctuations for the integration of offshore energy. The power spectra of WRF time series underestimates the high‐frequency fluctuations. Due to the large number of measurement sites, the results can be used for further plausibility validation for mesoscale model runs over the sea.
Hyphenation of supercritical fluid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry for fast determination of four aflatoxins in edible oil
Authors: Lei Fang , Li Chenglong , Zhou Shuang , Wang Dan , Zhao Yunfeng , Wu Yongning
Published: August 2016

Rationale

Aflatoxins (AFTs) are of great concern all over the world. Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) has the advantage of fast, high resolution and excellent compatibility with a broad range of organic solvents and samples, thus hyphenating SFC with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) can be used for the easy and fast determination of AFTs in edible oils.

Methods

Edible oil was spiked with isotope‐labeled aflatoxin standards, diluted with hexane and extracted with acetonitrile. The extraction was directly loaded to an SFC apparatus and separated on a UPC2 2‐EP column with CO2‐methanol gradient elution. A post‐column make‐up flow was introduced to facilitate mass spectrometry performance, and the mixture was analyzed by MS/MS with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source.

Results

The SFC conditions including separation column, modifier and sample solvent were optimized, and the four target aflatoxins were baseline separated. The ESI interface parameters were also investigated, implicating the make‐up flow as a critical factor for sensitive determination by SFC‐MS/MS. The LOQs for the AFTs were 0.05–0.12 μg L−1, while the RSDs were lower than 8.5%.

Conclusions

Supercritical fluid chromatography was successfully coupled to tandem mass spectrometry to establish a simple, fast and sensitive method for the analysis of four aflatoxins in edible oil. This shows the combination of SFC‐MS/MS has great potential in determination of trace contaminants in food. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fast quantitative analysis of ginsenosides in Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Mayer) by using solid‐phase methylation coupled to direct analysis in real time
Authors: Liu Wenlong , He Yangfang , Li Lele , Liu Shuying
Published: August 2016

Rational

A fast quantitative method for ginsenosides is essential to minimize analysis time; direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART‐MS) has the potential to be used for this purpose.

Methods

However, in order to produce ginsenosides, a derivatization such as methylation is required because the strong polarity of ginsenosides makes it difficult to desorp and ionize them in DART‐MS. The main objectives of this study were to achieve fast detection and quantitative analysis of ginsenosides by using DART‐MS; solid‐phase methylation of ginsenosides has been accomplished in a reaction column; methylated products of ginsenosides Rb1, Rd, Re, Rf and Rg1 were analyzed by applying DART‐MS where samples could be detected after methylation without the need for further purification. For quantitative analysis, deuterated methylated ginsenosides were prepared by using the solid‐phase methylation method and used as internal standards to improve repeatability in DART‐MS.

Results

Methylated ginsenosides produced protonated molecules [M + H]+ and fragment ions in DART‐MS. Two pairs of ginsenoside isomers, Rd/Re (C48H82O18, MW 946) and Rf/Rg1(C42H72O14, MW 800), could be discriminated based on their characteristic fragments in tandem mass spectrometry. By using deuterated methylated ginsenosides as internal standards, fast quantitative analysis of ginsenosides Rb1, Re and Rg1 in Asian ginseng was achieved by DART‐MS.

Conclusions

DART‐MS is a feasible technique for fast quantitative analysis of ginsenosides by assisted methylation and the deuterated internal standard technique. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Determination of ester position in isomeric (O‐acyl)‐hydroxy fatty acids by ion trap mass spectrometry
Authors: Marshall David L. , Saville Jennifer T. , Maccarone Alan T. , Ailuri Ramesh , Kelso Michael J. , Mitchell Todd W. , Blanksby Stephen J.
Published: August 2016

Rationale

(O‐acyl)‐hydroxy fatty acids (OAHFAs) are a recently discovered class of endogenous lipids, generating significant interest for their correlation with enhanced glucose tolerance. Structural variants that differ in the position of the ester linkage have been described, including the ω‐OAHFA sub‐class, that plays a key role in stabilizing the human tear film. Developing analytical tools for rapid and unambiguous structural elucidation of OAHFAs is essential to understanding their diverse physiological functions.

Methods

Commercially available and synthesized OAHFA standards were dissolved in chloroform and subsequently diluted into methanol with 1.5 mM ammonium acetate. Negative ion collision‐induced dissociation (CID) MSn spectra were acquired using chip‐based nano‐electrospray ionization (Advion TriVersa NanoMate) coupled to an Orbitrap Elite mass spectrometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific).

Results

Major product ions observed during CID of [OAHFA – H]− ions readily identify the constituent fatty acid and hydroxy fatty acid; however, isomers are not easily distinguished. Interrogation of the hydroxy fatty acid and dehydrated hydroxy fatty acid product ions by MSn and ion‐molecule reactions yielded diagnostic ions that readily pinpoint hydroxylation position and, thus, the OAHFA ester location. Conversely, these ions are characteristically absent in the MS3 spectra of ω‐OAHFAs. Unimolecular dissociation mechanisms are proposed, which are shown to be consistent with prior isotopic labelling experiments.

Conclusions

A mechanistic rationale is provided to explain the unimolecular dissociation of [OAHFA – H]− ions in an ion trap mass spectrometer, thus enabling near‐complete de novo structural elucidation of OAHFAs in shotgun lipidomics workflows, even if synthetic standards are unavailable for comparison. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bare Writing: Comparing Multiliteracies Theory and Nonrepresentational Theory Approaches to a Young Writer Writing
Authors: Smith Amanda R.
Published: August 2016

In this article, the author argues that new theoretical approaches to literacy are necessary for making visible the affective, embodied, and noncognitive domains of textual meaning making that are often obscured in traditional approaches. To experiment with this argument, the author conducted two analyses on the same data set, using multiliteracies theory and nonrepresentational theory as respective lenses through which to view the data. The data were from a three‐year virtual ethnographic case study that the author conducted of Emily, a young writer, while she wrote a series of young adult gothic novels. These side‐by‐side analyses demonstrated how different views of Emily as an author emerged through each treatment of the data. In the analysis via the multiliteracies theory, she was shown to be a shrewd consumer and designer of multimodal compositions. The analysis via the nonrepresentational theory revealed Emily's writing to be produced through its participation with affective intensities, objects, and her haunting by novels’ characters in a process that the author calls bare writing. The author suggests that nonrepresentational theory provides an alternative model for the research of literacies that instantiates an ontological view of literacies, thereby including more people and more texts in the everyday doing of literacies.
Tuning Aggregation‐Induced Emission of 2,3‐Napthalimide by Employing Cyclodextrin Nanocavities
Authors: Arathi Anil S. , Mallick Suman , Koner Apurba L.
Published: August 2016

Aggregation‐induced emissive properties of an environment sensitive 2,3‐Napthalimide based intramolecular charge‐transfer dye in water at neutral pH has been investigated. Further, a reversible tuning of aggregation‐induced optical properties using Cyclodextrin encapsulation is presented. This method has the potential for tuning the optical properties of other chromophoric molecules by varying the cavity size of macrocyclic host molecule.
Effect of chitosan on the antibacterial and physical properties of corn starch nanocomposite films
Authors: Ji Na , Qin Yang , Xi Tingting , Xiong Liu , Sun Qingjie
Published: August 2016

The influence of chitosan on the antibacterial and physical properties of corn starch nanocomposite films impregnated with calcium carbonate nanoparticles was investigated. With the increase of chitosan content, the nanocomposite films significantly enhanced antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus, and the films were more effective against gram‐negative bacteria. As chitosan content increased, the tensile strength of the nanocomposite films significantly increased from 2.24 to 10.71 MPa, and the highest elongation at break of the films was 134.31%, with the incorporation of chitosan at a 30% level. Fourier transform infrared spectra analysis revealed that hydrogen bonds were formed between the chitosan and the starch.
Clinical, Anatomical, and Pathological Grading Score to Predict Technical Difficulty in Laparoscopic Splenectomy for Non‐traumatic Diseases
Authors: Rodriguez‐Otero Luppi Carlos , Targarona Soler Eduardo M. , Balague Ponz Carmen , Pantoja Millán Juan Pablo , Turrado Rodriguez Victor , Pallares Segura Jose Luis , Bollo Rodriguez Jesus , Trias Folch Manel
Published: August 2016

Background

We aimed to develop a grading system based on preoperative parameters that would predict surgical difficulty and morbidity in elective laparoscopic splenectomy.

Study design

We retrospectively assessed morbidity in 439 patients who underwent laparoscopic splenectomy for benign and malignant disorders between 1993 and 2013. Medical and surgical records were reviewed and analyzed. We compared preoperative data concerning demographic, clinical, pathological, anatomical, laboratory, and radiological factors with three surgical outcomes: operative time, intraoperative bleeding, and surgical conversion. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify statistically significant variables. A logistic regression model was used to identify determinant variables and to compose a predictive score. External validation of the score was performed using an independent cohort of 353 patients.

Results

Four preoperative parameters (age, male sex, type of pathology, and spleen size based on final spleen weight) were significantly related with operative time, operative bleeding, and conversion to open surgery. Using these results, we developed a classification system with three levels of difficulty: low (≤4 points), medium (4.5–5.5 points), and high (≥6 points), based on the four preoperative parameters. The correlation was highly significant (p = <0.001) according to Spearman’s correlation. The area under the ROC curve was 0.671 (95 % CI 0.596–0.745). The external validation showed significant correlations with the present model.

Conclusions

The grading score described here is simple to calculate from the physical examination, laboratory tests, and US or CT images, and we believe it could be useful to preoperatively assess the technical complexity of laparoscopic splenectomy.
Improved glycerol to ethanol conversion byE. coliusing a metagenomic fragment isolated from an anaerobic reactor
Authors: Loaces Inés , Rodríguez Cecilia , Amarelle Vanesa , Fabiano Elena , Noya Francisco
Published: August 2016

Crude glycerol obtained as a by-product of biodiesel production is a reliable feedstock with the potential to be converted into reduced chemicals with high yields. It has been previously shown that ethanol is the primary product of glycerol fermentation by Escherichia coli. However, few efforts were made to enhance this conversion by means of the expression of heterologous genes with the potential to improve glycerol transport or metabolism. In this study, a fosmid-based metagenomic library constructed from an anaerobic reactor purge sludge was screened for genetic elements that promote the use and fermentation of crude glycerol by E. coli. One clone was selected based on its improved growth rate on this feedstock. The corresponding fosmid, named G1, was fully sequenced (41 kbp long) and the gene responsible for the observed phenotype was pinpointed by in vitro insertion mutagenesis. Ethanol production from both pure and crude glycerol was evaluated using the parental G1 clone harboring the ethanologenic plasmid pLOI297 or the industrial strain LY180 complemented with G1. In mineral salts media containing 50 % (v/v) pure glycerol, ethanol concentrations increased two-fold on average when G1 was present in the cells reaching up to 20 g/L after 24 h fermentation. Similar fermentation experiments were done using crude instead of pure glycerol. With an initial OD620 of 8.0, final ethanol concentrations after 24 h were much higher reaching 67 and 75 g/L with LY180 cells carrying the control fosmid or the G1 fosmid, respectively. This translates into a specific ethanol production rate of 0.39 g h−1 OD−1 L−1.
Grain yield performance and flowering synchrony of CIMMYT’s tropical maize (Zea mays L.) parental inbred lines and single crosses
Authors: Worku Mosisa , Makumbi Dan , Beyene Yoseph , Das Biswanath , Mugo Stephen , Pixley Kevin , Bänziger Marianne , Owino Fidelis , Olsen Michael , Asea Godfrey , Prasanna Boddupalli M.
Published: August 2016

Maize production constraints in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are being addressed by CIMMYT and partners through an array of projects, focusing on developing and evaluating parental inbred lines and single-crosses as well as formulating, evaluating and releasing high-yielding and stress resilient hybrids adapted to different agro-ecologies. The objectives of the present study were to (1) evaluate the grain yield performance of parental elite inbred lines developed over the years, and single crosses; and (2) ascertain the flowering synchrony among inbred lines and single-cross hybrid parents. Parental inbred lines and single-crosses were evaluated at seven locations in two countries in 2014. Combined analysis of variance revealed differences (P < 0.01) among genotypes for grain yield (GY) and among different years/era of release of the inbred lines. The improvement in GY of inbred lines was estimated to be 1.4 % per year. Under irrigated conditions GY of some single-cross hybrids was over 16 t ha−1. Some single-cross and inbred line parents showed acceptable flowering synchrony, good producibility, and stable performance across testing environments, suggesting that these have high potential for seed production. Further research is needed to determine the physiological and morphological characteristics that contributed to the GY improvement in the parental inbred lines. Information generated from this study will enhance the use of CIMMYT’s tropical mid-altitude parental germplasm by breeders working in both private and public breeding programs for developing and deploying high-yielding maize hybrids for the benefit of small-scale farmers in SSA.
Blending of Palm Mid‐Fraction, Refined Bleached Deodorized Palm Kernel Oil or Palm Stearin for Cocoa Butter Alternative
Authors: Biswas N. , Cheow Y. L. , Tan C. P. , Siow L. F.
Published: August 2016

This study evaluated the physicochemical properties of palm mid‐fraction (PMF), refined bleached deodorized palm kernel oil (RBDPKO) and refined bleached deodorized palm stearin (RBDPS) as binary mixtures in terms of their fatty acid compositions (GC), triacylglycerols (HPLC), solid fat contents (p‐NMR), melting behaviors (DSC) and polymorphisms (XRD) for cocoa butter (CB) alternative formulations. All the PMF/RBDPKO and RBDPS/RBDPKO blends showed mixtures of short/long‐chain fatty acids with corresponding triacylglycerols. 10–70 % PMF in RBDPKO showed a eutectic effect between 20 and 30 °C. However, a monotectic effect was observed at 10–15 °C for 20–40 % PMF in RBDPKO and 40–80 % of RBDPS in RBDPKO. For PMF/RBDPS blends, a monotectic effect was observed at less than 30 °C. Broad endotherms at 20–38 °C were observed for 30–50 % RBDPS in RBDPKO which are closer to CB, with polymorphs of β′1 > β′2 ≫ β2 based on XRD analysis. 50–80 % PMF in RBDPS exhibited significantly higher contents of long‐chain fatty acids with the exception of stearic and lower constituents of monounsaturated triacylglycerols compared to CB. Broad endotherms were observed at 20–38 °C for 50–80 % PMF in RBDPS which are closer to CB, with β′1 ≫ β′2 > β2. Therefore, 20–40 % PMF in RBDPKO, 30–50 % RBDPS in RBDPKO and 50–80 % PMF in RBDPS could be used as CB substitutes because of their comparable physicochemical behaviors.
Differentiation of Mechanically and Chemically Extracted Hazelnut Oils Based on their Sterol and Wax Profiles
Authors: Gumus Cansu Ekin , Yorulmaz Asli , Tekin Aziz
Published: August 2016

The sterol and wax content of solvent extracted (SEHO) and cold pressed hazelnut oils (CPHO) were compared. A total of 48 samples from 19 hazelnut varieties were collected for two successive crop years from four different geographical districts in Turkey. Hazelnuts were processed to oil with a laboratory scale press, than the remaining oil in cake was extracted with n‐hexane. CPHO and SEHO were evaluated for their wax, sterol and squalene contents. Results showed that sterol, squalene and wax contents of all individual cultivars were higher in SEHO than those of CPHO, indicating the higher solubility of these compounds in solvent. Total sterol contents ranged between 1088.56 (Kargalak)—1609.39 mg/kg (Mincane) for CPHO and 1590.86 (Çakıldak)—2897.26 mg/kg (Mincane) for SEHO. Hazelnut oils were found to be richer of C36‐38 esters than C40‐46 group. Total wax content was between 24.19 (Kargalak)—94.58 mg/kg (Kuş) for CPHO and 81.46 (Kargalak)—160.92 mg/kg (Akçakoca) for SEHO. The squalene amounts of the samples obtained by hexane extraction were between 499.75 (Allahverdi)—885.36 mg/kg (Cavcava), while it varied between 288.55 (Kargalak)—647.68 mg/kg (Mincane) in cold pressed oils. Significant and obvious variations between SEHO and CPHO were verified by principal component and hierarchical cluster analysis. Geographical discrimination was also achieved by discriminant analysis.
Selective inhibition of metabotropic glutamate type 1 alpha receptor (mGluR1α) reduces cell proliferation and migration following status epilepticus in early development
Authors: Friedman L.K. , Sharma A. , Corcia M. , Webster T. , Qazi L. , Simsovits D. , Khalil Y. , Hu S. , Kantrowitz M. , Hong H.
Published: August 2016

The present study examined whether a single or multiple episode(s) of status epilepticus induced with kainic acid (KA) during the first 3 weeks of postnatal (P) development would aberrantly stimulate proliferation zones that alters migration to potentially injured areas and whether they would be blocked by selective Group I mGluR antagonists. mGluR1α (LY367385) and mGluR5 (MPEP) antagonists were administered 2 h following KA‐induced status epilepticus and animals were examined after 7 days. Proliferating cells of the subventricular zone (SVZ), third ventricle, hippocampus, amygdala cortical complex were analyzed with the proliferative marker, Ki67; and two complementary retrograde dye tracers. Proliferation increased in extrahippocampal limbic structures when KA was administered on P13 or P20 which correlated with number of injured cells at the older age. LY367385 post‐treatment caused striking decreases in proliferation in all limbic structures in the presence and absence of injury, whereas a reduction with MPEP was observed only within the amygdala cortical complex (Amg/ERcx) in the presence of multiple seizures (3 × KA). After 3 × KA and LY367385 post‐treatments, diminished co‐staining of dye tracers with Ki67 was observed within the Amg/ERcx despite high levels of progenitors marked by the retrograde tracers in this region. This indicates that not only was local proliferation within the SVZ and distant structures inhibited, but also that migration itself was reduced indirectly since there were less cells to migrate from the SVZ. Co‐labeling with biomarkers provided evidence for neuronal differentiation suggesting potential aberrant integration may occur in distant locations, and that targeting of mGluR1α receptors may be a potential therapeutic strategy for future development.
Trends in physiological coagulation factors in Japanese patients receiving novel oral anticoagulants
Authors: Nagao Tomoyuki , Hunakubo Hiroshi , Suzuki Mayu , Kataoka Takashi , Okumura Satoshi , Shinoda Norihiro , Harada Ken , Kato Bunichi , Kato Masataka , Marui Nobuyuki , Sakai Shinichi , Amano Tetsuya , Murohara Toyoaki
Published: August 2016

Background

Little is known about physiological anticoagulation effects via antithrombin III (AT III) and protein C/S (PC/PS) in patients using new oral anticoagulants (NOACs).

Methods

We evaluated 120 consecutive patients with non‐valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) receiving NOACs. Patients were randomly divided into three groups: a dabigatran group (DG, N=40), a rivaroxaban group (RG, N=40) or an apixaban group (AG, N=40). A warfarin group (WG, N=40) was matched with NOAC groups for age, sex and type of AF during the same time period. Blood samples were obtained in pretreatment, trough and peak phases to measure the activity of physiological coagulation inhibitors, including AT III and PC/PS or thrombus formation markers such as D‐dimer and thrombin–antithrombin complex (TAT).

Results

D‐dimer, TAT and AT III values for the NOAC groups were equivalent in the peak and trough phases. PC/PS activity in both phases was equally maintained in the pretreatment phase in the NOAC groups, while the activity in the WG was significantly suppressed in steady state. Moreover, no differences in trends for PC/PS activity were observed among NOAC groups.

Conclusions

PC/PS activity was constant in both peak and trough phases in the patients on NOACs compared with activity of those on warfarin. In addition, there was no difference in the findings among NOACs.
Amalgamations of Life Assurance Companies
Authors: Britt K. J.
Published: August 2016

In his Presidential Address delivered in November 1910 Sir Gerald Ryan discussed at some length the policy and practice of amalgamation (J.I.A. Vol. XLV, p. 12), and went on to suggest that a useful purpose would be served if a paper were written by one of our Fellows on the theme of “Assurance Amalgamations.” Papers on the subject are to be found in the early numbers of the Journal, but as the last one dealing solely with amalgamations was written in 1858 it may be of interest to members if the matter is examined again in the light of the happenings in recent years. Other references have appeared in Presidential Addresses and papers of a legal character. Some of these expressed the opinion that the requirements of the Assurance Companies Act, 1870, were unworkable. For many years amalgamations of life offices have been governed by the Assurance Companies Act, 1909 (hereafter referred to as the 1909 Act), but it can scarcely be said that its requirements are easier to comply with than those of the 1870 Act. It is not surprising, therefore, to find that many of the transactions of the nature of amalgamations in recent years have been carried through by other means.
An Exploration into Patterns of Mortality
Authors: Redington F. M.
Published: August 2016

Throughout this century mortality has been declining and if an exponential curve in the Gompertz form μx = bcx is fitted to recent English Life Tables b has been decreasing as we would expect. Between the 1911 Table and the 1951 Table, 105b has fallen from 18 to 6 for males and from 9 to 2 for females. But c has been increasing—from 1·087 to 1·103 for males, and from 1·094 to 1·112 for females. What feature of mortality can it be that has been deteriorating in this scientific age? Has c any counterpart in reality? Or is it just a mathematical by-product of our system of description?
Linear analysis of 170 GHz cylindrical and confocal gyrotron
Authors: Yang Youwei , Yu Sheng
Published: August 2016

In this paper, the mode density, coupling coefficient, eigenfrequencies, quality factors and starting currents of a 170 GHz cylindrical and confocal gyrotron are studied based on the linear theory. Results show that the mode density in the confocal cavity greatly decrease due to the diffraction properties. Modes in the confocal cavity have lower quality factors than the modes in cylindrical cavity, hence the starting currents are higher than the latter. The confocal gyrotron is more stable than the cylindrical gyrotron when operating at large current. Meanwhile, through altering the mirror width, quality factors together with the starting current of the confocal modes are adjustable.
Louis Le Blanc, Estienne Le Blanc, and the Defense of Louis IX's Crusades, 1498–1522
Authors: Brown Elizabeth A. R. , Zale Sanford
Published: August 2016

My lady, in composing this little book, I remembered that you bear the name of monseigneur Saint Louis, your ancestor, … and that I once composed a short treatise about him, in order to respond to those who wanted to ruin his good reputation by saying that in his time he destroyed the kingdom of France because of the two expeditions he made overseas, wishing to recover the Holy Land, and that he had been constrained to have leather money made and to impose sales taxes (gabelles) in this kingdom, which is not true, saving their reverence, as will be shown below.
Monastic Reading at Thorney Abbey, 1323–1347
Authors: Sharpe Richard
Published: August 2016

The only records to survive from the annual Lenten distribution of books in English Benedictine abbeys are four years' notes from Thorney abbey. Although not from consecutive years, all date from the period 1324 to 1330, during the early part of the abbacy of Reynold of Water Newton (1323–47). In the last years of his tenure the monks of Thorney were found to be reading material of a less pious character: two visitations discovered that a scandalous book was circulating among them during the years 1345 to 1347. Like the survival of the Lenten distribution records, this story is unique among English monastic archives. These sources provide two distinct, yet complementary, glimpses of the reading culture at Thorney in the time of Abbot Reynold, which are discussed in turn below.
Walter Burley, Quid sit subiectum scientiae naturalis: Eine Edition Von Quaestiones super Librum physicorum, q. 2, und von Expositio vetus cum quaestionibus super Librum physicorum, q. 1.1
Authors: Von Perger Mischa
Published: August 2016

Zu Aristoteles' Physik hat Walter Burley drei Kommentare verfasst: eine umfangreiche, selbständige Quästionenreihe und zwei Texterklärungen ad modum commenti mit eingestreuten Quästionen. Der erste Literalkommentar entstand vor 1316, der zweite in zwei Schüben 1324–27 (zu den Büchern 1–6) und 1334–37 (zu den Büchern 7 und 8). Die Quästionenreihe stammt nach der hier vorgeschlagenen Datierung aus der Zeit vor Abfassung des ersten Literalkommentars.
Thematic Structure and Symbolic Motif in the Middle English Breton Lays
Authors: Furnish Shearle
Published: August 2016

The Breton Lays in Middle English is an enigmatic label customarily used to designate eight or nine brief narratives: Sir Orfeo, Sir Degaré, Lay le Freine, “The Franklin's Tale,” Sir Launfal, The Earl of Toulouse, Emaré, and Sir Gowther. The label is awkward because it may seem to suggest that the poems are consistently derived from or inspired by Breton or Old French sources and thus are a sort of stepchildren, little more than translations or, worse, misunderstandings of a multi-media heritage. Most scholars have seen the grouping as traditional and artificial, passed along in uncritical reception, not resting on substantial generic similarities that distinguish the poems from other literary forms. John Finlayson, for instance, concludes, “In fact, considered coldly, shortness and adventure or ordeal would seem to be the only things that can really be isolated as universal characteristics.” Some scholars have accounted for the poems as a set. The distinctions they discuss commonly include the lays' close relation to the conventions of the folk-tale, relationship to provincial audiences, and a growing sophistication of the craft of fiction.
Rites of Enclosure: The EnglishOrdinesfor the Enclosing of Anchorites, S. XII–S. XVI
Authors: Jones E. A.
Published: August 2016

The enclosed solitary life, like other forms of (broadly speaking) monastic vocation, can trace its origins to the eastern deserts of the third and fourth centuries. But its development as a distinct and separately regulated form of living belongs to the central Middle Ages. By the twelfth century, the anchoritic vocation was an established part of a spiritual landscape that also included regular cenobites (monks, canons, nuns) and the still comparatively unregulated, freely wandering hermits. Anchorites usually lived alone (or at least without any spiritual companion: the life was impossible without servants or some other way of attending to the practitioner's domestic needs), in a cell attached (in most cases) to a parish church, often in an urban location; if men, they were usually priests, though more often seculars than regulars; in England, female anchorites, of whom very few appear to have been nuns prior to their enclosure, outnumbered males throughout the period.
The Poor Sisters of Söflingen: Religious Corporations as Property Litigants, 1310–1317
Authors: Febert Heidi L.
Published: August 2016

The convent of sisters of the Order of St. Damian and St. Clare of Söflingen, initially established just outside the city of Ulm in what is today the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany, moved to the village of Söflingen, slightly west of its first home, sometime in the early 1250s, and survived there until 1814 when it was finally dissolved. During the centuries of activity, the convent maintained a large archive of documents including charters, privileges, and other letters. The history of the foundation was already discussed in 1488 in the work of a local Dominican, Felix Fabri. But the modern historian responsible for cataloging much of the extant documentation was Max Miller (1901–1973). Miller, a Catholic priest and the director of the Staatsarchiv Stuttgart from 1951 until his retirement in 1967, produced a register of the Söflingen documents starting with the earliest land donations and continuing to 1550. He organized and numbered all of them according to date and included brief descriptions and abbreviated notes concerning their location in his register. It is still used as the finding tool, orFindbuch, for Söflingen's documents at the state archive in Ludwigsburg, and Miller's numbering system gives most items their current call number. Many of the items he listed can be found at the Staatsarchiv Ludwigsburg as well.
A Poem by Guarino on Leonello of Ferrara
Authors: Hays Gregory
Published: August 2016

This article revisits a set of sixteen hexameters by Guarino on the accession of Leonello d'Este in 1442. The poem was first published by Ian Thomson, whose text can be improved in several minor points as well as one major one. Thomson had already realized that Guarino's lines are not transmitted in their original order and had proposed to move lines 4–6 to follow line 11. The displacement is in fact even more extensive than he realized but has a simple mechanical explanation and a simple solution. Once the lines are properly distributed, the piece emerges as a dialogue between an unnamed speaker and the city of Ferrara, perhaps intended to accompany a visual representation of some sort. Thomson's theory that Guarino ghost-wrote the poem for an unnamed presbyter to present to Leonello is shown to be problematic.
Too Much of Too Little: Guthlac and the Temptation of Excessive Fasting
Authors: Downey Sarah
Published: August 2016

Chaucer's Summoner tells the tale of a corrupt friar who, while trying to obtain a donation from his bedridden and irate patron Thomas, demonstrates his hypocrisy by giving Thomas's wife a very specific dinner order and immediately following it up with a long sermon on the importance of fasting. Like most medieval preachers, Friar John appeals to biblical exempla:“Lo, Moyses fourty dayes and fourty nyghtFasted, er that the heighe God of myghtSpak with hym in the mountayne of Synay.With empty wombe, fastynge many a day,Receyved he the lawe that was writenWith Goddes fynger; and Elye, wel ye witen,In mount Oreb, er he hadde any specheWith hye God, that is oure lyves leche,He fasted longe and was in contemplaunce.… Our Lord Jhesu, as hooly writ devyseth,Yaf us ensample of fastynge and preyeres.”
Isidore of Seville's Taxonomy of Magicians and Diviners
Authors: Klingshirn William E.
Published: August 2016

InEtymologies8.9, Isidore presents a detailed classification of the diverse group of ritual experts he callsmagi.Well organized, erudite, flexible enough to include a wide range of specialists, and, as its record of influence demonstrates, enormously useful as a template for later medieval classifications, the “De Magis” offers what can rightly be called the first definitive western Christian taxonomy of unauthorized practitioners. Although Isidore relied heavily on a wide range of pagan and Christian sources for the contents of the chapter, their selection, revision, and arrangement—the elements of his taxonomy—were all his own.
Paul the Deacon's ‘Gesta Episcoporum Mettensium’ and the Early Design of Charlemagne's Succession
Authors: Goffart Walter
Published: August 2016

If Charlemagne had plans for his succession prior to 806, little has yet been said about them; equally little has been written about theGesta episcoporum Mettensium, a minor work of Paul the Deacon's. But lack of interest by posterity is only an incidental reason for associating the MetzGestawith Charles's early dynastic planning. In 781, Charles visited Rome for the second time; important decisions about the Carolingian heritage were taken in connection with this journey. Soon afterwards, probably in 783, Paul was commissioned by a royal courtier to compose a history of the bishops of Metz. A careful analysis of Paul's narrative suggests that its purpose was not so much to celebrate the bishops of one diocese as to commemorate, however discreetly, certain events vitally concerning the entire Frankish church and kingdom. TheGestamay shed unexpected light on Charlemagne's designs for the transmission of hisregna, as well as on the ideas inspiring his decision.
Danse Macabre
Authors: Eisler Robert
Published: August 2016

The French wordmacabrewas first used as an ordinary adjective by the French Romantic writers of the last century: Théophile Gautier and Petrus Borel say ‘c'est macabre’ for anything lugubriously grotesque. Sachs quotesfantaisie macabrefrom Émile Montégut. The word was not included in theDictionnaire de l'Académie Française(1694) up to the seventh edition of 1878, but is now to be found in the eighth in the connectionsdanse macabre, récit macabre, plaisanterie macabre. Bal macabre is not recorded, but often used. In the printers' craft-languagemacabreis said to be used for aMort, that is, the accidental omission of one or more words of a text by the compositor. The medical students and servants of the dissecting rooms at the French universities call the bodies dissectedles macabres. The bargees on the Seine employ the word for corpses seen drifting on the water. Parisian grave-diggers call the bodies of the poor people buried at minimum costmauvais macabés. In the Auvergnat patois, [chant] macabre is a bag-piper's melody. In the Bergamask dialect macabret is said to mean the Devil-an easy transition from ‘Death.’ In Cervières (Burgundy) a certain sword-dance is calledBachuber, obviously either a wrong transcription of an aurally recordedmacuberor a local mispronunciation of an adopted word. Macabre is found as a loan-word in English, Dutch, and German: Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, and Spanish.
Notes on an Eleventh-Century Missal, Walters Manuscript 11
Authors: Strittmatter Anselm
Published: August 2016

In his excellent description and analysis of Walters MS 11, Dr. Leo F. Miller gives little or no attention to what is at times the most vexing problem a liturgical manuscript can present, viz., for what church was the codex written? He determines the predominantly Ravennate character of the ‘martyrologium’ prefixed to the sacramentary-missal which constitutes the body of the book, but in general hesitates to assign the manuscript to Ravenna itself, because ‘it contains none of the liturgical uses proper to that city's ancient liturgy, to which the people clung so tenaciously until they were abolished by Archbishop Julius della Rovere,’ and adds: ‘would a Ravenna calendar lack such great names as Peter Chrysologus and Iohannes Angeloptes?’ It will not be amiss, therefore, to look about for other clues which may help us solve the problem. An initial clue may, indeed, be said to stand out in the calendar itself: March 21. Natale S. Patris nostri Benedicti. This formulation, which is found normally only in Benedictine calendars, taken together with the proper mass for the feast of the saint on fo1.37, leaves little room for doubt concerning the character of the church for which the book was intended, even as the blessing of the weekly reader, inserted after the Canon of the Mass (fol.12r), clearly indicates that the book at one time served a monastic church. Our problem, therefore, is to identify the abbey or priory, if possible, and here again there exists an important clue. In the ‘Missa pro Congregatione In honore (sic) sanctae Mariae,’ St. Ambrose is mentioned in both collect and postcommunion, as he is also in the ‘Nobis quoque peccatoribus’ and in the embolism after the Pater noster. There can be no question that the saint mentioned in the two prayers—Defende, quaesumus and Copiosa—is normally the patron of the monastery, and that this particular mass-formulary has in this book been adapted for use in a church dedicated to the famous bishop of Milan. It would be interesting, therefore, to find in the province of Ravenna a monastery dedicated to St. Ambrose, so remote, too, perhaps from the metropolitan city as not to be obliged or inclined to keep all its local observances. Such a monastery did, indeed, exist—Sancti A mbrosii de Rancla (Ranclo; the modern Ranchio), situated about seven kilometers north-northwest of Sarsina, the episcopal city of the diocese to which it belonged, a suffragan see of Ravenna—and although no chronicle or annals, recounting the inner and outer history of the abbey would seem to be extant, the archives of the diocese, meagerly published, to be sure, do give us for the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries an occasional glimpse of its fortunes, at times perhaps even more.
Love in Twelfth-Century France: A Failure in Synthesis
Authors: Moore John C.
Published: August 2016

Near the end of the twelfth century, the scholar and statesman Peter of Blois felt compelled to bring together the wisdom of ancients and moderns on the subject of love and friendship. He was reluctant to publish his synthesis, for he was afraid that his reliance on other authors would bring charges of fraud. Sure enough, it has. Unfortunately, he relied too heavily on one modern in particular, St. Ailred of Rievaulx; and, like many undergraduate papers, his treatise is a better example of plagiarism than of synthesis.
The Origins and Development of Municipal Military Service in the Leonese and Castilian Reconquest, 800–1250
Authors: Powers James F.
Published: August 2016

In modern society, enmeshed with confrontations involving the individual, military service and the state, historians are often inclined to make comparisons with the distant past which offer relief from the pressures of contemporary history. Regarding military service, the Middle Ages are occasionally suggested as an age when combat was sporadic, when only the small feudal aristocracy encountered a martial obligation, and when the remainder of society could concentrate on the other burdens of life, free of the paraphernalia of war, hot or cold. As with many romantic generalizations concerning the period, the comparative bliss of the medieval non-combatant is open to question. Many would note, however, that the feudal classes did possess a monopoly on warfare for several centuries in parts of Continental Europe, and would tend to place all discussion of military institutions within a feudal context.