bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design guidelines on beam index modulation enabled wireless communications
Authors: Ding Yuan , Fusco Vincent
Published: February 2018

A new wireless transmission scheme, named by authors as beam index modulation (BIM), is proposed. It exploits radiation beam indices at the transmitter sides to convey information bits, in addition to the information transmitted by modulating radio frequency carriers, i.e. the classical means of wireless transmission. Favourably, only a single RF chain is required at both transmitter and receiver sides. When compared with traditional beamforming, the proposed BIM system exhibits improved bit error rate performance in sparse non‐line‐of‐sight wireless propagation channels. A parametric study is conducted, from which the design guidelines are provided and experimentally validated.
CISRP: connectivity‐aware intersection‐based shortest path routing protocol for VANETs in urban environments
Authors: Nooji Venkatramana Dharani Kumari , Banagiri Srikantaiah Shylaja , Moodabidri Jayalakshmi
Published: February 2018

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) are a key technology for intelligent transportation system providing different services in safety and entertainment applications. Routing in VANET encounters high mobility of nodes, heterogeneous node distribution and dynamic network topology. These characteristics of the VANET demand a routing protocol capable of inhibiting intermittent connectivity due to network fragmentation. The proposed work is a connectivity‐aware intersection‐based shortest path routing protocol (CISRP) for VANETs in an urban environment. The CISRP has been designed to look into the prevailing road conditions and route the packets in a less congestion and less link breakage path to avoid intermittent connectivity. The results evaluated show the enhanced performance of the CISRP protocol.
Voltage‐mode robust controller design for DC–DC boost converter at the presence of wide load and input voltage variations based on finite‐state‐machine model
Authors: Mirebrahimi Seyedeh‐Nafiseh , Merrikh‐Bayat Farshad , Taheri Asghar
Published: February 2018

In this study, first, a new definition is proposed for the state of the boost converter. In this approach, the state is defined based on the relative value of two successive samples of the output voltage with respect to the reference voltage. Then a finite‐state‐machine (FSM) model, which takes into account the possible variations of the input voltage and load resistance, is proposed. This model is discrete‐time and represents the evolution of states implicitly based on the events like load and input voltage variation. One advantage of this model is that it is valid both in continuous conduction mode and discontinuous conduction mode. At the next step, a voltage‐mode controller, which can regulate the output voltage at the presence of load and input voltage variations, is proposed. Stability of the resulting closed‐loop system is studied using the FSM model and the discrete‐time Lyapunov method. Simulations and experimental results are presented.
Review of HRESs based on storage options, system architecture and optimisation criteria and methodologies
Authors: Singh Ranjay , Bansal Ramesh C.
Published: February 2018

The fast‐growing awareness of depleting fossil fuel and the adverse impact of conventional energy generation methods on the environment has brought passionate attention to renewable energy sources (RE source). Owing to stochastic nature of energy production from renewable energy system (RES), two or more sources are combined to form hybrid RE system (HRES). Optimisation of size, cost and reliability of power production of HRES are important factors in the planning of HRES. This study presents a review of optimisation tools and constraints on which HRES system is optimised. The types of storage/backup system available for HRES are also presented in this study.
AC‐electric‐field‐induced parthenogenesis of mouse oocyte
Authors: Huang Hong‐Yuan , Kao Wei‐Lun , Wang Yi‐Wen , Yao Da‐Jeng
Published: February 2018

To prevent parthenogenesis effect under embryo formation from sperms and oocyte, this study demonstrates that parthenogenesis of the oocyte of an ICR mouse can be induced with an AC electric field and without sperm insemination. The mouse oocytes were trapped with a positive dielectrophoretic force at the electrodes on an ITO‐glass chip. The rates of parthenogenesis were tested under conditions of varied intensity of electric field from 33.35 kV/m to 266.8 kV/m and trapping durations 1, 3, 5 and 10 min. The results indicated that there is no significant statistical difference with varied trapping time (p > 0.1); with AC p‐DEP electric activation, there is a significant statistical difference for 133.6 kV/m and 266.8 kV/m of electric field (p = 0.0013 and 0.0001 vs. control group respectively). The rate of parthenogenesis of the control group, oocytes with no electric activation, was 10.17±0.17% (n = 205). The rates of parthenogenesis were 51.65±7.8% (n = 27) at electric field 133.6 kV/m and 79.9±4.85% (n = 35) at 266.8 kV/m. The viability of these oocytes treated with an electric field exceeded 80%; this method of electric activation is hence safe for a mouse oocyte.
ALS Mimics
Authors: Hansel Anna , Dorst Johannes , Rosenbohm Angela , Hübers Annemarie , Ludolph Albert
Published: February 2018

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease. Most patients die within 2–5 years of symptom onset due to the lack of effective therapy options. A diagnostic delay is encountered quite often, since disease progression as well as site and speed of onset may vary significantly. Some diseases can mimic features of ALS, especially in early stages. It is very important to differentiate those mimics from ALS as potentially treatable conditions might be missed otherwise. ALS typically affects the upper as well as the lower motor neuron, which implies that diseases sharing at least one of these clinical features have to be considered in the differential diagnosis. The following conditions should be taken into account as a differential diagnosis for ALS with predominant affection of the lower motor neuron: Immune mediated neuropathies such as multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) with pronounced distal paresis without striking atrophy signs and conduction blocks in electroneurography, and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) with common signs of sensibility disturbances, areflexia and cytoalbuminologic dissociation in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) with typical biopsy findings and clinically predominant affection of the finger flexors. Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), in which androgen receptor (AR-)gene testing and clinical signs of androgen insensitivity will help to differentiate the disease from ALS. Hirayama disease shows cold paresis; a cervical MRI scan and a normal neurography will help to confirm the diagnosis. In benign fasciculation syndrome, there is no muscle paresis or atrophy, and acute denervation cannot be detected in the EMG. In spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), testing for the SMN gene will help to differentiate the condition from ALS; furthermore, SMA is a very rare disease in adults. As a differential diagnosis for ALS with both clinical affection of the upper and lower motor neuron e. g. metabolic diseases such as adrenoleukodystrophy, metachromatic leukodystrophy and Tay-Sachs disease should be taken into account. Here, laboratory tests are the most important steps for a correct diagnosis. Cervical myelopathy is also capable of affecting the upper and lower motor neuron, but can easily be differentiated by a cervical MRI scan. As a differential diagnosis of ALS with predominant affection of the upper motor neuron, we discuss hereditary spastic paraparesis (HSP) which presents with a symmetric spasticity of the legs. The MRI often shows atrophy of the spinal cord, and SPG gene testing is done to differentiate HSP from ALS.
QTc Time Correlates with Amitriptyline and Venlafaxine Serum Levels in Elderly Psychiatric Inpatients
Authors: Hefner Gudrun , Hahn Martina , Hohner Matthias , Roll Sybille , Klimke Ansgar , Hiemke Christoph
Published: February 2018

Introduction Many antidepressants cause QT prolongation but the classification of cardiac risk of these drugs varies markedly in different published lists. This retrospective study analyzed the correlation of QTc time with amitriptyline and venlafaxine serum level in elderly psychiatric inpatients.

Methods Elderly inpatients aged≥65 years for whom venlafaxine or amitriptyline serum level had been measured were selected retrospectively from a therapeutic drug monitoring database and screened for an electrocardiogram measurement at the time of blood withdrawal. The correlation of amitriptyline or venlafaxine serum levels with QTc time was examined by using Pearson’s correlation analysis.

Results Amitriptyline serum levels (n=11) correlated significantly with QTc time (r=0.918, p<0.001, CI 95%). Venlafaxine serum levels (n=27) also correlated significantly with QTc time (r=0.382, p<0.05, CI 95%).

Discussion Amitriptyline and venlafaxine induce QT prolongation depending on drug concentrations in blood. Its extent, however, is very low when drug serum levels are within the therapeutic range. Future pharmacokinetic studies that correlate drug serum level and QT time should classify the cardiac risk of drugs based on the grade of the regression line in relation to the therapeutic range.
The influence of CO2 on biomass fast pyrolysis at medium temperatures
Authors: Yang Mingfa , Luo Bo , Shao Jingai , Zeng Kuo , Zhang Xiong , Yang Haiping , Chen Hanping
Published: February 2018

In order to increase the economic potential, the pyrolysis gas product of CO2 was recycled as carrier gas for biomass fast pyrolysis at medium temperatures. Distribution and characterization of products were investigated under five CO2 concentrations (0%, 10%, 20%, 50%, and 100%). It was found that CO2-containing atmospheres resulted in higher yields of char and oil while lower gas yield. The CO2 atmosphere inhibited H-containing and O-containing functional groups removing from char to volatiles by reacting with the char active center. CO2 can react with the volatiles promoting the generation of CO. Phenols were the most part in bio-oil, and the carrier gas CO2 could promote more oxygen converting into liquid products at a temperature higher than 550 °C. For rape straw, corn stalks, and camphor wood, CO2 has a similar effect on the pyrolysis products, promoting the generation of char and CO, while inhibiting the production of H2 and CH4 in gas.
High-pressure cell for simultaneous dielectric and neutron spectroscopy
Authors: Sanz Alejandro , Hansen Henriette Wase , Jakobsen Bo , Pedersen Ib H. , Capaccioli Simone , Adrjanowicz Karolina , Paluch Marian , Gonthier Julien , Frick Bernhard , Lelièvre-Berna Eddy , Peters Judith , Niss Kristine
Published: February 2018

In this article, we report on the design, manufacture, and testing of a high-pressure cell for simultaneous dielectric and neutron spectroscopy. This cell is a unique tool for studying dynamics on different time scales, from kilo- to picoseconds, covering universal features such as the α relaxation and fast vibrations at the same time. The cell, constructed in cylindrical geometry, is made of a high-strength aluminum alloy and operates up to 500 MPa in a temperature range between roughly 2 and 320 K. In order to measure the scattered neutron intensity and the sample capacitance simultaneously, a cylindrical capacitor is positioned within the bore of the high-pressure container. The capacitor consists of two concentric electrodes separated by insulating spacers. The performance of this setup has been successfully verified by collecting simultaneous dielectric and neutron spectroscopy data on dipropylene glycol, using both backscattering and time-of-flight instruments. We have carried out the experiments at different combinations of temperature and pressure in both the supercooled liquid and glassy state.
An improved coupled-states approximation including the nearest neighbor Coriolis couplings for diatom-diatom inelastic collision
Authors: Yang Dongzheng , Hu Xixi , Zhang Dong H. , Xie Daiqian
Published: February 2018

Solving the time-independent close coupling equations of a diatom-diatom inelastic collision system by using the rigorous close-coupling approach is numerically difficult because of its expensive matrix manipulation. The coupled-states approximation decouples the centrifugal matrix by neglecting the important Coriolis couplings completely. In this work, a new approximation method based on the coupled-states approximation is presented and applied to time-independent quantum dynamic calculations. This approach only considers the most important Coriolis coupling with the nearest neighbors and ignores weaker Coriolis couplings with farther K channels. As a result, it reduces the computational costs without a significant loss of accuracy. Numerical tests for para-H2+ortho-H2 and para-H2+HD inelastic collision were carried out and the results showed that the improved method dramatically reduces the errors due to the neglect of the Coriolis couplings in the coupled-states approximation. This strategy should be useful in quantum dynamics of other systems.
Engineering electric and magnetic dipole coupling in arrays of dielectric nanoparticles
Authors: Li Jiaqi , Verellen Niels , Van Dorpe Pol
Published: February 2018

Dielectric nanoparticles with both strong electric and magnetic dipole (ED and MD) resonances offer unique opportunities for efficient manipulation of light-matter interactions. Here, based on numerical simulations, we show far-field diffractive coupling of the ED and MD modes in a periodic rectangular array. By using unequal periodicities in the orthogonal directions, each dipole mode is separately coupled and strongly tuned. With this method, the electric and magnetic response of the dielectric nanoparticles can be deliberately engineered to accomplish various optical functionalities. Remarkably, an ultra-sharp MD resonance with sub-10 nm linewidth is achieved with a large enhancement factor for the magnetic field intensity on the order of ∼103. Our results will find useful applications for the detection of chemical and biological molecules as well as the design of novel photonic metadevices.
Ice nucleation rates near ∼225 K
Authors: Amaya Andrew J. , Wyslouzil Barbara E.
Published: February 2018

We have measured the ice nucleation rates, Jice, in supercooled nano-droplets with radii ranging from 6.6 nm to 10 nm and droplet temperatures, Td, ranging from 225 K to 204 K. The initial temperature of the 10 nm water droplets is ∼250 K, i.e., well above the homogeneous nucleation temperature for micron sized water droplets, TH ∼235 K. The nucleation rates increase systematically from ∼1021 cm−3 s−1 to ∼1022 cm−3 s−1 in this temperature range, overlap with the nucleation rates of Manka et al. [Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 14, 4505 (2012)], and suggest that experiments with larger droplets would extrapolate smoothly the rates of Hagen et al. [J. Atmos. Sci. 38, 1236 (1981)]. The sharp corner in the rate data as temperature drops is, however, difficult to match with available theory even if we correct classical nucleation theory and the physical properties of water for the high internal pressure of the nanodroplets.
Self focusing in a spatially modulated electrostatic field particle accelerator
Authors: Russman F. , Marini S. , Peter E. , de Oliveira G. I. , Rizzato F. B.
Published: February 2018

In the present analysis, we study the action of a three-dimensional (3D) modulated electrostatic wave over a charged particle. Meanwhile, the particle's velocity is smaller than the phase-velocity of the carrier, and the particle could be reflected by the potential or could pass through the potential with no significant change in the longitudinal velocity—and its dynamics could be described by a ponderomotive approximation. Otherwise, the particle is trapped by the potential and it is accelerated towards the speed of light, independently of the initial particle's phase—in this case, the ponderomotive approximation is no longer valid. During the acceleration process, numerical simulations show the particle is focused, simultaneously. These results suggest the accelerator proposed here is promising.
Giant magnetostriction in nanoheterogeneous Fe-Al alloys
Authors: Han Yongjun , Wang Hui , Zhang Tianli , He Yangkun , Jiang Chengbao
Published: February 2018

As a potential magnetostrictive material, Fe-Al alloys exhibit excellent mechanical properties, low cost, and moderate magnetostriction, but the magnetostriction mechanism is still a mystery. Here, we elucidate the structural origin of magnetostriction in Fe-Al alloys and further improve the magnetostriction five-fold via Tb doping. Nanoinclusions with a size of 3–5 nm were found dispersed in the A2 matrix in Fe82Al18 ribbons. The structure of the nanoinclusions is identified to be tetragonally modified-D03 (L60), which are considered to create the tetragonal distortion of the matrix, leading to the enhanced magnetostriction. Furthermore, a drastic enhancement of the magnetostriction up to 5 times was achieved by trace Tb doping (0.2 at. %). Synchrotron X-ray diffraction directly revealed the increased tetragonal distortion of the matrix caused by these Tb dopants. The results further enrich the heterogeneous magnetostriction and guide the development of magnetostrictive materials.
Gaps critical for the survival of exposed seeds during Cerrado fires
Authors: Daibes L. Felipe , Gorgone-Barbosa Elizabeth , Silveira Fernando A. O. , Fidelis Alessandra
Published: February 2018

The fine-scale effects of fire and the consequences for seed survival are poorly understood, especially in the Cerrado (Brazilian savannas). Thus, we investigated whether vegetation gaps (bare soil patches) influence the survival of exposed seeds during fire events in the Cerrado by serving as safe sites. We performed field fire experiments in Central Brazil to examine how gap size (% of bare soil) influences fire heat (fire temperatures and residence time) and seed survival (Experiment 1) and to determine how seed survival is affected by fixed conditions: gaps vs grass tussocks during fires (Experiment 2). We used seeds of two common Cerrado legumes, Mimosa leiocephala Benth. and Harpalyce brasiliana Benth. Seed survival was analysed using GLMMs with a binomial distribution. In Experiment 1, seeds survived (38 and 35% for M. leiocephala and H. brasiliana respectively) only when the gaps had >40% of bare soil. In Experiment 2, all seeds under grass tussocks died when exposed to fire, whereas up to 40% of seeds survived in vegetation gaps, relative to their respective controls. Because vegetation gaps influence fire heat, they are important as safe sites for seed survival in the Cerrado, allowing a significant proportion of seeds to survive when exposed at the soil surface.
More (or less?) bounce for the ounce: a comparison of environmental DNA and classical approaches for bioassessment
Authors: McInerney Paul J. , Rees Gavin N.
Published: February 2018

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques are revolutionising the bioassessment of ecosystems. Herein we use a case study to compare environmental (e)DNA and classical sampling and laboratory identification approaches to assess biotic communities in streams. Both techniques were successful in detecting changes to biotic communities following invasion by a non-native riparian plant. The cost of the eDNA methods was one-sixth that of the classical approach and provided a coarse qualitative assessment of overall eukaryotic structure. Classical macroinvertebrate techniques, although they assess only a subset of eukaryotes, provided high-resolution quantitative information that could be applied to assess functional aspects of the ecosystem. Selection of one method in preference over the other is highly dependent on the nature of the hypothesis to be tested.
Genetic manipulation of structural color in bacterial colonies
Authors: Johansen Villads Egede , Catón Laura , Hamidjaja Raditijo , Oosterink Els , Wilts Bodo D. , Rasmussen Torben Sølbeck , Sherlock Michael Mario , Ingham Colin J. , Vignolini Silvia
Published: February 2018

Significance

We demonstrate the genetic modification of structural color in a living system by using bacteria Iridescent 1 (IR1) as a model system. IR1 colonies consist of rod-shaped bacteria that pack in a dense hexagonal arrangement through gliding and growth, thus interfering with light to give a bright, green, and glittering appearance. By generating IR1 mutants and mapping their optical properties, we show that genetic alterations can change colony organization and thus their visual appearance. The findings provide insight into the genes controlling structural color, which is important for evolutionary studies and for understanding biological formation at the nanoscale. At the same time, it is an important step toward directed engineering of photonic systems from living organisms.
Processing backward translation at intermediate L2 proficiency
Authors: Rafi Reza
Published: February 2018

This study opens a window into the mapping of the lexical structure of bilinguals as they reach intermediate-level L2 proficiency. A group of 32 Persian-speaking English learners participated in a translation recognition task, where they had to decide whether the sequentially presented English-Persian word pairs were translation equivalents. The Persian words in the experimental trials were not translation equivalents, but they either shared lexical or semantic features with the correct translations or shared phonological features with the preceding English words. For example, the Persian word /bɒːzuː/ in the word pair arm – /bɒːzuː/ was manipulated to create three categories of ‘no’ trials: (a) orthographically related to the translation equivalent (arm – /bɒːziː/ ‘game’), (b) semantically related to the translation equivalent (arm – /ʃɒːne/ ‘shoulder’), (c) phonologically related to the English word (arm – /ɒːrmɒːn/ ‘goal’). A significant interference effect was observed in response to the items in the first two categories, which indicates extensive utilization of both lexical and conceptual links in backward translation. However, the observed interference effect in the third category did not reach statistical significance, which calls into question the integrated activation of L1 and L2 prior to high level L2 proficiency. These results are discussed within the context of the Revised Hierarchical Model (Kroll & Stewart, 1994) and the Bilingual Interactive Activation Plus model (Dijkstra & Van Heuven, 2002).
Near-synonymy in morphological structures
Authors: O’Neill Paul
Published: February 2018

This article examines the concept of defectivity in the verbal system of Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan. Building on previous studies on defective verbs in Spanish and Portuguese I investigate why there are no such defective verbs in Catalan. I conclude that the structure of the verbal paradigm in Catalan non-first conjugation verbs is radically different from that of the other languages; Catalan verbs constitute paradigms which correspond to regular patterns of inflection whereas Spanish and Portuguese display non-predictable types of root allomorphy which require all non-first conjugation verbs to have a memorised form for the rhizotonic forms of the verb. Theoretically, this type of defectivity poses problems for models of inflectional morphology and suggests that the patterns of frequent verbs can become general rules for all verbs of a particular conjugation.
Are there dead persons?
Authors: Stokes Patrick
Published: February 2018

Schechtman’s ‘Person Life View’ (PLV) offers an account of personal identity whereby persons are the unified loci of our practical and ethical judgment. PLV also recognises infants and permanent vegetative state patients as being persons. I argue that the way PLV handles these cases yields an unexpected result: the dead also remain persons, contrary to the widely-accepted ‘Termination Thesis.’ Even more surprisingly, this actually counts in PLV’s favor: in light of our social and ethical practices which treat the dead as moral patients, PLV gives a more plausible account of the status of the dead than its rival theories.
A review of biostratigraphic studies in the olistostrome deposits of Karangsambung Formation
Authors: Hendrizan Marfasran
Published: February 2018

Planktonic foraminifera is widely used for marine sediment biostratigraphy. Foraminiferal biostratigraphy of Karangsambung Formation is relatively rare to be investigated by previous researchers. A review of foraminiferal biostratigraphy is expected to be early work to perform a research about the ages of Tertiary rock formations in Karangsambung. The research area is formed by olistostrome process; a sedimentary slide deposit characterized by bodies of harder rock mixed and dispersed in a matrix. Biostratigraphic studies based on foraminifera and nannoplankton in Karangsambung Formation are still qualitative analysis using fossils biomarker. However, the age of this formation is still debatable based on foraminifera and nannofossil analysis. Two explanations of debatable ages in Karangsambung Formation that is possibly developed in Karangsambung area: firstly, Karangsambung Formation is characterized by normal sedimentation in some places and other regions such Kali Welaran and Clebok, Village as a product of olistostrome, and secondly, Karangsambung Formation is olistostrome deposit. However, micropaleontology sampling and analysis in matrix clays from olistostrome were ignored causing biostratigraphical results in those matrix clays occurred in normal sedimentation process and achieving the age of middle Eocene to Oligocene. We suppose previous authors picked samples in matrix of Karangsambung Formation from several river sections, which will make misinterpretation of the age of Karangsambung Formation. The age of middle to late Eocene probably is the dates of the older sediment that was reworked by sliding and sampling process and accumulated in Karangsambung Formation. The date of Karangsambung Fm is in Oligocene period based on a finding of several calcareous nannofossils. Detailed micropaleontological analysis of olistostrome deposits in Karangsambung Formation should be reevaluated for new finding of the accurate dating. Re-evaluation should start from detailed sedimentological mapping of Karangsambung Fm transects based on previous authors especially Kali Welaran, Jatibungkus transect and Clebok section followed by systematic sampling of normal sedimentation process from olistostrome products and matrix clays of olistostrome Karangsambung Formation. Finally, quantitative method of micropaleontological analysis can be applied to identify the age of Karangsambung Formation.
Philosophy of Religion: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Bayne Tim
Published: February 2018

Philosophy of Religion: A Very Short Introduction introduces the field of philosophy of religion, and engages with some of the most burning questions that philosophers discuss. Considering how ‘religion’ should be defined, and whether we even need to be able to define it in order to engage in the philosophy of religion, it goes on to discuss whether the existence of God matters. Exploring the problem of evil, this VSI debates the connection between faith and reason, and the related question of what role reason should play in religious contexts. Shedding light on the relationship between science and religion, it finishes by considering the topics of reincarnation and the afterlife.
Interactive and coordinated visualization approaches for biological data analysis
Authors: Cruz António , Arrais Joel P , Machado Penousal
Published: February 2018

The field of computational biology has become largely dependent on data visualization tools to analyze the increasing quantities of data gathered through the use of new and growing technologies. Aside from the volume, which often results in large amounts of noise and complex relationships with no clear structure, the visualization of biological data sets is hindered by their heterogeneity, as data are obtained from different sources and contain a wide variety of attributes, including spatial and temporal information. This requires visualization approaches that are able to not only represent various data structures simultaneously but also provide exploratory methods that allow the identification of meaningful relationships that would not be perceptible through data analysis algorithms alone. In this article, we present a survey of visualization approaches applied to the analysis of biological data. We focus on graph-based visualizations and tools that use coordinated multiple views to represent high-dimensional multivariate data, in particular time series gene expression, protein–protein interaction networks and biological pathways. We then discuss how these methods can be used to help solve the current challenges surrounding the visualization of complex biological data sets.
Count Karl von Zinzendorf on Joseph II’s New Taxation
Authors: Dickson P G M
Published: February 2018

The importance of financial issues in the central lands of the Austrian Monarchy in creating the critical situation which obtained by Joseph II’s death is well known. Central to these issues was the emperor’s attempt to recast the existing Contribution, the mainstay of Austrian direct taxation, into a single tax based solely on the produce of land and ending the need for other taxes. The present article amplifies and modifies the existing treatment of this still controversial subject, drawing principally on its manuscript History compiled by Count Karl von Zinzendorf, the emperor’s finance man and lead executive in the ‘revolutionary’ project. The article documents Zinzendorf’s admiring, but increasingly exasperated, view of the emperor, and the struggle between the two until Zinzendorf threw in the towel. It shows Zinzendorf’s view that from that point the tax plan came under radical leadership, and that in its final form in the Patent of 10 February 1789 it betrayed a wish by the emperor, urged by such advisers, to impoverish and weaken the nobility. It will be argued that it was Zinzendorf’s criticisms of Joseph’s plan, consistently put forward and consistently rejected, which formed the basis of the petition against it to Leopold II by the Estates of Lower Austria on 28 February 1790, and of the Patent of 6 April 1790 for Lower Austria by which Leopold accepted the grievances stated, and the remedy of total withdrawal proposed for them.
Microtubule-bundling protein Spef1 enables mammalian ciliary central apparatus formation
Authors: Zheng Jianqun , Liu Hao , Zhu Lei , Chen Yawen , Zhao Huijie , Zhang Wei , Li Fan , Xie Lele , Yan Xiumin , Zhu Xueliang
Published: February 2018

Cilia are cellular protrusions containing nine microtubule (MT) doublets and function to propel cell movement or extracellular liquid flow through beating or sense environmental stimuli through signal transductions. Cilia require the central pair (CP) apparatus, consisting of two CP MTs covered with projections of CP proteins, for planar strokes. How the CP MTs of such ‘9 + 2’ cilia are constructed, however, remains unknown. Here we identify Spef1, an evolutionarily conserved microtubule-bundling protein, as a core CP MT regulator in mammalian cilia. Spef1 was selectively expressed in mammalian cells with 9 + 2 cilia and specifically localized along the CP. Its depletion in multiciliated mouse ependymal cells by RNAi completely abolished the CP MTs and markedly attenuated ciliary localizations of CP proteins such as Hydin and Spag6, resulting in rotational beat of the ependymal cilia. Spef1, which binds to MTs through its N-terminal calponin-homologous domain, formed homodimers through its C-terminal coiled coil region to bundle and stabilize MTs. Disruption of either the MT-binding or the dimerization activity abolished the ability of exogenous Spef1 to restore the structure and functions of the CP apparatus. We propose that Spef1 bundles and stabilizes central MTs to enable the assembly and functions of the CP apparatus.
Pharmacy-Mediated Antiplatelet Management Protocol Compared to One-time Platelet Function Testing Prior to Pipeline Embolization of Cerebral Aneurysms: A Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study
Authors: Griessenauer Christoph J , Jain Abhi , Enriquez-Marulanda Alejandro , Gupta Raghav , Adeeb Nimer , Moore Justin M , Grassi Stacey A , Dalal Shamsher S , Ogilvy Christopher S , Thomas Ajith J , Schirmer Clemens M
Published: February 2018

BACKGROUND

There is ongoing controversy regarding the optimal antiplatelet regimen, and extent or even need for platelet function testing surrounding Pipeline flow diverter (Medtronic Inc, Dublin, Ireland) embolization of cerebral aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE

To compare a unique pharmacy-mediated antiplatelet medication management protocol to a 1-time platelet function testing strategy prior to Pipeline placement.

METHODS

A retrospective review of patients with cerebral aneurysms who underwent Pipeline embolization at 2 academic institutions was performed. The first line antiplatelet regimen consisted of aspirin and clopidogrel at both institutions. At institution A, the pharmacy-mediated antiplatelet medication management protocol consisted of repeat platelet function testing using VerifyNow (Accriva Diagnostics, San Diego, California), and dosing adjustments prior to and after Pipeline placement. At institution B, a 1-time platelet function test using light transmission aggregometry was obtained prior to Pipeline placement. Both strategies were compared using propensity score matching.

RESULTS

A total of 63 and 165 Pipeline embolization procedures were performed at institutions A and B, respectively. Baseline characteristics differed in aneurysm location and aneurysm maximal diameter. Propensity score matching resulted in 25 matched pairs and demonstrated that the number of procedures in which the patient was switched to an alternative platelet agent was significantly smaller at institution A. There were no differences between the sites with regard to aneurysm occlusion rate, the incidence of thromboembolic and hemorrhagic complications, and modified Rankin scale at last follow-up after propensity score matching.

CONCLUSION

Pharmacy-mediated antiplatelet management using VerifyNow is a safe and efficacious alternative to a more traditional approach, and significantly reduces the need to utilize other, potentially more expensive antiplatelet agents.
Myth and Victorian Literature
Authors: Joshua Essaka
Published: February 2018

Myth is a prominent part of the Victorian engagement with the past and the present, and myths were essential to the Victorians’ conception of themselves. Before the eighteenth century, myth usually refers to the inherited stories of the Greeks and Romans, but, with expanded exploration through travel and scholarship, this gradually widened to include mythologies belonging to other cultures. The Romantic legacy looms large in the considerations of the early-Victorian inheritance of classical myths. Discussion of myth in this period is often connected to questions of cultural progress, and the classical competes with the gothic for aesthetic preeminence. The 1830s, the early Victorian period, sees the beginning of the Arthurian revival. The mid-Victorians are preoccupied with the moral safety of Hellenistic subject matter and by its wider cultural significance, a preoccupation that continues through to the end of the century. Classical myth in the fin de siècle has an important homoerotic element throughout the nineteenth century, and it achieves this in its fullest form in the work of aesthetes and decadents. It is difficult to limit the boundaries of the study of myth and literature for a number of reasons: the slipperiness of “myth” as a concept; the vast array of cultures from which myths are taken and reworked in literature; the interpretive problem of establishing the nature of echoes of mythological narratives and mythological characters; ambiguities in the genres associated with the wealth of anthropological material that contributes to the scholarly study of myth; and the degree to which myth should be associated with belief. Mythography, or the study of myth, is an interdisciplinary field that transverses folklore, theology, classics, literature, anthropology, and history. In addition to collecting and retelling stories from cultures worldwide, Victorian writers also explored the mentality of mythmaking, the variants of myths, and the social function of myth.
Triggering the formation of the supergiant H ii region NGC 604 in M 33
Authors: Tachihara Kengo , Gratier Pierre , Sano Hidetoshi , Tsuge Kisetsu , Miura Rie E , Muraoka Kazuyuki , Fukui Yasuo
Published: February 2018

Formation mechanism of a supergiant H ii region NGC 604 is discussed in terms of collision of H i clouds in M 33. An analysis of the archival H i data obtained with the Very Large Array (VLA) reveals complex velocity distributions around NGC 604. The H i clouds are composed of two velocity components separated by ∼20 km s−1 for an extent of ∼700 pc, beyond the size of the the H ii region. Although the H i clouds are not easily separated in velocity with some mixed component represented by merged line profiles, the atomic gas mass amounts to $6 \times 10^{6}\,M_{\odot }$ and $9 \times 10^{6}\,M_{\odot }$ for each component. These characteristics of H i gas and the distributions of dense molecular gas in the overlapping regions of the two velocity components suggest that the formation of giant molecular clouds and the following massive cluster formation have been induced by the collision of H i clouds with different velocities. Referring to the existence of a gas bridging feature connecting M 33 with M 31 reported by large-scale H i surveys, the disturbed atomic gas possibly represents the result of past tidal interaction between the two galaxies, which is analogous to the formation of the R 136 cluster in the LMC.
Stellar winds and coronae of low-mass Population II/III stars
Authors: Suzuki Takeru K
Published: February 2018

We investigated stellar winds from zero-/low-metallicity low-mass stars by magnetohydrodynamical simulations for stellar winds driven by Alfvén waves from stars with mass M = (0.6–0.8) M$\odot$ and metallicity Z = (0–1) Z$\odot$, where M$\odot$ and Z$\odot$ are the solar mass and metallicity, respectively. Alfvénic waves, which are excited by the surface convection, travel upward from the photosphere and heat up the corona by their dissipation. For lower Z, denser gas can be heated up to the coronal temperature because of the inefficient radiation cooling. The coronal density of Population II/III stars with Z ≤ 0.01 Z$\odot$ is one to two orders of magnitude larger than that of a solar-metallicity star with the same mass, and as a result, the mass loss rate, $\dot{M}$, is 4.5–20 times larger. This indicates that metal accretion on low-mass Pop. III stars is negligible. The soft X-ray flux of the Pop. II/III stars is also expected to be ∼1–30 times larger than that of a solar-metallicity counterpart owing to the larger coronal density, even though the radiation cooling efficiency is smaller. A larger fraction of the input Alfvénic wave energy is transmitted to the corona in low-Z stars because they avoid severe reflection owing to the smaller density difference between the photosphere and the corona. Therefore, a larger fraction is converted to the thermal energy of the corona and the kinetic energy of the stellar wind. From this energetics argument, we finally derived a scaling of $\dot{M}$ as $\dot{M}\propto L R_{\star }^{11/9}\,M_{\star }^{-10/9}\,T_{\rm eff}^{11/2}\left[\max (Z/Z_{\odot },0.01)\right]^{-1/5}$, where L, R⋆, and Teff are the stellar luminosity, radius, and effective temperature, respectively.
The impact of hot food takeaways near schools in the UK on childhood obesity: a systematic review of the evidence
Authors: Turbutt Claire , Richardson Janet , Pettinger Clare
Published: February 2018

Background

Obesity is the greatest health issue for this generation; schools have improved food offered within their grounds. The built environment surrounding schools and pupils’ journeys home have not received the same level of attention. This review identified papers on impacts of hot food takeaways surrounding schools in the UK.

Methods

Methods were informed by the PRISMA (QUORUM) guidelines for systematic reviews. Searches were completed in 12 databases.

Results

A total of 14 papers were included and quality assured before data extraction. Three descriptive themes were found; descriptions of hot food takeaway’s geography and impacts concerning schools, strategic food policy and pupils reported food behaviour.

Conclusions

Most included studies compared anthropometric measures with geographical location of hot food takeaways to find correlations between environment and childhood obesity. There was good evidence of more hot food takeaways in deprived areas and children who spend time in deprived neighbourhoods tend to eat more fast food and have higher BMIs. Few studies were able to quantify the correlation between school’s environment and obesity amongst pupils. This lack of evidence is likely a factor of the studies’ ability to identify the correlation rather than lack of a correlation between the two variables.
Opioid Abuse or Dependence Increases 30-day Readmission Rates after Major Operating Room Procedures
Authors: Gupta Atul , Nizamuddin Junaid , Elmofty Dalia , Nizamuddin Sarah L. , Tung Avery , Minhaj Mohammed , Mueller Ariel , Apfelbaum Jeffrey , Shahul Sajid
Published: February 2018

Background

Although opioids remain the standard therapy for the treatment of postoperative pain, the prevalence of opioid misuse is rising. The extent to which opioid abuse or dependence affects readmission rates and healthcare utilization is not fully understood. It was hypothesized that surgical patients with a history of opioid abuse or dependence would have higher readmission rates and healthcare utilization.

Methods

A retrospective cohort analysis was performed of patients undergoing major operating room procedures in 2013 and 2014 using the National Readmission Database. Patients with opioid abuse or dependence were identified using International Classification of Diseases codes. The primary outcome was 30-day hospital readmission rate. Secondary outcomes included hospital length of stay and estimated hospital costs.

Results

Among the 16,016,842 patients who had a major operating room procedure whose death status was known, 94,903 (0.6%) had diagnoses of opioid abuse or dependence. After adjustment for potential confounders, patients with opioid abuse or dependence had higher 30-day readmission rates (11.1% vs. 9.1%; odds ratio 1.26; 95% CI, 1.22 to 1.30), longer mean hospital length of stay at initial admission (6 vs. 4 days; P < 0.0001), and higher estimated hospital costs during initial admission ($18,528 vs. $16,617; P < 0.0001). Length of stay was also higher at readmission (6 days vs. 5 days; P < 0.0001). Readmissions for infection (27.0% vs. 18.9%; P < 0.0001), opioid overdose (1.0% vs. 0.1%; P < 0.0001), and acute pain (1.0% vs. 0.5%; P < 0.0001) were more common in patients with opioid abuse or dependence.

Conclusions

Opioid abuse and dependence are associated with increased readmission rates and healthcare utilization after surgery.
Pullout Strength of Pedicle Screws Following Redirection After Lateral or Medial Wall Breach
Authors: Maeda Toru , Higashino Kosaku , Manabe Hiroaki , Yamashita Kazuta , Hayashi Fumio , Goda Yuichiro , Tsuruo Yoshihiro , Sairyo Koichi
Published: February 2018

Study Design.

A cadaveric biomechanical study designed to test the pullout strength of pedicle screws.

Objective.

To evaluate the pullout strength of redirected pedicle screws with a larger diameter following lateral wall breach, redirected pedicle screws of the same diameter following medial wall breach, and redirected pedicle screws with a larger diameter following medial wall breach.

Summary of Background Data.

Screw malposition is one of the main pitfalls of inserting pedicle screws. Intraoperatively a malpositioned screw is redirected and inserted along the correct axis.

Methods.

Forty-seven vertebrae (T9-L5) were harvested from eight fresh cadaveric spines. The 18 pedicle screws that breached the lateral wall were then removed and redirected using a pedicle screw of 1 mm larger in diameter. The 16 pedicle screws that had breached the medial wall were then removed and redirected using a pedicle screw of the same diameter. The other 13 pedicle screws that had breached the medial wall were then removed and redirected using a pedicle screw of 1 mm larger in diameter. The pullout strength was measured.

Results.

Following lateral wall breach, mean pullout strength for the larger redirected screws was 46.9% greater than that of the correctly aligned screws. Following medial wall breach, mean pullout strength for the redirected screws of the same diameter was 20.6% less than that of the correctly aligned screws. Mean pullout strength for the larger pedicle screws following medial wall breach was 27.3% more than that of the correctly aligned screws.

Conclusion.

Redirected pedicle screws of larger diameter after a lateral or medial pedicle breach show recovery of pullout strength. However, the pullout strength of redirected pedicle screws of the same diameter after a medial pedicle breach is significantly less than that of correctly aligned screws.

Level of Evidence: 1
Does Duration of Pain at Baseline Influence Clinical Outcomes of Low Back Pain Patients Managed on an Evidence-based Pathway?
Authors: Jess Mary-Anne , Ryan Cormac , Hamilton Sharon , Wellburn Shaun , Atkinson Greg , Greenough Charles , Coxon Andrew , Ferguson Diarmaid , Fatoye Francis , Dickson John , Jones Andrea , Martin Denis
Published: February 2018

Study Design.

Longitudinal observational study.

Objective.

To investigate the association between the duration of pain at baseline and the clinical outcomes of patients with low back pain (LBP) enrolled on the North East of England Regional Back Pain and Radicular Pain Pathway (NERBPP).

Summary of Background Data.

The NERBPP is a clinical pathway based upon National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines (2009) for LBP of <1-year duration. Recent changes to NICE guidelines (2016) advocate the same management for all LBP patients regardless of pain duration.

Methods.

Patients with LBP referred onto the NERBPP by their General Practitioner between May 2015 and January 2017 were included. Data from 667 patients, who provided pre- and post data for pain (Numerical rating scale), function (Oswestry Disability Index), quality-of-life (EuroQol five-dimension, five-level questionnaire), anxiety (the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener), and depression (the Patient Health Questionnaire), were analyzed using a series of covariate-adjusted models. Patients were categorized into four groups based upon baseline pain duration: <3 months, ≥3 to <6 months, ≥6 months to <12 months, ≥12 months.

Results.

Each group showed improved outcomes greater than the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for each measure as defined in NICE guidelines (2016). There was a trend toward better outcomes for those with shorter pain durations. The magnitude of the differences between the groups, in most instances, was below the MCID. For example, mean improvement in function for those with baseline pain duration <3 months was 20 points and 12 points for those of pain duration ≥12 months, both above the MCID of ≥10.

Conclusion.

Patients with different durations of LBP at baseline improved on the NERBPP, supporting the recent modification to NICE guidelines. However, those with shorter durations of pain may have superior outcomes in the short term, suggesting added benefit in getting patients onto the pathway in the early stages of LBP.

Level of Evidence: 3