bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reelection and Renegotiation: International Agreements in the Shadow of the Polls
Authors: BUISSERET PETER , BERNHARDT DAN
Published: September 2018

We study dynamic international agreements when one of the negotiating parties faces a threat of electoral replacement during negotiations, when agreements made before the election are the starting point for any subsequent renegotiation, and when governments cannot commit to future negotiation strategies. Conflicts of interest between governments may be softened or intensified by the governments’ conflicts of interest with voters. We characterize when the threat of electoral turnover strengthens the prospect for successful negotiations, when it may cause negotiations to fail, and how it affects the division of the surplus from cooperation. We also show how changes in domestic politics—including uncertainty about the preferences of domestic political parties—affect a domestic government’s ability to extract greater concessions in negotiations.
THE INNER LIVES OF EARLY MODERN TRAVEL
Authors: WILLIAMS MARK R. F.
Published: September 2018

This article assesses the role of memory, interiority, and intergenerational relations in the framing of early modern experiences and narratives of travel. It adopts as its focus three generations of the Clerk family of Penicuik, Scotland, whose travels through Europe from the mid-seventeenth century onward proved formative in the creation of varied ‘cosmopolitan’ stances within the family. While such widely studied practices as the ‘Grand Tour’ have drawn on discourses of encounter and cultural engagement within the broader narratives of the ‘long’ eighteenth century, this article reveals a family made deeply anxious by the consequences of travel, both during and after the act. Using diaries, manuscript correspondence, memoirs, and material objects, this article reveals the many ways in which travel was fashioned before, during, and long after it was undertaken. By shifting focus away from the act of travel itself and towards its subsequent afterlives, it explores the ways in which these individuals internalized what they experienced in the course of travel, how they reconciled it with the familiar, quotidian world to which they returned, and how the ‘cosmopolitan’ worldviews they brought home were made to inform the generations that followed.
Some Comments on the Enforcement Committee's Jurisdiction in the Adjudication and Settlement of Market Manipulation Cases: Pather and Another v Financial Services Board and Others [2014] 3 All SA 208 (GP)
Authors: Chitimira Howard
Published: September 2018

The article examines the court judgment in Pather and Another v Financial Services Board and Others [2014] 3 All SA 208 (GP) to explore the Enforcement Committee (EC)’s jurisdiction to settle market abuse cases in South Africa.
Enhancing water productivity using alternative rice growing practices: a case study from Southern India
Authors: Deelstra J. , Nagothu U. S. , Kakumanu K. R. , Kaluvai Y. R. , Kallam S. R.
Published: September 2018

Saving water in irrigated agriculture is a high priority in areas with scarce water resources and impacted by climate change. This paper presents results of measurements on water productivity (WP) under alternative rice growing practices such as alternating wetting and drying, direct seeded rice, modified systems of rice intensification and conventional paddy rice (NI) in two selected districts (Guntur in Andhra Pradesh and Nalgonda in Telangana, India). Under alternative practices, the yields varied from 5.72 to 6.11 t/ha compared with 4.71 t/ha under paddy rice. The average water application varied from 991 to 1494 mm under alternative practices while average application in conventional paddy rice was 2242 mm. Higher yield and lower water application led to an increase in WP varying from 0.45 to 0.59 kg/m3 under alternative practices compared with 0.22 kg/m3 under conventional paddy rice. The measurements showed that less water can be used to produce more crop under alternative rice growing practices. The results are important for water-scarce areas, providing useful information to policy makers, farmers, agricultural departments and water management boards in devising future climate-smart adaptation and mitigation strategies.
Stapedotomy using a 4 mm endoscope: any advantage over a microscope?
Authors: Bhardwaj A , Anant A , Bharadwaj N , Gupta A , Gupta S
Published: September 2018

Objectives

To ascertain the feasibility of endoscopic (4 mm) stapedotomy, and compare intra- and post-operative variations with microscopic stapedotomies.

Methods

Forty otosclerosis patients were scheduled for microscopic or endoscopic stapedotomy. Intra-operative variables compared were: incision, canalplasty, canal wall curettage for ossicular assessment, chorda tympani manipulation, ability to perform stapes footplate perforation before its supra-structure removal, and operative time. Post-operative variables compared were ear pain and hearing improvement.

Results

Of the 20 microscopy patients, 4 required endaural incision and canalplasty because of canal overhangs, and 7 required canal wall curettage for ossicular assessment. None of the 20 endoscopy patients required these procedures. Chorda tympani was manipulated in 13 and 6 patients in the microscopy and endoscopy groups respectively, while the stapes footplate could be perforated in 5 and 11 patients respectively. Mean operative time was 50.25 and 76.05 minutes in the microscopy and endoscopy groups respectively. In the endoscopy group, mean air–bone gap was 37.12 and 10.73 dB pre- and post-operation respectively; in the microscopy group, these values were 35.95 and 13.81 dB.

Conclusion

Endoscopic stapedotomy has comparable hearing outcomes. Sinonasal endoscope serves as a better tool for: minimal incision, canalplasty avoidance, less chorda tympani mobilisation, and stapes footplate perforation ability.
Position analysis, singularity loci and workspace of a novel 2

P

R

P

U Schoenflies-motion generator
Authors: Simas Henrique , Di Gregorio Raffaele
Published: September 2018

Pick-and-place applications need to perform rigid body displacements that combine translations along three independent directions and rotations around one fixed direction (Schoenflies motions). Such displacements constitute a four-dimensional (4-D) subgroup (Schoenflies subgroup) of the 6-D displacement group. The four-degrees of freedom (dof) manipulators whose end effector performs only Schoenflies motions are named Schoenflies-motion generators (SMGs). The most known SMGs are the serial robots named SCARA. In the literature, parallel manipulators (PMs) have also been proposed as SMGs. Here, a novel single-loop SMG of type 2PRPU is studied. Its position analysis, singularity loci and workspace are addressed to provide simple analytic and geometric tools that are useful for the design. The proposed single-loop SMG is not overconstrained, its actuators are on or near the base and its end effector can perform a complete rotation. These features solve the main drawbacks that parallel SMG architectures have in general and make the proposed SMG a valid design alternative.
Changes in climate and vegetation with altitude on Mount Batilamu, Viti Levu, Fiji
Authors: Anderson Jacynta , Keppel Gunnar , Thomson Sophie-Min , Randell Anthony , Raituva Jone , Koroi Iliesa , Anisi Ramokasa , Charlson Tanya , Boehmer Hans Juergen , Kleindorfer Sonia
Published: September 2018

To investigate changes in vegetation and climate with altitude, we established forest plots and recorded climatic data at 100-m intervals between 550–1100 m asl on the western slopes of Mount Batilamu, Mount Koroyanitu range, Viti Levu, Fiji. Trees with a dbh ≥10 cm were identified and measured in 21 10 × 10-m plots, starting at 750 m altitude. Temperature and relative humidity sensors were deployed in two habitats, leaf litter and 50 cm above the ground, and two vegetation types, grasslands and forest, at six altitudes over a 48-h period. Two significantly distinct forest types, lowland and montane, were present. Montane forest was found at higher elevations (>950 m asl) and had significantly higher stem density. Mean temperature decreased significantly with altitude and was strongly moderated by vegetation type (lower average and less variation in forest). While average relative humidity significantly increased with altitude, it was strongly moderated by both habitat and vegetation type (higher average and less variation in leaf litter and forest). The lapse rate varied with time of day (higher during the day) and vegetation type (higher in grasslands). Therefore, vegetation and microhabitats create unique microclimates, and this should be considered when investigating current or future climatic patterns along altitudinal gradients on forested mountains.
Estimation of the burden of flu-association influenza-like illness visits on total clinic visits through the sentinel influenza monitoring system in Senegal during the 2013–2015 influenza seasons
Authors: Niang M. N. , Barry M. A. , Talla C. , Mbengue A. , Sarr F. D. , Ba I. O. , Hedible B. G. , Ndoye B. , Vray M. , Dia N. ,   for the 4S Network Group
Published: September 2018

Knowing the burden of influenza is helpful for policy decisions. Here we estimated the contribution of influenza-like illness (ILI) visits associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza among all clinic visits in a Senegal sentinel network. ILI data from ten sentinel sites were collected from January 2013 to December 2015. ILI was defined as an axillary measured fever of more than 37.5 °C with a cough or a sore throat. Collected nasopharyngeal swabs were tested for influenza viruses by rRT-PCR. Influenza-associated ILI was defined as ILI with laboratory-confirmed influenza. For the influenza disease burden estimation, we used all-case outpatient visits during the study period who sought care at selected sites. Of 4030 ILI outpatients tested, 1022 were influenza positive. The estimated proportional contribution of influenza-associated ILI was, per 100 outpatients, 1.2 (95% CI 1.1–1.3), 0.32 (95% CI 0.28–0.35), 1.11 (95% CI 1.05–1.16) during 2013, 2014, 2015, respectively. The age-specific outpatient visits proportions of influenza-associated ILI were higher among children under 5 years (0.68%, 95% CI: 0.62–0.70). The predominant virus during years 2013 and 2015 was influenza B while A/H3N2 subtype was predominant during 2014. Influenza viruses cause a substantial burden of outpatient visits particularly among children under 5 of age in Senegal and highlight the need of vaccination in risk groups.
Regulating Poor Migrants in Border Regions: A Microhistory of Out-Parish Relief in Bulskamp (1768–96)
Authors: SCHEPERS MARJOLEIN
Published: September 2018

The regulation of poor migrants increasingly became a problem for local governments in eighteenth-century West Flanders and Flandres Maritime. Conflicts arose about which parish migrants should address for requesting poor relief. Migrants moreover physically moved over the boundaries of the different national French and Flemish legislative systems. This article will analyse how local parishes dealt with these problems in practice by focusing on a local agreement: the Concordat of Ypres of 1750. This Concordat offers an abundance of archival material and provides a unique insight into the practices of settlement and poor relief in continental Ancien Régime Europe. The aim of the article is to understand how out-parish relief functioned within the agreement. With that aim in mind, I will analyse, inter alia, the micro practices of how out-parish relief was paid (for example, removal or out-parish relief), how it reached the poor and, more importantly, how the number, expenses on and spread of out-parish poor evolved through the years. This article strengthens the claim that extensive relief practices were not unique to England and Wales. It also provides further insights into the relations between rural and urban areas (as most migration and settlement literature had either an urban or a rural focus) and sheds light on the differences of interests between local and central administrations.
‘The Troublesome Word of Crisis’: Discourse on the Agricultural Crisis of the 1930s in the Belgian Parliament
Authors: ESKENS LAURA
Published: September 2018

The concept of a ‘crisis’ was omnipresent in the period of economic depression in the 1930s. What is more, the agricultural crisis was part of a never previously experienced despair in Europe and the whole of the Western world. Historians have extensively researched the crisis in agriculture, however, without reflecting on the consequences of the use of the concept and the discourse related to it. In this article – inspired by refreshing historical research on parliamentary practices – I investigate the language and figures of speech used in the Belgian Parliament to frame the agricultural question in a particular way. The case of Belgium is unique because farmers’ associations were well represented in parliament, in spite of the declining importance of agriculture in the active population and national economy. Since 1840 onwards, Belgian governments had embraced free trade and pursued an economic policy with little or no trade obstructions, dictated by the interests of the export industry. The depression of the 1930s urged a re-evaluation of the relationship between the state and the economy, which extended to agriculture. The Belgian free trade tradition – already exceptionally abandoned during and immediately after the Great War to cope with food scarcity – seemed to crumble during the interwar period as farmers’ associations asked for protectionist measures from 1929 onwards. This article contributes to our understanding of this paradigm shift from free trade towards agricultural protectionism. Furthermore, it gives an insight into the complexity of the interest groups campaigning for agricultural protectionism and using specific metaphors and discourse to influence politics.
‘An Arena of Glorious Work’: The Protection of the Rural Landscape Against the Demands of Britain's Second World War Effort
Authors: WILLIS GARY
Published: September 2018

This article explores the development of the Council for the Preservation of Rural England's (CPRE) policy response to the increasing demands for rural land by the armed forces and other war effort-related government departments prior to and during the Second World War. The CPRE was supportive of Britain's war effort, but nevertheless throughout the war sought to remain an effective advocate for the preservation of the rural landscape – a landscape that was regularly evoked by state propaganda to stimulate the population's support for the war effort, yet was subject to alteration and degradation by that very effort. The result was a generally private campaign of lobbying characterised by opposition to some war effort-related proposals for rural land use, acquiescence to others, and consistent efforts to seek to ensure that requisitioned land was returned to its prewar use. Central to the CPRE's capacity to influence was a consultative mechanism created by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in 1938, which established the CPRE as a stakeholder that government ministries were required to consult with over their proposed use of land in rural areas for airfields, training camps, war industry, and other purposes. The immediate postwar legacy of this work, both for the CPRE and the rural landscape, is also examined. This article therefore contributes, albeit from a tangential perspective, to the growing historiography on the militarisation of landscapes, defined by Coates et al. as ‘sites that have been fully or partially mobilised for military purposes’.2
Le triple fonctionnement de l'adverbe honnêtement en français contemporain: propriétés et liens avec les marqueurs d'attitude énonciative
Authors: ALVAREZ-PRENDES EMMA
Published: September 2018

Dans ce travail nous proposons un examen des emplois de l'adverbe honnêtement en français contemporain, ainsi que de leurs propriétés les plus saillantes et des liens existant entre ces emplois et la catégorie sémantique des marqueurs d'attitude énonciative. Notre hypothèse de départ est qu'honnêtement connaît aujourd'hui un triple fonctionnement: 1. comme adverbe qui caractérise la réalisation de l'action évoquée par le verbe de l’énoncé (i.e. Il essayait de faire honnêtement son travail; Michel Houellebecq, 2010, La carte et le territoire); 2. comme adverbe qui montre l'attitude du locuteur vis-à-vis de sa propre énonciation (i.e. Honnêtement, je ne pouvais pas les laisser là. N'importe qui aurait pu les voler; Daniel Pennac, 1999, Aux fruits de la passion); 3. et comme un adverbe qui indique un degré moyen, ou un peu plus élevé que la moyenne, du contenu de l'adjectif qu'il modifie (i.e. Le passage s'est fait dans l'euphorie factice d'un réveillon organisé chez Pinaud. C’était bon et honnêtement copieux; Benoîte et Flora Groult, 1994, Journal à quatre mains). Pour atteindre notre objectif nous avons eu recours à une série de tests linguistiques (de type foncièrement syntaxique et sémantique) qui ont été appliqués à un corpus personnel de deux centaines d'occurrences tirées de la base de données FRANTEXT.
Pragmatic Neuroethics: Lived Experiences as a Source of Moral Knowledge
Authors: PAVARINI GABRIELA , SINGH ILINA
Published: September 2018

In this article, we present a pragmatic approach to neuroethics, referring back to John Dewey and his articulation of the “common good” and its discovery through systematic methods. Pragmatic neuroethics bridges philosophy and social sciences and, at a very basic level, considers that ethics is not dissociable from lived experiences and everyday moral choices. We reflect on the integration between empirical methods and normative questions, using as our platform recent bioethical and neuropsychological research into moral cognition, action, and experience. Finally, we present the protocol of a study concerning teenagers’ morality in everyday life, discussing our epistemological choices as an example of a pragmatic approach in empirical ethics. We hope that this article conveys that even though the scope of neuroethics is broad, it is important not to move too far from the real life encounters that give rise to moral questions in the first place.
Call of Duty at the Frontier of Research: Normative Epistemology for High-Risk/High-Gain Studies of Deep Brain Stimulation
Authors: BITTLINGER MERLIN
Published: September 2018

Research participants are entitled to many rights that may easily come into conflict. The most important ones are that researchers respect their autonomy as persons and act on the principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. Since 2014, research subjects from numerous states in the United States of America also have a legal “right to try” that allows them, under certain circumstances, to receive experimental (i.e., preliminarily tested) interventions, including medical devices, before official approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration. In the context of experimental interventions, such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Alzheimer’s disease, this article argues that research participants ought never to have a legal “right to try” without a corresponding “right to be sure.” The latter refers to external epistemic justification construed in terms of reliance on reliable evidence. This article demonstrates that the mere complexity of intervention ensembles, as in the case of DBS for Alzheimer’s disease which serves as a paradigm example, illustrate how unanswered and/or unasked open questions give rise to a “combinatorial explosion” of uncertainties that require epistemic responses that no single research team alone is likely able to provide. From this assessment, several epistemic asymmetrical relations between researchers and participants are developed. By elucidating these epistemic asymmetries, this article unravels the reasons why open science, transparent exhaustive data reporting, preregistration, and continued constant critical appraisal via pre- and postpublication peer review are not scientific virtues of moral excellence but rather ordinary obligations of the scientific work routine required to increase reliability and strength of evidence.
Do New Neuroimaging Findings Challenge the Ethical Basis of Advance Directives in Disorders of Consciousness?
Authors: FRIEDRICH ORSOLYA , WOLKENSTEIN ANDREAS , JOX RALF J. , ROGGER NIEK , BOZZARO CLAUDIA
Published: September 2018

Some authors have questioned the moral authority of advance directives (ADs) in cases in which it is not clear if the author of the AD is identical to the person to whom it later applies. This article focuses on the question of whether the latest results of neuroimaging studies have moral significance with regard to the moral authority of ADs in patients with disorders of consciousness (DOCs). Some neuroimaging findings could provide novel insights into the question of whether patients with DOCs exhibit sufficient psychological continuity to be ascribed diachronic personal identity. If those studies were to indicate that psychological continuity is present, they could justify the moral authority of ADs in patients with DOCs. This holds at least if respect for self-determination is considered as the foundation for the moral authority of ADs. The non-identity thesis in DOCs could no longer be applied, in line with clinical and social practice.
Neuroethics: A Conceptual Approach
Authors: FARISCO MICHELE , SALLES ARLEEN , EVERS KATHINKA
Published: September 2018

In this article, we begin by identifying three main neuroethical approaches: neurobioethics, empirical neuroethics, and conceptual neuroethics. Our focus is on conceptual approaches that generally emphasize the need to develop and use a methodological modus operandi for effectively linking scientific (i.e., neuroscience) and philosophical (i.e., ethics) interpretations. We explain and assess the value of conceptual neuroethics approaches and explain and defend one such approach that we propose as being particularly fruitful for addressing the various issues raised by neuroscience: fundamental neuroethics.
Variability in paediatric cardiac postoperative chest tube management
Authors: Taylor Anne C. , Bates Katherine E. , Kipps Alaina K.
Published: September 2018

Limited evidence exists to guide chest tube management following cardiac surgery in children. We assessed chest tube practice variation by surveying paediatric heart centres to prepare for a multi-site quality improvement project. We summarised management strategies highlighting variability in criteria for chest tube removal between and within centres. This lack of standardisation provides an opportunity for quality improvement.
Timing of palliative care access and outcomes of advanced cancer patients referred to an inpatient palliative care consultation team in Brazil
Authors: Taniwaki Letícia , Serrano Usón Junior Pedro Luiz , Rodrigues de Souza Polianna Mara , Lobato Prado Bernard
Published: September 2018

Objective

Little is known about the outcomes of cancer patients referred to palliative care (PC) teams in developing countries. Our aim was to examine the timing of PC access and outcomes of patients with advanced cancer referred to an inpatient PC consultation team in Brazil.

Method

Retrospective study of consecutive patients with advanced cancer admitted to a tertiary care general hospital (April 2015–December 2016) and referred for the first time to an inpatient PC consultation team. Patients’ demographics, clinical features, time from first consult to death or discharge, and outcomes on medication use, clinical interventions, and end-of-life preferences were retrieved. An analysis was performed before and after PC.

Result

One hundred eleven patients were included. Median age was 68; 72% had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≥3. The median timing of PC access was 9 days (first interquartile = 3, third interquartile = 19). The use of analgesics (from 75% to 85%, p = 0.001) and opioids (from 50% to 73%, p < .001) increased. A lower proportion was receiving antibiotics (68% vs 48%, p < 0.001), thromboprophylaxis (44% vs 26%, p < 0.001), antihypertensives (28% vs 15%, p = 0.001), and antiemetic agents (64% vs 54%, p = 0.027). Chemotherapy use was lower (39–25%, p < 0.001). More patients had an end-of-life preference (39% to 25%, p < 0.001) and were not willing to receive intubation (32% vs 60%, p < 0.001), intensive care treatment (30% vs 55%, p < 0.001), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (35% vs 62%, p < 0.001), and artificial nutrition (22% vs 34%, p < 0.001).

Significance of results

Although PC referrals occurred exceedingly late during the cancer disease trajectory, positive changes were observed in medication profiles, clinical interventions use, and end-of-life preferences of patients with advanced cancer referred to a specialized inpatient PC consultation team in Brazil. Further efforts are needed to improve early palliative cancer care in developing countries.
An identity based on the generalised negative binomial distribution with applications in ruin theory
Authors: Dickson David C. M.
Published: September 2018

In this study, we show how expressions for the probability of ultimate ruin can be obtained from the probability function of the time of ruin in a particular compound binomial risk model, and from the density of the time of ruin in a particular Sparre Andersen risk model. In each case evaluation of generalised binomial series is required, and the argument of each series has a common form. We evaluate these series by creating an identity based on the generalised negative binomial distribution. We also show how the same ideas apply to the probability function of the number of claims in a particular Sparre Andersen model.
Contesting Islamophobia and Securing Collective Rights: Muslim American Advocacy in the 2016 Elections
Authors: Cury Emily
Published: September 2018

This paper examines how Muslim American advocacy organizations have responded to recent spikes in anti-Muslim discrimination, particularly in the context of the 2016 elections. It asks how Muslim American interest groups have helped frame and communicate the policy interests of U.S. Muslims and, consequently, the collective claims of the group on whose behalf they claim to speak. Relying on political ethnography as the main method of inquiry, I conduct in-depth participant observation, qualitative interviews with Muslim American leaders, and an analysis of primary documents and social media communication produced by Muslim American organizations. This data was collected between June 2016 and July 2017, and transcribed and coded using Nvivo. Through this analysis, I find that being targeted as “other” has driven Muslim advocacy organizations to rely on constituent empowerment strategies, mobilize in demand of Muslim American group rights, defend their constitutional rights, and claim their place as an American minority.
Psychiatric symptoms and risk of victimisation: a population-based study from Southeast London
Authors: Bhavsar V. , Dean K. , Hatch S. L. , MacCabe J. H. , Hotopf M.
Published: September 2018

Aims

Although violence is a vital public health problem, no prospective studies have tested for subsequent vulnerability to violence, as a victim or witness, in members of the general population with a range of psychiatric symptoms, or evaluated the importance of higher symptom burden on this vulnerability.

Methods

We used successive waves of a household survey of Southeast London, taken 2 years apart, to test if association exists between psychiatric symptoms (symptoms of psychosis, common mental disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and personality disorder) and later victimisation, in the form of either witnessing violence or being physically victimised, in weighted logistic regression models. Statistical adjustment was made for prior violence exposure, sociodemographic confounders, substance/alcohol use and violence perpetration. Sensitivity analyses were stratified by violence perpetration, sex and history of mental health service use.

Results

After adjustments, psychiatric symptoms were prospectively associated with reporting any subsequent victimisation (odds ratio (OR) 1.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25–2.83), a two times greater odds of reporting witnessed violence (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.33–3.76) and reporting physical victimisation (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.01–3.06). One more symptom endorsed was accompanied by 47% greater odds of subsequent victimisation (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.16–1.86). In stratified analyses, statistical associations remained evident in non-perpetrators, and among those without a history of using mental health services, and were similar in magnitude in both men and women.

Conclusions

Psychiatric symptoms increase liability to victimisation compared with those without psychiatric symptoms, independently of a prior history of violence exposure and irrespective of whether they themselves are perpetrators of violence. Clinicians should be mindful of the impact of psychiatric symptoms on vulnerability to victimisation, including among those with common psychiatric symptoms and among those who are not considered at risk of perpetrating violence.
Comparison of urine and serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin after open and endovascular thoraco-abdominal aortic surgery and their meaning as indicators of acute kidney injury
Authors: Gombert Alexander , Martin Lukas , Foldenauer Ann Christina , Krajewski Clara , Greiner Andreas , Kotelis Drosos , Stoppe Christian , Marx Gernot , Grommes Jochen , Schuerholz Tobias , Jacobs Michael J. , Kalder Johannes
Published: September 2018

Abstract. Background: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has been described as a potential biomarker of acute kidney injury (AKI) in different settings, but its behaviour under influence of open and endovascular repair of thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAA) has not been assessed yet. In this study, the course of NGAL was observed and differences of serum- (sNGAL) and urine-NGAL (uNGAL) levels following TAAA repair, especially with regard to AKI, were evaluated. Patients and methods: In this retrospective single centre study, 52 patients (mean age 64.5 years, [43–85 years]), including 39 (75 %) men, were enrolled (2014–2015, 13.2 months mean follow-up). Levels of sNGAL and uNGAL were measured perioperatively for 48 hours on intensive care unit. Twenty-three patients were treated by endovascular and 29 by open TAAA-repair. Results: Logistic regression revealed an increase in NGAL (sNGAL p = 0.0263, uNGAL p = 0.0080) corresponding with an increase in serum creatinine within the first 48 hours. Fourteen patients (26.9 %) developed AKI and 11 (21.1 %) required dialysis. The course of NGAL differed significantly (uNGAL p < .0001, sNGAL p = 0.0002) between patients suffering from AKI requiring dialysis and patients without AKI. The predictive power of uNGAL was three times higher than that of sNGAL (estimate of the regression slope 0.1382 vs. 0.0460). No significant difference between patients undergoing open or endovascular TAAA repair regarding the perioperative course of sNGAL and uNGAL was observed. Conclusion: serum-NGAL and urine-NGAL correlate with serum creatinine levels and AKI requiring dialysis. Furthermore, the postoperative course of sNGAL and uNGAL after open and endovascular TAAA repair is not significantly different. Taken together, the results indicate that uNGAL and, to a lesser extent, sNGAL could be considered biomarkers for early detection of perioperative AKI after open and endovascular TAAA surgery.
Flexible and Scalable Particle‐in‐Cell Methods With Adaptive Mesh Refinement for Geodynamic Computations
Authors: Gassmöller Rene , Lokavarapu Harsha , Heien Eric , Puckett Elbridge Gerry , Bangerth Wolfgang
Published: September 2018

Particle‐in‐cell (PIC) methods couple mesh‐based methods for the solution of continuum mechanics problems with the ability to advect and evolve properties on particles. PIC methods have a long history and numerous applications in geodynamic modeling. However, they are historically either implemented in sequential codes or in parallel codes with structured, statically partitioned meshes. Yet today's codes increasingly use adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) of unstructured coarse meshes, dynamic repartitioning, and scale to thousands of processors. Optimally balancing the work per processor for a PIC method in these environments is a difficult problem, and many existing implementations are not sufficient for this task. Thus, there is a need to revisit these algorithms for future applications. Here we describe challenges and solutions to implement PIC methods in the context of large‐scale parallel geodynamic modeling codes that use dynamically changing meshes. We also provide guidance for how to address bottlenecks that impede the efficient implementation of these algorithms and demonstrate with numerical tests that our algorithms can be implemented with optimal complexity and that they are suitable for large‐scale, practical applications. We provide a reference implementation in the Advanced Solver for Problems in Earth's ConvecTion (ASPECT), an open source code for geodynamic modeling built on the DEAL.II finite element library.
A 30‐Year Simulation of the Outer Electron Radiation Belt
Authors: Glauert S. A. , Horne R. B. , Meredith N. P.
Published: September 2018

As society becomes more reliant on satellite technology, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the radiation environment throughout the Van Allen radiation belts. Historically most satellites have operated in low Earth orbit or geostationary orbit (GEO), but there are now over 100 satellites in medium Earth orbit (MEO). Additionally, satellites using electric orbit raising to reach GEO may spend hundreds of days on orbits that pass through the heart of the radiation belts. There is little long‐term data on the high‐energy electron flux, responsible for internal charging in satellites, available for MEO. Here we simulate the electron flux between the outer edge of the inner belt and GEO for 30 years. We present a method that converts the >2‐MeV flux measured at GEO by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites spacecraft into a differential flux spectrum to provide an outer boundary condition. The resulting simulation is validated using independent measurements made by the Galileo In‐Orbit Validation Element‐B spacecraft; correlation coefficients are in the range 0.72 to 0.88, and skill scores are between 0.6 and 0.8 for a range of L∗ and energies. The results show a clear solar cycle variation and filling of the slot region during active conditions and that the worst case spectrum overlaps that derived independently for the limiting extreme event. The simulation provides a resource that can be used by satellite designers to understand the MEO environment, by space insurers to help resolve the cause of anomalies and by satellite operators to plan for the environmental extremes.
Simplified Physically Based Models for Pressurized Flow in Karst Systems
Authors: Basha H. A. , Zoghbi C. A.
Published: September 2018

Most karst aquifers behave as a dual‐flow system composed of a highly conductive karst conduit embedded in a low‐permeability rock matrix. Simplified physically based models suitable for such a karst system are presented herein. The physical processes consist of a pressurized flow in a conduit that is interacting laterally with the groundwater flow in the surrounding matrix. The conduit is subject to a concentrated recharge at its upstream end, while the groundwater aquifer is subject to a diffuse recharge over its contributing surface area. The resulting mathematical model is a coupled system of equations that describe one‐dimensional flow processes in a two‐dimensional domain. The governing differential equations are solved using the Laplace transform method after an appropriate linearization of the nonlinear coefficient. The derived spring discharge expressions are a function of three dimensionless parameters: the lumped conduit parameter γ, the aquifer parameter η, and the recharge parameter μ. The simulation results highlight the importance of the conduit‐matrix interaction on the functioning of the karst system, and the application of the flow models to various karst aquifers demonstrates their effectiveness in reproducing the observed spring hydrograph with parameter values within the acceptable range of observed field data.
Extracellular vesicles from pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells acquire a stromal modulatory proteomic pattern during differentiation
Authors: La Greca Alejandro , Solari Claudia , Furmento Veronica , Lombardi Antonella , Biani Maria Celeste , Aban Cyntia , Moro Lucia , García Marcela , Guberman Alejandra Sonia , Sevlever Gustavo Emilio , Miriuka Santiago Gabriel , Luzzani Carlos
Published: September 2018

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) obtained from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) constitute an interesting alternative to classical MSCs in regenerative medicine. Among their many mechanisms of action, MSC extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a potential suitable substitute for MSCs in future cell-free-based therapeutic approaches. Unlike cells, EVs do not elicit acute immune rejection, and they can be produced in large quantities and stored until ready to use. Although the therapeutic potential of MSC EVs has already been proven, a thorough characterization of MSC EVs is lacking. In this work, we used a label-free liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry proteomic approach to identify the most abundant proteins in EVs that are secreted from MSCs derived from PSCs (PD-MSCs) and from their parental induced PSCs (iPSCs). Next, we compared both datasets and found that while iPSC EVs enclose proteins that modulate RNA and microRNA stability and protein sorting, PD-MSC EVs are rich in proteins that organize extracellular matrix, regulate locomotion, and influence cell–substrate adhesion. Moreover, compared to their respective cells, iPSCs and iPSC EVs share a greater proportion of proteins, while the PD-MSC proteome appears to be more specific. Correlation and principal component analysis consistently aggregate iPSCs and iPSC EVs but segregate PD-MSC and their EVs. Altogether, these findings suggest that during differentiation, compared with their parental iPSC EVs, PD-MSC EVs acquire a more specific set of proteins; arguably, this difference might confer their therapeutic properties.
TTK promotes mesenchymal signaling via multiple mechanisms in triple negative breast cancer
Authors: King Jamie L. , Zhang Baotong , Li Yixiang , Li Kathy P. , Ni Jianping J. , Saavedra Harold I. , Dong Jin-Tang
Published: September 2018

Abnormal expression of TTK kinase has been associated with the initiation, progression, and therapeutic resistance of breast and other cancers, but its roles remain to be clarified. In this study, we examined the role of TTK in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), and found that higher TTK expression correlated with mesenchymal and proliferative phenotypes in TNBC cells. Pharmacologic inhibition and genomic silencing of TTK not only reversed the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in TNBC cells, but also increased the expression of KLF5, an effector of TGF-β signaling and inhibitor of EMT. In addition, TTK inhibition decreased the expression of EMT-associated micro-RNA miR-21 but increased the expression of miR-200 family members and suppressed TGF-β signaling. To test if upregulation of KLF5 plays a role in TTK-induced EMT, TTK and KLF5 were silenced simultaneously, which reversed the decreased EMT caused by loss of TTK. Consistently, the decrease in miR-21 expression and increase in miR-200 expression caused by TTK silencing were rescued by loss of KLF5. Altogether, this study highlights a novel role and signaling pathway for TTK in regulating EMT of TN breast cancer cells through TGF-β and KLF5 signaling, highlighting targetable signaling pathways for TTK inhibitors in aggressive breast cancer.
Magnetic field-induced ferroelectricity in S = 1/2 kagome staircase compound PbCu3TeO7
Authors: Yoo Kyongjun , Koteswararao B. , Kang Jeonghun , Shahee Aga , Nam Woohyun , Balakirev Fedor F. , Zapf Vivien S. , Harrison Neil , Guda Alexander , Ter-Oganessian Nikita , Kim Kee Hoon
Published: September 2018

Ni3V2O8 is an archetypical multiferroic material with a kagome staircase structure of S = 1 (Ni2+) spins whose complex interplay between spin ordering and ferroelectricity has been studied for more than a decade. Here, we report a new kagome staircase compound PbCu3TeO7 with Cu2+ (S = 1/2) spins that exhibits two Néel temperatures at TN1 = 36 K and TN2 = 24 K, and a magnetic field (H)-induced electric polarization (P) below TN2. Pyroelectric and magnetoelectric current measurements in magnetic fields up to 60 T reveal that for H||c of ~ 8.3 T, a spin-flop transition induces a transverse P||a with a magnitude of 15 µC/m2 below TN2. Furthermore, for a parallel configuration with P//H//a, two spin-flop transitions occur, the first at ~ 16 T with P//a of 14 µC/m2, and the second at ~ 38 T, where P disappears. Monte Carlo simulations based on 12 major exchange interactions uncover that a sinusoidal amplitude modulation of the spins occurs along the b-axis below TN1 and an incommensurate, proper screw-type spin order occurs in the ac-plane below TN2. The simulation results show that P//a under H//c stems from a spin-flop transition facilitating an ab-plane-type spiral order, while the two successive spin-flop transitions for H//a result in spiral spin orders in the ab- and bc-planes. Based on the experimental and theoretical results, we establish field-induced magnetic and electric phase diagrams for the two H directions, demonstrating that the distorted kagome staircase structure with competing intra–interlayer interactions and lifted frustration creates a plethora of different noncollinear spin textures of S = 1/2 spins that in turn induce electric polarization.
The mechanical principles behind the golden ratio distribution of veins in plant leaves
Authors: Sun Zhi , Cui Tianchen , Zhu Yichao , Zhang Weisheng , Shi Shanshan , Tang Shan , Du Zongliang , Liu Chang , Cui Ronghua , Chen Hongjie , Guo Xu
Published: September 2018

Tree leaves are commonly composed of thin mesophyll, carrying out photosynthesis under sunlight, and thick veins. Although the role of leaf veins in water transportation has been known for a long time, their role in providing structural support and guaranteeing large sunlighted area was rarely studied and remains elusive. Here, with use of a novel inverse optimization approach, we aim for uncovering the material design principle behind the unique pattern of venation. It is intriguing to observe that an almost Golden Ratio (GR) distribution of leaf veins always provides optimized structural behavior. Specifically, our research reveals, for the first time, that this unique GR distribution of relatively strong vein material is helpful for maximizing the bending stiffness and leading to a large sunlighted area which is vital for the photosynthesis process of a leaf. Moreover, the GR distribution of leaf veins is also observed in a wide class of plant leaf geometries (i.e., shape, thickness), where experimental evidence is provided for the optimized results. Therefore, our findings can not only serve to explain the mystery of veins GR distribution but also provide widely applicable guidelines on designing soft structures with exceptional mechanical performances.
Understanding the Effects of Composition and Structure on the Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) Occurring on NiFeOxCatalysts
Authors: Bell Alexis T.
Published: September 2018

Hydrogen produced by wind- or solar energy-driven electrochemical splitting of water could be used to store renewable electrical energy or to reduce biomass or CO2 to carbon-containing fuels. The potential required for the splitting of water is larger than the thermodynamic potential due to the insufficient activity of the catalysts required for the two half reactions involved in water splitting—the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The OER and HER occur at the anode and cathode, respectively, of the electrochemical cell. Since the overpotential for the OER can be nearly an order of magnitude larger than that for the HER, considerable attention has been devoted to finding and developing highly active OER catalysts, and in particular those based on earth-abundant elements. To date this goal has been best met with catalysts based on oxides and oxyhydroxides of Ni and Fe for alkaline electrolysis. This chapter reviews the current understanding of such catalysts and examines the role of catalyst synthesis method and percentage of Fe content on catalyst performance. Particular attention is given to the role of Fe3+ cations exchanged into the lattice of NiOOH in enhancing the OER activity of the host material. This issue is discussed from both experimental and theoretical perspectives with the aim of identifying how and why the additions of Fe3+ cations enhance catalyst performance. The chapter ends with a brief overview of recent efforts aimed at identifying elements other than Fe that can be added to Ni oxide to enhance its OER activity and elements that can be added to NiFe oxyhydroxides to further enhance their OER activity.
High Throughput Experimentation for the Discovery of Water Splitting Materials
Authors: Gregoire John M. , Boyd David A. , Guevarra Dan , Haber Joel A. , Jones Ryan , Kan Kevin , Marcin Martin , Newhouse Paul F. , Shinde Aniketa , Soedarmadji Edwin , Suram Santosh K. , Zhou Lan
Published: September 2018

High throughput experimentation is a powerful approach for accelerating materials discovery, particularly when embedded within a larger research effort providing clear guidance as to technologically relevant device operating conditions and in which discovered materials can be rapidly validated, further investigated, and incorporated into devices. In this chapter we provide an overview of high throughput pipelines developed to discover solar fuels materials, with particular attention given to electrocatalysts and photoelectrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction. The description of the pipelines details our philosophy that experiment throughput must be contingent on establishing high data quality, which is embodied by our strategic choices of synthesis, screening, characterization, and data management techniques. This account of high throughput discovery of solar fuels materials provides a template for designing high throughput pipelines for mission-driven science research.