bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Notes on ten-dimensional localized black holes and deconfined states in two-dimensional SYM
Authors: Ammon Martin , Kalisch Michael , Moeckel Sebastian
Published: November 2018

Abstract

We numerically construct static localized black holes in ten spacetime dimensions with one compact periodic dimension. In particular, we investigate the critical regime in which the poles of the localized black hole are about to merge. When approaching the critical region, the behavior of physical quantities is described by a single real valued exponent giving rise to a logarithmic scaling of the thermodynamic quantities, in agreement with the theoretical prediction derived from the double-cone metric. As a peculiarity, the localized black hole solution in ten dimensions can be related to the spatially deconfined phase of two dimensional

$$ \mathcal{N}=\left(8,8\right) $$

N
=

8
8

super Yang-Mills theory (SYM) on a spatial circle. We use the localized black hole solutions to determine the SYM phase diagram. In particular, we compute the location of the first order phase confinement/deconfinement transition and the related latent heat to unprecedented accuracy.
A note on the S-matrix bootstrap for the 2d O(N) bosonic model
Authors: He Yifei , Irrgang Andrew , Kruczenski Martin
Published: November 2018

Abstract

In this work we apply the S-matrix bootstrap maximization program to the 2d bosonic O(N) integrable model which has N species of scalar particles of mass m and no bound states. Since in previous studies theories were defined by maximizing the coupling between particles and their bound states, the main problem appears to be to find what other functional can be used to define this model. Instead, we argue that the defining property of this integrable model is that it resides at a vertex of the convex space determined by the unitarity and crossing constraints. Thus, the integrable model can be found by maximizing any linear functional whose gradient points in the general direction of the vertex, namely within a cone determined by the normals to the faces intersecting at the vertex. This is a standard problem in applied mathematics, related to semi-definite programming and solvable by fast available numerical algorithms. The information provided by the numerical solution is enough to reproduce the known analytical solution without using integrability, namely the Yang-Baxter equation. This situation seems quite generic so we expect that other theories without continuous parameters can also be found by maximizing linear functionals in the convex space of allowed S-matrices.
Unitarity of the box diagram
Authors: Pius Roji , Sen Ashoke
Published: November 2018

Abstract

The complete proof of cutting rules needed for proving perturbative unitarity of quantum field theories usually employs the largest time equation or old fashioned perturbation theory. None of these can be generalized to string field theory that has non-local vertices. In arXiv:1604.01783 we gave a proof of cutting rules in string field theory, which also provides an alternative proof of cutting rules in ordinary quantum field theories. In this note we illustrate how this works for the box diagram of ϕ
4 field theory, avoiding the contributions from anomalous thresholds.
Strengthening Surgery Strengthens Health Systems: A New Paradigm and Potential Pathway for Horizontal Development in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries
Authors: Christie S. Ariane , Nwomeh Benedict C. , Krishnaswami Sanjay , Yang George P. , Holterman Ai‐Xuan L. , Charles Anthony , Jayaraman Sudha , Jawa Randeep S. , Rickard Jennifer , Swaroop Mamta , Ziad Sifri C. , Etoundi Mballa Georges Alain , Monono Martin Ekeke , Chichom Mefire Alain , Juillard Catherine
Published: November 2018

Global health is transitioning toward a focus on building strong and sustainable health systems in developing countries; however, resources, funding, and agendas continue to concentrate on “vertical” (disease‐based) improvements in care. Surgical care in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) requires the development of health systems infrastructure and can be considered an indicator of overall system readiness. Improving surgical care provides a scalable gateway to strengthen health systems in multiple domains. In this position paper by the Society of University Surgeons’ Committee on Global Academic Surgery, we propose that health systems development appropriately falls within the purview of the academic surgeon. Partnerships between academic surgical institutions and societies from high‐income and resource‐constrained settings are needed to strengthen advocacy and funding efforts and support development of training and research in LMICs.
It’s one thing to rule them all and another thing to bind them
Authors: Tallant Jonathan , Baron Sam
Published: November 2018

In this paper we offer a response to one argument in favour of Priority Monism, what Jonathan Schaffer calls the nomic argument for monism. We proceed in three stages. We begin by introducing Jonathan Schaffer’s Priority Monism and the nomic argument for that view. We then consider a response to the nomic argument that we presented in an earlier paper (Baron and Tallant in Philos Phenomenol Res 93:583–606, 2016). We show that this argument suffers from a flaw. We then go on to offer a different response to the nomic argument. The core idea is that the current laws of physics are not integrated in the manner that Schaffer requires to get the nomic argument for monism off the ground.
Fundamentals of fetal toxicity relevant to sevoflurane exposures during pregnancy
Authors: Chai Dongdong , Cheng Yanyong , Jiang Hong
Published: November 2018

Over the last three decades, advances in medical and surgical techniques have proven life saving and life‐improving for young children. Consequently, early and repeated exposure to general anesthetics in childhood has increased. However, accumulating evidence suggests that general anesthetics may be neurotoxic in children. Of particular concern is the neurotoxicity fetuses may suffer from maternal exposure to sevoflurane during surgeries and fetal intervention procedures performed during the second trimester, as this can cause neurodevelopmental impairment in offspring. In this review we demonstrate that the pathology associated with fetal toxicity resulting from exposure to sevoflurane during pregnancy involves oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, neuroapoptosis, and alteration of synaptic properties. The mechanisms remain to be elucidated, but may include increased tau protein phosphorylation and abnormal methylation. These findings highlight the need for a global and comprehensive understanding of the potential neurotoxicity of anesthetic exposure in fetuses and its long‐term effects.
Nomads under arrest: The nation-building and nation-destroying of Kalmyk nomads in Russia
Authors: Bougdaeva Saglar , Isaacs Rico
Published: November 2018

Nomads are positioned outside of the modern conception of nations, which is based on a traditional or modern hierarchical model (Kuzio, 2001) which tends to “dehistoricize and essentialize tradition” (Chatterjee, 2010: 169). Using an analysis of the narrative construction of nomadic Kalmyk nationhood, particularly through historiography and culture, this article demonstrates that in spite of nation-destroying efforts from the Tsarist Empire and the Soviet Union, the Kalmyk nation has been flexible with reinventing cultural strategies in charting the nomadic national imaginary from Chinggis Khan to the Dalai Lama. It argues that nomadic nationhood contains a deeply imaginary response to nomads’ cultural and intellectual milieu which provided a way of freeing itself from Tsarist and Soviet modular narratives of national imagination, demonstrating how nomadic nationhood exists as a non-modular form of nationhood.
Using innovative composites technology to reduce the cost of bridge building and help fix the US infrastructure deficit
Authors: Mathijsen Django
Published: November 2018

For over 20 years the Advanced Structures and Composites Center of the University of Maine has been on a mission to bring advanced materials into construction. Clever use of reinforced plastics enabled them to develop groundbreaking bridge solutions. This has not gone unnoticed. The center was recently picked by the United States Department of Transportation to lead a five-year research project to look at the durability of domestic transportation infrastructure. We talk to Dr. Habib Dagher, founding director of the center.
Heat alleviation studies on hypersonic re-entry vehicles
Authors: Khalid M. , Juhany K. A.
Published: November 2018

A numerical simulation has been carried out to investigate the effects of leading edge blowing upon heat alleviation on the surface of hypersonic vehicles. The initial phase of this work deals with the ability of the present CFD-based techniques to solve hypersonic flow field past blunt-nosed vehicles at hypersonic speeds. Towards this end, the authors selected three re-entry vehicles with published flow field data against which the present computed results could be measured. With increasing confidence on the numerical simulation techniques to accurately resolve the hypersonic flow, the boundary condition at the solid blunt surface was then equipped with the ability to blow the flow out of the solid boundary at a rate of at least 0.01–0.1 times the free stream (ρ∞u∞) mass flow rate. The numerical iterative procedure was then progressed until the flow at the surface matched this new ‘inviscid like’ boundary condition. The actual matching of the flow field at the ejection control surface was achieved by iterating the flow on the adjacent cells until the flow conformed to the conditions prescribed at the control surface. The conditions at the surface could be submitted as a ρ∞u∞at the surface or could be equipped as a simple static pressure condition providing the desired flow rate. The comparison between the present engineering approach and the experimental data presented in this study demonstrate its ability to solve complex problems in hypersonic.
Numerical study of uneven wall-heating effect for a one side rib-roughened cooling channel subject to rotation
Authors: Wang Z. , Corral R.
Published: November 2018

This paper investigates the impact of the wall-heating conditions on the heat transfer performance of a rotating channel with one side smooth and one side roughened by 45° inclined ribs. Previous experimental and numerical studies for single-ribbed wall-heated channels showed that rotation has a significant negative impact on heat transfer performance. In order to investigate this uncommon behaviour, RANS simulations were conducted under three different wall-heating conditions in the present study: ribbed wall heated, all walls heated and adiabatic conditions. Numerical results show that the presence of uneven wall-heating conditions has a negligible impact on the stationary case, but it has a large influence on rotational cases, in both, the heat transfer and the flow field. The underlying reason is that in rotating cases, uneven heating results in different buoyancy effects on the trailing and leading walls of the channel that alter the main flow velocity profile. As a consequence, also secondary flows and heat transfer performance are affected.
An optical soft-sensor based shape sensing using a bio-inspired pattern recognition technique to realise fly-by-feel capability for intelligent aircraft operation
Authors: Basu M. , Ghorai S. K.
Published: November 2018

Information regarding deformations in large and complex systems is necessary in the prediction of structural failures caused by un-natural flexural occurrences. Sensing systems which are used to predict shapes, in order to develop a global surface picture require high precision and lower time lag. In this work, a unique bio-inspired training mechanism for support vector regression is presented for shape sensing in structures mounted with Fiber Bragg Gratings. Experimental validation was carried out on a simply supported beam, loaded at different positions and an aircraft wing model for different types of bending. The resulting deflections at specified locations along the length of the beam and on both surfaces of the wing were interpreted from the wavelength shifts of the corresponding Fiber Bragg Gratings through the specially modified Support Vector Regression. The method has shown high accuracy, low computational requirements and enhanced prediction times. The proposed bio-inspired training method has also been compared with two conventional training methodologies.
Parental Rejection as a Predictor of Emotional Eating After Inpatient Weight Loss Treatment for Youngsters
Authors: Vandewalle Julie , Moens Ellen , Debeuf Taaike , Braet Caroline
Published: November 2018

Objective

The main objective of the study was to examine the relationships between parental rejection, maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, and the emotional eating style of youngsters who finished an inpatient multidisciplinary weight loss treatment program and were back in their home environment.

Method

Participants were 52 youngsters (age 11–17 years) with an average percent over ideal BMI of 186.11% (SD= 27.54) before treatment and 136.37% (SD= 19.65) at a mean follow-up of 4 months. Participants completed questionnaires assessing maternal and paternal rejection, maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, and emotional eating. Data were analysed using bootstrapping procedure.

Results

Mediation analyses showed that maladaptive emotion regulation partially mediated the association between maternal rejection and the youngsters’ emotional eating style. Paternal rejection was directly related to emotional eating.

Conclusion

The results suggest that the family climate may have an impact on the eating style of the youngsters after weight loss treatment.
The policy consequences of cascade blindness
Authors: ELGA ADAM , OPPENHEIMER DANIEL M.
Published: November 2018

One way to reduce waste and to make a system more robust is to allow its components to pool resources. For example, banks might insure each other or share a common capital reserve. Systems whose resources have been pooled in this way are highly prevalent in such diverse domains as finance, infrastructure, health care, emergency response and engineering. However, these systems have a combination of characteristics that leave them vulnerable to poor decision-making: non-linearity of risk; obvious rewards combined with hidden costs; and political and market incentives that encourage inadequate safety margins. Three studies demonstrate a tendency for managers of such systems to underestimate the probability of cascading failures. We describe a series of behaviorally based policy interventions to mitigate the resulting hazards.
Patient Predictors of Surgical Candidacy in Elective Spine Disorders
Authors: Yang Michael M.H. , St-Pierre Godefroy Hardy , DuPlessis Stephan
Published: November 2018

Background

The expansion of age-related degenerative spine pathologies has led to increased referrals to spine surgeons. However, the majority of patients referred for surgical consultation do not need surgery, leading to inefficient use of healthcare resources. This study aims to elucidate preoperative patient variables that are predictive of patients being offered spine surgery.

Methods

We conducted an observational cohort study on patients referred to our institution between May 2013 and January 2015. Patients completed a detailed preclinic questionnaire on items such as history of presenting illness, quality-of-life questionnaires, and past medical history. The primary end point was whether surgery was offered. A multivariable logistical regression using the random forest method was used to determine the odds of being offered surgery based on preoperative patient variables.

Results

An analysis of 1194 patients found that preoperative patient variables that reduced the odds of surgery being offered include mild pain (odds ratio [OR] 0.37,p=0.008), normal walking distance (OR 0.51,p=0.007), and normal sitting tolerance (OR 0.58,p=0.01). Factors that increased the odds of surgery include radiculopathy (OR 2.0,p=0.001), patient’s belief that they should have surgery (OR 1.9,p=0.003), walking distance <50 ft (OR 1.9,p=0.01), relief of symptoms when bending forward (OR 1.7,p=0.008) and sitting (OR 1.6,p=0.009), works more slowly (OR 1.6p=0.01), aggravation of symptoms by Valsalva (OR 1.4,p=0.03), and pain affecting sitting/standing (OR 1.1,p=0.001).

Conclusions

We identified 11 preoperative variables that were predictive of whether patients were offered surgery, which are important factors to consider when screening outpatient spine referrals.
INTERNET USE AND PROTEST POLITICS IN SOUTH KOREA AND TAIWAN
Authors: Lee Shin Haeng , Fu King-wa
Published: November 2018

This study examines the association between Internet use and protest politics in South Korea and Taiwan, using secondary data from the sixth wave (2010–14) of the World Values Survey. The data show that Internet use is positively associated with low-cost protest acts, like signing a petition. Internet use is also correlated with the willingness to consider higher-cost actions such as attending demonstrations and joining in boycotts. But it does not appear to consistently increase actual protests of this sort. Discussion is made to address comparable opportunity structures for protest politics in the two East Asian democracies, where the Internet is deeply integrated into the country's political landscape.
Experimental investigation of coherent structures of a three-dimensional separated turbulent boundary layer
Authors: Elyasi Mohammad , Ghaemi Sina
Published: November 2018

Coherent structures of a three-dimensional (3D) separation due to an adverse pressure gradient are investigated experimentally. The flow set-up consists of a flat plate to develop a turbulent boundary layer upstream of an asymmetric two-dimensional diffuser with one diverging surface. The diffuser surface has an initial mild curvature followed by a flat section where flow separation occurs. The top and the two sidewalls of the diffuser are not equipped with any flow control mechanism to form a 3D separation. Planar particle image velocimetry (PIV) using four side-by-side cameras is applied to characterize the flow with high spatial resolution over a large streamwise-wall-normal field of view (FOV). Tomographic PIV (tomo-PIV) is also applied for volumetric measurement in a domain flush with the flat surface of the diffuser. The mean flow obtained from averaging instantaneous velocity fields of this intermittent unsteady flow appears as a vortex with an elliptical cross-section. The major axis of the ellipse is tilted with respect to the streamwise direction. As a result, the average velocity in the mid-span of the diffuser has an upstream forward flow and a downstream backward flow, separated by a point of zero wall shear stress. Sweep motions mainly carry out transport of turbulent kinetic energy upstream of this point, while ejections dominate at the downstream region. In the instantaneous flow fields, forward and backward flows have equivalent strength, and the separation front is extended in the spanwise direction. The conditional average of the separation instants forms a saddle-point structure with streamlines converging in the spanwise direction. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) of the tomo-PIV data demonstrates that about 42 % of the turbulent kinetic energy is present in the first pair of modes, with a strong spanwise component. The spatial modes of POD also show focus, node and saddle-point structures. The average of the coefficients of the dominant POD modes during the separation events is used to develop a reduced-order model (ROM). Based on the ROM, the instantaneous 3D separation over the diffuser is a saddle-point structure interacting with focus-type structures.
Reconstructing spatially variable mass balances from past ice extents by inverse modeling
Authors: VIŠNJEVIĆ VJERAN , HERMAN FRÉDÉRIC , PODLADCHIKOV YURY
Published: November 2018

With the conclusion of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), about 20 000 years ago, ended the most recent long-lasting cold phase in Earth history. This last glacial advance left a strong observable imprint on the landscape, such as moraines, trimlines and other glacial geomorphic features. These features reflect the extent of former glaciers and ice caps, which in turn provides information on past temperature and precipitation conditions. Here we present an inverse approach to reconstruct the equilibrium line altitudes (E) from observed ice extents. The ice-flow model is developed solving the mass conservation equation using the shallow ice approximation and implemented using Graphical Processing Units (GPUs). We present the theoretical basis of the inversion method, which relies on a Tikhonov regularization, and demonstrate its ability to constrain spatial variations in mass balance with idealized and real glaciers.
Choosing the number of groups in a latent stochastic blockmodel for dynamic networks
Authors: RASTELLI RICCARDO , LATOUCHE PIERRE , FRIEL NIAL
Published: November 2018

Latent stochastic blockmodels are flexible statistical models that are widely used in social network analysis. In recent years, efforts have been made to extend these models to temporal dynamic networks, whereby the connections between nodes are observed at a number of different times. In this paper, we propose a new Bayesian framework to characterize the construction of connections. We rely on a Markovian property to describe the evolution of nodes' cluster memberships over time. We recast the problem of clustering the nodes of the network into a model-based context, showing that the integrated completed likelihood can be evaluated analytically for a number of likelihood models. Then, we propose a scalable greedy algorithm to maximize this quantity, thereby estimating both the optimal partition and the ideal number of groups in a single inferential framework. Finally, we propose applications of our methodology to both real and artificial datasets.
The Radiocarbon Ages of Different Organic Components in the Mires of Eastern Australia
Authors: Martin Len , Goff James , Jacobsen Geraldine , Mooney Scott
Published: November 2018

Radiocarbon (14C) dating is widely used to determine the age of organic material in palaeoenvironmental research. Here we compare 14C dates (n=17) resulting from macro-charcoal (>250 μm), short-lived plant macrofossils and pollen-rich residues isolated from two mire environments in eastern Australia. In most samples we found that short-lived plant macrofossils were the youngest organic component, the charcoal samples most often fell into the middle and the pollen-rich residues consistently returned older dates than the other samples. Although pollen-rich residues have been widely used for 14C dating in Australasia we suggest some caution in their use, perhaps because in our fire-prone environments these samples often also contain fine charcoal and other oxidative resistant organic matter that is older than the surrounding sediment matrix. The macro-charcoal samples also often returned older calibrated ages compared to short-lived plant macrofossils from the same depth, although this difference was relatively small (<245 years). Our results demonstrate that 14C dating of short-lived plant macrofossils are likely to yield more accurate chronologies and we advocate their routine use in palaeoenvironmental research when they are available.
Predictors of vitamin A status among pregnant women in Western Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Neves Paulo A. R. , Campos Chiara A. S. , Malta Maíra B. , Lourenço Bárbara H. , Castro Márcia C. , Cardoso Marly A. ,   for the MINA-Brazil Study Group
Published: November 2018

Determining the predictors of serum retinol at mid-pregnancy is relevant for planning interventions aimed at improving vitamin A status of pregnant women and their offspring. This prospective study assessed predictors of serum retinol at the beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy. We enrolled 442 pregnant women living in the urban area of Cruzeiro do Sul, Western Brazilian Amazon. Demographic, socio-economic, environmental and clinical characteristics as well as obstetric history, anthropometric, dietary and biochemical data, including serum retinol, were gathered between 16 and 20 gestational weeks. Serum retinol also measured at the beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy (approximately 28 gestational weeks) was the outcome of interest. Multiple linear regression models were used to evaluate associations with the outcome. Overall, the following variables explained serum retinol at the beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy in the adjusted model (R2 = 11·1 %): seasonality (winter season – November to April; β=0·134; 95 % CI 0·063, 0·206), weekly consumption of Amazonian fruits (β=0·087; 95 % CI 0·012, 0·162) and retinol concentrations between 16 and 20 gestational weeks (β=0·045; 95 % CI 0·016, 0·074) were positively associated, whereas having a smoker in the house was negatively associated (β=–0·087; 95 % CI: –0·166, –0·009). Consumption of pro-vitamin A-rich fruits by pregnant women should be encouraged. Passive smoking may play a role in decreasing vitamin A status as a proxy of smoking exposure during pregnancy.
Gastropod parasitic nematodes (Phasmarhabditis sp.) are attracted to hyaluronic acid in snail mucus by cGMP signalling
Authors: Andrus P. , Ingle O. , Coleman T. , Rae R.
Published: November 2018

Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita is a parasitic nematode of terrestrial gastropods that has been formulated into a biological control agent for farmers and gardeners to kill slugs and snails. In order to locate slugs it is attracted to mucus, faeces and volatile cues; however, there is no information about whether these nematodes are attracted to snail cues. It is also unknown how wild isolates of P. hermaphrodita or different Phasmarhabditis species behave when exposed to gastropod cues. Therefore, we investigated whether P. hermaphrodita (commercial and wild isolated strains), P. neopapillosa and P. californica were attracted to mucus from several common snail species (Cepaea nemoralis, Cepaea hortensis, Arianta arbustorum and Cornu aspersum). We also examined whether snails (C. aspersum) collected from different locations around the UK differed in their attractiveness to wild isolates of P. hermaphrodita. Furthermore, we also investigated what properties of snail mucus the nematodes were attracted to, including hyaluronic acid and metal salts (FeSO4, ZnSO4, CuSO4 and MgSO4). We found that the commercial strain of P. hermaphrodita responded poorly to snail mucus compared to wild isolated strains, and C. aspersum collected from different parts of the UK differed in their attractiveness to the nematodes. We found that Phasmarhabditis nematodes were weakly attracted to all metals tested but were strongly attracted to hyaluronic acid. In a final experiment we also showed that pharmacological manipulation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) increased chemoattraction to snail mucus, suggesting that the protein kinase EGL-4 may be responsible for Phasmarhabditis sp. chemoattraction.
Prediction of remission in pharmacotherapy of untreated major depression: development and validation of multivariable prediction models
Authors: Furukawa Toshi A. , Kato Tadashi , Shinagawa Yoshihiro , Miki Kazuhira , Fujita Hirokazu , Tsujino Naohisa , Kondo Masaki , Inagaki Masatoshi , Yamada Mitsuhiko
Published: November 2018

Background

Depression is increasingly recognized as a chronic and relapsing disorder. However, an important minority of patients who start treatment for their major depressive episode recover to euthymia. It is clinically important to be able to predict such individuals.

Methods

The study is a secondary analysis of a recently completed pragmatic megatrial examining first- and second-line treatments for hitherto untreated episodes of non-psychotic unipolar major depression (n = 2011). Using the first half of the cohort as the derivation set, we applied multiply-imputed stepwise logistic regression with backward selection to build a prediction model to predict remission, defined as scoring 4 or less on the Patient Health Quetionnaire-9 at week 9. We used three successively richer sets of predictors at baseline only, up to week 1, and up to week 3. We examined the external validity of the derived prediction models with the second half of the cohort.

Results

In total, 37.0% (95% confidence interval 34.8–39.1%) were in remission at week 9. Only the models using data up to week 1 or 3 showed reasonable performance. Age, education, length of episode and depression severity remained in the multivariable prediction models. In the validation set, the discrimination of the prediction model was satisfactory with the area under the curve of 0.73 (0.70–0.77) and 0.82 (0.79–0.85), while the calibration was excellent with non-significant goodness-of-fit χ2 values (p = 0.41 and p = 0.29), respectively.

Conclusions

Patients and clinicians can use these prediction models to estimate their predicted probability of achieving remission after acute antidepressant therapy.
Congressional capacity and the abolition of legislative service organizations
Authors: Clarke Andrew J.
Published: November 2018

I analyse the relative influence of lawmakers before and after a watershed moment in the development of faction institutions: the abolition of legislative service organizations. Blocs of lawmakers in the House of Representatives were afforded official resources to advance their policy agendas between 1979 and 1995. In the wake of the “Republican Revolution,” however, these groups were categorically dismantled. Using a difference-in-difference design, I estimate the individual-level effect of losing congressional resources on relative legislative effectiveness. The results inform our understanding of faction power, legislative bargaining and evolving congressional institutions.
Distribution of Anticonvulsant Drugs in Gray and White Matter of Human Brain
Authors: Harvey C. D. , Sherwin A. L. , van der Kleun E.
Published: November 2018

Gray and white matter were obtained during neurosurgical therapy of focal epilepsy from 17 patients. In 10 patients, receiving only phenobarbital, the drug was uniformly distributed between gray and white matter. Phenytoin concentrations averaged 1.4-fold greater in white matter than in gray matter when expressed per gram wet weight of tissue. The gray matter/plasma ratio of phenytoin was approximately 2-fold greater than that of phenobarbital. Carbamazepine levels were also slightly greater in white matter The data revealed wide differences between drugs in the relative concentrations in gray and white matter, which must be taken into account in any quantitative studies of anticonvulsant drug levels in the brain.
Effects of Antihypertensive Drugs on Blood Velocity: Implications for Prevention of Cerebral Vascular Disease
Authors: Spence J. David
Published: November 2018

The treatment of high blood pressure prevents death from congestive heart failure, hypertensive nephropathy, and encephalopathy, and strokes from cerebral arteriolar disease (lacunes, hemorrhage from micro-aneurysms). However, atherosclerosis, manifested as coronary artery disease, is just as frequent a cause of death in well-controlled hypertensives as in poorly-controlled patients. Increasing evidence suggests that increased blood velocity, by causing turbulence and high shear rates at the endothelial surface of arteries, may be important in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Turbulence has been observed in cerebral berry aneurysms. In order to measure the effects of antihypertensive agents on blood velocity, a new method of analysing Doppler ultrasound velocity recordings has been developed. Studies in Rhesus monkeys show the following: In doses which reduce diastolic pressure by 13-28%, propranolol decreased mean blood velocity (MV) by 17%, clonidine decreased MV by 14%, while methyldopa increased MV 12%, and hydralazine increased MV by 52%. (p < .00001). It is hypothesized that enlargement of berry aneurysms, the progression of cerebral atherosclerosis, and embolism from carotid lesions might all be decreased by the selection of antihypertensive agents which decrease blood velocity.
Intracranial Aneurysms: A Clinical, Angiographic and Computerized Tomographie Study
Authors: Weir Bryce , Miller Jack , Russell Don
Published: November 2018

Fifty-six patients with 63 aneurysms were selected from a larger group of patients because they had at least one angiographic and one CT scan study. A total of 102 CT scans and 136 angiograms were analyzed. In five patients the aneurysm was visualized on the CT scan. There was a tendency for the location of the subarachnoid hemorrhage and intracerebral hematomas visualized on the CT scans to correlate with the site of the aneurysm as seen on the angiogram. The CT scan was useful in demonstrating the evolution of hydrocephalus and in differentiating hematoma from edema. The patients with normal CT scans were more likely to have good neurological grades. No single angiographic or CT scan feature correlated significantly with survival at lower than the 5 percent level.
Parkinsonism — Dementia Complex, Hydrocephalus and Paget’s Disease
Authors: Botez M. I. , Bertrand Gilles , Léveillé Jean , Marchand Luc
Published: November 2018

A 65-year-old female patient with Paget’s disease displayed dementia, a bilateral Parkinsonian syndrome, gait ataxia, bilateral grasp reflex of the feet, urinary incontinence and a left hemicerebellar syndrome. She had a marked basilar impression; the radionuclide cisterno gram was suggestive of a communicating hydrocephalus with ventricular dilatation. After a shunting procedure there was improvement in both neurological and mental function.
Emergency with Resiliency Equals Efficiency – Challenges of an EMT-3 in Nepal
Authors: Yitzhak Avraham , Merin Ofer , Halevy Jonathan , Tarif Bader
Published: November 2018

The 7.8 MW (moment magnitude scale) earthquake that hit Nepal on April 25, 2015 caused significant casualties and serious damage to infrastructure.

The Israeli Emergency Medical Team (IEMT; later verified as EMT-3) was deployed 80 hours after the earthquake. A Forward Disaster Scout Team (FDST) that was dispatched to the disaster area a few hours after the disaster relayed pre-deployment information.

The EMT staff was comprised of 42 physicians. A total of 1,668 patients were treated. The number of non-trauma cases increased as the days went by. The hospitalization rate was 31%. Wound debridement procedures were the most common operations performed.

YitzhakA, MerinO, HalevyJ, TarifB. Emergency with resiliency equals efficiency- challenges of an EMT-3 in Nepal. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(6):673–677.
Incidence and Outcomes after Out-of-Hospital Medical Emergencies in Gambia: A Case for the Integration of Prehospital Care and Emergency Medical Services in Primary Health Care
Authors: Touray Sunkaru , Sanyang Baboucarr , Zandrow Gregory , Touray Isatou
Published: November 2018

Background

The Gambia is going through a rapid epidemiologic transition with a dual disease burden of infections and non-communicable diseases occurring at the same time. Acute, time-sensitive, medical emergencies such as trauma, obstetric emergencies, respiratory failure, and stroke are leading causes of morbidity and mortality among adults in the country.

Problem

Data on medical emergency care and outcomes are lacking in The Gambia. Data on self-reported medical emergencies among adults in a selection of Gambian communities are presented in this report.

Methods

A total of 320 individuals were surveyed from 34 communities in the greater Banjul area of The Gambia using a survey instrument estimating the incidence of acute medical emergencies in an adult population. Self-reported travel time to a health facility during medical emergencies and patterns of health-seeking behavior with regard to type of facility visited and barriers to accessing emergency care, including cost and medical insurance coverage, are presented in this report.

Results

Of the 320 individuals surveyed, 262 agreed to participate resulting in a response rate of 82%. Fifty-two percent of respondents reported an acute medical emergency in the preceding year that required urgent evaluation at a health facility. The most common facility visited during such emergencies was a health center. Eighty-seven percent of respondents reported a travel time of less than one hour during medical emergencies. Out-of-pocket cost of medications accounted for the highest expenditure during emergencies. There was a low awareness and willingness to subscribe to health insurance among individuals surveyed.

Conclusion

: There is a high incidence of acute medical emergencies among adults in The Gambia which are associated with adverse outcomes due to a combination of poor health literacy, high out-of-pocket expenditures on medications, and poor access to timely prehospital emergency care. There is an urgent need to develop prehospital acute care and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in the primary health sector as part of a strategy to reduce mortality and morbidity in the country.

TourayS, SanyangB, ZandrowG, TourayI. Incidence and outcomes after out-of-hospital medical emergencies in Gambia: a case for the integration of prehospital care and Emergency Medical Services in primary health care. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(6):650–657.
Dietary assessment toolkits: an overview
Authors: Dao Maria Carlota , Subar Amy F , Warthon-Medina Marisol , Cade Janet E , Burrows Tracy , Golley Rebecca K , Forouhi Nita G , Pearce Matthew , Holmes Bridget A
Published: November 2018

Objective

A wide variety of methods are available to assess dietary intake, each one with different strengths and weaknesses. Researchers face multiple challenges when diet and nutrition need to be accurately assessed, particularly in the selection of the most appropriate dietary assessment method for their study. The goal of the current collaborative work is to present a collection of available resources for dietary assessment implementation.

Design/Setting/Participants

As a follow-up to the 9th International Conference on Diet and Physical Activity Methods held in 2015, developers of dietary assessment toolkits agreed to collaborate in the preparation of the present paper, which provides an overview of each toolkit. The toolkits presented include: the Diet, Anthropometry and Physical Activity Measurement Toolkit (DAPA; UK); the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Dietary Assessment Primer (USA); the Nutritools website (UK); the Australasian Child and Adolescent Obesity Research Network (ACAORN) method selector (Australia); and the Danone Dietary Assessment Toolkit (DanoneDAT; France). An at-a-glance summary of features and comparison of the toolkits is provided.

Results

The present review contains general background on dietary assessment, along with a summary of each of the included toolkits, a feature comparison table and direct links to each toolkit, all of which are freely available online.

Conclusions

This overview of dietary assessment toolkits provides comprehensive information to aid users in the selection and implementation of the most appropriate dietary assessment method, or combination of methods, with the goal of collecting the highest-quality dietary data possible.
The dynamic properties of institutional reform: an analysis of US states
Authors: Bolen J. Brandon
Published: November 2018

Decades of research show that economic freedom is highly correlated with desirable economic outcomes both internationally and locally. Yet we still know little about the transition from low to high levels of economic freedom, particularly for institutions under local control. This research shows that while economic freedom in the United States is decreasing with regard to institutions under national control, it is increasing with regard to institutions under state and local control. Economic freedom increases gradually among the states, driven primarily by increasing labor market freedom. Decreases in economic freedom, on the other hand, occur sharply, often following stark changes to state fiscal policies.
Cloudiness and Solar Radiation During the Longest Total Solar Eclipse of the 21st Century at Tianhuangping (Zhejiang), China
Authors: Peñaloza‐Murillo Marcos A. , Pasachoff Jay M.
Published: November 2018

The lack of comprehensive solar radiation monitoring during the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century at Tianhuangping (Zhejiang), China, on 22 July 2009, has led to this investigation in order to evaluate the cloudiness contribution in estimating the impact on global solar radiation throughout this phenomenon. In doing so, we applied a cloud cover empirical model to obtain the global solar radiation and, at the same time, we deduced a theoretical model to get the direct solar radiation in which both the occultation and obscuration functions of this eclipse are included. We took limb darkening and atmospheric transmission into account. Though the weather during our eclipse observations agreed with the forecasts for that day, clouds and some rain, we were nonetheless able to observe all phases of the eclipse from our observation site at Tianhuangping. This experience suggests that for coming eclipses a record of the in situ observation protocol of cloudiness is mandatory. Our results for comparing global solar radiation models indicate that our total solar eclipse radiation model is quite acceptable and representative of that which could have happened at that time.
Understanding the Relationship Between Perceived Authenticity and Well-Being
Authors: Rivera Grace N. , Christy Andrew G. , Kim Jinhyung , Vess Matthew , Hicks Joshua A. , Schlegel Rebecca J.
Published: November 2018

A central tenet of many prominent philosophical and psychological traditions is that personal authenticity facilitates psychological well-being. This idea, however, is at odds with numerous perspectives arguing that it is difficult, if not impossible, to really know one's self, or the true self may not even exist. Moreover, empirical findings suggest that reports of authenticity are often contaminated by positively valenced behavior, further potentially undermining the validity of authenticity measures. Despite these concerns, we argue that subjective feelings of authenticity do uniquely contribute to well-being. Specifically, we argue that the relationship between perceived authenticity and well-being may be understood from a social-cognitive lay theory perspective that we label “true-self-as-guide,” that suggests people use these feelings of authenticity as a cue to evaluate whether they are living up to a shared cultural value of what it means to live a good life. We end with a call for future research on the antecedents of perceived authenticity, boundary conditions for the consequences of personal authenticity, and discuss cultural differences in true-self-as-guide lay theories.
Long noncoding RNA AC003092.1 promotes temozolomide chemosensitivity through miR-195/TFPI-2 signaling modulation in glioblastoma
Authors: Xu Ningbo , Liu Boyang , Lian Changlin , Doycheva Desislava Met , Fu Zhao , Liu Yanting , Zhou Jian , He Zhenyan , Yang Zhao , Huang Qiongzhen , Zeng Huijun , Guo Hongbo
Published: November 2018

Temozolomide (TMZ) and radiation therapy combination for glioblastoma (GB) patients has been considered as the most effective therapy after surgical procedure. However, the overall clinical prognosis remains unsatisfactory due to intrinsic or developing resistance to TMZ. Recently, increasing evidence suggested that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a critical role in various biological processes of tumors, and have been implicated in resistance to various drugs. However, the role of lncRNAs in TMZ resistance is poorly understood. Here, we found that the expression of lncRNA AC003092.1 was markedly decreased in TMZ resistance (TR) of GB cells (U87TR and U251TR) compared with their parental cells (U87 and U251). In patients with glioma, low levels of lncRNA AC003092.1 were correlated with increased TMZ resistance, higher risk of relapse, and poor prognosis. Overexpression of lncRNA AC003092.1 enhances TMZ sensitivity, facilitates cell apoptosis, and inhibits cell proliferation in TMZ-resistant GB cells. In addition, we identified that lncRNA AC003092.1 regulates TMZ chemosensitivity through TFPI-2-mediated cell apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, further investigation revealed that lncRNA AC003092.1 regulates TFPI-2 expression through miR-195 in GB. Taken together, these data suggest that lncRNA AC003092.1 could inhibit the function of miR-195 by acting as an endogenous CeRNA, leading to increased expression of TFPI-2; this promotes TMZ-induced apoptosis, thereby making GB cells more sensitive to TMZ. Our findings indicate that overexpression of lncRNA AC003092.1 may be a potential therapy to overcome TMZ resistance in GB patients.
Structural snapshot of a bacterial phytochrome in its functional intermediate state
Authors: Schmidt Andrea , Sauthof Luisa , Szczepek Michal , Lopez Maria Fernandez , Escobar Francisco Velazquez , Qureshi Bilal M. , Michael Norbert , Buhrke David , Stevens Tammo , Kwiatkowski Dennis , von Stetten David , Mroginski Maria Andrea , Krauß Norbert , Lamparter Tilman , Hildebrandt Peter , Scheerer Patrick
Published: November 2018

Phytochromes are modular photoreceptors of plants, bacteria and fungi that use light as a source of information to regulate fundamental physiological processes. Interconversion between the active and inactive states is accomplished by a photoinduced reaction sequence which couples the sensor with the output module. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is yet not fully understood due to the lack of structural data of functionally relevant intermediate states. Here we report the crystal structure of a Meta-F intermediate state of an Agp2 variant from Agrobacterium fabrum. This intermediate, the identity of which was verified by resonance Raman spectroscopy, was formed by irradiation of the parent Pfr state and displays significant reorientations of almost all amino acids surrounding the chromophore. Structural comparisons allow identifying structural motifs that might serve as conformational switch for initiating the functional secondary structure change that is linked to the (de-)activation of these photoreceptors.
Author Correction: Dynamic intercellular transport modulates the spatial patterning of differentiation during early neural commitment
Authors: Glen Chad M. , McDevitt Todd C. , Kemp Melissa L.
Published: November 2018

In the original version of this Article, an incorrect DOI number was provided in the Code Availability statement regarding the deposition of the computational model. The correct DOI is 10.5281/zenodo.1413539. This error has been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Probing quantum features of photosynthetic organisms
Authors: Krisnanda Tanjung , Marletto Chiara , Vedral Vlatko , Paternostro Mauro , Paterek Tomasz
Published: November 2018

Recent experiments have demonstrated strong coupling between living bacteria and light. Here we propose a scheme capable of revealing non-classical features of the bacteria (quantum discord of light–bacteria correlations) without exact modelling of the organisms and their interactions with external world. The scheme puts the bacteria in a role of mediators of quantum entanglement between otherwise non-interacting probing light modes. We then propose a plausible model of this experiment, using recently achieved parameters, demonstrating the feasibility of the scheme. Within this model we find that the steady-state entanglement between the probes, which does not depend on the initial conditions, is accompanied by entanglement between the probes and bacteria, and provides independent evidence of the strong coupling between them.