bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the Rate of Interest in Loans repayable by Instalments
Authors: Gray Peter
Published: August 2016

There must at the present time be a vast amount of British capital embarked in loans. Foreign states are constantly holding out their lures with more or less of success to our monied men, and financial and other associations are always ready to take charge of the funds of such of them as prefer investing at home. In this state of matters it is somewhat remarkable that there is nothing to be found in our books on interest on the subject of loans. These are usually—and perhaps intentionally—so complicated with conditions in regard to premiums, discounts, times and modes of repayment, &c., as to render it almost always a matter of extreme nicety to determine the rate paid by the borrower for the accommodation, and that realized by the lenders on their investments. And yet, as I have just said, in no English work that I am aware of, is there anything to be found having special reference to the subject.
A Budget of Paradoxes (Continued from vol. xiii, page 245)
Authors: De Morgan A.
Published: August 2016

This is a serious proposal to alter our numeral system and to count by twelves. Thus 10 would be twelve, 11 thirteen, &c., two new symbols being invented for ten and eleven. The names of numbers must of course be changed. There are persons who think such changes practicable. I thought this proposal absurd when I first saw it, and I think so still: but the one I shall presently describe beats it so completely in that point, that I have not a smile left for this one.
Report on the Sixth International Statistical Congress
Authors: Brown Samuel
Published: August 2016

The studies of an actuary depend so much for their success on the accurate and full collection of statistics, that we cannot but feel a deep interest in every effort that is made to improve the method of and to lay down sound principles for obtaining them. Hitherto we have been more especially concerned with the laws of population, vitality, and disease, because they form the basis of the vast extension of life assurance in this and other countries. But in the course of the last few years the progress of social science has brought forward many questions tq. which the doctrine of probability as to the recurrence of events may be applied, which, though not strictly within the limits of our professional pursuits, afford many opportunities for the use and extension of our science.
On the final law of the sums of drawings
Authors: De Morgan A.
Published: August 2016

Let there be letters x, y, z,…each of which has values, choices, or drawings. Let their number be σ, and let, ξ, η, ζ,…be their several numbers of drawings : x1, x2,…xξ the drawings of x; and so on. Let Σx, Σy,…be the sums of the drawings of x, y, &c.; and Σ:x, Σ:y, the average drawings: so that , and so on.
Memoir on Instrument for furnishing the D Numbers, to four figures each, in Two Joint Life Annuity Tables, on any basis
Authors: Henry Jardins
Published: August 2016

In this paper, Mr. Henry describes an instrument by the aid of which he has actually obtained the values (to four figures) of many thousand products, being the D values in the various tables he has published. The principle of the instrument, which he claims as entirely his own invention, may be briefly described as follows:—

Let ABC be a right-angled triangle, of which AB is the base and AC the hypothenuse, and from any point D in the hypothenuse let fall DE perpendicular to AB; then from the similar triangles ADE, ABC, we have
On Legislation as to Life Insurance and Life Insurance Companies
Authors: Sprague T. B.
Published: August 2016

The past session of Parliament has witnessed the passing of an Act for the regulation of Life Assurance Companies in the United Kingdom, which, while introducing great changes in the law, still stops very far short of the system of legislation which has been for several years in operation in a few of the United States of America, and which is warmly approved of and urgently recommended for adoption by some persons in this country. The present may therefore be considered a fitting time for reviewing what has been done and considering whether any further legislation is desirable, and if any, of what nature it should be.
On the Equitable Apportionment of a Fund between the Life Tenant and the Reversioner
Authors: Baden A.
Published: August 2016

If any excuse be wanting for once more bringing this question forward for your consideration, it is not because the question itself is unimportant. The frequency of the cases involving it upon which the opinion of actuaries is sought, and the magnitude of the interests concerned, will be allowed by all to furnish ample grounds for the utmost possible care and pains in determining the principles by which the advice given should be regulated. Upwards of 15 years have elapsed since Mr. Jellicoe's well-known paper on this subject was read before the Institute. How far the practice of actuaries has been influenced by the conclusions laid down in that paper I do not know; but from the fact that (so far as I am aware, at least,) the subject has not been reopened since, it would seem that these conclusions have been accepted by the profession, and that in the opinion of those most competent to form a judgment there is nothing more to be said about them. If this be so, I am afraid that I shall incur the suspicion of rashness when I say that the excuse I have to urge for reopening the question is, that the conclusions laid down by Mr. Jellicoe do not commend themselves to my mind as perfectly satisfactory. I propose very briefly to state my reasons for differing from him; and should I fail, as I well may, in convincing others of the correctness of my views, I shall be consoled by the reflection, that however firmly established, and apparently beyond discussion, any truth may be, it is a profitable thing for most, perhaps for all of us, if a rash sceptic now and then compels us to review the grounds of our confidence, and to restate to ourselves, if not to others, the reasons for the faith that is in us.
Net-Premium Valuations with reference to the American Insurance Law
Authors: Wright Elizur
Published: August 2016

The Insurance Times of New York having reprinted the greater part of Mr. Sprague's paper On the proper method of estimating the liability of a Life Insurance Company under its policies, and Mr. Makeham's letter which appeared in the same number of this Journal, the Hon. Elizur Wright has thought it desirable to explain the aim of the American Insurance Law in a letter to that periodical, from which we make the following extract. We do this not only on account of the general interest with which Mr. Wright's views will be read, but still more because he corrects a misconception as to the object and purpose of the American Life Insurance legislation.—Ed. J. I. A.
The Law of Life Insurance in France as affected by a Recent Decision of the Supreme Court of Judicature
Authors: de Montluc M. Leon
Published: August 2016

Never was a more complete change suddenly brought about in the laws of a nation by legislative enactment than that which has taken place this year in France in the law of life insurance, in consequence of one single decision of the Supreme Court of Judicature, Up to the present time the construction given to the contract of life insurance in this country has been quite different from what it is in England. As there is no provision of written law that relates to life insurance, it being not even so much as mentioned in the Civil or Commercial Codes, people thought themselves justified in governing it by laws and rules of their own. For instance, although it is a principle of law common to both English and French jurisprudence (we may add, to the law of all legislating nations from time immemorial) that choses in action shall necessarily devolve upon our legal representatives after our death, it has hitherto been decided almost universally by French tribunals that an exception was to be made in favour of life insurance policies. By the advocates of that doctrine, the right in the sum assured was thought never to have vested in the person effecting the policy, and the assurance monies were said to be transferred directly, i. e., omisso medio, from the assurer to the party entitled to receive the sum assured; and that sum, accordingly, would not be liable to succession duty.
On Reversionary Life Interests as Securities for Loans
Authors: Sprague T. B.
Published: August 2016

Of all the securities proposed to insurance companies, reversionary life interests are the most troublesome to deal with in the ordinary way of mortgage; and the objections to so dealing with them have been considered by many actuaries so serious, that they have laid down the rule that the only safe way of making an advance on the security of a reversionary life interest is by way of reversionary charge. The transaction, they think, should be in the nature of a sale rather than a mortgage, a portion of the reversionary life interest being sold in consideration of the present advance.
On the value of Reversionary Annuities payable half-yearly, quarterly, &c, according to the conditions which prevail in practice
Authors: Sprague Thomas Bond
Published: August 2016

The ordinary formula for the value of a reversionary annuity, ax–axy, is not strictly applicable to the cases which occur in practice. For it assumes that the first payment of the annuity is made at the end of the year in which y dies, and the last payment at the end of the year before that in which x dies. But the conditions which prevail in practice are different; for whenever a reversionary annuity is granted, it will run from the death of y, and the first payment will be made twelve months after that death, i.e., on the average, six months later than is assumed in the above formula. On the other hand, the reversionary annuity will in practice be payable up to the day of the death of x; or, on the average, a full year's payment will be made six months later than the last payment is made according to the above formula.
On Different Modes of constructing Tables of the Values of Policies
Authors: Manly Henry W.
Published: August 2016

In the construction of the Tables of Policy Values for the Messenger Prize Essay (1868), the operations were considerably facilitated by the use of different modes of working applicable to the different data at hand; an explanation of which forms the subject of the present paper.

In the formation of Tables the great objects to be attained are accuracy and facility of working. These may be acquired in a high degree if it be possible by means of a simple operation to deduce each value in succession from the one which immediately precedes it, in which case the chances of error are reduced to a minimum, and the construction facilitated by the work not requiring to be checked except at distant intervals.
On the Value of Selection amongst Assured Lives, and its effect upon the Adjustment of a Scale of Premiums, as between Persons Assuring at Different Ages
Authors: Higham John Adams
Published: August 2016

I cannot better introduce the subject of this paper than by a quotation from Mr. Morgan’s Preface to his Tables of the Experience of the Equitable Society. He writes as follows :—

“In a body of lives of the same age, all selected as healthy from the general mass of mankind, it is obvious that the rate of mortality must be considerably less for the first ten or twenty years after selection, than amongst those from whom they are thus chosen. As, however, these selected lives advance in age, their general health and the rate of mortality amongst them will naturally approximate to the common standard. This approximation cannot be accurately estimated, if the observations be taken from a blended mass of lives, selected at the age of twenty, for instance, which have attained the age of fifty, and of lives selected at the age of fifty. The rate of mortality will for the former class be less, for the latter greater, than that which occurs in either class separately.
A Comparison of various Methods of Graduation of a Mortality Table considered in reference to the Valuation of the Liability of an Average Life Office under its Assurance Contracts. Part I
Authors: Sutton William
Published: August 2016

What is the best method to use in the graduation of a mortality table, although not a new question, is one which always must have a practical interest for the profession; and as the various methods of graduation which have been devised from time to time can all boast of their respective admirers, the subject is one which cannot easily be disposed of at present. In the following paper it is not proposed to open up any discussion on the general principles involved, nor is it proposed to go into any detail as to how far these general principles have been carried out in the various well known methods of graduation. The purpose of the paper is of a somewhat different nature.
On the Causes of Insolvency in Life Insurance Companies, and the best means of detecting, exposing and preventing it
Authors: Sprague T. B.
Published: August 2016

If, a few years ago, a paper had been offerd to the British Association on the subject ov the insolvency of life insurance companies, it woud probably hav been met with the objection that it was ov too theoretical a character. No life insurance company in the contry had ever been knoen to becom insolvent, and ther was no reason to anticipate that such a catastrofy woud ever occur. The well knoen remark ov the late Prof. De Morgan miht probably hav been quoted, that ther is nothing at all comparabl in point ov security with a well establisht and prudently conducted life insurance company.
Life Insurance and Suicide
Authors: Eastwood J. W.
Published: August 2016

In looking over the rules of a few insurance societies, I could not avoid observing the want of unanimity which prevailed with respect to the manner in which they deal with suicides whose lives have been insured. This induced me to take up the subject, and obtain all the information I could from the different offices in England and Scotland. My information is gained from eighty-one out of ninety-two offices, and from the actuaries or secretaries of several of these I have received valuable assistance and useful facts. The ways are so various in which the different companies treat this subject, that it is not easy to classify them briefly. The general rule is, that a life policy is forfeited by suicide, whether the assured has been of unsound mind or not; and the following rule occurs so frequently, that it may be quoted to represent a very large proportion, which I cannot accurately ascertain, of all the insurance companies.
On the carrying out of Reversionary Transactions by Life Assurance Companies
Authors: Macfadyen James R.
Published: August 2016

Some years ago I had the honour of reading before this Institute a paper which, though mainly devoted to a study of surrender values, treated such surrender values as purchases by life offices of reversions. On that occasion I stated that sound British companies could well afford to repurchase their own acceptances at 6 or even at 5 per-cent. Subsequent experience has done much to confirm me in the opinion then expressed, but I did not then, nor do I now assert that offices should on such terms purchase other reversions than their own policies; and I trust it will not be thought wasting your time, if I preface this paper by enumerating a few considerations which seem to indicate that the present market price of reversions gives, comparatively, a return none too high to an investor. Such market rate I take to be 5 per-cent in the case of an investor who does not stand, or, what is the same thing, arrives at his price as if he did not intend to stand, any risk of loss, whether through longevity of life tenant or death of reversioner.
Aero-Engine Efficiencies
Authors: Gibson A. H.
Published: August 2016

By the efficiency of a petrol engine, one usually understands the thermal efficiency, or the ratio of the heat returned as work on the crank shaft, to the heat energy in the fuel. This efficiency is vitally important in an aero engine intended for long-distance work, since it directly affects the weight of fuel to be carried.

The necessity for a high thermal efficiency on the B.H.P. almost of necessity involves that of a high mechanical efficiency, that is it requires that the losses due to mechanical friction and to pumping losses shall be small.

But an engine may have a high thermal efficiency and yet have a comparatively low brake mean effective pressure. It may, owing to too small a valve area or to poor design of the induction system, only be able to draw a small weight charge into the cylinder, although it may use this very efficiently once it is in the cylinder.
Calculation of Stresses in Aeroplane Wing Spars
Authors: Berry Arthur
Published: August 2016

The following method of calculating the stresses in the spars of an aeroplane wing is essentially a simplification in form of the method given in the paper “Some Contributions to the Theory of Engineering Structures, with special reference to the Problem of the Aeroplane,” by Messrs. H. Booth and H. Bolas, issued by the Air Department of the Admiralty in April, 1915.
Correction: Corrigendum: High-Resolution Group Quantization Phase Processing Method in Radio Frequency Measurement Range
Authors: Du Baoqiang , Feng Dazheng , Tang Yaohua , Geng Xin , Zhang Duo , Cai Chaofeng , Wan Maoquan , Yang Zhigang
Published: August 2016

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 29285; published online: 08 July 2016; updated: 19 August 2016. The original version of this Article contained a typographical error in the spelling of the author Baoqiang Du which was incorrectly given as Baoqing Du. This has now been corrected in the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Correction: Corrigendum: The adipokine lipocalin-2 in the context of the osteoarthritic osteochondral junction
Authors: Villalvilla Amanda , García-Martín Adela , Largo Raquel , Gualillo Oreste , Herrero-Beaumont Gabriel , Gómez Rodolfo
Published: August 2016

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 29243; published online: 07 July 2016; updated: 19 August 2016. The Acknowledgements section in this Article is incomplete. “The authors acknowledge Mr. Oliver Shaw for performing the English revision and the support of Dr. Esbrit’s. The authors’ research is supported by research grants from Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI12/00144, PI13/00570, CP15/00007, PI14/00016 and PIE13/00024).
Correction: Corrigendum: Changing pattern in the basal ganglia: motor switching under reduced dopaminergic drive
Authors: Fiore Vincenzo G. , Rigoli Francesco , Stenner Max-Philipp , Zaehle Tino , Hirth Frank , Heinze Hans-Jochen , Dolan Raymond J.
Published: August 2016

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 23327; published online: 23 March 2016; updated: 19 August 2016. This Article contains an error in the Introduction section. “The standard model predicts that a normal balance between competing BG pathways can be restored by decreasing indirect and hyperdirect pathway activity, for example via lesions of the globus pallidus pars externa (GPe) or the STN.
Markov models of the apo-MDM2 lid region reveal diffuse yet two-state binding dynamics and receptor poses for computational docking
Authors: Mukherjee Sudipto , Pantelopulos George A. , Voelz Vincent A.
Published: August 2016

MDM2 is a negative regulator of p53 activity and an important target for cancer therapeutics. The N-terminal lid region of MDM2 modulates interactions with p53 via competition for its binding cleft, exchanging slowly between docked and undocked conformations in the absence of p53. To better understand these dynamics, we constructed Markov State Models (MSMs) from large collections of unbiased simulation trajectories of apo-MDM2, and find strong evidence for diffuse, yet two-state folding and binding of the N-terminal region to the p53 receptor site. The MSM also identifies holo-like receptor conformations highly suitable for computational docking, despite initiating trajectories from closed-cleft receptor structures unsuitable for docking. Fixed-anchor docking studies using a test set of high-affinity small molecules and peptides show simulated receptor ensembles achieve docking successes comparable to cross-docking studies using crystal structures of receptors bound by alternative ligands. For p53, the best-scoring receptor structures have the N-terminal region lid region bound in a helical conformation mimicking the bound structure of p53, suggesting lid region association induces receptor conformations suitable for binding. These results suggest that MD + MSM approaches can sample binding-competent receptor conformations suitable for computational peptidomimetic design, and that inclusion of disordered regions may be essential to capturing the correct receptor dynamics.
Transcriptome response of cassava leaves under natural shade
Authors: Ding Zehong , Zhang Yang , Xiao Yi , Liu Fangfang , Wang Minghui , Zhu Xinguang , Liu Peng , Sun Qi , Wang Wenquan , Peng Ming , Brutnell Tom , Li Pinghua
Published: August 2016

Cassava is an important staple crop in tropical and sub-tropical areas. As a common farming practice, cassava is usually cultivated intercropping with other crops and subjected to various degrees of shading, which causes reduced productivity. Herein, a comparative transcriptomic analysis was performed on a series of developmental cassava leaves under both full sunlight and natural shade conditions. Gene expression profiles of these two conditions exhibited similar developmental transitions, e.g. genes related to cell wall and basic cellular metabolism were highly expressed in immature leaves, genes involved in lipid metabolism and tetrapyrrole synthesis were highly expressed during the transition stages and genes related to photosynthesis and carbohydrates metabolism were highly expressed in mature leaves. Compared with the control, shade significantly induced the expression of genes involved in light reaction of photosynthesis, light signaling and DNA synthesis/chromatin structure; however, the genes related to anthocyanins biosynthesis, heat shock, calvin cycle, glycolysis, TCA cycle, mitochondrial electron transport and starch and sucrose metabolisms were dramatically depressed. Moreover, the shade also influenced the expression of hormone-related genes and transcriptional factors. The findings would improve our understanding of molecular mechanisms of shade response and shed light on pathways associated with shade-avoidance syndrome for cassava improvement.
Live volumetric (4D) visualization and guidance of in vivo human ophthalmic surgery with intraoperative optical coherence tomography
Authors: Carrasco-Zevallos O. M. , Keller B. , Viehland C. , Shen L. , Waterman G. , Todorich B. , Shieh C. , Hahn P. , Farsiu S. , Kuo A. N. , Toth C. A. , Izatt J. A.
Published: August 2016

Minimally-invasive microsurgery has resulted in improved outcomes for patients. However, operating through a microscope limits depth perception and fixes the visual perspective, which result in a steep learning curve to achieve microsurgical proficiency. We introduce a surgical imaging system employing four-dimensional (live volumetric imaging through time) microscope-integrated optical coherence tomography (4D MIOCT) capable of imaging at up to 10 volumes per second to visualize human microsurgery. A custom stereoscopic heads-up display provides real-time interactive volumetric feedback to the surgeon. We report that 4D MIOCT enhanced suturing accuracy and control of instrument positioning in mock surgical trials involving 17 ophthalmic surgeons. Additionally, 4D MIOCT imaging was performed in 48 human eye surgeries and was demonstrated to successfully visualize the pathology of interest in concordance with preoperative diagnosis in 93% of retinal surgeries and the surgical site of interest in 100% of anterior segment surgeries. In vivo 4D MIOCT imaging revealed sub-surface pathologic structures and instrument-induced lesions that were invisible through the operating microscope during standard surgical maneuvers. In select cases, 4D MIOCT guidance was necessary to resolve such lesions and prevent post-operative complications. Our novel surgical visualization platform achieves surgeon-interactive 4D visualization of live surgery which could expand the surgeon’s capabilities.
pH-Responsive drug release and NIR-triggered singlet oxygen generation based on a multifunctional core–shell–shell structure
Authors: Han Renlu , Yi Haopeng , Shi Junhui , Liu Zongjun , Wang Hao , Hou Yafei , Wang You
Published: August 2016

A multifunctional platform drug with pH-responsive drug release and near-infrared (NIR) light-triggered photodynamic therapy (PDT) was designed and prepared using the novel core–shell–shell structure.
Revisiting Ce3Pt4Ge6– crystal structure and physical properties
Authors: Janka Oliver , Hoffmann Rolf-Dieter , Eilers-Rethwisch Matthias , Rodewald Ute Ch. , Niehaus Oliver , Pöttgen Rainer
Published: August 2016

Structural reinvestigations of Ce3Pt4Ge6revealed additional reflections justifying the orthorhombic (3 + 1)D superspace groupCmcm(α,0,0)0s0 withα= 0.5a*.
Barry Martin Trost: Educator
Authors: Coppola Brian P.
Published: August 2016

Honoring the 75th Birthday of Barry M. Trost.
Universal route to fabricate facile and flexible micro-supercapacitors with gold-coated silver electrodes
Authors: Yu Yizhen , Zhang Jian , Zhang Wu , Liu Ruili , Wu Xing , Zhu Ziqiang
Published: August 2016

For the first time, a facile, cost-effective and universal route to fabricate the flexible Ag@Au MSCs was proposed. Au protective layer improves the performances of MSCs. This technique combines surface ion-exchange process with immersion plating.
A computational study of the mechanism of the photocyclization reaction of α-methylamino ketone
Authors: Su Shih-Hao , Su Ming-Der
Published: August 2016

The mechanism for the photochemical cyclization reaction is studied theoretically using a model system of α-N-methylamidoacetophenone with the M06-L/6-311G(d,p) method.
Synthesis, structure, and calf-thymus DNA binding of ternary fleroxacin–Cu(ii) complexes
Authors: Xiao Ying , Xu Kailin , Wang Qing , Xiong Xinnuo , Huang Yanmei , Li Hui
Published: August 2016

The interaction between the synthesized fleroxacin complexes and CT DNA was investigated.
Microwave-mediated Newman–Kwart rearrangement in water
Authors: Hoffmann Ina , Schatz Jürgen
Published: August 2016

For the first time the unimolecular Newman–Kwart rearrangement is performed in pure water.
CNTs based lubricating oils for UAZ 31512 engines
Authors: Hong Nguyen Manh , Thang Bui Hung , Hong Phan Ngoc , Hong Nguyen Tuan , Khoi Phan Hong , Minh Phan Ngoc
Published: August 2016

The obtained results on application of the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in lubricating oils for UAZ 31512 engine are presented. The calculation results showed that the thermal conductivity of lubricating oils increase about 10% when using lubricating oil with 0.12 vol% of CNTs concentration. The experimental results on Ulyanovskiy Avtomobilnyi Zavod 31512 (UAZ 31512) engine on pedestal at free load showed that the temperature of engine dropped about 10°C and the fuel saving was up to 10% when using lubricating oil with 0.12 vol% of CNTs concentration.
Finite-time Lyapunov exponent-based analysis for compressible flows
Authors: González D. R. , Speth R. L. , Gaitonde D. V. , Lewis M. J.
Published: August 2016

The finite-time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) technique has shown substantial success in analyzing incompressible flows by capturing the dynamics of coherent structures. Recent applications include river and ocean flow patterns, respiratory tract dynamics, and bio-inspired propulsors. In the present work, we extend FTLE to the compressible flow regime so that coherent structures, which travel at convective speeds, can be associated with waves traveling at acoustic speeds. This is particularly helpful in the study of jet acoustics. We first show that with a suitable choice of integration time interval, FTLE can extract wave dynamics from the velocity field. The integration time thus acts as a pseudo-filter separating coherent structures from waves. Results are confirmed by examining forward and backward FTLE coefficients for several simple, well-known acoustic fields. Next, we use this analysis to identify events associated with intermittency in jet noise pressure probe data. Although intermittent events are known to be dominant causes of jet noise, their direct source in the turbulent jet flow has remained unexplained. To this end, a Large-Eddy Simulation of a Mach 0.9 jet is subjected to FTLE to simultaneously examine, and thus expose, the causal relationship between coherent structures and the corresponding acoustic waves. Results show that intermittent events are associated with entrainment in the initial roll up region and emissive events downstream of the potential-core collapse. Instantaneous acoustic disturbances are observed to be primarily induced near the collapse of the potential core and continue propagating towards the far-field at the experimentally observed, approximately 30° angle relative to the jet axis.
Variational path integral molecular dynamics and hybrid Monte Carlo algorithms using a fourth order propagator with applications to molecular systems
Authors: Kamibayashi Yuki , Miura Shinichi
Published: August 2016

In the present study, variational path integral molecular dynamics and associated hybrid Monte Carlo (HMC) methods have been developed on the basis of a fourth order approximation of a density operator. To reveal various parameter dependence of physical quantities, we analytically solve one dimensional harmonic oscillators by the variational path integral; as a byproduct, we obtain the analytical expression of the discretized density matrix using the fourth order approximation for the oscillators. Then, we apply our methods to realistic systems like a water molecule and a para-hydrogen cluster. In the HMC, we adopt two level description to avoid the time consuming Hessian evaluation. For the systems examined in this paper, the HMC method is found to be about three times more efficient than the molecular dynamics method if appropriate HMC parameters are adopted; the advantage of the HMC method is suggested to be more evident for systems described by many body interaction.
Spider web-inspired acoustic metamaterials
Authors: Miniaci Marco , Krushynska Anastasiia , Movchan Alexander B. , Bosia Federico , Pugno Nicola M.
Published: August 2016

Spider silk is a remarkable example of bio-material with superior mechanical characteristics. Its multilevel structural organization of dragline and viscid silk leads to unusual and tunable properties, extensively studied from a quasi-static point of view. In this study, inspired by the Nephila spider orb web architecture, we propose a design for mechanical metamaterials based on its periodic repetition. We demonstrate that spider-web metamaterial structure plays an important role in the dynamic response and wave attenuation mechanisms. The capability of the resulting structure to inhibit elastic wave propagation in sub-wavelength frequency ranges is assessed, and parametric studies are performed to derive optimal configurations and constituent mechanical properties. The results show promise for the design of innovative lightweight structures for tunable vibration damping and impact protection, or the protection of large scale infrastructure such as suspended bridges.
Extraction of negative charges from an ion source: Transition from an electron repelling to an electron attracting plasma close to the extraction surface
Authors: Wimmer Christian , Fantz Ursel ,   NNBI-Team
Published: August 2016

Large-scale sources for negative hydrogen ions, capable of delivering an extracted ion current of several ten amperes, are a key component of the neutral beam injection system of the upcoming ITER fusion device. Since the created heat load of the inevitably co-extracted electrons after magnetic separation from the extracted beam limits their tolerable amount, special care must be taken for the reduction of co-extracted electrons—in particular, in deuterium operation, where the larger amount of co-extracted electrons often limits the source performance. By biasing the plasma grid (PG, first grid of the extraction system) positively with respect to the source body, the plasma sheath in front of the PG can be changed from an electron repelling towards an electron attracting sheath. In this way, the flux of charged particles onto the PG can be varied, thus changing the bias current and inverse to it the amount of co-extracted electrons. The PG bias affects also the flux of surface-produced H − towards the plasma volume as well as the plasma symmetry in front of the plasma grid, strongly influenced by an E→×B→ drift. The influence of varying PG sheath potential profile on the plasma drift, the negative hydrogen ion density, and the source performance at the prototype H − source is presented, comparing hydrogen and deuterium operation. The transition in the PG sheath profile takes place in both isotopes, with a minimum of co-extracted electrons formed in case of the electron attracting PG sheath. The co-extracted electron density in deuterium operation is higher than in hydrogen operation, which is accompanied by an increased plasma density in deuterium.
Real time quantitative phase microscopy based on single-shot transport of intensity equation (ssTIE) method
Authors: Yu Wei , Tian Xiaolin , He Xiaoliang , Song Xiaojun , Xue Liang , Liu Cheng , Wang Shouyu
Published: August 2016

Microscopy based on transport of intensity equation provides quantitative phase distributions which opens another perspective for cellular observations. However, it requires multi-focal image capturing while mechanical and electrical scanning limits its real time capacity in sample detections. Here, in order to break through this restriction, real time quantitative phase microscopy based on single-shot transport of the intensity equation method is proposed. A programmed phase mask is designed to realize simultaneous multi-focal image recording without any scanning; thus, phase distributions can be quantitatively retrieved in real time. It is believed the proposed method can be potentially applied in various biological and medical applications, especially for live cell imaging.
Energy transfer between Ni2+ sensitizers and Er3+ emitters in broadband-sensitive upconverters La(Ga,Sc,In)O3:Er,Ni,Nb
Authors: Takeda Yasuhiko , Mizuno Shintaro , Luitel Hom Nath , Yamanaka Ken-ichi , Tani Toshihiko
Published: August 2016

We have analyzed broadband-sensitive upconversion from 1.1–1.6 μm to 0.98 μm in La(Ga,Sc,In)O3 doped with Er, Ni, and Nb, which could significantly boost the conversion efficiency of crystalline silicon solar cells, in particular, energy transfer from the Ni2+ sensitizers to the Er3+ emitters and back transfer from the Er3+ to the Ni2+. We have compared these processes and the resultant upconversion emission intensities depending on the host material compositions. With increasing the bond length between the Ni2+ and surrounding oxygen ions, the Ni2+ emission band located at around 1.2–1.6 μm red-shifts and hence overlaps more significantly with the Er3+ absorption band ranging from 1.45 μm to 1.6 μm, resulting in more rapid energy transfer from the Ni2+ to the Er3+. However, back energy transfer from the Er3+ to the Ni2+ deteriorates the performance more considerably, because of more significant overlap between the Er3+ emission band and Ni2+ absorption band. This trade-off relationship strongly affects the upconversion emission intensity. The key of the material design for further efficient upconversion is to achieve narrower bands and a larger Stokes shift of the Ni2+ absorption/emission to suppress the back energy transfer while maintaining the efficient energy transfer in the forward direction.
Potassium fluxes and reactive oxygen species production as potential indicators of salt tolerance in Cucumis sativus
Authors: Redwan Mirvat , Spinelli Francesco , Marti Lucia , Weiland Matthias , Palm Emily , Azzarello Elisa , Mancuso Stefano
Published: August 2016

Salt stress, among other abiotic stresses, has a high impact on crop yield. Salt tolerance is a multifactorial trait that involves the ability of cells to retain K ions, regulate reactive O species (ROS) production, and synthesise new molecules to cope with osmotic stress. In the present work, two different cultivars of Cucumis sativus L. (cv. Parys, sensitive; cv. Polan, tolerant) were selected based on their germination capabilities under 100 mM NaCl. The capacity of these two cultivars to tolerate salt stress was analysed using several different physiological and genetic approaches. K+ fluxes from roots, as an immediate response to salinity, showed the higher ability of cv. Polan to maintain K+ compared with cv. Parys, according to the expression level of inward rectifying potassium channel 1 (AKT1). ROS production was also investigated in both cultivars and a higher basal ROS level was observed in cv. Polan than in cv. Parys. Concurrently, an increased basal level of respiratory burst oxidase homologue F (RBOHF) gene was also found, as well as a strong induction of the ethylene responsive factor 109 (ERF109) transcription factor after salt treatment in cv. Polan. Our data suggest that roots’ ability to retain K+, a higher level of RBOHF and a strong induction of ERF109 should all be considered important components for salt tolerance in C. sativus.
Stemming the Tide of Obstetric Morbidity: An Opportunity for the Anesthesiologist to Embrace the Role of Peridelivery Physician
Authors: Mhyre J.M. , Bateman B.T.
Published: August 2016

(Anesthesiology. 2015;123(5):986–989)

Today, the use of anesthesia and analgesia during childbirth accounts for 75% fewer maternal deaths than in 1980. Anesthesia-related complications such as high neuraxial block and difficult intubation still occur in roughly 1 of 3000 deliveries, although these complications are rare enough that there are not many population-level studies available. A recent study by Guglielminotti et al1 took on this subject by analyzing New York state administrative data from 2003 to 2012. The authors found that anesthesia-related complications had declined by 25% during this time period, with a 25% decrease in the risk of negative outcomes when using neuraxial anesthesia.
Obstetric Anaesthetists’ Association and Difficult Airway Society Guidelines for the Management of Difficult and Failed Tracheal Intubation in Obstetrics
Authors: Mushambi M.C. , Kinsella S.M. , Popat M. , Swales H. , Ramaswamy K.K. , Winton A.L. , Quinn A.C.
Published: August 2016

(Anaesthesia. 2015;70(11):1286–1306)

This paper presents the first national obstetric-specific failed intubation guidelines in the United Kingdom. These guidelines were developed by a working group commissioned by the Obstetric Anaesthetists’ Association and the Difficult Airway Society UK. The guidelines include specific measures to account for the physiological and physical changes of pregnancy, which significantly affect oxygenation and airway management, as well as the need to consider both maternal and fetal status when making decisions regarding management of the difficult airway. They also provide a structure for advance planning in the event that failed intubation were to arise. There is a need for standardizing the approach to obstetric failed intubation as the number of obstetric general anesthetics has been declining over the last 3 decades as regional anesthesia has become more popular. As a result, experience in managing the obstetric airway in general and the specific situation of difficult intubation has declined, especially among anesthesia trainees. In addition, other trends in anesthesia care, such as the increased use of supraglottic airway devices (SADs), has led to a decrease in the use of some specific airway skills, including bag/mask ventilation and tracheal intubation.
Obstetric Difficult Airway Guidelines Decision-making in Critical Situations
Authors: Rucklidge M.W. , Yentis S.M.
Published: August 2016

(Anaesthesia. 2015;70:1221–1229)

Anesthesiologists are frequently faced with critical decision-making when complex clinical emergencies arise (eg, failed tracheal intubation in the obstetric setting). Recent decades have seen a decline in the use of general anesthesia for cesarean section across the developed world, thus reducing the likelihood of anesthesiologists facing such situations. This increases the pressure on anesthesiologists when they do face such situations as not only is the situation a rarity for them, it also tends to be reserved for women requiring the most urgent deliveries. Universal difficult airway guideline for nonobstetric, nonpediatric patients were published in 2004, and there have been algorithms to guide anesthesiologists who encounter airway emergencies, but it is only now that national obstetric-specific difficult airway guidelines have been developed in the United Kingdom. These guidelines have been jointly developed by the Obstetric Anaesthetists’ Association (OAA) and the Difficult Airway Society (DAS). The myriad of settings in which such an airway crisis may occur and limited available evidence contributed to the delay that occurred in compiling obstetric-specific difficult airway guidelines.
Neurological Complications Associated With Regional The Second ASRA Practice Advisory on Anesthesia and Pain Medicine: Executive Summary 2015
Authors: Neal J.M. , Barrington M.J. , Brull R. , Hadzic A. , Hebl J.R. , Horlocker T.T. , Huntoon M.A. , Kopp S.L. , Rathmell J.P. , Watson J.C.
Published: August 2016

(Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2015;40(5):401–430)

In 2008, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine published a practice advisory on neurological complications associated with regional anesthesia and pain medicine. This article contains the updated recommendations from their second advisory panel in 2012. This second advisory summarizes the original recommendations that have not been significantly altered, and adds information on nerve injuries resulting from common orthopedic surgeries. Various monitoring technologies are also recommended for the role they can play in preventing complications, including ultrasound-assisted spinal and epidural anesthesia as well as injection pressure monitoring. Clinical recommendations now include information on spinal stenosis and vertebral canal pathologies, blood pressure management, neuraxial blocks in anesthetized or deeply sedated patients, patients with preexisting neurological disease, and inflammatory neuropathies. The authors also present a revised diagnostic and treatment algorithm.
Regional Anesthesia in Patients With Preexisting Neurological Disease
Authors: Kopp S.L. , Jacob A.K. , Hebl J.R.
Published: August 2016

(Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2015;40(5):467–478)

Patients with preexisting neurological diseases present a challenge when considering the use of regional anesthesia. Any further physical trauma along the neural pathway could worsen the already damaged neural structures and subject patients to the double crush phenomenon. As these diseases are rare, the available data are limited and conflicting. This article provides a literature update to the 2008 recommendations for performing regional anesthesia in patients with neurological diseases. Prospective, randomized, controlled trials, retrospective studies, case-controlled cohort studies, case series, and case reports published since 2006 were included for review.
Anatomy and Pathophysiology of Spinal Cord Injury Associated With Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine: 2015 Update
Authors: Neal J.M. , Kopp S.L. , Pasternak J.J. , Lanier W.L. , Rathmell J.P.
Published: August 2016

(Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2015;40:506–525)

When regional anesthesia or the standard administration of pain medicine causes damage to the neuraxis, it is typically the result of injury to the spinal nerve roots or their blood supply. The causes of these injuries can only occasionally be traced back to a known cause and are frequently difficult to explain. As part of an ongoing effort to address this complicated issue, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine met in 2012 to conduct its second Practice Advisory on the subject of complications associated with regional anesthesia and pain medicine. The purpose of these advisories is to establish an anatomic and pathophysiological foundation on which a more thorough understanding of these complications can be built. This article provides a summary of the meeting’s proceedings as well as a review of any relevant findings that have been published since its conclusion.
Effectiveness of Physical Activity Interventions on Preventing Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Excessive Maternal Weight Gain: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Sanabria-Martínez G. , García-Hermoso A. , Poyatos-León R. , Álvarez-Bueno C. , Sánchez-López M. , Martínez-Vizcaíno V.
Published: August 2016

(BJOG. 2015;122(9):1167–1174)

Pregnant women who experience excessive maternal weight gain (MWG) are at increased risk for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), hypertension, preeclampsia, cesarean delivery, macrosomia, stillbirth, and perinatal complications. It has been suggested that physical activity (PA) during pregnancy might help to prevent some of these risks. However, clinicians are reluctant to recommend PA to pregnant women due to conflicting evidence. In order to determine whether or not PA prevents GDM and excessive MWG, the authors of the present meta-analysis reviewed randomized controlled trials and assessed the effectiveness of physical exercise programs during pregnancy in preventing excessive MWG and GDM.
Women’s Experiences With Neuraxial Labor Analgesia in the Listening to Mothers II Survey: A Content Analysis of Open-ended Responses
Authors: Attanasio Laura , Kozhimannil Katy B. , Jou Judy , McPherson Marianne E. , Camann William
Published: August 2016

(Anesth Analg. 2015;121:974–980)

Neuraxial analgesia provides effective pain relief with minimal effect on the fetus and without increased risk of cesarean delivery. Most studies that address the patient experience with neuraxial analgesia during childbirth utilize small numbers and broad questions. Using secondary analysis of a larger database, these authors identify themes of positive or negative experiences with neuraxial analgesia using data collected from the Listening to Mothers II survey. Questionnaires, which contained 3 open-ended questions, were completed online (n=1373) or using telephone interview (n=200); the final analysis included 914 women of childbearing age, of which 69% were white non-Hispanic, 12% African American non-Hispanic, and 13% Hispanic.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mode of Anesthesia for Cesarean Delivery
Authors: Butwick A.J. , Blumenfeld Y.J. , Brookfield K.F. , Nelson L.M. , Weiniger C.F.
Published: August 2016

(Anesth Analg. 2016;122:472–479)

Neuraxial anesthesia is usually the preferred anesthetic mode for cesarean delivery (CD). However, for African American women undergoing CD, the odds of general anesthesia use are 1.5-fold higher than for whites. The authors of the present study thus investigated whether racial/ethnic disparities exist for mode of anesthesia (general vs. neuraxial, which includes spinal, epidural, or combined spinal-epidural anesthesia) among women undergoing CD. The authors also evaluated whether or not these associations are influenced by demographic and maternal factors, obstetric morbidities, and indications for CD.