bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Iterative tuning notch filter for suppressing resonance in ultra-precision motion control
Authors: Teng Wei , Zhang Xiaolong , Zhang Yangyang , Yang Liangliang
Published: November 2016

In this article, a practical iterative algorithm for tuning the parameters of notch filter is presented to suppress high-frequency resonance in ultra-precision motion control. Notch filter is a useful tool to suppress middle- and high-frequency resonance to improve control precision. The traditional tuning method for it depends on the Fourier transform of the positioning error or the modal analysis of the motion stage, which cannot get the optimal control performance. The proposed algorithm can be used to tune the parameters of notch filter iteratively through minimizing a cost function of the positioning error, and it needs only measurement signals in actual motion system rather than detailed model of the motion stage. The proposed algorithm can suppress mechanical resonance and meanwhile minimize positioning error, which are demonstrated by experimental results in wafer stage of photolithography.
Mathematical modeling of interaction energies between nanoscale objects: A review of nanotechnology applications
Authors: Baowan Duangkamon , Hill James M
Published: November 2016

In many nanotechnology areas, there is often a lack of well-formed conceptual ideas and sophisticated mathematical modeling in the analysis of fundamental issues involved in atomic and molecular interactions of nanostructures. Mathematical modeling can generate important insights into complex processes and reveal optimal parameters or situations that might be difficult or even impossible to discern through either extensive computation or experimentation. We review the use of applied mathematical modeling in order to determine the atomic and molecular interaction energies between nanoscale objects. In particular, we examine the use of the 6-12 Lennard-Jones potential and the continuous approximation, which assumes that discrete atomic interactions can be replaced by average surface or volume atomic densities distributed on or throughout a volume. The considerable benefit of using the Lennard-Jones potential and the continuous approximation is that the interaction energies can often be evaluated analytically, which means that extensive numerical landscapes can be determined virtually instantaneously. Formulae are presented for idealized molecular building blocks, and then, various applications of the formulae are considered, including gigahertz oscillators, hydrogen storage in metal-organic frameworks, water purification, and targeted drug delivery. The modeling approach reviewed here can be applied to a variety of interacting atomic structures and leads to analytical formulae suitable for numerical evaluation.
Robust kernel-based model reference adaptive control for unstable aircraft
Authors: Yang Zhao-Xu , Zhao Guang-She , Bao Rong-Jing , Rong Hai-Jun , Gao Lei-Tao
Published: November 2016

In this article, a robust kernel-based model reference adaptive control is proposed for an unstable nonlinear aircraft. The heart of the proposed kernel-based model reference adaptive control scheme comprises an offline neural identifier and an online neural controller. In the offline neural identifier, the kernel-based unified extreme learning machine algorithm is used to identify the aircraft model with the available input–output data in a finite time interval. The finite time interval is selected to avoid the response of the unstable aircraft growing unbounded. In the kernel-based unified extreme learning machine, the hidden layer feature mapping is determined by the kernel matrix. However, the unified extreme learning machine is a batch learning algorithm and is not suitable for the online control learning. To solve the problem, a recursive version of the unified extreme learning machine is developed in this study. Based on a given reference model and the identified model, the recursive version of the unified extreme learning machine algorithm is applied to construct the online control law to compensate for the changes in the aircraft dynamics or characteristics. The performance of the proposed kernel-based model reference adaptive control scheme is validated through the simulation studies of a locally nonlinear longitudinal high-performance aircraft. Simulation studies are also compared with a model reference adaptive control based on the back-propagation algorithm and a model reference adaptive control based on the basic extreme learning machine algorithm in terms of the identification and tracking abilities. The results show that the proposed kernel-based model reference adaptive control can achieve better identification and tracking performance.
Gaussian copula–Bayesian dynamic linear model–based time-dependent reliability prediction of bridge structures considering nonlinear correlation between failure modes
Authors: Liu Yuefei , Fan Xueping
Published: November 2016

Bridge structures in service are subjected to long-term ambient environments and continuously increasing traffic demands; therefore, the physical quantities of the existing bridge structures are subjected to changes in both time and space. Through health monitoring for bridges, the data of the load effects of bridge structures, including strain, stress, deflection, and so on, of the specified structural components or structures, can be obtained. The novel monitoring systems installed in bridge structures contain sensors providing a large amount of monitored data. Proper processing of the continuously provided monitored data is one of the main difficulties in the field of structural health monitoring for time-dependent reliability prediction of structural components and/or structures. Under the actions of the common random sources of the time-dependent input load data, the time-dependent nonlinear correlation will exist among the time-dependent output load effect data. The Bayesian dynamic linear models are introduced to predict the time-dependent output variables and model the time-dependent nonlinear correlation coefficients between them. Then, the Gaussian copula–Bayesian dynamic linear models are built based on the Gaussian copula theory and the time-dependent correlation coefficients. The models can better and more feasibly predict the future reliability of bridge structures. Finally, an actual application example is provided to illustrate the feasibility and application of the built Gaussian copula–Bayesian dynamic linear models for structural reliability prediction.
A new nonlinear triadic model of predator–prey based on derivative with non-local and non-singular kernel
Authors: Saad T Alkahtani Badr , Atangana Abdon , Koca Ilknur
Published: November 2016

The model of predator–prey has been used by many researchers to predict the animal growth population in many countries in the world. However, the system of equations used in these models assumes a density of prey and predator, respectively, but when looking at the real-world situation, most of the time we have some prey that act at the same time like a predator, for instance, hyena, and also some predators that act as a prey, for instance, lions. In this research, we proposed a new model of triadic prey–prey–predator. The new model was constructed using the new fractional differentiation based on the generalized Mittag-Leffler function due to the non-locality of the dynamical system of the three species. We presented the existence of a positive set of the solutions for the new model. The uniqueness of the positive set of the solutions was presented in detail. The new model was solved numerically using the Crank–Nicolson numerical scheme.
Law as Politics: Four Relations
Authors: Etxabe Julen
Published: November 2016

In a 2006 article, Duncan Kennedy identifies politics as the central dilemma of contemporary legal thought, but affirms that law is non-reducible to politics, which could be read as a partial retraction from the known coda “law is politics.” This article suggests an interpretation of his refusal to conflate law and politics not in terms of disavowal, or a way of distancing politics from law, but as an attempt to carve out a space from where to think of the relational aspect between law and politics. This becomes necessary due to a current phenomenon which Pierre Schlag calls “dedifferentiation,” where no distinction – and hence no relation – seems to be possible between law and other spheres of life. Opposing that conclusion, this article contends that engendering relations allows us to keep the terms connected in relative motion. The article then moves to describe four distinct modes of framing the relation between law and politics, which gives rise to very different disciplinary projects: law as politics, dating back to the legal realist movement; law as political science, which finds its current expression in empirical and quantitative research; law as political philosophy, generated by a renewed interest in “the political”; and law as political contingent, growing out of a similar interest but challenging the boundary-setting ambitions of philosophy. While the latter has not yet been adequately translated into law, I suggest as an alternative the work of Jacques Rancière, which declines to grant an aura of invincible ubiquity to any totalizing description, including neoliberalism’s attempt to present itself as a world system.
Efficacy of granulocyte and monocyte apheresis for antibiotic-refractory pouchitis after proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis: an open-label, prospective, multicentre study
Authors: Yamamoto Takayuki , Tanaka Toshiaki , Yokoyama Tadashi , Shimoyama Takahiro , Ikeuchi Hiroki , Uchino Motoi , Watanabe Toshiaki
Published: November 2016

Background:

Granulocyte and monocyte apheresis (GMA) has shown therapeutic efficacy in active ulcerative colitis (UC). We thought that in patients with pouchitis after proctocolectomy for UC, GMA might produce immunological effects in the intestinal mucosa, and improve clinical symptoms. This prospective study was to evaluate the efficacy of GMA for antibiotic-refractory pouchitis after proctocolectomy for UC.

Methods:

A total of 13 patients with pouchitis disease activity index (PDAI) > 7 unresponsive to 2 weeks of antibiotic therapy were included. All patients received 10 GMA sessions at 2 sessions/week over 5 consecutive weeks. The primary endpoints were response (a decrease of ⩾3 points in the PDAI) and remission (PDAI < 4). Secondary endpoints included reduction of white blood cells (WBCs), C-reactive protein (CRP), faecal markers (calprotectin and lactoferrin), reduction of the PDAI endoscopic subscore, and GMA safety.

Results:

The median PDAI score was significantly decreased from 11 (range, 9–15) at entry to 9 (range, 6–13) after the GMA therapy ( p = 0.02). A total of six patients (46%) responded to the treatment, but none achieved remission. The median endoscopic subscore (maximum: 6) was 5 (range, 4–6) at entry and 5 (range, 1–6) after the treatment ( p = 0.10). None of the laboratory markers (WBCs, CRP, faecal calprotectin and lactoferrin) significantly changed during the treatment. Transient adverse events (AEs) were observed in two patients (15%), dyspnoea in one and headache in one. The AEs were not serious, and all patients completed the 10 GMA sessions.

Conclusions:

GMA has a good safety profile, but its efficacy appears to be limited in the management of chronic refractory pouchitis. However, a large controlled study should be conducted to evaluate the efficacy of GMA therapy in patients with pouchitis at an earlier clinical stage, before the disease has become refractory to conventional medical therapy.
Percutaneous sacroplasty for the management of painful pathologic fracture in a multiple myeloma patient: Case report and review of the literature
Authors: Dmytriw AA , Talla K , Smith R
Published: November 2016

Percutaneous kyphoplasty has a well-established role in the treatment of pathologic fractures in patients with multiple myeloma. Despite this, there is a scarcity of literature surrounding its use and efficacy in the sacrum. We present a case of successful symptom resolution in a patient with painful sacral fracture following sacroplasty, and review the existing literature.

An 81-year-man with multiple myeloma presented to the hematology/oncology clinic with a history of excruciating pain while seated. The impact of this pain on his quality of life subjectively was rated to be particularly high. Computed tomography of the sacrum confirmed the presence of pathologic fracture within the S1 and S2 vertebrae. Under fluoroscopic guidance, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement was injected via 11-gauge needles using an anterior-oblique approach. No immediate post-procedural complications occurred, such as foraminal extravasation or venous injection. The patient reported himself to be pain-free 1 day following the procedure, and this remains the case to date at 2 years of follow-up.

Sacroplasty is technically feasible and can provide durable relief of symptoms in patients with painful pathologic fractures of the sacrum. It is likely underused and can offer tremendous benefit to myeloma patients.
Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis following Campylobacter jejuni gastroenteritis: Case report and review of the literature
Authors: Marziali Simone , Picchi Eliseo , Di Giuliano Francesca , Altobelli Simone , Mataluni Giorgia , Marfia Girolama , Garaci Francesco , Floris Roberto
Published: November 2016

We describe a case of a 25-year-old male with a diagnosis of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) following infection with Campylobacter jejuni, which is implicated in various human pathologies regarding the central nervous system (CNS) with acute course like Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), Miller-Fisher syndrome (MFS), Bickerstaff’s brainstem encephalitis (BEE), acute transverse myelitis (ATM) as well as ADEM. These conditions are caused by cross-reactivity between Campylobacter’s epitopes and cells of the CNS that causes an immunomediated inflammatory demyelination of the CNS. In the acute phase, magnetic resonance (MR) can detect pathologic signal intensity at the CNS with areas of pathologic contrast enhancement at cortical and spinal white matter that normalize over time or can be stable. These findings can be associated with edema in parts of the CNS. The lesions typically appear at different times during the disease course and also can have a different evolution. Our purpose therefore was to describe the clinical course and MR findings of this case and perform a critical review of the literature.
An update on the role of daratumumab in the treatment of multiple myeloma
Authors: Costello Caitlin
Published: November 2016

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have emerged as a promising new drug class for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). Daratumumab (DARA), a CD38 mAb, has demonstrated safety, tolerability and activity in a range of clinical trials, both as monotherapy and in combination strategies for MM. The favorable efficacy results in heavily pretreated patients with advanced MM have provided the rationale for the investigation of DARA in a number of ongoing and future phase II and III trials. The general tolerability of mAbs has allowed for widespread investigation and use of DARA among a variety of MM patients, however their use requires special consideration. Infusion-related reactions (IRRs), interference with blood compatibility assays and response assessments are all unique factors related to the use of DARA. This review provides an update of the results from the DARA clinical trials conducted to date, its future plans for investigation, and practical management considerations for the use of DARA in daily practice.
Comparison of Goals of Care Between Hemodialysis Patients and Their Health Care Providers
Authors: Lefkowitz Ariel , Henry Blair , Bottoms Jennifer , Myers Jeffery , Naimark David M. J.
Published: November 2016

Background:

Patient-centered care requires knowledge of patients’ goals of care (GoC) on the part of health care providers (HCPs). Whether HCPs caring for in-center hemodialysis patients meet this criterion is uncertain.

Objective:

We designed and conducted a GoC survey among patients and HCPs within a single in-center hemodialysis (ICHD) program to determine whether HCPs have an understanding of their patients’ GoC.

Design:

This was a prospective comparative quantitative survey study.

Setting:

The study included a single Canadian maintenance ICHD center.

Participants:

These included hemodialysis patients and their primary nephrologists, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, and dietitians.

Methods and Measurements:

Two surveys, one for patients and another for primary HCPs, were designed, piloted, and administered. For each participating patient, HCPs consisted of the primary nephrologist, nurse, social worker, pharmacist, and dietitian. Surveys included questions pertaining to 7 GoC themes. Patient-HCP agreement on the importance of each domain individually and the most important domain overall was assessed with kappa statistics. Factors influencing agreement were assessed with logistic regression in a secondary analysis.

Results:

A total of 173 patients were invited to participate, of whom 137 (79%) completed surveys. Fifty HCPs completed 623 corresponding surveys: 132 by physicians, 112 by nurses, 126 by pharmacists, 127 by social workers, and 126 by dietitians. A total of 70.1% and 78.8% of patients agreed with the importance of and would feel comfortable having GoC discussions, respectively, with their HCPs; 42.7% of physicians reported not having provided prognostic information to the corresponding patient. Patient-HCP agreement regarding GoC was poor (all κ < .25, all P values > .05). In adjusted analyses, only patients choosing “Be Cured” as the most important GoC was significantly associated with poorer HCP-patient agreement than expected (odds ratio, 0.04; 95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.18).

Limitations:

This is a single-center study involving only ICHD patients.

Conclusions:

HCP perceptions of GoC did not agree with patients’ reported GoC. This study suggests the need for the design and validation of interventions to improve HCPs’ understanding of their patients’ GoC.
Change and continuity in Indian politics and the Indian party system
Authors: Diwakar Rekha
Published: November 2016

The 2014 Indian general election was notable due to a single party – the Bharatiya Janata Party – winning a majority of seats in Lok Sabha for the first time since 1984. The Congress, the other main national party, suffered its worst ever defeat. This election was viewed by some as signalling the advent of a phase of a BIP-dominated party system in India. In this article, I revisit the results of this election, and of the subsequent state assembly elections, to analyse if they signal a substantial change in the political landscape and party system in India. I argue that although the Congress decline has continued, and the BJP has won many recent state assembly elections, it is premature to conclude that the Indian party system has shifted to a BJP-dominated one. Further, given India’s first-past-the-post electoral system and a diffused political environment, where state and regional parties continue to be strong in many parts of the country, achieving a legislative majority remains a difficult proposition for a single party.
A Distinctive Indian Political Economy: New Concepts and a Synthesizing Framework
Authors: Sinha Aseema
Published: November 2016

This article discusses Rudolphs’ contribution to the study of India’s political economy. Taking off from the ideas they presented in their work, In Pursuit of Lakshmi, the article argues that certain concepts, such as Bullock capitalists, demand-led growth, involuted pluralism, federal market economy and state as a third actor, continue to be critical in understanding India. Through these conceptual innovations, Rudolph and Rudolph not only analyzed India at a given moment but also shaped the larger agenda of debates over India’s political economy.
A Flexible Question-and-Answer Task for Measuring Speech Understanding
Authors: Best Virginia , Streeter Timothy , Roverud Elin , Mason Christine R. , Kidd Gerald
Published: November 2016

This report introduces a new speech task based on simple questions and answers. The task differs from a traditional sentence recall task in that it involves an element of comprehension and can be implemented in an ongoing fashion. It also contains two target items (the question and the answer) that may be associated with different voices and locations to create dynamic listening scenarios. A set of 227 questions was created, covering six broad categories (days of the week, months of the year, numbers, colors, opposites, and sizes). All questions and their one-word answers were spoken by 11 female and 11 male talkers. In this study, listeners were presented with question-answer pairs and asked to indicate whether the answer was true or false. Responses were given as simple button or key presses, which are quick to make and easy to score. Two preliminary experiments are presented that illustrate different ways of implementing the basic task. In the first experiment, question-answer pairs were presented in speech-shaped noise, and performance was compared across subjects, question categories, and time, to examine the different sources of variability. In the second experiment, sequences of question-answer pairs were presented amidst competing conversations in an ongoing, spatially dynamic listening scenario. Overall, the question-and-answer task appears to be feasible and could be implemented flexibly in a number of different ways.
A critical view of Marshall’s Mother Goddess at Mohenjo-Daro
Authors: Ratnagar Shereen
Published: November 2016

There has been a tendency since the time of initial excavation of Mohenjo-daro by John Marshall to apply some familiar notions about early religions to the finds at Harappan sites, so that clay figurines of women found in various domestic structures were taken to represent the seemingly universal ‘Mother Goddess’. We are now learning that bronze-age ‘religions’ could have assumed immensely varied forms of ritual, belief and physical representations. There could have been varieties of shamanistic or other forms of ritual to ward off evil spirits or sources of harm. The female clay figurines were, therefore, likely to have been home-made representations of women of the house kept to ward off evil forces, rather than being idols of the Mother Goddess, as has been so far largely accepted.
Palestinian State Maps and Imperial Technologies of Staying Put
Authors: Bier Jess
Published: November 2016

Maps are considered to be an ultimate expression of modernity. Empirical cartography plays a central role in daily governance, and it also has a long history of furthering displacement and erasure. In this article I argue that the landscapes of historic British colonialism and the ongoing Israeli occupation influence the digital maps made by the Palestinian Authority. Through an investigation into the borders, roads, and urban areas of one such map and its related scientific practices, I analyze how knowledge of the occupation is shaped by the occupation. Drawing upon widespread Palestinian efforts to strengthen sumud (steadfastness), I develop the concept of stasis as the ability to remain in place. Researchers have rightly pointed to restrictions on Palestinians’ movements, but greater attention should be paid to attempts to limit stasis, both within and beyond the West Bank. The detailed study of mobility and stasis, as well as other material asymmetries of research, can enable more imaginative maps and more heterogeneous passages for the production of knowledge.
History’s Back Rooms: Carlos Motta Interviewed by Heather Love
Authors: Motta Carlos , Love Heather
Published: November 2016

Heather Love interviews Carlos Motta about his recent show Deviations (April 21–May 21, 2016, PPOW Gallery, New York City). They discuss LGBTQ politics, ephemeral and fugitive evidence, the violence of the archive, and unexpected intimacies with the queer past. Motta discusses his working methods, his relation to art institutions, and his efforts to link histories of exclusion and stigma to a critique of LGBTQ assimilation in the present.
Death from Laughter, Female Hysteria, and Early Cinema
Authors: Hennefeld Maggie
Published: November 2016

In the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, hundreds of women allegedly died from laughing too hard. Any activity in modern life—going to the circus, playing bridge, or salting pork in the kitchen—could become a gateway to the convulsions of hysterical laughter for women. In this article, I look at death from laughter as a limit case that blows open the long-standing separation between laughter and hysteria in scholarship on these topics. I argue that women’s hysterical laughter failed to register as either laughter or hysteria. Whereas laughter allegedly killed regular women, female hysterics could endure multiday laughing, barking fits without so much as a trace on their bodies. Finally, I think about the striking oppositions between the female laughing hysteric and the hysterically laughing woman through the archives of early cinema. Film spectatorship not only offered women a space to laugh safely but also represented a potential visual cure to nervous hysteria.
Conserved and novel functions of programmed cellular senescence during vertebrate development
Authors: Davaapil Hongorzul , Brockes Jeremy P. , Yun Maximina H.
Published: November 2016

Cellular senescence, a form of stable cell cycle arrest traditionally associated with tumour suppression, has been recently found to occur during mammalian development. Here, we show that cell senescence is an intrinsic part of the developmental programme in amphibians. Programmed senescence occurs in specific structures at defined time-windows during amphibian development. It contributes to the physiological degeneration of the amphibian pronephros and to the development of the cement gland and oral cavity. In both contexts, senescence depends on TGFβ signalling but is independent of ERK/MAPK activation. Furthermore, elimination of senescent cells through temporary TGFβ inhibition leads to developmental defects. Our findings uncover conserved and new roles of senescence in vertebrate organogenesis and support the view that cellular senescence may have arisen in evolution as a developmental mechanism.
Atypical chemokine receptor ACKR2 controls branching morphogenesis in the developing mammary gland
Authors: Wilson Gillian J. , Hewit Kay D. , Pallas Kenneth J. , Cairney Claire J. , Lee Kit M. , Hansell Christopher A. , Stein Torsten , Graham Gerard J.
Published: November 2016

Macrophages are important regulators of branching morphogenesis during development, and postnatally in the mammary gland. Regulation of macrophage dynamics during these processes can therefore have a profound impact on development. We demonstrate here that the developing mammary gland expresses high levels of inflammatory CC-chemokines which are essential in vivo regulators of macrophage migration. We further demonstrate that the atypical chemokine receptor ACKR2, which scavenges inflammatory CC-chemokines, is differentially expressed during mammary gland development. We have previously shown that ACKR2 regulates macrophage dynamics during lymphatic vessel development. Here we extend these observations to reveal a novel role for ACKR2 in regulating the postnatal development of the mammary gland. Specifically, we show that ACKR2 -/- mice display precocious mammary gland development. This is associated with increased macrophage recruitment to the developing gland and increased density of the ductal epithelial network. These data demonstrate that ACKR2 is an important regulator of branching morphogenesis in diverse biological contexts and provide the first evidence of a role for chemokines and their receptors in postnatal development processes.
Remodeling of adhesion and modulation of mechanical tensile forces during apoptosis in Drosophila epithelium
Authors: Teng Xiang , Qin Lei , Le Borgne Roland , Toyama Yusuke
Published: November 2016

Apoptosis is a mechanism of eliminating damaged or unnecessary cells during development and tissue homeostasis. During apoptosis within a tissue, the adhesions between dying and neighboring non-dying cells need to be remodeled so that the apoptotic cell is expelled. In parallel, the contraction of actomyosin cables formed in apoptotic and neighboring cells drive cell extrusion. To date, the coordination between the dynamics of cell adhesion and the progressive changes in tissue tension around an apoptotic cell is not fully understood. Live imaging of histoblast expansion, which is a coordinated tissue replacement process during Drosophila metamorphosis, shows remodeling of adherens junctions (AJs) between apoptotic and non-dying cells, with a reduction in the levels of AJ components, including E-cadherin. Concurrently, surrounding tissue tension is transiently released. Contraction of a supra-cellular actomyosin cable, which forms in neighboring cells, brings neighboring cells together and further reshapes tissue tension toward the completion of extrusion. We propose a model according which modulation of tissue tension represents a mechanism of apoptotic cell extrusion, and would further influence biochemical signals of neighboring non-apoptotic cells.
Tfap2 and Sox1/2/3 cooperatively specify ectodermal fates in ascidian embryos
Authors: Imai Kaoru S. , Hikawa Hiroki , Kobayashi Kenji , Satou Yutaka
Published: November 2016

Epidermis and neural tissues differentiate from the ectoderm in animal embryos. While epidermal fate is thought to be induced in vertebrate embryos, embryological evidence has indicated that no intercellular interactions during early stages are required for epidermal fate in ascidian embryos. To test this hypothesis, we determined the gene regulatory circuits for epidermal and neural specification in the ascidian embryo. These circuits started with Tfap2-r.b and Sox1/2/3, which are expressed in the ectodermal lineage immediately after zygotic genome activation. Tfap2-r.b expression was diminished in the neural lineages upon of fibroblast growth factor signaling, which is known to induce neural fate, and sustained only in the epidermal lineage. Tfap2-r.b specified the epidermal fate cooperatively with Dlx.b, which was activated by Sox1/2/3. This Sox1/2/3–Dlx.b circuit was also required for specification of the anterior neural fate. In the posterior neural lineage, Sox1/2/3 activated Nodal, which is required for specification of the posterior neural fate. Our findings support the hypothesis that the epidermal fate is specified autonomously in ascidian embryos.
Diverting CERT-mediated ceramide transport to mitochondria triggers Bax-dependent apoptosis
Authors: Jain Amrita , Beutel Oliver , Ebell Katharina , Korneev Sergey , Holthuis Joost C. M.
Published: November 2016

A deregulation of ceramide biosynthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is frequently linked to induction of mitochondrial apoptosis. Although in vitro studies suggest that ceramides might initiate cell death by acting directly on mitochondria, their actual contribution to the apoptotic response in living cells is unclear. Here, we have analyzed the consequences of targeting the biosynthetic flow of ceramides to mitochondria using a ceramide transfer protein (encoded by COL4A3BP) equipped with an OMM anchor, mitoCERT. Cells expressing mitoCERT import ceramides into mitochondria and undergo Bax-dependent apoptosis. Apoptosis induction by mitoCERT was abolished through (i) removal of its ceramide transfer domain, (ii) disruption of its interaction with VAMP-associated proteins (VAPs) in the ER, (iii) addition of antagonistic CERT inhibitor HPA12, (iv) blocking de novo ceramide synthesis and (v) targeting of a bacterial ceramidase to mitochondria. Our data provide the first demonstration that translocation of ER ceramides to mitochondria specifically commits cells to death and establish mitoCERT as a valuable new tool to unravel the molecular principles underlying ceramide-mediated apoptosis.
A quantitative FastFUCCI assay defines cell cycle dynamics at a single-cell level
Authors: Koh Siang-Boon , Mascalchi Patrice , Rodriguez Esther , Lin Yao , Jodrell Duncan I. , Richards Frances M. , Lyons Scott K.
Published: November 2016

The fluorescence ubiquitination-based cell cycle indicator (FUCCI) is a powerful tool for use in live cells but current FUCCI-based assays have limited throughput in terms of image processing and quantification. Here, we developed a lentiviral system that rapidly introduced FUCCI transgenes into cells by using an all-in-one expression cassette, FastFUCCI. The approach alleviated the need for sequential transduction and characterisation, improving labelling efficiency. We coupled the system to an automated imaging workflow capable of handling large datasets. The integrated assay enabled analyses of single-cell readouts at high spatiotemporal resolution. With the assay, we captured in detail the cell cycle alterations induced by antimitotic agents. We found that treated cells accumulated at G2 or M phase but eventually advanced through mitosis into the next interphase, where the majority of cell death occurred, irrespective of the preceding mitotic phenotype. Some cells appeared viable after mitotic slippage, and a fraction of them subsequently re-entered S phase. Accordingly, we found evidence that targeting the DNA replication origin activity sensitised cells to paclitaxel. In summary, we demonstrate the utility of the FastFUCCI assay for quantifying spatiotemporal dynamics and identify its potential in preclinical drug development.
Increasing trunk flexion morphs human leg function into that of birds despite different leg morphology
Authors: Aminiaghdam Soran , Rode Christian , Müller Roy , Blickhan Reinhard
Published: November 2016

Pronograde trunk orientation in small birds causes prominent intra-limb asymmetries in the leg function. As yet, it is not clear whether these asymmetries induced by the trunk reflect general constraints on the leg function regardless of the specific leg architecture or size of the species. To address this, we instruct twelve participants to walk at a self-selected velocity with four postures: regular erect, with 30°, 50° and maximal trunk flexion. In addition, we simulate the axial leg force (along the line connecting hip and centre of pressure) using two simple models: spring and damper in series, and parallel spring and damper. As trunk flexion increases, lower limb joints become more flexed during stance. Similar to birds, the associated posterior shift of the hip relative to the centre of mass leads to a shorter leg at toe-off than at touchdown, and to a flatter angle of attack and a steeper leg angle at toe-off. Furthermore, walking with maximal trunk flexion induces right-skewed vertical and horizontal ground reaction force profiles comparable to those in birds. Interestingly, the spring and damper in series model provides a superior prediction of the axial leg force across trunk‑flexed gaits compared to the parallel spring and damper model; in regular erect gait, the damper does not substantially improve the reproduction of the human axial leg force. In conclusion, mimicking birds' pronograde locomotion by bending the trunk forward causes a human leg function similar to that of birds despite the different morphology of the segmented legs.
Systematic Review of the Studies Examining the Impact of the Interactive Whiteboard on Teaching and Learning: what we do learn and what we do not
Authors: Kyriakou Artemis , Higgins Steve
Published: November 2016

This systematic review focuses on the impact of Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs) on teaching and learning. Learning is interpreted through a Vygotskian constructivist lens, emphasizing quality through dialogic interaction. Classroom interactions and achievement in standardized tests are considered formative and summative assessment tools, respectively. Thus, our aim was to investigate whether the IWB technology had any effect on teaching and learning, reflected in standardized forms of testing or in-classroom quality measures. An online search through Proquest and FirstSearch resulted in sixteen studies of diverse methodologies. Qualitative synthesis of quantitative data indicated that IWBs have not raised the levels of pupils’ achievement and do not necessarily impact the quality of classroom learning. More longitudinal studies should focus on particular subjects taught, the age of pupils and particular type(s) of use. Overall, quality teaching is an important condition for improved learning, which does not necessarily result from IWB use.  However, there is a general consensus across all studies that learning can be facilitated and improved through the use of IWB. Synchronizing theory with technological applications seems to be key in answering such assumptions positively. More importantly, concerns are raised regarding the unfolded relation between achievement and classroom interaction.
A inserção do Profissional de Educação Física nos Núcleos de Apoio a Saúde da Família: visão dos profissionais
Authors: Ferreira Talitha , Cipolotti Mariana , Marques Bruna , Miranda Maria
Published: November 2016

Criado em 2008, o Núcleo de Apoio à Saúde da Família (NASF) surgiu com a finalidade de aumentar as ações da Estratégia de Saúde da Família (ESF) por meio de sua atuação integrada com as equipes de saúde e todas as redes de serviço. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a percepção de Profissionais de Educação Física (PEF)  inseridos no NASF sobre as funções e a efetividade da intervenção multiprofissional nas equipes no Município de São Paulo. Participaram do estudo oito profissionais com experiência no NASF (atualmente inseridos no NASF ou que já trabalharam nessas equipes). Foi utilizada uma entrevista semiestruturada para obter as informações, analisadas por meio de análise de conteúdo. Observou-se que os participantes trouxeram informações positivas a respeito do NASF, mostrando como são realizadas as atividades e quais suas funções no grupo. Os resultados apresentados por esta pesquisa apontam que a inserção do PEF é relevante nas equipes NASF, pois representam uma área de conhecimento e intervenção habilitada para desenvolver ações e programas de educação em saúde, sendo a promoção à atividade física e modos de vida saudáveis, parte constituinte deste processo. Porém, foram demonstrados lacunas e desafios a serem enfrentados por PEF no município de São Paulo para a consolidação da sua inserção nessas equipes.
Theatre nurses face elimination
Authors: McGee Paula
Published: November 2016

Theatre nursing forms part of all registered general nurse (RGN) courses. It is a unique experience as it requires the student to enter a totally alien environment; students who have hitherto been taught to interact with patients, find that this is well nigh impossible in theatres. Moreover, all the patients are complete strangers whom the nurse will never see again. It is the combination of these two elements that can make theatre nursing such a difficult experience. As one of my students so graphically put it, ‘I feel like I'm tending a load of plants’.
Hypothermia in surgical patients
Authors: Surkitt-Parr Michael
Published: November 2016

During the perioperative period little attention is given to thermoregulation. This can lead to hypothermia which has severe physiological complications. This article discusses the causes and effects of hypothermia in surgical patients and describes a study that the author conducted to discover the level of awareness on the subject among operating department staff.
An open evening for stroke patients and relatives
Authors: Thomas Vinice
Published: November 2016

A cerebral vascular accident (CVA) can cause fear and anxiety about the future for both sufferer and carers. Returning to the community after having been in the security of a hospital ward for many weeks can be traumatic. Nurses should enhance their health education programmes to prepare stroke patients and relatives for life at home.
What is nursing?
Authors: Webb Christine
Published: November 2016

Recent efforts to redefine nursing have moved away from the traditional medically dominated approach, towards psychosocial care and forming relationships with patients. This article questions whether the focus has moved too far and urges nurses not to forget the bodily care that patients value and expect.
Careers advice in preregistration nurse education
Authors: Crofts Linda
Published: November 2016

For student nurses approaching qualification, the range of post-basic choices can be overwhelming. At this time nurses need comprehensive, systematic career guidance, yet it is rarely forthcoming. This article examines some of the reasons why such guidance is so neglected and makes some recommendations for the future.
Evaluating a health visiting service
Authors: Sloan Patricia
Published: November 2016

Community participation in the identification of health needs is vital if primary healthcare services are to be appropriate, acceptable and accessible to local people. Health visiting, especially, needs to adopt a flexible approach in order to respond to current health needs.
Stress and the student nurse in accident and emergency nursing
Authors: Scullion Philip
Published: November 2016

Accident and emergency (A and E) nursing is assumed to be very stressful. This article will briefly examine the concept of stress before exploring the literature on stressors associated with A and E nursing and in particular those associated with student nurses. The implications are explored and important questions posed.
UKCC elections: make your vote count
Authors: Castledine George
Published: November 2016

With the imminent elections to the UKCC, nurses' attention will be (or should be) focused on who they should vote for and why. These elections, which will be the first ever, mark a significant stepping stone in the development of professional nursing in the UK. In the past, nurses were elected to serve on their particular country's nursing board, e.g. the ENB; the board would then choose from among its members those who would serve on the UKCC.
The case against nurse advocacy
Authors: Allmark Peter , Klarzynski Robin
Published: November 2016

This article attacks the notion that nurses either can, or should, act as patients' advocates. It further suggests that nurses' motives for attempting to take the advocate role are, at least in part, disingenuous. Finally, there is a brief look at two alternative means of patient empowerment.
First aid and emergencies in nursing
Authors: Walton Jane , Castlcdine George
Published: November 2016

This article will look at first aid and examine whether and where first aid may be applied to present-day nursing theory and practice.
Book review supplement
Authors: Rea Karen , Wainwright Paul , Kenrick Maria , Farrington Andy , Jones Kath , MacAlister Lunette , Davison Peter
Published: November 2016

Case Studies in Law and Nursing

Clinical supervision and mentorship in nursing

Psychology for Nurses: Theory and Practice

Adult Psychological Problems – An Introduction

Death at Birth (Video)

Portfolio Development and Profiling for Nurses

Guidelines for Clinical Nursing Practices Related to a Nursing Model (2nd edn)
Tomlinson's tomfoolery?
Authors: MacAlister Lanette
Published: November 2016

The recent launch of the Report of the Inquiry into London's Health Service, Medical Education and Research (Department of Health, 1992) confirmed the predicted recommendations of hospital closures and mergers across the capital. Among the hospitals targeted by the Tomlinson report for merger are St Bartholomew's and the Royal London Hospitals, and St Thomas's and Guy's Hospitals. Middlesex Hospital is recommended for closure, with the services it currently provides being diverted to University College Hospital. In addition, the report suggests a similar fate for many other equally acclaimed institutions.
District nurses fail patients over appointment times
Authors: Barnes Eileen
Published: November 2016

Research into the nature and quantity of district nursing practice highlights the complex and valuable skills of district nurses. It places high value on the relationship between the nurse and the patient and the ability of district nurses to act as a friend as well as a practitioner (Andrews, 1990).
Smoking and the young
Authors: Young Pat
Published: November 2016

The fifth report of the Royal College of Physicians on the influence of smoking on health concerns the effects of both active and passive smoking on young people, from the fetus through to late adolescence. Smoking is described as ‘the greatest national epidemic of our time’.
Nursing implications of increasing asthma prevalence
Authors: Hardy Sarah
Published: November 2016

As part of the postregistration course in cardiothoracic nursing, I undertook a study of the apparent worldwide increases in the prevalence of, and mortality from, asthma over recent years.
Care of a patient with breathing difficulties
Authors: Barr Ann
Published: November 2016

Emily is a 75-year-old woman with congestive cardiac failure and chronic obstructive airways disease. Before she became ill and was admitted to hospital, her GP had changed her medications. Emily had been confused by the change, and had taken the wrong tablets at the wrong time in the wrong quantity. This had caused her to have too much carbon dioxide and not enough oxygen in her blood, as a result of which she developed myoclonic jerks. At the time she was admitted to hospital, Emily's family were told that she might not survive 48 hours.
Behaviour at the scene of an accident
Authors: Platt William
Published: November 2016

This article examines how nurses should behave at the scene of an accident without the back-up of primary care apparatus and highlights the nurse aid management of road accidents.
Career opportunities in oncology
Authors: Farrow Louise
Published: November 2016

Oncology nursing is a specialist field that offers a wide range of opportunities for nurses. This article will highlight these opportunities, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of selecting oncology as a possible career pathway.
Nurses must face skill-mix reality
Authors: Morris Mervyn
Published: November 2016

Nursing has been subsumed within the personnel directorate at the Department of Health for over 6 months now, with the director, Mr Eric Caines, consistently stating that nurses need to live in the real world. Basically, this means resources are finite, and professionals must come to terms with the changing demands on the Health Service.
Mental health nurses needed in acute general settings
Authors: Sheehan Antony
Published: November 2016

It does not take a team of academic referees, just a bit of common sense, to realize that many people who attend acute general hospitals because of physical ill health also require mental health support.
Carbon monoxide poisoning: an A&E perspective
Authors: Gosling Sarah
Published: November 2016

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning accounts for more than 1000 deaths in England and Wales each year. This article reviews the current literature on CO poisoning and discusses the assessment, treatment and nursing care of patients with CO poisoning in the accident and emergency department.
Detection and treatment of osteoporosis
Authors: Custis Kate
Published: November 2016

Osteoporosis is a condition that affects bone. It occurs most commonly in postmenopausal women and costs the health service many millions of pounds each year. This article describes how osteoporosis can be detected and the treatments that are available.
Role of the night nurse practitioner
Authors: Morley Betsy
Published: November 2016

‘I suppose they will be rather like mini-doctors.’ This and similar observations were the understandable reactions of some nursing colleagues, when I voiced my intention to introduce nurse practitioners onto night duty.