bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality, origins and limitations of common therapeutic drug reference intervals
Authors: McCudden Christopher R.
Published: May 2018

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is used to manage drugs with a narrow window between effective and toxic concentrations. TDM involves measuring blood concentrations of drugs to ensure effective therapy, avoid toxicity and monitor compliance. Common drugs for which TDM is used include aminoglycosides for infections, anticonvulsants to treat seizures, immunosuppressants for transplant patients and cardiac glycosides to regulate cardiac output and heart rate. An essential element of TDM is the provision of accurate and clinically relevant reference intervals. Unlike most laboratory reference intervals, which are derived from a healthy population, TDM reference intervals need to relate to clinical outcomes in the form of efficacy and toxicity. This makes TDM inherently more difficult to develop as healthy individuals are not on therapy, so there is no “normal value”. In addition, many of the aforementioned drugs are old and much of the information regarding reference intervals is based on small trials using methods that have changed. Furthermore, individuals have different pharmacokinetics and drug responses, particularly in the context of combined therapies, which exacerbates the challenge of universal TDM targets. This focused review examines the origins and limitations of existing TDM reference intervals for common drugs, providing targets where possible based on available guidelines.
Complement systems C4, C3 and CH50 not subject to a circadian rhythm
Authors: Lung Thomas , Matozan Katja , Risch Martin , Sakem Benjamin , Nydegger Urs E. , Risch Lorenz
Published: May 2018

Background:

The circadian fluctuations in the blood levels of selected components of the complement system are ill-defined. Some authors found nadir serum levels of C4 and C3 components, together with C3a at nighttime, while others reported insomnia when pro-inflammatory components exhibited increased serum levels. In this study, we quantitatively estimate the morning and evening daytime serum levels of CH50, C4, C3, put into context with C-reactive protein (CRP), cortisol, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 25(OH)vitamin D at 07:00 A.M. and at 07:00 P.M.

Methods:

Seven healthy adult women and 11 men who were voluntary participants agreed to a fasting venipuncture in the morning after having normally eaten through the day and in the evening. The C4 and C3 serum levels were measured on a Cobas (Roche Diagnostics, Switzerland) modular analyzer, CH50 was estimated using the COMPL300 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of Wieslab (Malmö, Sweden). CRP, 25(OH)vitamin D, PTH and cortisol concentrations were assessed with electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) on the Roche Cobas 6000 platform; IgG was measured using nephelometry (Siemens, Germany).

Results:

With the exception of higher PTH levels in the evening [3.12–5.46, 95% confidence interval (CI)] compared to the morning (2.93–4.65, 95% CI), the mean and median values of C4, C3, CH50 as well as CRP, PTH and 25(OH)vitamin D fell within the established reference intervals. Cortisol levels were measured as an internal positive control for diurnal fluctuations (morning: 294–522 nmol/L, 95% CI; evening: 106–136 nmol/L, 95% CI).

Conclusions:

The concentrations of the assessed complement components C4 and C3 as well as CH50 surrogate assay did not yield significantly different values between early morning and evening. This does not exclude their participation in the circadian metabolome; this pilot study with healthy participants suggests that patients with an autoimmune disease in remission can give their blood samples independently during daytime with or without fasting.
Preparation of low-cost carbon fiber precursors from blends of wheat straw lignin and commercial textile-grade polyacrylonitrile (PAN)
Authors: Jiang Xuefeng , Ouyang Qin , Liu Dapeng , Huang Jing , Ma Hongbo , Chen Yousi , Wang Xuefei , Sun Wei
Published: May 2018

Low-cost precursor fibers (PFs) were prepared from blends of a wheat straw lignin (WSL) and a commercial textile-grade polyacrylonitrile (PAN) by wet spinning, and then the precursors were converted into carbon fibers (CFs) by thermal stabilization and carbonization. The PFs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The lignin content in the blends was found to play an important role in the PF structure, which was closely related to the change of intermolecular forces in the spinning solution. The lignin, acting as the carboxylic acid comonomer, had significantly promoted the thermal stabilization of the lignin/PAN blend PFs, which helped to further decrease the production cost of CFs. With increasing lignin contents, the carbon content of CFs remained at about 95%. The carbon of lignin could be utilized for the preparation of CFs.
Antisolvent precipitation of hemicelluloses, lignosulfonates and their complexes from ultrafiltrated spent sulfite liquor (SSL)
Authors: Al-Rudainy Basel , Galbe Mats , Schagerlöf Herje , Wallberg Ola
Published: May 2018

The possibility of precipitating high molecular weight (MW) softwood hemicelluloses has been investigated. Solids were precipitated from a sodium-based spent sulfite liquor with the anti-solvents acetone, ethanol and methanol and the effects of solute concentration, pH and temperature on the precipitation were studied. The product yield, degree of separation, MW and structure of the different fractions were determined using gravimetric analysis, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR). A direct correlation was found between the dielectric constant (also called relative permittivity) of the bulk solution and the yield of precipitants, based on which the separation of the solutes was predictable. The highest yield and degree of separation observed was an intercept around 76% with 47.5% acetone, which was the most efficient anti-solvent.
Metabolic and neuroendocrine adaptations to undernutrition in anorexia nervosa: from a clinical to a basic research point of view
Authors: Viltart Odile , Duriez Philibert , Tolle Virginie
Published: May 2018

The exact mechanisms linking metabolic and neuroendocrine adaptations to undernutrition and the pathophysiology of anorexia nervosa (AN) are not fully understood. AN is a psychiatric disorder of complex etiology characterized by extreme starvation while the disease is progressing into a chronic state. Metabolic and endocrine alterations associated to this disorder are part of a powerful response to maintain whole body energy homeostasis. But these modifications may also contribute to associated neuropsychiatric symptoms (reward abnormalities, anxiety, depression) and thus participate to sustain the disease. The current review presents data with both a clinical and basic research point of view on the role of nutritional and energy sensors with neuroendocrine actions in the pathophysiology of the disease, as they modulate metabolic responses, reproductive functions, stress responses as well as physical activity. While clinical data present a full description of changes occurring in AN, animal models that integrate either spontaneous genetic mutations or experimentally-induced food restriction with hyperactivity and/or social stress recapitulate the main metabolic and endocrine alterations of AN and provide mechanistic information between undernutrition state and symptoms of the disease. Further progress on the central and peripheral mechanism involved in the pathophysiology of eating disorders partly relies on the development and/or refinement of existing animal models to include recently identified genetic traits and better mimic the complex and multifactorial dimensions of the disease.
Investigating adolescents’ sweetened beverage consumption and Western fast food restaurant visits in China, 2006–2011
Authors: Lee Yen-Han , Chiang Timothy C. , Liu Ching-Ti , Chang Yen-Chang
Published: May 2018

Background

China has undergone rapid Westernization and established dramatic social reforms since the early 21st century. However, health issues led to challenges in the lives of the Chinese residents. Western fast food and sweetened beverages, two food options associated with chronic diseases and obesity, have played key roles to alter adolescents’ dietary patterns. This study aims to examine the association between adolescents’ visits to Western fast food restaurants and sweetened beverage consumption.

Methods

Applying three waves of the China Health and Nutrition Study (CHNS) between 2006 and 2011 (n = 1063), we used generalized Poisson regression (GPR) to investigate the association between adolescents’ Western fast food restaurant visits and sweetened beverage consumption, as the popularity of fast food and sweetened beverages has skyrocketed among adolescents in contemporary China. A linear-by-linear association test was used as a trend test to study general patterns between sweetened beverage consumption and Western fast food restaurant visits. We adjusted all models with sweetened beverage consumption frequency, four food preferences (fast food, salty snacks, fruits and vegetables), school status, gross household income, provinces, rural/urban regions, age and gender.

Results

From the results of the trend test, frequent sweetened beverage consumption was highly associated with more Western fast food restaurant visits among Chinese adolescents in the three waves (p < 0.001). Furthermore, we observed that adolescents, who had less than monthly sweetened beverage consumption or did not drink them at all, had much less likelihood of visiting Western fast food restaurants (p < 0.05), compared with those daily consumers.

Conclusion

Adolescents’ sweetened beverage consumption was highly associated with Western fast food restaurant visits in contemporary China. Further actions are needed from the Chinese central government to create a healthier dietary environment for adolescents.
A Green Process for Synthesis of Geraniol Esters by Immobilized Lipase from Candida Antarctica B Fraction in Non-Aqueous Reaction Media: Optimization and Kinetic Modeling
Authors: Yadav Ganapati D. , Kamble Manoj P.
Published: May 2018

Enzymatic synthesis of molecules such as flavors, perfumes and fragrances has a great commercial advantage of being marketed as “natural” and also it offers exquisite selectivity of enzymes that can be superior over chemical catalysis. The current work focuses on the enzymatic synthesis of geranyl acetate as model compound, including optimization of reaction conditions such as nature of catalyst, reaction media, speed of agitation, mole ratio and temperature. A variety of esters were also synthesized. Geraniol was esterified with various acids, aromatic esters and vinyl esters in 1:4 molar ratio. Among all vinyl ester was the best giving in good yield (77–100 %) as compared to aromatic esters (5–82 %) and acids (7–31 %). Novozym 435 was found to be most active catalyst with ~96 % conversion and 100 % selectivity in 60 min at 55 °C in n-heptane as solvent for geranyl acetate. The maximum reaction rate was estimated (Vmax = 0.2712 mol L−1 min-1) by using the double reciprocal plot. It is a ternary complex (ordered bi-bi) mechanism with inhibition by geraniol.
Modelling a Disconnect Switch
Authors: Miguel Pablo Mourente
Published: May 2018

This article presents a model to simulate disconnecting switches in transient studies. The distance between contacts of a disconnecting switch does not change instantaneously; it takes several seconds to complete the full movement from closed to open, or vice-versa. The disconnecting switches are able to operate with lower current amplitudes, so a disconnecting switch is operated only when the circuit breaker is in open position. However, even with the circuit breaker open, there is a current flowing through the grading capacitors. The grading capacitors in conjunction with the busbar capacitance form a capacitive divider, and there is a floating voltage in the busbar. When the contacts of the disconnecting switch move, the withstand voltage varies and an electric arc appears. This arc is unstable and is interrupted and reignited several times. Each arc reignition causes a sudden voltage change that propagates through the busbar and impacts any connected equipment.

The developed model, with the withstand voltage variation and the electric arc behaviour taken into account, calculates the fast transient overvoltages originated during a disconnecting switch operation. The amplitude and waveform of these overvoltages may then be used to evaluate the impact on insulation ageing.
Characterization of Red Seaweed Extracts Treated by Water, Acid and Alkaline Solutions
Authors: Al-Alawi Ahmed , Chitra Pothiraj , Al-Mamun Abdullah , Al-Marhubi Insaaf , Rahman Mohammad Shafiur
Published: May 2018

Seaweed contained health functional polysaccharides and polyphenols. Five extracts were prepared from red seaweed Melanothamnus somalensis; two of these were aqueous at 20°C (F1) and 70°C (F2), followed by acid (F3), alkali (F4) and acid-washed (F5) treatments. Molecular characteristics of extracts were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyses. Health functionality was determined by sulfate and polyphenol contents, and thermal characteristics were determined by modulated differential scanning calorimetry. Extract F3 contained the highest levels of sulfate followed by F2, F1, F4 and F5, respectively. Similarly, F3 contained the highest polyphenol followed by F4, F2, F1 and F5, respectively. Molecular weight distribution of F1 showed wider distribution of sizes (MW: 1.0 × 103 – 3.0 × 107), and F5 showed a sharp peak (MW: 3.1 × 103); whereas F2, F3 and F4 indicated bimodal distribution. FTIR indicated that all fractions contained agar except F5 and sulfate ester group was attached to carbon 6 of the saccharide.
Exploring and Improving Student Engagement in an Accelerated Undergraduate Nursing Program through a Mentoring Partnership: An Action Research Study
Authors: Bramble Marguerite , Maxwell Hazel , Einboden Rochelle , Farington Sally , Say Richard , Beh Chin Liang , Stankiewicz Grace , Munro Graham , Marembo Esther , Rickard Greg
Published: May 2018

This Participatory Action Research (PAR) project aimed to engage students from an accelerated 'fast track' nursing program in a mentoring collaboration, using an interdisciplinary partnership intervention with a group of academics. Student participants represented the disciplines of nursing and paramedicine with a high proportion of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students. Nine student mentors were recruited and paired with academics for a three-month ‘mentorship partnership’ intervention. Data from two pre-intervention workshops and a post-intervention workshop were coded in NVivo11 using thematic analysis. Drawing on social inclusion theory, a qualitative analysis explored an iteration of themes across each action cycle. Emergent themes were: 1) ‘building relationships for active engagement’, 2) ‘voicing cultural and social hierarchies’, and 3) ‘enacting collegiate community’. The study offers insights into issues for contemporary accelerated course delivery with a diverse student population and highlights future strategies to foster effective student engagement.
Resorbable implants in pediatric fracture treatment
Authors: Grün Nicole Gabriele , Holweg Patrick Lukas , Donohue Nicholas , Klestil Thomas , Weinberg Annelie-Martina
Published: May 2018

Pediatric osteosynthesis has developed over the last 20 years, thereby reducing medical and economic burden, including long and expensive hospitalization. Currently, conventional and rigid alloying systems such as titanium are used for stabilization of bone fractures in children. In many cases, implants must be removed, as otherwise growth would be impeded. Biodegradable implant materials exhibit beneficial properties and would make a second removal surgery unnecessary. In the following article, we will give an overview of implant materials that are currently used in pediatric traumatology with a focus on Mg-based implants. Furthermore, we will discuss current scientific knowledge on resorbable implants, including results from pre-clinics and clinics.
Subvariety structures in certain product varieties of groups
Authors: Mikaelian Vahagn H.
Published: May 2018

We classify certain cases when the wreath products of distinct pairs of groups generate the same variety. This allows us to investigate the subvarieties of some nilpotent-by-abelian product varieties

𝔘
⁢
𝔙

{{\mathfrak{U}}{\mathfrak{V}}}

with the help of wreath products of groups. In particular, using wreath products, we find such subvarieties in nilpotent-by-abelian

𝔘
⁢
𝔙

{{\mathfrak{U}}{\mathfrak{V}}}

, which have the same nilpotency class, the same length of solubility, and the same exponent, but which still are distinct subvarieties. The classification we obtain strengthens our recent work on varieties generated by wreath products.
Finite groups satisfying character degree congruences
Authors: Schmid Peter
Published: May 2018

Let G be a finite group, p a prime and

c
∈

{
0
,
1
,
…
,

p
-
1

}

{c\in\{0,1,\ldots,p-1\}}

. Suppose that the degree of every nonlinear irreducible
character of G is congruent to c modulo p. If here

c
=
0

{c=0}

, then G has a normal p-complement by a well known theorem of Thompson.
We prove that in the cases where

c
≠
0

{c\neq 0}

the group G is solvable with a normal abelian Sylow p-subgroup. If

p
≠
3

{p\neq 3}

then this is true
provided these character degrees are congruent to c or to

-
c

{-c}

modulo p.
The effect of regional sea level atmospheric pressure on sea level variations at globally distributed tide gauge stations with long records
Authors: Iz H. Bâki
Published: May 2018

This study provides additional information about the impact of atmospheric pressure on sea level variations. The observed regularity in sea level atmospheric pressure depends mainly on the latitude and verified to be dominantly random closer to the equator. It was demonstrated that almost all the annual and semiannual sea level variations at 27 globally distributed tide gauge stations can be attributed to the regional/local atmospheric forcing as an inverted barometric effect. Statistically significant non-linearities were detected in the regional atmospheric pressure series, which in turn impacted other sea level variations as compounders in tandem with the lunar nodal forcing, generating lunar sub-harmonics with multidecadal periods. It was shown that random component of regional atmospheric pressure tends to cluster at monthly intervals. The clusters are likely to be caused by the intraannual seasonal atmospheric temperature changes,which may also act as random beats in generating sub-harmonics observed in sea level changes as another mechanism. This study also affirmed that there are no statistically significant secular trends in the progression of regional atmospheric pressures, hence there was no contribution to the sea level trends during the 20th century by the atmospheric pressure.Meanwhile, the estimated nonuniform scale factors of the inverted barometer effects suggest that the sea level atmospheric pressure will bias the sea level trends inferred from satellite altimetry measurements if their impact is accounted for as corrections without proper scaling.
Out of gas: quantifying fatigue in MLB relievers
Authors: Burris Kyle , Coleman Jacob
Published: May 2018

As relief pitcher usage in Major League Baseball has spiked in recent years, optimal bullpen decision-making has become increasingly vital for team managers. Throughout the season, managers must be mindful to avoid overusing their most talented relievers, due to the risks of injury and ineffectiveness. Despite the substantial amount of attention given to pitcher arm health and injury prevention, the effect of workload on pitcher fatigue is poorly understood. As a result, many of these overuse decisions are driven by feel and intuition. In this paper, we borrow ideas from toxicology to provide a framework for estimating the effect of recent workload on short-term reliever effectiveness, as measured by fastball velocity. Treating a thrown pitch as a fatigue-inducing “toxin” administered to a player’s arm, we develop a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate the pitcher-level dose-response relationship, the rate of recovery, and the relationship between pitch count and fatigue. Based on the model, we find that the rate of reliever fatigue rises with increasing pitch count. When relief pitchers throw more than 15 pitches in an appearance, they are expected to suffer small, short-term velocity decreases in future games; upon crossing the 20 pitch threshold, this dip is further amplified. For each day that passes after the appearance, we estimate that the effect on a player’s velocity is cut roughly in half. Finally, we identify the relievers most affected by fatigue, along with those most resilient to its effects.
Definition, classification and diagnostics of diabetes mellitus
Authors: Petersmann Astrid , Nauck Matthias , Müller-Wieland Dirk , Kerner Wolfgang , Müller Ulrich A. , Landgraf Rüdiger , Freckmann Guido , Heinemann Lutz
Published: May 2018

This recommendation aims to provide up-to-date information and the latest consensus on diabetes diagnosis from a group of experts in Germany. The disease diabetes mellitus is classified and its different types are described briefly. Options for diagnosis are presented including current cut-off values as well as reference intervals to recognize glucose utilization disorders like impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance. Special attention is paid to the measurement value imprecision. The minimal difference (MD) is introduced as an excellent measure to distinguish measurement results which are analytically different from each other. Potential caveats considering pre-analytics in glucose measurement and limitations of HbA1c assessment for diagnosis of diabetes mellitus are presented. Taken together, this recommendation provides a comprehensive overview of the state of the art in diabetes mellitus diagnosis and also critically evaluates potential pitfalls.

The aim of recommendations like this one issued by the German Diabetes Association is to provide the diabetologist and his team the information he needs for his daily practice. These recommendations are updated annually. They are written by a group of experts, but they are not evidence-based guidelines. This specific recommendation for diabetes diagnosis briefly describes the diabetes types and the different options for diagnosis. Also the caveats and the practical procedure are presented.
Expansion of the North African ground squirrel Atlantoxerus getulus (Rodentia) along the Moroccan Mid-Atlantic Plains
Authors: Rihane Abdeslam , El Hamoumi Rhimou , El Agbani Mohamed Aziz , Qninba Abdeljebbar , Denys Christiane
Published: May 2018

The North African ground squirrel, Atlantoxerus getulus, is a Maghreb endemic whose northern limit in the central Atlantic plains of Morocco was located south of the Safi city. New observations show that the species is extending its range in the central Atlantic plains of Morocco and provide indications about its ecology in the new range. Field observations and enquiries of local populations conducted in the spring and summer of 2017 found the species 50 km further from the old limit. This expansion to the north along the Atlantic coast seems to have occurred recently and the species has become rather abundant only since 2–4 years. Atlantoxerus getulus settled in various habitats: low walls (52.8% of cases), abandoned quarries (18.9%), rock piles (stones) (15.1%), cliffs (7.5%) and traditional abandoned reservoirs (5.7%). The diet of this species in the region includes wild plants, cereals, and some damages to cultivated legumes and fruits are observed. In this conquest of new territories in the North Abda region, the anthropogenic habits of this squirrel may have negative effects on the human, poultry and livestock health.
Theory of Share Tenancy after 50 Years
Authors: Cheung Steven N.S.
Published: May 2018

This paper was prepared for "The Theory of Share Tenancy: After 50 Years," a conference organized by The Ronald Coase Center for Property Rights Research at the University of Hong Kong, November 24-26, 2017. The paper first appeared in Chinese as a series of column articles in ifeng.com (凤凰网). The author traces the complex intellectual origins of The Theory of Share Tenancy and an adventurous career that followed.
Successful endovascular therapy in an elderly patient with severe hemorrhage caused by traumatic injury
Authors: Murata Masato , Aoki Makoto , Hagiwara Shuichi , Sekihara Masao , Kohri Takayuki , Shibuya Kei , Koike Norimasa , Miyazaki Dai , Oshima Kiyohiro
Published: May 2018

An 85-year-old female suffered pelvic fracture, multiple rib fractures, right hemopneumothorax, and blunt abdominal aortic injury in a traffic accident. After transfer to our hospital, transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) was performed immediately for hemorrhage from the bilateral internal iliac arteries. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) after TAE showed an increase of hematoma and extravasation at the bifurcation of the abdominal aorta. Therefore, emergency abdominal endovascular aortic repair was performed on the same day. On the 3rd day after transfer, metabolic acidosis worsened suddenly, and enhanced CT revealed intestinal necrosis. Emergency surgery for the intestinal necrosis was performed. The patient was transferred to the previous hospital on the 31st day after transfer. Endovascular treatment is useful for elderly patients with severe trauma. However, the preservation and/or reconstruction of the blood flow to important organs should be monitored.
Positive μ-pseudo almost periodic solutions for some nonlinear infinite delay integral equations arising in epidemiology using Hilbert’s projective metric
Authors: Ezzinbi Khalil , Ziat Mohamed
Published: May 2018

The purpose of this work is to give sufficient conditions which guarantee the existence and the uniqueness of positive μ-pseudo almost periodic solutions for the nonlinear infinite delay integral equation . We improve the original work of [H. S. Ding, Y. Y. Chen and G. M. N’Guérékata, Existence of positive pseudo almost periodic solutions to a class of neutral integral equations, Nonlinear Analysis. Theorey, Methods and Applications 74 (2011) 7356-7364] by dropping the hypotheses of monotonicity on the functions f and h. The main results are proved by using the Hilbert’s projective metric combined with the contraction mapping principle. Our results can deal with some cases to which many results are not applicable. An example is provided to illustrate the main results of this work.
Nonconventional metasurfaces: from non-Hermitian coupling, quantum interactions, to skin cloak
Authors: Ren Xuexin , Jha Pankaj K. , Wang Yuan , Zhang Xiang
Published: May 2018

Metasurfaces are optically thin layers of subwavelength resonators that locally tailor the electromagnetic response at the nanoscale. Our metasurface research aims at developing novel designs and applications of metasurfaces that go beyond the classical regimes. In contrast to conventional phase gradient metasurfaces where each meta-atom responds individually, we are interested in developing metasurfaces where neighboring meta-atoms are strongly coupled. By engineering a non-Hermitian coupling between the meta-atoms, new degrees of freedom are introduced and novel functionalities can be achieved. We are also interested in combining classical metasurface with quantum emitters, which may offer opportunities for on-chip quantum technologies. Additionally, we have been designing metasurfaces to realize exciting phenomena and applications, such as ultrathin metasurface cloak and strong photonic spin-Hall effect. In this paper, we review our research efforts in optical metasurfaces in the past few years, which ranges from conventional to novel type of metasurface and from classical to quantum regime.
Crystal structure of aqua-bis(3,4-dimethoxybenzoato-κ1
O)-(2,2′-bipyridine-κ2
N,N′)copper(II), C28H26CuN2O9
Authors: He Guofang , Sun Junshan
Published: May 2018

C28H26CuN2O9, monoclinic, C2/c, a = 12.3146(11) Å, b = 11.1769(10) Å, c = 19.3856(17) Å, β = 101.012(1), V = 2619.1(4) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0350, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1005, T = 296(2) K.
Crystal structure of catena-poly[octaaqua-bis(μ2-4,6-dicarboxyisophthalate-κ2
O:O′)cadmium(II)disodium(I)] dihydrate, C20H28CdNa2O26
Authors: Xue Ya-Li , Zhang Ai-Yun , Zhao Dan
Published: May 2018

C20H28CdNa2O26, monoclinic, C2/m (no. 12), a = 7.4169(8) Å, b = 20.183(2) Å, c = 10.5403(11) Å, β = 103.5520(10)°, V = 1533.9(3) Å3, Z = 2, R
gt(F) = 0.0434, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1271, T = 296(2) K.
Crystal structure of 1-phenyl-N′-(1-phenyl-5-(thiophen-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole-3-carbonyl)-5-(thiophen-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole-3-carbohydrazide, C28H20N6O2S2
Authors: Baashen Mohammed , Abdel-Wahab Bakr F. , Hegazy Amany S. , Kariuki Benson M. , El-Hiti Gamal A.
Published: May 2018

C28H20N6O2S2, triclinic, P1̅ (no. 2), a = 10.6738(6) Å, b = 11.7869(7) Å, c = 12.5381(7) Å, α = 112.842(6)°, β = 91.963(4)°, γ = 116.129(6)°, V = 1264.38(15) Å3, Z = 2, R
gt(F) = 0.0523, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1390, T = 296(2) K.
Crystal structure of bis(acetonitrile)-diaqua-dichloridoiron(II), C4H10Cl2N2O2Fe
Authors: Zuo Jian
Published: May 2018

C4H10Cl2N2O2Fe, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 7.8501(10) Å, b = 7.8289(10) Å, c = 8.2974(17) Å, β = 97.840(2), V = 505.17(14) Å3, Z = 2, R
gt(F) = 0.0447, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1237, T = 298(2) K.
Optimum strategies for pulp fractions refining
Authors: Huber Patrick , Carré Bruno , Kumar Saurabh , Lecourt Michael
Published: May 2018

Separate refining of pulp fractions before remixing has sometimes been compared to whole pulp refining, with no definitive answer about the interest of doing so. In this work, we present a general method to help decide whether fractions refining can be profitable or not. Recommendations for fractions refining strategies are given, depending on the evolution of pulp properties as a function of applied energy. In the tested case (bleach kraft pulp mix (75 % eucalyptus/25 % radiata pine) fractionated on a 2-stage hydrocyclone process), optimised fractions refining provided a gain of about 40 kWh/T compared to whole pulp mix refining, when targeting a tensile index of 50 N.m/g.
Parameters influencing hydrophobization of paper by surface sizing
Authors: Iselau Frida , Malmborg-Nystr.m Kerstin , Holmberg Krister , Bordes Romain
Published: May 2018

Paper surface hydrophobization, also referred to as .surface sizing., is often necessary for printing and packaging purposes. Typically, hydrophobic polymeric nanoparticles, in combination with starch are applied on the paper surface at the dry-end of the paper machine. In the surface sizing process, the nature of the nanoparticles, starch type, starch concentration and ratio between starch and nanoparticles, paper quality, ionic strength, and application as well as drying temperature are parameters that influence the result. The aim of this work was to systematically evaluate these parameters in order to create knowledge to be used for optimization of the process. Laboratory scale surface sizing trials were performed and the results from the trials showed that cationic particles gave superior performance compared to anionic particles. Both the starch type and the concentration of the oxidized starch had an impact on the performance. The effect of the ionic strength was found to depend on the particle charge: for cationic particles, the addition of salt was detrimental while for the anionic particles it was beneficial. An increase of the application or the drying temperature was found to enhance the performance up to a temperature around the glass transition temperature of the polymer.
Inferencing, Reanalysis, and the History of the French est-ce que Question
Authors: Waltereit Richard
Published: May 2018

In this paper, I discuss critically the traditional view of reanalysis, taking into account recent debates about the concept. In particular, I argue that the debate about reanalysis tends to conflate two interpretations of reanalysis: reanalysis as a type of language change among other ones, and reanalysis as the recognition or “ratification” of any kind of change. I offer a possible explanation of that potential confusion. I then illustrate this distinction using the history of the French est-ce que question as a case study. I report original diachronic research on the history of that construction. Further, I discuss implications both at a conceptual-theoretical level and at a practical level for further diachronic research. The paper concludes with a summary and discussion of the findings.
The Role of Inferencing in Semantic/ Pragmatic Cyclicity: the Case of Latin nunc and French or/maintenant
Authors: Hansen Maj-Britt Mosegaard
Published: May 2018

In this paper, I analyze the evolution of the Latin adverb/discourse marker NUNC and its Old and Modern French equivalents, or and maintenant, markers whose content-level source meanings are in all cases equivalent to English now. The analysis pays particular attention to the role of metonymic inference, and to bridging contexts. Showing that the three etymologically unrelated markers have remarkably similar (but crucially not identical) uses, both as temporal adjuncts and as pragmatic markers of various types, I argue that the diachronic changes undergone by these three items constitute a semantic/pragmatic cycle of a type that I call “onomasiological” (cf. Hansen 2015, fc). I suggest that cyclic developments at the level of semantics and pragmatics take place because source items that are semantically similar will favor similar types of contextual inferences. Furthermore, the fact that the range of uses of the items under consideration is not necessarily exactly identical from one cycle to the next supports an instructional view of semantics, which affords a central role in the process of meaning construction precisely to inferencing.
Contemplation and the Suffering Earth: Thomas Merton, Pope Francis, and the Next Generation
Authors: Pramuk Christopher
Published: May 2018

During his address to the US Congress in 2015, Pope Francis lifted up the Trappist monk and famed spiritual writer Thomas Merton as one of four “great” Americans who “offer us a way of seeing and interpreting reality” that is life-giving and brings hope. Drawing from Merton and gesturing to Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’, the author explores the epistemological roots of the environmental crisis, arguing that while intellectual conversion to the crisis is crucial, Merton’s witness suggests a deeper kind of transformation is required. Reading Merton schools the imagination in the way of wisdom, or sapientia, a contemplative disposition that senses its kinship with Earth through the eyes of the heart, illuminating what Pope Francis has called “an integral ecology.” The author considers the impact of two major influences on Merton’s thought: the Russian Wisdom school of theology, or sophiology, and French theologian Jacques Ellul, whose 1964 book “The Technological Society” raises prescient questions about the role of technology in education and spiritual formation. Arguing that our present crisis is both technological and spiritual, epistemological and metaphysical, the author foregrounds Merton’s contributions to a sapiential theology and theopoetics while asking how the sciences and humanities might work together more intentionally toward the transformation of the personal and collective human heart.
Terminology of bioanalytical methods (IUPAC Recommendations 2018)
Authors: Labuda Ján , Bowater Richard P. , Fojta Miroslav , Gauglitz Günter , Glatz Zdeněk , Hapala Ivan , Havliš Jan , Kilar Ferenc , Kilar Aniko , Malinovská Lenka , Sirén Heli M. M. , Skládal Petr , Torta Federico , Valachovič Martin , Wimmerová Michaela , Zdráhal Zbyněk , Hibbert David Brynn
Published: May 2018

Recommendations are given concerning the terminology of methods of bioanalytical chemistry. With respect to dynamic development particularly in the analysis and investigation of biomacromolecules, terms related to bioanalytical samples, enzymatic methods, immunoanalytical methods, methods used in genomics and nucleic acid analysis, proteomics, metabolomics, glycomics, lipidomics, and biomolecules interaction studies are introduced.
Some new stochastic forms of Gronwall–Bellman inequalities and their applications
Authors: Boudref Mohamed Ahmed
Published: May 2018

In this work, we establish some new forms of stochastic Gronwall–Bellman inequalities.
We illustrate our work with examples of applications.
The method of perpendiculars of finding estimates from below for minimal singular eigenvalues of random matrices
Authors: Girko Vyacheslav L.
Published: May 2018

The lower bounds for the minimal singular eigenvalue of the matrix are obtained under the G-Lindeberg condition and the G-double stochastic condition for the variances of the matrix entries. The new method is based on the G-method of perpendiculars, the REFORM method, the martingale method, and the theory of canonical spectral equations.
Les opérations de liages micro-textuels : Un premier palier de délimitation des unités textuelles
Authors: Adam Jean-Michel
Published: May 2018

La linguistique du texte a pour tâche la théorisation et la description des opérations de segmentation qui délimitent des unités de rang et de longueur différentes, et la théorisation et la description des différents effets de continuité créés par les opérations de liage de ces unités. À la structuration phrastique-périodique par la morpho-syntaxe et la prosodie à l’oral, la ponctuation à l’écrit, le palier micro-textuel ajoute six facteurs de texture transphrastique : les liages référentiels et isotopiques, les liages du signifiant, l’ensemble des phénomènes de connexion, les relations d’implicitation, la cohésion énonciative et la cohésion illocutoire. À partir de trois textes (publicitaire, littéraire et discours politique oral), cet article illustre systématiquement et détaille ces six formes de liage transphrastique des unités textuelles de base.
Josef Štefan Kubíns Sammlung von Volkserzählungen aus dem Riesengebirgsvorland
Authors: Udolph Ludger
Published: May 2018

In the first quarter of the 20th century, the Czech teacher J. St. Kubín collected far more than 1000 folktales of Czech countrymen, especially in the Giant Mountains. Kubín comprehended the orally passed on folktale as the genuine cultural tradition of ‘unsophisticated’ people. The narrator is the bearer of this tradition, which Kubín defends as autonomous and native against modernism and civic society. Different from Václav Tille, who claimed the literary written origin of folktales, Kubín emphasizes the oral tradition of the folktales. His rich collection shows the internationality of the types of the folktale.
Rote Märchen in Schwarz-Weiß
Authors: Hultsch Anne
Published: May 2018

In 1950 Pavel Kohout published under the title O černém a bílém [‘About the black and the white’] a book of fairy tales, which appeared in 1953 in East Germany under the title Dreizehn rote Rosen [‘Thirteen red roses’]. If one can still recognize elements of (literary) fairy tales in the original agitative text, these are largely obliterated in the translation. The fairy tales lose the elements that marked them as fairy tales. In East Germany, the early Soviet fairy tale criticism, which had lost its sharpness at the Soviet Writers’ Congress in 1934, is taken over, while in Czechoslovakia it is still represented only by orthodox criticism.
Forecasting the unemployment rate over districts with the use of distinct methods
Authors: Wozniak Marcin
Published: May 2018

Interdependencies among neighboring regions appear to be important in forming the shape of local labor markets. Nevertheless, only a few studies exist which have applied spatial models to forecast over small spatial units such as cities, districts or counties. The majority of predictions are developed with quarterly or yearly time series for a country or at regional level. The paper presents the above phenomena and deals with the problem of simultaneous forecasting of the unemployment rate over 35 poviats (districts and cities) in one of the Polish provinces. Two extremely different models with spatial dependencies were developed and estimated in this paper: the Spatial Vector Autoregressions (SpVAR) and the Spatial Artificial Neural Network (SpANN). The 13-month out-of-sample forecast is based on high frequency, raw, monthly panel data extracted from 31 local labor offices. The procedure worked out here allows comparing the forecasting performance of spatial models with their non-spatial and seasonal equivalents. The inclusion of a spatial component into the models significantly improves the accuracy of forecasts; however, the overall performance of SpVAR is 30% better than SpANN.
Formulating Relations
Authors: Olabarria Leire
Published: May 2018

The language of monumental inscriptions on Middle Kingdom stelae is often regarded as highly standardised and formulaic, thus its potential for assessing social practices is considered to be fairly limited. An analysis that integrates textual and contextual evidence may, however, facilitate a better understanding of some formulae and the role those stelae played in the construction of contemporary social models. The rare smyt-formula is attested in nine objects of the late 12th or early 13th dynasty. Most of these are stelae found at Abydos, hence saturated with the site’s cultic importance. Although their disparate stylistic features rule out their being products of a single workshop, the use of the formula and its arrangement after a list of personal names is strikingly consistent. The way in which people, who are mentioned on those lists, are related to the dedicatees of the monuments may provide a clue as to why this formula emerged in the late Middle Kingdom, a time when kinship relations were often celebrated and commemorated on stelae in the context of the ritual landscape of Abydos. Moreover, the smyt-formula signposts a latent tension between two modes of group formation, focused respectively on ego or on his ancestors.
An Ancient Egyptian Senet Board in the Arizona State Museum
Authors: Bald Romano Irene , Tait William John , Bisulca Christina , Creasman Pearce Paul , Hodgins Gregory , Wazny Tomasz
Published: May 2018

This article discusses a fragment of a rare, wooden slab-style Egyptian senet board that was given to the Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona (Tucson, Arizona) in 1922 by Lily S. Place, an American who lived in Cairo in the 1910s and 1920s and purchased ancient Egyptian objects from dealers and in the bazaars; it has no ancient provenience. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, the authors provide a reading and interpretation of the incised hieroglyphs, establish a radiocarbon date for the game board from 980 to 838 B.C.E., identify the wood as Abies (fir), probably Abies
cilicica, demonstrate that the board was fashioned from freshly-cut wood, and identify the inlay substance as a green copper-wax pigment.
Electrostatic potential in crystals of α-boron, γ-boron and boron carbide
Authors: Hübschle Christian B. , van Smaalen Sander
Published: May 2018

An overview is given of the recently proposed method for computation of the electrostatic potential (ESP) of dynamic charge densities derived from multipole models [C. B. Hubschle, S. van Smaalen, J. Appl. Crystallogr.
2017, 50, 1627]. The dynamic ESP is presented for the multipole models of the boron polymorphs α-B12 and γ-B28, and stoichiometric boron carbide B13C2. Minimum values of the ESP are conspiciously equal at approximately −1 electron/Å. Regions with the ESP close to its minimum value form an extended network throughout the crystal structures at locations far away from atoms and bonds. Boron and boron carbide are extended solids containing an infinite network of strong chemical bonds. We have shown that for such solids, the ESP can usefully considered on Hirshfeld surfaces encompassing groups of atoms. Accordingly, we discuss bonding in boron and boron carbide with aid of the ESP on the Hirsfeld surface encompassing a B12 icosahedral cluster. The structure of the ESP corroborates the interpretation of the bonding characteristics previously proposed for α-B12, γ-B28 and B13C2.
Bound States of Light Hydrogen-Like Atoms and the Possibility of Cold Nuclear Transformations
Authors: Kholmetskii A.L. , Yarman T.
Published: May 2018

We point out that numerous experimental facts dealing with the observation of nuclear transformations in a condensed matter at room temperature remain totally unexplained till date. In the present article we open up a principal way to understand such phenomena in the framework of pure bound field theory (PBFT) that we developed earlier (e.g. Kholmetskii AL. et al. Eur. Phys. J. Plus 2011;126:33, Eur. Phys. J. Plus 2011;126:35). In this theory, we explicitly take into account the non-radiating nature of the electromagnetic field of quantum bound particles in stationary states, which leads to the corresponding corrections of basic equations of atomic physics, with further elimination of the available subtle deviations between experimental and theoretical data in precise physics of light hydrogen-like atoms. In the present paper we have once more analysed the principal prediction of PBFT, which allows the existence of the second stationary energy state in the bound system “proton plus electron” (next to the usual hydrogen atoms). This new stationary state is characterised by the unusually small averaged radius of about 2α
2
r
B≈5 fm (where r
B is the Bohr radius, and α is the fine structure constant), and a huge (in the atomic scale) value of the binding energy about –255 keV. We named this bound system as the “neutronic hydrogen”, because in many processes of its interaction with matter, it is practically indistinguishable from the neutron. The latter circumstance opens up the principal way to understand numerous puzzling facts of low-temperature nuclear synthesis.
Thermal Shifts and Electron-Phonon Coupling Parameters for the Three Luminescence Lines of 5
D
J→7
F
J in SrFCl:Sm2+ Crystal
Authors: Mei Yang , Liu Hong-Gang , Zheng Wen-Chen
Published: May 2018

The thermal blue shifts of three spectral lines E
1(5
D
0→7
F
0), E
2(5
D
0→7
F
1), and E
3(5
D
1→7
F
0) in SrFCl:Sm2+ crystal are investigated by a complete expression consisting of both the static contribution due to lattice thermal expansion and the vibrational contribution owing to electron-phonon interaction. The obtained true electron-phonon coupling parameters α′ in both sign and magnitude are considerably different from the apparent electron-phonon coupling parameters α acquired in the previous paper by considering only the vibrational contribution. It is suggested that differing from the simple expression including only the vibrational contribution (many authors thought that it cannot be used to explain the thermal blue shifts), the complete expression containing both the vibrational and static contributions is effective in the studies of thermal shift (whether red shift or blue shift) and true electron-phonon coupling parameter for a spectral line in crystals.
Studying the reactivity of N-2-(2-aminobenzoyl)-N-phenyl-hydrazinecarbothioamide toward some selected carbonyl compounds
Authors: Mohamed Asmaa H.
Published: May 2018

The reactivity of N-2-(2-aminobenzoyl)-N-phenylhydrazinecarbothioamide (1) as an electron donor toward several electron-accepting compounds through electron donor-acceptor interaction has been studied. Thus, upon treatment of 1 with either 1,4-naphthoquinone, 2-dicyanomethyleneindan-1,3-dione, or 2,3-dichloro-1,4-naphthoquinone, the reaction proceeds to give thiadiazino[5,4-b]quinazoline, N-phenylcarbamohydrazonothioate, and thiadiazine-5,10-dione, respectively. Also, the reactivity of compound 1 toward some aldehydes and anhydrides was studied. The products were fully characterized by their spectral data. The mechanisms of formation of the products have been rationalized.