bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Men er det sant? Et bredt forsvar for at man kan og bør diskutere sannhetsinnholdet i religioner og livssyn
Authors: Søvik Atle Ottesen
Published: August 2018

Burde det gis mer plass i religionsundervisningen til å diskutere hvorvidt påstander som hevdes i religioner og livssyn, er sanne? Denne artikkelen argumenterer for at elever både kan og bør diskutere sannheten i religioner og livssyn i større omfang enn det gjøres i dag. Fremgangsmåten er å gi en bred, samlet begrunnelse for dette, og artikkelen tar for seg fem typer innvendinger: epistemologiske, religionsvitenskapelige, pedagogiske, etiske og praktiske. De epistemologiske og religionsvitenskapelige innvendingene handler hovedsakelig om at man ikke (med rimelighet) kan diskutere religioners og livssyns sannhet, mens de øvrige argumentene hovedsakelig handler om at man ikke bør gjøre det.Nøkkelord: Sannhetsspørsmål i religionsundervisning; religionskritikkAbstract:Should religious education give more space to discuss whether claims made in religions and worldviews are true? This article argues that pupils both can and should discuss the truth of religions and worldviews to a larger extent than what is done today. It proceeds by offering a comprehensive justification for this claim, discussing five kinds of objections: epistemological, religious, pedagogical, ethical and practical. The objections from epistemology and religious studies are mainly that one cannot justifiably discuss the truth of religions and worldviews, while the other objections are mainly that one should not.Key words: Questions of truth in religious education; critique of religion
Kalman Filters and Observers: Modern Applications
Authors: Alanis Alma Y. , Arana‐Daniel Nancy , Lopez‐Franco Carlos
Published: August 2018

The Kalman filter (KF) was proposed by Rudolph E. Kalman in the seminal paper “A new approach to linear filtering and prediction problems,” published in 1960. Since then, the KF has found application in many areas, including navigation and control of engineering systems (e.g., airplanes, satellites, and cars), GPS, computer vision, health monitoring, econometrics, and weather forecasting. Theoretical topics include linear and nonlinear filter theory, particle filtering, particle flow methods, geometric approaches and nonlinear observers, filter stability, filtering in high‐dimensional spaces, duality between optimal filtering and control, and estimation over networks. In addition to these classical applications, KF is also used in emerging applications in biology, networks, and artificial intelligence. Although all these applications and theoretical topics are of equal importance, this article focuses on the use of KF in the areas of artificial neural networks (ANNs) and simultaneous localization and mapping
Reliability‐Growth Concepts and Testing
Authors: Cushing Michael J. , Cushing Alexander M.
Published: August 2018

An engineered product is said to experience reliability growth when (1) a failure mode is observed and investigated until the root cause is identified and (2) an understanding of the root cause failure mechanism is then developed and used to formulate and implement a corrective action that reduces or eliminates the probability or frequency of the failure mode's recurrence within the product population. This article addresses how one identifies failure modes during developmental product testing, develops an understanding of them, and formulates corrective actions to mitigate them. A brief introduction to statistical reliability‐growth modeling is provided, along with lessons learned from its application to complex repairable assemblies and products. Statistical reliability‐growth modeling was developed to pool data across evolving product configurations as failure modes are observed and mitigated during a sequence of developmental tests. In most applications, one does not have sufficient data to generate final configuration estimates of satisfactory uncertainty; the pooling of data from current and prior configurations, using a method that accounts for the impact of corrective actions, can provide a clearer understanding of reliability growth and support improved product development decision‐making (e.g., when to grant production approval). The most crucial lesson learned from several decades of applications is that successful reliability‐growth programs require that all but the most elusive failure modes be identified and mitigated prior to product‐level reliability‐growth testing; this key engineering activity enables the product to meet the high level of initial reliability required for success.
Parabolic Equation Methods in Electromagnetics
Authors: He Zi , Chen Ru‐Shan
Published: August 2018

The parabolic equation (PE) has been solved by the finite difference schemes in the past decades for propagating and scattering problems. The Crank–Nicolson (CN) scheme is widely used for its simplicity and stability. By using theCNscheme, the parabolic equation can be solved in a sequential manner along the paraxial direction. In this way, a three‐dimensional problem can be converted into a series of two‐dimensional problems. Then the alternating direction implicit (ADI) scheme is introduced to solve the parabolic equation. It can be found that theADI‐PEmethod is more computationally efficient than theCN‐PEmethod, since the two‐dimensional problem can be further reduced to a series of one‐dimensional problems to be solved by theADI‐PEmethod. At last, the alternating group explicit (AGE) scheme, together with theADIscheme, is used to solve the parabolic equation. As a result, the unknowns in each transverse plane can be directly obtained without solving any matrix equations. Therefore, limited computing resources are needed even for the electrically large problems with good accuracy. Numerical results of both the propagating and scattering problems are given to verify the accuracy and efficiency of all the methods. The corresponding time‐domain counterparts are also introduced in this article.
Red‐Light‐Controlled Release of Drug–Ru Complex Conjugates from Metallopolymer Micelles for Phototherapy in Hypoxic Tumor Environments
Authors: Sun Wen , Wen Yan , Thiramanas Raweewan , Chen Mingjia , Han Jianxiong , Gong Ningqiang , Wagner Manfred , Jiang Shuai , Meijer Michael S. , Bonnet Sylvestre , Butt Hans‐Jürgen , Mailänder Volker , Liang Xing‐Jie , Wu Si
Published: August 2018

Traditional photodynamic phototherapy is not efficient for anticancer treatment because solid tumors have a hypoxic microenvironment. The development of photoactivated chemotherapy based on photoresponsive polymers that can be activated by light in the “therapeutic window” would enable new approaches for basic research and allow for anticancer phototherapy in hypoxic conditions. This work synthesizes a novel Ru‐containing block copolymer for photoactivated chemotherapy in hypoxic tumor environment. The polymer has a hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) block and a hydrophobic Ru‐containing block, which contains red‐light‐cleavable (650–680 nm) drug–Ru complex conjugates. The block copolymer self‐assembles into micelles, which can be efficiently taken up by cancer cells. Red light induces release of the drug–Ru complex conjugates from the micelles and this process is oxygen independent. The released conjugates inhibit tumor cell growth even in hypoxic tumor environment. Furthermore, the Ru‐containing polymer for photoactivated chemotherapy in a tumor‐bearing mouse model is applied. Photoactivated chemotherapy of the polymer micelles demonstrates efficient tumor growth inhibition. In addition, the polymer micelles do not cause any toxic side effects to mice during the treatment, demonstrating good biocompatibility of the system to the blood and healthy tissues. The novel red‐light‐responsive Ru‐containing polymer provides a new platform for phototherapy against hypoxic tumors.
The Design and Electromagnetic‐Wave‐Absorbing Performance of a Broadband Four‐Layer Absorbing Composite
Authors: Shi Yunan , Wu Xiangyi , Qiu Jun
Published: August 2018

A four‐layer absorbing composite on millimeter scale is designed containing an absorbent with multilayer‐like structure on the microscale. In this four‐layer absorbing composite, epoxy resin acts as transparent layer, the multilayer‐like structure absorbent serves as the main absorbing layer; graphene/Ni composite acts as an impedance matching layer; and Fe3O4 nanoparticles serve as a magnetic‐loss absorbing layer. The reflection loss of the composites is simulated with CST Microwave Studio, and the absorbency of the composites is discussed in detail when the thickness of each layer is changed. The results show that when the thicknesses of the transparent layer, main absorbing layer, impedance matching layer, and magnetic‐loss absorbing layer are 2.5, 2, 1.5, and 2 mm, respectively, the minimum reflection loss of the composite is −51.7 dB, the bandwidth below −10 dB reaches 11.82 GHz, and the density of the composite is nearly 1.9 g cm−3. Therefore, this new four‐layer absorbing composite possesses strong absorbency, broad absorbing bandwidth, thin thickness, and light weight. Thus, a new way to the development of multilayer absorbing composites is presented.
Microscopic Features of Bosonic Quantum Transport and Entropy Production
Authors: Mintchev Mihail , Santoni Luca , Sorba Paul
Published: August 2018

The microscopic features of bosonic quantum transport in a nonequilibrium steady state, which breaks time reversal invariance spontaneously, are investigated. The analysis is based on the probability distributions, generated by the correlation functions of the particle current and the entropy production operator. The general approach is applied to an exactly solvable model with a point‐like interaction driving the system away from equilibrium. The quantum fluctuations of the particle current and the entropy production are explicitly evaluated in the zero frequency limit. It is shown that all moments of the entropy production distribution are non‐negative, which provides a microscopic version of the second law of thermodynamics. On this basis a concept of efficiency, taking into account all quantum fluctuations, is proposed and analyzed. The role of the quantum statistics in this context is also discussed.
Kopplung von hoch‐ und niederfrequenten Schwingungsmoden in organisch‐anorganischen Perowskiten
Authors: Grechko Maksim , Bretschneider Simon A. , Vietze Laura , Kim Heejae , Bonn Mischa
Published: August 2018

Das Zusammenspiel elektronischer und nuklearer Freiheitsgrade in halbleitenden, organisch‐anorganischen Hybrid‐Perowskiten bestimmt viele ihrer grundlegenden photophysikalischen Eigenschaften. Photoinduzierte Ladungsträger polarisieren lokal das Gitter. Analog zur Schwingung des Kristallgitters kann die lokale Polarisation durch ein Quasipartikel beschrieben werden, das Polaron. Es vereint infolge der lokalen Verzerrung des Kristallgitters die delokalisierten Gitterschwingungen (Phononen) und lokale Molekülschwingungen. Durch die Interaktion der beiden Schwingungstypen eröffnen sich neue Möglichkeiten, überschüssige Energie von photoinduzierten Ladungsträgern zu dissipieren. Die Kopplung verschiedenartiger Kernbewegungen in kombinierten Schwingungsmoden erfordert eine starke Interaktion der einzelnen Schwingungsmoden. Erstmals wurde die direkte Kopplung hochfrequenter NH‐Streckmoden der organischen Kationen und niederfrequenter Moden des anorganischen Bleiiodidgitters in organisch‐anorganischen Hybrid‐Perowskiten beobachtet. Die Messungen zeigen die Relevanz der Kopplung zwischen den nichtkovalent wechselwirkenden organischen und anorganischen Untergittern.
Total Synthesis of Asperchalasines A, D, E, and H
Authors: Long Xianwen , Ding Yiming , Deng Jun
Published: August 2018

The first total syntheses of the cytochalasan dimers asperchalasines A, D, E, and H have been accomplished. The key steps of the synthesis include a highly stereoselective intermolecular Diels–Alder reaction and a Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons macrocyclization to establish the key monomer aspochalasin B, and an intermolecular Diels–Alder reaction followed by a biomimetic oxidative heterodimerization by 5+2 cycloaddition to furnish asperchalasine A. The synthetic efforts provide insight into the biosynthetic pathway of cytochalasan dimers and enables the further study of their biological properties.
Auto‐regulated Protein Assembly on a Supramolecular Scaffold
Authors: Rennie Martin L. , Fox Gavin C. , Pérez Javier , Crowley Peter B.
Published: August 2018

Controlled protein assembly provides a means to regulate function. Supramolecular building blocks, including rigid macrocycles, are versatile triggers of protein assembly. Now it is shown that sulfonato‐calix[8]arene (sclx8) mediates the formation of cytochrome c tetramers in solution. This tetramer spontaneously disassembles at ≥2 equivalents of sclx8, providing a remarkable example of auto‐regulation. Using X‐ray crystallography the sclx8 binding sites on cytochrome c were characterized. Crystal structures at different protein–ligand ratios reveal varying degrees (up to 35 %) of protein surface coverage by the flexible calixarene and suggest a mechanism for oligomer disassembly. The solution structure of the oligomer was characterized by small‐angle X‐ray scattering. Overall, the data indicate calixarene‐controlled protein assembly and disassembly without the requirement for a competitive inhibitor, and point to protein encapsulation by a flexible macrocycle.
An indigenous psychology perspective on psychosocial support in Southern Africa as collective, networking, and pragmatic support
Authors: Ebersöhn Liesel , Loots Tilda , Mampane Ruth , Omidire Funke , Malan‐Van Rooyen Marlize , Sefotho Maximus , Nthontho Maitumeleng
Published: August 2018

This comparative case study seeks to describe the traditional African psychosocial support practices used in postcolonial Southern Africa. We use an indigenous psychology theory (relationship‐resourced resilience) as a theoretical lens to understand and supplement dominant Western discourses on psychosocial support. Seven Southern African communities with high need and indigenous belief systems were conveniently sampled. Participatory reflection and action methods were used to generate data from a snowball sample of individuals with a dominant African home language and who demonstrated significant vulnerability (n = 430: elders = 240; youth = 190; men = 150; and women = 280). Focus groups were audio‐recorded and their speech transcribed. Observation data were documented in photographs. After in‐case and cross‐case analysis, we found that psychosocial support was collective, pragmatic, and capitalised on networking. The psychosocial support strategies expand insight into the indigenous psychology theory on collective resilience. The intentional description of robust non‐Western psychosocial support practices, continued to be used by elders and young people in rural and urban spaces in Southern Africa, establishes that endemic practices exist in lieu of policy‐level support to provide much‐need services given frequent and intense need. Knowledge of the way in which psychosocial support is commonly provided affords an opportunity to graft development initiatives onto that which has withstood adversity, rather than reimagining interventions.
One‐pot Synthesis of 1,3‐Butadiene and 1,6‐Hexanediol Derivatives from Cyclopentadiene (CPD) via Tandem Olefin Metathesis Reactions
Authors: Turczel Gábor , Kovács Ervin , Csizmadia Eszter , Nagy Tibor , Tóth Imre , Tuba Robert
Published: August 2018

A novel tandem reaction of cyclopentadiene leading to high value linear chemicals via ruthenium catalyzed ring opening cross metathesis (ROCM), followed by cross metathesis (CM) is reported. The ROCM of cyclopentadiene (CPD) with ethylene using commercially available 2nd gen. Grubbs metathesis catalysts (1‐G2) gives 1,3‐butadiene (BD) and 1,4‐pentadiene (2) (and 1,4‐cyclohexadiene (3)) with reasonable yields (up to 24 % (BD) and 67 % (2+3) at 73 % CPD conversion) at 1–5 mol % catalyst loading in toluene solution (5 V% CPD, 10 bar, RT) in an equilibrium reaction. The ROCM of CPD with cis‐butene diol diacetate (4) using 1.00 ‐ 0.05 mol % of 3rd gen. Grubbs (1‐G3) or 2nd gen. Hoveyda‐Grubbs (1‐HG2) catalysts loading gives hexa‐2,4‐diene‐1,6‐diyl diacetate (5), which is a precursor of 1,6‐hexanediol (an intermediate in polyurethane, polyester and polyol synthesis) and hepta‐2,5‐diene‐1,7‐diyl diacetate (6) in good yield (up to 68 % or TON: 1180). Thus, convenient and selective synthetic procedures are revealed by ROCM of CPD with ethylene and 4 leading to BD and 1,6‐hexanediol precursor, respectively, as key components of commercial intermediates of high‐performance materials.
Asymmetric Reactions involving Lewis Base Catalyst Tethered Dearomatized Intermediates
Authors: Xiao Ben‐Xian , Gao Xin‐Yue , Du Wei , Chen Ying‐Chun
Published: August 2018

Numerous protocols have been developed for the functionalization of aromatic substances. Among them, the strategy by which aromatic substrates are activated in situ to generate dearomatized intermediates is highly efficient but challenging, especially in the field of asymmetric catalysis. In this Concept article, the application of some well‐established chiral Lewis base catalysis, including primary/secondary amines and N‐heterocyclic carbenes, that can covalently form catalyst‐tethered dearomatized ortho/para‐quinodimethane species with diverse heteroaryl and aryl carbonyl substrates is summarized in a number of asymmetric cycloaddition and addition reactions with diverse reagents generally having electrophilic properties. As a result, a variety of enantioenriched aromatic products with higher molecular complexity are constructed effectively through a rearomatization process.
Pt9Ni Wavelike Nanowires with High Activity for Oxygen Reduction Reactions
Authors: Lv Pengfei , Jin Benjin , Mei Chao , Zhou Huang , Yuan Tongwei , Li Zhijun , He Hui , Shen Xiaoshuang , Hong Xun
Published: August 2018

Platinum (Pt)‐based nanostructures are the most efficient catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acid media. Here, Pt9Ni wavelike nanowires (W‐NWs) have been synthesized by etching Pt3Ni@PtNi2 core–shell nanowires with 2,5‐dihydroxyterephthalic acid for 24 hours. Compared to the commercial Pt/C catalyst, the free‐standing Pt9Ni W‐NWs show improvements of up to 9.3 times for mass activity and 12.6 times for specific activity, respectively.
Development of a numerical approach based on coupled CFD/FEM analysis for virtual fire resistance tests—Part A: Thermal analysis of the gas phase combustion and different test specimens
Authors: Prieler Rene , Mayrhofer Markus , Eichhorn‐Gruber Markus , Schwabegger Günther , Hochenauer Christoph
Published: August 2018

In the present two‐parted study, a numerical approach is shown to consider fire resistance tests in virtual space, including the combustion, thermal analysis of the test specimen, and the deformation process. This part is dealing with the combustion process and thermal analysis of different building materials tested in a fire resistance furnace. Instead of using coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD)/finite element method simulation for the combustion and thermal heat conduction in the solid, which is commonly used in literature, the present approach considers these transport phenomena in one CFD simulation. This method enables a two‐way coupling between the gas phase and the solid material, where chemical reactions and the release of volatile components into the gas phase can occur (eg, release of water vapour from gypsum). To validate the numerical model, a fire resistance test of a steel door, which is a multilayer construction, and a wall made of gypsum blocks were experimentally and numerically investigated. Due to the chemical reactions inside the gypsum, water vapour is released to the gas phase reducing the flue gas temperature about 80 K. This effect was taken into account using a two‐way coupling in the CFD model, which predicted temperatures in close accordance to the measurement.
Measuring incident heat flux and adiabatic surface temperature with plate thermometers in ambient and high temperatures
Authors: Wickström Ulf , Anderson Johan , Sjöström Johan
Published: August 2018

A new more insulated and faster responding plate thermometer (PT) is introduced, which has been developed for measurements particularly in air at ambient temperature. It is a cheaper and more practical alternative to water‐cooled heat flux meters (HFMs). The theory and use of PTs measuring incident radiation heat flux and adiabatic surface temperature are presented. Comparisons of measurements with PTs and HFMs are made. Finally, it is concluded that incident radiation in ambient air can be measured with HFMs as well as with the new insulated type of PT. In hot gases and flames, however, only PTs can be recommended. At elevated gas temperatures, convection makes measurements with HFMs difficult to interpret and use for calculations. However, they can be used in standard or well‐defined configurations for comparisons.
Valuable information in early sales proxies: The use of Google search ranks in portfolio optimization
Authors: Kupfer Alexander , Zorn Josef
Published: August 2018

We extract information on relative shopping interest from Google search volume and provide a genuine and economically meaningful approach to directly incorporate these data into a portfolio optimization technique. By generating a firm ranking based on a Google search volume metric, we can predict future sales and thus generate excess returns in a portfolio exercise. The higher the (shopping) search volume for a firm, the higher we rank the company in the optimization process. For a sample of firms in the fashion industry, our results demonstrate that shopping interest exhibits predictive content that can be exploited in a real‐time portfolio strategy yielding robust alphas around 5.5%.
Dose‐intensified bendamustine and melphalan (BenMel) conditioning before second autologous transplantation in myeloma patients
Authors: Farag Sarah , Jeker Barbara , Bacher Ulrike , Mansouri Taleghani Behrouz , Mueller Beatrice U. , Novak Urban , Pabst Thomas
Published: August 2018

Consolidation in myeloma patients with high‐dose melphalan chemotherapy (Mel HDCT) and autologous transplantation (ASCT) is standard of care since more than 2 decades. However, definite cure remains exceptional despite intensive treatment, and improving effectiveness of HDCT remains an unmet clinical need. Combining intensified bendamustine with melphalan may represent an option. We analyzed safety and efficacy of combining dose‐intensified bendamustine (200 mg/m2 on days −4/−3) with high‐dose melphalan (100 mg/m2 on days −2/−1) before a second (tandem) ASCT in adverse risk myeloma patients after Mel HDCT/ASCT1. Twelve patients received BenMel conditioning before ASCT2 because of high‐risk cytogenetics and/or failure to achieve complete remission (CR) after Mel HDCT/ASCT1. Comparing Mel HDCT/ASCT1 and BenMel HDCT/ASCT2, we observed no differences in hematologic recovery and tolerance. Acute renal injury after BenMel conditioning occurred in 3 (25%) patients, but was reversible in all patients, and there were no treatment related deaths. Complete remission rates were increasing from 42% after Mel/ASCT1 to 75% after BenMel/ASCT2. PFS 1 year after ASCT2 was 67%, and OS was 83%. These data suggest that dose‐intensified bendamustine with melphalan conditioning is safe and warrants a prospective randomized comparison to standard melphalan HDCT in myeloma patients.
International variations in trust in health care systems
Authors: Zhao Dahai , Zhao Hongyu , Cleary Paul D.
Published: August 2018

Public trust in health care systems has been measured in many countries, but there have been few studies of the intercountry variability in trust, or the degree to which such variability is because of population or structural characteristics.

We used data from the health care survey conducted by the International Social Survey Program from 2011 to 2013 in 31 countries to assess whether intercountry variability was significantly greater than intracountry variability using general linear models in which country was treated as a fixed factor. We also assessed the extent to which intercountry variability was because of respondent and economic circumstances (gross national income per capita).

Public trust in the health care system varied significantly across countries (P < .001), even after adjustment for 8 within‐country predictors and gross national income per capita. One of the strongest predictors of trust was the respondents' most recent health care experience. Higher respondent education, urban residence, and a lower country's gross national income predicted less trust in the health care system.

After countries with the 10% highest health expenditures per capita (United States) and the 10% lowest health care expenditures per capita (China and the Philippines) were removed, public trust in the health care system was positively associated with the remaining countries' health care expenditures per capita (Pearson correlation coefficient, 0.490; P = .008) and gross national income per capita (Pearson correlation coefficient, 0.495; P = .007).

There is significant variation in public trust in health care across the countries studied. The intercountry differences are due, in part to economic circumstances.
Success factors for universal access to antiretroviral treatments in South Africa
Authors: Guillon Marlène
Published: August 2018

This article studies the epidemiological and economic impacts of a universal testing and treatment policy of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in South Africa. A model of disease transmission is built to simulate several implementation scenarios of the policy. Different behavioral responses in the general population are considered. The results show that the success of a large‐scale HIV testing and treatment program in South Africa depends on its implementation conditions. The policy can lead to a reduction of the HIV epidemic, even in the case of a large relapse in preventive behaviors in the general population, if implementation conditions are favorable. This is the case if the number of infected individuals who are infectious is greatly reduced. From an economic point of view, taking into account the positive externality of antiretroviral (ARV) treatments changes the traditional framework of cost–benefit analyses. A large‐scale testing and treatment program would be cost‐saving in the case of favorable implementation conditions, even following a large increase in risk behaviors after the scaling up of ARV treatments. By contrast, the analysis stresses out the potential perverse effects of scaling up ARV treatments in South Africa if the intervention is set up without ensuring enough resources for patients' monitoring and the availability of effective ARV drugs. Indeed, if the number of treated patients rises while adherence of patients to treatments decreases and the rate of loss to follow‐up increases, the policy could extend the pool of infectious patients and lead to a long‐term amplification of the epidemic.
The effect of the latest health care reforms on the quality of community health services in China
Authors: Gong Yanhong , Xu Juan , Chen Ting , Sun Na , Lu Zuxun , Yin Xiaoxv
Published: August 2018

The Chinese government initiated a new round health care reform in 2009 to provide universal primary health care to the country's population. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the quality of community health services before and after the latest health care reforms in China. A series of nationwide surveys were conducted in 2008 and in 2011to assess the development of the community health services. A total of 2274 and 2501 community health centers, 38 200 and 42 200 prescriptions, and 12 163 and 12 386 outpatients visited community health centers (CHCs) were investigated in 2008 and in 2011, respectively. Multivariable regressions and Kruskal‐Wallis tests were applied to analyze the differences before and after health care reforms. Quality of community health services has been improved significantly at the first stage of health care reforms in China. CHCs were larger and better equipped after health care reforms in terms of average building area and average number of medical equipment. Patient satisfaction increased, and patient payments per visit decreased after health care reforms. But there was no significant improvement in health human resource, and overuse of injections remains prevalent, pointing to the need for further reforms to improve quality of community health services, such as general practitioner cultivation and supervision over prescribing behaviors.
Comparing costs of a senior wellness care redesign in group and independent physician practices of an accountable care organization
Authors: Bustamante Arturo Vargas , Martinez Ana , Rich Jeremy , Chen Xiao , Rodriguez Hector P.
Published: August 2018

Primary care redesign for older adult patients is currently ongoing in countries with aging populations. One of the main challenges of this type of transformations is how to estimate implementation costs in different types of health care delivery organizations. This study compares start‐up and incremental expenses of implementing a primary care redesign across 2 organization types: integrated group (n = 31) practices and independent practice association (IPA) sites (n = 213). Administrators involved with implementing the redesign completed a cost capture template to quantifying expenses. The potential impact of measurement error, recollection bias, and implementation models across sites and geographic regions was examined in sensitivity analyses. Marginal start‐up and incremental expenses were higher for Group sites ($122‐$328) compared to IPA sites ($31‐$227). Group and IPA sites, however, implemented the redesign with different intensities. According to our analyses, if IPA sites implemented the redesign with the same intensity as Group sites, marginal costs would have been $5 to $13 higher for IPA sites than for Group sites. This study shows how a flexible approach to estimate the cost of a wellness care redesign is needed when the intensity of the transformation differs across 2 different types of health care organizations.
Extremely stable high molecular mass soluble multiprotein complex from eggs of sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius with phosphatase activity
Authors: Soboleva Svetlana E. , Burkova Evgeniya E. , Dmitrenok Pavel S. , Bulgakov Dmitrii V. , Menzorova Natalia I. , Buneva Valentina N. , Nevinsky Georgy A.
Published: August 2018

It was proposed that most biological processes are performed by different protein complexes. In contrast to individual proteins and enzymes, their complexes usually have other biological functions, and their formation may be important system process for the expansion of diversity and biological functions of different molecules. Identification and characterization of embryonic components including proteins and their multiprotein complexes seem to be very important for an understanding of embryo function. We have isolated and analyzed for the first time a very stable multiprotein complex (SPC; approximately 1100 kDa) from the soluble fraction of extracts of the sea urchin embryos. By fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) gel filtration the SPC was well separated from other extract proteins. Stable multiprotein complex is stable in different drastic conditions but dissociates moderately in the presence of 8M urea + 1.0M NaCl. According to sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis data, this complex contains many major, moderate and minor proteins with molecular masses from 10 to 95 kDa. The SPC was destroyed by 8M urea or SDS, and its components were separated using thin layer chromatography, ion‐exchange chromatography, gel filtration, and reverse phase chromatography. Using matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry of partially dissociated SPC, it was shown that the complex contains not only proteins (10‐95 kDa) but also few dozens of peptides with molecular masses from 2 to 9.5 kDa. Short peptides form very strong complexes, which at the treatment of SPC with urea or SDS can be partially break down into smaller complexes having different peptide compositions. Reverse phase chromatography of these complexes after all type of abovementioned chromatographies led to detection from 6 to 11 distinct peaks corresponding to new complexes containing up to a few dozens of peptides. The SPCs possess alkaline phosphatase activity. Progress in the study of embryos protein complexes can help to understand their biological functions.
A built‐in surface‐enhanced Raman scattering‐active microneedle for sampling in vivo and surface‐enhanced Raman scattering detection ex vivo of NO
Authors: Han Shuyan , Sun Jie , Wang Jieyu , Qian Weiping , Dong Jian
Published: August 2018

For sampling in vivo and surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection ex vivo, a built‐in SERS‐active microneedle is fabricated by adsorbing gold nanoshells (GNSs; as built‐in SERS‐active materials) in a corroded groove on an acupuncture needle. 3,4‐diaminobenzene‐thiol adsorbed on the GNSs is used as a selective SERS probe to detect nitric oxide (NO). The SERS‐active microneedles take SERS probes into the tissues of living mice with minimal invasion to react with NO selectively and then they are pulled out for direct and rapid SERS detection without any pretreatment steps or tedious operations. The built‐in SERS‐active microneedle would become a versatile platform for sampling in vivo and SERS detection ex vivo, taking SERS beyond culture cells to living animals.
Predictors of survival after resection of primary sarcomas of the chest wall—A large, single‐institution series
Authors: Shewale Jitesh B. , Mitchell Kyle G. , Nelson David B. , Conley Anthony P. , Rice David C. , Antonoff Mara B. , Hofstetter Wayne L. , Walsh Garrett L. , Swisher Stephen G. , Roth Jack A. , Mehran Reza J. , Vaporciyan Ara A. , Weissferdt Annikka , Sepesi Boris
Published: August 2018

Background and Objectives

Chest wall sarcomas are rare and may demonstrate heterogeneous features. Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy used as adjuncts. Herein, we report outcomes of a large cohort of patients with primary chest wall sarcoma who underwent resection.

Methods

Records of 121 patients who underwent resection for primary chest wall sarcoma between 1998 and 2013 were reviewed. A thoracic pathologist reexamined all tumors and categorized them according to grade. Univariable and multivariable Cox analyses were conducted to identify predictors of overall survival (OS).

Results

The median age was 45.0 (range, 11‐81) years, and most tumors (63.6%, 77) were high grade. The median tumor size was 7 cm (range, 1‐21 cm). Fifty‐nine (48.8%) patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 12 (9.9%) received neoadjuvant radiotherapy. A complete resection was achieved in 103 (85.1%) patients. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P = 0.532) and radiation (
P = 1.000) were not associated with a complete resection. Five‐year OS among patients undergoing R0 and R1 resections was 61.9% and 27.8%, respectively. Multivariable analysis identified high grade (HR, 15.21; CI, 3.57‐64.87; P < 0.001), R1 (HR, 3.10; CI, 1.40‐6.86;
P = 0.005), R2 resection (HR, 5.18; CI, 1.91‐14.01; P = 0.001), and age (HR, 1.02; CI, 1.01‐1.03;
P = 0.002) as predictors of OS.

Conclusions

In this series of resected chest wall sarcomas, complete resection and tumor grade remain the most important survival predictors. Individual decisions are required for the utilization of neoadjuvant therapy.
Effect of hydrological variability on the biogeochemistry of estuaries across a regional climatic gradient
Authors: Montagna Paul A. , Hu Xinping , Palmer Terence A. , Wetz Michael
Published: August 2018

Given projected changes in river flow to coastal regions worldwide due to climate change and increasing human freshwater demands, it is necessary to determine the role hydrology plays in regulating the biogeochemistry of estuaries. A climatic gradient exists along the Texas coast where freshwater inflow balance ranges from hydrologically positive to negative (where evaporation exceeds inflow) within a narrow latitudinal band, providing a natural experiment for examining inflow effects. Four Texas estuaries ranging from mesosaline to hypersaline were studied for 3 yr to determine how hydrological changes alter the biogeochemistry within and among the estuaries. Trends in dissolved inorganic nutrients, chlorophyll, dissolved organic matter, and carbonate chemistry indicated that these estuaries had drastically different biogeochemical signatures. Nutrients and chlorophyll patterns illustrated an emerging paradigm where phytoplankton biomass in positive estuaries is supported by “new” nitrogen from riverine input, while high concentrations of reduced nitrogen (organic, ammonium) allowed for high chlorophyll in the negative estuary. For carbonate chemistry, a positive estuary receiving river input from a limestone‐dominated watershed was well‐buffered under moderate to high freshwater inflow conditions. When weathering products were diluted during high‐flow conditions, there is carbonate undersaturation (for aragonite) and decreases in pH. However, “acidification” was not observed in the negative estuary because evaporation concentrated the dissolved species and increased buffering capacity. Hydrological changes over spatial gradients are analogous to climatic changes over time, meaning climate change forecasts of higher temperatures and decreased precipitation can make the biogeochemistry of fresher estuaries change to the patterns of saltier estuaries.
How to use the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP‐Q) system?
Authors: Madhu Chendrimada , Swift Steven , Moloney‐Geany Sophie , Drake Marcus J.
Published: August 2018

Aims

To set out the basic description of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) using the International Continence Society/International Urogynecology Association Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP‐Q) system.

Methods

The basic approach to use of the POP‐Q was identified and summarized.

Results

Six defined points in the vagina are identified; points Aa and Ba for the anterior vagina, Ap and Bp for the posterior vagina, and C and D for the cervix/vault. Point D is not used in women who previously had a hysterectomy. The patient is asked to strain, ideally when in the standing position, to elicit the POP to its maximum extent. The location of the defined points is then gauged relative to the hymenal ring and recorded on a grid. Three additional measurements are taken to achieve a full description; the genital hiatus length, perineal body length, and total vaginal length. Staging a POP relies on identifying the lowest extent of any part of the six defined points; if any point reaches close to the hymenal ring (at least stage 2), the prolapse is usually symptomatic.

Conclusions

The POP‐Q system is readily cataloged and offers detailed description of considerable benefit in clinical practice and research.
A computation‐implementation parallelization approach to the vehicle loading and routing problem
Authors: Çavdar Bahar , Sokol Joel
Published: August 2018

In this article, we address a version of the capacitated vehicle routing problem where there is a constraint on the total time that can be spent on computing delivery routes and loading the vehicles. This problem, which we call the vehicle loading and routing problem (VLRP), can arise, for example, in the delivery of small, quick‐turnaround orders from a warehouse. We propose a computation‐implementation parallelization (CIP) approach to solving large VLRP instances, and present computational results showing that CIP improves upon the conventional compute‐first‐implement‐later method. Our approach allows us to find lower‐cost solutions in the same amount of time, or alternatively to find equally good solutions that allow improvements in order cutoff time or truck dispatching time to increase customer satisfaction.
Asymptotic convergence of the parallel full approximation scheme in space and time for linear problems
Authors: Bolten Matthias , Moser Dieter , Speck Robert
Published: August 2018

For time‐dependent partial differential equations, parallel‐in‐time integration using the “parallel full approximation scheme in space and time” (PFASST) is a promising way to accelerate existing space‐parallel approaches beyond their scaling limits. Inspired by the classical Parareal method and multigrid ideas, PFASST allows to integrate multiple time steps simultaneously using a space–time hierarchy of spectral deferred correction sweeps. While many use cases and benchmarks exist, a solid and reliable mathematical foundation is still missing. Very recently, however, PFASST for linear problems has been identified as a multigrid method. In this paper, we will use this multigrid formulation and, in particular, PFASST's iteration matrix to show that, in the nonstiff and stiff limit, PFASST indeed is a convergent iterative method. We will provide upper bounds for the spectral radius of the iteration matrix and investigate how PFASST performs for increasing numbers of parallel time steps. Finally, we will demonstrate that the results obtained here indeed relate to actual PFASST runs.
The nuclear receptor superfamily: A structural perspective
Authors: Weikum Emily R. , Liu Xu , Ortlund Eric A.
Published: August 2018

Nuclear receptors (NRs) are a family of transcription factors that regulate numerous physiological processes such as metabolism, reproduction, inflammation, as well as the circadian rhythm. NRs sense changes in lipid metabolite levels to drive differential gene expression, producing distinct physiologic effects. This is an allosteric process whereby binding a cognate ligand and specific DNA sequences drives the recruitment of diverse transcriptional co‐regulators at chromatin and ultimately transactivation or transrepression of target genes. Dysregulation of NR signaling leads to various malignances, metabolic disorders, and inflammatory disease. Given their important role in physiology and ability to respond to small lipophilic ligands, NRs have emerged as valuable therapeutic targets. Here, we summarize and discuss the recent progress on understanding the complex mechanism of action of NRs, primarily from a structural perspective. Finally, we suggest future studies to improve our understanding of NR signaling and better design drugs by integrating multiple structural and biophysical approaches.
Antiinflammation constituents from Curcuma zedoaroides
Authors: Tungcharoen Pattreeya , Wattanapiromsakul Chatchai , Tansakul Pimpimon , Nakamura Seikou , Matsuda Hisashi , Tewtrakul Supinya
Published: August 2018

Curcuma zedoaroides, a Zingiberaceae species, has been used for snake bite antidote and wound care in Thailand. Seven compounds were isolated from the bioactive chloroform extract consisted of one new guaiane sesquiterpene lactone, 5‐epiphaeocaulisin A (4) and one new diarylheptanoid, 1,2,3,5‐tetrahydroxy‐1‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxyphenyl)‐7‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl) heptane (7), together with five known guaiane‐type sesquiterpene lactones including gweicurculactone (1), zedoalactone B (2), phaeocaulisin C (3), zedoalactone H (5), and zedoalactone E (6). The antiinflammation was investigated on NO and TNF‐α production using RAW264.7 cells. In addition, the expressions of genes involved in inflammation including iNOS, COX‐2, and TNF‐α were assessed. The results found that Compounds 1–7 presented their antiinflammation against NO production. The most potential effects were demonstrated on Compounds 1 and 7 with IC50 of 27.3 and 32.6 μM, respectively. Although, Compounds 1 and 7 did not inhibit TNF‐α production, their suppression on iNOS and COX‐2 mRNA expression were revealed. These results support the ability of chloroform fraction, Compounds 1 and 7 on antiinflammation, whereas others exhibited moderate and mild effect.
Greater lifetime stress exposure predicts blunted cortisol but heightened DHEA responses to acute stress
Authors: Lam Jovian C.W. , Shields Grant S. , Trainor Brian C. , Slavich George M. , Yonelinas Andrew P.
Published: August 2018

Although prior research has examined how early adversity and chronic stress exposure relate to hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis responses to acute stress, to date, no studies have examined how stressors occurring over the entire lifespan predict such responses. To address this issue, we recruited 61 healthy young adults and measured their exposure to 55 different types of acute life events and chronic difficulties occurring over the lifespan. In addition, we characterized differences in participants' HPA axis responses to acute stress by measuring their salivary cortisol and DHEA responses to the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups. Greater cumulative stress exposure was associated with a blunted cortisol response, but a heightened DHEA response, to the acute stressor. Moreover, it was participants' exposure to these stressors (i.e., lifetime count), not their perceived severity, which predicted their cortisol and DHEA responses to acute stress. Furthermore, differential effects were observed by stress exposure domain. Notably, only adulthood and marital/partner stressors significantly predicted cortisol responses to acute stress, whereas stress was more uniformly associated with DHEA responses to the acute stressor. These results thus reveal how cumulative stress exposure is associated with HPA axis responsivity to acute stress, while highlighting the fact that different stressors may have substantially different associations with these biological outcomes.
IMEX based multi‐scale time advancement in ODTLES
Authors: Glawe Christoph , Medina M. Juan A. , Schmidt Heiko
Published: August 2018

In this paper we overcome a key problem in an otherwise highly potential approach to study turbulent flows, ODTLES (One‐Dimensional Turbulence Large Eddy Simulation). From a methodological point of view, ODTLES is an approach in between Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) and averaged/filtered approaches like RANS (Reynolds Averaged Navier‐Stokes) or LES (Large Eddy Simulations). In ODTLES, a set of 1D ODT models is embedded in a coarse grained 3D LES. On the ODT scale, the turbulent advection is modeled as a sequence of stochastic eddy events, also known as triplet maps, while the other (deterministic) terms are fully resolved in space (along the ODT‐line) and time. Schmidt et al. first (2008) introduced ODTLES and Gonzalez et al. (2011) applied the model for a variety of wall‐bounded flow problems. Although the results were notable for a first proof of concept, the numerical methods used are subject to debate. First of all, an unstable discretization for the large scale 3D advective terms was used, as shown by Glawe (2015). This scheme can be stabilized by reducing the CFL number for the explicitly discretized LES terms down to the order of the small scale ODT time step, but this of course reduces the advantage of the ODTLES multi‐scale approach. The stochastic ODT eddies were also allowed to overlap two LES cells introducing an artificial smoothing (stabilizing) effect. Glawe (2015) limited the overlap consistently to one LES cell and used a stable Runge Kutta (RK) discretization, maintaining, however the low CFL number problem. In this paper we adapt a new implicit/explicit (IMEX) time scheme to ODTLES in order to remedy the small CFL number issue. For the problems investigated, the results indicate a performance increase of the IMEX scheme by a factor of 17 based on the ratio of applied CFL numbers. This allowed simulations of a turbulent channel flow with characteristic friction Reynolds number on one Banana Pi single board computer. We compare results to available DNS data and discuss in general the efficiency and potential of ODTLES for high Reynolds number flows.