bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analytic Formulas to Calculate Symmetric Brothers of a Node in a Perfect Binary Tree
Authors: WANG Xingbo , SHEN Zhen
Published: August 2018

The paper puts forward and solves the problem of calculating the symmetric brother nodes of a given node in a perfect binary tree. By analyzing the relationships between a node and its ancestors, the position at which a node lies in term of the subtree rooted by an ancestor is expressed with a mathematical formula and consequently the mathematical formula to express its symmetric nodes is derived out. The formulas enable an easy calculation of a node and its symmetric nodes in the perfect binary tree.
Petrażycki jako prekursor law & economics
Authors: Giaro Tomasz
Published: August 2018

At the end of the 19th century the first wave of the movement law & economics has taken place in Europe. One of its protagonists was Leon Petrażycki (Leo von Petrażycki, 1867–1931), a Polish jurist who studied in Russia and in Germany. His book “Die Lehre vom Einkommen” whose title can be best translated as “The Doctrine of Income” was published in Berlin in 1893 (1st volume) and 1895 (2nd volume). The doctrine of Petrażycki, who insisted on using economic instead of technical-legal concepts, reveals astonishing resemblances to the modern movement of law & economics, inaugurated in 1960-ties in the USA.
Dziedzictwo prawne Leona Petrażyckiego w nowoczesnej doktrynie prawnej Ukrainy
Authors: Kostytsky Wasyl W.
Published: August 2018

The paper aims to study the work of Leon Petrazycki and analyze modern
Ukrainian scholars’ opinions on Petrazycki’s scientific achievements. This study
focuses on Petrazycki’s work, his psychological theory, in particular, in view
of our own perspective on the law and within the framework of our theological
and sociological theory, which considers the law as a social life phenomenon
and regards moral imperative of the Almighty God as the basis of law. Every
civilization communicates moral imperative through sacred writings (the Ten Commandments in Christian Bible, six hundred and seven rules in Jewish Torah,
seventy-two rules in Muslim Quran). It is within the framework of this moral
imperative that the society and the state develop the law.
The paper addresses the modern absurdity and at the same time antinomy of
law, lying in the fact that there is more and more law in the society but less and
less law in life of an individual due to the fact that states rapidly upscale rulemaking,
but laws are becoming less accessible to an individual. This study draws
on conceptual issues of Petrazycki’s theoretical heritage, fundamental principles
of his psychological theory, as well as connection between law and morality,
described by Petrazycki, which are the spiritual heritage of society. The most
important issues of Petrazycki’s work, in our opinion, are studying the nature of
law, balance of emotion and intellect, official and intuitive, desirable and actual
components in law, as well as subjective and objective law, law policy and power.
The paper reveals that assessment of Petrazycki’s work in modern Ukrainian legal studies is ambivalent: from sharply critical (Prof. P. Rabinovich), compliant with Russian (O. Timoshina (St. Petersburg)) approach and critical yet positive perception of Petrazycki’s psychological theory (S. Maksymov, O. Merezhko, M. Kuz, O. Stovba) to admiration for Petrazycki’s genius, whose work was ahead of his time (I. Bezklubyi, N. Huralenko, V. Dudchenko, O. Rohach, M. Savchyn, V. Tymoshenko). Thus, the research findings suggest that Petrazycki’s work belongs not only to the past, but also to the present and future of jurisprudence, sociology, psychology, economics. Further in-depth analysis of Petrazycki’s heritage will contribute to more accurate diagnosis of urgent legal issues in social development of modern Ukraine, real assertion of personocentrism as a postulate of contemporary theoretical jurisprudence and guidelines for public authorities, as well as practical solution to many controversial scientific and legal issues.
Leon Petrażycki jako twórca nowej teorii prawa naturalnego
Authors: Szyszkowska Maria
Published: August 2018

Petrażycki’s philosophy of law remains significant in the 21st century and adheres to the concept of democracy as a system characterized by ideological pluralism. Leon Petrażycki is often mistakenly included in legal positivism. Alike Rudolf Stammler, he is the creator of the theory of natural law of with variable content. The essential necessity of ideals in the life of individuals and society demonstrated by Petrażycki is very important because the ideals perfect the human psyche. Petrażycki’s view indicating the importance of consciousness is significant beyond other scientific disciplines. All legal regulations depend on its level of development, and determine the way of management.
Comparison of Some ELISA Kits for Aflatoxin M1 Quantification
Authors: Imtiaz Nida , Yunus Agha Waqar
Published: August 2018

Background: ELISA is a widely used method for aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) quantification in dairy products. This study was conducted to compare ELISA kits from different manufacturers for AFM1 quantification inmilk. Methods: High sensitivity ELISA kits (for up to 250 ng AFM1/L), including AgraQuant (Romer Labs), Bioshield M1ES (Prognosis Biotech), Helica 96 (Helica Biosystems), Veratox (Neogen, Inc.), and the medium sensitivity kit Immunolab AM1E01 (Immunolab GmbH; for 10–1000ng AFM1/L) were tested against a certified reference AFM1 whole milk having 44 ng AFM1/L and its 10-fold dilution, and a50 ng AFM1/L standard. In another experiment, Prognosis Bioshield M1UF (70–1000 ng AFM1/L), Romer’s AgraquantPlus (10–2000 ng AFM1/L), and Immunulab’s AM1E01 kits were compared totest a 500 ng AFM1/L solution. Results: In both of the experiments, the quantification ofthe tested AFM1 levels did not differ (P ≥ 0.310) between the kitsfrom various manufacturers. In the case of 4.4 ng AFM1/L, recovery of the toxin wasclose to the assigned value under the kit by Neogen, Inc. Incase the of 44 ng level, better recoveries were seen under the kits by Immunolab and Prognosis Biotech. In both the cases, low relative standard deviation (RSD) values were obtained only for the kit by Prognosis Biotech. In the case of the 50 and 500 ng AFM1/L solutions, the kits by Prognosis Biotech and Romer Labs provided recoveries close tothe assigned values as well as low RSD. Conclusions: These data indicate that all thestudied ELISA kit brands had comparable efficacy forAFM1 quantification. Recovery of the toxin and RSD may, however, differ between kits fromvarious manufacturers.
Why Atlas Hasn't Shrugged: Review Essay
Authors: Mehrotra Ajay K.
Published: August 2018

Taxing the Rich: A History of Fiscal Fairness in the United State and Europe. By Kenneth Scheve & David Stasavage. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. 2016. Pp. xv, 266. $29.95.
Substance Abuse
Authors: Frim Landon , Fluss Harrison ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: August 2018

This paper will set out in plain language the basic ontology of “Deleuze’s Spinoza”; it will then critically examine whether such a Spinoza has, or indeed could have, ever truly existed. In this, it will be shown that Deleuze’s reading of Spinoza involves the imposition of three interlocking, formal principles. These are (1) Necessitarianism, (2) Immanence, and (3) Univocity. The uncovering of Deleuze’s use of these three principles, how they relate to one another, and what they jointly imply in terms of ontology, will occupy Part 1 of this paper. The critique of these principles from a Spinozist perspective, i.e. that their use by Deleuze is incompatible with Spinoza’s own metaphysics, will occupy Part 2 of this paper.
Electroencephalographic responses of anaesthetised pigs to intraperitoneal injection of sodium pentobarbital
Authors: Kells NJ , Beausoleil NJ , Sutherland MA , Johnson CB
Published: August 2018

Small laboratory animals are commonly euthanased via intraperitoneal (IP) injection of sodium pentobarbital. However, there is concern that animals may experience pain prior to loss of consciousness with this delivery route. The present study investigated electroencephalographic (EEG) nociceptive responses of anaesthetised pigs to IP sodium pentobarbital injection using an established minimal anaesthesia model. Thirty commercial white line entire male pigs aged 10-15 days were minimally anaesthetised with halothane in oxygen. Following 10 min of baseline EEG data collection, pigs had their tails docked using side-cutters and, after a further 5-min interval, were euthanased via IP injection of sodium pentobarbital (250 mg kg-1). The summary variables median frequency (F50), 95% spectral edge frequency (F95) and total power (PTOT) were derived from the EEG data. For each variable in each pig, means were calculated for the following 60-s periods: immediately prior to tail-docking (baseline 1); immediately prior to pentobarbital injection (at least 4 min after docking; baseline 2); and for two consecutive 60-s periods immediately following pentobarbital injection (P1 and P2). Statistical analyses revealed no differences between the two baseline periods, indicating that transient EEG changes induced by tail-docking had resolved prior to pentobarbital injection. IP pentobarbital injection induced a significant increase in F50 and decrease in PTOTof the EEG during P1. This response is characteristic of acute nociception, indicating that conscious pigs likely perceive IP sodium pentobarbital as painful in the period prior to loss of consciousness.
Les erreurs de syntaxe, d’orthographe grammaticale et d’orthographe lexicale des élèves québécois en contexte de production écrite
Authors: Boivin Marie-Claude , Pinsonneault Reine
Published: August 2018

Cet article dresse un portrait des erreurs de syntaxe, d’orthographe grammaticale et d’orthographe lexicale relevées dans environ 1000 textes d’élèves québécois de 4e et 6e primaire et de 2e et 5e secondaire. En général, les filles font moins d’erreurs que les garçons. À tous les niveaux scolaires, les erreurs les plus fréquentes relèvent de la syntaxe (en particulier, ponctuation et homophones grammaticaux). Le nombre d’erreurs liées à la phrase simple diminue peu avec le niveau. Parfois, il n’y a pas de différence significative entre certains niveaux, notamment entre la 2e secondaire et la 6e primaire. Aussi, les élèves de 2e secondaire font significativement plus d’erreurs d’accord régi par le sujet que ceux de la 6e primaire. Cette absence apparente de progression pour certaines catégories pourrait être attribuée à la production par les élèves plus âgés de contextes syntaxiques plus complexes. Les résultats permettent de discuter certains indicateurs de maturité syntaxique.
Some Distinctive Features of Narrative Environments
Authors: Austin Tricia
Published: August 2018

This paper explores key characteristics of spatial narratives, which are called narrative environments here. Narrative environments can take the form of exhibitions, brand experiences and certain city quarters where stories are deliberately being told in, and through, the space. It is argued that narrative environments can be conceived as being located on a spectrum of narrative practice between media-based narratives and personal life narratives. While watching a screen or reading a book, you are, although often deeply emotionally immersed in a story, always physically ‘outside’ the story. By contrast, you can walk right into a narrative environment, becoming emotionally, intellectually and bodily surrounded by, and implicated in, the narrative. An experience in a narrative environment is, nonetheless, different from everyday experience, where the world, although designed, is not deliberately constituted by others intentionally to imbed and communicate specific stories. The paper proposes a theoretical framework for space as a narrative medium and offers a critical analysis of two case studies of exhibitions, one in a museum and one in the public realm, to support the positioning of narrative environments in the centre of the spectrum of narrative practice.
Editorial: Interiority as Relations
Authors: Atmodiwirjo Paramita , Yatmo Yandi Andri
Published: August 2018

Understanding the relations between human being and its environment is critical in our attempt to create an appropriate built environment. Interior as a discipline has a privilege to be in the intersection between subjective experience of human users and the physical manifestation of environment occupied by the human. Looking at interiority as a relational construct that occurs between the users and environment should be an essential basis for design practice. This issue of Interiority intends to explore various forms of relational construct that emerge in the interaction between space and the users and to identify possible challenges posed by such relations for spatial design practice.
Herbivore biocontrol and manual removal successfully reduce invasive macroalgae on coral reefs
Authors: Neilson Brian J. , Wall Christopher B. , Mancini Frank T. , Gewecke Catherine A.
Published: August 2018

Invasive macroalgae pose a serious threat to coral reef biodiversity by monopolizing reef habitats, competing with native species, and directly overgrowing, and smothering reef corals. Several invasive macroalgae (Eucheuma clade E, Kappaphycus clade A and B, Gracilaria salicornia, and Acanthophora spicifera) are established within Kāne‘ohe Bay (O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, USA), and reducing invasive macroalgae cover is a coral reef conservation and management priority. Invasive macroalgae control techniques, however, are limited and few successful large-scale applications exist. Therefore, a two-tiered invasive macroalgae control approach was designed, where first, divers manually remove invasive macroalgae (Eucheuma and Kappaphycus) aided by an underwater vacuum system (“The Super Sucker”). Second, hatchery-raised juvenile sea urchins (Tripneustes gratilla), were outplanted to graze and control invasive macroalgae regrowth. To test the effectiveness of this approach in a natural reef ecosystem, four discrete patch reefs with high invasive macroalgae cover (15–26%) were selected, and macroalgae removal plus urchin biocontrol (treatment reefs, n = 2), or no treatment (control reefs, n = 2), was applied at the patch reef-scale. In applying the invasive macroalgae treatment, the control effort manually removed ∼19,000 kg of invasive macroalgae and ∼99,000 juvenile sea urchins were outplanted across to two patch reefs, totaling ∼24,000 m2 of reef area. Changes in benthic cover were monitored over 2 years (five sampling periods) before-and-after the treatment was applied. Over the study period, removal and biocontrol reduced invasive macroalgae cover by 85% at treatment reefs. Our results show manual removal in combination with hatchery raised urchin biocontrol to be an effective management approach in controlling invasive macroalgae at reef-wide spatial scales and temporal scales of months to years.
Mesopredatory fishes from the subtropical upwelling region off NW-Africa characterised by their parasite fauna
Authors: Alt Katharina G. , Kuhn Thomas , Münster Julian , Klapper Regina , Kochmann Judith , Klimpel Sven
Published: August 2018

Eastern boundary upwelling provides the conditions for high marine productivity in the Canary Current System off NW-Africa. Despite its considerable importance to fisheries, knowledge on this marine ecosystem is only limited. Here, parasites were used as indicators to gain insight into the host ecology and food web of two pelagic fish species, the commercially important speciesTrichiurus lepturusLinnaeus, 1758, andNealotus tripesJohnson, 1865.Fish specimens ofT. lepturus(n = 104) andN. tripes(n = 91), sampled from the Canary Current System off the Senegalese coast and Cape Verde Islands, were examined, collecting data on their biometrics, diet and parasitisation. In this study, the first parasitological data onN. tripesare presented.T. lepturusmainly preyed on small pelagic Crustacea and the diet ofN. tripeswas dominated by small mesopelagic Teleostei. Both host species were infested by mostly generalist parasites. The parasite fauna ofT. lepturusconsisted of at least nine different species belonging to six taxonomic groups, with a less diverse fauna of ectoparasites and cestodes in comparison to studies in other coastal ecosystems (Brazil Current and Kuriosho Current). The zoonotic nematodeAnisakis pegreffiioccurred in 23% of the samples and could pose a risk regarding food safety. The parasite fauna ofN. tripeswas composed of at least thirteen species from seven different taxonomic groups. Its most common parasites were digenean ovigerous metacercariae, larval cestodes and a monogenean species (Diclidophoridae). The observed patterns of parasitisation in both host species indicate their trophic relationships and are typical for mesopredators from the subtropical epi- and mesopelagic. The parasite fauna, containing few dominant species with a high abundance, represents the typical species composition of an eastern boundary upwelling ecosystem.
The role of biotic factors during plant establishment in novel communities assessed with an agent-based simulation model
Authors: Radny Janina , Meyer Katrin M.
Published: August 2018

Background

Establishment success of non-native species is not only influenced by environmental conditions, but also by interactions with local competitors and enemies. The magnitude of these biotic interactions is mediated by species traits that reflect competitive strength or defence mechanisms. Our aim was to investigate the importance of species traits for successful establishment of non-native species in a native community exhibiting biotic resistance in the form of competition and herbivory.

Methods

We developed a trait-based, individual-based simulation model tracking the survival of non-native plants in a native community. In the model, non-native plants are characterized by high or low values of competition and defence traits. Model scenarios included variation of initial number of non-natives, intensity of competitive interaction, density of herbivores and density as well as mixture of the native community.

Results

Traits related to competition had a much greater impact on survival of non-native species than traits related to defence. Survival rates of strong competitors never fell below 50% while survival of weak competitors averaged at about 10%. Weak competitors were also much more susceptible to competitive pressures such as community density, composition and competition intensity. Strong competitors responded negatively to changes in competition intensity, but hardly to composition or density of the native community. High initial numbers of non-native individuals decreased survival rate of strong competitors, but increased the survival rate of weak competitors. Survival under herbivore attack was only slightly higher for plants with high defensive ability than for those with low defensive ability. Surprisingly, though, herbivory increased survival of species classified as weak competitors.

Discussion

High survival rates of strong non-native competitors relate to a higher probability of successful establishment than for weak competitors. However, the reduced survival of strong competitors at high initial numbers indicates a self-thinning effect, probably mediated by a strongly competitive milieu. For weak competitors, our model emphasizes positive effects of high propagule pressure known from field studies. General effects of herbivory or defence abilities on survival were not supported by our model. However, the positive effect of herbivory on survival of weak competitors indicated side effects of herbivory, such as weakening resident competitors. This might play an important role for establishment of non-natives in a new community.
Denoising the Denoisers: an independent evaluation of microbiome sequence error-correction approaches
Authors: Nearing Jacob T. , Douglas Gavin M. , Comeau André M. , Langille Morgan G.I.
Published: August 2018

High-depth sequencing of universal marker genes such as the 16S rRNA gene is a common strategy to profile microbial communities. Traditionally, sequence reads are clustered into operational taxonomic units (OTUs) at a defined identity threshold to avoid sequencing errors generating spurious taxonomic units. However, there have been numerous bioinformatic packages recently released that attempt to correct sequencing errors to determine real biological sequences at single nucleotide resolution by generating amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). As more researchers begin to use high resolution ASVs, there is a need for an in-depth and unbiased comparison of these novel “denoising” pipelines. In this study, we conduct a thorough comparison of three of the most widely-used denoising packages (DADA2, UNOISE3, and Deblur) as well as an open-reference 97% OTU clustering pipeline on mock, soil, and host-associated communities. We found from the mock community analyses that although they produced similar microbial compositions based on relative abundance, the approaches identified vastly different numbers of ASVs that significantly impact alpha diversity metrics. Our analysis on real datasets using recommended settings for each denoising pipeline also showed that the three packages were consistent in their per-sample compositions, resulting in only minor differences based on weighted UniFrac and Bray–Curtis dissimilarity. DADA2 tended to find more ASVs than the other two denoising pipelines when analyzing both the real soil data and two other host-associated datasets, suggesting that it could be better at finding rare organisms, but at the expense of possible false positives. The open-reference OTU clustering approach identified considerably more OTUs in comparison to the number of ASVs from the denoising pipelines in all datasets tested. The three denoising approaches were significantly different in their run times, with UNOISE3 running greater than 1,200 and 15 times faster than DADA2 and Deblur, respectively. Our findings indicate that, although all pipelines result in similar general community structure, the number of ASVs/OTUs and resulting alpha-diversity metrics varies considerably and should be considered when attempting to identify rare organisms from possible background noise.
Indole and 2,4-Thiazolidinedione conjugates as potential anticancer modulators
Authors: Corigliano Domenica M. , Syed Riyaz , Messineo Sebastiano , Lupia Antonio , Patel Rahul , Reddy Chittireddy Venkata Ramana , Dubey Pramod K. , Colica Carmela , Amato Rosario , De Sarro Giovambattista , Alcaro Stefano , Indrasena Adisherla , Brunetti Antonio
Published: August 2018

Background

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs), also called glitazones, are five-membered carbon ring molecules commonly used for the management of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Recently, many prospective studies have also documented the impact of these compounds as anti-proliferative agents, though several negative side effects such as hepatotoxicity, water retention and cardiac issues have been reported. In this work, we synthesized twenty-six new TZD analogues where the thiazolidinone moiety is directly connected to an N-heterocyclic ring in order to lower their toxic effects.

Methods

By adopting a widely applicable synthetic method, twenty-six TZD derivatives were synthesized and tested for their antiproliferative activity in MTT and Wound healing assays with PC3 (prostate cancer) and MCF-7 (breast cancer) cells.

Results

Three compounds, out of twenty-six, significantly decreased cellular viability and migration, and these effects were even more pronounced when compared with rosiglitazone, a well-known member of the TZD class of antidiabetic agents. As revealed by Western blot analysis, part of this antiproliferative effect was supported by apoptosis studies evaluating BCL-xL and C-PARP protein expression.

Conclusion

Our data highlight the promising potential of these TZD derivatives as anti-proliferative agents for the treatment of prostate and breast cancer.
Coercivity Determines Magnetic Particle Heating
Authors: Starsich Fabian H. L. , Eberhardt Christian , Boss Andreas , Hirt Ann M. , Pratsinis Sotiris E.
Published: August 2018

Diseased cell treatment by heating with magnetic nanoparticles is hindered by their required high concentrations. A clear relationship between heating efficiency and magnetic properties of nanoparticles has not been attained experimentally yet due to limited availability of magnetic nanoparticles with varying size and composition. Here, versatile flame aerosol technology is used for the synthesis of 21 types of ferro‐/ferrimagnetic nanocrystals with varying composition, size, and morphology for hyperthermia and thermoablation therapy. Heating efficiency, magnetic hysteresis, and first‐order reversal curves of these materials are compared. The maximum heating performance occurs near the transition from superparamagnetic to single domain state, regardless of particle composition. Most importantly, the ratio between saturation magnetization and coercivity can be linked to the heating properties of magnetic nanoparticles. Magnetic interaction is controlled by changes in the architecture of the nanoparticles and closely analyzed by first‐order reversal curves. Silica‐coated nonstoichiometric Gd‐Zn ferrite exhibits the most promising therapeutic capability at relatively low particle concentrations, as shown in vitro with cancerous prostate cells.
Coaxial Hybrid Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Scavenging Multidirectional Mechanical Energy
Authors: Zhu Yaxing , Yu Aifang , Cao Ran , Wen Rongmei , Jia Mengmeng , Lei Ying , Zhang Yang , Liu Yudong , Zhai Junyi
Published: August 2018

Scavenging mechanical energy from ambient environment has been one of the most promising approaches to tackle global energy shortage for its marvelous abundance over the world. Yet harvesting such energy finely is rather challenging because of highly fragmentary property. Recently, efforts based on triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) made it no longer a dream to promote this progress. In this paper, a novel coaxial hybrid TENG (CH‐TENG) with the integration of rubber core and elastic wavy shell is demonstrated, which can run in two distinguishing working modes to collect the mechanical energy from multiple directions. While operated by researchers manually, a maximum instantaneous output of 150 and 48 V of open‐circuit voltage (VOC), 2 µA and 145 nA of short‐circuit current (ISC) can be reached under continuous off‐axial pressing as well as axial stretching, respectively, sufficing to charge commercial capacitors and drive 20 light‐emitting diode bulbs. Attributing to the elaborate design of structure, as‐fabricated CH‐TENG shows lots of merits such as remarkable durability, high portability, outstanding sensitivity, and superb directivity. All of these manifest its great competitiveness in upcoming green future.
Features of Feingold syndrome 1 dominate in subjects with 2p deletions including MYCN
Authors: Burnside Rachel D. , Molinari Sharon , Botti Christina , Brooks Susan Sklower , Chung Wendy K. , Mehta Lakshmi , Schwartz Stuart , Papenhausen Peter
Published: August 2018

Interstitial deletions of the distal short arm of chromosome 2 including MYCN have only been reported for a small number of individuals. Germline deletions and mutations of MYCN cause Feingold syndrome 1 (FS1), a rare disorder characterized by microcephaly, digit anomalies, gastrointestinal atresias, short stature, dysmorphic features, and intellectual disability. We present a series of six individuals referred for SNP microarray with overlapping deletions of 2p ranging from 3.4 to 16.8 Mb in size, with a common overlapping region of 1.53 Mb spanning (14,614,477–16,148,021) [hg19] and including five genes: NBAS, DDX1, MYCNUT, MYCNOS, and MYCN. Clinical information was available for five individuals. Clinical features included core features of FS1 such as microcephaly, digit anomalies, and gastrointestinal atresias as well as structural cardiac defects, hearing loss, and renal anomalies, which are features less consistently associated with FS1. Other features observed in several individuals, that have not specifically been associated with FS1 were motor delay, structural brain abnormalities, genital abnormalities, and radioulnar synostosis. These results indicate that while individuals with deletions of 2p spanning several megabases and including MYCN can present with features not typically associated with FS1, the common core features are usually present.
Measuring the effectiveness of individual therapy on the well‐being of children and young people who have experienced abusive relationships, particularly domestic violence: A case study
Authors: Perry Sarah , Frampton Ian
Published: August 2018

Background

The evidence base regarding effective interventions for children and young people who experience abusive relationships, particularly domestic violence, is extremely limited.

Aims

To evaluate the effectiveness of individual therapy for children and young people who have experienced abusive relationships; to address the challenges in carrying out such research.

Methodology

A nonexperimental service evaluation repeated measures design with the administration of Routine Outcome Measures (ROMs) that assessed, skills, functioning and symptoms and experience of service. In total, 735 participants aged between 4 and 17 years were referred to the service. More than three quarters of those referred, attended at least three sessions and completed therapy.

Results

The majority of those referred to the service presented with high needs. Mean scores on each of the ROMs improved and these changes were statistically significant. Based on clinical threshold scores, there was a deterioration for a small proportion of the sample (10% or less), improvements for between 28.5 and 49.4% and no change for the remainder. Statistical effect sizes, as measured by the ROMs, were generally in the medium range; satisfaction with the service was high.

Implications

Gathering evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness, or not, of therapy is fraught with difficulties. In the research world, evaluation studies of “real world” interventions may be regarded as inferior to gold standard randomised controlled trials. However, such studies may be better at capturing everyday practice and what can be realistically achieved in terms of measuring effectiveness. There are important implications for commissioning and evaluating such interventions.
Process Intensification – An Unbroken Trend in Chemical Engineering
Authors: Grützner Thomas , Ziegenbalg Dirk , Güttel Robert
Published: August 2018

Process intensification is one of the major strategies in chemical engineering to cope with the steadily increasing demands to design and operate a chemical process as efficient and sustainable as possible. Research on this field reaches back to the middle of the last century and is still an important area of activity for chemical engineers in both, academia and practice. This contribution provides a rough overview on the history of process intensification, highlights three current examples of research (multiple dividing wall column, nanostructured core‐shell catalysts, photocatalytic reactions) and closes with a brief outlook to future activities.
ChromaWizard: An open source image analysis software for multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis
Authors: Auer Norbert , Hrdina Astrid , Hiremath Chaitra , Vcelar Sabine , Baumann Martina , Borth Nicole , Jadhav Vaibhav
Published: August 2018

Multicolor image analysis finds its applications in a broad range of biological studies. Specifically, multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridization (M‐FISH) for chromosome painting facilitates the analysis of individual chromosomes in complex metaphase spreads and is widely used to detect both numerical and structural aberrations. While this is well established for human and mouse karyotypes, for which species sophisticated software and analysis tools are available, other organisms and species are less well served. Commercially available software is proprietary and not easily adaptable to other karyotypes. Therefore, a publically available open source software that combines flexibility and customizable functionalities is needed. Here we present such a tool called “ChromaWizard” which is based on popular scientific image analysis libraries (OpenCV, scikit‐image, and NumPy). We demonstrate its functionality on the example of primary Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus) fibroblasts metaphase spreads and on Chinese Hamster Ovary cell lines known for the large number of chromosomal rearrangements. The application can be easily adapted to any kind of available labeling kits and is
independent of the used organism and instrumentation. It allows direct inspection of the original hybridization signals and enables either manual or automatic assignment of colors, making it a functional and versatile tool that can be used also for other multicolor applications.
Quantitative chromogenic immunohistochemical image analysis in cellprofiler software
Authors: Tollemar V. , Tudzarovski N. , Boberg E. , Törnqvist Andrén A. , Al‐Adili A. , Le Blanc K. , Garming Legert K. , Bottai M. , Warfvinge G. , Sugars R.V.
Published: August 2018

Visual grading of chromogenically stained immunohistochemical (IHC) samples is subjective, time consuming, and predisposed to considerable inter‐ and intra‐observer variations. The open‐source digital analysis software, CellProfiler has been extensively used for fluorescently stained cells/tissues; however, chromogenic IHC staining is routinely used in both pathological and research diagnostics. The current investigation aimed to compare CellProfiler quantitative chromogenic IHC analyses against the gold standard manual counting. Oral mucosal biopsies from patients with chronic graft‐versus‐host disease were stained for CD4. Digitized images were manually counted and subjected to image analysis in CellProfiler. Inter‐observer and inter‐platform agreements were assessed by scatterplots with linear regression and Bland–Altman plots. Validation comparisons between the manual counters demonstrated strong intra‐observer concordance (r2 = 0.979), particularly when cell numbers were less than 100. Scatterplots and Bland–Altman plots demonstrated strong agreement between the manual counters and CellProfiler, with the number of positively stained cells robustly correlating (r2 = 0.938). Furthermore, CellProfiler allowed the determination of multiple variables simultaneously, such as area stained and masking to remove any nonstained tissue and white gaps, which also demonstrated reliable agreement (r2 = >0.9). CellProfiler demonstrated versatility with the ability to assess large numbers of images and allowed additional parameters to be quantified. CellProfiler allowed rapid high processing capacity of chromogenically stained chronic inflammatory tissue that was reliable, accurate, and reproducible and highlights potential applications in research diagnostics.
Genetic diagnosis of a rare myrmecochorous species, Plagiorhegma dubium (Berberidaceae): Historical genetic bottlenecks and strong spatial structures among populations
Authors: Lee Soo‐Rang , Kim Bo‐Yun , Kim Young‐Dong
Published: August 2018

Distribution of genetic variation over time and space is relevant to demographic histories and tightly linked to ecological disturbances as well as evolutionary potential of an organism. Therefore, understanding the pattern of genetic diversity is a primary step in conservation and management projects for rare and threatened plant species. We used eight microsatellite markers to examine the level of genetic diversity, spatial structure, and demographic history of Plagiorhegma dubium, a rare myrmecochorous herb, populations sampled across northeast Asia and Siberia. We found low within‐population genetic variation associated with historical bottlenecks. Although pairwise FST values were not much higher than the ones found in similar life form species, STRUCTURE and PCoA revealed a clear broadscale spatial pattern of genetic structure. Bayesian clustering (best K = 6) and PCoA identified three populations that are distinctive from neighboring populations in the Korean peninsula, which suggests potential units for conservation and management plans in Korea. MIGRATE‐N and BAYESASS showed that both contemporary (0.003–0.045) and historical migration rates (2 × e−5−4.6 × e−4) were low. Our findings provide a good example, where genetic considerations should be integrated for conservation and management plans of rare and threatened species.
Predators modify the temperature dependence of life‐history trade‐offs
Authors: Luhring Thomas M. , Vavra Janna M. , Cressler Clayton E. , DeLong John P.
Published: August 2018

Although life histories are shaped by temperature and predation, their joint influence on the interdependence of life‐history traits is poorly understood. Shifts in one life‐history trait often necessitate shifts in another—structured in some cases by trade‐offs—leading to differing life‐history strategies among environments. The offspring size–number trade‐off connects three traits whereby a constant reproductive allocation (R) constrains how the number (O) and size (S) of offspring change. Increasing temperature and size‐independent predation decrease size at and time to reproduction which can lower R through reduced time for resource accrual or size‐constrained fecundity. We investigated how O, S, and R in a clonal population of Daphnia magna change across their first three clutches with temperature and size‐independent predation risk. Early in ontogeny, increased temperature moved O and S along a trade‐off curve (constant R) toward fewer larger offspring. Later in ontogeny, increased temperature reduced R in the no‐predator treatment through disproportionate decreases in O relative to S. In the predation treatment, R likewise decreased at warmer temperatures but to a lesser degree and more readily traded off S for O whereby the third clutch showed a constant allocation strategy of O versus S with decreasing R. Ontogenetic shifts in S and O rotated in a counterclockwise fashion as temperature increased and more drastically under risk of predation. These results show that predation risk can alter the temperature dependence of traits and their interactions through trade‐offs.
Altered gut microbiota and microbial biomarkers associated with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Lun Hengzhong , Yang Weihua , Zhao Shuping , Jiang Meijie , Xu Mingjie , Liu Fenfen , Wang Yunshan
Published: August 2018

The present study aimed to determine the differences in gut microbiota between patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and healthy controls (HC) and search for better microbial biomarkers associated with CKD. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing approach was used to investigate the differences in gut microbiota between the CKD and HC groups. The study found that 12 phylotypes were overrepresented in the CKD group and 19 in the HC group at the genus level. Furthermore, genera Lachnospira and Ruminococcus_gnavus performed the best in differentiating between HC and CKD populations. In addition, this novel study found that the genera Holdemanella, Megamonas, Prevotella 2, Dielma, and Scardovia were associated with the progression of CKD and hemodialysis. In conclusion, the composition of gut microbiota was different in CKD populations compared with healthy populations, and Lachnospira and R._gnavus were better microbial biomarkers. In addition, five phylotypes, including Holdemanella, Megamonas, Prevotella2, Dielma, and Scardovia, served as an indicator of the progression of CKD and hemodialysis. However, large‐scale prospective studies should be performed to identify the reliability of the set of these phylotypes as biomarkers.
Effect of a Probiotic Preparation on Ventilator‐Associated Pneumonia in Critically Ill Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: A Prospective Double‐Blind Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Mahmoodpoor Ata , Hamishehkar Hadi , Asghari Roghaieh , Abri Ramin , Shadvar Kamran , Sanaie Sarvin
Published: August 2018

Background

Ventilator‐associated pneumonia (VAP) occurs as a life‐threatening complication in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients. Probiotic administration may modify the gut microbiota; however, whether this modification could decrease VAP occurrence is not known.

Methods

In this study, 100 adult critically ill patients undergoing mechanical ventilation for >48 hours were randomly assigned to either the probiotic or the control group. The patients in the probiotic group received 2 capsules of probiotic preparation containing Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Streptococcus spp., and those in the control group received placebo daily for 14 days.

Results

The patients in the probiotic group had a lower incidence
of statistically microbiologically confirmed VAP. The duration of intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stay was also lower in the probiotic group (P < .05). More than half of the patients in the control group had gastric residuals during ICU stay, compared with only 30% of patients in the probiotic group (P = .004). Probiotic usage led to a nonsignificant decrease in diarrhea, gastric and oropharyngeal colonization, and incidence of multidrug‐resistant pathogens. The Kaplan‐Meier survival curves for time to the first episode of VAP did not show a significant difference between probiotic and control groups (log‐rank test = 1.89; P = .17).

Conclusions

The results of probiotic administration for the prevention of VAP remain inconclusive in this trial. However, such an approach can decrease the length of ICU and hospital stay. Well‐designed multicenter clinical studies with defined combinations of probiotics and definite end points are necessary in this field.
Impact of the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program: Achievement Effects for Students in Upper Elementary and Middle School
Authors: Waddington R. Joseph , Berends Mark
Published: August 2018

This paper examines the impact of the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program on student achievement for low‐income students in upper elementary and middle school who used a voucher to transfer from public to private schools during the first four years of the program. We analyzed student‐level longitudinal data from public and private schools taking the same statewide standardized assessment. Overall, voucher students experienced an average achievement loss of 0.15 SDs in mathematics during their first year of attending a private school compared with matched students who remained in a public school. This loss persisted regardless of the length of time spent in a private school. In English/Language Arts, we did not observe statistically meaningful effects. Although school vouchers aim to provide greater educational opportunities for students, the goal of improving the academic performance of low‐income students who use a voucher to move to a private school has not yet been realized in Indiana.
Optimized Adhesion of Plated Silicon Solar Cell Contacts by F2‐Based Dry Atmospheric Pressure Nano‐Roughening
Authors: Büchler Andreas , Kafle Bishal , Weber Julian , Meyer Fabian , Brand Andreas A. , Maier Alexander , Hofmann Marc , Kluska Sven , Bartsch Jonas , Glatthaar Markus
Published: August 2018

The adhesion of a plated layer on a substrate is increased by an appropriate roughness at the interface. The paper reports on plated Ni‐Cu‐Ag contacts for silicon solar cells deposited into passivation layer openings that are created using a nano‐second pulsed laser. The adhesion of plated contacts on ns‐pulsed laser‐structured silicon ab initio is not sufficient. This is attributed to an improper surface topography. Atmospheric pressure dry etching in F2 is introduced as plating pre‐treatment to generate a beneficial nano‐roughness on the silicon substrate. Until now, this method is used in silicon photovoltaics only for the formation of black silicon. Process parameters are adjusted to allow the formation of cavities in the range of 5–30 nm. Thereby, the contact adhesion increases. In peel force tests on busbars, the average peel‐force raised from 0.3 to 2 N mm−1. In sheer‐test on finger contacts an increase of maximum sheer force and a decreasing length of the finger displacement are observed. Due to the high etch selectivity between silicon and silicon nitride, no additional etch mask is required to protect the passivation layer. As precursors with a non‐optimized emitter design are used, the roughening procedure affects the solar cell efficiency.
Effect of Field Annealing Induced Magnetic Anisotropy on the Performance of Meander‐Core Orthogonal Fluxgate Sensor
Authors: Zhi Shaotao , Lei Chong , Yang Zhen , Feng Zhu , Guo Lei , Zhou Yong
Published: August 2018

The magnetic anisotropy field distribution is discussed for Co‐based amorphous ribbon annealed under different field conditions leading to different induced anisotropies: longitudinal field (LF) and transversal field (TF) annealing. In order to understand the relation between the field annealing‐induced anisotropy and the performance of meander‐core orthogonal fluxgate sensor, field‐annealed ribbons with different in‐plane anisotropies as cores of orthogonal fluxgate sensors are employed and both noise and sensitivity in fundamental mode are measured. Experimental results indicate that LF annealing‐induced anisotropy with easy axis perpendicular to the direction of excitation field can effectively improve the sensor sensitivity. On the other hand, TF annealing‐induced anisotropy with easy axis parallel to excitation field results in lower sensitivity, but the noise is also lower. The results obtained are useful for developing the high‐performance orthogonal fluxgate sensors based on amorphous ribbon cores.
Synthesis, Electrochemistry, DFT Calculations, Antimicrobial Properties and X‐ray Crystal Structures of Some NH‐ and/or S‐ Substituted‐1,4‐quinones
Authors: Kacmaz Aysecik , Acar Elif Turker , Atun Gulten , Kaya Kerem , Sigirci Belgi Diren , Bagcigil Funda
Published: August 2018

The NH‐, NH‐,S‐ substituted‐1,4‐naphthoquinones and NH‐, S‐ substituted‐1,4‐benzoquinones have been synthesized from the reaction between quinones (2,3‐Dibromo‐1,4‐naphthoquinone or p‐benzoquinone) and different amines. The structures of the compounds have been confirmed using FTIR, UV‐Vis, 1H‐NMR, 13C‐NMR, mass MS(ESI) spectrometry and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The ground state energies of the molecules have been estimated using B3LYP functional with different basis sets based on time dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT). The theoretical ΔEgap values obtained from TD‐DFT calculations have been compared with UV visible spectroscopy results. Antibacterial and antifungal activities of the synthesized compounds have been evaluated against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Microsporum canis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, respectively. Two representative crystal structures of quinone derivatives, 2‐(4‐Fluorophenylamino)‐3‐bromonaphthalene‐1,4‐dione and 2‐(3,5‐Dimethylphenylthio)cyclohexa‐2,5‐diene‐1,4‐dione, are reported with CCDC 1811265 and CCDC 1811263, respectively.
Dispersion characteristics of various contents of nano‐TiO2 and its effect on the properties of cement‐based composite
Authors: Liu Min , Xiao Huigang , Liu Rui , Liu Junlong
Published: August 2018

Effect of nano‐TiO2 on the compressive strength and permeability of cement paste was studied, and the mechanism was revealed through investigating the hydration evolution and hydration products distribution of cement containing various contents of nano‐TiO2. Hydration Heat of cement, microstructure and pore structure of cement paste indicated that nano‐TiO2 could act as “nuclear” to accelerate the cement hydration, and this acceleration effect strengthened upon the nano‐TiO2 content at early age while reversed at long age. Distribution uniformity of nano‐TiO2 and hydration products was characterized and quantitative evaluated based on the method of energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, which showed that the dispersion of nano‐TiO2 and hydration products had a high relativity, and the most uniform distribution was achieved at a small content of nano‐TiO2. The main effect of nano‐TiO2 on the properties of cement paste at early age and long age was the accelerated hydration and the improved distribution uniformity, respectively.