bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technical Note: Harmonic analysis applied to MR image distortion fields specific to arbitrarily shaped volumes
Authors: Stanescu T. , Jaffray D.
Published: May 2018

Purpose

Magnetic resonance imaging is expected to play a more important role in radiation therapy given the recent developments in MR‐guided technologies. MR images need to consistently show high spatial accuracy to facilitate RT‐specific tasks such as treatment planning and in‐room guidance. The present study investigates a new harmonic analysis method for the characterization of complex three‐dimensional (3D) fields derived from MR images affected by system‐related distortions.

Methods

An interior Dirichlet problem based on solving the Laplace equation with boundary conditions (BCs) was formulated for the case of a 3D distortion field. The second‐order boundary value problem (BVP) was solved using a finite elements method (FEM) for several quadratic geometries — that is, sphere, cylinder, cuboid, D‐shaped, and ellipsoid. To stress‐test the method and generalize it, the BVP was also solved for more complex surfaces such as a Reuleaux 9‐gon and the MR imaging volume of a scanner featuring a high degree of surface irregularities. The BCs were formatted from reference experimental data collected with a linearity phantom featuring a volumetric grid structure. The method was validated by comparing the harmonic analysis results with the corresponding experimental reference fields.

Results

The harmonic fields were found to be in good agreement with the baseline experimental data for all geometries investigated. In the case of quadratic domains, the percentage of sampling points with residual values larger than 1 mm was 0.5% and 0.2% for the axial components and vector magnitude, respectively. For the general case of a domain defined by the available MR imaging field of view, the reference data showed a peak distortion of about 1 mm and 79% of the sampling points carried a distortion magnitude larger than 1 mm (tolerance intrinsic to the experimental data). The upper limits of the residual values after comparison with the harmonic fields showed max and mean of 1.4 and 0.25 mm, respectively, with only 1.5% of sampling points exceeding 1 mm.

Conclusions

A novel harmonic analysis approach relying on finite element methods was introduced and validated for multiple volumes with surface shape functions ranging from simple to highly complex. Since a boundary value problem is solved the method requires input data from only the surface of the desired domain of interest. It is believed that the harmonic method will facilitate (a) the design of new phantoms dedicated for the quantitation of MR image distortions in large volumes and (b) an integrative approach of combining multiple imaging tests specific to radiotherapy into a single test object for routine imaging quality control.
A velocity field level set method for shape and topology optimization
Authors: Wang Yaguang , Kang Zhan
Published: May 2018

In this paper, we propose a new implementation of the level set shape and topology optimization, the velocity field level set method. Therein, the normal velocity field is constructed with specified basis functions and velocity design variables defined on a given set of points that are independent of the finite element mesh. A general mathematical programming algorithm can be employed to find the optimal normal velocities on the basis of the sensitivity analysis. As compared with conventional level set methods, mapping the variational boundary shape optimization problem into a finite‐dimensional design space and the use of a general optimizer makes it more efficient and straightforward to handle multiple constraints and additional design variables. Moreover, the level set function is updated by the Hamilton‐Jacobi equation using the normal velocity field; thus, the inherent merits of the implicit representation is retained. Therefore, this method combines the merits of both the general mathematical programming and conventional level set methods. Integrated topology optimization of structures with embedded components of designable geometries is considered to show the capability of this method to deal with general design variables. Several numerical examples in 2D or 3D design domains illustrate the robustness and efficiency of the method using different basis functions.
Equipotent enantiomers of cyclic opioid peptides at μ opioid receptor
Authors: Weltrowska Grazyna , Nguyen Thi M.‐D. , Chung Nga N. , Wilkes Brian C. , Schiller Peter W.
Published: May 2018

Head‐to‐tail cyclized analogs of the µ opioid receptor (MOR) agonist tetrapeptides DALDA (H‐Tyr‐D‐Arg‐Phe‐Lys‐NH2 and [Dmt1]DALDA (H‐Dmt‐D‐Arg‐Phe‐Lys‐NH2; Dmt = 2′,6′‐dimethyltyrosine) and their enantiomers (mirror‐image isomers) were synthesized and pharmacologically characterized in vitro. Three pairs of enantiomeric cyclic peptides with both mirror‐image isomers having equipotent MOR binding affinities but different binding affinities at the δ and κ opioid receptors were identified. The cyclic peptide enantiomers c[‐D‐Arg‐Phe‐Lys‐Tyr‐] (1) and c[‐Arg‐D‐Phe‐D‐Lys‐D‐Tyr‐] (2) showed nearly identical MOR binding affinity (1‐2 nM) and equipotent MOR antagonist activity. The results of a MOR docking study indicated a very similar binding mode of the two enantiomers with nearly complete spatial overlap of the peptide ring structures and side chain interactions with the same MOR residues. Compounds 1 and 2 represent the first pair of enantiomeric G‐protein‐coupled receptor (GPCR) ligands having multiple chiral centers, with both optical antipodes showing equal, low nanomolar receptor binding affinity.
Clinical Outcomes with Penicillin Versus Alternative β‐Lactams in the Treatment of Penicillin‐Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia
Authors: Shah Megan D. , Wardlow Lynn C. , Stevenson Kurt B. , Coe Kelci E. , Reed Erica E.
Published: May 2018

Objectives

To identify the impact of penicillin versus alternative β‐lactams on clinical outcomes in patients with penicillin‐susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (PSSA) bacteremia.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Academic medical center.

Patients

Adult patients with PSSA bacteremia treated with a β‐lactam as definitive therapy.

Measurements

The primary outcome was a composite end point of 30‐day clinical failure (change in PSSA therapy due to persistent or worsening signs and symptoms, PSSA bacteremia recurrence or persistence, and/or infection‐related mortality) in patients treated with penicillin versus alternative β‐lactams. Secondary outcomes included infection‐related and hospital length of stay (LOS), 90‐day recurrence, 90‐day infection‐related readmission, 30‐day all‐cause mortality, adverse drug events (ADEs), and 30‐day change in PSSA therapy due to ADEs. A subgroup analysis comparing penicillin, nafcillin, and cefazolin was also conducted.

Main Results

For the 122 patients who were included, the most common definitive therapies were nafcillin (37%), cefazolin (29%), and penicillin (21%). No difference was found in 30‐day clinical failure (4% vs 11%, p=0.46), infection‐related LOS (12 days vs 11 days, p=0.39), hospital LOS (12.5 days vs 12 days, p=0.69), 90‐day recurrence (p=1.00), 90‐day infection‐related readmission (p=1.00), or 30‐day all‐cause mortality (p=0.45) between penicillin and other β‐lactams. The prevalence of ADEs was different among penicillin, nafcillin, and cefazolin (p=0.049), with nafcillin requiring more changes in therapy (p=0.005).

Conclusions

Definitive therapy with penicillin had similar efficacy compared with alternative β‐lactams for the treatment of PSSA bacteremia. However, nafcillin was associated with more ADEs requiring a change in therapy.
Implementation of an ICU‐Specific Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome Management Protocol Reduces the Need for Mechanical Ventilation
Authors: Heavner Jason J. , Akgün Kathleen M. , Heavner Mojdeh S. , Eng Claire C. , Drew Matthew , Jackson Peter , Pritchard David , Honiden Shyoko
Published: May 2018

Study Objective

Alcohol use disorders are prevalent and put patients at risk for developing alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). Treatment of AWS with a symptom‐triggered protocol standardizes management and may avoid AWS‐related complications. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether implementation of a specific intensive care unit (ICU) symptom‐triggered protocol for the management of AWS was associated with improved clinical outcomes and, in particular, would reduce the risk of patients with AWS requiring mechanical ventilation.

Design

Retrospective pre‐ and postprotocol implementation study.

Setting

A 36‐bed closed medical ICU (MICU) at a large tertiary care teaching hospital in an urban setting.

Patients

A total of 233 adults admitted to the MICU with any diagnosis of alcohol use disorders based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes and who received at least one dose of any benzodiazepine; of these patients, 139 were in the preprotocol era (August 2009–January 2010 and August 2010–January 2011), and 94 were in the postprotocol era (August 2012–January 2013) after implementation of the Yale Alcohol Withdrawal Protocol (YAWP) in April 2012.

Measurements and Main Results

The YAWP pairs a modified Minnesota Detoxification Scale with an order set that includes benzodiazepine dosing regimens and suggests adjuvant therapies. AWS was the primary reason for ICU admission (107/233 patients [45.9%]) and did not significantly vary between study eras (p=0.2). Of the 233 patients included, 81.1% were male and 67.0% were white, which did not significantly differ by study era. Severity of illness at MICU admission did not significantly differ between patients in the preprotocol and postprotocol eras (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation [APACHE] II median scores of 12 [interquartile range (IQR) 9–17] and 12.5 [IQR 7–16], respectively, p=0.4). Median lorazepam‐equivalent dose per MICU day, duration of benzodiazepine infusion, and use of adjuvant therapy were not significantly different between eras. MICU intubation was less common in the postprotocol era (36/139 patients [25.9%] preprotocol vs 8/94 patients [8.5%] postprotocol, p=0.0009). ICU‐related pneumonia was also decreased in the postprotocol era (30/139 patients [21.6%] preprotocol vs 10/94 patients [10.6%] postprotocol, p=0.03). After adjusting for demographics, adjuvant therapies, and APACHE II scores, protocol implementation was associated with a decreased odds of MICU intubation (odds ratio 0.13, 95% confidence interval 0.04–0.39).

Conclusion

Implementation of YAWP was associated with a decreased risk of MICU intubation in patients at risk for AWS.
Dynamic mechanical and shape memory properties of copolymers based ono‐allylphenol type benzoxazines and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol‐A
Authors: Shen Shanshan , Li Cuiyun , Yang Huiyun , Zhang Yanyu , Han Fengan , Han Fuxin , Liu Yanfang
Published: May 2018

Three benzoxazines based ono‐allylphenol and 1,6‐hexamethylenediamine (HDA) or 4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl methane (DDM) or 4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl ether (DDE) were respectively blended with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol‐A (DGEBA) in various weight ratios followed by thermal polymerization to prepare three series of benzoxazine/DGEBA copolymers. With increasing DGEBA content, the peak temperature of the exothermic peaks in the DSC curves shows a systematic increase for the three series of benzoxazine/DGEBA blends. Each copolymer shows a single glass transition temperature (Tg). As the content of DGEBA is increased,Tgreaches a minimum for the copolymer system based on HDA but a maximum for the two systems based on DDM and DDE. For the same benzoxazine/DGEBA weight ratio, copolymers based on DDM and DDE show highTgvalues over those based on HDA. The three series of benzoxazine/DGEBA copolymers exhibit a one‐way dual shape memory effect based onTg, and the shape memory properties of the copolymers under tensile deformation mode vary with the variation of both diamine bridge structure and DGEBA content. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Functionalization of poly(bis‐thiophene methine)s via facile C–C bulk polymerization and their application as chemosensors for acid detection
Authors: Peng Kai , Pei Tong , Huang Ni , Yuan Liangjie , Liu Xinghai , Xia Jiangbin
Published: May 2018

Up to now, 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) or its modified analogs are indispensable units or subunits in all successful monomers for polythiophene synthesis through solid‐state polymerization (SSP). Here, a more open thiophene‐(CH(R))‐thiophene platform was developed successfully and corresponding poly(bis‐thiophene methine)s were obtained via C–C SSP or melt‐state polymerization (MSP), that is, bulk polymerization. Meanwhile, the observation of quite long effective Br–Br distance of 5.634 Å, which is more than 50% of halogen's double van der Waals radius (2rw), would help us to understand powerful capability of modulation of molecule movement and reaction under SSP. In addition, these polymers were further employed as acid sensors and they show highly sensitive response to HCl, MeSO3H, BF3‐OEt2, and HNO3. The detailed experiment reveals that P1 has the detection limit of 3.35 × 10−5 M for HCl. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018, 56, 1676–1683
Sampling plans for the zero‐inflated negative binomial distribution in the food industry
Authors: Wang Fu‐Kwun , Hailemariam Shalemu Sharew
Published: May 2018

In this paper, we propose 3 new sampling plans, including resubmitted single sampling plan (RSSP), repetitive group sampling (RGS) plan, and multiple dependent state (MDS) sampling plan to study the zero‐inflated negative binomial distribution in microbiological food safety and quality assurance practices. The unity value approach is used to find optimal plan parameters. The proposed plans are compared with the single sampling plan (SSP). We found that degree of clustering and excess of zeros counts affect the performance of all sampling plans. The MDS plan outperforms the SSP, RSSP, and RGS plans with respect to minimum average sample number in most cases. Both RGS and MDS plans show a comparable performance. The average run length is calculated to evaluate the rejection capability of the plans and signal the deterioration of the quality of lots. An example from 9 Irish abattoirs is used to illustrate the application of the proposed methods.
Outside The Interactionist Mainstream: The Contributions of Orrin E. Klapp
Authors: Best Joel
Published: May 2018

Orrin E. Klapp was a member of the Second Chicago School. He was a prolific scholar who remained active for decades. He is best known for his early analyses of social types; his later work offers broad social criticism about the search for meaning in contemporary society. Although he was an original thinker, he has had a limited influence on interactionist thought. This paper reviews his key ideas. It then uses the concept of collective selection—which itself central to Klapp's writings—to explain how the social organization of scholarship has kept Klapp on the periphery of interactionism.
Sentiment analysis method based on an improved modifying‐matrix language model
Authors: Han Zhao , Ren Fuji , Miao Duoqian
Published: May 2018

In this paper, a sentence‐level sentiment analysis method is proposed to deal with sentiment measurement and classification problems. It is developed from a model called the synthetic and computational language model (SCLM), which represents modifying and modified information, respectively, using matrices and vectors. In the proposed method, a global modifying matrix of a sentence is constructed, the determinant value of this matrix is calculated and adjusted, and then the final value is used as the sentiment value of the sentence. Regression experiment shows that the deviation between the output sentiment and the target sentiment does not exceed a class distance of five classes. The classification experiment shows that the proposed method has improved most of the performance compared to the simplified SCLM and in some cases, such as in ‘very positive’ class and ‘very negative’ class, reaches higher precision performance than the baseline method. © 2018 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Research on switch compensation control for maglev flywheel battery
Authors: Gao Hui , Cao Jianan , Yu Xiaohui
Published: May 2018

In a maglev flywheel system, an unbalanced interference signal synchronous with the flywheel frequency will be produced because the flywheel rotor is uneven. This signal can reduce system control precision and stability, and make the system produce unbalance force vibration. Therefore, the signal should be filtered to reduce the effects on the control system. A vibration switching compensation control strategy is proposed based on the standard least mean squares (LMS) algorithm and one proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller. The flywheel's rotational frequency is measured in real time as the switching reference, and different LMS algorithm step sizes and different PID controller parameters are adopted in different rotational frequencies. Simulation and experimental results verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the switch compensation strategy, which can reduce the control current amplitude and make the flywheel rotate around the inertial principal axis as much as possible. © 2018 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Reactions of Si2Br6 with N‐Heterocyclic Carbenes
Authors: Schweizer Julia I. , Sturm Alexander G. , Porsch Timo , Berger Matthias , Bolte Michael , Auner Norbert , Holthausen Max C.
Published: May 2018

A combined experimental and theoretical study on the reaction of Si2Br6 with N‐heterocyclic carbenes is reported. Employment of an imidazole‐2‐ylidene with methyl groups in C4‐ and C5‐position results in the disproportionation of Si2Br6 into the adducts NHC→SiBr2 and NHC→SiBr4. According to expectation, the hydrogenated derivative 1,3‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene forms analogous disproportionation products of Si2Br6 at low temperatures, whereas reaction at higher temperatures furnishes the 4‐SiBr3‐substituted NHC. The underlying formation mechanism explored by means of density functional theory calculations features an abnormal carbene intermediate.
Higgs and Z assisted stop searches at hadron colliders
Authors: Su Shufang , Zhang Huanian
Published: May 2018

Abstract

Current searches for the light top squark (stop) mostly focus on the decay channels of

$$ \tilde{t}\to t{\chi}_1^0 $$

t
˜

→
t

χ
1
0

or

$$ \tilde{t}\to b{\chi}_1^{\pm}\to bW{\chi}_1^0 $$

t
˜

→
b

χ
1
±

→
b
W

χ
1
0

, leading to "Image missing" final states for stop pair productions at the LHC. However, in supersymmetric scenarios with light neutralinos and charginos other than the neutralino lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP), more than one decay mode of the stop could be dominant. While those new decay modes could significantly weaken the current stop search limits at the LHC, they also offer alternative discovery channels for stop searches. In this paper, we studied the scenario with light Higgsino next-to-LSPs (NLSPs) and Bino LSP. The light stop decays primarily via

$$ {\tilde{t}}_1\to t{\chi}_2^0/{\chi}_3^0 $$

t
˜

1

→
t

χ
2
0

/

χ
3
0

, with the neutralinos subsequent decaying to a Z boson or a Higgs boson: χ
2
0
/χ
3
0
 → χ
1
0
h/Z. Pair production of light stops at the LHC leads to final states of "Image missing" or "Image missing" . We consider three signal regions: one charged lepton (1ℓ), two opposite sign charged leptons (2 OS ℓ) and at least three charged leptons (≥3ℓ). We found that the 1ℓ signal region of channel "Image missing" has the best reach sensitivity for light stop searches. For 14 TeV LHC with 300 fb−1 integrated luminosity, a stop mass up to 900 GeV can be discovered at 5σ significance, or up to 1050 GeV can be excluded at 95% C.L. Combining all three decay channels for 1ℓ signal region extends the reach for about 100−150 GeV. We also studied the stop reach at the 100 TeV pp collider with 3 ab−1 luminosity, with discovery and exclusion reach being 6 TeV and 7 TeV, respectively.
Power corrections to TMD factorization for Z-boson production
Authors: Balitsky I. , Tarasov A.
Published: May 2018

Abstract

A typical factorization formula for production of a particle with a small transverse momentum in hadron-hadron collisions is given by a convolution of two TMD parton densities with cross section of production of the final particle by the two partons. For practical applications at a given transverse momentum, though, one should estimate at what momenta the power corrections to the TMD factorization formula become essential. In this paper we calculate the first power corrections to TMD factorization formula for Z-boson production and Drell-Yan process in high-energy hadron-hadron collisions. At the leading order in N

c
power corrections are expressed in terms of leading power TMDs by QCD equations of motion.
A new insight into the phase transition in the early Universe with two Higgs doublets
Authors: Bernon Jérémy , Bian Ligong , Jiang Yun
Published: May 2018

Abstract

We study the electroweak phase transition in the alignment limit of the CP-conserving two-Higgs-doublet model (2HDM) of Type I and Type II. The effective potential is evaluated at one-loop, where the thermal potential includes Daisy corrections and is reliably approximated by means of a sum of Bessel functions. Both 1-stage and 2-stage electroweak phase transitions are shown to be possible, depending on the pattern of the vacuum development as the Universe cools down. For the 1-stage case focused on in this paper, we analyze the properties of phase transition and discover that the field value of the electroweak symmetry breaking vacuum at the critical temperature at which the first order phase transition occurs is largely correlated with the vacuum depth of the 1-loop potential at zero temperature.

We demonstrate that a strong first order electroweak phase transition (SFOEWPT) in the 2HDM is achievable and establish benchmark scenarios leading to different testable signatures at colliders. In addition, we verify that an enhanced triple Higgs coupling (including loop corrections) is a typical feature of the SFOPT driven by the additional doublet. As a result, SFOEWPT might be able to be probed at the LHC and future lepton colliders through Higgs pair production.
T-duality on nilmanifolds
Authors: del Barco Viviana , Grama Lino , Soriani Leonardo
Published: May 2018

Abstract

We study generalized complex structures and T-duality (in the sense of Bouwknegt, Evslin, Hannabuss and Mathai) on Lie algebras and construct the corresponding Cavalcanti and Gualtieri map. Such a construction is called Infinitesimal T -duality. As an application we deal with the problem of finding symplectic structures on 2-step nilpotent Lie algebras. We also give a criteria for the integrability of the infinitesimal T-duality of Lie algebras to topological T-duality of the associated nilmanifolds.
Entropy functional and the holographic attractor mechanism
Authors: Cabo-Bizet Alejandro , Kol Uri , Pando Zayas Leopoldo A. , Papadimitriou Ioannis , Rathee Vimal
Published: May 2018

Abstract

We provide a field theory interpretation of the attractor mechanism for asymptotically AdS4 dyonic BPS black holes whose entropy is captured by the supersymmetric index of the twisted ABJM theory at Chern-Simons level one. We holographically compute the renormalized off-shell quantum effective action in the twisted ABJM theory as a function of the supersymmetric fermion masses and the arbitrary vacuum expectation values of the dimension one scalar bilinear operators and show that extremizing the effective action with respect to the vacuum expectation values of the dimension one scalar bilinears is equivalent to the attractor mechanism in the bulk. In fact, we show that the holographic quantum effective action coincides with the entropy functional and, therefore, its value at the extremum reproduces the black hole entropy.
Monopole operators in U(1) Chern-Simons-matter theories
Authors: Chester Shai M. , Iliesiu Luca V. , Mezei Márk , Pufu Silviu S.
Published: May 2018

Abstract

We study monopole operators at the infrared fixed points of U(1) Chern-Simons-matter theories (QED3, scalar QED3,

$$ \mathcal{N}=1 $$

N
=
1

SQED3, and

$$ \mathcal{N}=2 $$

N
=
2

SQED3) with N matter flavors and Chern-Simons level k. We work in the limit where both N and k are taken to be large with κ = k/N fixed. In this limit, we extract information about the low-lying spectrum of monopole operators from evaluating the S
2 × S
1 partition function in the sector where the S
2 is threaded by magnetic flux 4πq. At leading order in N, we find a large number of monopole operators with equal scaling dimensions and a wide range of spins and flavor symmetry irreducible representations. In two simple cases, we deduce how the degeneracy in the scaling dimensions is broken by the 1/N corrections. For QED3 at κ = 0, we provide conformal bootstrap evidence that this near-degeneracy is in fact maintained to small values of N. For

$$ \mathcal{N}=2 $$

N
=
2

SQED3, we find that the lowest dimension monopole operator is generically non-BPS.
All-helicity symbol alphabets from unwound amplituhedra
Authors: Prlina I. , Spradlin M. , Stankowicz J. , Stanojevic S. , Volovich A.
Published: May 2018

Abstract

We review an algorithm for determining the branch points of general amplitudes in planar

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 4 super-Yang-Mills theory from amplituhedra. We demonstrate how to use the recent reformulation of amplituhedra in terms of ‘sign flips’ in order to streamline the application of this algorithm to amplitudes of any helicity. In this way we recover the known branch points of all one-loop amplitudes, and we find an ‘emergent positivity’ on boundaries of amplituhedra.
Unifying separation logic and region logic to allow interoperability
Authors: Bao Yuyan , Leavens Gary T. , Ernst Gidon
Published: May 2018

Framing is important for specification and verification, especially in programs that mutate data structures with shared data, such as DAGs. Both separation logic and region logic are successful approaches to framing, with separation logic providing a concise way to reason about data structures that are disjoint, and region logic providing the ability to reason about framing for shared mutable data. In order to obtain the benefits of both logics for programs with shared mutable data, this paper unifies them into a single logic, which can encode both of them and allows them to interoperate. The new logic thus provides a way to reason about program modules specified in a mix of styles.
Gene analysis: A rare gene disease of intellectual deficiency‐Cohen syndrome
Authors: Yang Chengqing , Hou Mei , Li Yutang , Sun Dianrong , Guo Ya , Liu Peipei , Liu Yedan , Song Jie , Zhang Na , Wei Wei , Chen Zongbo
Published: May 2018

Cohen syndrome is a rare, genetic, connective‐tissue disorder, which is caused by mutations in the gene COH1 (VPS13B, Vacuolar Protein Sorting 13 Homolog B) at the chromosome 8q22. The disease is rare reported, which major clinical features include postnatal microcephaly, obesity, short stature, intellectual disability, progressive retinal dystrophy, intermittent neutropenia and many other unusual facial feature. We report four patients in China who were diagnosed with Cohen syndrome by genetic testing and clinical manifestations. At the same time, we review the related literature, and further expound the molecular mechanism of the disease, a variety of clinical manifestations, treatment and prognosis.
Ice accretion and release in fuel systems
Authors: Lam J. K.-W. , Woods R. D.
Published: May 2018

Following the B777 accident at Heathrow in 2008, the certification authorities required Boeing, Airbus, and Rolls-Royce to conduct icing analysis and tests of their Rolls-Royce Trent engined aircraft fuel systems. The experience and the test data gained from these activities were distilled and released by Airbus to the EASA ICAR project for research and analysis. This paper provided an overview of the Airbus ice accretion and release tests. Brief narratives on the test rigs, the test procedure and methodology were given and key findings from the ice release investigations were presented. The accreted ice thickness was non-uniform; however, it is found typically c. $\mathrm{2\;\mathrm{m}\mathrm{m}}$thick. Analysis of the accreted ice collected from the rig tests showed the ice was very porous. The porosity is very much dependant on how the water was introduced and mixed in the icing test rigs. ThestandardAirbus method produced accreted ice of higher porosity compared to that produced by theinjectionmethod. The porosity of the accreted ice from Airbus icing investigations was found to be c. 0.90. The relationship of permeability with porosity was inferred from published data and models for freshly fallen snow in the atmosphere. Derived permeability$\mathrm{7.0\times 10^{-9}\;\mathrm{\mathrm{\mathrm{m}}^{\mathrm{2}}}}$was then applied in the CFD analysis of pipe flow with a porous wall lining to determine the shear stress on the accreted ice. It showed that 25%, 50% and 75% of the accreted ice has interface shear strength of less than$\mathrm{15.3\;\mathrm{Pa}}$,$\mathrm{20.7\;\mathrm{Pa}}$and$\mathrm{26.1\;\mathrm{Pa}}$, respectively.
Anaplastic ependymomas with ganglionic differentiation
Authors: Lach B.
Published: May 2018

Anaplastic ependymomas are relatively uncommon, WHO grade III tumours that can occur in any location of the central nervous system. Low, as well as high grade tumours may show an additional component, most frequently cartilage or bone. Ganglionic differentiation has been demonstrated in only very few cases, usually young individuals. The purpose of this communication is to describe six examples of anaplastic ependymomas with a definite ganglionic component. All tumours were supratentorial and occurred in adults, 36-81 years of age. With the exception of one with a cystic component, all showed a diffuse MRI pattern and variable enhancement. All tumours displayed necrosis, vascular proliferation and marked pleomorphism, due to a mixture of epithelioid, giant, rhabdoid and gemistocytic, as well as clear and undifferentiated cells. Immunohistochemistry revealed reactivity for EMA (often atypical), GFAP and markers of neuronal differentiation, usually synaptophysin and chromogranin. All displayed high MIB-1 and occasional P53-positive nuclei. Two cases showed sarcomatous differentiation with desmin, smooth muscle actin and very rich reticulin staining. Electron microscopy revealed “zippering” intercellular junctions, basal bodies and cilia. Neuronal differentiation was expressed by neurosecretory granules and/or rich endoplasmic reticulin, large nuclei with nucleoli, and rare neuritic processes with microtubules. Differentiation of these rare tumours from glioblastomas might be important for the future development of tumour-specific molecular therapies. Electron microscopy is highly recommended for correct diagnosis of atypical variants of Anaplastic Ependymoma.
Fetal neuroaxonal dystrophy: a new etiology of fetal akinesia
Authors: Fallet-Bianco C. , Hargitai B. , Bonasoni P. , Guimiot F. , Yacoubi M.T.
Published: May 2018

Neuroaxonal Dystrophies (NAD) are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by axonal “spheroids” occurring in different age groups. The identification of mutations delineated new molecular entities in these disorders. We report neuropathological data of a new form of NAD, characterized by a precocious prenatal onset, different from classical and connatal Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy (INAD).

We studied 5 fetuses examined after pregnancy termination and 2 term neonates deceased just after birth, 4/7 from consanguineous parents. All subjects presented severe fetal akinesia sequence with microcephaly. In 4/7 cases, a molecular study was performed. In all cases, “spheroids” with typical immunohistochemical features were identified, with variable spreading in the central and peripheral nervous system. Basal ganglia, brainstem, cerebellum and spinal cord involvement was constant. Associated CNS malformations, unusual in INAD, were associated including hydrocephalus (2), callosal agenesis/hypoplasia (2), olfactory agenesis (1), cortical (3) and retinal (1) anomalies. None cases demonstrated mutations in PLA2G6, found in INAD.

The clinical and neuropathological features of these fetal cases are different from those of “classical” INAD. The absence of mutations of PLA2G6, in addition, suggests that the fetal NAD is a new entity, distinct from INAD, with different molecular basis. Associated malformations suggest a wide phenotypic spectrum and probable genetic heterogeneity. Finally, fetal NAD is an additional etiology of fetal akinesia.
The central nervous system lesion in amniotic rupture sequence
Authors: Shannon P.
Published: May 2018

We review the central nervous system anatomy in nine cases of amniotic rupture sequence, all of which had neuropathological examinations. Of these, four had normal brains, and in none of these was the cranial vault involved, and one had cleft lip and palate. Of the remaining five, all had portions of the scalp, calvarium and dura replaced by amnionic membrane directly overlying arachnoid. In one, the membrane covered a narrow necked large encephalocele, and the contained brain demonstrated extensive disruption and degeneration. In the remaining four, one demonstrated cranioplacental adhesion, and in three there was a broad based encephalocele covered in large part by amnion. Two of these four cases demonstrated holoprosencephaly. One case with holoprosencephaly and one without demonstrated marked aqueductal stenosis, and two of the four demonstrated aqueductal occlusion or near occlusion by neuroglial excrescences. None demonstrated ventriculomegaly. Three of these four cases demonstrate varying degrees of mechanical distortion and secondary pathology. We conclude that brains with amnionic rupture sequence demonstrate both malformation and deformation, which likely points to the embryonic stage origin of the lesion.
Clinical and neuropathological features of ALS/FTD with TIA1 mutations
Authors: Hirsch-Reinshagen V. , Nicholson AM. , Pottier C. , Baker M. , Hsiung G-YR. , Krieger C. , Boylan KB. , Weintraub S. , Mesulam M. , Bigio E. , Zinman L. , Keith J. , Rogaeva E. , Zivkovic SA. , Lacomis D. , Dickson D. , Taylor P. , Rademakers R. , Mackenzie IR.
Published: May 2018

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) represent a disease continuum with common genetic causes and molecular pathology. We recently identified mutations in the T-cell restricted intracellular antigen-1 (TIA1) protein as a cause of ALS +/− FTD. TIA1 is an RNA-binding protein containing a low complexity domain (LCD) that promotes the assembly of membrane-less organelles, such as stress granules (SG). Whole exome sequencing of two family members with fALS/FTD revealed a novel missense mutation in the TIA1 LCD (P362L). Subsequent screening identified five more TIA1 mutations in six additional ALS patients, but none in controls. All mutation carriers presented with weakness, behavioral abnormalities or language impairments and had a final diagnosis of ALS +/− FTD. Autopsy on five TIA1 mutation carriers showed widespread neurodegeneration with TDP-43 pathology. Round eosinophilic inclusions in lower motor neurons were a consistent feature. Cellular assays revealed abnormal SG dynamics in the presence of TIA1 mutations. In summary, missense mutations in the LCD of TIA1 are a newly recognized cause of ALS/FTD with TDP-43 pathology and strengthen the role of RNA metabolism in the pathogenesis in this disease.
The Calgary Brain Bank
Authors: Joseph J.T. , Stys P. , Braun J.E.A. , Alvarezveronesi A. , Smith E.
Published: May 2018

With the financial assistance from two donors, we have established a neurodegenerative disease brain bank at the University of Calgary. At autopsy, tissues from anatomically specific regions are frozen in liquid nitrogen vapour and stored in small, bar-coded cryovials. Cases include patients with dementia, movement disorders, demyelinating diseases, and normal controls. We prepare additional FFPE blocks for diagnosis or banking. Sampling includes all major areas of cortex and most subcortical structures. All brains, including “normal” controls, are characterized with a basic set of stains and major classification schemata are used for Alzheimer and Lewy body diseases. These tissues are available to investigators with IRB-approved research on human tissues

Control tissue is important in the study of age-associated neurodegeneration. We preserve tissues from areas of brain that either are severely or minimally affected by neurodegeneration (e.g. in Alzheimer disease, Brodmann areas 9 and 17, respectively). In our “normal” aging cohort, which includes patients with no described neurodegenerative diseases, we find frequent evidence of low-stage Alzheimer or Lewy body related pathological changes. We also find relatively frequent small vessel disease, which in part relates to our preferential selection of patient’s who died suddenly.

In preliminary studies, we have examined amyloid plaque structure with confocal microscopy using beta-sheet sensitive dyes and have studied the distribution of different chaperones in normal brain.
Development and preliminary evaluation of a patient portal messaging for research recruitment service
Authors: Gleason Kelly T. , Ford Daniel E. , Gumas Diana , Woods Bonnie , Appel Lawrence , Murray Pam , Meyer Maureen , Dennison Himmelfarb Cheryl R.
Published: May 2018

Introduction

We developed a service to identify potential study participants through electronic medical records and deliver study invitations through patient portals.

Methods

The service was piloted in a cohort study that used multiple recruitment methods.

Results

Patient portal messages were sent to 1303 individuals and the enrollment rate was 10% (n=127). The patient portal enrollment rate was significantly higher than email and post mail (4%) strategies.

Conclusion

Patient portal messaging was an effective recruitment strategy.
The Hidden History of the West African Wager: Or, How Comparison with Ghana Made Côte d’Ivoire
Authors: Prosperetti Elisa
Published: May 2018

The famous 1957 wager between Félix Houphouët-Boigny of Côte d’Ivoire and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana is a signal event in modern African history. Yet it has never been adequately historicized. How did this fateful meeting come about? An archival discovery reveals the hidden history of the wager’s construction. This wager inaugurated a tradition of comparison between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire that shaped both the ways that Côte d’Ivoire was seen by social scientists and the ways that Ivorians saw themselves.
Rautangaroa, a new genus of feather star (Echinodermata, Crinoidea) from the Oligocene of New Zealand
Authors: Baumiller Tomasz K. , Fordyce R. Ewan
Published: May 2018

We describe a nearly complete, and thus extremely rare, feather star (Crinoidea, Comatulida) from Oligocene strata of North Otago/South Canterbury, New Zealand. A detailed analysis of this specimen, as well as newly recovered material and previously described fragmentary remains from nearby contemporaneous sedimentary units, in addition to relevant historical specimens, lead us to conclude that it cannot be placed in any currently established genus. A new genus,Rautangaroa,is proposed to accommodate it.

This intact specimen ofRautangaroa aotearoa(Eagle, 2007), provides rare data on the morphology of arms and cirri. It represents the first example of arm autotomy and regeneration in a fossil feather star and thus has bearing on the importance of predation to the evolutionary history of this group.

UUID:http://zoobank.org/c050dafd-93ba-4334-b11b-59209aabb588
Boycott Gulf! Angolan Oil and the Black Power Roots of American Anti-Apartheid Organizing
Authors: Parrott R. Joseph
Published: May 2018

In the early 1970s, the African American divestment and boycott campaign against Gulf Oil's operations in colonial Angola bridged the gap between Black Power and anti-apartheid, two movements generally viewed separately. The success of the Boston-based activist couple Randall and Brenda Robinson in educating and mobilizing African Americans against investment in colonialism—first with the Southern Africa Relief Fund (SARF) and later with the Pan-African Liberation Committee (PALC)—reveals how a leftist anti-imperial ideology linked the domestic concerns of black Americans with African revolutions. At the same time, the Gulf campaign's participatory tactics, moral appeals, and critique of the global economic system proved attractive beyond radical Black Power advocates, allowing the PALC to cultivate relationships with African American politicians and build alliances across racial divides. Randall Robinson later replicated this organizing model as the founding director of TransAfrica, which became the most prominent African American organization opposing apartheid in the 1980s.
Toward a new political regime in Turkey: From competitive toward full authoritarianism
Authors: Çalışkan Koray
Published: May 2018

This article argues that Turkey’s contemporary political regime is competitive authoritarianism. Tracing the evolution of Turkey’s political system from tutelary democracy to its current state, it describes the developments that resulted in the dissolution of the army’s prerogatives in politics and the rise of a new form of authoritarianism in the country. Associating this substantive change with the global emergence of competitive authoritarianism, I argue that the competitive authoritarian regime of Turkey has been institutionalized by the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, AKP) and that, since the 2017 referendum, the regime has displayed a tendency toward full authoritarianism that may render elections non-competitive by narrowing the legal channels through which the opposition can contest for political power.
‘History has many cunning passages’: Kwasi Apea Nuama between the Asante and the British
Authors: McCaskie Tom
Published: May 2018

This article, a companion piece to that on Kwame Tua, traces the life history of his elder full brother Kwasi Apea Nuama (c.1862–1936) as he too sought purchase and place in the new colonial order in Asante. Temperamentally a very different man from his brother, Kwasi Apea Nuama set out to make himself indispensable as the interpreter of Asante history and custom to the uncomprehending British. Both brothers, then, were mediators or translators between the old and new worlds in which they found themselves. Their heyday was the often anarchic early colonial period. Thereafter, and most especially after the British restored the office and some of the prerogatives of Asante kingship, their influence fell away. They found themselves caught between a colonial order that had little further need of their services, and a restored Asante polity that demonized them as collaborators.
OrítaBorgu: the Yorùbá and the Bààtonu down the ages
Authors: Oyèláràn Ọlásopé O.
Published: May 2018

We have no plausible evidence to suggest that the Yorùbá and the Bààtonu are not autochthonous populations of the territories identified as homelands for them south and west of the confluence of the rivers Niger and Benue. This article uses tangible linguistic and cultural data to question hypotheses of migration from the Middle East, with echoes of Semitic heritage. On the one hand, cognate elements that are clearly identifiable argue for an enduring historical relationship between these two peoples; on the other, probative elements that are shared with other peoples and cultures in the sub-region rule out any suggestion of a conspiracy among all of them to migrate from the Middle East to West Africa in some discoverable historical past.
Communication technologies and legitimate consumption: making sense of healthcare remittances in Cameroonian transnational relationships
Authors: Tazanu Primus M.
Published: May 2018

Research on the significance of the mobile phone and internet in transnational family relationships shows that these media provide direct platforms for negotiating remittances. My interest in this article is not so much in how they are used to coordinate and channel money home as in their appropriation to meet expectations of reciprocity. The article draws from field narratives collected among Cameroonians in Germany and in Cameroon to reveal contestations over what can be described as legitimate consumption within the Cameroonian transnational social sphere. Underlying the arguments in this article is my observation that direct communication within the Cameroonian transnational sphere is beset by so much mistrust, discontent and uncertainty that remitters must specify what they are remitting money for. Healthcare in Cameroon is considered an expenditure that is worthy of migrants' financial support.
Connecting with home, keeping in touch: physical and virtual mobility across stretched families in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Porter Gina , Hampshire Kate , Abane Albert , Munthali Alister , Robson Elsbeth , Tanle Augustine , Owusu Samuel , de Lannoy Ariane , Bango Andisiwe
Published: May 2018

There is a long history of migration among low-income families in sub-Saharan Africa, in which (usually young, often male) members leave home to seek their fortune in what are perceived to be more favourable locations. While the physical and virtual mobility practices of such stretched families are often complex and contingent, maintaining contact with distantly located close kin is frequently of crucial importance for the maintenance of emotional (and possibly material) well-being, both for those who have left home and for those who remain. This article explores the ways in which these connections are being reshaped by increasing access to mobile phones in three sub-Saharan countries – Ghana, Malawi and South Africa – drawing on interdisciplinary, mixed-methods research from twenty-four sites, ranging from poor urban neighbourhoods to remote rural hamlets. Stories collected from both ends of stretched families present a world in which the connectivities now offered by the mobile phone bring a different kind of closeness and knowing, as instant sociality introduces a potential substitute for letters, cassettes and face-to-face visits, while the rapid resource mobilization opportunities identified by those still at home impose increasing pressures on migrant kin.
Studies of the relationship between rice stem composition and lodging resistance
Authors: Gui M. Y. , Wang D. , Xiao H. H. , Tu M. , Li F. L. , Li W. C. , Ji S. D. , Wang T. X. , Li J. Y.
Published: May 2018

Plant height and lodging resistance can affect rice yield significantly, but these traits have always conflicted in crop cultivation and breeding. The current study aimed to establish a rapid and accurate plant type evaluation mechanism to provide a basis for breeding tall but lodging-resistant super rice varieties. A comprehensive approach integrating plant anatomy and histochemistry was used to investigate variations in flexural strength (a material property, defined as the stress in a material just before it yields in a flexure test) of the rice stem and the lodging index of 15 rice accessions at different growth stages to understand trends in these parameters and the potential factors influencing them. Rice stem anatomical structure was observed and the lignin content the cell wall was determined at different developmental stages. Three rice lodging evaluation models were established using correlation analysis, multivariate regression and artificial radial basis function (RBF) neural network analysis, and the results were compared to identify the most suitable model for predicting optimal rice plant types. Among the three evaluation methods, the mean residual and relative prediction errors were lowest using the RBF network, indicating that it was highly accurate and robust and could be used to establish a mathematical model of the morphological characteristics and lodging resistance of rice to identify optimal varieties.