bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Robust power optimization scheme for cooperative wireless relay system in smart city
Authors: Liu Zhixin , Zhang Peng , Lam Hak‐Keung , Chan Kit Yan , Ma Kai
Published: November 2016

Ultra dense deployment of base stations is one of most significant features in smart city communication networks. Aiming at the large‐scale wireless communication issue in smart city, we propose a distributed robust power allocation scheme with proportional fairness for cooperative orthogonal frequency‐division‐multiple‐access relay network. With the amplify‐and‐forward relay mode, all of the relays assist the information transmission simultaneously on orthogonal subcarriers. Considering the uncertainty of channel gains, first we aim at achieving the maximum utility subject to the constraints of outage probability threshold and power bound. Subsequently, the problem is transformed to a solvable convex optimization problem with determination constraints. The dual‐decomposition method is applied to solve the formulated optimization problem. To reduce the information exchange of the whole system, we propose a computationally efficient distributed iteration algorithm. Numerical results reveal the effectiveness of the proposed robust optimization algorithm. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transition‐Metal Linkage of Antimony‐Sulfide Chains in [M(dien)2]{Sb18S30[M(dien)]2} (M = Mn, Fe, Co)
Authors: Lees Rachel J. E. , Powell Anthony V. , Chippindale Ann M.
Published: November 2016

Three new isostructural transition‐metal thioantimonates [M(dien)2]{Sb18S30[M(dien)]2} [M = Mn (1), Fe (2), Co (3)] were prepared under solvothermal conditions in the presence of diethylenetriamine (dien). The compounds were characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, elemental analysis, magnetic susceptibility measurements, and UV/Vis reflectance spectroscopy. The materials crystallize in the space group P1 and adopt a structure, in which complex Sb18S306– chains are cross‐linked into layers through transition‐metal‐dimer bridges, [M2S2], directly bonded to the thioantimonate layers. The layers contain pores, those in successive layers being aligned to generate a channel structure. Additional [M(dien)2]2+ cations are located within these channels in the interlayer space.
Deriving bisimulation relations from path based equivalence checkers
Authors: Banerjee Kunal , Sarkar Dipankar , Mandal Chittaranjan
Published: November 2016

Translation validation is an undecidable problem. Bisimulation relation based approaches, nevertheless, have been widely successful in translation validation of programs albeit with some drawbacks. These drawbacks include non-termination of the verification methodology and significant restrictions on the structures of programs to be checked for equivalence. We have developed a path based equivalence checker which propagates mismatched values over consecutive paths to alleviate these drawbacks. In this work, we show how a bisimulation relation between a program and its translated version can be constructed from the outputs of such a value propagation based equivalence checker. Moreover, none of the earlier methods that establish equivalence through construction of bisimulation relations has been shown to tackle code motions across loops; the present work demonstrates, for the first time, the existence of a bisimulation relation under such a situation.
Global range expansion of pest Lepidoptera requires socially acceptable solutions
Authors: Suckling D. M. , Conlong D. E. , Carpenter J. E. , Bloem K. A. , Rendon P. , Vreysen M. J. B.
Published: November 2016

Caterpillars of key moth pests can cause significant losses in cropping systems worldwide, and globalization is spreading such pests. Failure to control some species can jeopardise the economics of food production. A Global Eradication and Response Database (http://b3.net.nz/gerda) was reviewed on known government-level incursion response programs specific to invasive Lepidoptera. Geographic range expansion of Lepidoptera was evident from 144 incursion response programs targeting 28 species in 10 families. The countries involved in responses to Lepidoptera were USA (104), Australia (8), Canada (7), New Zealand (6), Italy (3), Mexico (2), with the remainder with one programme each (Brazil, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, and Spain). Most programs have been undertaken since the 1990’s. Control options exist for the long-term management of Lepidoptera, but most have issues of cost, efficacy or non-target impacts that reduce their acceptance. Pheromone-based technologies are increasingly available and are generally highly compatible with other tactics. The development of tactics for new targets is a major undertaking, although previous programs can be invaluable. New and improved socially-acceptable technologies are needed to counteract range expansion in Lepidoptera, and usually need to be used in combinations to achieve eradication. The sterile insect technique, which involves mass-rearing and release of sterile insects to reduce wild populations of the pest, has been used successfully against a number of lepidopteran species. Several sterile moth programs are under development. New technologies must have a social license to operate in urban areas, where new incursions are frequently detected. This factor is likely to reduce tactical flexibility and increase the complexity of insect eradication.
Randomized Controlled Trial of Hyalobarrier® Versus No Hyalobarrier® on the Ovulatory Status of Women with Periovarian Adhesions: A Pilot Study
Authors: Cheong Ying , Bailey Sarah , Forbes Jane
Published: November 2016

Introduction

Periadnexal adhesions are known to contribute to subfertility. The restoration of the tubo-ovarian anatomy is one the key principles in reproductive surgery, and this involves adhesiolysis. However, adhesion formation/reformation is very common after periovarian adhesiolysis. It is not known if the application of Hyalobarrier®, an anti-adhesion gel, around the adnexal region postsurgery influences ovulatory status. The study is a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) randomizing women into the application of Hyalobarrier® versus no Hyalobarrier® at the time of laparoscopy, where postsurgical ovulatory status and pregnancy rates were evaluated.

Methods

This was a pilot RCT where women were recruited from the gynecological and subfertility clinic who were deemed to require an operative laparoscopy. If intraoperatively they were found to have periovarian adhesions, they were randomized into having adhesiolysis with and without usage of Hyalobarrier®. Demographic details and intraoperative details including the severity, extent, and the ease of use of Hyalobarrier® were recorded. Prior to the surgery and postoperatively, the participants had their serum hormonal status (day 2 FSH, LH and day 21 progesterone) evaluated. Postoperatively, they underwent a follicular tracking cycle at 3 months.

Results

Fifteen women were randomized into use of Hyalobarrier® (study group) and 15 into the no Hyalobarrier® group (control group) between December 2011 and January 2014. There was no difference in the patient characteristics in terms of age, BMI, the number of previous pregnancies, or the extent, site, and severity of adhesions between the two groups. There was no significant difference between the study versus control groups in terms of the hormonal profile (day 2 FSH and day 21 progesterone) before or after surgery. The 3-month postoperative day 10–12 follicular tracking findings and endometrial thickness were similar between the study and control groups. Four women were pregnant in the study group (24%) and one in the control group (7%) cumulatively over 2 years.

Conclusion

The use of Hyalobarrier® post salpingo-ovariolysis did not influence follicular development as inferred from the results of the day 21 progesterone and folliculogram on day 10–12 3-month postsurgery.

Trial Registration

ISRCTN number, ISRCTN1833588.

Funding

Nordic Pharma.
Intravenous fluids: balancing solutions
Authors: Hoorn Ewout J.
Published: November 2016

The topic of intravenous (IV) fluids may be regarded as “reverse nephrology”, because nephrologists usually treat to remove fluids rather than to infuse them. However, because nephrology is deeply rooted in fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base balance, IV fluids belong in the realm of our specialty. The field of IV fluid therapy is in motion due to the increasing use of balanced crystalloids, partly fueled by the advent of new solutions. This review aims to capture these recent developments by critically evaluating the current evidence base. It will review both indications and complications of IV fluid therapy, including the characteristics of the currently available solutions. It will also cover the use of IV fluids in specific settings such as kidney transplantation and pediatrics. Finally, this review will address the pathogenesis of saline-induced hyperchloremic acidosis, its potential effect on outcomes, and the question if this should lead to a definitive switch to balanced solutions.
Aspergillus is monophyletic: Evidence from multiple gene phylogenies and extrolites profiles
Authors: Kocsubé S. , Perrone G. , Magistà D. , Houbraken J. , Varga J. , Szigeti G. , Hubka V. , Hong S.-B. , Frisvad J.C. , Samson R.A.
Published: November 2016

Aspergillus is one of the economically most important fungal genera. Recently, the ICN adopted the single name nomenclature which has forced mycologists to choose one name for fungi (e.g. Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, etc.). Previously two proposals
for the single name nomenclature in Aspergillus were presented: one attributes the name “Aspergillus” to clades comprising seven different teleomorphic names, by supporting the monophyly of this genus; the other proposes that Aspergillus is a non-monophyletic
genus, by preserving the Aspergillus name only to species belonging to subgenus Circumdati and maintaining the sexual names in the other clades. The aim of our study was to test the monophyly of Aspergilli by two independent phylogenetic analyses using a multilocus phylogenetic
approach. One test was run on the publicly available coding regions of six genes (RPB1, RPB2, Tsr1, Cct8, BenA, CaM), using 96 species of Penicillium, Aspergillus and related taxa. Bayesian (MrBayes) and Ultrafast Maximum Likelihood (IQ-Tree)
and Rapid Maximum Likelihood (RaxML) analyses gave the same conclusion highly supporting the monophyly of Aspergillus. The other analyses were also performed by using publicly available data of the coding sequences of nine loci (18S rRNA, 5,8S rRNA, 28S rRNA (D1-D2), RPB1, RPB2,
CaM, BenA, Tsr1, Cct8) of 204 different species. Both Bayesian (MrBayes) and Maximum Likelihood (RAxML) trees obtained by this second round of independent analyses strongly supported the monophyly of the genus Aspergillus. The stability test also confirmed
the robustness of the results obtained. In conclusion, statistical analyses have rejected the hypothesis that the Aspergilli are non-monophyletic, and provided robust arguments that the genus is monophyletic and clearly separated from the monophyletic genus Penicillium. There is no
phylogenetic evidence to split Aspergillus into several genera and the name Aspergillus can be used for all the species belonging to Aspergillus i.e. the clade comprising the subgenera Aspergillus, Circumdati, Fumigati, Nidulantes, section Cremei and certain
species which were formerly part of the genera Phialosimplex and Polypaecilum. Section Cremei and the clade containing Polypaecilum and Phialosimplex are proposed as new subgenera of Aspergillus. The phylogenetic analysis also clearly shows that Aspergillus
clavatoflavus and A. zonatus do not belong to the genus Aspergillus. Aspergillus clavatoflavus is therefore transferred to a new genus Aspergillago as Aspergillago clavatoflavus and A. zonatus was transferred to Penicilliopsis
as P. zonata. The subgenera of Aspergillus share similar extrolite profiles indicating that the genus is one large genus from a chemotaxonomical point of view. Morphological and ecophysiological characteristics of the species also strongly indicate that Aspergillus
is a polythetic class in phenotypic characters.
Growing Up in Rural Assam, India: The Experiences of Young Women
Authors: Konwar Dipjyoti , Bhargava Vinita , Sharma Bhanumathi
Published: November 2016

This paper offers a picture of the life of young women in rural India, specifically in the state of Assam. It is drawn from a doctoral work that is in progress. India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, yet nearly 69% of its population live in rural areas (Census of India, 2011). Numerous castes, creeds and religions co-exist in society with differing practices and opinions. Although conflicts of interest and incidents of violence occur from time to time, the ‘multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-dimensional’ Indian society still manages to hold itself together against all odds. Assam is a state with a predominantly rural makeup. The doctoral work drawn from for the purposes of this paper was conducted using a sample of 60 adolescent girls in school settings in Assam. The macro-philosophy of the research was to understand the impact of cash transfer in the form of scholarships on their overall wellbeing. The demographic profile of the state introduces the reader to the construct of the Assamese society. The three life sketches of young women narrated exemplify their dreams for a good life amidst challenges, both substantial and emotional. They show immense potential for a fulfilled life. There is need for support and guidance at different levels to enhance their capabilities. Importance of affective scaffolding at a personal level and affirmative action at governmental level is essential.
Supporting Isolated Workers in their Work with Families in Rural and Remote Australia: Exploring Peer Group Supervision
Authors: Nickson Amanda , Gair Susan , Miles Debra
Published: November 2016

Social workers face unique challenges in working with families, young people and children in rural and remote communities. Simultaneously, workers juggle dual relationships, personal boundaries and high visibility. Social work practise in rural Australia also faces high staff turnover, burnout and difficulties with recruitment, retention and available professional supervision. A lack of professional supervision has been identified as directly contributing to decreased worker retention in rural and remote areas. This paper reports on emerging themes from a qualitative research study on peer supervision in virtual teams in rural and remote Australia. Data collection consisted of pre- and post-trial individual interviews, monthly group supervision sessions, online evaluations and focus groups. A key conclusion from the study is that peer group supervision worked in supporting rural and remote workers to perform their everyday professional roles. The ease and access afforded by the use of simple technology was noteworthy. Whilst the research was conducted with social workers in rural and remote areas, the use of peer group supervision could be applicable for other professionals who work with families and communities in rural and remote Australia.
The changing landscape of oropharyngeal cancer management
Authors: Hamilton D , Khan M K , O'hara J , Paleri V
Published: November 2016

Background:

Oropharyngeal cancer is increasing in prevalence in the UK and this is thought to be due to the emergence of disease related to human papilloma virus.

Method:

A literature review was conducted on the diagnosis and latest management of oropharyngeal cancer.

Results:

In non-smokers, human papilloma virus related disease is thought to have better outcomes, but this casts doubt on previous research which did not stratify patients according to human papilloma virus status. However, this theory provides a route for researchers to risk stratify and de-escalate treatments, and hence reduce treatment burden. In addition, the emergence of minimally invasive transoral techniques allows surgeons to remove large tumours without many of the side effects associated with radical (chemo)radiotherapy.

Conclusion:

The emergence of human papilloma virus related disease and minimally invasive techniques have led the clinical and academic community to reconsider how oropharyngeal cancer is managed. Comparative and risk-stratification trials are urgently required and ongoing.
Autologous intratympanic blood patch for presumed perilymphatic fistulas
Authors: Foster P K
Published: November 2016

Objective:

To assess an alternative to bed rest and surgery for suspected perilymphatic fistulas using intratympanic blood injections.

Method:

A review was conducted of patients’ history, physical and audiometric data, before and after treatment by intratympanic blood injections performed from 2009 to 2015.

Results:

Twelve ears were identified, with trauma associated with air travel, water sports or nose blowing. Ten of these cases had hearing loss, six had vestibular symptoms. Four cases had audiological and vestibular symptoms, two had vestibular symptoms only, and six had audiological symptoms only. Time-to-treat varied from 1 day to 30 days. Magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained for five cases. Ten cases received steroids. Six out of seven cases showed improvement of hearing loss. Five cases showed positive fistula test results, four with documented resolution. Seven cases had full resolution of all symptoms, four had near-full resolution and one had no improvement.

Conclusion:

Intratympanic blood injections offer an effective alternative to conservative or surgical therapy. Advantages include sooner time-to-treat, lower financial costs and decreased psychosocial burdens. It allows a more flexible and liberal use of a potential definite treatment for perilymphatic fistula.
A very deepProvanna(Gastropoda: Abyssochrysoidea) discovered from the Shinkai Seep Field, Southern Mariana Forearc
Authors: Chen Chong , Watanabe Hiromi Kayama , Ohara Yasuhiko
Published: November 2016

The ‘Shinkai Seep Field’ is a serpentinite-hosted chemosynthetic ecosystem in the Southern Mariana Forearc. In June 2015 the site was revisited and a number of rissoiform gastropods were collected. Taxonomic investigations revealed that these specimens represent a hitherto undescribed species ofProvanna(Gastropoda: Abyssochrysoidea), described herein asProvanna cingulatan. sp. This new species is characterized by numerous spiral keels, lack of significant axial sculpture, rounded and inflated whorls, and large size for the genus. With the shell height exceeding 16.5 mm (may reach 20 mm), it is the largestProvannaspecies known thus far. Phylogenetic analysis using 411 bp of the cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI) gene confirmed its systematic placement within the genusProvanna. This is the only gastropod from a family endemic to chemosynthetic ecosystems thus far known from the ‘Shinkai Seep Field’. Furthermore, with a collection depth of 5687 m, it represents the deepest known bathymetric range for the superfamily Abyssochrysoidea as a whole.
The trypanosome alternative oxidase: a potential drug target?
Authors: MENZIES STEFANIE K. , TULLOCH LINDSAY B. , FLORENCE GORDON J. , SMITH TERRY K.
Published: November 2016

New drugs againstTrypanosoma brucei,the causative agent of Human African Trypanosomiasis, are urgently needed to replace the highly toxic and largely ineffective therapies currently used. The trypanosome alternative oxidase (TAO) is an essential and unique mitochondrial protein in these parasites and is absent from mammalian mitochondria, making it an attractive drug target. The structure and function of the protein are now well characterized, with several inhibitors reported in the literature, which show potential as clinical drug candidates. In this review, we provide an update on the functional activity and structural aspects of TAO. We then discuss TAO inhibitors reported to date, problems encountered within vivotesting of these compounds, and discuss the future of TAO as a therapeutic target.
An attention and interpretation bias for illness-specific information in chronic fatigue syndrome
Authors: Hughes A. M. , Chalder T. , Hirsch C. R. , Moss-Morris R.
Published: November 2016

Background

Studies have shown that specific cognitions and behaviours play a role in maintaining chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). However, little research has investigated illness-specific cognitive processing in CFS. This study investigated whether CFS participants had an attentional bias for CFS-related stimuli and a tendency to interpret ambiguous information in a somatic way. It also determined whether cognitive processing biases were associated with co-morbidity, attentional control or self-reported unhelpful cognitions and behaviours.

Method

A total of 52 CFS and 51 healthy participants completed self-report measures of symptoms, disability, mood, cognitions and behaviours. Participants also completed three experimental tasks, two designed specifically to tap into CFS salient cognitions: (i) visual-probe task measuring attentional bias to illness (somatic symptoms and disability) v. neutral words; (ii) interpretive bias task measuring positive v. somatic interpretations of ambiguous information; and (iii) the Attention Network Test measuring general attentional control.

Results

Compared with controls, CFS participants showed a significant attentional bias for fatigue-related words and were significantly more likely to interpret ambiguous information in a somatic way, controlling for depression and anxiety. CFS participants had significantly poorer attentional control than healthy individuals. Attention and interpretation biases were associated with fear/avoidance beliefs. Somatic interpretations were also associated with all-or-nothing behaviour and catastrophizing.

Conclusions

People with CFS have illness-specific biases which may play a part in maintaining symptoms by reinforcing unhelpful illness beliefs and behaviours. Enhancing adaptive processing, such as positive interpretation biases and more flexible attention allocation, may provide beneficial intervention targets.
Effects of behavioural activation on the neural basis of other perspective self-referential processing in subthreshold depression: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: Shiota S. , Okamoto Y. , Okada G. , Takagaki K. , Takamura M. , Mori A. , Yokoyama S. , Nishiyama Y. , Jinnin R. , Hashimoto R. I. , Yamawaki S.
Published: November 2016

Background

It has been demonstrated that negatively distorted self-referential processing, in which individuals evaluate one's own self, is a pathogenic mechanism in subthreshold depression that has a considerable impact on the quality of life and carries an elevated risk of developing major depression. Behavioural activation (BA) is an effective intervention for depression, including subthreshold depression. However, brain mechanisms underlying BA are not fully understood. We sought to examine the effect of BA on neural activation during other perspective self-referential processing in subthreshold depression.

Method

A total of 56 subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging scans during a self-referential task with two viewpoints (self/other) and two emotional valences (positive/negative) on two occasions. Between scans, while the intervention group (n = 27) received BA therapy, the control group (n = 29) did not.

Results

The intervention group showed improvement in depressive symptoms, increased activation in the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), and increased reaction times during other perspective self-referential processing for positive words after the intervention. Also, there was a positive correlation between increased activation in the dmPFC and improvement of depressive symptoms. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between improvement of depressive symptoms and increased reaction times.

Conclusions

BA increased dmPFC activation during other perspective self-referential processing with improvement of depressive symptoms and increased reaction times which were associated with improvement of self-monitoring function. Our results suggest that BA improved depressive symptoms and objective monitoring function for subthreshold depression.
Receipt of informal care in the Chinese older population
Authors: HU BO , MA SAI
Published: November 2016

This paper examines the factors affecting the receipt of informal care among older people in China. It uses the second wave data of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey, which collected ageing and health-related information on a nationally representative sample of 8,906 older people aged 60 and over in 2013. Apart from the factors that have been examined in the contexts of developed countries, the paper further investigates two factors specific to Chinese society: rural–urban residence and regular financial assistance from children. Based on binary and multinomial logit regression analyses, the research findings are threefold: the determinants of receiving informal care differ remarkably according to the sources of care; disability and living arrangements are the most important determinants; rural–urban residence plays a vital role in the Chinese context, but regular financial assistance from children makes little difference. It is estimated that 53 million older people are receiving informal care each year, a figure equivalent to the entire population of England. With continuous population ageing, Chinese society will face huge pressure to meet the demand for social care among older people in the future. The Chinese government needs to build a well-rounded welfare system that tackles this challenge from multiple dimensions. The formal care services should aim to complement informal care in the short run and reduce inequality in social care in the long run.
SOME LIMITING BEHAVIOR FOR ASYMPTOTICALLY NEGATIVE ASSOCIATED RANDOM VARIABLES
Authors: Wu Qunying , Jiang Yuanying
Published: November 2016

In this paper, we study the almost sure convergence for sequences of asymptotically negative associated (ANA) random variables. As a result, we extend the classical Khintchine–Kolmogorov convergence theorem, Marcinkiewicz strong law of large numbers, and the three series theorem for sequences of independent random variables to sequences of ANA random variables without necessarily adding any extra conditions.
Changed prevalence, not absence, explains toothfish status in McMurdo Sound
Authors: Ainley David G. , Ballard Grant , Eastman Joseph T. , Evans Clive W. , Nur Nadav , Parkinson Claire L.
Published: November 2016

We comment on the conjecture by Parkeret al. (2016) that Antarctic toothfish recently returned to McMurdo Sound, arguing that this species never departed. Instead, as deduced from a 40-year fishing effort, toothfish water column prevalence became markedly reduced where bottom depths are <500 m, with research continuing to show their presence on the bottom or above the bottom where depths are deeper. We also counter arguments that toothfish departed, and remained absent, during and following a five-year presence of mega-icebergs residing near the opposite coast of Ross Island, the icebergs inhibiting or fomenting conditions that discouraged toothfish presence in the Sound. Available analyses reveal that toothfish movement into the Sound was probably not significantly affected, and additionally that neither changes in hydrography nor in primary productivity in the Sound would have been sufficient to impact toothfish presence through food web alteration. We hypothesize that the local effect of predation by seals and whales and the regional effect of a fishery targeting the largest toothfish (those neutrally buoyant and thus capable of occupying upper levels of the water column) has resulted in the remaining toothfish now being found predominantly closer to the bottom at greater depths.
Understanding barriers to fruit and vegetable intake in the Australian Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children: a mixed-methods approach
Authors: Thurber Katherine Ann , Banwell Cathy , Neeman Teresa , Dobbins Timothy , Pescud Melanie , Lovett Raymond , Banks Emily
Published: November 2016

Objective

To identify barriers to fruit and vegetable intake for Indigenous Australian children and quantify factors related to these barriers, to help understand why children do not meet recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake.

Design

We examined factors related to carer-reported barriers using multilevel Poisson models (robust variance); a key informant focus group guided our interpretation of findings.

Setting

Eleven diverse sites across Australia.

Subjects

Australian Indigenous children and their carers (N1230) participating in the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children.

Results

Almost half (45 %;n555/1230) of carers reported barriers to their children’s fruit and vegetable intake. Dislike of fruit and vegetables was the most common barrier, reported by 32·9 % of carers; however, we identified few factors associated with dislike. Carers were more than ten times less likely to report barriers to accessing fruit and vegetables if they lived large citiesv. very remote areas. Within urban and inner regional areas, child and carer well-being, financial security, suitable housing and community cohesion promoted access to fruit and vegetables.

Conclusions

In this national Indigenous Australian sample, almost half of carers faced barriers to providing their children with a healthy diet. Both remote/outer regional carers and disadvantaged urban/inner regional carers faced problems accessing fruit and vegetables for their children. Where vegetables were accessible, children’s dislike was a substantial barrier. Nutrition promotion must address the broader family, community, environmental and cultural contexts that impact nutrition, and should draw on the strengths of Indigenous families and communities.
Compact hybrid fractal antenna for wideband wireless applications
Authors: Choukiker Yogesh Kumar , Mudiganti Jagadish Chandra
Published: November 2016

A compact size hybrid fractal antenna is proposed for the application in wideband frequency range. The proposed antenna structure is the combination of Koch curve and self-affine fractal geometries. The Koch curve and self-affine geometries are optimized to achieve a wide bandwidth. The feed circuit is a microstrip line with a matching section over a rectangular ground plane. The measured impedance matching fractal bandwidth (S11 ≤ −10 dB) is 72.37% from 1.6 to 3.4 GHz. An acceptable agreement is obtained from the simulated and measured antenna performance parameters.
The future of warfare: Are we ready?
Authors: Kent Randolph
Published: November 2016

To what extent do the ways in which we anticipate threats, analyze their possible consequences and determine ways to mitigate them explain the causes of warfare in the future? This article – though never attempting to predict – poses plausible causes of future wars that may stem from transformative change over the next two decades. In asking the question “Are we ready?” to deal with such wars, the answer is framed in terms of the interrelationship between the prospect of profound change, emerging tensions, unprecedented violence and organizational capacities to deal with complexity and uncertainty. To be prepared to deal with the prospect of future wars, relevant organizations have to be more anticipatory and adaptive, while at the same time looking for new ways to engage the wider international community. The article concludes with a set of recommendations intended to meet such organizational challenges – with the aspiration that the question “Are we ready?” can be answered more affirmatively in the future.
Out of sight, out of reach: Moral issues in the globalization of the battlefield
Authors: Germain Éric
Published: November 2016

The Great War ushered in a new era of long-distance combat. For the first time, weapons with a very long range were massively deployed, in previously unheard-of places: under the sea and in the air. Stealth fighting also included espionage and propaganda, now orchestrated on a global scale. In reaction to the carnage in the trenches, a degree of moral rehabilitation came to be conferred on the weapons initially associated with a “cowards’ war”. This in turn encouraged experimentation with the new, unmanned technology that would lead to the first prototypes of guided munitions and drones.
SAINTS, PAGANS, AND THE WONDERS OF THE EAST: THE MEDIEVAL IMAGINARY AND ITS MANUSCRIPT CONTEXTS
Authors: ELDEVIK JOHN
Published: November 2016

Studies about Christian perceptions of Islam and other non-Christian cultures in the Middle Ages in recent years have tended to focus on individual authors and their works. New research in the field of manuscript philology, particularly its focus on the idea of the “whole book,” however, suggests some new interpretive vistas that can sharpen our understanding of how medieval readers engaged with, and responded to, texts about the non-Christian Other. This article takes as its subject a twelfth-century miscellany manuscript from the Westfalian monastery of Grafschaft that constitutes a remarkable dossier of hagiographical and exegetical texts relating to Muslims, pagans, and holy war. This codex, Darmstadt Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek, Cod. 749, offers a window onto how works dealing with these subjects were read not only on their own terms, but in dynamic relationship to one another. Focusing on the associative resonances between the different works in a single manuscript allows us to understand how one monastic community in northern Germany sought to place the twelfth-century Crusades in a broader historical and theological context. The results of such an approach complicate the traditional Christian-Muslim binary we usually encounter in studies of Crusading or medieval views of non-Christians, underscoring how one community of medieval readers thought about the problem of religious conflict in several temporal, geographic, and conceptual dimensions.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONSECRATION RITE FOR ABBESSES AND ABBOTS IN CENTRAL MEDIEVAL ENGLAND
Authors: BUGYIS KATIE ANN-MARIE
Published: November 2016

This article identifies, details, and contextualizes three stages in the development of the consecration rites for abbesses and abbots in liturgical books produced for bishops in England from 900 to 1200. It shows how these rites, through the prayers recited, insignia bestowed, chants sung, and bodily gestures performed, sought to articulate and impress the normative ideals of monastic leadership on those who were elected to exercise it and how liturgists variously altered these rites in response to changing ecclesiastical pressures. Most significantly, for much of the late Anglo-Saxon period, the consecration rites for abbesses and abbots were the same, but, over the course of the late eleventh and twelfth centuries, the rites were split along gender lines with the dissemination, adoption, and adaptation of theordinesfound in episcopal books affiliated with the tradition commonly identified by scholars as the Pontifical Romano-Germanique. In sharp contrast to their predecessors, the new rites envisioned dramatically different spiritual and temporal authorities for abbesses and abbots, clearly subordinating the former's office to the latter's by thoroughly feminizing its exemplary form. Yet, as close study of the material remains from communities of women religious during this period reveals, the consecration rite for abbesses was limited in its effect on how they actually fashioned and displayed their own authorities.
CareSlam, weil wir der Pflege eine Stimme geben!
Authors: Falckner Yvonne
Published: November 2016

Zusammenfassung. Care Slam bedeutet «Sorgeschlacht» und vereinigt Elemente vom Poetry Slam und Science Slam mit pflege- und gesundheitspolitischen Inhalten. Sie bietet eine Plattform für Menschen, die eng mit der Pflege verbunden sind und hier persönliche Erfahrungen einbringen. CareSlamer sind Geschichtenerzähler und Analytiker, sie wissen um das Lied des Lebens, welches Krankheit, Leid und Todeserfahrungen beinhaltet, aber auch um die großen Freuden, die im Umgang mit Menschen erlebt werden können.
Auszubildende im OP
Authors: Grube Liane , Morgenstern Ulrike
Published: November 2016

Zusammenfassung. Es werden Möglichkeiten eines Theorie-Praxis-Transfers zur Förderung der Handlungskompetenz für zukünftige Anästhesie- und Operationstechnischen Assistenten geprüft. Dazu werden Faktoren herausgestellt, die zum Erfolg eines Projektes «Schülerstation» führen können.
Microbial mutualism dynamics governed by dose-dependent toxicity of cross-fed nutrients
Authors: LaSarre Breah , McCully Alexandra L , Lennon Jay T , McKinlay James B
Published: November 2016

Microbial interactions, including mutualistic nutrient exchange (cross-feeding), underpin the flow of energy and materials in all ecosystems. Metabolic exchanges are difficult to assess within natural systems. As such, the impact of exchange levels on ecosystem dynamics and function remains unclear. To assess how cross-feeding levels govern mutualism behavior, we developed a bacterial coculture amenable to both modeling and experimental manipulation. In this coculture, which resembles an anaerobic food web, fermentative Escherichia coli and photoheterotrophic Rhodopseudomonas palustris obligately cross-feed carbon (organic acids) and nitrogen (ammonium). This reciprocal exchange enforced immediate stable coexistence and coupled species growth. Genetic engineering of R. palustris to increase ammonium cross-feeding elicited increased reciprocal organic acid production from E. coli, resulting in culture acidification. Consequently, organic acid function shifted from that of a nutrient to an inhibitor, ultimately biasing species ratios and decreasing carbon transformation efficiency by the community; nonetheless, stable coexistence persisted at a new equilibrium. Thus, disrupting the symmetry of nutrient exchange can amplify alternative roles of an exchanged resource and thereby alter community function. These results have implications for our understanding of mutualistic interactions and the use of microbial consortia as biotechnology.
Memory consolidation reconfigures neural pathways involved in the suppression of emotional memories
Authors: Liu Yunzhe , Lin Wanjun , Liu Chao , Luo Yuejia , Wu Jianhui , Bayley Peter J. , Qin Shaozheng
Published: November 2016

The ability to suppress unwanted emotional memories is crucial for human mental health. Through consolidation over time, emotional memories often become resistant to change. However, how consolidation impacts the effectiveness of emotional memory suppression is still unknown. Using event-related fMRI while concurrently recording skin conductance, we investigated the neurobiological processes underlying the suppression of aversive memories before and after overnight consolidation. Here we report that consolidated aversive memories retain their emotional reactivity and become more resistant to suppression. Suppression of consolidated memories involves higher prefrontal engagement, and less concomitant hippocampal and amygdala disengagement. In parallel, we show a shift away from hippocampal-dependent representational patterns to distributed neocortical representational patterns in the suppression of aversive memories after consolidation. These findings demonstrate rapid changes in emotional memory organization with overnight consolidation, and suggest possible neurobiological bases underlying the resistance to suppression of emotional memories in affective disorders.
Functional exploration of colorectal cancer genomes using Drosophila
Authors: Bangi Erdem , Murgia Claudio , Teague Alexander G.S. , Sansom Owen J. , Cagan Ross L.
Published: November 2016

The multigenic nature of human tumours presents a fundamental challenge for cancer drug discovery. Here we use Drosophila to generate 32 multigenic models of colon cancer using patient data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. These models recapitulate key features of human cancer, often as emergent properties of multigenic combinations. Multigenic models such as ras p53 pten apc exhibit emergent resistance to a panel of cancer-relevant drugs. Exploring one drug in detail, we identify a mechanism of resistance for the PI3K pathway inhibitor BEZ235. We use this data to identify a combinatorial therapy that circumvents this resistance through a two-step process of emergent pathway dependence and sensitivity we term ‘induced dependence’. This approach is effective in cultured human tumour cells, xenografts and mouse models of colorectal cancer. These data demonstrate how multigenic animal models that reference cancer genomes can provide an effective approach for developing novel targeted therapies.
Nonreciprocity and magnetic-free isolation based on optomechanical interactions
Authors: Ruesink Freek , Miri Mohammad-Ali , Alù Andrea , Verhagen Ewold
Published: November 2016

Nonreciprocal components, such as isolators and circulators, provide highly desirable functionalities for optical circuitry. This motivates the active investigation of mechanisms that break reciprocity, and pose alternatives to magneto-optic effects in on-chip systems. In this work, we use optomechanical interactions to strongly break reciprocity in a compact system. We derive minimal requirements to create nonreciprocity in a wide class of systems that couple two optical modes to a mechanical mode, highlighting the importance of optically biasing the modes at a controlled phase difference. We realize these principles in a silica microtoroid optomechanical resonator and use quantitative heterodyne spectroscopy to demonstrate up to 10 dB optical isolation at telecom wavelengths. We show that nonreciprocal transmission is preserved for nondegenerate modes, and demonstrate nonreciprocal parametric amplification. These results open a route to exploiting various nonreciprocal effects in optomechanical systems in different electromagnetic and mechanical frequency regimes, including optomechanical metamaterials with topologically non-trivial properties.
Truncation and constitutive activation of the androgen receptor by diverse genomic rearrangements in prostate cancer
Authors: Henzler Christine , Li Yingming , Yang Rendong , McBride Terri , Ho Yeung , Sprenger Cynthia , Liu Gang , Coleman Ilsa , Lakely Bryce , Li Rui , Ma Shihong , Landman Sean R. , Kumar Vipin , Hwang Tae Hyun , Raj Ganesh V. , Higano Celestia S. , Morrissey Colm , Nelson Peter S. , Plymate Stephen R. , Dehm Scott M.
Published: November 2016

Molecularly targeted therapies for advanced prostate cancer include castration modalities that suppress ligand-dependent transcriptional activity of the androgen receptor (AR). However, persistent AR signalling undermines therapeutic efficacy and promotes progression to lethal castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), even when patients are treated with potent second-generation AR-targeted therapies abiraterone and enzalutamide. Here we define diverse AR genomic structural rearrangements (AR-GSRs) as a class of molecular alterations occurring in one third of CRPC-stage tumours. AR-GSRs occur in the context of copy-neutral and amplified AR and display heterogeneity in breakpoint location, rearrangement class and sub-clonal enrichment in tumours within and between patients. Despite this heterogeneity, one common outcome in tumours with high sub-clonal enrichment of AR-GSRs is outlier expression of diverse AR variant species lacking the ligand-binding domain and possessing ligand-independent transcriptional activity. Collectively, these findings reveal AR-GSRs as important drivers of persistent AR signalling in CRPC.
Time-resolved scattering of a single photon by a single atom
Authors: Leong Victor , Seidler Mathias Alexander , Steiner Matthias , Cerè Alessandro , Kurtsiefer Christian
Published: November 2016

Scattering of light by matter has been studied extensively in the past. Yet, the most fundamental process, the scattering of a single photon by a single atom, is largely unexplored. One prominent prediction of quantum optics is the deterministic absorption of a travelling photon by a single atom, provided the photon waveform matches spatially and temporally the time-reversed version of a spontaneously emitted photon. Here we experimentally address this prediction and investigate the influence of the photon’s temporal profile on the scattering dynamics using a single trapped atom and heralded single photons. In a time-resolved measurement of atomic excitation we find a 56(11)% increase of the peak excitation by photons with an exponentially rising profile compared with a decaying one. However, the overall scattering probability remains unchanged within the experimental uncertainties. Our results demonstrate that envelope tailoring of single photons enables precise control of the photon–atom interaction.
Nitric Oxide (NO) Mediates the Inhibition of Form-Deprivation Myopia by Atropine in Chicks
Authors: Carr Brittany J. , Stell William K.
Published: November 2016

Myopia is the most common childhood refractive disorder. Atropine inhibits myopia progression, but its mechanism is unknown. Here, we show that myopia-prevention by atropine requires production of nitric oxide (NO). Form-deprivation myopia (FDM) was induced in week-old chicks by diffusers over the right eye (OD); the left eye (OS) remained ungoggled. On post-goggling days 1, 3, and 5, OD received intravitreally 20 µL of phosphate-buffered saline (vehicle), or vehicle plus: NO source: L-arginine (L-Arg, 60–6,000 nmol) or sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 10–1,000 nmol); atropine (240 nmol); NO inhibitors: L-NIO or L-NMMA (6 nmol); negative controls: D-Arg (10 µmol) or D-NMMA (6 nmol); or atropine plus L-NIO, L-NMMA, or D-NMMA; OS received vehicle. On day 6 post-goggling, refractive error, axial length, equatorial diameter, and wet weight were measured. Vehicle-injected goggled eyes developed significant FDM. This was inhibited by L-Arg (ED50 = 400 nmol) or SNP (ED50 = 20 nmol), but not D-Arg. Higher-dose SNP, but not L-Arg, was toxic to retina/RPE. Atropine inhibited FDM as expected; adding NOS-inhibitors (L-NIO, L-NMMA) to atropine inhibited this effect dose-dependently, but adding D-NMMA did not. Equatorial diameter, wet weight, and metrics of control eyes were not affected by any treatment. In summary, intraocular NO inhibits myopia dose-dependently and is obligatory for inhibition of myopia by atropine.
ECM proteins in a microporous scaffold influence hepatocyte morphology, function, and gene expression
Authors: Wang Yan , Kim Myung Hee , Shirahama Hitomi , Lee Jae Ho , Ng Soon Seng , Glenn Jeffrey S. , Cho Nam-Joon
Published: November 2016

It is well known that a three-dimensional (3D) culture environment and the presence of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins facilitate hepatocyte viability and maintenance of the liver-specific phenotypein vitro. However, it is not clear whether specific ECM components such as collagen or fibronectin differentially regulate such processes, especially in 3D scaffolds. In this study, a series of ECM-functionalized inverted colloidal crystal (ICC) microporous scaffolds were fabricated and their influence on Huh-7.5 cell proliferation, morphology, hepatic-specific functions, and patterns of gene expression were compared. Both collagen and fibronectin promoted albumin production and liver-specific gene expression of Huh-7.5 cells, compared with the bare ICC scaffold. Interestingly, cells in the fibronectin-functionalized scaffold exhibited different aggregation patterns to those in the collagen-functionalized scaffold, a variation that could be related to the distinct mRNA expression levels of cell adhesion-related genes. Based on these results, we can conclude that different ECM proteins, such as fibronectin and collagen, indeed play distinct roles in the phenotypic regulation of cells cultured in a 3D environment.